ã€ŠThe Regressed Demon Lord is Kindã€‹


 Chapter 1

    <h4>Chapter 1</h4>

    ¡®Ah, damn it.¡¯

    In a children¡¯s storybook that Zich read when he was little, there was a passage that described a great hero''s fall. ording to the passage, even the heavens filled with grief at the sight of the dying hero, and rain began to pour down from the sky. He didn¡¯t know exactly why, but even after many years passed, this passage remained stuck inside his mind.

    ¡®As expected, the heavens don¡¯t seem to love me.¡¯

    Looking at the bright sun without a cloud in sight, Zich was sure that the heavens must have despised him instead, let alone love a person like him.

    ¡®Well, it¡¯s pretty understandable why.¡¯

    Zich couldn¡¯t even count the number of people who cried because of him or remember how many people he had killed. People called him the Demon Lord, who had brought chaos and despair into this world. He didn¡¯t particrly like to dine on blood or flesh, but he also didn¡¯t refuse it when they were offered; and he had lived a kind of life where he used whatever means to achieve a goal.

    If the heavens really loved him, they would¡¯ve pped Zich across the face and told him to change his ways.

    ¡°Is it over?¡±

    Zich heard a voice. It was such a heroic and noble voice that it was irritating. He lowered his gaze from the sky and looked forward. A man wearing shiny armor looked down at Zich with a haughty look on his face. He was the man called ¡®Hero Among Heroes¡¯.

    With a cringy, almost disgusting, title called ¡®The Sun Warrior¡¯, he was the human named Glen Zenard.

    ¡®So handsome.¡¯

    Zich wished he could spit on a face like that at least once.

    ¡®Should I give it a try?¡¯

    Zich considered the angle, his left-over stamina, the guy¡¯s evasion speed, and so on¡ªeven in his dazed state, he was able to calcte these kinds of things fast.

    ¡®No, I shouldn¡¯t.¡¯

    This was his end. Zich didn¡¯t want to lose his cool at thest moment to something like this. He still had some pride, since the people in this world called him the Demon Lord.

    ¡®Ah, but wait. When did I have pride in something like that?¡¯

    Zich was moving his mouth to fire a spit right at the tip of Glen¡¯s perfectly-shaped, sculpted nose when Glen suddenly eximed¡ª

    ¡°Your evil deeds wille to an end now, Demon Lord Zich Moore!¡±

    ¡®What a cheesy line to say.¡¯

    It was uncreative. Really uncreative. As if he was really a hero from a storybook, Glen reiterated lines that only characters from a moldy, third-rate hero novel would say.

    ¡®Shouldn¡¯t he have stopped reading children¡¯s storybooks by now?¡¯

    However, Zich didn¡¯t even have the strength to respond to him. He could only blink at the glorious hero before him and stare.

    ¡°Quickly finish him! Our opponent is the ¡®Demon Lord of Strength¡¯. We don¡¯t know when he will regain his powers!¡±

    ¡°Yes! That¡¯s right!¡±

    ¡®No, I don¡¯t have any powers left. My body hurts, and I don¡¯t want to move.¡¯

    Zich wanted to exin this to the hero¡¯spanions, who were telling the hero to finish him off. But it was tiring to even open his mouth. Furthermore, he wondered if there was any purpose in exining this to them.

    ¡®They can be on their guard if they wish.¡¯

    He thought it was a bit funny to see them fuss over his dying body.

    Yet, it also made him feel a bit pleased. Didn¡¯t their words mean that he posed a huge threat?

    ¡°No, he no longer has the power to harm us.¡±

    Zich¡¯s enjoyment suddenly evaporated with Glen¡¯s words.

    ¡®This guy is really not fun.¡¯

    ¡®I should¡¯ve tried to destroy him first instead of spending my time doing useless things.¡¯

    Zich wasn¡¯t thinking along the lines of, ¡®If only I had gotten ridden of this guy, I¡­!¡¯

    He just purely wanted to tear this annoying guy¡¯s face apart.

    m!

    The hero lifted his sword and pushed it up against Zich. The holy sword¡¯s edges looked sharp enough to rip even a soul in half.

    ¡°Listen, Zich Moore! Before you die, I will recite every evil deed you havemitted!¡±

    ¡®What kind of bullshit is this?¡¯

    The hero began to spout nonsense, and Zich looked at thepanions around him.

    ¡®To think that they hung around a guy like him. Indeed, they are very impressive guys.¡¯

    Compared to the giant fireballs that they shot at him, the shields that blocked his attacks, the arrows aimed at his vulnerable spots, or the miracles that had maxed out theirpanions¡¯ skill stats or instantly healed theirpanies¡¯ injuries, staying around a guy like this seemed more impressive to Zich than anything else.

    ¡®Well, it can¡¯t be helped. I guess I have to listen to this.¡¯

    Even if his opponents had formed a party to fight him, Zich couldn¡¯t deny that he, who was called the ¡®Demon Lord of Strength¡¯, was defeated.

    ¡®What can a loser do but let the winner do as he pleases?¡¯

    Zich strained to pry his eyes open and stared at the hero. As if he waspletely immersed in his role, Glen spat out words without even looking at Zich.

    ¡®Did hee here prepared with everything memorized?¡¯

    If that was the case, Zich thought he should apud Glen for his efforts.

    ¡®No, wait. If I think about it, isn¡¯t this something that should hurt my pride? He must have only thought of beating me.¡¯

    For a moment, emotions began to erupt in Zich, but he repressed them.

    ¡®Forget it. It¡¯s true that I lost.¡¯

    If he won, it would¡¯ve been different, but to get angry about something like this after losing would only make him seem like a sore loser. It was only appropriate that he should act like a loser if he lost. Thus, hey down lifelessly and listened to his ¡®evil deeds¡¯.

    ¡®Oh, that¡¯s right, something like that happened. Oh yeah, that too. This is making me reminisce. He must have done a lot of research.¡¯

    Like an old man trapped his past memories, Zich listened to all of the things he had done. They described a bloody path which befitted his nickname, ¡®Demon Lord¡¯.

    ¡°¡­With all of these sins in mind, Iy down my judgment of justice to the Demon Lord, Zich Moore!¡±

    ¡®What? It''s already over?¡¯

    Zich woke up from his pool of memories and nostalgia that the hero¡¯s speech reinvigorated. He licked his lips in pity.

    ¡®Well, I received quite a good gift on my way out.¡¯

    This was really his end. Zich carefully scanned the figures around him again. The young magician was ring at him with contempt, the swordsman was on guard to protect the hero if an emergency arose, and the archer was also still on high alert with a cold-hearted face. The female saint was crying and praying for even aplete stranger like Zich. And finally, the hero was confidently holding his sword.

    The hero¡¯s sword slowly rose above Zich, and he would die the moment it fell. Zich knew that he couldn¡¯t escape his end. He didn¡¯t even think about struggling to survive.

    ¡®But.¡¯

    He began to gather up thest remaining amount of power he had.

    ¡®Since I am called the Demon Lord, I can¡¯t just die.¡¯

    Like the other demon lords in storybooks, he cast a curse on the hero.

    Among the magic tools that he had collected while traveling the world, there was an item that had a simr effect to that of a curse.

    ¡®They definitely said it was called ¡®The Key that Distorts Destiny¡¯.¡¯

    It was the name of the small de that he had inserted inside his index finger. It had been very troublesome for him to stick the thing inside his finger while not experiencing difort in his daily life. But thanks to that, he now had the opportunity to give thest blow to his annoying opponent¡ªmaking the trouble worth it.

    ¡®It won¡¯t be enough to kill him.¡¯

    This item wasn¡¯t for something like that, but for someone like Zich, who loved to fuck his opponents over, it really fitted him.

    ¡®It¡¯s a small de that can change the future of someone whose destiny has changed. I don¡¯t know how his future will change though.¡¯

    But it didn¡¯t matter. All the other demon lords were already dead. It wasn¡¯t hard to imagine that Glen Zenard, who had finally killed thest Demon Lord, Zich, would be guaranteed a heroic future. Even if Glen¡¯s future changed for the better, it just meant that his already heroic future would shine a bit brighter. But if his future changed for the worse¡­

    ¡®Let¡¯s take a test, hero. If you continue to walk a heroic path even if you get hit by this, it¡¯s your win. But if the destiny you are about to face is full of darkness, it will be more miserable than anyone else¡¯s.¡¯

    Zich really hoped for Glen to meet thetter. The only regrettable thing was that there was no way for him to see this happen.

    ¡°If you are born again, I hope that you will be someone who does good!¡±

    Like a judge giving his final judgement, Glen yelled while swinging his sword down.

    Zich, who had been lying down lifelessly suddenly got up.

    ¡°If I get the chance, I will!¡±

    ¡°But not now!¡±

    Push!

    Glen¡¯s sword sliced across Zich¡¯s body from his left shoulder.

    Even as his body was getting sliced, Zich focused all of his attention onto his index finger. Then, a sharp, gold piece steadily popped out.

    Glen looked surprised, and hispanions moved in a hurry.

    ¡®But I¡¯m faster!¡¯

    Push!

    It wasn¡¯t a critical hit. Zich was in bad condition, and Glen¡¯s magic barrier was too strong for him tond a critical hit.

    But due to Glen¡¯s carelessness, the tiny de that he had poured all of his power into was able to slide through the barrier and leave a small scratch.

    ¡°You bastaaaaaard!¡±

    Glen¡¯s stone-like face crumpled.

    ¡®Hahahahaha!¡¯

    In contrast to Glen, Zich wanted to burst intoughter. But like a marite that had lost all of its strings, he couldn¡¯t move his body and face.

    Swing!

    Glen¡¯s body moved once again and sliced Zich¡¯s neck off. Zich¡¯s vision became dark. But before hepletely lost consciousness, he thought he saw something shining.

    ¡°What! This¡­is¡­not pos¡­finally. Here¡­this time¡­perfect¡­!¡±

    Glen was murmuring some things in terror, but Zich¡¯s consciousness faded into darkness.

    * * *

    Chirp! Chirp! Chirp!

    ¡°What¡­¡±

    It was noisy outside. Zich scowled and turned around.

    ¡°Ah, damn it! I can¡¯t sleep with this noise¡­!¡±

    After murmuring in annoyance, he stopped.

    He quickly got up. While surveying his surroundings with a stupid look on his face, the fearsome ¡®Demon Lord of Strength¡¯ was nowhere to be found. He actually looked like a blockhead.

    He began to touch his body all over. The wound that had been severe enough to cut him into two was entirely gone. There was not even a scratch; his skin that was rough from battle now felt soft and smooth.

    Then he touched his neck. It had beenpletely severed; no one could¡¯ve reversed it unless they were a god. But unbelievably, his head was still attached to his body.

    ¡®What in the world!¡¯

    Although he had experienced the world to its fullest and went through all kinds of experiences to the point that he earned the title of the Demon Lord; he had never gone through anything like this. He wondered for a moment if his stats disappeared and tried to calm himself to figure out the situation for now.

    ¡®At least I am alive.¡¯

    He couldn¡¯t believe it yet, but that was the important part. The future that had been closed off for him had opened again. Although he had reluctantly epted his death, it didn¡¯t mean that he wouldn¡¯t be happy to be alive again. Zich felt better after he rechecked himself.

    p!

    He took off the thing covering him.

    ¡®It¡¯s a nket.¡¯

    It was a soft, throw nket of high quality.

    Then, he looked around his surroundings. He was lying on top of a bed in some kind of room. There were many luxurious and high-quality furniture in the wide room. It didn¡¯t seem like a typical family room.

    ¡®It somehow feels pretty familiar.¡¯

    Zich got off his bed and began to explore the room. He passed by a mirror that was hanging on a wall.

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    Zich marched towards the mirror.

    ¡®This!¡¯

    It was definitely Zich¡¯s face, but also not at the same time. He rubbed his cheeks and scratched a pimple that had imed a visible spot on his face.

    ¡°I became younger?¡±

    As Zich screamed, the face in the mirror, which copied the shape of his mouth, was that of his younger self.

 Chapter 2

    <h4>Chapter 2</h4>

    ¡®This is so strange.¡¯

    After taking his top off, Zich scanned his entire body. Toned muscles outlined and shaped his entire form, but they weren¡¯t even close to the muscles he had gained as the Demon Lord ¡ª during those days, he had pushed his body to its utmost limits. Even the huge scar on his back that was as big as the world map was gone.

    Zich sat on the bed and organized his thoughts.

    ¡®I¡¯m sure that after I fought that jerk, Glen Zenard, I also lost to hispanions and was on the verge of death.¡¯

    No, it was funny to even say that he had been on the ¡®verge of death.¡¯ His body had been split into two while his neck was sliced off, so it was more urate to say that he had died.

    ¡®But I am alive and well.¡¯

    Moreover, as if he had actually gone back in time, he was younger too.

    ¡®It¡¯s not a dream.¡¯

    He had checked multiple times already. His cheeks still stung from pping himself so many times. Zich tried to recall what happened right before his death.

    ¡®After losing to Glen and hispanions, I had to listen to that jerk¡¯s rambling. Then¡­¡¯

    As if he had realized something, his eyes shone.

    ¡®I pierced that guy, Glen, with the ¡®Key that Distorts Destiny.¡¯ Is it because of that?¡¯

    He thought that it was a magical tool that only changed the future of the person it pierced, but looking at his situation right now, it was the only thing he could think of.

    ¡®Where did I get that?¡¯

    Zich¡¯s expression hardened.

    ¡®I don¡¯t remember.¡¯

    It wasn¡¯t only the location. He didn¡¯t remember the time or ce he found the item, nor did he remember when he had ced the object into his index finger. There wasn¡¯t any information about the ¡®Key that Distorts Destiny¡¯ in his brain. He was only aware that the magical tool was stuck in his finger before he realized it.

    ¡®No, let¡¯s calm down, Zich Moore. Maybe I just forgot.¡¯

    Zich forgot small details easily. Maybe that was why he couldn¡¯t recall anything about the item.

    ¡®But what if someone altered my memories?¡¯

    Zich stared at his index finger which used to hold the ¡®Key that Distorts Destiny.¡¯

    ¡®For now, I should find out more about this key.¡¯

    He had a goal now.

    And with this decision, his seriousnesspletely disappeared.

    ¡®Hm, what should I do from now on? I can¡¯t live the rest of my life searching for information about a magical tool.¡¯

    Zich didn¡¯t want to put all of his efforts into finding traces of an item without any clues. He needed another goal. He liked the idea of following a bloody path as the Demon Lord like before, but he also liked the idea of living apletely different life. After all, wasn¡¯t this an unexpected second chance at life?

    ¡®It will be my loss if I don¡¯t enjoy this.¡¯

    Zich thought hard. He felt that he needed to figure out what period he was in first.

    ¡®Let me see. If I think about my surroundings, it seems like I haven¡¯t left my family yet.¡¯

    In contrast to his wild nature, Zich was surprisingly from an aristocratic family, and a pretty noble one at that. Moore was thest name that he had given to himself, and his original family name was Steelwall. Matching their name, the Steelwall family had protected the kingdom like an impregnable fortress for a long time.

    ¡®Since I am the eldest son, maybe it wouldn¡¯t be too bad to inherit the family¡¯s name.¡¯

    In the past, he left his family to wander around the world. Furthermore, he only pursued power to the extent that he gained the title: ¡®Demon Lord of Strength,¡¯ but this time, Zich thought it wouldn¡¯t be so bad to seed as the next heir of his family and act like a noble.

    ¡®What was my reason for leaving?¡¯

    It was at that moment.

    Crick!

    The door opened without a knock. Disturbed from his thoughts, Zich scowled and stared at the person who came in.

    ¡®Can they just barge into the room of the eldest son of a noble family like this?¡¯

    Although Zich had abandoned all noble manners and etiquette since he left his family, he knew at least this much.

    ¡®Is it my parent or sibling?¡¯

    He was surprised to see that the man who had barged into his room looked like a servant.

    ¡®He must be a servant, right?¡¯

    Zich thought he might have been mistaken, but the man was definitely wearing servant clothing. The servant stared at Zich. Surprisingly, the servant scowled at him, and Zich became speechless.

    A servant had scowled while looking at a noble.

    ¡°You were still in your room, sir?¡±

    ¡®Thankfully, he still uses honorifics.¡¯

    Because he was so rude, Zich thought that the servant would also speak to him informally. Zich also wondered if he should be thankful for something like this.

    ¡°You are usually out early in the morning. Have you given up on that now too? I don¡¯t think you are in the position to bezy.¡±

    ¡®¡­Is he mocking me? There can¡¯t be any hidden meanings behind his words, right?¡¯

    The situation was so ridiculous that Zich started thinking about all kinds of things.

    ¡°Ha!¡±

    Zich let out a forcedugh, and he beckoned the servant toe forward with his finger. The servant¡¯s expression worsened, but Zich continued to gesture while smiling. Thus, the servant unwittingly walked to his side.

    ¡°What is it?¡±

    The servant acted like he had walked up to Zich out of pity even though he didn¡¯t have to, but Zich¡¯s smile grew wider.

    Then, he got out of bed with much care.

    It was as if a mountain was rising ¡ª that was how enormous his physique was. Zich was a head and a half taller than the servant, and even though a normal servant would¡¯ve been intimidated by the difference in their physiques, the servant continued to re at Zich.

    Zich didn¡¯t say anything for a while and looked down at the servant.

    ¡°You called me. Why aren¡¯t you saying anything¡­?¡±

    The servant wasining when¡ª

    Punch!

    Zich¡¯s fist flew out. The moment it contacted the servant¡¯s cheek, a loud sound rang out.

    ¡°Ugh!¡±

    tter!

    Like a paper doll flying in the wind, the servant¡¯s body flew out and collided against a small, luxurious-looking shelf. He made a loud cry as the shelf fell, and the servant toppled over like a garbage bag.

    ¡°Ahhhhh!¡±

    The servant squirmed on the ground in pain. Along with a few perfectly white teeth, blood dripped out his mouth, and his cheeks instantly swelled up.

    ¡°Waw-Wawth are yaw¡­.!¡±

    With tears flowing out of his eyes, the servant red at Zich and struggled to speak. It seemed like he was trying to say, ¡®What are you doing?¡¯ but because his pronunciation was off, it was hard to tell.

    Zich approached the fallen servant. With this movement, the servant, who had been ring at Zich with a childish rage, backed off for a moment. The smile on Zich¡¯s face was gone. It was reced by a murderous intent that was colder than the Northern winter winds.

    Zich raised his foot.

    ¡®Maw-Mawdam wan¡¯t aproof¡­!¡±

    Crunch!

    ¡°Urggggggh!¡±

    Zich began to step on the servant relentlessly. The servant seemed like he was trying to say something along the lines of, ¡®Madam won¡¯t approve!¡¯ but this didn¡¯t matter to Zich. He continued to step on the servant without mercy.

    The servant, who had been busy shouting as if he had someone strong backing him, was now filled with terror before Zich, who was like an expressionless machine with the sole purpose of stepping on the servant. Even the thought, ¡®He won¡¯t really kill me, right?¡¯ had changed into ¡®He will really kill me at this rate!¡¯

    ¡°S-Sowry¡­!¡±

    With swollen lips, the servant begged for forgiveness.

    Drop!

    Zich stopped his kicking.

    As if he saw a rope fall down from the sky while the world was ending, the servant hurriedly bowed to the ground. He was so low to the ground that it seemed like he was stuck to the floor.

    ¡°S-Sowry! I was w-wrang!¡±

    He urgently begged for forgiveness as tears and snot ran down his face. Zich let down the raised foot.

    ¡°Have you figured out your ce?¡±

    The servant nodded senselessly, and Zichughed in satisfaction.

    ¡®Since today is a good day and I got younger, I should stop here.¡¯

    Zich thought he should forgive the servant at this point but¡ª

    m!

    ¡°What happened?!¡±

    The person who mmed the door openpletely changed Zich¡¯s mind.

    Zich saw a man with a uniform and a sword hanging at his waist.

    ¡®A knight.¡¯

    The man seemed like he would at least be a bodyguard for the family. Since he looked quite young, Zich predicted the man must have been called a genius a couple of times in his life.

    ¡®Did hee because of the screaming?¡¯

    The knight darted his eyes back and forth from Zich to the servant and frowned.

    ¡°Kniwght B-Bwyner!¡±

    As if Byner was his savior, the servant crawled towards him.

    ¡°What happened?¡±

    Byner asked the servant attached to his leg.

    ¡°T-thawt guy¡­!¡±

    ¡®That guy?¡¯

    Zich¡¯s eyebrows twitched. The servant was begging for mercy like a bug just a moment ago, but now that he had somebody to lean on, he was cocky again. Zich made his way towards the servant once more.

    ¡°ck!¡±

    The servant hurriedly hid behind the knight.

    Chuck!

    Byner¡¯s hands blocked Zich from moving forward.

    ¡°What are you doing?¡±

    ¡®What? The way this bastard talks¡­¡¯

    He was definitely the family¡¯s knight, but he showed no respect for the family¡¯s eldest son. Instead, he even showed a slight contempt for Zich.

    ¡°Move.¡±

    ¡°I asked what you are doing.¡±

    ¡°Are you asking me what I am doing? Didn¡¯t you hear that bastard say ¡®that guy¡¯ to me? Isn¡¯t the way he talks too cheeky for a lowly servant addressing the family¡¯s eldest son?¡± Zich¡¯s reason was clear. A bad-tempered noble would have cut off the servant¡¯s tongue already.

    Byner should have known this as well, but he still didn¡¯t move from his spot.

    ¡°I will take care of this.¡±

    ¡°No need. I will educate him personally.¡±

    ¡°I said, I will take care of it.¡±

    Zich stared at the knight and saw the servant rise behind him. Even while he was in pain, the servant was smiling. It was as if he was taunting Zich, ¡®What are you going to do now?¡¯

    ¡°I thought of this before, but you are cheeky as well.¡±

    Byner smirked and said, ¡°What are you going to do about that? Are you going to beat me up too?¡±

    ¡°Nothing is stopping me. A bastard who fails to recognize his own master will submit if you beat him enough times.¡±

    Byner looked at Zich with scorn and thought, ¡®Since he seemed like he knew his ce and stayed quiet, I was lenient on him. Did he decide to just do whatever he wants now? And where did he learn to talk so vulgarly? He really isn¡¯t fit to be the next heir.¡¯

    ¡°Then, go ahead.¡± Byner stepped forward as if he was encouraging Zich to take the first punch.

    Whish!

    Zich flung out his fist.

    Byner flinched. He didn¡¯t think that Zich would actually hit him. But he had also not be a knight by pure luck. Byner bent his back and avoided Zich¡¯s punch.

    ¡®That was pretty good.¡¯

    Byner knew that Zich regrly kept his body in shape, but even with that, Zich¡¯s punches were too fierce.

    ¡®But it¡¯s not enough.¡¯

    Zich wasn¡¯t strong enough to beat a knight like him yet.

    ¡®I should use this chance to put him in his ce.¡¯

    When Zich put his fist out, Byner used that chance to aim for Zich¡¯s stomach, but Zich twisted his feet and escaped Byner¡¯s attack.

    Bam!

    After rolling in a circle, Zich lifted his body up next to the bed.

    The distance between them widened, but Byner had no intention to end this scuffle easily. He swung his fist at Zich, who had now been trying to get up. Byner nned to end this fight with a light smack on Zich¡¯s face.

    p!

    Byner¡¯s view became covered in white. ¡®What!¡¯

    It was a nket. With his hands, Byner swiftly flicked the nket that was about to cover him, but by the time his view was clear, there was nobody in front of him.

    ¡°Sir Byner, behind¡­!¡±

    With the servant¡¯s urgent voice, Byner quickly turned his back.

    Crash!

    ¡°Ugh!¡±

    Byner felt a great shock on the back of his head.

    Thud!

    Byner fell to the floor. Beautiful flowers, water, and vase shards scattered around his bleeding head.

    ¡°Skills aren¡¯t everything, you bastard.¡±

    After nting a vase on top of Byner¡¯s head, Zich spouted insults at him.

    The younger the opponent was, the weaker they were to irregr attacks.

    ¡®Dickhead. Did you think I was crazy enough to fight you fair and square?¡¯

    Even if he had been once called the ¡®Demon Lord of Strength,¡¯ in his current situation, there was no way he could fight a knight head on. He wasn¡¯t even used to his current body yet. But still, the memories and experiences he had gained as the ¡®Demon Lord of Strength¡¯ were still inside of him. After oveing countless battles and experiences, it was easy for Zich to knock down a young knight who hadn¡¯t even pulled out his sword yet.

    ¡®Since he is unconscious, I should step on himter.¡¯

    Zich shifted his attention back to the servant. The servant¡¯s swollen face was full of fear.

    ¡°Weren¡¯t you happy when your guardian angel showed up? But what are you going to do now that he looks like that?¡±

    ¡°H-Have mewrcy¡­!¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I won¡¯t kill you.¡±

    Zich raised his feet again. Then, suddenly, he remembered what Glen Zenard had said to him.

    [If you are born again, I pray that you will be someone who does good!]

    ¡®Ok, I will do that starting from tomorrow.¡¯

    And for a long while after that, a servant¡¯s screams filled up Zich¡¯s entire room until another knight finally came running into the room after hearing themotion.

 Chapter 3

    <h4>Chapter 3</h4>

    Zich walked on a thickly carpeted hallway.

    As expected of a noble family, there were luxurious decorations on both sides of the wall. However, they didn¡¯t quite match the status of a Count. It looked as if the owner had kept the number of decorations to a minimum to match their status, and all of these things hinted at the character of the castle¡¯s master.

    However, Zich didn¡¯t care for the decorations around him and was lost deep in thought.

    ¡®Is it my father?¡¯

    His father was someone whom he had forgotten after leaving the family.

    ¡®He probably wants to talk to me about how I beat up that servant and knight.¡¯

    Considering the order of events, Zich was not at fault. He did injure them a bit more than necessary, but if his family considered the way the servant and knight had disrespected him, Zich was not at fault. This was especially true for the servant; he deserved to have his neck cut off.

    ¡®That would have been the normal thing to do.¡¯

    Unfortunately, his family would not show the bare minimum of what was ¡®normal¡¯ to him. In the past, this was the reason why Zich left his family.

    Halt!

    Zich stopped before a door with an engraving of a wolf¡¯s fierce-looking face. Next to the door, soldiers stood by with their swords.

    Zich tilted his head at them.

    Thud! Thud! Thud!

    One of the soldiers knocked on the door.

    ¡°My Lord, Sir Zich has arrived.¡±

    ¡°Let hime in.¡±

    A low and grave voice seeped out through the door.

    ¡°Please go inside, sir.¡±

    The soldier went back to his original spot, and Zich stared at the door for a moment.

    ¡®I remember I used to have a hard time going through this door.¡¯

    Zich couldn¡¯t remember his past well. He was basically a different person now, and he didn¡¯t have even the slightest bit of fear as he pushed the door open.

    The first figure Zich saw was an old man with a wire-like silver beard, sitting on a big chair. The man¡¯srge eyes and stubborn-looking lips stood out to him, and Zich knew that this man was his father and the castle¡¯s master, Count Steelwall.

    The Count wasn¡¯t the only person in the room. Knight Byner and the servant were also standing beside the Count, and they werepletely healed and fine, as if they had been healed with an expensive potion or treated by a rare healer.

    ¡®And¡­¡¯

    There were other people.

    ¡®It¡¯s my mother and younger brother.¡¯

    Even with the faint lines around her eyes and mouth, his mother, Florelle Steelwall, was a beauty; and holding his mother¡¯s arms was his younger brother, Greig Steelwall, with his reddish-brown hair and smooth face. It was because of them that even a servant treated Zich poorly.

    ¡®But I can¡¯t only me them¡ª¡¯

    Zich focused his gaze on the Count again.

    ¡®Since all of this wouldn¡¯t have happened without his approval.¡¯

    The master dictated how his family operated, meaning that Zich¡¯s poor treatment was what his father also wanted.

    The Count¡¯s piercing eyes stared at Zich. If it had been the original Zich, he would have lowered his gaze and given a polite greeting. But Zich was different now. He stood up straight and continued to meet the Count¡¯s eyes.

    Twitch!

    The Count¡¯s eyebrows moved.

    ¡°¡­Did you even forget how to say a basic greeting?¡±

    The Count¡¯s voice was quiet but filled with rage. If it were Zich as the ¡®Demon Lord of Strength,¡¯ he would¡¯veughed at the Count¡¯s rage and smashed the Count¡¯s head on the desk, but surprisingly, Zich bowed his head¡ªhowever, even that was just a slight tilt.

    The Count moved his eyebrows even further.

    ¡®He must be annoyed.¡¯

    Zich stopped moving. He thought about messing up everything like he would have done as the Demon Lord, but he decided against it. It was impossible to do that with the body he had right now. For hundreds of years, the Steelwalls were a distinguished family that protected the kingdom from foreign attacks. Their force was one of the greatest in the kingdom.

    Besides, Zich still needed to decide how to live his new life. He didn¡¯t want to screw things up from the beginning. Of course, Zich¡¯s standards for ¡®screwing up¡¯ differed from the norm, but still.

    ¡°Look at him, my lord. This child hasn¡¯t changed his ways. Haven¡¯t I told you? He won¡¯t even show basic etiquette anymore. This child has always disrespected his mother and brother, and he is now disrespecting his own father! How far will his audacity go?!¡±

    ¡®Wow. Look at her go.¡¯

    Watching his mother¡ªno, his stepmother drip crocodile tears, Zichughed inside his head.

    Greig added in hisments, ¡°Father and Mother. Brother must be a bit tired. I¡¯m sure he doesn¡¯t truly have any ill intentions.¡±

    ¡®Like peas in a pod.¡¯

    Zich felt like bursting intoughter at his brother¡¯s pretentious reply. Zich¡¯s family wasplicated, but could be exined simply in some ways. The current Countess had entered the family after his mother¡¯s death, and his half-brother was born afterwards. In short, the Countess wished for her own son to be the next heir instead of the eldest son.

    ¡®Even a cheap, third-rate novel wouldn¡¯t be this clich¨¦.¡¯

    But this was reality for Zich.

    ¡°What do you have to say to that?¡±

    The Count¡¯s voice became rougher, possibly as a result of Greig¡¯s words. However, Zich had no intention of calming his father¡¯s rage.

    ¡°What do you want me to say?¡±

    Zich didn¡¯t even attempt to hide his rebellious tone. Everyone, including the Count, was surprised. They always thought that Zich Steelwall was a timid person who was especially obedient to the Count, but that had actually been Zich¡¯s way of crying for attention and help from his father in his abandoned state.

    ¡®But that doesn¡¯t matter to me anymore.¡¯

    Bang!

    The Count mmed the table with his fist. Everyone in the room flinched at the Count¡¯s rage, but Zich remained calm.

    ¡°Your manners were the only thing satisfactory about you, but now you are throwing away your one saving grace?! How are you going to inherit the family¡¯s name with that kind of rotten mindset!¡±

    ¡°Are you even nning on making me the heir?¡±

    ¡°What!¡±

    The Count became speechless after hearing Zich¡¯s unexpected response. Bystanders stared at the exchange in shock.

    ¡°Of course! You are the oldest after all! It is only natural for me to appoint you as the heir, but of course, as long as you have no ws!¡±

    Zich could feel discontentment in the Count¡¯s voice, even though the Count sounded like he was siding with Zich. He even added the part about no ws.

    ¡®And he will choose what kind of w that is.¡¯

    With exaggerated movements, Zich bent his back.

    ¡°To think that our respectful father was so fair in his thoughts. Hearing this, yourcking son feels like he is flying in the heavens.¡±

    Extreme praise was equivalent to sarcasm, and the Count¡¯s face reddened. But it wasn¡¯t the Count who reacted first.

    ¡°How can you show such impudence toward your father! Apologize to him immediately!¡±

    The Countess shrieked.

    ¡°How did I act rudely to my father, whom I admire with all my heart? There must have been a misunderstanding.¡±

    To top it off, Zich added another word.

    ¡°Mother.¡±

    The Countess, who was about to continue, shut her mouth. With wide eyes, she moved her eyes from side to side.

    ¡°Mother? Is that what you just said?¡±

    ¡°Yes, Father. I always used the term ¡®Countess,¡¯ but doesn¡¯t that sound too distant? Don¡¯t you also think so, Mother?¡±

    The Countess¡¯s expressionpletely fell. It looked as if there was a disgusting bug in front of her, but Zich continued, ¡°Mother, you look pale. Mother, are you hurting anywhere? Mother, should I call the physician?¡±

    The Countess flinched every time Zich called her ¡®Mother.¡¯ As if she was eating a bitter fruit, her cheeks kept twitching, but Zich found amusement in this and continued to include Mother in every line. The Countess knew that it was on purpose, but she couldn¡¯t say anything. After all, he was also supposed to be her son; there was no way she could stop him from calling her Mother.

    ¡°I-I am fine. I am not hurting anywhere.¡±

    ¡°Dear Mother, I¡¯m relieved that you are fine. But Mother, just in case, please get an examination by a physician. I don¡¯t think I will be at peace until then, Mother.¡±

    Cough!

    As if something was stuck in her throat, the Countess began to look pale. Then, the Count made a fake cough and ended Zich¡¯s teasing.

    ¡°¡­Do you know why I called you here today?¡±

    The Count scanned Zich¡¯s expression. Zich seemed different from his usual self.

    ¡°It probably has something to do with those two, right?¡±

    Zich pointed at the servant and the knight.

    ¡°Yes. About what you did to¡ª!¡±

    ¡°I sincerely apologize, Father.¡±

    Zich bowed his head. His polite apologypletely contrasted his rebellious attitude from a moment ago. The Count was left speechless at Zich¡¯s sudden change in attitude¡ªwhat Zich did afterward surprised him even more.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry for bothering you because I didn¡¯t clean up my mess properly. From now on, I will take care of matters like this more properly.¡±

    Zich began to move, and everyone stared at him. He was heading towards the corner of the room where a decorative sword was hanging with an X marked on top of it.

    Swing!

    As expected of a military family, even the edge of a decorative sword was sharp. Zich turned around while holding the sword.

    ng! ng!

    Byner and Greig positioned themselves in front of the Count and the Countess with their swords raised.

    ¡°What are you doing!¡±

    As he screamed, the Count¡¯s face was as red as a tomato.

    ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you? I¡¯m going to clean up my mess.¡±

    ¡°What do you mean, mess?!¡±

    After tilting his sword toward the ground, Zich pointed at the servant with his free hand.

    ¡°Isn¡¯t it obvious? I have to slice off the neck of a servant who dares to insult a noble.¡±

    ¡°What!¡±

    The Count¡¯s eyes were bloodshot, but Zich confidently tilted his head.

    ¡°Huh? Isn¡¯t that why you called me? I thought you called me to finish off the guys who dared to insult the great Steelwall¡¯s¡ªLegitimate. Blood. Heir.¡±

    Zich included Byner, who was now looking at him in disbelief.

    ¡°I already dealt with them personally, so I didn¡¯t want to make this situation any bigger, but I guess it can¡¯t be helped if you are not satisfied. Now that I think about it, my punishment was way too light. I mean, aren¡¯t they the ones who dared to insult the great Steelwall¡¯s Legitimate. Blood. Heir? Father, please don¡¯t worry. I will neatly slice their heads off and hang them in front of the castle walls. ¡±

 Chapter 4

    <h4>Chapter 4</h4>

    Zich walked towards the servant, step by step.

    There was no hesitation in his movements, and each of his footsteps carried murderous intent. Only then did everyone realize that Zich¡¯s words and actions were not meant to be rebellious or metaphorical¡ªhe literally meant to kill the servant.

    ¡°Ma-Madam!¡±

    At the servant¡¯s plea, the Countess broke out from her trance.

    ¡°S-Stop! Didn¡¯t I tell you to stop! How dare you draw blood in front of your parents! Where did you learn to behave so rudely!¡±

    ¡°Dear Mother, how could I dare to draw blood in front of my parents? Mother, I was going to drag the servant to a suitable ce and finish him off. Mother, even though my heart is broken, how can I let an insult towards me, the¡ªLegitimate. Blood. Heir.¡ªof our great Steelwall family slide?¡±

    Zich replied slyly to the Countess¡¯s outcry.

    ¡°How could Hans have insulted you?! This child would never do such a thing!¡±

    ¡®Ah, no wonder the servant acted so cockily. He was one of the Countess¡¯s people.¡¯

    There was a high possibility that Hans was the child or some rtive of one of the servants that the Countess had initially brought with her.

    ¡°Y-yes! How could I dare to insult a noble family!¡±

    Hans began to grovel on the floor. Sweat trickled down his back¡ªnothing was going ording to n.

    He just wanted to get back at Zich for hurting him and simultaneously harm Zich¡¯s reputation to further support Greig¡¯s session as heir. If things were like normal, Zich would have been busy making excuses with his head hung low; and no matter how many excuses he gave, the Count would have used the knight and Hans¡¯s words as evidence against Zich to scold him.

    However, the situation hadpletely flipped because of Zich¡¯s brazen-faced attitude.

    Hans couldn¡¯t believe that Zich dared to wield a sword in front of the Count, and as a consequence, the situation was now leaning in Zich¡¯s favor.

    Like Zich said, what Hans did really deserved a death sentence. Due to Zich¡¯s shy nature and his weak position in the family, Hans had gotten away with his behaviors so far, but what if Zich really intended to kill him now? And what if the Countess failed to defend him because the situation was now leaning towards Zich¡¯s favor?

    ¡®If I speak wrongly, I really might die!¡¯

    Hans finally began to realize the gravity of the situation.

    ¡°I can confidently say that I have never said a rude word or acted impudently to the young master!¡±

    ¡°Then, are you saying that I¡¯m lying?¡±

    ¡°T-that¡­!¡±

    Hans wanted to shout, ¡®Of course!¡¯, but Zich¡¯s cold gaze made him speechless. And it was at this moment that another voice came out from a distance and replied for Hans.

    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s true! The young master is lying!¡±

    The voice sounded desperate. People turned around to see the speaker, and Hans looked back as if a savior hade to save him from hell.

    ¡®It¡¯s that, what¡¯s his name¡ªKnight Byner.¡¯

    The speaker was Byner, whom Zich had also beaten up.

    When Zich had entered the room, Byner red at him with intense fury, but now that the situation was leaning towards Zich¡¯s side, his re was losing its fierceness.

    Zich looked at Byner with delight.

    ¡®Aren¡¯t you two getting desperate? You probably want to teach me a lesson for using crude tricks against you, but things are not going ording to n, eh?¡¯

    As of right now, Hans¡¯s actions were the main focus of interest, but ording to Zich¡¯s words, Byner was also culpable for insulting a noble.

    Since knights were considered mid-nobility, his neck wouldn¡¯t be cut off like a servant. However, Byner had tried to harm Zich directly. Of course, Byner didn¡¯t intend to cause serious damage to Zich, and his actions were within the limits that the Count and Countess could easily cover up.

    No, if Zich were like his usual self, he wouldn¡¯t have been able to even protest in front of the Count. But contrary to Byner¡¯s expectations, the situation had turned strange, and now, the servant that Zich hit was groveling and shivering on the floor. What if the servant was condemned for his crimes? And what if this led to a sentence for Byner?

    ¡®Even I might not be able to escape punishment.¡¯

    Insecurity began to grow and flourish in Byner¡¯s heart. It might have been because he was still an inexperienced, young knight.

    ¡°Is that true, Sir Byner?¡±

    With an expectant face, the Countess urged Byner on. A knight¡¯s words carried much more weight than a servant¡¯s words.

    ¡°Yes, mydy! As Hans and I have stated, Zich one-sidedly assaulted us.¡±

    ¡°Funny to hear that a knight was one-sidedly assaulted. Have the standards of Steelwall¡¯s knights gone downhill?¡±

    With Zich¡¯s mockery, Byner¡¯s face puffed up as if it was going to explode. Even the Count grumbled at Zich¡¯s words with an annoyed look.

    ¡°T-that was because you unfairly¡­¡±

    ¡°Hahahahah! Unfairly¡ªand this is from a Steelwall knight! Are you going to bring up fairness on a battlefield? I can¡¯t believe that a Steelwall knight is making the same excuses as the weaklings from the capital!¡±

    Zich made an exaggeratedugh so that everyone could hear him. Byner¡¯s face began to puff up even more. When Zichpared him to the knights from the capital, Byner was so embarrassed that his whole body started shaking.

    The knights from Steelwall were prideful about their experiencespared to the knights from the capital who had no actual battle experience. Using this knowledge, Zich was directly attacking Byner¡¯s pride as a Steelwall knight.

    ¡°No matter what you say, the truth does not change that you one-sidedly assaulted us!¡±

    Byner was now vehemently spitting out his words.

    ¡°What do you have to say to that?¡±

    ¡°Father, isn¡¯t it obvious that he is lying? He is afraid of punishment, so he is shamelessly making excuses.¡±

    ¡°No, this is not true! It is the young master who is lying!¡±

    Two opposite sides were fiercely arguing against each other. Even though Byner¡¯s words were filled with embarrassment and shame, his lies did carry some weight as a knight.

    ¡°Father, don¡¯t you also think that Sir Byner¡¯s words are more reliable? Since he is a knight, I¡¯m sure he won¡¯t dare lie in front of you.¡±

    Greig, who had been silent so far, suddenly intervened.

    ¡®Yeah, it would be weird for you not to join in.¡¯

    Whenever Zich was in a dilemma, Greig was the main leader who made Zich¡¯s situation even worse. This was the image Zich remembered about his brother.

    ¡°Y-Yes, that is right!¡±

    With Greig¡¯s support, Byner¡¯s expression became brighter. From across a distance, Zich and Greig¡¯s eyes met. Greig smiled. His smile was impudent and sly, but to Zich, who had regressed, Greig¡¯s provocation now only seemed childish and ridiculous.

    Zich returned his smile withplete confidence, and Greig¡¯s expression froze in shock. Whenever Greig made life difficult for him, Zich used to always make an embarrassed face and hang his head low.

    But that was in the past. Zich no longer ced any importance on Greig.

    ¡®Well, this is how it has been.¡¯

    No one was ever on his side in the first ce. People were just momentarily shaken up by Zich¡¯s sudden change.

    Realizing that the atmosphere was slowly changing against his favor again, Zich decided to end the matter.

    ¡®For starters, I wasn¡¯t really nning to cut off the servant¡¯s neck or bring down a knight.¡¯

    Of course, not for now.

    Zich began to move towards Byner. The mood immediately became tense and stiff as both Zich and Byner had their swords drawn. A sword fight could break out at any moment.

    ¡°What are you nning to do!¡±

    As expected, the Count shouted to stop Zich. However, Zich stood in front of Byner as if he couldn¡¯t hear the Count. With sharp but puzzled eyes, Byner followed Zich with his eyes and readied his sword.

    ¡°Hey.¡±

    ¡°W-what?¡±

    Seeing that Zich showed no signs of raising his sword, Byner replied with a relieved heart, ¡°You¡¯re not nning to admit your wrongs, right?¡±

    ¡°I swear I have not spoken a lie!¡±

    ¡°Yes, of course. A shitty knight who sold his honor won¡¯t tell the truth anyway.¡±

    Once again, Byner¡¯s face began to redden.

    ¡®Seeing his reaction, he must not be that trashy.¡¯

    If it were Zich, he wouldn¡¯t have shown such an obvious reaction from a soft lie like this.

    ¡®What an innocent punk.¡¯

    His innocence was kind of cute. However, it didn¡¯t excuse him for his crimes.

    ¡®It also doesn¡¯t change the fact that he tried to screw me over.¡¯

    Zich, who had an awful personality, could never forgive those who tried to screw him over.

    ¡°Let¡¯s stop arguing about who¡¯s right with just words. Isn¡¯t there a better way for us to settle this matter?¡±

    Zich raised his sword and softly tapped on Byner¡¯s sword.

    ¡°¡­Are you saying that we should settle this conflict with a duel?¡±

    ¡°Yes. That¡¯s right.¡±

    ¡°Are you out of your mind?¡±

    Byner was the youngest among the knights. Despite his limited experience, this also meant that he was a genius to be appointed knighthood at such a young age. Even if Zich doubted everything else, Byner was definitely a skilled fighter. Moreover, due to the Countess¡¯s underhanded ploys, Zich never had the opportunity to properly learn sword fighting.

    Despite all of this, Zich dared to challenge a knight to a duel.

    ¡°How can you say I¡¯m out of my mind? Didn¡¯t you recently get knocked out by a hit to the back of your neck? How can you be so confident to spout such nonsense?¡±

    Byner¡¯s expression turned sour. Hisrades humiliated and mocked him because of that incident.

    ¡°Alright! Let¡¯s duel!¡±

    Zich shrugged and looked back towards the Count.

    ¡°Father, as you can see, we have reached an agreement. Please find a suitable time and ce for us to duel.¡±

    ¡°Are you serious?¡±

    ¡°Man, why do you and this punk look down on me so much? I only suggested this duel because I thought I could win. I mmed the back of this wimp¡¯s head so hard that he fainted.¡±

    ¡°¡­Alright. Then let¡¯s proceed with the duel.¡±

    The Count did not try to stop them.

    ¡®Zich is underestimating Byner too much.¡¯

    Even the Count heard about how Zich was able to beat up Byner with his carelessness.

    It was a lowly way to fight, but the Count nodded in approval while listening to the fight¡¯s details. As the Steelwall Count, he was known as the metal fortress that protected the Kingdom, and as the leader of his n and a fighter who had spent all his life fending off intruders from getting into the Kingdom, there were no such things as cowardly or dirty fights. For that reason alone, the Count readily epted Zich¡¯s victory over Byner.

    ¡®But that¡¯s all there is to it.¡¯

    Zich couldn''t win against a knight in a fair fight. The Count thought Zich fell victim to his own arrogance.

    ¡®I guess it will be a good lesson for him.¡¯

    The Count had always disliked Zich. He didn¡¯t feel bad about the humiliation Zich would probably have to go through if he lost the duel. Moreover, with Zich¡¯s defeat, it would be easier for Greig to gain legitimacy over Zich as the next heir.

    ¡®Zich¡¯s reputation will be ruined if it gets out that he tried to cover up his misdeeds by challenging a knight in a duel that he had no chance in and losing.¡¯

    The Count initially nned to severely scold Zich for hitting Byner and the servant, but he thought this was not a bad oue as well. If Zich lost, Byner¡¯s statements would be true, and the Count could always punish Zichter.

    ¡°I will find a suitable time and ce.¡±

    ¡°Then I will leave it in your hands.¡±

    Zich ced the sword back in its original location. There was not a trace of meekness or humility in his movements, and people¡¯s gazes naturally followed him wherever he went.

    ¡°¡­You have changed,¡± the Count softly muttered. Zich, who was heading towards the exit, turned his head back.

    ¡°It¡¯s because I realized that there was nothing for me to gain by staying the way I am. There¡¯s no reason for me to waste my energy in pleasing others and making a fool of myself.¡±

    Thinking back to their previous conversation, the Count asked with sharp difort, ¡°There¡¯s nothing for you to gain? Are you talking about your session as the heir?¡±

    Zich let out a sly smile.

    ¡°Even you, who is called the warlord of steel, is blinded by prejudice, and you are unable to make a clear judgment regarding your familial affairs.¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°Dear Father, nothing that I say will reach you right now. I hope that you will keep thinking however you want.¡±

    And with an exaggerated bow, Zich made his exit.

 Chapter 5

    <h4>Chapter 5</h4>

    A day had passed by since Zich caused an uproar by challenging a knight. At the crack of dawn, Zich headed towards the back garden where there wasn¡¯t a single person in sight.

    ¡°Whoosh!¡±

    Zich took in a deep breath and gripped his sword. The fresh morning air filled up his lungs.

    Grip.

    He tightly held onto his sword. He heaved a few breaths in and out and warmed up for a bit.

    sh!

    The sharp sword cut the air in front of him, and the morning dew shivered in surprise at his quick movements.

    Swish!

    He moved his foot with natural ease, and the unfettered dirt let out a stream of dust.

    Thud!

    Then, he ced some weight on his moving feet and spun himself. The force from the spin was transferred onto his shoulders, arms, and to the very tip of his sword.

    shhh!

    His movements were beautiful yet menacing. The sunlight seeped in through the tree leaves and shattered on the sword in a multitude of lights.

    Swish! Swish! Swishh!

    Zich used a different type of sword movement. Before, his movement was sharp as ss, but now, it was heavy as a bludgeon. His sword style kept changing. It became slow and then fast, sharp and then soft.

    Zich gradually lost track of time.

    ¡°Puff!¡±

    He stopped moving his sword around and calmed his breathing. His whole body was covered in sweat.

    ¡®My condition is better than I thought.¡¯

    He clenched his fist and opened it. His hands were rough but pale, representative of a neen-year-old body.

    At neen years old, Zich hadn¡¯t learned sword fighting, but he hadpleted the basics to hone his body. Of course, it was iparable to the days when he was called the ¡®Demon Lord of Strength.¡¯. Considering his age, however, it was in good shape.

    ¡®It¡¯s actually better that I didn¡¯t learn any sword fighting.¡¯

    Zich¡¯s current body was like a raw, untouched stone. It was a body that had fundamental strength but no basic structure. If he poured in his experience and expertise from his days as the ¡®Demon Lord of Strength,¡¯ he would be able to progress at an exponential rate.

    ¡®I feel a bit bitter thinking about the reason why I received no basic training though.¡¯

    No matter how much the Count did not want to pass down his sword fighting techniques to Zich, his family was called the metal fortress. There should have always been a way for him to learn sword fighting.

    ¡®I was so desperate for my father¡¯s approval that I wasn¡¯t even willing to nce at sword fighting techniques other than the special ones passed down in this family.¡¯

    It was not that Zich was desperate to seed as heir or learn sword fighting¡ªhe merely wanted to gain his father¡¯s attention and approval.

    ¡®Reflecting back, I really was innocent.¡¯

    If people realized that the ¡®Demon Lord of Strength, Zich Moore¡¯ used to be a weak and vulnerable boy in his youth, they would all be paralyzed in shock.

    ¡®Well, I did suffer a lot after I left the family.¡¯

    Before Zich was able to earn the title of ¡®Demon Lord of Strength,¡¯ he went through a series of enormous suffering and trials. It was almost strange how these trials and problems kept happening one after another.

    ¡®It was to the extent where it felt nned.¡¯

    Zichughed. It was pointless to think like this. When the Count had expelled him, he had no power, wealth, or background, and many people tried to take advantage of him.

    ¡®If I wasn¡¯t so talented, I would have died over a hundred times.¡¯

    He stopped thinking pointless thoughts and began practicing with his sword again.

    ¡®I like how my body is in shape, but it will be difficult to win this duel.¡¯

    His opponent was the genius knight Byner, who was only in his early twenties. There was no way Zich could catch up to him in physical strength by the time of the duel.

    Byner¡¯s skills were also superior at this point in time. Even though he had his knowledge of skills as ¡®Zich Moore,¡¯ his body was still untrained.

    ¡®I¡¯m gonna have to practice like mad to instill the skills into my body. That¡¯s the only possible way for me to use them like second nature.¡¯

    And as mentioned before, Zich¡¯s body was not trained to that extent.

    But most importantly¡ª

    ¡°Whoosh!¡±

    Zich took in a deep breath once again and rxed his body. It was different from when he tried to rx right before spurting. Zich closed his eyes and tried to feel his internal body.

    The soft breeze tickled his foot, and the ground felt firm under his feet. He ignored these outside sensations and tried to deepen his focus. He felt the blood vessels beating and the blood flowing inside his body.

    Then, he went deeper inside. He began to feel something¡ªan enormous matter that was immobilized by various substances intertwining with each other. It carried such great strength that a major city would be decimated in a second if he let it all out.

    Zich began to slowly feel around this matter. As if it was indifferent to all outside stimtion, it didn¡¯t respond to Zich at all.

    Sweat began to trickle down Zich¡¯s forehead. He maintained extreme focus to make the matter react.

    Twitch!

    The matter finally gave a small response, and Zich¡¯s focus shattered at once.

    Thud!

    Zich¡¯s body shook from the shock, and he copsed onto the ground. At first, his kneesnded on the ground, and soon after, hended on his butt.

    ¡°Argh, damn it! This bastard is still so tricky to control!¡±

    Zich ced his hand near his heart. The enormous and destructive matter that resided inside Zich was his mana.

    ¡®Even though I concentrated so much, only a fraction of it awoke.¡¯

    He felt dejected for a moment. Exhausted, heid t on the ground.

    ¡®It can¡¯t be helped. In regards to the amount of mana I have, I really am talented.¡¯

    Each person had a limit to the amount of mana they had. And Zich¡¯s amount of mana was iparablyrge to the average person¡¯s.

    ¡®Well, an elfpared the amount of mana I had to a now-extinct dragon.¡¯

    One of the reasons why Zich became the Demon Lord of Strength was because of this dragon-like amount of mana. However, as of right now, Zich¡¯s current mana was the same as having no mana at all. There was no way he could control such arge amount of mana in his current state.

    ¡®It¡¯s almost too much mana.¡¯

    Zich gainedplete control of his mana long after he left the family. For that reason, there were rumors that Zich, heir to Steelwall, had no mana at all. It was another obstacle that prevented him from seeding as the Count of Steelwall.

    However, this was Zich¡¯s second chance at life. He obviously wouldn¡¯t be able to fully utilize his mana right now, but he could take the first steps to master it.

    As evidence of this statement, a sliver of mana floated on top of his hand.

    ¡®With this, my chances at victory have increased.¡¯

    But his chances were stillcking¡ªeven with all his experience as the Demon Lord and his ability to control mana somewhat, it would be a challenging task to beat a knight.

    ¡®Our basic skills are on totally different levels right now.¡¯

    But all of this didn¡¯t matter to Zich. In the first ce, Zich knew all of this information and still challenged a duel with the knight.

    ¡®There is nothing for me to lose either.¡¯

    Zich already decided that he was going to leave the Steelwall family anyways.

    ¡®I¡¯m d I got another chance to start over, but that doesn¡¯t mean I want to seed as heir. If I do, I¡¯m going to feel frustrated to death.¡¯

    Just thinking about how he had to get each and one of his brother¡¯s supporters on his side gave him a headache.

    ¡®I will be so frustrated that I may die young. It will be a miracle if I don¡¯t turn over the whole family before I actually seed as the Count.¡¯

    There was a high possibility that it might turn out exactly like how Zich pictured it to be¡ªno, it was certain. Rather than go through all these frustrations, it would be much better for him to leave Steelwall.

    ¡°You finally awakened your mana?¡±

    A sudden voice interrupted Zich¡¯s thoughts.

    Zich grimaced in displeasure and did not even turn around as he said, ¡°What¡¯s up with you? If you are spying on me, just go away and don¡¯t bother me.¡±

    ¡°You knew I was here?¡±

    ¡°What kind of nonsense are you spitting out when you move so noisily? You sounded like a moving ogre.¡±

    Annoyed, Greig scowled in response to Zich¡¯s words.

    ¡®I tried somewhat to silence my movements.¡¯

    Greig didn¡¯t erase his whole presence like an assassin, but he also had been careful to stay still. The Zich he knew did not have such keen senses to notice an unmoving intruder.

    ¡®Also, his speech and actions are still weird.¡¯

    So far, the Count and Countess had not given much thought or reaction to Zich¡¯s sudden change in behavior; that was how much this couple was indifferent to their ¡°son.¡±

    But unlike them, Greig felt suspicious about Zich¡¯s change.

    Without saying anything, Greig stared at Zich.

    ¡°What? If you have something you need from me, quickly say it, and if you don¡¯t, fuck off.¡±

    ¡°¡­Do you really think it is possible?¡±

    ¡°What do you mean? Can¡¯t you speak straight-forwardly?¡±

    ¡°I mean about the duel with Sir Byner. And also the session.¡±

    Greig¡¯s speech began to be a bit rough. ¡°I don¡¯t know why you suddenly decided to change your behavior, but you know it¡¯s all fruitless, right? You should get what you can and leave. If you know your ce, I might prepare a farewell present on your way out.¡±

    ¡®Ha! This twit.¡¯

    Even though Zich had no desire to be a count, hearing Greig¡¯s taunting annoyed him.

    Zich quickly got up and walked towards Greig. Even as he moved, Greig did not move back a single inch.

    ¡°Are you afraid that I might seed as the Count of Steelwall?¡±

    ¡°Why should I be afraid? If I can''t even triumph over someone like you, I should just give up on bing the heir.¡±

    His smile was mocking, as if he really thought there was no possible way Zich could seed as the heir. But instead of getting angry at his mockery, Zich made a soft smile.

    ¡°Really? If my dear brother says so, that must be right. Are we not brothers after all?¡±

    Zich tapped Greig¡¯s shoulders a few times, and Greig¡¯s facepletely distorted at this movement. Feeling pleased with Greig¡¯s change in expression, Zich spoke again, ¡°But I still have my advantage as the firstborn. So why don¡¯t we do it like this?¡±

    ¡°Like how?¡±

    ¡°We are a family of fighters. Unlike other families, we put significantly more importance on personal strength and one¡¯s ability to fight.¡±

    ¡°Wait, are you asking for a duel? A duel for the session?¡±

    ¡°Of course. What else can I possibly mean?¡±

    Greig looked at Zich with suspicion.

    ¡°Are you seriously challenging me to a duel? And the matter with Sir Byner too¡­are you really out of your mind?¡±

    ¡°What, you afraid?¡±

    Greig¡¯s eyebrows twitched. He bit his lips and red at Zich.

    ¡°¡­Alright. There¡¯s no reason for me to refuse.¡±

    ¡®I knew you would say that.¡¯

    If his memory served right, Greig would have made significant progress in his fighting prowess around this time. There was no reason for Greig not to ept a duel against Zich who had not even learned the basics of sword fighting and just recently awakened his mana.

    ¡°However, even if I ept your duel, it can¡¯t be rted to the session. Our father won¡¯t allow it.¡±

    Even though individual fighting prowess was indeed important, it was not the only necessaryponent for being the heir.

    Moreover, even if everyone in the family was united against expelling Zich, a single duel could not determine a significant matter like session. As the firstborn, Zich had the advantage of traditional legitimacy.

    ¡°Duh, you idiot. But if we duel, father will spread a rumor that I challenged you to a duel with the session on the line. Think about what will happen to me if I lose. Even though our duel would be informal in nature, I will no longer be able to openly dere my right to session. Even though Father seems like the type of person to fix all of his problems by strength, he is a noble after all. It will be a piece of cake for him to aplish a small scheme like this.¡±

    Greig stroked his chin. There were a lot of things he could gain by epting this duel.

    ¡°Then a major obstacle to my session willrgely disappear.¡±

    ¡°Yeah. But of course, all of this is in the case that you actually beat me. You have more things to lose than me. If I win, you will be losing to someone who hasn¡¯t even learned the basics of sword fighting and doesn¡¯t even know how to control mana properly. No matter how much Father backs you up as his heir, there will be great resistance among the people in Steelwall. Because even though we are nobles, we are a military family after all.¡±

    Greig sneered, ¡°Me, losing to you?¡±

    ¡°Are you that confident?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m still wondering if you have be insane.¡±

    ¡°Isn¡¯t it better for you if I am insane? Even if I am the first son, you can¡¯t make a crazy person the heir.¡±

    ¡°That is also true. Alright, I¡¯m going to go talk to Father right now.¡±

    ¡°Wait a moment.¡±

    Zich stopped Greig who was about to leave.

    ¡°If you are so confident, can you give me an advantage?¡±

    ¡°¡­What are you scheming?¡±

    With suspicious eyes, Greig stared at Zich.

    ¡°You don¡¯t have to be so suspicious. I just want to decide when the duel will take ce.¡±

    Greig thought about Zich¡¯s words for a brief moment and then slowly nodded. No matter what devious tricks Zich had up his sleeves, such a request wouldn¡¯t impact his chances in winning.

    ¡°Deal. But, I also have a condition. I want to have the duel at least within the next half a year from now.¡±

    ¡°Deal.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t forget¡ªhalf a year. You can¡¯t make any excuses like how you need to recover from Byner¡¯s duel or things like that.¡±

    In such a short amount of time, Greig had thought that far.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I also don¡¯t have any intentions to drag it out for that long.¡±

    Pleased by Zich¡¯s words, Greig turned around and left. Watching his younger brother walk away, Zich held his sword tightly once more.

    ¡®That little punk looks down on me so much. I¡¯m going to make sure to leave him a big present right before I leave.¡¯

    Swish!

    As if he was shing towards Greig, Zich¡¯s sword sharply cut through the air. After a few days passed, the date of Zich¡¯s duel with Byner arrived.

 Chapter 6

    <h4>Chapter 6</h4>

    The day of the duel was bright, and the Count¡¯s residence was swept away by a strange atmosphere. Many people were anticipating the fight between the eldest son, Zich, who had already lost his father¡¯s favor, and the genius knight, Byner. It was even more exciting because although it wasn¡¯t made official, they expected a duel for the session between the young nobles, Zich and Greig.

    However, there wasn¡¯t a single person who wanted Zich to win. Inside the family, Zich was aplete outsider.

    ¡®They nned this through and through.¡¯

    The circr arena looked quite unsophisticated, but it wasrge enough to make up for its crudeness.

    As a family that ced great importance on military might, Steelwall was used to opening tournaments from time to time. The circr arena was a ce for situations like that, and now it was the ce where Zich and Byner would fight.

    ¡®To think that they prepared an arena for a single fight¡­¡¯

    Even if Zich was the Count¡¯s eldest son, the scale of this event was too big.

    ¡®They probably want to taint my reputation and spread the news of my loss far and wide.¡¯

    Their agenda was obvious to Zich, but he didn¡¯t care. He already expected this.

    ¡®This is what I wanted.¡¯

    Zich looked around his surroundings. In the audience seats, there were more people than he expected. Knights, bureaucrats, retainers, and anyone else who had the time seemed to havee.

    Then, his eyes rested on one of the audience members: the Count and his family sitting on the upper seats. The Count wore his usual serious and solemn face, and next to him, the Countess was going on about something in his ear; and finally, there was Greig who arrogantly stared down at the view below him.

    ¡°They really fit each other.¡¯

    And there wasn¡¯t a spot for him there.

    ¡®I didn¡¯t realize that when I was young.¡¯

    Now that Zich thought about it, he had wasted a lot of time because he didn¡¯t know that.

    ¡®I pity my dead mother.¡¯

    Zich turned his eyes away from the distasteful family. There was no need for him to keep staring at them uselessly. He had to focus on the opponent in front of him first.

    ¡®He probably prepared everything he had for this.¡¯

    Byner, who stood in front of Zich, looked undeniably determined for the revenge match. Even though the match hadn¡¯t begun yet, Byner¡¯s hands kept going to his sword as if he was going to pull it out any moment.

    ¡°You must have been really waiting for this.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Byner didn¡¯t reply. His bloodshot eyes were locked onto Zich.

    ¡°Give it your all. If you want to make up for your shameful loss, this is your best chance.¡±

    Only a few knew that Zich had beaten Byner, so baseless rumors about the incident spread across the Count¡¯s residence. To ensure that those rumors stayed as rumors, Byner had to defeat Zich in this duel.

    Byner grunted, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I have etched the lesson I learned from you into my heart. I think it is time for me to give you a lesson now. There¡¯s a limit to winning by catching a person off-guard. In the end, the one with true skills will win.¡±

    Byner¡¯s attitude and stance werepletely different than when Zich first met him; he was like a knight right before a battlefield.

    ¡°Your stance ismendable, but you must also know that if you lose here, it will worsen your already bad situation.¡±

    ¡°I heard that you started to learn how to control mana.¡±

    ¡°Did you hear that from Greig?¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t seem surprised that I know.¡±

    ¡°If you have a brain, it¡¯s not hard to realize it. Of course, Greig will spread information that will put me at a disadvantage.¡±

    ¡°Do you feel confident just because you¡¯ve learned a bit of mana control?¡±

    ¡°No, but that¡¯s one of the many reasons.¡±

    Byner¡¯s face finally broke into a smile, but there wasn¡¯t a shred of amiability in his expression.

    ¡®That¡¯s a good smile. It¡¯s something that can really piss someone off after fucking them over. I should practice itter.¡¯

    There were still a lot of things to learn in this world.

    ¡°If that¡¯s the case, then I¡¯m going to destroy your delusions thoroughly.¡±

    ¡°Sure. Try hard to do that since we are not just battling for your honor.¡±

    Zich pointed in a direction with his thumb.

    Since the arena was sorge and the audience was scattered all around, it wasn¡¯t hard to see what Zich was pointing at. Hans, whom Zich had beaten up, was hanging onto the wall that separated the audience seats and the arena. The servant¡¯s stiff expression revealed his state of mind: if Byner lost this duel, Hans¡¯s life was over. Byner would be disgraced and receive some punishment, but Hans¡¯s head would be sliced off from his body.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. There¡¯s no way I will lose.¡±

    That was why Byner wanted to recover his tarnished reputation and wanted Zich to have a taste of his own medicine.

    ¡°The duel willmence now!¡±

    The knight, standing next to the Count on the upper seats, moved to the social seat that stuck out. As if he had infused some mana into his voice, the man¡¯s voice echoed throughout the arena.

    ¡®They really went all out on this.¡¯

    The man, who just spoke, wasn¡¯t just any man. Among the Count¡¯s troops, he was called the Kingdom¡¯s metal fortress, the man in the forefront of all battles and the strongest, and best knight in the Steelwall army: Mihen Tiner.

    Now that he was reaching old age, half of Tiner¡¯s hair and beard had white streaks. Still, with his swelled-up muscles and bursting veins, he seemed to be defying time.

    ¡®For the Captain of the Knights, Tiner, to be the host¡ªwhat a spectacr duel.¡¯

    Of course, Zich didn¡¯t feel any gratitude.

    ¡°This is a duel between Zich Steelwall, the eldest son of the great Count Steelwall, and Halton Byner, the knight of the Steel Spear Order of Knights. The fight will continue until one loses consciousness or admits defeat! Murder won¡¯t be epted!¡±

    The audience murmured. It wasn¡¯t that they were surprised about the no murder rule. Even if the Steelwalls ostracized Zich, there was no way that they would approve of the killing of the Count¡¯s eldest son. What surprised the audience was the first condition.

    ¡°The duel will continue until one of them loses consciousness or admits defeat? Aren¡¯t they saying that they won¡¯t intervene even if the fight bes bloody?¡±

    ¡°That means the fight will go on even if one of them is fatally wounded. Is this really alright?¡±

    With the exception of a fight for life and death, these rules were among the most dangerous and intense rules for a duel.

    Byner thought the same way.

    ¡°Are you fine with those conditions?¡±

    ¡°Why, does it scare you?¡±

    ¡°The cost of your recklessness will be high.¡±

    ¡°It won¡¯t matter if I just crack the back of your head likest time.¡±

    In contrast to people¡¯s worries and thoughts, Zich seemed as calm as ever, but having been reminded of his humiliating defeat, Byner¡¯s emotions rose again.

    ¡°¡­Fine.¡±

    Byner hardened his heart, and Byner thought he shouldn¡¯t kill Zich. Instead, he¡¯d give the young noble a stronger thrashing than he had nned.

    ¡°Although they raised their swords because of shing views, I pray that their intentions are pure! Let them prove their pure intentions with their swords!¡±

    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s definitely pure. Pure enough to try to cover up their wrongs and ept a duel with lies.¡±

    Zich¡¯s sarcasm pierced Byner¡¯s heart, and he gritted his teeth.

    ¡°Unsheath your swords!

    Sling! Sling!

    Both Zich and Byner pulled out their swords. The murmuring audience fell into silence, and heavy tension nketed the arena.

    ¡°Start!¡±

    Two swords moved in unison.

    ng!

    The piercing sound of shing swords echoed throughout the arena. Swords bounced off from the impact, and Zich and Byner softly stilled their swords.

    A distance between them formed.

    Bam!

    Byner ran in first. He had no intention of dragging out this duel; he wanted to end it as fast as possible and wanted an overwhelming victory to cover for his past, humiliating defeat.

    ¡®It doesn¡¯t matter if he gets seriously injured! I shouldn¡¯t think about controlling my strength right now!¡¯

    Byner had also prepared a potion and a fuse just in case. His muscles twitched as mana flowed through him, and superhuman power surrounded his body.

    Woooooo!

    Mana, which strengthened his muscles, seeped into his sword, and the sword began to ring. Its cries sounded like the screams of a homicidal maniac crying for blood.

    ¡®It¡¯s over,¡¯ Tiner thought as he watched the duel from afar. The Zich he knew didn¡¯t have the skills to stop the next series of blows.

    ¡®Even if he¡¯s started to learn about mana, this is not something a beginner can block.¡¯

    And Tiner strained his muscles so that he could move immediately. Even if Zich was almost disowned by his family, he was still the eldest, and Tiner couldn¡¯t simply let Zich die.

    ¡®Byner is too excited. I should really make him go through more mental training¡­¡¯

    nnnnng!

    The sound of iron rods shing against each other disturbed Tiner from his thoughts. The sound was extremely high and sharp, as if swords of simr strengths were confronting one another, and Tiner immediately began thinking again.

    ¡®This is¡­¡¯

    It was unbelievable¡ªZich and Byner were engaging in a close fight, and Tiner¡¯s eyes widened to witness the brilliance of such a battle.

    * * *

    Swords danced in a dizzying whirl. The duelers sometimes swung their swords widely or instantly drew their swords back and sharply pierced toward their opponents¡¯ vulnerable spots again.

    The audience felt an odd mix of tension, excitement, and confusion. They felt excited from witnessing a fight that could easily result in a death with a single mishap and felt a sense of embarrassment from seeing how Zich¡¯s skills were well beyond their expectations.

    ng! ng!

    They exchanged a countless number of shes.

    Byner swung his sword again with murderous intent. As expected of an official knight, he showed sophisticated skills and swung his sword with great strength.

    aaang!

    Once again, Zich¡¯s ck sword stopped his sword.

    ¡®Damn it! Damn it! Damn it! Damn it! Goddamn it!¡¯

    Byner grimaced, and in his heart, he had already sworn more than a thousand curses. His n of defeating Zich as quickly as possible to recover his honor had already crumbled into dust.

    Inside the arena, Byner could feel the mood that was spreading among his audience.

    ¡®He hasn¡¯t even learned proper swordsmanship!¡¯

    If things continued like this, his reputation would be tarnished even more. Byner had the upper hand for now, but it was not enough with just that.

    m!

    Byner took a step backward and thought, ¡®I will bet my victory on this!¡¯

    Then, he tilted his sword horizontally and brought it next to his face. The end of his sword was aimed at Zich¡¯s neck.

    ¡®A big one ising.¡¯

    Zich prepared his stance, spread his legs wide apart, and lifted his sword straight up.

    Byner¡¯s sword began to cry crazily, and mana flowed into his body wildly. Mana circled through his body once like a turbulent wave and passed into his sword and back to his body again. A huge stream circted through his body and sword, and at that moment, Byner¡¯s senses extended from his body to his sword.

    ¡®That is!¡¯

    Tiner¡¯s eyes widened. Everyone who recognized Byner¡¯s state became surprised, and even the Count leaned forward. Byner was using a considerably advanced technique. Even though it was a skill that most of the knights in Steelwall could use, it was beyond what people in Byner¡¯s age range could do.

    Shoot!

    Like a stream of light, Byner¡¯s body seemed to elongate, but it was only an illusion. Then, in the blink of an eye, the ends of Byner¡¯s sword inched toward Zich¡¯s neck.

    ¡®Caught you!¡¯

    Byner¡¯s eyes sparkled.

    ng!

    After feeling the shock, Byner hurriedly straightened his body again and held onto his sword.

    Skritch!

    Byner¡¯s sword slid down as it scratched the body of Zich¡¯s sword.

    m!

    Byner¡¯s sword stopped and got stuck on Zich¡¯s guard, and Zich smiled at the sight of Byner¡¯s sword hanging next to his face.

    ¡°What did I tell you?¡±

    Byner stood still from the shock of seeing his killer strike get blocked and he heard Zich¡¯s voice ringing in his ear.

    ¡°I told you that you were easy.¡±

 Chapter 7

    <h4>Chapter 7</h4>

    An eerie atmosphere flowed through the audience. The Count, Greig, and the Order of Knights had their mouths shut, not saying anything. No, they were at a loss for words.

    On the other hand, the Countess and the others who didn¡¯t know much about military arts were surprised by the strange atmosphere. They sensed that Zich had done something amazing, but they didn¡¯t know to what extent.

    Verden Trell, the butler of the Count¡¯s family, asked, ¡°Contrary to our expectations, the young master is doing well. But seeing the knights¡¯ reaction, it seems like he is doing better than what I am seeing. Could you perhaps exin the situation to me?¡±

    Trell had a long, neat beard and was an old man who had assisted the Count as a retainer since the Count¡¯s young days. He was an essential servant who took care of all sorts of matters in the Count¡¯s absence. Furthermore, he was one of the very few people who didn¡¯t discriminate against Zich.

    Trell asked his question to the middle-aged man behind the Count, named Danny Chris Nunn, the vice-captain of the ¡®Steel Spear Order of Knights.¡¯ Chris Nunn¡¯s standing wasn¡¯tparable to Tiner, who was the captain of the Order, but he was one of the three most influential people in Steelwall.

    ¡°Oh, oh my. Zich seems to be doing well, but doesn''t Sir Byner still have the upper hand?¡±

    The Countess felt personally offended by all thepliments that Zich was receiving and hurriedly ced Byner back on the pedestal. Trell smiled pleasantly and responded to the Countess, but it wasn¡¯t what the Countess wanted to hear.

    ¡°Since the young master has never properly learned swordsmanship before, Sir Byner would, of course, have the advantage in a duel. If that¡¯s not the case, then the Order of Knights will be disgraced.¡±

    Chris Nunn sighed. As the vice-captain of the Order of Knights, he felt particrly pressured.

    Trell continued on like he had missed the Vice-captain¡¯s sighs.

    ¡°But it is true that the young master, Zich, is doing much better than we expected. Seeing the knights¡¯ reaction, it seems his skills are much higher than what we can see. I can¡¯t be happier to see that the young master of the Steelwall family is so highly-skilled even without proper training.¡±

    The Countess¡¯s expression darkened while Greig¡¯s breathing became harsh. But they didn¡¯t show any reactions beyond that because Trell was someone who even the Countess had a hard time dealing with.

    ¡°How is it, Sir Chris Nunn?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sure you are aware of the Extension of the Senses.¡±

    ¡°From what I heard, I know that Extension of the Senses is a skill where you can synchronize your body and sword with mana and move a sword as part of your hands and feet. Is that right?¡±

    ¡°That is exactly right. It¡¯s a rite of passage for a standard knight to learn the skill, but it is also challenging to learn because you have to control your mana very subtly. It¡¯s not something that someone in Byner¡¯s age range can normally do.¡±

    ¡°Is Sir Byner in his young twenties?¡±

    ¡°He is twenty-three.¡±

    ¡°Hohoho. It¡¯s a blessing for Steelwall to have such a young talent. But Sir Chris Nunn.¡±

    ¡°Yes?¡±

    ¡°Young master Zich seems to be able to use that amazing skill. Is that right?¡±

    No matter what, he was still the Steelwalls¡¯ butler, and Trell had enough sense to notice that Zich was using the same skill called ¡®Extension of the Senses¡¯ that Byner used. Chris Nunn took a quick nce at the Countess, but in the end, he nodded.

    ¡°That is right.¡±

    ¡°And isn''t young master Zich, neen this year? He is younger than Knight Byner by four years. How many have mastered that skill at that age?¡±

    ¡°¡­As far as I know, no one in our Order.¡±

    ¡°Including Knight Tiner?¡±

    ¡°To my knowledge, the Captain learned the skill around the same time as Byner.¡±

    ¡°That is really impressive,¡± Trell said in admiration. He then rolled over to Greig who was sitting next to the Count. Abination of agitation, embarrassment, jealousy, and a sense of inferiority flurried onto Greig¡¯s face at once. His eyes zed as he stared down at the fighting ground.

    ¡°Does that mean that young master Greig has also not mastered the skill yet?¡±

    Greig¡¯s face stiffened. Chris Nunn nodded again while sensing Greig¡¯s change in expression.

    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±

    Chris Nunn didn¡¯t support Zich; he actually thought Greig was the rightful heir like the rest of the people in Steelwall, and he was simply answering a question as a fellow fighter.

    ¡°I see.¡±

    ¡°E-Even if Greig hasn¡¯t mastered this skill yet, he knows many other good skills.¡±

    ¡°The Countess¡¯s words are right. Extension of the Senses isn¡¯t the only skill that a knight has to learn. It is definitely a vital skill, but other skills are also critical.¡±

    Chris Nunn supported the Countess.

    ¡°Of course. I know how amazing young master Greig is. He is the pride of Steelwall.¡±

    Trell smiled and went with the flow.

    ¡°I¡¯m d that you recognize that.¡±

    The Countess¡¯s expression finally loosened, but as if he was doing it on purpose, Trell provoked the Countess again.

    ¡°As the family¡¯s butler, my heart overflows with emotions now that the Steelwall family has two people to boast about.¡±

    ¡°T-that¡¯s true.¡±

    With almost teary eyes, the Countess stared at Chris Nunn. It was evident that she wanted him to somehow prove that Greig was better than Zich. Unfortunately for the Countess, Chris Nunn was a beast in battle but weak in politics. Chris Nunn continued to stare at the fighting ground with an awkward expression until his eyes widened.

    ¡°See that!¡±

    Byner drew his sword backward and quickly threw it in the air.

    Bam!

    There was an explosion, and the space in front of Byner curved strangely.

    With a theatrical voice, Chris Nunn spat,¡°That is a skill called ¡®Piercing Space.¡¯ You have to concentrate mana into the ends of your sword to fiercely pierce at the space in front of you to shoot air mixed with mana-like arrows at your opponent. It¡¯s also a difficult skill to learn, but young master Greig can also execute it.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s amazing, but Sir Chris Nunn...¡±

    Trell pointed to the fighting ground with his hand.

    ¡°Doesn¡¯t it seem like young master Zich can also use it?¡±

    Trell¡¯s finger pointed at Zich who seemed to be skillfully avoiding the invisible ¡®Piercing Space¡¯ moves and was actually responding with the same techniques.

    ¡°I-I see. It seems that young master Zich has also mastered the skill.¡±

    Chris Nunn mped his mouth shut after saying those words. He would only lose if he recklessly opened his mouth again. He could feel the Countess¡¯s eyes, filled with resentment, prickling along his back.

    * * *

    Byner was in a state of confusion.

    ¡°What in the world!¡±

    He never thought something like this would happen, not even once. His opponent was a beginner who just started ying with mana and had never learned swordsmanship.

    But now, his opponent was showing off advanced skills one after another and putting up a good fight; and of course, the audience¡¯s interest was on Zich.

    Byner¡¯s n to overwhelmingly and spectacrly defeat Zich to recover his tarnished reputation was already ruined. Anyone could tell that this duel¡¯s main lead wasn¡¯t Byner but Zich.

    ¡®I have to win! I have to win! I have to win!¡¯

    Byner¡¯s head was only filled with his desire to win. The only thing left for him was to protect his honor by somehow winning this duel.

    ¡®Fortunately, my skills don¡¯t look too awkward.¡¯

    There was a slight dy every time Zich used a skill against Byner as if he was using something his body wasn¡¯t used to. It was a very faint gap, but Byner¡¯s prodigal instincts sensed it.

    ¡®By whatever means! I have to knock him down!¡¯

    Byner¡¯s heart burned with emotions that teetered between justice and murderous intent.

    It wasn¡¯t a good situation for Zich.

    ¡®My body is starting to crack a bit.¡¯

    Even if Zich was utilizing the experience he had gained as the Demon Lord of Strength, he was slowly reaching his limit. His current body hadn¡¯t gone through the same training.

    ¡®The skills aren¡¯t absolute either.¡¯

    Zich was using many advanced techniques, but that was only because he was able to control his mana to near perfection.

    Although many had misunderstood Zich¡¯s techniques to be rough because of his nickname as the Demon Lord of Strength, that was only because the results of his actions were so destructive; many of his techniques were actually very sophisticated.

    But that was all. Zichcked in everything else that didn¡¯t require mana control. Furthermore, because his body wasn¡¯t used to the techniques, there were slight cracks in his movements that came out here and there.

    ¡®It¡¯s like thinking about how I have to move each muscle fiber beforehand.¡¯

    It was also a moment that revealed how monstrous Zich was to put something as nonsensical as that into action.

    m!

    The distance between the two widened again.

    ¡°It seems you have trained in secret for quite a while. To think you even know how to use Extension of the Senses.¡±

    ¡°Something like extending my senses is a piece of cake.¡±

    He didn¡¯t mean to provoke Byner. For Zich, who had near-perfect control in mana, Extension of the Senses was an easy skill to master.

    ¡°Then keep hanging on like that.¡±

    Byner rushed in again.

    ng!

    The sound of nging iron echoed. The situation was the same as before¡ªno, it only seemed that way. Byner¡¯s attacks poured out in violent waves, and Zich resisted and strategically fought back.

    But anyone with good senses realized it.

    ¡®It will end soon.¡¯

    Tiner guessed the end of this surprising and unexpected duel. Although Zich¡¯s abilities were surprising, as expected of Steelwall¡¯s best knight, Byner knew Zich¡¯s weak spots.

    When Byner started to poke at these weak spots, Zich¡¯s hands and feet started to lose control.

    ¡®But young master Zich¡¯s skills are really surprising. Did he always have this much talent?¡¯

    Seeing the gaps in his techniques, it looked like Zich had learned them recently, but thepleted execution was surprising.

    ¡®He must have practiced the techniques for a while, and after learning how to control mana, he must have exponentially brought them topletion.¡¯

    Although the techniques that Zich was using were impressive, they were also widespread. Tiner thought that Zich could have chosen from a lot of people to teach him.

    ¡®But it doesn¡¯t change how amazing this is. He can really push young master Greig out of the picture at this rate.¡¯

    Tiner nced at Greig who was biting his lips while intensely staring at the duel before him.

    sh!

    Blood spurted out, and groans or exmations escaped from the audience. The ce where the blood poured out was from Zich¡¯s forearm.

    ¡®It¡¯s deep. I guess it will end like this.¡¯

    Tiner was sure that the duel would end with Zich¡¯s surrender, and he got ready to step down to the stage.

    Push!

    Blood spurted out again, but this time, the blood wasn¡¯t Zich¡¯s.

    ¡®He stabbed back?¡¯

    Tiner¡¯s body froze in ce. The absolutely unexpected was taking ce on the fighting ground.

    * * *

    ¡°Ugh!¡±

    Byner looked down at his burning wound. There was a deep, long cut in his left forearm, and blood was trickling out of it.

    ¡®What the hell!¡¯

    Byner recalled what just happened; he aimed to attack the vulnerabilities made by the gaps in Zich¡¯s techniques. The gaps in Zich¡¯s techniques were getting bigger, and he finally seeded in piercing through the defenses tond an attack on Zich.

    But at that exact moment, he was wounded by Zich¡¯s sword.

    ¡®No way!¡¯

    Byner suddenly realized what happened.

    ¡®No, he didn¡¯t defend. He gave up on it!¡¯

    Knowing that it was getting hard to defend, Zich gave up on defending all together. Zich had sacrificed a little to gain much more.

    ¡®Stay calm! Stay calm, Byner!¡¯

    Byner had heard about a situation like this in his education many times before, and considering the situation, he was still at an advantage. His opponent was cornered to the point that he had to give up his defense, and although his wound pained him, he had experienced this kind of injury many times before.

    However, his heart continued to beat like crazy without any sign of calming down.

    Although Byner had seen many guys rush into fights out of desperation like mountain bandits, it was his first time against a tactical opponent on a simr skill level. His experience wascking even if he was a genius knight.

    ¡°You are nervous, right?¡± Zich asked. Unlike Byner who was desperately trying to calm himself, Zich was smiling. Byner began to feel terrified.

    ¡°This is just the beginning. It¡¯s going to be a deathmatch rather than a duel. Stay alert.¡±

    Zich rushed towards Byner. It wasn¡¯t like the sophisticated movements he had shown so far, but a straight forward dash with many open spots, but Byner couldn¡¯t attack. He knew that if he tried to attack Zich¡¯s weak spots, Zich would pay him back with a greater attack.

    Byner helplessly blocked Zich¡¯s attack. And afterward, like Zich said, a battle that reeked of blood unfolded.

 Chapter 8

    <h4>Chapter 8</h4>

    As the battle continued on, the atmosphere enveloping the spectators changed. If the mood that swept the audience earlier were excitement and worries, now they were only filled with astonishment. Their faces that were red from excitement grew pale. Some bureaucrats who weren¡¯t used to the sight of blood even gagged like they were about to vomit.

    Push!

    Blood spurted onto the fighting ground again, and the ground was a bloody mess. It was hard to tell if the blood was fresh or if it was previously there.

    ¡°Huff! Huff! Huff!¡±

    Byner¡¯s breathing was rough. His hands trembled, and his vision became hazy.

    ¡°How is it? What is a battle for life and death like?¡±

    Zich¡¯s voice felt distant, like a ringing echo.

    ¡°Isn¡¯t it thrilling? If you think that the blood flowing through your body is like a living creature, each drop feels so precious. In a way, you feel the most alive when you are about to die.¡±

    Zich¡¯s sword flew towards him again, and Byner blocked the sword with his shaking hands.

    ng!

    Swirl!

    The attack wasn¡¯t even that strong since Zich was as much injured as Byner, but Byner swayed at such an attack.

    ¡°This is what I like about our family. They won¡¯t make a fuss to end a fight like this.¡±

    It was true the Count and everyone else wasn¡¯t requesting to end the duel because this was the Steelwall family¡¯s custom.

    ¡°Let¡¯s get this over with soon. I have another guy that I have to finish.¡±

    While dragging his sword, Zich approached Byner.

    Byner didn¡¯t even have the strength to move. He nkly stared as Zich raised his sword over him. Byner felt cold.

    ¡°You fought well. If you endure this ordeal now, you will be able to jump up to the next level.¡±

    ¡®Of course, if you fail to do that, you will be rolling in the mud like amon loser.¡¯

    Bam!

    Zich hit Byner¡¯s head with his sword¡¯s handle hard, and Byner lost consciousness.

    Crash!

    * * *

    Byner copsed. The winner was decided, but instead of cheers, joys, sighs, or even curses, the audience was dead silent.

    ¡°¡­The winner is... Sir Zich Steelwall!¡±

    After Tiner¡¯s loud shout, people finally began to murmur. It was as if they finally remembered how to breathe again.

    ¡°Haaa!¡±

    Zich took in a deep breath.

    ¡®I won somehow.¡¯

    He had to admit that Byner was a genius knight. Zich started a deathmatch to use Byner¡¯sck of experience against him, but the knight had endured.

    Byner felt anxious, seeing the blood of the eldest son of the family he served¡ªno matter how much he hated Zich, the thought of identally taking Zich¡¯s life had put him on edge. Byner¡¯s wounds and fear for his own life distressed him, and most of all, Zich swung his sword around like an immortal dripping in blood. All of these factors pressured Byner throughout the fight.

    Furthermore, unlike Zich who was ustomed to bloody battles, Byner had only engaged in actual fighting a couple of times. But with all these factors against him, Byner persisted.

    Even with the same number of injuries¡ªthe difference in experience, patience, movements, and other factors resulted in Zich¡¯s victory. All the knights, including the Count, realized this.

    ¡°Hey, Verden.¡±

    ¡°Yes, Count!¡±

    ¡°How did he learn all that? Where did he gain the experience? Who taught him?¡±

    If somebody had taught Zich, the butler, Trell, who knew almost everything inside the household, would know of all people. Trell shook his head.

    ¡°I was also not aware of the level of skill that the young master possessed. From what I know, I heard that he practiced by himself in the back of a garden.¡±

    If Trell was this certain, there was no way that Zich would have learned from someone.

    ¡°Then how can he fight like that?¡±

    ¡°Sir Count.¡±

    Trell whispered, ¡°Don¡¯t you already know the reason? I think you just don¡¯t want to admit it.¡±

    The Count shut his mouth. Trell¡¯s words had hit the bull¡¯s eye. The Count scowled and said as if he wasmenting, ¡°You are saying that¡­he is born talented.¡±

    Trell nodded.

    A figure like that appeared in history once in a while. As if the gods chose them, they broke allmon logic and won victoriously without any education or experience. Trell was saying that Zich was someone like that.

    ¡®This is not good.¡¯

    The Count wanted to hand over Steelwall to Greig, not Zich. Thankfully, Greig¡¯s abilities were outstanding, and due to a series of several causes, the residents of Steelwall all hated Zich and liked Greig.

    ¡®The next Count is Greig.¡¯ That was the already epted perception in Steelwall. However, if Zich showed overwhelming talent, that thought would be broken into pieces.

    ¡®Tradition favors Zich. If I try to hand over Steelwall to Greig without a good reason, other people will try to meddle in. Furthermore, even if they all dislike Zich, if the boy shows outstanding talent, their hearts may waver in favor of him.¡¯

    All of them were in Steelwall, which was located in the Kingdom¡¯s frontline; above all, skills in military arts were the most important trait a person could possess. People would even follow a person they hated if there was a high chance that he or she could protect them. All kinds of thoughts rushed into the Count¡¯s head.

    When all eyes were on him, Zich moved.

    * * *

    Priests began toe forward to treat Byner. The priests raised their arms and shook their hands widely to indicate that Byner¡¯s life wasn¡¯t in danger, and people sighed in relief.

    The priests also approached Zich.

    ¡°Sir! We will treat you right away!¡±

    The priests¡¯ voices were urgent, because although Zich had less wounds than Byner, the wounds were also severe.

    ¡°Wait.¡±

    ¡°Sorry?¡±

    ¡°I still have something to take care of.¡±

    Zich pushed the priests who were about to use God¡¯s miracles on him away and walked to the stadium''s outskirts. Zich¡¯s unexpected behavior drew everyone¡¯s attention again. They were also frightened by the sight of him staggering while dripping blood all over his path.

    Tiner, who was standing in front of the social seat in front of the audience asked, ¡°What is it, Sir Zich?¡±

    ¡°Ah, Sir Tiner. It¡¯s nothing much. I just have something to say to Greig.¡±

    Zich¡¯s voice rang out. Mana was imbued into his voice so that everyone in the stadium could hear him well.

    ¡®Ha, how¡­?¡¯

    Tiner was surprised yet again. It didn¡¯t surprise him that Zich could imbue mana in his voice since he could use a skill like Extension of the Senses, but it was impressive that Zich could use mana so cleanly while he was heavily injured; only a few trained knights could aplish such a task.

    Zich yelled at Greig.

    ¡°Greig! Come down! It¡¯s a duel!¡±

    ¡°What¡­?!¡±

    Greg was so astounded that he let out a gasp. Everyone else was astounded too.

    ¡°¡­What are you saying?¡± the Count asked. As if he was also in shock, his response was a bit slow.

    ¡°What do you think I am saying? I am challenging him to a duel. Father, didn¡¯t you also permit this? I know that the rumors have spread quite far already.¡±

    ¡®A duel between Zich and Greig,¡¯ people murmured.

    ¡°Isn¡¯t that the unofficially announced duel for the Steelwall¡¯s inheritance?¡±

    ¡°Mind your words! It doesn¡¯t make sense that a single duel would decide the heir.¡±

    ¡°But that¡¯s what the rumors say. Even the Count¡¯s actions seem to indicate that he will give greater preference to the victor of the duel. It¡¯s so obvious that they¡¯re trying to give Sir Greig the edge in bing the heir since they thought that Sir Zich had no chance in winning.¡±

    The bloody battle, Zich¡¯s unexpected win, and his behavior encouraged the audience to say the words that they had held back.

    ¡°S-Sir! Let us treat your wounds first¡­!¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡±

    Zich pushed the priests away and shouted again.

    ¡°Hey, Greig! Come down quickly! I will fight in my current state! I thought I should at least give myself a handicap while fighting my younger brother!¡±

    People were surprised again, especially the priests beside Zich. They felt like their feet were rolling and they were on the verge of having a stroke.

    ¡°S-Sir! You can¡¯t! You have to get treated immediately!¡±

    With blood pouring out all over him, Zich looked like a red monster. He looked like he was about to die from excessive blood loss, but Zich remained calm.

    ¡°Don¡¯t overreact. I won¡¯t die with this much.¡±

    ¡°No, this is really dangerous, sir!¡±

    As if they were annoying flies, Zich waved them away with his hands, and the priests thought they were going mad.

    ¡°What are you doing, Greig! Hurry up!¡±

    ¡°W-what kind of nonsense are you spouting! Receive treatment first! How are you going to duel like that!¡±

    Greig had a point. Anyone could see that instead of dueling, Zich needed treatment immediately; he should be lying on a bed.

    ¡°I will handle that. Besides, we made a promise in the first ce.¡±

    Zich smirked.

    ¡°I¡¯ll decide when our duel begins.¡±

    Greig shut his mouth. He was the one who had proposed the duel while cing his conditions. Now that Zich brought up the promise, Greig had no choice but toply.

    ¡°Stop it! How are you going to fight with those wounds! Are you nning to crush your brother¡¯s heart in worry about your physical condition?!¡±

    ¡°Ah, is that right, Father? I didn¡¯t think far enough. But you know, I have no choice but to misunderstand. I mean, look at Greig¡¯s face right now,¡± Zich said with an innocent face. But in contrast to that, he was blocking every path that his opponent could escape from.

    ¡°Doesn¡¯t he look afraid?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Usually, Greig would¡¯ve thrown a fit. For many reasons, Greig hated to be considered lower than Zich in any area more than anything; but now, he was silent. Only his lips twitched as if he had something to say.

    Greig¡¯s face became pale, and his pupils shook while his lips bled. Everyone could see that Greig was frightened.

    ¡°Stop it, younger brother. Lighten up a bit. Or else, other people will misunderstand. Like me, they might believe that you are just a coward, so fearful that you will break a promise to escape from a duel.¡±

    People stared at Greig. Their eyes, which had always been filled with confidence and faith towards Greig, began to show doubts.

    ¡°Even if that is the case, Sir Greig stillcks experience. To say that he is a coward¡­¡±

    ¡°Then, do I have experience?¡±

    Tiner tried to defend Greig but fell into silence at Zich¡¯s words.

    ¡®Yes, this is the biggest problem.¡¯

    Everyone who watched the duel between Zich and Byner couldpletely understand how Greig was feeling: even if the Count ced great expectations onto him, Greig was just a boy in his mid-teens.

    Also, Zich¡¯s spectacle had ruined everything; he had shown that he could be a more fitting figure to inherit the Count¡¯s position, and ording to tradition, he had a great advantage.

    ¡°I am worried about you, Brother. Even if I am the traditional heir, it doesn¡¯t mean that you don¡¯t have the right to session. What will people think if you run away from here like a coward? They might be very disappointed in you to see that you don¡¯t have the courage like the eldest son. They might even start to say that they don¡¯t want to see you seed.¡±

    ¡°What kind of nonsense are you spouting!¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not nonsense, Mother.¡±

    Upon hearing Zich say Mother, the Countess¡¯s expression crumpled, and people began to murmur again.

    Zich continued, ¡°Although this duel is unofficial, it is very important to Greig and me. But as his older brother, I am trying to make the situation more advantageous for Greig. Look at my body. Isn¡¯t it aplete mess? If he tries to escape from a situation like this, he won¡¯t be able to lead even a flock, more or less Steelwall. And above all, Mother, Greig promised me a duel where I get to decide the date and time.¡±

    Zich¡¯s eyes searched for the Count. Then, once he found him, Zich smiled at the Count who was scarily ring at him.

    ¡°What are you going to do, Father?¡±

    ¡°¡­Greig, go down to the fighting ground.¡±

    ¡°Count!¡±

    ¡°Father!¡±

    Both the Countess and Greig shouted in surprise, but the Count didn¡¯t take back his words.

    ¡°Go down.¡±

 Chapter 9

    <h4>Chapter 9</h4>

    Following his father¡¯s order, Greig went inside the dueling ground. The sword at his hip seemed to grow heavier, and his feet seemed to drag him down as he walked towards Zich.

    ¡°Ah, fuck! It hurts! That¡¯s enough!¡±

    ¡°Then get treated first!¡±

    ¡°I told you¡ªI¡¯m going to fight without getting treated!¡±

    ¡°Then shut your mouth for a moment! It¡¯s going to be over soon!¡±

    The priest shouted at Zich as he began to wrap bandages on Zich¡¯s injuries. Despite Zich¡¯s annoyed expression andints, he moved his body to make it easier for the priest to bandage him.

    ¡°I¡¯m all done.¡±

    ¡°Is it finally over?¡±

    ¡°I only performed emergency care, so please remember that you are this close to suffering from extreme blood loss! Whether you win or lose, please quickly finish the duel and get proper treatment¡­!¡±

    ¡°Oooh, don¡¯t I look like an undead? I look like a mummy right now. If someone meets me in a dungeon, they will think I will attack them¡­!¡±

    ¡°Please listen to me!¡±

    Zich had to forcefully push away the priest who looked as if he was about to cry. Without saying anything, Greig watched the situation unfold and stared at Zich. As Zich said, his whole body was covered in bandages like a mummy. Since he had only gotten minimum emergency care, blood quickly seeped through his bandages.

    ¡®How the hell is he still moving?!¡¯

    Greig thought he had good endurance, but seeing Zich¡¯s current state, he realized that he was nowhere near Zich¡¯s level.

    Zich began to wave his sword around; it was to check if the bandages hampered his movements. As expected, his injuries widened again, and blood began to seep through the bandages at an even faster pace. However, Zich didn¡¯t seem bothered by this and looked pleased that the bandages did not hinder his body¡¯s movements.

    Zich gave a signal that he was ready for battle, and Tiner, the host, cried, ¡°Draw your swords!¡±

    There was no other rhetoric this time. In consideration of Zich¡¯s injury, it seemed as if Tiner was trying to proceed with the duel as fast as possible.

    Greig pulled out his sword and Zich lifted his sword up.

    ¡°Start!¡±

    The second duel, which no one except Zich anticipated, began.

    Greig looked a bit scared, but since he had been training for a long time, his stance was steady. Inparison, Zich held his sword around his shoulder in a sloppy manner.

    ¡°What¡¯s up with you? Are you noting toward me? Are you seriously expecting your injured brother to make the first attack? I didn¡¯t know you were such an awful bastard.¡±

    Zich provoked Greig lightly, but Greig merely fixed his grip and did not rush to attack.

    ¡®Calm down. The situation is advantageous for me right now.¡¯

    It wouldn¡¯t have been strange if Zich fainted at this very moment. Compared to Zich, there wasn¡¯t a single injury on Greig, and he was in a good condition. Of course, Zich¡¯s skills were unexpected, but even considering that, the situation still favored Greig.

    ¡®I know this! How can I not know this!¡¯

    Unlike Zich, Greig had gone through many different types of training and education. But why was he¡­why was the hand on his sword shaking?

    ¡°Are you really not going toe at me? I guess you never had an ounce of cuteness in you. Okay, fine. Your dear brother will make the first move.¡±

    Swish!

    Zich swung his body forward. His entire body, from the very tip of his foot, shook a bit as he moved. Indeed, his injuries impacted him, but the way he moved towards Greig was sharp and clean.

    ¡°Ugh!¡±

    Greig raised his sword to block Zich¡¯s attack.

    ¡®It has less force than I expected.¡¯

    The numerous injuries on Zich¡¯s body seemed to have affected his fighting power. Paralyzed with fear and nerves, Greig began to feel hopeful again.

    ¡®I can win!¡¯

    But it was when Greig recovered his confidence and raised his sword to attack¡ª

    shhh!

    ¡°Urgh!¡±

    Greig barely managed to block Zich. As if he was a leaf flying in the wind, Zichnded another swift attack on Greig.

    Greig took a moment to steady himself. Right above him, Zich¡¯s attacks poured down like a rainstorm.

    ¡®H-his attacks are different from before!¡¯

    Each of his attacks was light, but they were all lightning fast. His current style waspletely different from when he was fighting with Byner.

    ¡°His attacks arepletely different from before!¡±

    Trell could not help but express his shock. No matter what other people thought, he wanted the best person to seed as the Count. Zich¡¯s unexpected talent was a fortunate miscalction for him.

    However, people like him were definitely in the minority.

    While considering the Count and Countess¡¯s feelings, Chris Nunn carefully answered Trell, ¡°He probably changed his fighting style because of his injuries. Since his injuries would widen even by the force of their swords shing, he is absorbing the force of the attack as much as he can. It seems like he¡¯s also reflecting some of the force back towards his opponent. Look at him right now. Can¡¯t you see that he is using the rebounds against his opponent?¡±

    ¡°Is this an easy thing to do?¡±

    ¡°Of course not.¡±

    Even while replying, Chris Nunn felt troubled.

    ¡®Sir Zich is even more talented than I thought.¡¯

    From what Zich had shown them so far, at least in regards to fighting prowess, his ability was close to being godlike. Even after just awakening his mana, he was able to use high-level skills right away, turn a duel into a deathmatch, and drive Byner into a corner. And right after that, he challenged Greig and maintained an upper hand.

    ¡®And it¡¯s not just his basic skills. He cleverly exploited Byner¡¯sck of experience and shook him up psychologically to increase his chances of winning. He really understands the know-how to win.¡¯

    And this ¡°know-how to win¡± was an absolute necessity for the Steelwall family that always needed to protect themselves from intruders.

    ¡®I thought Sir Greig was good enough to be the next Count, but¡­¡¯

    Chris Nunn stole a furtive nce at the Count and Countess.

    ¡®Their expressions seem strained.¡¯

    He could understand their feelings. Once again, Chris Nunn looked back towards the duel.

    ¡®With Sir Greig¡¯s skills, he would be a good Count. However, if Sir Zich bes a Count¡­¡¯

    And if Zich¡¯s other abilities were even half of his fighting abilities¡­

    ¡®He would be an outstanding Count.¡¯

    His skill, bravery, and guts. For Chris Nunn who was a military man to the core, he couldn''t help but admire Zich¡¯s many talents, especially his fighting prowess. Likewise, there were probably many who shared Chris Nunn¡¯s feelings right now.

    Chris Nunn started to lean towards Zich¡¯s side and tried to harden his heart. And as the butler for this family, Trell had a deeper understanding of Zich¡¯s abilities than Chris Nunn who was purely a military man.

    ¡®His ability to n is astounding.¡¯

    Trell keenly watched Zich push Greig back with a severely wounded body.

    ¡®With Sir Zich¡¯s skills, he will be able to slowly push back Sir Greig. However, this process will be very lengthy, and many unexpected situations can arise. I¡¯m sure that the Count and Sir Greig will use many different tactics to prevent Sir Zich from seeding. However, with this duel, Sir Zich is able to disy his skills to everyone in Steelwall, and I¡¯m also sure that this will shake up many people.¡¯

    Chris Nunn, who was standing next to him, was a clear example of this. Even though he tried to stay low in fear of the Count and Countess, Chris Nunn couldn¡¯t hide the sparkle in his eyes as he watched Zich¡¯s fight.

    ¡®Sir Zich probably expected the Count to blow up the situation like this.¡¯

    If he hadn¡¯t known this, Zich wouldn¡¯t have been able to make the situation so advantageous for him.

    ¡®No, even if he hadn¡¯t predicted this, it doesn¡¯t matter. It just means that he is extremely adaptable, and he can make any circumstance advantageous to him right now.¡¯

    Either way, Zich had the brains to perform such a feat, and it was even more outstanding that he was able to think all of this while being surrounded by enemies.

    ¡®Even if Sir Zich loses this battle, no one will think he actually lost. He was able to beat the genius knight Byner, and even with serious injuries, he fought a second duel right after. Even though they are dueling for the session, it is informal after all.¡¯

    If Zich and Greig¡¯s reputations were the same as before, this informal promise would have made a tremendous impact on Zich¡¯s name. However, this duel hadpletely changed Zich¡¯s image.

    ¡®Moreover, if Sir Zich manages to beat Sir Greig in his current condition, there will be an enormous ripple in Steelwall.¡¯

    Zich¡¯s ability to fight consecutively despite his severe injuries was especially significant in Steelwall.

    ¡®He was able to sharply reduce his risks and increase his returns at the same time. When I heard that he raised a sword against a servant to kill him in front of the Count, I thought he had finally exploded in anger after suppressing his feelings for long, but he exploded in a totally different way.¡¯

    Even though there were still many things to consider for the future, Trell wanted to side with Zich at this moment. The knights and officials all had their own thoughts about this matter, but the Count was most taken back by Zich¡¯s performance.

    ¡°...¡±

    His stubborn expression became even more strained.

    ¡°My Lord.¡±

    With a shaky voice, the Countess looked at the Count with wavering eyes.

    ¡°Our Greig won¡¯t lose, right?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    The Count did not reply. He continued to watch the duel in silence.

    ¡®If Zich wins right now¡­¡¯

    As the head of Steelwall, he would have to wee Zich¡¯s change with open arms, but the Count didn¡¯t feel this way at all. The Count¡¯s head began to ache from thinking about the future.

    * * *

    shhh!

    Once again, Greig blocked Zich¡¯s attacks, and Zich used the force of the rebound tond another attack.

    ¡®Wow, it hurts like crazy!¡¯

    Even though Zich acted like he was alright, his whole body was a mess. Even for a warrior who had gone through all sorts of challenges and trials, he could not help but let out a sigh.

    ¡®It¡¯s starting to get really serious.¡¯

    Pretty soon, Zich would be unable to move from dizziness caused by intense blood loss.

    ¡®Since Greig seems scared enough, should I begin my deathmatch?¡¯

    Greig flinched at Zich¡¯s sly smile.

    Strike!

    Zich tried to restrict his force as much as he could and struck the ground with tremendous strength. Blood spurted out of his wounds.

    Surprised, Greig dropped his sword. Greig quickly shifted his weight to his right foot and leaned back to avoid Zich¡¯s attack. However, he couldn¡¯t fully escape, and Zich¡¯s attack scraped Greig¡¯s arm.

    But Zich did not stop his movements.

    ¡®Wait, this is!¡¯

    Greig¡¯s heart sank to the bottom. It was easy to see what Zich was nning.

    ¡®A deathmatch!¡¯

    As Greig expected, Zich began to swing at Greig without paying any attention to his injuries.

    Slice!

    ¡°Urgh!¡±

    Greig took a few steps back. A long, red cut appeared on his chest. It was not a deep cut; only his skin was slightly injured, but Greig¡¯s heart began to beat fiercely against his chest.

    ¡°My dear brother! Why don¡¯t we begin showing our brotherly camaraderie for real now!¡±

    Without a single consideration for Greig¡¯s feelings, Zich continued to smile while wielding his sword around. Psychologically driven into a corner, Greig began to lose control of his sword. To Greig, the sight of Zich swiveling around his sword with blood dripping down on his smiling face was the perfect image of a demon.

    sh!

    As their swords collided, their faces came even closer. However, theirplexions werepletely different.

    ¡°Brother, my brother, my darling brother, why are you making a face like that?¡±

    ¡°Why does my expression matter!¡±

    Greig managed to reply with some cheekiness. However, sensing Greig¡¯s fear, it only felt like a scared dog barking to Zich.

    ¡°Are you afraid? What are you afraid of? Does your great brother suddenly look scary to you? Or are you more afraid of what¡¯ll happen after you lose?¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    Greig did not reply, and Zich did not care.

    ¡°Hahahahah! You don¡¯t have to worry! Do you really think your own brother would n this show for the sake of destroying you? This is all for you. All the emotions that you are experiencing right now¡ªanger, fear, jealousy¡ªthey all exist merely for the sake of pushing you one step further!¡±

    Surprisingly, Zich was not saying empty words to Greig. However, who was Zich if he did not have malicious intentions?

    ¡°But I guess if you are unable to pass this hurdle, you will just copse from the stress of it all.¡±

    Zich¡¯s beast-like eyes pierced into Greig¡¯s eyes.

    ¡°Personally, I desperately wish that you will meet thetter with all my heart and soul!¡±

    Zich¡¯s sharp words, which were even worse than the sharpness of Zich¡¯s sword, severely cut Greig¡¯s heart. The duel began to grow more and more dangerous and rough. The bandages on Zich¡¯s body fell apart, and the number of injuries on Greig¡¯s body began to increase.

    Even though Greig had trained for a long time, he stillcked real experience in battle, and the pressure he felt from Zich suffocated him to the point that he had difficulty breathing. The bravery he was so determined to possess could not be found. Moreover, the brother he had always looked down on and mocked looked absolutely terrifying to him.

    ¡°Sur¡­.!¡±

    Atst, he gave in to the pressure.

    ¡°I surrender! I surrender this duel!¡±

    Halt!

    Zich¡¯s frantic sword movements stopped at once.

    Thud!

    The strength in Greig¡¯s legs left him, and he copsed onto the floor. In front him, Zich¡¯s bloody sword swung in front of him. Zich withdrew his sword and then lifted his head to look at Tiner.

    Atst, Tiner firmly lifted his hand and shouted, ¡°Victory! Victory for the Honorable Sir Zich Steelwall!¡±

    Tiner¡¯s announcement was a gunshot that rang through the Steelwall family that signaled the beginning of an enormous change toe.

 Chapter 10

    <h4>Chapter 10</h4>

    Tiner felt strange after dering Zich¡¯s victory, and the people around him felt likewise.

    Not a single audience member cheered for the winner or sympathized with the loser. Some had their mouths shut or talked to those sitting beside them while others were lost in thought. At the unbelievable and ridiculousness of Zich¡¯s second win, people fell into a panic.

    Snatch!

    Someone grabbed Zich¡¯s arm.

    ¡°I can treat you now, right? I am going to do it even if you refuse!¡±

    It was the priest who had sprung onto the dueling ground as soon as the fight was over. With his red face, it seemed like the priest wouldn¡¯t ept a refusal.

    ¡°Do what you want. I¡¯m tired anyways.¡±

    Zich threw his sword away and sat down. Truthfully, he was only moving his body with sheer willpower. He would have lost consciousness if Greig¡¯s deration of defeat had been a momentte.

    Nevertheless, it was his win.

    Zich stared at Greig. A priest was also treating him. The area under his eyes was sunken, his face had lost all color, and he had lost a lot of blood.

    ¡®He is out of it.¡¯

    Zich felt satisfied.

    ¡®Greig lost to his older brother who he had always looked down on. At this rate, he may never recover.¡¯

    But did that matter?

    ¡®Should I end it here?¡¯

    This was enough to screw him over, and Zich lost all interest in Greig.

    ¡®Ok, let me start the finale now.¡¯

    Zich still had someone left to screw over: the servant, Hans, and¡ª

    ¡®All the Steelwalls!¡¯

    They all had despised and looked down on him; Zich didn¡¯t intend to give any of them an easy pass.

    ¡°Is it over?¡±

    ¡°Yes, it is over. But since you lost a lot of blood, you should rest for a while!¡±

    Zich ignored the priest¡¯s words and stood up again.

    ¡°Y-Young master! You can¡¯t abruptly stand up like that¡­!¡±

    ¡°Ah, it¡¯s fine. I know my body better than anyone else.¡±

    Zich tuned out the nagginging from behind him and walked forward.

    Halt!

    Zich halted in his steps and arched his neck to see the Count in the upper seats.

    ¡°I won, Father.¡±

    ¡°¡­Yeah, I saw.¡±

    As expected, the Count¡¯s response was curt while the Countess¡¯s gaze was piercing. Still, Zich calmly continued, ¡°Didn¡¯t you promise? You said that you would let the winner of this duel seed the family.¡±

    People broke into murmurs. They didn¡¯t think that Zich would bring that up first so bluntly. Although rumors about the conditions of the duel had spread, all of that was unofficial.

    A vein popped out of the Count¡¯s forehead.

    ¡°Stop spouting nonsense! How could a single duel like this decide anything?!¡±

    Of course, by using the fact that he had not made the conditions public, the Count was nning to make it seem like the promise had never been made.

    ¡®Well, it doesn¡¯t matter.¡¯

    At the Count¡¯s outcry, Zich still smiled.

    ¡®What in the world is he thinking?¡¯

    Trell furrowed his eyebrows.

    ¡®Why would he mention that out loud here? It won¡¯t do him any good.¡¯

    Although Zich had shown people a new side to him, they still didn¡¯t have good feelings for Zich. Saying something like this would only gather hostility. For instance, Chris Nunn, whose eyes had sparkled just a moment before, was scowling now.

    ¡®Has he be short-sighted in his excitement?¡¯

    If that was the case, Trell would have to adjust his assessment of Zich again and deduct some points. However, the reason for Zich¡¯s words was something that no one, including Trell, could have even thought of.

    ¡°I knew this would happen.¡±

    Zich took a ring out from one of his fingers. Then, he threw it high up in the air.

    Clink! Clink!

    The ring dropped right onto the seat of honor and rolled in front of the Count and copsed. Everyone sitting in the upper seats froze in ce after checking what the ring was.

    ¡°You¡­ what is the meaning of this?¡±

    ¡°What do you mean, Father? What else can I mean by throwing the Steelwall ring away?¡±

    Zich took in a deep breath and yelled loudly.

    ¡°I, Zich Steelwall, will henceforth give up my right as the heir of Steelwall!¡±

    A shock as intense as getting struck by a mace on the back of one¡¯s head waved through the stadium. The Count and the Countess, the knights, bureaucrats, and various retainers, as well as Greg and the priests, looked at Zich with their mouths hanging open.

    Zich, however, snorted in a refreshing way.

    ¡°Just because I put up with it¡ªdo you see me as some dirt stuck on the bottom of an orc¡¯s foot? I am talking about all of you! How can you all unite to bully one person pettily¡ªdid you think that I would continue to put up with it like an idiot?!¡±

    Vulgar words flowed across the stadium, but people couldn¡¯t say much but stutter.

    ¡°I am not going to ept a damn family like this!¡±

    ¡°What the hell are you doing!¡±

    ¡°Are your ears blocked now that you are growing old, Count? I am saying that I will leave Steelwall!¡±

    Zich no longer called the Count, Father, and the Count¡¯s cheeks shuddered in anger.

    ¡°Isn¡¯t this what you wanted? An eyesore is leaving the family with his own feet! Now, you can hand over the family to your lovable younger son.¡±

    ¡°You, you¡­!¡±

    ¡°You should just tell me bluntly that you have no intention of handing Steelwall over to me. Do you know how surprised I was to see you, the Kingdom¡¯s metal fortress, resort to such cheap tricks?¡±

    ¡°¡­.!¡±

    The Count was so angry that no words came out of his mouth. His wire-like beard twitched.

    ¡°You bastaaaaard!¡±

    Bam!

    ¡°What!¡±

    ¡°Ahhh!¡±

    A powerful current circled the Count. The Countess, Trell, and others who weren¡¯t trained made amotion.

    ¡°Suppress your anger, Count!¡±

    Chris Nunn grabbed the Count, and Tiner went up to the seat of honor to also help restrain the Count.

    ¡°Fine! If that¡¯s what you think, leave at this instant! If you appear in front of me again, I am going to split you into two!¡±

    ¡°P-please calm down for now!¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry! I don¡¯t have ns toe back here ever again!¡±

    ¡°Y-young master! You should also calm¡­!¡±

    Chris Nunn tried his hardest to fix the situation somehow, but the father and son pair had already crossed a path of no return.

    Swift!

    Zich turned around. He walked towards the stadium¡¯s entrance, and everyone¡¯s eyes naturally followed his back. Zich waspletely different from the boy they had ignored for so long. Suddenly, Zich turned his head around as if he had just thought of something, and his eyesnded on Hans.

    ¡°Hey, Hans!¡±

    Hans, who was hanging on the wall, answered in shock, ¡°Yes, yes sir!¡±

    ¡°Follow me.¡±

    ¡°Yes! Sorry?¡±

    ¡°Follow me.¡±

    ¡°W-where?¡±

    ¡°I think I will need at least one servant since I am leaving the family. So, I am going to take you with me.¡±

    Hans¡¯ face was pale stricken. He knew what kind of horrible things would happen if he followed Zich right now.

    ¡°T-that¡­!¡±

    But Zich was too scary for him to refuse outrightly. He couldn¡¯t say this or that and heard a voice from his savior.

    ¡°Why would you take Hans? Hans is a servant who serves Steelwall!¡±

    It was the Countess. She growled as if she was talking to the archenemy who murdered her parents. It seemed like Greig¡¯s loss and ruination had input a considerable amount of resentment in her.

    Hans¡¯ face brightened.

    ¡°Um, why would you protest against me taking Hans?¡±

    ¡°Did you think that I would allow it?!¡±

    ¡°Then, it can¡¯t be helped.¡±

    Because Zich backed off much more easily than she expected him to, the Countess was shocked. But that shock quickly turned into horror. Zich pulled out his sword and walked towards where Hans was.

    ¡°What are you doing!¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s nothing really. Countess, I am going to finish it quickly, so you don¡¯t have to mind it.¡±

    Zich changed the way he called the Countess from Mother to Countess back again. Truthfully, she felt relieved to no longer hear that creepy title of Mother from him, but it didn¡¯t make Zich¡¯s behavior any better.

    ¡°What do you mean it¡¯s nothing! You look like you are about to slice Hans¡¯ neck off!¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    The Countess was at a loss for words. Hans¡¯ colorless face became even paler, but Zich calmly said his biggest blow.

    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s true that I¡¯m going to slice that servant¡¯s neck off.¡±

    ¡°H-have you finally lost your mind?!¡±

    ¡°What do you mean that I have lost my mind? I ampletely normal. Countess, did you forget why I started the duel in the first ce?¡±

    Byner and Hans imed that they didn¡¯t offend Zich while Zich swore that they did. Since Zich had won the duel, Zich¡¯s im would be epted as the truth.

    ¡°Since Byner is a knight, I am sure that Steelwall will give him a fitting punishment, but it will be a different story for Hans. Even if I gave up the title, that guy insulted me when I was the Steelwall¡¯s rightful heir. With my win, it has been recognized that he insulted me, and I now have authority over his life and death.¡±

    The Countess finally realized the severity of the situation and fell into great shock.

    ¡°C-count!¡±

    The Count was the only one left to rely on.

    The Countess quickly hung onto the Count. After Zich gave up his right to seed, the gap between the father and son deepened beyond repair, so she thought the Count would do something to fix the situation.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    However, the Count didn¡¯t say anything. His face looked like he wanted to yell at his men to drag Zich out, but unfortunately, Zich was right. If there were fewer eyes on them, things might have been different, but the Count couldn¡¯t break rules in front of so many important figures.

    Increasing the size of this duel was backfiring on him.

    Swift!

    ¡°Eh, ehh!¡±

    Hans cried out as the ck sword edged closer to the bottom of his neck. It was a terrible experience to have a sword coated in ckish-red blood pushed right into his neck.

    ¡°Hey, Hans. Listen to me carefully. Even though you dared to look down on me and disrespect me, I will give you a choice.¡±

    Zich stretched out his thumb and middle finger and showed them to Hans.

    ¡°You have two choices: one is to die here right now with your head rolling. The other is to follow me as my servant. How is it? Which one are you going to choose?¡±

    Zich¡¯s tone sounded benevolent, but he was one-sidedly pressuring Hans. Hans darted his eyes and stared at the Countess. He saw the Countess grab the ends of the Count¡¯s garment and plead, but the Count was still silent.

    At that moment, Hans realized that the Countess, who was his strong and solid backing, didn¡¯t have the power to get him out of this situation.

    ¡°Fo¡­¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°I will follow you. I will follow you, young master.¡±

    Tiny tear droplets trickled down from his eyes, and Hans whimpered. He looked like a cow being dragged off to a ughterhouse. It was a tearful scene, but it made Zich smirk.

    ¡°That¡¯s a smart decision.¡±

    Zich took back his sword from Hans¡¯ neck, but Hans¡¯ expression didn¡¯t be brighter. He couldn¡¯t fathom how dark and terrible his life in the future would be.

    ¡°Get up. We have to leave.¡±

    ¡°Wh-what? Right now?¡±

    ¡°Is there a need to hesitate? It¡¯s my first step out of the nest into the world. You have to do things like this the moment you make the decision!¡±

    ¡°T-that¡­!¡±

    Zich grabbed Hans by the cor and pulled him into the stadium. Then, he half-dragged him out of the entrance.

    Without even looking around, Zich could feel stares on his back. The Count was still huffing, the Countess was holding onto the edges of his clothes while watching Hans. Tiner and Chris Nunn were urgently running after Zich, and finally, Greig, whose wounds were all healed, sat on the ground and nkly stared as Zich disappeared.

 Chapter 11

    <h4>Chapter 11</h4>

    Trell scowled after seeing the entrance that Zich had disappeared out of.

    ¡®What is it? What is he thinking?¡¯

    Trell thought that Zich had nned everything to create a scenario that would increase his chances of bing the Count¡¯s heir. But that thought lost credibility the instant that Zich threw away his right as the heir.

    ¡°What does Sir Zich want to do exactly?¡±

    Chris Nunn, who had been restraining the Count, seemed to have the same thought as Trell as he asked this question quietly. Fortunately, the Count had calmed down by then.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know. He made the situation more advantageous to him in every way and then kicked it all away.¡±

    Chris Nunn clicked his tongue.

    ¡°Is he really nning to leave?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure.¡±

    ¡°Maybe he decided on it at the spur of the moment. In his youth¡­¡±

    Chris Nunn seemed to have thought that Zich would not truly leave the family.

    ¡°But I am sure of this. Since he has given up his right as heir in front of so many people, Greig will be the heir for sure.¡±

    Trell let out an uncontroble burst ofughter. From what he knew, Chris Nunn was among those who supported Greig. He should be happy about the situation, but Chris Nunn couldn¡¯t hide the deep sense of regret in his voice.

    ¡®No, it¡¯s not only Chris Nunn.¡¯

    A lot of people probably felt the same way. Truthfully, Trell couldn¡¯t hide his feelings of regret and stared at Greig who had copsed onto the ground.

    ¡®He is a bitcking, but we have no choice but to expect Greig to¡ª!¡¯

    Whish!

    ¡°W-what are you doing?¡± Chris Nunn asked in surprise, but Trell couldn¡¯t answer.

    ¡®Lacking? I just thought that, right?¡¯

    Steelwall¡¯s image of Greig was the ¡®capable heir,¡¯ but it was different now. After losing to Zich¡¯s schemes and strength, Greig¡¯s image had greatly diminished. It was enough to make Trell unconsciously think that Greig was a bitcking.

    ¡®People will continue topare them. Since they all saw how talented Zich is¡ªfrom now on, whenever Greig seems a bitcking, they will see him in a new light.¡¯

    And that would create a feud in Steelwall.

    ¡®It may not be significant, but it could be a bigger issue than I imagined.¡¯

    Fortunately, Greig had many supporters.

    ¡®Still, those who are neutral and the very few Zich supporters will raise their concern, especially since the talented eldest son was harassed into leaving.¡¯

    It was eptable up to this point because Greig was the heir and he had above-average skills. If Greig showed skills that were above average, the concerns wouldn¡¯t just evaporate into thin air, but they wouldn¡¯t spread outside of the family either.

    ¡®But what if Sir Greig fails to be like his old self?¡¯

    Like a deranged person, Greig was absent-mindedly staring at the ce where Zich had disappeared. This incident could be a moment of shock for him, and Greig could learn and progress from this experience.

    ¡®But what if he never shakes off the shock?¡¯

    If one factor in the shocking process of the duel, the stern gazes that would continue to follow him after his loss, and how Greig had looked down on Zich all his life, there was a good chance that Greig would never pull himself from his shock.

    And if that happened...

    ¡®With young master Zich¡¯s renouncement, if Sir Greig also bes ruined, Steelwall will not be able to survive.¡¯

    When Trell thought that far, his back seemed to ache; he felt like he began to understand the meaning behind Zich¡¯s iprehensible behavior.

    ¡®Young Master Zich did that not for the Steelwall¡¯s heir. It was all for revenge!¡¯

    If Trell¡¯s worries became a reality, Steelwall would not only falter¡ª it would copse.

    ¡°What is the problem, butler?¡±

    ¡°I think he really left.¡±

    ¡°Sorry?¡±

    ¡°I mean that the young master, Zich, really left.¡±

    He left Steelwall while leaving behind a massive bomb. Trell looked away from Chris Nunn¡¯s surprised gaze and bit his lips.

    * * *

    ¡°Haa! I feel so~ refreshed~!¡±

    Zich shouted while untying the bandages on his body. His fresh voice seemed to release the stress of everyone who heard him. However, Hans looked like a convict on death row, heading to the gallows closely behind him.

    Zich didn¡¯t have a particr reason for bringing Hans.

    ¡®It will befortable to have a luggage carrier while traveling alone. I¡¯ve forgiven the guy who defied me with just somebor¡ªthis is already too kind.¡¯

    Surprisingly, Zich was interpreting what Glen Zenard had told him before he died¡ª¡®If you are born again, I hope you will be someone who does good!¡¯ in his own way.

    ¡°Are you really leaving Steelwall?¡±

    Hans¡¯ lips twitched after hesitating whether he should speak or not.

    ¡°Yeah.¡±

    ¡°C-can you think about it again? Even if you go back now, the Count will not talk to you harshly. Considering your talent, won¡¯t it be easy for you to seed the family''s name?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t want to.¡±

    Hans looked like he was about to cry.

    ¡°Anyways, what is your rtionship with the Countess? It didn¡¯t look normal.¡±

    Even if the Countess responded more sensitively to the situation because it involved Zich, the way she treated Hans was not like the way she treated the other servants.

    ¡°M-my grandmother was madam¡¯s nanny.¡±

    ¡°Ah, no wonder.¡±

    That must have been why she was so defensive about Hans.

    ¡®I snatched her precious servant away, so she must be suffering a bit.¡¯

    A smile naturally crept up Zich¡¯s face. And because it seemed like he could talk to Zich to some degree, Hans asked, ¡°Could I perhaps ask about your future ns? Such as your destination or the goals that you want to achieve¡­¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t have any specific ns. I am thinking about wandering around the world and doing good deeds¡ªthat¡¯s all.¡±

    ¡®Since I, the Demon Lord of Strength, lost in a head-to-head battle, I should do what that Glen guy told me to do.¡¯

    Although Glen was a jerk, he was still the hero who had defeated Zich, so this was Zich¡¯s way of showing Glen some respect.

    ¡°You are going to do good deeds?¡±

    ¡°Of course! Isn¡¯t a man supposed to live while doing good work? After doing a good deed at Steelwall, it feels really rewarding.¡±

    ¡®Has he really gone crazy?¡¯

    Hans¡¯ expression seemed to show his disbelief intensely.

    Thankfully, he didn¡¯t blurt out whatever was on his mind like he had done in the past, but he couldn¡¯t agree that Zich had done a good deed even if his mouth was ripped open.

    ¡®All he did was turn the Count¡¯s residence upside down.¡¯

    Hans couldn¡¯t think as deeply as Trell, but he at least knew that Zich had not done a single good deed; but surprisingly, Zich was sincere. Moreover, Zich had surprisingly acted in good faith.

    ¡®Since Greig was left in a state like that as the next pivotal center of Steelwall, he will be in a state of shock for a while. However, if he gets past the shock and progresses to the next level, he can be an even stronger Count.¡¯

    Greig couldn¡¯tpare to the ultimate genius Zich, but he also had talent. If Zich had just left him alone, Greig would¡¯ve still been a splendid Count, so Zich just sounded like he was giving excuses. But it was different this time.

    ¡®Steelwall can¡¯t go on like this. If Greig grows up well protected, carefully and bit by bit, Steelwall¡¯s future will not change.¡¯

    And ording to what Zich knew, Steelwall would copse into ruins in the near future¡ªvery thoroughly too, where even a servant¡¯s family wouldn¡¯t survive.

    He didn¡¯t know the reason for their fall. He only found out when he asked one of his subordinates to see how Steelwall was doing out of a moment of fickleness. After that, he lost interest because Zich thought the Steelwall family waspletely unrted to him.

    ¡®If Greig falls like that, it will increase the likelihood of the Steelwall family¡¯s copse. But they are already destined to ruin, so...¡¯

    He had already lost all love for that family. Creating an opportunity for them to change was already a tremendous act of kindness.

    ¡°Um, young master.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not young master. Call me Sir Zich from now on.¡±

    Since they left the Count¡¯s residence, there was no need for Hans to call Zich ¡®young master.¡¯

    ¡°Sir Zich, should we prepare before going? Is it really alright for us to go without anything, sir?¡±

    The only things that Zich possessed were a bloody training sword and a luxurious cloth that was ripped into two. Hans only had the clothes that he was wearing. Both of them didn¡¯t even have two coins to rub against each other.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I have something prepared.¡±

    ¡°I-I understand, sir.¡±

    Hans forced out a reply, but his despair seemed to deepen to another level.

    ¡®If he has made preparations, then that means he is really determined!¡¯

    Hans¡¯ hope of returning to the Count¡¯s residence diminished.

    ¡°I am just saying this for extra caution, but don¡¯t even dream of running away. As you saw before, the Steelwall family is a military family. Since I brought you out after winning a duel, they won¡¯t ept you back even if you escape. You could escape elsewhere, but do you think you can live in some other ce after living a protected life in the Count¡¯s residence this entire time?¡±

    Hans tugged his hair. He had to admit that he was inside the palm of Zich¡¯s hands.

    They both walked through the city. In contrast to the stadium that had fallen into panic, it was peaceful outside. However, everyone was staring at them. They were wary after seeing Zich covered in blood with his ripped clothes. But Zich didn¡¯t pay them any attention and continued to walk.

    ¡®This ce is!¡¯

    Previously anxious about his foggy future, Hans opened his eyes wide. They arrived at a temple that was a bit far off from the city center, but it wasn¡¯t just any temple.

    ¡®Isn¡¯t this where the Count and his family¡¯s ancestors are resting?¡¯

    Like Hans thought, this was the public cemetery for the Steelwall family.

    ¡®W-what did wee here for, sir?¡±

    ¡°I thought I should see my mother before I leave.¡±

    Zich¡¯s voice, which had been bright all along, became a bit lower.

    ¡°By your mother, sir, do you mean the previous Countess, sir?¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡±

    Zich went inside the temple.

    ¡°Wee, sir.¡±

    Priests who managed the temple gathered their hands to greet him. They were taken back by the state Zich was in for a moment but recovered immediately.

    ¡°I came to get back what I entrusted.¡±

    The priestmanded the lower-ranking priests around him. After a moment, a lower-ranking priest came back with two huge bags.

    ¡°Here they are.¡±

    Zich hung the small bag around his shoulders andid the other bag down in front of Hans.

    ¡°Carry it.¡±

    ¡°¡­Yes, sir.¡±

    Hans had no choice; he quietly slung the bag over his body. It was quite heavy.

    ¡°I¡¯m going to see my mother for a bit.¡±

    ¡°I understand. Please follow me.¡±

    Zich followed the priest, but he asked for their understanding and changed into clean clothes before he continued.

    The priest guided Zich to the insides of the temple. Tombstones tightly filled the wide, dirt ground from spot to spot, and the priest guided Zich to one of the tombstones. Among the many tombstones, this one looked the newest.

    [Sara Steelwall]

    The inscriptions on the tombstone stated that the owner of the grave was the original owner of the Countess''s seat and was Zich¡¯s birth mother.

    Zich got lost in his sentimentality.

    ¡®I guess she is the one who gave birth to me.¡¯

    Zich had pushed thoughts about his mother to the back of his mind since his regression because he had been upied by other matters such as grasping his immediate situation, understanding his rtionship with the Count, and thinking of ways to screw Steelwall over.

    Zich tried to recollect thoughts about his mother. He didn¡¯t remember well since it happened a long time ago, but after trying harder, he began to recall memories about his mother bit by bit.

    The beautiful memories of his mother who was pitifully pushed away by her husband and filled with worries about her son¡­

    [How can you still not remember this one thing?!]

    Zich was instantly taken out of his memories. No, that wasn¡¯t even a memory.

    ¡®What was that?¡¯

    It felt like he had just opened Pandora''s box; sweat, which he hadn¡¯t even shed in battle, began to wet his back.

    Carefully, Zich tried to recollect memories about his mother again.

    [How are you going to be the Count if you are so weak! What will be your use?!]

    The only things he could remember were the scolding and contempt. Up until this point, it was possible to think that his mother was just strict¡ªalthough she had gone overboard. However, Zich remembered more.

    [What the hell is this?! Didn¡¯t I always tell you to maintain cleanliness in the Count¡¯s residence! Are you ignoring mymands!]

    He recalled the sight of her pointing fingers and nagging servants at a bit of dust left on the window.

    [Can all of you knights learn some manners?!]

    She nagged at the knights for acting rude when they couldn¡¯t help but be a bit rough as the forefront of the kingdom.

    [Are you telling me that I, the Countess, should live with such a low allowance!]

    Zich saw his mother raise her voice at the butler who managed the Count¡¯s household.

    [How could you, a lowly wench who swayed the Count with your beauty alone, act like my equal?!]

    He had seen his mother bully the second wife at that time, Greig¡¯s mother, Florel Steelwall, with lowly tricks.

    [I guess you can¡¯t betray your lowly birth!]

    He recollected the scene of his mother yelling at Greig when he was only a child.

    [Because you ignore me, other people look down on me!]

    His mother seemed to show no mercy even to the Count.

    ¡®¡­Um.¡¯

    Even Zich was surprised by these memories. He ced his hand on his head and tried to organize his thoughts.

    ¡®That¡¯s right. Mother was always that kind of person.¡¯

    The reason why everyone outcasted Zich, including the Count, was because of his mother. Technically, everything that Zich mentioned was what his mother, Sara Steelwall had done; but humans were not creatures who acted only on logic.

    Furthermore, inparison to Sara Steelwall, the second wife, Florel Steelwall was basically an angel. She treated Zich harshly, but that was only because Zich was Sara¡¯s son and Greig¡¯s rival; to everyone else, she was quite caring and kind. That was why everyone leaned in favor of Florel and Greig.

    ¡®Many people must have been relieved that my mother died so early.¡¯

    Maybe it was because of her nasty temper that she died prematurely. Then, Florel Steelwall took her ce as the Countess, and Zich became asting eyesore to the Count.

    ¡°Hey, Hans.¡±

    ¡°Yes, sir!¡±

    ¡°What do you think about my mother?¡±

    ¡°M-madam? Of course she is a good person, sir!¡±

    Hans made a subservient smile, but his shaking pupils seemed to reveal his true feelings.

    ¡®Wait a moment. Wasn¡¯t there a young servant that my mother used to especially torment?¡¯

    The servant was the grandson of the current Countess¡¯s nanny.

    ¡®It was him.¡¯

    The way Zich looked at Hans changed.

    ¡°Hey.¡±

    ¡°Yes!¡±

    ¡°Give me the bag.¡±

    Zich snatched that bag Hans was carrying and took out some items. They were heavy items that Zich had thrown in the bag to screw with Hans. He ced some of these items into his bag and gave the bag back to Hans.

    Zich turned away from Hans¡¯ blinking eyes and stared at an unfamiliar view in front of him: it was where the Steelwall pce was. Zich had no reason to be sorry to the Count¡¯s family. But if he thought about how severe his mother¡¯s actions had been, he couldn¡¯t help but sympathize with them.

    ¡°Um¡­¡±

    Zich scratched his head and thought in his mind what no one in Steelwall could hear.

    ¡®If something happens in the future, I will help.¡¯

    He thought that it wouldn¡¯t be bad to lend a helping hand to the family he had once been part of.

 Chapter 12

    <h4>Chapter 12</h4>

    After finding out the reason for his harsh treatment, Zich began to feel a small amount of guilt and sympathy. However, it ended there.

    ¡®I can¡¯t change what has already happened. Like I thought, I can just help themter.¡¯

    Zich coolly passed on dealing with the aftermath of his doings to the rest of the family and began preparing for his journey. The first thing he had to do was figure out what to pack.

    ¡®Even if I prepare, I can¡¯t get everything I need in Steelwall anyways.¡¯

    But there was nothing to worry about.

    ¡®If I¡¯m missing something, I can buy it on the way.¡¯

    Even if Zich was basically an abandoned child, it didn¡¯t change the fact that he was the first son of the Steelwall family. He had a certain amount of savings and inheritance that he could easily secure. The first thing he did was go to a pawn shop and sell the many gems he possessed. He was able to obtain arge sum from this, and with the money in his pockets, he headed towards the armory shop.

    ¡®As expected of an armory shop in the capital¡ªit¡¯s enormous.¡¯

    A wooden sign with a drawing of a sword and shield shook with the wind. No matter what country or what type of leader they were, they all hated armedmoners. People in power were afraid that armedmoners would point their swords against them. However, the forest was crawling with monsters, and themoners had no choice but to arm themselves.

    Even if they were weak or were unable to fight, they had to request professionals to fight for them. For this reason, armory shops were prolific in the Kingdom.

    ¡®Of course, there is a clear difference in the number and quality of supplies from store to store, but this is true for any goods.¡¯

    Zich opened the store¡¯s door and went in. Numerous weapons and shields hung on the walls, and weapons filled up the showcase from back to back.

    ¡°Wee!¡±

    The store owner enthusiastically weed Zich and Hans inside. Since it wasmon for armory shops to have many rough customers, store owners often acted rough, but this ce seemed to have at least some sort of customer service.

    ¡°Is there an item you are looking for¡­?!¡±

    Zich stopped the store owner who wasing closer and pulled out a sword next to him. The sunlight seeped through the window and sharply reflected off the sword.

    Ting!

    Zich flicked his fingers on the sword a few times.

    ¡®The sound is okay.¡¯

    Then, he tried swinging the sword.

    Swish!

    He made a clean half-circle with the sword. Standing awkwardly in the corner with his shoulders hunched, Hans felt a shiver run down his back.

    ¡®He really is a genius in sword fighting.¡¯

    When Hans saw Zich and Greig fight, he thought Zich¡¯s sword fighting skills were extraordinary.

    But it was even more impressive than what Hans had thought. Even from a distance, Hans could feel the murderous intent from Zich¡¯s sword.

    ¡®The bnce is alright.¡¯

    Zich was satisfied with the sword. Of course, this sword could notpare to the weapons he had when he was the Demon Lord. Quality-wise, this sword was even worse than the one he had brought from Steelwall.

    ¡®This is good enough.¡¯

    Zich decided to buy the sword if it was not too expensive. Then, he put back the sword he took out and dragged Hans to where the short swords were.

    ¡®These are also pretty okay.¡¯

    Zich picked out a suitable short sword and passed it onto Hans after testing it out.

    ¡°Why would you give me this, sir...?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s yours from now on¡­¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°Well, we don¡¯t know what¡¯s going to happen in the future, so it¡¯s good for you to have a weapon. I will be protecting you in general, but we should also prepare for the worst-case scenario.¡±

    ¡°T-Then wouldn¡¯t a different type of sword be better, sir?¡±

    Hans¡¯ eyes shifted over to where the long swords were. From the outside, long swords looked stronger than short swords. Zich let out a chuckle and lightly hit Hans¡¯ back.

    ¡°And will you be able to handle it? Before you pierce your enemies, you''re going to cut your hands. You should be satisfied with this before I give you a club. No, would a club actually be better?¡±

    Hans epted the short sword with no furtherints. A short sword was much better than a club.

    ¡°Sir Zich, what about you?¡±

    ¡°I have this.¡±

    Zich tapped the sword on his waist. Since it was a sword from Steelwall, the quality was better than most swords. After he bought a spare sword and a sword to do menial tasks for himself and Hans, he shifted his attention towards the armor. Like a scarecrow, several pieces of armor hung on a wooden pole. Most of the armor was made out of thick cloth or fur and had wood or metal on the body''s vital areas. Zich whole-heartedlyughed at Hans¡¯ disappointed eyes.

    ¡°I bet you are wondering why there is no te armor¡­and why we are in such a cheap-ass store like this.¡±

    ¡°Wh-what? No, of course not, sir!¡±

    Hans fervently denied Zich¡¯s ims, but his nervous hups betrayed him. The store owner, who had quietly been watching Zich assess the weapons in his store with great expertise, looked at Hans with disappointment. The store owner didn¡¯t look angry, but he also seemed to think that Hans was pathetically na?ve.

    ¡°Even though being armed is a necessity in this world, metal te armor is ridiculously expensive. If a store like this actually sold metal te armor, the owner would be out of his mind.¡±

    The store owner nodded in agreement.

    ¡°Try wearing this first.¡±

    Zich threw leather armor at Hans. The armor was tied with a string in the back and had metal tes on the chest and joint areas to increase defense. Hans grabbed the armor, but he hesitated. As a servant who did house chores, there was no way he knew how to put an armor on.

    ¡°I will put it on for you.¡±

    The store owner offered his help.

    ¡°Memorize the steps.¡±

    Following Zich¡¯s order, Hans opened his eyes wide to remember. He watched the store owner put the armor on him and tried to memorize each step. Since the store owner was experienced, it did not take long for him to finish. Hans looked down at his armored body in fascination.

    Likewise, Zich put on a simr leather armor as Hans. However, unlike Hans, he was skillful at

    putting on the armor. It was fascinating for Hans to watch Zich who was now checking the armor out with different movements.

    ¡°Where did you learn these types of things, Sir Zich?¡±

    ¡°Here and there.¡±

    It was not a satisfactory answer, but Hans could not ask further.

    After making sure that the armor did not inhibit his movements by tightly holding onto his fists for thest time, Zich shouted, ¡°Okay, all set! Give me the check!¡±

    * * *

    After buying basic weaponry, Zich began to prepare for other things he needed on his journey. He packed items such as nkets, flint for outdoor camping, and foods like jerky. After they finished purchasing all the necessary items, Hans and Zich looked like travelers. Then, they went outside the walls that surrounded Steelwall¡¯s capital, Violsa.

    As they went out, Hans and Zich¡¯s expressions directly contrasted each other. Zich was in a good mood and hummed¡ªeven his footsteps were light and easy. On the other hand, Hans¡¯ expression was dark and gloomy.

    ¡°Sir, have you decided on your destination?¡±

    They had no specific ns, and Hans was unable to see his future in this journey, but he wanted to know at least where they were heading.

    ¡°Porti.¡±

    ¡°Isn¡¯t Porti a city in our neighbor¡¯s territory, sir?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. I want to get out of this territory first. So, I¡¯m going to go to the nearest region, which is Porti and see how things go from there. ¡±

    Like before, Zich seemed to be moving without ns, but it wasn¡¯t like he had no ns at all.

    ¡®Should I try to find those guys?¡¯

    Before he regressed, Zich had four retainers. As expected of retainers of the Demon Lord, they were all crazy bastards, but there were a few people Zich considered as hisrades. Before he regressed, they all died earlier to Glen Zenard, but they were all probably alive at this point in time.

    Of course, they were no longer the subordinates he knew.

    ¡®But I still want to check on how they are doing.¡¯

    Moreover, from what Zich knew, his underlings also had their fair share of sufferings and troubles.

    ¡®As I travel around, I will look for them if I remember. And if they are in trouble, I can help them.¡¯

    Hans looked up at the sky. In contrast to what he was feeling, the sky was overwhelmingly bright and blue. It was hard to move his feet forward; it felt like something was grabbing his ankles and not letting go.

    ¡®¡­But I still have to go.¡¯

    Hans did not know what would happen if he slowed down Zich. Contrary to his expectations, Zich was treating him very well. However, this still didn¡¯t mean that Hans feltfortable around Zich. Hans fixed the position of the bag he was holding and followed Zich from behind.

    ¡®At least I should be thankful that our next destination is a city.¡¯

    Although he spent all of his life in Steelwall, even Hans knew about Portia¡ªthat was how famous and bustling the city was. Hans felt reassured to find out their first location and thought that it would be morefortable to go to a famous city than to go to a random, strange who-knows-where ce.

    But only after a half of a day since their departure from Violsa, Hans realized that he had been too na?ve.

    ¡°Sir Z-Zich? Are we straying from the path?¡±

    Hans, who had been quietly following Zich, spoke while trembling after Zich began to stray off.

    ¡°I know.¡±

    But Zich¡¯s footsteps did not stop.

    ¡°Isn¡¯t that not the path, sir?¡±

    ¡°I told you, I know.¡±

    Insecurity began to rise in Hans¡¯ heart slowly. Hans desperately wished that Zich was straying away from the path for a moment to pee or something like that. And like usual wishes that arose in moments of insecurity, it seemed his wish would note true.

    ¡°Is there a reason why we need to follow the path and go around and around? If we go straight like this, we can reach Portia in half the time.¡±

    Listening to him inly, Zich was right. However, as Hans looked at the bright green and densely packed forest, he could not agree with Zich¡¯sments.

    ¡°E-even if the distance is longer, I think it will take a shorter amount of time if we follow the path, sir.¡±

    ¡°What are you talking about? Let¡¯s go.¡±

    And that was all there was from Zich. Hans knew Zich would never listen to him, so like a cow dragged into a ughterhouse, he pulled his body forward.

    * * *

    There were many reasons why people followed a path, but the main reason was safety. If they strayed from the trail, travelers could meet beasts that could kill ordinary people with a single bite and other dangers. However, if someone interviewed a hundred people about what they thought was the most dangerous thing outside of the path, all hundred would say monsters.

    Monsters had strong physical strength; some possessed magical abilities, and a few even had special abilities. They were currently the biggest threat to humanity¡¯s survival.

    On the bright side, humans worked hard to expel monsters from areas where humans normally lived, so there were very few monsters inrgely popted areas. Even Hans had never seen a monster before. Once, he saw a monster from far away when the knights had brought monster corpses to the castle. However, despite all of this, if people strayed even a little bit off the path, they could be attacked by many monsters lurking around.

    So, it waspletely expected when Zich and Hans soon met some monsters.

    ¡°Sir Z-Zich! T-th-there¡­!¡±

    ¡°Stop being so loud. Is this your first time seeing a monster?¡±

    Hans¡¯ legs trembled in shock, while Zich calmly looked on.

    Krrrgh!

    A bright yellow being that almost looked like a patient with its deep yellow eyes yelled ferociously at them.

    ¡°What is that?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s a goblin.¡±

    ¡°A-a goblin, sir?¡±

    Curiosity was part of human nature, and Hans could not help but ask despite his fear.

    The goblin was barely a meter tall. It wore nothing, and its only form of weapon was a wooden stick that was crudely shaped into a bludgeon. To be honest, the goblin didn¡¯t look frightening at all.

    ¡®I-Is it actually not a big deal at all?¡¯

    Even in the heroic novels that Hans read, goblins were not depicted as strong monsters. They merely came out as weak footmen for mighty demons.

    As a result, Hans began to gain confidence.

    ¡®I-I think I might be able to beat a monster of that level.¡¯

    Hans¡¯ hands began to move towards the short sword on his waist.

    ¡°Why, you think you can beat a goblin?¡±

    ¡°Yes? N-no, it is not like that, sir.¡±

    Hans felt overwhelmed whenever he interacted with Zich, so he denied everything Zich said. Zich might say that Hans did not know his ce and scold him again.

    However, Zich gave Hans apletely unexpected response.

    ¡°You want to try fighting him?¡±

    ¡°Me?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, who else but you?¡±

    With Zich¡¯s words, Hans felt his heart beating fiercely from fear and nervousness. Fighting with a goblin was a real-life experience with his life on the line. On the other hand, Hans wanted to try listening to his confidence.

    ¡®It¡¯s just a goblin. Wouldn¡¯t it be alright with Sir Zich? If I want to continue traveling, it will be good for me to gainbat experience early on.¡¯

    And who knew what would happen in the future? Maybe the tale of ¡®The Great Hero Hans¡¯ would begin from this fight.

    Hans¡¯ thoughts were na?ve and childish, but it was also expected from someone who was young and had just left his house.

    ¡°I will try, sir.¡±

    Hans pulled out his sword.

 Chapter 13

    <h4>Chapter 13</h4>

    Of course, Hans'' way of pulling out his sword looked hopelessly awkward, but he prepared his stance. Despite everything, he was a Steelwall servant, and he had heard a thing or two about fighting.

    Urggh!

    The goblin made a threatening re and shook his wooden club.

    ¡®At most, the monster¡¯s weapon is a wooden club.¡¯

    Even though Hans didn¡¯t have much faith in his sword before, it began to feel trustworthy to him. After all, although his sword looked modest, it was made out of fine iron.

    ¡®I can win!¡¯

    Hans didn¡¯t hide the rising confidence on his face and slowly approached the goblin.

    Ehhhhhhhhh!

    The goblin raised a tree branch with all of its strength and ran towards Hans.

    ¡°Huh, huh?¡±

    Hans made a shocked noise. In his head, many scenarios were already ying inside his head: if the goblin attacked him like this, he would respond like that, and so on. But in the end, they were the delusions of a beginner who had never learned sword fighting. As the goblin suddenly ran towards him, all Hans could do was swing his sword around.

    m!

    ¡°Ahhh!¡±

    Both of his arms bounced off with the sword. The center of his body lost its bnce, and his body shook. It was unsightly.

    ¡°Ohh?¡±

    However, Zich looked pleasantly surprised while watching the battle from a distance.

    ¡®Aplete newbie was able to block a monster¡¯s attack.¡¯

    That was already praiseworthy, but what happened next was more notable.

    ¡®He also didn¡¯t let go of his sword.¡¯

    Blood dripped out of Hans¡¯ hand as he gripped his sword. His hands were torn¡ªeven though he was aplete newb, he didn¡¯t let go of his sword even when he received an attack strong enough to tear his hand off.

    ¡®Is he proving that he is from Steelwall after all? Or is it his personal talent?¡¯

    It didn¡¯t matter either way.

    Fling!

    The goblin swung his club again, and Hans was able to avoid it, but his stance broke. He blocked the next attack with his sword.

    ¡®Why is this guy so strong! It¡¯s so fast too!¡¯

    The monster was only a meter tall at most, but each of its strikes carried immense strength. Contrary to Hans¡¯ wishful thoughts, it wasn¡¯t a monster who¡¯d break from the main character¡¯s first touch.

    ¡°Whaaaaaaaa!¡±

    At the extreme threat of danger, Hans¡¯ body moved by itself. Letting out a shock or scream, Hans confronted the goblin again.

    Hans attacked with his gleaming eyes, and the goblin¡¯s club mmed into Hans¡¯ body a couple of times. Hans received many hits, but because of his armor and excitement, he couldn¡¯t feel the pain. Then, before he realized it, Hans¡¯ sword struck the goblin¡¯s head, deep enough for the attack to be fatal.

    The goblin fell with a death cry, and Hans also copsed to the ground.

    ¡®He won?¡¯

    In surprise, Zich stared at Hans who was trembling on the ground.

    ¡®I didn¡¯t think that he would really win.¡¯

    Although a goblin was a weak monster, it was still a monster; Zich didn¡¯t think an ordinary servant, especially one that had grown carefully and well under the Countess¡¯ care, would win.

    Zich wanted Hans to know how dangerous a monster could be and assess Hans¡¯ fighting abilities. He was surprised to see that Hans was more talented in battle than he expected.

    ¡°Well, good job.¡±

    As Hans stared at the ground absent-mindedly, Zich tapped on Hans¡¯ shoulder.

    ¡°Ah, thank y¡­ ah!¡±

    Hans screamed. After his excitement died down, he began to feel pain. Then, over his squirming body, a liquid substance dropped onto him, drip by drip, and his pain began to subside.

    ¡°A potion?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s my special service. This is thest time I am offering it, so don¡¯t expect it again.¡±

    Zich still possessed plenty of potions that he had taken from the Count¡¯s residence, but because potions were unbelievably expensive, Zich didn¡¯t want to waste them.

    Hans¡¯ wounds healedpletely.

    ¡°How do you feel after dealing with a monster for the first time? You don¡¯t believe that you can¡­ at least handle a goblin, right?¡±

    ¡°¡­You knew, sir?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s obvious what a guy like you will think¡ªthat¡¯s why I asked. It¡¯s more important to experience how dangerous a monster is first-hand. You were lucky. Goblins usually travel ingroups, and it¡¯s rare to see one wandering around by itself.¡±

    Zich faced the front.

    ¡°However, it seems like it didn¡¯tpletely fall behind the herd.¡±

    The sound of grass swaying in the wind became a bit rougher. Goblins soon appeared and surrounded Hans and Zich. There were at least ten of them.

    ¡°They used a bait with their cruddy heads?¡±

    The fact that they didn¡¯t seem to care that one of theirpanions had died seemed to show that they were monsters without an ounce of humanity.

    ¡°S-sir Zich? Isn¡¯t this a bit of a dangerous situation?¡±

    Hans trembled since he even struggled to fight one.

    ¡°It¡¯s fine. I¡¯ve prepared enough.¡±

    Zich moved his left hand. The items inside his hand collided against each other and ttered.

    ¡°Isn¡¯t that a stone? What are you¡­?¡±

    Hans couldn¡¯t even finish his question. Zich ced one of the stones in his left hand and secured it on his middle finger with his thumb as if he was going to flick it.

    Swish!

    He stretched out his middle finger and pushed the stone out. It was a childish gesture, but if a person at Zich¡¯s level did it, the result was different. The stone flew out and pierced the center of one of the goblin¡¯s foreheads.

    Push!

    A bright, red flower bloomed. As if a huge hammer struck it, the goblin¡¯s head exploded. Zich continued to flick the stones.

    Swish! Swish!

    Puck! Puck!

    Whenever Zich flicked his finger, a loud sound rang out and a head exploded. It happened instantly. The monsters didn¡¯t even have the chance to respond, escape, or run. It didn¡¯t take long for the group of goblins to be wiped out.

    ¡°¡­What did you do?¡±

    Hans was usually cautious when dealing with Zich, but this time, he felt too shocked to be careful. Without even lifting his feet off the ground, Zich defeated the goblins that Hans had struggled to beat.

    ¡°You saw it. All I did was flick some stones around.¡±

    Zich threw his leftover stones onto the ground.

    ¡°I don¡¯t have a reason to pull out my sword for a goblin. This is enough.¡±

    Hans looked up to Zich with a vague look.

    ¡®I thought he was strong, but he¡¯s at the level to defeat monsters with just stones?¡¯

    Had Zich be stronger in that short amount of time, or was any skilled person able to do this much? But Hans didn¡¯t have more time to think.

    ¡°Get up quickly. Since I poured the potion on you, you can move, right?¡±

    ¡°¡­Yes, sir.¡±

    Hans didn¡¯t want to get up, but he forced himself.

    ¡°Let¡¯s start walking again.¡±

    Zich and Hans began to retread the mountain¡¯s wilderness.

    * * *

    After that, the two met more monsters. Most of the monsters¡¯ heads exploded at the stones that Zich jokingly flicked, and for those that didn¡¯t die against stones, Zich easily cut them apart with his sword. Hans watched the whole scene as he trembled and vowed to never defy Zich ever again.

    After finishing off a couple of roaming orcs, Zich got a clump of grass leaves and wiped the blood off his sword.

    ¡®As expected, quite a lot of monsterse out once you go in this deep.¡¯

    Since these monsters lived deep inside areas where no humans lived, one could say that they were harmless.

    ¡®But can there be a monster that is harmless against humans?¡¯

    There wasn¡¯t a harmless one among monsters; it was preferable to kill off all of the ones in sight.

    ¡®It won¡¯t be much help, but it¡¯s good to weed them out.¡¯

    This was the reason why Zich had left a perfectly good road to walk through the mountain¡¯s wilderness. Another reason was to show Hans how difficult travelling could be, and another one was¡­

    ¡®Well, this will probably be of some help.¡¯

    He helped Steelwall by weeding out many of the monsters roaming around their residence. But Zich had no intention to help them beyond that, and there was no way that those in Steelwall would learn of his deed. This was all for his self-satisfaction; it was to uproot the tiniest seed of guilt that he had in his heart.

    ¡®This is the end. I can help Steelwall ording to their situationter on. Yeah, I promised to be a good person, so I should at least do this much. Didn¡¯t I be too good?¡¯

    If Hans heard Zich¡¯s mind, he might have screamed at the absurdity of Zich¡¯s words.

    Zich continued meeting monsters as he walked through the rough path. It had been a long time since Zich advanced straight without many thoughts. It made him nostalgic about his past, but on the other hand, Hans felt like he was taking his first steps to a never-ending path of suffering.

    Even though his muscles ached, Hans leaned on his ufortable luggage forfort in fear that a monster could pop out any moment. Then, when he saw the road in front of him, Hans felt like bursting into tears; it was over now.

    ¡°The sun is setting. Let¡¯s sleep here today.¡±

    ¡°Yes, sir!¡±

    Hans answered Zich¡¯smand with great enthusiasm. They were still sleeping in the open, but Hans was thrilled that he could at least sleep near a road.

    Hans prepared their sleeping area faster than he would have usually, but he still had many awkward movements. In the end, Zich prepared most of the sleeping area; of course, this was only for now, and Zich nned to make Hans do this task after he became more skilled in it.

    Crack! Crack! Crack!

    Wood pieces locked inside the fiery ze fueled the fire¡¯s mes with their faint sounds. After lighting up the fire, Zich and Hans ate their meals. Inparison to the forest that was covered by thick trees, the area around the road was open. They could see the stars in the night sky.

    ¡°Hey.¡±

    ¡°Yes, yes, sir!¡±

    ¡°Are you tired?¡±

    At Zich¡¯s sudden question, Hans wondered how he should answer. Of course, he was tired, but he thought a fist woulde flying in his direction if he answered honestly.

    ¡°I¡¯m fine, sir.¡±

    ¡°Really? Then, is it alright for us to continue going this way¡­?¡±

    ¡°Actually, it¡¯s a bit tiring, sir!¡±

    Hans shouted out of reflex, and his eyes began to roll. He lowered his neck and flinched as if a punch wasing at his stomach. Zichughed out loud at how funny that was. Hans¡¯ face reddened, but he felt relieved that the mood had not turned violent.

    ¡°You little shit. Don¡¯t worry. We are only going to travel this way until we get out of Steelwall territory.¡±

    ¡°¡­Isn¡¯t it still a long way off from leaving Steelwall, sir?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right. So, we are only going to supply our goods in this town and go back inside the mountain again.¡±

    Hans couldn¡¯t help but worry. Zichughed at how Hans visibly crumbled inside without a sound.

    Clip! Clop!

    Suddenly, they heard horse hooves from afar. Zich and Hans both stared at where the sound came from, and from a distance, a dim light slowly approached them.

    ¡°Who is it during this time? A merchant?¡±

    ¡°No, inparison to the sound of the horses, the carriage is too quiet. If it¡¯s a merchant, the sound of the horse hooves and carriage should be about the same since they carry a heavy load.¡±

    ¡°Then, is it a traveler, sir?¡±

    ¡°No traveler goes around with a horse and carriage.¡±

    ¡°Then, who is it, sir?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s most likely someone of high standing with his or her bodyguards.¡¯

    As Zich said, the people they saw under their firewood lights were obviously from a wealthy background. They were also people dressed in full armor who protected the huge carriage.

    ¡®They are Karuwiman''s Holy Knights.¡¯

    Karuwiman was a powerful religious family. They served the holy god, Karuna, who many royals, nobles, andmoners followed. In short, they were a force one couldn¡¯t make light of.

    ¡®To think it was someone who the Karuwiman Holy Knights were guarding.¡¯

    Indeed, they were not just anyone. The Holy Knights and the carriage continued to head where Zich and Hans were and stopped in front of them.

    Neigh!

    The horses snorted. Nervous about the scale and power of the Holy Knights, Hans trembled, and Zich got up.

    ¡®I don¡¯t think they are nning to fight.¡¯

    Karuwiman was a religious family. Of course, that didn¡¯t mean that they had zero rotten apples, but they didn¡¯t go around spreading evil. However, Zich¡¯s rtionship with them wasn¡¯t good. No, before he regressed, Zich had fought with them with his life on the line.

    He naturally felt wary of them.

    ¡®That woman was also a part of Karuwiman.¡¯

    She wasn¡¯t just part of it¡ªshe was also their saint. As one of the hero¡¯s party members, she could give an incredible blessing to her party members so that they could max out their abilities. She could also heal them, making one confused whether herpanions were zombies or humans.

    ¡®Now that I think about it, how are they all doing right now?¡¯

    Zich was lost in thought for a moment when¡ª

    ck!

    A person opened the carriage¡¯s doors and got off. Seeing how the Holy Knights heightened their defense, the person seemed to have been the one they were protecting. Zich looked at the person with interest, and his eyes widened.

    She was one of those people Zich could never forget.

    ¡®The female saint?¡¯

    The person Zich just thought of and had been a central figure in his final death was standing right in front of him.

 Chapter 14

    <h4>Chapter 14</h4>

    Zich¡¯s hands unconsciously reached over his sword¡¯s pommel and stopped.

    ¡®Stay calm. She is not my enemy, at least right now.¡¯

    Zich had fought the Saint before he regressed, but this was their first meeting. However, because the memories of what happened before his regression were still so fresh, Zich couldn¡¯t erase the difort he felt inside his heart.

    The Holy Knight closest to her said in a worried voice, ¡°Lady Lube. You don¡¯t have to get out personally.¡±

    However, Aine Lube shook her head.

    ¡°We are the ones who have to ask them a favor. It¡¯s only right that I, the representative of thispany, have toe forward.¡±

    ¡°But we don¡¯t even know the statuses of these men.¡±

    ¡°Karuna¡¯s benevolence doesn¡¯t discern between ranks and status.¡±

    As if she was giving a lecture, Lube talked strictly and smiled again.

    ¡°Furthermore, aren¡¯t all of you going to protect me?¡±

    At her words, all the Holy Knights seemed touched and overwhelmed by emotions, but that also made the Holy Knights more protective over her.

    ¡°Stop this. You all have lost. Let her do what she wants.¡±

    A strong, low voice seeped out of the carriage. Then, another person came out of the carriage after the Saint.

    ¡®That guy is!¡¯

    Zich had let down his guard after hearing the conversation between the Saint and her knights, but after seeing this man, Zich heightened his alertness to the maximum in an instant. The man was also someone who Zich knew.

    With amiable eyes, silver hair, and a beard, he was a kind-looking old man who looked like he had lived a peaceful life. However, he was definitely not the chuckling, next-door grandpa type like his external appearance suggested. He had numerous nicknames such as Karuna¡¯s Sword, the idol of all Holy Knights, Guardian of the Divinity, and so on, but to Zich, he was more familiar with the man¡¯s other nickname.

    ¡®Tasnia¡¯s Killing Machine!¡¯

    Before Zich was called the Demon Lord, there was arge group of people called the ¡®Demon People.¡¯ Demon People did whatever they felt like, refused to abide by their countries¡¯ rules, brought chaos to the world, and generally inconvenienced others with their careless attitudes. Before he was called the Demon Lord, Zich had also been a part of those ¡®Demon People.¡¯

    However, as these Demon People collided with each other or were removed by an outside force, their numbers decreased. Those who slowly built their strength among them and survivedter gained the title of the Demon Lord; and before a Hero Party eradicated them, they reigned with fear.

    In that time of chaos, this old man minced many Demon People. Currently, he was standing in front of Zich right now and wasughing, ¡®Ho ho!¡¯ Many evildoers and Demon People died under his hands, but the old man was most known for the incident that gave him the title, ¡®Tasnia¡¯s Killing Machine.¡¯

    ¡®On the Tasnia ins, he killed six Demon People and their followers in one swing.¡¯

    During the time that the story spread, Demon People had run so rampant that people called the period, ¡®The Demon People Age.¡¯ Of course, because the ¡®Tasnia ins Incident¡¯ had happened at the beginning of this age, the Demon People wereparatively weak. But they were still called the Demon People, and it was shocking that the old man managed to not only kill the six Demon People but also their followers in one swing.

    ¡®Killing Machine¡ªI didn¡¯t know who came up with that nickname, but it¡¯s a good one.¡¯

    It might be a chilling nickname for someone serving a god, but for those who were against Karuwiman, they thought there wasn¡¯t a better fitting nickname.

    ¡®In my current state, I probably won¡¯t even be able to give him a single scratch.¡¯

    Although Zich was getting stronger at an exponentially fast pace, he had regressed only recently.

    As if they were done talking, the Saint and the Killing Machine approached Zich.

    ¡®Damn it! Their energies are off the charts!¡¯

    One of them was the Killing Machine, who Zich had no chance of sticking a single tooth in, and the other was the Zombie Maker, who could erase all traces even if she was bitten. Of course, like how Zich was weak at the moment, Lube probably couldn¡¯t use her incredible blessing as she did before the regression. But even now, it was enough to make Zich¡¯s heart beat.

    ¡°How are you doing?¡±

    ¡°Good, what about you?¡±

    However, Zich had also gone through his fair share of messes. He was in shock for only a moment and instantly regained hisposure to respond to the Saint with a gentle greeting.

    ¡°Excuse us at such ate time. I am the servant of Karuna, Aine Lube.¡±

    ¡®Is she not a Saint yet?¡¯

    From what he knew, he had heard that the Saint¡¯s middle name was Primel. When Zich first met her¡ªno, fought her, her full name was ¡®Aine Primel Lube.¡¯

    ¡®She must still be a Saint candidate.¡¯

    Zich knew that Karuwiman elected several Saint candidates and awarded one of them with the title of Saint. Seeing that she didn''t mention her middle name, Primal, it seemed that she wasn¡¯t the Saint yet.

    After Lube finished her self-introduction, the Killing Machine came forward. His benign smile was like that of a predator, wearing the skins of an herbivore and growling deceitfully.

    ¡°I am Karuna¡¯s humble servant and swordsman, Belri Weig. And the men over there are swordsmen like me who serve Karuna.¡±

    The Holy Knights nodded slightly at Zich.

    ¡°I am Zich.¡±

    Zich threw away his Steelwallst name, and he felt hesitant to use the name, Moore, which he had used as the Demon Lord. Since he was nning to live a kind life, he didn¡¯t add ast name, and both Lube and Weig didn¡¯t point out the matter either. They weren¡¯t that interested in Zich.

    ¡®Anyways, I didn¡¯t think that I would be greeting them like this.¡¯

    It was one of the exciting things about regressing. He didn¡¯t know what would happen in the future, but at least for now, Zich and the two were meeting inpletely different circumstances than they had before Zich regressed.

    ¡®Since I swore to live a kind life, this might be good.¡¯

    ¡°Hey, you should also greet¡­¡±

    Zich turned towards Hans and stopped.

    ¡®This is a surprise.¡¯

    Hans¡¯ eyes were staring at Lube, and his face was ridiculous. He didn¡¯t blink, and his pupils were at a standstill; and in his gaping mouth, it looked like saliva was going to drip out at any moment.

    ¡®Well, I guess it¡¯s understandable¡­?¡¯

    The Saint was unrealistically beautiful.

    ¡®Now that I think about it, including that Glen Zenard guy, everyone in the Hero Party was beautiful and handsome. It was as if they picked their party members by their looks.¡¯

    Of course, that couldn¡¯t have been the case since Glen Zenard¡¯spanions also had skills that matched them.

    ¡®It¡¯s not like they are ying dollhouse.¡¯

    Zich tilted his head and focused his attention on Hans again.

    ¡®I should take care of him first.¡¯

    Hans was still staring at Lube. Thankfully, she was smiling, looking slightly embarrassed, while everyone else, including Weig, seemed like they understood and were used to it. But Zich couldn¡¯t just let it be. Although they understood, it didn¡¯t mean that they thought well of this situation. Actually, some knights were starting to look ufortable.

    ¡°Gather your senses!¡±

    Punch!

    ¡°Ah!¡±

    After getting hit on the back of his head, Hans gathered his hands around his head and crouched.

    ¡°This guy¡¯s name is Hans. He is my servant.¡±

    ¡°I-I see.¡±

    With a worried look on her face, Lube looked at Hans squirming in pain.

    ¡°Anyways, what did youe here for?¡±

    ¡°Ah, we are also nning to stay the night and camp around here. We wanted to ask for your understanding.¡±

    The ce where Zich and Hans were camping was a wide open area. Unlike the other areas that were filled to the brim with trees, the area they were in only had a bit of weed. It felt like a ce where people usually camped with the traces of an extinguished bonfire and trash.

    ¡®Did theye out in person to say that? A person who is the Saint candidate?¡¯

    Zich was impressed. No, he was beyond impressed and couldn¡¯t understand. It almost seemed like she wasn¡¯t human like him.

    ¡®I guess this is what they mean by a kind person.¡¯

    Zich couldn¡¯t imagine himself doing something like this.

    ¡°Of course.¡±

    Zich nodded.

    * * *

    The people from Karuwiman prepared to camp for the night instantly. With the carriage that Lube would sleep in, a huge tent was set up.

    ¡°What are you staring at?¡±

    ¡°Y-yes, sir?¡±

    Hans looked as if he was caught stealing a treasure. His gaze hadn¡¯t left the carriage for some time.

    ¡°Wake up!¡±

    ¡°Yes sir!¡±

    ¡®He is only good at answering.¡¯

    Hans¡¯ actions didn¡¯t follow his answer, and Zich shrugged his shoulders when he saw Hans¡¯ eyes edge towards the carriage once again.

    ¡®If I drag him around so that he will be too tired to think of useless thoughts, he will gather his senses.¡¯

    And it was also very easy to make Hans tired. Zich smiled wide with his teeth showing as he looked at Hans. But unfortunately, Hans didn¡¯t see what Zich was doing and couldn¡¯t predict the hell that he would soon jump into.

    ¡®But this is fate. Now that I have the chance, should I ask about that?¡¯

    Zich suddenly thought and walked towards Karuwiman. Hans got up to follow him, but Zich blocked Hans with his hands, so Hans slumped down to the ground.

    "What is the matter?"

    A Holy Knight on guard blocked Zich''s path.

    "Can I talk to the Sa¡ªno, with Lady Lube, sir? I have something to ask her."

    Seeing the knight''s annoyed expression, it didn''t seem like he would let Zich pass.

    ''Well, I have nothing to really lose from this.''

    Zich also had no thoughts to keep pushing if they denied his entry.

    "I''m sorry, but you can''t¡ª"

    "It''s alright."

    This surprised the Holy Knight, as well as Zich who was about to walk away. Lube popped her head out from the carriage.

    "Pleasee in."

    As she smiled warmly and even gestured towards Zich, the Holy Knight could not help but protest.

    "But Lady Lube!"

    "I have a duty to listen to as many people as I can. Isn¡¯t the purpose of this journey for me to gain a lot of experience?"

    "He might be dangerous!"

    "Sir Weig is next to me. And I also have all of you. With this, my protection is more than enough."

    ''True. Having Tasnia''s Killing Machine as a bodyguard is more than enough.''

    The Holy Knight looked conflicted by Lube''s firm resolve, but Weig agreed with Lube as he was watching from the carriage.

    "It''s alright. I will be next to Lady Lube."

    "...Yes, sir."

    The Holy Knight let Zich pass. However, the knight did not hide his disapproval; he looked at Zich as if Zich had caused an unnecessary interruption. But Zich did not pay any attention to the knight and Lube led him inside the carriage.

    The inside of the carriage was clean. There were some religious decorations, but they weren''t extravagant. Zich sat opposite Lube. Weig followed behind Zich, took his seat next to Lube, and they both looked at Zich.

    "You have something you want to ask me?"

    "Yes. Lady Lube, I think you are probably the best person to ask."

    "What is it?"

    "What should I do to live a kind life?"

    "What?"

 Chapter 15

    <h4>Chapter 15</h4>

    ¡°How to live a kind life?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    Lube blinked her eyes. She didn¡¯t expect him to ask such a question. Even Weig looked at Zich with curiosity. In his own way, Zich was really serious.

    ¡®Even if I want to live a kind life, I don¡¯t know the first thing about being kind. When I hit and destroy things, I don¡¯t have to think about anything, so it is convenient.¡¯

    For most of his life, Zich lived however he wanted. Even if he wanted to ¡®live a kind life,¡¯ he couldn¡¯t think of ways to achieve that goal. So far, he acted ording to whatever random ideas popped up in his mind, but he wasn¡¯t sure if his actions were really along the lines of ¡®living kindly.¡¯

    ¡®This woman might be able to at least tell me where I can start.¡¯

    Before Zich regressed, she had been a Saint. Even though she was not a Saint right now, being selected as a candidate for Karuwiman¡¯s Saint position was a daunting task. From a young age, she must have possessed the main qualification of the Saint, which was kindness¡ªa quality that Zich thought was not so different from stupidity.

    ¡°Hmm, so about that¡­¡±

    Lube did not know how to answer. To live a kind life¡ªthe question was too broad to give a thorough answer.

    ¡°Before I answer, can you tell me why you are asking me this question?¡±

    ¡°Someone suggested that I should try living a kind life for once. But I once lived a pretty rough life, so it¡¯s hard for me to grasp what exactly I should do.¡±

    Zich indirectly confessed that he had lived a bad life. However, Lube praised him instead of rebuking him.

    ¡°That¡¯s really impressive. It must have been a challenge to try to change your trajectory in life.¡±

    As a characteristic among kind people, she tended to think positively about everything.

    ¡°There are many ways to live a kind life. Is there something that you are good at?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m good at destroying things.¡±

    ¡°I-is that so?¡±

    Seeing how Lube was taken back, Weig quietlyughed. They could perceive Zich¡¯s character from his few words.

    ¡°So, am I right to assume that you are proficient in tasks that utilize your physical strength?¡±

    ¡°Yes, you can say it like that.¡±

    ¡°Then what about helping people who are in need?¡±

    ¡°People who are in need?¡±

    ¡°Yes. There are many different ways to be kind. But fundamentally, I think a kind act is an act that gives happiness to another person, no matter how small or big it is.¡±

    ¡°An act that gives happiness to another person¡­¡±

    It was an area that Zich had no experience in¡ªno, a lot of contrasting experience in. Although Zich had made many people cry tears of blood, he had never made another individual happy.

    ¡°Since you said you are good at tasks that involve physical strength, why don¡¯t you help people in that way?¡±

    ¡°So, I just have to help people who are in need?¡±

    ¡°Yes. If you start doing that, won¡¯t you be able to slowly grasp the concept of kind acts?¡±

    Zich nodded his head.

    ¡°Thank you for your advice.¡±

    ¡°No, I am happy that I could be of help to someone who is trying to change their life. I will pray for your blessing to Karuna.¡±

    Receiving a blessing in the name of Karuna sent chills down Zich¡¯s back. However, he didn¡¯t show this at all and received Lube¡¯s blessing while constantly repeating in his mind that he was no longer an enemy of Karuwiman.

    Zich stepped down from the carriage and returned to t ground.

    ¡°For what reason did you go up there, sir?¡±

    With curiosity in his eyes, Hans looked up at Zich. He seemed to still have a lot of interest in Lube.

    ¡°Nothing much. I just asked how I can live a kind life.¡±

    ¡°How to live a kind life, sir?¡±

    ¡®Wait, was that crazy statement for real?¡¯

    Hans had definitely heard Zich say that before they left Steelwall, but it was so nonsensical that Hans had long since erased it from his mind.

    ¡°Why, are you so surprised?¡±

    ¡°I-I¡¯m not surprised, sir!¡±

    Even though he was obviously lying, Hans fervently denied it. He could not say that he was surprised because it didn¡¯t fit Zich at all.

    ¡°Why, does it not fit me?¡±

    ¡°O-of course not, sir.¡±

    Hans¡¯ mouth began to feel parched. He nced at Zich¡¯s face. However, contrary to his expectation, Zich¡¯s mood seemed alright. Zich moved the firewood around and began humming after starting a fire.

    Hans felt relieved that Zich was probably not going to hit him; feeling that the atmosphere was cordial, Hans asked Zich another question.

    ¡°What did she say to you, sir?¡±

    ¡°She told me to help people in need. After I told her I was good at destroying things, she told me that it would be good for me to help people by using my physical strength.¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    It was a perfect fit for someone like Zich. Even though Hans had spent more years with the Zich who couldn¡¯t even speak back to a servant and desperately sought for his father¡¯s love, the recent Zich had made such a significant impact on Hans that he could only remember Zich as he was now¡ªa dictator who tried to solve all problems with power and violence.

    ¡®Well, maybe things will get better since Sir Zich received advice from the holydy, and it really does seem like he wants to perform kind acts.¡¯

    But even while he thought this, Hans could not help but look at Zich with suspicion.

    * * *

    Karuwiman¡¯s Saint was the poster child for the family. For that reason, the process of being a Saint wasplicated and lengthy, and one of the steps was to do what Lube was going through right now such as: traveling around the world and listening to the views and thoughts of a diverse group of people.

    ¡°Let¡¯s start.¡±

    Once again, Lube started the carriage after listening,forting, and blessing arge number of people in a vige.

    ¡°Are you tired?¡±

    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m a bit tired.¡±

    At Weig¡¯s question, Lube gave a strained smile. However, as if she was bringing out thest bit of her remaining energy, she raised her two fists.

    ¡°But as Karuna¡¯s follower, I have to obey Karuna¡¯s teachings and always try to do my best. Even though I can¡¯t do much for people, I can at leastfort them. My tiredness is a trivial matter.¡±

    ¡°You will also have a higher chance of being selected as the Saint.¡±

    ¡°Sir Weig.¡±

    Weigughed at Lube¡¯s rebuking tone.

    ¡°Fufufu, it seems that as I get older, I be less thoughtful.¡±

    ¡°Stop teasing me.¡±

    ¡°I apologize.¡±

    Weig lowered his head with great formality.

    ¡°But it is true that you will have a higher chance of being selected.¡±

    ¡°I am not doing this because I want to be a Saint!¡±

    ¡°And that type of attitude makes you more suitable for the Saint role.¡±

    Lube could not beat Weig in a conversation since the man had gone through all sorts of adversities and knew how to be cunning. Lube pouted and turned her head away.

    ¡®She is still young.¡¯

    Her emotions were clearly visible. He could not criticize her for it since she had lived inside a small bubble all her life. Thus, this trip was necessary for her to gain experience and fix her na?ve attitude.

    ¡®Butpared to the other candidates, she definitely fits the Saint role the most.¡¯

    Even as a Saint candidate, it did not mean that everyone was dutiful and kind like Lube. For example, there were some people who made Weig wonder how the hell they passed the test. Compared to them, Lube was basically an angel. But she also had some ws.

    ¡®She doesn¡¯t have tenacity.¡¯

    ¡°After this trip is over, you will be returning to the Church again.¡±

    Weig said this out loud to test Lube. He clicked his tongue after seeing Lube¡¯s expression darken.

    ¡°I¡¯m repeating this again, Lady Lube, but it¡¯s not enough to just be patient and nice. As followers of Karuwiman, not only do we have tofort people, but we also must protect them. So, we must have strong hearts.¡±

    ¡°¡­I know.¡±

    Lube heard this many times before, and she nodded to show that she understood. However, her voice was tiny.

    ¡®It¡¯s not easy.¡¯

    Physical abilities could be strengthened by training like mad, but mental fortitude was much moreplicated. Speaking further about this topic only served to stress Lube, so Weig switched to another topic.

    ¡°Now that I think about it, I¡¯m wondering if our friend is doing well.¡±

    ¡°Our friend?¡±

    ¡°You know, that young man who asked you to teach him how to be kind.¡±

    ¡°Ah!¡±

    Memories flooded back to Lube. It was not an old memory, so it was easy for her to remember.

    ¡°I was really surprised then. I didn¡¯t expect someone to ask a question like that.¡±

    ¡°Yes, but it seemed like it was important for that young man.¡±

    As the Holy Knights strictly protected Lube, a person needed a lot of courage to even ask to meet her.

    ¡°I also think so. His eyes were very serious when he asked me. I want to find out if my advice was helpful to him and how he is working towards his goal.¡±

    Lube quietly prayed to herself that he would find light in his path.

    * * *

    The followers of Karuwiman arrived in therge city. They first secured a ce to stay, and since they were in a big city, they visited a shrine for Karuwiman. But as Lube was in the process of traveling around the world as a Saint candidate, they could not use the shrine for their own means and Lube went out of her lodging with a couple of Holy Knights. Even in the city, she had to see how people lived firsthand and interact with them.

    However, Weig, her closest bodyguard, was nowhere to be found. Weig had received an order from the Church, so he was absent for a bit.

    ¡°Let¡¯s try going over there.¡±

    Lube pointed to a dark alley with a few people. From a nce, it looked dangerous, so the Holy Knights had conflicted expressions on their faces. However, no one could stop her since this journey''s purpose was for Lube to see even the lowest points of what this world had to offer.

    The Holy Knights hoped that nothing eventful would happen. However, contrary to their wishes, menacing cries came out of the alley.

    ¡°P-please save me!¡±

    ¡°I told you that I will spare your life if you just give me the item! Why can¡¯t you listen!¡±

    Punch! Punch!

    ¡°Agh! Arghh!¡±

    Fearful cries, threatening voices, and the sound of hard fists hitting flesh echoed down the alley. It was easy to understand the situation.

    Without hesitation, Lube and the Holy Knights hurried to the alleyway.

    ¡°Stop!¡±

    The first Holy Knight to arrive shouted in the direction of the cries. At once, the punching sound ceased. Lube arrived a littleter and began to assess the situation. The first thing she saw was a person copsed on the floor. Seeing that the person¡¯s face was puffy in different areas and blood was flowing out from his lips and nose, it was apparent that he was hit many times. With tears in his eyes, the man looked at Lube and the Holy Knight as if they were his saviors.

    Then, Lube shifted her eyes towards the offenders. There were four of them. Seeing their ungainly appearance and manners, they looked like gangsters or thugs. The offenders seemed to be taken back by Lube and the Holy Knight¡¯s appearance¡ªall except for one person.

    ¡°Oh? Is it not Lady Lube and the Holy Knights? What sort of business brings all of you here?¡±

    ¡°You¡­!¡±

    Lube was shocked. The person who was leading this violent attack¡ªwas Zich!

    ¡°I didn''t think that we would be reunited this soon. Can I ask you what reason made youe here in such a hurry?¡±

    ¡°What reason?¡±

    At Zich¡¯s shameless attitude, Lube was left speechless. But she soon regained herposure and screamed, ¡°So that I can help save people obviously! I should be asking what you are doing! Did you not tell me that you wanted to live kindly? Then what are you doing right now!¡±

    It had really been a long time since Lube was so angry, but Zich tilted his head as if he could not understand why, and that angered her.

    ¡°But I¡¯m acting ording to your advice?¡±

    ¡°In what way are you following my advice!¡±

    ¡°You told me to give my services to people who need help.¡±

    Zich pointed at the three thugs behind him.

    ¡°That''s why I¡¯m helping people who need my help.¡±

    ¡®I-I told him to help people who are in need, so he is helping thugs?¡¯

    Again, Lube was left speechless by Zich¡¯s outrageous, almost ingenious, interpretation of her words.

 Chapter 16

    <h4>Chapter 16</h4>

    ¡°How can you think like that?¡±

    It waste; the candle¡¯s dreamy lights lit up the room and chased away the darkness that was trying to settle down. Two people sat in the center of the room where there was a worn-out table and stains spotted the floor¡¯s surface. It was Zich and Lube.

    The situation was like this: after Lube chased the thugs away, healed the victim, and checked his identity, she brought Zich to her lodging. Criticism was apparent on Lube¡¯s face, but Zich looked calm.

    ¡°What do you mean?¡±

    ¡°I told you to help those who were in need. Who could take that to mean helping gangsters!¡±

    Some of the Holy Knights protecting Lube in the room also looked stunned.

    ¡°Didn¡¯t you just tell me to help those in need without adding any other conditions? Those guys looked like they were having some serious difficulties.¡±

    ¡°But it¡¯smon sense!¡±

    ¡°I asked you for advice because I don¡¯t have thatmon sense though?¡±

    Lube was at a loss for words at Zich¡¯s response and grabbed her head. As someone who had spent most of her life in church, this was her first time experiencing something like this.

    ¡®No, this isn¡¯t because of myck of experience.¡¯

    Even a person with a lot of experience would have probably never met a person like Zich.

    ¡®If I consider that, even this is an incredible experience to have.¡¯

    If she didn¡¯t at least think this way, Lube felt like her head would have cracked.

    ¡°Please continue to try to help the weak.¡±

    ¡°You are sneakily changing the conditions a bit.¡±

    ¡°And who do you think is the cause for that?¡±

    Lube red at Zich. All kinds of thoughts of how she should settle the matter with Zich shed across her mind. Then, she got up from her seat.

    ¡°Well, for now, let¡¯s apologize to the victim tomorrow.¡±

    ¡°To whom?¡±

    ¡°The person you hit.¡±

    ¡°I already said this before, but I just did what you told me to do¡­¡±

    At Lube¡¯s ring, Zich shrugged.

    ¡°I will apologize.¡±

    * * *

    ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡±

    Briand Sude graciously epted Lube and Zich¡¯s apology. Thanks to Lube¡¯s treatment, he had a happy-go-lucky smile and looked very easy¡ªno, nice. Zich made a satisfied smile and nodded. Then, he looked towards Lube.

    ¡°He says it¡¯s fine.¡±

    ¡°¡­Please apologize to him sincerely.¡±

    ¡°I am really fine.¡±

    With Sude¡¯s words, Zich raised his chin even higher. Lube wanted to say more, but she gave up because she thought nothing would go through Zich.

    ¡°I am sorry. In ce of him, I apologize.¡±

    ¡°No, it¡¯s really fine. Furthermore, it¡¯s not like you, Lady Lube, did anything wrong.¡±

    ¡°I am the one who gave him the suggestion. I share some me too.¡±

    Of course, Lube had not given him the wrong advice. Who would have thought someone could so inurately interpret her words like that? But Lube still thought she had some responsibility about the matter.

    ¡°You really are kind, Lady. As expected of someone from Karuwiman.¡±

    ¡°No, I am stillcking.¡±

    But as if she liked thepliment that Karuwiman got, a small smile curved up her lips.

    ¡°But what happened? What did the thugs hit you in the alleyway for?¡±

    Lube looked from Zich to Sude in search of the truth. The one who answered first was Zich.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know exactly. The thugs said that he had an important item. They said that they just needed to take that.¡±

    ¡°What was it?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡±

    ¡°You didn¡¯t know what you had to take, but you beat up a person?¡±

    ¡°The important part was to take the item. What the item was didn¡¯t matter.¡±

    ¡°Are you really a gangster or a person like that?¡±

    ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you that I lived a rough life?¡±

    As if he had coated his face with metal, Zich¡¯s expression didn¡¯t change at all. It was at a point where even Hans, who came with him, sighed.

    ¡®Anyhow, what does he mean by a rough life? Didn¡¯t Sir Zich live a quiet life until recently?¡¯

    But Hans recalled the environment Zich grew up in.

    ¡®Well, if I consider the Steelwall and Zich¡¯s situation, I guess you could say that he lived a harsh life.¡¯

    Suddenly, Hans felt a bit regretful for his past behavior. If he had maintained even the most basic etiquette, Zich wouldn¡¯t have forcefully dragged him out of the Count¡¯s residence, and he wouldn¡¯t have to suffer like this.

    Since it felt like she couldn¡¯t gain any more useful information from Zich, Lube turned her attention towards Sude again.

    ¡°Can we know more? Of course, it may be hard to reveal everything to us, but we could help you with your situation.¡±

    Lube quietly and carefully convinced him, but Sude hesitated. He looked as if he was wondering if he should tell or not.

    ¡°¡­First of all, I don¡¯t have an important item like he mentioned,¡± Sude said while pointing at Zich.

    ¡°You don¡¯t have the item?¡±

    ¡°Yes, they just made that up to harass me for no reason.¡±

    ¡°It was only to harass you?¡±

    ¡°Yes, but they did have a purpose.¡±

    Sude slowly looked around his surroundings. Following his gaze, everyone in the room twisted their neck in all directions. The ce they were all in was a shop. It looked like the shop sold clothes as rolled-up fabrics filled the shelves and walls. However, if anyone asked a hundred people if the shop looked good, all hundred would answer: ¡®No, it doesn¡¯t.¡¯

    The wooden building sloped down like it was going to break down at any moment. A spider web hung in the corner of the room, disy stands were spotted with stains that looked like they couldn¡¯t be erased no matter how much one rubbed against it, and the shop¡¯s rusty floor made onlookers feel gloomy.

    ¡°It¡¯s a worn-out shop, right?¡±

    Sude pointed it out. Lube shook her head firmly.

    ¡°No, it is a great shop. We can¡¯t just judge something based on its exterior.¡±

    ¡°I am thankful that you say that. Like Lady Lube says, this is a special ce to us. Since our grandfather¡¯s time, we were able to survive thanks to the shop. But besides what Lady Lube and I think, it doesn¡¯t have a very inviting exterior,¡± Sude said in a bit of a self-mocking tone.

    ¡°It has somehow be so deplorable. Although the shop is very precious to us, if you look at it objectively, it doesn¡¯t have much worth. No, it used to be like that.¡±

    ¡°What is different about it now?¡±

    ¡°A lot of it is different. Did you take a look at the shop¡¯s surroundings when you came here?¡±

    ¡°Yes, most ces were getting reconstructed.¡±

    ¡°It had been recently decided that this area would turn into a business zone. I don¡¯t know if I am lucky or not, but my shop is included inside the zone.¡±

    Porti was a colossal business city. Using its strategic background, the city had amassed great wealth and gained autonomous control over a specific region from the state. As expected, business was the most important thing to Porti. The reason why they chose a new business zone was also for that reason.

    ¡°Are they trying to take your shop?¡¯

    At Lube¡¯s question, Sude made a heavy nod.

    ¡°Since some time ago, they have been asking me to hand my shop over to them. Of course, I don¡¯t have the slightest bit of interest in letting this ce go in the memory of my grandfather and father¡­¡±

    ¡°The harassment must have started then.¡±

    Sude didn¡¯t answer, but everyone knew what his silence meant.

    ¡°Who are they?¡±

    ¡°They are the Siren Corporation. They are the group making the new shops next to my shop. From what I know, they are nning to make a huge store that¡¯s big enough to include mine.¡±

    ¡°Does it mean that they have decided to steal the shop from you?¡± Lube¡¯s voice was mixed with distress, ¡°Have you requested help from the Magistrate?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s no use. He is part of them. The head of the Siren Corporation is offering bribes to the Mayor, and not only that, but he is also the younger brother of one the Mayor¡¯s associates.¡±

    ¡°In fact, there aren¡¯t any good rumors about the city¡¯s mayor.¡±

    One of the Holy Knights exined further to Lube, and Lube¡¯s distress peaked.

    ¡°¡­I will try meeting with the Mayor tomorrow.¡±

    ¡°Sorry?¡±

    ¡°Thank goodness there¡¯s a way for me to atone for my sins.¡±

    As Sude looked at her with bewildered eyes, Lube made a reassuring smile.

    ¡°Lady Lube, for caution¡¯s sake¡­¡±

    ¡°I know. Even if we are Karuwiman, we shouldn¡¯t try to get involved in politics.¡±

    Lube nodded in response to the Holy Knight¡¯s careful words. Although Karuwiman was a religion that had considerable influence on many people, it ended there. Even the royals and aristocrats who bowed their heads in delight to receive Karuna¡¯s blessing from her would forget their smiles, pour out murderous intent, and antagonize her if she tried to intrude upon their interests.

    ¡®Even if I can¡¯t outrightly harm them, I can keep them in check.¡¯

    But if the worst happened, it could backfire on Karuwiman.

    ¡°If we try to intrude in every little matter, we could lose our ability to use Karuwiman¡¯s name. What will happen if others try to hold Karuwiman in check? But if we hold onto our faith and help the weak, people will continue to love us.¡±

    Even with the danger of outside influences, the way the group acted throughout the decades was the reason why Karuwiman was so loved today. The Holy Knights nodded. They didn¡¯t mean to cover up this incident and pass it over, but they also wanted to give a word of advice to Lube who they served.

    Sude stopped them with a difficult expression.

    ¡°You don¡¯t have to go that far¡­¡±

    ¡°This doesn¡¯t only involve you. As a person from Karuwiman, I can''t just ignore injustice and stand by. Don¡¯t worry. I will make sure that no harm will befall you as a result.¡±

    ¡°¡­You really are a virtuous and noble person. I will pray for your future to be endowed with an evesting blessing.¡±

    Sude bowed deeply and thanked her. Zich stared at Lube bowing deeply to receive his thanks. On the other hand, Zich was as shameless as ever. He even yawned as if the conversation bored him.

    ¡°What is it?¡±

    ¡°¡­Haaa! Since it¡¯s also my fault that I gave you the wrong advice and Mr. Sude also said that he forgives you, I think we should settle this matter here. Especially since you don¡¯t seem to be lying that you want to ¡®live a kind life.¡¯ But I hope that you will think twice before you use violence and think about if that is really a kind action.¡±

    ¡°I understand.¡±

    ¡°Also, please don¡¯t forget the other piece of advice I gave you.¡±

    ¡°You mean the one to ¡®help the weak?¡¯ I don¡¯t really like the advice, though.¡± Zich shrugged his shoulders. ¡°Well, since it¡¯s what Lady Lube said, I understand.¡±

    ¡°Thank you.¡±

    After finishing her conversation with Zich, Lube gave her farewells to the two again and left the shop.

    ¡°Um, I am sorry.¡±

    Maybe it was because Lube had told him to help the weak, but after Lube left, Zich apologized awkwardly again.

    ¡°I forgot everything now, but if you still feel some guilt, I hope you will protect the weak as Lady Lube told you.¡±

    ¡°Ah, ok. I will try.¡±

    Zich left the shop while swaying his hands.

    * * *

    Soon, it became midnight. A dark mass of clouds covered the moon and the stars, so it was hard to see where they were going. Holding a torch, Hans turned behind him.

    ¡°Is there something that you are dissatisfied with, sir?¡±

    Zich had walked without saying anything for a while now. It seemed like he was thinking deeply about something, and even though Hans didn¡¯t want to do something like wake a sleeping dog, it was chilling to see Zich just follow him from behind like a ghost. In the end, Hans had no choice but to open his mouth.

    ¡°You know what Lube told me. Is it really true?¡±

    Although Zich didn¡¯t add ¡®Lady¡¯ to Lube¡¯s name, Hans let it go. Truthfully, he thought if the current Zich added an honorific to anyone¡¯s name, it would be more surprising.

    ¡°What are you talking about, sir?¡±

    ¡°What she said about helping the weak.¡±

    ¡°Is there something wrong about that, sir?¡±

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t feel right somehow. Can I really do that? Isn¡¯t she confused about something?¡¯

    ¡®You are the one who is confused.¡¯

    Hans was shocked when he found out that Zich had helped thugs to help someone in need.

    ¡®What do you think she is confused about?¡¯

    ¡°I can understand the part about helping the weak. But ording to her, it seems like she is telling me to help someone like Sude.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not ¡®it seems¡¯ but ¡®it is,¡¯ sir.¡±

    ¡°Really?¡±

    Zich tilted his head.

    ¡°Well, since I have no other option, should I follow that? I still think it¡¯s the wrong approach, but what Lube said¡­¡±

    Halt!

    Zich stopped walking. At this, Hans also halted in his steps.

    ¡°What is it, sir?¡±

    ¡°Look over there.¡±

    Zich pointed to the front. Without realizing it, they hade to a mostly uninhabited area. On their left, the creek trickled, while to their right, shabby houses sparsely lined up the area. There wasn¡¯t a single light as if those were empty houses or their residents were sleeping.

    Hans squinted his eyes to see what Zich was pointing at.

    ¡°Is it¡­ a person, sir?¡± Hans trailed off.

    The obscure figure seemed to be the shape of a person. However, it was hard to say that it was a human as the shadow¡¯s movements were bizarre.

    ¡°It¡¯s not human.¡±

    ¡°Sorry? Then, what is it, sir?¡±

    Before Hans could hear the answer, the shadowy figure entered the torch light¡¯s range and gave off a nauseating stench.

    ¡°It¡¯s a zombie.¡±

 Chapter 17

    <h4>Chapter 17</h4>

    It had dposed skin, rotting eyeballs, missing nose and ears, and dirty bones sticking out from all parts of its body. It was a human corpse that moved by receiving dark energy, and this zombie¡¯s appearance was a truly gruesome sight to see.

    ¡°Urgh!¡± Hans gagged.

    During their trip, he saw a monster¡¯s corpse and actually killed a monster himself. And because he had served the Steelwalls rather than other families, Hans was more used to death and corpses than the average person. However, the creature in front of him was on a different level.

    Grrr! Grrrr!

    Under its torn skin, they could see its Adam''s apple bobbing up and down.

    Step!

    The zombie walked slowly but boldly towards the two, and Hans took a step backward.

    ¡°S-s-sir Zich! T-that is!¡±

    ¡°Be quiet.¡±

    ng!

    Zich moved past the stuttering Hans and pulled out his sword. The sunlight dyed the de red, making it look like the sword of judgment that an angel might use.

    Step! Step!

    Zich followed the footsteps of the zombie that wasing towards him. Behind him, Hans clutched his torch and gulped his saliva.

    Grrrrrrr!

    As Zich closed in on it, the zombie stretched out its hands. In its open mouth, dirty teeth hung irregrly, and the zombie¡¯s long and ck fingernails looked sharp enough to rip a person¡¯s skin into pieces and take out their bones. Its discharge was toxic enough to rot a whole body.

    But...

    ¡®It¡¯s still just a zombie.¡¯

    ¡°Whoaaaaaaa!¡±

    The zombie wildly moved with its tangled-up legs, and Zich dodged to the side and swung his sword.

    Slice!

    The sword cleanly cut the zombie¡¯s neck. Even as the zombie¡¯s head flew to the sky, it cked its teeth at Zich¡ªbut that was only for a moment.

    Drop!

    Thud!

    Two different types of collisions could be heard: the sound of the zombie¡¯s head falling to the ground and the sound of the zombie¡¯s body shedding.

    ¡°Eick!¡±

    The zombie¡¯s head rolled to the bottom of Hans¡¯ feet, and Hans backed off with a shriek.

    ¡°I-is it dead?¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡±

    With a scowl, Zich looked at his sword¡¯s body; it was smeared with the zombie¡¯s fluid.

    ¡°Ah, damn it! This is why I hate zombies! If I am dealing with the undead, clean ones like the skeletons are much better!¡±

    Zich took off some tree leaves and intensely wiped the zombie¡¯s fluids off his sword before he ced it back inside its sheath. Then, he walked to the side of the fallen zombie, and Hans also snuck around behind him.

    ¡°Why is it here, sir?¡±

    ¡°Hm, I don¡¯t know either. Why would it be here?¡±

    It wasn¡¯t even a small vige; it was umon to see a monster hiding inside a city, not to mention a zombie that feasted on human flesh.

    ¡°Well, let¡¯s inform the Magistrate for now. It might havee under the cover of darkness, or it might have been an unlucky guy who got mixed up in a crime and got sold to the city¡¯s ck market.¡±

    ¡°Then, could it be a coincidence, sir?¡±

    ¡°It is likely, but¡ª¡±

    Zich nced at the zombie¡¯s head which had stopped moving with its mouth hanging wide open.

    ¡°I don¡¯t have a good feeling about this.¡±

    From his experience, he had felt this feeling when something big was about to happen.

    * * *

    Zich and Hans handed the zombie over to the Magistrate. The officers asked them a couple of questions and soon handled the corpse.

    Zich furrowed his eyebrows.

    ¡°It¡¯s strange.¡±

    ¡°Sorry?¡±

    Zich stared at the spot where the officers had taken the zombie away.

    ¡°If this was the first time this happened, they would have asked us much more questions to dig up as many details as they could. A monster, especially a zombie, appeared within the city. But the officers didn¡¯t ask us that many questions as if this is amon urrence.¡±

    ¡°Then, are you saying that something like this frequently happens in Porti, sir?¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t say for sure, but it¡¯s likely.¡±

    Hans gulped his saliva back down. Just the thought of these disgusting creatures walking around the city was enough to make him shudder.

    ¡°But it probably hasn¡¯t been for long. If it had been going on for a while, rumors would have spread by now, and public sentiment would have grown terrible. However, you can¡¯t sense that in the city yet.¡±

    ¡°W-what should we do, sir?¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s no need for us to do anything. The higher-ups will handle the matter by themselves. And if we encounter another zombie, we can just hand them over to the officers again. We just do what we have been doing.¡±

    Hans nodded.

    * * *

    ¡°Let¡¯s express our gratitude to them.¡±

    [Thank you!]

    A soaring spire quietly looked towards the ground in a magnificent temple. Age and long years had spotted its corners with ashy stains, but they couldn¡¯t have dropped the ce¡¯s worth. On the contrary, these spots added to the temple¡¯s deep history and made the temple more familiar to its visitors.

    In front of the temple, a nun and about fifteen children were bowing their heads. The people they were bowing to were Zich and Hans.

    ¡°Alright. Before Ie back, you must listen to Sister well and be kind to each other. Do you all understand?¡±

    [Yes!]

    Their tones and tempo yed separately, but the children yelled vigorously in front of the temple and their voices echoed. At the children¡¯s waving hands, they waved their hands and walked away from the temple.

    When they couldn¡¯t see the nun and children anymore, they let down their hands.

    ¡°Good, today¡¯s good deed was also perfect!¡±

    Zich¡¯s voice was mixed with pride.

    Hans shot quick nces at Zich.

    ¡°What are you looking at?¡±

    ¡°Ah, no, sir. I just thought that you found the exact answer this time.¡±

    Hans thought Zich was beyond the boundary ofmon sense again since he had interpreted the advice of helping those in need to helping thugs before. However, Zich had surprisingly decided to help a nearby orphanage.

    Hans wanted to keep his mouth shut most of the time, but this time, curiosity pushed him to speak. It also helped that Zich didn¡¯t strike out in violence after they began traveling, and it seemed like Zich would generously allow most questions from now on. So, in the end, Hans asked, ¡°Did someone else give another piece of advice, sir?¡±

    ¡°Nothing of that sort. I mean, what do you think of first when you think of the weak? It¡¯s children. Especially children without their parents. Isn¡¯t that justmon sense?¡±

    ¡®I thoughtmon sense didn¡¯t go through to you.¡¯

    Of course, Hans didn¡¯t say this out loud.

    ¡°But besides that, what do you think about the work?¡±

    Since Zich went to volunteer at an orphanage, the servant, Hans, had no choice but to follow Zich and also work. Hans nodded his head vigorously.

    ¡°Of course, sir! Even though it may not seem like it, I learned all kinds of work in the Steelwall residence! To mention a few, I learned cleaning,undry, and even some administrative work! Even if there¡¯s a lot of work, I won¡¯t falter with this much.¡±

    Hans¡¯ voice was filled with confidence.

    ¡®By the looks of it, isn¡¯t this guy a high-quality talent?¡±

    Besides menial works like cleaning,undry, and other housework, if Hans had learned administrative work to run the household, it meant that he was a servant undergoing training to take the ce of someone higher.

    ¡°But Sir Zich, are you alright? Aren¡¯t you not used to working like this?¡±

    It seemed like Hans wanted to ask if Zich was used to menial tasks since Zich grew in a noble family, but his true feelings were different.

    ¡®With that hot temper, can he even look after children well?¡¯

    But contrary to Hans¡¯ expectations, Zich was adjusting very well.

    ¡°Did you forget? Who prepared everything for camping? Menial tasks are nothing for a genius like me.¡±

    Hardbor was easy enough to make a person yawn, especially if they knew how to control their mana. With Zich¡¯s sharpness, he could pick up things immediately. After all, he really was a genius born once in a century.

    And above all, he had gained a lot of experiences before his regression.

    ¡°Also, even if I can¡¯t do menial tasks, I am really good at ying with the kids. Did you see how the kids acted when we were leaving? They were so sad to see us go.¡±

    ¡®That is true.¡¯

    Hans didn¡¯t know what Zich did, but the children¡¯s eyes were full of sadness and regret when they were leaving.

    ¡°Did you do anything special?¡±

    ¡°What do you think children like to do the most? Isn¡¯t it to y hero?¡± Zich expanded his chest and boasted, ¡°I am amazing at acting as the Demon Lord. I can act really badly and also act the part of getting defeated by a hero.¡±

    Since he had done all of these things before he regressed, Zich was probably better at acting as the Demon Lord than anyone else.

    While they talked, Zich and Hans saw two officers in disguise sticking something on the wall. They hurriedly snuck past Zich and began to walk away with bundles of paper in their hands speedily after they were done.

    ¡°It must be a wanted list.¡±

    There were already a couple of people whispering in front of the notice. It seemed like it was a wanted poster for an incredibly wicked criminal since everyone stared at it with shock.

    Hans craned his neck forward to look at the poster, and Zich also stared.

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    Zich and Hans spoke at the same time.

    ¡°S-sir Zich. That is!¡±

    Hans pointed at the just posted wanted notice. In the poster, a drawing of an incredible beauty stared back at them.

    [Wanted]

    [The Witch, Aine Lube]

    [Sins Committed: Responsible for the assassination of the Deputy Mayor. Attempted to cast a ¡®Great Curse¡¯ on the city of Porti.]

    After they had parted a few days ago, Lube, who should have received the Saint''s title, was titled as ¡®the Witch¡¯ and was on a wanted poster with her sins listed.

    * * *

    In the shop, next to Porti¡¯smercial district, vendors andborers were relieving their sorrows with alcohol after their work was over. It wasn¡¯t a high-end bar, but the ce was enough to please the workers who lived paycheck to paycheck.

    ¡°Hey, did you see that?¡±

    ¡°See what?¡±

    Two men began talking withrge beer sses between them.

    ¡°You know, the wanted list for the Witch.¡±

    ¡°Oh, you mean the Witch from Karuwiman.¡±

    Zich and Hans, who were drinking near them, perked their ears.

    ¡°My business is a mess because of that. People were not spending their money, and officials closed the pce walls to catch the Witch. They investigated so thoroughly that the freight volume went down by a lot.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not the only problem. They say that because of the Witch¡¯s curse, the undead are roaming around the city. Officials say that we have to go back home before the sun sets.¡±

    ¡°I heard that at Grotel¡¯s ce, a child went missing.¡±

    ¡°Yes, without even a trace.¡±

    ¡°Damn it! All of this because of one damn witch!¡±

    ¡°They haven¡¯t captured her yet, right?¡±

    ¡°They would have told us as soon as the Witch was caught. This isn¡¯t just a trifling matter.¡±

    The two men insulted Lube until their faces became red. Everyone else beside them was the same: they were all talking about Lube. Since Porti was a business city, they were more sensitive to economic matters, and news spread faster.

    After drinking a bit more, Zich and Hans left the bar. Because they didn¡¯t drink much, they were barely drunk.

    Hans suddenly asked, ¡°Sir Zich, was Lady Lube really a witch?¡±

    Zich sternly denied it.

    ¡°Then, are all of these false rumors, sir?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s likely that the assassination of the Deputy Mayor and Porti¡¯s curse is not a lie. However, it¡¯smon for people to falsely use someone to create a scapegoat.¡±

    ¡°How are you so sure it¡¯s a false charge, sir?¡±

    It was because Zich knew that Lube had worked as a saint before he regressed, but of course, Zich didn¡¯t intend to mention that.

    ¡°I know that much even without seeing it.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Hans tried to control his facial muscles to not look at Zich absurdly.

    ¡®Did this happen before I regressed?¡¯

    Porti¡¯s Great Curse and Lube, charged as the Witch¡ªZich didn¡¯t remember any of these events. But it could also be that Zich just couldn¡¯t remember. Yes, that was most likely. The world before he regressed was an extremely chaotic world where various incidents and problems erupted everywhere with no exceptions.

    Seeing the darkening sky, Hans got ready to light up his already-prepared torch.

    ¡°Wait.¡±

    Zich halted and stared at one side of the view in front of him.

    ¡°Huh? What is it, sir?¡±

    ¡°Follow me.¡±

    Hans lit up his torch and trotted behind Zich.

    Zich went inside an alleyway. Although it was getting dark, there were still traces of lights remaining in the sky. However, the alleyway was a peerless, dark color like it was in the middle of the night. The darkness seemed to hiss threats at the torch light that Hans was carrying.

    Zich walked inside as if he was in a familiar ce, and it happened after they turned another corner.

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    Hans saw something. At the alleyway¡¯s dead-end, something was crouching in the corner. Hans gulped as he saw the shadow in the shape of a human figure. Thankfully, the lights revealed that the shadow wasn¡¯t a zombie.

    The figure looked at Zich and Hans with a look of worry and fear.

    ¡°You were here, Lady Lube,¡± Zich said while looking at Lube.

 Chapter 18

    <h4>Chapter 18</h4>

    ¡°Mr. Z-Zich?¡±

    Lube¡¯s voice shook as she called out Zich¡¯s name.

    Her appearance was still blindingly beautiful. However, she lookedpletely different from a few days ago. Her shining blond hair was gray from dust, and her clean skin was now covered in dirt and mud. Her clothes, which made her look divine before, were ripped and dirtied now, making them look no better than a beggar¡¯s clothes. Her current appearance did not indicate that she was a priestess of Karuwiman in any way.

    ¡°You look wretched.¡±

    ¡°Ugh!¡±

    With Zich¡¯s words, Lube bit her lips.

    She slowly got up and handed something to Zich. It was a white staff with a semi-transparent blue jewel. It was probably a tool that helped increase divinity, but like its owner, the staff was also dirty.

    ¡°Judging by your reaction, you must also know that you are wanted right now.¡±

    ¡°¡­How were you able to find me?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m confident in my senses. I felt a simr presence like yours, Lady Lube, shivering inside this alleyway, so I came to check.¡±

    Zich was incredible at detection.

    Hans and even Lube were shocked. Hans looked at Zich as if he was a monster. On the other hand, Lube quickly calmed her emotions.

    ¡°Are you going to turn me in?¡±

    There was no strength in her voice, but the light in her eyes indicated that she would not be dragged out without a fight.

    ¡°Will you believe me if I say I wouldn¡¯t?¡±

    Lube was not able to reply.

    A quiet tension passed between them and then suddenly¡ª

    Growwl!

    A huge sound rang out from Lube¡¯s stomach. Because no one was speaking, the sound from Lube¡¯s stomach sounded like rolling thunder. Lube¡¯s cheeks began to flush.

    ¡°¡­Let¡¯s eat first.¡±

    Lube didn¡¯t say anything for a few moments, but eventually, she nodded.

    * * *

    Even though Zich decided to bring Lube with them, it still didn¡¯t change the fact that she was a wanted person charged with serious crimes such as the ¡®assassination of the Deputy Mayor¡¯ and ¡®casting a Great Curse on Porti.¡¯

    Zich ordered Hans to go back before him.

    Hans looked back and forth between Lube and Zich with worry in his eyes, but soon, he left while carrying a torch. The two waited for a few more minutes to pass by, and silence passed between them before Lubemented, ¡°¡­You are not asking me anything.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m going to ask, but only after we get out of this situation first.¡±

    Zich lifted his head and stared at the sky. Fortunately, the moon and stars were covered by clouds like the past few days.

    ¡°Let¡¯s start moving.¡±

    ¡°Already? Isn¡¯t it better for us to wait a bit more?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s okay because there¡¯s not a lot of people walking around at night these days. It¡¯s all thanks to ¡®Witch Aine Lube.¡¯¡±

    Lube red at Zich, and he shrugged in reply. They carefully trod out of the alleyway. Lube nervously checked the surrounding area for people.

    ¡°¡­I can¡¯t see anything.¡±

    The city was so dark that it was impossible to perceive even nearby objects. In this situation, it was difficult to see the way to their destination, and it was easy to receive a lot of injuries from bumping into buildings or random objects. Normally, Lube would have just used her holy powers to support her eyesight, but she didn¡¯t have enough energy from starving andcking sleep for the past few days.

    Grab!

    Something suddenly grabbed Lube¡¯s hand. It was rough andrge, but it was a warm hand.

    ¡°I will do most of the guiding. Please be careful while following me.¡±

    Lube quietly looked at Zich¡¯s hand and replied, ¡°Alright.¡±

    Zich focused his mana on his eyes. With this control, thepletely opaque view in front of him became visible. Zich began to lead Lube towards their destination. Fortunately, the wind was blowing strongly, so they did not have to watch their footsteps. However, because Lube was basically blind, her footsteps were slow.

    ¡°Did you focus your mana on your eyes?¡±

    ¡°You know about it?¡±

    ¡°I have seen the Holy Knights use a simr skill.¡±

    With this statement, Lube closed her mouth again. She probably was thinking about the Holy Knights who had protected her. Judging by her reaction, they probably weren¡¯t in a good situation.

    ¡®They are probably all dead.¡¯

    Zich also didn¡¯t say anything and silently guided Lube.

    ¡°Shh!¡± Zich whispered to Lube.

    Lube instinctively put her hands over her mouth, and Zich carefully moved while leading her. After they went around the alleyway a few times, they stuck closely towards the wall.

    nk! nk! nk!

    Lube¡¯s eyes widened at the sound of rattling metal. It was probably one of the city¡¯s security guards. From a distance, faint lights brightened up the alleyway. The lights felt like shlights searching for her whereabouts, so Lube cautiously moved one step a time to an area far away from the light. The bright light began to dim as she slowly moved away. The sound of clinking metal also faded.

    Phew!

    When all the lights and sounds disappeared, Lube let out a sigh of relief.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    Zich grabbed Lube and began leading her again.

    * * *

    The ce they arrived at was Zich¡¯s lodging. From the inside, a faint light was seeping out, and Zich could feel the presence of someone on the first floor. This meant that they couldn¡¯t use the front door, and Zich looked around the building.

    Zich and Hans¡¯ lodging were on the 3rd floor.

    ¡°Over there,¡± Zich whispered as he saw a closed wooden window on the 3rd floor.

    ¡°Please wait a moment.¡±

    After telling Lube this, Zich threw a small stone he found on the ground.

    ck!

    After a few moments, the window opened and Hans appeared in view.

    ¡°Please hold on tightly.¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    Zich ignored Lube¡¯s question and lifted her.

    ¡°Kyaa!¡±

    Lube let out a quiet scream, but she tightly held Zich''s neck. In this state, Zich began to walk towards the building¡¯s walls. Then he shifted his mana into his legs and put force into them.

    Zoom!

    It all happened in a moment. With ease, Zich jumped to the 3rd floor. From across the window, Zich saw Hans¡¯ surprised face.

    Bang!

    While holding the windowsill, Zich pushed himself and Lube inside.

    ¡°Are both of you alright?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m alright,¡± Zich replied to Hans¡¯ concerning question.

    ¡°I-I¡¯m also alright.¡±

    Feeling a bit more relieved now, Lube replied a little bit morefortably. Hans also felt relieved after hearing both of their replies.

    ¡°That¡¯s good to hear. For now, please sit downforta¡­¡±

    Hans could not finish his sentence because he was startled by the ferociousness in Lube¡¯s eyes. Her eyes were almost mad. Fortunately, she was not staring at Hans, but a bowl of food ced on a small table in the corner of the room.

    ¡°Hah! I guess it can¡¯t be helped if the Holy Priestess of Karuwiman is hungry.¡±

    ¡°What? N-no, this is¡­!¡±

    Lube blushed bright red and began making excuses. Then, she closed her mouth and began twisting her body. Zich thought she seemed embarrassed by her behavior, but even then, Lube could not stop stealing nces at the food. As a final blow, Lube¡¯s stomach let out another growl again, and she copsed onto the floor.

    ¡°You should eat it. We prepared the food for you anyways. You must have had no time to eat while being on the run.¡±

    ¡°¡­Thank you.¡±

    Even if she wanted to refuse, her stomach was so famished that it almost felt hollow. While shaking, Lube moved towards the food.

    ¡°Then I will be leaving again.¡±

    ¡°What? Where are you going?¡± Hans asked Zich who was already halfway outside the window.

    ¡°Just in case, I should leave an alibi by going through the front entrance. I have to make the store owner and other people think I came into the room by myself.¡±

    Zich put both of his feet outside the window and then turned his head back.

    ¡°When I jump down, make sure to close the window.¡±

    With these words, Zich jumped out.

    * * *

    After making sure that the store owner saw him, Zich walked up to his room as if nothing was going on.

    Knock! Knock!

    ¡°It¡¯s me.¡±

    After knocking on the door and speaking, the door cracked open. Hans made sure the person was Zich, then he opened the door fully. The first thing Zich¡¯s eyesnded on was Lube, who was eating. Nothing much was prepared for her¡ªa simple soup, bread, and a few vegetables. But Lube ate as if she was eating the tastiest food in the world, and after a few moments, the food quickly disappeared.

    Scrape!

    Lube put her spoon down only after scraping the very bottom of her soup bowl. She let out a small burp and quickly closed her mouth. Hans looked as if his ideal fantasy or whatever else was shattered, but Zich ignored him and walked towards Lube.

    ¡°Then can you tell me what happened?¡±

    ¡°Before that, can you tell me about the rumors that are spreading about me in the city?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not hard for me to tell you. In the city, rumors that you assassinated the Deputy Mayor and cast a curse on Portia have spread. There¡¯s even a well-drawn wanted poster of you. Do you want to see it?¡±

    From his clothes, Zich took out a piece of paper. Lube took the wanted poster and red at it as if she was going to rip it apart.

    ¡°¡­Where did you get this?¡±

    ¡°I got it because I thought you might be curious about your portrait.¡±

    It was hard to understand Zich¡¯s state of mind. Hans shook his head at Zich¡¯s remarks.

    Lube put force into her hands so that the edges of the wanted poster crinkled under her hands.

    ¡°It¡¯s not true.¡± Lube quietly murmured, ¡°I¡¯m not a witch.¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s first hear what happened to you.¡±

    Zich sat on the chair opposite of Lube and folded his arms. Lube slowly started speaking.

    ¡°After hearing what happened to Sude in the store, we went to the Mayor right away.¡±

    Random people could not meet the Mayor, but a Karuwiman priestess was not a ¡®random person.¡¯ She could obviously meet the Mayor if she had a concern. Like the rumors said, one could tell that the Mayor looked greedy with just a nce. The fat under his face made it difficult to decipher the position of his neck, and his beady eyes fervently moved around as if he was trying to sniff out money.

    On the other hand, his Deputy Mayor looked more suitable. His half-white hair was stylishly pushed back, and his fit body indicated that he was excellent at self-management. Under his sharp eyebrows, his all-knowing eyes seemed to be able to see through anything.

    ¡°We said ourints based on the words from Mr. Sude. We told him that in this city, an illegal and immoral seizing was going on. We also said that someone in the Mayor¡¯s family was involved in this, and that there are also suspicions that the Mayor himself received some bribes.¡±

    Lube also included that the Mayor was very taken back by her statements. However, the Deputy Mayor didn¡¯t outrightly show it and seemed to look at the Mayor with disdain. Fortunately, no matter how greedy the Mayor was, he wasn¡¯t able to ignore a warning from a high-ranking follower of Karuwiman. The Mayor replied that he would quickly begin an investigation and try to remedy this problem. However, he strongly denied the ims about receiving bribes from anyone.

    It was very difficult to trust him, but since he said he would fix this problem right away, Lube had no choice but to step back. Lube and her guards decided to go back to their lodgings for now and watch how the situation would unfold, but the Mayor stopped them in their tracks. He formally invited them to his home during the duration of their stay in the city.

    ¡°During that time, I thought he just wanted to be on the good side of Karuwiman and the Church.¡±

    After a moment of pondering, Lube epted the Mayor¡¯s invitation. The purpose of this trip was to see the livelihood of different types of people and listen to a diverse range of viewpoints. So far, she had spent most of her time listening to the poor, themoners, or people from the lower ss; so, she thought this could be an excellent chance to listen to the upper ss people. Moreover, she could also spy on the Mayor¡¯s actions.

    ¡°Just like that, we ended up staying in the Mayor¡¯s mansion for two days. Nothing much happened during this time. However, weird stories began to surface.¡±

    The shine in her eyes sharpened.

    ¡°The undead were beginning to appear in the city.¡±

    As a follower of the divine god Karuna, the undead were an existence that they could not tolerate. As soon as she heard about the undead, she went straight to the Mayor. She still felt ufortable around the Mayor and thought poorly of him, but this was no time for personal feelings. Lube and the Holy Knights told him that they would help patrol the city, protect the citizens, and expel the undead.

    ¡°The Mayor agreed to our request. He actually weed our involvement and told us that he would assign a section for us to patrol. Then, he told us toe to his room around sunset.¡±

    Thinking back, his actions were suspicious. She should have known then.

    ¡°We were weaponless because it would have been a disy of hostility to the Mayor while we were staying at his mansion. But that was actually a trap.¡±

    When they went to his room at the agreed time, they saw the Deputy Mayor on the floor and the Mayor holding a strange book in his hands. And from nowhere, a group of undead began to besiege them.

 Chapter 19

    <h4>Chapter 19</h4>

    People¡¯s shadows swayed as the candlelight flickered. As she remembered what happened, Lube bowed her head and clutched the ends of her clothes. She stopped talking for a moment, but Zich didn¡¯t urge her to continue.

    ¡°The people guarding me continued to fall one after another. There were so many undead, but we were also unprepared for battle.¡±

    As if they proved that they were Karuwiman¡¯s Holy Knights, they managed to ensure Lube¡¯s escape with everything against them. Afterward, Lube ran frantically. For the Holy Knights who sacrificed their lives for her and to reveal the Mayor¡¯s wicked deeds, she felt like she had to survive.

    However, the city was blocked by then, and she was wanted as the Witch. So, she had no choice but to hide in the alleyway. When the day was bright, she hid her body in an abandoned house or a dark alleyway and only moved at nighttime.

    Of course, since she couldn¡¯t eat or rest properly, her face became haggard. Lube had grown up like a flower in a greenhouse, and this was her first time going out to see the world. In the end, her holy powers ran out and she couldn¡¯t even brighten up her night vision; she could only move if the moon and stars were in the sky.

    ¡°You¡¯re saying that you met me then.¡±

    Lube nodded to Zich¡¯s words.

    ¡°Did Sir Weig also die at the time?¡±

    ¡°No, I parted ways with Sir Weig as soon as we arrived in this city. The Church gave him a different mission, and we have been moving separately for some time.¡±

    ¡®Of course. There¡¯s no way the Killing Machine would die so easily.¡¯

    Zich understood.

    ¡°Then what are you going to do now?¡±

    ¡°¡­I¡¯m not sure.¡±

    Her opponent was the city¡¯s most powerful figure, the Mayor, and Lube didn¡¯t have anything at the moment except her body.

    ¡°Can¡¯t you ask for help from Karuwiman?¡±

    Hans interrupted with caution, but Lube shook her head.

    ¡°Since the city is blocked, I can¡¯t contact headquarters or any subdivision. Even if I do contact them, it will take a while for them to receive the message. Furthermore, the Karuwiman temple in this city doesn¡¯t have much power, and even that is under heavy surveince.¡±

    Although Karuwiman had incredible influence, their power was concentrated in their headquarters and a few subdivisions. No king, royal, or noble liked to let the Church¡¯s power reside in theirnd.

    ¡°Normally, if we need military support from the Church, we can contact the nearest religious order or an important subdivision, and headquarters will receive the message and send out brigades of the Church. The problem is that this ce is very far from the points of contact.¡±

    ¡°That means there are no forces that can protect Lady Lube right now.¡±

    Lube nodded at Zich¡¯s words.

    ¡°Then, let¡¯s escape out of the city first. I will take you to the nearest subdivision of the Church.¡±

    That seemed better than handing her over to the city¡¯s security forces, but Lube shook her head.

    ¡°Ah, we can¡¯t!¡±

    At her firm refusal, both Zich and Hans stared at her strangely.

    ¡°We don¡¯t have time! We have to stop the Mayor right now!¡±

    ¡°Stop what?¡±

    ¡°The ritual!¡±

    ¡°Ritual?¡±

    ¡°What do you mean?¡±

    Lube didn¡¯t say enough for them to grasp the entire situation. Of course, Hans couldn¡¯t understand, but Zich was able to figure out something.

    ¡°Is the Mayor nning to do a ritual with grave consequences?¡±

    ¡°Yes!¡±

    ¡°Howrge is the scale?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s probably going to involve the whole city!¡±

    Zich nced at Lube¡¯s wanted poster that was on the table. Its center was crumpled, but the words were still legible.

    Responsible for the assassination of the Deputy Mayor, and¡­

    ¡®Attempted to cast a Great Curse on the city of Porti.¡¯

    This was a more significant issue than he had thought.

    ¡°Tell me everything you saw and thought.¡±

    ¡°I remember the cover of the book that the Mayor was holding onto when he revealed his true colors. It was definitely an item from Bellid.¡±

    Bellid was a religious group with the opposite characteristics of Karuwiman. Its followers served the evil god, Bellu, and engaged in ughter and terrorist actions to fulfill their craving for destruction and chaos.

    ¡®Those fucking bastards are a part of this?¡¯

    In a way, most people would have thought that Demon Lord Zich would have gotten along well with a group like that, but it was the opposite in reality. Bellid acted on the principle that they had to conquer the world and offer it to their god. There was no way that Demon Lords, who liked to work however they wanted, would agree with Bellid¡¯s methods.

    As expected, Bellid and Demon People often shed, and of course, Zich was often caught up in it.

    Lube continued, ¡°Even at a nce, that book was stored with some dark energy. It felt sickening as if Bellu had contaminated it. At first, I thought it was an artifact that increased the owner¡¯s skills, but that wasn¡¯t the case.¡±

    The room that Lube coincidentally saw while escaping revealed the book¡¯s true identity.

    ¡°In the room, there was a stone statue. That violent and hideous appearance definitely belonged to Bellu¡ªbut that¡¯s not the problem. It wouldn¡¯t have been such a problem if the statue was just in the shape of Bellu¡¯s vile form, but it exuded a simr energy to the book. And there were also writings on the statue¡¯s stand.¡±

    It was written in Bellid¡¯s ancient and sacrednguage, but Lube could read it. Since Karuwiman and Bellid always shed against each other, they knew each other well.

    ¡°It said, ¡®I offer this city to Bellu.¡¯¡±

    Even Zich was aware of that phrase, and he knew when and where it was used.

    ¡°So, you are saying that those guys are nning to sacrifice this city as an offering to Bellu. And that book is a catalyst to ignite the statue¡¯s power?¡±

    ¡°You know about it?¡±

    ¡°Yes, I know a bit about the group.¡±

    The ¡®City Offering Ritual¡¯ was a ritual where followers stationed Bellu¡¯s statue in different parts of the city and injected people¡¯s life force into these ces.

    ¡°But these guys are taking a huge risk. Usually, they target a small vige or a small city that is difficult to differentiate from a vige. How could they target a city like Porti?¡±

    ¡°I think so too, but if they seed in performing this ritual¡­¡±

    ¡°This city will be a city of the dead, and they will gain power that matches its scale.¡±

    Bellidpleted the ¡®City Offering Ritual¡¯ for three reasons: first, it was to make the city¡¯s entire poption into the undead and increase their army. The second was to please the god they served, Bellu. Andstly, it was to¡­

    ¡®To take away all the residents¡¯ life force. If they seed in stealing energy from this many people, they will gain a tremendous amount of power.¡¯

    A great cmity would befall these surroundings, and there was no way that those Bellid guys would use their power for good. But¡ª

    ¡®Well, it will suck for the people around here.¡¯

    Zich¡¯s sentiments ended there. In the first ce, he was a human who was not that different from Bellid.

    ¡®But I¡¯d hate to see those guys gaining things from this situation.¡¯

    Even though they had been enemies before Zich regressed, if they were nice guys, Zich could have thought along the lines of, ¡®I have decided to live a kind life, so I guess what is good is good.¡¯ But, these guys were not even like that.

    ¡°If I recall the amount of Bellu¡¯s energy in the catalyst, it seems like we don¡¯t have much time before the ritual isplete! We don¡¯t have time to request support from a subdivision! We have to stop the ritual right now!¡±

    ¡°In your condition?¡±

    At Zich¡¯s cold remarks, Lube was at a loss for words. But Zich didn¡¯t think that she could adequately stop this event with her current state. She couldn¡¯t even have a proper meal and had been in hiding like a beggar for a while now.

    ¡°I can¡¯t sit and stand by that thought! The only one who knows what will happen is me! If things progress like this, a countless number of people will die for sure!¡±

    ¡°But this is also something you can¡¯t fix.¡±

    ¡°Ugh!¡±

    Lube red at Zich, but she hung her head low. Zich hadn¡¯t said anything wrong, and feelings of uselessness coiled around her.

    ¡°But let me ask you this.¡±

    Lube raised her head slightly at Zich¡¯s words.

    ¡°Stopping this is also a kind act, right?¡±

    She was surprised.

    ¡°A-are you going to help us?¡±

    ¡°If it is a kind act.¡±

    Lube¡¯s face lightened up and then darkened again.

    ¡°But I also can¡¯t get someone else involved in something so dangerous...¡±

    ¡°This is my advice, but get off your high horse.¡±

    Lube¡¯s eyes widened. Even Hans, who was listening next to them, looked surprised. But Zich arrogantly crossed his arms and raised his jaws while leaning his back against a chair. Then, he coldly spat, ¡°What are you going to do by yourself? You haven¡¯t been able to eat or sleep properly and have been hiding as a homeless person for the past few days¡ªwhat do you think you can do?¡±

    Lube¡¯s head drooped lower again.

    ¡°If I hadn¡¯t found you, you would have starved to death in a nameless alleyway or would have been caught by an officer. Or a resident might have found you, and you would have been disgraced as the Witch who drove this city into a nightmare.¡±

    ¡°Um, Sir Zich. I think this is enough¡­¡±

    Because Zich seemed to be talking too harshly, Hans tried to stop him warily, but Zich didn¡¯t stop.

    ¡°You don¡¯t want to get someone else involved? How is that different from wanting to leave this situation as it is? Because of your great sense of justice, are you going to watch this city fall into danger? That¡¯s amazing.¡±

    Even before Zich regressed, there were many people like Lube. Without concern for their own bodies, they jumped in to fight against injustice and save people. In a world that fell into chaos, those kinds of people stood out more than in regr times.

    Zich didn¡¯t hold a particr dislike for those types of people. Surprisingly, Zich was open-minded, and as a person who lived however he wanted, he didn¡¯t mind people¡¯s different ways of living. He went by the philosophy: ¡®I am me, and others are others.¡¯

    However, that didn¡¯t mean that he acknowledged everyone¡¯s way of life. Zich could nod his head, thinking, ¡®It¡¯s understandable why they thought that,¡¯ especially if someone acted with enough power and knowledge backing them and failed. But Zich couldn''t understand those who just said usible things without any power and knowledge behind them.

    No, it was eptable to that point. Even without power and knowledge, it took courage to go against death; although Zich couldn¡¯t understand those who followed what they said even while knowing that they had a 100% chance of dying, he could ept it as one of the characteristics of that person.

    The real problem was with people like Lube. Those types of people said that they didn¡¯t want to drag someone unrted into the problem or had to maintain morals or fight fairly. If the decision only affected them, Zich would have understood.

    But if they were like Lube right now and insisted on following their moral ground when they couldn¡¯t do anything by themselves and were in a situation where others would be harmed if things failed, Zich couldn¡¯t ept their way of thinking no matter what.

    ¡°You should think hard with that pure head of yours¡ªwhat is the right thing to do.¡±

    Lube gripped her fist tightly. She grabbed it so tightly that it became colorless, and some time passed.

    ¡®I knew that she was inexperienced, but was she this pathetic during this time?¡¯

    No, the Saint might have been like this even before he regressed; the situation was so frustrating.

    ¡®Well, I will let her do what she wants.¡¯

    Zich was about to loosen his arms when¡ª

    Swish!

    Lube raised her head. Her eyes, which seemed to stare at Zich deeply, were filled with determination.

    ¡°I will just ask you one thing.¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°Are you strong? Strong enough to help me in this situation?¡±

    ¡®Look at this?¡¯

    Zich¡¯s eyes sparkled as he looked at her with curiosity. He stopped himself from getting up and crossed his arms again.

    ¡®She is not dwelling in her guilt anymore, but is trying to make sure of my skills?¡¯

    It wasn¡¯t bad. No, her assessment of the situation was outstanding. Without power or knowledge, one was useless in this situation, and this also applied to Zich who had suggested to help.

    Zich looked at the empty te and fork in front of Lube. Sitting next to Lube, Hans tilted his head. Zich lightly drew with the spoon.

    Split!

    The table cracked into two, and both Lube and Hans¡¯ eyes widened in shock.

    Drop! Dro-drop!

    The utensils on the table fell to the ground, and the wooden table copsed. Thankfully, Lube had eaten everything on her te, so the ground didn¡¯t be a mess. And both Lube and Hans weren¡¯t even bothered about that; they were too busy staring at the wooden spoon that Zich was holding.

    ¡°I think I will be of enough help.¡±

    In a daze, Lube nodded her head.

 Chapter 20

    <h4>Chapter 20</h4>

    Lube rested the whole day. She wasn¡¯t able to sleep at all from constantly hiding and running around, so she needed as much rest as possible.

    When it turned dark, Zich and Lube went out of their lodging. After carrying Lube out through the window and putting her down first, Zich went back inside the room and went out through the front door. To their good fortune, the moon and stars were covered by clouds, and Zich held Lube¡¯s hands as they went through the darkness and headed towards the Mayor¡¯s mansion.

    ¡°It¡¯s over there,¡± Lube whispered while pointing towards a mansion.

    As expected, the mansion was enormous. Expensive and exotic nts lined the yard and surrounded a three-floor structure. There were over a dozen windows in the mansion. As if to disy the owner¡¯s wealth, the mansion was expensive as it was picturesque.

    Zich looked at the Mayor¡¯s mansion. Prior to the day, Zich had surveyed the grounds nearby, so he had seen the mansion before.

    ¡°Wait a moment here.¡±

    Zich left Lube for a bit and jumped on a roof nearby; from there, he looked around the mansion. Seeing the sight in front of him, his eyes narrowed in suspicion.

    Lamps were nted all around the yard; there was even a magicmp, so the mansion shone brightly. Guards could also be seen in the yard. All of this was not strange. There was that recent incident with Lube, and it was the Mayor¡¯s house after all, so having guards to protect the mansion was not strange.

    ¡®But there are too few guards. It also seems like there aren¡¯t any guards who can control mana.¡¯

    He also had the same suspicion when he saw the mansion during the day. Zich went down from the roof and told Lube what he saw. Then he asked her, ¡°Were there only a few guards from the start?¡±

    ¡°I-I can¡¯t really remember.¡±

    Lube put down her head in remorse, but Zich did not me her. As a candidate to be the next Saint, Lube was just starting to gain experience in the outside world; it was unreasonable to expect her to remember the number of guards in a person¡¯s house. Zich only asked just in case.

    ¡°Let¡¯s first try going in.¡±

    ¡°Will it be alright? Wasn¡¯t there something off?¡±

    ¡°Well, it seems like a trap could be waiting for us.¡±

    ¡°T-then should we not go in?¡±

    Lube was shocked at Zich¡¯s almost bored tone.

    ¡°Well, if we had a bit more leeway, we could step back and watch the situation a bit more and adjust our ns ordingly¡­but we don¡¯t have this leeway, right?¡±

    ¡°Y-yes.¡±

    ¡°Even if there is a trap, we have to go in anyway, right?¡±

    ¡°¡­Yes, you are right.¡±

    Lube¡¯s eyes shook in nervousness. Fear and hesitation twisted and shook her heart. However, in the end, what took over her heart were firm determination and strong will.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±

    Seeing her change in heart, Zich let out a small smile.

    ¡®As expected, I can see glimpses of her future self.¡¯

    Thinking back on it, the most bothersome and annoying figure in the Hero Party was Lube.

    ¡®In battle, you really have to kill the healer first.¡¯

    But that was the end to Zich¡¯s recollection. Zich focused on the present andmented, ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry too much. We are not going in recklessly.¡±

    Zich patted Lube¡¯s back to calm her down. When she seemed to calm down a bit, he lifted her over his shoulders.

    ¡°Ah!¡±

    About to let out a scream in shock, Lube quickly mped her mouth.

    ¡°W-what are you doing?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s because we are going to sneak into the mansion now. This is morefortable.¡±

    ¡°But it¡¯s like I¡¯m baggage!¡±

    ¡°You are baggage. At least for now.¡±

    Lube red at Zich, but he ignored her. He moved through the darkness and trod towards the mansion.

    Tap!

    With his light foot movements, his whole body soared. Lube held onto Zich¡¯s neck tightly. Even though she experienced this every time they went in and out of their lodging, she was still not used to Zich¡¯s jumps. After Zichnded on a soft patch of grass while hardly making a sound, he looked around.

    ¡®There are no guards around here, and there¡¯s not even a person checking out the window.¡¯

    Without hesitation, Zich kept moving forward. He used the shrubs, trees, and statues to keep himself hidden from the constantly moving guards. Lube watched Zich with surprise as he swiftly moved around. Finally, they reached one of the mansion¡¯s windows; the wooden window was sealed tightly shut. With one hand, Zich adjusted the arm he was holding Lube with, and he took out a dagger with the other hand. Then he pushed the dagger in through the window.

    Snap!

    After a light cutting sound, the window eased open without further protest. Zich went inside the window, and after putting Lube down, he closed the window again. He picked up a lock that had fallen, twisted it into a 90-degree angle, and used it to close the window as if he was sewing two frames together. The window was securely shut once more.

    ¡°I think you can rest easy for now. Nobody is near us.¡±

    ¡°When you told me that you lived a rough life, did it mean that you were a thief before?¡±

    ¡°Why? Did I sneak into the house too naturally?¡±

    ¡°Yes. At this rate, I would believe it if you told me that you were a master thief.¡±

    ¡°I used to be a noble.¡±

    ¡°Please don¡¯t lie.¡±

    Lube made a straight face.

    ¡°The crime of impersonating a noble is worth the death penalty.¡±

    ¡°When we are done with all of this, try investigating Zich Steelwall from the Steelwall family. You will probably find some interesting information.¡±

    ¡°Steelwall?¡±

    Even Lube knew about the Steelwall family. They were some of the most renowned aristocrats in the Kingdom.

    ¡®And he¡¯s saying that he is Zich Steelwall?¡¯

    By using Steelwall as hisst name, that meant he was one of the Lord¡¯s family members. Thus, there was a high chance that Zich was directly rted to the Count of Steelwall.

    Moreover, the person who Lube thought was a thief a moment ago had never revealed hisst name so far. He also had the amazing skill of cutting a small table in half with a wooden spoon.

    ¡°Wait a moment! Are you really a noble? And a Steelwall one at that?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s why I told you to try investigatingter on. There are more urgent matters right now.¡±

    Zich lightly tapped Lube¡¯s shoulders.

    ¡°Since we were able to enter the mansion sessfully, now it¡¯s your turn. Try to remember the location of the Mayor¡¯s room.¡±

    At Zich¡¯s words, Lube shook herself back to reality. As Zich said, it was not time for her to satisfy her curiosity about small matters.

    ¡°Please follow me.¡±

    Lube began to lead Zich carefully. Since the hallways were thickly carpeted, their footsteps made almost no sound. If there were people nearby, Zich would sense their presence and carry Lube to a nearby room until they disappeared. Zich could easily cut through all the door locks with his dagger, and after they made significant progress like this, Lube stopped at a specific door.

    ¡°It¡¯s here. Bellu¡¯s statue was stored here.¡±

    Zich red at the door. There was no human presence inside the room. However¡­

    ¡°There is an annoying feeling about this room.¡±

    To prove that Karuwiman and Bellid''s followers were like oil and water, Lube uncharacteristically remarked in a cynical voice, ¡°Well, all Bellid people are annoying.¡±

    Zich opened the door. The light from the hallway slowly seeped in through the door and into the room. And with the brightness, ¡®that thing¡¯ appeared. Its face resembled that of a fish and had two sets of horns on the sides of its face, top and bottom, totaling to four horns. The body was muscr, and there were webs on the statue¡¯s hands and feet. Its long, piercing eyes gave off the atmosphere of a starving beast, and they dared anyone toe inside to be ughtered in an instant.

    ¡°Bellid looks like a stupid fish head as usual.¡±

    ¡°Yes. Stupid Bellid people worship a stupid god like themselves.¡±

    Lube added on her own insults to Zich¡¯s mockery. Since Bellid was the evil god of water, many parts of his appearance manifested it. So, a nickname that stuck with him was fish head. Of course, the followers of Bellid despised this nickname.

    Zich approached the statue. Since Zich did not have holy powers like Lube, he did not have the ability to recognize if the dirty aura of Bellu was on the statue right away. However, if he directly touched the statue, he could find the information he wanted.

    Put!

    Zich put his hands on the statue and lightly imbued it with his mana. The statue reacted, and Zich¡¯s body shivered.

    ¡®It¡¯s a horrifying feeling no matter many times I feel it.¡±

    It felt something like touching a fish that had been rotting for several days or swimming in a filthy pool.

    Zich let go of the statue and said, ¡°It feels so dirty. It would actually be better if it was scary or dangerous instead. I feel like I¡¯m rolling around in a rotting trash can.¡±

    ¡°Ahah! That¡¯s a great expression!¡±

    Lube¡¯s eyes sparkled. It seemed as if the best way to gain this future Saint¡¯s trust was not only to perform acts of kindness but verbally attack followers of Bellid without mercy.

    ¡°But anyway, with this, we can now be sure that followers of Bellid are a part of this.¡±

    ¡°You didn¡¯t believe me?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m just making sure. There is a possibility that you could have been tricked.¡±

    ¡°I won¡¯t ever mistake Bellid¡¯s aura.¡±

    Lube sullenly replied to Zich¡¯s statement.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go look for the Mayor first. It seems like this is the main statue for the ritual; it would have been possible to cancel the ritual early on, but it¡¯s now impossible to do so without a great amount of force. The only way we can stop the ritual is to destroy the catalyst.¡±

    ¡°¡­Yes. Alright, I understand.¡±

    They left the room. But Lube looked regretful that they could not destroy the statue right away, and her eyes were glued to the statue for a long time.

    They began sneaking around the mansion again. In the same way that they found the room with Bellid¡¯s statue, they soon reached the Mayor¡¯s room. The Mayor¡¯s door was red and enormous with borate decorations. Anyone could have seen that it was the Mayor¡¯s room.

    ¡°This is it.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, it looks like it. The carpet is new.¡±

    It seemed like they had changed the blood-soaked carpets with new ones.

    ¡°Will he be inside?¡±

    ¡°I can feel a presence inside.¡±

    Zich and Lube¡¯s eyes met and they nodded together.

    Swing!

    Zich took out his sword, and Lube fixed her grip on her staff.

    Thud!

    Zich opened the door and entered the room first. Lube followed right behind him. A small number of candle lights lit up the room, but their few lights were nowhere near enough to brighten up the whole room. Rather than brightening up the room, the shimmering and shivering light only made the atmosphere more ominous.

    The room looked as if it was built to be used as an office and a reception space. In one corner of the room, there was an expensive table and chair used for business; and on another side of the room, there was a big wooden table andfortable looking chairs around it. There were also many fancy decorations on the walls.

    From the right side of the entrance, there was another door on the wall¡ªthat seemed to lead to the Mayor¡¯s bedroom. However, they didn¡¯t need to bother going into the Mayor¡¯s bedroom and find him there.

    Because there was a person looking at Zich and Lube with an arrogant attitude from his seat. He was dressed in fancy clothing and was severely overweight.

    ¡°He is the Ma¡­!¡±

    Zich acted faster than Lube¡¯s warnings.

    Swing!

    His swings were really like the wind. Zich cut through the room at a moment¡¯s notice. He climbed up the table and pointed his sword at the Mayor¡¯s neck and stopped there. It took him less time to do all this than for someone to blink their eyes.

    ¡°¡­Your¡­¡±

    Even before Lube finished her sentence, the situation was already over. Her words disappeared into thin air with no real purpose.

    ¡°Are you the Mayor? The main leader of Bellid¡¯s followers?¡± Zich asked, and the Mayor¡¯s ss-like eyes began to move towards him.

    ¡°Don¡¯t give him time! If he speaks, the undead wille to us in hoards!¡±

    Lube ran to where Zich was and urged him to punish the Mayor. However, Zich didn¡¯t move his sword, and he made eye contact with the Mayor.

    Sigh~!

    After letting out a sigh, Zich got up from the table and removed his sword from the Mayor¡¯s neck.

    ¡°What are you doing!¡± Lube shouted out in surprise. Zich shook his head in refusal.

    ¡°We got the wrong person.¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°This human is not the cause for these happenings.¡±

    Slice!

    Zich lightly swung his sword and cut off the Mayor¡¯s head. The Mayor¡¯s body began to grow limp. At this frightening sight, Lube closed her eyes for a few moments, but she soon opened her eyes and stared at Zich¡ªthe words he had said could not be ignored.

    ¡°What do you mean we got the wrong person? What does that mean¡­!¡±

    Zich suddenly moved. He moved as if he was the light, but his movements were as fluid as water as he cut through the air.

    Snap!

    A light cutting sound could be heard, and it was at that moment¡ª

    Kyaaaahhhh!

    It was a terrifying scream that sounded as if it came straight from hell, full of resentment and hate. Lube closed her ears with her hands, but this was not very helpful. The scream sounded like it was right inside her head. But even at this moment, Lube did not close her eyes. She saw something fly past in a jiff, and this ¡®thing¡¯ went past Lube and headed towards the room¡¯s entrance.

    Thud!

    A man popped out from nowhere and grabbed the flying object. Then, Lube saw the man frown and looked at the object in his hands.

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    Lube¡¯s eyes widened in surprise. The man was someone she knew from before.

    ¡°Mr. Deputy Mayor?¡±

 Chapter 21

    <h4>Chapter 21</h4>

    Zich stood in front of Lube and asked, ¡°Is he the Deputy Mayor?¡±

    ¡°Yes, he is the Deputy Mayor for sure. But how? I thought you died.¡±

    The Deputy Mayor didn¡¯t respond to Lube¡¯s question and continued to scowl as he stared at the item in his hands. It was a book.

    ¡°That is¡­!¡±

    Lube was astounded because she was familiar with the book that the Deputy Mayor was holding.

    ¡°The book that has Bellu¡¯s energy¡­¡±

    ¡°Its official name is ¡®Offering Ritual¡¯s Key,¡¯ Lady Lube,¡± the Deputy Mayor corrected as he closed the book. His voice was soft andfortable, but Zich noticed twisted emotions behind it.

    ¡°Sorry? What are you talking about¡­!¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t you get it?¡±

    Zich patted Lube¡¯s back.

    ¡°We have made the wrong conclusion. The Mayor isn¡¯t Bellu¡¯s servant but a puppet. He lost his senses and was just following someone else¡¯smands.¡±

    ¡°What¡ª!¡±

    Lube thought the Mayor was the mastermind behind everything, so she was in shock. She looked at the Mayor¡¯s head that was carelessly rolling in the corner and looked at Zich again.

    ¡°Then, who¡­?¡±

    Lube didn¡¯t finish her sentence and slowly turned her head. Then, her eyes rested on the Deputy Mayor. Even if she was slow at grasping the situation because of herck of experience, she realized it.

    ¡°Is it¡­?¡±

    ¡°Yes. He is probably the mastermind.¡±

    While scratching his neck, Zich pointed at the Deputy Mayor with the end of his chin. In response, the Deputy Mayor furrowed his eyes and stared at him.

    ¡°¡­You did this, right?¡±

    The Deputy Mayor opened the book which he had called the Offering Ritual¡¯s Key and showed the insides. Chilling writings were scrawled on the pages like they were casting curses, but some of the pages were ripped perfectly in half, which lessened the scariness.

    ¡°You suddenly jumped out, so I swung my sword instinctively. I apologize, but I have the ripped pages here.¡±

    Zich stamped on a nearby page with his feet and kicked it towards the Deputy Mayor. However, the page didn¡¯t fly to the Deputy Mayor and iled in the air at Zich¡¯s multiple kicks andnded back on the ground again. Both Zich and the Deputy Mayor didn¡¯t look at the pages.

    ¡°¡­It seems like this little rat hasn¡¯t realized the situation he¡¯s in yet.¡±

    ¡°Probably a hundred times better than you think.¡±

    Zich hung his sword on his shoulder and stared down at the Deputy Mayor with his chin raised and posture crooked. There wasn¡¯t an ounce of fear that the enemy had captured them. Thanks to that, Lube, whose heart raced with surprise and fear, was able to calm her nerves.

    ¡°Let me ask this first¡ªwhat did you do with the Holy Knights?¡±

    ¡°Did you think that they would still be alive?¡±

    Lube¡¯s eyes shook as their conversation went back and forth.

    Then, the Deputy Mayor¡¯s eyes moved to Lube. On his face, there was a fishy smile.

    ¡°I finely ground their corpses and fed them to the pond¡¯s fishes.¡±

    ¡°Ugh!¡±

    Lube let out a cry, and in her rage, the hand that grasped her staff trembled.

    ¡°Well, I guess my acting paid off. I was surprised when you escaped, but it¡¯s an even greater surprise that you came back with a talent like this so fast. It might have been dangerous if I got ambushed.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not ¡®might have been dangerous.¡¯ You would have died for sure.¡±

    Zich stretched out his thumb and drew a line across his neck. He was obviously indicating that the Deputy Mayor would have died in his hands, and from this provocation, the Deputy Mayor twitched his lips in difort.

    ¡°Who are you? Why are you working with the Karuwiman saint candidate? Are you some kind of Karuwiman secret service or force?¡±

    ¡°Not at all!¡±

    Zich cleanly denied it. The thought of being part of the Karuwiman¡¯s secret force chilled him. Even though he was developing a new rtionship with Karuwiman in this life, he had no intention of joining Karuwiman.

    ¡®And it will never happen even in the future.¡¯

    ¡°Then, why?¡±

    ¡°Because I wanted to do a good deed.¡±

    ¡°¡­What?¡± the Deputy Mayor asked again. In his perspective, it was an unthinkable answer. However, Zich expanded his chest even more and confidently dered, ¡°I said, ¡®I wanted to do a good deed.¡¯¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s why you joined forces with Karuwiman?¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡±

    ¡°¡­You really are out of your mind.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t criticize other people¡¯s way of living, you moron.¡±

    Zich spat on the ground.

    ¡°Well, fine. It seems like you are the only force she can mobilize right now. But if you really joined forces with Karuwiman for that reason, how about you join us from now on?¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°You said that you wanted to do a good deed? This world will be offered to Bellu anyways, which is the only right path for all living creatures in this world. If you really want to do a ¡®good deed,¡¯ supporting the path for Bellu is the real¡ª!¡±

    ¡°¡ªYou have a lot to say for someone who serves a fish''s head. For someone whose intelligence is simr to that of a fish like the god you serve, you shouldn¡¯t talk for too long. If you talk for a bit more, you will be unable to keep up with your inferior intelligence and get tongue-tied.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t re at me too much. I am just saying this in good faith. Isn¡¯t it a fact that everyone in the world knows that your god and his followers have the same intelligence level as a fish¡¯s head¡ªis stupid, to say the least? You can only progress if you ept your faults.¡±

    ¡°Hmph! Pfft pfft!¡±

    From his side, a stifledugh leaked out. Lube had been coldly ring at the Deputy Mayor, and she was keeping herself fromughing out loud at Zich¡¯s delightful remarks.

    ¡°¡­If you want to die that much, I will let you. No, if I consider the price for damaging this key, I will not let you have an easy death. Beg for forgiveness to Bellu for your sins as you suffer.¡±

    The Deputy Mayor lifted his book. Dark mana exuded out from the book and enclosed the surroundings. Then, the Deputy Mayor took a step backward and moved away from the door. Simultaneously, something began to flow into the room and fill it.

    ¡°It¡¯s the undead.¡±

    Zich raised his sword. He could sense that these creatures were multiplying. It seemed that the Deputy Mayor was continuing to summon them from somewhere.

    ¡°Kill the guy! The girl is useful, so leave her alive!¡±

    ¡°Be careful, Mr. Zich!¡±

    Lube raised her staff and generated holy powers. Her face was full of determination, like she was ready to put her life on the line. On the other hand, Zich was utterly calm.

    ¡°When I see guys like you, I always wonder about one thing.¡±

    While he was preparing his stance, he murmured, ¡°Why do you think things will always go your way? Last time, you fucking failed and lost Lube!¡±

    Wing!

    Zich swung his sword. Mana engulfed into his sword¡¯s body like turbulent waves and poured out. The intangible edges of his de split into dozens and flew out in all directions.

    Slice! Slice! Slice!

    The room buzzed with dozens of cutting sounds. Lube was determined to put her life on the line, and even the Deputy Mayor who had ridiculed them lost his senses as he watched the unrealistic scene before them.

    However, the Deputy Mayor couldn''t simply stay watching as a sharp shnded on him.

    ¡°Ugh!¡±

    The Deputy Mayor raised his book, and more energy poured out.

    Crash!

    The sh collided against a transparent wall and copsed futilely, but it was the only one that failed to make its mark.

    Drop! Drop!

    Many of the undead fell to the ground at Zich¡¯s sessful shes. It was an impressive skill, but Zich clicked his tongue like he wasn¡¯t satisfied.

    ¡°As expected, that book is quite an item.¡±

    In response to Zich¡¯s skills that went beyond his expectations, the Deputy Mayor¡¯s heart thumped. But thatsted for a moment. When Zich showed appreciation for his book, the Deputy Mayor¡¯s chest expanded again.

    ¡°Of course! Do you think that this artifact, filled with Bellu¡¯s sacred powers, will merely break apart by your attacks¡ª!¡±

    ¡°¡ªAh, never mind.¡±

    Zich cut off the Deputy Mayor¡¯s words.

    ¡°¡­You are insolent until the end. But no matter how much you resist, you can¡¯t escape¡ª!¡±

    ¡°¡ªI said, never mind. You can¡¯t even use your powers properly because the book is ruined, right?¡±

    Zich stomped on the ripped pages on the ground as if he wanted the Deputy Mayor to look at them again.

    The Deputy Mayor¡¯s forehead wrinkled, but he regained hisposure again and said, ¡°I won¡¯t be affected by that much.¡±

    ¡°Is that so? Then, hurry up and call the advanced types of undead like you did when facing the Holy Knights.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    The Deputy Mayor couldn¡¯t say anything and gritted his teeth. A considerable number of undead were swarming outside the room, but they were all mid-level. The advanced undead types that had attacked the Holy Knights were nowhere to be found.

    ¡°¡­Even if that is the case, if I gather the patrol guards outside¡ª¡±

    ¡°The patrol guards are not on your side though. No, to be exact, they are not on Bellu¡¯s side.¡±

    Lube''s face darkened at the thought of the patrol guards, and she asked in surprise, ¡°Is this true?¡±

    ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you? The number of patrol guards is small; they also don¡¯t include the knights who can control mana.¡±

    ¡°Ha, that¡¯s because I was trying to lure in the girl who escaped.¡±

    The Deputy Mayor snorted, but Zich grunted two times louder in the same manner.

    ¡°Ok, then let¡¯s say that you decreased the guards on purpose. Then, what was the purpose of decreasing the number of housekeepers?¡±

    In the daytime, Zich hadn¡¯t only checked out the number of guards; he had checked out the housekeepers wandering in the residence¡¯s gardens and trailed the servants going out to the city to buy water. He had observed their behaviors, eavesdropped on their conversations, and gathered information from the shopkeepers who sold them the goods.

    ¡°I know because I used to be an aristocrat. They are barely managing to keep the house running with the minimum number of employees. Did you know that they significantly dropped the number of not only soldiers, but the housekeepers as well? It can only mean that they are hiding something, and they¡¯re the ones hiding it.¡±

    Zich pointed at the undead. This was the reason why he had brought Lube to this ce that was likely a trap: he was nning to involve the residence¡¯s soldiers and housekeepers once the undead came out.

    Although the Holy Knights had died senselessly from a sudden attack, it was a different situation for Zich. He knew that there were undead roaming inside the residence and hade prepared. It was also possible for him to contact the soldiers for reinforcement while he withstood the undead¡¯s attack; and in the middle of that chaos, Zich could simply escape with Lube.

    ¡®Although it is a n that Lube will protest against since it uses innocent lives¡­¡¯

    That was why he had not informed her of his n, but it didn¡¯t matter now. It was apparent that the Deputy Mayor had lost the power to stop them with the broken artifact.

    ¡®It¡¯s good that I handled the artifact from the beginning.¡¯

    Zich appreciated his reflexes for a moment.

    ¡°Ok, so, you can no longer summon the high-level undead types to cut off our retreat, and if things go wrong, the undead will collide with the soldiers outside and make amotion. Then, I guess everyone will find out that you, who should be dead, arepletely fine and well?¡±

    ¡°¡­Fine. I will admit it. I can¡¯t stop you guys from retreating, but so what? The preparation to offer this city to Bellu is alreadyplete. Didn¡¯t you guyse here to stop that? What can you aplish by retreating now?¡±

    Lube¡¯s body trembled. She wanted to strike her staff on the Deputy Mayor¡¯s fishy face. Unlike Lube, Zich stayed calm once again. The Deputy Mayor¡¯s face was filled with worry as he wondered if Zich was still hiding something else.

    ¡°But the artifact¡ªyou know the key you talked about¡ªis broken. It¡¯s impossible toplete the ritual right now. Stop bluffing.¡±

    ¡°The key doesn¡¯t matter with the ritual¡ª"

    ¡°You want us to believe that? That¡¯s good. We will escape, and you canplete your ritual then. Make sure you do that, alright?¡±

    ¡°¡­This is only for a moment. It can be restored in no time.¡±

    ¡°You bastard, why are you bluffing even when it won¡¯t work? And for us, even that short amount of time is enough to do something.¡±

    ¡°¡­What are you nning?¡±

    ¡°What do you think I will do once I get out of here? I am going to search around the city first. Then, I¡¯m going to find the stone statues of Bellu that you have stationed all over the city, and I am going to break each one of them.¡±

    The Deputy Mayor looked like he was going to say something, but Zich didn¡¯t give him a chance to and continued, ¡°Of course, since the ritual is almostplete, destroying the stone statues won¡¯t do anything since their energies have already contaminated the groundwater and are shifting under this city. But do you think that I don¡¯t know? If a follower of Karuwimanpletes a certain action on those fish head statues, the power of your ritual will diminish.¡±

    ¡°I-is that really true?¡±

    ¡°Yes, it is. I learned it by coincidence. We can¡¯t push the time of the ritual long enough to get outside help, but we can greatly diminish the power he can control. So, the moment we think he dramatically decreased his power, we can destroy the center of all the statues, which is the statue in this residence. If the ritual¡¯s power diminishes, we will be able to destroy it. We can¡¯t move the central piece of the ritual, so it will be the perfect target.¡±

    Even Lube wasn¡¯t aware of this fact. However, she didn¡¯t doubt Zich¡¯s words, and she rejoiced in her newfound hope. On the contrary, the Deputy Mayor¡¯s face twisted like an evil spirit.

 Chapter 22

    <h4>Chapter 22</h4>

    ¡°Don¡¯t be ridiculous! If there was a solution like that, why did youe here instead of searching for the statues around the city?¡±

    ¡°Because we didn¡¯t know how much progress you made with the ritual. How can we be so easygoing when the ritual could happen today? Also, the situation is different now.¡±

    Zich pointed at the book that the Deputy Mayor was holding.

    ¡°Since the catalyst is in a state like that, you won¡¯t be able to do the ritual right away. Of course, we wouldn¡¯t be able to buy much time¡ªprobably not even a couple of days, but so what? If we find even one statue in that time, the game is over. If we destroy a statue, your power will diminish, and the ritual will get pushed off again. Then, we can use that extra time to continue to find more statues.¡±

    ¡°Capture them!¡±

    As if Zich had hit the bull¡¯s eye, the Deputy Mayor ordered all the waiting undead toe forward and opened up his book. But Zich was faster.

    ¡°Then let¡¯s see each otherter!¡±

    Crash!

    As he swung his sword, a huge hole formed on the building¡¯s wall. Then, Zich wrapped his arm around Lube¡¯s waist and jumped out of the hole. Indeed, the Deputy Mayor must have thought that it would be dangerous to show a scene where a great deal of undead poured out of the Mayor¡¯s house, so none of the undead followed them.

    ¡®It''s too risky to show the saint candidate fighting the undead.¡¯

    The Deputy Mayor had falsely charged Lube for summoning the undead and didn¡¯t want to provide the evidence that she was actually an opposing force.

    ¡®I am going to use this situation to make a greater case against Lube.¡¯

    Bump!

    Zich softlynded on the ground, but he wasn¡¯tpletely safe. In front of him, surprised guards had seen Zich and Lube suddenly jump out of the building.

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°An intruder?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s Lube! The Witch, Lube!¡±

    ¡°The Witch came to attack again!¡±

    The guards found Lube, and their eyes turned hostile.

    ¡®Well, look at what will happen.¡¯

    With this, Lube¡¯s false charge would worsen, and news that Zich was herpanion would spread far and wide.

    ¡®We will be falsely charged with assassinating the Mayor now too. Actually, is it not a false charge? It¡¯s true that I killed him.¡¯

    If he thought like that, it could have been better if he hadn¡¯t killed the Mayor. But Zich quickly threw that thought away. At that time, the Mayor was the same as a tool. He was remodeled to handle the book called the ¡®Key¡¯ better than anyone else.

    ¡®Before my regression, those Bellid guys used this tactic a lot. If the Mayor was alive, the situation would have worsened.¡¯

    Holding Lube like some luggage, Zich said, ¡°You became famous, Lady Lube. They are weing you as the Witch as soon as they see you.¡±

    ¡°Who is the man with the Witch?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know! He is probably the Witch¡¯s underling or something like that! Don¡¯t let him out!¡±

    ¡°What? The Witch¡¯s underling? Underling? If I¡¯m being particr, I am the Demon Lord, which is even higher than a witch,¡± Zich grumbled while fixing his grip on his sword.

    ¡°M-Mr. Zich! They don¡¯t know anything¡­!¡±

    ¡°I know, Lady.¡±

    If it were a dangerous situation, Zich wouldn¡¯t have bothered to answer, but he was facing trained, ordinary soldiers at most. There was no need to kill them. He slid his sword back into its sheath and lifted his sword in its sheathed form.

    ¡°Please tolerate it if I break some of your bones.¡±

    Then, he ran towards the guards running at him.

    The guards¡¯ long poles aimed for him, but Zich smoothly moved between the poles and escaped. Then, as a spear passed by their faces, Lube let out a small scream.

    Crack! Crack!

    ¡°Ah!¡±

    ¡°Urgh!¡±

    One fell with every strike. Their arms, legs, or armor broke while their bones were smashed under Zich¡¯s hands. The guards in front of them fell to the ground instantly, and a huge opening appeared between them. Without hesitation, Zich ran.

    His new shoes shone under the sunlight. Other soldiers joined, but Zich and Lube had already gone over the wall and disappeared.

    * * *

    The city was in a mess. The Deputy Mayor was dead, and Lube, who had tried to curse the city, even seeded in assassinating the Mayor. As expected, the city¡¯s economy froze even more. The next in line after the Mayor and the Deputy Mayor took the now-empty leadership role, but it wasn¡¯t as same as when the Mayor was still alive. People began to fear that their city¡¯s autonomy would be taken away, and they cursed the Witch and her newly discoveredpanion.

    And what the two, receiving all the insults from the city¡¯s residents were doing was¡­

    ¡°Yeah, it came out well.¡±

    Zich came out from the cover of the night and stared at the wanted poster of him that was posted next to Lube¡¯s. Unlike Lube¡¯s, the drawing of him was a rough outline thatcked in many ways and failed to identify specific characteristics.

    ¡°Even this sloppy drawing can¡¯t hide my handsomeness. I have to say that my face is quite fine to look at.¡± Zich swiped his face exaggeratedly and chuckled.

    ¡®It seems like I¡¯m right, seeing how they drew me. Although the guards couldn¡¯t have seen me properly, that Deputy Mayor saw my face.¡±

    Even if he was pretending to be dead, the Deputy Mayor should have had the influence to ce a more urate drawing of Zich¡¯s face on the wanted poster. But if the wanted poster was made this poorly, it could mean that the Deputy Mayor hadn¡¯t intervened in its making process at all.

    Zich suddenly felt a firelight and the sound of armor nking from afar.

    ¡°Whoops! Since I am wanted, I should quickly hide. This reminds me of the old days.¡±

    Before Zich regressed and earned his powers, he had lived hiding most of the time. While reminiscing, Zich skillfully escaped from the guards and moved. He escaped into the inner-city houses for the poor; the worn-out buildings there looked like they were about to crumble at any moment, and a foul stench seeped out of the area.

    Zich knocked on the door. As promised, he knocked four times in a row, rested, knocked two more times, and rested again before he knocked five times.

    Creak!

    The door opened like a frail old man, swallowing back his feeble groans and breaking the deafening silence.

    ¡°Come in,¡± Lube said while searching Zich''s surroundings in case a person had trailed Zich. As soon as Zich came in, the door closed.

    ¡°You have be a true criminal now, Lady.¡±

    ¡°Yes, I am thinking about changing careers,¡± Lube responded while taking Zich¡¯s luggage. What happened in the past couple of weeks had been so heavy that Lube¡¯s personality seemed to have grown more rxed. Lube searched through the luggage Zich had brought. There were food ingredients inside.

    ¡°Where did you get all of this?¡±

    ¡°I borrowed them.¡±

    Zich shrugged. He said he borrowed it, but of course, Lube couldn¡¯t simply ept that.

    ¡°You stole them.¡±

    ¡°Well, I can¡¯t make a fair deal right now.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s true.¡±

    Lube knew that in their situation, it couldn¡¯t be helped. But it didn¡¯t change the fact that her heart felt heavy.

    ¡°Don¡¯t make a face like that. I didn¡¯t steal.¡±

    ¡°Really?¡±

    Zich handed her a slip of paper. On it, names of ces, their locations, and items were written all over the page.

    ¡°These are the ces where I got the items from. When this is all over, we can just pay them all back at once. In short, it¡¯s like a credit¡ªnot stealing.¡±

    ¡°¡­To make a credit, don¡¯t you need the owner¡¯s agreement?¡±

    ¡°We can¡¯t only live by the rules. What about giving them twice the price of the items as an apology?¡±

    Zich winked. Lubeughed despondently and nodded.

    ¡°I am going to write off the credits as a business expense. Is that fine with you?¡±

    ¡°I will be grateful if you do that.¡±

    Zich and Lube dropped the food items on the rusty table. Although the table looked dirty, since they were in an abandoned house in the slums, they were grateful that there was furniture.

    While chewing the hard bread, they talked.

    ¡°We are going to look for Bellu¡¯s stone statues now, right?¡±

    ¡°Yes, we have to.¡±

    ¡°Is there a method to find them?¡±

    Even if they searched all around the city, Porti wasrge. On top of that, both of them were wanted and couldn¡¯t move freely.

    ¡°Yes, there is a method. Let¡¯s go to the slums first. It¡¯s easier to move there than other ces, and I already have a ce in mind.¡±

    ¡°Sounds good.¡±

    Lube followed Zich¡¯s suggestion.

    ¡°By the way, what happened to the man named Hans? You didn¡¯t just forget¡­?¡±

    ¡°That guy already left the city some time ago. I ordered him to do something.¡±

    ¡°Thank goodness.¡±

    Lube felt relieved since she worried that the Deputy Mayor might have captured Hans. If he left the city, Hans would at least be safer than them. So, the two finished their meal in silence and prepared for the near future.

    * * *

    ¡°Hey, hasn¡¯t it been a while?¡±

    Zich brought Lube to a small open area. Three people were standing in a reeking area piled with waste and trash. As if he was meeting a familiar acquaintance, Zich waved his hands at the three men and approached them.

    The three men turned around and scowled as if they all had a bad temper. However, thatsted for only a moment. When they recognized Zich, they became startled.

    ¡°Shit! Run!¡±

    ¡°Wait, wait! I have something to ask you.¡±

    Without much difficulty, Zich stopped the three from escaping. Lube checked the men as they hung their heads down low¡ªthey lined up neatly in front of Zich and Lube tilted her head.

    ¡°Why? Do you recognize them?¡± Zich asked.

    ¡°Yes, I feel like I have seen them before.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s when Lady Lube first met me. These guys were with me when we beat that shopkeeper up.¡±

    ¡°Ah!¡±

    Lube thought they looked familiar; they were the thugs she saw in her shocking reunion with Zich. When the three men saw Lube, their faces filled with dread.

    ¡°T-the Witch!¡±

    ¡°I knew it! He¡¯s the Witch¡¯s underling!¡±

    ¡°Huh? Who is the underling?¡±

    All three thugs simultaneously cowered back. But among the three, one red at Zich and Lube like he wanted to kill them. He looked like a young man who recently passed his adolescence.

    ¡°What are you here for?¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s troubling you, buddy? We bonded while beating up a person in a back alleyway together.¡±

    It wasn¡¯t a bonding to brag over, but Lube held her tongue at Zich¡¯s shamelessness. The thugs also hung their mouths wide open, but Zich simply ced his arms around the young man.

    ¡°I have something I am curious about. Think you can cooperate with us? We will reward you very well.¡±

    Zich took out a pouch full of money from his pockets. Zich had money; it was just that he couldn¡¯t strike a deal with people personally in his current situation. Of course, collecting credit was another type of conversation. Besides, after all of this was over, Karuwiman would pay him back for his losses.

    ¡®I shouldn¡¯t try to save money in a ce like this.¡¯

    Zich thought it was best to encourage them to use their heads on their own free will. Of course, if money didn¡¯t work, Zich thought he wouldn¡¯t hesitate to use his fists. The three thugs stared at the pouch full of money. The coins that shone brightly inside the pouch made them dizzy. However, their answer wasn¡¯t satisfactory.

    ¡°¡­No.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t be like that and think about it one more time. It¡¯s not a big deal. Isn¡¯t there anyone who suddenly fell ill or died? Like someone who has suddenly lost their vitality?¡±

    The thugs¡¯ expressions stiffened, and Zich¡¯s eyes sparkled.

    ¡°You guys know something, right?¡±

    ¡°We don¡¯t know!¡±

    ¡°It will be better for you guys to just take this money and tell us. I don¡¯t intend to let you guys off now that I know you know something. And, because of our situation, I also intend to use whatever means and methods possible. Don¡¯t you think it¡¯s better to take the money rather than go through a lot of pain anyways?¡±

    Zich put pressure on the arm that he had ced on the top of the young man¡¯s shoulders.

    ¡°Ugh!¡±

    The young man groaned, but in the end, he didn¡¯t open his mouth. So, Zich¡¯s eyes became crueler. He was thinking of all kinds of torture methods¡ª

    Drop!

    Lube kneeled in front of the young man. The slums¡¯ dirty ground dirtied her dress, but she didn¡¯t seem to mind. Everyone¡¯s eyes widened at the sight.

    ¡°I beg you.¡± She pleaded, ¡°This is not for our personal gain. I know you won¡¯t be able to believe us easily, but this city is in great danger right now. At worst, this city could be the city of the dead. Even now, the undead are roaming around the city, but a more terrifying¡ª¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t make meugh! This is all because of you guys!¡± the young man shouted.

    ¡°I am just telling you beforehand, but we have no rtions with those skeleton bastards. Can¡¯t you believe these pure-looking eyes?¡±

    Zich tried to open his eyes as wide as he could and tried to make an innocent face, but it wasn¡¯t very effective.

    ¡°You expect me to believe you with just that! If it weren¡¯t for you guys, my younger brother wouldn¡¯t have¡­!¡±

    ¡°Huh? Your younger brother?¡±

    The young man closed his mouth with an expression that seemed to say, ¡®Oops!¡¯ But Zich had already gotten the information he needed.

    ¡°Oh, so the person we are looking for is your younger brother.¡±

    The young man¡¯s face froze.

 Chapter 23

    <h4>Chapter 23</h4>

    ¡°Okay then, why don¡¯t you guide us to your house?¡±

    ¡°As if I will! What more are you going to do to my younger brother!¡±

    The young man resisted desperately, but he couldn¡¯t escape out of Zich¡¯s sturdy arms. He tried to throw punches at Zich¡¯s face, but Zich avoided them with minimum movements or used his other hand to block.

    The scuffling went on for a while, but in the end, the young man gave up while panting with his reddened face. Thus, Lube intervened. She was still kneeling on the floor.

    ¡°We have no intention to do your brother any harm. We truly want to solve the problems that are going around the city right now. Besides, I might be able to heal your younger brother.¡±

    ¡°You want me to believe that?¡±

    Words about Zich and Lube¡¯s deeds had spread throughout the whole city, and their not-so-great first meeting made the young man doubtful of them.

    Zich added, ¡°Hey, it¡¯s understandable why you can¡¯t trust us. I willy out the facts so that you can think about your situation more clearly. Isn¡¯t your younger brother in a really bad condition? He probably isn¡¯t hurting in a specific area, but he keeps getting weaker as if he is moving closer towards death.¡±

    The young man¡¯s pupils shook.

    ¡°No matter how much he eats, he loses weight and has a hard time walking. In the end, he can only lie on the bed. But even that¡¯s only for a short while, because he will die soon.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    The young man didn¡¯t respond, but his tightly gripped fist proved that Zich¡¯s words were correct.

    ¡°Even if you don¡¯t guide us to him, your younger brother will die. Even if you work hard selling goods, how likely will you be able to save your brother¡¯s life? Shouldn¡¯t you try to grasp even a strand of hope in a situation like this?¡±

    Zich¡¯s words were like a demon¡¯s temptations, and the young man bit his lips.

    * * *

    The young man guided Zich and Lube to a house in the slums. Like the ce they were staying in, the house was worn-out, shabby, and smelly.

    ¡°It must be him.¡±

    A young boy was sleeping on a bed made out of a rotting pile of straw underneath him and a dirty straw mat over him. It didn¡¯t look like the boy was diseased. Hisplexion looked alright, and his breathing was normal. However, the boy was extremely emaciated and bony like a mummy; and even while considering the fact that the slums¡¯ residents didn¡¯t get enough nutrients, the boy¡¯s condition was extreme.

    ¡°Yes, Lady.¡±

    The young man, Timmy, answered Lube¡¯s question. Timmy was still wary of the two, but as if he thought he should get along with them to help his younger brother, his tone and speech had be polite.

    Without hesitation, Lube ced her hand on the boy¡¯s chest. Timmy flinched but didn¡¯t stop Lube.

    ¡°How¡¯s his condition?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s as we expected.¡±

    Lube took her hand off the boy and answered Zich.

    ¡°I almost can¡¯t feel any of his life force. Instead, I can feel Bellu¡¯s dirty energy. What we thought was right. This boy is the sacrifice.¡±

    ¡°Sacrifice? My brother is a sacrifice?¡±

    Timmy hurriedly hung onto Lube, but Lube wavered. She was hesitant to tell the dark truth to the boy¡¯s older brother. Thus, Zich came forward in her ce.

    ¡°I will exin it to you simply. Some guys spread the undead in this city and falsely charged us with those crimes. They are the Bellid guys. You know about them, right? And those guys sucked away your brother¡¯s life force toplete a ritual. Thankfully, they didn¡¯t take enough to kill your brother, but that can happen any moment now.¡±

    A bunch of gigantic schemes and conspiracies had just been revealed to him, but Timmy wasn''t curious about that.

    ¡°T-then what? Can my brother get better?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, of course.¡±

    With her head lowered and her heart filled with guilt, she asked in surprise, ¡°Really?! Is there really a way for him to get better?¡±

    Even she didn¡¯t know how to cure a person whose life force was taken away from them.

    ¡°Yes, there definitely is one.¡±

    ¡°H-how¡­?¡± Timmy pitifully asked as if he had thrown away all of his wariness about the two.

    ¡°It¡¯s simple. We just have to give back the life force that your brother lost. Then, as you can expect, we just have to know where your brother¡¯s life force went.¡±

    Zich¡¯s voice changed slightly.

    ¡°How did your brother be like this¡ªdoes anythinge to mind? Like where he went or who he met before he copsed.¡±

    ¡°Someonees to my mind.¡±

    ¡°Oh, really?¡±

    Timmy seemed sure, and Zich and Lube got their hopes up.

    ¡°That¡¯s good, buddy. You just increased the chances of your brother¡¯s survival. So, tell us. Where? Or who?¡±

    ¡°That bastard, Sude.¡±

    ¡°Who?¡±

    ¡°The bastard, Sude. You know, the guy you helped us beat up. That bastard.¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    Lube spoke up unintentionally while listening to their conversation.

    Timmy looked at Lube. He had a lot of anger on his face, and Lube dipped her neck.

    ¡°I¡¯m saying, it¡¯s that shopkeeper bastard you saved!¡± Timmy shouted.

    Zich quickly covered Timmy¡¯s mouth. For Zich and Lube, who were in hiding, it wasn¡¯t good to make amotion. Thankfully, Timmy didn¡¯t shout after that, but even as Zich blocked Timmy¡¯s mouth with his hands, Timmy continued to re at Lube.

    ¡°Hey buddy, let¡¯s calm down. We have to move secretly. That will be better for your brother. You understand, right?¡±

    Timmy nodded, and Zich took his hand away.

    ¡°Then, exin to us. Keep in mind that you will increase your brother¡¯s chance of survival the more details you give us.¡±

    ¡°¡­It happened ten or so days ago. That day, I also came back after making money. I don¡¯t know about you guys, but for us, if we rest even one day, we will starve. I can¡¯t rest even if my brother¡¯s condition is like this.¡±

    Timmy wiped down his brother¡¯s forehead. Maybe because the boy felt a familiar hand, a smile formed on his face after a bit of tossing and turning; it was a touching scene, but the boy¡¯s stick-skinny body actually made the scene look more pitiful.

    ¡°I was a bitte that day because there was some work that made good money.¡±

    Timmy hade home with a sack that was fuller than usual. But the satisfaction he got from feeling the sack¡¯s heavy touch didn¡¯tst long.

    ¡°My younger brother wasn¡¯t at home. He was always home by the time I came back from work because I told him that he has to stay inside the house at nighttime.¡±

    Of course, Timmy went to look for his brother. In the slums, where it wasn¡¯t an exaggeration to sayw and order didn¡¯t exist, all kinds of thoughts filled Timmy¡¯s head. However, he didn¡¯t give up; his brother was his only family.

    ¡°I wandered around the slums for a long time until I found my brother in an open area.¡±

    However, his younger brother wasn¡¯t the only one there. There was a man wearing a mask.

    ¡°My younger brother was lying on the floor, and the man was crouching over him.¡±

    The man was sticking something into his younger brother¡¯s arm. Timmy could still remember it vividly as the chilling and terrifying de glinted under the moonlight.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t even have the time to think. I lunged towards the man while screaming. The man was surprised, but I was faster than him, and we got entangled in a fight.¡±

    The fight had continued. Although Timmy¡¯s skills were superior to the man¡¯s, he had to watch out for the man¡¯s knife¡ªit prolonged the fight and Timmy eventually lost the man.

    ¡°But I still seeded in taking that man¡¯s mask off.¡±

    Timmy distinctly remembered the face revealed by the moonlight.

    ¡°To look for ways to make money or even beg sometimes, I went to the shopping and business district many times. And there, I was especially familiar with one person.¡±

    ¡°And that guy must be Sude.¡± Zich continued for him.

    Without even having the time to chase after Sude, Timmy had checked his brother¡¯s state first. He examined his brother¡¯s arm which had been pierced by a knife, but it was strange.

    ¡°There wasn¡¯t a trace of blood or even a single scratch. And my younger brother woke up soon afterward. I was relieved. I just thought that my brother almost got mixed up in a kidnapping that happened in the slums, and I had just imagined the knife. But after that incident, my brother lost energy and fainted. And he began to change into this, as you can see.¡±

    Timmy looked at his younger brother pitifully.

    ¡°Even if I somehow found some food and fed him, it was useless. I thought I was going out of my mind since it didn¡¯t seem like he was hurting anywhere, but he kept getting weaker. Like you said, it was as if his life force was getting sucked away.¡±

    Then, he remembered the man who had attacked his brother and the man¡¯s chilling dagger.

    ¡°A dagger that didn¡¯t leave a mark after piercing into a person. I thought it had to be a rare item, and it could exin my brother¡¯s strange condition.¡±

    As expected, Timmy had gone to look Sude; since Sude was someone he knew, it wasn¡¯t hard to find him. But there wasn¡¯t anything he could do. The Magistrate didn¡¯t care for poor people like him, and their opponent was a member of society unlike them.

    ¡°But I couldn¡¯t stand by when I thought of my younger brother. So, in the end, I thought of resolving things by force.¡±

    ¡°You must have met me then.¡±

    ¡°Yes, I thought I should take the guy¡¯s dagger first. Then, I thought I could use it to trade for information about curing my brother. I also thought that even if the guy refused to tell us anything, in the end, the Magistrate might do something with a piece of evidence like that.¡±

    Timmy stopped talking for a moment and red at Lube again.

    ¡°But some virtuous person ruined everything.¡±

    ¡°I-I¡¯m sorry. I misunderstood¡­¡±

    ¡°Misunderstood?¡±

    Timmy¡¯s voice was sharp.

    ¡°Why? Was it because we were one-sidedly beating him up? Or was it because we were people from the slums? Or because I was a gangster bastard¡¯s son? In your eyes, did you just see us as the strong and the guy as the weak? So, were you certain that we must have been in the wrong?¡±

    Timmy¡¯s voice started to grow louder and louder.

    ¡°Because of your great misunderstanding, my younger brother¡­!¡±

    ¡°Ok, ok, buddy, stop it. Let¡¯s calm down.¡±

    Zich patted Timmy¡¯s shoulders.

    ¡°Don¡¯t criticize her too much. As you said, the Lady has only lived a refined, protected life and hasn¡¯t experienced much. Besides, she is aware of her faults and is trying to fix them too. And that is a surprisingly difficult thing to do.¡±

    Timmy suppressed his anger.

    Lube couldn¡¯t make a single retort, and each of Timmy¡¯s resentful words pierced the corners of her heart.

    * * *

    With the clue about Sude, Zich and Lube went out of Timmy¡¯s house.

    Timmy even saw them off from his house¡¯s door.

    ¡°I beg you. Please cure my younger brother.¡± As if his emotions had calmed down, Timmy talked politely again.

    ¡°Yes, even if I have to swear it on my life, we will seed.¡±

    Maybe because Lube felt a sense of debt towards Timmy, she showed fierce determination. Timmy stared at Lube for a moment and nodded. Zich and Timmy also exchanged greetings.

    ¡°Hey, buddy. Thank you for your cooperation. Don¡¯t worry too much. Your brother will get better soon.¡±

    ¡°I really beg you.¡±

    ¡°Of course. But I am curious about one thing. Surprisingly, you don¡¯t seem to resent me. Is there a reason for that?¡±

    Zich had ignored Timmy when Lube first appeared in the alleyway. It could be said that Zich had betrayed Timmy. However, Timmy surprisingly didn¡¯t show particr hostility towards Zich, and there was a clear difference in his attitude between Lube and Zich.

    ¡°Ah, you mean that.¡± Timmy hesitated for a bit and said with embarrassment, ¡°You were the first one besides my friends¡­ who wanted to help me for no reason at all. Help us, who our own parents abandoned. That¡¯s probably why I can¡¯t really feel hostile to you.¡±

    Why? Zich¡¯s face froze like a bird hit by a bird gun.

    ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡±

    ¡°No, it¡¯s nothing.¡±

    Timmy looked at him strangely. But Zich didn¡¯t say much, and Timmy didn¡¯t ask further.

    ¡°Anyways, did you guys really not kill Mr. Mayor and the Deputy Mayor? Or cast a great curse on the city?¡±

    Even though his mind had only been focused on his younger brother, Timmy began to collect his senses and asked questions. It was also strange that Timmy added ¡®Mr¡¯ before only the Mayor, but Zich answered him.

    ¡°If you know the truth, you will be in danger. It¡¯s better for you not to know.¡±

    ¡°Then, just tell me if Mr. Mayor is dead or not.¡±

    ¡°He died.¡±

    Zich thought this much was fine to tell Timmy, but Lube thought, ¡®Why did Timmy show interest in only the Mayor? Was he happy that the greedy Mayor was dead?¡¯

    However, Timmy¡¯s response waspletely unexpected.

    ¡°That¡¯s regretful. He was a good person.¡±

    ¡°Sorry?¡± Lube was surprised. ¡°A good person? The Mayor?¡±

    ¡°Yes, he was too good of a person, making it hard to believe that he was from this greedy city.¡±

    ¡°But the rumors about him weren¡¯t really great¡­¡±

    Timmy scowled.

    ¡°Did you hear them from merchants or people rted to them? Those people dislike the Mayor because the Mayor tried to help poor people like us with the city¡¯s taxes. Of course, most of the merchants weren¡¯t happy about that. And unfortunately, since the merchants have a strong voice in this city, rumors about Mr. Mayor naturally grew bad.¡±

    ¡°But the Mayor¡¯s lifestyle was extravagant and wasteful, and his house was so big. It¡¯s hard to see him as a person like that! He looked greedy too!¡±

    ¡°What are you talking about?¡± Timmy spat out in an annoyed voice, and Lube closed her mouth. In her confused state, Lube looked like a dying tree, struggling to hold onto its center.

    ¡°Why does it matter that his lifestyle was extravagant, or his house was big, or he was wasteful? As someone who was in charge of the city, he was also a sessful merchant. Although it can make some feel jealous, it doesn¡¯t matter what he does with his own money. In addition to that, he always donated to the poor. Among all the merchants in this damn city, he was the only one who spent money on the poor and cared about us. And what do you mean that he looked greedy! What does one¡¯s character have to do with their looks?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Lube couldn¡¯t say a word in response.

 Chapter 24

    <h4>Chapter 24</h4>

    Sude¡¯s house was inside an ordinary residence. Zich and Lube needed to move more carefully than they did in the slums to get there. However, because of Zich¡¯s ¡®Sensing and Detecting¡¯ skills, it only took them a bit longer, and they arrived at Sude¡¯s ce without much difficulty.

    The house wasn¡¯t different from the other houses. It was a two-story house made out of wood, and in front of it, fences surrounded a smallwn in aplicated weave. It seemed like Sude wasn¡¯t home since the lights in the house weren¡¯t on.

    ¡°Let¡¯s wait inside for now.¡±

    Zich took the lead and trespassed thewn. The door was firmly locked. It wasn¡¯t hard to break the door, but if Sude saw the broken door, he might run away or let other people know. Thus, like before, Zich decided to enter the house through a window.

    It was messy inside the house. As if its owner hadn¡¯t cleaned in a while, a thinyer of dustyered the ground, and clothes were carelessly scattered on the floor.

    ¡°It seems like he doesn¡¯t do much housework.¡±

    ¡°No, that¡¯s probably not it.¡±

    Zich cautiously looked around the room.

    ¡®Rather than dirty, it looks messy. It doesn¡¯t feel like he didn¡¯t keep his ce tidy because he waszy, but because he didn¡¯t feel the need to. It looks like the house of someone who is preparing to escape.¡¯

    Zich¡¯s eyes shone.

    ¡®He is preparing to escape. I think I¡¯m right on the mark.¡±

    Zich continued to search all over the room, and his eyes sparkled.

    ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡±

    ¡°Below us. Don¡¯t you think it''s strange?¡±

    Zich pointed to the floor and then rolled his feet to emphasize his point.

    Thump! Thump!

    Hearing the sound, Lube¡¯s eyes also became sharp.

    ¡°There¡¯s an empty space below us.¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    Zich kneeled with one leg and ced his palms on the floor.

    ¡®Let me see. He pierced a hole to the entrance of a secret basement, but it¡¯s nothing amazing. The cover is sloppy. It doesn¡¯t seem to have a moving mechanism. That means a handle should be nearby.¡¯

    After a while, Zich found two holes right next to each other.

    ¡®Bingo!¡¯

    Zich ced his fingers inside the holes and pulled. The door was light, and an entrance to a basement appeared.

    ¡°It stinks of a suspicious smell.¡±

    Zichically blocked his nose.

    ¡°Let¡¯s try going in.¡±

    ¡°I will go in first.¡±

    Zich tried stamping his feet on the stairs that led to the basement. Then, he walked confidently downstairs and Lube followed behind him.

    The basement stairs weren¡¯t that long; in floors, the staircase was about 1.5 floors long. And at the end of the staircase, there was a door. Zich cautiously opened it.

    They saw a medium-sized room. It was almost vacant with no furniture in ce. The only noticeable thing about the room was a dirty puddle of water collected on the ground. But Zich was satisfied.

    ¡°Checkmate.¡±

    In the center of the room, the ugly statue of a fish¡¯s head floated on top of the collected water.

    ¡°Statue of Bellu,¡± Lube murmured and gripped the staff she was holding. She wanted to break apart the statue right away.

    The statue looked more iplete than the one they saw at the Mayor¡¯s mansion. That one looked fancier.

    ¡°The one in the Mayor¡¯s residence is the center statue for sure,¡± Zich said with satisfaction. The more evidence there was, the better.

    Zich suddenly turned his head toward the entrance.

    ¡°It seems like the house¡¯s owner has returned.¡±

    Zich took Lube out of the room in the basement and went back to the first floor. They saw a small light shining from outside, and Zich ced his index finger on his mouth to signal to Lube to be quiet.

    Lube nodded and moved quietly to a corner of the room. She moved so that she didn¡¯t bother Zich. Inparison, Zich quietly moved towards the entrance like a hunter approaching his prey.

    ck!

    Creak!

    The door¡¯s lock unlocked, and the door opened. As expected, Sude entered the house. He ced themp he was holding down next to the door. Then, he tried to light up the closest candle.

    ¡°Hey, it¡¯s been a while.¡±

    ¡°!!!¡±

    Sude became stunned as Zich suddenly jumped out. Then, after confirming Zich¡¯s face, Sude grew pale and Zich quickly blocked Sude¡¯s mouth to stop him from screaming.

    ¡°Woah! We are also d to see you again, but let¡¯s be quiet. There¡¯s no need for you to greet us so fervently.¡±

    ¡°Umph! Un-umph!¡±

    ¡°I know, I know. If I am so d to see you, how d would you be? Sometimes the sensation of beating you upes out in my dreams. Don¡¯t you think we really match each other well?¡±

    ¡°Unn-umph!¡±

    Sude struggled and tried to scream, but he couldn¡¯t escape out of Zich¡¯s sturdy grip.

    ¡°How about finishing things fromst time? Ah, you don¡¯t have to worry about interventions this time. Do you see her?¡±

    Zich put more strength into his hands and forcefully moved Sude¡¯s neck. And Sude hopelessly turned to what Zich wanted him to see.

    ¡°Look. Your guardian angel from Heaven who protected youst time hase back as the angel from Hell.¡±

    There, he saw Lube who shined with themp¡¯s red lights and stood like a godly judge in a trial. At her hardened expression, Sude¡¯s fear deepened.

    * * *

    Zich dragged Sude into the basement.

    Punch!

    ¡°Ugh!¡±

    Sude floundered and staggered a couple of steps after getting kicked. Then, he collided with Bellu¡¯s statue and fell. His pants became soaked with dirty water.

    ¡°Why? Why are you doing this?¡± Sude shouted in a flurry, but Zich was carefree. He slowly went inside the room with themp that Sude was holding. The darkness that filled up the room lit up, and Zich ced themp in the corner of the room.

    ¡°Let me see. Why would we do this? If you ask the ugly fish head behind you, wouldn¡¯t you find out something?¡±

    Sude looked at the statue of Bellu behind him and looked at Zich again. Then, he saw Lube¡¯s cold expression behind Zich and babbled, ¡°D-do you think that I am Bellid¡¯s follower?¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t say that. I also don¡¯t think you are the fish head¡¯s follower.¡±

    ¡°T-then¡­!¡±

    ¡°But I get the feeling that you are like a sea roach, sticking around those Bellid guys and eating the crumbs they leave.¡±

    ¡°S-sorry?¡±

    ¡°I am saying that you are like a fucking bastard.¡±

    Punch!

    ¡°Ah!¡±

    At another kick from Zich, Sude¡¯s bottom stuck to the puddle. Dirty water sshed on his face and head.

    Stomp!

    Zich then stomped on Sude¡¯s back. Sude¡¯s body wiggled on the floor, and Zich was satisfied with seeing Sude look like a dirty cockroach.

    ¡°What are you going to do now?¡±

    Lube was surprised at her own words. Even if he was Bellid¡¯s apaniment, she didn¡¯t know that she was capable of sounding so cold to another person. However, even when she realized this, she didn¡¯t have any further thoughts.

    ¡°Truthfully, we don¡¯t need him since we found the fish head¡¯s statue.¡±

    Zich took out something from his waist¡ªthe object sharply shone with themp¡¯s dim lights. It was a dagger.

    ¡°Let¡¯s kill him.¡±

    There were chilling words without a trace of warmth. Even Lube, who was on the same side as Zich, flinched, feeling the chill. She couldn¡¯t even see even a portion of the carefree attitude that Zich had always shown her.

    About to utter some excuses, Sude also closed his mouth. Swept by surprise and fear, he could only roll his eyes. He gulped.

    ¡°I-I don¡¯t know anything! It¡¯s true!¡±

    He managed to say something, but Zich¡¯s ss bead-like eyes seemed to not believe him.

    ¡°You don¡¯t know anything? I guess it can¡¯t be helped then. I will kill you since you are useless.¡±

    Zich grabbed his dagger in reverse and raised it high. It looked like a monster¡¯s tooth about to shred its victim.

    ¡°L-Lady Lube! Please stop this man!¡±

    Since it didn¡¯t seem like he could convince Zich at all, Sude turned his attention to Lube.

    ¡°Hey, it¡¯s useless. Because of shits like you, Lady Lube is going through a lot and bing tougher. There¡¯s no point in thinking that she¡¯ll help you like she did in the past. Besides, Karuwiman¡¯s people arepletely merciless to those who cooperate with Bellid.¡±

    As Zich spoke, Lube¡¯s eyes that looked down on Sude were cold.

    ¡°T-that¡­!¡±

    ¡°Are you done with yourst words? I will give you that much time. Since I have decided to live a kind life, I will be generous.¡±

    Sude¡¯s head went round and round. Both Zich and Lube were beyondbative, and they didn¡¯t seem like they would believe anything he said.

    ¡°Wait! Didn¡¯t you say that you don¡¯t need me since you found the fish head¡¯s statue¡­?!¡±

    Sude was sure that Zich had been talking about Bellu¡¯s statue when he mentioned a fish head. Hope sprouted in his heart.

    ¡°T-the other statues! I know where the other statues are!¡±

    The dagger, which looked like it was going to fall like a guillotine, stopped. It worked. Sude felt strength leave his body as relief seeped into him.

    ¡°Hm. To be honest, we are interested in that.¡±

    Zich let down his dagger.

    ¡°Where are they?¡±

    Zich¡¯s cold voice pierced Sude¡¯s heart. It was a voice scary enough to make Sude want to confess everything, but he was barely able to swallow back the truth that was rising in his throat.

    ¡°D-do you think I will just tell you that easily?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s true. Guys like you stubbornly pluck out whatever they can if it benefits them.¡±

    Zich looked down at Sude with his ss bead-like eyes. It didn¡¯t look like he was looking at a human. As if he was staring at a dead beast¡¯s worn-out piece of meat, his re was chilling. However, Sude smelled a chance to survive and didn¡¯t back down.

    ¡®It¡¯s toote for me to deny that I am cooperating with Bellid. It¡¯s not like they will believe me if I deny it. I should use the locations of the other stone statues to secure my safety.¡¯

    After worrying for a bit, Sude yelled out loud, ¡°I don¡¯t care what you say! Don¡¯t you darey a finger on me! If you do, you will never be able to learn where the other statues are.¡±

    ¡°Ah, that¡¯s a bit troubling.¡±

    Zich scratched the back of his head.

    Sude thought he had seized the initiative, and with that thought, he became bolder.

    ¡°You bastards! How could you just attack a person like this every time! Like how you acted with violence right away in the back alleywayst time! This is why we have to wipe out all the thugs and smelly poor bastards in the city!¡±

    After speaking, Sude seemed to have thought he had gone a bit too far and nced at Zich. But Zich just furrowed his eyebrows like he was annoyed and didn¡¯t show a reaction more significant than that.

    Thus, Sude thought Zich couldn¡¯t touch him, and he becamepletely relieved. Then, his attention went to Lube.

    ¡°The great Karuwiman follower has fallen lower than low! To go around with thisplete thug and using violence everywhere! No, are you not Karuwiman¡¯s holy follower anymore but a witch?¡±

    He didn¡¯t have to consider their feelings anymore. Sude¡¯s heart filled with a vulgar satisfaction that he could say whatever he wanted to the holy Karuwiman Saint Candidate he normally wouldn¡¯t have even dared to look in the eye.

    ¡°¡­Is this your true self?¡±

    The Sude that Lube knew was someone who generously forgave someone who one-sidedly acted violently towards him and possessed the warmth to protect his family¡¯s store. Now, the man in front of her was so different from the person she had met in the shop that it made her doubt that they were the same person.

    ¡°True self! Ha! Are you saying that the na¨ªve geek you saw before and the bastard in front of you don¡¯t look the same? It¡¯s only natural for a merchant to wear a mask. The one who gets tricked is the moron.¡±

    Lube nced at the statue behind Sude and asked, ¡°I see. Then, why did you do something like this? You said that you weren¡¯t one of Bellid¡¯s followers. What¡¯s the merit of helping Bellid?¡±

    ¡°What kind of amazing reason would a merchant need to work? Of course, it¡¯s money.¡±

    ¡°Money?¡±

    ¡°Yes, money! A huge amount so that I won¡¯t have to smile and suck up to the customers while running a damningly small shop anymore!¡±

    ¡°Didn¡¯t you say that you liked the shop? You told us your family cherished and protected it for a long time.¡±

    ¡°Like? Cherish and protect? What bullshit! I have never thought that even once!¡± Sude roughly yelled, ¡°That worn-out building and my long years there are just shackles! The store is a loser¡¯s emblem that I inherited from my father and grandfathers who had zero talent in business as merchants!¡±

    Sude¡¯s eyes glistened. He red at Lube spitefully.

    ¡°What did you tell me before? That it was an impressive shop? Did you know how much it angers me to hear that nonsense from you¡ªwho grew up eating only good food and wearing good clothes, and always looked down at us from your sheltered life? I don¡¯t want to hear bullshit from people who have everything in the first ce!¡±

    They were malicious remarks mixed with greed and self-righteousness. It was the first time Lube had heard of something like this. Hearing the flood of insults and sarcasticments, Lube¡¯s face grew pale, but she firmly held her ground. She didn¡¯t stop Sude from talking and withstood all of his spiteful insults.

    ¡°Well, there ought to be guys like this too. Since Lady Lube is traveling to see the world and hear more people, you are helping her.¡±

    After consoling Lube, Zich approached Sude.

    ¡°Are you finished?¡±

    ¡°No, but I will stop here since I am also a busy man. Release me right now! Then I will tell you where Bellu¡¯s statues are!¡±

    Sude made a request like he was asking for an expected service.

    ¡®It¡¯s over now. If I just get out of this situation, I¡¯ll be rich!¡¯

    Sude had already received a hefty sum for putting life force into Bellu¡¯s statue. If he just left the city with the money he got, he could live the splendid life he dreamed of.

    ¡®It seems like something will happen to this city, but that¡¯s not my problem. As long as I live well, who cares?¡¯

    Whatever happened to other people, Sude¡¯s happiness was most important to him.

    ¡°What are you dawdling for! Move aside at once!¡±

    ¡°Ah, but you know,¡± Zich smiled widely at Sude who spoke with a triumphant look. ¡°I changed my mind.¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    It was funny how Sude puffed up his mouth like a stupid fish.

    ¡°I said, I changed my mind. I will just kill you here.¡±

    ¡°D-don¡¯t bullshit! If youy even a finger on me, you won¡¯t know the statues¡¯ locations¡­!¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t know the statues¡¯ locations, though.¡±

    ¡°¡­!¡±

    ¡°Also, it doesn¡¯t matter if you know or don¡¯t know the locations.¡±

    ¡°¡­!¡±

    Zich gently whispered to Sude who grew pale, ¡°How was it? How sweet was your moment of hope?¡±

 Chapter 25

    <h4>Chapter 25</h4>

    ¡®Ah, fuck! I really have to quit this sadistic hobby.¡¯

    Zich felt conflicted inside. This was the first real ¡®event¡¯ he experienced since he regressed, so some of his ¡®Demon Lord¡¯ persona seeped out for a few moments.

    ¡®People who live kindly do not have this kind of hobby.¡¯

    Even with hisck ofmon sense, Zich was aware of this. However, the thrill he felt from tormenting Sude was more than what he had expected. Both Sude and Lube looked shocked by Zich¡¯s words, and Sude began to appear doubtful after shouting confidently just a moment ago.

    ¡°I-I¡¯m not going to be tricked by such a bluff¡­!¡±

    ¡°First.¡±

    Zich put one finger forward in front of Sude.

    ¡°Followers of Bellid are way too cautious to reveal their entire n to their coborators. No, anyone withmon sense won¡¯t do that to someone who they are nning to use and throw away. There¡¯s no way those bastards told a low life like you, the statues¡¯ locations. In that way, I guess they are like everyone else but strange in other ways.¡±

    And Zich¡¯s sadistic tendencies made him also ¡®strange in other ways.¡¯

    ¡°Second, even without you, I can find the other statues by myself. To be exact, those guys will tell me where they are.¡±

    ¡°That doesn¡¯t even make sense¡ª¡±

    ¡°Ah, I¡¯m not gonna tell you more than that.¡±

    Zich began to swing his dagger in circles. Sude¡¯s eyes circled around and around with the dagger¡¯s movement.

    ¡°Because it¡¯s going to be useless information for you anyways.¡±

    Halt!

    Zich stopped swinging his dagger and held it properly.

    ¡°W-what are you doing! Then, why did you ask me that question¡­!¡±

    ¡°Oh, that? I mean, it¡¯s kind of embarrassing to say, but that¡¯s just my hobby.¡±

    ¡°H-hobby?¡±

    ¡°Yeah! My personality is really rotten. But you probably knew that, right? That was one of my evil and trashy hobbies.¡±

    ¡°¡­I don¡¯t think you should bring yourself down like that,¡± Lube replied as if she was dumbfounded. However, Zich replied back without a shred of embarrassment, ¡°But it¡¯s the truth.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Lube did not reply. No, she could not reply because she was speechless. Regardless of what Lube felt, Zich continued, ¡°Even though I say it is a hobby of mine, it¡¯s really nothing. I just like to give hope to people who are about to die soon. The type of hope I give is different depending on the situation. One example of giving false hope would be something like, ¡®I won¡¯t be able to harm you because I need to know where Bellu¡¯s statue is.¡¯¡±

    Zich held back hisughter.

    ¡°It was really hrious to see that. As soon as you thought you had the advantage, your attitude changed right away. I guess that type of reaction is typical for guys like you.¡±

    ¡°Ah, that, what¡­!¡±

    Sude opened his mouth to talk, closed it, and then opened it again. It seemed as if he wanted to say something, but all that came out of his mouth were meaningless gasps.

    ¡°Before I end your life, you had a sweet dream, right? Then it¡¯s time for you to really leave this world.¡±

    Sude felt as if a cold light was surrounding the dagger again.

    ¡°W-wait a moment! I really know the locations of the other statues!¡±

    ¡°Oh, really? That¡¯s amazing. Those Bellid bastards don¡¯t teach anyone that unless they have a very deep connection with them. Isn¡¯t that more of a reason to kill you?¡±

    ¡°N-no! I¡¯m not¡­!¡±

    ¡°Why don¡¯t you calm down for a bit? Shouldn¡¯t you have expected this when you decided to vigorously insult an important figure like Lady Lube, and most of all, me? You should face the consequences of your actions.¡±

    ¡°Lady L-Lube!¡±

    With the mention of Lube¡¯s name from Zich, Sude changed the subject of his pleas to Lube. As if he hadn¡¯t poured out sharp and vicious words just a moment ago, Sude showed a sad smile and began begging Lube.

    ¡°Please stop this person! I-I¡¯m a victim! I¡¯m the type of person who the people of Karuwiman must protect! I was just so taken back by his question. My words came out a bit carelessly! I swear that I have no connections to the followers of Bellid!¡±

    Sude quickly began to deny all his previous statements. Of course, no matter how na?ve Lube was, there was no way she believed Sude¡¯s words. But as a follower of Karuwiman who had to uphold the value of everyone¡¯s lives, she could not help but hesitate.

    ¡°Do you really have to kill this person?¡±

    Sude¡¯s expression brightened.

    Zich lowered his dagger. Then he folded his arms and leaned on Bellu¡¯s statue to see what Lube would do next.

    ¡°I guess so. Do we really have to kill him?¡±

    ¡°¡­I didn¡¯t think you would reply back with a question.¡±

    Zich swiped the dagger with one of his hands and continued, ¡°Then why don¡¯t you rethink whether we really have to kill this person or not? Or what should we do next?¡±

    Lube looked down at Sude. His eyes were now looking at her as if she was an angel from Heaven; his sudden change in attitude was disgusting. However, as a follower of Karuwiman, she could not mix her personal feelings with proper judgment.

    ¡°¡­This person¡¯s actions can¡¯t be forgiven. Even if we don¡¯t kill him right now, he is going to be executed by the country, and if Karuwiman¡¯s General Assembly takes him, he probably won¡¯t survive.¡±

    Sude¡¯splexion turned green.

    ¡°I also agree that even the worst criminals have the right to be judged under thew, but if we let him live now, won¡¯t he obviously escape?¡±

    ¡°I-I will never escape! Plus, I told you, I have no rtions with the people of Bellid!¡±

    Sude was pathetically begging to them, but both Lube and Zich paid no attention to his cries and focused on their conversation as if Sude was already a dead corpse.

    ¡°There are a few reasons to let him live but many reasons to kill him.¡±

    ¡°Yes, that is true. So what do you think is the best decision?¡±

    It was better to kill Sude. However, Lube had a hard time saying it out loud. No matter how evil he was, it was still a matter of ending a person¡¯s life. For different reasons, Zich and Sude waited for Lube¡¯s following words.

    Suddenly, Lube remembered something that Weig said to her before: ¡®I¡¯m repeating this, Lady Lube, but it¡¯s not enough to be just patient and nice. As followers of Karuwiman, not only do wefort people, but we also protect them. We must have strong hearts.¡¯

    Determination filled Lube¡¯s eyes.

    ¡°¡­Let¡¯s kill him.¡±

    Thud!

    Sude felt as if his heart was physically plummeting down to the ground. However, there was no one here who cared about how he felt.

    Ssh! Ssh!

    While stepping on the puddle, Zich headed towards Sude.

    ¡°W-wait a moment! I really did nothing wrong! You guys are making a big mistake! You are trying to kill an innocent person!¡±

    Sude¡¯s desperate and miserable cries could not stop Zich or move Lube.

    ¡°Fuck! You think I will die like this! I¡¯m gonna live a good, long life! I¡¯m going to live a luxurious life like one of those rich bastards! My destiny is to not slowly rot away in an old store and kick the bucket! Shit! Lube, you fucking evil witch! I¡¯m a fucking victim! If you are a follower of Karuwiman, protect me now¡ª!¡±

    Push!

    An eerie sound of piercing flesh immediately ended Sude¡¯s ringing cries.

    Ssh!

    Freshly cut meat dropped into the pool. As if the loud cries a moment ago had all been an illusion, the basement filled withplete silence.

    * * *

    Lube sat nkly in an abandoned house; they used this house as a ce of refuge for a short time. To hide the fact that they were hiding there, the door and windows were tightly shut, but they could not stop the light from seeping into the room. Seeing that the light was slowly turning orange, Lube thought that it must be time for the sun to set.

    Creak!

    The door slowly opened, and Zich appeared from his trip outside.

    ¡°Was everything alright?¡±

    ¡°Nothing much happened.¡±

    Zich closed the door. Then he carefully walked towards Lube and sat in front of her.

    ¡°Are you alright?¡±

    Lube was about to say she was ¡®alright,¡¯ but the word did not leave her mouth.

    ¡°Well, you saw someone die in front of you, so I understand.¡±

    Moreover, even though she didn¡¯t directly kill him, she had yed a huge part in a person¡¯s death. It was understandable that she was in a state of shock.

    ¡°¡­It¡¯s not only that.¡±

    About to put a piece of bread into his mouth, Zich stopped at Lube¡¯s statement.

    ¡°Is there a different reason?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s because I think I have been making the wrong judgements the whole time.¡±

    Zich put down his bread and properly faced Lube to indicate that he was ready to listen to her. Lube hesitated a bit before she continued, ¡°From Sude and to Mr. Timmy, the Mayor and even to the Deputy Mayor¡ªI¡¯ve been judging people based on other people¡¯s words and opinions. I¡¯ve also framed a certain image on people by seeing them in one situation.¡±

    ¡°You are telling me that you were prejudiced.¡±

    ¡°Yes. It is one of the things God Karuna tells us not to do. I judged certain people as strong and others as weak, and I thought that the weak were always in the right and the strong were always in the wrong.¡±

    For that reason, Lube was hostile to the Mayor and Timmy, who she thought were the ¡®strong¡¯ people in society, and she favored Sude who she thought was weak. However, the reality was theplete opposite.

    ¡°Because of my misjudgments, the people who protected me died, and my situation ended up like this.¡±

    ¡°Yes, you are right.¡±

    Lube flinched at Zich¡¯s honest reply.

    ¡°Honestly, I also became a bit doubtful of your words. After I beat up Sude, you told me that I have to help the weak. I didn¡¯t like that Sude guy in the first ce.¡±

    ¡°Why?¡±

    ¡°He smelled fishy.¡±

    Zich was saying that he used his instincts. Lube was severely disappointed since she expected Zich to tell her a great way to tell evil people apart. But surprisingly, Zich¡¯s instincts were usually right on the mark. The instincts he honed from his various experiences in his first life were quite dangerous.

    ¡®Well, I¡¯m not always right, and I don¡¯t feel those kinds of instincts from everyone but whatever.¡¯

    What mattered was that he was right this time.

    ¡°Isn¡¯t judging people by instincts worse than prejudice?¡±

    ¡°Is that so? Then I will stop judging people by how they smell from now on.¡±

    Zich¡¯s reply was so carefree that Lube felt futile asking him a question in the first ce. On the other hand, his nonchnt tone lessened the weight on her heart.

    ¡°So from what I¡¯m getting from this is that you feel guilty for going against Karuna¡¯s teachings and making the situation worse?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°Hmmm, alright. I hope you work hard in thinking about this.¡±

    Zich picked up the bread he put down and got up.

    ¡°¡­Are you not going to give me any advice?¡±

    ¡°Even if I give you advice, I can only give you obvious ones: ¡®The people who died will not resent you.¡¯ ¡®Anyone could have made those mistakes.¡¯ ¡®You are going through this trip to gain experiences like this.¡¯ Etcetera, etcetera. But will your heart feel at ease from these words?¡±

    ¡°¡­No.¡±

    ¡°Right? The advice I can give you are all words that you can easily think of as well. But people¡¯s hearts can not be easily changed by will. If that was possible, I would not go through all this trouble to live a kind life.¡±

    Zich humorously shook his head. This made Lube smile a little bit.

    ¡°So I hope you find a solution for yourself, whether you find an answer to it, get used to it, or let time heal your wounds.¡±

    ¡°I will do that.¡±

    ¡°Yes. But this worry won¡¯t make you hesitate while we are fighting those Bellid bastards, right?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. This and the situation with Bellid arepletely different.¡±

    Unlike her usual, actual self, Lube replied with firmness.

    ¡®Is she forming her tenacity?¡¯

    Looking at her now, there was no trace of the Lube who was shivering from head to toe in a closed alleyway. She was definitely growing up to be a stronger and more determined person.

    ¡®Is this alright?¡¯

    So far, Zich had been helping Lube because he thought it was a kind act, and he didn¡¯t want to see those Bellid bastards doing well; but at the same time, he had unintentionally helped Lube progress.

    ¡®If I have to fight the Hero Party again and a stronger Lube was part of the team¡­¡¯

    Zich¡¯s body shivered on instinct.

    ¡®I-I¡¯m going to live a kind life anyways. Will I ever have to go against her?¡¯ Zich thought this in his mind, but he fiercely scratched the goosebumps that popped up all over his arms.

 Chapter 26

    <h4>Chapter 26</h4>

    Saaaash!

    As if the clouds that covered the sky were throwing a tantrum that they wouldn¡¯t back off easily, rain poured down from the sky. The streaks were considerably thick, and the cold rain covered the view and deafened all noise.

    Most people didn¡¯t take a step outside their house. And even those who went out quickly came back inside after finishing their errands. However, some people weed this nasty weather.

    Raindrops poured out like a waterfall from an upside-down hoodie. But inside the hoodie, a pair of eyes fiercely shone. It was Zich. While carrying Lube who also shielded most of her face with a hoodie from the rain, he looked down at a house.

    ¡°Is it really that house?¡± Lube asked without much confidence. After taking care of the statue in Sude¡¯s house, Zich had set his next target. Because he had pointed out a ce without a single clue, Lube was quite surprised.

    But Zich was sure.

    ¡°During the day, I checked the routes that the guards patrolled. Although it¡¯s natural for them to patrol important ces or areas where we might hide, they were intensively patrolling areas where there was no clear reason to do so. That obviously means that they are hiding something important in those ces.¡±

    ¡°Are you saying that they are hiding Bellu¡¯s statues there?¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± Lube nodded. Truthfully, it didn¡¯t matter if Zich convinced her or not since she was one-sidedly relying on Zich right now.

    ¡°Then, let¡¯s go.¡±

    While carrying Lube, Zich entered the house. As if Zich was right, they saw a tightly guarded border that had not been visible outside the home. However, Zich easily passed the border, knocked out the guards, and removed the traps. Then, after inspecting the building¡¯s insides, Zich found a secret room like the one they saw in Sude¡¯s house.

    Zich was so skilled at finding hidden spots that Lube suspected his career again; but regardless, Zich opened the door to the secret room. Inside, there was the statue of an ugly fish head that they had desperately searched for.

    ¡°It¡¯s here.¡±

    ¡°What did I tell you?¡± Zich boasted, ¡°These kinds of guys are simple. And since they have a lot to lose, they like to overprotect their belongings.¡±

    ¡°Still, I didn¡¯t think that we would be able to find it so easily.¡±

    ¡°We didn¡¯t really find it easily. Heid many baits, but it was because of my skills that we were able to find the real one.¡±

    Zich didn¡¯t seem like he intended to hide his achievements. Some people might have scowled at him because of hisck of humility, but because Zich¡¯s abilities were reallying to light from this crisis in the city, Lubeplimented him without hesitation.

    ¡°That¡¯s true. You really are amazing.¡±

    ¡°Ah, that¡¯s kind of embarrassing.¡±

    Zich had boasted just a moment before, but now he tried to be modest. It was because this was his first time receiving such a purepliment.

    ¡®Usually, when someone boasts, they are followed by all kinds of jeering and ridicule. Or they are met by shameless ttery.¡¯

    That was the kind of world that Zich was used to.

    ¡°That¡¯s enough of hyping me up. Let¡¯s just finish our business.¡±

    ¡°Yes, let¡¯s do that.¡±

    Their reason for finding Bellu¡¯s statue was to disrupt the ritual frompleting. Zich pulled out a paint box and a brush from his grasp.

    ¡°Lady Lube, please.¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    Lube instilled Karuna¡¯s holy power into the paint. The paint¡¯s red color sparkled for a moment and turned back to its original color.

    Poke!

    Zich dipped his brush into the paint. And as if he was about to make a masterpiece, he twirled his brush around Bellu¡¯s status. Lube watched him from behind in silence.

    ¡°Will this really work?¡±

    Her eyes trembled a bit anxiously, but she believed Zich. Well, she didn¡¯t have a choice. After getting betrayed by Sude and the Deputy Mayor, it was hard for her to trust people, but she couldn¡¯t doubt Zich. I mean, wasn¡¯t he helping her who was charged as the Witch, and fighting an immense force like the Bellid for the simple purpose of doing a good deed?

    If she didn¡¯t believe in Zich, she felt like she wouldn¡¯t have the courage to believe in people anymore. So, she thought. However, there was still a difference between believing in the person and believing in the knowledge that the person held.

    ¡°It¡¯s over.¡±

    ¡°¡­Is that so?¡±

    After turning around, Zich ced his brush and paint back, and Lube carefully inspected the statue behind him. The statue was inscribed with all kinds of lines and shapes from top to bottom. They were probably magic circles to hinder the ritual and give the life force back to those who had lost it.

    But were Lube¡¯s eyes ying tricks on her?

    The marks on the statue didn¡¯t look like normal magic circles that geometricized the principles of holy powers, magic, or every type of nature or gods¡¯ miracles; for example, they didn¡¯t include symbols of gcticals like the suns, moons, and stars or living creatures such as humans, animals, and nts. Frankly, they looked very crude as if a child scribbled them for fun.

    Were these marks really a magic circle that would solve their problems? Even Lube, who had significant knowledge and rank among the Karuwiman people had never heard of this method before.

    ¡°Please wrap this up now.¡±

    Lube nodded at Zich¡¯s words and poured her holy powers into the statue. She had to continue to have faith in Zich. She hade too far now to begin doubting him, and Bellid¡¯s ritual would begin any time now.

    ¡°Can we just leave the statue like this?¡±

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter since your holy powers have already flowed down the basement. Whether we break it apart or not, we are done here.¡±

    Zich started to walk out while saying that they should search for the other statues. Lube soon followed Zich while staring at his back.

    * * *

    Not long afterwards, Lube felt foolish for doubting Zich. After they drew those silly-looking magic circles on Bellu¡¯s statues and poured holy powers on them, they soon encountered an unexpected creature.

    ¡°It¡¯s a zombie.¡±

    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s a zombie.¡±

    Under the cover of darkness, Zich and Lube were trying to find another statue when they met a zombie. It wasn¡¯t strange to see a zombie in the city when Bellid¡¯s ritual was close toplete, but Lube thought the zombie looked odd.

    ¡°Why is it acting like that?¡±

    The zombie approached them while staggering. That part wasn¡¯t unusual since zombies often moved strangely. However, the zombie¡¯s movements went beyond simply strange. As if it was wearing invisible armor, its movements were extremely stiff like it was restricted.

    ¡°Hm.¡±

    Zich went closer to the zombie. Like all zombies, it stretched out its hands to take away Zich¡¯s life force¡ª to make Zich like itself. However, the zombie¡¯s movements were very awkward and slow, so it didn¡¯t feel threatening at all.

    Zich struck the zombie¡¯s neck. It was a simple procedure like striking the head of a dead fish.

    ¡°It became weaker.¡±

    ¡°Weaker? The zombie did?¡±

    That seemed like good news to Lube, and her heart thumped with expectations.

    ¡°Yes, it became weaker for sure. Thankfully, it seems like what we are doing is not useless.¡±

    Zich¡¯s words were basically a confirmation for her. The doubt that took ce in the corner of her heart quickly dissolved.

    ¡°Ah, thank goodness! That¡¯s really a relief!¡±

    Like that, Lube got onto her knees and prayed to Karuna. Because she felt like they could end this harsh plight without a great sacrifice, her eyes teared up.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know how I can express my thanks.¡±

    Then, Lube abruptly got up and grabbed Zich¡¯s hands. She couldn¡¯t bear that she had doubted him before.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. To tell you the truth, I doubted you.¡±

    ¡°Uh, that¡¯s a bit disappointing. How many people do you think would be kind enough to help you with their life on the line¡ªthat you doubt me?¡±

    Zich winked. And because his eyes didn¡¯t seem to hold any grudge against her, Lube burst out intoughter.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t doubt you, as a person. I can¡¯t thank you enough for helping me so far. But I had a bit of doubt about your method of hindering the ritual. Although I have ess to valuable information from Karuwiman, I didn''t know about it, and the method is¡­¡±

    ¡°Because the method is drawing ridiculous and suspicious-looking scribbles that don¡¯t even look like magic circles?¡±

    ¡°¡­To tell you the truth, that was it. I¡¯m sorry.¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s no need for you to be sorry. I understand. Even I wonder what the person who made it was thinking. I don¡¯t know if I should call the person a genius or an idiot.¡±

    ¡°I think the person is a genius.¡±

    ¡°Since you think that, I will also think the same.¡±

    ¡°Can I ask how you learned this method?¡±

    ¡°Ah, that is a secret.¡±

    Since she had been refused before, Lube didn¡¯t really feel disappointed.

    ¡°Then, please, you must teach me the magic circleter.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about that. I will teach you allter. Of course, with a price.¡±

    ¡°That doesn¡¯t matter. For us, Karuwiman, that magic circle is priceless, and the Church will grant pretty much anything you ask for.¡±

    Maybe it was because they saw the effect of their works, but their moods were much brighter than before¡ªdespite the fact that they were still getting chased and the Deputy Mayor was still alive and well.

    ¡°Now, we just have to take care of a couple more statues. Then, the Deputy Mayor¡¯s power will decrease significantly, and we can attack the Mayor¡¯s mansion again. But we have to be more careful since they will increase the number of guards as the number of statues decreases.¡±

    ¡°I understand. But how can they ce so many statues without a single rumor spreading? Many people should have disappeared as offerings.¡±

    ¡°They probably blocked people¡¯s mouths with money and power. There are a lot of excuses to choose from, like, ¡®Let¡¯s keep quiet for now since people can start panicking.¡¯ Since this is a city sensitive to the economy, that probably worked well.¡±

    The whole truth was impossible to realize if one didn¡¯t realize that the city was covered by a ck curtain, specifically the Bellid group. In fact, before he became aware of what was going on, even Zich thought the appearance of the undead was a new happening since public sentiment was still rtively calm.

    ¡°But that won¡¯tst for long. Let¡¯s take care of the rest of Bellu¡¯s statues and save the city.¡±

    ¡°Yes!¡±

    Feeling hopeful, they disappeared into the city¡¯s darkness again.

    * * *

    Since then, Zich and Lube found a couple of more statues. On the magic circle that Zich drew, Lube generously poured more holy power. And their results became more and more visible. In the end, they reached a point where they couldn¡¯t find a single undead all over the city at night.

    Of course, this didn¡¯t mean that the undeadpletely disappeared. They might have missed one roaming around in a back alleyway. But generally, they could sense that the total number of undead had definitely decreased.

    ¡°Okay then, let¡¯s go to the Mayor¡¯s mansion and destroy the center statue there. If that still exists, everything we did will be for nothing. We can only dy the ritual and not stop it.¡±

    ¡°Where do you think the Deputy Mayor is?¡±

    ¡°I also don¡¯t know, but he will probably be at the Mayor¡¯s mansion. Since the mansion is the center of this ritual, that guy probably can¡¯t leave the area.¡±

    ¡°Then we should go to the mansion. When are we going?¡±

    ¡°Is there a reason for us to take our time?¡±

    Zich stared at the area where the Mayor¡¯s mansion was.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go tonight.¡±

 Chapter 27

    <h4>Chapter 27</h4>

    The Mayor¡¯s mansion was gigantic and magnificent as ever. Enough to be mistaken as a pce, it was a ce that a peasant couldn¡¯t even dream of stepping within. But was it just a feeling? The mansion somehow looked darker and gloomier than any other worn-out building in the city.

    Zich and Lube stopped at the mansion¡¯s yard. Unlike before, they confidently strutted around the yard. There was no one outside the mansion who they had to hide from.

    ¡°It¡¯s like a ghost mansion.¡±

    ¡°A house is a ce where people live. If there¡¯s no one living inside it, it can be quite frightening. This ce is more like that because it has so much useless space, giving more room for imagination.¡±

    The whole mansion was empty. After the Mayor''s assassination, the guards lost their main figure to protect and were the first ones to leave. Then, the Mayor¡¯s family, who felt an ominous feeling from the residence, moved somewhere else. Even the servants didn¡¯t want to stay, and so, the mansion that had been the fanciest house in the entire city became empty.

    ¡°The Deputy Mayor probably caused this to happen since he is using the Mayor¡¯s mansion as the center of his ritual.¡±

    ¡°I guess it wouldn¡¯t be an exaggeration to say that this mansion is Bellu¡¯s temple.¡±

    ¡°Yes. They probably covered all their bases there. I bet they¡¯ve prepared everything they have for us.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s delightful news.¡±

    As if she was trying to imbue some confidence into herself, Lube spoke with high spirits. Zich smirked.

    ¡°Even if we greatly diminished the Bellid guys¡¯ power, they still have a lot of forces left. He probably finished restoring that thing called the ¡®Key.¡¯ Under normal circumstances, we would have retreated and called support, but you know, we don¡¯t have much time.¡±

    ¡°I know.¡±

    ¡°It can¡¯t be helped that we have to fix this problem with just the two of us. It won¡¯t be easy. Are you ready?¡±

    Lube looked at the staff she was holding. It was something she had gotten when she was chosen as the Saint Candidate. She had sworn that day she would bet her life for light and justice as someone carrying Karuna¡¯s strength and name.

    Lube stared at Zich. He could see determination in her eyes.

    ¡°I am prepared,¡± Lube stated.

    ¡°I see, but don¡¯t be too nervous.¡±

    Lube¡¯s determination seemed too much to Zich, and he tapped her shoulders.

    ¡°Even if the Deputy Mayor has the city under his control, if our battle creates a loudmotion, military troops wille barging in. Then, if we just y the situation well, we may be able to get them to join us. It will also free us of our false charges at the same time. Unless they are blind, they won¡¯t attack us immediately if they see us fighting the undead.¡±

    ¡°Ah, there was that possibility.¡±

    Even if Lube had made a firm resolution, she was nervous; but hearing Zich¡¯s words, she loosened her shoulders.

    ¡®As expected of Mr. Zich.¡¯

    Lube believed in Zichpletely now. She admired him for his insights.

    ¡°Then let¡¯s charge in.¡±

    With his words as the signal, the two opened the mansion¡¯s main gates and went inside.

    * * *

    The mansion¡¯s doors weren¡¯t even locked by a simple system. This suggested that in contrast to how its exterior looked, the ce waspletely uninhabited.

    ¡®As expected, Mr. Zich¡¯s predictions were right.¡¯

    And they were sure that Bellid people were conspiring inside the mansion.

    ¡°Let¡¯s head to where the fish head statue is.¡±

    ¡°I will guide you.¡±

    Lube took the lead. They didn¡¯t need to hide likest time, and they arrived at their destination in no time.

    ck!

    Zich raised his sword and opened the door.

    Whoosh!

    In a room covered in darkness, a sh of light shot out like arrows. With considerable strength and speed, the sh of light was aimed at Zich¡¯s neck. Although it hade out with great impact, it missed its mark.

    ¡°That surprised me,¡± Zich said after slightly lowering his head and making a perfect escape from the ambush. Unlike what he said, his tone was utterly calm. It seemed like he spat out his words out of habit rather than surprise.

    However, that wasn¡¯t the end of the attacks.

    Wing! Wing! Wing!

    Three more shes of light burst out.

    Zich stepped away from the door.

    ¡°M-Mr. Zich! Are you okay?¡±

    Lube wasn¡¯t able to keep up with the sudden attacks and just blinked her eyes, quickly hanging onto Zich.

    ¡°I am fine. I am not that easily affected by such sloppy attacks,¡± Zich replied with little regard and red inside the room. ¡°But besides that, it¡¯s weird that I couldn¡¯t sense the attacks.¡±

    ¡®Now that I mention it¡­¡¯

    Zich¡¯s sensing abilities were incredible to say the least, and he had benefited greatly from them over his lifetime. From the first ce, Zich was able to find Lube in the alleyway because of his sensing abilities.

    ¡®There¡¯s someone who can trick Mr. Zich¡¯s sensing skills?¡¯

    Lube began to feel a bit frightened.

    Whoosh!

    Creatures that attacked Zich from inside the room revealed themselves.

    ¡°¡­Shadow Demons?¡± Lube said their name out loud. She could understand it now. Shadow Demons were monsters called ¡®Death that crawled out of Hell¡¯s shadows.¡¯ With their stealthiness, equal to none other, these creatures approached their victims without a sound or trace and attacked them. Considering this, she could understand how they had escaped Zich¡¯s sensing skills and attacked.

    No, she had topliment Zich for his reflexes that allowed him to escape these creatures¡¯ attacks even as they tried to ambush him. However, even when Lube¡¯s question was answered, her confusion wasn¡¯t resolved. No, it actually deepened.

    ¡°H-How?¡±

    The fact that these Shadow Demonsid in the room with Bellu¡¯s statue proved that Bellid controlled them.

    ¡®I thought the ritual lost some of its powers?¡¯

    However, these creatures were proof that the ritual¡¯s powers had increased; now, it seemed like the Bellid guys had the ability to summon advanced level monsters rather than just the undead.

    As monsters specialized in stealth, the Shadow Demons pounced at Zich soundlessly. One of them jumped on Zich from the front while the other two slid into the shadows. Whenever Zich showed the smallest amount of vulnerability, they soared out from the ground and tried to end his life.

    The Shadow Demon that came towards him head-on lifted its scythe, which it had for hands. Its blow was sharp and fast.

    But...

    ¡°Why are you fighting me head-on when your single asset is assassination?¡±

    Whoosh!

    Zich¡¯s sword was much faster than its speed. The moment that the Shadow Demon¡¯s scythe reached him, Zich¡¯s sword had already sliced its head off.

    Pop! Pop!

    The two other Shadow Demons burst out from the shadows to attack his weak points. Rather, they tried to burst out.

    ¡°Don¡¯t you dare!¡±

    Crack!

    Even while retrieving his sword, Zich didn¡¯t lose his sense of bnce. He raised one of his feet and stepped on the head of the Shadow Demon that tried to get out of the shadow.

    Shadow Demons didn¡¯t specialize in durability. Thus, their heads cracked like watermelons at Zich¡¯s feet that were filled with mana. Thest Shadow Demon that tried to pull its bodypletely out of the shadows was also unsessful.

    sh!

    Zich¡¯s sword came flying in its direction again, and the monster split into two. After killing the three demons, Zich spat, ¡°Bastards, what are they swinging their dirty scythes for?¡±

    They had sessfully handled their immediate danger, but Lube¡¯s expression still didn¡¯t brighten up.

    ¡°Mr. Zich! How could a Shadow Demon be here?¡±

    Lube¡¯s voice was smeared with a sense of danger, but to her frustration, Zich responded calmly.

    ¡°Those Bellid guys must have summoned them.¡±

    ¡°How?! Their ritual should have lost power!¡±

    ¡°Well, there¡¯s only one answer: the ritual didn¡¯t lose its power.¡±

    ¡°!!!¡±

    It wasn¡¯t Zich who answered. Lube quickly turned her body to find the voice¡¯s owner. But before she could, a sudden vibration overtook them.

    Ruuuuumble!

    The whole building shook. It felt like a high-magnitude earthquake. As the picture frames hanging on the walls and the decorations fell and broke into pieces, Lube let out a scream. The wall split into parts, and Zich supported Lube as she was about to fall. Even with the severe vibrations, Zich still maintained his bnce.

    ¡°W-what is this?¡±

    ¡°It seems like it¡¯s the force of the ritual.¡±

    ¡°The ritual?¡±

    ¡®I thought the ritual became weaker thanks to our efforts. Wasn¡¯t the ritual¡¯spletion pushed to ater date too?¡¯ All kinds of questions circled around Lube¡¯s head.

    ¡°How¡­!¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s get out of here first. Hold on tight!¡±

    Zich wrapped his left hand around Lube¡¯s waist. Then, with his sword, he struck down the wall with great force. The mana zed, and a huge shockwave exploded.

    Crash!

    The mansion¡¯s walls broke off easily, and Zich jumped out of the hole.

    Land!

    Theynded in the garden. Then, Zich walked a couple of more steps to increase his distance from the mansion.

    Crash!

    Not long after they escaped, the mansion crumbled with a huge sound. It was a bleak and pitiful ending of a mansion that had been the city¡¯s biggest, fanciest building that had housed the city¡¯s sovereign: the Mayor.

    Crumble!

    On top of the building crumbling, its whole foundation sank. It almost looked as if the ground was devouring the mansion with its mouth wide open. Lube stared at the hole where the building¡¯s remains disappeared. She couldn¡¯t wrap her head around everything that was happening.

    Lube tried to organize the chaos in front of her when she spotted something.

    ¡°¡­Bellu¡¯s statue?¡±

    It floated arrogantly on top of the ruined grounds. Lube thought the statue was mocking her, and she felt like a clown, running around for a false hope.

    Puff!

    Something sprouted out from the ground and shot up. It was water, probably from the groundwater that ran below the mansion. The water shot to the sky and fell like rain into the empty hole and began to change the hole into a fountain.

    ¡°Isn¡¯t it beautiful?¡±

    She heard the voice again. It was the voice that had answered Lube¡¯s questionst time. Lube turned her head.

    ¡°¡­Deputy Mayor.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t dislike the title of Deputy Mayor, but isn¡¯t it about time for you to call me by my real name? My name is Allid Grotim, Karuwiman Saint Candidate Lube.¡±

    ¡°I haven¡¯t granted you permission to call myst name!¡±

    ¡°Then, should I call you by your first name? Like Aine.¡±

    Lube gritted her teeth. But Grotim didn¡¯t feel intimidated at all, and his smallughs agitated her. Lube took some deep breaths and calmed her mind. This wasn¡¯t the time to get angry. She needed to figure out the whole story.

    ¡°It seems like you are the one who destroyed the mansion and brought the water out.¡±

    ¡°Of course, I am the one who did that. It¡¯s the start of the ritual for our great god, Bellu.¡±

    ¡°¡­You¡¯re lying.¡±

    Lube¡¯s throat became dry. She repressed the uneasy feeling rising inside her heart and murmured. However, when she replied to Grotim, her rough voice cracked, ¡°Your ritual¡¯s powers became weak. So, the ritual¡¯s due date should have been postponed.¡±

    Grotim burst out inughter. It was a mockingugh that seemed to delightfully ridicule a fool who had been tricked.

    ¡°I received reports that you both were working diligently to block the ritual from happening. I really admire your fortitude, and I am sorry to give you some disappointing news.¡±

    Contrary to what he said, Grotim didn¡¯t look sorry at all. It looked like his mouth itched to tell them everything he knew. Lube wanted to block her ears and not listen to him. But she couldn¡¯t do that, and Grotim¡¯s words mercilessly hit her ears.

    ¡°Everything you guys did was all useless. It didn¡¯t bother our ritual even one bit!¡±

 Chapter 28

    <h4>Chapter 28</h4>

    Lube felt as if the sky was copsing on top of her.

    She almost fell from suddenly losing strength in her legs. She could barely maintain her bnce, and she couldn¡¯t stop her body from shaking.

    ¡°Why? But wasn¡¯t the ritual¡¯s strength definitely weakening? And weren¡¯t the numbers of the undead also decreasing?¡±

    ¡°Ah, that¡¯s because I manipted the surroundings to make it appear that way. I wanted to trick you guys into thinking that the ritual was weakening. How was it? Didn¡¯t I do a good job?¡±

    ¡°You c-controlled it in that¡­!¡±

    ¡°Yes, I was in control the whole time.¡±

    Grotim winked at Lube.

    ¡°When the ritual is finished, I can control the undead without limits. I thought pretty hard about how I could convince you both that the ritual was slowly weakening. In a way, this might be my life¡¯s masterpiece. Seeing how both of you have been tricked so thoroughly, I¡¯m beyond delighted by how well everything has turned out.¡±

    Snap!

    Grotim snapped his fingers.

    Swoosh! Swoosh!

    Something under theke began toe out in bursts. Soon, undead creatures and monsters spread out all over the ce and began to surround Zich and Lube. All of them were powerful, high-level undead creatures and monsters. Lube couldn¡¯t even react in shock and helplessly watched the undead creatures and monsters surround her and Zich. Her mouth moved, but no sound came out.

    ¡°As you can see, I can summon the undead and monsters with no problems.¡±

    The undead creatures and monsters began to advance past the surrounding areas, and Lube shouted in shock, ¡°Are you going to attack the citizens¡­!¡±

    ¡°Ah, you don¡¯t have to worry. I¡¯m not nning to do that just yet. I¡¯m just sending them further off to expand the surrounding areas. I¡¯m being extra cautious because both of you escaped from mest time.¡±

    Grotim scratched his chin.

    ¡°But if you guys try to resist, I might be so surprised that my minions might be too excited.¡±

    As soon as he said this, they heard shouts and screams of people surprised to see the undead creatures and monsters. However, it seemed like Grotim was telling them the truth. For now, the undead creatures and monsters were really just acting as guards to surround them. Lube breathed a sigh of relief, seeing that there was no human casualty so far; however, she knew the situation could change at any moment.

    Looking at the numerous monsters and undead creatures all around her, Lube shifted her attention back to Zich. While holding his sword, Zich was on guard.

    ¡°¡­What happened?¡±

    ¡°What do you mean?¡±

    ¡°You told me that what we did would sessfully weaken the ritual!¡±

    ¡°Ah, I think I can reply to that question.¡± Grotim intervened and began talking, ¡°From my investigation, it seems like you tried to interrupt the ritual by drawing weird pictures on the statues. You thought the life force embedded into the statue went directly underwater, and the central statue over there controlled everything. That man next to you spouted nonsense that the ritual could be reversed. But as a faithful follower of the great Bellu, I can assure you that there is no way to stop the ritual!¡±

    Grotim¡¯s wordspletely shattered Lube¡¯s hopes.

    ¡°In addition, did he also say that he knew how to return people¡¯s life force to their original bodies? As a Karuwiman, you should have known that it¡¯s impossible. I can¡¯t believe you believed in that man¡¯s ridiculous words.¡±

    ording to Grotim, it was impossible to heal Timmy¡¯s younger brother. Lube grew despondent while thinking of the child¡¯s skeletal body.

    ¡°When I first saw those ridiculous drawings on the statues, I had a very goodugh. Did you seriously think that those drawings could be a magic circle? You are much too na?ve. Or did you desperately cling to the only solution in front of you while turning away from reality? If that is what happened, I pity you soooo much. Well, I guess even if it sounded like a joke, you must have wanted to believe in that man¡¯s words.¡±

    Grotim gave Zich a look ofplete reassurance over his victory. On the other hand, Zich did not respond to him at all.

    ¡°¡­Then, are you saying that you can carry out the ritual right now?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. Everything is ready.¡±

    ¡°Then why did you even waste your time, tricking us into thinking that we were sessfully interrupting the ritual!¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s because of you, Aine Lube.¡±

    ¡°¡­Because of me?¡±

    ¡°The Karuwiman Saint Candidate. You are a satisfactory¡ªno, an extraordinary spoil from this master n. How can I stand still when such a prized possession is in front of me? I have to take you aside and put you in our order.¡±

    Grotim crossed his arms.

    ¡°When you first came to the Mayor¡¯s mansion, I was actually overjoyed. I thought Bellu¡¯s will was gracing upon me. But as expected of a vile follower of the God Karuna, you managed to escape from my hands.¡±

    For the first time, his voice expressed clear displeasure.

    ¡°When I first tried to capture you, I failed because of the Holy Knights. The second time, I failed because that punk next to you damaged the Key. Honestly, when that man next to you said that he would escape right in front of me, I felt all the energy in my body leave because I thought I would never have another chance to catch you again. But then, he said a very funny thing afterwards.¡±

    At that time, Zich¡¯s words had sounded very foolish to Grotim, but they made him feel hopeful again.

    ¡°He said that he knew how to interrupt the ritual and that you¡¯de back to destroy the main statue.¡±

    When Zich said this, Grotim¡¯s head filled with hope again as he thought that he had another chance to capture Lube.

    ¡°I nned so that both of you would think that you were sessfully blocking the ritual and appear in front of me again. Was it not strange? Wasn¡¯t it odd finding the statues so easily when both of you had no idea where they were?¡±

    Lube also thought it was strange. She had quelled down her suspicions by thinking that it was because of how great Zich¡¯s abilities were. But thinking back on it, they found the statues too quickly in such a short amount of time with no clue about their locations.

    ¡°In order for you to find the statues easily, I employed many soldiers to guard them. Without knowing that I was leading you on, you did a good job falling right into my trap.¡±

    ¡°¡­Then you had no ns to stop us in the first ce.¡±

    ¡°Even if I had ordered my soldiers to capture you, they wouldn¡¯t have been able to find you anyways. And why would I have to do such a useless thing when you two will appear in front of me at the time I want you to do? That¡¯s why I even purposely posted a sloppy drawing of that man so that you two could have an easier time moving around.¡±

    It was like they had been ying in the palm of his hands the whole time.

    ¡°But don¡¯t get too disappointed. Because of you, I didn¡¯t employ the ritual right away, and you were able to extend the lives of Porti¡¯s citizens for a few more days. With this, you have done your share.¡±

    ¡°What would have happened if we hadn''te to you?¡±

    ¡°Then it couldn¡¯t have been helped. I would have started the ritual even though you might be swept into it. We were also in a time crunch. We have to finish everything before the Kingdom or Karuwiman begins to interfere with our ns.¡±

    Grotim made a giant smile after he finished talking.

    ¡°Did I satisfy your curiosity? I wanted you toe back here because I¡¯m about to execute the ritual. I can¡¯t let you get swept up in it after all the work I put in.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s why you destroyed the building because it doesn¡¯t matter anymore if you are caught.¡±

    ¡°Yes. It doesn¡¯t matter anyway because everyone in Porti will be our faithful soldiers soon. We don¡¯t have to try anymore.¡±

    Lube closed her eyes for a moment. All sorts of emotions and regrets stirred in her mind. However, when she opened her eyes again, Grotim was impressed by the look in her eyes.

    ¡°Should I have expected this from a Karuwiman Saint Candidate? In that short amount of time, you calmed yourself down.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s from all the surprises you nned for me. Thanks to you, I think I was able to maximize my experiences, which was the purpose of this trip.¡±

    ¡°No matter how many experiences they gain, there are a lot of folks who never grow mentally or physically. You certainly might have been the next Saint. It¡¯s really all the better for us. All your work has been meaningless.¡±

    ¡°You never know until the end.¡± Lube brought out her staff.

    Grotim looked at her with mockery.

    ¡°Well, I salute your bravery. I threatened you with the citizen¡¯s lives a moment ago, but I¡¯m not going to hold them hostage. They are all going to be talents for our army anyways. But you can try your best.¡±

    Snap!

    Grotim snapped his fingers a second time.

    Thud!

    The undead creatures and monsters began to move in unison towards Lube and Zich. Theirbined force was rming, and Lube found herself taking a step back despite her firm resolution.

    ¡°Mr. Zich.¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    Zich hadn¡¯t spoken a single word since their first encounter with Grotim. Lube thought it was because Zich felt guilty about causing them more danger unintentionally. However, Lube did not me Zich at all. Even though she would probably have to face horrible pain after she was captured, she wanted to say this to Zich: ¡°I don¡¯t me you at all.¡±

    Even in this dangerous situation, she smiled at Zich.

    ¡°Instead, I am thankful to you. Even though the results ended up being like this, it doesn¡¯t change the fact that you kept trying to help me. No, if you weren¡¯t here, my life might have ended in that dirty alleyway where you found me.¡±

    ¡°What a touching sight.¡±

    Grotim sneered at Lube¡¯s words, but Lubepletely ignored him.

    ¡°Even though it was a little clumsy, I now know for sure that you really tried hard to live a kind life. That dream of yours is really a valuable and precious thing. It¡¯s going to be very hard, but try your best to run away. I will try my best to stop them. And I hope that you continue to work hard towards your dream. Just remember that even though other peopleughed at your efforts and dreams, I always cheered for you.¡±

    ¡°Hey, hey. There¡¯s no way I will let him go. Don¡¯t try to take care of him like that. It¡¯s too good for someone like him.¡±

    After mocking Lube, Grotim switched his attention back to Zich.

    ¡°And you should also take responsibility. You kept giving this woman false hope and swung her here and there. Take responsibility by putting your life on the line. If you are a man, you should do at least that much. Even if you didn¡¯t know anything¡­¡±

    ¡°What is it that I didn¡¯t know?¡±

    Zich finally opened his mouth. Grotim was taken back. Zich¡¯s voice was way too calm despite the situation they were in.

    ¡®Does this punk not know the situation he¡¯s in right now?¡¯

    It could be true; he was the one who drew those strange, crude drawings as a magic circle on those statues after all. He might not have been a sane person in the first ce.

    ¡°Those weird drawings that you drew on the statues¡ªI don¡¯t know where you got such a strange idea that those things would work, but all of your efforts were useless. Instead of solving the problem, all you guys did was y right into my hand and drove yourselves into the corner.¡±

    ¡°Ah, that?¡±

    Zich¡¯s voice was still calm. And as if it was nothing, he dropped the bomb.

    ¡°I already knew all that.¡±

    ¡°What do you mean?¡±

    ¡°I knew that you were trying to lure Lube in, so you were helping us get to the statues.¡±

    ¡°¡­!¡±

    ¡°¡­!¡±

    Grotim and Lube were on opposite sides at every possible aspect, but at this moment, they were united in their shock. They looked at Zich with wide eyes. Grotim¡¯s shock seemed to have impacted the undead creatures and monsters because they also stopped.

    ¡°¡­Sigh. I have no time for your nonsense. If that is true, why did you bring Lube to me?¡±

    ¡°Obviously, it was to end you.¡±

    Zich swung his swords around to make his point, and Grotim scoffed at his words.

    ¡°And how would you do that? Do you seriously think you have any chance of victory in this situation?¡±

    Undead creatures and monsters surrounded them. Even though Zich was skilled, it seemed impossible for them to escape.

    ¡°It would be impossible with just the two of us.¡±

    This was annoying to admit, but it was true. If Zich was back in his Demon Lord days, he could have destroyed all the undead creatures and monsters in a split second, but it was impossible to do so in his current state. However, it was because he knew all this that Zich made this double-trap n.

    ¡°Did you seriously think I went around drawing those darn magic circles cause I thought they would have some kind of effect on your power?¡±

    ¡°¡­!¡±

    ¡°¡­!¡±

    Grotim¡¯s and Lube¡¯s hearts took another hit.

    ¡°¡­You went around drawing those magic circles even though you knew there was no effect?¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡±

    ¡°For what purpose?¡±

    Until now, Grotim thought Zich and Lube were all ying in the palm of his hand and looking down on them. However, if Zich were right, his feeling of superiority would have all been an illusion, and their situations would bepletely flipped.

    While Zich continued to calmly exin his side of the story, Grotim¡¯s frown began to grow deeper.

    ¡°First of all, the reason why we came here is simple. It¡¯s to bring down a bastard like you.¡±

    ¡°Bring me down?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. I didn¡¯t want you to escape and leave an ufortable feeling behind.¡±

    Moreover, Zich didn¡¯t want to waste the opportunity to crush Grotim¡¯s spirit and hope. Grotim was silent, but after a few moments, he burst outughing.

    ¡°Hahahahahahah! To bring me down? Are you not able to remember what just came out of your mouth? You told me with your own mouth that it would be impossible for you two to defeat me! And now you just change your mind? Hahahhaha!¡±

    Because of how hard he wasughing, Grotim clutched his stomach, and tears came out of his eyes. Then he wiped his tears and said, ¡°As expected, you are not in your right mind. Fine, let¡¯s say that everything is going ording to your n. Then what¡¯s going to happen now? Are you going to say you lied about how it was impossible for just the two of you to beat me?¡±

    ¡°No, that wasn¡¯t a lie. Just the two of us have no chance against you.¡±

    Zich shrugged his shoulders, and the smile did not leave his face.

    ¡°As I said, if it was just the two of us.¡±

    ¡°What do you mean? Are you telling me you have a backup or something? Sorry to inform you, but it¡¯s toote for the Kingdom or the Karuwimans toe.¡±

    ¡°But there is one. A backup.¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°You said I was mistaken in thinking that I could interrupt the ritual and went around bringing Lube everywhere. But that was not it. I was trying to buy time all along.¡±

    Grotim¡¯s face, which had been smiling a moment ago, hardened.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t warn you that I would be destroying those statues for no reason. I did it because I wanted you to think that we woulde back to you. I was trying to make you push the date of the ritual.¡±

    Zich¡¯s voice was lively, and his tone was cheerful. In contrast, Grotim¡¯s face began to worsen slowly.

    ¡°I thought you would definitely push the date of the ritual since you would want Lube¡ªa ¡®prized possession.¡¯ You must have helped us so that we could meet you as soon as possible. Well, it was kind of funny how I tricked you into thinking that we were all in the palm of your hand.¡±

    ¡°Mr. Zich, then are you saying that what we did before and even this situation was all ording to your n?¡±

    ¡°Yes, that is what I am saying.¡±

    Lube¡¯s face was not that different from Grotim¡¯s. No, her face seemed more shocked than his.

    ¡°You also tricked me.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s because I didn¡¯t know how good you were at acting. Aren¡¯t you a bad liar? Also, my n wouldn¡¯t have been impacted whether or not you knew about this n.¡±

    Zich¡¯s confident and bold reply made Lube speechless.

    ¡°Didn¡¯t you tell me before? You apologized for doubting my knowledge, and then I told you that there¡¯s no need for you to be sorry.¡±

    ¡°¡­Was that not just modesty?¡±

    ¡°No, it was not.¡±

    Prepared for the fight of her life, Lube lost all her strength at Zich¡¯s words.

    ¡°D-don¡¯t make meugh!¡±

    Grotim finally realized that he had been yed all along, and his face was bright red.

    ¡°A backup! There¡¯s no way you guys have something like that! Look at the situation right now! There¡¯s nobody else but just you two! Stop spouting outright lies!¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t lie.¡±

    ¡°Then what is that backup you are talking about!¡±

    ¡°Ah, you want to know?¡±

    It was at that moment.

    Boom!

    A massive explosion erupted near the mansion. Zich smiled brightly.

    ¡°Do you know Belri Weig?¡±

    ¡®Or do you know him as Tasnia¡¯s Killing Machine?¡¯

 Chapter 29

    <h4>Chapter 29</h4>

    ¡°Belri Weig?¡±

    ¡°Sir Weig?¡±

    Lube and Grotim spoke at the same time, but their tones were like opposites. Whereas Lube''s voice was filled with delight and happiness, Grotim''s voice was overwhelmed with confusion and fear.

    ¡°Weig? Belri Weig? That monster is here?¡±

    Many powerful figures appeared in the soon-to-be chaotic world, but the methods they used to gain their strengths were all different. Some diligently trained during a time of peace and were strong before the chaos. Some grew stronger via the difficulties they faced in the chaos, and some gained their powers instantly by using a strengthening item. Others received their strength from another powerful figure.

    Zich was the type who had gained his power by the difficulties he faced in the chaos. On the other hand, Weig was the perfect example of someone who hadn¡¯t cked off on his training in a time of peace and was strong before the chaos.

    So, even during a time of peace, Weig used his impressive strength to fight against Karuwiman¡¯s enemies. Of course, these enemies included Karuwiman¡¯s arch-nemesis, the Bellid. There was no way that Grotim didn¡¯t know Weig¡¯s name.

    ¡°Don¡¯t lie! How could that monster be here?!¡±

    Grotim was the most shocked he had ever been since meeting Lube and Zich; that was how much of a household name Weig was.

    ¡°He is the captain of the bodyguards who protect Lady Lube. He just had something to take care of when he arrived in the city and was gone for a bit. Thankfully, his mission was at a nearby ce, so we could order a person to call him.¡±

    ¡®Now that I think about it, Mr. Zich asked me about Sir Weig¡¯s mission before!¡±

    Lube recalled Zich¡¯s question which she had answered without much thought.

    ¡°W-when did you call him?¡±

    ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you that I ordered Hans to do an errand for me? This is what I asked him to do.¡±

    ¡°Ah!¡±

    Lube remembered Zich''s servant.

    ¡®You were already thinking about calling Sir Weig then?¡¯

    But how was that possible?

    ¡°Even if Sir Weig was closer to us than the headquarters or any subdivision, his mission should have taken him quite far away from here. How were you able to call him?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s thanks to Hans¡¯ efforts.¡±

    Zich smiled jokingly, and Lube couldn¡¯t ask another question. The undead and monsters that surrounded them began to move.

    ¡°Ha, even if my opponent is Belri Weig, my army has enough strength. This is actually better. I should take this chance to take that guy¡¯s head as a souvenir to bring home!¡± Grotim arrogantly shouted. The army in charge of the siege outside began to move where the explosion was.

    ¡°Will it be alright?¡±

    Lube worried for Weig. She knew that he was an incredible Holy Knight, but the army that Grotim led also looked formidable. However, Zich wasn¡¯t concerned at all.

    ¡°It will be alright.¡±

    ¡®No need to worry about a person who can calmly get out of a greater hell than this one.¡¯

    Crash!

    As if it agreed with Zich¡¯s thoughts, another explosion rang across the surroundings again. Everyone stared at where the st came from.

    ¡°A-As expected of Belri Weig, but he is still just by himself¡­!¡±

    Crash!

    The explosion was much closer to them this time, and the shock of the holy powers reached them.

    Drop!

    Something dropped down from the sky. Zich flicked away the materials that were falling on top of his and Lube¡¯s heads.

    ¡°¡­This is.¡±

    Grotim checked one of the things that fell: an arm dripping with blood and cracked legs. At a nce, they looked like parts of a ughtered man. However, they weren¡¯t human body parts but of the undead and monsters.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Grotim didn¡¯t open his mouth anymore.

    Crash! Crash! Crash!

    An explosive sound rang out again; holy powers and explosions grew closer to them.

    ¡°Look at this. It¡¯s no joke, right?¡±

    Zich tilted his head in a mocking way, and the corner of Grotim¡¯s mouth twitched. Grotim wanted to stomp on Zich¡¯s spiteful face, but the explosive soundwaves and holy powerplicated his thoughts.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Grotim looked around his surroundings. He looked where the explosion came from, once where the remaining army was, and once where Lube and Zich were. As if he was making the greatest decision of his life, the wrinkles on his forehead deepened.

    However, that didn¡¯tst long. Grotim¡¯s eyes rested on Zich and Lube.

    ¡°Have you made your decision now?¡±

    As if Zich was sick of waiting, he provoked Grotim.

    ¡°No matter how incredible Weig is, it¡¯s over if the ritual affects him.¡±

    Grotim stared at Lube.

    ¡°Well, I will take the spoils of war first.¡±

    ¡°This guy doesn¡¯t know a single thing about tactics. In a situation like this, you should escape. It¡¯s not like you guys are part of an Order of Holy Knights and can¡¯t show your backs to your opponents. Come on, you guys are cowards who run away like cockroaches and do stupid shit like this. Why can¡¯t you judge the situation well?¡±

    ¡°¡­Even if I suffer greater losses by fleeingte, I will make sure to give you the most painful death!¡±

    As the situation didn¡¯t unravel ording to his expectations, Grotim finally exploded. He shot out his murderous intent straight at Zich.

    ¡°Ay! So scary. If I really get captured, I won¡¯t escape in one piece.¡±

    Although the undead and monsters closed the distance between them, Zich didn¡¯t even blink. Instead, the smile on his lips deepened.

    ¡°But you know...¡± Zich exerted more strength into his grip and shook his sword lightly. ¡°Why are you treating me like a tool that you can just put in and take out of your pockets? You don¡¯t know your ce.¡±

    ¡°Your insignificant life is nothing I can¡¯t take if I just wish for it!¡±

    With Grotim¡¯s shout, monsters and the undead began to pounce on Zich. There were many of them and they were strong, but Zich wasn¡¯t discouraged.

    ¡°Bring it on,¡± Zich murmured and raised his sword. An immense amount of mana shot out and surrounded his body.

    Wing!

    ¡°What?¡±

    His power suddenly grew significantly. Zich turned around and saw Lube with her eyes closed and her staff raised. A light beam shone from her body.

    ¡°Since they are protected by Bellid¡¯s energy, my holy powers won¡¯t work on the undead. But you at least don¡¯t have to worry about your wounds. Although it¡¯s a bit embarrassing for me to say this, my skills are the best among the Saint Candidates. I can heal most wounds.¡±

    ¡°How reliable.¡±

    They weren¡¯t empty words. Lube really seemed reliable¡ª afterall, she was the one who had defeated Zich with the hero before his regression. Of course, her skills and experience wereckingpared to that time, but her words provided a great sense of security.

    ¡®If I had even one support like Lube at that time, I wouldn¡¯t have lost.¡±

    He might¡¯ve even corned the hero and achieved an overwhelming victory.

    Zich stabilized the power that burst out from him. Then, he raised his sword high and sliced the air. A turbulent wave of mana poured out from his sword.

    Slice!

    The sword¡¯s mana flew far away and indiscriminately shredded and sliced its surroundings. He couldn¡¯t cut the whole area in half like he had done in his prime. However, this was enough to decrease the total number of undead and monsters.

    Slice! Slice! Slice!

    Cutting sounds followed one after another.

    Some avoided the slices with quick movements or intercepted the attacks from the front, and others faced the attacks head-on and withstood them with their rigid bodies. However, the bodies of many undead and monsters that failed to do that were shredded in pieces.

    ¡°Hey, don¡¯t you think your ns are failing? Shouldn¡¯t you bring back some of the guys you sent?¡±

    Of course, if Weig arrived faster by doing that, Zich didn¡¯t n to take responsibility.

    ¡°You bastard! Boast after taking care of my whole army first!¡±

    Like Grotim said, Zich had finished off most of the weak monsters, and there were still many monsters and the undead to take care of. Furthermore, the monsters that were left were the more advanced types.

    ¡°Is that right? Then, I will say it afterward.¡±

    Zich began to move in with a full swing.

    Crash!

    Zich blocked the sharp nails of a monster that jumped on him.

    Scratch!

    An ear-splitting sound rang out at the contact of the sword¡¯s body and his fingernails, and three undead took the chance to run towards Zich. At that moment, Zich rxed his grip. His sword was pushed back.

    Rattle!

    The monster that had flung its nails lost its bnce and leaned its body forward. Its head touched Zich¡¯s knees.

    Crash!

    The monster¡¯s head cracked. A collection of bone pieces, blood, and brain fluids bloomed out.

    Whish!

    Zich ced extra pressure into his other foot and then spun his body around; he alsoid his body t.

    sh!

    A rusty knife de whizzed passed the ce where his torso used to be¡ª a headless corpse had shot it.

    Clutch!

    Zich grabbed the headless corpse¡¯s wrist and pulled. Then, he bounced his body off from the rebound. They both swung their swords at the same time.

    Slice! Slice! Slice!

    One went down at every swing. Zich¡¯s sword snaked through the gaps between theplex assembly of the undead and precisely hit their heads.

    Drop! Drop! Drop! Drop!

    The first set of monsters and undead all fell almost simultaneously. At this sight, Grotim¡¯s face stiffened while Lube¡¯s face brightened in vivid contrast.

    ¡°Bring more in.¡±

    Zich gestured towards Grotim and provoked him. The next set of monsters and undead came forward, and Zich¡¯s sword danced again.

    ¡®Amazing!¡¯

    Because she had received a lot of help from Zich, she was aware that Zich possessed considerable skill and power. But it was her first time seeing him fight so earnestly. It seemed as if Zich could predict his opponent¡¯s next moves, and his movements were fast and strong but not at a level where she couldn¡¯t see them. Still, his enemies¡¯ attacks failed to reach him while all of his attacksnded.

    ¡°Damn it!¡±

    In the end, Grotim cursed and changed his orders.

    ¡°Attack the girl too. It¡¯s fine to rip off her arm or leg! It¡¯s fine as long as she is still alive.¡±

    ¡°Did you hear that?¡±

    Zich nced behind him after shooting off a monster¡¯s head.

    ¡°That¡¯s a pity. You were a good shield.¡±

    Zich benefitted from having Lube behind his back as the monsters and the undead tried to attack while avoiding her. However, it seemed like this perk was now gone.

    ¡°Don¡¯t treat someone else like a shield!¡± Lube fixed her grip on the staff and grumbled. ¡°They are going to attack you for real now. Will you be alright?¡±

    ¡°¡­Actually, it¡¯s not going to be alright.¡±

    Although Lube regrly trained her physique, she had never learned battling skills. She wasn¡¯t sure if she could be of much help in a siege like this.

    ¡°Well, it¡¯s fine. I didn¡¯t think you would be of much help.¡±

    ¡°¡­I thought this before, but are you aware that your way of talking is quite annoying?¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t help it because I have a nasty temper.¡±

    While snorting, Zich fixed his posture.

    ¡°You stay right there, Lady Lube. Don¡¯t try to attack, counterattack, or even avoid the attacks. Just stay still and don¡¯t do anything.¡±

    Thump!

    Blocking the attack that flew towards Lube, Zich¡¯s sword bounced off.

    Lube flinched.

    ¡°¡­You want me to stay still? Here?¡±

    ¡°Ah, please continue to support and heal me. You can do that without moving, right?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s the case, but¡­no, how could you just tell me to stay still!¡±

    Thump! Thump!

    Attacks bounced off from Zich¡¯s sword again, and every time they did, Lube¡¯s body trembled a bit.

    ¡°Then, can you avoid these guys¡¯ attacks?¡±

    Thump! Thump! Thump!

    Lube shook her head.

    ¡°¡­You have to protect me.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry.¡±

    Lube gathered her hands and searched for her god Karuna more fervently than ever.

 Chapter 30

    <h4>Chapter 30</h4>

    ¡®Okay, I warned her.¡¯

    Zich nced at their surroundings. Undead creatures and monsters were all ganging up on them. He had to stay in ce while protecting Lube.

    ¡®Well, that¡¯s easy.¡¯

    Zich moved as fast as the wind.

    Crash! Slice! Crash! Slice!

    Zich avoided the attacks that came towards him, blocked the attacks that came towards Lube, and twisted his sword between the undead creatures and monsters to kill them off. Zichunched a series of attacks without stopping, but the only ones that fell were the undead and monsters.

    On the other hand, it was important to consider that Zich¡¯s efficiency in battle was cut down by half since he also had to protect Lube. From a nce, it seemed as if Grotim had an advantage. However, Zich¡¯s face was still calm and peaceful while Grotim¡¯s face began to look uglier and uglier.

    ¡°So what are you gonna do! If you don¡¯t quickly bring me down, the ¡®Killing Machine,¡¯ Belri Weig, is going toe and defeat you!¡±

    ¡°Shut up!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m warning you out of the goodness in my heart. If you don¡¯t retreat right now, you might be in serious trouble.¡±

    ¡°I told you to shut the fuck up!¡±

    Grotim began to respond very emotionally. His nervousness and fear began to swallow him gradually.

    ¡®I guess it can¡¯t be helped.¡¯

    Grotim hardened his heart and took out something from his pockets. It was the book called ¡®Key.¡¯ The page that Zich had ripped was fixed, and it now looked as good as new. As soon as Grotim opened the book, an ominous aura drifted out.

    Screech! Screech! Screeeeeeeech!

    Screams echoed throughout the whole space. They sounded like abination of cries of people being tortured, the sound of nails scratching on a chalkboard, and ghosts shrieking curses in the air.

    Kwaaaaaa!

    Gurgg! Gurgg!

    Tatatatatak!

    Monsters and the undead began to also scream out loud. As if they were cheering for the soundsing out of the book, it was a frightening scene to behold.

    ¡°Okay, I admit it! You are one annoying bastard! Even more than those Karuwiman bastards! I can¡¯t believe I¡¯m getting so distracted by a dude who just popped out of nowhere!¡±

    ¡°What? Aren¡¯t youplimenting me too much?¡±

    It was very rare for a Bellid to hate someone more than a Karuwiman.

    ¡°Say whatever the fuck you want. You won¡¯t be able to use your mouth for long!¡±

    Grotim lifted his book. As if the book had its own will, the book''s pages began to flip by themselves.

    ¡°Are you going to use that? If you use the power of the Key, won¡¯t the ritual be dyed?¡±

    ¡°By a bit! A tiny bit! It won¡¯t matter if I use it once to kill you!¡±

    ¡°Can you even properly use it? The Mayor who you also used as the ¡®Key¡¯ died in my hands. Aren¡¯t the powers that you can control very limited?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t need much power to kill you!¡±

    ¡°What about Lube? Our precious Lube might be swept by your attack.¡±

    ¡°Well, it can¡¯t be helped.¡±

    As the situation worsened for him, Grotim began to half-give up on Lube. Zich clicked his tongue.

    ¡°Sad. I was going to keep using Lube as the shield if he couldn¡¯t give up on her.¡±

    ¡°Please think those thoughts in your mind so I don¡¯t hear them!¡± Lube also seemed to be sick of Zich¡¯s antics and shouted at him.

    Rumbling!

    A column of water rose from theke. It wasrge enough to swallow several buildings easily. As if it was a giant snake, it began to twist its body; then its head began to head towards Zich and Lube.

    The undead and monsters began to force themselves upon Zich and Lube. Without caring about any of their injuries, they pushed themselves in without cooperation or connection. The whole purpose was to prevent Zich and Lube from escaping.

    ¡°Should I also stay still even in this situation?¡±

    Even though the situation was very dangerous, Lube remained calm. She was confident that Zich would not leave her alone and run away by himself.

    ¡°Yes, you are exactly right. However, please prepare to use your healing magic.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. That¡¯s my specialty.¡±

    Zich¡¯s sword style changed. Before, his sword style was defensive and focused on interception, but now his sword style was rough, aggressive, and focused on cutting down as many enemies as he could.

    Swish! Crush!

    Zich¡¯s menacing sword style destroyed everything in his reach. The wall, made up of undead creatures and monsters, began to loosen up and crumble at once. However, his new sword style had some drawbacks as he sacrificed defense for offense.

    Pierce! Crush!

    A few attacks passed through Zich¡¯s defense and injured his body. Even though Zich moved to avoid fatal injuries, he received a couple of pretty serious blows. Instead, he concentrated most of his defense in blocking all the attacks towards Lube, and she did not receive a single hit. Moreover, anyone who injured Zich¡¯s body died as soon as they made contact.

    ¡°I¡¯m going to heal you now!¡±

    All of Zich¡¯s injuries disappeared in a second. Even the poison in his body was gone. Lube¡¯s holy powers were extremely impressive. With Lube¡¯s support, Zich was able to push back the undead and monsters somewhat sessfully.

    Grotim began shooting the water column at them.

    ¡°Dieeeeeee!¡±

    Boom!

    Formidable water pressure soared above the earth and loomed closer as if it nned to crush everything. Zich stared at it and watched ite down.

    Swish!

    Zich readjusted his stance in the small space he had made to separate him and Lube from the undead creatures and monsters. He pulled his sword back and tensed all his muscles.

    Zing!

    The sword vibrated and mana began to surround it like a whirlpool. Zich¡¯s eyes became sharper.

    A water column shot out and struck where Zich was. In the opposite direction, Zich slowly pierced the air where the column was heading.

    Burst!

    With that clear sound, the space distorted, and intangible forces shot up. Zich continued to shoot out Piercing Space attacks at the water column. Soon, the shots swallowed up the column.

    Craaaaash!

    The ground rumbled. The pressure that the water column hit the ground with was great enough to sweep the undead and monsters away instantly.

    ¡°Huff!¡±

    Grotim breathed heavily. While scowling, he looked down at the Key.

    ¡®Damn it! As expected, it consumes too much energy!¡±

    Like Zich said, losing the Mayor had been critical.

    ¡®But still, with this much¡­!¡¯

    It seemed that damn Zich had done something, but Grotim thought it was all useless.

    ¡®But if that guy tried to save Lube, that girl might still be alive.¡¯

    If that was the case, his victory was clear.

    ¡®If I get a hold of the Saint candidate and get Belri Weig mixed into the ritual and kill him, my position in the Church will be firmer than anyone else.¡¯

    Just the thought of his sweet future made him d. But it was too early to celebrate.

    ¡°Is this all? No matter what, they are just worshipers of a fish head.¡±

    Grotim heard a rude and annoying voice, and his eyes became big as if they would pop out.

    ¡°H-How?¡±

    After the water column copsed, the whole area was flooded with water. The remains of monsters and the undead that had been swept away by the disaster floated everywhere like blocks of wood. However, his targets, Zich and Lube, werepletely fine.

    They were soaked from the water, but that was all. They didn¡¯t look like they were wounded or had a single scratch on their bodies.

    ¡°My powers should have swallowed you¡­!¡±

    ¡°Ah, that?¡±

    Zich stopped squeezing water out of his clothes to answer.

    ¡°An attack that uses mass and water pressure isn¡¯t bad. But no matter how big the water column is, the surface area wee into contact with is not much. If we pierce through the area and decrease the water pressure, all we get hit by is a waterfall that shoots down from a bit higher than usual.¡±

    Zich turned his head.

    ¡°But there¡¯s someone who will lose their senses over just that.¡±

    Lube sneezed while looking like a mouse drenched in water. She looked like someone who had just been saved from drowning.

    ¡°Are you okay?¡±

    ¡°¡­I don¡¯t feel too good. This underground water stinks of Bellu¡¯s smell.¡±

    ¡°Ah, that¡¯s too bad.¡± Zich expressed his regrets.

    ¡°Don¡¯t make meugh! There was so much power in my attack. How could it disperse so easily?¡±

    ¡°Poor you, you don¡¯t know anything,¡± Zich said while clicking his tongue. ¡°It¡¯s called skills that make it possible, you idiot.¡±

    It was also the skill that the Demon Lord had learned in a time of chaos.

    ¡°Okay, then, what are you going to do now? Because of your great power, your underlings were all swept away.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t be too full of yourself because you happened to block one mass attack. The Key¡¯s power is not just¡­!¡±

    ¡°Ah, that¡¯s enough.¡± Zich cut off Grotim¡¯s words, ¡°You are done.¡±

    ¡°What nonsen¡ª!¡±

    Crash!

    There was the sound of an explosion, but unlike before, it was very close. Like a rusty windmill, Grotim slowly turned his head.

    He was there in front of the Mayor¡¯s mansion walls where the wet debris had gathered. His usual neat, white hair was in a mess, and his body was smeared with all kinds of blood, flesh, and bone fragments. His chilly gaze made him look like the grim reaper of the afterworld. No, to Grotim, he was the grim reaper. Karuwiman¡¯s greatest fighter had arrived.

    ¡°I told you. If you miscalcte the time to retreat, it could mean some serious trouble,¡± Zich unted.

    Lube was happy to see Weig.

    ¡°Sir Weig!¡±

    ¡°Are you alright, Lady Lube?¡±

    Weig¡¯s eyes immediately softened as if he was talking to his granddaughter. Lube felt like she couldn¡¯t control her emotions. After Weig¡¯s departure, Lube had grown innerly by experiencing so much hardship, but in front of Weig, it was hard for her to hold back her tears.

    Tears trickled down from her eyes, and Weig felt hisst piece of patience fly away when he saw Lube crying. He cared for her like his own granddaughter.

    ¡°Yoouuu baaastard!¡± Weig¡¯s shout resounded throughout the area. It was filled with so much rage that even Lube flinched, and Grotim stumbled back after receiving the anger head-on.

    ¡®Wow, so fucking scary,¡¯ Zich thought inside his mind. That was how enraged Weig was.

    ¡°B-Belri Weig!¡±

    Grotim had gone on and on about his army being enough to fight Weig or that he could just mix Weig into the ritual, but now he looked pale.

    ¡°Are you that Bellid¡¯s son of a bitch?¡± Harsh words came out of Weig¡¯s mouth, ¡°A piece of trash that serves a damn thing like Bellu tries to offer a whole city as a sacrifice? And you even bother Lube on top of that! You damn old man!¡±

    As if he was angry at the insults aimed at Bellu, Grotim tried his hardest to hold his ground.

    ¡°Even if you are the ¡®Bellid ughterer,¡¯ do you think you can beat me, who has the Key?!¡±

    ¡®Wow, before he gained the nickname as Tasnia ins¡¯ Killing Machine, his nickname was Bellid ughterer.¡¯

    It was impressive how a Holy Knight could keep gaining bloody nicknames like that; it was a talent.

    Burst! Burst! Burst! Burst!

    This time, four water columns shot up from the pond. Each of them was three times the size of the previous one. Lube covered her mouth while witnessing the power they carried as the columns wiggled.

    ¡°Diiiiiiiie!¡±

    Like he was in a fit of passion, Grotim shouted, and the water column headed to where Weig was. As if Grotim was trying to trap Weig, each of the columns circled in different directions. But Weig didn¡¯t escape.

    ¡°Ha!¡±

    Weig snorted and raised his sword with Karuwiman¡¯s symbol inscribed on its body, and swung it.

    Craaaaaash!

    Soon, the water columns that had plodded their way close to Weig burst. Like how fast they hade at Weig, streams of water fluttered everywhere. It was as if rain was falling from the dry sky.

    Grotim stared at him with utter shock as Weig asked, ¡°Is that all?¡±

 Chapter 31

    <h4>Chapter 31</h4>

    ¡°T-This is¡­!¡±

    Even if he wasn¡¯t a modified human made to use the Key, Grotim possessed the Bellid ritual¡¯s power. Thus, Grotim was at a loss for words when he saw his attacks crumble so easily.

    ¡°Eiiiih!¡±

    Grotim flipped his book as if he was going to use another great power.

    ¡°Do you think I will just watch?¡±

    Unlike Lube who was like a baby chick in a new world, Weig had umted an immense amount of experience. He quickly shortened the distance between him and his enemy.

    ¡°Damn it!¡±

    Grotim put up a barrier and summoned the undead. However, the summoned undead were normal skeletons at most. He had gathered them in a hurry, and as expected, these monsters were unable to fend off Weig.

    ¡°Fucking bastard!¡±

    Stomp!

    It wasn¡¯t anything extraordinary. It was a simple stomp, but with holy powers infused into it, the single step created a shockwave strong enough to smash the skeletons into pieces. Grotim¡¯s face turned purple. In a blink of an eye, the only thing that came between Weig and him was a magical wall.

    It was a rigid and solid wall of great quality, but now, Grotim felt like it couldn¡¯t be thinner and weaker than it looked. He felt like it would break into pieces without much protest. And unfortunately for him, his ominous predictions were always correct.

    Crash!

    It wasn¡¯t even a sword but a single fist. With that one punch, the magical wall cracked and shattered like ss.

    ¡°Eiiiiih!¡±

    Grotim let out a high-pitched shriek. He flipped the pages in his book again and unleashed Bellu¡¯s dark energy.

    ¡°Withdraw that energy. It puts me in a bad mood.¡±

    Slice!

    With a light swing of his sword, Weig split the book into two.

    ¡°Ugh!¡±

    As he tried to evade Weig¡¯s sword, Grotim fell on his bottom. The book dropped from Grotim¡¯s hands and fell to the ground.

    Guuahhaaaeiiiiiih!

    An iprehensible and horrible shriek rang across the area. It came out of the book. Sliced into two, the book pages pped by itself; and water, the archenemy of books, poured out from the sliced area like blood.

    Weig scowled at the energy that he felt from the water.

    ¡°As if it couldn¡¯t be any clearer that it¡¯s Bellu¡¯s dirty artifact, it¡¯s disgusting until the end.¡±

    Weig swung his sword once again. He sliced the horizontally-split book into four pieces.

    Urgh!

    In contrast to the chilling sound from a moment ago, this scream was more desperate. It was like a scream that someone would let out right before death while gasping for air.

    Pop!

    The book burst. Without leaving a trace or a mark, the book that had pushed the city of Porti into fear hid its existence from the world.

    ¡°T-The Key¡­!¡± Grotim murmured nkly. His eyes lost aim as if he hade face to face with a reality that he didn¡¯t want to believe.

    Ssh!

    At the same time, he heard water sshing from the fountain near him. It was the sound that Bellu¡¯s statue made as it mmed into the fountain. With one more water column, the statue made its presence known once more and sunk to the bottom of the fountain with disappearing bubbles. After checking the scene, Weig turned his attention to Grotim again.

    ¡°The Key?¡±

    ¡°He said that the book was the Key for the Offering Ritual!¡± Lube shouted.

    ¡°Does that mean you can¡¯t do the ritual without it?¡± Weig asked Grotim, but he didn¡¯t receive an answer. Grotim no longer looked like he had the will to fight anymore.

    ¡°He is out of it.¡±

    Bam!

    Weig kicked Grotim, and Grotim rolled on the floor like a miserable loser.

    ¡®He won¡¯t be a danger anymore, but I should take precautions.¡¯

    Weig stepped on Grotim¡¯s chest and raised his holy power while making a cross sign. Grothim gasped for air, and then, a couple of white rings formed and quickly contracted around him.

    Grip!

    The white rings restricted and trapped Grotim¡¯s body.

    ¡®You won¡¯t be able to escape anymore.¡¯

    With Lube beside him, he wouldn¡¯t even be able tomit suicide either.

    ¡®It¡¯s aplete win.¡¯

    Bellid¡¯s ns werepletely ruined, and Weig¡¯s battle was over.

    ¡°Sir Weig!¡±

    Weig knew that Lube was running towards him and turned his body to ept Lube¡¯s flying body tenderly.

    ¡°Oh, Lady Lube! Please be gentle. This old man¡¯s weak back won¡¯t be able to handle it.¡±

    ¡®Stop exaggerating. We all know you are going to be swinging your sword on your deathbed¡­¡¯

    Zich was astounded, but he kept his thoughts to himself. With his arms crossed, he simply stared at Lube and Weig¡¯s reunion.

    ¡°Are you hurt anywhere?¡±

    ¡°My opponents were too weak. How can they be so pathetic? They can¡¯t even handle a dying old man like me.¡±

    Lube chuckled at Weig¡¯s humorous words.

    ¡°But Lady Lube, are you alright?¡±

    ¡°Yes! It¡¯s all thanks to Mr. Zich!¡±

    Weig¡¯s eyes finally went towards Zich.

    ¡°Are you¡­ Mr. Zich?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°It seems we owe you many favors. I am indebted to you as Karuwiman¡¯s brethren.¡±

    ¡°All I did was try to do a good deed.¡±

    ¡°Hohoho! Then I want to tell you that you really did the right thing.¡±

    Zich didn¡¯t think that there would ever be the day that he heard a person from Karuwiman¡ª¡®Tasnia¡¯s Killing Machine¡¯ at that¡ªto tell him that he had done the right thing.

    ¡®I really can¡¯t get used to it.¡±

    Lube and Weig gazed at Zich with goodwill and made him feel ufortable.

    ¡°Since it seems like we have solved the immediate concern, can I hear more about the situation in detail?¡±

    Weig looked back and forth between Zich and Lube.

    ¡°You didn¡¯te here knowing everything?¡±

    ¡°All I know is what is written here.¡±

    Weig took out a small slip of paper and handed it to Lube.

    It contained information about the Curse on Porti, false charges on Lube, Bellid¡¯s involvement, and so on. Still, because itcked a detailed exnation, it was difficult to tie all the pieces together. In fact, Weig had warilye to the city in disguise, but when he saw Lube¡¯s wanted poster, all his doubts disappeared.

    ¡°The slip of paper was hidden in a secret spot outside of the city. It stated that the day after I find this paper, there will be a battle against Bellid in the evening. So, since I didn¡¯t know where the battle would take ce, I surveyed the whole city at the top of the temple¡¯s tower.¡±

    Then, as soon as he heard amotion, Weig had run towards the noise; and the undead and monsters around the mansion failed to stop him.

    ¡°Were you the one who wrote this slip of paper?¡± Lube asked Zich after checking the paper¡¯s contents.

    ¡°Yes. I decided to have the battle a day after this piece of paper disappeared because I had to make sure of Sir Weig¡¯s arrival before confronting Grotim. And I knew that Sir Weig would be the only one who would be able to find the paper in such a secretive spot.¡±

    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t it have been better to unite with Sir Weig before going into battle?¡± Lube asked, sullen that she didn¡¯t know anything about this n.

    ¡°Then what if Grotim runs away? We have to do things like this wlessly.¡±

    Grotim probably wouldn¡¯t have appeared if he saw them with Belri Weig. Lube looked convinced, so Zich asked Weig, ¡°What happened to Hans?¡±

    ¡°Hans?¡±

    ¡°The one who sent you the news. My servant.¡±

    ¡°Ah, you were talking about him.¡±

    Weig looked troubled.

    ¡°I apologize, but I don¡¯t really know. When I heard that Lady Lube was in danger, I came running. If he didn¡¯t try to hold me back with all he had to tell me about the slip of paper, I would¡¯ve missed that too.¡±

    ¡®Well, he has done well in what I ordered him to do.¡¯

    Weig¡¯s eyes must have turned upside down after hearing what happened to Lube; so, Zich knew that it must have been no ordinary task to pass on more information when Weig was in a state like that.

    ¡®Hans really is quite useful.¡¯

    Zich had taken Hans to torment him, but his servant was useful in many ways that he didn¡¯t expect.

    ¡°Then, I will summarize all the events that had happened after you left, Sir Weig¡­¡±

    Lube opened her mouth to speak when¡ª

    Rumble!

    The ground shook.

    ¡°Kyah!¡±

    ¡°¡­What is it?¡±

    Lube screamed, and Weig tried to assess the situation. Then, they heard a burst of loudughter behind them.

    ¡°It¡¯s started! It¡¯s started! God¡¯s judgment will befall this damn city!¡±

    The voice came from the fallen Grotim. In contrast to his past dejected self, heughed maniacally now.

    Weig approached Grotim right away.

    m!

    ¡°Ugh!¡±

    Weig kicked Grotim¡¯s sides, and Grotim rolled across the ground again.

    ¡°Did you do this?¡±

    The vibrations continued. It was a great shock, and Weig¡¯s voice cracked.

    ¡°Ha! Yes, I did this! This is the result of the ritual that I nned for so long!¡±

    ¡°Stop kidding yourself. I took care of the Key you had, and even that disgusting statue of Bellu sank. There¡¯s no way that the ritual can continue.¡±

    ¡°You stupid bastards! What do you guys know about rituals!¡±

    They didn¡¯t have much to say about that. Until now, the ¡®Offering Ritual¡¯ had been attempted many times, but they were all stopped in the middle of the process and never seeded. Thus, even though they had a modest amount of information about the ritual, they couldn¡¯t say that they knew everything about the ritual.

    ¡°How could you be so proud about stopping the ritual when you don¡¯t know anything about it!¡± Grotim said excitedly, ¡°The ritual will automatically activate if enough life force pervades the basement! And you can¡¯t stop a ritual once it starts! Even if you break the Key or Bellu¡¯s statue, you can¡¯t! The ritual won¡¯t stop until it swallows the entire city!¡±

    ¡°But you seem to value the Key so much.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s because I can only exercise control of the ritual with the Key! The ritual is now activated because the Key disappeared. But, to control where and how the ritual is activated, you need the Key! Especially a key with considerable power!¡±

    This was the main reason why Grotim had tried to limit his use of the Key¡¯s power. If he hadn¡¯t let the Mayor control it, he wouldn¡¯t have saved the item¡¯s power as much.

    ¡°This also means that even I can¡¯t escape from the ritual since I don¡¯t have the Key anymore!¡±

    Grotim gritted his teeth at his decisive death. The ritual had already begun sessfully, but now he could no longer return to Bellid and enjoy the fruits of his sess. This was why he had lost his senses for a moment.

    ¡°I might die this way, but Bellu¡¯s great name will soon shake up the whole world! And the Church will remember my name forever! I don¡¯t regret sacrificing my life like this!¡±

    Grotim didn¡¯t seem like he was lying. Weig¡¯s face stiffened.

    ¡°What¡¯s the method to stop the ritual?¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s none! And even if I know, do you think I will¡ª!¡±

    Crack!

    ¡°Ahhh!¡±

    Weig relentlessly broke Grotim¡¯s arms.

    ¡°What¡¯s the method to stop it?¡±

    ¡°Ha! Even the great Belri Weig can¡¯t do anything in this situation¡ª!¡±

    Crack!

    ¡°Ahhh!¡±

    ¡°The method?¡±

    ¡°Hahahaha! There¡¯s no point in torturing me since there¡¯s really no method to stop the ritual!¡±

    Weig stopped. Grotim didn¡¯t seem like he would spill the beans. Moreover, he really didn¡¯t seem like he knew.

    ¡®I should get Lady Lube out of here first.¡¯

    That was the first thing that came to Weig¡¯s mind. However, Grotim tried to stop him.

    ¡°Don¡¯t think about running away! The ritual has already covered the whole city. There¡¯s no way you guys can escape! Even if you try to go out, you will be bounced right back in!¡±

    ¡°You bastard!¡±

    Weig, who had kept his cool, seemed to have be more alert as his words became rough.

    ¡°W-What should we do, Mr. Zich?¡±

    As the situation turned for the worse, Lube filled with anxiety. Even the trustworthy Weig didn¡¯t seem to have a clear n or method.

    ¡°What more can we do¡ª?¡±

    Zich came forward and smiled widely.

    ¡°¡ªThan teach this pitiful guy some reality?¡±

    ¡°Sorry?¡±

    Zich didn¡¯t answer Lube and approached Grotim.

    ¡°It¡¯s you.¡±

    Grotim red at Zich with sparks in his eyes.

    ¡°You bastard! Everything would have gone as nned if it wasn¡¯t for you!¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s probably true.¡±

    ¡°But even that¡¯s over! I will sacrifice your worthless life to Bellu now! You should have just left the city quietly when you could!¡±

    ¡°Man, you are so excited.¡±

    It was time to tell him the truth.

    ¡°So, do these vibrations appear when the ritual activates?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right!¡±

    ¡°Then what happens next?¡±

    ¡°Water will shoot up from all over the city¡¯s grounds! It will scatter Bellu¡¯s great blessing over the city!¡±

    ¡°Like the water columns that you shot up at the mansion?¡±

    ¡°Yes!¡±

    Grotim answered Zich¡¯s questions easily. He thought that since Zich would die anyway, he should inme Zich¡¯s fear by telling him more about the iing situation.

    ¡°Then, about what time do the water columns shoot up after the vibrations?¡±

    ¡°Immediately! The vibrations are caused by the force of moving water filled with Bellu¡¯s energy.¡±

    ¡°I see. But then...¡±

    Zich looked around his surroundings in exaggeration.

    ¡°I don¡¯t see any water columns?¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    Even while rolling on the ground, Grotim raised his head and looked around his surroundings. There wasn¡¯t a single water column that he talked about in sight.

    ¡°H-How? The water columns have to¡ª!¡±

    ¡°Now that I think about it, the vibrations are slowing down.¡±

    At Weig¡¯s words, Grotim looked down at the ground. He felt the vibrations slowlying to a stop.

    ¡°T-This¡­¡±

    ¡°Should I tell you the reason?¡±

    With that subtle tone, Zich seemed like he was reaching out his hand with a knife hiding behind his back. Grotim was afraid of the kind smile on Zich¡¯s face.

    ¡°You know those magic circles I drew on Bellu¡¯s statues. I told you that they were just a ploy to buy time before Sir Weig came, right? That was all a lie too.¡±

    Zich told the truth to Grotim whose eyes were wide open.

    ¡°That magic circle is real. It¡¯s a magic circle that hinders the ritual.¡±

    Grotim¡¯s eyes widened so much that it looked like they would stretch.

    ¡°How was it? How was that sweet moment of hope?¡±

 Chapter 32

    Chapter 32

    ¡°H-How¡­How could that ridiculous-looking magic circle be real!¡±

    ¡°Yeah, but it¡¯s a bit different. Didn¡¯t I tell you that the magic circle drops the ritual¡¯s power, extends its time, and returns the life force it takes? But only the part about returning the life force is true. Through the magic circle, Karuna¡¯s holy power goes into the groundwater, and when the ritual gets activated, it scatters the life force mixed in the water. Most of them get released, but if the owner of the life force is still alive, it returns to the owner.¡±

    Lube recalled Timmy¡¯s brother; Zich had promised to heal him.

    ¡®He was telling the truth!¡¯

    If what Zich said was right, Timmy¡¯s brother would be healthy again.

    Since he didn¡¯t know the whole story, Weig murmured, ¡°¡­A ridiculous-looking magic circle? What¡¯s that?¡±

    Lube exined it to him.

    ¡°Something like that happened?¡±

    Weig could now understand why Grotim had gotten so angry at Zich. If Grotim was a normal person, Weig might have felt a bit bad for how much he got yed by Zich. But having sympathy for those Bellid bastards was way too grand for what they deserved. Besides, Weig was much more interested in something else.

    He stared at Zich who was crouching next to Grotim. Weig first met Zich when Zich asked Lube a silly question about how to live a kind life.

    ¡®I never thought that we would meet again like this.¡¯

    For now, it seemed like Zich was protecting Lube, and Lube looked at Zich withplete trust.

    ¡®But what is this magic circle that hindered Bellid¡¯s ritual?¡¯

    As a Karuwiman, Weig really wanted this magic circle¡ªno, he needed it at all costs.

    ¡®How does this young man know of it?¡¯

    Weig wondered about this. Seeing how panicked Grotim looked, it seemed like even the Bellids weren¡¯t aware of the existence of this magic circle. Then how did Zich have this knowledge when even the Bellids and their arch-nemesis, the Karuwimans, didn¡¯t know of it?

    ¡®Well, it seems like he is not our enemy so that¡¯s a relief.¡¯

    Even though Weig didn¡¯t know Zich¡¯s identity, he was still grateful to Zich.

    ¡°How do you feel now? You guided us with your soldiers so that we could find the statues easily. Were you happy, thinking that your n tricked us? But that has totally backfired on you~!¡±

    ¡°You bastard! Bastard! Bastaaaaaard!¡±

    Grotim squirmed, but Weig¡¯s restraint was too strong. Grotim couldn¡¯t do anything but squirm like a bug.

    ¡°Hehehe! You look like a shrimp flopping on the shore. Ah, since Bellu has a fish head, are you copying him and acting like an aquatic animal? Wow! That¡¯s an amazing disy of faith. I apud that.¡±

    ¡°SHUT UP!¡±

    ¡°But I don¡¯t want to?¡±

    Zich poked at Grotim¡¯s side with a tree branch that he picked up from who-knows-where. The poking didn¡¯t hurt. How much power could a small tree branch have? However, the humiliation that Grotim felt from it was iparably greater than the pain he would have felt from getting stabbed by a knife.

    ¡°You son of a bitch! If only it weren¡¯t for you!¡± Grotim screamed as if he was vomiting blood, ¡°Why? Why the hell did you help Lube!?¡±

    ¡°I told you. I wanted to live a kind life.¡±

    ¡°What made you believe in her! I charged her as a witch! Did you already know her beforehand?!¡±

    ¡°Of course not. I only saw her like twice before.¡±

    ¡°Then, how could you believe her!¡±

    Even Lube was curious about this. Without any doubt or hesitation, Zich had helped Lube who was charged as the witch by the whole city. She didn¡¯t know why Zich tried his hardest to help her.

    ¡°Just cause.¡±

    ¡°Just cause?¡±

    Zich brought his ns to ruins, yet Zich gave him such an unbelievably simple answer. Grotim became speechless.

    ¡°Just look at her face. It says, ¡®I¡¯m naturally good¡¯ all over it.¡±

    Both Weig and Lube thought his answer was absurd, and Grotim became even more furious.

    ¡°You bastaaaaard!¡±

    Grotim spat out curses as he squirmed on the floor again. However, Zich didn¡¯t respond this time.

    ¡®Ah, ying with him was fun!¡¯

    If Grotim heard Zich¡¯s thoughts, his mouth would¡¯ve started foaming.

    ¡®The reason why I believe in Lube¡­¡¯

    Of course, Zich had another reason; he just couldn¡¯t tell it to anyone else. He recalled what he saw before his regression when his head was about to fly off from Glen Zenard¡¯s swing. The party of heroes red at him with animosity and hate, but among them, only Lube acted differently.

    ¡®How many people would cry for a dying bastard like me?¡¯

    It had been a shocking scene for Zich, so he remembered it vividly.

    ¡®That¡¯s enough for me to believe in Lube.¡¯

    * * *

    Porti was in chaos. Porti¡¯s economy had gone downhill since the witch hunt against Lube, and reports about missing people that the Deputy Mayor had repressed with his authority began to surface. In addition, the damages that the undead and monsters made were significant and made the city buzz for a while. Above all, they suffered the greatest loss from the copse of their ruling establishment with the Mayor''s death and the arrest of the Deputy Mayor and other high-level figures.

    However, Lube¡¯s false charges were quickly dropped. Not only was the Deputy Mayor alive, but there were also Bellid statues all over the city that clearly showed the group¡¯s involvement in the case.

    ¡°Are you done?¡±

    ¡°Yes, sir!¡± Hans answered while carrying a thick suitcase. Zich also lifted the baggage that he ced on the ground.

    ¡°Then, let¡¯s go.¡±

    ¡°Is there a need for us to go so soon?¡±

    Zich and Hans spent an exceptionally rxing andfortable time in the Karuwiman temple for the past couple of days. Zich had saved Porti, helped drop Lube¡¯s false charges, and crumbled Bellid¡¯s ns. For this, the Karuwiman showed him the best hospitality that they could provide.

    Since they left the Count¡¯s residence, Hans had gone through a great amount of suffering, so he wanted to stay as long as he could in the temple. But Zich was adamant.

    ¡°We rested enough. We have to start moving to do more kind acts.¡±

    ¡°C-Can¡¯t we do enough of that here, sir?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s true, but I realized something from this incident. I guess I can say that I¡¯ve found my calling.¡±

    ¡°Is that so! Can I perhaps hear about that too?¡±

    The two turned around to see Lube and Weig approaching them. Simr to how they first met, Lube was wearing a white robe, and a pure and clean aura wasing off from her.

    ¡°You look like a religious figurehead now. Just a couple of days ago, you looked like a homeless person in the back alleyway.¡±

    Hans was taken back by Zich¡¯s rude words, but Lube agreed with him and retorted humorously.

    ¡°It was a worthwhile experience since I didn¡¯t just listen to the voices of the weak but was able to experience their struggles firsthand.¡±

    Weig stared at Lube. Because of the scale and harshness of this experience, Lube had changed significantly.

    ¡®But it¡¯s not bad.¡¯

    Lube¡¯s mind and heart had been enough for her to be the Saint, and even her skills were much greater than the other Saint Candidates. However, it was true that shecked mental fortitude in areas like confidence; that was why Weig had always hoped that she would act with more firmness and confidence. But now, Lube¡¯s current behavior was what he had always wanted from her.

    ¡®We really do owe him a huge favor.¡¯

    With her now perfect mentality, Lube would definitely be the Saint. It had been 90% likely that she would be the next Saint, but now, even that other 10% was assured.

    Zich asked Lube, ¡°Are you going to continue helping the weak?¡±

    ¡°Of course. As a follower of Karuna, it is a duty expected of me. But from now on, I won¡¯t fall into my prejudices and think that the weak are right and that the strong are wrong. I learned this lesson the hard way.¡±

    ¡°If you think like that, it feels worthwhile to have helped you.¡±

    ¡°Yes. I have learned a lot, thanks to your help. It is also thanks to Grotim who nned all of this although I don¡¯t feel an ounce of gratitude towards him.¡±

    ¡°What happened to him?¡±

    ¡°Grotim was dragged off to the kingdom¡¯s capital. He won¡¯t be able to keep his life, but he will probably be tortured in various ways so that we can get information out of him.¡±

    Weig answered, ¡°Good for him.¡±

    Zich prayed that Grotim¡¯s future would only be filled with grief and despair, and heughed inside.

    ¡°I have also mastered the magic circle Mr. Zich has taught me. From now on, we will be able to respond to Bellid¡¯s awful rituals more easily.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m d that I could be of help.¡±

    ¡°Are you really sure that you don¡¯t want to receive a reward for it?¡±

    ¡°I have received enough.¡±

    Zich had already received a lot of money as a reward, but Lube didn¡¯t seem satisfied with just that.

    ¡°It¡¯s nothingpared to what you did. No, even the price of this magic circle should be hundreds of times greater than the amount we gave you.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not that interested in money.¡±

    If he put his mind to it, Zich could amass a fortune, so he needed just enough money for his immediate travels.

    ¡°Then, it can¡¯t be helped. Please tell me if you ever need my help. I will help you to the best of my abilities.¡±

    ¡°I am grateful for that.¡±

    Zich lightly expressed his thanks.

    ¡°But by the way¡­do you really not know who invented this magic circle?¡±

    The person who invented this ridiculous magic circle could really help out the Karuwimans against their fight with the Bellids.

    Zich shook his head.

    ¡°I also learned about this magic circle by coincidence. I don¡¯t know who the inventor is.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s a pity.¡±

    Lube let out a soft sigh.

    ¡®Well, it¡¯s a half-lie.¡¯

    It was true that Zich learned about the magic circle by coincidence. However, he knew who invented this magic circle, but he couldn¡¯t tell this information to Lube of all people.

    ¡®This magic circle¡ªyou are the one who invented it.¡¯

    Zich stared at Lube as she tantly expressed her disappointment and pity.

    Even Zich, who didn¡¯t care about how others looked at him, couldn¡¯t tell Lube this: ¡®In the future, you made this ridiculous looking magic circle to fight against the Bellid.¡¯

    ¡°But no matter how many times I think about it, it¡¯s amazing how those bizarre pictures could have an effect.¡±

    ¡®You¡¯re the one who thought of those bizarre pictures though.¡¯

    ¡°Well, even Lady Lube had her doubts at first. Of course, when Grotim was trying to make us believe that those pictures were having an effect, she got tricked.¡±

    Lube reddened at the memory.

    ¡°Ah, now that you mention it, didn¡¯t I tell you that the magic circles were fake and there was no need for you to feel sorry about having any doubts? I¡¯m taking back my word. You can be sorry for that.¡±

    ¡°You really are a liar.¡±

    Lube was stunned by Zich¡¯s shamelessness.

    ¡°So, you should be more careful from now on. There are also people like me in this world.¡±

    ¡°At least, I don¡¯t think that there would be many people like you.¡±

    Zich was a truly unique figure.

    ¡°Fufufu! I guess Lady Lube has a new friend.¡±

    Weig was filled with joy as he saw Lube, who he cared for like his granddaughter, animatedly converse with another person. Then he asked Zich,

    ¡°My offer still stands. Mr. Zich, if you change your mind, Karuwiman will always wee you.¡±

    ¡°An offer?¡±

    Lube was curious about Weig¡¯s words.

    ¡°I asked him if he wanted to be a Holy Knight of Karuwiman. He has done so much for our cause, and his skills are far greater than those in his age range. Furthermore, he helped Lady Lube for the sole reason of doing a kind act. If his faith for Karuna is deep, I think he is more than fit to be a Holy Knight.¡±

    A Karuwiman Holy Knight! Hans thought it was absurd. Hans couldn¡¯t believe that Weig offered to let Zich, who was close to being a scumbag, be a noble and sacred Holy Knight. However, it seemed as if only Hans thought this, and Lube brightened up at the news.

    ¡°That¡¯s a great idea! How about it Mr. Zich? You can serve Karuna with us.¡±

    She stared at Zich with eyes full of expectations, but Zich evaded her gaze and shook his head.

    ¡°I thank you for your offer, but I don¡¯t have any thoughts about bing a Holy Knight.¡±

    ¡®Do they think I¡¯m crazy? Crazy enough to be a Holy Knight?¡¯

    Even if Zich¡¯s rtionship with the Karuwiman was much better than before his regression, this was another matter. How could Zich jump into a war in Karuna¡¯s name and wear the white armor that the Karuwimans were known for?

    ¡®Ugh, just the thought of that makes me cringe.¡¯

    Walking the path of the Demon Lord a second time was preferable to that.

    ¡°Ah, that¡¯s a pity.¡±

    Lube hung her head; she seemed disappointed about the news. Most men¡¯s hearts might have been shaken by Lube¡¯s disappointed expression and would have reconsidered the offer, but Zich was firm. He had no intentions to be a Karuwiman Holy Knight.

    ¡°Then, what about bing an Honorable Holy Knight? It¡¯s a position we give to people who don¡¯t necessarily serve Karuna but have given us a lot of help¡ª¡±

    ¡°No, thank you.¡±

    His answer was immediate again.

    ¡°Then, it can¡¯t be helped. But if you change your mind, please look for me. Karuwiman will always wee you.¡±

    ¡°I understand.¡±

    Zich thought he would never join Karuwiman.

    ¡°We went off-topic. Mr. Zich, you said that you found your path, right?¡±

    ¡°Ah, about that.¡±

    Zich shrugged his shoulders in pride; it seemed like he was satisfied with the answer he found.

    ¡°As Lady Lube knows, my goal is to live a kind life. However, I didn¡¯t know how to do that or what a kind act was. But I feel like I¡¯ve got the hang of it these days.¡±

    ¡°Yes, that was the first question you asked me.¡±

    ¡°But through this incident, I realized a way to live a kind life that suits my taste and skills perfectly.¡±

    ¡°What is that?¡±

    Zich smiled. His smile looked like that of a wise man who found enlightenment; there was even a bit of holiness mixed in with his smile.

    ¡°It¡¯s to go around beating the crap out of bad guys and killing them after.¡±

    ¡°¡­What?¡±

    Lube blurted out by instinct.

 Chapter 33

    <h4>Chapter 33</h4>

    ¡°Didn¡¯t I do something like that this time? I beat up that annoying bastard¡ªno, that rotten¡ªno, that man with a face you want to spit on¡ªno, I mean¡­¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s fine. You are talking about Grotim, right? You don¡¯t have to be polite about it. Just speak freely.¡±

    Lube was nowpletely used to Zich¡¯s rough speech. Seeing her change in attitude, Zich was amazed by her adaptability; but in a part of his mind, he wondered if this was really a good thing.

    ¡°It was also my wish to beat the heck out of Grotim. I hate those Bellid guys.¡±

    ¡°Yes, I feel the same way.¡±

    As a Karuwiman, Lube couldpletely understand Zich¡¯s feelings.

    ¡°And even though I just did whatever I wanted, all of you treat me like a hero for beating up Grotim. And that¡¯s when I realized, Ah, crushing bad guys are also acts of kindness."

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Lube hesitated to reply. Zich was not wrong. It was right to bring justice to those who brought harm to people. But seeing Zich¡¯s happy face while talking about beating up people made her hesitate to agree with him.

    ¡°They are bad guys anyway, so it doesn¡¯t matter if I screw them over or torture them.¡±

    This made Lube hesitate even further. Lube let out a sigh, but she did not contradict Zich¡¯s statements.

    ¡°Well, it sounds like you are on the right track.¡±

    Lube wondered if it was right to agree with Zich¡¯s morally ambiguous realizations, but she thought there was some truth to his statements. But most of all, she had huge trust in Zich as a human being. For that reason, even though Weig looked at her with wide eyes and Hans stared at her in utter shock, she continued, ¡°If another person said that to me, I would have thought they were being too extreme, but I trust your judgments. I¡¯m sure you can make the right judgments since you urately judged Sude and Timmy for who they were. However, please reconsider a few times before you act on your decisions.¡±

    ¡°I will try.¡±

    Zich felt proud of himself. He felt as if Lube, a future Saint, recognized and approved of his version to live a kind life.

    Feeling pleased, Zich spoke up and asked, ¡°Do you have any concerns? I might be able to assist.¡±

    Zich asked this question without much thought, but Lube seemed to hesitate as if she really did have a concern.

    ¡°Hmmm, this is kind of embarrassing to say, but¡­¡±

    After a few moments, Lube began to voice her concerns to Zich carefully. Weig knew what Lube¡¯s main concern was, so he quietly listened to her talk.

    ¡°I mean, I¡¯mpletely fine now. I¡¯m quite strong.¡±

    Lube lifted her arms and showed off her muscles. Obviously, she didn¡¯t have many muscles in her arms, but her lighthearted actions indicated that she was getting stronger mentally. She merely brought up the topic to hear if Zich had anything helpful to share.

    ¡°Hmmm, I have a good idea. Would you like to hear it?¡±

    ¡°Yes? A good idea?¡±

    ¡°Please lend me your ears for a bit.¡±

    Lube leaned towards Zich. Like evil viins making secret ns, Zich quietly whispered to Lube and gave her his advice.

    ¡°¡­Is it really okay for me to do that?¡± Lube asked him with clear surprise in her voice; his suggestion was extremely shocking to her.

    ¡°I¡¯m just giving you advice. The choice is all up to you, Lady Lube.¡±

    Lube nced at Weig. Even though Zich and Lube were whispering to each other, Weig heard their whole conversation and didn¡¯t say anything. His mouth turned slightly upwards instead. Even though it was a bit extreme, Weig seemed to approve of Zich¡¯s advice.

    ¡®Well, Sir Weig always pushed me to be stronger.¡¯

    ¡°I will think about it.¡±

    ¡°Then that will be enough.¡±

    Zich fixed the position of his luggage.

    ¡°Then we will be heading out.¡±

    ¡°Ah, we will see you out.¡±

    The four of them headed towards the temple¡¯s entrance.

    ¡°Where will you be going next?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m thinking about heading to the nearest vige first. Then I will slowly think about my ns after.¡±

    ¡°We will also be heading back to the General Assembly. There are a lot of things we have to report, and there¡¯s going to be an event soon where all the Saint Candidates have to gather together.¡±

    ¡°Then there¡¯s not much time for you to carry out my advice.¡±

    ¡°Yes, if I do decide to ept your advice.¡±

    While they were talking, they soon arrived at the temple¡¯s entrance.

    ¡°Ah!¡±

    A person who was sitting in front of the entrance jumped up after seeing them.

    Weig tensed up, thinking that an enemy might be approaching them, but Zich stopped him before he could do anything.

    ¡°It¡¯s all right. I know them.¡±

    Weig took one step back.

    Then Lube noticed who the person was and eximed, ¡°Gosh! It''s Mr. Timmy!¡±

    Timmy was the man whose younger brother got his life force taken away from him. As soon as Timmy saw Lube and Zich, he bowed his head towards them.

    ¡°Greetings, Lady Lube and Sir Zich!¡±

    ¡°Hello, Mr. Timmy. If I may ask, what¡¯s your reason foring here?¡± Lube''s voice was full of concern; she wondered if there was another thing she wronged Timmy for. Fortunately, Timmy¡¯s face was very bright. It seemed as if he hadn¡¯te to ry unfortunate news or to chastise Lube again.

    ¡°I wanted toe here to give my thanks to the two of you.¡±

    ¡°To give your thanks?¡±

    Timmy gestured at the person next to him and said, ¡°Hey,e here.¡±

    Lube hadn¡¯t noticed that there was another person next to Timmy. The small figure next to Timmy began to clutch the edges of Timmy¡¯s clothes even more tightly.

    Zich spoke up first. ¡°We saw him before¡ªhe¡¯s your brother.¡±

    ¡°Ah! He¡¯s all healed.¡±

    ¡°Yes! After that enormous fight near the Mayor''s mansion, hepletely healed after a few days!¡±

    The magic circle that reversed Bellu¡¯s ritual had sessfully healed Timmy.

    ¡°That¡¯s awesome news!¡±

    Lube was happy as if it was her own problem. The heavy guilt in her heart was relieved a tiny bit.

    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry for how I acted to you before. I ced all my frustrations and anger on you.¡±

    ¡°No, it was my fault that I judged you as a bad person when I barely knew you.¡±

    Zich added in hisments, ¡°Yeah, that was your fault.¡±

    Lube made a strained sound at Zich¡¯s statement, and Timmy made a bitter smile.

    ¡°Hey George, give your greetings. They are the people who healed you.¡±

    ¡°T-Thank you.¡±

    George fidgeted a bit and bowed his head.

    ¡°Did you wait for us to thank us?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°Did you wait for us the whole time until we came out?¡±

    ¡°I wanted to do that, but since my brother just recovered, I didn¡¯t think that was a good idea. I also have work to do, so I came up here every day since my brother recovered. I couldn¡¯t stay for long though.¡±

    Timmy spoke as if he was sorry for not waiting for a long time, but Lube, Zich, and Weig were impressed by Timmy''s persistence.

    Timmy smiled and said, ¡°But it was all worth it because I was able to meet the two of you right now.¡±

    ¡°Ah, I have to go now. It¡¯s time for me to start heading to work,¡± Timmy quickly said this and gave another bow. ¡°I want to thank you again for saving my little brother. I will pray that Karuna¡¯s blessing will be upon the two of you forever.¡±

    Timmy quickly left the temple. George bowed his head again to Zich and Lube and followed his brother out.

    ¡°He is really a good person.¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    Zich agreed with Lube and began to remember what Timmy said to him in the past.

    ¡®Did he say that I was the first person to help him when everyone treated him like an outcast?¡¯

    Zich was also treated like an outcast, and he never received help from anyone.

    ¡®If anyone had helped me out before I got strong, would I have be the Demon Lord?¡¯

    Even though Zich had no regrets about the path he chose before he regressed, he could not help but think these thoughts.

    * * *

    Zich and Hans left the temple. Lube and Weig watched them leave until theypletely disappeared.

    Then Weig openly said, ¡°He¡¯s a really unique person.¡±

    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s true.¡±

    ¡°I wonder who he really is.¡±

    Lube stared at Weig. ¡°Is there anything suspicious about him?¡±

    ¡°There are many suspicious things about him¡ªhe is much too skilled for his age, and he knows a magic circle that no one has ever seen or heard. Moreover, he even knows Karuwiman¡¯s emergency signal.¡±

    ¡°Our emergency signal?¡±

    ¡°Yes. I was expelling monsters in the forest when I heard someone send Karuwiman¡¯s emergency signal. When I headed towards the location where I heard the signal, I saw Mr. Zich¡¯s servant, Mr. Hans. He told me about your situation. Later, when I asked him how he knew about our emergency signal, he told me that he heard it from Mr. Zich.¡±

    ¡°¡­He really knows a variety of information.¡±

    Weig crossed his arms.

    ¡°He doesn¡¯t seem like a bad person, but I personally don¡¯t think he is trustworthy. I am also curious about where he got his information from.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know if he was serious or not, but Mr. Zich told me he was of noble origin.¡±

    ¡°¡­A noble?¡±

    Weig tilted his head. He hadn¡¯t been with Zich for a long time, but Zich didn¡¯t carry himself like a noble at all; instead, he seemed more like a street gangster. If Zich was of noble origin, he should have at least some of the mannerisms that fit an aristocrat, but¡­

    ¡°He told me to search for Zich Steelwall from the Steelwall family.¡±

    ¡°Zich Steelwall¡­? Wait, you mean the Steelwall family? Is it the Steelwall family I know? The one called the Kingdom¡¯s metal fortress?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    There was a high possibility that Zich was telling the truth since he revealed such a specific piece of information, and it was easy to find out if he was telling the truth or not.

    ¡°Well, it would be fun to find out if he told the truth or not.¡±

    ¡°If you find anything, be sure to tell me.¡±

    ¡°I will.¡±

    ¡°Then let¡¯s start heading back. I want to give a proper farewell to the knights who passed away while protecting me.¡±

    Lube felt mncholy whenever she thought about the Holy Knights who died while protecting her. As Grotim said, he might have really grounded the Holy Knights and fed them as fish food or turned them into zombies. Either way, none of their bodies could be found.

    ¡°I¡¯m sure they are with Karuna and looking out for you right now¡ªthey were that kind of people.¡±

    ¡°I hope so.¡±

    As if to search for their faces, Lube peered up at the sky.

    ¡°We also have to report on what happened. The magic circle we received from Mr. Zich and other information about the ritual such as using ¡®the whole city as a sacrifice¡¯ will also be very helpful.¡±

    Through this event, Lube and Weig had found out Bellid¡¯s n and their strategies, along with a way to counteract their ns and rituals. Moreover, if they studied the magic circle further, they could find a more effective way to block Bellid¡¯s powers.

    ¡°But I think we should hide some information about Mr. Zich.¡±

    ¡°What? Are you saying that we should lessen his merits?¡±

    Lube looked horrified at Weig¡¯s words. She looked like a child who just found out her parents were horrible criminals.

    Seeing her face, Weig quickly made an excuse, ¡°I don''t mean to lessen his merits, but I think we should hide the fact that he taught us a magic circle that could nullify Bellid¡¯s rituals. If that truth spreads, Mr. Zich might be in great danger. Bellid will try to catch him with all their might.¡±

    Bellid would make Zich their number one target so that they could find out where Zich learned his tricks and gather as much information on the magic circle as they could. Hearing this, Lube felt a shiver run down her back.

    ¡°He¡¯ll be in grave danger if that gets out.¡±

    ¡°For now, I think it would be a good idea to let only the Pope and a few high priests know. Let¡¯s decideter whether or not we should make an official statement that we found this magic circle identally or tell the truth and give credit to Mr. Zich. Either way, we should decide after discussing this more with Mr. Zich.¡±

    ¡°Yes, that sounds reasonable. Then let¡¯s go back to the General Assembly and quickly give them the information we found.¡±

    Then Weig suddenly said out of the blue, ¡°Will you be all right?¡±

    There was a solid reason why Weig posed this question. It was also probably the reason why Zich gave such a piece of advice to Lube before he left. Lube smiled; her smile was faint, but there was clear confidence and assurance in her expression.

    ¡°I¡¯m all right. I even got some great advice from Mr. Zich.¡±

    ¡°It will be a sight to see. Then, let¡¯s finish getting ready to go back.¡±

    Lube and Weig looked back at the ce where Zich and Hans left one more time and went back inside the temple.

 Chapter 34

    Chapter 34

    Porti was a big city. It was a business city that ced the greatest importance on logistics, so its roads were well-polished and clean. Although the roads weren¡¯t made from stones or gravel, the tidied dirt road was wide and stretched far across the city.

    Of course, no matter how wealthy the city was, it couldn¡¯t have set all the roads. As they walked farther away from the city, the road gradually grew rougher. The ground became bumpy, and little pieces of stone and sand stubbed their feet more frequently. Soon, resilient weeds and bushes began to invade their path.

    ¡°Huff! Huff!¡±

    A person was breathing extremely roughly; the breathing was too intense for walking on a road, even if the roads were getting rougher. It almost seemed as if the person was exaggerating his breaths to demonstrate his struggle.

    This person was Hans. If a person in front of him kept breathing and making sounds as Hans did, Zich thought no one would me him for throwing a rock at the person¡¯s head and cracking it.

    Hans dragged his shaking legs and shouted, ¡°S-Sir Zich!¡± He was exhausted enough to bite his tongue by mistake.

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t you think we¡¯ve made enough progress, sir?¡±

    The look on Hans¡¯ face could¡¯ve stirred up sympathy in anyone¡¯s heart, but to Zich, it was useless.

    ¡°You can endure it a bit more. Stop being a crybaby.¡±

    ¡°I-I think I will really die!¡±

    Hans¡¯ joints cracked, his muscles seemed to scream at him to stop, and his clothes were drenched in sweat. Zich stopped his steps and walked in front of Hans. His movements were light as a feather.

    Inparison, Hans looked ridiculous. Thick metal chains were tied to his arms and legs, and heavyweights dangled from every part of his body. Hans was bound to feel tired even on a sleek, smooth road with all the extra weight he carried.

    ¡°Hmm.¡±

    Zich stroked his chin and looked at Hans, who looked as if he was about to die. Hans hoped that Zich might take some of these iron chains off of him and exaggerated his expression.

    Grab!

    Zich grabbed Hans¡¯ arms and squeezed them a couple of times.

    ¡°Your muscles can still afford to do more. It¡¯s fine. Just endure for a bit longer.¡±

    With those words, Zich walked back to the front again; and as if the world was ending in front of him, Hans squirmed in despair. Hans was only relieved of his suffering when Zich stopped to set up camp.

    ¡°I-I am going to die!¡±

    Hans slumped down to the dirt ground. He didn¡¯t need a nket or a cushion. Even if the ground below him was hard and ufortable, he wanted to lie down forever. Happiness surged his heart, and Hans felt like no splendor or spectacle could give him the happiness he felt at the moment.

    However, this happiness didn¡¯tst long.

    ¡°What are you doing?¡±

    Demon Lords from storybooks would have sounded like this voice, and in surprise, Hans rose like he was giving an offering to the Demon Lord.

    ¡°We have to make camping preparations.¡±

    ¡°But¡­my muscles are aching quite a bit¡­¡±

    ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you? That much is fine. Quickly get up and help.¡±

    Hans begrudgingly stood up again.

    ¡°You can let down your weights while preparing for camp.¡±

    ¡°¡­Yes, sir.¡±

    Zich told Hans this as if he was granting him a great favor, and Hans sniffled. Soon, the camping preparations wereplete. They chose a spot on the ground, made a fire, and gathered leaves to ce under the nkets. It was a very simple camp, but it was enough to spend a night in. But unfortunately for Hans, his suffering wasn¡¯t over.

    ¡°Your arms are dropping.¡±

    At Zich¡¯s words, Hans squeezed out all the energy he had to raise his arms again.

    ¡°I-I really can¡¯t do it anymore, sir!¡±

    ¡°You can. You kept saying that you couldn¡¯t do it, but you endured it so far. Or have you been lying to me?¡±

    ¡°No, sir!¡±

    ¡°Then, endure it. Believe in yourself.¡±

    Hans whimpered. He kept his stance with his sword raised. The sword he raised wasn¡¯t the short sword he used to have, but a long sword. It was what Zich had gotten him on their way out of Porti.

    At first, Hans had been d to receive the long sword since it looked much cooler than the short sword. However, that happy mood was short-lived. He wanted to punch himself for smiling so widely when he first received the gift and heard that Zich would teach him swordsmanship.

    ¡°Your skills will only improve if you endure pain. And you will be able to use those skills in any situation. Weren¡¯t you able to do itst time thanks to what I taught you?¡±

    After leaving the Count¡¯s residence, Zich had trained Hans in the fundamentals of swordsmanship. He had taught Hans how to use a little bit of mana to move quickly so that they could shorten the time it took them to travel, and Hans could escape in emergencies. Zich also trained Hans in endurance and strength to order him to do more things.

    Zich had taught Hans for his ownfort and half out of a joke, so he was surprised to discover Hans¡¯ potential.

    ¡®He has talent.¡¯

    Zich stared at Hans who kept grunting, ¡®Shh! Shh!¡¯ like a diseased bird with his sword raised.

    ¡®An immense amount of talent.¡¯

    In terms of talent, Hans was above Greig who had been evaluated as an excellent sessor. And he was maybe¡ªreally maybe¡­

    ¡®Simr to Glen Zenard.¡¯

    It was too early to specte. Before his regression, Zich had been the strongest entity in the world. And Zenard was someone who led a party of heroes and defeated Zich in his prime. Thus, his talents and abilities were legendary. On top of that, Hans hadn¡¯t been with Zich for long yet.

    ¡®Is it too early topare him to Glen Zenard?¡¯

    Regardless, it was evident that Hans possessed extraordinary talent.

    ¡®That¡¯s why he was able to get to Belri Weig on time.¡¯

    Weig had been so far away that even Lube gave up on getting to him on time, but Hans had reached Weig with just his two legs alone.

    ¡®It wasn¡¯t a situation where he could¡¯ve ridden on a horse or anything like that.¡¯

    So, Hans had pushed his body to its limits and used the tiny amount of mana he had recently learned to control to reach his destination. He drank the magic potion that Zich gave him like water and endured as the taste of blood rose in his throat to reach Weig.

    ¡®Since he helped mepletely screw Grotim over, I should reallypliment him.¡¯

    If Weig hadn¡¯t arrived on time, Zich would have never invaded the Mayor¡¯s mansion. Then, they wouldn¡¯t have been able to dy the ritual any longer, and Grotim would have begun his ritual. Of course, with the magic circles on Bellu¡¯s statues, the ritual wouldn¡¯t have seeded, but Grotim would have realized this and ran away.

    ¡°Your arm is dropping!¡±

    Hans raised his arms again.

    ¡®Be happy, you twerp. This is a once-in-a-lifetime chance to get trained by the strongest person in the future.¡¯

    Not knowing his luck, Hans looked like he was about to cry at any moment.

    Zich thought, ¡®Of course, that¡¯s not the only reason.¡¯

    It was good if this training benefited Hans, but it was better if it benefited him.

    ¡®If I teach him a bit more, I can not only use him as my servant but as an asset to fight my enemies.¡¯

    And that could only be achieved after Zich¡¯s perfect, admirable, and ¡°slightly difficult¡± training.

    ¡®I should stay in the same spot and make him go through training for a while. Mastering the fundamentals is important, and I also have to do some physical training.¡¯

    Zich twirled his mana slightly.

    Crash!

    A vast amount of mana zed, enough to make his skin shudder a bit. It was an amount that Zich couldn¡¯t have controlled a while ago.

    After the ritual failed, Bellu¡¯s statue fell into the fountain that was in the Mayor¡¯s mansion. Of course, the Karuwimans wanted to destroy the statue, but Zich stopped them. He asked for the stone statue¡ªspecifically, the core inside the statue. The core was filled with Bellu¡¯s energy, so Weig had looked at him suspiciously and wanted to know what Zich wanted it for.

    At Weig¡¯s wary attitude, Zich merely thought, ¡®Guess it can¡¯t be helped if he doesn¡¯t give it to me,¡¯ and was surprised the next moment when Weig handed him the core without saying much. Weig and the Karuwimans seemed to have great faith in Zich.

    As expected, the core contained a massive amount of Bellu¡¯s energy, and Zich used a skill he learned before he regressed: ¡®Energy Drain.¡¯

    As its name suggested, it was a skill that allowed users to absorb another person or item¡¯s energy. Some might think that a person with a small amount of mana would be able to easily increase their mana pool with this skill, but the skill wasn¡¯t as dreamy as it sounded. The world wasn¡¯t that easy.

    First of all, the amount of mana that a person could endure depended on their innate capacity. If a person tried to hold onto a greater amount of mana than they could endure, they were bound to faceplications. Moreover, even if they solved the physical problem of holding onto the mana, there would be problems with controlling it.

    If a person mixed different kinds of mana, the mana inside would be unstable and dull; and if theybined mana with apletely different character from their innate mana such as holy power, the chances of having side-effects increased exponentially. In the first ce, foreign energy was unlikely to match a person¡¯s body well.

    However, Zich had no intention of making Bellu¡¯s energy his. He already possessed an outstanding amount of mana so there was no need for him to go out of his way to get more. He intended to use the absorbed energy to wake up his dormant, frozen magic. It was a very dangerous experiment.

    Yet, as expected of Zich, he seeded; and in the present, his mana had increased to an unbelievable level.

    ¡®If I could have used this much mana at Porti, maybe I wouldn¡¯t have had to call Belri Weig.¡¯

    That would have surely been the case if he was able to use all of his mana. Of course, Zich had perfect control over his mana, but the problem was his physical body.

    ¡®My body can¡¯t handle the sudden increase of mana right now.¡¯

    He needed to give his body more time to get used to the mana and to speed up the process, he needed to train his body.

    ¡®This is good. I still have some time before that incident happens, so I should train until then.¡¯

    Zich hadn¡¯t been able to recall Porti¡¯s incident, because the incident was asmon as a rolling pebble in theter years before his regression. During that period, there had been many incidents, and Zich remembered some of the vital ones.

    ¡®There are going to be swarms of bad guys soon.¡¯

    Soon, there would be an Era of Demon Lords and Demon People, so there wouldn¡¯t be a scarce supply of bad guys.

    ¡®If I take care of those guys, I won¡¯t even have to trouble myself about doing kind acts.¡¯

    And from what Zich remembered, a horrifying incident would soon break out in another city, near the area where Zich was currently in.

    ¡®Should I make that ce my next target?¡¯

    And like this, Zich¡¯s next destination was decided.

 Chapter 35

    <h4>Chapter 35</h4>

    Around the time when Porti¡¯s incident drew to a close, Lube and Weig returned to Karuwiman¡¯s headquarters. Acting as the headquarters for a long time, the Great Temple, Yuras, seemed to be always surrounded by Karuna¡¯s blessings.

    ¡°It¡¯s been a while!¡±

    The temple was also Lube¡¯s home. After experiencing so many troubles, Lube entered the ce like a prodigal child who rejoiced at the sight of her home. Weig left Lube to enjoy her return and dwell in her emotions. She deserved it after having gone through so much.

    They both walked up a white staircase and went inside the temple. Priests and Holy Knights nodded as they passed, and the two returned their greetings. They wanted to report to the Pope immediately, but when they heard that the Pope was currently in a meeting with a couple of high priests, they turned around and went back out.

    ¡°How long will it take?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t think it will take long. Since it¡¯s a periodic meeting, it will end at the usual time.¡±

    ¡°Then, can I go to the courtyard for a bit?¡±

    ¡°Is there a reason not to? I will escort you, Lady.¡±

    Lube giggled at the sight of Weig reaching out his hand clownishly. Then, she mimicked an aristocraticdy and took his hand.

    They headed to an isted garden in the temple. It wasn¡¯trge, and there weren¡¯t many people. There were colorful flowers nted on the ground, but they didn¡¯t look fancy and felt simple instead. The only noticeable trait in the area was a small fountain in the middle of the garden.

    Yet, Lube liked this garden. Since she was young, whenever she was sad, she soothed her heart at this ce. It was a ce full of memories.

    ¡°Oh my, who is this?¡±

    However, there was a person who dirtied this ce full of memories. Lube sighed, and Weig squinted his eyes.

    ¡°It¡¯s been a while, Lube.¡±

    ¡°¡­Yes. It¡¯s been a while, Windne.¡±

    Lube greeted her, but surprisingly, there was a trace of displeasure in her voice. This was shocking considering Lube¡¯s character.

    ¡°It¡¯s been a while, Lady Lube and Sir Weig.¡±

    The middle-aged man behind Windne greeted them. He wore a white uniform and a sword at his hip, so anyone could tell that he was a Holy Knight.

    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s been a while, Sir Dyner.¡±

    Winstin Dyner was a Holy Knight who guarded a Saint Candidate like Weig.

    ¡°It¡¯s been a while, Sir Weig.¡±

    Chelsea Windne. She was another candidate who rivaled Lube for the Saint position. However, Weig didn¡¯t think that she was a viablepetitor at all.

    ¡®Both her heart and skills are vulgar.¡¯

    Even with violent titles like ¡®Assassin¡¯ or ¡®Killing Machine¡¯ attached to him, Weig was a devout Karuwiman believer. He was only stern and cruel to evildoers, and his character was ultimately good. Thus, it was rare for him to describe anyone close to an insult. However, he had no intention to amend his judgment.

    ¡®The criteria to be Karuwiman¡¯s Saint Candidate has reached a new low.¡¯

    Weig thought Windne didn¡¯t qualify to even be a Saint Candidate.

    ¡°Hey, I heard that you went through a lot this time.¡±

    As expected, Windne acted concerned, but both Lube and Weig knew that she couldn¡¯t have been happier to hear that Lube had suffered.

    ¡°It must have been really hard. I heard that you went around like a homeless person?¡±

    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right.¡±

    ¡°Wow, that¡¯s amazing. If it were me, I would have killed myself rather than go through something traumatic like that. That¡¯s some perseverance.¡±

    ¡°You think so?¡±

    ¡°Yes. And more than that, I heard that you were mixed up in a Bellid scheme? I am fine with that, but I just worry about what other people might think. They might wonder how a Saint Candidate could fall for the Bellids¡¯ schemes.¡±

    ¡°Thank you for your concern.¡±

    Lube continued to respond ndly. As if that irked her more, Windne¡¯s eyebrows rose higher.

    ¡°But did you really fail to sense it? Even if those Bellids hid it really well, if you are a Karuwiman member, shouldn¡¯t you be able to realize the gist of it at least?¡±

    Then, Windne suddenly made a surprised face.

    ¡°Oh my! I am sorry. I didn¡¯t mean to say that this incident was your fault. I am just concerned. You understand me, right?¡±

    Then, Windne smiled while looking at Weig.

    ¡°I also want to apologize to Sir Weig. If someone with bad intentions heard me, they would have thought that I was insulting you both.¡±

    ¡®But that¡¯s your aim.¡¯

    Weig looked at Windne drearily.

    Windne was like a crumpled mass of ego with an inferiorityplex, so she antagonized Lube who was the closest to being a Saint. Whenever she met Lube, she tore Lube down while pretending to be concerned.

    ¡®Such nerve!¡¯

    Since she was a Saint Candidate, Weig couldn¡¯t slice her in half like he did to the Bellid guys. There weren¡¯t many who treated the greatest Holy Knight like this.

    ¡®Well, I am also an object of resentment too.¡¯

    Many thought Lube was closest to being a Saint not only because of her skills and character, but because Weig had willingly volunteered to be her bodyguard.

    ¡®So, she must have chosen him to be her Holy Knight.¡¯

    Weig¡¯s assessment of Winstin Dyner was simple: Windne¡¯s Holy Knight version.

    ¡®And I¡¯m his object of jealousy.¡¯

    It was ridiculous to see someone much younger andcking in experience than Weig act so jealous. In a way, Dyner was worse than Windne.

    ¡®They really match each other well.¡¯

    Usually, Lube wouldn¡¯t have been able to retort a word. It was Lube¡¯s delicate nature that frustrated Weig. Widne was also the concern that Lube had confessed to Zich as the main source of her stress. Thus, Weig would have usually intervened and told them to stop. Then, Dyner would intervene, and a smallmotion would erupt. But this time, Weig crossed his arms and stood by.

    ¡°Yes, surely. How could I think that you said that to insult me?¡±

    Windne blinked her eyes in surprise, seeing Lube respond when she had always listened to her silently before. However, Lube wasn¡¯t finished.

    ¡°If you had the intention to insult me, anyone watching would think this.¡± Lube continued calmly, ¡°They will say that you are just jealous of me who is closest to bing the Saint.¡±

    Windne¡¯s face grew stiff. Dyner had been wary about Weig¡¯s untroubled behavior, and he looked at Lube in surprise.

    ¡°But you aren¡¯t so vulgar to feel satisfaction by tearing others down like that, right? Like someone suffering from an inferiorityplex. I heard that there are people like that even in Karuwiman. Those people take down others while acting like they aren¡¯t doing anything wrong. I¡¯m so sorry to hear that there are people in Karuwiman who do things that I would only expect a Bellid to do.¡±

    Windne¡¯s face was red; as Lube continued, more blood rose to Windne¡¯s face. It seemed like her face would blow up at any moment, but Lube didn¡¯t stop.

    ¡°But you aren¡¯t like that, right Windne? You aren¡¯t someone who¡¯d insult other people while acting otherwise. I am so grateful to have a friend like you.¡±

    ¡®This is beyond my expectations.¡¯

    This waspletely different from how she usually acted. Because of everything that Lube had gone through recently, Weig thought she would respond to the situation well, but he didn¡¯t know that she could talk like this.

    The effect was outstanding. The sound of Windne¡¯s heavy breathing rang across their surroundings, and Windne seemed like she didn¡¯t know what to do with herself in rage.

    Windne red at Lube. Before, Lube would have been afraid, but to her surprise, she didn¡¯t feel anything. Compared to Sude¡¯s poisonous res and Grotim¡¯s murderous curses, this was nothing.

    ¡°¡­Yeah. Thank you for thinking that.¡±

    Windne finally opened her mouth. Her dry tone hinted at her true feelings. Windne¡¯s punching bag had always hung her head at Windne¡¯s words, and she just resisted. Windne¡¯s head was filled with rage, and she wanted to do anything to mess up Lube''s face.

    ¡°By the way, I feel like you changed a bit. Did you gain something from this trip? Can you teach me?¡± Windne smiled slyly and meanly. ¡°I think you learned it while watching your Holy Knights die. In their sacrifice, you must have learned something truly valuable, right?¡±

    Windne pretended to be impressed.

    Weig gripped his fist. Windne had even brought up the dead Holy Knights to insult Lube. This was going overboard, and even Dyner looked a bit surprised.

    Weig couldn¡¯t remain silent. He opened his mouth to say something when¡ª

    p!

    It was a clean sound that seemed to clear up Weig¡¯s heart.

    ¡°¡­You!¡±

    Windne raged while grasping onto her reddened cheeks. However, Lube wasn¡¯t afraid and coldly red at Winde.

    ¡°What did you¡ª!¡±

    Dyner wanted to get angry at Lube, but an arm blocked his path.

    ¡°Stay still.¡±

    It was Weig.

    ¡°Stay still? How could you say that, seeing¡ª!¡±

    ¡°¡ªAn argument between the Saint Candidates should be resolved between them. Isn¡¯t that what you used to always tell me?¡±

    Dyner gritted his teeth as he red at Weig, but Weig didn¡¯t care whatever Dyner did. Truthfully, Dyner was no less than an ant on a road to Weig. And while these two confronted each other, the two Saint Candidates moved.

    Swish!

    Windne¡¯s hand flew, but Lube grabbed it.

    ¡°Eiih! Let go!¡±

    Windne tried to free her hands, but it wasn¡¯t easy. Unlike Lube who persistently trained her physique, Windne didn¡¯t do any training.

    ¡°Apologize.¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°Apologize to those who died.¡±

    Her stern and cold voice showed how furious Lube was.

    ¡°Stop joking! Why would I do such a¡ª!¡±

    p!

    A refreshing sound rang out again.

    ¡°You¡­!¡±

    It was the other cheek this time. Windne didn¡¯t expect another p at all.

    ¡°They are not someone the likes of you can insult. I give up. I am the fool who expects an apology from you.¡±

    Lube said an insult. In addition to her violent action, this made people surprised for the second time.

    ¡°Sir Weig. Let¡¯s go. There¡¯s no need for us to waste our time with them.¡±

    Lube roughly dropped her grip on Windne¡¯s hand and turned her back. While clutching her sore cheeks, Windne shouted out to Lube¡¯s back.

    ¡°Y-You! Do you think I won¡¯t do anything?¡±

    ¡°Then, what are you going to do?¡± Lube snorted, ¡°How? Are you going to tell everyone what happened here? Adding the fact that you insulted the dead?¡±

    Windne closed her mouth. Lube didn¡¯t respond like her usual self, so Windne had bbered whatever she could; even she knew that she crossed the line with thatment. And she was aware of how other people would respond if they heard about this fight.

    ¡°Or are you going to gossip behind my back? Don¡¯t you know my image? Between you and me, who do you think people will believe?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°Still, I won¡¯t stop you if you want to. I can just pull out everything that happened in the past. Since I am timid, I remember everything you said to me.¡±

    Windne no longer said anything. If they really battled for the truth like Lube said, she knew that she had no chance of winning. She was behind Lube in faith, status, skills, and everything else.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think you have anything left to say.¡±

    Lube turned around fast enough to make a ¡®swish!¡¯ sound and disappeared. Weig followed behind her with his shoulders stretched out pridefully. The only ones left in the garden were pitiful souls who trembled in humiliation and outrage like abandoned losers in the rain.

 Chapter 36

    <h4>Chapter 36</h4>

    With firm steps, Lube walked through the Grand Temple¡¯s halls. Her shoulders were squared, and there was no hesitation in her footsteps. It was hard to find any trace of her past timid self in her movements. Weig followed behind Lube silently. It was only after Lube put sufficient distance between herself and Windne that she let out a sigh of relief.

    ¡°Whew~!¡±

    Lube let her shoulders down and loosened her body. Then, she turned around with a spin.

    ¡°How was I? I tried to act ording to Mr. Zich¡¯s advice.¡±

    ¡°It was perfect.¡±

    It was so perfect that Weig became worried that Zich might have influenced her too much.

    ¡°Those two won¡¯t be able to bother you anymore.¡±

    They weren¡¯t on the same footing as Lube in the first ce; even though they were both Saint Candidates, not all Saint Candidates were equal.

    With firm determination, Lube said, ¡°That would be great. But it won¡¯t matter to me either way. I n to fight back now, especially if they continue to insult me like they did today.¡±

    ¡°But I still can¡¯t believe you actually pped her. That was Mr. Zich¡¯s advice, right?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    When Lube confided in Zich about Windne¡¯s attitude towards her, he told her to try pping Windne. Zich told her that while it was important to always consider the situation, person, and condition in a conflict, she should p people who treated her unfairly.

    Seeing the uncertainty on her face in response to his advice, Zich told her that it would also be a good idea for her to reconsider multiple times before resorting to violence; but if there was no other way to settle the conflict after pondering for a long time, Lube should take this as a sign to use violence and p her opponents. Lube clicked her tongue at Zich for repeating her advice back to her in his own creative way. However, since it was from Zich, Lube engraved his words into her heart.

    ¡°If I must say, wasn¡¯t this your first time using violence? How are you feeling?¡±

    Lube looked down at the hand that had pped Windne.

    ¡°I feel a lot of different emotions. I feel guilty about hurting someone, I regret how I was not able to find a different solution, and I fear that I might be a person who easily resorts to violence.¡±

    It was natural that Lube felt this way. All her life, violence was kept far away from her, and she felt guilty for inflicting the slightest amount of violence.

    However, despite all theseplicated emotions inside her, Lube said, ¡°But it definitely was gratifying.¡±

    Weig burst out inughter.

    ¡°I think you are ready to go to battle as Karuwiman¡¯s Saint.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not a Saint yet.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s only a matter of time. But please be careful. In order to protect people and justice, we are forced to use our powers, but we cannot be swallowed by the power. If that happens, you will not only lose your qualifications as Karuwiman¡¯s Saint, but as a human being.¡±

    ¡°I will keep that in mind.¡±

    ¡°Well, it¡¯s about time for the Pope¡¯s meeting to end, so let¡¯s go report to him.¡±

    The two of them headed to meet the Pope.

    * * *

    After making a lengthy report to the Pope, Lube separated from Weig. Lube¡¯s footsteps were light as she finally headed towards her room after a long and arduous journey.

    ¡°Hello, good afternoon.¡±

    A handsome, tall man with a well-bnced body stood in front of her. He was not a Karuwiman¡ªthe broach on his chest indicated that he was an Honorary Holy Knight.

    ¡°I see that you are an Honorary Holy Knight. As a Karuwiman, I express my thanks to you.¡±

    It was the broach Lube had offered to Zich before.

    ¡°No, it is my honor to be able to serve Karuwiman as an outsider.¡±

    The man smiled and revealed his identity, ¡°I am Glen Zenard. Through Priest Luce¡¯s rmendation, I was fortunate enough to gain the title of Honorary Holy Knight.¡±

    ¡°Oh, Priest Luce rmended you.¡±

    Uruwon Luce. He was not a High Priest yet, but he was famous for his merit and faith; there were even talks that he would be the next High Priest. As someone who was rmended by Luce, Lube thought that he must be a trustworthy person.

    ¡°If you do not mind me asking, are you Lady Aine Lube, one of the few chosen to be a Saint Candidate?¡±

    ¡°Yes. Even though I amcking in many ways, I am fortunate to have been chosen as a Saint Candidate.¡±

    ¡°I see.¡±

    Lube was not sure, but Zenard seemed a bit conflicted while looking at her. However, when she tried to peer closer, there was no such emotion on his face.

    ¡®I must have been mistaken.¡¯

    There was no reason for Lube to continue her conversation with Zenard. She was about to say her farewells to Zenard and go back to her room when he stopped her by saying, ¡°Didn¡¯t you have to go through a painful experience this time?¡±

    ¡°Yes?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s because you seem very troubled.¡±

    ¡®What? I do?¡¯

    Lube touched her face. She was not good at controlling her expressions, and there wasn¡¯t anything she was particrly worried about.

    ¡®Am I still anxious about what happened to the Holy Knights who tried to protect me?¡¯

    But that situation had already been dealt with. She was going to lead the memorial service for them and pray for their passing. Moreover, she was going to honor their sacrifice by remembering them in her heart forever. That was the resolution Lube came up with.

    ¡°If possible, would you be able to tell me about your concerns? I might be able to be of some help.¡±

    His face was pure andpletely devoid of all self-interest, but she shook her head.

    ¡°No, it¡¯s fine. I¡¯m thankful for your offer, but I have no concerns.¡±

    ¡°¡­Is that so?¡±

    As if he was sorry, Zenard withdrew his body back.

    ¡°Lady Lube, I apologize. I must have been wrong. But my desire to help you is sincere, so if you have any concernster, pleasee and find me.¡±

    ¡°You are a very kind and thoughtful person. I can see why Priest Luce rmended you. I will keep your words in mind.¡±

    After giving a small bow to Zenard, Lube kept on moving towards her room. Even as she was walking away, Zenard did not erase the smile from his face. However, as soon as Lubepletely disappeared from his sight, his expression immediately turned stiff.

    ¡°¡­There''s been a change.¡±

    As if his kind and gentle demeanor had all been an act, his face looked very twisted and cold. After looking in the direction Lube disappeared off to for a long time, Zenard turned back and vanished into the darkness.

    * * *

    As thergest mining city, Suol produced more than 50% of the iron consumed by the Kingdom. The miners added vitality to the city as they moved towards the mining area at the crack of dawn. With a singlentern and a pickaxe, the miners had to dig in a dirty and dark cave. It was a dangerous situation for the miners, but because of the harsh conditions, there were many excellent and fierce veteran miners.

    Most people in Suol did work rted to mining, but not everyone was a miner. One job unrted to mining was being a Monster Exterminator. It was not an exaggeration to say that in this world, every ce was threatened by monsters in one way or another. There were differences in severity between different areas, but even the capital city of the Kingdom had to deal with monsters.

    However, it was also crucial for the Kingdom to have a stable supply of iron. For this reason, the Kingdom made it their top priority to carry outrge-scale monster sweeps around Suol at least twice a year. Therefore, Suol was safer than most viges and towns from monsters.

    However, this was all in rtive terms; even Suol was notpletely safe from monster attacks. As long as monsters existed in this world, no city or vige waspletely safe.

    To make up for this gap in protection, the Kingdom set up aplementary system, which was to find monster exterminators. It was a straightforward system that gave a set amount of money to those who caught monsters. Despite its simplicity, it was a somewhat effective solution. It was nowhere near the effectiveness of the Kingdom¡¯srge-scale monster sweeps, but it helped curb the number of monsters till the next monster sweeping season. Moreover, this system was much cheaper than mobilizing an entire army. It was also a good way for skilled fighters to make money.

    Thus, many different types of people became monster exterminators. Some people were retired mercenary soldiers, some were adventurers seeking to raise money for their journeys, and some were farmers looking for ways to pay their debts. As long as they could fight monsters, there were no limitations to bing a monster exterminator.

    While leaning against a tree and sitting on a thick tree root, Zich said, ¡°So it¡¯s really the best possible job for us.¡±

    But Hans, the only one who could hear him, did not have the leisure to even reply.

    Kweckkkkk!

    The orc screamed and swung his rusty ax around. The awful smelling from the orc assaulted Hans¡¯ nose. However, Hans did not lose his focus on the orc¡¯s movements. If Hans got hit even once by the orc¡¯s ax, which was moving around with no sense of direction or logic but by pure brute force, he would be fatally injured.

    Orghhhh!

    The orc jumped towards Hans. While holding a half-rotten handle, the orc swung his ax with all his strength to split Hans into two.

    ¡°Hup!¡±

    Hans had been quietly observing the orc before he jumped into action. He moved his feet widely and raised his sword.

    ¡®No matter how much strength and mana training I¡¯ve been doing, I¡¯m still just a beginner. I won¡¯t be able to block an orc via brute strength. Instead, I have to block their attacks by softly deflecting and letting the rest of the force flow out.¡¯

    Hans remembered Zich¡¯s advice. The harsh training he went through and all his past experiences allowed his body to move ording to Zich¡¯s words.

    Zing!

    A rusty ax and a short sword met in the air.

    ¡°Ugh!¡± Hans cried in pain from the force of the orc¡¯s powerful swing. But even then, he did not drop his sword.

    Screeeech!

    The orc¡¯s ax began to slide past the tilted sword, and the orc¡¯s body began to fall forward.

    ¡°Huuuuup!¡±

    Hans made a loud yell and flexed his forearms. He put his foot forward and moved one step next to the orc¡¯s side. Then, as if the sword was brushing past the ax, he slid the sword to the side and pushed the ax away.

    Whish!

    With nothing blocking his path anymore, Hans made an excellent half-circle and pierced the orc¡¯s neck.

    Puck!

    Hans was only able to cut half of the orc¡¯s hard neck, but he was now used to these types of situations. He quickly moved his body to the side and moved his sword back.

    Swing!

    The orc swung where he was just a moment ago.

    ¡°These tough bastards!¡±

    A human being would have fallen into a state of panic after having their neck sliced halfway, but these orcs swung their axes nonstop without a care in the world. Before he knew what they were like, there were a few times Hans almost died. But he was able to use those experiences to be better at handling orcs.

    Glurg!

    Blood spurted out of the orc¡¯s neck. Anyone could see that Hans had justnded a critical hit, but even with this injury, the orc kept on fighting.

    Hans almost peed his pants seeing how the orc held his half pping, severely bleeding neck with one hand and an ax with the other hand; but even the toughest orc could not go for long in this condition.

    Plop!

    The orc copsed on the floor after a few steps. Hans carefully moved towards the fallen orc.

    Pierce!

    To make sure, Hans pierced the orc¡¯s head. The orc¡¯s body did not move at all.

    It was finally over. Hans finally let himself rx.

    ¡°Are you finally done?¡±

    As if he was bored, Zich let out a yawn. Even though Zich¡¯s behavior was beyond annoying, Hans could not say anything. Zich was the scariest of them all.

    ¡°Yes,¡± Hans replied with no strength in his voice.

    Zich got up and walkedzily towards the orc¡¯s dead body. Then he lifted the corpse as if the orc¡¯s two-meter-long body was as light as a cotton ball. Then he moved towards a sled next to them. There were already five orc corpses neatly piled on top of each other.

    Thud!

    With Zich¡¯s throw, there were now six.

    ¡°This is good enough for now. Let¡¯s head back.¡±

    The words that Hans had been waiting for finally came out of Zich¡¯s mouth.

    ¡°Yes, sir!¡±

    Hans replied with more energy than anything he said so far.

 Chapter 37

    <h4>Chapter 37</h4>

    Zich and Hans pushed their way down the mountain road. Hans dragged a sled behind him, and because the sled kept getting tangled into bushes and trees, he had to lift it up most of the time. The sled was heavy with orc corpses, and Hans¡¯ muscles screamed at him to stop. His mana was also at rock bottom, but Hans was happy to be done with his training.

    ¡°How was it today?¡± Zich asked as he sliced a small tree blocking their path. The usual self-reflection time began. It was difficult to drag the sled while thinking about the day¡¯s ordeals simultaneously, but Hans was used to it now.

    ¡°I think I did pretty well today.¡±

    ¡°Then, are you saying you passed?¡±

    ¡°N-No, sir!¡±

    ¡°When I fought the first orc, I didn¡¯t properly swing my ax. My wrist ached for a while from that shock and messed up my swingster on. And when I fought that fourth orc, I didn¡¯t properly space the distance between my attacks. I took an unnecessary extra half-step, so my ax almost split in half.¡±

    ¡°And?¡±

    Hans tried to recall more mistakes in his battles, but he couldn¡¯t think of anything else.

    ¡°I-I don¡¯t know, sir,¡± Hans answered with discouragement. Zich didn¡¯t talk for a moment, and Hans made furtive nces at Zich.

    ¡°Well, there are some more things, but you passed. I think you noticed the big things.¡±

    Hans breathed a big sigh of relief.

    ¡°Then, is there no additional training today?¡±

    ¡°Man, why do you hate training so much? It¡¯s not even hard.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Hans bit his lips hard to try to not say anything.

    ¡°Your generous master is simply trying to grant your wish. I thought you wanted to be like those heroes in storybooks. If that¡¯s the case, the quickest and best way to achieve that goal is to receive training from me.¡±

    Hans sighed that he had identally confessed his dream to Zich under the influence of alcohol.

    ¡°If you want to be a hero, you have to have power first. Then you can beat up bad guys andugh in your glory.¡±

    Zich exined his version of a hero to Hans. Hans¡¯ expression showed that he seemed to disagree with Zich, but Zich continued, ¡°You have to get power foremost. You can think about bing a hero or a viin afterward. If you go through my training, you will at least be one of the top five strongest in the world.¡±

    Hans thought Zich was exaggerating. He knew that Zich was strong and amazing, but he didn¡¯t think that Zich was strong enough to be the strongest in the world. Thus, he didn¡¯t realize how Zich¡¯s words were based on experience and had great credibility.

    ¡°Of course, no matter how much you work, you will never be able to beat a mega-genius like me.¡±

    As usual, the day ended with Zichplimenting himself, and Hans pouted. They walked while conversing some more, and soon, the trees and bushes that blocked their path disappeared. An ashy, gray-colored floor without a single grass patch greeted them.

    ¡°We have alreadye this far?¡± Zich murmured.

    Although they couldn¡¯t see trees and grass anymore, Zich and Hans were still on a high altitude bedrock of a tall mountain. It was a site in the center of the city of Suol called the Iruce Mine.

    They heard a noise nearby. The sun was slowly setting, and they saw a trail of peopleing down. The people were miners who seemed to have finished their day¡¯s work.

    ¡°Huh? Isn¡¯t that Zich?¡±

    One of the miners, a young man, covered from head to toe in dirt, acted like he knew Zich. He was a man who had noticeable veins popping out of his forearms.

    ¡°Hey, Sam!¡±

    Zich waved his arms, and the man named Sam trudged towards Zich with a pickaxe on his shoulders. Sam¡¯s eyes immediately moved to the sled with a pile of orcs.

    ¡°You guys must have worked hard today. So diligent.¡±

    ¡°I bet not as much as a miner.¡±

    The two snickered at each other, and Hans watched them in astonishment. From what he knew, Zich had befriended Sam recently. This was surprising since Zich was of noble birth and had been a sessor to a high-status family. Even if many had protested against his session, Zich was still a noble; thus, there was a vast difference in status between miners like Sam and a noble like Zich. Yet, Zich didn¡¯t seem to avoid befriending someone like Sam at all.

    ¡®He is mysterious in many ways.¡¯

    Hans stared at Zich¡¯s back as the two conversed happily.

    ¡°You caught a lot today. Where did you catch them?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a three-hour walk from here.¡±

    Sam¡¯s face stiffened. Other miners also perked their ears.

    ¡°Three hours?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. But since we can use mana, we walk faster than you and move well even on a rough road. With your speed, it will probably take you at least six to nine hours.¡±

    ¡°Damn it! These monsters are still too close.¡±

    Sam looked at the sled again.

    ¡°And it¡¯s also an orc! I don¡¯t know about goblins, but orcs are too much!¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s too much for me too.¡±

    ¡°How can we beat an orc?¡±

    With Sam¡¯s words, the miners each added in theirments. Their workce, the Iruce Mine, was close to the area, but Zich said that he found monsters within a nine-hour walking distance. Furthermore, it wasn¡¯t even a weak monster like a goblin but an orc.

    ¡°When is the next Monster Sweep?¡±

    ¡°Next month.¡±

    ¡°Can¡¯t they move the date forward?¡±

    ¡°How can we decide on that? The higher-ups decide the date, and it¡¯s not something that we have a say in.¡±

    ¡°But there must be something that we can do. It¡¯s a serious problem that there are already monsters near this area.¡±

    ¡°How did they take care of problems like this before?¡±

    The miners began to have a serious debate, and Sam also scratched his head roughly.

    ¡°Damn it! The mine is already in a mess even without this to worry about!¡±

    ¡°Is there something going on?¡± Zich asked.

    ¡°When we went to the mines this morning, our stored goods were missing or were in a mess.¡±

    ¡°Maybe you imagined it, or a beast got to it.¡±

    ¡°No, it¡¯s really not our imagination. We checked many times, and we also thought it was a beast at first, but people are worried that monsters areing closer to us at a faster rate than usual.¡±

    ¡°Even if monsters appeared here, I don¡¯t think they would loiter near the mines.¡±

    ¡°If that¡¯s the case, I would be happy. Maybe it¡¯s really the work of a beast. Or the works of a Mine Monster.¡±

    ¡°A Mine Monster?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s an old story that has been passed down in Suol since a long time ago.¡±

    Sam looked behind him. His colleagues were still talking to each other with serious expressions on their faces.

    ¡°Let¡¯s talk about thatter. This is a quite serious matter, so I must participate in this debate. And ah, thank you for the information.¡±

    ¡°Then buy me a drinkter.¡±

    ¡°If it¡¯s not too expensive.¡±

    Sam joined his colleagues in a hurry.

    ¡®It must be a pretty serious matter.¡¯

    Hans didn¡¯t realize that the orcs that he caught by merely following Zich¡¯s orders would escte into such a serious and important issue. To Hans, who was just beginning to gain battle experience by fighting orcs, it was difficult to think that far ahead.

    ¡°Everyone has their own troubles. We just have to take care of our troubles. Let¡¯s continue moving.¡±

    At Zich¡¯s words, Hans grabbed the sled handle again.

    ¡°Um¡­¡±

    Zich and Hans heard a hesitant and shy voice, and they turned their heads toward the noise. There were three miners who didn¡¯t look much different from Sam; they were covered in a cloud of dirt and looked rtively young. One of the men looked a couple of years younger than Zich.

    ¡°Are you adventurers?¡±

    Adventurer¡ªthe young man¡¯s voice was full of romanticism at this word, as if he was describing the main character of a storybook who explored dungeons in unknown ces, subjugated dragons, and saved beautiful princesses. However, that was just a fairytale.

    In reality, most adventurers teetered on a thin line between a gambler and a thug; they wandered around, dreaming of striking rich from one journey. They weren¡¯t full of justice like the way storybooks portrayed them to be, and most of them became bandits due to financial problems. Thus, many people didn¡¯t look at adventurers favorably. However, the miner who asked Zich and Hans if they were adventurers seemed like he still believed in storybooks.

    ¡°No, we are not.¡±

    Although they wandered around the world without any ns, Zich and Hans were still far from adventurers.

    ¡°I heard that you guys are traveling the world¡­¡±

    The young man nced at the miners who were still debating. His eyes were on Sam, and it seemed as if the young man had heard this news from him.

    ¡°That is true, but who are you?¡±

    ¡°Ah! I forgot to introduce myself. I am Snoc.¡±

    ¡°I am Zich.¡±

    ¡°Could I perhaps hear about your travels?¡± the young man asked with eyes full of admiration since he couldn¡¯t achieve his goals.

    ¡°Hey, Snoc! What are you doing? We have to go now!¡±

    ¡°I have to ask this person something¡ª!¡±

    ¡°¡ªStop talking nonsense! Those people also have to get on with their work! Why are you bothering them when the sun is almost setting?¡± Sam shouted. Perhaps Snoc also thought he was acting like a nuisance, and he backed off while looking regretful.

    ¡°If I meet you next time, I would really like to hear about your travels. Please, I beg you.¡±

    Then Snoc hurriedly joined the rest of the miners and walked down the mountain. Zich stared at the distant group of miners and struck Hans¡¯ shoulders.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go too.¡±

    Hans grabbed the sled¡¯s handle.

    * * *

    Zich and Hans stayed in Suol for a while and trained. Hans¡¯ skills improved at a pace that would shock anyone; however, his development speed was nothingpared to Zich¡¯s.

    Ziiing!

    The mana circted smoothly in Zich¡¯s body. His body, which used to creak whenever the mana overflowed, had no problems now. Then Zich tried to halt his mana and dramatically increase it to its maximum.

    Twitch!

    Zich¡¯s body trembled slightly, and he stopped the flow of mana.

    ¡®I need a bit more time.¡¯

    It wouldn¡¯t take him too long.

    ¡®I won¡¯t be toote.¡±

    The day that a great catastrophe would befall Suol was drawing closer. Zich felt like he could finish preparations before then.

    Push!

    While Zich was thinking this, Hans, who was hunting monsters like usual, chopped up an orc. Like how Zich was almost used to his power, Hans was getting used to his monster hunting. The sun was starting to set, and Zich shouted while Hans loaded some orc corpses onto the sled, ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡±

    They went down the mountain and went to the Monster Exterminator branch store. It was located a bit far away from the city because they couldn¡¯t have built a store, where monster corpses went in and out, near where people lived.

    ¡°Hey, you are here today too.¡±

    A rough, bandit-looking middle-aged man weed them. He was the branch manager named Paul Chenu.

    ¡°How many did you catch today?¡±

    ¡°Six orcs and three goblins.¡±

    Zich answered, and Paul Chenu scowled.

    ¡°Damn it! They are increasing. Where did you find them?¡±

    ¡°Around a six-hour walk by a normal person¡¯s standards.¡±

    That was almost right around the corner, and Paul Chenu nodded.

    ¡°Urgh! I am so d I called those guys.¡±

    ¡°Those guys?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. I called some skilled adventurers and mercenaries this time. The monster sweep is going to be next month even though the monsters areing close. Since we can¡¯t close the mine down, we have to solve this problem independently.¡±

    At that moment, someone came inside the store.

    ¡°He is one of them.¡±

    Paul Chenu pointed sideways with his chin.

    A heavily armored man stood in front of the store¡¯s entrance. His crooked posture and mannerisms looked unfriendly.

    ¡°Hey Drew! You finally came?¡±

    Paul Chenu weed him with his arm raised, but the man, Uljon Drew, nodded his head slightly. The man was obviously rude, but Paul Chenu just shrugged his shoulders. In his field of work, there were many guys with terrible personalities.

    ¡®Well, that guy is among the worst though.¡¯

    Of course, Paul Chenu didn¡¯t say this thought out loud.

    ¡°Did you catch many today?¡±

    Drew took out something from his clutches; it was a small box the size of his palm. The box seemed like it was made from wooden material, and strange symbols decorated its surface. He opened the box. Something jumped out and fell to the ground.

    Drop!

    It was heavy. Considering the box''s size, the sound was loud, but onlookers could understand why when they realized what the object was. The thing seemed way too big to havee out of the small box.

    ¡°It¡¯s an artifact.¡±

    Zich told Hans whose eyes widened in surprise.

    ¡°That thing is?¡±

    ¡°By the looks of it, it¡¯s an item that can store goods no matter the volume or weight. Among artifacts, it¡¯s a prettymon type. Of course, that doesn¡¯t make it less rare.¡±

    Hans looked back and forth between the box and the thing that fell out of it.

    ¡°Does that count as an item?¡±

    What came out of the box were monster corpses. Most of the bodies were orcs and goblins, but corpses of medium-level monsters like trolls were mixed in. There were a considerable number of corpses.

    ¡°A corpse can be totally counted as an item. It¡¯s only a living creature when the creature is alive. When it¡¯s dead, what is it more than a piece of meat? It¡¯s the same for a human corpse.¡±

    Hans scowled with intense disgust.

    ¡°He is amazing as ever.¡±

    Paul Chenu examined the monster''s corpses and expressed his awe. However, he didn¡¯t end it with just admiration.

    ¡°But where were these monsters? Especially the trolls. Do you think they will appear near the city or the mines in a month¡¯s time?¡±

    This was very important. The difference between low-level monsters like goblins and orcs and mid-level monsters like trolls were huge. For the city¡¯s safety, he had to identify the situation clearly. However, like he couldn¡¯t be bothered, Drew nced at Paul Chenu once and turned his head.

    ¡°Figure out the sum and prepare it by evening.¡±

    And then he strutted out of the store.

    ¡°Uh, huh? Hey! Hey, Drew!¡± Paul Chenu called the man urgently, but Drew left without even turning back.

    ¡°¡­How can there be a person like that?¡±

    ¡°Why?¡±

    Inparison to Hans who was astounded, Zich looked indifferent.

    ¡°I mean, isn¡¯t his attitude too rude, sir?¡±

    ¡°Why are you overreacting? That much is cute.¡±

    Inparison to people who pulled out a person¡¯s spine for not concentrating on what they said, or gouged a person¡¯s eye for ring at them, or sliced off a person¡¯s head for not liking the way they looked, Drew¡¯s behavior was simr to a child¡¯s tantrum.

    ¡°Moreover, you¡¯re not even the one affected by his behavior. I don¡¯t think hemitted a sin big enough for me to kill him in the name of doing a good deed.¡±

    ¡°Sir, if that person showed the same attitude to you, how would you react?¡±

    Hans asked this since Zich said, ¡®You¡¯re not even the one who¡¯s affected.¡¯

    ¡°I¡¯d crack his skull open. Isn¡¯t that obvious?¡±

    As expected, Zich was Zich.

    ¡°Or is that not living a kind life? No, you should at least be prepared to have your head cracked if you pick a fight with someone. Um, then that will definitely make me faultless¡ªsince it¡¯s self-defense. I guess I won¡¯t have any problems then.¡±

    Yes, that was right. Hans gave up on understanding Zich¡¯s way of thinking and quietly epted his fate.

 Chapter 38

    <h4>Chapter 38</h4>

    ¡°Two jugs of beer and two pieces of rabbit meat, please!¡± Zich sat on a chair and shouted. Hans quickly sat down in front of him.

    ¡°You can rest in the lodging if you are tired,¡± Zich smiled while he said this, but Hans shook his head.

    Hans¡¯ greatest joy these days was a drink after his training. Just for this moment, he endured sleeping in the mountains and fighting monsters. No matter what Zich said, Hans couldn¡¯t give this up, and Zich chuckled at Hans¡¯ fervent response. Before his order came, he put his arm on the back of his chair and looked around the bar.

    ¡°Oh, wait?¡±

    Zich heard loud voices in the corner of the room. Arge group had connected several tables and wereughing and talking. One member of the group wiped his tears fromughing so much and noticed Zich staring at him.

    ¡°Zich!¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s Sam.¡±

    Zich waved his hand.

    ¡°Ohh, is he Sam¡¯s friend?¡±

    ¡°Isn¡¯t he the guy we met in front of the mine entrancest time?¡±

    ¡°Ah, he is the guy who catches monsters and ensures our safety.¡±

    ¡°What! We can¡¯t just leave a man like that!¡±

    ¡°Of course! As a man from the mines, if I don¡¯t serve him a drink, I should cut off my balls!¡±

    The miners talked and gathered around Zich¡¯s table. Then they forcefully attached Zich¡¯s table to theirs.

    ¡°Uh? Huh?¡±

    Dazed, Hans swiveled his head around; inparison, Zich looked like he was enjoying himself and followed the miners¡¯ movements.

    And¡­

    ¡°Cheers!¡±

    ¡°Cheers!¡±

    More than ten sses collided in the middle, and Zich poured beer into his throat. The angle of his beer ss arched deeply, but Zich didn¡¯t break away. Soon, the lukewarm beer disappeared from the ss with one gulp.

    ¡°Haa!¡±

    Letting out a refreshing shout, Zich mmed the beer ss on top of the table. All the minersughed at the sight.

    ¡°Wow, you look dainty, but the way you drink proves that you are a real man!¡±

    ¡°Of course, he is my friend! Do you think I will just befriend anybody?¡± Sam shouted while wrapping his arms around Zich¡¯s shoulders. Hans watched the loud and vulgar but vibrant sight in front of him in amazement. Zichughed and sang with his beer ss raised, fitting in perfectly with the miners. Who would have thought he was the Steelwalls¡¯ sessor not too long ago?

    ¡°Inparison, look at him. His buddy doesn¡¯t seem to be enjoying himself?¡±

    ¡°S-Sorry?¡±

    One of the miners struck up a conversation with him, and Hans awkwardly replied. The man¡¯s reddened face stared at him intently.

    ¡°He is no fun. What¡¯s your rtionship with Sam¡¯s friend?¡±

    ¡°He is my servant,¡± Zich answered. ¡°Please understand. He doesn¡¯t know how to match the mood since he grew up sheltered.¡±

    It didn¡¯t seem fitting for an ex-aristocrat like Zich to say this, but Zich fit in so well with the miners that Hans couldn¡¯t say anything.

    ¡°Hold up. I thought he was just yourpanion¡ªhe¡¯s your servant? Is Sam¡¯s friend actually someone of high status?¡±

    Although he said that, the miner didn¡¯t really believe it. His voice was full of mischief.

    Zich responded while smiling, ¡°Fufufu, maybe. I might be the son of a ¡®Great Sir¡¯ who ran away from his home after his feelings were hurt, you know?¡±

    ¡°Hey! That Great Sir must not be a noble. Acting as a noble means capital punishment!¡± Sam said this whileughing. All the other miners and Zichughed too. However, Hans, who knew the truth, couldn¡¯tugh.

    The drinking party continued like that for a long time. While they poured and drank, a great amount of beer disappeared. On top of that, because Zich offered to pay a great sum, the atmosphere in the party shot up by several folds. They all talked while feeling tipsy.

    Then, someone carefully approached Zich.

    ¡°Hello¡­¡±

    ¡°Yeah?¡±

    Zich stared at the person; it was a familiar face.

    ¡®He must be the miner who admires adventurers.¡¯

    ¡°Hello. I met you a few days ago¡­¡±

    ¡°Yes, I remember. You said your name was Snoc.¡±

    Snoc¡¯s face brightened up.

    ¡°Yes, Yes! I am Snoc! You remembered!¡±

    ¡°You said you want to hear about my travels?¡±

    ¡°Yes! My dream is to be an adventurer! I want to wander around this huge world without a destination in mind and travel wherever I feel like! I want to explore mysterious ces, meet outstandingpanions, find ancient ruins, and¡­!¡±

    Snoc spat out words nonstop. It wasn¡¯t a very important story; it was just a story without an ounce of reality like those from children¡¯s storybooks, filled with romanticism and adventure. And while Snoc talked, his expectant eyes never left Zich.

    However, instead of Zich, it was Hans who asked Snoc a question.

    ¡°Why do you want to travel so badly? Traveling isn¡¯t as dreamlike as you say.¡±

    Since he was forced into this journey, Hans¡¯ voice was mixed with low, pent-up anger. Maybe Hans was more enraged because he saw his past self in the man who romanticized traveling around the world.

    Snoc couldn¡¯t answer immediately. He looked around his surroundings, and after making sure that no one was interested in this conversation, he confessed his true feelings.

    ¡°¡­I hate the mines.¡±

    He said it quietly, but his tone wasced with several emotions.

    ¡°I hate that I have to keep pickaxing in a ce without a single ray of light in a stuffy space with clouds of dust flying everywhere. When I straighten my back to look around, all I see is a ck, rock wall. When I look around my surroundings, I keep thinking that¡ª¡± Snoc said all this with gloom in his eyes, ¡°¡ªThe pit I dig will be my grave.¡±

    When he thought this, Snoc felt chills go down his back.

    ¡°You are saying that again?¡±

    He heard a voice full of difort. It was mixed with a bit of drunkenness, but his pronunciation indicated that he wasn¡¯tpletely drunk.

    ¡°¡­Sam.¡±

    Snoc lowered his shoulders, and Sam turned around. As if he had listened to the whole conversation, Sam looked like a mom who found her children making trouble.

    ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you to stop your nonsense? How could you be an adventurer?¡±

    ¡°I-It doesn¡¯t matter what I do!¡±

    Snoc resisted, but his voicecked strength.

    ¡°Yeah, I wish that was the case. I wouldn¡¯t have cared about what you did with your life if it wasn¡¯t for your parent¡¯s request.¡±

    Sam ced his hand on top of Snoc¡¯s head and turned it around.

    ¡°Ah, stop it!¡±

    Snoc flung his hand around and struggled, but he couldn¡¯t escape out of Sam¡¯s firm grip. Sam was ten centimeters taller than Snoc, and he was also much stronger.

    ¡®They are like brothers.¡¯

    Zich thought that they looked like a pair of siblings, in which the older brother tried to stop his younger brother from acting impulsively. ording to their conversation, it seemed like they weren¡¯t rted by blood but had grown up like brothers since they were young.

    ¡°So, you want to listen to stories about my travels?¡± Zich said.

    ¡°Hey! Zich!¡±

    Sam tried to cut off Zich¡¯s words, but in contrast, Snoc¡¯s eyes sparkled.

    ¡°Yes!¡±

    ¡°I can tell you at least that much.¡±

    ¡°Really?¡±

    ¡°Of course. It¡¯s not even that hard. And I ce importance in other people¡¯s dreams.¡±

    Zich¡¯s eyes curved. By his expression, it seemed like Zich would exin his story in detail and even reenact some parts, but for some reason, Sam felt a chill on his skin.

    ¡°But you will have to take responsibility for it too.¡±

    ¡°¡­Responsibility?¡±

    ¡°Yes, responsibility.¡±

    To Snoc, whose face hardened a bit, Zich stressed his words.

    ¡°You can achieve what you want in the world outside: beautiful scenery, blue sky, and freedom. If you are lucky, you will save people from bandits or monsters and get treated like a savior. You can even meet a beautifuldy in the middle of it too.¡±

    It was a dream that everybody dreamed of at least once in their lifetime.

    ¡°But that¡¯s only if you have the skills. In addition to freedom and dreams, the outside world is full of danger. Although it may sound a bit harsh, you don¡¯t seem to have that kind of power.¡±

    Snoc¡¯s arms looked firm with muscles. However, they were made through hardbor and weren¡¯t adequate for battle. Moreover, it wasn¡¯t a dream that he could achieve with just muscles.

    ¡°Even so, I don¡¯t want to tell you to do this and that with your life. Stories about traveling outside? I can tell as much as you want. It¡¯s not that hard. You could go on and be an adventurer after the stories I tell you, but that¡¯s none of my business. It¡¯s also none of my business if you be a monster¡¯s meal on a nameless mountain road. That will just add to all themon things that happen somewhere in this world.¡±

    Zich smiled widely, but nobody, including all those who stopped to listen to Zich¡¯s words, smiled with him.

    ¡°Okay then, should I start my stories of travel? Don¡¯t worry. Even though it hasn¡¯t been long since I began my travels, some of my stories may interest you.¡±

    Zich fixed his posture to begin telling his story, but Sam stopped him.

    ¡°That¡¯s enough, Zich.¡±

    Then, he approached Snoc with a stern look on his face.

    ¡°See. That¡¯s what a traveler who has really gone out of the city says. Haven¡¯t I always told you? The adventurers you dream of only exist in storybooks.¡±

    Snoc hung his head. Seeing his dejected face, Sam''s expression softened. Then, like a brother facing his younger sibling, he began tofort him quietly.

    ¡°Besides what you say, the work we do is vital to the Kingdom. It isn¡¯t inferior to any other job. Even the pay is plenty formoners like us. Your father also did mining. So, don¡¯t think about anything else¡ª¡±

    ¡°No.¡±

    It was barely audible, but there was firmness in his voice.

    ¡°Snoc, you¡ª¡±

    ¡°I am going out of the city no matter what happens. I don¡¯t want to keep doing this work even if it kills me. I don¡¯t want to live like my father!¡±

    m!

    Snoc mmed the table and stood up. His chair made a loud thud as it rolled on the floor, and Snoc ran out of the bar.

    ¡°Hey, Snoc!¡± Sam called, but he couldn¡¯t stop Snoc. The bar¡¯s door creaked and answered for Snoc who didn¡¯te back.

    ¡°Seriously, that guy!¡±

    Sam abruptly got up as if he was going to chase after him, but he sat down again. Then, he let out a big sigh.

    Zichmented, ¡°He is quite stubborn. Most people will give up after they realize the truth. And even if they don¡¯t, they¡¯ll just repress it in their hearts and not respond like that.¡±

    ¡°I apologize. He is still like that even after I scolded him many times.¡±

    ¡°No need for you to apologize. I can¡¯t say that I didn¡¯t intend to, but it¡¯s not like I said anything I didn¡¯t mean. I don¡¯t care what happens to him.¡±

    ¡°¡­That¡¯s cold.¡±

    Sam made a bitter smile. Although they were on the same wavelength sometimes, Zich said many cold words like this.

    ¡®Is it an adventurer¡ªno, a traveler¡¯s trait?¡¯

    If that was the case, Sam couldn¡¯t let Snoc hang onto his dreams even more. However, there was a corner of his heart that wanted to defend Snoc.

    ¡°Actually, he¡­¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s enough, Sam,¡± Zich cut him off. ¡°Even if I know Snoc¡¯s situation or background, it doesn¡¯t change my response. So, there¡¯s no need for you to say anything. I wasn¡¯t even interested in the first ce.¡±

    ¡°¡­Are all travelers like you?¡±

    ¡°Let me see. I¡¯m also not interested in other travelers, so I don¡¯t know. Well, they probably won¡¯t all be the same. I mean, just look at the miners. You and Snoc are two people withpletely different thoughts.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s true.¡±

    Even though they were both miners, Snoc and he hadpletely different thoughts; this must also be true for travelers.

    ¡°But since you are my friend, don¡¯t worry. It can¡¯t be helped if you get punished aftermitting a crime, but if you die an unjust death, I will avenge you.¡±

    ¡°Thank you for that.¡±

    Sam smirked and clinked his beer ss with Zich¡¯s ss.

 Chapter 39

    <h4>Chapter 39</h4>

    Thud. Thud.

    Snoc¡¯s footsteps were heavy and contained no energy. His whole body drooped down as if a heavy burden was pushing him down.

    ¡®Ah, I forgot my tools.¡¯

    Since he ran out without thinking, he had no time to pack his pickaxe or other equipment. While holding his head with both hands, Snoc sat on the ground.

    ¡®I don¡¯t think I will lose my tools, but...¡¯

    Sam had been next to him. They grew up like siblings, so Sam would probably take care of his tools for him. However, it was ufortable to meet Sam right after their argument.

    ¡®It¡¯s going to be hard to talk to him for a while.¡¯

    But Snoc had no choice. He could not continue his life as a miner without his tools. Moreover, Sam would probably nag at him a few times, but he would not hurl any serious insults at him. Sam only nagged him because he cared about Snoc¡¯s well-being, and Snoc also knew that Sam¡¯s words were more realistic and reasonable than his dream.

    But...

    ¡®But I still want to be an adventurer.¡¯

    Snoc couldn¡¯t let go of his dream. As if to revitalize himself, Snoc got up with a lot of energy. He put strength in his legs and began walking with great force. He straightened his hunched shoulders and erased all sadness from his spirits by singing, ¡°An ancient being filled with wrathes down upon us like a tidal wave. It''s a disaster that has never been seen before.¡±

    As he sang, Snoc began to feel strange. The lyrics seemed to make him more sentimental rather thanfort his heart, but he ignored this feeling and continued to sing. This was his favorite song.

    ¡°People shiver in fear at his presence. His name is synonymous with fear.¡±

    Bam!

    Snoc saw stars in front of him. He hit the ground and hurt his butt. While rubbing his sore bottom, Snoc looked up at the man who bumped into him.

    He saw a man standing in the darkness. For a moment, Snoc was filled with admiration at the man¡¯s appearance. The man looked exactly like the adventurers Snoc had imagined: he wore thick leather armor and carried a longsword.

    ¡°You are Snoc, right?¡±

    ¡°Yes?¡±

    Snoc had never seen the man before and was shocked that the man knew his name. But the man smiled as if he didn¡¯t care about what Snoc was thinking. There was something chilling about the man¡¯s smile.

    ¡°I heard you want to be an adventurer.¡±

    * * *

    Like many days before, Hans and Zich went out to fight monsters. To be more specific, Hans was the only one working hard to fight monsters. It seemed as if Sam and Paul Chenu were right about the increasing number of monsters because they began to meet monsters more frequently. Even though this was good for Hans¡¯ training, this was not good news for Suol and all of its inhabitants.

    ¡°Haaaaap!¡± Hans roared and swung his sword. His sword, which carried a lot of his strength, brushed the troll¡¯s neck.

    Burrrst!

    Blood burst out of the troll¡¯s neck and spilled over its throat; the troll couldn¡¯t even scream properly. However, trolls had amazing regenerative power, and their injuries quickly healed.

    ¡°Hap!¡±

    Hans made another shout. His sword flew across the air. He evaded the troll¡¯s arms and moved towards the troll¡¯s neck again.

    Cut!

    Hans cut off the troll¡¯s neck along with the hand that was keeping the neck attached. No matter how great a troll¡¯s regenerative ability was, they could not survive with a sliced neck.

    Thud!

    The troll fell to the floor. Hans huffed and wiped the sweat on his forehead.

    ¡°I can capture smaller trolls with ease now.¡±

    Zich had been quietly watching Hans while walking towards him. Zich was honestly surprised. When they were at Steelwall, Hans had never wielded a sword and spent all his time doing household chores. At the beginning of their journey, Hans was out of breath after beating one goblin.

    But now, Hans had evolved into defeating a troll (even if it was not fully developed yet). Even Hans could not believe that he had be strong enough to beat a troll. As if he was checking his strength, he clenched his fists.

    Flutter!

    The bush shook. Hans quickly moved back and held up his sword. He stood in a ready position, but Zich raised his hand to stop him.

    ¡°Lower your sword. It¡¯s not a monster.¡±

    Zich knew who the figures were. Hans lowered his sword.

    Two people came out of the bush. It was strange to see such different people together.

    ¡°Hey, aren¡¯t you Snoc?¡± Zich called out to the person he was more familiar with. As if he was surprised to be called by his name, Snoc jumped and stared at Zich. He looked like a child caught red-handed by an adult.

    ¡°What are you doing? Why aren¡¯t you moving quickly?¡±

    A low voice urged Snoc from the back. The man¡¯s tone sounded as if he was looking down on Snoc.

    Snoc flinched and Zich stared at the man behind him.

    ¡®Was he the adventurer called Drew?¡¯

    He was one of the adventurers hired by the city to curb the number of monsters before the nextrge-scale monster sweep.

    ¡®It looks like he has a nasty temperament, which is fitting for an adventurer.¡¯

    It was surprising to see them together since there were no simrities between a miner and an adventurer. Drew pressed Snoc to go forward, but he paused when he saw Zich and Hans. Drew¡¯s eyes frantically moved around to gauge the situation, but when he saw Hans soaked in sweat and a small troll next to him, Drew let out a smile.

    ¡°There¡¯s a weak ass here who struggles to put down a barely developed troll.¡±

    Hans was taken aback from being insulted out of the blue. Snoc was also surprised. It was only Zich whose facial expression did not change.

    ¡®Hmmm, it¡¯s true that Hans is a weak ass.¡¯

    Zich didn¡¯t refute Drew¡¯s statement and agreed with him instead. But he was not going to let Drew¡¯s insult slide.

    ¡®Even though it¡¯s true that he is a weak ass, as his master, I¡¯m the only one who can call him that.¡¯

    ¡°There¡¯s a person with shit for brains here that calls a beginner who just started training a weak ass.¡±

    Drew¡¯s up-turned lips immediately went down. He turned his head, and his sharp eyes red at Zich.

    ¡°¡­What did you say to me?¡±

    ¡°Do you not only have problems with your brain but also with your ear? You can¡¯t even judge a person properly, so your eyes are also shit. Oops, I didn¡¯t realize you were a sick person and insulted you unfairly. I sincerely apologize.¡±

    Zich lowered his head. It was to ask for forgiveness, but nobody thought it was sincere.

    ¡°This bastard is asking for death!¡±

    Drew took out a giant sword from his back.

    ¡°Hey, don¡¯t be like that. I want to live a kind life. I don¡¯t want to fight a pitiful bastard who has problems with his ears, eyes, and brain.¡±

    Contrary to his words, Zich also took out his swords with swift movements. An explosive murderous atmosphere and tension began to fill the space around them.

    ¡°W-wait a moment!¡± Snoc intervened between them. ¡°P-Please calm down for a bit!¡±

    ¡°Move it!¡±

    Drew red at Snoc with sharp eyes. Snoc¡¯s back became immediately soaked with sweat, but he endured Drew¡¯s re.

    ¡°Won¡¯t you look over his behavior for m-me? This person is an acquaintance of my friend.¡±

    Then Snoc turned back and looked at Zich.

    ¡°You are Mr. Zich, right? Won¡¯t you also calm down? This person is my teacher!¡±

    ¡°Teacher?¡±

    Zich stared at Drew.

    ¡®He is going to make that bastard his teacher? This punk¡¯s skill seems so-so, and his personality sucks ass.¡¯

    The only things one could probably learn from him were provoking fights and making dirty expressions. Then another sound interrupted them.

    Shake!

    The bush shook roughly once more. Hans and Snoc jumped in surprise. Compared to them, Zich and Drew merely turned their heads.

    Thud!

    A dirty green foot popped out. Soon, a ginormous body with a hideous face appeared in clear view; it was a troll.

    The troll was carrying a rudimentary wooden bludgeon, and it looked around its surroundings. Then it let out a bigugh. The troll seemed happy to see many avable prey.

    ¡®It¡¯s a big one.¡¯

    This troll finished growling; the monster was too much for the current Hans to handle. Zich was about to kill the troll when Drew stepped forward.

    Grunt!

    Drew walked towards the troll with a sword in his hand. A sharp glint shone on his weapon.

    Oohwaaaaa!

    The troll made a loud sound and went straight towards Drew. The troll looked ferocious as it moved its enormous muscles. And Zich put back his sword. Then, he folded his arms and watched Drew fight.

    Crack!

    The troll¡¯s bludgeon came down and hit the ground. Dirt and grass flew everywhere, and a giant hole was left on the ground. But Drew had long moved his body to the side.

    ¡°Hap!¡±

    Drew swung his sword. The silver sword shone sharply in the sunlight.

    Pierce!

    A deep cut appeared on the troll¡¯s shoulder.

    Kuaaaaak!

    The troll let out an angry yell from the pain. It began to move its bludgeon even harder.

    Swoosh!

    Moreover, the troll¡¯s injuries began to heal at a fast rate. But Drew stayed calm and continued to wield his sword. When one cut was healed, he made two cuts; when two cuts were healed, he made three cuts. The troll¡¯s movements became more and more limited from Drew¡¯s constant attacks.

    ¡°Hup!¡±

    Drew evaded the troll¡¯s attack again and cut through the troll¡¯s arm as if he was dropping down an ax.

    Crash!

    ¡°Ahhhhhhhh!¡±

    The sword pierced halfway into the troll¡¯s arm. It was the deepest cut that Drew had made so far. While the troll was shaking, Drew pushed the sword in further.

    ¡°Haaap!¡±

    Then Drew made a loud shout and moved towards the troll¡¯s neck.

    Slice!

    The giant sword pierced through the troll¡¯s neck. His swing was wide, and he was almost able topletely slice off the troll¡¯s neck.

    Cough!

    The troll let out its tongue and began coughing, but Drew only put more strength into his sword.

    Swoosh!

    A roughly beaten head of a troll floated into the air and plopped to the ground.

    Swish!

    As if to show off, Drew put his giant sword on his back with a loud swing. He looked somewhat cool as he posed in front of a blood-soaked troll. Both Hans and Snoc, who called himself Drew¡¯s disciple, looked at Drew with admiration in their eyes.

    ¡®Man, he¡¯s showing off so much for a troll.¡¯

    Obviously, Zich was unimpressed. Drew worked so hard to kill just one troll and was now pretending to be cool. If Zich took as long as Drew in beating one troll, he would have died from embarrassment.

    Swoosh!

    The troll¡¯s corpse disappeared into Drew¡¯s magic box. Then Drew put the box back into his pocket. He looked between Hans and the small troll and his gaze finallynded on Zich.

    ¡°Hmph!¡±

    Drew turned around as if Zich wasn¡¯t even worth his time.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±

    Drew fixed the position of his sword and began walking, and Snoc followed closely from behind. Snoc made an apologetic expression towards Zich, and after bowing his head once, he disappeared into the forest.

 Chapter 40

    <h4>Chapter 40</h4>

    ¡°Wow, what a bastard,¡± Zich grumbled.

    ¡®Hah, my personality has really be better. I actually let a guy like that go.¡¯

    If it wasn¡¯t for Snoc, who Sam cared for like a brother, and the troll that appeared at the right time, Zich would¡¯ve broken a couple of Drew¡¯s limbs by now.

    Hans approached Zich and asked, ¡°What¡¯s their rtionship?¡±

    ¡°An adventurer and a miner. They don¡¯t seem to have much inmon.¡±

    ¡°Snoc fantasizes adventurers. He probably followed Drew to learn a couple of things. I heard him address Drew as ¡®Teacher.¡¯¡±

    ¡°Good for him.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure about that,¡± Zich said negatively.

    ¡®There¡¯s no way a guy like that will raise a disciple.¡¯

    Moreover, Zich had never heard about an adventurer raising a disciple. Adventurers were people who were too busy with their day-to-day tasks of surviving.

    ¡®At best, he will be a luggage carrier, and at worst, a meat shield. If he is unlucky, he will be used for something worse.¡±

    Most people would have lost interest by this point, thinking, ¡®It¡¯s his life,¡¯ but Snoc was someone his friend Sam dearly cared for, so the matter concerned Zich a tiny bit¡ªas much as an ant¡¯s teardrop.

    However, he didn¡¯t think of doing something amazing for Snoc. It ended at the level of: ¡®Maybe I should give Sam a heads-up?¡±

    ¡°B-By the way, thank you, sir.¡±

    ¡°Huh? About what?¡±

    Hans thanked him out of nowhere, so Zich stared at him strangely. If Hans was spitting out words in a mentally dysfunctional state, Zich was willing to hit Hans on the head a couple of times to cure him.

    ¡°Didn¡¯t you get angry because you heard him insulting me?¡±

    Not only did Zich treat him much better than usual, but Zich got angry in his ce. So Hans felt a tiny bit moved, but Zich smiled in response. Then Zich raised his hand and struck his head.

    m!

    ¡°Ah!¡±

    Hans grabbed onto his head.

    ¡°Who took your side? Of course, I got mad. He dared to insult my servant, which is the same as insulting the great me. Truthfully, you are a weak-ass.¡±

    ¡®What did I expect¡­¡¯ Hans grumbled inside his mind and held his head.

    ¡°But still, that adventurer was strong, right? He caught a troll so easily.¡±

    To Hans, who was barely able to defeat a troll, the adventurer named Drew seemed powerful.

    ¡°What?¡±

    Zich¡¯s tone was full of displeasure.

    ¡°Who are you calling strong?¡±

    ¡°Sorry? You know the adventurer¡­¡±

    Rustle! Rustle!

    The bush swayed again.

    ¡°Huh? Did theye back?¡±

    ¡°No.¡±

    Zich took out his sword again.

    ¡°They are monsters this time.¡±

    Craack!

    A thick branch broke off and fell to the ground, and five trolls waddled into view.

    Hans¡¯ face grew pale. Even one troll was frightening, but five was an unimaginable number. Even that impressive adventurer, Drew, had taken a long time to defeat one troll. In a situation like this, most people would have grabbed onto their dder to stop themselves from peeing and run away as fast as they could.

    ng!

    But Zich was different.

    ¡®I¡¯m still annoyed, so this is perfect!¡¯

    Zich was d to have some stress relief.

    Step!

    Zich jumped off the floor.

    Uuuuurrrrr!

    The trolls shrieked at the human running towards them and raced towards Zich. It was easy to imagine a scene where five gigantic monsters surrounded Zich and smashed him into a juice pulp with their clubs. However, the result was the opposite.

    Swing!

    Zich swung his sword widely. His weapon was a longsword, but it looked like a thin, wooden stickpared to the troll''s immense body. Yet, the powerful mana that permeated the sword made up for the weapon¡¯s limited size.

    Slice! Slice!

    The first two trolls split into two. A dead-straight, silver line bloomed out of the troll¡¯s heart and sliced their body, arms, and even their clubs. Everything under his sword¡¯s touch split.

    Saaash!

    Blood poured out of their wounds and sprayed onto theirpanions. The trolls faltered¡ªthey had never seen theirpanions split into two pieces instantly. On the other hand, Zich lowered his body to avoid the blood spray and continued moving.

    Push!

    He pierced the stomach of the troll closest to him. It would have been a fatal hit for a human, but it was a medium-sized wound for a troll. The troll simply scowled in pain and didn¡¯t feel a great sense of danger towards its life. But of course, that didn¡¯tst long.

    Wing!

    The mana from Zich¡¯s body traveled through the sword and began to flow into the troll¡¯s body aggressively.

    Blop!

    Like a pig¡¯s dder filled with water, the troll bloated in an instant. In the next moment¡ª

    Pop!

    The troll¡¯s body burst out. Its skin, blood, bone, and organs scattered all over the ce. It was an extremely disgusting scene, but the disintegrated troll pieces that contained Zich¡¯s mana were even nastier.

    Glop! Glop! Glop! Glop!

    The troll¡¯s remains stuck to the remaining two trolls. The trolls¡¯ regenerative powers activated from the remains, but the consecutive bomb attacks of the remains exceeded their powers. The trolls couldn¡¯t even scream, and they fell to the ground with huge holes in their bodies.

    ¡°Hm!¡±

    In a blink of an eye, Zich killed five trolls and turned his back away from the mess of troll blood and remains. Surprisingly, his body didn¡¯t have a single scratch or a smear of blood. After sheathing his sword, Zich called out to Hans who had his mouth hanging wide open.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±

    ¡°Y-Yes, sir!¡±

    Hans looked at Zich¡¯s back from a good distance away and gulped his saliva back down.

    ¡®The adventurer named Drew is strong, but Sir Zich is on another level.¡¯

    Zich took care of those scary trolls like they were trash on the road, and Hans shivered from witnessing his mighty power.

    * * *

    A night in Iruce Mine was dreary. In the daytime, miners¡¯ hearty cheers and axing rang through the surroundings, but now, it seemed like ghosts would wail out of the mines. However, in this deste and ominous ce, moving figures made long shadows on the ground.

    A faint light lit up the mine. Snoc had his shoulders hunched as he walked forward with amp. It was his first time entering the mine without his colleagues.

    ¡°W-Will this really be alright?¡± Snoc asked Drew who was following him from behind.

    ¡°What do you mean?¡±

    ¡°Going inside the mine at night is dangerous¡­¡±

    ¡°I thought I told you I got permission.¡±

    ¡°Y-Yes.¡±

    Snoc closed his mouth, but he still felt anxious.

    ¡°What? Do you not believe me?¡±

    ¡°N-No! I believe it! I believe it!¡± Snoc answered out of nervousness. Then Drew stared at Snoc with a dissatisfied expression, but he spoke with more kindness than usual.

    ¡°I know you are nervous, but an adventurer doesn¡¯t know when he will fall into danger. That¡¯s why experience is most important. That¡¯s why I keep bringing you along for my monster hunts. Being an adventurer is not just like the storybooks.¡±

    Snoc nodded. Sam and Zich, who weren¡¯t really adventurers, also said the same thing.

    ¡°It¡¯s the same this time. All of this is for you. If we have a mine like this, we should utilize it since there are many dungeons in caves like this. You can get experience from this.¡±

    ¡°I understand.¡±

    Drew had warned him about the dangers of an adventurer and helped prepare Snoc¡¯s mind and heart. Snoc pushed down the doubts that were beginning to appear in his heart. Furthermore, Drew mentioned a dungeon¡ªwasn¡¯t that an adventurer¡¯s dream? Snoc couldn¡¯t calm his rapidly beating heart.

    ¡°Ok, then let¡¯s continue moving.¡±

    ¡°Yes!¡±

    Snoc walked the mine with slightly more energy than before. From behind, Drew made a secretive smile. They continued to walk inside the mine, and since Snoc knew his way inside the mine, they didn¡¯t need to worry about getting lost.

    Drew asked, ¡°Are you continuing to train your mana?¡±

    The first and only thing that Drew taught Snoc was how to open his mana.

    ¡°Yes, I stimted my mana this morning too.¡±

    ¡°Try walking while activating your mana.¡±

    ¡°Sure.¡±

    Snoc brought out his mana, but because he had just learned to control his mana, it was a tiny amount. Furthermore, if he didn¡¯t concentrate enough, it broke off easily.

    ¡°Wah!¡±

    Snoc was so focused on his mana flow that he didn¡¯t notice a jagged stone and fell to the ground.

    ¡°Ughh!¡±

    He scraped his knees, and blood flowed out. Still, Drew didn¡¯t show any signs of concern and ordered him to continue walking. Thus, Snoc hesitantly got up and began to walk again. Then he fell to the ground once more and the cycle repeated. After walking a good distance, Snoc¡¯s body was covered in bruises and scratches.

    Bam!

    ¡°Ugh!¡±

    Snoc tripped over a jagged rock again and barely maintained his bnce. He breathed a sigh of relief and lifted his head, but his eyes became still at what he saw. In front of him, there was a new mine.

    ¡°What is it?¡±

    ¡°I-It¡¯s nothing.¡±

    Snoc hurriedly answered and lifted his body up. Then, he began walking again. However, he didn¡¯t even nce at the new mine that just appeared, as if the ce was prohibited.

    ¡°We are not going that way?¡±

    Drew looked at the mine and asked. Snoc bit his lips and pretended to be calm; then he opened his mouth again.

    ¡°It copsed, so it¡¯s dangerous. We shouldn¡¯t go in. We¡¯d only see debris and wrecks there anyway.¡±

    ¡°Oh, is that right?¡±

    Drew didn¡¯t ask any more questions. However, even as he followed Snoc, his eyes remained on the copsed mine. His eyes sparkled mysteriously.

    ¡°Ah!¡±

    Once again, Snoc had made a wrong step. From his ears, Snoc heard Drew¡¯s exasperated sighs. Not wanting to disappoint Drew, Snoc ignored the pain he felt all over his body and tried to get up again.

    Koo.

    Halt!

    Snoc¡¯s body froze when he heard an unfamiliar cry nearby. He quickly picked up hisntern and lit the area where he heard the noise. A small shadow was crouching in the corner of the mine.

    Koo! Koo!

    The small figure pointed his nose and sniffed at Snoc.

    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s just a mole,¡± Snoc sighed in relief. However, this mole was strange. Most moles ran away at any sign of movement, but this one didn¡¯t. Instead, the mole ced his nose on Snoc¡¯s ankles and kept smelling it.

    Koo!

    The mole cried as he looked up. Snoc was also interested in the mole. However, Drew didn¡¯t let him linger.

    ¡°What are you doing? Quickly move.¡±

    ¡°Yes!¡±

    Snoc quickened his steps.

    Thud! Thud!

    Tap! Tap!

    Matching the sound of Snoc¡¯s footsteps, a small animal moved. Snoc looked below him and saw that the mole was following next to him. The mole had his head raised as if he wanted to meet his tiny eyes with Snoc¡¯s, and the way he followed Snoc around was cute.

    Bump!

    Snoc pushed the mole away lightly with the edges of his feet. The mole twitched a bit and tottered behind Snoc again. Snoc bumped the mole away again, but the mole came back. He did it again, and the mole came back again. Snoc¡¯s mind became upied by their little game.

    ¡°What are you doing?¡±

    He heard a chilly tone.

    ¡®That¡¯s right¡ªI¡¯m training right now!¡¯

    ¡°I-I¡¯m sorry! I will continue!¡±

    Snoc gathered up his mana again and walked ahead. He couldn¡¯t ce his attention on the mole anymore.

    Koo.

    However, the mole continued to follow Snoc. As if the mole wasn¡¯t even aware that he could get stepped on, the mole kept lingering around Snoc¡¯s feet. And from behind, Drew watched the whole scene with a mischievous smile.

 Chapter 41

    <h4>Chapter 41</h4>

    ¡®It¡¯s over!¡¯

    Snoc ced his hands on his knees and felt relieved. A refreshing air that contrasted the suffocating atmosphere inside the mine softly caressed his body. He couldn¡¯t have felt happier to see the silverish moon or hear the chirps of nameless bugs outside.

    ¡°You have done well.¡±

    With those careless words, Drew left and went down the mountain by himself. Drew let out an aura like he didn¡¯t want to talk, so Snoc didn¡¯t say anything and absentmindedly watched as Drew disappeared out of view.

    ¡°¡­Ow.¡±

    He felt pain all over his bruised and wounded body. Snoc sat down and touched his injured areas.

    Koo?

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    It was a familiar cry.

    Snoc stopped paying attention to the mole when he tried to focus on his mana control, so he didn¡¯t realize that the mole had followed him outside of the mine.

    ¡°What? You followed me all the way here?¡±

    He tried cing his hand on the mole¡¯s face. Most moles would have scrambled away at a human¡¯s hand, but this one rubbed his face on Snoc¡¯s hand.

    ¡°You don¡¯t have a family?¡±

    Koo.

    ¡°Are you alone?¡±

    Koo.

    He continued to talk to the beast who probably couldn¡¯t even understand him. The mole let out a small cry after every sentence, but Snoc didn¡¯t think that the animal was answering him. However, he had to admit that the mole was adorable. The mole that had no family and clung to a stranger also reminded him of himself.

    ¡°Do you want toe with me?¡±

    Snoc stopped patting the mole; he turned his hand and ced it in front of the mole¡¯s feet. The mole poked the edge of his finger with his nose. Then, he crawled onto Snoc¡¯s hand.

    ¡°Haha! Oh, you must have wanted toe with me!¡±

    He felt a small amount of warmth in his hands. Snoc¡¯s body was all bruised up, but at that moment, he didn¡¯t feel any pain. He hugged the mole tightly to his chest, and the mole, which poked his head out from the edge of Snoc¡¯s shirt, sniffed around and situated himself in afortable spot.

    ¡°What should I call you?¡±

    While tightly hugging his unexpected, new family member, Snoc went down the mine.

    * * *

    There wasn¡¯t a human presence in the mine, and a dreary silence epassed the area. It waste, so the site¡¯s empty appearance was typical for its time. But soon after, the silence broke and a figure came into view. Surprisingly, it was Drew, who had left Snoc to go down the mine alone. He stared at the path that Snoc had taken and said, ¡°It¡¯s going all ording to n.¡±

    His low tone sounded evil like a demon reciting his wicked ns.

    ¡°Are you satisfied now?¡±

    Who was he talking to? Drew looked strange while talking to himself in an empty mine.

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    He heard an answer inside the mine that waspletely covered in darkness. A figure came out of the darkness and appeared into view. Anyone who saw the figure would probably have the same thought: ¡®He looks suspicious.¡¯

    The person didn¡¯t have a distinct characteristic or feature; he wore a dull, dark robe that made his face and physique look like a sack. Only his low voice indicated that the person was a man. Inside his robe that seemed to signify darkness, the man spoke to Drew.

    ¡°Thank you for your work. As expected of Drew, who is famous even among the adventurers. Your talents are outstanding¡ª¡±

    ¡°Get to the point.¡±

    Drew spat on the ground; he didn¡¯t seem happy about thepliments aimed towards him.

    ¡°I don¡¯t want to hear your heartless ttery. I know you don¡¯t even think that. I know more about adventurers than anyone else.¡±

    They were morally ambiguous humans, right on the border of bing bandits or thugs; and among them, Drew was the worst type of person. Of course, Drew didn¡¯t feel guilty about this. If he did, he wouldn¡¯t have fallen this low.

    ¡°I just want one thing.¡±

    He reached out his hand.

    ¡°Money.¡±

    It was the absolute truth that moved and would always motivate Drew.

    ¡°Don¡¯t tell me that you can¡¯t give me the money right now. I won¡¯t ept that kind of bullshit.¡±

    Bloodlust pierced the robed man¡¯s back. This intention disyed how obsessed Drew was about money.

    ¡°Of course. I truly meant mypliments about your skills. And it¡¯s not like I won¡¯t give you what I promised.¡±

    The man rummaged through his belongings and took out a pouch. It looked very full and heavy.

    ¡°Take it.¡±

    Drew caught the pouch. As soon as he opened it, he heard a loud clink! With just the dim moonlight, bountiful gold coins showed off their brilliant light. Most people would have stared at the scene in awe, but Drew didn¡¯t do that. Since he had been an adventurer for a long time, he knew not to let his guard down.

    ¡°Wait.¡±

    Drew increased his distance between him and the robed man. Then, he ced one of his knees on the ground and began to count each gold coin. He didn¡¯t forget to check the man¡¯s movements from time to time.

    ¡°¡­It¡¯s right.¡±

    After counting thest gold coin, Drew pulled the pouch strings and sealed it.

    ¡°You didn¡¯t believe me?¡±

    ¡°So, are you disappointed?¡±

    ¡°Not at all. Trusting a totally suspicious person like me is foolish rather than kind. As expected of you.¡±

    Why was it? No matter how many times he heard it, the robed man¡¯s words didn¡¯t feel likepliments but mockery to Drew. Yet, Drew didn¡¯t pick a fight for a reason like that. Since the man gave him a fortune for a small deed, (even with the worst personality ever) Drew didn¡¯t hold malice towards the man but just wariness.

    ¡°Anyways, I guess you don¡¯t have any more reasons to hang around that gullible fool who admires adventurers. Do you n to continue your act as a teacher?¡± the man asked.

    Drew sneered, ¡°Why would I hang out with that trash?¡±

    ¡°Oh, dear. Didn¡¯t you at least bond with him a little?¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s thickheaded. You can just tell by how long it took him to just open up his mana. If I have to keep looking after him, I might kill him out of annoyance.¡±

    ¡°Not because he has talent?¡±

    Drew red at the man.

    ¡°Ah, oh my. I was joking. I just thought that you might have not wanted to take him in as a disciple because you are jealous of his talent.¡±

    ¡°¡­Hmph! I will admit that his mana is rare.¡±

    Drew was shocked when he first tried to free up Snoc¡¯s mana.

    ¡°But the rarer the mana is, the more restrictions there are. I am not socking to be jealous of that much.¡±

    ¡°I see. I beg your pardon.¡±

    The robed man bowed to his waist, but his slow movements made Drew feel even more unpleasant. Drew didn¡¯t want to talk to the man any longer, and he turned around without a farewell.

    ¡°Thank you for your help. If somethinges up again, I will search for you.¡±

    Drew heard the man¡¯s voice from behind, but he ignored it.

    * * *

    On the day they were resting after fighting monsters, an incident urred. Zich was taking Hans out for some fresh air, and they were wandering around the marketce to kill some time.

    They saw a person run across the road while panting and gasping. The man looked rmed as sweat dripped down from him, and his breathing was rough. As the man got closer to them, Zich and Hans slightly moved to the side to get out of his way. The running man was about to pass them when his eyes met Zich¡¯s.

    ¡°Ah!¡±

    The man suddenly stopped and approached Zich. Then he gripped Zich¡¯s shoulders tightly.

    ¡°You were here! Thank goodness that I was able to find you!¡±

    Was the man someone he knew? Zich scrutinized him.

    ¡®Wait, he¡¯s the miner who was with Sam.¡¯

    ¡°Did something happen to Sam?¡±

    That was the only reason why the man whom he had conversed once over some drinks would look so urgently for him. Zich¡¯s guess was spot-on.

    ¡°Yes! Sam ran to the Monster Exterminator Building first thing in the morning! He said he had to ce aint on the guy who taught Snoc!¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s foolish of him.¡±

    Comints didn¡¯t work on people like adventurers. Unless one possessed military might, wealth, or authority, adventurers would wield violence towards a person even if they were in the wrong.

    ¡°You didn¡¯t try to stop him?¡±

    ¡°I did! But he didn¡¯t listen to me! They really are brothers! Like Snoc, Sam is so stubborn once he puts his mind on something!¡±

    ¡°But what is theint about?¡±

    ¡°It seems like the guy threw away Snoc!¡±

    ¡°Are you saying that the adventurer isn¡¯t keeping Snoc as his disciple anymore?¡±

    ¡°Yes!¡±

    ¡°Isn¡¯t that good? I thought Sam didn¡¯t like the idea of Snoc bing an adventurer.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know what that guy said when kicking Snoc out, but Snoc shut himself inside his house. It also seems like that guy took all of Snoc''s savings while acting as his teacher! And that bastard won¡¯t give it back!¡±

    That was possible. It wasn¡¯t surprising that an adventurer wouldmit fraud.

    ¡°Because of that, Sam blew up and ran out!¡±

    ¡°So, you came to ask for my help?¡±

    ¡°Yes, aren¡¯t you also strong enough to exterminate monsters? I thought you would at least be better than us, so I have been searching for you everywhere!¡±

    It was by pure luck that the man found Zich and Hans.

    ¡°Please! Didn¡¯t you say that you were Sam¡¯s friend? I am so worried that something might happen to him!¡±

    Zich became lost in thought. He would have simply ignored the matter if the person involved was aplete stranger. However, while he was in the city, he had maintained a considerably close rtionship with Sam.

    ¡®He is my friend, and I told him that I would avenge him if something happened to him. I also think that this is within the boundaries of a kind act too.¡±

    ¡°I understand. I will go.¡±

    At Zich¡¯s answer, the miner¡¯s expression brightened up.

    * * *

    Zich, Hans, and the man who introduced himself as Crysin ran to the Monster Exterminator Building. It was unlikely for Sam and Drew to meet each other. Even if Sam came to the ce in rage, Drew didn¡¯t live or work in the Monster Exterminator Building. The building was simply a ce where people got money in exchange for monsters. However, like the saying, ¡®If you are lucky, you could get struck by lightning even under a clear sky and crack a nose from the fall,¡¯ an incident urred.

    ¡°Ah, hey! You came right on time!¡±

    After running out of the building, Paul Chenu spotted Zich and rejoiced.

    ¡°Priest! Please call a priest!¡±

    ¡°What happened?¡±

    ¡°A person might die at this rate!¡±

    Zich¡¯s expression hardened. He pushed Paul Chenu aside and went inside the store. After he opened the door and went inside, he caught a faint waft of blood. That wasn¡¯t strange. In a ce full of monster corpses, there would always be a thick smell of blood. However, this smell wasn¡¯t from a monster.

    ¡°¡­Sam.¡±

    In the middle of the venue, Sam was lying on the floor. He was in a dire state: his bloody face was so swollen that his features were ruined beyond recognition. His nose was ttened so that it whistled every time he took a breath, and half of his teeth were gone. His right arm and left leg were twisted in strange directions, and after lifting his top up, Zich saw that there were bruises all over his body.

    ¡®His ribs are probably broken.¡¯

    ¡°Sam! W-What happened!¡±

    Crysin ran to Sam¡¯s side in a hurry. He was hesitant to ce his hand on Sam¡¯s body. Sam¡¯s body looked like such a mess that Crysin thought he might worsen the wounds by mistake.

    ¡°Hans.¡±

    ¡°Yes!¡± Hans answered, feeling nervous. He also thought that the situation was serious.

    ¡°Go to our quarters right now. There are potions in my bag. Bring me the whole bag.¡±

    ¡°Yes!¡±

    Hans disappeared like an arrow; his movements were extremely fast with the use of mana.

    ¡°P-Potions? Such a valuable thing?¡±

    Crysin and even Paul Chenu, who stayed quiet, were surprised.

    ¡°They''re not that valuable to me, so it doesn¡¯t matter. Anyways, is Drew the one who made Sam like this?¡±

    ¡°Ah, yes,¡± Paul Chenu answered. ¡°He came into the store enraged, saying he had something to settle with Drew. I told him to go to the Magistrate instead since I knew what adventurers were like, especially guys like Drew. Even though he was emotional, I could still talk sense into him. After I kept persuading him, he understood and was about to leave. So, I thought the matter was resolved until¡­¡±

    ¡°That bastard came in.¡±

    After it was confirmed that Drew was the perpetrator, Zich immediately used the title, ¡®bastard¡¯ to describe Drew. Paul Chenu didn¡¯t deny it since he also thought that Drew was definitely a bastard.

    ¡°His ears must be sharp because he knew the situation before he came into the building. I tried to let this man go, but Drew provoked him first.¡±

    ¡°What did he say?¡±

    ¡°Because of everything that went on, I don¡¯t remember exactly what he said but it went something like this, ¡®I just gave a piece of trash a taste of a hopeless dream. Rather than getting insulted, I should be thanked. Considering what I did, I should have gotten more than the pocket change I got from that piece of trash. I actually suffered a loss.¡±

    The ¡®piece of trash¡¯ must have meant Snoc, and in short, Drew imed he didn¡¯t do anything wrong.

    ¡°Hm. Is that so?¡±

    Unexpectedly, Zich¡¯s voice was indifferent. Paul Chenu, who thought Zich would jump up and down in anger, tilted his head in surprise. He could also spot the slightly upturned corners on Zich¡¯s lips. If they had known Zich in his Demon Lord days, they would have definitely gotten on their knees or ran away with everything they had.

    ¡°Where is he?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know. He just left after making someone like this.¡± Paul Chenuined, ¡°I know how bad adventurers¡¯ personalities are, but how can they leave a person in this state!¡±

    Paul Chenu possessedmon sense like normal people, but to Zich, this amount of violence was nothing to fuss over. Although Sam¡¯s body was broken, it wasn¡¯t like he was split into two, and he was still alive. The important part was not the level of the violence, but who the target was.

    ¡®He dared to attack a person who I consider my friend?¡¯

    With this, the story changed; it made Zich highly involved in this case. Before his regression, Zich would have picked fights for any reason, but things were different now.

    ¡®Moreover, isn¡¯t he a bad guy?¡¯

    He conned somebody, took someone¡¯s fortune, and used violence on the person who tried to bring forth aint about him.

    ¡°In other words, it means that even if I beat him half-dead, I won¡¯t be doing a bad deed.¡¯

    ¡®Beat him half-dead.¡¯

    An icy smile appeared on his lips.

 Chapter 42

    <h4>Chapter 42</h4>

    Sam waspletely healed from the potions Hans brought. It was the result of using not just one but three potions.

    However, Sam didn¡¯t recover consciousness right away. Since he also received mental damage, it would take at least one or more days for him to gain consciousness. After sending Sam safely back to his house, Zich leaned in front of the Monster Exterminator Building and waited. It was obvious who Zich was waiting for.

    Paul Chenu came out of the building a few times and then said, ¡°Hey, honestly, we don¡¯t want to be involved in this conflict. Since that Sam guy has already been healed, the security officials also won¡¯t enforce severe punishment on Drew.¡±

    To the high officials, the victim was just a miner. Moreover, it was not a conflict that urred inside the city, so there was no reason for security officials to actively resolve this conflict.

    ¡°If you cause a scene here and harm this building, it would be troublesome for us. This is an important national institution.¡±

    This building was more important than the life of one miner. This was not a surprising development since life was cheap in this world. Zich also knew this, and he didn¡¯t feel the need toin.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I will resolve this conflict without causing harm to the surrounding areas.¡±

    ¡°Also, it would be troublesome for us if you actually kill Drew. He was one of the adventurers we hired after all.¡±

    ¡°Of course. You might not believe it, but I want to live a kind life. I¡¯m not going to easily kill someone, so don¡¯t worry too much.¡±

    And as if to support his statements, Zich smiled brightly at Paul Chenu.

    ¡°¡­I don¡¯t really feel reassured by that smile.¡±

    Paul Chenu flinched and took a step back.

    ¡°Anyways, just don¡¯t create a situation where we have to be involved.¡±

    That was the main reason for Paul Chenu¡¯s pestering; he didn¡¯t want to be involved in a dangerous andplicated affair. Zich also didn¡¯t me or insult Paul Chenu¡¯s self-preserving attitude.

    ¡°Of course.¡±

    Although Paul Chenu said everything he wanted, he didn¡¯t go back in and stared at Zich.

    Zich was about to ask Paul Chenu if he needed anything more from him when Paul Chenu first said, ¡°Are you confident that you can beat him? Our team specially recruited him. Even among the mercenary soldiers, he is very skilled. If you attack him with mediocre skills, you¡¯re the one who¡¯s going to get beat up.¡±

    Zich blinked his eyes. He stared at Paul Chenu as if he was seeing a strange, new species for the first time.

    ¡°W-why are you looking at me like that?¡±

    ¡°¡­Ah, I guess. Yes. Yeah, I guess you can think like that. You said something I didn¡¯t expect at all, so I was a bit taken back.¡±

    ¡°Really, what¡¯s up with you? Did it not even cross your mind that you could lose?¡±

    Zich nodded, and it was Paul Chenu¡¯s turn to be surprised. Zich¡¯s confidence was over the roof.

    ¡®No, thinking about it, Drew is also super cocky. Are all adventurers or travelers like these guys?¡¯

    Paul Chenu¡¯s house and career seemed very precious to him then. No matter what happened, Paul Chenu firmly resolved to stick to his career and views for the rest of his life.

    * * *

    It wasmon to exterminate monsters multiple days in a row. Thus, Zich nned to wait at the exterminator building for several days.

    However, to his good fortune, Zich did not have to wait long. Drew appeared the day after he assaulted Sam.

    On that day, Paul Chenu was surprised to see Zich still standing in front of the entrance and quickly went inside the building. Then in the afternoon, Hans provided a simple meal for Zich to eat. After Zich finished his meal, he continued to stand in front of the building like a stone statue.

    It was now almost sunset. The shadows were getting longer, and the blue sky was about to turn yellow. Zich, who had his eyes half-closed, fully opened his eyes. There was a spark in them. He felt a presence near him¡ªa presence he had desperately wanted to see.

    ¡®He¡¯s here.¡¯

    Zich uncrossed his arms and stopped leaning against the wall. After a few moments, he saw someone strolling towards the building.

    It was Drew.

    Drew¡¯s footsteps were light; he showed no signs of even an inkling of guilt at his heinous actions. There was even an easygoing, giddy aura exuding from him, as if he felt refreshed after taking out an aching tooth. Even without looking at Zich, Drew tried to get into the exterminator building.

    ¡°Stop.¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    Drew crinkled his face. But when he saw who stopped him, he let out a mocking smile.

    ¡°Well, who is this? Aren¡¯t you therade of that weak ass who took his sweet time defeating a barely developed troll?¡±

    As expected, Drew was quick to insult him, and Zich¡¯s expression did not change.

    ¡°I told you he just started his training¡­well, whatever. Actually, aren¡¯t you really sick in the head? No wonder you don¡¯t remember what I said to you recently. I¡¯m sorry about that. I should have been more considerate of your stupidity.¡±

    It was a miraculous sight to see Zich apologize. However, it was far from a proper apology.

    ¡°Don¡¯t be too hard on yourself. It¡¯s not a sin to be sick. Even though it would be really hard to live like that, you have to stay positive. Do you understand what I¡¯m saying? Cheer up!¡±

    As Zich continued, Drew¡¯s expression worsened. When Zich waved his fists to ¡°cheer¡± him up, Drew¡¯s face looked as if it was going to explode.

    ¡°¡­I thought thisst time, but I really have to crush you down properly. It would also be a good idea to pull out that smart tongue of yours.¡±

    When Drew pulled out his sword, Zich also pulled out his sword.

    ¡°This is such a dilemma! I don¡¯t want to fight with a sick patient!¡±

    Zich continued to talk whileughing. But a secondter, his face became serious.

    ¡°But I just want to make sure. Did you beat the crap out of Sam?¡±

    ¡°Sam?¡±

    ¡°You know, that guy who came toin to you right after you threw away that Snoc kid.¡±

    ¡°Ah, that trash?¡± Drew did not deny it. Instead, he insulted Sam andughed, ¡°No wonder you were waiting for me. Have youe to avenge that trash?¡±

    ¡°For now. He¡¯s my friend.¡±

    ¡°Friend?¡± Drewughed out loud. ¡°As expected of someone who hangs out with a weak ass! You make friends with losers. No, no¡ªthis is perfect. You guys are perfect for each other! Yeah! Like a loser, all of you should roll in mud together! Won¡¯t everything be better with a friend? Don¡¯t you think so?¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s up with you? Are you that type of person¡­who judges people¡¯s skills based on their friends¡¯ skill levels?¡±

    ¡°Birds of a feather flock together! I can tell how strong you are by thepany you keep!¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re t out wrong. Well, I guess this is not something a person of your level would know.¡±

    Zich clicked his tongue and continued, ¡°Listen carefully. People with mediocre skills like you befriend people who are simr to them so that they can make useful connections. You guys make friends based on people¡¯s social status or skill levels. But you know, people like me are different.¡±

    Normal societal standards did not apply to Zich at all.

    ¡°I don¡¯t care about my friend¡¯s social status or skill level. Do you know why? It¡¯s because I¡¯m a super genius who doesn¡¯t need help from anyone. I don¡¯t need to care about stupid and foolish people who judge my skills based on thepany I keep. Why should I care about standards or status? I only care about hanging out with people I have fun with.¡±

    Zich pointed his sword towards Drew.

    ¡°Not that someone like you would know. You only know how to use your friends to lift yourself up.¡±

    ¡°You are all talk.¡±

    ¡°Usually, people say something like that to me when they are unable to understand my profound words. But if you can¡¯t even beat me in trash talk, what can you beat me in?¡±

    Drew gritted his teeth.

    ¡°If you are so confident in your skills, try showing them to me!¡±

    Tap!

    Drew began moving. He lowered his body and moved straight towards Zich. It was a simple movement, but Drew¡¯s whole body was surrounded by mana, so it had a tremendous amount of force.

    Bam!

    Drew rapidly stopped in front of Zich. The dirt underneath him made a loud ¡®crack¡¯ sound at his sudden stop. His joints creaked at the immense force of his movements. Then he transferred the force of this movement into his sword.

    ¡®I¡¯m not nning to kill him, but¡ª¡¯

    Drew sneered.

    ¡®I¡¯m going to cut off one of his arms!¡¯

    How dare this punk mock him. If they were not in the middle of a bustling street, Drew would have cut off Zich¡¯s neck a long time ago. That was the punishment for a person who mocked him.

    ¡®If he dies from blood loss, it¡¯s not going to be my fault.¡¯

    Drew was going to be merciful and cut off just one of Zich¡¯s arms, so if Zich died, it would not be his fault at all. Drew honestly thought he was being merciful as he moved his sword towards Zich¡¯s shoulder. Even though Drew was now very close to cutting one of Zich¡¯s shoulders, Zich made no reaction at all.

    ¡®He really was all talk. It¡¯s toote to react now.¡¯

    Drew put mana into his sword, and it became strong enough to cut a person¡¯s arm like it was a slice of meat.

    Tang!

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    The pathway of Drew¡¯s sword was disturbed.

    ¡®Did he just flick off my sword?¡±

    With just his thumb, Zich flicked off the side of Drew¡¯s sword. Drew could not even see Zich¡¯s movements, and it was even more disturbing that Zich was able to block his mana attack with just one finger.

    ¡®What is this¡­¡¯

    Drew could not believe what was happening. His situation felt unreal, and he watched his body spin like he was an outsider to his own body.

    Punch!

    Drew lifted his chin up; he was suddenly able to see the sky. Then, he felt a floating sensation. From start to finish, he was unable to grasp the reality of his situation.

    ¡®What? What is happening?¡¯

    Even though Drew had experienced all sorts of things as an adventurer, he had never felt anything like this. But an inkling of suspicion began to enter his mind. He could not believe it.

    ¡®Am I getting beat up?¡¯

    It was hard to believe, but right now, reality was pressing down hard upon him.

    Bam!

    ¡°Arghh!¡±

    Drew rolled many times on the floor. He had no time to even cushion the force of his fall, so his whole body waspletely sore. Moreover, his left cheek burned.

    Spit!

    Drew spit out stuff from his mouth. Two white substances dropped onto the floor.

    They were his teeth. He spit out more of his blood and put one hand on his cheek. In that short time period, his cheeks swelled up to a great size.

    ¡°W-wha is harpe¡ª"

    His pronunciation was off as the wind whistled through the missing holes in his mouth.

    ¡°How is it? Isn¡¯t it exciting?¡± Zichughed and shook the fist that he used to hit Drew. ¡°Get up, you little shit. I wouldn¡¯t have even started if I was going to end this with one punch.¡±

    Drew stood up quickly. If he had just stayed on the ground, he would have gotten attacked without being able to defend himself.

    ¡°Wha kin of cheawt did yew use!¡± Drew shouted at Zich. His pronunciation made his words sound funny, but Drew waspletely serious.

    ¡°A cheat? Are you actually sick in the head for real? Ah, no wonder. I understand why you don¡¯t want to face reality right now.¡±

    Without even being able to properly resist, Drew gotpletely beaten up. Zich was leaps above Drew¡¯s skill level. But Drew¡¯s arrogant personality would not let him ept this.

    ¡°Have you never thought that you could lose because you only target guys weaker than you? I will change that mindset for you. In that sick head of yours, I will squeeze the reality that this world is filled with people way stronger than you. You don''t need to pay me for this lesson. I will specially make it free for you!¡±

    Unlike before, Zich was now the first to attack. His sword moved straight like a wild horse.

    Drew tried to block Zich¡¯s attack.

    Smash!

    ¡°Argh!¡±

    Zich did not use any special technique or movement, and he did not even move fast; he just used brute force. But this was enough to make Drew let out a cry of pain.

    Smash! Smash!

    Zich¡¯s sword came down on Drew like thunder. Even though it seemed like Zich was wielding his sword without much thought, his sword precisely attacked any gaps in Drew¡¯s defense. Drew frantically backed away and tried to block Zich¡¯s attacks. His hands felt like they would rip apart from blocking Zich¡¯s constant attacks, but if Drew lost focus for even a second, his sword would have dropped from his hands.

    ¡°You have a gap here.¡±

    Kick!

    Zich kicked Drew¡¯s ankle.

    ¡°Ugh!¡±

    Falter!

    When Drew was about to change his center of gravity, Zichnded another attack. Drew lost his sense of bnce and faltered. Zich used this to his advantage by quicklynding another attack on Drew with his knees.

    m!

    ¡°Urgh!¡±

    Zich¡¯s kneesnded directly on Drew¡¯s celiac plexus, which was located in the middle of his abdomen. It was a sensitive area, and Drew could not breathe. But that was not the only hit that Drew received.

    Break!

    An ominous sound rang through Drew¡¯s heart, and an awful pain came flooding into his body.

    Crash!

    Drew didn¡¯t roll on the ground like he didst time. He was smashed into the ground like a piece of trash.

    ¡°Ugh! Aghh!¡±

    Drew clutched his heart and cried out in pain. He could not even breathe.

    ¡°Hmmm, from my judgment, I think two of your ribs are broken.¡±

    Zich had a lot of experience breaking bones. In a way, he might have more experience breaking bones than eating a meal. By just looking, Zich could tell how severe Drew¡¯s injuries were.

    ¡°Ugh!¡±

    Drew used his sword like a staff to get up. It was hard to stand from all the pain he was going through.

    ¡°Cat got your tongue? Don¡¯t you have to keep insulting a weak ass like me? Why, you are an amazing adventurer who can even hunt down a full-grown troll.¡±

    Zick mocked Drew, but Drew was in no condition to reply.

    ¡°It¡¯s no fun now that you are quiet.¡±

    Zich swung his sword and came closer to Drew. His movements were like a cat ying around with his catch.

    ¡°By the way, your skills suck ass. I thought you might have some skills because you were so arrogant, but you are way below my expectations. If my opponent is this weak, there¡¯s no fun in crushing them.¡±

    Drew still didn¡¯t reply. He was barely able to breathe and stand while leaning his whole body onto his sword.

    ¡°Well, whatever. I also didn¡¯t expect this to be a seriouspetition.¡±

    Zich stopped right in front of Drew.

    ¡°Just be destroyed like this.¡±

    ¡°I wonv giv up!¡±

    Drew managed to lift his head. The concept of giving up was nonexistent in his expression. Murderous rage, stubbornness, and pain were allplicatedly intertwined in his face.

    ¡°Diew!¡±

    Drew reached out his hand while crying out. Mana was moving strangely around his hand, and a sound resembling a bird¡¯s cry rang out.

    ¡®He fell into my trap!¡¯

    This was Drew¡¯s secret weapon. As an adventurer who was exposed to all kinds of danger, it wasmon for adventurers to prepare some kind of hidden weapon to use when their life was in danger. His secret weapon was an artifact that he happened to find in a dungeon. It saved his life many times before andpletely changed the situation around when he was about to lose. With this artifact, Drew thought he could get Zich on his knees as Zich did to him multiple times in this fight. He thought this until¡­

    He saw that there was not a single scratch on Zich¡¯s body.

    ¡°W-wha¡­!¡±

    Drew mumbled while crying out in pain. Zich moved his thumb and middle finger. There was a small arrow between his fingers.

    ¡°I can predict what guys like you would do. Did you really think that a hidden attack will work against me?¡±

    Zich lowered his guard to draw out Drew¡¯s attack. It was a tactic he frequently used before he regressed, and he had also used it against Zenard.

    ¡®But I was really about to die during that time, though.¡¯

    Anyways, pretending to die, pretending that an attack worked¡ªall those attacks didn¡¯t work against Zich.

    ¡®But I¡¯m sure this tactic worked very well for him many times.¡¯

    Just by seeing Drew¡¯s shell-shocked face, Zich could tell that Drew didn¡¯t understand why his n failed. But Zich had no desire to teach him why he failed; he focused all his attention on the small arrow in his hand. The arrow was about 1/3 smaller than an ordinary arrow, but the speed and sharpness of the arrow made it very suitable for a hidden attack.

    ¡°Hickk!¡±

    Drew managed toe back to reality and pulled out his arm again. Zich lightly kicked away that arm.

    Whish!

    Another arrow flew on top of Zich¡¯s head. Zich kicked Drew on the chest and when Drew was down, Zich stepped on his arms.

    ¡°Aghhhhh!¡±

    Drew screamed out in pain from falling down, and his body shook as Zich pressed down on his arm.

    ¡°Is it an artifact?¡±

    Zich flipped open Drew¡¯s sleeve with his foot. Between Drew¡¯s wrist and the middle of his arm, there was a thin bracelet.

    ¡°It looks like an artifact that stores small arrows and lets one out whenever you want.¡±

    Zich stared at the arrow.

    ¡°There¡¯s even poison in this.¡±

    On the green tip of the arrow, there was a small amount of manaing off it. Zich was knowledgeable about tools like this because many different types of people had tried to assassinate him in his past life.

    ¡®W-what kind of dude is this¡­!¡¯

    It was then that Drew finally realized he had picked on the wrong person. He realized that the person in front of him was impossible to defeat with his current level of strength.

    ¡°What are you going to do now that your secret weapon has been found out? There are some super cautious guys who prepare two or three hidden weapons, but you don¡¯t seem to be that type. Oh? Does that mean you arepletely defenseless now?¡±

    ¡°Agh!¡±

    Drew wielded his sword by instinct, but he was not in the position to instill his strength into it. Moreover, the pain in his chest prevented him from making a proper attack.

    Tap!

    As if his sword was like the arrow, Zich grabbed the sword with his bare hands.

    ¡°Ah!¡±

    Drew cried out, seeing that hisst attempt waspletely futile against Zich¡¯s strength.

    Whish!

    Zich took the sword from Drew and threw it to the side.

    ¡°Do you have more?¡±

    Zich urged Drew to keep on fighting. Compared to Zich¡¯s rxed and carefree posture, Drew¡¯s eyes were drowning in darkness.

    ¡°I guess it¡¯s all over.¡±

    Zich pulled out all the teeth and ws of his prey. The only thing left for him to do was to end its life and disassemble the body.

    Zich began to move.

    ¡°S-spare me¡­!¡±

    Drew began to beg for his life; no trace of his former arrogance could be found.

    ¡°Ah, don¡¯t worry. I¡¯m not going to kill you.¡±

    Zichughed. To Drew¡¯s shock, Zich¡¯s face at that moment was akin to a saint reassuring his patient. It was so peaceful and soft that even Drew began to grow hopeful.

    But what Zich said soon after shattered his hope. ¡°I¡¯m going to return back to you exactly what you did to Sam. What do you mean by ¡®sparing your life¡¯? I¡¯m not going to do such a horrible thing as killing you.¡±

    Thud!

    Zich pressed his feet down on Drew¡¯s chest and exerted pressure into it. Drew screamed out in pain, but Zich didn¡¯t move an inch.

    ¡°Why don¡¯t we start with four shattered ribs?¡±

    Drew¡¯s screams rang in front of the exterminator¡¯s building for a very long time.

 Chapter 43

    <h4>Chapter 43</h4>

    Sam woke up. He felt as if he had just gotten out of a long tunnel, and he felt dizzy. But paradoxically, his body felt normal.

    ¡°He came back to his senses.¡±

    He heard a familiar voice.

    ¡°¡­Zich?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. It¡¯s your great friend Zich.¡±

    Sam got up. He was in his house. As if many people lived in it, his house was filled with multiple pieces of furniture and daily necessities, but somehow it didn¡¯t look very hospitable.

    ¡°What happened?¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t remember?¡±

    He shook his head.

    ¡°You went to Drew to settle aint and got totally beaten up.¡±

    Drew. He remembered now. After hearing that Snoc got conned, he went toin and got beaten up until he thought he was going to die.

    Twitch!

    Recalling the trauma, Sam¡¯s body trembled. There were times when he got into a fight while doing rough mining work, but that attack had been on another level. A person who killed living creatures for a job had used violence against him without a care for his life.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry.¡±

    As if he caught what Sam was thinking, Zich said, ¡°Ipletely avenged you.¡±

    ¡°¡­Avenge?¡±

    ¡°Didn¡¯t I say this to you before? If you die an unjust death, I will avenge you.¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t die though?¡±

    ¡°You were beaten up until you were a foot away from death¡¯s door. I¡¯ll count it as the same thing.¡±

    At this point, Zich seemed to do whatever he felt like doing. Sam let out a burst ofughter.

    ¡°How did you avenge me?¡±

    ¡°I just returned everything back to him.¡±

    ¡°Return?¡±

    ¡°The injuries you sustained. I inflicted the same, exact wounds he gave you- from fractures to small scratches.¡±

    Sam couldn¡¯t close his mouth. Although he had fainted, he knew that his wounds had been severe.

    ¡°Is that person still alive?¡±

    ¡°Not sure. After I beat him up, I stopped paying attention to him. It¡¯s his problem if he dies there or not. But I don¡¯t think he will die since the guy from the Monster Exterminator Building was watching. He probably got some aid. Well, but¡­¡±

    Zich smiled.

    ¡°Even if he is still alive, he won¡¯t be able to go for anybody again. Since Ipletely crushed his mind.¡±

    ¡°I-I see.¡±

    Sam didn¡¯t know what Zich meant by ¡®crushing a person¡¯s mind,¡¯ but he didn¡¯t dare to ask. The conversation ended like that. Truthfully, Sam didn¡¯t want to hear more about the man who beat him up. A part of him felt relieved, hearing that the guy became a mess like him, but another part of him felt chills imagining what Zich did to Drew.

    ¡°How much time has passed since then?¡±

    ¡°Two days.¡±

    ¡°All those injuries healed in just two days? Actually, I think my body feels better than usual?¡±

    ¡°I used potions.¡±

    Sam had heard about potions before, but he¡¯d never seen one in real life. Although he made a good wage as a miner, it wasn¡¯t enough to buy a potion.

    ¡°Isn¡¯t that expensive?¡±

    ¡°It is a bit pricey, but it¡¯s not unaffordable. I can earn as much money as I want anytime anyways.¡±

    ¡°¡­Adventurers are amazing.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not adventurers who are amazing. I am just amazing.¡±

    It was as if Zich¡¯s face was painted in metal; if his face was really painted with gold, it would have been enough to buy a castle.

    ¡°The price for the potion¡­¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t need it. I don¡¯t want to take money from a poor friend.¡±

    ¡°¡­Then, I will buy you a drinkter.¡±

    ¡°I won¡¯t refuse that.¡±

    It was the same as repaying gold with sand, but Sam epted his friend¡¯s consideration with gratitude and his heart stirred with emotions. Although Zich was cold to others, it seemed as if Zich really thought of him as a friend.

    Then Zich took out things from a box, which changed the atmosphere.

    ¡°What is that?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s fairpensation that I got from Drew: medical bills, rewards, nuisance expenses, and so on.¡±

    ¡°¡­What?¡±

    Sam shouted in surprise, but while smirking, Zich opened the box like a gangster checking all the money he collected.

    ¡°Ah, now that I think about it, you went to Drew toin about the money he took from Snoc, right?¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡±

    Of course, Sam thought aboutining directly to Drew, but he gave up on that. After encountering him once, Sam knew thatmon logic didn¡¯t work on Drew.

    ¡°Let me see.¡±

    Zich opened the box¡¯s lid, and items poured out. Sam stared at the goods that piled up on the floor next to his bed. He couldn¡¯t believe that gold coins were falling from the air.

    ¡°Let me see, how much did I take?¡±

    ¡°¡­What is that?¡±

    Sam asked about the box first.

    ¡°It¡¯s an artifact. It lets you store goods regardless of their volume or weight. There¡¯s a limit, but it¡¯s a handy item.¡±

    Zich made a refreshing smile.

    ¡°It was from that guy. I took it aspensation for the many things he did.¡±

    ¡°Then, these gold coins¡­¡±

    ¡°They¡¯re also his.¡±

    Sam couldn¡¯t find the right words to say.

    ¡°Well, it¡¯s yours now. That guy was pretty rich. With this, you can easily pay for the price of the potions, but of course, I have to share it with you and Snoc who suffered the damages.¡±

    Zich gripped one of the gold coins and put it in front of Sam.

    ¡°So, how much do you want forpensation?¡±

    ¡°Ah, no. I¡¯m fine.¡±

    Even though he had been one-sidedly beaten up by Drew, Sam refused the immense pile of wealth in front of him instinctively. Therge sum of money made him feel ufortable rather than greedy, and Zich didn¡¯t continue to press the matter.

    ¡°Really? Okay. I guess people will be surprised if so much money gets forced in front of them so suddenly. But if you change your mind, tell me anytime. The time limit is until I leave this city.¡±

    Zich ced the gold coins back into the box, and the mountain-pile of gold coins disappeared instantly.

    ¡°Tell me the amount Drew stole from Snoc so I can evenly distribute the sum. I can only decide how much to take after I know how much to leave you and Snoc.¡±

    ¡°Did you also suffer any losses?¡±

    Zich told Sam that the money was a form ofpensation. If Zich took some of the capital, it meant that he also suffered a loss.

    ¡°Of course.¡±

    Zich nodded without hesitation.

    ¡°On top of the stress he gave me for attacking my friend, he forced me to move and even insulted me. It won¡¯t be enough even if I sell him as a ve and get more money. Considering how I ended the matter with so little, I am so generous.¡±

    It sounded like the calctions of some back-alleyway gangster. Sam studied Zich¡¯s face, and he wondered if Zich felt any sense of guilt or embarrassment from his words.

    ¡®It doesn¡¯t seem like that at all.¡¯

    Zich¡¯s face wasposed.

    To not hurt Zich¡¯s feelings, Sam asked carefully,,¡°Um, didn¡¯t you say that you would live a kind life? Is it ok for you to do something like stealing?¡±

    ¡°Why do you say stealing? I keep telling you that all I did was receive fairpensation. It doesn¡¯t affect my resolution to live a kind life, at all.¡±

    ¡°¡­I see.¡±

    In the end, Sam followed the path that Hans had taken a few days ago. He reaffirmed his beliefs that Zich¡¯s train of thought waspletely out ofmon way of thinking and gave up on trying to understand Zich.

    * * *

    Drew walked inside a mountain. He lookedpletely fine even though Zich had left him half-dead not so long ago. It was thanks to the priest, who Paul Chenu called. However, no matter how well the priest healed him, he wasn¡¯t the same as before.

    First of all, he didn¡¯t have any money. Zich took all the money and items he had as ¡®fairpensation.¡¯ Thus, he didn¡¯t even have the money to pay for his medical bills and had to borrow money by using his artifact. If Zich hadn¡¯t thought that the goods inside his artifact were enough for hispensation, Drew wouldn¡¯t even have had the money to cure himself.

    For that reason, he had to go out to catch monsters as soon as his wounds were healed. But there was a more serious matter.

    ¡°Urgh!¡±

    Drew swallowed his saliva back down. His heart ached. His wounds were already all healed, but he sometimes felt pain for no reason. The cause was probably psychological, and he knew when these side-effects first started.

    ¡°That bastard¡­!¡±

    Rage and hate red up, but simultaneously, fear and despair filled his heart. Zich had inflicted the same wounds on Drew as Drew did to Sam without a trace of difort on his face. Even Drew was aware that he was a person without any sense of humanity, but he thought Zich far exceeded him in that area. Drew was sure Zich didn¡¯t feel any guilt or joy when inflicting wounds on a person.

    ¡®It was just a job for him.¡¯

    In short, Zich didn¡¯t look at him as a human or even a living creature.

    ¡®Damn it! Stop! Stop it!¡¯

    His legs trembled out of control, and he mmed his fists on them. The only thing that came back to him was more pain and bruise marks. He couldn¡¯t stop his legs from trembling. Drew knew what this side-effect was. It was what people who battled monsters or fought other countries¡¯ wars suffered through. It was what Drew had mocked as, ¡®Coward Reader.¡¯ But now, he was facing the condition.

    Drew also knew the way to stop this side-effect: removing the cause of the trauma. But as soon as he thought this, his heart fell.

    ¡®Fighting¡­with that guy¡­again?¡¯

    Zich¡¯s face, his slimy smile, and his stern pupils¡ªas soon as they popped into Drew¡¯s head, all the strength in his legs left him.

    Drop!

    He copsed to the ground. Thankfully, he was in the mountains, and no one saw him. However, he didn¡¯t feel relieved; more than embarrassment, fear overcame him.

    ¡®I-It¡¯s impossible.¡¯

    He was just a small fry who was a bit strong. The thought of facing Zich again after oveing his fears pained his heart.

    ¡°Oh, dear! Your condition is worse than I expected.¡±

    He suddenly heard a voice he disliked and turned his head.

    When did he approach me? A figure covered from head to toe in a ck robe stood in front of him.

    ¡°You are¡­¡±

    ¡°It hasn¡¯t been long enough for me to say¡­ it¡¯s been a while.¡±

    It was a kind and warm tone, but Drew didn¡¯t feel an ounce of sincerity in the man¡¯s words. It was the robed man who had struck a strange deal with him recently. The man met eyes with Drew and then crouched his knees on the ground to be on the same level with Drew. He made the motions as if he was a parent making a point to his children. However, the man¡¯s face, which was covered by the robe¡¯s darkness, gave Drew chills.

    ¡°What did youe here for?¡±

    ¡°I have anothermission that I want you to take care of.¡±

    ¡°What is it? I will take it if it¡¯s decent.¡±

    The man gave Drew a fortune for merely helping Snoc activate his mana and making him walk through the mine until he met a mole. For Drew who seriouslycked money, the offer couldn¡¯t have been more attractive. However, the robed figure nced up and down at him like the man was assessing Drew.

    ¡°Will you be able to do it? I heard you were badly beaten.¡±

    ¡°I am fine enough to take amission.¡±

    ¡°What if you have to sh with the man who made you like this again?¡±

    ¡°What¡­!¡±

    Drew¡¯s face became dead-pale, and his hands shook.

    ¡®It¡¯s hopeless.¡¯

    The man shook his head.

    ¡®I had a hunch, but this is beyond my expectations. I didn¡¯t think he would be broken down to this extent.¡¯

    The man thought Drew¡¯s usefulness had gone down to zero.

    ¡°Hmm.¡±

    The man twitched his nose in dissatisfaction and straightened his knee. Drew saw that the man was going to take back his offer, so he shouted urgently, ¡°I-I can handle it! I was going to get my revenge on that guy any¡ª!¡±

    ¡°No, thanks,¡± the man answered. Any trace of politeness disappeared from his speech, and his tone was dry. Drew froze at the man¡¯s sudden change.

    Push!

    A de pierced Drew¡¯s throat.

    ¡°I don¡¯t need you.¡±

 Chapter 44

    <h4>Chapter 44</h4>

    Blood poured out of Drew¡¯s neck and soaked the ground, as if his greed was dripping out of his heart. The robed man wiped the blood away from his sword and ced it back into its sheath again.

    ¡®The n is ruined.¡¯

    He nced at Drew¡¯s corpse. A look of annoyance shed across his eyes, but the man¡¯s personal mission superseded his emotions.

    ¡®Do I have to move onto the next n? No, this situation means that all possible routes have changed. Even if I don¡¯t use Drew, there¡¯s a high chance that the n will fail.¡¯

    In a way, he already knew the answer.

    ¡®It can¡¯t be helped. I have to force out the result.¡¯

    It wasn¡¯t what his master wanted, but it was the only way to obtain a simr result.

    ¡®I need to supplement some more personnel. I thought it would be fine by myself, but it seems like I¡¯ll have to resort to thest measure.¡¯

    This hurt the man¡¯s pride. The importance and level of difficulty of this ce and mission were on the low side. That was why he was the only one who had been ced in charge of the mission; and from the first ce, the man¡¯s skills and status were not suitable for a ce like this. He had simply taken the job in his free time, thinking of it as a sort of a mini-vacation. However, his ns were ruined now.

    ¡®I have to show some achievements to protect my pride. And¡­¡¯

    There was an even more important matter.

    ¡®I have to find out the unknown variable.¡¯

    Everything had been running smoothly until now; he had to find out the cause of the change. It was probably the unknown variable.

    ¡®I have to investigate who that guy is and then kill him!¡¯

    A chilly pair of eyes glittered inside the robe.

    * * *

    As if Snoc¡¯s house was mimicking its owner¡¯s feelings, it exuded a gloomy atmosphere. The wooden entrance hadn¡¯t opened since Drew abandoned Snoc. It was the same whether his aplices visited him or not.

    Although it waste, a single candle wasn¡¯t lit up, and the inside of the house was dark. Snoc lied on his bed and stared at the ceiling absentmindedly. Clothes were on the floor in a mess, and untidy dishes littered the table. Snoc didn¡¯t move at all, enough to make one wonder if he was actually dead. Only his blinking eyes and heaving chest hinted that he was still alive.

    Growl!

    Even though he barely moved and used the bare minimum energy, his digestive system continued to work. Without considering its owner¡¯s feelings, Snoc¡¯s stomach cried out to Snoc to throw some food inside it.

    ¡°¡­Should I eat something?¡±

    Even though he cut off all outside contact and shut himself in his house, Snoc didn¡¯t intend to die. He grasped his stomach and got up. As if he was going through a lot of inner distress, his eyes were sunken. He got off his bed and put on his shoes.

    Koo! Koo!

    A small being approached Snoc¡¯s legs and cried while tapping his feet.

    ¡°Are you hungry too?¡±

    It was the mole who he met at the mine some days ago. He met the animal only recently, but the mole was basically a family member for him. Snoc liked the mole upon meeting him. As if they were connected by a thread of destiny, he felt a sense of affinity towards the mole by instinct. In addition, after Drew betrayed him, the mole was the only one he could share feelings with. It was very strange, but Snoc felt like he could give up his life for this mole he met just a couple of days ago.

    ¡°Yeah. Let¡¯s eat. We will only be able to live if we eat.¡±

    He picked up the mole and hugged it. As if he was used to this, the mole burrowed into Snoc¡¯s chest.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go, Nowem.¡±

    While calling the name he gave the mole, Snoc went to where the cupboard was. He lit up a candle and scavenged the area for food.

    ¡°¡­There¡¯s nothing to eat.¡±

    The only thing left was a dry piece of bread.

    ¡®I should go out to buy food when the day gets brighter.¡¯

    Although Drew stole most of his money, he still had enough money to eat for the day; but whenever he thought of this, he felt gloomy. Snoc took out a slice of bread and ripped it apart. Then, he ced a bread piece in front of Nowem¡¯s nose.

    Snort! Snort!

    Nowem sniffed the bread piece.

    Grab!

    Nowem opened his small mouth as wide as he could and bit the piece of bread into smaller pieces. He looked adorable, chewing with his mouth full of bread. Snoc ced the rest of the bread into his mouth. The dry bread sucked all the moisture out of his mouth, and he forcefully chewed the crumbly, untasty bread. After he gulped down the rough bread, he felt like his empty stomach became a bit fuller.

    The air felt stuffy and humid, so Snoc opened the window. A faint moonlight seeped into the room. The full moon hung in the sky today and spread its peculiar, dream-like atmosphere. It felt like the moon wasforting his disturbed mind. Snoc ced his elbow on the windowsill and stared at the moon.

    ¡®Huh?¡¯

    A dark shadow cast under the moonlight.

    ¡®What?¡¯

    Was he imagining it? Snoc rubbed his eyes and stood closer to the window. Someone was there. Under the moonlight, a man who exuded the same mood as a grim reaper stood a short distance away from Snoc¡¯s house and stared at him through the window. And he wasn¡¯t the only one¡ªSnoc could see four figures.

    They all wore dark robes, so it was difficult to separate them from the darkness. It was impossible to decipher their age or gender and made them a terrifying sight to behold. Snoc quickly closed the window and locked it.

    ¡®What was that?¡¯

    Late in the night, mysterious figures were ominously staring into his house. Snoc immediately locked all the windows in his house and checked the lock on his door. Then he took a seat next to the bed while hugging Nowem. As soon as he heard someone barge into his ce, Snoc nned to hide under his bed. He held his breath and perked his ears in case somebody forced the door open.

    ¡®Did I imagine it?¡¯

    He didn¡¯t hear the door open or any other sound. Maybe he imagined the scene in his tired state. Or maybe he misunderstood a group of people who had no interest in him but were moving for some other reason. Snoc began to scorn himself for being such a coward. Then, he lifted his head and saw a dark shadow in front of him.

    * * *

    Even though it waste, arge fire crackled in Zich and Hans¡¯ room. Zich sat in front of the only table in the room, counting coins from the mountain of gold coins in front of him. At a nce, he looked like a greedy merchant who had earned a lot of money and was now internally crying out in happiness. But for that to be the case, his expression looked too indifferent.

    Clink!

    Thest pir of ten coins stood on the table.

    ¡®That bastard sure earned a lot.¡±

    Zich¡¯s fingers thumped the neatyers of gold pirs. At his touch, the pirs nted and copsed. Their clinking sounds were enough to satisfy a hungry soul.

    Hans watched the scene from his bed. Zich told him that he could sleep earlier, but Hans couldn¡¯t sleep from the clinking noises. It was also his first time seeing so many gold coins glittering before him. He couldn¡¯t take his eyes off of them.

    Then, Zich prepared a bag and poured a set amount of gold coins into it.

    ¡°This is the amount that Drew stole from Snoc. If I include hispensation for mental damage, this will probably be enough. I also separated the amount Sam might ask me forpensation.¡±

    After taking some coins out, Zich stared at the rest of the gold coins.

    ¡°This is mine.¡±

    The remaining amount of coins was a substantial amount.

    ¡°Hey.¡±

    ¡°Yes, sir!¡±

    It was a conditioned reflex now. When Zich called him, Hans answered without a moment of hesitation.

    ¡°Take this.¡±

    Zich carelessly threw a handful of coins at him, and gold coins rained over the bed Hans was sitting on.

    ¡°¡­What is this?¡±

    ¡°Use it however you like. You can buy something to eat, buy some equipment, or even save it for the future.¡±

    Hans stared at the pile of gold coins. He didn¡¯t expect to get a share at all, and this wasn¡¯t even a small amount. It was an amount he had never possessed before.

    ¡°C-Can I really take it?¡±

    ¡°What? Do you not need it?¡±

    ¡°N-No. That¡¯s not it¡­¡±

    ¡°Then, take it.¡±

    Hans stared down at the pile of gold coins. On top of the gold coins, there was a pouch. It was what Zich threw so that Hans could put his gold coins inside.

    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t it be better to save¡­ what if we don¡¯t have enough traveling expenses, sir?¡±

    Hans tried to put on some airs since it was such arge amount.

    ¡°If Ibine the amount I packed before traveling, the reward I received from Karuwiman, and the money I got from beating up this guy who didn¡¯t know his ce, we won¡¯t have to worry about money for a while. And even if that money drops low, there are a lot of ces where we can get money from.¡±

    Now that Hans thought of it, Zich never seemed to save money. Although Zich said he was saving the expensive potions, he also used them unsparingly when he needed them. If Hans thought back on how Zich used up all his three potions just because his friend was beaten up badly, Zich almost seemed wasteful.

    ¡®Does he have something to back him up?¡¯

    Hans thought this but quickly erased it from his mind.

    ¡®It¡¯s useless to think about it.¡¯

    By now, he knew thatmon logic didn¡¯t work on Zich. Hans ced the gold coins into the pouch and sealed its opening tightly. Then, he pushed it into a deep corner of his luggage.

    ¡°Then, should I get going?¡±

    Zich got up from his chair and stretched. Then, he moved to blow out the candles.

    ¡°¡­What is it?¡±

    Zich turned his head and opened the window.

    ¡°Why do you say that?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s noisy outside.¡±

    He saw a crowd of figures running on top of rooftops under the yellow moon. They looked suspicious right away and looked like bad guys.

    ¡®Should I intervene?¡¯

    It could be a chance for Zich to do a kind act. He was pondering for a moment when he saw that one of the group members was carrying a person.

    ¡®Isn¡¯t that Snoc? Why is he there?¡¯

    Zich could tell that they were not close friends of Snoc right away. It was apparent that Snoc was mixed up in some new trouble.

    ¡®He is such an unlucky guy. It hasn¡¯t even been long since his incident with Drew.¡¯

    ¡°I am going out for a while.¡±

    ¡°Sorry?¡±

    Zich left with those words and jumped right out the window.

 Chapter 45

    <h4>Chapter 45</h4>

    After jumping out of the window, Zich ran straight for a while and then climbed on top of a roof. He chased after the cloaked figures on the rooftops. It was not hard to catch up to them since they had to carry Snoc and his weight dragged them down.

    When Zich was close to them, he shouted, ¡°Hey! Why don¡¯t we try talking for a bit? I have some unfinished business with that luggage you are carrying!¡±

    Judging by their attitudes and based on his past experience, Zich could tell that they were doing something very suspicious. However, he wanted to try talking to them first as Lube had advised him to do.

    Despite Zich¡¯s goodwill, the cloaked figures took out their weapons.

    ng!

    There was no need for Zich to pull out his sword. He intercepted a dagger in mid-air by pushing the air between them. The dagger spun around in a circle and Zich caught it while it was still spinning.

    ¡°You dropped this!¡±

    Zich threw the dagger back at them after he put some mana into it. The strengthened dagger flew towards them with enormous speed.

    ¡°Ugh!¡±

    The figure at the very back got hit by the dagger. The person let out a small scream and went rolling down the roof. The rest of the figures stopped moving and jumped down into the alleyway.

    ¡®Instead of attacking, they should have run in the first ce.¡¯

    Zich followed them down. In the dark alleyway, Zich and the cloaked figures faced each other.

    Then he put his hands on his hips and asked, ¡°Who are you guys?¡±

    But no one replied. A person that seemed like a leader stepped forward. Unbeknownst to Zich, he was the man who killed Drew earlier that day. The man kicked his deadrade a few times, and the body flipped over. There was a dagger in the corpse¡¯s neck.

    ¡®They don¡¯t seem like a tight-knit organization.¡¯

    Zich thought as he saw the man kick the body of one of his deadrades. The man red at Zich with murderous intent, and Zich replied back with a shrug.

    ¡°Yourrades gave me a surprise present. I was so touched I wanted to give something back to them. I regret my actions. I didn¡¯t know they would be so touched that they would fall dead.¡±

    ¡°Kill him.¡±

    With the man¡¯smand, the rest of the figures began taking out their daggers.

    ¡°By your movements, it seems like you are all assassins. What business would an assassin have with a miner? This man you kidnapped is pure to the point of being stupid, so I doubt he caused anyone harm too.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°Bastards. Can¡¯t you even reply?¡±

    Punch!

    A harsh sound rang out from one of them. Zich¡¯s punchnded on one of the assassins who came straight at him. As if someone pulled him from behind, the assassin¡¯s body flew backwards and his dagger fell to the floor.

    ¡°As expected of assassins. You are excellent at assessing the situation.¡±

    Although they tried to attack him, the assassins now kept a safe distance from him. They all noticed that Zich was extremely skilled at fighting.

    ¡°Don¡¯t assassins normally take care of the bodies and quickly draw back? But none of you guys are doing that.¡±

    Zichughed.

    ¡°All of you are not ordinary assassins, right? What organization are you part of?¡±

    Boom!

    Suddenly, a fireball exploded on top of Zich. It was magic. To a person who was expecting only assassin techniques, this attack would have definitely caught them off guard.

    ¡°What¡¯s this?¡±

    Smash!

    Zich smashed the fireball with his hands as if he was swatting a mosquito. The fireball shed on the ground for a bit and then died out.

    The assassins were shocked by the ease in which Zich handled the fireball.

    ¡°Wait, assassins that know how to do magic? It¡¯s not as if people like that don¡¯t exist, but they¡¯re definitely not asmon as a passing rock. Moreover, none of you guys said an incantation; there¡¯s a very low chance that someone with such a high level of magic skill would be an assassin.¡±

    Zich began narrowing his choices down and continued with surprise in his voice, ¡°Is one of you using an artifact? And an artifact that can do strong magic attacks like this?¡±

    Artifacts were rare, and ones that could do strong magic attacks like this were rarer. But Zich was not surprised by the artifact itself. Before he regressed, he had seen much more precious and stronger artifacts than the one that the assassins used. Yet, Zich was surprised for one reason¡ª

    ¡°I don¡¯t understand. Why are all of you using such a high-level artifact to kidnap a mere miner?¡±

    The assassins were of a way too high caliber for the purpose of kidnapping, torturing, or even killing one miner like Snoc. Zich began to grow suspicious, but he thought he had to decide quickly.

    ¡°Well, whatever. I¡¯m going to capture you guys and beat all of you up until I get some answers.¡±

    Swish!

    Zich pulled out his sword. The sharpness of his sword glinted in the light. The man who seemed like the leader stared at Zich¡¯s sword for a few moments and then opened his mouth.

    ¡°¡­Three of you stay. The rest of you follow the n.¡±

    The three figures nearest to Zich moved towards him. The leader left the three of them behind and began climbing on the roof with the rest of his other underlings.

    ¡°I just want to talk for a bit. It¡¯s so dang hard to get even one conversation.¡±

    It was basic manners to at least pretend to listen if Zich was asking this many times.

    ¡®Well, I guess it¡¯sughable to expect manners from assassins.¡¯

    Zich stared at the group that was moving along and then moved his attention back to the three in front of him.

    ¡°I guess the n is for the three of you to risk your lives and make time for the rest of them to escape but¡­¡±

    Zich lightly moved his sword a few times. He lowered his body and moved his center of gravity to the front.

    ¡°Do you think that will be possible?¡±

    Bang!

    Zich condensed his strength inside his body so that a ripple came out from him. The three assassins moved towards him.

    Whish!

    Zich sharply wielded his sword. One assassin tried to block Zich¡¯s attack with a dagger. The other two tried to attack his sides. Their blue daggers shook like poisonous snakes¡ªit was a pretty good coborative effort.

    If Zich didn¡¯t have to get Snoc back, he might have spent some time ying with them. But now was not the time for that.

    Zing.

    Mana began to seep into Zich¡¯s sword. He instilled mana into the sword until it reached the very tip of his sword.

    Ziiing!

    The mana around his sword turned around like a chainsaw. The cutting force of his sword right now was several times greater than usual.

    Zing! Zing! Zing! Zing!

    In a short amount of time, four cutting sounds could be heard. The first cut broke through the dagger and its owner. Then, the next cut reached a little further and broke through the second dagger next to him and its owner.

    Ssh!

    Blood poured out like rain. The upper and lower bodies of the two assassins copsed onto the ground in session. The surrounding area became a puddle of blood.

    Zich evaded the third assassin¡¯s attack easily and bent down towards one of the corpses. Thest assassin tried to create as much distance from Zich as possible.

    ¡°W-What¡­!¡±

    He was stunned. Even though he was taught to maintain his calm at all times, the assassin was shocked that two of hisrades were cut up like pieces of cheese in a matter of seconds. However, Zich frowned while looking down at his sword.

    ¡®They are surprisingly resilient.¡¯

    All three of the assassins¡¯ skills and weapons were extraordinary. Even though a head-to-headpetition was not an assassin¡¯s forte, they were all very skilled at fighting. Zich wondered where they all came from.

    ¡°Wait a minute.¡±

    Zich tapped his head with his thumb. He came to this town because of an impending disaster. There was a strong possibility that these assassins and the disaster were connected somehow.

    ¡°Are all of you rted to the ¡®Tyrant of the Earth, Nowem¡¯?¡±

    Tyrant of the Earth, Nowem.

    He was one of the Demon People that appeared during this time. As his name implied, he used the earth¡¯s strength, and he made his first appearance in Suol. As soon as he appeared, he demolished Suol and settled down in the Iruce Mine. Fortunately, he didn¡¯t move out of this mine at all, so his danger level was low.

    The Kingdom had desperately tried to recapture the Iruce Mine after Nowem made it his home. The iron ores in the Iruce Mine were an extremely significant strategic resource. However, all the soldiers that were dispatched to Suol never came back alive. Nowem¡¯s hidden strength inside the mine was too enormous.

    As the Kingdom continued its efforts to recapture the Iruce Mine, it realized Nowem¡¯s true strength and how powerful he could be in his home ground.

    ¡®The Kingdom eventually copsed from that.¡¯

    The resources the Kingdom lost from Suol¡¯s destruction eventually led to its doom. Moreover, all the soldiers and armies lost from trying to recapture the Iruce Mine further deteriorated the Kingdom and hastened its downfall.

    Even though there were a lot of Demon People during this time (to the extent that this period would be called the ¡®Demon People Period¡¯), it was rare for a Demon Person to destroy a whole Kingdom. As a Demon Person that brought ruin to a Kingdom, Nowem gained much notoriety as a powerful being.

    ¡®It¡¯s reasonable to think that these assassins have something to do with the rise of the Demon People...since it¡¯s around this time that Demon People first began appearing.¡¯

    Zich¡¯s prediction was confirmed as he saw that thest standing assassin looked shocked by his words.

    Moreover, the assassin raised his voice and shouted, ¡°¡­How do you know that!¡±

    ¡°Hey, should we exchange information or something? If you tell me what you know, I¡¯ll teach you how I was able to learn this information.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°I knew it.¡±

    Zich clicked his tongue as he saw the assassin raise his dagger at him.

    ¡®I guess it¡¯ll be better for me to go after those guys that kidnapped Snoc. I can get as much information as I want from them after all.¡¯

    Moreover, there was the leader with the most information in that group.

    Tap!

    Zich moved his feet. He transferred his mana to the very tip of his sword again. He increased the flow of mana around his sword. As Zich ran straight towards the assassin, the assassin also ran towards Zich. Compared to Zich¡¯s mana-filled sword, the assassin¡¯s dagger looked pitiful.

    The distance between the assassin and Zich was now very small. From this distance, Zich was able to see the assassin¡¯s eyes, which had been hidden inside his cloak.

    ¡®He¡¯s hiding something.¡¯

    The assassin looked as if he had a secret backup n. There was a certain kind of resolve and determination in his movement.

    Slide.

    The assassin reached his free hand into the cloak. But before the assassin could fully take the possession out, Zich moved his sword to kill the assassin. However, Zich was toote.

    The mana flow around them became violent. The assassin¡¯s cloak began to flutter and expand.

    Boom!

    There was an explosion. The area the bomb targeted was small, but the bomb¡¯s destructive force was massive. If a person happened to receive a direct hit, they would have disintegrated in a second.

    After a few moments, the explosion began to die down. The light and sound of the explosion began to fade and only a soft glimmer of light remained. From this light, Zich began to appear in clear view. Only some parts of his clothes were ripped. He brushed the dust off his clothes and spit on the floor in distaste.

    ¡®As expected of assassins that barely show any regard to their own life, they self-destruct.¡¯

    Zich clicked his tongue as he saw that there was not even a trace of the assassin¡¯s body left. It was sad that the assassin¡¯s self-destruction only ripped Zich¡¯s clothes a bit.

    ¡®But even their self-destruction technique is high level.¡¯

    It took a great level of skill to self-destruct like the assassin; you would have to spin your mana like a whirlpool until it exploded. But it seemed as if the assassin used an artifact to self-destruct since they reached inside their cloak a moment before they exploded. On the other hand, this also meant that the people behind them were powerful enough to hand out two high-level artifacts like it was almost nothing.

    ¡®I have to find out who¡¯s behind all this.¡¯

    Zich began chasing after the rest of the assassins.

 Chapter 46

    <h4>Chapter 46</h4>

    The assassins who carried Snoc continued to move. They no longer had a carefree attitude, because Zich was pressuring them. They continued to run towards their destination: the Iruce mine. Then, with the ropes they prepared in advance, they easily climbed over the mine¡¯s walls.

    ¡°The rest of you stay here. Don¡¯t let anyone in. If your opponent is too strong, sacrifice your lives to make more time for me.¡± The leader of the assassin team said and turned away.

    The rest of the assassins nodded, and they gave Snoc to him. The man left and headed deep into the mine, while the assassins hid in the shadows and waited for trespassers toe. The inside of the mine was as ck as ink, and not even a sliver of moonlight seeped through it. But there was no hesitation in the man¡¯s footsteps. He passed through multiple pathways with ease and reached the area of the mine that had been sealed off. The area had been sealed off due to a copse, and as expected, huge stones blocked the entrance.

    The man put down Snoc, almost as if he was throwing a piece of luggage. Unable to judge the situation he was in, Snoc flinched and put his hand on his back. He was in great pain.

    ¡°Ugh¡­!¡± Snoc let out a painful cry and opened his eyes. ¡°T-this is¡­¡±

    Even though there was only darkness, Snoc knew where he was. He felt this kind of stuffy and dreary atmosphere every day.

    ¡®The mines?¡¯

    Why was he in a mining area? Snoc tried to recall.

    ¡®I was at home about to eat bread, and then when I looked out the window¡­!¡¯

    A shiver ran down his back. Unidentified figures invaded his home, and thest thing he remembered were forceful hands that pulled him.

    ¡®Am I being kidnapped?¡¯

    Snoc quickly got up. Fortunately, his body was just sore in some ces, and he was not tied up. Snoc checked his body to make sure nothing was broken, and then he felt something drop from his body.

    Koo!

    He heard a small squeal, and Snoc¡¯s expression brightened up.

    ¡°Nowem!¡±

    It was definitely the sound of his family. Snoc tried to make his way towards the sound. Thankfully, he was able to quickly find Nowem.

    Koo! Koo!

    Nowem began to rub his face on Snoc¡¯s hands. Snoc hugged Nowem tightly and felt the soft warmth of Nowem¡¯s body. Some of Snoc¡¯s anxiety went away.

    sh!

    Suddenly, a light shed in front of Snoc, and Snoc covered his eyes. When he got used to the light a bit, he slowly lowered his hands. A hazy light floated in front of him, and he saw a person standing next to the light.

    Snoc became terrified at the sight in front of him. The man was covered in a ck robe from head to toe. He was one of the unidentified figures that had kidnapped him.

    ¡°Sir, you have woken up.¡±

    Contrary to his forceful actions, the man talked to Snoc with a gentle voice. But somehow, Snoc didn¡¯t feel reassured at all. Instead, he felt his instincts sharpen at the man¡¯s voice.

    ¡°W-who are you?¡±

    ¡°Ah, I have not introduced myself. I would like for us to get to know each other while drinking fragrant tea in a more rxed atmosphere, but we are in a bit of a hurry.¡±

    The man stretched his hand towards Snoc. Recalling the events that happened to him recently, Snoc unconsciously flinched and closed his eyes. But it was not Snoc that the man was stretching his hand towards.

    Grab!

    Koooooo!

    Nowem let out an angry cry. At Nowem¡¯s cry, Snoc opened his eyes wide, and he saw that the man had forcefully grabbed onto Nowem.

    Nowem clung onto Snoc¡¯s clothes with his teeth and resisted to part from him. Snoc did not know where he found the courage to resist, but he moved as soon as he heard Nowem¡¯s cries.

    Punch! Punch!

    Snoc held Nowem with one hand and punched the man with his other hand.

    ¡°Let go! Let go!¡±

    But the man¡¯s arms did not move an inch. Instead, he grabbed Snoc¡¯s neck with his free hand.

    ¡°Ugh!¡±

    The man lifted Snoc by the neck. Snoc felt as if he was getting hung in an execution.

    ¡®This is interesting. I was informed that he was a timid person. He must have some kind of special rtionship with the mole.¡¯

    Snap!

    ¡°Agh!¡±

    Snoc finally let go of Nowem as the pressure on his neck increased. Nowem let out a scream as he was pulled away, and the man threw Snoc on top of a pile of rocks.

    Bam!

    ¡°Urghh.¡±

    Snoc fell on the pile of rocks and was left immobilized. After a few moments, he barely managed to pull himself up and looked around him.

    ¡®¡­.This ce is!¡¯

    Copsed rocks blocked the entranceway. At that moment, Snoc knew exactly where he was.

    ¡®I¡¯m in the copsed shaft!¡¯

    Snoc turned his body around and ced one hand on top of a pile of rocks. Then he red at the area across from him.

    ¡°What are you doing? Are you looking at something across from you?¡±

    Snoc flinched at the man¡¯s words, not because he became even more scared but because the man¡¯s voice sounded as if he knew why Snoc was looking across from him. Unable to hide the shock on his face, Snoc red at the man.

    ¡°You are staring at me as if you are wondering how I knew. There¡¯s nothing really much to it. Your eyes looked very sad and desperate as if you were looking at your father¡¯s grave.¡±

    Snoc was sure that if he could see the man¡¯s face right now, he would be sneering at him.

    ¡°Ah, thinking about it, didn¡¯t two people die from the copse here? Being a miner is a really tough job. Both of them had two young sons. I¡¯m not sure if they were able to die in peace.¡±

    ¡°Shut the fuck up¡­¡±

    Snoc swore at the man. Snoc was so angry that he was no longer afraid of the man.

    ¡°Oh my, how scary! But I apologize. It¡¯s not right to insult others¡¯ parents. To make up for my mistake, I will reveal some information to you.¡±

    ¡°¡­Information?¡±

    Snoc knew the man¡¯s words would not be trustworthy. There was no way that a man who kidnapped and attacked him would give him any useful information. In the first ce, the man¡¯s voice was full of mockery. But Snoc couldn¡¯t help perk his ears, because it was information about his father.

    ¡°That ancient being is filled with wrath andes down upon us like a tidal wave. It''s a disaster that has never been seen before.¡±

    ¡°That song¡­¡±

    ¡°You know it right? It¡¯s a song about a ¡®mining monster¡¯ sleeping deep inside the mines. People like you think this monster is just a myth and that the song was made to prevent children from entering the mines. But the myth ispletely true! The ¡®mining monster¡¯ is real and this song is about that monster.¡±

    Snoc¡¯s eyes shook at the man¡¯s words.

    ¡°Do you see that over there?¡±

    The man pointed towards a pile of stones. When Snoc looked at the ce the man pointed to, he saw something strange. From a nce, the rock on top looked the same as any other rock, but with closer observation, the substance looked as if it was man-made.

    ¡°It¡¯s a sealing stone. The stone is sealing the ¡®mining monster.¡¯ Your father was mining around here and identally touched the sealing stone¡ªthat¡¯s why the ¡®mining monster¡¯ was released!¡±

    On one hand, the man¡¯s voice was like a kind teacher teaching his pupil; on the other hand, his voice was like a demon tricking an innocent child.

    ¡°From that incident, an earthquake urred. Obviously, the biggest impact happened here, where the sealing stone was. And that was the reason why this area copsed and buried your father.¡±

    Snoc began to remember what happened around this time. There had been a sudden vibration, and amotion followed afterwards. People around him ran out in a stream and high officials tried to make sense of what happened. But most of all, the images of his mother tightly hugging him and crying her eyes out were most vivid in his memories.

    ¡°You are getting angry, right? Are you filling up with wrath? It¡¯s the monster that murdered your father, killed your mother from overwork, and the reason why you hate working as a miner!¡±

    Memories began flooding his mind. Snoc gritted his teeth, and anger began to fill his heart towards the mining monster.

    ¡°It''s okay to hate it! You have the right to do so! Is this not the monster who took your whole family?!¡±

    The man¡¯s voice got louder as Snoc got angrier. His voice echoed through the caves and filled up Snoc¡¯s mind.

    ¡°Well, let¡¯s give a rightful judgment to this hateful bastard! Let¡¯s show your wrath to this shameless bastard who goes around carelessly living after killing your father!¡±

    Swish.

    The man pulled out his hands. Snoc, who had been full of wrath, flinched at what was in the man¡¯s hand¡ª

    It was Nowem.

    Nowem¡¯s whole body drooped as if he was tired after resisting so much. Nowem also seemed to be full of fear.

    ¡°Why don¡¯t you start? Try insulting or inflicting violence upon him. You have full right to do so!¡±

    ¡°W-what are you saying? What does N-Nowem have to do with¡­¡±

    Anger disappeared from his body, and Snoc felt cold. He shook at the truth in front of him. But the man was cruel¡ªno, he was enjoying this movement. With a giddy voice, the man continued, ¡°This is your life¡¯s enemy! He was the one who caused this area to copse and killed your father. This is the mining monster!¡±

    ¡°!!!¡±

    Snoc¡¯s eyes widened.

    ¡°He is the magical beast of Earth. Did you name him Nowem? I can¡¯t believe he had the audacity to approach you and pretend to be your family. He really has an evil personality. I¡¯m sure he wasughing at you all along!¡±

    Koo! Koo!

    Nowem cried out as if he was protesting the man¡¯s words. But no one replied to Nowem¡¯s cries. Not the man, nor Snoc.

    ¡°Enact your justice on this evil bastard. What are you hesitating for? Is this not the being that killed your father? Are you really going to ignore your father¡¯s death for a being that you just met recently?¡±

    ¡°!!!¡±

    The manughed as Snoc¡¯s whole body trembled.

    * * *

    Halt!

    Zich stopped in front of the mine. Because of the three assassins that had attacked him, there was quite a bit of distance between Zich and the rest of the assassins. But Zich¡¯s outstanding detection skills did not let him lose sight of where they were heading.

    ¡®They went inside the mining area.¡¯

    Why did they enter the mine at this time? Moreover, why did they kidnap a miner? He had many questions to ask them.

    ¡®I should first take care of these punks.¡¯

    Zich lowered his arms. The tip of his sword almost reached the ground.

    Thud. Thud.

    Zich loosened his whole body and walked. His stance was full of gaps. It was the movement of someone who had no qualms about getting attacked. When Zich was about to enter the mine, figures hidden in the darkness began moving.

    Pierce!

    Zich pierced his sword into one of the shadows. His movement was so natural that the assassin had no time to react at all, and he died without being able to resist.

    ¡°Ugh!¡±

    Swish!

    Just like ck ink washing away with water, one assassin slowly appeared from the darkness. The assassin had his hand on his neck as hey dead on the ground. Blood seeped into the ground.

    The assassins had been found out. As soon as they realized this, the rest of the assassins threw their bodies at Zich. But Zich easily sliced them like they were pieces of meat.

    Ssh!

    Zich flicked the blood off his sword and left the piles of corpses behind him.

    ¡®Hmm, it looks like the entrance to hell.¡¯

    The mining area looked ominous in the night. It seemed like a skeleton and an undead would pop out at any moment and dance the waltz together.

    ¡®If I count the number of assassins I cut down, it looks like there is only one left.¡¯

    Zich still hadn¡¯t killed the leader yet. The leader was the one who probably took Snoc inside the mine.

    ¡®I¡¯m going to quickly find him and beat him up to get some answers.¡¯

    The leader probably had the most information. Snoc¡¯s safety was already pushed to the corner of Zich¡¯s mind. Obviously, Zich was going to save Snoc, but he was just more curious about the assassins¡¯ ns.

    Zich then sensed something.

    ¡°Hmm?¡±

    He stopped. His gaze fell to the ground.

    ¡®No way. Is this¡­?¡¯

    Zich could feel something ominous beneath his feet.

 Chapter 47

    <h4>Chapter 47</h4>

    Rumble!

    From far away, the ground rumbled.

    Creak! Creak!

    The door and window let out piercing screams. The bed sloshed like ake disturbed by a stone.

    ¡°¡­Huh?¡±

    Sam opened his eyes from his deep sleep. His vision was blurry from lying down, but he abruptly got up.

    ¡®An earthquake?¡¯

    He arched his back. Everyone feared a natural disaster like an earthquake, but miners feared them even more, and Sam especially disliked earthquakes.

    The earthquake soon stopped, but Sam¡¯s heart failed to calm down.

    ¡®Let me take a look outside.¡¯

    The earthquake might have affected the mine. He couldn¡¯t investigate its effects carefully at this time of the night, but he could scan the mine¡¯s exterior. He quickly put on his clothes and got out.

    * * *

    Hans stared at the window that Zich jumped out of.

    ¡®What is going on?¡¯

    Hans thought Zich would return soon, but even after much time had passed, Zich still hadn¡¯te back. Hans even thought of going to sleep first since Zich seemed open-minded about these kinds of matters; he didn¡¯t think Zich would nitpick about who slept first. However, the earthquake lingered on his mind. It was ridiculous to think that there would be any human involvement in a natural phenomenon, but it seemed possible with Zich.

    ¡®It could totally happen.¡¯

    Thus, Hans couldn¡¯t go to sleep peacefully.

    ¡®Huh?¡¯

    While wondering if the earthquake involved Zich or if it was just a coincidence, Hans saw someone walking in the night.

    ¡®Isn¡¯t that Sam?¡¯

    What was he doing sote at night? Hans ran out of the window. Although he denied such ims, he was bing more like Zich.

    ¡°Mr. Sam?¡±

    ¡°You gave me a scare!¡±

    Sam looked startled. He was walking in a dark night with only his torch to rely on, so Hans surprised him by dropping down from the sky. Sam clutched onto his thumping heart and tried to still it.

    ¡°A-Are you ok?¡±

    ¡°Yes. I was just a bit surprised.¡±¡¯

    Hans looked at Sam with an apologetic face.

    Hans was someone who stuck to Zich¡¯s side like an essory. Zich called Hans his servant, but Sam knew that Hans wasn¡¯t a ve, so he maintained his etiquette.

    ¡°What are you here for, Mr. Hans?¡±

    ¡°I was looking out of the window and saw you passing by.¡±

    Hans pointed at the building next to them. Only one window was open with the light on from one of the many attached to the building¡¯s walls.

    ¡®Did he jump off from there?¡¯

    Sam looked at Hans in surprise, but Hans was calm as if he hadn¡¯t done anything special. It almost seemed as if Sam was the unusual one.

    ¡®I thought he was normal and meek inparison to Zich, but as expected of Zich¡¯s servant.¡¯

    Hans was also different from ordinary people like him.

    ¡°Where are you going in a hurry in the middle of the night?¡±

    ¡°I am going to check the mine because of the earthquake.¡±

    ¡°At this time? Wouldn¡¯t it be better to go when it¡¯s bright?¡±

    ¡°If I don¡¯t check it immediately, my heart won¡¯t be able to rest.¡±

    Sam¡¯s face looked urgent and desperate, so Hans gave up on trying to persuade him. However, it waste, and it was especially dangerous at this time. Even if there weren¡¯t monsters, a mountain beast was enough to pose a great danger to a normal person.

    ¡®If I just let him go and something happens to him, I will probably hear a lot of insults.¡¯

    Hans scratched his head and said, ¡°I will go with you. If Sir Zich was here, he would have probably done that.¡±

    ¡°Won¡¯t I be inconveniencing you?¡±

    Although he said this, Sam was d. If he was guarded by someone who hunted monsters, he would be a lot safer.

    ¡°It¡¯s fine. Let¡¯s go quickly ande back.¡±

    Hans wrote where he was going on a piece of paper and went up the mine with Sam.

    * * *

    While crossing his arms in front of the mine¡¯s entrance, Zich started thinking. An unusual energy overflowed and rose out of the mine. The energy, which leaked little by little, exploded out of control after the earthquake erupted. A massive piece of earth blocked the path of the energy flow, so it was hard for Zich to assess the direction and origin of the energy. However, the energy was definitelying from the mine.

    Zich felt a sense of dull robustness and vitality; it was the earth¡¯s energy.

    ¡®Nowem must have woken up.¡¯

    Zich didn¡¯t know Nowem¡¯s exact identity. He just knew that since Nowem hadplete authority over the earth, it was probably Nowem who had woken up inside the mine.

    ¡®As expected, those guys are rted to Nowem.¡¯

    It was definite since right after the assassins¡¯ leader went inside the mine, a being who sounded like Nowem appeared.

    ¡®This is good. I came to this city to meet Nowem in the first ce. I will kill him here.¡¯

    Since the mine was far from the city, Zich didn¡¯t have to worry about inflicting damages on properties and people¡¯s lives. First, Zich began to examine his body. He wasn¡¯t hurting nor did he feel difort anywhere; and since the assassins were like appetizers to him, his body was perfectly warmed up. The dead assassins would have probably gritted their teeth in anger if they heard this, but Zich was calm. His armor was in good condition, and he tightly gripped the sword in his hand. Atst, he checked the mana in his body by circling it around and stood a short distance away from the mine¡¯s entrance.

    Zich didn¡¯t n to go inside the mine. The mine environment would be advantageous to Nowem, who could use the earth¡¯s power. Zich¡¯s current strength was far from the strength he had in his prime days, and he didn¡¯t want to go inside his enemy¡¯s home territory if he didn¡¯t have to.

    ¡®And he is going toe out anyways.¡¯

    The spectacr entrance of the ¡®Earth¡¯s Tyrant¡¯ started with Suol¡¯s destruction; thus, Zich knew Nowem would get out of the mine at one point to destroy Suol. As if agreeing with his conclusions, Zich soon sensed a presence approaching the mine¡¯s entrance. The earth¡¯s energy moved with the presence, and Zich was sure that it was the Earth¡¯s Tyrant, Nowem.

    ¡®Huh?¡¯

    However, after he felt the presence, he tilted his head sideways.

    ¡®This¡­I have sensed this presence before.¡¯

    The presence was a bit different from before, but he had definitely felt it.

    ¡®Is it¡­!¡¯

    A memory shed across his mind and surprised Zich.

    Step! Step!

    He heard footsteps inside the mine. Zich uncrossed his arms and pulled out his sword.

    A human was in front of him. Apletely normal human being that could be found anywhere in the vige. The only special thing about the man was his dazed, nk eyes. However, the earthy smell that flowed out of his body told Zich that he was the Earth¡¯s Tyrant, Nowem.

    ¡°I can¡¯t believe it¡¯s you.¡±

    Zich clicked his tongue. It almost seemed like a trick of destiny¡ªto think that the Earth¡¯s Tyrant, Nowem, was someone he knew. Zich said his name.

    ¡°Snoc.¡±

    Snoc didn¡¯t respond to his name, so Zich asked, ¡°Didn¡¯t you get dragged off by assassins? What happened inside the mine? And what is the energy you are carrying?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    There was no answer. Snoc seemed like he was out of his mind.

    ¡°Are you perhaps familiar with the name, Nowem?¡±

    Finally, at Zich¡¯s question, Snoc showed a response.

    Blink!

    His pupils came into focus and stared¡ªno, red at Zich.

    ¡®It seems right.¡¯

    Snoc didn¡¯t respond to any other questions except the one about Nowem. That meant he had some rtionship with Nowem.

    ¡°Koooooo!¡±

    Snoc growled like a beast.

    ¡®Was Nowem always like this?¡¯

    The Nowem he knew was a professional guy. ording to survivors¡¯ testimonies, Nowem was violent and cruel, and he diligently cornered his opponents by utilizing his authority over the earth. No information said that he was like a mindless beast in any way.

    ¡°Kuaaaaah!¡± Snoc cried out.

    Pop!

    The ground shook lightly, and a stgmite popped out near Zich¡¯s feet. With the speed at which it popped out, the stgmite was more dangerous than most spears or arrows. It looked like it could pierce Zich¡¯s body like a skewer; but instead of Zich¡¯s body, the stgmite pierced the air. Zich struck down the ends of the two-meter stgmite that now looked as if it had lost its aim and spirit.

    ¡°You seem to be out of your mind, but do you think you will be fine after attacking me?¡±

    Zich smiled. Even the senseless Snoc twitched at the menacing smile.

    ¡°Now that I¡¯ve received an attack, I guess I can go back to my original goal.¡±

    The reason why Zich hade to Suol was to do the kind act of eliminating the Earth¡¯s Tyrant, Nowem.

    ¡°Since we know each other, if you gain your senses back in the middle of the fight, I will stop. So¡ª¡±

    Crumble!

    As Zich moved his feet, the stgmite crumbled. Simultaneously, Zich¡¯s new power shot out like arrows.

    ¡°If you don¡¯t want anything terrible to happen to you, quickly regain your senses!¡±

    Zich mped down his sword.

    Taaang!

    It was a deep, clear ring. The power of the mana-imbued sword went beyond imagination. However, it failed to inflict any damage to Snoc.

    Screech! Screech!

    The sword¡¯s edge scratched the stone and made disturbing noises. A rock barrier burst out from the ground and blocked Zich¡¯s sword in front of Snoc. But Zich expected it and he ced more pressure into his grip and poured mana into his sword.

    Crack!

    The wall exploded. Between the flying stone pieces and a cloud of dust, he saw Snoc¡¯s surprised face. It seemed as if Snoc didn¡¯t expect the wall to break so easily. Then, with one of his fingers on his free hand, he flicked one of the scattering stones.

    Push!

    ¡°Urgh!¡±

    A small stone pierced right into Snoc¡¯s stomach. Snoc backed off while spitting out painful groans.

    ¡®His durability has risen considerably.¡¯

    It wasn¡¯t a force that a normal person could¡¯ve endured. Honestly, Zich had flicked the stone thinking that it didn¡¯t matter if the stone prated through Snoc¡¯s stomach.

    ¡°Kuuaaaah!¡±

    Snoc raised his hand.

    Craaaaash!

    The ground below Zich exploded. Grains of soil andrge stones flew in all directions andid waste to their surroundings. Zich backed off while swinging his sword.

    Ttatatatang!

    Zich used a high-level skill. For the small stones and sand that flew towards him, Zich made moving wind currents to block them, and for the bigger rocks, he individually blocked each one of them. Then, he used the ¡®Air Piercing¡¯ skill to shoot bursts of air at Snoc.

    Push!

    ¡°Urgh!¡±

    The force pierced a hole into Snoc¡¯s shoulders, and blood spurted out. Now, there were more holes in his body. Snoc pulled up a boulder to stop Zich''s attacks, but he still gained two more holes.

    ¡®He¡¯s weak.¡¯

    Zich tilted his head sideways at Snoc who was struggling to fight back with his head hanging low. Considering how he gained the title of the Earth¡¯s Tyrant, he was way too weak.

    ¡®Is this guy really¡­¡¯

    Zich began to doubt the existence of the Earth¡¯s Tyrant.

    Craaash!

    Stgmite shot up under his feet again.

    Crumble!

    Zich stepped on the stgmite with his feet and crushed it. He blocked Snoc''s attacks with more ease than before, and it looked like Snoc had no chance of winning. On the other hand, Zich realized something as he looked at the stgmite¡¯s broken parts.

    ¡®The force is greater.¡¯

    The stgmite¡¯s speed and hardiness were superior to the ones before. Zich¡¯s feet felt numb after breaking the stgmite.

    ¡®He is getting stronger.¡¯

    The speed at which Snoc was bing stronger was extraordinary. This was probably how the Earth¡¯s Tyrant formed; it also meant that it was better to end him before he became stronger. Zich swung his sword.

    Snoc stationed a stone barrier as a defense again, but it didn¡¯t work. Zich¡¯s sword cut through the wall like mud and moved forward.

    Craaash!

    Zich¡¯s sword, which aimed for Snoc¡¯s neck, stopped in its tracks. The sword had been blocked by another sword, enveloped by a piercing bloodlust.

    ¡°Life should be cherished. Don¡¯t you know that you¡¯ll go to Hell if you kill others recklessly?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not something a guy like you should say,¡± Zich said while looking at the leader of the group of assassins that kidnapped Snoc.

 Chapter 48

    <h4>Chapter 48</h4>

    Screeeech!

    Two swords fiercelypeted against each other in strength. Both of the mana-filled swords continued to seek the slightest opportunity to slice their opponent¡¯s neck off.

    ¡°It seems like all my underlings are dead. Are they all dead?¡± the man asked.

    ¡°Did you honestly think that they would still be alive with their level of skills?¡±

    ¡°No, I know better. I should¡¯ve expected it from people I picked out in a hurry.¡±

    Tang!

    Zich and the man pushed each other¡¯s swords and increased the distance between them. It was a brief confrontation. Zich nced at Snoc for a moment and then looked directly at the man.

    ¡°I am asking to make sure. You are the one who made Snoc like that, right?¡±

    ¡°Didn¡¯t I do well, sir?¡±

    Like he was proud, the man ced his hands on his waist, puffed up his chest, and assumed an air of confidence.

    ¡°You know, our friend here is quite the shy guy. So, I went out of my way to do him a favor. I was worried that he might not be satisfied.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t be so humble. He seems to be satisfied by the way he is literally exploding in confidence. Well, I just asked because I was curious about why he suddenly became so confident about himself.¡±

    In a potentially dangerous situation, they spurred out bloodlust, but it almost felt as if they were engaging in a calm and joyful conversation.

    ¡°There are very few ways to instantly boost a normal person¡¯s self-esteem, especially someone who has been mining all their life. Since he is not holding anything, it doesn¡¯t seem like you handed him a magical sword or anything like that. There¡¯s a high chance that somebody poured power into his body or fused another being into him. Back then, I saw that even though he lost his senses, his use of his new power didn¡¯t seem awkward or stiff, which suggests that thetter is right. What did you put inside him?¡±

    ¡°You have a wide spectrum of knowledge, sir.¡±

    The man pretended to be calm even when Zich deduced the answer from just the situation around him. His wariness about Zich increased one level higher.

    ¡°Rather thanpliments, I would like you to satisfy my curiosity.¡±

    ¡°Do you perhaps know a man named Drew?¡±

    The man answered with a question, and Zich nodded.

    Zich answered, ¡°Since he didn¡¯t seem to know his ce, I taught him a lesson with my fists. But don¡¯t worry; everything¡¯s been resolved, and I don¡¯t hold a grudge against him.¡±

    ¡®I found him! The unknown variable!¡¯

    Considering Zich¡¯s formidable skills and his constant interference with their ns, the man had just guessed. The man was d that he finally found the person he had been looking for and a feeling of loathing rose up inside his heart.

    ¡°Thank you for your answer. I also want to answer your question in return, but unfortunately, I can¡¯t satisfy your curiosity. We have to make a living too.¡±

    ¡°Hm, I can¡¯t keep asking questions if you say that, since making a living is an important matter.¡±

    ¡°I do like people who are understanding. I bet you are quite popr, right?¡±

    ¡°Ah, it¡¯s embarrassing, but I can¡¯t deny that. If I count all the people who follow me, assuming that they like me, it¡¯s enough to fill this whole mine.¡±

    ¡°Wow! Of course! I thought your appearance was brilliant, but as expected, you are well liked!¡±

    ¡°Hahaha! I don¡¯t know what to do myself with all your ttery. But let¡¯s go onto the next topic. I don¡¯t want to give Snoc more time to get stronger.¡±

    Zich¡¯s smile changed from bright to serious.

    ¡°Oh, dear! That¡¯s heartless. Were you lying about having a generous heart? I feel like my faith in you has been shattered a bit.¡±

    ¡°Sorry for disappointing you. But I just got the answer to myst bit of curiosity.¡±

    Zich¡¯s eyes moved to Snoc.

    ¡°His body regenerated. The only thing that can fuse with a human is a magical beast or a spirit. A spirit without a body doesn¡¯t increase one¡¯s regenerative skills. Seeing how it gives regenerative abilities to its host, it seems like the object of the fuse is a magical beast; and the energy it spouts out shows that it¡¯s a beast rted to the earth. And now that I think about it, isn¡¯t there a legend about a mining monster that lives in Iruce Mine?¡±

    Zich¡¯s eyes shone.

    ¡°It must be him.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    The man couldn¡¯t respond this time.

    ¡®Who is this person¡­?¡¯

    With only a few pieces of information, Zich hit the mark. The man knew Zich was a formidable variable who thwarted his ns, but he didn¡¯t expect Zich to be so perceptive. However, his surprise didn¡¯t end there.

    ¡°Is Nowem that magical beast¡¯s name?¡±

    ¡°¡­!¡±

    ¡°I must be right!¡±

    Now, Zich knew why the man had called Snoc with the title, Nowem. But in contrast to Zich, the man had more questions now. From what he knew, after Snoc named the beast of the earth as Nowem, he didn¡¯t tell anyone about it. The man also wouldn¡¯t have known if it wasn¡¯t for the information he got from his organization.

    Yet, Zich said everything in a matter-of-fact tone. Simr to how his underlings were astonished when Zich mentioned the name: ¡®The Tyrant of the Earth, Nowem,¡¯ the man also found it difficult to repress his shock.

    ¡®I must extract information from him!¡¯

    He thought Zich was simply an unknown variable who distorted their ns, but now Zich was a mysterious human who held important information.

    ¡°Then may I ask where you got this information?¡± the man asked while raising his sword.

    ¡°Sorry, but this is also a problem rted to my living. I can¡¯t just tell you.¡±

    ¡°Is that so? Then I guess it can¡¯t be helped.¡±

    The man shrugged.

    ¡°Let¡¯s talk with our swords.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m all for that. Snoc seems to have also finished his regeneration, so I guess he can join us.¡±

    Using Snoc¡¯s shriek as the signal, they swung their swords. In front of the mine¡¯s entrance, the battlemenced again.

    * * *

    It was a three-way battle at the mine. The man tried to only attack Zich, but Snoc attacked recklessly without caring whether his opponent was Zich or the man. Everything was fine until that point. Unlike the other two who tried to defeat everyone else but themselves, the man¡¯s sole target was Zich. The man thought he could block Snoc¡¯s attacks with low effort and focus most of his attention on Zich. However, he quickly found out that he had underestimated Zich¡¯s powers.

    ¡®This bastard is used to three-way battles! No, should I say that he is used to dog fights?¡¯

    As soon as he realized that Snoc wasn¡¯t on the man¡¯s side, Zich lightly bounced off Snoc¡¯s attacks to the man or purposefully induced Snoc to sh with him. The man tried to resist Snoc¡¯s attacks, but Zich¡¯s swords skillfully guided Snoc¡¯s attacks to collide with the man. On top of that, Snoc¡¯s attacks grew stronger and sharper, so they were bing harder to block.

    ¡®He¡¯s still young.¡¯

    The man nced at Zich¡¯s face. Zich¡¯s face looked youthful, and it was a wonder how he could possess such skill and proficiency at such a young age.

    However, even Zich wasn¡¯t thatposed. The man¡¯s skills were noteworthy, and Snoc¡¯s strength was continuing to increase.

    Craaash!

    All of their attacks collided in one area and created an explosion. The three created more distance between each other.

    ¡°I will admit it. You are really amazing.¡±

    The man pped lightly at Zich.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t think I would meet such a troublesome fellow on a mission that I took in my free time.¡±

    ¡°You won¡¯t get anything even if youpliment me.¡±

    ¡°I am telling you the truth. It¡¯s very rare for a master of lies like me to express my feelings so truthfully. That¡¯s how impressive you are. Yes, enough to make your capture take precedence over my mission.¡±

    At that moment, the man¡¯s aura changed. It wasn¡¯t that he became stronger; it was just that with his change of heart, the aura he exuded also changed.

    ¡°Kooooo!¡±

    Snoc seemed to also feel the difference. Since he moved instinctively now, Snoc might have be more sensitive to changes in people¡¯s spirits.

    ¡°Ah, I really hate using this.¡±

    Wiiing!

    Strong energy poured out of the man¡¯s body, and Snoc¡¯s body shuddered while Zich¡¯s expression stiffened. The surrounding mana circled the man.

    Rustle! Rustle!

    The robe that tightly wrapped around the man¡¯s body puffed up. It looked like he was forcefully putting muscles inside ayer of skin, and the robe ripped apart and revealed the man¡¯s face. The man¡¯s face was finally out in the open, but his appearance wasn¡¯t helpful in figuring out his identity. This was because the man''s face had changed so much that he looked like a monster.

    ¡°Huff! Huff!¡±

    The man gasped. As if to check the sess of his transformation, he moved his body in an exaggerated way.

    ¡°Your stunt is good. Are you from the circus?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not from the circus, but after I retire, I am thinking about starting a new career there. How is it? Isn¡¯t this quite a talent?¡±

    The man¡¯s tone was light, but his voice was considerably rougher. The contrast in his tone and voice stressed the man¡¯s overwhelming presence.

    ¡°Ku-Kuaaaaaaah!¡±

    Snoc ran towards the man. His movements looked like he was trying to rule out the danger that suddenly appeared in front of him. Stone pieces shot up and wrapped around Snoc¡¯s arms, and his arms looked like those of a stone giant.

    ¡°Hm, I don¡¯t want to hurt you since you are the result of my struggles, but¡­¡±

    The man avoided Snoc¡¯s arm and pierced Snoc¡¯s insides.

    ¡°I have someone more important than you now.¡±

    Punch!

    The man¡¯s arms hit Snoc¡¯s stomach. Although Snoc covered his stomach with rocks like armor in that short amount of time, the man¡¯s punch was strong enough to rip apart the armor and send Snoc flying.

    ¡°Kuaaaaah!¡±

    With a painful scream, Snoc disappeared far away. Judging by the trajectory, it seemed like he fell somewhere in the middle of the mountain.

    ¡°Okay, now that our hindrance is gone, let¡¯s enjoy our sweet time fighting.¡±

    ¡°Will that be all right? I thought you went through a lot of trouble to make that guy.¡±

    ¡°What can I do when you are stealing all my interest away? Also, he is all right. He won¡¯t die from that much, and he can heal most wounds. And since he doesn¡¯t have his own will, he will be waiting there until I take care of you and go look for him. Of course, all of this is considering that he doesn¡¯t meet anyone.¡±

    ¡°And after you take care of him, will you guide him to Suol?¡±

    ¡°Ding-ding! Your mental sharpness is out of this world. Do you have any thoughts about joining us? I think you will be able to climb up positions really fast in our organization.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not my style to serve another person, so I will have to decline your offer.¡±

    ¡°Oh, I got rejected. How sad. Then, I guess I should let out this pent-up anger.¡±

    * * *

    Hans felt troubled as he stared at the mountain top. At his side, Sam looked anxious. To check the Iruce Mine, they were climbing the mountain. Since monsters hadn''t prated the area yet and wild beasts didn¡¯t pose a threat to Hans, they climbed up the mountain with ease.

    When they reached the mountain top, they suddenly felt amotion. It was apparent that there was a battle going on, and Hans immediately recalled Zich who had abruptly run out of the room.

    ¡®I feel like Sir Zich is involved.¡¯

    Hans thought that was very likely. Now, the problem was what they should do. They both heard shrieks from the mine, and Hans felt it was out of the question to bring Sam to a ce like that. He wondered whether he should guide Sam back to the city or leave Sam here for him to run to the battlefield where Zich was. He thought for a bit longer and quickly made up his mind.

    ¡®Considering Sir Zich¡¯s skills, I will just be a bother if I try to go help. Even if I participated in the battle, wouldn¡¯t it be better to ensure Mr. Sam¡¯s safety first?¡¯

    Hans made his decision and was about to tell Sam to go back down when something fell from the sky.

    Crash! Craaash! Bam!

    The figure broke off a couple of tree branches andnded with a huge collision sound.

    ng!

    Hans unsheathed his sword instinctively and stood guard against the object. His natural movement highlighted the results of his strenuous training.

    A human fell in front of them. Parts of his body were twisted from the fall, and it was evident that the person had suffered significant injuries; however, the person got up like nothing was wrong with him. His movements, which reminded the duo of a zombie¡¯s, caused goosebumps on their skin. Then, Sam brought the torch closer to the person, and the light revealed who the figure was.

    ¡°¡­Snoc?¡± Sam¡¯s surprised voice spread across the mountainside.

 Chapter 49

    <h4>Chapter 49</h4>

    Before he transformed, the man had attacked Zich and Snoc with a fighting style that was clear and precise but full of bloodthirst. However, after his transformation, his fighting stylepletely changed. He threw away his sword to the side as if it was a small stick and began fighting with only his body. There were no skills or techniques involved. He only used speed, power, and his tough skin¡ªbut with just these physical characteristics, he was able to drive Zich to a corner.

    Crashhh!

    The man tried to punch Zich but hit the ground instead. Rock pieces flew everywhere, and there was a huge dent in the rock. Zich, who managed to evade the man¡¯s attack, distanced himself from the man.

    Crunch!

    The man stepped hard on the ground. His footsteps formed deep indentations on the rocks, and his body flew as if a ballista had thrown his body into the air.

    Whish!

    The man spread his palms and made some wide movements. His attacks were rudimentary and full of gaps. But the strength and speed of his massive arms far exceededmon sense.

    Zich raised his sword to block the man¡¯s attack.

    mmm!

    The sound of a sword sharply shing against human skin rang across the cave; it was hard to believe that it was the sound of a sword on human skin. Moreover, Zich¡¯s sword began to bend from his opponent¡¯s sheer strength, and he had to quickly focus on fusing mana into his wrists.

    Punch!

    The man was able to sessfully push back Zich¡¯s sword and hit Zich¡¯s forearms. As if he was a broken puppet doll, Zich¡¯s body flew to the side.

    Slip!

    Zich lost his center of gravity, but he managed tond on his two feet with rtive ease. He fixed his posture.

    Throb!

    His arm that got punched ached. Zich tried moving his arms a few times.

    ¡®It¡¯s just a bruise.¡¯

    None of his bones were broken, and the pain from his arm was not so great that it would affect the flow of battle. However, the only reason why his arm didn¡¯t break was because he protected himself with mana at thest second. If he hadn¡¯t defended himself with mana, not only would his arm be broken, but several of his ribs would be broken too. Moreover, if he got hit in the same ce multiple times, no amount of mana would prevent him from getting severly injured.

    ¡®For now, this dude is stronger than me.¡¯

    Zich had no problem admitting this.

    ¡®What is that? It¡¯s a skill that I¡¯ve never seen before. I¡¯ve seen skills that increase strength before, but never as great as this. No, is this even a skill?¡¯

    Even if it was not a skill, Zich was sure that he had never seen something like this.

    ¡°What is that?¡± Zich just decided to ask outright.

    ¡°Fufufu! Are you beginning to feel afraid?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m just curious because I¡¯ve never seen such a skill. Is that even a skill?¡±

    ¡°Of course, it¡¯s a skill. If you are so curious, why don¡¯t you try joining our organization? You will not only be able to satisfy your curiosity, but you will be able to make this skill yours.¡±

    The man still hadn¡¯t given up on recruiting Zich, but Zich snorted, ¡°Why would I learn a skill that so obviously uses your own life force? I can get much stronger without depending on such skills.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sure that¡¯s true for someone like you.¡±

    Even though Zich was young, the man was forced to use this technique to assure his victory. He could not imagine just how strong Zich would get when he got older.

    However¡­

    ¡°But that¡¯s only true if you manage to get out of here alive.¡±

    The man had no intentions to let Zich go. Zich felt annoyed at the man¡¯s absolute confidence over his victory.

    ¡°Okay, I admit it. Your strength is definitely above mine right now.¡±

    Zich was not afraid to ept the reality of his situation, but that was all there was to it.

    ¡°Don¡¯t you think it¡¯s too early to be assured of your victory just yet?¡±

    Before he regressed, Zich had fought countless battles. He had fought one-on-one battles,rge-scale battles, and battles where he had to fight multiple enemies at once. There were times when he fought with people weaker than him, simr to him, and even stronger than him. But all of his battles had ended with the same result¡ª

    With hisplete victory.

    ¡®This is not even a dangerous situation.¡¯

    Considering all the suffering he had to endure until he gained the title, ¡®The Demon Lord of Strength,¡¯ this didn¡¯t even count as a dangerous situation.

    ¡°I guess your confidence is still the same.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m too much of a genius to lose just because you were able to improve your skills a little bit.¡±

    ¡°I like people who are confident, but people who are arrogant are not my style.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not arrogance. I¡¯m only speaking the truth.¡±

    ¡°Okay. Then let¡¯s see whether or not you are confident or arrogant.¡±

    The man¡¯s attack was like a missile. He merely pushed out his arms or legs and sometimes made attacks with his elbows or knees. Because it was hard to withstand his strength, Zich evaded most of the man¡¯s attacks. However, the man¡¯s speed pressured Zich more and more as time passed on. The few attacks Zich managed to inflict bounced off the man¡¯s tough skin.

    From a nce, Zich was being driven to a corner. Bruises and cuts kept piling upon his body.

    ¡°What are you doing? Is it really arrogance? It looks like you will be in trouble if you don¡¯t start showing something new.¡±

    The man mocked Zich. So far, Zich had not shown proper retaliation ever since his confident words about how a genius like him wouldn¡¯t lose. After returning the man¡¯s sarcasm with jokes, Zich was now silent and didn¡¯t reply. The man judged that Zich didn¡¯t even have the leisure to reply.

    ¡°I expected more from you, but I guess this is it. Well, you worked hard. Considering your age, you did really well. I am honestly surprised. The only thing youck is time, but what can you do? The world is unfair.¡±

    The man was going to make sure Zich never reached his full potential. After he tortured and medicated Zich to get information about how he knew about Nowem and their transfusion, time would no longer pass for Zich.

    ¡°I hope you reflect on yourself in that short amount of time before you die. Youth is all about progress¡ª¡±

    ¡°You talk too much.¡± Zich finally opened his mouth to speak.

    ¡°Oh? You can talk now? I thought you became mute because you didn¡¯t say anything. No matter how dire your situation is, isn¡¯t it basic manners to reply when someone is talking?¡±

    ¡°I apologize. It¡¯s because it took me a while to prepare. My control over my mana is stillcking, so I need to concentrate a lot.¡±

    ¡°Prepare?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. Preparation to destroy you.¡±

    The manughed as if Zich¡¯s words were so ridiculous¡ªhe found them funny.

    ¡°Ahahahah! Have you still not woken up from your dream? That¡¯s great! Let¡¯s look at what you so carefully prepared!¡±

    Crashhh!

    The man moved straight towards Zich. It was a blunt and simple move, but the force of his movement was enormous. If Zich made even the slightest contact, several of his bones would break instantly. Compared to the man, Zich¡¯s retaliation was frail and also very simple. A sword with barely any strength or force weakly pointed towards the man.

    It was not even worth the man¡¯s time to defend. The man ignored the sword on him and raised his fists up tond a punch.

    Bang!

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    The man let out a surprised cry as a blood bath erupted forth in front of him. He hadn¡¯t even hit Zich yet, but why was so much blooding out?

    He blinked his eyes several times. Everything felt unreal, but when he lifted his arm up, the pain forced him to face reality.

    ¡°Ughh!¡±

    The man cried and grabbed onto his arms. Blood began to pour out like a river from his rock-hard body. As if his arm burst from the inside, the arm that had tried to hit Zich was caved in. The man quickly withdrew due to his unexpected injury. Seeing that his army limp on his side, he could tell that this was noughing matter.

    With great enjoyment, Zich watched the man fall into a state of shock and put his sword on his shoulders with ease.

    ¡°How is it? Do you like it?¡±

    ¡°H-How¡­!¡±

    Zich¡¯s attack was a weak stab, but it pierced the man¡¯s armpletely. No, not pierced but exploded his arm.

    ¡°It¡¯s called ¡®mana resonance.¡¯¡± Zich spoke as if mana resonance was not a big deal, but it was no small feat to be able to use it.

    The concept of mana resonance began with the theory of ¡®sensory expansion.¡¯ By infusing the sword with one¡¯s own mana, one could control it like it was a part of oneself. But Zich¡¯s ¡®sensory expansion¡¯ went beyond his control of the sword. His control range went far past his weapon¡ª

    To even reach his opponent¡¯s body.

    ¡°What kind of nonsense are you saying¡­!¡±

    The man could not believe Zich¡¯s words. He could not help it. What Zich was saying was too unbelievable¡ªbecause this meant that Zich could control his opponents by merely touching them with his sword!

    ¡°That¡¯s impossible!¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s possible.¡±

    Zich stabbed the man¡¯s other arm. The man quickly tried to evade the attack, but he was too slow. He was still recovering from his injury and the shock of Zich¡¯s words.

    Bang!

    ¡°Ugh!¡±

    The man¡¯s other arm exploded.

    ¡°Right now, I don¡¯t have that much control of my mana, so I have to stab the same area many times to get it going, but once I establish my mana resonance there, it¡¯s all too easy to burst you like this.¡±

    ¡®To think about it, this bastard only kept attacking me in the same spot¡­!¡¯

    The man thought this was Zich¡¯s desperate ploy to pierce his tough skin. He did not imagine that it was Zich¡¯s attempt to gain control of his mana flow.

    ¡°I can¡¯t use this attack on people who are skilled at mana control, but you are nowhere near that level. Moreover, this attack is great on people who only know how to burst out mana like you.¡±

    For that reason, Zich was able to easily get in contact with the manaing off the man¡¯s skin. After instilling mana resonance, Zich could make the man¡¯s mana explode inside of him. Since all of the man¡¯s extraordinary strength and speed came from his mana, once the mana flow flipped over to Zich¡¯s control, the man waspletely helpless against Zich¡¯s attacks.

    Zich continued to stab the same area. The man¡¯s body continued to explode, and after a few moments, the man¡¯s entire body turned into rags.

    ¡°Cough!¡±

    The man coughed out blood. His bluish and paleplexion indicated how severe his condition was. But even in this condition, the man looked as if he was unable to ept his situation.

    ¡®I can understand why.¡¯

    Mana resonance was one of Zich¡¯s most notorious skills. There was no skill greater than this to crush the spirits of guys who believed in their strong defense and send them to hell. However, Zich was not pleased that he was forced to use this skill.

    ¡®If I had full control over my mana, I could have just crushed him with sheer strength.¡¯

    Zich stopped reminiscing and focused his attention back to the man.

    ¡°I¡¯m curious about a few things. Can you answer some of my questions?¡±

    Zich was curious about the man¡¯s identity and his organization. He wanted to learn more about the mysterious organization that used skills he had never seen before, but the man snorted and replied coldly. He dropped his use of honorifics.

    ¡°You think I will tell you?¡±

    ¡°No.¡±

    Zich knew that people like him would not reply even with torture. If he had known this about the man, Zich would have saved some of his underlings to get some information.

    ¡°I can¡¯t tell you about my identity or tell you anything about Snoc.¡±

    ¡°Ah, you don¡¯t have to tell me anything about Snoc.¡±

    ¡°If you try to force a transfusion with a magical beast and a person, a normal person¡¯s body willpletely copse. However, Snoc¡¯s body even healed from the transfusion. This can only mean that Snoc¡¯s fundamental mana properties are extremelypatible with the magical beast¡¯s properties. I¡¯m sure Snoc¡¯s mana is very close to the earth.¡±

    Zich continued his analysis, ¡°In that case, even if you force a transfusion, Snoc¡¯s body won¡¯t explode. But I¡¯m sure you yed a part in the transfusion. You probably shook up his mentality, didn¡¯t you?¡±

    Zich shrugged his shoulders.

    ¡°Since you mentioned Drew before, he must have also been part of your n. No wonder I witnessed such a funny sight like an adventurer epting a disciple.¡±

    The man could not help but let out a low murmur, ¡°You fucking bastard.¡±

 Chapter 50

    <h4>Chapter 50</h4>

    ¡°Thank you for thepliment. As thanks, I will gift you a piece of information on your way to Hell.¡±

    Zich bent one of his knees and met the man¡¯s eyes.

    ¡°You might not believe me, but I am trying to live a kind life. No matter how much I think about it, you guys are the bad guys, and you also attacked me.¡±

    They were bad guys who antagonized him, and for Zich who tried to live a kind life after his regression, he needed to kill them at all costs.

    ¡°So, I n to wander around the world to find people in your organization. And I will send each and every one of them to your side. How does that sound? You won¡¯t get lonely in Hell then.¡±

    ¡°Your post-death service seems to be on-point. But would you actually be able to do that? If you be our organization¡¯s enemy, you will quickly join me in Hell.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a pity that I can¡¯t make a bet with you about that. Even if you told me to swear on the whole world, I would have done it.¡±

    ¡°I pray that you¡¯ll always remember those words so that once the timees, you¡¯ll feel fear to your very core.¡±

    ¡°I will keep your words in my mind. Then, let¡¯s say our farewells. I must go to Snoc quickly. Whether I stop or save him, it¡¯s better the faster I go.¡±

    ¡°Save? That guy?¡± The man chuckled. ¡°It¡¯s impossible to save him. Ah, I think I know what you are thinking. Since I forcefully fused them together, do you think that if he just makes a contract with Nowem, he will return back to normal? But Snoc will never be able to ept Nowem. Even if he goes over that huddle, there¡¯ll be another huddle for him to go over. That¡¯s his fate that was decided before we formted this n.¡±

    ¡°Fate? That¡¯s a good word. It¡¯s a word that I really like to crush.¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s see you try.¡±

    ¡°I will try.¡± After saying these words, Zich swung his sword. He aimed his sword straight at the man¡¯s neck.

    Slice!

    The man¡¯s head went flying high up in the air and then fell and rolled on the ground. Was the man teasing him until the end? His head rolled to Zich¡¯s feet and stopped as if the man was looking up at him. The man¡¯s face was smiling widely; it was as if he was sending his chilling intentions tough at him even after death.

    It could have be a trauma for ordinary people, and even for brave souls, it would have made them feel ufortable or unpleasant. However, Zich was indifferent. Inparison to many of the things he experienced in his life, this wasn¡¯t even considered a curse.

    Kick!

    Zich kicked the man¡¯s head as if he was kicking a ball, and the battle ended like that.

    ¡®Then should I go looking for Snoc?¡¯

    Zich widened his senses. Because the man¡¯s transformed state had been far superior to him in sheer strength, Zich hadn¡¯t been able to spread out his senses. He had to focus all his attention on the man; thus, unlike usual, Zich couldn¡¯t check his surroundings.

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    He sensed a presence that had recently regenerated; it was an absurd and contradictory presence that felt familiar yet unfamiliar. It was Snoc. Feeling the earth¡¯s energy pouring out of him, it was definitely him. The problem was that there were two other presences besides Snoc.

    ¡®Why are they here?¡¯

    After listening carefully, he heard battle sounds from far away. Zich began to move towards them.

    * * *

    Even though it was such a bizarre happening, Hans couldn¡¯t process the significance of seeing a person he knew drop down dead center in a barren mountain in the middle of the night. But in a way, it was understandable. Hans couldn¡¯t afford to assess the situation.

    Craash!

    A boulder came flying his way. The rock was 0.5 times bigger than an average person. A person who was directly hit by that would obviously suffer grave consequences. Hans bit his lips and straightened his sword.

    ¡°Haaa!¡±

    With a shout, he swung his sword at the stone piece.

    Slice!

    Although his hands felt slightly numb, he was able to sessfully cut the boulder. The boulder, which split into two pieces, fell on either side of him.

    Rumble! Rumble!

    He heard vibrations that were strong enough to shake the mountain. However, Hans didn¡¯t even have the time to focus on that and blocked the next attack.

    Pop!

    It was a colossal stgmite this time. Sharp stgmite shot up from the ground and surged forward like spears sticking into their enemies.

    ¡®Damn!¡¯

    His heart thumped. Still, Hans calmed his emotions and sliced the stgmitesing his way. ¡®Don¡¯t panic no matter the situation¡¯¡ªit was what Zich had told him while forcing Hans into all kinds of adverse scenarios under the guise of training.

    During training, Hans felt great resentment towards Zich for making him go through so many hardships, but as a result, he was able to maintain a surprising level ofposure; and that element allowed Hans to show 100% of his skills.

    ¡®Damn! Now, I won¡¯t even be able to insult him in my mind.¡¯

    Since he experienced the result of his training first-hand, he couldn¡¯tin about it anymore. While he was thinking this, his body moved. His movements were fluid, making it hard to believe that he had lived a life far away from swordsmanship or physical work just recently. However, that didn¡¯t mean that he was at an advantage.

    Thanks to Zich¡¯s harsh training and Hans¡¯ natural talent, Hans was able to block Snoc¡¯s attacks. However, Snoc wasn¡¯t an easy opponent. Although Snoc¡¯s attacks were rough and simply based on instincts, thebination of Snoc and Nowem¡¯s natural mana created a convergence of powers that was truly formidable. Besides, Hans had an additional burden to consider.

    Buurst!

    The ground rose up like waves. A massive mass of dirt came upon Hans like a violent wave.

    ¡®Shit!¡¯

    After judging that he couldn¡¯t block this attack with a sword, Hans tried to quickly escape the area. However, there was another person he had to consider.

    ¡°Grab tight!¡±

    Hans carried Sam like a piece of luggage and backed off in a hurry.

    Craaash!

    A heap of soil swept over the area where Hans was standing. However, as if it wasn¡¯t satisfied by that, the earth rushed over the ground like a tsunami and chased after them. If he had been by himself, Hans would have been able to move effortlessly with little mana, but with the addition of Sam¡¯s weight, his mana consumption increased by several folds.

    He had no choice but to pour in more mana in his legs and increase his distance. He tried to let Sam escape many times, but for some unknown reason, Snoc also kept ruthlessly attacking Sam without exception.

    ¡°Snoc! What are you doing? Stop! It¡¯s me! Sam!¡±

    While hanging onto Hans¡¯ shoulders, Sam screamed out to Snoc. Sam also felt like he was going crazy since Snoc, who he cared for like a brother, gained a strange power and was trying to kill him. Yet, all he could do was yell at Snoc while Hans protected him.

    ¡°Kuuaaaaaah!¡±

    All that came back to him were Snoc¡¯s beast-like cries and his merciless attacks. Hans dodged with his head and flung away stone pieces that came flying in his direction.

    ¡®I think it will be hard for me to escape while carrying Sam. But I can¡¯t just throw him away as bait to make my escape.¡¯

    Hans¡¯ sense of justice didn¡¯t allow it.

    ¡®I can¡¯t do much but hope that Sir Zich will sense this battle ande rushing here.¡¯

    Hans didn¡¯t even want to think about a situation where Zich wasn¡¯t nearby or failed to sense them. Surprisingly, it didn¡¯t even cross Hans¡¯ mind that Zich might lose the battle.

    Crash!

    Hans sliced a stone that was the size of a fist.

    ¡®Why is this my first actual battle without Sir Zich?¡¯

    Hans had to protect a civilian while facing an opponent with special power; hemented the fact that his luck must have run out ever since Zich broke his nose. Hans continued to block all of Snoc¡¯s attacks¡ªso well that even he was impressed by himself. Finally, his hard work was paying off.

    Craaaash!

    Turbulent waves of strong mana rushed in. After tormenting Hans in all kinds of ways, Snoc looked stunned. A mass pile of dirt rose in front of him; boulders formed a wall, and rocks clumped up together. However, a giant mass of mana squeezed into the barrier.

    Craash!

    An explosive sound swept over the area. Piles of dirt scattered away, stone walls split off into pieces, and clumps of stones broke away. Thest line of defense¡ªthe rock armor that Snoc had hurriedly wrapped around himself¡ªdisappeared at the mana¡¯s touch. However, these barriers didn¡¯t fully dissolve the mana¡¯s impact, and Snoc rolled on the ground.

    ¡°Why are you guys here?¡±

    It was a calm voice, indifferent to the feelings Hans felt while fighting with his life on the line. Something negative seemed to stir up inside Hans¡¯ heart; but Hans overlooked that feeling and recognized that he was more d than anything to see Zich.

    ¡°Sir Zich!¡±

    ¡°Zich!¡±

    Hans and Sam¡¯s voices ovepped. Their responses were like those of children who had reunited with their parents after a couple of decades. However, Zich didn¡¯t pay attention to their feelings and waved his hands.

    ¡°Yeah, yeah, it¡¯s me.¡±

    Zich ignored their sparkling eyes and stared at Snoc. He wondered why Sam and Hans were all the way out here, but he could always ask themter. Snoc was a more pressing problem.

    ¡°He is still out of control.¡±

    ¡°Out of control? Do you know why Snoc became like that?¡± Sam responded as Zich seemed to know something.

    ¡°He was mixed up in a troublesome matter. I came here after killing the guy who made Snoc like that.¡±

    ¡°What do you mean by a troublesome matter¡­ Snoc is just a miner! Why would he get mixed up in something like that?!¡±

    ¡°Sam, even if you live a normal life, it doesn¡¯t mean that you won¡¯t get dragged into troublesome matters. The people who usually cause these troublesome matters don¡¯t think about things like, ¡®I must not cause harm to others as much as possible.¡¯¡±

    Zich could say this with certainty as someone who used to instigate these ¡®troublesome matters.¡¯

    ¡°Furthermore, I think Snoc is not just a normal miner. He has talent.¡±

    ¡°A talent?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, talent. A quite remarkable one at that. That¡¯s a good enough reason to get mixed up into troubles.¡±

    A person with outstanding talent usually attracted attention from other people. Depending on the situation, they sometimes received bad or good attention; and unfortunately for Snoc, he had attracted bad attention this time.

    Sam was shocked to hear someone like Zich, who based his life on self-worth and pride, praise his childish, younger-brother; Snoc must possess something amazing for Zich to say that Snoc ¡®had talent.¡¯ But that wasn¡¯t the important issue now.

    ¡°Are you saying that Snoc became like that because of his talent?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s definitely a factor.¡±

    ¡°Then, can he ever return back to normal?¡±

    Even Zich couldn¡¯t give him a clear answer.

    ¡°I have something in mind. We have to do something about that magical beast of the earth that has been forcefully fused into him.¡±

    ¡°Beast of the earth?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s probably what you guys call the mining monster.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s just a legend¡­!¡±

    ¡°Among legends, there are some that are real and give people a real headache. This one is probably that case.¡±

    Zich fixed the grip on his sword. Snoc got up from his fall and exuded bloodlust.

    ¡°From now on, I am going to fight him so stay a good distance away. And Hans!¡±

    ¡°Yes, sir!¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know why you are protecting Sam here, but let me say a few words.¡±

    Was Zich angry at him for not protecting Sam properly? Or was he nning to scold him for not defeating Snoc? Hans nervously gulped his saliva back down. However, Hans did not receive criticism but a thumbs-up.

    ¡°Great job! Your response was amazing in a difficult battle where you had to protect a person while simultaneously fighting a tricky opponent! I will give you full marks for this battle!¡±

    For an entire minute, Hans couldn¡¯tprehend Zich¡¯s words. Zich''s words had beenpletely out of his expectations, but after processing what Zich said, Hans¡¯ face brightened up.

    ¡°T-Thank you, sir!¡±

 Chapter 51

    <h4>Chapter 51</h4>

    ¡°You have to protect Sam from afar. Just keep doing what you¡¯ve been doing.¡±

    ¡°Yes, sir!¡±

    Compliments were one of the best ways to motivate a person. Hans cast away all his worries and fears and poured all his passion into protecting Sam. The two moved to a safe distance, but because Sam was worried about Snoc, they couldn¡¯tpletely escape the battle area.

    Zich didn¡¯t chase them farther away. Zich could easily protect both Hans and Sam while fighting with Snoc; moreover, even if some of Snoc¡¯s attacks passed him, Hans could handle them. But most of all, Sam might be necessary to return Snoc back to normal.

    ¡®Well, you never know. A family member¡¯s voice could touch his heart or something like that.¡¯

    In the worst-case scenario, Zich would have to kill Snoc, and a family member could be with Snoc in his final moments.

    ¡°Kuuaaah!¡± Snoc cried, and his bloodlust spread out.

    ¡°Yeah. For someone who¡¯s lost his mind, you stayed quiet for a while.¡±

    Although he was wary of Zich like a cautious animal, Snoc couldn¡¯t stand it any longer. Zich raised his sword as Snoc ran towards him.

    ¡°To tell you the truth, I don¡¯t know how I can restore you back to normal. I¡¯m not sure if this will work. So¡ª¡±

    Punch!

    As he stepped on the rushing ground beneath him, Zich mmed his index finger on Snoc¡¯s cheeks and said, ¡°So let me beat you up until you are almost dead!¡±

    * * *

    When Snoc fought with Zich and the robed man in a three-way battle, they had fought on simr levels. However, the situation waspletely different now. On second thought, Zich thought it was absurd to even say that it had been a three-way battle; the robed man had strictly guarded against Zich and taken Snoc¡¯s side. Without the man, Snoc struggled to even keep his head up in a one-on-one battle with Zich.

    Pop!

    Stgmites shot up from below, and huge boulders fell from above. Zich snorted at the tricky attacks that came below and above him simultaneously.

    ¡°I¡¯m getting sick of this pattern.¡±

    Tong!

    By just elerating a bit, Zich evaded the attack and struck a punch on Snoc¡¯s face.

    Punch!

    ¡°Kuugh!¡±

    Snoc¡¯s face twisted irregrly. Even though rocks had wrapped over his skin like armor, Snoc wavered from the impact.

    Punch! Punch!

    With Zich¡¯s punches, the pieces of rocks on Snoc¡¯s body fell. If Zich had used his sword instead of his fists, the fight would have been finished a long time ago. Snoc widened their distance as if he was running away. As he moved away, stone pieces popped out from the ground and attached themselves to his feet.

    ¡°He wants to maintain his armor?¡±

    Snoc¡¯s body changed like a bulky golem. Except for his face, his whole body was surrounded by stones.

    ¡°Kuaaaah!¡±

    Crash!

    The stone armor was so heavy, Snoc crushed the ground wherever he walked.

    Thump! Thump!

    Two pairs of feet made dents on the ground. Just the sound of their movements was enough to make listeners pale in fair. However, Zich was calm.

    ¡°Amazing! Right now, you look like a dirt doll that children y with.¡±

    Of course, even if Zich had a kid in the future, he would never gift them a doll like that.

    Thump!

    Snoc approached Zich until they were a foot apart from each other.

    ¡°Krugh!¡±

    Snoc let out an odd shriek and swung a fist that was the size of a man.

    Swish!

    Before Snoc¡¯s fist hit him, the wind warned Zich of what wasing. Zich backed off exactly three steps.

    Craaash!

    Snoc¡¯s fist hit the barren ground, and Snoc desperately searched for Zich.

    Thump! Thump!

    He moved his feet and twisted his body. Considering his rock-hard armor, one would expect him to be stiff, but unexpectedly, Snoc¡¯s movements were smooth.

    ¡°Kuuuh! Kuuuh!¡±

    Snoc continued to throw attacks at Zich; he punched, kicked, or tried to grab onto him, but Zich evaded all of his attacks by a hair¡¯s breadth. Zich moved like a mosquito¡ªflying near him and moving just out of his reach¡ªand this infuriated Snoc. If he could just catch Zich, Snoc felt that he could one-sidedly beat up Zich, but Zich seemed to escape his grasp by a hair¡¯s breadth every single time.

    ¡°Kuuuuuah!¡±

    Crash!

    Snoc locked his fingers together and struck the ground. However, his movements had only increased in power and were clumsier than before, so none of themnded on Zich. Snoc continued to hit the ground with his fist again, but Zich used that chance to close the distance between him and Snoc.

    As if he was d to see that Zich was now closer, Snoc immediately responded. Trusting his rock-hard armor, Snoc didn¡¯t get into a defensive position. Instead, he moved his arms around Zich as if he was trying to hug and entrap Zich. His n was to break Zich in his embrace.

    ¡°If you only rely on the hardness of your armor, you are going to see some blood.¡±

    Swish!

    Zich swung his sword. Usually, his sword movements were smooth enough to slice the air, but he changed his sword style. He extended his senses to the ends of the sword and changed the shape of the mana he poured in. The ends and sides of the sword let out rough mana projections out into the surrounding air. Strings of air whirled around his sword as if they were clinging like a hem of thread; and each of the strings were sharpened with mana.

    Dozens of piercing winds flew towards Snoc.

    Whoosh!

    A small wisp of wind stroked his cheeks. However, that was only the beginning of Zich¡¯s violent assault.

    Slice! Slice! Slice! Slice!

    The thin strings of wind struck against Snoc¡¯s rock armor. Surprisingly, the hard armor split and cracked at each of the wind¡¯s strikes.

    Thump! Thump!

    Like discarded nutshell clumps on the floor, pieces of Snoc¡¯s armor fell apart and dropped to the ground. Thanks to Zich¡¯s precise control, the strings of wind didn¡¯t hit any of Snoc¡¯s vital areas; however, he showed no mercy to the rest of Snoc¡¯s body.

    Spurt!

    Blood spurted out all over Snoc¡¯s body.

    ¡°Kuuuuah!¡±

    When his whole armor was ripped away from his body, Snoc copsed to the ground. After the piercing winds passed him, he was only left with sharp wounds inscribed all over this body.

    ¡°Uh, that is, um¡­.!¡±

    Sam scuttled to his feet. Seeing Snoc¡¯s pitiful state, Sam wanted to stop Zich, but he couldn¡¯t since this was a battle that could determine Snoc¡¯s life or death. Indifferent to Sam¡¯s feelings, Zich approached Snoc.

    Snoc¡¯s wounds were deep. Crimson blood soaked into the ground and dyed the ground a new color. However, Snoc still hadn¡¯t lost his ability to fight.

    ¡®Even at this moment, he is healing himself.¡¯

    Light wounds disappeared, and deep wounds became lighter. In addition, the bloodlust that surrounded his body was still as sharp as ever.

    ¡®Hm. If I beat him more than this, I think he might really die.¡±

    Zich¡¯s first n of ¡®giving him a bunch of wounds to make him weak and turn his mind back to normal¡¯ failed. As if he was sticking a tree branch into a bug, Zich tried poking the ends of his sword into Snoc¡¯s body. Because Snoc responded strongly, Zich was disappointed that Snoc didn¡¯t be as weak as he wanted.

    ¡®Okay then, I will try n B.¡¯

    Although he made n B, it wasn¡¯t a method he really wanted to use, so Zich licked his lips. No matter how severe they were, physical wounds could be healed with high-quality potions or advanced priests.

    ¡®But there is no potion in the world that can heal psychological wounds.¡¯

    Wiiing!

    Zich¡¯s sword rang out. When a sword was filled up with mana, it usually rang, but this time, there was something different about it. Snoc also seemed to have noticed the difference and stared at Zich.

    ¡®Since it seems like he lost his senses after being psychologically attacked, I didn¡¯t want it toe down to this but...¡¯

    But what else could Zich do when his first n failed? Zich ced the ends of his sword into Snoc¡¯s head.

    ¡°Please don¡¯t be insane.¡±

    Tang!

    Zich pierced his sword into Snoc¡¯s head. No, it was more urate to say that he forced an image into Snoc¡¯s mind. Snoc felt as if his mind was shattering into fragments, and then his head slumped down.

    * * *

    Snoc felt as if he was dreaming a long dream. His senses began to rise, and his head became clearer and clearer. In contrast, his body drooped like it was filled up with water, and fatigue seeped into different parts of his muscles.

    ¡°Ah!¡±

    He felt like needles were piercing all over his body, and he let out a scream without meaning to. However, his scream was short; it wasn¡¯t because he wasn¡¯t in pain anymore. It was actually the opposite: he was in so much pain that it hurt to even scream.

    Snoc blinked back the tears that welled up in his eyes and looked in front of him.

    ¡°It¡¯s a sess.¡±

    He heard a very self-satisfied voice. He didn¡¯t know who it was or where it came from, but the voice was filled with pride over their sess.

    ¡®I think I know this voice.¡¯

    He had heard the voice before, and Snoc stared at the area.

    ¡°¡­Mr. Zich?¡±

    He saw a familiar face.

    ¡°How are you feeling?¡±

    ¡°What happened¡­?¡±

    ¡°Snoc!¡±

    Somebody shouted his name. He knew that voice too. Sam looked half-relieved and half-mournful; he looked ridiculous as he ran towards Snoc. Hans ran closely behind him. Sam hade running as soon as he saw Snoce back to his senses, but Zich blocked him froming any closer with his arms.

    ¡°Sorry buddy, but wait a bit more. It¡¯s not over yet.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not over? What is not over?¡±

    Snoc couldn¡¯t understand the current situation; he didn¡¯t know why he woke up inside a mountain in the middle of the night and why Zich, Sam, and Hans were surrounding him.

    ¡°Ok, Snoc. Let¡¯s assess the situation first. You were kidnapped. Do you remember that?¡±

    ¡°Kidnapped?¡±

    Snoc¡¯s head ached. After he heard the word ¡®kidnapped,¡¯ little bits of memories began toe back to him. He began to remember about the ck-robed man, the mine he was dragged into, and Nowem¡¯s real identity.

    Snoc began to fumble and squirm. He ripped apart his tattered clothes that had basically be rags and saw something embedded into his chest.

    ¡°It¡¯s a sealing stone.¡±

    Hans and Sam looked surprised, but Zich was not surprised.

    ¡®Did that man fuse Nowem into Snoc¡¯s body with the sealing stone?¡¯

    After seeing the sealing stone, many colorful expressions appeared and passed across Snoc¡¯s face: surprise, rage, despair, sadness, and all kinds of emotions appeared. However, thest one remaining was spite.

    Grab!

    Snoc grabbed the sealing stone with his hands and put force in his fingers. It looked as if he was trying to take it out.

    Kick!

    Zich blocked Snoc¡¯s arms with his feet.

    ¡°Wait. You probably can¡¯t even take it out, but even if you can, you shouldn¡¯t do that.¡±

    ¡°Then, how can I take this out?¡±

    As if it was a dirty bug, Snoc shuddered in disgust.

    ¡°That thing screwed inside your chest fuses you with the beast of the earth. While ignoring both of your wills, it forces you to merge with the beast. I don¡¯t know how to forcefully take it out, but if you make an official contract with the magical beast, it will automatically drop¡­¡±

    ¡°I refuse!¡± Snoc shouted. His rejection was firm and clear.

 Chapter 52

    <h4>Chapter 52</h4>

    ¡®Has ite down to this?¡¯

    Snoc¡¯s mana properties werepletely skewed towards the earth. Since he was able to use the magical beast¡¯s powers freely, it was natural that they would be highlypatible in personality and temperament. However, Snoc adamantly refused to form a contract.

    As Zich predicted, Snoc¡¯s mentality must have been greatly shaken up. He first tried to persuade Snoc gently.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know what exactly that man said to you, but it was part of his n to make you go berserk. There¡¯s a high possibility that he was the one who hired Drew to trick you.¡±

    When Zich mentioned Drew, Snoc flinched. Taking that as a good sign, Zich continued, ¡°He probably said stuff to form a drift between you and the magical beast, but you shouldn¡¯t take any of that to heart. It wouldn¡¯t be bad for you to make a contract with¡ª¡±

    ¡°No, I don¡¯t want to!¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Snoc was more stubborn than he predicted. It had been a while since Zich didn¡¯t know what to do. As Snoc¡¯s resistance continued, Sam intervened.

    ¡°What are you saying! This is not the time to act emotionally! Think of your safety first!¡±

    ¡°The only reason why you were able to get your consciousness back is because I made the berserk side of you faint. If your berserk side awakens, you will lose consciousness again.¡±

    Zich further supported Sam¡¯s words.

    ¡°Yeah, listen to him! You are still not safe!¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Snoc¡¯splexion grew pale; his trembling eyes revealed his troubled heart. But Snoc was still reluctant to make a formal contract.

    ¡®Is there something I¡¯m missing?¡¯

    Snoc¡¯s reaction was too intense for a simple misunderstanding. Even with Sam¡¯s constant pestering, Snoc maintained his silence and showed his unwillingness to form a contract.

    ¡®No, it seems like he doesn¡¯t know what to do.¡¯

    Zich tilted his head and continued to think.

    ¡®Just judging by his reaction, it¡¯s like I asked him to make a contract with his archnemeis who killed his parents or something¡ª!¡¯

    At that moment, Zich recalled several pieces of information.

    ¡®If Nowem is really the mining monster from the myth, he must have been sealed in the Iruce Mine. And he was released from the seal for some reason.¡¯

    Zich didn¡¯t know how Nowem was released, but that was not the important part. The important part was what happened after the seal was released.

    ¡®Since he is a magical beast of the earth, a lot of the earth¡¯s energy would have been stored inside the seal. Once the seal was broken, all of the energy inside of it must have been released at once.¡¯

    An earthquake probably happened as a result.

    ¡®Earthquakes are dangerous everywhere, but I¡¯m sure it¡¯s more dangerous inside a mine since the caves can copse.¡¯

    Zich tried to recall a conversation he had with Sam in the bar. Sam got drunk andmented to Zich about Snoc¡¯s sad life. It was then that Zich found out why Snoc hated working as a miner so much.

    ¡®If I recall properly, Snoc¡¯s dad died from a copsed mine shaft.¡¯

    What if the reason for the copse was because of Nowem¡¯s release? And what if the robed man mentally attacked Snoc with this information? No matter what the reason or direct cause was, Nowem had yed a critical part in the death of Snoc¡¯s father.

    ¡®If this is true, no wonder Snoc is acting like this.¡¯

    Zich foresaw a lot of difficulties in persuading Snoc.

    ¡°Hmmm¡­¡±

    To confirm his predictions, Zich began to question Snoc.

    ¡°Did the man who kidnapped you say that Nowem was the one who killed your father?¡±

    ¡°!!!¡±

    Snoc¡¯s eyes shook, and his shocked face confirmed Zich¡¯s thoughts.

    ¡®Your father¡¯s killer¡­ Hmmm, this is going to be hard.¡¯

    Zich looked towards Sam for guidance. However, Zich realized the situation had be even moreplicated when he saw that Sam¡¯s face waspletely frozen.

    ¡®Now that I remember it, Sam told me that his father also died in the same mine shaft that Snoc¡¯s father died in.¡¯

    Thatplicated the situation even more. To Snoc, Nowem not only caused his father to die but also his best friend¡¯s father to die. Zich could understand why Snoc was so adamant about not forming a contract with Nowem.

    Then he remembered what the robed man said: ¡®But Snoc will never be able to ept Nowem. Even if he goes over that hurdle, there would be another hurdle that he would have to go over. That¡¯s his fate that was decided before we formted this n.¡¯

    ¡®He was talking about this.¡¯

    Even if Snoc managed to forgive Nowem for causing his father¡¯s death, Sam was also another victim. Moreover, Sam and Snoc were as close as brothers, and Sam was the only family Snoc had. Everything was messed up.

    ¡®I guess it can¡¯t be helped.¡¯

    Forming a contract with Nowem was the best possible scenario, but Zich was not going to force Snoc to make a contract with a being that caused his father¡¯s death. On the other hand, Zich also could not leave the situation like this. After some time, Snoc would definitely go back to berserk mode again.

    Zich lightly swiped the handle of his sword.

    ¡®Will this be possible?¡¯

    Zich checked his amount of mana and his ability to control it.

    ¡®Will I be cutting it close?¡¯

    Sword that prated essence. Even among Zich¡¯s skills, it was one of his highest-level skills. If he used this skill, he could take out Nowem.

    ¡®But the problem is that in my current state, I might identally kill Snoc as well.¡¯

    No, there was actually a very high chance Zich might also kill him. But since Snoc was fervent about not making a contract, Zich wanted to tell him of this option.

    ¡°Even though this would be very dangerous for you, what if I tell you that there¡¯s a way for me to kill Nowem?¡±

    ¡°W-what?¡± Snoc stuttered in shock. Zich thought Snoc was shocked because he said it would be ¡®very dangerous for you.¡¯ In order to exin this option more in detail, Zich was about to speak, but Sam spoke first.

    ¡°It¡¯s fine now.¡±

    Sam took one step forward. Zich was not sure, but there seemed to be determination on Sam¡¯s face. As if to fasten Snoc¡¯s face in ce, Sam tightly pressed onto Snoc¡¯s cheeks. At Sam¡¯s sudden movement, Snoc was taken back and his eyes moved around.

    ¡°Snoc.¡±

    ¡°Y-yeah?¡±

    ¡°Please answer my question honestly.¡±

    ¡°Oh, okay.¡±

    ¡°You feel attached to that magical beast, right?¡±

    Snoc¡¯s eyes began to spin around in a frenzy, as if Sam¡¯s words had hit the mark.

    ¡°W-what are you saying! How can I feel attached to that bastard who killed our fathers¡ª!¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t lie. It¡¯s easy to tell when you are lying. I can tell that you are acting out even more, because you don¡¯t actually hate him.¡±

    ¡°N-no, that is not true¡­¡±

    Snoc¡¯s voice grew fainter and fainter until itpletely disappeared.

    ¡°Did he purposely kill our parents?¡±

    ¡°No, of course not!¡±

    Snoc quickly denied Sam¡¯s words; he had also thought of something like that for a brief moment, but he could now confidently say no.

    ¡°In my dream, I was able to see Nowem¡¯s memories for a bit! He came out only because the seal on him broke!¡±

    Snoc himself was surprised that he was in such a hurry to defend Nowem. It was clear that Snoc¡¯s psychological state was unstable right now.

    ¡°I thought so because you would have wanted to cut him off without any hesitation.¡±

    But Sam could not just let things go.

    ¡°But it still doesn¡¯t change the fact that Nowem killed our fathers.¡±

    Moreover, both of their mothers died from overwork after their fathers¡¯ deaths. From their perspective, Nowem was a being that destroyed their entire families.

    Sam stared at Snoc. Even though Snoc was stubborn to a fault and caused some troubles, he was the only family Sam now had. As an ¡°older brother,¡± he could not leave Snoc in his time of need. Looking at Snoc, Sam made a firm decision. He calmed his troubled heart and looked within himself if this was what he really wanted to do¡ªthe answer was a resounding yes.

    Sam smiled at Snoc who looked as if he did not know what to do and said, ¡°I will forgive him.¡±

    ¡°¡­What?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m going to forgive Nowem.¡±

    Sam¡¯s low voice seeped into people¡¯s ears and lingered there. Snoc and even Zich and Hans were surprised¡ªthat was how significant his words were.

    ¡°That magical beast is precious to you, right? It¡¯s like he was a part of your family.¡±

    Snoc would not be so troubled like this if he didn¡¯t consider Nowem a part of his family.

    ¡°I can¡¯t speak for you, but I¡¯m going to forgive him. So you don¡¯t have to feel guilty about me. I want you to make a decision based on your own feelings; whether or not you will ept or reject him is all up to you.¡±

    ¡°¡­How are you able to do that? How can you forgive him so easily? Nowem was the one who caused our fathers to die.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not easy. I made this decision after a lot of contemtion. You were the one who told me that he didn¡¯t cause our father¡¯s deaths on purpose. And think of your favorite song.¡±

    Snoc¡¯s favorite song was about the monster (most definitely, Nowem) sealed deep inside the mines.

    ¡°If he is the monster in that story, I¡¯m sure he¡¯s an okay guy. Moreover, that song has been passed down in your family for generations. Destiny might be tying you two together.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Snoc could not understand why Sam was even using destiny to persuade him. He just looked nkly up at Sam¡¯s face. Sam was about to say something more, but he closed his mouth and thought he needed to speak from his heart to persuade him.

    ¡°I¡¯m not making up random exnations to persuade you. I really do think this, but there is another reason why I forgave him.¡±

    Then Sam said without a trace of dishonesty on his face, ¡°As an older brother, is it so strange to want my younger brother to be happy?¡±

    ¡°!!!¡±

    Snoc felt as if he had been hit by a hammer on the back of his head¡ªthat was how much Sam¡¯s brotherly love touched him. The tears in Sam¡¯s eyes revealed how sincere he was.

    ¡°Would it really be okay to¡­¡±

    Snoc began to slowly open up his heart after his brother¡¯s kind words, ¡°Would it really be okay for me to forgive Nowem? Can I ept him?¡±

    ¡°I already told you I forgave him. It¡¯s all up to you. Think about what choice will make you happy and not have regrets in the future.¡±

    ¡°I was really angry when I found out that Nowem caused our fathers to die. My whole mind was filled with anger. But Sam, no matter how hard I try, I can¡¯t hate him.¡±

    Because of this, it was harder for Snoc to ept him. He felt guilty to their deceased fathers and to Sam.

    Quietly watching the situation, Zich interrupted, ¡°Then why don¡¯t you try forming a contract first? You can sign the contract and calm your mind first, and then make a decision after you face the magical beast again. In your emotional state, there¡¯s a high possibility that if you make a decision right now, you might make a choice that you will regret in the future.¡±

    Moreover, an immature person like Snoc was more likely to make a rash decision.

    ¡°What are you going to do?¡± Sam asked again. There was newfound determination in Snoc¡¯s eyes.

    * * *

    ¡°He will be okay, right?¡±

    With a worried expression on his face, Sam looked down at Snoc whoy still as if he was dead. Only a few moments had passed since Snoc went into sleep to face Nowem, but Sam was already worried. His frantic appearance right nowpletely contrasted the appearance he made when he calmly persuaded Snoc.

    Hans tilted his head at the two very different sides of Snoc, but Zich had a better grasp of human nature.

    ¡®This is what makes us human.¡¯

    Humans could boldy throw away their own hatred and pain to say aforting word to another person; but the next moment, they could also be meek and anxious after only a few minutes.

    But both of these actions had the same fundamental roots.

    ¡®Is it familial love?¡¯

    This kind of love was different from the love that Lube tried to spread to the masses. It was a love between one individual to another; a love that could be done by anyone who treasured their family. Who could say that Sam¡¯s love was of lesser value than Lube¡¯s?

    Zich could not really understand Sam¡¯s love for Snoc; he had never experienced love from a family, and he just understood it as a concept that existed in this world.

    ¡®But I guess it''s a good sight to see.¡¯

    Sam looked as if he would grab the back of his neck and faint at any moment. In order to turn Sam¡¯s mind away from Snoc, Zich asked a question.

    ¡°How were you able toe all the way here?¡±

 Chapter 53:

    <h4>Chapter 53:</h4>

    ¡°¡­To tell you the truth, I came here to check if the earthquake made an impact on the mine.¡±

    Because of all the crazy events that happened so far, Sam forgot why he hade to the mine in the first ce.

    ¡°Was that earthquake also rted to the magical beast?¡±

    ¡°Yep. But to be more specific, it¡¯s because a shitty bastard forcefully fused Snoc and the magical beast together.¡±

    ¡°¡­That shitty bastard was the one who made Snoc like this, right? What kind of bastard was he?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know. I¡¯m sure that he is part of some mysterious organization, but no matter what I did, he wouldn¡¯t open his mouth so I killed him.¡±

    Zich really had no idea what organization the robed man had been part of, even with the memories before his regression.

    ¡°But don¡¯t worry.¡± Zichughed, ¡°Since they¡¯ve already made me their enemy, I¡¯m going to fuck over every single one of them.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m so happy because I don¡¯t have to feel guilty about beating up bad guys.¡±

    Even though Sam was furious at the assassins and the mysterious organization that harmed Snoc, he could not readily support Zich¡¯s words. Fortunately, the smile on Zich¡¯s face did notst long.

    ¡°But couldn¡¯t you have checked up on the mines during the day? Why would youe all the way here at such a dangerous time? It¡¯s no wonder you got involved in such a dangerous situation.¡±

    Zich half-opened his eyes and rebuked Sam. But Sam felt morefortable at the Zich who rebuked him rather than the Zich who smiled eerily at him.

    ¡°Yeah, you are right.¡±

    Sam¡¯s voice was full of regret. It sounded as if he also thought it had been a foolish decision. But Zich could understand why Sam wanted to go check up on the mine.

    ¡®It¡¯s probably because of his father.¡¯

    Sam¡¯s father died from a copsed mine shaft. Even though no one would be inside a mine after sunset, Sam was worried that someone could be trapped in the mines. There was a low possibility that this would happen, but Sam¡¯s trauma made it difficult for him to dismiss them as low possibilities.

    ¡°But thanks to Mr. Hans, I was safe.¡±

    ¡°Oh yeah, I was wondering about that. Why is he here with you?¡±

    Hans blinked his eyes as all the attention went towards him.

    ¡°When I told him that I was going down to the mines, he told me that he could take me there.¡±

    ¡°Sir, while I was waiting for you, I saw Mr. Sam walk by our window. He told me he had to check up on the mine¡­it waste in the night and because he is your friend, I thought I should escort him.¡±

    As expected of a former servant, Hans was very adept at quickly judging the situation. If Hans hadn¡¯t been there, Sam would have met his end inside a dark mountain. Moreover, it would have been a tragic end for Sam as his brother would have killed him.

    ¡°You did well.¡±

    Zich praised Hans for his efforts. It was Hans¡¯ secondpliment¡ªall on the same day. Hans felt happy that he got some praise from Zich who usually yelled and insulted him all the time. Zich scratched his chin with his fingers and snickered.

    ¡°But you are also really impressive. I didn¡¯t think you would forgive him.¡±

    Sam was traumatized by his father¡¯s death to the point that when an explosion erupted, the first thing he did was go check up on the mineste into the night. Zich was still surprised about Sam¡¯s decision to forgive Nowem who was deeply tied to his trauma.

    ¡°Is that so surprising? As Snoc said, it''s not like the magical beast caused the mine to copse on purpose.¡±

    From Zich¡¯s experience, humans acted on emotions more than reason, especially on sensitive matters like a parent¡¯s death.

    ¡°I would never be able to forgive that magical beast if he did it on purpose, but that¡¯s not what happened. Snoc would also never side with a being like that. I also thought it was fate as well.¡±

    ¡°Fate¡­" Zich repeated Sam¡¯s unexpected mention of fate. ¡°What do you mean by fate? When you were talking to Snoc about it, you mentioned fate when you were talking about a song, right?¡±

    ¡°You probably also know that song. It¡¯s a song about a monster sealed inside the Iruce Mine. It¡¯s famous everywhere around Suol.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I know.¡± Zich nodded his head. ¡°But wasn¡¯t that song a warning to fear the Mining Monster? I don¡¯t think there was anything about fate in that song.¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s actually another version to it.¡±

    Sam opened up one of his fingers.

    ¡°This is a song passed down by Snoc¡¯s family, and his parents used to sing this version. In this version, there are actually a few more verses at the end. Snoc and I liked this version of the song more than the one spread around in the city.¡±

    Sam used to sing that song whenever he felt like it, and Snoc sang that song whenever he was sad or hurt tofort himself.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know which one is the original version. But if the version passed down in Snoc¡¯s family is the original version, and one of Snoc¡¯s ancestors preserved this song and passed it along to their descendants, it would not be far-fetched to say that Snoc and Nowem are destined for each other.¡±

    ¡°What is the song?¡±

    Zich became curious after hearing so much about it.

    ¡°Should I try singing it?¡±

    Sam inhaled a deep breath and began singing. His voice echoed under the dark sky, in a messy and demolished mountainside wrecked by battle.

    * * *

    Snoc opened his eyes. All he saw was deste earth. It was apletely different view from the mountain top.

    ¡®Wow, this really is possible.¡¯

    Snoc looked around in curiosity. From what Zich said, he was in Nowem¡¯s mind. No matter howpatible someone was, going inside another being¡¯s mind was extremely difficult. But Snoc and Nowem were forcefully fused. Their special circumstances greatly lowered this barrier to the extent that Snoc just had to follow Zich¡¯s directions and want to go inside Nowem¡¯s mind.

    ¡®Where is Nowem?¡¯

    As expected of a beast of the earth, only dirt and ground existed in Nowem¡¯s mind. From his feet and to the ends of the horizon, Snoc only saw earth. There was not even a single weed, a trace of a stream, an insect, or anything. Snoc felt overwhelmed by the vastness of the earth. He didn¡¯t even know where to start looking for Nowem.

    However, contrary to his feelings, Snoc¡¯s footsteps were light.

    ¡®I think it¡¯s here.¡¯

    As his heart stirred, it seemed to tell him the directions of a ce. His feet didn¡¯t stop for a moment. He climbed on top of the nearest hill next to him and saw a cave inside a gentle slope. Snoc went inside. The cave was pitch-dark, but strangely, Snoc had no difficulty seeing the insides of the cave. Snoc tilted his head as he wandered inside the cave.

    ¡®Isn¡¯t this our mine?¡¯

    The structure and support systems were the same. The remains on the walls and traces of digging were also the same, and Snoc¡¯s footsteps became a bit lighter. Snoc continued to go deeper inside the cave and stopped in front of a pit. He stared at the pit for some time. This was where his father died.

    After letting out a deep breath, Snoc entered the pit. After the roof-fall, the entrance was open and clean. Snoc passed over the area and continued walking. He did not have to walk far to reach the end of the pit; and in front of him, he found what he was looking for.

    ¡°Nowem.¡±

    Nowem was lying down on his stomach, and he opened his eyes. When he saw Snoc, he bared his teeth. Nowem¡¯s reddened eyes indicated that he was still under the influence of the sealing stone. Although Zich had warned him that this could be the case, physically seeing Nowem in this state pained his heart.

    ¡°¡­Nowem.¡±

    Snoc tried calling his name again. Just a couple of hours ago, he had no trouble calling out Nowem¡¯s name, but now, the name felt unfamiliar to his lips.

    Kuuuurgh!

    Nowem made a loud cry. Just a moment ago, it seemed as if Nowem had cried out in happiness to wee Snoc. Nowem¡¯s cry now was strange and filled with hostility, but Snoc remained calm.

    ¡°Hey.¡±

    Snoc barely managed to open his mouth; he felt as if he was forcefully trying to open a sealed door, or as if he was forcefully opening a blocked stream inside a mountain belt.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡±

    His first words were an apology. It was the only way he could start talking.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry for trying to push you away. I¡¯m sorry for ignoring you too. I¡¯m sorry for everything.¡±

    After the first couple of words, everything else flowed out easily.

    ¡°I was resentful and angry at you. I was confused after hearing that you were the reason for our fathers¡¯ deaths. And I also felt guilty. If I kept staying by your side, I thought I would be sinning against my father, Sam¡¯s father, and Sam. I felt like this because Sam is a brother and a family member to me.¡±

    Snoc met Nowem¡¯s eyes.

    ¡°Like you are to me.¡±

    Nowem¡¯s eyes were still ring at Snoc. It seemed like Snoc¡¯s words weren¡¯t reaching him, but Snoc didn¡¯t linger on his disappointment.

    ¡°But you know, I can¡¯t seem to stay mad at you. As people say, is it because our mana properties are sopatible?¡±

    Honestly, Snoc was a bit disgruntled that the reason why he felt great attachment for Nowem wasn¡¯t because of the time they spent together or the faith they had in each other, but for some innate reason. However, it wasn¡¯t as if someone had forced or brainwashed them to feel these emotions.

    ¡°But I still can¡¯t ept you. Even if you didn¡¯t do it on purpose, it doesn¡¯t change the fact that the earthquake you caused was the reason for our fathers¡¯ deaths. However, Sam said that he forgave you.¡±

    It was his ¡®brother¡¯s¡¯ precious apology that Snoc was able to find the courage to continue.

    ¡°Still, I can¡¯t act the same as before when I didn¡¯t know anything. So, Nowem, let¡¯s think about what would be best for us.¡±

    With firm resolution, Snoc reached out his hand that had been previously used to push away Nowem; with his movement, Nowem¡¯s eyes moved towards his stretched-out hand. Would he react to Snoc¡¯s sincerity? Sweat collected on Snoc¡¯s palms.

    Kuuuurgh!

    Snoc¡¯s expectations and hopes werepletely shattered. Nowem continued to growl while baring his teeth, and it didn¡¯t seem like he would regain his senses any time soon. Perhaps, it was because Snoc had turned away from Nowem¡¯s tears when the robed man told him the truth. Snoc became ovee with grief.

    However, Snoc gritted his teeth and calmed his shaking heart. He still had a chance.

    ¡®Sam told me that my meeting with Nowem might be fate.¡¯

    The song that his father and mother had taught him since his childhood was proof that they were fated to meet each other. His vocal cords rang, and a voice flowed out. It sang with rhythmic beats and changing tones. Snoc¡¯s skills didn¡¯tpare to professional singers, and he kept singing out of tune and going slightly offbeat. Yet, everything else was steady and clearly indicated how often Snoc sang this song.

    ¡°An ancient being filled with wrathes down upon us like a tidal wave. It''s a disaster that has never been seen before. People shiver in fear at his presence. His name is synonymous with fear.¡±

    It was a song that invoked fear towards the beast of the earth. Everyone in Suol, including Snoc, thought that the song had been spread to prevent children from entering the mine. After all, the lyrics were unpleasant.

    Nowem¡¯s eyes turned menacing. Snoc seeded in pulling out a response from Nowem, but he wasn¡¯t happy about it since the response was on the negative side. However, Snoc¡¯s song didn¡¯t end there.

    ¡°But the ancient being seals himself for the sake of his friend¡¯s happiness.¡±

    These were lines that were passed down only by Snoc¡¯s family and showed another side to the mining monster, which had always been a subject of great fear.

    ¡°With each passing night, the ancient being swallows his sadness and with a hopeful heart, falls into slumber.¡±

    Snoc sang out thest line like he was breathing out a sigh.

    ¡°Dreaming that the happy future his friend spoke of would soon arrive.¡±

 Chapter 54

    <h4>Chapter 54</h4>

    A memory from long ago came flooding into his mind. What he remembered most clearly was a woman. Before he was sealed, she was the first and final person he made a contract with. However, she wasn¡¯t just someone he formed a contract with. She was the first being he met right after his birth, his precious friend, and someone who showed Nowem a whole new world.

    Yet, their ending was tragic.

    In his desire to protect and form a more special rtionship with her, he unconsciously formed a contract with her. However, a magical beast¡¯s special mana was the same as poison to a normal person. Sumbing to the immense power of the earth, she began to grow ill like cracked, dry soil; and because her body rejected his mana, she began to lose her mind and went out of control from time to time.

    Soon, she became a symbol of fear among humans. However, it was impossible to break the contract. It was an absolute contract, decided from his birth, and it could only end if one of them died. Still, she didn¡¯t resent him.

    On the other hand, Nowem tried to kill himself many times. He thought he should be the one to die if one of them had to die, but she stopped him. She threatened him and said that if he died, she would kill herself right after. Thus, the two traveled all around the world to find a way to break the contract.

    After they went through all kinds of suffering and trials, they finally found a method: it was a seal; an immensely strong one that could cancel the contract that bound them together. Although sealing himself meant their separation was unavoidable, that was the only method they could find. Moreover, they didn¡¯t have enough time¡ªher skin was like an old, oak tree, her hair was brittle, and her eyes were muddy. There was no trace of the vibrant and bright energy she used to carry herself with. The only thing that was the same was her smile while she patted him.

    [It¡¯s time for us to separate.]

    She didn¡¯t have much time left. She was against the sealing, but Nowem insisted. He wanted her to enjoy a peaceful time, even if it was for a short period. While she shed her tears, the smile on her lips didn¡¯t disappear.

    [You will definitely meet your soulmate in the future.] She whispered to him. [You won¡¯t meet someone whocks skills like me. A person who will be able to ept all your powers will definitely appear in front of you. So don¡¯t give up. Please find your happiness.]

    Her sincere feelings touched Nowem¡¯s heart. She hugged Nowem and felt his soft fur, small body, and temperature that was slightly higher than a human¡¯s as if she was trying to imprint these senses on her body. Then she sang a soothing song. They didn¡¯t know when it began, but there was a song spreading across the world. The song denounced Nowem and the lyrics were filled with fear and resentment towards him.

    [If we solve this issue, let¡¯s travel around the world. We can do a lot of good deeds and change the lyrics of the song.]

    After listening to the song, she said this to him. However, they failed. Just like it was before, she and Nowem remained symbols of fear. It wasn¡¯t a long one so the song soon ended, but she spoke again with a mischievous tone.

    [Although I couldn¡¯t change the song about you, I am going to let people know that you aren¡¯t just a scary being. Since a song about your horror is spreading, I will also use a song to tell people about you.]

    Then, she made an oath with her hoarse voice.

    [Even if people don¡¯t believe me or the song doesn¡¯t spread, I will continue to try. If I get a family and have children, I will teach them this song. So, even if there¡¯s only one person left to sing this song, I will make sure that there is a song that invokes love and hope in your name. And this song will ring all over the world!]

    Then she began singing again. Her song was the opposite of the song that talked of his horrors. It was so dreamlike that its lyrics seemed to capture all of his emotions and hope, and with her smiling face, the song embedded itself into a deep corner of Nowem¡¯s heart. Like that, Nowem was sealed.

    While he was asleep, he dreamed the same dreams. It was a bittersweet dream that pictured what would happen if he wasn¡¯t sealed and continued to live a peaceful life with her; and while he was dreaming, he was fully aware that he was in a dream and knew that it was a future that would nevere. That was probably why¡­

    [You won¡¯t meet someone whocks skills like me. A person who can ept all your powers will definitely appear in front of you. So don¡¯t give up. Please find your happiness.]

    ¡­These words echoed inside his mind.

    * * *

    The redness in Nowem¡¯s eyes began to disappear. His sharp teeth and toenails sucked back in, and he stopped his constant growling. Nowem just stared at Snoc who was helplessly singing a song on and on.

    Although many parts had changed over the years, Snoc¡¯s song was definitely what Nowem had heard before his sealing. The beginning part of the song was the same as what people had sung in their resentment and fear at Nowem.

    It was a song he couldn¡¯t ever get used to. Thus, even while he lost his senses, he felt a familiar sense of loathing and growled. However, the amplification of his loathing stopped as the song continued. The song wasn¡¯t like he remembered; the lyrics and melodies of the song had been altered. Yet, it was like the song she sang before his sealing: the general melody, lyrics, and the sense of attachment towards him were the same.

    [Didn¡¯t I promise you?]

    Even though it had been a long time since her death, it was as if she was still talking to him. Like a mischievous child who seeded with her prank, she seemed to smile upon him. However, that smile would soon change into a soft one¡ªjust like the one she specially reserved for him.

    [I told you that I would spread it even if I have to use my children.]

    The violent energy that poured out all over his body soon began to wane. His mad eyes soon began to reflect the figure in front of him: Snoc. He was the human Nowem met after he broke out of his seal and the person who possessed the same energy as him. From his blurry vision, Nowem saw Snoc ovep with the images he had of her.

    * * *

    The day was bright. As if the fierce battle that took cest night had all been a lie, birds chirped, and the sky was bright blue and filled with clouds. However, in contrast to nature that began its morning routine like usual, the humans were noisy and chaotic. It was because of the mysterious roaring sounds fromst night.

    Basically, no one in Suol had a pleasant sleepst night. A support team was quickly established and sent to investigate the mine. Several government employees, experts, and troops went up, and those with strong nerves and curiosity followed them from behind. Of course, the investigation team blocked the mine¡¯s surroundings, so outsiders couldn¡¯t go inside the scene of the incident and stroll around the area.

    The mine was blocked for the time being. Even if mining was the city¡¯s most important business, they couldn¡¯t push ahead with mine work while the remains of an intense battle were still present. Considering the city¡¯s position, they couldn¡¯t block it for long, and the city mobilized a great number of resources and manpower into investigatingst night¡¯s incident.

    If they knew Zich and Snoc were involved in the casest night, things would get extremely bothersome for both of them. People could even rally against Nowem and treat him as a threat to the city¡¯s safety. Thus, Zich made his decision without any hesitation¡ªto act like they didn¡¯t know anything.

    ¡°Sir, we came back!¡±

    ¡°We came back.¡±

    The entrance opened and Sam and Hans came inside. As if they spent a lot of their energy, they looked weary, but both of their expressions looked relieved.

    ¡°How was it?¡±

    ¡°I just kept saying that I didn¡¯t know anything about what happenedst night,¡± Sam answered. Hans nodded his head strongly as if he justpleted a mission.

    ¡°Will this really be all right?¡±

    The investigation team had requested for their cooperation. Unlike Zich or the assassins, Sam and Hans had gotten permission from the gatekeeperst night to go past the fortress¡¯s gates, so there was even evidence that they were at the mine during the time of the incident. This was the reason why the investigation team requested Sam and Hans¡¯ help as possible witnesses.

    And although they ¡°requested¡± help, it wasn¡¯t a request that they could refuse¡ªespecially for Sam who had to continue living in the city. Therefore, both of them cooperated with the investigation but didn¡¯t tell the truth as they already promised Zich that they would keep their mouths shut.

    ¡°Did you tell them what I taught you?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. I told them that I heard a loud noise while climbing, so I stopped walking in the middle of the mine. I also told them that I hid in a bush until the noise stopped because I was scared.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s good. Out of hope, they asked you guys just in case anyway. I don¡¯t know about Hans, but why would they suspect someone with a definite identity like a miner? And Hans went to guard you anyways. I cleaned up after us well too.¡±

    He might have been able to erase all traces of battle, but it was an easy task for Zich to tamper with his surroundings. He had a lot of experience with this before his regression.

    ¡°I guess so.¡±

    ¡°I scattered the corpses of the guys who caused this incident. And I also used Drew¡¯s corpse that I found by ident to create a usible scenario. They can¡¯t follow up on us.¡±

    After Zich exined his work in detail, Sam felt relieved. However, he wasn¡¯tpletely relieved and took out a chair and sat on it with his shaking legs.

    ¡°I don¡¯t want to do something like this ever again.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s fun if you get used to it.¡±

    The investigation team would probably alsoe to Zich. Since he left Drew¡¯s corpse sprawled out at the scene of the incident, they would probably find out about the trouble with Drew, Zich, Snoc, and Sam. Yet, even if they did that, Snoc and Sam had been the victims and were ordinary miners. They would probably be only suspicious of Zich.

    ¡°Don¡¯t think I am like you. I am going to live a normal life where I just have to dig mines.¡±

    ¡°Peasant bastard.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s the perfect life I want.¡±

    As they shared this useless conversation, Sam¡¯s anxiety began to fade awaypletely. He began tough more and stopped shaking his legs. Seeing that Sam calmed down, Zich went onto the next topic.

    ¡°Okay then, let¡¯s talk about those guys.¡±

    Zich¡¯s eyesnded on Snoc who was sitting with a slight hunch with Nowem in his arms. Nowem¡¯s eyes rolled around and felt the surrounding atmosphere. His sensitive senses, which were the characteristics of magical beasts, deciphered the mood of his surroundings, and he could sense that a conversation that would be very important to him would soon take ce.

    Koo.

    While letting out a low cry, he looked up at Snoc who was hugging him. He saw Snoc¡¯s determined face as if Snoc had firmly decided on something.

    ¡°First of all, it doesn¡¯t seem like Nowem will get out of control anymore. What¡¯s left is the bitter feelings between you two, and your ns with Nowem.¡±

    ¡°I already told you before that I forgave him.¡± Sam spoke without any hesitation in his response. As if he finished organizing all his thoughts perfectly, there wasn¡¯t even a slight tremble in his tone.

    ¡°Yes, I am impressed by your response, but the problem is both of your emotions.¡±

    True to Zich¡¯s words, Snoc¡¯s face wasn¡¯t bright. Guilt was written all over his face like it would rub off if someone wiped it with a white cloth.

    ¡°I am really grateful for Sam¡¯s words of forgiveness, but it¡¯s true that Nowem caused our fathers¡¯ deaths. So, I also don¡¯t think we can get over it with just our words.¡±

    Snoc¡¯s voice was so soft and tiny¡ªit sounded like a mouse crawling on the floor. However, everyone understood what he meant. Sam looked awkward, and although he didn¡¯t feel any regret for saying that he forgave Nowem, he could also understand Snoc¡¯s feelings. Human emotions were extremelyplex.

    It was at that point Zich intervened, ¡°Then, how about doing kind acts from now on?¡±

 Chapter 55

    <h4>Chapter 55</h4>

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°Doing kind acts.¡±

    Zich walked towards Snoc and grabbed his shoulders.

    ¡°It makes you ufortable that Nowem is being forgiven without any consequences. Then you just have to make him pay. Make him pay for his wrongs until both of you are satisfied.¡±

    ¡°Are you saying that he should pay for his wrongdoings by doing kind acts?¡±

    ¡°Of course. What is the first thing that criminals do when they atone for their sins in religious institutions? It¡¯s helping others. Doing kind acts is one of the best ways to forgive yourself. There¡¯s really nothing like it to cover your past wrongdoings.¡±

    Sam didn¡¯t agree with the way Zich framed ¡®helping others¡¯ as if it was a tool, but Zich was not wrong. Sam began pondering again.

    ¡°In order for this to work, it¡¯s most important for you to believe in it. No matter what others say, you have to believe this will work for you.¡±

    ¡°Then are you telling Snoc to help orphanages or give to struggling people¡ªthings like that?¡±

    ¡°No.¡±

    Sam blinked his eyes at Zich¡¯s strong denial.

    ¡°Nowem is the one who did wrong. He has to use Nowem¡¯s power.¡±

    Nowem¡¯s power. Sam trembled a bit as he recalled Snoc¡¯s appearance when he went berserk. To him, the magical beast of the earth¡¯s power was enormous.

    ¡°¡­Then what should I do?¡±

    Snoc had been looking at Zich straight in the eyes since Zich mentioned ¡®doing kind acts.¡¯

    ¡°You told me you hated being a miner, right? You told me you wanted to go on an adventure.¡± Zich smirked. ¡°Then do what you want.¡±

    ¡°Are you telling me to go on an adventure?¡±

    Snoc and Sam were shocked by Zich¡¯s unexpected answer.

    ¡°But it¡¯s too dangerous for Snoc! Didn¡¯t you also say so in the past?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, but that was then. Now, he has Nowem.¡±

    Koo?

    Nowem¡¯s face moved here and there as he heard his name being mentioned.

    ¡°If Snoc learns how to use Nowem¡¯s powers properly, monsters in the mountainside or bandits in the streets would no longer pose a threat to him. Follow me. I can make it so that you can freely use your skills.¡±

    Zich¡¯s ¡®What you gonna do?¡¯ attitude made Snoc also fall into deep thought.

    It was not a bad offer. If he used Nowem¡¯s strength to do kind acts, he felt that he could fully ept and forgive Nowem. Moreover, he¡¯d be able to be the adventurer he had always dreamed about.

    Snoc asked Nowem, ¡°What do you think?¡±

    Koo! Nowem gave an affirmative answer. Even to people who could not understand him, they could see that he was fully supportive of Zich¡¯s idea.

    [After we fix this problem, let¡¯s travel all around the world. Let¡¯s do a lot of good deeds and change the song for the better.]

    Nowem felt as if he could still hear his friend¡¯s voice. Even though a long time had passed and she was no longer alive, Nowem could keep his promise with her if he traveled around. There was not a single reason for Nowem to refuse this offer.

    ¡®It¡¯s been decided.¡¯

    After he saw that Nowem was also supportive of his n, Zich nodded his head. Even though Sam looked unsatisfied, he would agree with them in the end.

    ¡®Okay, I can end this matter for now. Let¡¯s see, next¡­¡¯

    Zich¡¯s gaze became sharp.

    ¡®I have to see how the assassin organization reacts.¡¯

    The organization probably had an impressive informationwork. They knew about Snoc¡¯s special mana properties and Nowem¡¯s release from his seal. They were also able to use Drew to make Snoc and Nowem meet.

    ¡®And that¡¯s not only it.¡¯

    No matter howpatible Snoc and Nowem were, it was very rare for someone to know how to forcefully transfuse a human and a magical beast.

    ¡®It would be good if they try to retaliate from the corpses I spread around. It would also be good if the high officials in Suol find out anything from the assassin¡¯s corpses.¡¯

    But contrary to Zich¡¯s hopes, the organization showed no signs of movement at all.

    * * *

    ¡°I¡¯m going!¡±

    Snoc waved his hands. Nowem, who was also in Snoc¡¯s arms, also cutely squealed out ¡®Koo!¡¯ They stood on a street that was next to the city walls. Zich and Hans were finally able to leave Suol, and Sam came out to say goodbye.

    Zich stared at Snoc¡ªhis new travelingpanion. Snoc looked as if he was overjoyed from being able to finally fulfill his dream.

    ¡®Now, he¡¯s not going to be a Tyrant of the Earth anymore. With my intervention, history has changed.¡¯

    Zich was satisfied despite not being able to fulfill his original mission of defeating the Tyrant of the Earth.

    ¡®The timing of when the Tyrant of the Earthes out has passed. Since I stopped the Tyrant of the Earth from appearing and stopped Suol from being devastated, I definitely did a kind act.¡¯

    And even in the rare chance that Snoc really did change into the Tyrant of the Earthter on, Zich could kill him at any moment¡ªthat was one of the reasons why Zich wanted to bring Snoc along.

    ¡®And I also got another baggage carrier.¡¯

    ¡°Listen well to Zich and don¡¯t cause trouble because you are too excited, okay?¡±

    Sam held onto Snoc and warned him about many different things. His expression seemed a bit sad. Zich thought Sam must be lonely now that his younger brother was going off into the world.

    But Zich didn¡¯t intervene; this was something for Sam to solve by himself. It wasn¡¯t Zich¡¯s ce to say anything when they were about to leave. For a while, Sam continued nagging and made sure that Snoc didn¡¯t forget anything again and again. Even though Snoc tried to be patient since they wouldn¡¯t be able to see each other for a while, he reached his limits. It was only after Snoc finally showed he was fed up that Sam stopped his endless nagging.

    ¡°Then let¡¯s get going now.¡± Zich said his farewell.

    ¡°Thank you for a lot of things. I¡¯m fortunate to have a friend like you.¡±

    ¡°Well, I¡¯m a hard fortune toe across. You should be careful from now on. You might have used up all your luck to meet me, so now only misfortune mighte to you.¡±

    ¡°I will make sure to be careful.¡±

    Sam would even miss Zich¡¯s yful boasts. Sam grabbed Zich¡¯s hand and smirked.

    ¡°I¡¯m leaving now.¡±

    With these words, Zich left the city with Hans and Snoc. For a long time, Sam watched their backs move further away. Snoc turned back and met Sam¡¯s eyes, and Hans also looked back once. But Zich did not turn back even once.

    Sam saw Hans say something to Zich. Was Hans telling Zich that he was still watching them? But then he saw Zich hit the back of Hans¡¯ head. Even from a distance, it looked like a hard swing. Snoc flinched and Hans grabbed the back of his head and struggled topose himself. But after that punch, Hans no longer looked back. Snoc also did not look back even once.

    ¡®That cold-hearted punk.¡¯

    Was that how travelers said their goodbyes? Sam put his hand on his hips and let out a sigh; then he smirked.

    ¡®I should get going.¡¯

    Sam burned the image of Snoc clumsily walking away in his mind.

    [Do you admire Zich?]

    Sam recalled a conversation he recently had with Snoc.

    [Yep. He¡¯s a person I thought was only real in my dreams.]

    Zich was strong and free-spirited. Even though he said he was not an adventurer, the actions he showed to Sam and Snoc were enough to make Snoc¡¯s heart quicken in excitement.

    [As we go through this journey, I¡¯m nning to make him my role model.]

    [I think that will be very hard.]

    [Yeah, I also think so.]

    No matter how many experiences he gained, it would be very hard for Snoc to be like Zich. But Snoc was not disheartened.

    [I finally have a way to make my dreams a reality. If Ibine my strengths with Nowem¡¯s, I think we can definitely fulfill my dreams of bing an adventurer.]

    Nowem made a loud cry and supported Snoc¡¯s words.

    [If you think that, I have nothing more to say. I will cheer you on.]

    Sam no longer had anything to say against Snoc¡¯s dreams. But he wanted to say at least this.

    [But try not to learn his attitude.]

    [¡­I don¡¯t think I can learn his attitude even if I wanted to.]

    Sam burst intoughter as he recalled Snoc¡¯s silly expression. As if all the tumultuous events that happened recently were all lies, the vast sky above Suol was blue and perfectly clear.

    * * *

    Zich¡¯s group slowly walked down the street. Hans stared at their newpanion. Snoc was looking around with sparkling eyes. Anyone could see that he was full of anticipation about their journey.

    ¡®So pitiful.¡¯

    Hans felt pity for him as he knew that Snoc¡¯s excitement would be crushed in the near future. As Hans continued to look at Snoc with pity, he also saw Nowem on Snoc¡¯s shoulder.

    ¡®I can¡¯t believe that¡¯s the magical beast of the earth.¡¯

    The magical beast was the basis of Snoc¡¯s strength when he went berserk. Hans gulped, thinking back on how he had to deal with Snoc during that time.

    ¡®It was really incredible.¡¯

    Even though Hans had been burdened with Sam, Snoc was able to push Hans to the extremes. On the other hand, Zich easily defeated Snoc in his berserk mode. Recalling this memory, Hans was amazed at Zich. Then, he also remembered how Zich beat the crap out of Snoc without any hesitation and shivered at Zich¡¯s awful personality.

    ¡°Why are you looking at me like that?¡±

    Hans had unconsciously started to stare at Zich. When Zich frowned, Hans jumped back in surprise.

    ¡°I-I just¡­¡±

    If he didn¡¯t reply, he would be in bigger trouble. Hans decided to utilize recent incidents to make his excuse.

    ¡°Is it not a pity? Mr. Zich, other people won¡¯t know the kind acts you did.¡±

    Nice! Hans thought he made up a good excuse; he even used Zich¡¯s obsession with doing kind acts.

    ¡°I mean¡­ wasn¡¯t what you did this time the same as protecting an entire city? If people found out about what you did, you would be praised by everyone in Suol.¡±

    They would praise Zich like the time Zich helped defeat the Bellid.

    ¡®But I guess it can¡¯t be helped.¡¯

    Hans was the one who asked this question, but he knew what the answer would be. Snoc was rted to this incident. In order to protect him, they had to make sure this incident didn¡¯te out and that was the type of answer Hans expected.

    However, the answer that came out of Zich waspletely different.

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter.¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t care about receiving praises.¡±

    Hans blinked his eyes a few times.

    ¡°I¡¯m not doing this because I want to be praised. It doesn''t matter to me whether or not people praise, envy, despise, or even hate me.¡±

    ¡°T-then why are you doing kind acts?¡±

    Zich started doing kind acts because of Glen Zenard¡¯sst words to him. However, Glen¡¯s words had only been a trigger. There was only one reason why Zich did kind acts.

    ¡°It¡¯s because I want to.¡±

    There was no other reason than this. Hans was quiet. Zich¡¯smitment was like that of a righteous hero who helped others without wanting people¡¯s praises or profit. Because of his yful attitude, Hans thought that Zich was just using his outrageous strength to ¡®y hero¡¯ like a child ying games. But maybe he had been wrong about Zich after all.

    ¡°Then sir, you weren¡¯t doing this with a light heart?¡± Hans asked carefully while gulping his saliva. As soon as he said these words out loud, he closed his eyes. It felt as if Zich was going to punch him at any moment. But Hans was much too curious about this question. Fortunately, a fist didn¡¯te flying towards him. Instead, Zich replied without much thought.

    ¡°I am doing this with a light heart.¡±

    ¡®As expected.¡¯

    As Hans expected, Zich was just ying hero. He didn¡¯t know why, but he was a bit disappointed at Zich. He pouted his lips.

    ¡°Sir, I¡¯m envious of you. Because you are so strong, you are able to get into dangerous situations with a light heart.¡±

    As soon as he said this, Hans flinched. Because Zich wasn¡¯t as harsh with him before and because of his disappointment, he spoke way more than he should have. Hans thought he would definitely get punched this time¡ªno, it probably wouldn¡¯t end with a punch. Hans filled with anxiety.

    But what came back towards him wasn¡¯t violence but a conversation.

    ¡°I¡¯m not doing kind acts because I¡¯m strong.¡±

    Hans stared at Zich.

    ¡°I¡¯ve been getting involved with a lot of things, but I don¡¯t think I¡¯m the strongest yet. The guy who forcefully transfused Nowem and Snoc was honestly stronger than me.¡±

    If he was in his Demon Lord days, he would have said he was the strongest without a single moment of hesitation, but he was very ¡°weak¡± right now.

    ¡°It¡¯s not because I¡¯m strong. It¡¯s because I want to do kind acts. Even if I meet my end doing this, I don¡¯t care.¡±

    Doing what he wanted¡­ Even before he regressed, it was the one force that moved him. Zich didn¡¯t speak with gravity or extravagance. Instead, his words were in and simple. However, it was because he spoke so inly that they sounded more honest.

    ¡°¡­Is that so?¡±

    Hans felt his heart quicken. It was the same feeling he got when his mom gave him the book about a hero¡¯s journey. It was the same excitement he felt when he first read that book.

    Snoc, who had been quietly listening, also looked excited, and his eyes sparkled again. He felt as if he had definitely picked the right person. Snoc also felt his heart beating faster and squeezed Nowem in his arms tightly.

 Chapter 56

    <h4>Chapter 56</h4>

    The deste forest was submerged in silence. Only the sound of various creatures moving around could be heard, and the serene flood spread calm energy around its surroundings as if it was being considerate of the forest¡¯s silence. However, the silence that seemed like it wouldst a thousand years was mercilessly broken by a few uninvited guests.

    Crash!

    The air vibrated and the ground shook. Mysterious birds resting on the trees bolted away in surprise.

    Crash!

    With another explosion, several trees fell. In the middle of the flood, arge hole appeared. Under the blue sky, the ground underneath the flood appeared in clear view.

    A battle was in full swing. Hans and Snoc paired up to attack Zich together. Hans swung his sword sharply, and Snoc made a towering pile of earth to strike Zich. However, Zich evaded and destroyed all of their attacks.

    ¡°Ugh!¡±

    ¡°Argh!¡±

    Hans flew off after being hit on the cheek with a scabbard, and Snoc fell down after receiving a kick to the stomach.

    ¡°You bastards! Why aren¡¯t you attacking me properly! Did you forget everything I¡¯ve taught you!¡±

    Snoc and Hans hurriedly got up from Zich¡¯s shout, but they immediately grew pale as a blue sword flew towards them. Hans raised his sword to protect himself and Snoc raised another earth barrier.

    Crash! Crash!

    Zich¡¯s swordnded on Hans¡¯ sword and Snoc¡¯s barrier; they both let out a scream.

    ¡°First, you!¡± In an instant, Zich stood in front of Hans and kicked him. ¡°I told you to distribute your strength! Is there nothing going inside your mind when you stand still while blocking my sword! Are you that type of person? Thoughtless punks who only live in the moment and don¡¯t think at all about the future? Even those bastards think for at least one second, you stupid fuck!¡±

    Hans rolled on the ground.

    ¡°And you!¡±

    It was now Snoc¡¯s turn to be scolded. He had been coughing while protecting himself with a dirt covering.

    ¡°In a fight, you have to always keep track of your opponent. Are you so stupid to block your path of sight with a dirt wall? How are you going to track your opponent without your eyes!¡±

    Crash!

    Snoc also got kicked and rolled on the ground.

    ¡°And you!¡± Before Snoc fell down, Zich caught Nowem and growled at him. ¡°You fucking mole! Are you just a tool that gives this idiot some power? I told you to take advantage of your magical beast properties! Whether you coborate with him or create a diversion, participate in the battle too, you bastard! What¡¯s the use of making a contract!¡±

    And Zich also threw Nowem with great force.

    Koooooo!

    ¡°Ah! Nowem!¡±

    Nowem¡¯s screams sounded sad as he flew across the air. Snoc scurried to where Nowem was.

    ¡°You useless bastards! Come at me again! I¡¯m going to fix all of your idiotic behaviors today!¡±

    Zich began to wield his sword again. Even though Zich was controlling his strength, he showed no mercy. Hans, Snoc, and even Nowem screamed out loud and frantically tried to survive. Once again, the sounds of their battle echoed across the forest.

    * * *

    Crack! Crack!

    The fire crackled in the light and spread warmth to everyone like a kind mother embracing her children. But the surrounding humans had no leisure to feel grateful for its warmth.

    ¡°Ughhhh!¡±

    Lying on top of a pile of leaves, Snoc let out a cry of pain. His whole body ached.

    Koo¡­ Koo¡­

    Nowem, who was behind Snoc, alsoy down in the same position as Snoc and let out a cry of pain.

    ¡°Are you okay?¡±

    ¡°Ah, I feel as if I¡¯m barely clinging onto life.¡±

    Snoc barely managed to lift his head and stared up at Hans. Nowem also looked up at Hans.

    ¡°But senior, what about you? Are you okay?¡±

    Snoc called Hans his ¡®senior¡¯ because Hans had been with Zich earlier than him. Whenever Snoc called him senior, Hans felt embarrassed and ticklish, but it was not a bad feeling to be called senior so he didn¡¯t stop Snoc.

    ¡°Of course not. How can I be okay?¡±

    Hans made the fire bigger and twisted his body in an exaggerated manner. Just moving his body was painful, and Hans frowned from the pain.

    ¡°I just got used to it. Sir Zich doesn¡¯t go easy at all even during training.¡±

    ¡°Even if I get used to it, I don¡¯t think I can keep going.¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t think you can do it?¡± Hansughed. The light from the fire and the surrounding darkness made Hans¡¯ smile look dark and twisted. ¡°I also thought that too. But Sir Zich made it possible for me to keep going.¡±

    ¡°That doesn¡¯t sound tooforting¡­¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not to console you. I¡¯m just teaching you about the reality of your future.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Snoc mmed his face into his nket. Likewise, Nowem mmed his face into the edge of Snoc¡¯s clothes.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t know it would be this hard. When he trained us in Suol, he wasn¡¯t this tough.¡±

    ¡°Of course not.¡±

    It was not Hans who replied. Snoc immediately lifted his head.

    Thud!

    Something fell next to the bonfire¡ªit was a huge deer. Snoc stared at the deer for a bit and then quickly got up.

    ¡°S-sir, h-have youe back?!¡±

    Snoc acted like an underling of a mob boss. At Snoc¡¯s sudden movement, Nowem fell on the ground with a hard thud and screamed, ¡°Koo!¡±

    As Zich sat next to the bonfire, he said, ¡°You don¡¯t have to pay attention to me. Do whatever you want during your break.¡±

    Snoc looked sideways at Hans. Were these words trustworthy?

    Hans nodded in reply; Zich really didn¡¯t care what they did during their breaks. Even if they snored loudly, Zich didn¡¯t get annoyed at all. With Hans¡¯ nod, Snoc let his body rx, but he couldn¡¯t let himselfpletely lie down in front of Zich. At the same time, Nowem tried hard to get back on top of Snoc¡¯s clothes again.

    ¡°Let¡¯s skin it.¡±

    Hans took out his dagger and called out to Snoc. It was one of Hans and Snoc¡¯s duties to skin the animals for cooking. Snoc struggled to move from the pain but managed to awkwardly help Hans skin the deer. Zich, who had been lying down and watching them work, said, ¡°Are youining because the training got tougher than when you were at Suol?¡±

    ¡°No! Of course not!¡±

    While taking out the organs of the deer and scowling, Snoc hurriedly denied Zich¡¯s words.

    But Zich continued, ¡°It was because of Sam. Even I would even feel guilty if I trained you like crazy in front of your family.¡±

    Guilt¡ªa word that was far from Zich¡¯s personality came out of his mouth. But Hans focused on quietly cutting up the deer; he had the exemry attitude of a trainedckey.

    ¡°You don¡¯t know how frustrated I was that I could only train you lightly at that time¡­¡±

    ¡®That was lightly training me?!¡¯

    Snoc was shocked, because the training at Suol was enough for him to cough out blood. On the other hand,pared to the training today, the training at Suol really was light.

    At Zich¡¯s words, Hans also thought, ¡®No wonder his training seemed different.¡¯

    No matter how he looked at it, Snoc¡¯s training at Suol seemed so much easier than his usual training.

    ¡®I thought it was because of Snoc¡¯s special circumstances as a magical beast contractor, but I guess that was not it.¡¯

    Hans sent a sympathetic look towards Snoc. The skewered meat pieces on top of the fire began to expand. Snoc¡¯s mouth salivated as he watched the oil from the meat drop one by one. He wiped the saliva that was about to spill out of his mouth. Hans expertly turned around the skewered meat to not burn it and then asked, ¡°Sir, may I ask where our next destination is?¡±

    Even though it seemed like they were going to stay in the mountains due to Snoc¡¯s training, they were slowly moving forward. Hans predicted that they would just bulldoze through the forest without using previous trails or paths like usual.

    ¡®Thankfully, we do have a destination.¡¯

    Hans hoped that they would quickly reach their destination. When Hans asked where they were going, he was secretly hoping for this.

    ¡°We are going to Ospurin.¡±

    ¡®Where is that?¡¯

    Since Hans had never heard of Ospurin, he thought it must be far from Steelwall. Thinking of this, Hans suddenly felt sad about his situation and let out a sigh. Even though he was somewhat used to this life right now, he couldn¡¯tpletely shake off the feeling of missing his peaceful life in the past.

    ¡°Is it in our country?¡±

    ¡°No, it¡¯s in a neighboring country, in Busutaku.¡±

    Hans tried searching for it on the map and then gave up.

    ¡®There¡¯s no point in knowing where it is.¡¯

    There was nothing he could do. Hans just gave up thinking about his future and felt relieved. Snoc was only familiar with Suol¡¯s geography, so he did not even bother to ask questions; but he felt a bit excited that they were going to a foreign country. Hans noticed Snoc¡¯s excitement and shook his head.

    ¡®Yep. Be happy while you can.¡¯

    After that, Hans and Snoc focused on cooking their meat. Zich stared at the burning bonfire. The red light stimted Zich¡¯s mind.

    ¡®I wonder how he¡¯s doing?¡¯

    Zich recalled memories from his past life. There was only one reason why he wanted to go to Ospurin. After searching through his memories, Zich remembered that no other Demon Person showed up in this country for a while¡ªof course, there was a possibility that there was a Demon Person Zich was not aware of.

    But as a result, Zich decided to go back to the n he made at the beginning of the journey: to find the four Demon People who had served under him as ¡®Demon Lord of Strength.¡¯ One of them was from Ospurin.

    ¡®I wonder what he¡¯s like right now?¡¯

    Zich wondered how different and simr he would be at this time. Zich made a slight smile; he was happy that he could soon satiate his curiosity.

    But contrary to Zich¡¯s mood, Hans and Snoc shivered at Zich¡¯s smile, fearful of what Zich had nned for them. They tried with all of their might to not make eye contact with him.

    * * *

    While training Hans and Snoc to their limits, Zich made great progress across the forest. They sometimes stopped in nearby viges, but they always slept on hard, cold ground, rather than in theforts of an inn or a house. Snoc had been clumsy in preparing camps, but now he was able to make a fire and a campsite with rtive ease.

    After moving on like this for several days, Zich finally said, ¡°A vige is going to appear soon.¡±

    Hans and Snoc were delighted to hear this, and their faces brightened up. From what they knew, the next vige was on the same estate as Osuprin¡ªthat was how close they were to their destination. Snoc felt energized, thinking that his life of living like a wild beast would finally be over.

    ¡°Senior, do you think we will be able to stay in Osuprin for a while?¡±

    ¡°I think so. At least, I don¡¯t think we would stay for only a day like the viges we passed by whileing here.¡±

    Contrary to Snoc¡¯s expectations, there was a hint of pessimism in Hans¡¯ voice. Snoc thought Hans would be jumping in glee, but there was negativity in his tone. Snoc thought it was strange that Hans wasn¡¯t happy like him that they would soon reach the end of their dreadful life in the mountains.

    ¡°Is there something you are concerned about?¡±

    ¡°Ever since I started traveling with Sir Zich, a huge event would blow up every time we reached our destination.¡±

    This was the case for Suol and Portia. And thinking back on it, Zich had also stirred up a hugemotion at Steelwall. Knowing a little of what happened in the past from Hans¡¯ narrative, Snoc made an awkward smile.

    ¡°It must be a coincidence.¡±

    ¡°I also think so.¡±

    But why did he feel so unsure? Hans got the ominous feeling that he wouldn¡¯t be able to peacefully rest at this destination either.

    Zich walked forward without caring about their conversation, but then he looked up and stared at the cliff that appeared in front of them. After hearing from a nearby vige the approximate distance and direction to the next vige, they immediately went back to the mountains without a moment of hesitation. There was no way they were going to walk through afortable path.

    However, Zich was not stupid. They climbed towards the highest peak. It was so high up that they could almost see all their surroundings.

    ¡®The amount of strength I need is¡­¡¯

    Zich put his fingers into the cliff.

    Crush!

    He filled up his fingers with mana and pierced into the cliff as if it was mud.

    ¡®This amount of strength is good enough.¡¯

    Zich forced his fingers into the cliff and began climbing. Hans and Snoc, who had been staring at Zich, looked at each other.

    ¡®Do we have to follow him?¡¯

    ¡®Of course.¡¯

    They were able tomunicate with just a few nces; after letting out a sigh, they began climbing behind Zich. Snoc used his powers to create big holes in the cliff, and he put his hands and feet inside these holes to climb the cliff. Likewise, Hans also used the holes Snoc made. The cliff was about twenty meters high, and Zich climbed up the cliff extremely fast as if he was just walking onnd.

    When he reached the top, Zich brushed off the dirt in his hands. From there, he could see what he expected to see: the blue sky, the white clouds, the bluish waters, and the reddish-ck earth. However, Zich did not expect to see a cloud of ck smoke rising from a distance.

    ¡°¡­Wait, isn¡¯t that the vige we are heading towards?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I think so? But why is there so much smokeing out¡­¡±

    Hans and Snoc arrivedter than Zich, and they were startled by the sight in front of them. No matter how one looked at it, there was something extremely serious going on in the vige.

 Chapter 57

    <h4>Chapter 57</h4>

    Zich led Hans and Snoc quickly down the mountain. His movements were rough, but both Hans and Snoc didn¡¯t express anyints. It was because the dark smoke that came out of the small vige looked rmingly dangerous.

    ¡®Is it a raid? Or is it a simple fire?¡¯

    Because it came from far away, Zich couldn¡¯t identify the specific source until they arrived at the vige. However, he was sure that something abnormal was happening.

    ¡®There¡¯s a high chance that I could do a kind act.¡¯

    Although Zich had decided to beat bad guys to death to fulfill his goal, that wasn¡¯t his only n.

    Their speed was so fast that it was hard to believe that they were running through a mountain course full of trees and bushes, but because the ce was a great distance away, they arrived at the vige a significant timeter. Yet, the incident seemed to be on-going as the ck smoke continued to rise. As they came closer and closer to the vige, they saw the smoke with increasing rity.

    Nervousness shed across Hans and Snoc¡¯s faces. Hans ced his hand on his sword¡¯s handle while Snoc hugged Nowem.

    Sniff! Sniff!

    Zich¡¯s nose twitched. As they neared the vige, a smoky smell wafted through the surroundings.

    ¡°This is¡­the smell of burning corpses.¡±

    Hans and Snoc heightened their guard. The smell of burning corpses¡ªit didn¡¯t sound pleasant at all. After leaving the forests¡¯ tree-covered boundary, they saw the city¡¯s appearance in full view. They saw the wooden fences first, which were set up to defend the area, and the ck smoke seeped through them.

    ¡°Perhaps bandits or foreign enemies ambushed them.¡±

    Hans already had half his sword pulled out.

    ¡°No, I don¡¯t think that¡¯s the case.¡± Zich studied the wooden fence. ¡°The fence around the vige is too fine for it to be an ambush. And if the bandits caused the fire, they wouldn¡¯t just let the smoke pour out. They would be waving fire around. There¡¯s a strong possibility that the vige could have been burned down to ashes, but the view of the vige I saw from the top of the mountain looked normal.¡±

    The three walked along the wooden fence and saw a door. The door was firmly closed, and two soldiers with spears stood in front of it.

    ¡®They are not gatekeepers who are there to protect the vige.¡¯

    For that to be the case, they were too heavily armored.

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    One of the soldiers noticed Zich and hispanions. The soldier¡¯s eyes became menacing, and he lifted the spear he was holding.

    ¡°How did you get out of the vige!¡±

    The other soldier also saw Zich¡¯s party and simrly reached out with his spear. Hans and Snoc stuttered in shock, but Zich took a step forward.

    ¡°We are travelers. We came to stay the night in the vige.¡±

    ¡°What nonsense! All pathways to this vige are blocked!¡±

    ¡®It was?¡¯

    Considering the soldier¡¯s aggressive voice, it didn¡¯t seem like he was lying. However, they came in a straight line through the mountain instead of following any paths, so they weren¡¯t aware that all the paths were blocked.

    ¡°We didn¡¯t follow a path and went through the mountain.¡±

    ¡°You went through a mountain full of monsters?¡±

    The soldier¡¯s suspicions deepened. In response, Zich shrugged his shoulders and tapped on the sword at his waist.

    ¡°We are not so weak to be beaten by low-level monsters around this area.¡±

    ¡°Still, there¡¯s no reason for you to go through the mountain. Following a path is much more convenient.¡±

    ¡°That would be the case if I didn¡¯t have to train the guys behind me.¡±

    Even with Zich¡¯s exnation, the soldiers didn¡¯t let down their guard. They were extremely cautious, and it probably had something to do with the ck smokeing from inside the vige.

    ¡°Is there something going on in the vige?¡± Zich looked over the wooden fence and asked, but the soldiers didn¡¯t answer him. They grouped together and murmured about something. However, Zich was able to hear everything with his keen senses.

    ¡°Is he telling the truth?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure. Since they are armed, it might be true. We can¡¯t rule out the possibility that they might have escaped the vige too.¡±

    ¡°What should we do?¡±

    ¡°What else can we do? Let''s take them to our boss first. We can¡¯t just let them go.¡±

    The soldier who noticed them first stared at them with dreary and slightly fearful eyes.

    ¡°They could also be infected with the disease.¡±

    ¡®Disease?¡¯

    As soon as he heard that, Zich was able to grasp the vige¡¯s general situation.

    ¡®It seems like there¡¯s an epidemic going around here.¡¯

    The ck smoke probably came from burning infected corpses and their houses and belongings; and the vige was probably blocked so that the infectious disease would not spread to another vige. In a way, this was a trickier and more dangerous problem than a bandit or foreign attack.

    ¡°Follow me for now,¡± the soldier ced his spear down andmanded. It looked like he wasn¡¯t going to ept any form of counterargument or defiance.

    Hans asked Zich, ¡°What are your ns, sir?¡±

    Hans was surprised to be treated like a criminal so abruptly, but inparison to how he was at the beginning of the journey, he was much calmer andposed than before. He had now umted all kinds of experiences¡ª quite extraordinary ones at that. On the other hand, Snoc stillcked experience, and he looked bewildered and even a bit scared.

    ¡°Let¡¯s follow them for now.¡±

    ¡°Yes, sir.¡±

    The three followed the soldiers. The soldiers didn¡¯t guide them inside the vige¡ªno, they almost seemed like they wanted to go farther away from the vige.

    ¡®I guess it can¡¯t be helped if an epidemic is spreading.¡¯

    If it was severe enough, an epidemic was something that could wipe out an entire country. And the horrors of an infectious disease increased as the fatality and infectious rates increased. Judging by the soldier¡¯s wariness and response towards Zich and hispanions, it seemed as if the disease that was spreading in the vige had a considerably high fatality rate.

    The soldiers took them to an area where there were huge barracks.

    ¡®It¡¯s themand post.¡¯

    Considering that all the paths leading to the vige were blocked and trained soldiers were stationed in front of the vige¡¯s entrance, it was evident that the control tower in the center was still functioning. To lower their chances of catching the disease, it seemed like the soldiers had stationed theirmand post a good distance away from the vige.

    The soldiers took them to thergest barrack.

    ¡°What is it?¡±

    The soldier guarding the barrack asked this out loud. The soldiers who brought Zich to the ce responded politely, indicating that the soldier in front of them was his superior.

    ¡°We found some suspicious fellows and brought them here.¡±

    ¡°Suspicious fellows?¡±

    The superior took a quick nce at Zich and hispanions.

    ¡°They suddenly appeared in front of the vige¡¯s entrance. ording to them, they went through the mountain and didn¡¯t know about the blocked paths.¡±

    ¡°The mountain? Why?¡±

    ¡°They said it was for training.¡±

    The superior¡¯s eyesnded on Zich¡¯s group for a moment.

    ¡°Are they vigers?¡±

    ¡°They don¡¯t seem to be, but we are not certain. So, we brought them to you, sir.¡±

    Suddenly, they heard a voice from inside the barrack.

    ¡°Bring them in, please.¡±

    The superior stared at the entrance and looked at Zich again. Then he nodded at the soldiers.

    ¡°Take them in.¡±

    Zich and hispanions followed the soldiers and went inside. The inside of the barrack was quite cozy; there was a bed in a corner for sleeping and a desk in another corner for doing work. There wasn¡¯t any other furniture besides that, so it almost felt like the resident was wasting the tent¡¯s huge space.

    Thump!

    The soldier guarding the tent raised his spear and saluted in front of the desk. A man was sitting there. He looked quite young, looking like he was only two or three years older than Zich at most. His cheeks were hollow while the areas under his eyes were so sunken that his cheekbones looked more pronounced. Overall, his health looked very poor.

    The man stood up. He was tall but thin, which added to his gaunt, frail-looking image. However, his sparkling eyes clearly showed that he had a keen sense of intelligence, contrary to his frail and sickly appearance.

    ¡°Hello, I am Joachim Dracul. I¡¯m the person in charge of the task force dispatched in this vige.¡±

    Joachim Dracul. He was someone Zich knew and more.

    ¡®To think that I would meet him so early on...¡¯

    Joachim was one of Zich¡¯s four closest confidants who he immediately sought out. Zich couldn¡¯t help but feel d to see him. Joachim had stirred up the world and gone through all kinds of happenings with Zich. How sad Zich was when he heard that Joachim¡¯s life was cut short under Glen Zenard¡¯s sword! Zich wanted to wrap his shoulders around Joachim, talk about their past and future¡ªof course, of stories that reek of blood¡ªand clink their wine sses. However, in this world, this was Joachim¡¯s first meeting with Zich, and Zich had to repress his joy at seeing an old friend.

    ¡°I¡¯m Zich. The guys behind me are my servants, Hans and Snoc.¡±

    ¡°I see, Mr. Zich. I know how impolite it is to interrogate someone I just met, but considering the circumstances, I ask for your understanding. Where are all three of youing from?¡±

    Joachim¡¯s voice was sharp, and the soldier gripped his spear more tightly.

    ¡°We are on our way from Suol. Like I told the soldier here, since I was traveling through the mountain to train my servants, I didn¡¯t realize that the paths to the vige were blocked.¡±

    ¡°Hm.¡±

    Joachim made eye contact with Zich as if he was trying to see through the truth, but Zich showed no change in his facial expression.

    ¡°I understand. I will believe you.¡±

    ¡°Sir!¡± the soldier shouted. ¡°They might be guys escaping from the vige in secret! If that¡¯s the case...!¡±

    ¡°Please calm down.¡±

    Joachim raised his sword and blocked the soldier¡¯s words.

    ¡°I¡¯m not just blindly trusting these people¡¯s words. To be frank, it doesn¡¯t matter what these men¡¯s identities are.¡±

    Joachim stared at Zich, Hans, and Snoc in order and opened his mouth.

    ¡°Since wherever they are from, I don¡¯t n on letting them out of here.¡±

    ¡°What? What do you mean¡­!¡± Hans shouted in surprise and closed his mouth. When Joachim looked at him, Hans¡¯ mouth closed shut by itself. Although Joachim looked frail, he exuded a mystical aura and suffocated Hans.

    ¡®Amazing. He has this much charisma already?¡¯

    Zich was impressed. Joachim deserved to be his sidekick for sure.

    ¡°I know this is a lot to ask, but as long as you are in this vige, you will have to move with us. Here¡ª¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s an epidemic spreading around.¡±

    Zich finished Joachim¡¯s sentence. Both Hans and Snoc looked stunned, and Joachim¡¯s face was filled with a slight look of surprise.

    ¡°You were aware of it?¡±

    ¡°Blocked roadways, a barricaded vige, and the smokeing out of the vige. In addition, army troops from the central government disguised as a task force. There were many clues.¡±

    ¡°That is true. You are right. An epidemic is spreading around the vige, and our troops were dispatched to retain it. Since you made contact with us, all of you could be infected too, so we can¡¯t let you go back outside.¡±

    ¡°I understand.¡±

    Zich nodded obediently, and Hans felt relieved.

    ¡®Even Sir Zich would ept a reason like an epidemic.¡¯

    Considering Zich¡¯s personality, Hans had been nervous that Zich would refuse confinement; he was almost worried about Zich¡¯s response more than the epidemic. However, Hans didn¡¯t realize that Zich was more agreeable than usual because he was d to meet one of his four subordinates from his past.

    ¡°If you like, we can help with the work here.¡±

    Hans also had no idea that this was also the reason for Zich¡¯s overly kind behavior.

 Chapter 58

    <h4>Chapter 58</h4>

    Joachim dly epted Zich¡¯s offer. In their current situation, they needed as much help as they could get. On the other hand, Hans and Snoc were frightened about the epidemic, but Zich hit the back of their heads and lessened some of their fears.

    ¡°Hans, you won¡¯t have any problems with your amount of mana! Do you think I made your training that easy? It¡¯s the same for you, Snoc! Do you think someone who made a contract with a magical beast will die from a disease? I have never heard a contractor dying for such a stupid reason. So throw your worries away and focus on working!¡±

    Besides everything else, Hans and Snoc had great faith in Zich¡¯s skills and training. Thus, they casted their worries aside and began to help with the work around the camp. However, the fear of contracting a disease wasn¡¯t the only struggle workers had to deal with in an epidemic.

    ¡°Ugh¡­!¡± Snoc groaned, seeing the corpsesing out of the vige. Hans had a bit more experience than him, but he also responded simrly.

    ¡°Hm, they didn¡¯t die peacefully.¡±

    Zich looked down at the corpses below him. There were severe rashes and pus all over their bodies. Their eyes, which were incapable of closing, were yellow, and all the hair on their head was gone. Amputated ck regions indicated that those regions had be rotten and fallen off. The pungent odoring off the corpses seemed to numb his senses.

    ¡°argh!¡±

    ¡°Ugh!¡±

    Eventually, Hans and Snoc began to gag, and the soldiers who brought in the corpses nced at them. However, the soldiers didn¡¯t say much since they had gone through a simr stage like Hans and Snoc.

    ¡°Please put this in the pit over there.¡±

    Following the soldier¡¯s words, Zich lifted the corpse and left Hans and Snoc alone for a while. He was giving them some time to get used to the situation.

    ¡®Of course, if they stay like this, I will kick their butts.¡¯

    For now, Zich thought it was fine to let them enjoy his generosity. Then he went to the pit while holding all the belongings and felt a faint trace of heating out from the hole. Inside the pit, there were ashes of scorched tree branches mixed with burnt corpses.

    They were at an incineration nt. As if it was recently built, there were some fresh corpses piled on top, and Zich threw the corpse he was holding in it. A new corpse was added to the pit, and after staring at the corpses, Zich shook his head.

    ¡®This is quite serious.¡¯

    An epidemic was already a very serious matter, but looking at the state of the corpses, the epidemic looked worse than usual. Zich headed back to the vige. As soon as he stepped inside, he heard all kinds of groans and screams across the area. Doctors and priests were shouting while soldiers were running. It almost felt as if he was on the front lines of a battlefield.

    ¡°Are you a bit better now?¡±

    After throwing up for a while, Hans and Snoc seemed better and walked towards Zich like zombies.

    ¡°S-Sorry, sir. We couldn¡¯t hold it in no matter what¡­¡±

    ¡°This is too awful.¡±

    ¡°Among the viges impacted by epidemics, this one is definitely the worst one I¡¯ve seen.¡± Before his regression, Zich had seen ces hit by epidemics a couple of times before, but this ce seemed to exceed even Zich¡¯s experience. It was a merciless environment for Hans, who had only killed monsters, and Snoc, who had just begun his journey. But unfortunately for them, Zich had no intention of letting them rest.

    ¡°Both of you have rested well enough. Why don¡¯t you help around the vige now? I mean, you guys aren¡¯t thinking such a cute thought like ying while I work, right?¡±

    If they had even an inkling of such a thought, Zich intended to change their cute thoughts into a terrifying nightmare. Hans and Snoc shuddered and instantly got up. Although the fear of diseases and nasty corpses still clouded their minds, they were more afraid of facing Zich¡¯s wrath head-on. Hans and Snoc knew Zich¡¯s personality from training, and they quickly moved.

    After watching them help the closest people around them, Zich began to also help the people around him.

    * * *

    Once night fell, they were finally able to rest. Some might have argued that there was no daytime or nighttime during an epidemic, but Joachim was amodating for the three who had just started work. And as he was also very satisfied with their efforts, Joachim invited the three of them to dinner. Zich epted the offer and took Hans and Snoc to Joachim¡¯s barrack at the designated time.

    Inside the barrack, dinner was already prepared for them. As the frontline of a raging epidemic, the meal wasn¡¯t fancy, but no oneined. Nobody in the group was so out of their senses toin about their meals in a situation like this.

    ¡°We didn¡¯t prepare much, but please eat a lot. If this is not enough, we will get you more.¡± Joachim said while smiling. The meal was in but quite satisfying.

    ¡°Although I told the three of you before, I am thankful for your help. To tell you the truth, we needed more workers.¡± Joachim smiled. As a smile appeared on his off-color, fatigue-stricken face, he looked more like a patient. Joachim looked so sickly that Hans and Snoc suspected that he might have also been infected.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think we did much. I¡¯m relieved that we were able to offer some help.¡±

    ¡°No, you really helped us a lot. How many people do you think are willing toe to a ce like this? We are struggling to get the most important people such as doctors toe here, so it¡¯s even rarer to find volunteers who are willing toe on their own ord.¡±

    Priests could heal cuts or external body injuries with their holy powers, but for matters like an epidemic, they needed doctors. Holy power didn¡¯t work on diseases, and the priests currently helping out the epidemic here possessed medical knowledge.

    ¡°It¡¯s because most people value their lives. By the way, the state of the corpses looked terrible. What kind of disease is it?¡±

    Hans and Snoc stopped eating; they remembered the corpses¡¯ gruesome appearances and lost their appetite. They immediately let go of their eating utensils. However, Zich stopped them.

    ¡°Eat. To work, you need stamina. Even if the food doesn¡¯t go in, force it down your throat and digest it.¡±

    The two grabbed their eating utensils while looking teary. Then they began to unwillingly stuff food into their mouths. Joachim smiled bitterly while watching the two and responded, ¡°I don¡¯t know. Even the doctors say that they¡¯ve never seen a disease like this. And seeing the multiple, different symptoms among the patients, they say that they think more than one disease is spreading.¡±

    In a situation where he had to juggle multiple difficult issues at once, Joachim¡¯s head hurt.

    ¡°This is a significant and dangerous problem. However, inparison to our situation, I feel that our military aid and general support arecking.¡±

    Although Zich and hispanions had appeared out of the blue, Joachim¡¯s soldiers weed them openly now because they were skilled helpers. This meant the cecked human resources to such a high degree that they even weed mysterious strangers. One might think that the situation became so dire because few people volunteered to help, but this was an epidemic. With the slightest mishap, an epidemic could spread across the entire region and cause astronomical harm. Families in the region had little or no choice but to dispatch people by force like this troop that must have also been forced to move here.

    Joachim smiled weakly. By that expression, Zich realized that there must be a deeper story.

    ¡°Sir!¡± Somebody came in a hurry.

    ¡°What is it?¡±

    ¡°We found a patient with new symptoms!¡±

    Joachim¡¯s face stiffened. He got up abruptly and walked out of the barrack. Zich, Hans, and Snoc followed him.

    A couple of torches burned outside the tent and illuminated the area. Inside, they saw a couple of doctors and priests huddled around an infected person with serious expressions on their faces. The infected person¡¯s condition was severe and unsightly; they didn¡¯t have a rash or pus on their body or a rotting body part like the other patients. They were bleeding a tremendous amount of blood. It almost seemed like they were releasing blood instead of sweat from the nds all over their body, and the clothes they were wearing were soaked with blood and stuck to the patient¡¯s body.

    Drip! Drip!

    Blood slid down the patient¡¯s hair and dropped from the ends of their hair strands. It was difficult to estimate when the patient was brought to this ce, but the floor was already wet with blood.

    ¡°This¡­is¡­¡±

    Joachim bit his lips from shock at the patient¡¯s state.

    ¡°¡­What happened?¡±

    ¡°The patient was one of the vigers quarantined in another area after receiving an assessment that they weren¡¯t infected.¡±

    ¡°What about the progress of the disease?¡±

    ¡°Symptoms began to appear around sunset. And after that, the patient¡¯s condition took a turn for the worst at an rming rate and progressed until this state.¡±

    ¡°Um¡­¡±

    Joachim became lost in thought for a short moment. Then, he immediately began to give orders.

    ¡°For now, record all of the patient¡¯s symptoms. Then quarantine everyone who lived in the same ce as the patient and burn the building they stayed in. Investigate everything¡ªwhat the patient did after quarantine, who they contacted, and what they ate. Ah, and burn this ce too.¡±

    ¡°Yes, sir!¡±

    After receiving themand, everyone moved in unison.

    Zich stared proudly at Joachim who handled the situation smoothly in a short amount of time. Joachim was much weaker than the time he had created chaos around the world with Zich. Some of his actions showed his inexperience, but Zich was able to catch glimpses of Joachim¡¯s future self. Thus, Zich began to feel a bit sentimental as he felt like he was meeting his old friend again.

    ¡®Yep, that¡¯s right. As expected of a guy who used to be my subordinate before I regressed.¡¯

    After resolving the situation, Joachim approached Zich.

    ¡°Although I invited you to a meal, I couldn¡¯t properly serve you one.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not such a dunce toin while knowing the situation. But is this all right?¡±

    ¡°Sorry?¡±

    Zich stared at Joachim¡¯s face. Joachim¡¯s sickly face still looked like he was suffering from at least four to five chronic diseases, but it looked considerably worse than before. He was extremely pale. If there had been a light source around them, Joachim¡¯s face would have reflected the light and made him look like a bodiless ghost with only a floating head.

    ¡°Yourplexion looks very pale.¡±

    ¡°Ah, that is¡­¡± Joachim wiped his face one time, then he looked up at the sky and let out a sigh. ¡°This is something you will find out soon if you keep working with us, so I will just tell you in advance. This isn¡¯t a matter rted to the disease. This is something I am personally weak against.¡±

    ¡°What is it?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s blood.¡±

    ¡°Sorry?¡±

    ¡°Blood. I have hemophobia, and I am terrified of even a paper cut. Thest patient¡¯s condition just triggered my phobia again, and if the darkness hadn¡¯t properly covered the patient, I would have probably fainted.¡±

    Looking a bit ashamed and humiliated, Joachim spoke while avoiding Zich¡¯s gaze.

    ¡®¡­What?¡¯

    Zich looked at Joachim like he couldn¡¯t believe him. It wasn¡¯t because he was looking down on Joachim. He had no intention of mocking someone for having hemophobia, but he was shocked that Joachim of all people would have hemophobia.

    ¡®Joachim Dracul has hemophobia?¡¯

    Before his regression, Joachim Dracul worked as one of Zich¡¯s four subordinates by the nickname Vampire, and his skill was ¡®Blood Domination.¡¯

 Chapter 59

    <h4>Chapter 59</h4>

    This incident urred during the time Zich was devastating the world as a Demon Person, not yet a Demon Lord. As he usually did, Zich and his subordinates fought against another enemy force andpletely decimated them. Since this happened so often, Zich didn¡¯t remember every single one of these events. However, there was one scene that he vividly remembered.

    Horrifying corpses were spread all across a wide in. It was hard to differentiate whether this was hell or reality while looking at the sea of corpses and dark blood everywhere. Blood flowed all over the ground and gathered together to make a giant pool of blood; even among the pools of blood, there was one pool that was especially big¡ªit wasrge enough for ten people to fit in.

    Surprisingly, there was a person inside this enormous pool. As if he was taking a bath, hepletely soaked himself in blood and sometimes yed around with the blood by sshing it around.

    [Are you doing that disgusting hobby again?]

    The person inside the pool of blood¡ªJoachim¡ªstopped at Zich¡¯s words. He gave a bright smile and turned around.

    [Is it you, boss?]

    [Yeah, yeah. It¡¯s your boss.]

    Zich scowled as if he was seeing something gross and slowly walked towards Joachim. But Zich didn¡¯t look too normal either as he kicked the corpses in front of him while walking forward.

    [As I have told you many times before, this is not a hobby. I¡¯m healing. If you soak your whole body in blood, someone told me you can get healed from various diseases and light migraines.]

    [Who the fuck said such ridiculous nonsense? It¡¯s so creative, I want to put a knife in their brain.]

    [A doctor told me that.]

    [He¡¯s definitely a quack. Who¡¯s that bastard? Tell me who he is, so I can destroy him for you. If you paid him some money, I will also get it back for you. No, I will even get him to pay you interest.]

    [He¡¯s probably dead. No matter how great you are, it¡¯s not possible for you to go all the way to the underworld to beat up just one person.]

    [Tch! He fled to the underworld to run away from his responsibilities. Doctors these days don¡¯t take their calling seriously.]

    It was ironic of Zich to say this, since the people around him had started calling him Demon Lord instead of Demon Person. However, Joachim didn¡¯t reply; instead, he dropped more blood over his shoulders. He seemed disinterested in Zich¡¯s words and focused on covering his whole body with more blood. As Zich stared at him, he clicked his tongue and thought:

    [¡®This guy is definitely not sane.¡¯]

    Even though Zich was surrounded by crazy people, Joachim and some of his other subordinates were a par above everyone else.

    [¡®The only one sane is me. I have to stay sane to lower our group¡¯s total insanity level. It¡¯s so embarrassing.¡¯]

    Of course, if anyone heard what Zich was thinking, even Joachim who was bathing in a pool of blood would quickly deny Zich¡¯s ims. How can you of all people say that I am insane? he would say. But even after he earned the title of Vampire and was feared by many, Joachim still couldn¡¯t read people¡¯s minds.

    [Do you want to trying in?]

    Joachim wrongly judged that Zich wanted to try his blood bath and offered him a spot in his pool. He spread his arms wide and actively tried to spread his hob¡ªno, his ¡°healing¡± technique to everyone around him. Of course, Zich had no desire in the slightest to join Joachim.

    [Okay, let¡¯s just say that crazy technique of yours is good for the body. What part of your body is hurting so much that you have to soak your body in blood every time we go to battle?]

    [It¡¯s because I¡¯m weak. Don¡¯t I look weak from a nce?]

    [Yeah, you look like you are about to die, but weak? Didn¡¯t you just defeat 5,000 soldiers by yourself?]

    [I can¡¯t believe so many people ganged up on someone who looks as weak as me. Really, the world is so harsh these days.]

    How can he be so shameless! Zich¡¯s body shook at Joachim¡¯s outrageous statements. He even felt like he lost to Joachim a little bit; Zich had been confident about his ability to hurt his opponents¡¯ mentality by his shamelessness, but he felt as if he was nowhere near Joachim¡¯s level.

    [Okay, okay. Just do whatever you want.]

    [Thank you, boss.]

    Joachim put his back against the wall of the blood pool.

    [Pweh, feels so good!]

    [...]

    Even Zich was made speechless in front of Joachim¡¯s hobby¡ªno, ¡°healing¡± technique¡ªand Zich stared at him for a long time.

    * * *

    ¡®I can¡¯t believe that Joachim of all people has hemophobia¡­¡¯

    Maybe Joachim was joking or trying to trick him by giving a fake weakness.

    ¡®No, but why would he try to do that to someone he just met?¡¯

    Even if there was another reason for him to lie, Joachim¡¯s pale face seemed to indicate that he was not lying.

    But Joachim misunderstood Zich¡¯s statement and asked with a dejected look, ¡°¡­It¡¯s pathetic, right?¡± He seemed embarrassed about his hemophobia.

    ¡°You hate your own constitution?¡±

    ¡°How can I like it? Because of this constitution, I suffered so much.¡±

    It didn¡¯t seem like Joachim would exin how he suffered, and even Zich did not know much about Joachim¡¯s past. Before he regressed, the only thing Joachim told him was where he was from. Moreover, Zich also didn¡¯t put much importance on people¡¯s pasts, so he hadn¡¯t bothered to ask him about his past.

    But since Zich knew what Joachim would be in the future, he said withplete assurance, ¡°I don¡¯t know when it will be, but I¡¯m sure you will get over your hemophobia.¡±

    ¡°Thank you.¡±

    Joachim thanked Zich, but he didn¡¯t sound convinced. However, Zich stressed each of his words so Joachim would know that he was telling the truth.

    ¡°I¡¯m not just saying this. If it¡¯s you, I¡¯m sure you can ovee your constitution.¡±

    Zich was sure of it. Joachim would ovee his constitution to the point of bathing himself with blood in every battle. Joachim nodded his head in surprise at Zich¡¯s confident tone.

    * * *

    Everyone continued their efforts to stop the spread of the epidemic. Priests and doctors worked desperately to save patients¡¯ lives, and soldiers worked hard to prevent the spread of diseases by burning down infected corpses, houses, and furniture.

    However, the situation didn¡¯t get any better. The vigers in quarantine kept getting sick, and those who became infected had a very low survival rate.

    The fatality rate was almost 100%. Even Zich shook his head at how severe this disease was. As the doctors and soldiers also got infected and died, the situation turned for the worse; and they didn¡¯t receive much support from their estate either. At this rate, it seemed as if the people who came to aid the vigers hadn¡¯te here to prevent the spread of diseases but to die with them.

    On the other hand, the supporters didn¡¯t give up easily. Joachim gave out clear orders and instilled hope into people¡¯s hearts; he and his soldiers, with the priests and doctors, did their utmost best to bring relief to the vigers.

    Moreover, Zich was a critical factor in letting them continue their support. Even on this day, Zich went up to the mountains and caught arge number of animals for people to eat. The patients and all the people who took care of the patients needed to conserve their stamina. People needed stamina to recover, and it was also harder for people to get sick when they ate well. Therefore, it was a very important job for someone to consistently bring food for people to eat and maintain their stamina.

    Since the soldiers¡¯ estate sent barely any resources, food supplies were also low. Before Zich, many people would get infected and die as a result of losing stamina. Even though Joachim and his soldiers were all very skilled fighters, sword and hunting skills were of totally different categories that utilized different sets of skills. Thus, people weed Zich, who brought food to them, with open arms.

    In addition, bringing food was not the only thing Zich did.

    ¡°This is a Purin leaf.¡±

    The Purin leaf that Zich brought was long and wide, so people could use it for bandages when they were running low on them.

    ¡°Solberri fruit, Durogu root, and Dic¡¯s stems are all here.¡±

    Zich also brought in nts that doctors needed, so his poprity increased even further.

    ¡°Sir Zich is even knowledgeable about medicinal nts!¡±

    Snoc was amazed at Zich¡¯s various abilities. While Hans kept his amazement to himself while following Zich¡¯s orders, Snoc outwardly showed his admiration for Zich continuously. There was a huge difference between someone who was forced to follow Zich and someone who followed him willingly.

    ¡°You should also learn this. There¡¯s no harm in knowing about this.¡±

    ¡°Yes, sir!¡±

    Snoc stared intensely at the medicinal nts that Zich brought and tried to carve them into his memory. Nowem also shoved his nose close to the nts to remember them by his sense of smell. Although Snoc¡¯s eager attitude was a great ingredient for his progress, no matter how hard he worked, he couldn¡¯t beat experience.

    ¡°Here it is.¡±

    Hans had learned how to identify medicinal nts while traveling with Zich, and he was already pretty skillful at finding useful nts. He soon proved himself to be of great help to Zich.

    ¡°Senior, you are also amazing!¡±

    ¡°Ah, yeah. It¡¯s because I learned a lot from Sir Zich.¡±

    Hans'' voice was awkward as he said this because he felt overwhelmed by Snoc¡¯s admiring eyes. But it was not a bad feeling, and the tip of his mouth quivered upwards. Overall, with the help of Zich and hispanions, people worked their hardest to save infected patients and prevent the spread of the disease. However, no matter how hard they worked, it was impossible for them to save the vige.

    Whooosh!

    The vige was swept by an enormous fire. The temporary ward, the doctor and priest¡¯s hastily made shelter, and the wooden fence that surrounded the whole vige¡ªeverything was swept by the crackling mes.

    The fire had not been an ident. Under Joachim¡¯s orders, the soldiers started a fire because there was no need for this vige to exist anymore. All the vigers were gone, and there was no reason to leave a disease-infested vige alone.

    ¡°I still can¡¯t believe not a single person survived.¡± Hans watched the vige burn to the ground and mumbled with mixed emotions. When he was in Steelwall, he sometimes received news of infectious diseases spreading around in the country. He also heard people say that the circumstances of some ces were bing very serious. But he had never heard of a case in which not a single person survived, like this vige. In the end, all of them failed to save the vige.

    Joachim, the leader of the task force, and all the doctors, priests, and the soldiers had pensive, sad looks on their faces. The towering mes in front of them were stark evidence of how all their efforts had gone down the drain. To make matters worse, some of theirrades had fallen ill and passed away so the morale was as low as it could possibly be.

    ¡°In the end, it turned out like this.¡±

    Joachim walked towards Zich and hispanions. Even though Joachim was walking towards them, his gaze did not depart from the vige even once.

    Zich replied, ¡°What a pity.¡±

    ¡°It is a pity. The lives lost, the vige on fire right now, and all the efforts that we made. Everything is a pity.¡±

    ¡®This Joachim is definitely different from the one I knew.¡¯

    Zich watched Joachim stare at the vige with tearful eyes. The Joachim he knew in the past would have never been consumed by emotions because he was unable to save people¡ªinstead, he would have been consumed by emotions because there would be no people to get blood from. It seemed as if something in the near future made Joachimpletely transform.

    ¡°If we didn¡¯t receive help from the three of you, we wouldn¡¯t havested this long. For that, I want to thank you again.¡±

    ¡°It was no problem at all. The reason why I¡¯m traveling all over the world is so that I can do kind acts. Therefore, I¡¯m happy to be of help to all of you.¡±

    Joachim was filled with admiration. ¡°You are a very admirable person.¡±

    ¡°I reported our situation, so we¡¯ll probably get a return order soon. If it would be all right with you, I would like to invite all three of you to my ce. I want to express my thanks in this way at least.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll dly ept your invitation.¡±

    Zich also didn¡¯t want to separate from Joachim yet, so he readily epted his invitation. However, even after a day and several dayster, an order requesting their return did not arrive. They had no choice but to stay near the devastated vige.

 Chapter 60

    <h4>Chapter 60</h4>

    Zich, Hans, and Snoc shared their dinner together around a bonfire. The dinner menu was the same as yesterday: freshly caught game. However, Zich did not catch today¡¯s meat. Since Joachim¡¯s soldiers didn¡¯t have any patients to take care of anymore, they could now hunt for themselves. Zich¡¯s life of having to feed people was officially over.

    The soldiers had caught a wild pig, and they skewered it on a piece of wood and cooked it over a fire¡ªit was a super basic meal that had existed since the cavemen age. They had no seasoning or spice, so the pig¡¯s nasty smell seeped right up their noses. Zich was not picky about his food; in the past, he once survived by drinking only water for several days.

    But¡ª

    ¡®I¡¯m slowly getting tired of this.¡¯

    Zich didn¡¯t even want a fancy meal; he just wanted a basic meal like bread and stew. But he finished up the meal in front of him anyway. Hans and Snoc also finished eating their share, and like this, their rudimentary meal was over.

    Hans asked, ¡°How long do you think we will be here for?¡±

    For the past few weeks, they had worked hard to prevent the spread of infectious diseases. Even though Hans did not regret working hard to help people, he wanted to sleep on afortable bed. Snoc also nodded in agreement while hugging Nowem. Since it had not been long since Snoc started his journey, he was more exhausted than Hans and Zich. For a beginner traveler, this experience was definitely a hard-level course.

    ¡°Hmmm, I don¡¯t think it will be easy to get out.¡±

    ¡°Do you think it¡¯s because they think we got infected?¡±

    ¡°Well, that might be one possible exnation, but I don¡¯t think it¡¯s the main reason.¡±

    The incubation periods for the diseases found among the vigers were all very short. It had already been over ten days since they camped outside. If they were sick, they would have fallen ill and died days ago.

    ¡°Then what do you think is the main reason?¡±

    ¡°I think it¡¯s simr to what happened in our family.¡±

    Zich looked at Hans and made a furtive smile. ¡®What happened in our family.¡¯ Hans grew pale as he remembered the events that had happened in Steelwall. He put his head down and moved away from Zich¡¯s prying gaze. Zichughed at Hans¡¯ frazzled reaction.

    But Snoc did not know Zich¡¯s background, so he didn¡¯t understand what Zich was saying and titled his head in puzzlement.

    Seeing this face, Zich continued, ¡°You know who¡¯s in charge of this ce right now, don¡¯t you?¡±

    Snoc replied, ¡°Isn¡¯t it Sir Joachim Dracul?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. And this ce is part of the Dracul estate. This means that Joachim Dracul is one of the direct descendants that governs this estate.¡±

    Even Snoc knew that much; he had heard all of this information while helping people out in the vige. However, what Zich said next was something Snoc had never learned about as a miner who spent all his life mining: power struggles within a noble family.

    ¡°When infectious diseases are spreading in a vige, families don¡¯t usually send one of their members. Furthermore, Joachim Dracul is not just a distant member of the family. He is the Count¡¯s second son. Moreover, the Count is not very healthy right now. No matter how you see it, it wouldn¡¯t be a good idea for the head of the family to send Joachim here.¡±

    ¡°Then how did hee here?¡±

    ¡°The most likely exnation is this¡­¡±

    Zich made a furtive smile and continued, ¡°...They sent him here to get sick and die.¡±

    ¡°I-I can¡¯t believe it.¡±

    Snoc was shocked. Even though he was aware that intense power struggles existed among the nobility, it was difficult for him to believe that a person could send another human being to an infectious location for the sole sake of killing them off. It was difficult for Snoc to understand this kind of behavior from his perspective. On the other hand, Hans agreed with Zich¡¯s analysis inside his mind; as a servant of the Count, he had hands-on experience with the power struggles that happened within the nobility. The rtionship between Greig and Zich exemplified this.

    ¡®But this power struggle must be really intense for them to send Joachim off to a vige with a full-blown epidemic to kill him off. Would other noble families go to this extent?¡¯

    Even though Zich¡¯s image in the Steelwall family was not good and many forces had worked hard to drive Zich away from bing the heir, no one actively tried to kill him.

    ¡°Why are you like that? Compared to our family, are they too extreme?¡±

    ¡°¡­Yes, it seems a bit like that.¡±

    Hans was getting used to Zich¡¯s harsh, yet yful way of speaking and agreed easily to Zich¡¯s statements.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know what the atmosphere is like in the Dracul family, but I¡¯m sure it¡¯s a bit different from ours. In our family, everyone thought I was useless and supported Greig, right? I was not even worth killing, or to be more urate, I was not worth the trouble to kill.¡±

    Snoc and even Hans, who knew the truth of Zich¡¯s background, froze at Zich¡¯s words. Compared to them, Zich was calm; to him, what he said was not really a serious matter.

    ¡°Well, I don¡¯t know what would have happened if I didn¡¯t leave the family. I don¡¯t know about father and Greig, but I¡¯m sure that with sufficient time, people who disliked me or supported Greig would have all wanted to assassinate me.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    As someone who adored the Steelwall family, Hans wanted to deny Zich¡¯s words. However, the aristocratic society he knew was more than capable and vicious enough to do exactly what Zich said, so he could not say anything.

    ¡°Um-uh¡­¡±

    Snoc broke the tense silence. His expression looked as if he was wondering if he could even speak in this heavy atmosphere. But he couldn¡¯t stifle his curiosity.

    Snoc asked with a tentative voice, ¡°Sir Zich, if I may ask, are you a noble?¡±

    ¡°Well, to be more urate, I used to be a noble. I threw it all away though.¡±

    Snoc waspletely shaken; he had not imagined in the slightest that the traveler he was learning various skills and knowledge from was of noble lineage. But it was not only Snoc who was surprised.

    Zich raised his voice and said, ¡°Sir, why don¡¯t you reveal yourself?¡±

    Who was he saying that to? Hans and Snoc looked around them. But soon, they found Joachim a few feet away from them with a sheepish expression on his face.

    ¡°I¡­I apologize. I just wanted to converse with Mr. Zich¡­¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s alright. I wasn¡¯t trying to hide my background anyways.¡±

    Zich made space next to him. Joachim hesitated for a bit, but he finally epted Zich¡¯s hospitality and sat down next to Zich.

    Joachim carefully asked to confirm Zich¡¯s words, ¡°Sir, is it true that you are a noble?¡±

    Zich nodded. ¡°I used to be one.¡±

    Joachim really wanted to know which family he was from, but he pushed back his curiosity. Zich said he ¡®used to be one¡¯¡ªthat meant Zich was no longer a noble. In that case, Joachim was not sure if he could ask which family Zich was from.

    Instead, he asked a different question, ¡°Would I be able to ask why you left your family?¡±

    Recently, Joachim wanted to leave his family more and more as time passed. As his possible senior(?), Joachim wanted to get some advice from Zich.

    ¡°To summarize, it was because of problems with the session. My father and everyone in the family wanted not me, but my younger brother to be the heir, so I left the family.¡±

    There was nothing wrong with Zich¡¯s statement. But Hans knew what Zich did before he left the Steelwall family, and he wondered if it was okay for Zich to summarize his ¡°problems'''' like that.

    Joachim said with a bitter smile, ¡°¡­Your circumstances are simr to mine.¡±

    ¡°Sir, are you also struggling because your whole family is partnering up against you? Are you nning to give up on your right to seed as the heir?¡±

    Before he regressed, Zich used to call Joachim by just his name, but right now, their rtionship was more formal. Therefore, Zich followed protocol and called Joachim ¡®sir.¡¯ However, as they became closer after working so many hours together, Zich spoke less politely now.

    ¡°It¡¯s not to that extent. Since I¡¯m the second son, my older brother has more legitimacy and he also has more followers. Honestly, it¡¯s kind ofughable to talk about my followers, because they are just people I¡¯m personally close to.¡±

    ¡°People who are obsessed with power would feel threatened by just that.¡±

    ¡°Yes, that is true, but I have no interest in bing the Count.¡±

    ¡°Did you tell them that?¡±

    ¡°Yes, of course. I told them and also showed it through my actions. I even distanced myself from some of my close friends.¡±

    ¡°Then I can think of two possible scenarios: first, it¡¯s because you are a really talented person and your old brother feels threatened by that; or second, your older brother is a very petty person.¡±

    Joachim looked as if it was difficult for him to answer.

    ¡°I guess both of them are true.¡±

    ¡°No, it¡¯s not like that. My older brother is just very stressed out because of the session problem, and I¡¯m also not very talented or skilled.¡±

    ¡°Okay.¡±

    Zich said okay, but his expression or tone seemed as if he disagreed with Joachim¡¯s statements. Joachim was about to add more, but he gave up; he realized it was futile for him to keep making excuses for his older brother. Instead, he changed the topic and asked how Zich lived after he left the family. Joachim wanted to hear a personal ount of someone who left their family in case he really decided topletely separate himself from his family. Thinking back to their rtionship in his past life, Zich gave various advice and tips to Joachim. After conversing for a long time together, Joachim left and felt more confident about his future.

    Once again, only the three of them were left. Hans¡¯ gaze followed Joachim¡¯s back as he moved away.

    ¡°I wonder if that person is also thinking of leaving his family?¡±

    ¡°Maybe. But leaving and traveling around the world is not a bad idea either.¡±

    Zich was the very evidence of that statement. If Joachim really decided to leave his noble family, Zich was also willing to give more advice and help him out.

    After many long conversations, their dinner was finally over. Then after a week, a return order arrived for Joachim and his soldiers.

    * * *

    The soldiers headed towards the estate with light footsteps. It took a long time for them to go back. Soldiers who had family members back home missed their family members, and soldiers who had no family members missed their friends back home. Back at the estate, they could sleep on a bed instead of a smelly smock and eat a simple but loving, home-cooked meal. People¡¯s faces were full of life.

    It was the same for Snoc and Hans. They were both very happy about being able to live like a normal human again. Soon after they marched on like that, they heard a cry: ¡°I can see it!¡±

    They were finally at the capital city of the Dracul estate, Ospurin.

    * * *

    The room was luxurious. It was filled with expensive furniture and decorations. However, the interior was not well designed. Instead of wanting to decorate the room beautifully with expensive items, it gave off the impression that expensive items were stuffed into a room for the sole sake of showing them off. The haphazard cement of the furniture further heightened that impression.

    The design of the room could be summarized into one word: cheap. On the other hand, the owner of this room¡ªa young man¡ªshowed no embarrassment about his room and reclined on his expensive sofa. He scowled at the old man in front of him.

    ¡°That bastard eventually made it back up here?¡±

    The young man also wore very expensive clothes. However, in contrast to his fancy clothes, he had poor manners and a cheap attitude. It was easy to see what his personality was like. Like his room, his clothes perfectly reflected the type of person he was.

    ¡°I sincerely apologize.¡±

    ¡°Take your insincere apology somewhere else. What are you going to do about it? Are you going to let hime back here? Why don¡¯t you raid him and his soldiers on the way and kill them all? I don¡¯t want to see that bastard Joachim here ever again!¡±

    This young man was Joachim¡¯s older brother and the current Count Dracul¡¯s first son, Biyom Dracul. Even though Biyom and Joachim shared the same parents and were not half-brothers like Zich and Greig, Biyom¡¯s attitude clearly showed that he didn¡¯t consider Joachim as his family at all.

    ¡°Assassination is too obvious. There¡¯ll definitely be people who would be very suspicious of you. If they happen to find evidence against you, they¡¯ll use that against you to block your session.¡±

    ¡°Damn it!¡±

    Biyom lost his temper as the situation didn¡¯t go ording to his desires.

    ¡°How the fuck did that guy even survive? You told me that the disease there was so strong that it wiped out an entire vige! You said that there were even some doctors and soldiers who died! I even sent them the least possible amount of resources! How did that stick-skinny guy even survive!¡±

    ¡°I can only say that he is very lucky.¡±

    Biyom began to throw a tantrum. He kicked the table over and punched his sofa repeatedly. After a long time passed, Biyom calmed himself down.

    With murderous eyes, Biyom said, ¡°¡­Quickly make a new n. A n that¡¯ll definitely kill Joachim!¡±

    The old man bowed and left the room. A momentter, Biyom¡¯s screams could be heard again as he vented his anger out on the objects in his room.

 Chapter 61

    <h4>Chapter 61</h4>

    Zich and hispanions unloaded their luggage in a hotel at Ospurin. They stayed in a luxurious, expensive hotel; it wasn¡¯t a ce where aristocrats stayed, but sessful merchants and wealthy people frequently resided in the hotel.

    Thus, the price of one night in the hotel was considerably expensive, and because Zich, Hans, and Snoc each got separate rooms, the fee was three times more than the normal amount. However, Zich didn¡¯t feel burdened by the price of the hotel since Joachim had reserved the rooms for them.

    Since Zich had done so much to help them during the epidemic, Joachim had initially wanted to invite Zich to his castle. Furthermore, it wasn¡¯t like Zich, Hans, and Snoc had simply helped them out. There was no need to even go on about what Zich did¡ªHans and Snoc had done the work of tens of people. All of Joachim¡¯s task force greatly appreciated Zich and hispanions. Joachim wanted to invite the three of them to his castle and treat them as esteemed guests. However, his n fell apart as soon as he arrived at the castle.

    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry.¡±

    Joachim¡¯s face crumpled intensely. His clenched fist trembled with humiliation, and he felt powerless. The gatekeepers had been ordered to prohibit all of Joachim¡¯s guests from entering the castle. However, Joachim couldn¡¯t me the gatekeepers who also looked helpless. Their expressions betrayed the fact that they weren¡¯t acting of their own free will.

    As expected, the gatekeepers were working under the orders of the Draculs¡¯ first son, Biyom. Joachim couldn¡¯t understand why a son¡ªnot the feudal lord¡ªwould have authority over the entire estate. But judging by the responses of the people in front of him, it seemed like nobody could ignore Biyom¡¯s orders.

    Zichforted Joachim. Zich was already satisfied that Joachim wanted to do something for him. The fact that he had developed a good rtionship with Joachim after the regression also made Zich d. However, Joachim wasn¡¯t satisfied with leaving things like that, so he quickly reserved them a ce. He asked them to stay in the hotel and said that he would visit them; then Joachim headed for the castle.

    ¡®He¡¯s quite unlucky.¡¯

    Zich thought that Joachim¡¯s situation was like his past situation at Steelwall. But after seeing the way Joachim was treated at his residence, Zich thought Joachim¡¯s situation was worse.

    ¡®The atmosphere here is worse than Steelwall. How can he even swallow his food there?¡¯

    If Zich hadn¡¯t nned to flip his household upside down at the end, he wouldn¡¯t have been able to survive even one day in Steelwall.

    ¡®Should I just take him with me?¡¯

    Zich started to seriously think about this matter. There was no harm to it, and Zich would wee his past underling to be his subordinate again with open arms. All that remained was what Joachim wanted, and Joachim also had thoughts of leaving his family.

    ¡®His hemophobia might hinder our travels, but I can adjust to that.¡¯

    And if things still didn¡¯t work out, Zich could help Joachim settle in a ce with good scenery full of mountains and pleasant waters.

    ¡®I should ask his opinions about it first and nter.¡¯

    After making his final decision, Zich decided to enjoy his leisure time that he wasn¡¯t able to have for a while. He ate when he was hungry, slept when he felt sleepy, and had a drink from time to time. And since Ospurin was a sizable city, there were enough ces for entertainment.

    Both Hans and Snoc seemed very pleased with their stay. Hans enjoyed his freedom as much as he could while Snoc couldn¡¯t get enough of the luxurious lifestyle he had never experienced before. Moreover, Zich nned to leave them alone for a while.

    Several days passed like that. It was about time for Joachim to contact them, but they didn¡¯t hear anything back from him.

    ¡®Since the hotel is regrly receiving payments for our stay, I don¡¯t think he forgot about us. He might be in some serious trouble.¡±

    This meant that Joachim was dealing with personal affairs or threats against his own life¡ª to the point that he couldn¡¯t concern himself about Zich. For a moment, Zich thought about infiltrating the castle like he did before. But at that moment, a visitor arrived at the hotel. However, the person wasn¡¯t Joachim; it was one of Joachim¡¯s lieutenants.

    ¡°Hey, it¡¯s been a while, Zich.¡±

    Even though he was from a lower ss than Zich, he was quite old and a knight of a noble, so he talked informally to Zich. Zich also didn¡¯t say anything against it since this was normal. Only Joachim talked formally to everyone regardless of their status.

    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s been a while Sir Brod. Did Count Dracul send you?¡±

    ¡°Well, kind of.¡±

    Brod¡¯s expression wasn¡¯t good. It wasn¡¯t because he didn¡¯t like Zich¡ª Brod had also worked with Zich at the vige affected by the epidemic. It seemed like something had happened to Joachim.

    Brod continued, ¡°Count Joachim wanted me to pass on his apologies. He is sorry that he couldn¡¯t keep his promise.¡±

    ¡°Is there something going on?¡±

    ¡°¡­He is confined in his room for failing to stop the epidemic properly.¡±

    ¡°Is it because everyone in the vige died?¡±

    Brod nodded. ¡°Although he exined that the infection and fatality rates were extremely high and there were multiple diseases spreading¡­¡±

    ¡°It didn¡¯t get through to them.¡±

    ¡°¡­Yes, the first son of Count Dracul thought differently from us.¡±

    Brod clearly looked like he wanted to add all kinds of names before the ¡®first son of Count Dracul¡¯¡ªfor example, ¡®that bastard,¡¯ or ¡®damn,¡¯ or even ¡®that greedy pig bastard¡¯¡ªor curses even worse than that.

    ¡°The first son? What about the lord of the house?¡±

    ¡°Our Lord is bedridden by an illness.¡±

    ¡°Is it an infectious disease?¡±

    After staying in an infected vige, the first thing that came to Zich¡¯s mind when an illness was mentioned was an infectious disease. Yet, thankfully, that didn¡¯t seem to be the case. Brod shook his head.

    ¡°No, if it was, more people would have caught it.¡±

    Zich nodded. Truthfully, he wouldn¡¯t have cared if the Lord or even all the residents in this city, Ospurin, caught the epidemic. Zich was simply a person who tried to do kind acts, and he wasn¡¯t actually a kind person. He was just curious.

    ¡°Then, is Joachim still imprisoned?¡±

    ¡°No, he was released yesterday.¡±

    However, Brod¡¯s face didn¡¯t get any brighter.

    ¡°Something must have happened again.¡±

    ¡°It seems like another vige was hit by an epidemic.¡±

    He knew where this was going. The corner of Zich¡¯s lips turned upwards; it was a fishy smile without a shred of positivity.

    ¡°You are saying that Joachim has been sent to that vige.¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    Brod¡¯s voice was solemn.

    ¡®They are doing all they can to push him to death.¡¯

    Zich could easily figure out the first son¡¯s intentions; however, the first son probably had other reasons to send Joachim off.

    ¡®He probably wants to cut down the number of people who align themselves with Joachim.¡±

    Joachim had said that he didn¡¯t have many followers, but everyone who was in the task force waspletely loyal to him. Although Zich considered the thought that Joachim might have won the hearts of the people around him in the short time he tookmand of the task force¡­

    ¡®But for that to be the case, they seem too loyal to Joachim.¡±

    That meant only one thing.

    ¡®The first count must have sent Joachim¡¯s followers to fight off the epidemic with him.¡¯

    It would also not be different this time. No matter how loyal they were, they were bound to feel fearful about death, especially towards infectious diseases that they couldn¡¯t even see while they were dispatched to a vige at the peak of their outbreak. There would be many sacrifices.

    ¡®It would be most ideal for the first son if Joachim dies from the epidemic. And if Joachim doesn¡¯t, the first son ns to decrease the number of Joachim¡¯s followers by letting them die by infectious diseases or encouraging them to leave Joachim¡¯s side to escape dispatchment.¡¯

    The whole situation was disgraceful. Zich wouldn¡¯t have normally concerned himself in a power struggle between nobles, but Joachim was involved in this case. Furthermore, Joachim was getting one-sidedly beaten.

    ¡®What was the name of that first son guy?¡¯

    Zich was sure that his name was something like Biyom Dracul.

    ¡®He is a bad guy, right?¡¯

    Biyom satisfied all the conditions: he tried to kill Joachim, who had no greed for power and worked hard to fight the epidemic, simply because Joachim was a threat to his authority.

    ¡®How should I fuck up this guy?¡¯

    Zich¡¯s head spun, but then he realized that he was still in the middle of a conversation with Brod and pushed this thought into the corner of his mind.

    ¡°When is his departure date? Because of the connection we made over these past weeks, I want to help this time too.¡±

    ¡°What? Are you serious?¡±

    Brod¡¯s face immediately brightened up. Like that, Zich returned to a vige infested by an epidemic again.

    * * *

    Drop!

    Hans threw down a corpse into arge pit. The corpse waved limply like a doll that a child got bored of and discarded. Yet, it might have been wrong topare the corpse to a doll. The corpse, which had died after going through all kinds of pain and despair, looked gruesome. However, Hans was used to seeing corpses in such states now. He had seen countless corpses over his stay in the vige, and he worked mechanically like a machine.

    Tree branches soaked in oil fell over the corpses, and over it, a torch fell.

    Craaaackle!

    A fire erupted out of the hole. The oil-soaked branches fueled the fire and continued to let it burn. After checking the pit swirl with fire and heat, people increased their distance from the hazard. Even if they were now used to this work, they still disliked the sight and smell of burning corpses. However, no onepletely left the area. Everyone backed away to an area that didn¡¯t smell as much and stared at the ming pit as if they were standing in front of a solemn funeral.

    ¡°That was thest one,¡± Hans said calmly, and Snoc sniffled beside him. No matter how much they got used to the work, they couldn¡¯t help but feel emotional after seeing thest viger burn. In the end, everyone in this vige also died. The vigers¡¯ symptoms were like the symptoms from thest epidemic that they saw and were all truly sickening diseases.

    Failing gave them a bad feeling. However, they couldn¡¯t go on with this depressing mood; although failing felt terrible, they had already gone through it hundreds and thousands of times. Furthermore, it wasn¡¯t like they were the ones who set this goal.

    ¡®Since he is going to buy time by making us stay here for a couple weeks anyway, I should start making my ns.¡¯

    Zich¡¯s n was to fuck up Biyom Dracul. Zich barely repressed hisughter that was about toe out. No matter how heartless or impudent Zich was, he at least had enough self-restraint to notugh in this kind of atmosphere.

    People didn¡¯t leave the area until all the mes disappeared, as if they were wishing for the happiness and fortune of all those who died. Like that, the fire was extinguished. After that, they finally burned the whole vige down and finished cleaning up. Then, they sent the news to Ospurin that their work was over. However, they didn¡¯t receive any orders to return.

 Chapter 62

    <h4>Chapter 62</h4>

    They had already gone through the same situation. Since it was their second time receiving such a cold response from the estate, people weren¡¯t surprised and spent the next couple of days in silence. Some people even brought leisure games such as chess or books to pass the time. Still, it didn¡¯t change the fact that they were all wasting their time.

    But Zich couldn¡¯t allow Hans and Snoc to spend their time idly. He thought he had given them enough time to rest while they were staying at the hotel in Ospurin.

    ¡°Huff! Huff!¡±

    ¡°Haa! Haa!¡±

    Harsh breaths kept escaping out of Hans and Snoc¡¯s mouths. Saliva dried off their lips, their mouths gave off a stuffy smell, and their clothes were soaked with sweat. Yet, Zich¡¯s eyes didn¡¯t hold an ounce of sympathy in them.

    ¡°Your arms are starting to fall, huh?¡±

    Zich raised his voice; and Hans and Snoc fixed their position instantly. The two were bending their knees like they were sitting on a chair and raising their arms in a horseback riding pose. However, they weren¡¯t doing the normal version of the pose. Pouches filled with stones from their surroundings hung from all over their bodies. In addition, they weren¡¯t even allowed to use their mana and had to endure the weights with just their muscles. Sweat poured down from their bodies like rain.

    ¡°You have to train your physique thoroughly. If you thought that there was no need to physically train because of mana or your power over the earth, immediately throw away such thoughts! The only thing you can believe in an emergency is your physical abilities.¡±

    Zich also worked to increase his physical skills to their maximum potential. This process only involved simple, hard work. It was something that even Zich couldn¡¯t substitute with knowledge or tricks. And even if there was an efficient path, there were no easy paths.

    ¡°Besides, physical training will help you in normal times. If you guys were magicians, I might not have made you go through all of this. But you guys are not rear-supporters like them! Snoc! Using your power over the earth, you can attack from close-by and far away as well. Not doing all you can do is just beingzy.¡±

    Zich¡¯s eyes looked at Hans this time.

    ¡°And Hans, you go around with a sword anyway, so you have no excuses! Both of you train properly!¡±

    [Yes!]

    ¡°Your arms are getting lower again!¡±

    Zich¡¯s voice rang out, and the two fixed their positions again. The training continued, and Hans and Snoc endured it with all they had. Small groans escaped their lips, but they didn¡¯t cry out. Even if they cried out in intense pain, they knew that the possibility of Zich shortening or stopping their training was a far-fetched fantasy. In fact, they would be grateful if they didn¡¯t get more training for groaning at this level of training.

    However, today was slightly different.

    ¡°Stop.¡±

    Drop!

    Drop!

    Hans and Snoc copsed on the ground. The stone pouches attached to their bodies spilled out. They grabbed their aching muscles and groaned, but even while doing that, the two stared at each other and tilted their heads. Zich wouldn¡¯t have stopped them this early. He would have forced them to maintain this pose at least until sunset.

    ¡°What happened?¡± Hans asked.

    ¡°It¡¯s nothing. It seems like we have a guest.¡±

    ¡°A guest.¡±

    ¡°Come out.¡±

    The bushes rustled and Hans and Snoc raised their guards. People came out of the bush. There were five people in total, and all five of them disguised their identities with ck robes. Hans and Snoc didn¡¯t let their guard down¡ªa suspicious person could be much more dangerous than a monster.

    ¡°Who are you guys?¡± Zich asked calmly.

    No one answered, but it wasn¡¯t difficult to guess their motives. Seeing their drawn-out swords, they didn¡¯t seem like they were approaching them with goodwill.

    ¡°Did you guyse for me?¡± Zich asked with his eyes wide open like he couldn¡¯t believe it.

    ¡°Really, howe there are so many people who don¡¯t even value their lives?¡± Zichined as if the whole world wouldn¡¯t leave him alone when he simply wanted to live in peace. However, his face said theplete opposite.

    ¡°Hey, senior.¡± Snoc asked Hans.

    ¡°Why?¡±

    As if their training wasn¡¯t for naught, Snoc talked to Hans while keeping his eyes on the mysterious intruders.

    ¡°In contrast to what he says, Sir Zich looks very happy. Am I mistaken?¡±

    ¡°No, you¡¯ve correctly judged his expression.¡±

    Hans¡¯ gaze on the mysterious figures changed from wariness to sympathy.

    ¡°It¡¯s because ythings havee at the right moment when he was bored.¡±

    In addition, the people who appeared right in front of him looked undeniably ¡°bad¡±.

    Although Hans and Snoc talked in hushed voices, everyone within the area had enough training to hear their conversation. As if their pride had been hurt, bloodthirst exploded out of the robed figures. The intent was strong enough to make Hans and Snoc flinch, and Hans instinctively reached for his sword while Snoc touched the ground with his hands. However, Zich remained calm.

    ¡°Who sent you?¡±

    There was no answer again. However, Zich also didn¡¯t expect a response.

    ¡°Okay, let me see. I can tell that you guys are assassins. I wonder who has a grudge against me?¡±

    Before his regression, Zich didn¡¯t¡ªno, he couldn¡¯t deeply think about matters like this. Even without deep contemtion, Zich thought of many people, as many as the fingers and toes on his hands and feet who wanted to kill him. And if he thought a little deeper, he would need more than a hundred thousand pairs of hands and feet to count the total number of people who held a serious grudge against him.

    However, Zich was living a second life. He was clean and pure. He could only count the people who wanted to kill him with one hand.

    Some might have thought it was problematic that there were already people who wanted revenge on Zich so soon after his regression and his decision to live a kind life. However, the assassins¡¯ appearance made Zich feel more aplished.

    ¡®To think that I can count the number of people who want revenge with just one hand. I am living this life right.¡¯ Zich rejoiced.

    The first possible suspects were the Steelwalls, but as soon as he thought of them, Zich erased them from his mind.

    ¡®They are busy organizing their house. They won¡¯t have time to spare for me, and they don¡¯t even know where I am.¡¯

    And considering the Steelwalls¡¯ unique character, they weren¡¯t the type to send assassins. Of course, they were flexible enough to send assassins if a war broke out or if their opponent had sent assassins to them first (such flexibility allowed them to survive on the frontlines). But they also weren¡¯t the type to send assassins to the Count¡¯s eldest son for separating from them when he had already given up the inheritance.

    The next line of people Zich thought of was the Bellids. However, the Deputy Mayor had been dragged off, and even the Karuwimans assured Zich that they were going to prevent information about his involvement from spreading to protect his identity. Thus, the Bellid guys were probably only gnashing their teeth at Karuwiman.

    His third prospect was the assassins at Suol who tried to make Snoc into the Earth¡¯s tyrant.

    ¡®They look exactly like those guys.¡¯

    However, Zich killed all the assassins at that time. He didn¡¯t miss a single one, so it didn¡¯t seem likely that their organization received any information about Zich. That led to the fourth prospect: Biyom Dracul. Zich¡¯s help and support to Joachim must have been an eyesore to Biyom.

    ¡®No, I went too far with that one.¡¯

    Zich was a coborator at most; it was too far-fetched to think that Biyom would have already discovered Zich¡¯s skills. In the first ce, it was hard to believe that Biyom even knew of Zich¡¯s existence.

    ¡®Hm, I don¡¯t know.¡¯

    It only gave him a headache to think about something he didn¡¯t know. Thus, Zich stopped thinking.

    ¡®I should extract more information after catching them.¡¯

    ¡°Hans, Snoc.¡±

    ¡°Yes, sir?¡±

    ¡°Take one guy each.¡±

    Both of their faces stiffened.

    ¡°B-But Sir Zich. We don¡¯t have that much strength left from the training. I can¡¯t even move my muscles¡­¡±

    Hans, who had served Zich for a bit longer, spoke out on Snoc and his behalf. However, Hans also wasn¡¯t making up excuses. Anybody could see that Hans and Snoc¡¯s bodies weren¡¯t in a good shape. Even if they weren¡¯t able to fulfill the nned training schedule, Zich¡¯s training wasn¡¯t normal. But even Hans didn¡¯t think this excuse would actually work on Zich; and unfortunately for him, these kinds of predictions were always right.

    ¡°What if in the future you defeat an enemy using everything you have, but the enemy¡¯s support arrives afterward? Then, are you going to tell them, ¡®I¡¯m tired, so let¡¯s fight next time?¡¯ Do you think your opponent will really say, ¡®Okay then, I willeter?¡¯¡±

    Of course, his protest didn¡¯t work on Zich. Hans forcefully moved his weak legs. His legs trembled like he was a newborn deer, and as he lifted his sword, his arms trembled too. His sword felt like a lump of iron. The sword, which had felt familiar after swinging it around for so long, now felt unfamiliar to him. But inparison to him, Snoc still had more leeway. Even without muscles or stamina, Snoc could easily use his versatile skills with mana.

    However, Zich didn¡¯t want Snoc to have it easy.

    ¡°Snoc, coat yourself with rock armor and only injure your opponent with a sword. And Nowem, get off of him.¡±

    ¡°Ehh!¡±

    Snoc screamed at themand that bound both his hands and feet.

    Koo¡­

    Nowem didn¡¯t want to part from Snoc, and he nced at Zich. However, he saw Zich¡¯s menacing re and jumped off Snoc¡¯s shoulders. Although Nowem used to be the symbol of terror as the great Mining Monster, he couldn¡¯t defy Zich. That was how scared he was of Zich.

    ¡°Good. If both of you are prepared, put some distance between each other. I¡¯m going to throw each of you an opponent.¡±

    Zich talked as if he was sharing some fish he was going to catch, and Hans and Snoc put some distance between each other as Zich told them to.

    The assassins were furious at Zich¡¯s words, and they didn¡¯t feel the need to hold back. They quickly began to move. Although Zich decided that Hans and Snoc would each get an assassin, none of the assassins intended to follow that. They all rushed towards Zich, who was the closest one to them. They nned to finish off Zich first and deal with Hans and Snocter since they both looked exhausted.

    Five daggers lunged toward Zich at once, and in response, Zich took out a sword.

    Chachachachang!

    There were five consecutive sounds. As if they had nned before, all the assassins raised their daggers at the same time. Of course, they hadn¡¯t made a n like that¡ªit was because Zich had bounced off all their daggers at once.

    Zich walked towards the assassins who were now full of openings.

    Punch! Punch!

    With two loud crashing sounds, two of the assassins¡¯ bodies bounced off. Considering that their bodies were flying into the air, they didn¡¯t receive much damage. The two assassinsughed at Zich¡¯s light kicks andnded on the ground lightly. However, when they saw that there was a person next to them, they scowled because they realized the purpose of Zich¡¯s attacks and why he had kicked them into the air.

    ¡°Finish them well!¡±

    After delivering one assassin to Hans and Snoc each, Zich smiled at the three assassins left in front of him.

    ¡°You guys can y with me. Don¡¯t worry. I will go easy on you guys so that you can still move your mouths afterwards.¡±

    Zich swung his sword at the assassins again.

 Chapter 63

    <h4>Chapter 63</h4>

    The battle between Zich and the assassins looked fierce. One sword constantly collided against three daggers, and the sound of their sharp exchanges rang across the whole space. However, this battle only looked fierce. Zich and even the assassins knew that the battle was not intense for Zich at all.

    While fighting, Zich calmly analyzed his opponents. ¡®Hmmm. There¡¯s no special technique in their movements or skills.¡¯

    The assassins lowered their stance and desperately tried to find any openings in Zich¡¯s attacks. However, no matter how hard they tried to find openings, Zich blocked all of their attacks withplete ease¡ªeventually, they had no choice but to ept their assured defeat.

    If Zich wanted to summarize his current battle in one sentence, it would be: ¡®I¡¯m ying with them.¡¯ He was going to ¡®y¡¯ with the assassins, and the assassins would have no choice but to follow his lead. Zich¡¯s easygoing attitude in this battle was not a good sight to see. Regardless of how great the difference in their strengths was, carelessness could lead to dangerous mistakes.

    On the other hand, Zich didn¡¯t just ¡®y¡¯ absentmindedly either. He was trying to find clues about the assassins¡¯ identities by drawing out their different skills and movements. However, the assassins¡¯ movements were sharp but colorless; their movements held no shred of ingenuity or uniqueness. Even though they were getting pushed back, it was only because they had little experience with one-on-one fights and because their opponent was Zich. Their skills and movements were perfect as assassins.

    ¡®Their organization won¡¯t be easy to take care of.¡¯

    In order to make people into assassins like this¡ªwith no special characteristics or style but a ¡®tool¡¯ to kill¡ªthe organization needed to go through a considerable amount of investment and hard work.

    ¡®Should I capture one of them and ask?¡¯

    Zich¡¯s sword style changed. In an instant, he flicked away all the assassins¡¯ daggers and began to push them back.

    ¡®First, I got the three of them.¡¯

    Zich recalled how the assassins he met in Suol exploded themselves to stop him. During that time, he had no time to even capture one of the assassins. But now, he had more time than he needed.

    ¡®I¡¯m just going to get one of them for now.¡¯

    Zich was about to make a guy next to him faint, but the assassin suddenly reached out with his hands.

    Booom!

    An explosion erupted. Hans and Snoc, who were each taking care of an assassin, jumped in surprise. While they were fighting their opponents, they snuck a nce towards the explosion.

    ¡°Sir Z-Zich?¡± Snoc asked Zich with concern in his voice. The assassins fighting Hans and Snoc made lowughs, as if they were confident that Zich had died. Snoc bit his lip in worry.

    However, Hans was not worried at all.

    Whoosh!

    Hans just made one quick nce towards Zich¡¯s direction and began swinging his sword towards his opponent again. The assassin who had beenughing a moment ago hurriedly attempted to block Hans¡¯ sword in surprise.

    ¡®There¡¯s no way Sir Zich will die from that.¡¯

    Hans was calmer than Snoc, because he had stayed a longer time with Zich and had a higher level of trust.

    ¡®If Sir Zich died from something like that, the Steelwall family wouldn¡¯t have fallen into a state of chaos, and I wouldn¡¯t have been dragged all the way here.¡¯

    With this thought in his mind, Hans¡¯ sword style became rougher.

    sh!

    The aftermath of the explosion disappeared in an instant. The assassins, who had moved their bodies back since the beginning of the explosion, shivered in shock. As Hans expected, Zich was calmly standing in the middle of where the explosion erupted.

    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s an artifact?¡±

    Zich was in a good mood. He was familiar with this style of attack, and how the assassins carried around artifacts.

    ¡°It¡¯s you guys.¡±

    Zich was ted to see assassins from the same organization like the ones in Suol. Zich¡¯s happy expression was like a tiger jumping into a herd of sheep.

    A promise was a promise. Zich wanted to fervently keep his promise with the robed man in Suol¡ªthat as soon as he met anyone in his organization, he would send them to his side in hell. So far, the assassins had onlysted this long because Zich went easy on them. As soon as he became more serious, his opponents were pushed back mercilessly. The assassins used up their artifacts without reservation, and Zich sliced through all of them.

    ¡°Agh!¡±

    A long wound appeared on one of the assassin¡¯s bodies. It was not enough to warrant death, but it was impossible for the injured assassin to continue fighting.

    ¡®Done with one.¡¯

    Worried that they might sacrifice themselves, Zich raised his sword towards their heads to make them faint. However, before he could make them faint, one of the two remaining assassins blew a whistle.

    Fweeet!

    ¡°Tch!¡±

    Noticing that something was off, Zich clicked his tongue.

    Crashhh!

    An explosion that was iparablyrger than the first one erupted. The magnitude of the explosion was notrge, but the intensity of the explosion was at the highest level. While crushing their own bodies, the assassins attempted to harm Zich. However, as if he was escaping small fiery sparks, Zich dusted off his clothes and moved away from the explosion.

    ¡®This is why I wanted to quickly finish this.¡¯

    If they were assassins from the same organization as the one from Suol, there was a high chance that they would explode themselves. With that thought in mind, Zich had wanted to quickly capture them.

    ¡®The quality of their skills is actually higher than the ones from Suol.¡¯

    When the robed man told Zich that he had quickly gathered a group of ¡°low-level¡± assassins for his mission in Suol, it seemed the robed man was telling him the truth. Zich turned around. Hans and Snoc were on the ground and blinking their eyes. They were full of scratches and some of the injuries looked very deep, but they didn¡¯t look like they were about to die. Before the assassins exploded themselves, Zich blew away their opponents, so Snoc and Hans had time to escape.

    ¡°What are you doing? Get up.¡±

    Hans and Snoc quickly got up with Zich¡¯smand. After giving each of them a potion, Zich looked back at the sight of the explosion. He felt regretful that he wasn¡¯t able to get more information out of them, but he soon dusted away this feeling. The assassins he just fought didn¡¯t seem like they knew any important secrets. But most of all¡ª

    ¡®I think I¡¯m going to see more of them in the future.¡¯

    Zich was sure of it.

    * * *

    It waste in the night. Zich stuffed more sticks into the bonfire and tried to keep the fire going. Tired from their long and arduous battle, Hans and Snoc crashed to bed as soon as they got the chance. On the other hand, Zich looked like a carefree man immersed in his daily routine, as he looked over his fire. Yet, he was deeply lost in thought, thinking about the assassins they beat today.

    ¡®Without a doubt, I¡¯m sure they are from the same organization as the ones from Suol. But I wonder why those guys are here right now.¡¯

    Zich tried to analyze the assassins he met in Suol. First, their goal was rted to Snoc and Nowem, and their main goal was to make Nowem into the ¡®Tyrant of the Earth.¡¯ Before the incident, Zich had never imagined that Nowem (who caused a whole kingdom to copse before he regressed) could have been made in such a forceful manner.

    ¡®I wonder why they are trying to make Nowem or Demon People in general, and what they are doing all the way here. If I assume that they still have simr goals¡­¡¯

    Joachim was here. In the distant future, Joachim would be the ¡®The Demonic Vampire¡¯ and serve under Zich, the Demon Lord.

    ¡®They keep appearing near ces where Demon People will appear.¡¯

    Zich didn¡¯t want to exclude the possibility of a coincidence, but he felt as if these two events were deeply connected.

    ¡®If these guys are really the bastards who tried to make Joachim into a Demon Person, then¡­¡¯

    To think about it, Zich remembered that a bunch of Demon People came out during this time¡ªto the extent it would be called the Demon People Era.

    ¡®Is there a group of people actually trying to make Demon People?¡¯

    If this was true, it would be an extremely newsworthy event, because it meant someone or some group was controlling people into bing Demon People and unleashing chaos into this world.

    ¡®Of course, they probably didn¡¯t make every Demon Person. I¡¯m sure there were those who naturally became a Demon Person like me¡­¡¯

    Zich¡¯s face suddenly turned deathly serious.

    ¡®Wait, is there any evidence that my transformation as a Demon Person really had no outside influence?¡¯

    There was no evidence. In the first ce, Zich had never thought that an organization was purposely making Demon People. As Snoc became ¡®The Tyrant of the Earth, Nowem¡¯ because of the assassins, how could he be so sure that there was no one trying to make him the ¡®Demon Lord of Strength, Zich Moore?¡¯

    ¡®To think about it, as soon as I left the Steelwall family, I experienced various events as if someone had nned it all out.¡¯

    And all the events were perfectlyid out for Zich to be a Demon Person.

    ¡®I just thought that the world was chaotic, so I experienced a lot of dangerous situations, but¡­¡¯

    But what if they were the result of someone else?

    ¡®¡­This is interesting.¡¯

    Up until now, Zich thought he became a Demon Lord through his own free will. But now there was a possibility that someone decided his whole path from the very beginning.

    ¡®Okay, let¡¯s calm down for now. I¡¯m not even sure if this is certain.¡¯

    But no matter how much Zich thought about it, he could not help but feel pissed. Before he regressed, there were many frustrating situations, but this was the first time he felt really annoyed.

    ¡®This means that there might be some bastards who used me like a puppet.¡¯

    Perhaps, if this was true¡­

    ¡®I¡¯m never going to forgive them.¡¯

    Zich was never going to forgive them. Until now, he just thought of the assassin group as bad guys that irritated him. He simply wanted to send them all to hell whenever he met one of them. But from now on, Zich¡¯s stance on them changed from an irritating group to an ¡®organization that might have yed around with his life.¡¯

    And if this was true, Zich was going to use everything in his power to erase the organization from the face of the Earth. Zich thought all this and then swallowed his anger. Nothing woulde off from being angry by himself. Even though Zich usually lived however he felt like, for important matters, he was much more serious. He nned to engrave this anger deep inside his heart and cultivate it further to make it burn hotter, stronger, and sharper.

    ¡®But why did these guys attack me?¡¯

    After he swallowed his anger inside, Zich began thinking again.

    ¡®Do they know I crushed theirrades in Suol?¡¯

    If the assassins Zich fought today were connected to the assassins in Suol, there was a much higher possibility that this might be true. However, this was not likely. Zich had definitely killed everyone who was involved in Snoc¡¯s kidnapping. The organization wouldn¡¯t have received any news about Zich for that reason. Moreover, Zich also discovered Snoc¡¯s kidnapping by ident so he was sure that he had not been part of the organizations¡¯ ns.

    ¡®Then what are some other possibilities?¡¯

    Zich considered the possibility that the Dracul family might be conspiring against Joachim without knowing anything about the assassin organization or what happened in Suol. Then, he thought about how the mysterious organization¡¯s goal here was to make Joachim into a Demon Person. That meant...

    ¡®Am I an unexpected variable for all of them?¡¯

    Since he came out of nowhere and began helping Joachim, Zich would have been a hindrance to the organization and Joachim¡¯s family ns. But Zich didn¡¯t make a definite conclusion. So far, it was just one of his highly probable theories.

    ¡®Then I should stick closely to Joachim for now.¡¯

    If the organization wanted to make Joachim into a Demon Person, the organization would try all possible means to make contact with him. Since Zich was nning to help out Joachim anyways, this was not a hard decision to make.

    ¡°You are not asleep yet.¡±

    Zich suddenly heard a familiar voice and turned his head back. It was Joachim, and he was moving closer towards him.

    ¡°How are you? Is it not time for you to sleep? If you sleepte, it might be difficult for you to wake up in the morning.¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s nothing for me to do anyways. Is there any reason why I have to wake up early in the morning?¡±

    Joachim made a bitter smile. He seemed sad about his current situation since he and his soldiers had to camp out near a vige that recently went through an epidemic.

    ¡°Is it alright if I sit next to you?¡±

    ¡°It would be my pleasure.¡±

    Zich stared at Joachim who sat across from him. He looked the same as before but a little younger. However, his personality was totally different from Zich¡¯s past life and made Zich wonder how and to what degree he should help Joachim. But he slowly reached his conclusion.

    ¡®I¡¯m going to at least help him out until I¡¯m sure he won¡¯t be a Demon Person.¡¯

    Even if Joachim became the Demonic Vampire again, Zich wouldn¡¯t feel any hatred or dislike towards Joachim¡ªinstead, he might actually wee Joachim like an old friend. However, no matter how he saw it, the Vampire, Joachim Dracul, was a bad person. And since Zich made the resolution to live a kind life by beating the crap out of bad guys, his past subordinates couldn¡¯t be an exception to this rule. If Joachim really became a Demon Person, it was likely that Zich might have to fight and kill him off.

    ¡®For that to not happen, it would be better for him to not be a Demon Person.¡¯ Zich decided.

 Chapter 64

    <h4>Chapter 64</h4>

    ¡°Did something happen?¡±

    ¡°No, I was just taking a stroll in this bright night and found you awake.¡±

    Now that Joachim mentioned it, Zich noticed that the moon was especiallyrge and bright today. Even a person who didn¡¯t normally stroll for a hobby would have felt a strong urge to go on a walk.

    ¡®What made him be a Demon Person?¡¯

    ¡®Currently, there are too few clues. But it must have been something huge for someone who has hemophobia to start using an ability like Blood Domination.¡¯

    ¡°Sir, how is the Count¡¯s condition?¡± Zich asked to grasp Joachim''s current situation.

    ¡°You must have heard the rumors. To tell you the truth, his condition is not very good. It has been half a year since he fainted, but he is still unconscious. I am very worried about him.¡±

    Zich could see that Joachim was clearly worried for his father. At the least, it didn¡¯t seem like Joachim was the type of son who wanted his father to die to gain more power.

    ¡®It¡¯s probably different for that bastard Biyom though.¡¯

    ¡°I guess that¡¯s why the first son of Count Dracul has full authority.¡±

    ¡°Well, he is the oldest. Of course, he should take it.¡±

    But Joachim¡¯s voice had a hint of bitterness to it that indicated his negative feelings towards Biyom. From then on, Zich continued to ask about Joachim¡¯s current situation. Of course, Zich was indirect in his questions since he didn¡¯t want to raise Joachim¡¯s suspicions.

    Many conversations passed between them, but Zich wasn¡¯t able to gain much information. However, it wasn¡¯t all useless since he gained assurance that his guesses had been correct.

    ¡®The Count lost consciousness half a year ago, and he is still bedridden. Biyom Dracul took that chance to grasp power, and he is now pushing Joachim and his forces to the edge. It¡¯s amon story.¡¯

    If he looked around the world, Zich would be able to find at least dozens of simr stories. Then Zich suddenly came up with a funny thought.

    ¡®Should I y a trick and make Joachim Dracul seed as the Count?¡¯

    It wasn¡¯t a bad thought.

    ¡®Then, I can fuck over Biyom at the same time.¡¯

    The best way that Zich liked to y with people was to give them a false sense of hope and quickly take it away; but he also liked the method of taking away what his opponent wanted or valued the most.

    ¡®I should stay next to Joachim and make him the Count. At the same time, I can beat up the assassins who¡¯d probablye to make Joachim into a Demon Person and extract information from them.¡¯

    It was a n that perfectly suited Zich¡¯s tastes. If he wanted to carry out this n, Zich had to establish a greater sense of trust with Joachim. He couldn¡¯t simply remain as the traveler who helped Joachim greatly; he had to be a confidant who Joachim trusted enough to confide in about the next course of action.

    With that in mind, Zich talked to Joachim all night. Hecked time, especially considering that Joachim would likely be confined in his room again when he returned to Ospurin. However, Zich¡¯s worries aboutcking time disappeared when Joachim¡¯s task force received another order from the castle. It was a shitty order that told them to relocate immediately to another vige hit by an epidemic.

    * * *

    Soldiers skillfully blocked the roads leading to the third vige and separated the infected vigers from the uninfected vigers. Their bodies were now ustomed to the work. After they separated the vigers into different zones, they began to give out treatments. However, since they had failed to save the first and second vige, no one was hopeful about their ability to save the third vige. And they began their work with low spirits.

    In addition, there were significant casualties among the task force. Although the soldiers and caretakers had taken extra precautions when dealing with the patients, some were infected. If most of Joachim¡¯s task force couldn¡¯t control mana and didn¡¯t have a strong immunity towards diseases, they might all have died like the vigers. Naturally, people¡¯s morale was at rock bottom.

    Then, they realized that the disease spreading in the third vige was different. Its deterioration rate was slow, and symptoms weren¡¯t as severe as before. It was a terrifying thing to discover a new disease with a high number of infectants, but everyone¡¯s faces were bright. They hoped for survivors this time.

    But even that hope soon disappeared. Although the disease¡¯s deterioration rate was different this time, in the end, its fatality rate was also 100 percent. Just like that, the third vige disappeared. And something that happened three times was bound to happen another time; an epidemic spread in another vige, and the task force forced themselves to move once again.

    As he moved the corpses again, Zich scowled.

    ¡®This is definitely weird.¡¯

    Not only was it strange that there were so many outbreaks, the infection and fatality rates were way higher than normal. Furthermore, all the viges were at a considerable distance from each other. If the epidemic had spread across closeby viges, the trend was understandable, but that was not the case.

    ¡®It almost seems like someone has purposely staged it.¡¯

    Zich analyzed the information he already knew, such as the assassins he met some days ago. However, there was no need for him to deeply think about this matter. The word epidemic immediately made him think of one person.

    ¡®Did that bastard already begin to move?¡¯

    Zich didn¡¯t know the person¡¯s name, age, or gender. However, there was a figure who left clear marks in history and made the whole world tremble in fear just by their nickname. Their appearance started with the extinction of a kingdom¡¯s capital due to diseases. Because the world was in chaos, the medical system, managed by multiple countries, couldn¡¯t operate properly, and epidemics spread easily through armed conflicts. Thus, in the beginning, people simply thought that a severe epidemic was spreading.

    However, the epidemic started to spread all over the world and began to kill more humans; and soon, people realized that there was a being artificially spreading diseases all over the world. They only found out about the being¡¯s existence and didn¡¯t find out anything about their identity. As a result, people began to call the person who could control diseases with the name: ¡°Demon Person, Fest¡±.

    ¡®The only thing well-known about Fest was that Glen Zenard killed them. Their identity was a mystery till the very end. But was that Demon person here at a time like this?¡¯

    It was too early to be sure, but there was a possibility.

    ¡®If Fest is here, that means there are two people who could be Demon People here.¡¯

    Two Demon People. Before the regression, any normal person would have flipped their eyes and thrown amotion at hearing that there were not just one but two Demon People in their residence.

    ¡®Anyhow, I think I¡¯ll only be able to find a solution after returning to Ospurin.¡¯

    There was nothing much he could do while he was stuck in the countryside. In the worst-case scenario, Zich nned to leave Joachim¡¯s side for a moment to make some changes in Ospurin. Yet, since Fest might be involved in this case, Zich decided to wait and watch for a little longer.

    ¡®If Fest is involved, I will have to return to Ospurin anyways.¡¯

    A few dayster, all of Zich¡¯s predictions were proven exactly right. After they burned the fourth vige down and finished all their work, everyone¡¯s expectations were at the lowest of the low. They expected to go to another vige soon. Yet, in contrast to their expectations, they received an order to return as soon as possible.

    At the capital of the Dracul estate, Opsurin, an epidemic was spreading.

    * * *

    They were finally going back as they wanted, but there were shadows cast on people¡¯s faces. The capital city was being swept by an epidemic, and they didn¡¯t know how severe the situation was.

    The fact that Ospurin was hit by an epidemic seemed to indicate the severity of their situation¡ªespecially considering that the current diseases were worse than anything they had ever seen. The task force quickened its footsteps. Arge portion of the party, especially knights and officers of high position, had families in Ospurin.

    When they arrived at Ospurin, the situation wasn¡¯t as hellish as they expected it to be. But the ominous ck smoke that shot up into the clear sky made their hearts heavy.

    Joachim led his forces to Ospurin and observed the civilians¡¯plexions as he headed for the castle. He could instantly tell that there were fewer people in the streets than usual; and the faces of people who were wandering around were filled with fear. But thankfully, the epidemic didn¡¯t seem to havepletely spread throughout the entire city.

    ¡°Open the gates!¡± Joachim shouted when he arrived at the castle. Before, the gatekeepers turned away Zich and hispanions under Biyom¡¯s orders, but this time, they opened the path for them.

    ¡®I don¡¯t know the exact situation, but it seems like the residents in the castle are taking this current situation very seriously.¡¯

    For Zich, this was weing news. He had to get inside the castle to retrieve information so that he could stir something up.

    Even if everyone was allowed past the castle¡¯s gates, not everyone could enter the castle. Joachim picked his closest subordinates and asked Zich to also apany him. This was because Joachim thought he would need Zich¡¯s broad knowledge and wisdom; besides, Zich¡¯s efforts to earn Joachim¡¯s trust was also paying off.

    When Zich entered the castle, he could finally meet Biyom face-to-face.

    ¡®He looks like the opposite of Joachim.¡¯

    Inparison to Joachim who was tall and skinny to the point that he looked gaunt, Biyom was short and obese.

    ¡®How can brothers be so different from each other?¡¯

    The only characteristic they shared was that they both looked like they were suffering from a chronic disease.

    ¡°I have arrived, brother.¡±

    Joachim¡¯s voice was filled with dissatisfaction. It was natural for Joachim to feel this after all he had gone through; he and his task force had moved from one disease-ridden vige to the next without much rest. Considering all this, it was astonishing how little dissatisfaction he showed.

    ¡°Wee.¡±

    Biyom¡¯s response wasn¡¯t all that great, and it was clear that he didn¡¯t look favorably towards Joachim. However, his eyes, which looked smaller under the piles of fat, darted and made him look anxious.

    ¡°You heard about the situation, right?¡±

    ¡°That an epidemic was going around Ospurin?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, as I expected, it seems like you guys brought the diseases from the viges.¡±

    This was absurd. The words he said to his younger brother after Joachim worked so hard in the infected viges were unbelievable. However, Joachim was used to this, and he didn¡¯t get agitated. Zich thought it was ridiculous that Joachim was even used to a situation like this.

    ¡°That¡¯s impossible. To prevent ourselves from spreading the diseases, we waited for a long time before we returned to the city. There was no one who developed symptoms in that waiting period.¡±

    ¡°There could have been someone who showed symptoms, and you might have hidden that fact!¡±

    Joachim let out a sigh. ¡°Then, what should we do now? Should we stay far away from Ospurin again? Should we stay there for several months this time?¡±

    ¡°Obviously you and your men should do that, but since I¡¯m so generous, I will give you a chance to make up for the sins you might havemitted. Stop the epidemic from spreading in Ospurin.¡±

    ¡°I understand.¡±

    Joachim wasn¡¯t even surprised since he had expected this response. If it weren¡¯t for this reason, their return would have been pushed back even further.

    ¡®I guess he considers me experienced in this field.¡¯

    Joachim mocked himself. It was ridiculous to call himself experienced when he couldn¡¯t save a vige even once. But soon, Joachim made a firm resolve. This was the Dracul estate capital, Ospurin. If this city also reached the same fate as the viges, the number of deaths would be iparable to the ones in the viges.

    ¡®I really have to stop the epidemic this time.¡¯

    ¡°I will move immediately, so please give us some support.¡±

    ¡°I will leave that up to Shalom.¡±

    The old man beside Biyom nodded slightly. Was he serious? Biyom had continuously yed tricks on their support supplies, so Joachim looked at him doubtfully; but in the end, he looked away.

    ¡®He can¡¯t y his usual tricks since Ospurin is involved.¡¯

    Joachim moved out to begin his work in stopping the epidemic, but as he was leaving, he heard Biyom¡¯s voice.

    ¡°Ah, and don¡¯t think about returning to the castle until the epidemic is over. The epidemic can¡¯t spread inside the castle.¡±

    ¡°¡­I understand,¡± Joachim replied while gritting his teeth and tightly clutching his two fists.

 Chapter 65

    <h4>Chapter 65</h4>

    ¡°Was that enough?¡±

    Biyom drooped down on the chair he sat on. A satisfied smile appeared on his face. He was on the chair that his father, Count Dracul, used to sit on. He couldn¡¯t have been happier to sit on this chair which was a symbol of authority and power. He had always looked up to this chair in envy.

    As long as he sat on this chair, everyone in the Dracul estate bowed their heads towards him. But the best thing about it was that he could now harass Joachim¡ªthe sole object of adoration from his parents. Biyom could never forget the anger he felt when he heard people murmur that the second son was a much better fit for the Count¡¯s position if only he wasn¡¯t so frail.

    ¡®But that¡¯s over now. In the end, the throne is mine!¡¯

    Biyom stroked the chair¡¯s arms lovingly, but as he did this, he soon remembered the chair¡¯s original owner.

    ¡®That old fart. I wish he would just die.¡¯

    Biyom¡¯s mouth twitched into a smirk as he thought of Count Dracul lying sick on his bed. Biyom had no love for his family. Joachim was simply an obstacle in his life.

    ¡°Hey, Shalom. How is the old man?¡± Biyom asked the butler next to him. Shalom had served the family for a long time. After the Count copsed, Biyom left all matters concerning the Count¡¯s care to Shalom. Biyom wasn¡¯t even interested in his father and hadn¡¯t visited the Count for a long time. All he did was ask about his father¡¯s condition from time to time.

    ¡°He is still unconscious, sir.¡±

    ¡°No signs of improvement?¡±

    ¡°Unfortunately, no, sir.¡±

    To hide the corners of his mouth, Biyom exaggeratedly rubbed his cheeks.

    ¡°That is quite worrisome. Father should wake up quickly.¡±

    Biyom spat out words that he didn¡¯t even mean. Shalom bowed his head like he was sorry.

    ¡°But is this really all right? You know, the epidemic.¡±

    Biyom¡¯s look of self-satisfaction was quickly reced by an anxious expression. Even Biyom was worried that the epidemic might invade the castle.

    ¡°Of course,¡± Shalom replied firmly. ¡°If we think about the report that Sir Joachim sent us, the diseases spreading in the countryside were as severe as they could possibly be. However, the disease going around Ospurin is not up to that level. I went through it in the past as well.¡±

    ¡°Really?¡±

    ¡°Sending Sir Joachim to infected viges to get rid of him is helping us now. Since he has gained a lot of experience, he would be able to retain this level of an epidemic.¡±

    ¡°Hmph! Are you saying that trash is useful for something?¡±

    At the mention of Joachim¡¯s name, Biyom¡¯s mood worsened.

    ¡°Was there a need to call him to the castle? I could have just given him the mission immediately. What if they really were the ones who brought in the epidemic?¡±

    Shalom sighed in his mind, but he didn¡¯t show it.

    ¡°There are still some voices who sympathize with Sir Joachim who had continued to go around to infected viges.¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s a treacherous group like that?¡±

    Treacherous? Biyom was standing in ce of his father, but he wasn¡¯t even the Count yet. Furthermore, Joachim was also the Count¡¯s son, so it was unreasonable to say that those who sympathized with Joachim were disloyal. However, an argument like that didn¡¯t work on people like Biyom.

    ¡°While it is true that there are many fools, humans are naturally foolish creatures. Sir, it is also the responsibility of a person in power to appease and soothe them.¡±

    ¡°Hmm, I see.¡±

    A person in power¡ªthose words sounded sweet to Biyom.

    ¡°They also probably feel anxious that an epidemic is spreading around Ospurin.¡±

    ¡°How could they feel anxious just by that? What scaredy-cats¡­¡±

    Did Biyom have the memory of a goldfish? Or else, he wouldn¡¯t have forgotten about how he reacted to the epidemic in Ospurin a couple of minutes ago. Still, Shalom continued to bow his head without mentioning it.

    ¡°Since your lordship personally issued thismand, they won¡¯t be able to say anything more about this matter. They have to repress theirints about this and live on.¡±

    ¡°Well, good. I understand your reasoning for bringing him into the castle. But what happens if that guy sessfully stops the epidemic in Ospurin? Then what are you going to do?¡±

    ¡°Since he would have made a worthy contribution, we can give him a sufficient reward and send him back to the countryside. There are still more viges suffering from epidemics.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I see.¡±

    Biyom snickered. A feudal lord withmon sense¡ªwhether they were clean or corrupt¡ª wouldn¡¯t have been d that an epidemic was spreading around his estate. However, Biyom was pleased about the epidemic since it could get rid of Joachim. And because Biyom was so preupied with his thoughts, he didn¡¯t notice Shalom¡¯s chilly, cold re.

    * * *

    Shalom went inside arge and fancy room. The castle was immense and luxurious to help preserve the family¡¯s dignity, but even among thepartments in the castle, this room was special. It was Count Dracul¡¯s personal room.

    In the middle of the room, a man was lying on an ornate bed as big as a room; he was the lord of the Dracul estate. Although the Count had managed the estate with his strong charisma and outstanding skills, now he was an ill man with a sickly appearance.

    ¡°Stay outside for a bit.¡±

    Shalom told this to the maid who was nursing the Count. The maid bowed her head and left, and only the Count and Shalom were left in the room. Shalom stared down at the Count on the bed, and only the sound of the Count¡¯s faint breaths could be heard in the quiet room.

    Shalom ruffled through his clothes and took out a small bottle. When he flicked the bottle cap open, a tiny amount of liquid swished inside. Then he took the bottle to the Count¡¯s face and tilted it under the Count¡¯s nose.

    Drip!

    The liquid instantly vaporized and went into the Count¡¯s nose. The Count¡¯s face turned all red, but the next moment, he regained his color as if the change had never taken ce.

    ¡°¡­All this is your karma.¡±

    It was difficult to understand what Shalom meant. After saying these words, Shalom turned around and left the room.

    * * *

    Joachim ran to work against the epidemic as soon as he got out of the castle. His close associates and Zich¡¯spanions followed him from behind. The area where the outbreak urred was in the southwestern part of Ospurin.

    ¡°How is the situation?¡± Joachim asked.

    Fortunately, it didn¡¯t seem like Biyom interfered with the task forces at Ospurin, and all the soldiers there followed Joachim¡¯s orders.

    ¡°We locked down all the areas where an infected person was found and blocked the entrance!¡±

    ¡°Where are the locked-down areas?¡±

    A soldier handed him a map that marked all the ces in Ospurin. All the southwest areas were colored in red; they seemed like the area where the epidemic was spreading the most. It wasn¡¯t asrge as Joachim thought, and a sense of relief passed across his face. But his face quickly stiffened again, and he sharpened his focus.

    ¡°What are the symptoms?¡±

    ¡°Coughing, fever, rash, vomiting, loss of appetite, and so on. The doctors say that there¡¯s a high chance that the disease is Igram.¡±

    Igram was one of the diseases that appeared periodically in the city; it wasn¡¯t one of the terrifying diseases that Joachim had witnessed in the viges. However, Joachim didn¡¯t rx since it could be another disease with initial symptoms simr to Igram.

    ¡°What is the total number of casualties?¡±

    ¡°Counting yesterday¡¯s numbers, the total is sixty.¡±

    ¡°When did it start?¡±

    ¡°We don¡¯t have the exact date, but we think it has been at least two weeks.¡±

    Sixty people in two weeks¡ªthat meant thirty people died per week. The face of the soldier giving the report was filled with fear and despair. As people lost their strength and motivation, there could be more casualties. Yet, Joachim felt hope.

    ¡®That¡¯s all?¡¯

    Inparison to the diseases he had seen, the disease in Ospurin seemed¡ªit didn¡¯t seem right to say this but...it was like an angel. If the disease¡¯s symptoms were simr to the one he had seen in the viges, Joachim thought he would have to forcefully empty out the entire city. Of course, he would only be able to do that with Biyom¡¯s permission, and it wasn¡¯t guaranteed that Biyom would allow it.

    ¡°Maybe this time¡­!¡±

    Joachim thought that they could beat this damn disease. He energized himself again and gave out orders.

    * * *

    ¡®He is young.¡¯

    Zich thought like an old man as he watched Joachim passionately work to ovee an epidemic.

    ¡®Then should I start moving too?¡¯

    They returned to Ospurin. Unlike the time they were stuck in a countryside vige, they had many more options in the city.

    ¡®For now, I will move with the assumption that Fest is here.¡¯

    Zich nced at the state of the patients.

    ¡®It¡¯s a normal infectious disease.¡¯

    It was ridiculous to attach the word ¡®normal¡¯ to an infectious disease, but when talking about Fest, the story changed. Besides, Zich had witnessed all kinds of terrifying diseases in the past too.

    ¡®There¡¯s even a person who fully recovered this time.¡¯

    Of course, the disease that Fest spread didn¡¯t kill every infected person. However, everyone who overcame Fest¡¯s disease had considerable power or was treated with special medicine. Even from the rumors, Zich had never heard of an ordinary person recovering.

    ¡®Medicine only worked in the beginning too.¡¯

    When people found out about Fest¡¯s existence and diseases spread, there was a great effort to find appropriate cures. Quite a lot of medicine was quickly made to fight against Fest¡¯s early diseases. Yet, as medicine and cures progressed, Fest¡¯s diseases also progressed.

    ¡®Later on, there wasn¡¯t even a medicine to fight against the infectious diseases.¡¯

    Fest was a truly horrifying Demon Person that the whole world feared. But the disease in Ospurin wasn¡¯t like Fest¡¯s notorious diseases. Zich thought of the disease¡¯s symptoms again.

    ¡®I think it¡¯s really Igram.¡¯

    It might be a ¡°normal¡± infectious disease that had existed since ancient times instead of Fest¡¯s infamous diseases.

    ¡®It could really be a normal disease.¡±

    Yet, Zich also knew that someone like Fest, who controlled all kinds of different diseases, would also have no problem using a disease that already existed.

    ¡®However, Fest is not someone who would do that.¡¯

    There were so many gruesome diseases; for what reason would Fest spread such a normal disease? If Fest was doing something that they normally didn¡¯t do, it was likely that Fest was scheming something. And there was no way that Fest¡¯s scheme would benefit the city. But Zich knew that even the worst situation could turn into an opportunity if used well enough.

    ¡®If I disclose Fest¡¯s scheme or kill Fest and give the credit to Joachim, it would help him in bing the Count.¡¯

    From the first ce, Zich was nning to kill Demon People (unless they were special cases like Snoc¡¯s), so if he used Fest to achieve his ns, it didn¡¯t sound like a bad idea.

    ¡®They are not helpful to anyone anyways, so I should use them to help others.¡¯

    A person like Joachim deserved to get Zich¡¯s support and achievement; he was someone who dragged his frail body into situations that could kill him and worked his hardest to stop the epidemic.

    ¡®The problem is that Joachim might not want to take the credit.¡¯

    If Zich thought of Joachim¡¯s personality, there was a high probability that this could happen. However, that didn¡¯t pose a great problem. Zich could prepare the right timing to let Joachim contribute or make Joachim think he was the one who uncovered Fest¡¯s ns.

    ¡®First, I have to find what kind of person Fest is. That¡¯ll make it easier for me to n.¡¯

    Even before his regression, the only ones who knew Fest¡¯s identity were Glen Zenard and his party. Besides that, there were only fragments of information about Fest. Since Fest had created so many terrible and horrifying infectious diseases, there were rumors that all sources about their personal information had been burned up, but even Zich didn¡¯t know the real truth of the matter.

    ¡®If only Fest was like Sude who naturally had something eerie about him.¡¯

    However, Zich didn¡¯t have big expectations. Even if he had many experiences under his belt and his intuition was polished as a result, he couldn¡¯t find out everything with just his intuition. In the first ce, nothing was more uncertain than intuition. Most of all, people like Fest never did anything that could bring up suspicions.

    ¡®It can¡¯t be helped. If I can¡¯t find Fest, I have to make that guye out. I already have something good in mind.¡¯

    Zich knew the cure to Igram. Before his regression, when Fest¡¯s diseases had turned the world upside down, all kinds of doctors, magicians, holy priests, and other intellectuals worked together to stop the epidemic; and during that time, one of the diseases they sessfully solved was Igram.

    ¡®Because Joachim was interested in infectious diseases, I also picked up a couple of things while looking over his shoulders. I can¡¯t believe that¡¯s helping me now.¡¯

    Perhaps, the incidents that were urring right now were what made Joachim interested in infectious diseases.

    ¡®Since there isn¡¯t a cure for Igram right now, if I make a cure for it, Fest will probably show interest and try to make contact with me. I can also gain Joachim¡¯s trust simultaneously.¡¯

    The first thing Zich now had to do was show people that he knew the cure for Igram. Zich made his move.

 Chapter 66

    <h4>Chapter 66</h4>

    With a strange expression, Hans watched Zich enter the building. Since they arrived at the Dracul estate, their battle against diseases continued all the way to Ospurin. At first, Hans really hated his work because he was afraid of the diseases and the patients¡¯ horrifying appearances. Honestly, even now, Hans was notpletely free of these feelings.

    However, his sympathy and pity towards the patients increased over time. When he was unable to save the vige, he was so sad that he wanted to burst out crying. And when he heard that there was hope of recovery, Hans worked harder than anyone else to stop the spread of diseases and aided patients. Therefore, all of Hans¡¯ attention was now focused on Zich¡¯s words and the cure he supposedly knew.

    ¡°Senior, what¡¯s up?¡±

    Snoc walked towards Hans. Using his earth powers, Snoc created earth barriers in infected areas and helped quarantine people. Snoc looked at the area where Hans was looking. Naturally, his stare followed the building Zich just entered.

    ¡°Does Sir Zich have business to attend to?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s because of the rumor.¡±

    Rumor. Hearing this word, Snoc¡¯s eyes changed with a flicker of curiosity.

    ¡°Do you think it¡¯s real?¡±

    As if he was sharing a secret n, Snoc whispered directly into Hans¡¯ ears. When Snoc¡¯s breath reached his ears, Hans jumped back and pushed Snoc away with a fierce re.

    ¡°What are you doing!¡±

    Seeing Hans¡¯ reaction, Snoc scratched his cheek in embarrassment; he realized that breathing directly into another person¡¯s ear was rude.

    Koo!

    Nowem, who was on Snoc¡¯s shoulder, bit Snoc¡¯s ear as if to scold him. Hans stopped ring at Snoc and after letting out a sigh, replied to Snoc¡¯s question. ¡°I think there¡¯s a high possibility that Sir Zich is telling the truth. No matter how shi¡ªcapricious Sir Zich¡¯s personality is, I don¡¯t think he is the type to lie about stuff like that.¡±

    Hans almost let it out that he thought Zich had a ¡®shitty personality.¡¯ To his good fortune, it didn¡¯t seem like Snoc noticed.

    ¡°Then is there really going to be a cure for this disease?¡±

    The rumor was that Zich knew the cure for Igram. Even Snoc had heard about Igram before. It spread multiple times throughout Suol¡¯s history, and while people were drinking in the bar, it came up a few times in conversations; of course, it was not when the bar¡¯s atmosphere was loud and lively but when there was a lot of fear and insecurity spreading among the miners.

    The Igram disease was iparably less deadly than the other infectious diseases spreading around the Dracul estate, but it was such a famous disease that even Snoc knew about it. And to know a cure for a disease like that was unheard of!

    ¡°Don''t spread this rumor around for now. You also know that the second son of Count Dracul is trying to silence this, right?¡±

    Even though they deeply trusted Zich, it was hard to believe that he found the cure for Igram. If word got out and Zich failed to produce the cure, the soldiers¡¯ reactions would be full of despair and anger. By nature, people were more vulnerable to despair right after hope.

    ¡°Yes, sir!¡± Snoc replied confidently as he agreed with Hans¡¯ reasoning.

    ¡°Then let¡¯s continue our work. I¡¯m going to go help the soldiers, and you check if there¡¯s anything wrong with their behaviors¡­¡±

    Hans closed his mouth. Zich got out of the building and headed off to a different ce. The building Zich went in had been set aside for the cure¡¯s clinical trials. Since the cure was so significant and precious, not many people knew about this ce.

    Hans quickly tried to gauze Zich¡¯s expression. Zich¡¯s expression was the same as usual: a face full of confidence, almost on the verge of arrogance. However, Zich didn¡¯t always make this expression. When things did not go ording to his n, he would frown or scrunch up his face; of course,pared to other people, his annoyed or mad expressions were very minimal.

    However, there was no trace of any annoyance or frown on his face.

    Thus!

    ¡®He seeded in finding the cure!¡¯

    That was what Hans predicted.

    * * *

    Zich quickly looked around for Joachim. Like usual, Joachim¡¯s sickly appearance and pained expression were enough to trick people into thinking that he was a patient.

    ¡°Sir.¡±

    ¡°Yes?¡±

    Joachim had been intently ring at the map with infected areas marked on them. He finally raised his head.

    ¡°For what reason¡­!¡±

    Joachim was about to ask Zich why he was here, but he jumped up after seeing Zich¡¯s confident smile.

    ¡°Have you perhaps!¡±

    ¡°Yes, it is what we have been waiting for.¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s go there right now!¡±

    Joachim ced all other thoughts out of his mind and followed Zich. If the cure worked, all of his problems would disappear at once. Zich and Joachim headed towards the building where clinical trials were taking ce. Joachim silently pressured Zich on, and they walked extremely quickly. They were going so fast that Zich became worried Joachim might copse from exhaustion.

    Bam!

    Joachim burst the door open. The inside of the building was the same as when Zich left it.

    ¡°Sir, have youe to visit!¡±

    The caretaker taking care of the patients greeted Joachim. However, Joachim ignored him and surveyed the patients lying on the beds. The patients tried to get up. They didn''t know who Joachim was, but they thought he must be a high official for the caretaker to address him as ¡®sir.¡¯

    ¡°You don¡¯t have to get up for me.¡±

    Joachim gestured towards the patients, and the patients awkwardlyid back down. Joachim remembered what their conditions were like before. When he first met them, they were very close to dying. If they didn¡¯t receive treatment immediately, they would have notsted more than a day or two days and ended up as pitiful victims. But now, the patients were looking at him with curiosity with no trace of death in their features. In fact, they looked healthy enough to not be considered patients anymore.

    ¡°How do they look?¡±

    Standing behind Joachim, Zich asked confidently. Joachim turned around and saw Zich with his arms folded in front of the building¡¯s entrance. Joachim opened his arms wide, walked towards Zich, and gave him a huge hug.

    ¡°Meeting you was the most fortunate thing that ever happened to me!¡±

    * * *

    ¡®He¡¯s really happy.¡¯

    Joachim smiled brightly with not a single bit of restraint; anyone could see that he was overjoyed. Considering how much he struggled and worried about the spread of diseases, Joachim¡¯s bliss was expected.

    ¡®But this is this and that is that.¡¯

    Zich pushed Joachim away. Zich¡¯s sexual orientation was as straight as an arrow, and he didn¡¯t want to be hugged by a man no matter how good the circumstances were.

    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m sorry. Because I was so happy, I got too excited.¡±

    Joachim said this with embarrassment, but his ted expression showed how happy he was. However, as expected of a veteran who spent the past months fighting against infectious diseases, Joachim quickly calmed down and focused on his tasks.

    ¡°How much did they improve?¡±

    Judging by their appearance, the patients looked fully healed, but Joachim needed to make sure.

    ¡°Most of the symptoms have disappeared. They still cough sometimes, but it¡¯s very light.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s enough for people to trust the cure. What did you say the ingredients were?¡±

    ¡°There are a lot of different kinds of medicinal ingredients in it, but the most important ones are Pzu Leaf, Bukul Root, and Wim Fruit.¡±

    ¡°Hmm, they are all medicinal ingredients that I¡¯m not familiar with.¡±

    Even though Joachim was the leader of the troops fighting against infectious diseases, he was not a doctor or an apothecary; so, it was natural for him to not know much about medicinal ingredients. Zich omitted all other information about making the cure (he didn¡¯t know too well either) and only gave the information that Joachim needed to know.

    ¡°All three of them are extremely expensive. The other ingredients are going to be pretty expensive too.¡±

    ¡°Hmmm...¡±

    No matter how severe the situation was, money was always an important factor to consider. There was also a huge number of patients, so if they didn¡¯t n ordingly, they might not be able to prevent the epidemic even while knowing the cure.

    ¡°Will you be able to meet the budget?¡±

    ¡°If you give me a little bit more money, I can do it. The ingredients are expensive, but they are not very rare. It¡¯s the same for the other ingredients.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s good. Then please make a list of those three and the other ingredients. I¡¯ll prepare the money somehow, even if I have to take out all my money or force it out of my brother.¡±

    Joachim was overly chatty right now; but seeing his sparkling eyes, he really looked like he would barge into the castle if he needed the money. Joachimmanded the soldiers outside to bring him a piece of paper and a writing tool.

    ¡°I will try my best to retrieve as many of the ingredients as possible. So, will you be able to tell the doctors how to make the cure¡­?¡± Then Joachim closed his mouth.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±

    ¡°¡­I know it¡¯s strange for me to mention this now, but will it be all right? You found the cure for Igram. If you monopolize the cure and sell it, you¡¯d be able to make heaps of money.¡±

    Patients weren¡¯t the only ones who¡¯d want the cure; kings, nobles, and other high officials would all desperately fight each other to im it. But Zich shook his head.

    ¡°I don¡¯t have much interest in money. Moreover, I¡¯m trying to live a kind life. If people benefit from this cure, it¡¯ll be good for me as well.¡±

    If it also helped Joachim seed as Count Dracul and bring out Fest, it would be even better.

    ¡°¡­I said this before, but I will say it again.¡± Joachim smiled brightly; his trembling eyes were filled with admiration for Zich. ¡°Meeting you was the most fortunate thing that have ever happened to me.¡±

    * * *

    After Zich revealed the cure, many more patients began to recover. People who were moments away from deathpletely reversed their conditions, and the severity of overall symptoms dropped significantly. On the other hand, the situation was far from over. Time was needed to retrieve ingredients and make the cure, and since the epidemic was still going on, new cases were still appearing. However, the peak of the epidemic was over, and cases were going down.

    While making the cure with the doctors, a soldier told Zich that Joachim was calling for him. Zich followed the soldier to Joachim¡¯s headquarters.

    ¡°Sir, I have brought Sir Zich here!¡±

    ¡°Bring him in!¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s go in, sir.¡±

    Ever since Zich revealed the cure to Igram, his authority reached the heavens. From then on, all the soldiers and even Joachim treated him with great respect.

    Zich opened the door and went in. Since he visited the headquarters many times, everything felt familiar to him. There was arge table and chair in the middle, busy maps on the wooden board, and arge pile of reports on the table; all of these items showed Zich that the epidemic was far from over.

    The scenery in front of him was familiar. But there was an unfamiliar person in the room; the person was someone Zich had never seen before. No, to be more precise, it was someone who he had never seen working directly in the field.

    ¡®He¡¯s the guy who used to be next to that fat bastard, Biyom.¡¯

    With great confidence, he was the old man who proimed to be Biyom¡¯s confidant. When the epidemic was at its peak, he was nowhere to be found, but now that the epidemic was waning, he had his chin high up as if he had been supporting them all along.

    ¡°Wee in, Mr. Zich.¡±

    Now, Joachim used ¡®Mr.¡¯ whenever he addressed Zich. But for some reason, there was a deep frown on his face. This was very strange. Since Zich found the cure, Joachim always looked at him withplete trust and gratefulness oozing out of his eyes.

    ¡®Is it because of that person?¡¯

    As Zich thought this, Biyom¡¯s confidant moved towards Zich.

    ¡°You are Zich?¡±

    The man had a cold face, and his manners were rude.

    ¡®Wow,¡¯ Zich thought and scowled. ¡®What¡¯s up with this rude bastard?¡¯

 Chapter 67

    <h4>Chapter 67</h4>

    His tone, expression, and every movement seemed to provoke Zich. Although Zich had continued to meet people who approached him with bloodthirst and a sword, Shalom was the first one to pick a fight with Zich since he left Steelwall.

    ¡®Ah, actually there was Drew.¡¯

    ¡°I asked you if you were Zich!¡±

    Shalom pressed on Zich who was a bit dazed from the ridiculousness of the situation.

    ¡®¡­Whatever my n is, should I decide after killing this guy?¡¯

    For a moment, the current, pure (?) Zich thought of acting like his past Demon Lord days.

    ¡°What are you doing, Shalom!¡±

    Fortunately, Joachim intervened and prevented Zich from acting out on his anger.

    ¡®¡­Yeah, I should bear it. Just for a bit. Joachim is here, and I don¡¯t have the power to take full responsibility for the consequences.¡¯

    Currently, he wasn¡¯t at Zich Moore¡¯s level and couldn¡¯t pull out his sword at every small annoyance and wreak havoc to his surroundings.

    ¡®Okay, calm down. I am pure. I have be clean.¡¯

    Zich calmed his heart; it was like trying to pour icy water onto a beating heart, engulfed by a fierce fire. While Zich calmed himself down and tried to pass this test of patience and self-control, a small argument went back and forth between Joachim and Shalom.

    ¡°I¡¯ve told you many times! Mr. Zich has helped us tremendously, so you can¡¯t treat him rudely! I¡¯m not going to say much about the way you treat me since that¡¯s our family¡¯s matter, but Mr. Zich has nothing to do with our family! What is this attitude you are showing him?!¡±

    ¡°I want to ask you, Sir Joachim. How can you trust this man so much? Like you said, he has nothing to do with our family or this estate¡ªhe¡¯s a stranger.¡±

    ¡°Didn¡¯t you hear that he found the cure for Igram?¡±

    ¡°That makes it even more suspicious. Isn¡¯t he just a traveler? How did he know about the cure for Igram? More so, didn¡¯t he appear at the perfect time when Ospurin was hit by an epidemic? Don¡¯t you think it¡¯s too much of a coincidence, sir?¡±

    ¡°Then, what? Are you saying that Mr. Zich was the one who spread the disease?¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t go that far, but it¡¯s true that he is very suspicious.¡±

    ¡°You really are¡­!¡±

    Joachim bit his lips to repress his burning rage. However, Shalom didn¡¯t care for Joachim and stared¡ªno, red back at Zich. It almost seemed like Shalom was trying to rip Zich apart with his eyes.

    ¡°Are you Zich?¡±

    ¡°I think you already know. Why do you keep asking me?¡±

    Zich¡¯s gaze was haughty, and his tone was sarcastic. Shalom¡¯s eyebrows twitched.

    ¡°I am going to ask you one more time.¡±

    Shalom¡¯s body exuded an immense pressure; it was strong enough to cause Joachim to unconsciously take a step back.

    ¡°I asked you if you were Zich!¡±

    It wasn¡¯t that Shalom didn¡¯t know Zich¡¯s name. This was a battle of nerves. Even if Shalom was aware of Zich¡¯s name, he was trying to make Zich answer his question; it was so that he could psychologically assert his dominance. However, Shalom couldn¡¯t have had a worse opponent than Zich.

    ¡®What the hell is this old fart doing?¡¯

    Shalom¡¯s actions were childish and the pressure he was exuding was ridiculous. He seemed like someone who could have been a leading figure in his prime, but his pressure was nothing to Zich who could control his mana however he wanted. Thus, Zich changed his posture. He twisted one of his feet crookedly and supported his back with only one hand. Then he tilted his head and spoke.

    ¡°I heard you, the first time. As I said before, don¡¯t you already know my name? Or are you losing your memories due to your old age? Did you forget my name in that short amount of time?¡±

    Shalom¡¯s eyes twitched.

    ¡°¡­You bastard, you have no manners.¡±

    ¡°It depends on who I¡¯m talking to. I¡¯m the type of person who believes that courtesy is reciprocal and not one-sided.¡±

    In other words, since Shalom was rude to him, Zich also wouldn¡¯t be polite. Shalom¡¯s eyes grew menacing, and his cheeks shuddered like they were vibrating.

    ¡°¡­Fine. I will acknowledge your spirit, courage, or whatever it is.¡±

    Seeing that Zich wasn¡¯t about to back down, Shalom took a step back.

    ¡°But you have to answer this question! Where did you get the cure to Igram?¡±

    ¡°I saw it in a book before.¡±

    Since Zich had expected this question toe up, he answered it easily. However, his answer was too simple and shabby, especially considering that he had prepared his answer beforehand. Naturally, Shalom didn¡¯t believe it either.

    ¡°A book? A book that contains information about the cure for Igram? How can you expect me to believe that?!¡±

    It was the first time this cure had ever been introduced to this world¡ªmeaning that no one knew of its existence before then. Thus, it was simply unbelievable that the cure¡¯s form had been inside a book all along. Even Joachim hadn¡¯t asked about the cure¡¯s origins in case it was a sensitive topic, and he looked at Zich with disbelief. If Joachim felt this way even though he had great faith in Zich, how much more would Shalom be unconvinced?

    However, Shalom continued the conversation with a smirk on his face.

    ¡°Fine! Let¡¯s say that your ridiculous joke is true! Then what kind of book is that?!¡±

    ¡°Let me think¡­ I saw the book so long ago that I can¡¯t remember it well.¡±

    ¡°Are you kidding me?!¡± Shalom shouted.

    His voice was so loud that it probably hurt his throat, but Zich responded by tilting his chin a bit.

    ¡°Aren¡¯t you the one joking? What do you want to hear? That I invented the medicine? Or that somebody told me the method to make it? If I say that, will it change anything?¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°What matters is that I created a cure for Igram, and people suffering from the disease became better. You can¡¯t ept that I found the form of the cure through a book, so how would you be able to ept any other exnation? Moreover, is there a reason for me to convince you by exining each step of my process in finding the cure?¡±

    ¡°You, you¡­!¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t grit your teeth. All it¡¯ll do is wear down your teeth. I can¡¯t prove my statement, and even if I could, I have no intention of convincing you by showing you evidence.¡±

    Because it didn¡¯t matter whether or not people believed his words, Zich hadn¡¯t prepared more than a shabby answer. More specifically, Zich knew that people wouldn¡¯t ept whatever exnation he gave them. The cure for Igram was the creation of a coborative effort of priests, doctors, and apothecaries. Who would simply believe that amon traveler like Zich knew the cure¡¯s form?

    Anyone would be suspicious. In truth, even Joachim doubted Zich.

    ¡®If I say that I created the form, they will definitely doubt me since my knowledge in physiology or medicine doesn¡¯t go beyond an amateur level. And if I tell them a mysterious figure told me the form, they will also not believe me. I mean, who would keep their identity a secret when they can get all kinds of wealth and honor for finding the cure?¡¯

    Zich didn¡¯t even want to try convincing someone who wouldn¡¯t be convinced no matter what.

    ¡°Whatever anyone says, I saw it in a book.¡±

    ¡®Who cares if they don¡¯t believe me or not. And it¡¯s not like I¡¯m lying.¡¯

    Zich saw the form from a book that Joachim was reading before his regression, so he wasn¡¯t even lying. Shalom¡¯s face turned purple in rage like he wanted to kill Zich. However, Shalom repressed his emotions.

    ¡°Fine. Then, did that book have cures for other infectious diseases?¡±

    ¡°No, all I saw in that book was the cure for Igram.¡±

    ¡®And this is also not a lie.¡¯

    Zich knew the cure for other infectious diseases, but he had seen their forms in other books. The book which talked about Igram¡¯s cure only contained information about Igram.

    ¡°¡­Are you telling the truth?¡±

    ¡°Come on, have you been tricked all your life?¡±

    Shalom closely inspected Zich¡¯s face, but Zich didn¡¯t feel pressured by him. Furthermore, it wasn¡¯t like he was lying, so Zich was confident in his words.

    ¡°¡­Fine.¡±

    With those words, Shalom disappeared without a farewell. Shalom¡¯s actions were also incredibly rude to Joachim, who Shalom was supposed to serve, but Joachim seemed to be used to it.

    ¡°I apologize, Mr. Zich. A person from our family has caused you difort.¡±

    Instead of feeling upset by Shalom¡¯s attitude towards him, Joachim apologetically bowed his head at Zich.

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter to me. But who is that man? I think I¡¯ve seen him next to your older brother before.¡±

    ¡°His name is Bessnol Shalom. He is our family¡¯s butler.¡±

    ¡°He seems to have a lot of spirit for a butler.¡±

    ¡°Shalom used to be our family knight. He used to be a skillful captain of our family¡¯s Order of Knights. However, he had to retire because of a leg injury, and my father took Shalom in as our butler for his service.¡±

    Zich remembered how Shalom lightly limped; that was probably the aftereffects of Shalom¡¯s leg injury.

    ¡°Why is a person like that fussing over me?¡±

    ¡°He probably thought that I¡¯ll gain greater authority if I sessfully cure Igram in Ospurin. So, he probably came to pressure us while trying to grasp the current situation. You see, he ispletely on my brother¡¯s side,¡± Joachim said bitterly.

    If Igram wasn¡¯t simply controlled but cured, people¡¯s interests would naturally lean towards Joachim, and that would be an eyesore to the forces supporting Biyom.

    ¡®But how could he show that kind of attitude to someone who stopped an epidemic that could¡¯ve swept across the entire city of Ospurin?¡¯

    No matter how much Joachim tried to understand Shalom¡¯s behavior, he couldn¡¯t. Even Joachim didn¡¯t trust Zich about everything; he was especially curious about the cure¡¯s origins. However, Zich was Ospurin¡¯s savior, so Joachim looked at Zich favorably and couldn¡¯t understand Shalom¡¯s rude attitude.

    But he also had a simr thought as Shalom about one matter.

    ¡°Do you really not know the cures for other infectious diseases?¡± Joachim asked while knowing that his question might be offensive to Zich. He wasn¡¯t just asking for himself. If Zich knew the cures for other diseases, many more people could be saved. However, Zich shook his head.

    ¡°That book really only had the form to Igram¡¯s cure.¡±

    Zich lied with a clever twist of his words.

    ¡®If I tell him that I know the cure to other infectious diseases right now, it will be really bothersome.¡¯

    Of course, since giving cures to diseases was also a kind act, Zich didn¡¯t intend to keep the information to himself.

    ¡®I will tell Lube someter.¡¯

    Karuwiman could spread cures and medicines to ces more efficiently than any other organization. Furthermore, since they owed him a favor, they would cover up his identity thoroughly. Zich didn¡¯t intend to refuse fame if it was given to him, but he wasn¡¯t so hungry for fame that he wanted it through cures that he didn¡¯t create. He knew that the fame that he didn¡¯t get by his own efforts would bring all kinds of baggage and nuisances.

    ¡°That¡¯s a pity, but I¡¯m probably also being too greedy. It¡¯s already a miracle that a cure for Igram was found.¡±

    Joachim respected Zich¡¯s privacy.

    ¡°Is that all you wanted to ask?¡±

    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s because Shalom insisted on talking to you. I¡¯m so sorry for bothering you when you are busy making the cure. Feel free to leave now.¡±

    ¡°That person named Shalom. How skilled is he?¡±

    Joachim answered Zich¡¯s question without much thought.

    ¡°His abilities as a knight were greatly affected by his injury, but I heard that he is still a skilled fighter. His ability as a butler is also top-ss. Since he has a good head on his shoulders, he handles our family¡¯s matters well.¡±

    ¡°If his head is good, he must also be good at trickery.¡±

    Perhaps, Zich had a grudge to settle. Joachim repressed his desire to sigh and nodded his head.

    ¡°Yes, that is true.¡±

    ¡°Thank you for answering. Then I will leave now. I still have a lot of medicine to make.¡±

    ¡°I apologize again for this incident. I know I am shameless for asking you this, but please do all you can for the sick.¡±

    Joachim sent Zich off while bowing his head deeply, and Zich began to head back to the path he came from. While walking, Zich thought of Shalom again. He was a rude, old man¡ªyet, what was more important to Zich was not the old man¡¯s image.

    ¡®Could he be Fest?¡¯

 Chapter 68

    <h4>Chapter 68</h4>

    As soon as the epidemic began to wane, Shalom suddenly showed interest in Zich. Joachim said it was because Shalom was trying to keep them in check, but Zich knew about the existence of assassins and Fest, so he had a different perspective.

    ¡®Joachim is not wrong.¡¯

    As a supporter of Biyom, Shalom wouldn¡¯t have liked Joachim gaining credit for stopping the spread of infectious diseases. Likewise, this also would have made him dislike Zich.

    ¡®But Joachim said he was highlypetent and had a good head on his shoulders.¡¯

    He used to be a knight before, but he was not the brawny type.

    ¡®Then why did he leave without scolding me?¡¯

    Zich didn¡¯t outrightly tell people he was a noble; Joachim was also not the type of person to go around telling other people¡¯s secrets. However, Shalom didn¡¯t use his nobility to criticize Zich for his rude behaviors as amoner.

    In his interaction with Shalom, Zich disyed his awful personality; but surprisingly, he was precisely calcting his rude behavior.

    ¡®Judging by that old man¡¯s personality, I don¡¯t think he will easily look over amoner¡¯s rude words just because he thinks they are right.¡¯

    Zich had several possible theories. First, since Joachim was next to them and supported Zich, Shalom could have a hard time tantly disregarding him. Zich was also the person who found the cure, so he received a lot of admiration and respect from the people around him. Honestly, Zich had utilized both of these factors to act even more rudely toward the old man.

    ¡®But my behavior was not proper. If he was aspetent as Joachim said, he should have used mymoner status and his nobility to his advantage.¡¯

    Shalom could have used his nobility status to bring Zich down and then connect it with Joachim to also tarnish Joachim¡¯s reputation. But Shalom didn¡¯t do that. He only focused on whether or not Zich knew the cure for other diseases and where Zich got his information from.

    ¡®There are only two possibilities now. First, Shalom thinks that I am notpetent enough to meet his standards. Or second, he is so uninterested in these types of affairs that he didn¡¯t even think about using my behavior to his advantage.¡¯

    If it was thetter, another question appeared in his mind.

    ¡®This bastard, is he really working for Biyom?¡¯

    Nothing was clear. But one thing Zich was sure about was that Shalom was a very suspicious person.

    ¡®Okay, good. So I have one suspect so far.¡¯

    Shalom could be Fest, or part of the assassin group, or have an entirely different n. But Zich was satisfied to note down one suspect.

    While thinking about various topics, Zich reached his destination before he realized it. If he turned around just once, he would be right in front of the building that manufactured the cure. He had taught all the apothecaries how to make the cure, but they weren¡¯t used to making it yet so they still needed Zich¡¯s help. Zich quickly sped up his steps.

    ¡®What?¡¯

    Zich halted after entering the manufacturing center. Inside the building, there were the same apothecaries and one unfamiliar person.

    ¡°Ah, he¡¯s here.¡± One of the apothecaries gestured towards Zich. ¡°That person is Mr. Zich. He is the person who gave us the cure for Igram.¡±

    The unfamiliar person got up from the chair.

    She was a woman. The first thing that popped up in Zich¡¯s mind to describe her was the word, ¡®ck.¡¯ Zich wasn¡¯t talking about her personality, but the way she dressed. She wore a ck hat, a ck veil that covered her whole face, a ck dress, ck gloves, and even ck shoes. It was as if she was wearing funeral clothes.

    ¡®Wait, it¡¯s not ¡®as if.¡¯. I think she really is wearing funeral clothes?¡¯

    The woman walked towards Zich. Her controlled and careful steps gave off an aura of elegance.

    Click, ck!

    The sound of her heels stopped. She stood right in front of Zich. He could see her face through the veil; she looked like she was in her mid-twenties, and she was a beautiful, elegant woman.

    ¡°Nice to meet you. I¡¯m Greta Bargot.¡±

    She gracefully bowed her head. Zich followed her movements.

    ¡°I¡¯m Zich.¡±

    She looked at Zich all over. Her face was full of curiosity, and her face looked as if she was thinking, ¡®Is this the person who found the cure¡­!¡¯

    Before Zich could ask who she was, the apothecary introduced her.

    ¡°This is Ms. Bargot. She is the owner of the Bargot Business.¡±

    ¡®Bargot Business?¡¯

    Zich had heard of it before, but it was not the same name that he was familiar with.

    ¡°Are you talking about the Bargot Trading House?¡±

    The Bargot Trading House. When Zich was young and pushed around by everyone at Steelwall, the Bargot Trading House was renowned all around the world. As a trading house based in the Dracul estate, its fame spread all the way to Steelwall, a location at the edge of a neighboring country.

    However, Zich had never interacted with them.

    ¡°It¡¯s called a business now, not a trading house. The trading house copsed after my husband¡¯s passing.¡±

    Ms. Bargot exined this while making a bitter smile; Zich now knew why he had never interacted with the Bargot Trading House. When Zich left his family and began his journey for the first time, the Bargot Trading House had already copsed and was disappearing quickly into the back alleyway of history books.

    ¡®From what I remember, after the owner of the trading house died, it was ripped into many parts.¡¯

    After connecting Ms. Bargot¡¯s words and his knowledge, Zich could figure out that the past owner of the trading house was Ms. Bargot¡¯s husband.

    ¡®I thought the trading housepletely disappeared. I can¡¯t believe it still exists.¡¯

    However, the Bargot Business seemed as if it was greatly scaled-down, so it no longer had any international influence or presence. If so, it was understandable why Zich thought the business hadpletely copsed.

    ¡®But judging by what I know, I don¡¯t think it¡¯s far-fetched to say that they copsed.¡¯

    ¡°Please excuse my rudeness.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s alright. It¡¯s true anyways.¡±

    ¡°May I ask why you came to see me? Moreover, how were you able to find this ce?¡±

    Even though several patients were getting treated here, the manufacturing center was barricaded and blocked from other people. A simple business owner would not be able toe here.

    ¡°Mr. Zich, I will exin that.¡± The same apothecary intervened again. ¡°Ms. Bargot has tremendous interest in infectious diseases. She invests a lot in disease research and has a lot of medical knowledge. She also does a lot of personal research as well. Honestly speaking, it¡¯s not an exaggeration to say that she knows a lot more about infectious diseases than all of us.¡±

    ¡°No, you praise me too much.¡± With humility, Ms. Bargot waved her hand. But judging by the apothecary¡¯s eyes, it seemed as if he was not exaggerating. For a second, Zich thought maybe the apothecary had some kind of crush on the young and beautiful widow, but his eyes were too clear. The apothecary was looking at Ms. Bargot with pure admiration.

    ¡°Since Ms. Bargot has so much interest in infectious diseases, she wanted to meet the person who found the Igram cure. Ah, we were the ones who let here here. To be more precise, it was another team member of ours. With her knowledge, I¡¯m sure that she will be a lot of help to us.¡±

    ¡°Is that so?¡± Zich stared back at Ms. Bargot. At his obvious stare, she stiffened a little bit. ¡°That¡¯s impressive. You look really young, but you are so highly praised by everyone here.¡±

    ¡°No, it¡¯s not like that. The small business I have now goes along well by itself, even without my intervention, so I wanted to focus on things I¡¯m personally interested in.¡± She made a very bitter smile. ¡°My husband and child both died from infectious diseases. Through my efforts, I want to prevent at least one person from going through what I went through.¡±

    It was a noble cause. But rather than a noble cause, her next few words revealed how miserable her life was.

    ¡°If not for that, I would have no reason to live anymore.¡±

    * * *

    Ms. Bargot wanted to continue her conversation with Zich. From the rumors, Zich was a mysterious traveler who found the cure for the infamous Igram disease and was sharing it around to everyone with great generosity. She wanted to approach him after hearing these fantastical rumors about Zich and was expecting a mysterious person with extensive medical knowledge. But Zich could only show his real self.

    ¡°Did you really happen to find the cure in a book?¡±

    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s true.¡±

    Her disappointment was obvious. For people to not misunderstand the extent of his medical knowledge, Zich told people he found the cure in a book¡ªbut the nature of rumors was to exaggerate things to the extremes. The rumors that were spreading about Zich were reaching the point where people were saying that he was an incarnation of a legendary medical guru.

    ¡°Your knowledge about diseases¡­¡±

    ¡°I know a bit of the basics, but nothing at the professional level.¡±

    ¡°Do you know about Kimusu? Mihil and Lastone?¡±

    ¡°For Kimusu, are you talking about nts that stretch their roots inside the ground? It helps lower fevers. I don¡¯t know about Mihil and Lastone.¡±

    Ms. Bargot asked a few more questions, and Zich replied back faithfully.

    ¡°¡­You really know as much as an amateur.¡±

    ¡°Ms. Bargot, that¡¯s what I told you.¡±

    Zich could clearly see how disappointed she was, but he was firm about his stance. He didn¡¯t lie or exaggerate the amount of medical knowledge he knew. He couldn¡¯t do anything about the rumors that spread about him. But he was not in the wrong.

    ¡®It¡¯s a really good thing I said I found the cure in a book.¡¯ If Zich had lied and said he made the cure by himself, his lie would have been caught right away.

    ¡°¡­I apologize. I was only thinking about myself.¡± Realizing that she showed her disappointment too outrightly, Ms. Bargot lowered her head. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. It¡¯s because I had such high expectations whileing here. Even though we won¡¯t be able to fully cure all the infectious diseases, with your help, we¡¯ll be able to put up a strong fight against Igram.¡±

    ¡°I understand.¡±

    ¡°I shouldn¡¯t be so disappointed since the cure for Igram was found.¡±

    As if she was trying to infuse positivity into her body, she stretched out her arms and then ced one hand towards Zich.

    ¡°And I¡¯m going to do all I can to fix this situation. Since your face and name are well-known, please apany me and help me around.¡±

    ¡°If you are trying to gain credibility, wouldn¡¯t Sir Joachim be a much better choice?¡±

    ¡°Sir Joachim is the second son of Count Dracul. It¡¯s too hard to be around him. Compared to him, I feel much morefortable with you, and you also have basic medical knowledge and admiration from the public. A person like you¡ªyou won¡¯t refuse a request from a fraildy like me, right?¡±

    Zich smirked. He grabbed her outstretched hands and made a small wink.

    ¡°Of course I will help, mydy.¡±

    * * *

    Even though the medical staff greatly rmended her, Zich was able to personally confirm some of Ms. Bargot¡¯s medical knowledge. He hadn¡¯t fully trusted her professional expertise, and Zich was shocked by the extent of her medical knowledge.

    ¡°The spread of Igram usually urs between people using the same water source. You should investigate the well or other water sources that the patients use and block off that water source. You also have to barricade the areas that use the same water source.¡±

    The first thing Ms. Bargot did: was to expand the quarantine area and categorize the people who were in there as observational studies for workers to send constant reports of them.

    ¡°This disease spreads from person to person, but it doesn¡¯t spread just by being next to an infected person. It spreads by physical contact and by the exchange of fluids such as saliva. You should be careful about patients¡¯ coughs and sneezes and make sure to avoid patients¡¯ bodily fluids at all costs. Of course, you should also minimize all physical contact with patients.¡± She delivered specific infection routes to prevent person-to-person infection. ¡°All the medical staff and anyone who makes contact with the patients must be clean at all costs. Please prepare clean water, and every time a person makes contact with a patient, they must wash their hands. At the minimum, also wash your whole body at least once every day.¡±

    Ms. Bargot also thoroughly managed the caretakers and medical staff to make sure they didn¡¯t be carriers of the disease.

    ¡°After looking over the ingredients needed for the cure, there are some foods that might lower the cure¡¯s effectiveness. I will give you a list, so please exclude them from the patients¡¯ food. And I will also give a list of foods that will increase the effectiveness of the cure. Please give these foods to the patients at least once a day.¡±

    With a nce, Ms. Bargot was able to analyze and figure out all the ingredients needed in the Igram cure. And her medical knowledge even went as far as knowing which foods increased or lowered the effectiveness of the cure. The strategies and information she knew were things Zich knew a little bit about while traveling in the future, so he was amazed that her knowledge was so ahead of the times. It also helped him ept her words more easily.

    Moreover, she was highly regarded by the medical staff; so, the staff readily epted her suggestions and quickly implemented her policies. However, her policies were not implemented in all the treatment areas from the start; like Zich¡¯s clinical trials, they decided on a specific area to test out her policies. But soon after, her policies worked so well that they decided to apply her policies to all the areas.

    Joachim, who doubted Ms. Bargot¡¯s methods and policies in the beginning, smiled brightly whenever he saw her now.

 Chapter 69

    <h4>Chapter 69</h4>

    Ever since Ms. Bargot joined the task force, Ms. Bargot and Zich always hung out together. Even though Zich didn¡¯t have much medical knowledge, Ms. Bargot seemed to be fond of Zich for sharing the form to Igram¡¯s cure, so she shared little bits of medical knowledge with him. It looked like she was one-sidedly dragging him to ces, but Zich also followed her without anyints and listened to what she said.

    And because of that, rumors about the two began to spread. Zich was a handsome youth from a noble lineage, and Ms. Bargot was also a beauty. When such noticeable people hung out together, rumors began to naturally spread. There was a significant age difference between them, but that fact only made their rtionship sound more romantic.

    Nosy people began to gossip and make conclusions about the two. Both of their efforts to quickly calm the Igram situation also yed a significant part in improving their image. Although gossip usually led to tarnishing one or both parties¡¯ reputation, hardly anyone talked badly about their rtionship.

    ¡°What are you looking at?¡±

    As Zich was getting ready to make his final blow on Igram¡¯s gradually dying existence, he noticed Hans staring at him and Hans asked, ¡°Are the rumors true, sir?¡±

    ¡°What rumors?¡±

    ¡°You know, the rumors that you and Ms. Bargot are a couple.¡± Hans didn¡¯t ask just out of curiosity. He also didn¡¯t have the smallest intention to intervene in Zich¡¯s love life. He had simply asked because he still had some of his habits from his servant days.

    ¡®If the rumors are true, then I will have to treat Ms. Bargot differently from other people.¡±

    Hans had a different mindset than Snoc who was listening with his ears perked up, excited to hear a heart-thumping story of fated love. Zich smirked like he knew Hans¡¯ motive for asking such a question.

    ¡°There¡¯s no need for you to treat her differently from before. And in the first ce, our rtionship is not that sweet.¡±

    ¡°Is that so?¡± Hans nodded. If Zich said that was the case, he had no reason to ask further questions. After hearing Zich¡¯s response, Hans grabbed a disappointed Snoc by the back of his neck and got ready to prepare for the day.

    Knock! Knock!

    Someone suddenly knocked on the temporary shelter that Zich and hispanions were staying at. Hans and Snoc¡¯s expression stiffened. Most of the people who visited their shelter were soldiers who came to get Zich under Joachim¡¯s orders. And most of the time, they didn¡¯t bring good news. They wondered if Igram that was beginning to disappear was starting up a second wave. However, Zich¡¯s words made their worries disappear.

    ¡°It¡¯s not a soldier, so don¡¯t worry. They probably came to talk to me about something.¡± Then Zich personally moved to open the door. Usually, Hans or Snoc opened the door when guests came, so his action was most unusual. But when they saw who was standing outside the door, they understood. They knew who she was by her all-ck clothes and the cotton veil covering her face.

    ¡°Greetings, Mr. Zich. Did you sleep well?¡±

    ¡°Thanks to you, I was knocked out.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s a relief to hear. Sleep is one of the most important factors to good health.¡± Ms. Bargot smiled widely.

    ¡°I am honored to have the fortune of seeing your beautiful face so early in the morning, but to what do I owe this pleasure to?¡±

    ¡°Fufu! You are so skillful with your words. If I didn¡¯t still love my husband, I would have fallen for you.¡± Ms. Bargot covered her mouth with her hands and smiled lovingly. Hans and Snoc stole furtive nces at her; she was beautiful enough to make their minds go nk. ¡°I¡¯m sorry to intrude, but there¡¯s someone I¡¯d like you to meet. Ah, I have gotten permission from Sir Joachim of course. Since Igram is slowing down, he told me it¡¯s fine for me to leave for a bit.¡±

    ¡°Someone you want me to meet? It¡¯s a pity that it¡¯s not an offer to go on a date. But since you are the one doing the introduction, it¡¯s more than enough for me to make time. I will get ready immediately.¡± Zich went back inside the house and finished getting ready.

    ¡°Should we leave now?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    Zich offered his arm, and Ms. Bargot ced her hand on his arm. Then he escorted her to the road. Anyone would have thought that there was something going on between them. Hans and Snoc watched the two leave sticking side by side and thought the same thing.

    ¡®How can he act like that and still say that they¡¯re not in a rtionship?¡¯

    * * *

    Ms. Bargot led Zich outside of Ospurin. Fortunately, there was another gate near the quarantine area (used for moving corpses outside of the castle to burn them), so they didn¡¯t have to walk through people unexposed to the disease.

    The outside was quiet without a sign of life. The area that was connected to the gate was also blocked from outsiders. Besides a couple of trees that waved under light breezes, the ce was a meadow, colored with green grass. However, the tes on the ground indicated that the ce wasn¡¯t only for resting. It was a cemetery.

    Zich nced around the cemetery; they all had different names but the same family name: Bargot.

    ¡®It must be the Bargot family¡¯s cemetery.¡¯

    The cemetery was well maintained even after the family¡¯s copse. It proved that somebody was taking care of the ce.

    ¡®Ms. Bargot must be the one taking care of it.¡¯

    Zich nced at her. Ms. Bargot moved and stopped in front of the two tes at the end of the cemetery.

    ¡ªAlex Bargot¡ª

    ¡ªLuin Bargot¡ª

    Even without asking, Zich knew who they were. Besides Ms. Bargot, he looked down at the graves below him.

    ¡®Are they her family members who died from the epidemic?¡¯

    ¡°They are my family,¡± Ms. Bargot finally said. Her voice was calm, almost as if time lessened the affection she felt for her family. However, that wasn¡¯t it. Time had simply changed a person¡¯s sorrows into longing, and she couldn¡¯t erase the love she had for them in her heart. Ms. Bargot ced her hand on top of the stone b which had the name Alex Bargot written on it.

    ¡°This is my husband.¡±

    She quietly began her exnation.

    ¡°He was much older than me, but we truly loved each other. Even while my husband was busy with his business, he was always attentive to me. I loved my husband for that. So when our love bore fruit, I felt like I had the whole world in my hands.¡±

    Ms. Bargot moved her hands to the b which said ¡®Luin Bargot.¡¯

    ¡°She was such a lovely child. Always smiling, crying, and sleeping a lot. Every time Luin squirmed inside my grasp; I thought my heart would drop from her cuteness. I didn¡¯t know until I had a child of my own and realized what a child meant to their mother. Luin was a child who made me realize why mothers care for their children so much.¡±

    As if time hadn¡¯t fully healed her sadness, her eyes soon watered, and a teardrop slid down her cheek. Then she took out a handkerchief and wiped her tears. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I can¡¯t help it whenever Ie to this ce.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡±

    ¡°The people I wanted to introduce to you are my family.¡± She stood in the center of the two tes and ced her hands on both of them at once. It almost seemed like she was holding her husband and child¡¯s hands. ¡°I don¡¯t know how you obtained the cure to Igram, but thanks to that, I saw hope. Hope that we can beat all the infectious diseases. Did you notice that I¡¯m wearing mourning clothes?¡±

    ¡°I was aware of it.¡±

    ¡°I swore at my family¡¯s funeral that I would take these clothes off once we overcame all the diseases.¡±

    It was basically an impossible goal, but who couldugh at her?

    ¡°That¡¯s why I wanted to show you my husband and child. I wanted to show them that thanks to you, we were able to aplish a bit of our goal. I wanted to tell them that at the very least, no one would meet the same fate as them from Igram,¡± she said bitterly. ¡°Now that I think about it again, this might be very selfish of me.¡±

    ¡°No, that¡¯s not true. You have done so much. No one would find fault in you for this.¡±

    ¡°Thank you.¡± She smiled. As a mother and wife, she shone blindingly. ¡°Let¡¯s go back now.¡±

    As if she was trying to forcefully brighten up the gloomy mood, she increased the pitch of her voice and stated, ¡°Igram hasn¡¯tpletely disappeared yet. Let¡¯s go and cut off itsst breath.¡± Ms. Bargot held Zich¡¯s hands, and the warmth of her soft hands slowly spread to his fingertips.

    * * *

    After returning to his temporary shelter, Zichy on his bed. Hans and Snoc had looked at Zich with curiosity when he first returned with his arms crossed with Ms. Bargot, but after Zich mmed each of their heads down with a disciplinary punch, they turned their eyes away. But those punches probably didn¡¯t make them change their minds.

    ¡®Hmm, lovers.¡¯

    Zich knew what Hans and Snoc were obviously thinking.

    ¡®I guess that¡¯s what it looks like to outsiders.¡¯

    Because Zich didn¡¯t care about what other people thought, he didn¡¯t realize how other people might have looked at him and Ms. Bargot. Yet, to the point that it might shock and exasperate them, Zich didn¡¯t possess even an inkling of romantic feelings for Ms. Bargot.

    Of course, it was true that since her first appearance, Zich¡¯s gaze continued to search for Ms. Bargot, and he tried to gain her favor. However, the reason for that wasn¡¯t something as sweet as romance but for something much more sinister.

    ¡®There¡¯s a chance that she could be Fest.¡¯

    With the introduction of the cure to Igram, Ms. Bargot suddenly appeared and expressed her interest in Zich. She was extremely knowledgeable about infectious diseases and spouted words that Zich knew he had heard of in the future. Truthfully, she was the most likely candidate to be Fest among everyone he had met so far. Thus, Zich didn¡¯t reject the interest she showed him and he instead weed it to observe her more closely.

    However, he didn¡¯t obtain much information so far. All he found was that she possessed a vast amount of knowledge and interest in infectious diseases, and that was it. Overall, she didn¡¯t seem like a Demon Person.

    ¡®I should observe her for a bit longer and then distance myself.¡¯

    This didn¡¯t mean that Zich had gotten rid of his suspicions about her. He simply judged that he wouldn¡¯t be able to find out more useful information by staying next to her.

    Zich thought of the two suspicious figures: Dracul¡¯s previous knight and current butler, Shalom, and Ms. Bargot who lost her whole family in an epidemic¡ªand then fell asleep.

    * * *

    A couple of days passed by. After a few more days, Igram seemed to havepletely lost its power. It could no longer bring fear to people¡¯s faces. During the previous day, even the lockdown and quarantine policies had been lifted.

    They had won against the disease. People thought that Igram would soon be done for good. However, the task force, including Joachim, didn¡¯t let their guard down. They would only be able to fully rx after catching and beating all the diseases spreading around the region. Zich thought the same and headed to his temporary shelter again. As usual, he cared for the sick and made the cure.

    Then, suddenly, someone called out, ¡°Zich!¡±

 Chapter 70

    <h4>Chapter 70</h4>

    Zich knew who he was.

    ¡°Aren¡¯t you Sir Clovey?¡± Like Brod, Clovey was one of Joachim¡¯s subordinates. Since he was one of the people who worked alongside Zich at the peak of the epidemic, Zich spoke nicely to him. ¡°What is the matter?¡±

    ¡°The situation doesn¡¯t look good.¡± Clovey¡¯s face hardened. ¡°I think new cases of Igram are appearing again.¡±

    ¡°You mean, in the containment area?¡± Zich could not help but make an annoyed face. Even with Ms. Bargot¡¯s advanced preventive measures and Zich¡¯s cure from the future, Igram cases were rising again; it was more annoying because they had been making significant progress. But Clovey shook his head.

    ¡°Fortun¡ªI mean, I don¡¯t know if this is fortunate or not, but it¡¯s not in Ospurin. A disease with simr symptoms like Igram has been spreading around a vige between Ospurin and Dobo.¡±

    First of all, Zich was d cases were not rising in Ospurin. However, it was bothersome that diseases were spreading near Ospurin. So far, all the infectious diseases apart from Igram in the Dracul estate were all rare and had particrly violent symptoms.

    ¡°Is that disease really Igram?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s Igram, or some other kind of disease, or if many people are just suffering from body pains at the same time. But since people near Ospurin are getting sick, Sir Joachim wanted someone to investigate whether the cases are connected to Igram.¡±

    ¡°And you are asking me to go investigate.¡±

    ¡°Sir Joachim feels very sorry about that. But the only one who has basic medical knowledge about infectious diseases and who has high enough mana to not get infected is you.¡± Clovey said this with confidence, but he nced at Zich with uncertainty. Zich was not one of Joachim¡¯s subordinates¡ªno, he was not rted to the Dracul estate at all in the first ce. For that reason, Clovey was nervous whenever he made requests to Zich, especially considering that Zich had already helped them out so much.

    ¡°I understand. I can go.¡±

    ¡°Ah, thank you so much!¡± Clovey¡¯s face brightened while looking at Zich, as if Zich was his savior.

    ¡°Should I go right now?¡±

    ¡°Yes. Since investigating new cases is the top priority right now, Sir Joachim told me you didn¡¯t have to go check with him and leave as soon as possible. I already prepared your method of transportation.¡±

    ¡°Okay, let¡¯s go.¡± Zich turned back. Hans and Snoc were awkwardly standing in the back while listening to their conversation. ¡°You heard everything, right?¡±

    ¡°Are we following you?¡±

    ¡°Of course.¡±

    Without anyints, Hans and Snoc nodded. Clovey also didn¡¯t stop them from following Zich.

    ¡°Let¡¯s quickly go. I prepared the carriage right in front, so you don¡¯t have to walk far.¡±

    * * *

    The vige they reached was small. But no matter how small the vige was, there should have been some signs of human presence. However, no signs of human presence could be found anywhere.

    ¡°It feels ominous,¡± Snoc said while hugging Nowem. Hans also felt the same way, so he nodded silently. The carriage entered the vige, but they found that the vige waspletely empty.

    ¡°We have arrived!¡±

    Clovey took the position as the carriage driver, and shouted out loud. Zich, Snoc, and Hans moved out of the carriage. Hans and Snoc looked around and didn¡¯t know what to do as the vige looked basically like a ghost town.

    ¡°It¡¯s over there.¡±

    Zich pointed at a building in the vige. The building looked like a temple for the vige¡¯s religious rites. Since the vige was small, the temple was also small; in a tiny building, there was one simple statue of a god in it. But still, the temple was bigger than all the other houses.

    ¡°Yeah. When there are infectious diseases, it¡¯s usually the temples that take care of the sick.¡±

    Clovey also agreed with Zich¡¯s assessment. ¡°The situation is more serious than I thought. The only ce where I can detect human presence is in that temple over there.¡±

    ¡°Are you saying that the entire vige got infected?¡±

    ¡°Maybe. Let¡¯s first find out more.¡±

    Zich and hispanions walked towards the temple. While they were walking there, they were able to see many houses withpletely open doors. Through the doors, they saw that the inside of the houses was messy¡ªit looked as if people were in a hurry to leave.

    When Zich reached the temple, he flung the door open.

    ¡°As expected.¡±

    The temple was full of people on the ground. Dozens of people were crammed into one bed, and there were also many people on the ground with nothing below them. It was a familiar sight. Hans and Snoc who were behind Zich scrunched up their faces. Fortunately, not everyone in the vige seemed to have fallen ill as there were a few people taking care of the patients.

    A young caretaker closest to the entrance asked Zich and hispanions, ¡°Who are you people?¡± Hisplexion didn¡¯t seem too great either. It seemed as if the patients who had less severe symptoms were the ones taking care of the severely ill patients.

    ¡°I think that everyone here has been infected.¡±

    Snoc quietly told Hans his observation. Then Clovey stepped forward and said, ¡°We are from Ospurin! We heard that infectious diseases are spreading here, and we havee to investigate!¡±

    ¡°Thank goodness, you are knights!¡±

    The young caretaker¡¯s face brightened up. As if weing a savior, the young caretaker reached out his hands towards Clovey and tried to approach him.

    ¡°We have to first figure out what happened here. So please give us an exnation¡ª!¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± Zich blocked Clovey from saying more.

    ¡°Hmm? What are you saying is fine?¡±

    ¡°We don¡¯t need an exnation. I¡¯ve finished analyzing the situation.¡±

    ¡°What? The epidemic has spread to this ce. Shouldn¡¯t we at least get an exnation?¡±

    The young man nced at Zich and asked, ¡°Um¡­who is this person¡­?¡±

    ¡°He is someone who came to check how far the disease has spread. Please tell him what¡¯s been happening without skipping any details.¡±

    ¡°Oh, you are a doctor! Of course, we will cooperate for the vige. I will tell you all the details!¡±

    Zich wasn¡¯t a doctor, but Clovey didn¡¯t seem to feel the need to clear the matter up and maintained his silence.

    ¡°It¡¯s a bit of a long story, but I don¡¯t think this is a good ce to talk. There¡¯s a room over there. It¡¯s a bit shabby, but if you don¡¯t mind, I will tell you about it there.¡±

    The young man looked over the area where patients were lying around and pointed at a door. Clovey nodded.

    ¡°I think we should do as the man says. What do you think¡­?¡± Clovey asked Zich for his opinion, but he trailed off because Zich was staring at him intensely. ¡°Why are you looking at me like that?¡±

    ¡°I was curious.¡±

    ¡°Curious about what? No, but before that, shouldn¡¯t we listen to what this man has to say first? We don¡¯t have much time. We can deal with personal matterster¡ª¡±

    ¡°I am curious if¡­¡± Zich cut off Clovey¡¯s words and smirked, ¡°¡­You are acting on your own will or if you¡¯ve been ckmailed.¡±

    ¡°What do you mean¡ª¡±

    ng!

    With that sharp sound, Clovey¡¯s words were cut short again. Ignoring the stunned group of people in his surroundings, Zich moved his unsheathed sword. He aimed at the young man who they just conversed with. Zich¡¯s sword moved as if it was about to rip the young man¡¯s head off.

    The young man looked at Zich¡¯s sword in shock. But when he felt the sword¡¯s bloodthirst and realized that Zich was not going to stop until he cut his head off, the man¡¯s face changed.

    Kagagak!

    The young man took out a dagger and blocked Zich¡¯s sword. The speed of Zich¡¯s sword slowed down.

    Crack!

    Zich¡¯s sword sliced the dagger and dashed forward. The young man¡¯s chilly expression turned to shock.

    Slice!

    Zich sliced the young man¡¯s head off and moved past him. Everyone in his surroundings didn¡¯t move as if time was frozen, and Zich flicked the blood off his sword with an exaggerated swing. Then he raised his chin and looked around the temple. Everyone, whether they were caretakers or patients, looked at him.

    ¡°Quit your theatrics and bring it on. I¡¯m not na?ve enough to fall for such a sloppy trap like this one.¡± Zich smirked again. ¡°Your trap was so childish that I couldn¡¯t bear to look at it any longer. You should have paid a bit more attention to the details.¡±

    ¡°What¡­?¡± Snoc didn¡¯t understand the situation yet, but he exchanged nces with Hans and pulled out his sword.

    ¡°Be careful! They are enemies!¡±

    Hans gave Snoc a warning when¡ª

    Bam!

    Daggers flew in their direction. Zich flung them away with his sword like they were flies. However, he couldn¡¯t treat the swording from his side in the same way.

    aang!

    A sword soaked in manashed at him, and Clovey red at Zich with a demon-like face.

    ¡°You didn¡¯t answer my question yet. Are you acting on your own will or were you ckmailed?¡±

    ¡°How did you know?¡±

    ¡°Answering a question with a question is a very bad habit. Not to mention that I asked the same question twice.¡± Zich failed to get an answer again, and Clovey gritted his teeth. The bloodlust flowing in Clovey¡¯s body seemed like it would take shape any moment.

    ¡°Kill them!¡±

    At hismand, people who were pretending to be caretakers and patients got up from their beds and dashed towards Zich, Hans, and Snoc. On the other hand, not everyone got up; a lot of people stayed crouched on the ground and screamed.

    Clovey shouted, ¡°If you don¡¯t want to die, move! I will personally kill everyone on the ground!¡± The rest of the people got up at Clovey¡¯s words. However, their fearful eyes and hesitant body movements indicated that they were ordinary people who were scared.

    ¡®They must be the vigers.¡¯ They were probably threatened by Clovey and his allies. ¡®They won¡¯t even put up a fight. Guess I¡¯ll just ignore them for now.¡¯

    However, as they began running towards Zich and hispany, Zich had to change his mind. This was because the vigers¡¯ movements and speed were quite formidable. Of course, it didn¡¯t mean that they were threatening opponents, but Zich couldn¡¯t simply ignore them.

    ¡°You guys work together to fight.¡±

    Hans and Snoc hastily turned their backs towards each other at Zich¡¯smand. Among Zich¡¯s training lessons, there was a method to fight against an opponent or a group through teamwork. Of course, it was too early for the two to move as one body, but because of Zich¡¯s training, they were able to disy an impressive level of cooperative fighting. After checking their formation, Zich focused his attention on the enemy again.

    ¡®Let¡¯s see. Who prepared this trap: Fest or the assassins? Or even Biyom Dracul?¡¯

    Zich listed all the people who wanted him dead. Ever since Zich revealed the cure and raised Joachim¡¯s reputation, he could confidently put Biyom on the list of people who wanted him dead.

    ¡®It¡¯s probably from Fest or the assassins.¡¯

    It looked like a trap, but it was also true that the vige was infected. The person or organization probably nned it like this to make the trap look more realistic. Judging by the involvement of diseases, Fest seemed like the most likely candidate for this trap, but the movement of his opponents confused him.

    All of Zich¡¯s opponents had the same movements as the assassins he met before.

 Chapter 71

    <h4>Chapter 71</h4>

    ¡®They could be working together.¡¯

    Judging by the current situation, Zich could not erase that possibility. No, it seemed very likely that they were coborating together.

    ¡®Since the assassin group¡¯s focus is to make Demon People, Fest could be one of their creations.¡¯

    This was good for Zich either way. The reason why Zich hade to this vige while thinking it might be a trap was because he wanted to meet the assassin group again.

    ¡®Just finding out that Fest and the organization are working together is already a good harvest for me.¡¯

    Of course, Zich was not satisfied with just finding out this information. If he could, he wanted to get as much information as possible. However, it would be very difficult for Zich to find any more information about them considering that they were so inclined to self-destruct. But Zich was not fazed.

    ¡®I have to be patient when dealing with guys like this. I need to slowly gather information bit by bit and find the perfect timing.¡¯

    That was the extent of Zich¡¯s thoughts. He didn¡¯t need to think any further; moreover, Clovey¡¯s attacks put a stop to Zich¡¯s thoughts.

    Crash! Crash!

    As expected of a knight, Clovey¡¯s movements were fast, and his attacks had great power. From what Zich knew, Clovey was the strongest among Joachim¡¯s subordinates¡ªno, he was one of the strongest knights in the whole Dracul estate. Compared to Zich¡¯s younger brother, Greig, or a beginner knight like Byner, Clovey was an experienced and powerful knight.

    ¡°Hyaaat!¡±

    Zich bounced off Clovey¡¯s cleverly ced sword attacks. Since Clovey¡¯s sword was fast and strong, Zich¡¯s hands were bing a bit sore. However, it was not only Clovey that Zich had to pay attention to.

    Slide!

    As if it appeared from the ground, a dagger suddenly jumped towards Zich¡¯s side. With his elbows, Zich pushed the dagger away by hitting its hilt. Just when it seemed as if Zich had avoided one dagger, another came flying towards his side. Zich pushed that one away too, and while he was upied with the dagger, Clovey made a giant swing.

    Whish!

    Just the sound of his swing shook the air. Zich expressionlessly watched Clovey¡¯s sword move in front of him. Since the magnitude of Clovey¡¯s attack wasrge, the assassins had to take a moment to escape from his attack. Thus, when Zich evaded Clovey¡¯s attack, the battle came to a stop.

    But this onlysted for a moment, and very soon, numerous opponents came running towards Zich again.

    ¡®The flow of their movements is very good.¡¯

    Even Zich was amazed by Clovey and the assassins¡¯ abilities to coordinate their attacks. It was even more amazing because the assassins probably received no professional training in connecting their attacks with Clovey.

    ¡®The assassins look as if they were trained to coordinate their attacks, but I¡¯m sure that they didn¡¯t train with Clovey.¡¯

    There were definitely areas where Clovey and the assassin¡¯s attacks did not flow well together. The problem was that those areas were extremely small, and it was very difficult to fight them. However, their opponent was Zich.

    ¡®Even though it¡¯s their first time working together, it¡¯s amazing that they can work together so well. But it¡¯s not perfect.¡¯

    There were very small gaps between their attacks, but it was still a gap. Zich pierced his sword in between the openings. Clovey and the assassins tried to respond, but they ended up flinching for a second. The area that Zich pierced was the minuscule gap between their unified attack flow. After a moment of hesitation, the assassins slowed down to let Clovey block Zich¡¯s attacks. An ordinary person would never be able to notice this slight hesitation, but this opening was enough for Zich.

    sh!

    ¡°Ugh!¡± Clovey let out a cry of pain. Since he changed his movement so drastically, he lost a bit of his bnce, and Zich used that to his advantage and attacked Clovey. However, Zich¡¯s goal was not to attack Clovey. At that moment when the assassin slowed down and Clovey drew back, Zich squished his body between them and met the assassin¡¯s wide eyes.

    Whish!

    Zich swung his sword. The assassin who just slowed down tried to elerate again, but in the process of gaining speed, the assassin ended up jumping towards Zich¡¯s sword. This was the shining result of Zich¡¯s battle sense honed from countless battles and life experiences.

    However, the assassin didn¡¯t easily back down. He had also prepared something as well.

    ¡°Ack!¡±

    The assassin reached out his hand and grabbed someone near him; at the sudden pull, the person screamed. However, the assassin paid no attention to the person¡¯s screams and pulled his hand back. The person who the assassin grabbed was a viger.

    The vigers were ckmailed by the assassins and forced to lie down in the temple, but they awkwardly stayed near the battle. They were paralyzed by the intense battle in front of them, but they also didn¡¯t have the strength or abilities to intervene. But the assassins had a way to utilize these harmless vigers by using them as shields. For any sane person, if they saw an ordinary viger in front of them, they would hesitate for at least a moment. No matter how much they hardened their hearts, it was normal for the end of their swords to waver a bit.

    But the problem was that Zich was not ¡®normal,¡¯ and he was notpletely sane either. Zich slowed down his sword. Since he decided to live a kind life, he couldn¡¯t just kill an ordinary viger. If his life was at stake, he might cut a viger without hesitation, but this was not the case. But Zich did not want to helplessly evade all the attacks directed towards him just because a viger was being used as a shield. He didn¡¯t want to go that far, and his evasions did not help end the situation.

    ¡®Also, that bastard¡¯s face is annoying.¡¯

    Zich wanted to destroy the assassin¡¯s arrogant expression which seemed to say, ¡®So what are you gonna do now, huh?¡¯

    ¡°Agh!¡±

    With a menacing sound, a viger¡¯s scream echoed out. The viger quickly lost his sense of bnce and fell down. The viger¡¯s right shin was bent as if it was another joint. Zich¡¯s kick had broken his bone. However, Zich¡¯s attacks towards the viger were far from over.

    Crunch! Crunch! Crunch!

    Zich kicked him exactly three more times, and the viger¡¯s limbs looked as if they all gained a few more joints.

    ¡°Ah! Ahhhhh!¡± All of the viger¡¯s bones broke at once, and he shrieked in pain. The viger wanted to grab onto his wounds, but because the bones in his arms were also broken, they couldn¡¯t do anything else other than scream. Without a care for his struggle, Zich lifted the viger and threw him far away.

    Drop.

    ¡°Ahhhhh!¡±

    Zich heard shrieks again. Blood poured out of the man¡¯s body like rainfall as the man¡¯s broken bones protruded outside his skin, but Zich didn¡¯t care. The best course of action he could take right now was to immobilize the moving meat shields and scare them away from the battlefield. It didn¡¯t matter if the meat shields suffered injuries in the process.

    ¡°Should I make the rest of them like this as well?¡± Zich purposefully said this loudly. Then he saw some of the vigers near him quickly run away after seeing the gruesome state of the viger used as a shield. Yet, Zich wasn¡¯t considerate enough to care for their ¡®trivial¡¯ worries.

    Clovey and the assassins attacked Zich again. However, Zich didn¡¯t counterattack. He stealthily avoided their attacks and headed towards the vigers. Clovey screamed at the vigers to fight Zich, but it was impossible. They were too demoralized from seeing what Zich was capable of doing; his cruel attacks and the screams that followed had shaken them too much. The vigers screamed and scattered like a herd of rabbits in front of a tiger.

    ¡®It will be more bothersome if they get out of my sight.¡¯

    Zich calmly broke another viger¡¯s limbs and threw them far away.

    ¡°Hey!¡± Zich shouted. Hans and Snoc immediately realized that Zich was calling for them and turned around.

    ¡°Take care of the meat shields like this!¡± Zich showed how he broke a viger¡¯s limbs and threw them far away. Like Zich, Hans and Snoc were also suffering from having to deal with the vigers. They also realized that their opponents were ordinary people who had been ckmailed. However, unlike Zich, they were struggling to harm the vigers while knowing that they were dealing with ordinary people. That was why Zich had decided to set a¡ªnot so mild¡ª example for them to follow.

    ¡®W-We have to do that?¡¯ Snoc was stunned by Zich¡¯s cruel actions, but Hans was different. Of course, Hans wasn¡¯t happy about following Zich¡¯s orders, as his slightly raised eyebrows indicated. However, he swung his sword without hesitation.

    Slice!

    ¡°Ahhhh!¡±

    A sword skimmed a person¡¯s shin. Blood spilled out and cries of pain rang throughout the room. Someone who had no experience in battle couldn¡¯t keep theirposure after being sliced by a sword. The viger bent over without caring if he was in the middle of a battle or not. Hans took that moment to swing his scabbard and crush the man¡¯s limbs. Then, he kicked the viger a distance away.

    Unlike Zich, Hans had always seemed like a sensible person; but seeing him like this, Snoc became speechless.

    Punch!

    The ground rose below Snoc and struck the assassins¡¯ stomachs. Nowem had been distracted, but now he was startled.

    Koo!

    Nowem cried out loudly on Snoc¡¯s shoulders; he was giving a warning.

    ¡°Sorry! Thank you, Nowem!¡±

    ¡®Yeah, that¡¯s right. I can¡¯t just keep going back and forth. It¡¯s better than killing them.¡¯

    Following Hans and Zich, Snoc also focused on immobilizing the vigers. However, even while doing that, Snoc stole furtive nces at Hans. He shook his head when he saw Hans recklessly crushing the vigers¡¯ limbs with his sword and scabbard.

    ¡®Even my senior is bing more like Sir Zich.¡¯

    At that moment, Snoc almost became certain that he would also be like that. As Zich, Hans, and Snoc ignored the assassins and Clovey to focus their attention on the vigers, the number of mobile vigers decreased quickly. Of course, Zich continued to also slice some of the assassins while everything was going on. There were even some guys who shot out artifacts from time to time, but Zich evaded or intercepted their attacks.

    ¡°As expected, you have some skills,¡± Clovey muttered while ring at Zich.

    ¡°My skills are definitely superior to yours. It seems like you brought those guys to make up for that, but it doesn¡¯t look like it¡¯s helping much,¡± Zich retorted.

    The assassins didn¡¯t move even while Zich ridiculed them. They just stayed in their position and looked for Zich¡¯s blindspots. Thus, Zich spat out some more words.

    ¡°It¡¯s at a level where it¡¯s hard to believe you guys are here to create demons out of people, including Joachim, all over the world.¡±

    ¡°What are you saying?¡± Clovey scowled, but the assassins responded differently. It was fleeting, but Zich noticed a slight disturbance. Even the assassins who had trained to suppress their emotional expressions couldn¡¯t help but respond a little bit after having their goalpletely seen through.

    ¡®I¡¯m right!¡¯

    This made Zich more certain. These people were trying to make Demon People all over the world. The assassins all moved at once. Their skills didn¡¯t improve, nor did their attacks be more dangerous, but Zich could sense that their mindset had changed; in their eyes, Zich had changed from ¡®a guy they had to kill¡¯ to ¡®a guy they couldn¡¯t fail to kill.¡¯ However, they couldn¡¯t kill Zich just by changing their mindset.

    Slice!

    ¡°Argh!¡±

    Crack!

    ¡°Argh!¡±

    At Zich¡¯s sword, the assassins lost their lives one by one. It was the same for the assassins who Hans and Snoc fought.

    Pop!

    The assassins avoided the stgmites shooting up from the ground, but they were traps. Hans expected them to avoid the attacks, so he swung his sword at them.

    ¡°Urgh!¡± An assassin groaned as the sword opened up his chest. He was among the many who fell victim to these types of attacks. Some lost their heads. Although the group hadid down a trap, it wasn¡¯t very effective because Zich found it out in the middle. Theirrge numbers also became useless as the vigers used as meat shields were immobilized.

    ¡°¡­Damn it!¡± Realizing the situation he was in, Clovey gritted his teeth. ¡®I really didn¡¯t want to use this¡­¡¯

    Clovey shuffled through his belongings. He hesitated for a moment, but when he saw another assassin lose his life, Clovey made his final decision. He took out a small bottle and drank the whole thing down in one gulp.

 Chapter 72

    <h4>Chapter 72</h4>

    ¡®Huh?¡¯

    As he continued to kill off the assassins who dared to attack him, Zich noticed something was strange.

    ¡®Their atmosphere changed again.¡¯

    A calm atmosphere enveloped the assassins. They looked like monks who knew they were going to die soon and fully epted their fate. So far, the assassins had never shown signs of being afraid of death, but now they looked as if death was imminent for them.

    ¡®He must be the reason.¡¯

    Zich stared at Clovey who was a few feet away from him. He thought Clovey had gulped down a potion, but Zich had judged wrong.

    ¡°Kuaaaaaaa!¡± Clovey let out a scream. He pierced his own body and squirmed in pain.

    ¡°That¡¯s why you don¡¯t eat random food off the ground.¡±

    Zich clicked his tongue in an exaggerated way. However, while he was fighting off the assassins, Zich¡¯s eyes never left Clovey.

    Crack!

    Clovey¡¯s skin shook like ocean waves; his armor crumpled, and his muscles swelled up to enormous proportions. As his body increased, his lower body also exponentially increased.

    ¡°Roaaaar!¡± Clovey¡¯s screams changed to roars in the middle; his voice no longer sounded human. Now one head taller than his original state, Clovey looked down at Zich. His ck eyes indicated that he was no longer sane.

    ¡°What!¡±

    ¡°T-that¡ª!¡±

    Hans and Snoc were shocked by Clovey¡¯s transformation. Zich raised his alert level one step higher; but surprisingly, Zich was delighted. Zich had seen Clovey¡¯s transformation before, and he was familiar with its appearance.

    ¡®It¡¯s Fest!¡¯

    Now, Zich knew for sure. Even though he didn¡¯t know who Fest was, Zich was now confident that he met Fest at least once in his pre-regression days. No, to be more precise, Zich and his subordinates had coincidentally visited a ce where Fest had spread infectious diseases. Like Snoc and Hans, Zich and his subordinates had been eagerly anticipating arriving in a city after a long journey to eat lots of delicious food and sleep in a warm bed, but the city they arrived in was decimated by epidemics.

    Since Fest¡¯s notoriety was at its peak, Zich and his subordinates knew about Fest¡¯s existence from the very beginning and were furious at Fest for hampering their ns. They looked all over the city for Fest but could not find any trace of Fest¡¯s whereabouts. However, it seemed as if Fest was also annoyed by Zich and hispanions since Fest sent assassins to bombard them. And during this time, one of the assassins showed the same characteristics as Clovey.

    Fortunately, Zich and his subordinates were able to destroy the whole city, along with Fest¡¯s underlings. However, even till the end, Zich hadn¡¯t been able to figure out the source of the assassin¡¯s transformation. Since Fest was involved, the transformation was probably rted to a disease, but Zich had never heard of or seen a disease thatpletely transformed a person¡¯s body. But because of how unknown it was, Zich was sure that Fest was involved.

    Even though Zich was happy at discovering this information, he was still in the midst of battle.

    ¡®It¡¯s getting dangerous.¡¯

    Zich epted his situation easily.

    ¡°Kuaaaaaaah!¡± Clovey screamed and jumped towards Zich. Even though he was muchrger now, his speed also increased.

    ¡°Argh!¡±

    ¡°Ugh!¡±

    ¡®No wonder those guys acted like they were about to die.¡¯

    Clovey was no longer able to differentiate between friend and foe; he attacked everyone that was between his path to Zich.

    ¡®In my past life, I remember they at least had the ability to differentiate their targets.¡¯

    It seemed as if the transformation had evolved over time. While Clovey was running berserk, the assassins merely moved a bit away from Clovey and continued to attack Zich. Their will to kill Zich was so strong that they were willing to sacrifice themselves.

    ¡®Should I change locations first?¡¯

    If they continued to fight here, there was a high possibility that the whole temple would copse on them. Then all the vigers inside the temple would die. Fortunately, Clovey senselessly followed Zich, and he was able to bring Clovey out to the middle of the vige with rtive ease.

    m!

    Clovey appeared right in front of Zich. It was as if a heavy stone hadnded in front of him, and Clovey began to wield his sword with great force.

    ¡®This is why these guys are so bothersome.¡¯

    Even though Clovey looked like an ogre on the outside, he still possessed all his skills. Compared to his body, the sword he wielded looked like a wooden stick, and with proficient skill, Clovey moved his sword as naturally as flowing water.

    Crash! Crash! Craash!

    They exchanged multiple blows. Zich winced as his hands became sore. Clovey¡¯s strength and speed had increased exponentially. Even though Clovey¡¯s skills dropped noticeably after his transformation, his new strength and speed more than made up for it.

    Crash!

    Moreover, the assassins continuously threw daggers at Zich and distracted him.

    ¡°Roar!¡±

    Clovey thrust his hand down with his free hand. Zich evaded the attack by a hair¡¯s breadth.

    m!

    The force of Clovey¡¯s hand made a deep indentation on the ground. Zich wielded his sword between the openings in Clovey¡¯s defense.

    Crash!

    Even though Zich mmed his sword on Clovey¡¯s skin, it sounded as if he was hitting metal. Zich could even pierce through metal with his mana, but there was not even a scratch on Clovey¡¯s skin.

    ¡°Ha!¡±

    Even though Clovey was in berserk mode, it seemed as if he had enough sense to make a mocking smirk at Zich¡¯s attack. With both of his lips pressed upwards, Clovey moved for another attack at Zich.

    ¡®As expected.¡¯

    Even though Zich¡¯s attacks failed, he wasn¡¯t very disappointed because he had expected that to happen.

    ¡®Judging by how much mana he has, my Mana Resonance won¡¯t work.¡¯

    The amount of mana that flowed out of Clovey was as great as a tidal wave, and Zich was surprised that the mana didn¡¯t tear apart Clovey¡¯s whole body. With the amount of mana Clovey currently had, Zich couldn¡¯t use Mana Resonance against him.

    ¡®I guess I can¡¯t help it. I have to strain myself a bit.¡¯

    Zich checked his mana. The amount of mana he had was much greater than the amount he had at the Iruce mine.

    ¡®Now it looks like I have some mana.¡¯

    The amount of mana Zich currently had was the same as a high-level knight in an estate with enormous military power. It was not a small amount¡ªno, by normal standards, Zich had a huge amount of mana; butpared to his Demon Lord days when his mana wasparable to a dragon¡¯s mana, the amount he had right now was barely passable for him.

    On the other hand, the amount of mana he had was not enough to defeat Clovey. But if hebined all his skills, it would be a totally different situation.

    Zich used the ¡®Extension of the Senses¡¯ technique to extend his senses to the tip of his sword and make the weapon part of his body. And through Mana Resonance, he gained control of the surrounding mana. But unlikest time, he didn¡¯t take control of his opponent¡¯s mana but nature¡¯s mana that flowed around him.

    Overall, it was more difficult to control unprocessed mana from nature than a processed one like a human¡¯s. But with Zich¡¯s advanced mana maniption skills, it was possible. While fighting Clovey, Zich concentrated on his skill. Even for Zich, this skill required a great amount of concentration, so he let many attacks hit his body and acquired scratches all over his body.

    It appeared as if he was being cornered, but Zich¡¯s eyes were calm. An immense amount of mana concentrated into the ends of his sword. It red like a wild horse about to run out at any moment, but Zich carefully reined it in. Using the resonance from the mana, he connected the mana at the tip of his sword into the natural mana around him like inserting a thread into a needle.

    Of course, he didn¡¯t connect it borately, and the connection was more likeyering the mana over each other. However, nature¡¯s mana could handle the rest. Zich rolled his feet once and distanced himself from Clovey¡¯s attacks. Because of this movement, Clovey seemed to have judged that Zich was running away, so he dashed forward while shrieking.

    The assassins also coborated together. Some of them tried to block Zich¡¯s paths of escape, and some of them moved away from Clovey to attack Zich from a distance.

    ¡®Ah, these assassins can use their heads too.¡¯

    There was already a significant number of assassins who had died under Clovey¡¯s hands, but the assassins continued to participate in the battle.

    ¡®But it¡¯smendable that they didn¡¯t run away.¡¯

    Zich didn¡¯t have to expend his energy chasing those guys. Zich extended his sword out and took a stance to pierce his enemy. Without hesitation, he aimed for Clovey. With the skill, Piercing Space, he shot out the immense amount of mana concentrated at the tip of his sword.

    Whoosh!

    Without form and sound, the attack¡¯s force pierced through space. The formless force spun forward and exploded on Clovey. Feeling the danger, Clovey tried to escape, but the force was faster.

    Pierce!

    Even Clovey¡¯s hardened skin couldn¡¯t block this attack. On Clovey¡¯s chest, a hole the size of a finger formed.

    ¡°Ugh!¡± Clovey let out a groan, and blood spurted out from his wound. But that was it. Clovey smiled at Zich like he was saying that Zich couldn¡¯t stop him with just that. Yet, Zich was also aware of that.

    ¡®I¡¯ve experienced this before.¡¯

    Pop!

    The surrounding mana began to move; they were all flurrying around to squeeze inside the small path that Zich¡¯s attack had passed through. It was the effect of the ¡®structure¡¯ that he had ced in with nature''s mana. All the mana in the area shot forward, resonating with Zich¡¯s mana and the mana that was scattered all over their surroundings. Then, it began to spin.

    aaaash!

    There was a gigantic current. The mana spun wildly and began to reduce its surroundings into dust. It began to destroy everything¡ªthe building and assassins near it, including Clovey in the center¡ªand flipped the ground below them upside down. It was a giant whirlwind.

    ¡°Ahh!¡±

    ¡°Argh!¡±

    Assassins near Clovey screamed. They got mixed into the whirlwind, and their bodies became mutted in mid-air. They couldn¡¯t hold in their screams as their bodies got ripped apart alive.

    ¡°Kuuuuuu!¡±

    At the center of the whirlwind, Clovey withstood it with his hardened physical body, mana, and experience. However, that didn¡¯tst long. Mana poured into the areas of his body where there were holes, and the whirlwind hammered the surface of his skin. Cracks appeared all over his body, and blood seeped out.

    ¡°Ahhhhh!¡±

    Pop!

    Like a dam that had reached its limit, Clovey¡¯s body broke into pieces with a loud death cry. The whirlwind continued for a while as if it couldn¡¯t be satisfied until it destroyed everything within its sphere of influence. When the whirlwind finally died down, they saw that most of the vige had beenpletely devastated.

    It was difficult to believe that the mass destruction was the work of a human. The whirlwind had been such a destructive force that Hans, Snoc, and the assassins stopped their battles for a moment to stare. Yet, the one who actually caused that destruction snorted like it was nothing.

    ¡®To think that it only made this much of an effect.¡¯

    He had expected this ¡°minimal¡± effect to a certain degree, but it was different seeing it in reality. ¡®Piercing Spiral st¡¯¡ªit was a bit of a childish title, but it was a technique that he used while transitioning from being a Demon Person to having the title, Demon Lord. In a way, it wasn¡¯t an exaggeration to say that the skill was one of the many that had given Zich his notorious title.

    Gurgle!

    A metallic taste rose from his throat.

    ¡®Wow! What is up with all these issues?¡¯

    Zich spat out a lump of blood.

    ¡®My internal organs suffered injuries from just this?¡¯

    He was talking about himself, but he thought his body¡¯s condition was pathetic.

    ¡°Sir Zich!¡± Hans called out in an urgent voice. Zich nced around and saw a group of assassins charging forward. The assassins had been cowering from behind just a moment ago, but it seemed like they had gathered up their courage once again.

    ¡®It¡¯s probably because I spat out some blood.¡¯

    They now thought Zich was an easier opponent, but the price for a hasty judgment was death. Zich fixed his grip on his sword. Frankly, Zich¡¯s condition wasn¡¯t good. Even a potion didn¡¯t immediately heal internal wounds, especially ones inflicted by mana.

    ¡®But they are all just small fry.¡±

    Zich blocked the dagger that flew towards him and sliced the nearest assassin. A whileter, all who gazed at Zich could see him taking his sweet time wiping the blood off his sword next to a pile of assassins in a pool of blood.

 Chapter 73

    <h4>Chapter 73</h4>

    The battle was over. Zich took out a potion and gulped it down. All the shallow and deep injuries in his body disappeared at once. However, the ufortable pain inside his body persisted.

    ¡®It will probably take at least one or two days for the pain topletely disappear.¡¯

    It had been a while since Zich experienced this type of pain.

    ¡®Before I regressed, when I first came out of the Steelwall family, I experienced this type of pain on a daily basis.¡¯

    It was not only on a daily basis. While his whole body was in severe pain, he had to continuously fight new battles. Zich walked towards Hans and Snoc. They had their backs to each other and were trying to catch their breaths. Their bodies were full of wounds from their fierce battles.

    ¡°Hey, take this!¡± Zich took out two potions and threw them at Snoc and Hans. They quickly gulped down the potions, and as their injuries and pain faded away, theirplexions improved.

    ¡°This is really good, right?¡± Snoc said to Nowem. Snoc was still amazed by the existence of potions that instantly healed people¡¯s injuries. But Hans was calm, and he looked at Snoc with pity in his eyes.

    ¡®There wille a time when you will get sick of these potions.¡¯

    To be more specific, Snoc would have many more opportunities to consume potions in the future¡ªfrom Zich¡¯s training and the events Zich led them into. By now, Hans expected an intense event toe up wherever Zich went, and Hans sighed that his expectations were always right.

    Zich ced an enormous amount of potions down in front of Hans and Snoc.

    ¡°Treat everyone in this temple with these potions.¡±

    Hans became speechless at the giant pile of potions in front of him. He was not only surprised by the number of potions, but the ones that Zichid in front of them were of the highest quality so it was even more expensive than usual.

    ¡®I can¡¯t believe he¡¯s giving such expensive goods tomoners like them.¡¯

    Did Zich just like giving people stuff?

    ¡®No way.¡¯

    Even though Hans was the one who thought this, heughed at how ridiculous this thought was. Instead, Hans asked, ¡°Do we really treat them all? They tried to attack us.¡±

    ¡°I saw their skills and movements, but they probably only attacked us because they were ckmailed. But it¡¯s good to be definite about matters like this. Before you heal them, give them a warning¡ªif they try to harm us again, we will show them no mercy.¡±

    ¡°What if they attack us?¡±

    ¡°Kill them,¡± Zichmanded Hans without an ounce of hesitation. Hans and Snoc gulped and nodded at Zich¡¯s menacing aura. Hans and Snoc each carried a pile of potions and went inside the temple. After Zich saw them go in, he turned back and walked towards the assassins¡¯ corpses.

    Zich began looking through the corpses. From their bodies, he found several self-detonation artifacts that they couldn¡¯t use this time. Assassins typically used these devices. However, other than the artifacts, there were no other clues about their identities.

    ¡®I wish I could have investigated that Clovey bastard too.¡¯

    Zich nced over at the traces of Clovey¡¯s shredded body.

    ¡®Well, whatever. It¡¯s already enough that I found out that Fest and the organization group are working together.¡¯

    Moreover, there were more people he could retrieve information from. Zich turned his nce back to the temple and went inside. Hans and Snoc looked like they did a good job in giving out the potions since the vigers lookedpletely fine. The vigers were sitting together in a group, and Hans and Snoc stood at a distance and watched over them. It seemed as if their warning worked very well because the vigers were trembling in fear, and they could not even bring themselves to resist.

    Zich walked towards them. The vigers near him dragged their butts and desperately tried to move away from him. However, the walls of the temple stopped them. The vigers¡¯ ages were diverse¡ª they ranged from elderly men and women to young children. The assassins probably ced them there to lessen Zich¡¯s suspicion.

    ¡®Even though it was useless.¡¯

    Their opponents were too experienced. Zich experienced traps like these far too many times that it gave him a headache. In the first ce, it was weird that no matter how urgent the situation was, Joachim, who greatly respected Zich, sent Clovey over to ask a request in his stead.

    ¡®And Clovey also let out his bloodlust a few times.¡¯

    Since Clovey was not experienced in tricking people, he probably couldn¡¯t help it. But Clovey was not a bad actor.

    ¡®Snoc and Hans didn¡¯t notice anything was off.¡¯

    Clovey could have probably tricked most people. However, Zich was too experienced, and his senses were way too sharp to fall for Clovey¡¯s act. The patient¡¯s attitudes had also been off. Whenever a caretaker or a specific individual passed by, fear crept into the vigers¡¯ eyes.

    If Zich had not known that it was a trap early on, he might have approached the patients to check their conditions; then, the assassins disguised as patients would have jumped out with daggers and forced him into battle.

    ¡°Hey,¡± Zich called out to the nearest viger. His brash attitude was like that of a gangster¡¯s. ¡°Who is your leader?¡±

    The vigers¡¯ eyes wandered until they allnded on one person: he was an old man whose head was half balding.

    ¡°Are you the vige chief?¡±

    ¡°Yes, yes, that¡¯s right.¡± The vige chief felt threatened by Zich¡¯s rough way of speaking and readily admitted his position.

    ¡°Exin.¡± Zich spat out a very simple, single word. He couldn¡¯t have been any ruder, but the vige chief understood what Zich meant and began to exin their situation to Zich. One day, a disease began to spread around the vige. The disease was so infectious that by the time they realized the situation they were in, the whole vige had been infected. It was also a disease that inflicted great pain and caused intense symptoms strong enough to kill people one by one.

    It was during this time that the assassins approached them. To their amazement, the assassins had the cure to the disease. The vigers celebrated, but unfortunately for them, they soon realized they were dealing with fiendish people. The assassins ckmailed the vigers with the cure to kill Zich and hispanions.

    ¡°So that¡¯s why you all worked together to kill me?¡±

    ¡°P-Please have mercy! We simply wanted to live!¡±

    The scene of an old man wailing with his knees on the ground wasn¡¯t a nice sight to see. Hans and Snoc felt pity for the old man. However, Zich¡¯s pitch-ck heart didn¡¯t feel an ounce of sympathy. He nced at the vigers. They looked like they still hadn¡¯t recovered from their disease.

    ¡®It must be that, right?¡¯ When he heard that they were ckmailed, Zich recalled something. ¡®Fest frequently used diseases to get more underlings.¡¯

    Thinking about how the vigers¡¯ physical abilities had also increased, Zich was even more confident that this was Fest¡¯s doing. From what he knew, Fest also infected their underlings with some kind of special disease to keep them in check. The disease had a longtency period, and once the disease began its onset, it killed its victim with certainty. Fest used a cruel disease that caused intense pain and killed any victims that dared to betray Fest.

    ¡®The disease came with an increase in physical activities as well.¡¯

    Thus, it was a humane act to kill all of Fest¡¯s underlings. However, Zich, who was farthest away from the word ¡®humane,¡¯ purposefully didn¡¯t end their lives and let them be.

    ¡®This disease got so strong that it became impossible to cure itter on. But right now, it might be¡­¡¯

    But before that, Zich needed confirmation that this disease was what he was thinking of. He pulled on the ears of the vige chief who was crying. The vige chief groaned while the vigers screamed and wailed, but Zich just stared at the back of the vige chief¡¯s ears.

    ¡®It¡¯s there.¡¯

    Zich¡¯s eyes shone.

    * * *

    The butler of the Dracul family was busy. Because of the Count¡¯s absence and the catastrophic epidemic around the estate, he was hundreds of times busier than usual. If he wasn¡¯t originally a knight and possessed great stamina, Shalom would have fainted from exhaustion a couple of times by now.

    But even though Shalom should have still been busy, he was out in the castle¡¯s backyard. Anyone could see that the ce wasn¡¯t suitable for work. However, Shalom was staring at a tree with great intensity.

    ¡°¡­You¡¯rete.¡±

    He heard some movement near him and looked at where it came from. It was chilling to see only Shalom¡¯s pupils moving while his face didn¡¯t budge. A man wearing a robe stood in front of him.

    ¡°Do you all not understand the concept of time?¡± Shalom criticized the robed man, but the man didn¡¯t seem bothered. He simply said one line: ¡°We failed.¡±

    ¡°¡­Failed?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. We were annihted.¡±

    Shalom¡¯s face turned from annoyance to rage.

    ¡°We took a lot of care and time in making Clovey. We let you borrow him even though we didn¡¯t want to since you kept insisting and told us about some unknown variable. But you failed? Got annihted?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. He was stronger than we expected.¡±

    ¡°So didn¡¯t I tell you to just leave him alone?¡±

    ¡°We have our own ns like your group has its own ns. Besides, I really hate unexpected variables.¡±

    ¡°A n is just a n! Unknown variables will always exist! That¡¯s why a n always has to be revised! Even if you eliminate the unknown variable, another one will pop out! Then, do you n on continuing to eliminate all the unknown variables! Moreover, what do you mean by an unknown variable!? What is your standard for deciding if something is an unknown variable!¡±

    ¡°Any foreign obstacle that is not part of our n.¡±

    ¡°Hmph! It almost sounds as if your organization is aware of all the yers in their n beforehand and can control them ordingly. Can you guys see the future or something?¡±

    ¡°Of course.¡±

    ¡°What bullshit.¡± Shalom immediately cut the man¡¯s words. Was the man saying he was like a god who was able to see the future? However, the unusually stoic man smiled slightly.

    ¡°Do you still think that even while considering Joachim¡¯s case?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Shalom didn¡¯t have anything to say about that. The second son of the Dracul family was too weak to even learn mana. Even if his subordinates had shielded him in the field, he should have been infected by the epidemic in the countryside and died. However, Joachim was still alive.

    ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you? That Joachim wille back alive.¡±

    ¡°¡­Don¡¯t im that you guys can see the future with just that much.¡±

    Shalom still couldn¡¯t believe that the man or anyone in his organization could see the future.

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter if you believe me or not.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s true.¡±

    They had no trust in each other. They had simply joined hands for the same goal.

    ¡°It seems like the vigers are still alive.¡±

    ¡°They are going to die anyway, so it doesn¡¯t matter.¡±

    ¡°But they could expose us and say we artificially spread a disease.¡±

    ¡°All they can find out is that there''s medicine for the disease they got. If your underlings¡¯ mouths aren¡¯t loose, we won¡¯t get found out.¡±

    ¡°My subordinates have tight lips. I¡¯m not sure about yours though.¡±

    ¡°In any case, the vige chief doesn¡¯t know anything about us anyway. He fell to ckmail like the rest of the vigers. That strengthening medicine is rare, but we still have plenty others like it. Don¡¯t you guys also have something simr?¡±

    ¡°That is also true.¡±

    The man didn¡¯t say more. It was an unemotional conversation where they only exchanged information, but both Shalom and the man found this system most suitable for them. Their rtionship was perfect like this.

    ¡°Even if you failed to get rid of him, I have no intention of continuing with your fickleness. I will call that person.¡±

    ¡°Doesn¡¯t the unknown variable also have medical knowledge?¡±

    ¡°It was revealed that he doesn¡¯t have knowledge in medicine. It seems as if he really found the medicine¡¯s form by coincidence.¡±

    ¡°¡­He really is full of unknown variables.¡±

    It was the first time Shalom saw the man disgruntled. The man must really hate unknown variables.

    ¡°Okay, fine. If I can do my work, I¡¯m fine with that.¡±

    The man finally agreed; he also didn¡¯t intend to continue talking about the unknown variable any longer. Just like that, the night filled with plotting grew darker.

    * * *

    Zich, Hans, and Snoc came back to Ospurin. To tell Joachim what happened in the vige, they looked for Joachim¡¯s whereabouts. Fortunately, Joachim also had something urgent to tell Zich, so when Zich came to look for him, Joachim spoke first with a stiff face.

    ¡°They took Ms. Bargot to the castle.¡±

 Chapter 74

    <h4>Chapter 74</h4>

    Zich¡¯s face turned serious. However, Hans and Snoc did not understand the gravity of the situation and just stared at both Zich and Joachim.

    ¡°Sir, what did they say their justification was?¡±

    ¡°Since Ms. Bargot is a proficient medical expert, they want her to take a look at the Count¡¯s condition.¡±

    ¡°Weren¡¯t there a lot of people who already checked the Count¡¯s condition?¡±

    ¡°Of course. We brought in a great number of skilled doctors and priests to heal the Count. But they all shook their heads, and most of them said that the Count did not have long to live.¡±

    ¡°Sir, then what are your thoughts? Do you really think they took Ms. Bargot so that she could check up on the Count¡¯s condition? Or is it¡­¡± Zich lowered his voice. ¡°Because diseases are now spreading in the castle?¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    Hans and Snoc were shocked, but Joachim remained calm. He expected that Zich might have already suspected this.

    ¡°To be frank, I don¡¯t really know.¡± Joachim was not able to give a clear answer. Since he didn¡¯t have enough information, he couldn¡¯t give a definite answer to Zich. However, it wasn¡¯t as if he had no likely conjectures inside his mind.

    ¡°But that is also a high possibility.¡±

    ¡°Since they took Ms. Bargot, I guess it¡¯s pretty clear that they aren¡¯t going to inform us about the state of the castle.¡±

    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s probably true. If infectious diseases are spreading inside the castle, Ms. Bargot would be a coveted talent. Not only is she an expert on infectious diseases, but she is also not a threat to my brother¡¯s authority unlike you Sir Zich, who is widely known to be working with me.¡±

    ¡°I guess it would be better to not hear back from the castle.¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    Joachim¡¯s voice was grave.

    ¡°If they call us back to the castle to take care of the disease, it will mean that even Ms. Bargot was not able to curb the disease inside the castle.¡±

    Moreover, there was no one here who knew more about infectious diseases than Ms. Bargot. Therefore, this would also mean that an uncontroble disease was spreading in the castle.

    ¡°¡­But since nothing is definite yet, let¡¯s continue with what we were doing. Thinking about it, didn¡¯t you have something to say to me?¡±

    ¡°Before that, did you request something from me through Sir Clovey?¡±

    ¡°A request? No, I never did.¡±

    Zich exined what happened with Clovey to Joachim. At first, Joachim was surprised, but as Zich continued his story, various emotions appeared on Joachim¡¯s face¡ªanger, confusion, disbelief, and more. When Zich finished his ount, Joachim¡¯s face was extremely serious, and he stared intently at Zich. Anyone could see that Joachim was in an intense dilemma, and after a while Joachim finally opened his mouth.

    ¡°¡­I believe you, Sir Zich.¡±

    Hans and Snoc nervously stood next to Zich, and they let out breaths of relief. On the other hand, Zich predicted that Joachim would say something like this.

    ¡®The biggest reason for Joachim¡¯s response must be because I gave him the cure to Igram.¡±

    That was how rare and significant the Igram cure was. Zich expected Joachim to just cover up this affair or sweep it under the rug. Even though Zich gained a lot of credibility with Joachim in an extremely short amount of time, Clovey had been with Joachim for a long time as his subordinate. Joachim would probably do an investigation, but since it was undeniable that Clovey took Zich out to the vige, Zich was not worried.

    ¡°What happened to the vigers?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know, but I think they are probably alive.¡±

    Zich lied this time, but Joachim didn¡¯t seem suspicious of him.

    ¡°Mr. Zich, if your words are true, what do you think my brother is nning?¡±

    Joachim didn¡¯t know about the existence of Fest or the assassin organization. In addition, when Zich exined what happened to him in the vige with Clovey, Zich took Fest and the assassins out of his narrative. For that reason, Joachim¡¯s suspicion obviously went to his brother, Biyom, and he thought Biyom was the one behind recent events.

    ¡°Your brother might be irritated that I¡¯m helping you. From their side, they would have never expected your reputation to rise so much from the cure and Ms. Bargot¡¯s prevention strategies.¡±

    ¡°So those are the reasons why he wanted to kill you? Then isn¡¯t Ms. Bargot also in a dangerous situation?¡±

    ¡°No, if he wanted to kill Ms. Bargot, I don¡¯t think he would have called her to the castle. It would have been better for him to take her out of Ospurin with me. There¡¯s a high possibility that he judged her abilities highly and wanted to use her knowledge for himself, especially if we assume that infectious diseases are currently spreading inside the castle.¡±

    ¡°¡­If I can, I really want to file aint.¡±

    ¡°But we have no evidence.¡±

    A mysterious organization and Clovey were the ones who tried to kill Zich.

    ¡°I can¡¯t believe Sir Clovey would betray us,¡± Joachim said with bitterness in his voice. He felt betrayed by someone he trusted, and at the same time, he became worried that another person in his group might betray him.

    ¡°You can never tell what¡¯s in a person¡¯s heart.¡±

    ¡°Yes, I agree. But first of all, let¡¯s quickly end this disease as soon as possible so that I can return to the castle.¡±

    Joachim¡¯s eyes were filled with determination.

    * * *

    Despite the concern that infectious diseases might be spreading inside the castle, Joachim and Zich continued their work as usual. They were close to ending Igram once and for all. The infected areas were decreasing at a steady pace, and new cases had already decreased at a record rate; more people survived rather than died from the disease. Soon after, thest patient got up from the bed.

    The people celebrated in unison. Since Igram first spread throughout the world, this was the first time people were able to stop the spread of Igram with such limited casualties.

    ¡°This is all thanks to Sir Zich and Ms. Bargot!¡± Joachim said with happiness in his voice. Even though there were many people who were happy about Igram¡¯s end, Joachim, along with everyone who had been fighting the diseases from the very beginning, werepletely ted. It was because this was their first victory after many devastating failures.

    ¡°But we can¡¯t let down our guard just yet. New cases might appear again after a few days.¡±

    ¡°Of course! We also haven¡¯tpletely let down our guards yet!¡±

    As the person said, while their hearts were full of joy, Joachim¡¯s task force was still investigating whether or not there were any infected patients they overlooked, especially in areas with high infection rates.

    ¡°Then that¡¯s fine.¡±

    The task force was prepared for any unexpected problems. Then Zich brought up something that could be more dangerous than the recurrence of Igram.

    ¡°Did you hear anything back from the castle?¡±

    Even though the mood had been good, Joachim¡¯s face stiffened again.

    ¡°Yes, we ordered some people to look around the castle¡¯s surroundings and inquired about some of the maids there, but there doesn¡¯t seem to be anything special going on.¡±

    ¡°What about Ms. Bargot?¡±

    ¡°We didn¡¯t hear anything about her.¡± Joachim shook his head.

    ¡°It would be ideal if she is residing in the castle to care for my father¡¯s health.¡±

    ¡°Yes, since all other possibilities are rather gloomy.¡±

    The other possibilities could be that an epidemic was spreading inside the castle, or they wanted to keep an important talent like her from Joachim, or that Biyom had his eyes set on Ms. Bargot¡¯s talents.

    ¡°Whatever the case is, we can go back to the castle if wepletely get rid of Igram. Even my brother can¡¯t stop me for no reason now. I will find out what happened then.¡±

    Although he had always gone with the flow, Joachim now burned with a firm resolve and determination to take control of his own destiny. Zich chuckled a little, seeing him like that.

    * * *

    Quite a bit of time passed since all traces of Igram had disappeared. The disease didn¡¯t reappear, and people thought the disease had been fully conquered. Joachim sent out a report that Igram was gone in Ospurin, and to his surprise, he received an order to return to the castle. However, like the time when Zich and hispany arrived at Ospurin for the first time, they ordered Joachim toe by himself.

    ¡°It seems like my brother is plotting something again,¡± Joachim said with displeasure.

    ¡°What do you think he is plotting?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know, but it¡¯s probably something useless.¡±

    Next to Joachim, Hans¡¯ eyes widened in surprise. Considering how Joachim had always talked carefully and only hinted at his bitter feelings whenever Biyom was mentioned, this change was surprising.

    ¡°I apologize, but you and yourpanions will have to wait again in your previous lodgings.¡±

    ¡°What are you going to do, sir?¡±

    ¡°I am nning to make my decision after seeing the state of the castle. I¡¯m going to make sure that my brother won¡¯t have his way likest time.¡± Joachim had distinguished himself for stopping the Igram epidemic in Ospurin, and he had the people¡¯s support. Biyom couldn¡¯t threaten Joachim like before.

    ¡°Please call me if you need help.¡±

    ¡°Thank you for everything.¡±

    With those words, Joachim took his subordinates and headed to the castle; afterward, Zich stayed in Ospurin at the same lodging he stayed in during his first days in the city. The only difference was that he met up with some of Joachim¡¯s followers from time to time. Joachim made it seem like he would knock down Biyom as soon as he entered the castle, but even after a couple of days passed, Zich didn¡¯t hear anything back from him.

    And like that, Hans and Snoc spent their usual, carefree days at the hotel. They didn¡¯t rest the whole time, and there were times when they were busy with Zich¡¯s orders. But after having gone through Zich¡¯s harsh training, they didn¡¯t know when they would have another chance to rx like this. Their break felt like a dream, and they enjoyed their time to the fullest. But of course, this happiness didn¡¯tst forever.

    ¡°What is it, sir?¡± Hans asked Zich when he called them. Yet, in his heart, Hans knew that his happy time was over when he saw a fully armored Zich.

    ¡°Go and armor yourselves immediately. We have somewhere to go.¡±

    Hans knew for sure that they were going to do something unsettling. He sighed and wondered what kind of stupid fool angered Zich.

    ¡°Sir, may I ask where we are going?¡± Hans wanted to know who this fool was. However, when Snoc and Hans heard Zich¡¯s answer, they wondered if they heard his words correctly. Then, they wondered if something was wrong with Zich¡¯s head.

    ¡°We are barging into the castle,¡± Zich said while smiling.

    * * *

    This was the Dracul castle¡¯s basement.

    Inside the castle, which was famous for its fancy but practical interiors, there was a dreary and dirty area underneath. The basement prison locked up those whomitted severe crimes such as treason or attempted assassination against the head of the family. Needless to say, the environment was beyond dreadful.

    A stuffy, fishy smell filled the area, and in the deepest corner of the prison, Joachim was imprisoned. Even in this dirty environment, he sat firmly with his back straight. However, Joachim had a frail constitution, and this environment was even worse for him. Hisplexion looked terrible, and his breathing was rough. His lips and eyelids were mped shut, and there was an incredible amount of rage rushing out of his heart.

    ¡®Biyom Dracul!¡¯

    Even under all kinds of persecution and ndering, Joachim had respected Biyom as his older brother. However, all of his efforts were useless in the end. To kill him, Biyom had sent Joachim to ces affected by fatal infectious diseases; and in the end, Biyom had now finally used his own hands to take care of Joachim. Yet, even in the midst of his rage against Biyom, Joachim wondered about one thing.

    ¡®How was he able to gain control of the castle?¡¯

    Biyom had always considered Joachim as a thorn in his side and plotted against his brother. However, the fact that Biyom had gone through the trouble of gathering the support of most of the castle¡¯s forces proved how significant andrge Joachim¡¯s presence was in the castle. Even Biyom couldn¡¯t dispose of Joachim without a proper reason. However, to Joachim¡¯s surprise, Biyom was now able to forcefully imprison him in the castle¡¯s basement.

    Furthermore, he wasn¡¯t simply locked up in his room likest time but locked in prison as if he was a criminal. Even Biyom¡¯s followers should have voiced their concerns about imprisoning the Count¡¯s second son.

    ¡®It¡¯spletely beyond reason, but he wouldn¡¯t have been able to do this without thorough preparation.¡¯

    After all, Biyom¡¯s concern for his own personal safety was the greatest of anyone Joachim knew. Joachim kept racking his head to find an answer, but he couldn¡¯t think of anything reasonable. He groaned in frustration. Then, he suddenly heard an unfamiliar voice beyond the iron bars.

    ¡°You look like you¡¯re suffering.¡±

 Chapter 75

    <h4>Chapter 75</h4>

    Joachim opened his eyes and stared at the man through the prison bars in front of him.

    ¡°¡­I don¡¯t know how my older brother gained control over everyone in the castle, but the security must be terrible if a suspicious-looking person like you can just waltz into a high-level prison.¡±

    The man who came to see Joachim looked as suspicious as hell. In a prison cell where not even a ray of light could shine through, the cloaked man covered himself from top to bottom. But the man did not reply. Instead, he hung the torch on his hand to a sconce next to him. Then the man stepped one closer to the prison bars. His body was huge. Compared to Joachim who was skinny and tall, the man was extremely buff, and he was about a head taller than Joachim. However, Joachim looked straight at him without a shred of fear in his eyes.

    ¡°That¡¯s impressive. Your eyes are not full of despair yet.¡±

    ¡°Stop saying nonsense and get to the point.¡±

    Joachim usually addressed everyone with respect and honorifics, but he dropped his manners and spoke roughly to the man¡ªthat was how shaken Joachim¡¯s mental state was. The man¡¯s mysterious appearance also yed a significant part.

    ¡°Fine.¡± The man didn¡¯t like talking for long. ¡°Don¡¯t you want to fix what has gone wrong?¡±

    ¡°What has gone wrong?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m talking about the current state of the Dracul family. Do you seriously think the current state of the Dracul estate is normal?¡±

    There was no way Joachim thought the current state of the Dracul estate was normal. The Count was bedridden, the heir was only obsessed with power and controlled his vassals like puppets. Currently, everything about the Dracul estate was going wrong.

    ¡°I can¡¯t say everything is going normally. But I can¡¯t believe such a suspicious-looking guy like you is worried about the state of the Dracul estate.¡±

    ¡°Of course, I have my own reasons. So, answer my question.¡±

    ¡°Then how would you fix it?¡±

    The cloaked man took out something from his body. In his hand, there was a marble the size of a half-closed fist. The marble was red to the core, as if it was condensed from blood. Joachim, who had hemophobia, scrunched his face. However, he didn¡¯t move his eyes away.

    ¡°This is called the Bloody Vessel.¡±

    ¡°It looks like an ominous object.¡±

    ¡°But the effects are potent.¡±

    The man who had been talking in a monotone voice so far now had a sliver of excitement in his voice.

    ¡°Absorb this into your body, and you will be able to obtain an enormous amount of power. Then you can pay back your brother who insulted and even tried to kill you, and all his obedient followers!¡±

    Joachim stared at the Bloody Vessel. As if the marble was calling to him, it reflected the light from the torch fire and shone temptingly. But the man was not able to get the answer he wanted.

    ¡°I refuse.¡± Joachim¡¯s answer was firm, and he did not even hesitate. Under his cloak, the man twitched his eyebrows.

    ¡°Why?¡±

    ¡°Because I don¡¯t believe in magical fairies that suddenly help me in my time of need. I¡¯m too old for that.¡±

    ¡°Are you hoping that someone will take you out of here? No matter how much you persist, your only fate is execution. Your life is over anyway. Why don¡¯t you try trusting a magical fairy?¡±

    ¡°If a fairy¡¯s gift ends with just killing my life, I would take the chance without a single hesitation, but I don''t know how it will affect the people around me.¡± Joachim continued, ¡°From the first ce, it¡¯s already too strange that a fairy would give me this gift. Even in all the stories I read, no fairy is a huge, buff man coveredpletely in a cloak.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    The man looked at Joachim. No, he stared at him. At this very moment, he wanted to break into Joachim¡¯s jail and shake some sense into Joachim. But he couldn¡¯t do that. No, he shouldn¡¯t do that. It was okay to fail in changing other people to Demon People, but not Joachim. In his organization, Joachim was a significant figure in their future ns.

    ¡®If everything was going ording to n, he would have been so angry at Biyom that he would have taken the Bloody Vessel without hesitation.¡¯

    Everything was going smoothly in their main headquarters, but their ns in Ospurin went awry. Nobody imagined that Joachim and his task force would stop Igram in such a short period of time. ording to the initial n, Joachim shouldn¡¯t have been able to stop the spread of Igram. And during this time, funds and resources would stoping from the Dracul estate; thus, Joachim would fall more and more into despair at his inability. At the same time, his anger towards Biyom would grow to an astronomical size¡ªto a point that when someone offered him enough power tomit his revenge, he would take it without reason or additional thought.

    ¡®But because of that variable, everything has gone to waste!¡¯

    Whenever the man thought about the unknown variable, Zich, he grew irritated despite hisck of emotions. On the other hand, they had to carry out this n without fail. His job was to lead people on the ¡®right path¡¯ when things were going amiss.

    ¡°Are you not concerned that the Dracul estate will copse at this rate?¡±

    Joachim did not reply. But even though his eyes were half-open, there was not a trace of hesitation in them. He looked like an ascetic that didn¡¯t waver in front of any temptations. However, the cloaked man did not easily back down.

    ¡°You experienced all sorts of diseases since you were young, even diseases that have never appeared in this world and many of them at once. Didn¡¯t you think that was strange?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°Of course, you thought it was weird. However, even after all that, you probably didn¡¯t think it was some sort of conspiracy against you.¡±

    Even if lightning struck down every vige in the country and burned them all down simultaneously, most people would not think it was a result of a conspiracy. The most they would do was cry out to God in anger, and the reasoning for that was simple¡ªit was because such a natural phenomena was impossible for humans to perform. No matter how great a person¡¯s master n was, there was a limit to human ability.

    ¡°But what if there was a human who could control infectious diseases however they wanted?¡±

    ¡°!!!¡±

    Even Joachim was shocked by this. He was about to deny that such a human could exist, but the words did not easilye out of his mouth. As soon as he thought that a human could possess such an ability, everything came into ce and made sense.

    ¡°¡­Was it you guys?¡±

    ¡°No, not us. We are just providing some small assistance to that person.¡±

    The man was happy that Joachim showed a strong reaction. However, he showed no signs of delight and tried harder to mess up Joachim¡¯s emotions.

    ¡°It was your brother who directly coborated with that human. But really, a power-hungry dictator is a fearsome thing to behold.¡± The man continued, ¡°Just to kill his younger brother, he decimated so many viges with diseases.¡±

    Crunch.

    When Joachim showed a reaction, the man felt d; but he hid his feelings again and tried to mess up Joachim¡¯s emotions even more.

    ¡°Your brother is the one who joined forces with a person like that. A powerful person¡¯s obsession with power is truly scary.¡± And the man continued, ¡°I mean, he burned down several viges to ashes just for the sake of killing one person: his own younger brother.¡±

    Crack!

    A chilling sound rang out of Joachim¡¯s teeth, but the man continued speaking.

    ¡°But you didn¡¯t die like he wanted, so he released the epidemic even in Ospurin. Even a guy blinded by power wasn¡¯t crazy enough to burn his capital city to the ground, so he released a weaker infectious disease such as Igram. And in the meantime, he tried plotting against you, but all his ns werepletely ruined by your victory against Igram. In the end, it seems like he decided to use all means possible and finally imprisoned you.¡±

    Joachim¡¯s haggard-looking face looked even more drained than before.

    ¡°How about it? Are you still not going to change your mind? If Biyom Dracul bes the Count, the hell you experienced will continue. Since he is a pig who is only greedy for power, the rest of the world will soon join this hell. It¡¯s definite. Are you going to throw away your one and only chance to change reality because of some anxiety?¡±

    ¡°¡­Didn¡¯t you say that you helped my brother?¡±

    ¡°We worked out of necessity. It¡¯s not like we are going to be coborators forever. Besides, the period for us to work with your brother is over.¡±

    Joachim stared at the ¡®Bloody Vessel¡¯ that the man was holding. If the man was telling him the truth, this matter would not just end with a power struggle for the Count¡¯s position. The man¡¯s words were difficult to believe, but if Joachim thought about everything he had gone through, they didn¡¯t seem so far-fetched.

    The man urged him on.

    ¡°What are you going to do? Take it? Or leave it?¡±

    It almost seemed like a snake was darting its forked tongue at him. Joachim¡¯s eyes shook. He thought for a moment and was about to say his decision when¡ª

    ¡°That looks like a great item. Could you give me a chance to buy it?¡±

    Flinch!

    The man jumped in surprise. He ced the Bloody Vessel inside his robe and heightened his senses towards the area where he heard the voice. In the entrance, hidden by the darkness, he heard footsteps. A momentter, the owner of these footsteps entered into the torchlight.

    ¡°¡­Mr. Zich?¡± Joachim was surprised to see someone he didn¡¯t expect at all.

    ¡°You don¡¯t¡­seem well, sir,¡± Zichmented cynically after seeing the state Joachim was in.

    ¡°How did you¡­?!¡±

    ¡°It was frustrating to see how everything was progressing, so I forced myself in.¡±

    ¡°F-Forced yourself in¡­?¡±

    It didn¡¯t seem like Zich had entered by normal means, and Joachim wondered if Zich had really jumped over the castle¡¯s gates by his own might. Listening to Zich¡¯s way of speaking, it didn¡¯t seem like he used a peaceful method to get in.

    ¡°Sir Joachim, I have a lot to say, but I will have to push my conversation with you a bitter,¡± Zich said and looked towards the robed man, ¡°I need to speak to someone else first.¡±

    ¡°¡­Are you Zich?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m Zich. Are you the leader of the assassins?¡±

    The man¡¯s demeanor, aura, and everything was different from the ordinary assassins Zich had seen. The only simrity he shared with the other assassins was that he wore a dark robe that stuck to his body like his own skin. The robed man didn¡¯t deny Zich¡¯s ims.

    ¡°If you are talking about the assassins who ambushed you, yes, you are right. I have greatly troubled you.¡±

    ¡°You are taking words out of my mouth. They dashed towards me continuously like moths to a fire. You should have sent more skilled ones.¡±

    A vein popped out of the man¡¯s head, but his robe hid it. The man didn¡¯t show his agitation and replied back tly, ¡°Are you here to save Joachim?¡±

    ¡°I heard that someone was about to fall into a devil¡¯s trap, so I came running,¡± Zich said.

    Zich¡¯s eyes pointed at the man¡¯s chest¡ªspecifically, the Blood Vessel in its grasp.

    ¡°But, you know, I have an interest in that thing called Bloody Vessel. Could you exin it to me too?¡±

    ¡°Even if I tell you, you won¡¯t know.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t be like that. Don¡¯t you havepassion for me who went through all kinds of troubles because of your attacks?¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t need to know.¡±

    ¡°Come on, just tell me.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°Please?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°Hey.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Zich sighed after seeing the man¡¯s tightly shut mouth.

    ¡°Yourpanions weren¡¯t like this.¡±

    ¡°¡­What?¡± the robed man finally responded.

    ¡°I saw guys like you at Suol. I realized it then¡ªthat you all were going around trying to corrupt people. Let me see¡­what should I call you guys?¡±

    Zich stroked his chin and looked like he had just naturally thought of something. ¡°Should I try calling you Demon Maker?¡±

    The man¡¯s eyes turned sharp, but Zich wasn¡¯t bothered.

    ¡°Yeah, Demon Maker sounds good since you are an organization that makes Demon People. And the person you are trying to corrupt into bing a Demon Person is Sir Joachim over there.¡±

    At the mention of his name, Joachim¡¯s eyes widened in surprise.

    ¡°I think the first step of your n was to make him absorb the Bloody Vessel.¡±

    Zich noticed the robed man¡¯s hands flinch. The man looked like he wanted to fling his fist at Zich in that instance. However, the man endured and didn¡¯t say anything.

    ¡°Tch. It¡¯s annoying to deal with someone so unsociable. Thest guy I talked to was a bbermouth and responded to everything I said.¡±

    Thest assassin leader had been someone who Zich could have some fun and ¡®converse¡¯ with, but the assassin leader in front of him right now seemed like he was a different type of person.

    ¡®I won¡¯t learn much from this guy.¡¯

    Since things like torture didn¡¯t work on people like them, Zich had to extract information from each and every word they said. Thus, Zich tried to make it his standard to talk as much as he could while fighting these assassins¡ªespecially their leaders. However, it seemed as if this man¡¯s personality was naturally reticent.

    Then, they heard noises from outside the prison. It was the sound of many footsteps. As if the owners of the footsteps were wearing armor, Zich, Joachim, and the assassin heard the loud, chaotic sound of iron cking against each other. Joachim¡¯s expression darkened while the man¡¯s expression brightened up in contrast. Both of them thought Biyom¡¯s troops were making their way down to the basement.

    However, that wasn¡¯t the case.

    ¡°Sir Zich!¡± Hans shouted.

    ¡°We have secured the surroundings around this prison.¡±

    Joachim and the man¡¯s faces flipped. Zich smiled widely at the man.

    ¡°Why is your face like that? As you wanted, I bought you some time with useless conversations. Isn¡¯t this what you wanted?¡±

    ¡°You¡­!¡±

    The robed man couldn¡¯t find the right words to say.

    ¡°It¡¯s obvious why a poor talker like you would grit your teeth and endure my provocations to let me continue. You were probably waiting for your reinforcements to arrive¡ªare you shocked that my reinforcements came instead?¡± Zich mocked as he continued, ¡°How was that sweet moment of hope?¡±

 Chapter 76

    <h4>Chapter 76</h4>

    ¡°You bastard!¡±

    ¡°Yep! That¡¯s it! Humans have to portray their emotions like that!¡± Zichughed while watching the man suffer. Even though the cloaked man gritted his teeth, he coldly assessed his situation.

    ¡®The n has beenpletely ruined.¡¯

    It was even worse because he failed in converting Joachim, out of all people, into a Demon Person. Moreover, he identally revealed information about his n and organization.

    ¡®He is not an ordinary variable.¡¯

    The man red at Zich. Since the man hated extraneous variables, he worked extraordinarily hard in getting rid of Zich. However, even after numerous attacks against him, Zich managed to survive and totally shattered his ns.

    ¡®Can I kidnap him?¡¯ The man wanted to figure out what more information Zich knew. ¡®Considering the unknown variable¡¯s skills and the skills of hispanions, it would be too difficult.¡¯

    The man felt regretful. As soon as he heard sounds of battle outside, he should have knocked out Joachim and dragged him out. ¡®Trying to capture that extra variable has backfired on me.¡¯ The man initially thought that he could definitely capture Zich if his reinforcements came, so he tried to drag out his time with Joachim. He didn¡¯t think that Zich¡¯s group would be strong enough to reach the castle¡¯s jail.

    ¡®I guess it can¡¯t be helped. I should first get out of this ce.¡¯

    Since the n failed, he had to make a report about Zich and how some of their ns got found out.

    ¡°Hey, you! Are you trying to get away?¡±

    With his keen instincts, Zich noticed right away what the man was about to do.

    The man moved.

    ng!

    The iron bars that locked Joachim broke off with ease. The man jumped into the prison cell; his n was to use Joachim as a captive to escape.

    ¡°Snoc!¡± Zich loudly called out to Snoc. At the same time, the prison shook intensely.

    Crash!

    The prison copsed, and an enormous amount of soil and debris poured out of the prison.

    ¡°S-sir Joachim!¡±

    Hans, Snoc, and the knights who supported Joachim all screamed.

    ¡°Sir Zich, w-what are you doing?¡± Brod, the leader of the knights, fervently protested against Zich. Since he knew one of Zich¡¯s followers, Snoc, had the power to control earth, Brod knew who caused the prison to copse.

    ¡°Do not worry. Sir Joachim is fine.¡±

    ¡°He is fine?¡±

    Shake!

    The earth shook again; however, the vibration was smaller thanst time. Brod¡¯s feet wobbled like waves. Then, as if he was rising from the water surface, Joachim rose from the ground.

    ¡°Sir!¡± Brod shouted and ran to Joachim. Joachim¡¯s face was dazed as if he could not understand what just happened to him.

    ¡°Are you injured anywhere!¡±

    ¡°Ah, no. Fortunately, I don¡¯t think I¡¯m hurt anywhere.¡±

    Even though he said this, Joachim touched his body to make sure. However, other than the injury he got from resisting capture (which was starting to swell), he had no other injuries.

    ¡°Good job, Snoc.¡± Zichplimented Snoc who was able to perfectly execute his orders. In response, Snoc held Nowem in his arms and smiled in embarrassment. However, it was way too early for him to smile.

    ¡°So from now on, do a good job in fighting him.¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    Crash!

    As soon as Snoc¡¯s words faded, the pile of debris and soil exploded.

    ¡°Ugh! Arghh!¡±

    Rough breathing rang throughout the whole room. A figure broke through the pile of soil and crawled out.

    ¡°¡­What is that?¡± Joachim asked in surprise. However, he was not the only person who was surprised. Almost everyone around him stared at the mysterious monster in front of them.

    Only Zich was calm.

    ¡°Sir, it¡¯s that man who covered himself with a cloak.¡±

    ¡°You mean that is the cloaked man?¡±

    ¡°Yes. My hypothesis is that he is using a technique that trades his life span for an intense boost in strength.¡±

    ¡°You are very knowledgeable about this.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s because I fought a guy that used the same technique as him. Moreover, that man is the leader of the assassins that coborated with Sir Clovey.¡±

    ¡°¡­As expected, that attack was connected to my elder brother.¡±

    Even though he expected it, Joachim was still shocked. How far did his brother¡¯s hands reach? Was power so important to him? Rather than anger, Joachim now felt despondent. However, Zich was skeptical of Joachim¡¯s thoughts.

    ¡°Hmmm. Is Sir Biyom Dracul really the mastermind behind all of this?¡±

    ¡°¡­Are you saying that my brother didn¡¯t instigate all of this?¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s first head back up. Since the situation has reached this point, let¡¯s see how this entire situation will end. Then we might be able to find out everything.¡±

    Even though Zich seemed like he knew something, it didn¡¯t seem like he was going to reveal it now. Joachim gathered his thoughts and finalized his decision.

    ¡°That sounds good. I don¡¯t think this situation will end even if I kneel down and beg my brother. Let¡¯s do it.¡±

    By this time, Joachim¡¯s trust and respect towards Biyom was at rock-bottom; he had no qualms about opposing his older brother now¡ªeven if it meant dragging himself into a bloody power struggle that he absolutely detested. There was no other way to end this.

    ¡°But let¡¯s first deal with that.¡± Joachim stared at the monstrous figure in front of him. With a nce, it seemed superfluous to say that their opponent looked tough. However, Zich shook his head.

    ¡°It¡¯s not an urgent matter, but I guess it¡¯s also not good to spend too much time on that. Let¡¯s quickly head upstairs.¡±

    ¡°Then who will take care of that¡­¡±

    ¡°Snoc can take care of him.¡±

    Snoc suspected that this was Zich¡¯s n, but he was still shocked that Zich just dumped the monster on him. His mouth hung open inplete shock.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±

    However, Zich just ignored Snoc and urged the rest of the people to leave. People hesitated; they felt ufortable leaving such a dangerous monster to a boy who looked like a country bumpkin. But Zich was firm.

    ¡°Snoc will be enough.¡±

    Joachim peered into Zich¡¯s eyes for a moment as if to gauge his true intentions. However, he soon nodded his head.

    ¡°Let¡¯s head upstairs!¡±

    Since Joachim said this, the knights couldn¡¯t say much in protest. In addition, they were running out of time.

    ¡°I leave it up to you.¡± After Brod tapped Snoc¡¯s shoulders a few times, he carried Joachim out of the tunnel. A bunch of people followed quickly after him.

    ¡°Huh? What?¡±

    Snoc suddenly had to deal with a ferocious monster, and he watched them leave while trying to grasp the reality of his situation. Hans sent a pitiful nce at him, but he also went ahead. Thest person to leave was Zich, and he sent Snoc a bright smile.

    ¡°Snoc!¡±

    ¡°Y-Yes, sir!¡± Snoc¡¯s eyes brightened up. He thought Zich might give him some advice, and he felt relieved that Zich was not going to just leave him to face a monster by himself. Yet, Zich betrayed his trust.

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter if you kill him!¡±

    ¡°¡­What?¡± Snoc blurted without thinking. However, Zich paid no attention to his panic-stricken voice, and after giving Snoc a thumbs up, he headed outside with the others. The only ones left were Snoc, Nowem, and the monster.

    ¡°¡­Krgh!¡±

    The monster gave him a mocking smile, and Snoc nced at him cautiously.

    * * *

    Aftering out of the basement stairs, Hans asked Zich, ¡°Um, will this really be alright, sir?¡± Hans had looked after Snoc as his junior, and he kept looking behind in worry. Joachim and the other knights perked their ears as they had the same doubts.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I didn¡¯t leave him carelessly.¡±

    ¡°Are you saying that Snoc is stronger than the monster?¡±

    ¡°No.¡±

    Hans¡¯ heart, which had swelled with expectations, shrunk with disappointment at Zich¡¯s sharp response. He also began to feel a bit angry at Zich for leaving Snoc without rifying anything. Snoc could lose his life.

    ¡°But with his current surroundings, it¡¯s a different story altogether.¡±

    ¡°Sorry?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t you remember what kind of a magical beast Nowem is?¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s the Earth¡¯s¡­¡±

    Hans looked around his surroundings. The prison was in the basement, and Joachim was locked inside its deepest corner. In short, the area was connected through the ground.

    ¡®Now that I think about it, even when we were saving Sir Joachim¡­¡¯

    Snoc had made the ceiling crumble and took only Joachim out through the ground, impressing even Hans. Zich saw that Hans hade to a realization and looked to the front again.

    ¡®Before my regression, when the Earth¡¯s Tyrant stayed inside a mine, nobody wanted to go inside.¡¯

    In other words, the basement was Nowem¡¯s home ground.

    Crash!

    ¡®It started.¡¯

    * * *

    ¡°Uh, um, uh, what should we do, Nowem?¡± Snoc clutched onto Nowem tightly, and seeing how frazzled he was, the man smiled in satisfaction of his current situation.

    ¡°That fool! Does he think someone like that can stop me?¡± Heughed at Zich¡¯s decision. It injured his pride that Zich underestimated him, but the man was too faithful to his organization to act just on his ego. With only Snoc left, the situation was ideal for the man who was used to making quick escapes.

    A conversation was unnecessary. The people who went outside could cast a around the prison¡¯s surroundings to trap him. It was better the faster he moved since he didn¡¯t know what was happening outside. The man began to move with the intention to escape the prison and leave Snoc as a bloody pulp.

    Crash!

    With one push of his feet, the man¡¯s body shot out. It seemed as if a single punch would be enough to smash Snoc, but he quickly realized how wrong he was.

    Crash! Crash!

    From the ground, walls, and the ceiling, rock pirs burst out. They were much harder than normal pirs and formed attice-like pattern to block the man¡¯s attacks.

    ¡®What!¡¯

    Craaaash!

    The man staggered in surprise, and the ground exploded to spurt out masses of stone pieces. The man quickly jumped to the ceiling, but even that ce wasn¡¯t safe.

    Crack!

    ¡°Urgh!¡±

    Stone spears burst out from the ceiling and pierced the man. The man hastily spun his body around to smash the spears, but that was after a couple of them had already pierced his body.

    m!

    The man increased his distance from Snoc. He had already erased his disregard for Snoc. However, for Snoc who could use the power of the earth, the man was within his point of contact no matter where he ran.

    ¡°This person is¡­¡¯

    The man immediately heightened his sense of danger, but in contrast, Snoc tilted his head and reassessed his situation.

    ¡®I don¡¯t think it¡¯s as dangerous as I thought?¡¯

    * * *

    ¡°Could you exin the current situation to me?¡± Joachim asked while Brod carried him on his back. Brod answered through clenched teeth, ¡°I was ckmailed.¡±

    ¡°ckmailed?¡±

    ¡°Everyone in the castle, whether they were knights or soldiers, was infected with an infectious disease.¡±

    Joachim recalled what the robed man had told him.

    ¡°It must be true that my brother spread the epidemic.¡±

    ¡°You knew, sir?¡±

    ¡°The robed man from before told me.¡±

    ¡°Sir, it¡¯s not definite yet. But the person who ckmailed us was Shalom, so it seems that all of this is damn Biyom¡¯s work!¡±

    Brod didn¡¯t even attach formalities next to Biyom¡¯s name anymore, and Joachim didn¡¯t me him. Instead of calling him brother, even Joachim wanted to say all kinds of curses and ster insults in front of Biyom¡¯s name.

    ¡°So, are you saying that you couldn¡¯t help but follow Biyom¡¯s orders?¡±

    ¡°Yes sir. Some of the others and I tried to resist, but since the majority had gone over to him, we decided to quietly observe the situation with our heads low.¡±

    It sounded like an excuse, but Joachim didn¡¯t me him.

    ¡°Then, what happens now?¡±

    ¡°Sir Zich brought us the cure.¡±

    Admiration filled Brod¡¯s eyes. Joachim realized that Brod, who used to call Zich¡¯s name inly, was now attaching ¡®Sir¡¯ to Zich¡¯s name and using formalities.

    ¡°Thanks to the cure, we were able to save the knights and the soldiers! Since many of Biyom¡¯s underlings were ckmailed with the disease, we could also make them join us! Now, the only thing left for you to do is to lead them on!¡±

    Joachim stared at Zich. His face was full of questions; he didn¡¯t understand how Zich had suddenly gotten hold of a cure to the disease or how Zich had realized that the people in the castle were getting ckmailed. But when Joachim saw Zich wink at him, his doubts disappeared, and he couldn¡¯t help butugh.

    ¡®I can hear the exnationter.¡¯

    Joachim saw the castle standing in front of them. They heard swords shing and people shrieking all over the ce.

    ¡°If Biyom¡¯s forces have joined us, who are the ones resisting?¡±

    ¡°Some of Biyom¡¯s forces still haven¡¯t turned over our side! Even after all this, they¡¯re still following him!¡±

    Joachim gritted his teeth after hearing that some people were still willing to fight for someone who purposely spread epidemics around.

 Chapter 77

    <h4>Chapter 77</h4>

    Zich and Joachim reached the battlegrounds. Knights and soldiers on Joachim¡¯s side surrounded the inner areas and struggled to break through the inner gate. On the other hand, Biyom¡¯s knights and soldiers were also persistent and resisted inside the narrow gate.

    ¡°Sir Joachim has arrived!¡± Brod cried out loud. The rest of Joachim¡¯s knights and soldiers also cried out in support. Joachim had already gotten off Brod¡¯s back. Even though his health had never been good and it worsened because of his imprisonment, he tried to conceal his poor condition. He straightened his shoulders and strengthened his posture to the point that Brod¡¯s eyes became filled with admiration.

    ¡°Stop the battle!¡± Joachim¡¯s voice was not amplified by mana. However, the intense charisma in his voice was enough to reach the people around him. Even the people who did not follow Joachim became filled with admiration. His hatred for power struggles was clearly disyed in front of everyone. Joachim pushed away Brod who tried to support him and walked to the front. The knights and soldiers opened up a path for him, and Joachim stopped right in front of the inner gate. Then he stared at the people who were guarding the gate.

    ¡°¡­It has been a while, Sir Carlowen.¡±

    ¡°Yes, it has been a while, Sir Joachim.¡±

    Apletely white-haired elderly knight greeted Joachim.

    ¡°Sir Carlowen, if I am not wrong, you seem to be the leader of that group.¡±

    ¡°Yes, you are right.¡±

    ¡°Won¡¯t you surrender to us?¡± Joachim requested.

    ¡°Sir, that will never happen.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m disappointed, Sir Carlowen. Don¡¯t you know that Biyom spread infectious diseases and killed countless people? As an aide for my father, haven¡¯t you worked to provide the best lives for the citizens of this estate in the past? Were your past behaviors all lies?¡±

    Rather than anger, Joachim felt regretful. As a top aide for Count Dracul, Gloce Carlowen was known to be loyal, moral, and most of all¡ªstrong. Joachim had a hard time believing that Carlowen, who was respected and admired by all the Dracul knights, would side with a power-hungry person like Biyom.

    ¡°Biyom. Biyom. You keep mentioning Biyom.¡± Carlowem muttered Biyom¡¯s name to himself. His mouth was crooked, and he continued with a cynical tone, ¡°Do you think I¡ªno, we are moving for that fat bastard?¡±

    At his words, his surroundings became noisy. ¡®Fat bastard¡¯¡ªit was not a suitable way to call his master¡¯s son at all. Carlowen¡¯s harsh words shocked the people around him.

    ¡°Are you saying that you don¡¯t follow Biyom? Then for what reason have you thrown yourself into this battlefield! Please don¡¯t tell me that this is my father¡¯s will.¡±

    ¡°How would I know the will of the dying Count? He¡¯s already half-dead, counting thest of his days. As his son, were you seriously not aware of how severe his condition was?¡±

    No. Joachim could not believe the person in front of him was Carlowem. Regardless of how he addressed Biyom, the Carlowem he knew would never talk about his father like that. All of Joachim¡¯s knights and soldiers were shocked that Carlowem talked as if he was mocking the Count¡¯s condition. They were even more shocked because they assumed that while Carlowem was on their opposing side, his loyalty to the Dracul estate was immutable.

    ¡°¡­You have already thrown away your honor and loyalty! How have you fallen so low!¡± Joachim loudly reprimanded Carlowem. At Joachim¡¯s words, Carlowem¡¯splexion suddenly changed. The mockery in his face disappeared, leaving only cold bloodthirst.

    ¡°¡­Honor? Are you talking about honor, Sir Joachim?¡±

    ¡°Yes!¡± Joachim replied. Carlowemughed hysterically. Hisugh was so loud it sounded as if he was letting out all of his mockery, wrath, and pent-up frustration at once.

    ¡°Sir Carlowem, why are youughing!¡± With a beet-red face, Brod shouted at Carlowem. Brod¡¯s heart was in turmoil as he watched someone he had respected all his life mock the person he served.

    ¡°Sir Brod, you are young. You are different from old people like me.¡±

    Carlowem¡¯s army was made up of older knights. A significant reason why Joachim had not been able to easily attack the inner gates was because Carlowem¡¯s army had a lot of experience and expertise.

    ¡°You don¡¯t have much to lose, and you are filled with confidence. You also want to constantly improve yourself. But most of all, you don¡¯t know anything at all.¡±

    ¡°What do I not know!¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s fine. The n has already been ruined. We will all probably die here. I don¡¯t even want to continue living. Ask the rest to the person behind us.¡±

    And with these words, Carlowem pulled out his sword. His action clearly indicated that he no longer wanted to continue this conversation. The atmosphere turned violent and tense again. However, Joachim¡¯s army hesitated to approach the inner gate.

    A few minutes ago, they were caught in the heat of the battle and pointed their swords at Carlowem and his army, but they used to be on the same side. Moreover, the knights who stood guard in front of the inner gate were all knights that the younger knights greatly respected. It was a difficult battle not only because of the older knights¡¯ skills, but because of the younger knight¡¯s affection towards them. However, they could not continue to stand still.

    ¡°I will go.¡±

    When Joachim was about to make an order to attack, Zich stepped up.

    ¡°Since your soldiers highly respect Carlowem and his army, I think it will be better for me to fight them since I have no connection to them.¡±

    ¡°Are you sure? Carlowem is the best knight in our estate.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s fine.¡±

    After Zich relieved Joachim¡¯s concerns, Zich walked towards the elderly knights. Carlowem¡¯s eyes sparkled.

    ¡°You were the extra variable that ruined our ns.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t really have anything I want to say to you folks.¡±

    He had no information to obtain from them. Zich drew out his sword. Even though Carlowem was the strongest in the Dracul estate, he was nothingpared to the strongest knights in Steelwall such as Tiner and Chris Nunn. Steelwall possessed a military force so mighty that it was dubbed as the Kingdom¡¯s metal fortress. Compared to the knights in Steelwall, the knights in Dracul could notpare. There was an unbridgeable gap between their skills.

    Tap!

    Zich jumped past the inner gate. Swords came down to pierce him. All of the older knights¡¯ movements were precise and skilled. As older knights, they had less muscr strength, but their mana control and experiences made them much stronger than younger knights. However, Zich was different. The amount of mana he had was simr or more than the older knights. Moreover, Zich had more muscr strength, and his experience and skills were far superior.

    sssh!

    Zich blocked all of the older knights¡¯ swords that came down upon him like a wave. The older knights¡¯ eyes were filled with surprise. They realized that in terms of strength and skill, Zich was far superior to them. But it did not make sense. Unless he was a person from Steelwall that went to war as often as eating dinner, they should have been the ones who were more experienced and skilled. They couldn¡¯t believe that a young person like Zich who looked as if he had just reached adulthood was more skilled than them. However, that was the hard truth.

    sh! sh! aaaash!

    Although the old knights had blocked parts of the entrance to hinder Joachim¡¯s forces, it was backfiring on them now. Of course, since it was an entrance to a castle, it was much wider than normal, but with his skills and experience, Zich was able to use the entrance¡¯s width to his advantage.

    ¡°You bastaaard!¡±

    A knight with apletely white mustache dashed towards Zich, but hepletely missed his attack. Then, he paid the price for attempting to attack Zich.

    Crack!

    ¡°Kuaaah!¡±

    Zich¡¯s sword swirled violently with mana and pierced through the knight¡¯s armor and sliced the knight¡¯s heart. The knight clutched onto his bleeding heart and retreated back. Other knights pointed their swords at Zich to save the knight with the mustache, but Zich¡¯s movements were always one step ahead of them.

    Push!

    Zich struck his sword into the mustache knight¡¯s face, and the knight dropped his sword.

    ¡°You bastard!¡±

    At theirpanion¡¯s death, the other old knights burned with rage. Joachim sensed their momentum falling and didn¡¯t miss his chance to strike.

    ¡°It¡¯s time! Move forward now!¡±

    It was only one death, but the old knights¡¯ forces¡¯ powers had been chipped. Moreover, Joachim used the mustache knight¡¯s death to actively guide the knights and soldiers.

    ¡°Even if we became enemies, our opponents are the seniors we admired. Are you going to let them die in another person¡¯s hands?¡±

    The looks on the knights and soldiers¡¯ eyes changed, and they put more strength into their grip while holding onto their weapons.

    ¡®He is different from Biyom.¡±

    Carlowen looked at Joachim. Joachim, the second son of Count Dracul, had managed to erase the hesitation of his knights and soldiers. If he didn¡¯t have such a weak constitution, Joachim would have inherited his father¡¯s ce a long time ago.

    ¡®But it¡¯s useless.¡¯

    It was toote to think about this now, and Carlowem had to ept his fate and meet his end in peace. Joachim pushed ahead with his forces. Long spears pushed them back and knights pierced their swords in gaps between the old knights¡¯ defenses. The old knights counterattacked with all the strength they had, but in the end, they couldn¡¯t beat their opponent¡¯s numbers.

    Besides, Zich was also attacking and causing them a huge headache. Thanks to Zich¡¯s lead, Joachim¡¯s forces moved smoothly without blocking each other, and even without receiving directmands, they naturally followed Zich¡¯s movements.

    ¡®How is this possible?¡¯ Zich¡¯s movements were so impressive that Carlowem couldn¡¯t help but mutter this to himself.

    Punch! Slice!

    Armor copsed and bodies were sliced. Old knights began to fall to the ground one by one. In the end, even Carlowem¡¯s head rolled to the ground. The gate fell below them.

    ¡°Advance!¡± Joachim shouted, ¡°Go inside and find Biyom Dracul and Besnol Shalom! I will go to the Count!¡±

    Soldiers rushed into the castle, and Joachim also went inside with Brod and a couple of other knights. Zich, who had been waiting, joined Joachim, and Hans stuck to his side. They immediately headed towards the Count¡¯s bedroom. The old knights at the castle¡¯s gates had been the main ones resisting Joachim¡¯s army, so nobody else in the castle blocked their paths.

    They jumped down the stairs and crossed through the hallway. A fancy room soon appeared.

    Bam!

    Brod kicked the room¡¯s door open. The hinge broke off, and the door crumpled and rolled to the ground. They were able to see the room in full view. In contrast to the chaotic situation inside the castle, the Count¡¯s room was peaceful and calm. It was fancy and clean as usual, and on top of the bed, the County there with his eyes closed. Hisplexion looked poor, but he was still alive. People sighed in relief at the sight. But when they saw another figure appear behind the bed, they heightened their guard.

    ¡°¡­You arrived in the end.¡±

    ¡°Shalom¡­!¡±

    Joachim got off Brod¡¯s back and red.

    ¡°Yes, Sir Joachim. Seeing that you are here, it seems that the stupid robed man failed. He kept going on about corrupting people and all that, but I guess he was just all talk.¡±

    ¡°¡­Where is my brother?¡±

    ¡°Do you still have some affection for him after going through so much? That¡¯s some touching brotherly love. Even the pigs at the barns would admire you for it.¡±

    Shalom¡¯s mocking speech wasn¡¯t like that of a person who worked under Biyom.

    ¡°Carlowem told me you guys don¡¯t follow my brother. It seems you are like him and hisrades.¡±

    ¡°¡­What happened to Carlowem and the others?¡±

    ¡°We killed them.¡±

    ¡°¡­Is that so? They are all dead?¡±

    Shalom expressed a bit of sadness. It was apletely different reaction than the one he had shown while talking about the Count and his family. However, that didn¡¯tst long.

    ¡°¡­I was caught up in my emotions for a moment. Did you say you wanted to know where Biyom Dracul is? There¡¯s no reason why I shouldn¡¯t tell you.¡±

    Shalom arched his back and reached his hand to the back of the bed. He moved his hands roughly like he was dealing with a piece of meat and dragged something out. What came out of his grasp was a human¡ªbut it was not a human in normal condition.

    Zich and Joachim¡¯s task force had seen a person in a state like that before. Patients infected by severe infectious diseases in the viges they visited had looked like him.

    ¡°He is here. Why don¡¯t you greet him?¡±

    ¡°Uh, ooh, uhhhhhhh¡­.¡± Biyom moaned lightly; because of the intense pain he felt, he couldn¡¯t even properly moan and left his viewers in shock.

    ¡°¡­Brother?¡±

    ¡°Yes. This is your brother.¡±

    Shalom hit Biyom with the edge of his feet. Biyom spluttered like a fish taking itsst breath after having been dragged out of the water. Someone had spread the infectious disease inside the castle; Joachim thought that the culprit was Biyom. However, after hearing the old knight¡¯s words and seeing the situation in front of him, he realized the truth.

    ¡°It was you, Shalom! You were the mastermind behind everything!¡±

    ¡°You realized it toote, Sir Joachim.¡±

    Shalom admitted to Joachim¡¯s words coldly.

 Chapter 78

    <h4>Chapter 78</h4>

    ¡°You¡­shameless bastard!¡±

    Brod shouted out to Shalom while protecting Joachim. Even though he personally thought Biyom was trash, he still respected Biyom as one of the Count¡¯s family. He thought Biyom shouldn¡¯t be discarded and treated like some kind of diseased animal.

    ¡°Hmmm, you call me shameless.¡±

    Shalom smiled mockingly just like the older knights in front of the inner gate.

    ¡°¡­Are you really responsible for spreading the diseases?¡± Joachim asked carefully.

    ¡°Yeah. I spread it.¡±

    ¡°For what reason?¡±

    ¡°For judgment!¡±

    Like a lord making a stern judgment, Shalom said this with gravity and assurance. And from this, Zich found the answer to one of his most pressing questions.

    ¡®Ah, that guy is not Fest.¡¯

    The Fest he was familiar with would not say something like that.

    ¡®Now, there¡¯s only one suspect left.¡¯

    While Zich calmly made deductions about Fest¡¯s identity, the conversation between Shalom and Joachim continued.

    ¡°What do you mean by judgment? Your words are absurd. If you are so great that you can make judgments, who are you judging in this situation? Is it my family?¡±

    ¡°Yes. I have a lot of people in mind, but the first group that I have to judge the most harshly and cruelly is you and your family. It is my greatest regret that I left you to that robed man. I should have also judged you with my own hands.¡±

    ¡®Also?¡¯ Joachim repeated Shalom¡¯s words inside his mind. Since Shalom said ¡®also,¡¯ there must be other people who he wanted to pass judgments on; Biyom was obviously included in this group of people, but Joachim felt that Shalom meant something else. An awful thought emerged from his mind.

    ¡°Wait, was the reason why my father fell ill¡ª!¡±

    Shalomughed out loud. Hisugh was cruel and evil. ¡°Yep. I did that.¡±

    ¡°You bastard!¡±

    Joachim¡¯s efforts to remain calm went up in smoke. His wrath erupted forth and it was so intense that it felt almost tangible.

    ¡°It was really difficult to turn your father into this state. Unlike weak asses like you and your brother, the Count was a really strong person. His natural resistance against diseases is unbelievable. But whatever, I was sessful in turning him into this pitiful state.¡±

    ¡°Why! My father was the one who let you work as a butler when you couldn¡¯t work as a knight anymore! How can you pay back his generosity with revenge! Bastards like you are¡ª!¡±

    ¡°Shut up!¡± Shalom¡¯s shout rang throughout the house. ¡°Generosity? You say generosity? Your father forcefully held me captive as a butler! How can I feel thankful to this asshole!¡±

    ¡°He held you captive?¡±

    ¡°Yes! He held me captive! As his aplice, he wanted to spy on me and keep me in check so that I wouldn¡¯t spout out his secret!¡±

    An aplice. It was definitely not a positive word. Considering what Shalom previously said about making judgments, Joachim became more confused about the situation.

    ¡°¡­What the hell happened?¡±

    ¡°Heh! Are you curious? Fine. Since the situation has turned to shit, I will tell you what happened. Do you remember how infectious diseases spread around this estate ten years ago?¡±

    ¡°¡­Yeah, I remember.¡±

    Infectious diseases were not cmities that appeared once every hundred years. They weremon urrences and spread quickly among people. However, Joachim remembered that the infectious disease that spread ten years ago was particrly dreadful.

    Shalom pointed his fingers at the unconscious Count.

    ¡°At that time, this guy employed all efforts to stop the spread of the disease. Many people died as a result, but his tactics showed some favorable results. However, the estate also suffered a heavy financial loss.¡±

    Since many of the popce died, the amount of avable humanbor and taxes greatly decreased. At the same time, the Count¡¯s efforts to stop the spread of the disease caused a serious dent in the estate¡¯s finances. As a result, the estate possessed a massive amount of debt. Even though they were able to stop the disease, there was an intense ¡°side-effect.¡±

    ¡°I know that as well. However, my father did an excellent job in oveing this dilemma.¡±

    ¡°Excellent? Ovee?¡±

    Shalom¡¯s face twisted like a demon. He looked as if he wanted to pull out Joachim¡¯s tongue and stuff it back inside his mouth to stop him from talking.

    ¡°You spout nonsense because you don¡¯t know anything! In order to save the estate¡¯s finances, your father screwed over a whole lot of people!¡± His shout carried tremendous pain. ¡°The disease that spread ten years ago was Horim!¡±

    Horim¡ªout of the known diseases in the world, it was renowned for being deadly and ferocious. Out of all the diseases, itpeted at the very top ces with other dangerous diseases in fatalities and transmission rates. Horim was called a devil¡¯s curse because it not onlypletely destroyed people but animals as well.

    ¡°Because your father was pressured by his piling debts, he secretly collected the corpses of infected animals. And then he spread it around the ces that he owed money to!¡± Unimaginable words came out of Shalom¡¯s mouth. People¡¯s faces became pale. A shiver ran down their backs, and their hearts thumped fiercely. But most of all, Joachim¡¯s face was as white as a corpse.

    Shalom continued, ¡°Then, of course, Horim appeared a second time to gue the people around us! And the new cases concentrated in ces that your father owed money to. ces that trusted your father and his estates to pay their money back to! And as expected, the great amount of debt your father owed disappeared, and the estate was able to escape its dangerous financial situation.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t lie! If ces that my father owed debts to were the only ones to get gued by the disease again, everyone would have definitely be suspicious of my father!¡±

    ¡°It was because your father secretly borrowed money while epting the high interest! While borrowing the money, he made excuses like he did not want to discredit the estate anymore!¡±

    ¡°The people who lent him money didn¡¯t even leave a promissory note?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t you know that ces infected by Horim are burnedpletely to the ground! Everything has to be burned! Even the building with the promissory notes was burned to the ground!¡±

    Joachim could no longer talk.

    ¡°And as you said, your father is not stupid. He also spread Horim to other areas besides the ces he owed money to¡ªin ces that would not affect the estate if theypletely disappeared. At this point, people just thought they were experiencing a second wave of Horim. No one thought that someone would purposely release it again.¡±

    ording to Joachim¡¯s memory, he recalled that Horim significantly disappeared at one point and then rose up again a second time.

    ¡°Of course, not everyone died. Some people were not infected by Horim, and there were also some ces that still had their promissory notes. The Count was very good at repaying the few people who were left. However, the estate was stable because a lot of the debt was gone. And most of all, it was because the ce that the Count owed the most debt to copsed.¡±

    At this point, Shalom¡¯s bloodlust rose a level higher.

    ¡°The Bargot Business.¡±

    People held their breath. They remembered Greta Bargot¡¯s great efforts to contain the epidemic.

    ¡®Is he saying that the Bargot Trading House copsed because of that old man lying on the bed?¡¯

    Zich stared at Count Dracul.

    ¡°Do you know what¡¯s funnier? The Bargots lent their money out of the kindness of their hearts, unlike ces that did it for their personal gains or to obtain interest from the money they lent. The Bargots said that since they started their business at the Dracul estate, they wanted to get involved and help as much as possible.¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t believe it!¡± Joachim denied Shalom¡¯s ims.

    He didn¡¯t want to believe his father¡¯s faults, which he had never even heard of before. Yet, Shalom relentlessly crushed Joachim¡¯s hopes by continuing, ¡°Who do you think carried out his orders? Do you really not understand why the Count forced me to be the butler of this household and why all the older knights took my side?!¡±

    ¡°¡­You guys are the people who executed my father¡¯s ns.¡±

    ¡°Only people with tight lips and high resistance to diseases could move the corpses of people and animals who died from the epidemic. At that time, I thought that his orders were what was best for the Count, the people, and this estate. And above all, I was still caught up in the delusion that a knight had to always be loyal to their lord at all times.¡±

    A delusion¡ªthat¡¯s how Shalom described the loyalty that a knight should have for their lord.

    ¡°I was young, foolish, and ignorant. I was so beyond help that I can¡¯t describe myself with all the insults in the world. But insulting myself doesn¡¯t erase my past actions, so I thought¡­I should atone for my sins by cing you all under my judgment!¡±

    ¡°And with that mindset, you decided to spread infectious diseases to multiple viges and kill numerous people?¡± Zich spat out his words and mocked Shalom who was self-justifying his actions.

    ¡°And what is the problem with that? They were foolish people who pledged loyalty to Count Dracul without knowing anything! They should also know the pain of those who died and suffered for the sake of theirnd!¡±

    ¡®Man, this guy ispletely out of his mind.¡¯ Zich had seen many different types of revenge, but not all of them were alike. There was revenge that was only aimed at the person who harmed them, and there was revenge that stretched its vengeance to the offenders¡¯ family members and everyone who had a rtionship with them. Likewise, there were also many different types of methods toplete an act of revenge. Some didn¡¯t want to stoop to the level of their offender and tried to minimize the impact their revenge had on others as much as possible. On the other hand, there were some who thought nothing mattered as long as theypleted their revenge and didn¡¯t mind inflicting harm everywhere.

    In general, if the revenge-seeker didn¡¯t care how their actions negatively impacted innocent bystanders and the more people they involved in their plotting, there was a higher chance that the individual was out of their mind. In that aspect, Shalom was someone who hadpletely lost his mind. Thus, Joachim, who was shocked at the things his fathermitted, burned with rage again.

    ¡°Even if you resent my father, that¡¯s no excuse for killing so many innocent lives! Did you not even consider their pain?!¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s hrious how the son of Count Dracul is telling me this! Your father¡¯s actions were the cause of everything!¡±

    ¡®Oh, his ability to me others is first-ss.¡¯

    Shalom¡¯s firmness and senseless belief that he hadn¡¯t done anything wrong impressed Zich. However, he was only impressed by this, and Zich didn¡¯t take Shalom¡¯s side. Moreover, Shalom had one-sidedly agitated Zich before.

    ¡®He probably was worried that his ns were going to fall apart from the cure I spread.¡¯

    But whatever Shalom¡¯s intentions were, the important part to Zich was that Shalom had tried to provoke him before.

    ¡°So, you are saying that you caused this whole situation, right?¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡± Shalom responded simply to Zich¡¯s question and red at him. ¡°If you hadn¡¯t intervened, I would¡¯ve gotten my revenge without any trouble! Even the robed guy was right about this¡ªI should have killed you first!¡±

    ¡®The one who tried to kill me with everything he had was the robed guy.¡¯ But even after Zich learned of this fact, it didn¡¯t change anything. ¡°That¡¯s too bad. But what can you do when your abilities don¡¯t match up?¡±

    Shalom gritted his teeth, but he couldn¡¯t retort. Even though he had nned everything out with so much pain, time, and care, his n had failed in the end.

    ¡°Was it also you who cured the knights and the soldiers in the castle?¡±

    ¡°Yep, that¡¯s right. It wasn¡¯t a serious disease, so even an amateur like me could fix it.¡±

    Zich¡¯sment seemed to jab at Shalom¡¯s pride, and Shalom¡¯s face reddened with rage. His huffing and puffing rang inside the whole room. However, he didn¡¯t explode with wrath. ¡°¡­I will admit it. I misjudged your skills. I shouldn¡¯t have thought that as long as I captured Greta Bargot, you wouldn¡¯t hinder me from spreading diseases any longer.¡±

    ¡°So, you took Ms. Bargot for that reason,¡± Joachim said.

    ¡°I thought it was better to have fewer obstacles while I tried to spread infectious diseases. Even I was surprised by the amount of knowledge that Ms. Bargot had. I didn¡¯t expect someone from the Bargot Business to be my biggest obstacle.¡±

    ¡°Where is she?¡±

    ¡°Find her by yourself.¡± Shalom replied curtly and sighed, ¡°It''s a pity, such a pity. There are still so many people left who I have to pass my judgments onto. I can¡¯t believe I have to be satisfied with bringing judgment to only the Count and his eldest son.¡±

    ¡°You bastard! Immediately release the Count and Biyom!¡±

    The reality was separate from the truth, and Brod stepped forward and shouted to save the two.

    ¡°Take them as you wish. It¡¯s toote to save them anyway. They will die in pain in their miserable states. No matter how superb Zich¡¯s medical abilities may be, he can¡¯t cure this disease.¡±

    Shalom made a dark smile, and his viewers could see how refreshed and happy he felt. Shalom¡¯s hatred for the Count was unmistakably real.

    ¡°I have devoted so much care and time to this disease. Regardless of how great a person may be, this disease¡ª¡±

    ¡°You talk a lot for someone who didn¡¯t even create the disease.¡±

    Shalom was going on and on as if he wanted to boast, but Zich cut him off.

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°Why are you desperate to brag about a disease that you didn¡¯t even make?¡±

    Shalom¡¯s face crumpled. ¡°What non¡ª¡±

    ¡°Sir!¡± Before Shalom exploded in anger, a soldier burst into the room. ¡°We found Ms. Bargot inside the prayer room!¡±

    Everyone¡¯s faces brightened. Since she had yed a huge role in calming the situation with Igram, Joachim had ced the matter of protecting her as first priority. On top of that, people felt sympathy and guilt after hearing about what had happened to Bargot Trading House. Thus, people rejoiced as if they had found their own family member. However, Zich¡¯s reaction was different.

    ¡°Block the prayer room, and nobody must approach her.¡± At Zich¡¯s unexpectedmand, everyone¡¯s eyes shot towards his direction. ¡°The one who spread the infectious diseases isn¡¯t the butler over there.¡±

    Zich smiled at Shalom who was looking at him with wide eyes.

    ¡°She¡ªGreta Bargot is probably the culprit.¡±

    Everyone in the room froze at once.

 Chapter 79

    <h4>Chapter 79</h4>

    ¡°¡­What did you say?¡± Joachim asked again. It was not because he couldn¡¯t hear what Zich said. It was because he couldn¡¯t believe Zich¡¯s words. However, since Joachim asked this question, Zich made the effort to repeat his previous statement.

    ¡°I said, there¡¯s a high possibility that Ms. Bargot is the one who spread the infectious diseases this time around.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    People had their mouths closed. Their eyes were full of disbelief as they stared at Zich. For everyone in the room, Zich¡¯s words were beyond shocking. Out of all the people, only Hans maintained enoughposure to think that despite his shock, he should first try listening to Zich.

    ¡°Stupid fool! You aren¡¯t able to differentiate between reality and imagination anymore! Because you found the cure, you think you can just go around spouting nonsense?¡± Shalom mocked Zich. ¡°If that¡¯s not it, do you want to get all the credit for putting an end to Igram? You acted as if you didn¡¯t need any recognition, but I guess you are a shallow person after all. As expected of someone on the Dracul family¡¯s side. You guys go very well together.¡±

    ¡°Why are you being so defensive?¡± Zich calmly replied to Shalom¡¯s mockery. ¡°You act as if you have to be the one at fault.¡±

    Shalom¡¯s face stiffened. ¡°¡­I¡¯m the one who is the judge. Do you think I will be happy if someone contradicts me!¡±

    ¡°So even if you get killed, you swear on your life that you were the one who invented and spread the infectious disease around this estate?¡±

    ¡°Yes!¡±

    ¡°Then can you tell me how you invented it? Ah, you don¡¯t have to give me a specific exnation. You can just give me a basic outline or theory.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡± Shalom did not reply.

    ¡°What happened? Try saying anything. I told you¡ªif your words make sense, I will believe you. Ah, did you find the information in a book like me? Then I guess it can¡¯t be helped.¡± Zich smirked while recalling his past events.

    ¡°¡­Then is it really true¡­¡± Joachim murmured to himself. Other people also began to realize that Shalom did not know much about infectious diseases.

    ¡°¡­Fine. I admit it. I just used the diseases that the robed man gave me. But I was the one who judged¡ª¡±

    ¡°But isn¡¯t it strange?¡± Zich cut off Shalom¡¯s words again. Like a cat cornering a mouse, Zich slowly drove Shalom into a wall.

    ¡°Aren¡¯t you siding with Ms. Bargot too much? If you acted like you usually did, instead of just telling me that you got it from the robed man, you would haveughed at my face and told me it was my choice whether or not I believed your words.¡±

    Zich seemed like he was enjoying the situation. No, he was definitely enjoying it. Hans shook his head as he saw that Zich¡¯s sadistic personality had emerged again. However, Hans remained focused on Zich. When Zich was like this, he was as keen as he was demeaning.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think you are reacting like this out of guilt because whenever ites to Ms. Bargot, you draw a firm line. Whenever we searched for Ms. Bargot, you just told us to find her by ourselves. But if you were acting this whole time, the entire storypletely changes.¡± Zich¡¯s eyes glistened. ¡°You guys are working together, and the final n was for you to take the fall. Then, Ms. Bargot would live on and continue her work. Since Ms. Bargot was the one who invented the infectious diseases in the first ce, the judgment you are so proud of will continue.¡±

    ¡°Nonsense.¡±

    Shalom¡¯s acting was levels above Clovey¡¯s amateur acting. His denial was clean and simple. He really looked as if he was not rted to Ms. Bargot at all. However, Zich was not convinced.

    ¡°Well, it doesn¡¯t matter. I can find out whether or not Ms. Bargot is the one who spread the diseases after I kill you and get more information out of her. If I¡¯m wrong, then I¡¯m wrong. Don¡¯t worry. I won¡¯t torture her. As you can tell, I¡¯m good at shaking up people¡¯s mental states and forcing information out of them.¡± With an exaggerated movement, Zich moved his thumb. ¡°If you really have no ties with Ms. Bargot, it doesn¡¯t matter, but if word gets out that you actually do, I don¡¯t know what will happen to her. Maybe she will¡­¡± Zich did not finish his sentence. It was not because he didn¡¯t know what would probably happen. But he wanted to leave the rest up to Shalom¡¯s imagination so that Shalom could imagine the worst-case scenario. Zichughed, and from his parted lips, his sharp canines glistened in the light.

    ¡°I¡¯m sure that a lot of people who want revenge like you will appear. And like you, they wouldn¡¯t want the perpetrator to get an easy death. So...¡± Zich snapped his fingers as if he just realized something. ¡°I think I will be the first in line. Ever since I arrived at the estate, I suffered a lot because of the infectious diseases.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡± Shalom did not reply. It was impossible to know whether it was because he really had no ties with Ms. Bargot or if it was because of a different reason. He continued to stare at Zich in silence.

    ¡°Let¡¯s end this.¡± Zich fixed his grip on the sword¡¯s handle and headed towards Shalom. The knights looked at each other and then nodded. They followed Zich¡¯s back; for now, they decided to support him.

    ¡°First of all, if you don¡¯t need them, why don¡¯t you return the Count and his son? And why don¡¯t you try your best to give us a good show? You must not have any regrets since you were able to fulfill a bit of your revenge. And you have nothing more to worry about,¡± Zich said while taking one step further. ¡°Since you have no ties with Ms. Bargot at all.¡±

    Crunch!

    Shalom gritted his teeth and made his move simultaneously. He took out a hidden sword behind the back of the bed and began wielding it around.

    Crassssh!

    Two swords infused with mana crashed into each other and sharp sounds filled the whole room. Zich smirked as he blocked Shalom¡¯s sword.

    ¡°Huh? What¡¯s up with you? Your face looks so serious. It¡¯s as if I just pointed out your weakness.¡±

    Shalom did not reply. He moved his feet and kicked the bed next to him.

    Swish!

    Shalom infused mana into his kick, so the bed easily went up and flew towards Zich. Even though it was a feeble attempt to cover Zich¡¯s sight for a second, the Count was still on the bed.

    ¡°Father!¡± Joachim cried out, and the knights moved. However, Zich paid no attention to the Count.

    ¡®I¡¯m sure the knights can take care of that.¡¯

    They weren¡¯t people who couldn¡¯t catch one person from falling.

    Crack!

    Zich flung the whole bed that was covering his view to the side. Still, since the person lying on the bed was Joachim¡¯s father, Zich controlled his strength to not injure the Count. When his view cleared up, Zich saw Shalom. Shalom was squeezing his body inside the floor where the bed used to be.

    ¡®It¡¯s a secret passageway.¡¯

    There was a secret passageway underneath the Count¡¯s bed. It wasn¡¯t anything unusual, and Shalom had probably learned of its existence while acting as the butler. Zich stabbed the air with his sword and used the skill, ¡®Piercing Space.¡¯ Sharp air mixed with mana shot out of the sword¡¯s sides, but Shalom was hidden in the secret passage.

    Yet, the attack wasn¡¯t aimed at Shalom¡¯s body but the floor surrounding the passage.

    Whoosh!

    The air struck the floor, and Zich could hear Shalom¡¯s screams. ¡°Urgh!¡±

    Zich¡¯s piercing attack had prated the floor and pierced Shalom. Shalom received a significant injury, and a little bit of blood sttered outside the passage. However, it didn¡¯tpletely finish him off and Shalom moved deeper into the passageway.

    ¡®Hmm, he¡¯s better than I expected.¡¯

    Before he became a butler, Zich heard that Shalom had been a skilled knight, and it seemed as if that was true. Shalom was faster than most low-level knights even while limping.

    ¡®He probably didn¡¯t ck off in his training even after his injury.¡¯

    ¡°Did you lose him?¡± Joachim asked while taking care of the Count.

    ¡°Rather than losing him, I didn¡¯t chase after him.¡±

    ¡°Sorry?¡±

    ¡°Shalom probably went to Ms. Bargot anyway. You said that Ms. Bargot was in the prayer room, right?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s go. I think everything will end there.¡± Zich¡¯s gaze moved towards Joachim, and Joachim looked at the Count on the ground and the secret passageway that Shalom had escaped out of. Then, with a determined look, Joachim nodded.

    * * *

    While leaving a part of their army, they headed to the prayer room. Joachim was among the group who moved to the prayer room as Brod carried him on his back; Joachim¡¯splexion didn¡¯t look too great, and it seemed as if he was shaken by Shalom¡¯s revtion about his father. But because of their current situation, Joachim didn¡¯t fall into a deep state of concern or guilt. He didn¡¯t have time for it.

    ¡°Sir Zich.¡±

    ¡°Yes?¡±

    ¡°Why do you suspect Ms. Bargot?¡±

    Everyone including Hans and Brod perked their ears at Joachim¡¯s question.

    ¡®I suspected that she might have been Fest from the beginning.¡¯

    It was either her or Shalom. However, from what Zich knew about Fest¡¯s character, Shalom didn¡¯t match the description. Thus, he naturally ced Ms. Bargot as the most likely suspect. This was the truth that only Zich knew. But Zich and Ms. Bargot had stayed very close together for a while to the point that rumors about their rtionship had spread, so others couldn¡¯t understand Zich¡¯s reasoning.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t know,¡± Zich lied casually.

    ¡°You didn¡¯t know?¡±

    ¡°Yes. I just got a strange feeling while hearing Shalom talk. Since he kept talking about judgments, he must have felt a great amount of guilt. So, it didn¡¯t make sense for him to treat Ms. Bargot, the representative of the victims of his actions, as someone unrted to his ns. It didn¡¯t fit somehow.¡±

    ¡°That is true.¡±

    ¡°I felt like he was drawing a line between him and her more than necessary. Of course, I couldn¡¯t be certain with just that. As he said, it could also be that he was really trying to prevent her from meddling in his n. In order to find out the truth, I pressured him a bit, and he took the bait.¡±

    It wasn¡¯t aplete lie. He had pressured Shalom to tell the truth, and Shalom conveniently fell into his trap.

    ¡°¡­How were you able to think that far in that short amount of time?¡±

    ¡°Sir, you can also do it too if you gather up some more experience.¡± Zich winked, and Joachimughed spiritlessly. Zich said that it was possible for him if he gained more experience, but there wasn¡¯t much of an age difference between Zich and Joachim.

    ¡®Is this what you call feeling hopeless or having an inferiorityplex?¡¯ It was an unfamiliar feeling. Joachim could understand a bit of how Biyom might have felt towards him now and sighed. It did not take long for them to arrive at the prayer room. Soldiers who should have been guarding the door were scattered around with their heads missing. The expressions on people¡¯s faces stiffened, and they ran to the prayer room.

    ¡°So, we have to immediately¡­!¡± Like he was throwing up blood¡ªno, while he was actually throwing up blood, Shalom shouted, but his voice quickly broke off. Then, he slowly turned his body.

    ¡°¡­You came.¡±

    While clutching his injured heart, he stared towards Zich and hispanions bleakly. Behind them, a familiar figure stood below a huge, holy relic hanging on the wall. The woman was wearing all ck like usual, and while facing the relic, she turned her body like she was praying. The fabric covering her face slightly fluttered due to her movements.

    ¡°It¡¯s been a while, Ms. Bargot.¡± Zich waved his hands, and she smiled in response.

    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s been a while, Mr. Zich. How have you been?¡±

    ¡°I couldn¡¯t rest well because so many things happened. Worried about the state of the world, I even had trouble sleeping. As a result, my skin worsened.¡±

    Hans¡¯ expression was a sight to see as he watched Zich feign his pain. However, Ms. Bargot brought her hands to her lips like she was genuinely concerned about Zich.

    ¡°Oh my. Like I told you before,ck of sleep is not good for your health. Should I prescribe you a sleeping pill?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s an appealing offer, but I will refuse it. If I eat your sleeping pill, I think I won¡¯t be able to wake up ever again.¡±

    ¡°How unfortunate.¡± Ms. Bargot smiled. ¡°I was confident in the pill¡¯s effect, whether it was for sleeping or making you never wake up again.¡±

 Chapter 80

    <h4>Chapter 80</h4>

    The atmosphere became frozen. Ms. Bargot¡¯s face was beautiful, her eyes innocent and pure, and her voice was calm like still water. However, her words were frightening as if she poured ice water down their backs.

    ¡°It¡¯s fine. My mom told me to not eat random things from strangers.¡±

    ¡°Oh my, are you calling me a stranger? I¡¯m disappointed. We were in such a passionate rtionship. Were you just ying around with me?¡±

    Ms. Bargot pretended to wipe her tears. Whatever a beauty did became picturesque. Moreover, when a person as beautiful as Ms. Bargot wiped her eyes so pitifully, most people would have felt their hearts stir. However, not a single person pitied Ms. Bargot. On the other hand, they looked at her as if she was a monster, and there were some people who were sweating in fear.

    ¡°A passionate rtionship¡­yeah, it was really passionate. To get information out of me, we both pretended to be in a rtionship.¡±

    While people thought a romantic atmosphere was blossoming between Ms. Bargot and Zich, they were both merely gauging and spying on each other the whole time.

    ¡°Have I been found out?¡± Ms. Bargot stuck out her tongue as if she made a clumsy mistake. However, no one thought she was acting cute. ¡°Because I put so much effort into spreading Igram around Ospurin, imagine my surprise when a random person just popped out of nowhere and found a cure for it. Of course, I would be curious about the person who found the cure.¡±

    ¡°Did I meet your expectations?¡±

    ¡°No, not at all. Don¡¯t get me wrong¡ªyou are definitely a handsome and charming man. Even though your personality doesn¡¯t seem all too great, I guess that can also be a part of your charisma. But your medical knowledge is barely above an amateur, and you are not the great person I expected. So I was a bit shocked¡ª¡± Ms. Bargot talked softly as if she was talking to a lover, but then her voice turned sharp. ¡°When you also found the cure for Galdurim.¡±

    ¡°I guess Galdurim is the name of the disease that infected the knights and soldiers.¡±

    ¡°I worked pretty hard on that disease. It¡¯s easy to control, and when you are infected, it¡¯s extremely fatal. Moreover, you experience intense pain, but your physical abilities exponentially increase for a short period of time.¡±

    ¡°You made that disease to control people like your underlings.¡±

    ¡°Wow! Your brain works fast! I shouldn¡¯t have been relieved after finding out that your medical knowledge was subpar. What is actually dangerous about you is your keen sense and sharp judgment.¡±

    To be honest, Zich¡¯s memories from his past life helped him out a lot, but he didn¡¯t feel the need to reveal this information when he was trying to uncover the truth. Moreover, it was true that Zich had keen senses and sharp judgment.

    Ms. Bargot asked, ¡°How did you know that the military force in Ospurin was ill?¡±

    ¡°On the day your group tried to kill me, you spread Galdurim to the vigers. Isn¡¯t it suspicious that a rare disease suddenly appeared in a random vige, and assassins with that drug appeared at the same time? It was most definitely nned. So I could deduce that the disease was probably manmade.¡±

    Zich was great at making up stories. Whilepletely leaving out information about his knowledge from his past life, Zich continued to spout believable lies with some truths mixed in.

    ¡°From then on, I began to grow suspicious of everyone around me. After Joachim went back to the castle, I maintained contact with his knights and subordinates. But at one point, they suddenly began to treat me strangely. This is just my advice, but you can¡¯t expect good acting from Clovey or the knights in general. When they lie, it¡¯s very easy for me to tell.¡±

    ¡°Thank you for your advice.¡±

    Ms. Bargot red at Shalom. It seemed as if he was in charge of leading and training the knights. His injured face, which had been twisted in pain, now looked guilty and apologetic.

    ¡°In order topletely control the viges, you were the one who gave the medicine to the vigers, right?¡± Zich smiled brightly.

    ¡°You are really impressive.¡± Ms. Bargot lifted both of her hands up as if she was surrendering. ¡°It must have been very hard to analyze the medicine with the extent of your medical knowledge. Did youpletely trick me? Or if not, did you receive help from that book again?¡±

    Ms. Bargot¡¯s tone indicated that she did not really believe he found the cure for Igram from a book. But Zich merely shrugged his shoulders.

    ¡°What a sneaky person.¡± Ms. Bargot stared at Zich with disdain. ¡°Fine. Then the next thing I want to know is¡­¡±

    ¡°Ms. Bargot!¡±

    When Ms. Bargot was about to ask another question, a loud shout cut her off. She frowned in annoyance.

    ¡°Sir Shalom, don¡¯t you see that I¡¯m trying to have a conversation?¡± With a displeased tone, Ms. Bargot reprimanded Shalom. However, Shalom shouted again.

    ¡°You have to run away right now! Their reinforcements are going to arrive here at any moment!¡±

    True to his words, more soldiers and knights came outside the prayer room. After finishing up their work in other areas, more people were gathering around in this room. As expected, they felt ill will towards Shalom and Ms. Bargot who had spread infectious diseases around, and their eyes looked murderous. However, that was the reaction from people who did not know the full story. Joachim and a few of the soldiers who heard the full story from Shalom had moreplicated looks on their faces.

    ¡°Sir, let¡¯s first recall the soldiers.¡± Brod quietly approached Joachim and spoke to him. ¡°More of the Count¡¯s story might be revealed. It¡¯s better for this to not get out.¡±

    ¡°Are you saying that we should hide this matter?¡± Joachim¡¯s voice was full of disdain, but Brod shook his head. Since Joachim was intelligent, he probably knew why Brod wanted to limit the number of people who knew about the Count¡¯s past. Out of his kindness and guilt, Joachim was justining a bit. But it was also Brod¡¯s duty as Joachim¡¯s advisor to correct his words and guide him to the right path.

    ¡°Sir, it will be better for you to have the choice to reveal or not reveal information about the Count. Moreover, we don¡¯t know if Shalom¡¯s words are true. Unnecessary misunderstandings might arise.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Brod¡¯s words were reasonable. Other than the people who had already heard about the Count¡¯s heinous actions, Joachim ordered everyone else to get out of the prayer room. Then he firmly closed the door shut. Since the prayer room¡¯s door had been thickly built to block out all additional sounds, there was very little concern that sound would seep out of this room. And while this was happening, Shalom was urging Ms. Bargot to escape.

    ¡®Is that the escape door?¡¯

    Zich¡¯s eyes headed towards a small hole in the wall across from him. That hole was probably the entrance of a secret passageway in the castle. Shalom probably used that secret passageway to go through the Count¡¯s room and into the prayer room.

    Brod made another suggestion. ¡°Sir, why don¡¯t you first capture those two? No matter what their reasons were, they harmed the Count and brought chaos and destruction throughout the whole estate. After we capture them, let¡¯s discuss how to deal with them.¡±

    ¡°You bastards! Do you think that I would just watch!¡± Shalom stepped forward. Blood dripped out of his wounds, and because he didn¡¯t even have time to get potions for himself, he bound his pierced chest with ripped pieces of cloth. Joachim, who suffered from hemophobia, took a step backward.

    ¡°Ms. Bargot! I will buy some time, so please run away!¡± Shalom gathered up his mana and a formidable energy poured out of his body. But whatever he did, it didn¡¯t change the fact that he was just a bygone who had retired long ago from an injury.

    ash!

    Zich came out to fight him, and his sword battered Shalom¡¯s sword.

    ¡°Urgh!¡±

    Unlike Shalom, Zich¡¯s legs were both able, and he could sustain the might of his own youthful power and strength. Just that would have been enough to push Shalom back, but the old knight¡¯s body was also wounded all over. Shalom couldn¡¯t have been more at a disadvantage than he currently was.

    ¡°Haaaaaaah!¡± Shalom shouted loud enough to shred his throat and struck a blow with all of his power. In his youth, it could have been a terrifying attack to crush his opponent. However, his current attack couldn¡¯t even scratch Zich.

    Punch!

    ¡°Kugh!¡±

    Zich¡¯s kicknded on his stomach, and Shalom copsed onto the floor. But Shalom didn¡¯t let go of his sword.

    ¡°No¡­you can¡¯t¡­¡±

    Blood kept leaking out of the hole in his chest and strained his ability to breathe. Yet, Shalom continued to burn with abative spirit.

    ¡°You can¡¯tnd a finger on her at all costs.¡± His low mutterings expressed his determination.

    ¡°Are the ones who took everything from her nning to humiliate her too?!¡± he shouted while coughing up blood. Shadows cast down his listeners¡¯ faces, including Joachim¡¯s. Although they couldn¡¯t forgive what Shalom and Ms. Bargot did, they empathized with the feelings behind Shalom¡¯s actions.

    ¡°No matter what happens, I will not hand her over to you!¡±

    Shalom took out something from his cloak. Zich guessed what it was and clicked his tongue.

    ¡°You don¡¯t carry around a potion with you, but you carry that around?¡±

    Zich was sure that it was the item that Clovey used¡ªthe one that changed its drinkers¡¯ body into a monster¡¯s and increased their strength by multiple folds. Shalom drank it in one gulp.

    ¡°Please escape, Ms. Bargot!¡± Shalom carelessly threw his empty bottle and fixed the grip on his sword. Zich knew how bothersome it would be once Shalom turned into a monster.

    ¡°Before he transforms¡­!¡± Zich flung his body forward, and in the blink of an eye, Zich was right in front of Shalom.

    ¡°You bastard!¡± Shalom threw his sword. Because his body was in the middle of transforming, the sword flew unevenly and trailed off from its orbit without much power. However, his changing physique made up for losing his sword, and his fighting ability shot up as his strength greatly increased.

    ¡®Still, it¡¯s not like anything else increased other than his strength.¡¯

    Zich didn¡¯t face the full force of Shalom¡¯s attacks head-on and spread out the impacts. Shalom was already disheveled from transforming and lost his bnce. His body expanded forward, and his chest shot out into clear view. Zich aimed and pierced his sword inside Shalom¡¯s chest. Yet, Shalom didn¡¯t block Zich¡¯s attack. His chest was already coated in hardened skin, and Shalom nned to crush Zich t as he fell.

    ¡®It seems like he really has fallen behind the frontlines.¡¯

    Otherwise, Shalom wouldn¡¯t have made a mistake like this. Zich¡¯s sword prated the same wounded area that his Piercing Space attack just pierced. With Shalom¡¯s body transformation, most of the wound was getting filled, but there were still gaps in between and Zich¡¯s attack was fatal.

    Craaack!

    Zich¡¯s sword crushed Shalom¡¯s hard skin and prated his heart.

    ¡°Kugh!¡±

    Shalom halted, and at that moment, Zich poured in a great amount of mana from his sword.

    Craaaash!

    Waves of mana distorted Shalom¡¯s internal organs, and blood spurted out of Shalom¡¯s mouth.

    Sling!

    Zich pulled out his sword.

    Crash!

    Shalom¡¯s body fell. His bodily transformations came to a stop and half of his body was still in human form. He looked so gruesome that it might have been better if he hadpletely transformed into a monster instead.

    ¡°T-this is¡­¡±

    ¡°How¡­¡±

    Joachim and his men, who had been watching the battle from behind, murmured in shock at Shalom¡¯s grotesque appearance. Zich looked at Ms. Bargot again. She was watching the battle calmly.

    ¡°We can converse without distractions now.¡±

    Surprisingly, Ms. Bargot smiled even after watching Shalom copse to the ground although he tried his hardest to protect her. On the contrary, it seemed as if she felt refreshed, as if she had gotten rid of an aching tooth.

    ¡°You¡­! How could you say that about someone who acted for your sake!¡± Joachim shouted in anger. Even if Shalom had done unforgivable wrongs, he was working for everyone who died an unjust death. How could she, who shared his pains, speak so indifferently about him?

    m!

    Shalom got up from the ground. He couldn¡¯t move well since he was critically injured, and like a snail, he crawled on the floor with his arms.

    ¡°M-Ms¡­¡±

    He headed towards where Ms. Bargot was.

    ¡°Q-Quickly escape¡­¡± Shalom threw up blood. His voice cracked, but he didn¡¯t stop talking and everyone¡¯s eyes were focused on him. ¡°I¡­will¡­block them somehow¡­so¡­¡±

    He tried to grip his sword, but it slipped down his hand. He had no energy in any part of his body, but Shalom kept trying to grab his sword. Each of his movements seemed to show his desperate devotion to protecting Ms. Bargot. Yet, his feelings didn¡¯t seem to reach Ms. Bargot.

    ¡°I don¡¯t want to.¡±

    Those words stepped and crushed all of Shalom¡¯s efforts. Shalom looked up at Ms. Bargot and saw her indifferent eyes staring back at him.

    ¡°¡­Why?¡± Shalom asked anxiously.

    ¡°Why...I-I did it for you¡­¡±

    ¡°No.¡± Ms. Bargot shook her head firmly. ¡°You didn¡¯t act for me or the victims.¡±

    ¡°¡­What?¡±

    ¡°You did everything for your own sake.¡± Ms. Bargot smiled, and the upturned corners of her lips seemed to pierce into Shalom¡¯s heart. ¡°Isn¡¯t that the case?¡±

 Chapter 81

    <h4>Chapter 81</h4>

    ¡°What¡­do you mean¡­for¡­myself? I was avenging you¡­and the vic¡­tims¡­¡±

    ck!

    Ms. Bargot¡¯s footsteps cut Shalom¡¯s words short. She put one foot forward and bent her knees in front of Shalom. As she bent down, she matched her eyes to his eye level.

    ¡°No, that is not the case.¡± Ms. Bargot denied his words again.

    ¡°Your¡ªno, you and everyone who rebelled against the Count had only one purpose: it was for judgment.¡± The word Shalom emphasized so much came out of Ms. Bargot¡¯s mouth.

    ¡°By Count Dracul¡¯s orders, you and the other knights spread infectious diseases to countless people and sentenced them to a painful death. Because of that, all of you were filled with enormous guilt, but that feeling soon changed to anger. Anger towards the Count who made such an order, all the vassals who followed his orders, and yourselves.¡±

    Shalom¡¯s face changed. It was not because of his injuries, but because Ms. Bargot¡¯s words pierced the core of his soul.

    ¡°That¡¯s why all of you weed an existence like me wholeheartedly. You made me the poster child for all the victims who suffered under the Count and his knights and used me to justify your group¡¯s idea of judgment.¡±

    ¡°¡­No.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m right.¡± Ms. Bargot crushed Shalom¡¯s feeble attempt to deny her words.

    ¡°Our suffering and pain are merely justifications for your actions and so-called ¡®judgment.¡¯ They are merely tools for you and your knights to escape from your sins and guilt.¡±

    ¡°No! I-I did it for you¡­!¡±

    ¡°Sir Shalom, I will just say this.¡±

    As if she was telling him a long-held secret, she stressed out each word, ¡°I didn¡¯t want this revenge.¡±

    ¡°!!!¡±

    Shalom widened his eyes as if he couldn¡¯t believe her words. But he could see that she was telling the truth as he saw her cold, nk expression. He shook his head.

    ¡°No, no. I-I just did it for you and all the people¡­¡± His quiet murmurings continued but no one paid attention to him. Joachim and his subordinates looked at Shalom with mixed emotions. The person in front of them was someone who strayed from the right path due to his regret and grief.

    ¡°¡­Capture those two.¡± Joachim gave out his order. Shalom was injured, and Ms. Bargot looked as if she possessed no fighting prowess. It was time to end this chaos. That was what he thought if¡ª

    ¡°Stop.¡±

    If Zich had not intervened.

    ¡°What is the matter, Mr. Zich?¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s still Ms. Bargot. If we approach her carelessly, it¡¯ll be very dangerous for us.¡±

    ¡°But Ms. Bargot is¡­¡± Joachim stole a furtive nce at Ms. Bargot. She stood back up, and she didn¡¯t show any signs of resistance.

    ¡°Ms. Bargot was dragged into this horrific situation by force, or by some misunderstanding or coincidence. So she will follow us without resisting. Well, you are probably thinking of something along these lines, right?¡±

    Joachim had no words to say. Zich had pointed out his unconscious bias and thoughts. As if they also shared simr thoughts, people around Joachim flinched.

    ¡°If you want me to correct your delusion, please reconsider Ms. Bargot¡¯s words, ¡®I didn¡¯t want this revenge.¡¯ All of you are thinking in apletely different direction than what she meant.¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    What did Zich mean about apletely different direction? Didn¡¯t she mean that even after all the injustice and pain she went through, she had no desire for revenge? However, Zich denied what Joachim¡ªno, what most people were thinking.

    ¡°I can roughly guess what all of you are thinking. However, this woman was the one who invented and spread infectious diseases throughout the whole estate. Do you seriously think she would have such high morals to think such thoughts?¡±

    With Zich¡¯s words, they realized they were being swayed by the strange atmosphere.

    ¡°Then for what reason¡­¡±

    ¡°Ms. Bargot.¡± Zich spoke to Ms. Bargot.

    ¡°Yes?¡±

    ¡°Since I worked hard on answering all your questions, would you be able to answer just one question?¡±

    ¡°What is the question?¡± Ms. Bargot asked gently.

    ¡°How did you feel when your family got infected and was about to die?¡±

    ¡°Mr. Zich, that¡­¡±

    Even if Ms. Bargot was his enemy, there were basic societal lines that people had to keep. Even as he continued to stare at Ms. Bargot, Joachim tried to stop Zich. However, he stopped dead in his tracks. Because from beneath the veil, he saw Ms. Bargot¡¯s enormous smile.

    ¡°Fu, fufufu! You really are impressive!¡±

    Ms. Bargot stared at the ceiling. As if she was recalling an old, nostalgic memory, her eyes became dazed.

    ¡°It was all so sudden. My child who I kissed goodnight just yesterday began burning up, and my husband suddenly vomited blood as he was about to leave for work.¡±

    There had been an intensemotion. Everyone in the house began to fall one by one, and even the doctors were so ovee with fear that they refused toe to the house.

    ¡°While enduring the fear of getting infected, I took care of my husband and child by myself every day. I did it because that was how much I loved them.¡±

    Ms. Bargot wiped their burning hot bodies with a wet cloth and cleaned all the fluids and foods they vomited. She cleaned and changed their clothes when they excreted themselves. She did all this while looking at their faces constantly. She looked at them, because that was the only way she could find enough strength to continue living.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know how many times I stared at their faces; it might have been hundreds, no, thousands of times. Despite all my efforts, I saw their faces grow worse day by day. Then a thought suddenly urred inside my mind. Ah, people who are dying from infectious diseases¡ª¡±

    Her eyes exuded light mixed with ecstasy and madness.

    ¡°How beautiful they are!¡±

    ¡°Ugh!¡± One knight let out a sound. He felt that he was about to vomit. But nobody med the knight because Zich and everyone felt disgusted by Ms. Bargot¡¯sst words. Even Shalom¡¯s eyes were filled with anger.

    ¡°Like I told you, I don¡¯t want revenge. On the contrary, I feel thankful to Count Dracul for teaching me about this great beauty.¡± She smiled brightly. However, there was not a single person who returned her smile.

    ¡®Yep. That¡¯s Fest.¡¯ Zich nodded inside his mind. So far, he stopped Snoc from bing the ¡®Tyrant of the Earth¡¯ and was in the process of stopping Joachim from bing ¡®Vampire.¡¯ But out of everyone, he wanted to stop Fest from bing a Demon Person the most. It was not only because Fest had already started spreading infectious diseases and terror to numerous viges.

    ¡®Even the Hero Party gritted their teeth at Fest.¡¯

    Fest was so evil that even the Hero Party that went around killing the trashiest of humans shook their heads at the mention of Fest¡¯s name. Fest was an insane person who was a head above the rest. This was one of the few pieces of information Zich knew about Fest in his past life.

    ¡°T-then why did you¡­help¡­¡± Shalom desperately asked her this question after finally realizing Ms. Bargot¡¯s true nature.

    ¡°Because I needed a ce to experiment.¡±

    ¡°A ce¡­to experiment?¡±

    ¡°I needed some concrete data about the diseases I created. Especially for the knights who have an insane level of resistance from their ability to control mana. In that aspect, the castle was an ideal ce. But thanks to a certain someone, everything ended before I could even really begin.¡± Ms. Bargot looked sulkily at Zich.

    ¡°I-I can¡¯t¡­believe it.¡±

    ¡°Why are you making a face like that, Sir Shalom? Just like how you used me to relieve some of the guilt you felt, I also used you. We both used each other, so I don¡¯t think it¡¯s right for you to look so betrayed.¡±

    ¡°You snake-like bitch!¡± Brod yelled out like he couldn¡¯t contain his emotions any longer. To him, Ms. Bargot was no longer human. ¡°Sir! Please give us your order! We have to capture that woman right away!¡±

    Ms. Bargot asked, ¡°Can you really do that? Do you think I dawdled around this ce for no reason?¡±

    ¡°What more did you do this time?¡± She was calm even while Brod growled at her.

    ¡°Do you remember Galdurim, the disease that I infected all of you with?¡±

    ¡°Hmph! That disease?! We arepletely cured from it thanks to Sir Zich.¡±

    ¡°Well, do you think you guys are the only ones who got infected?¡±

    ¡°What are you bbering about?¡±

    Joachim no longer talked politely, and his eyes were scanning her.

    ¡°It¡¯s nothing, really. The reason why I came inside the castle was because the knights and soldiers have a high resistance to diseases, so I had to personally infect you all. For others, I don¡¯t have to go out of my way to do that. Do you get what I mean?¡±

    ¡°¡­Do you have other hostages?¡±

    ¡°As expected, your head works quite fast.¡±

    ¡°Who are they?¡±

    ¡°All the residents in Ospurin.¡±

    Joachim looked horrified. ¡°Y-You infected that many people?!¡±

    ¡°Did you forget that my expertise is in infectious diseases? If I just infect a couple of people, the disease spreads naturally. Although it is the same for Galdurim, the strand I spread has a long dormant period, so it¡¯s probably infecting many people without stirring up any suspicions. Of course, I can immediately awaken its symptoms by will.¡±

    ¡°You are lying! If your ability is strong enough to control a disease that can infect all of Ospurin, you should have known immediately when we were fully cured.¡±

    ¡°I think that and this is a different matter, but well, it¡¯s true that my ability can¡¯t reach the whole city. However, the result won¡¯t change. I can fully control the diseases around this castle, and I made it so that if I awaken some of the cases, the rest will awaken too like a chain.¡±

    Ms. Bargot shrugged her shoulders. ¡°I guess if you cure everyone in Ospurin, it could change things.¡±

    ¡°Damn it!¡± Joachim gritted his teeth. He had to consider his next step of action carefully in case the entire city of Ospurin was held hostage. Ms. Bargot looked at Zich. She exuded confidence like no one could touch her.

    ¡°Then, let¡¯s begin our conversation again¡­¡±

    ¡°Ah, forget that.¡± Zich scratched his head. ¡°Let¡¯s end it now.¡±

    ¡°Sorry?¡±

    ¡°I said, let¡¯s end it. I have seen enough of your arrogant and overconfident attitude.¡±

    Ms. Bargot couldn¡¯t respond immediately, because she was shocked by Zich¡¯s sudden change of attitude. However, Zich only focused on his next course of action. He fixed his grip on his sword and his stance suggested that he was going to dash towards her at any moment.

    ¡°W-Wait a moment, Mr. Zich!¡± Joachim tried to stop Zich in a hurry. ¡°We don¡¯t know if she has the lives of every resident in Ospurin under her grasp!¡±

    Still, Zich didn¡¯t change his attack stance. Joachim stared at him anxiously, but he didn¡¯t go out of his way to stop Zich either. Zich had solved all kinds of problems so far, and Joachim wondered if Zich had something up his sleeves again. Hope sprouted out of Joachim¡¯s heart.

    ¡°¡­This is a bit disappointing. To think you are so foolish¡­After all this time, do you not believe me?¡±

    ¡°How could I? I believe you.¡±

    ¡°Then, are you going to sacrifice the people in Ospurin?¡±

    ¡°If I have to make that decision, I will choose to kill you even if I have to sacrifice Ospurin.¡±

    Everyone looked shocked, and even Ms. Bargot seemed like she did not expect this response.

    ¡°S-Sir Zich!¡± Hans yelled in surprise. ¡°D-Didn¡¯t you say that you wanted to live a kind life? Then, how could you say¡­!¡±

    Although his personality was nasty and he had a bizarre way of thinking, Zich¡¯s resolution to do kind acts had always been resolute. Hans believed in at least this much, and he was more shocked by Zich¡¯s response.

    ¡°Yeah, I will live kindly. So, that¡¯s why I am trying to kill that woman.¡±

    ¡°But everyone in Ospurin may die!¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a sacrifice that can¡¯t be helped.¡±

    Hans froze in ce.

    ¡°Hey, Hans. It might seem cruel to you since you dream of heroes from storybooks, but a person has to always make a choice at some point in their lives. As of right now, a huge decision is pressing down upon me.¡±

    It was a choice between Ospurin¡¯s citizens or finishing Greta Bargot.

    ¡°If you really dream of bing a hero, you have to make a decision even if you have to endure a pain as strong as your intestines twisting up. You saw that woman¡¯s true face too, right? If she escapes right now, do you think she would live like a recluse inside a mountain and repent for her sins? Or do you think she would wander around, spreading more infectious diseases?¡±

    Hans knew it was thetter. There wasn¡¯t a person in the room who thought the former would happen.

    ¡°Then, do you think the people who will die from her diseases in the future would be less than the poption in Ospurin?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Hans couldn¡¯t breathe well with the daunting choice of saving lives against more lives.

    ¡°Besides, I said that I would live a kind life, but I didn¡¯t say that I will live whileparing every act with another to see which one is kinder. Saving Ospurin¡¯s people is definitely a kind act, but it is also a kind act to kill this witch in front of us. If both are kind acts, I will choose which one I¡¯m going to do.¡±

    It was a truly cruel and heartless decision. People quelled their breathing, and Ms. Bargot looked at Zich chillingly. ¡°¡­So, are you going to put an end to this?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s what I¡¯ve been saying.¡±

    ¡°M-Mr. Zich! Even so, we can¡¯t sacrifice everyone in Ospurin!¡± Joachim blocked Zich.

    Even if Zich was right, as the son of Count Dracul, he couldn¡¯t just watch the fall of Ospurin. Next to Joachim, Brod seemed to agree, and the ends of his sword shook as if it was hinting at an imminent battle.

    ¡®Well, since you are an aristocrat of thisnd, it¡¯s understandable.¡¯

    It would have been stranger if they didn¡¯t act like this.

    Ms. Bargot ridiculed Zich, ¡°They don¡¯t seem to agree with your decision.¡±

    Zich nced at Joachim and Brod and shrugged his shoulders. ¡°I got too caught up in the moment. Don¡¯t worry, sir. The residents of Ospurin will be fine.¡±

    ¡°Ah, of course. Mr. Zich couldn¡¯t have really meant those words¡­¡±

    ¡°I meant everything I said.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡± Joachim, who felt relieved, closed his mouth.

    ¡°But that¡¯s only if I have to really make a choice to give up the residents in Ospurin or Ms. Bargot.¡±

    ¡°Is there another way?¡± Ms. Bargot looked at him with innocent eyes. She was mocking him because she was sure that there was no other way. An opponent that waspletely confident in themselves¡ªthis was Zich¡¯s favorite type of prey.

    ¡°In the first ce, I don¡¯t need to consider between those two choices. I don¡¯t need to give up on either one of them.¡±

    ¡°What are you saying?¡±

    ¡°All the citizens in Ospurin have already been cured.¡±

    Everyone was shocked; beneath her veil, Ms. Bargot¡¯s mouth slightly opened up in surprise. Seeing her surprised face, Zich smiled brightly.

    ¡°How about it, Ms. Bargot? How was your sweet moment of hope?¡±

 Chapter 82

    <h4>Chapter 82</h4>

    ¡°You c-cured everyone?¡± Ms. Bargot was so surprised that she stuttered and could not gather her words. But that was only for a moment. Her eyes soon became calm.

    ¡°You are lying.¡± She was sure of it.

    But Zich replied, ¡°I¡¯m telling you the truth. As you know, people who are infected by Galdurim get a small red dot behind their ears.¡±

    ¡°You even noticed that?¡±

    A small dot on the back of the ear was a very difficult symptom to notice. Not only was it hard to see the back of people¡¯s ears, but most people would think nothing of it. Rather than a symptom of a disease, most people would have thought of it as a person¡¯s birthmark or something simr to that.

    ¡°When you infected people with Galdurim in the castle, I realized that the red dot was a symptom of a disease. Moreover, I also noticed that ordinary citizens in Ospurin also had the same dot behind their ears.¡±

    When he came back to the vige, the first thing he checked was the back of people¡¯s ears.

    ¡°So since then, I started on my cure for Galdurim.¡±

    ¡°Even if you knew about Galdurim before, it¡¯s still impossible. If you made the medicine, you must also know it too. One of the ingredients for that medicine is biolsam intestine. It¡¯s an extremely rare and precious medicinal ingredient. Even if you were able to miraculously acquire enough biolsam to make medicine for everyone in the castle, it¡¯s impossible to make enough of that medicine to cure all the citizens in Ospurin.¡±

    Making the medicine was not a matter of manpower but ingredients. For that reason, Ms. Bargot was certain of her victory.

    ¡°Biolsam intestine? What is that?¡±

    ¡°Are you pretending to not know? If you don¡¯t have that, you can¡¯t make the medicine, so please stop your useless acting.¡±

    ¡°I really don¡¯t know. Moreover, I never told you that I analyzed the medicine you handed to the assassins.¡±

    ¡°¡­What?¡±

    When Ms. Bargot had asked Zich if he recreated the medicine for Galdurim after analyzing the medicine she gave to the assassins, Zich did not say anything during that time either.

    ¡°Biolsam intestines? As someone with only amateur knowledge, it¡¯s an ingredient that I have no knowledge of. The ingredient I used was hulkum.¡±

    ¡°Hul¡­kum¡­?¡± It was a medicinal ingredient that even Ms. Bargot had never heard of.

    ¡°What is that?¡±

    ¡°Well, you know, the purple grass that grows all around us.¡±

    Ms. Bargot could get a general idea of what he was talking about. Then her eyes widened. It was not because she realized he was talking about an extraordinary ingredient¡ªit was actually the opposite.

    Ms. Bargot shouted, ¡°That¡¯s impossible! That! T-that grass is¡ª!¡±

    ¡°Yes, you are right.¡± Zich made a mischievous smile as he continued, ¡°It¡¯s just a weed.¡±

    ¡°¡­!¡±

    There was a reason why Ms. Bargot did not know its name. In this period, hulkum was just a weed that grew healthily anywhere. Hulkum¡¯s vitality was so strong, farmers called it ¡®Demon Poop.¡¯

    ¡®But that weed is super effective on Galdurim and many of Fest¡¯s diseases.¡¯

    Most of the medicine for Fest¡¯s curable diseases used hulkum as the basis. It was extremely ironic that a weed that people inadvertently stepped on every day could cure some of Fest¡¯s diseases when the most expensive and rare medicinal ingredients failed to do so.

    ¡°Do you understand now? I don¡¯t know what biolsam intestines are, and I don¡¯t know the ingredients for the medicine you gave to the assassins. All I know is that hulkum can cure Galdurim, and I made my medicine using that. So contrary to your expectations, obtaining the ingredients for the cure was not hard at all.¡±

    Zich stretched out his fingers to the side. ¡°Hulkum is everywhere around Ospurin. Moreover, it¡¯s also very easy to make this cure.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t make meugh! There¡¯s no way a disease that I made could be cured by a weed!¡±

    ¡°I can see that your pride has been hurt. But what can you do? It¡¯s the truth. Well, it does sound funny when you say it like that.¡±

    Zich stared impudently at Ms. Bargot. ¡°Or perhaps, is it because your skills are just that lousy?¡±

    ¡°What!¡± Ms. Bargot looked furious. There was no trace of her self-confident attitude as she told everyone of how she experimented on people with infectious diseases.

    ¡°Ah, even if you made enough medicine for everyone, how could you have fed medicine to all the citizens of Ospurin while not getting noticed by other people¡­¡±

    ¡°You were the one who taught me how. You said Igram spreads between people who use the same water source. The medicine I made is in liquid form, and it¡¯s almost tasteless.¡±

    ¡°¡­Did you perhaps!¡±

    ¡°Yes, you are right.¡± Zich replied energetically, ¡°I drugged the well.¡±

    ¡°¡­!¡±

    In times of war, people put poison in their enemy¡¯s wells, but Ms. Bargot had never heard of anyone putting medicine in a well.

    ¡°It was really hard to secretly put medicine in many of the wells throughout thisrge city.¡±

    Hans also nodded his head without much thought. With Snoc and Zich, they went around secretly putting medicine in all the wells in the dead of night. This was extremely hard work. If Joachim hadn¡¯t provided them with great care, Hans would have totally passed out.

    ¡®Wow, it really was medicine.¡¯ Hans let go of his suspicions and vowed to never get found out that he doubted Zich¡¯s words.

    ¡°After we spread the medicine, all the people I checked didn¡¯t have the red dot behind their ears anymore. Of course, I can¡¯t say for sure that I cured everyone in Ospurin, but it¡¯s enough to not let you escape. Is my answer good enough for you?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡± Ms. Bargot did not say anything. She was wondering if she should believe in Zich¡¯s words or not. But regardless, the situation was bing disadvantageous for her.

    ¡°Is that really¡­true?¡± Joachim asked Zich. He wished with all his heart that Zich¡¯s words were true, and one could see it clearly on his face.

    ¡°It¡¯s true.¡±

    Joachim fell into thought for a moment, but he soon made his final decision. ¡°Round up Shalom and Ms. Bargot right now!¡±

    ¡°Yes, sir!¡± Brod loudly replied and led the other knights and soldiers forward. Joachim decided to trust Zich.

    Ms. Bargot bit her lips; her piercing eyes red at Zich. ¡°¡­I didn¡¯t think you would be such a hindrance.¡±

    ¡°People who fight against me usually say that.¡±

    Then, her face crumpled. ¡°I guess it can¡¯t be helped. I didn¡¯t want to use this, but¡­¡±

    Ms. Bargotmented and at the same time¡ª

    Pop!

    Her clothes burst, and pinkish muscles erupted out of her thin arms, transforming her slim figure into an uneven shape.

    ¡®Transformation!¡¯

    It was what Clovey and Shalom had used. Zich swung his sword against Ms. Bargot.

    ng!

    Her palms, which had grown as big as a person¡¯s face, blocked Zich¡¯s sword.

    Zich said to her, ¡°Oh. Since you are the one who made it, it¡¯s different for you.¡±

    The speed at which she transformed waspletely different from when Clovey and Shalom had transformed.

    ¡°I also don¡¯t like myself in this state. It¡¯s extremely hideous.¡±

    Only her face hadn¡¯t finished transforming, and it was a grotesque sight to see a human¡¯s face talking on top of a gigantic monster¡¯s body. However, her face began to change more and more, and likewise, her voice became rougher and even stranger.

    [But it can¡¯t be helped now!]

    Ms. Bargot (although she had changed so much Zich wondered if he should still call her that) flung her arm widely, and Zich¡¯s body went flying. It was an incredible amount of power. Zich kicked the ceiling andnded on the floor again. Everyone, including Joachim, was shocked by her transformation. However, since they already witnessed Shalom¡¯s transformation, they quickly regained theirposure.

    ¡°Knights! Surround that!¡± Brod seemed to not even consider the creature in front of him human as he called her ¡®that.¡¯ And with Ms. Bargot¡¯s current appearance, he wasn¡¯t really wrong.

    [Kuuuuaaaah!]

    While ringing out monstrous shrieks, she iled her arms all around her. Ms. Bargot didn¡¯t seem to have lost consciousness, but her personality seemed to have gotten much more violent.

    ¡°Kuh!¡±

    ¡°Kuah!¡±

    Ms. Bargot didn¡¯t use any skills like Clovey and Shalom, but her physical capacities were far superior to their transformed states. Knights blocked her attacks and began to withdraw. Some even flew in the air at the impact of her attacks.

    ¡°Concentrate on avoiding rather than blocking! Those in front, prepare for the next attack, and those in the back, lead the offense!¡± Knights began to move under Brod¡¯smands. They let Ms. Bargot¡¯s attacks pass behind them, and those behind pierced and sliced with their swords.

    sh! aash!

    The swords didn¡¯t go through her hard skin. However, the knights hadn¡¯t reached their positions by relying on luck. They attacked the same area or used their own skills to pierce her skin.

    Crack!

    One of the knights seeded in prating his sword through her skin.

    ¡°Great! It worked!¡± The knight shouted to let others know of his sess and pulled out his sword.

    Ssh!

    Blood poured out of the wound andnded on the knight¡¯s body. The knight wasn¡¯t concerned since this amount of blood was nothing in battles. He was just d that his attack worked.

    ¡°Huaaaap!¡±

    Even though the creature before them looked scary, the knights attacked harder than before after they realized their attacks could go through.

    ¡°It regenerates!¡±

    The knights were unshaken and continued to corner Ms. Bargot as if they were used to fighting against regenerating monsters.

    Wobble!

    ¡°Huh?¡± One of the knights lost his bnce and fell.

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°What is it?!¡±

    The knight was taken aback since he hadn¡¯t received a direct attack. ¡°I-I don¡¯t know. There¡¯s no strength in my body¡­¡±

    Even the fallen knight didn¡¯t seem to know why he fell down. ¡°My body suddenly lost all strength¡­Gruuah!¡±

    Suddenly, foam came out of his mouth. Saliva dripped down, and soon, the knight threw up crimson blood. Then red spots appeared on his face, and his eyes turned upwards.

    Everyone lost theirposure from the strange sight in front of them, but this was just the beginning.

    Drop! Drop!

    Knights began to fall one by one, and they all showed the same symptoms that the first knight had shown.

    ¡®It looks like they were infected.¡¯ Zich thought the states of the knights were simr to the states of the infected patients he had seen in the viges. ¡®But knights with high resistance to diseases got infected? In an instant too?¡¯

    Ms. Bargot had obviously used some kind of trick. While he was thinking this, Zich spotted the blood droplets on the knights¡¯ bodies. ¡®No wonder!¡¯

    As the number of knights decreased significantly, Ms. Bargot began to attack more vigorously; and while he struck down her attacks with his sword, Zich shouted, ¡°Blood! You can¡¯t touch her blood!¡±

    People quickly adapted to Zich¡¯s words and began to avoid the blood on the ground.

    ¡°As expected of someone who spreads diseases, you grow a bunch of diseases even in your own blood.¡±

    [Fufufu! This one is specially made. No matter how high the knights¡¯ resistance levels are, this will make them roll on the ground in an instant.]

    Then Zich saw Ms. Bargot open her mouth, and he ran backward by instinct.

    Spit!

    Her saliva dropped onto the other side of the prayer room.

    ¡®Does her saliva transmit diseases too?¡¯ Zich clicked his tongue. ¡®That damn Hero Party. It¡¯s fine if they wanted to hide Fest¡¯s identity, but they should have disclosed this kind of information.¡¯

 Chapter 83

    <h4>Chapter 83</h4>

    ¡°Sir Brod! You have to take Sir Joachim and all the other soldiers to a safer location!¡±

    Even knights with high resistance fell ill to Ms. Bargot¡¯s blood. If ordinary soldiers merely made contact with Ms. Bargot¡¯s fluids, they would die instantly. It would be especially fatal to Joachim who was frail in the first ce.

    ¡°Yes, sir,¡± Brod quickly carried Joachim on his back.

    ¡°We have to save the knights who copsed¡ª!¡±

    ¡°Sir, it¡¯s already toote!¡±

    As Joachim saw the knights who were on the ground bepletely still, he bit his lips.

    ¡°¡­Ms¡­Bargot¡­!¡± A dying voice cried out to Ms. Bargot. Shalom, who was on the ground after getting attacked by Zich, also got some of Ms. Bargot¡¯s blood on him.

    Despite his half-transformed state, he also couldn¡¯t fight off Ms. Bargot¡¯s disease and had rashes all over his skin. He stared incessantly at Ms. Bargot. It was hard to tell if his eyes were filled with worry or grudge. No one could tell what was reflected in his eyes. However, before people could even guess what it could be, his head lost strength and dropped to the floor.

    After being consumed by guilt, Ms. Bargot had yed Shalom. It was a pathetic end for someone whomitted murder against countless innocent people. However, there was not a single person who cared about his death. Everyone around him had already forgotten him¡ªeven Ms. Bargot, whom he had called out to in hisst moments.

    ¡°Get all the regr soldiers out of the castle immediately! The knights will fight off Ms. Bargot. Make sure to never touch her blood or any other fluids!¡± After Joachim loudly shouted this order, he escaped from the prayer room. The soldiers and knights who were gathered outside the door began moving.

    ¡®He¡¯s really an impressive guy.¡¯

    Joachim calmed himself down quickly and made the most rational decision for his subordinates. Even though he no longer had the strength as he did when he was the ¡®Vampire¡¯, he was still an impressive person.

    Zich called out to Hans who was next to him. ¡°Hans.¡±

    ¡°Yes, sir!¡±

    Fortunately, Hans had been a step away from the other knights and had not been sttered by Ms. Bargot¡¯s blood.

    ¡°Unless you are given a separate order, just step back and help out the knights a bit. If you try to fight Ms. Bargot with your current skill level, you will die pointlessly.¡±

    ¡°I understand, sir!¡± At Zich¡¯s order, Hans moved further away from Ms. Bargot.

    [I see that Sir Joachim left. How about it? I also have no intention to stay any longer in the Dracul estate. Why don¡¯t we head off to our own paths now?]

    A knight shouted, ¡°Shut up! How can we let a witch like you go!¡±

    [But clingy men are not my style.]

    Whish!

    She moved her hand. As if to p the knight, her palms swept past him with a terrifying sound. Just the sound of her palms moving inspired sweat to drip down people¡¯s backs. However, the knights did not waver and moved closer to Ms. Bargot. Zich also put himself between them and wielded his sword. However, they had no choice but to halt the momentum of their attacks. If they wanted to knock her down, they had to stab her with a sword, but if they did, blood would spurt out. And her blood gave mysterious diseases to everyone who came into contact with it.

    Ms. Bargot fully utilized that to her advantage. If she got injured on her arm, she would wield her arms even more widely, and she would spit at them every few minutes. But most of all, she possessed enormous physical strength.

    ¡®This would be so much easier with a magician.¡¯

    Zich clicked his tongue and stepped one step closer than the rest of the knights.

    [Oh my! Would you also be taking care of me?]

    ¡°How can I not? Especially when we were in such a passionate rtionship.¡± Zich aimed his sword.

    [Fufufu! Thinking back on it, I think you were a good escort despite your cold personality. Then shall I turn up the heat?]

    Ms. Bargot raised her hand. Her sharp nails shone.

    Rip! Riip!

    It all happened in a matter of seconds. Ms. Bargot scratched herself, and a terrible wound appeared on her body. Blood flowed out like a fountain.

    ¡°Damn it!¡± The knights quickly tried to move back. With Ms. Bargot¡¯s movement, blood droplets flew across the air. It was as if blood was raining down on them.

    ¡®Man, she¡¯s making things soplicated.¡¯ Zich poured arge amount of mana into his sword. As if he was knocking on the air with his sword, he slightly hit the air above him a few times. In a matter of seconds, the mana from the end of his sword let out a burst of mana into the air.

    Explode!

    As if the air had been hit by a hammer, a shockwave exploded in the air. All the blood droplets in the air flew to a corner of the wall.

    [¡­I thought of this when you survived a surprise attack in the vige, but your fighting abilities really are impressive.]

    Since the shockwave was not directed at her, Ms. Bargot did not even feel the slightest bit of pain. Zich¡¯s technique had been aimed at the blood droplets and not at her.

    ¡°I¡¯m confident that there is no one above me in skills at least.¡±

    [How trustworthy. But all you did so far was push away a blood storm. I can make something like that as many times as I want.]

    True to her words, blood flowed out of Ms. Bargot¡¯s body and soaked the whole floor. Her wound was now almostpletely healed, but the amount of blood she let out was already an overflowing amount.

    ¡°You really are a troublesome opponent.¡±

    This was the truth, even Zich might get infected if he made contact with her blood.

    ¡°But it¡¯s annoying to see you act like you¡¯ve already won.¡±

    Zich infused more mana into his sword. But this time, he didn¡¯t concentrate the mana into one part of his sword or strengthen his sword by infusing mana to the entire sword. Without any sort of precision, he forcefully injected mana inside the sword. However, the force of his sword was extremely strong.

    Zing!

    The sword rang. It sounded almost as if it was ferociously roaring to pay back all the times it was mocked.

    Hissss!

    The sword turned red, and the air around it slightly wavered.

    Thud!

    Zich pushed off from his feet and lunged towards Ms. Bargot. She reached out her hands at him.

    Whish!

    Zich easily evaded her attack. Even though her physical prowess were extremely frightening, she had never received formal training and was full of openings. Her tough skin was now right in front of him. His eyesnded on one area of her body. It was the wound on her body that had notpletely healed yet. The wound was now as small as a fingertip, but that was enough for Zich.

    Push!

    Zich smoothly pushed his sword. Normally, blood would have spurt out of her wound and erupted all around her. But shockingly, no blood came out of her wound. Only the smell of burnt smoke spread all around.

    [Urghhhhh!]

    Ms. Bargot screamed out loud. She squirmed like she couldn¡¯t stand the pain, and Zich pulled out his sword. However, the sword had already cut through her deeply.

    <Ugh! Urgh!>

    ¡°How is it, miss?¡± Zich asked sweetly while watching Ms. Bargot clutch her wounded areas. ¡°I¡¯m sure you feel like your wounds are burning.¡±

    It was a skill that heated the sword¡¯s body by rubbing it roughly with mana and creating friction. Zich had a simple name for the skill: ¡®Scorching Sword.¡¯

    ¡®Since it affects the sword¡¯s durability, I didn¡¯t really want to use it.¡¯

    But it had a definite effect. Blood didn¡¯t spurt out of her wounds and seemed to have burned the disease on the inside.

    ¡®It also slowed down her regeneration.¡¯

    It was the most effective attack to use on Ms. Bargot. Zich continued to attack. He avoided her hard skin and targeted the already open wounds with slow regeneration.

    [Kuh!]

    Ms. Bargot tried to inflict wounds on her own body and spray her blood; but as soon as her fingernails reached her skin, Zich¡¯s sword blew her way.

    [Kuahhhh!]

    As Zich¡¯s attacks sliced pieces of her body, she felt an immeasurable amount of pain. And whenever he stuck his sword into Ms. Bargot¡¯s wounds, the sword¡¯s heat traveled to her insides through mana. Ms. Bargot could not harm herself as the wounds she had purposefully created turned into her weakness.

    The knights who had been watching her from behind also began to help Zich. Since they couldn¡¯t attack without sshing blood, they helped by blocking Ms. Bargot¡¯s attacks or protecting Zich.

    [Kuuuah!]

    Another deep wound formed in Ms. Bargot¡¯s abdomen. The smell of gas and meat reeked out of the wound this time, and Ms. Bargot realized that she could really die this time. She felt a great sense of danger.

    [I-In a ce like this¡­?] She gritted her teeth. [Do you think that I would die in a ce like this!] Her characteristic,posed way of speaking disappeared. She stretched her mouth wide and bit into her own arm.

    Chomp!

    Her powerful teeth easily crushed her hard skin. Blood, iparable to the amount from before, poured out, but Ms. Bargot didn¡¯t loosen her jaws and bit even harder into her arm.

    Craaack!

    With a terrifying din, Ms. Bargot¡¯s arm was perfectly severed from her body. Then, she grabbed onto her severed arm and flung it around.

    ¡°A-Avoid it!¡± The knights withdrew and shouted in horror. Blood poured out from her arm like a fountain and fell like rain. Even Zich had to increase his distance.

    <Kuah!>

    While shrieking, she threw her arm at Zich, and to avoid it, Zich made arge leap to the side.

    Crash!

    Ms. Bargot turned her back. Then, she dashed forward and mmed her shoulder on a nearby wall.

    Crash!

    The thick wall broke down powerlessly, and the downtown area came into view through the hole that formed from the impact. Ms. Bargot jumped down the hole.

    ¡®Is she escaping?¡¯

    Zich hurriedly followed her and shouted to the knights, ¡°I will hold her, so all of you tell Sir Joachim immediately that Ms. Bargot escaped! If she heads to the downtown area, there will be a lot more damage!¡±

    ¡°Y-Yes, sir!¡±

    ¡°Hans! You follow Sir Brod. Follow his orders!¡±

    ¡°Yes, sir!¡±

    The knights scrambled to get out of the entrance; they also knew what would happen if Ms. Bargot¡ªwho could be called the breeding ground for epidemics¡ª went outside of the castle. Hans also followed them and ran outside.

    Plop!

    Zich jumped down from the hole. The ce hended on looked like the castle¡¯s gardens.

    ¡®This is actually preferable.¡¯

    It was morefortable to battle in a wide area than inside the castle where there were many barriers.

    ¡®Here, I can just strike any skill without a second thought.¡¯

    If he thought of it like this, it was actually better that Ms. Bargot had escaped.

    ¡®Still, I can¡¯t let her go outside of the castle.¡¯

    If Zich let her outside, the damages she would cause were unthinkable. Then, suddenly, Zich smirked.

    ¡®I can¡¯t believe I¡¯m trying to reduce people¡¯s sufferings right now.¡¯

    He wondered what the Demon Lord, Zich Moore, from before the regression would think if he saw Zich¡¯s current self. Perhaps he would mock him, click his tongue, or give off a bloodthirst. But it didn¡¯t matter. Regardless of how he used to be, this was the present now.

    ¡®Even my past self can¡¯t dictate how I will live!¡¯

    Crash!

    After pouring an immense amount of mana to his legs, Zich quickly dashed towards Ms. Bargot. The speed at which she escaped was incredibly fast, but he caught up to her before she got away from the castle. It was fortunate that the castle¡¯s premises stretched far and wide.

    [Daaamn it!]

    Formalities were non-existent now. While letting out a string of aggressive curses, Ms. Bargot waved her remaining arm.

    ¡°That way of speaking fits your current appearance! Truthfully, I thought it was disgusting how you kept maintaining elegant speech even after your appearance changed like a monster!¡± Zich also dropped his formalities and swung his sword.

    After she lost her arm, Ms. Bargot had lost one of her means to attack and struggled to maintain bnce. Thus, for Zich, Ms. Bargot¡¯s attacks were very easy to evade.

    aang!

    His sword and hands shot forth. A rough sound rang out. Zich didn¡¯t engage in a battle of pure strength and only used attacks that could distort her momentum.

    Wobble!

    As herrge body began to sway, Zich aimed the area where her arms had been severed. His sword was already exuding out steaming heat.

    Slice!

    [Ah!]

    Ms. Bargot groaned in pain. She tried her hardest to finish off Zich, but the more she tried, she got tangled up in his movements even more. The difference between their fighting experiences was astronomical.

    [Kuu!]

    Perhaps, she judged that she couldn¡¯t seed no matter what. She turned her back again.

    ¡®Is she nning to just make a run for it?¡¯ Zich clicked his tongue like he thought it was pathetic. ¡®Does she think I will just watch her leave?¡¯

    There were already many cuts all over her body, and Zich no longer needed to go through the trouble of trying to pierce through her hard skin. ¡®She¡¯s too dangerous¡ªfor me to keep her alive to get information. I should end it here.¡¯ Zich filled his sword with mana. Since there wasn¡¯t anybody near him, he thought he would blow his opponent away with a huge attack.

    Crash!

    Red pirs of light shot up. They contained a great amount of heat and scattered their brilliant light to its surroundings and shot forward toward Ms. Bargot.

    Bam!

    It wasn¡¯t rough or loud¡ªthe sound of the blows calmly resonated and Ms. Bargot¡¯s upper body disappeared entirely. As if the pirs of light weren¡¯t satisfied with just that, they blew up all the ornaments in the garden and vanished into the faraway sky. The force was eye-opening, to say the least.

    Ms. Bargot¡¯s lower body, which had lost its top, staggered a couple of steps and copsed to the ground. Its wounded areas were charredpletely ck that not even blood dripped out of them. And that was the end of ¡®Greta Bargot¡¯¡ªthe one who used the Dracul estate as her personal experiment site and yground.

    Zich¡¯s target, Ms. Bargot, was dead, but he didn¡¯t let his guard down. Instead, he heightened his senses even more. The final blow which had killed Ms. Bargot wasn¡¯t Zich¡¯s work.

    ¡°Who is it?¡±

 Chapter 84

    <h4>Chapter 84</h4>

    While trying to detect the mysterious figure who killed Ms. Bargot, Zich kept ncing back at the traces of the attack.

    ¡®It was extreme heat that killed her.¡¯

    Everything that the light pirs touched was scorched ck. Zich assumed that the parts that were now gone probably evaporated from the extreme heat, but this was not the most frightening part. The most frightening part was how fast everything evaporated.

    ¡®It all happened in an instant.¡¯

    As soon as the light pir appeared, everything disappeared; it was as if everything the pirs touched teleported to another space.

    ¡®Those pirs must have contained an unimaginable amount of power.¡¯

    Zich was on the highest alert because of how powerful that attack was.

    ¡®Is it magic?¡¯

    It was an attack that used nature and reproduced special abilities. This attack was slightly different from Joachim¡¯s Blood Domination. Magic took an extremely long time and effort to master. Moreover, every time a person used magic, they had to say an incantation. But the overall effect and magnitude of a magic attack were enormous.

    ¡®Considering the attack just now, this person is not an ordinary magician.¡¯

    Furthermore, even though Zich had been focusing all his attention on Ms. Bargot, it was extremely rare for him to not sense anything until the moment of the attack. The person was definitely a formidable figure. However, Zich could now clearly sense someone behind a huge tree.

    ¡°Hey, let me see your face! Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m not going to attack you. I just want to know who you are and why you came here.¡± Zich¡¯s tone returned to his usual easygoing and casual tone. But the only thing casual was his tone; he was still on full alert towards the mysterious figure.

    Snap!

    Zich heard someone step on the grass. The mysterious figure slowly came out from behind the tree.

    ¡®Ah, wow!¡¯

    Zich almost let out his admiration. Stunning¡ªthat was the first word that popped up in his mind when he saw the persone out. Her silver hair glistened in the light, and her red eyes looked like jewels. By a slight degree, she could be considered even more beautiful than Lube, and when she passed by, everyone would naturally all stare at her.

    Zich immediately thought, ¡®She doesn¡¯t look human.¡¯

    However, no matter how beautiful she was, it didn¡¯t change the fact that she was an extremely suspicious figure. Zich was not so foolish to lower his guard just because his opponent was pretty.

    ¡®No, on the other hand, beautiful people can be more dangerous.¡¯

    Ms. Bargot, whoid on the ground with her lower body gone, was a clear example of this.

    ¡°All right, prettydy, what is your identity? Why are you here?¡± Zich tried to get information from her. They were in Dracul¡¯s castle; it was not a ce random people could enter, especially at a time like this.

    ¡®Is she a magician associated with the Dracul estate?¡¯

    Even though he could not immediately rule out this possibility, magicians were extremely rare in the first ce. Even though the head of the Dracul estate was a count, it was hard to imagine he would have such a powerful magician under his power.

    ¡°¡­Zich?¡±

    ¡°Huh? Do you know me?¡±

    Shockingly, the woman seemed to know Zich. However, Zich did not know her at all. For a second, Zich thought she might be someone he wasn¡¯t able to remember. Did he not remember her because he met her in Steelwall and they didn¡¯t meet each other for a long time? Zich looked at her from head to toe.

    ¡®¡­But I don¡¯t know this person?¡¯

    No matter how much time passed, there was no way Zich would not be able to remember a person like her.

    ¡°¡­Zich¡­Steelwall¡­¡± She muttered Zich¡¯s name again.

    ¡°Since you call me Steelwall, did we meet each other there? I¡¯m sorry, but could you introduce yourself again? Even though I can¡¯t believe that I would forget a beauty like you, I honestly think this is our first time meeting.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°Or did you actually see me from far away and fell in love with me? Then why didn¡¯t you tell me! If a beautifuldy like you came to meet me, I would have run to you at once. Could you perhaps tell me your name or where you live right now? It¡¯s definitely not because I find you suspicious or anything like that; I¡¯m just really interested¡­¡±

    ¡°¡­No.¡±

    ¡°What? What do you mean no?¡±

    ¡°You are not¡­Zich Steelwall¡­¡±

    ¡°Miss, what are you saying? Didn¡¯t you know me in the past? I did throw away my family name, but Zich Steelwall was my name in the past¡­¡±

    ¡°Zich¡­¡±

    Her red eyes stared directly at Zich, as if she was trying to extract his real self out.

    ¡°¡­Moore!¡±

    Whish!

    Everything happened in an instant. As always, Zich was trying to get information from the other party in a leisurely manner, but in the next moment, he took out his sword. With bloodthirst, Zich tried with all his might to move his sword as far as possible. However, he was blocked by a semi-transparent wall.

    Crash!

    He infused so much mana into his sword that a giant explosion erupted when he hit the wall. Zich continued to push his sword.

    Screech!

    But his sword could not move even an inch.

    ¡®Magic Barrier!¡¯

    With this, Zich was nowpletely confident that his opponent was a magician. Zich opened his mouth as he saw her through the semi-transparent wall. ¡°Hey miss, do you want to go out on a date with me? I suddenly have an intense interest in you. Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll cover all the expenses, find a nice location, and take care of all the meager details. All you have to do is just talk with me a bit.¡±

    ¡°Wow, that is¡­¡± She red at him. ¡°An awful way to ask someone out on a date!¡±

    Explode!

    The magic barrier exploded. The force of its explosion pushed Zich back.

    ¡®Damn!¡¯

    Zich clicked his tongue as he got further away from the silver-haired woman.

    ¡®It¡¯s not good to be far away from a magician.¡¯

    Even though Zich had some long-range attacks, he was still a swordsman. In long-range attacks, magicians definitely had the advantage.

    The silver-haired woman took her hand out and began to murmur incantations. ¡°El. Latel. Le. Ward.¡±

    A circle with a myriad of symbols began to appear in front of her hand. It was a magic circle.

    ¡®I can¡¯t let her finish!¡¯

    Zich ran towards her again.

    sh!

    The magic circle in front of her hand shone, and once again, a pir of red light stretched out in front of her. Zich had already experienced the magnitude of that force. Without even thinking of fighting against it, Zich evaded the red pirs.

    ¡®Why the heck is it so fast?!¡¯

    Zich was surprised by the magic that flew past him. Magic at this level had a tremendous number of incantations for one to remember. However, she had only said a few words.

    ¡®Incantation Reduction!¡¯

    It was one of the requirements for a high-level magician to know¡ªa skill that allowed users to shorten spells when using magic.

    ¡®And now that I think about it, she set up a magic barrier in an instant too.¡¯

    Zich was sure that it had been ¡®Silent Incantation¡¯ which was an even more advanced skill than Incantation Reduction. As expected, it seemed as if his opponent wasn¡¯t just any ordinary magician.

    ¡®She¡¯s a high-ranking magician. And she doesn¡¯t seem like those types of protected magicians who fight at the rear; she¡¯s a magician who specializes inbat.¡¯

    The more he found out about this woman, the more Zich became curious about her. Just from a nce, he could tell that they didn¡¯t have much of an age gap.

    ¡®If she knows that my name is Zich Moore, I wouldn¡¯t be surprised if she regressed like me.¡¯

    If that was the case, it was natural for her skills to be much greater than what her appearance suggested.

    Whoosh!

    He swung his sword towards her again, but she didn¡¯t falter.

    ¡°te! On!¡±

    Whoosh!

    Sharp des formed near her body. Zich quickly crouched.

    ¡°Kuh!¡±

    Zich avoided the des, but they left whirling winds that made him off bnce.

    ¡°Suni! Con! Chanwel!¡±

    Bam!

    The ground shot up and whacked him. Zich was barely able to block the attack with his sword and was pushed back.

    ¡®Damn it! She is really skilled inbat!¡¯

    The magician used wind magic against Zich. The wind attack was precise enough to not pose a great danger to bystanders who could be close by, but it broke its opponents¡¯ bnce through a strong st even if it didn¡¯tnd directly on its target. As the magician wanted, Zich lost his sense of bnce. As soon as that happened, she stomped the ground and flung Zich into the air.

    ¡®A huge one ising next.¡¯

    With a wider distance, she no longer had to worry about getting sucked into her own magic. All that was left for her to do was to use one of the most advantageous abilities that a magician had and sweep the entire area with a wide-reaching firepower.

    ¡°Wing! Son! Clowey! Jinun! Ahatrim!¡±

    A huge fireball appeared in front of her. It was already amazing that she could use different types of elemental magic, but it was more surprising that she could use the right magic in the appropriate situations. However, Zich wasn¡¯t an easy opponent either.

    Whoosh!

    He threw his sword against the fireball and aimed it towards her. The silver-haired woman looked surprised like she didn¡¯t expect Zich to throw the only weapon he had. But she soon closed her mouth again and shot out fireballs.

    ¡®She can also do Incantation Suspension?¡¯

    Incantation Reduction and Silent Incantation were skills thatcked high power, but they were still a veryplicated form of magic. However, Incantation Suspension was different. If a magician stopped their incantation in the middle, the spell usually fell apart and nothing would happen¡ªthey would have simply wasted their mana.

    However, if the magician was familiar with Incantation Suspension, they could forcibly materialize an iplete spell as long as its power level was on the lower end, like now. Zich¡¯s sword and fireball shed against each other in the air.

    Craaaash!

    Strong heat waves red out with an explosive sound. However, what was dangerous wasn¡¯t really the heat waves.

    Whoosh!

    Zich¡¯s hands filled with mana.

    ng! ng! aaaang!

    Zich¡¯s hands swung madly. Something kept roughly hitting his hands and bouncing off. However, Zich couldn¡¯t block all the attacks, and soon, his body was wounded from head to toe. Sword fragments were hitting Zich. After using the skill, ¡®Burning Sword,¡¯ his sword had lost durability; so, when he poured a great amount of mana into it and shed it with a magic fireball, it broke into pieces as he had expected.

    ¡®Let me see.¡¯

    Zichnded on the ground and wiped his stinging wounds. Then, he looked at the silver-haired woman.

    ¡®It doesn¡¯t seem like that had much of an effect.¡¯

    He was disappointed. But this didn¡¯t mean the silver-haired woman waspletely fine. There was a semi-transparent wall in front of her; but behind the wall, she was spilling blood from all over her body. It seemed she had evaded Zich¡¯s sword at thest moment, but her injuries were clearly worse than Zich¡¯s.

    Her red eyes nced at Zich.

    ¡®Woah. She¡¯s angry.¡¯

    But Zich wasn¡¯t scared at all. Instead, he smiled wider for her to see; for him, his opponent¡¯s rage brought happiness and their despair brought joy to him.

    ¡°L! Lastel!¡±

    Wing!

    A small magic circle formed in her hands. In front of it, two icicles appeared and shot towards Zich.

    ¡®Wow. Ice elements now?¡¯

    His opponent might really be a magician who had mastered all the elements. Zich scowled.

    ¡®Since the situation was urgent and my sword lost its durability, I threw my sword away¡ªbut it¡¯s definitely ufortable to not have a sword.¡¯

    But Zich was also familiar with bare-handed martial arts. He gripped both of his fists tightly and dashed towards the silver-haired woman.

    Whoosh!

    He evaded the flying icicles. The silver-haired woman prepared her next spell.

    ¡°Ugh!¡± She raised her arms and scowled.

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    It was only for a moment, but her movements were awkward¡ªunfortunately for Zich, it was for a very short moment.

    ¡°Ryde! Well! Crohn!¡±

    A gigantic gust of wind came upon Zich.

    ¡°Hu-ah!¡± Zich fiercely spun mana around his body and collided with the gust of wind.

    Boom!

    The impact made such amotion that it was hard to believe that the sound had been made by a person moving against the wind.

    ¡®Damn, it hurts!¡¯

    He seeded in piercing through the gust of wind, but the injuries on his body increased. And he didn¡¯t have time to drink more potions. Zich dashed towards the silver-haired woman again. Their battle intensified. After losing his sword, Zich swung his fist around and the silver-haired woman shot out magic attacks.

    Crash!

    Zich smashed the stone spears that shot up from the ground and spat.

    ¡®There is something strange about her.¡¯

    The silver-haired woman¡¯s abilities were strange. Both her magic skills andbat senses were impressive, and she perfectly grasped what spell she should use in each scenario to ce Zich into the most difficult spot. Yet, the movements she made in between the attacks were very awkward. A magician skilled and used to battles like her should be able to react immediately, but there was a slight dy after every attack she made.

    ¡®If she really did regress, this wouldn''t be strange¡­¡¯

    Zich had been like her when he first battled at Steelwall. It was the result of the difference between his overflowing battle experiences andcking physicality. Although what Zich had done was close to impossible, it didn¡¯t mean that no other person would be able to do the same.

    ¡®But it¡¯s too severe.¡¯

    Rather than having a mismatch between experiences and physicality, she moved as if ¡®her experiences¡¯ had been artificially programmed into her.

 Chapter 85

    <h4>Chapter 85</h4>

    ¡°Urgh!¡±

    ¡®She doesn¡¯t seem to have much resistance against pain.¡¯

    Zich hadn¡¯t expected her to be like him who could continue fighting half-dead, but she seemed a little too inexperienced with pain. It didn¡¯t match up to her fighting prowess.

    Even now, she was sweating like a waterfall from the wound Zich just inflicted on her, to the extent that it was hard for her to move.

    ¡®Should I try to force information out of her?¡¯

    To be frank, Zich was much more curious about the silver-haired woman than Ms. Bargot, who was already dead. On the other hand, Zich¡¯s situation was too dangerous for him to force information out of his opponent like usual.

    ¡®If only I had my sword.¡¯

    It had been an unavoidable sacrifice; moreover, he was able to severely injure her by destroying his sword. On the other hand, Zich¡¯s battle power was also clearlypromised. But he was not going to lose.

    ¡°Sir Zich!¡±

    Zich suddenly sensed a group of peopleing towards him, and a person called out to Zich.

    ¡®It¡¯s Sir Brod.¡¯

    Brod had left Joachim in a safe ce and was bringing a group of knights to him. Hans was with them.

    ¡°Are you alright!¡± Seeing Zich¡¯s injury, Brod shouted out to him with concern.

    Zich waved his hands to show that he was alright. Brod and his soldiers were relieved that Zich¡¯s injury was not very serious; however, their reliefsted only for a moment. Brod began to gauge Zich¡¯s situation. The situation waspletely different from what he expected.

    ¡°¡­What kind of situation is this?¡±

    ¡°Hmmm. I also wonder what kind of situation this is.¡± Even Zichughed at the surprising development of circumstances. ¡°Sir Brod, can I first hear how your situation went?¡±

    ¡°Ah, we were sessful in putting Sir Joachim in a safe ce. Sir Joachim asked us to fight as loud as possible in our battle with Ms. Bargot to alert citizens of Ospurin about the danger and encourage them to quickly make their escape.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s reasonable. But I don¡¯t think that¡¯s necessary anymore. That woman in front of us killed Ms. Bargot.¡±

    ¡°Killed Ms. Bargot?¡±

    Zich pointed towards Ms. Bargot¡¯s corpse with his finger. A monster¡¯s corpse with only its upper body was rolling on the ground. People¡¯s eyes widened as they saw it.

    ¡°¡­You are saying that the woman in front of us made Ms. Bargot like that?¡±

    ¡°Yes, with just one hit.¡±

    ¡°She was able to defeat that Ms. Bargot in one hit?¡±

    ¡°Well, it was a surprise attack, but even considering that, it¡¯s an amazing feat. She¡¯s an extremely powerful magician.¡±

    ¡°A magician¡­¡±

    All of Zich¡¯s words were unbelievable. Brod swallowed his saliva and stared at the silver-haired woman in front of him. If they were not in such a serious situation, he would have been dazed by her beauty. But as a ¡®magician who killed Ms. Bargot with one hit,¡¯ her beauty didn¡¯t even register in Brod¡¯s mind.

    ¡°I don¡¯t really understand the situation, but are you saying that she is our enemy?¡±

    ¡°I would definitely say...¡± Zich murmured the rest of his words. Brod and the knights, as well as the silver-haired woman, all stared at him.

    ¡°¡­Now that I think about it, I was the one who attacked first.¡±

    ¡°What?¡± Brod¡¯s piercing eyes stung the back of Zich¡¯s head.

    Even the silver-haired woman stared at Zich with wide eyes. Zich was also embarrassed and scratched his head. ¡®It was because I was so shocked by her words¡­¡¯ He never imagined that he would meet someone who knew him as ¡®Zich Moore,¡¯ so some of his old personality came back to him. But now that he thought about it, he had no reason to make her his enemy yet.

    ¡®She defeated Ms. Bargot for us, and all she did was call me ¡®Zich Moore.¡¯ There¡¯s no reason for me to attack her yet.¡¯

    On the other hand, he was the one who instigated the fight. Zich raised his hand. ¡°Hey! This was definitely my mistake! I apologize!¡±

    However, they had fought too intensely to go like, ¡®Hey, we misunderstood each other, so let¡¯s stop fighting and end this!¡¯ Moreover, it didn¡¯t change the fact that she was a suspicious person.

    ¡°If you want, I can give youpensation, but you should first reveal your identity! Since you entered the castle without permission, you also have some liability.¡±

    It was especially suspicious that she entered the castle when they were in the midst of an intense conspiracy. At Zich¡¯s words, the knights looked back at the silver-haired woman and kept up their guard.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°What, are you not going to reply? To be specific, I¡¯m only apologizing for attacking you first without listening to your circumstances. As you can tell, I¡¯m a coborator of the Dracul estate. If you continue to keep your identity a secret, I also have no choice but to use force against you. Then you would be considered a criminal of the Dracul estate for sure.¡±

    The knights began surrounding the area to support Zich¡¯s statements. Only then did the silver-haired woman finally open her mouth.

    ¡°¡­Are they your underlings?¡±

    ¡°Have you not been listening to me at all? I¡¯m a coborator. Answer my question first. Under ordinary circumstances, we would have to capture you without question since you trespassed into the castle. However, since we are in a difficult time, and you killed that being over there without causing harm to the surrounding areas, we are trying to peacefully mediate this situation.¡±

    ¡®Even though I did attack you first.¡¯

    However, Zich really was acting much more peacefully than usual. If his opponent rejected his offer after he went this far to be polite, he¡¯d really use all his skills to defeat her. But contrary to his expectations, the silver-haired woman looked surprised by his words. Her mouth was slightly open.

    ¡°¡­You care about harming your surroundings? You?¡±

    ¡®Shit, this person seems to have really known me before I regressed.¡¯

    Then it was understandable that she would be so shocked by that sentence. Now, there was even more reason to listen to what she had to say. However, Brod interrupted him before he could say anything more.

    ¡°You wench! What¡¯s up with your manners!¡± Brod was so furious that blood vessels bulged out of his neck. ¡°Sir Zich worked tirelessly for the benefit of our estate! He uncovered an evil conspiracy and saved countless people! All while not caring about receiving anything at all!¡±

    Although Zich showed some heartlessness by prioritizing Ms. Bargot¡¯s death over all the citizens of Ospurin, he had not been in the wrong. If seen in a favorable light, his choice could be considered decisive and rational.

    ¡°How dare you insult such a person? How dare you question his concerns for not causing harm to the surrounding areas? A suspicious magician like you who trespassed illegally into the castle has no right to talk like that to Sir Zich!¡±

    Brod¡¯s furious outcries rained down upon the silver-haired woman. However, it was Zich who was shocked by Brod¡¯s fury.

    ¡®What the hell is wrong with him?¡¯

    Did he eat something wrong? Or did he get one of Ms. Bargot¡¯s rare diseases? Even though Lube and Weig had thanked him before, it was the first time Zich received such oundish ¡®praise¡¯ for doing his version of kind acts. However, because of the kind acts he did, everyone in the Dracul estate treated Zich like a ¡®saint.¡¯ And even among these people, Brod, who had apanied Zich since the beginning of his arrival at the estate, admired Zich more than anyone else.

    In short, Brod knew everything Zich did for the Dracul estate. That was why Brod even changed the way he addressed Zich by attaching ¡°Sir¡± to Zich¡¯s name. Besides, Brod didn¡¯t seem to be the only one who felt this way, as all the other knights looked at the silver-haired woman with rage and caution.

    ¡°¡­Are you really Zich?¡± The silver-haireddy seemed to have fallen into a state of confusion.

    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m Zich.¡±

    ¡°¡­What¡¯s yourst name?¡±

    ¡°Is that important?¡±

    Hisst name was no longer Steelwall or Moore. He was simply Zich now.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know how much you know, but the image of me that you are thinking of right now doesn¡¯t represent me.¡± Zich was no longer the Steelwall¡¯s eldest son or a Demon Lord in any shape or form. Thedy stared at Zich suspiciously, but soon, she looked like she realized something.

    ¡°Is it?!¡± She ced her hands on her lips. Her gaze, which had observed him like a mysterious creature, changed; her eyes had so much hostility in them that the knights watching from behind backed off. Yet, there was also a certain sadness in her eyes as if she dearly missed someone. Of course, Zich sensed the change in her gaze.

    ¡°¡­I can¡¯t understand her at all.¡±

    He had received so many hostile gazes in his lifetime, but it was his first time meeting someone who also looked sentimental at the same time. Furthermore, her emotions didn¡¯t feel shallow.

    She muttered, ¡°¡­But it¡¯s different from that.¡±

    ¡®She has no intention of talking to me at all.¡¯

    Zich realized that trying to talk to her any longer was going to be a waste of time. Zich pulled out a potion and drank it. Then, he borrowed a sword from a knight. Although the knight looked taken aback, he willingly lent his sword to Zich.

    ¡°Okay, miss. I didn¡¯t want to use such a rough method. But if you keep acting so uncooperative, I can no longer just ask you on a date.¡±

    The silver-haireddy retorted, ¡°Yeah, and I already said that is definitely not the right way to ask me out on a date,¡± but Zich ignored her this time and pointed his sword at her.

    ¡°I will treat you as a suspicious intruder who trespassed into the castle.¡±

    As soon as Zich showed his hostility, the knights followed suit.

    The silver-haireddy looked around her surroundings. Fighting Zich alone had kept her hands full, but if the knights came into the picture, it seemed like she had no chance of winning. Thedy was aware of this and stared at Zich again. Their eyes locked, as they tried to figure out each other¡¯s existence and thoughts.

    m!

    Zich moved first. Mana seeped into his sword and made ringing noises, and knights charged at her simultaneously.

    Clink!

    A metallic sound chimed near her chest. As if a brilliant star was formed into a jewel, the blue ne around her neck shone.

    ¡®An artifact!¡¯

    He didn¡¯t know what it was, but it was obvious that nothing good woulde out of it. Zich stretched out his sword to use ''Piercing Space.¡¯

    Tang!

    Air filled with mana flew out like arrows. The moment the intangible force was about to reach her¡ª

    Whoosh!

    The silver-haired woman disappeared. The piercing force flew out futilely and left arge mark on the wall.

    ¡°This is¡­!¡± Brod ran to where the silver-haired woman was. He looked around and even tried scraping the dirt ground with his feet. However, her presence was nowhere to be found.

    ¡°It¡¯s teleportation.¡±

    ¡°How is that possible?¡± Brod was surprised by Zich¡¯s words. ¡°I thought teleportation was an incredibly difficult magic.¡±

    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s true.¡±

    It was magic of the highest difficulty that only specially chosen magicians could use. Zich confirmed Brod¡¯s words, so Brod became even more surprised.

    ¡°I can¡¯t believe that she was such an amazing magician!¡±

    ¡°While it¡¯s true that she is an amazing magician, it doesn¡¯t seem like shepleted the teleportation magic by herself. She didn¡¯t say a spell before she teleported.¡±

    If she had used Silent Incantation, her magic¡¯s power would have been lower, and she wouldn¡¯t have been able to go very far. However, the woman¡¯s presence had perfectly disappeared from Zich¡¯s sphere of sensing.

    ¡°If she didn¡¯t do it¡­¡±

    ¡°Her ne was probably an artifact.¡±

    Brod recalled how the silver-haireddy¡¯s ne had shone. ¡°What? She had an artifact that allows users to teleport! How could such a thing exist?!¡±

    ¡°But didn¡¯t you see it for yourself?¡± However, Zich also understood Brod¡¯s surprise. ¡®I mean, making an artifact with the highest level of magic like teleportation would consume an immense amount of money and effort. It¡¯s understandable why he can¡¯t believe that such an item could exist.¡¯

    Well, that was that.

    ¡°We will send a squad to pursue the magician.¡±

    ¡°It will be difficult to do that. We don¡¯t even know which direction she teleported to. It would be a waste of time.¡±

    ¡°But¡­!¡±

    ¡°If we have nothing else to do, we could do that. But don¡¯t we have to take care of the aftermath of this situation in the estate?¡±

    ¡°Ughhh!¡± Brod groaned at the dilemma in front of him, but he knew Zich was right. From now on, the Dracul estate would have to maintain a state of emergency, and they would need all thebor force they could possibly use. Sending a squad to look for a mysterious magician who they barely had any information about would be aplete waste of human resources.

    ¡°It can¡¯t be helped.¡± Brod gave up on finding her.

    ¡°You made the right decision.¡± Zichplimented Brod and spoke while looking around his surroundings. ¡°Everything is over now that both Ms. Bargot and Shalom, who did all the plotting, are dead. Let¡¯s clean up.¡±

    Like that, the affair that had turned the Dracul estate upside down with diseases, guilt, and madness came to an end.

 Chapter 86

    <h4>Chapter 86</h4>

    A bell rang over arge temple spire. It was thest sound of farewell to people who passed away. The people of Ospurin said that every soul who heard the sound of that bell would leave all regrets, anger, and lingering feelings behind in the mortal realm to enter thend of the gods where they would be judged.

    ¡°Father and elder brother probably won¡¯t go to heaven.¡± Joachim said out loud as he watched the bell and its sound fading away.

    The vassals next to him could not reply. Under ordinary circumstances, it would have been basic manners for them to deny Joachim¡¯s words since they were addressed towards the former head of the estate and his son.

    However, since they found out about the Count¡¯s heinous actions, they could no longer support or speak favorably of him. Moreover, Biyom Dracul¡¯s personality had always beenplete shit, so there was nothing to speak favorably about him anyways.

    But Brod couldn¡¯t stand the silence so he spoke a few words. ¡°¡­I¡¯m sure they will repent their actions. They are probably ready for it.¡±

    ¡°Repent¡­it¡¯s a must. No matter how much suffering and pain follow them, they have to repent. But first, I wish they¡¯ll apologize to all their victims in the afterlife.¡±

    ¡°They will. Definitely.¡±

    Count Dracul and Biyom Dracul were unable to ovee their diseases and eventually passed away. Today was their funeral. Even though it was a joint funeral for the Count and his heir, the size of the funeral was small, to the point that it was shabby. However, considering the situation of the estate and the Count¡¯s past actions, they had no choice but to hold the funeral in this manner.

    ¡°Thank you for attending, Mr. Zich.¡± Joachim, who was greeting each of the attendees at the funeral, made a small bow towards Zich.

    Since the size of the funeral was very small, Joachim only invited the minimum number of people; Zich¡¯s presence at the funeral indicated how much Joachim trusted and respected him.

    ¡°Of course. It¡¯s not even a difficult task.¡±

    ¡°I also want to send the two of you my regards.¡± Joachim also slightly bowed towards Snoc and Hans who were standing next to Zich.

    ¡°Ah, ah, no! It¡¯s f-fine!¡±

    ¡°Ah, I s-send my c-condolences!¡±

    As a previous servant of a noble and amon miner, Hans and Snoc felt that attending an aristocrat¡¯s funeral and receiving the heir¡¯s bow was strange to the point of being frightening. They were both startled and frantically tried to return Joachim¡¯s bow. In an aristocrat¡¯s eye, their behavior would have looked very awkward, even impudent. However, no one, including Joachim, criticized their behavior. Only Zich looked at them as if they were pathetic.

    ¡°I heard that the three of you will be leaving soon.¡±

    Zich answered, ¡°We were only stopping by the Dracul estate for a bit while traveling. We stayed longer than we nned, so we have to start moving again.¡±

    ¡°Do you really have no ns to join us here? I assure you that you will be given the best treatment here.¡±

    Even while reorganizing the estate, Joachim continuously tried to scout Zich and hispanions. During the time they were together, Zich showed his ability to quickly assess the situation, his extensive knowledge, and great fighting prowess; moreover, all the times he saved and helped the estate was more than enough to make him the number one person Joachim wanted to scout. Zich was also young, so he had even more potential in the future.

    However, Zich was firm in his reply. ¡°I don¡¯t like being stuck in one ce.¡±

    As always, Zich refused with the same answer. At this point, even Joachim had already given up halfway, so his disappointment was minimal.

    ¡°Even without me, the Dracul estate won¡¯t have many problems. There are many people such as Sir Brod who are supporting you. Ah, I can¡¯t address you as a young master anymore since you are going to be the new Count Dracul soon.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m still notfortable with that title. Moreover, it will take an extremely long time and effort to get the King¡¯s approval.¡±

    ¡°Will you reveal that about the Count?¡±

    That. It was an ambiguous phrase, but everyone knew what Zich meant. All of Joachim¡¯s vassals and supporters looked downcast. However, there was no trace of hesitation on Joachim¡¯s face.

    ¡°Of course. Even though it was done in the name of saving our estate, my father¡¯s actions can never be forgiven. I have to start remedying those wrongs. I have to repent and give duepensation and trial to the vassals who nned and participated in my father¡¯s crimes.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯ll be a very difficult task.¡±

    ¡°But I still have to do it. My father justified his awful crimes by saying that he did it for the estate, but in the end, his actions led to an existence like Fest and eventually brought more chaos and destruction into the estate. It¡¯s ironic if you think about it.¡±

    ¡°From the first ce, Fest was a mad person with a rotten nature.¡±

    ¡°But before my father spread infectious diseases to the Bargot Trading House, she was a normaldy of the house. You never know. If diseases had never struck her family, she might have reached the end of her life without ever realizing this part about herself and be known as a good wife and mother.¡±

    ¡°You are nning to also take on Fest¡¯s sins upon your shoulders.¡±

    ¡°That is the biggest reason why I want to inherit the Dracul estate.¡±

    The path was bound to be full of thorns and suffering, but Joachim willingly volunteered to walk this thorny path filled with suffering and pain.

    ¡°Just a couple of weeks ago, I wanted to leave my family and travel around like you, Sir Zich, but now I¡¯m about to inherit the Dracul estate¡­You really never know what will happen in life.¡±

    Moreover, he was now receiving the full support of all his vassals. It was unimaginable that he used to be treated like a burden to the family a couple of days ago.

    ¡°Then your hemophobia will hamper you a lot.¡±

    ¡°¡­I will work hard to ovee it.¡±

    However, Joachim¡¯splexion was already starting to look pale.

    ¡°Fortunately, I had a lot of practice this time around, and even though I saw a lot of blood this time, it was endurable.¡±

    ¡°But I heard that you fainted as soon as the battle ended.¡±

    Joachim hesitated. His hemophobia was a significant issue. Despite his abilities and talents, the only reasons why Biyom could steadfastly hold his position as heir were because of tradition and Joachim¡¯s frail constitution and hemophobia.

    ¡°Why don¡¯t you try using this?¡± Zich took out something from his pocket.

    ¡°That¡­!¡±

    Joachim¡¯s eyes became wide. He had seen that object before; it was the red marble that the leader of the assassins had tempted him with.

    ¡°Blood Vessel.¡±

    ¡°I saw this rolling around on the ground by chance.¡±

    Zich¡¯s smile waspletely shameless. His servants, Hans and Snoc (especially Snoc), seemed like they had a lot to say, but even till the end, they didn¡¯t say anything.

    ¡°Do you know what this is?¡±

    ¡°If you are asking me about what or where it came from, or who made it, I don¡¯t know anything about it.¡±

    ¡°Then¡­¡±

    ¡°But I know its abilities and side effects.¡± Since he heard it directly from Joachim before he regressed, Zich was sure of his information about the Blood Vessel.

    ¡°¡­You really have a lot of strange and mysterious knowledge.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m happy to help people using my knowledge.¡±

    By his reply, it seemed as if Zich was not going to tell him where he got his information from. But Joachim did not deeply pry into the matter.

    ¡°What is its ability?¡±

    ¡°It makes your body healthy and helps you ovee your hemophobia. But most of all, you get a power called ¡®Blood Domination.¡¯¡±

    ¡°Blood Domination. It doesn¡¯t sound too good.¡±

    ¡°As the name implies, it lets you control people¡¯s blood ording to your will. It¡¯s an extremely powerful skill.¡±

    With that ability alone, Joachim had be one of the four subordinates of ¡®The Demon Lord of Strength, Zich Moore.¡¯ But Joachim scrunched his face after hearing that he would gain the ability to control blood.

    ¡°¡­Other than Blood Domination, everything else sounds extremely attractive to me. Then what is the side effect?¡±

    ¡°You will be crazy for blood.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Joachim pursed his lips. The people around him also looked at Zich with surprise.

    ¡°¡­That wasn¡¯t a clear exnation, although it sounded rather negative. Could you exin it to me in more detail please?¡±

    ¡°To say it simply, it¡¯s like bing a vampire. You are going to be a monster who will do anything to see blood.¡±

    Before his regression, Zich thought that Joachim¡¯s love for blood was innate. However, the present Joachim was an ordinary human who hated blood much more than most people.

    When the past Joachim exined to Zich that his love for blood came from the Blood Vessel, Zich had brushed it off as nonsense¡ªbut now, Zich realized that Joachim had been telling him the truth.

    ¡°¡­But Mr. Zich, there must be a solution to that issue, right?¡± Joachim still trusted Zich, so he asked calmly; but if Zich had offered him the ¡®Blood Vessel¡¯ thoughtlessly, he was going to get angry.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. When you absorb it, you won¡¯t feel a great thirst for blood at first. Maybe not at all. But as you use your powers more and more, things will change.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re saying that my desire for blood will increase as I use more power.¡±

    ¡°It won¡¯t matter if you use your own blood. But of course, if you use too much of your blood, you will die. Thus, you will only be able to utilize your power to the maximum if you use other people¡¯s blood. However, the more you handle other people¡¯s blood, the desire for blood will increase until it eventually consumes you.¡±

    ¡°To what extent?¡±

    Zich recalled how Joachim was before his regression. ¡°I think you may reach a point where you would want to kill a bunch of people to just bathe in their blood.¡±

    An eerie silence filled the whole area. People looked at the Blood Vessel that Zich was holding with fear, and some gulped their dried-up saliva back down.

    Joachim fell into contemtion; in his mind, he bnced the scale between risk and return and thought about what decision he should make.

    ¡°¡­If I start to crave blood, it will cause great chaos.¡±

    ¡°Are you worried that you would be consumed by your desire for blood and cause chaos in the world?¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t help but worry.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about that. I¡¯m not someone who will turn a blind eye to something I suggested.¡±

    Joachim asked hopefully, ¡°Is there some kind of way?¡±

    However, Hans knew that Zich probably wouldn¡¯t give Joachim a normal answer.

    ¡°If you be corrupt, I will personallye to kill you.¡±

    His response was extreme. Hans and Snoc stared at Zich in shock, but Joachimughed.

    ¡°Haha! I see. I¡¯m d to have a foolproof, preventive measure like you.¡±

    Surprisingly, Joachim looked pleased, and his eyesnded on the Blood Vessel.

    ¡°Alright. Let me ept your favor.¡±

    Joachim ended up absorbing the Blood Vessel as he had done so before Zich¡¯s regression, yet there was a low probability that he would abuse his power and cause havoc all around the world like before. Zich had changed Joachim¡¯s past which led him into bing a vampire.

    * * *

    Not long afterward, Joachim officially announced his position to inherit the Dracul estate. No one protested Joachim¡¯s session, but what he did after that stirred up not only the estate but the whole kingdom¡ªhe revealed all the immoral misdeeds his father, the previous Count, hadmitted.

    As expected, they received all kinds of criticism and insults, and public sentiment turned sour. Still, the new Count Draculpleted the tasks he had to do calmly and efficiently.

    ¡°Haa!¡± Joachim sat in Count Dracul¡¯s office and sighed.

    He ced down the document he was holding and looked up at the ceiling. There was a mountain of documents in front of him, and there were a lot more unattended documents piled on the opposite side of him.

    Knock! Knock!

    ¡°Come in.¡± Joachim muttered quietly because he was still not used to talking informally. When he saw Brode in with an armful of documents, Joachim sighed.

    Brodmented, ¡°You seem tired, sir.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m confident that if Iy down on a bed right now, I will wake up the next afternoon in one blink.¡±

    ¡°Still, isn¡¯t this what you wanted to do, sir?¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t have to remind me. I¡¯m doing all this work withoutining because I know that.¡±

    ¡°Fufu! But it¡¯s fortunate that the Blood Vessel seems to be having an effect.¡±

    Joachim ced his hand on his head. He felt exhausted, but it was understandable, considering all the work he was doing right now.

    ¡°If it were like before, I would have copsed onto the bed by now.¡±

    ¡°I am happy to see how healthy you¡¯ve be, sir.¡±

    ¡°Really? Isn¡¯t it because you are happy that you can continue to make me work?¡±

    ¡°Forgive your unfaithful servant, as I am unable to deny that im.¡±

    Then, Brod took the documents he brought and ced them on top of the document pile. Joachim groaned as the mountain pile of documents grew even higher.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t think I would miss the time when I used to be sickly.¡±

 Chapter 87

    <h4>Chapter 87</h4>

    ¡°But you really did be healthy. To the extent that you are able toplete these types of duties.¡±

    Brodughed out loud. He was extremely happy that Joachim, whom he had served all his life, was nowpletely healthy. But soon, he erased the smile off his face and said with a serious expression, ¡°How is your craving for blood?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s alright. I was also really worried about that, but I don¡¯t have any cravings rights now. Right now, it¡¯s to the extent that I just want a quick snack once a week; and this hunger also quickly disappears. As long as I don¡¯t control other people¡¯s blood, I think I will be fine.¡±

    Joachim bit his thumb. A thin trail of blood dripped down his fingers. However, the trail of blood suddenly changed its path and slowly floated in the air. Then it spread around and the blood droplets began moving.

    ¡°It¡¯s a strange ability whenever I look at it.¡±

    ¡°I feel the same way even though I¡¯m the one controlling it.¡±

    This was the Blood Vessel¡¯s ability: ¡®Blood Domination.¡¯

    ¡°Sir, you are getting better at controlling it.¡±

    ¡°I thought I should at least have the power to protect myself. Since Sir Zich said there are no side effects to controlling my own blood, I¡¯ve been practicing.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not bad to have a secret weapon at your disposal. No, it¡¯s really good that you have it. However, sir, you have to be careful to not get consumed by the power.¡±

    ¡°Yes, if that happens, the super scary Mr. Zich wille to kill me.¡±

    Brod smirked at Joachim¡¯s reply. ¡°Yes, the super scary Mr. Zich wille back. I wonder if he¡¯s out of the estate by now.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know. Since he is a free spirit, he might stay a bit longer, or he might have left a while ago.¡±

    ¡°If I think about it, he never revealed his identity.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t think we have to find out his identity. He¡¯s a hero who saved our estate. In this estate, that¡¯s the only status we should be concerned about.¡±

    ¡°Yes, you are right.¡±

    ¡°Anyways¡­¡±

    The easygoing atmosphere as they talked about Zich suddenly grew heavy and dark. Joachim¡¯s face became serious.

    ¡°Were you able to find their identities?¡±

    ¡°Unfortunately¡­¡± Brod put his head down in apology. However, Joachim did not me him.

    ¡°Even though Shalom was working with them, those bastards moved around the estate without anyone noticing. If we discover their identities this fast, we have to seriously consider that it might be a trap.¡±

    While reorganizing and fixing the Dracul estate, they set aside a small number of resources to find information about the assassination organization. However, as expected, it was hard to investigate and find any information about them.

    ¡°The estate¡¯s recovery is our top priority right now. We shouldn¡¯t be anxious if we can¡¯t find any traces of them. That¡¯s the same for the silver-haired woman.¡±

    The estate was also tracking the mysterious and beautiful woman who suddenly appeared and killed Ms. Bargot and then disappeared. She didn¡¯t cause any direct harm to the Dracul estate; instead, she could be considered a benefactor as she defeated Ms. Bargot before Ms. Bargot could harm the surrounding areas. However, it didn¡¯t change the fact that the silver-haired woman was extremely suspicious.

    ¡°I will keep that in mind.¡±

    ¡°Are there any more situations to report?¡±

    ¡°No, sir.¡±

    ¡°Then you are dismissed.¡±

    Joachim returned to his mountain pile of reports and documents on his desk. Brod bowed and left the room. From the mountain of documents, Joachim picked out a document from its peak. No matter how heavy the workload was, it was impossible for the meticulous and hardworking Joachim to sloppily do his work. He began reading through the document. His eyes fervently moved as he scrolled down. But after reading five lines, Joachim put down the document. He looked to the side and saw the moon shining through his window sill.

    ¡®I guess I don¡¯t have the side effect where I turn into a monster during the full moon or something like that.¡¯

    At this random thought, Joachim smirked and looked at the moon. His situation waspletely different from when hest looked up at the moon. In the past, he could only imagine a future where he escaped his family and traveled around the world with his fragile body; but now, he had a healthy body, and even though there were a lot of dangers and tribtions for him to ovee, he was the master of a noble family.

    ¡®It¡¯srgely thanks to Mr. Zich.¡¯

    If it hadn¡¯t been for Zich, he would have died at Biyom or Shalom¡¯s hands, or be a monster after being tricked by the assassin.

    ¡®If something happens to him, I have to fully repay him.¡¯

    Joachim would never forget his debt to Zich. After making a solemn promise to himself, Joachim moved his eyes away from the moon and went back to the document he was holding.

    * * *

    At the same time, Zich was also looking at the moon. The blistering heat of the bonfire contested the moonlight, but the moon¡¯s subtle and gracious light firmly held up against the zing light of the fire.

    Several days had passed since they left the Dracul estate. They went back to their crazy routine where they just powered through the forest without following any paths. In contrast, Zich leisurely looked up at the moon as if he had not gone through much trouble.

    But that was only Zich.

    ¡°Ugh¡­¡±

    ¡°Argh¡­¡±

    Hans and Snocy t on the ground; only their faint groans indicated that they were alive.

    Koo¡­

    Nowem alsoid t on Snoc¡¯s back. If anyone saw them right now, they would have been mistaken for zombies. Zich clicked his tongue.

    ¡°Did I let you guys y around in Ospurin too much? Next time, I should at least make the two of you do basic training¡­¡±

    ¡°I-I am all right!¡± Hans quickly lifted his body up.

    Snoc, while hugging Nowem, also quickly got up and straightened his back. They moved so fast; it was hard to imagine that they had been lying down on the floor while groaning just a second ago.

    Zich smirked. ¡°Rest easy. I was just joking.¡±

    Hans and Snoc nced at each other. However, judging by Zich¡¯s smirk, it didn¡¯t seem like Zich was lying. The two repressed their anger at Zich for making such a frightening joke andy on the floor again.

    ¡°There¡¯s discontentment written right on your faces!¡±

    ¡°T-That can¡¯t be, sir!¡±

    ¡°Yes, yes! We don¡¯t have anyints!¡±

    With paleplexions, the two denied his ims, and Zich chuckled.

    ¡°But the training definitely has an effect. You both must have realized it from the battle this time.¡± As Zich said, they had both performed brilliantly; Hans had assisted Zich by his side while Snoc had fought against the leader of the assassins by himself.

    ¡°Of course, you guys are stillcking.¡± Zich¡¯s eyes turned cold. ¡°You guys should at least have the skills to fight the leader of the assassins fromst time.¡±

    ¡°B-But sir, I beat that man.¡±

    Koo!

    Snoc quietly asserted his opinion, and Nowem supported him. Snoc had gained some confidence after fighting the leader of the assassins by himself.

    ¡°Fine. Then, the next time we meet someone simr to that assassin leader, I will offer them to you again. But in return, you won¡¯t have the advantage of being underground.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡± Snoc closed his mouth.

    ¡°Seriously, what are you going on about? You barely managed to beat that guy even after you copsed the whole basement. You should only talk big when you can beat a guy like that even above ground.¡±

    In response, Snoc slumped his head on his nket, and likewise, Nowem ced his face on Snoc¡¯s back. But Zich¡¯s sharp words weren¡¯t only aimed at Snoc.

    ¡°Hans, it¡¯s the same for you too. Even if Snoc has a cheat-likepanion like Nowem, you went through a longer training period than Snoc. Are you nning to let your junior catch up to you already?¡±

    Zich tried to pull out Hans¡¯petitive spirit by scratching at his pride. Hans also didn¡¯t feel toofortable about his junior progressing ahead of him, but at the moment, he had a greater concern than that.

    ¡°Sir Zich.¡±

    ¡°Why? Do you want to ask me something?¡±

    ¡°What you said before¡ªyou know, how you said that you would prioritize defeating Ms. Bargot above the lives of everyone in Ospurin¡­¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re still thinking about that?¡± Zich bent one of his knees and raised his arms to put more wood into the fire. The bonfire let out sparks that chased away the darkness for a few seconds and then disappeared.

    ¡°You¡¯re not satisfied with the answer I gave you?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡± Hans didn¡¯t reply, but Zich could guess what he was thinking.

    ¡°You can understand my reasoning with your mind, but it¡¯s difficult to ept it with your heart, right? I understand. Most people wouldn¡¯t be able to ignore the people right in front of them no matter how many more lives they could save in the future. But Hans¡ª¡±

    Unlike usual, Zich talked seriously without teasing him. ¡°Even if your decision leads to an unexpected oue, you have to make a decision if you are given a choice. Especially if you want to be a hero.¡±

    ¡°I-If you are a hero, shouldn¡¯t you try to solve the situation without sacrificing anyone?!¡±

    Hans was too immature, and he didn¡¯t know enough of the world yet. It was enough to make listeners frustrated, but Zich¡¯s attitude didn¡¯t change.

    ¡°Do you want to be a hero or a god?¡±

    Even the amazing Demon Lord of Strength, Zich Moore had failed to live the life he wanted, and it was probably the same for the Sun Hero, Glen Zenard who had beaten him.

    ¡°Even a super genius like me couldn¡¯t achieve everything I wanted. It will be the same in the future too. No matter how amazing a person is, as long as they are ¡®human,¡¯ they can¡¯t do everything they want.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°Well, I guess you can¡¯t ept this right away.¡±

    Zich understood Hans¡¯ silence.

    ¡°Think about it carefully. But don¡¯t hesitate so much that you can¡¯t decide on anything. It¡¯s better to make the wrong decision than not make one at all.¡±

    ¡°¡­Sir Zich, do you really think that I can be a hero?¡±

    Even though Zich teased Hans about his dreams from time to time, Zich was really teaching him how to be a hero. Hans thought Zich was making fun of him at first, but he soon realized that there was some sincerity behind his light-hearted attitude.

    ¡°Whatever, I don¡¯t know.¡± Zich stomped the little bit of expectation rising in Hans¡¯ heart without a care in the world.

    However, it was Zich¡¯s first time talking about Hans¡¯ possibility of bing a hero in a realistic tone, so Hans continued to listen. And Snoc also listened to their conversation with a sparkle in his eyes.

    ¡°If you want to be one, you should. You are the one who decides the way you¡¯re going to live. You don¡¯t have to consider what other people think about your dreams. A hero? You should go for it. Since you are my servant, I will do everything within my means to help you.¡±

    ¡°¡­Then, can I ask you one more question, sir?¡±

    ¡°What is it?¡±

    Hans spoke while thinking that he might get scolded for making Zich repeat his words so many times. ¡°You know the decision you talked about, sir¡­¡±

    ¡°Yeah?¡±

    As Hans spoke nervously, Zich listened without giving much of a reaction.

    ¡°Was there a way to save a few¡­just a few more people?¡±

    ¡°There was.¡±

    Both Hans and Snoc¡¯s eyes turned wide.

    ¡°It¡¯s simple. Do you know why I asked you if you wanted to be a god? If you have a power like a god¡¯s, even the most difficult things will be simple. If you think like that, the best way to ovee a crisis is to be stronger. The higher your skills and powers are, you¡¯ll be able to save more people and you¡¯ll be able to solve more problems.¡±

    ¡°So, what you are saying is¡­¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m telling you to train harder.¡±

    Drop!

    Hans heard something drop, and he looked back to see that Snoc had stuck his face into his nkets again. It was funny to see how Nowem also took the same pose as Snoc on his back. Then, Hans thought about Zich¡¯s training, which was on the verge of torture, and grew pale; but as he despaired about the uing, harsh training in the future, he etched Zich¡¯s words deep into his heart.

 Chapter 88

    <h4>Chapter 88</h4>

    While Hans and Snoc were lost in their own thoughts, Zich thought back to their recent battle and organized all the new information he learned inside his mind.

    ¡®Well, now I know for sure that the assassin organization is trying to make Demon People. Just finding out that information has made this event meaningful.¡¯

    Zich was able to find one possible way to reach the assassin group. He could start searching for ces where Demon People would appear and slowly extract more information from every group of assassins he met, and as he snuffed out more and more information, he could eventually reach their headquarters.

    ¡®When that timees, I have to rip them apart.¡¯

    Zich didn¡¯t know how big the main organization was, but during his peak, he was called the ¡®Demon Lord of Strength.¡¯ He had strong confidence in his ability to bite down on his opponents. Like a hound, he was going to pierce through their armor, rip apart their muscles, chop their intestines, and smell the sweet aroma of their insides.

    ¡®I now have a basic vision of what I will do to them.¡¯

    But when his thought moved to the next topic¡ªthe silver-haireddy who had clearly called him ¡®Zich Moore¡¯¡ªeven Zich was slightly troubled.

    ¡®I should assume that she knew me before I regressed.¡¯

    Then how did she know him? The first thought that came into his mind was that she was also a regressor. If he thought like this, it would not be strange for her to know his name, and her mastery, especially considering her youthful appearance, was not surprising. It would also make sense thatpared to her skills, she didn¡¯t seem used to fighting.

    ¡®Then who is she?¡¯ Zich tried to recall someone who had the same appearance and skills as the silver-haired woman before he regressed. ¡®Well first, I can¡¯t recall anyone who looked like her.¡¯

    There was no way Zich would not be able to remember an inhumanely beautiful person like her.

    ¡®Considering her abilities, she seems simr to the Demon Lord of Magic¡­¡¯

    In the time of the Demon People, the Demon Lord of Magic appeared at the end of the Era of the Demon People and was one of the Demon Lords with Zich. As his title implied, the Demon Lord of Magic freely used all kinds of magic and also fought with Zich a few times.

    ¡®But that¡¯s not it. The Demon Lord of Magic is a man.¡¯

    A wrinkly old man with a long, white beard¡ªthat was the Demon Lord of Magic whom Zich was familiar with. The Demon Lord of Magic waspletely different from the silver-haired woman.

    ¡®There¡¯s no one that pops into my mind. She seems like someone I¡¯ve never met before.¡¯

    It was not as if Zich knew every Demon Person, and she may not have even been a Demon Person. It was not strange that there was someone Zich did not know.

    ¡®I should think about herter after I get some more information.¡¯

    There was too little information about her. But Zich thought she should be prioritized even more than the assassin organization that made people into Demon People.

    ¡®If she also regressed, she might be rted to the Key that Distorts Destiny.¡¯

    Perhaps, she was the one who transnted the Key that Distorts Destiny into him and twisted his memory and perception. But it was hard to make any more predictions.

    ¡®Good. That¡¯s it.¡¯ Zich tried to be positive. ¡®If I find out more about her, I might find out the reason why I regressed, and how I was able to regress.¡¯

    With this conclusion, Zich erased any more thoughts about the silver-haired woman¡¯s appearance. However, his thoughts about her were far from over.

    ¡®Then does this mean that there could be more regressors like me?¡¯

    The first possible figures that Zich could think of were the Hero Party that had been next to him in his moment of death. But Zich shook his head.

    ¡®At least, she¡¯s not Lube.¡¯

    If Lube had her memories from her past life, there was no way she would have fought so pathetically against the Bellids. Instead, she would have been the first to end them with her own hands.

    ¡®No, if I¡¯m being specific, it¡¯s not the Lube as of right now.¡¯

    Zich hadn¡¯t regressed when he was born. There was a possibility that Lube could awaken her past memoriester on.

    ¡®If the silver-haired woman really regressed, it could have been a regression that was not rted to me at all.¡¯ Zich tapped his knees with his fingers. ¡®In the end, there¡¯s nothing I¡¯m sure of.¡¯

    There were more puzzles to solve. However, that was all the predictions and analyses he could make from the information he currently had.

    ¡®Well, that¡¯s fine. If we are bound to meet each other, our paths will cross again. If we never meet each other again, that¡¯s also fine.¡¯

    The most important thing was that Zich himself was living in this world.

    ¡®Even if there are other regressors like me, it¡¯s not a big deal. They can live their own lives, and I can live my own life.¡¯

    However, if there really were other regressors, Zich wanted to try solving his curiosity about the topic of regressing; but that was the extent of his thoughts about regressors. If any regressor tried to interfere with Zich¡­

    ¡®Well, what can I do? I have to beat them up.¡¯

    It would not matter if they were regressors. Zich¡¯s response to his opponents was always the same.

    * * *

    While Zich, Snoc, and Hans moved through the mountain, they continued to perform their random acts of kindness to the surrounding viges. They helped temples that took care of orphans, gave food to starving people, and providedbor to areas that needed support. One such area that needed their help was taking care of dangerous animals and monsters roaming near the viges.

    Polrune Vige was an ordinary, farming vige that was based on agriculture. The size of the vige was about average. The vige was full of open ins and fertile soil; life was stable and secure. However, even in this vige, there were serious concerns shared among the vigers. One such concern was the monsters and wild beasts that asionally came down from the mountain.

    Crush!

    A sharp pir rose up from the ground and pierced the wolf like a skewer.

    Skreech!

    The wolf wailed out loud. The wolf frantically tried to move its feet, but it was unable to reach the ground. As the wolf swallowed blood, it fell into despair. The other wolves in the pack were so surprised, they ran away in all directions. However, Zich¡¯s team did not miss a single one.

    Thud!

    Hans threw a mana-instilled rock on a wolf¡¯s head, and its head exploded. Hans quickly threw another stone at another wolf.

    Crush!

    But this time, he missed. Instead, the rock hit a tree and broke the tree in half. Hans scrunched his face and threw another stone.

    Thud!

    This time, he made a perfect hit. A wolf, which was hit in the back, copsed and rolled on the ground. The back of the wolf¡¯s hip exploded and its hind legs were separated from its body. Then the wolf¡¯s organs flowed out. However, due to Zich¡¯s intense training and their battle experiences, Snoc and Hans no longer felt disheartened by seeing the bloody sight in front of them. They had finished their training on killing people.

    Thud!

    Another rockpletely ripped apart a wolf, and a rock pir pierced another wolf. Like this, the whole wolf pack was decimated in a matter of seconds.

    ¡°It¡¯s over.¡± Zich yawned as he sat on a rock from a distance and got up.

    ¡°Yes, sir! I don¡¯t think we missed anything!¡±

    ¡°Good. Let¡¯s get moving.¡±

    After he ced the dead wolves in his magic box, Zich went deeper into the bushes. Hans and Snoc followed him from behind.

    ¡°Hmm.¡± With his acute eyes, Zich carefully searched the forest¡¯s surroundings.

    He didn¡¯t miss anything from the marks on the trees or the conditions of the dirt. Following Zich, Hans and Snoc also looked around. Although both of their skills had significantly increased thanks to their natural talent, including Zich¡¯s guidance and experience, they were still amateurish in many ways.

    While walking ahead, Zich stopped. His eyes were on the ground. ¡°¡­They were right.¡±

    Hans and Snoc stuck out their heads from Zich¡¯s back. On the dirt ground, which had be muddy from water, there were marks stamped on the soil. Although the marks were smudged, they appeared to be footprints; however, they looked too big to belong to a human.

    ¡°See, Nowem. I think there really was an orc here.¡± Snoc lifted Nowem forward and showed him the footprints.

    Orcs were the reason why they were all wandering inside the mountain. One of the vigers told them that they had spotted an orc on their way up the mountain. To the vigers, monsters were more dangerous than beasts; therefore, the trembling vigers had a meeting to discuss whether they should hire mercenaries or adventurers. When they saw Zich and hispanions who looked like skilled travelers, they quickly requested their help.

    Hans asked, ¡°Do you think a whole herd moved in, sir?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure. We will have to see if it''s an outcast or a whole herd. We only just confirmed their existence.¡± Zich pointed in the direction the footprints headed towards. ¡°Look for more footprints around here. Whether it¡¯s just one or multiple, we have to find where they are.¡±

    Hans asked in surprise, ¡°Can we find them with just this one mark?¡±

    Zich shook his head. ¡°My tracking skills are not that impressive.¡±

    ¡°Then, how do you n to find them, sir?¡±

    Zich smirked and lifted his feet up. Then, he pointed at his eyes and ears. ¡°I¡¯m going to walk, see, hear, and feel.¡±

    Both Hans and Snoc turned gloomy from Zich¡¯s answer. Even a child¡¯s rash y would have more nning than this. However, they couldn¡¯t do anything. They knew from past experience that Zich would listen to their suggestions and employ them only if he thought their suggestions were good, but neither Hans nor Snoc had a clear n.

    However, Zich also didn¡¯t n to just keep wandering around. Although Zich said that he was hopeless at tracking, that was only inparison to professionals¡ªand as someone who used to be called the Demon Lord, Zich only considered people who were on top of their fields ¡®as professionals.¡¯

    In short, Zich was only hopeless inparison to tracking experts, and he had the basic skills to track and follow traces. Furthermore, the scope that Zich could sense was immense, and they moved very quickly through the mountain. Thus, contrary to Snoc and Hans¡¯ expectations that they would be wandering in the mountain for a long time, they found the orcs¡¯ settlement just the next day.

    Then after that, Hans and Snoc massacred themunity of orcs without Zich having to step in.

    * * *

    People gathered at the vige square and murmured amongst themselves. They were gathered in a circle around something, and the different kinds of expressions on their faces were fun to read. Most of their expressions seemed to be filled with curiosity, but there were some mixed with negative emotions such as fear and disgust.

    What they were looking at were several orc corpses. Unlike weak monsters like goblins, orcs were a rare sight to see since there was a small chance that ordinary vigers would survive to tell the tale. Next to the orcs¡¯ corpses, Zich and hispanions and the vige chief were standing together.

    ¡°So, you are telling me that these monsters were settling inside the mountain?¡± The old man withpletely white hair nudged the pile of corpses.

    ¡°Yes, sir. We don¡¯t know where they came from, but it could¡¯ve been really dangerous for the vige. If the orcs knew that there was a vige of humans nearby, they wouldn¡¯t have been able to resisting down here.¡±

    ¡°Are these all the monsters in the mountain?¡±

    ¡°No, these are just the monsters we brought here as evidence. There were many more in the settlement, but don¡¯t worry, sir. We didn¡¯t miss a single one.¡±

    Zich¡¯s words assured the vige chief. The mere sight of these orcs¡¯ huge bodies, much bigger than humans amassed with bulky muscles, was enough to threaten them. It was clear to everyone how much damage these orcs would have caused if they ambushed the vige. However, the relief he feltsted only for a moment, and the chief thought of a new concern.

    ¡°But¡­then¡­do we need to give you all somepensation for this?¡±

    So far, Zich hadn¡¯t requested money for any of the deeds he and his group did for the vige. But this time, it wasn¡¯t like he and hispanions had simply killed one or two orcs that were running around. They destroyed a whole settlement of orcs and personally brought some of the corpses as evidence. If Zich asked forpensation, the vige chief wouldn¡¯t be able to refuse Zich¡¯s request; after all, how could he when Zich and hispanions were strong enough to catch all those fearsome orcs? Everyone knew that the danger in front of them was the most fearsome and dangerous one.

    But Zich shook his head. ¡°It¡¯s fine. It¡¯s not like it was anything difficult.¡±

    ¡°¡­You really don¡¯t need any money?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°We are not so in need to exhort a small, rural vige for money.¡±

    ¡°Thank you! Thank you so much, young man!¡±

    The vige chief thanked Zich from the bottom of his heart as hisst concern disappeared. And as the unexpected event inside the quiet vige came to an end, people returned back to their normal, day-to-day lives. Zich and hispanions also went back to their lodging. As the vige¡¯s saviors, the vige chief took extra care of their stay, and a fancy meal weed them back.

    After finishing their meals, Hans and Snoc went upstairs to their rooms to rest. Zich also rested in his room while looking down at the vige from the window.

    ¡°What?¡±

    He saw someone loitering around at the mouth of the alleyway. A smile formed on his lips.

 Chapter 89

    <h4>Chapter 89</h4>

    The lodging that Zich was residing in was for travelers. Since the vige was notrge, there was only one shabby lodging for travelers. Overall, it was a mediocre ce to stay.

    A boy was staring intently at their lodging. He looked to be around ten years old. His clothes were oversized and shabby and his face was dirty. Judging by his appearance, it didn¡¯t seem as if he was living afortable life. The boy squirmed around as if he was trying to make a decision, but Zich suddenly appeared behind him. Like a cat catching his prey, Zich hid his presence and moved towards him. The boy did not notice Zich at all, and the corners of Zich¡¯s mouth moved up.

    ¡°Hey!¡±

    ¡°!!!¡±

    Zich tapped the boy¡¯s shoulders. The boy was so surprised, he jumped up in the same ce. He couldn¡¯t even scream and turned his head back while choking. There was even a tear on his pale-stricken face. It was an understatement to say that the boy was ovee with shock.

    ¡°What are you secretly looking at?¡±

    ¡°Mister, y-you surprised me!¡± The boy cried out to Zich; he tried to make his voice tough, but his small, shivering frame betrayed him.

    Zich messed up the boy¡¯s hair and put one hand forward. ¡°Here.¡±

    There was arge piece of bread in his hand. The boy¡¯s eyes widened. As his appearance indicated, the boy¡¯s family circumstances were difficult. To him, a soft and savory bread that was the size of a male adult¡¯s arm was like food from heaven. However, because of that, it was harder for him to just take it from Zich.

    ¡°¡­I didn¡¯te here for this¡­¡±

    ¡°Then what did youe here for?¡±

    The boy had nothing to say since he did expect to get some free food. Zich forcefully grabbed the boy¡¯s hand and made him take the bread. ¡°A kid shouldn¡¯t refuse an adult¡¯s gift.¡±

    ¡°¡­My mom told me to not take stuff from strangers.¡± Since the boy felt like he was causing trouble, he tried to refuse once more.

    ¡°She was talking about bad adults.¡±

    ¡°Then are you a kind adult?¡±

    ¡°No, I¡¯m a bad adult that is trying to live a kind life.¡±

    ¡°What is up with that?¡± The boy smirked.

    Zich sat down with his back against a wall and patted the spot next to him. The boy cautiously sat down next to Zich and took a big bite of the bread. Then, the boy quickly gobbled down the bread; the soft bread tastedpletely different from what he was used to.

    ¡°Hey, eat slowly. You are going to get indigestion.¡± Zich handed the boy a water bottle.

    The boy quickly gulped down the water, as his throat was parched. Then he quickly stuffed more bread into his mouth. But the boy did notpletely finish the bread. Instead, he packed half of the bread into a sack he brought.

    ¡°Are you going to bring some to your family again?¡±

    ¡°Yes. My mother and my father are also suffering. I want to at least give some of this bread to my parents.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s nice of you. But your parents don¡¯t say anything? Didn¡¯t your mother tell you to not take food from strangers?¡±

    ¡°Ah, that¡­¡± The boy slurred his words at the end; it seemed as if he was scolded by his parents.

    ¡®Well, I would do the same thing as his parents.¡¯

    There were few people who were kind to others for no reason. In the first ce, Zich was only doing kind acts because of Glen Zenard¡¯s ¡°kind¡± suggestion.

    ¡°My parents used to scold me, but now they don¡¯t. There¡¯s a lot of rumors going around in this vige that you are a kind and impressive person.¡±

    ¡°A kind person¡­¡±

    Zich felt pleased that his acts of kindness were being recognized, but he couldn¡¯t get used to being called a ¡®kind person.¡¯ Zich felt like he was going to break out in hives from disgust.

    ¡°But if a stranger approaches you with more friendliness than usual, don¡¯t trust them. The world is not that beautiful.¡±

    Moreover, the world would be more dangerous as it reached the Era of Demon People.

    The boy replied, ¡°I understand.¡±

    Small talk passed between the boy and Zich.

    ¡°I have to go now.¡± The boy saw that the sun was setting and quickly got up.

    ¡°Head home safely. And next time, juste directly to the lodging and ask for me. Don¡¯t just stare from the corner of an alley like some kind of criminal. In the first ce, I¡¯m not at my lodging most of the time.¡±

    Zich was usually outside helping out a viger or defeating monsters, so it was fortunate that he found the boy today.

    ¡°But if a dirty person like me went inside a ce like that, I would get scolded.¡±

    ¡°I already told them about you beforehand, so it doesn¡¯t matter. Also, that ce shouldn¡¯t scold anyone about cleanliness, so don¡¯t worry about it.¡±

    Zich¡¯s lodging was not a ce of luxury, and travelers usually didn¡¯t wash well and went around like beggars. There was no way a lodging for travelers would reject someone for their dirtiness. Moreover, Zich was a frequent customer of that lodging, and he was now famous around the vige.

    ¡°What? Why are you looking at me like that?¡± Zich asked this as the boy continued to stare intently at him.

    ¡°¡­Mister, why are you so nice to me?¡±

    ¡°As you said, isn¡¯t it because I¡¯m a kind person?¡± Even though Zich said this, he felt a shiver run down his back.

    The food inside his stomach threatened toe back up, but he managed to keep it down. However, the boy shook his head as if he couldn¡¯t agree with Zich¡¯s words.

    ¡°Even the people who are rumored to be kind don¡¯t want to get involved with us.¡±

    The boy¡¯s family was one of the poorest in the vige. They were so poor that they couldn¡¯t even afford to live inside the sloppily structured wooden fences around the vige. Even though the vige was on the wealthy side due to its vast ins and fertile soil, themoners didn¡¯t live in muchfort. The boy, who had experienced subtle discrimination from everyone, was amazed by the kindness shown by a traveler like Zich.

    ¡°It¡¯s because I¡¯m a kinder person than those kind people.¡±

    ¡°But didn¡¯t you just tell me that you are a bad person who¡¯s trying to live a kind life?¡±

    ¡°Then let¡¯s just say that I¡¯m a bad adult who is trying to live a kinder life than a kind person.¡±

    ¡°What the heck is that?¡± the boyughed. He looked poor and starving, but his smile was the same as any other boy.

    ¡°There are all kinds of people in this world.¡±

    ¡°I wish there were more people like you.¡±

    ¡°If that happened, the world would be a much cooler ce.¡±

    ¡°I think so too.¡± As the boy strongly agreed to something he said half-jokingly, Zich felt embarrassed.

    He was still not used to other people treating him as a kind person. As a result, the boy had sessfully achieved the almost impossible task of embarrassing Zich, who could be said to be the manifestation of shamelessness. Zich looked up at the sky. The sun looked a bit brighter than before.

    ¡°I¡¯m really going now! See you again, mister!¡±

    ¡°All right. Goodbye.¡±

    The boy ran. He moved his short legs with a lot of effort and ran straight until he reached the front of some alleyway. Then, he waved his hands at Zich one more time and disappeared into the alley.

    ¡®He asked me why I was so nice to him¡­¡¯

    Zich thought about the question that the boy asked him. He had jokingly said that it was because he was a ¡®bad adult who wanted to live kindly,¡¯ but that wasn¡¯t the only reason.

    ¡®It must be that.¡¯

    He recalled what Timmy told him when he fought those Bellid guys with Lube. Timmy said that he couldn¡¯t hate Zich because Zich was the first one who helped him for no reason at all. Those words had shocked Zich when he first heard them, so it left a deep impression in his mind. They were the reasons why Zich had reached out his hand toward the boy who walked around while clutching his stomach in hunger, and why he had continued their rtionship since then.

    ¡®I feel like I have really be a kind person.¡¯ Zichughed and thought that even to him, this sounded like bullshit.

    * * *

    Kuuah!

    A monster screamed; it was a sound terrifying enough to make all the hairs of a person¡¯s body stand.

    Kiiieeeeh!

    The monster shrieked again. However, it didn¡¯t sound like it was shrieking to intimidate its opponent or celebrate from feasting on its victims¡¯ flesh. It was simply crying in pain.

    Crunch!

    At Hans¡¯ swing, a troll¡¯s forearm easily fell off its body. The troll clutched its severed arm and cried out, but Hans¡¯ heartless sword showed no mercy.

    Slice!

    Hans¡¯ sword sliced through the troll¡¯s neck, passing its thick skin, stringy muscles, and hard bones in one chilling blow. The troll copsed helplessly to the ground.

    Thud! Thud!

    Hans turned around to finish off the other trolls when he heard two heavy sounds. From a distance away, there were two trolls on the ground with boulders on top of their heads. The pool of blood collecting beneath the rocks indicated that the trolls would not survive from the impact no matter how good their regenerative abilities were.

    Then, Hans saw Snoc go to the trolls that he defeated and nudged them with his feet. Even Nowem jumped off Snoc¡¯s shoulders and tapped the trolls; they were making sure that the monsters were dead. The trolls looked dead, but since trolls had amazing regenerative abilities, there was no harm in making sure.

    ¡®It¡¯s over now.¡¯

    Hans sheathed his sword. When he turned around, he saw Zich. As if he was satisfied with something, Zich squinted and stared at the trolls.

    ¡°We have taken care of all of them, sir.¡±

    ¡°Good job,¡± Zich said inly.

    ¡°Is there something wrong, sir?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s strange that there¡¯s this many trolls here.¡±

    The total number of trolls that Hans and Snoc had finished off was seven. It was not a small number¡ªno, considering the dangers of trolls, this was an incredibly high number; especially in a wide, open in that wasn''t too deep into the mountains.

    ¡®Since the orcs also tried to settle around here, there must be something going on.¡¯

    Zich couldn¡¯t pinpoint a specific cause.

    ¡®The monsters could be just a group who lost a power struggle in their herd or migrated after they ran out of food. Or they could just be strange monsters trying to make some trouble.¡¯ Zich stared deep into the mountain. ¡®Should I stay here for a while and hunt monsters for now?¡¯ Since the mountain wasn¡¯t that big, it didn¡¯t seem like it would take a long time.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± Zich shouted to Hans and Snoc.

    * * *

    Zich and hispanions continued their travels and searched through half of the mountain. Fortunately, there weren¡¯t as many monsters as they thought there would be. They didn¡¯t see another orc or troll settlement and just saw a couple of wandering orcs from time to time. Zich decided to search through the rest of the mountain after resting in the vige for about a day.

    Grab!

    Even today, Zich gave his bread to the boy whose name he didn¡¯t know and watched the boy eat. The boy ate only half of the bread and put the rest of it in his pocket like usual.

    ¡°Are you done eating?¡±

    The boy cleanly licked the breadcrumbs around his mouth and answered, ¡°Yes!¡±

    As usual, they chatted. It wasn¡¯t a very meaningful conversation¡ªthe boy talked about how he was doing, and Zich told him all kinds of stories about the world.

    ¡°Ah, before I forget. Try to stay home as much as possible if you can.¡±

    ¡°Why?¡±

    ¡°Did you hear about dangerous monsters in the mountains?¡±

    ¡°I heard about it.¡± Zich had already told the vige chief about the situation, so this was old news now. ¡°I am working hard to get rid of them, but I might have missed some. So, don¡¯t wander around for the time being. Especially outside of the vige at night.¡±

    ¡°I won¡¯t wander around.¡±

    ¡°Also, if there¡¯s anything unusual going around, tell me.¡±

    ¡°Okay!¡±

    Then, after talking a bit more, the boy ran back to his house.

    ¡®Ah,e to think about it, I didn¡¯t ask for his name.¡¯

    This thought suddenly struck Zich while he saw the boy run off. Since all they did was talk for a bit while sharing food, Zich hadn¡¯t been interested in the boy¡¯s name.

    ¡®I was able to talk to him so well without even knowing his name. Should I ask him what his name is next time?¡¯ Zich returned to his lodging while thinking these thoughts.

 Chapter 90

    <h4>Chapter 90</h4>

    The boy, who Zich didn¡¯t know the name of, was sad and disappointed. When he went to visit Zich¡¯s lodging, he was told that Zich was not inside. Since the boy enjoyed meeting Zich and conversing together, getting free bread from him was now a second priority.

    ¡®Well, it¡¯s fine. This happens often.¡¯

    Since Zich kept himself extremely busy, there were many days when the boy was not able to meet Zich. Even though this happened frequently, the boy felt disappointed every time. He walked inside the vige with heavy and down-trodden steps.

    His parents were foreigners. Since he was young, his parents found a ce for them to stay near the vige and began living there. Viges were usually intensely wary of foreigners. For that reason, it took a lot of time and effort for his family to be epted by the vigers. Fortunately, they were now somewhat epted by the vigers, but they were still subtly discriminated against.

    ¡®Huh?¡¯

    While the boy was returning back to his home, he saw a strange person surrounded by people. The person was a traveler, but that was not the strange part. There were travelers or adventurers who sometimes passed through the vige; Zich was also a traveler. However, the person in front of him had an extremely peculiar appearance. He did not have a single strand of hair, and half of his face and head were covered with strange tattoos. His aura was also heavy and threatening. Vigers, whom the boy knew, surrounded the traveler. The traveler was exchanging money for a few packs of food from the vigers. However, even the vigers next to him were intimidated and their bodies flinched every time the traveler moved.

    Then, the traveler suddenly turned his head and met the boy¡¯s eyes.

    Twitch!

    The boy felt a cold shiver run down his back. The frightened boy turned his back and quickly ran away. He went into the nearest alleyway and hid from the stranger¡¯s eyes. But even then, the boy felt as if the traveler¡¯s eyes were following him, so he ran even faster.

    * * *

    Zich¡¯s group finished surveying the rest of the mountain. Fortunately, they killed most of the monsters in their first raid, so they only caught two orcs and five goblins. They even considered the possibility that some of the monsters might have moved, so they went back to the ces they raided but found no trace of monsters.

    ¡°Good! Let¡¯s go!¡± Zich shouted at Hans and Snoc.

    All the monsters were gone, and thanks to Zich and Hans, the number of wild beasts was also curbed. There were no signs that any more monsters mighte. Even when they looked around, there were no factors that might have drawn out the monsters. Zich concluded that a power conflict between the monsters pushed back the weaker monsters closer to the vige. For a while, Polrune Vige wouldn¡¯t be harmed by monsters and wild beastsing down from the mountain.

    ¡®It¡¯s time for me to go.¡¯

    There was nothing more Zich could do for this vige. Zich decided to move to the next vige. All the vigers, including the chief, were sad to see Zich go. Even though they were wary about outsiders, Zich had helped them out tremendously. After Zich told everyone that he was going to leave, he waited for the boy. Zich wanted to at least say goodbye to him. However, no matter how long Zich stayed in his lodging, the boy strangely did not appear. Zich asked the owner of the lodging when hest saw the boy.

    ¡°Hmmm. He used toe almost every day, but for the past few days, he hasn¡¯t beening.¡±

    Zich wasn¡¯t able to get the answer he wanted from the owner. Should he just leave? But it was true that he was concerned about the boy.

    ¡®Should I try looking around his house?¡¯

    Zich knew where the boy lived. Not a lot of people lived past the wooden fence of the vige,and the people who lived outside were struggling with poverty like the boy¡¯s family. Since the people who lived outside were few in number, Zich could easily find where they lived.

    ¡®Let¡¯s just check up on him.¡¯

    Since it was theirst meeting, Zich bought a basket full of bread to give to the boy. And while he was buying it, he asked the vigers how the boy and the people who lived outside the fence were faring.

    ¡°Thinking back on it, I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve seen them for the past two days. Usually, theye here to help around with chores and manualbor.¡±

    When Zich heard this from the baker, Zich felt that something bad might have happened to the boy. It was a very strange incident that the boy, his family, and everyone who lived outside the fence would all suddenly disappear. On the other hand, it had only been two days. There was also a high possibility that there was some unknown reason why they didn¡¯te inside the vige for two days.

    While carrying the basket of bread, Zich headed outside the vige. The boy¡¯s house was not far away. Even though they were living outside the wooden fence, their house was not far from the vige. As he walked, he could see the boy¡¯s house more and more clearly. Shabby and dpidated houses were scattered across the ins.

    Thud!

    Suddenly, Zich halted. He scrunched his face slightly. Using his sensing abilities, he couldn¡¯t sense anyone in the house. Since the boy was not in the vige, he had expected the boy to be in his house. Zich began walking again. He sensed the house next to the boy¡¯s house, but as expected, he couldn¡¯t sense any human presence. It was the same for the other houses.

    Then Zich¡¯s senses reached thest house.

    Tap!

    Zich quickly sped up his movements. He finally sensed a presence in thest house; however, the presence was very faint.

    ¡®A person is dying.¡¯

    Zich could feel it. In a matter of moments, Zich reached the house and opened the door. The house was not locked. The inside of the house waspletely messy; the few furnishings in the house were wrecked, and three people were on the ground in the middle of the room.

    ¡®Two of them are dead.¡¯

    That was the reason why Zich was only able to sense one person. While stepping on the blood-soaked floor that had turned sticky and dark, Zich walked towards thest remaining person. He took out a potion and lifted the dying person¡¯s body. The figure was much smaller than an adult.

    It was the boy.

    ¡°Hey! Wake up!¡± Zich shook the boy and opened the top of the potion to pour it on the boy, but his hand stopped.

    ¡®This¡­¡¯

    There was something on the boy¡¯s chest. A scar was cut on his chest into a specific pattern, and its gruesome existence shook all those who saw it.

    ¡°Mr¡­¡±

    ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s me.¡±

    ¡°¡­Why are you here¡­?¡±

    ¡°You kept noting, so I came to you this time.¡± Zich¡¯s voice was cold and calm.

    If a bystander didn¡¯t know the context of their situation, they would have thought Zich was having a casual conversation.

    ¡°I¡­see¡­¡±

    As if he was happy that Zich came to find him, a faint smile formed on the boy¡¯s face. The smile made his pale and lifeless face appear even more washed up.

    ¡°Who did this to you?¡± Zich asked bluntly.

    The boy didn¡¯t notice the slight chill in Zich¡¯s voice, and he simply trembled at the memory of the horrific incident.

    ¡°I¡­I don¡¯t know¡­He was someone¡­I have never¡­seen before¡­he suddenly appeared¡­at night.¡± Tears trickled down the boy¡¯s cheeks. ¡°Ah, he¡­to my dad¡­first¡­then, Mom¡­!¡±

    He didn¡¯t give specific details, but the corpses of the boy¡¯s parents clearly disyed the terror they had faced right before their deaths.

    ¡°H-He told me¡­that if I didn¡¯t shout¡­he wouldn¡¯t kill¡­my mom and dad¡­but it hurt too much and I couldn¡¯t¡­I tried to¡­ endure it as much¡­as I could¡­¡± There were knife marks all over the boy¡¯s body. It seemed as if his offender had yed a ¡®game¡¯ of torture with a condition that the boy must not make a sound. ¡°After¡­he killed¡­ my mom and dad¡­ he did the same thing¡­to other people¡­¡±

    Zich didn¡¯t feel any presence in the other houses; it seemed like the neighbors were also all dead.

    ¡°He said¡­it¡¯s¡­all my¡­fault. It¡¯s¡­all my fault!¡±

    The boy couldn¡¯t cry. He didn¡¯t even have the energy to talk properly, and his consciousness was almost half gone. Instead, the soundless tears dripping down his face conveyed his sorrows.

    ¡°¡­Don¡¯t worry. It¡¯s not your fault,¡± Zich responded, but the boy¡¯s heart could not be at ease with just a few words. ¡°Do you remember anything particr about the guy?¡±

    ¡°¡­He had no¡­hair¡­and a strange¡­mark covered¡­half of his face¡­¡±

    Zich¡¯s eyes sparkled.

    ¡°All right. I understand. You have done well.¡±

    Zich raised his hands and ced them on the hideous pattern on the boy¡¯s chest. Mana gathered in his hands.

    Pwiish!

    His mana-soaked fingernails pierced deeply into the center of the mark.

    Shaa.

    The dark energy lingering on the boy¡¯s body disappeared, and the boy closed his eyes at the same time. Then, the boy took hisst breath.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I will settle this for you.¡± Zich stroked the sleeping boy¡¯s head once.

    * * *

    Crackle!

    The fire burned aggressively. Its fiery dance grew stronger from the many firewoods inside it. And everything within its reach¡ªincluding the fearless bugs that flew into the fire and the corpses of those who had died a painful death¡ªwere engulfed in its mes.

    The people living in the outskirts of the vige experienced discrimination from the vigers while they were alive, and they couldn¡¯t receive the vigers¡¯ blessings even in their deaths. They were all outsiders who had settled into the vige from somewhere else, so they had no clear connection with the rest of themunity. In addition, the fact that they had all been brutally murdered scared the vigers froming out. Thus, the only ones who bid their farewells were Zich, Hans, and Snoc.

    ¡°¡­They are so pitiful¡­¡±

    Koo¡­

    Snoc sighed while hugging Nowem. The vigers were reluctant to hold a funeral for the people who died. Therefore, Zich volunteered to do the work, and Zich and hispanions did everything in preparation from moving the corpses and preparing the funeral. When Hans and Snoc first saw the corpses, they were shocked. Every single corpse was corrupt to the point that it no longer resembled the shape of a human.

    The three watched the fire, and Hans stole quick nces at Zich. Zich¡¯s expression was the same as usual, but that worried Hans even more.

    ¡®There¡¯s no way Sir Zich won¡¯t do anything.¡¯

    He didn¡¯t know the details, but Hans was aware that Zich had cared for a boy in this vige. And that boy had died after going through horrible torture.

    ¡®He won¡¯t act upon things like sentimentality or a sense of justice.¡¯

    Although Zich vowed to do kind acts, Hans knewmon motivators didn¡¯t move or affect Zich. However, killing someone Zich helped and making his kind act useless or torturing and murdering someone rted to him would have definitely made a dent on Zich¡¯s ego. And Hans¡¯ analysis was on point. Zich¡¯s heart and mind were like steel. They were like a frozen piece ofnd that was frozen for thousands of years.

    Zich waited until the fire dwindled without moving an inch. It took a long time for the fire to fade out, and Zich collected the bones left between the firewood. Then, he ground them up into powder and ced them into a vase and made an urn. Finally, he ced the urn into his magic box.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± These were Zich¡¯s first words since the firewood was lit up.

    Hans asked, ¡°Are you nning revenge, sir?¡±

    ¡°Of course.¡±

    ¡°Do you know who your target is?¡±

    Zich made a faint smile, but Hans and Snoc couldn¡¯t do the same. Zich¡¯s smile was terrifying enough for them to break out in cold sweat.

    ¡°Hans, you remember Lube and Weig, right?¡±

    ¡°Ah, yes!¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s go meet up with them. It¡¯s been a while.¡±

    ¡°¡­What?¡±

    Hans¡¯s voice naturally rose as Zich talked about meeting Karuwiman¡¯s Saint Candidate like they were going to meet a friend in the neighborhood. But Zich ignored him and continued walking.

 Chapter 91

    <h4>Chapter 91</h4>

    Lube was saying a prayer like usual. While she bent down her knees on a white floor, she was fully devoted in her prayers; needless to say, her appearance was the pinnacle of holiness. Then she opened her eyes. She loosened her hands and got up from the floor. Even though her knees felt slightly sore from bending them for so long, Lube showed no signs of difort. She turned around and headed towards the prayer room entrance. Arge holy object hanging in front of the prayer room seemed to be blessing her back.

    Creek!

    ¡°Oh my?¡± Lube was surprised to find Weig in front of her as soon as she opened the prayer room¡¯s thick door. Weig stared at Lube and made a smile.

    ¡°Lady Lube, are you finished with your prayers?¡±

    ¡°Yes, but what is the matter?¡±

    Lube knew that Weig waited in front of the prayer room when he had something urgent to say to her.

    Weig nodded his head. ¡°A familiar face hase to visit us.¡±

    ¡°A familiar face?¡±

    ¡°Zich. He hase to visit us.¡±

    Lube¡¯s face brightened up. ¡°Mr. Zich hase here?¡±

    ¡°He hase to see you and me. If you are busy, I can go by myself¡ª¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s go quickly!¡± Lube quickly moved her feet. Since she had to be quiet in the temple, she didn¡¯t run, but her footsteps were extremely fast. However, she stopped when she heard Weig¡¯s words. ¡°Lady Lube, do you even know where he is?¡±

    ¡°¡­Where is he?¡±

    Weig made a small smile and led Lube, who was now bright red, to where Zich and hispanions were.

    * * *

    ¡°Wow!¡± Snoc moved his head around fervently. He looked around the room, which waspletely white without a trace of dirt. Even though the room only had one holy ornament, the room seemed to ooze out divinity since it was inside the Karuwiman temple. Even Hans was amazed by the grand sight in front of him, and only Zich remained indifferent to the splendor of his surroundings.

    Knock! Knock!

    ¡°You cane in.¡± With Zich¡¯s permission, two people came inside the room. Zich and Hans were familiar with them, but it was Snoc¡¯s first time seeing them.

    ¡°It¡¯s been a while since I saw the two of you.¡± Zich got up from his seat and greeted them first.

    Lube and Weig were happy to see him.

    ¡°It¡¯s been a while, Mr. Zich. I¡¯m d that you look healthy.¡± Weig greeted him first while making that trademarkugh of his¡ªas if he was a silly old grandpa who lived next door. Even though Zich thought he got used to thisugh while fighting with Weig against the Bellids, it was strange to see Tasnia¡¯s Killing Machineugh so brightly again. Zich tried to repress his thoughts and shook hands with Weig.

    ¡°Mr. Zich, wee. Have you been well?¡± Lube smiled and gave a small bow.

    Unlike Weig, Zich felt no sense of confusion with her. Hans and Snoc also greeted Lube and Weig. After he heard their titles, Snoc froze in ce.

    ¡°Lady Lube, your face looks brighter. Has my advice been helpful to you?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s been more than helpful.¡± Weig quickly answered in Lube¡¯s ce. ¡°Those guys can¡¯t even properly stand in front of me or Lube. In the first ce, they weren¡¯t even at our level and were disrespecting us out of jealousy.¡±

    Weig¡¯s boisterousugh indicated how pleased he was.

    ¡°You were able to ovee it well.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s all thanks to you, Mr. Zich.¡± Even though Lube thought it wasn¡¯t something she should brag about (she even felt embarrassed), Lube made a shy smile.

    However, Weig was not going to end his bragging about Lube just yet. ¡°After that incident, Lady Lube¡¯s position as the next saint candidate has be even more solid. In the first ce, she was heads above everyone in morals and ability. Now, whenever someone thinks about the next Karuwiman Saint, 99 out of 100 people think of Lube.¡±

    ¡°Sir Weig, please stop.¡±

    ¡°As you can see, she is still very humble like this.¡±

    Lube¡¯s face became even redder. Likewise, Weig¡¯sughter became even louder. Their rtionship was still like a grandpa and his granddaughter. ¡°But all of my words about Lady Lube are true. Honestly, it¡¯s not an exaggeration to say Lady Lube is one step away from earning the name, ¡®Primel¡¯.¡±

    ¡®Primel.¡¯ It was the middle name given to a saint. It was not a name that the Karuwimans carelessly said, especially for fervent devotees like Weig. This indicated how close Lube was to bing a saint to the extent that Weig would confidently mention that name out loud.

    Zich asked, ¡°What do you have to do for that final step?¡±

    ¡°Anything really. No, I¡¯m not joking. The only thing we have left is to build her reputation. She just has toplete a small task for the sake of other people. Likest time, we can just go around viges for about a month.¡±

    ¡°And while you are doing that, are you expecting to meet those Bellid bastards again?¡±

    When Zich said this, Lube and Weig burst outughing at the same time. They both recalled what happened in Porti. Zichughed with them, but Snoc, who had not been with them during that time, just awkwardly stood there while holding onto Nowem. And Hans shook his head.

    Even though all Hans did during that time was run like crazy to bring Weig, Hans knew how serious the situation was. But the people in front of him were allughing while recalling such a terrifying event.

    ¡®Do all great people have this kind of mindset?¡¯

    Hans felt that there was a great distance between them.

    ¡°Yeah, yeah. It would be great if I could hunt down those Bellid bastards again. But will an event like that happen again?¡±

    Zich did not reply. All he did was smile. However, Weig, who had a lot of experience, knew right away from Zich¡¯s smile that he had something on his mind.

    ¡°¡­To think about it, I haven¡¯t asked you why you came here. Considering your personality, you wouldn¡¯t havee here without a reason.¡±

    ¡°You told me that there is only one step left until Lady Lube receives the middle name, ¡®Primel,¡¯ right?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°And what you need to do is a small task for the sake of others.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±

    ¡°This is thest task Lady Lube needs to do to be recognized as the Karuwiman Saint. Instead of a small task, why don¡¯t you end it with extravagance?¡±

    ¡°Such as?¡±

    ¡°The total destruction of the northern branch of Bellid.¡±

    * * *

    Tap! Tap!

    Weig tapped the table with his fingers. He cupped his face with his other hand and made a stern face. Lube did the same while sitting next to him. On the other hand, Hans and Snoc were wholly frozen in their spots, not knowing what to do¡ªthey hade here without hearing much.

    ¡°So¡­¡± Weig opened his mouth. ¡°The vigers you helped were brutally murdered, and the ones who killed them were part of the Bellid?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡± Zich asked for a pen and paper and began to draw a picture; it was the scar that was engraved on the boy¡¯s chest. Zich pushed his drawing toward Lube and Weig.

    ¡°You both can probably recognize this mark.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s one of those shit things that the Bellids do¡ªck magic that prevents a person from dying.¡±

    Hearing that, some might think the magic granted eternal youth and life to its subjects, but it was far from that.

    ¡°They taint a person¡¯s life force with Bellu¡¯s energy and forcefully keep the person alive no matter how fatal their wounds are. Since the magic is ineffective to those who harness Bellu¡¯s energy, they use it a lot to torture their victims who should be dead.¡±

    ¡°They also use it a lot to y with people.¡±

    ¡°¡­Did someone fall victim to this?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡± The edges of Zich¡¯s smile twisted with chilling bloodthirst.

    ¡°I was quite attached to him.¡±

    ¡°What a pity.¡± Weig drew a sign of the cross, and Lube silently prayed.

    ¡°But right before the child died, he told me a trait that his offender had. Apparently, the man had no hair, and half of his face was covered with a tattoo.¡±

    Both Lube and Weig¡¯s faces hardened; they had someone in mind.

    ¡°Cardinal Trislowa.¡±

    ¡°Hmph! The title of cardinal is too good for someone like that, Lady Lube.¡±

    But Weig¡¯s face trembled with tension. As one of the cardinals, right below the Bellids¡¯ pope, Cullun Trislowa was a person who wreaked havoc all over the world. Because of their opposite characters, the two religions, Karuwiman and Bellid, constantly shed against each other, and Trislowa was one of the main figures responsible for many bloodsheds.

    ¡°Many Karuwiman followers have died in his hands. We have to obtain his head as soon as possible.¡± As expected of a man called ¡®Karuwiman¡¯s Sword,¡¯ Weig possessed a great desire to shred the man into pieces. ¡°Did you say that guy came to the vige?¡±

    ¡°Yes. I think he and his men came to the vige to get some food and decided to have some ¡®fun¡¯ while they were at it. All their victims were people living around the vige¡¯s outskirts¡ªthey knew the vige wouldn¡¯t make a fuss with that much sacrifice.¡±

    ¡°Those bastards!¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not the only important part. The vige that they attacked is covered with wide ins and surrounded by low mountains. But many monsters started to appear there; the orcs were even forming amunity.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re saying that strange herds of monsters appeared at the same ce Trislowa appeared. I smell something fishy.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sure they are plotting something.¡± Zich agreed.

    ¡°Thank you, Zich. I am willing to run wherever those bastards are. But as you know, those guys move like sly pests, so even we aren¡¯t able to locate their headquarters. You talked about theplete destruction of the northern branch of Bellid, right?¡±

    ¡°Yes, sir.¡±

    ¡°So, does that mean you know where the northern branch is?¡±

    Zich smiled, and that was enough to answer Weig¡¯s question.

    ¡°Good, good. If we can wipe out the northern branch of Bellid, then we can crush the small number of dissent that are against Lady Lube to be recognized as the next saint. Besides, it is one of the main responsibilities for all Karuwimans to kill off the Bellids.¡±

    After saying this, Weig asked a question he had been curious about, ¡°But how were you able to find out where those guys were? This is information that not only us, but other countries weren¡¯t able to find out. Of course, this includes your biological family, the Steelwalls too.¡±

    It seemed as if Weig had done a background check on Zich. But this didn¡¯t surprise Zich since he had half-jokingly suggested Lube to investigate his family.

    ¡°I learned it by coincidence.¡± To be exact, Zich found out the location of the northern branch of Bellid before his regression; and at that time, as soon as he obtained the information, he left the ce in ruins without even leaving a trace.

    ¡°I expected as much. Well, it¡¯s fine. Since I trust you, I won¡¯t ask any more questions. But I want you to at least answer this.¡± Weig¡¯s eyes turned serious. ¡°Do you know the locations of Bellids¡¯ other branches?¡±

    ¡°I know about two more. I can tell you if you want.¡±

    Weig pped. ¡°Good! That¡¯s very good news! God Karuna must have really sent you to us!¡±

    ¡®I don¡¯t think that¡¯s the case.¡¯

    Zich recalled how he had fought Karuwiman to the death before his regression.

    ¡°We will give you all the support you need. Did you say your target is the northern branch? ording to you, Trislowa must manage that ce.¡± Weig stuck out his neck and looked at Zich. ¡°Your motive must be revenge.¡±

    Zich made a chilling smile. ¡°Thanks to that guy, I couldn¡¯t even hear the boy¡¯s name.¡±

 Chapter 92

    <h4>Chapter 92</h4>

    Dry wind passed over the earth. The wind scattered sand throughout the deste wilderness. It caused the sand to spin in the air and fall all over the horizon; some piecesnded on nameless teaus, some hit spiky rocks, and some evennded on small shrubs. The only vegetation that this ce had were a few small shrubs scattered across the earth. In this area, farming was impossible, and game was scarce. In this deste wilderness, two people on horses began to appear in clear view.

    It was Zich and Weig. After reaching the peak of a low valley, Weig pulled up the reins of his horse and looked ahead. Beyond the endless wilderness, Weig could see the horizon dim. The vastness of the earth left Weig in awe and he eximed, ¡°The world really transcends human imagination. I would have never imagined that there was a ce like this.¡±

    Zich stood next to Weig and said, ¡°Even a great person like you with a lot of experience must have never seen a spectacle like this.¡±

    ¡°Since my job is to protect Lady Lube and fight against heretics, I never had time to leisurely explore the world. Of course, I personally thought I saw a lot of the world already, but it seems like I was too arrogant. I tried to measure the world that God created ording to my limited perspective.¡± With reverence, Weig drew a sign of the cross.

    ¡°I guess people who serve a god will have that kind of sentiment.¡±

    ¡°If you start to believe in God Karuna, you will also share my sentiments. How about it? Our door is always open for you.¡±

    ¡°Thank you for your offer, but I refuse.¡± As usual, Zich lightly rejected Weig¡¯s offer.

    Weig had also expected Zich to refuse, so he was not disappointed. Moreover, there was something more important. ¡°That¡¯s regretful, but I guess it can¡¯t be helped. But Zich, is it really true that the northern branch of the Bellid is here?¡±

    The reason why Zich and Weig came to this wilderness was to confirm the existence of the northern branch in this area. Even though Lube and Weig trusted Zich, this was not a decision that could be made on trust alone. If they really wanted the Church to fight against the northern branch of Bellid, even Aine Lube and Belri Weig¡¯s words in favor of Zich¡¯s words would not be enough. They needed to bring solid evidence to the Church. For that reason, Zich and Weig were all the way in this wilderness.

    ¡°It¡¯s not that I don¡¯t believe you, but I don¡¯t think this is the type of ce where those Bellid bastards would build a temple.¡±

    The god that Bellids served was the god of water, Bellu. For that reason, there was one absolute principle that the Bellids considered when choosingnd to build a temple: water. Whether it was next to ake, river, or ocean, Bellid¡¯s temple had to be built next to a body of water. Moreover, the bigger and more important the temple was, the body of water next to it needed to be significantlyrger than usual.

    For that reason, when Karuwimans were investigating the Bellid temple, they always started their search by looking around ces of water. They were currently searching for the northern branch of Bellid. Considering the significance of the northern branch, there needed to be an enormous body of water.

    But no matter how much Weig looked around the area, it didn¡¯t seem as if arge body of water would be nearby. On the other hand, the dryndscape made it seem like water was extremely scarce, so Bellids would strictly avoid this area.

    ¡°From the surface, it looks like that. But it¡¯s precisely for that reason that people weren¡¯t able to find them here.¡±

    ¡°Well, you have a point.¡±

    If there really was a Bellid temple here, this deste and dry wilderness was a perfect diversion against those who specifically searched for humid and water-abundant areas.

    ¡°We just have to go a little further.¡± Zich pulled on the reins of his horse to start moving.

    Likewise, with a hopeful heart, Weig followed Zich. Not long after, they reached the entrance of a deep canyon. To their sides, steep cliffs stretched on without end.

    ¡°Let¡¯s hide our horses here.¡±

    Zich and Weig found a deep groove in the cliff and tied up their horses. After they threw a few pieces of hay in front of them, Zich and Weig started walking forward. They walked out of the groove and headed towards an enormous rock. The rock was about four or five times bigger than an average person, and even though harsh winds were pressing against the rock, it stood firm.

    However, the rock was not the important part. It did not matter when and how long the rock could endure the harsh climate of its surroundings¡ªwhat Zich was interested in was the hole underneath the rock.

    ¡°This is it.¡±

    The size of the hole was pretty big. It was big enough for one person to stand and walk. Weig bent his knees and looked around the ground. It was hard to tell, but the top of the stone floor was slightly worn out.

    ¡°Someone or something definitely passed through this.¡±

    ¡°We have to be careful from now on. This is their home base.¡±

    ¡°Why, are you afraid?¡± Weig jokingly asked, and Zich nodded whileughing.

    ¡°I¡¯m afraid that those bastards might realize we found out about them and run away before we can destroy them.¡±

    ¡°Yes, that is definitely a situation to be afraid of.¡± Weig agreed.

    The two of them went inside the hole. The hole was connected to an extremelyrge cave. Weig was amazed that such arge underground base would exist under a deste wilderness.

    ¡°In a lot of ways, this journey has definitely expanded my perspective.¡±

    ¡°Sir Weig, if you be a traveler, you¡¯ll be able to see even more interesting and strange things in the world.¡±

    ¡°Hey! Is this revenge for my constant badgering for you to join Karuwiman? You got me.¡±

    The two continued to move inside the cave. As soon as they moved away from the entrance, they entered a ce where there was not even a trace of light. But they could both use mana to brighten up their eyesight so there was no hindrance in their progress. The cave was long. It was when they walked three hours on a bumpy and slippery cave¡ª

    A light appeared. Both of them immediately lowered their bodies and quickly found a rock to hide behind.

    ¡°¡­There is a ce like this here...¡±

    What appeared in front of them was a vast undergroundke. The size of theke was so prodigious, it was hard to see the other side of theke.

    ¡®Considering the size of thiske, it¡¯spletely understandable that those Bellid bastards would build one of their most important temples here.¡¯

    The light they witnessed was starting to flow out from the other side of theke. It was far away, but they could clearly see that the light wasing off from the other side. Weig rejoiced.

    ¡®It really exists!¡¯

    On the opposite side of theke, there were many torchlights lighting up arge building into view. The building was tall enough to almost touch the high cave¡¯s ceiling, and the size of its front resembled a great temple. Bellid¡¯s mark stood on top of the building in clear view and weed them.

    They also saw quite a few people going in and out of the building. With his senses that were sharpened with mana, Weig could see the clothes the people were wearing.

    ¡®They are wearing Bellid uniforms!¡±

    There was no need to see more. As Zich said, the ce was definitely an important base for the Bellids.

    ¡°Do you believe me now, sir?¡±

    With great conviction, Weig answered, ¡°As soon as I return, I will prepare Karuwiman¡¯s strongest army!¡±

    * * *

    Zich and Weig returned to Karuwiman headquarters. Weig reported everything he saw to the Church such as the wilderness, cave, the undergroundke, and the Bellid temple. As Karuwiman¡¯s greatest Holy Knight, Weig¡¯s words carried a much heavier weight than ones from an outsider like Zich. Thus, the Pope immediately led an effort to prepare an army to subjugate the Bellids. Holy Knights and priests from important areas began to gather, resources were piled up, and weapons were delivered. The Church knew that this was a critical chance to wipe away the Bellids they hated so much.

    The Karuwimans were thorough and secretive; they also made a cover-up in case their n might reach Bellids¡¯ ears. While the Karuwimans prepared for a looming war, Zich went to meet an extremely important figure.

    The important figure was a scrawny old man. Wrinkles lined most of his face, and the arms that peeked below his sleeves were bony. He looked gentle like a wise grandfather, but his position made it such that even a king or the emperor couldn¡¯t approach carelessly.

    ¡°It¡¯s a pleasure to meet you. My name is Zich.¡± Zich lowered his head. Then, he forcefully pressed down the nervousness he felt and addressed the man with his title.

    ¡°Your Holiness.¡±

    ¡°Hoho! It¡¯s my pleasure!¡± The old man was very carefree; his smile almost seemed to have a halo effect, as if it would take everything in its embrace. At his appearance, an adult wouldn¡¯t have been able to keep themselves from smiling while a child might have run around while clutching onto the hems of his clothes. He was the Pope.

    ¡®It¡¯s killing me.¡¯

    The same nervousness he felt when he first met Lube and Weig went up and down through him.

    ¡®I can¡¯t believe I¡¯m meeting the original zombie maker before Lube.¡¯

    It was even more nerve-wracking that the Pope was greeting Zich in a friendly atmosphere. Before his regression¡ªwhen he constantly shed with the Karuwimans¡ªthe Pope had been a very tricky opponent. Moreover, before Lube gained experiences from her travels around the world with Glen Zenard, he had been Karuwiman¡¯s highest priest.

    ¡®It¡¯s not even a joke that I almost died in his hands.¡¯

    One time, as Zich¡¯s notoriety kept growing with no signs of stopping, the Pope personally gathered an elite unit to take care of Zich. Without exaggerating one bit, Zich had almost died then.

    ¡®My enemies just wouldn¡¯t die.¡¯

    He could still remember it clearly: the Pope protected and healed the Holy Knights from the rear and even let out some support attacks. Zich managed to grit his teeth through it all and resisted with all he had to just survive. But even then he didn¡¯t achieve a clear victory; the Pope¡¯s troops had simply withdrawn to regroup again, and for a while after that, Zich avoided confronting Karuwimans head-on.

    Of course, Zich had never fought with the Pope after he gained the title of The Demon Lord of Strength; the Pope was dead by then. However, Zich could never forget the Pope¡¯s overwhelming holy power.

    ¡°Are those your servants behind you?¡±

    At the Pope¡¯s question, Hans and Snoc quickly bowed their heads after watching with their mouths hanging open.

    ¡°Yes, yes! I am Sir Zich¡¯s servant, Hans!¡±

    ¡°M-my name is Snoc! T-This guy¡¯s name is Nowem.¡±

    ¡°Hohoho! You guys are filled with energy.¡±

    Hans and Snoc couldn¡¯t calm down. In some ways, Karuwiman¡¯s Pope was someone who was harder to meet than a king or the emperor, and they couldn¡¯t believe that they were meeting the Pope in person.

    ¡°I apologize for my servants¡¯ rude behaviors.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s fine. I am also just a humble servant of God Karuna too. There is no need for them to consider formalities as long as we maintain basic etiquette between humans.¡±

    The Pope was a simple and easygoing man. The Pope offered them to sit at the table next to him. Zich sat in front of the Pope; Lube sat next to the Pope and Weig sat beside her; and finally, Hans and Snoc sat next to Zich.

    ¡°Foremost, as the representative of Karuwiman, I want to thank you for telling us the hiding base of those vile things, the Bellids.¡±

    No matter how benevolent and simple he was, the Pope proved that he was really a Karuwiman by the way he mentioned the Bellids.

    ¡°This is simply what I wanted to do. If you thank me too much, it puts me in a difficult position.¡±

    ¡°Bellid is not just Karuwiman¡¯s enemy. They are pests that only cause harm to this world. Sir Zich, since you have done the world a great favor, you deserve my gratitude.¡± The Pope smiled. ¡°But since you seem to be embarrassed about it, I will stop mentioning it. I came to you to thank you and see if there¡¯s a n that we could discuss. I heard that you wanted revenge¡ªdoes this mean that you will join our battle against those cursed Bellids?¡±

    ¡°Yes, certainly. But I will move separately.¡±

    ¡°Then, what will you do?¡±

    ¡°While you all are attacking the temple, I am nning to infiltrate inside.¡±

    ¡°I see. You are nning to take care of the guy who killed the boy.¡±

    The Pope was able to perfectly grasp Zich¡¯s motive after hearing about the general situation.

    Zich made a menacing smile. ¡°Yes, I don¡¯t n on giving him an easy death.¡±

 Chapter 93

    <h4>Chapter 93</h4>

    It was as if frost was falling in the room. Hans, Snoc, and Lube¡ªof course, Weig and the Pope, who were both currently stronger than Zich¡ªall froze for a moment. Weig¡¯s hands instinctively reached towards the handle of his sword; that was how strong Zich¡¯s bloodthirst was.

    ¡°Hohoho! That was very scary. Even though I understand how furious you must be, I ask that you withdraw your bloodthirst. It¡¯s putting a strain on an old man¡¯s heart who might not see the light of tomorrow.¡±

    ¡°Oops. My emotions got the better of me. I apologize.¡± Zich withdrew his bloodlust. Hans, Snoc, and Lube¡¯s faces began to look relieved. But their expressions were not fully back to normal.

    The Pope continued, ¡°I understand. I also lost my friends andrades to those Bellid bastards. It¡¯s a sin for those guys to exist¡ªthat¡¯s why we have to kill every single one of them.¡±

    Even though the Pope didn¡¯t let out his bloodlust like Zich, his spirit was also fierce. Hans and Snoc gulped their saliva. The Pope, who had been friendly like a next-door grandpa, was now showing his force as the leader of arge and powerful organization.

    ¡°I heard that your sworn enemy is Cardinal Cullun Trislowa.¡±

    ¡°Yes, he is.¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s an extremely vicious person. I don¡¯t even want to say he is human. However, he is strong. Not as strong as Sir Weig, but I predict that he possesses the same strength as Karuwiman¡¯s highest level priest.¡±

    Weig made a groan, as he didn¡¯t seem pleased to bepared to Cullun Trislowa. However, nobody, including the Pope, paid any attention to him, even the kind Lube. Weig felt a little disheartened. He suddenly missed the innocent Lube for a bit.

    ¡°Mr. Zich, I know that you are very strong considering your age, but I don¡¯t think you are stronger than him. Are you still nning to fight him?¡±

    ¡°When all of you attack, I will start moving inside. I might not be a good diversion, but I won¡¯t at least be a hindrance to all of you.¡±

    ¡°¡­You are saying that you won¡¯t change your mind.¡±

    Lube looked at Zich with concern, but she didn¡¯t say anything because she respected his decision. The Pope spoke again, ¡°We will be extremely secretive about this n. We can¡¯t afford to let pests like Bellid realize this n and crawl away. We will be strictly controlling our information about this n in our external as well as internal factions. Even the military force that we are gathering right now don¡¯t know they are gathering to fight against the Bellid.¡±

    ¡°How would you deal with the surrounding countries? People would feel threatened by a Karuwiman army.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ve already spread some information as bait. It¡¯s notmon for us to move our military force, but it¡¯s not like it never happens. When we finish our raid against Bellid, we will then tell the truth. Even though there might be countries that express their difort, raiding the Bellid is a right of the Karuwiman, recognized by all sovereign nations.¡±

    However, as the Pope mentioned, surrounding countries would definitely bring upints, especially countries that hadnd near or on the northern branch of Bellid. However, the Pope had no intentions to withdraw his ns. This was a military and a diplomatic war. Moreover, the Pope was a holy figure respected by all Karuwiman devotees, but he was also a leader of arge organization. He was familiar with the ¡®trick or be tricked¡¯ mentality and used ns that deceived others.

    Weig, a knight, and Lube, a devoted priestess, looked ufortable by the Pope¡¯s words. They lightly drew a sign of the cross and begged for forgiveness to their god. Hans and Snoc were also shocked by the Pope¡¯s words; even though they realized this was a necessity, the n definitely relied on tricking people. On the other hand, the Pope¡¯splexion did not change at all.

    ¡®A boss of a holy organization is a boss after all.¡¯

    Just a kind old grandpa whoughed, ¡®Hoho!¡¯ was not enough to lead such arge organization. Moreover, that was how much the Pope hated the Bellid.

    ¡®Well, it¡¯s because I knew about their aversion for Bellid that I came to them.¡¯

    Zich was satisfied.

    ¡°So I expect the three of you to also be cautious about not letting this information leak out.¡±

    ¡°Before we start our raid, why don¡¯t we stay inside the temple? Won¡¯t that also make you feel more secure?¡±

    ¡°If you do that, I will be more than grateful.¡± The Pope also thought about suggesting this to Zich, so he immediately epted Zich¡¯s offer. ¡°We will treat you with the highest level of hospitality. None of you will feel ufortable in the slightest.¡±

    After that, a few more conversations passed between them. After they decided that they would make more specific ns after the Karuwiman formed a basic outline of their military raid, they decided to go their separate ways.

    ¡°Ah, but would you be able to ept one request of mine?¡± Zich asked before he got up.

    The Pope readily replied, ¡°Mr. Zich, since we owe you a great favor, I will try to ept your request as much as possible, even if it is difficult. What do you need?¡±

    ¡°The title of Honorary Knight. Would you be able to give it to me?¡±

    It was an unexpected request.

    ¡°From what I heard, when Sir Weig offered you the title of Honorary Knight, you refused.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s because I didn¡¯t really need it then.¡±

    ¡°Then do you need it now?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s fine. Honestly, there¡¯s no reason for us to refuse your request. It¡¯s also very beneficial for us to ept a person like you as Honorary Knight. You provided more than enough service for us. I will make sure that you receive the title right away.¡±

    ¡°Thank you.¡±

    Lube and Weig¡¯s faces brightened up. Since they both wanted Zich to be an Honorary Knight, they were happy at how the situation turned out.

    Then, the Pope asked, ¡°But will it be all right if I ask why you suddenly need the title of Honorary Knight? Ah, no matter what type of reason you state, no matter how personal it is, I will never say it out loud to anyone. I¡¯m just asking because I¡¯m curious. If it¡¯s hard for you to say, you also don¡¯t have to tell me.¡±

    Zichughed. Even though it was not to the extent that Weig had to instinctively reach out for his sword again, Zich¡¯sugh right now didn¡¯t look too great either. Hisugh was sinister and conniving.

    ¡°After that boy died, a thought urred to me. How can I make that Trislowa bastard even more furious? How can I make him go crazy with anger? While I tried to make my ns ordingly, I judged that it would be better for me to have the title of Honorary Knight. There¡¯s all there is to it.¡±

    Everyone, including the Pope, was left speechless.

    * * *

    After Zich, Hans, and Snoc left, only the Pope, Lube, and Weig were left in the room.

    ¡°He is even more unique than I imagined.¡± The Pope made a heartyugh.

    ¡°Although his personality might be like that, his actions speak differently. They are proper, and it¡¯s actually very praiseworthy that he tries hard to do good deeds even with that kind of personality. Even if bes a Holy Knight of Karuwiman, he won¡¯t fall¡­¡±

    The Pope¡¯sughter grew so loud that it could shake the whole room, and Weig closed his mouth.

    ¡°Ah, I¡¯m sorry. Sorry. I didn¡¯t mean tough at you. It¡¯s because it¡¯s my first time seeing you defend someone besides Lube so desperately.¡±

    ¡°¡­Was it that noticeable?¡± Weig felt a bit embarrassed and nudged the table¡¯s legs with his feet pointlessly.

    ¡°What do you think, Lube? Do you think the same as Weig?¡±

    ¡°Yes, I do. Mr. Zich¡¯s personality is indeed awful, but I believe that he is someone we can trust.¡±

    The Popeughed again in response. ¡°Pffft! Even Lube says that his ¡®personality is awful¡¯ in front of me. If it were you from before, I don¡¯t think you would have even thought of such harsh words.¡±

    Lube thought that she might have talked too rashly and hung her head in embarrassment.

    ¡°But that¡¯s right. He¡¯s someone who has given us a lot of help.¡±

    Zich had fought the Bellids, helped Lube develop her character, and told them the solution to a vicious ritual; and now, he gave them the location of one of the Bellids¡¯ important bases.

    ¡°Still, both of you have to admit that he is a very mysterious figure.¡±

    Lube and Weig nodded. They trusted Zich because of the enormous help they received from him, but Lube and Weig also had to admit that Zich was suspicious in many ways.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I don¡¯t n on harming him just because he is suspicious. You both can continue to believe him. But I will continue to suspect him¡ªit¡¯s part of my responsibility as a leader of a congregation.¡± The Pope sighed deeply. He lookedpletely different from when he wasughing and looked much older than his age now. ¡°Being a pope is difficult. I have to stand on a thin line between Karuna¡¯s teachings and the ways of this world.¡±

    ¡°I admire your holiness for that reason.¡±

    ¡°I feel the same way!¡±

    Both Karuwiman¡¯s greatest Holy Knight and a candidate certain to be the Saint assured him. Soon, color came back to the Pope¡¯s worn-out face.

    ¡°¡­Hoho! This old man whined a bit. Yes, I mean, what¡¯s the problem when I have at least two people by my side?¡± The Pope met both of their eyes. ¡°This war will be one of the most intense wars you might ever see. Even throughout our Karuwiman history, we have never attacked the Bellids at this scale. And you both must lead at the front. Are you confident that you can do that?¡±

    The Pope couldn¡¯t hide the greatest Holy Knight and future Saint from battle just because they were too precious to him.

    ¡°Of course. From the first ce, Sir Zich has brought this information to us. Besides, there is no greater final deed than this for Lady Lube to do right before she bes the Saint. And most of all, isn¡¯t this a holy war? Just participating in it is a great honor itself.¡±

    ¡°Besides the part about the final deed, I have the same opinions as Sir Weig.¡±

    ¡°Then, that¡¯s enough.¡± The Pope nodded his head in satisfaction. ¡°With the Holy Knights and priests that are gathering here and you both, we will be able to vanquish the Bellid¡¯s base.¡±

    Then, the Pope suddenly thought of something and licked his lips.

    ¡°It would have been better if we were able to call Sir Zenard.¡±

    Lube asked, ¡°Are you talking about the person who received the title of Honorary Holy Knight?¡±

    ¡°Yes, his character is noble, and his skills are much greater than his age range. Now that I think about it, he is like Zich in some ways.¡±

    Both of them were young, skilled, and lived with the motto to do good deeds; but of course, they seemed to have opposite personality types.

    ¡°It¡¯s a pity that our message didn¡¯t reach him. But what can we do? Honorary Holy Knights are not someone we can just call whenever we want.¡±

    ¡°Are we still talking about Sir Zenard?¡±

    ¡°Is there a problem?¡± the Pope asked in surprise when he saw that Lube seemed a bit displeased about the topic.

    ¡°No, there¡¯s no problem. It¡¯s just that whenever I meet him, he always asks me if I am worried about something.¡±

    ¡°Sir Zenard must have an interest in Lady Lube,¡± Weigughed. He was like a typical old person who enjoyed hearing the love lives of young people. Lube sighed. ¡°As someone serving Karuna, I will not date or marry. Don¡¯t you all know this?¡±

    ¡°Ah, I can already hear the sound of men who yearn for you, bleeding tears and blood at those words.¡±

    ¡°If you keep teasing me, I¡¯m going to try my hardest to arrange a date for you.¡±

    ¡°But I¡¯m too old for that.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t you know that love in old age is more romantic?¡±

    Weig had tried to tease Lube a bit, but he suffered a total loss. Weig made a fake cough and turned his head¡ªhe was admitting his silent defeat.

    ¡°Our conversation went off-topic. But Sir Zenard doesn¡¯t seem to have feelings for me or anything like that. He had a gaze like he was searching for something.¡±

    ¡°Hmm. He might have been trying to test you since you are going to be the next Saint. If you feel ufortable around him, I can say something to him. Even if his intentions are good, if the other party feels ufortable, we have to put an end to the matter.¡±

    ¡°No, it¡¯s fine. He hasn¡¯t been doing it these days.¡±

    ¡°Maybe his curiosity disappeared. But if there¡¯s anything that causes you difort, please tell me or his Holiness. We will try to mediate the dispute. Your Holiness, you will also¡­¡± Weig¡¯s sentence also trailed off.

    The Pope was staring at Lube. He seemed to be looking at her expectantly, but there was also mischief mixed into his gaze.

    ¡°¡­What is it, Your Holiness?¡± Lube noticed the Pope¡¯s gaze and asked him in surprise. Then, the Pope said in a clearly disappointed voice, ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to say that you will arrange a date for me too? I¡¯m saddened that you only care for Sir Weig.¡±

    A short silence followed. Lube looked taken aback while Weig burst out inughter.

 Chapter 94

    <h4>Chapter 94</h4>

    The knights¡¯ spears rose high as if they were going to pierce the sky. The swords on their hips were sharp, and the shields on their arms were thick and sturdy. The battle horses were muscr and moved in a steady line, following right behind the tail of the horse in front of them. The knights looked as if they were apostles sent from heaven.

    Behind them, people wearing white robes and holding a long staff rode on a wagon pulled by a working horse. There were also priests who prayed for the blessing and safety of theirrades who were going to battle and enact judgment and punishment upon their enemies.

    All of them had the same symbols embedded on their clothes: the Karuwiman symbol. They were the military force that had gathered to fight against the Bellid. They gave off such a tense and sharp atmosphere that it was incredibly difficult to approach them. Their determination to go to war was motivated by the idea of sacrificing their lives for the cause. Even if they died in this battle, they would be merely departing from their flesh and going to Karuna¡¯s side for a life of eternal happiness. Their faith relieved them from their fear and made them even more fearsome in battle.

    Weig, who was advancing from the very front, raised his hand. In an instant, the entire military force halted. While holding the reins, Weig observed ahead. The vast wilderness he had seeny before him. He saw the groove where he and Zich had hidden their horsesst time, and from further away, he saw therge stone that led to the Bellids¡¯ cave.

    ¡°It¡¯s over there.¡± When Weig pointed his fingers at a rock from a distance, all the people of Karuwiman stared at the rock. ¡°Beneath that rock, there is an entrance to an underground cave.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s finally starting.¡± Lube tightly gripped her reins next to Weig. Her heart pounded in anticipation and nervousness.

    ¡°Yes. We are finally starting judgment against those sted Bellids.¡± Even Weig was excited by the uing war; his eyes were already full of bloodlust. This was the same for the rest of the Karuwiman soldiers. Whether it was big or small, a fiery fire formed in the hearts of all the women and men of Karuwiman.

    However, one person did not share their sentiments. Zich was extremely calm; no, the coldness of the sword he sharpened inside his heart made him emit a freezing atmosphere. His icy, cold heartpletely contrasted the fiery hearts of the soldiers around him.

    Zich let go of his reins and got down from his horse. It had already been agreed upon that Zich would go ahead and infiltrate the temple first.

    ¡°Please be careful.¡±

    ¡°Mr. Zich, be careful.¡±

    Weig and Lube expressed their concerns. It was an incredibly difficult task to secretly infiltrate a ce. Moreover, the ce he had to infiltrate was the infamous Bellid¡¯s northern branch.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Even if I¡¯m captured, there¡¯s not much information I know.¡±

    Karuwiman didn¡¯t inform Zich about the details of their military force, and Zich also avoided any information about it intentionally. All of that had also been agreed upon.

    Lube red at him and said, ¡°You know we didn¡¯t mean it like that.¡±

    ¡°Yes, you are right. All right. I will be careful, but you don¡¯t have to be really worried about me. I¡¯m going in first because I have a n in mind. A shameful thing like being captured by the Bellids will never happen to me.¡±

    Then Zich nced next to Lube; Hans and Snoc were on their horses. ¡°Please take care of those two.¡±

    Zich decided to leave the two of them behind. It was too much for even Zich to secretly infiltrate the Bellid temple while carrying those two luggages around.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I will take good ca¡ª¡±

    Even though it was Zich¡¯s decision to go by himself, Weig felt bitter that he was pushing Zich to a very dangerous situation. In order to lighten Zich¡¯s load, Weig was going to secure Hans and Snoc¡¯s safety.

    However, this was not what Zich wanted. ¡°No, make sure to fully utilize them. Don¡¯t protect them and push them onto the frontlines as much as possible.¡±

    Hans and Snoc let out gasps at the same time. Zich was Zich.

    ¡°I trained them at least that much. They would at least be able to take care of themselves.¡±

    ¡°They could die on the battlefield.¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t just keep them in my nest the whole time. They need to learn how to fly by themselves. If they can¡¯t and fall to the ground and die, it can¡¯t be helped.¡±

    Hans and Snoc¡¯s bodies trembled. They felt bleak that they would jump head-first into battle without Zich¡¯s support. But surprisingly, they felt nervous but not so afraid that their bodies would freeze. It was definitely a result of Zich¡¯s gruesome training; they were not sure if they should be happy or horrified.

    Weig also agreed with Zich¡¯s decision. He was also a knight who wielded his sword and constantly faced life and death situations.

    Weig nodded and said, ¡°I understand.¡±

    ¡°Then I will go ahead.¡± Zich¡¯s body quickly moved and soon disappeared below the rock. Weig, Lube, and Hans never moved their eyes away from him until he fully disappeared.

    Lube asked, ¡°¡­Will he really be alright?¡±

    ¡°To be honest, I don¡¯t think the sess rate is very high,¡± Weig coldly replied, and Lube widened her eyes in shock.

    ¡°Then¡­!¡±

    ¡°But it¡¯s Mr. Zich after all. If I think back to all the unimaginable feats he was able to do, I think it¡¯s enough for us to put our faith in him. Also, look at those two.¡± Weig pointed towards Hans and Snoc. They were checking their weapons and doing image training on how they were going to fight.

    ¡°Those two closest to Zich show no signs of worry.¡±

    It was not as if Snoc and Hans were not interested in Zich¡¯s well-being. They just had firm trust in Zich¡¯s ability to survive. They reached a point where they realized that worrying about Zich was the most pointless action in the world.

    ¡°¡­Is that so.¡±

    ¡°If Mr. Zich seeds, it¡¯ll be easier for us. So let¡¯s all try trusting him for our sake.¡±

    Weig raised his hand again and stretched it out in front of him. With this signal, the military force began moving again. Their destination was the Bellid temple inside the cave, and their goal was theplete extermination of all the Bellids.

    * * *

    Zich went through the cave speedily.

    ¡®I¡¯m sure they¡¯ve noticed that the Karuwimans are here by now.¡¯

    The Karuwimans had an impressive ability to block information. Since they had also dispersed their troops secretively, the Bellids failed to detect the Karuwiman army until they were in front of the northern branch¡¯s entrance. But now, there was no way the Bellids didn¡¯t know.

    ¡®How could they not know when the Karuwimans have gathered their troops in front of their base like this?¡¯ Zich was sure that the Bellids were hurriedly making defense ns. ¡®As expected, they don¡¯t have many troops in the cave.¡¯

    The Bellids were probably going to use theke¡¯s geographical advantage to create a barrier between them and their enemy. Unlike the Karuwimans who had gathered their elite troops from their major branches, the Bellids had an army for only one base. Naturally, the Karuwimans had the upper hand. That was one of the key reasons why Zich had forced Hans and Snoc to participate in this war.

    ¡®In a war, it¡¯s very rare for one side to have so many advantages, including the element of surprise.¡±

    Stomp!

    Zich arrived in front of theke. He saw people moving in a rush inside the Bellid¡¯s temple. He ced the clothes and items he brought into his magic box. Then, he jumped into theke, and with a small ripple, Zich¡¯s body disappeared into the water. He slowly but carefully began to cross theke.

    * * *

    Karuwiman¡¯s forces began to enter the cave in full scale. Because the entrance under the rock looked small, it looked like it would take a long time for all the troops to enter. But Weig¡¯s solution to that issue was simple.

    Craaaash!

    The entrance exploded with a loud sound. With one blow of his sword, a whole boulder that had stood on top of the wilderness for ages flew out of the ground. A cloud of dust flew out, and an entrance that was bigger than the original by multiple times appeared into view.

    Stomp! Stomp! Stomp!

    They looked like an army of militant angels marching to Hell. They didn¡¯t fear the cave¡¯s pitch-ck darkness without a strain of sunlight and continued their footsteps. Soon, Karuwiman¡¯s army arrived in front of theke. People admired the sheer size of the cave and the hugeke right in front of it. Then, when they saw the Bellid temple just across from them, they exuded out masses of bloodlust.

    On the other side, the Bellids seemed to have noticed the size of the Karuwiman¡¯s forces and their movements became much more intense. Mass of people soon came out of the building, and the Bellids and the Karuwimans faced each other with theke between them. Even though they were still far away from each other, the tension and bloodthirst in the air were almost tangible. As the two groups were fixated on keeping each other in check, no one noticed a figure secretly sneaking into the side of the temple.

    * * *

    ¡®Let me see. Isn¡¯t it around here?¡¯

    Taking advantage of the fact that the Bellids were preupied with the Karuwimans, Zich got out of theke and crept into a deserted ce. But he couldn¡¯t avoid all confrontation, and some managed to spot him.

    Slice!

    ¡°Ugh!¡±

    Of course, the unfortunate ones who noticed Zich met their deaths. Zich ced the dead followers of Bellu into his magic box and continued moving.

    ¡®This is quite a good sword.¡¯

    The sword he got from Steelwall broke from the time he fought the mysterious magician. The sword he was using right now was what the Karuwiman had given him, and it was much better than his previous one.

    Zich continued to move. He followed the temple¡¯s walls and went straight ahead.

    ¡®It¡¯s here!¡¯

    Zich saw a small door. It was iparable to the majestic entrance of the temple, but the door was big enough for Zich to go through. Zich couldn¡¯t feel a presence behind the door, and he opened it. The inside was dark. With all kinds of boxes and items piled up, it seemed like it was a storage room.

    ¡®It¡¯s the same.¡¯

    Zich smirked. He knew the temple¡¯s structure well¡ªand it wasn¡¯t because he had an unbelievable skill that let him grasp the interior of the building just by seeing its exterior. It was actually the opposite.

    ¡°I remember breaking this ce down to bits.¡¯

    Before his regression, Zich considered the Bellids as a thorn to his side and hepletely dismantled this entire building. He didn¡¯t even let his subordinates touch this ce and did it all by himself. He broke, broke, and then broke some more. He broke down the ce so thoroughly that he remembered the building¡¯s interior even to this day. For Zich, who forgot trivial matters easily, this was very surprising.

    ¡°I also found many secret paths and rooms during that time.¡¯

    If the Bellids knew of this, they would have clutched onto the back of their necks in rage. Zich got out of the storage room. Bellid followers were running around the building, and Zich passed between them like a ghost. Since most of their focus was on the Karuwimans who were on the other side of theke, it was difficult for them to notice Zich.

    ¡®Trislowa must be outside.¡¯

    Since he was responsible for this base, it was certain that he would be outside to lead.

    ¡®I should lead him back inside.¡¯

    After all, the whole reason why Zich had escted the situation to this level was to finish off Trislowa. It was better to drag Trislowa back in to cause a diversion and create the best chance to torment him.

    ¡®I can¡¯t let the Karuwimans have him.¡¯

    Zich¡¯s eyes shone menacingly.

 Chapter 95

    <h4>Chapter 95</h4>

    Most people in the world shared the same opinions about the religion of Bellid: an evil to the world.

    One of the reasons why the Karuwiman was so exalted was because they made Bellid their main enemy and acted as exterminators whenever they found a Bellid. Even the Karuwiman Pope was willing to trick neighboring countries to raid Bellid, and he made it clear that even if they strained their diplomacy, all the countries would understand if he said it had all been done to exterminate the Bellids. That was how much all the nations were unified in their antagonism against the Bellids.

    However, as religions like these spread, the Bellid survived against the world¡¯s hatred and persecution and continued to increase their numbers in the dark. The word ¡®pest¡¯ was really fitting for them.

    On the other hand, the Bellids who were always on the side of torturing a nation, estate, force, or people, were now the ones being pushed to a corner.

    ¡°What is the size of their army?¡± The leader of the northern branch and a Cardinal of Bellid¡ªCullun Trislowa¡ªred menacingly at the Karuwimans heading towards them.

    The priest next to him quickly replied, ¡°I¡¯m not sure, but it seems to be a little more than a thousand!¡±

    A thousand. It was a sizable force, and the Cardinal also had around this number of followers in this temple. However, the quality of the soldiers was different.

    ¡°Are they all holy knights or high priests?¡±

    ¡°Yes, that seems to be the case!¡±

    If they came all the way to a central branch, the Karuwimans would have definitely brought their most elite soldiers. And with Karuwiman¡¯s elite soldiers, a thousand of ordinary Bellid followers would be wiped out in an instant.

    ¡°Damn it! How were they able to find this ce!¡± Annoyed, Trislowa smashed the ground with his feet.

    The Bellid''s northern branch was on an enormouske below a dry, deste wilderness. ording to their history, when Bellid followers first saw this miraculous sight in front of them, it was said that tears streamed down their faces. The followers of Bellid said that Bellu sent down a miracle to help his followers hide from the persecution of the world. And true to their beliefs, since its first establishment, this area continued to be a reliable center for the northern branch. He didn¡¯t know where the information had been leaked, but their number one enemy, the Karwuiman, was now leading an elite army against them.

    ¡®It¡¯s toote to call for reinforcements!¡¯

    The enemy was already right in front of them and standing on the other side of theke. They were about to cross theke.

    ¡°Treble brothers,¡± Trislowa called out to the high priests right below him.

    ¡°Yes, sir!¡±

    ¡°Youmand the troops and stop those Karwuiman from crossing theke!¡±

    ¡°Yes, sir!¡±

    Without any rebuttals, the Treble brothers immediately followed Trislowa¡¯s order. Trislowa pushed back his duty and headed back to the temple.

    ¡®I first have to pack that.¡¯

    Even if everyone in this branch died, he needed to protect ¡°that.¡± So contrary to Zich¡¯s expectations, Trislowa immediately headed back inside the temple.

    * * *

    Zich rummaged through the temple. No matter how skilled he was, it was extremely dangerous for him to infiltrate the Bellid temple in a turbulent time like this. To prepare for the worst-case scenario, Zich made sure that all the ces in the temple were the same as his memory, so he could easily find a path to escape.

    ¡®Hmmm, everything is the same.¡¯

    After Zich twisted another priest¡¯s neck, he made sure that this room was also the same as in his memory. Zich went down the basement again. As soon as he went down, an awful smell wafted up to his nose. In the middle of a hallway, a prison with bars spread out in front of him.

    ¡®This is also the same.¡¯

    Numerous people were crowded inside the prison. The people in there were not criminals waiting to be judged but were probably being used as sacrifices, experiments, or even y things by the Bellid. From a nce, the people inside the prison looked extremely weak and unhealthy. However, Zich had no intention to free them right away.

    ¡®They are not my priority right now.¡¯

    But they might have a useter on. Zich quietly came out from the basement and went around, checking if the prison was also identical to his memory.

    ¡®Then let¡¯s head off to the most important ce.¡¯

    A temple was a building built to worship god. Of course, the most important ce in the temple was the prayer room, where they could pray to god.

    ¡®If my memory serves right, it was therge room a bit behind the center of the temple.¡¯

    No, it was difficult to call the prayer room a room. It was an enormous space that could fit a couple of average homes. That was how big the temple was. Zich secretly hid inside the prayer room. Due to the Karuwiman¡¯s surprise attack, the prayer room waspletely empty.

    On the wall at the end of the room hung arge tapestry embroidered with the sign of Bellid, and arge tform was underneath it. From the center, an artificialke upied more than half of the room, and two paths passed through the sides of the room and intersected with the center of the room.

    ¡®That is?¡¯

    Zich¡¯s eyes sparkled. At the intersection of the two paths, an object was ced on a high altar. The pyramid-shaped object was as small as a fist, and from its smooth surface, it reflected the surrounding light and let out a soft, silver light.

    ¡®That was being made here?¡¯

    For a moment, Zich was surprised to see an object that he hadn¡¯t expected at all. But then he soon smiled. If he had that, Trislowa would prioritize Zich¡¯s capture even more than the ongoing battle.

    * * *

    Trislowa walked steadily forward. After he retrieved ¡°that¡± object in the prayer room, he was going to pray to Bellu to send his blessings upon them for their uing battle. But when he reached the prayer room¡­

    ¡°Honorable Cardinal!¡±

    A priest stopped him; there was desperation in the priest¡¯s face.

    ¡°I-in the prayer room¡ª!¡±

    m!

    Without even listening to him, Trislowa pushed him away. After the priest mmed into a wall, he rolled on the ground. But Trislowa did not even blink an eye. There was something much more important to him than the life of one priest.

    ¡®No way¡­!¡¯

    If a problem arose in the prayer room, it must definitely be connected to the Karuwimans who were storming in right now; and that was absolutely the worst scenario. The door of the prayer room waspletely open. He quickly went inside and saw someone sitting on top of the tform. Several knights and priests were surrounding the tform. He even saw some dead knights and priests on the ground. Judging by the bloody sword on the man sitting on the tform, it was safe to assume that he was the one who killed all the people on the ground.

    But that was not the problem. The object that should be on top of the altar was gone. It was now in the hands of the mysterious man sitting on the tform. Trislowa¡¯s eyes turned murderous. He cautiously approached the tform, and the knights and priests opened a pathway for him.

    As Zich stood on top of the podium, Trislowa stood below him and met Zich¡¯s eyes. Trislowa gestured to the knights and priests in his surroundings, and they all backed off two steps. However, they continued to surround Zich and looked ready to siege and chop Zich into pieces if Trislowa signaled them to do so.

    Zich spoke first. ¡°Whoa. You came faster than I expected. Weren¡¯t you on the battlefield?¡±

    ¡°Who are you? Are you Karuwiman¡¯s dog?¡± Trislowa asked in a voice filled with rage. His gaze went back and forth between Zich and the item he was holding.

    ¡°I¡¯m someone who has a personal grudge against you.¡±

    ¡°That means you are a foolish person who doesn¡¯t understand and follow Bellu.¡±

    ¡°We have a slight difference of opinions. I think you guys are the ones simr to pests who crawl on the dirty ground, unable to reason and worship a fish head like Bellu as a god.¡±

    Zich could feel that the people encircling him were greatly irked by his words. Trislowa¡¯s bloodlust became stronger, but all Zich did was tilt his head a bit.

    ¡°¡­For a bastard like you¡ª¡±

    ¡°Ah, wait a moment. I have something to ask you.¡± Zich cut off his words.

    ¡°Hey, Bellid¡¯s Honorary Cardinal, Cullun Trislowa.¡±

    Trislowa wasn¡¯t surprised that Zich knew his identity. Everyone who felt even a little bit antagonistic about the Bellids knew who Trislowa was; that was how famous and central a figure like Trislowa was.

    ¡°Did you y around with the people living in the outskirts of a vige a couple of days ago? Did you also cast magic on a boy so that he wouldn¡¯t die while being tortured?¡±

    ¡°Did you intrude this ce for revenge?¡± Trislowa couldn¡¯tprehend it at all; he couldn¡¯t believe that Zich woulde all the way here for such an insignificant reason. ¡°Yes, that¡¯s true. I went to a vige to get some food and saw a boy.¡±

    ¡°So, you killed him?¡±

    ¡°He is just one of the poor. They are like insects living day by day. Even if those kinds of guys disappear from the world, no problems will arise. Above all, we are people who will rule over the world under Bellu¡¯s great blessings. Since we will be the rulers of this world, they should think that giving us pleasure and dying by our hands is the greatest honor they can ever achieve.¡±

    ¡°I heard that you told the boy that everything was his fault as you tortured him.¡±

    ¡°Because it¡¯s true.¡± Trislowa cackled. ¡°It was impulsive. As soon as I met the boy¡¯s eyes, I made up my mind to kill him. I killed the boy¡¯s parents and his neighbors with the same line of thought. So I¡¯m right. Everything happened because of the boy.¡±

    Trislowa thought it was a very convincing argument, and other followers of Bellid nodded their heads in agreement. This was their general way of thinking and the reason why they were treated as heretics by the whole world.

    ¡°Hmm. Okay. If that¡¯s how you perceive it.¡±

    Trislowa¡¯s response didn¡¯t betray Zich¡¯s expectations even slightly. Zich¡¯s eyes narrowed.

    Boooom!

    They heard an explosive sound from far away, and the impact of the collision shook the building slightly. It was clear that the battle between the Karuwimans and the Bellids had begun. Trislowa knew that he couldn¡¯t waste any more time. He tried to attack Zich and take the item Zich was holding, but Zich opened his mouth again.

    ¡°By the way, you asked me if I was Karuwiman¡¯s dog. You must think the Karuwimans ordered me to infiltrate this ce for some reason.¡±

    ¡°Isn¡¯t that the case?¡±

    ¡°Not at all. You arepletely wrong.¡± Zich raised his thumb and shook it sideways. ¡°You are mixing up the cause and effect. I¡¯m the one who called them here.¡±

    ¡°¡­What?¡±

    Zich¡¯s unexpected response surprised Trislowa.

    ¡°You might be wondering how the Karuwimans found out about your secret hideout. It must have been really surprising since this base has never been found out by any outsiders since its foundation. Truthfully, the Karuwimans didn¡¯t know this ce¡¯s location either. They looked all over the world to capture you, but who could have imagined that there was a ce like this under a dry wilderness? So now, you tell me¡ªwho do you think told Karuwimans about this location?¡±

    Zich smiled; it was the one hemonly made while ming his opponents¡¯ emotions. ¡°It¡¯s me. I told them.¡±

    ¡°¡­What?¡±

    ¡°I learned about this base by coincidence. And I knew that you, Cullun Trislowa, would be here. So I immediately let the Karuwimans know about this ce.¡±

    ¡°You bastard!¡± Trislowa was filled with fury as he listened to Zich. He wanted to immediately slice Zich¡¯s neck, but Zich wasn¡¯t finished yet.

    ¡°Do you now realize the main reason why I told the Karuwimans about this base? Do you think it¡¯s because I hate you guys? It¡¯s true that I hate Bellids to the point that I think they are hopeless pests, but that¡¯s not it. Do you think it¡¯s because I like the Karuwimans? I don¡¯t want to be on their opposing side, but I have no intention of going out of my way to get on their good side either. Then, what do you think the main reason is?¡±

    It was a very trivial reason.

    ¡°You killed a boy whom I cared for¡ª¡±

    Not just that, but tortured him while doing so.

    ¡°Let me organize everything for you. The reason why the Karuwimans havee to this base is because I told them the location of this ce. And the reason why I told them this information is because I was furious at the Bellids. And the reason why I was furious was because the boy I mentioned died a painful death.¡±

    Zich didn¡¯t n on using his catchphrase, ¡®How sweet was your moment of hope?¡¯ this time; he had another phrase in mind that he wanted to use more.

    ¡°Do you remember what you said to the boy? You said that the reason why his parents and neighbors died was all because of him. Then, what do you think is the reason why the Karuwiman¡¯s troops have gathered in front of the Bellid¡¯s northern base?¡±

    Zich snickered while seeing Trislowa¡¯s face twist with rage.

    ¡°Cullun Trislowa. It¡¯s all because of you.¡±

 Chapter 96

    <h4>Chapter 96</h4>

    ¡°This¡­bast¡­ard¡­!¡±

    Trislowa was so furious that he could barely let out his words. In contrast, Zich was delighted; he became happier the more Trislowa became furious.

    ¡°Why are you getting so agitated? Am I wrong? If you hadn¡¯t hurt that boy, all of this would have never happened. Then isn¡¯t it right for me to say that this whole situation happened because of you?¡±

    ¡°You bastaaaaard!¡± Trislowa couldn¡¯t hold it in any longer. He shook his hand.

    Pop!

    The water inside the prayer room began to tremble like crazy. The water from theke began to soar and rise above Zich.

    Tap!

    Zich jumped up. He shoved his fingers in a wall and hung from above.

    ¡°Oh my! I thought you would definitely be able to understand my words because you were the one who told that boy that everything was his fault. Did that fish head Bellu tell you that you guys didn¡¯t need to be responsible for anything? No wonder, it¡¯s easier for that fish head. Why are you guys worshipping a god like that?¡±

    ¡°Dieeeee!¡±

    Crash!

    The water pir targeted Zich, but Zich easily avoided the attack by climbing higher.

    ¡°Hey, don¡¯t be so agitated. What are you gonna do if something bad happens to this?¡±

    The followers of Bellid running towards Zich halted. Even Trislowa, who was fiercely attacking a moment ago, hesitated.

    ¡°I guess getting attacked by the Karuwimans was really scary. So much so that you would just leave this unattended in the middle of a prayer room.¡±

    Trislowa made a groan. He wasn¡¯t scared of the Karuwimans, but it was true that he had left ¡°that¡± unattended. Even though the object had to be left on top of the altar for it to beplete, he should have left a high-level defense team.

    ¡®In that short amount of time, I didn¡¯t think that would get stolen.¡¯

    However, he couldn¡¯t really help it. Since the Karuwimans were right in front of him, how could he have ced a high-level defense team here?

    ¡°I know what this is. It¡¯s the artifact that controls monsters. Let me see, was the name Pyramid of Vengeful Souls?¡±

    ¡°¡­How the fuck do you know that?¡±

    Zich knew the reason why the boy¡¯s vige suddenly became crowded with monsters. Before he regressed, there was a time when the Bellidspletely swept the world. The Bellids were so strong that even the Karuwimans were forced to continuously retreat although they were allied with many countries. The reason for the Bellids¡¯ relentless victory was because they had the ability to control high-level monsters. They were not just able to controlmon monsters like goblins and orcs, but extremely strong monsters that appeared in legends. They were able to control extremely powerful monsters all thanks to their artifact, ¡®Pyramid of Vengeful Souls.¡¯

    ¡®Since Trislowa had the Pyramid of Vengeful Souls, the monsters must have been drawn towards him by instinct. ¡®

    Since the artifact was notplete yet, only low-level monsters were unconsciously drawn towards it, but once the artifact was finished, they would be able to cause huge destruction to the whole world.

    ¡®The reason why he tortured the boy was probably not only for enjoyment but also toplete this.¡¯

    As the name indicated, the way to make the ¡®Pyramid of Vengeful Souls¡¯ was extremely cruel and vicious. A lot of ingredients were required to make this artifact, but the most important one was the negative emotions of innocent souls. And what the Bellid usually did to bring out these types of emotions was what they did to the boy.

    ¡°As you can tell, I know a bit about things. How about it? Are you feeling a bit threatened? If I¡¯m not careful, I might identally break this item that is so precious to you guys.¡±

    ¡°Hah! Do you think we won¡¯t be able to harm you because you might break our sacred object? The Pyramid of Vengeful Souls won¡¯t be that easy to break!¡±

    Trislowa only flinched because he hadn¡¯t expected Zich to use the sacred object as a shield. Just like its world-shattering ability, the Pyramid of Vengeful Souls was an extremely tough item. Trislowas raised another water pir, and the other followers of Bellid also changed to an attack formation.

    With his current strength, Zich couldn¡¯t win against them. The other followers didn¡¯t matter, but Trislowa really was one of the strongest people in Bellid. However, Zich didn¡¯t feel very threatened.

    ¡°Hmmm. I¡¯m definitely at a disadvantage with this formation.¡±

    ¡°Did you just realize that! But it¡¯s toote. I¡¯ll give you the most brutal death in the world!¡±

    ¡°Hahaha! There¡¯s another person who has the same impossible dream. But it¡¯s alright. I¡¯m cheering for you. People must have a dream to live!¡±

    Crash!

    Zich evaded another water bomb.

    ¡°It¡¯s foolish for me to insist on a head-to-head battle even though there¡¯s a clear difference in strength between us. Should I try escaping?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t make meugh! How are you going to escape from here!¡±

    Bellid¡¯s knights and high priests were surrounding him, but most of all, Trislowa himself was blocking him. The only entrance was an exit far away from Zich; in this situation, it seemed as if Zich¡¯s escape was impossible. But it only seemed like it.

    ¡°Where would I be running to?¡±

    Zich made a big movement with the hands he shoved into the wall and pushed his body up. He didn¡¯t move very far. All he did wasnd a bit below him to the side.

    ¡°Hah! You talk about escape with a movement like that? Well, I guess it really fits you. A stupid choice fitting for a rat.¡±

    ¡°Then should I meet your expectations and really move like a rat?¡± At the same time, Zich jumped and hit three walls about twice the height of a person.

    Open!

    A door that was disguised as a wall opened.

    ¡°!!!¡±

    Trislowa, as well as all the followers of Bellid, widened their eyes as if they were going to pop out of their eye sockets.

    ¡°T-th-that..!¡± Trislowa was unable to finish his sentence and stuttered. He had no idea that there was something like that in a prayer room.

    ¡°Your reactions are strange? Did you perhaps forget about this secret entrance?¡±

    ¡°H-how did you know¡ª!¡±

    ¡°Ah, that¡¯s not something for you to know.¡± Zich smiled brightly and then waved his hand at the followers of Bellid. ¡°Then, this rat will escape through a rat hole.¡±

    Zich proudly put the ¡®Pyramid of Vengeful Souls¡¯ in a magic box and shouted out to Trislowa: ¡°Squeak! Squeak!¡±

    ¡°!!!¡±

    Anyone could see that Zich was mocking him. While leaving thepletely red-faced Trislowa behind, Zich disappeared into the secret entrance.

    ¡°Capture himmmmmm!¡±

    The fury in Trislowa¡¯s voicepletely shook the whole prayer room.

    * * *

    While Zich was enjoying his time inside ying cat and mouse with his enemies, the battle between Bellid and Karuwiman was going on in full force outside the temple.

    Pop! Pop!

    Karuwiman¡¯s holy attacks continued to fly across theke. The light attacks were imbued with holy power and lit up the inside of the cave; then the attacksnded on the Bellid¡¯s camp base. However, a strong barrier exuding Bellu''s energy protected the temple from the flying attacks.

    Pop! Pop!

    Counterattacks also came from the Bellid. As the water jiggled, streams of water shot up.

    Karuwiman¡¯s priests cast a barrier on their side.

    Crash! Craaaash!

    Streams of water hit the barrier of light and copsed. Lights shot up again, and the skirmish continued for a while.

    Then, the first one who changed the course of battle was the Karuwimans. Weig, who was near the center of the Karuwiman camp, walked right to the front of theke. He pulled out his sword, and a metal chime rang out. Then he lightly swung his sword.

    Craaaaaash!

    The effect of his swing wasn¡¯t as light as his swing. The light that came off from his de created an incredible explosion as it crashed into the barrier. The cave shook and the barrier wobbled visibly. Karuwiman¡¯s forces watched with high hopes while the Bellids looked at their barrier with concern. But in the end, the barrier didn¡¯t break.

    Bam! Bam Baaaam!

    Weig swung his sword a couple of more times, and the barrier wobbled every time but didn¡¯t break in the end. The Karuwimans felt frustrated, while the Bellids felt relief.

    ¡°This won¡¯t end it.¡±

    Lube said, ¡°It seems like they are doing some ritual inside the temple to put up the barrier. If we continue to attack like this, we are going to consume a lot more energy and resources.¡±

    In response, Weig gave out an order. ¡°Let¡¯s move forward.¡±

    The only path that led across theke was a small, narrow path that circled around the area. One side was blocked by the cave¡¯s walls, and the other side fell into theke and wasn¡¯t suitable for an army to march over it. Furthermore, the Bellid knights were standing right in front of the path. Still, Weig deployed the Karuwiman troops to the area without hesitation.

    Thump! Thump! Thump!

    The sound of footsteps filled the whole cave, and the noise was assuring to their allies but terrifying to their enemies. The Bellid knights assumed theirbat positions. But Weig didn¡¯t intend to only use that path; he knew that the more routes they had to cross the other side of theke, the more advantageous it would be for them.

    A couple of Holy Knights came out of thekeshore. They took out a magic box cast with a Storage Expansion spell from their clutches.

    Pop!

    A huge raft popped out of the magic box. The raft was made out of hardwood that floated over water well, but instead of a normal rope, the raft was held together with chains. In addition, the Holy Knights took out giant iron stakes.

    m! m!

    They didn¡¯t even need hammers. The Holy Knights smashed a stake deeply into the hardkeshore.

    nk!

    A Holy Knight took one of the loose, long chains from the raft, wrapped it around a stake, and fixed it tightly. Then, the Holy Knight plugged in a couple of other stakes onto the shore and tightly connected the stake and the raft with a chain.

    Thug!

    The Holy Knights climbed on top of the raft. When they walked to the edge of the raft, they used their magic box again.

    Ssh!

    Another raft popped out, and they connected the new one with the one they were stepping on. Then, they got another one until they built a connected bridge that stretched across the wholeke. However, the bridge of rafts wasn¡¯t their only project in the making.

    ¡°There!¡± Snoc, who had been touching the dirt floor with his eyes closed, pointed at a section in theke. ¡°The water is shallow there!¡±

    Koo!

    Nowem shouted in agreement. The Holy Knights approached where Snoc pointed. Then, they took out something from their magic box. It was a stake¡ªbut it was different from the ones that the knights had stationed on the shores to fix the rafts¡¯ positions. It was huge. It was more urate to describe it as a pir, and the stake was about six times taller than a person¡¯s height. The Holy Knights hung the stake over the shoulders.

    Thud!

    One of the Holy Knights jumped over theke. He moved the stake over his shoulder to his front and hugged it. As his body fell, he reached theke¡¯s surface.

    Ssh!

    The Holy Knights mmed down the stakes into theke¡¯s surface with great force.

    Craaaash!

    Waves of water sshed in all directions with an explosive sound. It was hard to believe that a collision between water and a stake could create such noise. Theke¡¯s water wobbled like crazy, and the force of the impact even reached the other side of theke. With that destructive force, the stake was sessfully screwed into the bottom of theke.

    Because theke¡¯s floor was made up of sturdy rocks, the stake was firmly stationed into the ground. The head of the stake that looked above theke¡¯s surface was t and circr and secured a considerable amount of surface area.

    Thud!

    The Holy Knight who stuck the stake in got on top of the stake. Then, he repeated his actions multiple times. Soon, a stepping bridge made up of the stakes he pushed in appeared across the areas he passed.

    Karuwiman¡¯s elite forces were used to attacking over ake or a river, because Bellid¡¯s temples often had these geographical features around their structures. Thus, they had done these kinds of battles many times before and even underwent special training to do so. Furthermore, this time, they even had someone like Snoc who could tell them the terrain or the depth of water beneath them. Snoc didn¡¯t yet have the power to pull up the entire floor beneath him and fill up theke, but he could feel the structure of theke¡¯s terrain.

    However, although the Karuwimans looked like they were advancing ahead, Weig didn¡¯t let his guard down. No matter how much training they had gone through or how experienced they were, it didn¡¯t change the fact that an aquatic environment favored the Bellids.

 Chapter 97

    <h4>Chapter 97</h4>

    As piles of raft bridges gradually increased on theke, Karuwiman and Bellid knights shed from the front.

    ¡°Haaaap!¡±

    ¡°Haat!¡±

    The leading knights swung their swords; their physical abilities had already been strengthened by the priests¡¯ blessings. They swung their swords filled with holy power, and as the swords shed against each other, a menacing sound spread throughout the whole area. The battle was fierce, but since the pathway was still small, only a few people were able to engage in directbat with the Bellids. The rest of the Karuwiman had their swords out and were staring at their opponents with murderous eyes. Unfortunately, even the Karuwiman hadn¡¯t found a miraculous way to rip apart the Bellid with just their eyes.

    The initial battle was in favor of the Karuwimans who had more battle experience and skill. However, as the Bellid knights slowly drew back and went inside the temple¡¯s barriers, the situation changed. They were able to use the temple¡¯s barrier as a support system to fight against the Karuwimans. Even though the Karuwiman army had stronger and more experienced soldiers, the damage they received slowly began to increase.

    Moreover, a full-fledged battle was urring on top of theke. The raft bridges and stepping stones already reached the center of theke. As the Karuwimans came closer, most of their holy attacks were able to reach the Bellids; but at the same time, the Bellids¡¯ retaliation became even stronger.

    Crash! Crash!

    Water pirs soared above and crashed against those who were making the raft bridges.

    Sssh!

    The surface of theke trembled violently and shook the raft bridges, breaking the bnce of the Karuwiman troops and disconnecting the bridge at the same time.

    Swooosh!

    Small water droplets soared above and swarmed towards the Karuwiman army like an army of bees. However, the Karuwiman army did not easily give in. High-ranking priests, who were standing on an unshakable pile of stepping stones, held their hands tightly together and gathered their holy powers. Light filled up the whole cave again.

    Crash! Crash!

    The light barrier blocked the Bellids¡¯ attack. At the same time, a subtle light began to spread across theke¡¯s surface.

    Swishh!

    As the light passed through the violently shakingke, theke became still as if nothing had happened.

    Bam! Bam!

    As if it was now their turn to attack, the Karuwimans started throwing balls of light and light beams against their enemies. However, the Bellids¡¯ barrier held steadfastly. The Karuwiman knights red at the Bellids from across theke but their attacks weren¡¯t able to reach them. The Bellid temple¡¯s barrier nullified the light attacks every time.

    In contrast, the Karuwiman priests were now the ones who had to quickly make light barriers to protect themselves from the Bellids¡¯ ferocious attacks. While these types of attacks went on, the Karuwimans finished making their raft bridges and stepping stones and were able to finally reach the other side of theke. In a few moments, they would be able to make various attacks other than holy attacks from afar, and it would be much easier for the Karuwimans to attack.

    However, there was no way the Bellids would just let this happen. The Bellid priests closed their eyes and reached their hands towards theke. The water began trembling like crazy again. The Karuwiman priests tried to desperately block this attack, but they were way too close to the temple. The energy from the temple significantly increased the Bellid priests¡¯ attacks.

    ¡°Argh!¡±

    ¡°Ugh!¡±

    A few Karuwiman knights were directly hit by the water pirs from theke or fell in the violently shaking water. A knight who was building the rafts identally nailed the wrong side and a part of the raft bridge also became unusable. Weig watched all this from the other side of theke. Even though casualties were slowly beginning to appear on the Karuwiman¡¯s side, hisplexion did not change in the slightest. All battles were like this. No matter how perfect and overwhelming their victory would be, there would always be casualties. It was impossible to not receive some damage one way or another.

    ¡°Ah¡­!¡± Lube, who was standing next to Weig, let out a sigh. Every time a knight who was approaching the other side of theke received damage, Lube made a small cry. But Weig didn¡¯t turn around.

    ¡®She needs to get used to it.¡¯

    As long as the Bellid existed, Lube would go through a lot of experiences like this. They needed to endure this. Weig wanted to immediately turn around and ask her if she was all right, but he repressed this emotion and continued to stare at the battle in front of him in silence. Again, a couple more Karuwiman knights were sacrificed.

    ¡®As expected, that barrier is a huge problem.¡¯

    The barrier blocked all holy attacks that the Karuwimans shot from afar, and it significantly increased the powers of all Bellids. But they would be able to ovee it since the Karuwiman army was significantly stronger. However, he couldn¡¯t deny that it would be better if the barrier was gone. After he left the deputy inmand, Weig began moving again. He walked across the stepping stones. When he was about to reach the other side of theke¡ª

    Thud!

    His movements became dull. As he felt his body grow heavier, he looked up. The disgusting energy of Bellu was pressing down upon him.

    Bam! Bam!

    As if they were waiting for this moment all along, the followers of Bellid began to immediately attack Weig. However, all the attacks against him were nullified by a swing from his sword.

    ¡®Hmm. This isn¡¯t too bad.¡¯

    An ordinary person would have been crushed under the pressure, but Weig was still full of energy. However, it was also difficult for even him to bring out his full skills. On the other hand, as he looked around, the situation was bing more favorable for the Karuwimans.

    ¡®Since they are concentrating most of Bellu¡¯s energy on me, they don¡¯t have enough energy to back up the others.¡¯

    Just his existence here was extremely helpful to the overall battle. Weig stood straight on a raft and red at the Bellid temple.

    ¡®It would be great if Zich could break this barrier.¡¯ Weig had this wishful thought while thinking of Zich who infiltrated the temple. Then he quickly resumedmand while standing on a raft.

    * * *

    While Karuwiman and Bellid were fighting a fierce battle on theke, there was a hugemotion going on inside the temple.

    ¡°Damn it!¡± Trislowa swore and punched the wall with his fist. He wanted to rip apart that bastard, who dared to mock him, limb by limb while he was alive, but he had already lost sight of Zich. Even though Trislowa was currently stronger than Zich, he was ultimately a priest. In terms of physical strength, there was no way he could beat Zich who trained his body to the limits. Zich was also able to control a lot more of his mana than before, so his skill had significantly increased.

    Moreover, Zich knew every nick and corner of the temple¡¯s secret entrance and architecture¡ªsomething even Trislowa had no full knowledge of. Trislowa thought this whole situation was ridiculous, but this was the reality of his circumstances.

    ¡®Why the hell is there a secret passageway here¡­¡¯

    Trislowa felt shocked as he emerged out of the secret passageway that Zich disappeared into. Trislowa was also familiar with the secret passageways of this temple. No, it was not an exaggeration to say that he knew all the secret passages that the Bellids currently knew. However, Trislowa wasn¡¯t aware of the secret passage that Zich used to escape.

    ¡®How does an outsider know of a secret passage that even I didn¡¯t know of?¡¯

    When they first built this temple, it was the Bellids¡¯ standard practice to dig up as many holes as possible to run out from. The secret passage that Zich escaped out of was one of them. But as time passed, people began to forget one or two of the passages that they had built in the past. Humans were forgetful animals, and even the Bellids were technically members of humanity. The strong belief that their ce was the perfect hideout was also another factor in why they forgot some of the secret passageways. Trislowa was aware of all this, but he couldn¡¯t wrap his head around how an outsider like Zich knew a secret passageway that the current Bellids didn¡¯t know.

    ¡®He couldn¡¯t have secured a blueprint or anything like that.¡¯

    There was no blueprint or map with all the secret passages written on it. After the temple waspleted, it was said that the blueprint was buried along with the constructors.

    ¡®Regardless, it¡¯s evident that he knows his way around this ce, and most importantly, he has the Pyramid of Vengeful Souls in his possession.¡±

    ¡°Comrades!¡±

    ¡°Yes?!¡±

    Trislowa called his fellow Bellids next to him.

    ¡°Please go to the battlefront and bring some knights with fast legs. Gather about fifty of them in the prayer room.¡±

    ¡°Yes, sir!¡±

    As soon as the other priest disappeared, Trislowa gritted his teeth.

    ¡®Since we are battling the Karuwimans right now, taking out more men than fifty would be too much. But we have to get the Pyramid of Vengeful Souls back at all costs.¡¯

    Trisolwa had to find Zich as fast as possible and beat him to death. The men he would take out from the battlefront were soldiers that could be used to fight the battle with the Karuwimans, and Trislowa, who was one of the Bellid¡¯s greatest fighting forces, had to also get back on the battlefield as soon as possible.

    Trislowa dispersed the remaining troops in the temple as wide as possible. Hemanded one group to block the entrance, and after he warned them that they must signal their location even if they were dying, he also went to look for Zich himself.

    But no matter where he went, he couldn¡¯t find Zich.

    ¡®That sneaky rat! He didn¡¯t really escape out of here, right?!¡¯

    He had ordered his men to block all the doors, but Zich somehow knew passageways that even he wasn¡¯t aware of. It wouldn¡¯t have been strange if Zich knew of a passageway that secretly led him outside, but Trislowa didn¡¯t think that Zich escaped.

    ¡®That guy had a clear motive for intruding.¡¯

    Even in their conversation, Zich had thoroughly let out his murderous intent. Zich¡¯s ultimate goal was revenge, and his purpose for trespassing into the temple was probably¡­

    ¡®¡­To cause chaos.¡¯

    In addition to Karuwiman¡¯s attack, there was an internalmotion because of Zich. Moreover, Zich was incredibly adept at causing thismotion.

    ¡®At the same time, it¡¯s not like there¡¯s zero chance that he just escaped.¡¯

    That was a serious problem. If Trislowa thought back to Zich¡¯s response when he first saw the artifact, the Pyramid of Vengeful Souls, Zich¡¯s main target didn¡¯t seem to be the item. But upon seeing it, Zich was able to instantly recognize the item¡¯s value.

    ¡®He might prioritize securing the sacred object now rather than causing chaos. He could have made his escape then.¡¯

    To Trislowa, losing the ¡®Pyramid of Vengeful Souls¡¯ was a bigger nightmare than losing the northern base, but he didn¡¯t have many options after losing sight of Zich.

    ¡®I can¡¯t do anything more than hope that he hasn¡¯t gone outside yet.¡¯

    In the end, Trislowa returned to the prayer room. There, he saw the group of knights that he had requested, waiting for him.

    ¡°A rat snuck into the temple.¡± Trislow immediately spoke. ¡°He stole the Pyramid of Vengeful Souls, and now, we have to retrieve our sacred object back at all costs no matter how dire our state of emergency is. That object is more important than our northern base!¡±

    The knights turned serious. Trislowa¡¯s mad eyes told them how important this job was.

    ¡°But that rat¡¯s skills are noteworthy. He evaded my attacks multiple times, and his movements are nimble. They are not skills that we can just ignore. Furthermore, he somehow knows the structure of this temple and its hidden ces well. So, all of you move in pairs and don¡¯t think about charging at him recklessly. Send a signal first. If he attacks, avoid it and if he tries to escape, try to follow him as tightly as you can. Stick close to him!¡± Trislowa said hisst words with great force and ended with a voice full of murderous intent. ¡°Let¡¯s corner him to a dead-end.¡±

    ¡®Since he described himself as a rat¡­¡¯ Trislowa nned to treat him like one. Trislowa¡¯s eyes became murderous and shone brightly.

    * * *

    While Trislowa was stirring up his bloodthirst for Zich, Zich went down to the basement. The prison he passed by before appeared in view again. Zich turned his head around and checked the area.

    ¡®There¡¯s no guard.¡¯

    Even the prison guards seemed to have been mobilized for the battle, as the seat set in ce for the guard was empty. Zich walked to the guard seat.

    ¡®It¡¯s here.¡¯

    A key ring hung visibly on the wall. Zich grabbed the ring, and many keys clinked as they hit each other on therge ring. After Zich took the keys, he walked slowly towards the front of the prison and checked its insides. Unlike before when he had quickly nced at them, he could now clearly see the prisoners. All of them were in seriously bad condition, and it was obvious that they endured great torture and violence for a long time.

    There were bloody scabs all over their bodies, and it wasn¡¯t an exaggeration to say that their skin was like rags. As if all their tendons had been cut off, their limbs stretched loosely from their bodies. There were some who were muttering something like they had lost their minds, and there were also some with missing limbs. There were even people who were already dead.

    As if the prison had never been cleaned, people¡¯s wastes piled over the floor, and in the cramped space, everyone was smeared with filth. The ce wasn¡¯t suitable for a human or even a domestic animal.

    But Zich looked at the prisoners with emotionless eyes as if he was looking at products in a market, and thought, ¡®Will these things be useful?¡¯ The people inside the prison feared Zich when they first saw him, thinking that he was a follower of Bellid. But then, they saw how his demeanor and clothing looked different from the Bellids and thought something was different from normal.

    Still, no one said anything to Zich. His appearance might be different from normal Bellids, but there was no evidence that he wasn¡¯t a Bellid follower. Zich walked the full length of the prison once and looked at the prisoners. Then, a satisfied smile appeared on his face.

    ¡®Well, this much will be¡­¡¯

    Zich stood in the center of the prison. People stared at him with eyes mixed with rage and fear.

    ¡°Everyone,¡± he stated, ¡°Don¡¯t you want revenge?¡±

 Chapter 98

    <h4>Chapter 98</h4>

    After he ordered his underlings to find Zich, Trislowa began to ponder. ¡®If he¡¯s trying to cause chaos internally, what¡¯s the first thing he¡¯d do?¡¯

    In challenging situations, one should attempt to predict their opponent¡¯s next move and n ordingly. Trislowa predicted that Zich¡¯s first move would be to cause amotion inside the temple to trap some of their military force inside and separate them from the rest of the force fighting against the Karuwimans.

    ¡®He¡¯s already seeded in this.¡¯

    Even though thinking about Zich made Trislowa grit his teeth, he had to ept his present situation. Currently, Trislowa, the leader of the northern branch and the greatest military power, was tied up inside the temple and about 50 Bellid knights were also trapped with him. Moreover, people fighting on the forefront would be wondering why a part of their force was not in battle with them. If their curiosity turned into suspicions, the morale of their whole team would fall. In order to solve all these issues, Trislowa needed to deal with Zich as quickly as possible.

    ¡®If he didn¡¯t infiltrate for the purpose of stealing the sacred object, what did he infiltrate for?¡¯

    A thought immediately popped up inside his mind.

    ¡®The barrier.¡¯

    So far, the barrier was the number one contributor to driving back the Karuwimans and pulling his branch to its peak.

    ¡®Let¡¯s head to the ritual room.¡¯

    Trislowa quickly moved ahead; he soon reached the front of the ritual room. The door of the ritual room did not lose in extravagancepared to the door of the prayer room; the luxurious state of the door indicated how important the ritual room was to the whole temple. Trislowa opened the door. The first thing he saw was the statue of Bellu stationed in the center of the room. The unique head of the statue (which Zich called fish head) looked arrogantly down on all those who stared at it. Aplicated magic circle was drawn on the floor, with the statue of Bellu in the middle.

    The ritual room was ginormous, only a little smaller than the prayer room, but the magic circle made up most of the space in the room. And on top of the ritual were numerous Bellid priests who had their knees on the ground, surrounding the statue of Bellu. They were the ones who were keeping the temple¡¯s barrier alive. Two knights were on guard to protect the Bellid priests. When the priests were performing the ritual, they were unable to react to even the slightest outside stimtion and had to focus all their attention on maintaining the barrier. For that reason, having guards was essential. However, due to the Karuwimans¡¯ surprise attack, only two knights were protecting the priests. It was embarrassing to even say there was a defense unit protecting the priests with only two people.

    Trislowa stopped the two knights who were about to say their greetings with his hands and focused his attention while leaning on the wall. As a priest, he didn¡¯t have sensing abilities like a knight. However, he was able to hide his presence. His holy power surrounded his whole body; the energy from Bellu in the ritual room further helped him hide his presence.

    If knights were like predators who sensed their prey and actively hunted their prey, he was a predator who camouged with his surroundings and waited to find the perfect opportunity to pounce on his prey.

    Click!

    Someone opened the ritual room. Trislowa¡¯s eyeballs rolled around. He made eye contact with the person who opened the door. Then, he smiled; his smile was sharp and murderous.

    Kwaaa!

    Trislowa immediately released the holy powers he was collecting in his hands. Even though the Bellid¡¯s specialty was controlling moisture, Trislowa was one of the strongest cardinals in the Bellid; just firing his holy power was strong enough to st his enemies.

    Crash!

    ¡°Ughh!¡±

    ¡®I did it!¡¯ Trislowa was filled with bliss; the rat he threw his holy powers at was starting toe into view.

    Trislowa loudly shouted, ¡°Follow him!¡±

    The knights guarding the priests all looked at him.

    ¡°Put off the guarding and chase that bastard who ran away just now.¡±

    ¡°But¡­!¡±

    ¡°I said, chase after him!¡±

    Trislowa snarled at the reluctant guards. Without much choice, they started chasing after Zich.

    ¡®Right now, securing the sacred object is our top property. I have to prioritize catching that bastard over everything!¡¯

    There could also be more intruders. If there were more intruders, the priests in the ritual room would be easy prey since they were unable to move. However¡­

    ¡®¡­I just have to hope that doesn¡¯t happen.¡¯

    This was a once in a lifetime opportunity. They could not lose the sacred object here at all costs. If there were enough people, he could leave some guards behind; but right now, there were only two guards to help him. Since his opponent seemed to be pretty skilled, he needed their support to retrieve the sacred object. After ordering the guards to chase after Zich, Trislowa quickly ran out and followed behind. The only ones left were the priests, who were so focused on maintaining their ritual that they were unable to notice themotion happening around them.

    Thud!

    When Trislowa went out, the door of the ritual room closed. There was a constant uproar outside the room. It seemed as if the injured Zich was doing a very good job running around, so the chase continued. The knights who were searching for Zich moved towards the sound of themotion. A few more Bellid knights ran past the ritual room. The sound of people chasing after Zich moved further and further away from the ritual room. Soon enough, only soft murmurings could be heard in the front. Moreover, the thick walls in the ritual room blocked all sound. It sounded as if themotion had passed.

    Creak!

    The door opened again.

    Thud!

    Like a rock dropped in still water, a footstep from the open door broke the silence. It was an incredibly light footstep. However, the resentment in this footstep was heavier than anything in this room. The doorpletely opened and dozens of people came rushing in. All of their clothes were ragged, their skin was covered with all kinds of dirt and dust, and their bodies were emaciated. Their hair was dirty and rough, and their beards were overgrown and tattered. Their eyes were sharp and the sharp glint in their eyes glistened in murderous rage¡ªthey were the people who had been locked up in the temple¡¯s prison. One of them, Lewan South, red at the Bellid priests in front of them with rage and recalled what happened to them earlier.

    * * *

    ¡°Revenge?¡±

    Even while his mind was half-unconscious from being tortured and starved for so long, South responded to Zich¡¯s words.

    ¡®Revenge.¡¯ It was the wonderful word he had cried out to himself again and again while he was trapped here, and it appeared even in his dreams. It was a word that he could sacrifice the rest of his life for.

    ¡°Yes, revenge!¡±

    As soon as Zich found a person who was interested in his words, he nodded to confirm his statement.

    ¡°I¡¯vee here to save all of you. Outside, the Karuwimans havee to raid the Bellids.¡±

    Hope shone upon people¡¯s faces. Their hearts were filled with joy at the thought they could escape this hell.

    ¡°I have already secured the path to let all of you escape. Everyone just has to follow my words, but I was wondering if any of you are dissatisfied with just escaping like this.¡±

    ¡°¡­Revenge.¡±

    South opened his mouth. It had been so long since hest talked that it was hard for him to move his tongue and his pronunciation was slightly off. His throat was also hoarse from screaming continuously.

    ¡°Is it possible?¡±

    ¡°It sure is.¡±

    ¡°Revenge against the Bellids is possible?¡±

    ¡°Yes, revenge is possible.¡±

    Like teaching a child who had just learned his first words, Zich repeated his words patiently without any signs of annoyance.

    ¡°Since someone¡¯s interested, let me exin right away. I am going to help everyone escape. But I¡¯m sure many of you want to rip apart the Bellid bastards.¡±

    ¡®Many¡¯ was an understatement. Anyone who still had their senses left let out their bloodthirst. It was more urate to say ¡®all of them¡¯ wanted revenge.

    ¡°So, I will give you all a chance to get revenge.¡±

    * * *

    South clutched onto his knife¡¯s handle tightly. Unlike before when the Bellids had cut off his tendons, he could make a fist now. His hand¡¯s condition was simr to when he had swung hisrge sword at monsters before the Bellids captured him.

    ¡®I can¡¯t believe he was able to cure me even after a lot of time passed since my tendons were sliced off.¡¯

    His savior had told him that the potions they took were the best quality potions that the Karuwimans made. Thus, it made sense how his injuries were all healed.

    ¡®I regained a bit of my strength now too.¡¯

    His body, which had weakened from injuries and starvation, felt stronger now. Of course, his whole physical condition wasn¡¯t the same as before. But it didn¡¯t matter.

    ¡®It¡¯s enough to kill those bastards.¡¯

    South raised his sword and approached the closest priest. As his savior told him, the Bellid priests didn¡¯t move even when he stood in close proximity.

    Smirk.

    A smile naturally formed on his lips. The sight of the priests praying in uniform¡ªlike they were doing a solemn memorial service¡ªwas despicable, and the thought that each of them would be shrieking soon made himugh. South gestured with his fingers and hispanions moved.

    Although everyone in the prison dreamed of revenge, many of them wanted to escape out of this hellish ce as fast as possible. They didn¡¯t want to face any danger, so they escaped, and the people here now were those who had chosen revenge over escape. They wanted to show the Bellids a cruel retaliation even if they had to take a dangerous risk. Thus, they grouped in a cluster of four and approached a priest they liked. Of course, the expression ¡®liked¡¯ didn¡¯t include even an ounce of positivity.

    ¡°¡­In one and two, we all pierce the priest we chose at once.¡±

    The swords that Zich had stored in his magic box weren¡¯t high-quality weapons, but they were enough to pierce humans clothed only in priest uniforms. The group held their swords hanging upside down and pointed at the priest¡¯s every limb.

    South counted, ¡°One¡­two!¡±

    Push!

    He could hear the sound of skin tearing apart.

    ¡°Ahhhh!¡±

    ¡°Ah! Ahhhh!¡±

    Since the priests¡¯ entire attention was on the ritual, they screamed the very moment the swords pierced into them. Their screams filled the ritual room, and their screams were muffled by the room¡¯s thick walls. The priests who were not stabbed stayed focused on the ritual and barely noticed what was happening around them. There was no one who could help them.

    After losing their limbs, the priests who were stabbed became immobile and rolled on the ground like a piece of meat. They were hateful pieces of meat.

    ¡°Kill them.¡±

    Pluck! Pluck! Pluck!

    ¡°Urgggggh! Urgh! Kkieh, Kkiaaaaaaah!¡±

    Like a butcher cleaning up meat, they stuck their swords into the priests¡¯ bodies. The priests resisted, but they had the strength and stamina of a normal person and couldn¡¯t use their limbs, so their resistance was futile. In addition, even if their opponents were in a weakened state, South and hispanions were moving in a group of four.

    ¡°Stop!¡± South shouted and stopped hispanions. While they breathed harshly, hispanions¡¯ eyes were filled with satisfaction.

    ¡°Okay, everyone. Let¡¯s move to our next work,¡± South said while wiping the blood off his cheeks.

    ¡°There are still many of them for us to enjoy.¡±

    They sloppily disposed of the meat pieces which used to be ¡®priests,¡¯ with their feet and moved onto their next target.

    * * *

    Trislowa chased after Zich. He looked threatening as he moved onto another priest¡¯s back. Besides him, there were a bunch of knights he had gathered together. After receiving Trislowa¡¯s blessing, their physical abilities were heightened, and they chased after Zich with menacing eyes.

    Inparison, Zich¡¯s state looked terrible. He was clutching onto his bleeding sides while staggering. He looked severely injured, but even in this condition, he was running well at a great speed. However, his unstable pace made it seem like it woulde to an end soon.

    ¡°Urgh!¡± Zich groaned and switched his direction to the side. Other Bellid¡¯s knights ran towards him in the same path.

    Trislowa shouted, ¡°Yes, like that! Corner him! Since he acts like a rat, we have to treat him like one!¡±

    They looked as if they would capture Zich any moment now, so Trislowa was thrilled. He had high expectations to retrieve the artifact again. No matter how big the temple was, there was a limit to the ces Zich could run to, and in the end, Zich was cornered.

    ¡°You are good at running!¡± Trislowa got off the knight¡¯s back and said confidently, ¡°But in the end, this is your fate. Give me the artifact now. If you do that, I will show you mercy and let you die a painless death.¡±

    Of course, this was a lie and Trislow had no intention to let Zich die peacefully. He was nning to torture Zich again and again until he got sick of it. But Zich was silent. He somewhat looked like he was desperately trying to get out of the situation and somewhat like he was despairing at his hopeless predicament.

    Trislowa didn¡¯t wait long; he didn¡¯t feel the need, nor did he have the time to do so. Thus, he was about to order his knights to kill Zich and take the holy item when¡ª

    Craaaaash!

    Arge shock shook the whole temple.

 Chapter 99

    <h4>Chapter 99</h4>

    The battle between the Bellids and Karuwimans was fierce. Whenever the Karuwimansunched offensive attacks to cross theke, the Bellids fiercely resisted. Due to the Bellids¡¯ adamant resistance, the Karuwimans weren¡¯t able to secure a bridge to cross theke yet.

    In this intense battle, Zich¡¯s two servants were bravely fighting on. Hans was stationed on the frontlines, and he directly engaged with the Bellid knights. Even though he was lower-skilled than his opponents¡¯, he maintained his ground. Zich¡¯s sinister, almost perverted training was showing its full effect again.

    ¡®In this area, I have to¡ª!¡¯ Hans found a small opening between the Karuwiman knights in front of him and moved his sword to stab a Bellid knight.

    ¡°Ugh!¡±

    sh!

    A Bellid knight quickly smacked Hans'' cleverly positioned sword away. The force of the Bellid knight¡¯s sword made Hans¡¯ hands shake. However, Hans didn¡¯t let go of his sword and hurriedly backed away.

    sh!

    ¡°Argh!¡±

    The Bellid, who lost his bnce from Hans¡¯ attack, was hit by a Karuwiman knight and fell down. Hans continued to look for more openings.

    ¡®My body moved almost by instinct.¡¯

    The only time Hans experienced arge-scale battle like this was in the Dracul estate at Ospurin. However, since he was already in his second battle, his body skillfully moved along with his allies¡¯ movements. Even he surprised himself.

    ¡®Sir Zich¡¯s training really makes people speechless.¡¯

    Hans thought hispetency in this battle was all thanks to Zich¡¯s training. However, that was not the only reason. Previously, Zich remarked that Hans¡¯ talent wasparable to Glen Zenard, one of the few people Zich approved of in strength alone; and through Zich¡¯s extreme training, Hans¡¯ talent was beginning to blossom in full disy.

    Likewise, Snoc also yed a significant part in this battle. He stood on a stepping stone in the center of ake and fired his power over the earth towards his enemies.

    Bam! Bam!

    Huge earth pirs sprouted out from the walls of the cave next to the Bellid knights. The Bellid knights crushed the earth pirs with their swords. Even though they didn¡¯t receive much damage from these attacks, the pirs continued to pop out and hamper their focus.

    ¡®If I destroy the pathway that the frontline is standing on, I can attack them all at once.¡¯ Snoc felt regretful. However, in a situation where they had to increase more paths across theke, he couldn¡¯t afford to destroy any pathways.

    ¡®Is it because I¡¯m stillcking in skill?¡¯ Even though Snoc was able to safely bring out Nowem¡¯s strength, he couldn¡¯t bring out all of it. If he could, then the first thing he would have done was to break this cave¡¯s ceiling and fill up theke.

    ¡®Ah, but would Sir Zich scold me because the entire cave might copse?¡¯

    No, if he couldpletely bring out Nowem¡¯s strength, he might be able to destroy everything that supported the cave and still hold up the entire cave with just his strength. Snoc nced at Hans. Hans was his senior who joined Zich¡¯s team earlier than him and had longer experience being Zich¡¯s servant. Even though Hans didn¡¯t have a special existence like Nowem next to him, he was showing enormous skills using just his natural abilities.

    ¡®I should also work harder.¡¯

    Even though Hans was embarrassed by it, his efforts and goals (with Zich¡¯s advice) to be a hero greatly inspired Snoc.

    ¡®If I work hard like my senior, Hans, maybe I can also¡­¡¯ If he worked hard, maybe his childhood dream he nervously told Sam might be a reality. Snoc blocked the Bellid¡¯s attacks and used his earthly powers to support shaky bridges; simultaneously, he continued to attack the Bellids.

    The battle went on. Without either side gaining a clear advantage, sacrifices were made with each passing minute. However, nothing went on forever. A change began to appear on the battlefield.

    Crash!

    ¡°What!¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    In the center of the area protected by the barrier, a few Bellids were hit critically by the Karuwimans¡¯ light attacks. Regardless of which side they were on, both the Karuwimans and Bellids were shocked. On the other hand, both of the leaders from these two sides were quick to adapt.

    ¡°The barrier has weakened! Immediately attack those outside the barrier!¡±

    ¡°Get closer inside the barrier! Quickly!¡±

    The two sides immediately followed their superiors¡¯ orders. The Bellids who were now outside the barrier quickly moved back; however, not all of them were able to avoid the Karuwimans¡¯ speedy attacks.

    ¡°Ugh!¡±

    ¡°Argh!¡±

    The number of Bellid followers who died from the Karuwimans¡¯ light attacks increased. The Karuwiman knights focused their utmost attention on the areas where the barrier had disappeared.

    ¡°Get your act together! Block them froming closer!¡±

    The Bellids also quickly responded and fought back. However, their efforts were fruitless. The barrier kept getting smaller, and the energy of Bellu that supported the Bellids also decreased substantially; soon enough, the entire barrier disappeared. When the Bellids felt all of Bellu¡¯s energy disappear, their faces became filled with despair. In contrast to their despair, the Karuwimans responded back with greater energy and shouted a loud outcry.

    Weig tightly clenched his fists. The menacing pressure on his body was gone.

    ¡®It seems like Zich was sessful.¡¯

    * * *

    ¡°What happened?¡± Trislowa had been full of confidence after finally being able to capture Zich, but he was now hesitant and his expression froze. At the intense vibrations inside the cave, Trislowa looked up. The other knights were also surprised and looked around their surroundings.

    Thud!

    There was another shock, and then arge vibration. Some rock dust fell down from the ceiling. Even though sounds of an explosion could be heard every time the barrier blocked attacks from the Karuwiman, the sound this time sounded a bit different. Moreover, just the sound of an explosion would not be enough to shake the entire temple so that rock and debris dust would fall from the ceiling.

    It felt ominous. Anxiety began to fill up the hearts of all the Bellid followers.

    Then a calm voice spoke from somewhere, ¡°It¡¯s nothing important, so don¡¯t worry about it.¡±

    The Bellid followers looked towards the direction of the voice. They didn¡¯t need to look any further.

    The person who spoke was Zich.

    ¡®What is that fucking bastard scheming again?¡¯ Trislowa thought and said, ¡°¡­What do you mean?¡±

    ¡°Exactly what I said. That sound is nothing important.¡± Zich lookedpletely different. It was difficult to imagine that he had been running away while gasping for breath a few moments ago. The wound on his side was still pouring out blood, but Zich had his back straight unlike before.

    And with a carefree attitude, he told the Bellid followers shocking news. ¡°It¡¯s just that the barrier protecting the temple disappeared, so the Karuwimans are attacking the temple. That¡¯s all.¡±

    ¡°!!!¡±

    Every single follower was astonished. For the Bellids who were at a disadvantage to the Karuwiman in terms of both numbers and quality, the barrier had been crucial in defending their temple. But if that barrier disappeared¡­

    ¡°Did you¡­!¡± Trislowa finally realized that Zich hadn¡¯t run to escape but to lure him and the remaining guards out of the ritual room.

    Then, Zich helped erase all of Trislowa¡¯s doubts. ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right. I lured you guys out.¡±

    Zich moved his body from side to side; he was mocking Trislowa and the knights, showing that his wound didn¡¯t debilitate him at all. For Zich, moving with this kind of injury was nothing.

    ¡°You, bastard¡­! Did other intruders¡­!¡± What Trislow had prayed to not happen urred. However, the situation was a bit different from his expectations.

    ¡°No, I¡¯m the only intruder. Even in this ce, there are people who are willing to take my side.¡±

    ¡°What bullshit! No one among the Bellid followers who faithfully worship Bellu will cooperate with Karuwiman¡¯s dog like you!¡±

    ¡°I also don¡¯t want to join hands with you Bellid bastards. The people who joined my side are from apletely different group.¡±

    Zich pointed below him with his fingers. ¡°The people who used to be down there.¡±

    ¡°¡­The sacrifices?¡± Trislowa hadn¡¯t even thought of the sacrifices as a possibility, so he became speechless for a moment. But soon, rage overtook him. ¡°So¡­our brothers¡­died from¡­the sacrifices¡­out of all things?¡±

    If the Karuwimans were their mortal enemies, the sacrifices were livestock or toys at best. He couldn¡¯t believe that the high priests who maintained the barrier died from such low-ss things.

    ¡°It¡¯s too bad. I will send you my condolences.¡±

    ¡°Yooooou bastard!¡± Trislowa was enraged countless times today. His eyes became so bloodshot that it looked like tears of blood would pour down any moment now.

    ¡°Your grace! We have to go to the ritual room immediately!¡± One of the knights said to Trislwowa, but Trislowa shook his head.

    ¡°It¡¯s toote. If the Karuwimans have attacked the temple, it means the barrier is gone now. In other words, all the priests in the ritual room have left to join Bellu¡¯s side.¡±

    ¡°Kuh!¡± The knight tried to calm his fury.

    ¡°Focus on the enemy in front of you. We have to take back the sacred object that guy stole. That¡¯s our top priority.¡±

    ¡°Wow, you are a terrible boss. Shouldn¡¯t you try tofort the feelings of those saddened by theirrades¡¯ deaths? For what reason are you all working for a boss like that?¡± Zich continued to annoy Trislowa.

    ¡°Kill him.¡± Trislowa clenched his teeth and gave hismand. The knights moved with the strong conviction to not let Zich die an easy death once they caught him.

    ¡°Come on, I was saying that for your own good. Fine, since I¡¯m in a good mood, I will personally lead you all to the ritual room!¡± Zich suddenly sank to his knees and touched the ground with his hands. Trislowa couldn¡¯t understand Zich¡¯s behavior and attacked. With impressive control, holy power brushed past the running knights. The knights were shocked as the attack closely passed by them, but Trislowa didn¡¯t care. Attacking Zich was much more important than caring about his shocked knights.

    Zich quickly took off his hand from the floor and jumped. Trislowa¡¯s holy power missed Zich and struck the ground.

    Bam!

    It didn¡¯t even make a loud sound. Trislowa¡¯s attack made a clean dent on the temple¡¯s floor.

    ¡°Do you think I will let you escape through the secret passageway again?!¡± Trislowa already knew that Zich could use another secret passageway he wasn¡¯t aware of and prepared for such a scenario. Thus, as soon as Zich looked like he was trying to escape, Trislowa immediately sted the surface that Zich was standing on top of.

    ¡°You can no longer use that secret pass¡ª!¡± Trislowa trailed off.

    Although Zich looked like he had jumped to escape the attack, he was using the temple¡¯s high ceiling to move behind them while kicking the walls.

    ¡°What are you guys doing!? Chase¡ª!¡± Trislowa stopped in the middle of hismand.

    The knights, who had been confident while cornering Zich, were now faltering. Their bnce had been shaken from Trislowa¡¯s sudden attack, and it took them a moment to get into position again.

    Thump!

    Zich leisurely stepped down behind them. Then, he twirled around with one foot.

    p!

    And with those raised feet, he pped his feet together.

    ¡°A secret passageway? There was something like that?¡± Zich asked calmly, and Trislowa stared¡ªno, red at the ce he had attacked. In the ce where he attacked, there was only arge hole and nothing that resembled a secret passageway. Trislowa had been yed again.

    ¡°Heh, I didn¡¯t know that you knew of a passageway that even I didn¡¯t know of. As expected of Bellid¡¯s Honorary Cardinal. The information you have is on another level¡ª!¡±

    Pop!

    Zich easily evaded Trislow¡¯s angry attack.

    ¡°Kiiiiiiill him!¡± Trislowa¡¯s voice sounded desperate now. The knights passed Trislowa and chased after Zich again.

    ¡°You want to chase me again? I¡¯m all for it. But let¡¯s decide on a destination this time.¡± Zich turned his back and said calmly. He didn¡¯t have to act like he was cornered anymore and healed his wounds by drinking potions.

    ¡°I told you guys that I would take you to the ritual room, right? We should go together. Let¡¯s see what state the priests are in. I am curious too.¡± Zich led the Bellid knights and began to run.

 Chapter 100

    <h4>Chapter 100</h4>

    To prove that his decision to go to the ritual room was not a lie, Zich retraced his steps.

    Bam! Bam!

    Trislowa, who was on a knight¡¯s back, threw attacks at Zich. Since he couldn¡¯t concentrate his power on such a shaky position, the force he let out was barely a fraction of his strength; however, as a cardinal, he was far stronger than an ordinary person.

    ¡®What a thrill.¡¯

    An energy st barely missed Zich¡¯s back and made a hole on the wall next to him. However, Zichughed instead.

    ¡®Heh! A battle should be thrilling like this.¡¯

    Zich evaded another close attack and moved forward. Like this, he soon arrived at the ritual room.

    Crash!

    Zich kicked the door open. Seeing his rude and careless behavior, the Bellid followers were furious again. The ritual room and the prayer room were the most important ces in the temple. They followed Zich and went inside the room. But their anger at Zich for kicking the door onlysted a moment.

    When they went inside the room and saw the sight in front of them, all the Bellid followers froze in ce. Anyone would be paralyzed by the scene in front of them.

    ¡°¡­You¡­!¡± Trislowa shook from head to toe as he got down from the knight¡¯s back.

    The knight next to him quickly supported him. But the knight who supported him also couldn¡¯t take his eyes off the horror in front of him. It was a ughterhouse. The magic circle that encircled the statue of Bellu used to be beautiful and detailed, but now, it was difficult to even see the drawings from all the blood that covered it. There was so much blood that it didn¡¯t even look like blood. It looked more like red paint that someone identally spilled all over the room. However, this was not the most shocking part.

    All the Bellid followers here held high positions, and they were known to be the world¡¯s pests. They all had experience with causing a bloodbath like the one in front of them. However, even for them, the sight of numerous priests covered in an ocean of blood was terrifying¡ªno, it was difficult to even figure out if the corpses were priests. Their clothing no longer showed any of the blue color that signified that they were Bellid followers. As if the uniform was originally red, the entire uniform was dyed bright red. The same could also be said for the shape of the uniform. The clothes were ripped so severely that they couldn¡¯t even be used as rags, and it was more urate to say that ragged pieces of clothes hung on the bodies of dead priests.

    On the other hand, the priests¡¯ uniforms looked ¡°lovely¡±pared to the state of the corpses. The body was cut in many ces like pieces of meat, and blood flowed out from everywhere. It was hard to even tell if they were human corpses. The entire scene in front of them clearly disyed the deep hatred of the people who killed the priests.

    ¡°You¡­! You¡­!¡±

    Even though Trislowa already predicted that all the priests in the ritual room probably died when the barrier disappeared, it was a whole new experience to witness the aftermath directly. It was a situation that looked horrifying to any person. Moreover, all the priests were high-level priests. If more time passed, one of them would have definitely be a cardinal. Even Trislowa used to perform the rituals before¡ªthat was how much the priests who performed rituals were considered the top elites of Bellid. This was also one of the main reasons why they were able to create such a strong barrier against the Karuwimans.

    However, all of them were dead. Trislowa felt as if all his hair was standing up.

    Zich leaned crookedly against the Bellu statue and asked, ¡°How is it, Mr. Great Bellid Cardinal? Do you feel anything after witnessing this sight?¡±

    Trislowa red at him. ¡°¡­Where are the bastards who caused all this?¡±

    ¡°Who knows?¡± Zich shrugged his shoulders. Even though all the prisoners probably escaped through the secret passageway that Zich showed them, he had no reason to disclose this information.

    ¡®But they really did a good, clean job.¡¯

    Zich briefly looked over the gruesome sight in front of him. Zich was worried that the prisoners might still be hacking the priests when he came in; however, they had perfectly fulfilled the role given to them and disappeared off.

    ¡®No, judging by the state of the corpses, did they feelpletely satisfied by their revenge?¡¯

    Maybe it was not Zich¡¯s advice but the full satiation of their revenge that made them move out. This was how bloody and gruesome the sight in front of them was.

    ¡°Speak,¡± Trislowa threatened Zich with a low voice. However, there was nothing more useless than a threat to Zich.

    ¡°Are you angry because of the scene in front of you? I understand. When I saw what you did to the little boy, I was also extremely furious. But I think you are trying to shift your responsibility to those people who you guys call sacrifices. Why don¡¯t we talk about your responsibility to the scene in front of you?¡±

    Zich turned his head and stared at the Bellu statue. ¡°The great Bellu! He must have witnessed this destruction first hand. Then maybe we can ask him who is responsible for this destruction!¡±

    Zich hid behind the statue. Then, as if he was Bellu, he made his voice low and rough. ¡°Hmph, from what I saw, I think all the responsibility falls on Trislowa. He killed and yed with the life of a boy in a vige for absolutely no reason. Then, a young man who was close to that boy became furious and decided to avenge him. As a result, this destruction urred. All of this happened because of Bellid¡¯s Cardinal, Trislowa.¡±

    Zich slightly moved away from the Bellu statue. He smiled at seeing how Trislowa and the knights looked as if they were going to explode from the slightest touch.

    ¡°You heard that? That¡¯s what Bellu said. I also agree with him on this.¡±

    And then Zich opened his mouth again while staring at Trislowa. ¡°Everything is because of you.¡±

    * * *

    After the barrier broke, the battlepletely skewed towards Karuwiman¡¯s favor. Powerful light attacks fiercely rained down on the Bellids. The Bellid followers desperately tried to hold their ground, but Karuwiman knights¡¯ skill levels were now onpletely different levels. As the light attacks continued to disrupt the Bellid forces, the Karuwimans were almost finished with making the raft bridges and stepping stones.

    Tap!

    Finally, more Karuwiman knights were able to cross theke. Without a single moment of hesitation, they wielded their swords against the nearest Bellid in front of them.

    Crash! Crash!

    The battle between the Karuwimans and the Bellids also continued on top of theke. However, as they were no longer able to increase their powers from the barrier, they werepletely helpless against the Karuwiman knights¡¯ skillful attacks. However, the Bellids continued to resist with all their might. Their chance of seeding was low, but they didn¡¯t n to let their enemies have the temple without a fight.

    Craaaaash!

    But it was a waste of effort. Enormous holy power sted like a storm across theke and swept its surroundings. Everything in its sphere became ruined: the knights, priests, and people in armor or official uniforms.

    ¡°You arrived, sir.¡± A Holy Knight clicked his tongue at the scene before him and turned around to the instigator of this massive attack.

    Weig walked across theke. ¡°The barrier is gone. Bellu¡¯s dirty energy, which was impeding us, has also disappeared. We don¡¯t have to stand still anymore.¡±

    ¡°Are you going to stopmanding the troops?¡±

    ¡°The oue of the battle has already been decided. Amander isn¡¯t important anymore, and someone else can takemand from now on.¡± Weig casually lifted the sword he received from the Pope and tapped it on his shoulder a few times.

    ¡°What do you mean that amander is not important? How can themander of the Karuwiman attack force say something so irresponsible?¡±

    ¡°Ah, I misspoke.¡± Weig smiled and told the holy knight, ¡°I am saying that my role as Karuwiman¡¯s greatest knight has be more important than my role as a militarymander. But don¡¯t worry. Even if the situation gets a bit chaotic, I can just sweep it all away.¡±

    What he said was incredulous, but the holy knight nodded his head and didn¡¯t refute Weig anymore. The Weig he knew was someone who could make the unbelievable into reality. Then, someone else suddenly came across the raft bridge. The holy knight turned his head thinking that another knight hade when he froze in shock.

    ¡°¡­Lady Lube, why are you¡­¡±

    ¡°I called her here.¡±

    The holy knight stared at Weig. He wanted to ask if Weig was out of his mind.

    ¡°Don¡¯t look at me like that. Even Lady Lube has to experience a situation like this first-hand. That¡¯s how she will gain experience.¡±

    ¡°Yes, Weig is right. And this is what I wanted, so don¡¯t be too surprised, Sir.¡± Lube¡¯s smile seemed to brighten up the dark cave. The holy knight shook his head.

    ¡®Sir Weig seems to care for Lady Lube like his own granddaughter, but sometimes, he pushes her mercilessly.¡¯

    However, that aspect might have made Lube most like a saint.

    ¡®Lady Lube¡¯s tenacity is also amazing.¡¯

    Who would have thought that he was one of the Karuwimans who used to criticize Lube¡¯s weak-hearted nature? The holy knight decided to stop thinking so deeply about this matter. He thought he should just focus on swinging his sword at the Bellid bastards and kill as many as he could, so he ran towards the battlefield again.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go too. We have to squash out the Bellids and find Sir Zich.¡±

    Lube asked with concern, ¡°Will he be fine?¡±

    ¡°We are talking about Sir Zich here. He is probably doing very well.¡± Weig assured Lube and shouted towards the Karuwiman forces. ¡°Follow me!¡±

    As if they were reenacting a scene of a novel, the Karuwimans roared and ran into the Bellid¡¯s camp base. Lube also gripped her staff tightly and mixed into the heat of the battle. And like that, the fight outside of the temple ended with Karuwiman¡¯s overwhelming victory.

    * * *

    Karuwiman¡¯s holy knights flooded into the temple like a tide. The remaining Bellid¡¯s followers resisted desperately, but they were pushed back without mercy. Even the people in the ritual room could hear the sound of this chaos.

    ¡°Don¡¯t you guys have to run now? Karuwiman¡¯s troops will rush in. They even have the ¡®Bellid ughterer¡¯ Belri Weig among them.¡±

    ¡®Bellid ughterer¡¯¡ªwhen Zich first heard this title, he had wondered how a holy knight could keep amassing such violent nicknames; but as he continued to repeat these names, they rolled right off his tongue.

    However, nobody responded to Zich. Trislowa didn¡¯t even send out orders and simply pointed at Zich. The knights rushed towards him.

    ¡®It seems like they don¡¯t n to back off.¡¯

    Since they weren¡¯t on a path but in a wide room, Zich was surrounded instantly. Bellid knights flung their swords. Their attacks were sharpened with grudge and anger, but Zich continued to mock them.

    He evaded the first sword flying at him. But the next moment, another sword came in his way. Zich responded to the attack by sticking close to Bellu¡¯s statue.

    ¡°Urgh!¡±

    Contrary to the murderous intent he was giving off, Trislowa loosened the strength of his attack. He didn¡¯t want to damage Bellu¡¯s statue while attacking Zich. Zich easily flicked away the sword flying at him, and this pattern continued. The knights continued tounch attacks, but Zich hid behind Bellu¡¯s statue or stuck right beside it.

    ¡®These fanatics can¡¯t harm their god¡¯s statue.¡¯

    Moreover, this statue wasn¡¯t an ordinary one; it had been the center of the ritual that protected this temple. There were more meanings attached to it. The knights became more enraged that Zich kept hiding beneath their god¡¯s statue. Zich even had his shoulders on Bellu¡¯s statue and that sight made the knights lose their minds.

    Crash!

    Bellu¡¯s statue suddenly exploded. Zich had sensed the attack before and escaped so he wasn¡¯t injured, but the statue was broken into pieces. The knights stared at Trislowa who had attacked the statue with shocked faces.

    ¡°I will shoulder the sin, brothers. Only focus on killing that guy now.¡± This was the Honorary Cardinal¡¯s sacrifice. The knights were deeply moved, and they swore to kill Zich with the same amount of conviction.

    Zich looked around his surroundings. The statue was gone, and he was surrounded by enemies. There was a secret passageway in this room as well, but the prisoners who killed the priests in the ritual had used that passageway, so Zich couldn¡¯t use it. The escapees could be part of the chase then.

    It seemed like Zich was at a dead-end, but he wasn¡¯t afraid.

    ¡®Should I face them seriously now?¡± Zich decided to fight head-on for the first time since he infiltrated the Bellid temple.

    ¡®I have already fulfilled most of my ns. Now, it¡¯s just a fight against time.¡¯

    Zich was at a disadvantage now, but time was on his side. It was a matter of whether Karuwiman¡¯s forces would arrive first or Zich would die before that. Zich gripped his sword tightly and looked at the forces rushing towards him.

 Chapter 101

    <h4>Chapter 101</h4>

    Zich¡¯s eyes quickly moved as the knights¡¯ swords tried to pierce him in all directions. He narrowed his focus, and his senses became sharper and more precise. He also increased his concentration to the maximum.

    One sword aimed at his heart; one at his neck, and another at his side. He didn¡¯t even have time to think. He had to sense their attacks and immediately move his body.

    ng!

    He flicked away the sword aimed at his chest. Then he shifted his bnce, twisted his body, and craned his neck.

    Whoosh! Whoosh!

    The swords narrowly missed his neck and side. Zich swung his sword between the gaps.

    ng!

    His sword was blocked. A knight behind Zich extended his sword and blocked Zich¡¯s attack. Zich took that moment tounch his second round of attacks. Four swords shot toward him this time, and each aimed at a different ce on Zich¡¯s body. None of them were on the same track, and this indicated that the knights were used to doing cooperative attacks.

    Zich swirled his mana. The mana extending from the tip of his sword swerved ording to his intentions. As expected of a sword that the Karuwimans had gifted him, his mana flowed out much more easily than it did for other swords. Then he keenly raised his senses and infused mana into his eyes to increase his vision. He poured out an explosive amount of mana to only one side of the de.

    This skill was called ¡®shing Sword.¡¯

    When mana seeped into only one side of the sword, the sword gained an incredible increase in speed from the reaction. Like its name, it instantly became a shining light. Zich focused his attention even more. He knew he couldn¡¯t simply be fast; he had to also maintain perfect control and consider multiple factors at once.

    The sword shot forward like a wild horse. Zich clutched his sword handle and tilted it. One of the swords from the Bellid knights collided against Zich¡¯s sword.

    aaang!

    The sword bounced off Zich¡¯s sword strongly. Arge ringing numbed his hands, but Zich didn¡¯t even blink and ced more pressure on his hands.

    Swish!

    Zich¡¯s sword continued straight ahead and changed directions only under hismands.

    ang!

    That was the second collision, and another sword bounced off. Zich¡¯s sword also twisted off track from the rebound, but that was within his calctions. He drew a closer projection with his sword.

    ng!

    A third collision.

    ng!

    And finally, the fourth. In the blink of an eye, Zich had flicked away four swords. The Bellid knights looked at him with shock. But Zich couldn¡¯t afford to be smug or mock them, and he pierced his sword into the closest knight.

    Push!

    The sword prated through the knight¡¯s armor and pierced into his chest. However, Zich didn¡¯t push his sword in too deeply; he pierced just enough to damage the knight¡¯s organs and took out his sword again.

    Whoosh!

    As soon as Zich pulled out his sword, the knight¡¯s hands brushed where Zich¡¯s sword had been. The knight also looked surprised, and Zich ran backward.

    Ruuuush!

    Water pirs with a tremendous amount of force struck where Zich was. The knight whose heart Zich had pierced got mixed up with the water pirs and exploded. The intense water pressure in the pirs shredded him apart. However, Zich avoided it, and not a single drop of waternded on him.

    ¡°You bastard!¡± Trislowa spat out curses as he shot water pirs. His attacks sacrificed his subordinate rather than capture Zich.

    ¡®They aren¡¯t holding anything back.¡¯

    The knight Zich killed didn¡¯t evade or block Zich¡¯s attack; this was a result of Zich¡¯s fast judgment and the ¡®shing sword¡¯ skill. However, there was a difference between being unable to block or escape and not thinking of their lives at all.

    Zichnded a critical wound on the motionless knight and immediately stepped behind.

    ¡®He tried to capture me even at the cost of his life.¡¯

    The knight had nned to stop Zich from pulling out his sword even if he was stabbed. If he had seeded, Zich and the knight would have been hit by Trislowa¡¯s attack and apanied each other on their way to the afterlife.

    The knights who had scattered under Trislowa¡¯s signal rushed towards Zich again.

    ¡®Time is on my side. Those guys are going to rush towards me even while putting their lives at stake.¡¯

    That¡¯s what both Trislowa and the knights wanted.

    ¡®Then, there¡¯s only one thing for me to do.¡¯

    Zich had to minimize his chance of getting injured, and he had to respond passively with a focus on defending. Of course, he didn¡¯t n on turning down an opportunity to attack if a simr situation like before happened.

    ¡®I have to watch out for myself.¡¯

    A battle, which had a characteristically different nature than the ones Zich had ever fought before, unfolded.

    * * *

    After entering the Bellid temple, Weig advanced forward without hesitation. As soon as he spotted a Bellid priest, he separated their heads from their bodies and continued forward. The Bellids who had lost the protection from their barrier were helpless against him.

    ¡®Where is Zich?¡¯

    Zich should have heard themotion caused by the Karuwimans¡¯ entry, but Zich still hadn¡¯t joined them.

    ¡®He could be dead or still have some work left to finish. Or he could be captured.¡¯ Weig quickly erased the terrifying thought that Zich might be dead.

    ¡®Sir Zich¡¯s target was Trislowa.¡¯

    Then, Zich could be fighting with Trislowa now. Weigh mercilessly sliced the Bellid priests blocking his way and tried to sense Zich¡¯s presence.

    ¡®Found him!¡¯

    He felt Zich¡¯s presence from not too far away; there were also many other presences that he felt besides Zich¡¯s. Weig was sure that Zich was in the middle of a battle. ¡®There¡¯s a high chance that Trislowa could be there.¡¯

    ¡°Lady Lube!¡±

    ¡°Yes?¡± Lube struck a beam of light through a resisting Bellid priest and turned around.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go to meet Sir Zich.¡±

    ¡°Did you find out where he was?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    Lube gripped her staff and stood behind Weig. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±

    Weig moved towards the presence he felt in front of him. It was not far; when they ran a little further, they reached the front of a shattered door. Weig and Lube ran into the room.

    ¡°Mr. Zich!¡± Lube cried out to Zich. Without saying anything, Weig looked around the room. There were gruesome corpses covered in blood on the ground, but when he saw that they were wearing Bellid uniforms, he lost interest in them. When he looked up, he saw people who looked like knights surrounding one person. From a distance, a Bellid priest was standing by himself.

    The Bellid knights looked straight at Weig. Looks of dismay strongly appeared on their faces as they recognized who he was. There were even some who stepped back. However, Weig paid no attention to any of them and stared at the man they were surrounding.

    ¡°Hey, you have finally arrived?¡± Zich suffered minor injuries, and waved at Weig and Lube.

    Weig asked how his condition was. ¡°Are you all right?¡±

    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m all right. I have no deep injuries.¡±

    A great amount of blood was flowing down from his body, but it really did seem like there were no deep injuries.

    ¡°That¡¯s great. Then why don¡¯t we¡­¡± Weig, who had been smiling while talking to Zich, became cold in an instant. ¡°First take out the trash.¡±

    Whoosh!

    Weig swung his sword. The holy energy inside his body shone brightly and spread out of him like bright rays of light.

    Crassssh!

    An enormous sound echoed across the room. As if God¡¯s judgment wasing down upon the world, a sharp ray of light shone in only one part of the area. Zich closed his eyes from the harsh ray of light. However, light still seeped through his eyelids. His ears were numb from the loud explosion, and his clothes fluttered from the shockwaves. Small shards of debris hit his calves and feet. When the light disappeared, Zich opened his eyes.

    ¡°Wow!¡± He lightly showed his admiration.

    Next to him, an enormous ck stain was on the ground. No trace of the Bellid knights who were standing in that area could be found. The remaining Bellid knights quickly retreated; they moved near Trislowa and stood guard against Weig. However, they were unable to hide the terror in their eyes.

    But Weig did not even take a moment to acknowledge their behavior. ¡°You must excuse me, Mr. Zich.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s all right. Since I was in this cave for so long, I was slowly missing the light. All the light I¡¯ve experienced so far since I came here was light from a torch. The fluttering wind was alsofortable and nice.¡±

    Weigughed out loud at Zich¡¯s easygoing attitude. Lube walked towards Zich and used her healing magic. In an instant, all of the injuries on his body were gone.

    ¡°Thank you, Lady Lube.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re wee.¡± She smiled warmly.

    Zich stared at the Bellid followers in front of him; he also met eyes with Trislowa. With an overexaggerated movement, he swiped his body all over. He wanted to mock them by showing how clean his skin was, implying, ¡®Look at how all your efforts have be useless in an instant.¡¯ But this was not enough for Zich; he also had to use words to mock his opponents.

    ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you? I said it was time for all of you to run away. So tell me, why did you guys make such a stupid and reckless choice?¡±

    And as if he was shocked, he continued, ¡°What? But now that I see all of you guys, huddled together in fear, you guys look like rats?! I can¡¯t believe it! I thought I was the rat, but was it you guys all along?¡±

    Weig burst outughing. Lube also covered her mouth andughed. But the Bellids couldn¡¯tugh.

    ¡°Well, I guess you can¡¯t help it. That¡¯s how important this thing is to you guys.¡± Zich took out the Pyramid of Vengeful Souls from the magic box. Weig and Lube looked at the object with curiosity.

    Lube asked, ¡°What is that?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a sacred object of the Bellid, and it¡¯s called the Pyramid of Vengeful Souls. They left it unattended for anyone to steal it, so I just took it.¡±

    Trislowa gritted his teeth.

    ¡°It seems like a pretty significant item.¡±

    ¡°Sir Weig, you are perfectly right. This thing in my hand can control monsters. When it¡¯s fullypleted, it can not only controlmon monsters like ogre, troll, and orcs but legendary monsters like the Behimos, Basilisks, and Titans.¡±

    Lube and Weig¡¯s faces immediately became stiff. If any of the three monsters that Zich mentioned appeared, it was enough to annihte an entire army.

    ¡°¡­They were making something so dangerous.¡± Weig sharply red at Trislowa. ¡°Lady Lube, Sir Zich, please step back for a moment.¡±

    As expected, there was no reason to let the Bellids live. Weig began moving towards the Bellids. His powerful and overwhelming presence made the Bellids flinch and retreat further back, and even Trislowa was not an exception.

    ¡°Wow, his presence is sick.¡±

    ¡°Of course, what else would you expect from Sir Weig?¡±

    Zich and Lube whispered to each other in soft voices.

    Crashhh!

    The fight began again with Weig¡¯s ferocious light attack. But surprisingly, Trislowa blocked Weig¡¯s attack with a barrier.

    ¡°I guess you are a cardinal after all!¡± Weig immediatelyunched another attack and the Bellid resisted. A fierce power struggle erupted, but as expected, Weig was winning. Moreover, he was winning by andslide. One by one, the Bellid knights fell down. With ease, Zich and Lube watched this sight from a distance.

    ¡°Sir Weig is really amazing.¡±

    ¡°I also agree with that statement, Lady Lube. However, Trislowa and those guys won¡¯t give up. Can¡¯t you see them ncing around, scratching their brains to find a way out of this?¡±

    ¡°Then do you think they have a way to beat Sir Weig?¡±

    ¡°Of course not. They just aren¡¯t willing to give up on this.¡± Zich shook the Pyramid of Vengeful Souls in his hand. ¡°If they manage to retrieve this, it won¡¯t be aplete loss to them. I¡¯m sure they are trying to somehow escape from Sir Weig and take this from my hands and make a run for it.¡±

    ¡°Then why are you holding on to it?¡± Lube looked at the Pyramid of Vengeful Souls as if it was an insect. ¡°Crush it.¡±

    ¡°Should I?¡±

    Everyone in the room could hear Zich and Lube¡¯s conversation; in the first ce, they didn¡¯t lower their voices at all. Zich met Trislowa¡¯s eyes, and he smiled. Thinking back to everything that happened when Zich smiled, Trislowa began sweating from his forehead. Then Zich opened his mouth. No sound came out from his mouth, but Trislowa was able to read Zich¡¯s lips. It was as if Zich was saying the now-familiar words directly to his ears.

    ¡®All of this is because of you.¡¯

    Zich pierced the Pyramid of Souls with his sword.

 Chapter 102

    <h4>Chapter 102</h4>

    Since Trislowa said it was difficult to crush the sacred object, Zich poured a great amount of mana into his sword. The sword¡¯s tip swerved with his mana and disyed its sharp force. At first, he felt a formidable force repel against him, but Zich pushed on forcefully and poured in more mana.

    Push!

    The sword prated the Pyramid of Vengeful Souls.

    ¡°Nooooo!¡± Trislowa screamed. Retrieving the sacred object had been his reason for everything: it was why he hadn¡¯t joined the battlefield even while the temple was under attack, risked the deaths of all the priests in the ritual room, and continued their futile fight against Belri Weig. But now, everything had be pointless.

    Craaaaash!

    Many cracks formed on the surface of the sacred object, and Bellu¡¯s energy began to seep out. Lube watched the destruction of the sacred object with curiosity. Then, she scowled and distanced herself away from the item.

    Swipe!

    Zich pulled out his sword, and energy poured out explosively. But soon, as if the item had poured out all the energy it possessed, the amount lessened.

    Shaaa!

    With the disappearance of Bellu¡¯s energy, the sacred object turned to dust. What had been the Pyramid of Vengeful Souls slipped between Zich¡¯s fingers, and as if it was exemplifying Trislowa¡¯s pointless desire, it turned to dust and disappeared from view.

    Bellid knights and Trislowa watched the scene in front of them nkly as if they couldn¡¯tprehend the scene before them. They didn¡¯t even bother to be on guard even while Belri Weig was in front of them. They simply stared at the remains of what had been their holy relic, piled near Zich¡¯s feet. If someone were unaware of the situation, they would have pitied them. However, their opponents were Lube and Weig, who felt nopassion for the Bellids,and Zich who was emotionless in the first ce.

    Slice! Slice!

    Like harvesting a well-grown mill on a field, Weig sliced the heads of the senseless Bellid knights. The Bellids only began to move again after many of theirrades died in quick session. However, they no longer seemed to have the eagerness of aplishing a goal even in an unfavorable situation, and it seemed like all their hope had been reduced to ashes.

    ¡°Lady Lube.¡±

    ¡°What is it, Mr. Zich?¡±

    ¡°I have something that I need to take care of, so I have to leave this ce. Let¡¯s meet each other again a bitter.¡±

    ¡°Sorry? What do you mean¡ª!¡±

    Zich¡¯s words were unexpected. The battle was moving far ahead in Karuwiman¡¯s favor. If Weig annihted Trislowa and his forces, the battle woulde to an end.

    So, how could he have something to take care of right now?

    ¡°Mr. Zich? Mr. Zich!¡± Even though Lube called for him, Zich didn¡¯t give her a proper answer and left the room while waving his hands.

    ¡®He¡¯s just like the wind.¡¯ Lube raised her staff and focused on her holy power.

    Whoosh!

    A semi-transparent barrier formed near her.

    ¡®Even Mr. Zich is gone. I have to protect myself.¡¯

    In the worst-case scenario¡ªif one of the Bellid knights escaped from Weig¡ªthere was a high chance that they could take her captive. Lube realized her value as the Karuwiman Saint Candidate in Porti through and through. And now, she was just a step away from bing the Saint now and was the only candidate left.

    ¡®We are so close to annihting the Bellids. I can¡¯t bring our effort to ruins at thest moment.¡¯

    As soon as Lube set up a barrier, a couple of Bellid knights and Trislowa¡¯s gaze changed to disappointment.

    ang!

    Weig swung his sword. Although it was an excellent sword, it was nothing different from the weapons the Bellid knights were holding. Yet, from the way Weig swung it, the sword seemed as if it had enough power to uproot the temple¡¯s pirs. Bellid followers blocked Weig¡¯s attacks desperately¡ªno, they weren¡¯t even blocking it. They were basically exchanging a knight¡¯s life for each of Weig¡¯s attacks.

    ¡°Your Holiness!¡± the knights next to Trislowa shouted. ¡°At least Your Holiness has to escape!¡±

    There was nothing to protect in this ce now. All hope was gone, and the knights thought that they had to send at least one person out alive.

    ¡°Hey! Do you think I will let him go?¡±

    Push!

    Streams of light shot out of the ends of Weig¡¯s sword. The head of the knight who was warning Trislowa disappeared. Blood spurted out like a fountain from his neck, and the knight copsed. But the Bellid knights weren¡¯t shaken; they had already given up on living.

    ¡°Your Holiness! You must escape!¡±

    ¡°Please avenge us!¡±

    Every single one of them pleaded to Trislowa, and Trislowa clenched his teeth. ¡°I won¡¯t forget your sacrifices!¡±

    ¡°Like I said, I won¡¯t let him go! I have to finish you guys as soon as I spot one of you, insect bastards! If I don¡¯t do that, you will give birth to more offspring in a dreary ce again!¡±

    Hwaaaa!

    Light surrounded Weig¡¯s sword. The contorting lights almost looked like fireworks. It was evident that Weig would soon make an attack that was on a different level from all previous attacks.

    ¡°Stick cloooooose!¡± The knights nearest to Weig ran towards Weig and shouted. A couple of other knights followed his example and did the same. They looked like they were nning to stop Weig¡¯s attacks with their bodies.

    Craaash!

    Weig¡¯s attack struck all of them. But the knights positioned their swords upwards and raised their holy powers to the maximum; they tried to resist the attack as much as they could. Their swords crumpled, their armor was crushed, their skin and bones were shattered, and even as their fellow knights disintegrated into pieces, they relentlessly endured.

    Like that, they were literally able to buy a bit more time by paying with their lives.

    ¡°Urgh!¡±

    ¡°Kuh!¡±

    The remaining knights¡¯ mouths foamed and they fell to the ground. Blue light seeped out of their bodies and permeated into Trislowa.

    ¡°How useless!¡± Weig swung his sword.

    Crash!

    Surprisingly, the barrier Trislowa made sessfully blocked Weig¡¯s attack.

    Lube murmured, ¡°He absorbed the energy and life force of the Bellid knights.¡±

    However, Trislowa¡¯s condition didn¡¯t seem too good. Hisplexion was pale and blood was running down his mouth. His body wasn¡¯t able to control the energy and life force he absorbed from the knights, and his body was breaking down every moment. He needed to release the energy and life force he absorbed as soon as possible.

    Trislowa stretched out his hand. Strong energy began to gather in his fingertips. His hand reached towards the area Lube was at. Even though Lube was holding up a barrier, she was still inexperienced. Her barrier was not yet strong enough to block thebined energy of the Bellids.

    ¡°Tch!¡± Weig quickly moved to stand between Lube and Trislowa.

    Crashhhh!

    Arge amount of water streamed out from Trislowa¡¯s hand. As if they were whips, all the streams of water twisted and turned towards Lube. Weig took a few steps back and moved closer to Lube.

    Thud! Thud! Thud! Thud!

    The streams of water slowly began attacking them one by one. However, before they could pierce through Lube, Weig struck them with his sword. Since the attack used the life force and energy of the dead knights, even Weig felt a great strain striking against the streams of water.

    But Trislowa used this as an opportunity to make his move. He didn¡¯t even think about heading towards the door. He moved straight towards the nearest wall¡ªhe was nning to destroy the wall and make his escape.

    ¡®I¡¯m not gonna let that happen.¡¯ While Weig continued to fight back the streams of water, Weig turned his sword towards Trislowa.

    Slice!

    With a chillingly sharp sound, Weig sted light from his sword.

    ¡°Ugh!¡±

    Trislowa formed a barrier, and the light attack collided against it.

    Crack!

    With an ominous sound, the barrier immediately broke, and the light swallowed Trislowa whole.

    ¡°Aghhhhhhh!¡±

    He felt a dreadful amount of pain. Before the light faded from his sight, Trislowa screamed at the awful pain from his elbows. Below his elbows, he couldn¡¯t feel anything. His arm had been sliced. Even though he momentarily lost his eyesight from the bright light, he could feel that the lower part of his arm was no longer attached to his body.

    ¡°Damn it!¡± While swearing, Trislowa felt relieved that only one of his arms was cut off from Weig¡¯s attack thanks to his barrier. With a sigh of relief, Trislowa began punching the wall.

    Crash!

    Trislowa strengthened his body with holy power, so he was able significantly damage the wall next to him. The wall began to crumble. His eyesight also slowly came back to him. While clutching his sliced elbow, Trislowa made his escape.

    Thud!

    Weig finally finished blocking thest stream of water, and he quickly followed Trislowa. As soon as he stepped out of the room, he swung his sword and raised it high. However, Trislowa was already turning a corner.

    Crash!

    Weig¡¯s attack crushed the corner, but Trislowa was already long gone. Weig hurriedly chased after Trislowa and turned around the same corner. A long hallway appeared in front of him, but there was no trace of Trislowa.

    ¡®¡­Even his presence is gone.¡¯

    He probably used the life force and energy he absorbed to hide his presence. Weig thought about searching for Trislowa around the temple, but to do that, he didn¡¯t know much about the temple¡¯s infrastructure.

    ¡®I lost him.¡¯

    He had no choice but to finally ept this.

    ¡°Sir Weig!¡± Lube ran towards him momentster.

    ¡°Where is Trislowa?¡±

    ¡°I lost him.¡±

    Lube¡¯s expression darkened. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. It¡¯s because of me¡ª¡±

    ¡°No, it¡¯s not your fault at all, Lady Lube. If you want to me someone, it¡¯s my fault because I¡¯m the one who brought you there.¡±

    Weig didn¡¯t just say this tofort Lube; he really believed this. ¡°Since I sliced one of his arms off, he might have been caught by one of our people while running away. And even if we really did lose him, this expedition is not a failure because we were able to exterminate the northern branch. So don¡¯t feel down. I will say this again, but this was my mistake.¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    Weigforted Lube and Weig looked around his surroundings. Zich, who had been next to Lube, was nowhere to be found. ¡°¡­To think about it, Mr. Zich said that he had something to take care of.¡±

    ¡°Yes. When I asked him where he was going, he didn¡¯t even properly answer and just left.¡±

    Lube pouted her lips. Weigughed while heforted Lube.

    ¡°Don¡¯t be angry. He¡¯s always been like that. Who knows? Maybe Mr. Zich left to capture Trislowa¡­¡± Weig closed his mouth. He put his hand on his chin and fell into thought.

    ¡°What¡¯s the matter, Sir Weig?¡±

    ¡°Mr. Zich¡¯s foremost goal was to kill Cullun Trislowa, right?¡±

    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s what he told us.¡±

    ¡°Then don¡¯t you think it¡¯s strange that Mr. Zich would just leave when Trislowa was right in front of him to solve a different matter?¡±

    ¡°¡­Yes, that¡¯s definitely strange. Then what is exactly the matter he has to solve?¡±

    Weig said, ¡°Why don¡¯t we try thinking in a different direction?¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s say that the matter Mr. Zich has to solve is to exterminate Trislowa.¡±

    ¡°Then wouldn¡¯t there be no reason for him to run out saying that he has another matter to solve? You were fighting Trislowa.¡±

    ¡°And I lost him.¡±

    Then Lube was finally able to figure out what Weig was trying to say. ¡°¡­No way. Did Mr. Zich predict that this would happen and he went out early to wait where Trislowa might have escaped to¡­¡±

    ¡°Mr. Zich holds severe hatred towards Trislowa. And from what we know about him, he would definitely try to exact revenge by his own hands.¡±

    ¡°And he nned all this beforehand?¡±

    ¡°This is all just my prediction. But if this prediction is correct¡­¡± Weig said with a certain amount of emptiness in his voice. ¡°We shouldn¡¯t have been worried about losing sight of Trislowa at all.¡±

 Chapter 103

    <h4>Chapter 103</h4>

    ¡°Huff! Huff!¡± Trislowa heaved.

    The area where his arm used to be was severely burned, and his muscles twisted like someone had wrung them out likeundry. His holy power was depleted, and he almost felt as if his god Bellu had abandoned him.

    ¡®But I still made it out alive somehow.¡¯

    It was fortunate that there was a secret passageway near the ritual room. Of course, since another person knew the temple¡¯s secret passages better than him, he didn¡¯t feel fully relieved; but at least it didn¡¯t seem like Zich had shared the information with Belri Weig.

    Trislowa didn¡¯t let his guard down and prioritized increasing his distance from the temple. In addition to the worry he felt that Zich might attack him suddenly, he moved carefully to avoid Karuwiman¡¯s followers from spotting him. Fortunately, the Karuwimans seemed to be only focused on the temple.

    Trislowa went behind the temple and slipped his body into a depression in the cave¡¯s wall. In that ce, there was a very small gap where he could hear the rushing sound of water from below. The ce was connected to theke.

    ¡°Kurgh!¡±

    Trislow squeezed his body between the gaps. It was so narrow that the rocks scratched all parts of his body, but he managed toe out safely.

    Ssh!

    Water swished around. Trislowa¡¯s heart thumped in worry that his enemies might hear him. Fortunately, no one seemed to have noticed. The ce he was at was an underwater cave that was connected to the backside of the temple¡¯ske. Trislowa continued to move forward quietly inside the waters.

    Since he didn¡¯t have one arm, it was difficult for him to swim, but as followers of Bellu, the god of water, the entire Bellidmunity was skilled in swimming. Thus, although it was hard, Trislowa swam well underwater.

    Trislowa soon saw another underwater cave near the back of theke. The cave was incredibly small, and he squeezed his body between a gap. The size was just barelyrge enough for an adult man to fit in by crawling. His body and head kept colliding into the bumpy walls, but Trislowa continued to move forward.

    ¡°Haa!¡± When he was at his breath¡¯s limit, Trislowa finally went up to the surface. He got out of the water and saw a gentle slope and a small passage. He could finally sigh in relief now.

    ¡®I don¡¯t know how that guy got information about the secret passages in the temple, but I bet he doesn¡¯t know about this ce.¡±

    The only one who knew of this passage¡¯s existence was himself. Before, Trislowa had found the passage by coincidence and kept it a secret without telling anyone about it for emergency situations. Trislowa sloppily healed his severed arm with a tiny amount of holy power and began to climb the slope.

    The passage was quite long. However, since Karuwiman¡¯s forces could search around the temple¡¯s surroundings, he preferred for it to be long and thought he could increase his distance from the temple.

    Quite a bit of time had passed by the time he arrived at the end of the passage. The red light seeping into the area indicated that it was around sunset. As soon as Trislowa saw the light, his emotions intensified. He suddenly could feel the pain of his wounds more clearly, but what pained him the most was his current situation. The Bellid¡¯s northern base had been conquered, the Pyramid of Vengeful Souls was crushed, and he was the only survivor among the Bellid followers.

    Including his lifetime and the history of Bellid, they had hardly ever experienced such a loss like this. He was at a point where he just wanted to offer his life up to Bellu, but he couldn¡¯t do that.

    ¡®I have to exact revenge!¡¯

    He had to get back at the Karuwiman bastards who destroyed their base, Belri Weig who cornered him like a dog, the next great Saint, Aine Lube, and¡­

    ¡®That bastard!¡¯

    The others had definitely called him Zich. Trislowa clearly remembered Zich¡¯s name and voice. He didn¡¯t think he would ever be able to forget them. He got out of the secret passageway and saw the passage¡¯s small entrance that was situated in the corner of a canyon. Then, Trislowa began punching the edge of the cliff with his fist. A strange sound rang out of his bones; his flesh tore off and blood poured out, but Trislowa didn¡¯t care.

    ¡®I will definitely kill him. No, I will give him a pain more terrifying than death! I will kill his family, his lover, his rtives¡ªno, everyone who just met him!¡¯

    ¡°Wow. Your face is firing up with feelings of revenge.¡±

    Trislowa heard a familiar voice, and he immediately knew who it belonged to. He had just sworn to never forget it, and his heart fell.

    ¡°You¡­ you¡­!¡±

    ¡°What is it? You look like you¡¯ve seen a ghost. Are you hurt anywhere?¡± Zich leaned against the cliff¡¯s wall with his arms crossed, and Trislowa opened and closed his mouth like a carp.

    ¡°H-how did you¡­?¡±

    ¡°Why are you so surprised? I knew all the secret passages in your temple. Is it really that surprising that I know one more?¡± Before his regression¡ªwhen he destroyed the Bellid¡¯s northern base¡ªZich had lost sight of Trislowa. It was onlyter that Zich found out that there was a small passageway that connected theke to the outside.

    ¡®I was pissed at that time. To think I could use that information like this now¡­¡¯

    Zich observed Trislowa¡¯s face; hate and fear passed through it. Moreover, Trislowa was in terrible condition: his arm had been sliced off, injuries were spotted all over his body, and his priest uniform was ripped everywhere. Zich red at him.

    ¡°You tried to run, right? You shouldn¡¯t have. How can the person in charge of the Bellids¡¯ northern base run away to save his life? Aren¡¯t you embarrassed to see the other followers?¡±

    ¡°Urgh!¡± Trislowa put out his uninjured arm and spurted out holy power. However, Zichughed out loud. Without even taking out his sword, he fused mana into his fist and struck away Trislowa¡¯s attack.

    Bam!

    With minimal effort from Zich, Trislowa¡¯s attack quickly dissipated in the air. Zich walked towards Trislowa. He lightly hit Trislowa¡¯s abdomen.

    Punch!

    ¡°Ugh!¡± Trislowa¡¯s whole body bent down.

    ¡°Ugh! Barf!¡± Trislowa began to gag. As if he was going to puke everything inside his stomach, Trislowa began to gasp for breath.

    ¡°So dirty.¡±

    Just in case any of Trislowa¡¯s vomit sshed onto him, Zich widened his distance from Trislowa. With an exaggerated movement, Zich blocked his nose with his hand and waved the other around.

    ¡°Huff! Huff!¡± Trislowa barely managed to stop his gagging and red at Zich. However, his body was dying and there was saliva and bits of vomit spilling down his mouth so he didn¡¯t look threatening at all. Trislowa made a firm decision. In his condition right now, it was impossible to make his escape.

    ¡®Even if I die, I will honorably die as a Bellid priest! And if possible, I¡¯m going to take him down with me!¡¯

    ¡°Huh? Your eyes make it look like you want to take me down with you. But don¡¯t try so hard. I have no ns to kill you.¡± An unexpected reply came from Zich.

    ¡°¡­You have no ns to kill me?¡±

    ¡°My goal is to inflict pain on you. But if you die, won¡¯t you be unable to feel any pain? Then that would just be me being merciful to you.¡±

    ¡°Then why were you waiting for me here?¡±

    ¡°To see you like this.¡± As if he was judging Trislowa''s appearance, Zich scanned Trislowa from head to toe. ¡°To see the head of the northern branch of Bellid fall into decay and run away like a beggar. So tell me, how could I miss a rare sight that I might never see again in my whole life?¡±

    Zich¡¯s mockery hit and numbed Trislowa¡¯s head. However, there was nothing he could do. There was no way he could beat Zich in his injured and fatigued state.

    ¡°¡­You will regret this.¡± Trislowa could only say this, but it was extremely foolish for him to threaten Zich. What if Zich changed his mind about killing him after hearing this? However, he couldn¡¯t leave without saying anything. He felt that he was going to explode in frustration and die at any moment.

    ¡°I¡¯m not the type of person who regrets my actions, so don¡¯t worry. But just remember this for the rest of your life: the reason why the northern branch went extinct, why all the Bellid followers died, and why you are pathetically running away like this¡ª¡± Zich maintained his smile, but his gaze became sharp.

    ¡°It¡¯s all because of you.¡±

    ¡°Agh!¡±

    Trislowa¡¯s whole body trembled. But as if he was no longer interested in Trislowa, Zich waved his hand.

    ¡°What are you doing? Quickly go. You have to go and make me regret my decision.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡± Trislowa turned his body around. While somehow repressing his desire to rip apart Zich¡¯s face, he stumbled out.

    ¡®I¡¯m going to kill him.¡¯

    Wrath soared up inside his heart.

    ¡®I¡¯m going to kill him! Kill! Kill! Kill! Kill!¡¯

    As he was unable to act on this desire, these words were merely a way tofort him and were nothing more than a curse. However, Trislowa repeated these words inside his mind: ¡®I¡¯m going to make him regret his decision! I¡¯m going to fulfill my revenge at all costs! I¡¯m going to imprison him in hellfire¡ª!¡¯

    Crash!

    ¡°Aghhhhh!¡± Trislowa screamed out loud and fell down. Intense pain spread around his foot.

    ¡®A t-trap?¡¯

    He stepped on a small hole and in that hole, a sharp stake was hidden inside it. Blood flowed down from his feet.

    ¡°How about it? Wasn¡¯t it sessful?¡± Zich¡¯s voice could be heard from a distance.

    ¡°I made a trap by digging the hard floor. It was a bit difficult, but I was able to make it to my satisfaction.¡±

    ¡°Didn¡¯t you say you were going to r-release me!¡±

    ¡°What? What¡¯s with you? Are you worried that I might change my mind? Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯m going to release you. I¡¯m not the type of person who lies. But if I let you go too easily, it won¡¯t be too great either. You are the head of the northern branch of Bellid after all.¡±

    Zich took out something from the magic box. It was an hourss. ¡°So why don¡¯t we y a game? The rules are simple. Try to escape this ce until all the sand in this hourss falls down to the bottom.¡±

    The distance to the exit was not far. Additionally, the hourss Zich took out wasrge, so it was going to take a while for all the sand to fall down. Just judging by the rules, it looked like an easy game.

    ¡°Of course, there are more traps in front of the exit. If you are able to sessfully pass through these traps, your victory will be assured. How about it¡ªisn¡¯t this game so simple?¡±

    ¡°W-why would I¡ª!¡±

    ¡°Ready, set, go!¡± Zich ignored Trislowa¡¯s protest and turned the hourss around. Sand began to trickle down the hourss.

    ¡°Hick!¡± Trislowa quickly moved towards the exit. It was not easy since he injured his foot, but he moved forward desperately. And Zich followed right behind and watched him.

    ¡°Aghhh!¡± Soon after, Trislowa fell into another trap.

    It was the same type of trap he just experienced. The injury on his foot became even bigger. However, there was no time for him to pay attention to his pain. He endured Zich¡¯s mockingughter right behind him and continued walking. Even though the exit was a few feet away, it looked as if it was the end of the world.

    ¡°Ugh!¡± Trislowa fell into another trap. However, Trislowa was able to endure it and escape from the trap. Even though his injuries and pain were getting more serious, he didn¡¯t give up. After passing through several more traps, he continued to walk on.

    Tap!

    Finally, he was able to reach the exit. He turned around and looked at Zich. When he saw Zich¡¯s dark expression and saw that the sand in the hourss hadn¡¯tpletely fallen down, Trislowaughed, ¡°I won!¡±

    ¡°Yes, you won.¡± Zich raised his hands and easily admitted this.

    Trislowa became even happier that Zich admitted his loss. Ever since he first met Zich, this was the first time he was able to make Zich troubled. However, his happiness did notst long.

    ¡°So let¡¯s end this.¡±

    Push!

    While he wasughing, Trislowa felt all strength leave his body. When he looked down, he saw Zich¡¯s sword pierced into his heart. While Trislowa¡¯s face was frozen in a smile, Zich said to him in an easygoing tone, ¡°Ah, I actually have something to confess. I¡¯m good at lying.¡±

 Chapter 104

    <h4>Chapter 104</h4>

    Thud!

    Trislowa copsed to the ground. He clutched his chest and heaved as if his lungs were injured. He couldn¡¯t breathe properly, and bloody foam collected inside his mouth, but Zich still climbed on top of him.

    ¡°Let me see, I have to save this pitiful soul who is about to die.¡± Zich took out something from his clothes. ¡°What do you think this is?¡±

    It was a brooch meant for the Karuwiman¡¯s Honorary Holy Knight, and of course, Trislowa knew what the item was.

    ¡°I got this for you even though I had no interest in it. Karuwimans can bless the Honorary Holy Knight in Karuna¡¯s name. So, I brought this as a farewell on your way to the afterlife. Of course, I am going to bless you in Karuwiman¡¯s way.¡±

    Trislowa was Bellid¡¯s faithful follower. Furthermore, Bellid and Karuwiman were mortal enemies, and the characteristics of these two religions were opposites of each other. Thus, giving Karuwiman¡¯s blessing to a Bellid follower wouldn¡¯t mean the same thing. It was more like a curse instead¡ªa very horrible curse.

    Trislowa resisted and writhed. The only thing he could do right now was to move his arms this way and that. As expected, his movements didn¡¯t work on Zich who was in good condition.

    ¡°What are you doing? I am trying to share some good words with you. I am doing this for your sake so that you can repent right before your death.¡± Zich blocked Trislowa¡¯s resistance with one hand.

    ¡°Ah, I¡¯m also nning to hold your funeral. Bellid¡¯s funeral includes a water burial, right? Someone attaches a huge rock to a corpse and sinks it. But from what I can tell, there¡¯s a problem with Bellid¡¯s funeral ceremony. It¡¯s already sad that they died, but how can you push them into the middle of the cold, dark water too?¡± Zich didn¡¯t care whether the ceremony was part of a religious doctrine or that the followers of Bellid were willing to enter the water as a result. He only wanted to torment Trislowa.

    ¡°So, I am nning to prepare your funeral in apletely different way. First, I am going to cremate your body. Then, I am going to scatter them on Mount Arut¡¯s peak.¡± Mount Arut was the tallest mountain in the world. Every method that Zich statedpletely contrasted the Bellid¡¯s funeral ceremony.

    ¡°How is it? Isn¡¯t it a good idea?¡±

    ¡°You¡­, *cough* fucking bast¡­ard¡­!¡± Trislowa spat out curses, but that was the limit to his actions.

    ¡°Ah, if I wait too long, you are going to die by yourself. That can¡¯t happen. Let¡¯s listen to some good words first. Ah, but before that...¡± Zich trampled on Trislowa¡¯s arms with his knees and fixed them into position.

    Then, he took out a small vase from the magic box and took out Karuwiman¡¯s scriptures. He ced the scripture under one arm and pushed the small vase toward Trislowa¡¯s face. ¡°Do you know what this is?¡±

    ¡°Like I¡­care¡­!¡±

    ¡°This is the urn of the dead boy, his family, and all their neighbors. I thought they might want to see your death, so I brought them along.¡± Zich carefully ced the urn next to him. ¡°I gave them the best spot to watch you die. So, we should continue to give them a spectacle to watch.¡±

    Zich opened up a page of the scriptures that he had already marked. There was a line of blessings dedicated for those who were returning to Karuna¡¯s side through death.

    ¡°It¡¯s here.¡± He raised the book with one hand and pushed the Honorary Holy Knight¡¯s brooch onto Trislowa¡¯s face.

    ¡°Take¡­this off¡­!¡± Trislowa resisted more aggressively again, but Zich didn¡¯t even twitch and continued to read the lines.

    ¡°Hence, a path of light leading to Lord Karuna will be made. Do not fear children. Karuna¡¯s light will surround thee andy down a path that will guide thee to the Lord¡¯s embrace.¡±

    ¡°¡­Shut¡­up¡­!¡±

    ¡°All the worries that had bound thou down will disappear.¡±

    ¡°Uh¡­Urghhhh¡­.!¡±

    ¡°May thy faithful servant follow this journey to the light.¡±

    ¡°Ah-hhhhh!¡± Trislowa wailed. As a follower of Bellid, he thought that he could die a miserable death someday. After all, the world was overflowing with people who had a grudge against the Bellids, including those who couldn¡¯t understand the great Bellu¡¯s beneficence and cried over a couple of deaths or their bitter enemy, the Karuwimans. But he hadn¡¯t feared it; since he had dedicated his life for Bellu, he thought he would happily ept dying while fighting for his god.

    However, Trislowa didn¡¯t expect his death to be this miserable.

    ¡°Move away! *Cough*!¡± Trislowa wanted to crush his eardrums so he could stop listening to that abominable Karuna¡¯s nonsense. However, both his arms were locked. He could close his eyes, but he couldn¡¯t block his ears.

    ¡°May thy soul meet a punishment ording to the years thou lived, and with toil befitting it, may thou gain purity akin to the one thou had at birth. Thus, do not fear and cleanse thyself of thy sins.¡±

    ¡°Damn¡­. It¡­*cough* Damn it¡­!¡± No matter how hard Trislowa floundered his arms, Zich continued to read the scripture.

    Then Trislowa¡¯s movements slowly began to calm down, more bloody foam collected in his mouth, and his rough breathing lessened. Not long afterward, Trislowa¡¯s movements stilled. All Trislowa could hear was the faint ringing of Zich¡¯s voice that seemed to mention a blessing. In his blurry vision, he saw something approach him.

    ¡®Ah, ah.¡¯ Trislowa was sure that Bellu wasing to greet him as he had held onto his faith even as he died a miserable death. As soon as he thought this, all the rage and sadness he felt flew out of his body.

    ¡®I wasn¡¯t wrong!¡¯ That was all it took to make the pain he felt better. He could even smile at Zich now.

    ¡®It¡¯s a pity that I can¡¯t see that guy¡¯s reaction.¡¯

    That was a bit regretful, but nothing really mattered when Bellu had personallye out to meet him. Trislowa silently waited for Bellu to take him. Bellu slowly approached him, tilted his head a bit, and put his face right next to Trislowa¡¯s.

    [It¡¯s all because of you!]

    Trislowa widened his eyes. His blurry vision suddenly became clear. The image in front of him was not Bellu, but the terrifying sight of Zich¡¯s smiling face.

    ¡°Hick!¡± Trislowa was so surprised. He could not even scream, and the sound was blocked from his throat. His eyes bulged out as if they were going toe out.

    Drop!

    Trislowa¡¯s heart stopped. It might have been because it was time for him to die or because he was surprised. However, there was only one thing he was certain of: a person whose heart stopped could no longer live.

    Thud!

    Trislowa¡¯s head tilted to the side. His face waspletely twisted from the shock.

    ¡°Pweh!¡± Zich let out his breath. Then while looking at the ashes of the deceased boy and his family, he said, ¡°Are you satisfied? I actually made a lot of effort for this revenge. So go to a nice ce peacefully while looking at this.¡±

    * * *

    The battle ended. The result was andslide victory for the Karuwimans. With this, the northern branch of Bellid was exterminated, and they were able to deal a significant blow against the Bellids. No Bellid followers survived. No one surrendered, and even if they had surrendered, the Karuwimans wouldn''t have let them live. This was what usually happened when two sides from different faiths collided.

    First, Weig went inside the Bellid temple and set up camp. Even though it left a very dirty feeling to set up camp inside a Bellid building, it was better than camping outside. Moreover, this temple was a trophy that the Karuwimans had earned.

    Crumble!

    Of course, they meticulously crushed all the statues of Bellu and inscriptions inside the temple. On one side of the temple, they set up a ward for those who were injured and began healing them, and on the other side, they gentlyid down those who passed away in battle. After dealing with so much work, a lot of time passed.

    ¡°Hello, Sir Weig.¡±

    Weig, who was walking around the temple with Lube to check if they missed anything, was stopped by Snoc and Hans.

    ¡°Have you seen Sir Zich?¡±

    ¡°No, I have not seen him.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve also not seen him since the battle.¡±

    ¡°Is that so?¡±

    When Weig and Lube both told them that they had not seen Zich, Hans scratched his head.

    Then he turned around to Snoc. ¡°It seems like he is going to take a long time, so let¡¯s find a ce for us to sleep.¡±

    Seeing Hans and Snoc¡¯spletely rxed attitude even though Zich was nowhere to be found, Lube asked, ¡°¡­Are you not worried about him?¡±

    Hans and Snoc blinked their eyes and stared at Lube. She flinched as if she said something wrong.

    ¡°Ah, oh. Worry! Ah, yes!¡± Hans spoke as if he was finally able to realize what the word ¡®worry¡¯ meant. ¡°Excuse me, Lady Lube. It¡¯s just that the word ¡®worry¡¯ doesn''t fit next to Sir Zich¡¯s name at all. It¡¯ll be alright. It¡¯s Sir Zich after all. I don¡¯t know if there is a time he puts himself into serious danger, especially in a battle like this where our victory is assured. He probably went to fulfill his original goal.¡±

    ¡°Original goal¡­you mean revenge?¡± Weig asked this as he had a simr thought.

    Hans made a subtle smile. ¡°There is one thing I¡¯m definitely sure of. That person probably did not die a peaceful death.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    At his words, Weig and Lube closed their mouths. Weig and Lube were at least a little bit concerned for Zich, so they were quite shocked by Hans¡¯ zero concern for Zich¡¯s safety.

    ¡®They trust him this much. It¡¯s really amazing.¡¯

    He must have been able to build their trust by showing them a lot of his strength and various sides of him.

    ¡°Then we are going to wait for Sir Zich.¡±

    ¡°¡­I don''t think that will be necessary.¡± When Weig said this, Hans and Snoc turned around and stared back. People¡¯s gazes all turned towards the same spot. Someone was quickly running towards them.

    It was Zich.

    Tap!

    In an instant, Zich was in front of them.

    ¡°Sir Zich!¡±

    ¡°You are back?¡±

    Snoc and Hans greeted him.

    Zich looked around his surroundings. ¡°It seems like the battle¡¯s over.¡±

    Weig said, ¡°Thanks to you, we were able to easily end the battle. The casualties are also less than what we expected.¡±

    If they had to pick someone who demonstrated the best performance in this war, it would be Zich as he caused chaos internally, trapped Trislowa inside the temple, and most of all, shattered the barrier.

    ¡°But Mr. Zich, where have you been?¡± Curious about why he left without any exnation, Lube asked, ¡°Was it for revenge?¡±

    ¡°Yes, that was it.¡± Zich took out Trislowa¡¯s corpse from his magic box and threw it on the ground.

    Weig let out a groan even though Trislowa¡¯s death was definitely a happy event. He had felt a bit disheartened when he lost Trislowa right in front of him, even while considering that Trislowa had used an extreme measure. ¡°In the end, you were the one who caught him.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s because I knew where he would escape to. Just in case, I waited for him there.¡±

    Zich really had an endless amount of information. Weig was very curious about where he got his information from. ¡®But he probably won¡¯t tell us,¡¯ he thought.

    ¡°What will you do with this corpse? If it¡¯s alright with you, we want to cut off the neck and disy it in front of our temple.¡±

    ¡°I apologize, but I also have a use for this corpse.¡±

    Even though he felt a bit bitter that his n to increase Karuwiman¡¯s reputation was rejected, Trislowa¡¯s corpse was definitely within Zich¡¯s right. Weig did not ask further, but he was curious. ¡°I don¡¯t mean to intrude, but may I ask where you¡¯ll be using that?¡±

    ¡°I have to finish my revenge. I¡¯m going to burn this corpse and spread it on top of Mount Arut.¡±

    Lube and Weig, who were familiar with Bellid¡¯s funerary rites, could immediately understand what Zich was trying to do.

    ¡®Like he said, he¡¯s not going to stop his revenge even after Trislowa¡¯s death.¡¯

    Regardless of Zich¡¯s abilities or his performance in this battle, Weig realized it would be best for him to not make Zich his enemy for his personal mental health.

 Chapter 105

    <h4>Chapter 105</h4>

    That evening, the Karuwimans decided to stay the night at the Bellid temple. Even the sturdy Karuwiman followers couldn¡¯t escape the fatigue of battle and needed rest. In addition, the people who had been imprisoned to be Bellid¡¯s sacrifices needed treatment.

    Since there were many priests and the Karuwimans usually manufactured arge amount of potions, most of the soldiers were fully cured; however, they couldn¡¯t do much for those whose limbs werepletely severed. If they still had their severed parts, full recovery was possible, but a fierce battle had taken ce above ake so it was difficult for people to collect their body parts.

    However, they received fewer losses than they had expected, and the faces of all the Karuwiman followers were bright. Zich and hispanions each got a room; they were all quite big and fancy, and the room¡¯s allocation clearly showed what the Karuwimans thought about Zich and hispanions.

    Tired from the battle, Hans and Snoc went to sleep early and were snoring; but Zich was awake. He ced the urn filled with the ashes of the boy, his family, and his neighbors in front of him and stared at it.

    ¡®Wasn¡¯t it a rather satisfying revenge?¡¯

    Zich had done all kinds of revenge and trickeries before, but this one was more thorough and polished than usual. His n wasn¡¯t that detailed; it was actually on the simpler side. From the beginning, Zich had nned to finish off Trislowa in the canyon¡¯s entrance. As Trislowa did before Zich¡¯s regression, Zich expected Trislowa to escape there while heavily injured.

    ¡®With his personality, he probably resisted until the end when his body was at his limit to make his escape.¡¯

    That¡¯s what Trislowa had done before the regression.

    ¡®He knew about the secret passage, and since he is the Bellid¡¯s Cardinal, he would have probably tried to escape with all he had.¡¯

    The reason why Zich trespassed into the temple and led the Karuwimans to make a feint attack was because he had wanted to find a way to improve his revenge. Moreover, he decided to attempt this because he perfectly knew where all the secret passages in the temple were.

    ¡®And I basically hit the lottery.¡¯

    Zich had thought that there was a connection between the Bellids¡¯ movements and the monsters in Polrune Vige, but he didn¡¯t realize that it was because of the item called the Pyramid of Vengeful Souls. Thanks to that, Zich was able to y around with Trislowa however he wanted.

    ¡®I thought I would only be able to use the phrase, ¡®It¡¯s all your fault,¡¯ in the end¡ªwhen we were at the canyon.¡¯

    When Zich heard that Trislowa told the boy everything was his fault while torturing him, Zich swore to return those words back to Trislowa. And everything had turned out well for Zich so that he could use it.

    ¡®Anyhow, everything ended well. Bringing the Karuwimans into this matter paid off too.¡¯

    Yet,pared to how well his n worked out, there was a bitter aftertaste in his mouth.

    ¡®We just destroyed the Bellid¡¯s northern base at most, and I even had to rely on the Karuwiman¡¯s forces.¡¯

    Although Zich had nned everything out, luck yed a great factor in exacting such perfect revenge. Truthfully, Zich might not have been able to end Trislowa¡¯s life by himself.

    ¡®I guess what I really need right now is more strength.¡¯

    While he trained Hans and Snoc, Zich also underwent rigorous training. Even at this moment, he was letting out mana, but he stillcked power.

    ¡®I thought I still had a lot of time to slowly gather up more strength, but it¡¯s really ufortable like this. I even have opponents like the assassin guys to fight against. As expected, I really have to find that.¡¯

    After he swore to not live as the Demon Lord, Zich didn¡¯t think about ¡®that¡¯ even once, but now, he needed it.

    * * *

    The next day, the Karuwimans prepared to go back. They didn¡¯t want to nor did they need to stay in a ce full of lingering traces of the Bellids. Before leaving, they decided to take care of the Bellid temple which they hated to even look at.

    Craaaaash!

    With a single swing from Weig, the temple¡¯s foundation crumbled, the roof copsed into pieces, and the walls exploded. Other followers of Karuwiman also assisted him in destroying the temple.

    Rumble!

    Like that, the hidden branch, which had overseen all the Bellid northern bases in the empire crumbled. And the followers of Karuwiman crossed theke and cave to reach the wilderness again.

    Zich and hispanions moved with Weig and Lube, right in front of the procession. Zich nned to stay with them for a while. The course to the ce he was nning to go ovepped, and it wasfortable how the Karuwimans provided food and lodging while they moved together.

    Then, one person suddenly spotted something. A group of people was approaching them from far away. Seeing how they marched in a rhythm, they looked like an army of troops. But the soldiers¡¯ wariness soon disappeared when they saw the army¡¯s waving gs.

    Weig said, ¡°They are our support force.¡±

    The gs had Karuwiman¡¯s symbol on them.

    ¡°His Holiness told me that he would gather as many support forces as he could just in case. But since the Church still needs a self-defense army, I didn¡¯t expect much¡ªbut it seems like he used another method.¡±

    The troops approaching them not only held Karuwiman¡¯s g, but the gs of many differentnds.

    Zich nodded. ¡®It seems like he asked for help from nearbynds. That¡¯s not a bad idea. Even if the Karuwimans are trying to annihte the Bellids, othermunities will dislike the idea of having any military conflicts near theirnds. They would prefer to have some of their own troops mixed into the support forces to observe the military operations.¡¯

    It seemed as if the Pope had gone through great effort to maintain diplomacy.

    ¡®Even if neighboringnds sent out their troops for surveince purposes, it is both diplomatically and practically favorable for the Karuwimans. It¡¯s a good deal for the othernds too. The Karuwimans probably funded the operation, and above all, it¡¯s a great cause to even be present in a holy war.¡¯

    If they didn¡¯t have to care about getting noticed by the Bellids, the Pope would have probably moved the allied forces from the beginning.

    ¡®He really is a formidable old man.¡¯

    Besides, the Pope had established the allied forces and sent the support forces in such a short time. Zich was impressed by Karuwiman''s authority and the Pope¡¯s political skills. Then, the two forces soon met.

    ¡°Greetings, Sir Weig!¡±

    ¡°Wee, Sir Twen.¡± Weig greeted the holy knight in front of the troops.

    ¡°At themand of His Holiness, I was in the process of bringing my soldiers to support you, Sir Weig. But while we were moving, we heard that you were sessful in exterminating those Bellids and havee to escort all of you.¡±

    Weig had already sent a messenger to announce the sess of their operation. While Twen was moving forward, the messenger ryed Weig¡¯s message, and Twen had nowe to escort them. Even though it now became ridiculous that a whole army came to just escort Weig and his soldiers, this was also a part of diplomacy. The military force of the surrounding areas came all the way here to participate in the ¡®holy war,¡¯ so they couldn¡¯t just leave after hearing that the operation was over.

    ¡®I¡¯m sure they came here at least to memorize the faces of Weig and Lube, who¡¯s going to be the Saint soon. And they want to show off the number of soldiers they brought to help out the Karuwimans.¡¯

    ¡°Ahahah, you didn¡¯t need toe all the way here to escort us. It¡¯s embarrassing,¡± Weig said with humility.

    ¡°No, weren¡¯t you able topletely destroy the Bellid¡¯s northern branch? This is one of the most sessful events even in Karuwiman history, so you must be treated with at least this much respect.¡±

    ¡°It was not only me. Lady Lube and all the Karuwiman followers have worked hard, and most of all, if it was not for Mr. Zich here and his two servants, we would have never been so sessful.¡± Weig shifted the attention to other people.

    ¡°Hahahah! Of course, since everyone put in their strength, such an overwhelming victory could be achieved. I was wrong. Let¡¯s quickly go to the next city. We have prepared a small party for our heroes.¡±

    It seemed as if they had prepared in advance a small party for those who were tired from battle. Weig also did not refuse. ¡°I look forward to it. Then should we head out?¡±

    The two forces united and slowly headed out of the deste wilderness. Even though a new group joined them, Zich and his two servants were next to Weig. Twen, including all the higher-ups, made furtive nces towards Zich¡¯s party. They were curious because it was obvious from a nce that Weig treated them with utter respect.

    However, Zich paid no attention to them. All his attention was focused on one person. It was the person who was standing at the very front with the other holy knights. The figure had an elegant appearance and serious aura, so much so that he looked as if he was saying, ¡®I am the definition of a righteous holy knight.¡¯ This person was someone Zich knew. No, Zich had no choice but to recognize him.

    ¡®I never imagined I would meet him here.¡¯

    Zich was filled with strange emotions as he stared at the person who was following them from the backmand.

    ¡®Glen Zenard.¡¯

    Before he regressed, the Sun Hero had killed Zich. He was with the reinforcements.

    * * *

    The Karuwiman followers passed a couple of viges. The ce where the party Twen mentioned was not in a vige. Since the viges were small, there were not enough resources to let the Karuwiman army drink and eat freely. After a while, they reached their destination in arge city. Under Twen¡¯s orders, a few followers had already prepared arge campsite next to the city. The condition of the campsite was adequate, and the Karuwiman followers spent an enjoyable time at the campsite.

    Weig and other high officials, with Zich and hispanions, sat inside argemand tent. Glen Zenard was also among this group. Weig ryed to Twen how they were able to win the battle. However, his exnation was far from what actually happened. Weig told him that the Karuwimans were the ones who found the northern branch and the secret pathways that the prisoners used to escape; he also said that the reason why Zich was able to defeat Trislowa was because Weig had ordered him to infiltrate first. Weig¡¯s exnation cut down Zich¡¯s achievement and passed it off as Karuwiman¡¯s achievement.

    There was no way Weig, who was greatly fond of Zich, would do this with ill intentions. Like thest time in Portia, Weig¡¯s exnation was to protect Zich. However, the exact reason why Weig did this was different fromst time. Previously, Weig had hidden Zich¡¯s achievement, because he was concerned that Zich might be the Bellids¡¯ target. While this was still true, Zich¡¯s efforts and achievements and his two servants were sorge that rumors were bound toe out. But what Weig and the higher officials in Karuwiman were truly worried about was the informationwork that Zich possessed.

    All the information that Zich said so far was of tremendous value, and any powerful organization would drool at the information he possessed. If the Karuwimans were a bit power hungry, they would have used any forceful measures to find out where Zich got his information from. Of course, Zich only freely gave information to the Karuwimans because he knew what they were like. Moreover, he was also confident that if the Karuwimans nned to use force on him in any way, he could make his escape.

    However, it was also true that Zich was still ¡°weak.¡± For that reason, Zich readily agreed with the Karuwimans¡¯ decision to control the information they possessed and cut down Zich¡¯s achievement. So currently, people just knew him as the Honorary Knight who was sessful in his joint operation with the Karuwimans¡ªand of course, this was enough for people to praise him greatly.

    ¡°Hahahahaha! I¡¯m so happy that only good things have been happening for Karuwiman these days! We were able to deal significant damage against those Bellid bastards and our Saint is going to be born soon, and now we have two very trustworthy honorary holy knights!¡±

    Twen nced back and forth between Zich and Glen. ¡°Now that I think about it, this must be your first time seeing each other. Since both of you might fight together in the future, why don¡¯t the two of you greet each other?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m Glen Zenard.¡±

    As he saw Glen bow his head towards him, Zich was filled with inexplicable emotions. He was probably the only person in the world who had the experience of drinking and sitting next to the person who killed him. Glen Zenard looked the same as when hest saw him. He was still annoyingly handsome, and the righteousness in his face seemed to shine.

    His friendly but polite mannerisms (which were annoying) were still the same. However, he looked younger than thest time he saw Zich.

    ¡®He was annoying during this time too.¡¯

    Even though Zich acknowledged Glen as one of the strongest humans in the world, he couldn¡¯t help but feel a physiological aversion towards him. Zich thought he got better because he hung around Lube and felt fine, but Glen Zenard seemed to be an exception.

    However, a feeling was just a feeling, and Zich had a question to ask him. ¡°I¡¯m Zich. I don¡¯t mean to be rude on our first meeting, but may I ask you one question?¡±

    ¡°Yes, of course.¡± Glen didn¡¯t look frazzled by Zich¡¯s sudden question and easily replied back.

    ¡°If you are born again, I hope that you will live a kind life. What do you think about this statement?¡±

 Chapter 106

    <h4>Chapter 106</h4>

    It was a strange thing to say. Everyone in their surroundings looked perplexed, but Zich simply stared at Glen like he didn¡¯t want to miss a slight change on Glen¡¯s face.

    ¡°¡­I don¡¯t know what you are saying, sir.¡± Glen looked troubled, but his tone was careful in consideration of his addressee¡¯s feelings. ¡°May I ask why you asked me this question?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Zich¡¯s eyes continued to trace Glen¡¯s face as if they were searching for a suspicious criminal. When Glen and other people began to feel a bit awkward, Zich smiled widely. ¡°Haha! It¡¯s nothing. It¡¯s just that I felt a heroic air from you as soon as I saw you, Sir Zenard. It made me remember a storybook that I read when I was little. It¡¯s what the hero said while defeating the viin, and I saw the hero ovep with you and couldn¡¯t help but ask.¡±

    ¡°Haha haha! I see! Indeed, it¡¯s true that everyone will think that Sir Zenard looks like a hero.¡±

    ¡°You are ttering me, sir. I¡¯m not that amazing of a person.¡± Glen denied Twen¡¯s words as his face turned red.

    ¡°What do you mean by ttery? I have heard other people say the same things so many times. Sir Zenard, you should just ept it and boast about it.¡±

    ¡°Um, I have also heard many good words about him.¡± Twen and Weig took turns praising Glen. Even though Glen was not an official member of Karuwiman, it made Weig happy that someone with the title of Honorary Holy Knight was going around doing good deeds, especially Glen who had outstanding achievements.

    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s true. You are different from Mr. Zich who doesn¡¯t have the appearance and attitude of an Honorary Knight.¡± Twen and Glen turned around in surprise at Lube¡¯s words. They didn¡¯t expect the uing Saint to say such sarcastic remarks.

    It seemed as if news about Lube¡¯s personality change hadn¡¯t spread widely yet. Twen tensed up in worry that Zich might get angry at herments. But Zich wasn''t angry, and Weig alsoughed.

    ¡°You haven¡¯t improved at all from the time you judged people just by their appearance. As your friend and Karuwiman¡¯s Honorary Holy Knight, I worry about Karuwiman¡¯s future.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    After jokingly provoking Zich a bit, Lube closed her mouth shut, and Weigughed even harder.

    ¡°It seems like Lady Lube is no match for Sir Zich yet.¡±

    ¡°Tch!¡± Lube pouted, but she admitted her loss. ¡°Fine. I lost. I lost. Even though he is a different type from Sir Zenard, I think Mr. Zich is also a decent hero.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡± Zich was at a loss for words by this statement. A hero¡ªhe did go around doing kind acts, but were people calling him a hero now?

    ¡°Huh? Why are you so quiet? Are you perhaps embarrassed?¡± Lube had misunderstood Zich¡¯s reaction. Her eyes sparkled as if his attitude was adorable and this frustrated Zich even further.

    ¡°No, I just thought it was too early for you to admit defeat, Lady Lube. You could have definitely defended yourself by stating that you meant I looked different from my exterior and asked me why I was so quick to think that you were still prejudiced.¡±

    ¡°Ah, there was a method like that.¡±

    ¡°Write it down, Lady Lube. There aren¡¯t many people who will teach you things like this, especially to someone like you.¡±

    ¡°I will engrave them into a deep, deep corner of my mind.¡±

    ¡°¡­This is surprising,¡± Twen said in surprise as he listened to Zich and Lube¡¯s conversation.

    ¡°I heard that Lady Lube changed, but she is skilled at even making jokes of this nature. She became much better at making retorts.¡±

    ¡°Ah, m-my apologies.¡± Lube suddenly realized that there were other people besides Zich and Weig.

    ¡°Why are you apologizing, Lady Lube? Even if you are the uing Saint, you are not restricted from making jokes with a friend. Karuna is not so closed-minded. There were many previous Saints who talked roughly since they were deployed into many harsh conditions. You are much better than those without tenacity who can¡¯t take on their responsibilities.¡±

    Weig nodded his head at Twen¡¯s words. He had already emphasized tenacity to Lube many times before.

    ¡°Still¡­¡± They heard a muttering voice with hints of negativity. People turned their gaze to Glen who spoke carefully with an awkward smile.

    ¡°Isn¡¯t the Saint the face of Karuwiman like the Pope? I don¡¯t know if I¡¯m stepping out of my ce, but I think the Saint has to possess a good disposition to a certain degree.¡±

    ¡°Of course.¡± Twen agreed so readily that it made Glen¡¯s carefulness seem a bit embarrassing.

    ¡°The Saint has to possess basic etiquette and character. Their mission isn¡¯t like us dunce knights, who only have to run to the battlefield. But the selection process to choose the saint candidate already factors in their skills and character and not traits like tenacity. That¡¯s why us knights emphasize tenacity in a Saint so much, because other characters have been proven through the selection process anyways.¡±

    Weig grumbled, ¡°But these days, even the selection process is not so trustworthy.¡± He remembered Chelsea Windne who used to bully Lube out of jealousy.

    Lube smiled awkwardly and didn¡¯t refute Twen.

    ¡°Even if we diligently follow Lord Karuna¡¯s teachings, we are still humans. We can¡¯t help but have our faults. To filter that out, the selection process has two rounds and, in the end, the person most fitting to be the Saint is going to take the position.¡±

    Twenforted Weig and smiled widely. ¡°Did I answer your question?¡±

    Glen replied, ¡°Yes, I was short-sighted. Thank you for your teaching.¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t have to thank me. It¡¯s my joy as your elder to be of help to young people. I always wee these types of questions. It¡¯s always a great sight to see young people grow and mature.¡±

    Twenughed out loud. ¡°However, Lady Lube, you should also watch out for other people. There are some stubborn and conservative people who think that saints have to always be on their best behavior like some kind of doll.¡±

    ¡°Yes, I will keep that in mind.¡±

    ¡°But you can act freely when you are with me. I fully wee your change and growth.¡±

    ¡°I will also keep that in mind.¡± Lube made a big smile.

    ¡°That¡¯s great. Honestly, I was worried about your fragile heart, but now, even that one fault of yours is gone. It must have been because of the events in Portia, right?¡±

    ¡°Yes. That was the incident that made me realize how na?ve and sheltered I was, and it made me fully realize how evil those Bellid followers were.¡±

    The events in Portia had already spread far and wide. Even though Zich¡¯s involvement and other important information were kept hidden, all other information was spread among the Karuwimans.

    ¡°Mr. Zich was extremely helpful during that time. It¡¯s not an exaggeration to say that Mr. Zich was the one who made me change. For that, I am thankful to him.¡±

    ¡°It was nothing impressive. Well, there was also a reason for me to change, so maybe that¡¯s why I helped Lady Lube out like that.¡±

    ¡°Really, what was the reason?¡± Glen suddenly intervened, ¡°If it¡¯s possible, would you be able to tell me? I¡¯m suddenly curious.¡±

    ¡°You said that there was someone who told you to try living a kind life, right? That person sounds like the hero in the novel that you mentioned. Was it that person?¡± Recalling the conversation they had when they first met, Lube was also curious to hear Zich¡¯s answer.

    ¡°Yes. Because of his words, I started doing kind acts.¡±

    ¡°You told me that you lived a rough life.¡±

    ¡°Yes. I lived a very rough life.¡±

    ¡°I understand. You had trouble with your family.¡± Like Hans did, Lube assumed that Zich¡¯s troubles with his noble family were what he meant by having ¡®lived a rough life.¡¯

    Weig also had the same thought. However, what Zich meant by having ¡®lived a rough life¡¯ was that he did all kinds of horrendous actions before he regressed, but Zich obviously did not correct their assumptions.

    ¡°While I was living a rough life, I met that person. I can¡¯t reveal his identity. But if there is one thing I am sure of, that person was full of righteousness. Just in case all of you misunderstand, I also have to add that I don¡¯t particrly like this person. Actually, I dislike him. Personally, I think he is a very annoying person, but I still decided to follow his advice. And now that I¡¯m living like this, I think¡­it doesn¡¯t go well with my personality, but it¡¯s not bad.¡±

    ¡°It must have been an amazing meeting.¡±

    ¡°Well, I don¡¯t want to go that far and say it was an amazing meeting.¡± Zich made a bitter smile and shook his head. ¡°But if it was not for him, I would not have been able to joke around with you, Lady Lube, like this.¡±

    ¡°I still think it must have been an amazing meeting.¡±

    ¡°I also agree.¡± With Weig¡¯s agreement, Zich merely shrugged his shoulders.

    ¡°But if I meet him, I want to say this to him.¡± Zich¡¯s attention shifted to where Glen was. Glen was attentively listening to all of Zich¡¯s words. ¡°Currently, I¡¯m living ording to your advice, and it¡¯s not been bad so far.¡±

    Zich smiled. ¡°Have I answered your question?¡±

    ¡°¡­Yes. Thank you for replying so thoroughly to a personal question of mine.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s nothing.¡±

    After that, various conversations continued, and the night grew deeper.

    * * *

    ¡°Pweh!¡± Zich let out a small breath andy down on his bed.

    They seemed to have paid a lot of attention to the people who fought with the Bellids¡¯ northern branch, because the makeshift bed was much softer than usual. Zich put his arms on top of his forehead and looked at the top of the tent. In theplete darkness, all the events that recently happened passed through his mind.

    ¡®Glen Zenard¡­¡¯ Before he regressed, Glen Zenard was the one who hampered his ns and eventually killed him. And Glen was also the person who pointed Zich towards a new path. ¡®He didn¡¯t seem like a regressor.¡¯

    Zich blinked his eyes. ¡®If you are born again, be a person who lives a kind life¡¯¡ªthat was what Glen Zenard said to him before he died. But the Glen Zenard right now didn¡¯t seem like he remembered that line.

    If the Key that Distorts Destiny caused his regression and there were other regressors like him, members of the Hero Party were the most likely candidates to be regressors. And Zich thought Glen Zenard was the most likely candidate as he was the person who Zich stabbed with theKey that Distorts Destiny.

    ¡®Well, since Lube didn¡¯t regress, that guy might not have regressed either. From the first ce, the one who seemed most like a regressor was that silver-haired woman who I¡¯ve never met before.¡¯

    Surprisingly, the Key that Distorts Destiny might have no involvement with his regression. Of course, Glen could have also been acting. Zich also hid his regression from everyone.

    But...

    ¡®Even if he is acting, it doesn¡¯t matter.¡¯

    Regardless of whether Glen regressed or not, Zich had no ns to get involved with him. Although he respected Glen¡¯s strength and followed his advice, if Glen opposed him due to his past actions, Zich could also just fight him back. This was the extent of their rtionship.

    ¡®But I guess I was able to express my thoughts.¡¯

    Zich had wanted to tell Glen Zenard that he was now living like this because of his advice. Zich didn¡¯t know the reason why Glen said this to him before he died. Glen could have said this in the spur of the moment, from the joy of finally defeating thest Demon Lord, or he could have sincerely wanted Zich to live a kind life. But either way, it didn¡¯t matter much to Zich.

    Zich had only wanted to say a few words to him if they ever met.

    ¡®Now, he doesn¡¯t matter to me.¡¯

    He finished saying everything he had wanted to say. He also had no thought or reason to get involved with Glen. Zich crossed his hands behind the back of his head and closed his eyes. Soon after, peaceful breathing filled the entire tent.

 Chapter 107

    <h4>Chapter 107</h4>

    Time gradually passed until night turned to dawn. Even those who were drunk from the happiness of their victory began to fall asleep one by one. But there was one person who was lost in thought. He didn¡¯t seem tired from the march that had gone on all day or the drinking party that followed afterward. His eyes were wide awake as he ced his crossed fingers near his lips and stared at the candle in front of him. This person was no one other than Glen Zenard.

    ¡°¡­Zich.¡± He muttered Zich¡¯s name once and closed his mouth. He had a splitting headache, and he felt as if he was lost in a maze without an exit.

    ¡®What is he?¡¯ Glen recalled Zich¡¯s face again¡ªthis wasn¡¯t difficult. Even though it was their first meeting in person, Zich¡¯s face was very familiar to Glen. But only his face was familiar; everything else, including Zich¡¯s behavior and personality, was unfamiliar.

    ¡®He is neither Steelwall nor Moore.¡¯

    The two sides of Zich he knew didn¡¯t match the current Zich at all. He suddenly felt a chill crawl up his back. Inside manyyers withinyers of memories, he remembered one name from long ago.

    ¡®¡­Brave.¡¯ Just thinking of this name suffocated him, but Glen shook his head. ¡®He¡¯s not Brave.¡¯

    It wasn¡¯t escapism. The Brave he knew and the current Zich were clearly different.

    ¡®Yeah, it¡¯s not.¡¯

    Like a child who didn¡¯t want to reflect on their past mistakes, he pushed those memories to the deepest corner of his mind. But that meant Zich was not Steelwall, Moore, or Brave. This meant only one thing.

    ¡®An unexpected variable.¡¯

    That was what Glen hated the most out of anything. Although he had faced it more times than he could count, it still enraged him every time this happened.

    ¡®It must be a very big variable.¡¯

    There was nothing that matched what he knew: Zich¡¯s personality, behavior, the location of his activity, or the time period. From what he heard, Zich seemed to have a much higher level of skill than the Zich he knew from this period.

    ¡®¡­There must be no surveince.¡¯

    He covered his face with his hands from the oveing gloom. He didn¡¯t even need to check since he was the one who sent themand to not send out spies around Zich Steelwall. He thought this was unnecessary.

    ¡®Why after all this time? He never changed even once before!¡¯

    Besides his importance and strength, Zich Steelwall was a very convenient existence, unlike those who often moved out of his expectations and interrupted his ¡®perfect n,¡¯ thereby, increasing his blood pressure. Zich had always progressed ording to his ns¡ªespecially during this period when he should be stuck with the Steelwall family.

    Thus, Glen had gotten rid of surveince around Zich since he always needed more help in other matters anyways. He thought it was better to make his subordinates do something else and dispatch them to Zich around the time he left his family. And now, Glen was paying for the price of his decision.

    ¡®Damn it!¡¯ He hit the floor in annoyance, and a hole formed in the ground while dirt scattered into the air. ¡®If he moves however he likes ¡­¡¯

    Glen¡¯s body trembled. He recalled Zich¡¯s dormant power; even Glen, who had lived ¡®hundreds or thousands¡¯ of times more than other people and received as many opportunities as possible, sighed at the thought of Zich¡¯s overwhelming power. Even when things went ording to his ns, Zich¡¯s power was always a huge obstacle that bothered him. Because of Zich¡¯s overwhelming strength, there were many cases when things failed even when he did the calctions perfectly, saw through Zich¡¯s strength and skill, and gathered strong allies. So, if Zich changed because of some unknown cause¡­?

    ¡®It¡¯s a nightmare.¡¯ Even if Zich changed ording to the situation, nothing could change his overwhelming talent and explosive mana. At the least, he would be one of the strongest in the world. ¡®¡­Should I kill him?¡¯

    Glen knew that Zich¡¯s talent shouldn¡¯t have fully bloomed yet. If he killed Zich now, there was a low chance that more changes would be made. But in the end, he erased that thought from his mind.

    ¡®What will I do after killing him? It¡¯s better if I watch how he will change for now.¡¯

    Then, Glen could n for the future and make an even more perfect n than now.

    ¡®I should also find out why he changed.¡¯ There was a hint. Zich told him that there was ¡®a person¡¯ who made him change. ¡®Who is that fucking bastard?¡¯

    Glen wondered who was the bastard that made Zich into Karuwiman¡¯s Honorary Holy Knight. Around this time, Zich should be running away from his family with resentment and endure intense turmoil and suffering to the point that he will walk a path that only sought after strength.

    ¡®I must find that bastard no matter what!¡¯

    Glen nned to dig up all kinds of information from that guy and make him die a painful death. It was ironic, because ¡®the person¡¯ whom Zich mentioned was Glen Zenard before Zich¡¯s regression. In other words, Glen was enraged with his past self.

    However, his ragested for a moment, and Glen became lost in thought again. ¡®¡­Who should I send to spy on Zich?¡¯

    Everyone under his forces had their own mission toplete. Even when they were finished with their current job, there was another mission in their schedule. And these missions would not lessen until the world entered the Era of the Demon People.

    ¡®¡­I should cancel a couple of missions.¡¯ But how many destinies would change from that decision alone? Glen clutched his head. ¡®¡­Now that I think about it, I should also find out about the Saint¡¯s change.¡¯

    The Saint didn¡¯t change as clearly as Zich, and her change was subtle. But the direction of the change wasn¡¯t what Glen liked. It seemed like Zich had influenced her after undergoing his own change, and there was a need to dive deeper into the matter.

    ¡®Aine has to be pure. I can¡¯t believe they don¡¯t even know that¡ªthose damn old fools are no help!¡¯

    While calling Lube¡¯s first name, he gritted his teeth at the thought of Weig and Twen. He no longer looked at all like an Honorary Knight who maintained perfect etiquette.

    ¡®I also have toe up with some measures in response to Bellid¡¯s losing strength.¡¯

    Everything had changed: Porti should have been sacrificed to make an undead army, the Bellid¡¯s northern base should still exist, and the Pyramid of Vengeful Souls should have been made there.

    This was a massive damage to his ns. He couldn¡¯t even imagine what the future would be like since so much had changed. His eyes suddenly became stiff. Even though Glen possessed high physical prowess, he grew mentally tired whenplicated events he had never imagined happened one after another.

    ¡®¡­I should sleep for now.¡¯ Hey on the bed. ¡®After this ridiculous celebration party is over, I should make some ns.¡¯

    Since it was not an easy problem to solve, Glen decided to push it off for now. He closed his eyes and pulled the nket over his body. Then he suddenly thought of the question that Zich asked out of the blue. Zich said he had gotten those lines from a novel.

    ¡®Was it something like, if you are reborn, try to live a kind life?¡¯

    After thinking this line over in his head a few times, he moved his body several times and shifted to a morefortable position.

    ¡®I really don¡¯t know this line. Was he really just saying nonsense?¡¯

    Glen began to sleep. Because of stress, he moved around a few times but eventually fell deep asleep.

    * * *

    The Karuwimans quickly spread the news that they were able topletely exterminate the Bellid¡¯s northern branch. This not only increased their reputation and let people know that the Bellids were weakened, it also sent a warning against the Bellids. Of course, the Karuwiman followers were overjoyed. They felt prideful, and smiles were on everyone¡¯s faces. An optimistic aura hovered everywhere around the temple and seemed to ooze out of everyone.

    However, Zich, who yed the most critical role in this battle, didn¡¯t linger on these sentiments and prepared to leave with his two servants. The splendid ceremony to celebrate their victory was already finished. Zich didn¡¯t participate in the ceremony, but he received an enormous sum as marypensation.

    Weig came to see him go and said, ¡°Mr. Zich, you reallye and go like the wind.¡±

    ¡°Why don¡¯t you go after resting here for a bit?¡± Lube also came to see them go and offered this option to them. Hans and Snoc nced sideways at Zich. It would be very nice to stay in the temple for a little longer, but they didn¡¯t expect Zich to ept the offer.

    ¡°We¡¯ve already rested long enough.¡± At Zich¡¯s words, Hans and Snoc shifted their eyes back to the front. They weren¡¯t even disappointed anymore. Lube and Weig also expected such an answer, so they just nodded.

    ¡°Since you earned the title of Honorary Holy Knight, please stop by Karuwiman temples while traveling. Our temples will do their utmost to support you.¡±

    ¡°Moreover, some orders will be passed to you through the temples sometimes.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not really amand but a request for help. And Mr. Zich, you knew this but still epted the title of Honorary Holy Knight, right?¡±

    ¡°Fufu, yes,¡± Zich agreed whileughing.

    ¡°However, we won¡¯t request your help right away. Since we already received a lot of help from you, it won¡¯t be right for us to ask for your support so soon.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Even if I get requests from the temple, I won¡¯t ept them easily. Lady Lube would know my shamelessness the best.¡±

    Lube chuckled, ¡°Of course. I know Mr. Zich¡¯s shamelessness very well. If I exclude Mr. Hans and Mr. Snoc, I¡¯m sure I know about it the best.¡±

    Hans and Snoc were about to nod their heads, but they quickly stopped. Sweat began to pour down their faces. They couldn¡¯t believe that a Karuwiman saint wouldy such a surprise trap for them. After seeing their serious and troubled eyes, Lube made an awkward smile. She also had no desire to make them fall into a trap of identally insulting Zich.

    Lube added, ¡°¡­It was a joke.¡±

    However, Zich¡¯s brightughter indicated that Lube¡¯s words had no impact at the end.

    ¡°Okay, let¡¯s just say that¡¯s true. But regardless, it doesn¡¯t change the fact that those two will be going through hell for a while.¡±

    Seeing them despair in silence, Lube looked at the two of them with pity. Watching this quick skit in front of him, Weig smiled and shifted his attention back to Zich.

    ¡°Can I ask where you are going?¡±

    ¡°Well, I don¡¯t know. If I move wherever my feet lead me, won¡¯t I end up somewhere?¡±

    ¡°Sometimes, I¡¯m jealous of your freedom.¡±

    ¡°If you want to be a traveler, call me anytime. I will give you all my tips without restraint.¡±

    ¡°If I get fired from Karuwiman, I will contact you right away.¡±

    Zich and Weig shook hands. After also shaking his hand with Lube, Zich turned around. Hans and Snoc said their farewells and followed behind Zich. Like he didst time, Zich did not turn around even once. As the sun went down, the shadow from the white temple moved as if it was making a path for Zich with the bright sun beaming down on him. Contrary to what he told Weig, Zich already had a destination in mind.

    ¡®I have to go find that.¡¯

    From this battle, Zich realized his power was clearlycking. If more time passed, this problem would be solved. However, even if this was a peaceful time before the Era of Demon People, various events were happening around the world, and Zich¡¯s rough personality and nature made it easy for him to get involved in conflicts. For that reason, Zich felt that he could no longer wait for more time to pass.

    Then, atst, Zich thought of a sword. Unlike ordinary swords that had a silver glint, it was a sword that waspletely ck.

    Demon Sword Tornium. Before he regressed, his four subordinates and this sword were most closely identified with the Demon Lord of Strength, Zich Moore.

    ¡®If I find that, I will be able to cover the gap in power somewhat.¡¯

    While thinking of Tornium¡¯s strength, Zich ced more force into his legs and moved forward.

 Chapter 108

    <h4>Chapter 108</h4>

    Zich and hispanions traveled in their usual manner. In the name of training, theypletely gave up on a civilized lifestyle and did kind acts in the viges they asionally visited. It was an arduous journey, but Hans and Snoc were fired up with passion.

    ¡®They are so simple.¡¯

    Zich clicked his tongue while watching them. The reason for their excitement was because Zich had told them their destination. As they got closer to their destination, they climbed a mountain and began to walk on the main road. On the road, there were many people: pedestrians walking with loads while depending on their staffs, a slow-moving wagon filled to the brim with people, and a heavily decorated, shiny carriage that upied the middle of the road. They walked the same route that all different types of people walked. And under the blue sky, enormous walls appeared into view. The walls faithfully protected the city, but for some reason, they appeared more weing and friendlypared to other city walls.

    ¡°Look! We¡¯ve arrived, Nowem!¡± Snoc held Nowem above his head and showed Nowem the castle walls. Nowem answered back with a ¡®Koo!¡¯ and Hans¡¯ eyes sparkled.

    ¡°That ce is¡­¡±

    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s right.¡±

    Zich¡¯s eyes rested on the castle¡¯s entrance. ¡°It¡¯s Violuwin.¡±

    Violuwin was the name of the city in front of them. It wasn¡¯t the capital city of a country, nor was it a city where an immense amount of money and supplies passed through. It was neither a ce with a rich granary so that it could support a big poption, or a city situated in a strategic location. Yet, this city was famous in the whole world for one thing: tourism.

    ¡°Like I promised¡­¡± As soon as Zich spoke, Hans and Snoc stared at him. They reminded Zich of baby chicks looking at their mother¡¯s mouth for food. ¡°¡­We will rest here for a while.¡±

    Hans and Snoc rejoiced at the news. They had endured Zich¡¯s harsh training during this journey for this dream-like break. Violuwin was so world-renowned that even Hans and Snoc who had resided in their homes or the mines their entire lives knew of it. It was a tourist destination that everyone wanted to visit at least once in their lifetime, and they couldn¡¯t have been happier to be here.

    They went inside the city. Because the city was bustling with tourists, there was a long line from the castle¡¯s entrance, and it took them a long time to get inside. However, as soon as they stepped inside, Hans and Snoc realized that the ce waspletely worth the wait. A well-maintained expressway stretched out in a straight line, and houses made from Violuwin¡¯s characteristic white stones lined both sides. And from a distance, they could see fountains shooting out water. They had only passed through the city''s entrance, but it was a sight that they had never seen before. Hans and Snoc¡¯s mouths naturally hung open.

    Thump! Thump!

    Both of their heads shot forward, and Snoc even rammed Nowem with his forehead. Nowem let out a cry: ¡®Koo!¡¯

    ¡°Move faster, idiots.¡± As Hans and Snoc disrupted the flow of the road by standing still in their spots, Zich struck the back of their heads and walked forward.

    Regardless of how much stronger they got, they could never get used to Zich¡¯s ssic strike to the back of their heads. They couldn¡¯t even sense any presence as if they were attacked by a ghost, and it felt as if Zich was an entity they couldn¡¯t catch no matter how much they followed him.

    However, when they saw a gigantic building in front of them, all thoughts disappeared from their minds. The lodging that Joachim had reserved for them didn¡¯t falter behind this building, but this ce gave off a special atmosphere as housing for tourists. Zich paid for three rooms. It cost him arge sum of money, but he recently received more than enough gold coins from the Karuwimans for helping them destroy the Bellid¡¯s northern base. Of course, if he used money recklessly without a second thought, he would run out no matter how big his wallet was. But Zich didn¡¯t n to stay for that long.

    Zich called Hans and Snoc. Then, he said as their eyes sparkled, ¡°Five days.¡±

    Zich stretched out his five fingers. ¡°I¡¯ll give you free time for five days. y however you like until then.¡±

    Hans squeezed his fist, and Snoc hugged Nowem tightly. Their short break had begun.

    * * *

    Hans and Snoc disappeared like the wind. It seemed as if they were using all the skills they had learned from Zich¡¯s training to run out.

    ¡®Should I go too?¡¯

    Zich went out of his room to tour the ce, and while he was at it, he scouted the area and explored the city¡¯s structures. His two servants who left ahead of him moved so fast that Zich already couldn¡¯t see them anymore.

    Recalling his pre-regression memories, Zich strolled around the city. As expected of a famous tourist site, there were many sights to see. On one side of the street, a wandering poet sang, and on the other side, flowers bloomed spectacrly in a flower field. When he walked a bit farther, he saw a wide river running right through the city. There were bridges in different spots of the river, and the stones on these structures faded in color stylishly. On top of them, the various expressions on the pedestrians¡¯ faces were colorful as they enjoyed the beauty around them.

    ¡®Was this ce always like this?¡¯

    Zich hade to this city once to get Tornium, but at that time, he didn¡¯t even think about going around to sightsee. He had simply heard that a demon sword called Tornium existed in the city and focused all his attention on obtaining it.

    ¡®Didn¡¯t I make a ruckus at that time too?¡¯

    If he thought about how obsessed he was about gaining power during that period, it probably didn¡¯t end with a smallmotion.

    ¡®Now that I think about it, it¡¯s a bit regretful.¡¯

    Even Zich with his horrible temperament and personality had an eye for beauty. But his past self had no interest in a ce¡¯s beauty and was only vaguely aware that this ce was a tourist city.

    ¡®I couldn¡¯t afford to.¡¯

    And by the time he gained enough strength to afford this privilege, he was fighting the whole world.

    He crossed the bridge and arrived at amercial district. In addition to selling necessarymodities sold in all other cities, shops and carts were also selling tourist packages on sale. When they walked a little further, the smell of delicious food wafted in front of them. Various shops selling all kinds of food lined the street.

    ¡®Should I buy something to eat?¡¯ Zich took out some spare change from his money bag. While moving the coins around his bag and thinking about which food looked tastier, Zich stopped his feet. His attention shifted towards one area. It was an ordinary skewer shop. Unknown pieces of meat were being cooked on a ming fire, and the smoke and smelling from the meat grabbed people¡¯s attention.

    However, it was not the food that grabbed Zich¡¯s attention. It was the person who stood in front of the skewer shop. In this bright and vibrant city, under the clear blue sky without a cloud in sight, a person covered head to toe in a dark robe stood in front of a skewer shop; they looked extremely suspicious. Because of the robe, a long shadow covered the person¡¯s face, but it was obvious to anyone that the person was looking at the skewer shop. The owner of the skewer shop kept ncing at the robed person with concern.

    ¡®How can there be a coincidence like this?¡¯

    Zich smirked. He thought about taking out the sword inside his magic box, but he changed his mind. He slowly walked towards the robed person.

    Swish!

    The robed person quickly turned around and stared at Zich. After discovering Zich, the person flinched and took a step back.

    ¡°Hey, it¡¯s been a while.¡± Zich smiled brightly and waved his hand. If either Hans or Snoc saw this smile, they would have immediately be suspicious and tried to run away as far as possible. ¡°What are you doing here? Ah, since we are in a tourist city, I guess that should be self-exnatory.¡±

    Zich talked as if he was talking to an old friend, and he saw that the robed person was now puzzled. However, Zich was calm. He turned his head towards the skewered shop. The owner of the skewered shop, who had stared at the robed person with suspicion, went back to cooking their meat. The owner seemed to have assumed that the robed person was waiting for Zich to order.

    ¡°Do you want to eat it?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    There was no reply, but Zich walked towards the skewer shop. ¡°Please give us two.¡±

    ¡°Yes!¡± The shop owner handed Zich two well-cooked meat skewers. After Zich handed the owner some money, he turned towards the robed person.

    ¡°Here!¡± Zich put out one skewer towards the robed person.

    And he put the other one in his mouth. The juices of the meat burst out inside his mouth as he bit on it. The meat wasn¡¯t of high quality. Even though Violuwin was a massive tourist city, one couldn¡¯t expect much from a random store on the street. However, the owner was skilled as the meat was well cooked and there was hardly any smelling off it.

    ¡°This is better than I thought. But are you not going to eat it?¡±

    The robed person did not even nce once at the skewered meat and stared at Zich instead. It was obvious to anyone that the robed person waspletely confused.

    ¡°¡­What are you doing?¡±

    ¡°Huh? What?¡±

    The voice beneath the robe was a woman¡¯s. Contrary to her suspicious appearance, her voice was extremely lovely. ¡°You know who I am, right?¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡±

    ¡°Did you forget what happened between us?¡±

    ¡°That we loved each other passionately?¡±

    The robed woman closed her lips firmly. Anyone could see that she was annoyed.

    Zich raised his hands high up. ¡°Hey, hey! Calm down. I¡¯m just making a light-hearted joke.¡±

    ¡°¡­Just tell me what you want from me.¡±

    ¡°I already told you.¡± Zich pushed the skewered meat towards her again. ¡°Let¡¯s go on a date.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    She tilted her head. The robe fell down a bit and some of her silver hair glistened in the light. Under the shade, her red eyes came into view for a bit and disappeared. But a moment was enough.

    ¡®Damn, she¡¯s fucking beautiful.¡¯ Even though Zich had seen a lot of beauties in his life, she was the most beautiful person he had seen by far. She was the magician who killed Ms. Bargot at Ospurin and ran away right after.

    ¡°As I told youst time, I will take care of all the costs and find the location of where our date will take ce. I will definitely do a good job escorting you around. You just have to enjoy it.¡±

    ¡°You want me to believe that?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m really telling the truth. I just want to have a date with a beautiful woman. And if we think about it, there¡¯s no reason for us to fight. The Bargot monster you killed was also my enemy, and your infiltration into the Ospurin estate has nothing to do with me here.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s the real reason?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m curious about a lot of things about you.¡±

    ¡°¡­I don¡¯t have anything I want to tell you.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I expected you might say that. You don¡¯t have to tell me anything. I will find out what I want by looking at your actions or guiding your words to get the answer I want.¡±

    She looked at him as if he was being ridiculous, but Zich shamelessly held his chin up. ¡°I¡¯m good at things like that.¡±

    ¡°¡­And you think I will ept your request if you say things like that?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know. No matter how great I am, I can¡¯t perfectly read people¡¯s hearts, especially a stranger like you. However, there¡¯s just one thing I definitely know about you.¡± Zich pushed the skewered meat closer to her. ¡°I know that you really want to eat this skewered meat.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not joking. It really tastes good. It¡¯s well cooked and seasoned with salt. It also doesn¡¯t smell much.¡±

    Seeing her hesitation, Zich added another sentence. ¡°It¡¯s not going to be good if it gets cold.¡±

    Snatch!

    She snatched the skewered meat from his hands. But even then, she stood for a while, thinking, and then she carefully bit the end of the meat.

    ¡°¡­Wow.¡± After letting out a sound of amazement, she quickly gulped down the food. As expected, she really wanted to eat the skewered meat.

    When she was on herst meat piece, Zich asked her, ¡°Can I ept this as a yes to the date?¡±

    The robed woman, who was quickly finishing the skewered meat, suddenly stopped. However, she nodded her head and then focused on eating. Zich waited for her to finish, and it did not take her long to finish.

    ¡°Then tell me your name. Shouldn¡¯t I at least know your name if we are going on a date? Even though you already know, I just want to tell you again that my name is Zich.¡±

    ¡°¡­L. It¡¯s L.¡±

 Chapter 109

    <h4>Chapter 109</h4>

    ¡°L¡­¡±

    Zich tilted his head. He looked at the white flowers blooming on the roadside and stared at L again. She avoided his gaze.

    ¡°Isn¡¯t that such an obvious alias? Those flowers¡¯ names are L.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s the problem of having the same name as a flower?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s true,¡± Zich admitted coolly; he didn¡¯t expect her to easily give him information.

    ¡°Fine, miss. Is there somewhere you want to go?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡± L remained silent, but the way she kept looking at her surroundings made it seem like she had somewhere in mind.

    ¡°¡­I want to eat something first.¡±

    ¡°Are you hungry? Oh yeah, I saw you stare at that skewered meat for a long time. Do you not have any money?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s none of your business.¡±

    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s also true. I already said that I would pay for everything. Let¡¯s eat something first.¡± Zich saw people standing in a long line in front of stalls next to the skewered meat shop. Above street signs, different types of food tempted pedestrians to try them. ¡°What do you want to eat?¡±

    L stole furtive nces at Zich and hesitantly stepped forward. It was obvious that she wanted to eat. She went to a stall a bit far off the skewered meat shop and walked to a ce where they sold juice made out of various fruits.

    ¡°Choose one,¡± Zich said while staring at a wooden sign written in crooked letters. She mused through the menu and pointed at one item.

    ¡°¡­This one.¡±

    ¡°Vocamel? That¡¯s good. It¡¯s sweet and sour. Order two, including mine.¡± Zich began to take out money from his wallet. L looked at the menu sign for a moment and approached it.

    ¡°Wee!¡± The stall owner was a friendly, middle-aged woman.

    ¡°Could¡­¡± She raised her fingers while looking at the menu and spoke in a nervous voice. ¡°P-Please give us two vocamel¡­¡±

    ¡°Here is the money.¡± Zich intervened and handed his coins over to the stall owner who happily received the exchange.

    ¡°Please wait a moment.¡± The shop owner diluted the extracted juice pulp with water with just the right concentration and offered them their drinks.

    ¡°You should drink it.¡± Zich gulped down the juice. The sour and sweet smell of the drink was extremely pleasant, and it seemed as if the vocamel was ripe. After seeing Zich drink, L brought the cup to her mouth.

    ¡°¡­Oh?¡± She expressed pleasure mixed with surprise and gulped down the drink. It didn¡¯t take long for her to empty her cup.

    ¡°What? Is this your first time drinking vocamel juice?¡±

    L nodded hesitantly.

    ¡°Vocamel is good, but there are plenty of other tasty foods. Let¡¯s visit all the food stalls.¡±

    Zich returned their cups to the stall owner and guided L to their next destination.

    * * *

    The two finished their meals. They only ate a little bit of each type of food from the stalls to taste as many as they could, but the small portions soon piled up, and their stomachs became full.

    ¡°Do you want to eat more?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± As if she was quite satisfied, L¡¯s voice sounded more rxed than before.

    ¡°Good. Then, should we move to a different location?¡±

    ¡°¡­Where are we going?¡± L was on her guard again. She warily crouched her body like a small animal, and Zich couldn¡¯t help but smirk.

    ¡°We are going to buy you some clothes.¡±

    ¡°¡­What?¡±

    ¡°Your clothes. Are you really going to keep wearing that while we are on a date?¡±

    The robe that covered her from head to toe wasn¡¯t even the problem; the clothes that peeked below her robe were the same things she wore when she first met Zich. They didn¡¯t look very dirty or old, but some parts were ripped.

    ¡°I don¡¯t care about clothes.¡±

    ¡°I care, so just follow me.¡± Zich led her to amercial district where all the clothes shops were. As expected of a city that made great profits as a tourist city, there were many clothing shops in Violuwin, and Zich took L to one of them. A young shopkeeper greeted them, and Zich went into the shop¡¯s center and looked behind to see L. She glimpsed at the different types of clothes.

    ¡°Is there something you want?¡±

    She shook her head.

    ¡°Come on, choose something. Oh, and also¡­¡± Zich pointed at the robe she was wearing. ¡°You should also take off that gloomy robe. Who wears something like that on a date?¡±

    ¡°This is¡­¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I know that you are ridiculously beautiful, but are you going to keep walking around like that?¡±

    Next to them, the clerk smiled, thinking that they were simply a lovey-dovey couple. But as soon as L took off her robe, the shopkeeper¡¯s eyes widened in shock, and even Zich couldn¡¯t help but admire her beauty again. Her robe had covered about half of her face, and now that she took it off and her face was in full disy, the surroundings seemed to brighten up.

    ¡®This will probably be a fun date.¡¯

    ¡°You should pick one and give that to me.¡± Zich took L¡¯s robe. And although L flinched slightly, she didn¡¯t stop him, nor did she move to pick her clothes.

    ¡°What? Are you not going to buy anything?¡±

    The shopkeeper regained her senses and suggested to Zich, ¡°Shouldn¡¯t the boyfriend choose something in this case?¡±

    Zich admired the clerk¡¯s professionalism and nodded. ¡°That sounds good too.¡±

    He went to an area where many clothes were hanging. It seemed as if the shop was devoted to having high-quality products. Then, Zich turned back to L again.

    As if she was nervous or wary, her face was stiff, so Zich said jokingly, ¡°Since you refuse to choose your own clothes, you have to try on all the clothes I give you.¡±

    This statement startled her.

    * * *

    ¡°Hey. Don¡¯t be angry.¡± Zich waved a fork in front of her. They were in a restaurant. The restaurant was extremely high-end, so only tourists who were of high status or possessed a lot of wealth could afford the prices here. However, Zich had more than enough money to eat in this type of restaurant more than once.

    L turned her head. Her clothes werepletely different now. She wore a simple and refreshing dress, and arge wide-brimmed hat was ced next to her. She also wore simple but elegant high heels. It was the typical tourist outfit on a tourist site. But the difference between her present outfit and the dark robe she wore before was striking.

    ¡°If you''d chosen your own clothes when I told you to, this wouldn¡¯t have happened.¡±

    ¡°¡­Is that your reason for ying around with me like a doll?¡±

    ¡°No, since you are pretty, you look good in anything. That¡¯s why I got more excited than usual,¡± Zichughed shamelessly. L wriggled her hands on the table. She looked as if she wanted to grab the knife and pierce Zich at any moment.

    ¡°And it wasn¡¯t only me. The shopkeeper also participated, and you didn¡¯t say much.¡±

    When Zich suggested various outfits for L to wear, the shopkeeper stood still from a distance. But after L changed into about five outfits, the shopkeeper slowly stepped in and outrightly began picking out clothes with Zich.

    ¡°I should have also kicked her before I went out.¡±

    ¡°Calm down. In exchange, I also acted like a doll for a while.¡±

    In order to ease L who looked extremely annoyed after changing into ten different outfits, Zich switched positions with her. From that time on, L pushed all sorts of clothes for him to wear.

    ¡°But really, that shopkeeper was amazing. She didn¡¯t rest at all and kept handing us more clothes.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, that shop will definitely do well.¡± L was sure that the shopkeeper¡¯s business smile slowly changed into a sincere one as they bought more clothes.

    ¡°But I was able to buy a lot of nice clothes, so it wasn¡¯t a bad experience.¡± Zich was no longer wearing his slightly dark traveling clothes but a simple and fashionable outfit. It was one of the clothes L picked out. Other than this outfit, they bought several more clothes. This was probably the reason why the shopkeeper had such a bright smile when they were leaving the shop.

    They did not have to wait long for the food toe out. Zich and L held their utensils. Surprisingly, they fit very well into the luxurious atmosphere of the restaurant since their looks and outfits were both splendid. Although their outfits were very simple, most of the people here wore clothes simr to theirs since this was a tourist spot. But most of all, they blended in with their surroundings as their table manners were perfect. Zich poured a ss of wine for L.

    ¡°So, what¡¯s your identity?¡±

    ¡°Surprisingly, you took your time to ask me.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s because I knew you wouldn¡¯t have told me in the beginning. We were wary of each other.¡±

    ¡°But I¡¯m still wary of you.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, but it¡¯s definitely better than before.¡±

    L took a sip of her wine. Previously, she would have never even touched the wine ss Zich poured her.

    ¡°You drank it? Just so you know, I poisoned it.¡±

    ¡°Oh my. You have a great sense of taste. Poison usually deepens the vor of a nice ss of wine.¡±

    And this time, she almost gulped down half of the wine in her ss at once. ¡°I¡¯m just making sure, but you didn¡¯t use some kind of cheap poison, right?¡±

    ¡°No way. Why would I do such a ridiculous thing when I¡¯m on a date with a beauty like you? It¡¯s expensive enough to meet your standards.¡± Zichughed and began slicing his meat. ¡°But you really don¡¯t want to answer my question?¡±

    ¡°Nope.¡±

    ¡°Well, I thought so as well.¡± Zich stuffed a big slice of meat into his mouth. The meat was well cooked and the sauce was delicious.

    ¡°Why are you looking at me like that?¡± While he was chewing the meat in his mouth, he saw that L was staring at him.

    ¡°Are you really Zich?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t recall changing my name.¡±

    ¡°You changed yourst name, right?¡±

    ¡°To what? Moore?¡±

    ¡°¡­It could also be something else.¡±

    They both stopped moving their utensils. Zich and L met each other¡¯s eyes. They looked as if they were both trying to figure out what the other person was thinking and what sort of past they were hiding.

    ¡°I don¡¯t really want to give an answer to a woman full of secrets.¡±

    ¡°So petty.¡±

    ¡°Miss, should I hand you a mirror?¡±

    ¡°A man full of secrets is not charming.¡±

    ¡°But I¡¯m an exception. No matter what faults I have, I¡¯m overflowing with charm.¡±

    ¡°A man full of absurd thoughts is also not charming.¡±

    ¡°Really, I¡¯m such an amazing man for being able to ovee all those faults.¡±

    Their eyes met again. It felt as if sparks were being fired on both sides of the table. L let out a sigh and then began eating again.

    ¡°¡­Brave.¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    ¡°Yourst name. If you want to change yourst name, I think Brave is better than Moore.¡±

    ¡°Zich Brave?¡±

    She gave him ast name out of the blue. Zich curiously stared at L, but L kept chewing her meat without saying anything.

    ¡°By any chance, is that yourst name? Are you proposing to me? Do you want us to share the samest name so that you can be with me forever? Ah, but just so you know, I¡¯m not such an easy man.¡±

    Zich replied humorously, but L did not reply and continued to eat her meal in silence.

 Chapter 110

    <h4>Chapter 110</h4>

    The sun was setting by the time they left the restaurant. There were streetmps on the roadside to light up the sidewalks, but their brightness was nothingpared to the sunlight.

    ¡°Should we finish our date with a drink?¡±

    L¡¯s eyes narrowed at Zich¡¯s suggestion. ¡°What are you nning to do after making me drunk? Also, we already had a cup of wine.¡±

    ¡°How is that a drink? That¡¯s juice¡ªjust a condiment to eat more delicious food. Or are you weak against alcohol?¡±

    ¡°¡­I¡¯ve never tested my limits.¡±

    ¡°Then, you should find out your limits this time.¡±

    ¡°How is that different from leaving my treasure in a thief¡¯s cave?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s a good analogy. Then, it¡¯s fine if we don¡¯t drink. Why don¡¯t we just talk?¡±

    L looked as if she was thinking about what to do. True to his words, Zich had used his money from start to finish. Furthermore, although Zich kept making jokes, he never stepped out of line.

    ¡°We can have snacks with the drinks.¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± L quickly stepped forward, and Zichughed while clutching his stomach.

    L chose their next destination. Even though the moon was up in the sky, there were still many shops with their lights on. The shops were open for people who couldn¡¯t get enough of the city¡¯s free atmosphere and wanted to stay outside tillte in the night.

    ¡°There.¡± The ce L pointed at was a normal pub. When they went inside, the pub was bustling with people. And while they looked for empty seats, they realized that the atmosphere in the pub was strange; everyone was looking at a specific spot.

    ¡°Ah? Why don¡¯t you try me!¡±

    ¡®It¡¯s a fight.¡¯ Zich¡¯s eyes shone. ¡®The timing is perfect.¡¯

    Somebody had said the best entertainment in the world was fighting, and Zich agreed with that person. Although Zich had watched countless fights before his regression, he never got tired of watching them; and what he enjoyed more than watching a fight was meddling into a fight. Zich heard a sigh next to him. As if she knew what he was thinking, L looked at him with disdain.

    Zich made a fake cough and muttered loudly enough for her to hear, ¡°I wonder whose fault it is. I should really be kind and intervene¡­¡±

    ¡°As if.¡± L mocked him, but Zich ignored her and walked towards where the crowd was.

    ¡®I should listen to the situation first and strike¡­no, persuade the side at fault.¡¯

    ¡°We don¡¯t have anything to say to you guys!¡±

    ¡®Hmm?¡¯ It was a different voicepared to the rough one he just heard. It probably belonged to the other person involved in the fight. But the voice sounded familiar. Zich widened his senses; while he was with L, he had narrowed his senses to focus on her and couldn¡¯t cover a wide area.

    ¡®Those two are here?¡¯

    L followed him from behind and asked, ¡°What is it?¡±

    ¡°I know those guys.¡±

    ¡°Are they like you?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t look at me like you¡¯re thinking, ¡®Birds of a feather flock together.¡¯ Those guys are on a different level from the great me. Besides, they don¡¯t have the guts to pick a fight first.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t you think it¡¯s a problem to phrase that as having guts?¡±

    Zich snorted, and after he pushed a group of people out of his way, he saw the scene of the fight. Two groups were facing each other. One was a group of four, rough-looking men who might as well had ¡®I am a thug or a gangster¡¯ written on their faces, while the other group was made up of two familiar-looking young men.

    ¡°What are you doing here?¡±

    The crowd¡¯s eyes shot towards Zich at once.

    ¡°Sir Zich!¡±

    One member of the young men group, Hans, greeted him. Snoc, who was right beside Hans, also greeted Zich happily. But as soon as L stood next to him, everyone¡¯s eyes moved towards her. Neither Zich nor L was surprised by this¡ªever since she took off her robe and wore what Zich had bought, she was used to these gazes.

    ¡°You really are popr. As your date, it makes me proud.¡±

    Punch!

    L hit Zich¡¯s stomach with her elbow. Zich clutched his chest and groaned, but his protruding tongue showed viewers that he wasn¡¯t hurt at all. On the other hand, L didn¡¯t hit him another time for that.

    ¡°Just quickly resolve the situation.¡± She pushed him, and Zich stepped forward.

    ¡°Sir Zich! She definitely is¡­!¡± Surprised, Hans recognized L¡¯s face.

    ¡°I met her by coincidence and tried to hit on her. You know, since she is so pretty.¡±

    ¡°Stop spitting out nonsense and quickly resolve the situation.¡±

    ¡°Even her personality is my type.¡±

    She red at him, and Zich waved his hand while chuckling. Then, he began to move closer to the fight scene. L watched him as she crossed her arms. While she clearly ignored all the eyes staring at her, her expression became serious; it was different from before, as if she had something to confirm.

    Zich asked, ¡°What happened?¡±

    Hans kept ncing at L, but he didn¡¯t ask any more questions. He thought Zich must have had a reason to hang out with her.

    Not wanting to make the situation bigger, Hans replied, ¡°Some people just picked a fight with us at the bar.¡±

    But Hans¡¯ opponents had a different n in mind.

    One of the men who looked like the leader asked Zich, ¡°Who are you?¡±

    The man looked like he was drunk but his mind was still intact. The alcohol had fully brought out his rough and vtile personality.

    ¡°I¡¯m the master of these two guys.¡±

    The man widened his eyes. But rather than being surprised for real, he moved his eyes in an exaggerated way and mocked Zich. ¡°What! Our two great heroes here have a master? Hahahahahaha!¡±

    The manughed. The three other men next to him alsoughed. The way they looked down on their opponents and mocked people was annoying. However, Zich made a bright smile. Hans and Snoc, who knew what that smile signified, flinched and quickly took a step back.

    But the four men thought it was because Hans and Snoc had be afraid of them. ¡°Hey, look! Just look at those two! Our two great heroes here are shivering in fear just because weughed a bit!¡±

    ¡°Wait, does that make us Demon Lords who make the world tremble and shake in fear?¡±

    ¡°Would a Demon Lord be enough? Shouldn¡¯t we be like a Demon God or something?¡±

    ¡°Since we made these noble heroes tremble in fear, we must at least be up to that level!¡±

    When the leader of the men excitedly talked on, all the other men also raised their voices. Their mockery was so childish and frivolous, Zich wondered how they could possibly find their words funny. But now he was able to make a clear assessment of the situation.

    ¡°While you guys were drinking, did you say that you were ¡®going to be a hero¡¯ or something like that?¡±

    ¡°Yes, sir.¡± Hans and Snoc nodded their heads. Even though they seemed a bit embarrassed by this, their reply to Zich was calm. Zich was not the type to mock their dreams. The men¡¯sughter became even louder.

    However, Zich ignored them. ¡°That was it?¡±

    ¡°Yes. But those people just suddenly intervened in our conversation, saying that our dreams were childish and said, ¡®Huh, you think you guys are such great people.¡¯¡± Snoc was very angry as he ryed the story to Zich.

    ¡°And how did you respond?¡±

    ¡°We ignored them at first, but since we didn¡¯t respond, they came all the way to our table to bother us. And that¡¯s how our voices got louder.¡±

    ¡°No, we just wanted to see the skills of those two great heroes, but they just ignored us. Even if they are great heroes, how can they be so rude to us like that?¡±

    Great hero¡ªthey kept adding ¡®great¡¯ to the word ¡®hero¡¯ and continued to mock Hans and Snoc. Zich had already finished assessing the situation; gangsters with bad personalities had just wanted to make fun of Hans and Snoc¡¯s dreams for no damn reason.

    With a strict face, Zich told Hans and Snoc, ¡°You guys were the ones who responded improperly.¡±

    The menughed out loud. ¡°Wow, our great heroes are getting scolded by their master! I think this is the first time I¡¯m witnessing such a wondrous sight!¡±

    Zich turned his whole body around. ¡°Watch me. I will show you guys how you two should have responded.¡±

    He walked step by step towards the four men. Zich was able to reach them with a few steps.

    ¡°What, have youe to apologize to us? Well, that¡¯s great. To think about it, the woman you brought is he pretty.¡± The leader among the group of men scanned L from head to toe with lustful eyes. L scrunched up her eyes in disgust.

    But despite doing that, she still looked charmingly beautiful, and the group of men instinctively gulped their saliva. ¡°If you hand over that woman, we will forgive¡ª¡±

    ¡°Hey!¡± Zich made a bright smile and cut off the men¡¯s words.

    ¡°Are your parents doing well?¡±

    ¡°¡­What?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m asking if your parents are doing well.¡± Zich erased the smile off his face and stared at the group of men from head to toe as they did to L. It was obvious to anyone that his eyes held bad intentions.

    ¡°I¡¯m asking how your pitiful parents are faring. Their bodies and hearts must have rotten from the ordeal of taking care of shitty bastards like you guys.¡±

    The four men¡¯s faces became immediately red. ¡°What, you¡ª!¡±

    Even though the four men began to hurl swears and insults at him, Zich was unfazed.

    And Zich continued, ¡°Or is the biggest reason why your personalities are so shitty is because of your parents? In other words, are your parents also trash like you, and all of you guys are actually clones of each other?¡±

    Zich did not raise his voice even a little bit. If one didn¡¯t hear the content of his words, he sounded kind and caring. However, it was clear that no one was touched by Zich¡¯s kind tone.

    ¡°Or are they actually dead? Ah, yes, that is a very high possibility. If your parents were alive, they would have never been able to raise such trash. If I were your parent, I would have¡­ Huh? Are your parents actually dead because they felt so guilty that you guys grew up to be trash? How could you do that to your parents! What kind of sons are you!¡±

    Zich was now angry at what bad sons they were. It was even more ridiculous because his anger was not from being unable to control his emotions but as if he was scolding little children.

    ¡°You bastard!¡± Finally, the leader was unable to control his temper and swung his arm. However, a local gangster from a random street would never be able to injure Zich.

    Thud!

    Zich easily blocked the man¡¯s fist with his palm.

    Punch!

    And then, Zich returned his punch and sharply hit the man¡¯s chin.

    ¡°Ugh!¡±

    The man¡¯s neck spun around. He spurted blood out from his mouth and fell down. The other men all jumped on Zich. The gangsters utilized their numbers by jumping on Zich all at once. But to Zich, it felt like turtles were moving towards him.

    Punch! Punch!

    Zich didn¡¯t need to use any advanced techniques. He didn¡¯t use mana and moved faster than the three remaining men and gave two of the men a punch in the abdomen.

    ¡°Ugh!¡±

    ¡°Oop!¡±

    They couldn¡¯t breathe and their bodies automatically bent down. Alcohol and food spilled out of their mouths.

    ¡°Eeck!¡±

    Thest remaining man did not move towards Zich. Seeing all hisrades fall down at once, he changed his trajectory. He passed hisrades and ran towards L. It seemed as if he nned to use L as a hostage. The crowd around them screamed out ¡®Ah! Ah!¡¯ as they saw the man rushing towards L. To the audience, L looked as if she was in danger. But Zich dusted his hands as if the fight was over.

    ¡®Stupid punk.¡¯

    That was Zich¡¯s assessment of the man¡¯s attempt to make L his hostage.

    Psssh!

    ¡°Aghhhh!¡±

    There was a piercing noise and a painful scream. Zich slowly turned around. Seeing the man in front of L sting out smoke from all over his body, Zich clicked his tongue.

 Chapter 111

    <h4>Chapter 111</h4>

    ¡°How did you cook him? Rare? Medium? Well-done?¡±

    L stared at Zich as he kicked the gangster on the ground with the edge of his foot.

    ¡°What is it? Did you suddenly fall in love with me? Is your ideal type a violent man?¡±

    L ignored his questions and pointed at the men on the ground. ¡°Are you not going to kill them?¡±

    The four men writhed in pain, and the whole crowd froze. Hearing L¡¯s words, the men began to tremble like crazy. After seeing Zich and L¡¯s skills and hearing the conversation that went back and forth between the two, the men realized that they had provoked the wrong people. Zich and L were not like them who only acted tough and strong in their neighborhoods; they were truly ¡®the strong.¡¯

    ¡°How could you say such a cruel thing? They didn¡¯tmit that big of a crime, and most of all, they didn¡¯t even insult me. I am actually trying to live a kind life here, so I wouldn¡¯t kill them for such a small reason.¡±

    In short, Zich was saying that he would let them go since they didn¡¯t insult him. L was stunned, but Hans and Snoc shrugged their shoulders like they were used to it.

    ¡°¡­Shouldn¡¯t you refrain from using violence recklessly if you want to live a kind life?¡±

    Zich tilted his head. ¡°How did I act recklessly? Beating up some guys who picked a fight with you is not reckless.¡±

    ¡°¡­I think I roughly understand how your mind works.¡± L pressed her fingers onto her aching temples.

    Zich approached Hans and Snoc. ¡°You saw everything, right? If someone picks a fight with you, this is how you should act. Why were you enduring everything like an idiot?¡±

    Hans replied, ¡°Sir, I didn¡¯t think an aspiring hero should use their powers rashly¡­¡±

    ¡°But it¡¯s obvious that these guys are the type to make trouble everywhere. Since you guys didn¡¯t pick a fight first, you should¡¯ve beaten them an inch before their deaths. It doesn¡¯t make sense for an aspiring hero to let their opponents go just because they are small-fry viins, right?¡±

    Hans and Snoc awkwardly scratched their heads.

    ¡°To be a hero, just don¡¯t provoke a fight first. Before you use violence, think one more time if it is just and reasonable. And if you are not in the wrong, strike. Like I said before, a hero is not a saint. And don¡¯t forget to adjust your power ording to your opponents¡¯ level too.¡±

    Both Hans and Snoc nodded.

    ¡°Good. Then, should I continue my date¡­?¡± But he saw L¡¯s gaze and trailed off. ¡°What is it this time? Do you not like my personality but like my face? Do you want to admire it when I¡¯m not talking?¡±

    ¡°¡­No, it¡¯s nothing.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re thinking about something by yourself again. It¡¯s making me curious.¡±

    L didn¡¯t even respond to Zich¡¯sining.

    ¡°I¡¯m going to leave now.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re leaving? I thought we were going to have a drink.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t want to drink in this atmosphere.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s understandable.¡± Zich agreed with L, as he saw the men who were still rolling on the ground with fearful eyes. ¡°I¡¯ll walk you there.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s fine. I don¡¯t want to let you know where I¡¯m staying too.¡± L t-out refused.

    It didn¡¯t seem as if she would change her mind no matter how much he persuaded her, so he said, ¡°Then we should also y tomorrow too. I¡¯m nning to stay in this city for a while.¡±

    L blinked her eyes a few times while staring at Zich. She thought for a moment and nodded. ¡°Tomorrow morning¨Cat the ce where we met today.¡±

    ¡°Sounds good. Don¡¯t break your promise.¡±

    She went outside the pub. After the door closed and her glistening hair disappeared out of sight, Zich¡¯s doting eyespletely changed. He now looked like a predator looking for any weaknesses in his prey. It was sharp enough for Hans and Snoc to stop their steps even though they wanted to ask him what they were going to do now.

    * * *

    Zich stepped inside the terrace attached to his room. As if it was disying how luxurious this building was, the terrace was only made up of carved white rocks with great artistic taste. The night view from this ce was also stunning. Torches lit up different parts of the city and made up apletely different scene than it had during the daytime. The light source wavered ording to the fires and added vitality to the city, and the dark spots of the city where light didn¡¯t reach piqued the viewers¡¯ curiosities. However, the night view didn¡¯t interest Zich; he held a drink in his hands. All his attention and thoughts were on L.

    ¡®I wonder what her identity is.¡¯

    He recalled the behaviors that she disyed earlier today; she refused to answer questions about herself, but he also hadn¡¯t expected to learn much about her in just one day.

    ¡®First of all, she doesn¡¯t have money.¡¯

    It didn¡¯t make sense that a magician, especially a high-level magician like L, would have no money. Considering her abilities, she should be able to go wherever she wanted and ask for special treatment. Any ce would wee her with open arms. Even if she wandered around like an outcast, with her skills, she should be able to earn enough money to eat whatever she wanted.

    ¡®At the very least, she wouldn¡¯t be salivating over skewered meat.¡¯

    She could be someone who didn¡¯t know the ways of this world; like a richdy or an elite who never had to do anything but learn magic. This was the main reason why Zich had asked L to order food from the menu while he took out his money.

    ¡®It was awkward.¡¯

    The first time she ordered food, Zich felt like he had caught one of her secrets. But the next time he tested her, her awkwardness had already disappeared. It was the same in the restaurant. When he passed the menu to her, he closely watched how she acted.

    ¡®She was awkward during that time too. But the problem is that it also didn¡¯t look awkward.¡¯

    There was a certain clumsiness to her when she first ordered, but surprisingly, after the first time, she perfectly ordered her food and the wine from start to finish.

    ¡®Even when we were walking around the street, she didn¡¯t seem to be confused about the menus. She at least knew what type of food they were selling.¡¯

    Even though her knowledge of food ranged from street food to high-quality restaurant food, she was awkward when ordering food. Moreover, she was only awkward once at the very beginning.

    ¡®Even if there¡¯s a gap between her experience and body like me, it doesn¡¯t make sense that she would be awkward when ordering from a menu.¡¯

    Ordering from a menu was not such a difficult thing that there would be a gap between her experience and body.

    ¡®And even when she was eating her food.¡¯

    Even though she recognized all the food, she reacted as if she was trying all the different types of food for the very first time.

    ¡®Even though she has knowledge, she doesn¡¯t have experience. I¡¯m at least sure of this.¡¯

    Zich initially thought that there was a gap between her experience and physical body¡ªbut now, he thought there was also a gap between her experience, physical body, and knowledge.

    ¡®I¡¯m pretty sure she is from the future.¡¯

    From the first time she called him Moore, he had his suspicions. But now he was fully confident that she was from the future after going to the clothes shop. Like a real lover, Zich suggested and yfully handed a bunch of clothes to L, but this was all ording to his n.

    ¡®It¡¯s fortunate that L knew about fashion trends.¡¯

    All the clothes Zich gave to L were clothes that were going to be fashionable in the future. The shopkeeper probably thought that Zich was just ying around since he handed her clothes that didn¡¯t match each other during this time. But L perfectly wore the clothes that Zich gave her. She even paid attention to small details like taking out the hem on only one side or tilting a hat in a certain way that would be fashionable in the future.

    ¡®I guess I should thank my subordinate.¡¯

    There was no way Zich would be keen on fashion trends. The only reason why Zich was knowledgeable about fashion trends was because one of his subordinates had been very sensitive to them. Regarding fashion, that subordinate had been very particr about Zich¡¯s sense of style and even yelled at him a few times about it.

    ¡®L is probably trying to find out if I¡¯m Zich Moore or not.¡¯

    When Zich told Hans and Snoc that they should think once more before inflicting violence, there was clear shock on her face.

    ¡®If I had my way, I would just capture her and forcefully get information from her.¡¯

    However, Zich decided to push that method far to the bottom of the list of possible methods.

    ¡®Since she has a teleportation artifact, there¡¯s a very low chance that I will be sessful.¡¯

    Moreover, if he did that, he wouldpletely destroy the friendly rtionship he had built with L so far and erase the possibility of ever getting information from her peacefully.

    ¡®Also, it seems like she doesn¡¯t need to rely on the artifact.¡¯

    After getting out of the pub, Zich extended his senses to chase after her. However, at one point, her presence suddenly disappeared.

    ¡®She probably used teleportation magic there.¡¯

    It was not a dangerous situation, so she probably didn¡¯t even use a teleportation artifact. It made more sense that she just used teleportation magic. But regardless of all that, L was also very strong herself.

    ¡®Well, I¡¯m going to meet her again, so I should find out more information about her tomorrow.¡¯

    Zich moved away from the terrace pir he was leaning on. He left the lights of a beautiful city and walked back into his room. However, he stopped as a sudden thought entered his mind.

    ¡®To think about it, she mentioned the name, Brave.¡¯

    This was probably something Zich had no information about.

    ¡®She¡¯s really like a treasure box. If I manage to get close with her, she will probably let out a lot of really useful information.¡¯

    Of course, since she was a great beauty, he really looked forward to the date as well. Zich had strong anticipation for the next day and went back inside the room. Then the lights in his room turned off.

    * * *

    The next day, Zich took L around the city and continued their date. They saw famous architecture, ate delicious food, and rode on rides like boats. They looked like a super lovey-dovey couple to everyone who was watching them. However, they were fastidiously inspecting each other the whole time. They carefully watched each other¡¯s movements and tried to bring out each other¡¯s reactions by slipping certain words.

    However, surprisingly, they had a fun time. Both of them actually enjoyed spending time with each other.

    ¡°Where are we going tomorrow?¡± Now, L was the first one to ask this question.

    But regretfully, tomorrow would be the end of Zich¡¯s five-day vacation that he gave to Snoc and Hans. ¡°I have something to do so we can¡¯t meet tomorrow.¡±

    ¡°Ah¡­¡± L felt regretful. However, she seemed surprised by her own reaction and quickly fixed her expression. ¡°F-fine. In the first ce, we¡¯re just cautiously watching each other. We can¡¯t continue to hang out like this.¡±

    However, her shoulders were clearly slouched down.

    ¡°Hey, don¡¯t go so far ahead by yourself. I really do have something to do tomorrow, and I¡¯m not saying we should never meet each other again. If I just finish this matter, I have time left. So why don¡¯t we meet again in the same ce after ten days?¡±

    Herplexion immediately brightened up. ¡°Okay. I need more time to observe you anyways. It won¡¯t be good to separate at this time.¡±

    Zich wasn¡¯t sure if she actually thought this or was making excuses for herself. But in the end, this was her reply. After L¡¯s mood got better, the date progressed with a significantly good atmosphere. When the date ended, Zich even waved his hands at L and watched her disappear across the street.

    ¡®Hmm. I got way closer to her than I nned.¡¯

    She no longer acted like a cat with all her hair up in front of him anymore. Even though her cautiousness towards him was still not gone, she was definitely enjoying her date with Zich. Considering her initial attitude towards Zich in the beginning, it was a really surprising development.

    ¡®But it doesn¡¯t seem like she has any romantic feelings for me.¡¯

    If he was being frank, she seemed like a kidpletely absorbed in ying with the first friend she ever made. It was to such an extent that Zich thought his conscience hurt a little bit.

    ¡®Well, I don¡¯t have a conscience.¡¯ Zich smirked and turned around. ¡®I should think about Lter and start getting that.¡¯

    Demon Sword Tornium. It was time to get his sword.

 Chapter 112

    <h4>Chapter 112</h4>

    The five days of rest that Zich gave them felt like a dream to Hans and Snoc. Although some people had picked a fight with them on the first day, Zich had helped them and nothing else happened after the incident. They still had plenty of time and money, and the ce they were in was a world-ss tourist site. And like that, Hans and Snoc spent the next couple of days enjoying themselves.

    Thus, even when Zich ordered them to follow him to an ancient ruin under the city, they did so happily. One could say the ancient ruin was the number one contributor for creating Violuwin. People had originally flocked to the city to look at the ancient ruin, which was found by ident. Then, services and businesses gathered at the location to make money out of these visitors, and these businesses encouraged more people toe to the city. It thereby created a chain of events that created the renowned tourist city, Violuwin.

    ¡°You guys also toured this ce, right?¡±

    Hans and Snoc nodded. The ruin was fantastical enough for them to spend two out of their five free days in it. The three of them mixed in with the group of ordinary tourists and went inside. And as soon as they passed through the entrance, they saw a passage made from stone blocks.

    ¡°When and who do you think made this? And for what reason?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know. We looked at it for two days, but don¡¯t you think it looks somehow different each time?¡± Snoc and Hans murmured from the back, and Zich scanned the passage; before his regression, the only site Zich had explored in Violuwin was this ce.

    ¡®Let me see. I¡¯m sure the path¡­¡¯

    Zich tried to swim through his dark cloud of memories, but his memory was foggy.

    ¡®I mean, even when I had information about this ce, I didn¡¯t use it.¡¯

    Zich was informed about the existence of Tornium and the directions to its location. However, at that time, he had simply broken or torn down everything in his way to find it.

    ¡®I should go where I can think of for now.¡¯

    The passage was dark, and the only light sources avable were the torches attached to the walls. But the tourists seemed to enjoy this darkness and wandered around the passage. However, Zich knew that he couldn¡¯t walk through the entire ruin. The ruin was structured like a maze, and if he made one wrong turn, he could possibly never see the light of day. People disappeared inside this ruin every year.

    Zich continued to walk while trying to recall his memories. A rope with a wooden sign hanging on it soon blocked their path.

    [Please Do Not Enter]

    Zich immediately ignored the sign and lifted the rope to go under it. Hans and Snoc no longer questioned Zich¡¯s behavior and followed him. The passage that continued beyond the line waspletely dark. There were some holders to ce torches in, but it seemed like the holders hadn¡¯t been cleaned for a long time as they were all rusty and full of dirt.

    After pouring mana into their eyes, Zich and hispanions entered the dark passage. The passage¡¯s structure wasn¡¯t different from the outside and simply had a lot more dust. After walking in the front for a bit, Zich admitted calmly, ¡®I¡¯m lost.¡¯

    Zich wondered if he should just break everything like he did before the regression. After all, he remembered the directions only faintly.

    ¡®Nah. I can find it slowly.¡¯ Zich decided to rx a little. Although he didn¡¯t know the directions to the hidden passage, he remembered what it looked like. He was sure that he would be able to recognize it from sight. It wasn¡¯t easy to find a specific ce in a ruin that was built like a maze; however, one of Zich¡¯spanions had a natural affinity to the earth.

    ¡°You remember the path we walked, right, Snoc?¡±

    ¡°Yes! I can draw a map immediately. Right, Nowem?¡±

    Koo! Nowem raised his feet like hands and squeaked confidently. Thanks to Snoc and Nowem, Zich didn¡¯t have to worry about getting lost.

    ¡®Heh, it was a great idea to bring them.¡¯

    It was veryfortable to have a servant with an automatic map function. Zich wanted topliment himself for persuading Sam to bring Snoc with him.

    ¡®Still, I probably won¡¯t be able to find my destination within just a day or two.¡¯

    If the scale and structure of the ancient ruin were that simple, Violuwin would have already figured out theyout by now.

    ¡®I should look for it slowly, and when it¡¯s time to meet with L, I should go out.¡¯

    Then, after he finished his date with L, he could look for the sword again.

    Sssk!

    ¡°Huh?¡± Zich stopped his footsteps after hearing a strange sound. It seemed as if Hans and Snoc heard it too.

    ng!

    Hans took out his sword and put his guard up. Snoc ced Nowem on his shoulder and freed both of his hands. It was an instant reaction as a result of Zich¡¯s training and everything they had experienced so far. Zich was pleased to see both of his servants¡¯ great progress and searched for the area where he heard the noise.

    Sssssk!

    They didn¡¯t have to put much effort to locate the source of the sound, since the sound rang out again. A wall was pushed back as if it was a reverse door.

    ¡°¡­Did someone touch something?¡±

    Hans and Snoc shook their heads. Zich nced at the space that had appeared between the walls. A dark passage continued beyond it.

    ¡®This is not a ce that I know of.¡¯

    But still, Zich was curious about what was past the opening that suddenly appeared.

    ¡®Should I try going in?¡¯

    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Zich followed his curiosity and went through the opening. Hans and Snoc were both reluctant, but they followed Zich. Not long after they entered it¡ª

    Sssssssk!

    They heard the sound again, and the door closed. The three turned around. A dead-end now blocked them from going back.

    ¡°¡­Will it open again?¡±

    ¡°We can break it if it doesn¡¯t.¡±

    ¡°But it¡¯s a ruin. Won¡¯t it be heartbreaking if we break it?¡±

    When they saw the blocked path, the first thought that came up inside Hans and Snoc¡¯s mind was to destroy it. Zich really seemed to be rubbing off on them. And they headed towards the door again.

    Sssssssk!

    Contrary to their worries, the door opened again.

    ¡°I think it automatically opens when people are nearby.¡± Snoc was happy about this, but Zich found this statement questionable. The pathway to Tornium was also a hidden pathway like this. However, it was not a path where the door automatically opened when people were standing nearby.

    ¡°Hey, stand back a bit.¡±

    The three of them took several steps back.

    Sssssssk!

    The door closed again.

    ¡®It really does seem like it responds to human presence.¡¯

    ¡°Hans. Step forward.¡±

    Hans went several steps forward. However, the door didn¡¯t budge at all.

    ¡°What?¡± Hans moved towards the door again. He touched the door at different ces and even tried tapping on it. However, the door didn¡¯t move at all, and it looked like it was firmly attached to a part of the wall.

    ¡°Move back a bit.¡±

    ¡°Yes, sir.¡±

    Hans titled his head in confusion and moved back. Zich sent Snoc this time, but the door also didn¡¯t move. After Snoc moved back, Zich moved towards the door.

    Ssssssssk!

    With a loud sound, the door opened. Zich moved a few steps back, and the door shut itself again. Zich moved back and forth a few more times, and likewise, the door moved and opened ording to his movements.

    ¡°The door responds to Sir Zich¡¯s movement.¡±

    ¡°I wonder why?¡±

    Zich could hear his servants talking from behind. Moreover, Zich had the same question.

    ¡®Why does it only respond to me?¡¯

    He did not know why. Before he regressed, nothing like this had happened to him before.

    ¡®Is there something about me that changed?¡¯

    But he couldn¡¯t think of anything in particr. Zich looked behind him. The dark tunnel looked as if it was beckoning for him toe in and find the truth.

    ¡®Let¡¯s first try going in.¡¯

    Zich led Hans and Snoc into the tunnel and began walking. As expected of an ancient ruin, tunnel paths crossed each other inplex ways. However, this ce was still lessplicated than the ces open to the public.

    ¡®It really does seem like something is in here.¡¯

    To prepare for an unexpected situation, Zich expanded his senses, but it was hard to sense anything. There was something blocking his sensing abilities. Likewise, Snoc and Nowem were unable to detect their surroundings. But fortunately, Snoc said he was able to remember the path they walked, so they could at least avoid the worst-case scenario. With this in mind, Zich moved towards the ce where he felt the greatest disturbance.

    The paths in the passage were twisted, so it was extremely difficult to walk in one direction. They reached dead ends a couple of times and walked around the same ce several times. However, after this happened several more times, they reached a room.

    The room¡¯s ceiling was low, but the area was prettyrge. Numerous pirs were stuck to the ceiling of the room and many paths were connected to the room. But all three of them only focused on the object in the middle of the room. On a three-level, low tform, a magnificent object stole their attention.

    It was a sword.

    ¡°Hey, Nowem. There¡¯s a random sword here,¡± Snoc whispered to Nowem, and Hans stared at Zich.

    ¡®Did Sir Ziche here to get that?¡¯

    But judging by Zich¡¯s reaction, that didn¡¯t seem to be the case. There was none of his usual easygoing and carefree attitude as Zich stared at the sword with a serious expression. Hans moved his neck a little further to look at the sword a bit more closely.

    ¡®It definitely looks like an amazing sword.¡¯

    It also seemed amazing that they would find an unknown sword in an ancient ruin like this. The outside of the sword also looked very magical and mysterious. Unlike ordinary swords that glinted silver, this sword waspletely white and the decorations on it looked holy.

    ¡®It really looks like a holy sword from a story.¡¯

    ¡°Sir, do you know what that is?¡±

    At Hans'' question, Zich quietly replied, ¡°That¡¯s a holy sword.¡±

    ¡°¡­Huh?¡±

    ¡°¡­What?¡±

    Hans and Snoc didn¡¯t expect it to actually be a holy sword, so they werepletely dumbfounded. However, Zich did not say anything more. He moved towards the sword.

    ¡®Holy sword Estede. Why the heck is this here?¡¯

    If the demon sword Tornium represented the ¡®Demon Lord of Strength, Zich Moore,¡¯ the holy sword Estede represented the ¡®Sun Hero Glen Zenard.¡¯ Zich walked up the tform and stopped right in front of Estede. The pure white sword was exactly the same as he remembered. It was the sword that had killed him. As if he was spellbound, Zich grabbed the hilt of Estede. There was no way he could pull it out.

    Fundamentally, Estede and Tornium werepletely different in nature. Estede chose its own master, so people it deemed unworthy were not able to pull it out. Thus, Zich didn¡¯t think he would be able to pull out Estede.

    Screech!

    A loud sound rang across the room as the sword was pulled from a rock. The sword shouldn¡¯t have even budged, but it came out easily. Zich¡¯s eyes widened. Snoc and Hans, who were behind him, also looked at him with utter shock.

    ng!

    With a clear sound, Zichpletely pulled out the sword. Even though there was no light source, Estede let out a subtle light across the whole room, and Zich looked at it iprehensibly.

    ¡°¡­Why the hell did youe out?¡±

 Chapter 113

    <h4>Chapter 113</h4>

    Of course, Estede didn¡¯t answer him.

    ¡°S-Sir Zich, did you just pull out the holy sword?¡±

    ¡°I saw it too.¡±

    They muttered in excitement. For aspiring heroes like Hans and Snoc, the holy sword was the symbol of a true hero.

    ¡°Can anyone pull it out?¡±

    ¡°I doubt it. Sir Zich said it was a holy sword, and even he looked surprised that it came out so easily. I bet not anyone can pull it out.¡±

    ¡°Then, will Sir Zich be a hero?¡± Hans murmured, and Zich regained his senses.

    Thud!

    He immediately stuck Estede back into the ground. The sword shuddered once, and Zich took three steps away from it.

    ¡®A hero? How could he say such chilling words¡­!¡¯

    Although he was trying to live a kind life, it didn¡¯t mean that Zich was really a kind person¡ªat least, that was what he thought. He couldn¡¯t imagine himself swinging the holy sword while people called him a hero.

    ¡®Ah, damn it! I¡¯m scared I will hear it even in my dreams.¡¯ Zich shook his head intensely and stepped down from the podium.

    ¡°Huh? Are you not going to take the sword, sir?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not interested. I didn¡¯te here to get that sword anyway. And to tell you the truth, do you think a holy sword would even fit me?¡±

    Both Hans and Snoc made the wise decision to remain silent. Zich stared at the sword from far away with his arms crossed like Estede was a filthy thing.

    ¡®It really is pretty though.¡¯

    Tornium looked heavy and in inparison. Except for its ck de, there was nothing special or unique-looking about Tornium; it was as if the sword was only crafted to fulfill its duty. On the other hand, Estede was beautiful enough to be called an art piece. Even if Zich held the belief that ¡®a sword simply had to perform well,¡¯ Estede¡¯s performance didn¡¯tg behind Tornium in any way.

    ¡®Regardless, it¡¯s fine. I just need Tornium.¡¯

    ¡°Um, Sir Zich.¡± Before Zich realized it, Snoc was next to Estede and he said, ¡°If you don¡¯t want it, could I try pulling it out, sir?¡±

    Snoc wanted to try pulling out the holy sword; he was an aspiring hero after all.

    ¡°Do whatever you want. You probably won¡¯t be able to pull it out though.¡±

    ¡°Ah, as expected, does the sword choose its master?¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s that too, but you have a magical beast like Nowem with you. From what I know, Estede is picky about choosing its owner and will refuse people who have another link like a contract with a magical beast by default.¡±

    ¡°I see¡­¡±

    Koooo¡­

    Both Snoc and Nowem sighed in disappointment.

    ¡°But you never know. Try pulling it out¡ªI might be wrong.¡±

    After pulling the sword out, Zich¡¯s faith in Estede started plunging to the bottom. ¡®Does it have no standards at all that even someone like me can pull it out? Does Glen Zenard actually have a terrible personality?¡¯

    With Zich¡¯s suggestion, Snoc gleefully grabbed onto Estede¡¯s handle.

    ¡°Huuu!¡± He took a deep breath and pulled with great force.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    All three of them didn¡¯t say anything. As his bulging muscles showed, Snoc was using a lot of strength in his arms, but Estede didn¡¯t even budge. Snoc scrunched up his face and exerted more force, but the result was the same. In the end, he let go of the sword.

    ¡°¡­Tch, I don¡¯t need a holy sword. I only need Nowem.¡±

    Koo!

    Nowem climbed on top of Snoc¡¯s shoulder and tapped its feet. His mythical beastforted him, and Snoc turned away from Estede. His shoulders appeared small as he stepped down from the podium weakly.

    ¡°Are you going to try too, Hans?¡±

    ¡°No, I don¡¯t think I will be able to pull it out.¡±

    ¡°Still, why don¡¯t you give it a try?¡±

    Hans¡¯ curiosity rose in response to Zich¡¯s suggestion, and he hesitantly walked towards Estede. But when his hands were reaching for it, they heard footsteps nearby. All their eyes shot to where the noise came from, and Hans and Snoc quickly ran to Zich¡¯s side.

    ¡°Someone is here.¡± Hans warily took out his sword.

    ¡°It seems so. I thought we definitely were the first ones to find this ce.¡±

    ¡°Do you think it¡¯s someone who came to get the holy sword, sir?¡±

    ¡°It could be someone who got lost.¡±

    ¡®It couldn¡¯t be Glen Zenard, right?¡¯ Since Estede¡¯s past owner was Glen, Zich naturally thought of him. However, the footsteps that approached them were too light to belong to a sturdy, adult male like Glen.

    ¡®Since my senses are distorted, it really is ufortable.¡¯

    The only sense he could currently use was his sense of hearing. Behind the light footsteps, Zich heard other footsteps mixed in. These footsteps were even quieter and nimbler than the first one, but it wasn¡¯t because the owners of these footsteps were lighter.

    ¡®They were professionally trained to hide their footsteps.¡¯

    They couldn¡¯t possibly be tourists who lost their way and wandered all the way here. Zich gestured to Hans and Snoc, signaling them to raise their guards and prepare for battle. The two opened their eyes menacingly and waited for the owners of these footsteps to jump out.

    Thump!

    One person jumped out of the passage. A one-piece dress pped; it wasn¡¯t a fitting attire to wear inside a dark and stuffy ancient ruin. However, Zich recognized the clothes, the flowing silver hair, and the sparkling red eyes that shone through the darkness. It was L. Zich was surprised to see her when he expected to see her in ten days. L also seemed surprised to see him. However, the footstepsing behind her didn¡¯t stop.

    Zich looked behind L and saw that a group of people was heading towards them. The people behind L covered themselves with robes, and those suspicious-looking clothes reminded him of an organization he knew. Zich nced at L¡¯s eyes again and then at the entrance.

    ¡°Get down!¡± Zich shouted. L fell to the ground as she rushed towards Zich and rolled on the ground. Zich swung his sword forward.

    Piercing Space.

    Air mixed with mana shot like drills and passed over L to hit the robed figures.

    Pop!

    Zich¡¯s eyebrows twitched. He didn¡¯t think his attack would be able to critically injure his opponents since his opponents seemed to be highly skilled. Moreover, he didn¡¯t even know if his opponents were really his enemies. He simply saw that they were swinging their swords at L and attacked them.

    Still, Zich thought his ¡®Piercing Space¡¯ attack was too easily nullified. His opponents had deflected Zich¡¯s attack with a single punch. However, his attack had managed to slow them down, and in that instant, L ran towards Zich¡¯s side.

    ¡°Are they your new friends? They don¡¯t seem too good. You should choose your friends more wisely.¡±

    ¡°They are not my friends.¡± While catching her breath, L replied back firmly.

    Zich tried to assess her condition first. The clothes that he bought herst time were ripped in many ces. There were various scratches on her white skin. Her silver hair was also full of dust as if she had rolled on the ground several times.

    ¡°Your condition doesn¡¯t seem too good. With your skills, it must have been difficult for them to drive you to a corner like this. Are those guys strong?¡±

    ¡°Yes, they are strong.¡±

    ¡°What about your teleportation magic? You also have an artifact.¡±

    ¡°¡­It doesn¡¯t work here.¡±

    The energy that disrupted Zich¡¯s senses also seemed to block teleportation magic. The yfulness in Zich¡¯s voicepletely disappeared, and he became deathly serious. Hans and Snoc gulped their saliva as Zich¡¯s tone dropped even further.

    ¡°What are their identities?¡±

    ¡°They are guys that are chasing after me.¡±

    ¡°Why?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡± L didn¡¯t reply.

    ¡°Wow, you¡¯re really popr.¡± While murmuring that, Zich shifted his attention back to the passageway. Several robed figures came out of the passageway. Seeing that L was standing still, they slowed down and began walking normally. There were four of them in total, and one of them stuck out to Zich.

    ¡®That guy is the leader.¡¯

    With just his fist, he was able to nullify Zich¡¯s attack. After the leader stared at L, he moved his gaze towards Zich and hispanions.

    ¡°Why are there people here?¡±

    The leader¡¯s voice was so emotionless that it sounded extremely cold. Goosebumps appeared all over Hans and Snoc¡¯s skin.

    ¡°They¡¯re not part of the n, right?¡±

    ¡°Yes, sir.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a variable.¡±

    Zich¡¯s eyes shone. He knew the group that was obsessed with the word ¡®variable.¡¯ They were the group of people whom Zich wanted to find andpletely destroy.

    ¡°First, drink this.¡± Zich took out a potion and handed it to L.

    L contemted for a moment whether she should drink the potion or not, but the situation was dire, so she quickly gulped it down. During that time, the three underlings spread themselves out. Each of them positioned themselves into a corner of the room and surrounded Zich and hispanions. In a matter of seconds, the four of them surrounded Zich, Snoc, Hans, and L.

    ¡®I guess they are confident in their abilities.¡¯

    A group formation was easier for people tobine their strengths and attack together. However, the robed figures werepletely separated from each other. They probably knew the benefits of fighting in a group but were probably confident in their skills to handle Zich and hispanions by themselves. But first, Zich tried to talk to them. There was a very slight possibility that he was misunderstanding their intentions.

    ¡°Hey! Why don¡¯t we try talking to figure out what¡¯s going on?¡±

    But the reply that came back to him was very simple. ¡°Kill them.¡±

    From three different directions, the robed figures ran towards them.

    ¡®They are fast!¡¯

    ¡°They¡¯re not weak at all! Move with caution!¡±

    After warning Snoc and Hans, Zich stood in front of L. The leader ran towards him.

    ssh!

    ¡°Ugh!¡±

    Zich¡¯s whole body shook. The sword he infused mana with shed sharply and a shock passed through his arms and all the way to his legs. For a moment, his head became numb. Zich immediately brought his mind back into control and tightly gripped his sword.

    sh! sh!

    Explosive sounds rang across the room. With just a few shes, Zich felt his joints stiffen.

    ¡°Ra! Untu. Bairo!¡±

    From behind, he heard L mutter spells out loud. Zich blocked another attack from the leader and blocked a strike from the side with his elbow.

    Crunch!

    His elbows stung, and blood spurted out of his arm. Fortunately, it didn¡¯t seem to have cut through his bone.

    ¡°Welm, Bloom!¡±

    sh!

    L¡¯s magic wasplete.

    Crashhhhh!

    A sound of an explosion, iparable to the ones from before, rang throughout the room. The air trembled like crazy and vibrated as if it was going to break everything in its path.

    ¡°Agh!¡±

    L¡¯s magic attack was effective, and the robed figures stepped back. Seeing the subtle air surrounding his sides, Zich realized what magic L used.

    ¡®Double Sided Inversion.¡¯

    It was a type of magic that simultaneously attacked one¡¯s enemies with air vibration and protected one¡¯s supporters with a wind barrier. It was a type ofbination magic that used two different types of magic at the same time.

    ¡®She really knows how to do every kind of magic.¡¯

    ¡°Are you okay?¡± Zich checked Hans and Snoc¡¯s conditions.

    ¡°Yes sir, barely.¡±

    ¡°Ow¡­¡±

    Even though they didn¡¯t look like they were seriously injured, their conditions didn¡¯t look too good either.

    ¡°Sir Zich! It¡¯s very hard to control the earth here!¡± Snoc released some bad news to the group.

    ¡°The innermost areas of ancient ruins usually have a special energy that protects themselves from outsiders. For that reason, earth magic that controls its surroundings is extremely difficult to bring out.¡±

    ¡°No way!¡±

    Koo!

    At L¡¯s exnation, Snoc and Nowem despaired at their cruel reality.

    ¡°Are you not able to use it at all?¡±

    ¡°There are some ces on the ground where our power works a little bit.¡± Snoc barely managed to block his opponent¡¯s attack by using those areas. However, his enemies¡¯ attacks were way too strong for him to endure with such a disadvantage.

    ¡°Then wear armor.¡±

    ¡°Yes, sir!¡± Snoc was nning to do this anyway, so he quickly answered back.

    Zich stared at the leader. Even though the leader was keeping his distance because of L¡¯s magic attack, he still looked as if he waspletely at ease. Zich wiped the sweat pouring down from his face with his shoulders. Then he tightly gripped his sword with the hand that still felt sore.

    ¡®This bastard, he¡¯s as strong as a Demon Person.¡¯

 Chapter 114

    <h4>Chapter 114</h4>

    Demon Person. Before Zich''s regression, Demon People were people who lived and died however they pleased. They were utter trash who didn¡¯t feel any responsibility or guilt about the consequences of their actions. Ordinary people gave them their title, and there was no exact criterion to be a Demon Person. However, whatever skills the Demon Person possessed, they had to at least have the power to protect themselves. Or else, people like Glen Zenard who enjoyed grinding the wicked to the ground or others like Weig or Lube would easily eradicate them.

    This meant that most of the Demon People were not only strong enough to protect themselves after causing harm to others, but they were also extremely powerful. And the leader whom Zich just attacked was on the level of a Demon Person.

    ¡®By his movements, he seems to have specialized in tracking.¡¯

    If Zich recalled what the man¡¯s footsteps sounded like as he followed L, his assessment seemed right. So, it was more surprising that he was strong even in a head-to-head fight.

    ¡°Hey,¡± Zich said.

    The leader didn¡¯t respond and ignored him. He was different from the chatterbox at Suol and the guy at Ospurin who was quiet but still managed to carry a conversation.

    ¡®Damn it. I can¡¯t believe I miss those guys.¡¯

    However, Zich continued, ¡°Hey. Are you part of a group that tries totch onto one person and corrupt them?¡±

    There was a slight reaction this time, and the man¡¯s eyes shot towards Zich. Most people would have felt frightened by his chilling gaze. But of course, instead of fear, Zich made a provoking smile.

    ¡°¡­We are changing ns. Except for that guy and the core, kill everyone else.¡± The robed figures rushed towards them again.

    Zich asked L, ¡°Core? That¡¯s a terrible name. Is that your true name?¡±

    ¡°¡­It¡¯s not.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, it doesn¡¯t seem like your name. Even L fits you better.¡±

    ng!

    Zich¡¯s sword blocked an attack. Zich and L fought the leader while Hans and Snoc faced one underling each. As expected of underlings of a leader on the same level as a Demon Person, they were strong. Hans swung his sword hard while Snoc pulled out stones in ces where his abilities still worked and made armor around his body. The two stood their ground, but that was their limit; there was too much of a power difference.

    aaaang!

    L¡¯s magic exploded, but it failed to have any meaningful effect. The small, narrow environment prevented her from usingrge-scale magic.

    ng! ng!

    The leader¡¯s sword was heavy, but surprisingly, he moved his sword lightly as if it were a feather and made it sting like a bee. There was only one exnation as to how this was possible.

    ¡®He is more skilled than me.¡¯

    Although Zich had increased his strength at a great speed, it still didn¡¯tpare to someone on the level of a Demon Person. He might have felt dejected if he thought about his Demon Lord days, but Zich didn¡¯t waste his time on such useless emotions. The leader stared at him, and his face was cold as usual.

    ¡®There¡¯s no humanness to him.¡¯

    But humanity and skills had no corrtion. The leader continued to violently push Zich to a corner with his sword, and one of his underlings added in his sharp attacks. Once again, Zich missed the strength he possessed in his Demon Lord days.

    ¡®Well, there¡¯s no use crying over it. I came to supplement that strength anyways.¡¯

    If Zich had found Tornium, he would have been able to ovee the power difference between him and the leader. But the reality was that the current Zichcked power and Tornium was nowhere near him. However, there was still a method he could use.

    ¡®Ah, damn it! I guess it can¡¯t be helped.¡¯ Zich swallowed back his feeling of disgust and made a firm decision.

    ¡°Hmph!¡± A great amount of mana poured into his sword, and Zich swung it with all he had. Even the leader seemed to be surprised by this attack, and he stopped his movements and raised his sword.

    ng!

    Two swords shed against each other. The leader¡¯s movements stiffened for a moment, but Zich¡¯s sides were exposed from his big attack.

    Stab!

    One of the underlings who fought with the leader pierced his sword into Zich¡¯s sides. Zich moved his waist to avoid a critical hit, but the sword drew a long line across his side. Blood spurted out.

    Crash!

    L quickly shot out magic towards the underling, but he had already pulled his body back by then. The underling¡¯s swerving, animated movements seemed to indicate the satisfaction he felt. Zich¡¯s injury looked as if his organs would spill out if the cut had been a bit deeper. His wound would definitely impede his movements, and L scanned Zich¡¯s wound with worried eyes.

    The robed figures rushed towards them again, and Zich stepped back. He looked like he was in a crisis, but Zich had sessfully moved to the area where he had wanted to go. He felt his back collide against Estede. Even though it was a beautiful holy sword, neither the robed figures nor L even nced at the sword.

    ¡®They know it¡¯s here.¡¯

    But a holy sword that discerned its owner was nothing more than a pretty decoration. So, no one concerned themselves with Estede, and nobody thought Zich would be able to pull it out. However, one of Zich¡¯s favorite hobbies was to flip his opponents¡¯ expectations upside down and mock them.

    Whoosh!

    Zich threw his sword, but the leader easily blocked his surprise attack. A smirk appeared on the man¡¯s chilling face, thinking that this was Zich¡¯sst desperate attack, and heughed at his opponent¡¯s foolishness. And when Zich tried to grab Estede¡¯s handle, he looked at Zich as if Zich was pathetic.

    Craaash!

    But as soon as Zich pulled out Estede, astonishment appeared on the man¡¯s face for the first time.

    Whoosh!

    The white de drew a path. Light shed from the sword, and it looked like a shooting star shining across the heavens. The leader of the robed men hurriedly raised his sword to block.

    aaang!

    Another explosion rang out. This time, Zich didn¡¯t feel any heaviness. His hand didn¡¯t feel sore, his joints didn¡¯t feel stiff, and he didn¡¯t feel as if he was losing physical strength. Mana erupted inside his body, and he felt a mysterious light softly cover his mana.

    Whooosh!

    Estede¡¯s energy stretched out in all directions and Zich¡¯s mana swept the whole space.

    Crasssh!

    Thebined forces of mana and light pushed their enemies into a corner.

    ¡°Ugh!¡±

    ¡°Argh!¡±

    The leader¡¯s underlings screamed. They quickly ran away from the light that tenaciously chased after them like a snake. However, they weren¡¯t able to evade all the attacks, and numerous injuries appeared on their bodies. The battle turned into a standstill for a moment as everyone¡¯s attention fell on Estede.

    On the other hand, Zich shook his head andined about his situation. ¡°Damn it. I can¡¯t believe it hase down to this¡­¡±

    With wide eyes, L asked, ¡°¡­Why did you pull out that sword?¡±

    ¡°What do you mean why? If I didn¡¯t pull this out, we¡¯d all die.¡±

    ¡°No, I mean. How the hell did you pull out that sword! That sword is¡­!¡±

    ¡°Holy sword, Estede.¡± Zich cut her off. ¡°You can¡¯t pull this sword out if you¡¯re not fit for it.¡±

    ¡°¡­And you¡¯re fit for it?¡±

    ¡°Probably not?¡±

    ¡°Then how are you able to use it?¡±

    ¡°Ask this guy instead.¡± Zich waved Estede in front of her. However, even if Estede was a holy sword, it didn¡¯t have the ability to reply to a question.

    ¡°But its abilities are really good. It¡¯s able to increase my powers like crazy.¡± Zich swung Estede a couple of times in the air. As if it was showing off its abilities, Estede cut the air and made threatening sounds. The robed figures all red at Zich. Horror appeared in their eyes, expressions, and movements. They also looked as if they didn¡¯t know what to do. However, it didn¡¯t seem like they were going to retreat at all.

    ¡®Hmm, I don¡¯t think they are thinking such a thing as ¡®I can never turn my back on a fight.¡¯¡¯

    Even though there were a lot of possibilities that Zich could think of, there was one possibility that was stronger than all the others: ¡®They can¡¯t back down because that¡¯s probably how important L is to their ns.¡¯

    Zich nced at L. She was still staring at Estede with aplex expression. Since it was very clear that she was from the future, he didn¡¯t think it was weird that she knew about Estede.

    ¡®The weird thing is that she¡¯s here right now.¡¯

    She could have used information from the future toe here.

    ¡®Since I fought with her, maybe she will be more open to me?¡¯

    Then it would be easier for him to get more information from her.

    ¡®I should first crush those guys and end this fight.¡¯

    And then he was going to ce Estede back to where it was. Honestly, Zich was very impressed by the sword¡¯s strength. It was able to exponentially increase Zich¡¯s strength to the level of a Demon Person and was able to make the ice-cold leader reveal various emotions. However, Zich felt an intense aversion towards a holy sword. If there was absolutely no choice, he might force himself to use a holy sword; but there was a splendid substitute for it¡ªthe demon sword, Tornium.

    ¡®Well, this will be the first andst time I¡¯ll wield this sword. Let¡¯s utilize its capabilities.¡¯

    But first, Zich took out a potion and drank it. The injuries on his side disappeared. ¡°Please prepare the strongest magic you can use in this space.¡±

    L nodded her head and raised her hand. ¡°Be careful. It¡¯s hard to control an enormous power that you suddenly obtained.¡±

    With that warning, she began casting her spells.

    ¡°Tch!¡± The leader clicked his tongue and signaled towards his underlings. Even though Zich with the holy sword was extremely bothersome, they had no choice but to interfere when a magician began casting their spells. The robed figures began running towards Zich and L again. The leader ran straight towards Zich.

    ¡®Only his strength has increased!¡¯ The leader had the same line of thought as L.

    The strongest advantage that Zich had so far was his precise sword movement. Even though the leader was far above Zich in physical strength and mana, he was below Zich in one category¡ªsword skills. The leader didn¡¯t show it, but he waspletely astounded by Zich¡¯s swordsmanship.

    ¡®The holy sword has significantly increased his powers.¡¯

    However, to people whose strongest strength was their precise sword skills, a sudden increase of power was usually poisonous for them. With his own fast footwork and sharp movements, the leader targeted Zich¡¯s openings. Zich swung his sword.

    ¡®As expected!¡¯

    There were hardly any traces of Zich¡¯s previously sharp and precise movements. All of Zich¡¯s attacks merely contained a lot of power.

    Crash!

    The leader¡¯s sword and Zich¡¯s sword collided straight on. At that moment, the leader pushed himself closer toward Zich. As the leader expected, Zich¡¯s sense of bnce waspletely off by his sudden increase in strength. The leader¡¯s sword glistened and aimed towards Zich¡¯s neck. Then, Zich¡¯s expression changed.

    He smiled.

    ¡®What!¡¯ The leader felt that something was off and was about to take a step back.

    ng!

    Estede blocked his sword. Zich said, ¡°Did you expect me to run around like crazy¡ªconsumed by my newfound strength? Sadly, for you, I¡¯m not such a little kid that I will get excited over just this amount of strength.¡±

    ¡®A trap!¡¯ Finally, the leader realized his mistake.

    ¡°How was your sweet moment of hope?¡±

 Chapter 115

    <h4>Chapter 115</h4>

    The holy sword sparkled. Like a dazzling light falling from the sky, Estede pierced through the air.

    Slice!

    ¡°Urgh!¡±

    Estede cut through the leader¡¯s chest and stomach. It was a critical attack, and the leader quickly backed away. Zich didn¡¯t follow him and fought off the underlings around him instead. Among Zich¡¯s opponents, there wasn¡¯t even one person with a trace of their past confidence, and they all stared at the shining holy sword with fearful eyes.

    Sling! Sling! Sling!

    Bright lights shed in the dark passageway multiple times, and every time a light lit up, an underling¡¯s head fell off. The underlings appeared so weak now that it was hard to believe that they had cornered Zich and hispanions recently.

    Zich stopped moving his sword. Estede¡¯s de waspletely covered in scarlet blood. But a momentter, all the blood flowed down its body and Estede returned back to its original, clean state. Estede was a sword that always maintained its pure white de and didn¡¯t ept any sort of uncleanliness. Soon, Zich¡¯s eyes traveled to the only opponent left¡ªthe leader. The leader was heaving near the entrance like he was running out of breath.

    ¡°Do you want to do a kind act before you die? I won¡¯t ask you to do much. You just have to tell me all the information you know.¡±

    The leaderughed. It was terrifying to see a smile appear on his cold face, and he smiled like a viper.

    ¡°Yeah, I thought so.¡±

    Seeing that the leader wasn¡¯t going to say anything, Zich raised Estede.

    ¡°Urgh!¡± the leader groaned.

    Estede still hovered in the air, but the leader hadn¡¯t groaned because of Zich¡¯s attack. Something was happening inside the leader.

    Craaack! Crumble!

    Strange sounds came out of the leader¡¯s body, but Zich remained calm.

    ¡®As I thought, they really are connected.¡¯

    Like the leader of the assassins at Suol and Osupirin, this man also transformed. As his physique expanded, his muscles became exposed, and his human figure changed into a monstrous form. Even the wound that Zich inflicted on him disappeared without a trace.

    ¡®It¡¯s fast.¡¯ Zich clicked his tongue.

    The man in front of him was not only stronger than the previous assassins, but his transformation was also much faster. While transforming, the man didn¡¯t give Zich and L any time to attack him.

    ¡°Kuaaaaah!¡± he cried out.

    It wasn¡¯t a human¡¯s cry. L flinched in response, but both Hans and Snoc remained calm. Then, Zich and the leader rushed towards each other. L prepared an incantation in case of an emergency, and Hans and Snoc closely watched Zich¡¯s fight.

    Crash! Crash! Crash!

    It was hard to believe that this was a battle between humans. They heard monstrous shrieks and running, but a shining white de intercepted the violently swinging fists. If the ruin wasn¡¯t protected by a mysterious energy, their surroundings would have been demolished by now. Their collisions created a ripple strong enough to blow Hans and Snoc away. The two quickly escaped behind the pirs, which seemed to also be under the ruin¡¯s protection. However, L didn¡¯t budge. She spread out a barrier with one hand and prepared to strike her enemy at any moment with her other hand.

    Unlike the past guys who only relied on their increased physical abilities after transforming, the leader continued to use sophisticated skills. It seemed as if he had done training in his transformed state. Still, he couldn¡¯t change the flow of the battle, and soon, the fight was over.

    Punch!

    ¡°Kugh!¡±

    The monster couldn¡¯t escape as Estede pierced his stomach. Zich coldly pulled out Estede again. The monster¡¯s hand flew towards Zich, but Zich evaded it by simply arching his back. Then, he stuck his sword into the monster¡¯s thigh.

    Crash!

    ¡°Urgh!¡±

    Blood spurted out of the monster, but the monster endured it and tried to hit Zich with his elbow. Zich smirked.

    ¡®If your wish is to lose your leg, I shall grant it!¡¯

    Cruuush!

    Zich increased his grip on Estede. Mana extended out of Estede as streams of light raged violently over the de.

    Popppp!

    One of the monster¡¯s legs exploded. Blood, skin, and bone fragments shot out, and Zich backed away to avoid them. Blood dripped down from Estede¡¯s de as it shone.

    ¡°Hu! Hu!¡±

    The monster groaned continuously, but Zich approached it like an executioner.

    Whish!

    The monster threw its sword at him.

    m!

    Zich easily struck the sword away. Their positions were reversed now; the only difference was that although Zich had Estede to rely on before, the monster was really at its end. Zich ced Estede on the monster.

    ¡°I am asking you for thest time. Do you have anything you want to tell me?¡±

    The monster spat at Zich. Its saliva was mixed with blood.

    ¡°Bastar¡ª¡±

    Slice!

    Before the monster could even finish its curse, Zich sent its head flying.

    ¡°¡­It¡¯s over?¡±

    Zich turned around and replied to L, ¡°Yeah.¡±

    L canceled the spell she prepared. Hans and Snoc also came out from behind the pirs.

    Thud!

    Zich stuck Estede back into its original spot.

    ¡°¡­Why did you put it back?¡± L stared at him iprehensibly.

    ¡°Because I¡¯m not going to use it.¡±

    ¡°¡­What? Why?¡±

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t match me. If I carry this, it will make me look like I¡¯m some hero of justice or something.¡± Zich shuddered at the thought.

    ¡°¡­Are you saying that even after knowing the sword¡¯s capabilities?¡±

    ¡°Did you not see me just using it? I admit that it¡¯s a great¡ªno, impressive sword. But it¡¯s not my style.¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t believe that you¡¯re not using ¡®the holy sword¡¯ Estede just because it doesn¡¯t fit your style¡­¡± Maybe it was just a feeling, but L thought that Estede¡¯s glow seemed to dim a bit at Zich¡¯s words.

    ¡°Of course, I have other reasons. That¡¯s just one reason. Even if I don¡¯t use that guy, I have a recement for it.¡±

    ¡°What kind of recement could there be for Estede¡­¡± A thought popped up in L¡¯s mind, so she stopped mid-sentence. ¡°¡­Are you thinking about taking Tornium?¡±

    ¡°As expected, you know about it.¡± Zich was not surprised that L knew about Tornium, but he was surprised by her reaction. She pursed her lips and her red eyes stared intensely at Zich.

    Grab!

    She grabbed onto Zich¡¯s sleeve and dragged him.

    ¡°What are you doing?¡±

    Even though she didn¡¯t drag him with much strength, Zich let himself be pulled. From a distance, Hans and Snoc watched them without moving. It was because the atmosphere looked too serious for them to intervene. L didn¡¯t have to drag Zich far¡ªit was only a few steps, and she stopped right next to Estede.

    ¡°Pull it out.¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°Pull it out!¡± She stressed her words with great strength. ¡°Use this instead of Tornium. As you know, Estede is a good sword. It doesn¡¯t lose in abilities to any other sword, and it looks more luxurious and better than Tornium.¡±

    ¡°Hey. I¡¯m going to say this again, but I¡¯m going to use Tornium. Also, there¡¯s another guy who is going to use that.¡±

    ¡°How could there be an owner for an ownerless sword? It¡¯s not like Estede didn¡¯t approve of you. It acknowledged you.¡±

    ¡°But that¡¯s not enough of a reason for me to use that thing. I¡¯m not going to be swayed by this sword¡¯s decision. Even if Estede chose me, I¡¯m the one who decides if I want to use it. I¡¯m the one who makes the final decision. To me, Estede is just one of the many swords I can use. And I don¡¯t really feel like using it.¡±

    ¡°¡­Are you nning to be Moore?¡±

    It was then that Zich finally realized what L was concerned about. ¡®Demon Lord of Strength, Zich Moore.¡¯ She was worried that Zich might be a Demon Lord if he used Tornium.

    ¡°You said you were going to live a kind life. That¡¯s what you told me in the bar and when we were going on our dates. Then, you should pick Estede instead of Tornium.¡±

    ¡°¡­Even if I decide to live a kind life, it doesn¡¯t have anything to do with me picking Tornium over Estede. Even though Tornium falls into the demon sword category, it¡¯s only because of how strong and ferocious its strength is. It doesn¡¯t make people be evil.¡±

    Of course, if unskilled people used it, they would cause huge devastation around their surroundings or destroy themselves. This was the reason why it was called a demon sword. However, this would never happen to Zich, as he possessed excellent mana control and skill.

    On the other hand, L refused to ept this answer. She grabbed onto his sleeves even tighter. ¡°¡­Take Estede, won¡¯t you?¡±

    Zich looked down at L without saying anything and then¨C

    Throb!

    Zich scrunched up his brows. One of his fingers hurt. Zich stared down at his finger, but there was nothing on it.

    ¡®What the heck?¡¯

    Just as this thought appeared in Zich¡¯s mind¡ª

    Ziing!

    Estede vibrated. At the same time, a strange aura began to spin around Zich and a whirlpool appeared in front of him. Snoc and Hans were shocked. Zich and L were inside the aura, and Hans and Snoc were outside of it.

    Zich stared at L, but she shook her head. ¡°I didn¡¯t do this.¡±

    ¡°But do you know what this is?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not a magic device. But I think it¡¯s an aura that forcefully makes a teleportation portal in the air. I think it¡¯s trying to forcefully teleport us to a specific location.¡±

    ¡°The most likely suspect is probably that thing right?¡±

    ¡°Yep.¡±

    Zich and L both stared at Estede that vibrated just a moment ago. But Estede was nowpletely still, as if it was pretending to be innocent. Zich tried to go outside, but he couldn¡¯t get past the portal. Zich even pulled out the sword and swung it around, but he was unable to slice through it.

    ¡®Damn it, I¡¯m going to get dragged in without a choice.¡¯

    Zich stared at Hans and Snoc; both of them were confused. ¡°Wait for me here, and if I don¡¯te back after a while, just go ahead by yourselves! Wait for me in the lodging!¡±

    ¡°But Sir Zich, you¡¯re the only one who is able to open the secret passageway.¡±

    ¡®Oh yeah, I forgot about that.¡¯ Zich frowned at Hans¡¯ reminder.

    Hans asked, ¡°Should I try barging through it?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s probably going to be hard. Even while I was fighting with that leader guy over there, not even a scratch appeared on the walls of the ancient ruin. We can¡¯t just think that the door of this secret passageway is just like any ordinary door.¡±

    If they searched the corpses of the robed figures, they might find an item that would let them open the doors. But the robed figure could have also entered this space in apletely different way. Was there no choice but for Zich toe back and save them? But he wasn¡¯t even sure how far this portal would send them. Zich was about to ask L how she was able toe here.

    But before he could ask, L put her hands in the whirlpool.

    Pop!

    A tiny hole appeared in the wall of the whirlpool. L took out something from that hole. It was a small ring. ¡°If you have that, the door will open for you.¡±

    ¡°Wow, you¡¯ve got all sorts of things.¡±

    ¡°Well, yeah.¡±

    ¡°Can¡¯t you stop this teleportation pool with what you just did?¡±

    ¡°No, that¡¯s too much. Just doing that took an enormous amount of energy. It¡¯s impossible to create a hole big enough to pierce through the portal or for both of us to go in.¡±

    Upon closer observation, herplexion did look slightly paler. It really seemed as if she had strained herself. Hans carefully picked up the ring. The gold ring was borately decorated with red jewelry. Even from a nce, it looked extremely precious. Hans held the ring as if it was ss that would break any moment.

    ¡°Sir Zich, please be careful.¡± Even though Hans and Snoc barely worried about Zich, the situation was too bizarre and sudden for them to not worry about him.

    But Zich smirked. ¡°Just worry about yourselves, you punks.¡±

    Even till the end, Zich was Zich. Thest thing they saw was his self-assured smile, and then he disappeared. Hans and Snoc stared at the ce Zich disappeared off to with concern, and Estede continued to show off its brilliance to all those whoid their eyes upon it.

 Chapter 116

    <h4>Chapter 116</h4>

    After Zich and L disappeared, Hans and Snoc searched the robed men¡¯s bodies to look for more information or to find spoils that they could take. Of course, they learned to do this from Zich. They retrieved various goods such as a considerable amount of money, potions, and small items. Hans and Snoc took off the leader¡¯s robe, reshaped it into a bundle, and ced their findings inside it. They nned to give it to Zichter.

    When they were done with everything, they sat in front of the tform where Estede was and waited. The two ate the dried meat they brought, and they also drank water when they were thirsty. Then, they stared at the darkness again. They didn¡¯t know how long Zich meant by ¡®for a while,¡¯ but Hans nned to stay in the room until they ran out of food and water. They didn¡¯t have much food and water since Zich had most of their supplies in his magic box. What they had was meant for true emergencies.

    ¡®It¡¯s good I brought some food and water with me.¡¯

    Zich had told them that they always needed to carry emergency food supplies.

    ¡°Where do you think Sir Zich is? Nothing will probably happen to him, right?¡±

    Koo!

    Snoc and Nowem conversed with each other to kill time while they waited for Zich. But unlike them, Hans¡¯s head faced the other way, and he stared at Estede. Its pure white de stood out to him. When Zich swung it around, he looked like a hero from a fairytale.

    ¡®Estede.¡¯

    The holy sword that chose its owner. Hans really liked the sound of it.

    ¡®I probably won¡¯t be able to pull it out.¡¯

    Even though Hans hadn¡¯t tried pulling out Estede yet, Snoc had tried and failed. ording to what Zich said, Snoc¡¯s contract with Nowem seemed to be the problem, but at least the sword seemed to choose its owner based on a specific standard.

    ¡®¡­But should I still give it a try?¡¯

    Even if he couldn¡¯t pull it out, he wanted to try touching it. There weren¡¯t many chances to touch a holy sword. He also didn¡¯t have anything to do anyway, so Hans finally made up his mind and stood up.

    Snoc asked, ¡°What is the matter, senior?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m going to see if I can pull it out.¡±

    ¡°Ah, that Es¡­Este¡­¡±

    ¡°Estede.¡±

    ¡°Yes, that!¡±

    Snoc had lost all interest in Estede as soon as he couldn¡¯t pull it out, so he wasn¡¯t even able to remember the sword¡¯s name. But he watched eagerly and hugged Nowem as Hans approached the sword. Hans reached his hand out to Estede and then¡ª

    Stomp!

    They heard footsteps that seemed to push back the damp air. Hans pulled his hands away from Estede and stared at where the sound came from. Snoc stood up from his spot.

    ¡°Do you think it¡¯s Sir Zich?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure. I don¡¯t think the footsteps sounded like Sir Zich¡¯s.¡±

    Hans was at a stage high enough to differentiate people by their footsteps. Of course, his sensing skills didn¡¯tpare to Zich¡¯s, but it was still impressive. They heard footsteps from the other side of the passage. The concerning part was that the sound of the footsteps came not from the passageway that they took, but the one that L and the robed figures came out of. And soon, they heard multiple footsteps.

    ¡°¡­It¡¯s not just one person.¡±

    ¡°What if Sir Zich brought some people with him?¡±

    ¡°That would be great but...¡±

    But the likelihood of that scenario was very low. The two raised their guards and waited for someone to enter their area.

    Stomp!

    A group of people came out of the passage. It wasn¡¯t Zich or L, nor people that Zich had brought. The two scowled as they saw a group of robed figures.

    ¡®Enemies.¡¯

    The robed figures looked around the room to assess their surroundings. There were four corpses on the ground; three wore the same robes they were wearing while one wore their battle uniform. All of them had their heads sliced off. Since all their heads were rolling near a robed body, they could easily see who these corpses belonged to¡ªthey were theirpanions.

    They nced at Hans and Snoc and found their leader¡¯s robe, which had been transformed into a baggage holder.

    ¡°Hey.¡±

    ¡°I saw the corpses.¡±

    As the group talked in the silent damp air, Hans and Snoc could clearly hear their conversation.

    ¡®There are five of them.¡¯

    There were more of them this time. Even if nobody among them was strong as the leader, an underling¡¯s power was enough to pose a great threat to Hans and Snoc. However, the robed figures also hesitated to act first.

    ¡°Should we attack?¡±

    ¡°But our boss got defeated.¡±

    The new robed figures thought that Hans and Snoc had defeated all theirpanions alone. Hans and Snoc hoped that they might be able to avoid this battle when the next words crushed their hopes.

    ¡°Remember our mission. Even at the risk of losing our lives, we have to finish it. Those guys are the only clues we have since all ourpanions are dead.¡±

    At these words, the eyes of the robed figures filled with determination.

    ¡°And if they really are the ones who killed ourpanions, they might be tired from the fight.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re right.¡±

    The robed figures finished their discussion and stood side by side. Then, they began to approach Hans and Snoc.

    ¡°Snoc.¡±

    ¡°Yes!¡±

    ¡°Run!¡± Hans made a quick decision. The two turned tail and began to run.

    ¡°Chase after them!¡±

    The robed figures gained confidence from seeing them run, and they quickly chased after Hans and Snoc. Hans and Snoc were fast, but the robed figures were even faster. Before they could even step out of the room, the two were cornered; and like that, a battle erupted between Hans and Snoc and the robed figures.

    ng! aang! ng!

    Swords and rocks collided against each other. Sparks flew out and lit up the dark room momentarily.

    Slice!

    ¡°Urgh!¡±

    A sword scratched Hans¡¯ arm. A burning heat traveled across his limb, and Hans groaned. The robed figures were strong. The underlings weren¡¯t as strong as the leader, but they didn¡¯t trail behind the first group of robed figures at all. Even handling one was difficult for Hans and Snoc, so handling all five of them was basically impossible. Hans nced at Snoc. Snoc was wearing heavy armor made out of rocks and attacking everywhere he could. But even that hard armor was chipping away. His attacks weren¡¯t hitting their marks, and he was struggling to survive.

    The robed figures were no longer nervous about fighting Hans and Snoc; they seemed to be at ease instead. They had realized that Hans and Snoc¡¯s skills weren¡¯t even at their level.

    ¡°Don¡¯t kill them. I have something to ask them,¡± one of the robed figures said to his other teammates. If the robed figures hadn¡¯t wanted more information from them, Hans and Snoc would have turned into corpses a long time ago.

    Punch!

    ¡°Ugh!¡± Hans was hit in the stomach, and he stumbled back.

    Tuck!

    His feet tripped on something. It was the tform that Estede was stuck in. Before they realized it, Hans and Snoc had been driven towards the center where Estede was. The robed figures had driven them towards the middle so that they couldn¡¯t escape and make it easier to capture them.

    ¡°Ugh!¡±

    Hans quickly got up. Then, he got up on the tform and maintained his stance. The robed figures slowly moved towards Hans. He thought he could hear themughing; no, they were definitelyughing at him. Even though Hans slowly moved backward, there was another robed figure waiting for him in the back. Like Hans, he also walked up the tform. Snoc was getting one-sidedly attacked from a distance¡ªit was difficult to expect help from him.

    Tap!

    While Hans was moving backward, he felt something hit his waist¡ªit was Estede. Despite the danger they were in, Estede let out a subtle beam of light. Suddenly, Hans recalled how Zich looked; while wielding Estede, Zich looked like a hero who sessfully turned the tide around in a losing battle. Hans stared at his opponents who wereing closer to him. Even though he was slightly hesitant, there was no time for him to pause any longer. He moved his current sword to his left hand and grabbed Estede with his right hand.

    His enemiesughed at him; they all knew what sword he was holding. Even Hans didn¡¯t think he could pull out Estede; however, he recalled something Zich had taught him.

    ¡®Give it all you can until the very end. It¡¯s not toote to give up when you¡¯re dead. Use any means until the veryst moment¡ªutilize any possible method you can to resist even if hope feels like an impossibility.¡¯

    Hans put strength into his hands. Surprisingly, Estede fit very well into his hand and made him think that he could really pull it out.

    Suuuu!

    Hans felt a pleasant sense of vibrationing from the hand that grasped Estede, and Hans¡¯ eyes widened. He had not been mistaken. Estede was definitely moving. Likewise, the robed figures could not hide the shock on their faces. Their faces were exactly the same as the first robed figures when they saw Zich pull out Estede.

    Suuuuuu!

    With this sound, the swordpletely came out of the tform and revealed itself to the world. Hans saw his opponents desperately rush towards him. The enormous strength from Estede filled up Hans¡¯ body.

    ¡®Ahh!¡¯

    Hans was ted. The holy sword he never thought he could pull out shone brightly in his hand. It felt as if his childish dream of bing a hero, which had started to be real from Zich¡¯s guidance, was bing even more real with Estede in his hands. There was no need for him to hesitate anymore. Hans swung Estede at the robed figures.

    * * *

    Zich and L opened their eyes. The first thing they did was check their surroundings.

    ¡°Is it just me or are we in the same ce as before?¡± True to Zich¡¯s words, their surroundings looked the same as the ancient ruin.

    L closed her eyes and tried to squeeze out mana. But she shook her head. ¡°You¡¯re wrong¡ªthis is a different ce. But I also can¡¯t cast teleportation magic here either.¡±

    ¡°I guess we have to keep wandering around. I hope it won¡¯t be a maze like the ancient ruin in Violuwin.¡± However, Zich soon regretted his words. After walking a bit more, a crossroad appeared in front of them. And past that crossroad, another crossroad appeared.

    ¡°Don¡¯t people tell you often that you should watch what you say?¡±

    ¡°Just leave me alone.¡± Zich waved his hands.

    They walked forward to find the entrance. As they quietly moved forward, only the sound of their footsteps could be heard. But even this silence did notst long.

    ¡°I have many questions to ask you.¡± While walking, Zich started talking. ¡°Even though I didn¡¯tin much when you didn¡¯t properly answer any of my questions before, I want you to at least give me a vague exnation about why you were in the secret passageway of an ancient ruin, and the identities of those guys who chased after you.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°Are you not going to say anything again? Why don¡¯t you try talking for a little bit? If you think about it, didn¡¯t I just save your life?¡±

    ¡°¡­I don¡¯t know exactly either.¡± L finally opened her mouth.

    ¡°What do you mean you don¡¯t know? They¡¯re your memories.¡±

    ¡°¡­Yes, it¡¯s my memories.¡± It was not apletely satisfactory answer. L let out a few sighs. It seemed as if she had something to say.

    Then she turned around and looked at Zich. ¡°¡­What¡¯s wrong?¡±

    Even though L expected Zich to be staring at her with anticipation at the thought of hearing her answers, he was frowning and staring at his finger instead.

    ¡°It hurts.¡±

    ¡°To think about it, you told me that your finger hurt before, right?¡±

    The two of them carefully looked at Zich¡¯s finger.

    ¡°But there are no injuries?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s the problem.¡±

    ¡°Does it hurt a lot?¡±

    ¡°Quite a bit.¡±

    In reality, a burning sensation was continuously flowing inside Zich¡¯s hand. If it had not been Zich who had a high tolerance for pain, any ordinary person would have grabbed their fingers and rolled around on the ground by now.

    ¡°If the outside is fine, maybe there¡¯s something wrong inside. What if something is stuck inside your hand?¡±

    ¡°But I don¡¯t recall something like that happening¡­!¡± While shaking his head, Zich suddenly stopped.

    ¡°Did you think of something?¡±

    Zich did not reply. He took out his sword. He clenched his fist and only stretched out the finger that hurt. And then he brought his sword down.

    Ssh!

    He cut off his finger and blood sshed out. L winced. She couldn¡¯t believe that Zich immediately cut his finger after thinking that there was something inside it. However, Zich paid no attention to L¡¯s surprise and brought his bloody finger up. Then he began to pry into his fingers with great force. It was a grotesque sight. At the sight of Zich dismembering his own finger, even L took a step back. But Zich stared at something that came out of his finger and approached her again.

    ¡°Is there something stuck¡­!¡±

    L stopped talking. She stared intently at what came out of his finger. Likewise, Zich did the same thing. His eyes were so wide that it was difficult to describe his expression with words. And then he took the thing outside his finger. The object waspletely drenched in blood, and it showed off the same sharpness as thest time he saw it.

    ¡°¡­The Key That Distorts Destiny.¡±

    The object that Zich should have never seen since his regression was stuck inside his finger.

 Chapter 117

    <h4>Chapter 117</h4>

    The first time Hans heard about a holy sword was when his grandmother read him a storybook many years ago. The story was about a hero who defeated the Demon Lord. After receiving a holy sword from an archangel, the hero persevered through all kinds of trials to aplish all his goals; and the book ended with the hero marrying a beautiful princess. During his young, na?ve days, Hans dreamed of bing a hero. But as he grew older and came to know reality, he realized how hopeless his dreams were.

    His status was that of a count''s servant; it was a far cry from a hero. Heroes or princesses probably had servants, but they were never mentioned. He was like a non-existent character who didn¡¯t even appear in the first few pages of a storybook. And like all grownups, Hans had pushed his dreams far away, into the deep corner of his mind. But right now, a white holy sword shed in his hand like it was letting its presence known.

    Estede emitted out bright light as Hans wielded it. Having watched Zich¡¯s fighting, half with admiration and half with envy, Hans knew how to basically use Estede.

    Kuaaah!

    ¡°Urgh!¡±

    ¡°Ugh!¡±

    His enemies became enveloped by a stream of light as they were pushed back. Every time Hans swung his sword, a bright light lit up the area.

    ¡®Stay calm. Calm.¡¯ Hans told himself as his heart thumped. Getting too excited in a fight would have a detrimental effect on him. Whether his situation was positive or negative, he had to maintain hisposure during battle. If that was impossible, he had to trick himself into thinking that the situation was going well for him¡ªthis was what Zich had taught him. Soon, Estede¡¯s bumpy trajectory returned to normal.

    Whoosh! Whoosh!

    Light continued to shoot out of Estede as his enemies were busy blocking and evading his attacks. He couldn¡¯t fight the same way as Zich who had struck a mortal blow and sliced the neck of everyone else besides the leader with a few swings. But Hans didn¡¯t feel disappointed. Zich was an unreachable entity to him and not someone he shouldpare himself to.

    Four of the robed figures stuck closely to Hans and eased Snoc from fighting off his opponent.

    Crash!

    ¡°Aaah!¡±

    As Estede collided against one of the robed figure¡¯s swords, Hans¡¯ enemy flew away. The light intensified Hans¡¯ mana. It seeped into his muscles, veins, nerves, and his whole body and boosted his physical ability.

    ¡®It works!¡¯

    He was now able to use skills that he couldn¡¯t do before because ofcking physical and mana strength.

    Slice!

    He felt something in his hands. It wasn¡¯t the hard feeling he got from two swords colliding. It felt soft like he was cutting through flesh. One of his enemies clutched onto his half-sliced neck, but the blood didn¡¯t stop pouring out from his neck. While the robed figure groaned, ¡®Kkurgh! Kkrugh!¡¯ he spurted out blood even from his mouth.

    Hans rushed towards his enemy. It felt like Zich was instructing him: ¡®Dive into your opponent¡¯s weak points, defeat the weakest one among your enemies, and try not to miss your chance after inflicting a serious injury on your opponent.¡¯

    ¡®¡­And clearly finish them off at every opportunity you have!¡¯

    Wiiing!

    Estede brimmed with light, and Hans sliced the air widely.

    Whoosh!

    Light filled with mana flew out like crescent moons. As Hans struck down his opponent, his opponent¡¯s eyes grew wide open. This was the man¡¯sst expression before his death.

    Slice!

    The light thatnded on his stomach cleanly cut the man into two. As if his top and bottom had gained a mind of their own, they each fell separately to the ground. As one of their members died, the robed figures began to be pushed back further. They had their hands full with Hans¡¯ attacks, and the light aggressively dug into their openings. One fell and another one soon followed.

    Crash!

    Snoc killed one of the robed figures by smashing a rock on the figure¡¯s head while they were busy fighting Hans. In the end, the only people who survived were Hans and Snoc.

    ¡°Haa! We survived!¡± They had won even with a disadvantage in power and numbers. Hans loosened his grip on Estede and breathed a sigh of relief.

    ¡°Senior! That is¡­!¡± Snoc quickly ran to Hans¡¯ side and stared at Estede that Hans was holding.

    ¡°Wow! You have the qualifications to wield a holy sword!¡±

    ¡°It seems so.¡±

    Hans looked at Estede again. As it was showing off its strength, the sword shone its pure white de. Hans¡¯ heart seemed to swell up with emotions. He had wielded a holy sword that only those specially chosen could wield, and he felt like he was one step closer to his dream. Then, Zich popped into his head. Hans wanted to show off to Zich how he was able to hold Estede, and most of all, he wanted to thank Zich.

    Although they had begun their rtionship in the worst way possible (which was one-sidedly Hans¡¯ fault), Zich had helped Hans in many ways and didn¡¯tugh at his dream. And Hans thought he was only able to meet the holy sword¡¯s qualifications thanks to Zich. If he had never started this journey with Zich, it would have been impossible for him to wield a holy sword.

    Snoc looked at Hans¡¯ Estede with envy for a bit, but he quickly shrugged it off, saying, ¡°I have Nowem anyways.¡±

    Koo!

    Nowem responded loudly.

    Thud!

    They heard something move. They immediately looked towards the noise and felt chills run down their backs. ¡®Don¡¯t let your guard down and always double-check after a battle is over¡¯¡ªZich had reminded them of this lesson over and over again. However, they hadpletely forgotten it because of Estede¡¯s shining existence.

    ¡®If Sir Zich was here, he would have killed us.¡¯ Hans and Snoc both had the same thought as they saw that one of their enemies was still alive.

    They were worried about getting scolded by Zich, but their hearts also plummeted at the thought that they could have gotten ambushed. Fortunately, their enemy could only crawl on the ground, and he wasn¡¯t able to move well. The man raised his head. There was bright red blood all over his face. Judging by the injuries on his face, it was unlikely that he would survive. While letting down some of his guard, Hans moved towards the man to end his life.

    ¡°¡­Do you think you¡¯ve won?¡±

    The manughed. Heughed while blood was sttered all over his whole face, so he looked grotesque. But since they had all sorts of horrifying experiences from following Zich around, Hans and Snoc didn¡¯t even flinch. Hans raised his sword.

    ¡°You guys will all die. Very soon, a terrifying nightmare wille down upon this city, and all of you will perish with this city!¡±

    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Hans questioned.

    The man did not reply; he justughed.

    Thud!

    Hans brought Estede down on the man¡¯s body. The man¡¯s neck rolled across the ground.

    ¡°Shouldn¡¯t we have gotten information from him?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not like we¡¯re Sir Zich. It¡¯ll be hard for us to get information from him just by using our words. And even if we manage to get information out of him, we don¡¯t have the skills to know if it¡¯s true or not. But most of all, it didn¡¯t seem like he would tell us anything.¡±

    Snoc nodded his head.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go back for now. As Sir Zich told us, we should wait for him in the lodging.¡±

    However, thest words that the robed man said lingered in Hans and Snoc¡¯s hearts for a long time.

    * * *

    Zich looked down at the ¡®Key That Distorts Destiny¡¯ in his hand with a very serious expression. Then, L tapped him a few times.

    ¡°Hey, let¡¯s heal that first.¡±

    His cut finger was still bleeding profusely.

    ¡°Oh, yeah.¡±

    Zich took out a potion and poured it on his fingers. The potion he took out was the highest quality potion he got from Karuwiman. Even though it couldn¡¯t regenerate whole limbs, it was able to regenerate a finger. After Zich made sure that his finger was regenerating, he stared down at the Key That Distorts Destiny in his hand again.

    ¡°That¡­¡± While pointing towards the Key That Distorts Destiny, L swallowed her words.

    Zich asked, ¡°Do you know something about it?¡±

    ¡°¡­I don¡¯t know.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, L, but I¡¯m not in the mood to y around with you.¡±

    ¡°I really don''t know anything about that.¡± L shook her head. ¡°There¡¯s something that sort ofes to my mind. But right now, I don¡¯t know.¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t know about it now? Then did you know about it in the past?¡±

    ¡°¡­I have no idea about that as well.¡±

    Zich stared at L. She didn¡¯t avert her gaze. It didn¡¯t seem like she was joking around. For a second, Zich thought something along the lines of, ¡®Since she can¡¯t teleport, should I force information out of her?¡¯ But even without her teleportation abilities, she was a formidable opponent. Moreover, L¡¯s reaction didn¡¯t seem like she was simply refusing to answer.

    ¡°¡­Just tell me as much as you can. That¡¯ll be good enough.¡± Zich decided to give up on all his ns that used force.

    Fortunately, L didn¡¯t continue to refuse. ¡°¡­Okay.¡±

    L raised three of her fingers. ¡°Three. I can reply to three of your questions.¡±

    ¡°Isn¡¯t that too stingy? Can¡¯t you increase the numbers a little bit?¡±

    L shook her head.

    ¡®I guess I can¡¯t help it.¡¯

    When Zich was wondering what to ask¡ª

    Sssk!

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    ¡°What?¡¯

    L, who was about to talk, and Zich, who was waiting for L to talk, both looked down at the same time. Both of their gazes returned to the Key That Distorts Destiny that was on Zich¡¯s palm.

    ¡°It just moved, right?¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡±

    The Key That Distorts Destiny moved for sure. Zich had even felt it move on his hand.

    Ssssk!

    The key moved a little further. It slowly turned in Zich¡¯s hand. The sharp ends of the key pointed towards a path as if it was apass. Zich and L both looked at the path where the key pointed towards.

    ¡°¡­Should we continue moving while talking?¡±

    ¡°¡­Yeah.¡±

    They began following the direction that the Key That Distorts Destiny pointed towards.

    * * *

    Zich and L followed the path that the key pointed to, and whenever they reached a crossroad, the Key That Distorts Destiny spun around and pointed them towards a new path. It was obvious that it was guiding them towards a specific path.

    L asked, ¡°Have you decided what to ask me?¡±

    ¡°Roughly.¡±

    ¡°Then ask.¡±

    ¡°But are you really able to give me a reply? From what you¡¯ve told me so far, there seems to be something wrong with your memories.¡±

    ¡°¡­Yeah, that¡¯s true. But don¡¯t worry. I won¡¯t count the questions I can¡¯t answer.¡±

    ¡°Hmmm.¡± Zich looked down at the key on his hand.

    ¡®It really seems like she doesn¡¯t know about this.¡¯

    After hanging out with her for a bit, Zich found out that L was not a very good liar. Of course, she could also be acting like a bad liar, but if this was true, Zich would not be able to trust her at all; and that would also mean that she could perfectly control her smallest behaviors and reactions to deceive him.

    ¡®I should at least ask her some questions. Maybe trust is something I should think aboutter.¡¯

    ¡°Okay, L. First, tell me your real name.¡±

    ¡°¡­What?¡± L was taken aback.

    ¡®Hmmm.¡¯

    Zich carefully observed her response. She didn¡¯t look taken aback by being asked an unexpected question; rather, she looked as if she didn¡¯t know how she should answer.

    That was even stranger.

    ¡®It¡¯s just her name though?¡¯

    ¡®Does she think that I can identify her by just her name?¡¯ However, this also didn¡¯t seem like the case.

    ¡°¡­It¡¯s L.¡±

    ¡°But that¡¯s an alias.¡±

    ¡°No, it¡¯s not.¡±

    ¡°Didn¡¯t you just quickly make that one up when I asked you what your name was?¡±

    ¡°¡­That¡¯s right.¡±

    ¡°But you¡¯re saying that¡¯s your name?¡±

    L nodded her head.

    ¡®Hmmm, how should I interpret this answer?¡¯

    Thinking about it, the robed figures who chased after L called her the ¡®Core.¡¯

    ¡®Even though Core could be her name, she said that wasn¡¯t it.¡¯

    There was a big possibility that ¡®Core¡¯ meant something entirely different.

 Chapter 118

    <h4>Chapter 118</h4>

    Zich hadn¡¯t nned on asking some amazing questions with those three chances.

    ¡®Three questions are not enough to get much information about her.¡¯

    Furthermore, although he was curious about her identity, Zich had already made up his mind that it didn¡¯t matter if anyone, including Glen Zenard, had regressed like him. At first, he felt surprised to think that another person could have regressed, but he no longer felt this way. Zich¡¯s main reason for wanting to learn about L¡¯s identity was simple curiosity. And if the Key That Distorts Destiny hadn¡¯t suddenly popped out of his hand and put him on edge, he wouldn¡¯t have even pressured L to talk. And now, Zich was already recovering his sense of calm.

    ¡®Since she seems to have problems with her memories, I don¡¯t think I will get much out of her either.¡¯

    L even said that she didn¡¯t know anything about the ¡®Key,¡¯ which he was most curious about. Thus, the first question Zich asked was about her name. If he couldn¡¯t gain much from trying to dig for information, he thought he should use this chance to ask her personal questions and build a closer bond with her.

    ¡®Rather than forcing it out of her, it¡¯s better to encourage her to confess everything of her own will after she regains her memories.¡¯

    But it seemed as if the first question had already hit a sore spot.

    ¡®She refuses to say it. Or did she not have a name in the first ce? That seems to be the case¡­¡¯

    Whatever the case was, it seemed like L didn¡¯t grow up in a good environment.

    ¡®Since I already asked a sensitive question, maybe I should push it a bit more.¡¯

    Zich decided to alter his ns slightly.

    ¡°It seems like you know all kinds of information. How do you know all that?¡± Zich was almost certain that she had regressed like him, but he wanted to confirm this fact. But just in case, he asked her in a roundabout way; and he realized that this was the right decision.

    ¡°¡­I have dreams.¡±

    ¡°Dreams?¡±

    ¡°Yes, dreams.¡±

    Zich turned his head, and he stared at her. Her response waspletely different from what he had expected. ¡°What are the dreams about?¡±

    ¡°They are about two people¡¯s futures. One person is the Sun Hero who wields a holy sword and protects the world. The other person is the Demon Lord of Strength who wields a demon sword and corrupts the world.¡±

    Zich silently listened to her although he was surprised.

    ¡°I experienced what those two felt and saw it through my dreams.¡±

    ¡°¡­And how did those dreams end?¡±

    ¡°There were many endings.¡±

    Zich¡¯s eyebrows rose.

    ¡°Sometimes, the Demon Lord won, and sometimes, the Hero won. There were even times when both died, or apletely different event unfolded and left the two in shock. But most of the futures ended with the confrontation between the Sun Hero and the Demon Lord.¡±

    ¡°¡­And I am guessing that I won¡¯t be able to use myst question to get all the details of these futures?¡±

    ¡°Not only will that be too much, but I also don¡¯t know these futures in detail. My memory is iplete.¡±

    ¡°Why is your memory iplete?¡±

    ¡°I can think of that as your third question, right? I think I did my service.¡±

    ¡°¡ªNo, wait.¡± Zich stopped his questioning for a moment and thought deeply. But L seemed to have thought that Zich¡¯s reaction was strange.

    ¡°¡­What is it? I thought you were in a simr situation as me. Didn¡¯t you gain information from seeing your future? And isn¡¯t that why you are working hard to not be Zich Moore?¡±

    ¡®That¡¯s what she thought?¡¯ Zich realized that he and L had misunderstood each other¡¯s thoughts and positions. Zich thought L regressed like him while L thought Zich had seen the future through his dreams like her.

    ¡®So, she was drawing her own conclusions just from the information she got from her dreams.¡¯

    It was funny to think about it.

    ¡®To think she sees different futures in her dreams¡­¡¯

    Truthfully, it was hard to believe her. But hadn¡¯t Zich regressed? If regressions happened, it was ridiculous to outrightly reject her im as false.

    ¡®What if I also dreamed like L?¡¯ What if his dreams were so clear that he thought he had regressed? However, Zich quickly rejected this idea.

    ¡®No matter how clear a dream is, it doesn¡¯t make you lose the memories you had right before sleeping.¡¯

    When he first woke up, it took him a long time to recall his memories at Steelwall. If memories from the regression had been a dream, he wouldn¡¯t have had to go through the previous day¡¯s memories like he was searching for an old item, deep inside a worn-out ceiling filled with spiderwebs and tainted goods. And above all, the Key That Distorts Destiny was the most powerful evidence that he had actually regressed.

    Zich thought about what L had said again: ¡®She said there were many different futures.¡¯

    When she talked about her dreams, it sounded like she was talking about him and Glen Zenard.

    ¡®If she really saw the future, then there must be many possibilities in the future, and my past regression self must have been in the one where I lost.¡±

    Zich scowled. ¡®Why did I have to be in one where I lost out of all the possible futures?¡¯

    He felt bitter. L looked at him strangely, so Zich fixed his expression. ¡°Then, do I still have one question left?¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡±

    Zich mused over his choices: was he going to use this opportunity to build a better rtionship with her like he had originally nned, or was he going to get more information out of her like he just did?

    ¡°I have decided.¡±

    ¡°What is it?¡± Zich looked at L with a solemn expression. L tensed up, thinking he might ask her a very serious question.

    ¡°What¡¯s your favorite color?¡±

    ¡°¡­What?¡±

    ¡°Your favorite color.¡± In the end, Zich chose to build a closer rtionship with L and gain more information out of her in the long run.

    ¡°¡­Is that really your question?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re not going to regret it? I won¡¯t give you another chance even if you beg me.¡±

    ¡°I won¡¯t.¡±

    ¡°¡­It¡¯s white.¡± After answering Zich¡¯s question, L wondered if this was really all right. Even as she replied, it was clear that she was wondering if their question time could just end like this.

    ¡°That¡¯s why you named yourself L.¡±

    L petals werepletely white.

    ¡°Yeah. With that, my questions are over.¡±

    ¡°¡­Is this okay? Weren¡¯t you desperate to get more information out of me?¡±

    ¡°ording to the situation, my response also changes.¡±

    She looked at him with suspicion, but Zich put on a perfect poker face.

    ¡°No matter how good-looking I am, even I feel pressured if you stare at me like that.¡±

    ¡°Yeah right.¡± Lughed and returned to her normal attitude.

    ¡°Ah, I actually have another question.¡±

    ¡°¡­Even if you don¡¯t have a conscience, isn¡¯t this too fast for you to change your words?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not that type of question, dummy. Well, you are right about how I don¡¯t have a conscience.¡± As if he was proud of hisck of conscience, Zich held his head high up, and L looked at him like he was absurd. ¡°You said you see a lot of different futures, right?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. But I don¡¯t remember the exact details.¡±

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter to me, because I¡¯m not asking for that kind of information.¡± Zich stared into L¡¯s eyes and asked, ¡°Do you think I will be Demon Lord Zich Moore even now?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    L became silent. She looked at Zich once more and fell into deep thought. After a lot of struggle, she finally said, ¡°¡­No. But you never know. Even though I don¡¯t remember exactly, I saw a lot of different futures. Right now, I can¡¯t judge if you are walking the same paths as the ones from my dream or walking apletely new path you have never walked before. But I¡¯m pretty sure there was never a future where you held Estede.¡±

    ¡°In other words, just by holding Estede, I¡¯m moving towards a future I have never walked before?¡±

    ¡°Yep. So as I was telling you, as soon as we get out of here, find Estede and take it. You shouldn¡¯t even think about getting near Tornium.¡±

    ¡°But I still like Tornium.¡±

    ¡°¡­Did your parents scold you a lot for not listening to them at all?¡±

    Zich shrugged his shoulders, and L hit her chest. She acted as if she was a mother sighing about her disobedient child.

    ¡°Regardless of whether I keep Estede or Tornium or an old nail I find rolling on the street, let¡¯s get out of here first and then talk.¡± Zich fixed his grip on the sword he was holding. ¡°From here on out, there seems to be something different.¡±

    The new path that appeared in front of them no longer had man-made stones on the floors, walls, or ceilings. Only natural rock beds appeared in view. Instead of a man-made tunnel, they were now clearly walking towards a natural cave. The Key That Distorts Destiny was quietly pointing them towards the cave.

    * * *

    Tourist sites were not the only attractions of Violuwin. Outside the Violuwin walls, tall mountains spread across the city¡¯s surroundings. The rough rocky mountains adorned themselves with clouds on top and presented a very mysterious and awe-inducing sight to the people of Violuwin.

    However, the mountains that normally enriched the hearts of Violuwins were now hiding a deadly poison inside. Contrary to the mountain peak that featured bare rock walls, the deep valley was covered with dense trees and bushes.

    Rustle!

    Someone moved among the bush and appeared into view. If Zich had seen this person, Zich¡¯s eyes would have sparkled at the figure¡¯s long robes. The robed figure rustled through the bush. Several more people came into view behind him. They all deftly made their way through the natural forest, untouched by humans. Even the tree branches that reached towards the sky, the vine stems that grabbed onto people¡¯s feet, and even the branches of shrubs that hit their faces could not deter their footsteps in the slightest.

    ¡°¡­Have we arrived?¡±

    A voice was heard; it was an extremely ordinary voice. It was the type of voice that if you grabbed the most ordinary-looking person on the street, that would be how they sounded. All the people who followed behind becamepletely stiff at the man¡¯s voice.

    ¡°Yes, sir!¡± The robed man who replied on behalf of the rest of his teammates clearly had fear in his voice.

    ¡°Seeing that only you guys came up, it surely isn¡¯t good news.¡±

    ¡°We lost contact with the tracking team!¡±

    The person with the ordinary voice let out a sigh. The robed man who was reporting became even more frozen. Even though he knew that the person in front of him didn¡¯t kill his underlings whenever he was in a bad mood, he still felt fearful.

    ¡°Did they get defeated?¡±

    ¡°Sir, that is a very high possibility!¡±

    ¡°Were they defeated by the Core? If that¡¯s not it, did a third party intervene?¡±

    ¡°We were not able to verify that.¡±

    ¡°Well, I guess so.¡±

    The man who was reporting wanted to get out of this thorny situation as soon as possible. He was unable to hide the sweating down inside his hood and stood as still as a stone statue. The person with the ordinary voice fell into thought for a moment.

    But he did not ponder for too long. ¡°Consider Stage 1 a failure, and let¡¯s continue with Stage 2. Make sure to prepare.¡±

    ¡°Yes, sir!¡±

    The man who was reporting quickly drew back. He was so happy that he could finally disappear in front of the person with the ordinary voice. The robed man took his men and began preparing for Stage 2. The person with the ordinary voice thought of Violuwin; in that city, people were always having fun and enjoying a happy day.

    ¡®It¡¯s really such a pity.¡¯

    While thinking of the city¡¯s near future, the person with the normal voice clicked his tongue.

 Chapter 119

    <h4>Chapter 119</h4>

    As Zich had ordered them to, Hans and Snoc waited for him inside their lodging. But even after the next day arrived, Zich still didn¡¯t return.

    ¡°Sir Zich will probably be fine, right?¡±

    It was the first time Zich hadn¡¯t contacted them for so long that Snoc grew worried.

    So, Hans suggested, ¡°Try to imagine Sir Zich getting defeated.¡±

    ¡°¡­I can¡¯t imagine it.¡±

    It was like he had no imagination¡ªSnoc couldn¡¯t imagine the sight of Zich¡¯s defeat no matter what.

    ¡°Nothing will change even if we worry about it. Let¡¯s just prepare for possible scenarios.¡± Hans was also worried about Zich, but he couldn¡¯t tell Snoc that. This was because Hans thought that once he expressed an emotion like worry, it would only increase by several folds. Furthermore, like Snoc, Hans also couldn¡¯t imagine Zich getting beaten up.

    ¡°Sir Zich can handle his own problems better than us.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s for sure¡­¡±

    Koo!

    In the end, they¡ªincluding Nowem¡ªreached the conclusion that it was pointless to worry about Zich.

    ¡°Actually, rather than Sir Zich¡ªI am more concerned about what our enemy told us as he died at the ruins.¡±

    ¡°Ah, you mean how he said that a terrifying nightmare would soone down upon this city and perish with us.¡±

    Snoc tried to remember. ¡°Didn¡¯t he just say that to scare us?¡±

    ¡°I wish that was the case.¡±

    But Hans couldn¡¯t shake off this uneasy feeling. As the man said, Hans felt that something bad might happen to this city.

    ¡°What if, maybe...¡± Hans carefully said, ¡°¡­An uncontroble nightmare really arrives in this city? ¡­To the point that it might even threaten our lives? Then, what are you going to do? Sir Zich isn¡¯t even here right now.¡±

    Snoc fell into deep contemtion. He tried lifting Nowem up and meeting his eyes or tried looking up at the sky. ¡°Well, I¡¯m scared of doing something that may cost me my life. I mean, I don¡¯t want to die.¡±

    Koo.

    ¡°But I have to help people. That¡¯s the reason why I left Suol in the first ce. I have already decided to share the burden of Nowem¡¯s sins, so I can¡¯t escape just because a situation became more dangerous.¡±

    Koo!

    Nowem rubbed his face on Snoc¡¯s arms.

    ¡°Since I have Nowem and learned many things from Sir Zich, I will try my best to save even one more person.¡±

    ¡°¡­Yes, definitely.¡± Hans stared at a corner of the room where Estede sat modestly while wrapped inyers of fabric. It was the holy sword, Estede, which was said to choose its own master.

    ¡®As someone chosen by that sword, I can¡¯t run away.¡¯

    Hans steeled his resolve.

    * * *

    It waste at night. The vibrant, round moon tried to bless its viewers with a silverish light, but mischievous clouds nketed the sky. The city fell into darkness, and both Hans and Snoc were asleep. They were getting their money¡¯s worth on their pricey beddings and nkets, and after eating a good meal and resting, both of their conditions were splendid. They were consciously keeping their bodies in the best condition for the worst-case scenario. Soon, their uneasy feeling proved to be correct.

    Blink!

    Hans, who had been snoring with his face on the nket, opened his eyes. He threw off the nket he was using and raised his body.

    ¡®This is¡­!¡¯

    It was very faint, but he could hear something. It was a human¡¯s scream. Hans quickly grabbed Estede and opened the window. The faint scream grew a bit louder. What was it? Hans turned around to get out of the room when¡ª

    Shaa!

    From a distance, a building lit up instantly. It wasn¡¯t yet time for the sun to rise, and the light came from a fire that had erupted near the castle walls.

    ¡®Is there a fire?¡¯

    Did people scream because of the fire? But the incident didn¡¯t end with a single building erupting into mes. The sparks in the sky were just the beginning. A burst of mes shot up from many ces, proving that this wasn¡¯t simply an ident; and Hans was reminded of his enemy¡¯sst words again.

    Bam!

    He kicked the door open and went outside. It seemed that no one else had noticed the disturbance yet, and the hallway was empty. Hans went to the room next door.

    Swing!

    Before Hans could ce his hands on the doorknob, the door opened and revealed Snoc. He had also noticed the abnormal happenings.

    ¡°Is this perhaps¡­!¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know yet.¡± Hans pushed off making any judgments for now since he had no information. ¡°But it¡¯s possible.¡±

    Snoc¡¯s face stiffened for a moment, but his face soon regained color and he stepped out of the room. ¡°Let¡¯s go, senior.¡±

    ¡°Are you sure? We don¡¯t even know what is happening outside.¡±

    ¡°We know for sure that it can¡¯t be anything good. So, we have to go. If we back off in a situation like this because we are scared, Sir Zich willugh at us. No, we should be grateful if it ends with just that.¡± Snoc waved his hands like he didn¡¯t even want to think about that.

    ¡°Fine. Let¡¯s hurry up then. People might be suffering even right now.¡±

    ¡°Yes!¡±

    Hans and Snoc jumped out of their lodging and ran to where the fires were. On the streets, people were outside, watching the mes from a distance. Some faces were filled with worry or curiosity. Hans and Snoc avoided them and continued to run. As more time passed, there were screams, and the power of the mes grew bigger. And mixed in with the screams, they heard more ominous noises. It was the sound of people shouting, weapons colliding, and shrieks that didn¡¯t seem to belong to a human.

    ¡°This is¡­¡± Hans was unable to continue his words.

    Snoc had his mouth wide open. The ce they reached was a literal battlefield. A hoard of monsters was storming in through thepletely open gates, and the Violuwin soldiers were desperately trying to fight them off. However, the soldier¡¯s efforts were in vain; there were just too many monsters. Just by using his senses, Hans could sense that monsterspletely surrounded the city¡¯s walls.

    ¡°Can you sense how many monsters are outside the city¡¯s walls?¡±

    Snoc put his hands together and felt the vibration from the earth. ¡°Senior, I think there are more than hundreds of monsters!¡±

    ¡°Damn it!¡± Hans removed the cloth that was covering Estede. A white holy sword came into view.

    ¡°Let¡¯s first try to block the monsters in front of us! Are you ready?¡±

    ¡°Yes, sir!¡±

    Hans held up Estede, and Snoc put Nowem on his shoulders. They headed straight towards the monsters.

    * * *

    With the Key That Distorts Destiny leading them deeper into the natural cave, Zich and L continued to walk forward. Before they went inside the cave, their only concern was that the paths were like a maze. But as soon as they entered the cave, there were more things to be concerned about.

    ¡°Haap!¡±

    Whoosh!

    Zich swung his sword. His mana-infused sword sliced the target flying towards him.

    Swoosh!

    But Zich sensed nothing when he hit the target. Did he miss? No, he did hit it.

    Pop!

    The target was cut into two, and it exploded in front of him. Dark energy floated in the air and disappeared as if it was absorbed into the air.

    ¡°What the hell was that?¡±

    More of the dark beings that Zich just exterminated began squirming towards him. They looked gross and bizarre. It was as if shadows rose from the ground and were moving around. The shadow-like beings had no clear shape, and they looked like moving clumps of darkness. However, they all roughly had an outline. There were some beings that had four prominent parts sticking out so they looked human, and there were some that were lumpy and small like animals scurrying around. Some of the beings that were shaped like humans had a long extension like an arm holding a weapon.

    Even though most of the shadow beings were just squirming around the cave, a couple of them came towards Zich and L and tried to attack them. However, these beings barely possessed any strength.

    Pop!

    Zich burst another shadow being. From across the cave, a couple more shadow beings moved closer to them.

    Crash!

    A fireball flew past Zich and burst all the shadow beings that wereing towards Zich.

    ¡°They are really endless.¡± Zich beganining as weak shadows continuously attacked them without stopping. ¡°Do you know anything about these creatures?¡±

    ¡°No. Nothinges to my mind at all, so it seems like I really don¡¯t know anything about them.¡±

    ¡°Wow, even you, who has seen so many different kinds of futures, don¡¯t know about them? Are they actually a big discovery?¡± Zich used Piercing Space to cut one shadow being. ¡°I would have been fine with never discovering them though.¡±

    The Key That Distorts Destiny spun again, and they turned towards a different path.

    ¡°Man, when will this thing stop?¡±

    ¡°Are you worried about your people?¡±

    ¡°Who? My servants?¡± Zich thought of Hans and Snoc. ¡°They might not look like much, but I trained those guys. They also have talent and passion, and they are keeping up with my training. So I¡¯m not very worried about them.¡±

    No matter what happened, Zich thought that they would be able to adequately deal with any situation.

    ¡°Of course, both of them have a ridiculous dream, so they might willingly put themselves into dangerous situations.¡±

    ¡°A dream?¡±

    ¡°They want to be heroes.¡±

    ¡°¡­They are working under you with that kind of dream?¡± L thought it was a very strangebination.

    On the other hand, Zich puffed his chest. ¡°Just so you know, I¡¯m very knowledgeable about heroes. I¡¯m also extremely skilled. Even if you search the whole world, no one is as lucky as those two.¡±

    ¡°¡­I¡¯m a bit jealous of your optimism that has no limits.¡± L thought that at least, Zich wouldn¡¯t suffer from stress. She was genuinely a bit jealous of Zich¡¯s way of thinking. ¡°But I guess if those two really have that kind of dream, they would really get stronger. There¡¯s nothing more dangerous to a person than a sense of righteousness without any abilities.¡±

    ¡°Even though I agree with your point, don¡¯t worry about those two.¡±

    ¡°¡­But didn¡¯t you just say that they could be in danger?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not like I¡¯m their parents. I can¡¯t be with them whenever they are in danger. If they do die while trying to achieve their dreams, it¡¯s what they chose. There¡¯s no need to worry or sympathize with them.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°But still, I will make sure to avenge them.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not reassuring at all.¡±

    Even though Zich said he wouldn¡¯t be a Demon Lord anymore, his personality was still awful. L shook her head.

    As they went deeper and deeper into where the key pointed them towards, more shadow beings appeared. The source of the shadow beings was definitely in the direction where the key was pointing.

    Pop!

    After bursting another shadow in front of them, they walked further and reached the end of the cave. An enormous space appeared in front of them.

 Chapter 120

    <h4>Chapter 120</h4>

    Zich and L scowled. Shadows swarmed around a wide trench. Most of the shadows were uninterested in the two, but some approached them.

    ¡°This ce is certainly the shadows¡¯ headquarters.¡±

    ¡°Move.¡± L stepped forward.

    She raised both of her hands and cast a spell.

    Zip! Ziip!

    Lightning started to bounce out of her hands. Shepleted the spell and stretched out her hand.

    Rumble!

    A noise that sounded like thunder filled the trench and made Zich scowl more. But it had a clear effect. A sh of light shredded the trench¡¯s insides and swept the shadows. When the bright light began to disappear, all the shadows were gone without a trace.

    ¡°I finished them.¡±

    ¡°¡­You did this on purpose, right?¡± Zich said while flicking his jittering hand.

    L smiled teasingly. ¡°It¡¯s aplete headache to take out the area you are in from my shooting range. It also takes more mana to do that when I know it won¡¯t affect you much anyway.¡±

    ¡°You could¡¯ve at least told me in advance,¡± Zichined while walking past her.

    The Key That Distorts Destiny was pointing to the center of the trench. As if they were near their destination, it not only pointed towards a direction, but it also began to vibrate.

    L also noticed this. ¡°It seems like we are almost there.¡±

    ¡°Yes. I see something over there.¡±

    The two walked a bit faster, and the key began to vibrate harder. When they arrived at the trench¡¯s center, the key¡¯s vibrations reached its peak and came to a sudden stop.

    ¡°This is¡­¡±

    ¡°¡­Is it a sword?¡±

    There was something stuck in the center of the trench. Like L said, it appeared to be a sword, but it also didn¡¯t seem quite right to call it that. Its ends were pointy, so it definitely was something simr to a sword, but its shape waspletely different from ordinary swords. If one had to describe what the thing looked like, it looked like a tree branch.

    From below, the sword¡¯s de was stretched out into multiple branches like someone had chopped a branch with many twigs and stuck it into the floor. In addition, the metal part of the handle was exposed and made it look even shabbier. However, Zich and L didn¡¯t say anything for a while. They felt a strong pressure seep out of it, and they were sure that the object was a remarkable item.

    Swipe!

    The key that was in his hand hovered in the air. Zich and L stared as it slowly flew towards one of the sword¡¯s split des. Unlike the other des, the de which the key approached had its edge cracked. The keynded on the de¡¯s edge and matched the missing part of the de. It almost seemed as if the key was the missing piece that had fallen off the de, and the slight crack between the key and de disappeared like someone had rubbed it like y. The Key That Distorts Destiny perfectly assimted into the de.

    Zich asked, ¡°What is that?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡±

    ¡°It wasn¡¯t part of the future you saw?¡±

    ¡°Probably.¡±

    ¡°Those dreams are useless.¡±

    ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you know what that is? You had it inside your finger the whole time.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not the one who stuck it inside me.¡±

    The two bickered until¡ª

    Wing!

    The sword rang and interrupted their conversation.

    Wing! Wing! Wing!

    Like its heart was beating, it began to ring rhythmically. L pushed Zich forward. ¡°I think it¡¯s calling you. Try pulling it out.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t use me as an experiment to test the unknown.¡± But even as Zich said this, he walked to the front of the sword. After all, he was curious about its existence, and how the sword seemed to have been the original form of the key he had wondered so much about.

    Grip!

    Zich grabbed the metal handle, and he was surprised.

    ¡®It¡¯s warm?¡¯

    Zich had expected a cold touch of metal, but as if he was grabbing onto a person¡¯s hand, the sword handle exuded out warmth. Zich slowly pulled the sword out.

    Crack!

    The sword that was stuck to the floor revealed itsplete form. Zich raised it and nced at its appearance. It was as if the designer hadn¡¯t considered its practicality at all, and it looked even more like a tree branch from close up. However, each of its stretched-out des was sharp and poured out strong energy.

    Thump!

    Zich¡¯s heart thumped. Mysterious energy traveled from the sword handle to his hand. The energy didn¡¯t feel threatening, but it felt as if the sword was expressing its excitement and curiosity.

    Thump! Thump!

    His heart thumped faster, and the sword resonated with his heartbeat. The energying from the sword smoothly cycled through his whole body once, and as Zich¡¯s mana weed it¡ª

    Pop!

    With Zich in the center, a mana wave exploded. The air roughly howled, and L, who stood nearby, covered her face with her hands and backed away a couple of steps. Her clothes pped wildly.

    The mana wave didn¡¯tst long, and the swirling winds soon became calm. L put her hands down and stared at Zich. He was tightly holding the sword that looked like a tree branch.

    ¡°Haaa!¡± Zich breathed out. It was a happy sigh, and the color of his face brightened up. Zich looked down at his hand. Then, he closed and opened his fist several times.

    ¡°¡­Zich?¡± L looked at him warily, but Zich gave her a bright, confident smile.

    ¡°This thing is awesome.¡±

    * * *

    ¡°Hah!¡± Hans swung Estede. The holy light from the sword drew a beautiful curve.

    Kuwek!

    The troll that was running towards him was split into two. But it didn¡¯t end with just that; Estede let out its light and ughtered a few more orcs before it dimmed.

    ¡°Haaaat!¡± Snoc let out his battle cry.

    Koooo!

    Nowem¡¯s cries could also be heard.

    Crash! Crash!

    The ground rippled, the stones flew, and the monsters were lifted in the air. The two of them continued to defeat the monsters while heading towards the city gate. The city gate was alreadypletely crushed and looked worn out. Even if they were able to somehow close the gate, they wouldn¡¯t be able to stop the monsters froming in.

    ¡°Snoc! Close the city gate!¡± Hans ran towards the gate and shouted to Snoc. Hans destroyed all the monsters that blocked his path; Estede showed off its abilities. Its light split the sea of monsters in half.

    ¡®Good thing I prepared for this!¡¯

    After Hans brought Estede out of the ancient ruins, he didn¡¯t just loiter around. Estede definitely boosted Hans¡¯ strengths to new heights, but if he couldn¡¯t control its power, he would be swept by the sword¡¯s strength and have more openings in his fights. For that reason, even though it was for only one day, Hans fiercely trained himself to wield Estede. Since Zich was not there to watch his training, he couldn¡¯t say for sure that he had perfectly prepared himself, but he was confident that he was now able to utilize Estede somewhat.

    ¡°Haaaat!¡±

    Estede let out a light in all directions and cut down all the surrounding monsters. But Estede didn¡¯t stop there. Hans took a big leap forward and pierced the sword towards the gate.

    Whoosh!

    The light spread everywhere and struck all the monsters that were blocking the gate. Hans continued to attack the monsters in the gate. Streams of light continuously came out and more monsters fell down. It only took a few moments for all the monsters in front of the gate to fall down. The gate was now empty.

    ¡°Snoc!¡±

    Snoc put his sword on the ground.

    Dududududu!

    The neatlyid stone floors rose up from the ground. The stones and rocks underneath the ground also came up.

    Swoosh! Swoosh!

    All the rock and stones flew towards the gate.

    Thud! Thud! Thud!

    The rocks and stones began piling up inside the gate. The big rock pieces roughly blocked the gate and small stones filled it up. In an instant, the gate waspletely filled with rocks.

    Ooooahhhhh!

    Monsters screeched behind the gate; sounds of monsters colliding against the stones could also be heard. However, the solid and strong gate that Snoc and Nowem madepletely blocked the monsters¡¯ entry.

    ¡°Nice!¡± Snoc raised both of his hands.

    Hans let out a sigh of relief. Now, they were able to utilize the city¡¯s walls properly and block out the monsters froming in. The soldiers who were also blocking the monsters let out shouts of cheer.

    ¡®First, we have to kill all the monsters that came inside.¡¯

    If they waited just a little longer, reinforcements would arrive. If reinforcements joined them, they would sessfully be able to block the monsters¡¯ attacks.

    ¡°Snoc! Let¡¯s first defeat the monsters inside the city¡¯s walls!¡±

    ¡°Yes, sir!¡±

    The two of them began killing every monster they saw. Likewise, the soldiers followed their lead and pushed the monsters back.

    One soldier shouted, ¡°The knights have arrived!¡±

    From the middle of the city, knights with shining armor and sharp swords were riding towards them on horses. The soldiers¡¯ morale increased even further. Hans and Snoc also weed their support. Knights possessed an entirely different strengthpared to ordinary soldiers.

    ¡°Kill them all!¡± The leader of the knights raised his sword and shouted out loud.

    The knights beganing down from their horses since fighting on top of a horse was cumbersome in a city. If they used mana, they could run as fast or faster than riding on a horse. With great speed, the knights ran towards the monsters. The knights wielded their swords and raised their shields. The monsters that were already being driven to a corner were now being ughtered.

    ¡°Soldiers, move up the city walls! Attack the monsters beneath the walls!¡± With the captain of the knights¡¯mand, the soldiers began climbing up the city walls.

    Everything was stable now. If they defeated all the monsters inside the city walls and started defeating all the monsters outside, they would have sessfully dealt with this sudden ambush. Most of the people held this belief, including Hans. However, the uneasiness in him did not dissipate.

    ¡®Is everything really over like this?¡¯

    Hans recalled thest words of the guy inside the ancient ruins¡ªhe said that everyone in the city would perish. Was he talking about the monsters¡¯ sudden appearance?

    ¡®¡­I don¡¯t think this is it.¡¯

    Just when Hans was thinking this...

    Crassssssh!

    The rocks that were blocking the gate exploded.

    ¡°Ahhhh!¡±

    ¡°Ugh!¡±

    The soldiers hit by the flying stones screamed. There were casualties among the soldiers near the gate.

    Kuaaaah!

    Kuaaaaa!

    Even though the monsters also received some damage, there were many more humans who received damage from the explosion, since there were more humans than monsters inside the city walls. However, this was not the only problem.

    Ooooahhhhh!

    The monsters outside the city gate began shrieking again. They were trying toe inside the now open gate.

    ¡°Block them!¡±

    The knights hurriedly ran towards the gate to stop the monsters froming in. However, what came towards them were not monsters but a ferocious attack from the darkness.

    Crunch! Slice!

    The knights¡¯ armor were cut and their bodies were sliced. The knights screamed and copsed onto the ground. Most of them immediately died, and the few who survived were critically injured. Rather than monsters, a robed figure was the first one to walk through the city gate.

 Chapter 121

    <h4>Chapter 121</h4>

    It almost seemed like time had stopped on the battlefield. That was probably what all the humans felt as they watched the unrealistic scene of dozen after dozen of strong knights getting torn into pieces.

    ¡°He is¡­!¡± Hans red. It wasn¡¯t someone he knew¡ªafter all, the figuresing out of the castle entrance wore robes that covered their faces from view. But Hans recognized their clothing.

    ¡®They are the group of guys who go around corrupting people! We saw them at the ancient ruins!¡¯

    They were part of the organization that Zich specifically targeted, and thus, by association, they were also Hans¡¯ enemy. But Hans wasn¡¯t certain. People often wore robes to hide their identities, and their simr appearance could have simply been a coincidence. Yet, Hans thought that there was a high chance that the robed figures were the same group of people he saw before.

    The curse he heard at the ancient ruins rang in his ears.

    ¡®Is this the nightmare that will arrive in this city?¡¯

    A person wearing a robe stood in front of the castle¡¯s entrance.

    Kuaaaaaah!

    Kuaaaaaah!

    From his sides, monsters flooded in. They didn¡¯t attack the robed figures, and the robed figures watched the monsters with their arms crossed like they were generals of an invading army.

    ¡°Ah, damn it!¡±

    ¡°Block them!¡±

    A couple more knights rushed toward the castle walls, but the robed figures mercilessly killed them. Judging by their skills, the robed figures could¡¯ve probably killed their enemies by simply slicing their heads off, but they never killed their opponents cleanly.

    The knights began to show hesitation in their movements. They were afraid of their opponents¡¯ overwhelming power and skills. The monsters preyed on these weaknesses; and although the knights were stronger than them, the monsters were superior in numbers and rushed in like a tsunami.

    ¡°Don¡¯t stand alone! Form a group and make a wall.¡± As the captain of the knights yelled out his order, knights and soldiers began to quickly gather together. But there were some who weren¡¯t able to move on time.

    ¡°Ahh!¡±

    ¡°Save me!¡±

    Surrounded by a crowd of monsters, the soldiers died first. Next were the knights. Although they endured longer than the soldiers, more monsters kept pouring out even after the knights killed a bunch of them.

    ¡°Kuaah!¡±

    ¡°Ahh!¡±

    Monsters rose back from the knights¡¯ blows and attacked the knights from behind.

    ¡°Endure it! Make a formation and endure. Then, you will eventually see an opportunity! Don¡¯t forget that we have civilians behind us!¡± the captain of the knights shouted; he showed strong determination to not let the monsters pass by him. But despite his desperate pleas, an ominous light of mes burst out from the city¡¯s walls.

    Shaaaaaa!

    Paths made out of fire shot up from two ces. It shocked everyone. The ce where the mes shot up was where Violuwin¡¯s second entrance stood.

    ¡®There¡¯s another enemy!¡¯ Hans gritted his teeth.

    ¡°Senior!¡± Snoc went to Hans¡¯ side. However, Hans¡¯ eyes were fixed on the areas where the mes had burned.

    ¡°T-That is¡­.!¡±

    ¡°It seems there are more of them.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s getting really serious!¡± Hans scanned the battlefield. Knights and soldiers were fighting with all they had. But of course, they were worried about the progress of the battle, and the army clearly looked demoralized. More soldiers began to copse, and the number of knights who sacrificed themselves increased. And that wasn¡¯t all.

    Tut! Tut! Tut!

    They heard light footsteps. The sound came from the city¡¯s walls and was heading towards where Violuwin¡¯s military troops and monsters were fighting. These footsteps didn¡¯t belong to the monsters, but neither were they from Violuwin¡¯s military troops.

    ¡®¡­That is!¡¯ Hans¡¯ scowl deepened when he saw that more people wearing the same ck robes as the first group came storming through the city¡¯s walls.

    ¡°They are new enemies! Be careful¡ªah!¡±

    ¡°Be careful of anyone wearing a robe! Their skills aren¡¯t normal!¡±

    The knights screamed. So far, the knights had been able to resist even when the monsters¡¯ numbers were much greater than them because they were stronger than the monsters. But the new robed figures broke that bnce since they were as strong as the knights or stronger.

    Although Violuwin wasn¡¯t located in the kingdom¡¯s frontiers and their army wasn¡¯t the strongest, it still had a sizable army from the city¡¯s wealth; the fact that the city was struggling proved that the robed figures had a considerable amount of skill. Violuwin¡¯s frontlines continued to get pushed back. It looked like the city¡¯s troops would crumble apart any moment now.

    ¡°Snoc!¡±

    ¡°Yes, senior!¡±

    Hans and Snoc, who had been killing monsters from a distance, rushed towards the frontlines. One of the robed figures attacked a knight who was fighting monsters from both sides. The robed figure threw his sword at the knight, and the knight staggered to back away and fell on his bottom. Monsters rushed towards the fallen knight, and it looked like they would tear him into shreds when¡ª

    Sparkle!

    A light shone, and the rushing monsters split into two pieces. The force of the monsters¡¯ movements caused their ripped pieces to scatter to the ground.

    ¡°¡­Huh?¡± the knight said stupidly after escaping looming death.

    Thud!

    Somebodynded next to him. With his holy, white sword, the man looked like a savior from the heavens.

    ¡°Are you all right?¡± Hans asked and the knight nodded his head nkly.

    ¡°Thank goodness. Can you get up¡­?!¡±

    aaang!

    Hans raised his sword and blocked an attack. The weight of the sword was intense. The attack hade from a robed figure standing to the side. Beneath his robe, the man¡¯s eyes were murderous. The robed man in front of him was definitely strong. If Hans didn¡¯t have Estede, he would have been defeated for sure. However, what mattered was that Hans did have Estede, the holy sword, in his hand.

    ¡°Haaat!¡± Hans made a big swing, and the robed man moved back with a wide movement. Hans¡¯ opponent was hit by streams of light.

    ¡°Ugh!¡±

    It all happened in a matter of seconds. Without much retaliation, the robed man¡¯s body was ripped apart and he died. A knight looked at this sight dumbfoundedly.

    ¡°Hey.¡±

    ¡°Y-yes?¡± It was only when someone tapped the knight¡¯s shoulders that he came back to his senses.

    Snoc picked up the sword he dropped and handed it back to him. ¡°You have to stay focused. We need every person we can get in this situation.¡±

    Koo!

    The knight gripped his sword in a daze. After handing the knight his sword, Snoc followed Hans¡¯ back and ran straight towards the monster. Lights shed and the earth rose up. The light sharply ughtered the monsters, and the earth crushed the monsters with overwhelming strength. Most of the attention in this battle shot towards Hans and Snoc.

    The robed figures couldn¡¯t stand idly by and watch, so they began rushing towards Hans and Snoc. They released sharp attacks against them, and each of their attacks was life-threatening and dangerous. Moreover, monsters also targeted Hans and Snoc.

    On the other hand, Hans and Snoc paid no attention to people¡¯s gazes and went around the battlefield saving people whose lives were in danger and fought against monsters and the robed figures. Even while fighting against monsters and robed figures, people¡¯s eyes kept moving towards them.

    One person held a bright sword of light and the other person stood on top of a high earth wall. Moreover, when people realized that those two were the ones who previously blocked the city gate, everyone had the same emotion in their hearts¡ª

    Hope.

    In a time of despair, there was nothing more important than hope. In a way, those two were on their first paths of bing the heroes that they had always dreamed about. The knights, soldiers, the citizens of Violuwin, and even their opponents all looked at Hans and Snoc. The robed figure who first destroyed the city gate also had his eyes on them.

    * * *

    In a secret chamber where Estede used to be, a light shed. Two figures dropped onto the floor.

    It was Zich and L.

    They looked around their surroundings and then looked at the ¡®tree branch-like sword¡¯ in Zich¡¯s hand.

    L said, ¡°We really managed toe back.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s what I told you. I thought we would return to the same ce.¡±

    ¡°Are you telling me that you performed high-level magic like teleportation just by trusting your senses?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not magic. I can¡¯t use it like teleportation magic. I can only go to the ce where we previously were because this sword and that ce have a special connection.¡±

    ¡°How did you know that?¡±

    ¡°By instinct.¡±

    L looked at the sword in Zich¡¯s hand. The sword had called them to a location and sent them back to their original spot. Although Zich was now the owner of the sword, even he didn¡¯t really know what it was. However, it was clear that there was something very special about this sword.

    Hans and Snoc were nowhere to be found. It seemed as if they had gone back to the lodging as Zich had told them to. Zich looked up. He could only see the low ceiling of the ruins, but he could sense what was happening above.

    ¡°What are you doing?¡±

    ¡°There seems to be something going on inside the city. A battle is happening, and the size of it is huge. It seems as if some people attacked the whole city.¡± Zich took his eyes off the ceiling and continued, ¡°At this point, I won¡¯t even call it a battle but a war.¡±

    It was a surprising development. Before Zich got forcefully teleported to where the sword in his hand was, he couldn¡¯t sense the paths in front of him because the energy from the ancient ruins had disturbed his sensing abilities. However, now, he could sense the ancient ruins and even the entire city of Violuwin.

    This time, Zich looked around the room. A lot of things had changed since they left.

    ¡®There are more corpses.¡¯

    Judging by their clothes, they looked like they were on the same side as the people that chased after L. It seemed as if their opponents had reinforcements.

    ¡®Did Hans and Snoc kill them?¡¯

    However, considering the strength of the robed figures and the number of corpses on the ground, Zich thought it was very unlikely that Hans and Snoc managed to beat them. On the other hand, all the corpses on the ground had robes on, and Hans and Snoc''s bodies were not on the ground. Then Zich¡¯s gaze turned towards where Estede used to be. Estede was also gone.

    A possibility crossed Zich¡¯s mind. Zich began sensing the whole city and searched for a specific person. And then he found the person he was looking for.

    ¡®Is this for real?¡¯

    Surprisingly, Zich¡¯s prediction was right.

    ¡°Hey, let¡¯s quickly get out¡­¡± In order to witness this surprising development firsthand, Zich was about to tell L to hurry up. However, he sensed that something was off with L. Her face waspletely pale. ¡°What happened? Did something happen?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s because of me.¡± She answered iprehensibly and added, ¡°They came to find me. In order to find me, they attacked the whole city.¡±

    ¡°¡­Then, are the people attacking the whole city right now on the same side as the corpses in front of us? Are you saying that those guys started a war in a city just to find you?¡±

    L nodded. It was hard to believe that a group would start a war against a city just to catch one person. It sounded like a fairytale where a Demon Lord sent his whole army to kidnap a princess. That could be how crazy they were or¡­

    ¡®That¡¯s how much L is important to them.¡¯

    L¡¯s pale-stricken face indicated that she really believed what she said. She moved her fingers around and fidgeted continuously.

    Zich put his new sword on his shoulder. ¡°Hey, I¡¯m just saying this in case.¡±

    To L who was trembling in guilt, Zich told her bluntly, ¡°You should throw away any thoughts about how this is all your fault. No matter how you see it, those punks who attacked a whole city to just capture one person are the ones to me. They are the trashy bastards, and you aren¡¯t responsible for their shitty actions.¡±

    Before Zich regressed, he had also attacked cities for ridiculous, trivial reasons. However, he never pushed the responsibility for his actions onto other people.

    ¡®I¡¯m the one who nned and attacked a city, so there are no reasons for me to me another person.¡¯

    Of course, the only good thing about Zich¡¯s thought process was that he didn¡¯t shift the me to another person. As someone who felt zero sense of guilt, Zich was alsoplete trash. On the other hand, Zich didn¡¯t turn away his eyes from his own sins. L looked at Zich with wide eyes, and Zich pointed his fingers towards the ceiling.

    ¡°Let¡¯s first head up and check if those guys are really targeting you.¡±

    ¡°¡­Those guys up ahead are probably greater in strength and numbers than the guys who chased me here. They must have brought enough military force to start a war against a city. What are you nning to do?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s fine with me.¡± Zich grinned. ¡°It would only be for a short time, but right now, I¡¯m invincible.¡±

    The weight of his sword on his shoulder felt extremely trustworthy.

 Chapter 122

    <h4>Chapter 122</h4>

    There was nobody in the ruins. It waste in the day, and even if this wasn¡¯t the case, everyone would have run away from the chaos that was happening above. Zich and L got out of the ruins.

    ¡®I¡¯ve missed this scenery.¡¯

    Zich felt nostalgic as he saw sparks blooming in different parts of the city. He had seen scenes like this daily during the days he was the Demon Lord. But after his regression, since he didn¡¯t have much power and lived a pretty peaceful (?) life, he never got the chance to see a battle of this scale.

    ¡®In Porti and Ospurin, the battle happened only around the estate¡¯s surroundings. At Suol, the fight took ce outside of the city.¡¯

    It was his first time after his regression witnessing a battle that involved an entire city.

    ¡°Ah¡­!¡± L absentmindedly stared at the areas where the fires were. Although some of her sense of guilt seemed to have lessened after Zich¡¯s speech, she looked shocked to see the horrors of a battlefield first hand.

    ¡®She has to deal with it on her own now.¡¯

    It didn¡¯t seem right for him to be involved in her personal struggles anymore when Zich wasn¡¯t her parent or anything. Since it didn¡¯t seem like she would make a fuss saying that she would kill herself, Zich decided to just quietly watch her for now.

    ¡®The main forces are the monstersing inside the city.¡¯

    Zich knew this without sensing the area. From far away, he heard monstrous shrieks.

    ¡®Where should we go?¡¯

    Judging by the situation, it seemed as if their enemies had seized all three entrances near the city¡¯s walls. However, Zich didn¡¯t think about this matter for too long.

    ¡®Let¡¯s go head-on.¡¯

    Hans and Snoc were near the city¡¯s walls. And since he felt many presences there, it seemed like that area was the center of the battlefield.

    ¡®Ah, of course¡­¡¯ Zich¡¯s eyes turned towards a different direction.

    ¡®But before that, I have to take care of these guys first!¡¯

    Dark-robed figures surrounded Zich and L.

    ¡®Howe their clothes are always the same?¡¯

    Zich spat on reflex whenever he saw a robe these days. But the robed figures didn¡¯t seem to be interested in Zich at all but only in L.

    ¡®Did they really do all this to capture L?¡¯

    Seeing their response, that seemed to be the case. L gritted her teeth; unlike Zich, she didn¡¯t feel nostalgia at the scenery in front of her, and she gnashed her teeth in anger. But her rage didn¡¯t seem to go through to her opponents.

    ¡°Capture her. You can cut her limbs, but we have to keep her alive at all costs.¡±

    At their leader¡¯smand, the robed figures pulled out their swords. Zich whistled at their wless execution; but in the end, it was nothing more than a fancy or cool show. As if he heard the whistling, the leader nced at Zich, but he only nced at Zich for a moment.

    ¡°Kill the guy with her.¡± That was all he said about Zich. The robed figures aimed their swords at Zich and L. L also raised her hand, but Zich¡¯s hand blocked it.

    ¡°What are you doing?¡±

    ¡°I will handle this.¡±

    ¡°Are you nning to be some prince on a white horse? This is also my issue. I don¡¯t want unnecessary kindness.¡±

    Zich shook his head and then exined, ¡°It¡¯s not kindness. It¡¯s because you are going to be a hindrance.¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t kill the mood when it just got good.¡±

    L was stunned. Judging by his tone and behavior, it didn¡¯t seem like Zich was speaking in a roundabout way in consideration for her. Zich really looked at her as if she was a hindrance. Then, he stepped forward. There were about twenty robed figures.

    ¡®I guess I can exercise before my main course.¡¯

    The robed figures began to move. They scattered all around to keep L¡¯s magic in check. Then, they spun around Zich and rushed towards L. Some of the robed figures also headed towards Zich, and L began to prepare her magic. Although Zich had confidently told her to not meddle in this fight, and his new branch-like sword didn¡¯t seem like an ordinary item, she couldn¡¯t just stand idly by. And most of all, she resented her enemies.

    However, Zich didn¡¯t seem concerned about her behavior at all. He simply lifted his branch-like sword in preparation for his enemies. Then, he smirked and swung his sword. The battle ended with this single movement.

    Crash!

    There was a ringing sound like something heavy had fallen to the ground. Then, a deep hole appeared on the ground, and the air vibrated. With this, all of the robed figures that rushed towards Zich were gone.

    ¡°What¡­?¡± the leader muttered in shock while watching from the back. All the enemies rushing towards L also stopped, and even L¡¯s magic got canceled as her mind became distracted. Everyone¡¯s thoughts stopped after seeing Zich¡¯s enemies disappear in an instant. The only one who moved normally was Zich, and time seemed to have stopped for everyone else.

    ¡°Ha, this is it!¡± As if he couldn¡¯t get over his excitement, Zich tightly balled up his fists. This was absolute power, which didn¡¯t require him toe up with tricky schemes or consider whatever his enemies might do. This was the manifestation of the Demon Lord of Strength, Zich Moore.

    ¡®Ah, I¡¯ve been having a headache these days from using my head so much. It¡¯s really true that your mind suffers if your body is weak.¡¯

    But now that he had enough power, Zich felt amazing. He didn¡¯t even use a special attack; he simply poured out a lot of mana against his opponents. Of course, Zich controlled his power a bit, but one single attack managed to wipe out his enemies without a single drop of blood or shred of flesh remaining.

    ¡®It¡¯s really a shame that I can only use this power for a limited time.¡¯

    However, this also meant that Zich had to enjoy this opportunity as much as he could; and a battlefield was a ce where he could enjoy the might of his power. The more enemies there were, the more he could enjoy killing his opponents.

    The leader finally uttered, ¡°That¡­¡±

    Frozen time began moving again. But their enemies, including the leader, showed no signs of movement.

    ¡°Are you guys scarecrows? Why are all of you frozen like that? Didn¡¯t you say you were going to kill me?¡±

    ¡°¡­What are you?¡± the leader barely managed to blurt out loud. His reaction waspletely different from when he treated Zich as a mere target that was going to die soon.

    ¡°Then are you guys those bastards who are causing chaos in a peaceful city?¡±

    ¡°What kind of rtionship do you have with that woman¡­!¡±

    Bang!

    There was a sharp explosion, and then blood and human flesh began to fly in all directions. The people near the explosion were instantly covered in the blood and flesh of theirrades, and they quickly retreated back.

    Zich put his fist out and said to the leader, ¡°Who are you trying to send a signal to?¡±

    Zich had swung his fist after he saw that one of the robed figures received some kind of signal from the leader and was about to take a signal rm out. The leader¡¯s attempt to deal with his present dilemma ended up as a bloody explosion.

    ¡°Don¡¯t do anything. Even if you run away, I wille and find you. And I don¡¯t n to drag out this fight for long anyways.¡±

    Right now, Zich and L¡¯s enemies were inside the city. There was an extremely high possibility that thousands of ordinary civilians in Violuwin might be harmed. As someone who was trying to live a kind life, Zich could not let this happen. For that reason, Zich decided to end this conversation with the robed leader. He raised his sword again.

    The leader shouted, ¡°Evade!¡± He had no choice but to shout this. Zich had only attacked them twice so far, but he did not know how Zich was able to cause explosions and end the lives of so many of his underlings in a matter of seconds.

    The leader thought of possible reasons: it could be due to Zich¡¯s advanced skills, amazing tools, or a special ability. Since he did not know much about Zich, his group was at a clear disadvantage. However, all of the leader¡¯s possible theories were wrong¡ªno, there was one thing he was right about. Zich¡¯s attacks were simple. He hadn¡¯t used some kind of advanced skill or special ability; he had just used pure strength. But the leader was right in that his group was at a clear disadvantage.

    Swoosh!

    Zich swung his sword again towards those who were trying to escape.

    Punch!

    In the air, several explosions erupted at the same time as if they were letting out a harmonious chord. It was a short, strong sound. And then there was no sound at all. There were no sounds of peoplending on the ground, people desperately running away, or even the screams of people in pain. There weren¡¯t even the background sounds of debris breaking or falling down.

    Zich turned his body. He saw L¡¯s shocked face.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Zich pointed his chin toward the fiercest part of the battlefield.

    * * *

    Hans and Snoc were holding up well. No, this was an understatement as they were the central figures on the battlefield. They had already defeated arge number of robed figures that were stronger than the Violuwin knights and soldiers. By using Estede, Hans overwhelmed the robed figures. However, even his sword light could not continuously sweep the battlefield.

    Crash!

    ¡°What!¡± Estede was blocked, and Hans was taken aback. He felt a great deal of power from the sword that blocked him.

    Since he first pulled out Estede, it was the first time he had been pushed back in physical strength. Hans looked at the person who blocked him. He was the person who destroyed the gate that Snoc made and let in all the monsters. The person inside the robe nced at Hans once and shifted his eyes towards Estede.

    ¡°Estede.¡± The robed figure knew what Estede was. He looked back at Hans again. ¡°Why do you have that?¡±

    ¡°What does it matter to¡­you¡ª!¡±

    Push!

    Hans pushed back the robed man with his strength, and the man jumped back. However, rather than being pushed back by Hans¡¯ strength, he moved back by himself.

    ¡°This sword is not fit for the likes of you.¡±

    ¡°If you are so jealous, then why didn¡¯t you take it before me? If you¡¯re the first one to pick up an ownerless object, it bes yours, you fucking idiot!¡±

    After Zich regressed, Hans had the longest rtionship with Zich. In addition, he received all sorts of training from Zich. Even though Zich acknowledged Hans¡¯ dream of bing a hero and offered a lot of teachings rted to his dream, some of Zich¡¯s bad personality had rubbed off on him. It wasn¡¯t noticeable since he was usually with Zich, but Hans¡¯ speech had already be very rough. Moreover, didn¡¯t Zich teach him that he had to fire back right away if someone insulted him? And they were also fighting for their lives here.

    ¡°Bastards like you who wear dark and gloomy clothes don¡¯t fit Estede at all, so shut your dirty eyes and fuck off!¡±

    ¡°Wow, this is a new experience.¡± Even while Hans hurled all kinds of insults at him, the manughed instead. ¡°It¡¯s been a while since anyone has insulted me.¡±

    ¡°Are you a pervert that gets off on insults?¡±

    ¡°No, that¡¯s not it. I¡¯m actually very angry right now. You are also too low for the item you hold in your hand. But most of all, you are my enemy. I have no need to show you mercy.¡± Hans¡¯ opponent put his sword back into his scabbard. ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡±

    ¡°Why do you wanna know?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m just curious about the name of the person who was chosen by Estede. For your information, my name is Imor.¡±

    However, Hans refused to reveal his name.

    ¡°Hmmm, you are not going to answer. Then I guess it can¡¯t be helped.¡± Imor moved his fingers. ¡°I¡¯ll subdue you and figure it out by force.¡±

    Shiver!

    A shiver ran down Hans¡¯ back, and he instinctively retreated. Something passed the spot Hans was just standing on.

    Whoosh! Whoosh!

    Something that Hans could not see made a sharp screech.

    Crunch!

    The hard ground that Hans was standing on becamepletely mutted. It was as if a sculptor knife had made scratches all over soft y. Hans gulped his saliva and looked at Imor.

    ¡°Well, Estede¡¯s master. How many times do I have to rip you apart for you to tell me your great name?¡± Imor¡¯s eyes sparkled murderously inside his robe.

 Chapter 123

    <h4>Chapter 123</h4>

    The tide of the battlepletely changed again. With Imor¡¯s entry into the battlefield, Hans¡¯ feet werepletely tied, and it wasn¡¯t just him.

    ¡°Senior, be careful!¡±

    Koo!

    Snoc shot out stones that could explode people¡¯s bodies. But after an invisible force passed through Imor a couple of times, the stones lost strength and fell to the ground.

    ¡°What is that!¡±

    Koo¡­

    Snoc was stunned to see his opponent show no movement¡ªnot even a twist of an arm¡ªbut manage to destroy all of his attacks.

    Slide.

    Imor stretched out his hand towards Snoc, and in surprise, Snoc raised a dirt wall in front of him.

    Crash!

    Something pierced through the dirt barrier. Although Snoc had hardened the barrier by mixing in rock minerals, it was helpless against the invisible force.

    ¡°Tch!¡±

    In the end, Snoc fled from the spot he was standing at.

    Pop!

    The dirt barrier exploded into pieces, and Snoc felt something chase after him. He felt a force that could slice his bone even if it lightly grazed his leg.

    ¡°Damn it!¡± Snoc quickly raised the earth and wrapped his feet with it. Because he had made it in a hurry, it wasn¡¯t powerful; but it was made from Snoc¡¯s authority over the earth and contained considerable defense abilities.

    Slice!

    But the mysterious force prated the earth armor. Snoc felt as if the invisible force would blow his feet away when he heard the sound of his earth armor cracking.

    Crash!

    Light flew past his side. The invisible force was pulled back a bit, and Snoc quickly took off the armor and escaped.

    Crash!

    His remaining armor cracked into pieces.

    ¡°Are you all right?¡±

    ¡°Yes. My feet are still attached to my legs.¡±

    Koo.

    Snoc touched the smooth skin of his feet in relief. But Imor didn¡¯t give Snoc much time to enjoy this moment.

    Slide!

    The invisible force pounced on him again, and Snoc stood up in surprise. Hans ran in front of Snoc and blocked the attack.

    Craaash!

    Estede shed its light and collided against the invisible force with a huge impact. Snoc was pushed back several steps.

    ¡°Senior! Are you okay?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m fine! I think I know what his weapon is now.¡±

    Estede¡¯s shining, bright light reflected something on its surface; a few, thin threads were wrapped around its de.

    ¡°¡­Threads?¡± Snoc blurted out from the unexpected weapon on Estede¡¯s de.

    With a smug tone, Imor exined, ¡°It¡¯s not a normal thread. It¡¯s called a string sword, which is made from pulling out metal alloys of mithril, orichalcum, and many others. Not only is it soft and stringy, but it¡¯s sharp enough to grip Estede without breaking.¡±

    Screeeech!

    An irritating sound rang out as Estede and the string sword rubbed against each other and caused friction.

    ¡°Urgh!¡±

    The string sword possessed incredible strength. Hans endured the string sword¡¯s pulling for a bit, but he soon twisted and pulled Estede out. Fortunately, he managed to pull out Estede, but Imor continued to attack them. Hans and Snoc fought together because they couldn¡¯t fight Imor one-on-one. Hans naturally took the front position while Snoc took the rear. Estede let out bright lights, and the earth shook. However, the string sword blocked, prated, and sliced all of Hans and Snoc¡¯s attacks.

    The tide of the battle, which had been in Violuwin¡¯s favor from Hans and Snoc¡¯s efforts, turned back to the monsters¡¯ side again. The monsters wreaked havoc, and the robed figures hunted down Violuwin¡¯s knights down again. Imor also joined his underlings. While cornering Hans and Snoc, he killed the knights and soldiers in his surroundings. He simply had to stretch out his hand, and the string sword ughtered his targets.

    Crash!

    Eventually, the formation of Violuwin¡¯s knights crumbled, and monsters swarmed between them. Now, the Violuwin army had to worry about not only their front, but their sides and rear as well. This led to a greater loss inbat power.

    ¡°Retreat!¡± With no choice left, the captain of the knights ordered his troops to retreat. Since most of the civilians had escaped around them, they nned to think of a new defense formation in the deeper areas of the city. However, the chaos didn¡¯t quell down easily, and their enemies didn¡¯t give the knights time to prepare a new formation. Monsters pushed through with their numbers, and the robed figures obstructed the troops. Violuwin continued to get pushed back until they were in the worst possible situation.

    ¡°Senior! Behind you¡­!¡±

    ¡°I know!¡± Hans couldn¡¯t afford to look at his surroundings due to the string sword¡¯s continuous attacks, but he roughly understood the current situation from the screams around him.

    ¡®They are heading towards the area where people didn¡¯t finish evacuating.¡¯

    The Violuwin troops couldn¡¯t even retreat there since civilians were still escaping right behind them. Thus, soldiers and knights stood in ce and fought their enemies and died one after another. But Hans and Snoc didn¡¯t have the luxury to help them.

    Crash!

    ¡°Urgh!¡±

    Even if it was made from a rare metal alloy, the string sword seemed to have too much power for a thin thread. Hans¡¯ body flew away from the impact of the thread.

    Crash!

    He fell on top of a pile of boxes in an alleyway. The boxes were shredded into pieces, and Hans¡¯ back touched the floor.

    ¡°Urghh!¡± Hans scrunched up his face in pain and raised his body. However, from Zich¡¯s harsh training, he was still able to tightly hold onto Estede.

    ¡°¡­Huh?¡± He felt several human presences from his side. There were people nearby.

    ¡°What are you doing? You have to quickly escape¡ª!¡± Then, Hans stopped.

    He saw a group of men hiding behind the boxes he fell on. As if they were scared, they were floundering their arms with their butts on the ground. They looked familiar.

    ¡®They¡¯re the men who picked a fight with us!¡¯

    They were the thugs whoughed at Hans and Snoc¡¯s dream of bing heroes and got beat up by Zich. There wasn¡¯t an ounce of the confidence they used to have while picking a fight, and their eyes quivered in fear as they stared at Hans. Of course, Hans didn¡¯t have any good feelings towards them, but he couldn¡¯t just leave them like this.

    ¡°Quick, run away! Monsters are going toe so¡ª!¡±

    Crash!

    Before Hans could finish his sentence, Hans blocked a string sword that came flying towards him. All the men screamed. Imor came inside the alleyway. As if he was folding his wings, all the string swords he controlled cracked the surrounding buildings and cut through them.

    ¡®Shit!¡¯

    Hans had to evade Imor¡¯s attacks. But if he evaded Imor¡¯s attacks, the people behind him would be ripped apart to shreds.

    ¡®Should I just leave them?¡¯

    They were gangsters anyways. Moreover, he had a bad history with them.

    ¡°¡­Damn it!¡± Hans raised Estede high up in the air. Light began to gather around, and the mana further increased Estede¡¯s strength. With this, Hans struck the string swords that came flying towards him in all directions.

    Crassssh!

    There was an explosion and a st. The force of their intense battle spread across their surroundings. The buildings that had already been mutted by the string swords were now even more damaged.

    Drip! Drip!

    The fluid that dripped down his arm was unpleasant. Hans looked at his left forearm and frowned while looking at his injuries that looked like spider webs. In the end, he couldn¡¯t block all of Imor¡¯s attacks and received a serious injury. On the other hand, all the gangsters survived without a single injury.

    ¡°Run!¡± Hans shouted at the men. Paralyzed in fear, the men finally got up and ran away.

    ¡°Was there any need to protect them? Judging by their appearance, they don¡¯t seem like upright citizens. You even took injuries for them,¡± Imor said.

    ¡°It¡¯s because I¡¯ve seen a person who had to receive a very bloody and violent lesson for judging people based on appearances.¡± To be more precise, Hans was talking about the Karuwiman Saint, Lube.

    ¡°I guess. They could be humans who act differently from how they look.¡±

    ¡°No, they actually act the same as how they look.¡±

    ¡°¡­But didn¡¯t you just tell me that you shouldn¡¯t judge people based on their appearances?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s because I interacted with them. They really are gangsters that pick a fight with anyone that annoys them.¡±

    Imor burst out inughter. ¡°And you saved them? Even while sustaining injuries?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not like theymitted a sin that deserved death. And I¡¯m also dumb, so I¡¯m not good at differentiating between people I have to save or leave to die.¡±

    ¡°¡­As expected of a person chosen by Estede.¡± Imor showed his admiration for Hans. ¡°However, I still can¡¯t let you carry around that sword. There¡¯s already an owner for that.¡±

    ¡°I told you, for things like this, the person who finds it first gets to keep it.¡±

    ¡°I agree with that. And I also think that the next person who picks it up after the owner is dead bes the new owner.¡±

    Crasssh!

    Imor¡¯s attacks began again. Hans kicked a building that looked as if it was going to copse at any moment and jumped up.

    ¡°Senior!¡±

    Hans reunited with Snoc again. Snoc looked at Hans¡¯ injuries. ¡°Senior, you¡¯re injured!¡±

    ¡°They are light injuries. They don¡¯t hamper my movements at all.¡± Hans began swinging Estede again.

    Crumble!

    Atst, the building was unable to endure the numerous bashings and copsed. While the wooden debris of copsed houses flew wildly in the air, the sharp string swords attacked Hans and Snoc again like a snake. Hans and Snocbined forces to block Imor¡¯s attacks. However, they were clearly at a disadvantage.

    All around them, the screams of Violuwin soldiers and knights could be heard. Hans and Snoc could clearly feel their helplessness, but they were barely managing to fight back Imor.

    Crash!

    Another one of Snoc¡¯s earth walls burst. Sword strings rained down, and Hans swung Estede. However, the sword strings this time showed apletely different movement.

    Swing!

    Like a venomous snake opening its mouth, the string sword curved to the side. It climbed up on Estede like a whirlwind and grabbed Hans¡¯ arm.

    Rippp!

    ¡°Aghhh!¡± Hans¡¯ clothes were torn apart, his skin ripped, and blood flew out profusely. Snoc tried to save Hans, but a different string sword blocked his way.

    ¡°You don¡¯t need an arm to tell me your name.¡± Imor¡¯s calm voice prophesied Hans¡¯ cruel future.

    Imor instilled strength into his fingers. He pulled the string sword. Very soon, he was going to pull the sword string topletely rip off Hans¡¯ arm. Hans gritted his teeth in pain.

    It was at that moment.

    Slice!

    There was a quiet cutting sound. It was as if one of the world¡¯s legendary swords was cutting a leaf. Despite the quietness of the sound, the result was amazing. The string sword, which looked like it was going to rip apart Hans¡¯ arms at any moment, now hung loosely. Hans¡¯ blood dripped down the string sword and was thrown on top of the ground like a piece of trash. The light from Estede reflected the sword string attached to Imor¡¯s hands; it was now clearly much shorter than before.

    The string sword had been cut.

    Hans, Snoc, and even Imor were bbergasted. However, that was only the beginning.

    Whoosh!

    The wind blew. It was a subtle wind that slightly shook people¡¯s hair, the type of wind that made people want to go on a pic. However, the wind devastated everything it touched.

    Robed figures and the soldiers and knights, who were desperately fighting the monsters, stopped swinging their swords. They dumbly looked at the enemies that had suddenly turnedpletely bloody in front of them. The battle came to a standstill. The Violuwin soldiers, the surviving monsters, and the robed figures all didn¡¯t dare to move.

    Tap!

    At that moment, someonended on the ground. Everyone¡¯s attention moved towards that individual. Joy filled up Hans and Snoc¡¯s faces. He was the person they wanted to meet the most right now.

    Hans loudly cried out, ¡°Sir Zich!¡±

    Zich put the sword that looked like a tree branch on his shoulder. His eyes moved towards Estede in Hans¡¯ hands. Zich tilted his head a few times, and spoke for the first time in this desperate situation.

    ¡°Why the hell are you holding that?¡±

 Chapter 124

    <h4>Chapter 124</h4>

    ¡°Sir, what? Ah, this?¡±

    Even though they were far away from each other, they both had exceptional hearing and had no problem hearing each other. Although Zich¡¯s question wasn¡¯t what people normally expected a master to say when they saw their servant in danger, Hans calmly replied to his question. He already knew what type of person Zich was.

    ¡°It just came out when I pulled it.¡±

    ¡°Woah!¡± Zich showed his admiration and stared at Hans and Estede.

    ¡°I can¡¯t believe it.¡± L, who was next to Zich, whispered next to him, ¡°I thought that sword chooses its owner selectively. How could two people pull it out in this short time frame?¡±

    Even though L still had no energy, she had to share her thoughts out loud in this bizarre situation.

    ¡°Personally, I think that sword is losing its mind.¡± Zich agreed with L¡¯s sentiments. But he also added, ¡°Since Hans is so stupid, he probably meets Estede¡¯s standards for choosing its master.¡±

    ¡°But before that, you were able to pull it out.¡±

    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s the real mystery.¡± Zich sincerely thought there was not a single reason why Estede chose him as its owner. Hans and Snoc ran to Zich.

    ¡°Congrattions. Since you now have a holy sword, you are one step closer to bing a hero. You might even receive the title of hero now. I used it before, and its abilities are good. But it seems like that sword¡¯s ability to select its owner is broken.¡± Zich congratted Hans.

    ¡°Ah, t-thank you. I¡¯m also d that Sir Zich and Ms. L are fine.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a million years too early for you guys to start worrying about me.¡±

    Hans and Snoc were reassured by Zich¡¯s cocky tone. This was the Zich they were most familiar with, but Hans was a bit worried about himself.

    ¡°S-Sir Zich! Were you the one who made the most recent attack?¡± Snoc hurriedly asked this out loud to Zich.

    Hans also listened carefully to Zich¡¯s next words. Even though Hans had wanted to ask this since Zich arrived, he missed his chance to ask since Zich asked him about Estede. Zich stared at the sword that looked like a tree branch in his hand.

    ¡°I picked up something awesome in the ce where we were teleported into. Sadly, I can¡¯t continue using this power, but it doesn¡¯t matter. I currently have enough strength to blow away all the guys who ambushed this city.¡±

    Zich looked around the battlefield. The battle was still at a standstill. Then Zich discovered Imor, who was staring intensely at L. ¡°It looks like you two were struggling against that guy. Is he the top leader?¡±

    Hans replied, ¡°Yes, he seems like it. He said his name is Imor.¡±

    ¡°Ah, is that so? He definitely looks like he is part of the organization that makes demon people, but it¡¯s my first time hearing one of their names.¡±

    ¡®Does he have loose lips?¡¯ Hope filled up in Zich¡¯s heart.

    ¡°Hey! For what purpose have you¡ª!¡± Zich¡¯s words were cut off when Imor raised his hand. He was directly pointing his hand towards L.

    ¡°Catch her!¡± Imor amplified his voice with mana, and the underlings around him began to move again. It was a very surprising sight. Even though theirrades had burst from an unknown attack, they immediately responded to Imor¡¯smand; that was how well-trained the robed figures were and how precise their attacks were.

    But Zich couldn¡¯t care less. ¡®Ah, my words got cut off. It feels cruddy.¡¯

    Since Imor was the first robed figure ever to reveal his name, Zich thought he might be able to strike up a conversation with him; but this possibility hadpletely disappeared now. The robed figures moved towards Zich, or more specifically towards L. There were even some who ran towards the soldiers near L. They probably thought that they couldn¡¯t afford any hindrances when trying to capture L.

    ¡®I guess there¡¯s no need for me to restrain myself.¡¯

    Zich lifted the sword in his hand higher. He felt Imor stare intently at him. It seemed as if he knew that Zich was the one who made the most recent attack and raised his guard.

    ¡®Try me.¡¯ Zich swung his sword at the guys running towards him. When it looked as if Zich was about to make his attack, various reactions manifested¡ªsome raised their swords and some tried to use their abilities to defend. It was all futile.

    Slice!

    Zich just made one cut. His opponents were surprised that their swords were destroyed, and their attacks were nullified. They fell into despair and felt intense pain as they watched their body parts fall to the ground. And when they saw that theirrades had turned into the same state as the monsters, they became horrified. But this was thest thought they had.

    Thud! Thud!

    Without differentiating between monsters and robed figures, they were all split into two and fell to the ground. As if a giant hand was only scratching the areas where they were, arge empty space appeared in front of Zich. It was a space devoid of all life, with only corpses.

    Imor shouted, ¡°Keep trying to push him back!¡±

    Zich¡¯s power didn¡¯t seem like it belonged to a human. He looked as if he couldpletely wipe out an army of monsters by himself. Even while watching Zich¡¯s disy of strength, Imor didn¡¯t waver even once and continued tomand his army towards Zich. Like this, Zich¡¯s opponents rushed to their deaths.

    Zich didn¡¯t even makerge movements. He merely wielded his sword lightly, and all the enemies in that direction were shredded apart. However, his enemies continued to fill the space in front of him with more numbers. But even that did notst long. Since Zich was so overwhelmingly strong, their superior numbers had no effect on him.

    Kuaaaaaa!

    Another group of monsters was crushed. Blood and flesh rained down on the battlefield. On the other hand, a group of monsters managed to survive Zich¡¯s overpowering attacks. It was a group of monsters that looked like insects with firm exteriors. This group had used other monsters as shields and inched closer to Zich. But their efforts weren¡¯t very significant. With another swing from Zich, all the insect-like monsters split in two.

    Yet, their efforts were not insignificant¡ªat least to Imor.

    ¡®Now!¡¯

    His eyes sparkled.

    Bam!

    Pieces of the insect-like monster burst in the air. Inside this explosion, a string sword came out from the monster¡¯s blood and fluid. Imor had attached his string sword to one of the insect monster¡¯s backs. Therefore, he was able to make an attack in very close proximity to Zich.

    Zich moved his sword back, but the string sword was faster. The string sword wrapped itself around the branch-like sword. The sword¡¯s shape was perfect for twisting the string sword around it. With all his strength, Imor pulled on his string sword.

    The tree branch sword dropped from Zich¡¯s hand and flew on top of the city wall. Imor felt a keen sense of euphoria at his aplishment. L, Hans, and Snoc werepletely shocked; they thought that Zich was able to show such arge amount of strength due to that tree branch sword.

    Swoosh!

    The string sword wrapped itself around Zich¡¯s body. A part of Zich¡¯s clothes ripped off and dropped to the ground. The string sword reached Zich¡¯s skin, and it seemed as if the sword was going to rip off Zich¡¯s body at any moment.

    ¡®Nice!¡¯

    Imor did not miss the conversation that Zich and Snoc shared. He did not know who Zich was, but by looking at Zich¡¯s movements and listening to their conversation, he knew that Zich¡¯s enormous strength was only temporary and depended on the sword he was carrying. For that reason, he tried to steal the sword from the very start. Even though Zich¡¯s strength was so overwhelming to the point that he thought he might not be able to take Zich¡¯s sword, Imor could not give up this mission. And contrary to his expectations, he was able to take away Zich¡¯s sword withplete ease.

    ¡®He was caught off guard!¡¯

    This was the only thought Imor had. In order to punish his opponent who was foolishly consumed by his own powers and lost his power so easily, Imor pulled his string sword with his fingers.

    ¡®It¡¯s over!¡¯

    Squeeze!

    The string sword squeezed Zich¡¯s body as if it was going to cut it into pieces. Imor predicted that he would soon see blood, bones, and organs pour out of Zich¡¯s body, and even this flesh and bones would soon be cut apart. However, his prediction was off.

    ¡°What¡ª! What is t-this¡ª!¡± Imor continued to pull his string sword. He infused a huge amount of mana into his muscles and pulled with all his weight. However, the fully extended string sword didn¡¯t budge an inch, and Zich¡¯s body was not cut apart in the slightest.

    ¡°Did you think you won?¡± A twistedugh filled the space between them.

    Hans and Snoc¡¯s bodies rxed after staring at Zich tensely. They realized what Zich was doing.

    ¡°Pweh, really¡­¡±

    ¡°I really thought my heart was going to burst.¡±

    Koo¡­

    Hans, Snoc, and Nowem all let out a sigh of relief in order.

    ¡°Huh? What?¡± Only L did not know what was happening and looked confused.

    ¡°What just happened?¡±

    Hans replied, ¡°It¡¯s Sir Zich¡¯s awful hobby. It¡¯s better for you to see it firsthand.¡±

    As he said, L decided to continue watching the situation. Imor was nowpletely astounded. No matter how strong a person was, no matter how tough their skin was, there had never been a person who survived when he fully extended his string sword like this. Even though his string sword was flexible and soft, it was tough and sharp, and most of all, very strong¡ªhis string sword was infamous for these characteristics. However, his sword was unable to harm Zich.

    ¡°Tch!¡± Imor released the bind to retrieve his string sword.

    Catch!

    But before he could retrieve it, Zich caught the sword with his strong grip.

    ¡°Ugh!¡± Imor tried to pull his sword, but he was unable to pull the string sword from Zich¡¯s grasp. The sword string merely swayed slightly ording to Imor¡¯s movement.

    ¡°Attack!¡± Imor ordered his underlings who had stopped attacking since Imor caught Zich to start attacking again. Zich gripped a portion of the string sword he was holding with his other hand.

    Ripp!

    The tough string sword was cut much too easily. Imor let out a groan. The cut portion of the string sword was as tall as an average male. The string sword in Zich¡¯s hand drooped to the ground. Then, Zich walked forward and began swinging the string sword in his hand.

    Crasssssssssh!

    An explosion iparably louder than the ones before erupted. The ground in front of Zichpletely flipped over. Those caught by the impact were disassembled and their body parts were scattered in all directions. The string sword was a thin and sharp sword that was used to slice and rip opponents; it was not a weapon that was suitable for letting out explosive powers. However, Zich was able to ovee this basic principle and used it however he wanted.

    Zich spun the string sword a few more times. As people watched a weapon that looked like it couldn¡¯t even blow a breeze create such a devastating impact, people trembled from head to toe. Even the military forces from Violuwin maintained a good distance from Zich. If they moved even a bit closer to Zich, they would be mercilessly caught in his attack.

    Tap!

    Zich stopped walking. In a matter of moments, he was right in front of Imor who was frozen in ce. Zich¡¯s strength was so overwhelming that he couldn¡¯t even run away, and he stared dumbly at Zich.

    ¡°Did you think that my strength came from that sword?¡± Zich continued, ¡°So, when you took my sword, did you think victory waspletely in your grasp?¡±

    Grab!

    ¡°Agh!¡±

    Zich grabbed Imor¡¯s neck and lifted him up by his neck. Imor¡¯s feet struggled in the air.

    ¡°You¡¯re notpletely wrong. The reason why I¡¯m strong is definitely because of that sword. But you are wrong about that sword¡¯s ability.¡± Zich looked up at the wall that his sword fell on top of. Even though the tree branch sword dropped from his hand, he didn¡¯t think that anyone would steal or take it from him.

    Zich looked back at Imor. ¡°Honestly, I don¡¯t know the exact ability of that sword. The power I got from that sword is just temporary, but I¡¯m very satisfied with the result. It¡¯s actually very simple. The sword lets me use all the mana I have.¡±

    As a result, Zich went back to the days when he used to be called the Demon Lord of Strength, Zich Moore. Of course, his current power was not the same as his past life. His current body was significantly worse than when he was a Demon Lord. The gap between his body and his mana was enormous. But even with this gap, it was easy for him to defeat Imor¡¯s armed forces.

    ¡°As you can tell, even if I don¡¯t have the sword in my hand, my strength doesn¡¯t disappear. You didn¡¯t take my sword away from me; I just let it go. Because even without it, I have no problem dealing with the likes of you.¡±

    And Zich also did this because he wanted to see his enemies¡¯ hopeful faces. ¡°How about it? How was your sweet moment of hope?¡±

 Chapter 125

    <h4>Chapter 125</h4>

    No matter what happened in the world, time flowed at the same rate for everyone. Whether there was aedy or a tragedy, the sun rose in Violuwin. Under the bright light, the devastation covered by the darkness came out in full disy: the copsed gates, damaged walls, and numerous buildings were burned down by the fire. The sight of monsters and humans¡¯ corpses intertwined with each other gave off an air of despair. It seemed like a distant past that Violuwin was renowned around the world as a tourist city. However, despair was not the only thing that existed in this city.

    ¡°Hey, try lifting this up!¡±

    ¡°Be careful! The pir burned off, so if you are not careful, everything will copse!¡±

    The people who survived yesterday¡¯s cmity were slowly gathering and working together. They threw away their fears, swallowed their sadness and anger, and began working for the future together. While Violuwin was raising its structure and cleaning up the ruined structures, Zich was lost in thought in his room.

    ¡®I wonder what this is?¡¯

    He looked at the sword that looked like a tree branch. But he was sure that it was not an ordinary sword. Using Estede, the tree branch sword probably transported Zich and L to where it was (but for that to be true, it transported them to a ce too far away). The sword also transported them back to where Estede used to be. Moreover, it awakened the mana inside Zich¡¯s body for a short duration.

    ¡®Those shadow beings were also rted to those guys.¡¯

    Even though L swept most of them away with her magic, a few of them survived and hid behind cracks between the walls or behind the rocks. However, when Zich pulled out the tree branch sword, all of the shadow beings disappeared. Zich stretched out his hands on the sword¡¯s de. There were multiple des like a tree branch, and he swiped the de with the Key That Distorts Destiny with his hand.

    He didn¡¯t put any strength on it. The sword¡¯s side was extremely sharp, and Zich didn¡¯t have a hobby of cutting himself with a sword.

    ¡®I should keep this.¡¯

    Zich had no intention of letting this sword go, especially since the Key That Distorts Destiny was now part of this sword. He was going to slowly find out its identity as he carried it around with him.

    ¡°Come in.¡± In an empty space, Zich suddenly increased the volume of his voice.

    Creek!

    The door opened, and L came in. She looked surprised. ¡°I didn¡¯t even knock.¡±

    ¡°If I can¡¯t even sense a magician standing outside, I should break my sword and start farming.¡±

    Now that she thought about it, L thought it would be ridiculous if Zich failed to sense her presence at his level of skill and epted this exnation. L was staying at the same lodging as Zich and hispanions. Zich was the one who had suggested for her to stay at his lodging.

    ¡°Why don¡¯t you sit?¡± Zich put the tree branch sword next to his chair and pointed towards a chair in front of him. L did not refuse and sat on the chair.

    ¡°Do you have something to tell me?¡±

    L brought her fist towards her chest and let out a sigh. ¡°You wanted to know about the information I had, right?¡±

    ¡°Haven¡¯t we finished that conversation?¡±

    ¡°I will tell you.¡±

    Was Zich¡¯s n to ¡®get closer to her and take all the information she had¡¯ sessful? Zich sped his hands together and put them under his chin. ¡°Are you not going to put a limit to your questions likest time?¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡±

    ¡°Then that¡¯s good for me.¡±

    ¡°But I have a condition.¡±

    ¡°Your habit of putting conditions on everything is not too good though.¡±

    L ignored Zich¡¯s words and pointed her finger at the sword that looked like a tree branch. ¡°Is that a good sword?¡±

    ¡°Yep. I don¡¯t know what exactly it is, but it was able to awaken all my mana for a short time and it might do it again. Estede and Tornium both strengthen their users. As someone who has used all three of them, this sword is actually the best at strengthening my power.¡±

    ¡°Then you have no need for Tornium anymore.¡±

    Zich realized what L was trying to say.

    ¡°I only have one condition. Just keep on using that sword and don¡¯t go back to using Tornium.¡±

    ¡°¡­Honestly, ever since I got this sword, I¡¯m not interested in Estede or Tornium, but you¡¯re really persistent.¡±

    ¡°Really? You have no interest in Tornium at all?¡± She looked very pleased. ¡°That¡¯s a good decision. Don¡¯t even think about going back for Tornium.¡±

    ¡°Okay, okay.¡± In Zich¡¯s perspective, there was no reason for him to disagree.

    ¡°Well then, what type of question should I ask?¡± He crossed his legs and leaned back. He looked up at the ceiling and tried to pick a question.

    ¡°First, your identity¡­or is that question too vague?¡±

    ¡°I actually don¡¯t have much to say about that.¡±

    Zich scowled. ¡°What do you mean? That¡¯s different from what you just said¡­¡±

    Then Zich swallowed back his annoyance. He thought back on L¡¯s behavior so far. ¡°Has your memory been foggy from the very beginning?¡±

    ¡°¡­Are you really the person who is going to be the Demon Lord of Strength? The way you talk, the way you use your head, and your keen sense¡ªeverything doesn¡¯t go well with the title, ¡®The Demon Lord of Strength¡¯.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s because when you get powerful, you start depending only on that. When I first left my family, I was really weak so there were a lot of situations where I had to use my head to barely get by. During that time, I went through all sorts of things. Maybe, as a result of that, once I started having enough strength to crush the world, I hardly used my brain. One of my subordinates was even in charge of the brains.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s the future you saw?¡±

    ¡°Well, yeah.¡± Even though Zich didn¡¯t see his future like L did and actually experienced it firsthand, he didn¡¯t feel the need to tell her that part.

    ¡°Then do you have no idea what you are?¡±

    ¡°No, I don¡¯t know. When I gained consciousness, I was already running away. I can¡¯t remember anything about me, the people who were chasing after me, and why they were chasing after me. I only have vague memories about the futures I saw in my dreams, and there¡¯s been a pressure in my heart to never get caught.¡±

    ¡°Their goal probably has something to do with the memories of the future you have.¡±

    L had also considered this, so she nodded at Zich¡¯s analysis.

    ¡°And you don¡¯t remember the memories of the future that well either?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. And the memories I have of the future are probably not useful for someone like you who also sees the future. Even though I saw many different futures, I don¡¯t remember the exact flows and processes of my dreams, so as for knowing specific information about the future, you might know more than me. But even then, if you are curious, I can tell you as much as I know.¡±

    ¡°I will listen to thatter.¡± Zich changed his question. ¡°Why were you in Ospurin?¡±

    ¡°Because I wanted to make sure if the memories I had were really real. From my memory, the figure that was closest to me was the person called Vampire.¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s not Vampire anymore. He¡¯s now Count Joachim Dracul.¡±

    L blinked her eyes several times. ¡°¡­Did something happen?¡±

    ¡°I changed his future. So, he won¡¯t be the Vampire anymore.¡±

    ¡°¡­Why did you do that?¡±

    ¡°Because he used to be one of my subordinates. Since I decided to live a kind life, if he bes a bad guy, I might have to kill him with my own hands.¡±

    L gazed at Zich. ¡°Can I ask you a question?¡±

    ¡°Since you are answering my questions, I won¡¯t refuse to a certain extent.¡±

    ¡°You won¡¯t be Zich Moore, right?¡±

    ¡°At least for now, I have no such ns.¡±

    Even if it hadn¡¯t been for Glen Zenard¡¯s final words, Zich thought that he probably wouldn¡¯t live as a Demon Lord again; he had already lived that kind of life to the fullest. He was able to have a second chance at life¡ªwouldn¡¯t it be too boring if he lived the same life as before?

    ¡°My life goal right now is to live a kind life,¡± Zich said this with sincerity, but it failed to raise L¡¯s trust in him. L reacted as if she was hearing bullshit.

    ¡°Yesterday, was he called¡­Imor? I can¡¯t forget what you did to him before he died.¡± Moreover, L was shocked to hear from Hans and Snoc about Zich¡¯s sadistic tendencies¡ªto enjoy giving false hope and taking it away in the next moment.

    ¡°To tell you the truth, that was the main reason why I wanted to make a deal with you so you won¡¯t get Tornium.¡±

    No matter how one looked at it, Zich¡¯s hobby was what a viin would do. However, even with L¡¯s criticism, Zich was unaffected. Instead, he straightened his chest in pride. ¡°In the end, I was able to get information about you thanks to that. There¡¯s no problem at all.¡±

    ¡°¡­I can¡¯t follow your train of thought at all.¡± L followed Hans and Snoc¡¯s decision to give up on understanding Zich.

    While L was sluggishly sitting on the chair, Zich continued to question her. ¡°Why were you in the ancient ruins?¡±

    ¡°That was my home base. Even if I have a lot of knowledge about various subjects, I don¡¯t have money or experience. Moreover, I¡¯m constantly getting chased. So out of all the ces I remembered, I hid there. As you know, it¡¯s a good ce to hide.¡±

    L recalled how she felt like a child that got thrown into the world with only information from books.

    ¡°¡­But I can¡¯t believe they followed me all the way there.¡± L¡¯s voice trembled. She tightened her grip on the chair¡¯s armrest and bowed her head. Her clear eyes looked as if they were going to let out tears at any moment.

    The attacks against the city were not her fault. Zich had already said this, and his thoughts hadn¡¯t changed. ¡®But I guess normal people would feel guilt.¡¯

    Her words and the robed figures¡¯ shoutings to capture L first all indicated that L was speaking the truth.

    ¡®In the beginning, they tried to capture her by sending a tracking team. And when that failed, they turned the entire city into a battleground to find her.¡¯

    They were really clingy, insect-like bastards. They had arge number of people and strength, but most of all, they were tenacious.

    ¡®I guess that¡¯s how important L is to them.¡¯

    Zich put out his hand and ced it over L¡¯s hand. She raised her head. Her teary eyes opened wide in surprise.

    ¡°I told you this before, but it¡¯s not your fault,¡± Zichforted her with a low voice.

    L¡¯s eyes became a bit blurry, and soon enough, a tear fell. She put her head back down and cried for a bit. Zich held her hand the whole time, but her crying did notst long.

    She lifted her head with embarrassment, took out her hand from Zich¡¯s grasp, and wiped her tears. ¡°I never imagined that you wouldfort me.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s because I¡¯m a bad guy trying to live a kind life.¡±

    ¡°What kind of answer is that?¡± She burst out in quietughter. Even though her throat was still sore, she felt a lot better. Zich also stared at her with a small smile.

    However, inside his mind, he made a mischievous smile. ¡®If I act like this, she will open her heart further.¡¯

    The kindness he showed to her was perfectly calcted. His n to get closer to her to squeeze out all the information she had was still in process.

    ¡®Since her memory is fuzzy, she seems to have forgotten most of the information she knows. But she might remember more thingster on, so I should prepare for the future.¡¯

    At this point in time, only amateurs would forcefully make her spit out information to reap immediate benefits. While thinking these insidious thoughts, Zich didn¡¯t erase the smile from his face.

    ¡°Pweh, I calmed down. Thank you.¡± She wiped all the tears from her face and fixed her expression. Then she looked at Zich as if she waspletely fine. ¡°What¡¯s the next question?¡±

    Her voice also returned to normal. But it seemed as if she was embarrassed about crying in front of Zich and her cheeks were red. Zich pretended to not notice.

    ¡®Hmmm, is there more for me to ask?¡¯

    Now that Zich knew that her memories were iplete, he didn¡¯t have much to ask her. Honestly, he wasn¡¯t very interested in the futures that she saw. It was enough for him to continue doing kind acts and just know the future of the world he was currently living in. What Zich was most curious about was L¡¯s identity and the group who was chasing after her. But right now, she had no memory of either of these topics.

    ¡®Damn, she has nothing.¡¯ He couldn¡¯t help but think. ¡®Well, whatever. If her memoryes backter, I can get more information out of her.¡¯

    While nning for the future, Zich decided to end their questioning time with a few more questions. ¡°What is Brave?¡±

    It was thest name L had rmended to him. He didn¡¯t expect much while asking this. He merely asked to scrap any information that L had. She could have also just said thatst name on a whim. But the answer that came back to Zich blew his mind.

    ¡°Zich Brave. It was probably the name you used when you worked as a hero.¡±

 Chapter 126

    <h4>Chapter 126</h4>

    ¡°¡­A hero?¡±

    ¡°Yes, a hero.¡± Zich hit his ears several times with his hands. He tried shoving his fingers into his ear and tried shaking his head to get his act together.

    ¡°A hero?¡±

    ¡°Yes, a hero. You heard it right. A hero like Glen Zenard. I¡¯m not speaking in a roundabout way, and there¡¯s no hidden meaning behind it. I meant exactly what I said.¡±

    ¡°¡­Me?¡± Zich pointed a finger towards himself, and unlike his usual self, there was none of his usualposure; he even looked a bit dumb.

    But L didn¡¯t make fun of him. Honestly, she had a hard time believing it herself. ¡°I also can¡¯t believe it. Since my memory is fuzzy, I don¡¯t know how you became a hero or how you lived your life, but there was definitely a future where you were a hero. And the name you used in that future was Zich Brave.¡±

    ¡°I got it.¡± Zich pped his hands. And with great strength and resolve, he said, ¡°I will never use thatst name, Brave.¡±

    ¡°Do whatever you want.¡± L was not even surprised by Zich¡¯s reaction.

    Zich reclined back on his chair, and unlike a few moments before, he looked very tired. ¡°Did I use Estede during that time?¡±

    ¡°Maybe, I think so.¡±

    Zich tightly held the sword that looked like a tree branch in his hand. Even though he already liked the sword, he now had an even greater appreciation for it.

    Zich let out a sigh. ¡°This is myst question. Do you remember when we first met?¡±

    Zich¡¯s tone sounded like he was mentioning a sentimental memory between past lovers. However, their first meeting was far from something like that.

    ¡°Yeah, we had a huge fight.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s because you were very suspicious.¡±

    ¡°You should consider my position. I was meeting the guy who might be the future Demon Lord.¡±

    ¡°But I was not the Demon Lord then.¡±

    ¡°No matter how you looked at it, you were not Zich Steelwall. And definitely not Zich Brave. Then what was I supposed to think when only Zich Moore was left?¡±

    ¡°Well, let¡¯s just say that we both misunderstood each other in our respective positions.¡±

    But this was not the part that Zich was curious about. There was no need for them to get emotional about their past fights.

    ¡°Do you remember how you looked at me in that fight?¡±

    ¡°Do you mean when I looked at you as I would look at a future Demon Lord?¡±

    ¡°No, I mean when you looked at me before you ran away.¡±

    Atst, L remembered what Zich was talking about and let out a groan. ¡°Thinking back on it, I did look at you a bit differently while I was running away.¡±

    ¡°That was the first time I saw someone¡¯s eyes reflect both animosity and sentimentality. While Ipletely understand the animosity, why did you look at me with sentimentality?¡±

    Since he thought it was very strange, Zich vividly remembered this memory.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know. At that moment, I just felt sentimental. I don¡¯t remember why exactly.¡±

    ¡°Is it rted to your hazy memories again?¡±

    ¡°Probably. But I feel like something was different. And I think the animosity was not towards Moore. I can¡¯t even pinpoint what that sentimentalism was about.¡±

    ¡°In the end, this is also a mystery.¡± Zich put his arm on the armrest in a crooked position and looked up at the ceiling. ¡°Okay, I basically asked everything I wanted to ask you. Thank you for replying.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re wee.¡±

    After that, Zich and L made small talk. Since they had gotten much closer over the past few days, they were able to converse with ease. During their conversation, Zich suddenly shifted his gaze towards the door.

    ¡°Come in.¡± Zich raised his voice. It was a familiar situation. Likewise, L also shifted her attention towards the door.

    ¡°Please excuse me.¡± Hans carefully opened the door and went in. From behind, Snoc came in with Nowem. As he did with L, Zich had sensed both of their presences and let them in.

    ¡°What are you here for?¡±

    ¡°We wanted to help the people with the city¡¯s reconstruction. But before we do that, we wanted to get permission from you, sir.¡±

    Since they saved the city, they were being treated extremely well by the city. Even the lodging they were currently staying in was prepared by the city. However, instead of epting these benefits as something to be expected, Hans and Snoc were grateful to the city and wanted to help with the city¡¯s reconstruction.

    ¡°Then I will also go with you two.¡± L got up after hearing Hans¡¯ words. Zich also got up as well.

    ¡°I should also do some more kind acts before I leave this city.¡±

    ¡°¡­I can¡¯t get used to you saying kind acts at all.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s my business.¡± Zich shrugged his shoulders.

    ¡°Ah, Ms. L, I have something to tell you.¡± Hans moved closer to L. ¡°Since everything was so hectic, I wasn¡¯t able to give this back to you.¡±

    Hans took out the ring that L gave him when they were in the ancient ruins. ¡°Thank you.¡±

    L epted the ring.

    ¡°Did you also have that ring when you started gaining your memories?¡±

    ¡°Yep.¡±

    Hans and Snoc paid no attention to Zich and L¡¯s conversation. They knew it didn¡¯t involve them, and they shouldn¡¯t pry for information. When Zich was about to go out, his gazended on Estede that Hans was holding. Since he couldn¡¯t find a suitable scabbard, Hans had wrapped a cloth around it.

    ¡®Perhaps¡­¡¯

    Zich looked down at his finger. He looked at the finger that used to have the Key That Distorts Destiny in it.

    ¡°Hans.¡±

    ¡°Yes, sir.¡±

    ¡°Hand Estede over to me.¡±

    ¡°Yes?¡± Hans tilted his head in confusion.

    L was surprised and said out loud, ¡°What¡¯s happening? It¡¯s strange that you would want to hold Estede.¡±

    ¡°The reason why I was able to hold it might be because of the Key That Distorts Destiny that used to be in my hand. I¡¯m trying to make sure that¡¯s the reason.¡±

    ¡°The Key That Distorts Destiny¡­¡±

    It was the object that used to be in Zich¡¯s finger and was now part of the sword that looked like a tree branch. And Zich¡¯s current sword had a close connection with Estede.

    ¡®Yeah, it definitely makes sense that Zich was able to hold Estede because of the object in his finger.¡¯ L still could not understand how Zich was able to pull out Estede.

    ¡°Sir, it¡¯s right here.¡± Hans took off the cloth and pointed Estede¡¯s hilt towards Zich.

    ¡°¡­Pweh!¡± Zich let out a big breath as if he was performing an important ritual.

    ¡®Does he hate it that much?¡¯

    L, Hans, and Snoc could not understand why Zich hated holding Estede that much. However, Zich didn¡¯t care about their thoughts at all. Zich grabbed Estede by the hilt and put pressure on it.

    ¡°¡­You can hold it.¡±

    ¡°¡­Sir, you can hold it.¡±

    ¡°¡­Sir, it works.¡±

    Koo.

    Zich stared at Estede with an inexplicable expression on his face. He let out a sigh and dropped Estede to the ground. ¡°¡­As expected, this thing is definitely broken. Then there¡¯s no way I would be able to hold it. I¡¯m sure that anyone can actually hold it.¡±

    L spat, ¡°Stop saying ridiculous things.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a holy sword. Look at this, at least I won¡¯t be able to hol¡­¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Everyone became quiet as L was also able to hold up the sword with ease.

    ¡°¡­I¡¯m okay. I have Nowem.¡±

    Koo.

    In the silence, only Snoc¡¯s words rang out sadly between them.

    * * *

    Even though they had lengthened their stay in the city to help with the reconstruction, they were not able to stay any longer. When all the debris and major destruction were cleaned up and new buildings were about to be built, Zich and hispanions decided to leave Violuwin.

    ¡°It¡¯s so regretful to hear that you¡¯re leaving so soon.¡± The mayor of the city came out to say his farewells. He had a very stylish mustache, and while paying no attention to his high position, he humbly said his farewells. Zich and hispanions were heroes who had stopped the city¡¯s copse. Moreover, nobody was able to forget Zich¡¯s explosive strength¡ªthis was enough to make the mayor bend down in humility.

    ¡°We already received so much in our stay in the city. On the other hand, I feel sorry that we couldn''t help with the city¡¯s reconstruction a bit more.¡±

    ¡°No, you shouldn¡¯t feel sorry! All of you saved the city from destruction and even stayed behind to help with the reconstruction. We were the ones who received more than enough!¡±

    Zich and the mayor exchanged words of humility. Zich ignored L¡¯s bewildered gaze from behind him and didn¡¯t erase the smile from his face. And like this, Zich and hispanions left the city. However, unlike Zich and hispanions who were leaving the city, the people in Violuwin had to worry about their livelihoods. Even though it was fortunate that the city didn¡¯t copse, Violuwin¡¯s future as a tourist site was very worrisome.

    Who the hell woulde to see the destruction and devastation of copsed buildings and roads? Moreover, several ces that were major tourist sites were also destroyed, and the mayor was not sure if they could even be reconstructed. They needed a new way to bring in tourists.

    Then a person suggested to the mayor, ¡°Does it have to be something physical? Why don¡¯t we try selling stories?¡±

    ¡°Stories?¡±

    ¡°Yes, sir. Even though a terrifying nightmare came upon this city, there were heroes who saved us all.¡±

    The mayor and everyone in the meeting paid close attention to the speaker¡¯s words.

    ¡°A city captured by monsters and a mysterious evil group. People¡¯s destinies looked as fragile as a candlelight in front of a wind. Four heroes suddenly appeared in people¡¯s time of doom. Isn¡¯t this just like a story from a novel?¡±

    ¡°Exin your n in detail.¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s first organize the story about our four heroes. We don¡¯t even need to exaggerate their stories. Just saying what we heard and experienced would be touching enough. And if we do try to exaggerate, even our truths might be dismissed as lies. Then, after we agree on one story, we spread it to our surroundings.¡±

    ¡°Hmmm. And then?¡±

    ¡°We mark the areas where they fought and set up monuments to write down what they did. Putting up statues in the city would also be a good idea.¡±

    ¡°What else?¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s leave several of our devastated areas as they are to show what happened in our city and further support their aplishments.¡±

    ¡°Hmm.¡± The mayor fell into deep thought, but he thought this n was a good method to increase tourism. ¡°What do other people think?¡±

    ¡°Won¡¯t it be all right?¡±

    ¡°Even though it¡¯s a bit ufortable that we are using the city¡¯s painful history as a means for tourism, I think it¡¯s a good n.¡±

    ¡°We have to do what we can to help the city. I think it¡¯s a good idea to at least try this.¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    Other people also supported this n. Likewise, the mayor¡¯s heart was also skewed towards making this n happen.

    In the end, the mayor made his final decision. ¡°Since we¡¯ll be able to spread the aplishments of those who helped us, we can probably make up some of the debt we owe them. Are there any other ideas that all of you can think of right now?¡±

    ¡°Why don¡¯t we make a nickname for each of our heroes ording to their characteristics? That¡¯ll help people remember them better.¡±

    ¡°How so?¡±

    ¡°Well, we first call all of them heroes, and why don¡¯t we add a modifier in front of that? For things like this, it¡¯s easier to remember if you make it simple. For example¡­¡± The person who spoke up pondered for a while and then said, ¡°We can give Mr. Snoc the title, ¡®Earth Hero¡¯ since he controls the earth, and since Ms. L is skilled at using magic, we can give her the title, ¡®Magic Hero.¡¯ For the remaining two¡­¡±

    The speaker tapped his finger on the table. ¡°Since Mr. Hans uses a sword full of light, let¡¯s call him the ¡®Sun Hero,¡¯ and since Mr. Zich showed us an overwhelming disy of strength, why don¡¯t we call him the ¡®Strength Hero¡¯?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not bad.¡± The mayor nodded. ¡°I don¡¯t think we have to continue this meeting any longer. Let¡¯s immediately execute this n to make them into heroes and use our story to get more tourists toe to our city.¡±

 Chapter 127

    <h4>Chapter 127</h4>

    Zich opened his eyes. The bonfire that had watched them all night was letting out white smoke, barely managing to hold on. Zich rubbed his eyes and stretched his arms out.

    ¡°Have you woken up?¡±

    Zich heard a low voice. It was a low, strong voice that sounded like it would belong to a gigantic body, but there was a clear sense of gentleness mixed in it.

    ¡°Yes, sir,¡± Zich replied and stared at the owner of the voice.

    A huge man sat on arge log and looked over the bonfire. ¡°Since you are up, can you wake the others up?¡±

    ¡°Sir, you can wake them up by yourself.¡±

    The huge figure flinched. ¡°That is a bit¡­¡±

    ¡°Are you still having a hard time dealing with them? They are our team members. There¡¯s no need to feel ufortable around them.¡±

    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right.¡± Even though he said this, the huge man merely made a bitter smile and didn¡¯t move. Zich shook his head. Even though the huge man had the face and body of a gangster boss, he had a difficult time dealing with his teammates. But this didn¡¯t mean that the mancked skill. On the other hand, the huge man was able to cut down small, medium-sized,rge, and extremelyrge monsters with one swing of his ax.

    ¡®Should I prepare a special event or something to make them closer?¡¯

    While thinking of a n to make his team members closer, Zich shook the woman close to him. ¡°Wake up, Aine.¡±

    ¡°Hmm¡­.¡± The woman named Aine opened her eyes. She moved out of her nket, yawned loudly, and stretched out her arms. ¡°Did you sleep well, Zich?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. Did you also sleep well, Aine?¡±

    ¡°Yes. I feel energized. Even this is a blessing from Karuna.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s great. Then can you wake her up? I¡¯ll go wake our other teammates up.¡±

    ¡°All right. I will immediately wake them up after morning prayer.¡±

    Aine bent her knees on top of the nket. Then she sped her hands, bowed her head, and closed her eyes. Zich moved past her and walked up towards one of his other team members who was fast asleep. In this group full of distinct personalities, Aine was on the calmer side; Zich needed to prepare himself a bit to wake up this next team member.

    ¡°It¡¯s morning. Sir, wake up.¡± Zich shook his team member. The man slowly opened his eyes. His sunken eyes indicated that he was very tired.

    ¡°Is it already morning?¡±

    ¡°Yes, look. The sun is already up.¡±

    The man looked towards the direction that Zich pointed to. It was quite bright across the ridge, but it was hard to say the sun was up when there was none of its fierce brightness shining into his eyes.

    ¡°It isn¡¯t up yet. Tell me when the sun is fully up. Then I will wake up.¡±

    ¡°No! You always say that but then you keep sleeping! Also, today is the day we have to wake up early and start moving!¡±

    They argued like this for a bit; and while they argued, the mountain across them began to get brighter and brighter.

    ¡°Fine, fine. I will get up.¡± He finally got up after losing to Zich. He was an old man with a long, white beard that reached all the way to his stomach; his appearance gave off an impression of wisdom and elegance. But his recent fight with Zich pointed towards the contrary, and there was a certain kind of yfulness in the man¡¯s eyes.

    ¡°Did you just wake up? Act your age.¡±

    Another voice came out from the other side. Zich raised his head and looked towards the direction of the voice. A woman with pointy ears was sitting on top of a nket and looking at the old man. She was an elf that usually didn¡¯t appear where humans were.

    ¡°If you get old like me, you be like this. My recovery ispletely different from youngsters. If I was able to rest well, I would have been the very first one to get up since old men like me don¡¯t sleep much!¡±

    ¡°Yeah, yeah. Even though you are much younger than me, magician.¡±

    ¡°This is why I don¡¯t like elves¡ª! You, say something too!¡±

    Their fight sparked towards the huge man who was prepping the bonfire for breakfast.

    ¡°Yes? No, I¡­¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t have to say much! Just tell that impudent elf to respect her elders!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m telling you¡ª you are younger than me!¡±

    ¡°How can you think like that when our life spans are different! You have to obviously factor in our different life spans ording to our respective species andpare us!¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s what you think!¡±

    An argument between an ill-tempered old magician and a feisty elf started their mornings as usual. The huge person sitting in front of the bonfire was long gone from the old magician and elf¡¯s minds.

    ¡°I will help.¡±

    ¡°Ah, thank you.¡±

    Aine, who woke up the elf, moved towards the huge person; he was staring nkly in front of him after being swept into the elf and old wizard¡¯s fight and then got ignored in the next moment. Zich walked towards the two who were still arguing.

    Then he pped loudly to catch their attention. ¡°Hey, since both of you seem wide awake, let¡¯s eat breakfast and get ready to move.¡±

    They were both growling at each other, but they obediently followed Zich¡¯s words and went off to do their individual tasks.

    ¡°You go through a lot every day. Thank you for all your work this morning as well.¡± Aine held up the ingredients for breakfast and moved towards Zich.

    ¡°Since I¡¯m used to it, it¡¯s nothing to me now. I didn¡¯t want to get used to something like this though.¡±

    Aineughed silently. ¡°But cheer up. You are definitely doing a good job leading this diverse party. I¡¯ll guarantee that.¡±

    ¡°A guarantee from the great, Karuwiman Saint¡ªI think I¡¯m about to gain the confidence I never knew existed in me.¡±

    ¡°If my support makes you confident, I will say it as much as I can, Sir Hero,¡± Aine said with a bright smile.

    * * *

    Thud!

    Zich woke up from his dream. He looked in front of him as if he was not fully awake. Then he quickly turned his head around and looked at his surroundings.

    ¡°Sir, have you woken up?¡± Hans, thest person to stand watch, delivered his greeting after discovering that Zich was awake. Zich stared intensely at Hans.

    ¡°¡­Sir, why are you staring at me like that?¡± Hans tried to think of instances where he might have crossed Zich¡¯s mood.

    But Zich couldn¡¯t leisurely think of Hans¡¯ concerns. He carefully looked around his surroundings. They were camping on a certain mountain. The bonfire that was barely holding on and the sunlight that was slowly seeping out from behind the mountains looked the same as his dream. However, there was Hans, who was walking on eggshells around Zich, Snoc who was tightly holding Nowem, and L who had her nket pulled to the top of her head¡ªthey were all different from his dream.

    Hispanions didn¡¯t include a huge man who had a rough appearance but a soft personality, the picky elf, the ill-tempered old man, or the Saint.

    ¡®Hero.¡¯

    While thinking of Lube saying that to him, Zich¡¯s whole body shuddered.

    ¡®What kind of dogshit dream is this¡­¡¯

    It was all because L told him about Brave and things like that. That was what Zich thought.

    ¡®Damn it, my whole back is wet.¡¯

    His dream was so awful that his back was covered in sweat. Zich thought he should first change his clothes. Whileining, Zich stood up. His sword quietly watched him and stared at his back.

    * * *

    Crash!

    A loud explosion shook the whole forest. Winged beasts that werefortably resting on a tree branch all flew away, andrge trees that had existed for centuries were swept by mes and became one with the earth.

    ¡°How can you use me magic in a forest?¡± Watching from behind, Zich rebuked L. But L just smirked and cast another spell.

    Ziiiing!

    The burning forest was frozen solid in an instant. L turned around with a confident look on her face. Zich shrugged.

    Crash!

    She used another explosive magic spell, and then there was anotherrge hole in the forest. Then the size of the hole got bigger. Only then did L let her hands down. ¡°Is this enough?¡±

    ¡°Not yet.¡± Zich walked in front of L. He widely swung the sword that looked like a tree branch in the air.

    Slice!

    The trees that were still burning from L¡¯s attack were sliced apart. As a result, the surrounding trees and the remaining fire nearby were also wiped out. The alreadyrge space became even wider. Zich was pleased with the clearing he made and nodded in satisfaction.

    ¡°You seem to really like that sword.¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡±

    ¡°You said you named it ¡®Windur,¡¯ right?¡±

    Zich couldn¡¯t keep calling it the sword that looked like a tree branch. So, he just gave it a suitable name. Windur¡ªording to legends, it was the name of the tree that supported an empire from the past.

    ¡°Hmm, the name fits the sword really well.¡±

    ¡°Of course! I was the one who named it.¡±

    ¡°Really, your self-confidence knows no limit.¡± Lughed at Zich¡¯s reply. Then she moved towards the clearing they made. A part of it had been devastated by fires and a part of it was frozen. There were fallen, thick trees all over the ce. It was not a difficult task for them to clear the forest as they both possessed powers beyond ordinary humans. However, as they continued to work, L started to get annoyed.

    ¡°Couldn¡¯t we have just followed a set path?¡±

    ¡°I will tell you one thing, L.¡± Zich puffed his chest and dered, ¡°Ever since I first left my family with Hans, I have never used a set path.¡±

    ¡°Do you think that¡¯s something to brag about!¡± L threw a fireball at him. There was no way a low-level magic attack would be able to harm Zich. Hezily swung his fist at the fireball, and it burst.

    ¡°You must have forgotten this, Zich. I¡¯m apanying you because you asked me to. Do you realize that?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not a loss for you either. You can¡¯t talk as if you are doing me a favor when we both thought it would be favorable for both of us to move together.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, that was the case when I didn¡¯t know that we would only be moving through mountains!¡±

    ¡°When you make a contract, you¡¯re not supposed to reveal things that are unfavorable to you.¡±

    Another attack came flying towards him. This time, it was abination attack that used fire and wind. Even Zich was shocked by L¡¯s enormous ability tounch abination attack with a silent incantation, but even that attack was unable to make a dent in Zich¡¯s defense.

    ¡°Tch,e here!¡± L walked towards the center of the clearing and began casting a spell. She extended her hands on both sides and a clear magic circle emerged between them.

    Pop!

    A huge wind blew on the clearing. The fallen trees in the space all flew to the sides. In an instant, the clearing was empty except for tree stumps. Zich stood in the clearing while facing L. He wielded his sword and L had her hands out.

    ¡°Is your body slowly getting used to the magic?¡±

    ¡°Roughly.¡±

    Zich and L had made a deal. One of the conditions that Zich suggested was for him to help improve L¡¯s abilities. Since she only knew magic by knowledge, there was a huge gap between her knowledge, experience, and physical body. Of course, even in her current state, she was extremely proficient in battle. But to further improve her magic abilities, Zich offered his expertise to help Lbine her knowledge with experience and physical skills. Since she was being chased, Zich¡¯s offer was tempting to her. In the end, L epted Zich¡¯s offer, and now they trained like this once a day.

    ¡°Honestly, you are getting stronger at an extremely fast rate. Right now, there¡¯s hardly any dy between your thoughts and actions.¡±

    ¡°¡­I can¡¯t believe you¡¯replimenting me. Are you scheming something?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m the type of person who doesn¡¯t hold backpliments when someone is actually doing well.¡±

    This was true. Contrary to the rough way he treated Hans and Snoc, Zich easilyplimented them when he saw their skills improve.

    For L, it was a very surprising side to him. ¡°Yeah. You were like that. Sorry that I misunderstood, and thanks forplimenting me.¡±

    ¡°But it¡¯s true, I am scheming something.¡±

    ¡°¡­This bastard.¡±

    He really had a bad personality.

    ¡°I¡¯m joking. It¡¯s not even a scheme. Since your skills have improved, why don¡¯t we improve your fighting skills?¡±

    ¡°¡­Improve my fighting skills?¡± What does that mean? L felt a shiver pass down her whole body.

    ¡°You know about the methods I use to train Hans and Snoc, right?¡±

    Of course, she knew. How could she not know when his training was basically the same as torture? She thought it was amazing that Hans and Snoc stayed with Zich and didn¡¯t run away. It was already telling that today, they looked super happy at being told to clean out all the monsters in the nearby areas because they didn¡¯t have to undergo Zich¡¯s gruesome training.

    ¡°We¡¯ve been focusing on minimizing the gap between your knowledge, experience, and reactions, but since you seem to have mastered that, we have to change our training methods. Don¡¯t you want to increase your fighting abilities and not just your magic abilities? You have already increased your magic abilities enough.¡±

    ¡°¡­Perhaps.¡± She moved back by instinct.

    ¡°You have a tendency to be too fearful when you¡¯re faced with pain or injury. I will help you ovee that from now on. Don¡¯t worry. This is all included in our deal. I also won¡¯t use this as an excuse to get more things from you. So, there¡¯s no need to refuse my offer.¡±

    L thought Zich¡¯s smile made him look like a demon.

 Chapter 128

    <h4>Chapter 128</h4>

    Zich and hispanions arrived in a city named Westillburd. As expected of the capital city of the Cronon Kingdom, it looked like a prosperous area. Even though they had traveled to various cities and viges, it was Snoc and Hans¡¯ first time seeing the capital city of a kingdom.

    Capital city¡ªjust this term made the whole city look different. It seemed as if the surrounding buildings, the clothes that people were wearing, the grass on the streets, and even the trees nted in front of the houses looked much more elegant and stylish. Hans and Snoc eyed their surroundings with barely contained excitement. Zich looked at his two pathetic servants and let out a small sigh. Then he looked the other way. L had the same expression as Snoc and Hans and was looking all over the ce. Zich shook his head.

    Even though a capital city was the center of Cronon¡¯s economic and political system, Westillburd was even more vibrant than other capital cities in the world. People¡¯s expectations and hopes seemed to float around in the air.

    ¡°Sir, look at that!¡± Snoc said while looking at a poster on the wall. Zich, Hans, and more recently, L were teaching Snoc how to read and write, so Snoc was now capable of slowly reading some letters.

    ¡°It says that the king¡¯s birthday ising up soon! And it¡¯s also going to be his 50th birthday!¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s why the atmosphere seemed so lively.¡± Hans stood next to Snoc and also looked at the wall.

    ¡°Then they will probably have a festival soon. How many days are left until the festival?¡± L also joined them.

    ¡°It says that there are 50 days left!¡±

    ¡°There are still a lot of days left.¡±

    Three pairs of eyes all stared at Zich. Currently, Zich dictated their travels. If there were only a few days left until the festival, they would have begged Zich as much as they could, but 50 days seemed too long.

    ¡°Okay.¡± However, contrary to their worries, Zich easily nodded his head. ¡°Should we first find a ce to stay?¡±

    * * *

    After finding a ce to stay, Zich called L to his room.

    As soon as L came in, she asked, ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°Do you remember the conditions of our deal?¡±

    ¡°Of course.¡± L gritted her teeth and red at Zich.

    With the excuse of improving her abilities, Zich really pushed her to her limits. Even though she was able to fight Zich on equal footing before, after Zich awakened all his mana in Violuwin, the amount of mana that Zich could use was one level higher than before. Moreover, Windur was also in his hands. It was a sword that increased its owner¡¯s strength more than Estede or Tornium.

    It was now inevitable that L would be pushed back by Zich in terms of battle prowess. Zich was strict and brutal. Even Hans and Snoc had not been pushed to the extent that Zich pushed L. When their training was over, L waspletely covered in blood. Even though Hans and Snoc had now gotten somewhat used to Zich¡¯s harsh training, they turned their heads away when Zich was training L.

    ¡°Thanks to you, I¡¯m now very used to fighting.¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t need to thank me. It was a fair deal.¡±

    L gritted her teeth again. ¡°¡­It¡¯s fine now. I know that sarcasm won¡¯t work on you. You called me to talk about the conditions of our deal, right?¡±

    ¡°Yep.¡± Zich leaned forward. ¡°I¡¯m trying to meet one of my subordinates, Evelyn Rouge.¡±

    Evelyn Rouge was one of Zich¡¯s four subordinates, and she resided in this city.

    ¡°Hmm, you want to meet one of your four subordinates from the future. But do we have to really go out of our way to find her? Right now, you aren¡¯t rted to her, and it will be like that in the future too.¡±

    There was a trace of sharpness in her tone. L hated anything that was rted to the ¡®Demon Lord Zich Moore¡¯ to the extent that she was adamant about Zich not even holding Tornium. Thus, she was not too keen about meeting Evelyn Rouge, one of Zich¡¯s four subordinates in the past.

    ¡°Honestly, the business I have is not with Evelyn, but with those guys who corrupted Evelyn.¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t seem to know about those guys.¡±

    It seemed as if the organization that turned people into Demon People didn¡¯t appear in L¡¯s dreams, nor was she able to remember it. Zich exined what he knew about them to L.

    ¡°¡­There are people like that?¡±

    ¡°And there is a high possibility that those guys are the same guys who are chasing after you.¡±

    L¡¯s expression stiffened. Even with her foggy memories, there was a force that pressured her to run away from her chasers, never to be caught by them.

    ¡°And as I told you before, I don¡¯t want to meet my past subordinates who turned into Demon People when I¡¯m trying to live a kind life. I also have a debt I have to repay to those robed bastards.¡±

    ¡°¡­Do you know exactly when your subordinates would be corrupted?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know. Luckily, I met Joachim before he transformed. During that time, I didn¡¯t even know the robed man was behind his transformation either. But Evelyn is different. I actually remember when she took her first step in bing a Demon Person.¡±

    ¡°When is that?¡±

    ¡°During the Cronon King¡¯s 50th birthday.¡±

    ¡°¡­Then it¡¯s exactly during this time.¡±

    ¡°Yeah. We really got here at the best time.¡±

    L now knew why Zich epted their request to stay in this city without a moment of hesitation. From the first ce, he had nned to stay in Westillburd for a while.

    ¡°Then where is one of your ¡®four great subordinates¡¯ right now?¡±

    ¡°We can¡¯t meet her right away. She told me she was from a very high-ranking noble family.¡±

    ¡°Didn¡¯t you also tell me that Joachim Dracul was a young master of a noble family? And now you say he is a count. In order to be a Demon Lord subordinate, do you need to be a noble or something?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s all a coincidence. The other two guys didn¡¯te from good families.¡±

    ¡°Well, whatever. Then what are you going to do from now on? If she¡¯s from a high-ranking family, it¡¯ll be hard for us to meet her.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s where I need your help. When meeting someone coincidentally, being with a woman makes it less suspicious.¡±

    ¡°¡­It smells like you are thinking about doing something shady.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not like we are trying to do something bad. In a way, we are trying to protect her.¡±

    ¡°Fine, I understand. Since we made a deal, I will do my best to fulfill my side of the deal.¡±

    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s the spirit.¡± Zich immediately began to exin his n to L. A conspiracy that didn¡¯t really seem like one began to gradually bear fruit.

    * * *

    Their stay in Westillburd went on monotonously. Unlike their stay in other cities, Zich didn¡¯t let Hans and Snoc y around. 50 days was much too long to give as a vacation. Moreover, even after 50 days, there was no guarantee that they would leave this city. Hans and Snoc received Zich¡¯s intense training, and it was more difficult than usual. Normally, Zich would have left them at least some energy to move around, but in Westillburd, he really drilled them until they had no strength left. Soon, they wanted to punch themselves to death for asking Zich if they could stay in this city.

    But by that time, it was toote. Their only hope was for the king¡¯s 50th birthday toe sooner while rolling on the ground again and again. However, it wasn¡¯t as if Zich trained them every day, and he wasn¡¯t always with them.

    ¡°I¡¯m gonna leave for a bit,¡± Zich said to Hans and Snoc. L stood next to him. ¡°We are going out for several days. You are free to do whatever during that time, so just y by yourselves.¡±

    ¡°Yes, sir!¡±

    ¡°Sir, we will abide by your order!¡±

    The two of them smiled brightly with joyous expressions, and they shouted out their answers.

    Koooo!

    Nowem¡¯s cry from the back added on to their enthusiasm and sense of liberation. Zich felt a bit annoyed. He wondered if he should make them continue their training even while he was gone. Hans and Snoc already had a lot of experience with Zich¡¯s trashy personality. When they saw a strange glint in Zich¡¯s eyes, they immediately had sullen expressions on their faces and straightened up their posture. Even Nowem stood up firmly on top of Snoc¡¯s shoulders and put his front legs close to his body.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go quickly. Don¡¯t torture people for no reason.¡± L pulled Zich ahead, but Hans and Snoc did not ease their nerves even till the end.

    If an order came out of Zich¡¯s mouth, they had no choice but to immediately carry out his order. But fortunately, no order came out of Zich¡¯s mouth. As if he could not help it, he was pulled along by L.

    ¡®She¡¯s an angel!¡¯

    ¡®An angel.¡¯

    ¡®Koo~!¡¯

    Her face and heart were both beautiful. The three of them sincerely looked at L with gratitude.

    * * *

    Zich and L went out of Westbillburd. They leisurely walked the streets and exchanged small talk; from a nce, they looked like lovers leisurely enjoying their pic. However, the conversation that passed between them was far from the sweet whispers between lovers.

    ¡°Evelyn Rouge is ady from the Marquess of Rouge.¡± L repeated the name of the person they were looking for. ¡°I guess she¡¯s one level higher than Joachim Dracul.¡±

    ¡°Since Joachim is now a count, his status is way higher than Evelyn¡¯s. She is merely a child of the Marquess.¡±

    ¡°They are both high enough.¡± L shook her head. ¡°They both don¡¯t have statuses where people like us can easily approach them.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s why we have to approach them with the n I talked to you about. Fortunately, I can roughly predict what she will be doing during this time.¡±

    ¡°Were your rtionships with your subordinates good? Especially since you¡¯re able to see a future where you and your subordinates share this type of information.¡±

    ¡°Not at all.¡± Zich was firm in his answer.

    ¡°Our rtionship wasn¡¯t bad, but no one revealed everything about their past. With Joachim¡¯s case, I really just went to see how he was doing from far away. I was just going to see how he was living or just hear rumors about him. It was a coincidence that I got so involved with his affairs. I only knew basic information about him, and he never told me specific details about himself.¡±

    ¡°Then, what about Evelyn Rouge?¡±

    ¡°She was the most sentimental one out of all of us. When she got drunk, she sometimes told me her story, but even then she didn¡¯t say everything about her past. She just repeated the same story several times.¡±

    ¡°And one of the pieces of information she revealed is the foundation of this n, right?¡±

    ¡°Yep, that¡¯s right.¡±

    When they were quite far from the city, they began speeding up. To avoid drawing attention to themselves, they moved into the forest.

    ¡°Oh, you¡¯re getting quite fast in the forest as well.¡±

    ¡°Shut up. Don¡¯t talk to me.¡± Since L obtained this skill due to Zich¡¯s habit of bulldozing through the forest, she was not very happy about it.

    Zichughed out loud in response, and like this, they ran for half a day and reached their destination.

    ¡°Oh my!¡± When L saw their destination, her eyes opened wide.

    The ce they reached was an enormouske. Beyond the pale mist, L could see the edge of theke. The clear water reflected the sunlight dripping down from the sky and sparkled in vivid blue. The energetic fish jumped and yed around in the water, adding to the beauty of the scenery. The sudden appearance of ake in a dense forest made it look like a hidden shelter for fairies.

    ¡°Contrary to my expectations, we were able to find this ce easily. I thought it would take us several more days.¡±

    ¡°Is this the right ce?¡± L¡¯s eyes were sparkling as she asked Zich. She looked like she waspletely captivated by theke¡¯s appearance.

    ¡°Yeah. There¡¯s no otherke of this size in this area. This was the ce where Eveyln Rouge yed around when she was a young child. In a way, this was her childhood secret hiding ce.¡±

    ¡°Oh, is that it?¡± L continued to look at theke in a trance.

    Zich could also understand her feelings. Even Zich felt at ease when he looked at theke in front of him. But of course, this feeling was as big as an ant¡¯s eyeball.

    ¡°When will Evelyn Rougee here?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know the exact day, but I¡¯m sure she wille soon. ording to what she said, she came here about 30 days before the king¡¯s birthday.¡±

    ¡°Then do we have to stay here for a couple of days?¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡±

    L looked at theke once and then nced at Zich. Then, she smiled brightly. ¡°Then during that time, can I y¡ª¡±

    ¡°Do what you want.¡±

    ¡°Yay!¡± she eximed like a child finally allowed to y.

 Chapter 129

    Chapter 129

    Several days passed since Zich and L had arrived at theke. They took a spot at thekeshore and spent most of their time there. As expected, life deep inside the forest was ufortable. Yet, to L¡¯s annoyance, she was used to living in the forest now, and the items that Zich took out from his magic box eased their difort. But above all, theke was very beautiful, so L didn¡¯tin much about their ufortable lifestyle.

    Like usual, she dipped her feet into theke water and sshed the water around. Zich was walking around theke¡¯s surroundings to find any helpful information. With theke as the background, the scene of her ying in theke made a pretty picture. But rather than thinking that she looked beautiful, Zich thought that she looked like a child. It probably was because she had no recollection of her past.

    ¡®It¡¯s strange to think about it.¡¯

    Most people lived with their past memories rather than ones from the future. But L was exactly the opposite; she lived with memories of the future. Zich wondered what that felt like.

    ¡°Zich!¡± While submerged in theke, L waved her hands at Zich widely. ¡°Join me!¡±

    ¡°I have to check the surroundings more!¡± Truthfully, Zich had finished surveying their surroundings, but he didn¡¯t want to y with L.

    ¡®She even ys like a child.¡¯

    Zich joined her for the first couple of days, but after she continued to show an endless amount of interest and curiosity at every little thing in the forest, he gave up. Everything was new to L, and she enjoyed taking in all these unfamiliar experiences. On the other hand, Zich had experienced pretty much everything before his regression. He almost felt like a dad who had grown tired from ying with his kid. Zich¡¯s stamina was greater than L¡¯s, but oddly enough, he grew tired faster than her when ying.

    ¡®It must be a mental problem.¡¯

    L turned her head and looked sulky. But soon, she focused on ying again as if she had forgotten her annoyance. Zich strolled along thekeshore and decided to hunt for the day¡¯s meal. Then, he tilted his head. While he was sensing the surroundings, he detected something. It was a person, and there wasn¡¯t just one.

    ¡®They¡¯ve arrived.¡¯

    His eyes sparkled.

    * * *

    A group of people arrived at thekeshore. There were twelve people in total: nine of them were men and three of them were women. All the men carried sharp swords, and they looked threatening as they searched their surroundings closely. The three of them looked like knights, although they wore light clothing for walking in the woods. And the other three men looked like servants due to their simple clothing.

    Two of the women were servants, and they were supporting a woman on both sides so that she would not fall on the rough path. The woman was extremely beautiful. Her auburn hair soaked the scent of the woods and swayed, and her brown eyes reflected theke¡¯s blue scenery. Although she was wearing simple clothing, the quality of her clothes was different from what other people wore. She was the person Zich and L had been waiting for: Evelyn Rouge, the Lady of the current Rouge Marquess family and whoter became Zich¡¯s close subordinate.

    As soon as they arrived, the group began to make camping preparations. The servants pulled out luggage from a magic box simr to the one Zich possessed and established their camping grounds. The knights sliced the trees around their surroundings to increase the perimeter and then set up a tent.

    In the meantime, Evelyn went deeper towards theke. She took off her shoes and dipped her feet into theke andughed. Her servants joined her in the water and yed. And from across theke and hidden inside the forest, a suspicious-looking pair watched them: they were L and Zich.

    ¡°Good. It¡¯s Evelyn. This is what we expected so far.¡± Zich was satisfied. ¡°Now, we just have to save her when she falls into danger.¡±

    ¡°¡­Even if she falls into danger, isn¡¯t she going to think we are the culprits?¡± Lmented her current situation. She wouldn¡¯t me them even if they thought she and Zich were bandits who had been hiding to ambush them.

    ¡°Whatever anyone says, we just have to be confident.¡±

    ¡°You sound exactly like a viin convincing himself.¡±

    ¡°I did mean it like that. Even if we are doing a bad thing, we should be confident in ourselves.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡± L ignored Zich¡¯s words. She knew if she continued this conversation, it would only give her a headache.

    ¡°We just have to wait.¡±

    ¡°We don¡¯t have to wait long, right?¡±

    ¡°We might have to wait around a half a day, but not more than that. Evelyn told me the incident happened on the day she arrived at theke.¡±

    The two sat on a grass path and waited. Since they were a considerable distance away from Evelyn¡¯s party, they weren¡¯t spotted. After Evelyn yed in the water for a long time, she went ashore and ate the food her servants prepared for her.

    ¡®Soon!¡¯

    Zich¡¯s eyes glittered. He tapped L who was sleeping while leaning on his shoulders.

    ¡°Uh, huh?¡± She woke up and looked around her. She didn¡¯t know what was going on, and her eyes were hazy.

    ¡°Wake up. We will move soon.¡±

    ¡°Ah, is that so?¡± L opened her eyes widely.

    Then, the two used mana to strengthen their vision and stared across theke. The knights dragged a small boat with paddles attached to its sides. They saw Evelyn riding on the boat with her two servants after their meal. A knight grabbed onto the paddles and the boat slowly began to move. Then, one of the servants opened up the parasol to block the sunlight.

    ¡°Lucky.¡±

    ¡°You can also do the same thingter.¡±

    While they exchanged a fruitless conversation between themselves, the boat reached the middle of theke. From that moment on, the boat slowly began circling around the center of theke.

    ¡®It¡¯s about time for them toe.¡¯

    Zich cautiously watched the water under the boat. The water that looked blue began to get darker. There was something beneath theke, and it was waiting for Evelyn toe near. Zich signaled to L and lowered his stance. At that moment, theke trembled fiercely. The ripple started around the boat.

    * * *

    Evelyn came up to the capital city to celebrate the king¡¯s 50th birthday, and as she always did when she came to the capital city, she and her escorts went on a trip to theke. This particrke in the forest was a well-kept secret and only a few people knew about it. As always, theke reflected the bright blue sky and was waiting for her. Evelyn felt free whenever she came to theke.

    Usually, she dipped her feet into the waters and yed around until she went back ashore to enjoy a simple meal. Then, she would ride the boat to the center of theke and enjoy the view. This was what she always did, but today was different.

    ¡°Mydy! Hold on tight!¡±

    ¡°You mustn''t fall off!¡±

    Theke began to shake as if it had gone crazy, and the knights stood on the boat with their swords raised. They tried to find the instigator under the water. Even while the maids screamed, they put one hand firmly on the boat to stabilize it and the other hand to hold Evelyn. From inside the tremblingke, they could see a swiftly moving shadow. There was something beneath theke.

    Bam!

    One knight swung his sword down at theke. A chilling scream rang out, and the boat went up in the air.

    Crash!

    The boat split into two. From the scattered debris of the boat, arge fin quickly appeared and disappeared inside theke. But that was not the important part. With the small pieces of debris, Evelyn was flying up in the air.

    ¡°Kyaaaaah!¡± she screamed. But none of the knights nor maids could help her as they all fell into theke too. They weren¡¯t on solid ground, so the knights helplessly watched Evelyn fly far away from them. Moreover, theke¡¯s monster was still spying on them.

    Ssh!

    Evelyn fell into theke. She did not know how far she flew. Even though she fell in the water, she fell at such a high altitude that her whole body hurt. Moreover, there was another important issue.

    She didn¡¯t know how to swim.

    She struggled with all her might. She frantically moved her legs and arms and floundered around in a random motion. However, the more she moved, the more she sank into the water. Theke, which had always given her a sense of freedom and freshness, was now pressing her down like a heavy chain. It got harder and harder for her to breathe. But at that moment when she thought she was going to die...

    ¡°Gasp!¡±

    She was able to breathe again. Something was supporting her. Without even checking what it was, she tried to use it to get up. If she didn¡¯t climb on top of it, she thought she was going to definitely drown. However, her body didn¡¯t move. Yet as time passed on, she was able to breathe and gain back some of her rity. She realized that someone was supporting her.

    ¡°Are you all right?¡± A strange man looked at her and asked her a question.

    * * *

    There had been a sudden ambush from a monster. But miraculously, no one died. The knights defeated the monster, and the maids who didn¡¯tnd far away from the boat had survived by clutching on the boat¡¯s shattered debris. Moreover, Evelyn who had been thrown a great distance away from everyone else was saved by a passing stranger.

    ¡°I want to express my greatest thanks!¡±

    Bupio Ricky, the leader of this group, bowed down his head towards Zich without even taking the time to wipe the water dripping down his hair. From a little further away, Evelyn calmed down her rapidly beating heart. The maids dried her with towels and said all kinds of things tofort her.

    ¡°Anyone would have done the same thing if they were in the same situation as me. And judging by the situation, I¡¯m sure you and the other knights would have been fully capable of saving thedy.¡±

    Zich was humble with his words. In reality, the knights had quickly assessed the situation and were quickly heading towards Evelyn. They would have been able to save Evelyn, and from what Evelyn had told him in the past, they really did save her then.

    ¡°No matter what the situation was, it doesn¡¯t change the fact that you helped ourdy, and we owe you a great favor.¡±

    ¡°Yes, you are right about that.¡±

    Before Ricky realized it, Evelyn was right next to him.

    ¡°Mydy! You have to rest right now!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m alright. I¡¯m only a little surprised. I don¡¯t have any injuries either. It¡¯s more important to express my gratitude towards my savior.¡±

    Then she elegantly bent down at her waist. Even though her clothes were wet and messy in many ces, her movements were extremely elegant.

    ¡°I¡¯m Evelyn Rouge from the Rouge Family.¡±

    She straightened her waist again. Then she looked around her surroundings a bit and continued awkwardly, ¡°Ah, um, I haven¡¯t had many conversations with a man before. So, if I¡¯m a bit awkward in my speech, please forgive me.¡±

    ¡®Yeah, I thought you might be like this.¡¯

    Since he already went through something like this, he wasn¡¯t as shocked as the first time it happened to him. With a smile, Zich looked at Evelyn. But the situation inside his mind was far fromughable. L, who was standing next to Zich, also made a fake smile, and she probably had the same line of thought as Zich. From her memories of the future, she also knew Evelyn¡¯s future title. Currently, Evelyn Rouge looked at Zich with embarrassment and was too shy to even meet his eyes.

    But before he regressed, Evelyn¡¯s ability had been hallucination and charm.

    She was known as ¡®Subus.¡¯

 Chapter 130

    <h4>Chapter 130</h4>

    This was a memory of an event that took ce before Zich¡¯s regression; it happened right after Zich¡¯s conversation with Joachim about his ¡°bloody hobby.¡± After Zich listened to Joachim¡¯s clearly faulty logic, he watched Joachim bathe in a pool of blood for a bit longer. Then, he heard another voice.

    ¡°What are you doing, boss?¡±

    Zich turned around to see where the voice came from. There was only one person among his subordinates who called him ¡®boss.¡¯ Her auburn hair flung around wildly. The clothes she wore were like pieces of cloth that barely covered her vital areas, and they made her look more sensual. Although she had an elegant face, there was also a crafty air about her; and this head-turning beauty soon approached them.

    ¡°What? Were you on a date with Joachim?¡±

    ¡°Even if it¡¯s a joke, don¡¯t say something so disgusting.¡±

    Zich waved his hands, and Joachim scooped a lot more blood and poured it over his shoulders. Evelyn was appalled.

    ¡°It¡¯s unbelievable! How could you love something like that so much?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s what I¡¯m saying!¡±

    Zich finally found someone who agreed with him and felt d. But Zich also forgot that she wasn¡¯t a normal person. Including Zich¡ªalthough he imed that he was different¡ªnone of his subordinates were normal.

    ¡°Ah!¡± Surprised, she screamed and lifted a corpse up. Although it was barely maintaining its form, the corpse had a decent appearance like it could have belonged to a very handsome man.

    ¡°Hey, I told you to not kill the good-looking ones!¡±

    Joachim changed his posture and answered, ¡°I never agreed to it.¡±

    ¡°Isn¡¯t blood the only thing you need? I told you I would hunt some other guys in your stead!¡±

    ¡°No need.¡±

    ¡°Ah, seriously! It¡¯s not like you care about the owners of your blood!¡±

    Then, she turned to Zich. ¡°Boss! Say something to him too!¡±

    Zich didn¡¯t say anything and quietly scratched his head. When Zich didn¡¯t take her side, she pouted.

    ¡°Tch! I should at least take the head.¡± She took out a dagger from her hip and sliced the man¡¯s head. Then, she carried the head under one of her arms and walked through the corpses as if she was shopping.

    ¡°Oh, I found another handsome man!¡±

    She red at Joachim who killed the handsome man in front of her and sliced that man¡¯s head too. She almost looked like those barbarians who hung their victim¡¯s body parts on their waist like ornaments. However, she was simply looking for parts to use as interior decorations(?) for her room.

    ¡®¡­Is this my karma for killing so many people?¡¯

    The behaviors of his peculiar subordinates forced Zich to think back on his past sins.

    * * *

    ¡®That was how Evelyn Rouge was like¡­¡¯

    Zich stared at Evelyn, drinking tea in front of him. She was different from her future self. Of course, her exterior appearance was the same; she still had the same elegant features and was still a rare beauty. No,pared to the time before his regression, she was younger, and her beauty was blooming more splendidly than before. However, she no longer had the sensual gaze or air of Subus, and she seemed unfamiliar to Zich.

    ¡°Did you say that both of you were traveling?¡±

    ¡°Yes, mydy.¡±

    Evelyn didn¡¯t look scruffy as she did when she just got pulled out of theke; her hair was only a bit wet, and she had changed into new clothes after wiping the water off from her body. Zich, L, and Evelyn were now drinking tea together inside the forest in an area that was quite a distance from thekeshore.

    After almost drowning, Evelyn no longer wanted to stay near theke, so she asked her servants to move the camping grounds deeper into the forest. With thebined efforts of all the servants and knights, they moved their camping site in the blink of an eye, and Evelyn invited Zich and L for tea after the change was made. She wanted to treat and thank the people who saved her.

    While answering Evelyn¡¯s question, Zich nced at the group of knights. One of the knights who had disappeared came back and said something to Ricky.

    ¡®They are investigating our tracks.¡¯

    Although Evelyn¡¯s group expressed their gratitude to Zich, they didn¡¯tpletely let down their guard. Zich expected this amount of wariness, and there were even two knights standing behind Evelyn as they talked. Evelyn looked ufortable by the situation, but she seemed to know that this level of precaution was necessary and didn¡¯t protest.

    However, Zich wasn¡¯t someone they could trifle with.

    ¡®They won¡¯t get anything from their investigation.¡¯

    Zich had already covered and fabricated all his tracks. He left some evidence of his and L¡¯s movements, and when he jumped out to save Evelyn in theke, Zich had pressed his feet widely into the ground to gain traction andpletely erased all traces of their presence. Thanks to that, his jump sprayed some mess and debris onto L. When he came out of theke, L red at Zich as if she wanted to kill him; but overall, his goal to cover their tracks was aplished.

    ¡®If a real professional investigates, they might find out. But I doubt a professional investigator would be part of this small group.¡¯

    And even if they sent an investigation teamter, the ultimate magic called time would have erased all their tracks by then. In short, there was no need for him to be nervous. As expected, it seemed as if the knights didn¡¯t find out about Zich¡¯s trickery. Ricky patted the knight¡¯s shoulder once and returned to his original duty.

    Zich replied nonchntly, ¡°We came to see the celebration for the king¡¯s birthday. Since we still have a lot of time until the celebration, we came to y at a nearbyke. We didn¡¯t expect something like this to happen at all.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s the same for me too. I always visit this ce whenever Ie to the capital and didn¡¯t expect to see a monster at all¡­¡± As if she was reliving an old memory, Evelyn shook her head. ¡°Let¡¯s just forget these unpleasant memories. Would the two of you be able to tell me more about yourselves? Since I only stay in my family¡¯s residence, I am very curious about the kinds of stories that travelers might have.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know if I have a story that would satisfy mydy¡¯s taste, but I will try my best.¡± With this, Zich began telling his story.

    Since Zich went through all sorts of experiences before his regression, his story flowed well and was interesting. L also used her memories about the future to help narrate her story. Evelyn enthusiastically listened to their stories, and her posture indicated that she grew up like a sheltered nt in a greenhouse. Then, while talking, Zich got thirsty and sipped some tea. He reached out his hand towards the cookie that also came with the drink.

    ¡°Ah!¡± While reaching for the cookie, Evelyn slightly touched Zich¡¯s hand. She flinched and slowly withdrew her hand. Her cheeks were slightly flushed. It seemed as if she really had no immunity against men. But from seeing her reaction, Zich felt a shiver run down his back.

    ¡®¡­This is a nightmare.¡¯

    He couldn¡¯t taste the cookie inside his mouth at all. When he looked sideways, L who had been smiling along was now strangely stiff as well.

    ¡®It must be strange for her too since she also knows Evelyn from the future.¡¯

    But her experience was iparable to Zich who knew of Evelyn¡¯s future self firsthand.

    ¡°N-now that I think about it, what is the rtionship between you two?¡± Evelyn quickly changed the topic. ¡°I don¡¯t mean to intrude, but it makes me wonder if the two of you actually have a deeper rtionship than the both of you are letting on. Especially since the two of you came to rest together in a deep forest like this.¡±

    Her eyes sparkled. She looked like a girl who enjoyed listening to romantic stories.

    ¡°We are just travelingpanions.¡± L firmly drew the line. Evelyn was a bit disappointed. However, Zich¡¯s following words soon made her hopeful again.

    ¡°Yes, so far.¡±

    L turned her head towards Zich. But Zich didn¡¯t even nce at her, and he just shamelessly looked in front of him.

    ¡°¡­Oh my.¡± Evelyn stared at the strange atmosphere between them with excitement.

    ¡°Mydy, will it be all right if we stop talking about this topic now?¡±

    ¡°Ah, of course.¡± She smiled and withdrew. Then she clutched her small fists and made a slight cheering gesture towards Zich. ¡°Love is a good thing. I also have a fianc¨¦e.¡±

    ¡°Wow, what a surprise. I don¡¯t know who that person is, but I¡¯m sure he is an extremely lucky fellow.¡±

    ¡°No, you praise me too much.¡± Evelyn¡¯s face became red again, but she seemed pleased. ¡°He is too good for me. Since it¡¯s an arranged marriage, it¡¯s a little awkward at first, but our love is slowly growing. Even though I admire love that zes at first sight like those in the novels, I think it¡¯s also a good idea to have a love that slowly burns like mine.¡±

    While saying this, Evelyn smiled in embarrassment. Zich smiled back. But the entire time this exchange happened, he thought, ¡®Who the hell are you! You¡¯re so different from the person I once knew!¡¯

    Since Joachim¡¯s hemophobia didn¡¯t show up unless there was blood around, Zich didn¡¯t feel a great distance between the Joachim he knew from his past life and the current Joachim. On the other hand, every word that Evelyn uttered made Zich feel more and more distant from her.

    ¡®Honestly, meeting her is scarier than when I first met Belri Weig.¡¯

    It was apletely new type of horror for Zich.

    * * *

    Zich and L ate dinner with Evelyn, and then, they went their separate ways. Zich and L set up their tents at a ce that was quite a distance away from Evelyn and her escorts. Their tent was enormous. Thanks to the magic box, Zich was easily able to carry around arge tent and Zich¡¯s extraordinary physical abilities allowed him to easily set up the tent by himself. Zichy down on arge bed and looked up at the ceiling.

    ¡®This is pretty good.¡¯

    Zich had prepared these items to pretend as if he and L hade out to the forest to enjoy a pic. When Zich and hispanions traveled, they just made one bonfire and slept on mats next to it¡ªZich had no intention to use thesefortable tent supplies on his travels.

    ¡®If I let Hans and Snoc travel toofortably, they¡¯re gonna getzy.¡¯

    If Hans and Snoc heard this, they would have loudly protested that this would never happen. However, Zich had already made his final decision. For them, at least for a long while, their travels would be far fromfortable.

    ¡°Come in,¡± Zich said while looking at the tent¡¯s entrance.

    L was not even surprised by Zich¡¯s ability to sense her anymore and nonchntly went inside the tent. She pulled out a chair near her and dragged it beside the bed that Zich was lying on. ¡°What are we going to do from now on?¡±

    ¡°We have to gather information.¡± Zich sat up and answered her question.

    ¡°How?¡±

    ¡°You have to work on it. That¡¯s the reason why I brought you.¡± Zich couldn¡¯t sense any presence eavesdropping on them, but just in case, he used mana to block any sound from escaping the tent.

    ¡°You really do have all sorts of skills.¡±

    ¡°Well, I used to be a Demon Lord.¡± Zich turned his body. Then he extended his legs outside of the bed andid them t on the ground to face L. ¡°Evelyn will probably show interest in you. While we are returning back home, she¡¯ll probably at least call you to her side. Since I hinted that there was something going on between us, she¡¯s probably going to be very interested in knowing more about that. From what I can see, she seems to love romance stories.¡±

    ¡°Ah, so that¡¯s why¡­¡± Since L thought Zich had some sort of n, she didn¡¯t say much and let Zich talk by himself at the end. But she hadn¡¯t expected that Zich¡¯s casual remarks about their rtionship would be to prepare for future meetings with Evelyn.

    ¡°For things like that, wouldn¡¯t it be more effective for her to call you s¡­¡± L stopped talking. She remembered that Evelyn had a difficult time dealing with men.

    ¡°As you just thought, she probably won¡¯t call me due to her difort around men. Even if she does call me, we probably won¡¯t be able to have a deep conversation. Seriously, I¡¯m so d I brought you with me.¡± Zich generouslyplimented her. ¡°Just go with the flow of the conversation. And also try to subtly ask her if weird things have been happening around her these days.¡±

    ¡°¡­I¡¯m not really confident in talking about love stories.¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t have to say much. Since she already thinks that I really like you and you are indifferent to me, you just have to awkwardly reply to her. That¡¯s gonna be pretty easy. In the first ce, if Evelyn asks questions about that, you will feel awkward. There¡¯s no need for you to act or pretend.¡±

    ¡°¡­Okay. I will try.¡±

    With that, their scheme began to bear fruit.

 Chapter 131

    <h4>Chapter 131</h4>

    The next day, people began to evacuate thekeshore. Since Evelyn had lost interest in theke, they no longer had any reason to reside near theke. Zich and L also followed them, saying they didn¡¯t want to stay near ake where a monster had appeared. Evelyn was happy to hear this, and while her servants carefully supported her, she continued her previous conversation with Zich and L.

    Zich and L responded to Evelyn¡¯s questions politely. Zich didn¡¯t show any signs of his usual rough demeanor, and they soon arrived back at the capital after a couple of days. And by that time, Evelyn seemed very fond of the two, especially L.

    ¡°I will invite you two to my mansionter,¡± Evelyn said and left.

    ¡°Good. We made some good progress.¡± Zich was very satisfied with the current situation.

    After a couple of days passed, they really did receive an invitation to the Rouge family¡¯s mansion. Thus, Zich and L went to the mansion and chatted with Evelyn about a variety of topics. After they ate a fancy meal, the two returned to their lodging. Hans and Snoc were already asleep by then.

    ¡°She really is a good kid,¡± L said with surprise. ¡°But more than that, she seems weak. Like I can¡¯t see anything strong about her. How did she be one of your subordinates?¡±

    ¡°That means something intense will happen to Evelyn. Something big enough to change her.¡±

    There was a high possibility that it could also be something very cruel.

    ¡°Did you find out anything?¡±

    ¡°Nothing important. We didn¡¯t even talk about anything special.¡±

    ¡°Isn¡¯t that bad?¡±

    ¡°But I found something that could be a clue,¡± Zich recalled what happened before his regression. ¡°The Evelyn in the future said that she left the capital around the King¡¯s 50th birthday celebration, and she didn¡¯t look happy while saying that.¡±

    It also lingered in his mind that she said she had ¡®left the capital.¡¯ Evelyn was the Marquess¡¯ daughter. The ce she usually resided was at her family¡¯s estate rather than the capital. And didn¡¯t she say that she went to theke every time she went to the capital?

    ¡°In Evelyn¡¯s perspective, leaving the capital was a normal urrence. But when she was telling me the story, she specifically pinpointed the event as the time when she left the capital. It seems more urate to think that she got chased out of the city because of some incident.¡±

    ¡°But Evelyn is the Marquess¡¯ daughter. How could that happen with her family background?¡±

    ¡°Therefore, it must have been such a big incident that not even her background could have protected her. Or it could have been something that ced not only her, but her whole family in jeopardy.¡±

    ¡°Now that you mention it, the Marquess was not at the mansion when we went there.¡±

    ¡°On top of that, there wasn¡¯t the Rouge family¡¯s heir, the Marquess¡¯ son, either.¡±

    The only ones in the mansion at the capital were the Marquess¡¯ knights and servants. It also seemed like Evelyn could casually invite Zich and L into the Rouge mansion because the Marquess and the family heir were absent.

    ¡°Even if there are some days left until it¡¯s the king¡¯s birthday, it¡¯s toote for them toe now. There aren¡¯t many events where many high-ranking nobles would all gather together like this. Normally, the Marquess and his heir should have arrived at the capital by now to read the atmosphere, meet the other lords, and participate in all kinds of social events.¡±

    ¡°Why haven¡¯t theye to the capital yet?¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s probably something urgent going on in their estate. That¡¯s the only possibility that I can think of. And that¡¯s why they must have sent Evelyn first to the capital to maintain the most basic etiquette. If this is the case, the Marquess may not arrive here until the celebration begins.¡±

    ¡°That means even if there¡¯s some plotting going on in the capital, the Marquess won¡¯t be able to respond as well.¡±

    ¡°Yes, exactly.¡± Zich pped once. ¡°I am also concerned about Evelyn¡¯s fianc¨¦.¡±

    ¡°Was his name Albus Windpool?¡±

    Windpool was the son of another Marquess family and was also Evelyn¡¯s fianc¨¦. The Rouge and Windpool estates bordered each other. They had coborated and fought with each other over the years, and with the union of these two families through marriage, they were leaning towards coboration again.

    ¡°What about that? ording to Evelyn, their rtionship seems to be good.¡±

    Considering how half of what Evelyn said was bragging about her fianc¨¦, it seemed as if Windpool was a very lovely fianc¨¦ to Evelyn.

    ¡°Although Evelyn loved to indulge in debauchery and alwaysmanded a group of many men, she never thought of having a personal rtionship with any of them. She distrusted any ¡®man¡¯ from the bottom of her heart.¡±

    ¡°But you and your other subordinates were all men.¡±

    ¡°She strictly treated us as ¡®colleagues¡¯ or ¡®boss.¡¯ There was some sense of friendship, but she seemed to not believe in things like ¡®love.¡¯¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s the opposite of how she is right now.¡±

    ¡°Yes, and that means there must be a reason for her change. So, it¡¯s definitely suspicious that she has a man she likes during this period.¡±

    Zich looked like he wanted to grab Albus Windpool by his cor and force the truth out of him at this very moment. ¡°We have two things to investigate: we have to look for signs of a big incident that could jeopardize the Rouge family¡¯s standing, and we have to find out more about Marquess Windpool.¡±

    ¡°Then are we not going to investigate what is going on in the Rouge estate?¡±

    ¡°It takes too long to travel there. It could also prevent us from properly investigating the incidents at the capital.¡±

    ¡°That is also true. Then, what are we going to do first?¡±

    ¡°We have to see who this fianc¨¦ is.¡±

    Zich smiled like a predator who had caught sight of his prey.

    * * *

    ¡°Give me some money.¡±

    It was the next day. L abruptly came into Zich¡¯s room and stretched out her hand to him.

    Zich looked at her hand, moved his eyes to her face, and then he looked at her hands again. ¡°You ask so confidently like you¡¯re getting back the money I owe you.¡±

    ¡°So, are you going to give it to me?¡±

    ¡°Of course, I will. That kind of brazen and bold attitude is perfectly my type.¡± Zich took out his magic box. ¡°How much do you want?¡±

    Zich asked for the sum without even asking for a reason, and L coolly told him the amount she wanted.

    ¡°¡­Wow. It¡¯s not just your attitude, but the amount is bold too.¡±

    ¡°¡­Is it too much?¡± L said a bit bashfully.

    Zich shook his head. ¡°No, no, it¡¯s fine. Don¡¯t be discouraged. You have to push your shamelessness to the limit to get what you want. If you step down in the middle, you¡¯re going to be just a coward. In this type of situation, you have to kick my shin and shout, ¡®Shut up and give me the money!¡¯¡±

    ¡°¡­Stop spouting nonsense, and if you are going to give me the money, just give it to me.¡±

    Zich took the entire money bag out of his magic box and put it on L¡¯s hand.

    ¡°¡­This is too much.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s your prize for being bold. You can use as much as you want from that bag. That bag holds our entire fortune, so if you use all of it, we will have to stay in shabby lodgings and only be able to eat wild game. But you don¡¯t have to worry about us at all. I want you, L, to do whatever you want.¡±

    She red at Zich, but Zich continued to smile and tease her.

    ¡°Really, you¡¯re so annoying!¡±

    Kick!

    L kicked Zich¡¯s shin and stormed out of the room. Zichughed the whole time.

    * * *

    For a few days, Zich spent his time researching Albus Windpool and the Marquess of Windpool. However, information about a noble, especially a noble that owned an estate far from the capital city, was hard to find.

    ¡®As expected, I have to try infiltrating the Windpool estate.¡¯

    This was the best n. Zich waited for the sun to go down. In order to not be seen, he put his robe down. He already told L that he was going to be gone for a bit to infiltrate the Windpool mansion.

    ¡°Here.¡± L handed him something. It was a ring with a blue jewel on it.

    ¡°Isn¡¯t it too early in our rtionship to propose? I think we should try to get to know each other better and maybe start dating first¡ª¡±

    ¡°Stop your nonsense and just take this.¡±

    Zich took the ring that L gave him. It was not an expensive item, but it wasn¡¯t cheap either. Zich carefully examined the ring.

    ¡°And this too.¡±

    A small bag was thrown towards him. Zich quickly caught it with ease¡ªit was the money bag he had given to L. The bag was much lighter than when he had first given it to her. The once full bag now crumpled up in his hands.

    ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you that you could use everything?¡±

    ¡°If you keep spouting nonsense, I¡¯m not going to exin the ring.¡±

    ¡°Oh, no, I can¡¯t let that happen.¡± Zich put the money bag inside his magic box and put the ring on his finger.

    ¡°¡­You¡¯re not going to put it on a different finger?¡±

    ¡°Hey, L. It¡¯s been written down in the most ancientws that if I get a ring from a beauty like you, I have to put it on my ring finger.¡±

    But seeing that L was really starting to get angry, Zich dutifully took his ring out and put it on his middle finger.

    ¡°Is it an artifact?¡±

    ¡°You realized it?¡±

    ¡°When I wore it, I could feel its mana¡¯s flow right away. Did you make it?¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡±

    L probably asked Zich for arge sum of money to buy the ingredients to make this artifact for him. Zich was impressed. Artifacts were notmon at all. They were hard to make, and very few people could make them in the first ce.

    ¡®Her abilities really are endless.¡¯

    ¡°Since I didn¡¯t have much time, ingredients, or money, it¡¯s not that good.¡±

    It wasn¡¯t that L didn¡¯t have much time, ingredients, or money to make an artifact¡ªfrom what Zich knew, L basically had none of these three factors to make an artifact.

    ¡°This artifact has two abilities.¡±

    ¡°¡­Two abilities?¡±

    The ¡®not so good¡¯ artifact that L made with almost no time had two abilities. Even Zich became speechless for a moment.

    ¡°You told me you were going to infiltrate the Marquess¡¯ estate, right? So I made something to help you out. One of its abilities is erasing your presence. Even though you are already good at doing this, this artifact will strengthen your ability even further. And the other ability is invisibility. Because no matter how well you erase your presence, it¡¯ll all be a waste if others see you.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°You can use each of the abilities three times. The cooldown period is about three hours.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°Since the presence-erasing ability isn¡¯t that strong, make sure you use it with your original abilities. Also, when you are using the invisibility ability, it¡¯s fine if you are standing still, but if you move, traces will still be left behind. Make sure you remember that.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not that great of an artifact so don¡¯t rely on it too mu¡­, what¡¯s wrong?¡±

    Without even asking any questions, Zich stared at her in silence. L looked at him strangely.

    ¡°No, I just realized that you are really an amazing person.¡±

    ¡°Even if youpliment me, I have nothing more to give you.¡±

    But Zich saw that the corners of her mouth went up and she looked pleased.

    He replied, ¡°Anyways, thank you for the gift. I will use it well.¡±

    ¡°Yeah. I have to get some sleep. I¡¯m very tired from making that.¡±

    There were deep dark circles under her eyes. Her eyes were also red like a rabbit¡¯s.

    ¡°If you want, you can use my room.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s fine. Why would I do that when I have my own room?¡± L smirked. ¡°Okay, I¡¯m gonna head out.¡±

    For his final preparation, Zich held up Windur next to his bed and took out his magic box.

    L saw this and asked, ¡°Are you going to put Windur in the magic box too? That¡¯ll make it harder for you to pull it out during times of emergency.¡±

    Zich shrugged his shoulders. ¡°But I can¡¯t go around carrying that thing around. Even if a battle erupts, I won¡¯t be able to use it since it stands out too much. So I¡¯m nning to use a different sword this time.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, that seems reasonable.¡±

    Even if Zich hid his identity, people might recognize him by his sword, Windur.

    ¡°If this guy stood out a little less, I would be able to¡­¡± Zich¡¯s words faded.

    L also opened her eyes wide. As if the sword understood what Zich said, the long des of Windur that were shaped like tree branches slowly gathered together and formed one de. Soon after, Windur¡¯s unique tree-like appearance was gone and only an ordinary-looking sword with no unique characteristics was left.

 Chapter 132

    <h4>Chapter 132</h4>

    It was deep into the night. Most of the lightsing from the houses had disappeared until only the security guards¡¯ torches lit up the city. However, the luxurious mansion where aristocrats gathered still had some lights radiating out from it. Fires lit up parts of the yard, and rays of light from the room of those who were still awake seeped out to the streets. There were even some ces where the sound ofughter drifted through the wind as if there was a party.

    On the other hand, quiet darkness nketed the Windpool mansion, where the bare minimum of lights was maintained. Some of the lights came from rooms, making it seem like some people were still not asleep yet. And there was Zich, staring at the Windpool mansion on top of a temple¡¯s bell tower. There was a considerable distance between the temple and the estate, but that didn¡¯t matter to Zich.

    ¡®¡­Should I infiltrate the ce again?¡¯

    For the past three days, Zich had been moving in and out of the Windpool mansion. It was a dangerous mission, but thanks to Zich¡¯s advanced spying abilities and L¡¯s artifact, everything was going along well. At the same time, Zich couldn¡¯t say that the result of his infiltration had been fruitful.

    ¡®I didn¡¯t find out much.¡¯

    The Windpool mansion appeared to be a normal aristocratic mansion. Servants worked hard while aristocrats yed, looked over their businesses, or took a short trip outside. There was nothing to be suspicious about.

    ¡®All I found out was that Marquess Windpool was absent¡­¡¯

    Currently, the only one in the mansion was the Windpool heir and Evelyn¡¯s fianc¨¦, Albus Windpool.

    ¡®Did something happen to the Marquess?¡¯

    But that was the only useful information that Zich found out.

    ¡®And intruding more than this will be dangerous.¡¯

    Even the artifact that L gave him only had one use left to hide his presence and make him invisible.

    ¡®Although there¡¯s a possibility that the Windpool family might have no rtion to Evelyn¡¯s incident¡­¡¯

    But Zich also couldn¡¯t finalize his decision after observing them for only a couple of days.

    ¡®Maybe I have to be a bit more aggressive.¡¯

    Zich made a resolution and stood up. The bell tower was quite high, so the winds were rough. The robe Zich was wearing fluttered around, but his body remained firmly on the floor.

    nk!

    The sword he hung on his waist shook from the wind, and Zich¡¯s attention went towards it.

    ¡®Windur.¡¯

    Windur was the mysterious sword that he found by ident. Its branch-like shape was its unique characteristic, but the sword currently possessed no special features and hung on his waist. Its size was also much smaller than before. Normally, Zich would have carried it around on his back like a shield.

    ¡®But I can¡¯t believe it also had an ability like this.¡¯

    It was almost unfair. Windur now looked like a dagger with no distinct characteristics. After it transformed its appearance into an ordinary sword, Zichter muttered that he wanted the sword to be easier to carry, and Windur transformed once more to a smaller size.

    ¡®It was also easy for me to change its appearance back to a long sword.¡¯

    After Zich saw Windur shrink into a dagger, he muttered that a long sword was more fitting for battle. Amazingly, Windur lengthened again and went back to being a long sword. Everyone, including Zich and L, stared at the sword like they couldn¡¯t believe their eyes.

    ¡®Well, this is better for me anyways.¡¯

    It made the sword morefortable to carry, and Zich thought that he might be able to decipher Windur¡¯s identity if he uncovered its skills like this one by one. Then, Zich jumped off the bell tower and headed towards the mansion.

    * * *

    Zich skillfully intruded the mansion. He had already figured out theyout of the building in the past three days and carefully walked through the mansion. He didn¡¯t need to wander off since he had a specific destination in mind. He soon arrived in front of a door.

    ¡®No one¡¯s here.¡¯

    Maybe the owner of the room was busy with some business, but Zich quietly went inside the room. It was a bedroom without a single light source.

    ¡®Where¡¯s a good spot?¡¯

    Zich knew the location was important for matters like this and searched around the room.

    ¡®Hm, this seems okay.¡¯

    Zich eyed an area that was located in a blind spot; it was hidden from view, and a window was nearby in case of an emergency.

    ¡°Good. This ce seems good.¡±

    After choosing his spot, Zich slowly scanned the entire room. He didn¡¯t know when the owner of this room would return, so he had some free time until the owner came back. Even considering that this room was one of the rooms in the Marquess¡¯ mansion, this room was very fancy.

    ¡®I can see this room owner¡¯s taste.¡¯

    It was clear that the owner was extravagant, and most people like that were also exhibitionists. But Zich ended his judgment there. Lavishness was not a crime, and although exhibitionists made the people around them feel bad, it also wasn¡¯t evil to be one. Moreover, there were plenty of good people with this characteristic, and there was also a possibility that the room might not have been decorated ording to the owner¡¯s personal preferences.

    ¡®I can¡¯t make quick judgments about people.¡¯

    At the same time, he might be able to find more about the owner based on the traces he left behind. Zich expanded his search around the room. Yet in the end, he didn¡¯t find any significant clues about the owner of the room. Then, he suddenly felt someone approach the room with his senses. Zich quickly walked to the spot he eyed before, scanned his body to check for any awkward areas, and pulled his robe closer to him. Then, he tried making a small sound.

    He applied pressure to his throat, and a cracked voice leaked out. His preparation wasplete. Zich sped his mouth shut and stood still, waiting.

    * * *

    Albus Windpool finished his busy schedule like usual and came back to his residence. After inquiring and making deals with other aristocrats who hade to the capital for the king¡¯s birthday, time passed by quickly. And once he arrived back at his family¡¯s mansion, he also had to look over his family matters. Thanks to his regr training, he didn¡¯t feel physically tired, but he was mentally exhausted.

    ¡°Sigh~!¡± He sighed once and opened the windows. He missed his bed. Without even lighting up a candle, Albus tried to crawl into his bed.

    ¡°Albus Windpool.¡±

    And he would have seeded if it wasn¡¯t for the voice that suddenly came out in his room.

    Twitch!

    Dazed from fatigue, Albus¡¯ eyes immediately became sharp and attentive. He turned his body around as fast as the wind and clenched his fist. From the darkness, he saw someone standing in front of him. The figure wore all ck and blended in with the surrounding darkness.

    A person had infiltrated his room. Under ordinary circumstances, Albus had to immediately act. He would¡¯ve cried loudly to bring in the guards and run away or at least find a weapon to fight off the intruder.

    However, Albus let out a sigh of relief instead. ¡°Shit, you surprised me.¡±

    Albus clutched his chest in shock, but that was all the emotion he showed. He red at the intruder once and lit up the candle next to him. As light entered his room, the intruder¡¯s appearance came into view. The intruder was wearing all ck and he looked extremely suspicious. But after seeing the man¡¯s appearance, Albus looked even more relieved.

    ¡°Why did youe here again? You told me that you wouldn¡¯t contact me unless there was a problem with the n. Is there a problem with the n?¡±

    ¡°No. Not yet.¡±

    Haphazardly lying down on the bed, Albus squinted his eyes. He slowly rose up. ¡°¡­Who are you?¡±

    The man in front of him had a different voice than the one who first made the deal with him. When the man first called out his name, he was so shocked that he didn¡¯t realize it was a different person. But now that he was calmer, the man¡¯s voice was unfamiliar. Moreover, the man¡¯s voice sounded as if it had been artificially changed. It sounded rough and unnatural, and this made him even more suspicious.

    ¡°I received an order toe here. I¡¯ve been told toe here and listen to how the n is progressing.¡±

    ¡°By who?¡±

    ¡°By the person who first made the deal with you.¡±

    Albus frowned again. ¡°Why didn¡¯t hee here himself?¡±

    ¡°He is busy. This is not the only n he is in charge of.¡±

    ¡°So he suddenly sent me a person I¡¯ve never seen before?¡± This was too suspicious. Wariness filled Albus¡¯ eyes. ¡°What if I don¡¯t want to talk?¡±

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter.¡±

    ¡°¡­Even though you received an order, it doesn¡¯t matter?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m only a messenger. I just have to report that you refused.¡±

    ¡°Do you think I will just let you peacefully leave like this?¡±

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter.¡±

    ¡°¡­What if I lie?¡±

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter.¡±

    No matter what Albus said, he was told, ¡®It doesn¡¯t matter.¡¯ It really did seem like this man had only been ordered to listen to how Albus¡¯ n was progressing.

    ¡®This guy is just like a doll.¡¯

    However, if he really was just a messenger, a person like this was most reliable¡ªthey would just ry the message as is without adding any judgments or personal bias. Albus fell into deep contemtion. Even though the person in front of him was extremely suspicious, he wore the same clothes as the person who first made the deal with him. Moreover, he also knew about the existence of Albus¡¯ n.

    ¡°¡­You said ¡®not yet¡¯ before. Then are there any signs that something is going wrong with the n? If you tell me that, I will trust you.¡±

    ¡°¡­Strange things are hanging around Evelyn Rouge.¡±

    ¡°Ah, you are talking about that.¡±

    The man in front of him already knew this information. A little bit of trust sprung in Albus¡¯ heart.

    ¡°But did you reallye here for such a small reason? Because you think those strange people will interfere with the n?¡±

    ¡°We hate variables.¡±

    ¡°Shit, you say the same things as yourmander.¡±

    Variable, variable¡ªthat was the word that the man who first made a deal with Albus constantly repeated. Albuspletely dropped his guard and sat back down on the bed.

    ¡°Okay, so what would you like to hear first?¡± Albus lowered his level of honorifics.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know. I was only ordered to listen to you and send a report.¡±

    ¡°Ah, damn it! Even though you¡¯re just a doll that sends messages, they must have given you at least some basic information.¡± Albus scratched the back of his head and let out his frustration.

    Even though Albus¡¯ words were rude, the intruder maintained his silence and patiently waited for him to reply.

    ¡®But I¡¯m a bit jealous.¡¯ Albus thought the intruder was a very skilled and useful tool. Moreover, a tool that realized it was a tool and maintained itsposure was rare.

    ¡°Fine, I will begin by talking about Evelyn.¡± Since the man hade because of a variable with Evelyn, Albus thought it would be a good idea to start talking about her.

    ¡°Honestly, I haven''t seen her since she came to the capital. I just heard that she met some people at theke, and she was getting close to them. But I don¡¯t think she will change from something so insignificant.¡± Albus smirked. His smile looked extremely malicious and evil.

    ¡°Thanks to the information you guys gave me, I made herpletely fall in love with me.¡± As if he were bragging about a difficult conspiracy he performed, he talked with enormous confidence.

    However, the intruder didn¡¯t react at all. Albus felt disappointed and lost his energy to brag. He clicked his tongue and calmly continued his exnation, ¡°So that¡¯s why you don¡¯t have to worry about this n at all. It seems like she¡¯s meeting a couple of lowlymoners because she¡¯s curious, but people don¡¯t change so easily. Since I do have to meet her at least once sooner orter, I¡¯ll go and see how she¡¯s doing.¡±

    Albus was very pleased with himself.

    ¡°Since she quickly came back from the damnedke just like what you guys predicted, I can spend a lot of time with her.¡±

    Then he let out a sigh. ¡°Why the hell does she like thatke so much anyways? She goes and visits thatke every time shees up to the capital. If you guys hadn¡¯t intervened, she probably would have yed around in thatke for an annoyingly long time. Anyways, she¡¯s stuck in her mansion now, so I can control her whenever I want. Really, you don¡¯t have to worry about anything.¡±

 Chapter 133

    <h4>Chapter 133</h4>

    ¡°Is that all?¡±

    ¡°Do you want some other information?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t make any judgments. I simply report on what I¡¯ve heard. If you think that¡¯s all you need to tell me, you can end it there. So, I will ask you again. Is that all?¡±

    ¡®They made him into a perfect tool.¡¯

    It was incredible that the person in front of him was such a perfect tool that he was unable to even judge when to end the conversation. It almost made Windpool wonder if they really had to go this far, but most of all, it made him fear the organization that was able to transform a person into a living tool.

    ¡°But I should do everything thoroughly.¡± Albus sipped the water that had been prepared for him in a corner of his room. ¡°Do you want a drink?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    There was no answer. Albus finished drinking his cup and sat on the bed again. ¡°The n is almostplete. Like I said before, Evelyn is head over heels in love with me. So, I was able to easily manipte her and leave the ¡®evidence¡¯ in her room at the Rouge mansion. All I need to do now is reveal the evidence at the right time.¡± Albus smirked. Just the thought of it made himugh.

    ¡°And our Windpool family will be one step closer to obtaining the duke title.¡±

    ¡°Is that so?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°Is that all?¡±

    ¡°Feel free to think however you want. If you deliver my words exactly as I said to the organization, they will take care of the rest.¡±

    ¡°Is there anyone who might hinder your ns?¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s no one right now since you guys nned to control the Rouge family members, who are the biggest hindrances to this n.¡± Then, Albus asked curiously, ¡°But what did you all exactly do? I heard that bandits were making a mess in their estate.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know. I wasn¡¯t given ess to that information.¡±

    ¡°As expected.¡± As if he hadn¡¯t actually expected a proper answer, Albus quickly gave up on his question.

    ¡°Nothing else?¡±

    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s all.¡±

    ¡°I see.¡± The intruder marched towards the window.

    ¡°The door is over there.¡± Albus pointed at the room¡¯s door.

    ¡°If other people find me, will you make excuses for me?¡±

    ¡°That will be your problem. Ah, also, if you get caught, I trust that my name will nevere out of your lips.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry.¡± The intruder slightly opened the window and said, ¡°The only thing that my capturers will gain from me is my dead body.¡±

    ¡°How trustworthy.¡± Albus smiled with satisfaction. Then he added, ¡°Ah, one more thing. I don¡¯t know how you guys managed to do it, but please send my gratitude for finishing off my father.¡±

    ¡°¡­I will definitely pass this message on.¡± With those words, the intruder disappeared from Albus¡¯ room.

    Albus broke out in cold sweat. He regarded himself as a pretty strong individual, but as soon as the intruder disappeared from his window, Albus couldn¡¯t feel any presence at all.

    ¡®If he had targeted my life¡­¡¯ Albus thought he would have died without a scream. ¡®That person from before was also far stronger than me, but his subordinate is also around that level.¡¯

    At the same time, this information reassured him.

    ¡®I am receiving support from people like them.¡¯

    It made him feel more confident, and Albus strengthened his resolve in anticipation of the near, exciting future.

    * * *

    The intruder carefully moved out of the Windpool mansion to not get caught, but he was terrifyingly fast.

    Thud!

    In a blink of an eye, the intruder arrived at a temple¡¯s bell tower and took off his robe. It was Zich. After cing his dingy robe into his magic box, he looked down at the Windpool mansion from afar.

    ¡®I found out much more than I expected to.¡¯

    After Zich failed to make much progress even after he searched the entire Windpool mansion, he made a bold, almost insane n: it was to act as the ¡®robed figures.¡¯ Zich thought that if Albus was involved in Evelyn¡¯s corruption, there was a high chance that he would also have some connection with the robed figures. Thus, Zich had pretended to be one of the robed figures and sessfully tricked Albus.

    For now, Zich was certain that the robed figures were involved in this case, and Albus was the main plotter behind Evelyn¡¯s corruption. He also knew a bit more about their scheme now.

    ¡®Thank goodness Albus is involved in this plot. If that weren¡¯t the case, I would have been running away by now.¡¯

    If Albus had no connection with the robed figures, Zich would have just been a suspicious intruder.

    ¡®It really was the right decision to act as an obedient and curt character.¡¯

    Zich knew too little about Albus¡¯ n to act as a talkative and sneaky character who could proactively extract information from their target. In the first ce, since Zich wasn¡¯t even sure that Albus was involved in corrupting Evelyn, it would¡¯ve been a better choice for him to take on an opposite character and y the attitude of, ¡®I only do what I am told. I don¡¯t know anything else.¡¯ Of course, he needed at least something that would make Albus trust him¡ªsuch as themon knowledge they shared like ¡®Evelyn Rouge¡¯ or ¡®unknown variable.¡¯

    ¡®But in the end, I didn¡¯t find out what his scheme was.¡¯

    The incident at theke and what was happening to the Windpool and Rouge family were both evidently connected to the scheme. However, Zich didn¡¯t know what exactly connected these events together.

    ¡®If I tried to dive deeper, I would have been found out. What a pity.¡¯

    Zich felt regretful, but he soon recollected his thoughts.

    ¡®Well, it doesn¡¯t matter. I was able to find the next clue.¡¯

    Albus said that he had left something in Evelyn¡¯s room that could be used as ¡®evidence,¡¯ so Zich nned to search for a suspicious object in Evelyn¡¯s room.

    ¡®It also bothers me that he used the word manipte.¡¯

    At first, when Albus said that Evelyn was head over heels in love with him, Zich thought he was just saying that Evelyn was deeply in love; but as Zich listened to him more, that didn¡¯t seem to be the case.

    ¡®At Porti, the Bellid guys transformed the Mayor to manipte him.¡¯ But Zich decided to pause his thoughts for now. ¡®I will find out more. I have a prepared guarantee anyways.¡¯

    Zich stared at the Windpool mansion, specifically where Albus Windpool was.

    ¡®Even if I fail to uncover their ns, I¡¯m sure something will work out if I kill him.¡¯

    Soon afterward, Zich¡¯s figurepletely disappeared from the bell tower.

    * * *

    The Rouge¡¯s mansion was magnificent. The Rouge family was one of the few high-ranking noble families in the Kingdom. Their estate was massive, and they exported arge supply of goods. As expected of their wealth and status, their mansion was extravagant and enormous. In this magnificent mansion, a carriage stopped in front of it. The carriage passed therge garden and stopped in front of the entrance door.

    The carriage door opened, and Zich and L came out.

    An old maid walked towards them. ¡°Wee, dear guests. Mydy is waiting for both of you.¡±

    The maid escorted them into the lounge.

    ¡°Wee!¡± Evelyn was waiting for them in the lounge.

    Zich and L bowed towards her.

    Zich greeted her first. ¡°Thank you for inviting us, Lady Rouge.¡±

    L also said, ¡°Thank you.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re wee. I¡¯m the one who should be grateful because I really enjoy talking to you two.¡± Then Evelyn made them sit down. ¡°I¡¯m very happy that Mr. Zich also came here today.¡±

    Zich replied, ¡°I didn¡¯t want to interrupt the conversation between two beautifuldies, but it¡¯s been too long since I¡¯ve seen Lady Rouge¡¯s beautiful face.¡±

    ¡°Yes, you say that, but haven¡¯t you constantly rejected my invitations?¡±

    ¡°It was a very painful and difficult decision, but I had matters to take care of.¡±

    ¡°I understand, Mr. Zich. You were being considerate towards me since I find men difficult.¡±

    Zich smiled. His smile seemed like he wanted to agree with Evelyn¡¯s words, but he was too polite to say it out loud. But the reality waspletely different.

    ¡®I have no reason to deny her words since it¡¯s favorable for me.¡¯

    The three of them made small talk. Even though Evelyn really did seem d to see Zich, the conversation felt strained since Evelyn feared men. However, she had gotten very close to L in the past few days, and L¡¯s presence made her feelfortable. Moreover, Zich carried the conversation with perfect poise and manners. After a while, Evelyn was able to join the conversation with ease and happily talked on. Of course, Zich desperately tried to repress the horror he felt while talking to Evelyn, who waspletely different from what he was used to.

    It was difficult to ascertain how much time passed. Zich got up with the excuse that he needed to use the restroom, and a maid escorted him to an extremely borate door. It would be impossible formoners to think that this was a bathroom door.

    ¡°When youe back, please use the same pathway we used toe here. I¡¯m just adding this for your information, but all other paths are blocked by guards. I hope that a minor mistake from mydy¡¯s guest will not end up as an unnecessary quarrel.¡±

    After the maid gave her warning, she went back to the lounge. Zich went inside the bathroom. The bathroom was bigger than a peasant¡¯s entire house with some space left, but it was not the bathroom that Zich was interested in.

    ¡®Should I start moving?¡¯

    He knew the location. L had gone there a few times, so she exined where it was and how it looked.

    ¡®There¡¯s probably no one with high-level skills in this mansion.¡¯

    Of course, this was only based on Zich¡¯s standards, but it was also true that no one in this mansion was capable of stopping him. Zich quietly went out of the bathroom; he masked his presence and began moving.

    The ce he reached was Evelyn¡¯s room. Zich went there to find the ¡®evidence¡¯ that Albus Windpool had nted.

    ¡®Should I do a quick search?¡¯

    There was not much time. If he took too long in the bathroom, people would be suspicious of him. But there was no need for him to hurry either.

    ¡®I don¡¯t have to find it right now.¡¯

    Since Evelyn had invited him today, he just came to explore the room in advance. Even if he didn¡¯t find the ¡®evidence¡¯ today, he could return to the mansion whenever Evelyn was not at home or when she was sleeping.

    ¡®But I should start looking in ces that she usually doesn¡¯t look at.¡¯

    Zich searched the bed. He needed to first look at ces that were hard to move around when Evelyn was sleeping. He carefully searched around the bed to make sure that nothing was out of ce, and his eyes quickly scanned the area around the bed.

    ¡®Since Evelyn¡¯s fianc¨¦ said he hid the ¡®evidence¡¯ here, it must not be in an obvious ce. But if he hid it in a very difficult ce, he might not be able to find it again when he wants to reveal it.¡¯

    Thus, Albus probably didn¡¯t hide it in a conspicuous spot or a ce that was impossible to find. There was nothing much on top of the bed or under it.

    ¡®The most suspicious ces would be a hidden floor or wall.¡¯

    Zich put his hand under the bed and lightly poured mana into his hands.

    Tap!

    ¡®There¡¯s nothing much under there.¡¯

    Zich came out from underneath the bed.

    ¡®Since I don¡¯t know what the evidence is, the search is going to be difficult.¡¯

    Zich tried stepping on different ces on top of the carpet and tried tapping the table.

    ¡®Is it time for me to go?¡¯

    He could still excuse himself by saying that he needed to take care of a big one. But if he took longer than this, he would only gain suspicion.

    ¡®I should search around the dressing table and then go.¡¯

    Zich opened the biggest shelf on the dressing table. It was filled with items that looked like cosmetics and essories. There was nothing that looked suspicious. Zich lightly pushed his mana under the shelves.

    Thud!

    Apletely different sound came out, making Zich¡¯s eyes sparkle.

    ¡®I found it!¡¯

    * * *

    Ever since Zich left the area, L and Evelyn had continued their conversation. However, they moved onto a different topic. Unfortunately, it was a topic that L was most ufortable with.

    Evelyn asked, ¡°Is your rtionship with Mr. Zich still the same?¡±

    L didn¡¯t know if it was because Zich, a man, was gone, or because they moved on to a topic of great personal interest, but Evelyn now looked a lot more animated. Every time this topic was mentioned, L became extremely awkward. She could only react with aplicated expression on her face as Zich told her to voice her true feelings.

 Chapter 134

    <h4>Chapter 134</h4>

    In this type of situation, Evelyn would have normally joked around for a bit until she changed the topic to her fianc¨¦ in consideration of L. Of course, it wasn¡¯t only for L¡¯s sake since she really wanted to boast about him too. It seemed like today¡¯s conversation would also carry on this way until L, who usually listened to Evelyn without saying anything, opened her mouth.

    ¡°Lady Evelyn.¡±

    ¡°Yes?¡±

    Even after calling Evelyn¡¯s name, L didn¡¯t say anything.

    When she saw that, Evelyn seemed to have misunderstood something, and her eyes widened. ¡°Did something happen between you and Zich?¡±

    ¡°No, that¡¯s not it.¡±

    ¡°Is that so?¡± At L¡¯s firm denial, Evelyn was disappointed. ¡°Then, what is it?¡±

    ¡°About your fianc¨¦¡­Albus Windpool¡­¡±

    ¡°Is there something you want to ask about my dear fianc¨¦?¡± Even her voice indicated the affection Evelyn had for him.

    From the conversation she had with Evelyn in recent days, L knew how much Evelyn loved Albus. Unlike Zich who still couldn¡¯t ept the stark difference between ¡®Marquess Evelyn Rouge¡¯ and ¡®Subus Evelyn Rouge,¡¯ L was now more used to this current Evelyn. It was because she had grown closer to Evelyn after meeting her continuously for the past few days and she hadn¡¯t experienced what Evelyn used to be firsthand like Zich. So, this entire situation was painful for L.

    ¡®Zich said that Albus was the cause of her corruption.¡¯

    She heard this from Zich: Albus joined hands with those robed figures to scheme against Evelyn. Since Evelyn loved him as much as she did, everything went ording to his n. Unaware of Albus¡¯ schemes, Evelyn swam in happiness and love.

    L finally managed to ask, ¡°Did you say that he was a good person?¡±

    ¡°Yes, certainly. I¡¯m not just saying it because he is my fianc¨¦. He is someone who is very good to me.¡±

    It must have taken an incredible amount of effort to make Evelyn, who had difficulty with men, fall so hard for him.

    ¡®If he really loved her or if his betrayal was for some political reason, it would have been much better¡­¡¯

    ¡°What would you do if things didn¡¯t end well between you two?¡± L knew she was asking a very rude question, and she grew nervous.

    It could even make the ever-so-kind Evelyn (although Zich would be shocked to hear those words together) angry. Yet surprisingly, Evelyn didn¡¯t grow angry. She gazed softly at L and sipped a bit of her tea.

    ¡°Ms. L, your emotions are somewhat awkward.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. You don¡¯t have to answer if you don¡¯t want to¡­¡±

    ¡°No, it¡¯s fine. I¡¯m happy you¡¯re finally able to express your interest in love.¡± As if she really felt this way, Evelyn smiled widely, but she soon turned serious and continued, ¡°I will probably be really hurt and sad, but I won¡¯t regret falling in love. Loving someone with all you have is a beautiful thing in itself.¡±

    Evelyn nodded and ced her hand over the back of L¡¯s hands. ¡°It¡¯s fine if it¡¯s Sir Zich or anybody else. Try loving somebody, Ms. L.¡±

    As Evelyn smiled up at her, L had an indescribable expression on her face.

    * * *

    On the day Zich returned to his lodging, he nned to infiltrate the Rouge mansion. L appeared to be a bit strange when she returned with him, but she didn¡¯t look like she wanted to talk. Advice and interference were two sides of the same coin, and looking at L¡¯s current state, it seemed he would do thetter if he asked her to talk.

    Zich could no longer use the artifact that L made for him because he had used up all of its chances on the day he infiltrated the Windpool mansion. However, the difficulty level of this intrusion was much lower this time since there was no need for him to thoroughly search the mansion.

    Swish.

    Zich carefully opened the door and snuck into Evelyn¡¯s room. He saw Evelyn sleeping on the bed, and her rhythmic breathing indicated that she was deep asleep. Zich immediately headed towards the mirror stand and took out the biggest drawer. There was another space inside it.

    ¡®I should take out the makeup stuff first.¡¯

    Zich took out a piece of paper and a pen from his magic box. Then, he began drawing the items inside the drawer, including their rough distance, their direction, the way they were ced, and so on. He nned to put back the items exactly like he had drawn themter. After he finished drawing, Zich took the items out.

    ¡®How should I open this?¡¯

    He had to figure out its system and see if there were multiplepartments or if there was a more specialized function. Zich poured out mana throughout the drawer.

    ¡®It doesn¡¯t have a mechanical instation.¡¯

    Zich swiped his hand over the bottom of the drawer. The bottom was tightly fixed, and he tried reaching for the back.

    ¡®It¡¯s here.¡¯

    There was something that resembled a handle. He slowly pulled it.

    Slide.

    The bottom of the drawer slowly moved away and revealed a new space. Inside the space, there was a book with an antique-looking cover. Zich lifted the book up.

    ¡®Is this the evidence?¡¯

    He flipped the book open. The handwriting that filled the pages was pretty, but the content of the pages couldn¡¯t have been farther from pretty.

    ¡®It¡¯s a diary.¡¯

    It appeared to be Evelyn¡¯s diary. Some would think that it was cute to store her diary in the drawer¡¯s hiddenpartment, but this wasn¡¯t anything like that. Zich flipped through the pages and smirked.

    ¡®What kind of diary has the future already written in it?¡¯

    Did Evelyn know about the future like him and L?

    ¡®No, that¡¯s not it.¡¯

    Then, there was no way she didn¡¯t know Zich before. And most of all, a subus like her who loved men wouldn¡¯t live so peacefully as she did now. Zich closed the book and looked at the sleeping Evelyn. There could be other ¡®evidence¡¯ in the room, but this book was all he needed to assess the situation.

    ¡®So¡­¡¯

    Zich ced his attention back on the book.

    ¡®They are nning to me her for the assassination of the Crown Prince.¡¯

    Along with chilling words that cursed the country, Evelyn¡¯s ¡°n¡± to murder the Crown Prince was clearlyid out in her diary.

    * * *

    When Zich came back to his room, L was waiting for him.

    Zich asked, ¡°Did something happen?¡±

    ¡°Did you find it?¡± Without any exnation, she asked a direct question. However, it was not hard to understand what L was asking about.

    ¡°Yep.¡±

    ¡°What is it?¡±

    ¡°It seems like they are going to frame Evelyn for the assassination of the Crown Prince.¡±

    L¡¯s expression became stiff. Zich moved towards a chair and plopped down on it.

    ¡°How are they going to frame her?¡±

    ¡°I haven¡¯t figured that out yet.¡±

    L sat in front of Zich. ¡°What are you going to do from now on?¡±

    ¡°I have to think about it.¡± Zich drank a cup of water from the table next to him. Then, he turned his attention towards L who was staring at him. ¡°Do you have something to say to me?¡±

    ¡°What if we just assassinate Albus Windpool right now?¡±

    ¡°Why?¡±

    ¡°We don¡¯t have to go the long way. It¡¯s going to take more time too.¡±

    Zich stared intensely into L¡¯s eyes. L felt as if he was searching through her memories, so she looked away.

    ¡°¡­You¡¯ve grown attached.¡±

    ¡°¡­She¡¯s a kind person.¡± L continued, ¡°She¡¯s so nice that I wonder if she¡¯s the same Subus as the one in our memories.¡±

    ¡°Joachim was also the same. He was not confrontational to the extent that he was seriously contemting about leaving the family for his brother who hated his guts.¡±

    ¡°How the heck did those kind people be such infamous viins?¡±

    ¡°Well, they may have changed dramatically because they are like that. The easiest color to dye ck is white after all. Also, you mightugh at me, but I was the same. No matter how cold my family was, I used to be a person who longed for his father¡¯s love.¡±

    Zich moved his back away from the chair. He put his right arm on the armrest and crookedly sat on the chair. Then he replied, ¡°To answer your question with one word, the answer is no.¡±

    L was quiet for a while and then said, ¡°¡­If we kill Albus, we can prevent the conspiracy. Even though Evelyn would be filled with sadness at the death of her fianc¨¦, she won¡¯t be framed, and she won¡¯t be Subus.¡±

    ¡°They¡¯re still those robed guys. Even if Albus disappears, I don¡¯t think those guys will give up. On the other hand, they might hurt Evelyn while trying to find the variable. If we want to prevent that, we might have to guard Evelyn until she naturally dies. Are you able to do that?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡± L was not able to reply.

    ¡°We have to at least kill those robed guys. If we want to do that, we have to wait until they approach Evelyn.¡±

    ¡°Then are you saying that we¡¯re just going to wait and see?¡±

    ¡°Yep.¡±

    ¡°¡­Are you confident that you will be able to save her?¡±

    ¡°Of course,¡± Zich nonchntly replied. He spoke as if there was no possibility of failure. ¡°Moreover, I¡¯m also very confident in my ability to torture that guy, Albus Windpool.¡±

    Then Zich smiled. There was something about Zich¡¯sughter that instilled fear in people; it was to the point that even L flinched even though she was absorbed in a serious mood.

    * * *

    Although an enormous event like the king¡¯s birthday wasing up, the aristocrats¡¯ social events still continued. On the contrary, nobles who would have usually been stuck in their own estates came to the capital and hosted parties for all kinds of reasons. Some hosted parties to build friendships, make connections with high-ranking nobles, brag about their wealth or privilege, or simply enjoy themselves. Many invitations were sent to Evelyn since she was the Marquess¡¯ daughter.

    Normally, she would have spent her time at theke, but all her ns had gone to ruin because of the monster¡¯s appearance. Moreover, her father and older brother¡¯s arrival was continuously being dyed. Thus, Evelyn had to attend all the parties as a representative for the Marquess of Rouge. It was tiring, but she didn¡¯t care.

    She didn¡¯t dislike parties, and most of all, it was because her fianc¨¦ escorted her to all of them.

    ¡°Hello, Evelyn. You are beautiful as ever.¡± Albus¡¯ way of speaking was cheesy as if he had smeared butter all over his mouth. However, Evelyn looked at him with rose-tinted sses as she blushed and smiled sheepishly.

    ¡°You are as cool as ever, Albus.¡±

    ¡°If I want to stand next to you, my standards have to be high so that I won¡¯t embarrass myself.¡±

    He put his hand out. Evelyn carefully grabbed his outstretched hand. Albus helped her get into the carriage and then followed. Today, they were going to a party hosted by Duke Sonus.

    It was a private party, and only a few people had been invited. The people who had been invited were all high-ranking nobles above the count level. It was literally a party where only the Kingdom¡¯s greatest powers could join. Moreover, a very notable figure was nning to attend.

    Albus asked Evelyn, ¡°Did you hear that the Crown Prince will be attending this party?¡±

    Evelyn replied, ¡°Yes, I heard. The Crown Prince is the Duke¡¯s grandson after all.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s been a while since west saw him.¡±

    ¡°Hey? Are you interested in the Crown Prince? I¡¯m starting to get jealous.¡±

    ¡°Stop joking around.¡±

    Evelyn made a solemn expression, and Albusughed while apologizing. Then she smiled again and began conversing with Albus. Talking to someone you loved was always a joyful experience; it was to the extent that Evelyn didn¡¯t even notice time passing by.

    Yes, that was probably the reason.

    ¡°We¡¯ve arrived, Evelyn.¡±

    ¡®Huh?¡¯

    It was the reason why she didn¡¯t realize the carriage had stopped.

    ¡°We¡¯ve already arrived?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. The Duke¡¯s ce is right in front of us.¡±

    She saw the extravagant mansion outside the carriage window. Evelyn tilted her head in slight confusion. ¡°It was so fun talking to you that I must have forgotten about my surroundings.¡±

    ¡°Wow, you enjoyed our conversation that much? I¡¯m so happy.¡±

    Albus opened the carriage door and held out his hand to help Evelyne down. When Evelynnded on the ground, she adjusted her clothes. Since she was going to a party filled with high-ranking nobles, she had to take meticulous care of her appearance. For that reason, she didn¡¯t notice Albus smiling maliciously while looking at her figure.

 Chapter 135

    <h4>Chapter 135</h4>

    ¡°Ah, before that, I have something to give you.¡± Before he went inside the Duke¡¯s mansion, Albus slowed his steps and stopped. Then, he took out something from his pocket.

    ¡°That is¡­¡±

    ¡°Take it. I bought it because I thought it would look good on you.¡±

    It was a rare-looking ring; three red stones beautifully shone in a row, and Evelyn stared at it like she was bewitched.

    ¡°It¡¯s pretty.¡±

    ¡°Can you try putting it on?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    Evelyn put the ring on her finger, not on her ring finger since another ring that Albus had gotten for their engagement shone in that spot.

    ¡°As expected, it fits you well.¡± Albus swiped Evelyn¡¯s hand and the ring simultaneously. ¡°Shall we go? We can¡¯t have the Duke waiting for us.¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡± Evelyn ced her hand on Albus¡¯ arms with a smile on her face. The red ring on her finger glowed eerily.

    * * *

    The party went along smoothly and there weren¡¯t many guests. They didn¡¯t have to spend much time on greetings, but every single guest ranked above a marquess, and they had to mind their manners more carefully than usual. Evelyn suffered from the heat surrounding the party; the smell of the perfume that floated whenever people passed them, and the fatigue she felt after participating in many parties for the past few days made her dizzy.

    ¡°Are you all right?¡±

    ¡°Yes, I can manage.¡± Evelyn forced a smile so that Albus wouldn¡¯t worry about her.

    ¡°Just endure for a bit longer. The Crown Prince will arrive soon. Let¡¯s rest after we greet him.¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    Evelyn entrusted her body to Albus and slowly moved. The Duke¡¯s most esteemed guest had finally arrived. One by one, people began to greet the Duke and his wife who appeared with the Crown Prince. As Evelyn stared at the Crown Prince, her dizziness grew stronger.

    ¡®I just have to endure it a bit longer.¡¯

    Evelyn didn¡¯t need to do something amazing. She simply had to greet the Crown Prince and back off after making some well-wishing remarks. Albus would handle most of the small talk. Even if she remained quiet, if Albus exined that she was sick, even the Crown Prince wouldn¡¯t say much.

    Finally, it was time for them to face the Crown Prince, and the two walked in front of him. The Crown Prince weed them with a smile, and the two greeted him politely. Then, the Crown Prince said something, but Evelyn couldn¡¯t understand what he was saying. Her dizziness worsened.

    ¡®I don¡¯t think I can endure it any longer.¡¯

    If she didn¡¯t leave right now, she thought she would make a fool out of herself. To ask for the Crown Prince¡¯s understanding and excuse herself, Evelyn stared at Albus. Albus looked at her as if he could read her thoughts. Yet unlike his usual self, she felt that his eyes looked very cold. Her consciousness grew dimmer. The noises in her surroundings rang, and she thought she heard a scream. She also felt a warm liquid ssh onto her body, but before she could fully understand the situation, her consciousnesspletely faded away.

    * * *

    Like usual, Zich looked down at the city from the bell tower. The temple, which was located near luxurious mansions, was ideal for overlooking the aristocrats¡¯ homes. Zich carefully eyed the carriage that Evelyn and Albus were riding and saw which residence it entered. Then, when he saw a carriage crested with the royal symbol appear right behind it, he got up.

    ¡®Today could be the day.¡¯

    Zich thought Albus would carry out his scheme on the King¡¯s birthday, but he also thought it wouldn¡¯t be strange if today was D-day. Today was also a day when all the possible yers such as Albus, Evelyn, and the Crown Prince were present. Zich looked at the mansion with greater concentration. Sure enough, there was amotion going on.

    Jump!

    Someone jumped outside, and Zich knew who the person was right away.

    ¡®Evelyn!¡¯

    Zich was suspicious whether or not the person was really Evelyn. From what he knew, Evelyn¡¯s physical abilities were limited to an aristocraticdy her age. Yet, the way she jumped out of the mansion was like that of a trained knight. Zich jumped off the bell tower, ran on top of rooftops, and chased after her.

    In an instant, she arrived at the outskirts of the city and jumped over the city¡¯s walls. Zich followed her and also jumped over the wall. Even after she was out of the city, Evelyn didn¡¯t stop. She soon went off the road and entered the forest.

    ¡®This is the direction to¡­¡¯ Zich could guess where Evelyn was heading to ¡ª theke.

    Even if theke was right next to the capital, that was only true when considering the size of the entire kingdom. The actual distance between the two areas was considerable, shown by the time that Zich and Evelyn¡¯spany took to arrive at theke. As if she was trying to close this long distance at once, Evelyn continued to run.

    ¡®Her body is going to be ruined at this rate.¡¯

    Zich didn¡¯t know what power gave Evelyn this superhuman strength, but she didn¡¯t have the physique to maintain this pace. Evelyn, who had never trained in her lifetime, would suffer great aftereffects from this behavior. Zich and Evelyn ran for a long time, and as Zich expected, Evelyn arrived at theke.

    Thud!

    She stood still at theke, and Zich hid behind a nearby bush. Silence surrounded theke, and both Zich and Evelyn didn¡¯t move.

    ¡®It seems like she is bewitched by something.¡¯

    Zich was sure that something was wrong, and he decided to watch the situation for a bit longer.

    * * *

    ¡°Huh?¡± Evelyn gathered her senses.

    ¡®What happened...¡¯

    ¡°Ack!¡±

    She fell. Her head pounded as if it was going to crack open. Her legs burned while her arms felt like they were going to fall off. She couldn¡¯t breathe well, and her organs felt like they were turned upside and down. In short, her whole body ached to the point that death seemed preferable.

    ¡°Ahhhhh!¡± She hugged her body and screamed. Tears streamed down her eyes, but nobody came running despite her desperate cries.

    ¡°P-Please someone¡­!¡± She turned her head around. Her eyes, blurred with tears, barely made out her surroundings. ¡°This ce is¡­!¡¯

    It was a familiar ce. It was the secret ce she frequently visited when she came up to the capital city.

    ¡®Why I am here¡­¡¯

    Just a moment ago, she was at the Duke¡¯s party with her fianc¨¦, Albus.

    ¡®And¡­¡¯

    Then her fuzzy memories slowly became clearer. While she was greeting the Crown Prince, her dizziness became so intense that she had to excuse herself. At that moment, her consciousness became blurry, and her body moved against her will. There was suddenly a knife in her hands, and her body moved quickly and sharply to stab the Crown Prince.

    ¡°Ah¡­!¡± Evelyn despaired at the memory. It was even more despairing for her because it was not the Crown Prince who got stabbed. It was Albus who had jumped in front of the Crown Prince to save him.

    ¡°Ahhhhhh¡­!¡± For a moment, the pain in her body disappeared. It was difficult for her to stay conscious from the shocking events that came up in her memory.

    ¡°W-why did I¡­!¡± She couldn¡¯t understand what happened at all. However, there was one thing she was sure of¡ªshe hadmitted a deed that could never be undone. The weight of the horrifying event beyond her control pressed down on her mind and body like an enormous burden.

    Step!

    A stranger came towards her, and Evelyn raised her head. A robed figure stood right in front of her. Evelyn was afraid that a stranger had suddenly appeared in front of her, but the robed figure reached out with their hand as if to calm her down.

    ¡°Are you okay?¡± It was a woman¡¯s voice. The robed figure uncovered her robe. She was a woman who looked to be in her mid-thirties.

    ¡°W-who...¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m a traveler. I frequently visit this ce because I like visiting theke, but I found you copsed here. Your body seems to be unwell. Are you able to stand up?¡±

    Evelyn shook her head. Her body hurt so much that she couldn¡¯t move at all.

    ¡°I guess it can¡¯t be helped. Get on my back.¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°You should get on my back. Since we are near the capital, there aren¡¯t any dangerous monsters, but there are still wild animals and weak monsters. This is not a safe ce for people who are injured.¡±

    When the woman walked towards her, Evelyn flinched. The woman smiled kindly.

    ¡°It¡¯s okay. I don¡¯t know what type of situation you went through, but don¡¯t worry. I¡¯m on your side.¡±

    A kind stranger suddenly appeared in front of her. In a way, this was very suspicious, but Evelyn had gone through such a shocking experience that a passing stranger¡¯s kindness was enough to make her heart melt. Tears ran down her face in gratitude, and Evelyn was about to nod her head...

    If not for another voice that came out from behind her.

    ¡°Wow, this is such a touching scene. You must have really nned out this scenario.¡±

    Both Evelyn and the woman were surprised. Evelyn turned around, and the woman jumped back a great distance. There was no trace of the kind smile on the woman¡¯s face, and she red at the person in front of her with sharp eyes.

    ¡°¡­Mr. Zich?¡±

    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m Zich. Lady Rouge, judging by your situation, it seems like this is not the right time for me to ask if you¡¯ve been well.¡±

    ¡°H-how did youe he¡ª¡±

    ¡°I followed you here.¡±

    ¡°What?¡± Evelyn¡¯s face turnedpletely white. Zich had followed her. She interpreted this as Zich¡¯s way of telling her that he followed her to interrogate her about her crimes. If Evelyn thought about Zich¡¯s status and his position in this situation even a little, this interpretation didn¡¯t make sense at all. However, Evelyn was unable to think rationally in her present condition.

    ¡°I-It¡¯s not true!¡± Evelyn shouted out loud. ¡°I¡­I didn¡¯t do it! I also don¡¯t know what happened. I-I would never stab the Crown Prince! And I never expected that Albus would be stabbed instea¡ª!¡±

    The sensation of stabbing her fianc¨¦e made Evelyn close her mouth. Tears began to form in her eyes again.

    ¡°¡­Is that what happened?¡± Zich nodded as he grasped what had urred inside the Duke¡¯s mansion. ¡°Lady Rouge, don¡¯t worry. I know that you are innocent. You havemitted no wrongs, and you¡¯ve just been swept by a conspiracy.¡±

    ¡°C-conspiracy?¡± Evelyn was shocked.

    ¡°Yes, a conspiracy. An extremely foul and vile conspiracy.¡± Zich pointed his finger at the woman. ¡°By people like them.¡±

    Shocked, Evelyn turned around and stared at the woman.

    ¡°¡­I have no idea what you are talking about.¡± The robed woman pretended to be innocent. She still had her guard up, but there was none of her previous intensity.

    ¡°I just happened to pass by thisdy and wanted to help her. A conspiracy¡­what nonsense¡ª!¡±

    Zich cut her words off. ¡°You first took off your robe on your own will. No wonder there seem to be many different types of people in your group. I guess it¡¯s not strange for there to be people like you who actively try to engage with their target.¡±

    The woman raised her eyebrows. ¡°Do you know this rude person?¡±

    ¡°A b-bit.¡± Evelyn¡¯s eyes scurried around. Her mind and body were in pain, and it was difficult to grasp what was happening.

    ¡°Since he suddenly appeared out of nowhere and began using me, maybe he is the one who plotted that conspiracy thing he knows so much about.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, you guys are the best at shifting the me in these types of situations. Honestly, I don¡¯t have any evidence to support my innocence to Lady Rouge right now.¡±

    ¡°Then are you really¡­¡±

    ¡°But I can make it so that you reveal your true nature,¡± Zich smirked. ¡°I know that there is arge organization trying to corrupt people from all over the world to make Demon People by people like you.¡±

    ¡°¡­!¡±

    ¡°I hampered your group¡¯s ns quite a few times, and I n to keep on doing that in the future.¡±

    ¡°¡­!¡±

    ¡°Should I continue? Hmmm, where should I start? Your organization possesses an enormous amount of rare explosive artifacts, and your leaders have the ability to change into weird monsters.¡± Zich raised his chin confidently.

    ¡°How about it? Don¡¯t you think you should ignore ¡®Subus¡¯ for now and focus all your efforts on recruiting a talent like me?¡±

 Chapter 136

    <h4>Chapter 136</h4>

    ¡°You¡­¡±

    ¡°Calm down, your expression changed. Lady Rouge may be able to identify you by your scary re.¡±

    Zich was certain that all kinds of thoughts were passing through the woman¡¯s head right now, but Zich thought she was pathetic for thinking so deeply¡­since the result was obvious.

    ¡°What are you pondering about? The thing you guys hate the most is here: an unknown variable. Even if you have to give up on one Demon Person, you have to capture me.¡±

    Zich¡¯s words were the decisive factor.

    Flick!

    The woman flicked her fingers.

    Whoosh! Whoosh!

    People began to emerge out of the forest. There were eight of them in total, all wearing dark ck robes¡ªthey looked like moving shadows.

    Zich jeered at them, ¡°Did you say that you were on a trip? Ah, are they yourpanions? But don¡¯t they look too dreary to be travelpanions? I hope you don¡¯t take my words badly, but you should really choose thepany you keep more wisely. It¡¯s going to be stressful if you try to stay close with all kinds of people¡ª¡±

    ¡°Catch him!¡± The leader of the robed figures cut off Zich¡¯s words andmanded her underlings.

    It seemed as if she had decided to stop acting. Her past benevolent expression and tone were all gone, leaving only a chilly face and a voice as cold as frost. Matching the change in her tone, Zich raised his sword. It was a small dagger that didn¡¯t hinder his movements. However, the dagger lengthened and spread out several branch-like des like a blooming bud. The robed figures from the forest enclosed more tightly around Zich.

    The leader ordered Zich, ¡°Follow us quietly.¡±

    Zich smirked. He didn¡¯t mean to ridicule them¡ªthe leader¡¯s words were so absurd that Zich couldn¡¯t help butugh. Then, he lifted Windur high up in the air and dered, ¡°I don¡¯t want to.¡±

    The leader pulled out her sword, and the other robed figures simultaneously rushed towards Zich.

    ¡°Kyaaaaah!¡± Evelyn hid her head in her arms and screamed at the battle that suddenly erupted all around her.

    Zich skillfully evaded the leader¡¯s sword attack. Then, he moved a couple of more steps. His movements were like works of art as he evaded flying swords and broke through the openings.

    Thud!

    Zich halted his steps in front of Evelyn.

    ¡°L!¡± Zich yelled. He felt powerful mana burst out from inside the forest, and the robed figures looked around in surprise.

    Craaaash!

    Pirs of fire swept the entire battlefield. It burned the ground, swallowed Zich, Evelyn, and the robed figures, and struck theke.

    Bam!

    The areas of theke where the pirs struck boiled, and thick clouds of steam rose all around them. The state of the battlefield disyed the fire pirs¡¯ incredible force.

    ¡°Urgh!¡±

    ¡°Ah! Agh!¡±

    Two of the robed figures inflicted with severe burn marks rolled on the ground and shrieked in pain. It didn¡¯t look like they would live for long, and they weren¡¯t the only ones with injuries. Three burnt corpses rolled on the ckenedkeshore with smoke rising from them. Fortunately, Evelyn wasn¡¯t terribly injured thanks to Zich¡¯s protection as he had blocked the pirs of fire that came their way.

    ¡®She is so rough and violent,¡¯ Zich grumbled to himself as he swung his sword to ensure that the radiating heat around them wouldn¡¯t harm Evelyn.

    ¡°W-What is this¡­?¡± The leader couldn¡¯t gather her words after barely surviving.

    Only three of her subordinates were fine. With just a single attack, almost half their group was now gone.

    Zichughed at her. ¡°You are not the only one who broughtpanions.¡±

    L, Hans, and Snoc came out of the forest. When Zich was monitoring the luxurious mansions from the bell tower, Hans and Snoc were also surveying important areas. Everyone was in ces where they could observe each other, and their senses were heightened to notice each other¡¯s movements right away. Thus, when Zich began to chase after Evelyn, Hans and Snoc immediately responded. They took L who was also waiting nearby and followed Zich.

    If Zich had moved as fast as he could, they would have lost sight of him. Fortunately, Evelyn ran at a speed that they all couldfortably manage. Moreover, Zich left tracks to make it easier for them to follow; and although Hans and Snoc had to carry L, they took turns carrying her and avoided straining themselves. In some ways, it was actually easier to have L with them, because she could use transportation magic from time to time. Then, they read Zich¡¯sst track, which contained the hidden message that told them to stand nearby; and when Zich finally signaled to them, they joined the battlefield.

    Zich nced at the remaining opponents and turned to Hans and Snoc. ¡°Hans! Snoc!¡±

    ¡°Yes, sir!¡±

    ¡°Yes, sir!¡±

    ¡°Finish them.¡± Zich pointed at his opponents with Windur and turned his back.

    He hung Windur on his back and lifted Evelyn up. Then, he took shelter at a ce with no traces of fire. At his defenseless appearance, the robed figures tried to attack Zich. However, the ground suddenly shot up and put a distance between Zich and them.

    The robed figures turned around and saw Hans and Snoc slowly approaching them.

    Hans said to Snoc, ¡°One of us can handle the leader, and the other person can handle the rest.¡±

    ¡°I understand.¡±

    ¡°Should I be in charge of the leader?¡±

    ¡°Senior, I will try fighting the leader. It seems like she is about the same level as the person I fought in Ospurin. During that time, I was able to beat him because the environment was very favorable for me. Thus, Sir Zich didn¡¯t recognize that as my win, but I will try to fight on equal terms this time. I¡¯ve also improved a lot since then.¡±

    ¡°Okay, do what you want.¡± Hans took out his sword. Estede¡¯s shining light sparkled and refracted across theke.

    ¡°Don¡¯t get too nervous. If it bes too dangerous, I¡¯ll help.¡±

    ¡°Yes!¡±

    The two entered a full-fledged battle with the robed figures. On the contrary, L didn¡¯t even nce once towards the robed figures and ran towards Zich¡ªor more urately, Evelyn¡¯s side. From a short distance away from the battlefield, Zichid Evelyn down on the ground and fed her a potion.

    While holding onto Evelyn¡¯s hand, L urgently asked Zich, ¡°What happened?¡±

    ¡°Her body is damaged. It¡¯s only natural this happened since she moved like that with an untrained body.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡± L looked down at Evelyn. There was no trace of her elegant and well-kept appearance. Her beautiful party dress was ripped and dirtied everywhere. There was some kind of unknown blood dried up on her arms, and her face was deathly pale.

    ¡°¡­L?¡± Evelyn softly called L¡¯s name.

    ¡°Yeah! Yes! I¡¯m right here!¡± L grabbed Evelyn¡¯s hands and clutched them tightly.

    ¡°I¡­don¡¯t¡­understand at all¡­what happened¡­today.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s all right! No matter what happened, it¡¯s not your fault at all. So just focus on resting for now. We will try to help you as much as we can.¡±

    Evelyn stared at L for a moment and then slowly closed her eyes. In this chaotic situation, Evelyn had decided to trust L. Moreover, there wasn¡¯t really any other choice but to trust her in this situation.

    ¡°Then¡­I¡¯ll sleep¡­for a bit.¡±

    The pain in her body disappeared as the potion began working, but simultaneously, an extreme sense of fatigue overcame her body and she fell asleep while losing consciousness.

    * * *

    Zich looked down from the bell tower. He had visited this ce so often in the past few days that it was now basically his residence. As he usually did when he was on the bell tower, he watched the Rouge mansion.

    However, the atmosphere in the mansion was different from before. The guards that were protecting the Marquess had now disappeared, and elite guards of the royal family were surrounding the mansion.

    ¡®Instead of protecting them, they must have been stationed there to imprison and watch over all the people in the Rouge family.¡¯

    Zich jumped off from the bell tower and strolled into the capital city. Even though an assassination attempt against the Crown Prince had urred recently, the capital city was still bustling with activity. There were no signs that the King¡¯s birthday celebration would be pushed out at all.

    ¡®They n to cover it up for now.¡¯

    The attempted assassination of the Crown Prince was certainly a matter that would turn a country upside down. However, depending on the situation, the country¡¯s official response could vary.

    ¡®First of all, the Crown Prince didn¡¯t receive any injuries, and the only witnesses are high-ranking nobles. Moreover, since the King¡¯s 50th birthday ising up soon, a lot of foreign ambassadors must have arrived; if the festival stops because of an attempted assassination of the Crown Prince, it would bepletely humiliating for the royal family and the Kingdom¡¯s reputation.¡¯

    Of course, the Kingdom probably wouldn¡¯t be able to stop rumors from spreading, and they probably would lose some prestige. On the other hand, if they sessfully executed arge festival like this, they could send a message to neighboring countries that the conflict had not been very serious.

    ¡®Or they could im that the conflict had been quickly resolved.¡¯

    Either way, the royal family could gain back some of the prestige they lost. After assessing the capital¡¯s atmosphere, Zich moved out of the capital city. He walked on the road and then he moved sideways into the mountains. After walking through the dense mountain, a log cabin appeared into view. It looked like a house that hunters used as a resting ce.

    ¡°Have you arrived? Greetings, sir.¡± Hans and Snoc stood watch outside, and they sent their greetings to Zich.

    Zich epted their greetings with a nod and went inside the house. The inside of the house was shabby and empty. Housekeeping was nonexistent here. The only things inside the house were a dirty bed, a table, and a few chairs. Evelyn was lying on the bed, and L was sitting next to her and taking care of her.

    Zich asked, ¡°How is her condition?¡±

    L replied, ¡°She¡¯s gotten a lot better.¡±

    Zich pulled out a chair and sat next to the bed. Then he told L about what he saw at the Rouge mansion and the current situation in the capital.

    ¡°What about the Crown Prince and Albus Windpool?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know. That kind of information was not out in the open, but the Windpool mansion seems to be bustling with activity. It has a totally different atmospherepared to the Rouge mansion.¡±

    ¡°As expected.¡±

    At that moment, Evelyn groaned.

    Zich said, ¡°It seems like she is going to wake up soon.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, it seems so.¡±

    Evelyn¡¯s eyelids fluttered and slowly opened.

    L asked, ¡°Are you fully awake?¡±

    ¡°This is¡­¡±

    ¡°This is a safe ce.¡± After L said this to Evelyn, Zich got up from his seat.

    ¡°Let¡¯s first eat something and then talk.¡±

    What Evelyn needed the most was sufficient rest and food. Zich went out of the house to give work to his two servants outside. It was also Zich¡¯s way of showing consideration so that Evelyn and L could spend time together.

    * * *

    After gaining sufficient rest and food, Evelyn looked much better. Of course, she suffered a bit since she had to eat normal food instead of the luxurious meals she was used to. It tasted foreign to her, but Evelyn forced the food down her throat withoutining.

    After Evelyn¡¯s condition became stable, Zich exined to her what he knew about the current situation. As he continued, her face grew paler and paler. The conspiracy surrounding her was horrifying, but most of all, it was shocking that Albus, whom she trusted so much, was the main instigator of the conspiracy against her.

    ¡°I can¡¯t believe it!¡±

    Evelyn didn¡¯t believe in Zich¡¯s words¡ªno, it was more urate to say that she was unable to believe his words. She trembled, clutched her head, and murmured that she couldn¡¯t believe it.

    ¡°I think we should give her a bit more time to process it.¡± Zich stood up and nced at L. The two of them left the room.

    ¡°As expected, she doesn¡¯t believe it.¡± Since he had expected this result, he was not surprised.

    L kept ncing back at the door. ¡°Is it okay to leave her by herself?¡±

    Considering all the events that had recently happened to her, it wouldn¡¯t be strange for Evelyn to make a very rash decision and hurt herself.

    ¡°I can sense her presence clearly right now, so don¡¯t worry. As soon as I sense anything weird, I will immediately intervene.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s good. What are we going to do from now on? We can¡¯t just leave her like this, right?¡±

    ¡°Of course. First, we have to make Evelyn ept this situation. I¡¯ve already made a n for it. I¡¯m going to make her believe that Albus Windpool is the traitor, and at the same time¡­¡±

    Zich smiled. It was the malicious smile that appeared on his face whenever he thought about torturing someone.

    ¡°I¡¯m going to lightly torture Albus Windpool.¡±

 Chapter 137

    <h4>Chapter 137</h4>

    ¡°I wish you a safe journey!¡±

    ¡°Mhm! You guys take care of yourselves too.¡± Albus said gravely as he waved his hands at the royal knights who guarded him. He didn¡¯t forget to continue his pitiful act and left a trace of sadness in his tone; right now, he was supposed to be a pitiful person used and betrayed by his fianc¨¦e.

    Albus felt amazed that royal knights were now guarding him. Of course, the Windpool family had its own army of knights. However, the royal knights were guarding Albus not because they didn¡¯t trust the Windpool knights, but because they wanted to express their deepest respect and sincerity to Albus. Thus, the Windpool knights didn¡¯t express any discontent in having their roles taken away and they didn¡¯t protest against the royal knights either.

    On the outside, Albus pretended to be swept by sadness, but on the inside, he felt like a king strutting across his residence.

    ¡®Everything went smoothly.¡¯

    Marquess Rouge was in trouble now; his daughter had attacked the Crown Prince unexpectedly, and even though they had to immediately respond to the situation to minimize their losses, the Marquess was in a faraway estate.

    ¡®Even if the Marquess were in the capital now, he wouldn¡¯t be able to do much since it¡¯s true that Evelyn attacked the Crown Prince.¡¯

    There were many witnesses¡ªand each of them was a high-ss noble. Their words carried a greater weightpared tomoners and mid to low-ranking nobles. Furthermore, they all saw how Albus had flung his body to protect the Crown Prince and received a deep wound as a result. Of course, Albus had manipted Evelyn so that he wouldn¡¯t receive a serious injury.

    ¡°Heh!¡±

    He was so satisfied that he had to stifle hisugh. Like that, he returned to his room andy on his bed¡ªthe bed felt more snug than usual.

    ¡®I have sessfully taken one step forward.¡¯

    With this event as the footing, he just had to advance toward his goal step by step. His ultimate goal was to be the Duke and absorb the Rouge family. He fantasized about this rosy dream as he prepared for bed. Today, Albus felt like he would be able to have a very happy dream¡ªif it wasn¡¯t for the voice he heard.

    ¡°Albus Windpool.¡±

    Albus¡¯ eyes shed open. It was a voice he knew. He felt irritated that someone interrupted his sleep, but he swallowed his annoyance back down and got up. A robed figure was standing in the dark room. Albus was simultaneously impressed and scared by the person¡¯s ability. Elite soldiers from the royal army were protecting his residence right now, and moreover, the number of guards was a couple of times greater than normal. Yet, the robed figure had managed to move past the guards and infiltrate the residence.

    ¡°This is a surprise.¡± Albus moved a bit closer to the robed figure and sat at the edge of his bed. His feet touched the fluffy carpet. ¡°Why did youe here? Isn¡¯t our dealplete?¡±

    ¡°¡­Complete?¡± A bit of difort was mixed into the robed figure¡¯s indifferent, robotic-like voice; he seemed different fromst time.

    ¡®Did he note as a simple messenger today?¡¯ Albus felt an ominous feeling and his expression stiffened.

    ¡°Tell me, Albus Windpool. What is the contract we made?¡±

    ¡°¡­You guys told me the method to ¡®manipte¡¯ Evelyn and helped me with various matters. In exchange, after she became useless to me, I manipted her again to go to the ce she liked best¡ªtheke at the capital.¡±

    ¡°Did we break the deal on our side?¡±

    ¡°No, you guys aplished everything perfectly.¡±

    ¡°Then, why did you break the deal?¡±

    ¡°¡­What are you talking about?¡±

    ¡°We couldn¡¯t secure Evelyn Rouge.¡±

    Albus suddenly realized the predicament he was in. ¡°Wait a moment, please! Are you saying that wrench, Evelyn, didn¡¯t go to theke?¡±

    The robed figure nodded and said, ¡°There was a breach of contract.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t make meugh!¡± Albus shouted and lowered his voice. Then, he looked around his surroundings.

    It wouldn¡¯t benefit him in any way if he was caught meeting with a suspicious person, but the robed figure didn¡¯t budge. He simply stared at Albus.

    That frightened Albus even more; thus, Albus lowered his voice and hastily let out some excuses. ¡°I have never broken the contract. I did everything you guys told me to do! Something must have happened on her way to theke, but my responsibility should¡¯ve ended when she made her escape. I shouldn¡¯t be held responsible for what happened afterward!¡±

    ¡°No, your responsibility was to make sure she arrived at theke safely. This is your fault.¡±

    Albus gritted his teeth; it didn¡¯t seem like the robed figure would back off. However, Albus had already gotten everything he needed and didn¡¯t n on epting the robed figure¡¯s usations easily.

    ¡°So, what? What are you going to do about it?¡± Albus dropped all formalities.

    ¡°Take responsibility for your failure.¡±

    ¡°And if I refuse?¡±

    The robed figure didn¡¯t say anything for a moment. Cold sweat dripped down Albus¡¯ back, but he red with all his might so that he wouldn¡¯t cower, but it was all futile.

    ¡°Since we couldn¡¯t gain anything, you have to give back everything you obtained.¡±

    Albus¡¯ heart dropped, but he clenched his teeth and didn¡¯t back off. ¡°How? Are you going to kill me or something?¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s no need for us to dirty our hands. If the royals and the Rouge family learn of the truth, your head will automatically fall.¡±

    ¡°How can that possibly happen¡ª!¡±

    ¡°Do you think it¡¯s impossible?¡±

    Albus was speechless. If he considered the unbelievable skills and information the organization had shown him, it didn¡¯t seem like they would have any difficulties revealing the truth.

    ¡°Y-You don¡¯t even have the evidence¡­!¡±

    ¡°Do you think we wouldn¡¯t have any?¡±

    The robed figure¡¯s cold voice tightened around Albus. As if he was using hisst resort, Albus spat out, ¡°If you touch me, I¡¯m going to spread all the information I know about you guys! You are not the only one who collected evidence! I won¡¯t die alone!¡±

    ¡°Try doing that. I will allow it.¡±

    The robed figure had a ¡®try it if you can¡¯ attitude; he seemed to think that Albus was just bluffing. To his misfortune, Albus¡¯ threats really were all bluffs.

    ¡®Damn it!¡¯ Albus grew nervous. If he didn¡¯t do anything, everything he worked so hard for might all go to waste. No, it would not just end with that; the Windpool family would be ruined, and his neck might fly off.

    ¡°P-please wait a moment!¡± Albus quickly got up from his bed. He went back to speaking politely. ¡°Didn¡¯t I work hard ording to your ns? If you act like this now, what do you expect from me!¡±

    Albus made an appeal for his efforts to be recognized. However, even Albus didn¡¯t think his appeal would work on the man in front of him. With a tiny bit of hope, he was merely making a desperate attempt to save himself. As expected, the robed figure did not waver for even a moment.

    ¡°Bring Evelyn Rouge right now.¡±

    ¡°I-I don¡¯t even know where she is!¡±

    ¡°I will give you two days, and I wille back at the same time. In two days, I expect you to at least know where her whereabouts are.¡±

    ¡°Wait! You can¡¯t just one-sidedly make¡ª"

    However, Albus¡¯ words did not reach the robed figure. Even while looking directly at the robed figure, Albus could no longer see anyone in front of him. The man had disappeared like a ghost, but Albus was surprised for only a moment. Fear reced all other emotions. From what the robed figure said to him, if he didn¡¯t find Evelyn by the set time, the robed figure would really end his life.

    ¡®I have to find Evelyn no matter what!¡¯

    He quickly got up. There was no trace of his previous self-satisfaction; only anxiety and nervousness possessed his mind and body.

    * * *

    After acting as the ¡®robed figure¡¯ once again, Zich returned to his lodging. Hispanions were now back in the capital city. They moved back to the capital, Westillburd, because it would be easier for them to n ahead and immediately react to unexpected situations. Moreover, it was also because Evelyn, who was used to a life of luxury, had a difficult time adjusting to the rough conditions outside. Of course, Evelyn made noints, but L spoke up for her and Zich epted L¡¯s request.

    The capital¡¯s tight surveince was not an obstacle for Zich as he snuck Evelyn back to the capital. When Zich went back to his room, L was waiting for him there.

    ¡°Here!¡± Zich threw L¡¯s ne back to her. ¡°That item has really good abilities.¡±

    ¡°Well, it¡¯s my favorite item.¡±

    The ne was a teleportation artifact. In order to help Zich infiltrate the Windpool mansion, L let Zich borrow her ne. The artifact was of such high quality that if L auctioned it, she could easily purchase an enormous estate for herself. Considering that she let Zich borrow it, Zich could tell that L was deeply invested in this matter.

    ¡°How was it? Did everything go smoothly?¡±

    ¡°It was easy.¡± Zich crossed his legs as if to tell her to sit next to him. Then he yfully smiled towards her. ¡°He¡¯s going to experience extreme anxiety for at least two days. While thinking that everything he worked so hard to achieve might all go to waste and he might die, I doubt he can even eat.¡±

    ¡°He deserves it,¡± L snorted.

    Then Zich asked, ¡°How is Evelyn?¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s a lot more stable, but I don¡¯t think she haspletely thrown away her trust in Albus Windpool.¡±

    ¡°Well, a person¡¯s emotions are not easy to control.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s strange hearing that from you.¡±

    ¡°What do you mean? Is there anyone who is more honest about their feelings than me?¡±

    ¡°Well, that¡¯s true.¡± Then L sadly looked towards the direction of her room where Evelyn was staying. ¡°I hope she doesn¡¯t get hurt too much.¡±

    ¡°It can¡¯t be helped.¡± Zich got up from his chair. ¡°But we should make her practice so that she can feel a bit more relieved.¡±

    ¡°What practice?¡± L looked at Zich as if she thought he was going to do something strange again.

    ¡°There¡¯s something like that. You¡¯ll see,¡± Zich replied with a voice full of mischief.

    * * *

    For the past two days, Albus experienced hell. The conspiracy that he nned for a long time had gone amiss at thest part, and his coborator was now threatening him for his mistake.

    ¡®Shit! Shit! Shit!¡¯

    His hand trembled in agitation. Today was the due date that the robed figure had given him. The robed figure was going toe soon.

    ¡®Should I try to resist?¡¯

    However, the robed figures worked in an organization. Even if he defeated one of them, the problem wouldn¡¯t be solved at all.

    ¡®Instead, they¡¯ll probably reveal everything about me.¡¯

    In the end, he had no choice but to strike another deal. Without even turning on the light, Albus sat on his bed and shook his leg. Time passed by slowly and seemed to pierce his body like needles.

    Creak!

    The door opened. Albus raised his heavy head and saw the robed figure in front of him. Albus quickly got up from his bed.

    Thud!

    The door closed. The robed figure slowly walked towards him and stood a distance away from Albus.

    ¡°I was waiting for you.¡± Albus slowly opened his mouth. ¡°I sincerely apologize, but I was not able to find Evelyn. I¡¯m sure there is something else I can help you guys with! It would also be beneficial for your organization if I move up my rank¡ª!¡±

    ¡°Albus Windpool.¡± The robed figure cut off Albus¡¯ words. ¡°We found Evelyn Rouge.¡±

    ¡°¡­You found Evelyn?¡±

    ¡°Yes. So we will give you a new mission.¡±

    The robed figure¡¯s words were threatening as he added, ¡°I hope you don¡¯t make another mistake this time.¡±

 Chapter 138

    <h4>Chapter 138</h4>

    The mountain was rtively low, and it was a bit detached from the capital. Since there weren¡¯t any monsters or beasts in this area, some nearby residents came to this area to gather wood, scavenge, or hunt. However, since this mountain was still a significant distance away from the city, it was mostly deserted. Halfway up the hill, there was a shack where hikers sometimes rested.

    It was quitete in the day, and the moon and stars shone over the shack with scattered fragments of faint light. The sound of trees brushing against each other sounded like ghosts with some strong grudges and made the already shabby shack appear even more foreboding.

    Thud!

    A mysterious figure appeared in front of the shack. The person wore a dark robe, and he looked very suspicious. As if the trees were whispering to each other about the mysterious intruder, his surroundings became noisier.

    ¡®Is this the ce?¡¯

    The mysterious figure stared at the shack. It was Albus. He walked with firm resolution toward the shack, and his tightly clenched fist indicated his resolve.

    Creak!

    Albus opened the shack¡¯s door. He scowled at the foul smell that poured out and slowly walked inside. Since the shack was small, he didn¡¯t have to spend much time there and opened the only door inside the room. A small and dirty space appeared in front of him, but his eyesnded on one spot. On top of the dirty bed, the person he was looking for was sitting there.

    ¡°¡­Evelyn,¡± he muttered.

    Evelyn sat on the bed and opened her eyes widely as if she was scared. There was no way that she didn¡¯t recognize his voice. ¡°Albus? Albus, is that you?¡±

    Albus took off his headscarf, but unlike Albus, Evelyn couldn¡¯t see him clearly in the darkness.

    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s me.¡± Albus took a step forward. The obscure moon and starlight illuminated him.

    ¡°It really is you¡­!¡± Tears welled up in her eyes. She got up from her bed and jumped into his arms. Albus hugged her tightly like he didn¡¯t want to ever let her go.

    ¡°What happened, Evelyn? Why are you here?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Evelyn stuttered while tears dripped down from her eyes.

    ¡°When I woke up, I was on a mountain. My whole body ached, and my head felt like it would crack. And¡­and I¡­to you¡­!¡±

    ¡°You were in the mountains when you woke up?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°Is that really true?¡±

    ¡°Yes, yes¡­¡± Evelyn looked a bit scared from the threatening way Albus spoke to her, but Albus didn¡¯t pay any attention to her feelings. He raised his hand, extended one of his fingers, and ced it in front of Evelyn. The ring on his finger shone oddly.

    ¡°Um¡­Albus¡­?¡± Evelyn hesitantly called out his name.

    There was fear mixed into her voice, but Albus didn¡¯t even blink. His eyes that looked at her so dotingly just a couple of days ago were cold, and his lips, which had whispered sweet nothings to her ears, were shut tightly.

    ¡°Tch! As expected, the mind control wore off.¡±

    ¡°¡­What do you mean?¡±

    ¡°That''s what I said, Evelyn.¡± Albus released his grasp. Then, he clutched her shoulders tightly so that it hurt her and made her groan in pain.

    ¡°I nned for all of this to happen.¡±

    Evelyn¡¯s eyes opened wider, but Albus was cold¡ªhe only recalled the words that the robed figure told him.

    ¡°Tell her everything you did and make her feel despair.¡±

    And Albus thought, ¡®I don''t know what value she has that they are so obsessed with her, but I can survive with this.¡¯

    Of course, Albus didn¡¯t care how his actions pained Evelyn¡¯s heart at all.

    ¡°You¡­nned this?¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡± A smile formed on his lips, but it wasn¡¯t his usual lovely smile. It was the smile of a monster driven by greed.

    ¡°I¡¯ve been manipting you with mind control and other tools for quite a long time. It wasn¡¯t that hard since you were so deeply in love with me. Well, it was a bit tiring to find out what you liked and how to win your affection, but in the end, even that wasn¡¯t very difficult.¡±

    ¡°A-Albus¡­what are you saying¡­¡±

    ¡°Shut up and listen. The mind control I put on you is simple. If I give you a signal, you will attack the person in front of you, and if Ie in between¡­¡± Albus ced his face close to Evelyn. Evelyn¡¯s body shuddered in terror.

    Albus ced his jaw on her shoulder and whispered into her ear. ¡°¡­you¡¯ll pierce me.¡±

    ¡°Urgh!¡± Evelyn pushed Albus¡¯s chest away, and Albus backed away without resistance.

    ¡°Of course, I made it so that I wouldn¡¯t receive a serious injury. I also made it so that you would run away immediately. It was damn difficult to make your weak physique push beyond its limits, but you fulfilled your purpose well. Yeah.¡±

    Albus red at Evelyn. ¡°If only you just went to that darnke, everything would have been perfect.¡±

    ¡°D-Did you not love me?¡±

    ¡°Love? Hey Evelyn, wake up. We are aristocrats¡ªand high-level aristocrats at that. Aristocrats have to be ambitious and must always aspire to consolidate power. That¡¯s the decisive criterion that separates us from the lower ss¡ªat least, this is what I think.¡± Albus talked as if he was drunk on his own ideals. ¡°It¡¯s the same for the engagement between us. You weren¡¯t bad as a fianc¨¦e in terms of your family¡¯s status or rank. But if I have the chance to get a better fianc¨¦e, wouldn¡¯t I be stupid to miss it?¡±

    ¡°S-So you didn¡¯t even properly look at me!¡±

    ¡°Why would a daughter of a family who would soon be lower in status than me be of any importance? Your father, your brother, and my father were all people without even an ounce of ambition. Talking about how our marriage would bring peace between the two families? Don¡¯t make meugh! An aristocrat should step on their foes to get ahead! Your family and my father were losers who chose to downgrade with those lower than them on their own will! So, I sought to get everything and live the life of a noble, as it is meant to be lived!¡± Albus belted out thosest words with every fiber of his being.

    His words revealed his true arrogant nature, and Evelyn fell into despair. The person she loved didn¡¯t exist in this room; there was only a monster that she saw from time to time among the aristocratic society. One of those who sold their soul for power was in front of her.

    Thud!

    She took a step back and copsed on the bed. Albus thought she lost hope.

    ¡®Well, it¡¯s easier for me if she loses hope.¡¯

    This way, he could fulfill his mission, and it would be easier to deal with her. Albus took a few steps closer to her, but he was stopped by a voice.

    ¡°That¡¯s a very confident speech.¡±

    Albus hastily turned towards the voice behind him. Sweat began to run down his back. ¡°Who is it!¡±

    ¡°I listened to your thoughts perfectly well, but isn¡¯t this ce too shabby to shout your grandiose philosophy out loud? I might have mistaken you for a rat.¡±

    ¡°I said, who is it?!¡± Albus now had his sword out.

    ¡°I¡¯m the person who hampered your n. Would you understand if I told you I was the one who took Evelyn away in the middle of your ns?¡±

    ¡°What?¡± Albus briefly showed a dazed response at the unexpected turn of events, but itsted only for a brief amount of time.

    ¡°You bastaaaaard!¡± Albus'' eyes shed after finding out that the person in front of him was the culprit that brought him to this shabby shack. He swung his sword frantically.

    sh!

    However, the suspect in front of him easily blocked his sword.

    ¡°You dim-witted fool.¡±

    shhh!

    An enormous force pushed Albus back. One of the walls of the shack copsed and Albus rolled outside.

    ¡°Ugh!¡± Shattered wooden pieces fell on top of him.

    Thud! Thud!

    Zich walked out of the new hole in the wall. ¡°Considering your lofty ns, aren¡¯t you way too weak?¡±

    ¡°Ahhhhhh!¡± Albus ran towards Zich again and swung his sword.

    Likewise, Zich swung Windur. Their swords shed a few times, but it was easy to see who was stronger. Compared to Albus who swung his sword with apletely red face, Zich swung his sword with ease. He even looked bored.

    Kick!

    ¡°Ugh!¡±

    The edge of Zich¡¯s footnded on Albus¡¯ abdomen. Albus rolled on the ground backwards.

    ¡°Hey, get up. A great noble like you shouldn¡¯t fall down from just that.¡±

    Kick!

    Zich kicked him again, and Albus rolled on the ground like a bug. He also lost his grip on his sword. Then Zich ced his sword right in front of Albus¡¯ neck, and Albus flinched. Then, Zich stepped on Albus¡¯ chest in the same spot.

    ¡°Ugh!¡± Pain and humiliation filled Albus¡¯ whole body, but he couldn¡¯t move because a sharp sword was hanging right in front of him. Zich overpowered Albus with great ease, and he turned his head towards the shack.

    ¡°Is this enough proof, Evelyn? This guy is not interested in you. The only thing he is interested in is his own desires.¡±

    Evelyn slowly moved out of the shack. L had also appeared and was now supporting Evelyn. Albus looked between Zich, L, and Evelyn. There was a strange man and woman pair close to Evelyn. This sounded familiar.

    ¡°Are you perhaps the lowlymoners who frequently visited Ev¡ª!¡±

    Thud!

    Zich kicked Albus.

    ¡°Who are you calling ¡®lowlymoners?¡¯ Your mouth is dirtier than a rag.¡±

    It was not something for Zich to say, but no one contradicted his words.

    L asked Zich, ¡°What are you going to do with him?¡± Her tone was deathly cold.

    ¡°Yeah, what should I do? Should I kill him?¡±

    Albus froze at Zich¡¯s words. Death. A word that he thought he sessfully escaped from came back to haunt him again.

    ¡°W-wait¡­!¡± He raised his hand. ¡°I-if you kill me, you won¡¯t be safe either¡ª!¡±

    ¡°Ah, shut up!¡±

    Kick!

    ¡°Agh!¡±

    Zich stepped on his face. Albus frantically squirmed, but when he felt Windur¡¯s cold de on his neck, he stopped moving. There was none of his former self when he was preaching to Evelyn about a noble¡¯s standards and crap like that. Zich and L snorted.

    Evelyn said, ¡°I..I want to talk to him for a bit.¡±

    ¡°As much as you want.¡± With Evelyn¡¯s words, Zich withdrew his foot from Albus¡¯ face. He also moved his sword away and took a couple of steps back.

    ¡°Get up.¡±

    While being wary of Zich, Albus slowly got up. Evelyn walked towards him. From behind, L muttered a short spell.

    Swish!

    ¡°Ugh! This is¡­!¡±

    A magic rope of light appeared on L¡¯s hand and tied up Albus. It was so tough that even when he tried to use mana, the rope didn¡¯t budge at all.

    ¡°Don¡¯t waste your time and stop resisting.¡±

    Even his attempts to get out were blocked by Zich¡¯s threat. When he saw that Albus stopped moving, Zich moved back and walked to L¡¯s side.

    Evelyn slowly approached Albus. ¡°¡­Was power that important to you?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°Answer. Honestly.¡± Zich forced Albus to reply.

    ¡°¡­Yes.¡± Albus agreed to Evelyn¡¯s words. ¡°Was power that important to me? Just asking me that question proves how na?ve you are. Power is the only virtue that a noble should pursue. With power, any absurdity or injustice bes eptable.¡±

    Albus looked Evelyn straight in the eye. ¡°I won¡¯t say anything bad to you. Just leave me here and run away. Your future in this kingdom is over anyways.¡±

    ¡°Are you saying that I should just ept my situation?¡±

    ¡°Then what are you going to do about it? Are you going to drag me out and say you were unjustly framed? It¡¯s toote. The person you attacked is the son of this country¡¯s most powerful man.¡±

    ¡°I wasn¡¯t the one who attacked him.¡±

    ¡°And how are you going to prove that? The only people who will listen to you are the two people next to you. Moreover, your father or brother won¡¯t be able to save you even if theye here.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re the one who controlled me!¡±

    ¡°And I said it before¡ªhow are you going to prove that?¡± Albus was cold in his replies. ¡°Just admit it. Your future in this country is over.¡±

    Evelyn gritted her teeth for a moment. She clutched her fist and swung it hard. She used her legs, waist, and shoulders to spin and cleanly hit against Albus¡¯ chin.

    ¡°Aghh!¡± Albus couldn¡¯t move because he was tied up; and with a sharp scream, he fainted.

    Watching from behind, Zich pped his hands. ¡°Yes! Great job! All that practice really paid off!¡±

 Chapter 139

    <h4>Chapter 139</h4>

    Evelyn¡¯s punch was very clean and sharp. Although she wasn¡¯t skilled in martial arts, it was enough to make L exim in surprise, ¡°Did you teach her how to do that?¡±

    ¡°Of course. Even if Evelyn is angry, she¡¯s the type to settle things with just a p. However, that would be too disappointing, and I can¡¯t force her to kick him continuously. So, if she was going to hit him once, I wanted her to do it properly.¡±

    ¡°Well, I definitely feel more refreshed.¡± L burst intoughter as she looked at Albus crawling on the ground.

    ¡°Evelyn never learned any martial arts before though. How can she throw a punch like that? Even from a nce, it was quite a punch.¡±

    ¡°Albus¡¯ maniption caused Evelyn¡¯s physical ability to rise to another level. Plus, her innate ability is very high, and when I added my genius teaching skills on top of that, it¡¯s no wonder she can throw such a good punch.¡±

    In the end, Zich bragged about himself. L knew that the rest of the conversation would be fruitless and shifted her attention away from Zich. Evelyn scowled while clenching her fists. Even if Evelyn received some special training and was manipted, she was ady who had never fought before.

    ¡°Urgh!¡± Albus groaned. Evelyn looked down at Albus with mixed feelings, but she soon turned her back.

    ¡°What do you want to do? Should I kill him?¡± Zich asked.

    Evelyn shook her head. ¡°¡­I don¡¯t want to have anything to do with this person anymore.¡±

    Evelyn went inside the shack, and Zich moved toward Albus. ¡°You¡¯re incredibly lucky that your ex-fianc¨¦e¡¯s heart is so kind. What possible fault did you find in your fianc¨¦e that made you manipte and throw her away?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡± Albus didn¡¯t answer, but it wasn¡¯t because of his consciousness or guilt. He was simply afraid that Zich might kill him if he said the wrong words.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry and tell me. Why would I kill you for just bbering your mouth off after everything you¡¯ve done? If I wanted to kill you, I would¡¯ve done it ages ago.¡±

    ¡°¡­I already told you everything.¡±

    Albus spat out the blood collecting in the corner of his mouth and said in a low voice, ¡°I want more power than what I have right now.¡±

    ¡°You love power that much?¡±

    Albusughed, ¡°Those who look down on power are just fools or people who have never grasped power in their hands. In reality, none of you can even approach the King or Crown Prince to free yourself of your charges. Even if you manage to do so, who do you think they would believe: nobodies like you guys or me¡ªthe heir to a Marquess family? That is also an example of power.¡±

    ¡°Do you really think that¡¯s the case?¡± Zich smiled.

    Albus smiled along with him. ¡°Try it if you can, please.¡±

    Albus thought if Zich really tried to do as he said, he would be able to pay back all the humiliation he felt to Zich. But that was impossible. Of course, if Evelyn received some help from her father, it would be a bit troublesome for him, but the overall situation wouldn¡¯t change. There was no evidence that she had been manipted, and there was a high chance that the Marquess would abandon Evelyn.

    ¡®She won¡¯t even be able to go to her father.¡¯

    Evelyn would be captured by the robed figures and probably be offered as a sacrifice to their ns.

    ¡®Whatever happens, I¡¯ve kept the contract.¡¯

    He recalled how Evelyn¡¯s face had fallen into despair when she learned the truth and smirked.

    Punch!

    ¡°Kuh!¡±

    Zich kicked his face. ¡°Don¡¯t smile. It¡¯s annoying.¡±

    Then Zich turned his body again, and L red at Albus as she followed behind Zich. With his bloody face, Albus red at the spot where they left, but he soon startedughing like a madman. Although the situation had yed out quite differently from his expectations, this was what he wanted in the end. Albus wondered for a moment if they might kill him on the spot, but he recalled Evelyn¡¯s weak demeanor and erased the worry from his thoughts.

    ¡®That¡¯s why she won¡¯t amount to anything!¡¯

    Albus smiled for a while, thinking that he could go back to his rose-colored future.

    * * *

    They went down the mountain. After throwing a good punch at Albus, Evelyn felt slightly relieved, but the pain she felt was still immense. L covered Evelyn¡¯s shaking shoulders, and Zich slowly walked behind them. By the time they arrived at their lodging at the capital, the sun was making hesitant preparations to set from the mountain ridge. Considering L and Evelyn¡¯s physical abilities, it was surprising that they came down the mountain in a short amount of time, but L¡¯s teleportation abilities did most of the work. However, since mana consumption exponentially rose if another person was included in the teleportation spell, Zich had to run diligently.

    As soon as they arrived at their room, L sat on a chair and asked, ¡°What are you going to do now? You don¡¯t n to just let that guy go like this, right?¡±

    By ¡®that guy,¡¯ L obviously meant Albus Windpool. Sitting next to her, Evelyn¡¯s pupils shook; it seemed as if her emotions hadn¡¯t settled yet.

    Zich replied, ¡°Of course.¡±

    L asked, ¡°Then why did you make a request like that to Evelyn?¡±

    It wasn¡¯t actually Evelyn¡¯s will to not kill Albus; she had simply acted upon what Zich had asked her to do.

    ¡°Before that¡­¡± Zich turned his attention to Evelyn. ¡°Have you calmed your heart?¡±

    ¡°¡­Not yet.¡±

    ¡°Well, I understand.¡± Zich shrugged. ¡°You loved him very deeply, but that probably also means your sense of betrayal was just as big, if not bigger.¡±

    It was hard to understand her feelings after the man she loved so much betrayed her. In a way, the greater her love, the greater sense of betrayal she must have felt.

    ¡®So that¡¯s why this event became her first step towards bing Subus.¡¯

    ¡°Moreover, this is not just a betrayal between lovers. It¡¯s a conspiracy directed towards you and your close family and the entire Rouge family.¡±

    Anger began to rise up in Evelyn¡¯s soft eyes. Even if she was a young woman deeply in love, she also had a deep love for her family members and the Rouge family.

    Zich met her eyes. ¡°You were cool today. I felt refreshed when I saw you make thatst punch.¡±

    L also nodded and agreed with his words.

    ¡°How about it, Lady Rouge? Why don¡¯t you serve a nice punch against that traitor again? Of course, this punch would be iparably stronger than the one you just made. After we are done, you will bepletely vindicated from all the things he framed you for.¡±

    Evelyn did not ponder on it any longer. This was no longer a conflict between lovers, but a conflict between noble families. ¡°What do I have to do?¡±

    Zich brightly smiled.

    ¡°You don¡¯t have to do anything difficult. I will be there to help you out. All you have to do is help me out a bit, a very tiny bit.¡±

    When L exined this storyter on, she described Zich¡¯s smile at this moment as extremely chilling.

    * * *

    Albus returned to his mansion. His servants were curious as to why he suddenly went out, but nobody asked him any questions. There were no servants who had the guts to ask him about his strange behavior; but most of all, Albus¡¯ personality was known to be awful. Albus went back into his room and sat down on his chair. Then he stared at his window.

    ¡®Everything turned out well, right?¡¯

    Even though he suffered from Evelyn and those two mysterious strangers, Albus was happy that he fulfilled his mission. Now that he was back in his room, he suddenly felt anxious. What if their ns went awry again because of that strange variable? Or what would happen if they were not pleased by his performance?

    ¡®¡­Anyhow, I have to wait until theye to me again.¡¯

    From that time on, Albus¡¯ nervous waiting began. During the day, he carried on like usual but it was hard for him to focus¡ªhe anxiously awaited each night for the ¡®robed figure¡¯ toe back. Fortunately, Albus did not have to wait long.

    ¡°Albus Windpool.¡±

    The voice he had been waiting for finally appeared. Just as before, the ¡®robed figure¡¯ easily avoided the guards and came to his room. His voice was cold and indifferent like usual. Albus wondered what he had to say. Due to his nervousness, his lips became parched. However, the next words that the ¡®robed figure¡¯ said sounded like bells ringing in heaven.

    ¡°We were able to secure Evelyn Rouge.¡±

    ¡°Yes!!¡±

    Without realizing it, Albus jumped out of his chair and pumped his fist in the air. Then he stopped. He became worried that some of his servants mighte in after hearing his voice. Fortunately, he couldn¡¯t sense any presence outside his door, and the only witness to his excited shout was the robed figure who maintained his silence.

    ¡°C-cough!¡± He cleared his voice. ¡°Then is the contract between us over?¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡±

    ¡°What if Evelynes back to the capital?¡±

    ¡°She will not be able toe back.¡±

    This also meant that all the cumbersome details had been dealt with. Albus felt relieved. He sat back down on the chair again and felt all the pressure pressing down on him leave his body.

    ¡°That¡¯s good.¡±

    After the pressure left his body, Albus felt much more at ease.

    ¡°Then this will be myst time seeing you.¡±

    ¡°No.¡±

    ¡°¡­Is there another thing I have to do?¡±

    The robed figure threw something at him. Albus caught it in the air.

    It was a book with an expensive-looking cover. Albus opened it and saw nothing written inside the book¡ªits white pages were nk.

    ¡°What is this?¡±

    ¡°Write down how you controlled Evelyn Rouge, and what your thoughts were after Evelyn Rouge found out about our n. Just write down everything thates to mind.¡±

    Albus scrunched up his face.

    ¡°What do you mean?¡±

    ¡°The reason why the n went off course was because of the two variables next to Evelyn Rouge, but the biggest reason is that your maniption didn¡¯t properly work on her. We have to find out what went wrong.¡±

    ¡°Ah, I guess that¡¯s true.¡±

    Albus nodded his head at the robed figure¡¯s words, but he didn¡¯t n to ept his request.

    ¡°But I think this isn¡¯t included in our contract conditions.¡±

    Even though Albus said this with ease, he was actually very nervous about how the robed figure would react. If the robed figure threatened him again, he had to do something to fight him off. He couldn¡¯t be dragged by robed figures for the rest of his life. However, Albus¡¯ apprehension came to an end.

    ¡°Open thest pages of the book.¡±

    Albus flipped through the pages of the book. Unlike thepletely nk pages in the rest of the book, there were a few words on thest page.

    ¡ªPeople You Need to Kill

    With a surprised face, Albus stared at the robed figure.

    ¡°Five people.¡±

    He went on and said, ¡°Write their names and statuses, where they live, and exact descriptions of them. Whoever you write down, I will kill five people for you.¡±

    Albus closed the book. There was a satisfied smile on his face.

    ¡°Let¡¯s make a new contract.¡±

    * * *

    With the King¡¯s birthdaying up soon, big and small events continuously urred in Westillburd. However, even then, time passed by and the King¡¯s birthday finally arrived. The citizens of Cronon raised their ss and wished for the prosperity of the Kingdom, and the nobles rode on their carriages to attend the party hosted by the King.

    Another carriage was being prepared nearby.

    Neatly dressed, Zich asked the two people in front of him, ¡°Did you finish getting ready?¡±

    L and Evelyn nodded their heads. Zich hit the wall of the carriage.

    ¡°Start!¡±

    ¡°Yes, sir!¡±

    Hans sat in the coachman¡¯s seat, and he started the carriage. Their destination was no other than the pce where all the nobles were gathering.

 Chapter 140

    <h4>Chapter 140</h4>

    The carriage carrying Zich and hispanions moved slowly. It was a luxurious carriage, so it didn''t vibrate as much as normal ones. As they headed towards the pce, a tense atmosphere filled the vehicle since Evelyn was still charged for attempting to assassinate the Crown Prince. Anyone would have clicked their tongues at them, saying that they were out of their minds.

    Both Evelyn and L¡¯s faces were stiff, but the heavy mood inside the carriage seemed to onlye off from them. On the contrary, Zich looked calm and even at ease as he sat in front of them.

    ¡°Rx. You guys look like you¡¯re on your way to the execution block.¡±

    ¡°Other people would also think we¡¯re on our way to die.¡±

    Zich retorted, ¡°These ¡®other people¡¯ are wrong though. How can they think this joyous journey will be our path to death?¡±

    ¡°What exactly is joyous about this?¡±

    ¡°We get to see Albus Windpool be pale in fear and roll on the ground.¡±

    Evelyn smiled awkwardly in response, but L muttered, ¡°He really has a terrible personality.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s my unique charm.¡±

    L clicked her tongue and turned her head. With his warped logic, she knew she couldn¡¯t beat Zich with words. Thanks to his words, however, the tense atmosphere inside the carriage lightened up.

    ¡°Everything will work out since that¡¯s how I n it to be. So, let¡¯s talk on our way there and justpliment each other on how well we are dressed.¡±

    All three of them wore luxurious clothes. Zich wore a fancy suit while L and Evelyn wore beautiful party dresses. With their stunning appearances, they looked like nobles from respectable families.

    ¡°This is really ufortable.¡± Lined while fumbling with the edges of her dress, ¡°Do we really have to wear this? Isn¡¯t this unnecessary?¡±

    ¡°We have to dress up formally when attending a party,¡± Zich said even though they were not going to the party to enjoy it but to ruin it. ¡°Also, it matches you.¡±

    Of course, Evelyn looked beautiful dressed up, but L was the definition of a head-turning beauty. Her beauty, which Zich had admired when he first saw her, rose to another level with her attire.

    Evelyn said, ¡°You look really good, L. I¡¯m so d my clothes fit you.¡±

    ¡°I-Is that so?¡±

    Evelyn and L were wearing clothes that they had secretly taken from the Marquess¡¯ residence. After both Zich and Evelynplimented on her clothes, L seemed to be in a pretty good mood. Then, Evelyn turned her attention towards Zich.

    ¡°Mr. Zich, your outfit matches you too. I¡¯m d my brother¡¯s clothes fit you.¡±

    ¡°Mydy, thank you for thepliment.¡±

    ¡°Even the way you act is like a noble. Are you from an aristocratic background?¡±

    Although L had a slight noble air, her movements were slightly awkward. On the other hand, Zich was really like a noble after dressing up; this was because he practiced his manners recently while recalling his past.

    ¡°I do have some blood rtives who are nobles, but they aren¡¯t my family.¡±

    ¡°Ah, I see.¡± Evelyn didn¡¯t ask anymore. She concluded that Zich must have aplicated family background.

    ¡®I might see some of my blood rtives though¡­¡¯

    However, since they were strangers now, Zich didn¡¯t have to concern himself about them anymore. The carriage continued moving until it arrived at the pce. In front of the pce, there were two carriages that had arrived beforehand. They went inside the pce slowly, one by one, and the carriage which held Zich and hispanions soon arrived at the entrance.

    ¡°Excuse me, could you please show us your invitation letter?¡± one of the guards in front of the pce asked Hans who was stirring the horses. Snoc sat beside him¡ªhis eyes darted back and forth and he had a nervous demeanor. However, Hans remained calm.

    ¡°Here it is.¡± Hans handed over the invitation letter to the guard. The guard looked at the invitation letter under his torchlight and saw that the royal insignia was clearly stamped on it.

    As the guard nodded his head, the spear des blocking their path moved away. Hans stirred the carriage forward and passed through the insides of the pce.

    ¡°¡­We passed through.¡± L sighed a breath of relief. Although Evelyn didn¡¯t say anything, she also clutched her chest.

    ¡°Is this really okay? The assassination attempt of the Crown Prince happened just a couple of days ago. Aren¡¯t they letting us in too easily?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s why they checked our invitation cards, and they multiplied their security forces. I¡¯m sure they are going to check us one more time when we get out of the carriage.¡±

    Zich nced outside. There were too many soldiers around even if they were in the pce. ¡°Well, it¡¯s fine. We won¡¯t need to fight them.¡±

    ¡°I really hope that¡¯s the case.¡± Even L didn¡¯t want to fight head-on with the Kingdom¡¯s elite forces inside the pce.

    ¡°Um, but¡­¡± Evelyn hesitated on whether or not she should ask, but she finally said, ¡°Where did you get the invitation letter?¡±

    ¡°Ah, that?¡± Zich smiled cheerfully. ¡°I borrowed it from someone that I never want to see again.¡±

    * * *

    Around the same time, there was apletely different conversation taking ce inside another carriage heading to the pce.

    ¡°How can you not even take care of an invitation card especially in a time like this?¡±

    ¡°Ah! I seriously have no excuses. I swear I left it inside the table drawer.¡±

    ¡°My friend already seems to have symptoms of dementia. It seems the nickname of being the Kingdom¡¯s steel wall is old news now.¡±

    ¡°Cough¡­¡±

    * * *

    Zich and hispanions arrived in front of the pce, and the carriage stopped.

    L said, ¡°Put your hands out.¡± Zich and Evelyn stretched out their hands towards her.

    There was a ring with a small jewel on one of their fingers. L ced her hand on top of the rings.

    Ziing!

    Mana flowed out of her hand and seeped into the rings. L stared at Zich and Evelyn. Their faces had changed into different people.

    ¡°I put illusion magic into cheap pieces of jewelry, so they won¡¯tst long.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s all right. We just have tost until all the key yers arrive at the party anyways.¡± Zich smiled with his transformed appearance.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go. Albus Windpool is probably flying in heaven from being known as the Crown Prince¡¯s savior. So, we have to shove him back to the ground, upside down.¡±

    As Zich said, knights and soldiers were stationed all around the pce, and they were meticulously scanning everyone. However, L¡¯s magic was extremely effective, so no one recognized Evelyn. L¡¯s beauty also didn¡¯t garner any attention. Moreover, a couple of people who knew Zich didn¡¯t recognize him.

    ¡®This works really well.¡¯ Zich was very satisfied with the ring and began observing the people around him.

    ¡®As expected, the Crown Prince is here.¡¯

    In the center of the party, people were greeting the Crown Prince. Even though the Crown Prince usually came at the very end of a party with the King, this was a special asion. Since it was his father¡¯s birthday, the son had to firste out and greet the guests.

    ¡®He probably wants to show people that he is fine and healthy.¡¯

    Albus Windpool stood right next to him; he looked like the Crown Prince¡¯s most favored and trusted advisor.

    ¡®Since Albus saved his life, of course he¡¯ll be trusted.¡¯

    Not to mention, Albus had used Evelyn to earn the Crown Prince¡¯s trust. Since he became the right-hand man of the most powerful man after the King, Zich was sure that Albus was jumping up and down in joy.

    ¡®It makes me happy to think that he is happy right now.¡¯

    That would make his despair even greater if he fell to the bottom. Zich wondered if he should approach the Crown Prince now or approach him a littleter when Albus¡¯ mood got even better.

    At that moment, the pce door opened. Zich nced back at the door.

    ¡®Ah, it¡¯s time.¡¯

    Unfortunately, this was the end of Albus¡¯ happy time. Zich saw a maide inside the party hall with several nobles, knights, and soldiers. The maid looked familiar; she was the one who escorted Zich and hispanions. Zich sent a signal towards L and Evelyn.

    L and Evelyn, who had quietly waited nearby to not draw attention to themselves, moved next to Zich. All the attention focused on the people who just came in, and the Crown Prince walked towards them. One of the nobles whispered something to the Crown Prince. At the same time, the maid began to check the faces of everyone in the party hall. When her gazended on Zich, her eyes widened.

    ¡°It¡¯s that person! It¡¯s those people!¡± The maid pointed at Zich, L, and Evelyn. All the attention shifted towards them. L and Evelyn flinched from everyone¡¯s stares, but Zich was brazen and proudly looked on.

    ¡°Those people stole the invitation from Steelwall toe here!¡±

    The knights and soldiers behind her moved to capture Zich and hispanions, and they held up their swords and spears. Zich admired their precise and sharp movements.

    ¡°Let me through.¡±

    Someone pushed the knights away and entered the circle that the knights and soldiers had made to capture Zich and hispanions. The knights who were pushed showed no signs of difort or annoyance. Instead, they obediently moved away and let the man enter the circle. The man fully deserved toe inside.

    ¡®It¡¯s been a while.¡¯ Zich stared at the man in front of him. He looked exactly the same as he did when theyst parted: wire-like whiskers, fierce eyes, and stubborn lips.

    ¡°Are you the bastard who stole my invitation?¡± Count Steelwall spoke in the rough manner Zich was so familiar with.

    ¡°Yes, sir!¡±

    Count Steelwall¡¯s eyebrows twitched. How could a thief be so brazen? ¡°Do you realize that my invitation is not an item for a punk like you to use?¡±

    ¡°If you are talking about the rightful owner of the invitation, then I will admit you are right. Right now, I don¡¯t have the authority to attend this party.¡±

    ¡°¡­You don¡¯t have the authority right now?¡±

    It was a strange thing to say. The Count was curious about the identity of the fearless thief who dared to use his invitation card to infiltrate the pce, but the person in front of him was even stranger than he expected.

    ¡°Who the hell are you?¡±

    Zich smiled. Then he took off the ring on his finger, and the mana that covered his face disappeared. People were shocked when they saw Zich¡¯s face change, but the people who were the most shocked were obviously the Count and his family.

    ¡°Y-you¡­you¡­!¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s been a while, Count Steelwall.¡± Zich exaggeratedly bowed his head towards the Count who could no longer speak.

    ¡°And¡­¡± Zich turned around and stared at the person who also had a shocked face, almost as much as the Count. ¡°I guess for you, it hasn¡¯t¡­been a while, right? Albus Windpool.¡±

    Zich changed his smile. From a gentle smile exaggerated to the point of mockery, his smile turned sharp as if he was looking at an enemy. ¡°As you told me to, I came all the way here.¡±

    * * *

    The party became chaotic. When Zich¡¯s identity was revealed, some of the nobles looked scared, and some looked furious or even curious. But the person who was the main focus of this event paid no attention to all the other nobles. He had no leisure to do so.

    ¡°H-how did you¡­¡± Count Steelwall¡¯s cheeks trembled. He had reunited with his eldest son that had left the family inplete and utter shock. However, Zich had no ns to continue his conversation with the Count.

    ¡°Whether it¡¯s from joy or anger, let¡¯s call a raincheck on our reunion, Count Steelwall. I didn¡¯te here to see you.¡±

    ¡°What¡­¡±

    Zich ignored the Count who had his mouth wide open. Off to the side, Zich stared at the Crown Prince surrounded by his knights and soldiers.

    ¡°It¡¯s not the first¡­time we¡¯ve met, but since you probably don¡¯t remember, I want to send my first greeting to Your Highness.¡±

    ¡°Who are you?¡± the Crown Prince asked in a dignified voice. Even in an unexpected situation, he maintained hisposure. Seeing this, Zich thought the Crown Prince was fairly aplished.

    ¡°I have something to tell you, Your Highness, so please excuse my interruption.¡±

    Zich beckoned towards Evelyn. Evelyn moved forward towards the Crown Prince. The knights and soldiers became tense, but to show that she had no ill intentions, she stopped at a distance away from the soldiers. Like Zich, she took off her ring. People who recognized Evelyn¡¯s face were shocked, especially Albus. It looked as if his eyes were about to pop out of their sockets. Evelyn clutched her dress and made an extremely elegant and well-mannered bow.

    ¡°Evelyn Rouge from the Rouge family greets His Highness, the Crown Prince.¡±

 Chapter 141

    <h4>Chapter 141</h4>

    The aristocrats murmured amongst themselves. There were even some who stepped away while letting out a small scream. The guards and soldiers raised their guards and exuded faint bloodlust. The person who could be called the gravest criminal in the kingdom had appeared inside the pce¡¯s party room. Evelyn turned her head and endured all the shocked looks, murderous intent, and scorning faces.

    ¡°¡­This is surprising.¡± The Crown Prince said, ¡°Do you think you belong in a ce like this?¡±

    As expected of seeing the person who tried to kill him, the Crown Prince sounded angry. Evelyn suppressed her fears and recalled what Zich told her.

    ¡®You did nothing wrong. The only ones at fault are Albus WIndpool and the people who helped him. Everyone else misunderstood, so let¡¯s go correct that misunderstanding right now. Act confidently. There¡¯s no reason for you to be discouraged.¡±

    Evelyn nced at Zich, and he nodded towards her. Evelyn returned his nod and confidently puffed out her chest.

    ¡°I came here because there¡¯s no better ce to get rid of my false charges.¡±

    ¡°False charges?¡± The Crown Prince eximed as if he couldn¡¯t believe his ears, ¡°You tried to stab me with the knife you secretly brought, and your ex-fianc¨¨, Albus, threw his body out to save me. How can you say that you were falsely used¡ª?¡±

    ¡°Your Highness, there¡¯s no need for you to listen further.¡± Albus intervened and continued, ¡°This is a joyous day, and we¡¯re here to celebrate His Majesty¡¯s 50th birthday. There¡¯s no need for Your Highness to listen to their words at the risk of ruining this party. Let¡¯s capture them now, and we¡¯ll have plenty of time to interrogate themter.¡±

    Albus soon regained his level-headedness. He stole furtive nces at Evelyn and acted as if the sight of her pained him. From his acting, people began to sympathize with him.

    ¡®He¡¯s pretty good.¡¯ Zich gave high scores for Albus¡¯ acting skills. However, there was one pivotal factor that Albuscked: luck. The moment Zich became his enemy, Albus¡¯ fortune hadpletely changed his future.

    Zich said, ¡°No, Your Highness. Please excuse my rudeness, but I believe you should settle this matter right now.¡±

    ¡°Who are you?¡± the Crown Prince asked Zich as he stepped in front of Evelyn.

    ¡°Your Highness, my name is Zich. I am a friend of Lady Evelyn Rouge.¡±

    Albus intervened, ¡°Your Highness, he is one of Evelyn¡¯s aplices we found from our investigation several days ago. They are suspected as aplices for Your Highness¡¯ assassination since they appeared and met frequently with Evelyn right before the assassination attempt.¡±

    Whether or not it was by reflexes or careful nning, Albus managed to frame Zich into an aplice with just a few sentences. The Crown Prince¡¯s gaze towards Zich turned harsher. On the contrary, Albus¡¯ eyes looked at Zich triumphantly while the rest of his face remained serious.

    The Crown Prince asked Zich, ¡°Do you also n to im that Evelyn was falsely charged?¡±

    ¡°Certainly, Your Highness. I am the one who convinced her toe to this party.¡±

    ¡°Fine, let¡¯s hear what you have to say. Then, who is the real mastermind behind Lady Rouge¡¯s charge?¡±

    ¡°Your Highness, Lady Evelyn will tell us that part.¡± Zich stepped away from Evelyn.

    Evelyn gulped down her saliva. Rage, sadness, betrayal, and all kinds of emotions rose in her heart, but she didn¡¯t show any of them.

    Her eyes were locked onto one spot. She raised her fingers and pointed at one person. ¡°My ex-fianc¨¨, Albus Windpool, is the mastermind behind this incident.¡±

    Shock enveloped the entire ballroom. Nobody had expected her to point Albus out of all people as the offender. However, the shock didn¡¯t y favorably for her and Zich as most people thought Evelyn was making an oundish im.

    ¡°Evelyn, why would you¡­¡± Albus muttered like he was grief-stricken and stirred the audience even more.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think we have anything more to hear from you.¡± The Crown Prince shook his head.

    Zich asked, ¡°Huh? Your Highness, are you not able to believe her words?¡± Zich spoke with ease, unbefitting the situation he was in, and the Crown Prince frowned.

    ¡°Of course. Who is more believable¡ªthedy who tried to stab me and the person suspected to be her aplice, or the man who protected me at the risk of his own life? Furthermore, you are someone with no clear background.¡±

    Then, as if he suddenly remembered something, the Crown Prince stared at Count Steelwall. ¡°Now that I mention it, it seemed like you knew this person. Do you know who he is?¡±

    ¡°¡­Your Highness, he is my eldest son.¡±

    People were stunned. Even Evelyn looked at Zich in surprise. She knew that Zich had a noble background from the conversation they had inside the carriage, but she didn¡¯t expect him to be from Steelwall. Albus had looked at Zich with a triumphant expression, but now it looked as if his eyes would pop out. If Zich was the Steelwall family¡¯s eldest son, the weight of his words changed, and the people¡¯s gazes towards Zichpletely changed too.

    Fortunately for Albus, Count Steelwall distanced himself from Zich.

    ¡°Your Highness, he was disowned after he caused an incident. I told His Majesty about this before too. Please don¡¯t misunderstand since he has nothing to do with the Steelwall family anymore. He is no longer a noble.¡±

    ¡°Sir, I would like to make a correction.¡± With a smile, Zich mocked the Count, ¡°I wasn¡¯t disowned. I couldn¡¯t stand the pathetic state of the Steelwall family and decided to storm out of the house.¡±

    ¡°I see that you haven¡¯t changed your insolent way of talking.¡±

    ¡°Sir, it can¡¯t be helped. It was all I ever learned from your family.¡±

    The Count¡¯s nostrils red up with his heavy breaths¡ªhis anger was almost tangible. The nobles near the Count stepped away, and the only ones remaining were the Count¡¯s friends and family members who stared at Zich with their eyes wide open.

    ¡°¡­Sir Steelwall, then am I right to think that the man in front of us has nothing to do with you?¡±

    ¡°Most definitely, Sir Windpool.¡±

    Albus calmed his heart. ¡®I never imagined that he was the son of Count Steelwall.¡¯

    However, it didn¡¯t matter. Count Steelwall assured everyone that Zich was no longer part of his family. Rather, Albus made fun of Zich inside his mind.

    ¡®He¡¯s a person who was abandoned by his noble family. He¡¯s aplete loser.¡¯

    Was that why he ridiculed Albus¡¯ speech in the mountains? Because he wasn¡¯t able to gain power for himself?

    ¡®Does he think he is better than other people because he pays no attention to authority or power? What a fool.¡¯

    Then Albus thought that Zich would ironically die from the power that he ridiculed so much.

    ¡®I have to drag those guys to prison first.¡¯

    He didn¡¯t know how Evelyn was able toe here in one piece, but his victory was assured. The situation had just turned slightly cumbersome for him.

    ¡°Your Highness, Count Steelwall is also speaking against that man. Judging by that man¡¯s attitude and Count Steelwall¡¯s words, that man seems to cause a lot of problems, and I do not think we have to listen to his words any further. Let¡¯s put them all into prison first.¡±

    The Crown Prince nodded. When he raised his hand, the knights and soldiers slowly started to close in on Zich, Evelyn, and L.

    ¡°W-what should we do?¡± Evelyn was confused. Zich waved his hands to assure her everything was all right and turned towards the Crown Prince again.

    ¡°Your Highness, I¡¯m so disappointed that you don¡¯t believe in my words.¡±

    ¡°How and why am I supposed to believe you? Rather, I¡¯m amazed that you¡¯re still so confident.¡±

    ¡°Ahh, how wretched am I that not a soul believes in me when I have only spoken the truth! Is there really not a soul out here who will help me in my time of need?¡± Zich began to look at the ceiling and sighed as if he was performing a skit. He continued yfully, ¡°Yes. Maybe a saint-likedy who is beautiful and kind can help me.¡±

    Amongst the people looking at him like he was crazy, someone suddenly burst outughing. Everyone¡¯s attention shifted towards the person whoughed.

    ¡°Please stopughing. Everyone is looking at us strangely.¡±

    ¡°Hah! A-ah, I mean. I¡¯m trying to keep it in, but¡­! Ha! Haha!¡±

    There was a person who was covering his mouth and trying his best not tough, and a woman staring at theughing man with a perturbed face. This was definitely not the right time tough. However, there was not a single person in this ballroom who could criticize or scold him. In a way, these two people were considered even holier than the Crown Prince who currently held the highest authority in the ballroom.

    Seeing that herpanion would not stopughing, the woman let out a sigh and moved forward. Herpanion followed right behind her and continued to snicker. After politely asking everyone in front of her to move, she reached her destination. The knights and soldiers had stopped moving and were now cautiously watching how the situation would unfold.

    ¡°You are¡­¡± The Crown Prince was surprised that apletely unexpected person intervened in this bizarre situation.

    The woman bowed towards the Crown Prince and stood in front of Zich. Herpanion stood right behind her. As the woman and Zich faced each other, everyone¡¯s eyes were glued to them.

    ¡°You really appeared. The saint-like woman who is beautiful and kind.¡±

    ¡°Really, whenever I meet you, something crazy is always going on.¡±

    ¡°Aren¡¯t we living a very interesting life?¡±

    ¡°If it bes even more interesting, my blood is going to run dry.¡±

    Zichughed, and in contrast, the woman sighed.

    ¡°Ah, Mr. Zich, but there is something that you need to fix.¡± Still chuckling, the woman¡¯spanion interrupted their conversation. ¡°You are right about a dy who is beautiful and kind,¡¯ but she¡¯s not ¡®saint-like¡¯ anymore.¡±

    Zich immediately caught the meaning behind his words.

    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s what happened. She became the Saint for real. I send you my congrattions, Lady Lube.¡±

    The woman, Lube, nodded her head as thanks. ¡°Thank you, Mr. Zich.¡±

    ¡°Then are you now Saint Aine Primel Lube?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    Zich swallowed his saliva. Even though he thought his trauma had disappeared after he got closer to Lube, he felt a shiver run down his back when he said her middle name out loud.

    ¡®I should calm down. We¡¯re never going to fight against each other now.¡¯

    Watching the situation in front of him with glee, Weig brought them back to the present. ¡°Congrattions are nice, but shouldn¡¯t we deal with this situation first, Lady Lube? It¡¯s not like we came here for personal matters.¡±

    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s true.¡± Lube walked back towards the Crown Prince again. ¡°I apologize, Your Highness. I humbly suggest that you try listening to Mr. Zich¡¯s narrative. I will vouch for his identity and his words.¡±

    ¡°You will¡­?¡± A vouch from the Karuwiman Saint was not a light matter at all. Really, how many times was he going to be surprised? People began murmuring amongst each other again.

    The Crown Prince asked, ¡°May I ask if he really is such a trustworthy person?¡±

    ¡°Your Highness, I do trust him, but I¡¯m not just saying this because I trust him as a person. Even though our honor and reputation might fall if he lies, he did so much for Karuwiman, I believe he is more than worthy for me to vouch for anything he says at least once.¡±

    The Crown Prince¡¯s mouth was wide open. Lube¡¯s words were far more significant than simply just saying that she believed in him. However, Lube drew back as if her role was now over. Weig watched the scene in front of him with abated excitement.

    ¡°So I guess I¡¯m now in a situation where I can finally say what I wanted to say all along.¡±

    With glee, Zich spoke to Albus who now had a very grayplexion.

    ¡°Sir Windpool, why don¡¯t we calmly begin our conversation?¡±

 Chapter 142

    <h4>Chapter 142</h4>

    ¡°T-Talk¡­talk about what¡­?¡±

    ¡°Of course, about the crimes you¡¯vemitted.¡± Zich marched towards the knights and soldiers until he stood right in front of their spears. The knights and soldiers fumbled around without knowing what to do.

    ¡°Your Highness, could you get them to put these down first?¡± Zich asked the Crown Prince, and the Crown Prince nodded.

    ¡°Put them down.¡±

    The soldiers put their metal spears down, and the knights and soldiers backed away a couple of steps. However, they didn¡¯t let their guard down and were prepared to swing their weapons at any moment.

    ¡®How effective.¡¯ Zich stole a nce at Lube.

    Zich had expected her toe. As someone who was guaranteed to be the next Saint, Lube needed to meet high-ranking officials from many countries. Plus, there was no better ce to aplish that responsibility than at the Cronon King¡¯s 50th birthday celebration.

    Albus came up closer to Zich and asked, ¡°¡­Who are you?¡±

    ¡°Ah, now that you mention it, I forgot to properly introduce myself. This is who I am.¡± Zich took out a brooch and hung it on his chest. There was no one in the room who didn¡¯t know what that brooch symbolized.

    Someone murmured, ¡°¡­Karuwiman¡¯s Honorary Knight.¡±

    It was the title only given to those who aplished many great deeds for the Karuwiman. If a Karuwiman Honorary Knight gained faith in Karuna, they could immediately be epted as a Karuwiman high-ranking Holy Knight. In terms of honor, a person with this title could gain the same respect as a high-ranking noble in a kingdom, especially in ces where the Karuwimans held great influence.

    Count Steelwall had rejected his connection with Zich, but he muttered in a hushed tone, ¡°An Honorary Knight¡­¡±. His voice clearly expressed confusion and even embarrassment. The Count¡¯s wife and his son, Greig, were also speechless. They didn¡¯t think that Zich would reach the esteemed position of Karuwiman¡¯s Honorary Knight after leaving the family scornfully.

    ¡°How is it? Aren¡¯t I at a level to talk to you now?¡±

    Albus couldn¡¯t retort.

    In short, ¡®authority¡¯ was the power to control another person however they wanted. The foundation for it could be one¡¯s status, honor, charisma, wealth, eloquence, and so on, but depending on the source of the authority, there was a clear difference in power. The source of authority that Zich had just pulled out was one of the strongest ones: religion.

    When Zich hung his Honorary Holy Knight brooch, everyone looked to Weig and Lube. They didn¡¯t show any response.

    ¡®It¡¯s real.¡¯

    The silent responses of the Saint and the Karuwiman¡¯s strongest Holy Knight Weig clearly testified for Zich¡¯s status; it was the same as publicizing the authority that Zich held.

    ¡°Then, let me first exin what is going on.¡±

    People began to pay attention to Zich¡¯s words. So, Zich was about to officially exin the situation when¡ª

    ¡°Wait!¡±

    Someone stopped him. The ballroom door opened, and a group of people came in. A couple of knights exuded out a sharp, heavy air that overwhelmed their surroundings while guarding a man and a woman. The man and woman¡¯s fancy clothes and elegant movements indicated their high status; and most noticeably, the man held a royal scepter and wore a crown on top of his head.

    ¡°Father, Mother!¡± At the sight of them, the Crown Prince moved, and everyone bowed towards the King and Queen.

    ¡°Don¡¯t trouble yourselves.¡± The King gestured at everyone in the ballroom to stop their greeting.

    The Crown Prince asked, ¡°Why did youe so early, Father?¡±

    It wasn¡¯t time for the King and Queen to appear yet. Furthermore, the party was in a mess right now. The Crown Prince had nned to converse with Zich and Evelyn for a bit in consideration of the Saint and quickly wrap up the situation before the King arrived; thus, he was surprised that the King and Queen had arrived earlier than nned.

    ¡°Please wait for a few more minutes, Father. Since there is a small disturbance in the party, I will quickly resolve the matter and apany you.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s fine. There¡¯s no need for you to do that. I came early because I was curious about the events taking ce here.¡±

    The King marched towards the Crown Prince, and his guards followed him with great force. He passed through the crowd and went to the center of the event.

    Thud!

    The King struck the floor with his scepter. ¡°I haven¡¯t seen you in a while, Evelyn Rouge.¡±

    As a high-ranking nobledy, Evelyn had met the King before. However, while she stood behind Zich after pointing Albus as the mastermind, she was surprised that the King even addressed her. She soon gained herposure and greeted the king.

    ¡°It¡¯s been a while, Your Majesty.¡±

    ¡°I heard that you are iming to have been falsely used of attempting to kill the Crown Prince. Is that true?¡± The King¡¯s gaze didn¡¯t necessarily look amiable. It was the same for the Queen next to him. No parent could think well of a person suspected of trying to kill their son. However, Evelyn repressed her anxiety and nodded.

    ¡°Yes, Your Majesty.¡±

    ¡°Ha!¡±

    Was he impressed? Or was he sighing? Evelyn wasn¡¯t sure and clutched her dress tightly.

    Tap!

    Somebody ced their hand on her shoulder; it was L. Since she hadn¡¯t dispelled her cover yet, L still had an unfamiliar face, but she tapped on Evelyn¡¯s shoulders like she was trying to give her some strength. Evelyn loosened up a bit thanks to her encouragement.

    ¡°I will give you the detailed exnation, Your Majesty.¡± With Zich¡¯s intervention, Evelyn managed topletely calm her heart.

    ¡°Zich Steelwall. It¡¯s been so long. I remember seeing you when you were as tall as my waist.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m extremely honored to hear that Your Majesty remembers me, but I threw away thest name of Steelwall. I am just Zich now, Your Majesty.¡±

    The King stole a nce at Count Steelwall. The Count¡¯s expression was a sight to see; it wasn¡¯t every day that the rough Count would wear such a helpless expression. The King kept this thought to himself and tried to not show his amusement as he stared at Zich.

    ¡°All right, Zich. Should I address you as Karuwiman¡¯s Honorary Knight Zich then?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯d appreciate it if you would, Your Majesty.¡±

    ¡°Then why don¡¯t you start your exnation.¡± The King crossed his arms and continued to stare at Zich.

    ¡°Your Majesty, I want to first say that the instigator for this whole event is Albus Windpool who is standing in front of us.¡±

    ¡°What nonsense¡­!¡± Albus was about to shout, but he quickly closed his mouth.

    Zich was currently speaking by the King¡¯s orders. If he cut Zich off right now, it would be the same as ignoring the King¡¯s order. As expected, the people around him, especially the Crown Prince and his guards, didn¡¯t look pleased. Albus immediately put his head down for his impudent behavior. Fortunately, the King easily epted his apologies with a nod.

    ¡°I will continue my exnation. By using his position as Lady Rouge¡¯s fianc¨¦, Albus Windpool made her his puppet. Essentially, Albus Windpool ¡®controlled¡¯ her. His goal was to make Lady Rouge attack His Highness, the Crown Prince, and then jump in front of His Highness to ¡®save¡¯ him. He did this to obtain the Prince¡¯s favor and the power thates with it.¡±

    ¡°Hmm¡­.¡± The King put his hands on his chin and fell into thought.

    ¡°Albus Windpool. What do you think about his usations?¡±

    ¡°They are all nonsense. It¡¯s nothing more than a crudely written sham. Hasn¡¯t it already been revealed how Evelyn nned to kill His Highness and why she wanted to kill him? It¡¯s already been found in her very home!¡±

    ¡°He also nted those pieces of evidence.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s all lies.¡±

    The two sides fiercelypeted with one another. The King frowned.

    ¡°Zich, I fully understand your side of the story, but I¡¯m afraid you have no evidence for me to believe your words. Regardless of what you say, it doesn¡¯t change the fact that Albus Windpool saved our Crown Prince.¡±

    Seeing that the King seemed to side with him, Albus smiled. He did not forget to bow his head in gratitude to uphold the perfect image of a well-mannered, young noble. It was an extremely despicable sight.

    Zich replied to the King, ¡°As you know, Lady Rouge¡¯s attack did not kill Sir Windpool. Coincidentally, he was injured just to the extent where he could survive if he received treatment.¡±

    This was true. Even though Albus survived by drinking a potion, it took a while for the potion to arrive. If he had been stabbed in any critical areas, he would not have been able to survive.

    The King shook his head. ¡°You can¡¯t use that as evidence. We can¡¯t conclude that he is the suspect just because he didn¡¯t die on the spot.¡±

    Zich stared at Albus. As Zich failed to provide concrete evidence, Albus¡¯ expression grew more and more rxed. His expression now seemed to say, ¡®Yeah, try your hardest but you can¡¯t hurt me.¡¯

    Zich smirked. Albus¡¯ confidence was absurd. ¡®That guy probably doesn¡¯t understand what he did wrong.¡¯

    Then it was Zich¡¯s duty to teach him step by step¡ªwith a lot of kindness and patience. ¡°As I told you before, Your Majesty, Sir Windpool ¡®controlled¡¯ Lady Rouge.¡±

    ¡°Yes, you said that.¡±

    Zich stared at Albus. ¡°Hey, Sir Windpool. You probably learned that ¡®control¡¯ ability from some weird people wearing ck robes, right?¡±

    ¡°That never happened.¡± Albus calmly denied Zich¡¯s words, but on the contrary, his heart was rapidly beating.

    ¡®This bastard, he knows the situation too well!¡¯

    Albus felt a sense of crisis as Zich urately described his ns and even knew about his connection with the mysterious robed figures. Anxiety began to fill up Albus¡¯ heart. Since he now realized his opponent knew almost the whole truth, there was a need for him to be a bit more cautious.

    ¡°Of course, you will deny it. What made you trust those guys so much that you would follow their teachings and use them against Lady Rouge?¡± Zich clicked his tongue. ¡°That¡¯s why some evidence was left behind.¡±

    ¡°¡­Evidence?¡± A slight frown appeared on Albus¡¯ calm expression.

    ¡°Lady Lube.¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°I keep saying this, but Lady Rouge was ¡®controlled.¡¯ There are many terms such as brainwashing, lying, and other words I could have used to describe what happened to Lady Rouge, but I specifically used the word ¡®controlled.¡¯ Is this word not familiar? The word controlled can mean turning people into puppets.¡±

    Zich put his hand on his chin and exaggeratedly tilted his head towards Lube and then hit his palm with his fist as if he just realized something. ¡°It seems like I heard this word somewhere when we first met.¡±

    Lube was quietly watching what Zich was doing, and Weig was excitedly watching the situation in front of him, but they both stiffened. Lube stepped forward to move next to Evelyn and reached out with her hand.

    ¡°I apologize, Lady Rouge. Could I investigate your body for a bit?¡±

    ¡°Y-Yes? Yes, do what you need to do.¡± Evelyn ced her hand on top of Lube¡¯s hands.

    ¡°Thank you.¡± Lube used her holy powers to scan Evelyn¡¯s body. A frown appeared on her forehead. Lube¡¯s holy power detected a faint, dirty sensation in Evelyn¡¯s body. Lube immediately let go of Evelyn¡¯s hand and then walked towards Weig.

    ¡°How is it, Lady Lube?¡±

    ¡°Sir Zich is right.¡± Lube scrunched her face, and said with a voice full of disgust, ¡°It¡¯s Bellid¡¯s dirty energy.¡±

    This was enough to make everyone tremble in shock. The King, Queen, and Crown Prince were also all shocked, and Albus was so shocked that he even forgot to act calm.

    ¡°With this, I think it¡¯s enough evidence that Lady Rouge was controlled against her will.¡± Zich looked at Albus and mocked him. ¡°Did you not realize that the ability you used was from Bellid? Didn¡¯t your mom tell you when you were young to not hang out with weird strangers? That¡¯s why I said you were an idiot.¡±

 Chapter 143

    <h4>Chapter 143</h4>

    It was an insult that an aristocrat like Albus had never heard of in his life, but Albus couldn¡¯t easily retort because his mind was in a mess.

    ¡®Did that skill really belong to the Bellids?!¡±

    If Zich¡¯s words were really true, this wasn¡¯t just any normal case. Karuwiman was an extremely influential religious group, and they were people who raised their knives and trembled in rage at the mere mention of Bellid¡¯s name. Opposing them was, at the least, nothing less than suicidal. Of course, Albus had no intention to fight against the Karuwimans, but this didn¡¯t mean the Karuwimans also thought the same.

    ¡®If they judge that the Bellids are involved in this matter, they will try to get to the bottom of this case!¡¯

    Albus had to deny everything. ¡°They are framing me! Even if Evelyn got controlled, I am also a victim! Actually, aren¡¯t you guys more suspicious than me since the two of you appeared so suddenly and recently around Elena?¡±

    ¡°You make a very interesting im.¡±

    As Albus yelled with his bulging veins, someone responded to him. In contrast to his words, the person¡¯s voice didn¡¯t sound like he was intrigued by Albus¡¯ ims at all.

    ¡°Could I interpret your words to mean that the Honorary Knight, Zich, might be a Bellid follower?¡± Weig¡¯s sharp eyes red at Albus. Beside him, Lube also gave Albus a chilly re.

    Albus gulped his saliva down and realized that he misspoke. ¡°Sir, I-I apologize. I didn¡¯t mean that at all. In my panic, it was a slip of the tongue.¡±

    At Albus¡¯ quick apology, the two withdrew their menacing res, but they continued to look at Albus with dissatisfaction. Albus¡¯ head ached; even if he managed to escape this situation, it seemed as if his rtionship with the Karuwimans would be negatively affected. But Albus decided to worry about that matterter and focus on the present situation.

    The Crown Prince asked, ¡°Then, are you saying that the reason why Lady Rouge attacked me was because of someone else''s schemes?¡±

    Checking up on Evelyn while standing next to her, Lube answered, ¡°Your Highness, we will have to investigate a bit more, but there¡¯s a high chance that the Bellids might be involved in this case.¡± Then, Lube asked Evelyn, ¡°Did you say that you were Lady Rouge? Could I use a bit of your time after this is over? I will get rid of all the dirty Bellu¡¯s energy still lingering inside you.¡± Lube was extremely concerned about the energy still inside Evelyn.

    ¡°Ah, yes¡­¡± Evelyn answered while looking a bit tired from Lube¡¯s fixation.

    Zich asked the King, ¡°Then, Your Majesty, is Lady Rouge free of her charges now?¡±

    ¡°Yes. Since the Karuwiman Saint testified for her, it means that Evelyn Rouge was controlled.¡±

    ¡°Your Majesty, I suppose that also means that Lady Rouge¡¯s words are credible now.¡±

    ¡°That is also true.¡±

    ¡°Then, shouldn¡¯t we try listening to what thedy has to say? Your Majesty, Lady Rouge is the true victim of this incident.¡±

    ¡°Yes, Evelyn Rouge. Tell us what you have been through.¡±

    At the King¡¯s words, all attention shot towards Evelyn. Among the many gazes, Evelyn felt that some were more intense than the others. Zich gazed at her strongly as if he was trying to send her his support, and L looked at her trustingly like she was trying to give Evelyn a calmer peace of mind. Meanwhile, Albus¡¯ gaze carried a sense of crisis with his bloodshot eyes and dry lips.

    ¡°I will tell you everything I endured¡­¡± Evelyn told the Crown Prince everything that happened to her after she stabbed him. Maybe it was because she practiced, or because of the two friends who encouraged her, or even Albus who had be her enemy, but she was able to tell the whole story continuously without stopping. Finally, her words came to an end, and the ballroom became dead quiet.

    ¡°It¡¯s a lie!¡± Albus said urgently. ¡°I-I have never ever done anything like that. She is misunderstanding something or was tricked by somebody!¡±

    However, the crowd was no longer swayed by his words. Albus¡¯ desperate cries were useless against the great Karuwiman name that shielded Evelyn. Albus was thoroughly crushed by the ¡®authority¡¯ which he had been so passionate about. Still, no one could immediately dere Albus as the offender from Evelyn¡¯s one testimony. For the time being, only Evelyn¡¯s usations were cleared, and there was no clear evidence or witness against Albus. Yet, those things could be found, and Albus could be identified as the true mastermind behind this incident.

    ¡°Then, we should hold an investigation at the Windpool mansion too.¡± Zich said nonchntly like he was talking about a small matter, ¡°Who knows? There could be clear evidence there.¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s no way that¡­!¡± Albus was about to deny Zich¡¯s words, but he shut his mouth again.

    There was no evidence. He didn¡¯t even do anything that could leave evidence in the first ce, and even then, he had thoroughly erased any possible traces¡­if he excluded Evelyn¡¯s journal, which he was still in the process of making.

    ¡®I even wrote down the people I hoped they would kill...! If the guards happen to find that¡­¡¯

    Albus¡¯ back became soaked with sweat.

    ¡®Maybe I could also im to be manipted like Evelyn¡­! No, as long as the Saint is still here, I will be found out right away!¡¯

    ¡°What is it?¡± Albus gained his senses again and realized that Zich was right in front of him.

    The way Zich¡¯s eyes looked at him was like a cat ying with a cornered mouse. ¡°Is there something you are concerned about in your mansion? For example, something that could indict you as the criminal?¡±

    ¡°D-Don¡¯t make meugh! There¡¯s nothing like that!¡±

    ¡°Then I guess there won¡¯t be any problems even if we search your mansion?¡±

    ¡°¡­O-Of course.¡± However, Albus'' eyes swam in circles without finding a ce to pinpoint. If the situation progressed like this, he would definitely die. He needed to find a solution as soon as possible. It was at that moment.

    ¡°Albus Windpool.¡±

    He heard a low and rough voice from a distance. It wasn¡¯t that loud, but Albus heard it clearly, and he stared in the direction of the voice.

    ¡®That is¡­!¡¯

    The door of the ballroom was wide open. From beyond the door, he saw people with ck robes.

    ¡°Who are you!¡±

    In an instant, all the attention shifted towards the robed figures. Naturally, the attention towards Albus decreased.

    ¡®It¡¯s them!¡¯

    His coborator¡ªthe robed figures¡ªhade for him. Since he was being driven to a corner, Albus was extremely d to see them. However, a question also popped up in his mind.

    ¡®Why did theye here?¡¯

    One of the robed figures raised his hand and made a sign. That hand was definitely pointing towards Albus. The figure simply said, ¡°Escape.¡±

    Then the robed figure pulled out his sword.

    ¡®Did hee to save me!¡¯

    Albus hesitated for a moment, but there was not much time to think for long. He had to make his decision as fast as possible.

    ¡®If I stay here, there¡¯s a high possibility that I might die! And if I end up in jail, it will be hard for me to escape!¡¯

    While everyone¡¯s gazes were fixated on the robed figures, Albus used that chance to make his escape.

    Bam!

    He used as much mana as he could to surround his body and increase his physical strength. He rushed towards the side of the wall with no people, and in an instant, he passed Zich and hispanions. Fortunately for him, he seemed to have caught everyone off-guard, because no one stopped him.

    Tap!

    Albus stopped at the corner of the ballroom. There was relief on his face. People were surprised by the sudden change in the situation again. The knights and soldiers quickly held up their guard against Albus.

    However, even in this situation, Zich calmly murmured, ¡°I guess we don¡¯t have to even look for evidence. He¡¯s clearly showing us that he is the mastermind behind this conspiracy.¡±

    As Zich said, it was suspicious as hell that Albus would run away as soon as mysterious, robed figures entered the ballroom. For that reason, Albus no longer made excuses for himself and red at Zich.

    There was no need for him to continue acting, so he revealed his true nature. ¡°Zich Steelwall¡ªno, you are just Zich.¡±

    ¡°Yep.¡± Zich also spoke informally to him, and Albus gritted his teeth.

    ¡°If only you hadn¡¯t existed, everything would have turned out well.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll admit that. If I wasn¡¯t here, your n would have seeded.¡±

    However, Zich sessfully stopped Albus¡¯ n, so he puffed up his chest and smirked. Albus immediately wanted to run and beat Zich to death, but he had no leisure to do that. He had to escape as soon as possible. Albus turned his head and shouted at the robed figures.

    ¡°Let¡¯s quickly escape this ce! What¡¯s your escape n!¡±

    ¡°Capture those people righ¡ª¡±

    ¡°Ah, it¡¯s all right.¡± Zich cut off the words of a knight who looked to be themander.

    Themander asked, ¡°What? What are you saying when there¡¯s an intruder in the pce?¡±

    ¡°Because¡­it¡¯s hard to even say they are intruders.¡± Zich shouted towards the robed figures, ¡°It¡¯s done! Take off your robes before the situation bes even moreplicated!¡±

    The robed figures looked at each other and then took off their robes.

    ¡°H-Hans?¡± The Countess, who was standing next to Count Steelwall, opened her eyes wide.

    The Count and Greig were also very surprised. Hans gave a slight nod towards the Count and the Countess, but since the situation was urgent, he did not show more manners. Hans started taking off the robe of the person next to him ¡ª Snoc.

    The crowd sensed that something was off when Hans and Snoc took off their robes, but when the other ¡®robed figures¡¯ were revealed, they cried out in shock because they were not people but scarecrows covered with thick, ck robes. Of course, people like Weig who had very advanced sensing ability already knew they were not real people. Hans and Snoc meekly gathered the scarecrows to one side and bowed at their waists.

    The King asked, ¡°¡­Who are they?¡±

    ¡°Your Majesty, they are my servants.¡±

    ¡°Then this must also be one of your ns.¡±

    ¡°Your Majesty, I thought this was the best way to reveal Albus Windpool¡¯s true nature.¡±

    Zich stared at Albus. Albus looked as if he couldn¡¯t believe this situation was real, and he wasn¡¯t able to move his eyes away from Hans, Snoc, and the scarecrows.

    Zich slowly walked towards them. ¡°What kind of excuses are you going to make now? Are you going to say that you were ¡®controlled¡¯ just like Lady Rouge? Or was there a misunderstanding likest time?¡±

    ¡°Ugh¡­.¡± Albus¡¯ eyes became red. He bit his lips so hard that blood dripped down his chin. He looked like a demon, and people felt a shiver run down their backs.

    Zich was not fazed; instead, heughed at Albus¡¯ appearance. ¡°Did you think you were safe when your aplices arrived? Did you think they were a ray of light in a time of darkness? How sad. They were not on your side in the first ce.¡±

    The rose-colored world that Albus dreamed of waspletely out of reach, and now his life was in danger. Therades he thought were his saviors were actually his enemy¡¯s servants; Zich hadpletely tricked him.

    While watching Albus tremble from head to toe, Zich replied in a light-hearted, giddy tone, ¡°How about it? How was your sweet moment of hope?¡±

    ¡°Ah-ahhhhhhhhhh!¡±

    Consumed by anger, Albus'' eyes rolled back and he ran towards Zich. Without a weapon, he idiotically swung his fists around. Zich snorted at Albus¡¯ ridiculous attack. However, as soon as Albus was within Zich¡¯s reach, Zich swung his fist at him.

    Crunch!

    Zich¡¯s swing sharply and cleanly hit Albus¡¯ chin. Without even being able to scream, Albus crumpled down on the floor. Then Zich straightened his clothes and dered,¡°I¡¯m the one who taught Lady Rouge how to throw that punch, you fucking idiot.¡±

 Chapter 144

    <h4>Chapter 144</h4>

    ¡°Ah, urgh¡­!¡± Albus groaned.

    As he pathetically rolled on the ground, he looked far from the ¡®authority¡¯ which he had talked so passionately about. However, nobody pitied him.

    Lube and Weig shared a conversation calmly.

    ¡°It seems like we have our answer.¡±

    ¡°Yes, certainly.¡±

    The Crown Prince quickly ordered Albus¡¯ arrest. His face had a hint of bitterness since he firmly believed that Albus had jumped out to save him.

    The King said, ¡°It seems liked your heart is troubled.¡±

    ¡°¡­Father.¡±

    ¡°This is what power does to people. Once you be king, things will only get worse.¡± As someone who had sat on the throne for decades and seen all kinds of people, the King said with both severity and bitterness, ¡°These are things you will have to ovee.¡±

    Albus was dragged off. With Zich¡¯s strong punch, his jaw dangled from his face as his bones had been shattered into pieces.

    ¡°Don¡¯t be disappointed since you will surely make real rtionships as well. From time to time, interesting guys like him will pop out.¡± The King¡¯s eyes rested on Zich, and the Crown Prince also stared at him.

    ¡°Is everything over?¡±

    ¡°Yes, everything is over, Your Highness,¡± Zich answered, and the Crown Prince stepped forward.

    ¡°Okay Zich Steelwall¡ªno, you said you were just Zich. Now that I think about it, I remember seeing you a couple of times when you were young.¡± The Crown Prince faintly recalled Zich following behind Count Steelwall when Zich was young.

    ¡°Your personality seems to have changed greatly. Weren¡¯t you on the calmer side before?¡±

    ¡°Many things happened,¡± Zich replied with a grin.

    ¡°That¡¯s fine. People change. I¡¯m sure solving this case takes precedence over wondering how you changed so much.¡±

    ¡°It is just as you say, Your Highness.¡±

    At that moment, Albus shrieked as he was getting dragged away. ¡°You z-zamn baztwaaard!¡±

    At Albus¡¯ vengeful words drenched with anger and rage, Zich turned back to Albus with a brighterplexion.

    Albus continued to shout, ¡°You awted like zem and maze a twap! You baztward¡­!¡±

    ¡°Shut it!¡±

    Punch!

    Although Albus tried to desperately move his crushed jaw to let out curses, the knight dragging Albus struck him with a sword. For his own sake, Albus should¡¯ve peacefully let himself get dragged off.

    ¡°Since you believed and followed those robed figures so much, I canpletely understand why you¡¯re so furious that I acted like those robed guys. Sadly, you missed your timing to get angry by a lot.¡±

    Hans approached Zich and handed him a robe; then, Zich put that robe over himself. When he covered his face fully, Zich looked just like the robed figures Albus had coborated with.

    ¡°Albus Windpool.¡± Zich pressed down his throat and let out a deep and rough voice. Albus¡¯ eyes widened at the familiar voice.

    ¡°You didn¡¯t keep your side of the contract. Take responsibility, Albus Windpool.¡±

    ¡°!!!¡±

    ¡°I havee up with a new n. You must not fail me this time, Albus Windpool.¡±

    ¡°!!!!¡±

    ¡°Write the records of how you controlled Evelyn Rouge. As a reward, I will kill five people at your request, Albus Windpool.¡±

    ¡°!!!!!!¡±

    As Albus looked at him with wide eyes and a face full of despair, Zich took off his robe and said cheerfully, ¡°I actually killed all those robed figures you worked with at theke outside the capital. The aplice you met after Lady Rouge¡¯s escape was all me in disguise.¡±

    To corner Albus into his final trap, Zich told Evelyn to not tell Albus that all the robed figures who appeared in theke were dead. Thus, this was Albus¡¯ first time hearing that all of his aplices were dead.

    ¡°Ugh, uhahhhhhhh! Ahh! Ahhhhhh!¡± Albus let out something between a human and a beast¡¯s shriek.

    He looked like he wanted to immediately dash towards Zich, but a knight locked both of his arms and secured him strongly. However, he didn¡¯t get struck by a sword this time. The knights and soldiers stood petrified as they stared at Zich who was gleefully pointing his fingers andughing at Albus.

    The Crown Prince said carefully, ¡°¡­Saint.¡±

    ¡°¡­You don¡¯t have to tell me, Your Highness. You probably want to ask me the standard for choosing Karuwiman¡¯s Honorary Holy Knight, right?¡±

    ¡°I assure you that I am not saying this in the hope of diminishing Karuwiman¡¯s prestige or honor.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s fine, Your Highness. Anyone would have wondered the same thing if they saw this sight in front of them.¡± Lube grabbed her head and began to exin, ¡°Yes, it¡¯s certainly true that Mr. Zich is a sadist with a nasty temper and a terrible personality.¡±

    ¡°¡­I didn¡¯t go to that extent.¡±

    ¡®Was everyone in Karuwiman like this these days?¡¯ The Crown Prince thought about the Saint¡¯s rough way of speaking and saw Weigugh loudly next to her.

    Lube continued, ¡°Nheless, he won¡¯t direct his true nature to good and innocent people. He will only direct his sadistic side to evildoers. Besides, he wants to and actually does kind acts. Like I mentioned before, he has done Karuwiman a great favor, and he is also my personal life savior.¡± Even as she defended him, Lube added quietly, ¡°I wish he would slightly restrain his tendency to torment others though.¡±

    The Crown Prince thought he now had a clearer picture of Zich¡¯s character.

    ¡°Observe carefully,¡± the King told the Crown Prince, ¡°From time to time, guys like him will appear in this world. Once you establish a rtionship with people like him, you have to do one of these two things: never get on their bad side or kill them at all costs.¡±

    ¡°¡­Kill?¡±

    ¡°Didn¡¯t you see the way he crushed Albus Windpool? He is the kind of guy who will squeeze the blood out of his opponents dry.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s quite harsh, Your Majesty,¡± Zich turned to the King with a smile still on his face.

    ¡°All I wanted to do was catch Albus Windpool. My feelings were pure and genuine.¡±

    ¡°While you did that, youmitted many crimes. For example, stealing Count Steelwall¡¯s invitation, adopting a false identity, and entering the pce without permission.¡±

    ¡°Your Majesty, that was all done to help the Crown Prince and get rid of Albus Windpool, who conspired to destroy the Marquess of Rouge and ruin the Kingdom. Your Majesty, I beseech you topare my merits and crimes properly.¡±

    ¡°What a daring guy.¡± Judging by the King¡¯s smile, it didn¡¯t seem like he would make Zich pay for his crimes.

    L moved towards Zich.

    ¡°What¡¯s up?¡±

    ¡°I sense something strange.¡± L had sensed something strange in the atmosphere. Maybe it was just a simple feeling, but Zich didn¡¯t overlook her instincts.

    ¡®I can¡¯t sense anything strange.¡¯

    Zich¡¯s senses were much keener than L¡¯s, but this time, only L was able to sense something strange. There was something she was better at than Zich¡ªno, anyone in this whole room.

    ¡®Magic.¡¯

    ¡°Lady Lube.¡±

    As Zich turned towards her, Lube asked, ¡°Yes, what is the matter?¡±

    ¡°Would you be able to spread your holy powers to remove all the magical devices in this ce? It just has to be for a moment.¡±

    ¡°¡­I don¡¯t understand why, but okay.¡±

    Lube raised her hands. Light came out from her hand, and soon, it spread to the entire ballroom. Zich admired the powerful and pure holy power that Lube let out. During that short time since hest saw her, she had grown even more powerful. People stared at Lube with amazement and shock, but Zich ignored their reactions and scanned his surroundings.

    Lube¡¯s power was very effective, as the illusion magic on L was also erased. People were surprised that L¡¯s face changed, and then they were surprised by her beauty. However, Zich had seen L¡¯s face so much that he was no longer distracted by her beauty.

    ¡°W-who are you guys!¡±

    A troubled voice was heard from a distance. It came from the area where the knights and soldiers were trying to drag away Albus. Zich turned his head.

    ¡®They are different guys!¡¯

    At least half of the knights and soldiers who were dragging Albus away didn¡¯t have their original appearances anymore. None of them were wearing helmets, so it was easy to check their faces.

    ¡®Illusion magic!¡¯

    There was no doubt that the intruders used the same magic as L did. To their surprise, the intruders also stopped moving; they probably didn¡¯t think their identities would be revealed. Unfortunately for the real soldiers and knights, the intruders were faster at reacting than them.

    sh! sh!

    The intruders stole the weapons of the knights and soldiers and wielded their weapons against them.

    Pierce!

    sh!

    ¡°Agh!¡±

    ¡°Ugh!¡±

    The intruders urately targeted the knights and soldiers¡¯ critical areas. Even though the knights and soldiers were highly skilled as elite guards of the pce, they were ambushed by even more skilled intruders. After killing the knights and soldiers, the intruders tried to take Albus and escape.

    Crash!

    ¡°Ugh!¡±

    Something came flying towards them. If they had reacted even a momentter, their heads would have been pierced by an unknown item.

    Tap!

    The intruder saw what fell on the thick carpet.

    ¡®A culinary knife?¡¯

    The intruders looked up. Before they realized it, Zich was swinging a culinary knife at them. It was just a culinary knife, but they couldn¡¯t underestimate the power infused into it. The intruders quickly abandoned Albus and drew back.

    Crassssh!

    The mana inside the culinary knife destroyed the floor.

    ¡°Agggh!¡±

    The shock of the destruction spread to its surroundings and Albus rolled around on the floor. Zich kicked Albus on the back.

    ¡°Uggh!¡±

    Albus¡¯ body flew towards the knights who were guarding the King and his family. Zich thought the knights would do a good job capturing Albus. He also felt something inside Albus break when he kicked him, but that was of no concern to Zich.

    ¡°Hans!¡±

    ¡°Yes, sir!¡±

    Hans threw something towards Zich. It was a short sword. It looked like a shabby sword, especially considering the present situation. However, as soon as itnded in Zich¡¯s hands, its shape began to change. The de lengthened, and as if it was blooming like a flower, it separated into many des. Windur changed to its original form in a split second. Zich stared at the intruders and grinned.

    ¡°You came all the way to the party, but why are you trying to leave so secretly? Are there no friends for you to talk to? Judging by your actions, it seems like that¡¯s definitely the case. Don¡¯t be embarrassed though, I also don¡¯t have a dance partner.¡±

    Step!

    Zich swung Windur at the intruders.

    ¡°Since we both don¡¯t have dance partners, let¡¯s dance together.¡±

    Crash!

    In Zich¡¯s hand, there was an enormous sword that waspletely different from before. However, the surprising thing was that the area of destruction was much smaller than before. This was the result of Zich concentrating his power.

    ¡°Tch!¡±

    The intruders immediately ran towards the exit.

    Crash!

    However, a stone wall suddenly sprouted from the ground and blocked their path. In that short amount of time, the intruders tried to break apart the stone wall in front of them, but Zich made his attack.

    Crasssssh!

    A powerful force came from the side and surrounded the intruders. There was an enormous hole in the wall.

    ¡®They blocked me?¡¯

    Zich tightly gripped his slightly sore hands. They were way stronger than he expected. The intruders who sessfully blocked Zich¡¯s attacks ran towards the hole in the wall. There was a garden with carefully managed stone pavements, grass, and greenery with a clean fountain spouting out water outside.

    ¡°Snoc!¡±

    ¡°Yes, sir!¡±

    With Zich¡¯smand, Snoc reached out his hand towards the garden.

    Crash!

    A stone wall in the shape of a big circle spouted from the ground. The stone wallspletely surrounded the intruders and made them look like caged animals.

    ¡°Break it!¡±

    The intruders made their attacks against the stone wall. Pieces of the stone wall broke off, and it looked as if it was going to break apart soon; but the intruders had no choice but to stop breaking the wall. From behind, Zich, Hans, and Snoc jumped towards them.

    ¡°Did you hate the party that much?¡± Zich talked to the intruders looking back at him. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry you felt that way about the party. I really thought you were just leaving because you had no friends. Now that I see you in the open, I didn¡¯t realize there were so many of you.¡±

    The number of intruders had now increased. They probably were hiding in different ces around the pce but were revealed by Lube¡¯s holy magic.

    ¡°You know, it¡¯s the King¡¯s birthday. If you leave like this, he will think you are being really rude. So I prepared a little show that even you guys can do¡ªa sword fight.¡±

    Zich raised Windur from his sides; Hans also raised Estede, and Snoc tightly held onto Nowem.

    ¡°Don¡¯t run away this time, okay?¡±

    With these words, Zich ran towards the intruders.

 Chapter 145

    <h4>Chapter 145</h4>

    Windur danced around the intruders. The smooth way Zich¡¯s weird-looking sword moved around gave onlookers an odd feeling. However, Zich¡¯s opponents didn¡¯t have the luxury to think about such matters.

    ng! ng!

    Even if it was weird-looking, Windur¡¯s tips were pointy while the mana inside it was strong. Moreover, its swinging noise was almost sharp enough to slice a body in two. However, the intruders were also resisting very well.

    ¡®They are of pretty high levels.¡¯

    They weren¡¯t even that many of them: six in total. But each of them was strong enough to be the leader of a group of robed figures. One of them was especially strongparable to the leader who used a string sword in the tourist city, Violuwin. No, actually, the figure in front of him seemed to be on a higher level, and unlikest time, Zich couldn¡¯t use all of his mana.

    ang!

    ¡°Tch!¡± Zich grabbed his numb hand and took a couple of steps back.

    ¡®He is definitely above me in terms of skills.¡¯

    Their difference in levels became more apparent after they shed swords a few more times. On top of that, Zich was handling the ¡®especially strong one¡¯ with two other intruders while Hans and Snoc were blocking three opponents by themselves.

    ¡®If this was a normal situation, I would be risking my life and preparing to die in pieces.¡¯

    However, there was no need for Zich to go to that extent since the intruders weren¡¯t aiming for his life and were just trying to escape. Furthermore, Zich and hispanions weren¡¯t the only ones fighting the intruders. Other soldiers were fighting with them, and reinforcements were looking at them from the giant hole that had formed in the wall of the ballroom. Thus, their enemies had their hands full. In all aspects, this was definitely a more advantageous situation for Zich and hispanions. Moreover, Zich wasn¡¯t the type to let a situation like this go to waste.

    ¡®Ah, really.¡¯ Zich smiled widely. ¡®I can¡¯t even lose even if I want to right now.¡¯

    Zich jumped towards the intruders again.

    * * *

    ¡°Amazing.¡± Weig was impressed as he watched the battle between Zich and the intruders from the ballroom. ¡°They have be stronger again in the short time we didn¡¯t see him.¡±

    Lube asked, ¡°Sir Weig, are you talking about Mr. Zich?¡±

    ¡°Mr. Zich also became stronger, but Mr. Hans and Mr. Snoc have be much stronger too. I don¡¯t know the identities of these intruders, but the strongest one among them is at a level to contest for the top spots in powerful countries. Furthermore, the other intruders are strong enough to be the top soldiers at arge estate. So, it¡¯s unbelievable that Mr. Zich and hispanions are able to fight people like that so well¡­¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s also my first time seeing the weapons that Mr. Zich and Mr. Hans have. It seems as if those weapons are ying a critical factor as well.¡±

    ¡°Certainly. I¡¯m sure they are incredibly special weapons¡ªespecially the sword that Mr. Hans is wielding.¡±

    Hans¡¯ sword was particrly noticeable as it shone bright light around the garden.

    ¡°Doesn¡¯t it look like a holy sword?¡±

    ¡°Yes, it seems so.¡±

    The crowd murmured amongst themselves. The existence and appearance of a holy sword were extremely special.

    ¡°Mr. Zich¡¯s sword also looks considerably good. Of course, Mr. Zich¡¯s skills are outstanding as well. Swords like the ones that Mr. Zich and Mr. Hans have can easily dominate their masters, but it seems like their swords have met their rightful match.¡±

    ¡°How could those two have gotten so much stronger in such a short amount of time?¡±

    ¡°Since Mr. Zich seems to be training Mr. Hans and Mr. Snoc, it seems as if Mr. Zich¡¯s training methods are extremely effective. They all clearly have natural talent too.¡±

    ¡°Didn¡¯t they say that Mr. Zich didn¡¯t show much potential when he was with his family?¡± Lube stole furtive nces at the Steelwall family who were standing far away from them. They were all watching the ongoing battle with stiff expressions.

    ¡°He probably had a problem with his mana. No matter how outstanding a person¡¯s skills are, there¡¯s a limit to their strength without mana. I heard that Mr. Zich wasn¡¯t able to use his mana at all when he was at Steelwall. Normally, people continuously train and awaken their mana at a young age, and if that¡¯s not the case, there are two possible reasons: first, they possess too little mana to manifest it, or second, they possess such an immense amount of mana that it takes an incredibly long time and effort to awaken it.¡± Weig scratched his chin and said, ¡°Most people are the former.¡±

    ¡°Mr. Zich is thetter?¡±

    ¡°The amount of mana that Mr. Zich has is probably unimaginable. He is continuously training to be able to use more of his mana, but that¡¯s not his only strength. Mr. Zich¡¯s skills were already polished by the time we met him. It was very shocking, especially considering his age.¡±

    ¡°In short, you are saying that the amount of mana he has is abnormally high, and his sword fighting skills are at a genius level, right?¡±

    ¡°On top of that, he has a good head and sharp senses.¡± After saying all this, Weig shook his head. ¡°It¡¯s truly fortunate that Mr. Zich is obsessed with doing kind acts. I can¡¯t even imagine how much damage he would cause if he fell to the dark side.¡±

    Lube asked, ¡°How is he inparison to you, Sir Weig?¡±

    They heard somebody gulp their saliva down at Lube¡¯s shocking question. Words about the Karuwiman¡¯s greatest Holy Knight, Belri Weig, and his fame had shaken up the whole empire for decades. It was a huge deal topare someone so young as Zich to a hero like Weig. However, Weig¡¯s response shocked them further.

    ¡°I am still stronger than him, but I don¡¯t think that willst for long.¡±

    ¡°I see.¡± Lube also calmly epted Weig¡¯s words.

    ¡°¡­Did you hear that?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡± The Crown Prince nodded, and the King asked a follow-up question.

    ¡°What do you think?¡±

    The Crown Prince contemted for a bit and said, ¡°Don¡¯t you think the gentlemen named Hans and Snoc are fitting for the position of a count? Since Zich¡¯s status has already been made clear.¡±

    ¡°What about giving them estates to tie them down?¡±

    ¡°We have to pull out something from the royal estates somehow. Or we could make them inheritnd from a family without heirs and raise their statuses that way.¡±

    ¡°Is that all we can do?¡±

    ¡°Yes, for now. No matter how great they are, we can¡¯t give them a position more than a count for now. If they be even more valuable in the future, then we can think about this more.¡±

    ¡°Hmmm, that¡¯s all I need to know.¡± The King nodded. ¡°Of course, we won¡¯t be able to tie them down with just that.¡±

    ¡°¡­Your Majesty, I also agree.¡± The Crown Prince also had the same thoughts as the King.

    ¡°That Zich person doesn¡¯t seem to have much interest in status or power. If he did, he wouldn¡¯t have stormed out of the Steelwall family with his abilities. He also seems like a free spirit.¡±

    ¡°Yes, it seems so. Then what do you think about the other two individuals, Your Majesty?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know. We have to find out more about them, but I¡¯m sure there¡¯s a low possibility of getting them on our side.¡±

    The Crown Prince nodded at the King¡¯s words and nced to his side, towards the direction of Count Steelwall.

    ¡®He let a guy like that go. For a while, Count Steelwall¡¯s reputation will be dragged to the ground.¡¯ The Crown Prince knew that trained knights basically had supernatural hearing, so he didn¡¯t make the mistake of saying his thoughts out loud.

    Watching the battle from afar, Lube said to Weig, ¡°Won¡¯t it be better for us to help them?¡±

    Even though Zich and hispanions were holding the intruders at bay and were showing an impressive fight, the overall abilities of the intruders were very high. Even in Lube¡¯s eyes, it looked as if Zich and hispanions were getting slightly pushed back. Weig tapped the sword that a servant brought to him a few times.

    ¡°Hmmm, yes, it seems like it¡¯s time for me to help them.¡± Weig thought it was still too early for Zich and hispanions to fight opponents of this level. The Kingdom¡¯s knights were slowly getting ready to intervene. However, at that moment, a person stepped forward. It was L, who had been quietly watching the battle in front of her. All the people¡¯s attention shifted towards her.

    Weig said, ¡°She¡¯s Mr. Zich¡¯s new travelingpanion.¡±

    L raised both of her hands. ¡°El. Tin. Oun. Ra. Putz.¡±

    Crackle!

    A huge mana current began to flow between her hands. A roaring sound and a sh of light rang throughout the surrounding area. People¡¯s eyes widened.

    ¡°¡­She¡¯s a magician?¡± Lube murmured in surprise.

    Lube simply thought that L was an extremely beautiful person. Yet, L paid no attention to all the people staring at her and finished her spells. She stretched out her hands in front of her. The intruders¡¯ movements became frantic. They desperately tried to move closer to Zich and hispanions because they expected L to not attack the areas where Zich and hispanions were, but their expectations werepletely wrong.

    Crasssssssh!

    The electric currents from her hand split into several branches and rushed towards the intruders. The robed figures didn¡¯t expect L to shoot her magic without considering Zich and hispanions at all, so they were extremely shocked. The people in the ballroom were also shocked, but they were even more shocked by how effective her magic was.

    ¡°Aghhhhhhh!¡±

    ¡°Ughhhhhh!¡±

    Two of the intruders were not able to react in time and were swept by the lightning. The rest of the intruders quickly infused mana into their swords and tried to defend against L¡¯s magic.

    ¡°Ugh!¡±

    ¡°Arghhh!¡±

    Thanks to their defense, they were able to avoid the lightning strike, but a huge gap appeared in their formation. There was no way Zich and hispanions would miss this opportunity.

    Slice!

    Zich¡¯s sword cut off one of the intruder¡¯s necks, and a head flew up in the air.

    Pierce!

    Hans¡¯ light pierced through one of the intruder¡¯s hearts.

    Crunch!

    Snoc¡¯s earth crushed down one of the intruder¡¯s bodies.

    Five intruders died instantly, and the only one left was the leader. With just a single magic attack from L, the flow of the battle hadpletely changed, and this was the terrifying part about magic.

    ¡°¡­Amongst this chaos, did she just urately only hit the intruders?¡± It was already surprising that she was a magician, which was a very rare position, but her skills were even more shocking. Even Weig could not hide his shock.

    Yet L looked at the result of her magic without much emotion, as if she didn¡¯t do anything special. Lube and Weig continued their conversation with clear surprise in their voices.

    ¡°Mr. Zich¡¯spanions are all really impressive.¡±

    Weig replied, ¡°Out of parties around that size, his party is probably one of the best in this world.¡±

    * * *

    ¡°T-this is¡­¡±

    Now by himself, the leader surveyed his surroundings. All of his underlings were dead and rolling on the ground.

    ¡°What do you think of our magician? Isn¡¯t she great?¡± Zich mocked the leader and gave a thumbs up towards L¡¯s direction.

    L raised one corner of her mouth and gave a thumbs-up back.

    ¡°Damn, she¡¯s even good at responding to me now!¡± Zich was very satisfied by L¡¯s reaction. ¡°Then why don¡¯t we start finishing this up? But before that, I¡¯m curious about your identity.¡±

    The intruders had suddenly appeared at the ballroom. If it hadn¡¯t been for L, Zich would havepletely missed them.

    ¡°Are you working with the assassin organization? Why did youe to save Albus? He doesn¡¯t seem to be worth it.¡±

    As expected, the intruder did not reply.

    ¡°Yeah. I didn¡¯t even expect you guys to reply.¡±

    Under ordinary circumstances, Zich would have tried to stir the conversation somehow and gain more information from his opponents. Then Zich would have killed them because torture probably didn¡¯t work on the robed figures. However, today was different.

    ¡°Why did you infiltrate the pce out of all ces? If you made your attack anywhere else, I would have mercifully killed you.¡±

    The royal family would most definitely want Zich to capture the leader alive. The pce forces would probably torture him in all kinds of ways to get information out of him. The intruder would probably not open his mouth till the very end and die after intense suffering.

    ¡®It can¡¯t be helped. Since I didmit some crimes, I should prepare a gift to be on the King¡¯s good side.¡¯

    Zich had sessfully protected the Kingdom today and had Karuwiman¡¯s support, so it was unlikely that he would be punished. However, he thought he should be prepared as much as possible.

    ¡°Let¡¯s end this.¡± Zich dashed towards the leader.

    Now full of injuries and paralyzed from L¡¯s lightning magic, the leader of the intruders faced Zich. However, it was impossible for the leader to win in his current state, and in the end, the battle ended with him getting beaten up and captured by Zich.

 Chapter 146

    <h4>Chapter 146</h4>

    A fragrant smell rose from the teapot. Like the expensive tea leaves it was brewing, the teapot looked luxurious and had beautiful patterns. Zich ced his finger between the teacup¡¯s handle and raised it up to his face. He smelled the tea¡¯s fragrance and took a sip. Then, as Zich ced his cup down, he eximed, ¡°Even the tea from the pce is high-ss.¡±

    The Crown Prince sat in front of him and begrudgingly stared at Zich¡¯sposed appearance. ¡°¡­You are so calm. Is it because you don¡¯t feel any sense of danger?¡±

    ¡°What do you mean, Your Highness? I¡¯m also human too and I feel as if I¡¯m in danger at times. And why would I feel threatened right now? Besides, if one lives honestly, there¡¯s nothing for them to worry about.¡±

    How could a person rted to plots against the entire kingdom and the Crown Prince¡¯s assassination attempt show an attitude like this¡ªeven if he was on the side, revealing these schemes? Moreover, even though Zich was treated well, he was currently locked inside the pce.

    ¡®I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s because he is courageous or thoughtless.¡¯

    Considering Zich¡¯s skills and everything he had aplished, it seemed as if it was the former.

    ¡°For now, I have pardoned all the crimes you¡¯vemitted. It¡¯s because your deeds were significant.¡±

    ¡°Thank you, Your Highness.¡± Zich nodded, but he acted like he was receiving a favor he rightfully deserved. Zich¡¯s attitude was a bit annoying, and the Crown Prince thought about saying something to rebuke Zich¡¯s behavior; but in the end, he decided to repress his feelings.

    ¡°I was nning to give you a reward. Is there something you want? I will grant you almost anything.¡±

    ¡°I prefer cash.¡±

    ¡°Anything else?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure, Your Highness. I can¡¯t think of anything else.¡± Zich¡¯s tone hinted that he wasn¡¯t greedy for money, but it was useful to him.

    ¡®He really isn¡¯t someone I can buy with money or authority.¡¯

    The Crown Prince abandoned the thought of bringing Zich to his side.

    ¡°Did you find out anything from the imprisoners?¡±

    The Crown Prince shook his head at Zich¡¯s question. ¡°No, they didn¡¯t open their mouths even till the very end.¡±

    ¡°Those kinds of guys are like that.¡± Zich knew how useless torture would be and he ordingly didn¡¯t use this method to dig up information from them.

    ¡°What about Albus Windpool, Your Highness?¡±

    The Crown Prince scowled. The effect of a betrayal from a trusted foe was stronger than a betrayal by a random stranger. For the Crown Prince, Albus Windpool was one of the names that he hated the most. Just the thought of remembering that man¡¯s name made the Crown Prince scowl.

    ¡°He really didn¡¯t know anything. He said that a mysterious group suddenly appeared in front of him, told him their ns, and helped him from time to time. He just believed those mysterious figures and carried out their schemes. I can¡¯t figure out if he¡¯s bold or stupid.¡±

    ¡°Of course, it¡¯s thetter. That¡¯s why he didn¡¯t even realize it when I acted as one of the robed figures.¡±

    ¡°No, from what I heard from him, your strategy and guts were very impressive.¡±

    Even if Albus didn¡¯t know the identities of the robed figures, there was no way it was easy for any ordinary person to act like the robed figures and control Albus however they wanted.

    The Crown Prince asked, ¡°Are the people who helped Albus and those who trespassed the pce from the same organization?¡±

    ¡°Yes, there¡¯s a high possibility.¡± Zich answered and continued, ¡°Your Highness, do you remember how one of the intruders resisted at the end while getting captured?¡±

    ¡°Ah, you are talking about that.¡±

    The Crown Prince remembered how the intruders had transformed into grotesque-looking monsters at the end. They looked terrifying enough to haunt him in his nightmares.

    ¡°It¡¯s a tactic that Albus¡¯ aplices use often. For the price of sacrificing their human appearance, they gain great power.¡±

    ¡°So, that¡¯s why you quickly finished them off.¡±

    ¡°If he didn¡¯t get hit by L¡¯s magic, I would have had a hard time finishing him off too. I was able to beat him because he was still paralyzed from the magic¡¯s effects. I managed to finish off the other guys before they even transformed.¡±

    ¡°Could the other guys also transform?¡±

    ¡°I think there¡¯s a high possibility for that too, Your Highness.¡±

    ¡°Then why didn¡¯t they transform from the beginning?¡±

    ¡°The ballroom was teeming with the Kingdom¡¯s most skilled fighters such as Sir Weig and the bodyguards. So, they probably didn¡¯t want to burst into a fight right away and wanted to monitor the situation for a bit. If we looked easy to defeat, they probably would have gone into battle mode from the beginning. Since their ultimate goal was to run away though, I¡¯m sure they were watching us carefully and biding their time.¡±

    ¡°I guess that¡¯s how they missed the right timing to transform.¡±

    The Crown Prince nodded. ¡°Then, we should continue our conversation with the assumption that those two parties are from the same organization. So, while we are at it, tell me everything you know.¡±

    The Crown Prince¡¯s eyes became sharp. His previous light-hearted attitude was gone, and it was reced by a strong, charismatic aura. An ordinary person would have sumbed under the Crown Prince¡¯s aura and poured out everything they knew. Yet, to Zich, the Crown Prince¡¯s eyes weren¡¯t any different than a rabbit ring at him. However, he didn¡¯t n to disrupt the Crown Prince¡¯s ns.

    ¡°If that is what you wish, Your Highness, but it seems another guest has arrived. We can talk altogether.¡±

    ¡°Your Highness!¡± They heard a servant¡¯s voice outside of the door. ¡°Karuwiman¡¯s Saint, Lady Aine Primel Lube and Holy Knight Belri Weig have arrived.¡±

    The Crown Prince stared at Zich. ¡°You knew they were outside?¡±

    ¡°Your Highness, sensing people¡¯s presence in front of a door is an easy task.¡±

    ¡°I should¡¯ve known.¡±

    If he thought about Zich¡¯s surprising abilities, it would have been stranger if Zich hadn¡¯t sensed them.

    ¡°Let them in!¡± The Crown Prince got up from his seat. The Karuwima Saint wasn¡¯t someone he could greet while sitting down.

    ¡°You''re already here. Your Highness, I apologize for beingte.¡±

    ¡°No, I just came earlier because there was something I wanted to ask him separately.¡±

    They both took their seats. As usual, Weig stood behind Lube.

    Lube asked, ¡°Have you been well, Mr. Zich?¡±

    ¡°Of course. Except for the loss of my freedom, I¡¯ve been treated with the best services. It¡¯s almost making me want to stay a month longer.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s great to hear. The reason why I came here is so that I could ask you some questions.¡±

    ¡°Lady Lube, you must want me to exin about the conspiracy, especially about how much those ¡®robed figures¡¯ are rted to the Bellids.¡±

    ¡°Ha. Mr. Zich, it¡¯s always so easy to talk to you.¡± Lube was not even surprised anymore. She nodded her head and looked at Zich for further exnation.

    ¡°First of all, I will reiterate what I already told His Highness.¡± Zich summarized what he just discussed with the Crown Prince to Lube.

    ¡°So are you saying that the group that conspired with Albus Windpool and the group who infiltrated the pce are part of the same organization?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°What kind of organization are they?¡±

    ¡°Yes, I was about to talk about them. His Highness is also curious about that.¡± Zich exined what he knew about the organization.

    ¡°A group that tries to corrupt people to make them into Demon People¡­¡± Lubemented at Zich¡¯s words. The Crown Prince¡¯s expression didn¡¯t look great either, and Weig looked as if he wanted to immediately destroy the assassin organization.

    ¡°What is their ultimate purpose?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know either. I also don¡¯t know too much about them, but I¡¯m sure that they are not working for the good of the world.¡±

    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s a given.¡±

    There was nothing good about corrupting people and turning them into Demon People. Moreover, they were rted to the Bellids¡ªjust by this information, in Lube and Weig¡¯s perspective, they deserved to die a thousand deaths.

    ¡°Their goal this time was to corrupt Lady Rouge. If they were sessful, Lady Rouge would have lost everything except her life by the person she once dearly loved.¡±

    ¡°Hmmm.¡± The Crown Prince let out a murmur. He felt guilty that he got swept by Albus¡¯ scheme and unfairly pressured Evelyn and the Marquess of Rouge.

    Weig asked, ¡°Is there a possibility that the organization is a faction of the Bellids?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know exactly, but they are definitely rted to the Bellids one way or another.¡±

    Lube said, ¡°Of course. Since they knew Bellids¡¯ ¡®control¡¯ ability.¡±

    ¡°I wasn¡¯t sure if those robed figures knew Bellids¡¯ control ability. At first, I was merely suspicious that they might be connected. However, when I pretended to be one of the robed figures and met Albus Windpool, he said that he ¡®controlled¡¯ Lady Rouge. Lady Lube and Sir Weig probably know what I¡¯m talking about.¡±

    ¡°Since the world is theirs, it is their natural duty to make people into their puppets. This is not only their duty but the rightful state of everyone else who is not a Bellid. This is one of the Bellid¡¯s fundamental ts, and in this way, when they make people their puppets; they also use the word ¡®control¡¯.¡±

    Lube¡¯s voice filled with more and more disgust as she said Belid¡¯s ts out loud. In the end, she had to add thest sentence: ¡°It¡¯s all horseshit.¡±

    Likewise, Weig gritted his teeth, and the Crown Prince¡¯s expression also stiffened.

    ¡°For that reason, it¡¯s the Bellids who most frequently use the expression: I ¡®controlled¡¯ a person. When Albus Windpool said a simr expression like this, I thought the Bellids might be involved, but even before this event, I already had my suspicions that this organization was rted to the Bellids somehow.¡±

    Zich took out his magic box. It had been taken away from him when he was confined, but the Crown Prince gave it back to Zich himself. Zich took out something from the magic box and put it on the table.

    Then he said to Lube, ¡°You must have seen this.¡±

    ¡°¡­You told me it was the Pyramid of Vengeful Souls.¡±

    It was an item that the northern branch of Bellid tried to make.

    ¡°But why is that in your hand? I thought you broke itst time.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s because this one is different from thest one. Are you aware of the recent incident that happened at Violuwin?¡±

    The Crown Prince tilted his head in confusion. However, the informationwork of the Karuwiman, which had temples everywhere in the world, was at a level higher than the ones in the pce.

    ¡°I heard that there was a massive invasion by monsters. Ah¡­no way!¡± Lube recalled what Zich said about the abilities of the Pyramid of Vengeful Souls.

    ¡°Yes, you got it. I was at Violuwin during that time and got involved. This was what those guys had when they stormed into the city. I¡¯m absolutely certain that those robed figures in Violuwin are part of the organization that tries to make Demon People.¡±

    ¡°What is that?¡± the Crown Prince asked Zich about the item he was holding.

    ¡°It¡¯s an artifact that the Bellids are making. It allows them to control monsters.¡±

    The Crown Prince stared at the Pyramid of Vengeful Souls in surprise.

    Lube red at the artifact and said, ¡°¡­Mr. Zich, can you pass that over to us? Last time, I asked you to break it because those dirty Bellid bastards might take it back again, but I want to try researching it more.¡±

    ¡°If it was anyone else, I would have refused, but since it¡¯s a request from the Karuwiman Saint, I will hand it over. I pray that you find something.¡± Zich handed the Pyramid of Vengeful Souls over to Lube.

    ¡°Thank you. I will never use it for anything bad.¡±

    Lube quietly packed the Pyramid of Vengeful Souls. Since it was an artifact that could control monsters, the Crown Prince wanted to take it, but he quickly gave up on this thought. If he showed interest in an item rted to the Bellids, he would immediately be considered an enemy by the Karuwiman.

    ¡°This is the extent of my knowledge. Do you have any more questions?¡±

    The Crown Prince and Lube shook their heads. Like this, Zich¡¯sfortable and peaceful confinement inside the pce ended.

 Chapter 147

    <h4>Chapter 147</h4>

    Although they gained the freedom to do so, Zich and hispanions didn¡¯t get out of the pce. They were officially invited as guests and a whole, small building outside the pce was granted to them. They were treated extremely well, and everyone enjoyed a momentary break.

    Meanwhile, Zich organized his thoughts at the terrace while drinking tea.

    ¡®From this incident, I¡¯m sure this kingdom and Karuwiman will try to find out the identities of those robed figures.¡¯

    Zich had been going around looking for Demon People from his pre-regression days and trying to find traces of the robed figures. Thus, it seemed regretful to end the matter like this when they had just fought the central power. Zich knew that the kingdom would have opened their eyes to the mysterious groups¡¯ plots now, and Karuwiman was already a group of people who gritted their teeth whenever Bellid¡¯s name was mentioned.

    ¡®It will probably be harder for them to n in the future.¡¯

    Zich thought of the robed figures who would probably suffer even more and chuckled.

    ¡®The people who invaded the pce this time were a bit strange.¡¯

    Not only were their skill levels really high, but their reason for trespassing into the pce was also unknown.

    ¡®I don¡¯t think people with high skills like that would trespass into the pce just for the sake of retrieving a guy like Albus Windpool.¡¯

    Albus was someone they should have thrown away after one use¡ªnot someone they would go through all kinds of trouble to save.

    ¡®Though things would be so much easier if those guys were sentimental enough to get attached to a guy like Albus and try to save him.¡¯ However, the robed figures whom Zich had seen so far weren¡¯t such awkward, kind-hearted folks like that.

    ¡®The guys who go around creating Demon People must be the organization¡¯s actionmittee.¡¯

    However, there were two groups that Zich had met who did other tasks: one in Violuwin and the other one in the pce.

    ¡®The ones at Violuwin chased after L. Their skills were outstanding like the guys I met at the pce. That means the organization has members whoplete missions other than just making Demon People.¡¯

    There was a high chance that the guys at the pce had a special reason for infiltrating the pce, but Zich ended his thoughts there.

    ¡®I should wait until other evidencees up. I don¡¯t have enough information to deduce something.¡¯

    Zich stood up. He decided to end his musings here, and above all, he felt the presence of people he didn¡¯t want to see. Zich saw the luxurious carriageing into the building and went out to the terrace.

    * * *

    Three people sat in the living room, and a tea set that a pce maid had ced was between them. One person was obviously Zich who was using this building, and the guests in front of him were a woman and a man.

    ¡°How unexpected that you guys woulde looking for me,¡± Zich tilted his head without even reaching for his teacup.

    The people sitting in front of him didn¡¯t look too pleased.

    ¡°Have you abandoned all manners since you left home!¡±

    ¡°Even if I keep my manners, I know I will only get disrespect and rudeness back in response. So, what¡¯s the point? Furthermore, aren¡¯t weplete strangers now? Sir Count and Countess?¡±

    Zich¡¯s visitors were Count Steelwall and Countess Steelwall. Zich hadn¡¯t expected their visit at all since they were strangers¡ªno, their rtionship was even worse than that. Zich wondered if they hade to fix their rtionship with him, but as soon as he thought this, Zich erased that thought from his head.

    ¡®There¡¯s no way.¡¯

    Zich was sure that the stubborn Count would never treat him affectionately while the Countess wouldn¡¯t want Grieg¡¯s rival to appear again. Thanks to that, Zich was able to grasp the reason for their visit immediately.

    ¡®If they didn¡¯te to see me, they probably came to inquire about Hans.¡¯

    It seemed as if they really treasured Hans as the Countess¡¯ nanny¡¯s grandson.

    Zich asked them indifferently, ¡°What did you bothe here for? We don¡¯t even have a good rtionship with each other, so please leave after finishing your business.¡±

    The Count¡¯s eyebrows twitched, and the edges of the Countess¡¯ lips trembled. However, they couldn¡¯t raise their voices like before. Although they had a parent and child rtionship before, Zich was now the guest of honor of the Cronon Kingdom who uprooted a great conspiracy. Moreover, the Count was on the requesting side. Thus, the Count could only shudder his cheeks as Zich stationed his chin straight and called the Count to speak.

    ¡°¡­Let us meet Hans.¡±

    Zich¡¯s guess was right on the mark. They probably came because the Countess pleaded. Unfortunately for them, Zich didn¡¯t intend to grant their request easily.

    ¡°And why should I do that?¡±

    ¡°¡­Hans is the grandson of my wife¡¯s nanny, who raised her like her own child. Hans must also want to see her.¡±

    ¡°I see. So?¡±

    The Count rolled his eyes, but Zich worsened his attitude and posture.

    Zich crossed his arms and legs and said, ¡°I got him as a reward for my battle¡¯s victory. He is not someone you can do much about.¡±

    ¡°Isn¡¯t that why we are making a request to you like this!¡±

    ¡°Is that the attitude of someone making a request?¡±

    The Count¡¯s beard stood up on its end; it meant that he was extremely furious, but he couldn¡¯t get angry like before. ¡°¡­I see that you have some ill feelings.¡±

    ¡°What else did you expect? Considering everything I endured at that ce.¡± Zich raised his teacup and quietly drank. He looked like he had nothing to regret.

    ¡°...No one liked you at the estate.¡±

    ¡°I also know that. My mother did incredible things before she left.¡± It was almost a talent to turn everyone against her.

    ¡°You didn¡¯t have any skills then.¡±

    ¡°I also admit that. Although you didn¡¯t even ce one sword fighting teacher to my side, I couldn¡¯t release the mana that most people feel around five years old¡ªif they can sense it that early. I acknowledge that it was reasonable to think that I had no or very little mana.¡±

    After all, who would have thought Zich had a mana capacity simr to a dragon?

    ¡°So, I couldn¡¯t hand the Count position to you.¡±

    ¡°Even though it seems like you are trying to exin a decision driven by emotions, with various logical reasons to justify your decision now, I¡¯ll admit you are right. When I was young, I really wasn¡¯t enough to be an heir to be the next Count Steelwall, the Kingdom¡¯s Metal Fortress.¡±

    tter!

    Zich put down his teacup. The heavy silence between them greatly heightened the sound of the teacup, and it sounded too sharp and loud.

    ¡°So what? Do you think I will now understand you or something?¡±

    ¡°But you admitted I was right!¡±

    ¡°I never cared much for the Count position. I give no crap whether you give it to Greig or not. I was extremely na?ve during that time. All I wanted was the love and interest of my remaining family members.¡± Zich stared at the Count¡¯s eyes. ¡°And you could never give these things to me.¡±

    Of course, to the current Zich, these events happened a couple of decades ago. There wasn¡¯t even a trace of these emotions left in him. Zich leaned back in his chair. The Count and the Countess kept their mouths shut.

    ¡°¡­So you¡¯re saying that you can¡¯t ept our request?¡±

    Zich stared at the Count¡¯s eyes for a while. Then he smiled brightly. ¡°How is Greig? Before I left, I worked pretty hard to destroy him.¡±

    ¡°What¡ª!¡±

    ¡°He looked all right at the ballroom, but he seemed frightened by the sight of me. He looked a bit disappointing to be the next sessor of Count Steelwall.¡±

    As soon as Greig was mentioned, the Countess¡¯ eyes were filled with fury.

    Zich continued, ¡°He needs to quickly get back to normal for the Steelwall family. Did his swordsmanship improve while I was gone?¡±

    Thud!

    The Count roughly got up from his seat, but Zich was still calm; he merely grabbed his teacup again and raised it to his lips.

    ¡°Judging by your reaction, I guess he hasn¡¯t improved. Sigh, I really do worry about the future of Steelwall.¡±

    The Countess also stood up. Without even a farewell, they quickly moved towards the door. From their backs, Zich could see how furious they were.

    ¡°I will be sending Hans to your mansion. How could I refuse the requests of such high and noble people? Furthermore, when both of you came all the way to see me?¡±

    m!

    As soon as Zich¡¯s words faded, the door mmed roughly. Zich turned his head. He saw a vibrant garden past the window, and as Zich looked at the scenery outside, he quietly murmured, ¡°Ah, the tea tastes excellent.¡±

    * * *

    How long did he stay in the pce? A great many people came to see Zich during his stay: Lube and Weig who personally knew Zich, the Crown Prince and the King who were now familiar with him, andplete strangers. Thest group of people usually came to scout Zich into their organization. Of course, Zich was not interested.

    Zich asked, ¡°You¡¯rete?¡±

    L was thest one toe into the restaurant, and with her arrival, all of Zich¡¯s fourpanions were gathered together. Nobles usually began their meals only after everyone arrived, but this was not the case for Zich¡¯s group at all. Zich, Hans, and Snoc had already begun their meal, and L also did not mind that they started dining earlier than her.

    ¡°I waste because I had to organize the gifts I got.¡±

    ¡°I heard you got a crazy amount of gifts?¡±

    Combining her beauty with her rare position as a magician, she received a ton of love calls.

    ¡°It¡¯s ridiculous how they keep talking about love when they barely saw me.¡± L shook her head. ¡°It¡¯s okay to not return their gifts though, right?¡±

    ¡°Yep. If they ask for it back, it will hurt their reputation. Is there any present you like?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not interested in the clothes, but there were some nice jewels. With the quality of the jewels, I can make some pretty high-quality artifacts.¡± L spoke with a perk in her voice and picked up the tableware. She began cutting her steak. For a while, only the sound of eating food could be heard in the restaurant.

    While Zich continued to eat, he looked around his surroundings. ¡°How about you guys? Do you guys want to be nobles or work for aristocrats?¡±

    Hans and Snoc stopped eating¡ªthey met each other¡¯s eyes and carefully put down their utensils. They swallowed all the food inside their mouth. While diligently cutting up her steak, L also looked towards Zich¡¯s direction.

    Hans asked Zich, ¡°Sir, what do you mean?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sure that you guys are also getting tons of scouting offers. Especially you, Hans. If you go back to Steelwall, you will probably receive an extremely warm wee.¡±

    Since Steelwall needed more military force than any other estate and the Countess also greatly favored him, Steelwall had more merits for Hans than any other estate. However, Hans shook his head.

    ¡°The Count and Countess already gave me an offer, but I am satisfied with my current lifestyle. I feel that I¡¯m fulfilling my fairytale dream.¡±

    Sitting next to Hans, Snoc also nodded his head. Nowem did the same while stuffing his nose in a soup te. Then he immediately went back on gulping down more soup.

    ¡°From the first ce, I have no interest in things like nobility. I like traveling all over the world, and I¡¯m also on the run too.¡± After she said this, L busily stuffed steak into her mouth.

    ¡°Is that so.¡± Zich smirked, ¡°Well, if that¡¯s what you guys want, I¡¯ll do my best. I will put you guys through even harder training so that all of you can fulfill your dreams. You can have high expectations.¡±

    Hans, Snoc, and L all put down their utensils immediately as they suddenly lost their appetite, but Zich paid no attention to their reactions and began nning their training regimens inside his head. Watching Zich¡¯s concentrated expression, the three of them felt nauseous.

    Koo¡­

    At Zich¡¯s words about training, Nowem took his nose out of the soup te and let out a soft cry.

 Chapter 148

    <h4>Chapter 148</h4>

    It was time for Zich and hispanions to leave the pce. Sunlight shone brilliantly in the morning, and it was a great day to travel outside. After bidding their farewells to the King and Crown Prince, the group gathered their baggage and headed out of the pce.

    ng!

    The guards at the door paid their respects on their way out. The incident that had taken ce at the King¡¯s birthday was spreading from mouth to mouth. Since the conspirators had used the pce as their stadium, they couldn¡¯t even hide the matter. As the one who revealed the scheme and defeated the conspirators, Zich received admiration from everyone inside the pce.

    ¡®I can never get used to it.¡¯

    People looked up at him with gazes of admiration and gave Zich goosebumps. Then, once he was out of the pce, a panoramic view of the whole city appeared before him. Considering the chaos that had happened not so long ago, it looked very peaceful. It seemed like the clean-up had gone well.

    Clomp! Clomp!

    Zich and hispanions heard the sounds of horse hooves until a fancy carriage stopped in front of them. The door opened and revealed Evelyn.

    ¡°Please get in. I will take you outside the capital.¡±

    It seemed Evelyn had waited for them¡ªno one refused and hopped into the carriage.

    Zich saw Lube inside the carriage and said, ¡°Oh, Lady Lube is here too.¡±

    ¡°Lady Evelyn said she wanted to greet you all on your way out, so I begged her to let me join.¡± Lube moved her seat from the front to Evelyn¡¯s side.

    Zich and L sat in front of them, and Hans and Snoc willingly got on the coach seat (they didn¡¯t have the confidence to travel with ease along with these four). Soon, the carriage¡¯s door closed and the vehicle departed.

    ¡°It seems youdies have gotten quite close,¡± Zich said while looking at Evelyn and Lube back and forth.

    Lube answered with a bright smile, ¡°We got to know each other while I got rid of all the Bellu¡¯s energy lingering around her.¡±

    Evelyn was a great friend to Lube. Since her youth, Lube had always been busy with the responsibilities of a Saint Candidate and couldn¡¯t befriend anyone her age.

    ¡®Someone like Evelyn is more than enough to be the Saint¡¯s friend.¡¯

    The current Evelyn Rouge, who wasn¡¯t Subus, was pure and kind. Even Lube¡¯s guardian, Weig, approved of her; otherwise, he probably would have already removed Evelyn from Lube¡¯s side.

    ¡®Even the job of being the Saint¡¯s guardian is tiring.¡¯

    Then, Zich noticed another small carriage following the carriage he was in. He was sure that Weig was guarding Lube from behind so that Lube could enjoy her time with her friend.

    Evelyn said, ¡°It¡¯s such a pity that all of you are leaving so soon, especially when my father and brother are on their way here.¡±

    There was no need to exin in detail how grateful Evelyn¡¯s father was to Zich, the savior to his daughter and his whole family. He would probably shower Zich with praises and grant him a fitting reward. However, Zich didn¡¯t need anything.

    ¡°It¡¯s not a good thing for a traveler to reside in one ce for too long. Besides, I have to do kind acts.¡±

    ¡°Can¡¯t you do kind acts here as well?¡± Evelyn asked, but L and Lube knew what kind of answer Zich would give her.

    ¡°The kind act I want to do is crushing and torturing viins.¡±

    ¡°I-Is that so?¡± Evelyn tried to force a smile while L and Lube shook their heads.

    ¡°Ah, you know the matter with Albus Windpool?¡± Evelyn purposefully changed the topic, ¡°It seems that he acted independently and on his own ord.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s probably right. I heard Albus insult his father, Marquess Windpool, a few times.¡± Even if that was the case, Marquess Windpool would not be free from all responsibilities.

    ¡°Marquess Windpool is critically ill, and it seems Albus had also nned that¡ªor more specifically, his aplices, had nned it.¡±

    The Marquess¡¯ situation was serious in many ways: not only was he ill, but his sole heir was locked in prison for treason and seemed as if he would meet his end soon on the execution ground.

    ¡°To quickly settle the situation, they have to find an heir, but it seems like there¡¯s no one suitable.¡±

    ¡°Albus doesn¡¯t have any siblings?¡±

    ¡°They all died recently, even the people qualified to be the heir.¡±

    ¡°It must have been Albus¡¯ doing.¡±

    ¡°Yes, he confessed to these deeds, or more urately, his aplices carried them out.¡±

    ¡®I don¡¯t know why those ¡®robed figures¡¯ were so stubborn about corrupting Evelyn when they had an excellent Demon Person candidate like Albus Windpool.¡¯

    However, a person couldn¡¯t be a Demon Person for simply having a bad personality. They had to also have a fitting ability.

    ¡®Well, that guy didn¡¯t seem to have an ability like that.¡¯

    If someone like Albus walked the same path as a Demon Person, there would be no need to mobilize skilled fighters like Weig. A rtively strong knight could easily slice his head off, and Albus would just be remembered as a guy with a terrible personality. Zich stared at Evelyn as she spoke quietly.

    ¡°What is it, sir?¡± Evelyn tilted her head because Zich seemed to gaze at her meaningfully.

    ¡°You seem to have recovered from Albus Windpool now.¡±

    ¡°Ah, you mean that.¡± Evelyn made a bitter smile. ¡°It¡¯s thanks to you all.¡± Then, Evelyn stared at each person. ¡°Sir Zich told me my worth whenever I met him.¡±

    ¡°I still have the same thoughts about that matter, Lady Evelyn. You are too good for a man like Albus Windpool. You can live a much cooler life like the time when you punched Albus,¡± Zich said as he shrugged.

    ¡°¡­And Lady L alwaysforted me.¡±

    L coughed like she was embarrassed.

    ¡°¡­And Lady Lube always prayed for me.¡±

    ¡°As Karuwiman¡¯s follower, it is only expected of me to spread Karuna¡¯s blessings.¡± Lube smiled widely.

    ¡°Although it is difficult for me topletely return to my original self, I don¡¯t want to keep worrying and suffering over this. I mean, why should I care for someone like him when he tried to charge me with such a terrible crime?¡±

    All three of them nodded.

    ¡°So, I no longer will be hung up on that man.¡±

    Her bright smile clearly showed that she would no longer be affected by things such as seduction or trickery.

    * * *

    The carriage arrived at the outskirts of the capital. This was the extent to where Evelyn could take them. Even though Zich nned to immediately leave the city, Evelyn, L, and Lube had grown extremely close with each other, so they nned to have a pic before Lube and L left the capital. Since Lube and Evelyn had never experienced a pic and L lost all of her memories, a pic was a very exciting event for all of them. Moreover, even though L had a lot of experience camping, that was apletely different experience from a pic. Hans and a servant tidied up the surroundings, and Zich and Snoc went out to find some small game.

    During that time, the women sat in the carriage and began chatting.

    ¡°Ms. L, is your rtionship with Mr. Zich still the same?¡±

    ¡°What?¡± L blinked a few times at Evelyn¡¯s question.

    Lube looked at her with an excited, expectant face and asked, ¡°Are the two of you in a rtionship?¡±

    ¡°I think Mr. Zich¡¯s treatment of Ms. L is quite unusual.¡±

    ¡®Ah!¡¯

    It was only then that L realized what they were asking about. Evelyn still thought that Zich was interested in L because of the way he acted at the beginning of their meeting to get closer to her.

    ¡°Honestly, I was a bit worried. Because of what happened between me and that criminal named Albus, I thought L would lose all her interest in love.¡±

    In the first ce, L had no interest in this topic. The only things that currently interested L was eating good food and seeing beautiful things, but L was not able to reply. She didn¡¯t know if she should correct Evelyn¡¯s misunderstanding or just leave it be. Evelyn seemed to have misjudged L¡¯s silence, because she said with a soft voice, ¡°You should try loving Mr. Zich, Ms. L.¡± Evelyn¡¯s clear eyes looked at L as if she was an older sister taking care of an inexperienced younger sister.

    ¡°Even though my love ended in tragedy, I believe it is possible to love and trust someone again.¡±

    L was slightly relieved since there was now a low possibility that Evelyn would transform into that ursed Subus in the future who trusted no one and didn¡¯t believe in love.

    ¡°Of course, it¡¯s going to be difficult for me right now, and it might take a long time, but I¡¯m going to work hard to find new love. I¡¯m not going to give up my happiness because of a person like Albus.¡±

    Evelyn looked directly at L. ¡°Ms. L, you¡¯re not open about your emotions. Judging by my case, you might even have a negative view of love. However, I¡¯m speaking to you as your friend. It doesn''t have to be even Mr. Zich. Just try loving someone.¡±

    While saying this, Evelyn made a beautiful smile. ¡°You don¡¯t have to force yourself. It might be tomorrow or far off in the future, but I¡¯m sure there¡¯s a person who will creep into your heart. When that timees, please listen carefully to your heart.¡±

    * * *

    After staying on the outskirts of the city for a day, Zich and hispanions separated from Lube and Evelyn. As always, Zich and hispanions moved away from the set pathways and went into the forest. Hans and Snoc were now used to it, so there was no change in their expressions. On the other hand, the recent addition to the party, L, had a look of disgust on her face.

    Zich asked L, ¡°What are you going to do from now on?¡±

    In the first ce, L had only followed Zich¡¯s request to be closer to Evelyn, but L immediately replied as if she had already made her decision. ¡°I n to stay with you guys for a bit.¡±

    L was slightlycking inmon sense right now, and she also shared amon enemy with Zich. Since Zich and hispanions were also highly skilled, it was advantageous in many ways to stay with them.

    ¡°Okay.¡±

    Zich¡¯s reply was very simple. For Zich, it was also advantageous for him to travel with a powerful magician. Moreover, if she happened to recall her lost memories, she could be helpful in uncovering the identities of the ¡®robed figures.¡¯ Just like that, L easily joined the party. However, Hans and Snoc also didn¡¯t think too much about it.

    Tap! Ta-tap!

    As they went off the path, dense trees appeared in front of them. From Zich¡¯s back, Windur kept hitting the tree branches around them. It didn¡¯t hamper Zich¡¯s movements, but it distracted him. Zich removed Windur from his back. He nned to change Windur¡¯s shape as he did when he needed to move discreetly in the Windpool¡¯s mansion.

    ¡°¡­Huh?¡± Zich tilted his head and stared at Windur. ¡°What¡¯s up with this?¡±

    Zich tried shaking Windur.

    L asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±

    ¡°No, this guy. It¡¯s not changing.¡±

    Normally, Windur would have immediately changed into the shape that Zich wanted, but now, it didn¡¯t change at all.

    ¡°Did it break?¡± He tried tapping Windur to a tree next to him and even tried pping it with his fingers. However, Windur¡¯s shape didn¡¯t change at all.

    ¡°Ah, perhaps¡­¡±

    While Zich frowned and red at Windur, L told him what she thought. ¡°When you were uncovering Albus¡¯ conspiracy, did Windur change its form because the situation called for it? Now that Windur feels like it doesn¡¯t have to, is it not changing form?¡±

    ¡°No way¡­¡±

    No matter how strange his sword was, could it make its own judgments? However, L¡¯s words exined why Windur wasn¡¯t currently changing shape.

    ¡°¡­Is that for real?¡±

    Even with Zich¡¯s question, Windur made no reply. Zich stared at Windur for a while, and in the end, he could not help but say, ¡°What kind of outrageous sword is this?¡±

 Chapter 149

    <h4>Chapter 149</h4>

    Tourist city, Violuwin.

    After a sudden monster attack, the city had fallen into a crisis. However, heroes who appeared like aet had saved the city, and the city was regaining its original appearance.

    Although the Violuwin citizens couldn¡¯t perfectly recover all their buildings and some of its famous sites were destroyed, they made up for them by selling stories. These stories were actually receiving more favorable reviews than the previous attractions.

    Violuwin¡¯s future was bright. Construction was still ongoing in a square with arge fountain that shot up sparkling water. The leaders of Violuwin nned to station the statues of the four heroes who saved the city. Once the statues werepleted, they nned to move them to the square and spread the stories of these heroes even more widely. However, that was still in the future, and the atmosphere of the ce was chaotic.

    A carriage stood in a corner of the square. It looked luxurious as if it belonged to someone of high status or someone with great wealth. Furthermore, a curtain hung from the carriage¡¯s window so that the inside was hidden from view.

    Slid!

    Pale fingers flipped the curtains upwards. Behind the curtain, a sharp pair of eyes nced at the square.

    ¡°Tch!¡± The person clearly sounded displeased.

    He let go of the curtain and as the fabric flowed back down, the inside of the carriage was covered again. There were two people sitting inside the carriage. One person wore a robe and had an appearance that would make Zich delightfully swing his Windur in a warm wee. Of course, not everyone who wore robes was in an organization that opposed Zich, but the robed figure inside the carriage was. A man sat in front of this person.

    The man stared at the robed figure for a bit and said, ¡°¡­Since you¡¯re here, I¡¯m sure it¡¯s not good news.¡±

    ¡°Sir, it seems as if we¡¯ve failed to make a Demon Person in the Cronon Kingdom.¡±

    ¡°Those kinds of things are merely a matter of course. Even if we fail in some areas, the Demon People we make in other areas will make up for our failures. Is this something you really have to go out of your way to report?¡±

    ¡°Everything we¡¯ve been working on has failed in recent days. We also lost contact with the teams carrying out those missions.¡±

    ¡°¡­Lost contact? Did you lose contact with all the teams who failed?¡±

    ¡°We concluded that they¡¯ve been annihted.¡±

    The man sighed, ¡°The Cronon Kingdom...Isn¡¯t that the ce where Evelyn Rouge is?¡±

    ¡°We failed that n too, sir.¡±

    ¡°Why her of all people¡­?¡±

    Evelyn Rouge was someone the organization had devoted a lot of effort into. So, how could they have failed? Wasn¡¯t it the same for the case of Joachim Dracul?

    ¡®Should I go back to work?¡¯

    Since so many things havepletely changed, it was probably going to be difficult for them to get the results they wanted.

    ¡®Rather than using up more resources for a dissatisfactory future, I should just let things go.¡¯

    However, he wouldn¡¯t be able to avoid hearing a long nagging from ¡®him.¡¯

    ¡°And¡­¡±

    ¡°¡­Is there another problem?¡± The man expressed his displeasure.

    The robed figure¡¯s shoulders shrunk back, but he needed to report it. ¡°The general manager died in the Cronon Kingdom.¡±

    The man¡¯s face grew frighteningly stiff. This news was on a different level than the previous report of the failed missions.

    ¡°How?¡±

    ¡°He intruded the pce at the Cronon Kingdom¡¯s King¡¯s birthday and was captured, sir.¡±

    ¡°For what reason did he go to a ce where monsters like Belri Weig would be present!¡± The man stomped his feet. The carriage vibrated, and the floor shifted. His heavy breathing pierced into the robed figure¡¯s ears.

    ¡°He appears to have infiltrated the pce to see why they lost contact with the team that managed Evelyn Rouge¡¯s case, especially since their aplice, Albus Windpool, was perfectly fine.¡±

    ¡°Even if Evelyn Rouge is an important figure, how could he take such a risk?¡±

    ¡°Sir, as I mentioned before, many of the missions in the Cronon Kingdom and its surrounding areas failed. Moreover, they didn¡¯t simply fail. They lost all contact with the teams in charge, so they moved to check if the reason for these failures was a mistake or not.¡±

    ¡°So, they infiltrated the pce to figure out Albus¡¯ movements, got caught, and were wiped out.¡± The man tilted his head. He wanted to receive some of the sun¡¯s rays, but the only thing he could see was the carriage¡¯s dark roof.

    ¡°Won¡¯t we need to investigate, sir? Although we expected to fail a few times, entire teams are getting annihted.¡±

    ¡°There¡¯ll be setbacks to making Demon People then. I¡¯m sure ¡®he'' won¡¯t like it.¡±

    ¡°Then why don¡¯t we use people from our side, sir?¡±

    ¡°No. We lost too many guys when we attacked Violuwin, and the rest of you have to chase after the Core. Above all, our opponents are people whom even ¡®he¡¯ doesn¡¯t know about. If we get found out, I¡¯m not sure what will happen to us. We have to be careful and even more cautious.¡± The man gravely added, ¡°Bear in mind, ¡®that person¡¯ controls time. The moment our identities are revealed, we might all disappear without being able to do a single thing.¡±

    ¡°Yes!¡± The robed figure hung his head.

    ¡®I think we should at least do some investigation¡­¡¯

    The man was also aware that they needed more information. However, his unit was weak in collecting information. Although his unit wasrge in numbers, strong, and didn¡¯tck information¡ªno, they actually had much more information than other units, such as ones about the ¡®future¡¯. But it was precisely because of their unique and special information system that they didn¡¯t have a separate investigation team. They were best at nning using the vast information they had, so whenever an unknown variable popped up, they didn¡¯t have the proper means to investigate it.

    ¡®Even though I kept talking about leaving some members for an investigation squad¡­¡¯

    The man recalled how ¡®he¡¯ had be infuriated at his suggestion andmanded them to focus all their efforts into making Demon People since they had enough information. Thanks to that, they were unable to properly respond to these sudden happenings.

    ¡®Maybe I should¡¯ve really secretly set some people aside to investigate.¡¯

    Yet, the man shook his head. ¡®That person¡¯ was foolish, but he had the ability of a god. Right now, the man was precariously leading a separate group that even ¡®he¡¯ didn¡¯t know about. If he had also secretly made an information unit, there was a high possibility ¡®he¡¯ would notice.

    ¡®If we just had the Core, we could have at least gotten some useful information¡­¡¯

    The man was very regretful that they weren¡¯t able to capture L.

    ¡°What about the Core?¡±

    ¡°We are still investigating that matter, but there is a high possibility that the Core was involved with the recent incident in the Cronon Kingdom.¡±

    The ends of the man¡¯s eyes went up.

    ¡°Exin more about this in detail.¡±

    ¡°Sir, one of the people who ruined this n is said to be an eye-turning beauty. Rumors about her are quickly spreading in the aristocratic society.¡±

    ¡°Is that all?¡±

    ¡°There are four people in total. One woman who might be the Core, one man who uses a Holy Sword, one man who carries around an animal, and one man who uses a sword that looks like a tree branch.¡±

    The man lifted up the curtain in the carriage once again. The construction to make the four statues of the heroes that saved Violuwin was still ongoing, and he lowered the curtain. With a serious expression, he said to the robed figure, ¡°Do you think the Core got her memories back and she¡¯s hampering our ns?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± The man tapped his knees in anxiety.

    ¡®No, that can¡¯t be it. Even though the memories are inside her mind, it¡¯s a whole different thing to take them out. Unless the system functions, there¡¯s no way the Core can freely take out her memories.¡¯

    However, anxiety filled his heart, because it was true that the information the Core had inside her mind paralleled the amount of information that ''he¡¯ had.

    ¡°¡­We have to retrieve the Core as soon as possible.¡±

    If the man had the Core, then he would have the same amount of information as ''him''. Moreover, if ¡®that person¡¯ knew about the Core¡¯s existence, the man¡¯s coboration with ¡®him¡¯ could end.

    ¡®I can¡¯t ever let that person find out about the Core¡¯s existence.¡¯

    ¡°Is the Core still in the Cronon Kingdom?¡±

    ¡°No, I was informed that she left.¡±

    ¡°Did anyone follow her?¡±

    ¡°It was impossible to follow them to the outskirts of the city, because the Saint and Belri Weig apanied them, and after that, the group didn¡¯t follow any known paths. They headed straight into the mountains.¡±

    ¡°Nothing¡¯s going right.¡±

    The man¡¯s anguish deepened at the robed figure¡¯s words.

    ¡°You mentioned that one of the people in that group has Estede?¡±

    ¡°Yes, we can safely assume that the man with the Holy Sword is in possession of Estede.¡±

    ¡°We also have to quickly retrieve that.¡±

    If they didn¡¯t, then ¡®he¡¯, the hero wannabe, was definitely going to throw a tantrum. On the other hand, the man couldn¡¯t see a viable path in front of him. His anguish increased further.

    * * *

    After finishing breakfast, Zich and his group began walking on the road. His group was still the same¡ªtherge man took the lead and silently walked on. The ill-tempered, old magician and a feisty, female elf continued their verbal fight, and Aine and Zich walked a foot behind them while watching them fight.

    ¡°Will there ever be a day when their rtionship gets better?¡± Aine asked this question, and Zich looked up at the sky.

    ¡°Even though I¡¯m an advocate for never losing hope in whatever situation, I also think that some things are beyond saving.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re saying that it will never happen, ¡± Aine sighed.

    ¡°I have no idea how the hell I¡¯m in the same party as an ill-mannered child like you.¡±

    The old magicianined, and the elf was not going to be pushed back.

    ¡°You joined the party after me, and I should be the one saying that instead of you.¡±

    ¡°Zich why did you ept this gangster-like elf? Were you guys having that hard of a time?¡±

    The fight was passed to Zich, who was quietly watching the fight. Without saying anything, Zich just awkwardly smiled.

    ¡°Hmph! You don¡¯t know how much the party progressed since I joined. There¡¯s a long line of parties begging me to join and will bow down and shout thank you if I say I¡¯ll join them.¡±

    ¡°Then why don¡¯t you join one of those parties?¡±

    At the old magician¡¯s words, she firmly shook her head. ¡°I don¡¯t want to. I have a debt to repay to Zich. Unless I finish paying that debt, I¡¯m not going anywhere.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t you think that the greatest favor you can do for Zich is to leave this party!¡±

    ¡°You should say that about yourself!¡±

    Then they began fighting about who was making the greater contribution to this party. Aine made a slight smile while watching them.

    ¡°Thinking back, when we first met her, there was argemotion.¡±

    ¡°Yeah. I mean, she caused havoc, saying that she needed to retrieve back her tribe¡¯s treasure.¡±

    Recalling these memories, Zich also smiled and replied, ¡°But it was still a good meeting, wasn¡¯t it?¡±

    ¡°Of course. That¡¯s how the strongest archer joined our party.¡±

    Zich looked at the elf, Leona Pearl in Droud, and agreed with Aine¡¯s words.

    * * *

    Swish!

    Zich jolted up from the ground, and his nket slipped down. He turned his head around and quickly scanned his surroundings. He saw Hans, Snoc, and L. There was no trace of the shy andrge man, the ill-mannered magician, or the Saint: Aine Primel Lube. Moreover, there wasn¡¯t the feisty elf woman¡ªLeona Pearl in Droud.

    ¡®Ah, damn that sted dream.¡¯

    Zich fiercely scratched his head. He knew who Leona Pearl in Droud was. She used to be one of the Sun Hero, Glen Zenard¡¯s party members. In the final battle with Zich and the party of heroes, every single one of her arrows boasted lethal killing power.

    ¡®Why the hell is she appearing as mypanion in my dream?¡¯

    Since he built up a rtionship with Lube after his regression, it was not that surprising to see her as hispanion, but he could not understand why that elf appeared in his dreams. Zich let out a sigh, and then he recalled an item that was mentioned in his dream.

    ¡®The treasure of an elf tribe.¡± Zich had heard of it before. That treasure was the reason why Glen Zenard was able to have Leona Pearl in Droud in his party.

    ¡®Now that I think about it, wasn¡¯t her tribe¡¯s treasure being sold around this time?¡¯

    Even though Zenard found the treasure for Leona Pearl in Droud muchter on, Zich recalled that it was around this time that humans were auctioning off an elf tribe¡¯s treasure.

    Zich looked up at the sky. ¡®¡­Should I just check it out?¡¯

    The next destination for Zich and hispanions was decided.

 Chapter 150

    <h4>Chapter 150</h4>

    Rustle!

    The bush next to the highway moved. At first, the bush that looked taller than a human moved as it was being swayed by a breeze, but its movements grew bigger and bigger.

    Swish!

    A person came out of the bush. Grass stems in his hair made him appear very stupid. However, the person didn¡¯t look concerned about his appearance at all and made a happy face as soon as he saw the highway. It seemed as if he had suffered a lot in the forest.

    A bunch of people began toe out in rows behind him; there were four people in total. It was Zich and hispanions. Besides Zich, everyone was extremely happy to see a trace of civilization. No matter how much training they went through, they could never get used to Zich¡¯s hellish training through the mountains. Yet once they arrived at their destination, they were sure that they could soon enjoy the benefits of living in a civilized ce.

    Following hispanions, Zich also slowly walked to the highway.

    ¡®It seems like we have arrived properly.¡¯

    From far away, tall walls came into view. If his sense of direction was urate, the city he was looking at was probably their destination.

    Hans seemed to have spotted a distant city. He couldn¡¯t hide his hope as he asked, ¡°Is that ce our destination, sir?¡±

    ¡°I think so.¡± Zich¡¯s answer wasn¡¯t certain, but it was enough to assure Hans.

    ¡®Even if that is not our destination, we would be able to rest for a bit if it¡¯s a city of that magnitude.¡¯

    Hans and Snoc¡¯s footsteps became considerably lighter.

    L stood next to Zich and asked, ¡°What kind of city is that?¡±

    ¡°Tungel. It¡¯s a merchant city.¡±

    Hearing this, Hans thought of the city, Porti; it was the ce where they first met Lube and the whole city almost became an offering to Bellu. However, Tungel was a bit different from Porti. It had a unique characteristic that was different from other business cities.

    As if she recalled a bit of information about Tungel from her memories, L muttered out loud, ¡°Ah, the auction house.¡±

    Tungel had the biggest auction house in the world. It was a city where all kinds of expensive, rare, and precious goods and money were gathered together. Even in the empire, the phrase, ¡®If an item has world-ss value, go to Tungel,¡¯ was a famous line.

    ¡®I¡¯m pretty sure they traded some treasures from the elf n here.¡¯ An elf named Leona Pearl in Droud made a huge fuss to retrieve them.

    ¡®I¡¯m not sure if that event happened during this period.¡¯

    Even Zich¡¯s memory wasn¡¯t perfect. Moreover, this matter was rted to the Hero Party, so Zich didn¡¯t have detailed information about this event. He had simply picked up a bit of information here and there because of how famous the members in Glen Zenard¡¯s party were. In the end, it didn¡¯t matter to Zich if he really met Leona or not.

    ¡®It¡¯s actually funny how I¡¯m looking for her.¡¯ Zich thought it was ridiculous that he came all this way to look out for her just because he saw her in his dream.

    ¡®Whatever. I don¡¯t have anything to do for a while anyways.¡¯

    A Demon Person whom Zich remembered wouldn¡¯t appear for a while, and at the same time, it didn¡¯t seem bad to observe the auction house.

    ¡®Even if I don¡¯t find her, it¡¯s fine.¡¯ Zich took hispanions and headed towards Tungel. Windur hung from his back, shook a bit, and thumped his back. It almost seemed like it was patting his back.

    * * *

    Zich and hispanions went to their lodgings. Although L had spent an enormous amount of their wealth at Westillbird by making artifacts, the reward they got from revealing Windpool¡¯s schemes made the loss seem minuscule and increased their wealth by multiple folds. Thanks to that, they could stay at a considerably expensive lodging.

    ¡°y for the time being.¡± Zich gave themand that Hans and Snoc had desperately been waiting for. After receiving a hefty allowance from Zich, they scattered to tour the attractions at Tungel.

    ¡°Aren¡¯t you going?¡± Zich asked as L didn¡¯t move after receiving plenty of money like Hans and Snoc.

    ¡°What are you going to do?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m going to the auction house.¡±

    Although he didn¡¯t have high expectations that he would meet Leona Pearl in Droud there, it would be strange for him to not go there aftering all the way to Tungel.

    ¡°Is it because of a memory from the future?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, it is.¡±

    ¡°What is it?¡±

    ¡°Do you know Leona Pearl in Droud, one of Zenard¡¯s party members?¡±

    ¡°Ah, that elf.¡± L also knew her. ¡°Huh? Wasn¡¯t¡­ she also Zich Brave¡¯spanion?¡± L pulled her hair and tilted her head. She seemed to be dragging out a scene from the insides of a faint memory box, but Zich couldn¡¯t easily let the words she spat out slide.

    ¡°What did you just say?¡±

    ¡°Huh? W-Why?¡± L was a bit taken aback as Zich had asked her with a hardened face. In the next moment, she stared at Zich in exasperation.

    ¡°Did your mood seriously sour because you heard that an elf who was part of the Hero Party¡¯s members could also be yourpanion? How much do you hate the Hero¡¯s existence?¡±

    Zich became serious for a different reason, but the reason that L mentioned also made him feel unpleasant. However, that was a different issue, and he had to make sure of something else.

    ¡°Did you say that Leona Pearl in Droud used to be Zich Brave¡¯spanion?¡±

    Even though Zich thought it could be one of his many possible futures, he strictly considered Zich Brave to be a separate entity from him. L felt more exasperated that he felt this way, but she acknowledged it. ¡°That¡¯s probably the case.¡±

    ¡°What do you mean ¡®probably¡¯?¡±

    ¡°Well, you know. My memory is not perfect, and I only suddenly recalled this memory.¡± Zich thought back on his dream. Previously, he thought it was a shitty dream that his subconscious made after hearing about what L said about Zich Brave. However, a detail in Zich¡¯s dream perfectly matched one of the possible futures that L remembered.

    ¡®Thinking back on it, the dream also felt very real.¡¯

    ¡°Do you know about Zich Brave¡¯s otherpanions?¡±

    He wondered if she knew the Saint, ill-tempered old man, or the shyrge man, but L shook her head. ¡°No, I don¡¯t know.¡±

    ¡°All right.¡±

    He couldn¡¯t be certain that his dream was a possible future, but Zich stowed away this suspicion into a corner of his heart.

    ¡®My dream might not be just a nonsensical dream.¡¯

    Unlike L who had information about the future, Zich was a regressor. There was no way he would have dreamt about a possible future like L, but if his dream really was one of his possible futures¡­

    Zich¡¯s eyes darkened.

    * * *

    Zich headed for the Tungel¡¯s auction house. L followed him; she was also interested in Tungel¡¯s famous auction house. As expected of a city known for its auction houses, there were many small and medium-sized auction houses. However, when people talked about an auction house in Tungel, they were all talking about one specific auction house¡ªthe Tyroul Auction House. It was run directly by the city, and it was thergest auction house in the world.

    ¡°¡­It¡¯s enormous.¡± L let out her admiration at the grand building.

    Rather than an auction house, it looked like a luxurious theater or even a stadium. L had to really bend her neck to barely see the top of the building.

    ¡°The auction is not happening in just one area. Moreover, there¡¯s a lot of different services avable to customers.¡±

    Of course, all of the services cost money, and they were all expensive.

    ¡°The most important ce here is the auction room in the center of this building.¡±

    The auction room at the center made up more than 40% of the building it was in. It didn¡¯t open easily, and when it did, extremely precious and valuable items lined the auctioning list. It was to the point that people said that if there was a ce that sold dragons, it would definitely be the auction room in the center of Tyroul. L¡¯s eyes sparkled at Zich¡¯s exnation.

    ¡°When is it going to open?¡±

    ¡°Well, we have to first check that. Even if we find out the date, we need to have the requirement to participate.¡±

    ¡°Do we need some kind of special status?¡±

    ¡°No. In Tyroul, to enter the center auction house, we don¡¯t need anything else but one thing.¡± Zich bent his index finger and thumb to make a circle.

    ¡°¡­Money?¡±

    ¡°What else do you need in an auction house?¡±

    It was an extremely simple but strictly held rule in the auction house.

    ¡°Will we be able to at least watch the auction?¡±

    ¡°Well, with the money we have, we can pay for the admission fees. But only the two of us. If Hans and Snoc want to join, the price is going to climb even higher.¡±

    ¡°¡­Admission fees?¡±

    ¡°I told you. If you want to even go in, you need money. In the first ce, there¡¯s an admission fee to enter the auction house, and that amount is more than you can imagine. It¡¯s the kind of money thatmoners can only see in their dreams.¡±

    ¡°And business can still go on?¡±

    ¡°As you can clearly see.¡± Zich stretched out his arms in an exaggerated motion and pointed towards the auction house where people wearing expensive clothes wereing in and out.

    ¡°Most of the rarest items in the worlde to this auction house to sell for a high price because of its reputation. So rich people from all over the worlde here to buy rare items, thereby increasing the Tyroul auction house¡¯s reputation and bringing in more rare items.¡±

    This cycle continued to make the Tyroul auction house the most famous auction house in the world. L stared at the auction house again, and the admiration in her eyes from before faded.

    ¡°Should we try going in?¡±

    ¡°Didn¡¯t you just say that the admission fee was expensive?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s only for people who want to participate in the auctions. I¡¯m pretty sure the lobby is open to the public.¡±

    Curiosity filled L¡¯s eyes again. ¡°How do you know so much about the auction house?¡±

    Zich merelyughed at L¡¯s question. Even without clear memories about the future, L could immediately deduce what his smile indicated.

    ¡°Zich Moore must have wreaked havoc here, right?¡±

    ¡°They looked down on me because I didn¡¯t have money.¡±

    For that reason, Zich gave the auction house a vast amount of money¡ªfrom the money he robbed from the auction house. L sent him a nce that she didn¡¯t even have to hear what happened to know he did something outrageous. Then Zich asked L again, ¡°Are we going in or not?¡±

    ¡°I want to go in.¡±

    Zich¡¯s actions as Zich Moore and her curiosity werepletely separate matters. Zich and L moved towards the entrance. As Zich said, no one stopped them from entering the building. The lobby was spacious and luxurious¡ªthe white floor was so well kept that it almost looked as if people would be pierced by the lighting off them. The ceiling was in a dome shape and was painted with beautiful and colorful patterns. In a corner of the lobby, employees at the information desk were consulting people. However, what stood out the most in the lobby was arge, wooden que surrounded by a hoard of people.

    ¡°What is that?¡±

    The wooden que covered an entire wall and severalrge pieces of paper were stuck on it.

    ¡°It¡¯s the list of items that are going to be auctioned this time. After checking the items over there, people decide whether they want to participate or not. Want to check it out?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I want to see it.¡± L immediately nodded. Zich and L crossed the lobby to move closer to the wooden que with the auctioning list.

    It was at that moment.

    ¡°That¡¯s a stolen item!¡±

    Everyone¡¯s attention turned towards the loud voice. Zich and L also looked in that direction, and Zich¡¯s gaze turned strange. It was definitely a voice he had heard before.

    ¡®No way¡­¡¯

    Zich came to Tyroul to see her, but he didn¡¯t expect to actually meet her. However, Zich was extremely lucky and had arrived at the perfect time. He saw an elf shouting at an employee at the information desk.

    The Sun Hero Glen Zenard¡¯srade and the ¡®Wind¡¯s Arrow¡¯¡ªLeona Pearl in Droud¡ªwas standing in front of him.

 Chapter 151

    <h4>Chapter 151</h4>

    Green hair, the same color as a vibrant leaf, flowed past her pale shoulders. However, the most noticeable features on her head were the long, pointy ears that poked out of her hair. Anyone could recognize that she was an elf; and now, this elf named Leona was striking the reception desk angrily with her palms. The receptionist disyed great professionalism by responding to Leona without losing the smile on his face.

    However, the security guards in their surroundings watched her with stern eyes. They approached the reception desk and watched over the situation. They nned to intervene if themotion got any bigger, but as if Leona didn¡¯t notice the guards or ignored them, she continued to raise her voice.

    ¡°I told you to return that immediately!¡±

    ¡°I deeply apologize, dear customer. I¡¯m not sure what you are specifically talking about, but everything in this ce has been given to us by our clients to exhibit at the auction house. Since nothing belongs to us, we are not authorized to make the decision of giving anything away.¡±

    ¡°Then tell me who this client is!¡±

    ¡°Miss, it¡¯s our auction house¡¯s strict policy to keep our clientele¡¯s identities a secret¡ªespecially to angry customers like you.¡±

    Dissatisfied by the response she got, Leona began to shout again. ¡°You can¡¯t do this or that! How can I find it then! That¡¯s our n¡¯s treasure!¡±

    ¡°Can you prove your im, miss?¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°We are an auction house that doesn¡¯t hold stolen goods, but that¡¯s only after it is proven that the good to be stolen. We also aren¡¯t the ones who will prove that a good was stolen or not.¡±

    ¡°What can I do then!¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know, miss. I¡¯m just someone who provides service to the auction house.¡± The receptionist maintained a polite smile on his face¡ªhis tone and attitude were still weing. However, everyone could tell that he was belittling Leona.

    The people watching the situation from close-by began to murmur amongst themselves, but they weren¡¯t supporting Leona. Words like ¡®country bumpkin¡¯ or ¡®uncultured¡¯ passed between their mouths. Leona¡¯s face reddened. An elf who had excellent hearing like her obviously heard everything, and she was deeply embarrassed. However, she still didn¡¯t move away from the reception desk.

    ¡°¡­I must bring that back no matter what.¡±

    ¡°Would you like to participate in the auction then? Our Tyroul Auction House is open to everyone.¡± It sounded like a repertoire said to gain more customers, and the receptionist added, ¡°Of course, if you have enough money, miss.¡±

    Leona wore a simple elf¡¯s traditional clothing. She wore light armor on top of that, but overall, she didn¡¯t look like she had much money at all. Besides, there weren¡¯t many cases where a non-human species had a lot of human money, and this was especially true for the elves. Thus, it was obvious the receptionist was sneering at her. Spectators began tough even louder, and Leona¡¯s face became redder. Her tightly clenched fists trembled on the desk. Just in case, security guards inched closer, but fortunately, what they feared didn¡¯t happen.

    Swish!

    Leona turned around and stomped outside of the building. The lobby was noisy withughter that ridiculed her, but soon, people began to focus on their own issues again.

    ¡°What are you going to do?¡± L stared at the ce Leona left from. ¡°Are you going to help her?¡±

    ¡°Um¡­,¡± Zich murmured to himself. Since he thought there was a low chance that he would meet her in the first ce, he hadn¡¯t decided what to do after he met her.

    ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you help her? Isn¡¯t that also a kind act?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t even know the details of her circumstances. How could it be a kind act?¡±

    ¡°You can just tell right away, though.¡±

    It was a guess that anyone could think of: someone had stolen the treasure of Leona¡¯s n and ced it in an auction.

    ¡°Since she was one of the Hero¡¯spanions, it¡¯s unthinkable that Leona Pearl in Droud is lying. Wouldn¡¯t the situation be exactly how it appears?¡±

    Unlike his usual self, however, Zich hesitated and didn¡¯t move. L could guess why he was like this.

    ¡°Are you hesitating to help her because if you make a connection with her, you¡¯re worried that you might get pushed into bing Zich Brave?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re trying to make me associate with her so that I won¡¯t be Moore.¡±

    Their eyes met, and then they sighed simultaneously and stared at the building¡¯s entrance.

    ¡°Should we try following her for now?¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡±

    The two came out of the auction house and trailed behind Leona.

    * * *

    It wasn¡¯t difficult for them to find Leona again since Zich had been tracking her presence. She was not too far away from the auction house, kicking a stone wall and heaving madly. The people around her nced at her because of her wild behavior and great beauty, which was a normal characteristic of all elves. However, nobody approached her since she looked furious from head to toe¡­except Zich and L.

    Zich came closer to her and said, ¡°Hello, miss.¡±

    Leona flicked her head around. She wasn¡¯t nning to hide her emotions as her fiery eyes shot towards Zich.

    ¡®It¡¯s almost like I¡¯m dealing with a wild dog.¡¯

    ¡°What?¡± She sounded like she was in a foul mood. Her response to Zich was unpleasant as feelings of difort mixed with wariness. L was worried that Zich¡¯s nasty temper would be activated and was about to step forward when¡ª

    Zich said, ¡°We were wondering if we could help you in any way.¡±

    L turned her head swiftly. ¡®Did I just hear him wrong?¡¯

    Zich¡¯s voice sounded calm, gentle, and friendly¡ªall characteristics that had no connection with him. L carefully searched Zich¡¯s face. His expression looked as if he wanted to advocate to do every good deed in the world.

    Flinch!

    L instinctively stepped backward, but Zich paid no attention to her and continued to talk in his kind and gentle voice.

    ¡°I saw themotion in the lobby just now. Really, there are so many mean people. They could have just exined it to you if you didn¡¯t know about the system.¡±

    Zich let out a big sigh, but Leona still didn¡¯t let down her guard.

    ¡°I wanted to first talk to you because I didn¡¯t want you to think that those people you just met were the standards of all humans. Would you be able to tell me about your situation? It could be something I can help you with. Ah, I haven¡¯t introduced myself. My name is Zich.¡±

    With a smile, Zich looked at Leona whose eyes furtively nced back at him. She seemed to be wondering if she should believe in him or not, but she soon made her decision and replied, ¡°Leona. I¡¯m Leona Pearl in Droud.¡±

    ¡°I got it. Then may I call you Ms. Leona?¡±

    An elf¡¯sst name came from the name of the forest they lived in. For that reason, they didn¡¯t usually call each other by theirst names, but by their first names. This was different from humans.

    ¡°Okay.¡±

    ¡°Ms. Leona, let¡¯s go to a nearby restaurant. I will pay for it. You can tell me your story there.¡±

    Leona cautiously nodded. Watching everything unfold in front of her, L thought of a word closest to Zich¡¯s current appearance.

    ¡®A swindler.¡¯

    A swindler that conned na?ve people from the countryside. He looked exactly like them.

    * * *

    Zich, L, and Leona all entered a restaurant. It was a fairly expensive restaurant with private rooms so that people could be by themselves. Zich brought hispany to a private room, and they sat around a circr table and looked at the menu.

    ¡°Ms. Leona, what would you like?¡±

    ¡°W-well¡­¡± Leona awkwardly lifted the menu up. Even though she tried to look calm, it looked as if it was her first time ordering in a restaurant.

    ¡°I can help.¡±

    Zich stepped forward to help again. He read the menu and exined what each of the food was. ¡°Since Ms. Leona is an elf, you don¡¯t eat meat, right?¡±

    ¡°Y-yeah.¡±

    ¡°Then how about this?¡±

    ¡°Okay, let¡¯s go with that.¡±

    Even though Leona nodded, she probably didn¡¯t understand half of what Zich said. Leona looked nervous and stiff froming into unfamiliar territory. However, Zich continued to be attentive and kind to her. L saw that she was slowly lowering her guard. ¡®A wild dog that lets her guard down when fed¡¯¡ªthat was the image L got from her.

    The food soon arrived, and they began eating. Leona seemed pleased by the vegan food in front of her and clearly enjoyed her meal.

    ¡°Then Ms. Leona, would you be able to tell us your story?¡±

    Leona was thoroughly chewing her food before she swallowed everything at Zich¡¯s words. ¡°Okay.¡±

    Leona quietly began her story. Leona and her tribe, like usual elves, were living a quiet life in nature. One day, an incident thatpletely turned their tribe upside down urred.

    Their treasure was stolen.

    ¡°What kind of treasure was it?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a jewel called the Lake¡¯s Tear.¡±

    ¡°Just by hearing its name, I can tell that it''s a very precious item. How did it go missing?¡±

    ¡°A human merchant came to us.¡±

    People had the stereotype that elves just stayed in their forest and made no contact with outsiders, but they actually traded with merchants from other species. Moreover, they even let trustworthy merchants into their homes.

    ¡°Like usual, that merchant traded with us and left our forest. A few dayster, we found out that our tribe¡¯s treasure was missing.¡±

    Of course, all the suspicions moved towards the merchant. The elves formed an investigation team and sent them to the human world. The team went to find the merchant who traded with their tribe. However, they weren¡¯t able to find the merchant anywhere. The shop that the merchant owned was already sold to a different person, and the merchant¡¯s whereabouts were nowhere to be found.

    ¡°He thoroughly nned this out.¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡± Leona gritted her teeth. She even let out murderous intent at the grudge she held against the merchant.

    ¡°But how were you able to find out that the treasure was in the Tyroul Auction House?¡±

    ¡°I heard from humans about this auction house. Since they said this auction house has all sorts of valuable things in this world, I thought that there was a good chance that the thief might have put up our item for auction.¡±

    ¡°And your predictions were right?¡±

    ¡°Yep. The Lake¡¯s Tear is definitely in that auction house.¡±

    ¡°How do you know for sure?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s because I can sense it.¡±

    ¡°Yes, I believe you.¡±

    Zich continued to listen to her words. ¡°Ms. Leona, the auction house won¡¯t easily believe your words. They won¡¯t just give you the treasure called ¡®Lake¡¯s Tear¡¯.¡±

    ¡°Then I have to take it back! Since it was stolen from us, it doesn¡¯t matter if we also steal from them!¡±

    ¡®She¡¯s thinking such dangerous thoughts.¡¯

    Before Zich¡¯s regression, this was probably the reason why people said she caused amotion at the auction house in the past.

    ¡°That will be very difficult. The auction house is maintained by the city, so if you try to take something from it, the city¡¯s military force wille down upon you. Will you be able to handle that?¡±

    ¡°Hmmm.¡± Leona was not able to easily reply.

    ¡°Then what should I do?¡±

    ¡°As the employee said in the lobby, a possible way to get the treasure back is to buy it back. So that¡¯s why, Ms. Leona¡­¡±

    Zich put a slice of steak into his mouth and asked Leona, ¡°How much money do you have right now?¡±

    Once again, L looked at him as if he was a swindler.

 Chapter 152

    <h4>Chapter 152</h4>

    ¡°Money?¡± Leona pondered for a bit and took out a bundle from her waist.

    ¡°I don¡¯t really know much about human money¡­¡± Leona poured out her belongings on top of the table.

    ¡®She makes me worried.¡¯

    Although L thought she alsocked experience and didn¡¯t know much about the world, she thought Leona was worse than her. Leona seemed like she had grown up all her life in elf society and had just recently been thrown into the human world.

    ¡®Who are Leona¡¯s parents and why did they let someone like her go alone?¡¯ Since L didn¡¯t know Leona¡¯s situation in detail, L didn¡¯t make any further judgments.

    Surprisingly, Leona carried a considerable amount of wealth. She didn¡¯t have much human money, but there were a couple of valuable-looking gems amongst her belongings.

    ¡°You have more than I thought.¡±

    ¡°Really?¡± Leona felt hopeful that she could get back her n¡¯s treasure with the amount of money she had, so her face brightened.

    ¡°The quality of this gem is, um¡­¡± Zich picked up a red gem and gold coin. Then, he exined simply so that Leona, who had no knowledge or sense of human currency, could easily understand. ¡°I¡¯m not extremely knowledgeable about this either, but if you sell this one red gem, you will probably be able to get 500 of these gold coins.¡±

    ¡°What?¡± Leona was shocked.

    ¡°Is there a problem?¡±

    ¡°Ah, no. It¡¯s just that I sold a simr gem to pay for my travel expenses before¡­¡±

    ¡°You must not have gotten 500 gold coins then.¡± Zich realized her situation.

    ¡°I got 85 of these gold coins.¡± She pointed at the same gold coins that Zich pointed to.

    ¡®She got seriously conned.¡¯

    When he said that the gem was worth about 500 gold coins, he talked about its minimum value. Its actual value was probably much higher.

    ¡®She almost got conned 1/6 to 1/8 of its value.¡¯

    Zich shook his head, ¡°You got tricked, miss. They took advantage of yourck of knowledge about the human world and gave you much less money for the item¡¯s worth.¡±

    ¡°I-Is that the case?¡±

    Did he imagine it? It looked as if her ears slightly drooped down.

    ¡°Did you have a long trip? You don¡¯t have much money left considering that you got 85 gold coins.¡± There were only three coins rolling on the table.

    ¡°What do you mean? It has only been 20 days since I came out of the forest.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Both Zich and L closed their mouths.

    ¡°W-Why?¡± Leona worried that she might have done something wrong again. There was no trace of the wariness she had towards them in the beginning.

    ¡°Did you stay in a fancy lodging, miss?¡±

    ¡°No. I usually sleep inside the forest. I went to the human¡¯s lodging a few times out of curiosity, but that¡¯s it.¡±

    Sleeping in a forest was normal for elves. There was nothing strange about it except that her money had decreased significantly over the course of just 20 days.

    ¡°Did you eat luxurious foods?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know what you mean by that, but I mostly ate the fruits in the forest or bought vegetables in human stores. Ah, but a couple of times, I ate some human snacks out of curiosity.¡±

    ¡°What and how much did you buy?¡±

    Leona told them what she bought and both Zich and L became speechless by her response again.

    ¡°B-But I also bought those things, asking them¡­ to give¡­me¡­a dis¡­count¡­.¡± In addition to her ears, Leona¡¯s shoulders drooped.

    Zich sighed, ¡°Well, what can we do? I think you lost a lot of money, but we can think of this as a learning experience of how harsh and dirty the human world is.¡±

    However, L added, ¡°The amount that you lost in just 20 days is too much. You were cheated out of about 400 gold coins when you sold the gems and lost 80 more gold coins than you needed when buying goods.¡±

    Although L didn¡¯t have much experience either, she had detailed information on various market values for goods and knew how much money Leona was scammed out of.

    ¡°It¡¯s fine, Ms. Leona. It¡¯s because you didn¡¯t know. Just forget about those 480 gold coins.¡±

    Even with Zich¡¯sforting words, Leona hung her head lower. Then, she muttered quietly like a crawling ant, ¡°It¡¯s not 480 coins¡­. I sold two gems.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Zich and L closed their mouths again. The same thought passed through their heads simultaneously,: ¡®This elf is a pushover¡ªand a super pushover at that.¡¯

    * * *

    The sun set beyond Tungel¡¯s castle walls and spread its red rays everywhere. It was about time for stores to close for the day and people to return to their homes. Likewise, Zich, L, and Leona faced the sunset with their backs and walked across a path.

    Zich asked, ¡°Are you satisfied, Ms. Leona?¡±

    Staring absentmindedly while holding a hefty bundle in one of her hands, Leona turned to face him. ¡°What did you say?¡±

    ¡°I asked if you were satisfied, Ms. Leona.¡±

    Leona stared at the bundle she was carrying.¡°It¡¯s not a bad feeling, but I don¡¯t know. I feel kind of dispirited. It¡¯s aplex feeling.¡±

    It was understandable. Although she got 85 gold coins for each gem when she sold them by herself, she had seeded in selling each one of her gems for 700 gold coins when she sold them with Zich¡¯s help. The heavy bundle she was carrying contained a mass of gold coins.

    ¡°You got more than we expected since this is an auction city.¡±

    The ce where they sold the gem was one of the many auction houses that existed in Tungel. Her quality gems sold for 200 more gold coins than Zich had anticipated. In addition to that, Zich taught her the market value of goods and ways to negotiate with merchants. Of course, Leona still wasn¡¯t used to living in human society, so she couldn¡¯t negotiate like a human immediately, but she was clearly in a much better position than before.

    ¡°Let¡¯s try going to the Tyroul Auction House so that we can check what day and what time your item will be auctioned.¡±

    ¡°Okay!¡± Leona nodded with a hopeful smile. An elf¡¯s smile was extraordinary. All the people passing by momentarily stopped to gaze at her face.

    However, Zich crushed the smile on her face with an indifferent expression. ¡°Ms. Leona, you won¡¯t be able to retrieve your item back with the amount of money you currently have.¡±

    ¡°¡­But I have so many gold coins?¡± Leona peeked into her sack.

    ¡°The customers in the Tyroul Auction House easily use that amount of gold coins for just one meal.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡± Leona looked down at her sack as if she was going to eat it whole.

    L elbowed Zich forpletely crushing Leona¡¯s hope. L¡¯s attack directly hit the center of his abdomen, but Zich received her attack with no change in his expression.

    ¡°Well, please don¡¯t lose hope. There¡¯re certainly ways to get it back.¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s another way?¡±

    Leona lifted her head up with a bright expression again. It was amusing to see how quickly her expressions changed.

    ¡°Yes, so don¡¯t worry about it too much, and let¡¯s go find the auction information about the Lake¡¯s Tear.¡±

    ¡°Okay!¡± Leona smiled brightly again.

    * * *

    ¡°Well, it¡¯s easy.¡±

    While drinking a ss of wine, Zich sat on a chair and stretched out his legs on a stool. With a high and mighty air, he said, ¡°How difficult would it be to coax an inexperienced hillbilly elf fresh out of the woods?¡±

    Then Zich arrogantly tipped his wine ss towards him. L tried her best, but she couldn¡¯t look favorably at him because he looked so much like a swindler that had sessfully captured his prey.

    ¡°What was up with your actions today?¡±

    ¡°For what?¡±

    ¡°You acted like someonepletely different. Like¡­you know, what¡­¡±

    ¡°Like a person who is kind and caring and filled with a strong sense of justice?¡±

    L did not reply. She shivered as goosebumps ran down her arms and legs.

    ¡°Hey, go easy on me. I didn¡¯t act like that because I wanted to.¡± Zich took a gulp of wine. If L looked closer, his expression didn¡¯t look too pleased either.

    ¡°It was the best way for me to sessfully approach her and intervene given the situation.¡± Zich put his legs down from the stool. ¡°She¡¯s a young elf who came out of the forest for the first time toplete a mission of retrieving her tribe¡¯s treasure back. Moreover, she must have experienced all sorts of discrimination as an elf.¡±

    All the swindling and fraud was the most prominent discrimination she received so far. If she had been a human, she wouldn¡¯t have been scammed to that extent.

    ¡°Of course, in her head, she must know it too that she should be wary of a person who suddenly appears to help her; but in such an awful situation, if a kind and caring person like me appears in front of her, she probably feels differently.¡±

    Regardless of species, if everyone acted only on logic, swindlers would decrease to at least a tenth of their size. Zich was sure of this.

    ¡°Leona Pearl in Droud already trusts me beyond a normal level, and I¡¯m able to maintain a rtionship where I can interfere with her business.¡±

    ¡°No matter how I think about it, you look like a swindler who is trying to con a na?ve country bumpkin who just came to the city.¡±

    Zich burst outughing. ¡°Even though our goals are different, we probably are aiming for the same thing.¡±

    L shook her head.

    ¡°If we didn¡¯t intervene, what would have happened to her? Judging by her reaction, Leona would have really caused havoc in the auction house if we didn¡¯t stop her. From my memory, however, I don¡¯t think she experienced a particrly bad incident.¡±

    ¡°Ah, that? It¡¯s simple.¡± Zich recalled a distant event in his past. He remembered her ferociously sharp arrows and abilities in their final battle with Glen Zenard.

    ¡°It¡¯s because she was strong enough to be one of Glen Zenard¡¯srades. She¡¯s probably crazy strong right now¡ªstrong enough to cause chaos in the auction house and sessfully escape.¡±

    After all, being street-smart and possessing physical strength werepletely different matters.

    * * *

    The next day, Zich, L, and Leona went back to the Tyroul Auction House. The employee at the information desk and the guards seemed to recognize her, but she didn¡¯t act in any way that would make them chase her out. The guards merely strengthen their grip on the weapon they were holding. However, Leona also had no intentions to fight with them anymore, so she thoroughly ignored them and followed Zich and L.

    ¡°That¡¯s where the items being auctioned are written.¡± Zich pointed at the wooden boards on one side of the wall.

    The wooden boards were huge. It was much bigger than a full-grown man, and they were filled with papers that had items soon to be auctioned written on them.

    ¡°Let¡¯s first check out that wooden board.¡± Zich pointed at the wooden board where the building¡¯s least valuable items were being auctioned off.

    If the Lake¡¯s Tear was on this board, they could buy the item at a rtively affordable cost. However, unfortunately, the Lake¡¯s Tear was not on the first wooden board.

    ¡°Well, let¡¯s go to the next board.¡±

    Zich and hispanions searched through each one of the wooden boards to find the Lake¡¯s Tear. However, no matter where they looked, they couldn¡¯t find the Lake¡¯s Tear. Leona began to grow more and more nervous. Each time they moved on to the next board, the more valuable the items were; thus, the prices increased exponentially. Even though Zich said there was another way, she couldn¡¯t help but feel worried. To her dismay, the Lake¡¯s Tear didn¡¯t appear even after they passed through many wooden boards.

    ¡°There¡¯s only one board left.¡±

    With Zich¡¯s words, Leona looked at thest remaining board. It was the highlight of the auction house where items being auctioned off at the center auction room were posted.

 Chapter 153

    <h4>Chapter 153</h4>

    In one corner of the lobby, there were many wooden posts attached with papers, detailing the auction goods that filled the whole space. However, most people were gathered in the center of the auction house. The sizes of the wooden posts in this area were bigger than the others and their descriptions were more detailed.

    Furthermore, the starting prices of these goods were much higher. Leona carefully read through the information, but what caught her eyes the most were the exorbitant prices. Although she didn¡¯t know much about the human world yet, she could estimate their value by her own measurements.

    ¡®This is the price of 300,000 apples. This one is 350,000 apples. And this is o-one million apples¡­!¡¯

    Leona¡¯splexion grew paler and paler at the sight of such high numbers. What shocked her, even more, was that these numbers were the starting prices. Since she had participated in an auction to sell her jewels, she knew what they meant.

    ¡®If the Lake¡¯s Tear is being auctioned here¡­¡¯

    It seemed like she wouldn¡¯t be able to buy it with the money and gems she currently had. However, she was able to relieve her worries at Zich¡¯s question.

    ¡°Did you find it?¡± he asked, and L shook her head. Leona also couldn¡¯t answer.

    ¡°This is a surprise. I thought we would at least find it in the central auction room.¡±

    Zich stared at the wooden posts with the description of the goods. To their astonishment, they couldn¡¯t find a description of the Lake¡¯s Tear.

    ¡°Did we miss it?¡± L asked, and Zich answered, ¡°We looked for it three times each. If we didn¡¯t find it after searching for it so thoroughly, it must not be here.¡±

    The second time they were looking for the Lake¡¯s Tear, they even poured mana into their eyes to help their search. However, they still failed to find it after going through such an effort twice.

    ¡°Can you really feel the treasure in this building?¡±

    ¡°I-I¡¯m sure.¡± Even as Leona looked like she was about to cry, she said this assuredly.

    ¡°Then, let¡¯s go back for now. There may still be writing a description for it.¡±

    Suddenly, another possibility popped into Zich¡¯s head.

    ¡®Wait, don¡¯t tell me that is already here.¡¯

    * * *

    ¡°A ck market?¡±

    L hade to Zich¡¯s room to discuss future ns, and she looked surprised.

    ¡°Yeah. Of course, that¡¯s not its official name, but that¡¯s what people call it.¡±

    While Zich satfortably in his chair, he tapped Windur''s handle next to him a couple of times.

    ¡°You can guess what sort of ce that is by its name, right?¡±

    ¡°I can tell that it¡¯s not such a great ce.¡±

    Zich smirked. ¡°It¡¯s simr to the Tyroul Auction House in the way that it disys everything expensive and valuable in this world, but the ck market has a couple more conditions.¡±

    Like he was conspiring tomit a crime, Zich lowered his pitch.

    ¡°It takes in only things that are dangerous, illegal, immoral, and so on.¡±

    ¡°In short, they are all goods that will put you at a risk if you get caught buying them.¡±

    ¡°Yes, perfect,¡± Zich answered like he wasplimenting a student he was teaching.

    ¡°I¡¯m not absolutely certain, but there¡¯s a possibility that the ¡®Lake¡¯s Tear¡¯ could''ve gone to the ck market. I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s because it¡¯s a stolen good or if there is another reason, though.¡±

    ¡°Will it be much harder to find it then?¡±

    ¡°Of course. Not only will it be harder to participate in the auction now, but the price of the item will also be much higher,¡± Zich said and curled his forefinger and thumb into a circle.

    ¡°So, in the end, everything is about money.¡±

    ¡°The auction house exists for that purpose.¡±

    ¡°What are you going to do now?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s the problem.¡±

    Zich leaned his back against his chair. L was a bit surprised to see him ponder deeply.

    ¡°Is it that expensive?¡±

    ¡°Very. Goods that you have to buy and sell in secret are much more expensive than normal ones because you have to share the risk costs with the seller. Even if webine the money Leona and I have, we won¡¯t be able to buy the cheapest goods on the ck market.¡±

    ¡°I thought you had a solution.¡±

    ¡°What do you mean?¡±

    ¡°You know, the solution to get back the Lake¡¯s Tear.¡±

    ¡°Ah, that?¡±

    ¡®Was that a lie too?¡¯ L thought, ¡®I mean, even he won¡¯t be able to prepare an immense sum of money in such a short time.¡¯ However, L was underestimating Zich too much.

    ¡°Of course, I have one.¡±

    ¡°¡­How?¡±

    ¡°We can just buy it.¡±

    ¡°¡­You just said it was too expensive. Where can you get the money?¡±

    Zich responded to her confidently, ¡°I have never worried about money since I left my family.¡±

    Although Zich restrained from using a lot of money at the beginning of his journey, Zich soon realized that it was useless for him to do so; and now, he used money unsparingly and raked in fortunes after going through many incidents.

    L felt relieved to hear that Zich at least had a solution to the matter; but at the same time, she couldn¡¯t help but wonder.

    ¡°So, if you can buy it, what¡¯s the problem?¡±

    ¡°Well, I thought the ck market only formed around the period of Demon People since the Tyroul ck Market was famous at that time.¡±

    During those days, the ck market operated in broad daylight as one of the Tyroul¡¯s main auction houses¡­ of course, until Zich caught it on his radar and smashed it into pieces.

    ¡°So, it¡¯s a big deal that I just realized the possibility of it existing at this time.¡±

    Zich smiled. It was the kind of smile that gave goosebumps to Hans, Snoc, and L from time to time.

    ¡°We can¡¯t just let the ck market be, right? No matter how you see it, they are run by bad guys.¡±

    * * *

    Zich and hispanions went to the auction house every day to see if the Lake¡¯s Tear was added to the list of items avable for auction. Yet even after a couple of days passed, it didn¡¯t appear on the list. They even asked the information center employees if an item called the Lake¡¯s Tear was up for auction, but they just replied that all the items up for auction were written on the wooden boards. When they checked the auction house for the fifth day with no sess, Zich was now definitely sure.

    ¡°I¡¯m sure of it. The Lake¡¯s Tear is going toe up in the ck market.¡±

    Zich gathered everyone in his room to exin the situation.

    Leona asked, ¡°What¡¯s the ck market?¡±

    Zich told Leona exactly what he told L.

    ¡°There¡¯s something like that?¡±

    ¡°Yes, Ms. Leona. I barely managed to get this information, but I¡¯m sure your item is being auctioned there.¡±

    Leona¡¯s face brightened up at finally finding out information about the Lake¡¯s Tear. However, it was not long before reality darkened her face.

    ¡°Regardless, it¡¯s going up for auction, right?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°W-will it be expensive?¡±

    ¡°As I have just told you, the ck market has even more expensive items than the ones being sold in the center auction room. The items they have are not just iffy, but if they get caught selling and buying them, it¡¯ll be very dangerous for them.¡±

    Even with Zich¡¯s detailed exnation, Leona did not understand the riskiness of the ck market. She had far too little experience to understand the items that were being sold and bought. However, she clearly understood that the items on the ck market were going to be more expensive than even the items in the center auction room. Leona despaired at his words. In the end, there was only one thing she could depend on.

    ¡°Y-you said that there was another way, right?¡±

    Leona desperately asked Zich as if he was her only hope. It was hard to tell if she was the same feisty elf who first held up her guard against him.

    ¡®No, she only held up her guard for a short time in the beginning, and after that, she stopped.¡¯

    L looked at Leona with a ridiculous look. Leona no longer looked like a feisty wild dog but a lost puppy looking for her owner.

    ¡°Of course, there¡¯s another way.¡±

    ¡°What is that?¡±

    Leona¡¯s eyes sparkled. It seemed as if light was going to shoot from her eyes. L fixed her position and leaned towards Zich. Hans and Snoc, who had been quietly sitting down, also leaned their heads and waited for Zich¡¯s next words.

    ¡°Regardless of what happens, the auction will happen. In the end, everything will be over if we just buy the Lake¡¯s Tear.¡±

    ¡°Yeah! Yeah!¡±

    Leona nodded so fiercely that it almost looked like it was going to fall off.

    ¡°I know a ce that has enough money to pay for it.¡±

    ¡°Where¡¯s that?¡±

    Zich smiled brightly towards Leona and all the others who were eagerly anticipating his next words. ¡°Let¡¯s go find treasures.¡±

    ¡°T-treasures?¡± Leona asked with a surprised voice, but her eyes soon sparkled. ¡°You know about a ce with treasures?¡±

    ¡°Yes, I know.¡±

    ¡°Are there a lot of treasures?¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s a lot. A tremendous amount.¡±

    ¡°If we have that, would we be able to buy the Lake¡¯s Tear?¡±

    ¡°We can buy it for sure.¡±

    Leona cheered at Zich¡¯s words. The word treasures made her think about all the precious gold and jewels in dungeons that she read when she was young. If Zich really knew a ce filled with treasures, they would definitely be able to buy back the Lake¡¯s Tear. Due to her excitement, she was unable to see all the eyes behind her. All their eyes were looking at Zich and saying:

    [No matter how you see it, he looks like a swindler.]

    * * *

    After Zich suggested treasures as a possible solution and Leona jumped up in happiness, he sent people back to their rooms. However, L did not leave and quickly scanned Zich with suspicious eyes.

    ¡°I¡¯m amazed. The solution you had all along was to find some treasures?¡±

    ¡°Why? You think I lied?¡± Zich was extremely shameless. He lifted his nose as if he did nothing wrong.

    ¡°Your lines are exactly what swindlers say. So what are you going to do after you trick an innocent kid to find some treasures? Are you gonna sell her?¡±

    ¡°People who fall for ordinary swindlers would probably meet an end like that.¡±

    ¡°So, are you saying you¡¯re not like those people?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, what would I get for selling her out?¡±

    Zich shrugged his shoulders. L stared at him and smirked. L merely thought he looked so much like a swindler that she wanted to joke around, but she also didn¡¯t think that Zich was lying.

    ¡°It¡¯s information from the future, right?¡±

    ¡°Of course.¡± Zich had searched through his memories before his regression. ¡°If we run at full speed for ten days from here, we¡¯ll arrive at a mountain with an ancient ruins. I heard that all sorts of valuable and precious goods were found there.¡±

    Even though he wasn¡¯t sure what type of ruins it was or what specific items were found there, he knew that an extremely valuable item was there. This extremely valuable item was what he needed.

    ¡°No matter how high the price is for the Lake¡¯s Tear, we¡¯ll definitely be able to buy it if we have that item.¡±

    ¡°Then that¡¯s a relief.¡± Suddenly, L burst outughing. ¡°Really, your words are just like stories made up by swindlers to trick na?ve country bumpkins; but isn¡¯t it funny that those words are actually true?¡±

    Zich alsoughed, ¡°Yeah, if you put it that way.¡±

    ¡°Then, I will leave you to be. Since the situation seems to have been resolved, I¡¯m going to get a good night¡¯s rest.¡±

    ¡°What do you mean by the situation has been resolved?¡±

    ¡°¡­That it¡¯s been resolved? What, is there another problem?¡± L, who just got up, sat back down on her chair after seeing his serious face. Likewise, she also became serious. However, it was because she momentarily forgot what type of human Zich was.

    ¡°It¡¯s not been resolved. I still haven¡¯t figured out the best way to screw over the auction house so that it would be the talk of the town.¡±

    ¡°¡­Damn, you Zich!¡±

    L threw a cushion next to her at Zich.

 Chapter 154

    <h4>Chapter 154</h4>

    Today, Leona went to the auction house again. Although they had nned to look for the Lake¡¯s Tear tomorrow, she went to the auction house every day in the hopes of seeing the treasure.

    ¡®It¡¯s not here today either.¡¯

    There were some new descriptions of goods added to the pile, but she couldn¡¯t find the Lake¡¯s Tear that she was looking for. However, Leona wasn¡¯t disappointed. She shut her eyes for a moment and decided to focus her mind away from her surroundings.

    ¡®¡­Yeah, I¡¯m sure it¡¯s here.¡¯

    She sensed it many times whenever she came to this ce. She didn¡¯t know the particr spot it was in, but she was sure that the treasure was here somewhere.

    ¡®I think Zich is right. They must be selling the Lake¡¯s Tear in a ck market.¡¯ Leona brushed off herst remaining regret and thought, ¡®Let me find the treasure and buy it from the ce called the ck market.¡¯

    She decided to stop wasting her time and energy looking for any descriptions about the Lake¡¯s Tear and looked through the wooden posts.

    ¡®There are many interesting things.¡¯

    It was quite fun to simply read the descriptions of the items disyed on the post. As expected of the best auction house in the world, even the descriptions of the lowest quality goods had one-liners that were interesting enough to stir people¡¯s curiosities. Furthermore, these posts had detailed exnations and illustrations that made viewers instantly imagine the item inside their minds. Leona continued to look at items that she had never seen from her homnd.

    ¡°Is there something you like?¡± She suddenly heard a low voice in front of her and looked up. A man with a long mustache and blonde hair smoothened behind his head stared at her. His first impression was unpleasant: he had a mean smile and spoke in a rude tone.

    ¡°What do you want?¡± Of course, Leona didn¡¯t respond well to the man¡¯s question. However, the man didn¡¯t seem to be offended.

    ¡°Oh, I forgot to introduce myself. My name is Wips Midas.¡± He made a small nod, but Leona couldn¡¯t sense the tiniest bit of respect in his behavior because all she felt from him was contempt and ridicule. The man named Midas raised his head again.

    ¡°I became interested in your story recently.¡±

    ¡°Well, I don¡¯t have any interest in you.¡±

    Leona turned her back, but Midas¡¯ next words sped her ankles back.

    ¡°¡­Even if it¡¯s a story about the Lake¡¯s Tear?¡±

    * * *

    There were small stores next to the auction house¡¯s lobby such as restaurants or caf¨¨s for buyers. As expected of the establishments within Tryoul Auction House, they were all extremely expensive.

    Leona sipped her drink made from fruit juice and water and looked around the shop. After familiarizing herself with currency and human money somewhat, Leona didn¡¯t buy anything in the shops but they still interested her. However, when she saw the menu, her expression changed.

    ¡®Why is everything so expensive?¡¯ Leona thought she could now understand why Zich had taken her to a different store (of course, this was not the reason and Zich had moved stores simply because he wanted an individual room).

    ¡°Are you satisfied?¡±

    ¡°Sort of.¡± Leona looked to the man who had introduced himself as Wips Midas and continued, ¡°You said you knew about the Lake¡¯s Tear. Quickly tell me right now.¡±

    Leona¡¯s blunt way of speaking was the same as ever, but Midas maintained his smile.

    ¡°Before that, let¡¯s talk for a bit. You are quite famous.¡±

    ¡°I am famous?¡±

    ¡°First, may I ask for your name?¡±

    Leona blinked and stared at him suspiciously. However, someone like her who had been titled as ¡®pushover¡¯ by Zich couldn¡¯t discern Midas¡¯ crafty, inner thoughts.

    ¡°It¡¯s Leona,¡± she answered, thinking that it was fine to at least give her name.

    ¡°Leona? That¡¯s a pretty name.¡±

    ¡°What do you mean by I¡¯m famous?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s just as I said. There are rumors about you among the people who use this auction hall, saying that you are an utterly¡­¡± As if it made himugh at just the thought of the words, Midas repressed hisughter and said, ¡°¡­helpless pushover.¡±

    ¡°¡­What is that?¡±

    ¡°Kukuku! I can¡¯t believe you don¡¯t even know what the word pushover means.¡±

    Midas thought she was such a clown. As Leona scowled because she was clueless about what she just heard, Midas¡¯ughter grew louder. People in their surroundings also erupted intoughter. It seemed like they all had heard the conversation between the two.

    ¡°Well, fine. Let me make an offer to a pitiful pushover who doesn¡¯t even know what the word means.¡±

    Although she didn¡¯t know what was going on, Leona knew that she was gettingughed at and her mood worsened. She nned to leave immediately if Midas began uttering nonsense.

    ¡°I will help you look for the Lake¡¯s Tear.¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t need to.¡±

    For the first time, Midas¡¯ smiling face faltered. Leona felt more refreshed somehow by his response.

    ¡°¡­I thought you treasured it?¡±

    ¡°I do.¡±

    ¡°Then why don¡¯t you need any help to get it?¡±

    ¡°Are you even listening? It¡¯s not that I don¡¯t need help. I just don¡¯t need your help.¡±

    ¡°I guess you are listening to the people who are helping you right now.¡±

    As if the situation had turned back to what he expected, Midas¡¯ attitude assumed an arrogant tone again.

    ¡°Of course.¡±

    ¡°Then let me warn you. Doing a kind act for another person is a difficult thing to do, especially for another species like you.¡±

    ¡°What do you mean?¡±

    ¡°It means that the people helping you are swindlers.¡±

    m!

    Leona struck the cup she was holding onto the table. The table shook strongly, but surprisingly the cup remained fine, and the juice that still filled half of the cup didn¡¯t pour out. Midas¡¯ face stiffened at her reaction.

    ¡°Say that one more time,¡± Leona said menacingly. The expression on Midas and the spectators¡¯ faces changed.

    Her eyes sharpened. A na?ve, hillbilly elf who had juste out of her forest was reced by a strong and skilled hunter in front of him.

    ¡°¡­Yes. I guess you are not just an ordinary hillbilly elf.¡±

    ¡°Say that again.¡±

    ¡°I said they are swindlers.¡±

    Leona red at Midas as if she was going to pounce on him at any moment. Midas faced her intense aura with a calm demeanor.

    ¡°¡­If I had my bow and no one was around, you would be dead right now.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s unfortunate. If you¡¯ve attacked me, I could have taught you that was a futile dream.¡±

    Leona did not fall for his provocation. It was annoying to even continue conversing with him. She was about to get up, but Midas stopped her before she could leave.

    ¡°Don¡¯t go so soon. I¡¯m not finished yet.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s over.¡±

    ¡°The Lake¡¯s Tear is not going to show up in this auction house.¡±

    Leona¡¯s gaze went back towards Midas, and he smiled to prove his statement.

    ¡°To be more precise, it¡¯s not going to show up in the ¡®front¡¯ auction house.¡±

    Leona scanned her surroundings.

    ¡°Is it okay to talk about that ce out loud?¡±

    ¡°¡­You seem like you know about the existence of the ck Market Auction House.¡± Midas¡¯ voice had a hint of surprise in it. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about the people around us. They are all my friends, and they obviously know about the existence of the ck market.¡±

    The people around her nodded. Some even waved, but they all showed signs of arrogance and snobbery.

    ¡°Do you know how to participate?¡±

    ¡°They told me how to participate.¡±

    ¡°Well, if they knew about its existence, I guess they would know at least that much. Even if you know of its existence and the way to participate, if you don¡¯t have the most important thing, it¡¯d all be useless.¡±

    Clonk!

    Midas took out something from his clothes and threw it on the table. Leona thought it might be a secret attack and flinched, but it was not an attack directed towards her. The item on the table reflected all the light of its surroundings and sparkled golden lights. It was a gold bar that was the size of a hand.

    ¡°Money.¡±

    After saying this, Midas continued, ¡°The Lake¡¯s Tear is probably going to be very expensive. Do you think you guys will be able to prepare that much money?¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡±

    At Leona¡¯s confident reply, Midas made a face full of surprise and curiosity.

    ¡°You must have a foolproof n. What is it?¡±

    ¡°Treasure.¡±

    ¡°¡­What?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m going to find treasure.¡±

    Midas¡¯ face scrunched up peculiarly. A face that did not know if it shouldugh or cry finally settled on a suitable expression¡ªan outburst. A giant outburst ofughter.

    ¡°Heeha, hehahahahahahhahaahhaha!¡±

    Midas grabbed his stomach andughed out loud, and the people around him alsoughed loudly. It was to the extent that people outside of the auction house peered in to see what was happening.

    ¡°Hah, you¡¯re the biggest pushover I¡¯ve ever seen! Did you seriously believe those ridiculous words!¡±

    ¡°Stopughing!¡± Leona shouted while her face was bright red. However, he ignored Leona¡¯s words and continued tough for a while.

    ¡°Ha, it¡¯s been a while since Iughed so much! This is on me! Take this!¡±

    Midas pushed the gold bar to Leona¡¯s sides. The gold bar slightly pushed Leona¡¯s cup, and the liquid inside the cup shook.

    ¡°I don¡¯t need it.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t be like that and take it. It¡¯s rare for me to be in such a good mood.¡±

    ¡°I thought you were na?ve, but I had no idea you were this stupid. Do you really believe that ridiculous treasure story?¡±

    ¡°Of course!¡±

    Midas shook his head. ¡°Unfortunately for you, but those guys are definitely swindlers¡­¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know who you are, but you shouldn¡¯t be like that, my friend.¡±

    Someone suddenly intervened between the two of them.

    ¡°You shouldn¡¯t gossip about people behind their backs.¡±

    Midas lifted his head and stared at the person who suddenly intervened. The person¡¯s voice was full of confidence, and the sides of his mouth were turned slightly upwards, almost like a smirk. Midas knew who he was.

    ¡°Zich!¡± Leona weed him.

    Zich made a small smile at Leona and said, ¡°My friend here seems to have an issue with me, so would you be able to wait outside for a bit?¡±

    Zich pointed his thumb towards his back. L was standing at the area where he pointed.

    ¡°Okay.¡± Leona nced at Midas once and left.

    Zich sat on the spot she used to sit. Hans and Snoc, who came with Zich, stood behind him. Even though others might have found their presence threatening, Midas paid no attention to them.

    Zich said, ¡°All right. My friend here with a lot of money andints, you seem like you have something to say to me.¡±

    ¡°You bring around an elf and a beauty like that¡ªI guess you are not an ordinary swindler.¡±

    ¡°What do you mean, a swindler? How can you say such a harsh word to me? There¡¯s no one as upright as me in this world.¡±

    Hans and Snoc both pinched their thighs and tried to maintain a straight face. Nowem, who was only peeking out with his face, decided to just go back inside Snoc¡¯s clothes.

    ¡°I won¡¯t say much to that.¡±

    Midas didn¡¯t want to waste his time on superfluous affairs and decided to move to the next topic.

    ¡°You did a good job taming that elf.¡±

    ¡°Why are you talking as if she is an animal? The only thing I did was give advice to a na?ve elf who just came out of the forest.¡±

    Zich tapped his fingers on the cup. A hard sound came from the wooden cup.

    ¡°A piece of advice to believe in no one else but me.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s amon tactic that swindlers use: to make peoplepletely believe in their words and then make them not believe in anyone else.¡±

    ¡°But I¡¯m not a swindler.¡±

    ¡°What a shameless punk.¡± Midas insulted Zich. ¡°You know, you are quite famous around here. They all know you as the swindler trying topletely rip off an elf.¡±

    ¡°I keep telling you, I¡¯m not a swindler. I¡¯ll admit that I look like one, but you also don¡¯t look so upright either. No, instead, you look like a beast that drips saliva even while looking at rotten meat.¡± Then, Zich¡¯s eyes sharpened. ¡°What kind of trick are you trying to pull?¡±

    ¡°What do you mean by trick¡­¡±

    Midas¡¯ eyes sparkled as he continued, ¡°I¡¯m after what you are trying to get from that elf. I also want it.¡±

 Chapter 155

    <h4>Chapter 155</h4>

    ¡°What are you talking about?¡± Zich tilted his head.

    There was nothing he wanted from Leona. Even though his personality was genuinely terrible, and his behavior strongly resembled that of a swindler, he had helped Leona out of goodwill.

    ¡°There¡¯s nothing I am aiming for. My actions are solely based on pure intentions. Ah, have you opened your eyes to helping others too? Then I think I can help you.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t make meugh. If someone like me says that I will help people out of goodwill, would you believe me?¡±

    ¡°Since I don¡¯t know you well, I won¡¯t be able to reach a definite answer. But if I judge you only in the short time I see you, I won¡¯t be able to believe you at all.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s my answer to your question.¡±

    ¡°Idiot, what do you mean by that¡¯s your answer? I am different. I really am doing a kind act right now.¡±

    ¡°Is the kind act you are doing looking for a treasure?¡±

    ¡°Of course. Do you want to join me?¡±

    Midas red at Zich. ¡°I thought you were nning to trick a gullible elf and sell her somewhere for a hefty price. That¡¯s what other people thought too, but it¡¯s iprehensible why you would bide so much time to do that.¡±

    Midas stared at the ce where Leona had left. ¡°It makes me wonder, what is the point of wasting more time after having built up so much of her trust already? You should have dragged her right away before something unexpected happened, but you didn¡¯t do that.¡±

    Zich didn¡¯t open his mouth. He just bobbed his chin as if he was telling Midas to continue.

    ¡°So, I thought you had something more to extort from the elf.¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s nothing. She had some money, but I didn''t want something like gold coins.¡±

    ¡°It must be the Lake¡¯s Tear.¡± Midas¡¯ eyes shone. ¡°Or you must have thought that she had an item of simr value in her possession.¡±

    ¡°Sorry to disappoint, but I don¡¯t even know what the Lake¡¯s Tear really is.¡±

    ¡°Even when you coaxed the elf to let you help her?¡±

    ¡°Yes. All I wanted to do was help her find her n¡¯s treasure. There¡¯s no reason for me to know what that item exactly is.¡±

    He knew that it was a blue gem, but Zich didn¡¯t know why it was important, its uses, or what kind of powers it had. However, as expected, Midas couldn¡¯t believe him.

    ¡°¡­I suppose you have no intention to cooperate.¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t lie about anything, but it¡¯s also true that I have no thoughts of cooperating with you. How could I believe a swindler like you?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not a good feeling to hear that I am a swindler from a swindler bastard.¡± Midas got up from his chair. Then, he looked down at Zich with displeasure and added, ¡°Especially from a low-ss, dirty one.¡±

    ¡°I don''t know who you are talking about, but you should behave more properly to not hear such insults. If you keep hearing that you are a swindler from honest people like me and even from swindlers, there¡¯s obviously a problem with you.¡±

    Zich pushed the gold bar that Midas had thrown at Leona towards him again and said, ¡°If you understand me, act more properly. Also, this is yours, right? It¡¯s because you go around and throw things like this that you look like a scammer.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t need it. I gave that to the elf for the price of making meugh. Give it to her.¡±

    ¡°Is that so? I won¡¯t refuse then.¡±

    Zich got up from his seat.

    ¡°Since you gave me something as valuable as a gold bar, I will pay for us.¡± Then, Zich marched towards the store¡¯s counter and dropped the gold bar there.

    ¡°I will pay with this. I don¡¯t need any change.¡± After striking the counter with his palms once, Zich left the store.

    Hans and Snoc quietly followed Zich from behind. The cashier stared back and forth between Zich and hispanions and Midas with stunned eyes. Meanwhile, Midas red at Zich¡¯s back silently.

    * * *

    ¡°Were you waiting for me?¡±

    Zich approached L and Leona who were conversing outside the auction hall.

    ¡°Did you settle it well?¡± L asked Zich.

    ¡°It¡¯s not about settling or doing well. I just taught some sense to a guy who was spewing out his wishful thinking after making a wrong guess.¡± Zich answered L¡¯s question and then looked towards a corner.

    Zich said, ¡°By the way, there¡¯s someone really fancy.¡±

    ¡°We were also looking at that.¡±

    They were all looking at a carriage that had four wheels, walls, a roof, and two horses pulling it just like every other carriage. However, there was one thing that made the carriage unique.

    ¡°It¡¯s just all ted in gold.¡±

    The walls, roof, and even the wheels of the vehicle shone in a golden light. If they spent that much effort on the exterior, Zich thought the interior of the carriage would be the same.

    ¡°How is it? Isn¡¯t it beautiful?¡± With the voice that came from his back, Zich was able to find out who the owner of this insane carriage was.

    Zich asked Midas, ¡°That¡¯s yours?¡±

    Zich knew that Midas held great wealth from the way he easily handed out gold bars, but Zich didn¡¯t think Midas was crazy enough to te his whole carriage in gold.

    ¡°It¡¯s something a guy like you wouldn¡¯t even be able to dream of having.¡±

    ¡°I will admit that. I will probably not even be able to dream of it.¡±

    Even in the days where he was feared by many as the Demon Lord, Zich thought he wouldn¡¯t be brave enough to pull off Midas¡¯ gold carriage. Zich humbly admitted his defeat.

    ¡®No, wait a minute. Wasn¡¯t there someone who went around doing crazy things like this?¡¯

    Although Midas¡¯ scale was lower than the guy Zich was thinking of, it was difficult to think of another person who would do something as insane.

    Zich asked, ¡°Hey, what is your name again?¡±

    Midas expanded his chest, thinking that Zich had finally seen him in a new, admirable light.

    ¡°I¡¯m Wips Midas.¡±

    ¡°¡­I got it,¡± Zich replied with an iprehensible expression.

    ¡°Think carefully about it again. My offer is not bad.¡±

    ¡°No, I don¡¯t need to think more about it.¡± Zich firmly rejected Midas¡¯ offer. ¡°I don¡¯t want to.¡±

    Midas¡¯ expression stiffened. He didn¡¯t say anything for a while and red at Zich. ¡°¡­Fine. If that¡¯s your final decision, I guess it can¡¯t be helped.¡±

    Without hiding his displeasure, Midas turned around. As he walked towards his carriage, the coachman who was waiting for him opened the door. As Zich expected, the inside of the carriage was alsopletely gold. Midas got into the carriage and looked down at Zich from the window.

    ¡°You will regret this.¡±

    ¡°Regret? Hmm, that¡¯s something I want to try experiencing.¡± Zich smirked. ¡°Why don¡¯t you try making me regret rejecting your offer?¡±

    m!

    The carriage door mmed shut. The coachman pulled down his reins hard, and the carriage began moving forward. The shiny gold carriage attracted everyone¡¯s attention.

    ¡°I can¡¯t believe there¡¯s a person who ted his whole wagon gold. Really, there are all sorts of crazy people in this world.¡± L added herments at the end, and Hans and Snoc looked at the back of the wagon as they thought it was also ridiculous as well.

    Zich said, ¡°It¡¯s not ted with gold.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not ted with gold? No way. If that¡¯s not gold, what is it?¡±

    ¡°It is gold. It¡¯s just not ted with gold.¡±

    ¡°¡­Are you seriously saying that the whole carriage is made out of gold?¡±

    Gold was flexible and heavy. It was not an ideal ingredient to make a carriage out of. Even if a carriage was made out of gold, the horses wouldn''t be able to pull it for long, and there was a high chance that it would get destroyed with a bit of a push.

    ¡°The whole thing really is gold.¡±

    ¡°But it moves so well.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s because a person who can make it move well is riding on it.¡±

    Wips Midas¡ªit was a name that Zich remembered before his regression.

    ¡®Demon Person Golden Castle. I guess he was here during this time.¡¯

    Zich stared intently at the golden carriage as it moved farther away.

    * * *

    The next day, Zich and hispanions went to find the treasure. Apart from her goal to retrieve the Lake¡¯s Tear back, Leona, Hans, and Snoc were filled with anticipation of finding treasures. L also looked as if she was full of excitement. They went out of Tungel and walked on the street for a while. It was at that moment when they were walking down the deserted street and turning towards a small hill when¡ª

    ¡°Zich!¡±

    ¡°I know.¡±

    At L¡¯s warning, Zich took out Windur. Hans and Snoc also prepared for battle. Leona also took out her weapon. She took out an arrow from her back and after cing the arrow on the bow, she looked around her surroundings.

    ¡°Don¡¯t waste your time ande out,¡± Zich said with a low voice. However, he infused mana into his voice and spread it to his surroundings.

    Rustle!

    Something came out of the surrounding shrubs.

    ¡°Wow, these guys really have their own sense of style.¡±

    True to Zich¡¯s words, the people who came out of the shrubs were not ordinary robbers or bandits. All of them wore tough and heavy armor from head to toe. Their faces were covered by thick helmets, so it was difficult to see their faces.

    From the way they dressed, they looked like knights. On the other hand, even if they were still walking on a path, it was definitely not an easy task to move around a mountainside wearing thick armor from head to toe, but the armored beings did this difficult task with ease.

    nk!

    As if they were not even interested in a conversation, the armored beings immediately began to attack Zich and hispanions. There were about twelve of them. However, Zich and hispanions were not easy opponents at all. Zich lifted Windur up to his sides, and Hans tightly grabbed onto Estede. Snoc raised his hands and L began murmuring spells. However, the first individual who attacked was Leona.

    Swish!

    An arrow shot from her hand. Even though arrows were fast in the first ce, Leona¡¯s arrow was so fast that it was hard to even track them with eyes infused with mana.

    Pierce!

    The arrow hit one of the armored beings exactly on the head. The force of the shot made the ¡®armored being¡¯ go down in arge motion. Since the ¡®armored being¡¯ was hit in the head, they most definitely died. However, surprisingly, the ¡®armored being¡¯ got up the next second and began running towards them again.

    L said, ¡°They don¡¯t seem like ordinary humans.¡±

    ¡°Do you sense any magic?¡±

    ¡°No.¡± If L said this, there was a very high chance that there was no magic involved.

    ¡®It¡¯s those guys.¡±

    The more he thought about it, the more certain he was. Seeing that her arrow didn¡¯t kill the armored being, Leona raised her eyebrow. She took one more arrow out of her quiver and shot it. However, this arrow was different from before.

    Crash!

    The sound of an explosion rang out in the air. The arrow that Leona shot the second time hit the nearest armored being in the stomach.

    Crunch!

    The spinning arrow ripped apart the armor, and its enormous forcepletely destroyed the side of the armored beings¡¯ armor. It was another attack that should have definitely taken the life of a human being, but the ¡®armored beings¡¯ continued to move.

    ¡°Are they golems?¡±

    L squinted her eyes to peer closely at their enemies. There was no one inside the armor; nothing even remotely resembled a human was inside it. Did Leona¡¯s powerful arrowspletely extinguish even their bodies? Even if this was true, then at least there should be some blood spilled.

    ¡°Huh? Huh?¡± Leona, who had beenunching powerful attacks one after another, was now surprised. It was her first time meeting opponents unaffected by her arrows.

    ¡°Um, what do we do?¡±

    Leona clearlycked experience, and Zich said some words tofort her. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. Instead, we should enjoy the moment.¡±

    Zich stepped forward and swung Windur.

    Slice!

    Although one armored being was cut into two, it kept on moving. The upper half of the body was crawling on the floor and the lower body was still running towards them. Yet, Zich was not shaken up.

    Kick!

    Zich kicked the lower body and pierced Windur into the upper half. While looking at the armor pieces that were still moving around, Zich said, ¡°Well, let¡¯s find out how to kill these guys together.¡±

 Chapter 156

    <h4>Chapter 156</h4>

    Zich struck down an armored gauntlet with Windur. It fell off from the impact, but the armor didn¡¯t stop moving. It stretched out its empty arm towards Zich, and the severed gauntlet flopped on the ground like a fish out of water. Hans, Snoc, and L scowled at the sight. However, Zich swung his Windur again indifferently.

    Slice!

    An armored hand fell off this time. Its wrist and fingers moved and convulsed as if it were trying to attack Zich individually. Simultaneously, other armored figures rushed towards Zich, and he swung his sword at them. Two armors were flung away, but they all continued to move even after they were sliced apart. This time, however, Zich sliced the joints on their fingers.

    Thud!

    As the armors¡¯ joints were ripped apart, the digits of their fingers fell to the ground and stopped moving. Zich moved quickly to break apart the joints of all the fingers and crushed even the wrists that were folding and unfolding repeatedly. Soon, all movements ceased.

    Zich stared at hispanions and saw that they were fighting the armored figures in their own individual ways. Like Zich, Hans was piercing the armors with his sword and experimenting on how he could stop their movements. Snoc was trapping the armors inside the earth and crushing them from below, and L was freezing all the armors and watching their responses. Finally, Leona watched all of this with a dumbfounded look on her face.

    ¡®She really doesn¡¯t know anything.¡¯

    Zich¡¯spanions were probably the strange ones since they followed his order to research methods of killing the armors immediately, even as the armored figures moved by an unknowable, powerful force; but Zich concluded that Leona was the innocent one, since he thought his threepanions were demonstrating a normal response. Zich struck an immobilized part of an armored figure,unching it at hispanions.

    ¡°Break their joints. They stop moving then.¡±

    Slice!

    Hans moved as soon as he heard Zich¡¯s words. Estede quickly whirled around in a blinding light. Hans sliced an armored figure and pressed his sword against its every joint. In an instant, one armored figurepletely stopped moving.

    Inparison, Snoc¡¯s attacks were simple.

    Crunch! Cruuunch!

    If the armored figures could feel pain and let out sounds, chilling screams would have probably echoed under the earth.

    Slid.

    The ground trembled and threw up what it had swallowed. Pieces of broken and squashed armors rose out of the surface. But because they hadn¡¯t been ground into dust, a couple of joints survived and kept moving.

    Crunch!

    Boulders flew onto the surviving pieces and crushed them. But by far, L¡¯s attacks were the most violent. After she froze the armors into ce, she cast her spell for the next attack.

    Craaash!

    Red fire epassed the frozen armors. It melted the frost in an instant and rose in temperature at an rming rate.

    nk!

    The frozen armored figures broke free and began to move again. They tried to run towards L, but after a couple of steps, they fell to the ground.

    L tilted her head and said, ¡°They fall down more easily than I thought.¡± Then, she canceled her incantation.

    Leona continued to stare at all of this with a dumbfounded look on her face. Zich and hispanions had helped them in many ways, but she had never thought they were so strong.

    ¡®I-I should also¡­!¡¯ Leona hurriedly nocked an arrow onto her bow and thought, ¡®The joints!¡¯

    The metal armors didn¡¯t have as many joints as an actual living being, but they were strong enough to withstand most ordinary arrows. However, Leona also didn¡¯t intend to waste her arrows unnecessarily.

    Pop! Pop!

    Two arrows blew away both joints in an armored figure¡¯s knees.

    Crash!

    The armored figure rolled onto the ground, but it began to drag its body forward with its arm. Yet, Leona didn¡¯t even nce at it and pierced the legs of other armored figures. Three armored figures sprawled to the ground. They continued to move, but they were mostly immobilized.

    Stomp! Stomp!

    Leona walked up to them.

    Whoosh!

    One of the armored figures swung its sword at Leona, but she easily evaded it.

    Sling!

    An arrow crushed the joints in its armored arm.

    Slililililing!

    An array of arrows shot through the arm¡¯s joints perfectly, and the armpletely broke off in an instant.

    nk!

    The armored figure tried to grasp Leona with its other hand, but Leona evaded it easily again and picked up the arrows stuck on the ground. Since she had fired them from up close while the armors were on the ground, it was easy for her to retrieve the arrows. Then, Leona pulled back her bowstring again.

    Slilililing!

    Arrows shot down like a rainstorm, and the armor¡¯s other arm also cracked.

    Creak! Creaak!

    All it could move were its hip and neck joints now.

    Stomp!

    Leona stepped on the armored figure that wriggled like a bug, and shot her arrows towards itsst remaining joint.

    Drop!

    As its helmet rolled off, the armored figure¡¯s movementspletely stilled. After retrieving all the arrows from the ground, Leona checked the remaining figures. There were still two armored feet and two armored bodies wriggling. Leona nocked an arrow onto her bow again and stomped towards these pieces. It didn¡¯t take long for the rest of them topletely fall into pieces. When Leona broke thest joint, there wasn¡¯t a single armored figure left moving.

    * * *

    ¡°What is this?¡± Leona asked while searching through the armor she had crushed. ¡°Is thismon in the human world?¡±

    ¡°Not at all. The human world isn¡¯t that wild,¡± Zich said, refraining from adding, ¡®¡­Yet¡¯.

    ¡°Somebody probably sent them after hearing that we were looking for a treasure.¡±

    ¡°Are they golems like L said?¡± After having stayed with them for quite a long time, Leona called out L¡¯s name freely.

    ¡°That¡¯s probably not it. They don¡¯t have any trace of magic. Besides, even though golems don¡¯t die easily, they don¡¯t move individual parts separately like that. They normally die when you crack their core, and any parts that break off from the core stop moving,¡± Zich exined.

    ¡°Then what are they?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t really know,¡± Zich replied.

    L looked down at the pieces of armor sprawled on the ground.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go. Even if we keep staring at it, I don¡¯t think we¡¯re going to find a satisfactory answer,¡± Zich said.

    L and Leona stopped staring at the pieces and nodded in response.

    ¡°Should I try taking one?¡± Leona picked up one piece of the armor.

    However, Zich stopped her. ¡°Ms. Leona, we can¡¯t just take stuff we don¡¯t know much about. Moreover, we have more important matters to deal with, right?¡±

    ¡°Ah, yeah.¡± Leona threw the pieces back down. Then she hummed while thinking of finding treasure, taking her ce in front of the group.

    They began moving towards their destination again. Zich also put Windur on his back again and followed the rest of his group. Then, he slightly raised his head and stared at the scattered pieces on the ground. He saw something shine among the fragments.

    However, he showed no special reaction except a slight smile and followed the rest of hispanions. Like this, they left the pieces of metal, which had once been armor, scattered all over the ground.

    * * *

    L asked Zich, ¡°Golden Castle?¡±

    ¡°Yes. Demon Person ¡®Golden Castle Wips Midas¡¯. I¡¯m sure it¡¯s him.¡±

    While tending the bonfire in front of him with a stick, Zich replied to L¡¯s question. It was deep into the night, and Zich and hispanions were camping outside. As soon as they had moved off the path, they began running at an extremely fast pace, so they had traveled way further than a normal person could. Hans and Snoc had left to catch dinner, and Leona also disappeared after saying that she would bring something delicious.

    The only people who were left at the camp were Zich and L, so he decided to talk to L about Midas.

    ¡°Is he in your memories?¡± Zich asked.

    ¡°Hmmm, he¡¯s not in my memories.¡± L shook her head. ¡°Well, even from a nce, he looks like an annoying bastard.¡±

    ¡°You judged well. Just by knowing that, you know 90% of what there is to know about him.¡± Zichughed out loud. ¡°As his nickname indicates, he tries to fix all of his problems with money. Even in the Era of Demon People filled with violence and savagery, gold was still used as a currency. With his gold, he was able to maintain an enormous amount of power.¡±

    Before Zich¡¯s regression, Midas had even appeased other Demon People like himself with money.

    ¡°He¡¯s the type of person who thinks everything can be solved with gold.¡±

    ¡°Now I understand. It¡¯s not strange for guys like him to ride around in a carriage like that.¡± L visualized the golden carriage that seemed to be void of allmon sense in her mind. ¡°But can you be called a Demon Person with just wealth? During the Era of Demon People, if you didn¡¯t have strength, you would have everything taken away.¡±

    ¡°Of course he had basic fighting abilities. He didn¡¯t receive the title of ¡®Demon Person Golden Castle¡¯ for no reason.¡±

    Even though Golden Castle was a cringeworthy name, there was no other name that could exin him as well.

    ¡°He¡¯s an alchemist,¡± Zich said. An alchemist could turn low-level or worthless metals into gold.

    ¡°That¡¯s how he became so rich.¡± L epted Zich¡¯s exnation.

    ¡°His ability to change metals into gold is an impressive ability, but it¡¯s not his only ability,¡± Zich recalled Midas¡¯ carriage. Even though it was madepletely out of gold, the carriage still functioned as a normal carriage. ¡°Out of all the gold he makes, he can exerciseplete dominance over any ¡®special¡¯ gold he creates.¡±

    Dominance. It was an abstract word. If used on a person, it would mean that Midas could exert his will on that person; if used on an inanimate object, it would mean that he could exert his ownership of that object. However, Zich didn¡¯t seem to be using the word ¡®dominance¡¯ in those contexts.

    ¡°What kind of dominance?¡±

    ¡°He can control his gold however he wants, and even change its shape or strength. Basically, he has perfect control over his gold.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s impressive.¡±

    ¡°In his prime, he was even more amazing. His title, Golden Castle, isn¡¯t a metaphor; during the Era of the Demon People, he really did have a castle made out of gold.¡±

    ording to eyewitnesses who had seen the castle, when the sun came up, the whole castle reflected the sun¡¯s rays, making it look even grander.

    ¡°The castle was his fortress. It was said that his castle was so tough that it was difficult to think that it was made out of gold, and all attacks bounced off its walls. Moreover, with his powers, the whole castle moved ording to Midas¡¯ will and changed shape ordingly to fight his enemies. I heard it was a very shocking sight to see the whole castle move and transform like that.¡±

    A terrifying fortress that moved around its surroundings¡ªthat was the Golden Castle, and the reason for Wips Midas¡¯ nickname.

    ¡°Was he the one who sent us those armored guys? Ah, no. The armor was definitely made out of iron.¡±

    ¡°No, it really was made out of iron, but there was gold-iid between the joints of the armor.¡±

    ¡°Then he controlled those guys by moving their joints?¡±

    ¡°Yep.¡±

    ¡°¡­Will it be all right?¡± L asked Zich with concern in her voice.

    ¡°What do you mean?¡±

    ¡°That kind of guy is after us right now. Based on your words, aren¡¯t we in a really dangerous situation? Thinking about it, you also said he suddenly handed Leona a gold bar. Was that gold bar actually to spy on us?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ve gotten more perceptive.¡±

    Zich smirked; this was the reason why he had stopped Leona from taking a piece of the armor. ¡°But there¡¯s no need to worry about it too much. What I said was in the future. It¡¯s very unlikely that he would have that kind of power right now. If he did, then there¡¯s no way we would have heard about him only recently, since he would have been causing chaos wherever he goes. I also have another reason why I think this. But on another note, L, you must have forgotten this one fact.¡±

    Zich stared L in the eye and said confidently, ¡°During that time, I was way more impressive than that guy.¡±

    ¡°¡­Yeah, sure.¡± L was amazed at Zich¡¯s shamelessness.

    * * *

    It was exactly ten days since Zich and hispanions had begun moving. They reached an enormous mountain covered with dense vegetation. Of course, the distance they covered was not possible for ordinary people to cover in ten days. A gigantic waterfall appeared in front of them. It let out hazy mist all around its surroundings and poured great streams of water into a pool in the ground.

    It was a mysterious, majestic, and magnificent sight. While hispanions were enamored by the breathless sight in front of them, Zich pointed directly at the area behind the waterfall, saying, ¡°That¡¯s our destination.¡±

    A hidden and unknown ce with huge amounts of treasure was in front of them.

 Chapter 157

    <h4>Chapter 157</h4>

    To reach the back of the waterfall, Zich and hispanions had to cross a narrow pathway on the cliffside, connected to the area behind the waterfall. No, it was an overstatement to call it a path. Its surface was barely wide enough to fit half of a small foot, and it was more like a long rock that stuck out of the cliffside. However, Zich and hispanions were able to cross the path with ease.

    Masses of boulders floated up and stuck to the cliffside, creating a new path for them. As soon as Zich and the others passed the boulders, the rocks returned to their original positions as more rocks rose up and made another path in front of them. This continued until they reached the back of the waterfall. Although the waterfall¡¯s water had soaked his clothes, Zich was satisfied with his leisurely walk.

    ¡°Good job,¡± Zichplimented Snoc and Nowem.

    ¡°Yes, sir!¡± Koo! Snoc and Nowem answered loudly. Snoc was at a stage where he didn¡¯t need to concentrate much to exert this level of control.

    ¡°A magical beast of the earth. It¡¯s my first time seeing one.¡±

    Even Leona, who was an elf, had never seen a magical beast before and was very curious about Nowem. She stretched out her finger to Nowem, and Nowem sniffed her finger for a bit and stuck out a bit of his tongue. Leona made a sound that was between a shriek and augh. While she did this, Snocpletely froze in ce. He still felt a bit awkward towards Leona since she was an elf, an existence that he had only heard of from stories.

    ¡°It¡¯s here.¡± At Zich¡¯s words, everyone stared in the direction he was pointing.

    As Zich had said, there was a cave with a wide mouth behind the waterfall. Everyone gulped. ¡®A cave behind a waterfall¡¯¡ªcould there be anything that sounded more romantic and fairytale-like?

    ¡°Let¡¯s go in.¡± Zich took the lead and went inside the cave. Following him, the others began to enter the cave¡¯s entrance one by one.

    * * *

    Perhaps because they were behind a waterfall, the insides of the cave were very humid and made their bodies feel damp. The humidity persisted and even seemed to grow worse as they went deeper inside the cave. Yet, the damp sensation eventually subsided. The cave¡¯s bumpy floor was soon reced by bs of stone that made it easier for them to walk on, and the air suddenly changed.

    ¡°I think these are the ruins from here on out.¡±

    Arge door appeared in front of them. Strange symbols were carved into the door, giving it an ominous look.

    ¡°Wow~!¡± Leona eximed and approached the stone wall. She ced her hand on it and examined it all over. ¡°I feel like there will really be a treasure in there.¡±

    Zich asked, ¡°Did you doubt me?¡±

    ¡°N-No!¡± Leona quickly denied it and hesitated. Then, she said while ncing at him, ¡°T-To tell you the truth, a bit¡­¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s fine. It was a pretty suspicious story, after all.¡±

    Leona smiled slightly at Zich¡¯s forgiveness. Even if she was extremely gullible, she hadn¡¯t believed in Zichpletely. Of course, it was ridiculous that she had followed him all this way even while not fully trusting him, but a part of her had trusted in her own skills.

    ¡®I suppose she was sure that she could at least escape,¡¯ Zich thought. Then, he walked to her side and ced his hand on the stone wall. He felt a chilling sensation on his palms and put more strength into his arms.

    Sliiide!

    The thick stone wall began to open. Although it was very heavy due to its size and material, there were no other obstacles blocking their path. There was no lock or magical barrier.

    Crash!

    Between the gaps of the open stone wall, they saw what was inside. A huge path continued to connect to other passages and puzzlingly felt quite familiar.

    ¡°Don¡¯t you think this ce is simr to the ancient ruins in Violuwin, Senior?¡± Snoc asked Hans. He was a bit worried because he remembered how frustrating it had been when the ancient ruin sealed his earthly powers.

    Hans agreed with him. However, they couldn¡¯t be certain that this ruin was the same kind as the one in Violuwin at this point.

    Zich went inside first and withdrew Windur from his back, saying, ¡°Be on your guard. There will be enemies.¡±

    Stomp! Stomp!

    As soon as Zich finished his sentence, they heard footsteps ahead. With the way the floor rang, it didn¡¯t seem like those approaching were humans.

    L asked, ¡°What kind of enemies?¡±

    ¡°See for yourself,¡± Zich said and backed off so that L could see better.

    They saw its glittering red eyes first. The creature made no attempt to conceal its existence inside the darkness, and stomped towards them.

    ¡°It¡¯s a golem,¡± L concluded.

    ¡°Are you talking about those, Ms. L?¡± Hans asked. Since it was his first time seeing a golem, his voice was filled with curiosity. It was even greater after fighting the armored figures, which they had mistaken for golems.

    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s right. Using a core as their driving force, they¡¯re dolls that move automatically,¡± L exined nicely. ¡°I¡¯m warning you just in case, but don¡¯t think that they¡¯re the same as the armored figures you just fought. A golem¡¯s strength differs based on the metals that make up its core, and the one in front of us looks formidable.¡±

    ¡°Mithril,¡± Leona said stiffly. ¡°Its core¡¯s metal is mithril.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, it must be that.¡± As a magician, L could also guess the metal.

    Hans and Snoc gulped at the metal¡¯s name. Not even Snoc, the miner, or Hans, who was a servant of a Count, had ever seen the metal named mithril.

    ¡°Isn¡¯t that something really precious?¡± Hans asked.

    But Zich tapped Hans¡¯ Estede with his Windur and said, ¡°What are you getting surprised by? You have something much more precious than that metal.¡±

    Compared to Estede, mithril was nothing more than a rolling pebble in the road. Hans nodded as he realized how amazing his sword was once again.

    ¡°Good. This can be a learning experience. You guys try fighting them,¡± Zich said and pushed Hans and Snoc to the front.

    Both Hans and Snoc stared at each other once and gulped. Then, they staggered forward. They didn¡¯t have an option to not fight, since Zich had already given themand.

    There were exactly two golems. Each one was twice the height of an adult person and possessed an overwhelming build. Their arms also looked like thick logs that had been changed into mithril.

    Hans wielded Estede, and Snoc nervously exerted his control over the earth.

    Crumble!

    ¡°¡­As expected.¡±

    Snoc let out a sigh. The stone walls and floor crumbled only a little bit and did not move ording to Snoc¡¯s will. On the other hand, Snoc¡¯s ability to control the earth seemed to have increased, as he was able to control more dirt and rock than he had in Violuwin. He also had to continue fighting, because Zich would never ept any of his excuses.

    Rumble!

    Snoc covered himself in armor made of rock. Soon enough, he also looked like a golem.

    Thud! Thud! Thud! Thud!

    Two golems began rushing towards Hans and Snoc. They took one golem each and moved to different areas. Hans¡¯ golem made arge swing with its fist.

    Swish!

    Hans easily evaded the attack and then swung Estede.

    Pierce!

    ¡°Ugh!¡± he grunted. His hands hurt; unlike when he usually wielded Estede, it felt heavy and dull in his hand. Estede¡¯s de was stuck inside the golem¡¯s arm.

    Whish!

    As the golem moved its arm, Hans¡¯ body also flew. Like a leaf flying in a storm, his body flew up into the air. However, even though his surroundings were shaking all around him, he did not let go of his sword and stayed focused. He put strength into his arms and pulled his body towards the golem.

    Tap!

    Hans barely managed to nt his leg atop the golem and pulled out the sword with great strength.

    Crush!

    Estede was sessfully pulled out of the golem¡¯s arm. However, Hans went flying through the air, as Estede was no longer anchoring him to the golem¡¯s arm.

    Thud!

    Hans stepped off the ceiling andnded back on the ground. ¡®It prated about a quarter of the way,¡¯ he thought. ¡®Since it¡¯s made out of mithril, I put a lot of mana into that swing right now, but I was only able to cut a quarter of its arm.¡¯

    Was mithril just that tough, or was there some kind of magic strengthening it? Hans quickly dropped this thought, and instead started thinking, ¡®It doesn¡¯t matter what the reason is.¡¯

    What was important was that the golem¡¯s body was strong enough to withstand strong mana attacks.

    Tap!

    Hans ran towards the golem again. Fortunately, the golem didn¡¯t seem to have any special abilities, and all it did was swing its fists. However, the golem¡¯s high speed, heavy weight, and tough metal body made its simple movements extremely dangerous. Despite the golem¡¯s formidable physical abilities, Hans did not step back and continued to wield Estede. His eyes shone sharply¡ªhis goal was to pierce the gap that he had made with Estede again.

    Crumble!

    ¡®I did it!¡¯

    Once again, Estede pierced into the same spot on the golem¡¯s arm. Hans was unable to cut off the golem¡¯s arm again, but since he was able to target the same area, the hole grew even deeper. Before the golem began moving its arms likest time, Hans quickly pulled out Estede and took a step back.

    ¡®One more time!¡¯ Hans targeted the injured arm of the golem again. And then, finally¡ª

    Slice!

    Thud!

    The golem¡¯s armpletely fell off and hit the ground.

    ¡°Pweh!¡±

    Hans let out a sigh of relief at seeing the golem¡¯s arm on the ground, but he soon raised his guard again. All he had done was slice off one of the golem¡¯s arms; he hadn¡¯t defeated the golem yet.

    ¡®But now I know of a way to defeat it,¡¯ Hans thought. His n was to first dismantle all of its limbs. With this thought in mind, he ran towards the golem again. While Hans was fiercely evading the golem¡¯s attacks and piercing his sword into its limbs, Snoc was also fighting next to him.

    Crashhh!

    Snoc¡¯s rock fist and the golem¡¯s fist collided head-on.

    Crash!

    But Snoc¡¯s rock arm was unable to endure the golem¡¯s attack and crumbled into pieces.

    ¡°Aghhhhhh!¡±

    Snoc hurriedly retreated. However, the golem quickly caught up to him and wrapped its arms around Snoc¡¯s waist.

    Crush!

    Snoc¡¯s armor started to be destroyed. If he stayed like this any longer, his whole body would be crushed to dust. He quickly escaped from his rock armor.

    Bam!

    The now-empty rock armorpletely twisted and crumbled in the golem¡¯s hands. The golem slowly turned back towards Snoc, who gathered the scattered rocks again and made a new suit of rock armor.

    ¡®As expected, I have no chance of winning with just rock armor.¡¯

    Snoc waspletely losing to the golem in terms of physical strength and power, but he wasn¡¯t going to ept defeat so easily. He also had the belief that if things got really dangerous, Zich would intervene and help him out.

    ¡®And I also have a n in mind,¡¯ he thought.

    Thud! Thud!

    Snoc ran towards the golem again. Likewise, the golem ran straight towards Snoc.

    Swish!

    The golem swung his fist at Snoc again. At that moment, Snoc unleashed his power over the earth.

    Halt!

    For a moment, the golem¡¯s movement became stiff. As if something were hampering its movements, the golem¡¯s movements kept breaking off.

    ¡®It works!¡¯

    Snoc did not miss his chance. He used this opportunity tond a solid punch on the golem with his rock armor.

    Crash! Crash!

    Snoc fiercely hit the golem¡¯s head, and the golem stumbled to gain bnce.

    ¡®As I thought, my power over the earth works even on mithril!¡¯

    Snoc¡¯s power applied to everything that was derived from the earth. Mithril, which was a type of metal, was no exception to this rule. Of course, since the golem had been formed by magic, Snoc could not control it fully, but he could apply a slight amount of influence to hamper the golem¡¯s movements.

    ¡®Then perhaps I can also¡­¡¯ Snoc made one of the hands on his armor sharp and hit the golem¡¯s fingers. At the same time, he focused his attention on the golem¡¯s finger and pictured the mithril breaking in his mind.

    Bam!

    The golem¡¯s finger did not break off, but Snoc was able to cut through almost half of it. Due to Snoc¡¯s power, the mithril¡¯s durability decreased; Snoc used this chance to quicklynd a punch on the golem¡¯s finger.

    Crunch!

    The finger broke off. At that moment, the golem used its other hand to hit Snoc¡¯s rock armor.

    Crash!

    Snoc¡¯s rock armorpletely shattered again, but he had already made his escape by that time.

    ¡°Yes!¡± Snoc¡¯s attacks worked. He wrapped the rock armor around his body again. But there was one area that was different from his previous armors. The mithril he had cut off from the golem was now attached to a finger of Snoc¡¯s armor.

    ¡®Now I have a weapon that¡¯s as durable as the golem,¡¯ he thought. He had also found out the way to defeat the golem. As the golem broke apart more and more under his attacks, Snoc got stronger by using the golem¡¯s body as armor. With this in mind, Snoc ran towards the golem again.

    After a while, two sounds echoed through the tunnel.

    Pierce!

    Crush!

    Two golemsypletely shattered on the floor.

 Chapter 158

    <h4>Chapter 158</h4>

    ¡°Amazing¡­¡± Leona expressed her admiration as she watched Hans and Snoc¡¯s battle.

    Golems, especially ones formed out of mithril, were a very strong force. They possessed magical defense abilities, and low-grade attacks couldn¡¯t leave a mark on their hardened bodies. Yet, even if it took them a while, Hans and Snoc had managed to perfectly crush the golems into pieces.

    ¡°Got it!¡± L, who had asked Snoc to look through the pile of mithril, took out a red metal piece the size of a person¡¯s head. It was the golem¡¯s core. After she cleanly extracted the other core, she asked Zich, ¡°Could you take this? I want to analyze themter.¡±

    Zich took out a magic box from his belongings and threw it to L. ¡°Put it there.¡±

    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s different from the one you usually carry around.¡±

    ¡°I bought it at the auction house. You can keep that one.¡±

    From what Zich had heard, there was a high chance that a single magic box wouldn¡¯t be able to handle all the treasures in this ruins. Thus, since he already had a lot of money and would get moreter, he had bought a couple of magic boxes without hesitation.

    ¡°How¡¯s it going?¡± Zich approached Snoc and asked. Snoc was controlling the detached pieces of mithril here and there.

    Snoc answered, ¡°It¡¯s difficult, sir. It uses up a lot of mana, and it¡¯s hard to control.¡±

    The mithril around Snoc¡¯s arm made clinking noises. Snoc was moving mithril into an arm shape like he often did when making rock armor, but his movements looked clearly more awkwardpared to when he used dirt or rocks to cover his body parts.

    ¡°Try mixing it with dirt or rocks to move it for the meantime. It should increase your defense much more even if you simply cover your rock armor with mithril.¡±

    In times like now, when it was difficult for Snoc to control the surrounding earth, mithril pieces would be a great asset to him. No, even in situations when it wasn¡¯t difficult for him to control his surroundings, it would help him.

    Zich threw a magic box at Snoc and said, ¡°You take this. Carry mithril in there and take it out when you need it.¡±

    ¡°Yes, sir!¡± Snoc began to pour mithril into his magic box. He put in the exact amount of metal that he was capable of using and shouted, ¡°I put it all in, sir!¡±

    But Zich was not pleased. He asked, ¡°What are you doing?¡±

    ¡°Sorry?¡±

    ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to put in the rest?¡±

    A big pile of mithril, farrger than the amount that Snoc had ced in his box, was still on the floor. Snoc nced at the pile and Zich again. Then, he took up some more. But as Zich¡¯s frown remained on his face, Snoc continued to stuff more mithril into his box until everything on the ground disappeared.

    ¡°That¡¯s right. You should think about increasing your capacity through practice. What are you thinking, only taking the amount you can control now?¡±

    ¡°But this is¡­¡± Snoc wanted to retort, ¡°mithril, sir.¡±

    Even Snoc, who had been stuck inside the mines his whole life, had heard of a metal named mithril. It was a metal, tens and hundreds of times more valuable than gold. Snoc didn¡¯t have the guts to take everything for practice. No, it wasn¡¯t just about having guts.

    But Zich snorted, saying, ¡°Don¡¯t worry about that and take everything. And only say that once you manage to control everything you possess¡ª¡±

    Then, Zich stared beyond the passage. For some time, he had been hearing heavy footsteps.

    ¡°Since I¡¯ll get you more.¡±

    Red eyes shone from the darkness. Other golems had appeared.

    * * *

    Crash!

    A heap of mithril poured down as the golem fell. Hans withdrew Estede and Snoc took off his armor. Snoc rummaged through the mithril, and L took the core that appeared from the pile.

    Leona watched as L returned to her spot while humming. She looked downcast.

    Lforted her, ¡°Don¡¯t be discouraged, since it¡¯s not because your skills arecking.¡±

    However, Leona¡¯s expression didn¡¯t brighten, and L sighed. The reason why Leona was dispirited was simple: It was because she was of no help to their battle. It wasn¡¯t that she couldn¡¯t beat a golem. They already knew where the golem¡¯s core was, and she could pierce and crush it with just one shot of her mana-filled arrow. If the golem tried to block her arrow, she could speedily shoot from behind and easily crush the golem¡¯s core.

    However, L, who wanted the golem¡¯s core, wasn¡¯t pleased about a method that broke the items she wanted; and the more materials she had for experimentation, the better it was for her. Thus, in the end, they left the task of finishing the golems to Hans and Snoc, and Leona watched with gloomy eyes from behind. Unable to force her into battle or much of anything else, Zich and hispanions left her alone for the most part.

    Not many golems appeared, but since every single one was made entirely of mithril, they gathered an unimaginable amount of mithril.

    ¡°This is already a treasure in itself,¡± L said as she picked up some of the dropped mithril and put it into her magic box. Then, she looked around her surroundings.

    Small passages stretched out from a giant passage that went straight ahead, but many of them had sumbed to time and crumbled.

    ¡®What is this ce?¡¯ L followed herpanions from some distance behind and carefully searched each part of the ruin. Part of her was simply curious, but in another part of her head, there was something that kept stirring her memories.

    ¡®Should I ask to research this ruins after this incident is over?¡¯ she thought. Besides permitting her to skip training, Zich surprisingly amodated her requests readily.

    ¡®I¡¯ll try asking him.¡¯ L decided this.

    Without hesitation, Zich walked forward in a straight line. Even though the ruins were enormous, he didn¡¯t get lost. L knew why Zich was so familiar with the structure of this ruins.

    ¡®He said he came here once before.¡¯

    Before he regressed, Zich hade to this ruins after Evelyn had kept pestering him to see if there were any treasures left in the ruins. As expected, there were no treasures left by the time Zich went to the ruins. However, at that time, he had used one of the people who found some treasures as his guide, so he knew the ruins¡¯ basic structure.

    After defeating more golems and moving deeper into the ruins, arge stone gate appeared in front of them. From a nce, it looked very grand and important; but there were no detailed sculptures etched onto its walls, as there had been on the door in the entrance of the ruins. Zich stepped forward again. He put his hands on the stone wall and pushed hard.

    Crrrrreak!

    The stone wall, which had been closed for who knew how long, began to slowly open. From the crack in the door, a room came into view.

    ¡°Wow!¡±

    Everyone except Zich made a loud exmation at the sight in front of them.

    * * *

    Midas elegantly drank his wine and watched the panoramic view of Tungel. The ce he was on was a terrace in the center auction house. This terrace was in a bar for customers to enjoy themselves while they participated in the auctions, and it was also Midas¡¯ favorite ce to visit. On this terrace, he could see the entirety of Tungel below him. Since the center auction house was at a high altitude, there was no better ce than here to see the entire scenery of Tungel. As he looked down at the whole city from the terrace, he felt as if he were a god.

    ¡®No, I¡¯m not really that different from a god.¡¯

    Humans were animals driven by their desires. Even if they held the purest of hearts, all people would fall to their knees in front of their desire¡ªthis was what Midas believed with all his heart. Moreover, the easiest way to fulfill people¡¯s desires was money.

    ¡®Since I¡¯m able to make gold, which makes as much money as I want, I¡¯m able to control people¡¯s desires.¡¯

    Then, by controlling people¡¯s desires, he was able to control people however he wanted. The more he made gold, the more the world would bow down before him. And then he would be able to possess everything he wanted in this world. Midas was assured that this would soon be his future. As he imagined himself as a god, he felt happy and pleased.

    However, this was still in the future. There were still too many situations that hadn¡¯t gone ording to his will.

    ¡®Thinking about it, I couldn¡¯t control those guys either.¡¯ Midas frowned as he recalled the swindler who had tricked an elf by telling her about finding treasures.

    ¡®I should have also taken a treasure simr to that elf¡¯s Lake Tear.¡¯ Midas was confident that Leona had more treasures of simr quality to the Lake¡¯s Tear.

    ¡®I guess sending just armors wasn¡¯t enough. I should have hired skilled people with my money.¡¯ He hadn¡¯t expected a couple of random swindlers to be so strong. His good mood immediately worsened at the thought of Zich and hispanions. He roughly gulped down the wine.

    ¡®I should quickly go make more gold.¡¯ He also had to make ¡®special gold¡¯ for himself. He turned around to leave the terrace.

    It was at that moment that a voice rang out near him. ¡°I found you.¡±

    ¡°What?¡± Midas began, thinking, ¡®How dare someone block my path?¡¯

    Midas lifted his eyebrows high, but in contrast, his mood plummeted. He was unable to hide his displeasure, but then his annoyance turned into surprise as he saw who was in front of him. ¡°You¡­!¡± he eximed.

    ¡°It¡¯s been a while, right?¡± The man nonchntly waved his hand. It was the swindler.

    * * *

    ¡°Wow, as expected of a person who drives around a golden carriage, you really live differently.¡± Zich showed his admiration at therge amount of food prepared in front of him. However, his tone was slightly off, so rather than admiration, it sounded more like mockery.

    ¡°What do you want?¡± With an expensive cigar in his mouth, Midas filled his ss with rare wine and asked Zich straightforwardly.

    Midas was extremely annoyed by the skilled but very impudent swindler in front of him. Zich and Midas sat between a table full of food. Before Zich arrived, Midas had had the whole table to himself. There was no one around him. Even though he couldn¡¯t eat all the food on the table, Midas always ate his food after renting out the whole restaurant and filling up his table with food. It was so much food that he could only eat a bite of each te, and the rest of the food had to go into the trash can.

    ¡°Ah, about that.¡± Without getting permission, Zich took a pie and began eating it.

    Veins popped out of Midas¡¯ face. Since Zich had been able to skillfully escape his attack, Midas wanted to try listening to him first, but seeing Zich¡¯s rude attitude, he wondered if he had made the wrong decision.

    However, Zich¡¯s next words were enough to calm his anger. ¡°I¡¯ve be interested in your offer.¡±

    ¡°Offer?¡±

    ¡°The treasure that the elf has. You know, the treasure rted to the Lake¡¯s Tear.¡±

    Curiosity filled Midas¡¯ face. This curiosity further increased with Zich¡¯s next words.

    ¡°I¡¯m thinking about taking it from her. Are you interested?¡±

    There was no way Midas wasn¡¯t interested. He immediately wanted to listen to more of Zich¡¯s n. However, he was also not an easy opponent, and it wasn''t his first time doing business with shady people. If he showed his interest immediately, he would lose his bargaining power, so he purposely put on a disinterested expression.

    ¡°What do you mean? Didn¡¯t you say that there was nothing like that?¡± Midas asked. However, he knew the reason why the swindler in front of him had changed his mind about epting the offer.

    ¡®I bet his n didn¡¯t work out well,¡¯ Midas thought. Otherwise, there was no way this swindler would havee to share a part of his catch.

 Chapter 159

    <h4>Chapter 159</h4>

    In short, there was nothing for him to lose. Even though Midas was bursting with curiosity and interest, he purposefully put on an indifferent expression. It was a very easy task for him to separate his outer appearance from his inner feelings.

    ¡°I expected this to be your response.¡± Zich shrugged. He didn¡¯t seem surprised, as if he had expected Midas¡¯ response.

    ¡®He really isn¡¯t a normal swindler,¡¯ Midas thought as he maintained a calm expression.

    Zich raised both of his hands. ¡°Fine, it¡¯s my loss. I¡¯m the one asking for a favor, so I¡¯ll tell you everything necessary.¡±

    Midas was surprised to hear Zich back down so easily. But Zich simply took the wine bottle in front of Midas and drank it directly. It enraged Midas to see Zich gulp down a bottle worth six months of a peasant family¡¯s living expenses like a barbarian. Still, he pushed down his anger and drank the wine in the ss he was holding.

    m!

    Zich roughly mmed down the wine bottle on the table. About half of its contents were gone.

    ¡°This is some good wine!¡± While licking the remains on his lips, Zich looked for the wine bottle¡¯s logo. ¡°Pornine! Haa, you drink such an expensive wine! As expected of someone who drags around a golden carriage.¡±

    ¡°Didn¡¯t you have something to tell me?¡± Even if Midas was withholding his rage, he couldn¡¯t prevent his speech from bing rougher. His tone was sharp with displeasure.

    ¡°Yeah, yeah, I got it. What¡¯s the rush?¡± Zich sliced a piece of cheese with his knife and talked as he chewed. ¡°As you guessed, I approached the elf thinking she possessed a treasure simr to the Lake¡¯s Tear, and I gradually gained her trust.¡±

    Midas jerked his chin for Zich to continue.

    ¡°As you saw, the elfdy is extremely gullible. Not just gullible butpletely clueless. But even this cluelessdy was firm about protecting her treasure.¡± Zich scowled as if this were the cause of his headache.

    Midas¡¯ mood brightened at the sight. There was nothing more joyful than seeing a person who annoyed you suffer.

    With Zich¡¯s admission of defeat, Midas no longer put his guard up against him and asked, ¡°Didn¡¯t you think about taking the treasure by force?¡± His head still spun trying to discern whether Zich was telling him the truth or not.

    ¡°You know how strong elves are. Mypanions and I are on the strong side, but we didn¡¯t think we would be able to capture her if she ran away with all her might. And if she ran away, all our efforts would be a waste.¡±

    As Midas was imagining the moment, he let out a smallugh. ¡°So, is that why you returned to Tungel? Because there was no way you could retrieve it?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not that there was no way. I came to find another method.¡±

    Midas reached his hands out to the wine bottle and halted; he remembered that Zich had drunk from it with his lips touching the bottle¡¯s top. He had no desire to drink that dirty wine and called for the waiter. Then he groaned, remembering that he had gotten rid of all the waiters to enjoy his meal in peace. Midas had no choice but to get up and get his own wine bottle and ss. He grimaced at the logo of the wine ss he got; it was a cheap one. Of course, though, it was expensive for plenty of other people.

    ¡®All my precious ones are in the storehouse,¡¯ he thought. But it was bothersome to go all the way there. Thus, Midas poured the wine into his ss and drank a sip of it. ¡°What happened to the treasure you guys said you would take back for the elf?¡±

    ¡°Why are you mentioning that? I didn¡¯t think you believed us.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s true.¡± Midas adjusted his position again. It looked as if he didn¡¯t need more exnations. ¡°What is it that you want?¡±

    ¡°Money,¡± Zich immediately answered and continued, ¡°Truthfully, the only reason why I went through all that trouble to get the elf¡¯s treasure was because of money. I¡¯m not really interested in the treasure itself.¡±

    ¡°How could a person like you leave a gold bar, though?¡± Midas mentioned the time Zich had thrown a gold bar onto a store¡¯s counter.

    ¡°I thought the elf could be listening to us from outside. Don¡¯t you know that elves have very keen ears? To keep her trust in me, I have to be very careful about things like that. I had to show her that I¡¯m not the type of person to act on my greed.¡±

    Midas thought Zich was a very thorough person. To retrieve something of a greater value in the future, Zich had given up the gold bar without hesitation. He was almost impressed with Zich as a swindler. ¡®And he is as dangerous,¡¯ he thought.

    Midas asked, ¡°What do I get from this?¡±

    ¡°The treasure that the elf has,¡± Zich replied.

    ¡°What¡¯s the treasure?¡±

    But Zich, who had been talking normally until this point, suddenly withdrew his body as if he were creating distance between them. ¡°Sorry, but I already told you too much. I just want you to answer whether you¡¯re going to be part of this or not.¡±

    ¡°Didn¡¯t you say you would tell me everything?¡±

    ¡°I added the condition that I would only tell you things that are necessary.¡±

    ¡°I have a different opinion.¡±

    A war of nervesmenced amid a long silence. As if one side would lose if they took their eyes away from their opponent, they red at each other strongly. But in the end, the one who raised his hands was Zich, who had more to lose from this exchange.

    ¡°It¡¯s called the ¡®Earth¡¯s Tear.¡¯ I don¡¯t know what it is exactly, only that the elf really treasures it,¡± Zich began.

    ¡°Is there more information than that?¡±

    ¡°No.¡±

    ¡°Then it¡¯s impossible for me to coborate.¡±

    ¡°It can¡¯t be helped then. You don¡¯t want to be part of this even after I gave you all the information I could give. I should find another way.¡± Zich seized the wine bottle in front of him and gulped the rest of the wine down. ¡°Be safe, Mr. Rich.¡±

    ¡°Wait.¡± As Zich tried to get up with no lingering attachment, Midas stopped him. ¡°What¡¯s your n?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t have to tell you anymore. You have to tell me if you¡¯re going to participate in our n or not first.¡± Zichid down more pressure with his eyes, as if he wouldn¡¯t back off anymore.

    Midas thought for a while. ¡°¡­I need a couple more days to think about this.¡±

    ¡°Fine. If you¡¯re interested, send someone to me.¡± Zich told Midas the address of his lodging. ¡°Make your decision before the ck Market Auction House opens. If you don¡¯t decide before that, I¡¯ll just ept that as your rejection.¡±

    ¡°I got it.¡±

    Zich really got up this time. But Zich stopped before he went out of the room. He hesitated for a while and then turned around to stare at Midas. ¡°I was just wondering¡­¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    Zich asked with a bit of a sheepish tone, ¡°...if you could give me the gold bar you tried to give mest time.¡±

    Midas was stunned for a moment. But he soon burst intoughter and took out a gold bar from his pockets and threw it towards Zich. Seeing Zich¡¯s delighted expression, Midasughed even harder.

    * * *

    Midas came back to his mansion. He filled the tub with hot water and immersed himself in it. Like his whole mansion, the tub was also madepletely out of gold. From his bath, he felt as if all the stress and fatigue he had umted throughout the day was being released from his body. But rather than focusing on this feeling, Midas¡¯ attention was on a different subject.

    ¡®I can hear them.¡¯ The gold bar that Midas had thrown to Zich was specially made by him. He grinned from ear to ear. ¡®It was so funny seeing him take it with such glee.¡¯

    It was even funnier because Midas knew what he could do with his specially made gold. Midas focused his attention on the gold bar, and information about the gold bar¡¯s surroundings poured into this mind.

    ¡®My vision is blocked.¡¯ Judging by that, it seemed as if Zich had put the gold bar inside some kind of box or bag. However, he hadn¡¯t put it in a magic box; if it were in a magic box, even he won¡¯t be able to connect to it.

    ¡®I can hear their voices.¡¯ Midas focused all his attention on the voices.

    ¡ªHow was it?

    The voice was from a female, but it wasn¡¯t from that elf. The speaker was probably that stunning woman who had been next to the swindler.

    ¡ªWell, I gave him my offer.

    It was now the swindler¡¯s voice.

    ¡®It looks like I listened to them at the perfect time,¡¯ Midas thought.

    They were definitely conversing about the swindler¡¯s meeting with him. Midas concentrated even harder on the voices.

    ¡ªHow was his reaction?

    ¡ªHe showed interest. We just have to see how he reacts now.

    ¡ªDo you think he¡¯lle over to us?

    ¡ªI don¡¯t know.

    From the gold bar, Midas was able to clearly hear their conversation. If he waited just a moment longer, it seemed as if they would begin talking about the elf¡¯s treasure. And his prediction was right.

    ¡ªDamn it! I can¡¯t believe that the Earth¡¯s Tear is just a useless piece of metal without the Lake¡¯s Tear!

    Midas had just obtained top-level information; he couldn¡¯t repress his smile. Two stupid puppets were dancing around in his palms.

    ¡ªWe worked so hard to steal the Earth¡¯s Tear and it¡¯s useless!

    ¡®They already stole the Earth¡¯s Tear.¡¯ As expected of swindlers, they had tried to con him too. A malicious smile appeared on his face. He liked swindling people but hated anyone who tried to cheat him. ¡®I have to make them suffer at one point.¡¯

    But this was going to be in the future. Right now, obtaining information was more important.

    ¡ª ¡®The Lake¡¯s Tear would probably be very expensive, right?

    ¡ªOf course. Even that Wips Midas seems to have his eyes on it. It¡¯s crazy to trypeting with him for money.

    Midas nodded in agreement. As he was someone who could make gold, no one could ever be wealthier than him.

    ¡®At least he knows his ce.¡¯ For the first time, Midas was pleased by Zich. But that was all; it didn¡¯t make him change his mind about punishing Zichter on.

    ¡ªSo we have to try everything we can to fulfill our n. But don¡¯t worry. If my n works, we can definitely get the Lake¡¯s Tear and also scrape some money off of Wips Midas.

    ¡®Unfortunately for you swindler¡­¡¯ Midas held up the tub¡¯s water with his hands. Naturally, the water seeped between his fingers and flowed through the cracks. ¡®That¡¯s never going to happen.¡¯

    To Midas, the water seeping from his fingers looked like the blood that was going toe out of the swindler soon.

    * * *

    Hans and Snoc stood in the corner of the room and stared in amazement at theedic y unfolding in front of them. A table was in the center of the room, and on top of it was a thick bag. The gold bar that Zich had gotten from Wips Midas was in the bag. Zich and L sat across from each other with the table in between them and were conversing with each other.

    Despite the subject matter being discussed and the tone of their voices, their faces were calm as possible. L was inspecting and breaking apart the golem¡¯s cores, and Zich was ying around with a piece of mithril by throwing it in the air and then catching it in one hand. Anyone could see that they weren¡¯t having a serious conversation. However, they took turns saying their lines, and a conversation¡ªno, something simr to a conversation¡ªwas continuing between them.

    Even though it sounded simr to a conversation, it wasn¡¯t a proper conversation. They were merely acting out the scripts they had prepared to trick Midas, who was now listening to their conversation. Zich and L¡¯s voice acting was on par with famous y-actors, and they performed like this even while doing different jobs.

    Since Zich acted like a swindler from time to time, this was expected of him. However, it was shocking to find out that L was also proficient at tricking people. While watching this bizarre y in front of them, Hans and Snoc had the same thought simultaneously.

    They looked exactly like swindlers¡ªno, even more so, they resembled a husband and wife who worked together to swindle people.

 Chapter 160

    <h4>Chapter 160</h4>

    Zich and L would have made Hans and Snoc endure a tremendous amount of pain if they knew what those two were imagining, but they continued to act.

    L asked, ¡°What are you nning to do?¡± However, she didn¡¯t even nce at Zich as she took out a new core from a golem and searched for any peculiarities.

    Zich took out two lumps of mithril and juggled them as he answered, ¡°I¡¯m going to present the Earth¡¯s Tear at the auction through the elf. Then, I¡¯ll make Wips Midas buy it.¡±

    ¡°That guy won¡¯t gain anything from doing that, though.¡±

    ¡°Of course, I¡¯m going to hide the item¡¯s true identity when I put it up for auction. He¡¯ll buy the Earth¡¯s Tear for a good price then. He would think it¡¯s a steal, considering the item¡¯s worth.¡±

    ¡°How about presenting a fake one?¡±

    ¡°From what I heard, Midas has considerable knowledge about treasures. He would identify a fake right away. To trick him, we have to take the risk and give him the real one.¡±

    ¡°So, will you get money for putting the treasure up for auction?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. I think he has an infinite supply of money. If we hide the identity of the Earth¡¯s Tear, we should be able to get a lot of money from him.¡±

    ¡°What if he doesn¡¯t give us the money?¡±

    ¡°He has to. We have to use the money we get from him to buy the Lake¡¯s Tear.¡±

    ¡°Will this n work?¡±

    ¡°This is the least we could do to even attempt to buy the Lake¡¯s Tear.¡±

    ¡°I thought Wips Midas was also aiming for that.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s why I¡¯m trying to extract a certain amount of money from him. Not only will it fill our pockets, it will also cut his funds.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯ll be enough.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s why we¡¯re presenting the Earth¡¯s Tear in hopes of making a dent in his funds. We just have to hope that this will make it difficult for him to buy the Earth¡¯s Tear and the Lake¡¯s Tear at the same time.¡± Zich sighed.

    ¡°What if Wips Midas doesn¡¯t ept the offer?¡±

    ¡°It can¡¯t be helped, then. We would have to trick a buyer and sell the Earth¡¯s Tear somewhere. Even if we can¡¯t use it without the Lake¡¯s Tear, it¡¯s still an elf¡¯s treasure. We should be able to get a good amount for it. It would probably be great for someone¡¯s disy collection.¡± Then Zich grumbled, ¡°I can¡¯t even call it an elf¡¯s treasure. It¡¯s just a lump of metal by itself.¡±

    ¡°But it¡¯s not as if it doesn¡¯t have an ability at all.¡±

    ¡°That makes it worse.¡± Zich took out the gold bar from his pocket and lifted it. Then he said as he ced it inside a magic box, ¡°What kind of lunatic would use it? Who would use an ability to turn gold into stone?¡±

    The gold bar disappeared into the magic box, and the conversation ended. The room became silent.

    p!

    Zich pped once, calling out, ¡°It¡¯s over!¡±

    ¡°Wo~!¡± Leona, who had been watching excitedly from the room¡¯s sofa, eximed.

    Zich bowed his head exaggeratedly towards her like an actor finishing his act.

    Leona pped. ¡°Amazing! How are you so good at acting?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s my hobby.¡±

    ¡°Is acting your hobby?¡±

    ¡°No, it¡¯s something else.¡±

    To be specific, Zich¡¯s hobbies were tricking people, screwing them over, infuriating them, and so on; but he thought it was pointless to exin. Of course, Leona was beginning to realize that Zich was not simply a kind person. But since he had never said something wrong, she continued to trust in him; she was still a mega pushover, after all.

    Zich turned away from Leona¡¯s sparkling eyes and turned to his aplice, who had performed splendidly with him. He said, ¡°Great job. You¡¯re quite talented in this field.¡±

    Zich extended his palms to her, and L put her hand on top of his palm. Still, she didn¡¯t pull her eyes away from the core. Zich knew not to disturb her when she was researching; magicians were very sensitive during these moments. So, he quietly moved away.

    But before he fully turned around, L took her eyes off the core. ¡°Haa~!¡± She moved her head around as if her muscles ached and twisted her arms.

    Thinking she had finished her research for the day, Zich approached her side, asking, ¡°Did you make any progress?¡±

    ¡°Yup. It¡¯s nothing special. I thought golems from an ancient ruins filled with treasures would be different, but no matter how much I look at it, there¡¯s nothing special about it.¡±

    L treated the core, which had supported a fast and powerful golem made from a magical metal, like a toy that a child would y with.

    Zich shook his head. Even he sighed at her genius. He thought, ¡®Could she have more talent than the Demon Lord of Magic?¡¯

    Besides that, L had astounding talent in other areas and learned everything quickly. Even the acting skills she had disyed today were the result of a few days of Zich¡¯s teachings.

    Of course, there were still some awkward parts, but¡­ ¡®It doesn¡¯t matter. He¡¯s only listening through a gold bar anyway.¡¯ Their acting was enough to trick Midas.

    ¡°Ah, that reminds me.¡± As she ced the core into her magic box, L took out something. It was a fist-sized piece of red ore.

    ¡°Just as you told me to, I made it look ¡®special¡¯.¡±

    Faint magic permeated the ore, and rainbow light seeped out from it as L moved it.

    Zich looked at the ore. He carefully inspected its front, back, and sides.

    ¡°Hmm, I like it! You did well!¡± Zich gave L a thumbs-up and looked back at the red ore again.

    ¡°What is that?¡± Leona asked as she moved next to Zich, and likewise, she stared at the red ore in Zich¡¯s hand. Zich smiled widely; he looked like a yful kid who was about to pull a prank. But Hans and Snoc, who knew the destructive power behind that smile, nervously stared at him.

    ¡°Ms. Leona, this is the Earth¡¯s Tear,¡± Zich said.

    ¡°¡­This?¡±

    The Earth¡¯s Tear was part of Zich¡¯s n to retrieve the Lake¡¯s Tear. Leona stared at the Earth¡¯s Tear with curiosity in her eyes, asking, ¡°So you¡¯re saying this is fake?¡±

    L was the one who replied to Leona¡¯s question. ¡°Yeah. Most of it is copper, and I mixed mithril into it. I also used illusion magic to make it emit a strange and mysterious light.¡±

    It was a type of artifact, but it had no worth as an artifact. Even if they sold it, all they could get was the price of copper and misuril; there would probably be no one who would want it as an artifact, but Zich waspletely satisfied with it.

    ¡°This is enough. What we need is not an amazing artifact, but an item that looks mysterious and valuable. We just have to trick Wips Midas with it.¡±

    ¡°Will he be tricked by it?¡± Even though L was the one who had made the fake Earth¡¯s Tear, she wondered if Midas would get tricked by such a shabby-looking piece of ore.

    However, Zich was confident that this ore would trick Midas. He shook the magic box that contained the gold bar he had gotten from Midas. ¡°Guys like that are usually overconfident about their abilities. And they don¡¯t doubt the results they obtain from their amazing abilities.¡±

    Zich put back the magic box in his pocket. ¡°That guy is probably thinking this in his mind: ¡®Those guys have the Earth¡¯s Tear in their hands, and they¡¯re going to use that against me.¡¯ And¡­¡±

    Zich looked at the Earth¡¯s Tear once more, and with a yfulness in his voice, he continued, ¡°He probably thinks this Earth¡¯s Tear is the exact counter against his ability.¡± Just thinking about how Midas would be frustrated and conflicted over this ore was enough to make Zichugh out loud.

    ¡°Then, how did you know that he was extremely knowledgeable about things like treasures?¡±

    ¡°Ah, about that? I also don¡¯t really know that. I just needed a reason for why I would give him the ¡®real¡¯ Earth¡¯s Tear. Since Midas thinks I know how knowledgeable he is about treasures, he¡¯s going to think I have no choice but to give him the real Earth¡¯s Tear.¡±

    After saying this, Zich snickered again. ¡°Honestly, it doesn¡¯t matter if he¡¯s knowledgeable about treasures or not. Even if he is actually knowledgeable about treasures, he¡¯s going to trust the information he got from that amazing ability of his.¡±

    Rather than doubting his ¡®amazing ability¡¯, there was a higher probability that Midas would doubt his knowledge about treasures. Zich burst intoughter again. Hans, Snoc, and Leona shook their heads. Only L stared at Zich with wide eyes.

    * * *

    Zich¡¯s prediction was exactly on the mark. Midas was rxing his body in the tub and eavesdropping on Zich and L¡¯s conversation. However, his expression was now very serious. ¡®A rock that can change gold into stone?¡¯

    From what he had heard, it seemed as if the Earth¡¯s Tear would only work together with the Lake¡¯s Tear.

    The ability to turn gold into stone was a superfluous ability. As Zich said, there was probably no one who wanted this kind of ability. But to Midas, it was not about whether he wanted it or not; it was a very threatening ability for him. ¡®Then with that item, can people change my gold into stone?¡¯

    Even though he didn¡¯t know the ability¡¯s strength or magnitude, the existence of such a treasure was very threatening to Midas. If the treasure¡¯s ability was very strong, and if one of his enemies possessed such an item¡­ ¡®NO!¡¯

    Even though Midas had no limit to the amount of gold he could make, there was a limit to how fast he could make it. Moreover, if his specially made gold was turned into stone, he could not secure his safety and protection. There was a possibility that his grand dream to control the world by continuously making more gold might crumble. Fortunately, before this happened, he had been able to discover the identity of such a treasure and the way to obtain it.

    ¡®If I could take it by force, that would be the best option, but¡­¡¯ Considering they had destroyed all the armored puppets he sent themst time, they all had formidable skills. Even though Midas didn¡¯t think he would ever lose, there was a possibility that those swindlers might run away with the Earth¡¯s Tear. Midas recalled Zich¡¯s previous words.

    ¡®He said he woulde to see me so he could sell the Earth¡¯s Tear in the auction house.¡¯ Without much choice, Midas had to follow that swindler¡¯s n for now. ¡®If hees to see me again, I have to give him money for the Earth¡¯s Tear.¡¯

    All he had to do was give out money. But the problem was that he didn¡¯t know how much money Zich would request for that treasure. Even though Midas¡¯ wealth had the potential to infinitely increase in size, he didn¡¯t currently have an infinite supply of money. ¡®I might have to actually borrow money.¡¯

    Fortunately, his credibility here wasn¡¯t bad. Moreover, Zich might not ask for an exorbitant amount of money.

    ¡®Damn it! Either way, I have to meet him to find out for sure!¡¯ He also needed to buy the Lake¡¯s Tear. Midas roughly got out of his bathtub. All the pleasant mood he had had when he first entered the tub was now gone.

    * * *

    The very next day, Midas sent someone to call for Zich. It was better to take care of these matters as soon as possible. First of all, Midas told Zich that he was willing to sign a contract with him, and asked how much he wanted.

    ¡°¡­What?¡± Midas thought he heard Zich¡¯s words wrong. His mouth gaped open at the amount Zich asked for.

    In contrast, Zich lifted his chin high up and stared at Midas with a rxed posture.

    ¡°What did you JUST. SAY. THE. AMOUNT. WAS?¡± Midas was so furious that he barely managed to repress the swear words that threatened toe out of his mouth. However, he couldn¡¯t help but speak with a pause between each word.

    At Midas¡¯ agitation, Zich even raised his fingers to make clear the amount he wanted. Only one of his fingers was raised. And he repeated his words loud and clear so that Midas could perfectly hear each word.

    ¡°100 million gold coins.¡±

 Chapter 161

    <h4>Chapter 161</h4>

    One hundred million. It didn¡¯t take a long time to say, nor was it difficult to pronounce. It was made up of words that children easily spat out while they yed. But the words carried heavy weight, and even more so when ¡®gold coins¡¯ were attached to the end.

    ¡°Do you realize what you¡¯re saying right now?¡± Midas was so stunned that he eximed, ¡°What do you mean a hundred million gold coins!? Besides the fact that it¡¯s an insane number, you won¡¯t be able to carry that amount of weight with just one or two carriages!¡± As Midas continued to speak, he became more infuriated and ended up yelling.

    ¡®What is he nning?¡¯ Midas had heard Zich say that he would extract the greatest amount of money from him, but the number exceeded his wildest expectations. He couldn¡¯t believe that Zich was asking for a hundred million gold coins for just putting the Earth¡¯s Tear on auction. It was normal for people to call out a higher number than they were thinking of, but the price he was asking for was far too much. Instead of negotiating, it seemed as if Zich were trying to bankrupt him.

    ¡°It¡¯s just a hundred million,¡± Zich insisted.

    ¡°You¡­!¡±

    With his reddened face, Midas was about to spit out curses when Zich pushed a piece of paper towards him.

    ¡ª100,000 gold coins.

    Midas looked at the paper, and then at Zich¡¯s face again. ¡®What is he doing?¡¯ He wondered why Zich had asked for a ridiculous amount like a hundred million out loud, and yet had written a much smaller number. While he thought this, Zich showed him a second piece of paper.

    ¡ªThe elf is outside.

    Midas finally understood Zich¡¯s strange behavior.

    ¡®I thought hepletely got rid of the elf after taking the Earth¡¯s Tear?¡¯ Midas wondered if Zich was acting to trick him. But he decided that it didn¡¯t matter. The important part was that Zich wasn¡¯t really asking for the ridiculous amount of a hundred million gold coins.

    ¡®Hm, but still. One hundred thousand is a lot, too.¡¯ It might have been different if he were personally buying the Lake¡¯s Tear or the Earth¡¯s Tear, but Zich was only cing the item up for auction. It wasn¡¯t that Midas couldn¡¯t give that amount, but he also hesitated.

    ¡°It¡¯s too much.¡± Of course, Midas was talking about the hundred thousand Zich had asked for instead of the hundred million.

    Zich shook his head and said in a whisper, ¡°There¡¯s no negotiating. Just tell me if you¡¯re going to give me the money or not.¡±

    Midas red at Zich, but there was no way a scary re would influence Zich. Midas tried to cut the price multiple times, but Zich refused. As they discussed, they didn¡¯t mention the exact amount of gold coins that they were arguing about out loud.

    Wrinkles formed around Midas¡¯ eyes. Although he was bluffing, he was secretly nervous. The Earth¡¯s Tear was truly a dangerous treasure for him. ¡°¡­Can¡¯t I just buy the treasure? I¡¯ll give you five hundred thousand for it,¡± he offered.

    ¡°No.¡± Zich sternly denied the request. Then, he took out a piece of paper and wrote with his pen.

    ¡ªDon¡¯t ruin this, and quietly take it through the auction.

    ¡®It must be because of the elf,¡¯ Midas thought. Or else Zich wouldn¡¯t have to exin on a piece of paper. ¡®Damn it! Even though he definitely told me he stole the elf¡¯s item! Did he fail topletely steal it? Or did something get mixed up?¡¯

    But there was nothing more Midas could do. If he refused one more time, it seemed as if Zich would really get up and leave.

    ¡°¡­Fine. I¡¯ll go with the price you asked for.¡± In the end, Midas nodded at Zich¡¯s proposal.

    * * *

    The day of the auction was bright. The ck Market opened on the same day as the central auction house, but as expected of a market with its secretive nature, it opened only at nighttime.

    Zich and hispanions went inside the auction house. The lobby looked the same as usual, but the people inside lookedpletely different. Most people in auction houses wore luxurious clothes, but they couldn¡¯tpare to the people in the lobby right now.

    The fabrics of their fancy and luxurious outfits gleamed with softness, and the gems embedded all over their bodies reflected the sunlighting through the windows. They were all people who hade to participate in today¡¯s auction.

    On the day the central auction house opened, most small auction houses closed. It seemed as if today existed solely for the sake of this ce. Also, the people who hade today all had to be extremely wealthy to participate in the event. In a way, the ce had the same atmosphere as a grand ball held by royals or high-ss aristocrats; there was a certain mood that seemed as if it would relentlessly push away anyone of a lower ss.

    Yet, Zich and hispanions continued to walk confidently through the snooty atmosphere. They wore the samefortable clothes as usual and stuck out amid the luxurious vibe of the ce. All eyes shot towards them. However, the group¡¯s expressions didn¡¯t change as they headed towards the lobby¡¯s information desk.

    ¡°¡­Do you need something, sir?¡±

    The receptionist addressed him with ¡®sir¡¯, but there wasn¡¯t a trace of wee or friendliness in his voice; his face didn¡¯t even bear a smile. On normal days, the receptionist maintained a friendly smile and voice even while mocking them, but today, because it was the day the central auction house opened, he didn¡¯t. On this day, the receptionist chased away people who weren¡¯t on par¡ªspecifically, who didn¡¯t have money¡ªfor the rest of their clients. And Zich and hispanions certainly didn¡¯t seem to have money based on their appearance.

    ¡®Now that I think about it, it¡¯s him,¡¯ Zich thought. This was the guy who had told Leona mockingly to buy her treasure if she had money.

    The employee recognized Zich, and the gaze in his eyes became sharper. Even though he had asked Zich why he came here, he was already gesturing to the security guards. The security guards moved towards them, and they looked more armed than usual. The people around them looked at this scene with excitement and waited to see what would happen next. Most people predicted that Zich and hispanions would be kicked out of the auction house. To them, this was merely a fun and interesting sight.

    ¡°I came here to participate in the central auction.¡± At Zich¡¯s words, people burst intoughter; even the employee smirked.

    ¡°There¡¯s a participation fee. It¡¯s at least 200 gold coins,¡± the employee folded his arms and told Zich. He seemed to be saying, ¡®Try paying it if you can¡¯.

    Zich returned the employee¡¯s smirk. He wasn¡¯t even angry at the man¡¯s rude behavior; instead, it even looked cute to him. ¡°Give me the VIP room.¡±

    With these words, Zich took out two bags from his pocket and threw them on the desk. The drawstrings holding the bags closed loosened and gold coins spilled out.

    ¡°¡­Huh?¡±

    The employee who had looked down on Zich, and the guards who stood ready to immediately remove Zich and hispanions from the auction house, all stared at the gold coins in front of them.

    ¡°Am I wrong? Wasn¡¯t the VIP lounge 1,000 gold coins?¡± Zich nodded as if to urge them to try counting the gold coins.

    With a bewildered expression, the employee made eye contact with the guards, and they began counting the gold coins. After a while, they counted out exactly 1,000 gold coins.

    ¡°You made sure of the amount, right? Guide me to the room.¡± Zich put on airs as he spoke.

    The bewildered employee immediately changed his posture to a more humble one. He quickly gestured towards the guards and made them withdraw. In the central auction house, money was everything. If someone had enough money to participate, even a homeless-looking person was their prized customer.

    ¡°I-I sincerely apologize, dear customer. In order to use the VIP lounge, you need to reserve¡­¡±

    ¡°Ah, thinking about it, I haven¡¯t given you this.¡±

    Flutter!

    Zich took out something from his pockets. It was a piece of paper. The paper flew freely andnded directly under the employee¡¯s feet. He carefully picked up the pieces of paper. They were a reservation document for the VIP lounge.

    The employee further stiffened. The reservation document for the VIP lounge couldn¡¯t be obtained by just having a lot of money.

    ¡®Good thing I ripped this off of Midas,¡¯ Zich cackled inside his mind. Since Midas was a VIP customer of the Tyroul Auction House, Zich had tried asking for it, and Midas had easily given him the reservation document. This was how important the Earth¡¯s Tear was to him.

    ¡°What are you doing? Aren¡¯t you gonna guide me to the room?¡± Zich looked down at the employee and shook his head. The employee quickly bowed his head and called someone to guide Zich and hispanions to the VIP lounge.

    ¡°Ah, but by the way.¡± Before Zich went to the VIP lounge, he stared at the employee. Then he put his index finger straight up and jabbed the employee¡¯s chest as if to push him.

    ¡°Pay more attention to your service, you bastard. It¡¯s the first time I¡¯ve met a service employee with such a shitty attitude.¡± Then, Zich tapped the employee¡¯s cheeks a few times with his palms. It didn¡¯t hurt very much, but it was very humiliating to be treated this way.

    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t go so far as to ask you to be kind to people who aren¡¯t customers, but if you have such a bad attitude, you should at least have an eye for those who are actually customers. Are your eyes just decoration? Is it okay for an amateur to be involved in such a grand auction house like this?¡±

    ¡°I-I deeply apologize!¡± The employee turned bright red, and all he could do was bow his head.

    ¡°Do well from now on.¡± Zich tapped the employee¡¯s shoulder a few times and went up to the lounge.

    The only people who were left behind were the employee trembling in humiliation, the other staff members who were a few steps away from him, and the buzzing people around him.

    ¡°Did you really have to go so far? He was just trying to do his job.¡± L felt a bit ufortable with Zich¡¯s actions just now.

    Zich merely shrugged. ¡°Even though this is his job, it¡¯s not part of his job to mock and humiliate Leona.¡±

    ¡°Ah!¡± L was surprised because she hadn¡¯t realized Zich was avenging Leona. As an elf, Leona had sharp hearing and was able to hear their whole conversation; her eyes looked as though she was touched. Of course, Zich wanted to continue his hobby while avenging Leona at the same time. Zich and hispanions were led to the VIP lounge, and they went inside.

    ¡°Woaahhh!¡±

    Zich¡¯spanions were all surprised by the VIP lounge. Hans, Snoc, and Leona opened their mouths wide open and let out their admiration. The room wasrge, and there was a soft carpet on the ground and luxurious decorations on the walls. The wall in front of the door was wide open. If they held onto the railing on the wall and looked down, the central auction house woulde clearly into view.

    ¡°I guess, it¡¯s worth the money.¡± Zich opened up a bottle of wine sitting on one side of the wall and filled his ss. He acted with such ease, it seemed as if he were in his own room.

    ¡°If you guys also want to eat something, then just pick out something,¡± Zich said as he looked at the fruits and the menu board on the table.

    Hans and Snoc immediately rushed towards the table with the fruits and menu board. Zich was not the type of person to save money on these types of matters. Moreover, they all knew how much money Zich currently had in his possession.

    The two of them¡ªno, three including Nowem¡ªbegan to seriously contemte what food they should order. Inparison, Leona held onto the railing and looked down. Her expression was serious and full of resolve; it was now finally time for her to get back the ¡®Lake¡¯s Tear¡¯.

    ¡°Ms. Leona, don¡¯t worry about it too much.¡± Zich arrived next to Leona and handed her a ss of wine. ¡°We¡¯ll definitely be able to find the Lake¡¯s Tear.¡± His current appearance looked extremely trustworthy to Leona.

    After a while, a loud and rumbling voice came up to the terrace and into the VIP room.

    ¡°Ladies and gentlemen, we will be starting the auction!¡±

 Chapter 162

    <h4>Chapter 162</h4>

    As the auction began, Zich, L, and Leona sat on the sofa right in front of the railing and looked down. The auctioneer went up onto the circr stage, introduced himself, and bowed. Maybe it was because of a magic device, or the efficient architecture of the building, or merely the auctioneer¡¯s loud voice, but they could hear every word from the stage.

    The first item came up on the auction stand, and the auctioneer introduced it.

    ¡°They say it¡¯s a rare gem.¡±

    L took the catalog that had been prepared for guests in the room. On the front page of the catalog, there was an exnation and a drawing of the gem that the auctioneer was introducing. Hans and Snoc approached closer, holding a fruit each, and peered at their own catalog. They all turned its pages. They had already seen the items on the wooden posts in the lobby, but it felt different seeing them while they were in auction. Furthermore, except for Leona, no one had read the exnations of the items on the wooden posts carefully.

    ¡°Is there anything you want to buy? Tell me. I¡¯ll buy you several.¡± Like somebody who had struck it rich overnight, Zich spoke arrogantly.

    ¡°Aren¡¯t you spending too recklessly just because you got some money?¡± L asked.

    ¡°But you know, it¡¯s an amount I can spend recklessly.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s true.¡± L epted his exnation, knowing how much wealth Zich had gained.

    ¡°Besides, I¡¯m nning to get more. This is all just small change.¡± Zich sounded as if he had really just earned some small change, but everyone, including L, knew the amount Zich was talking about couldn¡¯t be described as such.

    Not long afterward, the food they ordered arrived. Hans and Snoc got close to their food and filled their bellies. Nowem stuck his face right into the food and ate.

    ¡°¡­Ah!¡± L, who had been turning the catalog¡¯s pages while neglecting her food, stopped flipping.

    ¡°There¡¯s something you¡¯re interested in?¡± Zich returned with a te full of food and came up beside L, remarking, ¡°Oh, it looks pretty good.¡±

    It was a straight staff. Its long handle extended out some distance, and its ends were split like a crown. There were five gems of different colors stuck on the tips of these ends, and its height just about reached up to a small man¡¯s shoulders.

    ¡®Now that I think about it, she used multiple high-level spells in a row without the help of a magic aid or magic tool.¡¯ Zich realized L¡¯s monstrous skills again. He asked, ¡°Do you want it?¡±

    ¡°Uh, well¡­¡± L nodded.

    Zich responded simply, ¡°We should buy it then.¡±

    After receiving a lot of help from her, Zich didn¡¯t want to act stingy towards her. L also had a considerable amount of money from the treasures he had shared with her, but Zich had more. So, he nced at the number of the page which had the staff. Since it was near the back of the catalog, he was sure that the staff was an expensive item with a high starting price.

    Zich watched the auction. After watching many fascinating and rare items pass by, the staff they had been looking at came up. After the auctioneer finished his general exnation of the staff, the auction began. The people sitting in themon seats began their bids and increased the item¡¯s price. Many people seemed to want the item, as the bid continued to increase.

    ¡°¡­Weren¡¯t you going to participate in it?¡± L quietly asked. She had remained silent when Zich said that he would buy the staff for her, but it seemed she secretly wanted it.

    Zich replied nonchntly, ¡°What¡¯s the point of increasing the price little by little when I can just participate at the end¡ªwhen the price is high enough?¡±

    Zich was carefree. And just as he said, as time passed, fewer people began to participate in the auction, and the speed of the bids slowed down. Then, somebody proposed a bid, and no one else made a higher bid. It was then that Zich made his bid and pushed the button on the side of his table, which was a simple artifact that moved the sign below the terrace. The auctioneer checked the terrace where Zich was and yelled out the new price.

    L stared at Zich and asked, ¡°You bid two times higher?¡±

    ¡°Yup.¡± The item was already at a price a normalmoner couldn¡¯t even dream of¡ªbut Zich had called for twice the price. However, Zich said calmly, ¡°There¡¯s no need for me to waste my energy to get it.¡± He had plenty of money, anyways.

    * * *

    The auction was over. There were some people pleased that they had acquired the item they wanted, while others were in a foul mood for the opposite reason. But however they felt, the event was over. The people in themon seats near the stage disappeared. However, Zich and hispanions didn¡¯t get up from their audience seats.

    ¡°Are you satisfied?¡± Zich asked.

    L smiled brightly as she looked at her staff. ¡°Yeah!¡±

    Hans and Snoc stared at her face absentmindedly for a moment. Even though they were used to her beauty by now, L¡¯s peerlessly beautiful smile stole their gazes. Even Leona was stunned.

    But Zich was calm as he replied, ¡°Is that so? That''s good. If you liked it so much, why didn¡¯t you buy one for yourself?¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t have money,¡± L answered. Thinking about it, this was true.

    ¡°Also, I didn¡¯t feel ufortable without it.¡± Other magicians, who couldn¡¯t do a simple attack spell without a staff, would have rushed towards her in anger at her words; but L said them calmly and continued to stroke her staff.

    At that moment, somebody knocked on the VIP room door.

    ¡°Come in!¡±

    The door opened, and an employee entered the room. The employee humbly bowed their head and told Zich and hispanions, ¡°I don¡¯t mean to intrude, but since the auction is over, it¡¯s time for people to leave the rooms.¡±

    Instead of getting up from his seat, Zich pushed a document forward. The employee meekly checked the document and bowed their head again.

    ¡°I¡¯ve verified it. I hope you enjoy your time in the auction house.¡±

    Then the employee quietly left the auction house. The document Zich had shown was a participation certificate for the ck Market. He had also ripped this off from Midas.

    ¡®He¡¯s really a useful guy in many ways.¡¯ Zich felt a bit pleased by Midas. Even though Zich could have participated in the ck Market without Midas, it was much easier with Midas¡¯ help. ¡®But that is that and this is this.¡±

    In order to make Midas fall into a hrious pit of despair, Zich repressed hisughter and honed his ns.

    ¡°Your smile was chilling just now.¡± L increased her distance from Zich.

    * * *

    Time passed by. During that time, Zich and hispanions spent their time in the VIP lounge. The sun wasing down, and the moon was about toe up. People were starting to gather in the auction house again, but something felt different about them. They all wore different types of masks, and even though they were wearing luxurious clothes, their outfits were huge and fluffy. It was hard to see who they were just by their appearance.

    One by one, people sat on their chairs. Midas watched the people below him from his VIP lounge, thinking, ¡®Insects.¡¯

    Regardless of their status, all the people who were gathered at the auction right now possessed a considerable amount of wealth. However, to Midas, they were no different than insects crawling on the very bottom of the floor. ¡®If I wait a bit more, they¡¯re all going to be on their knees beneath me.¡¯

    His happy fantasiessted only for a few minutes; he still had things to take care of. Midas opened up the item catalog one of the employees had recently given him. The catalog was thinner than the catalog given to him during the day, but there were much rarer and more dangerous items. However, Midas¡¯ attention was focused only on two items.

    They were the Earth¡¯s Tear, which was at the very beginning of the catalog, and the Lake¡¯s Tear, which was in the middle of the catalog. No matter what happened, he needed to buy these items at all costs.

    ¡®It won¡¯t be that difficult,¡¯ he thought. He was confident in his wealth. Of course, he wasn¡¯t the richest person in the world yet, but it was no difficult matter for him to get two auction items. Moreover, in order to prepare for unexpected scenarios, he had also brought all the gold he made. ¡®Come on, let¡¯s get started.¡¯

    Just as he wanted, the auction soon started. The ck Market auction worked the same way as the daytime auction. But like everyone around him, he also wore a mask to cover his eyes.

    The first item came up for auction. It was the Earth¡¯s Tear.

    Midas fixed his posture and looked down at the auction room. As the Earth¡¯s Tear came into view, his eyes twitched. ¡®I went through so much pain to have that item up for auction¡­¡¯

    Midas had had to use a lot of his connections and power to get the Earth¡¯s Tear up for auction in the ck Market. Since he needed to buy the Earth¡¯s Tear at all costs, he had been extremely active about putting it up for auction. Moreover, in order to buy it for a ¡°cheap¡± price, he had worked hard in making an excuse for the Earth¡¯s Tear so that it barely met the requirements for the ck Market auction. Because of that, it was more tiring than usual to make the item avable.

    ¡®But in the end, I was sessful.¡¯ Now, all he had to do was buy the item. When the auctioneer called out the price, he immediately participated. The Earth¡¯s Tear was described as merely a special and expensive jewel, so most people weren¡¯t interested in it. A few people participated in the auction, but most of them dropped out in the middle, and there was only one person left. Midas had a good idea who the person left was.

    ¡®Yeah, I expected you to participate.¡¯ The person Midas had thought of was Zich. ¡®He¡¯s eyeing the Lake¡¯s Tear for sure.¡¯

    However, he probably only had 100,000 gold coins that Midas had given him. 100,000 gold coins were not a guarantee of buying the Lake¡¯s Tear.

    ¡®He knows I¡¯m also eyeing the Lake¡¯s Tear.¡¯ For that reason, he had to be increasing the price of the Earth¡¯s Tear to buy the Lake¡¯s Tear. Even though Midas was raising the price of the Earth¡¯s Tear, the elf was the one who had offered it, so all the proceeds went to the elf. ¡®And that elf is being tricked by those bastards right now.¡¯

    Midas was confident in his analysis, as he had not only made predictions based on Zich¡¯s words to him, but he had also obtained information about Zich¡¯s ns straight from his gold bar. Midas thought he knew many things Zich wasn¡¯t aware of.

    ¡®Well, he can try increasing the price as much as he wants.¡¯

    The price of the Earth¡¯s Tear had now climbed up exponentially; Midas and hispetition seemed as if they didn¡¯t know when to stop. People began to murmur among themselves as they saw that the very first item, which didn¡¯t even look that precious, went for an incredible price. Soon enough, the price jumped to one million gold coins. At that moment, the auctioneer paused the bidding. Then he apologized for the interruption and gestured next to him.

    ¡®It¡¯s begun.¡¯

    In the ck Market, when the price jumped to a certain extent, employees went to check if the bidders had enough money to actually pay for the item they bid for. Since they were in a ck Market, there were a lot of immoral and conniving people gathered together.

    An employee came to the VIP lounge Midas was in. Midas showed them the gold coins he had, and after verifying the amount, the employee bowed his head and left the lounge.

    ¡®It¡¯s over.¡¯

    Hispetition probably had about 100,000 gold coins in total. Zich had probably wanted to scrape off as much money as he could from Midas, not knowing that this would be his downfall. Midas waited for the final result and leisurely sipped his wine.

    Then, the final verdict came. ¡°After confirming both of our customers¡¯ avable options, we will be continuing the auction.¡±

    ¡°¡­What?¡± Midas let out a baffled cry.

 Chapter 163

    <h4>Chapter 163</h4>

    The price of the Earth¡¯s Tear continued to go up. It was difficult to tell who the bidder was. Whomever hispetitor was, they continued to raise the price, and Midas made a higher bid ordingly. He had no choice.

    ¡®Damn it! Who is it?!¡¯ Midas wanted to tear that bastard¡¯s limbs into pieces if he found them. But this was a ce where peoplepeted not with physical might, but rather with money. Fortunately, Midas still had a lot of money left. However, he couldn¡¯t feel relieved. ¡®I have to win the Lake¡¯s Tear too!¡¯

    If he used too much of his funds on the Earth¡¯s Tear, he could fall behind in the bidding for the Lake¡¯s Tear. Before, he had thought there was a low chance of that happening and didn¡¯t think the bidding for the Earth¡¯s Tear would be sopetitive either.

    ¡®Besides this, those guys could participate in the bid for the other treasure too!¡¯

    Midas threw away the possibility of Zich being thepetitor for the Earth¡¯s Tear. However, Zich and hispanions could participate in the bidding for the Lake¡¯s Tear, since the money for the Earth¡¯s Tear would go directly to them.

    ¡®They seemed like guys who have money as their top priority, so they might be satisfied with the amount they get for the sale of the Earth¡¯s Tear. But they might change their minds if they receive a higher amount than they expected!¡¯

    Midas knew that Zich was aiming for the Lake¡¯s Tear. However, he couldn¡¯t stop his bidding for an item that might be his only weak point¡ªagainst him, someone who would soon rule the world as a god. Hispetitor raised the price again, and Midas also made a higher bid. His lips revealed thin spots of blood as he gnawed on them.

    * * *

    Zich enjoyed participating in the auction very much. But there was one thing he regretted. ¡®I want to see that guy¡¯s expression first-hand!¡¯ He thought it was truly pitiful, but everything else was very satisfying.

    L asked, ¡°How long are you going to increase the price?¡±

    Beside her, Hans and Snoc sat mindlessly, unable to wrap their heads around the unimaginable numbers that kept increasing. It was the same for Leona. The price was beyond the level she could calcte with her own metric of counting apples.

    ¡°I won¡¯t stop until I scrape away at least half of his funds.¡±

    ¡°Can you tell how much he has?¡±

    ¡°I can guess.¡±

    Midas had full control over a tenth of the total amount of gold he made. And except for the gold in the armors, the bar he had sent to Zich for bugging purposes, and a couple of other minor things, Midas kept all the gold he had control over close to his side. He didn¡¯t even ce it in a magic box.

    ¡®That¡¯s why he made ridiculous things, such as a golden castle.¡¯ Zich thought the golden carriage that Midas rode around on made up the total amount of gold he had control over. ¡®That means his funds are about ten times the size of his golden carriage.¡¯

    And since Midas had probably spent a lot of gold on luxuries recently, the amount he could use immediately was probably lower. Zich had already calcted a rough estimate of the golden carriage.

    ¡®I should make him spend at least six golden carriages worth of money.¡¯ In contrast to Midas, who was writhing nervously, Zich peacefully pushed his button and raised the price again.

    * * *

    Among the many auction houses in Tungel, the most special and secretive auction house was the ck Market. And there, a very strange event was unfolding. Astronomical prices were continuing to be called for an ordinary item, which had no special purpose and was the first one introduced in the auction. People watched the bidding excitedly. It was a strange sight, but it wasn¡¯t an entirely impossible phenomenon. These kinds of happenings urred not only in the ck Market but also in other auction houses from time to time.

    The cause of such a phenomenon was sheerpetition. People thought a fierce battle had sparked between two rich persons. They were notpeting for the item they were bidding on, but for their personal pride.

    But in contrast to what people believed, one of the bidders, Midas, didn¡¯t possess an ounce ofpetitiveness. Hispetitive spirit had disappeared a long time ago.

    ¡®Stop bidding, you bastard!¡¯ Midas wanted to punch the face of the faceless bastard who continued to bid. He wanted to run to the auction stage this instant and lift the auctioneer by his cor in order to ask who the other bidder was. Midas thought about the gold he had and calcted his leftover funds. His fund had already dwindled to more than half the original amount. He almost thought of giving up, but he couldn¡¯t leave an item that could be his weak point alone.

    ¡®Damn it!¡¯ In the end, he raised the price again. Nervously, he waited for his opponent¡¯s response. However, his opponent, who had always bid immediately after his own, showed no response.

    ¡°Going once, going twice, sold!¡± With his booming voice, the auctioneer let the sale be known.

    Everyone was impressed by the jaw-dropping battle of pride and congratted the winner.

    ¡®I-Is it over?¡¯ Midas felt his strength leave him. He leaned his whole body against the back of his chair. ¡®I won.¡¯

    However, he wasn¡¯t d about his victory at all. It was a victory achieved after many injuries. Ever since he had be an alchemist, he had never been anxious because of money until now.

    Knock! Knock!

    Somebody knocked on hispartment room door. Midas, who was catching his breath, scowled. ¡®Damn it! I just wanted to rest for a bit!¡¯

    But because he knew who hade to visit him, Midas helplessly rose from his chair.

    ¡°Congrattions!¡± The auction house¡¯s employee made a deep bow as they entered. A beaming look of admiration shone from their face; they were stunned by Midas, who had just spent an amount they couldn¡¯t afford even after tens or hundreds of lifetimes. Normally, Midas would have enjoyed their admiring gaze, but Midas was only annoyed now.

    The employee quickly caught Midas¡¯ sour mood and tensed up. But still, theypleted their job responsibly and said, ¡°Excuse me, sir, but please make your payment.¡±

    In the ck Market, clients had to pay immediately. There were guards with the employee to prevent the customer from causing a scene.

    ¡°Tch! Fine.¡± Midas clicked his tongue to show his displeasure and made his payment. In a sh, more than half of his vast wealth was gone. He felt as if a hole had formed in a part of his heart.

    ¡®¡­It¡¯s because of this.¡¯ After giving the payment to the employee, Midas touched the Earth¡¯s Tear the employee gave him. It was a red ore that let out mysterious light.

    ¡°Damn it!¡± He wanted to roughly throw the Earth¡¯s Tear at this very moment. But the exorbitant amount he¡¯d had to pay for this hung over his mind, so he couldn¡¯t throw it out. Midas sighed and put the Earth¡¯s Tear back into the magic box.

    ¡®Who the hell was that¡­?¡¯ Who was thepetition that had raised the price of the Earth¡¯s Tear? Midas was extremely curious about the identity of hispetition, but he dropped this thought. ¡®No, it¡¯s not time for me to get hung up about this.¡¯

    Since he had been able to purchase the Earth¡¯s Tear as nned, he now had to focus all his attention on the Lake¡¯s Tear. Since all the money he had used to purchase the Earth¡¯s Tear had now gone to Zich and hispanions, thepetition for the Lake¡¯s Tear might be more difficult than Midas had predicted.

    ¡®Also, that bastard who wanted the Earth¡¯s Tear might also want the Lake¡¯s Tear.¡¯ Midas gritted his teeth. There was still some time before the Lake¡¯s Tear came up for auction. ¡®I need to borrow some money.¡¯

    Midas got up from his seat.

    * * *

    Various auction items were brought up for bidding. Some items received a high price, and others didn¡¯t receive as high a price as the owners expected. But despite the ups and downs of the auction house, each item found its owner, and finally, it was time for the ¡®Lake¡¯s Tear¡¯ toe up.

    ¡°That¡¯s it!¡± Leona jumped up to her feet.

    Zich also looked down at the Lake¡¯s Tear. Even though he was running a lot of ns to retrieve it, it was the first time he had seen the Lake¡¯s Tear in person.

    ¡®It¡¯s pretty.¡¯ This was the first thought that popped up in Zich¡¯s head. The Lake¡¯s Tear was shaped like a water droplet that was about to fall from a tree leaf. It was about the size of a person¡¯s palm. It was bright blue, and it emitted a mysterious light that looked as if tranquil ocean water were surrounding it. Even before considering its abilities, the Lake¡¯s Tear seemed highly valuable as an art piece.

    The auctioneer began the bidding for the Lake¡¯s Tear. From everywhere, people began to raise the price. However, Zich made no reaction at all from his seat.

    ¡°Are you going to participate in the end again?¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡±

    Zich took out a magic box and twirled his hands on top of it. It was the magic box that contained all the gold coins he got from the Earth¡¯s Tear.

    L saw the box and opened her mouth, saying, ¡°I didn¡¯t know that they would stuff all the gold coins inside a magic box and hand it over to us.¡±

    The magic box wasn¡¯t theirs, but it had been given to them by the auction house for them to easily take the gold coins home.

    ¡°These people are super greedy about bringing in as much money as possible to the auction house. By giving us this magic box, they¡¯re telling us that our product was a mega-hit.¡±

    ¡°¡­Can we even call that a product?¡±

    ¡°Of course; it¡¯s a very great product. Just look at our sales.¡± Zich shook the magic box and chuckled.

    ¡°Would they usually give us the amount we earned immediately?¡±

    ¡°Only to those who are participating in the auction. It¡¯s so those who received money from their item can raise the prices of the other items up for auction.¡±

    ¡°Wow, they¡¯re good at their business.¡± L shook her head.

    While they were talking, the price for the Lake¡¯s Tear had climbed up considerably. As the price increased, the people who participated decreased; soon, the price stagnated. It was at that moment that Zich joined, and as it had been with the Earth¡¯s Tear, the price of the Lake¡¯s Tear increased exponentially. People shouted out their cheers. In just one day, two bidding wars had urred in one auction.

    Astronomical sums were being called out; the auctioneer was excited as they shouted prices continuously while straining their throat. Despite the excitement below him, Zich put his chin on one hand as if he were bored, and continuously pressed the button next to him with his other hand. But as the price reached a certain point, the sharpness in his eyes changed.

    L asked, ¡°What happened?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s all happening ording to n. That guy is beginning to use more money than he has right now.¡±

    ¡°So he¡¯s using the amount he borrowed, right?¡±

    ¡°Yep.¡±

    At this point in time, Zich¡¯s n was almostplete. He stole a nce at Leona; her face was frozen. He asked, ¡°I¡¯m going to ask you again. Are you really all right with this? Ms. Leona, if you want to just end this with getting back the Lake¡¯s Tear, I¡¯ll follow your wishes.¡±

    Leona fell into deep thought, but it didn¡¯t take long for her to say, ¡°I realized this just now, but Zich, you aren¡¯t really a kind person, are you?¡±

    ¡°Yes. I would actually categorize myself as a very bad person.¡±

    Next to Zich, L nodded. Hans, Snoc, and Nowem all looked away.

    ¡°But you are definitely doing this to help me, right?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°Then, that¡¯s fine.¡± Leona smiled. ¡°If I hadn¡¯t met you, I wouldn¡¯t even be here in the first ce. So I¡¯m going to trust you till the very end this time around.¡±

    ¡°You might regret it.¡±

    ¡°This is what I decided, so even if I regret it, I can¡¯t help it.¡±

    Zich nodded at Leona¡¯s decision. ¡°At least, for now, your trust in me won¡¯t be betrayed. I¡¯m definitely going to find the Lake¡¯s Tear for you. And in order to do that, for now, we have to¡­¡±

    Zich stared at the Lake¡¯s Tear on top of the stage. ¡°Give up on the Lake¡¯s Tear.¡±

 Chapter 164

    <h4>Chapter 164</h4>

    An intense bid war erupted in the ck Market for the second time. But even in the most fiercepetition, there had to be a winner.

    ¡°Going once! Going twice! Sold!¡± The auctioneer raised his voice. People gave loud apuse for the winner. And so, the owner of the Lake¡¯s Tear was decided.

    Midas sighed. He felt a confusing mix of relief and anger. In the end, he won two of the items he had aimed to get, but he suffered great losses. All his savings were wiped out, and he was in debt.

    However, Midasforted himself. ¡®It¡¯s okay. I can make money anyways.¡¯ Thanks to his ability to make gold, it wouldn¡¯t take him much time to pay his debt.

    ¡®Still, I can¡¯t believe I had to take loans.¡¯ Due to the emergency, Midas had gathered money from scraping the bottom of his credit and took loans. As soon as he thought of his coteral, the insides of his mouth tasted bitter. ¡®Even though I was in a hurry, I can¡¯t believe I gave away my carriage¡­¡¯

    The carriage was his trademark: The symbol of his wealth and power. Midas couldn¡¯t believe that he had handed over his golden carriage, which he used for personal activities, as coteral for his loan.

    But this was reality.

    ¡®They probably won¡¯t return it immediately, right?¡¯ Midas hadn¡¯t used all the money he loaned. If he returned the remaining amount, his debt would lessen a bit. But he would have to reimburse the credit he had used first, and his creditors probably wouldn¡¯t give his golden carriage back until he paid everything back.

    ¡®For a while, I¡¯ll have to spend all my time making gold.¡¯ He had to get the golden carriage back as soon as possible. Midas sighed again as he thought about the near future where he would have to only focus on making gold instead of enjoying fancy luxuries. But when he saw the employeeing into the room with the Lake¡¯s Tear, his heart calmed a bit.

    ¡®Well, I can keep my side of the promise now.¡¯ Midas thought of the group that had given him his power. If he gave this item to them, he would no longer have to involve himself with them anymore.

    ¡®Ha, now, if I meet themter, they¡¯ll be kneeling before me.¡¯

    As he imagined this future, Midas¡¯ foul mood floated away. He was done with everything he needed to do. With ease, he watched the rest of the auction pass by.

    * * *

    The auction was over. After thest item was sold, people began to leave the auction house. Most people would have thought their day was over; they would probably return to their homes and go to bed after organizing their purchases of the day.

    Yet, that was not the case for Zich. His activities officially started from that point on.

    ¡°You guys may head back first,¡± Zich said as he waved to hispanions. ¡°Or do you want to have fun with me?¡±

    ¡°No, I¡¯ll head back first,¡± L said. She knew that Zich¡¯s version of ¡®having fun¡¯ was different from normal people¡¯s standard of ¡®having fun¡¯, and refused.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± L said as she went outside. Following her, Hans and Snoc got out of the VIP room.

    ¡°Ms. Leona.¡± Zich called out Leona¡¯s name as she was going out. Leona turned around to look at him. He continued, ¡°You¡¯ll be able to see the Lake¡¯s Tear tomorrow morning. Sleep well tonight.¡±

    ¡°Will do.¡± Leona looked at him with clear eyes, seeming to believe him, and nodded. Then, she also left.

    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s right!¡± Having seemingly forgotten something, Zich leaned his body outside of the VIP room. Then he told hispanions, who were leaving in a group, ¡°Just to let you guys know, the city will be pretty noisy tonight.¡±

    Hispanions couldn¡¯t find any words to say, as Zich looked like he was enjoying himself very much.

    * * *

    After he sent hispanions off, Zich strolled around the auction house. He sat on a chair near the entranceway and stared at an area filled from corner to corner with carriages. Since everyone gathered in this ce was wealthy, all the carriages were incredibly fancy; but of course, the most noticeable carriage of all was Midas¡¯ golden carriage. The torches in its surroundings shone and disyed the carriage¡¯s golden light, even thiste at night.

    However, it looked like the carriage had lost some of its original dignity. It was because of a piece of paper attached to the golden carriage, which certified that the carriage was coteral for Midas¡¯ loans.

    Passers-by on the way to their carriages saw the certification and murmured. Because of its unique and conspicuous appearance, the golden carriage was famous, making it more surprising that it had been used to take out a loan.

    Low, scornfulughter seeped out among the people. Some people began to make convincing guesses that the person who had fought the intense bidding war in this auction was the owner of the golden carriage. While they were saying this, the carriage¡¯s owner appeared before them.

    Midas looked at the certificate on his golden carriage, disgusted. There were several people next to him.

    ¡®Someone from the auction house probably did this,¡¯ Midas thought. He had borrowed money from the auction house, which also offered credit and loans to its clients.

    ¡®They really are a money-obsessed lot,¡¯ Zich thought. But the auction house¡¯s obsession with money was going to help Zich this time around.

    Midas and the employee stood in front of the golden carriage. The employee seemed to be saying something to Midas. It seemed that the employee was telling Midas about the return date for the money he had borrowed and the interest incurred. Midas listened to all this with a sour look on his face.

    ¡®Midas, there¡¯s no point in listening to them.¡¯ Zich held up the magic box and took out something. It was the gold bar that Midas had given to Zich to eavesdrop on Zich¡¯s ns. ¡®You aren¡¯t going to get along with them anymore.¡¯

    * * *

    The employee said, ¡°With this, I¡¯ve finished my exnation.¡±

    Midas nodded towards the employee who came to take away the golden carriage. He stared once at the golden carriage; he needed to part with it for a while. He felt a bit anxious. Currently, the golden carriage made up most of his wealth, but he quickly repressed his anxiety.

    ¡®I can always call it to me.¡¯ As long as the carriage stayed inside the city, Midas could still control it. Even though it might take a while, Midas could call the carriage to him. ¡®It¡¯s goodbye for only a little while.¡¯

    Withplicated emotions, Midas stared at the golden carriage. It was at that moment...

    ¡®Huh?¡¯ From a ce nearby, Midas sensed one of his specially made gold pieces. Midas shifted his attention towards where the gold was. Without much difficulty, he found Zich. Zich was waving his hand with a bright smile on his face, and he was holding up the gold bar next to his mouth.

    ¡ªCan you hear me?

    Midas¡¯ face stiffened immediately. ¡®He knew about it?¡¯

    Judging by Zich¡¯s actions, it seemed as if he knew what type of ability the gold bar had. Seeing Midas¡¯ shocked face, Zich¡¯s smile widened.

    ¡ªAs you can see, I know what your abilities are.

    Then, Zich tantly tapped the gold bar in front of his face.

    ¡°¡­Mr. Midas?¡± The employee next to Midas stared at him strangely.

    But Midas had no leisure to pay any attention to them. ¡®How?¡¯

    There were very few people who knew about his ability. The only people who knew how it worked were the people who had given it to him. But even before Midas could organize his thoughts, Zich continued his shocking revtions.

    ¡ªDid you like today¡¯s auction? You were able to get both of the items you wanted. It was a bit expensive, but you were the one who was victorious. I really think it¡¯s amazing.

    Zich¡¯spliments continued on, but Midas wasn¡¯t happy at all. An ominous feeling slowly rose in his chest.

    ¡ªI¡¯m really sorry about this, but I¡¯m feeling too guilty to continue lying to you. So in my guilt, I want to confess about the Earth¡¯s Tear you helped me put up for auction.

    Why was it like this? Why could Midas see Zich, who was a good distance away from him, so clearly?

    ¡ªIt¡¯s fake.

    It was as if a hammer had struck Midas¡¯ head.

    ¡°¡­What?¡± Without even realizing it, Midas let out a question.

    ¡°Sir?¡± The employee was surprised and asked Midas a question in return. But Midas continued to pay zero attention to the employee.

    ¡ªThat item you purchased isn¡¯t the Earth¡¯s Tear. No¡ªactually, thinking about it, that item really is the Earth¡¯s Tear. Because I made the whole thing up, even its name. Hey, then why don¡¯t we continue calling it the Earth¡¯s Tear? Isn¡¯t it a good name?

    There was joy in Zich¡¯s voice as he continued on. In contrast, Midas¡¯ eyes became red and bloodshot.

    ¡ªWell, why don¡¯t you first try taking out the Earth¡¯s Tear?

    Midas quickly took out the ¡®Earth¡¯s Tear¡¯ from his magic box.

    ¡ªYou see that it¡¯s red, right? That¡¯s because it¡¯s made with copper. There¡¯s a bit of mithril mixed in, and illusion magic on top of it. The magic was literally done to make it look like ¡®something special¡¯. In other words, that thing isn¡¯t a treasure at all. Since a bit of mithril is mixed in, you can probably get a bit of money with it, but maybe not as much as the amount you paid for it.

    Zich took out several gold bars from his magic box, and began throwing them around in the air and catching them. Midas was familiar with the gold bars that Zich was ying around with¡ªthey were the gold bars Midas had given to Zich to buy the Earth¡¯s Tear.

    ¡ªObviously, it wasn¡¯t an item I could possibly put up for auction on the ck Market, but fortunately, I had an amazing ¡®coborator¡¯. I received so much help from you. You helped me put such a cheap item up for auction in the ck Market and went as far as to buy it for an extravagant price. Even my own mother wouldn¡¯t be as generous to me as you did.

    Midas¡¯ body began to tremble. His face became red as if it were going to burst.

    ¡ªTo think about it, wasn¡¯t there a name for a person like you? Let me think about it. What was it? It was probably the name you called the elf¡­

    Zich put his hand on his chin and tilted his head. But as if he had just remembered the word, he flicked his finger with an exaggerated movement.

    ¡ªPushover! Yep, it was pushover~!

    With a crumbling sound, the Earth¡¯s Tear was crushed in Midas¡¯ hand. It was an impressive show of power; even the employee next to him took a few steps back.

    ¡ªNo, you helped me so much that I can¡¯t just call you a pushover. First-ss pushover? No, that¡¯s not enough for me to describe how much of a pushover you are. Hmmm¡­

    Zich bowed his head and made an expression that seemed as if it were deeply contemting this matter. But he soon shook his head and met Midas¡¯ eyes again.

    ¡ªThere¡¯s no name to perfectly describe you. Let¡¯s just go with the simple option...

    After a pause, Zich spoke again.

    ¡ª...and call you a brainless, first-ss pushover.

    Crack!

    The Earth¡¯s Tearpletely broke in Midas¡¯ hands and fell to the ground. Midas could see Zich clutching his stomach andughing out loud. He could clearly hear Zich¡¯sughter through the gold bar.

    ¡ªDid you think you saw through all my ns through this gold bar? That¡¯s why you didn¡¯t hesitate to buy such a poor-quality lump of metal. Too bad for you, but you¡¯ve been yed by me from the very beginning. The whole conversation that you overheard was merely a y I wrote to trick you, and you were the pitiful pierrot that was yed by my act. You didn¡¯t even know that, and you were so happy that you could erase your weakness.

    Then, with a refreshing tone, Zich said his trademark line:

    ¡ªSo how was it, how was your sweet moment of hope?

 Chapter 165

    <h4>Chapter 165</h4>

    Those words were the deciding factor. Midas felt his vision be blurry. He felt dizzy, and everything in his view became enveloped by darkness. The only thing reflected in his eyes was Zich. Although the auction house¡¯s employees felt uneasy and fearful about Midas¡¯ strange behavior, they continued their work.

    ¡°¡­T-Then, we¡¯ll take this carriage, sir.¡± The employee signaled to theirpanion and detached the golden carriage from the horses.

    The horses on the carriage showed no response, not even neighing in relief from being freed of their suffocating reins. They were all too scared to move, because of an existence that kept exuding a terrifying aura.

    ¡°Huh? What¡¯s their problem?¡± It was the same for the other horses. The coachmen were stunned to see the horses so still.

    The bodyguards who protected their rich patrons were on guard. However, the auction house¡¯s employees continued to move even as they felt Midas¡¯ murderous intent; they all had thick skin due to the nature of their job. Then, one of the employees took out a magic box to put the carriage inside it. They approached the carriage and felt relieved when Midas didn¡¯t move. They thought Midas was simply displeased and wouldn¡¯t use any force to stop them.

    However, it wasn¡¯t pleasant to be near a person who was extremely angry.

    ¡®I should quickly finish this.¡¯ The employee lifted the magic box up to the carriage.

    Grasp!

    Midas suddenly grabbed the employee¡¯s wrist. The employee made a low groan at the strong grip.

    ¡°W-What are you doing, sir?!¡±

    ¡°Wait. I need the carriage now.¡± To be more specific, what Midas needed was power¡ªpower strong enough to stomp Zich¡¯s annoying, smiling face.

    However, the employee, who didn¡¯t know of his situation, thought Midas was being absurd; no, even if the employee knew Midas¡¯ situation, they would have thought the same. This was Midas¡¯ personal issue. It was none of their concern.

    ¡°That¡¯s impossible, sir. If you want the carriage back, give us the money and the interest you owe us right now,¡± the employee refused firmly.

    From their perspective, this was a matter of course; and the employee said this confidently, trusting in their fellow employees and the city. Employees of the auction house approached Midas to restrict him. But unfortunately for them, Midas was unable to make any sound judgments now. He continued to re at Zich.

    Zich got up. Then, he winked once and disappeared inside the auction house.

    Flip!

    Midas flung away the employee¡¯s arm. The employee screamed, ¡®Ah!¡¯ and copsed to the ground. But Midas showed no concern for them and ced his hand on the carriage.

    ¡°I already told you that you can¡¯t take it!¡± the employee yelled, in a great show ofmitted work ethic.

    However, Midas continued to show no respect towards them. Thus, in the end, the employee made up their mind, yelling, ¡°Subdue him!¡±

    Midas was no longer a customer who would routinely pay interest to the loan he borrowed until he paid everything back. He was now a nuisance and a robber trying to take his coteral without paying anything back.

    The security guards raised their spears and rushed towards Midas. The situation was messy, but it was still at a controble level, where a troublesome customer was making a ruckus. Thus, people in the surroundings didn¡¯t run away in a hurry and simply maintained their distance.

    However, the situation quickly turned worse.

    Pierce!

    In the blink of an eye, golden skewers appeared in Midas¡¯s hand and pierced the security guards¡¯ chests as they rushed towards him, leaving several huge holes.

    ¡°Kuh!¡±

    Cough!

    The security guards rolled their eyes a couple of times as if they couldn¡¯t believe what had happened, and copsed, dead.

    ¡°Uaaahhhhhh!¡±

    ¡°Kyaaaaaaah!¡±

    All the spectators, who had been watching the situation eagerly, screamed. They had expected some blows to be exchanged at most, not to see several people die. The employee who had been getting up fell on their bottom again, and the other employees quickly backed away.

    Beep!

    The rest of the security guards took out a small flute and sent out a signal. Then, they rushed towards Midas again.

    Pop!

    One security guard¡¯s head disappeared in an instant as the golden carriage¡¯s roof popped out and struck it. Another person died, and the surroundings became more chaotic. Carriages collided with each other as people fought to go first, and horses ran rampant, stomping over some humans. There were even some bodyguards who began to sh as they fought to protect their patrons first. It was an unseemly sight. The people who had enjoyed watching the suffering of others were in a panic now and caused immense damage in their flight.

    Yet, Midas¡¯ sole attention shot towards Zich, who had gone inside the auction house.

    Stomp!

    Midas moved his feet.

    Creak!

    Without even a horse pulling it, the carriage began to move by itself and followed him.

    * * *

    ¡®It has started.¡¯

    Zich watched the situation outside from his chair and was very pleased. Everything was going ording to his ns. Even if he had a n, it was nothing amazing. He just wanted two things: Wips Midas and Tyroul Central Auction House. For the purpose of doing ¡®kind acts¡¯, he had to get rid of Midas, who would be a Demon Person, and the ck Market that exchanged illegal goods.

    At first, Zich had thought about flipping the whole ce over. But that would mean that Zich would have to go on an all-out war against the whole city. He didn¡¯t know how involved the city was in this matter, but he was sure that the ck Market had some backing from the city.

    Zich had also thought about using his authority as Karuwiman¡¯s Honorary Holy Knight, but things would get moreplicated then. From then on, it would turn into a battle of truths between Zich and the auction house. Moreover, the wealthy patrons of the ck Market would find their own ways to hold back Zich andplicate the situation.

    Zich also thought about barging into the ck Market with a sword, but a good idea popped up in his head. ¡®Since I have to get rid of both of them anyway, why don¡¯t I make them fight each other?¡¯

    With this in mind, Zich had devised his n. It was simple: he was going to make Midas spend an exorbitant amount of money to the point of being indebted to the auction house. Then the auction house would use Midas¡¯ golden carriage as the coteral. And when that happened, if he just made Midas so angry that he would use his power without thinking¡­

    ¡®Since Midas¡¯ power depends on the golden carriage, he¡¯s going to use that for sure. And naturally, the auction house is going to stop him from taking it.¡¯

    Then, the only thing left was for them to sh. As an auction house that dealt in precious items that sold for extremely high prices, the auction house¡¯s overall wealth and military force were significant. Moreover, if themotion became too big, the city¡¯s official military would be sent to suppress themotion.

    ¡®But they would have to go against Wips Midas.¡¯

    Even though he was considerably weaker than when he would be ¡®Golden Castle Wips Midas¡¯, Midas was still an individual that wouldter be called a Demon Person.

    ¡®Didn¡¯t someone say that the most fun things to watch were fighting and things going up in mes?¡¯

    Zich was prepared to enjoy this sight to the fullest. He took out cheap rum from his magic box, opening the bottle and gulping it down. As he felt the high alcohol content of the rum, the smell of cheap booze exuded from his mouth. At the same time.

    Crasssh!

    A loud explosion was heard outside of the auction house.

    ¡®Cheap alcohol is the best for watching a fight!¡¯

    Zich went past the people who were distracted by the loud explosion outside of the auction house and went inside. The employees were moving around in a hurry, and there was hardly anyone paying attention to him. A few employees noticed him, but Zich easily made them faint. Eventually, he reached the bar that Midas usually rxed in and got expensive alcohol from. From the bar¡¯s terrace, Zich could see the entire scene outside.

    ¡°Don¡¯t push!¡±

    ¡°Ack!¡±

    ¡°Move away!¡±

    The ck Market Auction House¡¯s customers began fighting each other to get away from the radius of the battle. People were shoving and falling on top of each other; in this chaos, fights erupted between their private bodyguards. At a nce, Zich could see injured people, and some had even died.

    But Zich felt unmoved. ¡®Those bastards were all bad guys anyways, so whatever.¡¯

    The ck Market Auction House was illegal, and dangerous and awful items were routinely put up for auction. Honestly, Zich had seen worse sights than what he was currently seeing, but hispanions looked shocked.

    ¡®Fortunately, unlike for ¡®items¡¯, the auction house sends ¡®living beings¡¯ter on. So it¡¯s good that those beings don¡¯t have to be part of this.¡¯

    The only reason they sent ¡®living beings that were auctioned¡¯ter was because the customers didn¡¯t want the ¡®living beings¡¯ to ride with them in their expensive carriages. But because of this practice, harm towards those who had been auctioned off could be greatly avoided now.

    Zich moved his eyes away from the dogfights between the participants of the ck Market, and shifted his gaze towards the center of the battle.

    ¡°Block him!¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s not an ordinary guy! Don¡¯t move by yourselves!¡±

    ¡°Someone, call the city guards!¡±

    The auction house¡¯s guards were surrounding Midas. Since it was the most renowned auction house in the world, they had a lot of guards and were able to continue bringing in more people. However, this was not enough to block Midas.

    ¡°Agh!¡±

    ¡°Ugh!¡±

    The golden carriage that slowly followed behind Midas changed its shape and shot out big spikes from its surface. Two guards near the carriage lost their lives.

    ¡°You bastaaaaard!¡± One guard pointed their spear towards Midas; there was a significant amount of mana surrounding its tip.

    Crash!

    However, the spear melted like liquid and bounced off of the gold surrounding Midas.

    Punch!

    ¡°Ackk!¡±

    The gold twisted and blew the guard away.

    Sssss!

    The golden carriage melted as if it were getting heated, and it slowly lost its shape; even its wheels began to grow soft. But even while it melted, the carriage continued to move. It now looked like a disgusting golden lump crawling on the ground.

    Swish!

    The gold expanded and surrounded Midas; it was a very frightening sight.

    ¡°Ugh¡­!¡±

    ¡°What the hell is that?!¡± the guard eximed and withdrew a few steps back.

    Even though they had gone through all sorts of experiences as the ck Market Auction House¡¯s guards, this was the first time they experienced something like this. Even though they were far greater in numbers, no one was able to approach Midas.

    And this time, Midas was the one who made the first move.

    Swish!

    The golden lump fired multiple long, heavy, and powerful spikes.

    Crash!

    Pierce!

    Crumble!

    The surrounding guards were annihted, dying in many different ways. Some were pierced like skewers of meat; some were crushed from above, and some were simply struck by the spikes. But there was one distinct simrity between all of those things: All of the attacks were extremely fatal.

    ¡°Ah! Ahhhhhh!¡±

    ¡°Run!¡±

    Even though they were in charge of guarding the ck Market Auction House, in the end, they were just guards. They were unable to deal with Midas¡¯ supernatural abilities, and some of them had begun turning their backs to run away. However, Midas did not let anyone who opposed him escape.

    Crunch! Crunch!

    Midas crushed each and every one of the guards, and the chilling sounds of their bones getting crunched were loud and clear. But Zich didn¡¯t feel much as he looked down at the guards getting crushed.

    ¡®Welp, they¡¯re also bastards who knew the horrors of the ck Market Auction House, but still chose to participate.¡¯

    For Zich, they were just people to do ¡®kind acts¡¯ to.

 Chapter 166

    <h4>Chapter 166</h4>

    Midas pushed people out of his way and continued forward. Everyone thought he was going to the auction house, but his target was Zich, not the building. Zich slowly looked around at the auction house¡¯s building from his terrace.

    ¡®It¡¯s going to disappear soon, so I should look at it again carefully.¡¯ Since he had called a skilled demolisher, Zich was sure the ce would cleanly disappear from the world.

    ¡®Hm, good! I¡¯ve finished bidding farewell to this ce!¡¯ Zich finished his light-hearted farewell with the auction house and took out a gold bar from his magic box. It was the gold bar he had gotten from Midas.

    Spark!

    Midas felt the gold bar suddenly appear near him. He stopped moving and lifted his head up to look at the terrace. Zich clearly came into his view, waving at him while gulping a drink down.

    Crash!

    The gold lump suddenly lengthened and struck the terrace. Stone rails crumbled into pieces, and the attack made arge dent in the window frame. However, it couldn¡¯t aplish its goal. Zich had moved and was now sitting on the other side of the terrace. As if he were exaggerating how well he was doing, he took the alcohol bottle from his lips and burped.

    Breeaak!

    The gold piece began to move again. With its lengthened body, it tried to wrap around Zich¡ªrather than encircling Zich¡¯s throat, it looked as if it were trying to squeeze his whole body dry. But as if somebody else were pulling him from behind, Zich moved naturally and evaded the gold piece again.

    Zich got up and opened the remaining half of the terrace¡¯s door. Then, he waved his hands at Midas.

    Craaaash!

    Pieces of gold swooped towards him again. However, Zich was no longer on the terrace, but rather inside the building.

    ¡®This rat bastard!¡¯ Midas would never forgive Zich. Soon, he began to give chase.

    * * *

    Zich and Midas¡¯ cat-and-mouse chase continued inside the auction house. Midas chased after Zich while crushing everything in his surroundings. Yet, he kept failing to catch Zich, and the auction house fell deeper into ruins.

    ¡®It¡¯s still nothing much,¡¯ Zich thought while evading the gold spear that came his way.

    Midas was only able to control a carriage-sized amount of gold andcked the destructive power he had possessed in Zich¡¯s pre-regression days. When Midas was called ¡®Golden Castle¡¯, people used to say that a golden fist that stretched out from his castle could destroy a vige without a trace.

    ¡®But, well, it¡¯s enough to destroy the auction house.¡¯

    Craaash!

    Gold poured down like rain and made holes in the ground. After the floor shook in its worn-out state, it finally crumbled.

    ¡°Ah, what a waste,¡± Zich said, as the gleaming marble turned to dust and scattered about. ¡°Even if you know how to make gold, aren¡¯t you being too wasteful?¡±

    While Zich spoke, Midas¡¯ attacks continued. The walls and ceilings broke down and expensive decorations became piles of trash. Still, Zich spitefully escaped Midas¡¯ attacks.

    ¡®Let me see...¡¯ Zich observed his surroundings and looked for the ce he hade from. It was quite a wide space, supported by thick pirs. ¡®Should I try breaking this area?¡¯

    Zich ran and hid behind one of the pirs, leaving his head poking out slightly. His light movements alone were enough to stir up Midas¡¯ rage. He called out, ¡°Why are you getting so angry? Didn¡¯t you also want me to put my item up for auction?¡±

    Crash!

    Gold pieces flew and crushed the thick pirs. Zich prated through the scattering cloud of dust and stone and hid behind another pir.

    ¡°Weren¡¯t you the one who helped me forcefully put that item up for the ck Market when it wouldn¡¯t even be epted in a normal auction?¡±

    Craaash!

    ¡°Don¡¯t think you were tricked. It¡¯s really true that what you got was the Earth¡¯s Tear.¡±

    Crash!

    ¡°I¡¯m really telling you the truth. That¡¯s the name I gave it. If you think about all the trouble mypanion went through to make it, you have no reason to get so mad¡ª¡±

    Crash!

    ¡°Ah, now that I think about it, she didn¡¯t go through that much trouble to make it.¡±

    Crash!

    The pirs were destroyed one by one. The auction house was a gigantic building, madepletely out of stone. Thus, its weight was unimaginable. So, if the pirs that supported it broke¡­

    Craaaaaash!

    ¡­It meant ¡®pure destruction¡¯ would ensue. The whole building didn¡¯t copse since it was only a couple of pirs, but the top of the auction house, which had been the symbol of Tungel, copsed. Zich didn¡¯t n to finish the matter with just this, however.

    Pop!

    The piles of rock that formed from the building¡¯s destruction burst out. Zich walked out while holding his Windur.

    Craaash!

    Midas prated through the building¡¯s remains, and the gold enveloping his body pushed away the surrounding stone pieces. Zich and Midas confronted each other. Zich¡¯s Windur exuded a sharp spirit, while Midas¡¯ gold swayed around and looked for openings.

    Then...

    Flip!

    Zich turned around and ran again. Because Zich had raised his sword as if he were going to fight, Midas froze in shock for a moment.

    But in the next moment, Midas shouted, ¡°I¡¯m going to kill you!¡± He realized that Zich had yed him and chased after Zich again.

    Craaaash!

    The destruction of the auction house continued.

    * * *

    Zich had grasped Midas¡¯ skills and abilities while fighting him; he used that knowledge to escape and make Midas destroy the rest of the auction house. But Zich didn¡¯t leave all the work for Midas to do.

    ¡°Ah, my mistake!¡± Zich swung his Windur. His movements were incredibly sluggish and awkward. There was a considerable amount of mana imbued in his attack, but it was incredibly sloppy.

    Swish!

    As expected, Midas easily avoided Zich¡¯s attack. Zich¡¯s attack, which was high in power but awkward in movement, missed Midas and hit an object next to them. It was a pir.

    Crasssssh!

    The building began to copse even more. The ceiling crashed down and a part of the wall copsed. Stones and debris flew everywhere. Zich quickly drew back and ran away toward the side of the auction house that was still intact.

    ¡°Oh no, it copsed.¡±

    Zich sighed, but his voice was incredibly awkward. He sounded like an acting student who had just begun his acting lessons. However, Zich¡¯s actual acting skills were so good he could immediately get into the best theater group. In other words, Zich¡¯s super awkward acting had purposely been done to humiliate Midas.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t want to do this, but!¡±

    Whish!

    Zich wielded his Windur again. Likest time, Zich awkwardly moved and missed Midas again; he hit another pir.

    ¡°The enemy is in front of me!¡±

    Whish!

    ¡°It¡¯s sooo scary!¡±

    Slice!

    ¡°Oh nooo! Someone save me!¡±

    From a certain point on, Zich had begun destroying the auction house even more than Midas had. The building began to copse at a faster rate. On the other hand, Midas¡¯ eyes were full of bloodthirst, and he couldn¡¯t think about anything else other than attacking and killing Zich.

    Crashhh!

    Zich stepped on the copsed stones and observed his surroundings. ¡®Hmmm, the whole ce has more or less been destroyed.¡¯

    Zich had done such a good job leading Midas that the auction house was now thoroughly shattered and broken. The auction house held up only its most basic shape and barely managed to stay upright.

    ¡®Should I stop for now? If I destroy more, wouldn¡¯t it be too much?¡¯ How generous and soft his heart was to think such thoughts. Was he actually bing a kind person from doing so many kind acts?

    ¡®Crazy bastard. I should stop ying around.¡¯ Zich insulted himself and chuckled.

    Swish!

    Zich heard a loud sound from behind; he immediately swung Windur behind him.

    Slice!

    Midas had shot a lump of gold at Zich, and thetter had sliced through it. The sliced gold rolled through the air and then came to a halt. Zich turned around. Stretched-out lumps of gold were moving around after losing part of themselves.

    Crawl!

    The gold that had been sliced off changed into liquid and crawled back to Midas. It soon merged back into the main body.

    ¡°Your ability is pretty useful,¡± Zich said sincerely. He really thought it was useful to have an ability that made gold and allowed the user topletely control a part of the gold they made. The auction house¡¯s guards, who were experienced in their field, had also been one-sidedly annihted by Midas¡¯ gold controlling ability.

    But this was the extent of Zich¡¯s thoughts. He merely thought it was useful, and didn¡¯t think anything more of Midas¡¯ ability.

    ¡°You bastard!¡± Midas cried as he spread gold everywhere and tried to corner Zich.

    But Zich had already destroyed the auction house as much as he wanted, so he no longer felt the need to continue his strange and awkward acting while running away. ¡®I also need to get the ¡®Lake¡¯s Tear¡¯ from him,¡¯ he thought.

    Crash! Crash! Crash!

    The gold pirs all bounced off of Zich¡¯s de. Midas seemed to have increased the durability of his gold, as it had stopped being split in two when struck. But Midas¡¯ gold still had no effect on Zich.

    Crawl!

    The gold stopped moving for a bit. As if to prepare for another attack, it went back to Midas¡¯ side.

    ¡®I should bring this to an end,¡¯ Zich thought. The n was roughly over. Since he had achieved his main goal, there was no need for him to y around with Midas anymore.

    ¡®It was pretty fun.¡¯ To express his thanks, Zich infused mana into Windur to give a clean death to Midas.

    ¡°¡­You bastard, as I thought, you were working with those guys,¡± Midas murmured to himself.

    ¡°Bastards! Did you think I was going to steal it?!¡±

    ¡®What the hell is this guy saying?¡¯ Zich tilted his head in confusion.

    But the furious Midas paid no attention to Zich¡¯s reaction and continued to shout, ¡°If you guys weren¡¯t working together, how else could you know my ability so well?! Fine! No wonder it was strange! You gave such a perfect ability to a stranger! I should have known from the very start!¡±

    By ¡®perfect ability¡¯, he was probably meaning his alchemist ability. Zich smirked. ¡®Like hell it¡¯s a perfect ability.¡¯

    Neither the yet immature Midas nor the ¡®Golden Castle Wips Midas¡¯ in his prime had ever been above Zich in skills or power. But this guy was saying that his ability was perfect with such confidence. Zich thought his beliefs were so ridiculous, he snorted.

    But Midas interpreted Zich¡¯s action however he wanted. ¡°I should have never believed you guys! I¡¯m the stupid one for believing in people who wore robes and hid their abilities!¡±

    ¡®Was this guy also created by the ¡®robed figures¡¯?¡¯ Zich thought. In terms of influence, the ¡®robed figures¡¯ were really at the top of their field.

    ¡°But do you think everything will go ording to your ns?! I¡¯m going to kill you guys using any means possible! And I¡¯m also going to find the guys who tricked me and kill them! I¡¯m going to kill everyone in your organization!¡±

    ¡°Ah, that¡¯s impossible,¡± Zich said calmly, thinking, ¡®The person who¡¯s going to wipe them clean isn¡¯t going to be you, but rather me, and you¡¯re going to die here.¡¯

    Zich fixed his grip on Windur. Midas interpreted Zich¡¯s words just now as Zich looking down on him. But since Zich really did look down on him, Midas¡¯ thoughts weren¡¯t far off either.

    ¡°You, you¡­!¡± With bloodshot eyes, Midas stared at Zich. ¡°Dieeeeee!¡±

    Baaaang!

    Midas¡¯ gold moved again. Zich, who had been staring coldly at Midas, also swung his sword.

 Chapter 167

    <h4>Chapter 167</h4>

    The morning was bright, and the glistening sunlight clearly disyed yesterday¡¯s tragedy in full view. The Tyroul Auction House, which had towered over its surrounding buildings with its imposing presence, was nowhere to be found. Heaps of stone were piled up on the ground, and only the parts of the structure that barely remained upright showed traces of its past glory.

    Many knights and soldiers were gathered in the ce where the auction house used to be. The building, which had symbolized Tungel, was thoroughly crushed in one night. Of course, people began to investigate. And by interviewing the survivors, investigators unearthed the truth of the matter: A guy who went around riding a golden carriage had suddenly gone crazy, killed people, and crushed the auction house. The suspect was a man named Wips Midas.

    ¡°Ha! Isn¡¯t it perfect?¡± Zich admired his own n and gulped his beer down. ¡°People will think Wips Midas was the one who caused this incident. Well, it¡¯s the truth. I didn¡¯t even hit a person or destroy a building this time.¡±

    ¡°I thought you destroyed the auction house yourselfter on,¡± L remarked.

    ¡°That couldn¡¯t be helped. Midas was trying his hardest to kill me. It¡¯s not as if I could just stand by and not resist at all. I had to desperately block, and you won¡¯t believe how quickly he evaded all my attacks. I didn¡¯t want to destroy the building too, you know.¡±

    ¡°As if!¡± L snorted. ¡°But I¡¯m d everything worked out well. Everything went ording to your ns.¡±

    ¡°It wasn¡¯t a very difficult thing to do. Truthfully, it wasn¡¯t even a perfect n.¡±

    ¡°How did you execute your n so confidently, then?¡±

    ¡°Even though it wasn¡¯t a perfect n, there was an element that made it perfect.¡±

    ¡°What was it?¡±

    ¡°Midas¡¯ absolute confidence in his ability.¡±

    L recalled what she knew about Midas. Even though she had never conversed or interacted with him directly, she knew that Midas was someone who had exuded confidence. Actually, he had gone beyond confidence, to the point of arrogance.

    ¡°When he spied on us from the gold bar, he probably thought he had uspletely. So, even when he noticed something off, he probably ignored it.¡±

    And this had all resulted in Midas¡¯ devastating humiliation and defeat. At that moment, they heard a knock. The door opened, and Hans and Snoc entered.

    ¡°We¡¯re back!¡±

    ¡°How was it?¡± Zich asked.

    Hans and Snoc ced the snacks they had bought from outside on the table. Then, they reported the city¡¯s general atmosphere.

    ¡°It¡¯s chaotic, sir. The only things people talk about when they gather are the reason behind the auction house¡¯s destruction, or whether this incident will indirectly harm them. They even worry about the city¡¯s economic losses.¡±

    ¡°And?¡±

    ¡°There are many rumors that they found dangerous items inside the auction house. They say that some of the surviving auction house¡¯s employees have been arrested.¡±

    At most, these had been untrustworthy rumors circting around the market. However, if there were some circumstantial evidencebined with these rumors, it would provide a logical basis for further investigation.

    ¡°I suppose not all of Tungel¡¯s high-ranking people were part of this auction house.¡±

    ¡°It seems the city hall is shocked too, sir. And not only because the auction hall was destroyed.¡±

    ¡°Probably. A normal person would be shocked to hear that an auction was taking cete at night when it shouldn¡¯t be open, and unusual goods were being exchanged there.¡±

    Zich had left behind all the goods that hadn¡¯t been sold yet in the ck Market. While guiding Midas¡¯ attacks, he had moved in a way that wouldn¡¯t inflict any damage on the ce where the goods were stored. This was so that he could read the investigators¡¯ movements after they found the goods.

    ¡°I have to check a bit more, but the guys running the ck Market will definitely suffer for a while now.¡±

    ¡°Are you going to end the matter with this?¡± L asked.

    ¡°Why? Do you think I¡¯ll go to the city hall and kill everyone involved?¡±

    ¡°I think if it¡¯s you, you can definitely do that,¡± L responded, and Hans and Snoc straightened their necks.

    ¡°It¡¯s not like I¡¯m some guy who thinks, ¡®I¡¯ll exterminate all injustice in this world!¡¯ I¡¯m satisfied with just destroying the auction house and screwing Midas over. The guys participating in the auction house also got roped into the incident too. Also, it doesn¡¯t seem as if the whole city is rotten.¡±

    ¡°Then, are you done with all your business in Tungel?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m finished with the important things. Why? Do you want to go look at the ruins?¡±

    L nodded. Zich, who knew about L¡¯s curiosity towards the ruins, quickly gave his consent. ¡°We don¡¯t have any more issues to attend to, so it doesn¡¯t matter. But since not everything is over yet, let¡¯s do that afterward.¡±

    ¡°You still have some things to take care of?¡±

    ¡°Just two small things.¡±

    The room¡¯s door roughly opened at that moment. Zich turned his attention towards the door and said, ¡°I¡¯ll probably be done with one of them soon.¡±

    ¡°I found him!¡± It was Leona. She had arrived in such a hurry that her hair was a mess. However, her usually pure, even slightly dazed eyes looked enraged.

    ¡°Good. Let¡¯s go,¡± Zich said.

    ¡°Did you find someone or something?¡± L asked as she followed them. Hans and Snoc also tried to figure out the situation by looking around.

    ¡°It¡¯s something simple,¡± Zich answered while taking his Windur out. ¡°Suppose I stumbled upon a treasure. A very expensive treasure. And then I left it at a store so they could sell it for me. Then I rolled around in bed, filled with hope and anticipation about how much money it would bring me and how wealthy I would be. But then, I heard the terrible news that the store I left my treasure in copsed.¡±

    By this time, L had figured out what Zich was talking about. ¡°Then what would happen?¡± she asked simply.

    ¡°Without even properly putting on my clothes, I would run like crazy to the auction house, to check if the rumors were true,¡± Zich continued.

    L looked at Leona; she was even more sure of her answer as she saw Leona¡¯s red face. She asked, ¡°You found him? The person who stole the ¡®Lake¡¯s Tear¡¯?¡±

    Leona nodded. Zich moved next to Leona and turned back to L, Hans, and Snoc, asking, ¡°Is there anyone who wants toe? I¡¯m really just asking. The worst that will probably happen is burying one thief, so you guys don¡¯t have to worry about it too much.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll go.¡± L lifted up the staff that they had recently purchased.

    ¡°Sir, we¡¯ll also go,¡± Hans said, and Snoc nodded his head in agreement.

    ¡°Is that so? Then let¡¯s all go together,¡± Zich said while looking at Leona. ¡°Ms. Leona, please guide us. Let¡¯s fucking kill the guy.¡±

    * * *

    The man was full of despair. Pedestrians were surrounding the auction house¡ªno, where the auction house used to be. Several guards were blocking people from entering beyond a set area, but the man could still easily see the devastating state of the auction house. He went through crowds of people and was barely able to reach one of the guards.

    ¡°Ah!¡± Even though various thoughts were swirling inside his mind, this was the only sound that came out of his mouth. All strength left his legs, and he was barely able to stop his body from falling.

    ¡®M-my everything¡­!¡¯ His job, connections, and rtionships had all been shattered by his own hands, and the only thing left was his pitiful life. He had given it all away to live the rest of his life in affluence.

    For that one goal, he had made a dangerous gamble, and it was sessful. All that was left for him had been to change the results into money. He had been confident about it too. Wasn¡¯t the item he had stolen an elf tribe¡¯s treasure? He had been confident that he would be able to exchange the treasure for a great deal of money in the ck Market Auction House he had happened to find out about. But all that had returned to him was the destroyed ruins of an auction house.

    It wasn¡¯t as if he had never thought he would fail to reach his goal. It was just that in all the possibilities he had imagined, he had never imagined a scenario where the whole auction house would be in ruins like this. His gamble to exchange everything he had to live a life of affluence in the future hade back to him with the worst possible result.

    Maybe he could at least retrieve the item he put up for auction. But the voices behind him put an end to this wishful thought.

    ¡°I heard that an auction happenedst night. Why would there be an auction in the middle of the night?¡±

    ¡°Apparently, dangerous and awful items were being put on auctionst night. That¡¯s why employees are being captured and things are going crazy.¡±

    ¡°Is that why the auction house copsed?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know. But don¡¯t you think it¡¯s rted to that? If not, why would an ordinary auction house turn into ruins like this overnight?¡±

    ¡°Then what are they going to do about the items up for auctionst night?¡±

    ¡°A few of them were confiscated, and some seem to have disappeared. A couple of them might have been buried under that rubble.¡±

    ¡°The owners probably can¡¯t find it, right?¡±

    ¡°What do you mean find? Since an auction like that is illegal, everyone who participated in the auctionst night is getting investigated.¡±

    ¡®Damn it!¡¯ the man thought. Rather than finding his item, he might be captured by the city officials instead. He suppressed his tears and turned around. Even though he had invested his whole life into this gamble and things had ended up like this, he couldn¡¯t throw away his life. ¡®I have to live. If I continue living, another opportunity is going toe up for sure.¡¯

    The man left Tungel on that same day. In the beginning, he was worried that an official from the city mighte to catch him, but as he moved further away from the city, his worry disappeared. It was when he reached a mountain path, however...

    Punch!

    ¡°Agh!¡±

    Something suddenly punched him in the face. He didn¡¯t even have time to scream, and his surroundings spun around. All strength left his body and he copsed onto the ground. Someone was walking towards him.

    The individual hauled the man over their shoulder and dragged him into the forest. Their rough and careless movement showed no concern for the man¡¯s livelihood. The man hung over the individual¡¯s shoulder, and various branches and nts hit him squarely in the face.

    Drop!

    The man was thrown into a random ce in the forest. He was still disoriented, so he crawled around like a big dog. But after some time passed, his eyes focused, and he came to his senses. There were people surrounding him.

    ¡°W-who are you?!¡± the man shouted, trembling in fear. It was obvious that they were his kidnappers, though. His shout was merely a desperate cry to protect himself, and no one was frightened by them.

    ¡°Woah, the world has really be better, for swindlers to be able to shout so much,¡± someone said as they walked up to the man. That someone was Zich. Zich menacingly swung around Windur and stood in front of the man, remarking, ¡°Victor Scholl. Am I right?¡±

    ¡®He knows me?¡¯ Scholl thought. It wasn¡¯t a group of random bandits who had kidnapped him to get some money. The fear in Scholl¡¯s face increased by another degree. He blurted out,¡°M-may I ask¡­ who you guys are?¡±

    ¡°Ah, you don¡¯t have to know. It¡¯s just that we have someone here who wants to meet you.¡± Zich took one step back.

    One of the people that surrounded Scholl came forward and said, ¡°It¡¯s been a while, Scholl.¡±

    ¡°¡­You!¡± Scholl was shocked. He was very familiar with the elf who was standing in front of him.

    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s me¡ªLeona. You haven¡¯t forgotten me already, have you?¡±

    ¡°L-Leona¡­¡± With intense fear in his eyes, Scholl stared at Leona. But soon, he made an awkward smile with his lips. ¡°W-what... Are these people your friends? Then this must all be a prank. But I hope you can stop this prank. I really thought I got kidnapped and almost peed my pants.¡±

    ¡°No, this isn¡¯t a prank.¡± Leona shook her head and red at Scholl while saying, ¡°Just like it wasn¡¯t a real prank when you told me to steal the ¡®Lake¡¯s Tear¡¯.¡±

 Chapter 168

    <h4>Chapter 168</h4>

    Zich stared at Leona. She looked like she wanted to screw Scholl¡¯s forehead with an arrow, and it seemed like her rage would physically materialize and rip Scholl into pieces.

    ¡®It¡¯s understandable.¡¯

    Zich heard what happened when the Lake¡¯s Tear was stolen from Leona. During the time when Leona lived in the forest, she gained interest in the merchants who came to the elves¡¯ dwelling from time to time. Old elves forbade young and na?ve elves from making direct contact with humans, but this was not an easy rule to enforce. There were always young elves who made contact with humans in secret, and Leona was one of them. She had met Scholl then.

    Scholl told her of all the interesting things in the world and gained her favor. At first, Leona put up her guard, but as Scholl gave her mysterious objects and told her stories whenever he came to visit, she opened up her heart to him. She thought he was her friend, but what she got in return was a cold betrayal.

    She didn¡¯t know how, but Scholl knew of the Lake¡¯s Tear¡¯s existence. It was difficult for Scholl to get it as it was inside the center of the elves¡¯ dwelling. Thus, he used Leona to retrieve it.

    ¡®She is way too na?ve.¡¯

    Therefore, Leona hade out to the human world because it was her fault for losing the elves¡¯ treasure, and she felt a strong sense of guilt. So, she ran out to take responsibility for her wrongs, but she basically ran away from home.

    ¡®Tsk tsk tsk! She should have doubted people more since she already got betrayed.¡¯

    Even if Zich had used his experience and skills to convince Leona, she had believed in him too easily right after Scholl betrayed her.

    ¡®Well, that made things easier for me.¡¯

    Her personality wasn¡¯t to her advantage though. Thus, L sometimes took Leona around to teach her the ways of the world when she wasn¡¯t busy. Of course, since L knew the world mostly from books and knowledge rather than experience, Zich intervened from time to time to add hismentary.

    ¡®¡­Although L hates it whenever I do that.¡¯

    Most of the time, L chased him away, saying that he was teaching an innocent kid some strange things.

    ¡°I-I¡¯m sorry! Have mercy!¡±

    Leona still pointed her arrow at Scholl. However, she couldn¡¯t pull her bowstring, and her hands trembled.

    ¡°What are you going to do, miss?¡±

    ¡°¡­I don¡¯t know. Hey, Zich. What should I do here?¡± Leona responded to his question with a question. It seemed like she was struggling to make a decision.

    ¡°You should do what you want to do. Kill him, let him go, or leave him alone after half-killing him¡ªit¡¯s all up to you, miss.¡±

    ¡°¡­Yes, Zich. I should¡¯ve known you would respond like that.¡±

    Zich never pressured her to make a specific decision. Whenever she took her aim, Zich moved ording to it. Of course, he chose his own method to fulfill the purpose, which Leona was very grateful for. Leona genuinely thought she had done the right thing to believe in Zich.

    ¡°Give me some advice.¡±

    ¡°What kind of advice, miss?¡±

    ¡°What should I do with this guy?¡±

    ¡°How do you feel right now, miss?¡±

    ¡°I am angry.¡±

    ¡°Is that the emotion you feel towards Scholl?¡±

    ¡°I want to kill him.¡±

    Scholl gulped, sensing that his life depended on their current conversation.

    ¡°Then, what are you hesitating for, miss?¡± Zich said calmly while smiling, ¡°Kill him.¡±

    ¡°W-Wait! I¡¯m sorry so please just spare my life¡ª!¡±

    Kick!

    Zich kicked Scholl away. He stomped on Scholl¡¯s mouth as he rolled on the ground. Scholl squirmed on the ground, but for some reason, he couldn¡¯t free his face from Zich¡¯s feet.

    ¡°Even if he is a different species from you, I¡¯m sure your first kill is going to be difficult. If you don¡¯t n to fight from now on, I think you should let him go. The fewer people you murder, the better.¡± It was hard to believe that kind of advice came from the ex-Demon Lord, and that wasn¡¯t all. ¡°If you n to continue battling, there¡¯s a high chance that you might have to kill someone in the future. I think it would be good for you to get your first kill here. The guilt you¡¯d feel from killing him would be less than killing someone you feel no resentment towards.¡±

    Hans and Snoc shuddered. The reason why they didn¡¯t feel much hesitation in killing a person was simple: Zich had pushed them to the point that they couldn¡¯t even feel something like guilt. Complicated emotions lingered on Leona¡¯s face. Scholl also looked at her eyes straight-on¡ªhis life depended on her decision.

    ¡°¡­Zich, move your feet aside.¡±

    Relief passed over Scholl¡¯s eyes. However, it was too early for him to feel this way.

    ¡°I don¡¯t want to pierce your feet by ident,¡± Leona said, and Scholl¡¯s eyes burst wide open.

    However, Zich didn¡¯t remove his feet and said calmly, ¡°Just do it. Your archery skills are not thatcking anyways.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s true.¡±

    Bam!

    As soon as Leona let go of her string, there was the sound of something piercing through. Zich removed his feet, and they could no longer hear Scholl¡¯s screams.

    * * *

    There was a rumor circting around Tungel. It said that the person who had ruined the auction house was hiding inside a nearby mountain. Since it was just a rumor, the investigation team didn¡¯t dig deeper into it. Still, some people went to visit the rumored mountain. The mountain was considerably steep, and most people turned back after taking a couple of steps inside it. Among those looking for the suspect, there was a group of highly suspicious-looking people.

    Whish!

    A dark shadow quickly passed between the trees. Dark robed figures circled the area as if they were looking for something inside the forest. Although it was a deep and steep mountain, it wasn¡¯t a very big one; they soon found one carriage in the middle of the forest. The sparkling gold reflected the sunlight that shone past tree leaves, and the robed figures got down to the front of the carriage.

    Without even a horse to pull it, the carriage stood in the forest like it was abandoned and let out a chilly atmosphere. However, the robed figures didn¡¯t seem to mind it.

    ¡°Wips Midas.¡± One of the robed figures asked, ¡°Exin the situation. Were you also able to secure the Lake¡¯s Tear?¡±

    Creak!

    The carriage door opened, and the robed figures were taken aback. Since the golden carriage was made with Midas¡¯ power, the carriage could change ording to Midas¡¯ will. Since Midas caused a hugemotion in Tungel, it was likely that he used his golden carriage in thatmotion.

    However, Midas rode a carriagepletely made out of gold, not a carriage ted with gold.

    ¡°¡­You are not Midas.¡±

    ¡°Yep, I¡¯m not Wips Midas.¡±

    A man came out of the carriage, and the robed figures immediately raised their guard.

    ¡°Who are you?¡±

    ¡°Ah, you don¡¯t have to know. Just...¡±

    The man who came out of the carriage was Zich, and he smirked at the robed figures.

    ¡°Just remember me as the grim reaper that you guys detest so much.¡±

    * * *

    Beneath the mountain where Zich nted his trap, Zich¡¯spanions were resting in a small hut.

    Open!

    The door opened and Zich came inside the hut. Everyone in the hut stared at him.

    L said, ¡°You are back.¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡±

    ¡°How did it go?¡±

    Instead of replying, Zich tapped Windur a few times. Windur waspletely clean, but L knew that it probably had been soaked with blood a few moments ago.

    ¡°Snoc.¡±

    ¡°Yes, sir!¡±

    ¡°I left the carriage outside, so take off the gold.¡±

    ¡°Yes, sir!¡±

    Snoc was the one who ted the carriage with gold. With Zich¡¯smand, Snoc went out of the hut, and Zich put his butt down on an old bed with a shabby rag over it. L¡¯s gaze followed Zich¡¯s movements.

    ¡°Then are we all done?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. I¡¯m finished with everything I nned in Tungel.¡±

    Zich found the Lake¡¯s Tear, brought justice to the thief who stole it, destroyed the auction house, and even killed Wips Midas. Zich lit Midas¡¯ corpse on fire and carelessly scattered his ashes on the streets. As a strong suspect for destroying the Tyroul Auction House, the city was trying to find Midas, but they would never be able to find him now.

    ¡°Are you that happy?¡± Zich asked Leona who was sitting on a chair in the corner of the room. Zich now spoke informally to Leona. After finding the Lake¡¯s Tear for her, Leona was the one who suggested he speak informally to her first, and Zich did not refuse this offer.

    ¡°Of course.¡±

    Leona tightly hugged the Lake¡¯s Tear. She showed clear determination to never lose it again. However, her face looked ufortable after killing someone, even if that person had been basically her sworn enemy. Zich stared at her and moved his gaze towards the Lake¡¯s Tear.

    ¡®I guess that treasure probably has a very good ability.¡¯

    Since it was an elf tribe¡¯s treasure and the robed figures were after it as well, the Lake¡¯s Tear probably had an amazing ability. However, Zich did not know what that ability was. The reason for his ignorance was simple; it was because he hadn¡¯t asked Leona about it, nor did he n to ask about it in the future.

    ¡®Well, there¡¯s no point in knowing more about it.¡¯

    That was the only reason why he didn¡¯t ask.

    Then Zich asked, ¡°You¡¯re going back home, right?¡±

    While Leona was with them, L had trained her in various matters about the world, but Leona was still very na?ve. Moreover, she basically ran away from home. For many reasons, it was better for her to go back home; with the help of other elves, she could slowly make contact with the human world and gain more experience.

    Zich was not her parent or guardian, so if she wanted to continue traveling, he thought of just letting her go. In that case, Leona would have to travel around the world by herself without Zich¡¯s protection, and Zich predicted that Leona would probably not meet a pretty end.

    ¡°Yeah, I have to go back.¡±

    Fortunately, Leona seemed as if she was willing to peacefully go back home. Zich saw L let out a sigh of relief as L had been worried about her.

    Leona asked, ¡°You said that you were going to explore the same ruins we went tost time, right?¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡±

    With L¡¯s suggestion, their next n was settled for exploring the ruins.

    ¡°Can I just participate in that and go back home?¡±

    Zich stared at Leona¡¯s eyes; there was clear curiosity in them. It seemed as if Leona became curious about the ruins thest time she went there, but he could also see another emotion on her face¡ªno, this emotion was much more noticeable than all her other emotions.

    ¡®Is she trying to forget her guilt?¡¯

    It was a good idea for her to focus on other tasks to distract herself from feeling guilty about killing that thief.

    ¡®I mean, I don¡¯t really care either way.¡¯

    Zich stared at L. She seemed to think deeply for a moment, and then she nodded her head. Although L was worried about Leona, she did not think it would be problematic to bring her along to the ruins.

    ¡°Okay, you can join.¡±

    With Zich¡¯s permission, Leona¡¯s face became a little brighter.

    * * *

    Zich and hispanions followed the same pathway to reach the waterfall in front of the ruins. The waterfall was still letting out cool streams of water and falling onto the ground. Like before, they walked on the stone path that Snoc made and walked into the cave. As they entered the cave, the humidity that pressed down on them disappeared and the ruins appeared in front of them. Likest time, Zich opened the door, and everything looked the same as well. However, the golems that were made out of mithril lumps did note out again.

    Zich turned back. Each of hispanions was staring at a different part of the ruins that grabbed their interest. Last time, they didn¡¯t have much time to observe the ruins because of the golems and the auction house¡¯s schedule. Zich gathered everyone¡¯s attention by pping his hands.

    ¡°Well, my friends. Time to find out what kind of ruin this is.¡±

 Chapter 169

    <h4>Chapter 169</h4>

    Zich and hispanions searched around the ruin. The ruin was spacious, but soil erosion had destroyed many ces, and it didn¡¯t take them long to search the whole ce. They couldn¡¯t find anything particrly special about the ce. There was an empty room on the side of arge hallway, but there wasn¡¯t even a single piece of furniture, let alone precious goods, in the room. Only therge room with a pile of treasures was distinctpared to the other rooms.

    The group scattered to look for any peculiarities, but they soon regrouped in the treasure room like they had promised.

    ¡°Did anyone find anything special?¡± Zich asked and everyone shook their heads.

    L nced at Zich. Since she was the one who had suggesteding back to the ruin, she felt guilty. She also worried that they would stop their search right now. Yet in contrast to her fears, Zich didn¡¯t intend to halt their search.

    ¡°Then, let¡¯s rest for today and dig through the crushed areas tomorrow.¡±

    L¡¯s face brightened up.

    ¡°Snoc.¡±

    ¡°Yes!¡±

    ¡°You can do it, right?¡±

    There was no one better than Snoc to overturn a crushed area. The ruin¡¯s defense abilities impeded Snoc¡¯s powers, but he could still use them efficiently.

    ¡°Only things like ripping away the ruin¡¯s floor and walls are difficult, sir. It¡¯s possible for me to move the crushed materials.¡±

    ¡°Good. Plus, the crumbled areas probably don¡¯t have any of the ruin¡¯s defensive abilities, so your powers will work there. Those areas wouldn¡¯t have crumbled if the ruin¡¯s properties continued to protect them.¡±

    ¡°Ah, you are right, sir!¡± Snoc brightly answered.

    ¡°Good. Rest early today for tomorrow.¡±

    With Zich¡¯s words, hispanions immediately prepared to go to sleep.

    * * *

    L left the ruin to reach the cave¡¯s entrance. Between the gaps of the roaring waterfall, she saw sparkling stars in the dark sky. Then, she suddenly heard somebody¡¯s voice from behind.

    ¡°Did youe out for fresh air?¡±

    L turned around to see Zich walking towards her from the inside of the cave.

    ¡°Or do you have something to think about?¡±

    ¡°A bit.¡±

    L looked up at the starry night that she saw past the waterfall again. Zich quietly stood beside her.

    ¡°Beer? Wine? Rum?¡± Zich began to take out drinks from his magic box. He took out a chair and table and prepared the drinks.

    ¡°Rum.¡±

    ¡°You are looking for a strong one. Your mind must be restless.¡±

    Zich took out a big ss and filled it to the brim with rum. He handed the ss to her, and for himself, he grabbed the rum bottle by the neck. They each sat on their own chairs, then they clinked their ss and bottle and gulped their drinks down.

    ¡°Is there something inside this ruin?¡±

    ¡°¡­I don¡¯t know.¡± L barely managed to answer as the alcohol burned her throat. ¡°But I¡¯ve got a strange feeling.¡±

    ¡°What kind of feeling?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know. It¡¯s hard for me to express it in words.¡±

    ¡°Positive or negative. If you had to choose between the two, which one would you choose?¡±

    ¡°¡­It¡¯s on the negative side.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not good.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s also not definite,¡± L added.

    ¡°Now that I think about it, when we met again, you were using an ancient ruin as your hideout.¡± Zich recalled the ruin where he had found Windur and Estede.

    ¡°If youpare it to that time, how do you feel now?¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t get an ominous feeling there. It was also a ce in my memories.¡±

    It seemed like this current ruin was more special to L than the previous one.

    ¡°Hm, a negative feeling. What if there¡¯s something like Estede or Tornium stuck in this ce too? Since you have a negative feeling, maybe it¡¯s a demonic sword that¡¯s more demonic than Tornium.¡±

    If that was the case, it didn¡¯t seem like a bad idea to search all over this ruin and all the ruins in the world.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think so. Estede and Tornium are special, and I don¡¯t think there¡¯ll be something like Windur either.¡±

    ¡°Thank goodness. If there¡¯s too many of them, they won¡¯t be as cool.¡±

    Before his regression, Zich had used Tornium to the point that it was called his symbol. The only thing that matched its level was Glen Zenard¡¯s Estede. So, if those swords becamemonce, it would make them look quite ridiculous.

    Zich turned around and stared at the dark cave.

    ¡®An ancient ruin. It does make me curious,¡¯ Zich thought. It seemed like L had infected him with her curiosity, and he thought he should include ancient ruin exploration in his travels.

    ¡°Is there another ancient ruin that you know about?¡±

    ¡°There are a couple.¡±

    ¡°If you find a few more ancient ruins like this, do you think you¡¯ll regain your memories?¡±

    At his sudden question, L stared at Zich. He calmly ced the bottle¡¯s mouth on his lips and emptied the rum. She was shocked that he had seen through her interest in the ruins.

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure, but since I have a strange feeling about it, I think it might trigger my lost memories.¡±

    ¡°I see.¡±

    A period of silence followed again. However, it wasn¡¯t an awkward silence where they didn¡¯t have anything to say. The waterfall¡¯s thunderous quaking continued to roar.

    ¡°Thank you¡­¡± L broke the silence. ¡°For listening to my request to search the ruin.¡±

    ¡°We didn¡¯t have anything to do anyway. From what you¡¯ve told me, it seems like the ruins may help you regain your memories. If you are thankful, you should tell me some useful information once you get your memory back.¡±

    Lughed at Zich¡¯s unchanging attitude.

    ¡°Fine. I will give you some information except things you might use for evil.¡±

    ¡°You can¡¯t add conditions in situations like this,¡± Zichined.

    Then, they continued their conversation. The moonlight that seeped past the waterfall gently caressed them.

    * * *

    The next day, they began their search again.

    Rrrrrrr!

    Snoc reached out with his hand and the rocks and debris that blocked the tunnel began to slowly move. The rocks and debris began to gather together and form giant lumps that rolled to the side. Hans stuffed these lumps into an empty room¡ªit didn¡¯t take long for them to clean up all the rocks and debris that blocked the tunnel.

    ¡°Be careful. There might be golems around.¡±

    Soon enough, one golem came out of the tunnel, but Zich¡¯s group had no trouble defeating it. The golem was thoroughly dismantled, and they picked up the mithril pieces. There was not much in this tunnel either. Like the other tunnels, it had a long hall and several empty rooms. Zich¡¯s group dug out another tunnel and explored that one too. It was only after they dug out several tunnels and put them back that they found something different.

    ¡°It¡¯s a staircase.¡±

    They found a staircase that led them deeper into the ruin. Zich led hispanions down the stairs to the lower floor. The lower floor had the same basic structure as the upper floor, but there were no tunnels that had blocked entrances; they were able to freely explore and investigate all the rooms.

    ¡°I wonder what is the previous identity of this ruin?¡±

    Snoc tapped Nowem¡¯s nose and murmured this question. Of course, he didn¡¯t think anyone would answer him, since even Zich and L, who were very knowledgeable about various matters, didn¡¯t seem to know the identity of this ruin.

    However, a surprising reply came back to him.

    ¡°Isn¡¯t it a ruin of an empire?¡±

    Everyone¡¯s attention shifted towards Leona.

    ¡°Um, huh? What¡¯s up with everyone?¡± Leona was bewildered to suddenly get everyone¡¯s attention.

    L asked, ¡°A ruin of an empire? Do you know anything about this ruin?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. Since I was so focused on the Lake¡¯s Tear, I couldn¡¯t think of it thest time we came here, but now that I¡¯m here the second time, I remembered something. It¡¯s nothing specific, but I heard that in the old days, when important buildings were built in the human empire, walls and ceilings were specially made so they couldn¡¯t be damaged by ordinary methods.¡±

    Leona didn¡¯t seem to know anything specific about it.

    ¡°What empire are you talking about?¡±

    Even though there weren¡¯t that many countries that were powerful enough to be called empires, it wasn¡¯t as if there were only one or two of them in history. The word ¡°empire¡± alone could not help them pinpoint which empire it was.

    ¡°Huh? There were multiple empires? I thought I heard that there was only one human country during that time?¡±

    ¡°¡­Only one?¡±

    From Zich¡¯s memory, there was never a time in human history where there was only one empire. Even in the oldest human history he knew, humanity was constantly building up new countries and fighting each other.

    ¡°What time period are you talking about?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know. I just heard that there was an empire that existed a long time ago. It¡¯s a story that¡¯s been passed down in our tribe.¡±

    ¡®It must not be a story from a thousand or two thousand years ago.¡¯

    An elf¡¯s life expectancy was about a thousand years. For that reason, they grew much slower than humans, and they usually had children when they were a few hundred years old. A story passed down by elves was probably several thousand years old, and Zich was not knowledgeable about history that went so far back.

    ¡®That¡¯s how old this ruin is.¡¯

    Zich looked around the ruin with a new perspective, and L continued to question Leona. ¡°Do you know anything else about that empire?¡±

    ¡°Hmm.¡±

    Leona folded her arms and closed her eyes; she tried to recall more information.

    ¡°They told me it was an extremely powerful empire. During that time, even us elves did not dare to fight the humans. I also heard the emperors were all verypetent. Usually, when positions are passed down through the lineage, it¡¯s normal to have a couple of ipetent emperors, right? I heard that regardless of their personalities, the emperors in that empire all had the best skills at least.¡±

    It was an interesting story. Were all the emperorspetent because of the way they were educated or was it something else?

    ¡®If there really was a way to make every heirpetent, every single noble family and the royal family would be trying to find this method with all their might.¡¯

    Since nobles and royals ced great importance on maintaining their lineage, making sure that their heirs werepetent was a pivotal matter; if there was a way to make all their heirspetent, all the nobles and royals would be desperate to find this method.

    ¡°Then why did the empire copse?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s because thest emperor did not just have an awful personality¡ªhe was bat-shit crazy. Because of how crazy the emperor was, there was a revolution, and that¡¯s how the empire ended.¡±

    It was an exciting story about an empire that existed so long ago that it was not even on human records.

    ¡°What else?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s all I know.¡±

    Even Leona did not know anything more, but despite this, Zich and L had obtained new information. They stored Leona¡¯s words into a corner of their minds. Then, Zich and hispanions continued to explore the ruin. Sometimes, golems would jump towards them, but they defeated the golems with ease. So far, everything was the same as the first floor.

    However, as they went deeper, things started to look different. Remains of golems that they did not defeat began to appear on the ground.

    ¡°There seems to have been a battle.¡±

    As he said this, Hans flipped the mithril that came out of a golem with his Estede. Zich scanned the fallen golem pieces on the ground.

    ¡®It¡¯s been torn physically.¡¯

    Whoever destroyed the golem physically had torn it apart. Zich did not know who the person was, but this person probably possessed enormous strength. Next to the torn golem, there was another golem that seemed to have been melted with high temperatures. It seemed as if the golem had been attacked by magic. As they continued on, more signs of battle appeared in front of them. There were more remains of destroyed golems and some of the intact golems also had injuries. There were also weapons that looked as if they had been used by humans all over the floor.

    However, not a single corpse could be found anywhere¡ªZich did not know if all the corpses rotted or someone took care of them. Zich lifted a sword that looked as if it was ancient.

    ¡®It doesn¡¯t seem as if humans and golems were fighting against each other.¡¯

    Zich thought they probably were on the same side.

    ¡®Was there an intruder they had to fight against?¡¯

    Zich¡¯s group went down one more floor while feeling nervous. On that floor, they also found another staircase to go further down. However, that ce was different from all the staircases upstairs, as it was blocked by a giant door. The problem wasn¡¯t that it was different from the other sets of stairs; the problem was that there were all sorts of chains and items that meticulously covered the door.

    Everyone could easily see that the door was sealed to prevent anyone from ever opening it.

 Chapter 170

    <h4>Chapter 170</h4>

    ¡°What are they hiding that they blocked the entrance like this?¡± Zich tapped on the human-sized boulder ced on top of the door. There wasn¡¯t only one boulder. Boulders were piled up high as a mountain and pressed down the door with their heavy weights to keep it closed.

    Plus, it wasn¡¯t only the boulder that blocked the door. There was also a pile of motionless golems. It seemed like somebody had piled the golems above the door and immobilized them. While kneeling with one leg, L tried swiping a small exposed section of the door that wasn¡¯t covered by a boulder or the golems.

    ¡°There¡¯s also a magic mechanism.¡±

    ¡°What kind of magic?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s one that intensifies the door¡¯s strength and seals it. Its remaining mana is incredibly strong, and there are severalplicated magic spells on top of that. It almost makes me wonder if they really had to do so much for a single door.¡±

    ¡°Hm.¡± Zich stroked his chin and looked down at the door. He pushed the door¡¯s chains and thick bolt with his feet.

    ¡®The chains and bolts are made from mithril too.¡¯

    The door was tightly shut physically and magically.

    ¡®What in the world is under here?¡¯ It piqued Zich¡¯s curiosity. It was obviously something that the ruin¡¯s owners, who managed to immobilize many golems, couldn¡¯t control and sealed. ¡®Should I try opening it?¡¯

    However, it bothered Zich that he didn¡¯t know what was under it. He stared at L. She looked at the door intensely like she wanted to pierce it.

    ¡°Are you going to go down, sir?¡± Hans asked. All eyes shot towards Zich, and they waited for him to answer.

    Zich decided, ¡°Move those things aside. Let¡¯s go down.¡±

    * * *

    They moved the boulders and golem remains that pressed down on the door. Then, they removed the chains and bolts without much difficulty. Without anyone else¡¯s help, Snoc could move the boulders and metal by himself. In front of the cleared area above the door, L went up. She kneeled with one leg while cing her hand on the door and cast a spell.

    Mana poured out of her hands and flowed to the door. One of the seals that firmly blocked the door was unlocked.

    Boom!

    After her mana made a great wave, L got up.

    ¡°I undid everything.¡±

    ¡°Well done.¡± Zich tapped L¡¯s shoulders as she came down from the door.

    After all the items blocking the door disappeared, they could see the door¡¯s entire form. It was just a in door without a single pattern, but it was connected by mithril.

    ¡®Is everything made with mithril in this ce?¡¯

    The metal, mithril, was somon inside this ruin that it seemed to have lost its value. The door shone with mithril¡¯s peculiar silverish light, and like most doors that led to a basement, it was closed from both sides. It looked like the two holes in its center were the door¡¯s handles, but there was no need for them to grab the handles to open the door.

    ¡°Open it.¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡± Snoc stepped forward.

    Rrrrr!

    Snoc easily opened the door just like how he moved the golems and boulders blocking the door. Even if mithril was harder to control than other metals, it was still just a door. Without even having to reach out for its handles, Snoc opened the door. Just like that, a door that might have been closed for thousands of years opened.

    Thud!

    The mithril door collided with the wall and made a loud thump. A wide entrance and stairs appeared into view. Zich lifted his feet first, and hispanions followed him. Then, they slowly disappeared to the floor underneath.

    * * *

    Everyone was nervous after having gone through a tightly guarded seal. L grabbed onto her new staff tightly, and Hans fixed his grip on Estede. Snoc, who had already be quite used to handling mithril by now, wrapped the metal around his body in preparation. Leona ced an arrow on her bow and looked around her surroundings while Zich simply sauntered around with Windur on his shoulders.

    ¡°There¡¯s nothing unusual.¡±

    They worried that strange monsters would pop out as soon as they opened the door, but contrary to their expectations, the view in front of them didn¡¯t look anything different from upstairs. Everyone loosened up a bit. However, as they walked deeper into the ruin, they tensed up again. The number of golem remains and scattered weapons increased as they continued, but what unnerved them the most was the air that changed. It was almost as if it were piercing them.

    ¡°Be careful. There¡¯s definitely something here.¡± Zich fixed his grip on Windur, and they all went down one more set of stairs.

    The scenery changed once more.

    ¡°What is this?¡± Leona scowled. Everyone¡¯s expressions were simr. Something hideous covered the floor, walls, and ceilings¡ªit let out a disgusting stench and looked like rotten lumps of meat. Zich took a step forward and felt something sticky at the very edge of his toes.

    Zich tried flipping the rotten lumps of meat with his Windur. They fell off from Windur¡¯s movements with no resistance.

    ¡°Uh¡­!¡± L stepped forward behind Zich and shuddered.

    ¡°I think I know how it feels to step on dposing corpses now.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m d that you are gaining such good experience.¡±

    ¡°Good experience?¡±

    L red, and Zich chuckled. Then, he rubbed what he stepped on with the sole of his shoe. Following L, Hans also got on top of the lumps of flesh.

    It was not as intense as L¡¯s face, but Hans¡¯ face didn¡¯t look good either. ¡°Sir Zich, what is this?¡±

    ¡°I also don¡¯t know, but it seems to be half-rotten meat. I don¡¯t know why this might be here.¡±

    ¡°If Ms. Leona¡¯s story is right, the things inside this tunnel should be thousands of years old, but why is it only half-rotten?¡±

    Leona flinched as her name was mentioned.

    ¡°Try to focus on your surroundings.¡±

    Even as a faithful listener of Zich¡¯s orders, Hans frowned openly at this order. However, Hans did not go against Zich and tried to focus his attention on the meat pieces. Of course, touching them would be the best way to find out what they were, but Hans did not want to go that far. Zich also did not say much about Hans¡¯ method. Hans opened his eyes and looked down at the things he was stepping on.

    ¡°Sir, there is a flow of mana around it even though it¡¯s very little.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s why it¡¯s been rotting at a very slow rate.¡±

    Even with mana, nothing could beat the passing of time; the meat pieces on the ground were clear examples of this. Hans was thinking of this when another thought popped up in his mind. He quickly lifted his head and said, ¡°Sir Zich! Do you think these meat pieces were alive a long time ago?¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s a high possibility that they might have been.¡±

    Hans swallowed his saliva. The meat pieces looked gross and disgusting, but they could have been a ¡®living being.¡¯

    ¡°Also, it might not be ¡®alive a long time ago.¡¯ Even though it¡¯s only a little bit, mana is stilling out of it.¡±

    Hans and all the others¡¯ expressions turned serious. They all stared at the rotten pieces of flesh that covered the tunnel. On the other hand, Zich¡¯s eyes were filled with curiosity as he stared at the other side of the tunnel.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go deeper. It seems as if the owners of this ruin sealed the door to lock up some kind of monster, so let¡¯s at least check what it looks like.¡±

    * * *

    While stepping on rotten pieces of meat, they moved forward. It seemed as if the whole floor was covered with it, as they continuously appeared in front of Zich and hispanions. Like their surroundings, their expressions turned more rotten.

    ¡°¡­Isn¡¯t this a hand?¡± Snoc found something that popped out of a wall. Like everything else, it was also half-rotten; but it was distinctly shaped like a person¡¯s hand.

    Koo¡­

    Nowem nced at the half-rotten hand and hid inside Snoc¡¯s clothes.

    ¡°¡­And this seems like a leg?¡± Hans also discovered something.

    A meat piece that was stuck on the ground was shaped like a person¡¯s leg. After this, they kept finding more and more pieces that resembled human body parts. There were even half-rotten eyeballs and dried-up skulls. Zich suddenly stopped while leading the group and stirred the rotten meat pieces with Windur.

    ¡°They¡¯re less rotten here.¡± With Zich¡¯s murmuring, everyone else began to immediately look at the meat pieces all around them. As Zich said, the meat pieces in this area looked fresher than the ones at the entrance of the floor.

    ¡°The rotten smell has also decreased,¡± L said and stabbed some of the meat with her staff. ¡°¡­There is also significantly more manaing out of these pieces.¡±

    Zich stared at the end of the tunnel. ¡°This guy... he might still be alive.¡±

    Someone nervously gulped.

    * * *

    They continued to move on and went one more floor down. The meat pieces around them now no longer looked rotten, and their shape clearly resembled human body parts. When they reached a certain part of the floor, the parts they were stepping on began to vibrate.

    Da-thump! Da-thump!

    It was definitely a heartbeat. Zich cut the meat pieces with Windur, but no blood came out.

    L exined, ¡°It¡¯s not blood they''re letting out, but mana.¡±

    The meat pieces that Zich cut twitched a little bit. All of Zich¡¯spanions expressed their disgust at the moving meat pieces, but they continued to move deeper into the tunnel. After a certain amount of time, Zich¡¯s gaze was stuck on L.

    ¡°Are you okay?¡± L nodded in response to Zich''s concern, but contrary to her reply, her face looked extremely grave. ¡°It feels stronger.¡±

    ¡°What does it feel like?¡±

    ¡°It feels like something is picking through my head. It¡¯s very unpleasant and disgusting.¡±

    ¡°Hmmm.¡±

    Based on their surroundings, there was a high possibility that the main body of the meat pieces would be at the deepest part of the ruin.

    ¡®Then that means that there is a connection between these meat pieces and L.¡¯

    Zich stared at L; even when she was scrunching up her face, she still looked beautiful. Then he looked at the meat pieces. Even though Zich had seen all kinds of filthy and disgusting things, this was one of the worst.

    ¡®I have no idea how they are rted to each other.¡¯

    However, there was no need for Zich to strain his mind. He would be able to find more clues when they reached the end. L seemed to also have the same thought and persevered onwards. In a way, L was probably the most curious about what was at the end of this ruin. Without saying anything, L continued to move.

    The deeper they went, the meat pieces looked fresher and fresher. The pieces were also bigger, and some were even wriggling around. Even though the meat pieces no longer looked rotten, they didn¡¯t look any less disgusting. Zich and hispanions went two more floors down, and they finally reached what looked like thest floor.

    An ominous presence upied thest floor.

    ¡°That¡¯s the main body.¡±

    Unlike the other floors, there was only one room, and in the center of it, an enormous being shaped like a giant bud of meat came into view.

 Chapter 171

    <h4>Chapter 171</h4>

    Its color was faded, and like a fish that had lost its freshness, it was blotchy and dull. However, it wasn¡¯t dead. It made a big jolt every time they heard a strong mana pulse. It seemed like this ¡®thing¡¯ was providing mana to the meat pieces that covered the ruin.

    ¡°¡­What is that?¡± Leona asked with disgust. Almost everyone thought the same thing.

    Zich asked, ¡°Did you hear about something like that from the stories of an ancient empire?¡±

    ¡°No. Of course, I don¡¯t remember everything the adults told me, but they never told me about such a thing.¡±

    There was no way she¡¯d forget if she heard such a monstrous thing. On the other hand, L grabbed her head as she looked at it withplicated feelings.

    ¡°Is that the thing you were sensing?¡±

    At Zich¡¯s question, L nodded. ¡°Probably.¡±

    ¡°Can you guess what its existence is?¡±

    ¡°Not at all.¡±

    ¡®I bet.¡¯ Even Zich had heard about all sorts of strange things before he regressed, but he had never seen something like that.

    ¡°What are you going to do now?¡± Hans asked from behind Zich. Meanwhile, he kept a tight grip on Estede and didn¡¯t take his eyes off the thing. His movements were polished from Zich¡¯s thorough training.

    ¡°Let me see,¡± Zich said and thought about whether he should try striking it or observe the situation a bit more. It was at that moment¡ª

    Twitch!

    It moved, and everyone tensed up. The flower bud formed by meat pieces¡ªit was the phrase the group had thought of as soon as their eyesnded on it, and it seemed more like it as it moved.

    Swish.

    Like a blooming flower bud, its petals began to part one by one. Petal after petal, the disgusting meat petals lowered down its body on the squirming floor. After thirteen meat pieces fell, the existence inside it came into view.

    ¡°Uhhh!¡± Snoc shuddered; Nowem had already climbed down from his back and was hanging onto his shoulder with his face slightly poking out. Yet, their responses weren¡¯t exaggerated¡ªeveryone expressed their disgust in varying degrees.

    It was a monster ¡ª this was enough to describe the existence that appeared between the meat petals. Itsplete form was like that of a long piece of meat, and the reddish-ck muscles underneath its skin looked like somebody had taken them out and clumped them together on top. That alone was already grotesque, but between these meat pieces, there were human body parts stuck in them and made it look even more terrifying. Arms and legs stuck out like chestnut needles.

    Although it hung down powerlessly, it squirmed from time to time, making it more terrifying. However, that wasn¡¯t the end. There were eyes, nose, ears, and long fur-like hair sporadically hanging between the arms and legs.

    ¡°¡­What is that?¡± Leona reiterated again, but they were filled with great disgust this time.

    Blink!

    The monster opened its eyes. Its bloodshot eyes rolled around and fixed onto them.

    Step!

    Except for Zich, everyone took a step backward. They all instinctively felt a sense of resistance as more than a dozen disgusting eyes turned towards them. Arms and legs that squirmed asionally as they loosely hung onto the body began to limp. Without saying anything, its lips simply puckered like a carp out of water. However, thatsted for only a short while.

    ¡°Kyaaaaaaaaaaaah!¡±

    The monster cried with different voices, dozens of lips shouting in harmony. It wasn¡¯t a beautiful harmony but a clear and terrifying sound.

    Zich straightened Windur. ¡°Be ready. I don¡¯t think it¡¯s screaming at us to y.¡±

    ¡°Even if it¡¯s asking us to y, it would be difficult,¡± Leona said and readied her bow at the monster.

    Hans stepped forward to stand right next to Zich and lifted Estede up. He nned to focus his efforts on protecting his juniors, L and Leona this time. Of course, if he got the opportunity, he nned to swing Estede without hesitation.

    Snoc took out some mithril and looked around his surroundings. Perhaps, there weresting effects from the ruin, or the meat pieces were blocking the area, but it was impossible for him to move the earth. Snoc was relieved that he had taken some mithril with him, and while the rest of the group prepared for battle, L grabbed her head with one hand and scowled.

    Zich turned to look at her. ¡°Are you not feeling well?¡±

    ¡°¡­Yeah, a bit.¡± It seemed like the monster¡¯s movements affected her.

    ¡°You should stay back.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s fine. It¡¯s just that I feel terrible. I¡¯m not at a level where I can¡¯t use magic.¡±

    ¡°Is that so?¡± Zich didn¡¯t try to dissuade her anymore since he had considerable trust in her battle abilities. L was skilled in many areas, but after receiving Zich¡¯s hellish training, her abilities were much greater than before.

    ¡®At the least, she won¡¯t hinder us.¡¯

    ¡°Fine. Then, I will strike a big blow fir¡ª¡± Zich was cut off. The meat lumps that covered the ruin began to wobble.

    ¡°Uh, do we have to fight those things off too?¡± Snoc muttered, and Nowem pped his cheeks. Koo! It was as if Nowem was telling Snoc, ¡®Don¡¯t say such a terrifying thing.¡¯ Unfortunately for Nowem, such ominous words often became reality.

    Wiggle! Wiggle!

    The arms and legs attached to the monster began to move like crazy. It moved like it was trying to rip and stamp on anything in its path into pieces. The eyes burrowed into its skin, and its lips, noses, and ears twitched like individual beings.

    The ¡®eyes¡¯ hidden beneath the piles of flesh opened, and the ¡®mouth,¡¯ ¡®nose,¡¯ and ¡®ears¡¯ twitched continuously.

    ¡°Ugh¡­!¡± Leona quickly moved away.

    An ¡®arm¡¯ near her had tried to grab her leg. The area that Leona jumped to had a ¡®mouth.¡¯ Aiming to bite Leona¡¯s leg as soon as it moved closer, the mouth¡¯s sharp teeth ttered towards Leona.

    Crunch!

    Zich pierced a ¡®nose¡¯ that was sniffling next to him.

    [Aghhhhhhh!]

    All the ¡®mouths¡¯ near the ¡®nose¡¯ that Zich pierced screamed. All the ¡®eyes¡¯ near the ¡®nose¡¯ also all red at Zich.

    ¡®Tender-hearted humans will probably immediately copse at this sight.¡¯

    That was how much the sight in front of them was gross and bizarre. Zich stared at the monster¡¯s main body; it was still letting out screams. It also continued to re with its bloodshot eyes.

    ¡®Huh? Wait a minute.¡¯ Zich grabbed L¡¯s sleeve and moved her to the side.

    ¡°¡­What are you doing?¡± Even while she was confused, L still followed Zich¡¯s movement. When they were a certain distance away from the others, Zich also moved a bit away from L.

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°That¡­!¡± Hans and Snoc were shocked. Leona also opened her eyes wide. L was also a bit surprised that all the monster¡¯s eyes were looking at her.

    ¡°As I expected, you¡¯re popr. I guess even monsters like pretty faces?¡±

    ¡°This really is horrifying, so shut your mouth.¡± L red at Zich and lifted her staff. A powerful mana force could be felt from her staff.

    ¡°Well, I¡¯m going to give him a good shot!¡±

    ¡°Yeah, send him a good one!¡±

    Zich encouraged her, and L finished her spell. A powerful fire came out at the end of her staff.

    ¡°This magic is the best way to burn pieces of meat!¡±

    Baaang!

    Condensed mes shot out from the end of her staff. With their long red tails, they shot right at the center of the monster¡¯s body.

    Crasssh!

    The me exploded. It was so powerful that the whole ruin shook.

    [Kuaaaaaaaghhh!]

    All the ¡®mouths¡¯ in the ruin screamed, and the ¡®arms¡¯ and ¡®legs¡¯ began to move like crazy. The monster looked as if it was in great pain.

    ¡®No way. Do we have to destroy every single one of these pieces to kill it?¡¯

    Even Zich did not want to have to go through such intensebor. After the explosion faded, the monster¡¯s main body came into view¡ªthe meat pieces were horribly burnt. The burnt ¡®arms¡¯ and ¡®legs¡¯ fell off, and all the ¡®eyes¡¯ were closed while letting out streams of tears.

    However, the monster was still alive.

    But by that time, L had alreadypleted her second magic.

    ¡°It¡¯s still not dead.¡± L clicked her tongue in annoyance and shot out her second magic spell.

    It was another me magic, but this time, the mes were shaped into pirs. It seemed as if the me pirs would finish off the heavily burnt monster.

    Crash!

    ¡°What?¡± L was shocked; her magic had been blocked. The ferocious fire pirs were stopped by a semi-transparent wall.

    ¡°¡­Magic?¡± Leona murmured this to herself.

    Shockingly, what stopped L¡¯s magic was another magic spell. The monster turned its main body. Unlike the front, the monster¡¯s back was not burnt and it still had many body parts still attached to it. Two of the ¡®arms¡¯ on its body were waving in the air, and two of its ¡®eyes¡¯ were muttering something.

    ¡°Aren¡¯t they muttering a spell?¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡± As soon as L replied to Zich¡¯s question, fire and wind swirled around two of its ¡®arms.¡¯

    ¡°Watch out!¡± Zich carried L on his side and moved back to where the others were. Then he held up Windur and aimed it towards the monster. Next to him, Hans also adjusted his grip on Estede.

    Baaam!

    Two different types of magic shot at them, abination of fire and wind. A powerful storm of mes bombarded Zich and hispanions.

    [Kuahhhhh!]

    The ¡®mouths¡¯ swept by the mes screamed out loud, and the ¡®arms¡¯ and ¡®legs¡¯ floundered desperately. The ¡®eyes¡¯ let out tears, but the monster¡¯s main body paid no attention to the pain of its other body parts. The mes mercilessly swept everything in their path.

    Whish!

    The mes disappeared. Fortunately, Zich¡¯s group did not suffer any damage as Zich had offset most of the magic from the front.

    ¡°Are you guys alright?¡±

    At Zich¡¯s question, everyone replied that they were alright. Zich looked back; no one seemed to have sustained any injuries.

    Then Zich looked back at the monster¡¯s main body. ¡°I thought you couldn¡¯t do anything from where you were, but you were hiding such a cute skill!¡±

    Zich never imagined that the monster which looked like a failed life form would be able to do magic. However, the monster¡¯s first attack was only the beginning of an arduous battle. While the big lump of meat in the middle was the monster¡¯s main body, all the meat pieces scattered around the ruin were also part of the monster. All the ¡®arms¡¯ scattered around the ruins raised their hands and all the ¡®mouths¡¯ began muttering spells.

    ¡°¡­Wow, this guy is incredible.¡± Even Zich was surprised by the monster¡¯s ability.

    Even in this chaotic situation, Zich did not miss that all the eyes were staring at L. Between their spells, a couple of ¡®mouths¡¯ were muttering:

    <<Die!>>

    <<You wench!>>

    <<It¡¯s all because of you!>>

    <<I curse you!>>

    <<Get destroyed!>>

    <<Be the same as us!>>

    They cursed at her.

 Chapter 172

    <h4>Chapter 172</h4>

    The cursing lips were louder than all the other spell-reciting lips. Among the turbulent waves of meat lumps, those lips shouted and cried out curses like their corners would stretch apart, overwhelming the low murmurings of the other lips. The target of these resentful curses was obvious since all the ¡®eyes¡¯ were looking at L.

    However, the lips didn¡¯t have time to ask her a question; their magic spells began to bepleted one by one. Magic attacks poured out from all over the ce in different varieties: property magic like fire, water, wind, earth, and lightning; there was even dark magic or magic formed only through mana. Each one of them was a high-level magic attack that wielded great power.

    Snocined that a lump of meat used earth magic, but no one paid attention to him. It was literally a museum of magic in there. If an ordinary magician saw the scene the group was looking at, they would have expressed great admiration for the colorful disy of magic¡ªof course, if they were not the target of these attacks.

    ¡°Hans and Snoc, protect Leona!¡± Zich shouted and stood in front of L. Following hismand, Hans and Snoc stuck close to Leona¡¯s side.

    Craaaash!

    Magic attacks poured out. In an instant, the ground they were on became scorched. As these attacks poured out thoughtlessly¡ªwithout any thought or rule binding them¡ªmany of them collided and canceled each other out in the process. However, because of the sheer total number, the remaining number of magic attacks still had a significant impact on the group.

    Zich swung Windur. The sword surging with mana sliced a magic attack flying his way. However, another magic attack immediately followed. When he sliced that magic attack, another one came, then another, and another after that. Hans and Snoc moved quickly. Snoc set up a mithril wall and Hans struck the magic attacks that prated through it with Estede.

    <<Kyaaaaaaaah!>>

    <<Kuaaaaaah!>>

    The lips near Zich and hispanions screamed. The magic attacks that missed Zich and hispanions struck the surrounding meat lumps. However, other arms and lips continued to shoot out magic attacks. It seemed like they were trying to kill Zich and hispanions at all costs regardless of the sacrifices.

    Whoosh!

    After he annihted one magic attack, Zich swung his Windur in the short time gap before another attack arrived. The sword flew like a sh of light, slicing a couple of the monster¡¯s arms, and the surrounding lips stopped casting their spells to scream.

    ¡°Leona! Aim at an arm or a lip!¡±

    Leona nced around her surroundings and shot.

    Push! An arrow shot through one arm. The lips around the arm screamed, but the arm continued to move even after an arrow pierced it. The lips also only screamed for a bit and began casting spells again.

    ¡°Tch!¡± Leona clicked her tongue once and took out an arrow again. She ced it on her bow and poured in a bit more of her mana.

    Pop!

    This time, the arrow cleanly cut off the arm. The lips shouted harder this time, but thankfully, the arm rolling on the floor was quiet. Leona shot arrows to her surroundings; amongst the magic attacks that poured out restlessly, her arrows almost miraculously broke through and broke off the monster¡¯s arms. Inparison, Zich¡¯s attacks were rougher and more powerful.

    ¡°Hmph!¡± Zich halted his breath and tensed up his muscles.

    Exploding mana wrapped around him and Windur. Against the magic that came towards him from everywhere, he released his power.

    Craaaaash!

    A strong shockwave burst out. The flying magic attacks all flew away while lumps of meat were ripped into pieces, even though the goal was the arms and lips, eyes, other parts such as the nose, ears, and legs all broke apart along with them. Magic attacks which blocked their line of visions opened up, and L didn¡¯t miss her chance to use this opening.

    Rumble!

    The lightning she was preparing sparked around her staff. Before another magic attack flew towards her and influenced her magic, she quickly shot out her rumble attack.

    Ruuuuuumble!

    In the dark ruin, there was a sh of light. Pure white lightning struck their targets and the scorched arms spazzed out until they flopped down. The frequency of the magic attacks decreased, and it became easier for the group to move. However, it was too early to celebrate.

    Spark!

    New lightning struck down upon them, and Zich blocked the attack. It wasn¡¯t what L shot.

    ¡°Urgh!¡± He groaned and scowled at the lightning that flowed down Windur.

    ¡®As expected, the magic attack that one makes is different from the others.¡¯ What reflected in Zich¡¯s eyes was the monster¡¯s main body. The magic attacks that shot out from the main body held enough power to make even Zich struggle. If Hans or Snoc had received the attack, it would have been quite dangerous for them.

    ¡®Thankfully, we can see its target clearly.¡¯

    Since all magic attacks were aimed at L, the others received less damage. If the monster¡¯s main body attacked the others besides Zich, they wouldn¡¯t have survived with just a little bit of damage. Of course, this also meant that Zich had to endure the brunt of the monster¡¯s attacks.

    Pop! Pop!

    The main body poured out magic attacks again. Unlike other arms that indiscriminately shot out magic attacks, the main body used differentbinations. This time, it was water and lightning. Zich saw that the main body¡¯s other ¡®arms¡¯ also tried to mix in fire, earth, and wind. However, Zich thoroughly blocked the main body¡¯s attacks.

    ¡°Destroy the ¡®arms¡¯ and ¡®mouths¡¯ first!¡±

    With Zich¡¯s order, Hans, Snoc, and Leona began moving around to attack all the ¡®mouths¡¯ and ¡®arms.¡¯ As expected, the meat lumps¡¯ goal was L, so it focused most of its attacks on her and only attacked the others as a response. While Hans, Snoc, and Leona destroyed the ¡®arms¡¯ and ¡®mouths¡¯ around the ruins, Zich and L faced the main body together.

    Crassssh!

    Ice particles that poured down like a storm were met by strings of mana. L released her own magic. An eerie magic battle took ce between the main body and L. Even though L had Zich next to her, the main body was able to use all kinds of magic at once. Moreover, all the ¡®mouths¡¯ and ¡®arms¡¯ that were scattered around the ruin all targeted L.

    Currently, the monster and Zich¡¯s group fought neck to neck. Their magic shed in the middle and made a loud din while also crushing their surroundings in the process.

    ¡®Hmm.¡¯ Zich looked down at his hand that held Windur. Since he had just blocked a magic attack, his hand was sore, but it was noticeably less sore than before.

    ¡®He¡¯s definitely getting weaker.¡¯ Zich sliced another magic attack and assessed his surroundings. He sensed that the body parts were moving slightly slower than before.

    Crasssh!

    For the first time, L¡¯s magic pierced through the main body¡¯s magic. Even though it was immediately met with another magic from the main body, this was enough evidence to indicate that the monster¡¯s power was decreasing.

    ¡®It¡¯s running out of energy.¡¯

    The monster probably survived for thousands of years without food or any source of subsistence. In the first ce, Zich thought it was surprising that the monster had enough energy to undergo an intense battle like this, and it was not surprising at all that the monster was starting to lose strength.

    They continued to battle for a while.

    Slice! L shot out a wind sword that made a long cut in the monster¡¯s main body.

    <<Kyaahhhhhhh!>>

    Everyone seemed to have sensed the main body¡¯s pain, as all the ¡®mouths¡¯ screamed out loud. For a brief moment, all attacks from the monster stopped.

    ¡®It¡¯s now!¡¯

    Hans made a wide swing with Estede. Snoc also moved the mithril he was wielding with great force. After finishing a quiver of arrows, Leona took out another quiver. Zich and L also did not stand still. Even though their opponent was getting weaker, this was not a reason for them to dawdle around. Zich rushed towards the main body. The ¡®mouths¡¯ stopped screaming and began murmuring spells, but Zich was faster than they could finish their spells.

    Bang! Bang!

    ¡®Yeah, I expected this.¡¯

    A couple of ¡®arms¡¯ suddenly shot magic attacks at Zich, but Zich was not surprised. Since the monster could shoot out powerful magic attacks nonstop, it was not surprising to find out that it could also do silent incantation. However, Zich was not weak enough to be defeated by silent incantation magic attacks. Zich swung Windur a couple of times and sliced the magic attacksing towards him. The main body began to prepare for another magic attack.

    Tap!

    Zich suddenly bent down while rushing towards the main body. Fire pirs flew past him from behind. The main body tried to block the red pirs with its magic, but L poured a lot of magic into those pirs; they were also formed after a long spellcast. The fire pirs burned all too easily through the main body¡¯s magic barrier.

    Baaaang!

    <<Kuaaaaaah!>>

    The ¡®mouths¡¯ began to scream again. However, this scream was much more eerie and despondent than their previous screams. Arge hole appeared on the main body¡¯s side as if it was carved out with a pickaxe. The main body floundered around desperately, but it still did not die. Even though it had a hard time standing upright because of the giant hole on its side, it moved its arms around.

    But by that time, Zich was already right in front of the main body.

    Slice!

    Windur nted to the side and hit the left side of the monster. Another round of screams rang out in the tunnel, but even these screams soon lessened. It was because Hans, Snoc, and Leona were continuously ripping apart ¡®arms¡¯ and ¡®mouths¡¯.

    With each movement from Windur, more flesh was cut off. Fortunately, the pieces of flesh that were cut off didn¡¯t start moving around or attacking Zich; it just fell to the ground like normal pieces of flesh.

    Swish!

    As if the monster was giving onest desperate attempt, it raised all its hair on its body. The elongated hair tried to wrap itself around Zich and tie him down. The main body¡¯s hair let out a menacing aura, and it seemed as if it wanted to do more than just tie him down. Zich avoided the attack by moving one step back and then sliced the hair into pieces.

    Crack!

    The hair was so tough that it looked as if the main body had torn it apart. Regardless of how it looked, Zich sessfully immobilized the main body and moved towards it again. For the first time, an ¡®eye¡¯ moved away from L to Zich.

    [Ah¡­]

    A ¡®mouth¡¯ opened while Zich raised his sword. The eye followed Windur¡¯s movement.

    [Ah, ah¡­]

    A sound came from the ¡®mouth.¡¯ It sounded like a cry from a human who was meeting their end.

    [Ahhhhhhh¡­]

    As he moved Windur higher, the sound got longer and more pitiful.

    Halt!

    Windur stopped in the air.

    [S-save me¡­!]

    The ¡®arms¡¯ around the ¡®mouth¡¯ instantly moved to cover it up. The ¡®eye¡¯ that was following Windur¡¯s movement now moved back to Zich. The ¡®eye¡¯ curved up; it looked as if the ¡®eye¡¯ was smiling.

    [Ah, I can finally die¡ª]

    Pierce!

    Windur crashed down and cut the main body vertically. Then Zich mmed Windur into all the meat pieces that were on the ground, but Zich¡¯s attack did not end like this. He began infusing a huge amount of mana into Windur, condensing the mana into Windur to his very limit. Then he released it all at once without hesitation.

    Bammmm!

    A huge explosion shook the whole ruin.

 Chapter 173

    <h4>Chapter 173</h4>

    Drop! Drop!

    Ripped lumps of flesh fell to the floor. They squirmed for a bit and looked like pitiful victims finally meeting their ends after a long period of torture. Lumps of meat from the main body were torn to pieces and revealed the ruin¡¯s floor. The movements of the body parts began to stop gradually.

    The ¡®legs¡¯ stopped their meaningless resistance and the ¡®arms¡¯ limply hung in ce. The ¡®eyes¡¯ began to close one by one along with the ¡®lips.¡¯ Like that, the meat lumps stopped moving. However, they weren¡¯t quiet even in their final moments.

    <<Die.>>

    The voice was quiet and powerless, but as the battle came to a close, they could hear the voices clearly.

    <<It¡¯s because of you.>>

    <<You should also be like us¡­>>

    <<Hate you.>>

    <<I curse you.>>

    The ¡®eye¡¯ near L red at her until the end and spat out curses. With a hardened expression, L stared at all of them.

    * * *

    The lumps of meat stopped movingpletely. It looked like it was dead; no, it was difficult to know if it was right to describe such things as ¡®dead,¡¯ but the battle was over. Zich looked over hispanions. They had some small wounds, but no one was deeply injured. Considering the storm of magic attacks, it was a miraculous result. Zichplimented himself saying this was thanks to his training.

    Then, Zich began to search the surroundings. One by one, he skimmed off lump pieces around him. Perhaps because its main body was gone, but they all dropped off much easier than before. Hans, Snoc, and Leona all helped Zich. Hans used Estede while Snoc used sharp pieces of mithril to cut the lumps on the ceiling. Leona also took out a small knife and sliced off the meat lumps with a scowl on her face. Yet, L simply stood in front of the main body.

    Nobody bothered her or asked her questions. Even Zich acted like she wasn¡¯t there. They weren¡¯t ostracizing her but waiting for her to gather her thoughts.

    Although the area was wide, Zich and hispanions finished their work incredibly quickly, and it didn¡¯t take long for them to reveal the room¡¯s original form. The lumps of meat that they piled up in one corner of the room looked truly disgusting. Even if it was the most efficient way to do so, nobody tried to put the meat lumps in their magic box.

    Most of the area was empty. It was hard to tell if the meat lumps had destroyed or pressed upon the goods originally in the room or if the room had always looked this empty, but there wasn¡¯t even a single piece of furniture. However, there were some things that they could harvest: broken crystals, scattered metal debris, and the magic circle that covered the unlit floor. Zich lifted the metal debris.

    ¡®I have never seen this metal before.¡¯

    ¡°It¡¯s probably an alloy.¡± Zich heard a voice from behind him and turned around. L was looking at the same metal Zich was looking at. Herplexion didn¡¯t look great, but she was like her usual self.

    ¡°Can you tell what thepounds of the alloy are?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know exactly, but I¡¯m sure that it includes mithril and orichalcum.¡±

    ¡°The owner of this ruin must have been incredibly rich.¡±

    Now, it went beyond mithril to orichalcum; his tongue rolled at the wealth disyed before him. Perhaps, when this ruin was built during the Ancient Empire Days, rare metals such as these were asmon as a rolling stone.

    While Zich had such thoughts, L looked at the circle on the floor.

    ¡°It¡¯s a magic circle. I think they used it to deliver mana.¡± L moved ording to the lines of the magic circle. Zich followed her movements from behind. As they followed the squiggly lines that made up the circle, they reached the area where the monster¡¯s main body was.

    ¡°This is probably the center of the magic circle.¡±

    Since it was where the main body was, L¡¯s words seemed convincing. Zich searched the floor¡¯s surface.

    ¡®It doesn¡¯t look any different from other ces.¡¯

    He kneeled on one leg and ced his hand on the floor. It didn¡¯t have a different texture, but he felt a faint stream of mana flowing underneath. Zich stationed his body upright again and searched around the surrounding floor carefully. In a ce not that far away, there was a half-moon-shaped hole that looked like a handle. Zich ced his hands inside and put pressure onto his grip.

    Grrrr!

    With a deep ringing sound, Zich lifted the floor up and put it aside. A square-shaped floor appeared underneath¡ªthere were more than several floors. Zich removed the new floors that appeared and put them all aside. Between thettice-shaped frames that supported the floorboards, Zich could see a basement underneath. Inside the basement, there was a peculiar-looking metal device.

    ¡°It''s a mana pump,¡± L said.

    ¡°Mana pump? That thing?¡± Zich stared at the device which L pointed out as a mana pump. It was as big as a peasant¡¯s house that was on the bigger side. An obviously expensive and rare-looking metal covered the device¡¯s surface. However, it didn¡¯tpletely surround it like a seal, and from between, there wererge items that looked like gems embedded between the metals.

    The device had a formidable presence, but if it was a mana pump like L said, it went beyond simply formidable to astonishing. Like its name suggested, a mana pump was a device that poured out mana. Zich had also seen one before his regression days. He didn¡¯t see many; it was a very rare device that only a couple of great magicians possessed. And all the ones he saw had been no bigger than a human¡¯s head but the amount of mana they exuded out was substantial. However, the mana pump in front of them was iparably bigger than all the ones Zich had seen.

    ¡°It really is a mana pump. I was also surprised, but seeing it, I can now understand how that monster was able to survive for so long and had spare mana tomence a battle as soon as we arrived.¡±

    ¡°Is it a forgotten technology from the ancient empire?¡± Before they realized it, Hans, Snoc, and Leona craned their ears to their conversation and crouched over the hole. Their eyes sparkled as they asked.

    While Zich and hispanions were absorbed in looking at the mana pump, L looked around their surroundings. The ufortable feeling that seemed to prick through her head was now gone. When she first entered the ruin, she felt as if something was connected to her. However, even though this ufortable feeling was gone, she didn¡¯t feel relieved. Instead, her head became filled with moreplicated and troublesome thoughts, and she felt mncholy.

    * * *

    There was nothing to gain more from the ruin. Since they were also tired from the battle today, they decided to go to sleep earlier than usual. They decided to camp out on the ruin¡¯s first floor, as no one wanted to sleep on the lower floors, where there were meat pieces everywhere. L strolled through the ruins. Since Snoc cleaned all of the debris, the ruin was almost back to its original form.

    ¡°Did you remember anything?¡±

    ¡°You surprised me!¡± L jumped back in surprise. Before she realized it, Zich was standing right behind her. Zich cackled at her surprised face. Should she beat him with her staff? L barely repressed the violent desire in her heart.

    ¡°What do you want?¡±

    ¡°Here!¡± Zich handed her something. It was alcohol, reminding L of a familiar scene. It hadn¡¯t even been that long, but Zich had handed her alcohol while they were looking at the waterfall from the entrance of the ruin. However, it was a bit different this time. Zich was holding an entire bottle of rum with high alcohol content.

    ¡°It seems like you need it.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    L took the rum, opened the bottle, and gulped it down. Zich blew out a whistle at her tough attitude. In just one gulp, more than half the rum was gone. She put the bottle next to her mouth and then screamed, ¡°What the hell was that!¡± Her voice was filled with anger. She was probably referring to the monster they fought earlier.

    ¡°How should I know?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, let¡¯s just say that it¡¯s a mysterious monster from an ancient empire! Since it was a civilization that possessed a magic fuel like that thousands of years ago, it¡¯s not surprising that it had a monster like that!¡±

    It wasn¡¯t certain that this ruin was from an ancient empire yet, but Zich knew this was not a good time to correct her words. Instead, he gulped down his share of the rum.

    ¡°But why is that thing rted to me!¡± This was the reason why L¡¯s mood was at rock bottom. Zich also did not reply this time. There was no way he knew something even she didn¡¯t know about herself. L probably also knew this too. She didn¡¯t want Zich to actually answer her questions, but she just wanted to let out her emotions and talk to someone. Then, L¡¯s shoulders drooped down. A mncholy and serious atmosphere now enveloped her.

    ¡®Her moods change so fast.¡¯ This was understandable as she had received a major shock. With a much calmer voice, L said, ¡°Judging by the structure of this ruin, the lowest floor was probably a researchboratory. Even though there aren¡¯t many traces left, thest floor has the basic characteristics of magicboratories such as the mana pump and the magic circles on the floor. The devices scattered all around the room are probablyb tools.¡±

    Zich remembered a few devices on thest floor that were made with rare metal alloys.

    ¡°Then Zich, what do you think they were researching?¡± L seemed as if she actually wanted an answer to this question, so Zich replied, ¡°Judging by the situation, won¡¯t it be that monster?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s probably that monster. Then, what type of monster do you think it is?¡±

    Zich recalled the monster¡¯s appearance. It was impossible to forget its unique appearance¡ªthe lumps of meat pieces gathered together and the human body parts buried in it. Zich tried to organize the situation inside his mind. Theboratory, the monster that seemed like it was an experimental subject, the seal on the door, and traces of past battles.

    ¡°Did the experimental subject escape?¡±

    ¡°As expected, you catch onto things fast.¡± L nodded. ¡°But I don¡¯t think it just escaped. I think there was some kind of ident during a trial, and the experimental subject probably went berserk.¡±

    Thinking back to the monster¡¯s appearance and state, L¡¯s guess seemed right.

    ¡°But the most significant part about this is that the experimental subject seems to be somehow rted to me.¡±

    L hung her head down again. Since the monster recognized her, and she also felt its presence in the ruin, they were definitely somehow connected to each other.

    ¡®She¡¯s probably shocked, right?¡¯ Since L didn¡¯t have her memories, this new revtion might havee even more as a shock. Perhaps, she thought she was the same kind of being as the monster below. Even though Zich could understand why she might feel this way, he couldn¡¯t sympathize with her concerns. Zich had already established his sense of identity perfectly, so it did not matter to him what kind of existence he was or what happened in his past. Honestly, even if he found out that his parents were not actually his biological parents or if he was actually a monster in human form, Zich was confident that he wouldn¡¯t even lift an eyebrow.

    No matter what shape or form he was, Zich was himself. However, Zich did not think everyone needed to have the same viewpoint as him, so he did not say anything to her.

    L asked, ¡°¡­Do you think I¡¯m also an experiment?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡±

    ¡°¡­Just give me any kind of advice.¡±

    ¡°Do you need it?¡±

    ¡°I need it. I think I¡¯m going crazy right now.¡±

    Zich took a gulp of rum and then said, ¡°You told me this before, right? Not even the past me can bind me in the present. So it doesn¡¯t matter to me what you are or what kind of past you had. The L I know is the dork who named herself after a passing flower when I asked you for your name.¡±

    L slowly lifted her head. From between her messy hair, Zich was able to see her eyes. Her eyes looked sharp, but because of the situation she was in, it looked pitiful instead.

    ¡°¡­I can¡¯t think of things in such clear-cut lines like you.¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡±

    ¡°Thanks for the advice though. I will try to change my perspective in that direction.¡±

    She couldn¡¯t immediately apply Zich¡¯s advice to herself, but it seemed as if she at least found a direction to go in a ce of bleak darkness.

 Chapter 174

    <h4>Chapter 174</h4>

    ¡°Work hard. I will cheer for you,¡± Zich said and lifted his drink.

    ¡°Um¡­¡± L hesitantly responded like she wanted to request something. Without her saying it aloud, Zich could easily tell what she wanted to ask.

    ¡°You want us to look for ruins from now on?¡± he asked.

    L nodded. The ruin that seemed like it belonged to the Ancient Empire probably had some connections to L; thus, other ruins could also contain something that could hint at L¡¯s identity and help her recall her memories.

    ¡®I guess she thinks she¡¯spletely in our group now.¡¯

    Right after she joined the group, she would have immediately gone to explore the ruin by herself.

    ¡®Well, she probably needs some help too.¡¯

    If a monster like today were in another ruin, it would be difficult for L to manage it by herself.

    ¡°That¡¯s fine.¡± Without thinking too much about it, Zich nodded. Since he didn¡¯t have many businesses to attend to, it wasn¡¯t difficult to add ruin exploration to their schedule.

    L felt relieved and she smiled at Zich. ¡°Thank you.¡±

    At that moment, Zich realized that her smile was truly not of this world.

    The next day, they departed the ruins. The waterfall poured refreshingly like usual, and the blue sky greeted them back.

    ¡°Do you have a destination in mind, sir?¡± Hans asked.

    Zich met L¡¯s eyes and said, ¡°We are going to Violuwin.¡±

    It was the city where they had found Windur and Estede¡ªand if nobody had taken it, where Tornium still existed. Previously, they had gone to the city to look for Tornium, but this time, their target was the ruin itself.

    * * *

    Violuwin recovered from most of the damage, and the tourists that they had lost to the monster invasion began to increase again. The n to spread stories of the city¡¯s heroes sessfully brought in more tourists. The city square was now called the Hero¡¯s Square. There, four statues were set up in one ce. With their fine details, the statues looked like they woulde to life.

    A strong set of ropes supported the statues from the bottom and pushed them up. While shouting in unison,borers gradually pulled the statues up. Spectators in the surroundings whistled and shouted.

    Bam! The first statue stood upright. People pped and cheered happily. To see the appearance of the hero who saved the city, people fought to gather in front of the statue. Yet at the end of the square, there was a figure standing under a building with a different mood. The man was ring at the process of the statues¡¯pletion with very spiteful eyes.

    ¡°You were here, Zenard.¡± A woman approached him. She was a beauty with her red hair tied tightly back. However, the sword hanging from her shoulder to her waist indicated that she wasn¡¯t just beautiful.

    ¡°Hm? What are you looking at?¡± She turned around to see what Glen was looking at. ¡°Are they the heroes who saved this city?¡±

    Hero¡ªwhen Glen heard that word, the corner of his lips twitched. However, thedy didn¡¯t seem to notice Glen¡¯s feelings and continued, ¡°They got such ridiculous nicknames, but I guess it¡¯s understandable since they saved their homes.¡± Her tone made it seem like she didn¡¯t admire the heroes, and she spoke as if it was amon thing that all victims looked up to their saviors as heroes.

    ¡°What were their nicknames again? They were¡­¡± She shuffled through her mind and pointed. ¡°Ah, they were Earth Hero, Magic Hero, Strength Hero, and¡­¡± She spat out thest nickname, ¡°The Sun Hero.¡±

    Crunch! She heard Glen gnashing his teeth and nced at him in surprise.

    ¡°What? What¡¯s wrong?¡±

    ¡°No,¡± Glen spat. As if it had never happened, Glen¡¯s face was peaceful and soft.

    ¡°I¡¯m just angry that I couldn¡¯t be here at that time. Then I would¡¯ve been able to save one more innocent life.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not true, Zenard.¡± Thedy shook her head. ¡°I know that you are just and noble, but you can¡¯t do everything by yourself. Even a noble¡®s ideal can be poisonous if it¡¯s too grand.¡±

    ¡°¡­That¡¯s true. You are right, Browning. I can¡¯t keep tormenting myself over something I can¡¯t control.¡± Glen made a slight smile. With his clearly sculpted features and handsome face, it almost seemed like his face was shining. Thedy named Browning blushed a bit and turned her head.

    ¡°Hm! Hm! I am d you understood. Are you going to continue to watch?¡±

    ¡°No, let¡¯s go back to our lodging. We have a business to attend to tomorrow.¡±

    ¡°Are you nning to go to that ruin?¡±

    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s been a while since I¡¯ve had a break, so I n to cool my head while touring famous sites.¡±

    ¡°Good choice. A break for a knight is important.¡±

    As the two conversed, they walked away from the square. Glen nced back, and his eyesnded on the statue of the ¡®Sun Hero¡¯ that began to be stationed upright. Deep bloodlust lingered around his eyes for a moment, but Glen quickly masked his expression and turned his head back again to talk to Browning.

    * * *

    When Zich and hispanions went back to Violuwin, the city was full of vitality again. Since Zich¡¯spanions knew what the city was like when the monsters stormed in, they were a bit surprised. But Zich was used to this. Even in the Era of Demon People where Demon People caused chaos everywhere, many humans persevered and went on with their lives. On the other hand, there was another matter that Zich was surprised about.

    It was dark in the night when they first arrived at Violuwin. Everyone showed different expressions as they gathered in the lodging. Hans and Snoc looked overjoyed. Hans stroked Estede for no reason, and Snoc picked up Nowem and began talking about random topics. Leona, who had followed them to explore other ruins, also looked at Zich and hispanions with awe and admiration.

    L¡¯s expression looked a bitplicated¡ªher mouth quivered as if she was going to burst outughing at any moment. Even though L had been feeling down recently, she looked cheerful for the first time in a while. At the same time, she also looked embarrassed.

    And the long-awaited Zich¡ª

    Although he was usually calm and rarely made any negative expressions, his face was crumpled up to the extreme. This was a very surprising urrence since he didn¡¯t make a face like that even when he lost to Glen Zenard.

    Leona asked, ¡°So ording to the rumors, you guys are the heroes of this city?¡±

    ¡°Well, it is¡­¡±

    Even though Hans wanted to brag about it, he couldn¡¯t because of Zich¡¯s expression. However, Hans¡¯ answer was enough for Leona.

    ¡°You are the Sun Hero,¡± Leona said as she stared at Hans. Even though Hans was embarrassed, he couldn¡¯t hide his proud expression.

    ¡°You are the Earth Hero.¡±

    Snoc rubbed Nowem, and Nowem cried out ¡°Koo!¡± as affirmation.

    ¡°You are the Magic Hero.¡±

    Trying her hardest to control her expression, L turned her head while trying her hardest to control her expression. Her face turned bright red in embarrassment. After saying each of their nicknames out loud, Leona finally turned to Zich. He red at Leona for her to stop talking, but Leona, who was excited about their story as heroes, could not be stopped. Like Hans and Snoc, she romanticized heroes, but unlike them, she didn¡¯t pay attention to Zich¡¯s expressions.

    ¡°And you are the Strength Hero.¡±

    ¡°Pwff! Haaaaah!¡± L could no longer contain herughter.

    She grabbed the table in front of her and put her head down. Her shoulders heaved up and down, and the sound ofughter seeped out of her mouth. But there was a limit to suppressing herughter; her resistance had crumbled.

    ¡°Hahahahah! Aha! Ahahahahahhah!¡±

    Her body moved more violently than before. Her waist was bent like a shrimp¡¯s back, and sheughed out loud like crazy; it almost seemed as if she was going to fall off her chair. However, she still did not stopughing. No, she could not stop.

    ¡°The great, amazing Zich! Is a hero! A Strength Hero! Ahahahhahahah!¡± L could not stopughing because she knew about Zich¡¯s future and how much he hated the word ¡®hero¡¯.

    ¡°Tch!¡± Zich clicked his tongue. At his reaction, Lughed even harder. Afterughing for a while, L stoppedughing; she hadughed so much that her face was bright red.

    ¡°Why are you making such a long face? You were even given such an honorable title as hero.¡±

    Zich did not say anything. The situation waspletely flipped from usual; Zich was the one who usually teased L and made her mad.

    ¡°I¡¯m shocked. Do you hate being called a hero that much?¡±

    ¡°More than you can believe.¡± It was unbelievable that people dared to call Zich, who used to be a Demon Lord, a title such as hero.

    Zich¡¯s whole body shook from the disgust he felt. ¡°Ungrateful bastards. I saved their lives and they call me by such a disgusting name?¡±

    ¡°What do you mean by a disgusting name? Other people can¡¯t get that title no matter how hard they try.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, and those people are out of their minds.¡±

    Zich seemed to have received quite a shock; it was rare for him to deny something so passionately. L tried to repress another burst ofughtering out of her mouth. Despite everything, Zich had done a lot for her.

    ¡°As you said, it was a good idea for us toe quietly into the city. If people found us, there would have been a loudmotion.¡±

    Zich and hispanions had secretly snuck into the city to avoid getting recognized. They had jumped over the city¡¯s walls and reserved their lodging through Leona. They did this just to be safe, but it turned out to have been a very convenient move. If people had recognized them, it would have not just ended with a small disturbance but a very loudmotion.

    As she looked at Hans and Snoc, L said, ¡°You guys must feel a bit regretful.¡±

    L also did not really like being called a hero. To be more precise, she felt more positive than negative emotions about it, but she thought it was more bothersome than what it was worth. However, Hans and Snoc were different¡ªthey had always admired heroes.

    Hans replied, ¡°Miss, it¡¯s all right. I didn¡¯t want to make a big deal out of it. I¡¯m just happy that a lot of people viewed my actions in a positive light.¡±

    ¡°I feel a bit regretful actually, but I don¡¯t want to create a situation where the two of you would be ufortable.¡±

    ¡°You guys are so kind.¡± L turned around to Zich. ¡°How could such nice guys be under a guy like that?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s all thanks to my teaching.¡± Zich felt a certain amount of pride in teaching Hans and Snoc, so he straightened his chest. However, L whispered ¡®hero¡¯, and he scrunched his face again.

    ¡°¡­If I be a disciple under Zich, could I also be called a hero?¡±

    ¡°¡­Damn it! Because of you, she¡¯s getting weird thoughts!¡± Zichined while looking at Leona¡¯s sparkling eyes, and L burst intoughter once again.

 Chapter 175

    <h4>Chapter 175</h4>

    As usual, the ancient ruin was packed with people. Although the city changed their main tourist product to the story about the heroes who saved Violuwin, they didn¡¯t do such a crazy thing as throwing their past, popr site away.

    Zich and hispanions trespassed into the ruin. To hide their identities, they moved separately. Zichined about having to make up a n to just enter a tourist site, but everyone knew that Zich was in a sour mood not because they had to hide their identities but because of the ¡®hero¡¯ title that had been attached to his name.

    Zich and L traveled together while Hans, Snoc, and Leona followed from a distance. Fortunately, people couldn¡¯t recognize them with their simple disguises. Although statues of them were stationed in the square, these statues differed slightly from the original since they weren¡¯t made while directly looking at their faces.

    Like before, the two lightly passed through areas blocked by tourists. Zich and L trespassed deeper inside so tourists wouldn¡¯t notice them and waited. Soon afterward, the rest of the group joined them.

    ¡°You didn¡¯t get found out, right?¡±

    ¡°Yes!¡±

    It didn¡¯t matter if people found them out, but it was better to avoid bothersome things; of course, the story changed if the bothersome thing was doing a kind act, but this wasn¡¯t even the case. Hearing Hans¡¯ confident answer, it seemed like no one had really spotted them. Zich nodded like he was satisfied and turned around.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± They went deeper inside the ruin. Zich stared at L and asked, ¡°Do you feel anything?¡±

    Since she felt something in thest ruin, she might do the same in this one. However, she shook her head.

    ¡°No, I can¡¯t feel anything here.¡±

    ¡®Well, yeah. If you felt something here, you would have tried to find it before.¡¯

    L had used this ruin as her hideout at one point in time. With her high sense of judgment, she would have searched the ruin immediately if she had felt something strange.

    ¡°Didn¡¯t you say that you know this ruin really well?¡±

    ¡°I know all of its secret passageways and its structure.¡±

    ¡°I guess we won¡¯t have to even draw a map then.¡±

    Otherwise, they would¡¯ve had to search all over the ruin. Since they had Snoc with them, that wouldn¡¯t have been difficult to do, but the process took too much time.

    ¡®Since L can¡¯t feel anything, I guess we can think that monster won¡¯t be here.¡¯

    Or it could already be dead.

    ¡°Was there a spot that looked suspicious?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡±

    ¡°I guess we have to run around and look for it then.¡±

    Even though they didn¡¯t need to draw a map, it seemed like they still needed to look through the ruin.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go back to the secret room first,¡± Zich asked L to guide them. He had forgotten the way to the room where they found Estede or the passageway that led to it. After all, they had found the secret room after getting lost in the first ce.

    Snoc probably remembered the way, but since L knew her way perfectly around the ruin, there was no need for them to solely depend on Snoc. L took a step forward, and Zich and hispanions followed. It seemed had told the truth when she said she knew the ruin¡¯s entire structure, as there was no hesitation in her steps.

    The ruin looked the same everywhere they went, and Zich followed L with a bored expression on his face. Then, he turned his head forward.

    ¡°L.¡±

    ¡°What is it?¡± She turned around, and Zich grabbed onto her shoulders and walked forward.

    ¡°I will be in the lead for a bit.¡±

    ¡°Is there something?¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s something in front of us.¡±

    ¡°Is¡­there a strange presence?¡±

    L¡¯s expression hardened as she remembered what happened in thest ruin.

    The others also tensed up, but Zich waved his hand. ¡°Don¡¯t be nervous. It¡¯s not something like that.¡±

    ¡°Then, what is it?¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s a person.¡±

    ¡°Really? Is it a lost tourist?¡±

    There were many cases where people secretly went inside a blocked section of the ruin and got lost. This was the reason why they only opened a specific section of the ruin, and somewhere in this ruin, there were corpses of those who had lost their way and starved.

    ¡°No, it doesn¡¯t seem like a tourist.¡±

    This was a presence that Zich had felt before.

    ¡°Is this someone you know?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s probably someone you know too.¡±

    L tilted her head. Since she didn¡¯t have most of her memories, she didn¡¯t know many people. When she soon saw the person, she couldn¡¯t help but be surprised.

    * * *

    ¡°It¡¯s been a while, sir.¡± Zich stretched out his hand. Whatever happened between them before the regression was in the past now, and Zich didn¡¯t pull out his sword since they were no longer on opposing sides.

    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s been a while, sir.¡± Glen also reached out with his hand, and Zich grabbed it tightly.

    Before the regression, they were constantly trying to kill each other; but now, they were only supposed to know each other¡¯s faces.

    ¡°Did you say that your name was Zich?¡±

    ¡°Yes, and you are Glen Zenard. Right, sir?¡±

    In front of the Demon Lord of Strength, Zich Moore, there was his archnemesis, Glen Zenard. His face, handsome enough to make Zich want to spit on him, was the same as ever. Zich didn¡¯t expect Glen at all in such a ce, but he didn¡¯t have a particr reason to question it. Thus, he addressed Glen calmly.

    ¡°We haven¡¯t met since we defeated those Bellid guys from before.¡±

    ¡°Yes, you¡¯re right. How have you been since then?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve been doing okay. How have you been doing, Mr. Zenard?¡±

    Small talk passed between them. There was nothing strange about their words. It was the type of soulless conversation that passed between people who were familiar with each other but were not very close. Yet, there was a tense atmosphere between them. Glen stared past Zich¡¯s back.

    ¡°Yourpanions¡­have increased.¡±

    ¡°I met them on the way.¡±

    L and Leona slightly bowed their heads at Glen. Likewise, Glen also bowed his head.

    ¡°Mr. Zenard, you seem to also be traveling with a newpanion.¡±

    ¡°Yes. She is a very importantpanion to me.¡±

    Browning nodded towards Zich. She seemed to be very pleased about being called an importantpanion as her face beamed with pride.

    ¡°May I ask why you came here? Isn¡¯t this a restricted area of the ruin?¡±

    ¡°Isn¡¯t that also the same for you, Mr. Zenard?¡±

    Glen shrugged. ¡°I heard that monsters barged into this city a couple of days ago. While I¡¯m on break, I thought I should patrol around this ce. I thought that some monsters might have entered thisplicated ruin and hid here.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I thought it was weird that you wanted to take a break.¡±

    Browningined behind Zenard¡¯s back. Glen turned around and consoled her. ¡°We¡¯re still resting in the end. If monsters don¡¯te out, won¡¯t this be the same as taking a break?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re really¡­!¡± Browning let out a sigh. Even though her voice sounded frustrated, she could not disguise the obvious pride she had for Glen in her voice.

    After consoling Browning, Glen looked at Zich again. ¡°Since I told you the reason why I¡¯m here, would it be alright for me to ask why you¡¯vee here?¡±

    Even though Glen¡¯s words were soft and gentle, there was a forceful tone in his voice.

    ¡°For sightseeing.¡±

    ¡°¡­ Sightseeing?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, there are too many people in other areas.¡±

    ¡°¡­You know this is a restricted area, right?¡±

    ¡°I know.¡± Zich was shameless about breaking the rules; in contrast, Glen was the one who got taken aback by Zich¡¯s confident reply.

    ¡°¡­I think that it¡¯s a bit off-putting to talk about entering a restricted area so confidently.¡±

    ¡°Oh my, as someone who¡¯s made the same mistake, are you seriously saying that to me?¡±

    ¡°What do you mean by mistake! We came here to check if any monsters are hiding here!¡± Browning intervened in their conversation. It seemed as if she could not endure Glen receiving the slightest insult.

    However, Zich didn¡¯t even blink. Instead, he folded his arms and stared at her with a slouched posture. ¡°Did you receive permission from the city?¡±

    Browning was not able to answer.

    Zich continued, ¡°If you¡¯ve received permission from the city, there should be at least one or two soldiers apanying you two. I¡¯m sure the city would like urate information about what you two are doing, and there¡¯s something called ¡®procedure¡¯ that people have to go through.¡±

    Browning hesitated; it seemed as if she wanted to reply but did not know what to say. In the end, Browning stared at Glen with a troubled expression.

    ¡°¡­I understand. Then we should act like we never saw each other, right?¡±

    ¡°Hahaha! As expected, we speak the samenguage!¡± Zich tapped Glen¡¯s arms a few times.

    Glen let out a sigh and pushed away Zich¡¯s arm. ¡°We will leave first. Mr. Zich, what will you do?¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re going to look around a bit more and go back.¡±

    ¡°I hope you don¡¯t lose your way. Then goodbye.¡±

    Glen pulled Browning and moved towards the ruin¡¯s exit. The meeting between the two groups, which had begun rather cordially, ended with an awkward, tense atmosphere.

    * * *

    ¡°What the heck is up with those guys?¡±

    As soon as they were a good distance away from Zich and hispanions, Browning let out her frustration. She swung her fists as if Zich was standing right in front of her.

    ¡°Restrain yourself, Browning.¡±

    ¡°How can I restrain myself! He was talking as if we are the same as him!¡±

    ¡°There was some sense to his words though. We dide here secretly.¡±

    ¡°But we came here for the city¡¯s protection! It¡¯spletely different from those guys who came here to sightsee!¡± She stared at Glen. ¡°How do you know him?¡±

    ¡°I got to know him through Karuwiman.¡±

    ¡°Is he rted to the Karuwiman?¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s a Karuwiman Honorary Knight.¡±

    Her eyes were full of disbelief. ¡°An Honorary Knight? The same as you? That guy?¡±

    ¡®Yeah, it doesn¡¯t make sense.¡¯ Glen agreed with Browning inside his mind. He couldn¡¯t believe that Zich of all people was a Karuwiman Honorary Knight; things were goingpletely amiss.

    Browning continued toin; Glen heard her saying things like, ¡®I can¡¯t believe it¡¯ and ¡®what the hell is up with their standards.¡¯ Browning seemed to have been very shocked to find out that Zich was a Karuwiman Honorary Knight. Then a thought popped up in her mind.

    ¡°Come to think of it, except for the elf, don¡¯t they look like the statues that were raised in this city?¡± Then she shook her head. ¡°No, that can¡¯t be. There¡¯s no way that a hero who saved this city would have such a shitty personality.¡±

    ¡°Browning.¡±

    ¡°Hmm?¡±

    ¡°Can you be a bit quieter?¡±

    ¡°Ah, yeah, yup. Sorry, I was a bit loud, right?¡± She closed her mouth and stole a furtive nce at Glen.

    It was the first time he had ever directly scolded her. Browning wondered if there was something that she said that might have crossed Glen¡¯s mood and she med herself while thinking back on her words. However, Glen paid no attention to Browning at all as his mind was full of thoughts about Zich and hispanions.

    ¡®Zich Moore.¡¯

    Zich was supposed to be his archrival, the Demon Lord of Strength. After the incident with the Northern Branch of Bellid, Glen wanted to attach a spy to Zich, but Zich had disappeared too fast. Now, they had met each other in such an unexpected ce. Just his existence in Violuwin¡¯s ruin made his head hurt, but the sight of hispanions hurt his head even further.

    ¡®The Earth¡¯s Tyrant Nowem.¡¯

    In the future, the Earth¡¯s Tyrant Nowem should have extinguished an entire country as a Demon Person. During the incident with the Northern Branch of Bellid, Glen had only seen him briefly from a distance so he didn¡¯t recognize him, but now that he had a good look at Snoc, he was sure that Snoc was the ¡®The Earth¡¯s Tyrant Nowem.¡¯

    ¡®Leona.¡¯

    Leona was the elf who was going to be hispanion in the future. Apanion that should have helped him eradicate ¡®The Demon Lord of Strength, Zich Moore,¡¯ in the future was now working with the Demon Lord.

    And there was more.

    ¡®Estede.¡¯

    After seeing that sword on one of the man¡¯s waists, Glen¡¯s eyes burned with fury.

 Chapter 176

    <h4>Chapter 176</h4>

    The timeline¡¯s trajectory seemed to have changed far too much. Glen thought about the future.

    ¡®First of all, there¡¯s still hope for Leona. I don¡¯t know why she is part of their group, but if I just secure the Lake¡¯s Tear, I will be able to take her in as mypanion.¡¯ Glen thought this, not knowing that Leona had already gotten her treasure back.

    ¡®Even if I fail to take her in as mypanion, it¡¯s fine since I have a recement.¡¯

    Leona had low priority on his list; there were still other figures who were as beautiful and fit his ¡®perfect party¡¯ well.

    ¡®Still, I don¡¯t have Estede.¡¯

    Glen didn¡¯t want any other sword besides it. Glen recalled Hans¡¯ sword; it was definitely Estede. And for Glen, simply forgetting Estede wasn¡¯t an option.

    ¡®There¡¯s no sword that fits a hero better than that one.¡¯

    Glen believed Estede¡¯s noble form and brilliant ability fit the nickname of the ¡®Sun Hero¡¯ or a true hero. Thus, he was enraged to see that somebody else had taken Estede and appeared in front of him. Then he thought that Zich and hispanions might be the four heroes he had seen recently. Since there wasn¡¯t an elf among the statues, disregarding Leona, the other four were probably the city¡¯s heroes.

    ¡®That means one of the heroes is Zich Moore.¡¯

    It was ridiculous. It was already unbelievable for Zich to get knighted as Karuwiman¡¯s Holy Knight, but in this city, he was getting called a hero.

    ¡®Damn it! What kind of bullshit is this!¡¯

    Glen couldn¡¯t ept the fact that Zich Moore¡ªthe person who should be doing all kinds of evil and be the worst person in this world¡ªwas getting called a hero.

    ¡®Furthermore, how is he already this strong?¡¯

    Glen also hadn¡¯t expected Violuwin¡¯s monster attack. It wasn¡¯t part of the information he knew, and he felt more stressed knowing that fact. ording to the rumors¡ªof course, there were some exaggerations since the story gotmercialized for tourism¡ªthe monster forces had been extremely powerful. Thus, it was unbelievable that those four had simply defeated them.

    ¡®As expected of Zich Moore. He is especially formidable after he got off course.¡¯

    Even if his personality was a bit warped, Zich had brilliant, innate talent and the ability to ovee any adversity. For the first time in a very long time, Glen felt a deep inferiorityplex rise in his heart.

    ¡®¡­Should I get rid of him now?¡¯ If he did that, Glen could even get Estede back. However, he shook his head. ¡®If Zich Moore has really be that strong, he would be too much for my current power to handle.¡¯

    Glen¡¯s strength wasn¡¯t built on pure talent and effort like Zich. He had to utilize the information he had and get all kinds of additional items and experiences to supplement his strength. Not to mention, he hadn¡¯t taken many supplements in his current state. Glen was strong enough to make his presence known to his surroundings, but he was iparable to those monsters.

    ¡®I will be able to increase my skills if I get my hands on the Lake¡¯s Tear first.¡¯ The reason why Glen was looking for the Lake¡¯s Tear was to foster a rtionship with Leona but also because he simply needed its powers.

    ¡®Yeah, I will just leave him alone. For me to have a perfect life, I have to make Zich Moore myst obstacle. It will be all meaningless otherwise.¡¯

    Still, it didn¡¯t seem right for Glen to give up on Estede. ¡®¡­I should send a spy on him for now and watch the situation.¡¯ If he used the bountiful information he had, there could be an opportunity to retrieve Estede. In the first ce, he had alsomanded for a spy to follow Zich before too. They only failed to send one because they didn¡¯t know Zich¡¯s current location.

    ¡®¡­Should I have really listened to that person?¡¯

    He remembered ¡®his¡¯ words to leave a part of the investigation team for emergencies. However, Glen didn¡¯t feel any regret for not listening to him. He still had many opportunities to change the situation.

    ¡®I have to gather information first and find out what went wrong in this world. Then, I have to retrace Zich Moore¡¯s steps and see what path he took.¡±

    Glen also needed to investigate the mysterious forces that attacked Violuwin.

    ¡®Zich said that figures wearing ck robes called those monsters.¡¯ Glen knew only one force who could do such a thing, but there was no way since it was his own organization.

    ¡®There¡¯s really no way. I haveplete control over my forces.¡¯ At the very least, his members would not do things like that without reporting to him, which meant that another organization beyond his knowledge existed.

    ¡®Actually, it¡¯s better this way. If this world is so vtile like this, I would be able to collect some good information.¡¯

    Of course, he wouldn¡¯t give up his n. Glen moved solely for his ns; and if he collected more information, it would create an advantage for him in the next opportunity.

    ¡®Okay, let me investigate Zich Moore¡¯spanions and everything they have gone through.¡¯

    Glen felt a bit lighthearted after thinking these thoughts. Yet as soon as he finished one idea, another idea popped up in his head. ¡®But why did theye to this ce?¡¯

    Zich and hispanions mentioned touring, but that didn¡¯t seem to be the case.

    ¡®Since they have Estede, they must have discovered the ruin¡¯s secret space¡­¡¯ Glen suddenly stopped in his steps. At his serious expression, Browning tried asking him what was wrong, but he couldn¡¯t afford to answer her.

    ¡®Did they go there again, thinking there¡¯s another treasure?¡¯ If that was the case, this was bad for Glen. As far as he knew, the only other treasure in this ce was Tornium.

    Tornium was a Demon Sword that was as strong as Estede, and it was a sword that symbolized Zich Moore.

    ¡®No, he might havee here after receiving information that Tornium was here.¡¯

    Even though it was not yet time for Zich Moore to have received this information, since so many things have already gone so amiss, it would not be too surprising if that had happened. Glen¡¯s face became pitch dark. If he wasn¡¯t able to find Estede, he should at least obtain Tornium. Even though it was a Demon Sword, if the user had enough strength, it didn¡¯t harm its owner, and most of all, from what Glen knew, there was no sword better than Estede or Tornium.

    In the first ce, Glen had decided to look around this ruin to find Tornium. But what if Tornium ended up with Zich¡¯s group?

    ¡°Zenard? What¡¯s wrong, Zenard?¡±

    Browning called out to him, but her voice did not reach Glen.

    * * *

    ¡®Hmm, I hadn¡¯t expected to meet Glen Zenard here.¡¯

    After they separated from Glen, Zich also began pondering.

    ¡®Did he obtain Estede during this time? Or is this just a coincidence?¡¯ Zich stole a nce at the Estede that Hans was holding; then he returned his gaze back to the front.

    ¡®Well, he can¡¯t get it now cause Hans has it.¡¯ Zich had no ns to give Estede back to Glen just because Glen was its previous owner. Moreover, Hans was also rightfully chosen by Estede.

    ¡®Well, I¡¯m not so sure about Estede being picky about its owners though.¡¯ Regardless, Hans was the owner of Estede in this timeline. Moreover, it was the red-haired woman behind Glen that caught Zich¡¯s eyes.

    ¡®If I saw right, that was definitely Lara Browning.¡¯ Zich remembered her¡ªno, he distinctly remembered her as one of the heroes who killed him.

    ¡®It was annoying how she kept blocking my attacks with arge shield.¡¯ She was able to do that because Zich couldn¡¯t use his full power and she had Lube¡¯s support; yet, her resilient attitude as she endured all of Zich Moore¡¯s attacks was deeply etched into his mind.

    ¡®Did she join his party already?¡¯

    He remembered that she looked a bit different than before. Before he regressed, she used a huge shield to protect her party members and used a small sword to fight Zich off asionally¡ªit was the standard outfit of a defensive party member. Today, she had a long sword and a moderately-sized shield attached to her side.

    ¡®Well, even though it¡¯s notmon to change one¡¯s weapon choice, it¡¯s not like it never happens.¡¯ Zich ended his thoughts about Lara Browning. He didn¡¯t hold any special interest in her.

    ¡°It¡¯s here.¡± L stopped in front of a wall.

    Rumble! The wall let out a heavy sound and slid back. An enormous hole appeared in front of them. The same thing happened to them thest time they reached the entrance to a secret area. Snoc, Hans, and L had already experienced this before and were calm about it. Only Leona looked all around the hole on the wall with wide eyes.

    Zich and hispanions went inside. After everyone went inside the hole on the wall¡ª

    Rumble! The hole in the wall closed again. As if it was pretending to be a normal wall, the secret wall quietly hid behind the back of the wall.

    L asked Zich, ¡°Where should I lead you guys now?¡±

    ¡°Are there any special or strange rooms?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know. There are only two strange rooms that I know of.¡± She stuck out two fingers in front and slowly folded each of them. ¡°Estede, and the other ce is where Tornium is.¡±

    ¡°Hmm.¡± Zich pondered about this for a bit. ¡°Let¡¯s try going to where Tornium is. We have to go around this ruin anyways, so it won¡¯t be a bad idea to check it out.¡±

    ¡°¡­We¡¯re just going to check it out.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I know. I already have something better than that.¡± Zich tapped Windur¡¯s hilt on his back a few times.

    L gave him a few more suspicious looks, but she nodded eventually.

    ¡°Tornium? What¡¯s that?¡±

    At Leona¡¯s question, Zich pointed at Estede on Hans¡¯ waist. ¡°It¡¯s a Demon Sword that has simr abilities to the Holy Sword that Hans has.¡±

    ¡°A Demon Sword? There is such a thing as a Demon Sword?¡± Leona was filled with curiosity as she asked more questions.¡°Yeah, but don¡¯t pull it out.¡±

    ¡°Why? Ah, is it dangerous because it¡¯s a Demon Sword? Does it control people¡¯s bodies or something?¡±

    ¡°Compared to other Demon Swords, Tornium is not very dangerous. Of course, that¡¯s only whenparing it with other Demon Swords. If you don¡¯t reach a certain level of power, the Demon Sword¡¯s power is going to destroy your body. You guys haven¡¯t reached that level of power yet.¡±

    Leona pouted; she was discontent about Zich¡¯s assessment of her current level of power. But she knew Zich¡¯s strength to a certain extent, so she eventually epted his words. Hans and Snoc were not interested in Tornium in the first ce. Hans had Estede, and ever since Snoc couldn¡¯t pull out Estede, he had lost all interest in things like Holy and Demon Swords.

    ¡°It¡¯s here.¡±

    Zich and hispanions arrived at arge space. The structure of the ce was not different from where Estede was. There was only one difference. Compared to Estede which emitted out holy and bright light, a ck sword that emitted violent and ferocious energy was stuck in the center of the room.

 Chapter 177

    <h4>Chapter 177</h4>

    Zich took a step forward. Everyone¡¯s eyes shot towards him, but Zich ignored their stares and took another step forward. L looked at Zich¡¯s back worriedly, but she didn¡¯t hold him back. Since she had told him many times before, doing more than that would be meddling.

    Stomp! Zich stopped his feet in front of Tornium. It looked exactly the same as his memories, especially its ck de, in guard, handles that were far from morous. Memories of wielding it around and fighting against enemies burst into his head. Yet, Zich didn¡¯t move his hand.

    ¡°Okay, let¡¯s go look for suspicious spots now,¡± Zich said after he turned around. He didn¡¯t seem infatuated with the sword, and L felt relieved.

    Zich left the room that contained Tornium. There was no hesitancy in his steps, and hispanions followed him one by one. Even with the exnation that the Tornium was a magical sword that was on the same level as Estede, nobody craned their interest towards it. Snoc was thest one to leave the room, and silence filled the room again.

    * * *

    ¡°Then, where should I go to look for it first?¡± Zich ced his hands on his waist and looked around his surroundings in exaggeration. He saw the ruin¡¯s passageway stretch far out in front of him. They didn¡¯t know what they were looking for or where it was. They simply thought a secret passageway might appear before them like thest ruin. ¡°Is this path wide?¡±

    ¡°Very,¡± L answered Zich¡¯s question. She knew her way in and out of this ruin; thus, her words meant that they had no choice but to continue walking around the ruin to search for what they were looking for.

    ¡®Well, we have a lot of time, so we can carefully look around.¡¯ They didn¡¯t even have an urgent business to attend to. Even if they didn¡¯t find anything, they nned to look around until L was satisfied. Still, that didn¡¯t mean they thought it was a good n to wander around aimlessly.

    ¡®I wish we had a hint or something.¡¯ Zich suddenly thought of Windur and took it off from his back. The sword had its usual strange form. Zich could change it into a morefortable form, but Windur was a ridiculous sword that refused to change without a special reason.

    ¡®This guy led me to a path before.¡¯ Specifically, it was the key that popped out of Zich¡¯s fingers and was a piece of Windur that had guided him.

    ¡®I don¡¯t think this guy will be able to do anything.¡¯ At the same time, it was the sword piece that had teleported Zich and guided them to where Windur was.

    Therefore, Zich muttered something ridiculous, ¡°Is there something that we can find here?¡±

    ¡°¡­What are you doing? Are you talking to a sword now?¡± L seemed stunned, and other people also looked at Zich strangely.

    Zich shrugged. ¡°This is the ce where we found Windur. From our experience, you know what it did and how special it is. So, I tried talking¡ª¡± Zich trailed off. Including him, everyone¡¯s eyes shot towards the ends of Windur¡¯s des.

    Sliiide.

    One especially heated part of Windur¡¯s hard de lengthened and curved.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°¡­What is this guy, really?¡± Zich broke the silence with his words. Although the sword looked strange, Zich liked it because of its excellent performance. However, he couldn¡¯t grasp the sword¡¯s identity at all.

    * * *

    With Zich in the lead, the group continued to walk. Whenever they reached a forked path, Windur wiggled its ends.

    ¡°¡­What''s with that sword?¡± Leona asked Snoc, but he couldn¡¯t answer her clearly either.

    Snoc answered, ¡°I-I am not sure either.¡±

    It was a uniquely shaped sword. Snoc didn¡¯t know anything about it except for the fact that Zich suddenly brought it out of the ruin and that Zich treasured it because it had a higher performance than even Estede.

    ¡®¡¯Oh yeah, it can change shape too.¡¯

    However, there was no way Snoc could identify the sword when Zich didn¡¯t even know as its owner.

    ¡°I think many strange and interesting things are connected to Zich.¡± At Leona¡¯s words, Snoc and even Hans in front of them nodded. Hans, who had apanied Zich ever since he got out of his family, especially agreed with Leona.

    Thump. Zich¡¯s feet halted, and people stopped their steps simultaneously. Windur¡¯s des were curved to the side. However, the area where Windur pointed was not a passageway but the ruin¡¯s wall. The same thought came into everyone¡¯s heads at once.

    ¡®A secret passageway!¡¯ Zich searched around the wall.

    ¡®There¡¯s an opening.¡¯ It was a gap narrow enough for a finger to barely fit in. However, it was long enough for a whole arm to reach inside.

    ¡®But how do we go through this?¡¯ The door that led to the passageway opened automatically when they approached it. Yet the wall blocking their path didn¡¯t seem like it would open for them. Zich tried knocking the wall. He heard a dull impact; it didn¡¯t seem like it was hollow inside.

    ¡®Is it camouge or is this guy just out of its mind?¡¯ Zich looked at Windur and tried shaking a bit.

    ¡®Huh? The ends of Windur moved, but they didn¡¯t point at another ce. It continued to point at the same spot. When Zich lifted it up, its ends curved downwards and when Zich moved it down, it moved up. Zich looked to where the sword was pointing.

    ¡®It¡¯s the center of the opening. Is it pointing at something instead of a direction?¡± Zich tilted his sword horizontally to help Windur return to its original form. Then he stabbed his sword between the gap. As if it had always been shaped like that, Windur smoothly went inside the gap of the wall.

    Click! There was the sound of something interlocking behind the wall. Zich turned back to hispanions. After meeting each of their eyes, he looked back at the wall and turned his sword.

    Screech! Screech! A part of the wall rotated in a circle; Zich kept turning his sword around.

    Click!

    After the sword turned a half-circle, there was another click. And then¡ª

    Slide!

    The bricks on the wall began moving back and slid to the side of the wall. Arge hole appeared in front of Zich and hispanions.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know where it ends, but I think we¡¯ve found the right ce.¡± Zich nced inside the tunnel.

    ¡°It seems like we¡¯ve really found the right ce?¡± Zich went inside; there was another passageway beyond the secret door. However, this passage was different from all the other passages in this ruin. First of all, it was big. Compared to all the passages they passed in this ruin, it was about four or five times bigger. The ceiling was also high and wide.

    However, the most noticeable thing about this passage was the murals all over the ceiling and walls. Even to a non-specialist, the murals painted in vibrant colors looked to be of exceptional quality.

    ¡°It¡¯s been very well preserved.¡± L followed Zich into the room, and expressed her admiration at the murals in the passage.

    Hans, Snoc, and Leona bent their heads back to stare at the murals. Zich moved next to L and also looked around the murals. ¡°It¡¯s because of the mana, right?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, probably. Ever since we came to this space, the mana I could feel suddenly increased.¡± L put her hands on the wall. She could feel the mana moving around underneath it. ¡°It seems like there¡¯s mana surrounding this whole building; there¡¯s a high possibility that this ce has mana fuel like thest ruin. Moreover, the mana fuel is probably of higher quality or bigger or both than the other ruin.¡±

    A shadow cast on L¡¯s face. If this ruin was created by the same civilization as thest ruin, there might also be a horrifying monster here. As if to console her, Zich tapped L¡¯s shoulders a few times. Then he followed the passage down.

    The murals continued all across the passage. There were a great many soldiers depicted in the mural; strong monsters and golems were also painted on the walls. The monsters, golems, and soldiers didn¡¯t seem like they were fighting each other. In contrast, they looked like they were on the same side as they all stared at the end of the tunnel with menacing eyes. It was as if they were intimidating those walking down the passage.

    Hans said, ¡°I feel like I¡¯m entering a pce with extremely tight security.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re probably right about that.¡±

    ¡°Sir, what?¡±

    ¡°I also think that these drawings depict security forces.¡±

    With Zich¡¯s agreement, Hans stared back at the mural.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know much about art, but there¡¯s probably no one who draws a list of meaningless soldiers as art, especially to cover entire walls and ceilings.¡±

    Flying monsters were drawn on the ceiling, and soldiers riding on those monsters were also looking down at the end of the tunnel.

    ¡°Even though it might just be the perverted work of an entric artist, there are people who need drawings like this. Powerful people who need these weird paintings rather than real troops.¡±

    ¡°People who are dead,¡± L added her thoughts to Zich¡¯s words. Hans was surprised by the meaning behind her words.

    ¡°What? Does that mean¡­¡±

    ¡°Yeah. There¡¯s a high possibility that this ruin is a tomb. Moreover, to have a tomb of this size, the person must have great power.¡±

    An enormous door appeared in front of them. Without much hesitation, Zich opened the door. The sight beyond the door came into view.

    * * *

    ¡°Hey Zenard, why are you moving in such a hurry?¡± Browning felt a bit bewildered.

    Acting like he was going to go back to their lodging, Glen fell into deep thought for a while and then spun around to go back to the ruin. Moreover, he was obviously walking back in a hurry.

    There was a bit of hesitation in Browning¡¯s voice since she received a cold reply from Glen for disturbing him earlier. However, Glen seemed to have settled his concerns as he was back to his usual self.

    ¡°It¡¯s because I don¡¯t think they are walking around the ruins to sight see. I¡¯m going to bring them out.¡±

    ¡°Ah, you think so too?¡± Her expression brightened up. ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s right. No matter how great someone is, everyone has to follow the rules, especially if they are breaking the rules for something as frivolous as sightseeing.¡±

    While Browning murmured to herself, Glen only paid half of his attention to her. All he cared about was securing Tornium before Zich and hispanions could get to it. Even though he had nned to wander around the ruin to not stir Browning¡¯s suspicion, he now had no leisure to do so. He moved straight to the secret passageway from his memory.

    Slideee!

    ¡°Wow, there was a ce like this!¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s try going in.¡±

    ¡°Ah, wait! Zenard!¡±

    Browning followed behind Glen in a hurry. The passageway was familiar to Glen¡ªeven if there were intersections, there were no traps in this ruin. Glen beelined to the secret passage, and a room appeared in front of him. It was only when he saw the ck sword in the center of the room that he finally let out a sigh of relief.

 Chapter 178

    <h4>Chapter 178</h4>

    When Zich and hispanions opened the door, they saw a veryrge space. It was arge area, making it hard to believe that it could exist in a basement. The space in front of them almost seemedrger than the city of Vioulwin right above the surface.

    Not only was it wide, but it was also tall. If they built a building tall enough to touch the ceiling, it would at least be 30 stories high. What was more surprising was that this space didn¡¯t have anything that resembled a pir supporting it. It was astonishing how such arge basement space could support itself without a single pir.

    ¡®There must be some kind of magical mechanism.¡¯

    They felt mana flowing beneath the floor they were standing on. Furthermore, unlike the previous, dark ruins where they had to use mana and magic to light up their view, lights poured down from the ceiling into this ruin. When they looked up, they sawrge rocks embedded on the ceiling that poured out light. The mysterious mana flowing in this ruin also seemed to be supplying them with a source of power.

    Zich and hispanions currently stood on top of a high section of the area, which was tall enough to touch the ceiling. Next to them, there was a staircase attached that stretched down to the ground in a zigzag. Zich led hispanions down the staircase. There wasn¡¯t a railing, but since the staircase was wide, it wasn¡¯t dangerous.

    While they walked down the stairs, the group couldn¡¯t keep their eyes off the view. They noticed the gigantic statues first. As if the world-greatest sculptors had created masterpieces with their sweat and tears over a long period of time, the statues looked so lifelike, almost as if they woulde alive this instant. They were seven times the height of an average human. If they included the pedestal that supported these statues, they were even taller. And there wasn¡¯t just one.

    The group arrived at the floor. The statues looked bigger on the ground than from above.

    ¡°Woooow!¡± Leona¡¯s eyes sparkled. It looked like Hans and Snoc also showed a considerable amount of interest in the goods around them. Compared to them, L looked like a predator looking for her prey.

    ¡®It¡¯s understandable since it¡¯s a ruin that may be rted to her.¡¯ Zich thought of Windur hanging on his back. After guiding Zich to this ce, Windur returned to its original form coyly like it had finished its job and hung quietly on Zich¡¯s back.

    ¡®Windur definitely seems to have a connection with this ruin. If L also has a connection to this ce, does that mean she has some connection to Windur too?¡¯ That was only a possibility. They both had a connection to the ruin, but they could also have no connection with each other. ¡®I guess I should search the ruin for now.¡¯

    Zich¡¯spanions were waiting for him to make the first move.

    ¡°Let¡¯s search the areas closest to us first.¡± Zich pointed at the nearest statue. When they got to the foot of the statue, it was impossible to see the statue¡¯s face without arching their neckspletely.

    ¡°Do you think he was a king, sir?¡± Like Hans said, the statue was clearly an image of a king.

    The statue¡¯s handid on top of a sword handle, and a cape draped over most of its body exuded elegance, disying the sculptor¡¯s outstanding skills. The costume that peeked out from the inside of the cape was also delicately carved. Most of all, the fancy crown on the statue¡¯s head indicated who the statue was supposed to be.

    ¡°If this is a ruin from the ancient empire that Leona told us about, he must not be a king but an emperor.¡±

    ¡°Ah, that¡¯s right, sir.¡±

    Meanwhile, L stood close to the pedestal that supported the statue.

    ¡°It¡¯s not just a pedestal.¡±

    ¡°Yes, a pedestal wouldn¡¯t have a door hanging on it.¡± As Zich said, the pedestal had a stone door.

    ¡®Is it a stone chamber instead of a pedestal? Well, I can guess what it¡¯s for.¡¯ Zich guessed that this was the statue figure¡¯s cemetery and one didn¡¯t need to see its insides to see what would be in there. Zich gestured at hispanions to back away. There were usually many traps around a burial site, and it might be the same case here.

    Thud!

    Unexpectedly, the door opened easily. Zich searched the inside. There weren¡¯t any traps, and he gestured to hispanions that it was safe for them to proceed. The interior of the stone chamber wasn¡¯trgepared to the exterior. It could fit about ten adults at most, and there was an item in the center of the room.

    ¡®I knew it.¡¯ Zich nodded when he saw that item. There was a square item, carved from a long b of stone. It was a coffin.

    ¡°Like I thought, it¡¯s a cemetery,¡± L murmured next to Zich.

    Snoc and Hans exchanged opinions.

    ¡°Do you think the person inside this cemetery is the statue?¡±

    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t that be the case?¡±

    Zich agreed with them and approached the coffin. Surprisingly, the coffin looked normal. Without even a simple symbol, the coffin starkly contrasted the magnificent exterior.

    Seeing the simple-looking coffin, L suggested, ¡°Maybe he wasn¡¯t a very great man.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t think that¡¯s the case. Even if he was someone who had great authority during his time, he probably thought it was all meaningless after death or the immense exterior of the burial site was enough to show off his power.¡±

    ¡°That sounds more like it.¡± L readily agreed with Zich.

    Zich ced his hand on top of the coffin. ¡°You¡¯re going to open it?¡±

    ¡°We might need it.¡±

    There was no real reason except curiosity for Zich to open the coffin. He was fully confident in his sense of self, and it was only a matter of time before he¡¯d regain his original power from his pre-regression days. There was really no need for Zich to peek into every coffin that seemed to belong to an emperor from an ancient empire.

    ¡®It¡¯s because of me.¡¯ L could guess his intentions.

    Zich gestured to the others to back off again.

    Drrrrrr! The rough sound of stones colliding against each other rang throughout their surroundings. A door that could have been closed for thousands of years was finally opening once again.

    ¡°¡­There aren¡¯t any traps.¡±

    Zich¡¯s tone was hard to pinpoint. However, since he said there were no traps, everyone gathered around the coffin. They were very surprised by what was in the coffin.

    ¡°Ah, what? A l-live person?¡±

    ¡°No, he¡¯s dead,¡± Zich coldly replied to Snoc¡¯s surprised outburst. L kneeled next to the coffin. Then she carefully put her finger on the nose of the old man who looked like he was fast asleep.

    ¡°He¡¯s not breathing. It really is just a corpse.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s probably the result of the mana flow in this ruin. The same flow that was maintaining the murals on the wall.¡±

    Zich grabbed the corpse¡¯s face and moved its head around. As if the person had recently died, the corpse¡¯s neck moved smoothly and its face looked vibrant.

    ¡°Judging by his face, he resembles the statue on top of this stone chamber.¡±

    The statue was so detailed and realistic that it was very easy to tell that it was the same person. Zich and hispanions came out of the stone chamber and began looking around at other ces. All the statues and stone chambers had the same structure ¡ª there was a chamber underneath the pedestal of the statue, and a coffin was inside the chamber. Likewise, all the bodies inside the coffins looked lively, as if they died just a few minutes ago.

    Each of the statues had a unique feature: different letters etched onto the insr wall of the pedestals. No one could read them since the letters were written in ancient scripture, but the letters were different for each stone chamber. L predicted that the letters were the names and biographies of the people inside the coffins. After checking a few more stone chambers, Zich and hispanions stopped looking through the stone chambers, because it was obvious that all the stone chambers would probably have the same structure as the rest.

    However, L was still interested in the words written on the stone chamber walls. Perhaps, there might be information about her written on these walls.

    ¡°L, you can do what you want after we search this entire passageway.¡±

    Zich stopped L who looked as if she was going to rip the tablet off from the wall. As expected of a magician, L bought things to help her with research as soon as she got a magic box and money from Zich.

    L was disappointed by Zich¡¯s words, but since his words made sense, she put the magic box back into her bag. She had a lot of time anyways. Zich and hispanions passed the statues by walking between them. Like this, they were able to reach a notable statue. It was different from the other statues.

    This statue stood at the very back, and it was a head taller than all the other statues. The statue¡¯s posture was also different from the other statues; it was in the shape of a person stretching forward vigorously with a sword. It looked special, even from a nce.

    ¡°This guy seems to be the best out of everyone here.¡± Zich looked up at the statue¡¯s beaming eyes and said, ¡°Judging by the statue¡¯s cement and size, he seems like the emperor who founded the empire.¡±

    Leona said, ¡°Ah, then he¡¯s probably the Golden Emperor.¡±

    ¡®Another cringy nickname came out.¡¯ Zich requested Leona to continue by turning his gaze towards her.

    ¡°He was the one who founded the ancient empire and led the empire to its golden age. I heard that people in the empire all called him the Golden Emperor.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, that seems like enough to receive special treatment like this.¡±

    Zich and hispanions went inside the chamber of what might be the chamber of the ¡®Golden Emperor.¡¯ They thought that there might be something special in his chamber, but there was nothing special about it. The chamber was only a bit bigger, and there was just a in coffin inside it.

    ¡°There¡¯s nothing much inside here either. I guess he wasn¡¯t a greedy person.¡± Zich even opened the coffin and clicked his tongue. There was nothing interesting about it, let alone any information that could help L.

    ¡®It really seems like it''s a cemetery for the imperial family¡ªor something simr to that.¡¯ Zich lost all interest in the statues. ¡®There¡¯s only this pyramid left now.¡¯

    Arge pyramid existed behind the statue of the Golden Emperor. On top of the pyramid, something that looked like a tree sprouted out of it.

    ¡®But they don¡¯t seem to be really interested in this.¡¯

    L was interested in the mysterious letters etched onto the stone chambers, and Hans and Snoc were focused on the statues, which were probably the statues of emperors from an ancient empire.

    ¡®Are Leona and I the only ones interested in the pyramid?¡±

    As an elf, Leona was probably interested in the tree on top of the pyramid. Zich pped his hands to gain the attention of all hispanions. ¡°I¡¯m going to look around the top of the pyramid, so you guys do whatever you want.¡±

    With these words, Zich moved towards the pyramid. As he expected, the only one who followed him was Leona. L went inside the Golden Emperor¡¯s stone chamber while Snoc and Hans discussed the statues¡¯ appearances. By hearing a bit of what they were talking about, it seemed as if they were trying to judge the figures¡¯ personalities by how they looked.

    Zich asked, ¡°Do you know anything about this tree on top?¡±

    Leona tilted her head. ¡°Hmm. I don¡¯t know. Maybe, it¡¯s because I¡¯m looking at it from far away, but nothing¡¯sing to my mind.¡±

    If even Leona, an elf, didn¡¯t know what this tree was, then there was no way for Zich to know either.

    ¡®Let¡¯s first go closer and check it out.¡¯

    In an instant, they climbed up to the top of the pyramid.

    Leona cried out loud, ¡°Woahhh!¡±

    Zich also admired the view. He had thought this when he saw the tree from far away, but it was really enormous. The shape of the tree was also not ordinary. Unlike an ordinary tree that extended its branches from the trunk in all directions, each of the branches in this tree rose from the ground and intertwined with each other. Moreover, thin branches came out of the tree in all directions and drooped down.

    Zich asked, ¡°Do you know what kind of tree this is?¡±

    ¡°Hmm, I don¡¯t know.¡±

    ¡®She doesn¡¯t know.¡¯

    While Zich was a bit disappointed, Leona continued, ¡°But is this really the trunk? Rather than the trunk, it looks like the roots of a tree.¡±

    Zich¡¯s gaze moved to the lower part of the tree where it met the top surface of the pyramid.

 Chapter 179

    <h4>Chapter 179</h4>

    Since the lower part of the tree was inside the pyramid, they couldn¡¯t check it out. Zich turned his attention back to the part sticking out from the tree¡¯s exterior.

    ¡®It looks like a root instead of a body.¡¯

    From the first ce, it was a strange tree that sat on top of a sturdy pyramid made from hard rocks. The top corner of the pyramid was wide and t, so there was enough space for a big tree to grow, yet it wasn¡¯t easy for a nt toy its roots inside the stone.

    ¡®No, maybe it¡¯s wrong for me to say that it¡¯sying its roots.¡¯

    ¡°Leona.¡±

    ¡°Yeah?¡± Searching for the tree with her torso arched, Leona turned around.

    ¡°Didn¡¯t you say that this tree looked like a root rather than a body?¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡±

    ¡°If these really are the roots, is there a tree that you can think of?¡±

    ¡°¡­What?¡± Leona tilted her head like she couldn¡¯t understand.

    ¡°I know it sounds strange, but is there a tree that has its roots in the air and grows inside the ground?¡±

    ¡°¡­!¡± Leona turned around and looked at the tree.

    ¡°Uh-uh, that is...!¡± In her bewilderment, Leona mixed up her words and floundered, but she clearly expressed her excitement.

    ¡°You¡¯re saying that it might not be a ¡®root-like body¡¯ and the part that we can see might really be the tree¡¯s roots, right?¡± Leona shouted at the tree excitedly and pointed towards the lower part of the tree, which was the pyramid. ¡°And that the tree is growing downward!¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡± It was still just a possibility. Even Zich had never heard of a tree that grew underground before his regression. He simply spoke his mind after he saw that the part of the tree that shot out from the ground looked like a root. Yet, the response he got from his mutterings was positive.

    ¡°I think I¡¯ve heard about it before.¡±

    ¡°Really?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. I remember a story that my grandma told me when I was little.¡± However, as if she didn¡¯t recall anything more than that, Leona closed her eyes and tilted her head side to side. Then she finally said, ¡°Sorry. I can¡¯t think of any more than that.¡±

    ¡°No, it¡¯s a great achievement to have found a target to investigate.¡±

    ¡°I just remember that it was a very amazing tree like the kinds in legends.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s impressive.¡±

    Rather than a normal tree, it was more convincing that it was a legendary tree since it was in a ruin where they found Windur, Estede, and Tornium.

    ¡°Where is your grandmother who told you these things?¡±

    ¡°She is in my hometown. Now that you mention it, I really want to see her. When I got into a big incident, sheforted me.¡±

    Zich wondered if the ¡®big incident¡¯ Leona mentioned was rted to the Lake¡¯s Tear, but he thought it was better to not bring it up. The important part was that her grandmother was alive.

    ¡®We¡¯ll have to visit Leona¡¯s hometownter.¡¯ It seemed like they should hear more about the story of the rare tree. Zich approached the tree and ced his hand on it.

    ¡®This is a great amount of mana.¡¯ Zich was quite surprised. He felt a pulsing life force within the tree and an immeasurable flow of mana, and this mana flowed through different parts of the ruin.

    ¡®This must be in ce of mana fuel.¡¯ It seemed more definite that this was a special tree like Leona said.

    Wiiing!

    Zich felt vibrations from his back and turned around.

    ¡®Windur is¡­¡¯ Zich took out Windur. It was light, but it was vibrating. ¡®What is this guy doing now?¡¯ Zich was thinking this when¡ª

    Boom! The pyramid fell. Was it an earthquake? But when they searched the other areas, everything else except the pyramid looked fine.

    ¡°Zich!¡± Leona yelled, ¡°The tree is trembling!¡±

    The top part of the tree that was indistinguishable from a root or a branch trembled. Zich narrowed his eyes.

    ¡®Is it shaking because of the pyramid¡¯s vibrations? No, it seems like the tree is causing the vibrations.¡¯

    Unlike the slightly shaking pyramid, the tree shook intensely. Although it could be the differentponents between a stone and a tree, Zich thought the tree was causing the vibrations.

    Wiiiing!

    With the tree, Windur¡¯s vibrations grew one level stronger. Zich lifted Windur in front of him and took a step forward. As he went closer to the tree, Zich felt Windur¡¯s vibrations grow even stronger.

    ¡®They are resonating.¡¯ There was definitely a rtionship between Windur and this special tree.

    ¡°What is it?¡± L came running from behind. Hans and Snoc also quickly ran up the stairs. They all sensed the abnormality and came to the top of the pyramid.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know either.¡±

    ¡°¡­Did Windur cause some trouble?¡± L asked after seeing the situation.

    It was strange to say that a sword caused trouble, but this was Windur they were talking about.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s causing trouble, but it is doing something.¡±

    In that instant, mana whirled into the pyramid, and everyone¡¯s eyes shot towards the floor. Others simply thought a frenzy of mana was gathering inside the pyramid, but Zich and L realized that the mana was spinning like a tornado.

    Bam!

    The sound wasn¡¯t nearby, but Zich and hispanions felt a swirling mana burst and spread in all directions.

    ¡®It¡¯s a prolific amount of mana.¡¯

    Even Zich felt threatened by the vast amount of manaing from the pyramid. The result of the mana burst appeared after a few moments, and something ck came out of the floor. The ck substances were unable to form a clear shape and stretched upwards. Something that looked like arms came out from the sides and something that looked like legs came out from the bottom. Then, atst, something that looked like a head came out from the top. Despite having arms and legs, the ck substances didn¡¯t look human. Instead, they looked more like the shadows of grotesque bipedal monsters.

    However, they were also different from shadows¡ªthey walked on the ground with their own legs and were not stuck on the ground or the walls.

    Whish!

    The ¡®shadows¡¯ turned their heads. Since they didn¡¯t have eyes, noses, or mouths, it was impossible to tell where their faces were. However, Zich and hispanions were sure that those shadows were looking at them. Zich looked at them once and stared at Windur. Then he said, ¡°¡­He did get us in trouble.¡±

    L agreed, ¡°¡­Yep, trouble for sure.¡±

    Even though the others didn¡¯t say anything, they also had the same thought. The shadows began running towards Zich and hispanions, so anyone could see that the shadows weren¡¯t running towards them to be friendly or weing. Zich and hispanions each took out their weapons.

    Crasssh!

    Zich moved to the very front and swung Windur. A loud explosion rang out.

    ¡®It changed its form.¡¯

    The shadow in front of Zich morphed its arms from a blunt stick into a sharp de and blocked Windur.

    Whish!

    A different arm from the shadow flew towards Zich. It was now an axe.

    sh!

    Zich pushed back the shadow¡¯s knife, slid past the axe, and sliced the shadow in half.

    Bang!

    The shadow disappeared with an explosion.

    ¡®I hardly felt anything.¡¯ Zich felt as if he had sliced air, but that was not a bad thing since it meant that his opponents had almost no defensive abilities.

    ¡®What¡¯s troublesome is that their attack power is pretty strong and¡­¡¯ Zich looked down at the bottom of the pyramid. ¡®How many there are.¡¯

    The shadows looked like an army of ants. There were so many of them that Zich could no longer see the floor of the pyramid anymore. It looked like a wave of crawling insects, and it was clear to everyone that the shadows were moving towards Zich and hispanions.

    ¡®Also, they are increasing in numbers continuously.¡¯ Zich did not miss the new shadows rising in empty areas.

    Bang! Bang!

    After slicing two shadows, Zich checked on hispanions. They were holding up pretty well, but it probably wouldn¡¯tst.

    ¡®This might be the end of our exploration.¡¯

    ¡°L!¡± Zich shouted L¡¯s name out loud and took a step back to the side. Arge amount of mana was gathering in L¡¯s staff.

    Bang!

    A huge wind burst out of L¡¯s staff, and the shadows in front of her and Zich were ripped into pieces. Even then, the wind kept on moving forward. When the fierce wind finally disappeared, a clear pathway appeared in front of Zich and hispanions...

    ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± Zich led his group forward, and L followed behind while clutching her staff. Snoc stood in the middle and wielded his lump of mithril. Leona, who was right behind him, shot at the shadows while she ran. Hans stood at the very back, slicing all the shadows that came close to them. When they reached the stairs, they quickly moved down the pyramid.

    The nted topography was not an obstacle for the shadows, and the shadows pounced on them from the slopes as if they were walking on tnd. Zich clicked his tongue as he saw the furthest shadows climb to the top of the pyramid. It was obvious what they were going to do.

    ¡®They are probably going to fling themselves off from the top to jump down on us.¡¯

    In various ways, the shadows were very troublesome opponents. However, despite all these obstacles, Zich and hispanions quickly reached the bottom of the pyramid. Now, they just had to get past the statues. However, it didn¡¯t seem as if the tomb was going to easily let Zich and hispanions go.

    Rumble!

    They heard rocks rubbing against each other. The sound came from the head of one of the statues.

    ¡®No way.¡¯ Zich frowned. Usually, all of his sinister predictions were right on the mark. He looked up at the statue and met its eyes¡ªthe statue that had been looking forward was now looking down at Zich. The statue moved.

    Thud!

    Just bying down from the pedestal, a loud sound filled the whole passage. The small earthquake that followed was a small addition to the sound, but what was more troubling was that there wasn¡¯t only one moving statue. All of the statues in the cemetery wereing down from their pedestals.

    ¡°Tch!¡± L began muttering a spell. Since it was a long spell, it was definitely an advanced spell.

    Crackle!

    mes erupted in front of her. One was the size of a fist, and the me waspletely white.

    Bang!

    The small me in her hand left her side and perfectly hit the statue¡¯s chest.

    Crassssssh!

    There was a huge explosion. The mepletely surrounded the statue¡¯s upper body, and the force of the me was so great that the heat of the mes reached Zich and hispanions. They thought an explosion like that was probably enough to incapacitate the statue, but they were wrong.

    Whish!

    The statue moved past the fierce, zing me and brought down its huge sword.

    Crash!

    ¡°¡­Ugh!¡±

    The blow that seemed strong enough to blow everyone away was blocked by Zich who stood at the front. Compared to the humongous statue, Zich looked like a bug; as Zich confronted the statue¡¯s huge sword, he looked like he was reproducing a battle scene from ancient mythology.

    ¡°Hyaaaaat!¡± Zich shouted and pushed Windur to the side. The statue¡¯s sword was pushed back, and the statue stumbled.

    Thud!

    The statue¡¯s sword dropped next to them.

    ¡°Run!¡± Zich sliced the shadowsing towards them and ran straight ahead. Hispanions followed behind him in a hurry as the shadows and statues rushed towards them from all sides.

 Chapter 180

    <h4>Chapter 180</h4>

    L shot a couple of spells at the stone statues closest to her. Of course, the statues which even repelled strong,plicated magic weren''t affected by small magic attacks. However, L also didn¡¯t mean to make an impact by using magic.

    ¡°I¡¯m certain of it. Magic doesn¡¯t work on them!¡± L also added that the statues probably had special incantations surrounding them that nullified all magic. Zich agreed. The situation might have been different if L¡¯s powers were more developed, but as of right now, she was at a clear disadvantage.

    ¡°Hans!¡±

    ¡°Yes, sir!¡±

    ¡°You take the lead!¡±

    As if he had been waiting for Zich¡¯smand, Hans immediately ran to the front of the group. Shadows quickly rushed towards him.

    The shadows¡¯ arms changed to knives, spears, axes, and all kinds of weapons. Yet, with a stunning disy of movements, Hans pushed those things away and arrived at the front of the group.

    ¡°L, get behind Hans! You don¡¯t need to perform mass-scale magic. Just get rid of the guys in front of you with silent incantations.¡±

    ¡°Okay!¡± Different types of magic unfolded from her hands.

    ¡°Snoc, you are the rearguard! Surround yourself with armor and destroy the guys chasing after us!¡±

    ¡°Yes, sir!¡± Lumps of mithril that had been floating around his surroundings stuck to Snoc¡¯s body-like armor. Although it wasn¡¯tparable to the statues, Snoc made an armor giant bigger than a person.

    ¡°Leona, stay behind L and help when it gets dangerous!¡±

    ¡°Yup!¡± Leona nocked an arrow on her bow and searched her surroundings.

    ¡°I will block the attacks from the stone statues! Run to the entrance!¡±

    The group began to run forward. From the front, Hans quickly sliced the shadows. Thanks to the magic arrows that supported him from behind, Hans could just focus on going straight. It was a difficult task to prate through all the shadows with their overwhelming numbers and deadly attacks. However, Hans was fine until this point; for better or worse, Hans had gone through all kinds of sufferings and experiences as Zich dragged him to ces, and this much trouble was only on the rough side. What really surprised him was the gigantic sword that fell from the sky.

    Whooosh!

    Before the sword evennded, they heard it falling, and goosebumps rose all over their bodies. The statue¡¯s sword was threatening enough to make Hans lose the confidence he had gained from possessing Estede and his umtion of many experiences in a short period of time.

    However, the sword didn¡¯t harm any of the group members.

    Baaam!

    It was aughably small bodypared to the statue, and a sword that didn¡¯t even look like a tree branch managed topete by repelling the statue¡¯s sword.

    Craaaash!

    The statue¡¯s sword fell next to the group again. A bunch of shadows that got caught up in the attack burst and disappeared.

    ¡°Don¡¯t look up! Just pay attention to your surroundings and advance forward at all costs!¡±

    Including Hans, everyone clenched their teeth.

    ¡°Don¡¯t look up. Don¡¯t look up.¡± Hans heard someone murmur behind him. It was Snoc¡¯s voice. It seemed like Snoc was trying to hypnotize himself, and nobody reprimanded him. They all shared the same feelings.

    Crash! Crash!

    Zich¡¯s sword waved over the groups¡¯ heads and made a thunderous sound every time it crashed against a statue¡¯s sword.

    ¡°Tch!¡± Zich clicked his tongue. As the sword continued to sh, the statue raised its feet. Zich prated the shadows in his surroundings and ran towards the statue¡¯s leg that still had its feet on the ground.

    Whoosh!

    Zich turned his body and spun. His sword sped up and flowed with mana.

    Craaash!

    Windur smashed the statue¡¯s ankles, and Zich¡¯s hands trembled in response to the strong collision. As expected, it had an incredible defense ability, and Zich failed to slice its ankle or even make a scratch. However, he had expected this to happen ever since they realized that L¡¯s magic didn¡¯t work on the statues. His aim wasn¡¯t to cut off an ankle.

    The statue tilted its head in confusion. As if it received a shock in its other leg while it had one leg lifted, it lost its bnce. It flung its hand and feet to quickly get into position but failed to regain its bnce.

    ¡®Thank goodness it doesn¡¯tpletely nullify physical attacks like it does to magic.¡¯

    Although it was hard, physical attacks definitely worked on the statue.

    Bam!

    The falling statue collided with another one. Unfortunately, the statues didn¡¯t topple over each other like dominos. However, the surrounding statues got intertwined, and their movements became dull. Zich and hispanions used that chance to pass through the statue¡¯s legs.

    Even after that, there were more statues, and these statues approached them more quickly than the previous ones. The statues that lost their bnce repositioned themselves and began chasing them. They were also the shadows that had gathered around them like cockroaches.

    The dangerous situation continued to unfold. The group became inflicted with more and more wounds. Hans, who was at the front, had it the worst as the blood flowing down his body connected and dripped. Zich wasn¡¯t in great condition either. His arms hurt as if they would break at any moment, and the skin on his palms was ripped so blood dripped from Windur¡¯s handle and down to the floor.

    In contrast to his anxiouspanions, however, Zich¡¯s expression was calm. There was even a sense of nostalgia on his face.

    ¡®It¡¯s been a while since I¡¯ve experienced a crisis like this.¡¯

    After regressing, Zich had gone through some small dangers, but it was iparable to now. Yet, Zich feltfortable in his current situation.

    ¡®Before I was called the Demon Lord, crises like this were my day-to-day routine.¡¯

    And Zich overcame all these crises. Blood boiled in his body, his muscles pulsed, and mana flowed roughly through his body. Zich grabbed Windur and ced more pressure on it.

    ¡®It¡¯s a crisis after a long time. I should enjoy it.¡¯

    Wiiiing!

    Windur trembled. It wasn¡¯t resonating with the tree this time but vibrating from Zich¡¯s powerful mana flow.

    Crasssh!

    Once again, Zich¡¯s sword and the statue¡¯s sword shed. Before he knew it, Zick was smiling from ear to ear. After continuous exchanges like this, they were able to reach the stairs and escape to the entrance of the passage.

    * * *

    Glen was somewhat satisfied. In a timeline where things kept going amiss, he was finally able to get what he wanted. Even though he got his first choice, Estede, stolen from him, he was happy that he was able to at least take Tornium before anyone else could take it.

    Browning asked, ¡°Are you really alright?¡±

    With a wary expression, she stared at the Tornium on Glen¡¯s waist. The ck sword looked so ominous that she felt ufortable around it ever since sheid eyes on it.

    ¡°I¡¯m really alright. Look at me right now¡ªis there anything strange about me?¡± Glen opened his arms wide to show that there was nothing wrong with him.

    ¡°Well, that¡¯s good. Judging by how it looks, that sword looks like a Demon Sword.¡±

    ¡°Haha, just because a sword is ck doesn¡¯t mean it¡¯s a Demon Sword.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s true. Well, I think it really is a Demon Sword though.¡± Browning opened her eyes wide.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. It¡¯s not a type of Demon Sword that controls and corrupts people. It¡¯s probably a Demon Sword that harms its user only if the user doesn¡¯t have enough power.¡±

    ¡°¡­Really?¡±

    ¡°As you know, I¡¯m very interested in these types of topics.¡±

    Browning nodded. Glen had a lot of knowledge about various topics. ¡°You¡¯re confident that you can wield that sword, right?¡±

    ¡°Of course.¡±

    Browning felt relieved after hearing Glen¡¯s confident reply. Even though Glen was less skilled than her right now, in terms of talent, Browning was sure that he was a genius.

    ¡°Where the hell are those guys?¡± Browningined; they were still looking around for Zich and hispanions.

    No, Browning was the only one who was sincerely looking for them, and Glen was merely pretending. In order to find Tornium, Glen made an excuse about how he needed to go back to find Zich and hispanions. Even though Glen was not very interested in finding them, he had to keep pretending.

    ¡®Well, it would be good to find out where they are staying in Violuwin though.¡¯

    Then it would be easier for him to send a spy on them. Glen wondered if he could even find them; the ruin was big, and it had been a lucky coincidence to meet them.

    ¡°Zenard, you remember the direction, right?¡±

    ¡°Yes, I definitely remember it.¡±

    Glen didn¡¯t know how many times he came to this ruin; it was pointless to even count the number of times he hade here. He knew where each passage was in his memory. However, in order to not make Browning suspicious, he made up an excuse that he was very good at remembering directions.

    Browning had suggested looking for them in this secret passageway, and she murmured to herself, ¡°Hmm, are they not here in this secret passageway? I thought they might have known about this secret area and came here.¡±

    ¡°I thought so too, but I guess they¡¯re not here.¡±

    Browning stared at Glen and made a small smile. ¡°I¡¯m d that you are calmer than before. You seemed so unlike yourself, I was a bit surprised.¡±

    ¡°Ah, I¡¯ve shown you an embarrassing side of me. It was difficult for me, as a Karuwiman Honorary Knight to see another Honorary Knight break the rules set up by the city.¡±

    ¡°Are you all right now?¡±

    ¡°I feel much better now. Since I found this, all my troubled feelings have gone away.¡± Glen tapped Tornium¡¯s hilt a few times.

    ¡°I¡¯m d that you are all right now. Then let¡¯s quickly find those rule-breakers.¡±

    ¡°Yes, but I don¡¯t think we have to look so hard for them like before.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I agree.¡±

    The two of them began wandering all over the ruins again.

    Rumble!

    Glen and Browning stopped; their expressions became deathly serious. Their gazes moved towards the ground.

    ¡°Glen!¡±

    ¡°I felt it.¡±

    It felt as if a giant explosion of mana was passing through the entire ruin.

    ¡®What is this?¡¯ From all his experience in this ruin, Glen had never experienced a vibration like this. However, there was not much time for him to search through his memories.

    Whiiish!

    Shadows came out from everywhere. They soon changed into the shape of monsters that attacked Zich and hispanions. Browning quickly took out her sword and shield while Glen also took out Tornium. His eyes darted around to quickly assess the situation.

    ¡®Did this relic have such a function?¡¯ Or did apletely different power intervene with this ruin? ¡®I need to research this more.¡¯

    After getting out of this ruin, he needed to thoroughly investigate this ce. But before that, he needed to defeat the ¡®shadows¡¯ attacking them. His power wasn¡¯t fully developed yet, andpared to his ultimate goal, his current power was extremely feeble. However, he thought he had at least enough power to not die here.

    ¡®Even though I still have a long way until I reach my goal, I¡¯m still strong!¡¯

    Moreover, he had the Demon Sword in his hand. Glen slowly infused mana into Tornium, and Tornium greedily swallowed his power. Then it spat it back out with some of its own power mixed in.

    ¡®Ugh!¡¯ Glen almost scrunched up his face; he felt as if his body was turning into shambles inside. ¡®As expected, I¡¯m not strong enough to wield this sword yet.¡¯

    However, that was fine. He still had the ability to wield this sword without destroying his body.

    Whish!

    The bracelet he wore made a small vibration. Instantly, his insides became morefortable. Tornium, which bared its fangs at its weak master, became calm again. The only thing left was for Glen to use Tornium¡¯s enormous power.

    ¡®Good!¡¯

    Glen began wielding Tornium at the shadows rushing towards him.

 Chapter 181

    <h4>Chapter 181</h4>

    They had sessfully entered the aisle entrance, but they couldn¡¯t rx. The statues were too big to go past the entranceway, but they could enter it through unexpected means or relentlessly smash through the walls.

    Zich looked towards the hall of the entranceway and thought, ¡®I don¡¯t think we have to worry about the statues anymore.¡¯

    The statues, which chased Zich and hispanions like they would follow them to the ends of Hell, halted as soon as the group entered the aisle and turned around to return to their original spots. It seemed like Zich and hispanions could catch their breaths now. Of course, they couldn¡¯t just rest easy because unlike the statues, the shadows were even inside the aisle; and the ones outside were squeezing themselves into the aisle¡¯s entryway.

    ¡®They will be more bothersome here.¡¯ The shadows packed the aisle from corner to corner. It wasn¡¯t just the floor. With no regard for the surface they were on, the shadows stuck to the walls and ceiling and attacked the group.

    Slice! Zich sliced one of the shadows flying in the air. It burst in mid-air, but another shadow instantly reced its spot. These shadows fell from the ceiling, jumped from the ground, and even attacked them in the air.

    ¡®Well, still¡­¡¯ Zich swung his sword once again. The three shadows that rushed towards him were cut instantly. ¡®They are easy enough.¡¯

    The statues had been formidable opponents, not these guys who only relied on their numbers, and it wasn¡¯t like they had to finish all of them. They just had to escape from this ce.

    ¡°Be careful!¡± L shouted and lifted her staff. A chilling shock shed from it.

    Rummmmble!

    A sh of light swept through the passageway. Since they were in a narrow area, the sound of thunder hurt their eardrums. Everyone scowled. Although they knew that L was preparing a lightning attack and protected their ears with mana, they couldn¡¯t cancel out all the noise. That was especially true for an elf like Leona who had great hearing.

    However, the effect was astounding. All the shadows in front were swept away. These creatures had weak defenses in the first ce, and since they didn¡¯t have a clear location to escape to and were all clumped together, they disappeared powerlessly under L¡¯s lightning.

    Zich acknowledged the annihting force of magic. ¡®If all conditions are met, there really is no better way than to sweep away all your opponents with magic.¡¯

    Hispanions moved in a hurry. Although they had managed to destroy all the shadows in front of them, new shadows began to pop up from the ground. They had to advance forward as much as possible when they could. Zich took the lead and sliced the shadows. Now that the greatest danger, which had been the statues, was gone, he could focus all his strength on fighting the shadows. Soon, they arrived at the door.

    However, the door was firmly closed.

    ¡®It doesn¡¯t just open.¡¯ How nice would it have been if the door opened automatically when they were leaving? Zichmented how the builders of this door from the past had no sense.

    ¡®Is this the ce?¡¯

    Like how it was outside, there was an opening inside the door. Zich left the defense to hispanions and plucked out Windur.

    Grrrr!

    Just like when they came in, the surrounding walls turned in a circr motion. After it turned half a circle, the surrounding walls were pushed back until they disappeared. The group ran outside.

    However, the battle didn¡¯t end.

    ¡®Our worries became reality.¡¯ Zich clicked his tongue at the shadows that were also swarming outside.

    ¡®Are these guys also swarming around the city?¡¯ If that was the case, Violuwin was truly an unlucky city, but he wasn¡¯t sure yet.

    ¡®I will have to go out to know for sure,¡¯ Zich thought and continued to lead hispanions outside and advanced forward.

    ¡°Zich!¡±

    ¡°I heard you.¡±

    Zich nodded toward L and stared at the passageway in the front.

    At the forked passageway in front of them, they heard the sound of another battle taking ce.

    ¡®Who is it?¡¯ The ruin was still distorting Zich¡¯s senses, so it was hard to sense the presence in front of him.

    It looked like he wouldn¡¯t know who it was until he saw the figures with his own eyes. As the sound of battle drew closer, it seemed like they were moments away from meeting the mysterious fighters.

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    The two groups met exactly at the forked passageway. When they saw each other, Zich and hispanions and Glen and his partner looked at each other with wide eyes.

    ¡®Like I thought, it really was them.¡¯ Zich thought it might be Glen and hispanions since they had already met inside the ruin before. If Zich thought about it again, the possibility had been considerably high.

    ¡®He found Tornium.¡¯ Zich stared at the sword Glen was holding. It was such a familiar sword to him¡ªit was the weapon he had treasured.

    ¡®Is he using it in ce of Estede?¡¯ It was astonishing how Glen Zenard, the Sun Hero, was holding a demonic sword instead of a holy sword. In Zich¡¯s perspective, it looked unnatural.

    ¡®Ah, did Hans also steal his title of Sun Hero?¡¯

    Of course, a nickname that only a city like Violuwin called Hans wasn¡¯t the same as an internationally recognized title that Glen once had. However, since Estede was a big factor in why Glen had his title as Sun Hero, it looked like Glen might really lose his hero title at this rate.

    ¡°We met at a fun time,¡± Zich said to Glen as he sliced a shadow.

    ¡°Do you think so? It¡¯s not very pleasant for me though!¡± Glen replied as he also sliced a shadow.

    However, Zich responded to Glen¡¯s sharp retort carefreely. ¡°Well, it¡¯smon for people to have different thoughts about the same situation.¡±

    The two groups came closer to each other.

    ¡°It seems like you all are trying to escape out of here too. Let¡¯s cooperate,¡± Zich said. He didn¡¯t hesitate to offer his hand to Glen.

    ¡®I already coborated with Lube and I¡¯m going around with Leona, so this isn¡¯t even a big deal for me now.¡¯ Since Zich got used to working with members of the Hero Party, he didn¡¯t even feel any resistance working together with Glen now.

    ¡°¡­Fine. But I want to hear about your situationter on.¡±

    ¡°My situation¡­I don¡¯t know what you want to hear, but let¡¯s talk after we get out of here first.¡±

    Even though Zich could roughly guess what Glen was curious about, he quickly passed over this matter. Zich hadn¡¯t done anything wrong for Glen to get involved, and if there was, he could just feign ignorance.

    Like this, Zich¡¯s group and Glen¡¯s group joined forces. The two groups were already strong enough by themselves, but afterbining forces, their movements became even sharper and faster. Even though they had never worked together before, their strengths more than made up for it. Zich and Glen led the team while Browning supported them from behind. Hans protected L and Leona while he fought from his position since they were weaker at closebat. L and Leona¡¯s magic and arrow attacks eased the overall pressure of the enemy¡¯s attacks, and Snoc was in charge of the rear.

    Zich sliced two shadows and stole a nce at Glen.

    ¡®He¡¯s good at fighting but¡­¡¯

    It was Zich¡¯s first time seeing Glen fight since he regressed. Glen was definitely skilled right now, but considering Glen¡¯s skills in the past, he was much weaker than he used to be. Zich tilted his head in wonder.

    ¡®Well, there are cases where people¡¯s skills explode at once.¡¯

    From the first ce, Zich¡¯s case was like this.

    ¡®Is it okay for him to use Tornium in his current state though?¡¯

    Tornium gently lent its strength to those who met its criteria, but it was ruthless to anyone below its standards. Glen¡¯s strength right now seemed a bit subpar for Tornium¡¯s criteria.

    ¡®But it doesn¡¯t seem like he has any side effects.¡¯

    However, Zich¡¯s thoughts did not go past this range.

    ¡®Well, I¡¯ll just ask him when we get out.¡±

    It didn¡¯t matter if he didn¡¯t hear an answer from Glen; Tornium was no longer rted to him. Moreover, there was an existence that was now more interesting than Glen or Tornium.

    ¡®Lara Browning.¡¯ Zich was taken aback by her skillful movements as she wielded her sword and shield with her bright red hair flying around. ¡®Was she this strong?¡¯

    If Zich only considered pure skill and didn¡¯t include himself and L, Browning was probably the strongest on the whole team. Moreover, her smooth and precise swordsmanship was very noticeable.

    ¡®Howe someone like that carries a stupidly big shield around?¡¯

    Zich didn¡¯t mean to look down on shields, but Browning was obviously gifted in swordsmanship. She was also good at using her shield, but it was only to the extent where she used it as a support tool.

    ¡®It would have been more troublesome for me if she held up a sword instead of a shield in ourst battle.¡¯

    Zich quickly thought of a counter reason.

    ¡®Then is the party¡¯s bnce broken?¡¯

    Glen was able to defeat Zich with a party of heroes. Even though each of the members in his party was strong, they were able to create a maximum synergic effect as everyone performed each of their positions perfectly. Considering this, if Lara Browning¡¯s shield disappeared, it would have caused a huge dent in the party¡¯s overall power.

    ¡®But that¡¯s only in theory.¡¯

    She must have her own reasons for giving up the sword, but it was also true that choosing a shield as her main weapon lowered her overall skill level. However, Zich didn¡¯t ponder too long about this matter either.

    ¡®It¡¯s her problem.¡¯ He was just interested in her skill for a brief moment. Zich shifted his focus on killing the shadows. He was not the only person observing the people around him. Glen also stole furtive nces at Zich and observed Zich¡¯s movements. Zich was carrying a super bizarre looking sword that looked like a tree branch and not like a real weapon. Yet the speed and strength in which he used it to defeat the shadows was shocking. It was to the extent where Glen couldn¡¯t even dare thinking about fighting against Zich right now.

    ¡®As I expected, his skills increased!¡¯ Even though the Zich he knew rapidly exploded in strength, Zich wasn¡¯t supposed to be this strong around this time. ¡®And it¡¯s much more than I expected.¡¯

    Moreover, even if Glen sessfully developed his strength in the future, it seemed as if it would be difficult to fight against a stronger Zich.

    ¡®Damn it!¡¯ Glen¡¯s sword movements became rough. Even though he was still killing shadows with great speed, his center of gravity was off and his movements became wider. Naturally, a gap appeared in his stance.

    ¡°Ugh!¡±

    A shadow that evaded his attack changed its arm into a sickle and put the sickle against his neck. It was now toote to block the attack with his sword. If Glen made a mistake here, he would instantly die, so Glen quickly leaned back. He was able to sessfully avoid getting his neck pierced by the sickle, but now his shoulder joint was exposed. If he received a direct hit, his bone would probably get cut off or he¡¯d receive a very serious injury at least, but this was at least better than dying.

    Slice! A sh of light split the shadow attacking Glen. The shadow burst into thin air, and Glen was saved from receiving a serious injury.

    ¡°Glen! Are you alright?¡±

    Browning yelped as she saw that Glen was in danger, but Glen was no longer able to hear her voice or scream. He stared at Zich who continued to slice more shadows. Zich also stared back at him.

    ¡°Stay focused.¡± With this one sentence, Zich turned his head back again.

    ¡®¡­Fuck!¡¯ Glen began wielding Tornium again. The shadows that wereing towards him exploded. Glen seemed to have regained his focus, as his movements went back to his usual form. However, the fury in his sword movements had inted to a muchrger size than before.

 Chapter 182

    <h4>Chapter 182</h4>

    Windur and Tornium ughtered the shadows blocking their path. Maybe they got used to fighting the shadows after facing a disgusting number of them, but the two groups began to advance forward faster and faster.

    ¡°It¡¯s to the left from the front!¡± Glen shouted.

    Zich, who stood on the left side, made a wide horizontal swing when they arrived at the forked path. A couple of shadows were sliced out of the way and a space formed in front of them. Zich squeezed his way inside this space, and hispanions followed him.

    ¡°It¡¯s to our right this time!¡± Glen broke through the passageway this time. After they passed a couple of forked paths, they saw a dead end. However, it wasn¡¯t that they took a wrong turn.

    ¡°That is the entrance!¡±

    The group approached the entrance that was disguised as a wall.

    Rrrrrrr!

    The secret door opened automatically. Everyone looked nervously across the door. If there were also shadows outside this space, there was a high chance that the shadows could be at the tourist sites too. Under the most unfortunate situation, the city could also be teeming with them. Thankfully, what faced them from the other side of the door was a normal looking ruin wall and an empty space.

    They all hurriedly got past the door and tensed up in worry that the shadows might follow them. However, the moment thest person in the group, Snoc, passed through the door, the shadows stopped moving.

    Sliid!

    The shadows lost their form and like a raindrop seeping into dry earth, they disappeared into the floor, walls, and ceiling. In case shadows might bounce out, everyone walked backward from the door. Thankfully, none of the shadows came out even as the door fully closed.

    ¡°¡­It¡¯s over.¡±

    Zich hung Windur on his back, and the others also loosened up. Then, Zich surveyed hispanions. As if they were proving the hard battle that they had gone through, everyone had an injury or two on their bodies. Blood poured from Hans¡¯ body as he had stood in the front while Zich fought the statues. However, no one was deeply wounded, and their injuries were only surface-level.

    ¡°Let¡¯s wash away our blood for now and change our clothes. We can¡¯t go out in this state.¡±

    Since Zich also had some injuries on his body, he took out some potions from his magic box and poured them over his wounds. Hispanions also began to pull out their potions one by one, but even as they did this, they took furtive nces at Glen and Browning. It seemed like the unfamiliar group of people bothered them.

    However, Zichpletely ignored them, and seeing this, everyone stopped concerning themselves with the strangers and minded their own business. They took out a barrel full of water and a cloth to wipe off their blood. Since their clothes were in ruins, they took out a couple of extra clothes.

    ¡°Hey!¡±

    Zich, who was wiping off blood from his skin with a damp cloth, turned around. He saw Browning scowling at him after she was ignored.

    ¡°What is it?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Browning had shouted in anger, but she didn¡¯t really know what to say. She couldn¡¯t reallyin to them that they were ignoring her either.

    ¡°Do you need this?¡± Hans pushed a new bucket and cloth from his side. He didn¡¯t offer his potions since they were expensive. Although they had an overflowing amount of money since they raided an ancient ruin, Hans considered most of it as Zich¡¯s wealth. He might have offered the potions if Browning was almost dying, but since that wasn¡¯t even the case, he didn¡¯t feel the need to waste them.

    Browning was a bit taken aback since Hans showed kindness after ignoring her and Glen. It made her look ridiculous for getting angry, but at that moment, Glen stepped forward.

    ¡°Thank you, but we also have our own.¡±

    Glen took out a barrel and some clothes from his own magic box. Hans nodded and ced his belongings back. Not long afterward, everyone was clean. Hans, whose clothes had noticeably been in a mess, was in new clothes.

    ¡°Are you done? Then, let¡¯s go.¡±

    ¡°Wait a moment!¡±

    Zich stopped at Glen¡¯s cry, and his eyes narrowed. ¡°¡­Do you have a request this time?¡±

    Browning bit her lips, but Glen pulled her back slightly and stepped forward.

    ¡°First of all, I want to thank you for coborating with us.¡± Glen extended his hand.

    ¡°It¡¯s fine. We got your help too.¡± Zich lightly grabbed Glen¡¯s hand and shook it. ¡°But did you stop us to tell us that?¡±

    ¡°Can we ask how you managed to enter that secret space?¡±

    Zich smirked and replied, ¡°It was a coincidence.¡±

    ¡°¡­Did you just say that it was a¡­coincidence?¡±

    ¡°Yes, it was ve~ry coincidental.¡±

    Glen didn¡¯t seem like he believed Zich¡¯s words. Browning also seemed to think that Zich was being absurd. But what did it matter if they believed in him or not? Zich confidently crossed his arms and stared at Glen.

    ¡°Then, do you know about those dark things that came out from there?¡± There was a subtle sharpness in Glen¡¯s voice, but he had to ask this question. Even in the long period of time he had lived, this was his first time seeing such strange shadows.

    Zich thought the tree and Windur in the cemetery of the ancient emperors were the cause of the shadows, but he answered brazenly, ¡°Not at all. They suddenly came out, so we were quite surprised too.¡± Truthfully, Zich didn¡¯t know anything beyond that or the details either.

    ¡°Are you really telling us the truth?¡± Browning intervened. She was looking at Zich and hispanions suspiciously.

    ¡°Of course.¡±

    ¡°You are not lying?¡± Even though it was their first meeting, she spoke rudely. However, Glen, who would have normally stopped her, decided to watch over her for a bit. He was that hungry for information.

    Zich stared at her. Browning also didn¡¯t back down and stared back at him. So, Zich racked his brain, but before he could find the right words to crush her, another person intervened between them.

    ¡°You are being rude.¡±

    It was L. She finished rubbing the blood off of her hair and washed it with water. She flicked her wet hair back and walked towards them.

    ¡°Do you two have the right to investigate us?¡±

    L¡¯s beautiful eyes were full of murderous intent as she stared at Browning. Browning flinched under L¡¯s pressure, but she also didn¡¯t easily back down.

    ¡°We just saw some strange creatures, and you guys were coincidentally in this ce at the same time. Isn¡¯t this enough for us to be suspicious of you guys?¡±

    ¡°If I follow your logic, won¡¯t the two of you also be under the same suspicion?¡±

    ¡°We really found this ce by coincidence!¡±

    ¡°Even though I don¡¯t think you guys will believe us, it¡¯s the same for us. Don¡¯t you think we also have no reason to believe your words?¡±

    Browning bit her lips; it seemed as if she thought this situation was unfair. It was understandable that she might have felt this way, because all she really did was wander around the ruin and follow Glen around. Then, a secret door suddenly opened in front of her and after she went into the secret passage, she met Zich and hispanions.

    In her perspective, Zich¡¯s groups were people who broke the city¡¯s rule just to go sightseeing in a restricted area. Even though Browningcked experience, she had a strong sense of justice, so she didn¡¯t look favorably upon Zich or hispanions. Of course, she had also broken the city¡¯s rules, but she did it to help protect the city from monsters. Moreover, she would not have even thought about breaking the city¡¯s rule if it hadn¡¯t been for Glen, whom shepletely trusted and followed.

    Browning was a very straightforward person. It was difficult for her to answer L¡¯s questions. As a straightforward person with a strong sense of justice, she felt heavily responsible for even the smallest things if she thought she did something wrong. In another way, this also meant that Browning trusted and followed Glen to the extent that she would ignore established rules.

    ¡°Browning, please stop.¡±

    Glen finally intervened in the conflict. He stood in front of Browning, who was red in the face with fury and self-hate. Then, he bowed his head towards Zich and hispanions.

    ¡°I apologize. I¡¯ll apologize in her stead.¡±

    L asked, ¡°I¡¯m also asking you, but you guys have nothing to do with those monsters either, right?¡±

    ¡°Of course.¡±

    ¡°Then that¡¯s fine. Let¡¯s just leave this matter as a coincidence; the defense system of the ruins just happened to be triggered today.¡±

    ¡°I understand.¡±

    ¡°And¡­¡±

    L narrowed her eyes.

    ¡°I hope you don¡¯t continue passing over what you want to ask to yourpanion and act like you weren¡¯t part of it. And when the situation bes unfavorable, you suddenlye up and apologize in her stead. Honestly, that is way more unpleasant, and it also makes you look petty and childish.¡±

    ¡°¡­I will also keep that in mind.¡±

    Glen stopped Browning who was about to shout something and nodded his head. L turned her back. Herpanions, who were worried that this might lead to a fight, were relieved¡ªof course, Zich was not part of the group who felt relieved. Zich¡¯s group separated from Glen¡¯s group. It was only after they were a significant distance from Glen and Browning, they began talking again.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t think you would step up like that,¡± Zich said to L as he walked next to her.

    ¡°Based on your personality, you might have started a fight. We just went through an intense battle, and you expect us to enter another battle? That¡¯s a hard no.¡±

    Moreover, their opponent was that Glen Zenard.

    Based on his fighting today, he didn¡¯t seem to have the overpowering skills as he had in her memories yet. Even though Zich and hispanions definitely had an advantage in numbers and skill, Glen Zenard was going to be the strongest hero in the future. It felt ufortable to fight against him.

    There was also another reason. No, this might be the real reason why L intervened between Zich and Glen¡¯s groups.

    ¡°It was also annoying. Why are they treating you like a criminal?¡±

    ¡°Wow, you got angry for me?¡± Zich said this as a joke; of course, he didn¡¯t believe this to be true. For that reason, his voice was full of jest.

    ¡°Of course. Do you think I¡¯m going to stand still when you¡¯re hearing stuff like that?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Zich was so surprised that he could not reply back immediately.

    ¡°¡­You really got angry for me?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, so what?¡±

    L looked at him with a glum look.

    ¡°You might not know, but I feel a pretty big amount of gratitude towards you¡ªat least to the extent where I would get angry when people insult you with rubbish.¡±

    ¡°Well, thanks for that.¡±

    While smirking, Zich also added, ¡°But they weren¡¯t saying rubbish.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, you¡¯re right.¡±

    Contrary to Zich¡¯s excuse, they hadn¡¯te to the restricted site for sightseeing, and they hadn¡¯t found the secret passageway by coincidence. Moreover, there was a high possibility that the shadows appeared because of Zich; or more specifically, because of Zich¡¯s weapon, Windur. Zich and L stared at each other for a few moments. Then they burst outughing at the same time.

    ¡°Well, that¡¯s fine. They won¡¯t know, so let¡¯s keep our mouths shut.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, in the first ce, if you can¡¯t prove the truth, it bes rubbish anyways.¡±

    Then, they let out another burst ofughter.

    * * *

    After Zich and hispanions left, Glen and Browning did not move for a while. It was so that they could increase the distance between them and Zich¡¯s group. Moreover, Browning needed some time to suppress her anger.

    ¡°Calm down, Browning. As that woman said, we are also in the wrong.¡±

    ¡°¡­Yeah, that¡¯s right. I also think the same, but it doesn¡¯t change the fact that they are suspicious as hell!¡±

    ¡°Well, ording to their words, we are also suspicious.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s why I¡¯m even angrier!¡±

    For that reason, Browning was unable to push harder against them and get any information about them. But Browning hadn¡¯t pressured Zich and hispanions just because she was suspicious of them or something like pride. She nervously stared back at the secret door in front of them.

    ¡°Those shadow-like things won¡¯t bring harm to the city, right?¡±

    ¡°There seems to be a low possibility for that. They¡¯re unable to get out past that door.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m still worried though. This city was already ambushed by monsters before. If new monsterse out from the ground, everyone in the city would feel anxious about living here.¡±

    Even though Browning was still immature and rash, she was thoroughly a good person on the inside. She showed goodwill and concern towards people whom she never met. Glen felt happy seeing her concerned about the people in this city. Glen thought that unlike ¡®Lube,¡¯ this child hadn¡¯t ¡®fallen¡¯ yet.

    ¡°Still, it¡¯s not good to continue suspecting people without definite proof.¡±

    ¡°¡­Yeah, you¡¯re right.¡±

    Browning took one deep breath in.

    ¡°Even though my suspicions about them aren¡¯t gone, I should first apologize to them if I ever meet them again.¡±

 Chapter 183

    <h4>Chapter 183</h4>

    ¡°You made the right choice.¡±

    ¡°But it¡¯s also true that they are suspicious.¡±

    Although she nned to apologize to them, it didn¡¯t mean she had freed herself from doubting Zich and hispanions.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I will try looking into them.¡±

    ¡°Yeah. If you work on it, I will feel reassured.¡± Browning nodded eagerly.

    ¡°They really weren¡¯t exactly pleasant, twisting someone¡¯s goodwill like that.¡±

    She nced behind to look at Glen with her eyes filled with trust.

    ¡°That woman talked as if you were treating me like a shield even though all I did was just voice my thoughts while you respected them.¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s no point in trying to talk some sense to strangers who don¡¯t know anything. Convincing each and every person would simply be a waste of your time. If I think about it, I really did let you get mixed up in our argument like she said.¡±

    ¡°But you defended me in the end.¡±

    ¡°Well, that¡¯s nothing.¡± Glen shrugged and Browning smiled.

    ¡°Thank you, Zenard, for defending me.¡±

    ¡°Any time.¡± Glen smiled back. ¡°Browning, can I make one request?¡±

    ¡°What is it?¡±

    ¡°Could you not tell other people about this ruin¡¯s secret site?¡±

    Browning was surprised by Glen¡¯s unexpected request. ¡°What? Why? We have to inform the city of such a dangerous ce right away! The shadows from there might pour into the city!¡±

    Considering the strength and number of shadows, the city didn¡¯t seem like it would be able toe up with an outstanding solution, but they could at least be on guard about it. Furthermore, if it was impossible for the city tobat the shadows with their army, they could always get support from the nation.

    ¡°Besides, confused tourists might go into that ce! You saw those people we just met!¡±

    By ¡®those people,¡¯ Browning was talking about Zich and hispanions, who said they entered the forbidden grounds to look around the ruin where there were few people. Thinking about it now, their excuses seemed suspicious, but the important part was that there were many tourists like them.

    ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry about tourists getting mixed up in this mess. I don¡¯t think the secret door opens easily.¡±

    ¡°¡­Do you know how it opens?¡±

    ¡°I can make a good guess. Since the shadows seem like they can¡¯t escape out of the door, the city will be safe. If we actually tell people about this ce, people would be anxious that there¡¯s a ruin where strange monsters linger right under the city. Tourists will try not toe here too, and Violuwin will decline.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s only if nothing happens to the city. Can you really be certain that the city will be safe?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s the reason?¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t tell you.¡±

    ¡°Okay.¡± His response was unbelievably simple. He gave no reason or exnation; a person who didn¡¯t know him would have probably gotten angry at him, asking if he was joking. Yet, Browning epted his response easily.

    ¡°If you say so, there must be a reason.¡± Her eptance was based on her immense trust in Glen, so she believed almost everything he said easily.

    ¡°Okay, I won¡¯t say anything, but everything won¡¯t be solved even if we keep our mouths shut. What if those people talk?¡± L brought up Zich and hispanions again.

    ¡°We have to chase after them and try to talk to them.¡± Glen said this, but he wasn¡¯t worried about this point.

    ¡®Since they already have Estede, that means they already knew about this part of the ruin. I¡¯m sure Violuwin doesn¡¯t even know about that secret site.¡¯ Glen thought the city would have dispatched investigators or have done something if they knew about that ce¡¯s existence. Glen continued his train of thought, ¡®Those guys must not have let anyone else know of this ce then.¡¯

    However, he needed to act more convincingly for Browning. She thought it was her fault, and as she nced at Glen in guilt, she grumbled, ¡°We shouldn¡¯t have let them go then. Let¡¯s quickly chase after them.¡±

    ¡°Is this the ce we came from?¡± Browning asked.

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    To not arouse her suspicions, Glen led her to the entrance he had originallye in with Browning. Right now, he wasn¡¯t supposed to know of any other entrances except this one.

    ¡°Take the lead since I don¡¯t know the way.¡±

    ¡°Sure.¡±

    ¡°Will we be able to catch up to them?¡±

    ¡°We have to hurry.¡± However, Glen was carefree. The path he and Browning had originally taken was the closest to the tourist site. If Zich and hispanions continued on the same path they were on previously, Glen and Browning would be able to catch up to them in no time. It didn¡¯t matter if Zich and hispanions took another path in the middle. Since they were taking the shortest route, they would arrive at their destination much earlier than them. After they got out, all they would have to do was wait at the entrance of the tourist site.

    Getting tired of theplicated path that Glen was guiding her into, she asked, ¡°But those people will know their way inside the ruin, right? Since there¡¯s another entrance besides the one we took, they might have gone another way.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ll have to go around looking for them then.¡±

    ¡°Hmph! I hope they get lost and suffer a bit,¡± she muttered jokingly.

    ¡°Ah, but Browning.¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°You know your weapon¡­¡± Glen talked as if he was talking about nothing and spoke in a very light tone, ¡°Rather than trying to find bnce between your sword and shield, wouldn¡¯t it be better to focus all your attention on your shield?¡±

    ¡°Are you talking about that again?¡± Browning had never seemed offended by Glen¡¯sments so far, scowled for the first time.

    ¡°It¡¯s just my suggestion because I see your great talent in that area. I am simply saying it for your sake.¡±

    Browning didn¡¯t answer.

    Glen sounded ridiculous since in terms of skills, Browning was better than Glen. However, there was a reason why Browning didn¡¯t refute Glen¡¯s ims immediately: it was his geniusness. Her skills might be above Glen at the moment, but she knew that Glen would soon catch up to her skills and surpass them. The foresight he showed her from time to time was chillingly urate and detailed. Thus, it was Glen whom she admired and respected, saying that she had no talent with the sword.

    ¡°I respect your decision, but I can¡¯t say right to what¡¯s wrong. If that¡¯s what you want to do, you can keep holding onto the sword, but...¡±

    Browning was unable to see Glen¡¯s face as he walked in front of her, but his every word clearly pierced Browning¡¯s ears.

    ¡°You won¡¯t be able to go up any higher.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Browning looked down at her hands. Her hands were filled with scars from wielding the sword without stopping for a single day. However, Glen said that all her efforts had been in vain.

    ¡°¡­I¡¯ll think about it.¡± Browning barely managed to say these words. Between reality and dreams, these were the best words she could manage to say to him. After this, all talk ceased between them. Only the sound of their footsteps as they tried to catch up to Zich and hispanions could be heard. They saw a familiar off-limits sign and went back into the tourist site open to the public.

    ¡°¡­There¡¯s no one?¡±

    Browning was surprised. Even though they originally went through the restricted section in an area with few people (since they couldn¡¯t brazenly enter a restricted site), it was strange that there was no one at all.

    ¡°No way!¡± Browning freaked out as she thought of something. ¡°Zenard! What if those shadows¡­!¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s probably not that.¡± Glen shook his head. ¡°If the shadows came all the way here, there would be traces of battle. You also fought with them, so you must know this. Even though they had basically no defense capabilities, their attack capabilities were very high. Their speed was great too.¡±

    Then they looked around their surroundings.

    ¡°If those guys invaded this area, there should be some kind of traces left¡ªwhether it be corpses or blood.¡±

    ¡°Then what happened? There¡¯s no one at all.¡±

    Glen quietly tilted his ear to the side. ¡°I hear a loud noise. Let¡¯s try going over there.¡±

    Glen and Browning quickly moved their feet towards the sound. As they moved closer, the sound became louder. However, Browning¡¯s worry that it might be screams lessened as they moved closer. It was definitely the sound of cheering as they moved out of the ruin. There was arge crowd of people outside as if all the people nearby had gathered here.

    ¡°What¡¯s happening?¡± Browning looked at the center of the crowd. They saw several people surrounded by the crowd.

    ¡°Ah? Those people.¡± There was a clear sense of surprise in her voice as the people who were surrounded by the crowd were Zich and hispanions. Did they get caught for going into the restricted section? However, the atmosphere didn¡¯t look serious. Instead, the situation looked more like a crowd flocking to see a group of heroes. Browning grabbed a person nearby and asked, ¡°May I ask you what¡¯s happening right now?¡±

    ¡°The heroes havee here!¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°The heroes who saved the city! Those great people havee here!¡±

    For a moment, Browning was unable to understand the words of the people in front of her.

    ¡°A-are you saying that those people are¡­heroes?¡±

    As if she could not believe it, her hands trembled as she pointed towards Zich and his group.

    ¡°Yes, of course!¡±

    Browning was shocked beyond belief; Glen¡¯s face also became stiff. However, people paid no attention to them, and the cheering continued.

    * * *

    It was a coincidence that the crowd caught Zich and hispanions. When they reached the entrance of the ruin, they were stopped by the people standing there; of all the people they could possibly meet in Violuwin, the people who had stood close to them during the monster ambush were there.

    Of course, they instantly recognized Zich and hispanions and loudly shouted out the identities of Zich¡¯s group to everyone around them. As a result, the citizens of Violuwin were praising their heroes, and the tourists were looking at Zich¡¯s group with curiosity written on their faces. Zich and hispanions stood in the middle of it all. While hispanions looked flustered, Zich had a look of intense annoyance.

    They were also able to move their lodging to the fanciest room in the city. The city¡¯s officials said they couldn¡¯t give shabby treatment to their heroes and reserved a special room for them. Zich thought about refusing the city¡¯s offer, but since they were caught anyway, he thought it would be morefortable to ept the city¡¯s generosity.

    ¡®We¡¯re not going to stay here for long anyways.¡¯

    Zichy down on a soft sofa and recalled a recent memory. Even though the memory of people praising him as a hero brought chills down his spine, Zich was able to witness a curious sight. He spotted Zenard in the crowd and saw that Zenard looked very surprised.

    ¡®Hah! A Demon Lord who is getting treated like a hero in front of a hero.¡¯

    Even before his regression, he had never experienced such a bizarre event. Zich rxed his body.

    ¡®Thinking about it, I forgot to ask about Tornium.¡¯

    To be precise, Zich was curious about how Glen could use Tornium with his current level of skill. There was one more thing that Zich was curious about, but Zich ended his thoughts about Glen.

    ¡®Well, it doesn¡¯t matter. I¡¯m just a bit curious about it.¡¯

    Zich got up from the sofa and threw his body on the bed. He was nning to leave this city tomorrow or the day after tomorrow. The mayor seemed as if he wanted to make Zich and hispanions parade around the city like clowns to attract more tourists. Of course, Zich had no intention to stand in front of people as a clown.

    ¡®I can¡¯t just kill him for daring to try to use me like I did in the past, so I should just quickly leave before things be troublesome.¡¯

    Zich thought he was bing so generous and fell asleep whileughing to himself. He had already lost all his interest with Glen Zenard and Lara Browning. However, Zich had no choice but to think about them again the very next day.

    ¡°It¡¯s been a day since west met. Have you been well?¡±

    Glen Zenard smiled as he sat in front of Zich.

 Chapter 184

    <h4>Chapter 184</h4>

    ¡°I didn¡¯t think you woulde looking for me¡­¡± Currently, Zich and Glen barely knew each other; and after their interaction in the ruin, their rtionship was even leaning toward the negative side. ¡°Especially on a morning like this.¡±

    ¡°Please ept my apologies for that, but there¡¯s something that I urgently need to talk to you about. I actually wanted to talk to you yesterday, but the situation wasn¡¯t suitable for a conversation.¡± Glen was talking about the time when Zich and hispanions were invited to the city as heroes.

    ¡°That¡¯s true. So, what¡¯s your reason for wanting to speak with me to the point of using your Karuwiman¡¯s Honorary Holy Knight title to meet me?¡±

    It wasn¡¯t easy to meet Zich and hispanions who were considered heroes and saviors of the city. There were many people who wanted to see Zich in real life. Thus, Glen used his title as Honorary Holy Knight to sessfully meet Zich.

    ¡°I wanted to ask you about the secret area where we went inside the ruin yesterday. Did you perhaps tell the city about it?¡±

    ¡°No, I haven¡¯t yet.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m d to hear that. I wanted to ask you to keep the existence of that ce a secret.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not a difficult task to do, but why would you want to do that? Isn''t it a dangerous ce?¡±

    Glen snorted inside his mind, thinking, ¡®You don¡¯t even mean what you are saying.¡¯ Glen thought Zich could¡¯ve immediately told the city about the ruin¡¯s secret ces after he took Estede, but Zich hadn¡¯t. Glen was even more sure of this after he found that Zich was Violuwin¡¯s hero since Zich had interacted with the city on a close level.

    ¡®It¡¯s probably because of Estede.¡¯ That¡¯s what Glen assumed. Although they found Estede, the sword had been inside the ruin¡ªand the ruin belonged to Violuwin. Thus, if Violuwin imed ownership of the sword, there could be some trouble. Yet, Glen had to pretend like he wasn¡¯t aware of this fact.

    ¡°It¡¯s for the city,¡± he replied, ¡°If rumors spread that a dangerous ruin existed under the city, wouldn¡¯t this city which relies on tourism receive great damage? It hasn¡¯t been that long since the monster invasion.¡±

    ¡°Is that all?¡±

    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s all.¡±

    Glen was taken aback. Even he knew that his reasons were weak, but since he knew that Zich had no intention to spread information about the ruins in the first ce, it didn¡¯t matter how weak his excuse was. Zich stared at Glen for a moment like he was trying to decipher Glen¡¯s true intentions.

    To Zich, it didn¡¯t matter whether or not he talked about the secret ce inside the ruin. The cemetery of ancient emperors was impossible to enter without Windur anyways, and he couldn¡¯t be bothered by the other ces.

    ¡®Estede and Tornium are both gone now too.¡¯ However, Zich was a bit suspicious of Glen¡¯s exnation for keeping the site a secret.

    ¡®He¡¯s telling me to keep the ce a secret for the people in the city.¡¯ It wasn¡¯t strange that the future hero was concerned about the well-being of the residents in a city, but did he really want to hide the secret site for the people? And did Glen really think that was the best for the citizens of this city? In the end, however, all of that didn¡¯t matter to Zich.

    ¡°I understand. I will do as you say.¡±

    ¡°Thank you, Mr. Zich. As expected, you really do love this city.¡± Glen smiled widely.

    ¡°Is that all?¡± Zich asked.

    That was supposed to be the end of Glen¡¯s business. Since he hade to convince Browning of his intentions, he had sessfully aplished his goal. However, Glen didn¡¯t rise up from his seat. Yesterday, when they came out of the ruin¡ªspecifically the moment when Glen saw a crowd of people cheering for Zich and hispanions¡ªhe came up with a new request to ask Zich. In a way, it became Glen¡¯s main reason for visiting.

    ¡°I saw people cheering for you and yourpanions as the city¡¯s heroes.¡±

    ¡°Without me meaning to, it somehow became like that,¡± Zich said indifferently. Since he wasn¡¯t in front of hispanions, he couldn¡¯t outrightly show his displeasure; at the same time, he couldn¡¯t pretend to look happy about a title that he inherently loathed either.

    ¡°People said I had something like a hero¡¯s charisma or something,¡± Zich remembered how the citizens of this city had read Zich¡¯s sour expression using their own interpretations. It hurt his head.

    ¡°It¡¯s very impressive.¡± Glen smiled and asked, ¡°Are you the Strength Hero?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s what they attached to my name.¡±

    ¡°The woman who was next to you is the Magic Hero and the person who carries around a mole is the Earth Hero. And¡­¡± Glen¡¯s eyes suddenly became sharp. ¡°And the one with a white sword is the Sun Hero.¡±

    ¡°His name is Hans. He¡¯s my servant.¡±

    Zich and Glen¡¯s eyes met.

    ¡°I¡¯ve heard a lot about what you all have done. Your aplishments truly call for a hero title. I like to think of myself as having done many deeds, but I have never saved a city before.¡±

    Violuwin had given Zich and hispanions these hero titles partly out of their self-interests; nevertheless, these titles were slowly spreading outside the region.

    ¡°I know that one shouldn¡¯t expect anything for their deeds, but I can¡¯t help but be jealous. Yes, I have to admit it¡ªI am jealous.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sure people will recognize you soon too.¡±

    ¡°I am thankful for your words. Still, I know I can¡¯t act for such reasons. It seems I¡¯m stillcking in many ways. At the same time, I am curious about one thing.¡± Glen asked carefreely, ¡°Could I perhaps meet the man named Hans?¡±

    Glen made a very soft and amiable smile.

    * * *

    Browning sat on the first floor of her lodging. To respect Glen¡¯s wishes to meet Zich alone, she waited on the first floor. The service was splendid. She was served tea with an excellent taste and scent that matched her aristocratic taste buds, and the snacks that came with it delighted her mouth. As she drank her tea, she looked like ady in a painting. However, her face wasn¡¯t bright.

    ¡°Haa,¡± she sighed and ced her teacup down. Her eyes were on the stairs¡ªit was the ce where Glen had gone up under an employee¡¯s guidance.

    ¡®¡­Am I really not trustworthy enough?¡¯

    From time to time, Glen moved without her like this. This was nothing to worry about; it was better if Glen could manage to finish his business by himself. However, thebination of Glen¡¯s subtle indifference and a persistent concern heavily burdened her.

    ¡®Maybe it¡¯s because I¡¯m being stubborn about letting go of my sword.¡¯

    Glen¡¯s words to change her sword for a shield clearly rang in her ears. She became worried that Glen might even give up on her.

    ¡®If I¡¯m holding a sword, I won¡¯t be able to catch up to him, so maybe that¡¯s why he¡¯s trying to distance himself from me.¡¯

    Even though she thought to herself that this would never happen; once she began to think like that, this worry didn¡¯t leave her mind. She stared at her tea getting cold and let out another sigh. ¡®Should I go on a walk?¡¯

    She wanted to cool down her head, so she got up from the lobby. As the best hotel in a renowned tourist city, there was a very nice backyard in the front. When Browning put one foot forwards towards a small fountain, she heard a loud sound.

    ¡°Hap!¡±

    She heard someone taking in a strong breath and letting it out. Her gaze naturally turned towards the sound. She saw a person standing in front of one side of the fountain.

    ¡®That person is¡­¡¯

    She had seen him before. He was definitely one of the people being praised as a hero.

    It was Hans. He worefortable clothes and held up Estede. He slowly lifted up the sword and let it down with great strength.

    ¡°Hap!¡±

    Another sound came out from him. Hans was doing a simple shing down move. It was one of the most basic movements, and since Browning first learned swordsmanship, she had practiced that stance thousands of times. No, anyone who seriously walked the way of the sword probably practiced that stance a countless number of times. Moreover, that basic stance was fundamental in all types of swordsmanship. Just by looking at a person sh down their sword, one could see how trained the sword fighter was. Browning thought that Hans had a perfect stance with absolutely no ws.

    ¡°Hap!¡±

    Hans shed his sword again and continued this movement. Sweat poured down his whole body, but he wasn¡¯t sweating just because he shed down his sword again and again. With Zich¡¯s intense training, Hans strengthened his physical body and mana, so he was at the level where he didn¡¯t even break a sweat after shing his sword thousands of times.

    Hans was sweating because of the special training method that Zich taught him. It was a method that made him use his own mana to put strong pressure on his body. While he was under this pressure, he moved his mana and body around to train himself. It was an extremely tough training method, but the result was definite.

    ¡°Pweh!¡±

    Hans rxed his whole body. He let out a big breath and put Estede back to his side.

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    His senses, which had be dull from focusing on his training, became sharp again, and he sensed someone nearby. Hans¡¯ gaze quicklynded on Browning.

    Dazed by Hans¡¯ training, Browning eximed in surprise, ¡°Ah!¡±

    ¡°I-I apologize!¡±

    Browning quickly bowed. She had no excuse for peeking at other people¡¯s training sessions.

    ¡°It¡¯s alright. I wasn¡¯t doing anything special.¡± Hans waved his hand. ¡°I don¡¯t mean to be rude, but may I ask who you might be? From what I know, this whole ce has been reserved for mypanions and me, and you don¡¯t seem like an employee.¡±

    ¡°Ah, mypanion had business to settle with someone here, so I just followed them.¡±

    ¡°Oh, I see.¡±

    Hans nodded, and then he tilted his head to the side.

    ¡°Now that I think about it, we met each other yesterday.¡±

    Browning was a bit embarrassed. He probably remembered her for fighting with one of hispanions. Regardless of what the situation was, she should have been calmer, and she regretted her past actions. However, what came out of his mouth waspletely different from what she expected.

    ¡°Miss, you were the one with outstanding swordsmanship.¡±

    ¡°What?¡± Browning replied without thinking.

    ¡°Weren¡¯t you the one who fought with us in the ruin yesterday? The person who simultaneously used a sword and shield and was next to the man who held up a ck sword.¡±

    ¡°Ah, yes. That was me.¡±

    ¡°I remember you distinctly, because your sword skills left a deep impression on me. It was my first time seeing such sword movements.¡±

    To Hans and Zich who used their swords to both attack and defend, Browning¡¯s fighting method left a distinct impression on Hans.

    ¡°No, a person¡­¡±

    ¡°Please call me Hans.¡± Hans introduced himself to Browning who was struggling to figure out what to call him.

    ¡°I¡¯m Lara Browning. Mr. Hans, your skills were also impressive. Your skills seem far greater than mine.¡±

    The most memorable person in that battle for Browning was definitely Zich. Even though she didn¡¯t know his name, she could never forget the shocking image of him ripping apart the ¡®shadows¡¯ with the most curious sword she had ever seen. The next person that left an impression on her was Hans. As he swung his white sword around and defeated the shadows one by one, Browning let out her admiration. Since she used a sword, her attention naturally fell upon Zich and Hans.

    However, Hans made a bitter smile and shook his head. ¡°My skills are probably inferior to yours, Ms. Browning. It only looks like that because I have a good sword.¡±

    ¡®Well, the sword really does look special.¡¯

    Browning nced at Estede while she thought this, but she also thought that Hans¡¯ current skills alone were extremely high.

 Chapter 185

    <h4>Chapter 185</h4>

    No matter how excellent a sword was, if the person¡¯s skills didn¡¯t match it, there was a limit to the force that the sword could bring out. Moreover, the sword would wield the swordsman rather than the swordsman wielding the sword. However, she couldn¡¯t see a trace of that in Hans¡¯ battle.

    ¡°Even if the sword is excellent, if the wielder doesn¡¯t have the skills, then there¡¯s no point. But it didn¡¯t seem like you werepletely overtaken by your sword¡¯s ability.¡±

    ¡°Thank you for your words. My first goal is to reach a level of skill that matches this sword.¡± Hans smiled innocently. He was not only skilled but humble¡ªit was abination of traits that Browning liked.

    ¡°Then, do you have another goal?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s to be a hero,¡± Hans answered. Before, he had been too embarrassed to say these words out loud; but now, he said them confidently because of his experiences and more developed skills. Estede had chosen him as its owner, and even though he considered himself as Zich¡¯sckey, Violuwin had titled him as a hero. Most of all, Zich had acknowledged his dream. Hans didn¡¯t n on going out of his way to tell people his dream, but he was now at a level where he didn¡¯t have to hesitate to answer when others asked about it.

    Still, he didn¡¯t expect a positive answer. Most people would think his dream was childish and only belonged to children, but Hans¡¯ prediction was off the mark.

    ¡°That¡¯s a good dream.¡± Browning nodded her head while smiling softly.

    ¡°¡­I didn¡¯t expect to hear that at all.¡±

    ¡°Is that so?¡±

    ¡°Yes. Most peopleughed at me.¡± The men that Snoc and Hans met at a bar in Violuwin exemplified this. Only his closepanions had affirmed his dream so far, and it was his first time meeting someone he wasn¡¯t close to praise his dream.

    ¡°Forget them. They are the pitiful ones whough at other people¡¯s dreams. Like yours, my dream is to live a just life while helping others.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a splendid dream.¡±

    ¡°Since it¡¯s you, I knew you would say that.¡±

    A warm atmosphere surrounded them. It seemed like the tense atmosphere that had once surrounded the two separate groups from before was all a lie. The two continued to talk even afterward; they talked more about their dreams in detail and shared some personal information. No matter what they talked about, it was enjoyable for them to talk with another person on the same wavelength as them.

    As they talked, the conversation naturally flowed to their dreams¡¯ main supporting figures: Zich and Glen.

    ¡°He is amazing and very righteous.¡±

    ¡°Yes, Zenard is that kind of person.¡± As Hansplimented Zenard, Browning excitedly agreed, ¡°Not only did he save me, but everything he did after that was so cool. His skills aren¡¯t at my level yet, but he will soon outpace me.¡±

    Normally, a person couldn¡¯t help but have apetitive spirit. Thus, it was difficult for a person to be truly d from the bottom of their hearts that another person below their level would soon surpass them. However, Browning seemed like she was genuinely happy about this fact, and Hans thought that showed how much she treasured him.

    ¡°It¡¯s the same for Sir Zich.¡±

    ¡°Are you talking about the person with the weird sword?¡± Browning¡¯s speech became a bit awkward. Not only was Zich someone who shed with her, but he had vited the city¡¯s rules for ridiculous reasons; so, she didn¡¯t think positively of him. However, she didn¡¯t want to express her negative perceptions to Hans who was hispanion.

    Hans guessed what Browning was thinking based on her reaction, and hepletely understood her.

    ¡°Of course, he is not someone who is always righteous like Sir Zenard. No, if you think about it, he does really have a nasty personality.¡±

    ¡°¡­Then, why are you going around with someone like him?¡±

    ¡°Not only did he not mock my dream, but he gave me his full support. He gave me skills, experience, and helped me hone things such as my mindset.¡±

    ¡°Mindset too?¡± Browning wanted to know what Hans could possibly learn from someone who supposedly had a nasty personality.

    ¡°I know how you can definitely think of it as strange, but it¡¯s true. Even Sir Zich himself said that since he has a terrible personality like a viin, he can easily see how guys like heroes would think.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡± Zich seemed like he was an even harder person to understand than she previously thought.

    ¡°And unlike his personality, Sir Zich works hard to do kind acts.¡±

    ¡°Now that you mention it, they said he was Karuwiman¡¯s Honorary Knight.¡±

    ¡°You probably heard from Sir Zenard. Yes, you are right. If Sir Zich¡¯s personality was simply nasty, he would have never been recognized by Karuwiman.¡±

    Browning nodded. It seemed like she had only seen one side of the person named Zich.

    ¡°Moreover, the fact that he drags me around to ces as a disciple shows that Sir Zich is not a simple viin.¡±

    ¡°Did something happen between you two?¡±

    ¡°I think the story will get too long if I exin in detail. Before, I used to be nothing more than a rude, immature brat who looked down on Sir Zich.¡±

    ¡°¡­What?¡± Browning was stunned to hear about Hans¡¯ past since he now talked about Zich as if he was a great teacher.

    ¡°I also didn¡¯t go around with Sir Zich because I wanted to at first. There was an incident, and because of that incident, Sir Zich dragged me off as his servant. At that time, I thought only Hell would open before me, and I would have no future.¡± As if he was thinking of that moment, Hans¡¯ eyes became emotional.

    ¡°However, that wasn¡¯t the case. Sir Zich gave me strength and experience. After he heard my dream, he began to support me. Of course, the training that he pushed me into was incredibly harsh, but they were all for building the foundation of my dream.¡± Hans smiled and continued, ¡°I really admire him, and I am grateful to him for freeing me of my pathetic past and helping me advance towards my dream.¡±

    ¡°I guess he is someone you are really indebted to.¡±

    ¡°Of course.¡±

    Browning¡¯s perception of Zich changed. After talking about their dream and the people who supported their dream, they began talking about their skills.

    ¡°As I told you before, I¡¯m trying to first build my skills to match this sword. When I reach that level, I think I will be able to at least walk around with my head up.¡± Hans tapped Estede.

    ¡°I¡¯m jealous that you have a clear goal for yourself.¡±

    ¡°Isn¡¯t that also the same for you, Ms. Browning?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve been wavering a bit these days.¡± Browning¡¯s gaze moved from her shield to her sword.

    ¡°I¡¯ve always liked using the sword ever since I was young. I was also confident that I had talent in it, but it seems like I don¡¯t actually have talent for it.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not true at all. I clearly remember how good your skills were in our battle yesterday.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s probably because I had a good teacher, environment, and started practicing the sword earlier than other people. Moreover, Zenard of all people told me that it would be better for me to use a shield rather than a sword.¡±

    Hans squinted his eyes.

    ¡°Ick experience and I¡¯m not good at making judgments, but I didn¡¯t feel that youcked talent to that extent. Sir Zich also greatlyplimented your skills.¡±

    Hans heard Zich¡¯s assessment of her skills.

    ¡°Do you really think so?¡±

    Browning¡¯s expressions brightened up at the words that there were two people who thought highly of her sword skills. Itsted only for a moment. The most special person to her didn¡¯t approve of her swordsmanship. Hans was about to say another word, but a voice interrupted their conversation.

    ¡°You were here?¡±

    Zich led Glen to the garden.

    ¡°Sir, have you arrived?¡±

    Hans humbly bowed down to Zich. Glen stared at Browning.

    ¡°Browning, you were also here.¡±

    ¡°Yup. It was boring to just stay in the lobby, so I was just conversing with Mr. Hans for a bit.¡±

    She naturally moved next to Glen¡¯s side, while Hans also moved next to Zich.

    Zich pointed at Glen with his hand. ¡°This person wanted to see you, so I brought him here.¡±

    ¡°Sir, you mean me?¡± Hans stared at Glen, and Glen stared back at him with a bright smile on his face.

    ¡°Yes, I will first introduce myself again. I¡¯m Glen Zenard.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m Hans.¡±

    They both bowed to each other.

    ¡°I really wanted to meet the heroes of Vioulwin, so I requested a meeting from Mr. Zich. I was especially curious about the person called the Sun Hero.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m unworthy of receiving such high praise. All I did was help Sir Zich a tiny bit.¡±

    Hans was not being humble;pared to Zich¡¯s overwhelming skill that decimated hundreds of monsters, Hans¡¯ skill did not even reach Zich¡¯s fingertips. Of course, Zich¡¯s skill was momentary, but ording to his words, it was only a matter of time until he reached that level again.

    ¡°Mr. Zich is definitely an impressive person.¡±

    ¡°Yes, he really is.¡±

    Glen and Hans talked for a bit more. It was not a very important conversation, and they didn¡¯t talk for long.

    ¡°Thank you for your time. It was extremely useful for me.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m also happy to have talked with you.¡±

    They exchanged a handshake, and Glen thanked Zich once more.

    ¡°Mr. Zich, thank you for introducing Mr. Hans to me.¡±

    ¡°It was no problem. Are you fine with not meeting the other two people?¡±

    Zich was referring to Snoc and L who had also received hero titles.

    ¡°I can¡¯t cause any more inconveniences when I already came here without warning. It¡¯s already more than enough that I was able to meet the two of you.¡±

    Then Glen left a farewell greeting and left with Browning.

    ¡°So what do you think?¡±

    ¡°Sir, what do you mean?¡± Hans tilted his head at Zich¡¯s sudden question, which was devoid of any context or exnation.

    ¡°About that Glen Zenard guy. It seems like he is also trying to be a hero like you. What do you feel about him?¡±

    ¡°Hmm, I don¡¯t know. I didn¡¯t think too much about him. He seems really impressive from what I heard about him though.¡±

    But that was it. He hadn¡¯t witnessed Glen¡¯s impressive feats himself, and most of all, an outstanding figure like Zich stood next to him.

    ¡°Sir, at least from what I know, he didn¡¯t protect the Saint from the Bellids, sweep down a Bellid branch, or save a city from a monster ambush unlike a certain someone.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s what you think about him.¡± Zich smirked.

    ¡°Sir Zich, I want to ask you about thedy with red hair. She said her name was Lara Browning. What do you think about her skills?¡±

    ¡°Why? Are you interested in her?¡±

    ¡°No, that¡¯s not it. It seems like she is thinking about giving up on the sword.¡±

    Zich stared at him as if he was crazy, and Hans told him what she said. Zich fell into deep thought.

    ¡°Did she seemcking in talent to you?¡±

    ¡°No, she¡¯s talented enough.¡±

    Of course, she didn¡¯t have the crazy level of talent that Zich or Hans had, but if only people of their level were considered talented, the number of talented people would be less than the number of fingers on one hand.

    ¡®Is this the reason why L Browning was using a shield when she fought me?¡¯

    However, no matter how much he thought about it, she didn¡¯t seem more talented in using the shield than the sword.

    ¡®Does she reallyck talent and I just haven¡¯t seen enough of her skills? Can Glen Zenard even judge other people¡¯s talents at his level right now?¡¯

    Zich recalled Glen¡¯s skills that were definitely low overall. It was to the extent where it was simr to Hans, even though Hans had recently taken up the sword.

    ¡®However, his movements were strangely polished.¡¯

    Moreover, even though it hadn¡¯t been long since he obtained Tornium, Glen skillfully used it to fight the shadows¡ªas if he had wielded a sword simr to that in the past.

    ¡®It also seemed as if he was strangely obsessed about Hans who received the title of Sun Hero.¡¯

    After thinking to this extent, a thought naturally came into his head.

    ¡®Did that guy also regress?¡¯

    Then another question popped up inside his mind. In the past, Zich had been suspicious that Glen also regressed like him, but there was a reason why Zich changed his mind about this matter.

    It was because of Glen¡¯s reaction to thest words he said to Zich.

    ¡®If you are born again, I hope that you will live a kind life¡ªwhy does it seem like he doesn¡¯t remember that line?¡¯

 Chapter 186

    <h4>Chapter 186</h4>

    Zich thought it didn¡¯t really matter to him even if Glen had regressed. He had also previously decided that it didn¡¯t seem like Glen was a regressor either, but this time, he thought, ¡®Could there be a possibility that he regressed but doesn¡¯t know the words he said to me?¡¯

    Zich racked through his brain. ¡®What if he did regress, but not at the same time as me?¡¯

    He hadn¡¯t thought of this; from his experience, he naturally thought that if Glen had regressed, he would have regressed during thatst battle like him.

    ¡®No, wait a moment. I can¡¯t just conclude that Glen regressed.¡¯ Even among hispanions, there was somebody who didn¡¯t regress but had all kinds of knowledge about the future (although she didn¡¯t have most of her memories of course).

    ¡®Is he the same case as L?¡¯ That meant Glen Zenard could have a connection with those assassin guys.

    ¡®Therefore¡­¡¯ Zich¡¯s face hardened.

    The assassins were a group who made Demon People in the empire, and before the regression days, the person who killed off the most Demon People was none other than the Sun Hero, Glen Zenard. If those two had any connection with each other, it meant that Glen was a¡­

    Imposter. That immediately popped into Zich¡¯s head.

    ¡®What if he made Demon People for fame and honor?¡¯ Zich crossed his arms and tapped his feet. ¡®I am definitely going too far with this one.¡¯

    Yet, if Zich thought about his experiences, there was no guarantee that there wouldn¡¯t be a crazy bastard like that.

    ¡®Even I go through all kinds of trouble to screw a person over. It would be ridiculous of me to suggest that there¡¯s no one in the world who would make Demon People to gain fame and honor.¡¯

    Zich was someone who could objectively assess himself, but it was too early to reach a conclusion.

    ¡®There could be apletely different reason.¡¯

    Glen could be someone like L who ran away from the assassin group. Zich clutched his head at the ever-increasing number of possibilities.

    ¡®There are way too many possibilities.¡¯

    If Glen had regressed like Zich, there was a high chance that his regression looked different from Zich¡¯s, whether it be timing or something else. If Glen was like L who had information about the future, it was likely that he was connected to the assassins in another way.

    ¡®If he is connected to the regression, he might even know how to regress.¡¯

    The reason why Zich hadn¡¯t been concerned with the possibility of Glen¡¯s regression was because he thought Glen would have regressed in the same way as him; in other words, Zich thought Glen would have regressed because of the Key that Distorts Destiny. Yet, if Glen regressed at apletely different time than him, he might have regressed in a different manner.

    ¡®Then, he might know the reason or method for regressing.¡¯ He could possibly fulfill one of the reasons why Zich was traveling around the world.

    ¡®He could also be plotting with the assassins.¡¯ Zich¡¯s eyes turned sharp.

    ¡®Should I try catching him and beating the truth out of him?¡¯

    In his Demon Lord days, Zich would¡¯ve immediately done that. However, the current Zich wasn¡¯t Zich Moore. Above all, there was a person who didn¡¯t want him to be a Demon Lord.

    ¡°Huh? Is there something going on?¡± After returning from her shopping, L saw Zich and Hans in the garden.

    ¡°No, it¡¯s nothing. I will tell youter.¡±

    ¡°Okay.¡± L nodded lightly and went inside the building. Seeing how she was humming to herself, it seemed like she had a satisfying time shopping.

    ¡®Well, nothing is definite yet, so I should let things go for now. No, if I think about it again, isn¡¯t it actually beneficial for me?¡¯ Zich smiled.

    ¡®Whether or not Glen regressed or is connected to the assassins, I have something simr to a clue.¡¯ If Glen was really ¡®someone who made Demon People for fame and glory,¡¯ Zich had to approach this issue even more cautiously.

    ¡®If he really made Demon People for his own benefit, that means he¡¯s the guy who led me down the Demon Lord path.¡¯ Then, that meant Zich finally found the person who manipted his life.

    ¡®I will have to give him my full treatment then.¡¯ Far more than anyone he had screwed over until now, Zich would have to pour his heart and soul into this treatment.

    Hans, who had taken Estede out again to train, flinched at Zich¡¯s face.

    ¡®What is Sir Zich thinking again?¡¯ He had never seen a target of that smile meet a good end, but Hans quickly stopped concerning himself with the matter. ¡®It doesn¡¯t matter. He wouldn¡¯t target an innocent person anyways.¡¯

    Hans swung Estede again and focused on his training. He simply felt sympathy for the person in Zich¡¯s head.

    Zich stopped smiling. The thoughts he was having didn¡¯t extend beyond guesses. They had no definite basis or evidence but were simply ¡®maybe¡¯ projections that he made while considering the circumstances.

    ¡®If someone heard my thoughts, they mightugh at my wild ideas.¡¯

    At the same time, this was an issue that he could look deeper into.

    ¡®For now, I should learn more about this guy.¡¯ Zich took out Windur from his back. It was the sword that hadbined with the item that caused his regression: the Key that Distorts Destiny.

    ¡®This guy and that weird tree also resonated.¡¯

    Leona had told him that her grandmother might know more about that strange tree. That was why he thought he should go to Leona¡¯s hometown to learn more about it.

    ¡®I have one more reason to go to the elves'' forest now.¡¯

    Zich hung Windur on his back again, and he passed by Hans who was still training. Even as he headed towards the building, Zich continued to think.

    ¡®If Glen is really a dirty, underhanded guy like that, then thest words he said to me were¡­¡¯

    Zich could clearly remember Glen¡¯s face as he told Zich with full confidence to live a kind life if he was reborn. To express his admiration for Glen¡¯s strength for defeating him, Zich thought about trying to live a kind life in this timeline.

    ¡®If he really is a hypocrite who ruined my entire life though, how should I ept hisst words?¡¯

    Zich thought Glen¡¯s words were sincere as a hero, but if Glen was an imposter, his words would be nothing but meaningless bber.

    ¡®Then should I¡­follow that type of person¡¯s advice?¡¯

    Grab!

    Someone tightly clutched onto his sleeves.

    ¡°Zich!¡±

    It was L. It seemed as if she hade back to the lobby after organizing her shopping items, and she was now clutching onto him. Her face was pale as if she had just seen a ghost.

    ¡°Huh? What¡¯s the matter? Did something happen?¡± Zich asked L, but L scanned his face in a hurry. Zich wriggled his eyebrows.

    ¡°What? What are you doing?¡±

    ¡°¡­Hwoo!¡± L didn¡¯t even reply to Zich¡¯s question and let out a sigh.

    ¡°Hey, how can you let out a sigh after seeing my face? Do you have anyints about this handsome face of mine?¡± Zich swept his cheek once.

    ¡°No, it¡¯s nothing like that.¡±

    Zich stared at her suspiciously as she usually would have made sarcastic remarks about his ¡®handsome face,¡¯ but L waved her hand as if it was nothing.

    ¡°It¡¯s really nothing.¡±

    ¡°All right.¡±

    Zich dropped his interest since she didn¡¯t seem like she wanted to tell him.

    ¡°Then I¡¯ll go up. Ah, I will tell you about what happenedter.¡±

    ¡°Okay. It¡¯s fine if you tell me while we¡¯re eating.¡±

    Zich went up the stairs one by one. L watched his back until he fully disappeared to the top floor, then copsed into a chair. She lost all strength in her legs. She wrapped her arms around them and trembled from head to toe.

    ¡®¡­That face.¡¯

    When L came down to the lobby and saw Zich¡¯s face, she thought her heart was going to freeze. His face was in a state of deep thought. It was a familiar face, but it was also not familiar at the same time.

    ¡®That¡­ that face was definitely¡­!¡¯

    Itsted for a moment. As soon as she grabbed his sleeve, that expression disappeared. However, it was a face that was clearly imprinted in L¡¯s memory.

    ¡®The face of Zich Moore.¡¯

    Even if it was only for a few seconds, why did Zich have the face of a Demon Lord? L buried her face behind her two hands.

    * * *

    Glen and Browning slowly moved away from the hotel. There was a crowd of people surrounding the hotel who all came to see the faces of the city¡¯s heroes. While Glen was ncing at them, Browning asked, ¡°So how were they?¡±

    ¡°What do you mean?¡±

    ¡°Those people called heroes. You met two of them.¡±

    ¡°They weren¡¯t bad. I already knew that person named Zich before, and that person named Hans seems to have a strong sense of justice.¡±

    ¡°You think so too?¡±

    Glen stared at Browning. She had a very bright expression, and Glen thought back to how he saw Browning and Hans conversing with one another.

    ¡°Now that I think about it, you were talking with that person.¡±

    ¡°Yep! I was a bit hesitant about it since he was thepanion of someone I fought with, but after talking with him, he seems like a really good person. It was easy to talk to him.¡±

    ¡°Is that so?¡±

    Browning told Glen about what they talked about. While putting a smile on his face, Glen carefully listened to her words. No, it only seemed like he was listening to her.

    ¡°You seem to think very favorably of him.¡±

    His words seemed to hold a hidden meaning. However, Browning merely nodded her head.

    ¡°Yes, I haven''t had such a good meeting in a long time.¡±

    ¡°Then that¡¯s great. Browning, have you thought more about using a shield instead of a sword?¡±

    ¡°Ah, that¡­¡± Browning made an awkward smile and turned her head around. ¡°I-I haven¡¯t yet¡­¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s alright. It¡¯s not a very important matter, but be careful about not taking too long.¡±

    ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll keep that in mind.¡±

    After saying that, Glen kept his mouth shut. The atmosphere had be tense, and in the silence, Glen began thinking about Zich.

    ¡®Zich Moore. There''s definitely something off about him.¡¯

    Glen had approached Zich to make sure, and he was now certain that this was true. Even though the world sometimes changed beyond his expectations, the world had changed too much this time.

    ¡®Why are the Earth¡¯s Tyrant and Leona hanging out with him? And why is one of hispanions holding Estede?¡±

    Those weren¡¯t the only strange parts.

    ¡®Zich Moore himself changed too much. He should not have such a rough personality at this point in time. No, he should still be rolling around in Steelwall.¡¯

    After a while, he¡¯d then begin his path of bing a Demon Lord. However, Glen couldn¡¯t exin their present situation. Nevertheless, a Demon Lord like Zich was being called a hero. He even held the title of Karuwiman¡¯s Honorary Knight.

    ¡®Lube seems to be close to him too.¡¯

    Lube was always careful and serious, but she joked around with Zich. This was the first time something like that happened.

    For these reasons, Glen thought of a tentative possibility. ¡®Perhaps, did he also regress like me?¡¯

    When he first met Zich, he thought that the person who made Zich change was the reason for Zich¡¯s different attitude and choice. Could one person be able to ¡®twist¡¯ the world¡¯s trajectory like this? If this wasn¡¯t the case, was there another regressor like him? After pondering about this for a while, Glen finally shook his head.

    ¡®No. There¡¯s no way that could be true.¡¯

    There was no way there was another regressor.

    ¡®A special power like this.¡¯

    It was a power that made him special and unique.

    ¡®There is no way a different person has the same skill as me.¡¯

    The only person who was ¡®special¡¯ was him. With this thought in mind, Glen erased the small suspicions sprouting in his heart.

 Chapter 187

    <h4>Chapter 187</h4>

    In dense greenery, small insects buzzed around. The wind gently blew through and lifted up the soil from the ground. Just judging by this description, people would imagine a peaceful forest thatforted people¡¯s hearts. However, the forest that Zich and hispanions were in fit the description above, but it was not peaceful or cozy at all¡ªat least to L.

    ¡°Ack!¡± L tripped over another tree root poking out of the forest soil. Her body heaved forward.

    ¡°Whoops!¡±

    However, she didn¡¯t make a fool out of herself by falling down on the ground. Zich caught her with ease since he was walking in front of her.

    ¡°Thanks.¡±

    ¡°No problem, mydy.¡±

    Zich said a cheesy line and winked at her once. After teasing her a bit, Zich helped L stand upright. L let out a sigh; it was not the first time this happened. Other than the tree roots sprawled out all over the ground, there were way too many traps in this forest. There was a hole covered with leaves, slippery mud, and a stream filled with mossy rocks. L looked around her surroundings. All she could see were dense vegetation and huge trees. She was not able to even clearly see what was ahead. In this forest, nts that were beneficial to humans by providing food and lumber were now thoroughly antagonizing humans.

    They were currently in the Adrowon Forest. It was the result of Zich¡¯s decision to travel to Leona¡¯s home. Since it was to find out more information about the strange tree under Violuwin¡¯s ruin, L also didn¡¯t object to Zich¡¯s decision; rather, she wholeheartedly supported it. Hans and Snoc always followed Zich¡¯s decisions, so they quietly nodded at the news. Leona also weed the idea of bringing her friends to her house.

    On the first day, L was very curious about the forest. Even though she had knowledge aboutrge forests like this, she had never experienced going there first hand. However, this curiosity did notst long. By the second day, she waspletely sick of this humongous forest. The tree roots on the ground clung to her ankles, the bushes that were as tall as humans constantly hit against her arms and face, and the uneven terrain quickly ate up her stamina.

    Thanks to Zich¡¯s tough training, L¡¯s stamina was far greater than a normal magician¡¯s, but ultimately, she was still a magician. The continuous journey through the forestpletely wore her out. However, she was the only one that was tired. As a swordsman, Zich and Hans had tremendous stamina, and their breathing did not even falter as they quickly moved through the rough terrain. Instead, Zich had enough leisure to help L every time she almost fell down. As an elf, Leona waspletely used to moving in a forest, so it was pointless to even exin how she was faring.

    Out of everyone, Snoc was most simr to L, but he also received extremely tough training from Zich. Even though his experience with Zich¡¯s training was shorter than Hans¡¯, he wasn¡¯t out of breath like L.

    ¡°Kyah!¡±

    This time, L slipped on an area that had be muddy with water. However, Zich caught her before she fell, so her clothes remained rtively clean.

    ¡°Wow, you¡¯re really clumsy.¡±

    L red at Zich, and Zich quickly moved away from her as if he was running away. Zich was as yful as ever, but L was filled withplicated emotions.

    ¡®So far, Zich is the same as always.¡¯

    Yet no matter how much she thought about it, she could not forget the face Zich made at Violuwin.

    ¡®Did I see it wrong?¡¯ She shook her head. ¡®No, there¡¯s no way I saw something like that wrong.¡¯

    Since L was worried that Zich might go back to his Demon Lord ways, she was always spying on him. For that reason, she was certain in what she saw. However, she repressed the worry rising up in her mind.

    ¡®His Demon Lord face just came out for a brief moment. Since we met Glen Zenard, his feelings as a Demon Lord might have juste out.¡¯

    Even now, Zich was acting like his usual self as well.

    ¡®Since Glen Zenard is not here right now, he won¡¯t suddenly turn into a Demon Lord.¡¯

    However, L was horrified that she saw a glimpse of his former Demon Lord self. Even though she didn¡¯t remember everything, L clearly felt intense pressure from recalling Zich Moore¡¯s name.

    ¡®Ah, damn it! Why did something like that happen now!¡¯

    L was already conflicted about her identity; she didn¡¯t have the leisure to think about a bomb like Zich Moore.

    ¡°L, are you alright?¡± Before she realized it, Leona was next to her. Leona, who had been walking far ahead of everyone else, seemed to havee back out of concern for L.

    ¡°Honestly, it''s a bit tiring. Are we close yet?¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re almost there. If we walk a little further, we¡¯ll be able to see a vige.¡±

    While hoping that ¡°little further¡± really meant ¡°little further,¡± L nodded her head. Fortunately, L¡¯s idea of a ¡°little further¡± fit ordinary standards, as they did not have to walk much further until a vige came into view.

    ¡°Who are you!¡±

    On top of arge tree branch, five elves appeared. Even though the branches were thick, the branches were rough and round; the elves easily bnced on top of the branches and pointed their arrows at Zich and the rest of the group. However, no one was nervous even though arrows were pointed at them. They were way too strong to fear a threat like this. In contrast, the wariness in the elves¡¯ eyes increased. This was understandable, as very few humans came up to this part of the forest. However, an individual that would dissipate all their worries and caution instantly appeared into view.

    Leona said, ¡°Lower your arrows.¡±

    The elves who noticed her just now opened their eyes wide. They didn¡¯t expect that one of their kind would be among a group of humans. However, one of the elves was shocked by a different matter.

    ¡°Princess!¡±

    This was also enough to shock Zich and hispanions.

    * * *

    Zich and hispanions were guided to the nearest vige. The vige had hundreds of elves living there, and the whole vige was built on top of trees. The trees were thicker than the outstretched arms of ten people connected together, and the houses built on top of them wererge and spacious. It waspletely different from the treehouses that humans built.

    Surprisingly, there weren¡¯t many trees in the vige. In ces that didn¡¯t have houses, there was a giant indentation as if the trees had been uprootedpletely. The vige seemed like it was also trying to expand in size as the trees around the edges of the vige were cut down. Snoc saw the trees cut down and murmured, ¡°Don¡¯t elves love the forest?¡±

    ¡°Elves are probably different from the images humans have of us,¡± L said this and continued, ¡°Even though they do treat the forest as a special being, it¡¯s probably to the extent where it is advantageous for them. The forest is closely intertwined with an elf¡¯s life. In other words, the reason why they treasure the forest and take care of it is so that they can continue their livelihood. For that reason, it¡¯smon for them to change the forest to meet their needs to a certain degree.¡±

    ¡°Oh, I see.¡±

    The elves were curious about the new outsiders, and they came out of the houses one by one. Their eyes didn¡¯t hold much goodwill, but their eyes weren¡¯t entirely hostile either. They were in a state of severe caution. Zich turned his head around and scanned his surroundings. A couple of elves he met flinched their eyes at the sight of him.

    ¡®Even though it¡¯s normal for them to be cautious about new humans, this is more extreme than normal.¡¯

    Elves who had no interaction with humans might react this way, but Leona said that her tribes had rare but consistent interactions with humans.

    ¡®Was it because of the guys who stole the Lake¡¯s Tear?¡¯

    But even for that, this amount of vignce was strange. If word got out that they received such direct losses from a human, the elves¡¯ eyes would be full of hostility rather than caution.

    The elf leading them stopped in front of a tree.

    ¡°Please stay in this house while you are here.¡±

    Like all the other elves¡¯ houses, the house that the elf led Zich and hispanions to was a house on top of a tall tree. As a guesthouse, this house was a bit of a distance away from the other houses, but the facilities were enough. The house was spacious, so each person could have their own room. L thanked the elf that guided them.

    ¡°Thank you.¡±

    ¡°No, it was nothing. Instead, I should apologize that I can only offer this much for the Princess¡¯panions.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s fine. Mypanions are nice,¡± Leona bragged, and the elf that guided them slightly smiled. However, he soon fixed his smile and said with a serious voice, ¡°I deeply apologize, but please refrain from going outside.¡±

    ¡°Huh? Why?¡± Leona asked in surprise, but L stopped her.

    ¡°We understand. Would you be able to tell us how long we have to stay here?¡±

    It seemed as if L also noticed the strange atmosphere surrounding the vige. The elf guide seemed to feel relieved that L seemed to understand.

    ¡°Someone wille during dinner time and exin the situation more thoroughly. Then, goodbye.¡±

    The elf guide said his farewells and left the house. Leona still didn¡¯t know what was happening and was bewildered by the elf¡¯s words. Zich tapped her and said, ¡°Don¡¯t look so confused. It looks like something happened in the vige.¡±

    ¡°Something happened in the vige?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. The elves¡¯ vignce is way above normal.¡±

    Leona tried to recall her tribe members¡¯ reactions. Since she was so overjoyed with bringing back the Lake¡¯s Tear and introducing Zich and the rest of the team with her elf friends, she wasn¡¯t able to properly gauge the reaction of her tribe. Now that she thought about it, they did seem strange.

    ¡°I¡¯m gonna go out for a bit!¡±

    Zich stopped Leona before she could get out.

    ¡°What are you going to do outside?¡±

    ¡°I have to go and find out what happened! I¡¯m the princess of this forest!¡±

    ¡°You shouldn¡¯t.¡± Zich shook his head. ¡°If you try to investigate right now, you¡¯ll only aggravate the other elves¡¯ anxiety and worry. It¡¯s better for you to just wait patiently until someonees during dinner.¡±

    ¡°Uh-um.¡±

    Even though Leona wanted to immediately go out and bombard people with questions, she eventually nodded. So far, everything turned out pretty sessful whenever she listened to Zich¡¯s words.

    ¡°Okay.¡±

    ¡°Then let¡¯s rx by ourselves and see each other during dinnertime.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m going to sleep.¡±

    L had suffered the most since they entered the forest, so she quickly chose a room for herself and went in. Leona looked at the house¡¯s front door once and then picked a room for herself.

    ¡°You guys go ahead as well,¡± Zich said to Hans and Snoc who were left. However, the two of them seemed like they desperately wanted to say something.

    ¡°Are you guys surprised that Leona is a princess?¡±

    Snoc said, ¡°S-sir, O-of course, I¡¯m surprised!¡±

    Hans also quietly nodded. It was shocking to find out that the elf that they traveled with the whole time was an elf princess.

    ¡°There¡¯s no reason to be surprised. An elf king is different from a human king. Even though the king does lead his subjects, he¡¯s basically just the representative of the tribe. He probably receives a bit more special treatment than the other elves, but it¡¯s not like the human kings who have a great amount of power. Likewise, the treatment that Leona gets as a princess is different from what princesses in the human kingdom get.¡±

    If a princess from a human kingdom came to visit a vige, they wouldn¡¯t express such a simple reaction as the elves did in this vige when they first saw Leona. However, Hans and Snoc didn¡¯t seem as if they could understand it properly. It was understandable as the world they lived in waspletely different from how the elves lived.

    ¡°You don¡¯t have to understand it. Just think of it as¡ªI guess it¡¯s just the way it is¡ªand leave it at that. Treat Leona like how you¡¯ve been treating her so far.¡±

    After picking out a room for himself, Zich disappeared into his room. Hans and Snoc looked at each other as they were now the only ones left. How could they just think of it as, ¡®It¡¯s just the way it is and leave it at that?¡¯ In all honesty, they had no other choice than to follow this advice. While they were still in a state of shock, they tried to forcefully etch Zich¡¯s words into their minds and went into the rooms they chose for themselves.

 Chapter 188

    <h4>Chapter 188</h4>

    While Zich and hispanions were finishing up their dinner, an elf came up to their house. It was the same elf who guided them in the afternoon. The elf introduced himself as D¡¯niel Myowem, greeted Leona, and exchanged greetings with Zich and hispanions. Then he sat down at the table with them.

    ¡°Would you like something to eat?¡±

    ¡°No, thank you.¡±

    At Hans¡¯ offer, D¡¯niel firmly refused. It wasn''t because he disliked Zich and hispanions; this was just his personality.

    Leona asked, ¡°Have you been well, D¡¯niel?¡±

    Zich stuffed a piece of bread in his mouth and watched their interaction.

    ¡®As expected, they know each other.¡¯

    The location they were currently in was a vige on the edge of the elf country. Even if elf princesses were different from human princesses, it was strange that there was someone who recognized the princess at a local vige.

    ¡°Princess, I haven¡¯t been well since you ran away.¡±

    ¡°U-um. Yeah, I¡¯m sorry about that.¡±

    ¡°Instead of being sorry, I wish you hadn¡¯t run away from home in the first ce. You left with just a single letter¡ªdo you know how worried we were about you?¡±

    A crack began to appear in his stone-like face. However, the crack was not from disappointment or anger. Instead, it was filled with concern about Leona¡¯s wellbeing.

    ¡°It¡¯s not like I returned with nothing! Look at this!¡±

    Leona took out the Lake¡¯s Tear and showed it to him. D¡¯niel¡¯s eyes grew wide.

    ¡°The Lake¡¯s Tear?¡±

    ¡°I got it back!¡±

    D¡¯niel¡¯s gaze darted between the Lake¡¯s Tear and Leona¡¯s face.

    ¡°¡­Wow, this is surprising. I didn¡¯t expect you¡¯d actually find it.¡± D¡¯niel had just wanted her toe back safely, and he hadn¡¯t expected her to be able to retrieve the stolen treasure at all.

    ¡°How about it! If I really want to do something, I¡¯m an elf that can do it.¡±

    ¡°¡­Fine, I¡¯ll admit I was wrong about you. I really didn¡¯t expect that you¡¯d be able to retrieve the stolen treasure.¡±

    ¡°Hmph!¡±

    Leona lifted her chin with an arrogant expression. As D¡¯niel continued speaking, Leona¡¯s chin that was reaching up to the sky slowly inched down.

    ¡°Princess, I heard that you stole a couple of the Queen¡¯s jewels, but I thought you would get cheated by humans and barely receive anypensation for it.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°Then I thought you would get cheated again and use up all the money you barely got to buy cheap goods.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°And I thought that if you did happen to find the Lake¡¯s Tear, you would get swept by humans and cause a scene. Then they¡¯d chase you out.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°But you were able to retrieve our tribe¡¯s treasure back so admirably. This foolish D¡¯niel, I really have to apologize to the Princess.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Leona¡¯s chin now hung so low that it became a concern of whether it would fall to the ground. Each of D¡¯niel¡¯s words pierced her heart. D¡¯niel also recognized her reaction in the middle of his speech, but he didn¡¯t stop. Instead, he strengthened his voice and continued to pressure Leona.

    ¡°Then would I be able to hear the Princess¡¯ saga? I¡¯m sure you did a wonderful job in the human world. As you said before, you said you were going to do a perfect and fabulous job over there.¡±

    ¡°Ughh¡­¡± Leona pulled back her hair. Herpanions stared at her as if she was pathetic, and she was so embarrassed that she wanted to quickly find a hole to hide in. D¡¯niel, who was beating down on Leona without a change in his expression, let out a sigh.

    ¡°Well, judging by your reaction, you seem to have experienced everything I said or almost experienced those things. Thinking back on it, weren¡¯t you the reason why we lost the Lake¡¯s Tear?¡±

    This was the final blow. With slumped shoulders, Leona mmed her face on the table. Seeing that her body was still twitching, she was probably still alive.

    ¡°There¡¯s no way this Princess of ours retrieved the Lake¡¯s Tear by herself.¡± D¡¯niel looked at the people next to Leona. ¡°All of you must have probably helped the Princess. Am I right?¡±

    ¡°Yes, you¡¯re right.¡± Zich nodded. An ordinary person would have denied it to be humble, but Zich was not that type of person.

    ¡°The Princess seems to be lucky with finding good people. Well, she has always been on the lucky side.¡±

    ¡°Ughh¡­.¡±

    Lying face down, Leona let out a groan, and D¡¯niel stared at Leona. Her hair was sprawled out all over the table. A smile appeared on his face; it was a smile full of warmth and affection, and it was hard to believe he was the same stone-faced elf. He stretched out his hand and touched Leona¡¯s shoulder. Leona slightly raised her head.

    ¡°I will stop myints now. I¡¯m really happy you¡¯re back, Princess.¡±

    ¡°¡­Hehehe! I¡¯m so happy to see you too, D¡¯niel!¡± Leona smiled brightly and immediately perked up.

    ¡°Were you able to capture the thief?¡± He didn¡¯t have much expectations, but he asked since Leona was able to retrieve the Lake¡¯s Tear. However, contrary to expectations, Leona gave a surprising answer.

    ¡°I killed him.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡± D¡¯niel stared at Leona. Her face was a bit stiff, but it didn¡¯t seem like she was still deeply troubled over it.

    ¡°¡­It must have been a very difficult decision.¡±

    ¡°I thought he would be good as my first target, and I also wanted to kill him in the first ce.¡±

    D¡¯niel stared at Zich and her otherpanions. From what he knew, Leona was not the type of individual who could say something like this. He had no choice but to think that she received outside influence, and the most obvious culprits were Zich and hispanions. However, D¡¯niel did not say anything more. A bird that recently flew out of her nest would definitely be influenced by outside factors.

    Moreover, as an elf warrior, D¡¯niel didn¡¯t think it was bad of Leona to change like this. ¡°Since you personally punished the thief, I don¡¯t need to say anything more about him.¡± D¡¯niel quickly ended the conversation about this thief; moreover, he didn¡¯t want to spend any more time on that petty thief.

    ¡°Then I will exin the current situation. Ah, but before that, I will formally introduce myself.¡± He straightened his posture and stared at Zich and hispanions.

    ¡°As I have said before, my name is D¡¯niel Myowen. I work as the guard captain for this forest.¡±

    ¡°A guard captain?¡± Leona opened her eyes wide. ¡°Why are you a guard captain? What happened to working as a royal guard!¡±

    ¡®That¡¯s why he was so close to Leona.¡¯

    That satisfied part of Zich¡¯s curiosity. He was wondering why an elf on the edge of the province was so close to Leona, and it seemed as if he used to be a guard for the royal family. He was probably in charge of guarding Leona. However,pared to being a royal guard, a guard captain was definitely a downgrade.

    ¡°Were you demoted because Leona ran away from home?¡± L guessed the cause.

    ¡°Huh?¡± Leona was surprised. She stared at L once and then stared back at D¡¯niel.

    ¡°I-is that true, D¡¯niel? Were you fired because of me?¡±

    D¡¯niel looked troubled. Even though he was straightforward to Leona as a princess, to the extent where it would be considered rude, he still cared about not hurting her. If he confirmed L¡¯s question, Leona would definitely feel guilt. However, he couldn¡¯t lie either, so he ended up confirming Leona¡¯s guess.

    ¡°It was because of that, but it was also because I was unable to prevent that thief and the Princess from hanging out together. I was also unable to stop the theft of the Lake¡¯s Tear.¡±

    After hearing his reasoning, it was fortunate that it just ended up with his demotion. Leona was teary-eyed. Due to her actions, someone close to her was harmed significantly.

    ¡°I¡¯ll try to do whatever I can to fix your situation!¡± Leona loudly shouted this as she hit the table.

    ¡°It¡¯s alright. It¡¯s true that I didn¡¯t do my job prop¡ª¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s definitely because of me.¡± Leona cut off D¡¯niel¡¯s refusal. D¡¯niel was surprised by her change in demeanor. Leona used to be always bright and immature; it was the result of everyone babying her because of her young age. However, her determined face to take responsibility for the harm she caused was now that of an adult.

    ¡°Of course, I won¡¯t be able to fix your demotion right away. I¡¯m not going to make a fuss, and that probably won¡¯t work anyway. But I was able to get the Lake¡¯s Tear back, so this will probably help your case. I¡¯m also going to take responsibility for my own actions.¡±

    ¡°Princess.¡±

    ¡°Even though I said a lot of things out loud, I know it¡¯s not going to be easy. But I¡¯m not going to let one of my people be harmed because of me. So please just wait a little bit more.¡±

    On her short journey, Leona learned about so many topics. She learned about how the world was scary and how ignorant she was about the human world. Fortunately, she was able to meet Zich and hispanions, and she progressed one step further as a more mature individual.

    She watched Zich as he used his tremendous strength and cleverness to get through all sorts of events and obstacles. She heard the teachings that Zich gave to Hans and Snoc while standing next to them. Zich also directly gave advice to Leona a few times. Moreover, L, who was as strong and wise as Zich, took very good care of her.

    Leona was able to gain an abundant amount of experience in this environment, and her perspective became wider and her thoughts became deeper. It was as if she was apletely different elf than before.

    ¡®It seems as if the Princess''s journey has been very sessful.¡¯ D¡¯niel was a bit, a very tiny bit thankful to that thief who instigated Leona¡¯s decision to go on a journey.

    ¡°I understand. I¡¯ll wait, but I won¡¯t expect much.¡±

    ¡°In this type of scenario, you have to at least say some empty words like ¡®I will look forward to it¡¯,¡± Leona pouted. D¡¯niel let out a small burst ofughter. He wanted to set up a small party to celebrate the Princess¡¯ progress, but this was not the time for parties. D¡¯niel erased the smile from his face and reverted his posture. Zich also immediately straightened his back. So far, a personal conversation had passed between Leona and D¡¯niel, but Zich predicted that D¡¯niel was now going to begin addressing all of them about the main topic at hand.

    ¡®He¡¯s probably going to talk about what¡¯s causing the tension in the whole vige.¡¯

    ¡°Truthfully, the reason why I¡¯m in this area is not just because of my demotion. It¡¯s so that I can be on the lookout here.¡±

    Leona asked, ¡°Lookout? What are you looking out for?¡±

    ¡°As you know, in order for humans toe to our kingdom, they have to firste through here. In order to refrain humans from entering, I was dispatched here despite being one of the elite guards of the capital. Also, for your information, if I¡¯m able to sessfully aplish my mission here, I might be able to return to my previous position¡ªeven if it might take a while.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s good news, but why are we suddenly looking out for humans? Do we have any conflict with humans? Is it perhaps because of the Lake¡¯s Tear?¡± Leona¡¯s face became pale with the thought that she might have caused a conflict between humans and elves.

    ¡°No, that¡¯s not it. It¡¯s just to be prepared in case something happens. This matter has nothing to do with humans. Yes, not with humans.¡±

    ¡®It seems like they are on the verge of a war, so they are tightening up their borders just in case.¡¯ While thinking this, Zich chimed in, ¡°Perhaps, is there a war going on with another elf tribe?¡±

    ¡°Excuse me?¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    D¡¯niel was surprised; Leona was especially shocked as her eyes seemed as if it was going to pop out of her eyes. However, D¡¯niel¡¯s eyes were filled with admiration. ¡°That¡¯s amazing. You were able to make an urate prediction based on the few words I said.¡±

    ¡°What do you mean, D¡¯niel?! Are Zich¡¯s words true?¡±

    ¡°Unfortunately, yes. No, it¡¯s actually more serious than that.¡±

    D¡¯niel¡¯s face became stiffer as he continued, ¡°The Iron Tribe dered a Pu. They called all the Tribal Kings in Adrowon to gather together, but we lost all contact with the King, Queen, and shaman who went to Mentis to participate in the Pu. We think they are being held as captives.

 Chapter 189

    <h4>Chapter 189</h4>

    Thud!

    The chair hit the floor. Leona¡¯s face became pale like a corpse.

    ¡°W-w-what did¡­you¡­sa¡­¡±

    L held Leona¡¯s hand to calm her down. The atmosphere of the room cooled rapidly. Hans and Snoc, who were unaware of the tense atmosphere in the vige, frantically moved their eyes around. Even though they basically got the gist that Leona¡¯s family was being held captive, unfamiliar words interfered with theirprehension.

    ¡°I said that elf kingdoms were different from human kingdoms, right?¡±

    Zich began exining the situation to them, ¡°The elves that reside in Adrowon are divided into several tribes. The Iron Tribe is probably one of the tribes¡ªjust consider each of these tribes as a human kingdom. And these tribal kingdoms are under a coalition. Of course, this coalition is different from the coalition between human kingdoms; it¡¯s a lot more flexible and rxed.¡±

    Hans and Snoc intently focused on Zich¡¯s words. With an extremely surprised expression, D¡¯niel stared at Zich.

    ¡°However, since they are in a coalition, they try to interact with each other somewhat¡ªand one such way to do this is by requesting a council or a ¡®Pu¡¯. Any tribal king can dere a ¡®Pu¡¯, and when this happens, all the royal families have to gather in a neutral zone called ¡®Mentis¡¯ for a meeting.¡±

    ¡°You are very knowledgeable. I didn¡¯t know there was a human who was so knowledgeable about the elf society in Adrowon.¡± D¡¯niel was impressed, but he wasn¡¯t just impressed. He became even warier of Zich. If someone wanted to rate the rtionship between humans and elves as good or bad, it would slightly be on the more negative side. Thus, D¡¯niel naturally developed higher caution as the person in front of him was unusually knowledgeable and perceptive about their circumstances.

    ¡°I had an opportunity to learn more about elves.¡± Zich smiled. However, it was not a matter he should be smiling about. ¡®I got into a fight with you guys one time.¡¯

    Before his regression, Zich and his subordinates fought against basically everyone¡ªand of course, elves were part of the group they fought against. During this time, Zich had learned about the basic social structure of elves. To be more precise, one of his subordinates told him about it.

    ¡®Now that I¡¯m thinking about it, it feels like I heard the Iron Tribe somewhere.¡¯ Zich tried to search through his memories, but he could not remember it. ¡®I should think about this matterter since I¡¯m exining things right now.¡¯

    Zich finished telling the rest of his exnation to Zich and Hans. ¡°So based on what he said, the Iron Tribe dered a Pu, so Leona¡¯s family and the shaman went to Mentis. And now they are being locked up there.¡±

    After finishing his exnation, Zich stared at D¡¯niel.

    ¡°Did this basically sum up the situation?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right. I wouldn¡¯t be able to exin it any better.¡±

    ¡°If the Iron Tribe was the one who dered a Pu, there¡¯s a high possibility that they are the ones who are holding them prisoners.¡±

    ¡°Yes, you are right. Mentis is now being upied by the Iron Tribe¡¯s army.¡±

    ¡°Why?¡±

    While leaning on L, Leona hit the table while getting up. The utensils and tes on top of the table shook.

    ¡°What¡¯s their purpose?¡±

    ¡°They are ordering us to obey them.¡±

    ¡°What the hell are they saying! It¡¯s the rule of the coalition to recognize each tribe as an equal!¡± Leona¡¯s face becamepletely red.

    Zich asked, ¡°Do they have a justification? Or some kind of reason why they are ordering the tribes to obey them? Or are they really causing this event for no reason?¡±

    ¡°¡­They do have a justification for their actions, but it¡¯s nonsense. No matter how I think about it, they¡¯re just trying to find any reason to start a conflict.¡±

    ¡®He avoided the topic.¡¯

    Even though the justification really seemed like an excuse to start a conflict, It didn¡¯t seem like D¡¯niel wanted to say what the justification was. Zich didn¡¯t miss that D¡¯niel¡¯s eyes strayed to Leona for a moment.

    ¡°Is it because of the Lake¡¯s Tear?¡±

    Leona quickly turned her head around, and D¡¯niel¡¯s expression becameplicated. He sent Zich a look of rebuke to stop him from continuing his words, but Zich just ignored D¡¯niel¡¯s look of rebuke; instead, Zich kept staring at him to quickly answer Leona¡¯s question.

    ¡°Is that really true? Did this really happen because of the Lake¡¯s Tear?¡±

    Leona couldn¡¯t believe that her parents were being held as captives and a war was about to break out because of the treasure she stole as a prank. Her voice trembled. D¡¯niel red at Zich and quickly consoled Leona, ¡°As I have said before, it¡¯s a nonsensical excuse. The Lake¡¯s Tear was our tribe¡¯s treasure from the first ce, so there¡¯s no reason or right for them to pay any attention to it. Even if we want to destroy it or let it get stolen, they have no business or right to interfere with our decisions.¡±

    However, D¡¯niel¡¯s words were unable to help Leona recover her energy. Her hands trembled like crazy. D¡¯niel tried tofort her again, but before he could¡ª

    ¡°Hwoop!¡± Leona suddenly took a deep breath.

    ¡°Hwooooo!¡± Then she let it out. She repeated this a few times.

    ¡°¡­So what is the current situation like?¡± Her voice was still trembling, and it was the same for her hands. But D¡¯niel saw that Leona was trying to move forward despite the shock and horror of her situation.

    ¡°This is for you to keep in mind, but...¡± Zich said and continued, ¡°Leona is not the same as she was before. She experienced all sorts of things while she was out in the human world.¡±

    ¡°¡­Yes, it seems so.¡±

    Even so, it didn¡¯t mean that Leona suddenly became a charismatic leader or a powerful master. Her trembling body indicated otherwise. However, D¡¯niel was very pleased that Leona was trying her best to move forward despite feeling that this situation happened because of her. It really seemed as if this journey was a positive factor for her growth. D¡¯niel reassessed his judgment on that thief who stole the Lake¡¯s Tear again, but it was meaningless as the thief was already dead.

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t seem like anything will happen as of right now. Even though there¡¯s a lot of antagonistic tension in the air, none of their military forces have taken action so far. But we don¡¯t know for sure if an incident will happen anytime.¡± D¡¯niel¡¯s tone became a lot more rxed as he saw that Leona was fine.

    ¡°Who¡¯s leading the tribe right now?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s Prince Dronian.¡±

    ¡°Brother is?¡± Leona was surprised and then epted the exnation. If the King, Queen, and the shaman were all captured, the next in line was her older brother.

    ¡°Thankfully, Prince Dronian is capable andpetent, but the situation isplicated. So he¡¯s a bit restricted in what he can do.¡±

    In arger picture, the country¡¯s king and queen were being held as hostages, and in a smaller picture, the prince¡¯s parents¡¯ lives were at stake.

    ¡°Since I was able to find the Lake¡¯s Tear, wouldn¡¯t the situation be at least partially resolved?¡±

    ¡°That won¡¯t work.¡±

    D¡¯niel said this, and Zich agreed.

    Zich agreed with D¡¯niel¡¯s words and said, ¡°If they are really trying to find an excuse to start a conflict, they¡¯re just going to make another excuse. From what I can think of right now, they can make excuses like, ¡®We are unable to entrust the Lake¡¯s Tear to you anymore so give it to us,¡¯ or ¡®We lost our trust in you since a human stole the Lake¡¯s Tear from you, so obey us¡¯.¡±

    ¡°Yes, you¡¯repletely right about that.¡±

    ¡°¡­What kind of excuses are those?¡± Leona was filled with anger as she murmured these words, but there was nothing she could do¡ªthat was how excuses were like.

    Zich said to D¡¯niel, ¡°So that¡¯s why the residents here are anxious. They don¡¯t know when a war is going to break out.¡±

    ¡°Yes. Moreover, this ce is the closest to humans, so they are worried that while military forces are stationed at a different ce, humans mighte and attack them.¡±

    D¡¯niel stared at Leona.

    ¡°But it¡¯s fortunate that the Princess has returned with the ¡®Lake¡¯s Tear¡¯. It¡¯s one less worry in my mind.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry D¡¯niel.¡±

    ¡°Princess, it¡¯s alright. Honestly, seeing how you are like right now, I¡¯m personally very pleased by the result. You¡¯ve grown up so much more in the past few months.¡±

    D¡¯niel smiled at her.

    ¡°You should rest for today and go up to the capital tomorrow. It would also be great if the Princess¡¯panions can also go up to the capital with her. Even if the situation is not great right now, since all of you protected the Princess and helped her get the Lake¡¯s Tear back, you all will be treated well.¡±

    ¡°Are you going to keep staying here, D¡¯niel?¡±

    ¡°No, Princess. I also received another mission that if the Princess returns, I should escort you to the capital. I can escort you at least to the capital.¡±

    Leona nodded her head as if she was delighted. D¡¯niel, who finished everything he wanted to say to them, said his farewells and left the house. Leona let out a giant sigh. L, who kept supporting Leona, asked her, ¡°Are you alright?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m alright. Thanks forforting me, L.¡±

    Leona¡¯s expression definitely seemed morefortable than before. It seemed as if Leona was able to still her heart and mind to a certain extent.

    Zich asked, ¡°How many tribes are there in total?¡±

    L red at him; her eyes seemed to rebuke Zich for asking such a question at this point in time. However, Leona easily replied to Zich¡¯s question.

    ¡°There¡¯s a total of five. Including the Iron Tribe we mentioned before, there¡¯s the Lake Tribe, Mountain Tribe, Ocean Tribe, and in Tribe. We are the Lake Tribe.¡±

    ¡®Is that why your tribe has the Lake¡¯s Tear?¡¯ Zich made a useless thought and rubbed his chin. ¡®Well, what do we do now?¡¯

    Zich¡¯s n to escort Leona back to elf country while asking her grandma about a ¡®tree rooted upside down¡¯ and go sightseeing waspletely shattered. Zich now had to decide what he and hispanions were going to do. He could just escort Leona to the capital and go on their way¡­

    ¡®Or participate in the war that¡¯s going to break out soon.¡¯

    Zich thought of wars he had participated in before his regression.

    ¡®It was pretty good.¡¯

    It was a site of power, determination, and passion; and it was also a site where screams, grief, and death existed together. After he regressed, he went through various battles but nothing like a war yet. So far, the destruction of the entire Northern Branch of Bellid was the closest thing to a war, but during that time, Zich was causing chaos inside the temple rather than being on the frontlines. Maybe, it was because Zich realized that Glen Zenard was not the hero that Zich thought he was. But without even realizing it himself, Zich was more focused on doing ¡®wars¡¯ rather than doing ¡®kind acts.¡¯

    As if he was a Demon Lord.

    ¡®Now that I think about it, I think I heard somewhere that Zenard participated in an elf war or something.¡¯

    Zich had heard somewhere that Glen helped the elves in Adrowon against some kind of force that was antagonizing them.

    ¡®Yeah, those guys were definitely called¡­¡¯

    A thought that Zich had pushed back into his mind came back up again. ¡®The Iron Tribe. Yeah, they were definitely called the Iron Tribe.¡¯

    Zich tapped his fingers on the table a few times. Then he suddenly asked Leona, ¡°Hey, Leona, is your grandma alright?¡±

    ¡°No, the shaman who was captured with my mom and dad is my grandma,¡± Leona said with sadness in her eyes, but Zich¡¯s eyes sparkled in contrast.

    ¡®Oh my, I guess it can¡¯t be helped. We have to participate in a war.¡¯

    Stillforting Leona, L looked at Zich with concern on her face.

 Chapter 190

    <h4>Chapter 190</h4>

    The next day, Zich and hispanions went up to the capital with D¡¯niel¡¯s guidance. The viges they visited while passing through were not much different from the first vige. However, some of the viges they passed by were big enough to be considered a town or even a city. Everyone also admired the enormous walls made out ofrge, thick trees intertwined together.

    After they continued to walk through the forest, a massive city that far surpassed all the viges in size appeared in view.

    ¡°Woow~!¡±

    Snoc¡¯s admiration burst out at the sight in front of him; while it was to a different extent, the other people in the group also let out their admiration. From the ridge, they saw the city stretched beneath them. To humans, it was a city that was strange and exotic, but nevertheless very beautiful. The city was big and a beautifulke was part of it. Although the walls made out of trees were covering the city, the wall did not cover theke area. Thanks to the natural terrain, there was no need to put a wall next to theke.

    ¡®No wonder Leona¡¯s tribe is called the Lake Tribe.¡¯ Zich could understand right away why this was the Lake Tribe.

    ¡°This is the Lake Tribe¡¯s capital, the Droud forest.¡± D¡¯niel introduced the forest. Zich recalled Leona¡¯s full name and nodded. An elf¡¯sst name was derived from the forest they were from; and Leona¡¯s official name was Leona Pearl in Droud. From her name, it was easy to see where she was from. Even though it was strange for humans to hear a being named after a forest, this was natural for an elf. Moreover, it wasn¡¯t unreasonable to call Droud a forest. From the walls to the houses that the elves resided in, everything was made out of growing trees.

    ¡°And that ce is my house!¡± Leona pointed at arge building in the center of the city. Even though all the buildings were on top of thick andrge trees, the building in the center of the city was set on particrly big and thick trees. There were seven trees holding up the building. It looked like a pce built in the sky. Since Leona was a princess, her house was probably the pce. As expected, the building looked special and extravagant. However, there was another building that looked extra special in Droud.

    ¡°What is that?¡± Zich pointed at an area that was right next to the Droud Forest. There was another building there. It was a building that was made on top of a giant tree that stuck out from the surface of theke. The size of the building was simr to the pce in the middle of the city. The living tree crossed theke and formed a bridge that connected theke to the rest of the city.

    ¡°It¡¯s an altar. It¡¯s a ce where we interact with the spirit around us. It¡¯s also the ce where we put the Lake¡¯s Tear,¡± D¡¯niel said while he stared at Leona. She turned her head and avoided his gaze. Zich and hispanions went inside Droud. Since they were now pretty used to an elf city, they no longer looked around with curiosity. Even in Droud, tensions about a possible war hung thick in the atmosphere.

    D¡¯niel guided them to the pce entrance. The elves had used a wooden column to make a staircase leading up to the pce. They went up the staircase and went into the pce. The inside of the pce looked even bigger than how it looked outside. The elves who were walking around in the pce greeted them. Even though Leona, a princess, was in front of them, they merely nodded and did not express any exaggerated manners.

    ¡°Please excuse me.¡± Someone approached them. It was a dignified-looking elf with a white mustache. Since elves had a very long life expectancy and aged at a very slow pace, the elf in front of them was probably extremely old.

    ¡°Freid!¡± Leona loudly called out the name of the old elf. Freid, the old elf, smiled when he saw Leona, but his delighted expression was short-lived. His face quickly became serious and he said to Leona, ¡°You¡¯ve returned, Princess.¡±

    ¡°Yep! What about my older brother?¡±

    ¡°He is waiting for you inside.¡±

    Freid quickly scanned Leona¡¯s body to check if she received any injuries. He was like a grandpa worrying about his granddaughter. Fortunately, there seemed to be no serious injuries on Leona¡¯s body. Freid was relieved, but he didn¡¯t show it on the outside. Instead, he masked his expressions even further.

    ¡°Princess, are these people yourpanions? I¡¯m Freid Will Droud. Even though I¡¯mcking in many ways, I¡¯m in charge of taking care of the pce.¡±

    He greeted Zich and hispanions. They returned his greeting.

    ¡°I heard that you protected the Princess and helped her find the Lake¡¯s Tear. As a member of the Lake¡¯s Tribe, I express my sincere thanks.¡± He bowed deeply to Zich and hispanions. ¡°Let¡¯s go in. The Prince is waiting inside.¡±

    In order to guide them inside, Freid turned his body around and stared at Leona. ¡°Ah, and also Princess, pleasee and talk to me after you¡¯ve spoken with the Prince.¡±

    Even though his face didn¡¯t change at all, his intentions didn¡¯t look peaceful at all. Leona gulped nervously. ¡°¡­Are you mad at me?¡±

    With an indifferent voice, Freid replied, ¡°Of course.¡±

    Leona¡¯s shoulders drooped down, but no one helped her. No, they couldn¡¯t help her. Who was going to interfere with the discipline of a princess who caused serious trouble?

    ¡°Of course, I will be after the Prince. The Prince is very determined, so I think it¡¯ll take a while before youe to see me.¡±

    Leona¡¯s head drooped along with her shoulders. Freid looked at D¡¯niel.

    ¡°You worked hard in guiding the Princess and herpanions. I prepared a ce for you to stay, so you can excuse yourself.¡±

    ¡°Yes, sir!¡± D¡¯niel replied with a lot of energy and bowed towards Leona and the rest. Then he followed behind an elf that was waiting for him and soon disappeared from their sight.

    ¡°I heard that D¡¯niel got demoted,¡± Leona mentioned this to Freid, but he shook his head.

    ¡°I don¡¯t have anything to say about him, and I also don¡¯t have the power to do anything about his situation. Please ask the Prince about that matter.¡±

    ¡°¡­About Father, Mother, and Grandma too?¡±

    ¡°¡­Yes.¡±

    He tried to not show it, but Freid looked very distressed as he replied. Freid led them inside an immense room. Two thick trees that broke through the floor rose from both sides and prated the roof. The branches and leaves that were sprouting from the top of the trees looked like fancy chandeliers hanging from the ceiling. Across the entrance, there was a tform rising from the ground. On top of the tform, tworge chairs were on top of it.

    It was the throne for the King and Queen. Right below the throne, there were two more chairs on each side of the throne. Zich and hispanions saw an elf pacing in front of the chairs. As they went inside, the elf turned his head to face them.

    ¡°Older bro!¡± Leona ran towards him. Leona¡¯s older brother smiled brightly towards her and spread his arms wide as if to hug her. Leona did not hesitate to also spread her arms wide. It seemed as if they were going to hug each other¡ªbut Leona¡¯s older brother raised his fist.

    Punch!

    ¡°Agh!¡±

    Zich¡¯spanions flinched from the loud sound. Leona clutched her head and fell to the ground. The fist thatnded on her forehead made her head spin.

    ¡°What the heck are you doing!¡± Leona raised her head and shouted at the elf in front of her. There were tears in her eyes. However, the elf in front of her had zero sympathy for her. Instead, there was no trace of his smile anymore; Leona bent her head back at the ferocious expression on his face.

    ¡°Do you think I would say, ¡®Wee back!¡¯ with a nice smile on my face, you stupid sister!¡±

    Then he shook his fist in front of her. Leona dropped her head down, but she soon looked back up and croaked, ¡°I-I found the Lake¡¯s Tear¡­¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    However, she soon mped her mouth shut again after seeing the scary look in her brother¡¯s eyes. He stared at her for a while and then let out a sigh.

    ¡°Do you know just how much we were worried about you?¡±

    ¡°Ugh¡­¡±

    Leona had no words to say, because she could feel the concern and love he had for her in his voice.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡±

    Her voice was despondent as she made her apology, and the Prince let out a big sigh. He looked down at his dispirited sister. Even though his face looked angry, love and concern flowed in his eyes.

    ¡°¡­But it¡¯s good that you came back. It¡¯s also fortunate that you don¡¯t seem seriously injured.¡±

    ¡°Yeah!¡± Leona replied loudly. The Prince helped Leona get up and turned his gaze towards Zich and hispanions. Zich and the rest were quietly waiting to not interfere with the siblings¡¯ reunion. The Prince walked towards them, and Leona followed him from behind.

    ¡°I apologize. I have made a scene in front of esteemed guests.¡±

    ¡°No, it¡¯s alright.¡± Zich stepped forward and replied to the Prince.

    ¡°I¡¯ll first introduce myself. My name is Dronian Pearl Su Droud. I¡¯m the prince of the Lake Tribe and the older brother of this rascal.¡±

    With Dronian¡¯s introduction, everyone introduced themselves.

    ¡°I¡¯ve heard the news. I heard that you protected my sister and helped find the Lake¡¯s Tear. I don¡¯t know how we¡¯ll be able to repay you all.¡±

    He seemed very thankful, but he continued on with embarrassment, ¡°If it was any other time, we would have given you all the best possible treatment, but our situation is not good right now.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve heard. The Iron Tribe is holding hostages.¡±

    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right,¡± Dronian replied with mncholy in his voice.

    ¡°I was able to get the Lake¡¯s Tear¡¯ back. Isn¡¯t this enough to get them back?¡±

    Even though Zich had already refuted the possibility, Leona wanted to ask just in case. But Dronian also refuted her desperate question.

    ¡°No, it¡¯s not possible, because that¡¯s just an excuse. Even if we got the Lake¡¯s Tear back, they¡¯re not going to release the hostages.¡¯

    ¡°Your Highness, are the only ones who have been held hostage the Lake Tribe¡¯s king, queen, and shaman?¡±

    At Zich¡¯s question, everyone stared at him.

    ¡°The other elf tribes must have also participated in the Pu. Then what happened to them? They must have either approved of the Iron Tribe¡¯s actions or were also held hostage by the Iron Tribe too.¡±

    Dronian asked, ¡°Hmm, can I ask why you are curious about that?¡±

    He felt ufortable about Zich¡¯s detailed question, especially in a situation where war could break out at any moment. Even if he was a benefactor that protected his sister and the tribe¡¯s treasure, he could not help but be suspicious. For that reason, Zich understood Dronian¡¯s wariness.

    ¡°It¡¯s nothing much. I was wondering if we could help.¡±

    ¡°Help?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t you need mercenaries?¡±

 Chapter 191

    <h4>Chapter 191</h4>

    ¡°A mercenary?¡±

    ¡°Yes, mercenaries,¡± Zich answered, ¡°If a war breaks out, the more fighting forces you have, the better it is.¡±

    ¡°Um.¡± Dronian swallowed back his low hum. Like Zich said, the more forces they had, the better it was for them. However, he couldn¡¯t ept Zich¡¯s offer right away.

    ¡°I see that you are hesitating. I assume it¡¯s for two reasons,¡± Zich raised two fingers. ¡°First, you don¡¯t know the level of skills we have.¡± Zich ced one finger down. ¡°And second, you wonder if it¡¯s right to bring humans into a war between elves.¡±

    Dronian was surprised that Zich had exactly pinpointed his feelings.

    ¡°¡­You are right.¡± There was nothing for Dronian to gain here by lying, and he admitted Zich¡¯s words willingly, ¡°A mercenary has to have a certain amount of skill, but I don¡¯t know how strong you all are. Like you said, I am certainly reluctant to get humans involved in this conflict between elves.¡±

    ¡°¡­You must not be desperate.¡±

    ¡°Sorry?¡± Dronian was a bit taken aback by Zich¡¯s unexpected question.

    ¡°Even if the war didn¡¯t officially break out yet, you can guess the strength of your opponent,¡± Zich started. Of course, information about enemy forces could be inurate, but no one would be able to make any decisions with that mindset. ¡°If all the other tribes took the Iron Tribe¡¯s side, Your Highness wouldn¡¯t have been able to refuse my offer with a reason like, ¡®I am reluctant to bring humans into this war.¡¯ You would have asked us to show our skills immediately.¡±

    If they really were desperate, the Prince would have sent even a crawling ant to the battlefield if they could.

    Zich continued, ¡°So, that means the other tribes haven¡¯t sided with the Iron Tribe yet. However, that won¡¯t necessarily mean that all the other tribes are also on the Lake Tribe¡¯s side. I suppose you rejected my offer since you all already have the upper hand in this war, and you don¡¯t need to add an untrustworthy force alongside your men.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡± Dronian listened to Zich¡¯s words quietly.

    ¡°There are two things that I can guess. Either the tribes that sided with the Lake Tribe and the Iron Tribe are on a simr level, or they didn¡¯t make their decision on which side to take yet. I also think there¡¯s a high chance that other tribe leaders could have been captured.¡±

    ¡°You are right.¡±

    ¡°Then, I suppose you might be reluctant to hire humans in consideration of the other tribes too.¡±

    ¡°That is also right.¡±

    ¡°But what would you do if that could be more of an advantage?¡±

    Dornian tilted his head. ¡°What are you saying is an advantage?¡±

    ¡°It could be an advantage that we are humans.¡±

    Dornian couldn¡¯t understand it immediately, but Dornian was someone who had undergone training to be the heir of the Lake Tribe and had never been rebuked for his capabilities. He soon realized what Zich meant.

    ¡®He has pretty good judgements.¡¯ Zich¡¯s assessment of Dornian went up.

    Dornian continued, ¡°You all are humans¡ªpeople who have no ce in a war between elves. The Iron Tribe will certainly not know of your existence since you weren¡¯t part of our forces to begin with. And even if you all attack them, they won¡¯t be able to connect you to anyone else. Thus, I can use you as a third party who has no connection to us.¡±

    Dornian stared at Zich and asked, ¡°Am I right?¡±

    ¡°Yes. Of course, if we attack, they might suspect that a tribe might have employed some humans, but they might also think we are a third party, unrted to the elves,¡± Zich said and added, ¡°If a tribe normally had a deep connection to humans, the Iron Tribe might suspect that tribe first. From what I know though, there is no tribe among the elves that has a close tie to humans.¡±

    The elves only interacted with humans for trade and business transactions. This rule applied to the Lake Tribe, and after the incident with the Lake¡¯s Tear, even those business transactions had considerably dwindled.

    ¡°Aren¡¯t we¡ªforces that even Your Highness couldn¡¯t expect? We don¡¯t necessarily have to fight within the Lake Tribe¡¯s territory. Also, since we are a mysterious force with unclear goals, we will do more than enough to shake up your opponent.¡±

    ¡°That is a certainly tempting offer,¡± Dronian said. He had already thought up several ces to use them.

    ¡°I like your offer, but are you aware that there¡¯s a couple of things that I have to make sure of before I ept it?¡±

    ¡°Yes, you are talking about our skills,¡± Zich smiled. From the first ce, fighting alongside the Lake Tribe or moving separately as another group was only possible if Zich and hispanions had the skills to do so. If they didn¡¯t have skills, there was no need for them anywhere.

    ¡°Can you prove it?¡±

    ¡°As much as you want.¡±

    Zich looked around at hispanions. ¡°Whoever the person is, I¡¯m sure they will exceed your expectations.¡±

    ¡°Then, I will make preparations to see all of your skills. I hope you will rest until then.¡±

    Dronian asked the elf standing beside him to guide Zich and hispanions. They were all about to leave when Dronian said to Leona who was trying to sneak out with the rest of the group, ¡°Where are you going? We have some things to talk about.¡±

    ¡°Ugh!¡±

    Leona looked at the rest of the group with pleading eyes, but nobody wanted to intervene in a conversation between siblings¡ªespecially an older brother¡¯s lecture to his sister who ran away from home. In the end, Zich and hispanions left as Leona stayed in the room with tearful eyes.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Silence filled the room for a moment. Dornian looked at Leona sternly, and Leona stole furtive nces at him while she had her head down.

    ¡°¡­Sigh!¡± A big sigh escaped Dornian¡¯s mouth. Leona flinched and her shoulders trembled.

    ¡°Are you reflecting on your actions?¡± Dornian asked.

    ¡°¡­Yeah.¡±

    ¡°Can I trust that something like this won¡¯t ever happen again?¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡±

    Another sigh followed. Dornian shook his head and said, ¡°From the bottom of my heart, I would like to imprison you in a ce for a hundred years and make you self reflect, but considering our current situation and the fact you retrieved the Lake¡¯s Tear, I will forgive you.¡±

    Leona¡¯s head shot up, but when she saw that Dornian still wore a stern expression on his face, she bowed her head down again.

    ¡°If you do something like this one more time, I won¡¯t let it slide. Do you understand me?¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡±

    ¡°Good. Then, let¡¯s end this matter here.¡±

    She was forgiven¡ªLeona felt the load on her shoulders lighten. However, Dornian¡¯s next words pressed down on her heart again.

    ¡°I won¡¯t stop Freid from scolding you.¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    Leona blinked several times in shock. Dronian smirked at her shocked face.

    ¡°Well, to you, Freid¡¯s scolding would be much more effective than exiling you to an ind for 100 years.¡±

    ¡°H-hey, Brother. While you¡¯re in the process of forgiving me, can you tell Freid¡­¡±

    She requested help from Dronian in a hurry. Of course, Leona¡¯s desperate attempts were in vain.

    ¡°I¡¯m not going to say anything to Freid, so don¡¯t get any strange expectations. When Mother, Father, and Grandmae back, prepare to also get scolded by them.¡±

    Leona was making a sad face and desperately trying to find a way to endure Freid¡¯s scolding when she suddenly halted.

    ¡°¡­Are they really being held as captives? Mother and Father? Even Grandma?¡±

    ¡°¡­Yeah.¡±

    Dronian had been confident so far as Leona¡¯s older brother, but he made a bitter reply. In order to fill up the empty space left behind by his father, Dronian did not show his emotions to other people, but since he was in front of a family member, some of his emotions seeped out.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about them too much. Since the Iron Tribe wants us to obey them, they won¡¯t easily harm our family. If the Iron Tribe harms any one of our family members, this whole conflict won¡¯t end with our obedience. It¡¯ll only end when one sidepletely dies.¡±

    However, it was true that their family was in a dangerous situation. Since the Iron Tribe had three important figures from the Lake Tribe as hostages, the Iron Tribe could decide to kill just one of them. In the worst case scenario, all three of them could also die. Thus, Dronian couldn¡¯t explicitly show his concerns to his younger sister.

    ¡°I¡¯m sure they wille back safely. You should worry about making good excuses when theye back.¡±

    ¡°¡­Okay.¡±

    As if to break the mncholic mood, Dronian slightly raised his voice.

    ¡°I want to ask about yourpanions. I¡¯m thankful that they want to fight on our side as mercenaries, but I¡¯m not sure about their skills. How strong are they?¡±

    Leona smirked at his words and replied very confidently, ¡°I¡¯m not just saying this because they are mypanions who helped me out, but¡­¡± Leona added more strength in her voice. ¡°They are really strong!¡±

    * * *

    In order to test Zich and hispanions¡¯ skills, the pce employees prepared a site behind the pce. It was the same area where the royal guards trained, and thick treespletely surrounded the area to shield them from the peering eyes of other elves.

    ¡°We¡¯ll be checking your skills through a duel. Is that alright?¡±

    ¡°Yes, Prince Dronian.¡±

    Zich was the first one to step forward, and he easily warmed up his body by carelessly swinging Windur around. An elf stepped up in front of him.

    ¡°Are you my opponent?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    Zich¡¯s opponent was D¡¯niel, and D¡¯niel held a thin sword. Compared to Zich¡¯s Windur, which was pretty big and thick, D¡¯niel¡¯s sword looked frail. However, since elves were much better at handling mana than humans, the thickness and size of a sword did not matter to an elf. Of course, Windur¡¯s solidity and strength were iparable to any ordinary sword.

    ¡°He used to be a royal guard, and even among our tribe, he holds considerable skills and strength. Moreover, if we do end up hiring the four of you, we would have to keep your identities a secret as much as we can. For that reason, I thought it would be best to have you guys fight versus D¡¯niel who already knows all of you.¡±

    ¡®As expected, he makes good judgments.¡¯

    Dronian was really an admirable prince.

    ¡°Prince Dronian, that¡¯s a great idea. Since we wore robes the whole time after meeting Mr. D¡¯niel, it would be hard for anyone to figure out our identities.¡±

    ¡°You did that?¡±

    Dronian stared at D¡¯niel who had guided them to the capital, and thetter nodded to affirm Zich¡¯s statement.

    ¡°You made a smart judgment.¡± Dronian looked closely at Zich¡¯s face. ¡®Judging by how he was able to figure out our situation, make an offer based on his group¡¯s position as humans, and cover his group with robes, he¡¯s a sharp human with keen senses.¡¯

    His officials told him that the man named Zich was the leader of the group. A leader with the ability to quickly assess the situation was a great advantage to have.

    ¡®I think I can expect a lot from a unit with a leader like that.¡¯

    Dronian fervently prayed that Zich and hispanions would be skilled and that they would be a great support for him and his tribe during this difficult time. However, as soon as the battle started, Dronian¡¯s thoughts and expectations about Zich and hispanions werepletely shattered¡ªof course, to a much more positive side.

 Chapter 192

    <h4>Chapter 192</h4>

    D¡¯niel was a highly skilled swordsman. Elves didn¡¯t usually use swords since theymonly relied on gueri tactics with arrows and bows in the forest. They had no purpose for the sword except in situations such as war, and expectedly, elvescked behind in swordsmanshippared to other areas.

    However, the Royal Guards, which D¡¯niel was part of, were different. Like normal elves, they had incredible skills in archery as well as splendid swordsmanship. Furthermore, D¡¯niel had been in charge of guarding the elf princess, Leona. Even among the royal guards, he was at the top.

    ¡®D¡¯niel¡­¡¯ Dronian was shocked by the sight before him.

    ng! ng! A sword, strengthened by mana, collided loudly. Zich swung his sword again, and Windur struck D¡¯niel¡¯s sword.

    ng! An explosive sound rang out again, and D¡¯niel took a couple steps back while scowling. He wondered, ¡®How does he have so much power¡­!¡¯ D¡¯niel gripped his sword tightly while ring at Zich. He thought he would lose the grip on his sword otherwise.

    ¡°Hmph!¡±

    After jumping off the ground with a strong kick, he ran towards Zich. D¡¯niel was already aware that hecked power inparison to Zich, but he was still confident. It hurt his pride that an elf like him with superior mana capacity and physical abilities stronger than humans lost to Zich in strength; but he didn¡¯t intend to continue pushing on with sheer strength to simply protect his pride.

    ¡°Haa!¡±

    His sword moved fast to pierce. A human without much training wouldn¡¯t have even been able to respond to it, but Zich easily swatted the sword away. Yet, D¡¯niel wasn¡¯t disappointed since his piercing attack had been a bait.

    Thud!

    With fancy and quick footsteps, he turned to Zich¡¯s side. D¡¯niel thought, ¡®He won¡¯t be able to resp¡ª!¡¯

    ng! Windur flew in his direction and blocked his attack, shocking D¡¯niel. After drawing his line of attack, Zich¡¯s eyes were staring at D¡¯niel.

    Whoosh! Whoosh! Windur continued to swing around. D¡¯niel struck Windur away with his sword.

    ¡®It¡¯s too much!¡¯ D¡¯niel thought. He wasn¡¯tcking in just strength. ¡®He¡¯s also faster than me.¡¯

    D¡¯niel didn¡¯t necessarily think humans were an inferior race, but since elves naturally had a better physique, higher mana capacity, and longer life spans, he thought humans couldn¡¯t help but be weaker than them. Thus, when he first heard Zich¡¯s offer to help the war efforts, D¡¯niel thought that although Zich and hispanions could be tactically beneficial, they couldn¡¯t expect much from humans. However, after colliding swords with Zich¡¯s a couple of times, he realized howpletely wrong he had been.

    D¡¯niel took a deep breath. Sweat beaded on his forehead and dripped down the sides of his eyes. His eyes were itchy, but he couldn¡¯t close them. He thought he would lose his opponent if he blinked.

    ¡®What should I do?¡¯ D¡¯niel racked through his brain. He thought of all kinds of possibilities for the purpose of winning. ¡®¡­Maybe I do really have to give up an arm or leg¡­¡¯

    At that moment, he heard a loud voice. ¡°Stop!¡±

    D¡¯niel gained awareness of his surroundings again. His thoughts, which were only focused on defeating Zich, also began to be filled with other thoughts. ¡®Oh right, I¡¯m in a duel.¡¯

    He wasn¡¯t in a battle where he had to ce half of his life on the line; the purpose of this duel was to evaluate Zich¡¯s skills. D¡¯niel shook his head a couple of times to relieve the fervor of battle and stretched out his hand to Zich and said, ¡°I¡¯m impressed. You are very strong.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s the same for you. Most elves use bows and arrows, so it¡¯s notmon to see an elf who can use a sword so well.¡± Zich took D¡¯niel¡¯s hand and also shook it lightly.

    Then, Zich asked Dornian, ¡°How was the result of this test?¡± The purpose of the battle wasn¡¯t to win.

    ¡°We will have to see yourpanions¡¯ skills too, but it seems like we don¡¯t have to worry about you on the battlefield at all.¡± Dronian¡¯s face looked bright after he checked Zich¡¯s skills. Then, he stared at the rest of Zich¡¯spanions. Since Zich was this strong, he also began to look forward to seeing their skills.

    And he wasn¡¯t disappointed.

    ¡°Hah!¡± Hans swung his sword widely. His skills werecking inparison to Zich¡¯s, but they were still impressive.

    ¡°Urahh!¡±

    Koo! Snoc¡¯s ability to control the earth impressed even the elves with considerable knowledge about the world. And¡­

    Craaaaash!

    When Dronian witnessed the force of L¡¯s incantation and magic, he came to a great realization that he had gained an incredible ally.

    ¡°How was it?¡± Zich asked.

    ¡°It was amazing! It was beyond my expectations!¡± Dronian was overjoyed that he let the etiquette and solemnity he had kept up so far slide for a moment.

    ¡°Then, are you going to hire us?¡±

    ¡°Of course.¡±

    They absolutely had to use an incredible force like this. Dronian thought, ¡®The only concern is their reliability, but since they saved Leona and helped her get the Lake¡¯s Tear back, I suppose I can believe them to a certain extent.¡¯

    Then, that meant there was only one problem left to solve before hiring them.

    Dronian said, ¡°All that¡¯s left for us to do is to decide your payment now.¡± He knew that the most important thing for mercenaries was money. They were people who traded their skills and lives for it.

    ¡°How much do you want? Since I don¡¯t have much human money, I would like to pay you all with gems.¡±

    However, Zich wasn¡¯t interested in money; with the amount of wealth they currently had, they could travel while enjoying all kinds of luxuries. Of course, Zich didn¡¯t n to refuse what he was offered, but there was something else he wanted.

    Zich asked Dronian, ¡°Do you perhaps know anything about the ancient empire?¡±

    ¡°Ancient empire?¡±

    ¡°Yes, I heard from Leona that a long time ago, there was an empire of strong humans.¡±

    Dronian stroked his chin. ¡°There¡¯re a lot of human empires that have risen and fallen over the years, but judging by your words, it doesn¡¯t seem like you want information on any normal empire. In that case, somethinges to mind. There is a legend about a human empire that is passed down between us.¡±

    ¡°Then do you have any information about that empire?¡±

    ¡°Even though you say information, they¡¯re just stories passed down to our generation.¡±

    ¡°Even that is fine. Perhaps, would you be able to organize all the stories and give them to us?¡±

    ¡°That won¡¯t be difficult. Our older folks like to tell us stories about the past. They would be happy to write down some of the legends they know and have a small task to do. Is that everything you want from us?¡±

    ¡°Yes. If you think it¡¯s not enough, you can repay us with something you think is suitable.¡±

    However, Prince Dronian couldn¡¯t just give them anything that was ¡°suitable.¡± Their payment was rted to the Lake Tribe¡¯s honor.

    ¡®I can just give them jewels but¡­¡¯

    ¡°Then how about this? There¡¯s a library of ours in Mentis. It¡¯s called Kalpunar.¡±

    ¡°A library?¡±

    ¡°Yes. It¡¯s a ce that holds books that our ancestors first collected. Even though it¡¯s considered a library, it¡¯s more like a burial ce for books. In the first ce, Kalpunar wasn¡¯t originally built as a library, but as a ce to hold books that our ancestors brought. However, the amount of books that are in there is enormous. Moreover, it¡¯s not an exaggeration to say that the history of the Kalpunar Library is almost as old as Adrowon.¡±

    ¡®There¡¯s something like that?¡¯

    If there was a ce like that, Zich was eager to go and explore it.

    ¡°However, there¡¯re a few problems. Even though we are taking care of it to a certain extent, since there are a lot of books in general and a lot of old books, the books aren¡¯t in very good condition.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not a problem for us.¡±

    At first, Zich merely thought about collecting a few legends that were passed down among the elves; since he was able to get an opportunity to obtain definite information, it was not a problem if some books were in poor condition.

    ¡°The second problem is that Kalpunar is not just the Lake Tribe¡¯s treasure, but all the tribes in Adrowon. Therefore, you need permission from the other tribes that live in Adrowon.¡±

    Gaining permission from all the tribes that lived in the Adrowon Forest was a much more tricky ordeal. No matter how strongly the Lake Tribe asserts their agenda, there would definitely be a tribe or two that would feel ufortable revealing their historicalndmark. However, Zich smiled instead.

    ¡°Well, it might be rude of me to say this, but I came at a good time.¡±

    ¡°Yes, it is a good time.¡± Even though Dronian felt bitter, he agreed with Zich¡¯s words.

    ¡°There¡¯s no better time than right now for all the tribes to be indebted to you.¡±

    Currently, all the Tribe Kings were being held as hostages. If Zich managed to help the Kings escape, none of the tribes would be against Zich and hispanions from entering the library.

    ¡°There¡¯s another reason for me to participate in this war, but Prince Dornian, I don¡¯t need permission from the Iron Tribe, right?¡±

    ¡°Of course.¡± At Zich¡¯s joke, Dronian made a sharp and bitter smile.

    ¡°For hundreds of years, they won¡¯t be able to voice their opinion in this forest region. But of course, that¡¯s only if they manage to survive.¡±

    * * *

    After that, they talked to Dronian a bit more, and Zich and hispanions went to the room that was assigned for them. Leona, who had tried to sneakily follow behind them, was caught by Freid and dragged out. Even though she asked for help with teary eyes, herpanions ignored her and moved along. When they reached their rooms, Zich told hispanions with a cheerful tone, ¡°And like that, we are now participating in an elf war.¡±

    ¡°What do you mean, and like that?¡±

    L protested against his decision, which did not consider any of his party¡¯s opinions or thoughts. However, her voice had barely had any strength to it; she had already half given up. For that reason, she showed her skills in the duel as well.

    ¡°What, you don¡¯t want to help Leona? You kept taking care of Leona so well. I didn¡¯t know this, but you¡¯re secretly such a cruel person.¡±

    When L raised her arms, Zich took a few steps back. But Zich¡¯s yfulness onlysted for a moment.

    ¡°As the Prince said, I¡¯m going to participate in this war. What are you going to do? Are you stepping out?¡±

    Even though war was a ce where magicians could fully utilize their wide-reaching skills, Zich had no intentions to force L into a battle she didn¡¯t want to partake in.

    ¡°If I step out, are you going to keep talking about how I don¡¯t want to help Leona?¡±

    ¡°Saying the truth and respecting your decision are different matters.¡±

    At Zich¡¯s shameless reply, Lughed out loud.

    ¡°Whatever. I was going to help out Leona anyways. And I¡¯m interested in thepensation you¡¯re gonna get.¡±

    L stared at Hans and Snoc. ¡°What are you guys going to do?¡±

    ¡°Ah, Miss, we are¡­¡±

    ¡°Why are you asking them?¡±

    Zich cut off Hans who was about to reply. ¡°They obviously have to follow me. The only person I was asking was you, L.¡±

    Hans made a bitter smile and Snoc nodded his head as if he expected this.

    Zich told them, ¡°You guys go ahead. Since the two of you are going to suffer in the future, you should get a lot of rest.¡±

    Hans and Snoc went to find their rooms. L was about to follow after them but was stopped by Zich.

    ¡°Why?¡±

    ¡°Do you have any memories about this elf conflict?¡±

    Zich didn¡¯t have much information about this elf conflict either.

    ¡°I don¡¯t remember well.¡±

    ¡°Okay.¡±

    ¡°But I think it had something to do with Glen Zenard. My senses tell me so.¡±

 Chapter 193

    <h4>Chapter 193</h4>

    Zich¡¯s eyes shone.

    ¡°Now that I think about it, you said you saw a future where I was the hero, right?¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡±

    ¡°Then, do you remember any other futures for Glen Zenard?¡±

    ¡°Um¡­¡± L shuffled through her iplete memories and replied, ¡°¡­No, nothing. I might have just lost my memories of it, but I can¡¯t remember anything.¡±

    ¡°In the period where I was a hero, what kind of person was Glen Zenard?¡±

    ¡°When you were a hero?¡± L also became more curious when Zich mentioned it. However, she couldn¡¯t remember. ¡°I am interested, but I also can¡¯t remember it.¡±

    ¡°Okay, that¡¯s fine.¡± After Zich patted L¡¯s shoulders a couple of times since she looked sorry, Zich sent her back to her room. ¡®Even if L lost her memories, it¡¯s strange that she can¡¯t remember Glen Zenard¡¯s other futures.¡¯

    It was baffling how L saw twopletely opposite futures for Zich: one where he was a hero and another one where he was a Demon Lord, but she didn¡¯t see any other future for Zenard. Of course, it could be a coincidence and L could have simply forgotten.

    ¡®But it is truly suspicious.¡¯ Zich¡¯s suspicions toward Glen deepened even more.

    * * *

    After Zich and hispanions were officially hired by the Lake Tribe, they immediately moved. They didn¡¯t want to have ate start; and even though Leona wanted to join them, Dronian protested and Zich also refused.

    ¡°Since we have to look like a third-party group of humans, we can¡¯t have an elf with us,¡± Zich exined. D¡¯niel guided them to the path that led to Mentis. D¡¯niel also nned to return after he guided them to the path, and after they passed through a thick forest, they reached their destination.

    ¡°That ce is Mentis,¡± D¡¯niel pointed at a ce, and everyone eximed in surprise.

    It was argeke¡ªno, calling it ake was an understatement. They saw a long horizon on the other side of theke. If D¡¯niel hadn¡¯t told them it was ake, everyone would¡¯ve certainly thought it was an ocean.

    At the center of thatrgeke, there was a gigantic ind. The ind they saw beyond the fog looked incredibly mysterious and magnificent.

    ¡°As you can see, since the surroundings are covered by ake, it can be used as a strong defense advantage. There¡¯s only one passage too.¡±

    Theke and Mentis were connected by only one bridge. Like the city they saw at the Lake Tribe¡¯s capital, the ce was made from a mix of tangled, living trees. It was an incrediblyrge bridge, but it wasn¡¯t big enough to make up for the ufortable cement and limited ess.

    Zich focused his eyes and looked around Mentis.

    ¡°It¡¯s different from the elf cities that we have seen so far.¡± Unlike the Lake Tribe¡¯s city where most structures were made out of trees, most of the buildings in Mentis were made out of stones. There were still some trees, but they were nothingpared to other elf cities.

    ¡®It actually looks more like a human city,¡¯ Zich thought.

    ¡°There are no elves living in that city¡ªjust a couple who manage the area. It¡¯s too ufortable for us to stay in it.¡± Then, D¡¯niel took out a piece of scroll from his belongings. ¡°This is the map of Mentis that our prince wanted to give you.¡±

    Zich took the map and opened it. On the map, there were descriptions of the interior structure of the big ind and a couple of ces circled in red.

    ¡°The ces with red circles are the areas where we think our captives are.¡±

    ¡°When we have the chance, let¡¯s take a look at the ce.¡± Zich ced a map inside the magic box, and D¡¯niel continued his exnation.

    ¡°You all might not have noticed because this area is surrounded by forests, but there are many eyes observing this ce right now, including our tribe. I¡¯m sure other tribes hid their own troops around here, not to mention the scouts.¡±

    Zich sensed a considerable number of presences; they all belonged to elves.

    ¡°Then, I will leave now. I wish you good luck.¡± With those words, D¡¯niel instantly disappeared into the forest. His movements were expected of an elf, often known as a resident of the forest.

    ¡°What are you going to do now?¡± L asked. Zich stared at Mentis from far away.

    ¡°For now, we have to show that humans are intervening in this war.¡± Zich smirked and said, ¡°Let''s exercise a bit rougher this evening.¡±

    * * *

    The sun set and the moon rose. Theke glittered with the reflection of stars, but everything else was nketed by pitch-ck darkness. However, there was one ce where movements drove the darkness away: Mentis. As if it was trying to replicate the daytime brightness, mass torches burned and lit up the city.

    Armed forces came in and out of the city. As if they were trying to avoid a single blindspot, an incredible number of forces patrolled the area. A dark figure passed between these forces. Two patrolling elves walked to a remote area of Mentis. No matter howrge the force was, it wasn¡¯t enough to cover the city due to the size of the entire area, but unfortunately for these two elves, a shadow approached the two and intercepted their path.

    Whoosh!

    ¡°Kuh!¡±

    ¡°Keh!¡±

    With one swing of a sword, the two elves¡¯ necks were sliced in half, and the elves copsed to the ground. Since they weren¡¯t dead yet, they twitched a bit; a momentter, their airways were cut off so that they couldn¡¯t make a sound, and it didn¡¯t take long before they stopped moving. Zich had killed the elves, and he began to slowly move. He hid his presence and killed moving elves to continue scouting the area.

    After a while, all the surrounding elves disappeared. Zich stood in the middle of thend by himself and put Windur on his shoulder.

    ¡®They¡¯re probably going to start noticing.¡¯

    No matter how secretly Zich took care of the elves, he had killed too many soldiers. As if to validate his im, he heard a loudmotion from the distance. He also heard fervent footsteps.

    ¡®Then should I start?¡¯

    ¡°Whish!¡± Zich whistled. The other elves seemed to have heard his whistle, as Zich sensed them turning towards him. However, Zich did not run away. It was not long before a group of armed elves came running towards Zich.

    ¡°Over there!¡± Themanding officer pointed at Zich, and the elf soldiers immediately pointed their arrows at Zich. Themanding elf was surprised to see Zich.

    ¡°¡­A human?¡±

    With his words, the elves behind began murmuring amongst themselves.

    ¡°A human?¡±

    ¡°How could a humane all the way here¡­!¡±

    ¡°Be quiet!¡± Themanding officer hushed his surprised subordinates. Then, he slowly looked around Zich and his surroundings. He saw the dead corpses of his species, and veins bulged out on his face.

    ¡°¡­Is this your doing?¡±

    ¡°Ah, this?¡± Zich lightly kicked the elf corpses a few times. ¡°I killed them because I thought they might make too much noise.¡±

    Then Zich smirked at the elves in front of him. ¡°Ah, was I not supposed to kill him? Is he perhaps your younger brother? If that¡¯s true, then I apologize. I¡¯m sorry.¡±

    Then Zich took out a coin from his pocket and threw it towards themanding officer. Even in the human world, it was almost a worthless coin.

    ¡°Can¡¯t you forgive me for this? I¡¯m just saying this because I don¡¯t have much money, but wasn¡¯t your brother just a piece of trash who was going to rip you off? If you think about that, shouldn¡¯t I receive money for taking care of him?¡±

    Zich made a perfectly sincere face as if he really felt regretful. Themanding officer¡¯s face turned red. The faces of the elves behind him also became more stiff. Zich tilted his head and kicked the corpse again. ¡°What? Was this guy not your brother?! No way! Your stupid and worthless brother who rips you off is still alive? I¡¯m sorry. This is my mistake, so stop ring at me like that and tell me where your brother is¡ª¡±

    ¡°Catch himmmm!¡± Themanding officer screamed until his throat felt as if it would explode. The soldiers also gritted their teeth and shot arrows at Zich. However, Zich swung Windur and struck all the arrows.

    sh! sh! sh!

    A few of the soldiers took out their swords, and Zich ran towards them. The rest of the elf soldiers kept shooting arrows at him. As expected of elves, the elves that were shooting at Zich had very impressive shooting skills. However, Zich easily struck all the arrows down again and had enough time to whistle.

    nk! nk! nk!

    Suddenly, the sound of sharp metal could be heard, and fully armed soldiers poured out from both sides.

    ¡°Huh? What?¡±

    Themanding officer was bewildered. His soldiers also stopped attacking Zich and stared at the armored soldiers.

    Zich loudly shouted, ¡°Haha! It¡¯s war, you bastards! It¡¯s the holy and preciousnd of noble elves! There¡¯s going to be a ton of precious and expensive goods, so take a lot for yourselves!¡±

    ¡°Hyaaaaaaaat!¡± The armored soldiers cried loudly and ran towards the elves.

    ¡°Who the heck are these bastards?¡±

    ¡°Where the hell did theye from?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t be taken aback!¡± Themanding officer shouted to his soldiers and continued, ¡°Get into line formation and stand against them! Our reinforcements areing soon¡ª!¡±

    ¡°No.¡± A shiver ran down themanding officer¡¯s back. He tried to quickly swing his sword, but before he could, a sword pierced through his chest.

    ¡°Agh!!¡±

    With trembling eyes, themanding officer looked at the individual that pierced him. The human that mocked him was standing in front of him before he realized it.

    ¡°It¡¯smon knowledge to kill themanding officers first.¡±

    Ssh!

    Zich took out his sword, and blood sttered everywhere. Themanding officer copsed immediately to the ground. Before he fell, all he could see were his soldiers that were sprawled on the ground with blood flowing out and the armored soldiers ughtering his other subordinates.

    * * *

    Mentis was in a frenzy. A group of armed soldiers suddenly appeared and swept the ind. The Iron Tribe was slow to react, because in order to prevent any intruders, most of their military force was allocated around the bridge. The soldiers that were spread out on the ind were stationed there to respond against small groups of elite guards or soldiers sent to rescue the hostages.

    Yet, no one expected arge number of troops to enter the ind from the rear side.

    ¡°What¡¯s all thismotion!¡± the Iron Tribe¡¯s king, Reno un tu Dras, asked his subordinate.

    ¡°Intruders have entered through the ind¡¯s rear area!¡±

    ¡°Why is there so muchmotion for a few intruders!¡±

    Regardless of how skilled and elite the infiltrators were, it was bewildering to be pushed back like this by a few infiltrators. However, his subordinate contradicted his words.

    ¡°Sir, it¡¯s not just a few intruders! There¡¯s a significantly high number of enemies!¡±

    ¡°What do you mean by a significantly high number of enemies! How could such arge number of troops enter from the rear! What were the guards doing! I kept telling them to watch out for any intruders travelling by boat!¡±

    ¡°Sir, we checked, but no boats came near this ind!¡±

    ¡°Then how the hell did those bastards infiltrate this ind!¡±

    The subordinate bowed his head, as he was unable to answer. Reno huffed for a while and then finally spoke again.

    ¡°Which tribe is it!¡±

    ¡°Sir, it¡¯s not a tribe!¡±

    Renu was bbergasted by his subordinate¡¯s next line.

    ¡°Our opponent is a human!¡±

 Chapter 194

    <h4>Chapter 194</h4>

    The chaos in Mentis continued. Zich took the lead in ughtering the elves, and from behind, armored soldiers followed. The soldiers randomly poured into nearby houses, but there was nothing in those houses except some flesh and bones.

    <<Boss! There¡¯s nothing inside the house!>> one of the soldiers said to Zich, making him scowl.

    ¡°How¡¯s that possible! They told me that this area was a sacred ce for the elves! How could there not even be a treasure!¡±

    <<But there really is nothing, sir!>>

    Slice!

    Zich sliced the leg of one of the elvesing towards him. The elf copsed with a loud scream.

    ¡°Tch! Maybe I really do have to clear out a ce that looks like it has something.¡± Zich stared at arge structure in the middle of an ind. It was made of a pile of white rocks and looked like a storybook castle that kings lived in.

    Zich kicked the screaming elves by his ankles and pushed them aside with his feet. Then, he carelessly deflected the arrows flying his way and pointed at the castle in the middle of the ind with Windur.

    ¡°Attack that castle! Everyone searching this house, get out!¡± Zichmanded and took the lead again while slicing some elves.

    However, even if Zich took the lead by slicing elves and his subordinates wore sturdy armor, there was a limit caused by the difference between numbers. As the elves in Mentis officially began to coborate, the advance of Zich¡¯s army slowed down.

    <<Boss! There are too many enemies!>>

    ¡°I know!¡± Zich answered as he struck an elf away with a punch. The elf¡¯s body flew away like a piece of paper and stuck to a building on the side.

    ¡°Damn it! Usually, only a couple of elves manage this ce! Why are there so many of them right now!¡±

    <<It seems like we obtained the wrong information!>>

    ¡°It can¡¯t be helped.¡± Zich put a lot of pressure into his neck and even used mana to shout, ¡°Retreat!¡±

    The armored soldiers suddenly stopped attacking, and then they began to slowly back away.

    ¡°Where are you trying to retreat, you bastards!¡± A nearby elf screamed at the top of his lungs and rushed towards them.

    ng!

    Windur blocked the elf¡¯s sword. Windur¡¯s branch-like de tangled itself against the elf¡¯s sword, and Zich twisted his wrist to tilt Windur.

    ng!

    The elf¡¯s sword split in half with a clear sound.

    ¡°I can do whatever I want,¡± Zich responded.

    Punch!

    The elf was stunned that his sword broke against Windur, and Zich punched him in the face. As blood and teeth scattered in the air, the elf rolled away in the ground.

    ¡°Retreat! Retreat, you guys!¡± Zich continued to call upon his army to retreat while backing away. The armored soldiers in the back escaped in unison while the soldiers in front took slow steps backwards.

    Meanwhile, the elves rushed towards them with fiery eyes at the sight of their deadpanions. Their intentions were clear: not one of their opponents would leave this ce alive. However, themand they soon heard from behind broke their pace.

    ¡°Stop! Stop! Don¡¯t just chase after them hastily!¡± There was no way that elves with good hearing failed to hear themand; besides, this voice belonged to their general.

    In their hearts, the elves wanted to go after their enemies and slit their throats, but they couldn¡¯t disobey their general¡¯smands. While gritting their teeth, the elves slowed their chasing, and Zich and his soldiers used that chance to widen the distance between them.

    ¡°Their whole army has slowed down!¡±

    ¡°Good!¡± Zich announced.

    Kandis Lau Elibi, the general of the Iron Tribe, clenched his fist tightly after leaving the battlefield.

    ¡°Maintain a constant distance! While maintaining our distance, continue to corner them! They¡¯re heading toward nothing else but theke anyway!¡±

    Themanders in between the lines spread the general¡¯smands. Kandis gritted his teeth and snarled, ¡°I don¡¯t know how they got in here, but it¡¯s going to be a great mistake on their part if they think they can get out of this ce in one piece!¡±

    ¡°We don¡¯t know how they came here without notice! They might use the same method to retreat and escape!¡± his officer replied.

    ¡°That¡¯s why I ammanding the troops to maintain their distance. Whether they rode a ship or swam here, we can use that moment to attack them. This ce is our base anyways,¡± Kandis exined andmanded, ¡°Continue to shoot your arrows! Inflict damage on them!¡±

    In the dark sky over Mentis, a cloud of arrows shot in unison and fell. Perhaps it was because of their thick armor, but not many people were affected by the arrows.

    ¡®What kind of people are they that they have mithril armors!¡¯ Kandis thought.

    Elf arrows and bows were different from those of humans, and since they were imbued with mana, the arrows easily pierced through steel tes. Surprisingly enough, their arrows failed to pierce through the armor and bounced off. There were some who copsed from the impact of the attack, but the other armored soldiers quickly supported them and retreated.

    Kandis narrowed his eyes. ¡®They can afford to do that while retreating?¡¯

    It clearly looked like heavy armor, but Kandis¡¯ opponents went to retrieve the fallen with no hesitation.

    ¡®Should I get closer?¡¯ Kandis wondered but shook his head.

    The Iron Tribe might enter a war with other elf tribes because of a single mishap. He was certain that other elf tribes had their hidden forces across Mentis¡¯ bridge, and because of that, the troops near the bridge couldn¡¯t move since the other tribes¡¯ troops might burst in after hearing themotion.

    ¡®I can¡¯t even request backup from the main office.¡¯

    Even at the main office, troops from other elf tribes would be on standby. The Iron Tribe¡¯s position was different from the other tribes¡ªthey were barely maintaining their stance by holding leaders from several tribes as captives.

    ¡®We have to save the troops we have right now no matter what! There are no more support forces!¡¯ Kandis thought.

    Thankfully, they had prepared tons of arrows. It seemed like they wouldn¡¯t have any problems using up a good portion of their stock.

    ¡°Continue to shoot!¡± In the end, Kandis tried to annihte his enemies¡¯ troops by maintaining his distance even though his opponents¡¯ armor was hard¡ªsome of them fell to their attacks. Not long afterward, they were able to corner Zich¡¯spanions next to theke. They kept pushing Zich¡¯spanions further, and now, there was nowhere for them to go¡ªthis was what Kandis had thought.

    ¡°What?¡± However, he soon became puzzled. ¡®The number of enemies¡­¡¯

    From a nce, it was obvious that the number of enemies had greatly decreased. He turned back and looked around his surroundings.

    ¡®They disappeared!¡¯

    If the number of enemies disappeared, there should be corpses left behind, or at least some injured soldiers. However, the only thing he could see were impressions in the ground caused by arge number of soldiers passing by.

    ¡®During that short amount of time, they were able to escape? They didn¡¯t infiltrate by ships or swimming?¡¯ His instincts sensed a crisis.

    ¡°All forces, charge forward! Crush your enemies!¡± Kandis quickly made an order. ¡®It¡¯s not time for me to worry about exhausting the troops! If I don¡¯t find out how they infiltrated this ce, there¡¯s going to be a hole in the boundary!¡¯

    He needed to at least capture one soldier as hostage and get information out of them. With Kandis¡¯mand, the elves flocked forward. They gritted their teeth against their enemies that massacred theirrades in the middle of the night. However, the armored soldiers didn¡¯t face them. They turned their backs and ran towards the nearest building.

    ¡°Surround them!¡±

    The elves split into two groups, and one group followed their enemies and the other went inside the building. The elves nned to block their enemies from the front. However, they failed to corner them.

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    The elves who went to surround their enemies looked at each other, but the only thing they could do was dumbly cry out in surprise. They could only see their own kind, and their enemies were nowhere to be found. They nced at both sides, looked up, and then looked at the ground, but there was no trace of them. The elves looked at each other with shock on their faces. A deputy officer reported to Kandis about what happened.

    ¡°What the fuck are you saying!¡± Kandis yelled at the deputy officer with a red face. However, even if he yelled at the deputy officer, it wasn¡¯t as if the disappeared enemies would suddenly reappear. Kandis made another order.

    ¡°Investigate immediately! Look around the ces where they disappeared first! If you guys find even one piece of armor, report to me right away!¡±

    The elf soldiers scattered all over the ce. While holding torches, they ran through the streets and checked dark alleyways, rocky shores, and even searched underwater and tried digging in the ground. They also looked up at the sky, but there was no trace of their enemies. They hadpletely disappeared.

    Kandis was dumbfounded by the sudden disappearance of so many troops.

    ¡°How could such a thing happen¡­¡±

    How was he going to report to the King? Kandis felt his mind grow faint.

    * * *

    Zich opened his eyes. He brushed off his whole body, and small bits of dirt fell off. After also brushing the dirt off his hair, he walked to the passage in front of him.

    ¡°Wee back.¡± L was the one to first greet him.

    ¡°Where is Snoc?¡±

    ¡°There.¡± L pointed at a corner. A fatigued Snoc bowed his head at Zich.

    ¡°Sir, have you arrived?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, you worked hard. You did a really good job today.¡±

    Even while he was exhausted, Snoc smiled. The biggest contributor to this operation was Snoc. If it hadn¡¯t been for him, it would have been impossible to ¡®stage¡¯ such arge number of troops. Zich tapped his shoulder one more time and then looked back at L.

    ¡°How many are damaged?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s quite a lot.¡± L pointed at a different corner this time. There, arge mountain of armored soldiers that recently fought with elves could be found. The mountain pile looked as if the bodies of dead knights were piled together. However, to the Iron Tribe¡¯s mortification, the pieces of armor that had fiercely battled against them werepletely empty.

    Snoc shook his head as he said, ¡°As expected of elf arrows, even though I strengthened the metal to a great extent, the arrows go right through them.¡±

    Zich scanned the nearest set of armor. There was a hole from an elf arrow and some bloodstains, but this did not matter. Zich had no ns to criticize Snoc for just this.

    ¡°No, this is enough. In the first ce, I didn¡¯t think we would be able topletely block them anyways.¡±

    Their opponent was an elite elf troop. No matter how hard the armor was, unless they were extremely rare metals like mithril, it was futile to expect that they would be able to perfectly block all the elves¡¯ attacks.

    ¡°My ¡®getting injured¡¯ y was also perfect.¡±

    The humanlike armored figures that followed Zich were all ¡®empty armor¡¯ controlled by Snoc. Obviously, Zich stole the idea from Midas who had ambushed them with empty armored figures. As soon as Zich realized how effective the empty armored figures were, he immediately trained Snoc to do the same thing. Snoc¡¯s abilities were actually way better than Midas¡¯. While Midas could only control gold, Snoc could control all earth minerals. Unlike Midas who embedded gold in the armored figures¡¯ limbs to control the armor, Snoc could control the armor too.

    As expected of Zich¡¯s training, the training to control armored figures was extremely tough. Zich was not satisfied with Snoc being able to control only a couple. As soon as Snoc showed the smallest sign that he got used to the amount of armor he could control, Zich increased the number. Fortunately, Midas had gathered a lot of armor during his time, so it was not difficult for Zich to obtain more.

    ¡®He also probably collected a whole bunch just in case something happened in the future.¡¯

    Like this, Zich and hispanions were able to make arge army of soldiers for Zich. Of course, even Snoc couldn¡¯t control such arge amount of armor by himself. He had to borrow L¡¯s powers.

 Chapter 195

    <h4>Chapter 195</h4>

    It was true that Snoc controlled a considerable number of armored soldiers, but he didn¡¯t do it alone (his ability wasn¡¯t at that level yet). The only ones he controlled were those who fought directly on the frontlines of battle, while the rest were L¡¯s golems.

    Even if they were golems, they were in a different league from the mithril golems that the party fought before in the ancient ruin. L¡¯s golems simply rushed around in groups followingmand, and none of them could engage in a proper battle. Of course, it wasn¡¯t that L¡¯s skills werecking. Well, even considering that they used up a whole bunch of gems and mithril, the fact that she was able to make a massive amount of golems that could mimic human movements in such a short amount of time clearly disyed her incredible talent.

    Yet, L herself didn¡¯t seem to be satisfied with her creation. ¡°No matter how rushed I was, I can¡¯t believe I made such useless, trashy golems¡­.¡±

    However, Zich and hispanions didn¡¯t need golems any stronger than the ones they currently had. They didn¡¯t need much power either. The elves just needed to think that there was a great number of humans. Moreover, theycked the time required for L to create golems to her satisfaction¡ªby a lot.

    ¡®She will probably destroy even high-quality golems saying that she doesn¡¯t like them,¡¯ Zich thought. L was like a master creator.

    They also didn¡¯t intend to carry out their n sloppily. Inside each armor, they ced a small pouch full of animal blood to make a great disy of blood flowing out. All that was left for them to do was ce armored soldiers and golems inside the magic box and take them out after trespassing.

    It was the same when retreating. In the midst of the chaos, Zich continued stuffing the armored soldiers into the magic box. After he hid behind a building andpletely escaped his enemies¡¯ eyes, Zich stored all of them back inside. Lastly, he just had to bring his physical self to safety, and that was an easy task to do.

    ¡°You should go to sleep. You will have to keep doing things like this,¡± Zich said to Snoc.

    ¡°Yes, sir.¡± Snoc was a little tired, and he carefully hugged Nowem, who was dozing off on his shoulder and headed towards his room.

    Zich also sent Hans to his room. While wearing armor, Hans had been helping Zich all along too. Even if Snoc controlled the armored soldiers and L handled the rest with her golems, the n was able to run more smoothly with a skilled figure who could move on their own judgments. Besides, Hans also kept making conversation with Zich and yed the role of someone who lightened (?) up the atmosphere.

    After Hans and Snoc disappeared, Zich asked L, ¡°Did you find it?¡±

    ¡°Here, I marked the locations.¡± L handed him a scroll. Zich took it and spread it out. It was the map that Dornian had given them. Apart from the previous marks, which showed the most likely ces for the captives to exist, there were new marks that L had drawn.

    While Zich was running around Mentis, L quietly searched around the city from the sky. Then, she assessed the troops¡¯ movements in detail and recorded them on the map. The purpose of this was to pinpoint where the captives were.

    ¡°For now, this ce and this ce don¡¯t seem likely. There were too few troopsing out of them.¡± With her fingers, L pointed at each of the marks with her hands. There were already X marks on them.

    ¡°This ce and this one are the same. There are too many troopsing out of them like they are the soldiers¡¯ main residence.¡±

    ¡°Where are the suspicious ces?¡±

    ¡°Here,¡± L pointed at one ce. ¡°No troops left this area.¡±

    ¡°It isn¡¯t empty, right?¡±

    ¡°There were some lights inside. I saw some soldiers leave the building to assess the situation, but no one participated in the battle. Instead, they went around the building and strengthened their defenses. The reason behind their actions seems obvious.¡±

    ¡°It means they are protecting something important inside that building,¡± Zich smirked. ¡°It wouldn¡¯t be theirmand center or anything like that, right?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a small building with two floors¡ªnot the type of ce that ¡®elite people¡¯ would prefer. Judging by the troops¡¯ movements, I think the head of the Iron Tribe is in the castle we saw earlier.¡±

    ¡°Normally, they would stay in ces like that.¡±

    ¡°So, what are you going to do now?¡± There was a bit of nervousness mixed in L¡¯s voice. Like she was searching for Zich¡¯s reaction, her eyes kept ncing at him from time to time.

    ¡°We have to search that ce for now since we simply found a ce with a high possibility. We aren¡¯t actually sure if the captives are there or not.¡±

    L felt a bit more relieved after hearing Zich¡¯s response. She thought, ¡®Thankfully, it doesn¡¯t seem like he ns to extend this war for long.¡¯

    Demon Lord Zich Moore would¡¯ve tried to lengthen the amount of time he could wreak havoc as much as possible; currently, Zich didn¡¯t seem to show that aspect of the Demon Lord yet.

    ¡®I hope he can continue to be like this¡­.¡¯ L thought.

    Whether or not Zich was aware of L¡¯s worries, Zich pointed at a part of the map. ¡°We should attack from here next time.¡±

    ¡°You are not going to where the captives are right away?¡±

    ¡°We might be found out as coborators of the Lake Tribe then. We still have to be guys who came to steal the elves¡¯ treasure.¡±

    ¡°Then should we start getting ready to sleep to prepare for tomorrow?¡± Zich stared at the ceiling. ¡°Even though this isn¡¯t asfortable as staying in a house, it¡¯s a prettyfortable basement.¡±

    Surprisingly, the ce they were currently in was arge underground basement, deep below Mentis. Snoc infiltrated Mentisst night and worked hard in digging the basement without the Iron Tribe finding out. The floor, ceiling, and walls were all made out of dirt, but the basement was very sturdy since it was made with great care. The basement probably wouldn¡¯t crumble from usual earthquakes. It was also very deep underground, so there was a meager chance that the elves would be able to find their location.

    ¡®The air is stuffy, but we just have to live with it.¡¯

    Even though they drilled vents on top of the ceiling, they were deep underground, so the air cirction was bound to be insufficient. However, Zich¡¯spanions were used to sleeping in all sorts of ces thanks to Zich¡¯s traveling style. Soon enough, everyone fell asleep one by one.

    * * *

    The Iron Tribe was bewildered by the troop of human soldiers that suddenly appeared and suddenly disappeared. They naturally strengthened their defenses and boundaries. They brightened up their fires and increased the number of soldiers patrolling. Moreover, Kandis, who was usually asleep during this time, was patrolling around the whole ind. Thus, the soldiers had no choice but to be on full alert.

    ¡®Those fucking bastards!¡¯

    Whenever Kandis thought about yesterday¡¯s events, he was filled with fury. As the general of the Iron Tribe¡¯s army, he felt proud to take on such an essential role in a n to flourish the prosperity of his tribe; his confidence and pride were reaching toward the heavens. If this n turned out sessful, the Iron Tribe would be the owners of the entire Adrowon forest region and perhaps even extend its powers to the human realm. Then, as one of the top leaders of the n, Kandis would be able to gain a tremendous amount of wealth and honor and be a highly regarded general. For that reason, he wanted to carry out this n without the slightest hitch. Before yesterday, everything seemed to have been going perfectly.

    The other tribes couldn¡¯t easily approach them because of the hostages, and they were able to sessfully capture and kill the asional scouts who infiltrated inside. Everything was going so smoothly that they were even losing a bit of steam.

    However, in just one night, theirplete triumph was shattered. A troop that seemed to be made up of humans infiltrated the ind. They suddenly appeared at Mentis and caused chaos throughout the whole ind, and at the same time, many of their tribe members died. Since they had to conserve as much power as possible, it was a significant loss for them. Moreover, their enemies were able to escape Mentis without even leaving a corpse behind. Kandis gritted his teeth. He had no idea how they were able to escape.

    ¡°Damn it!¡± Kandis unintentionally swore out loud. His soldiers scooted away from him as they saw that he was in a bad mood. If they happened to cross him, they would get into a lot of needless trouble. Kandis was not a kind boss.

    ¡®How the heck were they able to escape!¡¯

    Without caring at all about what his soldiers thought, Kandis continued to contemte how his enemies escaped. Because of this matter, he received all kinds of insults and humiliation from his King without being able to retort a single word. For that reason, he wished with all his might that those humans would appear again.

    ¡®This time, I¡¯m going to perfectly capture all of them!¡¯

    He was not going to let a single one escape and chew them up extremely thoroughly. It was at that moment that he heard a loud shout. ¡°Enemies! It¡¯s the same enemies from yesterday! They have infiltrated the ce again!¡±

    Kandis¡¯ bloodshot eyes glistened.

    * * *

    ¡°Capture them!¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t let them escape!¡±

    The elves shouted out loud and headed towards the same destination. The sight of them running around with torches and weapons was intense and fearsome. However, since they were focused so much on one area, they paid little attention to a different site. While a frightening number of torch lights gathered and converged in one ce, the opposite side solidified and expanded its darkness. In the dark, someone was quietly moving.

    Tap!

    Zich slipped inside one of the buildings that had its lights turned off. He pushed down his robe further and quietly sensed his surroundings.

    ¡®There are hardly any elves around here.¡¯

    Zich climbed to the rooftop of the building, and he saw bright lights gathered in one area. It was the area where the elves and armored soldiers were fighting fiercely against each other. Today, Zich nned to infiltrate the building that L suggested and look for hostages. The person that was leading the armored soldiers today was Hans. Zich looked in the direction of the battle once and quickly turned his head back.

    ¡®He¡¯ll probably do well.¡¯

    Surprisingly, Zich deeply trusted Hans¡¯ ability and skills.

    ¡®Since I taught him, he should be able to at least perform this much.¡¯

    Of course, Zich¡¯s trust in Hans stemmed from himself. This infiltration mission was much more tricky than usual infiltration missions because they wouldn¡¯t be able to kill any elves. If the elves near the hostages were killed, the Iron Tribe might be suspicious that the human troops were rted to the other elf tribes.

    ¡®I wish I could capture one as hostage and torture information out of them.¡¯

    However, torture didn¡¯t work on trained elves. Zich experienced this several times before his regression.

    ¡®My words didn¡¯t get through them at all.¡¯

    Zich avoided the few elves that were left behind and continued to move. Soon after, he was able to reach his destination. It was a tall, two-story building made out of stone. It was pretty big, but it didn¡¯t look special at all. Zich scanned the building and began his mission.

 Chapter 196

    <h4>Chapter 196</h4>

    They felt a considerable number of presences inside the building. However, they weren¡¯t certain if the presences they sensed were the captives. They needed to check it with their own eyes to make sure.

    ¡®It seems like there¡¯s a high possibility though.¡¯

    The group went to the door of the first floor where most people were gathered. The people inside were cautious about the sudden intruder and scattered all over the house to conduct a search. However, Zich was more concerned about the unmoving presences on the second floor of the building.

    ¡®There are three of them in each room.¡¯

    Among the three, two of them were close together while one was a slight distance away. Sensing that, Zich thought, ¡®Looks like two of them are guarding one imprisoned person.¡¯

    It appeared that they had imprisoned one captive in each room. Usually, it was better to distribute the captives in entirely separate buildings, but it seemed like they had gathered them inside one building for logistics reasons. Zich felt three presences in each group and a total of eight groups.

    ¡®Five elf tribes. One of them is the Iron Tribe, so the total number of tribes with missing captives is four. Since they are a pair of kings and queens, eight is the right number.¡¯

    Yet, Zich wasn¡¯t satisfied.

    ¡®What about the shaman?¡¯

    The shaman was the mother of the Lake Tribe¡¯s king and Leona¡¯s grandmother. She was also the reason why Zich hade to the Great Adrowon Forest. ording to Dronian, the Lake Tribe was the only tribe where even the shaman was captured. Only kings and queens were kidnapped from other ns; but in the first ce, a shaman who carried the Lake¡¯s Tear only existed in the Lake Tribe.

    ¡®Then, there should be nine groups.¡¯ Zich had to make sure. ¡®I have to know whether one is missing or if they are not the captives.¡¯

    Zich carefully clung to the window. Then, he activated the new artifact that L had made for him this time.

    ¡®She really is a genius.¡¯ Zich rolled his tongue at his body that was slowly bing transparent. Others wouldn¡¯t be able to find him or sense his presence even if he breathed deeply. Like the artifact that L had made for him before, the item possessed abilities to make him transparent and erase his presence. However, its quality and abilities were superior to the artifacts that L had quickly made before.

    ¡®How did she just make something like this in the middle of traveling without a magic workshop or a research center?¡¯

    She had also given him the artifact incredulously. Zich recalled her words: ¡®I just made it while thinking about what happened before. Use it well.¡¯ Then, she threw the bracelet, which was the artifact, to Zich and even stunned thetter for a moment.

    ¡®If I were a normal guy, I would have fallen in love with her at that moment.¡¯ Zich chuckled and stared out of the window. Then, seeing that there were thick bars stuck on the window, he thought, ¡®I guess I can¡¯t trespass through the window.¡¯

    Zich tried touching the bars. The cold metal shocked his fingers, and he tried pulling it.

    ¡®It doesn¡¯t seem like normal metal either.¡¯ It was probably mixed with rare minerals to increase its durability.

    ¡®They wouldn¡¯t utilize so much of their expenses to stop a simple thief.¡¯ ¨CEspecially in a normal-looking building like this one.

    ¡®This increases the likelihood of captives being held here.¡¯

    Zich jumped. He hung from the second floor¡¯s window frames and stuck close to the wall. Then, he stood there quietly for a while.

    ¡®¡­Is there anyone approaching nearby?¡¯

    No matter how quietly he tried to move, he couldn¡¯t help but make some noise as he hung from the window frame. Furthermore, his opponents were elves who had annoyingly great hearing. Fortunately, none of the elves seemed to notice him, perhaps because of themotion outside or the battle taking ce in the distance.

    Zich ced more strength in his arms and lifted his body. Then, he searched inside the room through the window.

    ¡®¡­It seems like I¡¯ve found them.¡¯

    Inside the room, an elf was sitting on a bed with his eyes tightly shut. He wasn¡¯t the Lake Tribe king, queen, or shaman. Since Dronian had shown pictures of them before Zich arrived at Mentis, he could clearly distinguish them. Regardless, Zich could tell the elf was a captive by his gaunt and scrawny appearance and especially by the clothes he was wearing.

    ¡®I think he is the Mountain Tribe¡¯s king.¡¯

    It seemed certain since a magnificent mountain was threaded onto the chest area of the clothes he was wearing. Like a monkey, Zich went across the windows and checked all the rooms on the second floor. There was a window attached to every room, so he was able to check all of them. It was around the fifth window when he thought¡ª

    ¡®I found him!¡¯ Zich saw a man who looked exactly like the portrait that Dornian had shown him.

    ¡®Is he the Lake Tribe¡¯s king?¡¯

    That meant he was also Leona¡¯s father. The king looked a bit haggard, but it didn¡¯t seem like there were any problems with his health. Hisplexion looked fine while there was still a strong glint in his eyes. Then, Zich checked the rest of the rooms.

    ¡®It seems like all the kings and queens are here.¡¯

    But there was one person missing; he couldn¡¯t find the Lake Tribe¡¯s shaman anywhere.

    ¡®Should I look somewhere else or try asking?¡¯

    The captives might know where the shaman was, but, he would have to reveal his identity.

    ¡®I don¡¯t think they would hand me over to the Iron Tribe, but they might not be able to hide the fact that they met me.¡¯

    Of course, since they were kings and queens of a county, they probably were more skilled at concealing their feelings than most beings, but Zich couldn¡¯t erase the tiny possibility of having his identity revealed if he talked to them. Moreover, Zich didn¡¯t intend to save the captives right away.

    ¡®Their lives don¡¯t seem to be threatened right now, so if I¡¯m going to save them, I should save the shaman too while I am at it.¡¯ While thinking that, Zich decided to back away for today.

    ¡®Other captives might have no idea where the shaman is too.¡¯ Then, Zich stared at the castle in the middle of the ind.

    * * *

    When Zich arrived at the castle, themotion had died down. All in all, the conflict wasn¡¯t something that wouldst a long time; their first priority was to conceal the fact that most of their troops were made from soulless, shell-like armor pieces rather than inflicting casualties on the Iron Tribe.

    ¡®Wested pretty long.¡¯

    Zich lightlyplimented Snoc and Hans inside his mind for fulfilling the mission better than he expected. It was not hard to realize that their n was a resounding sess.

    -Aghhhhhhh!

    A loud, furious cry resounded from a distance. Zich smirked.

    ¡®It¡¯s that guy.¡¯

    Zich guessed that the individual who just made the cry was themanding general of the Iron Tribe. He was sure that it was the same elf who led the army of elves yesterday.

    ¡®The way his expression changed was an amazing sight to see in battle.¡¯

    Zich felt regretful that he couldn¡¯t see the elf general¡¯s face in front of him, but he soon dropped this thought.

    ¡®Well, this is not the only chance.¡¯

    Even though Zich had finished his business in this building, he didn¡¯t immediately withdraw. Since the elf soldiers were probably going to run around frantically to find the missing armored soldiers, he still had some time.

    ¡®Moreover, I don¡¯t want to use those for too long.¡¯

    No matter how well they acted, it was hard to keep hiding the fact that the armored figures were actually empty. Before getting caught, they had to use the armor as much as they could. Zich quietlynded near the castle. He considered how long he had until the invisibility and presence-covering magic disappeared.

    ¡®I have enough time.¡¯

    Zich slowly infiltrated the castle. The neatly cut stones of the castle reflected the bright moonlight and gave the whole castle a cold image.

    ¡®It really doesn¡¯t look like a ce that elves normally live in.¡¯ Zich thought as he looked around the castle. However, this wasn¡¯t the time for him to contemte and ponder about why the castle¡¯s design was not like other elf dwellings.

    ¡®If the shaman was captured, where would they have put her here?¡¯

    He could immediately think of two possibilities: a tall spire or a dungeon.

    ¡®And why did they put only the shaman in a different ce?¡¯

    It wasn¡¯t as if there were no more rooms in the building with the other hostages. Zich thought there must be a specific reason, significant or not, as to why they specifically separated one individual from the rest.

    ¡®They might need her for a specific n.¡¯

    However, Zich was going to think more about this after finding the shaman first. In order to sense presences around him, he increased the range of his sensing abilities.

    ¡®¡­What?¡¯ Zich dumbly murmured to himself. He closed his eyes and increased his concentration, but the result was the same.

    ¡®What the heck?¡¯

    He had a hard time sensing any presence. It was as if someone was interfering with his senses. Zich recalled a time when he felt this stuffy feeling, as if someone was putting a blindfold on his eyes¡ªit was in Violuwin¡¯s ruin.

    ¡®Perhaps, this cas¡­¡¯ Zich widened his eyes and looked at the top of the castle. Zich strained to move his neck far back to see the top of the castle, and the darkness from the top seemed to peer down at him.

    ¡®Is it a remnant from an ancient ruin?¡¯

    Then everything made sense. Now, he could understand why the buildings and structures in Mentis didn¡¯t follow normal elf architectural designs.

    ¡®It didn¡¯t belong to the elves in the first ce.¡¯

    Without realizing it, Zich patted Windur in his arms. As if Windur judged that this mission was a significant event, Windu morphed into a small dagger and peacefully slept in Zich¡¯s arms. Zich smiled. He wanted to immediately burst outughing as he never imagined that he would be able to find more remnants of the ancient empire like this. It had really been a good decision for him to follow Leona. However, Zich quickly repressed this thought and emotion.

    ¡®No, I have to calm down. Nothing is certain yet.¡¯

    The castle could just coincidentally have the same powers as the ruins of the ancient empire. Moreover, elves from the past could have preferred to live in stone buildings rather than in trees like modern elves. However, it was also true that there was now a strong possibility that Mentis had a connection to the ancient empire.

    ¡®I have to make sure the elves be really indebted to me.¡¯

    He wanted them to be indebted to the point where the elves would be understanding if he investigated every inch of Mentis. Zich began moving again, but more cautiously than before.

    ¡®If this ce really has the same powers as the other ruins of the ancient empire, I might not be able to easily escape.¡¯

    The ancient ruin was a ce where L¡¯s teleportation magic and Snoc¡¯s ability to control the earth were cut off. If he was captured here, Zich would only have the strength to make his escape. But he had no ns to move out just because he thought the situation was dangerous.

    ¡®Should I check the basement first?¡¯

    When thinking about imprisoning someone, the first image that came to Zich¡¯s mind was a prison; and normally, prisons were in the basement.

    ¡®A princess would be in a tall spire, but this time, I¡¯m looking for a shaman.¡¯

    Zich chuckled at his own joke and looked for stairs to go down the basement. It was not difficult to find the stairs. In a hole that looked as if several stones had been pulled out of the floor, there was a staircase leading down to the lower floors. However, the security around that ce was extremely tight. There were eight armed elves guarding the staircase.

    It was clear that they were guarding something very important. Zich carefully approached the staircase. Thanks to L¡¯s artifact, the guards weren¡¯t able to see Zich. Moreover, the artifact hid Zich¡¯s presence, and Zich was also extremely skilled at hiding his presence too. However, Zich still took great care to remain hidden, because the invisibility effect wasn¡¯t perfect and elves had superior senses and instinctspared to normal humans.

    Zich continued to carefully move towards the staircase, and fortunately, he was able to reach the staircase without much trouble. He went down the basement, and torches were zing underground, which was amon sight. Since the basement barely received any light, there were usually torches to help people see. However, the torches piqued Zich¡¯s interest.

    ¡®There¡¯s too many of them?¡¯

    The basement wasn¡¯t an area that was used often. It was mostly used as a storage ce. For that reason, there usually weren''t many torches in the basement¡ªespecially if it was being used as a prison. However, this basement was very bright from all the torches lighting up the whole area.

    ¡®There¡¯s definitely something down here.¡¯

    Zich continued to go down. Buildings usually had an underground floor just below the ground floor, but this basement floor continued to go down without an end in sight. After a while, Zich finally reached the end of the stairs and arrived at arge space. In that space, Zich found the shaman.

 Chapter 197

    <h4>Chapter 197</h4>

    The ce was wide and long. Tall walls lined both sides and supported a circr arch-shaped roof. It was arge structure shaped like an aisle, and at the end of the opposite side of the entrance, there was the shaman. She wasn¡¯t in a good state. Like the other imprisoned captives, she looked very haggard. Next to her sides, there were two elves who looked around intently while holding spears. Furthermore, there was another elf in front of her.

    ¡°Have you still not changed your mind, Lake Tribe shaman?¡± the person asked with a voice filled with deep charisma.

    Zich was sure that at the very least, he wasn¡¯t someone who would work under another person and had a formidable personality.

    The shaman parted her lips to answer him. As expected of an elf, she possessed a youthful and beautiful appearance that made it difficult to believe that she was Leona¡¯s grandmother. When she spoke, even the voice that flowed out of her mouth sounded extremely beautiful. ¡°You fetus shit, what fucking nonsense are you saying? Rather than listening to your words, I would rather kiss the ass of an orc and call them mama and papa, you bald bastard.¡±

    ¡®Hmph!¡¯ Zich almost burst out inughter but managed to suppress it. With her voice that made listeners think of a beautiful song, the shaman spat out curses and harsh words that insulted her captor.

    Zich checked the owner of the voice again. It wasn¡¯t a mistake. She looked exactly like the portrait Dronian had shown him. She really was the Lake Tribe¡¯s shaman, Romanne Wensing Droud.

    ¡®Um, I mean there¡¯s no rule saying that a shaman must only speak kindly and politely.¡¯

    For all anyone knew, the spirits whomunicated with her might all have nasty personalities and spit out curses as if they were breathing.

    ¡®Whatever the case is, I¡¯m sure that she is someone who is my type.¡¯ Of course, Zich didn¡¯t mean this in a romantic way.

    The elf guarding the shaman shouted, ¡°How dare you! In front of His Majesty!¡±

    Hearing this, Zich realized the identity of the person in front of the shaman. ¡®Ah, that guy must be the king of the Iron Tribe.¡¯

    ¡°His Majesty? His Majeeeesty? Ah, oh right. You must be talking about that half-wit who approved of a stupid ass n to capture all the kings and queens of the other tribes as captives. No, is the one who came up with this stupid ass n His Majesty? Huh, then doesn¡¯t that still make him a dim-wit bastard?¡±

    ¡°How dare you!¡± The elf lifted his upside-down spear. It looked like he nned to strike her with it.

    However, Romanne didn¡¯t even blink. ¡°Like king, like underling. They cry and whine even if you tell them the truth.¡± Her words agitated the elf guard even more.

    ¡°Stop it!¡± Renu stopped the guard, and the guard ced his spear back down. But he heaved with his red, hot face like he hadn¡¯t calmed down yet.

    ¡°¡­What is your reason for objecting?¡± Renu asked Romanne, ¡°If we just have this power in our hands, we can dominate this world. We can even control those humans!¡±

    ¡°To be exact, it would be the Iron Tribe¡¯s domination.¡± Romanne snorted, ¡°Don¡¯t say things like you would ce the elves above humans. It will be shitty whether it¡¯s the humans or you guys who are above us.¡±

    ¡°I will give the Lake Tribe the same equal rights as the Iron Tribe.¡±

    ¡°And you are going to take Leona as your queen? What an imbecile. Think about your age before you speak. Don¡¯t you remember that your age is pretty much the same as Leona¡¯s father? Did you forget your age or are you a pervert who likes kids? Ah, now that I think about it, you are not married, right? No wonder you couldn¡¯t get married even if you are a king. Is it because you are a fucking pervert?¡±

    p!

    A loud sound rang through the area. Renu couldn¡¯t endure her insults anymore and pped her. Romanne¡¯s cheeks swelled up while blood flowed down the edges of her mouth. However, she didn¡¯t stop, ¡°Using violence because you can¡¯t retort. It shows your character.¡±

    Renu grabbed Romanne by her cor. ¡°Cooperate with us, granny.¡±

    ¡°No.¡±

    ¡°If you don¡¯t, I will burn your country to the ground.¡±

    ¡°Why don¡¯t you try? Do you think your sorry-ass ckmail will work on me?¡±

    ¡°I will chop up every elf in your n!¡±

    ¡°You guys are all too wussy to do that.¡±

    ¡°Urghhhhh!¡± Renu pushed Romanne. She fell on her hip, but she was still calm.

    ¡°Seeing the situation outside, it seems like some humans have attacked. You should give up now. You are the type of guy who fails in everything he tries.¡±

    Kick!

    ¡°Urgh!¡±

    As Renu kicked Romanne¡¯s stomach, she curled up. The strong kick made her cough and gag.

    ¡°No matter what you say, I am going to get my hands on that power and rule over this world!¡±

    ¡°Like how you guys were ruled over before?¡±

    ¡°!!!!¡± Renu stared at her in shock.

    Romanne used her arms as crutches to lift her body back up. ¡°Why? Do you think all the other tribes have forgotten about ¡®that incident?¡¯ Or did you guys think you were the only ones delivering ¡®that?¡¯¡±

    ¡°You¡­¡±

    ¡°Lake Tribe¡¯s shaman isn¡¯t someone who justmunicates with spirits through the Lake¡¯s Tear. The shaman is also someone who connects the truth with important events.¡±

    For a moment, Renu red at her like he wanted to kill her. ¡°¡­Drag her away.¡±

    The soldiers forcefully grabbed her arms and lifted her up.

    ¡°Let go!¡± She freed herself from their grasp. ¡°I will go on my own.¡± Then, she turned around and began to walk. Soldiers quickly followed her from behind.

    Zich, who stuck to the wall like he was part of it, watched her pass by.

    ¡°¡­Wait.¡± Although it seemed as if she was going to quietly follow the soldiers behind, Romanne suddenly stopped. Renu turned back to look at her.

    ¡°I¡¯m also going to ask one question. Who is it?¡±

    ¡°What do you mean?¡±

    ¡°I know guys like you very well. You¡¯re an opportunist who tries to not take responsibility for anything while reaping all the benefits. You¡¯re a fucking coward.¡±

    ¡°Shut the hell up!¡± A soldier next to her put a spear next to her neck, but she didn¡¯t even blink her eyes.

    ¡°If I think about that, it¡¯s strange that you¡¯re trying to start a war like this. A coward like you would never be able to ignore the possibility that the other tribes would give up their lives to start a war. And if that happens, you and the Iron Tribe would be thoroughly crushed by all the tribes.¡±

    ¡°¡­What is it that you want to say?¡±

    ¡°Who is it?¡± With full confidence, she continued to ask him, ¡°Who was it that encouraged you to do this? A coward like you would never be able to make such a bold¡ª¡±

    ¡°Shut up!¡±

    m!

    The soldier struck her down with a spearhead. Romanne copsed to the floor, but Renu didn¡¯t stop the soldier. With a cold gaze, he stared down at her.

    Then he opened his mouth. ¡°¡­Drag her.¡±

    ¡°Yes, sir!¡±

    The soldiers dragged the now unconscious shaman out of the basement. Renu red at her disappearing figure as if she was his sworn enemy who had killed his parents; then he walked towards a wall behind him. It looked like an ordinary wall. However, there was enormous power hiding behind the wall. Renu put his hand on the wall.

    ¡®If I just possess this power, I would be able to change everything.¡¯

    He would no longer feel inferior to the Lake Tribe, the humans, or his tribe¡¯s past. He could change everything with this. Renu bit his lips.

    ¡®I won¡¯t be able to maintain this condition for long. Even if we have the hostages, weck in numbers and military force. Like the shaman said, the other tribes could give up on the lives of their queens and kings and just strike us.¡¯

    Then his eyes gave off a deadly spark.

    ¡®If that woman doesn¡¯t listen to me again tomorrow, then¡­¡¯

    It couldn¡¯t be helped. He would have to use hisst resort. He strengthened his resolve, and he hit the wall once. It was at that moment he heard a voice call out his name.

    ¡°Renu Ent Draus.¡±

    There was someone who dared to call the Iron Tribe¡¯s king by his full name. Renu turned around his body to immediately issue an order against the speaker, but he froze as soon as he saw who it was.

    A robed figure was standing in front of him.

    * * *

    ¡®Let¡¯s see, how is he gonna react?¡¯

    Zich, who was wearing a robe, stood in front of Renu; his heart was thumping in his chest. There was a possibility that Glen Zenard was involved in this war. Moreover, there was a possibility that Glen Zenard was involved with the assassin organization. If all this was true, there was a high possibility that the assassin organization was involved in this tribe war.

    For that reason, Zich used a simr tactic as he did when dealing with Albus Windpool. He immediately covered himself with a robe and acted like one of the assassins in the assassin organization.

    ¡®The shaman said that there might be someone supporting the Iron Tribe from behind.¡¯

    If the assassin organization was behind the Iron Tribe¡¯s n, there was a high possibility that all of Zich¡¯s previous predictions might be right.

    ¡®Also, his reaction was weird when the shaman asked about who was behind this n.¡¯

    Renu¡¯s reaction was different from someone who found out that there was a hidden coborator behind his n. It was more like he felt displeased and annoyed that someone even mentioned them. Zich knew why someone might react this way.

    ¡®He betrayed them.¡¯

    Judging by Renu¡¯s reaction, there was a high possibility that the Iron Tribe betrayed their coborators. And from what Zich could sense, the Iron Tribe seemed also fearful of them. For that reason, Zich appeared in front of Renu as a robed figure. He just needed to check Renu¡¯s reaction and find out if the Iron Tribe¡¯s coborators were the robed figures or not. Renu stared at the robed Zich with bloodshot eyes.

    ¡°Renu Ent Draus.¡± Zich called out his name once more.

    Then Renu took a quick breath in and made a bright smile. ¡°Ah, it¡¯s you guys. I was wondering what happened to you guys since we haven¡¯t been in contact for a while, but it is so good to se¡ª"

    ¡°I know you betrayed us.¡±

    While walking forward with a smile, Renu halted his steps. His lifeless eyes stared at Zich.

    ¡°I¡¯vee to give you onest chance.¡±

    ¡°¡­What do you mean byst chance?¡±

    ¡°Come back under us once more.¡±

    ¡°¡­You say some unpleasant things. I thought we were on equal footing in this cooperation.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s the price of your betrayal. Also, it¡¯s thest chance we are going to give you.¡± Zich¡¯s words were tantly disrespectful and rude. As a king who was always giving orders, it even felt insulting.

    Renu¡¯s face grew more rotten as he talked. ¡°If you continue to spout out nonsense and insult me, even I won¡¯t forgive yo¡ª"

    ¡°I¡¯m just going to say one more thing, Renu Ent Draus.¡± Zich, who was speaking in monotone so far, now instilled emotion into his voice for the first time. ¡°We don¡¯t tolerate betrayals!¡±

    It was a verdict. A verdict passed by someone with a powerful force on his back.

    ¡°But we recognize the importance of this n. For that reason, we will look over this betrayal without saying anything, just this once. So Renu Ent Draus¡­¡±

    Zich¡¯s voice hit Renu¡¯s chest hard. ¡°What is your answer?¡±

 Chapter 198

    <h4>Chapter 198</h4>

    Renu moved his fingers and tried touching the clothes he was wearing. They were rare and precious¡ªcleaner and better managed than what those scruffy-looking, imprisoned kings wore. They were the clothes that only he, the king and the soon-to-be winner, was allowed to wear.

    Then, Renu recalled the fate of the Iron Tribe. ¡°Do you think we¡­¡± he said and stretched out his hands to Zich, ¡°would bow our heads to humans once again!¡±

    Pop!

    A fireball shot out of Renu¡¯s hand.

    ¡®Silent incantation magic. As expected of an elf king.¡¯ However, Zich¡¯s admiration stopped there. After all, there was a monster on his side who could use that kind of magic much more adeptly than Renu. This ¡®monster¡¯ was so amazing that Zich was hardly surprised by seeing one silent incantation.

    ¡®Furthermore, it doesn¡¯t even have much power.¡¯ Zich took out Windur, which had changed shape, and swung it.

    ng!

    The fireball split into two and disappeared in vain.

    ¡®Yeah, this is silent incantation magic.¡¯ Magic created by silent incantationgged far behind in power and range than the ones created by spoken incantation. ¡®To think that L¡¯s silent incantation magic is as strong as normal incantation magic. It¡¯s unbelievable.¡¯

    Zich was happy to see ¡®real¡¯ silent incantation magic when his sense of reality had been warped. However, he kept all these thoughts to himself, and on the outside, he continued to act stern.

    He said, ¡°I suppose this is your answer.¡±

    ¡°Hmph! The Iron Tribe has no desire to go under anyone! We will rule over everyone else now¡ªincluding you all!¡±

    ¡°Do you think it¡¯s possible?¡±

    ¡°Of course!¡±

    ¡°I see. Then, I wish you luck.¡± Zich ced his sword back into his belongings. Then, he turned around and walked towards the staircase.

    ¡°Do you think you can escape out of here!¡± Renu shouted. His voice was full of confidence like he had already be the ruler of this world. ¡°The only exit to this ce is that staircase, and my tribe¡¯s troops wille running in here from the explosion they just heard.¡±

    Zich stopped walking. Renu thought Zich was beginning to feel a sense of danger, and his voice grew louder and more passionate, ¡°You might try to capture me as a captive, but I have enough power to protect myself.¡±

    Zich turned his head around.

    Renu continued, ¡°I also killed your predecessor. It was a beautiful sight, seeing how they begged for their lives. It made me realize that I had no reason to join hands with you guys!¡±

    ¡°It must have been enjoyable. Congrattions,¡± Zich responded. His tone sounded calm and agitated Renu.

    Renu had thought this and still did, but Zich and the members of his organization didn¡¯t seem like normal humans. They were too cold and callous like they were looking down on him, and this made Renu hate them even more.

    Zich turned his body fully so that he faced Renu. He couldn¡¯t tell if Zich had given up on running away, but Zich didn¡¯t look like someone who was cornered.

    ¡°Renu Ent Draus. How much do you actually know about us?¡±

    ¡°¡­Do I need to know that?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I guess you know almost nothing.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Renu had already betrayed the organization and tortured the previous robed figure, but he didn¡¯t get much from that experience. Like Zich said, Renu didn¡¯t know much about the organization.

    ¡°Our contract was to help you, the Iron Tribe, to rule over the tribes. Isn¡¯t that right?¡±

    ¡°¡­Yeah.¡±

    ¡®So, that was really it,¡¯ Zich thought. He had thrown this question out knowing that in the future, the Iron Tribe ruled over other elves in the Great Adrowon Forest, and Renu took the bait.

    ¡°Based on what you¡¯re doing right now, it¡¯s obvious that you haven''t given up on your n to rule over all the other tribes. Yet, you still pushed us away. No, you didn¡¯t just push us away, but you began to antagonize us. That means one thing: you got your hands on an even greater power that it wouldn¡¯t matter if you had our help or not.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°Furthermore, that power exists beyond that wall that you are standing in front of.¡±

    ¡°¡­!¡± Renu was surprised. The robed figure in front of him was the first person from the organization that he had met since he killed the other robed guy he keptmunicating with. Yet, the figure in front of him seemed to have grasped the whole situation in an incredibly short amount of time.

    ¡°Let me ask you one question, Renu Ent Draus.¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°Do you think you would be able to escape our rage just because you got some extra power?¡± Zich¡¯s voice was neither rough nor aggressive. There was no change in his tone, making it look like he was peacefully talking about his calm, daily life. Yet, when Renu heard Zich¡¯s words, he swallowed his saliva without meaning to; Zich¡¯s calm speech made Renu feel a greater sense of danger than shouting since Zich¡¯s attitude seemed to indicate that the future was already decided.

    Renu still answered with confidence, ¡°Yeah!¡±

    ¡°¡­Then, there¡¯s nothing more for me to say. I hope that you will continue to hold onto that hope.¡± Zich turned around again and headed towards the staircase.

    ¡°I already told you! You can¡¯t escape!¡±

    ¡°If that¡¯s the case, you¡¯ll see my corpse soon. Why don¡¯t you tell me once more then?¡± With those words, Zich disappeared into the staircase.

    After Zich disappeared, Renu let out a deep breath and thought, ¡®That organization is really something.¡¯

    Renu didn¡¯t know the organization¡¯s true identity, but if he thought about the support they had given him for war preparations, it was clear that it was arge-scale group. Furthermore, each and every robed figure from the organization was strong. Normally, he wouldn¡¯t have even dared to antagonize a group like that, but it didn¡¯t matter now.

    ¡®If I just gain this power, everything will be alright.¡¯ Renu swiped the wall behind him, and he felt the fear that gripped his heart disappear. Rage soon filled the new gap that had opened up in his heart.

    ¡®How dare he threaten me!¡¯ Renu waited for his subordinates to capture that organization¡¯s human and bring that man to him.

    There was only one path, and the robed figure had consumed a considerable amount of time by conversing with him. Renu had no doubts that his soldiers would be able to capture the mysterious figure.

    However, the soldiers who stormed back to him had nothing in their hands. His soldiers not only failed to capture the mysterious figure, but they also didn¡¯t know what was happening. Renu could not help but burst out in fury by shouting at them.

    * * *

    While Renu was shouting at his soldiers that they were worthless bastards, Zich quietly escaped from the castle.

    ¡®They want to capture me? How funny.¡¯ Zichughed at them. His escape was even easier than he thought. After he activated the artifact L gave him, he stuck his body to the ceiling on top of the staircase; none of the elves noticed him. After that, everything went on smoothly. All he had to do was quietly get out of the castle while the elves frantically went around to search for him.

    Zich stared at the castle. Now that he found out that the castle might be rted to the ancient empire, it looked different to himpared to before.

    ¡®I was able to roughly get all the information I wanted.¡¯

    Zich found out that the shaman was in the castle. With this, Zich now knew where all the hostages were kept. Moreover, he was able to find out information he hadn¡¯t expected to gain.

    ¡®These guys are also rted to the robed figures.¡¯

    By this time, Zich had sort of expected this.

    ¡®But I was able to find out that the Iron Tribe betrayed them.¡¯

    Renu probably betrayed the robed figures after finding some kind of power underneath the castle.

    ¡®I don¡¯t think there was something like that before my regression though.¡¯

    Combining what the shaman said and Zich¡¯s own judgement of him, Renu was definitely a coward. To be more precise, he was extremely cautious. Rather than taking a risk for arge amount of benefits, he was the type of individual to avoid all risks. He was a guy that prioritized safety over benefits.

    However, a type of guy like that made all the tribes around him and even his coborators, the assassin organization, into his enemies. That behavior definitely didn¡¯t belong to a guy that made safety his top priority.

    Then had Renu¡¯s outlook on life suddenly changed?

    ¡®Instead of that, I think the power under that castle is just that impressive.¡¯

    It was to the extent where Renu would think it would not be dangerous for him to turn against all the tribes and make the assassin organization his enemy.

    ¡®But I don¡¯t remember such a great power before my regression.¡¯

    Renu spoke as if he could immediately bring humans to his knees if he had the power. However, the Iron Tribe wasn¡¯t even trying to bring humans to their knees right now. All they were doing right now was pressuring the tribes around them.

    ¡®And if there was such a great power, there¡¯s no way rumors wouldn''t spread about it.¡¯

    Humans and elves rarely interacted with each other, but it wasn¡¯t as if they didn¡¯t interact with each other at all.

    ¡®There are two possibilities. The first possibility is that the power is not as great as Renu hoped.¡¯

    However, there was a low probability that this was likely. If seen favorably, Renu was an extremely careful elf and if seen negatively, he was a coward¡ªif a guy like that was so confident about the power inside the castle, there must be a solid reason for his belief. Then the second possibility was more likely.

    ¡®The future has changed.¡¯

    Before Zich regressed, the elves could control the other tribes with the help of the assassin organization, but the Iron Tribe no longer needed them now.

    ¡®In the past timeline, Renu probably wasn¡¯t able to discover that power.¡¯

    However, if this was true, another question popped up in his mind.

    ¡®Why did it change?¡¯

    So far, a lot of things had changed from the past. However, all the changes happened as a result of Zich¡¯s actions. Before Zich intervened, people were walking down the exact path they walked before.

    ¡®This ce is way too far for me to even think that I might have yed a role in changing the future.¡¯

    The elves that lived in the Great Adrowon Forest lived independent lives from humans. Was there a possibility that Zich¡¯s influence in the human world reached all the way to the elf world?

    ¡®The possibility is too low.¡¯

    Then Zich recalled Renu¡¯s words.

    ¡®He said something about how his tribe was ruled by humans.¡¯

    From what Renu and the shaman said, it seemed as if only the Iron Tribe was ruled by humans at one point.

    ¡®No wonder they seem a bit different from the other elves.¡¯

    Unlike the Lake Tribe that wore light uniforms and mainly used bows and arrows, the Iron Tribe wore armor made out of iron and excelled at closebat. Zich thought it was because of the Iron Tribe¡¯s unique characteristics as an ¡°iron¡± tribe and the current location of their battles, but it might actually be because they were influenced by the time they were ruled by humans.

    ¡®Then did those guys continue interacting with humans?¡¯

    However, that was also strange. Renu seemed embarrassed that his tribe was ruled by humans in the past. Moreover, from the conversation between him and the shaman, it seemed as if the other tribes didn¡¯t know that the Iron Tribe was ruled by humans at one point.

    ¡®It seems as if only the shaman knew about it¡­¡¯

    If this was true, then the Iron Tribe also probably didn¡¯t interact with humans much.

    ¡®Then the next possibility might be¡­¡¯

    There must have been an existence that allowed Renu to be confident enough to make the other tribes and the robed figures his enemy; an existence that appeared in this timeline but not in the past.

    ¡®That power underneath the castle. Is that the variable?¡¯

    Zich predicted that the castle was a remnant of the ancient empire; and there was a power underneath that castle.

    ¡®There¡¯s a high chance that the power is rted to the power of the ancient empire.¡¯

    Then what kind of power was it?

    ¡®Is it a sword like Windur or Estede or Tornium? Even though they are very good swords, they¡¯re not enough to assure victory in a war.¡¯

    Regardless of how good the swords were, their fundamental strength involved increasing the strength of their owners (Zich wasn¡¯t sure about Windur though.)

    ¡®Then are they like the moving statues or the shadows we saw in the ancient tomb?¡¯

    Those things had a higher possibility than a sword.

    ¡®I should go back first.¡¯

    Zich turned his back towards the castle.

    ¡®I can check backter. If I save all the hostages, wiping them out is gonna be a piece of cake.¡¯

    After he wiped them out, Zich could take his time investigating more about this. Zichpletely hid his presence and began moving.

 Chapter 199

    <h4>Chapter 199</h4>

    Crash!

    As the table flipped over, all the items on top of it tumbled down to the ground. However, Renu didn¡¯t seem satisfied, and he started stomping on the fallen table.

    ¡°Damn it, damn it, fucking damn it!¡±

    Crush! Crush! Crush!

    The table broke under his kicks. After it split and disintegrated into pieces that couldn¡¯t even be used for firewood, he stopped kicking. However, as if he wasn¡¯t satisfied with that, he looked around to search for something else to break. His eyes were bloodshot and exuded bloodlust.

    However, there wasn¡¯t anything more to break. The table was thest piece of furniture left, and everything else such as the bed, chair, and several decorative goods werepletely destroyed on the ground.

    ¡°Damn it!¡±

    After he kicked away a nearby wooden piece, hemanded loudly, ¡°Is anyone outside! Take these things away and bring recements!¡±

    His subordinate elves came in. They didn¡¯t show much response even after seeing the state of the room. They simply cleaned the remains on the ground in silence, hoping that Renu wouldn¡¯t direct his rage towards them. The messy room became clean instantly, and other furniture filled the room.

    All the elves were incredibly skilled at their work since it wasn¡¯t a rare event for Renu to destroy his room. After his subordinates left, Renu sat on his new chair. There were many causes for his rage: the war with all the other tribes that he had started, the Lake Tribe¡¯s shaman who refused to listen to him, and the humans who suddenly appeared before him.

    ¡®Just who are they!¡¯ A mysterious group of humans had appeared and disappeared like ghosts. It wouldn¡¯t be an exaggeration to say that they were the most unexpected variable in this war.

    ¡®ording to reports, it seems like they simply looted for goods.¡¯ Soldiers reported hearing them shout loudly to each other to look for treasures and search the houses in Mentis. Nheless, he couldn¡¯t just ept this as the truth.

    ¡®I wonder if they have any connection with the other tribes?¡¯ There was a possibility. Since the tribes couldn¡¯t make any move because of the captives, they might have employed humans to search Mentis. Was it possible to gather so many humans in such a short timeframe?

    ¡®It¡¯s impossible.¡¯ That was the problem. Today, Renu heard that those humans had ravaged Mentis and disappeared like ghosts once again without leaving even a single prisoner or corpse behind. If that was true, then they were a truly frightening group.

    ¡®With the time constraint, it¡¯s already impossible for a tribe to employ that many humans¡ªespecially if they¡¯re all trained.¡¯ The possible connection between the humans and other tribes grew fainter. In addition, another bothersome problem had popped up. ¡®There are those robed figures too!¡¯

    No matter how well the organization operated, Renu didn¡¯t expect them to move so shrewdly. It hadn¡¯t been long since he killed the guy he was coborating with, and they already sent another member to warn him.

    ¡®And I lost him right in front of me.¡¯ Truthfully, the new robed figure was 80% of the reason why Renu had destroyed his room. ¡®From what he said, that guy knows about the power quite a bit too.¡¯

    If that was the case, this mysterious organization had some terrifying information-gathering skills, and they seemed to have a much greater power than he expected. Renu¡¯s insides churned and flipped.

    ¡®The robed figure didn¡¯t seem too worried about the power.¡¯ Did that mean the organization was stronger than the power he would obtain? Renu¡¯s worries continued to grow.

    ¡®No, calm down Renu Ent Draus. There is no power stronger than that one.¡¯ ording to the legends, that power was capable of burning the whole world. ¡®Yeah, I will burn them all to crisps¡ªthe Lake Tribe and all the other tribes, humans, and everything that stands in our way!¡¯

    m!

    He struck the table. The newly-ced table split into two and crashed onto the floor. It was already the second one, but Renu didn¡¯t even nce at the crushed table.

    ¡®To do that, I have to grasp that power as soon as possible.¡¯

    Renu mulled over his concerns again: other tribes, the organization, and the humans who suddenly appeared. He thought for a moment that the organization could¡¯ve controlled the group of humans, but he quickly removed the possibility from his thoughts.

    ¡®It doesn¡¯t matter if the humans are part of the organization or not. It won¡¯t change the fact that we are at a disadvantage.¡¯ His eyes sharpened.

    ¡®¡­It can¡¯t be helped. I tried to follow the right order of things, but I can¡¯t hold back anything in this situation.¡¯

    Besides, he needed to be patient for just one more day. All the preparations would beplete tomorrow.

    ¡®You brought it onto yourself, Romanne Wensing Ju Draus!¡¯ Renu gritted his teeth as he thought of the shaman looking at him spitefully while spitting out curses.

    * * *

    ¡°How was it?¡± Zich asked Hans as he entered their underground hideout.

    ¡°We weren¡¯t found out, but they rushed towards us more aggressively than before while gritting their teeth. I don¡¯t think we can keep this up any longer.¡±

    ¡°Well, that¡¯s probably the case.¡±

    Some guys probably started thinking that something was wrong, but Zich didn¡¯t seem too concerned.

    ¡°It¡¯s fine. The only reason why we are acting as a third party is to rescue the captives. We don¡¯t have to act more than this.¡±

    ¡°You must have found the captives,¡± L said. She understood what Zich said with her quick senses. Instead of responding to herment, however, he asked her for the map.

    Ly the map on the table, and Zich pointed at the two-floor building he saw.

    ¡°It¡¯s here. There are eight of them. I checked the kings and queens from each tribe.¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s one person missing. Where¡¯s the shaman?¡±

    Zich lifted his finger off the map and brushed over it. Then, his finger stopped at the castle.

    ¡°The shaman was here.¡±

    ¡°They ced the shaman separately? Do they have a specific use for her?¡±

    ¡°They mentioned something about a ¡®power.¡¯¡±

    ¡°A power?¡±

    Zich exined everything he saw and heard to L, including the possibility that the castle might be a remnant of the ancient empire and the power hidden underneath the castle. L listened to his words very seriously. She immediately became serious as soon as anything about the ancient empire was mentioned.

    ¡°Then you don¡¯t know what the power is?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know. We also don¡¯t need to try so hard to find out what it is. We¡¯re going to find out about it anyway if we save the hostages and wipe the Iron Tribe out.¡±

    ¡°Are you going to save the hostages right away?¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s no need for us to spend a long time on a matter like this. If we take too long, troublesome variables might appear.¡± Then Zich added in one more thought, ¡°I¡¯m also curious about finding out what the power is.¡±

    ¡°¡­!¡± L stared at him, but Zich¡¯s gaze was focused on the castle drawn on the map. Since sunlight didn¡¯t reach their basement, the candlelight cast shadows on Zich¡¯s face. L gulped down her saliva.

    An obsession for power¡ªthat was basically the embodiment of the Demon Lord of Strength, Zich Moore.

    ¡®Is this just a coincidence?¡¯

    So far, Zich hadn¡¯t shown much obsession for obtaining power. He just did kind acts on top of kind acts and shook people around with his freakish antics. However, right now, Zich definitely showed interest in the great amount of power beneath the castle.

    ¡®¡­It might just be curiosity.¡¯

    It was a power from the ancient empire after all. However, the ominous thoughts did not go away.

    ¡®He said that even his past self won¡¯t hold him back.¡¯

    When L heard this, she was relieved. She thought Zich would not be tied down by his past Demon Lord self and walk apletely new path. However, if she thought about the contrary, it was also a very dangerous thought.

    ¡®It can also mean that he won¡¯t be tied down by his current desire to do kind acts, and in the future, he can go back to being a Demon Lord again.¡¯ L strengthened her resolve.

    ¡°I¡¯m going to cause amotion near the entrance and go save the hostages tomorrow. Hans and Snoc will be causing themotion like today, and L, you should stay behind as a reserve force.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll go with you.¡±

    Zich moved his eyes away from the map. Hans and Snoc, who were quietly listening to the n, also stared at her.

    ¡°If we save the hostages, wouldn¡¯t it be better for us to immediately teleport them to the other side of theke?¡±

    Zich stared at her face¡ªhe had also thought of this. However, it was easier to move by himself when they were saving the hostages, and he nned to use Snoc¡¯s power to move the hostages to this basement after taking them out of the building. For that reason, Zich didn¡¯t think that he needed to take L with him at the expense of inconveniencing his movements.

    However, Zich nodded his head. ¡°Okay. L, you can move with me.¡±

    L felt relieved that Zich easily agreed to her suggestion.

    ¡®He probably didn¡¯t think too much about it.¡¯

    Zich didn¡¯t need to cover L¡¯s skills, and even if something dangerous happened, he could easily cover one person. Thus, Zich easily epted L¡¯s suggestion as she didn¡¯t usually strongly voice out her suggestions. In the first ce, no one on this team except for Zich strongly voiced their suggestions or requests. Whatever the reason was, L gained permission to apany him.

    ¡®I will never let you be the Demon Lord again.¡¯

    It was for the good of the world and also for herself since she liked how Zich was right now. Even though Zich fought people at the drop of a hat and his personality was still trash and he enjoyed people¡¯s sufferings, all the actions he did so far were, awkwardly enough, fair and just.

    ¡®It¡¯s also true that he helped me out when I had nowhere to go.¡¯ L tightly clenched her fists.

    * * *

    The next night soon arrived. Like the previous two nights, Kandis was wandering all over Mentis with his bloodshot eyes.

    ¡°Search every corner! If you find even one fucking ant, send a signal right away!¡±

    There were a lot more torches that lit up Mentispared to yesterday, and there were also more soldiers patrolling the ind.

    ¡°You guys can¡¯t take a break unless you catch those bastards! So focus and find at least one rat hole! We have to find out how they areing in and out!¡± Kandis instilled mana into his voice, and his loud shout continued to pressure the elf soldiers.

    The soldiers also began to grow more and more hateful towards the mysterious intruders who hindered them from resting, and they carefully examined every shadow cast on the wall. However, their efforts were useless.

    Crash!

    The door to arge house in a less guarded area was roughly open. All the soldiers¡¯ eyes moved towards the door.

    m!

    ¡°Urgh!¡±

    An elf that was near the door was pierced directly by a spear. Before the soldiers even realized what happened, armored soldiers came storming out of the door.

    ¡°It¡¯s those humans!¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s our enemy! Those armors appeared agai¡ªAck!¡±

    The soldiers loudly crying out for support lost their lives from the endless amount of armored figures that came out of the house. Sounds of battle rang out all over Mentis once again.

    ¡°It¡¯s started.¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡±

    L and Zich were peering down at the battle scene from a building next to the ce where the hostages were kept. The guards patrolling nearby quickly moved to join the rest of their troops in battle. Soon enough, there were only a few guards left in front of the area where the hostages were being held.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±

    Zich and L moved out of the building.

 Chapter 200

    <h4>Chapter 200</h4>

    Zich and L hid behind the wall of the side of the building and searched to find where the captives were. They would¡¯ve been easily found out if guards heavily surrounded the area, but Snoc and Hans had stolen all the soldiers¡¯ attention away; now, they had more freedom to the point that it almost feltx.

    Zich carefully approached the building from the side first. Two soldiers were standing guard. Yesterday, Zich had to hide all traces of hising and going so he couldn¡¯t harm anyone, but today was different. Zich signaled towards the back.

    Whoosh!

    Something brushed the side of Zich¡¯s face and caused his hair to flutter. An invisible arrow made out of wind pierced the center of one of the guard¡¯s foreheads. At the same time, Zich stabbed another guard¡¯s neck with Windur.

    ¡°Kuh! Cough!¡±

    The guard coughed up clumps of blood instead of noises and copsed to the ground while shuddering. The other guard who had been struck by the wind arrow died without even being able to make a sound. Zich threw the corpses in a nearby bush, and in the meantime, L murmured a short spell on the spot where the soldiers died. A momentter, the soldiers reappeared just like how they used to look.

    ¡°Amazing,¡± Zichmented.

    ¡°It¡¯s nothing much, really. It¡¯s just phantom magic that projects the image in my head for a bit. If you look at it closely, itcks detail.¡±

    After hearing her exnation, Zich realized that the soldiers were really different from the soldiers who had just died. No, besides their appearance, they looked clearly awkward from a second nce. Still, this much was enough. It wasn¡¯t like anyone was going to pay close attention to each and every guard in a situation like this. They didn¡¯t need to stay in this ce for long anyway.

    Zich ced his hand on the door. ¡°Are you ready?¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡±

    Zich cautiously opened the door and put his palm in front of L.

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    ¡°What is it?¡±

    As soon as Zich opened the door, they saw two soldiers. The two soldiers saw Zich and L, and their eyes widened. They were about to shout that there were trespassers, but wind arrows pierced them.

    Ping! Ping!

    The arrows pierced the center of their foreheads once again. Zich ran quickly, but he made almost no soundpared to his quick movements. He grabbed the corpses that were about to fall and quietlyid them down. Then, he raised his thumb at L.

    The only difficulty was the trespassing part. There were some guards inside, but unlike the guards at the entrance, they moved alone. Furthermore, they all seemed preupied with the noises of battle outside and seemed to not pay much attention to their surroundings. Such guards couldn¡¯t have possibly hindered Zich and L.

    ¡°Kuh!¡±

    Blood poured out from another elf¡¯s neck and they fell. Zichy down the body carefully so it wouldn¡¯t make amotion again and pointed upwards to L. He was signaling to her to go up.

    ¡®It seems like we are done on the first floor.¡¯ L nodded.

    The two arrived in front of the stairs and began to slowly walk up. Zich cautiously leaned his head out behind the stairs and assessed the situation. Doors stood neatly on both sides of the hallway in straight lines. In front of eight doors, there were two soldiers in front of each door¡ªmaking it a total of sixteen guards. They were guarding the rooms where the captives were imprisoned.

    ¡®It¡¯s impossible to take care of them one by one.¡¯

    Since the guards were standing in a straight hallway with no corners and squares, they would be found out if one of the soldiers died right away.

    ¡®I would like to finish off all of them at once.¡¯ Some of the guards could jeopardize the captives¡¯ lives or threaten Zich with them. Of course, that wouldn¡¯t faze him at all, nor did heck the ability to solve the situation even if that happened. However, he preferred to take the safe and calm road when the operation involved rescuing captives.

    Zich ced his lips close to L¡¯s ears and lowered his voice as much as possible.

    ¡°L. How many can you take at once with your magic? On the condition that it won¡¯t make amotion and they won¡¯t realize that they have been attacked until they are dead. And I would also prefer it if you dealt with the furthest ones.¡±

    It didn¡¯t matter if she struck them all with a lightning, fireball, or storm attack, but the conditions that Zichid out for her wereplicated.

    ¡°¡­I can definitely take eight, and all of them if we consider a small possibility of failure.¡± As expected, L was L.

    As soldiers guarding important captives, they were all obviously elite soldiers; but L was certain that she could kill eight of them with the conditions Zich had given her. She calmly said that she could take care of all of them if they considered a small possibility of failing.

    ¡°Good. Take care of the farthest eight.¡±

    L quietly cast a spell, but the soldiers didn¡¯t notice. Although a considerable amount of mana whirled around, there was almost no mana seeping outside. It was a fantastical disy of mana control.

    Whoosh!

    Wind arrows flew out. They violently swirled and arched, unlike the previous arrows that had shot across a straight line. The destination was the same; without knowing anything, the arrowsnded at the center of the soldiers¡¯ brows as they stared forward.

    Pierce!

    With a skull-crushing sound, holes formed in eight foreheads, and they all broke down in unison. The rest of the guards turned around at the noise, and Zich moved. In a blink of an eye, Zich stood in the center of the guards who were still alive and moved Windur. It wasn¡¯t even possible to see his movements clearly. L simply saw a chilling beam of light a couple of times, but the result was astonishing.

    Shaaa!

    The rest of the eight heads shot upwards and pools of blood poured out. 16 guards instantly died without knowing what had happened to them.

    As she hid her body at the stairs and looked at the situation, L asked, ¡°Is that all?¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡±

    They no longer had to lower their voices. L confidently strutted out of the stairs. She avoided the fallen bodies, rolling heads, and blood that continued to shoot up like a fountain and approached Zich.

    Zich approached the door closest to him, then he pointed at the handle. ¡°Is there some kind of magical lock?¡±

    L moved her hands near the handle and searched for any mana. ¡°No. If it¡¯s locked, it¡¯s probably a physical lock.¡±

    Crunch!

    Zich easily crushed the handle with the lock and opened the door. Regardless of how quietly they defeated the guards surrounding the room, they couldn¡¯t block the sound of the scuffling from reaching past the door. The individual past the door was standing up and looking at them with wary eyes.

    However, Zich leisurely asked L, ¡°It¡¯s her, right?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s her.¡±

    The elf in the room looked the same as one of the portraits that Dronian showed them.

    ¡°¡­Who are you two?¡± The elf¡¯s voice was hopeful as she saw the dead bodies of the Iron Tribe¡¯s soldiers behind them, but her voice still contained wariness.

    ¡°My greetings, Your Majesty.¡±

    Zich lightly bowed his head and introduced himself, ¡°My name is Zich, and I¡¯m your daughter¡¯s friend.¡±

    The Queen of the Lake Tribe and Leona¡¯s mother, ¡®Sidia Won tu Glorian,¡¯ widened her eyes.

    * * *

    Zich gathered all the hostages in the hallway. The hostages checked each other¡¯s faces and smiled bitterly.

    ¡°Fortunately, it seems like we haven¡¯t experienced any serious trouble.¡±

    ¡°Everything was all right except the thing they put in my food. No, I actually got to rest for a while. It¡¯s been so long since I didn¡¯t have to hear any nagging from my subjects.¡±

    As expected of the leaders of arge tribe, the queens and kings of the elf tribes were veryposed even after being imprisoned for a long time. However, they couldn¡¯t hide their curiosity towards the humans who saved them.

    ¡°All right. So you¡¯re saying that you are the friend of the daughter of the Lake Tribe King?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°You said you were worried about your daughter who ran away, but she brought such impressive support.¡± The Mountain Tribe King said this as he lightly tapped the Lake Tribe King, Retree Pearl hum Droud.

    However, Retree¡¯s face was deathly serious.

    ¡°Are there any other hostages?¡±

    ¡°Now that I think about it, the shaman isn¡¯t with us.¡±

    The other royals also realized the shaman wasn¡¯t with them, and their faces stiffened.

    Zich replied, ¡°The esteemed shaman is being held captive in the castle. After I bring all of you to safety, I n to save her also.¡±

    ¡°They put only my mother in a separate ce? For what reason?¡±

    ¡°Your Majesty, I will give an answerter on.¡± Zich quickly cut off Retree¡¯s question, to the extent that it sounded a bit cold.

    The Ocean Tribe King said, ¡°That person is right. This is not a good time to hear what happened, especially if we want to save the shaman.¡±

    The Ocean Tribe King also had many questions about the current situation, but their top priority right now was to escape. Retree and Sidia also agreed.

    Zich told L, ¡°L, I entrust them to you.¡±

    ¡°Yep.¡±

    ¡°I will be checking if there is anyone in this building in case.¡±

    Zich nned to stand guard in front of the door of the first floor.

    ¡°Zich,¡± L called out to him. ¡°Wait for me until Ie back. Don¡¯t ever go off by yourself.¡±

    ¡°Got it.¡± Zich gave a simple answer and headed to the first floor. The illusion that L set outside seemed to have worked as there were no elves that came into the building. Zich tapped his shoulders with Windur a few times and stared outside. Soon enough, he heard a voice.

    ¡°I¡¯m back.¡± L came down from the second floor.

    ¡°Were there any problems?¡±

    ¡°No.¡±

    ¡°Good. Then we just have to get thest one.¡±

    Zich and L¡¯s gaze moved towards the castle.

    * * *

    The sound of battle continued the entire time Zich and L traveled to the castle, and it did not stop even when they arrived. Since the entire Iron Tribe army was focused on battling the armored intruders, Zich and L had a very easy time reaching the castle.

    ¡°Those two are doing a really great job.¡± L let out her admiration for Hans and Snoc.

    ¡°They have talent. They also have a solid head on their shoulders, and they gained a lot of experience in a short time. Moreover, they have a teacher like me. Those two have the best possible environment to grow their skills. Of course, they have to be good.¡±

    Even though he spoke like this, there was pride mixed in with Zich¡¯s voice. The two of them reached the castle instantly. They saw four soldiers guarding the entrance.

    ¡°We have to sneak in quietly here.¡±

    The conditions in the castle were different from the building that held the hostages. Considering the size of the castle, there were probably a lot more soldiers guarding the castle. When Zich infiltratedst night, there really were significantly more soldiers in the castle than the building with the hostages. It would be impossible to kill all the soldiers without getting caught as they did in the previous building.

    ¡°You told me you know where they kept the shaman, right?¡±

    ¡°Of course. While I was getting out, I found out where they put her,¡± Zich said this easily, but the castle was in a state of emergencyst night. No matter how much of amotion Hans and Snoc made outside, the castle was a ce where the King stayed in, so security was always tight. However, even in that situation, Zich was able to grasp the location of the shaman and memorized how to get there.

    ¡®It was actually easy. Even in a state of emergency, the room that held the shaman was the only ce the soldiers never moved at all.¡¯

    L asked him if it was hard to find where the shaman was in such a situation, but Zich told her it was easy. If Renu heard this, he would be unable to control his temper and begin breaking furniture in his room again.

    ¡°But we have to go to a different ce first.¡±

    ¡°Are you talking about the basement?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. The Iron Tribe King seems to really trust that power. He might have dragged the shaman down there again and caused a fuss.¡±

    Zich stared at the artifact that L gave him, and L muttered a spell for herself. Before Zich became fully invisible, he held L¡¯s hand. Then they began moving inside the castle.

 Chapter 201

    <h4>Chapter 201</h4>

    Perhaps because of the intrusion yesterday, the surveince inside the castle was wider than before. Yet, as if it couldn¡¯t escape the blows from Hans and Snoc, there weren¡¯t that many soldiers considering yesterday¡¯s trespassing.

    The two went inside the castle. L grabbed Zich¡¯s hand tightly in nervousness.

    ¡®If it¡¯s really like the ruin in Violuwin, we won¡¯t be able to teleport.¡¯

    Her greatest trick would be obsolete then. The loss of this trick was also the reason why the robed figures almost caught her in Violuwin. No matter how confident she was in her skills, a person couldn¡¯t help but have a heavy heart at the thought of losing their greatest skill. As if he knew how she felt, Zich grabbed her hands tightly.

    L stared at Zich, specifically at the ce where she thought he would be. She couldn''t see him because of the magical power or even sense his presence. However, she knew he was definitely there.

    ¡®¡­He really is a troublesome fellow.¡¯ Although she didn¡¯t show it, the stress she got from her past and the abnormal signs Zich had been recently showing gave her indigestion these days. Yet, Zich couldn¡¯t have been more trustworthy than in times like this. She couldn¡¯t see him, but she followed his lead and headed outside the castle.

    As L went down the basement, she soon found an entrance. The entrance looked like it had been forcefully prated after the stone floor was lifted. There were more soldiers at the entrance than before, but they weren¡¯t interlocking their bodies to fill every gap of the entranceway and they had no way of blocking the two under an invisibility spell.

    No matter how keen the guards were, there were bound to be blind spots; L was impressed with the way Zich used these blind spots to lead her past the guards. She nervously stood when he did and followed his movements¡ªshe¡¯d only be able to breathe a sigh of relief after reaching the bottom of the basement¡¯s staircase.

    ¡®Amazing.¡¯ If she were by herself, she would have never been able to trespass like this.

    Thankfully, there were no soldiers on the staircase, so the two walked down a bit more freely than before. However, thatsted only for a short time. As soon as they arrived at the bottom of the basement, L tensed up again.

    ¡°See? I was right.¡± Zich muttered quietly when he saw the situation. As he expected, the shaman was in the basement today too. L recognized the shaman right away since she had seen a portrait of her.

    However, the situation in front of them didn¡¯t allow them to leisurely talk to each other. In a room shaped like an aisle, troops stood from left to right. With their spears pointed upwards, they stood neatly and faced one another. Between them, there was a small altar¡ªone that looked fitting for a sacrificial ritual¡ªat the center; the shaman was lying on top of this altar.

    From a quick nce, her condition didn¡¯t look great. No, it looked extremely serious. The amount of blood that poured down from the altar was shocking. The altar was dyed crimson, and a cold gray light peeped out between the ominous red color. The cold gray light was probably the original color of the altar, but it seemed meaningless as the shaman¡¯s blood dyed it into apletely new color.

    ¡°¡­She isn¡¯t dead, right?¡± L brought up the worst possible situation.

    ¡°That amount is fine. Elves have a stronger life force than humans. There are surprisingly many situations where they survive injuries that would have killed humans,¡± Zich said with confidence since he had experienced this first-hand endlessly before the regression.

    ¡°Of course, if we leave her like that, she will die.¡±

    L wanted to save the shaman immediately, but she couldn¡¯t. She asked, ¡°We won¡¯t be able to break through that easily, right?¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡± It wasn¡¯t even a ¡®maybe¡¯; he agreed with her definitely.

    The ritual area was strangely distorted. It wasn¡¯t at a level where the altar¡¯s form was impossible to see, but something hindered their vision.

    L said, ¡°It¡¯s a barrier.¡±

    ¡°Is it a type that automatically defends the ritual once it begins?¡±

    ¡°Probably. From the mana that I feeling off it, it¡¯ll probably take a considerable amount of time to break it.¡± There was a high chance that Romanne might die from blood loss or be killed during that period.

    ¡°Hm, did I underestimate those guys?¡± Zich groaned.

    Even if these guys were obsessed with this so-called ¡®power,¡¯ Zich didn¡¯t expect the situation to escte like this in just one day.

    ¡°So, are you going to give up?¡±

    ¡°Of course not.¡±

    The situation had simply be moreplicated and difficult than he had expected, but nothing more than that. If Zich couldn¡¯t handle a situation just because it went out of his expectation by this much, he wouldn¡¯t have be the Demon Lord¡ªmore or less, died a pitiful death somewhere in the streets as soon as he left his family.

    ¡°Judging by her breathing or heartbeat, we still have some time.¡± Dragging out his mana, Zich concentrated on his hearing and assessed Romanne¡¯s condition. An elf¡¯s life force was truly formidable.

    ¡°I¡¯m sure there¡¯s a crack somewhere in that ritual.¡±

    In the first ce, a ritual¡ªmoreover a ritual that offered a sacrifice¡ªhad a clear goal. It was different from rituals where their purpose was to express their gratitude to nature or praise a god (in short, rituals where the main goal was to gain a peace of mind).

    L agreed. ¡°You are right. Guys who do things like this are all simr. In some ways, I am almost thankful that I can see their intention so clearly.¡± Such people mostly wanted the same thing: the power to aplish their goals.

    ¡°It¡¯s a ritual that requires the blood of a strong elf who lived a long life, moreover, a shaman. I don¡¯t know their exact goal, but it¡¯s clear that there would be a considerable resonance when the poweres out.¡±

    When that happened, no matter how strong the barrier that protected the ritual was, it would falter for a moment.

    ¡°Are you nning to utilize that moment?¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡± Zich quietly raised Windur.

    ¡°And I suppose you are aware of how difficult that¡¯s going to be.¡±

    When it shook, the barrier¡¯s density would be lowered. However, that would be an extremely brief moment. Zich had to properly judge when to attack in that short amount of time when the barrier randomly shook at the start of the ritual. Moreover, he not only had to urately strike against the gap in the barrier; in order to destroy the barrier, he needed an enormous amount of power. To sum it up, Zich needed his sight to catch the gap in the barrier, the speed to get to the barrier when it shook, and the strength to rip it apart. It was theoretically possible, but this was impossible for even L. She did not think anyone could possibly do all that.

    However, the person holding her hand loved to shattermon logic.

    ¡°Hey, L. Did you forget who the person next to you is?¡±

    L was definitely sure that¡ªeven though she couldn¡¯t see Zich because of the magic, her troublesome but refreshing friend was confidently smiling at her.

    ¡°Yeah, you were that type of person,¡± L said with half admiration and half exasperation. ¡°Then I entrust that job to you. I will also prepare.¡±

    ¡°All right,¡± Zich replied to L and strengthened his resolve. He sharpened his gaze and focused all his attention on the barrier.

    ¡°¡­It¡¯s done!¡± They heard a voice filled with delight. It was a type of voice that made Zich want to immediately crush the speaker¡¯s face.

    ¡®It¡¯s the Iron Tribe King.¡¯

    The elf performing the ritual was obviously Renu, the Iron Tribe King. He was holding up a golden goblet. Several red lines dripped down the yellow surface of the goblet, which was traces of blood, while the goblet was filled with Romanne¡¯s blood. He looked at the goblet as if it was a precious treasure and could not suppress his smile.

    ¡®Ah, when is the barrier gonna start shaking?¡¯ Rather than saving Romanne, Zich was more interested in crushing Renu¡¯s smile.

    ¡°Finally, our long-cherished wish wille true!¡± Renu strongly cried out to himself.

    Then Romanne¡¯s words quickly followed after. ¡°The hell with your long-cherished wish. You wouldn¡¯t have even thought about doing this if someone hadn¡¯t pushed you from the back, you fucking coward. Or was that short time a long time for you? Rather than an elf, aren¡¯t you more suitable to be a dayfly?¡±

    Zich really admired Romanne. Even while she was bleeding an amount that would have killed any human, her talking abilities were still the same. There were very few people that Zich admired.

    Renu scowled. ¡°¡­Even while you¡¯re dying, your filthy tongue is still the same.¡±

    Even though it was the opposite of what Zich was feeling, Renu also seemed to be impressed by Romanne¡¯s ability to talk like usual. Zich¡¯s mood went down when they shared simr emotions.

    ¡°Whatever, the only thing you can do right now is lie on the floor like that and spout out useless words. You¡¯re going to die here, and your tribe is going to be my ve. If you followed my orders obediently, it wouldn¡¯t havee to this.¡± Renu clicked his tongue and mocked her.

    ¡°Yeah, now that I think about it, that doesn¡¯t seem too bad¡­¡± Did Romanne finally give up in the face of death? Unlike before, Romanne began to say some weak words.

    Yet, Romanne was Romanne.

    ¡°...Yes, if you were even a bit less cowardly, less annoying, and less of a loser. Why are you so fucking pathetic? It makes me resentful of you. If you were even a bit like a normal guy, my tribe and your tribe could¡¯ve had a better rtionship.¡±

    Renu gritted his teeth. The hand holding the goblet flinched as if he wanted to choke and kill her at that moment.

    ¡°¡­I¡¯m going to use your tribe as my ves through and through.¡±

    ¡°I think that will be too much for you. Unlike you who have a ve mentality, our tribe is going to be very rebellious.¡±

    ¡°Even then, nothing¡¯s going to change. As you die, watch me gain this ultimate power.¡±

    Renu turned his back to Romanne and approached the ordinary-looking wall made out of stone bricks. Neither an extraordinary mural that blinded people¡¯s eyes nor strange and bizarre patterns were inscribed on the wall. However, Zich further increased his concentration. There had to be a reason why Renu drew a picture with blood on such an ordinary-looking wall.

    ¡°We will finally be able to get back our power!¡± Renu shouted. ¡°The power that the cursed Lake Tribe stole from us! Our rightful power! We¡¯re going to get it back!¡±

    Ssh!

    Renu swung his goblet and sshed blood on the wall.

    Wiiing!

    Arge vibration came out from the wall, and blue patterns began to cover the ordinary-looking wall.

    ¡°Oh?¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    Zich and even L were surprised by this sight. They hadn¡¯t noticed the magic sigil on the wall at all. The wall had an impressive camouge ability.

    ¡°What is that?¡±

    However, now that it was revealed, L knew what it was right away. ¡°It¡¯s a seal. It¡¯s probably a seal that only someone who possesses a specific bloodline and ability can undo. It¡¯s extremely sophisticated and strong.¡±

    ¡°A seal that can be undone by blood and a sigil¡ªthat¡¯s why they needed the shaman.¡±

    There was a high possibility that the seal was done by a shaman from the distant past. The soldiers standing around like decorations began to mutter spells. The mana resonated, the walls shook, and the patterns on the wall became clearer. Romanne¡¯s blood smeared on the wall also began to glow.

    ¡°We¡¯re done now!¡± Renu loudly proimed to everyone around him.

    Thud!

    The castle trembled loudly. Large cracks began to appear on the wall, and the barrier that imprisoned the shaman shook. This was the moment that Zich had been waiting for.

    Tap!

    In an instant, Zich approached the barrier and swung Windur. It spread like a sh of light, and Zich precisely struck the area where the barrier was breaking apart.

    Riiiiip!

    A ripping sound rang across the entire room.

 Chapter 202

    <h4>Chapter 202</h4>

    It was a ritual that had been passed down from generations in the Iron Tribe. It needed at least 58 lives from elves in the Iron Tribe and mana from the Iron Tribe King. Most of all, it required the blood of the descendant of the Lake Tribe¡¯s shaman who had sealed its power. Royals from the Iron Tribe treasured this ritual more than any other piece of knowledge they had, not even sharing it to their closest vassal and keeping it hidden.

    The kings of the Iron Tribe used all their resources to make a ritual that would allow them to grasp the power underneath the castle. For that reason, once the ritual was activated, the barrier that protected it was just as resilient and strong. It was a barrier that used the power of those participating in the ritual and even the power of the seal that they were trying to break. Of course, it was not indestructible. After all, this ritual was created to break the seal, not to protect it.

    However, it remained a fact that this barrier was extremely difficult to break. It was unimaginable that someone could rip the barrier apart in one attack.

    Right before their eyes, they witnessed such an unimaginable event. At that moment, the seal broke and made a sharp dent on their glorious pursuit for greatness. Including Renu and the soldiers whose life force was mostly taken away from the ritual, nobody could stop his movements. In an instant, Zich was in front of Renu.

    Zich had originally nned to take Romanne and escape, but he had to change his mind when he took a closer look at her.

    ¡®She¡¯s in a worse state than I thought.¡¯ Romanne almost had no color on her face, and her hands felt cold. If she lost any more blood, even an elf with a strong life force would die. Thus, Zich decided to heal her injuries before taking her out of the altar.

    ¡°¡­You are¡­¡± Even the great Romanne struggled to speak when her physical condition was in such a state.

    Instead of answering, Zich took out a potion and poured it into her mouth. She had multiple injuries, and when Zich looked closer, he saw that there were thorns all over the surface of the altar. These thorns had probably pierced holes into her body and extracted her blood; the blood that soaked the altar followed the groove at the bottom of the structure and dripped down to one ce. It was a truly gruesome altar.

    Romanne¡¯s injuries healed at a fast pace. However, it didn¡¯t seem like her blood loss had been reced as herplexion was the same as before. Considering the strong vitality of elves, this much was probably enough.

    Although all of this took a short time, it dyed their escape time; and it wasn¡¯t like the people of the Iron Tribe were all fools who would simply watch themotion happening right before them.

    ¡°Caaaaatch them!¡± Renu shouted. His subordinates began to move. The soldiers who participated in the ritual still couldn¡¯t move, and they began to die one by one from the aftereffects.

    However, there were troops that Renu had prepared for emergencies. The four elves standing by Renu¡¯s side stretched out their hands toward Zich.

    Craaaash!

    Four kinds of magic whirled and came closer to him. Two of them were wind magic, one was fire, and one was earth. The fire and stones mixed inside the crying whirlwind looked like they could kill a couple of people easily just by touching them. Yet, Zich didn¡¯t even budge at the sight of them. The attacks were formidable considering that they were cast by silent incantation, and while their magicbination was alright, Zich had an iparably more skilled magician behind him.

    Craaaash!

    Lightning shot out from behind them and easily erased the magic attacks. The elves who attacked Zich were actually frantically moving to avoid L¡¯s attack, and Zich used that moment to back away. This time, Zich dropped some potion into Romanne¡¯s mouth. She regained a bit of color back, but she was still unable to move.

    ¡®It¡¯s not that she had no stamina. It seems some kind of drug paralyzed her body beforehand.¡¯ Otherwise, it didn¡¯t seem like she wouldy so calmly on top of that altar, which looked like it would terribly hurt, especially if he considered her personality.

    This seemed clearer as Romanne gained her strength and she began to shout, ¡°It¡¯s a pity that you won¡¯t be able to see all the shit you did even as you die! Didn¡¯t I tell you that everything you do is useless!¡±

    ¡°You are right,dy,¡± Zich responded. ¡°Idiots think that if they make a n, everything will run exactly ording to it.¡±

    ¡°Oh my, you do know. When things don''t go ording to their n, they always me their surroundings for it.¡±

    ¡°Yes, I know that well. If such guys are in a high position, they me their subordinates; and if they have a family, they me their family members. They really are a specific type of trash who waste the air they breathe.¡±

    ¡°One thing is true for his case because that guy doesn¡¯t have a family. Even though he is the king, he still can¡¯t get a wife. Can¡¯t you just see what kind of personality or character he has?¡±

    ¡°Hahaha, isn¡¯t that his praiseworthy attempt to not leave any of his inferior blood behind? Ah, actually, he isn¡¯t capable of having such a thought. Ah, I was mistaken. How foolish I was.¡±

    ¡°I know it¡¯s rude for me to say this upon our first meeting, but you really were mistaken. It didn¡¯t settle right with me when you suggested that a poop-eating maggot would be able to hold a thought.¡±

    ¡°Yes, I suppose it was too much.¡±

    ¡°Yes, it was.¡±

    It didn¡¯t seem like it was their first time conversing at all. They insulted Renu and exchanged words to each other so familiarly that L, who had been warily staring at the elves, almost dropped the grip on her staff. Thus, Renu, the center of their conversation, couldn¡¯t have been more furious.

    ¡°What are you doing! Killlllllll those guys immediately!¡± Renu rolled his eyes as he shouted.

    The elves felt chills run down their backs at Renu¡¯s rage and hastily pulled their swords and prepared magic attacks.

    ¡®Hm, should I back off first?¡¯

    Since he had saved the final captive, there was no need for him to overdo it. He thought about taking Renu hostage and escaping, but there didn¡¯t seem to be a need for that. Zich thought, ¡®From now on, the other tribes can unite to overpower the Iron Tribe, and that would be enough.¡¯

    He looked forward to this war.

    Thud!

    The whole castle shook again. The elves that were standing upright began to stumble. Zich easily stayed bnced and watched the destruction happen in front of him.

    Crash! Crassh! Crasssssh!

    The wall was crumbling down. All the stones that made up the wall began to slowly crumble from the top as if they were mocking its builder. Then the back of the wall began to appear.

    Since such a sophisticated and shy-looking seal broke, Zich and L were very curious about what was behind the wall. However, what appeared in front of them was very disappointing. As if to make fun of Renu who worked so hard in undoing the seal, there was another wall. Moreover, the new wall looked exactly the same as the previous one.

    However, no one thought lightly of the new wall in front of them. Renu and Romanne knew what the wall was, and Zich and L had also seen that type of wall before. To be more precise, they had seen the wall¡¯s structure and the gap between the wall before.

    ¡°Hey, L. That¡­¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I have the same thought.¡±

    They both instantly thought of Violuwin¡¯s ruin. The wall that appeared looked exactly like the wall of the secret passageway that Windur opened and led them to the tomb of the ancient empire¡¯s emperors.

    ¡°Ha-hahahahhaha!¡±

    Renu let out a burst ofughter when he saw the new wall in front of him; finally, he was able to get what he wanted. At this moment, all the insults, humiliation, and mockery became nothing to him. The hatred he felt towards Zich and Romanne also began to melt. Now that the seal was undone, their mocking words were nothing but cries from losers. Victory was now in his grasp.

    Even though he was a coward like Romanne said, he could now spout out these bold words: ¡°Heheh! You pieces of trash are lucky. I thought about capturing you guys and torturing the hell out of you, but my thoughts have changed. You guys can just go back.¡±

    ¡°Woah? You became so kind?¡± Zich said this with surprise in his voice.

    ¡°Tell this to the rest. I will give them thest chance to choose¡ªto obey or go to war. Ah, but your tribe doesn¡¯t have a choice, shaman.¡± Renu raised his chin and looked down at them. ¡°It¡¯s the price of insulting me. Go out and bring everyone in your tribe and try resisting. I will bestow my grace upon your tribe and personally rip apart their pathetic attempt at resistance.¡±

    ¡°¡­Do you even have the key?¡± Romanne murmured in a low voice.

    Even though Romanne kept on humiliating Renu, she also felt threatened by the power sealed behind the wall.

    While feeling very pleased about Romanne¡¯s new attitude, Renu said, ¡°Do you think I don¡¯t have it? If you want to believe that, I will leave you be. This will only make you fall more into despair in the future.¡±

    At that moment, soldiers began rushing down. The soldiers nearby were quicklying down from themotion. The soldiers instantly surrounded Zich and hispanions and pointed their swords at them.

    However, Renu blocked their movements. ¡°Just let them go.¡±

    ¡°What? But Your Majesty, they are intruders!¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s fine. I promised to let them go. Yeah, why don¡¯t you guide them to the bridge so that other guys don¡¯t attack them?¡±

    The elf who received the order looked as if they couldn¡¯t understand what was happening, but an order was an order. The elf gestured towards the other soldiers, and all the soldiers withdrew their weapons and moved away from Zich and hispanions.

    ¡°What are you doing? Why don¡¯t you get going? Or did you suddenly change your mind and want to surrender to us now?¡± Renu continued to ridicule them.

    L pulled Zich¡¯s sleeve. ¡°Zich, I think we should get out for now.¡±

    ¡°Wait. I have one more thing I want to ask.¡±

    ¡°What is it?¡± Renu folded his arms as if he was willing to answer most questions and waited for Zich to ask.

    ¡°If the power inside that wall is so amazing, why don¡¯t you open it and show it to us right now? Honestly, I was curious about the power from the very beginning.¡±

    ¡°That probably won¡¯t be possible.¡± The answer came from Romanne. ¡°We don¡¯t know what shape or structure that power is in. They¡¯ll probably need to open that door by using another ritual while controlling the power inside.¡±

    Zich replied, ¡°I¡¯m surprised he has enough of a brain for that.¡±

    ¡°Bugs are desperate to protect their lives. Isn¡¯t that why they work so hard in hiding themselves?¡±

    Renu muttered in a low voice, ¡°¡­Don¡¯t test how far my patience will go.¡±

    ¡°Look at him. He acted like a generous king after saying he had some kind of amazing power, but after receiving a few insults, he went back to trembling in fury.¡±

    Zich added, ¡°Pathetic. So pathetic. He really is so pathetic. How can anyone be so pathetic? He¡¯s the most pathetic being I¡¯ve ever seen.¡±

    ¡°You fucking bastards¡­!¡± Veins appeared on Renu¡¯s forehead again, and he red at Zich and hispanions with murderous eyes. ¡°Fine! If you want to die here so desperately¡ª!¡±

    ¡°Haaaat!¡±

    It all happened suddenly. Zich grabbed L, who was standing behind him and jumped towards Renu. Even while holding L and Romanne on both sides, Zich was as fast as the speed of light. Since Zich had no hands to carry a weapon, he put out his legs toward Renu. Even though it was just a simple kick, the force and speed of Zich¡¯s movements were strong enough to easily crush a person¡¯s head.

    The soldiers and even Renu, who stood at the opposite end of where Zich and hispanions were, could not properly react to Zich¡¯s sudden attack. However, the distance between them allowed Renu to barely escape Zich¡¯s ambush.

    Crash! Zich¡¯s foot hit the wall. There was a loud sound, but the wall waspletely fine. Renu almost died, gasped for breath, and ran towards where Zich and hispanions used to be. The soldiers rushed to surround and protect him. Now, the position between Zich and hispanions and Renu werepletely reversed.

    ¡°Y-you bastard¡­!¡±

    Renu was so shocked that the hand he used to point at Zich trembled feverishly. However, Zich merely shrugged his shoulders as if he felt regretful that Renu didn¡¯t die.

    ¡°You bastard! I was trying to show you mercy and you returned my favor with an ambush!¡±

    ¡°But you didn¡¯t die,¡± Zich calmly replied as if he really thought this was a reasonable answer.

 Chapter 203

    <h4>Chapter 203</h4>

    He was detestable and brazen. Of course, Renu disliked Zich no matter what, and his impression of Zich grew worse as he interacted with him more and more.

    ¡°¡­Are all humans like you?¡±

    ¡°No way. There aren¡¯t many guys like me who are smart, gentle, handsome, and have a sense of humor- and it¡¯s true for not only among humans, but all species.¡±

    Zich felt L¡¯s re from behind, but he ignored it. There was no time for them to debate about conflicting views.

    ¡°Well, fine,¡± Renu responded. As if he was growing tired from arguing with Zich, his voice had traces of despondency mixed in. ¡°I don¡¯t care how your mind works anymore.¡± It seemed like he would lose a hundred years of his life span if he continued listening to Zich.

    ¡°Anyways, I am going to take the fact that you attacked me as you saying that you don¡¯t want to escape out of here alive. And no thanks. I refuse to hear another word from you.¡± Before Zich could even open his mouth, Renu stopped him. ¡°You have nowhere to run. You will all die here.¡±

    Renu pointed his finger at Zich and hispanions. A troop of soldiers exuding bloodlust began approaching them.

    ¡°¡­As someone who¡¯s been insulting that bastard until now, I shouldn¡¯t say this, but do you have any way of escaping this ce?¡± Romanne asked. She had been surprised at Zich¡¯s sudden flying kick at Renu; but because of that kick, their situation had turned for the worst and their escape became more difficult.

    L responded to her question, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, miss. Although he seems to be thoughtless, he moves after thinking about most things.¡±

    ¡°Huh? I do?¡± Yet Zich himself seemed to question L¡¯s words.

    After L received Romanne¡¯s disappointed gaze, she kicked Zich in the shin.

    ¡°Well, it¡¯s not like I came here thoughtlessly.¡± Zich knocked on the wall behind him. ¡°I wanted to see what was beyond this.¡±

    ¡°You mean that¡­?¡± Renu intervened like he couldn¡¯t believe it. ¡°That doesn¡¯t open without a special key. No, before that, there¡¯s a high possibility that you won¡¯t be able to find something good there. Could you have gotten this information from the conversation that the shaman and I shared? I thought you had some capabilities even if you are an annoying guy, but you¡¯re doing an iprehensible and meaningless act at thest moment.¡±

    ¡°What? I thought you weren¡¯t going to listen to me anymore. How can a king go back on their word as soon as they spit it out? Even a chicken head would have the memory to do better. Ah, was that too offensive? You know, to the chicken.¡±

    Romanne added, ¡°The Iron Tribe is almost pitiful now. How can they bow their heads and serve a guy like that as their king? How is it for the rest of you? If you join our side, we will ept you as refugees.¡±

    The two really let out insults without a moment of rest. Renu¡¯s face becamepletely red again, but Zich didn¡¯t make his final blow this time.

    ¡°Did you say that I did a meaningless act? That¡¯s not the case at all. I remember the information I gained from the conversation you had very well.¡± Zich raised his sword. Like it had judged the situation as necessary, Windur listened to him quite well these days and assumed the appearance of a sword that Zich imagined.

    ¡°There¡¯s some information that you don¡¯t know.¡±

    Crinkle!

    Like it was revealing its original form proudly, Windur blossomed its branch-like des splendidly. Renu, his soldiers, and even Romanne stared at Zich¡¯s sword as he stabbed Windur into a crack in the wall. Renu and the soldiers didn¡¯t think that there was much meaning behind his actions until¡ª

    ck!

    They heard the sound of something interlocking.

    ¡°What! What is that!¡±

    There was no way elves who had good hearing could have heard it. It almost sounded like a perfectly fitting key was unlocking a lock, and they weren¡¯t wrong.

    Rumble!

    Zich swung Windur, and as it did in Violuwin, a part of the wall drew a big circle and began to move. Everyone could tell that Zich was opening the wall.

    ¡°No!¡± Renu screamed.

    Renu didn¡¯t know how this human had such a key, but he didn¡¯t have the luxury to ponder about it.

    ¡°You bastard! Don¡¯t you remember our conversation! If you open that, we don¡¯t know what¡¯ll happen!¡±

    ¡°No, I know!¡± Zich yelled confidently. ¡°It taught me.¡±

    ¡°T-Taught you?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, so that¡¯s why I know for sure that we¡¯ll be fine if we open this, but¡­¡± Zichughed loudly, ¡°You guys would bepletely fucked!¡±

    ¡°Blooooooock him!¡± Renu shrieked.

    Soldiers moving slowly in a line to minimize any harm rushed towards Zich with all they had, but they were toote.

    ¡°Isn¡¯t this what you wanted so much! Keep both eyes open and watch carefully!¡±

    ck!

    They heard another ringing noise and Windur turned around in a full circle. The wall¡¯s door, which had quietly slept for centuries, opened. And what existed beyond it was cmity itself.

    Craaaaaash!

    A huge smoke burst out of the door. It swallowed the basement instantly, flowed down the staircase, and extended out to the whole castle. But it didn¡¯t stop there. It burned everything it touched and expanded its reach. In an extremely short amount of time, the castle changed into a gigantic furnace that sted out fire.

    * * *

    While Zich was dealing with Renu in the basement, Hans was leading a battle with the armored soldiers that Snoc controlled and the golems that L made. Even though he was working very hard, there was a limit to fighting against elite soldiers with sloppily made golems. One by one, the armored soldiers copsed to the ground. Naturally, their secret was revealed.

    ¡°It¡¯s not a human. The pieces of armor are empty!¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a golem! A golem! Just a puppet!¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not a group of human bandits?¡±

    At first, only a few found out, but the news spread very quickly. The number of armored figures breaking exponentially increased, and there were more elves who found out the news for themselves.

    ¡®Is this almost the end?¡¯

    While slicing another elf that attacked him, Hans predicted the end of this battle. However, he didn¡¯t feel regretful.

    ¡®I¡¯ve already long passed the time that Sir Zich requested of me.¡¯

    Hans fully trusted Zich; these days, it almost reached the point of fanaticism. Hans didn¡¯t even think for a second that Zich would fail.

    ¡®A lot of armor was crushed. I should start preparing to withdraw.¡¯

    Hans nned to retrieve as much armor as possible. He tapped the ground a few times; it was a signal to Snoc.

    Thud! Thud!

    Some of the attacks from the armored soldiers suddenly became rough. Until now, they had been carefully moving while showing an appropriate amount of aggression; but now, they had contradictory movements. The armored soldiers rushed towards the elves without paying any regard to the damage they received. While they blocked the elves from the front, the golems in the back that were there to fill the numbers ran towards Hans.

    Hans took out a magic box. Then he began putting the golems back in the order they arrived.

    ¡°W-what¡­!¡± Kandis opened his mouth wide at the sight in front of him.

    He finally realized what type of enemies they were facing and how his enemies were able to suddenly appear and disappear.

    ¡®There weren¡¯t a great number of enemies. From the very beginning, there were only a few enemies!¡¯

    Kandis had beenpletely tricked by the golems that were camouged as armored soldiers.

    ¡®There are some that are especially strong, but that¡¯s all there is to it!¡¯

    The especially strong unit directly fought with them and gave the wrong impression to Kandis that the golems with simple movements might have the same skills and strength as the enemies in front.

    ¡®And the especially strong units weren¡¯t even humans!¡¯

    Crash!

    One elf hit the helmet of the armor that kept attacking them. The helmet lifelessly dropped from the armor, and there was nothing inside. There wasn¡¯t a head, and beneath it was only an empty and dark space.

    Thud!

    However, the armored soldiers began rushing towards the elf again as if there was an invisible person inside.

    ¡°¡­There are probably very few real enemies. Perhaps¡­¡¯

    Kandis gaze moved towards the middle of the battle. His eyesnded on Hans who was stuffing golems into his magic box.

    ¡®There might be just one person.¡¯

    Even though Hans wasn¡¯t performing his job with ease orfort, to Kandis, it looked as if he was.

    ng!

    Kandis raised his bow and arrow. He instilled arge amount of mana into his arrow.

    Swoosh!

    The arrow flew towards Hans. It was an arrow strong enough to easily pierce through a metal te. Unless Hans was wearing armor made out of a precious metal like mithril, his arrow would easily pass through.

    m!

    However, Kandis¡¯ arrow was not able to pierce through his insufferable enemy. His enemy had raised his sword and deflected the arrow. The most annoying thing was that while this happened, Hans continued putting the golems into the magic box¡ªas if he didn¡¯t even need to use his full strength to block an attack like this.

    ¡°Ahhhhhh!¡± Kandis kept shooting more arrows at Hans, but Hans shed every arrow with Estede. Moreover, Hans barely had to use his strength and easily cut them down. He had his feet stuck in the same ce, and the top of his body didn¡¯t move at all; only his right arm moved to deal with the arrows.

    ¡°This fuuuckkking piece of shit!¡±

    Crunch!

    Kandis threw his own bow on the ground. It was a strong andplex arrow made out of multiple trees, monster parts, and even a bit of metal, but it broke under the shock of Kandis¡¯ throw.

    ¡°Focus all the arrows on that bastard who is stuffing the armor in that box! Turn him into a hedgehog!¡±

    If quality didn¡¯t work, he was going to use quantity. The arrows that were shooting towards the armor were now all focused on one person. Since it was dark, it was difficult to see the arrows, but if this was in daylight, the cloud of numerous arrows rising up all at once would have been a wondrous sight. As splendid it was, the rain of arrows would have been just as dangerous.

    Wiing!

    Hans focused his mana into Estede; the sword shed its holy light. Estede looked like a sun soaring from the ground. Perhaps the sky became crazy and time changed into day; that was how bright the light was. Then Hans wielded the shining Estede towards the rain of arrows.

    Wiiiiiing!

    The lights that came out first brightened up the surroundings, and what followed after was an explosive light filled with Hans¡¯ mana. No sound came out from it. The entire surrounding area became bright as if light exploded in the whole area.

    Then it disappeared. In an instant, the world was covered in darkness again. However, all the arrows that flew towards Hans disappeared with the light. The elves stared at Hans with shock and froze in ce. Since Hans had acted like a somewhat normal human bandit, this was the elves¡¯ first time witnessing his power. Without paying any attention to the elves¡¯ reaction, Hans carried on with his task, but even he felt awkward at the sudden standstill and silence.

    ¡®Um, so, if it was Sir Zich, he would¡­¡¯

    With perfect timing, he met eyes with the general leading the elves. Kandis also had his eyes wide open and was staring at him. Hans could feel the general¡¯s fury.

    So he said, ¡°Why are you looking at me like that? What are you getting so angry about?¡±

 Chapter 204

    <h4>Chapter 204</h4>

    A different atmosphere from before flowed across the battlefield. Hans¡¯ words were obviously ones of provocation. Although their opponent seemed overwhelmingly unaware of his actions, it didn¡¯t make them any less enraged. Furthermore, since Hans was storing the armored soldiers back into his box, it appeared that his forces were decreasing.

    Numbers were strength and power, and the elves had many strong fighters on their side. No matter how strong and amazing their opponent was, they didn¡¯t think they would lose. Of course, the elves didn¡¯t hold back. The representative of this group was Kandis who was stunned by Hans¡¯ words.

    Kandis yelled, ¡°What¡­you are asking us if there¡¯s something to be angry about? You made a fool out of us, and you dare to say that!¡±

    ¡°Ah¡­!¡± Hans scratched his head like he realized something. ¡®Now that I think about it, everything Sir Zich says is to provoke his opponents.¡¯ Moreover, Zich¡¯s provocations weren¡¯t meant to create openings by drawing out his opponents¡¯ emotions. He purely mocked them for his own pleasure.

    Although Hans greatly admired Zich, he had no desire to inherit that kind of personality. He had copied Zich¡¯s words and behavior unconsciously and had no intention of provoking his opponents.

    ¡®I have to take their lives because of the situation, but I don¡¯t wish to mix insults in too.¡¯

    Hans thought and apologized willingly, ¡°Sorry, I misspoke.¡± He was genuine as he continued, ¡°If I think about it, the reason why you all are quiet is obvious. Isn¡¯t it because you became scared after seeing my attack?¡±

    ¡°¡­What?¡± Kandis muttered.

    Hans was right. The elves were scared by his brilliant and powerful attack, but nobody could ept such words as a proper apology after Hans¡¯ provocativements. They thought he was provoking them even more now.

    ¡°It¡¯s my fault. I didn¡¯t think the elite troops of the Iron Tribe would be so surprised by just a single blow, especially when you all found out that I¡¯m the only significant fighter in this battle now. It¡¯s my fault for falsely judging your skills. I sincerely apologize.¡± Hans put Estede away andnded a deep bow. It was a courteous and polite apology. Even though they had different customs from humans, the elves knew the meaning behind these actions.

    However, the elves¡¯ rage didn¡¯t subside. Instead, it intensified. Normally, an extreme disy of etiquette or an action that didn¡¯t match the speaker¡¯s words was no different from sarcasm. That was how the Iron Tribe perceived Hans¡¯ behavior. However, since Hans was sincerely apologizing from his heart, he was taken aback by Kandis¡¯ roar.

    ¡°You damn bastard! Don¡¯t insult us however you like!¡±

    ¡°¡­Why are you getting angry when I apologize?¡± Hans¡¯ expression looked like he had been extremely wronged. This made the elves flip over in anger even more.

    ¡°I guess what they said about the Iron Tribe elves is really true. They are all hot-tempered and have a nasty disposition. I shouldn¡¯t have downyed them just because they are my enemy.¡± This time, Hans murmured to himself and didn¡¯t raise his voice like before.

    Yet, the elves intensely focusing on Hans heard all his murmuring with their sensitive hearing.

    ¡°Ah, no. I shouldn¡¯t think like that. They are just acting like that because I¡¯m their enemy, and they are passionate in a battle to the death. Reason and emotions are separate things, after all.¡± Hans murmured to himself and smiled at the Iron Tribe. It was a very benevolent and wise smile, and he couldn¡¯t have imagined that this smile would enrage the Iron Tribe elves to the maximum.

    ¡°Okay, I understand. I¡¯m sure you all can¡¯t ept my apology yet, but please remember one thing. I really apologized to you all from the bottom of my heart.¡± As Hans now spoke with an expression of a loving mother who epted everything her children did, Kandis¡¯st remaining reason and thought shattered.

    ¡°Kill¡­!¡± He was about to issue hismand when¡ª

    Craaaash!

    They heard a huge explosion from behind.

    Rummmble!

    It was such a huge explosion that all of Mentis shook. A couple of soldiers lost their bnce and fell, but Kandis couldn¡¯t afford to pay attention to his soldiers. It was the same for the other elves; even those who fell down turned to the noise instead of getting up again. It came from the castle where their great king, who led the Iron Tribe resided. Mentis¡¯ castle was enveloped by a fierce ball of fire.

    mes seeped out of all the windows and doors and used the darkness in the surroundings as the stage for their fiery dance.

    ¡°H-His Majesty¡­¡± Kandis barely managed to speak, but he didn¡¯t remain fixed in his spot. ¡°Head to the castle immediately!¡±

    Kandis hurriedly headed towards the castle, and his soldiers followed him. Nobody was concerned about Hans anymore. Renu¡¯s well-being was more important than anything else, and there was also the issue of the power underneath the castle that they had to retrieve.

    Hans watched as his enemies flowed out like a tidal wave and didn¡¯t hinder them. His mission was over, and all he had to do was get out now. There was no need for him to chase after retreating enemies. He recovered the rest of the armored soldiers and knocked the ground a couple of times.

    Brrr!

    A mound of dirt shot up beside him, and Snoc came out.

    ¡°Wasn¡¯t our n to wait for Ms. L toe pick us up from the basement?¡± Snoc asked.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think that¡¯s necessary. Sir Zich said that it¡¯s better if we leave by ourselves if we can.¡±

    ¡°Well, he did say that.¡± Snoc stared at the burning castle from far away. The mes were so spectacr that they were the first thing he saw as soon as he got out of the basement. Of course, to its victims, it would¡¯ve probably looked like a devil¡¯s tongue rising from Hell.

    ¡°Sir Zich must have done that, right senior?¡±

    ¡°Probably.¡±

    Snoc and Hans¡¯ concerns about the castle¡¯s mes ended there. None of them wondered if Zich was fine or not since they were sure that their master would appear in front of them again,pletely fine. And their faith was soon proven once again.

    ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you? They wouldn¡¯t have left yet.¡±

    Someone jumped down to their side. It was Zich who held L and Romanne in both of his arms.

    * * *

    At the edge of theke, a group was gathered together and looking at Mentis. From afar, they could clearly see the castle burning in Mentis¡ªthat was how great the fire was. From a short distance away from them, the mana flow began shaking things up, and five individualsnded on the forest ground. L had teleported Zich and hispanions out of Mentis.

    ¡°¡­My goodness. You really teleported us.¡± Romanne stared at L with a shocked face. If one only considered her ability to perform teleportation magic, it wasn¡¯t that surprising. It was surprising that a human, especially a human that looked as young as L, could teleport. However, elves had long lives and had greatpatibility with magic, so there were quite a few elves that could do teleportation magic too.

    Even if they could do teleportation magic, they could only teleport only one or two people by themselves. Moreover, if more people were added, the distance that they could travel would be significantly shorter. On the other hand, L easily teleported five individuals at once and teleported them all the way from Mentis to the edge of theke.

    ¡®She¡¯s definitely not an ordinary magician.¡¯

    No, it was not only her that was extraordinary. The man who introduced himself as Hans possessed a sword that looked very special and amazing from a nce. Likewise, he also probably possessed a high level of skill. The man called Snoc used the powers of the magical beast of the earth.

    ¡®And that Zich human.¡¯

    He was a person thatpletely yed around with the Iron Tribe under the castle. Moreover, judging by his actions, he seemed to be the leader of this unbelievably unique and strong party.

    ¡®What kind of person is he?¡¯

    They merely exchanged names and hadn¡¯t formally introduced themselves to each other yet. Zich had told her that they needed to escape first, and Romanne agreed to this. However, he also said he was a friend of Leona¡¯s.

    ¡®How did my immature granddaughter get friends like these...¡±

    The fact that Zich and hispanions saved her and introduced themselves as Leona¡¯s friends made Romanne have a high level of trust for them.

    ¡°They are right there.¡± L pointed at where the previous hostages were clustered together.

    The kings and queens were standing together, protected by their respective tribe soldiers. Since Zich already knew where all the soldiers hidden near Mentis were, it was not difficult for L to lead the hostages to their tribe¡¯s soldiers. Moreover, the kings and queens thought it was safer to stick together than to spread their soldiers out, so they clustered together while waiting for the shaman to arrive. The kings and queens also noticed Zich and hispanions.

    ¡°Mother!¡±

    ¡°Mother!¡±

    Retree and Sidia rushed towards the shaman immediately. They tightly hugged Romanne, but Zich dissuaded their behavior. ¡°It¡¯s better to not squeeze her. She lost a lot of blood.¡±

    ¡°Blood?¡± Retree scanned Romanne¡¯s face.

    He raised his eyes and saw how pale her face was. Anyone could see that she was not in good condition. Moreover, the clothes she was wearing were covered in blood.

    ¡°A-are you all right¡ª!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± Romanne pushed away her son who was freaking out and nodded towards her daughter-inw who looked at her with concern.

    Then she moved forward. She saw the other tribe¡¯s kings and queens move towards her. All of them looked fatigued and haggard, but none of them seemed to have received any serious injuries.

    ¡°Fortunately, everyone is safe.¡±

    ¡°Yes, esteemed shaman. All they did was imprison us and didn¡¯t really do much to us. It seems like that wasn¡¯t the case for you though.¡± The Mountain Tribe King stared at Rommane¡¯s blood-soaked clothes and paleplexion. The other tribes also said a few words to her.

    Romanne shed a gentle smile. ¡°You all don¡¯t have to worry about me. As everyone can tell, I was safely rescued, and I don¡¯t have any injuries left either. I¡¯ll be able to return back to normal soon after some rest.¡±

    Romanne, who wasforting and calming everyone around her, was the embodiment of a kind and gentle shaman. L distinctly remembered Romanne¡¯s harsh insults at Renu, and felt that this scene looked awkward and super bizarre. However, Zich didn¡¯t think too much about it. There were many people who acted differently depending on the people they met. Moreover, the elf that she insulted and mocked was an enemy.

    ¡®Anything you do to an enemy is forgivable.¡¯

    This was perhaps the number one belief that hadn¡¯t changed since Zich regressed. After finishing her conversation with the King and Queen, Romanne stood next to her son, Retree.

    ¡°What are we going to do from now on?¡± The Ocean Tribe King was the first to bring up this question.

    The Mountain Tribe Queen blinked her eyes. ¡°What do you mean what we are going to do from now on? We have to go back to our tribe first and bring our military force to crush those guys.¡±

    ¡°Do we really need to go back to our tribe? Don¡¯t we have enough soldiers right now topletely take control over Mentis? Even though they have the advantage in defense, just look at them. They probably have no choice but to only focus on their defenses.¡± The in Tribe King pointed at the castle engulfed in bright mes. He probably wanted to immediately get revenge against his enemy.

    However, the Mountain Tribe King expressed his opposition. ¡°Even though our enemy is in a state of chaos, we can¡¯t ignore their advantageous location. Moreover, the military force we have right now is not enough.¡±

    Most of the soldiers were those who specialized in scouting and infiltrating, since they had been sent to scout out the enemy¡¯s location and rescue the hostages if they could find the chance. Therefore, their current military force greatlycked directbat skills, especially considering that they would have to cross a narrow bridge while fighting their enemy. The in Tribe King seemed to also agree with this point as he didn¡¯t say anything more and let out a sigh.

    ¡°¡­We should retreat for now. Then let¡¯s formally gather our troops and attack the Iron Tribe together.¡± The elves agreed to Retree¡¯s words one by one, and in the end, the in Tribe King also agreed.

    Then Zich intervened. ¡°I apologize for my interruption, but if you want to attack, you must do so as quickly as possible.¡±

    ¡°Hmm?¡±

    ¡°The power that the Iron Tribe was trying to grasp has awakened.¡±

    While escaping, Zich had the chance to look inside the door. In the midst of a zing fire, there was something standing upright. Instead of green leaves, an enormous tree with red ming leaves stood in the middle¡ªthat tree was definitely the power that the Iron Tribe was feverishly talking about.

 Chapter 205

    <h4>Chapter 205</h4>

    ¡°Power?¡±

    ¡°Yes, power. Even if he kidnapped all of you guys, that power must have given him the resolution to start a war with all the tribes.¡±

    The elves looked serious. Some nced at the burning castle.

    ¡°Are the mes burning that castle perhaps¡­¡±

    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s the manifestation of power.¡±

    It was a frightening power that could engulf a gigantic castle into a sea of mes in an instant. Besides, since elves lived in a forest, they couldn¡¯t help but feel more threatened by fire.

    ¡°Do you think the Iron Tribe King is still alive? Actually, I¡¯m amazed how we are alive right now,¡± L asked. When the door opened and a burst of mes shot out, L thought she would die. If it wasn¡¯t for Zich, L was sure that she would have died in the basement.

    ¡®Truthfully, I don¡¯t even know how we were able to get out.¡¯ L had closed her eyes at the iing mes, but she didn¡¯t feel the intense heat she had expected. She simply felt something wrap her body and lift her up. When she opened her eyes, Zich was already going down the staircase with her and Romanne in his arms.

    The mes that enveloped their surroundings didn¡¯t approach them. Instead, they made a path for Zich to run on as if they didn¡¯t consider Zich and hispanions as their enemy. But this special treatment was only restricted to them. Everywhere else¡ªuntil they got out of the castle, elves floundered around in the fire. Thus, it seemed highly unlikely that Renu, who would have received the full force of the mes as he stood near the door, was alive.

    Zich replied to her firmly, ¡°He¡¯s alive.¡±

    Before he got out of the basement, Zich checked the area where Renu was. Like it had done for Zich, the fire didn¡¯t attack Renu. He probably also had something that blocked the mes.

    ¡°But he probably won¡¯t bepletely fine. I saw the mes ¡®ying¡¯ around with him a bit.¡±

    Based on Zich¡¯sughter, L realized that even if Renu was alive, he would be in a mess.

    * * *

    Renu gained his senses again, but his consciousness didn¡¯te back to him immediately. He couldn¡¯t remember where he was or what he was doing. It felt as if he was wandering inside a forest nketed by a heavy fog. Then, by his side, he heard murmurs and opened his eyes.

    ¡°His Majesty woke up!¡±

    ¡°Bring in the healers!¡±

    Renu saw his subordinates acting in a frenzy around him. He wasn¡¯t pleased about this. He always told them to act with calmness and etiquette near him. Of course, Renu was someone far from such behavior, but he was the type of elf who was strict towards others but lenient on himself. He thought he should tell them, so he furrowed his brows and was about to shout.

    ¡°Ahhhhhh!¡± What came out of his mouth wasn¡¯t scolding but a piercing scream.

    ¡°Ah! Ahhhhh!¡± He couldn¡¯t stop screaming. He felt pain all over his body. Because of the pain, he shrieked and flopped on the ground. As he did this, he felt a greater sense of pain. It was a vicious cycle.

    ¡°It hurts! It hurts! It huuuurts!¡±

    ¡°What is the healer doing!¡±

    ¡°Potion! Pour the potions over him for now!¡±

    The soldiers began to pour potions over Renu. His body cooled down and the pain he felt from the burning sensation died down a bit.

    Renu gasped and heaved. He still felt pain, but it wasn¡¯t at the mortifying level that made him want to end his own life.

    ¡®¡­Water.¡¯ His throat was dry. He searched his surroundings. His subordinates¡ªKandis was among them¡ªwatched him worriedly, but Renu wanted water first.

    Thankfully, he saw arge basin filled with water right next to him. Renu quietly pointed towards it with his finger, and a subordinate quickly brought the basin closer to him.

    Renu got the basin and plunged his face into the water. Then, he began to gulp the water down. Although the elves in his surroundings gasped in shock, not expecting him to drink the water, Renu didn¡¯t concern himself with them. Quenching his thirst was his utmost priority.

    ¡°Haaa!¡±

    Renu raised his head from the basin. His bangs, which had been submerged in the water, swung and sprinkled water droplets around. After he quenched his thirst a bit, Renu began to think about his situation again.

    ¡®What happened?¡¯ Renu was definitely arguing with the intruder just a moment ago¡ªwith that rude, annoying, and infuriating bastard.

    ¡®And that guy opened¡­the door...¡¯ Huge mes burst out of the door. In an instant, the mes nketed the basement, burned his subordinates¡­ and smoldered him.

    ¡°Gasp!¡±

    Renu quickly escaped from his memories. He felt chills from his back¡ªhe didn¡¯t want to recall the pain he felt after that or the sensation of his whole body burning up.

    ¡®Wait.¡± Another irritating thought came to his head.

    The fire that had burst out of the door was unusual, but how was he still alive and well? No, was he even ¡®well?¡¯ He recalled the pain he felt the moment he woke up and looked down at the basin he was holding. The water droplets remaining on his face fell into the basin and made small ripples, but it didn¡¯t obstruct the reflection on the water, which showed his hideous and scarred face.

    ¡°¡­What¡­what is thisssssss!¡±

    ck and red flesh dripped down and merged and intertwined with each other. His beautiful face, characteristic of all elves, was nowhere to be seen. All that was left was his revolting face and body that was destroyed by the power he so desperately wanted.

    * * *

    In the end, the elves that were kept as hostages decided to withdraw for now. They decided to go back to their respective countries and calm down their tribes. Then they would organize a military force and fight against the Iron Tribe together. Zich and hispanions followed the Lake Tribe and went back to the Droud Forest.

    Dronian and Leona were overjoyed to see their family again. Leona burst into tears in her mother¡¯s arms. Just like this, their reunion ended. Since they arrived back in Droudte at night, their meeting for future ns was pushed to the next day. However, since they needed to gather their military force as soon as possible, Retree stayed behind to issue a few simplemands. Dronian also stayed behind to help his father.

    Zich and hispanions were not involved in tribal affairs, so they went back to their assigned rooms. Leona was not with them; she wanted to spend more time with her family after not being able to see them for so long.

    Even though Zich and hispanions returned to their rooms, they didn¡¯t immediately fall asleep. They nned to exchange information. Hans and Snoc began talking about what happened in the battle¡ªno, to be more urate, Hans and Snoc were basically reporting to Zich. However, it wasn¡¯t as if Zich didn¡¯t tell his side of the story at all. One part of his training was for Hans and Snoc to hear different types of information and find out which piece of information would be useful for them and use it to their advantage. Even though the atmosphere wasn¡¯t very serious, it was not a lighthearted atmosphere where jokes could pass between them. However, Zich burst out intoughter.

    ¡°Hahahahhahaha!¡±

    Zichughed so hard that he had to clutch his stomach. Compared to him, L sent Hans a ¡®what the heck¡¯ type of expression.

    ¡°Hahahaha! So after that, they got angry?¡±

    ¡°Yes, sir.¡±

    Hans had been exining to Zich what happened in the battle at Mentis. He had already finished exining how the elves discovered that the armored figures were not humans but puppets, and he was reaching the part where he was withdrawing and collecting the armor into his magic box.

    When Hans was giving a rough summary of his conversation with Kandis, Zich began to show interest. Thus, Hans told Zich the whole context and the words that passed between them. Even though Hans couldn¡¯t remember the exact words of their conversation, he remembered the basic details. Then he told Zich what the elf¡¯s reaction was.

    ¡°I guess it was hard to ept my apology on the battlefield. Or maybe the elf¡¯s personality was bad.¡±

    Zichughed even harder. He bent his back backward, and the chair flipped over. There was a loud thud as the chair flipped back, but Zich paid no attention to it. He started rolling andughing on the floor.

    ¡°Don¡¯tugh! Because of you, Hans became weird!¡± L scolded Zich, but Zich continued tough. Heughed so hard that it was bing hard for him to breathe.

    ¡°¡­Did I do something wrong, sir?¡±

    ¡°No, you didn¡¯t do anything wrong. So in the future, continue to¡­ump! Ump!¡±

    L blocked Zich¡¯s mouth, as he was encouraging Hans to continue while putting the chair back up.

    ¡°I know you didn¡¯t do it on purpose, but your actions were definitely provoking to the receiver.¡±

    ¡°Is that so?¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡±

    Then L told Hans how his words could have been interpreted by his receiver step by step. While chuckling, Zich kept trying to intervene and interfere with her exnation; but every time this happened, L kicked Zich¡¯s shin to stop him from talking.

    ¡°Miss, I understand now. If I think about it like that, my words were definitely provoking. I don¡¯t know why I didn¡¯t think of it like that before.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t feel guilty about it. I can clearly see one reason why you might have thought this way.¡± L red at Zich, and Zich winked back at her.

    Then L threw a cherry from the table at Zich. Without much effort, Zich ate the cherry that came flying towards him at a pretty fast speed. He thoroughly chewed the cherry and spit the seed back out. Then he smiled brightly. In the end, L had to kick his shin again.

    ¡°Anyway, be careful from now on. Even if you are affected by some bad influence, it¡¯s still not toote. Hans, you said you wanted to be a hero, right? Then I think you should also be careful with your words. I¡¯m not saying that you should speak with great manners, but I don¡¯t think it¡¯s a good idea for heroes to spit out degrading insults or mock their opponents.¡±

    Zich intervened, ¡°If you just have the skill and results, no matter how bad your personality is, people will regard you as a hero¡ª¡±

    ¡°You should keep your mouth shut!¡±

    While watching Zich and L argue with each other, Hans thought he should be a bit more careful with his words in the future.

    * * *

    After finishing a simple breakfast the next day, Zich and hispanions received an invitation from Retree. An elf guided them to a room. In the room, the entire royal family of the Lake Tribe was gathered together: King Retree, Queen Sidia, Shaman Romanne, Crown Prince Dronian, and Princess Leona.

    ¡°Ah, you¡¯ve arrived!¡± Leona jumped up and weed Zich and hispanions. Dronian sighed at Leona¡¯s careless manners but did not stop her. Zich and hispanions all sat on the chairs prepared for them.

    ¡°I want to first express my thanks once more. Thank you all for saving us.¡± Retree expressed his gratitude. The other royal families did the same; even Leona expressed her thanks seriously.

    ¡°I¡¯m happy to be of help.¡±

    ¡°I never imagined that my immature daughter would run away from home and bring people like you.¡±

    Leona proudly raised her shoulder, but it soon went down at Retree¡¯s next words. ¡°But don¡¯t ever run away again.¡±

    ¡°¡­Yes.¡±

    All the humans and elves in the room made a bitter smile at Leona¡¯s crest-fallen figure. After returning the atmosphere back to normal, Romanne said, ¡°The reason why we called you here is to exchange information about this event.¡±

    Since Zich expected this, he nodded his head.

    ¡°I will first tell you all about what I know, but even I don¡¯t know everything. This information has only been passed down through shamans, and even for us, it happened such a long time ago that a lot of information has been cut out. Please keep this in mind while listening to my words.¡± Romanne collected her breath for a bit.

    ¡°A long time ago, there was an ancient empire ruled by humans named ¡®Clowon.¡¯ It was an extremely powerful empire.¡±

 Chapter 206

    <h4>Chapter 206</h4>

    The ancient empire¡ªZich¡¯s eyes shone at its mention. He might finally learn about the existence he was curious about. But before that, he had to make sure that the ancient empire he was thinking of and the ancient empire Romanne was talking about was the same one.

    ¡°It seems like you have a general idea about the empire.¡±

    ¡°I heard from Leona that it was an empire that belonged to many incredibly strong humans.¡±

    ¡°I see. Although that story has been passed down as a legend among elves, I told Leona about it in more detail since she has a high chance of bing the next shaman.¡±

    ¡®Leona as the next shaman?¡¯

    Leona went beyond careless to reckless. She didn¡¯t fit the image of a shaman well, but Zich quickly shrugged it off.

    ¡®Even the current shaman swears like a sailor. It wouldn¡¯t be strange to have a reckless shaman.¡¯ Furthermore, even someone like Leona would not remain so reckless their whole life.

    Romanne continued, ¡°Legend says that Clowon was an incredible empire. They produced skilled emperors from generation to generation and built an irond force around the emperor. But they had nothing much to do with elves. No matter how strong they were, Clowon was still just a human empire. The elves thought there was no need to involve themselves with the people in the empire.¡±

    ¡°They must have gotten the elves involved.¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡± Romanne nodded, ¡°Do you all know the full name of our tribe?¡±

    ¡°Yes, I heard about it.¡±

    ¡°Excluding the Iron Tribe, all the tribes are named ording to the terrain they live in, like how our Lake Tribe lives by theke. But¡­¡±

    As if she was going to say something important, Romanne stopped speaking for a moment and muttered, ¡°To tell you the truth, this isn¡¯t the ce where our tribe used to live.¡±

    ¡°Sorry?¡±

    ¡°What?¡± Retree and Sidia were surprised. Dronian and Leona also blinked their eyes as if they weren''t aware of it either.

    ¡®Wait. Lake Tribe?¡¯ Zich racked through his head. Elf tribes chose their name ording to the ce they lived in. Thus, they should¡¯ve lived next to ake. Yet, Romanne said that the ce they were living in right now wasn¡¯t their original home. Did they change their name?

    ¡®But what if they didn¡¯t?¡¯ What came to Zich¡¯s mind was the giganticke near this area that he had mistaken as an ocean.

    ¡°Is the ce that the Lake Tribe used to live in¡­ perhaps, Mentis?¡± Zich asked.

    Romanne¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Amazing. You thought that far with this much information?¡±

    ¡°Is that true, Mother?¡± Retree hastily asked. He was surprised by the secret origins of Lake Tribe that even he, the king of the country, didn¡¯t know.

    ¡°Yeah, but don¡¯t be so shocked since it was a long time ago. Our home is the Droud Forest.¡± Romanneforted her son and continued her story. ¡°When our tribe lived in Mentis, Clowon¡¯s troops stormed in. Although the Great Adrowon Forest existed during that time, it didn¡¯t deter them at all from invading Mentis. Then, they requested our leave.¡±

    ¡°Did a fight break out?¡±

    ¡°No, it couldn¡¯t be described as a fight. During that time, Clowon¡¯s troops were overwhelmingly strong to the point that they were called an army of gods or demons. Thus, the winner was Clowon of course. However, the surprising part was that the Lake Tribe didn¡¯t suffer much damage.¡±

    ¡°¡­That is surprising.¡± The Lake Tribe had probably not given up; when their enemy¡ªespecially humans, who were of a different species from them¡ªtold them to give up their home, they would¡¯ve probably resisted with all they had.

    ''The fact that the damage done to the Lake Tribe was small means that the Clowon Empire was so powerful that they could even control the damage they inflicted on their enemies.'' It was a terrifying thought¡ªnot only could Clowon fight the elves on their home ground, which was the forest, but they could even limit the harm inflicted on their opponents.

    ¡°Although Clowon overpowered our tribe, they didn¡¯t show much interest in our Lake Tribe. All they wanted was Mentis. They sliced the trees covering most of Mentis and began to build their city on it. Itspleted form is the Mentis that we currently know of.¡±

    As Romanne continued on, everyone kept quiet to listen to her voice. ¡°The Lake Tribe didn¡¯t know the reason why Clowon¡¯s troops would need Mentis. But then, a rumor that they hid a power underneath the castle they built in Mentis spread.¡±

    ¡°That power must have been what we saw.¡± Zich recalled the tree of mes.

    ¡°Yes, Clowon ced that power underneath the castle and began to take care of Mentis. Yet, even a great empire must have had difficulty managing Mentis inside the Great Adrowon Forest, and they ced one elf tribe in charge of managing the city.¡±

    ¡°That must have been the Iron Tribe.¡±

    Romanne nodded. ¡°Their name didn¡¯t use to be the Iron Tribe. Their original name wasn¡¯t passed down among the shamans. But after they went under Clowon¡¯s rule and they began to manage Mentis while wearing human armor and weapons, other tribes began to call them by that name. They also changed their names ording to it.¡±

    ¡°Renu seemed to have been especially infuriated with the thought of human rule. I suppose it was because of what happened then.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s likely. Anyways, the Iron Tribe managed Mentis and the area surrounding it as their ownnd, and we got pushed off into this forest and built a new country. A long time passed after that. After Clowon stole Mentis, they weren¡¯t interested in other elves. The Iron Tribe also didn¡¯t expand their power as they were in charge of managing Mentis. Well, they did seem to have many conflicts with other tribes though.¡±

    The Iron Tribe, which was under human rule, couldn''t possibly have had a good rtionship with the other tribes.

    ¡°Even that didn¡¯tst forever. The powerful empire, Clowon, also met its fall in the end.¡±

    The Iron Tribe had pressured the surrounding tribes by relying solely on Clowon¡¯s power. Therefore, all the nearby tribes were hostile towards the Iron Tribe, and they naturally felt threatened.

    ¡°During that time, our ancestors wanted to negotiate. Even though they hated the Iron Tribe, they didn¡¯t want to shed any more blood.¡±

    Negotiations were not easy. The elves became riled up easily, and since tension was high up in the air, the negotiations took a very long time. However, no one wanted to shed any more blood, so they made apromise in the end.

    ¡°The Iron Tribe moved out of Mentis and returned to their homnd. However, we didn¡¯t go back to Mentis. We were already used to living in the Droud Forest, and those Clowon humans changed the city way too much for it to be suitable for elves.¡±

    Zich recalled the various buildings made out of rocks in Mentis.

    ¡°Thus, we made Mentis a neutral territory and also sealed the power underneath the castle. In exchange, we took the treasure inside the castle, which was the Lake¡¯s Tear.¡±

    ¡°Was the Lake¡¯s Tear also from the empire?¡±

    ¡°Yes. It¡¯s a treasure that contains an enormous amount of water mana and the power of purification. The shamans also predicted that it probably had the ability to control the power underneath the castle somewhat. This is also the reason why a shaman only exists in the Lake Tribe; it was a position made to manage the Lake¡¯s Tear.¡±

    ¡°¡­I apologize Mother, but this is the first time I¡¯ve heard of this,¡± Retree said while pressing his eyes as if he was tired. Even though he was the king of arge tribe, he felt shocked that dark and heavy truths wereing out of his mother¡¯s mouth.

    ¡°I know. It¡¯s because this information is only passed down to shamans.¡±

    ¡°Shouldn¡¯t we have been informed of such an important event?¡±

    ¡°About an event that happened thousands, tens of thousands of years ago?¡±

    Retree closed his mouth.

    ¡°Even for us, it¡¯s an event that happened in the distant past. If the Iron Tribe hadn¡¯t caused an incident like this, we wouldn¡¯t even have to know about it. Since I¡¯m a shaman that manages the Lake Tribe, this information was passed down to me.¡± Romanne let out a sigh. ¡°I didn¡¯t know that the Iron Tribe also continued to pass down the same information.¡±

    Zich added, ¡°They were probably looking for an opportunity to take the power underneath the castle for themselves. If not, why would they have worked so hard at passing down the information to their descendants?¡±

    ¡°I also agree.¡± Romanne agreed to Zich¡¯s words.

    ¡°But why did they decide to carry out their n now? If they nned to steal the empire¡¯s power, they must have had a lot of opportunities in the past.¡±

    ¡°I was also wondering about that. Why did they suddenly decide to act on getting the empire¡¯s power?¡±

    ¡°¡­P-perhaps.¡± Leona slowly raised her hand as if shemitted a grave sin. ¡°Is it because I-I stole the Lake¡¯s Tear? The Lake¡¯s Tear might have the ability to control that power.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, we can¡¯tpletely erase that possibility.¡±

    Leona bowed her head deeply.

    Romanne also added in a few words, ¡°But that might not be the case at all. No, there is a high possibility that this isn¡¯t the case at all. There¡¯s too long of a time gap between the timing of when the Lake¡¯s Tear disappeared and the beginning of their n.¡±

    Then Zich intervened, ¡°Moreover, a group was backing them up, so they are probably the reason why the Iron Tribe decided to execute their n.¡±

    Before Zich regressed, there was a time when the Iron Tribe controlled all the tribes in the Great Adrowon Forest, but even during this time, there was no news of a great power from an ancient empire.

    ¡®During that time, they probably just got support from the robed figures and controlled all the tribes.¡¯

    However, in this timeline, the Iron Tribe betrayed the robed figures and was working by themselves.

    ¡°You¡¯re probably right. What type of group was backing the Iron Tribe?¡±

    ¡°I have a group in mind.¡±

    All the elves stared at Zich. In short, Zich exined the robed figures to them and also what he found out from Renu after tricking him.

    ¡°I had no idea that a group like that existed,¡± Retree murmured to himself, and Romanne had on a very serious expression.

    Zich replied, ¡°However, their alliance has ended. From now on at least, those robed figures will stop supporting the Iron Tribe.¡±

    ¡°Well, that¡¯s good news, but we can¡¯t let our guard down.¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    Then Romanne said, ¡°I roughly finished everything I needed to tell you all. Then would it be all right if I start asking questions?¡±

    Zich answered, ¡°Yes, of course. Ask as much as you want.¡±

    ¡°Well, the first thing I want to ask you about is that,¡± Romanne said while pointing at Windur that was next to Zich.

    Even though it was inappropriate to bring a weapon while meeting a royal family, Romanne personally requested Zich to bring his weapon.

    ¡°What is that? You used that sword to open the room underneath the castle, right?¡±

    ¡°Yes, you are right.¡±

    ¡°Is that sword rted to Clowon?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know?¡±

    ¡°You don''t know?¡±

    ¡°Yes. I also happened to pick it up by coincidence.¡± Zich grabbed the sword and raised it up. Everyone¡¯s eyes were glued to the sword shaped like a tree branch.

    ¡°I think there is a high possibility that this sword is rted to the ancient empire, Clowon. The location where I picked up this sword is in a ce that might be a ruin of the Clowon Empire.¡±

    Romanne voiced her thoughts, ¡°You said someone taught you what would happen if you opened the room underneath the castle. Is that perhaps¡­¡±

    ¡°As expected, you are also very sharp.¡±

    Zich smiled and nodded his head. ¡°Yes, you are right. This sword taught me.¡±

 Chapter 207

    <h4>Chapter 207</h4>

    ¡°Is it an ¡®ego sword¡¯ with its own consciousness?¡±

    ¡°I think that¡¯s probably the case. No, I¡¯m sure of it.¡±

    Like it had guided them at Violuwin or how it told Zich that he could open the door this time, Windur seemed to definitely possess a mind of its own.

    ¡®It also changes its appearance only when it wants to.¡¯ When Zich thought about that, his sword also seemed to possess a stubborn personality.

    Of course, Windur didn¡¯t seem to have a self-awareness strong enough to initiate a conversation with him; even this time, it simply informed Zich of the door by giving him a strong ¡®feeling¡¯ about it.

    ¡°This guy was also the one who protected me from the mes when they were about to engulf us.¡±

    Even while the other elves burned to death from the fire, Zich and hispanions were fine. All the elves stared closely at Windur.

    Hoping that he might be able to get a clue about his sword, Zich asked, ¡°Do you have any idea what this guy might be?¡±

    However, Romanne shook her head. ¡°No, I haven¡¯t heard anything about such a sword before.¡±

    ¡°Is that so?¡± Although he didn¡¯t get the response he wanted, Zich wasn¡¯t very disappointed, and he continued, ¡°I get the ancient empire, Clowon, the Iron Tribe, and their rtionship with the other elves now. Could you tell me more about the ¡®power¡¯ underneath the castle?¡±

    ¡°We also don¡¯t know either,¡± Romanne said. ¡°Like we don''t know what that power is or why Clowon stored it in Mentis. However, their actions seem to indicate that they invaded Mentis to store that power there.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know if what I saw was that power, but I saw arge tree behind the open door. It was different from other trees, especially since fire¡ªthe natural enemy of trees¡ª wrapped all around it.¡±

    ¡°A tree wrapped in fire.¡±

    ¡°Yes, and the leaf-like things attached to its branches were actually mes too.¡± Zich¡¯s description clearly described a special tree.

    Romanne muttered after hesitating a bit, ¡°mes that poured out of the door burned down the castle. If I think about that, that seems to be the power.¡±

    ¡°N-Now that I think about it¡­¡± Leona hesitated. Since it was mostly Zich and the shaman talking, everyone else seemed like bystanders, and Leona stuttered like she had a hard time joining the conversation.

    ¡°W-We also saw a tree at the tomb in Violuwin. Do you think there¡¯s a connection between that one and this one?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s possible.¡± Zich also thought about that and nodded. When he felt Romanne¡¯s gaze that seemed to demand further exnation, Zich spoke up.

    ¡°She¡¯s talking about the ruin where I found Windur. There was also a door that I could open with Windur there.¡±

    ¡°What was that ce like?¡±

    ¡°It was a gigantic tomb. Considering all the information I¡¯ve gathered so far, I think that ce was Clowon¡¯s royal tomb.¡±

    ¡°You made an amazing find. But was there a tree there too?¡±

    ¡°Yes, there was a tree that spread its roots into the air and its top grew underground. I heard from Leona that there was a simr tree in the stories you told her.¡±

    ¡°Ah, you meant that.¡± Romanne recalled a past memory. ¡°It¡¯s probably a story from a long time ago. There were five trees with special abilities. Among them, there was a tree that grew upside down. Huh? Is this one also?¡±

    A tree wrapped in mes¡ªit clearly was a tree with special powers.

    ¡°So, I suppose the story of the trees is not simply an old tale. How did you learn about this story? Could I also hear more about it in detail?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not as if I know the full story. The story of the trees was passed down to me like a legend, and I just heard it from my grandmother before too.¡±

    ¡®I guess I won¡¯t be able to get that much information.¡¯ Still, Zich was now informed about the five trees that possessed special powers. Now, he needed to find out if there was any connection between the information he now knew.

    ¡°¡­We have trailed off quite a bit. Why don¡¯t we continue talking about measures to take against the Iron Tribe?¡± Zich asked.

    ¡°Even if the tree with mes isn¡¯t Clowon¡¯s power, it wouldn¡¯t change anything. The door is now open, and the power is within their grasp.¡±

    ¡°¡­It doesn¡¯t sound like the situation has improved very much,¡± Retree said seriously.

    Zich agreed. ¡°Yes, although we saved the captives, the Iron Tribe fulfilled their ultimate goal of opening the door to a power strong enough to convince them to betray all the other tribes. If you think about it, you could say the situation worsened.¡±

    ¡°The Iron Tribe won¡¯t be able to use that power immediately,¡± Romanne intervened. ¡°While I was captured and Renu screamed to his soldiers to release the seal, I found out that he wouldn¡¯t be able to use the power immediately after its release. I also heard that they need a specific ritual to control the power too.¡± While Romanne spat out all kinds of insults against Renu, she was still gathering information.

    Romanne continued, ¡°But he won¡¯t bepletely defenseless since he mentioned a method that could buy them time.¡±

    ¡°In short, we have to gather our armed forces as fast as we can and attack the Iron Tribe before they canplete the ritual to control the power,¡± Zich said.

    ¡°Yes, while dealing with the method that Renu said could buy them time.¡±

    Everyone turned serious. They thought they could rx now that all the captives were safe, but as they dived deeper, they realized that they were in a terrible situation.

    * * *

    A few dayster, all the elves in the Great Adrowon Forest except the Iron Tribe created a coalition and gathered in front of Mentis. They had mobilized their military exceedingly fast; not only did the Lake Tribe request other tribes for their speedy coboration, but the fact that the tribes began to prepare for war when their kings and queens were kidnapped yed a big factor in their quick mobilization.

    However, they could not rush into attacking Mentis. The Iron Tribe had the overwhelming geographic advantage of existing on an ind connected by a single bridge. Furthermore, even that single bridge was now burned and broken down.

    ¡°Those damn bastards! How dare they break Mentis¡¯s bridge!¡±

    Regardless of what the elves¡¯ past history was, Mentis was currently being used as an important site to do the Pu. It was natural that the elves would be upset.

    D¡¯niel said, ¡°The Iron Tribe really nned this out.¡±

    D¡¯niel, who had been scanning for any human intruders in the boundary, was also participating in this battle. He was burning with passion as he nned to do well in this war and go back to being a royal guard. However, even to him, it was shocking that the bridge to Mentis was cut off, so he kept murmuring to himself and insulting the Iron Tribe.

    Zich looked around his surroundings. The coalition of elf armies was all gathered together in front of Mentis. However, as expected, elves were different from humans. If it were humans, the soldiers would have cleared out all the surrounding trees, and after making wooden fences and campgrounds, they would have prepared for battle. However, the elves were blending themselves into the forest. For that reason, Zich and hispanions stuck out like sttered ink.

    Fweet! Fweeet! Fweeeet!

    The sharp sound of a flute rang across the forest. The allied troops that were looking at Mentis began moving.

    ¡°The battle is going to start soon.¡±

    ¡°You said that themander for this army is the in Tribe King, right?¡± Zich asked D¡¯niel.

    ¡°Yes. The in Tribe King has a lot of experience in battle. It¡¯s because the in Tribe lives closest to where humans live, and the humans coveted the ce where the tribe lives.¡±

    It seemed as if the in Tribe gained a lot of battle experience by fighting wars with humans.

    ¡°We¡¯re in a bit of trouble. The only bridge to Mentis is gone, so we have no choice but to swim or use a raft.¡±

    ¡°If we had a lot of time, we could have let them starve to death.¡±

    In a lot of wars, a great number of soldiers died fromck of resources and not directbat; this could not be helped no matter how experienced and skilled the soldiers were. However, the side that was in trouble right now was not the Iron Tribe, but the allied forces.

    ¡°Then we should get ready.¡± Zich took out Windur.

    Zich smirked. Even though it was his first time being involved in a war between elves, he didn¡¯t think it would be fundamentally different from other wars. Soon, Zich would be able to witness a familiar sight¡ªin the midst of strong tension, clear stters of blood bursting forth and ear-splitting screams would ring throughout the whole area. Then, the smell of death would waft in. Zich would finally be able to participate in a ¡°real¡± war.

    ¡®Ah, I really look forward to it.¡¯

    L stared at his back with an anxious expression.

    * * *

    ¡°Start!¡±

    As soon as the in Tribe King issued an order, the elves began moving forward. The elves rode boats to cross theke. The first ones sent out were the elves from the Lake and Ocean Tribe. Since they lived next to ake and an ocean, they were much more familiar with bodies of water than the other tribes. Theke surrounding Mentis was wide and there was a significant distance between the opposite sides of theke, so they weren¡¯t attacked right away. As soon as the first unit was sent off, the second unit climbed onto the boat.

    The Iron Tribe in Mentis also discovered the allied forces. They began knocking out the arrows with their bows and began moving towards the boats. However, the allied forces didn¡¯t rush towards Mentis. While the first unit hovered near Mentis while keeping a good distance, boats continued to be released into theke. All the boats were made by cutting down nearby trees and intertwining them together, but they didn¡¯t need high quality boats to get to Mentis. On the other hand, the quantity was much more important. The number of boats in Mentis kept on increasing, and the tension began to rise.

    Thud!

    Arge sound was heard in theke. It was a signal. The boats hovering near theke changed course and headed straight for Mentis. The tension increased exponentially as both sides readied their bows, and more and more boats continued to head towards Mentis. Soon, they came within range of each other.

    ¡°Shoot!¡±

    Both sides shot arrows at the same time.

    m!

    Pierce!

    ¡°Agh!¡±

    ¡°Ughh!¡±

    The arrows caused casualties on both sides. The elves¡¯ arrows were tough and strong, and they easily passed through soft flesh.

    Ssh!

    Ssh!

    Elves heading towards Mentis began falling off the boat. Elf blood began to spread across theke.

    ¡°Aghh!¡±

    ¡°Ugh!¡±

    On the other hand, the allied forces were not the only ones taking damage. The Iron Tribe also took damage¡ªthe elves hit by arrows all over their bodies copsed onto the ground. However, since the elves in Mentis had things to protect themselves with, the elves on the boat with no cover received more injuries. Even if there were more casualties in the allied forces, boats continued to head straight towards Mentis. The boats at the front began closing in on Mentis.

    Whish! Whish!

    The Iron Tribe began casting spells.

    Crash!

    ¡°Aghh!¡±

    ¡°Ughh!¡±

    One fireballnded on a boat, and the boatpletely shattered. The elves that were on the boat flipped into the water. However, the spells didn¡¯t only fall on the boats. Spells also began to rain down on and damage the Iron Tribe. As if they werepeting on which side could kill more soldiers, the two sides battled ferociously without stopping.

    This was war. However, objectively, the war seemed to be more favorable towards the Iron Tribe as they had the defensive advantage. Even though the allied forces had more soldiers, if they continued to fight like this, there was a high chance that the Iron Tribe would end up victorious. But the allied forces weren¡¯t going to lose like this.

    Explode!

    In an area that was a distance away from the main battle zone, the central ground of Mentis soared up as if it was exploding. Then, a hole appeared. One of the hard-working Iron Tribe soldiers discovered the hole while battling. In order to check it out, he approached the hole and at that moment¡ª

    Slice!

    A sword that suddenly came out of the hole cut through the elf¡¯s neck. While grabbing and removing the lifeless elf soldier¡¯s body, Zich climbed out of the hole.

 Chapter 208

    <h4>Chapter 208</h4>

    The hole connected to the tunnel that Snoc dug. Snoc possessed the power of the Earth, so he could build a wide and sturdy tunnel that stretched a long way underneath theke.

    The Iron Tribe was only on their guard against elvesing from ships, and they basically had no defensive line in the rear where Zich and hispanions appeared.

    ¡°E-Enemies!¡±

    ¡°Enemies have appeared in the¡­Kugh!¡±

    Zich¡¯s sword sliced the neck of the shouting elf. Then, he pierced the heart of another elf by his side. Following Zich, the allied forces began to pour out of the hole. Hans and L were among them, while Snoc remained inside the hole to maintain and protect it. In case of an emergency, that hole could serve as the sole method of retreat, so his role was incredibly important.

    ¡°Are you going to the battlefield right away?¡± L asked Zich.

    Zich nodded. ¡°Of course. I have to help the troopsnd first though.¡±

    Numbers were a strength in a war.

    ¡°Furthermore, our opponents would be surprised and demoralized by the sudden force appearing behind them. Naturally, we¡¯ll be able to attack them from both sides.¡± It would certainly be hellish for their opponents.

    L responded, ¡°I don¡¯t think they would be this unprepared for a rear attack.¡±

    It had been only a couple of days since the armor she made brought chaos into Mentis. But as if Iron Tribe hadn¡¯t learned anything from that experience, they left their rearpletely unguarded.

    ¡°They probably didn¡¯t expect such arge-scale attack like this since our trick was revealed only at the very end.¡±

    ¡°So, is that why they still didn¡¯t n for an attack from the rear?¡±

    ¡°They thought they were wrong at first but were ultimately right. That probably reaffirmed their beliefs and made them stronger. I¡¯m sure they think that even if we attack from behind, only a very few of the troops would actually be strong likest time.¡±

    This thought would¡¯ve led to them neglecting to protect the rear.

    ¡°I¡¯m sure they couldn¡¯t have helped it for the most part. It¡¯s not like they have enough forces to set up a reserve army and¡­¡± Zich looked behind him. He could see Mentis¡¯ castle; the huge fire that had engulfed it was nowpletely extinguished, but the castle was ckened from burning.

    ¡°The ¡®thing that could buy them time¡¯ that the Iron Tribe King mentioned could actually be something pretty formidable.¡±

    ¡°What could it be?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know, but we will soon know. If he doesn¡¯t want to lose, he will have to use it soon. Before he uses it, we should decrease our opponents¡¯ numbers.¡±

    Zich began to run with the elves running to the battle point. Hans and L also ran, following him from behind. The situation of the battle waspletely different from before¡ªthe Iron Tribe was stunned by the many enemy forces that had suddenly appeared from behind. Their movements became unsteady as they realized the reality of being attacked from behind, and their enemies continued toe from the front too.

    ¡°Block them! I told you to block them!¡± Kandis shouted with all he had to maintain his army¡¯s formation, but the Iron Tribe¡¯s numbers began to decrease bit by bit.

    Craaaash!

    L¡¯s immense magic fell on the spot where a whole heap of Iron Tribe soldiers was gathered. Many elves fell prey to it and lost their lives, and some elves who barely managed to survive groaned about their injuries. The most pressing matter was that there was a hole in their defense. Experienced soldiers didn¡¯t miss their chance to use that weak point; not to mention, there was Zich who didn¡¯tck behind anyone else in war experience.

    ¡°Haaaaaa!¡± With a shout, he swung Windur.

    An elf tried to hastily block the attack by lifting their sword, but that was only after Windur sliced his head off. He wasn¡¯t the only one. Windur¡¯s attack reached more than one elf, and a total of three heads flew to the sky.

    This time, Zich drew a diagonal line in the air. The elf running towards his side was split into two. Then, an arrow came flying his way. It seemed like they were focusing their attacks on Zich who was madly running around and killing their soldiers. However, Zich simply took two steps and evaded the arrow.

    Contrary to the Iron Tribe¡¯s expectations, Zich didn¡¯t move backward. Instead, he advanced forward and ughtered their forces at an insane speed.

    ¡°Haaa~!¡± Zich wiped his opponent¡¯s blood off his cheeks and sighed, feeling a surge of emotions. When he saw how his overwhelming power exasperated his opponents, a smile formed on his lips.

    Before his regression, Zich didn¡¯t kill humans for fun like other Demon People. He used all means possible to achieve his goal, so he ended up battling against everyone. Still, Zich didn¡¯t think his lifestyle during that time was all that bad. He was the Demon Lord of Strength whose sole goal was to increase his strength. Since he wanted to use the strength he painstakingly cultivated, he enjoyed wielding his power on battlefields. He also enjoyed watching his opponents crumble with that power. Later on, he began to enjoy the battlefield itself.

    ¡®I miss it.¡¯

    He sliced the leg of the elfing towards him and stabbed Windur into his neck. Drunk in the scent of the battlefield that he hadn¡¯t felt in a long time, Zich moved his body like a madman¡ªit was different from the time before the regression. He didn¡¯t have the overwhelming power that could crush mountains or shave off inds, but he had no problem enjoying the battlefield with the power he currently had.

    ¡°Kuuuuh!¡±

    An elf with its intestines spilling out after getting sliced by Windur flew away by Zich¡¯s punch. The elf tried to hastily ce its insides back in his body from far away, but Zich had already lost interest in the elf by then.

    ¡°Hmph!¡± Zich poured a lot of mana into the sword. Windur intensified this mana even more. ¡®It really is an amazing sword.¡¯

    Zich felt a thick mass of swirling mana from his sword. He smiled and swung Windur again. Mana poured out along with his movements.

    Craaaaash!

    The sword sprung out in all directions like a storm. The arrows raining down on him split into two while magic burst out, and the Iron Tribe standing behind him were all ughtered mercilessly.

    The Iron Tribe soldiers standing in the back were massacred mercilessly. Their necks, chests, stomachs, arms, and legs were mutted. In an instant, the pile of corpses in front of Zich increased.

    ¡°Uh-uuuugh¡­¡± Someone let out a moan. Right now, Zich really looked like a demon. He was the manifestation of a grim reaper who hade down to hunt them.

    ¡®Then the next guy will be¡­¡¯ Zich¡¯s cold eyes moved swiftly to find his next prey. At that moment, he felt a presence behind him.

    Swish! Zich swung his sword. It seemed as if he was going to cleanly cut another neck off again, but Windur stopped right in front of the figure¡¯s neck.

    ¡°¡­What the hell, L. That was dangerous.¡± Zich withdrew his sword andined to L who had approached him from behind. ¡°Why did youe all the way here? You¡¯re supposed to be supporting us from the rear with magic. Even for you, it¡¯s dangerous here,¡± Zich said as he cut down six arrows flying towards them.

    Even though L was much more skilled at closebatpared to ordinary magicians, it was definitely dangerous for her to be in the center of a raging war. Zich waved his hand. ¡°Quickly go back. I¡¯ll protect you while you move out. I have to beat the crap out of these guys a bit m¡ª¡±

    Tug!

    L grabbed the edge of Zich¡¯s clothes. Zich turned his head back again, but this time, he carefully looked at L¡¯s face. She looked extremely anxious and her big eyes trembled a bit. L was not afraid of battle¡ªshe was an extremely bold and fearless person. If she was left alone on a battlefield, she would probably crush her opponents while swearing at them and try to escape; she wouldn¡¯t copse on the ground and look helpless.

    However, Zich knew what subject matterspelled L to make an expression like this. The first was anything rted to her forgotten past. And the second one was¡­

    ¡°What. Do you think I¡¯m going to be a Demon Lord again?¡±

    L did not reply. She just nodded her head once, as her tighter grip reflected her feelings. Normally, Zich would haveughed and told a couple of jokes, but he didn¡¯t react at all this time. With his suspicion towards Glen Zenard¡¯s character and motives, Zich¡¯s desire to do ¡®kind acts¡¯ faded. Zich also admitted it; right now, there was a high possibility for him to go back to bing a Demon Lord.

    ¡®Is there really a reason for me to work so hard in not going back to how I was before?¡¯

    All the ¡°kind acts¡± he did were things he did because he wanted to, and all the things he did as a Demon Lord were things he had done because he wanted to do it. Zich had a very clear motive behind all his actions. He did things he wanted to do and didn¡¯t do things he didn¡¯t want to do.

    No matter what L said, if he wanted to go back to being a Demon Lord, he just needed to move L¡¯s hand away. If she became his enemyter on, he wouldn¡¯t have any regrets, because that was the result of his choice¡ªthis was Zich¡¯s personality.

    However, he didn¡¯t move L¡¯s hand away. He stared at her face expressionlessly.

    Crassssh! A light shed next to them. L and Zich¡¯s faces moved towards the light at the same time. Hans was walking towards them¡ªin Hans¡¯ hand, Estede flickered with light.

    ¡°Is something the matter, Sir Zich and Ms. L!¡± Hans approached them because he was wondering why they were standing still in the midst of a dangerous battlefield where people could die at any moment.

    Zich stared at Hans¡ªhis servant who dreamed of bing a hero while holding the holy sword, Estede. He suddenly thought that he took so much effort to train a once impudent brat into a skilled fighter. ¡®I wonder what this guy will do if I go back to being a Demon Lord?¡¯

    Hans would probably try to fight Zich and get his neck cut off.

    ¡®It¡¯ll probably be the same for Snoc.¡¯ Zich looked at Hans and recalled Snoc and then stared at L again.

    ¡°¡­No.¡± She moved her lips again and said, ¡°Don¡¯t change.¡±

    Rather than change, it was more urate to say that he was returning to his old ways. However, to L, who had the knowledge of the future and wasn¡¯t a regressor like Zich, she probably thought he was going to change.

    ¡°¡­Pweh!¡± Zich let out another sigh. However, it was not the same sigh he made from being intoxicated by the smell of blood and battle.

    ¡°Okay. I got it. For a while, I¡¯ll try not to go ba¡ªchange.¡± Then he waved his hand quickly again; he was signaling for her to move back.

    ¡°¡­You¡¯re saying it for real?¡±

    ¡°Ah, I¡¯m saying it for real!¡± Zich shook his head. In the past, Zich would have just gone down his own path regardless of what L said and whatever happened to Hans. Zich was surprised at himself.

    ¡®Well, I guess it doesn¡¯t matter. Right now, I just want to listen to L¡¯s words.¡¯ Zich did what he wanted and didn¡¯t do things he didn¡¯t want to do. On arger spectrum, Zich¡¯s mindset hadn¡¯t changed.

    ¡°Hup!¡± Zich breathed in deeply and swung Windur. Arge amount of mana filled Windur and began to decimate the Iron Tribe again. Nothing seemed to have changed much, but if one looked closely, Zich had definitely changed from before. There was no expression of joy on his face, and he didn¡¯t move as if he was intoxicated by the blood and screams of his opponents. He looked like a soldier acting the same as the soldiers around him to fulfill the task given to him.

    ¡°Hans, take L back to the rear!¡±

    ¡°Yes, sir! Let¡¯s go, Ms. L.¡±

    L nodded. She looked at Zich¡¯s back once and was about to go back.

    Crasssssh!

    She had no choice but to stop. Enormous mes rose out of Mentis¡¯ castle.

 Chapter 209

    <h4>Chapter 209</h4>

    Perhaps the power inside the castle exploded again, but Zich quickly rejected that idea after seeing the castle¡¯s mes

    ¡®It¡¯s under control.¡¯ The fire didn¡¯t move like it was trying to burn the whole castle likest time. mes were seeping out of the castle, but there was an obvious pattern in its movements.

    ¡®Is the ritual already over?¡¯ Was the information Romanne received actually part of a trick?

    ¡®If that¡¯s the case, I have to reevaluate my assessment of the Iron Tribe King.¡¯ But that was a task for ater time. It was clear that the sudden mes would not be favorable for the allied forces.

    ¡°What do you think about that?¡± Zich asked L.

    ¡°At the very least, I don¡¯t think it benefits us.¡± It seemed L had the same thought as Zich.

    Crack!

    ¡°Kuh!¡±

    In the meantime, the war continued. Zich struck one of the Iron Tribe elvesing his way and killed them. And as the war continued on¡ª

    Pop! A huge clump of dirt from the center shot up towards the air.

    ¡°Sir Zich! It¡¯s Snoc¡¯s signal!¡± Hans shouted. L also sharply stared at the clump of dirt.

    ¡°I suppose something is reallying.¡± Snoc¡¯s signal meant that the hole he created had to be erased as the situation would no longer allow him to protect it.

    ¡°Is it our enemy¡¯s reinforcements?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure, but we will soon learn about it.¡±

    ¡°Should I check with my magic?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s fine. We will soon see what it is anyways. What¡¯s more important is that you should stick by my side, L.¡±

    Whether or not they were reinforcement forces or a mysterious power from an ancient empire, the advantage of attacking from the rear disappeared now. Thus, it was safer to have L by his side.

    ¡°Hans, continue attacking those elves from the back.¡±

    ¡°Yes!¡± Hans nodded and began to swing Estede again. A fancy lightced the battlefield and mercilessly stole many lives from the Iron Tribe. Zich also continued to attack the Iron Tribe with his mana as he maintained his guard at the back. Not long afterward, their enemies showed themselves.

    ¡°Hey, L, can you tell what that is?¡±

    ¡°Not really. I don¡¯t know either.¡±

    Neither Zich, who had many experiences from his past life, or L who had diverse magic knowledge could recognize the being in front of them. It was a mass of fire. Its size was a head bigger than an average adult male; and like a human, it had two arms and two legs attached to its body. A structure resembling a head shot out from it, but it didn¡¯t have a face. And there were multiple of them. Like soldiers charging towards their enemies, they ran straight towards the battlefield.

    ¡°L!¡±

    ¡°I know!¡± L raised her staff and began to cast a spell. An immense amount of mana began to swirl around her staff. Then, she pointed her staff towards the fireballs.

    Crack! Crack!

    The area in front of them began to freeze instantly. The ground hardened, and icicles hung from the wall. Some of the trees froze and their frozen leaves fell and broke.

    ¡°Thankfully, their weak point seems to be exactly how they look,¡± Zich muttered when he saw the masses of fire move much more weakly.

    Pop! Pop!

    Some of the masses of fire couldn¡¯t withstand the cold and burst apart; in the meantime, L prepared another spell. Behind her, dozens of spears made out of water formed and shot forward ording to hermands.

    Smash! Smash!

    The water spears hit the clumps of fire perfectly and caused a couple of them to burst. Seeing this, L said, ¡°I don¡¯t think they are anything that impressive.¡±

    ¡°Yeah. I thought they were monsters that could regenerate unless you hit them with a nuclear bomb, but they don¡¯t seem to be at that level. Nor do they look too hard to fight against.¡± As he said this, Zich stared at the back of the masses of fire that L had taken care of. ¡°¡­If only it wasn¡¯t for their numbers.¡±

    More masses of fire were approaching from behind the area that L attacked. Zich moved this time. In an instant, Zich shortened the distance between the masses of fire and collided against them. The masses of fire swung their arms and attacked Zich¡ªtheir ming arms red up and stretched towards him, but Zich tilted his body and evaded the attacks.

    Craaaash!

    A small hole formed on the ground as a mass of firended on the ground. The dirt was scorched ck; if the clump of fire had made contact with Zich¡¯s skin, it would¡¯ve left a gruesome burn scar on his body. Zich swung Windur and sliced the mass of fire¡¯s arm.

    Slice!

    Pop!

    The whole sliced part of the arm disappeared, and it didn¡¯t grow into a new me out of the severed area or regenerate. However, like it couldn¡¯t feel pain, the mass of fire hugged Zich with its remaining arm. It seemed like it was nning to burn Zich with its intense heat. Yet before that, Windur pierced the clump of fire¡¯s chest.

    Whoosh!

    Zich evaded the mes rising to his head.

    ¡®It can also shoot fireballs.¡¯ What looked like its head shot out fireballs and passed through where Zich¡¯s face used to be.

    ¡®It¡¯s meaningless to pierce its body.¡¯

    Rather than nearing death, it seemed like Zich¡¯s attack didn¡¯t debilitate the mass of fire¡¯s movements at all. Zich swung Windur in a circle, making it turn inside and move towards the head of the mass of fire. Then Zich drew it up from close range.

    Slice!

    Pop!

    The clump of fire burst. Zich shook off the rest of the mes around him and rushed towards the other clumps of fire.

    ¡®They die when you slice their heads off.¡¯ After bursting a couple of more clumps of fire, Zich confirmed the conditions to kill them (although it was hard to say that their disappearance could be described as deaths).

    ¡°Aim for the head! That¡¯s how they die!¡± Zich shouted and sliced the rest of the fireballs. Like L said, they weren¡¯t that difficult to fight. However, the problem was that they were in the middle of a war.

    ¡®We¡¯re getting pushed back.¡¯

    As he watched the mes in front of him, Zich cut down an elf that was rushing towards L from the back. He felt that the war was not going the way he wanted. His n to appear behind the Iron Tribe and fight against them from both sides had been going smoothly¡ªuntil those fire shapes came in front of him.

    The Iron Tribe had attacked the rear of the allied forces, and now they were both getting attacked on both sides from each other. However, they were currently in enemy territory. The battle was disadvantageous for the allied forces because they had to cross argeke to reach their enemies.

    ¡®Is this it?¡¯ Zich realized that they might not be sessful in this battle.

    And true to his words¡ª

    ¡°Retreat! Retreat!¡± An order to retreat came from the allied forces.

    ¡®We weren¡¯t able to endure it.¡¯ This was a crucial moment. In a war, being able to retreat well was just as important as fighting well. ¡®The problem is that this is a terrible ce to retreat.¡¯

    Their camp was across theke, and right now, they were in enemy territory. An ind on top of ake made it difficult for the allied forces to attack and even more difficult to retreat.

    L asked, ¡°What should we do?¡±

    Zich held up Windur. ¡°We have to get through the guys in front of us first and meet up with our allies.¡±

    ¡°Hans, take good care of L.¡±

    ¡°Yes, sir!¡±

    ¡°L, send a big one to the front.¡±

    ¡°Got it.¡± L held up her staff again.

    Crackkkkle!

    Arge me emerged from the top of L¡¯s staff. The Iron Tribe saw this and began targeting L. Anyone could see that L¡¯s me looked deathly strong, but Zich and Hans blocked all of their attacks. Thus, the Iron Tribe¡¯s intervention became useless, and L finished casting her spell.

    Fireballs came pouring down from the sky.

    Crassssh!

    L seemed to have taken much more time on this spell since the fireballsnded directly on the Iron Tribe¡¯s side. Of course, there were a lot of elves who were able to avoid the fireballs, but there were also a lot of elves who died to L¡¯s magic. The important thing was not to cause damage upon their opponents, but to destroy the enemy¡¯s base for a bit to create a path to retreat. Zich ran straight into the enemy¡¯s base; he infused mana into Windur and swung his sword in all directions.

    ¡°Ugh!¡±

    ¡°Agh!¡±

    Damage upon the Iron Tribe increased. Many elves tried to block Zich, but he never stopped moving. Rather than focusing on causing as much damage to his opponents, Zich chose to focus on moving forward.

    ¡°Follow that human!¡± The general of the allied forces saw Zich¡¯s movement and shouted out an order to all his soldiers.

    Zich was causing a rift in the enemy¡¯s base; the enemy¡¯s defense weakened, and it was easier to push past them. More and more of the soldiers in the allied forces gathered behind Zich. L also continued to use her magic to weaken her enemies, and Hans also continuously swung Estede against the Iron Tribe. The rift became increasingly bigger, and the Iron Tribe¡¯s defense became weaker and weaker; in the end, the Iron Tribe troops were split into two sides. Now, they could see theke in front of them.

    ¡°Woahhhh!¡±

    ¡°A path was formed!¡±

    The allied forces continued to push through the Iron Tribe by using the path that was now in front of them, but the Iron Tribe did not just stand idly by. They continued to pressure the allied forces on both sides to try to block the path and scatter them again. However, the allied forces were not pushed back. As they got closer to theke, their allies in boats used their arrows and magic to help theirrades move forward; eventually, the allied forces in Mentis were able to reach the allied forces¡¯ boats. When the boats were full, they departed from Mentis and moved back to the other side of theke.

    However, it was impossible for all the soldiers in the allied forces to retreat by using boats since there were too many soldiers for this method to be viable. Zich stepped a bit away from the center of the battle and hit the ground in a rhythmic pattern.

    Scatter!

    In an instant, a hole appeared next to him. Snoc¡¯s face came out from the hole. Nowem was on top of his head, and he was turning his head around to check for any iing danger.

    ¡°Did you connect them thoroughly?¡±

    ¡°Yes, sir! I¡¯ve also made sure that the hole drilled into the middle of theke was fixed.¡± Snoc confidently replied back, and Zich shook his head in satisfaction.

    ¡°Send a signal.¡±

    ¡°Yes, sir!¡±

    Dirt flew up in the air once again, and this scene was easy to spot on the battlefield.

    ¡°It¡¯s over there! A new tunnel is over there! Those who are nearby, escape through that tunnel!¡± An officer who recognized the signal loudly shouted to the rest of his soldiers.

    The elves near Snoc began to jump into the tunnel. Once they were in the tunnel, they ran as fast as possible; if they moved slowly, the entrance might be blocked and theirrades might have a harder time retreating.

    However, even though they sessfully caused a rift in the Iron Tribe¡¯s defense and had another escape route through an underground tunnel, it didn¡¯t change the fact that the allied forces were in enemy territory. Moreover, they were currently losing this battle.

    ¡°Aghhh!¡±

    An elf that was blocking the attacks from the Iron Tribe to help hisrades retreat was pierced by a me and copsed on the ground. Next to him, an elf died from being shot through the head with an arrow. While steadily retreating back, the casualties among the allied forces continued to increase. However, even this had to end. Thest survivor of the allied forces moved towards a boat in theke, but that boat met an unfortunate end.

    Crassh!

    The fire shapes shot out mes towards thest survivor. The fatigued and injured elves weren¡¯t able to block the attack, and the boat caught on fire and sank into theke. Like this, the first battle between the allied forces and the Iron Tribe ended.

    Now, the Iron Tribe could only see the allied forces retreating in their boats from far away, and there were no more allied forces in Mentis. The tunnel, another escape route for the allied forces, was also closed. The first battle between the allied forces and the Iron Tribe ended with the Iron Tribe¡¯s victory.

 Chapter 210

    <h4>Chapter 210</h4>

    The atmosphere among the allied forces was depressing. There weren¡¯t many casualties, but it didn¡¯t change the fact that they had lost the first battle. Furthermore, their opponent¡¯s reinforcement forces and the strange masses of fire demoralized them. Nheless, the war was far from over.

    The elves quietly equipped themselves and prepared for the next battle¡ªit was the same for Zich and hispanions. They sat in a circle around a bonfire. No one was heavily injured, but they couldn¡¯t escape from the fatigue of battle; Hans fought elves on the frontlines, L shot out magic from all over the ce, and Snoc made and maintained a gigantic tunnel. Yet, no one was sleeping.

    Whoosh!

    A great wave of mana whirled near them. Hans and Snoc quickly got up.

    Thud!

    Zich walked out of the wave of mana.

    ¡°Wee back, sir!¡±

    ¡°Yeah,¡± Zich responded to Hans and handed L an artifact. It was what could be said as L¡¯s ultimate item: a teleportation artifact. L let Zich borrow it since he said that he needed to check on something in Mentis. This action also signified how much L trusted Zich now that she let him borrow a rare artifact without any qualms.

    ¡°I used it well.¡±

    ¡°How was it?¡± L asked.

    Zich shook his head. ¡°It¡¯s impossible to infiltrate the castle like before.¡±

    Zich plopped down in front of the bonfire. Hans and Snoc also returned to their original seats.

    ¡°Was the surveince really heavy?¡±

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter how heavy the surveince is. Before I could take a step inside the castle, troops rushed in. I tried multiple times but got blocked every time.¡±

    ¡°You used the artifact with the invisibility function that also hides your presence too, right?¡±

    ¡°Of course.¡±

    ¡°And it was still impossible?¡±

    The effect of Zich¡¯s skillsbined with an artifact that made users invisible and hid their presence was astonishing. Even when they were saving Romanne and surveince was high, they were able to move inside the castle like it was their house.

    ¡°When that power was unleashed, it became impossible to sneak in.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a truly bothersome power,¡± Lined.

    ¡°It¡¯s fine. Even if I assassinate the Iron Tribe King, it¡¯s not guaranteed that our enemies will stop. No, since they¡¯vee all this way, their king¡¯s death might be an insignificant matter.¡± Thus, even though Renu¡¯s assassination became impossible, Zich wasn¡¯t that disappointed.

    ¡°How is the atmosphere?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not good sir,¡± Hans answered Zich¡¯s question.

    ¡°It¡¯s expected since they lost the battle.¡±

    However, it wasn¡¯t a fruitless war since they clearly confirmed that the existence Renu talked about could buy them time until the ritual was over.

    L asked Zich, ¡°What are you going to do from now on?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure. I¡¯m sure themanders of the allied forces will think of something.¡±

    ¡°By the way, themand unit was looking for you, Sir Zich. They requested you to visit the headquarters to discuss future ns.¡± Hans gave his report.

    ¡°Oh well, it¡¯s tiring to be so popr.¡± Zich got up while shaking his head. ¡°I will be back in a bit. You guys should sleep first.¡±

    ¡°Yes, sir!¡±

    ¡°Understood, sir!¡±

    As Zich headed towards the allied forces¡¯ headquarters, Hans and Snoc began to prepare their bedding. It seemed like they were extremely tired as they fell asleep as soon as theyy down. Unlike them, however, L didn¡¯t fall asleep. With her eyes wide open, she stared at the bonfire.

    * * *

    Zich returned after quite a bit of time passed.

    ¡°You haven¡¯t head to bed yet?¡± Zich asked when he saw that L was awake. She stood up.

    ¡°Let¡¯s talk for a bit.¡±

    Zich stared at L¡¯s face for a bit and nodded. ¡°Okay.¡±

    L led Zich away from the campsite. Considering elves¡¯ sensitive ears, they walked a considerable distance. Then, after walking in front for a while, L suddenly spun her body around and stared directly at Zich.

    ¡°You know what I¡¯m going to say, right?¡±

    ¡°Of course. You are worried that I¡¯ll be a Demon Lord.¡±

    ¡°Are you going to change?¡± Her tone was serious. Within her memories, which were full of holes, the appearance of the Demon Lord of Strength Zich Moore was clear¡ªincluding how much harm he caused to the world.

    Although her memories were spotty, if one had to ce her somewhere, L was on the good side of humans. As she traveled with Zich, she became quite attached to him. So, to her, this was a considerably serious problem.

    Since she didn¡¯t have memories of her past, she didn¡¯t know the existence of her family, friends, or even acquaintances. Perhaps, they didn¡¯t even exist, and there was a possibility that she wasn¡¯t even human. Thus, to her, the closest existences by her side were none other than thepanions she traveled with: Zich, Hans, and Soc. And if she had to choose one person as her closestpanion, it was definitely Zich. Hans and Snoc strictly obeyed Zich¡¯s orders as his servants, so L couldn¡¯t help but maintain a certain distance with them as she nned out schemes and conversed with Zich as equals. In short, Zich was the closest being to L. So, if Zich turned into a Demon Lord¡­

    She didn¡¯t have the confidence to oppose Zich emotionlessly like before. At L¡¯s grave attitude, Zich also answered seriously, ¡°To tell you the truth, I don¡¯t have any thoughts about wanting or not wanting to change.¡± In a way, it was a real Zich-like response.

    ¡°But you tried not to change so far.¡±

    ¡°To be precise, that was just the result of doing whatever I wanted.¡±

    Even though he had done kind acts that suited his personality, the overall result was that he was now far from being the Demon Lord of Strength.

    ¡®Regardless of everything, just the fact that I¡¯m a Karuwiman Honorary Knight shows that I am far from being a Demon Lord.¡¯ Even now, Zich thought it was ridiculous that he was a Karuwiman Honorary Knight.

    ¡°Then did the things you wanted to do change? Why did it change suddenly?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s because the reason why I started doing kind acts has bepromised.¡±

    L was about to ask for the reason, but she soon closed her mouth. Considering Zich¡¯s personality, it was probably difficult to persuade him anymore. Even though L was curious about it, she didn¡¯t need to hear about it right now. Moreover, even if she heard it, nothing would change.

    ¡°Then what if you get a different reason?¡±

    Zich¡¯s gaze intertwined with L¡¯s.

    ¡°Hans and Snoc dream of bing heroes. What do you think will happen to them if you be a Demon Lord?¡±

    ¡°They¡¯ll have to make me their enemy.¡±

    ¡°You sound certain of that. You don¡¯t think they¡¯ll follow you?¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t educate them so sloppily. If I be a Demon Lord, they¡¯ll definitelye to defeat me regardless of what they feel.¡± It was amazing that Zich could say that so confidently.

    ¡°And what do you think I¡¯ll do?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ll probably do the same. Regardless of the fact that we travelled together, you¡¯re not a bad person. On the other hand, you try to do good.¡±

    ¡°Yeah. Then are those reasons not enough?¡±

    ¡°Well¡­.¡± It was a doubtful reaction, but Zich didn¡¯t immediately look displeased and say that he was just going to do whatever he wanted. L was not very satisfied with Zich¡¯s reaction, but she didn¡¯t give up. ¡°Then what about temporarily?¡±

    ¡°Temporarily?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. I¡¯m not saying that you should refrain from changing because of your connections with us. I¡¯m just saying we can be a temporary reason for you to not change into a Demon Lord.¡±

    ¡°What about after that?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m going to find a good enough reason for you,¡± L replied with strong resolve.

    Zich stared at her face. As if to show her sincere and strong resolve, she stared at Zich with a very serious face. Zichughed as if he thought this situation was very fun and interesting.

    ¡°That sounds good to me.¡± Zich replied and continued, ¡°I haven¡¯t finished training Hans and Snoc anyway. Performing kind acts isn¡¯t too bad either, so I¡¯ll listen to you.¡±

    L¡¯s face brightened up.

    ¡°I just have to continue living like how I am right now, right? Don¡¯t tell me to live more kindly than this right now. Even if I¡¯m going to listen to your conditions for a while, there¡¯s a limit.¡±

    ¡°Of course. Honestly, if you really start living as a good person, I¡¯d be terrified. So I¡¯m pleading with you not to go that far. I like how you are right now.¡±

    ¡°As expected, you really know me well,¡± Zich chuckled. Hisugh was like his usual self. It was not the cruel and selfish Demon Lord from her memories.

    L felt relieved. Since Zich said all this, he probably would be fine for a while.

    ¡®But I can¡¯tpletely be at ease.¡¯

    This was only a temporary solution. She needed to find a reason that was good enough for Zich as soon as possible, and she couldn¡¯t let down her guard right now either. Even though she got a yes from Zich, it was just a verbal promise. If Zich decided to change his mind, that would be the end of it.

    ¡®He probably won¡¯t do that for no reason though.¡¯ However, this also meant that if there was a good enough reason, Zich would ignore his promise. ¡®But even then, I can¡¯t let him be the Demon Lord.¡¯ L firmly made her resolve.

    ¡°Well, if we¡¯re done talking, let¡¯s go back. Even though our enemies are all at Mentis, it won¡¯t be good for us to stray too far from the campground. I also have some matters to think about.¡±

    ¡°What matters?¡±

    ¡°I mean, you must not want me to just kill the fuck out of people.¡± For this war, Zich had nned to leave all the strategizing to the officers in the allied forces just like his Demon Lord days and purely enjoy killing people.

    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s right.¡±

    ¡°Then I need to find the quickest way to end this war. That¡¯s also a kind act.¡±

    ¡°Yep!¡± L replied with glee, but she could not help making a bitter smile at Zich¡¯s next words.

    ¡°And I also have to prepare a way to do my hobby at the same time. Sigh, as expected, doing kind acts is so difficult.¡±

    * * *

    The Iron Tribe King, Renu, was in the basement of the castle. The door to the basement was fully open. A tree on fire was visible past the door, but the tree wasn¡¯t burning. Surprisingly, the fire enveloping the entire tree was part of its body. The tree possessed a powerful power over the fire around it, making it an unbelievablebination. The tree was the power sealed underneath the castle and the power from the ancient empire of Clowon.

    The tree wasrge, and there was more than enough space to fit arge tree inside. As soon as he entered through the door, he saw that the stairs were covered in tree roots all the way to the bottom of the stairs. Dozens of elves stood below the tree, and they were all full of white hair and wrinkles. Since elves aged very slowly, they were elves that had lived very long lives and didn¡¯t have much time left to live. They were the elders that used to lead the Iron Tribe in the past. Even though death was close to them, it wasn¡¯t as if they were about to die in the next few years. Moreover, even though their physical capabilities were weaker than younger elves, their knowledge and wisdom from past experiences elevated their magic abilities.

    Renu worked extremely hard in hiding the elders of the Iron Tribe from everyone else because they were the reason why the Iron Tribe was able to use Clowon¡¯s ancient power. Even if Renu sacrificed everyone else, he needed to protect them at all costs.

    ¡°Ugh!¡± Renu let out a groan while watching the ritual.

    His whole body hurt. Since he received a huge burn scar from his interaction with Zich, his body was wrapped in bandages. Severe burn marks peeped out between his bandages. No matter how many potions he poured over his skin, it only relieved his pain momentarily and his skin didn¡¯t return back to normal. In addition, the random bursts of pain hurt like hell.

    However, the more pain he felt, the more his desire toplete this ritual increased¡ªnow, it was not even just a desire but an obsession. With his zing eyes pouring out his anger and pain at the entire world, he stared at the ming tree that burned his body.

 Chapter 211

    <h4>Chapter 211</h4>

    Green and ck colored mana scattered all around the tree, indicating that the ritual was progressing smoothly. Elders from the Iron Tribe poured out mana that whirled around the tree and softly passed over the path of fire. Perhaps, influenced by that, the tree¡¯s mes also swayed like the mana. At that moment, the tree¡¯s mana that nketed the castle trembled a bit.

    Renu crumpled his face grimly. ¡®Is it an intruder again?¡¯

    A couple of days ago¡ªwhen their enemies escaped like dogs with their tails hanging low from their backs, there was an attempt to infiltrate the castle at the end of a battle.

    ¡®It must be that bastard!¡¯ Renu stroked his face down. He felt the bandage¡¯s texture and the grotesque skin that was below it. He thought of the bastard who left him in a state like this.

    ¡®I should¡¯ve caught him then!¡¯ Renu thought he should¡¯ve captured that bastard and given him the same¡ªno, tens and twenty times the amount of pain he felt. Renu would¡¯ve burned that bastard up, cured him, burned him once more, and then, cured him again. And only if he did that kind of torture for dozens of years, a small part of the rage he felt in his heart would subside. But including the time trespassing inside the castle recently, Zich escaped from here and there like a rat.

    ¡®I should¡¯ve lured him deep into the castle!¡¯ Renu regretted it¡ªhe could¡¯ve captured Zich with arge number of troops, but it hadn¡¯t been long since he had been injured. Renu wasn¡¯t in the right state of mind and simply yelled at his men to capture the bastard. He ended up missing him.

    ¡®I won¡¯t miss him this time!¡¯ He turned his body around. Then, he headed towards the ground. Renu had alreadymanded his soldiers to let Zich trespass into the castle for a bit if that bastard tried again.

    However, one of the soldiers came up to Renu and reported an unexpected turn of events.

    ¡°¡­What?¡±

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t seem to be that human fromst time, Your Majesty.¡±

    ¡°What do you mean it¡¯s not that bastard? Then, who is it?¡±

    ¡°That is¡­we don¡¯t know either, Your Majesty.¡±

    ¡°¡­Are you joking with me right now?¡±

    ¡°O-Of course not, Your Majesty.¡± The soldier wasn¡¯tpletely out of his mind to joke with Renu whose already bad temperament had be even crueler ever since gruesome burns covered most of his body.

    Thus, the soldier quickly exined, ¡°That human revealed himself as soon as he trespassed the castle. And he was looking for you, Your Majesty. He asked us to call Your Majesty to sign a new contract.¡±

    ¡°¡­A contract?¡±

    ¡°Yes! He said that Your Majesty would know if I passed on this message! He didn¡¯t seem like a normal trespasser, talking like that inside the castle.¡± After saying these words, the soldier bowed his head down low. Inside his headpiece, his face was soaked in sweat. He desperately wished that his decision to report about the trespasser wasn¡¯t the wrong choice.

    Renu fell into contemtion for a bit; was there a person who would say such words to him? But he didn¡¯t think for long. Some people immediately came to his mind.

    ¡°¡­How did that trespasser look like?¡±

    ¡°I couldn¡¯t see his appearance. His whole body was wrapped in a ck robe¡­¡±

    As expected, it was them.

    ¡°Bring him to me.¡±

    ¡°Yes, Your Majesty!¡± The soldier answered loudly without question and left Renu. Since he could leave the king¡¯s side with his life intact, his feet felt very light.

    Renu stood in the middle of the basement and waited still. Not long afterward, a person, surrounded by many soldiers, came down. Heavily cloaked with a deep robe, the man was a mysterious and suspicious figure, and all the soldiers apanying him gave off an explosive feeling of nervousness. The robed figure and the soldiers stopped in front of Renu.

    ¡°You guys back away,¡± Renumanded the soldiers.

    The soldiers paid their respect to Renu and left the basement. Then, Renu spoke, ¡°I didn¡¯t think you guys woulde to see me again.¡±

    The robed figure searched Renu¡¯s surroundings and asked, ¡°Do you not need guards?¡± The robed figure asked in a grating voice. Like there was something wrong with his throat, the robed figure sounded extremely raspy.

    After the soldiers who brought the robed figure to Renu left, there was no other soldier in the basement. It seemed possible to kill Renu this instant, but Renu remained calm.

    ¡°At the least, no one can kill me here.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s some confidence. I suppose it¡¯s because of that power.¡±

    The robed figure¡¯s eyes looked towards the basement doors to where the fire tree was.

    ¡°If you are curious, try experimenting.¡±

    ¡°No thanks. I haven¡¯te here to fight you.¡±

    ¡°Is that so? Then, what did youe here for?¡±

    ¡°For cooperation.¡±

    ¡°Haha!¡± Renu let out a short burst of lightughter, but that was enough to express his twisted mocking.

    ¡°Cooperation? Why would I need to do that? Don¡¯t you remember how I killed one of yourpanions because I didn¡¯t need your organization¡¯s cooperation anymore? No, just a couple of days ago, another one of your colleagues told me to do something as ridiculous as to obey you guys. He said your organization would not tolerate betrayals. Is that all you guys can do?¡±

    ¡°You are misunderstanding something, Renu Ent Draus.¡± The robed figure¡¯s voice was lower. ¡°We have already decided to crush you guys. In the near future, we will strike your heads off and soak the earth with your tribe¡¯s blood.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡± Renu red at the robed figure saying extremely offensive words.

    ¡°We¡¯ll save that for the future.¡± The robed figure continued, ¡°We are the type of people who cooperate with our enemies if necessary.¡±

    ¡°For what reason would we do that?¡±

    ¡°The allied forces outside of Mentis¡ªaren¡¯t they bothering you a lot?¡±

    ¡°Oh, you mean that?¡± Renu smirked. ¡°Look here, you delusional bastard wearing a dirty rag, do you think we would be pushed back by those idiots outside?¡± Then, Renu raised both of his hands and said, ¡°Fine, I will admit it. Our overall army iscking inparison, but so what? Time is on our side, and the ind¡¯s geographic terrain is a huge advantage for defense. Moreover, we have a method to fill in ourckluster forces. So, why do we have to ept your organization¡¯s request for cooperation? Huh? Tell me.¡±

    ng!

    Renu unsheathed the sword on his side and ced it against the robed figure¡¯s neck. The sharpened edges of the sword slightly ripped the robe. ¡°If you don¡¯t give me an eptable reason, I¡¯m also going to kill you here.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡± The robed figure was silent for a while.

    ¡°¡­Hahaha!¡± Soon enough, a mockingugh began to flow out of the robe. ¡°If you are so confident, you should have just cut off my neck immediately.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°Ah, I can roughly understand your feelings right now. You must think there is a secret reason why we are approaching you again after you already broke our cooperation and killed one of ourrades. Yeah, you¡¯re right. We have our own reasons, but we are ready to give you our support again for our own benefit. But Renu Ent Dras¡ª¡±

    The robed figure spoke as if he was talking to someone pitiful. ¡°If you were so confident, you would have immediately cut off my neck and gone your way. Despite your boastful words, you aren¡¯t able to do that. I guess that¡¯s just your limit. Even while you have such an almighty power in your hand, you are filled with fear. How pitiful you are, King of the Iron Tribe.¡±

    Slide!

    Renu¡¯s sword moved closer towards the robed figure. ¡°You must want to die right now!¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re not going to kill me.¡±

    Silence fell between them for a while.

    ¡°Well, fine.¡± The robed figure was the first one to break the silence. ¡°My words were a bit too harsh. Anyway, we want to cooperate with you guys again. We will let you borrow some of our armed troops.¡±

    ¡°I said, I don¡¯t need it.¡±

    ¡°Even when the Lake Tribe got the Lake¡¯s Tear back?¡±

    For a moment, the sword that Renu was holding wavered. ¡°¡­What?¡±

    ¡°Wasn¡¯t that one of the reasons why you guys betrayed us? I¡¯m talking about the disappearance of the Lake¡¯s Tear¡ªof course, that must have not been the only reason. You guys didn¡¯t immediately carry out this n when the Lake¡¯s Tear disappeared. No, did your Tribe actually use that period to prepare? Well, I guess it doesn¡¯t matter now. It doesn¡¯t change the fact that the Lake¡¯s Tear is back with the Lake Tribe.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not possible! You people said that a human stole it and ran out of this forest!¡±

    ¡°The Lake Tribe¡¯s princess has returned with the Lake¡¯s Tear.¡±

    ¡°Leona did that?¡± Renu heard that Leona had run away from home to find the Lake¡¯s Tear. However, he thought that she would probably fail, or in the low chance that she did get it back, it would be after everything was over.

    ¡®She returned back with it this fast?¡¯

    ¡°So what are you going to do?¡± The robed figure asked again, ¡°If they use the Lake¡¯s Tear, you won¡¯t be able to fully utilize the almighty power that is supporting your tribe¡¯scking forces.¡±

    Renu red at him as if he wanted to hunt him down. ¡°¡­What do you want?¡±

    ¡°Nothing.¡±

    ¡°Stop saying nonsense.¡±

    ¡°You might think it¡¯s nonsense, but it¡¯s true. To be more specific, there¡¯s nothing you guys can do for us. We are going to get what we want in this war by ourselves.¡±

    ¡°Tell me what your organization wants!¡±

    ¡°I refuse!¡±

    ¡°Then this negotiation is over.¡±

    ¡°Then cut off my neck. If I don¡¯t return, my organization will ept this as an automatic rejection.¡±

    Renu tightly clutched his sword. His arm trembled so much that his sword also shook. His overflowing anger spread out to his surroundings. However, in the end, Renu dropped his sword. ¡°¡­Tell me your n.¡±

    ¡°Wee to our side. Let¡¯s begin our temporary alliance.¡±

    Renu made a harsh expression at the robed figure¡¯s greasy voice.

    * * *

    After the first battle was over, several days passed. The allied forces tried to recover from their losses and began nning to attack again. Their attack method was the same as before¡ªexcept for one change.

    Step!

    A female elf stood in front of theke. She was the Lake Tribe¡¯s shaman, Romanne. She held a blue jewel in her hand, and with nervous eyes, looked across theke and towards Mentis. The allied forces moved past her. The soldiers began moving into the boats and rowing them out.

    It was the start of the second battle.

    * * *

    Like thest battle, the Iron Tribe red at the allied forces from across theke. However, the number of soldiers ring at their enemies was significantly smaller than in thest battle. While thest battle did cause many Iron Tribe soldiers to die, the smaller number was the result of stationing reserve forces all over the ind.

    However, the fewer number of soldiers did not make much of a dent in the Iron Tribe army¡¯s overall power since they had a secret weapon.

    Crackle! Crackle! Crackle!

    The fire shapes began moving towards theke. Their fiery arms looked as if they were going to makerge holes on the elves¡¯ bodies, and their headless bodies looked as if it was going to shoot fire at any moment. The allied forces that were approaching the ind gulped their saliva at the sight. However, they didn¡¯t stop or turn their boat around.

    Whoosh! Arrows flew past them. Likest time, the first attacks were done with arrows. A rain of arrows poured down from both sides. However, the fire shapes were quietly waiting near theke; it seemed as if they were waiting for the allied forces toe within their perimeters.

    sh!

    The next attacks were done with magic. Fireballs flew, wind whirled around, and water balls burst forth on both sides¡ªeven then, the fire shapes stayed still.

    However, the moment the two sides came a little closer¡ª

    Whoosh!

    The fire shapes moved. mes spouted out from their heads and shot towards the boats. However, the fire shapes weren¡¯t the only ones that had been waiting for this moment.

    The Lake¡¯s Tear that Romanne was holding let out a clear sound.

 Chapter 212

    <h4>Chapter 212</h4>

    Mana from the Lake¡¯s Tear spread all over the ce. Using theke¡¯srge size, it stretched across the area and moved even more energetically than before. The mana gently glided across theke¡¯s surface until it reached the ce where the allied forces¡¯ ships were.

    Even the allied forces fighting fiercely felt the mana. However, they weren¡¯t surprised since they had already been warned of it before; only a couple of them simply stroked their skin in intrigue. Even those elves soon recollected themselves and changed the magic the allied forces were preparing. Although they had been using different types of magic following theirpanions, they used only one type of magic now: water magic.

    Craaaash!

    Huge streams of water flew towards Mentis. Each stream was big enough to swallow two or three whole people and it spun as it mmed down on theke.

    ¡°Kuaaah!¡±

    ¡°Ahh!¡±

    The Iron Tribe elves fell while letting out death cries. The streams continued to prate through thin shelters, and the Iron Tribe elves were unprepared for the countless magic attacks that were much stronger than before.

    Pop! Pop!

    The fire shapes burst as the streams struck them.

    ¡°Don¡¯t back down! Hold your ground!¡± From the rear, Kandis stepped forward and shouted, ¡°Our enemies used the Lake¡¯s Tear! There¡¯s no need for you all to be surprised. Wait a bit more!¡±

    The Lake¡¯s Tear increased the water-type magic power within its sphere of influence. At a nce, the allied forces looked like they had a clear advantage, but there was a reason why the group hadn¡¯t used the Lake¡¯s Tear from the beginning.

    Whoosh!

    Mana from the Lake¡¯s Tear swept across its surroundings, and they felt the water¡¯s mana on their skin. The problem was that those who felt this mana were the Iron Tribe elves.

    ¡°Shoot them!¡± At Kandis¡¯mand, the Iron Tribe elves cast their magic. It was the same type of water magic that the allied forces used¡ªthe Lake¡¯s Tear was also strengthening their magic.

    Pop!

    A huge stream of water struck theke¡¯s surface and shook a ship from the allied forces intensely. The Iron Tribe used that opening to nket the allied forces with arrows. Elves struck by these arrows fell into theke while screaming.

    Craaash! Even a whole ship struck by magic broke into pieces. Not all types of magic besides water disappeared, but they were cast by elves who couldn¡¯t use water magic. But even those were fundamentally simr to water type magic.

    At that point, mana from the Lake¡¯s Tear seemed no longer favorable to the allied forces. In a way, it seemed to actually work to their disadvantage. It was not all meaningless though.

    Crackle!

    The fire shapes, which made up arge portion of the Iron Tribe forces, significantly decreased in size. From a head taller than an adult male, it shrunk to half of its size so that its height might reach an adult male¡¯s waist; and the mes burning from all over its body looked somewhat less vibrant.

    Mana from the Lake¡¯s Tear began to restrict the fire shapes, and the allied forces rowed their boats with all their might.

    * * *

    ¡°Haa~!¡± She let out a deep breath from her chest. Romanne felt mana from the Lake¡¯s Tear she was holding and stared at Mentis from far away.

    ¡°You did a lot of work,¡± L said to Romanne.

    Romanne smiled and responded, ¡°No, it¡¯s nothing. You did more than me, Ms. L.¡±

    ¡°All I did was help you.¡±

    While Romanne was waking up the Lake¡¯s Tear, L assisted her with magic by her side. However, Romanne shook her head firmly.

    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t have been able to do this much alone. Mana from the Lake¡¯s Tear spread further than I expected it to.¡± It was true. If Romanne handled the Lake¡¯s Tear by herself, its sphere of influence would have barely managed to touch the edge of Mentis. However, the moment Romanne gained L¡¯s help, the sphere of influence grew much bigger to the point that it covered half the city.

    ¡®She definitely is an amazing magician.¡¯ It was rare to see a human, especially one so young, possess such a great amount of mana and magic. Although Romanne had lived a long time, L¡¯s skills surprised her.

    ¡®Furthermore, in terms of skills, it doesn¡¯t seem like she has reached her limit.¡¯ The person who saved her, Zich, was also an impressive human, but L didn¡¯t seem tock behind him in any way.

    In addition to the admiration Romanne felt, suspicions rose up in her heart.

    ¡®Mana from the Lake¡¯s Tear responded to her too well.¡¯

    Romanne was the one who asked an outstanding magician like L to assist her, but she didn¡¯t have high expectations while making her request. Like she said, Romanne simply wanted assistance, but the resultspletely exceeded her expectations.

    The Lake¡¯s Tear responded so well to L that its mana stretched past theke and covered half of Mentis.

    ¡®Is it a coincidence?¡¯ It was a possibility, but Romanne thought about how as soon as she was recognized as the shaman of the Lake Tribe, she had to undergo training to assimte with the mana from the Lake¡¯s Tear. Thus, it was more surprising that L, who didn¡¯t receive an ounce of training, showed such excellentpatibility with the Lake¡¯s Tear.

    ¡®Truthfully, it¡¯s a bit discouraging.¡¯ It almost made her life as a shaman seem almost pointless.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Do you have any other instructions?¡±

    When Romanne regained her senses, L was staring at her. Romanne quickly shook her head. ¡°No, it¡¯s nothing. I just thought of something else for a moment. I keep having useless thoughts now that I am growing older.¡¯ She had the appearance of a twenty-year-old human, so it was strange of Romanne to say this. But L didn¡¯t answer and smiled awkwardly.

    Romanne looked towards Mentis. ¡°The n is running smoothly for now.¡±

    As they approached the city, the allied forces began toe down from their ships. The Iron Tribe elves desperately resisted, but there were too many enemies. Moreover, the Iron Tribe¡¯s secret weapon, the fire shapes were unable to use their full power because of the Lake¡¯s Tear, and the number of allied forces on Mentis began increasing.

    ¡°Yes. Now, we just need Zich to do well.¡±

    ¡°Fufu, you seem to really trust yourpanion.¡±

    ¡°Of course.¡± L nodded her head confidently. Even though L and Romanne were of different species, Romanne felt happy to see two people have such a high level of trust for each other.

    ¡°That guy won¡¯t lose to anyone in torturing another person.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    This was slightly different from the trust that Romanne was expecting.

    * * *

    In the highest tower in the castle, Renu was looking down at the battlefield. The Iron Tribe was slowly getting pushed back¡ªhe gritted his teeth.

    ¡°That sted Lake¡¯s Tear!¡± Renu mmed the wall of the tower. His gaze moved past the fierce battle and towards theke where the allied force¡¯s base camp was. The Lake Tribe¡¯s shaman stood there with the Lake¡¯s Tear.

    ¡°That¡¯s what I told you. They got the Lake¡¯s Tear back.¡± Annoying words came out from the shadow cast by the tower¡¯s roof. The speaker¡¯s voice was very rough and ufortable to listen to. Renu turned around with an annoyed expression. The speaker came out from the darkness and took one step forward.

    It was the robed figure. He naturally moved next to Renu and let out his unpleasant voice again, ¡°Do you fully believe me now?¡±

    ¡°¡­Ugh!¡± Renu groaned.

    Even though they were cooperating, they had absolutely no trust in each other. For that reason, Renu also thought there was a possibility that the robed figure was lying to him. However, after witnessing the power of the Lake¡¯s Tear firsthand, he had to admit that the robed figure wasn¡¯t at leastpletely lying to him.

    ¡°What are you going to do from now on?¡±

    Renu roughly shouted back, ¡°When are your reinforcements going toe!¡±

    However, the robed figure wasn¡¯t taken aback at all. ¡°If you want, I can bring them right now. But you need to think hard about finding the right timing to use my subordinates. Even my subordinates are not enough topletely overpower the allied forces.¡±

    The support that the robed figure was going to give to Renu was his soldiers. ording to their agreed terms, Renu could use the robed figure¡¯s soldiers until the ritual that controlled the fire tree ended.

    ¡°If you used my soldiers from the beginning, your tribe could have had an easier time blocking the allied forces even if they possessed the Lake¡¯s Tear. Well, talking about things that are already over is no fun. First of all, everything I said was impossible from the moment you blocked my soldiers from entering Mentis.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    The robed figure was mocking Renu for not believing in him and stopping his soldiers from entering Mentis. Renu also knew the robed figure was mocking him, but since this was the truth, he couldn¡¯t reply properly.

    Boom! At that moment, dirt particles soared high above the center of Mentis.

    ¡°It¡¯s that tunnel.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Only the robed figure continued to talk with a low voice; Renu said nothing while ring at the hole that was definitely connected to the tunnel.

    ¡°Your tribe is retreating.¡± As the robed figure said, Kandis was gathering his troops to retreat; this was a n they agreed on. While the fire shapes, which the Iron Tribe called the me troopers, were weakened by the Lake¡¯s Tear, Kandis would allow his troops to retreat beyond the influence of the Lake¡¯s Tear if their situation became even more unfavorable.

    ¡®The Lake¡¯s Tear influence is too big. What the hell is happening?¡¯ Since Renu did not know about L¡¯s existence, he had no idea what was happening. However, there was no time for him to figure out the reason.

    ¡°¡­Your soldiers are hidden inside the forest outside of theke, right?¡±

    ¡°Of course. They are prepared to hit the allied forces at any time. They¡¯re just waiting for my signal.¡± Renu stared at the area that the robed figure pointed to. Even though he couldn¡¯t see the soldiers because of the dense forest, he felt reassured that there were soldiers he could use behind his enemies.

    ¡°Wait.¡± The robed figure put his hands on the tower''s handrail and leaned his body slightly forward. ¡°The shaman has started moving.¡±

    ¡°What?¡± Renu moved his gaze. As the robed figure said, the shaman was carefully relocating into a boat.

    ¡°It seems like the shaman is alsoing to Mentis.¡±

    ¡°They¡¯re probably nning to have all of Mentis under the influence of the Lake¡¯s Tear.¡±

    Renu gritted his teeth. Even though the allied forces¡¯ n risked the shaman¡¯s safety, if Mentis was within the influence of the Lake¡¯s Tear, the Iron Tribe would be at a serious disadvantage.

    The robed figure asked, ¡°What if the influence of the Lake¡¯s Tear reaches all the way here?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. No matter what the Lake¡¯s Tear is like, its influence probably won¡¯t reach this castle.¡±

    ¡°That also means that the Lake¡¯s Tear influence would reach every ce in Mentis except for this castle.¡±

    Renu replied back in silence.

    ¡°What are you going to do? Are you going to calmly start waving a white g?¡±

    ¡°What nonsense!¡± Renu loudly denied the robed figure¡¯s words.

    ¡°Well, yeah. That was just a joke. Don¡¯t be so serious. Actually, it¡¯s better this way. Let¡¯s try changing our way of thinking.¡±

    ¡°¡­To what?¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s say the shaman and the Lake¡¯s Tear entered Mentis. Then this is a golden opportunity for us to get the shaman and the Lake¡¯s Tear at the same time.¡±

 Chapter 213

    <h4>Chapter 213</h4>

    Renu looked down at theke again after hearing what the robed figure said. The ship carrying Romanne was departing theke and heading towards Mentis now, and that meant the Lake¡¯s Tear was approaching the city.

    ¡°If everything goes ording to what you told us, there would be nothing better than that. But what are you going to do?¡±

    ¡°When the shaman enters Mentis, I will attack their base camp with my subordinates. Of course, I will do that after bringing the shaman closer to Mentis. If the allied forces are trying to spread the influence of the Lake¡¯s Tear throughout the entire ind, then the shaman will have toe all the way to the center of Mentis. When my subordinates attack their camp, the allied forces will fall into disarray, and we can use that chaos to attack the shaman.¡±

    Renu searched the allied forces who were inside of Mentis right now. After his forces stopped their resistance, the allied forces came down effortlessly. The number of troops onnd was already on a simr level to Renu¡¯s own tribe.

    It seemed that the robed figure had seen the same thing as Renu, so he said, ¡°The number of their troops and yours is about the same now. Given a bit more time, their numbers will grow. Even if you seed, your tribe will receive a considerable amount of casualties; if you manage to retrieve the Lake¡¯s Tear, it¡¯ll be a sess.¡±

    ¡°However, the possibility of failing isn¡¯t low either.¡±

    ¡°That can¡¯t be helped because of the difference in power,¡± the robed figure coldly said. Then, after a momentary silence, he asked, ¡°Do you perhaps have a hidden troop anywhere?¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s fine even if it¡¯s not a fighting force¡ªlike, did you call them me troopers? It¡¯s fine even if it¡¯s a special power like that. Do you have any other power that you can mobilize right now?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡± Renu didn¡¯t answer for a moment.

    ¡°You must have something.¡±

    ¡°But that¡¯s for a really important time¡­¡±

    ¡°Are you saying that it¡¯s not an important time right now?¡±

    Renu closed his mouth.

    ¡°You are misunderstanding something, King of the Iron Tribe,¡± the robed figure¡¯s voice dropped even lower. It almost seemed like he was enraged. The fact that he called him by Renu¡¯s title instead of his full name like the figure usually did made it even more so.

    ¡°In the first ce, you guys had enough power to resist the allied forces even without our help. The reason why that changed was that the allied forces brought in the Lake¡¯s Tear. And this is a golden opportunity for your tribe to take the Lake¡¯s Tear¡ª the sole reason why your tribe is losing. So, let me ask you again, King of the Iron Tribe.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°Do you really think it¡¯s not the time to use that power?¡±

    ¡°¡­I understand,¡± Renumanded one of the soldiers by his side, and the soldier hurriedly ran down.

    The robed figure heard themand and asked.¡°Can the tree go berserk?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, we overloaded the tree of fire with our strength during the ritual and can control the tree¡¯s power however we want. Currently, even the Lake¡¯s Tear can¡¯t block the me troopers.¡±

    ¡°So, strengthening the me troopers¡­how much stronger would they be?¡±

    ¡°They would probably be as strong as the time before the Lake¡¯s Tear impacted them. If it wasn¡¯t for the Lake¡¯s Tear, they would have probably be much stronger than that,¡± Renu said bitterly.

    ¡°I suppose there are definitely side effects to this?¡±

    ¡°Thepletion of the ritual would be pushed back.¡± This was the reason why Renu didn¡¯t want to use this method if he could help it. Currently, it was right to act ording to what the robed figure said. If he the Lake¡¯s Tear into his hands, their victory would be solidified.

    ¡°I see.¡± The robed figure took out something from his belongings. It was a flute. He took the flute to his mouth and blew on it hard.

    Beep! Bip! Bip! Beeep!

    The flute let out short and long sounds that connected and repeated; it was clearly a signal. The sound of the flute was incredibly loud¡ªit passed over theke and even reached the forest.

    Renu stared at the robed figure. ¡°What are you doing?¡± he asked. His voice sounded agitated at the robed figure¡¯s suspicious behavior.

    ¡°Can¡¯t you tell? I¡¯m sending a signal.¡±

    ¡°What signal?¡±

    ¡°I am telling my forces to move to their specific coordinates because the battle will begin soon.¡± The robed figure calmly responded and ced the flute back into his belongings. Then, he told Renu who was ring at him, ¡°Even if we are going to be enemies who will fight to the death in the near future, what¡¯s the point of joining hands with us if you are going to be sensitive and respond to every little thing? I am repeating myself again, but the reason my subordinates couldn¡¯tnd on Mentis is because of yourmands. If my subordinates were with me right now, I wouldn¡¯t have had to use this bothersome signal tomunicate with them. Despite that, are you going to suspect me for just signaling to my subordinates? Then how should I move my forces? By shouting at them?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡± Renu couldn¡¯t say anything for a while. Then, he managed toe up with a poor excuse. ¡°¡­The allied forces might have heard that signal. What are you going to do if they hear it too?¡±

    Of course, the robed figure was unmoved and answered, ¡°Even if they heard the signal just now, they will think it¡¯s amand that you made to your subordinates. Now, stop talking nonsense.¡±

    ¡°¡­Fine.¡± In the end, Renu couldn¡¯t do anything but admit his mistake.

    * * *

    At the same time, in the allied forces¡¯ camp base¡­

    They heard the signal that the robed figure had sent them.

    ¡°It¡¯s a signal.¡± The eyes of themander-in-chief of the allied forces, the in Tribe King¡¯s shone.

    ¡°Interpret it.¡±

    ¡°Yes, sir!¡± The elf next to him listened to the signal and began writing something on paper. The signal continued, and the elf¡¯s hand movements moved along with it. The signal ended. The elf tranting the signal brought the piece of paper to the King of the in Tribe.

    ¡°So what did he send?¡±

    ¡°Your Majesty, he had the enemies¡¯ secret weapon, the Clowon power, to go berserk. For a while, the fire shapes will have their original power even with the Lake¡¯s Tear.¡±

    ¡°Hahahah!¡± the King of the in Tribeughed out loud. The elves next to him did the same.

    ¡°Did he say his name was Zich? The Lake Tribe King¡¯s daughter really did bring an amazing guy.¡±

    ¡°Ability, courage, intelligence¡ªthere¡¯s nothing he¡¯s missing.¡±

    ¡°Honestly, when he said that he would go next to the Iron Tribe King and get information from him while also controlling the flow of the battle, I thought he was crazy.¡±

    ¡°You did? I thought he was a very funny and amazing guy from the very beginning.¡± Then the in Tribe King burst outughing again.

    At that moment, a soldier came running towards him. ¡°The esteemed shaman has arrived.¡±

    ¡°Ah, is that so? Then let¡¯s continue to send more troops.¡±

    ¡°Will the Iron Tribe really be tricked by this n?¡±

    ¡°What are you worrying so much for?¡± The Mountain Tribe King looked at the castle that was covered by tree leaves and smiled. ¡°That amazing human next to the Iron Tribe King will definitely get the job done.¡±

    * * *

    Finally, the shaman arrived at Mentis. Renu scowled, but he forcefully straightened out his expression. As the robed figure said, Renu decided to think of this as a golden opportunity to get the shaman and the Lake¡¯s Tear at the same time.

    Right now, the influence of the Lake¡¯s Tear reached about two-thirds of Mentis; that was also how much the Iron Tribe had retreated back.

    ¡°That is¡­¡± Thinking about the perfect timing to attack, Renu saw something different from before. The robed figure was also curious about the beings in front of them.

    ¡°Is it those pieces of armor?¡±

    ¡°They¡¯re golems.¡± Renu gritted his teeth. His tribe was tricked by those things and lost all their hostages; just thinking about this made him bitter.

    ¡°Ah, they¡¯re the guys who tricked you.¡± It annoyed Renu even more that the robed figure said this out loud. ¡°I heard that their abilities are not very good. How are they?¡±

    ¡°Most of them are just there to fill the numbers. Since they are golems, they don¡¯t easily die, but their abilities are very low.¡±

    ¡°And how are theypared to your soldiers?¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s no point inparing them. One of our soldiers can easily take care of those two.¡±

    ¡°¡­And you were tricked by those things?¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s a few that have high-level abilities. My soldiers directly fought only those, and we gotpletely tricked by that.¡± While talking, Renu tightly clenched his fist.

    The robed figure looked at the area with the armored soldiers once again. ¡°There are a lot of them this time. If your words are true, all the golems there are to fill the numbers are probably being deployed.¡±

    The sunlight reflected off theke and across the surface of the pieces of armor; it was a spectacle to see as each of the armored figures began riding on the boats one by one and headed off for Mentis.

    ¡°All the ones that are passing through theke right now are golems. It seems like no more elves are passing through.¡±

    Even from the hole in the center of Mentis, armored soldiers instead of elves wereing out.

    ¡°Why are they sending out useless golems¡­¡± What the hell was their n? Renu was trying to figure out the reason why the allied forces were deploying golems.

    ¡°It must be to guard the shaman,¡± the robed figure replied as if this was the most obvious thing in the world.

    ¡°For guarding? How can those useless things guard the shaman?¡±

    ¡°You think so? I actually think it¡¯s a very good idea. In the first ce, the shaman is not going toe to the forefront of the battle herself. She¡¯s probably going to stay in the rear; then she will probably be threatened by magic or arrows. But if those things surround her, she will be much safer in this battle. Even if their abilities are weak, the golems can protect the shaman with their bodies.¡±

    ¡°Come to think of it...¡±

    There was a substantially high number of armored soldiers arriving at Mentis. All the golems that didn¡¯t breakst time were probably being sent out in this battle.

    ¡®If that many golems surrounded the shaman and blocked the attacks directed at her with their bodies, her safety would be assured.¡¯

    The golems werecking as soldiers, but as shields, they were useful enough.

    ¡®The allied forces can focus on attacking while the golems protect the shaman.¡¯ Renu thought that the robed figure¡¯s words seemed right.

    ¡°The shaman is starting to move.¡±

    Renu surveyed his surroundings at the robed figure¡¯s words. It seemed as if the shaman judged that there were enough golems around her since she started moving with arge number of golems.

    ¡°My words seem right. The golems are not moving away from the shaman.¡±

    ¡°Yeah. They really seem like guards, but the protection seems a bit too much. How many do they n to deploy?¡±

    Even while the shaman was moving, more golems were being transported through boats.

    ¡°Well, that¡¯s just how important the shaman is.¡± After saying this, the robed figure turned around to look at Renu. ¡°Why don¡¯t we begin our attack after all those golems get here?¡±

    ¡°Do we really need to do that?¡± Renu wanted to immediately attack the allied forces and the shaman.

    ¡°Just think about it. The closer the shaman gets into Mentis, the higher our chances to take the shaman and the Lake¡¯s Tear at the same time. Since the allied forces are continuously sending out their troops, it¡¯s not a bad idea to attack immediately. But in the end, they are just useless empty shells. If only golems are being sent out, it¡¯s better to bring the shaman closer to us.¡±

    ¡°Hmm, yeah that¡¯s also true.¡±

    ¡°Think of our ultimate goal, Renu Ent Dras. The goal we have to achieve is to not cause damage to the allied forces as much as possible or limit the damage done to us¡ªit¡¯s to get the shaman and Lake¡¯s Tear. It¡¯s those two things.¡±

    ¡°¡­Fine. I¡¯ll do that.¡± In the end, Renu agreed to continue letting in the armored soldiers in order to bring the shaman further into Mentis.

 Chapter 214

    <h4>Chapter 214</h4>

    With the Iron Tribe¡ªspecifically Renu¡¯s¡ª approval, the armored soldiers began tond on Mentis. In the meantime, Romanne continued to move towards the center of Mentis. The sphere of influence of the Lake¡¯s Tear already covered most of Mentis now, and the only ces it didn¡¯t touch were the areas surrounding the castle and thekefront on the opposite side of theirnding site.

    ¡°It¡¯s about time.¡± The robed figure looked at Renu. ¡°Did you deploy your troops?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s all done.¡±

    ¡°Good. Then, should I start now?¡± The robed figure took out his flute again and blew it. ¡°They¡¯ll start attacking momentarily. Your tribe should also start attacking in ordance with that.¡±

    ¡°I will do that,¡± Renumanded his subordinates again. After one of his subordinates jumped down the tower, the Iron Tribe¡¯s movements became livelier. Renu and the robed figure quietly looked down on Mentis.

    Some timeter¡­

    ¡°It has started.¡± Like the robed figure said, the allied forces were now bustling on the other side of theke. Due to the damage caused by the flood, Renu couldn¡¯t see the headquarters well, but it was clear that something was happening. The allied forces were no longer moving their ship towards Mentis.

    ¡°Now is the time, Renu Ent Draus.¡±

    ¡°Fine!¡± Renu sent his signal. A fiery path shot up from underneath the castle. An intense whirlwind of mana spread out, covered Mentis, and shook up the mana from the Lake¡¯s Tear.

    Sssssssk.

    The me troopers that had weakened and decreased in size under the influence of the Lake¡¯s Tear began to regain power once again. They returned to their original size, and their dull mes burst out again like an exploding volcano. It looked like it would burn their entire surroundings.

    ¡°Attack them!¡± Kandis shouted so loudly that his voice rang even at the spiral tower where Renu and the robed figure were.

    The Iron Tribe elves had been backing away until now, but they now rushed forward with a hearty cry.

    ng! The two groups collided. At first, they fought on equal grounds, but after a while, the Iron Tribe began to prevail bit by bit. In terms of sheer numbers, the allied forces had more elves, but as the me troopers regained their powers, the numbers seemed to reverse.

    ¡®Good!¡¯ Renu clenched his fist tightly. The war was moving along as predicted. Based on what they heard at the back of the battlefield, the allied forces could no longer dispatch more troops into Mentis, and the ones already in the city struggled to keep up with the me troopers.

    ¡°Continue to push against them! If we continue like this, we will be able to secure the shaman and the Lake¡¯s Tear!¡± Renu said energetically. At that moment, a change urred on the side of the allied forces.

    ¡°The golems are moving.¡± Like the robed figure had told him, the armor right next to the shaman began to move towards the battlefield. Renu snorted, ¡°They are at a disadvantage, they have no choice but to use even those guys as support. It¡¯s useless. It¡¯s obvious how the golems would perform.¡±

    Rather, the bodyguards protecting the shaman would decrease, and killing the shaman would be easier as per Renu¡¯s wish. The golems that approached the center of battle began to attack the Iron Tribe and the me troopers. Renu watched that scene with a mockingugh.

    Pop! Pop!

    ¡°Kuah!¡±

    ¡°Ahh!¡±

    Yet, when the me troopers disappeared and the Iron Tribe elves died under the golems¡¯ hands, the snide smile on Renu¡¯s face disappeared without a trace.

    ¡°What!¡± Renu hastily clutched the rails of the spiral tower and watched. The robed figure seemed to have also noticed the armor soldiers¡¯ notable performance. ¡°Are they the low-performing golems you mentioned? But they don¡¯t seem to be a negligible group like you said.¡± All the golems fighting against the Iron Tribe disyed an outstanding level of skill.

    ¡°What happened?¡± the robed figure asked chillingly, but Renu couldn¡¯t answer. The golems he heard from reports shouldn¡¯t have been able to disy this level of performance. Soon, the answer to the mystery was revealed. Like they were freeing themselves, the golems began to take off their armor, and Renu was shocked by their real identities. The armored soldiers, which he thought were golems, were actually all elves.

    ¡°T-T-Those guys¡­¡±

    ¡°Hm, I see.¡± In contrast to Renu whose mouth hung wide open, the robed figure said coldly, ¡°You were tricked.¡±

    ¡°I-I was tricked¡­¡±

    ¡°Can¡¯t you clearly see that, Renu Ent Draus? They knew we thought lightly of the golems, so the allied forces wore armor and pretended to be golems. They predicted that we wouldn¡¯t block the golems from entering the city since we thought they weren¡¯t a considerable force.¡±

    ¡°T-Then¡­!¡±

    ¡°It seems that all the armored soldiers we thought were golems were the allied forces¡¯ elves in disguise.¡± Like the robed figure said, he saw elves tossing armor here and there. The Iron Tribe soldiers seemed greatly unsettled by this sight.

    ¡°In other words, our enemy forces are much bigger than we thought. They may even be able to stop the strengthened me troopers.¡±

    Renu quickly scanned the battlefield. After they were distilled by their enemy forces, who had suddenly increased in number, it seemed the Iron Tribe was getting pushed back. ¡°Ah, even if their forces increased, we have the me troopers. How...!¡±

    ¡°It seems like it¡¯s because of the Lake¡¯s Tear again.¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°Even if the me troopers regained their strength, it doesn¡¯t change the fact that they are weak to water type magic. And the Lake¡¯s Tear amplifies that type.¡±

    Renu¡¯s eyes became bloodshot as he saw arge water attack destroy three me troopers at once.

    ¡°If there were more of our troops in Mentis like nned, their attacks would have been meaningless, but right now, there are more soldiers from the allied forces.¡± Then the robed figure looked at Renu and let out a sigh for the first time. ¡°You¡¯ve been perfectly yed with.¡±

    ¡°¡­T-This bastard¡­!¡± Renu suddenly rushed towards the robed figure. His hands tried to clutch the robed figure¡¯s neck, but the robed figure easily evaded Renu¡¯s hands.

    ¡°What are you doing?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s all because of you! If you hadn''t told me to wait for the shaman toe closer and let the armored soldiersnd on this ind, this all wouldn¡¯t have happened!¡±

    ¡°Man, I was wondering what you were talking about,¡± the robed figureughed cynically. ¡°Stop saying nonsense, Renu Ent Dras. You are the one who told me that those pieces of armor were just golems. You even added that their abilities werecking and they were just here to fill in the numbers. Also, did I make the order by myself? From what I know, you hold authority over the Iron Tribe.¡±

    Renu let out a rough breath. He sent a resentful re at the robed figure, but the robed figure was not wrong. ¡°Then send an order to your subordinates! Tell them toe and help my forces right away!¡±

    ¡°I really want to do that, but my subordinates are fighting with the allied forces from across theke. Who knows? Maybe if someone of high position in Mentis allowed my soldiers tond, my subordinates could have been blocking the allied forces in Mentis right now.¡±

    Angry sparks passed between the robed figure and Renu. Anyone could tell that a fight might break out between them at any moment. The Iron Tribe soldiers guarding Renu began to ce their hands on their weapons. However, the conflict that they were expecting didn¡¯t happen.

    Renu turned his back and began to move down the tower.

    ¡°Where are you going?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s none of your business!¡± Renu roughly shouted at the robed figure. However, the robed figure ignored Renu¡¯s opinion and began following Renu from behind.

    ¡°You seem to keep forgetting, but we are in an alliance right now. I can only get what I want if you win. It looks like you¡¯re trying to do something, so tell me what your n is. I have to know about it too so I can follow your ns for our victory.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡± Renu red at him in silence and quickly turned his head back. Then he continued to go down the tower. However, he didn¡¯t stop the robed figure from following him. Instead, he waved away his soldiers who were trying to stop the robed figure.

    ¡®Since the situation has already turned out like this, I need to at least borrow his help.¡¯ The situation was so bad that Renu could no longer reject the robed figure¡¯s help.

    As they continued to go down, Renu finally stated, ¡°I¡¯m going down the basement.¡±

    ¡°The basement? Where the fire tree is?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. I¡¯m going to pressure the elders to raise the power of the me troopers.¡±

    ¡°Is that so? If the power of the me troopers increases, we might be able to get out of this situation. Will that be possible though?¡±

    ¡°We have to do whatever we can to squeeze out as much mana as we can.¡± Then Renu turned back to the robed figure. ¡°You also need to give your mana.¡±

    ¡°No wonder you¡¯re leading me to the fire tree when you didn¡¯t even let me go close to it before. But it¡¯s fine. It¡¯s time to employ all possible means.¡±

    The robed figure and Renu went down to the basement in a hurry. The fire tree still stood grandly in the basement. Even though the fire tree was letting out ferocious mes, there was still enough space to move around. The two of them reached the bottom of the tree; there, they could see the Iron Tribe elders sending out mana while sweating like crazy.

    ¡°Your Majesty, what is the matter?¡± The oldest elder of the Iron Tribe, who was leading the other elders, humbly greeted Renu. Sweat poured down his skin and hisplexion looked very pale.

    However, Renu paid no attention to the elder¡¯s appearance. ¡°Bring out more of the fire tree¡¯s power.¡±

    After Renu made his cold order, the leader of the elders made a strained expression. ¡°Your Majesty, that¡¯s impossible. Even right now, we are barely able to control the fire tree¡¯s power! If our ritual goes even a little awry, all of us will be swallowed by the fire tree¡¯s power!¡±

    However, Renu did not even blink his eyes at the elder¡¯s desperate pleas. ¡°If we lose this war, our tribe will have no future anyway! Instead, we have to risk danger and bring out more of the tree¡¯s power!¡±

    ¡°But Your Majesty¡ª!¡±

    ¡°This is an order, oldest elder!¡±

    The leader of the elders shut his eyes tight. He realized that Renu would not be convinced no matter what he said. ¡°¡­Your Majesty, I understand.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry too much. The guy next to me and I will be participating in the ritual this time. Then the sess rate will increase, and you guys will be less burdened.¡± Even Renu seemed to feel ufortable about yelling at his elders, and his tone was now softer.

    ¡°Your Majesty has definitely enough power to participate in the ritual, but I¡¯m concerned if that person has enough mana to participate.¡± The oldest elder looked at the robed figure with distrustful eyes. In order to participate in the ritual, one needed an extraordinary amount of mana to bring out the full power of the ritual.

    ¡°Even if this guy is suspicious, he¡¯s a leader of a mysterious organization that helped us before. He probably has enough mana.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about the amount of mana I have. I¡¯ve never heard that I wascking in manapared to others.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s what he says.¡± Renu tapped the oldest elder¡¯s shoulder a few times. ¡°Just help him out with the base mana control.¡±

    ¡°Yes, Your Majesty.¡±

    After leaving the robed figure to the leader of the elders, Renu felt the gaze of the other elders on him and walked underneath the tree. ¡°Our tribe¡¯s fate rests on this ritual! If it¡¯s sessful, we will stand as the supreme leaders of this world, and if it fails, our tribe will disappear from history. But I don¡¯t have any doubts about our sess! Since I will also be participating in this ritual, focus all your attention!¡±

    ¡°Yes, Your Majesty!¡± the elders all replied back in unison.

    ¡°Now, my anonymous coborator, you go over ther¡­¡± Renu¡¯s words were cut off. A horrific expression appeared on the elders¡¯ faces.

    ¡°Agh!¡± The oldest elder who was the leader of all the elders had a sword protruding out of his chest. The person holding that sword was the Iron Tribe¡¯s coborator¡ªthe robed figure.

 Chapter 215

    <h4>Chapter 215</h4>

    Blood poured from the great elder¡¯s mouth and dyed his white beard red. His eyes shook unsettlingly until they lost their glint.

    ¡°Kuh¡­uh¡­¡± These were thest words the great elder muttered before he left the world.

    The elder¡¯s body became limp. His body couldn¡¯t copse onto the ground with the sword prating his heart, making the scene appear even more appalling.

    ¡°Y-You bastard!¡± one of the elders shrieked. Stunned by the unrealistic scene before them, the others also began to move. Simultaneously, they cast magic attacks towards the robed figure.

    As expected of elves titled as the elders among the Iron Tribe, the magic they shotplemented each other perfectly and increased their overall effect. However, the robed figure¡¯s response to these attacks was simple: he threw the great elder¡¯s corpse at the magic attacks.

    Craaash!

    The magic attacks exploded when they collided against the greatest elder¡¯s corpse; the corpse burst and scattered its remains all over the ce. Even a person with great resistance to gore and violence would have grimaced, and the sight was gruesome enough to turn most people¡¯s faces pale.

    However, the robed figure didn¡¯t seem to care whether or not blood or fleshnded onto his robe and used the chance when the magic disappeared to make his next move.

    ¡°This bastard¡­!¡± An elder raised his fist at the robed figure who was within his reach in an instant. However, since the elder didn¡¯t hold any weapons andcked physical abilities due to his old age, his punch was pitifully weak.

    m! The elder¡¯s body split into two with a punch. Blood scattered on the bottom of the tree of fire. The robed figure moved to look for his next prey and saw an elder beside the previous one hurriedly back away. His sword cruelly pierced the elder.

    Slice! A red horizontal line marked the elder¡¯s neck; it expanded rapidly, and in the end, the head fell away from the body.

    ¡°Gather up! Gather to one side for now!¡±

    ¡°Protect His Majesty! Your Majesty,e to this side!¡± The elders quickly assessed the situation with their decision-making skills honed by decades of experience, and guarded against the robed figure. In the meantime, the robed figure had killed three elders.

    As if he also couldn¡¯t move hastily, the robed figure stopped moving. This was because the elders were preparing high-level magic instead of quickly casting silent incantation spells; it seemed even the robed figure had a difficult time handling elder-level elf magic prepared by not just one elder, but multiple.

    As they entered a confrontation, Renu shouted, ¡°Y-You damn fucking bastard!¡± He gritted his teeth and red at the robed figure, clearly exuding his desire to shred his opponent¡¯s body into pieces.

    The great elder and several elders died under the robed figure¡¯s hands. Of course, Renu didn¡¯t have an ounce of mourning in his heart about their deaths. These elders were, at most, tools; he might have felt pitiful about his tools being destroyed, but didn¡¯t feel any emotions like sadness. However, the problem was that it had been a tool that gave him enormous power.

    Furthermore, it was the fact that his aplice¡ªeven if it was made through a temporary alliance¡ªhad stabbed him in the back andnded a heavy blow on him. It wasn¡¯t because Renu trusted the robed figure. He should have been the one to backstab instead of getting backstabbed. After all, Renu was the type of elf who thought being tricked was substantial evidence for one¡¯s stupidity. Therefore, this situation proved his own stupidity.

    ¡°How dare you betray me! What¡¯s your goal!¡± All kinds of thoughts swirled inside Renu¡¯s head¡ªwas the robed figure nning to save their lives by handing them over to the allied forces, or had this been their n all along? Renu continued, ¡°I don¡¯t know what you are thinking, but don¡¯t think everything will go ording to n! Neither you nor your organization will achieve your goal! Never!¡± Renu strained his throat to spew out curses.

    The fact that the robed figure backstabbed him in an unfavorable situation enraged Renu to the max. However, this was only the beginning, and there were many more infuriating things toe.

    ¡°¡­Ha!¡± The robed figure had been silently swinging his sword until now, but he began tough.

    ¡°Heeheehee!¡± A stream of low mockingughs seeped out. It was the sort ofughter that agitated Renu¡¯s nerves even more than an outright one. As if he knew this, the sound of the robed figure¡¯sughter grew even louder.

    ¡°Ha, hahahahahaha!¡±

    The robed figure clutched his stomach in heavyughter and stopped.

    ¡°An organization?¡± A voice filled with light-heartedughter rang out, and Renu scowled.

    Renu no longer heard the robed figure¡¯s rough voice that was raspy enough to scratch an iron surface. It was a normal, clear voice that wasn¡¯t ufortable to listen to.

    ¡°What is this organization you are talking about? Is it the kind where its members wear gloomy, ck robes and plot evil schemes from the back?¡±

    ¡°What are you say¡ª" Although Renu imagined many different reasons for the robed figure¡¯s betrayal, he didn¡¯t expect the figure to say these words.

    ¡°You know, the types who go around crawling for things to prey upon under people¡¯s noses like cockroaches. If you think about that, I bet they matched really well with you guys.¡±

    ¡°Then, no way...!¡± Renu began to grasp the situation. It wasn¡¯t that the organization had betrayed him. The guy who coborated with him wasn¡¯t from the organization in the first ce.

    The mysterious figure continued, ¡°You are the kind that eats these dirty and sickening cockroaches and acts like you have the whole world within your grasp. So, you seem like¡ªum, something below it. How should I describe you? A cricket? A maggot? Even I¡ªwith my colorfulnguage to describe my opponents¡ªam struggling to find the rightparison for you.¡±

    Renu realized that he had heard this voice before. As the burn under his bandages began to hurt him once more, Renu stuttered, ¡°You¡­You¡­!¡±

    Swish! The dagger that the robed figure was holding changed shape; multiple sides sprouted out from the top to make it look like a tree branch. How could Renu forget such a unique-looking sword? It was also the same strangely-shaped sword that opened the wall of the fire tree.

    ¡°Yooooooouu!¡± Renu shouted in despair.

    Zich extravagantly threw away the robe he was wearing. ¡°Hey, it¡¯s so nice to meet you, Renu Ent Dras. Haven¡¯t we met before?¡±

    In sharp contrast to the anguished Renu and the elders who had their eyes wide open in surprise, Zich shed a bright and refreshing smile. ¡°The room that I sawst time left such a deep impression on me that I pretended to be a different person toe again. Won¡¯t you forgive me for this once? Weren¡¯t werades working together to fight against the allied forces just recently?¡± Zich said with his usual easygoing and joking tone; of course, the content of his words was anything but that.

    The elders who heard Zich¡¯s mockery turned bright red. Their king was being insulted and mocked. However, surprisingly, Renu didn¡¯t show much reaction. He merely hung his head low, but judging by his trembling fists, his heart seemed far from peaceful.

    ¡°¡­Since when?¡± Renu did not specify his question, but Zich was easily able to understand what Renu was asking about.

    ¡°Thest human from the assassin organization was probably the one you killed. After that, all the robed figures were me.¡±

    ¡°Then, was that guy who came to confirm my betrayal¡­!¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I thought you and the assassin organization would be connected. While confirming that though, I also thought I could get more information from you by dressing up as one of them. Really, I was so thankful that you spilled information just like I wanted you to. Ah, to think about it, I haven¡¯t expressed my gratitude.¡±

    Zich threw something, and Renu and the elders instantly grew tense. However, Zich didn¡¯t throw a dangerous item. It was human money, and the lowest value at that.

    ¡°Buy something tasty with that instead of trapping yourself in a stuffy ce like this and doing weird things. That¡¯s why you have no friends and your personality is twisted. This advice is reallying from my heart, so make sure to engrave it deeply in your mind.¡±

    Renu and the elders¡¯ gaze were stuck on the coin rolling on the floor. They also knew how much that money was worth.

    ¡°Are you guys that fascinated by human money? That¡¯s the reason why you guys can¡¯t make it. You have to try going out to the human world once in a while and see how the world is moving along. Since you don¡¯t do that, you spout out stupid nonsense like how you are going to rule over the elves and humans. Don¡¯t you think it¡¯s important for humans and elves to know their ce?¡±

    ¡°¡­Hey.¡± Without responding to Zich, Renu turned to the elders. His voice was t and calm, and itpletely contrasted the shouting and angry sounds he made so far. This was also an indication of how angry he really was. ¡°Immediately continue with the ritual and make the fire tree go berserk.¡±

    ¡°Your Majesty, that will¡­!¡± An elder who was about to make a contrasting opinion swallowed his words; it was because he saw Renu¡¯s eyes. Even though Renu had an awful personality, this was the first time his eyes looked as if they could kill someone with just a gaze.

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter if you blow up this whole area. I no longer care about the aftermath.¡± Renu stared directly at Zich.

    Zich calmly epted the murderous gaze that could have even made the strongest hero take a step back. On the other hand, Zich seemed to think Renu¡¯s hatred funny, as he began agitating Renu more byughing.

    ¡°First, kill that bastard!¡±

    The elders met each other''s gazes. They wondered if they should follow Renu¡¯s order or not. Anyone could see that the king was not in his right state of mind. He was so consumed by anger and hatred that he was unable to make a rational decision. However, they obediently brought out their mana. In the end, they decided to follow their master¡¯smand.

    Of course, they didn¡¯t obey just because their kingmanded them to. Since they were only focused on the ritual, they didn¡¯t know the situation upstairs, but they could clearly see that the current situation was not favorable for their tribe. If that was the case, it was not a bad idea to make ast gamble for their tribe¡¯s fate.

    Ziiiing! The elders¡¯ mana reached the fire tree. In an instant, mes danced around them. Zich swung his sword.

    Swish!

    Mana sharply exuded out from Zich¡¯s sword and darted towards the elders.

    Crash!

    However, the mana from the sword was not able to reach its goal. The dancing mes around thempletely erased Zich¡¯s mana.

    ¡°Stupid fool!¡± Renu mocked Zich. ¡°Did you think that I will continue the ritual in front of my enemy with zero preparation!¡±

    Renu seemed happy that he was able to finally retaliate against Zich. It had been a long while since he had shouted with glee. ¡°This ritual is different from a normal ritual! The fire tree that went berserk automatically protects us. Your pathetic skill won¡¯t work on us!¡±

    Zich sent multiple mana attacks from his sword, but they also all disappeared into the mes.

    ¡°Desperately try all you want! In the end, you will fall into despair at your ownck of ability! The only thing you can hope is for us to fail now. If our ritual is sessful, I¡¯m going to wipe you guys out of this world! And especially you, I won¡¯t let you die a peaceful death! I¡¯m going to take my time ying with you and then kill you!¡±

    ¡°Ah, is that so?¡± Zich was indifferent to Renu¡¯s curse. The sight of him cleaning out his ears with his fingers made him look very carefree.

 Chapter 216

    <h4>Chapter 216</h4>

    ¡°That¡¯s an amazing ritual, right?¡±

    It was an unexpected question, but Renu proudly answered it. There was no reason for him to deny it. This ritual was their pride¡ªthe thing that would make the Iron Tribe great.

    ¡°Of course! My ancestors spent a great amount of time and effort creating this ritual! Why? Are you getting scared now? It¡¯s toote. You will be ripped into shreds like I said and¡ª!¡±

    ¡°Ah, I¡¯ve heard enough,¡± Zich cut off Renu¡¯s words. There was no need for him to hear Renu¡¯s unachievable delusions at this rate. Zich also felt no reason to help cool down Renu¡¯s reddened face. ¡°I admit¡ªit really is an amazing ritual.¡±

    The tree of fire¡¯s mana was truly immense. He could feel it by just standing in the room where the tree was. Thus, a ritual that could control such a tree was definitely extraordinary.

    ¡®The Iron Tribe must have really used all their skills and abilities to create this ritual in secret.¡¯ Considering that it was a ritual made from elves who specialized in magic and had incredibly long lives, it was no doubt a great ritual. ¡°It¡¯s not perfect, right?¡±

    ¡°¡­Are you nning to insult the ritual our ancestors created?!¡± Renu let out his fury, but it didn¡¯t concern Zich. He also didn¡¯t mean to insult the ritual; he simply spoke the truth.

    ¡°No matter how great this ritual is, the difference between your guys¡¯ and the tree¡¯s power is toorge.¡±

    Inparison to the tree of fire, the group of outstanding elders was no more than a gathering of a couple of ants. No, the difference in power might have been even more than that.

    ¡°To make up for that difference, the ritual has to be annoyingly borate.¡± Even Zich acknowledged the ritual because it was running well without any experiments or targets despite its sophisticated andplex steps. Fundamentally, these kinds of rituals tested the participants¡¯ limits.

    Zich raised Windur up high. Renu felt nervous as he looked at Zich¡¯s movements suspiciously.

    ¡®That sword is¡­¡¯ Surprisingly, it was the sword that Zich had used to open the room that housed the tree of fire. Due to the hectic battle, Renu didn¡¯t have the chance to look at it carefully, but now that Zich had raised it upwards, he took a closer look at it.

    ¡°That kind of sophisticated ritual will disappear in vain if any kind of abnormality happens inside the tree of fire. Isn¡¯t that right, Renu?¡±

    No matter how sophisticated the ritual was or how amazing the elders were, the fire tree¡¯s power exceeded everything. The only reason why they could barely control it through a ritual was because it was a mass of power that existed with no specific purpose.

    ¡°Then the way to deal with the power is simple. I just have to give it a change beyond what you guys calcted.¡± There was some sense to Zich¡¯s words, but that was the extent of it. They were simply reasonable words, and Renu wasn¡¯t swayed at all.

    ¡°Sure, why don¡¯t you try? As if you could alter the tree of fire¡¯s power.¡± Renu ridiculed him and added, ¡°If you can.¡±

    ¡°¡­Kuhkuhkuh!¡± Zich let out a lowugh.

    ¡®Ah, I really can¡¯t endure it any longer.¡¯ The thought of Renu¡¯s confident face changing into one of humiliation and rage stirred up Zich¡¯s desire for his dark and dreadful hobby. Whenever an enemy who opposed him disyed this behavior, Zich felt happiness from the bottom of his heart. He had promised L that he didn¡¯t intend to be the Demon Lord for a while, but that didn¡¯t mean he would give up this hobby.

    ¡°A while ago, I saw a unique tree.¡± Thus, Zich couldn¡¯t stop his mouth from moving, because it was more enjoyable once his opponent knew why, how, and for what reason he was receiving this pain. ¡°When I approached it, my sword suddenly resonated with the tree.¡±

    Zich stared at the tree of fire and continued, ¡°Since this tree is very special, I think it¡¯s simr to the one I saw before. Don¡¯t you think this tree would also resonate with my sword?¡± Zich thought the tree that he saw from the cemetery and the tree in Mentis were among the five special trees that Romanne mentioned. ¡°The most important thing is that my sword assured me of my thoughts.¡±

    Zich raised his sword and walked three steps forward. ¡°Then if I do this, what do you suppose will happen to your ritual?¡±

    Wing!

    Windur¡¯s body trembled.

    Craaaackle!

    mes rapidly erupted from the tree of fire.

    ¡°W-What!¡±

    Although the mes were rough and heavy, they had always followed the ritual¡¯s mana; with Zich¡¯s actions, the mes began to jump around like crazy. Like a wild horse that had realized the beauty of freedom and desired to go outside, the mes freed themselves from the ritual¡¯s control.

    ¡°Endure it! Endure it somehow!¡± Renu hastily said and raised his mana. The elders also raised their mana to the limit. No, they were already at their limit, and the mana they were pouring out right now was what they got in exchange for their life force.

    The mes¡¯ power weakened a bit. It seemed like they were under control, but soon, the rough mes raised their heads again.

    ¡°Kuuuuh!¡± the elders groaned. They were all sweating, and some were even bleeding from their noses.

    It was a battle between the raging mes and those who tried to contain them. Renu and the elders battled with their lives on the line, but there was also someone who lookedpletely unconcerned.

    ¡°Oh! As expected! This happens!¡± Zich was having fun, seeing the colorfully raging mes. Then, he stomped towards Renu and the elders. He ced some distance between him and them and asked Renu who was concentrating hard, ¡°How is it? Is it endurable?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡± Renu did not reply. He couldn¡¯t even afford to reply as the raging fire went on. He even closed his eyes and tried to concentrate. Since the ritual wasn¡¯tpletely destroyed yet, he believed that there were still some parts of the fire that would protect them.

    Unfortunately, there was no way for him to mp down his ears like he did with his eyes. Moreover, as an elf, his sense of hearing was extremely keen.

    ¡°Hey, hey, don¡¯t ignore me. How is the situation? What does it feel like to have zing mes roaring all over you?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°I only swung at the ritual because you told me to. As expected, doesn¡¯t it feel awesome? Isn¡¯t this ritual like cracked ss? Even if you just touch it super lightly, itpletely shatters. Or is it more like a sandcastle crumbling down in front of you? I wonder how those idiotic fools who took hundreds and thousands of years to make this would feel? Ah, sorry. Did I just insult your ancestors? I¡¯m sorry, that really wasn¡¯t my intention. You believe me, right? I mean,e on, think of our rtionship.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°Wow, but you are actually pretty good at enduring? You seem like a dandelion seed that would fly away at a kid¡¯s sneeze, so I thought you would give up after a few seconds.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°Fine. I guess I¡¯ll have to praise you since you worked this hard. Yeah, I actually really like people who are hard workers. When I watch pathetic low-lives who have no shred of talent crawl around like bugs, I even start thinking about the meaning of life.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°Ah, what is the meaning of life! Why were you born in this world when all you did was chase after an unreachable dream and wander here and there. All you can do is pray with old farts and meet your tragic end! What is the point of such an existence!¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°Good, you¡¯re doing great! I¡¯ll be cheering for you. Work hard, harder! Work hard, work!¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°Hey, hey, hey! You have to focus a little harder! The second old fart next to you is about to kick the bucket! He¡¯s one of your precious tribe¡¯s elders! You can¡¯t let him die! I¡¯ve already decreased the number! Now, it won¡¯t be too much pressure on you. You have to work harder to make up for that gap!¡±

    Crunch!

    Blood dripped out of Renu¡¯s mouth; he clenched his teeth so hard that his gums copsed. The elders next to him were also red with anger and humiliation. Was it because their minds were disturbed? Or was it going to end up like this either way? Theypletely lost control of one me.

    Explode!

    ¡°Aghhhhhhh!¡±

    One of the elders was very unlucky, and the me directly hit his body. The me was still on the weak side, but this was actually misfortunate for the elder. The elder had to experience his body burning alive. The onlyfort he had was that he still had his mouth to scream, and this signalled the beginning of the ritual¡¯s copse. It might have been because one elder was no longer able to support the ritual, or the other elders were saddened by theirrade¡¯s death, but the ritual was now significantly weakened.

    The tree of fire was already forced to go berserk; with Windur¡¯s connection, the fire tree became even more ferocious and let out huge mes. It was a majestic but also horrifying sight. The raging mes began to spread to the rest of the room.

    ¡°Ughhhh!

    ¡°Ahhhhhhhhck!¡±

    The elders covered in mes made pitiful screams and ran around, but the fire didn¡¯t stop.

    Ssh!

    One of the elders stopped the ritual and sshed water magic on the burning elders, but the mes still weren¡¯t extinguished. On the other hand, the elder who used water magic was also swept up by the mes. Screams erupted outside of the room as well. It seemed as if the tree¡¯s mes had spread to other parts of the castle. However, the mes were unable toe close to Zich.

    Zich stared at Windur. ¡°You really are useful.¡± It had really been a good decision for him to choose this sword instead of Tornium. Windur reflected the mes and let out a pale red light; it looked as if it felt prideful at Zich¡¯s praise.

    ¡°Yoooouuuuuuu!¡± The ritual and everything else had already crossed the river of no return. The elders rushed to Zich to try to at least kill him before they died. While not even caring about the mes covering their bodies, they ran to Zich with all their might. It was a terrifying sight, but to Zich, it was the same as flies rushing to him.

    Swish!

    It was a clean swing; with just this swing, Zich was able to cut the elders cleanly in half.

    Thud! Thud! Without being able to reach Zich, the elders turned into burning corpses.

    Crasssh! A fireballnded on top of the corpses. The already burning corpses immediately turned into ash. With this, two of thest elders were gone. The elders who locked themselves into this stuffy and dark basement for their tribe¡¯s future were all dead now. The only one left was Zich who was holding Windur and Renu, who was sprawled underneath the fire tree. The mes also avoided Renu, and Zich recalled what happened when he opened the door to this room for the first time.

    ¡®That time, the mes also avoided him as well.¡¯

    Of course, the mes didn¡¯tpletely avoid him, so Renu was left with severe burn marks. However, everyone swallowed by the mes met their demise. Thinking back to this event, Zich thought there was a way for Renu to avoid the mes. Zich walked in front of Renu, but Renu could not even raise his head.

    ¡°Did you roughly finish everything you could do?¡± Zich said with a friendly and kind voice as if they were childhood friends.

 Chapter 217

    <h4>Chapter 217</h4>

    Renu¡¯s shoulder twitched, and Zich didn¡¯t miss the slight movement.

    Whoosh!

    Something passed in front of Zich, and he backed one step away.

    ¡°Oh!¡± There was a familiar-looking item. It looked like a lump of metal in the shape of a branch. When Zich saw that it looked very simr to his sword, he thought, ¡®This must be the key he had.¡¯

    Zich judged that the key had probably drawn away the tree of fire¡¯s mes from Renu, butparing the item to Zich¡¯s Windur seemed like an insult.

    ¡®First of all, it¡¯s clear that they are iparable because they failed to protect Renu from the tree of fire¡¯s mes properly.¡¯

    If Windur was on the same level as the lump of metal, even Zich would be covered with bandages from head to toe. Renu raised his head, and Zich smirked at him. Renu¡¯s eyes were the kind that Zich had seen many times before. They were eyes that had lost all hope after losing everything they desired and wished for. Zich didn¡¯t particrly like those eyes since they belonged to someone who was like a hopeless doll that was simply breathing.

    ¡®It no longer bes fun to torment them.¡¯

    Thankfully, there was a different light also shining through Renu¡¯s eyes; raging crimson hate radiated out of them and sought revenge against the one who had taken everything from him. Through this beam of light left in his eyes, Zich could tell that Renu was inming this burning rage towards Zich. However, Zich was also used to this type of emotion¡ªno, he almost had an affectionate longing for it. Furthermore, there was no need for Zich to think about his pre-regression days to recall such a gaze; after all, there were many that had stared at Zich with those same eyes ever since he regressed.

    ¡°¡­Did you ask me if I did everything I could do?¡± Renu asked Zich.

    ¡°Yeah.¡± It was as if one side was in the middle of a frosty winter and the other side was enjoying a spring filled with warm breezes. Of course, considering the situation, the one in the springy mood was clearly the odd one.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know what you are expecting, but there¡¯s still one left.¡±

    ¡°Is that so?¡± Zich was a bit surprised. He had asked his question for the sole purpose of tormenting Renu; he didn¡¯t think that Renu would actually have one more trick up his sleeve. However, Zich regained hisposure a momentter and said, ¡°As expected of His Majesty, Renu Ent Draus. A rat digs up many holes to run away from. I suppose it¡¯s good to share many simrities with cowardly animals.¡±

    ¡°Is that right?¡±

    ¡°You are so calm now. You should¡¯ve been like this from the start. Ah, was that impossible? Humans don¡¯t usually change unless they are facing death, and elves are simr to humans in that way. That means I¡¯m the one who instigated your change. You don¡¯t need to thank me. I already feel satisfied that I was able to have a positive influence on somebody else.¡±

    ¡°Go ahead. Since you act like you know me so well, why don¡¯t you tell me what I¡¯m thinking right now?¡±

    ¡°Of course.¡± It wasn¡¯t a difficult question, and Zich answered, ¡°You are thinking of killing me.¡± It was clear that Renu wanted to kill Zich like everyone else who stood in his way.

    ¡°You probably don¡¯t have any interest in giving me things such as pain, despair, or humiliation anymore,¡± Zich continued. He thought Renu¡¯s mindset was different from when he was thinking up all kinds of ways to torture Zich. ¡°You just simply want to end my life, right?¡±

    ¡°Hm¡­¡± Renu smiled faintly. His expression no longer belonged to the Iron Tribe King Renu Ent Draus that Zich was familiar with. There was only the face of Renu, whose sole purpose in life was to fulfill his revenge against Zich.

    ¡°So, why don¡¯t you make yourst attempt to kill me? Who knows? You might seed miraculously.¡±

    Pierce!

    The chilling sound of flesh piercing echoed. Blood poured out of the wounds like raindrops flowing between rocky crevices. Renu¡¯s stomach was pierced, but it wasn¡¯t Zich who had attacked him. Renu was the one who pierced himself, and what pierced Renu¡¯s stomach was the key he was holding.

    It was an abnormal situation, but Zich¡¯s expression didn¡¯t change. Instead, he joked, ¡°Did you suddenly be a pervert who gets a kick out of feeling pain?¡±

    ¡°Cough! Kuh¡­kugh¡­! Don¡¯t wo¡­ry¡­ That¡¯s not¡­ it.¡± While vomiting blood, Renu smiled. Wrapped in his madness, his injuries and pain no longer seemed to hinder him.

    ¡°Are you gaining power by offering your life and soul as a sacrifice?¡±

    ¡°¡­You¡­noticed?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s amon method that a cornered rat from the gutters uses. Since they don¡¯t have the skills, they offer their lives. It must be hard to live as someone with so few abilities. I sympathize with you.¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s no need¡­ for you¡­to do that. A bastard¡­like you won¡¯t be able¡­to even¡­¡±

    Craaash! The key piercing his body twisted and pierced deeper into his stomach.

    ¡°Sympathize any longer!¡±

    Craaaaash!

    A fireball dropped down from the tree of fire. Zich had been trusting Windur to protect him, but he flinched and backed away.

    Craaash!

    The fireball struck the spot where Zich had been, and then Zich touched the ends of his clothes. The ck, burnt spot crumbled to crisps.

    ¡®Windur doesn¡¯t work against it.¡¯ Zich ced some distance between him and Renu, but inparison, Renu didn¡¯t move even an inch. He made an eerie smile and red menacingly at Zich.

    Craaash!

    Sparks also dropped down to Renu; there was no way his key would protect him against the sparks when even Windur couldn¡¯t protect Zich. Renu¡¯s bandages burned in an instant and revealed his grotesque body. The pain of his flesh burning was more painful than anything else, but Renu continued to smile like a lunatic.

    ¡°Kuaaaaaah!¡±

    With a maddening smile, a spark whirled around his body and grew even bigger. The temperature in his surroundings increased exponentially and changed the area into a steamer.

    Renu looked towards Zich. His face showed the purest and brightest expression that Zich had ever seen him wear. ¡°Die.¡±

    Crasssssh! The whole castle was swallowed up by mes.

    * * *

    The flow of the battle in Mentispletely leaned towards one side¡ªit had already been leaning to one side for a while. After some time passed, the troops that were left across the ind judged that they no longer had to pretend to be ambushed by Zich¡¯s ¡°subordinates,¡± and more allied forces continued to arrive at Mentis. Victory began to lean even more heavily towards the allied forces. There were corpses scattered all over Mentis, but the number of corpses from the Iron Tribe was significantly greater.

    Even the me troopers that pushed back the allied forces were dwindling in number, and there were now only a few of them left. The allied forces were going to win soon; it was when they were thinking this that an event urred.

    Crashhhh!

    A huge explosion swept the nearby surroundings. The sound was so loud that the soldiers fighting with their lives on the line dropped to the ground and covered their ears on instinct.

    ¡°W-what the!¡±

    ¡°What was that!¡±

    Soldiers from both sides tried to figure out the source of the sound. However, it didn¡¯t take long for them to find it. The castle of Mentis was burning bright red. Even though the castle had let out mes a couple of times from the tree of fire before, these mes were on apletely different level. The castle and even the castle walls were covered by mes; it was as if the mes were using the entire castle as its kindling.

    The me troopers that were moving around suddenly all disappeared, making it advantageous for the allied forces. The me troopers that had persistently let out attacks even with the Lake¡¯s Tear influence were gone. However, no one in the allied forces rejoiced at their disappearance. It was because the me troopers¡¯ disappearance and the mes swallowing the castle were obviously connected.

    Explode!

    Something pierced through the mes and came out of the castle. The human figure quickly moved and in an instant, they reached the center of the allied forces¡¯ army. The allied forces moved their weapons towards the moving figure by instinct, but no one blocked them.

    Hans pressed down the arm of an elf who was holding a weapon and stated, ¡°It¡¯s not an enemy.¡± Then he said towards the figure, ¡°Wee back, Sir Zich.¡±

    Zich brushed off the fiery sparks left on his shoulder and raised his hand. ¡°The battle seems to have gone well.¡±

    ¡°Sir, thanks to you, we are almost finished with controlling the entire ind.¡± Then Hans looked at the burning castle. ¡°But sir, what is that?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s thest life force that the Iron Tribe King is burning out.¡±

    Hans and the other elves around him stared at the mes in surprise; the Iron Tribe elves were especially shocked. If Zich¡¯s words were true, their king was, at the very least, dying.

    ¡°Sir, then is everything over?¡±

    ¡°No, that¡¯s probably not it.¡± Zich stared at the raging mes and replied confidently. The war was not over yet. It was not time to watch the awe-inspiring mes and be sentimental.

    ¡°You bastard, what did you do to Our Majesty!¡± An Iron Tribe soldier near Zich rushed towards him. It seemed like he was an elf with strong loyalty to Renu. However, the result of his bravado was his body cut into two.

    Ssh!

    The now elf corpse sshed out blood and organs all over the ground.

    ¡°Really, these guys don¡¯t know their ce¡­¡± Zich clicked his tongue.

    The other Iron Tribe soldiers that were running towards Zich flinched. With just one movement, they realized that Zich was far superior to them in strength and ability. Thus, no one rushed towards Zich again. The allied forces began wielding their weapons at the Iron Tribe soldiers again. However, Zich didn¡¯t participate in the battle; instead, he quietly watched the burning castle.

    Hans''plexion changed as he asked, ¡°¡­Sir Zich, that ability right now¡­¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m just using it for a bit. That Clowon power seems to be a pretty interesting object.¡±

    ¡°Sir, is it the same as the situation we encountered in Violuwin?¡±

    ¡°Yep.¡±

    Hans nodded at Zich¡¯s reply. Even though not all of his curiosities were satisfied, this was Zich¡¯s work. There was no reason for him to know more.

    ¡°Zich!¡± L and Snoc moved closer to Zich; Romanne was also with them. ¡°Are you hurt anywhere?¡±

    ¡°See for yourself.¡± Zich raised his two arms and showed L that he was fine. There was only a light burn mark on the corners of his clothes, and the rest of his body was the definition of healthy.

    While looking at the castle, Romanne asked, ¡°What happened to that?¡±

    Zich gave the same answer he gave to Hans, ¡°The castle is zing from the mes that are burning thest of Renu Ent Draus¡¯ life force.¡±

    ¡°¡­The life force of the Iron Tribe King?¡±

    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s his hidden attack that uses his own life. It seems like this is hisst desperate attempt at retaliation after being driven into a corner.¡±

    ¡°¡­You are really amazing.¡± There was even deep respect in Romanne¡¯s voice; it was not surprising that she felt this way. The individual who made the biggest contribution to this war was the outsider that her granddaughter had brought.

    ¡°Thank you, but save yourpliments for another time. The war isn¡¯t over yet.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not over yet? If this is the result of the Iron Tribe King¡¯s desperate attempt at retaliation, isn¡¯t this war basically over?¡±

    Since the Iron Tribe King died and his soldiers had lost the battle, the Iron Tribe¡¯s copse was inevitable. Was Zich trying to tell her to not lower her guard? However, Zich¡¯s words were not obscure, nor did they have some hidden meaning.

    ¡°That fire is the result of Renu Ent Draus¡¯ burning his own life force, but it¡¯s probably not over. On the other hand, his desperate attack is probably only just starting.¡±

    ¡°What do you mean¡­¡±

    Crash! A new explosion cut off Romanne¡¯s words. However, there was no need for her to finish her sentence as the mes answered her question. The mes raged on and expanded; as if to reach the ends of the sky, they increased in size at an exponential rate. Then, all the people and elves witnessed a shocking sight.

    Thud!

    A ginormous me figure walked forward.

 Chapter 218

    <h4>Chapter 218</h4>

    Everyone in the area including the Iron Tribe and the allied forces stared at the mes. The enormous figure made out of fire took one more step.

    Thud!

    Although a fire couldn¡¯t have mass, whenever the me figure ced its feet down, the ground trembled slightly as if a giant was walking. The me figure looked simr to the me troopers. For example, the fierce, burning mes made up its body, limbs, and the head that stuck out of its shoulders. However, there was also a dissimrity such as its immense size. It was as big as a castle, and it looked like a legendary monster.

    ¡°¡­The fire giant,¡± one of the elves nearby murmured. The elves in the surroundings nodded slightly as they thought of the same thing. Zich and hispanions were also not an exception.

    ¡°¡­Is that Renu Ent Draus¡¯st-desperate struggle for revenge?¡± Romanne¡¯s voice was incredibly stiff; she had never felt this tense. The other elves also felt the pressure of the presence before them, but it was even more so for Romanne. The Lake¡¯s Tear that she was holding continued to send warning signs to her. The mana from the Lake¡¯s Tear spread across most of Mentis and burned away without a trace as soon as it approached the fire giant.

    ¡®I can¡¯t believe it burned water-type mana.¡¯ The terrible power before her made her shudder and gave her an extreme sense of crisis. If this was Renu¡¯sst struggle, it wouldn¡¯t be favorable for the allied forces in any way.

    ¡°Yes, it is true. Since it looks like a power he dragged out by offering his life, I don¡¯t think it willst long.¡±

    ¡°That kind of thing is dangerous even for a short amount of time!¡± Rather than a short amount of time, it seemed extremely dangerous even for a moment.

    Craackle!

    A change urred on the fire giant¡¯s face. Something pushed its face out of the surface of the burning mes.

    ¡°¡­Renu Ent Draus,¡± Romanne muttered. ¡°He didn¡¯t die yet.¡±

    Contrary to Romanne who watched the situation gravely, Zich was calm. Frustrated by this, Romanne was about to emphasize the danger of the fire giant when Zich and Renu met each other¡¯s eyes.

    Although they were a considerable distance apart, Zich had no problem seeing Renu; and it was the same for Renu. He smirked.

    [You¡­uh¡­uh¡­ah!]

    As if his organs for speech or hisnguage skills deteriorated, it was hard to decipher what came out of Renu¡¯s lips. Yet, his voice clearly disyed the joy he felt at the moment.

    Whoosh!

    The fire giant swung its arm and a colossal stream of mes shot out.

    Popp!

    Fortunately, the attack shot far away from Mentis and fell into ake. The fire giant looked like it didn¡¯t have full control over its body yet and failed to maintain bnce. However, no oneughed to mock its ridiculous body movements. Huge shockwaves burst out along and steamed. A huge hole seemed to have formed in theke for a moment. The fireball struck it and disyed its colossal power.

    [Uh¡­uh¡­ah!] Seemingly irked, Renu shrieked out strange sounds and swung his arm again. Thankfully, his attack missed again, and the fireball passed over theke and struck the forest this time.

    Crash! The fireball surged from far away. Like an exploding volcano, mes split the sky and remains of the earth scattered everywhere.

    ¡°Oh, ohhhhh!¡±

    ¡°Our king!¡±

    In contrast to the speechless allied forces, the Iron Tribe members rejoiced. They couldn¡¯t be happier to see their king suddenly appear the moment they were about to lose the war with a great power. Like children running to wee their parents, they gathered at the giant¡¯s feet.

    ¡°Our king! Please wipe out our insolent enemies before us!¡±

    ¡°Please grant victory to our people! Glory to our king!¡±

    Seeing this, Zich said, ¡°Don¡¯t they look like immature kids running to tattle-tale on their moms?¡±

    All the elves who heard him stared at Zich like he couldn¡¯t believe his words. How dare Zichpare their current predicament to such an insignificant situation? Only Zich and hispanions responded calmly to the situation.

    Although the Iron Tribe elves ran towards the fire giant in joy, they didn¡¯t meet a happy end.

    Skree!

    Like it was about to take one more step, the fire giant raised its feet. The Iron Tribe elves cheered; they thought the giant was about to stomp on the allied forces. However, what it squashed weren¡¯t the allied forces.

    ¡°Uh, ah! Y-your Majesty! This isn¡¯t the ce!¡±

    ¡°We are here! Your Majesty, please go somewhere¡­ else¡­uh, ahhhh!¡±

    Crash!

    Although they wondered for a bit if their king was really going to stomp over them, they didn¡¯t have the time to think once more when a giant foot came from above. After the fire giant stomped over them, the Iron Tribe elves burned up in mes and turned to ashes.

    It seemed Kandis thought that there was some kind of misunderstanding, and he poured mana into his throat and shouted, ¡°Your Majesty! It¡¯s us! Your loyal servants!¡±

    However, Kandis had read Renu¡¯s intentions incorrectly.

    [Be¡­Quiet!]

    The fire giant swung his arm again, and it didn¡¯t miss this time. The mes struck the Iron Tribe elves.

    Crash!

    Even amid the explosion, the Iron Tribe elves¡¯ screams were clearly audible.

    ¡°Kuaaaah!¡± Kandis had courageously led the Iron Tribe even in disadvantageous situations out of his loyalty to the king, and he was also engulfed in mes. He rolled on the ground to put out the fire, but it was futile, and he lost his life painfully. Those affected by the explosion and those swept by the mes followed suit and died while screaming.

    It was unbelievable that Renu¡¯s first attack had struck his subordinates. It was a truly ironic situation.

    ¡°¡­How are you going to fight it?¡± L asked. She also felt the threat of the fire giant. No, since she had a close affinity with magic, she probably felt its danger more than anybody else.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I won¡¯t ask you guys to fight it.¡±

    ¡°Then who are you going to fight with?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t need anyone else.¡± Zich put Windur on his shoulders and took a very light step forward. ¡°I¡¯m enough.¡±

    ¡°What? Even for you, that¡¯s too much!¡± Even though L also acknowledged Zich¡¯s strength, his opponent was way too strong. The fire giant in front of them was stronger than any existence they met so far. However, Zich merely waved his hand and didn¡¯t stop his feet from moving forward.

    Instead, he told Romanne, ¡°Withdraw the troops. If they get dragged into this fight, they¡¯ll die a pointless death.¡±

    Romanne desperately shouted, ¡°Are you really thinking about fighting by yourself!¡±

    To her, Zich¡¯s actions were basically the same asmitting suicide. Snoc tightly hugged Nowem and shifted his gaze between the fire giant and Zich. He didn¡¯t stop Zich like L and Romanne. Since Snoc had unshakeable trust in Zich, he thought that Zich had a n in mind. However, the fire giant was an existence that crushedmon sense, so Snoc was a bit anxious.

    Compared to Snoc, Hans was not even a little anxious. ¡°Sir, how far should we withdraw the troops?¡±

    ¡°As far as possible. If you could, I would have liked you to take all the soldiers out of this ind, but I don¡¯t think there¡¯s enough time.¡±

    ¡°I understand.¡± Hans bowed down at his waist towards Zich¡¯s back; then he turned around and faced hispanions. ¡°Let¡¯s quickly withdraw the troops.¡±

    ¡°¡­You really think that Zich can defeat that giant with no preparation?¡±

    ¡°Yes, Ms. L.¡± At Hans''s confident reply, L became speechless.

    L knew that Hans¡¯ trust in Zich had reached an almost fanatic level, but she didn¡¯t think that he would be able to reply to her question with zero hesitation.

    However, Hans¡¯ trust in Zich was not the only thing that made him confident that Zich would beat the fire giant. ¡°After Sir Zich got out of the castle, I saw him use his powers.¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know how he did it, but Sir Zich is different from usual. He probably is in a simr state as he was at Violuwin.¡±

    ¡°At Violuwin?¡± A memory shed past L. ¡°¡­Perhaps!¡±

    Romanne asked, ¡°Is there something thates to mind?¡±

    ¡°Yes, there is.¡± L thought that if Zich was really in the same state as he was when they were in Violuwin the first time¡­ ¡°Then he probably doesn¡¯t need anyone¡¯s help.¡±

    Snoc and Nowem, who were now able to fully assess the situation like L, nodded. However, Romanne, who did not share their experiences, was left confused.

    * * *

    A signal rang out from the back, and the allied forces began withdrawing. Compared to them, the Iron Tribe couldn¡¯t figure out what to do. Their enemies were in the front, and from behind, their now crazy king was blocking them. However, as the allied forces began withdrawing, an open space appeared, and they also began to slowly increase their distance from their king. No matter how they looked at it, the king was now insane. While the elves moved away from the fire giant like a tidal wave, only Zich walked towards it.

    [Heh¡­!] Renuughed. His face was even more marred than before, and pieces of melted skin converged and twisted across each other. It was now even difficult to say that his face resembled an elf¡¯s.

    [You¡­You. I¡­Ki¡­Kill¡­You!]

    ¡°You can¡¯t even talk properly now.¡±

    It was a pathetic state for someone who wanted to rule over all elves and even humans. However, the power he had right now was impressive.

    [I-I am¡­now¡­s-stron¡­!] The fire giant raised his arms. [S-strong¡­er¡­than¡­yo¡­you!]

    Whoosh! He swung his arms. The raging fire was so hot that it seemed as if it would burn everything in its path. The giant¡¯s attack held clear murderous intent towards Zich.

    Zich fixed his grip on Windur. ¡°Even till the very end, you are mistaken.¡± Zich had a kind heart, so he wanted to fix Renu¡¯s misguided thoughts.

    Swish! Zich swung Windur. The fire giant¡¯s fist and Windur collided.

    Crasssssh! A loud explosion rang around its surroundings, and the elves blocked their ears once again. However, they stared at the sight of the explosion to assess the situation. Their gazes moved towards where the giant had swung down its enormous fist.

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    The elves all halted their movements; they even forgot to block their ears or run away. They froze at the unimaginable sight in front of them.

    [¡­Ah?] This was also the same for the giant. Renu turned his face to the right where his fist had swung at Zich. Nothing was there. The only thing left was the mes left on his shoulder area. The fiery sparks looked like blood scattering out. He stared back at Zich¡ªthe person who should¡¯ve been crushed by his fists and screaming in burning pain by now waspletely fine. Moreover, there was no trace of his destruction in their surroundings.

    [Ugh¡­ahhhhh¡­aaah!]

    Crackle! mes erupted from his shoulders, and his arm regenerated instantly.

    ¡°You can even regenerate,¡± Zich murmured to himself as if he wasmenting about falling leaves.

    [Ahhhhhh!]

    Whoosh! The fire giant swung his fist again; it held enormous strength and let out life-threatening heat. However, the result was the same as before.

    Crash!

    Renu opened his eyes wide as he saw his arms fly off once again.

    ¡°Why don¡¯t you start fixing your misconception, Renu Ent Dras? Even right now, I¡¯m stronger than you.¡± Zich smiled kindly at Renu and said, ¡°How was your sweet moment of hope?¡±

 Chapter 219

    <h4>Chapter 219</h4>

    [Ku¡­ah¡­ahah¡­ahahah¡­ahahahahhh!]

    Renu¡¯s scream contained all kinds of negative emotions such as rage, hate, humiliation, and shame.

    [D-D-Die¡­Dieee¡­Dieeee!]

    His regenerated arm swung again. The mes that made up the arm burned even more fiercely than before.

    Craaash!

    His arm didn¡¯t disappear this time. It hit its target smoothly, and Renu¡¯s mouth turned into a sheepish grin.

    [I-I-I kill¡ª!]

    ¡°No, you didn¡¯t.¡± Renu heard the voice he loathed, and unlike before, he didn¡¯t hear the voice from far away with his superb hearing skills. He heard the voice right beside him.

    [Uh¡­!] Renu looked to his side and was surprised to see that Zich had already jumped up to the giant¡¯s head.

    ¡°For now.¡± Zich grabbed Windur with both hands tightly. ¡°Let¡¯s go back a bit more!¡± He swung with all his might.

    Crash! The fire giant¡¯s head twisted and turned.

    [Kkuehhh!] As Renu screamed, the fire giant¡¯s body swerved.

    Thud! Thud!

    To maintain his bnce, the giant stumbled a couple of steps back. But he twisted his torso too fast and ended up falling backwards.

    [Uh¡­ah¡­uh¡­!] The fire giant flung its arms around to lift its body up, and Zich sat beside it.

    ¡®He¡¯s still fine.¡¯ Even though Zich had swung his sword with a great amount of force, he failed to cut off both Renu and the giant¡¯s head.

    Then, Zich recalled how a wall of fire appeared around the giant¡¯s head when Windur approached it and thought, ¡®I guess it knows how to defend itself.¡¯

    The wall of fire failed topletely block Windur¡¯s attack, but it seeded in reducing its damage. Thanks to that, the giant could avoid the worst-case scenario of getting its head cracked into pieces.

    ¡®Well, maybe that won¡¯t be the worst-case scenario for this guy,¡¯ Zich thought. After all, this giant might be able to easily regenerate its head like it did to its arm. Even if Renu disappeared, the giant could move by itself too. Renu pushed himself off the ground and realized that Zich was next to him.

    [Uh¡­ah¡­ahah¡­!]

    Whoosh!

    Like he was trying to catch a bug, the giant¡¯s hand hovered over Zich. The mes that made up its arm seemed to have grown fiercer.

    Crash!

    The fire giant¡¯s arm collided against Windur and flew out again. This time, Zich noticed a clear difference in power. ¡®I¡¯ll only cut off its upper arm this time.¡¯

    Although hisst attack had blown away even the giant¡¯s shoulders, the attack this time blew away only a smaller portion of the giant¡¯s arms.

    ¡®Is it getting stronger?¡¯ If Zich thought about how the giant had failed to even hit its targets with its attacks, it seemed more urate to say that the giant had simply learned how to use its powers.

    [Uhah¡­ahahah¡­!] Things didn¡¯t go his way, so Renu screamed like a child throwing a tantrum. The fire giant got up abruptly and attacked Zich who blocked and evaded the giant¡¯s attacks and swung Windur towards the giant¡¯s body.

    Swerve!

    The fire giant lost its bnce again, but it simply took a couple of steps backward and didn¡¯t fall down likest time. Zichunched a flurry of attacks again. The fire giant backed away, and Zich attacked again. His attacks were incredibly fierce, and Zich didn¡¯t even give the fire giant the opportunity to fight back. Eventually, the speed at which the fire giant stepped backwards slowed down.

    Slosh! Zich pushed back the fire giant beyond Mentis until its feet were submerged into theke. The moment its feet touched the waters, steam rose around the giant¡¯s feet and theke boiled. The fire giant backed away a bit more, and when theke¡¯s water reached the giant¡¯s shins, it stopped moving. Zich swung Windur once again, and the fire giant also swung its fist.

    Crash!

    A loud collision rang out, but the fire giant didn¡¯t back away this time. Its arm that had collided against Windur was alsopletely fine.

    [¡­Hu¡­huhu..!] The sound of Renu¡¯s annoyingughter flowed out, and the fire giant swung its arm at Zich who was in mid-air. Zich¡¯s body flew backwards.

    Thud! Hended near theke¡¯s shore, and a cloud of dust rose from the ground. It was such a strong collision that made spectators wonder if Zich was deeply injured. However, when the cloud of dust settled down, they saw Zich appear without many injuries. On the small crater that formed on the ground from the impact, Zich shook off the dust that had settled on his clothes.

    [I¡­am¡­stronger...than you now¡­!]

    ¡°Ah, sure. You can think whatever you want.¡±

    No longer interested in what Renu had to say, Zich turned around. He saw the allied forces retreating from a distance.

    ¡®Is this far enough?¡¯ Since there was a good amount of distance between them and the allied forces. Each of the elves was strong, so Zich thought they wouldn¡¯t be affected even if he started a more intense battle from now on.

    ¡°Hey, Renu Ent Draus,¡± Zich said as he walked towards theke.

    ¡°Do you know that I didn¡¯t protect myself from yourst attack?¡±

    Slosh! Zich¡¯s feet sank into theke¡ªhe didn¡¯t care whether his shoes or the ends of his pants were soaking wet.

    ¡°Normally, I would¡¯ve stopped you. Although I often let my opponents go about their schemes to crush theirst bit of hope, the mana from the tree of fire is a great threat even to me.¡±

    Whatever Renu¡¯sst trick was, since it was most likely connected to the tree of fire, things would be much less troublesome if Zich simply sliced Renu¡¯s head off.

    ¡°But it¡¯s different this time.¡± Zich looked down at Windur. Like how it had opened the door in the castle¡¯s basement, it was clear that Windur had a connection to the ancient empire.

    Zich pulled out his mana, and an enormous amount of mana on a different level from before whirled inside his body.

    ¡®I couldn¡¯t test my power out much before.¡¯

    There was a time in Violuwin when he could use all of his power at once, but he had to greatly restrain himself from letting it all out. It was because he had been inside a city, and a single mishap could have brought the city into ruins.

    ¡®Now, there¡¯s nothing hindering me.¡¯

    The only presences nearby were in a forest far away or at the edge of theke. Mentis was bing an empty city, and the allied forces were probably fully capable of protecting themselves.

    ¡®Of course, I still need to control my powers somewhat.¡¯

    If he battled too recklessly, he could identally destroy the entire library in Mentis and he could injure the allied forces. Moreover, his physical body won¡¯t be able to handle it.

    ¡®I¡¯ll still be able to fully enjoy myself.¡¯ Zich¡¯s eyes let out a chilling light.

    [Ooh...] Renu flinched. The fire giant took a step back. Renu himself did not understand why he moved back. He was able to obtain an immense power, and he was now able to fully control it. Other beings could not even touch his feet right now, but why did he take a step back just because of a human¡¯s gaze? Why did he feel such horror? Renu was not in a state of denial; he really could not understand why he was feeling this way. However, Renu was soon able to find his answer in a horrifying nightmare.

    ¡°Then why don¡¯t we start ying, Renu Ent Dras?¡±

    Tap! Zich jumped up; his hand tightly clutched Windur. The fire giant also moved; he sped his hands tightly together and lifted them high up in the air. A ferocious fire erupted from his hands.

    Swing! He mmed his hands down on Zich, and the two of them collided.

    Crasssssh! The pressure from the mes disappeared and the severe heat scattered across the air. A violent attack pierced through the air where the mes used to be.

    * * *

    L led Hans, Snoc, and Romanne to the edge of Mentis. She looked back a couple of times and checked on the battle between Zich and the fire giant a few times, but most of her focus was on moving as far as possible from the center of Mentis. However, they had no choice but to stop.

    ¡°L! Please help me!¡± Romanne quickly lifted up the Lake¡¯s Tear in front of her. L moved right next to her and touched the Lake¡¯s Tear.

    Ziing! The Lake¡¯s Tear lightly vibrated and spread its water mana around its surroundings. This time, it didn¡¯t spread its mana everywhere but gathered together to form a stable boundary. A soft blue light illuminated their surroundings.

    ¡°Come inside!¡±

    ¡°Everyone stay on guard!¡±

    Romanne and L shouted to everyone. Hans, Snoc, and all the other elves quickly moved to their own defense positions.

    Crassssh! They felt as if they were walking in reverse against a flowing current. The mana st hit them as if it was going to sweep everything in its past. The burning heat and the sharp debris from the st strongly bashed against them. Fortunately, thanks to the Lake¡¯s Tear, they were able to endure it. However, no one was happy about this¡ªno, to be more exact, they had no leisure to think about happiness.

    From far away, a battle that mighte out in mythology was happening in front of them. The fire giant was causing colossal damage. With its enormous body and overwhelming strength, it spread mes everywhere. Even if the allied forces tried to defeat the fire giant, it would be impossible for them to defeat the giant. However, that fire giant was being yed around with right now¡ªby a mere human.

    Thuuuuuud! From a distance, they saw the effects of the battle on theke; the deep and wideke trembled and formed waves as if it was being swept by a storm. The image that left the deepest impression on the elf soldiers was the sight of a giant cliff crumbling from the mana shock.

    Crumbbbbble! As if it was cake, the cliff was cleanly cut apart, and it made a giant, white ssh as it hit theke; then, it disappeared underneath. The elves watching the sight were unable to find the right words to describe what they were seeing.

    ¡°¡­Ms. L? That person named Zich¡­¡± Romanne carefully began her sentence; she opened and closed her mouth several times. It seemed like she wanted to say something but felt ufortable saying it out loud. However, in the end, her curiosity overpowered all other emotions. ¡°Is he really human?¡±

    ¡°Well, for now.¡± L could clearly empathize with Romanne¡¯splex emotions. Who the hell would think that the person responsible for reshaping the entirendscape around them and pushing back the fire giant would be a mere human? L suddenly felt that Zich was a very amazing but also very scary existence. The Demon Lord of Strength Zich Moore did note from nowhere.

    ¡°That power is probably temporary. Something like this happened in the past once, and he soon returned back to normal.¡±

    ¡°Ah, is that so? There must be a way for him to suddenly bring out a lot of power.¡± Romanne made a sort of relieved expression. Regardless of Zich¡¯s safety, Romanne felt relieved that hermon sense was at least partially preserved.

    However, because of that expression, L was unable to tell her that in the future, a possibly very near future, Zich might be able to use this amount of strength with no limits.

    ¡°Yes, but with this, the war is now over.¡± The humans and elves saw the fire giant finally copse on the ground after being ripped apart everywhere.

    * * *

    [Uh¡­ugh¡­aaaaah¡­!] Renu let out a moan; the fire giant no longer moved. The mes that used to burn bright red were now much darker than before. The surroundingke also let out steam, but it was no longer boiling like before. Zich sat next to Renu near the giant¡¯s face area. Even though the fire giant¡¯s mes were dying out, it was still a strange sight to see Renu lying down on top of the mes.

    ¡°Are you going to die by getting hit this amount of times?¡± Zich nced at the fire giant¡¯s messed-up body.

    [Yo¡­You¡­.Youuuu¡­!]

    Pierce!

    As if he were going to spit out some curses, Renu was pierced in the head by Windur.

    ¡°I yed enough. Get to sleep now.¡±

    Crunch! Zich twisted Windur and messed up Renu¡¯s face. Blood or mes or somethingpletely unknown came out of Renu¡¯s face.

    Explode!

    The fire giant scattered its mes everywhere and disappeared. A mended on top of theke and also disappeared. Like this, the massive war that brought out all the elf tribes in the Great Adrowon Forest met its end.

 Chapter 220

    <h4>Chapter 220</h4>

    Flip!

    L turned to the next page. It was a tattered-looking page that seemed like it would crumble at the slightest touch and disyed the many years it had endured. If she ced even a little more pressure on these pages, it looked like they would crumble and ruin all the countless letters that hadid there for ages. Thus, she turned the pages very carefully.

    She was in an area where light softly seeped in. It was an area where sunlight didn¡¯t reach and needed to be lit by an artificial light even in broad daylight. Thus, several candles shone in the area on top of a long desk.

    Thump! She closed the book. Dust flew out, and L waved the cloud of dust away with her hands. Then, she nced at the book¡¯s cover. She could feel its rough, worn-out leather cover that hadsted for centuries.

    ¡°Did you find anything?¡± She heard a voice from behind, and L turned her head away from the book she was reading. Zich was walking towards her.

    ¡°You came?¡±

    ¡°I heard that you¡¯ve been here since the early morning and came to check. I guess you really are a mage who can¡¯t control her curiosity.¡±

    ¡°Is that something you should be saying?¡±

    Although it was true that L had been in the library since the morning, it was still pretty early in the day. Zich shrugged and sat in front of her.

    ¡°How¡¯s your injury?¡±

    Zich had been severely wounded in thest battle. His injuries weren¡¯t at a level where they threatened his life or gave him longsting symptoms, but he couldn¡¯t let them be either.

    ¡°I¡¯m fine. If I wasn¡¯t fine after gulping down so many potions, I would¡¯ve gone to the Karuwimans toin.¡±

    ¡°If it¡¯s you, I am afraid that you might really do that.¡±

    Even against the Karuwimans, Zich seemed like he would brazenly nitpick about a product he bought and argue about it like amon thug. However, Zich shook his head. ¡°It¡¯s a joke, a joke. I don¡¯t really n to do that and have no intention of acting rashly against those guys.¡±

    When the Tasnia¡¯s Killing Machine and the Saint were keeping their ce with their eyes wide open, Zich didn¡¯t want to oppose the Karuwimans.

    At Zich¡¯s half-joking and half-serious response, L chuckled before saying, ¡°By the way, I didn¡¯t think that you would be so injured after your one-sided battle against the fire giant. It was really surprising.¡±

    ¡°Like I said before, I wasn¡¯t injured because of Renu.¡±

    The reason for Zich¡¯s injury was his own mana. Although he was aware of it to a certain degree, he became drunk by the power that he had missed for so long that he forgot to look after his own body. The immense mana that his body wasn¡¯t used to had be an explosion that ravaged his opponent but bared its fangs at its owner too.

    ¡°It was thrilling though. Every time I let out a burst of mana, I felt like each and every vein in my body was bursting. The result was spectacr too.¡±

    ¡°I thought so too, but do you have a masochist side?¡± L looked taken aback and pushed her chair slightly back.

    Zich waved his hand and replied, ¡°I¡¯m just saying that¡¯s how much I enjoyed using my original mana. I don¡¯t enjoy pain or getting tormented. It¡¯s the opposite really.¡±

    ¡°Well, that¡¯s true¡­¡± At Zich¡¯s extremely convincing words, L didn¡¯t retort and dragged her chair forward again.

    Then, Zich nced at the books in front of L and asked, ¡°Did you find out anything?¡±

    ¡°No, nothing yet.¡±

    ¡°What do you mean nothing yet?¡± Zich looked around the surroundings and said, ¡°Would you ever be able to find anything anyway?¡± Zich asked this question because the ce they were in was the library inside Mentis called Kalpunar.

    The library was one of the main reasons why they decided to participate in this war. This building was a ce where they could gain information rting to L¡¯s memories, the ancient empire, Windur, and so on. They also had already gotten permission to enter the library since there was no king who would refuse an easy request from the Great Adrowon Forest¡¯s savior.

    When Zich and hispanions first came to this library, it was clear that they would have to stay there for a while. They had expected it since it was a library where elves with long lives stored books for a long time.

    ¡®This is beyond my imagination.¡¯

    When they went inside Kalpunar and personally saw the collection of books, they realized their past expectations had been too light. Usually, the thought of a library invoked an image of a wall connected by shelves, filled with books from corner to corner. Kalpunar was different. When Dronian said that Kalpunar was ¡®nothing more than a ce where they stored their ancestor¡¯s books,¡¯ he hadn¡¯t been exaggerating.

    The books weren¡¯t even categorized or ced on shelves. Piles of books, irregrly stacked on top of another with no order, took up huge areas of space. Besides a narrow path for people to walk around on, all areas were filled with books piled up to the ceiling. The most rming part of this was that there were four more areas like this leading to the basement. In short, Zich and hispanions had to find the book they were looking for among five floors of randomly stacked piles of books. In addition to this, there was no guarantee that Kalpunar would have the book they were looking for.

    ¡°I have to look for a method.¡± L also didn¡¯t have a special measure for searching. She simply thought she should skim through one more book until she thought of a measure. She pushed aside the book she just checked and took out a new book from her personal pile. Then, she flipped through the book¡¯s pages.

    Zich peeked into the book she was reading and saw that he didn¡¯t recognize the letters.

    ¡°Do you know how to read them?¡±

    ¡°No, even with my knowledge, I don¡¯t know everything. We are looking for something that is probably rted to the ancient empire, so I am just looking for something simr to that.¡±

    L took out a piece of paper from her magic box. It was a copy she made of the letters from the tomb in Violuwin.

    ¡°This is not it.¡± L pushed away the book she was holding and picked out another book.

    Her gaze moved towards the back of the library, and she let out a sigh. At the overwhelming number of books, even L felt unsure that she would find the information she needed.

    Zich picked up a book and said, ¡°There¡¯s no need for you to hurry? It¡¯s not like there¡¯s something going on.¡±

    However, L countered his statement. ¡°We can¡¯t stay here forever. Most of all, you might get bored.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re concerned for me? Wow, I¡¯m really touched. I think tears are about toe out.¡± Zich pressed down his eyelids. Of course, there was no trace of a tear.

    ¡°It¡¯s because you gave it up.¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    L did not move her eyes away from the book she was holding. ¡°You followed my suggestion to not be a Demon Lord, at least temporarily. So I should match you as much as possible.¡±

    Zich had no idea that L was thinking this way.

    ¡°What? Why do you keep staring?¡±

    ¡°No, it¡¯s because I¡¯m a bit surprised.¡±

    ¡°What are you so surprised about? Since you¡¯re listening to my request right now, I should give something to you as well so that it¡¯ll be bnced. If you ever need something in the future, tell me. I¡¯ll do my best to help you. Well, about that¡­¡± L made a slightly ufortable expression and added, ¡°Weird hobby you have. I can also help you with that, so feel free to ask me for help.¡±

    The only hobby that L might find distasteful popped up in Zich¡¯s mind. Zich smiled mischievously. ¡°What, you also want to torture people like me? Well, if you¡¯re interested, how can I just ignore it? I will first tell you about the ways you can find what your subjects hate¡ª"

    ¡°I¡¯m not interested in that, you idiot!¡± L was about to throw the book in her hand, but she flinched. It was not her book, and it was also a very old book. If she carelessly threw it, the book might get damaged. She carefully put down the book and kicked Zich¡¯s shin while he was cackling by himself.

    * * *

    Zich and L left Kalpunar at around lunch time. Zich had to force L, who wanted to continue searching through books, out of the library to eat lunch. Underneath the bright sun, Mentis was full of life. Arge number of soldiers wandered all over the ind. However, the atmosphere surrounding the soldiers was not very good¡ªthis was usually the case when dealing with the aftermath of a war.

    The horrifying corpses of their recentrades were sprawled all over the ground. Their fellow soldiers closed the corpses¡¯ eyes¡ªtheir eyes were wide open as if they were cursing the world. This same sight could be seen all over the ind. Zich and L quietly walked past them.

    ¡°Where are we going?¡±

    ¡°To the castle. I mean, the atmosphere here is too heavy to have a meal.¡±

    ¡°What? You had a sensitive side like this after all?¡±

    ¡°Even if I¡¯m not sensitive to other people¡¯s moods, this ismon sense.¡±

    ¡°¡­I can¡¯t believe the word mon sense¡¯ just came out of your mouth.¡± L closed her mouth and looked at Zich with trembling eyes. Her eyes looked more surprised than when she first saw the fire giant.

    Zich did not say anything. It was L¡¯s win this time. ¡°What about Hans and Snoc?¡±

    ¡°They said they wanted to help clean up, so I gave them permission to do so.¡±

    ¡°They are really kind kids.¡±

    ¡°If they want to be heroes in the future, they have to be at least that level.¡±

    ¡°Then what about you?¡±

    ¡°Other people are going to help clean up. Why do I have such a troublesome job?¡± As expected, Zich was Zich.

    They both arrived at the castle. The guards protecting the castle saw them and opened the door. All the elves knew who Zich and L were, especially Zich; and the elves looked at him with both admiration and fear. The sight of him defeating the fire giant left a deep and shocking impression on them.

    Zich and L went inside the castle and finished a simple meal. The castle was currently being used as amanding base, but the in Tribe King and the other officers were outside the castle cleaning up the aftermath of the war.

    However, not every important figure was outside the castle.

    ¡°Ah, the two of you were here.¡±

    Zich was taking a bite of his bread, and L was taking a spoonful from her soup as they both looked towards the direction of the sound at the same time. Romanne, the Lake Tribe¡¯s shaman, was standing there.

    ¡°Can I eat with the two of you?¡±

    ¡°Of course.¡± Zich got up and moved a chair for Romanne to sit on. Romanne thanked him and ordered food from the kitchen.

    ¡°Was everything all right in Kalpunar?¡±

    At her question, Zich and L looked at each other, and then shook their heads at the same time.

    Romanne made a bitter smile¡ªshe understood their struggles. ¡°We also gave up on finding specific information from that ce. Just wait a little bit. I don¡¯t know how much we can help, but if we clean up the aftermath of the war somewhat, we¡¯ll be able to send elves to help you two.¡±

    ¡°Ah, thank you.¡± There was no need for them to refuse politely. L desperately needed the support, so she easily epted Romanne¡¯s kind offer.

    ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s no problem at all. We should at least do this much to people who helped the elves in the Great Adrowon Forest. But Ms. L, would I be able to get a bit more help from you?¡±

    ¡°What kind of help?¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ve decided to move the Lake¡¯s Tear back to Mentis again.¡±

    Zich added, ¡°It must be because of the fire tree.¡±

    Romanne agreed with Zich¡¯s words. ¡°Yes. The in Tribe King made the official suggestion. By moving the Lake¡¯s Tear to Mentis, we can suppress the fire tree in case it goes berserk.¡±

    The King of the in Tribe, who was themander of the allied forces, stated that the fire tree was at the highest danger level. Therefore, he made the suggestion to the other kings to move the Lake¡¯s Tear to Mentis, and the kings agreed.

 Chapter 221

    <h4>Chapter 221</h4>

    After finishing their meal, Zich and L followed Romanne. She took the two and guided them down to the first floor where an entrance leading to the basement was. Zich looked at the stone floor that had been sloppily paved leading to the basement entrance and asked, ¡°I thought this as soon as I saw it, but was this ce blocked before?¡±

    ¡°Yes, it was blocked without a trace. They tried to make it seem like this ce had never existed in the first ce by making it unnoticeable. Thus, the other tribes even forgot about it¡ªof course, except for the people who should¡¯ve forgotten it.¡± As if she thought of Renu in herst statement, Romanne talked disgruntledly.

    ¡°Now that you mention it, what did you all decide to do with the Iron Tribe?¡±

    ¡°We are still discussing that matter. Since they lost their king, all their elders, and their main force, they arepletely powerless, but they still have many elves left in their n.¡±

    ¡°I suppose it would be a difficult problem to deal with.¡±

    ¡°Yes, we can no longer treat them as friendly neighbors like before, but we can¡¯t kill all of them either.¡± Surprisingly, Romanne wasn¡¯t particrly worried about this issue and also muttered, ¡°But my son and the other kings will probably take care of that matter by themselves. They are kings for that reason anyway.¡±

    As the giant storm of war passed by, Romanne was no longer interested in politics. She was only concerned about carrying out her role as a shaman faithfully. The three went down to the basement that wasn¡¯t different from before; the only difference now was that instead of the Iron Tribe, the allied forces protected it. The door to the tree of fire was tightly shut, and they currently only knew of two keys that could open it. However, one of the two keys, Renu¡¯s key, had disappeared in the fire (Zich confirmed this from Renu¡¯s corpse that they had retrieved). Thus, there was only Zich¡¯s Windur now.

    Romanne took out the Lake¡¯s Tear. The jewel looked mysterious and enchanting as usual, and Romanne walked towards the center of the basement while carrying it. There was an altar made out of stone there. Romanne squinted her eyes slightly, and Zich understood how she felt.

    ¡®It¡¯s this ce of all ces.¡¯

    The altar was at a ce where the gruesome ritual to take her blood had taken ce. However, Romanne was the type of person who didn¡¯t let her personal feelings interfere with her work. Then, she called L to her side.

    ¡°Are you going to ce the Lake¡¯s Tear here?¡± L asked.

    ¡°Yes,¡± Romanne answered.

    L inspected the altar and saw that there were several unique-looking symbols engraved onto it. Her eyes searched the lines that made up the shapes.

    ¡°It¡¯s a structure that brings out the mana of the Lake¡¯s Tear. But what is this? It¡¯s a pretty unusual pattern.¡±

    ¡°Ah, to humans, it might appear that way. However, it¡¯s a magic circle that we elves use often. Its abilities include¡­¡±

    Zich stopped listening to their conversation. Even after all his experiences, it was still difficult for Zich to understand the conversation between high-level mages. He blocked the room where the tree of fire was and moved towards the wall. The wall still had a big crack where the key could be ced.

    ¡°Lady shaman.¡±

    ¡°What is it?¡± Romanne had been eagerly exchanging opinions with L before she turned to Zich.

    ¡°Can I try opening this door?¡±

    When the Iron Tribe was in charge of this ce, Zich didn''t need permission to open it; but now that the allied forces were in charge, he could no longer open the door however he liked.

    ¡°Go ahead. After all, I was going to ask you to do that anyway.¡±

    ¡°I suppose it¡¯s because you want to check if the power of the Lake¡¯s Tear can repress the tree of fire.¡±

    ¡°Yes, I like how I don¡¯t have to exin each and every little thing to you, Sir Zich.¡±

    ¡°It would never happen with my rotten personality, but if I be somebody¡¯s underling, I am confident that I would be able to fantastically meet their whims and expectations.¡±

    Romanne thought Zich¡¯s words were hrious as sheughed out loud. Inparison, L simply shook her head; she couldn¡¯t even imagine the thought of Zich bing someone¡¯s underling or disciple.

    ¡°Then, I will open it now,¡± Zich said and ced Windur into the crack.

    nk! They heard something click in ce across the wall. Zich turned Windur. The bricks that made up the wall were pushed back, and the tree of fire appeared in view.

    ¡°It¡¯s a splendid looking tree no matter how many times I see it.¡± L moved next to Zich and stared at the tree of fire.

    The tree looked the same as before. Instead of green leaves, fiery leaves fluttered on the tree branches and mes moved around the tree trunk. Romanne walked towards Zich and L.

    ¡°Fortunately, the only one who can now open this wall is Mr. Zich, so I feel much more relieved. However, I can¡¯tpletely drop my guard.¡±

    ¡°We can¡¯t be certain that there are no other keys.¡± Honestly, Zich was very surprised when Renu had another key to open this wall.

    ¡°Yes, and the owner of the key might also be like Renu and want to use this power for themselves. The reason why the Iron Tribe couldn¡¯t get rid of their desire to rule over everyone was because of the power of this tree,¡± Romanne said bitterly.

    Even though Renu and the Iron Tribe began a war to rule over all the tribes, they used to be a neighboring tribe. Zich stared at the tree of fire.

    ¡®In the end, I didn¡¯t figure out exactly why he betrayed the robed figures and began the war by himself.¡¯

    Even when Zich acted as a robed figure, he took the attitude of, ¡®Regardless of the reason why you betrayed us, you will have to suffer the consequences. But we will work together for now,¡¯ so he was unable to ask Renu directly about it.

    ¡®Before I regressed, rumors about this tree didn¡¯t spread around the world, so Renu probably won with the help of the robed figures. Thus, the Iron Tribe didn¡¯t use this tree in the past timeline.¡¯

    The Iron Tribe had known the location of the tree of fire, how to reach the tree, and the way to use the tree throughout history. Zich thought that was probably the same before he regressed as well.

    ¡®There must be a specific reason for it. The reason why there is a difference between this timeline and the past timeline.¡¯

    However, Renu was dead and the tree of fire quietly zed. Zich thought of his sword, Windur. Zich had named it after a famous tree from an ancient empire in mythology. When he named it during that time, he hadn¡¯t thought much about it. He just named it Windur because the sword looked very special and it looked like tree branches. However, after going through various experiences, Zich¡¯s thoughts changed a bit.

    ¡®The ancient empire and the tree.¡¯ He knew about an ancient empire named Clowon, and he also saw a special-looking tree rted to Clowon in an ancient ruin. ¡®This sword might really have a deep connection to its name.¡¯

    Zich tightly clutched Windur¡¯s grip.

    * * *

    L helped Romane set up the Lake¡¯s Tear, and they were able to sessfully transfer the Lake¡¯s Tear to Mentis. As the Lake¡¯s Tear filled up the castle, the mes of the tree of fire visibly shrunk down. Romanne was d as she sighed in relief. The wall closed and Zich and hispanions quietly watched the tree of fire disappear from view.

    Like this, what Zich and L needed to do was over. After finishing a short conversation with Romanne, they went back to locking themselves in the library. After searching for letters simr to the ones on the tablette into the night, they went back to their lodging. The rooms where Zich and hispanions were assigned to were in the castle. Since they made the most contributions in this war, the allied forces assigned them the best rooms in the castle.

    Fixing the nket to go to sleep, Zich turned his head back at the sound of the door knocking.

    ¡°Come in.¡±

    The person who entered was L. Zich chuckled andid down on his bed. ¡°What¡¯s the matter? Have youe to me in the middle of the night to tempt me? I¡¯m not such an easy guy though.¡±

    ¡°Shut up and sit here.¡± L sat in a chair in the room and pointed at a seat across from her. Zich obediently sat down. ¡°There¡¯s something I want to hear.¡±

    ¡°About what?¡±

    ¡°The reason why you suddenly decided to live a kind life.¡±

    ¡°Hmm.¡± Zich folded his arms and stared at L.

    ¡°Honestly, I didn¡¯t ask because I thought I could no longer use that reason to persuade you, but if I want to try to find a reason for you to not change into a Demon Lord, I thought it would be better for me to know what that is.¡±

    ¡°Wow, you¡¯re thinking about this seriously.¡±

    ¡°Just think about what will happen if you be the Demon Lord and the amount of damage it will cause. Truthfully, I think finding this reason is the same as me saving the world.¡±

    ¡°Thedy in front of me was the true hero all along,¡± Zichughed.

    ¡°So can you tell me?¡±

    Zich fell into thought for a bit, but he did not take long. ¡°Well, it¡¯s not hard for me to tell you, especially if it¡¯s you.¡±

    ¡°Especially if it¡¯s me?¡±

    ¡°Because you have knowledge about the future.¡±

    ¡°¡­Your reason to live a kind life is rted to the future?¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡±

    L squinted her eyes. The reason was probably much more troublesome than she predicted.

    ¡°You know that the memory I have is from my Demon Lord days, right?¡± Zich hadn¡¯t yet told L that he was a regressor and let her think that he also had memories of the future.

    ¡°Yeah, I know. Personally, I think the reason why your personality is so simr to Zich Moore is because of your memories as a Demon Lord.¡±

    ¡°The end of my memory ends with me dying in Glen Zenard¡¯s hands.¡±

    ¡°¡­Yeah.¡± L was not very surprised. The story of Demon Lords getting defeated by a hero was a topic that frequently appeared in children¡¯s stories. However, L thought it would be ufortable for Zich to talk about his death, so she was cautious about agreeing to his words.

    ¡°At that time, before Glen Zenard made hisst strike, he told me that if I¡¯m born again, I should live a kind life.¡±

    ¡°Is that the reason why you are doing kind acts¡­!¡±

    ¡°Those words left a deep impression on me.¡±

    L¡¯s mouth was wide open. L always thought that it was very interesting that Zich was trying to do kind acts (despite the sometimes awful methods) considering his bad personality. She was even more surprised to find out that the reason why he did kind acts was because of Glen Zenard¡¯s words in the future.

    ¡°Well, I was the Demon Lord of Strength, so when the Hero Party defeated me, I felt a certain degree of admiration for them regardless of their superior numbers. Glen¡¯s words were the reason why I was motivated to do kind acts. I did use my own interpretation though.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s what happened...¡± Lplimented Glen Zenard inside her mind. Regardless of their current situation, Glen Zenard¡¯s words had worked well to suppress Zich from changing into a Demon Lord.

    ¡®No wonder he is called a hero.¡¯ However, L had to correct her assessment of Glen Zenard because of Zich¡¯s next words.

    ¡°But I¡¯m getting suspicious of Glen Zenard.¡±

    ¡°Suspicious?¡±

    Zich told L some of his conjectures and predictions. The more L listened to his words, the more visible was the shock on her face.

    ¡°W-wait! Then you are saying¡­!¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡± Zich made a chilling smile. ¡°Glen Zenard. That guy might not be the hero we knew. He might be a hypocrite, and a piece of trash beyond what we ever imagined.¡±

 Chapter 222

    <h4>Chapter 222</h4>

    ¡°What do you mean that he is a hypocrite¡­?¡± Her voice trembled a bit. She had always thought of Glen Zenard as a hero and she never imagined that he could have another side to him.

    ¡°Wait! Then, the time when you asked me if I knew another future for Glen Zenard¡­¡±

    ¡°I wanted to check if there was a future where Zenard¡¯s hypocritical fa?ade is revealed.¡±

    L gulped. If what Zich said was the truth, that meant the whole world was tricked by a hypocrite in the future.

    ¡°If my guesses are right, Glen Zenard is the one who created a bunch of Demon People and brought chaos into this world. Therefore, why should I listen to that guy¡¯s words?¡±

    L couldn¡¯t answer him.

    ¡°No, well, that¡¯s fine up to that point. You might not be all right with it, but I have no reason to get upset that another guy is tricking the world. After all, I am someone who became the Demon Lord. What I am concerned about is that there¡¯s a possibility he made the Demon Lord of Strength Zich Moore.¡± Zich smiled faintly. At his expression, L felt chills down her back.

    ¡°I am not kind enough to forgive a bastard who yed around with my life.¡±

    L gulped again. The situation was more serious than she expected it to be.

    ¡®Zich never acted on a grudge before,¡¯ she thought. From what she recalled in her memories full of holes, Demon Lord Zich Moore was that kind of person. Of course, like his title suggested, he scattered blood and flesh everywhere in his path, his personality was nasty, and he was cruel to the core. As much as he enjoyed screwing people over, he also never showed mercy to his opponents.

    However, Zich Moore¡¯s sole motivation was his search for strength. All his evil deeds or conflicts with individuals or groups had also been the result of his pursuit for power. There were times when he got himself involved in petty squabbles, but they were brief and far from his usual behaviors.

    ¡®If Zich acts out to relieve his grudge¡­¡¯ Even if she thought optimistically, L could only think of worse scenarios than the time when Zich was Zich Moore. If Zich began to act to aplish his goal, he didn¡¯t seem like the type to specifically pick out the person he had a grudge against to avoid causing harm to others.

    ¡®I really have to find another reason for Zich to live kindly!¡± The urgency L felt grewrger.

    * * *

    An ind appeared in view. The ind was created by volcanic activity under the ocean and was still active. In the center of the ind, a caldera on a mountain top overflowed with crimsonva. When the volcanic activity became rougher, theva shot up high into the air and scattered its existence elsewhere; every time it did this, volcanic ashes dispersed above and covered the surroundings.

    Due to the ind¡¯s harsh environment, there were almost no signs of life. The only living beings on the ind seemed to be the grass that lightly nketed the ind and the sea birds soaring in the skies. Not even sailors stopped by this ind since it was far away fromnd and had no drinking water. Yet, in such a ce, one could detect a human presence.

    Halfway up the mountain, there was an entrance where a person could barely fit through that led to a cave. It appeared to be naturally made with its circr structure that nted downhill. All things considered, it wasn¡¯t a human-friendly cave.

    If a person walked deep into the cave and continued downward, they would be surprised to see and smell artificial scents, a smooth passageway, and even stairs. Moreover, if they continued further, they would arrive in front of arge door. The ce looked like a base for a secret organization that plotted evil schemes.

    Beyond that door, there was a group of people. They were in an area lit by many candles and torches on the floor and walls since sunlight didn¡¯t reach the ce. Most of the people in the room were cloaked with robes heavily pressing down upon them.

    If Zich had seen this ce, he would have been ecstatic. He would have been overjoyed to find one of the robed figures¡¯ hideouts and swung Windur around. Fortunately for the robed figures, Zich wasn¡¯t there. There were also those who did not wear robes. There was also a man who appeared to be themander of the robed figures. Like he was their king, he sat on a gigantic chair.

    The ce wasn¡¯t fancy enough to be considered the king¡¯s residence. Instead, it looked dreary and unrefined, and the rand chair looked tasteless as it distorted the bnce between its surroundings. However, the man didn¡¯t seem to be concerned about that.

    ¡°Did you find out the root cause?¡± the man asked with dismay. It was clear that he was dissatisfied with something. The robed figures hung their heads low and didn¡¯t answer.

    ¡°This is the second time now.¡± The displeasure in his voice deepened, and the lips of the robed figures with him dropped even lower. The man gritted his teeth, but he didn¡¯t rebuke them anymore. His chilly eyes scanned the robed figures. ¡°¡­Find the Core at all costs. There could be a hint to that woman¡¯s memories.¡±

    ¡°Yes, sir!¡± the robed figures answered in union and shot out of the area in an instant. Like everyone else, they didn¡¯t want to linger around their displeased superior. After his subordinates left, the man slouched down on his chair and sighed.

    ¡®Nothing is going my way.¡¯ He pressed his temples with his fingers and pondered for a moment. Then, he got up from the chair. The ce he was in was considerablyrge. There wasn¡¯t a single pir to support the ceiling so it was iprehensible as to why it didn¡¯t copse.

    However, what was more surprising than that was the condition of the space. The cave wasn¡¯t naturally made. Its walls and floors were smooth like they had been carefully carved, and there were various ineffable devices. Moreover, strange signs were drawn all over the walls, floors, ceilings with no exception, and they glowed strangely. The man stood up from his seat.

    He moved step by step into a corner, and his feet stopped in front of some kind of device. The big, container-like object was big enough for a person. It was surrounded by a transparent wall, so one could see what was inside. Right now, there was a crack in the transparent wall¡ªas if something trapped inside was trying to escape.

    The man staring hard at the container began moving his feet again. Even though the Core who escaped was also a problem, there was another thing that hurt his head. Unlike the carefully crafted space, one side of the wall waspletely open as if the wall had crumbled down. The man passed through the hole in the wall and stopped after a couple of steps.

    As the man entered a new area, he was able to witness an amazing sight. Bright redva dripped down the walls. Theva collected on the bottom of the floor and made a giantke ofva. Even from a distance, the blistering heat from theva clearly indicated how hot it was. However, the most surprising thing about this area was not theke made out ofva. There was a giant ind in the middle of thiske. Thevake flowed around the ind as if it was guarding the ind, and one tree stood in the middle.

    Even though the tree had rooted itself in ake made out ofva, other than that, it looked like any other tree with its brown bark and green leaves. The only surprising thing about it was how enormous it was.

    The distance between the man andvake was, if one exaggerated a bit, about the distance between the top of a mountain and its base. However, the tree rooted in theke ofva reached all the way to where the man was.

    However, if one looked closely, there was something awkward-looking about the tree. The branches that stuck out from its body were not organic. As if someone had cut parts of the tree, there wererge gaps in it.

    The man looked at the tree, as if he was trying to decipher the tree¡¯s intentions with just his eyes. However, the tree was unable to move or make an expression; it just quietly existed. The man shook his head as he recalled an event that happened a couple of days ago. The quietly existing tree suddenly began shaking. The vibration was so big that it would not have been surprising for the volcanoes on this ind to erupt.

    However, this didn¡¯t happen as the vibrations did not spread outside theke ofva. His subordinates that were outside also couldn¡¯t feel any vibrations. When the tree shook for the first time, the man was shocked; but that was not thest time the tree shook. A few days ago, the same vibrations happened once again.

    The man ordered his subordinates to find the reason why the tree shook, but he didn¡¯t expect them to find the answer. As expected, his subordinates were unable to find out the reason why the tree kept shaking. In the first ce, the man and his subordinates did not know the principles and structure of how the ¡®system¡¯ worked. They were just using its powers.

    The man looked back at the cracked container again and after letting out a sigh, moved his gaze back to the tree. The man said the tree¡¯s name out loud.

    ¡°Windur.¡±

    All he knew about the tree was its name. He and his subordinates had tried to research a bit about the tree, but they were unable to find anything. Moreover, they were worried that they might identally damage the ¡®system,¡¯ so they were hesitant about thoroughly researching it. However, it was clear that this tree had arge influence on the system. For that reason, the man had reacted hysterically when the tree was in a strange state.

    He stared at the tree and slightly murmured, ¡°During my time, something like this never happened.¡±

    * * *

    Zich had a dream. While dreaming, Zich knew he was dreaming a lucid dream. However, as soon as he realized the contents of his dream, he was frustrated and immediately wanted to get out of this dream.

    ¡°You¡¯ve all worked hard today as well.¡± A man made a kind smile towards hispanions. It was himself.

    ¡®No, it¡¯s not me.¡¯ Zich quickly shook his head. It was him but not really him. That person was Zich Brave. As L said, Zich Brave was the hero in one of Zich¡¯s possible futures. He wanted to immediately wake up, but this dream didn¡¯t stop. He tried to wave his arms around, let out screams, and even kicked around, but his dream relentlessly continued on. In the end, all Zich could do was fold his arms and watch the progression of his dream with a sour expression.

    Zich Brave was still kind. Shivers ran through Zich as he watched Zich Brave¡¯s kind and thoughtful actions. Zich¡¯s body trembled and spat out saliva. ¡®That damned bastard. Pretending to be kind.¡¯

    Even though Zich didn¡¯t care if anyone pretended to be kind, it was different for Brave. While watching Brave who had the same face as him let out horrifyingly caring words, Zich felt a greater bloodlust than he did towards Glen Zenard. Zich felt that nothing would feel more refreshing than to cut off Brave¡¯s neck.

    Brave and hispanions talked about various topics, and they made small talk. However, after Leona received a message from a bird, the atmospherepletely changed.

    The old mage asked Leona, ¡°What is it? What is written on there that you¡¯re making such a serious expression?¡±

    Even though the old mage and Leona constantly fought, they didn¡¯t really hate each other. When Leona¡¯s expression became stiff, he became worried about her.

    ¡°¡­The Demon Lord has started moving again.¡±

    At Leona¡¯s words, all of their faces stiffened.

 Chapter 223

    <h4>Chapter 223</h4>

    ¡®The Demon Lord?¡¯ Zich, who had been listening to Brave and hispanion¡¯s conversation with a scowl on his face, looked curious for the first time. ¡®Now that I think about it, they said Zich Brave was a hero.¡¯

    People wouldn¡¯t call Brave a hero just because he held Estede and had some skills. Even for Glen Zenard, people only started calling him a hero after he defeated many Demon People and officially dered that he was going after the Demon Lord.

    ¡®That means there was a threatening existence to the humans that allowed him to gain his hero title.¡¯ He wasn¡¯t certain whether or not this dream had any meaning, but since L remembered Zich Brave as a hero, Zich¡¯s guess seemed convincing. ¡®Then who is it?¡±

    Since it was a future where the Demon Lord of Strength, Zich Moore became Zich Brave, it was definitely not himself.

    ¡®Are there other Demon Lords?¡¯ If he thought about his pre-regression days, it seemed likely; but he couldn¡¯t reach a conclusion so early. ¡®Since it¡¯s a crazy world where I¡¯m called a hero, apletely different future could unfold.¡¯

    For all he knew, Saint Aine Lube could be secretly reigning as the Demon Lord in this world. ¡®¡­But that¡¯s also terrifying in its own way.¡¯ Zich shook his head and craned his ears toward Brave and hispanions¡¯ conversation again.

    Zich Brave asked, ¡°Where did the Demon Lord go?¡±

    ¡°Shootuol.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a big city.¡±

    Then, the huge person asked while drooling, ¡°What did you say happened?¡±

    ¡°The city has fallen under the Demon Lord.¡±

    ¡°¡­There must have been a lot of damage.¡±

    ¡°It says that the city has been wiped out.¡± At Leona¡¯s words, everyone closed their mouths simultaneously. The annihtion of a big city¡ªit sounded terrible no matter how Zich interpreted it.

    ¡°¡­How many died¡ªno, how many are alive?¡± the mage asked. If the Demon Lord had caused the city¡¯s destruction, it would be faster counting those alive rather than those who died.

    ¡°The report doesn¡¯t mention it.¡±

    ¡°Barely anyone must be alive or no one at all. There are only those two oues.¡± At the mage¡¯s words, everyone fell silent again.

    ¡°¡­I can¡¯t forgive the Demon Lord!¡± Lube shouted. An unfamiliar look of rage appeared on her usually kind and pure face that only sought to help others.

    ¡°Shootuol was a very peaceful city! Its citizens were friendly and even the mayor was kind! It was a city that had great faith in our god Karuna too! But it¡­! It¡­!¡± In the end, Lube couldn¡¯t finish her words and her head hung down. Tears quietly fell down her face and soaked the ground. Leona patted her back.

    ¡°Aine is right,¡± Zich Brave said. All hispanions looked at him. Zich¡¯s voice didn¡¯t sound as furious as Lube¡¯s, but nobody thought he was calm. At times, a quiet rage was scarier than loud ones.

    ¡°I¡¯m sure there were also some bad and unforgivable people in the city too. Besides them, I¡¯m also sure that many more people carried on each day, did their best, worked quietly, and lived kind lives!¡±

    Zich Brave pumped his fist and dered, ¡°There was no reason for them to die in this manner!¡±

    ¡®Wow, is that really me?¡¯ Zich scratched his arm all over. ¡®Ah, please! When is this nightmare going to end?¡¯ This dream was more terrifying than anything to Zich. He almost felt like fear was rising below his heart.

    Zich Brave looked towards Leona. ¡°Did you say that the Demon Lord is still in Shootuol?¡±

    ¡°No, the report says that she left.¡±

    ¡°Do they know where she went?¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s no information about that.¡±

    Zich pondered for a moment. ¡°Let¡¯s go to Shootuol for now and search ces where the Demon Lord could¡¯ve gone. We can try to gather as much information about her as we can.¡±

    Everyone nodded. This was the decision their leader Zich Brave had made and there was no reason for them to disagree with him.

    ¡°Then, should we organize everything we know about the Demon Lord so far?¡± the mage suggested.

    However, the huge manined, ¡°¡­But we know almost nothing about the Demon Lord.¡±

    ¡°Well, that¡¯s true. No matter how trivial the information is, it¡¯s better if we keep repeating what we know. That way, it will stick in our heads better, and when we find new information rted to it, we will be able to connect them easier.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s true.¡± The huge man nodded.

    ¡°Then, I will go first,¡± the mage said.

    ¡°Like you all know, the Demon Lord has incredible magic abilities. She has an enormous amount of mana, and all her magic skills are astounding. She can perform silent incantation and double incantation with no problem, and even when she casts a silent incantation, the power of the spell is incredible. It goes without saying how powerful her spells can be if she actually says them out loud.¡±

    After the mage, Leona added, ¡°Furthermore, she can control monsters. Her military power is formidable, and the number of soldiers at her disposal is truly overwhelming. Some of the fortresses that were known to be imprable have fallen under the Demon Lord.¡±

    Then, the huge man added, ¡°She looks no different from a human. She appears to be a woman, but that¡¯s simply her outer appearance. It¡¯s suspicious whether or not she is a human.¡±

    Finally, Lube said, ¡°She doesn¡¯t look human but is extremely beautiful. People tell me that I¡¯m beautiful all the time, but the Demon Lord¡¯s beauty surpasses mine.¡± In a way, it sounded like she wasplimenting the Demon Lord¡¯s appearance, but her chilly aura indicated that she was simply describing the Demon Lord¡¯s characteristics.

    Zich Brave nodded. This information wasn¡¯t different from anything he already knew.

    ¡°You all know well. Please keep this information in mind, and when you find something that seems to align with the information we already have, let¡¯s take a closer look at it.¡±

    Everyone in the group nodded.

    ¡°Then, let¡¯s sleep now since we have to wake up early and go to Shootuol.¡±

    At those words, everyone except for the huge man who was on night duty went to bed. Then Zich¡¯s vision became distorted.

    * * *

    Blink! Zich opened his eyes. He raised his upper body and looked around his surroundings. He saw a neatly organized room, which meant he was in one of therge rooms assigned to him in the castle. Nothing had changed since hest fell asleep. Zich turned his head around and looked out at the window. The darkness had not fully withdrawn, but Zich could see the sunlight¡¯s force gaining strength from behind the mountain.

    Thud! Zichid down on his bed again. Then he began thinking about his dream. ¡®¡­Wish it was some kind of nonsensical dream.¡¯

    However, Zich was skeptical that his dreams were just nonsensical. If his dreams were just dreams, he could just spit on the ground and swear, ¡®That nightmarish Brave bastard!¡¯ and end this matter. But if his dream showed one of his possible futures, he couldn¡¯t just do that.

    ¡®A Demon Lord.¡¯ Zich thought back to the Demon Lord that Brave and hispanions were talking about.

    ¡®First, the Demon Lord that Brave¡¯spanions were talking about is not any of the Demon Lords I know.¡¯ The Demon Lord they were talking about sounded simr to the Demon Lord of Mana, but he was not a woman and he was definitely not beautiful. However, it wasn¡¯t as if no one came to mind¡ªno, there was someone who fit the description too well.

    He thought of a very talented magician who could freely use double incantation and silent incantation and bring out significant power from them; and when using standard incantation, someone who could bring out astounding spell power. Moreover, she was a woman and a beauty that could possibly surpass Lube.

    ¡®That¡¯s L.¡¯ It almost seemed as if they said these statements while looking at L.

    ¡®If L really was the Demon Lord while I was Brave¡­¡¯ Lines formed on Zich¡¯s forehead. ¡®Is she perhaps tricking me?¡¯

    However, this seemed to have a low probability. L¡¯s actions were the definition of a country bumpkin with only knowledge and no experience. Moreover, her abilities were not to the extent where she would be called a Demon Lord. Of course, with more time, she would probably reach the level of a Demon Lord like Zich.

    ¡®Or did she lose her memories as a Demon Lord?¡¯ Zich thought of various scenarios but obviously, there was no clear answer. ¡®My dream could¡¯ve also just been a nonsensical dream.¡¯

    However, it was true that there was something iffy about his dreams. ¡®I should pay a bit more attention to L.¡¯

    But Zich imagined if she really was a Demon Lord. ¡®If she was a Demon Lord¡­¡¯ Zich recalled her face as she tried her hardest to deter Zich away from being a Demon Lord¡ªhow could a person like that be a Demon Lord?

    ¡®First, Hans and Snoc would definitely treat her like their enemy.¡¯ Moreover, they would also feel very hurt, almost to the same extent if Zich became a Demon Lord.

    ¡®I¡­probably won¡¯t be able to get along with her either.¡¯ If Zich prioritized doing kind acts like before, he would definitely run into a conflict with L. The co-existence of Zich performing kind acts and a Demon Lord was impossible.

    ¡®It would also be the same if I walk the path of a Demon Lord.¡¯ Before he regressed, Zich had never gotten along with the other Demon Lords. Instead, he frequently fought with them. Thinking back to his past, there was a much higher probability that he would¡¯ve fought with Demon Lord L than get along well with her like now.

    ¡®No matter how I look at it, we¡¯ll end up fighting each other.¡¯ Zich¡¯s gaze rested outside the window.

    ¡®¡­This is really surprising.¡¯ Zich carefully assessed the emotion he was feeling right now. ¡®It¡¯s bitterness. It¡¯s definitely bitterness.¡¯

    Zich felt bitter while thinking that he might have to fight L. ¡®Is it because the situation is different from before?¡¯

    If he chose to be a Demon Lord, he would be an enemy of L, Hans, and Snoc; however, this included Zich¡¯s will somewhat. However, if L became a Demon Lord, there was a high possibility that they might be enemies regardless of Zich¡¯s will. Zich thought this was probably the reason why he felt this way. After realizing this, Zich smirked.

    ¡®I thought I was doing only kind acts because of what Glen Zenard said, but it seems like I'' also definitely changed.¡¯ Right now, Zich was definitely a different person from the Zich Moore of his past. Zich got up from his bed. ¡®Well, fine.¡¯

    Zich walked to the window. The light from behind the mountain was getting stronger, and the sun seemed as if it was going to start bursting forth. ¡®Whether that¡¯s a real future or not, it doesn¡¯t matter. In the first ce, it¡¯s already impossible for us to reach that future.¡¯

    So many things had already changed. Even if Zich or L decided to walk the path of bing a Demon Lord, they would definitely not be the same as they were in the possible futures. ¡®No one knows what will happen to me, L, Hans, Snoc, and Glen Zenard.¡¯ Knowing the future was impossible for even the Demon Lord of Strength, Zich Moore.

    ¡®I will choose my own path.¡¯ Whether the end of his journey would be honor or destruction, it was important to Zich that this was the result of his choice.

    ¡®Whether I push away my emotions or be a hero or a Demon Lord, whether I be an enemy of mypanions or stay as theirpanions¡ªwhat matters is that I chose my own path.¡¯ Like this, Zich¡¯s choice and the choice of others would intertwine and create a new future, and no one knew what this new future would bring.

    ¡®Let¡¯s not pay too much attention to the idea that L might be a Demon Lord. I should pay a bit more attention to L, but nothing more. However, he needed to find more specific information. Not worrying too much and fully letting things go werepletely different matters. Before Zich knew it, the sun had passed over the mountain top and scattered its brilliant rays all over the earth. Zich stared at the sun for a bit and then turned his body around.

    Creak!

    Thud!

    The door closed behind Zich, and only the bright lighting through the window was left.

 Chapter 224

    <h4>Chapter 224</h4>

    At the library, Zich and hispanions looked for any books concerning the ancient city for a while. Not long afterward, help from the allied forces arrived. L handed them papers with inscriptions and asked them to find simr letters. There was a considerable number of elves, and they searched between books while carrying the papers. For those who didn¡¯t have the papers, the elves made their own copies and handed them out.

    The project progressed incredibly quickly, but not everything went smoothly.

    Crumble!

    Zich scowled and stared at the remains of the crumbled book in his hands. His grip hadn¡¯t even been that strong. All he did was lightly grab it, but the book immediately disintegrated into tiny pieces like a dried-out leaf. Even if the library was well-maintained, it seemed like the power of age and long years nullified everything.

    ¡°Tch!¡± Zich clicked his tongue and threw his book in a nearby trash can. Inside the trash can, there were already piles of books in unrecognizable states. Then, Zich returned to his original position and took out another book. Thankfully, this book was in better conditionpared to thest one. Although it looked like it would crumble like thest book if he handled it roughly, it didn¡¯t seem like it would fall apart as soon as he grabbed it.

    Zich opened the book and glossed over its letters. He thought, ¡®This one doesn¡¯t seem like it.¡¯ The shape of the letters looked different from the L¡¯s inscriptions. Zich ced the book by his side and picked up another book.

    ¡°Ah, you were here?¡± He looked over the wall of books. Between the gaps of books that covered his view, he saw bright pupils and shaking hair. It was L. As he was looking for books, it seemed that he had reached the ce where L was searching. Zich stared at L and thought, ¡®So even she could be the Demon Lord...¡¯

    It was unbelievable how L, who hated the thought of Zich bing a Demon Lord, could be a Demon Lord candidate¡ªespecially one who opposed Zich when he used to swing around Estede as a hero.

    ¡°¡­What are you staring at me for?¡± L asked when she noticed Zich¡¯s gaze.

    ¡°¡­Do you perhaps have any frustrations about the world?¡±

    ¡°What?¡± The book in her hands slipped down, but she caught the book and red at Zich.

    ¡°Why are you suddenly talking nonsense?¡±

    ¡°Or do you have the mindset that you should use all means necessary to reach your goal?¡±

    ¡°Do you think I¡¯m you?!¡±

    If Zich was close to her, she would have kicked him in the shin. But L simply red at Zich, walked towards a different location, and said, ¡°You should look at another book in case you have a knack for talking nonsense.¡±

    ¡®I can¡¯t believe such a person is the Demon Lord.¡¯ Was it really a meaningless dream?

    ¡®No, like I thought before, it could be a lost memory; and you never know when a person will change.¡¯ For example, who would¡¯ve known that Zich Steelwall could imagine Zich Moore in the future? That was how unpredictable a person¡¯s future was.

    However, Zich didn¡¯t try to dig up more information from L beyond that. He had already organized his thoughts and mind, and he headed towards a different pile to look for books rted to the ancient empire.

    * * *

    A considerable amount of time had passed since they arrived at the Great Adrowon Forest. After the war ended and they searched for books at the library during their stay in Mentis, it became time for Zich and hispanions to leave.

    ¡°I will miss you!¡± With tears in her eyes, Leona hugged Zich and L. L patted her back, and Zich also tapped her shoulders once.

    It was decided that Leona wouldn¡¯t follow the rest of the group. In the first ce, she had only left her family because the Lake¡¯s Tear was stolen. Since the Lake¡¯s Tear was returned to the tribe, there was no reason for her to leave the Great Forest. Of course, Leona also thought that it wouldn¡¯t be a bad idea to continue traveling with Zich and hispanions. However, the title of the shaman¡¯s heir made her hesitate. This was mainly because the shaman position, which had simply overseen the ancestral worship before, had greatly risen in importance ever since the tree of fire was introduced; and the importance of the shaman¡¯s heir position rose ordingly.

    If it was like in the past, Leona would have tried to resist a bit. She wouldn¡¯t have outrightly refused the candidacy, but she would have kept showing her displeasure; after all, as an elf, she was a young girl. However, the experience she underwent in the human world changed her and made her decide to take upon the position as the shaman¡¯s heir. Thus, she couldn¡¯t leave with Zich and hispanions. Leona hugged Hans and Snoc once too and hugged Nowem tightly. Then, she backed away. With a big droplet hanging from her eye, she smiled vibrantly. ¡°Even though we are separating now, I¡¯m sure this won¡¯t be ourst time seeing each other.¡±

    ¡°Of course. I n to use Kalpunar from time to time, so we can see each other then,¡± L responded.

    ¡°Then, whenever youe, you have to see me, all right? Do you promise?¡±

    ¡°Of course!¡± After receiving affirmation from L, Leona stared at Zich. ¡°And you, Zich?¡±

    Leona stared at him with a bit of anxiety, but Zich nodded his head. Thinking back to it, Zich and Leona¡¯s rtionship was very strange. Leona had worked with Glen Zenard to kill him before, but Zich honestly didn¡¯t feel an ounce of grudge towards her for that.

    ¡®Losers have to just keep their mouths shut. Also, I already coborated with Lube before, so why would it be any different for Leona?¡¯

    However, he didn¡¯t have a good image of Leona; the fact that she appeared in his dreams as Brave¡¯spanion was also unpleasant, but that was the extent of his thoughts about her. Moreover, Zich currently recognized her as one of hispanions.

    ¡®It won¡¯t be hard to just meet her when the opportunityes up.¡¯ For that reason, Zich was able to make an easy reply. Of course, L¡¯s intense gaze at Zich to nod also yed a big part.

    Leona loudly said, ¡°Thanks!¡± Then she walked back and moved next to her family.

    Leona¡¯s family quietly watched Leona say her farewells to Zich and hispanions. The Queen hugged Leona and wiped away her tears. Romanne also rubbed Leona¡¯s head. The only ones who were outside were the royals of the Lake Tribe. The other kings had already finished their greetingsst night. This space was for Zich and hispanions and Leona and her family to say goodbye.

    The King took one step forward. ¡°I want to express my gratitude once again for helping us.¡±

    Zich replied, ¡°Your Majesty, you thank us too much. We also gained a lot from this.¡± They were able to gain various pieces of information such as information about the ancient empire and the tree of fire. They definitely reaped a big harvest from this trip.

    ¡°Moreover, you let us take books from Kalpunar.¡± Thanks to Zich and L¡¯s efforts and support from the soldiers sent by the allied forces, they were able to find arge amount of books that had simr letters as the tablet.

    However, they weren¡¯t able to figure out the books¡¯ contents. They also couldn¡¯t transcribe all the books they found; and even if they transcribed all the books, they could make mistakes since they didn¡¯t know the meanings behind the letters. However, they also couldn¡¯t just stay in Mentis all day and try to decode the letters. The elves recognized Zich and L¡¯s dilemma and let Zich and hispanions borrow all the books they found.

    It was a very surprising development. As Leona¡¯s brother said, the books in Kalpunar were treated as treasures by the elves. but the elves easily let Zich and hispanions borrow them for a while. This clearly indicated how much the elves in the Great Adrowon Forest were thankful to Zich and hispanions.

    ¡°If you need anything more,e whenever you want. I¡¯ve already finished talking with the other kings. Even if youe back after destroying all the books you borrowed, we¡¯ll let you borrow more books.

    ¡°Thank you, Your Majesty.¡± Zich and hispanions also finished their greetings with the other members of the royal family. Romanne was also very regretful that they, especially L, were leaving. Romanne and L had gotten close after working with each other to bring out the mana from the Lake¡¯s Tear.

    ¡°If something difficultes up, ask us for help right away. Even if the other tribes refuse, the Lake Tribe will always help you all.¡± Romanne looked at them with kind eyes as if she was looking at her own grandchildren.

    After finishing their farewell greetings, Zich and hispanions left to go their way. Like the first time they came to the Lake Tribe¡¯s capital city, D¡¯niel guided them out of the forest. Thanks to his work in this war, D¡¯niel returned back to his original position as one of the royal guards. However, for just this time, it was decided that D¡¯niel would guide Zich and hispanions to the edge of the Lake Tribe¡¯s boundary. This was an act of goodwill from the Lake Tribe and D¡¯niel also actively volunteered for this position.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± D¡¯niel walked forward and Zich and hispanions followed him from behind. Like this, Zich and hispanions began walking out of the Great Adrowon Forest.

    * * *

    After reaching the Lake Tribe¡¯sst vige, Zich and hispanions also separated from D¡¯niel. Now, the only ones left were themselves.

    ¡°It feels a bit empty.¡± L stole a few nces to her side. The space where Leona used to be was now empty. Even though they hadn¡¯t hung out for long, it seemed as if L had gotten very attached to Leona.

    ¡®It¡¯s understandable for L.¡¯ Since L didn¡¯t have her memories, the people who were close to her could be counted on one hand. L was also somewhat rich in emotions, so it was not surprising that she felt very lonely at seeing Leona¡¯s empty spot.

    ¡®A person like that became a Demon Lord?¡¯ Even though Zich knew that people could change, he couldn¡¯t help but wonder about this.

    After wiping a tear, L asked Zich, ¡°What do you think happened to the Iron Tribe?¡±

    ¡°It seems like the other tribes would be managing them, and they¡¯re going to get payment for the damage they received.¡±

    ¡°I feel bad for ordinary elves. Those elves must have no rtion to Renu or the ruling forces.¡±

    In the far past, ordinary Iron Tribe elves might have pressured and unfairly treated the elves from other tribes, but it was unreasonable to expect the current Iron Tribe elves to pay for the actions of their distant ancestors.

    ¡°If Renu just stayed quiet, they would have continued to enjoy peace. Well, it seems like the other tribes don¡¯t n to do anything harsh againstmon Iron Tribe elves.¡±

    ¡°Well, that¡¯s good news.¡± L felt relieved. ¡°Then where are we going now?¡±

    ¡°Hmm.¡±

    ¡®Should I try going to Shootuol?¡¯

    It was the ce that was mentioned in his dreams and the ce that the Demon Lord, who seemed like L,pletely destroyed.

    ¡®I don¡¯t think it will be a bad idea to try looking around there.¡¯

    However, L shattered Zich¡¯s thought. ¡°Perhaps, if it¡¯s all right, could we go to Sunewick?¡±

    ¡°Sunewick?¡± It was a city that Zich also knew; no, it was an extremely famous city. Hans, who didn¡¯t know much about the world¡¯s cities, and even Snoc knew about Sunewick.

    ¡°I thought that information about Clowon might be in that city. I might also get help tranting the books from Kalpunar as well.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s right.¡± Sunewick was famous for being the center of research and knowledge. However, there was one trait that made it renown all over the world.

    ¡°Out of everything, it¡¯s the ce with the mage¡¯s tower.¡± The mage¡¯s tower was the ¡®holy ground for all mages¡¯ in the world¡ªand that was the nickname that most people used for Sunewick.

 Chapter 225

    <h4>Chapter 225</h4>

    Like Zich mentioned before, Sunewick was a city called the magician¡¯s holynd. Even the magicians who were usually difficult to run into were amon sight in this city. Here, there were people who clearly looked like mages with their robes and staffs, and of course, there were the less obvious-looking ones with no defining characteristics and walking around like normal people.

    However, there was one simrity that united all the magicians in this city: a small brooch that they hung on the left side of their chest. The brooch indicated that the wearer belonged to the magical tower, and a mage wore it at all times no matter what their attires were. To them, it was a symbol of pride as a member of the magical tower.

    Besides Sunewick, there were many ces that nurtured mages. Some countries managed magic training schools or like Sunewick, had a magical tower and ran a whole city as a sorcerers¡¯ training ground. Yet, whenever someone asked where the magical tower city or a magicians¡¯ holynd was, no one answered with anything besides Sunewick. This name was the only answer.

    Disying what the city was reputable for, there was a tall magical tower in the center of the city pointing up as if it would pierce the sky. Even in ces where the city wasn¡¯t very visible, the tower revealed its majestic existence and seemed to embody an indestructible structure that would never fall. The unwavering giant structure was the mages¡¯ pride and honor and the object of all envy, jealousy, and attention among all the mages in the world.

    Naturally, everyone who came to Sunewick for the first time was impressed by the magical tower before they even entered the city.

    ¡°Ohoh!¡±

    ¡°Wow!¡±

    Hans had never left the Count¡¯s residence, and Snoc had basically lived in the mines before travelling with Zich, so they couldn¡¯t help but let out their astonishment.

    ¡°I guess that¡¯s the magical tower!¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s really high!¡±

    Koo! Two people and one beast looked up; their heads were tilted so far back as though they were going to roll off. Nowem stood on top of Snoc¡¯s shoulders, and he almost lost his bnce and toppled over. Thankfully, Nowem had the reflex speed of a mythical beast¡ªhe hung from Snoc¡¯s clothes and swayed to avoid falling to the floor.

    L also looked up the magical tower. Unlike Hans and Snoc simply stared at in awe, her eyes sparkled with curiosity. This ce was the most wizard-friendly city in the world, and she couldn''t help but be delighted to be in it. Although she had known about Sunewick, knowing about the ce and experiencing it firsthand was different. Thus, L was excited to experience everything she could in this city.

    Lastly, Zich also stared up at the tower like the others. However, the emotions he felt while looking at the towerpletely contrasted what the three (four if he included Nowem) felt.

    ¡®How sickening.¡¯ Before his regression when there was an ongoing battle against Demon People, Zich had fought pretty much all big forces at least once; Sunewick was not an exception to this rule. Of course, he fought and struggled against them.

    Mages were slow to attack and weak in closebat. However, they were revered because as long as this weakness was covered, mages were capable of striking a powerful blow against their enemies. Furthermore, there were many ways that they could exponentially increase their power as their numbers increased. For example, they could connect their mana and cast a gigantic spell or use a synergetic effect to increase their power not by 1+1=2 but higher than 2.

    At the immense, whirling magical attacks around him, Zich had almost died. Of course, in the end, he managed to prate this magic storm and annihte the magicians. However, right before he approached the mages, he really felt like he had a one-way ticket to Hell in his hand. Nevertheless, Zich was the final winner.

    ¡®If they had organized themselves better, I would¡¯ve struggled much more.¡¯

    Although mages were able toe up with tactics and strategies well with their superior heads, they were clumsy about ordering soldiers on the battlefield. Thus, Zich had used these weaknesses to his advantage. In the end, Zich shook off these thoughts and pulled the rest of his group away from their infatuation with the magical tower and Sunewick.

    ¡°Regain your senses, guys. You all would be a nuisance if you stand absentmindedly in front of the castle door.¡±

    ¡°¡­You are saying that we would a nuisance?¡± L asked dumbfoundedly.

    ¡°Why? For now, I¡¯m a kind person who doesn¡¯t bother other people. The Karuwimans gave me the title of Honorary Holy Knight in token of that too.¡±

    ¡°Are you seriously saying that you don¡¯t bother other people? If the guys you humiliated, shamed, and killed heard that, they would be floundering around for their severed, decimated, or rotten body parts to stick them back together and rise up again.¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t understand, L,¡± Zich squinted one eye. ¡°Bad guys are supposed to be like a training tool that you can punch, step, spit on, or whatever you want to do with them. Whatever I do to those guys, everyone willpliment me for it. So, how could I be a bother?¡±

    ¡°The guys you defeated wouldn¡¯t think the same way.¡±

    ¡°Those guys don¡¯t have the right to express their opinions since they are bad guys.¡±

    ¡°¡­Do you realize how ridiculous that sounds,ing from you?¡±

    ¡°No, not at all. I¡¯ve thought this since a long time ago. If my previous self heard me right now, he would nod his head and say that I waspletely right.¡±

    ¡°Ah, how you can talk!¡± L shook her head like she couldn¡¯t stand listening to him any longer and walked forward.

    Zichughed jokingly and followed her from behind. Hans and Snoc also moved. Like that, the group officially began to enter Sunewick.

    * * *

    L¡¯s annoyance at Zich¡¯s half-hearted jokes didn¡¯tst long, and she soon wandered around the city eagerly.

    To a mage, this city was the same as the heavens. There were stores selling all kinds of magical ingredients and items, and some ces were selling low-level grimoires. Moreover, since mages were passionate about research and finding knowledge, there were a great many high-quality books. For those reasons, Zich, Hans, and Snoc were unable to even find a lodging ce and were being dragged around by L.

    ¡°Wow, look at that! There was something like that over there?¡± With just these words, L separated from the group and headed towards a shop.

    ¡°¡­They say that an animal that drops off from the group is weak against outside danger.¡±

    However, L right now could probably bite and kill off even the most dangerous predators. Zich and hispanions slowly moved towards where L went, but they kept a certain amount of distance from her. It was so that people could recognize them as L¡¯spanions but just barely.

    ¡°Is this an artifact that lets you shoot out wind arrows?¡±

    ¡°You have a very keen eye, miss. You were able to find its use right away.¡±

    The owner of the shop was a middle aged person with no special characteristics. However, judging by the broach on their left chest that symbolized their connection to the magician¡¯s tower, they probably were selling their inventions to obtain money for their research.

    L held a thin golden te. On the surface, there were manyplicated magic circles with a subtle amount of mana flowing out. ¡°How much is it?¡±

    L was interested in this artifact, and she also had money. She inquired about the price. The magician told her the price, and Hans and Snoc were shocked.

    ¡°I-It¡¯s that expensive?¡±

    ¡°Isn¡¯t that a rip-off?¡±

    Even though they both received a substantial amount of money from Zich, theirmoner instincts were still engraved in them. Moreover, even if they had money, they didn¡¯t have enough time tofortably use it, so they were not used to spending a lot of money.

    ¡°Artifacts are usually around that price.¡± Zich corrected Hans and Snoc¡¯s misconceptions.

    ¡°Since L easily made a bunch of artifacts during our travels, you guys must have not realized it, but artifacts are actually extremely difficult objects to make. It¡¯s an item that top-tier mages make after using a long period of time and attention in a well-equipped workshop with all kinds of rare ingredients. So obviously, even the most trivial artifact is going to be expensive. The price that this mage quoted is not expensive; it would actually be considered really cheap.¡±

    Of course, since this was a business, there were cases where people tried to rip off their customers, but to Zich, this transaction was rtively fair.

    ¡®The seller might be an upright person or they judged that L was not someone they could cheat. There aren¡¯t a lot of people who can figure out an item¡¯s use just by looking at the magic circles.¡¯ Zich thought that thetter was probably right. L happily bought the artifact and returned where Zich, Hans, and Snoc were.

    ¡°You seem to be in a good mood. It must be a great product?¡±

    ¡°No, it¡¯s fucking trash.¡±

    Zich tripped on his feet. Hans and Snoc also stared at L.

    ¡°The magic system and presentation is super old-fashioned and outdated, and the flow of mana moves in all directions, so it¡¯s very inefficient. There¡¯s no power amplification ability on this at all. Obviously, the power, distance, and mana consumption is probably subpar as well. I¡¯m amazed by the person¡¯s bravery to sell trash like this.¡±

    Hans and Snoc both looked at each other. L¡¯s way of talking made them instantly think of one person, and then they naturally looked at the person they were thinking of.

    ¡°¡­Why are you looking at me? It¡¯s not me. It¡¯s not because of me!¡± However, Zich¡¯s denial did not work; even Nowem stared at Zich.

    Annoyed, Zich said, ¡°Damn it, then why did you buy something like that?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s so messed up, I became curious about it instead. Well, should I say, regardless of how lowly it is, isn¡¯t it interesting if trash can move? That¡¯s why I bought it. Rather, things like this might help me more as well.¡±

    ¡°¡­Is that so.¡± Zich looked back. The magician who sold their item to L watched them with a happy expression. The magician noticed Zich¡¯s gaze and greeted Zich with their eyes. Even Zich could not just ignore the magician and greeted them back with his eyes. Then he turned around and looked ahead. He did not look back at the shop again.

    * * *

    ¡°¡­We should start finding a ce for us to stay.¡± Zich brought up this topic to L when the sky started to turn yellow.

    L saw the sky and was surprised; she hadn¡¯t realized that so much time had passed. ¡°Yeah, let¡¯s just look at this stretch of vending carts and go.¡±

    ¡°¡­Normally, shouldn¡¯t people say let¡¯s grab a ce to stay right after I say something like that?¡±

    However, L was already looking at the items at the nearest cart. Zich sighed and counted the number of vending carts in the same stretch as the one L just entered.

    ¡®It¡¯s fortunate that there are not many carts.¡¯

    There were very few people in this ce. While walking all over the city randomly, they reached a deserted street like this. Since there were very few people, there were also few carts. Zich scanned the items over L¡¯s shoulder. Since the carts were in a deserted area, the quality of the items seemed to be lower. Even with Zich¡¯s eyes, the items looked crude.

    ¡®L seemed to be more interested in these items though.¡¯

    However, even L didn¡¯t randomly buy items just because they were of poor quality.

    ¡®She said she had to distinguish between interesting trash and just trash from the gutter.¡¯

    Of course, this was L¡¯s personal standard. L was ncing at the items in different vending carts when she stopped at thest cart. Zich stood behind her while feeling relieved that they could finally grab lodging for them to stay.

    ¡°Wee in.¡± A high-pitched voice greeted them. Zich scanned the items in the cart.

    ¡®What?¡¯ Zich tilted his head. ¡®These don¡¯t seem like artifacts?¡¯

    He didn¡¯t feel any special type of mana that usually came out of artifacts; or were these artifacts able to hide their mana?

    ¡®Then why is this person selling such high-quality artifacts in the streets?¡¯

    Zich stared at the cart¡¯s owner and then his eyes widened. ¡®This person is!¡¯

    He knew who this person was; no, Zich could not forget who this person was. The owner of the vending cart had messy brown hair and was wearing a cheap-looking robe; however, the owner¡¯s green eyes were sparkling in anticipation. Even though the owner didn¡¯t dress up at all, she was a woman that would have been called a beauty by everyone.

    ¡®Elena Dwayne!¡¯

    The magician from Glen Zenard¡¯s Hero Party that defeated him was standing in front of him.

 Chapter 226

    <h4>Chapter 226</h4>

    Zich stared at L. She was fixated on the magic item in front of her that she didn¡¯t seem to notice that the vendor was Elena Dwayne. Zich tapped L¡¯s shoulders, and she turned around. Like she was annoyed that somebody was bothering her while shopping, the corners of eyes were slightly raised. Zich gestured towards Elena with his chin and L finally saw the owner of the cart. At first, she tilted her head like she couldn¡¯t understand what he meant.

    ¡®Does she have no memories of Elena Dwayne?¡¯ Zich thought L remembered Glen Zenard¡¯s party pretty well and wondered if that wasn¡¯t actually the case. Soon, she opened her eyes widely, indicating that she had simply failed to recognize Elena at first.

    ¡°There are many more, so please take a look at them,¡± Elena said. Like she hadn¡¯t had a customer for a long time, she hurriedly took out more items from the innerpartment. Thus, she didn¡¯t notice L looking at her in surprise.

    L carefully took one step backwards. Then, she took Zich and distanced herself from the cart like they were discussing whether or not they would buy the item.

    ¡°She¡¯s who I¡¯m thinking, right?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, it is.¡±

    An iprehensible dialogue passed back and forth between them, but Zich and L had no difficulty in talking without revealing much since they both knew the conversation topic. Furthermore, they had to make sure that no one would catch onto what they were talking about. Even if there were a few people around them, they were in the middle of the streets, which wasn¡¯t an ideal ce to share one¡¯s secrets. Even if Elena couldn¡¯t hear them because of the distance, Hans and Snoc were perfectly capable of hearing their whole conversation.

    Of course, Hans and Snoc didn¡¯t seem to be concerned about their conversation as they looked at the cart¡¯s items curiously; but unless they blocked them physically, ears didn¡¯t operate in a way that they would only pick up what the listener wanted to hear. No matter how much Zich trusted Hans and Snoc as his servants, he couldn¡¯t tell them his and L¡¯s secret.

    ¡°I was surprised.¡±

    ¡°Me too.¡±

    If they thought about it a bit more though, it wasn¡¯t such a strange thing. Elena¡¯s talents and skills had been splendid enough for her to be part of Glen Zenard¡¯s team. If Zich had to rank her abilities as a mage before the regression, there were only two people above her: the Demon Lord of the Magical Tower and L.

    Of course, in terms of powers, L¡¯s powers weren¡¯t on par with the Elena from before the regression yet. However, if he thought how L could recant double incantation and silent incantation withplete ease, her innate potential seemed overwhelmingly greater than Elena¡¯s. This was understandable since Elena honed her skills through many experiences and time.

    ¡®I bet it won¡¯t take long for L to catch up either.¡¯

    She wouldn¡¯t simply catch up¡ªZich didn¡¯t doubt for a moment that she would easily overtake her peers and leave them in the dust.

    ¡°What are you going to do?¡±

    ¡°Who knows?¡± Zich shrugged. ¡°I don¡¯t have much of an opinion.¡±

    Besides, Elena was a different person now and it was her first time meeting them. What could they do?

    ¡°Then why don¡¯t you be better acquainted with her like you did with the others?¡± L said, recalling Lube and Leona. Zich scowled and L smirked. Then, she tapped on his shoulder. ¡°If you¡¯ve made your decision, let¡¯s move. Like you said, there¡¯s no need for us to do something.¡±

    L moved to look at the items on the cart again.

    ¡°Ah!¡± Elena covered her mouth and her eyes moved elsewhere. Like she was extremely surprised, her eyes trembled. ¡°T-That is!¡±

    ¡°¡­Yes?¡± Snoc was taken aback. Her eyes were pointed towards him.

    ¡°That animal on your shoulder!¡±

    ¡°Ah, you mean Nowem?¡± Elena seemed to be interested in Nowem; and since Snoc was quite used to this response now, he wasn¡¯t surprised. Many people noticed Nowem and took an interest in him because of his cute appearance. Snoc ced his hand in front of Nowem.

    Koo!

    Thud!

    Nowem crawled on top of Snoc¡¯s palm.

    ¡°He is my family.¡±

    Koo! Nowem raised his nose joyfully, which made him look even more adorable. However, Elena wasn¡¯t interested in studying Nowem¡¯s cuteness. She pushed her anxious face up close to Nowem.

    Koo? Nowem flinched. As a face much bigger than his body came closer to him while breathing strangely, even Nowem couldn¡¯t help but panic.

    ¡°Is he the mythical beast of the earth?¡± Elena asked.

    Besides Nowem¡¯s contractor Snoc, and Hans, who was next to him, even Zich and L were surprised.

    Koo! Nowem¡¯s body stiffened in surprise. Although they had met many people until now, no one had recognized him as the mythical beast of the earth at first sight except for her.

    ¡°It¡¯s my first time seeing one. I can¡¯t believe that there will be a day where I get to see one!¡±

    It seemed that Nowem¡¯s existence had greatly stirred up her interest as her eyes shone.

    ¡°Could I perhaps dissect this being a bit?¡±

    Koo? Nowem backed off by one step. Then, he carefully moved from Snoc¡¯s palms to his forearm.

    ¡°It¡¯s fine. I won¡¯t hurt you.¡± However, Elena sounded like she was out of her mind at best or a lunatic at worst, and her words held no persuasive power.

    Kooo!

    As Nowem felt fear, he rushed towards Snoc¡¯s arm, crawled over the shoulders, and hid behind Snoc¡¯s back. He hung onto Snoc¡¯s clothes by tightly gripping onto the fabric with his talons and peeked his head above Snoc¡¯s shoulder in high alert against Elena. He didn¡¯t seem to have an inkling of terror as the beast of the earth.

    Elena continued. ¡°Ah, I promise you that I won¡¯t do anything really scary! I won¡¯t¡­!¡±

    Snoc also took a step back, and Nowem dug his head into Snoc¡¯s clothes.

    ¡°Please stop it. I understand that you are curious, but they are getting scared.¡± Their savior was L. Like a hero from the legends, L stood in front of them, and Snoc and Nowem were moved by her defense. Elena also lowered her head concurring with the thought that she had crossed the line.

    ¡°I a-apologize. It was so fascinating that I¡­¡±

    ¡°But you know that you were in the wrong, right?¡±

    There was nothing Elena could say; she lowered her eyes.

    L looked at her and continued, ¡°You also have to stay in line. If someone is going to dissect Nowem and research him, I¡¯m the first one in line.¡±

    ¡°¡­What?¡± Elena dumbly replied back. Nowem and Snoc, who were hit in the back by their trusted ally, froze.

    ¡­Koo!

    Only Nowem¡¯s pitiful cries expressed their despair.

    * * *

    After the smallmotion passed, Elena went back to selling her products as the vending cart owner, and L began picking out items like a normal customer. Snoc and Nowem stood far away from them; Nowem even hid inside Snoc¡¯s clothes, so there was a small bump around Snoc¡¯s chest area. Snoc¡¯s clothes trembled like crazy as Nowem was nowpletely terrified.

    However, the two women who had cornered Snoc and Nowem into shock and horror were only focused on the products on disy. L picked up the nearest item. It was in a simr shape as the artifact L first bought but the effects of this item was worse¡ªno, way worse than the super trash item. Yet, the quality of the material was different.

    ¡°It¡¯s iron.¡± Magic was a funny thing that was extremely particr about its ingredients. The rarer and more expensive the metals were, the better the magic infused into them. If there was a god of magic, L was certain that they loved extravagance.

    With this in mind, there were two reasons why someone would make an artifact out of iron. First, they were so talented that they were no longer bound by the quality of their ingredients to a certain extent, or second, they had no money. For thetter, the abilities of the artifact were so poor that it was basically the same as being nonexistent.

    However, L carefully looked at the item with no prejudice.

    ¡®Hmm?¡¯ L was intrigued.

    She scanned the magic symbols etched on the surface of the iron te. When people thought of magic circles, they normally thought of extremelyplicated lines and shapes intertwining with each other. They were not wrong. When L made artifacts, she also took meticulous care in drawing the magic circles. However, the magic circle on this iron te was different; it wasplicated but not to the extent that people normally thought of when imagining magic circles. However L didn¡¯t belittle Elena at all¡ªshe was actually impressed.

    ¡®This is high quality.¡¯

    Compared to the first golden te she bought that had inefficient magic circles all ovepping each other, this was basically artwork.

    ¡®What is this?¡¯ L felt something rough at the tip of her fingers at the iron te¡¯s back side, and she flipped it over.

    ¡°Wow!¡±

    L admired the magic circles also etched onto the back of the iron te. She kept flipping the iron te back and forth and checked the magic circles on them.

    Zich asked, ¡°Is there something interesting about it?¡±

    ¡°Look at this.¡± L showed Zich the artifact. Hans also showed interest while Snoc didn¡¯t move from his position but leaned his head forward. Nowem climbed on top of Snoc¡¯s head, but the two of them did note within reaching distance of L and Elena.

    ¡°The magic circles at the top and bottom are different, right?¡±

    ¡°Yes miss, that¡¯s true.¡± Hans looked at it with curiosity.

    However, Zich¡¯s reaction was different. Even though his knowledge in magic wascking, even he knew what this was. ¡°It¡¯s a 3-dimensional magic circle.¡±

    ¡°Yep.¡±

    It was a type of magic circle that increased its effectiveness by utilizing the ne and space of the material it was drawn on.

    ¡°Of course, for a 3-dimensional magic circle, it¡¯s nothing really amazing. It¡¯s at a level where I could barely call it that. It¡¯s simple as hell, but it doesn¡¯t change the fact that this is a very impressive artifact.¡±

    Just the title of mage brought great admiration from people; a mage who could draw a 3-dimensional magic circle was considered extremely knowledgeable and skilled with magic.

    Zich stared at Elena; it seemed as if she heard Lplimenting her since Elena¡¯s expressions were very bright. However, her face stiffened at L¡¯s next words.

    ¡°Also, I don¡¯t feel any sort of mana from it at all. She did an amazing job covering the mana in this.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, even I felt that. It¡¯s really an impressive cover up.¡±

    As their conversation continued, Elena¡¯s expression darkened.

    ¡°Judging by the magic circle, it¡¯s a fire artifact. It¡¯s nothing much, but the symbols are drawn very efficiently. Moreover, the fact that the drawing is on an iron te shows how impressive of a mage she is.¡± L really liked the artifact that Elena made.

    Zich was also intrigued. This was the first item that L had showered withpliments; so far, L had given out insults about 95 out of 100 times, and the rest werements about the items being mediocre.

    ¡°How much is this?¡± L immediately asked for the artifact¡¯s price; Elena hesitated a bit before answering.

    L widened her eyes. ¡°What? It¡¯s that cheap?¡± It was not just cheap; this was basically free.

    ¡°Ah, actually¡­¡± Elena was about to carefully continue talking when¡ª

    ¡°Are you going to buy that item?¡±

    The mage selling his products in the cart next to Elena approached them. His cart was at a distance, so he wouldn¡¯t have been able to hear their conversation, but his cart was already neatly cleaned up. It seemed as if it was time for businesses to close.

    The mage clicked his tongue and said, ¡°I understand your curiosity, but there¡¯s no need for you to buy that kind of item.¡± Then he spat out a shocking statement, ¡°What¡¯s the point of buying an item from a low-life who isn¡¯t a mage and can¡¯t even use mana?¡±

 Chapter 227

    <h4>Chapter 227</h4>

    ¡°¡­It¡¯s not an artifact?¡± L blinked. Even she didn¡¯t think the item could be fake.

    The man scowled and stared at Elena. ¡°Are you trying to scam people?¡±

    ¡°No! What kind of person do you think I am? I just lost my chance to speak! I was going to tell her right now!¡±

    The mage still seemed suspicious, and Zich intervened. ¡°Thisdy tried to tell us something when you intruded our conversation. Based on the situation, it seemed like she was really trying to tell us the truth.¡±

    ¡°Is that so? Thank goodness then.¡± It seemed that the man was genuinely relieved.

    ¡®It doesn¡¯t seem like he intervened to torment Elena or anything,¡¯ Zich thought. It seemed like the man had really tried to give his friendly advice to Zich and hispanions. ¡®Still, he seems to look down on her.¡¯

    ¡°No matter how cheaply you sell it, can¡¯t you stop trying to sell a fake artifact,dy?¡± the man asked.

    ¡°It¡¯s none of your business,¡± Elena responded.

    ¡°Of course, I¡¯m in a position to tell you what to do, but as a mage who belongs to the magical tower, I want to ask you to do the right thing.¡± The man looked at the metal te that L was holding. ¡°If word got out that people were selling useless goods here, the reputation of Sunewick, the magical tower, or even all the mages could fall.¡±

    ¡°They all work if you pour mana into them! They aren¡¯t useless!¡±

    ¡°How many magicians do you think can use iron magic?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°Even if there were mages who could do that, it would be terribly inefficient.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡± Elena couldn¡¯t retort.

    The mage sighed. ¡°Although it¡¯s true that I don¡¯t have a favorable opinion of you, I don¡¯t want to go out of my way to make you miserable. I just want to let you know that many other mages share the same thoughts.¡±

    Staring at Zich and hispanions, the mage said, ¡°I apologize for showing you such an unsightly sight. By your appearance, it seems like you are all travelers. I hope you gain something from your trip here, whether it may be happiness, knowledge, or memories.¡±

    After the mage made a deep bow, he left the area. A short silence followed, but soon afterward, L took out some money from her belongings and handed it to Elena.

    Looking grim, Elena blinked. ¡°W-What is this?¡±

    ¡°What do you mean? It¡¯s just money. Didn¡¯t you say that this was the price of the item?¡±

    ¡°¡­Are you really going to buy it?¡±

    ¡°Didn¡¯t you set up your cart to sell it?¡±

    ¡°But didn¡¯t you hear what that man said?¡±

    ¡°Of course. I have ears too,¡± L said and pushed aside her hair to show her ears. Yet, Elena hesitated to ept the money.

    ¡°What are you hesitating for?¡± Zich said, ¡°We don¡¯t know what happened between you and that man or this city, but that doesn¡¯t concern us. You presented goods to sell and set up a price for it, and we simply decided to buy it. There¡¯s nothing more for you to think about.¡±

    Elena nodded. Then, she hung her head low towards Zich and L and said, ¡°Thank you for your purchase.¡±

    A faint smile hung on her face.

    * * *

    After finishing their shopping, Zich and hispanions booked a ce for them to sleep in. As soon as they got their own rooms, Snoc grabbed Nowem and rushed to his room like he was running away from L. Zich also unloaded his luggage in his room when he heard someone knock on his door.

    It was L. She and Zich sat down facing each other.

    ¡°You came here to talk about Elena Dwayne, right?¡± That was the only possible reason for her visit.

    ¡°Yeah.¡± Then, in a suspicious tone, she asked, ¡°Is that person really Elena Dwayne?¡±

    ¡°She looks the same. Don¡¯t you think so too?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s true. From my memories, that person really is Elena Dwayne.¡± However, the current Elena Dwayne was so different from what she remembered that L began to suspect if the little memory she had was also warped.

    ¡°She isn¡¯t like the Elena Dwayne we remember.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s true.¡± Zich thought of thest moment he saw Elena Dwayne before the regression. She was the brown-haired sorcerer standing beside Lube, donned in a pping robe and wielded a staff. Every time she swung her staff, fireballs so hot they looked like she had summoned them from Hell appeared. Among Glen Zenard¡¯s party members, she had the greatest single offensive power. She had such an immense amount of mana that continuously rained down without rest.

    Zich couldn¡¯t help but wonder, ¡®How could such a person not even be a mage or use magic?¡¯

    ¡°Do you know about Elena Dwyane¡¯s past?¡±

    ¡°No, I don¡¯t know her that well. By the time I learned about her, she was already in Glen Zenard¡¯s group, and she was an impressive magician by then.¡±

    ¡°Then, could it be that she doesn¡¯t have a proper teacher? Maybe because of her family situation?¡± Right after she said this, L shook her head and rejected her own ims. ¡°No, that can¡¯t be possible. If her talents are outstanding enough for her to join the Hero Party, a countless number of mages would want to train with her.¡±

    ¡°Also, her family isn¡¯t incapable of giving the magic training she needs. It¡¯s the opposite, really.¡±

    ¡°The opposite?¡± It seemed like L didn¡¯t have this information.

    ¡°When I was the Demon Lord, the owner of the magical tower¡¯s name was Ond Dwyane.¡±

    ¡°¡­Dwyane?¡± He had the samest name as Elena, and that only meant one thing.

    ¡°Are they rted?¡±

    ¡°He is her father.¡±

    L¡¯s mouth fell open.

    ¡°It was pretty big news that the head of the magical tower¡¯s daughter was a member of the Hero Party.¡±

    ¡®Thinking about it, Glen¡¯s Hero Party had a very high status.¡¯

    Lube was the Karuwiman Saint, Leona was an elf princess, and Elena Dwayne was the head of the magical tower¡¯s daughter.

    ¡®From what I remember, wasn¡¯t L Browning also the daughter of a pretty powerful noble?¡¯

    As if Glen had drawn it all out, all of hispanions had high statuses.

    ¡°If that¡¯s true, it must not be because of her family situation that she couldn¡¯t learn magic. On the other hand, she should be much more familiar with magic than an ordinary person.¡±

    ¡°I asked the owner of this lodging a few questions about this city. The current head of the magical tower¡¯s name is Walwiss Dwayne.¡±

    The name Dwayne came up again.

    ¡°What¡¯s his rtionship with Elena Dwayne?¡±

    ¡°The owner also told me that the head of the magician tower has one son, and his son¡¯s name is Ond Dwayne.¡±

    ¡°Then is Elena Dwayne the granddaughter of the current head and the daughter of the future head of the magical tower?¡±

    ¡°Probably.¡±

    If this was true, Elena was not from just a good family; in the magician world, her family surpassed the authority of ordinary nobles and basically held the same amount of power as royals.

    ¡°It definitely doesn¡¯t seem like her family situation prevented her from learning magic. Then is it because of a problem with her personal talent?¡±

    ¡°No, that is even more impossible.¡± As someone who had fought with Elena Dwayne before, Zich could confidently say this.

    ¡°Perhaps, is her mana sorge like you that she¡¯s unable to move it at all?¡± L already knew the amount of Zich¡¯s mana. Therefore, she was wondering if this was also the case for Elena.

    However, Zich also disagreed with this thought. ¡°The amount of mana that I have isparable to a dragon¡¯s. Even throughout history, people like me can be counted on one hand. And even then, I was able to use mana when I was around twenty years old. No matter how much mana Elena has, it can¡¯t bepared to mine. If she just worked hard, she would have awakened her mana a while ago.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°Why are you staring at me like that?¡±

    ¡°No, it¡¯s nothing.¡± L suddenly thought that Zich was like a monster. She recalled how Zich fought with the fire giant recently¡ªhis power was so great that he literally overturned ake, cut down a mountain, and created scars on the earth.

    ¡®He wasn¡¯t called the Demon Lord for no reason.¡¯ L shivered inside her mind. Her resolve to prevent Zich from bing a Demon Lord became even stronger.

    Zich rxed his eyes after warily looking at L. ¡°Her family situation seemsplicated.¡±

    ¡°Elena Dwayne? Didn¡¯t you just tell me that her family background is really up there?¡±

    ¡°Just look at it from a different perspective. A person like that is getting ignored and selling items on a street with barely any people.¡±

    ¡°¡­Yeah.¡± There definitely seemed to be a problem.

    ¡°I¡¯m going to officially start gathering more information about her tomorrow.¡±

    ¡°Didn¡¯t you tell me that you weren¡¯t going to pay any attention to her?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve changed my mind.¡± Zich licked his lips, and L flinched. He looked like a predator looking for his prey.

    ¡°If Glen Zenard is really a hypocrite and he¡¯s rted to the robed figures, there¡¯s a high chance that he¡¯s involved with Elena Dwayne¡¯s problem. Not to mention, Elena Dwayne¡¯s problem doesn¡¯t seem to be normal.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, that makes sense.¡± Zich¡¯s words had a point. L said, ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll help too.¡±

    ¡°Really?¡±

    ¡°Why are you so surprised? I already told you that I can even help you with your hobby. If the robed figures are involved, aren¡¯t you nning to fully enjoy your hobby to the maximum?¡±

    ¡°Yep, that¡¯s also right.¡± Zich chuckled without restraint.

    While watching Zich chuckle irritatingly, L fell into a dilemma wondering if what she was doing was the right thing. However, that was only for a moment. ¡°Let¡¯s do it. I¡¯m a woman who gets things done. What should we do first?¡±

    ¡°Ooh, you have a strong drive. Then I should also match ordingly.¡± Zich rubbed his hands and straightened his body. ¡°First, we have to gather more information. So L, let¡¯s go to the magical tower tomorrow.¡±

    Like this, their destination for the next day was decided.

    * * *

    Elena went back to her home. Her house was in a luxurious estate, and her house was the biggest and most extravagant out of all the houses nearby. It was difficult to imagine that this was the house that a street vendor would live in. After receiving the greetings of the employees in her household, she went inside. The first bit of money she ever earned by herself was inside her pocket. Even though it wasn¡¯t much, this money was for her dream. She felt one step closer to her dream, so she was ted. However, this happy mood did notst long.

    ¡°Elena, you are back?¡±

    Elena halted. She looked in the direction of the sound. An old man wasing down the staircase from the second floor.

    ¡°Ah, Grandpa. You¡¯vee home early.¡±

    ¡°There should be days like this so that I can find pleasure in life. People are really using me too much, just because I¡¯m the head of the magical tower. They don¡¯t have any consideration for the elderly.¡± The speaker was Elena¡¯s grandfather and the one with the highest authority in the magical tower. And in this city, he had the same authority as a king.

    Elena made a bitter smile at seeing her grandpain. Even though Walwiss Dwayne was difficult for other people to face as the greatest magician in the magical tower, he was an easy-going grandpa to her.

    ¡°Have you eaten?¡±

    ¡°Not yet.¡±

    ¡°Then let¡¯s eat together. It¡¯s been a while.¡±

    ¡°¡­Yes.¡± Elena nodded. Even though her desire to refuse came all the way to the top of her esophagus, she couldn¡¯t say it out loud.

    The two of them gathered in the dining room. Luxurious food was prepared on the table. The two of them quietly used their forks and knives to eat their meal.

    ¡°Where have you been today?¡±

    Elena flinched. She immediately thought about lying, but she shook her head. If Walwiss wanted to figure out where she went, she would be discovered in no time. Elena quietly exined what she did today.

    ¡°¡­¡± Walwiss had no words to say.

    Elena wondered if he was just going to let this one go. However, Walwiss, who had been busily moving his utensils, no longer moved. Elena also noticed this and stole furtive nces towards his direction.

    ¡°¡­Dear Elena.¡± Walwiss let out a sigh and said, ¡°Isn¡¯t it time for you to stop?¡±

    He was going to say the same thing again, and Elena wanted to block her ears. However, she couldn¡¯t do that, and she was left helpless against her grandfather¡¯s brutal words that were filled with concern.

    ¡°You have no talent. It¡¯s time for you to start looking for another path.¡±

 Chapter 228

    <h4>Chapter 228</h4>

    Skh!

    Elena scratched her te with the knife she was holding and made a grating sound. She thought it voiced the screams of her heart. Walwiss¡¯ lips twitched. It seemed like he was wondering whether he should continue speaking or stop.

    Elena wished her grandfather wouldn¡¯t open his mouth again, but unfortunately, her wishes didn¡¯te true.

    ¡°I understand your dream and your talent. Even I am impressed by your ability tobine magic circles and recount spells,¡± said the greatest magician in Sunewick and the head of the magical tower. ¡°But Elena, you can only activate magic if you have mana.¡±

    The talent that Elena disyed since she was young had attracted attention and high expectations from everyone around her. Not only was magic enjoyable for her, but she also had talent and gotpliments from all the adults around her for it; in a way, it was only natural that Elena fell deeply in love with magic.

    As she grew older, her understanding of magic became deeper. Since she was blessed with an environment ideal for mages, she learned even faster than normal; and as she learned more, she wanted to use magic earlier. Thus, she tried her hardest to release her mana even a day earlier. However, as more and more peers around her age began to release their mana, her mana didn¡¯t show itself.

    At first, people weren¡¯t that disappointed. No, they were plenty of people who were happy for her. They thought her innate capacity of mana would be outstanding considering how difficult it was to wake it up. People murmured amongst themselves how much of a great mage Elena would be with herbination of talent in magic and immense mana. There were even rumors that she might be the next head of the magical tower or at least the next one or one after that.

    Yet, Elena couldn¡¯t wake her mana up even as time passed. People knew that those who possessed an immense amount of mana had difficulty releasing it early, but there was a limit to that. As days continued to pass by and Elena failed to awaken her mana, the expectations surrounding her began to crumble away; and in ce of that, disappointment andment filled their empty spots. In the end, people couldn¡¯t help but ept the reality that Elena had no mana in her. It was basically a death sentence for someone who dreamed of bing a mage.

    All expectations disappeared, and people stopped paying attention to her. Around then, Elena¡¯s grandfather, who she revered the most, began telling her to quit studying magic.

    ¡°If you don¡¯t have mana, you won¡¯t be able to activate magic. You know, no matter how efficient and sturdy a water wheel is, it¡¯d be useless if there isn¡¯t any water,¡± her grandfather said to her. He wasn¡¯t scolding, pressuring, orforting her. He simply spoke the truth in a matter-of-fact tone, which made Elena fall into greater despair.

    ¡°That¡¯s also the reason why I canceled your allowance so that you won¡¯t be able to buy anything like magic books or ingredients anymore.¡± Then, Walwiss sighed and continued, ¡°But how could you try to sell self-made items that aren¡¯t even artifacts to get some money?¡±

    ¡°¡­I won¡¯t scam anyone. Look, Grandpa! I made some money!¡± She showed her grandfather the money she collected. Walwiss nced at a couple of coins on the table. He didn¡¯t look pleased at all.

    ¡°How could you, with those¡­?¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s the problem, Father?¡± At that moment, someone entered the room and interrupted her grandfather from speaking further. Elena¡¯s face brightened up.

    ¡°Dad!¡±

    ¡°You are back?¡± Walwiss asked.

    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s been a while, Father. Elena, how have you been?¡± The intruder bowed his head towards Walwiss and smiled at Elena. The man¡¯s name was Ond Dwayne, Walwiss¡¯ son and Elena¡¯s father. He was a fairly promising magician who was also one of the candidates to be the next head of the magical tower.

    ¡°Have you eaten?¡±

    ¡°Yes, I came after eating.¡±

    Ond sat next to Walwiss in front of Elena. Then, he stared at Elena while smiling and said, ¡°I heard that you did something funny today.¡±

    ¡°Did rumors spread already?¡±

    ¡°Well, you know, Elena is a celebrity in many ways.¡±

    She was the fallen genius¡ªa being that the public loved to gossip about and chew out. The fact that she was a member of an elite family made her story even more delectable to her audience.

    Elena hung her head gloomily.

    ¡°There¡¯s no need for you to feel that way, Elena. I didn¡¯t bring that up to mock you. Like I always say, I¡¯m always on your side.¡±

    ¡°Hmph!¡± Walwiss made a disgruntled sound. ¡°It¡¯s because you keep acting like this that Elena can¡¯t get rid of her lingering feelings.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s the issue? She should be able to do what she wants.¡±

    ¡°If she had even a tiny bit of mana, I would have agreed with you. However, Elena doesn¡¯t have any. Are you saying that we should let her get tortured by a false sense of hope forever?¡±

    ¡°I was ate bloomer as a magician too. Elena could be like me.¡±

    ¡°You were at least able to handle your mana. Elena doesn¡¯t have any mana.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not definite yet.¡±

    ¡°If she hasn¡¯t awakened her mana at this age, it wouldn¡¯t be aplete exaggeration to say that her mana capacity would be at the level of a legendary dragon. Are you saying that¡¯s the case?¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s no rule that says that it¡¯s impossible. Moreover, what¡¯s the problem of cheering on your child?¡±

    ¡°Her future depends on this! You can¡¯t say such irresponsible¡ª!¡± Walwiss¡¯s voice rose and stopped. Ond, who kept retorting back, nced at Elena.

    ¡°¡­I am going to get up since I¡¯m done eating.¡± Elena got up. She still had half of her meal left on her te. However, neither Walwiss nor Ond stopped her from leaving.

    After she left, an awkward silence surrounded the dining table. The father and son pair met each other¡¯s eyes and let out a long sigh.

    * * *

    Zich and hispanions went out of their lodging and walked towards the magical tower. Usually, when they arrived at a city, Zich gave Hans and Snoc freedom to explore, but this time, Hans and Snoc chose to follow Zich and L. They wanted to see the famous magical tower. Zich and hispanions first headed towards where Elena was selling her goods on the street. However, the ce where Elena¡¯s cart used to be was now empty. It seemed like she didn¡¯te out today.

    ¡°Look at that Nowem! That¡¯s the magical tower!¡±

    Koo!

    When they stood in front of the magical tower, Snoc and Nowem looked up at the tower that seemed to pierce through the sky and let out their admiration. Next to him, Hans also stared at the magicians moving around the magician¡¯s tower.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go in.¡± Zich stepped forward and led hispanions inside the magical tower.

    The inside of the tower was wide; there were no walls to separate the rooms on the first floor, so the whole area was wide open. Tall pirs held up the tower. Even though there were people who looked like magicians wandering around the tower, there were many ordinary-looking people as well. It seemed as if a lot of people had alsoe to see the magical tower like Hans and Snoc too. Unlike Zich and L who were here to collect information, people were here to sightsee and they acted like tourists.

    Hans asked Zich, ¡°Sir, what exactly is the magical tower?¡±

    ¡°It has a lot of different functions, but fundamentally, it¡¯s a ce where magicians gather to develop magic.¡±

    ¡°To develop magic?¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s power in numbers, and it¡¯s the same for magicians. Since they each have different knowledge and have different sets of skills and expertise, they¡¯ll be able to develop magic better than working by themselves.¡± Zich straightened his fingers and pointed at the top of the tower.

    ¡°Most of the magical tower is made up of researchbs. The floors are assigned based on your skill. Of course, the top floor is where the mage head is.¡±

    Hans and Snoc looked up with curiosity.

    ¡°It must be tiring to climb up.¡±

    Koo.

    Snoc voiced his thoughts out loud, and Zichughed a bit. ¡°I don¡¯t know about lower or mid-level mages, but magicians from high up can definitely use flying magic.¡±

    ¡°Ah, sir, that makes sense.¡±

    Zich and hispanions slowly began exploring the first level of the magical tower.

    ¡°There are a lot of shops.¡±

    ¡°When you¡¯re researching, it¡¯s annoying to go out. It¡¯s good to have shops inside the tower like this.¡± L replied to Hans¡¯ question this time. Since she was also a mage, it seemed as if she could understand a mage¡¯s state of mind. Soon, a staircase appeared in front of them.

    Zich read the sign written on top of the floor number. ¡°The magical tower is open to the public up to the 3rd floor. It must be for tourists.¡±

    ¡°This ce is a bit different from what we were expecting.¡± L and Zich chuckled at Snoc¡¯s innocent words.

    ¡°In the end, mages are humans. They need money; no, they need much more money than the average person.¡±

    Zich and hispanions went around the 2nd and 3rd floor. On the 3rd floor, there was a rather luxurious restaurant that allowed them to eat food while enjoying the view outside. Zich and hispanions ate a simple meal there, and the price was exorbitantly high. After finishing their meals, they left the restaurant.

    ¡°Then should we start gathering information?¡± After saying this, Zich began walking around the tower. People who were not magicians working for the magical tower were not allowed to go beyond the 3rd floor, so they could only look for information on the first, second, and third floors.

    After buying a whole bunch of items from a store and gaining the favor of the shop owner, Zich asked a series of questions:

    ¡°What is the head of the magical tower like?¡±

    ¡°Are there any interesting stories around here?¡±

    ¡°Who are the famous mages here?¡±

    ¡°I heard that the head¡¯s son is very talented.¡±

    Of course, these were not the only questions Zich asked. In order to avoid suspicion, he added more questions about the magician¡¯s tower and Sunewick in general. He was the perfect example of a tourist who had a lot of interest in the magical tower and Sunewick. However, no matter how big the 3rd floor was, Zich was unable to get much information from the shops on the 3rd floor. He also couldn¡¯t go to every store and ask specific questions; that was way too suspicious.

    ¡®I don¡¯t need to go out of my way to attract suspicion right now.¡¯

    After exploring the magical tower to a certain extent, he went outside. There were also a lot of shops outside the magical tower. Even though mages were known to hate going outside while doing research, it wasn¡¯t as if they trapped themselves in the magical tower. The shops nearby were there to sell products to mages who sometimes came out of the tower and the tourists who came to see the magical tower.

    Zich also visited the shops there and went around asking questions. It was only when the sun was about to set and people were dwindling in numbers that Zich stopped going around and asking questions.

    L asked Zich, ¡°Are we done?¡±

    ¡°Kind of.¡±

    ¡°Did you find something worthwhile?¡±

    ¡°I at least found every worthwhile rumor.¡±

    ¡°Then let¡¯s go back.¡±

    ¡°Why? Was it boring for you?¡±

    L shook her head. ¡°No, it was actually fun.¡±

    This was also the same for Hans and Snoc. Zich also didn¡¯t just pretend to be a tourist while asking questions; he really did go around sightseeing. It was to the extent that it was confusing whether they hade out here to collect information or go sightseeing.

    Zich replied, ¡°Then, that¡¯s fine.¡±

    They began heading back to their lodging.

    ¡°I was surprised by the treatment that Elena Dwayne is getting.¡± Since L stood next to Zich while he collected information, she also knew what kind of treatment Elena was getting.

    Zich agreed with L¡¯s words. ¡°She is getting treated worse than I thought¡ªespecially for people to say that she¡¯s a fallen genius of an esteemed family.¡±

    Zich took a nce back at the magical tower. ¡°It¡¯s enough for the person on the receiving end to go crazy.¡±

 Chapter 229

    <h4>Chapter 229</h4>

    ¡°Is it simr to your past?¡± L asked and Hans flinched. After all, Hans used to relentlessly torment Zich when he was ¡°in a situation that could drive him insane.¡± Hans stole a furtive nce at Zich, but Zich didn¡¯t show any particr response.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know. That¡¯s just the information floating around here. Even if the story is true, I don¡¯t sympathize with her.¡±

    ¡°It would be stranger if you help her after saying that she is pitiful.¡±

    ¡°You really do know me well.¡± L clearly showed her displeasure when Zich smiled, and that made Zichugh harder.

    ¡°ording to the rumors, it seems true that Elena Dwayne still hasn¡¯t awakened her mana,¡± Zich stoppedughing and said, ¡°You said that she definitely doesn¡¯t have a level of mana that would prevent her from waking up her mana still, right?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. Since it¡¯s not that her environment is inadequate, some external force is probably affecting her.¡± L¡¯s eyes shone. ¡°I smell something.¡±

    ¡°It does. It smells really fishy.¡±

    ¡°But is there such a method? I don¡¯t know of any method that could seal a person¡¯s mana without them noticing.¡±

    Since even L didn¡¯t know about it with her great amount of knowledge, it was surely a very rare method; therefore, Zich thought that there was a high possibility that the robed figures could be involved in this matter.

    ¡°Think about all the Demon People those robed figures have made so far. Every single one of them had incredibly rare abilities. Considering that, it won¡¯t be strange if they know a method to seal someone¡¯s power without the person noticing.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s true. I really wonder where those guys got such things.¡±

    ¡°Well, you know you have one ce in mind.¡±

    Zich and L stared at each other. Their voices ovepped as they spoke at the same time, ¡°Clowon.¡±

    L nodded.

    ¡°It wouldn¡¯t be strange for that mysterious ancient empire to have all those strange abilities and items.¡±

    ¡°I also think that there¡¯s a high chance that guy could be connected to the robed figures.¡±

    L blinked. Since Hans and Snoc were next to her, Zich used ¡®that guy¡¯ instead of his name, but L knew who Zich was referring to.

    She thought of Glen Zenard and asked, ¡°Then, is that guy connected to Clowon too?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s nothing more than a possibility right now, but I think there is a clear ground for further investigation.¡±

    ¡°Ah, if only my memories were moreplete.¡± Lmented that her memories were full of holes like a leaf that bugs had eaten out from.

    ¡°There¡¯s no need for you to be frustrated about something you don¡¯t have. It¡¯s meaningless,¡± Zich said simply. Then, he moved the conversation topic to Elena¡¯s grandfather, Walwiss Dwayne.

    ¡°Walwiss Dwayne. It seems that he has established an outstanding name for himself with many great achievements, but we don¡¯t need to know that¡­¡± They weren¡¯t interested in how amazing Walwiss was as a person.

    ¡°The only thing we should keep in mind is that he opposes Elena Dwayne¡¯s dream to study magic.¡± The owner of a clothes shop in the magical tower had told Zich this information while he packed a bunch of clothes they bought happily and spoke in a hushed, low voice.

    ¡°Now that I think about it, it¡¯s strange for someone from a great family to do business on the streets. It didn¡¯t seem like a daughter of a rich family was opening up a shop as a hobby or interest either.¡±

    From L¡¯s guesses, it was obvious that Elena wanted money. Zich also agreed.

    ¡°The fact that a daughter of a rich family wants money means that she can¡¯t use her family¡¯s wealth. And that restriction usually forms when they want to do something that their family opposes. If she wants to do something even while going against her family¡¯s wishes, she will need money outside her family¡¯s house.¡±

    ¡°It must be because of magic.¡±

    ¡°I bet Walwiss Dwayne opposes Elena Dwayne¡¯s useless dream to study magic while Elena Dwayne wants to stubbornly study magic with her own means. It¡¯s such a picturesque struggle within a rich family.¡± They would be able to find dozens of simr stories in the market.

    ¡°But it must be hard for her personally.¡± L remembered how shy and distressed Elena looked while handing the iplete artifact to her.

    Finally, they moved on to Walwiss Dwayne¡¯s son who was also Elena Dwayne¡¯s father, Ond Dwayne.

    ¡°You said that he was a quite famous figure in the magical tower, right? I also heard that he was a likely candidate to be the next head of the tower.¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s obviously going to stand out as someone who could be the future master of the magical tower.¡± However, Zich wasn¡¯t concerned about Ond¡¯s skills.

    ¡°He¡¯s someone who encourages Elena Dwayne to study magic¡­¡±

    ¡°Maybe he is just a father who wants to let his daughter do what she wants.¡± Her tone sounded positive. Since she was a mage, L liked Elena since she didn¡¯t give up on her dream of bing a mage and naturally favored Ond who cheered his daughter on.

    ¡°That could be the case.¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t sound convinced. Do you have any suspicions?¡±

    ¡°The method to seal someone¡¯s mana without them knowing¡ªwould that be an easy task to do?¡±

    It was an unexpected question, but L faithfully responded to Zich¡¯s question. ¡°I don¡¯t know because I don¡¯t have enough information, but I don¡¯t think it would be an easy thing to do.¡±

    ¡°Yes. If the target is the granddaughter of the master of the magical tower, who holds the greatest authority in the city, it would be even more difficult. But, if the culprit is someone who meets her daily, the task would be much easier.¡±

    ¡°No way. Is¡­?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡± Zich¡¯s eyes shone menacingly.

    ¡°I think there¡¯s a high possibility that the culprit is Elena¡¯s family member like Walwiss Dwayne or Ond Dwayne.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    L couldn¡¯t refute Zich¡¯s ims. Her brilliant head also concurred with the credibility of Zich¡¯s words.

    Suddenly, L recalled what Elena looked like when she was able to sell her iplete artifact. When the mage told them to not buy Elena¡¯s product, a dark shadow seemed to cast over her bright smile.

    ¡°¡­Like you said, if one of them is the culprit, who do you think it is?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure about that yet.¡± There were too few clues to figure this out yet. ¡°It¡¯s either Walwiss Dwayne who is stopping her dream or Ond Dwayne who is supporting her dream. We need a bit more information.¡±

    ¡°Isn¡¯t Walwiss Dwayne the more suspicious of the two? He¡¯s trying to stop Elena from pursuing her dream afterall.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know. It¡¯s not like I can¡¯t understand Dwayne¡¯s decision. As a family member, he might want to stop his granddaughter from walking a path full of thorns. Also, it¡¯s prettymon for humans whom you thought were on your side to betray you the next moment.¡±

    Zich had seen so many betrayals that he no longer thought it was a big deal.

    ¡°They told me that Ond Dwayne lives separately from them, so we should also look into that.¡±

    ¡°Didn¡¯t they also say that Ond Dwayne¡¯s school of magic is different from Walwiss Dwayne¡¯s?¡±

    Since many different types of magicians gathered in the magical tower, it was inevitable that there would be different schools of magic. Normally, groups were formed based on the mage¡¯s natural magic affinity, andpetition naturally arose between the different schools. Walwiss Dwayne and Ond Dwayne were in different schools of magic.

    L said, ¡°Even though his father is the master of the magical tower, he is in a different school of magic. Thinking about it, that is also strange.¡±

    ¡°We should also look into that. It might seem like a small matter, but it could be an important clueter on.¡±

    ¡°Then what are we going to do in the future? Are we going to keep on gathering information?¡± Zich rubbed his chin. ¡°We have to continue gathering more information, but I don''t think there''s much point for me to keep wandering outside to gather information since we already heard all the rumors that were spreading around the magical tower and the shops around it. From now on, we have to learn information from the inner circles.¡±

    ¡°How?¡±

    Zich smirked. ¡°Won¡¯t we be able to do this by connecting directly with the person involved in this?¡±

    ¡°Person involved in this¡­do you mean Elena Dwayne?¡±

    As if he was facing a disciple who understood ten lessons after just teaching one lesson, Zich smiled and made a big nod. ¡°Yep. We already know what she¡¯s doing, and I also roughly understood what she wants from the rumors spreading around. It¡¯s super easy to get into the hearts of humans who have low self-esteem and are filled with anxiety about their future and family.¡±

    ¡°¡­Do you realize that you sound like a super trashy viin right now?¡±

    Walking a bit away from Zich and L, Hans and Snoc also slightly nodded their heads.

    However, Zich was the same as his usual self; he waspletely unfazed. Instead, he confidently replied, ¡°There¡¯s no need to be surprised. Even if I¡¯m doing kind acts, there¡¯s not a day I forget that my personality is trash.¡±

    L, Hans, and Snoc were unable to open their mouths. If he also admitted it himself, there was nothing more they could say.

    ¡°Ah, you also can¡¯t say stuff like that to me.¡± Zich put his arms around L¡¯s shoulder and continued, ¡°You didn¡¯t forget about our contract, right? Since this matter might be deeply intertwined with my hobby, you obviously need to do your best to support me.¡±

    Zich made a bright smile while seeing L¡¯s face twist in annoyance.

    ¡°Wee, human trash¡¯s friend. Your future is to be trash like me.¡±

    Punch!

    L¡¯s elbow mmed into Zich¡¯s stomach.

    * * *

    Elena exited her cart. Because of her dream, her grandfather and father had a fight. Even though it was an extremely sad situation, she couldn¡¯t give up on her dream. For that reason, she brought her iplete artifacts and went out on the streets once again. While she was setting up her station, she could feel the gazes of other mages; their gazes weren¡¯t favorable or kind at all.

    However, Elena moved more energetically under their piercing gazes. Since there were a lot of things that lowered her confidence, she became more shy and reserved, but Elena¡¯s original personality was extremely strong and steadfast. The reason why she was able to push and carry on with her dream was also because of her innate personality. Likest time, she set up her items and waited for customers toe. During that time, she opened up a thick book about magic to pass the time.

    A couple of customers came to look at her products sometimes. There were some people who showed interest in her simple but well-made items. However, as soon as she said that they weren¡¯t artifacts, they immediately turned their backs. The people who made an annoyed face and just turned their back were the nice ones; there were even people who swore at her and yelled why she was selling crap like this. Every time this happened, the mages around her stared at her with mockery mixed in their eyes.

    Nheless, she persevered. For her dream, she could endure humiliation and insults. However, even with her firm resolve, she was unable to sell her products. She was unable to sell a single item today as well¡ªshe could not stop herself from letting out a sigh.

    ¡®I guess I really can¡¯t do it.¡¯

    Thinking about it, even she wouldn¡¯t buy products like the ones she made. Despite all her struggles and efforts, she had only been able to sell one item so far. Suddenly, Elena recalled the people who bought her item. One of the men in the group was tall and handsome, and the woman was the most beautiful person she had ever seen. And there was a man who had an expensive-looking sword on his side, and there was even a person carrying around a magical beast of the earth. They were the only group of people who had bought her item¡ªthe items that everyone mocked her for.

    ¡°Hello. You¡¯re out here today.¡±

    Elena had been so lost in thought that she didn¡¯t realize that new customers were in front of her. She quickly raised her head and was shocked. The only people who had bought her item were standing in front of her.

 Chapter 230

    <h4>Chapter 230</h4>

    ¡°Ah, hello.¡± Elena bowed her head.

    ¡°Why are you guys here¡­¡± Elena hesitantly let out her words; she thought they must havee toin about the item she sold. However, the words that came back to her werepletely different from what she expected.

    Zich said, ¡°It¡¯s because I was curious about your products.¡±

    Elena blinked. With all her heart, she really thought she would never be able to hear those words. For that reason, she was unable to say anything properly and kept mumbling. Zich took out something from his pocket; it was Elena¡¯s iplete artifact.

    ¡°Why do you¡­!¡± Elena¡¯s eyes became wide. She got up and quickly grabbed the artifact in Zich¡¯s hand. It was rude and Zich could have easily stopped her, but he let Elena take it. Elena swiped the surface of her iplete artifact; it was different from before. However, she could no longer feel the cold iron aura, which indicated herck of mana, from the artifact. Instead, she felt a subtle warmthing from it.

    ¡°¡­There¡¯s mana in this.¡±

    ¡®Her senses are normal,¡¯ Zich thought as he coldly assessed Elena¡¯s condition. Elena was able to notice the change in the artifact right away, and she could feel the mana flow in the artifact.

    ¡®No, her senses are actually very good.¡¯

    Since it was very difficult for iron to hold magic, the amount of mana it could hold was very limited. However, Elena noticed that the iron had mana even from a distance. Since Zich knew about her talent, it was not strange for Elena to have a keen sense for mana. However, this was not good news.

    ¡®If her mana sensing abilities are normal, it might be harder to figure out what¡¯s sealing her magic.¡¯

    It meant that the seal was so well-hidden and secretive that even Elena, who had a keen ability to sense mana, couldn¡¯t sense any mana inside her body.

    ¡®There¡¯s a possibility that a seal was inside the body but they were unable to get rid of it, but¡­¡¯

    The master of the magical tower would not tell his granddaughter to give up on magic.

    ¡®Instead, he will use all his means to open the seal.¡¯

    Elena closed her eyes and lifted the artifact. The artifact trembled slightly, and subtle heat flowed out as the mana moved inside.

    Boom!

    mes soared up from the top. It looked as if an enchanting flower of mes bloomed in the air and let out itsst breath before it finally melted into the empty space. Everyone¡¯s gazes were focused on the mes.

    ¡®Amazing.¡¯

    This was Zich¡¯s second time seeing Elena¡¯s artifact work, but Zich let out his admiration. The artifact that Elena made was nothing special. It was an artifact that shot out mes from a short distance. However, considering that this artifact was made out of iron, its effects were amazing. Only mages like L were able to make useful artifacts from iron.

    Without considering this, Elena¡¯s artifact was impressive. The magic circles on the iron te worked together to efficiently let out mes. Zich was definitely worse at assessing magicpared to a mage, but he understood that the mes shooting out of the iron te could efficiently target nearby enemies.

    ¡®There are hardly any mes that scatter out, and to make up for its low power, most of the mes are concentrated in the middle. What was more impressive was that Elena was never able to test her magic circles even once; she brought out a conjecture like this just by calcting theories.

    ¡®In regards to magic circles and artifacts, none of her peers can beat her.¡¯

    No, she might actually be one of the best in the magical tower. Elena¡¯s body trembled at seeing her artifact work for the first time; she finally had proof that her magic circles were not wrong. However, this feeling did notst long.

    ¡°¡­Ah!¡±

    Elena realized that Zich and hispanions were still standing in front of her. As expected of artifacts made out of crap ingredients, the number of times someone could use this artifact was very limited. And Elena had just used up one of those chances.

    ¡°I-I¡¯m sorry!¡± Elena immediately bowed her head to the point that it almost reached the ground. ¡°I-I will give you another one aspensation! Or I can pay you back¡­!¡±

    ¡°No, it¡¯s fine.¡± Zich took the artifact back and made a kind smile. Hispanions who witnessed his smile stiffened momentarily, but Elena didn¡¯t notice their movements.

    ¡°This might be a bit offensive, but honestly, it wasn¡¯t a very amazing artifact.¡±

    ¡°Ah, yes¡­that¡¯s right¡­¡± Elena¡¯s pride was hurt. However, what Zich said was true, and she was in the wrong this time, so she nodded. Moreover, the continuous failure and humiliation she experienced for so long prevented Elena from clearly expressing her opinions and thoughts.

    ¡°However, even though you can¡¯t put mana into your artifacts, we were a bit interested in your craftsmanship skills.¡±

    ¡°I-Is that so?¡± Elena¡¯s heart swelled up knowing that someone knew about her strengths.

    ¡°That¡¯s why one of mypanions wanted to talk to you. Would you be able to spare a bit of your time?¡± Zich moved a step back.

    Then, L moved one step forward. ¡°I¡¯m L.¡±

    Elena looked between L¡¯s outstretched hand and L¡¯s face. Elena wanted to immediately nod her head and agree since L was one of the few people who recognized her skills. However, Elena was also from a highly esteemed family. She was wary of strangers who suddenly approached her.

    L made a bitter smile and said, ¡°I understand that I seem suspicious, but I really just want to talk to you for a bit. Won¡¯t you ept my request? All I want is to exchange a few words here.¡±

    ¡°W-well, if it¡¯s just that¡­¡± Elena cautiously grabbed L¡¯s outstretched hand. ¡°I¡¯m Elena Dwayne.¡±

    * * *

    Zich and hispanions left L with Elena and left. L sat next to Elena. The two women filled up all the space in the small cart.

    ¡°Um¡­what do you want to talk about?¡± Elena awkwardly began. Since she had to suddenly talk to a stranger, she froze up a bit.

    Lughed. ¡°You don¡¯t have to be so nervous. I just saw the artifact you made and thought it was amazing.¡±

    L pointed at an artifact on disy. ¡°Can I see that for a bit?¡±

    ¡°Of course.¡±

    L lifted up the artifact. This item was also made out of iron; however, the magic circles etched onto it were different. On top of a rectangr surface, magic circles were drawn and in the center,plicated lines crossed each other.

    ¡°A magic circle made frombining four magic circles together. This is a good idea.¡±

    ¡°Ah, you recognized it?¡± Elena¡¯s face brightened up.

    ¡°But all four of the magic circles don¡¯t work by themselves. Did you only take the parts you needed from each magic circle to make one magic circle?¡±

    ¡°Yes! I thought that would make it more efficient.¡±

    ¡°Could I try using it?¡±

    ¡°What?¡± Elena blinked. ¡°Um, as you know, my artifact is iplete so¡­¡±

    ¡°If you just give me permission, I canplete the artifact.¡±

    Elena became speechless; putting magic force into an artifact made out of iron was an extremely difficult job that needed a lot of concentration and detail. At the very least, not something one could do in a random street like this. However, the beautiful woman in front of her was saying she could put magic force into it as if it was no difficult matter for her.

    ¡°Ah, do you not like me touching the products on disy? Then I can also buy th¡ª¡±

    Elena replied, ¡°Ah, no! You can do it!¡± Yet the doubt in her eyes did not disappear.

    ¡®Even in the magical tower, there are very few people who can put magic force into iron.¡¯

    However, very soon, Elena could only dumbly look at the scene in front of her with her mouth wide open.

    Ziing!

    The iron te on L¡¯s hand lightly vibrated. Elena felt mana slowlye out from L¡¯s hands as thetter tapped the iron te. Elena watched L¡¯s face as she did this. L¡¯s face was peaceful; she didn¡¯t close her eyes to increase her concentration or frown. There was not even a single drop of sweat. The only expression on her face was calmness.

    From what Elena knew, there was no one who looked so peaceful when putting magic force into an artifact, especially while putting magic force into an iron te on a random street. Was she actually just pouring mana on top of the iron te? Elena couldn¡¯t help but think so.

    When people just poured mana on top of an artifact, the artifact obviously didn¡¯t work. Even knights could pour mana on top of iron; this was actually one of the ways they battled and trained. In order toplete an artifact, a mage needed a perfect understanding of the artifact¡¯s structures and the magic circles inscribed on it and had to pour in mana while feeling out the magic circles on the artifact. This was the reason why making an artifact was so difficult; thus, other magicians also frequently used a support system to help them instill magic force in an artifact.

    It was reasonable why Elena was doubtful of L¡¯s actions. However, Elena¡¯s doubts began to slowly change into surprise, then shock, and then admiration. Her sensitive mana detection abilities could sense that the artifact was steadily bing more and moreplete.

    ¡°It¡¯s done.¡± L gave off an impression that she had done nothing difficult; as if she merely swept the yard a bit and came back, she put down the artifact with ease.

    Elena looked at the artifact and gulped her saliva. ¡°C-could I hold it for a bit!¡±

    ¡°Yes, you can.¡±

    Elena held the artifact as if it was a once in a lifetime treasure and swiped the surface. It was the same asst time. Instead of a cold aura, the iron te was now letting out a subtle warmth. ¡°Would I be able to try using it once?¡±

    L nodded her head, and Elena quickly activated the artifact.

    Crackle!

    A fireball the size of a walnut soared above the artifact. As if it was a predator searching for its prey, it swirled around ferociously. Elena stared at L; her eyes were filled with admiration for the person next to her. L didn¡¯t avoid Elena¡¯s eyes; instead, she made a subtle smile. However, L sighed internally.

    ¡®My heart doesn''t feel too good, because I feel like I¡¯m tricking an innocent kid.¡¯

    Of course, L thought that talking with Elena was fun and interesting. Since Elena only sold artifacts and magic circles, the iplete artifacts that she put on disy were filled with creative ideas. Just conversing with Elena was a fresh experience for her, and there was a high chance that L¡¯s skills and understanding of magic could also increase. However, there was only one thing she felt ufortable about.

    ¡®This is also part of the n.¡¯

    L recalled Zich¡¯s shrewdugh and the words he said as he told her to chat with Elena.

    ¡®What do you think a hurt and disappointed child would feel when a person they always dreamed about suddenly appears in front of them? Of course, they¡¯ll immediately feel intense admiration and the walls in their heart will crumble down. And at that moment, if you just act a bit nice to them, they¡¯llpletely be enamored with you. Then, it''s game over. All we have to think about is how we can use that kid from now on.¡¯

    They weren¡¯t going to do anything bad. Lforted herself like this and smiled awkwardly at Elena looking at her with eyes full of admiration and respect.

 Chapter 231

    <h4>Chapter 231</h4>

    L and Elena¡¯s conversation continued. Elena had already thrown away the awkwardness she felt at meeting a stranger for the first time. Extremely talented in magic except for mana, Elena realized a significant fact.

    ¡®This person is a really amazing mage!¡¯

    Talking to L felt like talking to her grandfather, who was praised as the most skilled mage in Sunewick. Of course, Elena was talking about events that happened in the distant past. After it became clear that Elena had no mana, Walwiss no longer talked about anything rted to magic to her anymore. Even though Elena was still able to talk to her father, Ond, about magic, her conversations with her father unfortunately didn¡¯t satisfy her thirst for knowledge.

    Right now, a person who could perfectly satisfy Elena¡¯s desire had appeared in front of her. The wariness she felt towards L melted like a piece of dropped ice. If Elena thought deeper, this was definitely a suspicious situation. An amazing mage suddenly appeared in front of a young woman from a highly-regarded family desperate to study magic. This was too much of a happy coincidence. However, Elena was so engrossed in her conversation with L that she was unable to ponder about her strange circumstances.

    L picked up an iplete artifact. ¡°You made this one withpletely traditional methods.¡±

    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s because I should make changes after perfecting my basics. The foundation has to be strong. Even when I make many experimental artifacts, I try to make at least one artifact usingpletely traditional methods.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s smart of you.¡± At L¡¯spliment, Elena¡¯s mood went up. However, her mood plummeted at L¡¯s next words. ¡°An excellent teacher must have taught you.¡±

    ¡°¡­Yes.¡± Elena¡¯s voice became noticeably lower. It was different from when she was eagerly talking to L with great animation. Elena first learned magic from her grandfather, Walwiss Dwayne. Whenever someone talked about this topic, she couldn¡¯t help feeling down.

    L¡¯s conscience ached. Her conscience was not stered in orichalcum like Zich. Moreover, L enjoyed conversing with Elena.

    ¡®It¡¯s easy to talk to her, and she¡¯s also talented.¡¯

    It was as expected of someone who was part of a party that killed Zich when he became a Demon Lord. However, as much as she enjoyed talking to Elena, L felt guilty about tricking thetter. However, this was a necessary job, which would also eventually help Elena in the end.

    ¡®For now, I have to strengthen my heart!¡¯

    With this in mind, L asked, ¡°Why do you suddenly look so down?¡±

    ¡°Ah, no, it¡¯s nothing,¡± Elena quickly replied, but L stared directly into her eyes.

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t seem like it¡¯s nothing. Did something bad happen to you?¡±

    ¡°T-that¡­¡± Elena nced furtively towards L. ¡®Would it be okay to tell her?¡¯

    Even though Elena had quickly gotten close to L, she was not sure if she should suddenly begin talking about a sensitive family matter to L. Of course, she would not have usually pondered about this. However, Elena enjoyed talking to L, and she didn¡¯t want the atmosphere to be awkward.

    In the end, shepromised; without giving specific details, Elena briefly exined her situation. ¡°It¡¯s because I¡¯m no longer able to learn magic from that person.¡±

    ¡°Ah, I¡¯m sorry. I spoke carelessly.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s all right.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ll be able to find a good teacher soon. I¡¯m sure that a lot of people would look favorably at such a talented person like you.¡±

    Elena lowered her head even more.

    ¡°D-did I say something wrong again?¡±

    ¡°¡­There¡¯s no one who wants to teach me. It¡¯s because I¡¯m not talented at all.¡±

    ¡°Is this rted to what that mage said to you thest time we were here?¡±

    Elena nodded. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter if I¡¯m talented in other areas. No matter how good I am in making magic circles for artifacts and memorizing incantations, without mana, they are all useless skills.¡±

    The content of Elena¡¯s words were miserable, but Elena¡¯s voice was very calm. However, her indifferent voice revealed how hopeless she felt. In order to talk so calmly about herck of talent, Elena must have gone through so much pain and agony. How much did she cry and fall into despair to reach this point? Yet despite everything, Elena loved magic so much that she was unable to let her dream go. L felt that Elena¡¯s desperate cries were clearly ringing in her ears. ¡°¡­But you haven¡¯t given up yet, right?¡±

    Elena looked up at L; the bottom of her eyes lookedck-luster and tired.

    ¡°That¡¯s why you¡¯re still trying to study magic like this.¡± L¡¯s gazended on the magic book that Elena always carried about.

    ¡°¡­Yes, that¡¯s right.¡±

    ¡°Am I right to think that you¡¯re also doing this to get money to study magic?¡±

    Elena nodded.

    ¡°Then why don¡¯t we do this, Ms. Dwayne? Why don¡¯t you learn magic from me?¡±

    Elena dumbly replied, ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°What do you think about learning magic from me? Ah, do you not have faith in me cause I¡¯m a wandering mag¡ª¡±

    ¡°Ah, no! That¡¯s not it at all!¡± Elena quickly denied such ims.

    ¡°Then it¡¯s decided!¡± L replied with a smile.

    ¡°But my mana is¡­¡±

    ¡°Even if you can¡¯t use mana right now, you might be able to use it in the future.¡±

    ¡°But my gran¡­the person who taught me magic said that if I still haven¡¯t awakened my mana until now, I just don¡¯t have mana at all or my mana is the size of a dragon¡¯s. And thetter is unrealistic.¡±

    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s true, but there might be another reason why your mana hasn¡¯t been awakened yet. Moreover, it would be a very rare event, but you might really have the same amount of mana as a dragon.¡±

    ¡°¡­Do you really think that¡¯s possible?¡± It had been a really long time since Elena had heard a hopeful word from a person other than her father.

    However, L shook her head. ¡°Honestly, that¡¯s an extremely low possibility.¡±

    Elena hunched her shoulders.

    ¡°Didn¡¯t you already know this? Yet you still didn¡¯t give up, right? So, I will at least put my hands out for all your hard work. Ah, but I won¡¯t be able to help you for long since I¡¯m a wandering mage. How about it?¡±

    Elena hesitated, but not for long. The only person who supported her dream was her father. However, her father had a different affinity than her and he was also extremely busy, so it was hard to learn magic from him. Now, she had a new chance to learn magic again from someone. In a way, this was not even a matter for her to ponder about.

    ¡°Please look kindly upon me!¡± Elena made a deep bow.

    * * *

    After changing their rtionship from customer and seller to a teacher and disciple, L continued conversing with Elena. Then, a shadow came closer to them.

    ¡°Have you finished talking?¡± It was Zich.

    ¡°You¡¯ve already arrived?¡±

    ¡°What do you mean already? Just look at the sky. The sun is going to set soon.¡±

    True to his words, the sky was now a deep orange and red color.

    ¡°Were you so focused on your conversation with Elena that you lost your sense of time? You guys must have connected well.¡±

    ¡°Ah, that¡¯s right. I have something to tell you.¡± L moved Elena next to her. ¡°I decided that I¡¯m going to be a temporary teacher for her.¡±

    ¡°Mister, I¡¯m E-Elena Dwayne!¡± She bowed towards Zich, and Zich blinked his eyes in surprise.

    But he soon smiled and put his hand out. ¡°Ms. Elena, I heard your name thest time, but it¡¯s not bad to hear it once more. My name is Zich. I don¡¯t have ast name, so please just call me Zich.¡±

    ¡°Mr. Zich, since you are Teacher¡¯s friend, you don¡¯t have to speak so politely to me.¡±

    ¡°Should I do that? Then okay. I also seem to be a bit older than you.¡± Then Zich shifted his gaze to L. ¡°I¡¯m a bit surprised. You went to just talk to her and now you¡¯ve epted her as your disciple.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s temporary.¡±

    ¡°But a disciple is still a disciple.¡± Zich turned his gaze towards Elena and said, ¡°You¡¯ll probably suffer a bit as her disciple, but since her skills and teaching abilities are impable, it¡¯s not a bad idea to learn from her. You should work hard, and if it seems like she¡¯s teaching anything weird, you should tattletale on her to me.¡±

    ¡°Something like that won¡¯t happen!¡± L¡¯s anger at Zich looked so natural that despite not knowing them for long, Elena could not help butugh. Like this, a new disciple was quietly taken in as the sun began to set.

    * * *

    Zich and L separated from Elena. Since it was gettingte, they decided to meet again the next day. While heading back to their lodging, Zich stretched out his two arms and eximed, ¡°So easy! If life goes on like this, it¡¯ll be no fun!¡±

    Lined, ¡°¡­Only you would say it¡¯s no fun in a situation like this.¡±

    ¡°What happened? Why are you so down?¡±

    ¡°Unlike you, I feel guilty, because I actually have a sense of conscience.¡±

    ¡°As expected, it must be ufortable as hell? You should throw away something like that. Even if you keep it, there¡¯s nothing good that cane out of it.¡±

    ¡°A normal person can¡¯t just throw their conscience away whenever they want to!¡±

    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s why I¡¯m telling you to put in some effort. You should put some effort into throwing away your conscience. Do you think I became trash like this with just one or two days of hard work?¡±

    ¡°Who the hell is going to work hard to be a trashy human?¡±

    ¡°Hey, watch your words! Are you ignoring all the trash everywhere in this world? Moreover, how could you insult my hard work! In order to catch up to people born asplete pieces of human trash, you don¡¯t know how hard I worked! If I¡¯m being specific, I worked several times harder on bing trashier than gaining strength to be a Demon Lord!¡±

    ¡°Ah, so loud! Shut up! If I talk to you, my mind bes a mess, so just shut your mouth!¡±

    Zich withdrew, but his chuckling was even more annoying. ¡°L, you¡¯ve worked hard. You were able to smoothly grab a position as her teacher. As her teacher, you can carefully scan and research her body with the excuse of teaching her magic.¡±

    Then, they might find out why she was unable to use mana. ¡°Rumors will probably also spread. Since Elena is very famous around here, the rumor that she¡¯s following a mysterious woman will spread like wildfire. Then, there¡¯s a high possibility that we¡¯ll be able toe into contact with Walwiss Dwayne and Ond Dwayne.¡±

    Afterwards, they would be able to observe two suspicious suspects. ¡°So don¡¯t think of this as just tricking her. This is definitely a kind thing we¡¯re doing for Elena Dwayne¡¯s good.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s the only saving grace of this situation.¡± L let out a sigh.

    ¡°It seems like you have talent though.¡±

    ¡°¡­What the hell are you talking about?¡± What kind of nonsense was Zich going to say now? The intensity in L¡¯s eyes amplified as she stared at Zich.

    ¡°While I was gathering information around here, I went to check up on you guys a few times. And woah, I was so impressed. Regardless of how much Elena let down her guard, you did such a good job tricking her.¡±

    Then Zich wiped the smile off his face and put his hand on L¡¯s shoulder. Completely serious, he said, ¡°You have talent. Insane talent in conning people. Your ability to get an innocent kid over to your side was just like a professional swindler.¡±

    ¡°I learned it all from you!¡±

    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s what I¡¯m talking about. I didn¡¯t specifically teach you anything. You¡¯ve just learned from watching me and you used it in real life without trouble, and it worked so well like this. Perhaps, your ability to con people might be evenparable to your magic ab¡ª¡±

    ¡°Shut up!¡±

    Bish!

    There was a heavy thud of someone getting hit. Then, a boisterous and loudugh followed right after. Under the sky that was starting to turn dark blue, two people chattered loudly while walking the streets.

 Chapter 232

    <h4>Chapter 232</h4>

    After finishing breakfast, Zich and L left their lodging. From today on, L was going to begin teaching Elena, so they headed towards the magical tower. They originally thought about teaching L outside the city in an open field. Since magic was a subject that could cause a lot of damage to its surroundings, it was difficult to practice it in the city.

    However, Elena¡¯s position made this impossible. Since Elena was the granddaughter of the master of the magical tower, she was not allowed to go outside the city without permission. The only reason why she was able to sell her iplete artifacts in the streets was because of her father¡¯s support¡ªbut even her father didn¡¯t allow her to leave the city. For these reasons, the three of them unanimously decided to practice magic in the magical tower.

    The magical tower was built for mages, so anyone could pay a set amount of money to borrow a room in the tower. This was a system built for wandering mages visiting Sunewick. Of course, the magical tower was able to economically benefit from this as well.

    ¡°She managed to borrow a room in the magical tower. Didn¡¯t she have to resort to selling iplete artifacts in the streets because shecked money?¡±

    At Zich¡¯s murmurings, L replied, ¡°It seems like she has some money as ady from a rich family, but it just wasn¡¯t enough to fund her magic studies.¡±

    ¡°Ugh. Even though she needed that much money, she tried to gather money by selling iplete artifacts?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s how desperate she is.¡± As a mage, it seemed as if L was impressed by Elena¡¯s passion for magic since L spoke extremely favorably of Elena.

    ¡°I¡¯m here!¡± As soon as L and Zich arrived at the magical tower, Elena waved her arms widely. Even though people stared at her, Elena paid no mind to them and ran towards L.

    ¡°Hello, Teacher!¡±

    L made a bittersweet smile. ¡°Hi, Dwayne.¡±

    Even though they decided to be a teacher and student, L still felt awkward at being called ¡°Teacher.¡± Moreover, it was even more awkward because Elena looked at her with overflowing respect and admiration. On the other hand, L also felt bad for Elena. How badly did she want to learn magic that she would act so friendly towards a stranger who was willing to teach magic to her?

    ¡®I really have to solve Elena¡¯s problem properly.¡¯

    Even though L¡¯s meeting with Elena Dwayne waspletely nned, L sincerely hoped that Elena¡¯s dream and hopes woulde true.

    ¡°This person is¡­¡± Elena stared at Zich who was next to L.

    Zich offered a friendly smile and said, ¡°We meet again, Ms. Dwayne.¡±

    ¡°Yes, hello. You said you were Mr. Zich, right?¡±

    ¡°Yep.¡±

    While greeting him, Elena stole furtive nces at L. It seemed as if she was asking for an exnation as to why Zich was apanying them.

    L chuckled and said, ¡°He¡¯s our helper. Shouldn¡¯t we have some kind of target when practicing magic?¡±

    ¡°A t-target?¡± Elena was horrified; were they going to practice magic on humans?

    However, the personbelled a practice target didn¡¯t look surprised. Instead, he smirked and whispered to Elena as if he was telling a secret. Of course, it was still loud enough for L to perfectly hear his words. ¡°As you can tell, her personality is awful. She¡¯s a very cruel person who would even make a living person a target to practice magic. So don¡¯t ever lower your guard and if I tell you to run, immediately start runn¡ª¡±

    ¡°There should be a limit to your nonsense.¡± L grabbed the cor of Zich¡¯s shirt and pulled him away. In addition, Zich squinted one eye for Elena to see.

    L said, ¡°As you can see, this is our rtionship. The reason why I brought him was because I thought he might be helpful with our magic lesson. I can attest to his skills.¡±

    ¡°Is he also a mage?¡±

    ¡°No, he¡¯s a sword-user. But don¡¯t worry. Even though he¡¯s a sword-user, his control of mana is on par with mine, so I¡¯m sure he¡¯ll be helpful in our lesson.¡±

    Elena was surprised. By sword-user, he probably was something like a knight or sword fighter. However, it was astonishing for someone like that to be on par with a mage like L in mana control. Elena had yet to awaken her mana, so Zich seemed like a very amazing person.

    ¡°Since we can¡¯t just keep standing here, I¡¯ll leave the guiding up to you, Ms. Dwayne.¡±

    ¡°Ah, I¡¯ll do that!¡± Elena hurriedly nodded her head at Zich¡¯s words and guided Zich and L inside the magical tower. As soon as they entered, everyone¡¯s gazes fell upon them.

    ¡°Wow, we¡¯re really the center of attention. But this time it doesn¡¯t seem like it¡¯s because of you, L.¡±

    Since L was inhumanely beautiful, people¡¯s gazes followed wherever she went. However, the attention they got this time wasn¡¯t the same as usual.

    Elena slowly said, ¡°¡­It¡¯s probably because of me.¡±

    ¡°As expected, is this rted to yourst name being the same as the master of the magical tower?¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s my grandfather.¡±

    ¡°Hmm, I can roughly predict what happened.¡± Zich rubbed his chin and murmured, but that was the end of the matter. He didn¡¯t ask any more questions.

    ¡°¡­Aren¡¯t you going to ask more questions?¡±

    ¡°Do we really need to? It¡¯s fine since I roughly know why people are staring at us. But it feels crappy that people seem to be looking at us with ill intentions.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s because¡­¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s fine. I can predict what happened, but you don¡¯t have to tell us the reason. We¡¯re just here to teach you magic. So stand tall, Ms. Dwayne.¡± Then Zich grabbed onto Elena¡¯s shoulders and put pressure as if he was trying to pull her up. ¡°You at least don¡¯t have to feel guilty about us. We care about other people¡¯s gazes towards us as much as a passing pebble.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s only you.¡± L scolded Zich, but to Elena, she made a gentle expression. ¡°He¡¯s right. It was my decision to teach you, so I don¡¯t care about how other people see us. So you should stand tall, okay?¡±

    ¡°¡­Yes!¡± Elena straightened her back. She widened her stance and also waved her arms with confidence. In the first ce, Elena Dwayne used to be a woman full of confidence and high self-esteem. Even though her circumstances pushed her to a corner and she lost a lot of her former self, with just a bit of push, she was able to recover her confidence a bit.

    Elena leaned towards the counter and told the employee, ¡°I made a reservation.¡±

    The employee behind the counter seemed to have instantly recognized Elena, but they didn¡¯t show it. Instead, the employee focused on doing their job. ¡°Ma¡¯am, what name did you use to make a reservation?¡±

    ¡°Elena Dwayne.¡±

    The employee went through several documents and took out one from the pile. ¡°Please sign here.¡±

    Elena grabbed a quill and after dipping it into ink, she wrote her signature. During that short time, the employee took out a key from the shelf. Elena pushed the signed document towards the employee, and the employee took the document and handed her the key in their hand. While Elena was pocketing the key, the employee exined to her about the room she borrowed, how long she could use it for, and the basic rules of this system.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± Elena moved forward, and Zich and L followed behind her. Many people behind them looked at them with curiosity. Elena and herpanions went up the staircase. They were able to pass the third floor, which was open to the public and enter the fourth floor, which could be considered the ¡°real¡± magical tower.

    Since the rooms assigned to mages were based on their skills and status, the rooms that mages could reserve were on the lower floors. The room that Elena was assigned to was on the fourth floor.

    ¡°It¡¯s over there.¡± They passed a narrow corridor, and Elena found their room.

    Creak! Elena opened the door, and a small room appeared in view.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. This was the best room that I could afford¡­¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s alright. This is enough.¡± Lforted Elena and entered the room first. Zich followed behind L and Elena.

    Thud! He closed the door and scanned the room. The walls and ceilings were made out of stone. The room was rectangr, and it looked very ordinary. As expected of a room in a magical tower, however, it was not an ordinary room at all.

    Zich put his hand on the nearest wall. ¡°There¡¯s manaing out of it.¡± He felt the mana flowing clearly through his hands.

    ¡°I heard that they built it like that since they first designed the magical tower. Low-grade magic can¡¯t harm this building because of the flowing mana in this room¡¯s floor, wall, and ceiling.¡±

    With Elena¡¯s exnation, Zich nodded. It was a small room but there were several desks and chairs. The three of them all pulled out a chair for themselves.

    ¡°First, I have to know the extent of your knowledge.¡± After saying this, L began throwing questions at Elena. She was good at replying, but for a few questions, she was confused or was unable to give a proper answer.

    ¡°You mostly studied fire-rted magic?¡±

    ¡°Yes. Since my grandfather is in that school of magic, I got a lot of influence from him.¡±

    Zich nodded while listening to their conversation. Even before he regressed, fire magic was Elena Dwanye¡¯s specialty.

    ¡°I¡¯ve already seen more than enough of your skills with the magic circles from the iplete artifacts you made, so how about showing me your incantation abilities?¡±

    ¡°Yes, Ms. L!¡± Elena closed her eyes. Her mouth began moving, and unknown sounds began flowing out of her lips. As a non-mage, Zich had no idea what the hell she was saying. However, Elena, who was chanting the spells, and L, who was listening to her, seemed to have no difficulty understanding what the spells meant.

    ¡°You¡¯re good. Your pronunciation is good, and you don¡¯t stutter at all.¡±

    At L¡¯spliment, Elena¡¯s cheeks turned pink. After that, L asked Elena to do various actions, and Elena was also able to easily do them.

    After a bit of time passed, L nodded and said, ¡°You¡¯ve got the basics down pat, and your ability to apply them in real life is great. You really are amazing.¡±

    ¡°Thank you so much!¡± Elena felt as if she could fly. It seemed as if all the effort and time she spent towards her goal was getting recognized.

    However, her spirit died down at L¡¯s next words. ¡°Your mana is really the only problem.¡±

    ¡°¡­Yes.¡±

    ¡°Would it be all right if I scanned your mana?¡±

    ¡°Yes, but it¡¯ll be useless. My grandfather and father tried several times, but they failed every time.¡±

    No matter how little mana she had, those two were fully capable of detecting any mana inside of her. However, they couldn¡¯t feel any trace of mana inside her; this was perfect evidence that her mana hadn¡¯t been freed yet. Despite this fact, Elena obediently offered her hands to L; it was her desperate attempt to even grab at straws.

    L gently allowed her mana into Elena¡¯s body and began exploring around. However, L¡¯s mana was able to easily flow around Elena¡¯s body without any obstacles at all; this meant that there was no mana in Elena¡¯s body.

    Elena carefully asked, ¡°¡­How is it, teacher?¡±

    L shook her head. ¡°I couldn''t find anything as well.¡±

    Elena¡¯s head plummeted down.

 Chapter 233

    <h4>Chapter 233</h4>

    However, Elena soon raised her head. She had already heard this exact speech so many times and had been hurt by them that they had now formed scabs on top of another, and now, she didn¡¯t feel much pain from it.

    Thus, Elena could indifferently say, ¡°It¡¯s all right. I expected this.¡±

    However, the two people who watched Elena knew she was still hurt. L and even Zich clicked their tongues inside their minds.

    ¡®No matter how many times you¡¯re hurt, there are pains that you can never get used to.¡¯ From what Zich saw, Elena perfectly exemplified that statement. Even though Elena was saying that she was used to getting hurt, it was as if blood was flowing out from her heart. Even though Zich called himself trash and a viin, he never stopped people from doing what they wanted. That was the reason why he was raising Snoc and Hans even though they would probably be obstacles to him if he decided to go back to bing a Demon Lord.

    Therefore, Zich felt a bit sympathetic towards Elena who was unable to do what she wanted¡ªbut that was only a little bit. Zich was still Zich. ¡°Could I perhaps also check out your mana?¡±

    ¡°Yes?¡±

    ¡°Since all the people who checked were all mages, maybe a swordsman like me can provide a different perspective.¡±

    ¡°Ah, yeah, that could be true!¡± Even though Elena just got hurt, she quickly grabbed onto the next hopeful idea.

    Elena reached out with her hand, and L gazed sharply at Zich. Even though Zich¡¯s words had a point, honestly, there was an extremely low chance that he¡¯d be able to find anything new. Instead, there was a very high possibility that Zich might just crush her hopes again; for that reason, L looked unfavorably at Zich¡¯s decision to scan Elena¡¯s body.

    However, she didn¡¯t stop him. Zich was not the type to stop even if she said something, and he also had a point. In L¡¯s perspective, she had already agreed topletely follow Zich¡¯s ns.

    ¡°I can¡¯t find anything as well.¡±

    ¡°Ah, I-I see.¡±

    As expected, Zich also couldn¡¯t find anything. Elena tried to control her expression, but she couldn¡¯t stop her voice from trembling slightly.

    L let out a sigh. ¡°Should we stop for today? Since today is the first day, I think we should stop for now.¡±

    Elena nodded.

    * * *

    After separating from Elena, Zich and L went back to their lodging. L looked at Zich with annoyance, but she just let out sighs and didn¡¯t say anything. All she did was lightly tap Zich¡¯s shoulder when he made an innocent expression as if he wasn¡¯t aware of what happened with Elena.

    Zich asked, ¡°How was it?¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s really good. I thought this before as well, but I think she¡¯s even more talented than I thought when Ist talked to her. If she just had mana, she might really be an amazing magician.¡±

    ¡°No, I¡¯m not talking about that.¡± Zich knew better than L how powerful Elena Dwayne could get in the future. ¡°Did you find anything special inside her body?¡±

    ¡°Honestly, no.¡± L shook her head.

    ¡°I scanned very carefully, but there¡¯s no trace of mana development. It¡¯s the perfect example of a person who hasn¡¯t awakened their mana yet. Or she might innately have no mana inside her body.¡±

    ¡°However, thetter is definitely not the case.¡± Zich was sure of this.

    ¡°Then the only possibility left is that her mana has yet to awaken.¡±

    ¡°But that¡¯s also not true. The amount of mana she has is not that extraordinary.¡±

    Since L and Zich both knew information about the future, it was pointless to discuss the possibilities that Elena had no mana or she was yet to awaken her mana.

    ¡°What about you?¡± L asked the same question to Zich this time.

    ¡°It was the same for me.¡±

    ¡°Hmm, we¡¯re back to square one.¡±

    ¡°Well, I didn¡¯t think that I would find an amazing discovery even from the very beginning. We have to slowly observe her body from now on. We also have to observe her father and grandfather.¡±

    ¡°So, I just have to continue teaching Elena Dwayne for now right?¡±

    ¡°You seem happy. Are you very pleased about that?¡±

    ¡°Well, she¡¯s at least cuter than you.¡±

    ¡°What, Elena Dwayne is cuter than me? How can you ignore my cuteness? Come on, I¡¯ll show you my cuteness that I trained as the Demon Lord of¡ª!¡±

    ¡°Ah,e on!¡±

    * * *

    Zich and L continued to teach Elena for several days. Elena absorbed everything that L taught as if she was dried earth sucking in water. While they admired each other, their lessons continued. However,pared to their growing respect and admiration, there were more and more people who looked at them unkindly. L and Elena thoroughly ignored their gazes, but even if they did nothing, their opponents could not be trusted to do the same.

    ¡°In the end, an unpleasant event urred.¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s talk for a bit.¡±

    Although they nned to go to the magical tower, Zich, L, and Elena all turned back toward the sound of the voice. There was a young man standing in front of them. He looked very young, but anyone could see that he was a mage by the way he dressed. He wore a long robe and a staff with crystals encrusted in it. If he just had white long hair and a long robe, he would be invited to take the mage¡¯s role in any y¡ªthat was how much he looked like a traditional magician.

    Zich asked first, ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡±

    The young man looked at Zich, and then his gaze moved back to where Elena Dwaye was standing. Then, he looked back at Zich. ¡°Mind you, I have business with the person behind you. Can you move away a bit?¡±

    ¡°I refuse. As you can tell, we¡¯re busy right now.¡±

    The young man looked at Zich with annoyance; Zich could tell what type of person he was just by his expression. ¡®It seems like his parents have a high status, and he¡¯s from a highly esteemed family.¡¯

    The young man looked at Zich as if he was annoyed that someone was blocking him. Zich¡¯s head quickly spun around to assess the situation.

    ¡®It seems like he has some kind ofint against Elena Dwayne, and the reason for hisint is obvious.¡¯

    Just the fact that Elena was walking in and out in a magical tower even though she received a death sentence as a mage irritated other mages.

    ¡®But that¡¯s not a good enough reason to start up a fight like this.¡¯

    Another reason must have been tied to this. Zich¡¯s gaze went back to the young man again.

    ¡®It seems like he has aint against L and me as well¡­¡¯

    No, rather thanint, his eyes were full of suspicion; Zich immediately grasped their current situation.

    ¡®It seems like he thinks L and I are swindlers, and Elena Dwayne is an idiot who is getting swindled by us.¡¯ Then, everything made sense now. Zich roughly finished assessing the situation, and now the problem was how he was going to deal with this matter.

    ¡®Should I let him go? Or should I increase the stakes?¡¯

    If he wanted to let it go, they could just ignore the man and go. No matter how great the mage¡¯s family was, they had Elena Dwayne on their side, so he probably couldn¡¯t continue to pick a fight with them. However, Zich didn¡¯t think it was a bad idea to increase the stakes.

    ¡®I observed Elena Dwayne for several days, but I didn¡¯t find anything special.¡¯

    Their situation with Elena Dwayne was at a standstill. Therefore, it was not a bad idea to create a huge event at this point in time.

    ¡®Let¡¯s increase the stakes!¡¯

    Thetter also matched Zich¡¯s personality better. Zich lifted one of his arms and signaled for L to stand still. Then he looked at the young man. From the back, Elena did not know what to do; she thought that a fight happened because of her. In order to stop the fight, she was about to step forward, but L stopped her.

    ¡°Teacher?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s all right. Let¡¯s see what happens.¡±

    Like this, L and Elena took a step back.

    ¡°¡­While I¡¯m speaking nicely, you should move away.¡± The young man said with threatsced in.

    ¡°While you¡¯re speaking nicely¡­I guess speaking nicely means something a little bit different in Sunewick. No matter how I see it, sir, it seems like you want to kill someone here.¡±

    ¡°I have no intention of exchanging wordy with you, so move right now!¡±

    ¡°If you have no intention to exchange words with me, you should just go on your way, sir.¡± Then Zich lifted his hands to the side as if he was guiding the young man out. The young man¡¯s harsh gaze became even more vicious.

    ¡°Dwayne!¡±

    Elena was surprised by his shout.

    ¡°When are you going to stop following your unobtainable dream! Aren¡¯t you embarrassed towards your grandfather and father!¡± Since it seemed as if Zich had no intentions to move, the young man seemed to have decided to loudly voice his opinions. At the young man¡¯s words, Elena¡¯s head dropped down.

    ¡°Ah, sir, you are really loud. Did you perhaps chew and swallow a dragon¡¯s vocal chords?¡± Zichined while blocking his ears in an exaggerated manner. ¡°Moreover, it¡¯s not just your voice that is so loud, but you are also very rude. Sir, are you so great that you can raise your voice at my friend¡¯s disciple?¡±

    ¡°¡­Disciple?¡±

    ¡°Yes, sir. Disciple.¡± Zich nodded his head roughly. ¡°My super beautiful friend at the back is acting as a temporary teacher for Elena Dwayne. So that¡¯s why I can¡¯t just let your verbal abuse go.¡±

    The man stared at L. Without a change in expression, L epted the man¡¯s gaze.

    ¡°Hmph! How can someone who looks like they just reached their twenties teach anyone? Rather than pretending to be a teacher to look cool, you should work on growing your skills!¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s for the two of them to decide, sir. Also, my friend is an extraordinary genius. There¡¯s no problem at all for her to teach Ms. Dwayne.¡±

    ¡°A genius?¡± The young man stared at L; anyone could see that his gaze was full of mockery.

    He let out a sigh and looked back at Zich and spat, ¡°Hey, you swindlers.¡± He didn¡¯t even pretend to be polite now. ¡°I don¡¯t know where you guys heard about that punk¡¯s situation, but wake up from your dream and quietly go back to wherever the hell you came from. If you think you can trick her by offering magic lessons¡­well, honestly, seeing that idiot seems to havepletely fallen for your trap, I would say your n is overall quite okay. Or maybe that idiot is even more idiotic than I thought.¡±

    The young man coldly red at Elena. ¡°But the magical tower nor Sunewick is not so easy that low-lives like you two can just wander around. Obviously, that dunce¡¯s family is also noughing matter. This is a warning. If you guys drop your ns and quietly disappear, we can still act like this was a ridiculous but random happening.¡± The young man spoke as if he was a very generous boss.

    However, Zich had no desire at all to feel touched by the young man''s ¡°generosity.¡± Instead, he wanted to pay back the young man¡¯s generosity by the full amount.

    For that reason, he began by saying, ¡°Hey, you moron.¡±

    The young man¡¯s face distorted.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know which upper-ss family you are from, but judging by how you use people you¡¯re meeting for the first time as swindlers, it seems like your family hasn¡¯t taught you all that well?¡±

    ¡°This punk¡­!¡±

    ¡°Whatever. It seems like we share the same opinions about each other. Then there¡¯s only one way we can solve this matter. Hey you, judging by what you said, you seem like quite a talented magician among your peers, right?¡±

    The young man proudly replied, ¡°Yeah. I guess, since you are a swindler, you at least have a good eye.¡±

    ¡°Then why don¡¯t we stop tiring each other out and settle the matter like this?¡± Zich pointed his thumb behind him specifically to L. ¡°Check it out for yourself¡ªwhether we really are swindlers or my friend here really has the qualifications to teach Ms. Dwayne.¡±

 Chapter 234

    <h4>Chapter 234</h4>

    The people around them began murmuring to themselves. Zich¡¯s provocative behavior and his encouragement to ¡®check it out for himself¡¯ could only mean one thing.

    ¡°Are you telling me to duel that woman?¡± Even the young man seemed taken aback. However, there was not a single ounce of fear in dueling another magician. On the contrary, there seemed to be some amusement in his expression.

    ¡°You think my friend isn¡¯t at a level to teach Ms. Dwayne, right?¡±

    ¡°Of course. Even if magic is a study based on natural talent, there¡¯s a limit to it. How could a mage of her age teach someone else? That¡¯s ridiculous.¡±

    ¡°So, that¡¯s why I¡¯m telling you to check out her skills for yourself.¡±

    As she watched Zich and the young man argue, L let out a small sigh. ¡°Ah, seriously, he is always¡­¡± She clearly looked exasperated.

    Elena said, ¡°Sorry, it¡¯s because of me¡­¡±

    ¡°No, it¡¯s not your fault so there¡¯s no need for you to feel sorry.¡± The young man had picked a fight first, and L and Zich did seem suspicious, but in the end, they hadn¡¯t done anything wrong.

    ¡®Yeah, that¡¯s right. It¡¯s at least true right now. All I¡¯m doing is teaching Elena Dwayne so¡­¡¯ L repressed the guilt she felt in tricking Elena like this in her mind.

    ¡°It¡¯s still my fault, so I should intervene¡­¡±

    ¡°Elena, it¡¯s going to be okay.¡± L stopped Elena as she was about to intervene. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Even though Zich doesn¡¯t seem like it, he is really thorough when resolving a conflict.¡±

    However, Zich might raise the conflict to another level during that process.

    ¡®Well, he does get the job done in the end.¡¯ L turned her head away from her screaming consciousness.

    ¡°Are you going to do it or not? If you don¡¯t have the guts, stop bothering us. Just focus on your all-so-important magic studies, okay?¡± Zich tapped on the young man¡¯s shoulder as if he was talking to a child.

    Tak!

    The young man coldly pped Zich¡¯s arms away from him. ¡°Fine.¡± He showed his teeth. ¡°Perfect timing. I was also getting bored just staying in my room and studying, so it won¡¯t be bad for me to duel. While I let out my pent-up stress, I can teach a good lesson to two stupid swindlers.¡±

    One of the young man¡¯spanions asked, ¡°Ah, hey. Are you really going to do it?¡±

    ¡°Of course. This is actually better. The administrators don¡¯t allow us to duel each other since they keep talking about how they don¡¯t want conflicts between different schools, but it¡¯ll be okay to fight these guys. It¡¯s obvious that they¡¯re travelers.¡±

    ¡°Our teacher or the expert magicians won¡¯t look so favorably at you dueling other people.¡±

    ¡°Whatever, I¡¯ll just hear some scolding. Since they picked a fight, it¡¯ll be dishonorable for our school if I back down.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry to intervene while you guys are talking, but anyone can see that you¡¯re the one who picked a fight first. Can you not push the me onto us?¡± Zich smiled brightly and continued, ¡°Ah, don¡¯t misunderstand. I really like people who are trash like you. As expected, there are so many trashy humans in the world, it makes me feel really proud of myself for living such a kind life. However, my friend and her disciple are ordinary people, so they might find your shameful actions disgraceful.¡±

    ¡°¡­Trash?¡± The young man¡¯s eyes became menacing.

    Zich made an exaggerated surprised expression. ¡°No way, did you honestly think that you were an ordinary person? Wow, I thought I had no conscience, but you far surpass me. Are you thatcking in self-awareness? No, no. Is this a problem with your brain? Are you unable to realize that you are a piece of human trash?¡±

    ¡°You bastard!¡± The young man grabbed Zich¡¯s neck, and Zich didn¡¯t resist. ¡°Judging by your low-ss speech, you don¡¯t seem like a magician! Then you must be ignorant dim-wits who carry around pieces of metal! How can such a lowly guy like you dare insult me?¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t believe you¡¯re immediately resorting to violence after hearing a few hard truths. I wonder who¡¯s more low-ss? Me, who is trying to resolve this matter peacefully with words? Or you, who is using violence against me right now? I think that even if you ask a goblin who is about to get eaten by an ogre, they would be able to say the correct answer. Ah, now that I think about it, you can¡¯t figure out the right answer. I¡¯m sorry. Even if I¡¯m talking to a guy who is dumber than a goblin, it was rude of me to say this directly to you. Yeah, I was wrong.¡±

    Elena opened her mouth in shock. While the young man yelled angrily, Zich smiled brightly and quietly said his words out loud; however, the content of Zich¡¯s words didn¡¯t fit his tone at all.

    L made a bitter smile and asked, ¡°Are you surprised?¡±

    ¡°T-that person¡­is¡­¡±

    Elena looked at Zich and stuttered her words. The impression she had of Zich with so far was a nice person who was yful but respectful and frequently helped her out in her magic lessons. However, the man in front of her was apletely different person than the image she had of him.

    ¡°That¡¯s his original personality. He¡¯s personality is bad, and he does whatever he wants. He doesn¡¯t shy away from calling himself trash, and also he¡¯s especially cruel towards his enemies.¡±

    ¡°¡­Is he a bad person?¡±

    ¡°Who knows?¡± L stared at Zich. ¡°I will never say that he has a good personality, but does that necessarily make him a bad person? He at least doesn¡¯t harm ordinary people, and he¡¯s only yful like that to his enemies. He¡¯s nice to people who are nice to him.¡±

    Elena recalled how Zich always showed basic respect to her.

    ¡°Hmm, if I have to describe him¡­¡± Lyle put one finger up and said, ¡°He might just be a good person with a bad personality.¡±

    ¡°¡­It seems like he has a veryplicated personality.¡±

    ¡°You think so too? That¡¯s why my head hurts.¡±

    ¡°I agree!¡±

    L and Elena¡¯s conversation was cut off by a loud shout.

    The young man shouted out in excitement, ¡°Let¡¯s duel right now! First, I¡¯m going to show how difficult magic is to that woman! I¡¯ll definitely show her how stupid she was to pretend to be a teacher!¡±

    The young man was still holding onto Zich¡¯s cor, and he said, ¡°And the next person is you.¡± He let out murderous intent. ¡°Don¡¯t even think about running away! It¡¯s going to be a one-on-one battle between a swordsman and a magician. You know that a one-on-one battle is more advantageous for a swordsman, right? I¡¯m giving you a handicap! In other words, I¡¯m saying that I¡¯m also going to duel with you! Do you understand!¡±

    Zich smirked in a super rude way so that the person on the receiving side would get pissed off like hell. ¡°Fine. I can duel with you as much as you want. But before that, you realize that there¡¯s another person you have to beat, right?¡±

    ¡°Bring it on! I¡¯ll do the favor of immediately crushing her down!¡±

    ¡°Then this matter is settled.¡± Zich pushed back the young man¡¯s hands, and then stared back at L. ¡°You heard him, right?¡±

    ¡°I heard him very well.¡± With a coy expression, L walked next to Zich and said, ¡°I just have to duel with you, right?¡±

    ¡°Yeah!¡±

    ¡°When and where should we duel?¡±

    ¡°Here, right now!¡±

    * * *

    Zich and hispanions went down to the basement of the magician¡¯s tower. It seemed as if there was a dueling ground for magicians in the basement of the magician¡¯s tower. The people who came down were not only the people directly involved in the duel. Rumors had somehow spread around, and a great deal of people hade down and gathered around the dueling ground. Most of the people were magicians. They were gazing at the dueling ground with extremely excited expressions; there were even people who were betting on the oue.

    Anyone would feel nervous about being the center of so much attention; however, L was calm. Her expression almost seemed indifferent.

    ¡°Teacher! I¡¯ll give you information about your opponent!¡± It seemed as if L¡¯s opponent was someone Elena knew; but L shook her head.

    ¡°It¡¯s all right, Elena.¡±

    ¡°B-but¡­!¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s really all right.¡± Zich leaned his back on a small wall that was covering the dueling grounds and stopped Elena. ¡°There¡¯s really no need to listen to his information. L is really an amazingly strong magician.¡±

    ¡°Hah!¡± L made a smallugh. She seemedpletely confident about her victory.

    ¡°This is a bit unexpected. I thought you¡¯d just sigh andplete this duel like you¡¯re finishing overdueundry, but you¡¯re actually kind of wanting to do this.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, of course.¡± L stared at the young man from across her. He was with a few of his friends, and his face was full of confidence.

    L¡¯s expression changed. A small amount of murderous intent oozed out of her eyes, and an ominous smile appeared on her lips.

    ¡°That punk, he¡¯s really looking down on Elena Dwayne.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, don¡¯t you think it¡¯s a talent where he can let out his emotions just with his attitude? If there were more people like him, people wouldn''t need to talk tomunicate with each other anymore.¡±

    ¡°Judging by his attitude and the people¡¯s reactions around him, it seems like he¡¯s one of the best among his peers, but in the end, he¡¯s just the talented one among her peers, right?¡±

    L erased the smile on her face. ¡°And that bastard with barely passable talent dare insult my disciple?¡±

    ¡®She¡¯s angry.¡¯ Zich clicked his tongue, and then, stared at the young man who was going to face L. The young man had already gotten up on the dueling stage. As if to show off his expensive staff, he tapped his staff several times on the stage. However, Zich thought that the staff looked worse than a half rotten tree branch.

    ¡°I¡¯ll be back soon.¡± L slowly climbed up to the dueling stage.

    Zich looked to the side, and he saw Elena look up at the dueling stage with a very anxious gaze. ¡°Open your eyes wide and don¡¯t miss anything, Miss Elena.¡±

    Elena looked at Zich.

    ¡°You¡¯ll be able to find out how amazing your teacher is.¡±

    * * *

    Ziing!

    Mana flowed all around the dueling stage. From the top of the small walls surrounding the dueling stage, a thin sparkling wall slowly rose.

    ¡®It¡¯s a barrier.¡¯

    As expected of a dueling stage in the magical tower, there was a magic barrier. Since duels between mages were more likely to cause damage around their surroundings than swordsmen and fighters, it seemed as if people thought it necessary to have a magical barrier. Most of the people were outside the dueling stage walls. The only people inside were Zich and Elena and a few of the young man¡¯s friends. Of course, for L, it was not a very good barrier to her. She could snort and immediately rip off the barrier if she wanted to.

    ¡®However, she doesn¡¯t need to go so far in this battle.¡¯

    L also had no intentions to perform any great magic.

    ¡°We¡¯ll begin when thisnds on the ground? You have noints, right?¡± The young man raised a coin in front of him and said this.

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter to me.¡±

    ¡°You win if your opponent is unable to continue fighting or gives up.¡±

    ¡°Got it.¡±

    The young man flicked the coin; it soared high up in the air with a spin and began plummeting down. The young man and L followed the coin¡¯s movement with their eyes.

    nk!

    The coin hit the ground and bounced off.

    ¡°Wil! Wayin! Con! Misuwon! The man lifted his staff and began muttering spells. At the same time, a great amount of mana began swirling around the staff.

    The audience began letting out sounds of admiration. Since Elena also let out a small sound, it seemed as if she was also impressed by the young man¡¯s abilities.

    Zich asked Elena, ¡°Is that amazing?¡±

    ¡°Yes. His pronunciation, the speed of his incantations, and his mana control is all good. As expected of a top young talent in the magical tower.¡±

    ¡°Really?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t you see something like this often when you are hanging out with high-level mages like Teacher?¡±

    ¡°No, L is a high-level mage, but¡ª"

    ¡°Ah, but why is Teacher¡­!¡±

    Compared to the young man, L didn¡¯t move at all. At that moment, the young manpleted casting the spell, and it shot towards L. Up until then, L let down her staff and didn¡¯t react at all. When the swirling fire seemed to directly hit L¡¯spletely exposed body¡ª

    Tap!

    L flicked her finger.

    Boom!

    The fiercely moving mes exploded instantly. L brushed off the fiery sparks left on her clothes. Then, she stared at the young man who was now staring at her with a dumbfounded mage.

    ¡°She¡¯s not just an ordinary expert mage.¡±

    Elena was no longer able to hear Zich¡¯s words. As she stared at L, her eyes sparkled as if they could not shine any brighter.

 Chapter 235

    <h4>Chapter 235</h4>

    Silence fell upon the dueling stage, but this was only for a moment. The audience¡¯s reaction exploded as if a tensely stretched-out arrow had been released.

    ¡°Did you just see that! Is that what I think it is?¡±

    ¡°I clearly saw it too.¡±

    People started murmuring and they all talked about one word¡ª

    ¡°That¡¯s Silent Incantation!¡±

    Silent Incantation was a very high level ability that magicians could use to eliminate the weakness of revealing what their magic was by saying it out loud. Of course, the magic power decreased a bit, but just the fact that a magician could use Silent Incantation was a huge advantage. However, since it was such an amazing skill, very few people could use it. It was a skill that geniuses specially chosen by the heavens could use.

    Of course, all the mages watching this duel couldn¡¯t use Silent Incantation; that was also the same for L¡¯s opponent.

    ¡°Are you done?¡± L¡¯s words were simple, but it was enough to show how calm and carefree she was in this battle. Normally, such an attitude would make people think that L was looking down at them, and the young man also epted it like that.

    ¡°What, what¡­¡± The young man was dumbfounded after finding out that L could use Silent Incantation. However, L¡¯s carefree attitude hurt his pride; he lifted his staff high up again. ¡°Ra! Homuel! In! Towul!¡±

    It was lightning magic this time. Electric sparks began appearing on top of his staff. L didn¡¯t make a move this time again. The young man pointed his staff towards L. ¡°Kal!¡±

    Crackle!

    As soon as he cast his spell, lightning flew from his staff; however, it was only after L had already flicked her fingers.

    Thud!

    A wall made out of stones appeared in front of her; L¡¯s wall easily blocked the lightning. When the wall disappeared, L was able to see the young man¡¯s expression. He was making quite an interesting face¡ªit had shock, fear, jealousy, and even horror. Various emotions were all disyed like a whirlwind on his face.

    ¡°I let you attack twice. It¡¯s okay for me to attack now, right?¡± L raised her hand. Her staff was stillying loosely to her side.

    sh!

    There was not even a sign of an incantation. A sudden wind swept over the young man.

    ¡°Ugh!¡± The young man quickly bent down; sharp wind des passed over the top of his head.

    ¡°Hmm, now I understand why he easily epted this duel.¡±

    ¡°What?¡± Elena responded to Zich¡¯s murmuring.

    ¡°That guy facing L. He seems used to doing magic battles.¡±

    ¡°Ah, yes. Jaewick is famous in the magical tower. He even won in the annual magic duelpetition before.¡±

    Jaewick was the name of the young man dueling with L. This was the first time Zich had heard his name, and L still didn¡¯t know his name yet. However, this was not surprising because Jaewick was really an insignificant existence to them. When a dog picked a fight, people were not usually curious about the dog¡¯s name. They would merely kick and try to drive the dog out.

    Jaewick evaded another attack from L. He didn¡¯t evade her attacks with ease; he really had to twist his body to the maximum to barely escape her attacks.

    ¡®That shouldn¡¯t even be considered evading.¡¯

    Jaewick couldn¡¯t even keep his bnce, and he crashed onto the ground. A rock flew towards Jaewick while he was on the ground.

    ¡°U-Ughhhhh!¡±

    Jaewick waved his arms around and flopped his stomach. He jumped up and down like a frog and rolled on the ground; and like this, he was barely able to avoid L¡¯s magic.

    ¡°Hah!¡± Someone in the audience tried to stifle theirughter. The ridiculous sight of Jaewick struggling on the floor made their lips twitch. However, no one criticized this person, because most of the people in the crowd were struggling to not burst outughing.

    ¡°Hahaaaa!¡±

    ¡°Hah! Ha!¡±

    Sounds of stifledughter could be heard throughout the dueling stage. They weren¡¯tughing on purpose; it was just that Jaewick looked ridiculously funny. However, there were also people who wereughing at Jaewick with the purpose of belittling him. Was it jealousy? Or did he have a lot of enemies because of his bad personality?

    ¡®It¡¯s none of my business.¡¯ The crowd wasn¡¯tughing at Zich or hispanions; he did not care if people made fun of his opponent or not. Instead, Zich was on their side.

    ¡°Haaaaaaaaaaah!¡±

    Zich stifled hisughter like the others, but it was so loud that hisugh was basically the same asughing outright. Red from the crowd¡¯s mockingughter, Jaewick was now red all the way to his ears. He struggled up the steps and red at Zich. At Jaewick¡¯s re, Zichughed even harder; he even grabbed his stomach and hit the back of the barrier. Even though Jaewick¡¯s eyes became even more menacing, he didn¡¯t have time to keep ring at Zich.

    Whish!

    ¡°Ugh!¡±

    Jaewick evaded another attack from L. L¡¯s magic hit the barrier and disappeared. This happened multiple times; L attacked and Jaewick did his best to avoid her attacks. Jaewick also kept attempting to use magic.

    ¡®He¡¯s saying incantations even while moving.¡¯

    That was also a very different skill to cast. Magic required intense concentration, so it was extremely difficult to use magic while moving. There were many magicians who stayedpletely still and closed their eyes when saying incantations.

    ¡®Well, he really does have some skills.¡¯

    However, the problem was that his opponent was L.

    ¡°On!¡±

    Boom!

    Jaewick used magic one more time. L avoided his fast-moving attack by moving one step back. At the same time, she swung her arm.

    Crasssh!

    A whirlwind flew towards Jaewick.

    ¡°Eeck!¡± He bent down as if he was falling. The spell narrowly missed the top of his head. It was clear to everyone that L was just ying around with him.

    ¡°S-she¡¯s amazing.¡± Elena waspletely absorbed with L¡¯s movements. Her teacher was a mage who was even more amazing than she expected.

    ¡®Even you could do that much before.¡¯ Only Zich knew how strong and skillful Elena could be in the future.

    ¡°Y-y-you¡­!¡± Jaewick¡¯s body trembled in humiliation. He wanted to immediately use magic andpletely destroy his opponent from head to toe. However, it was clear to him and everyone that there was an enormous difference in their strength. Jaewick could not ept his defeat like this.

    ¡®How could a mage like me get defeated by a wandering magician? And also a teacher of that failure, Elena Dwayne?¡¯

    He could never admit his loss. ¡®I¡¯m going to use all I can to win!¡¯

    Jaewick began muttering spells again. A fireball appeared in front of him, and he threw it towards L.

    Boom!

    L was able to deflect his attack easily again. However, this was not the end of Jaewick¡¯s attack.

    ¡°¡­What?¡± L tilted her head as Jaewick¡¯s staff came flying towards her. However, she also deflected that attack by hitting Jaewick¡¯s staff with her own, but this was also a part of Jaewick¡¯s n.

    ¡°Hey!¡±

    ¡°What the heck!¡±

    The audience began murmuring amongst themselves. Elena also opened her eyes in shock. Jaewick had used his magic and staff as feints toe right in front of L.

    ¡®Since she¡¯s a woman, she must have barely any strength! I should just grab her first, and if I hit her, she won¡¯t be able to use magic properly!¡¯

    Since he was a mage, he was also not physically strong, but he was confident that he wouldn''t lose to a woman. Jaewick reached out with his hands.

    Grab!

    ¡°I got you!¡± Jaewick grabbed L¡¯s arms with a great amount of force. He pulled her arms to him and raised his fist.

    ¡®If I justnd one punch, I can win!¡¯

    Whoosh!

    Jaewick threw a punch¡ª his goal was L¡¯s face. Jaewick thought that he would soon be able to see her face covered in blood and thought that she must be filled with shock and horror. For that reason, he stared directly at her face.

    However, she was smiling.

    ¡®Huh?¡¯

    For a moment, L¡¯s head suddenly disappeared from his view. Obviously, Jaewick¡¯s punch hit the air.

    ¡®Where¡­did sh¡­¡¯

    While he was still trying to process what happened¡ª

    Punch!

    ¡°Agh!¡± Jaewick¡¯s eyes spun from the pain on his cheek. His body spun around, and his view kept changing between the ceiling and the floor. But he saw L a few times in between. She withdrew her fist and looked down at him as if he was a pathetic human being.

    m!

    Jaewick¡¯s body flipped as he hit the ground. The entire basement became quiet at once. If thest silence was from witnessing a high-level magic skill, this was silence from shock at the unexpected development of the duel.

    p! p! p!

    A carefree p rang throughout the room and shattered the silence. ¡°As expected of L. She immediately let out a counter-attack. A stick-skinny guy who only works on magic is not her opponent at all. I really did a good job teaching her.¡±

    ¡°Ugh!¡± Jaewick raised his head. His cheeks were swollen up; Lnded a solid punch on his cheek. He lifted up his body and clutched onto his cheek.

    L came slowly walking towards him. ¡°From what I know, in magic duels, you¡¯re only supposed to use magic. I guess duels in magician¡¯s towers are different.¡±

    Crunch!

    An ominous sound came out from her fingers; Jaewick flinched.

    ¡°This became a bit more fun.¡±

    Thud!

    L threw down her staff to the side. Even though she hadn¡¯t even used it once so far, Jaewick could only think of one reason why she would throw it to the ground¡ªto fight a battle with her fists.

    ¡°W-wait¡­!¡± Jaewick was about to shout something but¡ª

    Tap!

    L increased her speed and then raised her fist.

    ¡°Agh!¡± Jaewick covered his face with both arms, but since he only focused on magic all his life, his stance couldn¡¯t have been more awkward.

    m!

    L threw a punch directly at Jaewick¡¯s exposed stomach. Jaewick¡¯s arms naturally opened up, and his face came into view. L¡¯s arms began to move with great speed.

    Punch!

    ¡°Ughhh!¡± Jaewick¡¯s head bounced back, and his whole body trembled in the process.

    L clicked her tongue. ¡°As expected, I can¡¯t do it like Zich. I can¡¯t end this with just one punch.¡±

    Zich said, ¡°If you can punch like me¡­¡±

    ¡°Well, I guess it can¡¯t be helped.¡± L stared at Jaewick whose blood was flowing from his mouth and murmured, ¡°If I can¡¯t end this with one punch, I¡¯ll just have to punch two, three, or more times.¡±

    ¡°W-wait!¡± However, L ignored Jaewick¡¯s words again. She ran towards Jaewick and began wielding her fists.

    Punch! Punch!

    L¡¯s fists continued to hit Jaewick in sharp session.

    ¡®W-what kind of mage¡­!¡¯ While receiving a rain of fists, Jaewick screamed inside his mind.

    It wasn¡¯t as if L had learned some amazing martial arts. In the end, she was a magician through and through. However, her physical abilities were very good; to the point that even Zich was impressed. Moreover, she had knowledge of basic martial arts, and she also had experience with Zich¡¯s rough training and rolling with Hans and Snoc during the early parts of their journey. In addition, her opponent was a traditional mage who didn¡¯t use his body much and had barely any experience in physical fights. With all these factors in L¡¯s favor, she was able to one-sidedly beat the hell out of her opponent.

    Bish!

    ¡°Ugh!¡±

    Jaewick¡¯s face was smacked again. His face was now covered in blood.

    L stopped attacking for a moment and asked, ¡°Do you want to surrender?¡±

    ¡°How the hell is this a magic duel!¡± Jaewick¡¯s pronunciation was still rtively clear.

    L replied back as if he was being absurd, ¡°I wonder who first swung his fist? Because of your behavior, I thought it was all right that I could use my fists in a magic duel in the magical tower. I guess that must have not been the case?¡±

    ¡°Agh!¡± Jaewick red at her as if he wanted to kill her and suddenly jumped back. L quietly watched him do this.

    The ce that Jaewick ran towards was where his staff was. He quickly grabbed his staff and moved toward L.

    ¡°My gosh, you¡¯re so persistent. Fine. I¡¯ll settle this with magic, just like how you wanted.¡± L headed towards where her staff was and said, ¡°But this one will be a bit dangerous. You brat.¡±

 Chapter 236

    <h4>Chapter 236</h4>

    Jaewick began reciting his incantation. Since he used all his might to escape and grab his staff, this was only natural. However, this did not mean that Jaewick was able to use magic first.

    ¡°El! Win! Duon! Luwaz!¡±

    Jaewick opened his eyes wide; it was the same for the audience as well as Elena. L, who had been demonstrating incredible abilities one after another, said an incantation aloud like a traditional magician.

    While this was not the case when dealing with an extraordinary monster like L, winning a magic duel was normally decided by a mage¡¯s ability to control mana and the speed of their incantation time. In other words, the person who firstpleted their incantation usually ended up winning. Of course, there were cases where mages could evade magic attacks or say incantations while moving like Jaewick orplete such a powerful spell that it overpowered the other magician¡¯s magic, but most duels were decided by the person who made the first attack. For that reason, a mage¡¯s mana control and incantation ability was crucial in a magic duel, and many people were amazed by Jaewick¡¯s incantation abilities.

    However, L¡¯s incantation was on apletely different level. She moved her lips slightly and let out words that non-magicians had no knowledge of¡ªand the speed in which she let out the words was much faster than Jaewick. Her pronunciation was also clear, and there was no hesitation in her words. Moreover, L, who was able to perform powerful magic attacks just by Silent Incantation, was now reciting her incantations out loud. There was no way that she was preparing for just a mediocre magic attack.

    Crassssh!

    A sphere of mes began to appear on top of L¡¯s staff. The size and mana of the mes made Jaewick¡¯s magic into child y. Jaewick, who was saying his incantations out loud, opened his mouth wide. His incantation was cut off, and the mana he had gathered scattered in the air.

    ¡°Ah, ah¡­!¡± Jaewick felt a shiver go down his back; if he didn¡¯t do something, he was sure that the mes would incinerate him whole.

    He quickly began saying his incantations again. However, he was trembling so much that he could barely let out a few words before the incantation was cut off again. A tremor passed through his whole body at the overpowering mes in front of him.

    L asked, ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to say your incantations?¡± Naturally, her incantation was cut off in the middle, but her magic didn¡¯t disappear.

    ¡®Incantation Suspension!¡¯ Jaewick was not even surprised anymore. It would be strange if a person who could do Silent Incantation couldn¡¯t do Incantation Suspension.

    ¡°Or what, have you given up? Then do you know what you have to do?¡±

    He had to surrender. Surrendering was the second option to end a magic duel. However, it was extremely difficult for Jaewick to say this word out loud.

    ¡°¡­I got it.¡± L¡¯s eyes became cold. ¡°If that¡¯s your decision, I guess it can¡¯t be helped.¡±

    If Jaewick didn¡¯t surrender, there was only option left. It was to render her opponent useless. L continued her incantation.

    Crackkle!

    The mes crackled even more fiercely than before. The crowd got louder as they watched the scene in front of them.

    ¡°I think being unable to continue this fight will be the least of Jaewick¡¯s problems if he gets hit by that.¡±

    ¡°It seems like his body will be burnt without a trace left.¡±

    ¡°Can the dueling ground¡¯s barrier even handle that magic?¡±

    Elena also seemed worried as she pulled the edge of Zich¡¯s shirt. ¡°H-hey. Will Mr. Jaewick be alright if he gets hit by that?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, he¡¯ll be okay.¡±

    Elena let out a sigh of relief. As expected, her teacher must have something else in mind. That was what she thought until Zich continued¡ª

    ¡°Since his whole body would be cleanly burnt, we won¡¯t have to worry about cleaning up his corpse.¡±

    ¡°¡­What?¡± Elena was so surprised that her voice cracked.

    Zich ignored Elena who was staring at him with shock. L finished her incantation. During this whole time, Jaewick continued to failpleting his incantation.

    ¡°You haven¡¯t changed your mind, right?¡± L said this as a fireball that seemed as if it could easily swallow five or six people spun in front of her.

    ¡°W-wait¡­!¡±

    ¡°Yeah. You¡¯re really an annoying guy, but I apud your bravery. It would have been improper to decline your request to duel.¡±

    ¡°Then, just wait a bi¡ª!¡±

    ¡°If you happen to survive this, I hope you fix that snobby attitude of yours.¡± L coolly ignored Jaewick¡¯s words and moved her staff. The sphere of mes also moved with her staff.

    ¡°Ah, ah? Y-you really are going to shoot? Wait! If I get hit by that, I can¡¯t even use potions!¡± Jaewick had prepared potions as a safety measure just in case. However, in front of L¡¯s magic, his safety measures became pointless.

    Boom!

    However, L indifferently shot her magic out. Jaewick saw the fireballe closer to him; he also felt its zing heat. Death was but a moment away from him.

    ¡°I s-surrendeeeer!¡± Jaewick shouted as if his throat was going to burst. However, the fireball had already left L¡¯s control. Jaewick¡¯s body was going to be engulfed by mes and burnt to a crisp, but a shadow suddenly appeared in front of him.

    Crassssssh!

    The fireball exploded. The loud sound rang out through the entire dueling grounds. However, this was the only damage that the fireballs left in its surroundings.

    Shaaaa!

    The mes spreading out in all directions sucked into the center of someone¡¯s palm. It seemed like the mes regretted missing the opportunity to burn anybody as it let out a big spark of light; however, it was unable to show any other signs of resistance.

    Crunch!

    With a clench of his fists, the mes scattered into the air. And like this, the fireball that L madepletely disappeared. Jaewick dumbly looked at the person in front of him.

    ¡°You don¡¯t seem to have any injuries.¡± Zich put Windur, which he used to slice the fireball, on his back and stared at Jaewick.

    ¡°Ah, ah¡­¡±

    ¡°Hmm, did you perhaps lose your mind? Well, that¡¯s understandable. So why didn¡¯t you surrender just a little earlier? If it weren¡¯t for me, you would have be a pile of ashes.¡± Zich tapped Jaewick¡¯s cheeks a couple times, but Jaewick was unable to respond.

    ¡°Then is it my turn now?¡±

    Jaewick was unable to understand what the man in front of him was saying.

    ¡°You wanted to duel with me next.¡±

    Jaewick¡¯s eyes trembled.

    ¡°When do you want to do it? Right now? Orter on today? Tomorrow?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°Or should we just not do it?¡±

    It was only then did Jaewick make a subtle nod.

    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s a good decision. Even though I still beat the fuck up off dogs who surrendered with their tails behind their legs, you¡¯re not even worth beating up.¡±

    Jaewick didn¡¯t say anything even as Zich said insulting words. He was able to clearly see it; how easily Zich had shattered the enormous mes that were about to engulf him relentlessly.

    ¡°You should go around a bit more carefully. If you pick a fight with anyone like how you¡¯ve been acting and meet some bad people, you might really be a pile of ashes.¡±

    Then Zich looked at the audience. ¡°Then! Does anyone here have a problem with my beautiful friend acting as a teacher for Ms. Dwanye?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    No one was able to open their mouths.

    ¡°That¡¯s good. I¡¯m d that everyone¡¯s misunderstanding about my friend has been resolved. Then I hope you no longer pay any attention to us.¡± Zich turned his back.

    He let out his hands towards L who was still standing in the dueling stage. ¡°You¡¯ve worked hard.¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t even work hard.¡± However, L still raised her hand and put it on Zich¡¯s palm. ¡°Then should we now end this ridiculous fight?¡±

    ¡°But for you to say that, didn¡¯t you beat him up too much?¡±

    ¡°Yeah right, how much can a magician¡¯s punch really hurt?¡± If Jaewick heard L¡¯s words, he might have died from the unfairness of her words. ¡°Well, I beat him up in moderation, so did everything go ording to n?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, for now.¡±

    ¡°I hope everything goes well.¡±

    ¡°Hey, don¡¯t say it like you¡¯re talking about another person''s problem. You¡¯re also rted to this.¡±

    L snorted. ¡°Well, I just have to focus on teaching Elena for now, right?¡±

    ¡°Yep. We increased the stake and made a loudmotion. Now, we just have to see how the higher ups in the magical tower react.¡±

    Like this, the disturbance in the magical tower by two outsiders came to an end.

    * * *

    A few days passed since L finished her duel. L and Zich went to the magician¡¯s tower as usual and taught Elena. However, the magicians in the magician¡¯s tower treated them differently now. Gazes that were filled with curiosity and wariness were now filled with horror and admiration.

    ¡®It¡¯s not a surprise.¡¯ Zich felt the gazes towards them and smirked.

    Even though the magical tower was divided by family status and different schools of magic, it was a ce where mages gathered to develop magic. Powerful and talented mages were treated with great reverence, and in the first ce, authority and respect in the mage¡¯s tower was decided by skills rather than family status.

    People¡¯s gazes followed L who was moving next to Zich. But L paid zero attention to the gazes that followed her.

    ¡®She¡¯s really bing engrossed in teaching.¡¯

    L was having a happy time conversing with Elena; it seemed as if the fact that teaching Elena was a part of their n was barely registering in her mind.

    ¡®Well, let her enjoy this moment as much as she wants.¡¯

    Zich had no desire to just use L however he wanted, just because she wanted to help him.

    ¡®If she lets out her stress like this at least, she would also feel better about helping meter on.¡¯

    Moreover, there was no need for them to make any forceful or intense movements.

    ¡®Rumors are spreading well, so those big shots in the magical towers are going to make their move soon.¡¯

    Among those higher-ups, Walwiss Dwayne and Ond Dwayne would definitely be included.

    * * *

    The top floor of the magician¡¯s tower was used by the head of the magician¡¯s tower, Walwiss Dwayne. The fact that the head of the magical tower used the entire top floor by himself was an indication of how great a master¡¯s authority reached in the magical tower. On one side of the top floor, there was a meeting room that the top magicians in the magician¡¯s tower could use. In the meeting room, the master and the top ten most skilled magicians in the magical tower gathered there periodically to discuss the current state of matters and what direction they should progress towards.

    ¡°Then, we¡¯ll end today¡¯s meeting like this.¡± Walwiss Dwayne ended the meeting, and the tension in the room lessened.

    ¡°Gosh, my back!¡±

    ¡°Really, this is tiring! Now that I¡¯m getting older, it¡¯s hard to even do a meeting once a month.¡±

    Mages began loosening their body and sharing small talk with each other. This always happened when a meeting ended. While the meeting was a professional matter, exchanging small talks after the meeting was a private matter where people tried to establish personal connections with other expert mages.

    A mage next to Walwiss also began a conversation with him, ¡°ording to a rumor floating around, sir, I heard that your granddaughter has epted a new teacher.¡±

    ¡°Ah, news of that has also reached my ears.¡± It was not Walwiss who replied but another mage.

    Other mages also voiced their curiosity. This topic was currently the most famous story in the mage¡¯s tower.

    ¡°I heard that child, Jaewick, took great damage from that duel.¡±

    ¡°Ugh!¡± Someone made a groaning sound. It was the head of the Jaewick family and Mawin Jaewick¡¯s grandfather, Wayne Jaewick.

    ¡°It¡¯s a good thing that this happened. He was an arrogant punk that was overconfident just because he was a bit more talented than his peers. It also can¡¯t be forgiven that he used the dueling stage without permission. It must have been a good lesson for him.¡± However, even while he said this, Wayne Jaewick¡¯s didn¡¯t have a great expression. Even though Mawin Jaewick was the one who picked a fight first, he was still Wayne¡¯s grandson.

    For that reason, nobody mentioned Mawin Jaewick again; he had already been given due punishment. They didn¡¯t want to damage theirrade¡¯s face any further. Moreover, their interest was not in Mawin Jaewick.

    ¡°I heard her name was L, right?¡±

    ¡°Yes. She¡¯s not registered with us either. I heard that she¡¯s a wandering magician.¡±

    ¡°But I also heard that her skills are extraordinary.¡±

    ¡°From what I heard, she can use Silent Incantation and Incantation Suspension. Moreover, thest incantation she used was extremely high-level magic.¡±

    The magicians exchanged information about L with each other. The master, Walwiss Dwayne, and Ond Dwayne, who had already joined this meeting despite his young age, quietly listened to them.

 Chapter 237

    <h4>Chapter 237</h4>

    The mages continued on with their conversation.

    ¡°I also heard that she was very young.¡±

    ¡°I heard that she looked only in herte teens or early twenties.¡±

    ¡°Really! It¡¯s amazing that she reached that level of magic at such a young age. It seems as if she is not just an ordinary genius.¡±

    ¡°She might be older than she looks though.¡±

    ¡°Even if she is in her thirties, it¡¯s still extraordinary.¡±

    ¡°Shouldn¡¯t we try to scout her to join us in the magical tower?¡±

    ¡°We should at least try once. A talented magician like her would definitely be a big help in the magical tower.¡±

    As the top mages continued talking, L¡¯s value as a mage soared higher; however, there were people who did not look at L so favorably. Wayne Jaewick was a leading representative of those people, and the slight trembling on his cheeks reflected his current emotions.

    However, the mages were so absorbed in their conversations that they were unable to notice Wayne Jaewick¡¯s expression. There were those who noticed, but they decided to ignore him. They had already kept their courtesy by not bringing up his grandson¡¯s story again. However, there was another person besides Wayne Jaewick who seemed to have negative feelings about L.

    ¡°Since she is such a talented mage, she might really be able to help Elena.¡±

    ¡°What nonsense.¡±

    The meeting room immediately became silent. People quickly moved their gazes at the disgruntled voice. Their gazesnded on the seat with the highest authority, the chair of the head of the magical tower.

    ¡°No matter how great a mage she is, no one can make someone without mana do magic.

    She gave false hope to a child who needs to face reality.¡±

    The mages nced at each other. They all realized that the master wasn¡¯t pleased at all by the rumors of L teaching Elena.

    ¡°¡­Well, yes. Sir, that¡¯s true.¡±

    ¡°Honestly, wasn¡¯t it you, sir, who personally taught Elena in the beginning? No matter how talented this L person is, how can she be more skilled than you? There¡¯s no way she can sessfully do what you weren¡¯t able to achieve. I think that¡¯s impossible.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ve been too high-spirited after hearing about such a genius.¡±

    The mages in the meeting room were trying to cater to the master¡¯s moods, but after calming down, they also didn¡¯t think that L would be sessful in educating Elena. Wayne Jaewick also fervently nodded his head. Rather than agreeing with the other mage¡¯s words, he felt pleased that L¡¯s value, which was reaching the sky, was falling.

    However, a sentence that directly irritated the master¡¯s mood was uttered. ¡°But is it so wrong?¡±

    Everyone¡¯s gazes shifted towards the speaker.

    ¡°Isn¡¯t this what Elena wants? She¡¯s still young. I don¡¯t think it¡¯s a bad idea to let her do everything she wants right now. If she can sessfully awaken her mana, it¡¯ll be great, but even if she can¡¯t, will the situation get any worse? It¡¯ll actually be better for her to keep trying like this, and eventually she will realize her limits and ept her situation.¡±

    ¡°¡­So you¡¯re saying that you¡¯ll keep watching her suffer like this, Ond?!¡±

    Ond shook his head at Walwiss¡¯s anger. ¡°What kind of father enjoys watching his daughter suffer? However, it¡¯ll be much more painful for Elena to give up on magic right now. Father, you know very well her love for magic.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s why I¡¯m saying she should quit right now! When do you think she¡¯ll ept her limit? It¡¯s more effective for her to quickly quit a painful reality and bury it under time! How can you say you¡¯re her parent when you¡¯re throwing your child into a path of thorns!¡±

    ¡°¡­It¡¯s my job as a parent to support the path my child wants to go.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s also a parent¡¯s job to guide your child to another path when the path they want to go is broken in the middle!¡±

    The words that passed between the father and son grew more blunt. The magicians around them were taken aback.

    ¡°I¡¯m reminding you again, but I was also not a very outstanding magician when I was young! I¡¯m the type of person that got better at magicter on! Why can¡¯t you admit that Elena might be like me!¡±

    ¡°But you were at least standing on the starting line! Elena is not even on the starting line! If Elena just gives up on magic, she has plenty of potential in other areas! Also, you¡¯re not a normal case either!¡±

    ¡°¡­Yes, I get it. Because of that, you were like that to me too.¡±

    ¡°Why are you suddenly talking about yourself!¡±

    ¡°Do you perhaps think that my child is an embarrassment to this family? That¡¯s why you¡¯re making her quickly give up on mag¡ª¡±

    m!

    Walwiss Dwayne mmed his fist on the table. ¡°¡­What the hell did you just say?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡± Ond did not reply. However, he stared directly at Walwiss¡¯ eyes and made it clear that he had no intentions to withdraw his statements.

    ¡°Hey, hey, let¡¯s stop this. We can¡¯t act like this! Even though this is time for us to connect and build our rtionships, it¡¯s not a time for a family fight.¡± The second-ranked mage who was directly under the master of the magician¡¯s tower in rank tried to appease Walwiss. Then the mage scolded Ond, ¡°And you, Ond Dwayne. No matter how angry you are, how could you say that to your father!¡±

    ¡°¡­I¡¯ve been rude. I¡¯ve shown an embarrassing side of me. I apologize for my actions.¡± Ond got up and bowed his head. However, he refused to face the direction where Walwiss was, and Walwiss was also not able to cover his furious eyes. It was difficult for people to continue their small talk in such a heavy atmosphere. While ncing at each other, people began to disperse.

    After this meeting, a rumor began spreading across the magical tower and reached all the way to the tower¡¯s lowest floor¡ªWalwiss and Ond¡¯s conflict surrounding Elena was more serious than what people thought.

    * * *

    While L taught Elena, Zich sometimes wandered around the magical tower. It was usually to fulfill L¡¯s request. L often asked Zich to go buy something in the magical tower¡¯s shop. Most of the items that L requested were snacks for her and Elena to eat during their break time. Elena felt apologetic, but Zich didn¡¯t mind getting stuff for them.

    ¡®Like this, I can hear rumors.¡¯ While waiting for baked bread to be packaged, Zich perked his ears. If he infused mana into his ear, his already keen hearing became even keener.

    ¡®As expected, I can¡¯t hear any sound from the other floors.¡¯

    As expected of a magician¡¯s tower, the only sounds that Zich could hear were soundsing from the same floor he was on. However, even Zich was able to eavesdrop on an interesting conversation.

    ¡°Have you heard about it? The head and Sir Ond Dwayne had a huge fight after their monthly meetings ended.¡±

    ¡°For what? Aren¡¯t they family? What is there to fight about¡­Ah! Is it perhaps because of Elena Dwayne?¡±

    ¡°Yep. You know that Elena Dwayne got a new teacher, right?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I saw it with my own eyes. She¡¯s really amazing. Even though she¡¯s a mage, she¡¯s really good at punching, and in regards to magic abilities, I don¡¯t think she will beckingpared to the top mages in the magical tower. Also, she¡¯s young and beautiful!¡±

    ¡°But the master doesn¡¯t seem to like that.¡±

    ¡°Well, it¡¯s pretty well known that he doesn¡¯t like Elena Dwayne studying magic.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, andpared to him, Sir Ond Dwayne has always been supportive of Elena Dwayne¡¯s magic education.¡±

    ¡°Ah, then did their conflict explode because of Elena Dwayne¡¯s new, talented teacher?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, for sure. Since they had a fight in front of everybody, it seems like this problem runs deep between the two of them.¡±

    Zich smirked. Even though the two unknown magicians continued to talk, no more useful information passed between them.

    ¡®We are making an impact for sure.¡¯

    If the two of them had a fight, even in a meeting room where everyone was watching, their rtionship was probably at the lowest point.

    ¡®At the same time, their interest in L would spike up.¡¯

    A young, genius magician that suddenly appeared in the magical tower and was now teaching their daughter/granddaughter¡ªit was impossible for them to not pay attention to L.

    ¡®They¡¯re going to call L soon.¡¯

    Then Ond and Walwiss Dwayne would try to figure out what kind of people L and Zich were. When the food he ordered came out, Zich picked it up and bought one more drink and returned to where L and Elena were. And like he predicted, a request to see L came after several more days.

    The first person to make his move was Elena¡¯s father, Ond Dwayne.

    * * *

    From beneath the carriage, there were small sounds of hooves hitting the ground; following the sound, the carriage also slowly shook. However, the pavements were smooth and the carriage was of high-quality, so the shaking remained minimal. Inside the carriage, Zich and L sat next to each other, and Elena sat on the other side. They were currently heading to Ond¡¯s mansion after receiving an invitation from him.

    Elena looked a bit nervous; she seemed a bit scared about what would happen in the first meeting between her teacher and father. Since her father supported her magic studies, it seemed as if nothing much would happen, but if her father also changed his mind about her studying magic, Elena would have to really study without anyone to depend on. Of course, even then she didn¡¯t think about giving up on her magic studies.

    ¡®It¡¯ll probably be all right.¡¯ Sheforted herself like this, but her anxiety didn¡¯t go away. ¡®I¡¯m also worried about Mr. Zich.¡¯

    He was her teacher¡¯s friend who was always kind to her. However, if she thought back to her teacher¡¯s duel with Jaewick, Zich didn¡¯t seem like a person who was only kind. At the same time, it wasn¡¯t as if anything could be resolved just by worrying. Elena let in a deep breath.

    ¡°Are you nervous?¡±

    ¡°¡­Yes, a bit.¡± Elena honestly nodded at Zich¡¯s question.

    L made a calm smile and said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯m just greeting your father as your teacher. It¡¯s nothing for you to get nervous about.¡±

    ¡°Yeah. And from the rumors, it seems like your father is very supportive of your magic studies.¡±

    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s true.¡± What Zich and L said was true. However, whenever she recalled her father¡¯s support, she thought of her grandfather¡¯s opposition at the same time and felt a bit insecure.

    ¡°If you¡¯re so worried, why don¡¯t you tell us a bit about your father? If we know more about him, we can prepare in advance.¡±

    Elena agreed to Zich¡¯s words and began exining, ¡°His name is Ond Dwayne. He¡¯s also the leader of the Conroad School of Magic, which is one of the biggest schools of magic.¡±

    ¡°I heard that he¡¯s in a different school of magic than you and your grandfather.¡±

    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right. Honestly, Conroad School of Magic is my mother¡¯s school.¡±

    A new figure, Elena¡¯s mother, appeared in the narrative. Zich¡¯s eyes sparkled a little bit.

    ¡°At that time, my father was not a very promising figure in the magical tower. My grandfather also didn¡¯t think my father would be a figurehead in magic. My father thought he should find a different method to improve his skills, so he followed my mother and changed schools.¡±

    ¡°And he improved dramatically, right?¡±

    Elena nodded. ¡°I heard that it happens sometimes. There are people whose affinity doesn¡¯t match with the school they are in.¡±

    ¡°Could you give some examples?¡±

    ¡°My grandfather and I are in the Pulru School of Magic, and fire magic is their specialty.¡±

    Zich nodded. Before his regression, Elena¡¯s specialty was also fire-rted magic.

    ¡°However, the Conroad School of Magic is on the opposite spectrum. People in this school specialize in ice magic.¡±

    ¡°No wonder. His affinity is theplete opposite.¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t mean to impose, but what happened to your mother?¡±

    ¡°She passed away.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I asked a very rude question.¡± Zich dipped his head a bit.

    Elena quickly denied his words. ¡°No. It happened a long time ago, so I¡¯m all right.¡±

    L quickly asked another question and changed the topic. ¡°Then would you say it¡¯s urate for us to think of your father as a talented magician who specializes in ice magic?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

 Chapter 238

    <h4>Chapter 238</h4>

    Zich said, ¡°Then Ms. Dwayne, did you try studying in a different school of magic like your father? Another school of magic might also fit you better.¡±

    L replied, ¡°That¡¯s only true if someone has at least a bit of mana. No school is going to ept someone like Elena Dwayne who hasn¡¯t awakened their mana at her age.¡±

    ¡°Yes, Teacher is right.¡±

    ¡°Is that so?¡±

    While they conversed, the carriage arrived at their destination. As expected of a mage who was able to participate in the top magical tower meeting at such a young age, Ond¡¯s mansion was enormous and luxurious. Zich and hispanions got off the carriage, and a servant led them to the dining room.

    ¡°Wee.¡± The person who sat in the main seat got up and greeted them. It was the mansion¡¯s master, Ond Dwayne.

    ¡°Dad!¡±

    ¡°Have you been well, Elena?¡± Ond smiled at his daughter and walked towards them. Elena jumped into his arms.

    Then he continued, ¡°You look healthy. It must be because you¡¯re having fun with your new lessons, right?¡±

    Elena smiled brightly and replied, ¡°Yes!¡± Even though Zich and L had gotten quite close to Elena, it was their first time seeing her interact with her father. ¡°It¡¯s really fun! My teacher is also really good at teaching! Ah, I¡¯ll introduce her!¡±

    Elena moved out of her father¡¯s arms and moved back to L¡¯s side. Then she said, ¡°This is my father.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m Ond Dwayne. As Elena¡¯s father, I sincerely want to thank you for taking care of my daughter.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m L. Ms. Dwayne is an amazing disciple. She¡¯s very quick at understanding concepts, and she has a fantastic memory. You must be very proud of her as her father.¡±

    ¡°Haha! I¡¯m very proud of my daughter.¡± Ond put his hand on top of Elena¡¯s shoulder, and he looked as if he really loved his daughter; one might even call Elena a daddy¡¯s girl.

    Then Ond looked in Zich¡¯s direction. ¡°May I ask who the person next to you is¡­¡±

    ¡°Sir, my name is Zich. I¡¯m a friend of L¡¯s, and I came here today to escort her.¡±

    Elena added, ¡°He also frequently helps us out with our lessons.¡±

    ¡°I see. Ah, I¡¯ve left the guests standing for too long. Pleasee sit.¡±

    They began sitting down ording to Ond¡¯s direction. As the head of the mansion, Ond sat on the main seat, and Elena sat on his right. L sat in front of Elena, and Zich sat next to L. As soon as Ond signaled to his servants, the food beganing out one by one. All the dishes were of very high-quality, and they began eating their food with the utensils in front of them.

    Ond and Elena were a bit surprised by how Zich and L ate as they both had perfect table manners.

    ¡®As expected, were they not just wandering travelers? No wonder. There¡¯s no way a powerful mage teacher and Mr. Zich, who can easily block Teacher¡¯s magic, are ordinary folks.¡¯ Elena thought it was more reasonable that they had some kind ofplicated pasts.

    Ond seemed to have simr thoughts as he stated, ¡°Both of you have excellent table manners.¡±

    L replied, ¡°I learned it while traveling here and there.¡±

    Zich also replied, ¡°In the past, I was fortunate to have the opportunity to learn them.¡±

    From L and Zich¡¯s replies, it was obvious that they didn¡¯t want to exin, so Ond quickly switched the topic. He stared at Elena and said, ¡°You said your studies have been going well, right?¡±

    ¡°Yes!¡±

    ¡°Could you perhaps sense the slightest hint of your mana awakening?¡±

    Elena had been smiling brightly so far, and she stiffened at Ond¡¯s words; just her expression was enough of an answer.

    ¡°I guess not yet.¡±

    ¡°¡­Yes.¡±

    Ond turned his head toward L¡¯s direction. ¡°What do you think, Ms. L? Do you sense any signs that Elena might awaken her mana?¡±

    ¡°No.¡± L gave a firm answer. However, rather than looking down, Elena looked relieved to hear an expected answer.

    L continued, ¡°However, I decided to teach Elena while fully knowing that this won¡¯t be an easy task. I told Elena this, and Elena also agreed to learn under me. I don¡¯t know how long I can teach Elena for, but I will try my best until it¡¯s time for me to leave.¡±

    L gave Elena a gentle and kind smile. ¡°And Elena won¡¯t give up.¡±

    ¡°Of course!¡± Elena strongly nodded at L¡¯s reply.

    ¡°¡­Elena¡¯s resolve is stronger than I thought. As a father, I tried my best to understand my daughter, but it seems that I was also prejudiced. Now I understand. If Ms. L and Elena think so too, I will use every means possible to help with Elena¡¯s studies.¡±

    After he said this, he turned back to Elena and said, ¡°Whether you seed or decide to stop studying magic, do what you want to do. I¡¯ll do my best to stop your grandfather¡¯s objection. I also don¡¯t mind if you decide toe and live in this house.¡±

    ¡°Thank you, Dad!¡± Elena tightly clutched onto her father¡¯s hand. Her father always took her side and supported her in everything she wanted to do. ¡°But I want to keep living in Grandpa¡¯s house. Even though he disapproves of my magic studies, he still loves and cares deeply about me. I also feelfortable in Grandpa¡¯s house.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, if that¡¯s what you want to do.¡± Then Ond continued conversing with his guests.

    He mostly asked about what Elena¡¯s magic lessons with L were about. Moreover, as a senior mage and Elena¡¯s parent, he requested L to focus or help Elena in certain areas of magic study. He also talked with Elena about various matters. The rest of the conversation was then about how L learned magic and whether or not she wanted to join the magical tower.

    L replied that she learned magic via self-study, and she firmly rejected Ond¡¯s offer to join the magical tower. Ond was shocked that L learned magic by herself, and he was very disappointed that she didn¡¯t want to join the magical tower. However, he didn¡¯t persistently insist.

    After some time passed, everyone finished dining. In order to escort Elena and herpanions out, Ond went out of his mansion to say his farewells.

    ¡°Please take care of my daughter in the future as well.¡± He said his farewells to L first, and then to Zich.

    Then he tightly hugged Elena. ¡°Work hard. Okay?¡±

    ¡°Yes, I will!¡±

    Like this, their dinner with Ond ended. The three of them returned to Ond¡¯s carriage to go home. Elena, whose house was close by, got off first, and Zich and L got off in front of their lodging.

    ¡°How was it? That Ond person.¡±

    At L¡¯s question, Zich rubbed his chin. ¡°He¡¯s suspicious.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s suspicious about him?¡± L asked with surprise in her voice. She was unable to find anything particrly suspicious about him. ¡°He seems like a very kind and gentle person. Despite my young age, he made sure to put Ms. next to my name every time as Elena¡¯s teacher. Moreover, as a father who is doing his best to support his daughter¡¯s dream, doesn¡¯t he seem like a good person?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s why I¡¯m saying he is suspicious. He seems too nice. People like that usually have some kind of secret ns behind their bac¡ª"

    ¡°Seriously!¡± L hit Zich¡¯s elbow and went inside their lodging. Zich also quickly followed her from behind.

    L sighed. ¡°Really, the way you think¡­¡±

    ¡°A lot of people are like that. They act like the kindest people in the world, but behind everyone¡¯s backs, they do all kinds of dirty deeds.¡±

    ¡°Is it not because you personally can¡¯t stand them?¡±

    ¡°Well, I can¡¯t say that didn¡¯t y a factor.¡± Zich chuckled. However, his yfulugh didn¡¯tst long, and his face soon turned serious.

    ¡°Like you said, he¡¯s not particrly suspicious. But there¡¯s a part that I¡¯m slightly suspicious about if I have to find anything suspicious.¡±

    ¡°¡­There was something like that?¡± L opened her eyes wide. For matters like this, she really couldn¡¯t catch up to Zich.

    ¡°When I listen to Ond and Elena¡¯s conversations, it seems like the reason why Elena didn¡¯t give up on magic to this extent was because of her father.¡±

    ¡°And that¡¯s strange? It¡¯s a widely-known fact in the magical tower that the only person who is supporting Elena in her magic study is Ond Dwayne.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s different, L. There¡¯s a clear difference between helping your daughter follow her dreams and leading your daughter to follow her dreams.¡±

    ¡°¡­Are you saying that Ond Dwayne was the one who made Elena never give up on magic?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not imagining this. From what I heard, I just subtly felt this in their conversations. Moreover, if he did that, he probably wouldn¡¯t have made it obvious. He probably shrewdly mixed his intentions with Elena¡¯s so that she wouldn¡¯t give up on magic. Of course, that would have been more than enough for an immature child.¡±

    ¡°¡­Do you have anything more to add?¡±

    ¡°There was also something strange in their conversation when they talked about Elena¡¯s education as well. Elena only has problems with her mana, and in regards to all other magic abilities, she¡¯s a genius, right?¡±

    L nodded in response.

    ¡°Yet, he was barely curious about her ability to control mana. He could have at least asked your thoughts about possible ways to awaken her mana. On the other hand, he showed great interest in all of Elena¡¯s magic abilities except for her ability to control mana. He even asked you which areas she should grow first and exchanged his opinions and thoughts.¡±

    Now that Zich said it like this, it definitely seemed suspicious that Ond barely showed interest in Elena awakening her mana.

    But L shook her head. ¡°A father could do that though. Since mana is Elena¡¯s weakness, he might have purposefully avoided that topic. Since other magic skills are areas that Elena can be confident in, he could have tried to direct his questions rted to that to bring up her self-esteem. His suggestions on her education is something that a father and an expert mage would normally do. If you think of it in this perspective, don¡¯t you think Ond Dwayne just seems like a good father?¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡± Zich didn¡¯t contradict L¡¯s words. ¡°That¡¯s why I said that. If anything seemed off, this might be something suspicious. But L¡ª¡±

    Zich put one finger up in front of L¡¯s face. ¡°In a situation where we barely have any clues, something insignificant like this could be our clue to the truth. Of course, you don¡¯t have to think about it too seriously. Just keep it in the back of your mind while we continue to execute our ns.¡±

    Since Zich didn¡¯t say anything wrong, L nodded in agreement. ¡°You¡¯re not going to infiltrate this time? I thought you¡¯d immediately infiltrate once you made Walwiss Dwayne and Ond Dwayne your suspects.¡±

    L thought of Albus Windpool and Renu Ent Dras.

    ¡°I was in a hurry before, so there was a need for me to risk some danger. But right now, Elena Dwayne is just a bit stressed, and it¡¯s not really an urgent matter. We already have two suspects as well.¡±

    ¡°Then are we going to focus on steadily collecting clues then?¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s no need to follow a set path. Depending on the situation, we can decide how we want to move. If the situation calls for it, I can infiltrate whenever I want.¡±

    Zich stared in the direction of the magical tower.

    ¡°Nevertheless, the magical tower is a ce I want to avoid infiltrating with my current skills, so I¡¯m hoping more clues cane into light.¡±

    * * *

    One day passed after they received Ond Dwayne¡¯s invitation. They received an invitation from Walwiss Dwayne this time. While giving L and Zich the invitation, Elena looked extremely nervous. As everyone in the magical tower knew, her grandfather was different from her father and fiercely opposed her magic studies. Lforted Elena and epted Walwiss¡¯s invitation.

    The very same night, Zich and L stood in front of a new mansion.

    ¡°You must be Elena¡¯s teacher.¡± Even though he was maintaining basic etiquette, Walwiss greeted them with unweing eyes.

 Chapter 239

    <h4>Chapter 239</h4>

    Their meal together wasn¡¯t as bad as Zich and hispanions expected. Walwiss showed basic manners to them the entire time. Even though he didn¡¯t use high-level honorifics to Zich and L, he used lower-level honorifics. He also called L ¡®Ms. L¡¯ as Elena¡¯s teacher every time he addressed her. Elena, who felt nervous and fidgety the whole time, slowly began to talk more as their meeting progressed smoothly.

    ¡®If it¡¯s not about magic, they seem to have a very good rtionship.¡¯ Zich recalled how Elena told Ond that she didn¡¯t want to leave her grandfather¡¯s house. ¡®Well, no wonder. If her rtionship with her grandfather was awful, there would be no reason for her to stay here. She could easily just stay with her father.¡¯

    From what Elena told him, it seemed as if Ond used to live in the same house as her and Walwiss in the past. However, Ond naturally moved out when he switched his school of magic, and since Elena had studied Walwiss¡¯ Pulru School of Magic, she stayed in Walwiss¡¯ house. In a normal family, children would usually follow their parents, but the Dwayne family was not an ordinary family¡ªthey were a family of mages.

    When the main course was finished, the desserts were passed out. Even though Walwiss hadn¡¯t brought up any sensitive topics so far, the reason why he invited L was to discuss Elena¡¯s magic studies. In the end, their conversation turned serious and Walwiss asked, ¡°How is my granddaughter faring in her studies?¡±

    Elena¡¯s body froze. She felt as if she was going to let out a hup at any moment.

    ¡°It¡¯s progressing well. Ms. Dwayne is a brilliant pupil. Her ability to absorb information is outstanding.¡±

    ¡°Is that so?¡± No matter how much he was against his granddaughter studying, Walwiss felt happy that his granddaughter was receivingpliments. A pleased expression appeared on his face. However, it was only for a moment before Walwiss soon hardened his expression again ¡°Then what about the most important matter¡ªher mana?¡±

    L calmly replied, ¡°It hasn¡¯t awakened yet.¡± A short silence filled the whole room.

    Walwiss let out a small sigh. ¡°I believe that you already know my stance on this matter. Whether or not Elena told you about it or not, my opposition against her studying magic is a famous story in Sunewick.¡±

    ¡°Yes, I¡¯ve heard.¡±

    ¡°Then you must know what I''m going to say next.¡±

    ¡°Are you going to tell me to stop teaching Elena?¡±

    Walwiss rxed his body and squinted his eyes. So far, Walwiss had let out a strong and pressuring aura as the master of the magical tower and the leader of the Pulru School of Magic, but now he looked like an ordinary grandfather who was worried about his granddaughter.

    Walwiss looked at Zich and L and asked, ¡°Are the two of you lovers?¡±

    The two of them replied instantly.

    L replied, ¡°No.¡±

    Zich replied, ¡°No sir.¡±

    ¡°Is that so? The two of you look good together.¡±

    Zich smirked and L let out a scoff.

    ¡°Then do you two have lovers?¡±

    Zich replied, ¡°We both don¡¯t have one.¡±

    ¡°If the two of you date someone and get married and have children, you would understand my thoughts and emotions. Raising a child is no ordinary feat.¡±

    Walwiss drank one sip of the tea that came along with his dessert. ¡°Ms. L, I¡¯ll just ask one question. Is the path of a mage easy?¡±

    ¡°Not at all.¡± L shook her head without an ounce of hesitation.

    Even though L had an astounding amount of magical knowledge and could masterfully use all kinds of magic including Silent Incantation andplicated magic circles, L could never say that it was easy to walk the path of a mage. Likewise, Walwiss felt the same way even though he had walked the path of a mage his entire life and was respected and admired by everyone as the head of the magical tower.

    ¡°I also think so. People talk about me as if I¡¯m a master of magic, but from my perspective, I¡¯m just a person who slightly dipped their foot in the ocean called mana. That¡¯s how deep and vast the study of magic is.¡±

    L nodded and agreed with Walwiss¡¯ words.

    ¡°All the people around me said I was a genius, and I also think I¡¯m a genius. My environment was perfect for cultivating my magical talent, and I also enjoyed studying magic. However, despite all this, walking the path of a mage was extremely tough and tiring.¡±

    ¡°I understand.¡±

    ¡°Then Ms. L, do you think I can advise my granddaughter to walk such a difficult path?¡± Walwiss continued with a tearful voice, ¡°You might think that I¡¯m a rotten old fart who doesn¡¯t consider his granddaughter¡¯s feelings at all and that I just push my own viewpoints.¡±

    ¡°I haven¡¯t really thought of it like that¡­¡±

    ¡°If you didn¡¯t, I¡¯m thankful. No matter how I see it, I think my son thinks that way about me.¡±

    L made a bittersweet smile.

    Walwiss added, ¡°Even if you do think that, I hope you can understand where I¡¯ming from. It¡¯s a bit embarrassing for me to say this myself, but the Dwayne family is one of the most renowned families in Sunewick. There are many people among our ancestors who became the head of the magical tower. It¡¯s natural for the descendants of our family to walk the path of a mage, and it¡¯ll probably continue to be like that in the future as well. If one of our family members shows passion and interest for magic, we will do our best to support them.¡±

    However, Walwiss had blocked Elena¡¯s path of bing a mage.

    ¡°Ms. L, what do you think is the possibility of Elena awakening her mana?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know exactly, but it¡¯s probably extremely low.¡±

    ¡°Yes. Even with amazing talent, the path of a mage is very difficult. How could a personcking the most fundamental part of being a mage walk such a difficult path? It¡¯s basically the same as standing in front of hundreds of soldiers in a war without a sword, spear, bow, armor, or even a random rock. As Elena¡¯s grandfather and her guardian, I cannot let this be.¡±

    ¡°But this is what Elena wants.¡±

    ¡°Yes. It¡¯s very difficult to stop a youngster from following their dreams. I was the same when I was young, but I¡¯m too old for that now. So it¡¯s difficult to understand youngsters with such fiery passion. I also can¡¯t understand my son. If Elena had a little, even the tiniest bit of mana, I might have thought the same way as my son.¡±

    However, Elena didn¡¯t have mana, which was necessary for all mages.

    ¡°I¡¯ve already aplished everything I wanted to aplish. The only thing I want now is Elena¡¯s happiness. If she gives up magic, I¡¯m willing to do anything for her. If she wants to study something else, I will fully support her, and if she wants to open up a shop, I can provide her with all the funds she needs. And if she wants to get married, I can look for the best spouses.¡±

    With his abilities, power, and status, these were all things that were possible under his domain.

    ¡°Magic is the only thing that is not possible. If Elena chooses another path, I have no ns to stop her from studying magic as a hobby. However, I¡¯m against her making magic as her ultimate goal.¡±

    ¡°Elena feels happy while studying magic.¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s no guarantee that this feeling willst. Effort without repayment or result is always difficult. Moreover, what if she has to deal with this for the rest of her life? That won¡¯t be happiness but suffering instead.¡± Walwiss was firm about this matter.

    ¡°So, Sir Dwayne, am I right to think that you will continue opposing Elena¡¯s magic study?¡±

    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right.¡±

    ¡°Then do you want me to immediately stop teaching Ms. Dwayne?¡±

    Walwiss stared at Elena; she looked at him with anxiety in her eyes. Walwiss let out a sigh. ¡°Even if I say yes, it seems like neither Elena nor you, her teacher, would stop.¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°Why don¡¯t you at least reply in a roundabout manner in consideration for me? Please think of this old man¡¯s health.¡± Walwiss shook his head side to side. ¡°I heard that you were travelers. How long do you two n to stay in this city?¡±

    ¡°We haven¡¯t decided yet, but we probably won¡¯t stay too long.¡±

    ¡°I understand.¡± Walwiss stared at Elena. ¡°I still oppose your decision to study magic.¡±

    ¡°¡­Yes.¡±

    ¡°But as your grandfather, I don¡¯t want to keep pushing away your wish. This is the only time I¡¯ll let you do as you wish.¡±

    Elena¡¯s eyes widened.

    ¡°It¡¯s only until this teacher leaves this city. When she leaves, I¡¯m going to start opposing your magic studies again.¡±

    ¡°Grandpa!¡± Elena jumped into Walwiss¡¯ arms.

    A disapproving expression appeared on Walwiss¡¯ face; however, he couldn¡¯t get rid of the subtle smile forming on his lips. Yet the words that came out of his mouth were still cold. ¡°Don¡¯t be happy about this. As I said, it¡¯s only until your teacher leaves this city.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m thankful even if it¡¯s just that.¡±

    Walwiss patted his granddaughter¡¯s back as if it couldn''t be helped.

    While watching this sight, L yfully said, ¡°You didn¡¯t ce any conditions. I thought you would at least say that if Elena doesn¡¯t show any results by the time I leave, she has to give up on magic.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s because I don¡¯t want to turn my granddaughter into a liar.¡±

    Even if he made such a condition, he didn¡¯t think that Elena would keep this promise. Seeing Elena¡¯s embarrassed face, it seemed as if Walwiss was not wrong.

    L smiled softly. ¡°Sir Dwayne, you are a kind grandfather.¡±

    ¡°How can I be a kind grandfather when I¡¯m against something that my granddaughter loves?¡± Walwiss waved his hand. ¡°Anyway, I will also be at peace. I won¡¯t have to fight my granddaughter for a while. Ah, now that I think about it, Teacher, do you have any ns to join the mages in the magical tower?¡±

    L blinked at the sudden scouting offer. ¡°It¡¯s very sudden, but if I decide to stay in the magical tower, wouldn¡¯t I have to keep teaching Elena?¡±

    ¡°Ah, yes, that¡¯s right.¡± Walwiss frowned as if he hadn¡¯t realized this. ¡°As the head of the magician¡¯s tower though, I have to constantly try scouting mages like you.¡±

    Walwiss let out a groan and fell into contemtion. L¡¯s yful question seemed to have been a very difficult dilemma for him.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I have no ns to join the mages in the magical tower.¡±

    ¡°¡­I don¡¯t know if I should be happy or sad about this,¡± Walwiss said bitterly.

    * * *

    After the meal ended, Zich and hispanions left the Dwayne mansion. Elena went outside the mansion to send them off, and she had a very bright expression. This was natural as she received approval from her grandfather to study magic, at least temporarily. Like before, Zich and L rode the carriage and got off in front of their lodging.

    L¡¯s question was also simr to the previous day. ¡°How was he?¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s suspicious.¡±

    Zich¡¯s reply was serious, but L eyed him and said, ¡°Don¡¯t tell me. Are you going to say Walwiss Dwayne seems suspicious because he¡¯s too great of a grandfather?¡±

    ¡°How are you able to read my mind so well these days?¡±

    L swiped her face down with her hand. ¡°Stop ying around and just tell me!¡±

    Zich chuckled for a while and then finally said, ¡°Walwiss is suspicious in the first ce because he severely opposes Elena¡¯s magic studies.¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s a reason for it. Moreover, after listening to their conversation, it seems like he really does love his granddaughter.¡±

    ¡°He could¡¯ve been acting all along. I tricked so many people with my acting as well.¡±

    ¡°I think it¡¯s difficult topare you to other people.¡±

    ¡°Why? Does Walwiss Dwayne¡¯s affection seem very real? Moreover, you don¡¯t want to be suspicious of a grandfather who loves his granddaughter, right?¡±

    L flinched.

    ¡°This is why you can¡¯t be swept away by your emotions. This is especially so towards old people, whom we usually consider weak and vulnerable. If they show a bit of emotion, people normally get swept along.¡±

    ¡°¡­Yeah, yeah, I¡¯m the stupid one.¡± L didn¡¯t have much to say, but she added, ¡°It¡¯s weird to think he¡¯s suspicious just because he refused to allow Elena to study magic.¡±

    ¡°So let¡¯s just say that Glen Zenard really is rted to the robed figures, and he¡¯s been a trashy person all along. Then what if Glen Zenard helps free Elena Dwayne¡¯s mana in her moment of despair? What do you think will happen?¡±

    L opened her eyes wide.

    ¡°It¡¯s just a theory right now. Not a fact, but a theory. However, if this theory is correct, Walwiss, who is blocking Elena¡¯s magic study, bes super suspicious.¡±

    Zich had a point.

    ¡°Nevertheless, there¡¯s no conclusive evidence or even a minor clue. I only have some possible spections that simply resemble a story right now.¡±

    ¡°So for now, did our n to pry information from Walwiss Dwayne and Ond Dwayne fail?¡±

    If they just looked at their results, then they had failed. However, Zich didn¡¯t think they came up with zero results, because he uncovered some very interesting information from their encounter with Walwiss.

    ¡®It¡¯s that person, right?¡¯ Zich was surprised when he first saw Walwiss Dwayne. Even though it should have been his first time seeing him, Walwiss looked very familiar to Zich.

    ¡®Whenever I dream of myself as Brave, there¡¯s always an ill-tempered mage fighting with Leona. That mage really looks like Walwiss Dwayne.¡¯

    It was as if they were the same person.

 Chapter 240

    <h4>Chapter 240</h4>

    ¡®Of course, if I assume those dreams were not just full of horseshit.¡¯

    Zich wasn¡¯t sure yet if his dreams about Brave were real. No, it was more urate to say that he didn¡¯t want to give up his hope yet.

    ¡®Please let them be nonsensical dreams¡­¡¯

    Zich didn¡¯t want to admit to himself that Zich Brave, who acted like some kind of hero, was one of his past selves. However, just because his dreams didn¡¯t fit his tastes, Zich couldn¡¯t just dismiss his dreams as false. In a way, his dreams might be connected to his regression, L¡¯s knowledge about possible futures, and Glen Zenard¡¯s secret scheme. Zich¡¯s personality could not let go of something like this.

    ¡®I sometimes hate this part of myself. It would be better if I could just ignore such an unpleasant thought and move on.¡¯

    Even though this part of his personality had saved him many times before his regression, he disliked this trait right now.

    ¡®If that shitty dream is real, then would Walwiss Dwayne be a trustworthy person?¡¯

    Zich thought that if Walwiss really was the mage among Brave¡¯spanions, he probably wasn''t a bad guy. Lube and Leona were Brave¡¯s otherpanions, and they were both on the good side.

    ¡®Then there¡¯s a high possibility that the huge man and the mage on Brave¡¯s team are also good.¡¯

    Then there was one person left.

    ¡®Is it Ond Dwayne?¡¯

    ¡°What are you thinking so hard about?¡±

    Zich woke up from his deep contemtion at L¡¯s voice. ¡°I was thinking about how to falsely use¡­no, make them the culprit¡­no, that¡¯s not it. I was just thinking about how to find more clues and¡ª¡±

    ¡°Just go back to your room.¡± Before L even finished her sentence, she had turned her back and gone into their lodging.

    Zich cried out loud in response to how cold she was to him. However, even with such a yful attitude, there was a deep, thoughtful look in his eyes.

    * * *

    Since Elena had gotten past the biggest hurdle to her magic studies (Walwiss Dwayne), nothing could stop her now. She no longer went to the magical tower anymore. Since Walwiss had formally given her his permission, there was no need for her to go all the way to the magical tower to pursue her studies.

    As expected of the master of the magical tower, the Dwayne mansion had extremely high level research and training rooms. Of course, Walwiss didn¡¯t let his granddaughter use these facilities without another motive. L assigned work to Elena and moved a bit away from her to where Zich was standing.

    She asked, ¡°How is the surveince?¡±

    Zich sipped tea that a servant gave him and replied, ¡°They¡¯re stationed in several different areas.¡±

    ¡°As expected, he didn¡¯t just let us use the training grounds.¡±

    ¡°Of course. It¡¯s not like Walwiss Dwayne knew us for a long time to have any strong trust in us. On the other hand, if he hadn¡¯t provided security measures like this to protect his granddaughter, I would have been suspicious about his sanity.¡±

    L nodded in agreement.

    ¡°E-excuse me.¡± An awkward voice interrupted their conversation. Zich and L turned their heads toward the speaker.

    ¡°Why was I brought here?¡± With a confused face, Snoc was sitting next to Zich and looking all around him.

    Koo¡­

    Nowem was lying down on Snoc¡¯s shoulders, and he cried out in agreement.

    L pressed down on Snoc¡¯s shoulder and said, ¡°I want you to help us out with Elena¡¯s lesson.¡±

    After Walwiss gave permission for Elena to study magic in his house, L began calling Elena by her first name; Zich also did the same.

    Snoc replied, ¡°Me? But Ms. L, I hardly know anything about magic.¡±

    ¡°I know. Don¡¯t worry. Do you honestly think I¡¯m going to ask you to teach magic? To be more precise, rather than you, I need Nowem¡¯s power.¡±

    Koo!

    Nowem immediately got up from Snoc¡¯s shoulder. He looked at L and then Elena. A past memory shed past his mind.

    -Could I perhaps dissect this being a bit?

    -If someone is going to dissect Nowem and research about him, I¡¯ll be the first one in line.

    Kooooooo!

    Nowem let out a scream and hid inside Snoc¡¯s clothes. Snoc also looked at L with caution.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± L had no idea why they were suddenly acting like this.

    Zich¡¯s voice was mixed withughter as he answered her question. ¡°He probably got scared because of what you said about dissecting him.¡±

    ¡°Oh. You still kept that in your heart? Do you honestly think that I will dissect Nowem?¡±

    With L¡¯s firm denial, Snoc felt a bit relieved and Nowem poked out his face a little bit. However, one really had to finish listening to the end.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, as long as we don¡¯t be enemies, I will never dissect Nowem.¡±

    Snoc thought, ¡®I just wanted her to say that the whole thing about dissecting Nowem was all a joke!¡¯

    ¡®Koo!¡¯

    One person and one magical beast let out silent screams.

    ¡°Teacher! I¡¯m done!¡± Elena quickly ran towards L as if she was a dog bringing a stick. She was holding the assignment that L had assigned her.

    ¡°You did a great job. As expected of you.¡± L brightly smiled and said, ¡°Good, Elena. Then why don¡¯t we actually try using magic?¡±

    ¡°¡­What?¡± A small break appeared in Elena¡¯s smile. ¡°Teacher, my mana is¡­¡±

    ¡°I know. As your teacher, how could I forget that? So, I brought someone who can help you.¡±

    ¡°Someone to help me?¡±

    L stared at Snoc, and Zich also stared at Snoc. Naturally, Elena¡¯s gaze also moved towards Snoc.

    ¡°¡­Huh?¡± Snoc was baffled as three pairs of eyes all stared at him at the same time.

    L said, ¡°This child will take care of your mana.¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°¡­What?¡±

    Elena was the one who first expressed her doubt, and Snoc blinked his eyes and replied a few secondster.

    ¡°Teacher, is there a way to use magic by using mana from another person?¡± Even though Elena had learned under Walwiss when she was young, this was the first time she heard of such a method. No, in the first ce, Elena thought that this kind of method was impossible. The only thing that was simr to this was using a mana tuning device to increase one¡¯s amount of mana for a short amount of time. Moreover, such devices had many limitations, and most of all, the user had to at least have a minimum amount of mana.

    ¡°If I¡¯m being precise, you will be using Nowem¡¯s mana, not Snoc¡¯s mana.¡±

    ¡°Nowem?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s the magical beast that this guy is always carrying around.¡±

    Koo?

    As soon as his name was called out, Nowem cried out in confusion.

    Snoc realized what L was trying to do, but another question soon popped up in his head. ¡°But Ms. L, if she uses Nowem¡¯s mana¡­¡± Snoc was unable to continue his sentence, but L could fully understand what he was trying to say.

    A human could use mana from a magical beast. Of course, the will of the magical beast was important and if the person was not the magical beast¡¯s contractor, the effectiveness of using the magical beast¡¯s mana was extremely low. However, people were still able to use it. On the other hand, since Snoc knew what happened to Nowem¡¯s past contractor, he was unsure about letting another person use Nowem¡¯s mana.

    ¡°It¡¯s all right. L is not stupid.¡± Zich continued, ¡°She¡¯s really just showing a slight taste of mana to Elena. Since they are not in a formal contract, Nowem¡¯s mana won¡¯t continue residing in her body.¡±

    ¡°Well, then¡­¡± Snoc moved Nowem into his hands and met Nowem¡¯s eyes. ¡°That¡¯s what they are saying. What do you want to do?¡±

    Even though Zich, his master, was telling him to listen to L, Snoc thought that Nowem¡¯s will was more important. Snoc would never force Nowem to do something he didn¡¯t want to do.

    Koo!

    Fortunately, Nowem nodded his head. Nowem jumped off from Snoc¡¯s hand. Then he climbed onto Elena¡¯s shoulder as she watched him curiously.

    ¡°Kyah!¡± Elena made a small scream at the unfamiliar feeling of a small animal climbing on top of her. However, before she realized it, Nowem was on top of her shoulders. While looking at his bright eyes, Elena carefully moved her fingers closer to him.

    Lick!

    When Nowem licked her fingers, she giggled.

    ¡°Well, let¡¯s y with Nowem a littleter and focus on our lessons for now.¡±

    ¡°Ah, yes!¡± Elena quickly straightened her posture.

    ¡°Nowem, you put some mana into Elena. Since she¡¯s unable to awaken her mana yet, if you allow the mana to flow into her too quickly, it¡¯ll hurt a lot for her. So do it slowly, ok?¡±

    Nowem raised his front leg and shouted, ¡°Koo!¡±

    ¡°And Elena.¡±

    ¡°Yes!¡±

    ¡°Even though it¡¯s mana from a magical beast, it¡¯s much more difficult for humans to use itpared to their own mana, unless their affinity is verypatible.¡± L nced at Snoc. ¡°Moreover, it would even be harder for you, because you¡¯ve never used mana. So do your best to focus.¡±

    ¡°Yes!¡±

    ¡°The magic you have to use should be earth-rted magic. Is there an earth magic spell you know?¡±

    ¡°Would I be able to use fire-rted magic instead?¡± As expected, it seemed as if Elena wanted to use magic in her school of magic.

    L shook her head. ¡°Nowem is a magical beast of the earth, and his mana is obviously filled with earth properties. Forcefully changing that property is too difficult for you right now. It also doesn¡¯t fit with this lesson when you¡¯re just trying out mana for the first time.¡±

    Elena regretfully answered, ¡°Yes, teacher.¡±

    ¡°Think of it this way Elena,¡± Zich intervened. ¡°Won¡¯t it be better to do magic that you really want to do with your own strength? Why don¡¯t you try doing fire-rted magic when you¡¯re able to control mana? Won¡¯t that feel much more worthwhile?¡±

    ¡°¡­Now that you phrase it this way...¡± Elena was able to get her spirits up again.

    Zich winked at L and moved back.

    ¡°Then, let¡¯s begin.¡± With L¡¯s signal, Nowem slowly began to infuse mana into Elena¡¯s body.

    Elena opened her eyes wide. She clearly felt the force flowing inside her body.

    ¡®This is mana!¡¯

    Elena engrossed herself in the joy of feeling mana for the first time until¡ª

    ¡°Elena! Focus!¡± With L¡¯s voice, Elena quickly regained her focus. Then she tried moving the mana inside her body. How long had she waited for this moment? How much had she wanted to feel this feeling? How hard had she worked to grasp this power?

    ¡®I can¡¯t fail!¡¯

    Elena¡¯s attention reached the maximum level; with her will, Nowem¡¯s mana began to slowly move.

    ¡°Wel! Win! Udu! Dura!¡± Elena began saying her incantations. It was much harder to make her incantations while moving the mana inside of her. It felt as if her tongue was going to twist.

    However, she slowly but surely let out her incantations. This was the same for the mana. It was very difficult to move the mana at first; however, as she continued to force her will into the mana, it slowly moved ordingly. The mana didn¡¯t move as well as she imagined; it moved much more slowly and stiffly than what she expected. However, the images she had in her mind slowly turned into reality.

    Crunch!

    A dirt pile next to her soared up and began gathering in front of Elena¡¯s outreached hand. It slowly grew into the size of a fist.

    ¡°Won!¡± Elena let out herst incantation.

    sh!

    The dirt ball flew into the air.

    Thud!

    It hit a tree trunk and crumbled back to the earth. It was really an insubstantial and meager spell.

    ¡°Ah!¡± However, to Elena, this spell was more priceless than any other spell. She looked at L. ¡°¡­Teacher.¡±

    ¡°You did it.¡± L smiled patiently.

    Tears began to well in Elena¡¯s eyes. She ran towards L and jumped into L¡¯s outstretched arms. While she was in L¡¯s arms, Elena cried. She cried her eyes out as if she was letting go of all the misery and humiliation she had experienced while studying magic.

    Zich, Snoc, and Nowem quietly watched the scene in front of them. Zich had his arms folded to not ruin this moment, and Snoc, influenced by the atmosphere, rubbed the ends of his nose. Nowem had climbed back to Snoc¡¯s shoulders in the middle, and he also watched the scene in front of him with soft eyes. However, Nowem slightly tilted his head as if he had felt something somewhat strange.

 Chapter 241

    <h4>Chapter 241</h4>

    After Elena was sessful in casting a spell for the first time, Elena used Nowem¡¯s mana a few more times to continue practicing. It really was an insignificant level of magic, but Elena was extremely happy every time her spell worked.

    L asked, ¡°Are you happy?¡±

    ¡°Yes!¡±

    Elena was able to reply to L¡¯s question with great energy.

    ¡°There¡¯s a clear difference between having experience with using mana or not, and I¡¯m sure this will be very helpful in awakening your mana.¡±

    ¡°Yes!¡± How great would it be if that turned out to be true? Regardless of how things turned out, Elena thought that this was definitely a good experience for her.

    ¡°Then, let¡¯s end today¡¯s lesson.¡±

    ¡°Yes? Can¡¯t we practice for a bit longer?¡± Elena wanted to feel the sensation of using magic for a bit longer.

    L firmly shook her head. ¡°Just look at your face right now.¡±

    Elena touched her face. Even though she couldn''t see her face right now, she could roughly judge the state of her face with just her hands. Her face was covered in sweat, and her skin seemed to have gotten rougher.

    ¡°That¡¯s normal since it¡¯s your first time using mana, especially mana that is not yours. Since you¡¯re in a good mood, you¡¯re probably not feeling it right now, but I¡¯m sure the mental strain on your mind has been very intense.¡±

    ¡®Now that I think about it¡­¡¯ After L pointed that out, Elena felt that her head was slightly spinning. Her whole body was fatigued and strained as if she had been wrung dry like a rag. Her eyelids felt heavy as if big rocks were pressing down on it, and she wanted to immediately fall asleep.

    ¡°Teacher, I really do feel tired. I think I¡¯m going to faint if I practice more.¡±

    ¡°Elena, today is not the only day you can use mana. We¡¯ll be helping you out for a while, so just focus on getting a lot of rest for the rest of the day.¡±

    ¡°Yes, Teacher.¡± Even though Elena felt deeply regretful, she obediently nodded. She looked at Nowem who was sprawled on her shoulders as if this was his house; it seemed as if he had gotten veryfortable on her shoulder in such a short amount of time.

    ¡°You said your name was Nowem, right?¡±

    Koo.

    ¡°Thank you for today. Would I be able to ask for your help in the future as well?¡±

    Koo!

    Nowem easily nodded his head. She carefullyid out her hand in front of Nowem, and Nowem jumped down from her shoulder to her hand.

    ¡°And you¡¯re Mr. Snoc, right?¡±

    ¡°Yes, you¡¯re right.¡±

    Elena put out her hand that held Nowem towards Snoc. ¡°Thank you for letting me borrow Nowem.¡±

    ¡°Miss, this is what Nowem chose for himself. I didn¡¯t do anything to receive your thanks. And I didn¡¯t let you borrow Nowem, because he is not an object that can be borrowed.¡±

    ¡°Ah, I¡¯m sorry! I didn¡¯t mean it like that!¡± Elena was startled and put her head down.

    ¡°It¡¯s fine. You just need to be more careful next time.¡±

    ¡°I will definitely be more careful!¡±

    When Snoc put out his hand, Nowem, who was on Elena¡¯s hand, jumped onto Snoc¡¯s hand.

    Elena stole furtive nces at Snoc and asked, ¡°Would you be able to help me out in the future?¡±

    ¡°You received permission from Nowem, so I¡¯m not going to go against his decision.¡±

    ¡°Thank you.¡± Elena made a bright smile and said her goodbyes to Snoc.

    Like this, Elena¡¯s first day of using magic was over.

    * * *

    Zich and hispanions rode a carriage to go back to their lodging. Walwiss had given them a carriage from his mansion. As expected of a carriage from a highly esteemed family, the carriage ride was very smooth. Zich and Snoc sat next to each other, and L sat across from them. Nowemy down on Snoc¡¯sp and rolled around.

    ¡°Nowem.¡±

    Koo?

    Nowem raised his head. He tilted his head as he saw that Zich was staring at him.

    ¡°You let Elena borrow your mana today. Did you feel anything strange?¡±

    ¡°Anything strange?¡± Snoc blinked his eyes a few times. He thought that they had juste to help Elena with her magic studies. However, judging by Zich¡¯s words, it seemed as if there was another reason.

    Snoc looked in front of him, and he saw that L was also looking at Nowem with a serious expression. Naturally, Snoc also looked at Nowem.

    Koo?

    Nowem was startled that suddenly everyone was looking at him.

    Zich said, ¡°There¡¯s no reason to get startled. Even if you didn¡¯t feel anything strange, I¡¯m not going to do anything to you. Just tell me your thoughts.¡±

    Koo¡­

    Nowem closed his eyes and fell into deep thought at Zich¡¯s words. However, he didn¡¯t need to think for long.

    Koo!

    Snoc asked, ¡°What? You sensed something?¡±

    Koo! Koo!

    L and Zich showed interest as Nowem enthusiastically nodded.

    Zich asked, ¡°What did you feel?¡±

    Koo! Koo! Koo, koo! Koooo! Koo!

    Nowem stood up with his hind legs and waved around his front legs while letting out sounds. Nowem was expressing something as he kept moving around Snoc¡¯s knees. However, L and Zich were unable to understand. Naturally, they both stared at Snoc to trante.

    Snoc answered, ¡°Ah, please wait a moment.¡±

    Snoc listened to Nowem¡¯s words(?) very intently. Even though he couldn¡¯t exactly understand Nowem¡¯s words(?), he was still Nowem¡¯s contractor; he could roughly understand what Nowem was trying to say.

    Snoc said to Nowem, ¡°So you¡¯re saying that you felt some kind of foreign substance when you poured mana into her body?¡±

    Koo!

    ¡°And you also felt a bit of your mana slightly disappear, but you¡¯re not sure if you were mistaken or not?¡±

    Koo!

    ¡°That¡¯s what he said.¡±

    After listening to Snoc¡¯s trantion(?), Zich and L began sharing their thoughts.

    L said, ¡°A part of his mana disappeared¡­As expected, is there some kind of weird device or substance inside Elena¡¯s body?¡±

    ¡°Since Nowem is unsure, maybe he was mistaken. But it¡¯s still definitely suspicious.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s something we need to look into, right?¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡± Then Zich looked at Nowem and said, ¡°We¡¯ll be bringing you and Snoc to Elena¡¯s lessons for a while, so try to carefully look for anything strange inside her.¡±

    Then Zich took out an apple from his magic box and handed it to Nowem.

    Koo!

    Nowem cried out in happiness as he received an apple that was a third of his body size and took a bite out of his apple. L smiled slightly as she watched Nowem chew his apple and lightly flicked his nose. Nowem shook his head side to side and took one more bite of his apple.

    Koo~!

    The carriage slowly moved with the sound of a magical beast¡¯s happy cry.

    * * *

    Elena¡¯s magic training, which utilized Nowem¡¯s mana, continued. Even though she was borrowing another being¡¯s mana, Elena dearly looked forward to Nowem¡¯s visit. Since she was borrowing mana from another being, her physical body easily became tired; however, the happiness she felt from being able to use mana made her forget about her tiredness. In the meantime, Nowem searched with his mana that was inside Elena¡¯s body and became more certain of his belief.

    ¡°Although the amount is almost microscopic, Nowem says that his mana inside Ms. Dwayne¡¯s body disappeared by a bit.¡±

    Both Zich and L nodded at Snoc¡¯s words.

    ¡°As we thought, there¡¯s something wrong with Elena¡¯s body.¡±

    ¡°What are you going to do?¡± L asked.

    In response, Zich crossed his arms and said, ¡°Truthfully, we didn¡¯t gain much by just finding out that there¡¯s a problem with Elena¡¯s body. I mean, it¡¯s what we thought since the beginning.¡±

    ¡°¡­That¡¯s true.¡±

    Both Zich and L knew that Elena Dwayne would be an outstanding magician with overwhelming expertise in fire magic in the future; thus, they both knew that it was strange that she hadn¡¯t been able to free her mana yet.

    ¡°Also, we don¡¯t have a way to awaken Elena¡¯s mana. At the same time, I think the fact that Nowem directly found something rather than us guessing means that we are making some progress.¡±

    Koo? When he heard his name, Nowem raised his head while chewing the apple that Zich had also given to him today. However, Zich gestured to Nowem to continue eating, so he quickly plunged his face into the apple again.

    ¡°Then, what are you going to do?¡±

    ¡°I am going to let people know,¡± Zichughed. ¡°I am going to tell people that there¡¯s something strange about Elena¡¯s body, and if that problem gets fixed, she could possibly use magic.¡±

    ¡°To whom exactly are you going to tell?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m going to let Elena¡¯s family know, of course,¡± Zich said. Most people like Snoc would have thought that Zich was saying this in consideration of Elena and her family.

    However, L, who knew that Zich suspected Elena¡¯s family members, specifically Walwiss and Ond, thought differently. ¡®He is nning to force his suspects into action.¡¯

    If one of them had done something to Elena, it was likely that they would try to do something after finding out that Zich and hispanions knew the truth.

    ¡°Aren¡¯t Ms. Dwayne¡¯s parents renowned even at the magical tower? Wouldn¡¯t that make solving Ms. Dwayne¡¯s problem easier?¡± Since Snoc had apanied Nowem whenever he let Elena borrow his mana, Snoc also knew about Elena¡¯s situation. Although they only knew each other on a surface level, Snoc was quite happy that someone he knew could solve her problem.

    ¡°Well, of course,¡± Zich said. Although Zich agreed with him, Snoc knew to close his mouth. After being with Zich for quite a long time now, he could guess what Zich¡¯s response meant.

    ¡®I don''t know who this person is, but they are Sir Zich¡¯s targets now.¡¯ Snoc didn¡¯t know the target, but he offered a silent prayer for them¡ªof course, it was a very short prayer since being targeted by Zich meant that the person was evil.

    Koo¡­ Even Nowem had realized the meaning behind Zich¡¯s words, as he squeezed his body behind his half-eaten apple and hid.

    * * *

    L taught Elena without missing a day. However, no matter how much L enjoyed teaching and how much Elena loved learning, they couldn¡¯t prevent their fatigue from building up. It was especially true for Elena who was continuously learningplicated, academic magic. She had reached a level where she couldn¡¯t recover from a one-day rest.

    As a result, L had to forcefully halt her lessons for a couple of days. Elena said that she was all right, but she couldn¡¯t change L¡¯s mind; and in the end, she decided to devote all her efforts to recovering while resting quietly inside her house. It was also due to L¡¯s threats that she would no longer teach magic if Elena didn¡¯t rest quietly that made Elena follow this order well.

    The next day, L dragged Zich to ces like they did when they first arrived at Sunewick.

    ¡°It¡¯s been a while since I¡¯ve had free time!¡± L eximed while stretching out both of her hands.

    Zich asked, ¡°Were the lessons hard to do?¡±

    ¡°No, they¡¯re fun. Elena is a cute and talented disciple.¡± There wasn¡¯t a shred of a lie in her words. L certainly felt enjoyment and fulfillment from teaching Elena. ¡°But I feel like I have only been focusing on these lessons because they were fun. I couldn¡¯t do any of the things I nned to do.¡±

    Before they came to Sunewick, L had been excited to collect information about different kinds of magic. Besides, they had to search for more information about the ancient empire, Clowon, and decipher the books, which seemed to have belonged to Clowon, that she got from the Great Adrowon Forest. But now that she thought about it, she hadn¡¯t aplished any of her goals.

    ¡°That¡¯s true. I hadn¡¯t been saying anything since you teaching Elena was also part of our n, but I think you have gotten too deep into it.¡±

    ¡°You are right. I should start deciding on rest days now. It will make the learning process more efficient too.¡±

    ¡°I agree. But right now, we have a more pressing matter to deal with.¡± Zich¡¯s pupils moved sideways. ¡°You sensed it too, right?¡±

    ¡°How couldn¡¯t I when they are moving so openly like that?¡± L tapped the ground with the staff she was holding.

    ¡°It seems like the humans I wanted to see have finally shown themselves.¡±

    ¡°Thank goodness. We have been purposely wandering in ces with few people for this to happen.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s always a great feeling when a n works out.¡± Zich pulled down Windur that was hanging from his back. Then, he looked around his surroundings and announced, ¡°You guys have already been found out, soe out. Let me look at your faces.¡±

    Shadows gathered around Zich and L.

 Chapter 242

    <h4>Chapter 242</h4>

    The deserted area Zich wandered into was a quiet forest on the outskirts of Sunewick. Built on the ins near the city, the forest was considerablyrge. It was also densely forested, resulting in several cases of children getting lost in it. Expectedly, hardly anyone went into the forest. Yet, it was a favorable spot for Zich since it meant that no one would be screaming their heads off if he beat these ambushers to satisfy himself.

    ¡®It seems like those guys also think the same.¡±

    Every single one of the ambushers wore a robe that fully covered their body and looked identical to one another.

    ¡®Are they the robed guys?¡¯ Zich thought there was a high possibility. ¡®I hope these guys like to talk.¡¯ Since torture didn¡¯t work on the robed figures, Zich had to try to fish information out of them. Thus, Zich hoped that these guys would hold a conversation with him. The more talkative they were, the better it was for him.

    Soon, Zich looked at the figures surrounding him and tilted his head.

    ¡®Are they¡­not those robed guys?¡¯

    The robed figures approached their opponents with perfectly restricted movements. One could tell that they had received special training just by their movements. However, the group in front of Zich didn¡¯t give off the same feeling as the robed figures. In fact, there were even some whose movements indicated that they didn¡¯t have a lick of training. Simultaneously, Zich knew that there was no way that somebody would have gathered normal civilians for an ambush.

    ¡®They are mages.¡¯ So, it was understandable as to why their movements looked so stiff. Besides the few whom Zich supposed were mages, the rest moved like they were clearly trained. However, there was a sense of roughness in their movements.

    ¡°Are they mercenaries?¡±

    ¡°Mages and mercenaries¡­It would make the most sense if the mages had hired the mercenaries for an ambush.¡¯

    Zich decided to try talking to them first. ¡°Who are you guys? I don¡¯t know where you knuckleheads are from, but I don¡¯t think you guys came all this way for a hike. One thing I know for sure is that you guys have no tact for disrupting our date like this.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not even a date,¡± L snorted.

    The robed figures didn¡¯t reply. They simply squeezed their robe strings.

    Ching! Ching!

    Then, they pulled out knives from underneath their robes. Some of the robed figures remained behind and pulled out their staff.

    ¡°You guys are attacking us because you know who we are, right? We are like celebrities within Sunewick.¡± News that the person teaching the fallen genius, Elena Dwayne, and the one, who easily defeated the top student in the magician¡¯s tower were the same person had already spread across Sunewick.

    The sound ofughter came from behind the robed figures. It was a twisted and mockingugh. Zich stared at them.

    ¡°From thatughter, it seems like you guys know who we are. If possible, could you also take off that dirty mat you are wearing? Ah, but if your face looks like an orc that couldn¡¯t possibly belong to a human, I¡¯ll understand it if you keep it on. Actually, if that¡¯s the case, please don¡¯t take off your robes. My mind is really delicate, so if I see a nightmarish human like that, I will be personally affected.¡±

    The sound ofughter immediately stopped. It was quickly followed by low murmurs filled with rage. Soon, some stifledughter muted these murmurs.

    ¡°Your group¡¯s team spirit is a mess. Even if yourpanion has an orc face ugly enough to make others run away with their eyes closed, you guys shouldn¡¯tugh at him if you are hispanions. Seeing how you guys are all wearing robes, I¡¯m sure all your faces are also quite terrifying to look at.¡± Zich¡¯s words instantly halted theughter that had followed. The insides of the forest were quickly overwhelmed by an ominous silence and bloodlust.

    The robed figure standing closest to Zich said, ¡°¡­Like we heard, you have quite a harsh mouth.¡± His voice was deep and rough and wasn¡¯t pleasant to hear. He sounded like he could mentally pressure a person with just his voice.

    Zich remained calm. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. As you can see, both my friend and I are what people call beautiful and handsome, so I can¡¯t understand the sorrows you all faced and why you said such words. I apologize.¡± Zich bowed in an exaggerated manner. ¡°Don¡¯t worry everyone. I¡¯m sure even you guys would be able to find self-love in the end with your terrifying appearances. Unfortunately, you shouldn¡¯t expect such love from other humans since it would be impossible. Ah, I know even orcs and trolls would refuse you guys too. But it¡¯s alright everyone. The monsters below their levels might, they really just might be able to ept you all.¡±

    Like he was the god of benevolence, Zich stretched out both of his arms. ¡°There are many different forms of love, so I also understand that too. Yes, I really do!¡± Zich¡¯s body shuddered as emotions soaked up his heart. Then, he said to L, ¡°I had no idea that I was capable of speaking with so much love behind my words! What if I¡¯m no longer a piece of trash who does kind acts but is really a kind person now? The Karuwimans really saw¡ª¡±

    ¡°I think that¡¯s enough of your nonsense,¡± L cut off Zich¡¯s useless words sternly. Zich pouted, but he didn¡¯t continue talking.

    ¡°¡­I¡¯ve decided.¡± The person who said that Zich had a harsh mouth spoke up again. ¡°I will draw a couple of lines on that handsome face of yours. No, I will justpletely skin it off. Let me see if you can continue to yap then.¡± He moved his sharp sword with murderous intent and growled.

    ¡°Try it if you can. I was thinking about making a mark on my clean face to better represent myself these days.¡± Zich scratched his cheeks like he wanted the robed figure to see it more closely. ¡°But I doubt you will be able to manage to do so with your skills.¡±

    ¡°Are you that confident just because you defeated Mawin Jaewick?¡±

    ¡°No. Even though he was supposed to be a gifted mage or whatever, he was basically nothing to us. Even though he¡¯s half the reason why we became so famous in the magical tower and Sunewick, he¡¯s much too weak for us to feel cocky. Isn¡¯t that right, L?¡±

    ¡°¡­Zich.¡±

    ¡°Yeah?¡±

    ¡°Who¡¯s Mawin Jaewick?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Zich closed his mouth for a moment. He wondered if she was joking but judging by her expression, it didn¡¯t seem like she was joking.

    ¡°Have you forgotten already? He¡¯s the guy who dueled with you in the magical tower.¡±

    ¡°Ah, ah. That guy?¡± L pped her hands as if she finally remembered who he was. ¡°That guy''s name is Mawin Jaewick?¡±

    ¡°¡­Woah, even that is too much for me. Shouldn¡¯t you remember him since you fought a duel with him pretty recently?¡±

    ¡°It can¡¯t be helped. He was so unmemorable, and his skills were bad as well.¡±

    ¡°If he was here, he would probably be gritting his teeth like crazy.¡± Zich replied to L with a dumbfounded voice, and it was at that moment¡ª

    Krrrrk!

    They heard someone grit their teeth. It was such a loud and intense sound that it wouldn¡¯t have been surprising if the person who gritted their teeth had no more teeth left. Zich¡¯s gaze moved towards the direction of the sound, and it stopped at a person who was standing behind the robed figures.

    ¡°Who the hell grits their teeth like that¡­¡± Zich tilted his head and narrowed his eyes. ¡°¡­Are you perhaps Mawin Jaewick?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡± The person did not reply, but his silence was the loudest answer.

    ¡°You really are that bastard!¡± Zich pped his hands. ¡°Are you the guy who led this ambush? Are you still upset about getting beaten the hell up by L? Even though you¡¯re supposed to be a gifted mage, your heart is as small as an ant¡¯s nostril!¡±

    ¡°I-I¡¯m not Mawin Jaewick!¡± Mawin Jaewick quickly shouted out loud.

    However, it was toote for something like that to work. Zich pointed his fingers at him and even Mawin Jaewick¡¯spanions shook their heads side to side.

    ¡°Now that I think about it, were you the one who snickered when one of yourpanions said I was famous? Are you still unable to ept your defeat from that day?¡±

    ¡°Of course!¡± Mawin Jaewick seemed to have given up hiding his identity and bellowed, ¡°Do you think I will ept my defeat when yourpanion used a cheap trick to win?!¡±

    ¡°Trick?¡± Zich waspletely dumbfounded. It was not because Mawin Jaewick used them of being scoundrels who used tricks to win. Zich was a type of person who was willing to use all kinds of tricks to get what he wanted. There was another reason why Zich was dumbfounded.

    ¡°Why would we do that for a weakling like you?¡±

    Even if a wagon full of people like Mawin Jaewick came rushing towards them, none of them would be able toy a single finger on Zich or L. Thus, why would Zich and L go out of their way to use tricks against him?

    Zich continued, ¡°I just thought you were a spoiled brat who grew up sheltered and privileged, but I never imagined that you would have such a serious delusion. Being delusional to that extent is a disease. Since your family is well off, I rmend you to hire a doctor and go through intense treatments.¡±

    Mawin Jaewick cried out, ¡°I obtained this information from a trustworthy source, you trashy bastard!¡±

    Zich¡¯s eyes immediately narrowed at Mawin Jaewick¡¯s words. ¡°Really? There was someone who gave you information like that?¡±

    The atmosphere changed. Mawin Jaewick took a step back, and his underlings tensed up.

    ¡°Just let me make sure of this first, Mawin. Right now, you¡¯re trying to pay us back for tricking you, right?¡±

    ¡°Yeah! Are you finally admitting your trickery?!¡±

    Even though Zich was still unpleasant to talk to, Mawin Jaewick agreed to Zich¡¯s words because he thought Zich was finally admitting his wrongs.

    Zich continued, ¡°And there¡¯s a person who told you that we used cheap tricks.¡±

    ¡°Yeah!¡±

    ¡°Yourpanions right now are probably mages from your school of magic and hired mercenaries, right?¡±

    ¡°I guess a traveler like you has some good sense! But it¡¯s toote! Your sin is humiliating me, a heir to one of the magical tower¡¯s most esteemed families, by using cheap tricks! Repent your sins right here!¡±

    Zich let out a sigh. ¡°You idiot. If you thought we used cheap tricks, you could have just challenged us to a duel again.¡±

    ¡°W-why would I care about what means I use to punish you low-lives!¡±

    ¡®Ah, he doesn¡¯t want to do that though.¡¯ Zich could understand Mawin Jaewick¡¯s emotions. ¡®Even if we did use cheap tricks, I guess he feels ufortable about challenging L again since she defeated him so one-sidedly.¡¯

    Coward¡ªZich added one more negative adjective to describe Mawin Jaewick.

    Zich scratched the back of his head. ¡®This is not the scene I wanted.¡¯

    Zich had wanted the robed figures or people rted to Ond Dwayne or Walwiss Dwayne toe out, but a weird fish had been caught by his bait. However, it was too early to be disappointed.

    ¡®Regardless, there seems to have been someone who encouraged him to do this, so I should put my hopes into finding out who that person is.¡¯

    ¡°Have you finished organizing your thoughts?¡± L asked, and Zich nodded.

    ¡°You¡¯ve endured well. L, you can sweep them all away.¡±

    ¡°That sounds good to me.¡± L raised her staff; her cold gaze swept the ambushers. ¡°I don¡¯t like how they¡¯re staring at us.¡± The way the ambushers¡¯ lustful eyes scanned her body were starting to bother her.

    L prepared her magic and asked, ¡°How much should I control my strength?¡±

    In order to get information by torturing people, it was better to use not too much to keep them alive. However, Zich did not want to intervene in what his friend wanted to do.

    ¡°Do whatever you want. I¡¯ll just take out the person I need.¡±

    L began her magic and said, ¡°Do you know this, Zich?¡±

    Ziiiiiing!

    Mana began to swirl around L¡¯s staff.

    ¡°I really like that part about you.¡±

    Kooooong!

    L¡¯s magic was activated.

 Chapter 243

    <h4>Chapter 243</h4>

    Mawin Jaewick couldn¡¯t forget that day. As the next sessor of his elite family and the genius of the magical tower, he had always walked the perfect and sturdy road of a mage. Even when his ssmates slipped from the harshness of the field called magic learning, he never stopped progressing forward. Before he knew it, he left his peers in the dust and seeded in catching up to the people who had walked the mage¡¯s path far before him.

    Naturally, confidence sprouted out of Mawin. And it would have all been well if things ended there, but his confidence soared until it reached arrogance. Normally, such arrogance would have been the cause of one¡¯s downfall, but Mawin Jaewick¡¯s outstanding talent and family background overpowered it all and gave him the power to simply ignore people¡¯s criticisms.

    There were definitely people who disliked Mawin Jaewick; but as many there were who looked at him with scornful eyes, there were as many who did their best to tter him. Thus, a specific kind of environment came to fruition, one where he would simply think that everyone who hated him were jealous losers. Thanks to all these factors, Mawin Jaewick maintained his arrogant nature¡­until a couple of days ago.

    Rumors of a mage teaching Elena Dwayne were circting within the magical tower. These rumors were soon proven to be the truth, and when Mawin Jaewick heard of this, he couldn¡¯t contain hisughter. After all, Elena Dwayne was from an even more esteemed family than him and was also once thought to be a genius who possessed greater talent than him. Yet, once it was found out that she didn¡¯t have mana, which could be considered more important than a mage¡¯s life, she was banned from studying magic altogether in the magical tower.

    To Mawin who had envied Elena when he was young, her fall was pure entertainment. There were times when he happened to see her, but of course he acted like he didn¡¯t know her since they lived inpletely different worlds. He simply looked at her from far away and thought she had the appearance of a loser. But the pleasure of seeing her so fallensted only once or twice, and soon Elena¡¯s existence gradually faded away from his mind. It was around this time Mawin heard about Elena¡¯s teacher.

    When he heard that the granddaughter of the magical tower master was receiving education from a random wanderer, onlyughter came out of his mouth; but as he thought about it more and more, Mawin began to feel annoyed. He felt annoyed that Elena was still hopelessly dreaming of bing a mage without even having any mana. That was why he decided to provoke Elena Dwayne and scold the wandering magician who dared to call herself a teacher at such a young age.

    However, his confidencepletely crumbled into pieces that day. There were two people who dared to challenge him to a duel: the wandering mage who didn¡¯t know her worth, and her friend, the knife-using rock-head who didn¡¯t even know how to use his brain and insulted Mawin. When Mawin epted the duel, he nned to thoroughly teach them the honor and difficulty of the field called magic. Yet, he was the one who lost the duel, especially after his opponent thoroughly yed with him. Although he didn¡¯t lose his life, he felt as if he had lost far more things than his life. All the magic he had always shown off in the magical tower burst against L¡¯s magic. When he dashed towards her with gripped fists because he didn¡¯t want to admit his loss, he got beaten up. To make matters worse, it was that ignorant, knife-using bastard who ended up saving him from L.

    After that incident, Mawin was bombarded with contempt and ridicule. Not that many people outrightlyughed in front of his face, but Mawin couldn¡¯t help but notice the way people looked at him; they looked at him with the same eyes he had looked at the losers beneath him. There were even some, such as those with simr family backgrounds and talents as him, who directly tried to provoke him.

    He couldn¡¯t forgive them. Mawin thought he was meant to smoothly walk down the mage''s path and be the master of the magical tower one day. He couldn¡¯t forgive L and the knife-cutting bastard for making a fool out of him, especially in front of so many people. Thus, with his grudge as his main motivator, Mawin plotted his revenge.

    Simultaneously, Mawin couldn¡¯t easily enact his revenge. The best revenge would be to request another duel, but he had no confidence in beating L. Yet, the heavens didn¡¯t cast him away. While his resentment grew, somebody gave him information that his duel opponent had used a trick.

    When he heard this, Mawin thought, ¡®I thought so!¡¯ There was no way a girl who looked around his age would have beaten him without using tricks. At this point, he wondered why he hadn¡¯t thought of this from the beginning. Since he now knew that his opponent had used tricks while battling, he knew that he had to definitely enact his revenge. He nned to immediately send a challenge letter. He thought about sending it hard in his mind, but his body didn¡¯t move. He kept thinking about thest magic attack L had shown and the fists that came flying his way.

    He couldn¡¯t gather up the courage, and he didn¡¯t think he was a coward for doing so.

    ¡®Since I was tricked, it¡¯s natural that I would be worried about getting tricked again.¡± That was his excuse for why his body didn¡¯t move.

    He gave up getting his revenge through a duel, but didn¡¯t give up on revenge itself. After thinking about all kinds of methods, he decided on one idea¡ªa very simple one.

    ¡®I should ambush them.¡¯

    His opponents had dared to use trickery on the sacred dueling ground. There was no reason for him to use a fair method to beat such people.

    ¡°Even if she teaches Elena Dwayne all the time, she won¡¯t stick to her side for hundreds and thousands of days. I should aim for their resting days.¡±

    Like that, Mawin slowly plotted his revenge. He requested help from the person who told him that his opponent had used a trick and gathered people. He also brought in some people under his father who would listen to his request. Eventually, he finished his preparations until the only thing he had left to do was decide the timing of the ambush.

    It was difficult for him to find the opportunity since L was with Elena all the time; it was baffling how a cheater had so many things to teach, but in the end, his perseverance paid off. The scammer finally had a rest day, and luckily for him, they left the city for some reason and went inside a forest, just those two who had made a fool out of him. It was like an opportunity sent by the gods. If he missed this chance, he thought he would never have such a perfect chance again. He moved his troops in a hurry, and sessfully surrounded the two.

    ¡®I won!¡¯ Mawin was confident of his victory. The only thing left was how he was going to punish them. There were many good choices; he could cleanly kill them, beat them up until he was satisfied, or let them live on with humiliation and pain. Mawin became absorbed with delightful imaginations about punishing Zich and L.

    Of course, in the middle of his n, his identity was identally revealed, but he had worn a robe just in case anyways. It didn¡¯t really matter if they knew who he was; what mattered was bringing those low-lives who kept insulting him to their knees.

    Why? Why was that woman, a swindler, emitting such a powerful amount of mana?

    Mawin quickly shouted, ¡°Kill those two!¡±

    The mercenaries he hired rushed towards Zich and L, and the mages reciting their incantations. Since they all realized that the auraing from L didn¡¯t seem extraordinary, everyone was on guard and seriously focused on their tasks. They looked almost desperate.

    However, L¡¯s spell was alreadyplete. Even though she hadn¡¯t used Incantation Reduction or Silent Incantation, she hadpleted casting her spell extremely quickly.

    ¡°Wi! Phil!¡± Water droplets began appearing on top of L¡¯s head; they gathered together and formed one big lump of water. The water swirled around like a whirlwind and sshed water droplets in all directions.

    Thud! Thud! Thud! Thud!

    ¡°Ugh!¡±

    ¡°Agh!¡±

    ¡°Kuah!¡±

    Even though the water droplets were the size of fingernails, they pierced into human skin like swords ripping through mud. Screams burst out everywhere. However, there were some who could not even scream.

    Bang! Bang!

    Human heads exploded like watermelons cracking open; the people who were hit on the head by water droplets were not even able to let out a sound. The hired mercenaries tried to protect their bodies in any way they could. They were some who tried to strike against the water droplets, and some tried to attack L by throwing their swords at her. One person even ran off and hid behind a tree, but all their efforts were futile.

    Boom, boom, boom!

    ¡°Blergh!¡± The mercenaries who tried to hit the water droplets away were unable to hit all the ones shooting towards them, and their bodies were covered in holes.

    Bam!

    ¡°Ack!¡± The mercenary hiding behind a tree was pierced in the stomach by a water droplet thatpletely passed through the tree in front of him.

    Thud, thud, thud!

    ¡°Ugh!¡± Those who threw their swords at L all became punctured with holes like beehives just like the rest of their team. However, one of the mercenaries who threw their sword kept his eyes open. Even if he died, he was determined to at least see his swordnd on L. However, even his desperate determination was soon shattered by a mere flick from L¡¯s finger.

    ng!

    The swords that came flying towards L were much too easily intercepted by a piercing wind that L made by using Double Incantation and Silent Incantation.

    ¡°¡­Fuc¡­!¡± Unable to finish his swearing, the mercenary took hisst breath.

    The water droplets falling from the sky also covered a wide area; it was wide enough to cover all the ambushers that Mawin brought. So naturally, all the mages at the back also got hit by the water droplets.

    ¡°Ack!¡±

    ¡°Aggh!¡±

    The mages who thought they wouldn¡¯t be directly attacked were unable to protect themselves against L¡¯s magic. They didn¡¯t have amazing physical abilities, and they also weren¡¯t able to quickly cast Silent Incantations like L. In an instant, their bodies became ripped apart like worn-out rags. However, it wasn¡¯t as if no one managed to survive.

    ¡°Huff! Huff!¡±

    Zich suddenly appeared in front of a mercenary fiercely striking water droplets to survive. The mercenary widened his eyes in surprise, but Zich paid no attention to the mercenary¡¯s mental state.

    ¡°You seem like you know something.¡±

    Punch! Zich punched the mercenary¡¯s head. The mercenary fainted with his eyes rolled back without even letting out a scream. Zich dragged the copsed mercenary and moved ahead.

    ¡°You also seem useful.¡±

    Punch!

    After punching another mercenary, Zich put the mercenary on top of the first mercenary¡¯s body and dragged both of them together. While this was happening, water droplets kept pouring down.

    ¡°Hmph!¡± Zich waved his hand. Mana swirled all around him.

    Bang! Despite the water droplet¡¯s deadly power, Zich easily burst the water droplets, and the water droplets in front of him poured down like normal water. Zich walked through this safe zone and moved back to where L was. As expected, even though L¡¯s magic turned her surroundings into a living hell, no water droplets came down in the area she was standing in.

    Zich roughly put the mercenaries he punched beneath L¡¯s feet. Then he began moving again; this time, he brought some of the mages standing in the back. He put them next to L¡¯s feet and began moving again. He went back and forth like this several times.

    ¡®This is probably enough.¡¯ Zich nodded his head.

    Then he began moving towards thest person he wanted to get.

    ¡°Hey!¡± Zich appeared in front of Mawin Jaewick whose entire face was now distorted with fear and despair. Compared to Mawin Jaewick, Zich¡¯s voice was way too carefree. ¡°Have a nice nap.¡±

    Punch! Zich hit the back of Mawin¡¯s face like he did to all the others. He put Mawin on his back and went back to L¡¯s side. Like this, Zich stopped moving. After he put Mawin on the ground, he folded his arms and looked at the battlefield. Most people were dead, and there were very few people left. Then Zich looked up. The lump of water was now considerably smaller, but it seemed as if it was going to spit out water droplets for a few more minutes.

    ¡°It¡¯s going to be over soon.¡± He yawned in boredom and folded his arms again.

    True to Zich¡¯s words, all the water droplets in the air disappeared, and L¡¯s spell was over. The only things that were left were horrifying pieces of human flesh, blood mixed with water all over the ground, and thepletely destroyed forest.

 Chapter 244

    <h4>Chapter 244</h4>

    ¡°Ha!¡±

    L stretched out the hand that she used to hold her staff. She sounded refreshed.

    ¡°Are you in a better mood now?¡±

    ¡°Sort of.¡±

    L was about to ce her feet forward but stopped. In the ce was about to step on, there was a mercenary whom Zich had knocked out.

    Kick!

    At her kick, the mercenary rolled several times. Although he groaned like he was in pain, he didn¡¯t wake up.

    ¡°You left them in pretty good condition.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s because I don¡¯t know who has important information. I decided to choose some guys with skills first.¡±

    ¡°Maybe I should have held back a bit.¡± L felt a bit uneasy that she might have ruined Zich¡¯s ns.

    ¡°It¡¯s fine. I saved a good mix of mercenaries and mages, so I¡¯m sure I will get as much information as I can. Besides, I saved the most important guy too.¡±

    Zich pulled out a person from a pile of fainted humans; it was Mawin Jaewick.

    ¡°Oh, I can remember it now that I see his face. He is the guy who dueled with me.¡±

    ¡°¡­You really didn¡¯t remember him?¡±

    ¡°He isn¡¯t someone that I need to remember though.¡±

    ¡°I know how I am, but you are also something else.¡±

    L almost teared up from Zich¡¯s tone. Although she knew that the fact that she couldn¡¯t remember her duel partner might be infuriating for her opponent, she thought her action didn¡¯t call for such a response.

    ¡°Then why did you remember someone so insignificant like him? Don¡¯t you forget trivial things easily?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s because he clearly looked like someone who would hold a grudge. So, since he could try to suddenly backstab us, I kept him in my memory for the time being.¡±

    L pouted, because Zich¡¯s words were reasonable. However, his next set of words made her nod and think, ¡®No wonder.¡¯

    ¡°Also, I obviously have to remember such things so I can take a better jab at him when I screw him over. There are many guys who get more enraged about the little things.¡±

    ¡°¡­No matter how nasty my personality bes, I doubt I would be able to ever match yours.¡±

    ¡°Of course. If you want to match me, you will have to roll around in the mud for many more decades.¡±

    ¡°Can you please stop saying these kinds of things boastfully?¡±

    Inside a forest where the atmosphere had gone dreary with the fresh pile of corpses, the two continued to banter. Then, Zich dragged arge tree, ced it on the ground, and made an impressive wall. He ced the fainted bodies leaning against this wall side-to-side next to each other. From a distance away, L sat on the trunk of the tree she cut with magic and watched.

    ¡°You are going to extract information out of them, right?¡± she asked.

    ¡°Yeah, I have to. That¡¯s the only reason why I kept them alive.¡±

    ¡°How are you going to do it?¡±

    ¡°Isn¡¯t there only one way to get information out of guys you can do whatever with?¡±

    L could easily guess what method Zich was talking about.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t torture the robed guys because I knew it wouldn¡¯t work them; but I¡¯m quite an expert in this field.¡± Then, Zich said while looking at L, ¡°I suggest for you to turn away if you have a soft heart.¡±

    * * *

    Mawin Jaewick regained his senses. He scowled as the back of his head throbbed, but he soon forgot the feeling when he suddenly heard a scream beside him.

    ¡°Umph! Umph!¡± He tried to scream, but there was something inside his mouth. He couldn¡¯t even make a proper sound.

    ¡°Ummmph!¡± He tried to move, but his body didn¡¯t even budge. His whole body was tightly bound, and he couldn¡¯t see anything. There was something over his face.

    ¡°Are you awake?¡±

    He heard a familiar voice. It belonged to the guy who had thrown all kinds of insults at him before. No, he didn¡¯t even have to go that far back. That voice had mocked him even during the ambush.

    ¡®Ambush?¡¯ Suddenly, all the memories came back to Mawin. The woman, whom he once believed to be a cheater, activated an overwhelming magic attack that killed most of the people he had gathered. Then, that annoying bastard suddenly appeared and struck him with something.

    ¡®I lost my consciousness then.¡¯ He was captured, and there was no other way to describe it.

    ¡°Have you realized the general situation you are in?¡± Zich asked. Mawin jumped up and down to release his bondage, but it was too tight for a magician to break.

    ¡°It¡¯s useless no matter how hard you try¡­but I bet you won¡¯t give up anyways. Well, do what you want to do for now since it¡¯s not your turn yet.¡±

    ¡®Turn? What does he mean by that?¡¯

    Mawin¡¯s question was soon answered by an extremely horrifying and gruesome reply.

    ¡°Kkkuaaaaahh!¡±

    From some distance away, he heard yelling. Even though he couldn¡¯t see, Mawin could guess the situation just by the noise. The owner of the voice definitely wasn¡¯t receiving gentle treatment.

    ¡°Let¡¯s take the easy road for both of us. I told you that I would stop if you told me what I wanted to know.¡±

    ¡°I-I told you! I already said everything I know!¡± The voice seemed to belong to the mercenary he had hired.

    ¡°I told you multiple times already. What I want is not what you know, but what I want to hear. What you just said is what the other guy already told me. I need different information than the one you gave me.¡±

    ¡°S-So, I told you that I don¡¯t know anything besides that!¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s a pity. If that¡¯s the case, I have no choice but to suck up my tears and continue this act. Ah, how sorrowful. Can no one in this world sense my heart besides the flower blooming on the mountaintop?¡±

    ¡°At least change your expression if you are going to babble such words, you demon-like bastard!

    ¡°Ha, ha, ha! Although it might not seem like it, I don¡¯t n to lose even if it¡¯s to the devil. Yourment irked me a bit. Since it doesn¡¯t seem like you know anything else, should I rip off that useless mouth of yours first?¡±

    ¡°W-Wait¡­! Stop!¡± However, his pleas faded away like a dewdrop disappearing into the fog and a chilling scream followed.

    Mawin¡¯s teeth began to chatter, and now that he thought about it, there was a strange smell that kept disturbing his nose. He didn¡¯t know what it was, but as the situation settled down, he arrived at one guess.

    ¡®It¡¯s the smell of blood!¡¯

    As his vision was blocked, his sense of hearing and smell told him that a terrifying situation continued to transpire in a dark ce. His clothes began to soak in sweat, and all kinds of horrendous thoughts invaded his brain.

    Thud! The sound of screaming stopped. At the same time, Mawin heard something fall to the ground. Mawin¡¯s breathing grew heavier as he felt a presencee closer to him.

    He heard someone say, ¡°So, is it your turn next?¡±

    Screams rang out near him. The screams came from a different voice, and Mawin trembled even harder.

    * * *

    ¡°You¡¯re thest one.¡±

    A presence stopped right in front of him, and Mawin gulped his saliva. However, there was no moisture left inside his mouth.

    ¡°Were you able to hear all the questions I asked the others?¡±

    Of course, Mawin had heard them. Even though he hadn¡¯t wanted to listen to them, it was impossible for him to block his ears since both of his hands were tied up. In the end, he had no choice but to listen to all the questions and answers that the victims let out¡ªof course, with all their terrifying screams too.

    ¡°You have to tell me information that other people haven¡¯t yet told me so far.¡±

    A cold and sharp sensation pressed down on Mawin¡¯s thigh. Mawin felt a sharp sense of pain; it felt as if his thigh had been slightly cut. Since he couldn¡¯t see anything, his senses were sharper, and he could clearly feel blood flowing out of the cut on his thigh. Mawin frantically nodded. In the first ce, he had no intentions to stay silent like a knight who was captured by an enemy.

    Mawin was terrified by the screams he constantly heard and the smell of blood that kept wafting into his nostrils. Thus, he wanted Zich to quickly ask all the questions he wanted to ask. Mawin wanted to offer all the information he knew, and for this whole situation to be over as fast as possible. However, what came to him was not a question.

    ¡°Before that, let¡¯s make some preparations. I don¡¯t want you to even try lying to me.¡± The sharp object, which was most definitely a sword, pressed deeper into his thigh.

    ¡°Mmph, mmph!¡± Mawin cried out and tried to talk. He wanted to tell Zich that he was never going to lie. Zich could understand what Mawin was trying to say, but Zich didn¡¯t lessen the strength he used to hold Windur. ¡°I know, I know. You¡¯re desperate to say anything, right? It feels like you will readily give me all the information you know, right? Unfortunately, I have a hard time trusting people.¡±

    ¡°Mmpf! Mmph! Mmmhh!¡±

    ¡°I only need a few moments. It¡¯s going to be over soon, so just wait a bit. Okay?¡± Contrary to the present situation, Zich¡¯s voice was kind. However, the actions he took were not kind at all.

    Push!

    ¡°Kuumpf!¡± At the searing pain, Mawin let out a pathetic cry.

    * * *

    Zich took out a water container from his magic box. He put his hand in the clear water, and the clean water slowly turned red from the blood on his hand.

    ¡°Is it over?¡± When the sounds of screaming ended, L walked out of the forest. Even though L was fully capable of using cruel methods if necessary, she didn¡¯t enjoy seeing other people¡¯s blood or pain so she stayed away for a while.

    ¡°I pretty much got all the information I could get.¡±

    ¡°What type of information did you get?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t expect too much. I didn¡¯t get any really useful information.¡± Zich looked at the informants who had now turned into gruesome corpses. ¡°The mercenaries and mages were people hired by Mawin. The mercenaries were hired by money, and the mages were betting on Mawin to be the future leader of their school of magic.

    Zich raised his pinky. ¡°Thus, they¡¯re justckeys.¡±

    ¡°Then what about Mawin Jaewick?¡± L¡¯s gaze moved towards the only person who was alive. Even though his entire robe was covered in blood, he lookedpletely fine on the outside. Zich seemed to have healed him with a potion.

    ¡°Well, that guy really did seem to have orchestrated this n.¡±

    ¡°Then did he ambush us just to pay us back for the duel?¡± Since L and Zich had waited to get ambushed by people who blocked Elena¡¯s mana, they were a bit disappointed that Mawin Jaewick was the one who ambushed them.

    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s the main reason, but when I asked him more specific questions, he told me some interesting information.¡±

    ¡°What kind of information?¡±

    ¡°He said that someone helped him out.¡±

    Since Mawin was a young master of an esteemed family, there were probably a lot of powerful and strong people that were willing to help him out. However, it didn¡¯t seem like Zich was trying to say such an obvious fact.

    L recalled Mawin¡¯s previous words. ¡°Now that I think about it, didn¡¯t that guy say that he got his information from a ¡®trustworthy source¡¯? Is it that person?¡±

    ¡°Yep.¡±

    ¡°What kind of person are they?¡±

    ¡°He said he doesn¡¯t know.¡±

    ¡°¡­What?¡±

    ¡°He also doesn¡¯t know who the person is.¡± Zich shrugged his shoulders in a much too rxed manner.

    ¡°¡­Are you sure that he didn¡¯t lie?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m certain. I took some time to build a very trustworthy and close rtionship between us, so he wouldn¡¯t lie to my kind questions.¡±

    L did not ask what methods he used to build a ¡°trustworthy¡± rtionship. Instead, she asked, ¡°Then he received help from a mysterious figure he doesn¡¯t even know?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, and it seems like he really trusts that person.¡± Zichughed, but it wasn¡¯t a kindugh at all. Anyone could see that Zich wasughing to mock Mawin¡¯s foolishness.

    Zich continued, ¡°Ah, now that I think about it, that guy said you used some cheap tricks, right? He told me that he thought you unfairly used some kind of rare artifact from an ancient ruin to win the duel against him.¡±

    ¡°¡­But only magic staffs are allowed in a duel between mages. He really believed this? Didn¡¯t he see me use different types of magic attacks and incantations in that duel? I can''t even make an artifact that activates so many different types of magic!¡±

    ¡°I told you. He said it was a rare artifact found in an ancient ruin.¡±

    L hesitated and finally said, ¡°¡­I have a request, Zich.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. My views of mages won¡¯t reach the bottom of the earth just because of this one idiot.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m really thankful.¡±

    Was there a time when L was this grateful to him? It seemed as if she really didn¡¯t want to be put in the same category as that idiot.

 Chapter 245

    <h4>Chapter 245</h4>

    ¡°There¡¯s nothing for you to get so worked up about. We have to also look at this situation from his point of view.

    ¡°What¡¯s the point of listening to an idiot like him?¡± L wanted to be extremely strict on Mawin Jaewick.

    ¡°It¡¯s not that I can¡¯t understand your position, but he was called a genius in the magical tower. Wouldn¡¯t that mean he isn¡¯t as stupid as we think he is?¡±

    ¡°He seems stupid by the way he acts. And Zich, don¡¯t you also know that being good at academics ispletely different from knowing the ways of the world?¡±

    ¡°I do. I know it very well. Even considering that, the way Jaewick trusted his source was really strange.¡±

    ¡°Are you suggesting that he¡¯s been brainwashed or something?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s possible, but what do you think is the best way to gain someone¡¯s trust? I would say it¡¯s through proof,¡± Zich said as if he was rying some kind of great wisdom. ¡°Think about it. We believe the information about the future because it matches the reality we know¡ªin other words, it holds truth. If that wasn¡¯t the case, we would have to just wonder if we have gone mad.¡±

    ¡°Are you saying that a mysterious person showed Mawin Jaewick some proof to make him believe such stupid things?¡±

    ¡°ording to what Jaewick said, it seems like this mysterious guy also gave him some advice on his magic studies, his position in the magical tower, and family before. Even if Jaewick was suspicious at first, if everything the mysterious person said was true, it would have been enough for Jaewick to trust the person.¡±

    ¡°So, I suppose this helper had their hand over this matter.¡±

    ¡°They aren¡¯t just a helper. If you listen to Jaewick, that guy cleverly used Jaewick¡¯s grudge by encouraging him to take revenge.¡±

    ¡°In other words, this person is the mastermind behind the scenes.¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s a high possibility.¡±

    ¡°Do you think you can catch this person?¡±

    Zich shook his head. ¡°That guy is someone who helped Jaewick while thoroughly concealing their identity. It sounds like even Jaewick¡¯s family doesn''t know about the existence of this person. There¡¯s a high chance that this guy will just ignore Jaewick once they find out that he¡¯s been captured. Of course, Jaewick seems to think that guy will save him.¡±

    ¡°Then, was this all useless?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not, since the guy we are looking for ced us as their targets. What we did can¡¯t be considered wrong.¡± Then, Zich said with certainty, ¡°Also, I wonder if this mystery guy even intended to get rid of us.¡±

    ¡°You are saying they didn¡¯t?¡± L blinked.

    ¡°Think about it. If this guy wasn¡¯t a fairy who wanted to give us this moron, they must have inspired Jaweick for a reason. If Jaewick seeded in his goal, what do you think would happen?¡±

    ¡°Elena would lose her teacher.¡± Besides that, however, not much would happen. Elena would request an investigation, but there was a low chance that Sunewick or the magical tower would consider her request seriously.

    ¡°Do you think this mysterious person encouraged Jaewick for only that reason? Especially when they could possibly lose Jaewick, whom they had painstakingly built trust with over time? Even if Jaewick is stupid, he is the heir to an elite family and a good tool that could be used almost everywhere. If this guy is someone who could influence a top figure in the magical tower so well, there was no need for them to use such a dangerous method.¡±

    ¡°Then what do you think this person or people¡¯s goal is?¡±

    ¡°A conflict to rise between the two families, Dwayne and Jaewick.¡± Zich said while smirking, ¡°Even if we are wanderers, we are Elena Dwayne¡¯s teachers. Of course, even if we disappear without a trace, there might not be a greatmotion. However, rumors can form. Rumors that Jaewick ambushed Elena Dwayne¡¯s teacher for personal reasons can spread. After all, Mawin Jaewick is someone who usually looked down on Elena Dwayne.¡±

    ¡°I suppose the families¡¯ rtionship would grow worse.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not even good right now since we¡ªspecifically, you crushed Jaewick publicly.¡±

    L snorted.

    ¡°And conflicts always re up in a sh if given the chance.¡±

    ¡°So, what are we going to do?¡± L asked.

    ¡°What else is there to do¡­¡± Zich stared at Mawin. ¡°But go joyfully up the stage that they are going to prepare for us?¡±

    Like an actor finally allowed to go up on the stage like he wanted to, Zich smiled brightly.

    * * *

    The magical tower turned upside down. Everyone fussed about the news that the heir of an elite family in the magical tower, Mawin Jaewick, had ambushed Elena Dwayne¡¯s teacher over a personal grudge. Normally, the city¡¯s security forces would have handled an incident like this, but this case was different since it involved the magical tower¡¯s top two families.

    The Dwayne family had the master of the magical tower, Walwiss, and Ond Dwayne. Although they took opposing seats, they could participate in the top conferences in the tower. With those two, the Dwayne family clearly had the upper hand in power and authority inparison to the Jaewick family.

    Yet, that didn¡¯t mean the Jaewick familycked behind in any way. Furthermore, it was their heir, Mawin Jaewick, who hade out of this messpletely debilitated¡ªnot to mention that several mages died from the Jaewick family¡¯s Quayal School of Magic. Thus, expectedly, the Jaewick family firmly protested the rumors and called for a more thorough and further investigation of this case. They didn¡¯t even admit the fact that Mawin Jaewick had ambushed Dwayne¡¯s teacher first.

    A great meeting was held inside the magical tower. Ten mages gathered inside the meeting room. They all wore solemn expressions, but among them, there were three people whose faces appeared extremely stiff. They were the three people who were directly involved in this incident: Walwiss Dwayne, Ond Walwiss, and Wayne Jaewick.

    The meeting continued on gravely. Members raised their voices and went back and forth. The fight between Ond and Wayne was especially intense as they shouted with their veins bulging from their throats.

    ¡°For now¡­¡± Walwiss started, sounding tired, ¡°It seems like we have to investigate more. Let¡¯s keep those two people under questioning.¡±

    ¡°That won¡¯t be enough, sir! We have to disarm them, ce them in separate prison cells, and thoroughly interrogate both of them!¡±

    ¡°What nonsense!¡± Ond refuted Wayne¡¯s words. ¡°If I am being very generous, I admit that an investigation is necessary, but how dare you treat them like mere criminals! Anyone can see that this is all your moronic son¡¯s fault!¡±

    ¡°What!¡± Wayne¡¯s face was red. ¡°Are you sheltering your defective kid who doesn¡¯t even have mana just because it¡¯s yours! After giving birth to a wrench like that, it¡¯s shocking how you can talk so shamelessly!¡±

    ¡°Even if she doesn¡¯t have mana, she isn¡¯t aplete moron who would gather a whole group of mercenaries and academic mages for a personal grudge and get himself beaten up to the point of death! All the people he brought with him died too! You must be so proud to have such an amazingly stupid son!¡±

    ¡°How dare you!¡±

    ¡°Silence!¡± In the end, Walwiss had to shout out an order.

    Even though Ond and Wayne were still breathing heavily in anger, they closed their mouths. However, they didn¡¯t withdraw their murderous res towards each other. If someone had given them knives, they probably would have immediately stabbed each other.

    ¡°First, we will conduct an investigation on this matter.¡± At Walwiss¡¯ words, everyone¡¯s gazes shifted towards him. No one protested against this statement. Then Walwiss continued, ¡°I will allow the two of them to be locked up, but not in a prison. I¡¯ll set aside a normal house, and we can keep them under surveince.¡±

    Wayne loudly shouted, ¡°Master!¡±

    However, Walwiss ignored him and continued, ¡°They¡¯ll have to disarm their weapons and will not be allowed to meet each other. Isn¡¯t that enough?¡±

    ¡°I object! Their punishment is too much! They didn¡¯t evenmit a serious offense!¡± Ond was the one who shouted this time.

    However, the atmosphere of the meeting room seemed to lean towards Walwiss¡¯ orders. In the first ce, no one in this meeting room had particrly favorable thoughts about Zich and L. On the contrary, their hearts leaned more towards Mawin as a mage from their magical tower. Moreover, there was also the issue of Zich torturing Mawin to get information out of him.

    Ond read the atmosphere of the room and gritted his teeth. He stared at Walwiss. ¡°Are you really going to do this, Father!¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t use such personal titles, Dwayne. This is a meeting between mages to reach a consensus. Regardless of how you feel about this matter, we have a duty to follow.¡±

    ¡°¡­Perhaps, are you using this as an opportunity to remove Elena¡¯s teacher to make Elena give up on her magic studies?¡±

    ¡°¡­.Your words have gone overboard, Dwayne!¡± Walwiss let out an angry shout, but Ond continued to re at Walwiss.

    In the end, Ond said, ¡°In order to reach a consensus, you have no choice but to make this kind of decision¡­Father, I dearly hope these arguments of yours are sincere.¡±

    Then Ond got up and left the meeting room with an icy aura. And like that, the meeting to address the incident was over.

    * * *

    Zich and L were in the Dwayne mansion. Snoc and Nowem, whom they often brought to help with Elena¡¯s lessons, were also with them. Given permission to wander by himself, Hans was also now with them. When the incident with Mawin first blew up, Walwiss Dwayne had called them to his mansion to protect them and keep them under surveince. Zich also didn¡¯t refuse and brought the rest of hispanions to the Dwayne mansion.

    Nervously pacing nearby, Elena said loudly, ¡°Everything will turn out all right! Teacher and Mr. Zich didn¡¯t do anything wrong! Father also said he¡¯ll speak up during the meeting, so I¡¯m sure nothing much will happen!¡±

    ¡®That¡¯ll be problematic.¡¯ Unlike Elena¡¯s hopes, Zich wanted something big to happen¡ªthe bigger the better.

    However, he didn¡¯t make his feelings obvious and smiled at Elena. ¡°I¡¯m looking forward to it.¡±

    Elena began doing the same actions as she was doing before; it was not much. All she did was twirl her feet in nervousness. Then, Elena looked at Zich¡¯spanions. The people involved in this incident, Zich and L, and even Hans and Snoc were all too rxed. Now that she was looking at them, it felt as if she was the strange one for being so anxious. Perhaps, was she thinking too much about this matter? Was this incident really just an insignificant matter? Was it okay for her to rx?

    Even though Elena heard that a hugemotion was urring in the magical tower due to this incident, some of Elena¡¯s concerns were eased as she saw how rxed Zich and hispanions were. However, when people stormed into the mansion, Elena¡¯s heart tensed up again.

    ¡°Are you Zich?¡± A man with sharp eyes came inside the mansion with Walwiss¡¯ guidance and he stood in front of Zich.

    ¡°Yes, sir.¡±

    ¡°And you¡¯re L?¡±

    L sat in front of Zich, and she nodded in response.

    ¡°I¡¯ve received an order to take the two of you into custody. You must immediately disarm yourselves and follow us.¡±

    Elena shouted, ¡°Wait a moment!¡± Then she ran towards Walwiss who was standing next to the man.

    ¡°What happened, Grandpa?! They¡¯vemitted no crimes!¡±

    ¡°Move away, Elena. This is a matter between adults.¡±

    Elena was shocked by Walwiss¡¯ firm and sharp gaze. She hesitantly took a few steps back, and Walwiss also withdrew his gaze from Elena.

    ¡°Do we just have to follow you?¡± Zich asked with a bright smile.

    The man frowned but nodded. ¡°Give your weapons to us. We will carefully store th¡ª¡±

    ¡°And why would we trust you guys?¡± Zich cut off the man¡¯s sentence and flicked his hand. Hans moved next to him. Zich handed Hans his magic box, money, and Windur. ¡°Take good care of them while I¡¯m gone.¡±

    ¡°Yes, sir! I will protect them with my life!¡±

    L also called Snoc to her side and left him with her staff and other items. Then Zich and L both got up from their seats.

    ¡°Now, do we just have to follow you?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°Please take the lead.¡±

    Since Zich and L obediently followed their instructions, those who were worried that Zich and L might resist slowly began to rx. L and Zich followed behind the man who first questioned them.

    However, when Zich passed by Hans and Snoc, he quietly whispered, ¡°Do a good job.¡±

    ¡°Yes, sir.¡±

    ¡°Yes, sir.¡±

    Hans and Snoc quietly answered Zich¡¯s secretive order. No one else heard their conversation.

 Chapter 246

    <h4>Chapter 246</h4>

    Zich and L were locked inside a secluded mansion. It wasn¡¯t a massive and fancy ce like Dwayne¡¯s mansion, but it was a nice building. They were each locked inside separate rooms. The rooms were full of furniture, and they didn¡¯t really face any inconveniences besides boredom. However, they had to admit that the interrogation that they got from time to time was quite annoying.

    ¡°So, I¡¯m sure there¡¯s a reason why you both went there!¡± A scar stretched diagonally from his wide shoulders to his chin and cheeks. His hair was rough like the fur of a wild boar and his thick eyebrows resembled pine caterpirs. A man who looked like he would intimidate any child and even a big adult shouted at Zich. It was clear that the interrogator¡¯s main tactic was to extract information by crushing his suspect¡¯s spirit with his scary appearance.

    However, this method, which would¡¯ve worked on most people and even those who were courageous didn¡¯t work on Zich.

    ¡°I went on a walk.¡± While leaning his back against his chair and crossing his arms and legs, Zich repeated the same answer he had been saying. The man¡¯s eyebrows twitched.

    ¡°¡­Are you kidding me?¡±

    ¡°Do you think I¡¯m joking? How unexpected. I am cooperating to the best of my ability.¡±

    ¡°How could you suddenly go on a walk in a deserted area outside the city? Do you think that makes any sense!¡±

    ¡°How thick-headed can you be? People have different personalities. Like there are people with extroverted personalities, and there are also people with introverted personalities. Just like how there are some people who like the fancy lifestyle of cities, some enjoy the in, humble lifestyle of the country.¡±

    ¡°So, you are saying that you guys are the type of people who like to take walks in a deserted forest?¡± the man continued and Zich smiled.

    ¡°No, we just felt like doing that at the moment.¡±

    m!

    The man mmed his fist down on the table. The table made a loud sound as it shook, and there was a small indent on its surface. Zich scowled.

    ¡°How noisy. Please give me a signal when you are going to m the table next time. I want to block my ears beforehand.¡±

    ¡°¡­You are overflowing with confidence, aren¡¯t you?¡±

    ¡°Of course! Without my confidence, there will be little left of my existence!¡±

    Grip! The man grabbed Zich¡¯s cor and pulled him. Unexpectedly, Zich let himself get pulled without any resistance.

    ¡°Hey, you bastard. Listen to my words carefully.¡±

    The smell of the man¡¯s breath flowed right into his face, so Zich blocked his nose. This made the man¡¯s expression turn even more grim. However, there was no more violence, and the man simply growled as he spat, ¡°Wake up to reality if you are acting cocky because of Lady Dwayne. No one is on your side right now.¡±

    ¡°You are saying that to us when we are clearly the victims in this situation? Wow, I guess everyone in the magical tower is rotten to the core, huh?¡±

    The man¡¯s attitude didn¡¯t change in response to Zich¡¯s jeering.

    ¡°Who¡¯s going to believe you? Your opponent is one of the magical tower¡¯s top families. And their eyes are flipped upside down right now because of what you have done to their heir. Compared to that, you guys are just wanderers. It seems like you guys have some skills, but that¡¯s it.¡±

    ¡°So, they are going to make us into sacrificial pawns?¡±

    The man smirked. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter who started this fight. Even if the young master of the Jaewick family ambushed you like you guys im, it¡¯s certain that you will be punished. I mean you tortured their heir. If you didn¡¯t do just that, the situation might have been a bit better.¡±

    ¡°Do other people at the magical tower think the same?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure. Some might consider you guys as an eye-sore like the Jaewick family and some might sympathize with you guys. However, the point is, no one would be willing to go head-to-head against the Jaewick family for wanderers like you. A beast blinded by his rage will bite first without considering who their opponent is.¡±

    ¡°Then, what are you doing right now? Whether you torture me or manipte my words, can¡¯t you just put me on a death row?¡±

    The man¡¯s face distorted a bit. He clearly had the look of a person frustrated that things weren¡¯t going his way. Zich smirked.

    ¡°Ah, it seems Ms. Elena is making quite an effort for her teacher and her friend. No, is it more like her father?¡±

    ¡°¡­Even if that¡¯s true, nothing will change.¡± The man didn¡¯t deny Zich¡¯s ims, but he didn¡¯t back down any more than necessary. ¡°It¡¯s just a matter of time. You guys can¡¯t be under their protection forever. Moreover, the only one who can protect you guys is just Ond Dwayne. The magical tower is remaining strictly neutral, but that won¡¯tst long.¡±

    ¡°So, what are you requesting? It seems I won¡¯t be able to escape execution no matter what I say.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m just saying that we should both give each other an easy time.¡± The man smiled crookedly. ¡°Even if you keep your mouth shut like this, the only thing waiting for you guys is terrible torture. Rather than endure that, isn¡¯t it preferable to leave this world painlessly?¡±

    ¡°I see. It does make sense.¡±

    The man¡¯s face brightened slightly as Zich seemed to show signs of eptance. However, Zich¡¯s next words made his face instantly crumple up again.

    ¡°The problem is that I¡¯m too much of an honest person. If I lie, thorns pop out of my tongue. Zich stuck his tongue out exaggeratedly, ¡°As a consequence and totally against my will, I wouldn¡¯t be able to ept your offer. I will always remember your kindness in my heart.¡±

    Grit! The man gritted his teeth and pushed Zich. Zich fell backwards like he lost his bnce and naturallynded on the chair. Then, he crossed his arms and legs like he did before.

    ¡°¡­You are quite the tough guy. I suppose that¡¯s why you tortured Mawin Jaewick in the name of gathering information.¡±

    ¡°Truthfully, I am reflecting on that. He was such a wimp that he bbered about things that I didn¡¯t even ask him. I can¡¯t believe a guy like that goes around acting like he¡¯s someone important. I can¡¯t help but worry about the future of the magical tower.¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s no need for you to worry about the magical tower. Whatever the future may hold for the tower, you won¡¯t be able to witness it.¡± The man turned around and headed towards the door.

    ¡°Is it already over for today? There was nothing much, even less than I thought. Come and y with me next time too. ying with you was more fun than I expected.¡±

    ¡°The next time Ie¡­¡± The man turned his head around with his hand on the doorknob. He red at Zich with a chilly gaze. ¡°There would no longer be a power backing you up. I really look forward to that day.¡±

    Thud!

    The door closed. Zich heard the sound of the lock tightly close, and the loud sound of the man¡¯s footsteps slowly disappeared.

    ¡°Ah, I had fun!¡± Zich crossed his fingers and held up the back of his head as he leaned back.

    ¡®There¡¯s really nothing more fun than making fun of the guards or interrogators when I¡¯m locked up.¡¯

    Despite the interrogator¡¯s intense frustration as he tried his hardest to stay in power and get information from Zich, this interrogation was nothing more than a game for Zich.

    ¡®Even though this is a necessary step, it¡¯s really boring.¡¯

    Zich let out a big yawn. He put his foot on top of a table and let his arms rx to the side. Anyone could see that he was just trying to kill time.

    ¡®I wonder what L is doing.¡¯

    Zich infused mana into his ear. He was now able to hear sounds beyond the walls of his room. Even though Zich and L¡¯s rooms were separated from each other, this was not an obstacle to Zich.

    ¡®It seems like they haven¡¯t finished their interrogation yet.¡¯

    However, it seemed as if the interrogation was not going well just like Zich¡¯s case. The interrogator loudly shouted his questions, but he received no answers. Zich cackled as he finished assessing the situation.

    ¡®She¡¯spletely ignoring him.¡¯

    Even though Zich couldn¡¯t see them, he could clearly picture what the situation probably looked like. The sound of the interrogator shoutingsted for a few more minutes.

    Thud!

    The house shook a bit; something crashed into the ground. Zich burst out inughter.

    ¡®She really did it! She gave him a good hit!¡¯

    The interrogator got angry at L¡¯s attitude and probably rushed towards her, and Zich was sure that L had mmed him into the ground. Judging by the interrogator¡¯s awful screams, the pain he was experiencing was probably extraordinary. Zich heard a door open, and he sensed a person desperately running away. Zichughed for a good while.

    ¡®Ha, I was able to watch such a good scene.¡¯

    It was hard to say he ¡®watched¡¯ this scene, but what mattered to Zich was that he had a good time. However, that was all the fun things he could do. His interrogator was gone, and L¡¯s interrogator ran away. His surroundings were quiet again. Zich skillfully tilted his chair so that only one of its legs stood on the ground, and he spun around.

    ¡®I guess I¡¯ll have to stay bored like this for a while.¡¯

    However, if Zich¡¯s prediction was right, he won¡¯t have to stay like this for long. ¡®Well, start moving, my friends. You have to deepen the rift between the Dwayne and Jaewick family.¡¯

    Zich was sure that the instigator of this entire scheme would soon start moving again. He got up to find something to do to pass the time.

    * * *

    After Zich and L were captured, Elena¡¯s mood became very mncholy. She thought that they were captured all because of her. Moreover, her heart turned even more blue, because her grandfather, whom she thought would use his powers to get them out, took such a neutral stance.

    Snoc also stoppeding to the Dwayne mansion. Even though Snoc¡¯s magical beast contractor, Nowem, had yed a huge part in her magic students recently, it was ridiculous to continue her studies in this kind of situation. Moreover, even if Snoc dide to the Dwayne mansion, Elena felt too guilty to see his face.

    ¡®Everything will turn out fine.¡¯

    While maintaining this desperate hope, Elena stayed in the mansion the whole time. Since Zich and L were taken, her grandfather had not returned to the mansion. With so few people in the mansion, it now felt haunted. The only source offort that Elena had was her father who sometimes came to the mansion to check up on her.

    Elena had no appetite, so she fidgeted with her utensils a few times and went back to her room. She flipped through the magic book that L had bought her and let out a huge sigh. She couldn¡¯t focus on the magic books she enjoyed reading so much. Elena looked outside her window and stared at the moon in the night sky. How did time pass by so quickly? Elena closed her book. She sat on the edge of her bed and continued to stare at the night sky.

    ¡®It was really fun back then.¡¯

    A couple of days ago, there was a day when her magic lessons had ended a bitter than usual. When the sky was beginning to darken, L, Zich, Snoc, Nowem, and Elena all stared at the night sky. L had told Elena mythologies about magic and constetions in the sky with her gentle and caring voice, and Zich had intervened once in a while andughed out loud like usual. Snoc had quietly listened to L¡¯s stories like Elena, and Nowem had fallen asleep on Elena¡¯s knees.

    It was a happy memory that felt like it would appear if she just turned her head to the side. However, this memory felt like an illusion that happened in the far past; like a distant childhood memory when her mother, father, and grandfather were all together, she believed that her mana would be awakened soon. Elena wiped the tears that slightly formed around her eyes and was about to lie down on the bed when¡ª

    ¡®¡­Uh?¡¯

    She discovered the shadow of a mysterious figure standing right next to her.

 Chapter 247

    <h4>Chapter 247</h4>

    Elena ced more force into her limbs. She moved her arms and legs around, but it was useless. The rope was too tight for her to untangle just with her strength, and the mysterious person wasn¡¯t sloppy enough to drop Elena because of her struggling.

    ¡°Umph! Ummp!¡± She tried screaming. However, the bind around her mouth muted her voice. Nothing seemed to work, and anyone would¡¯ve fallen into despair in that situation. However, Elena didn¡¯t give up. She was someone who continued to study magic by clutching onto the thread-like hope that she could possibly have mana inside her; her persistence and grit were beyond amazing. She continued to resist without getting tired. Even when blood dripped down from the areas where the rope scratched her arm, she didn¡¯t stop.

    As if her resistance had worked, the kidnapper stopped in the middle of jumping on top of buildings and stood straight.

    ¡°Ummmmph!¡± Hoping that someone might hear her groan, Elena cleared her throat. Then, she searched her surroundings. Since it waste in the day, it was dark. However, the moonlight was enough to reveal the scenery, and Elena felt a deeper level of dread. There was no one. There were only old buildings that didn¡¯t look like they would house anyone.

    Yet, she still did not give up. Hoping that maybe, just maybe that someone might be living in these buildings, she continued to let out muffled screams and shifted her body around. It was around this time that she noticed a shadow lingering on the other side of darkness. She was sure that shadow belonged to another person.

    Elena¡¯splexion brightened up. She struggled harder and continued to cry out loud. However, it was too early for her to hope.

    ¡°Is the item here?¡±

    Elena saw a person wearing the same robe that her kidnapper wore and dread filled her again.

    ¡°It¡¯s here.¡± Her kidnapper pointed at Elena.

    The other robed figure simply nodded once and turned around. Then, they began to move again. The new robed figure took the lead, but he wasn¡¯t the only one who joined them. Soon, they were surrounded by figures wearing the same robes that the other two wore.

    No matter how persistent Elena was, she couldn¡¯t squeeze out any more strength in her body. She closed her eyes and trembled in front of the future she couldn¡¯t see. As if they had made preparations beforehand, the group of robed figures passed through the slightly open doors of the pce walls and headed outside the city. Then, they ran faster than their pace inside the city. Elena thought even thest remaining sliver of hope inside her was disappearing.

    ¡°Kuh!¡±

    Suddenly, the person holding Elena faltered, but he didn¡¯t loosen his grip on Elena. He was someone with great tenacity, but that was all.

    Crunch!

    ¡°Urgh!¡± With a pained grunt, the pressure gripping Elena disappeared. Her body fell forward.

    ¡°Umph!¡± Since her body was bound, she couldn¡¯t even get into a defensive position. If she hit the ground like this face first, she would definitely receive a critical injury. Elena closed her eyes instinctively.

    Sweep! Something soft caught her body. Elena carefully opened her eyes.

    ¡®Sand?¡¯ Extremely fine particles of sand caressed her body.

    Sparkle!

    Light shot out. Elena shut her eyes. Her eyes had be ustomed to the darkness, and they couldn¡¯t handle the sudden beam of light.

    ¡°Kuh!¡±

    ¡°Ah!¡±

    She heard screams. She didn¡¯t know what was going on and blinked her eyes repeatedly to recover her sight.

    ¡°It¡¯s better if you keep your eyes closed for some time.¡±

    The binds around her mouth disappeared, and Elena heard a familiar voice. With her free mouth, Elena named the owner of the voice.

    ¡°¡­Snoc?¡± Since they had be quite familiar with each other, she was able to call out his name naturally without any honorifics.

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t seem like you aren¡¯t injured anywhere. Thank goodness.¡±

    Koo!

    She felt a soft, familiar touch in her hands. She knew he was Nowem by the cute cry he made the same time she felt him.

    ¡°Are you really Snoc?¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡±

    ¡°How¡­?¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s talkter.¡± Snoc lifted her up and jumped up high.

    Pierce! A dagger pierced through their previous location.

    After some time, Elena recovered most of her sight back. While blinking her teary eyes, she looked around her surroundings. Beams of light shone in front of her, and she was sure that those lights were what had blinded her momentarily. Her kidnappers were now surrounded by this light and swayed under it like cornered beasts.

    ¡®Mr. Hans?¡¯

    The sh of light revealed the face of the person who made the robed figures copse. Since Elena had seen Hans a couple of times, it wasn¡¯t difficult for her to recognize him. Light burst out of the sword that Hans was holding. With the night sky in the background, the light shone and literally trampled the robed figures.

    ¡°Ah!¡± Elena screamed. She saw a couple of robed figures prating the webbed stream of lights that shielded them and headed towards her and Snoc. It was obvious that their goal was Elena. However, Hans didn¡¯t seem to show much interest in them. He bombarded only the enemies in front of him with light.

    The enemies felt like they were within her arm¡¯s reach now.

    Tap!

    Snoc ced Elena down next to him and tapped the ground with his feet.

    Crassssh!

    The ground in front of them exploded. The scattered sand and rocks struck the robed figures who rushed towards them. Their enemies were covered in holes, and they copsed to the ground.

    Elena was shocked by the sight in front of her and stared at Snoc. ¡®Did Snoc really do this?¡¯

    Elena knew that he was a contractor of a magical beast, but she didn¡¯t know that Snoc was able to do powerful attacks with such ease. At the same time, Hans cleanly cut off the robed figure¡¯s necks.

    ¡°Kwaaaaaaah!¡± A loud scream suddenly erupted among the robed figures. One of the robed figures'' states had turned strange. His spacious robe suddenly tightened around him, and as the robed figure¡¯s body grew bigger, the robe ripped apart. His hood fell down, and the man¡¯s face was revealed. However, it was no longer a human¡¯s face. Elena gulped down a scream that threatened toe out; it really was a terrifying sight.

    The figure in front of her was now much bigger than a human, and it was hard to even say that the enormous thing was still human. The enormous being rushed towards Hans.

    Did he not need help? Elena turned around to look at Snoc, but she was shocked. Snoc had such an indifferent, almost bored expression on his face that it made her feel embarrassed for worrying about Hans.

    Snoc said, ¡°Really, those guys never change.¡±

    ¡®He knows who they are?¡¯

    Crash!

    Elena turned her head back again towards the loud collision. Hans¡¯ shining sword was blocking the monster¡¯s attack. Even though he was frowning and looked like he was having slight difficulties, Hans wasn¡¯t being pushed back at all.

    Crash! Crash! Crash!

    Hans and the monster collided. Elena was unable to close her mouth shut at the intense fight in front of her. Even though she had seen magic demonstrations from expert mages like her father and grandfather and had also seen magic duels a few times, this was her first time witnessing a fierce battle with people¡¯s lives on the line.

    ¡°Nowem.¡±

    Koo!

    Snoc called Nowem, and Nowem answered. Soon after, the ground rose up all around them.

    Crassssh!

    The rest of the robed figures working with the monster to attack Hans received injuries or found themselves unable to move properly. The ones who fared worse were pierced by earth pirs and immediately died.

    Elena gulped down her saliva. She knew how amazing Zich and L were, but she didn¡¯t think that Hans and Snoc were also this powerful.

    Snoc said, ¡°Oh wow, you¡¯re nning to run away?¡±

    The robed figures seemed to think that they had no chance of winning and were slowly trying to withdraw. Of course, Hans and Snoc had no intentions to let them go. Snoc moved his hand. The ground rose up in arge circle around the robed figures. The earth walls were tough and rose as high as three people tall.

    The robed figures were taken aback. The walls were at a height that they could jump over, but if they did this, a huge gap would appear in their movements; and gaps like this determined one¡¯s life or death.

    Crunch!

    ¡°Kwaaah!¡±

    Estede pierced the monster¡¯s chest. Light from Estede burned all the blood that came out of the monster¡¯s body and ripped the monster apart. Since the robed figures had lost their strongest power, there was no way they could possibly defeat Hans and Snoc. In the end, some of them tried to form a death squad to let the others escape. However, with Hans, Snoc, and Nowem¡¯s masterful siege, no one was able to escape the earth walls. After making sure that each of the robed figures really were dead, Hans and Snoc walked back towards Elena. She looked at theming closer in a daze.

    Snoc asked, ¡°¡­Are you ok?¡± Nowem sniffed Elena from Snoc¡¯s shoulder.

    ¡°Ah, yeah. I¡¯m ok.¡±

    Hans said, ¡°Ms. Dwayne, you seem to be very shocked. However, we don¡¯t have the leisure to keep staying here. I¡¯m very sorry, but we have to move immediately.¡±

    It made sense that there could be more kidnappers nearby. Elena took in a big breath and after calming down her heart a bit, she nodded. ¡°Yes, you¡¯re right. Let¡¯s go to my family¡¯s mansion. Even though I might not look like it, I¡¯m the granddaughter of the magical tower master, and my grandfather and father will not let this matter slide.¡±

    ¡°No, that¡¯s not possible.¡±

    At Hans¡¯ firm refusal, Elena opened her eyes wide. ¡°Uh¡­Ah! Yes, there could be more kidnappers hidden on the way to my family¡¯s mansion. Moreover, I got kidnapped there, so I guess my family¡¯s mansion is not a very safe option since my grandfather is not there right now. Then why don¡¯t we go to the magical tower or my father¡¯s mansion¡ª¡±

    ¡°We can¡¯t go to those ces either.¡±

    ¡°Then why don¡¯t we go to where my grandfather¡¯s friend is? If we go there, I¡¯m sure we can get some hel¡­¡±

    Elena closed her mouth as she saw Hans shake his head. Then she said, ¡°Then Mr. Hans, where are you suggesting for us to go?¡±

    ¡°Ms. Dwayne, we already have a ce prepared. Let¡¯s begin moving there.¡±

    ¡°¡­Mr. Hans, I don¡¯t mean to be rude, but I¡¯m not sure if the ce you want me to go is safer than the ces I mentioned.¡±

    ¡°Ms. Dwayne, I¡¯m sorry, but it doesn¡¯t matter how safe the ces you mentioned are.¡±

    The atmosphere turned strange. Elena stared at Snoc who pretended to be focused on something else, and Nowem also didn¡¯t meet her gaze.

    ¡°Um, you guys didn¡¯te to save¡­me?¡±

    Hans steadfastly ryed the order he was assigned, ¡°Ms. Dwayne, we came here to kidnap you.¡±

    In Hans¡¯ hand, Estede seemed to light up at his words.

    * * *

    After Zich yed around with the interrogator, there were no more interrogations. It really seemed as if the interrogator was going to officially make his move after gaining permission to perform stronger interrogations. Of course, Zich was not worried about this matter at all. On the other hand, his biggest enemy right now was boredom. While Zich was letting out his mana and doing simple physical training to fight against boredom, he suddenly perked up his ears to what was happening outside.

    Zich sensed a slightmotion outside his room¡¯s windows which were blocked with iron bars.

    ¡®It¡¯s done.¡¯ Zich grinned. Hans and Snoc seemed to have perfectly carried out his orders.

    ¡®It¡¯s about time for me to get out of here.¡¯

    Even though this ce wasfortable, Zich liked being directly involved in his ns and actively running around. Zich focused his hearing and began eavesdropping on the people moving near him. It did not take long for him to find the conversation he wanted to hear.

    -Have you heard? I heard that the master¡¯s granddaughter has disappeared.

    This was exactly what he wanted to hear, and fortunately, this conversation was passing between the guards in front of him. Zich knocked on the door.

    ¡°What!¡± From across the door, one of the guards shouted at Zich.

    ¡°It¡¯s because I happened to hear the conversation that passed between you two. Did I hear it right? Elena Dwayne disappeared?¡± Zich asked with a solemn voice, but his face showed that he was brightly smiling.

 Chapter 248

    <h4>Chapter 248</h4>

    Since the interrogators were the only ones who spoke and acted harshly, it might seem like the building that Zich and L were imprisoned in were only full of people hostile to them. However, there were also people that the magical tower had nted in case the Jaewick family tried to harm them. Through these people, Zich ryed his situation to the magical tower.

    It hadn¡¯t been long since theyst saw each other, but Walwiss seemed to have grown old in that short amount of time. Even his glittering eyes faded a bit.

    ¡°I heard that you are willing to help us look for Elena.¡±

    ¡°Yes, sir,¡± Zich said solemnly. ¡°Since Elena is my friend¡¯s disciple, I¡¯ve be quite attached to her. So, I couldn¡¯t sit still when I heard the news that she was missing. My friend feels the same way.¡±

    Next to Zich, L said with a stiff face, ¡°Even though I had taught her for a short amount of time, she is still my disciple. Since she is a very talented and honest student, I quickly grew closer to her. How could I do nothing when I hear that such a child is missing?¡±

    ¡°¡­I see.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sure you know our skills to some degree now. We also have our experiences as travelers. We won¡¯t be a hindrance at least,¡± Zich said confidently.

    ¡°...Do you know the position you both are in?¡±

    ¡°Is it because of the Jaewicks?¡±

    ¡°Yes, they won¡¯t just stand by.¡±

    ¡°I hope you will listen to me without misunderstanding.¡± Zich met Walwiss¡¯ eyes, ¡°How high is the possibility that they are the ones who caused this incident?¡±

    ¡°¡­Are you suggesting that the kidnappers are part of the Jaewick family?¡± Walwiss¡¯ lowered his tone.

    Suspecting a top family in the magical tower was no light matter.

    ¡°Be careful of your words. If Wayne Jaewick heard what you just said, I don¡¯t know what he will do to you.¡±

    ¡°Wayne Jaewick¡­oh, he is the head of the Jaewicks, right? He is also the father of the loser I knocked down.¡±

    ¡°I told you to be careful with your words. We are in the magical tower right now. I might have some leniency over you both as outsiders, but I won¡¯t tolerate any rudenguage!¡±

    ¡°My apologies, sir.¡± As Walwiss spoke more forcefully, Zich apologized openly. ¡°But sir, don¡¯t they have a previous record? Their heirughed and despised Elena to the point that he provoked her. And when he lost his duel against L, he ambushed us. I think that¡¯s enough evidence to suspect that they might have faulted Elena as the cause of their humiliating situation and formed a grudge against her.¡±

    ¡°Hm¡­¡± Even Walwiss didn¡¯t refute Zich¡¯s words this time.

    ¡°By your reaction, I¡¯m sure you also feel quite uneasy, sir.¡±

    ¡°I admit that. It hasn¡¯t been long since the incident with you all happened. However, I can¡¯t just ce my doubts on them. I don¡¯t have any evidence, and it¡¯s difficult to point them out as the clear and obvious culprits.¡±

    ¡°But you can pressure the Jaewicks.¡±

    Walwiss stared at Zich. ¡°Ah, that¡¯s what you came here for.¡±

    ¡°Even if the young master of the Jaewick family endured torture under me and became almost crippled from the experience, he is clearly alive. And he is the one who started this incident. Yet right now, we don¡¯t even know what situation Ms. Elena is in.¡±

    Walwiss groaned ufortably, but Zich didn¡¯t mind it and continued, ¡°The reason why you were able to imprison us was because the recent incident was understandably a cause for the Jaewicks to lose their minds. Outsiders would have probably not wanted to intervene. I¡¯m sure the fact that we were wanderers was also a factor. Sorry to put it bluntly, but an incident that calls for the Dwayne family to lose their minds over it has urred. Even if a wolf loses its senses and goes around biting everything in its way, it will restrain itself if it sees a tiger doing the same thing.¡±

    Zich stared into Walwiss eyes as if he was trying to see through his heart.

    ¡°Do you still have your sense of reason intact?¡±

    ¡°¡­It¡¯s on the brink of a breaking point.¡± Walwiss spoke like he would snap the neck of the culprit if they were in front of him.

    ¡°Then, I suppose we won¡¯t have any difficulties.¡±

    ¡°But I am the master of the magical tower. I can¡¯t act upon my personal feelings.¡±

    Zich searched Walwiss up and down. Zich wondered if Walwiss was being serious, or if he was secretly hiding something. However, Zich could only read feelings of worry about Elena and his sense of duty as the master of the magical tower on Walwiss¡¯ face.

    ¡°It¡¯s not as if the incident with us didn¡¯t start off with personal feelings. But if the master of the magical tower says so, it¡¯s not like we have no other way. I heard that Elena¡¯s father has considerably favorable feelings towards us. And he is one of those who have lost their minds over this case right now.¡±

    ¡°Are you saying that I should use my son as a shield?¡±

    ¡°Well, at least he has fewer reasons to remain neutral.¡± Zich knew that Ond had defended them. Since rumors had already spread across the public, it wasn¡¯t difficult for him to get this information. ¡°How about it?¡± Zich asked.

    ¡°¡­What guarantee do I have that you all won¡¯t try to run away?¡±

    ¡°I can only ask you to believe in us.¡±

    Walwiss fell into contemtion for a bit. In the end, as if he had reached a decision, he nodded. ¡°I¡¯ll try my best.¡±

    ¡°You won¡¯t regret it sir,¡± Zich said in a very trustworthy voice.

    * * *

    ¡°Freedom!¡± Zich stretched his arms out and felt the outside air he hadn¡¯t felt for a while. Although L didn¡¯t say it out loud, she also seemed to be in a good mood.

    ¡°What are you going to do now?¡±

    ¡°I will have to call Hans and Snoc and find out the exact situation.¡±

    Zich hadn¡¯t given his servants only onemand. He thought of a couple events that could happen in the future and told them what to do in each scenario.

    ¡°Seeing the current situation, someone tried to kidnap Elena, and it seems like my guys intervened like I ordered them to.¡±

    ¡°Are you sure that those two are protecting Elena right now?¡± L was worried that Elena could be captured in a terrible ce.

    ¡°You heard the head of the magical tower. There are traces of a kidnapping in front of this mansion, and there is a group of corpses wearing robes outside the castle. Moreover, there are people who witnessed light shining over the castle walls. That must have been Estede¡¯s light.¡±

    ¡°That would be a relief then.¡±

    ¡°Believe in those guys. I¡¯m sure they dealt with the situation well.¡± Zich always held a great amount of faith in his servants. Then, he chuckled. ¡°I bet the reason why the kidnappers tried to capture Elena was to worsen the rtionship between the Dwayne and Jaewick family even more. I¡¯m sure they didn¡¯t expect another mysterious group to kidnap her instead.¡±

    If anyone who knew Zich saw his face right now, blood would have drained from their faces. L also took a step back from Zich.

    ¡°The mastermind of this n is probably really frustrated right now. They probably got the result they wanted, but Elena is not in their grasp. Moreover, all the kidnappers they sent were killed. Ah, I don¡¯t know who it is, but I really want to see that bastard¡¯s face right now.¡±

    If it was possible, Zich would really pay a thousand gold coins to see the person¡¯s face. Zich continued to let out a creepy, darkugh. L moved one step further away from Zich. She shook her head side to side and let out a sigh.

    * * *

    Zich and L went back to their lodging. Even though they were captured, their rooms were left untouched. It was because Hans had continued to pay for their lodging while they were away. Even though a substantial amount of money had been used, it didn¡¯t make much of an impact on Zich and hispanions¡¯ financial situation.

    ¡°Wee back!¡± Hans deeply bowed to the two of them.

    ¡°Yep.¡± Zich gave a simple reply and put out his hand. Hans quickly took out Windur and Zich¡¯s belongings and put them in front of Zich.

    Zich held Windur and lightly swung it around. Even though it hadn¡¯t been long, he missed the feel of its weight.

    Then Zich asked, ¡°Did this guy cause any trouble?¡±

    Zich didn¡¯t know if Windur also picked and chose its owner like Estede, but he knew that it had a consciousness and its own will to a certain extent. Moreover, it was a sword that ignored Zich unless it judged that a transformation was necessary. Hans was able to hold Windur, but there was also a high chance that Windur caused problems for Hans.

    ¡°No, sir. I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s because I barely touched it, but nothing that you might be concerned about urred. When I touched it for a bit while moving or cleaning it, nothing happened.¡±

    ¡°Really?¡± Did it not choose its owner like Estede? However, there was also a possibility that Windur thought this situation as a ¡®necessary¡¯ situation and stayed calm.

    ¡®I should investigate more next time.¡¯ Zich tied Windur to his back. When he felt Windur on his back, Zich felt a strange sense of satisfaction.

    L also received her belongings from Hans. She touched her staff for a bit, and it also must have been awkward for her to not have an item that she had always been carrying around. Zich pulled out a chair and sat in front of Hans.

    ¡°Report to me about the current situation.¡±

    ¡°Well, first, we were sessful in kidnapping Ms. Dwayne.¡±

    L¡¯s expression brightened up. ¡°Did she get hurt?¡±

    ¡°Ms. Dwayne received some scratches on her arms from being tied up, but other than that, she¡¯s very healthy. And she received those injuries because of the guys who kidnapped her first.¡±

    Hans saw L¡¯s face be intimidating when he said Elena got hurt, so he quickly added his second sentence.

    Zich asked, ¡°Who were they?¡±

    Hans had already expected this question, so he replied without hesitation, ¡°Sir, it¡¯s those robed figures.¡±

    ¡°As expected.¡± Zich had expected this since he heard that the corpses found outside the city were wearing robes.

    ¡°Sir, as you ordered, while I was watching over the Dwayne mansion during the night, the robed figures came and kidnapped Ms. Dwayne. I secretly followed them from behind and defeated all of them outside the city with Snoc.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re sure that they were the robed figures?¡±

    ¡°Their movements were very simr to all the robed figures we met before. Moreover, one of the robed figures also turned into a monster and attacked us.¡±

    The monster transformation was clear proof that they were the same robed figures Zich and hispanions had encountered many times before. It was one of the techniques(?) that the robed figures¡¯ leaders often used.

    ¡°Did anyone escape?¡±

    ¡°Sir, we at least finished off everyone who tried to kidnap Ms. Dwayne.¡±

    Zich smirked. ¡°You¡¯ve really gotten much stronger. In the past, you used to have so much trouble over just one robed figure.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s all thanks to you, Sir Zich,¡± Hans let out a small smile and replied. It was a remarkable development, considering that he used to be a servant who was forced to follow Zich and wasn¡¯t too keen about being dragged around.

    Zich was also satisfied by Hans¡¯ progress. However, he didn¡¯t show his satisfaction and gestured with his chin for Hans to continue reporting.

    ¡°Sir, I also thought about torturing them to get information out of them, but I thought it would be useless against the robed figures.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, you made the right decision. Those guys are not type to let out information with torture.¡±

    ¡°We also moved Ms. Dwayne to the location we prepared beforehand. She won¡¯t be easily found.¡±

    ¡°Did she obediently follow you guys?¡±

    ¡°We had a bit of a difficult time because she resisted fiercely.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s expected.¡±

    Even though Elena¡¯s self-esteem was very low from all the circumstances surrounding her, she ordinally had a fiery personality. Zich remembered her as a person with a zing personality like the fire magic she specialized in.

    ¡°Sir, she¡¯s with Snoc right now.¡±

    ¡°Man, he¡¯s going to suffer quite a bit.¡± Zich clicked his tongue as he thought about Snoc.

    * * *

    At the same time, a heated battle was taking ce.

    ¡°Just calm down first, Elena!¡±

    ¡°Calm down? Do you think I can calm down in this situation!¡±

    Elena and Snoc confronted each other with a table in between them. Snoc tried to calm her down with both of his hands up.

    However, as soon as Snoc took half a step towards her, Elena loudly shouted, ¡°Don¡¯te closer! I¡¯m really going to stab him!¡±

    The silver fork she was holding in her hand glistened. The hostage, unable to move from Elena¡¯s tight arm grip, saw the fork gleam and let out a loud, horrified scream.

    Koooooooo!

 Chapter 249

    <h4>Chapter 249</h4>

    Nowem¡¯s eyes shot towards the fork that Elena was holding. It wasn¡¯t a utensil made for the purpose of hurting another being. However, the several des that stuck out from its ends were sharp enough to pierce into a small animal¡¯s skin and rip through its muscles. As Elena¡¯s hand moved, Nowem felt the fork move closer to him. Nowem looked towards Snoc and shouted.

    Kooooooo!

    Snoc clutched his head and wondered how all of this had happened. It had all started with mealtime. Since they couldn¡¯t order Elena, who had just been kidnapped, to prepare the meal for them, Hans and Snoc cooked. Snoc had stayed in the secret base the longest, so he did most of the meal preparation. Although Elena had resisted greatly when she was getting kidnapped, she surprisingly began to cooperate once they seeded in imprisoning her. That was why they left their guard down.

    Nowem sat on top of the table, sniffing in anticipation for his own meal. At that moment, Elena approached the table. Even if she was kidnapped, she was only forbidden from going outside. She could freely wander inside, and both Snoc and Nowem thought she came closer to the table to have her meal. Like they expected, she pushed her chair backwards like she was going to take her seat. However, they didn¡¯t expect her to do what she did next. Nowem tapped the table with his front paws and chirped, ¡°Koo Koo!¡± happily when Elena snatched him up. Then, with her other hand, she picked up the fork on the table¡­and that was how the current situation came to be.

    Snoc stared at Elena. She looked extremely wary.

    ¡°D-Don¡¯t think I can¡¯t do it! I¡¯m not in the position to consider this and that! I can really pierce him!¡±

    Koooooo! As the fork came closer to him, Nowem screamed even louder. Snoc sighed and asked, ¡°What is it that you want?¡±

    ¡°Release me!¡±

    ¡®As expected,¡¯ Snoc thought. It was actually a stupid question to ask. After all, what else would a forcefully captured person want? However, he couldn¡¯t fulfill her request.

    ¡°I can¡¯t.¡±

    ¡°Ugh!¡±

    When Snoc firmly shook his head, Elena bit her lips sharply. The fork edged towards Nowem a bit more.

    ¡°I-I am really going to pierce him!¡± Even as she said this, the hand holding the fork trembled like mad. Besides, her hand didn¡¯t shake because Snoc intimidated her.

    ¡®Taking a life isn¡¯t easy.¡¯ Even if her target wasn¡¯t a human, taking a life would make even the most sane person feel reluctant. Furthermore, Nowem was a magical beast that had high intelligence and could understand human speech. On top of that, he was the one who had supplied Elena with mana and developed a connection with her.

    ¡°Stop it. There¡¯s nothing you can gain from this.¡±

    ¡°I will at least be able to get out of this ce!¡±

    ¡°Do you think you can really kill Nowem?¡±

    Elena couldn¡¯t answer.

    ¡°As you know, Nowem is a magical beast of the earth. Most knights or even mages can¡¯t handle such a power. You must also know what kind of existence he is.¡±

    Elena knew about the magical beast of the earth well enough to know that Nowem was one by first sight. She knew for sure that he wasn¡¯t a being that she could beat with just a fork. Even though her fork shook, Elena was only able to hold it in the first ce because Nowem didn¡¯t consider Elena as his enemy. If Nowem truly thought of her as an enemy, she would¡¯ve died instantly. However, Elena couldn¡¯t simply back off.

    ¡°¡­I don¡¯t know what you guys will do by using me. If you cause any harm to my grandpa and dad¡­¡± Her eyes turned sharp, and Snoc clicked his tongue inside his mind.

    ¡®I did hear that she had quite a personality,¡¯ Snoc thought. If he didn¡¯t think of something, it seemed like she would take her own life.

    ¡°¡­To tell you the truth, I don¡¯t really know the exact n either.¡± Snoc shrugged, ¡°But I¡¯m sure you won¡¯t be hurt at least.¡±

    ¡°How can I believe you!¡±

    ¡°If Ms. L told you the same thing, would you believe her?¡±

    Elena¡¯s body froze and her pupils shook. ¡°¡­Ms. L is also involved in this?¡± In the corner of her heart, Elena knew this truth. She had met Snoc through Zich and L¡¯s introductions; thus, there was a high possibility that if Snoc had kidnapped her, those two would be involved too. However, she tried to turn her mind away from that possibility as much as she could. She wished and hoped that Hans and Snoc had acted on their own. She didn¡¯t want to ept the fact that L might have betrayed her, and Snoc¡¯s words crushed herst remaining hope.

    ¡°Let me tell you before you misunderstand. Ms. L didn¡¯t betray you. You know it too, right? She treasures you so much.¡±

    ¡°Then why would she do this to me!¡± Elena screamed. Her voice was thoroughly mixed with rage and a sense of betrayal.

    Snoc replied calmly, ¡°It¡¯s to protect you.¡±

    Elena¡¯s body stiffened at the unexpected response.

    ¡°Like I told you before, I don¡¯t know the specifics, but I know there¡¯s some kind of scheme involving you that is ongoing inside this city. Sir Zich is trying to dig it out right now.¡±

    ¡°Are you telling me to believe that?¡±

    ¡°You know there was that mysterious group of people who tried to kidnap you.¡±

    Elena remembered the group of robed figures who kidnapped her at the mansion.

    ¡°Under Sir Zich¡¯s orders, we¡¯ve been surveilling your mansion since he told us about the possibility of you getting kidnapped.¡±

    ¡°¡­But those guys could be working with you all.¡±

    ¡°Do you think we would kill all of them then?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    As if Snoc had managed to somewhat persuade her, Elena¡¯s grip on Nowem loosened a bit. Nowem let out a sigh of relief. Although there was a gap to escape out of, Nowem didn¡¯t attempt to free himself. In the first ce, he could¡¯ve escaped if he really wanted to.

    ¡°Sir Zich told us to show you this if you still doubted us after I exined everything.¡± Snoc took out something from his belongings and threw it at Elena. Elena staggered a bit by the sudden action. Her hands floundered in the air but failed to catch what Snoc threw at her.

    Koo!

    Nowem freed himself from Elena¡¯s loosened arm and flew into the air. He coolly caught the item with his mouth andnded on Elena¡¯s shoulder.

    Koo! Koo!

    Nowem pushed the item onto Elena¡¯s shoulder to tell her to take it. Elena was taken aback by the magical beast¡¯s kindness even though he was a hostage just a moment ago. Inthe end, she made a small nod and took the item.

    ¡°This is¡­¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s the broach of a Karuwiman Honorary Knight.¡±

    Elena opened her eyes wide. ¡°An Honorary Knight?¡±

    Elena also knew about the Karuwiman Honorary Knights. She quickly scanned the broach. ¡°¡­Is this real?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s real.¡±

    ¡°Who¡¯s the Honorary Knight?¡±

    ¡°Sir Zich.¡±

    Elena narrowed her eyes. ¡°¡­Mr. Zich?¡±

    ¡°I know. It¡¯s a bit hard to believe.¡± Snoc was one of the closest people who saw and experienced Zich¡¯s personality first hand. Snoc also fully realized and admitted that Zich¡¯s personality was very far off from the images that people had when they thought of Karuwiman Honorary Knights.

    ¡°However, it¡¯s for real. Even though Sir Zich¡¯s personality is really bad, he¡¯s only bad to bad guys. He also received the title as Karuwiman Honorary Knight when he helped the Karuwimans raid the Bellids.¡±

    However, the suspicion in Elena¡¯s eyes didn¡¯t disappear. Snoc thought that her suspicions were very unfair. ¡°It¡¯s for real! The Saint gave it to Sir Zich herself!¡±

    ¡°The Saint? You¡¯ve met the Karuwiman Saint?¡± Elena began to show a bit of interest.

    At Elena¡¯s curiosity, Snoc was so happy that he felt like a prey that finally found an escape route at thest moment. He briefly told Elena about the adventures he went through with Zich.

    ¡°¡­Something like that happened?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. I was mostly talking about myself and my senior, Mr. Hans. We are pretty strong, but Sir Zich and Ms. L are really on a different level.¡±

    ¡®Now that I think about it, these people were travelers.¡¯ Even though Elena had been kidnapped by Snoc and Hans and was now in an unknown location, she couldn¡¯t stop her curiosity from rising up. She wanted to listen to more of Snoc¡¯s journey.

    ¡®¡­Should I trust him for now?¡¯

    Of course, Elena didn¡¯t have that thought just because she wanted to listen to Snoc¡¯s traveling stories. If she looked at her situation objectively, she couldn¡¯t think of any possible way to get out of this ce. Moreover, it was true that her heart felt a bit more rxed with the Karuwiman Honorary Knight broach in her hand.

    ¡°¡­Fine. I¡¯ll believe you for now.¡± Elena gripped Nowem on her shoulders and carefully held him over the table.

    Koo!

    Nowem jumped off from her hand andnded on the table. Snoc also felt relieved. ¡®I was worried about trying to get her to believe in us, but everything seemed to have turned out well.¡¯

    Even Snoc hadn¡¯t expected Elena to hold Nowem hostage in the beginning.

    ¡°I mean it¡¯s not really payment for kidnapping me, but can you tell me stories about your travels?¡±

    ¡°That won¡¯t be hard.¡± Snoc nodded his head. ¡°Ah, now that I think about it, Ms. L told me to tell you something.¡±

    ¡°Tell me something?¡±

    ¡°She told me to tell you to keep practicing magic by using Nowem¡¯s mana and get used to using mana in general.¡±

    ¡°¡­Yeah. It¡¯s not good to take breaks when studying.¡± Elena couldn¡¯tpletely trust in Zich and hispanions yet, but Elena couldn¡¯t stop herself from smiling at the thought of L telling her to continue her magic studies.

    ¡°I got it. For a while, I¡¯ll just focus on studying magic.¡±

    ¡°Then are you finished with epting your situation?¡±

    ¡°For now.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s fine.¡± Snoc left the table for a bit and brought the food he prepared. While setting the food down on the table, he said, ¡°Then let¡¯s eat first.¡±

    * * *

    While Snoc and Elena¡¯s conflict calmed down, themotion in Sunewick increased exponentially. Questions surrounding Elena¡¯s disappearance and the mysterious corpses exploded in magnitude.

    Rumors began to spread even outside the magical tower, and everyone in Sunewick gathered together in duos or trios were busy gossiping about Elena¡¯s kidnapping and the mysterious corpses. All kinds of spections and rumors spread around the city.

    Zich and L returned to their lodging. During the day, they pretended to search for Elena and looked all over the city. Of course, Elena was never found. However, since they still hadn¡¯t resolved the conflict with Mawin Jaewick, Zich and L had to make sure to notify a guard sent by the magical tower every time they returned to their lodging.

    After the guard made sure they didn¡¯t run away, Zich and L walked up to their rooms. Then L went to Zich¡¯s room.

    ¡°What are you doing?¡± L hade to discuss their future ns, and asked this question when she saw that Zich was writing something.

    Zich grinned. L was able to instantly recognize this grin; what Zich was doing right now was definitely immoral.

    ¡°You know how we kidnapped Elena?¡± Zich said while pping his hands as if he was a prankster bragging about a small prank he pulled off.

    ¡°Yeah. Sunewick is in an uproar right now because of that.¡±

    ¡°When kidnappings happen, kidnappers usually ckmail the people rted to the victims and not the victims themselves. It¡¯s a hostage situation. Think about it, L. Right now, rumors and all kinds of spections are being formed about the ¡®kidnapping of the master of the magical tower¡¯s granddaughter¡¯. Nothing about the identity of the kidnappers, the kidnappers¡¯ intentions, or the mysterious corpses outside of the city and their connections to the kidnappers have been revealed. Right now, Elena¡¯s family, the mastermind of this n, and everyone rted to this n are probably employing every means possible to find just one clue to Elena¡¯s disappearance. Then what needs to appear at this time?¡±

    ¡°What is it?¡±

    Zich pped the paper he was writing on and said with a very self-satisfied tone, ¡°It¡¯s time for a ckmail letter to appear.¡±

 Chapter 250

    <h4>Chapter 250</h4>

    Zich swerved his pen in all directions while humming. From behind him, L looked at the unfinished letter that Zich had written.

    ¡°Is there something you want to request from the magical tower? Tell me if you want anything¡ªlike money, magic circles, or treasures. You can even ask the master of the magical tower to dance in front of the tower under the bright moon. After all, we have his granddaughter¡¯s life in our grasp.¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s nothing. And what is the point of ckmailing them for something like that?¡±

    ¡°For fun.¡±

    ¡°¡­You won¡¯t be able to die an easy death.¡±

    ¡°Even if that happens, I don¡¯t intend to give up my way of living.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t try to frame your trashy behavior as some kind of philosophy of life.¡±

    ¡°L wishes to pass on, ¡®Don¡¯t try to frame your trashy behavior as some kind of philosophy of life¡­¡±

    ¡°What are you writing!¡±

    Zich quickly evaded L¡¯s hands. His movements were surprisingly fast and nimble . L moved her hands a couple of times, but Zich avoided them all by just moving his torso.

    ¡°No matter how good at punching you are, you can¡¯t do anything to me.¡± Zich lifted his finger up and down. However, when he saw L reach for her staff with a stern expression, he obediently sat up again.

    ¡°¡­What did you write?¡± After she red at Zich and breathed deeply a couple of times to calm herself down, L ced her staff down. Of course, she didn¡¯t forget to p his back once.

    ¡°It¡¯s nothing amazing. Well, I don¡¯t n to request anything right now,¡± Zich replied while rubbing the area where his back was hit.

    ¡°Even though we gave the mastermind a big blow by kidnapping Elena, we don¡¯t know this guy¡¯s identity.¡±

    ¡°Then, why are you writing a ckmail letter?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s to find their identity, of course. To catch a fish, we have to keep throwing bait at it.¡± Zich lifted the letter. There were a couple of simple words on it.

    ¡°This is good for now. I will write the rest of the letter to see how the situation goes.¡±

    * *. *

    Zich was called to Walwiss¡¯ mansion. Like it was for an urgent matter, Walwiss called him early in the morning. Thus, after a light meal, Zich headed for the mansion. The mansion¡¯s housekeepers greeted Zich, and like they were expecting him, they guided him to the drawing room. The whole mansion seemed to be swept by a sense of urgency which hinted that something serious had happened.

    ¡®Well, it¡¯s probably because of the ckmail letter I sent.¡¯

    Unlike the housekeepers, who tried to conceal their nervousness and worries for Elena but ended up revealing everything with their stiff faces, Zich was calm. There were many people gathered in the drawing room. Walwiss sat at the center of the table while there were Ond and some people whose faces Zich didn¡¯t know sitting around him.

    ¡°You came? Pleasee this way.¡±

    Walwiss stationed Zich next to him.

    ¡°I¡¯m sure everyone knows who this is since he is the one who caused a greatmotion recently.¡±

    People looked at him sympathetically, and there were even a few who looked at him with curious eyes.

    ¡°Since we are all mages, we might not be able to see this incident outside of a one-sided point-of-view, so I called him. He might be able to give us his perspective as a swordsman and a traveler.¡± Then, Walwiss gestured towards an empty seat. Zich nodded slightly and sat in the seat Walwiss pointed to.

    ¡°He¡¯s so easygoing. I didn¡¯t think a traveler would be thest one to arrive,¡± someone said sarcastically. Zich stared at the side where the voice came from.

    The person sitting diagonally across from Zich red at him intently. It was Zich¡¯s first time seeing this man, but he could easily guess who this person was. Not only had Zich heard about this man¡¯s appearance before, but there was only one person connected to Walwiss who would look at him so scornfully.

    ¡°It¡¯s my first time meeting you, Mr. Wayne Jaewick.¡± Zich smiled brightly and continued, ¡°How is your son doing these days?¡±

    Rip! Wayne gripped his fists tightly. It seemed like he wanted to beat Zich to death with those fists. Yet, Zich remained rxed, and his eyes looked at Wayne like he was egging him on.

    ¡°You bast¡ª!¡± Wayne couldn¡¯t endure it and was about to curse.

    ¡°Stop it. This isn¡¯t the time for fighting!¡± The person next to Wayne stopped him, and Wayne shut his mouth; after he gave Zich another piercing re, he turned his head around.

    Ond sat quite a distance away from Zich, and he said, ¡°Please bear with him too. This isn¡¯t the time, please.¡± Thus, Zich also took his gaze off Wayne and nodded.

    As the members of the party calmed down, Ond said, ¡°First of all, I want to thank everyone foring to this meeting.¡± His voice sounded extremely tired; it clearly showed how much stress he had suffered in a short amount of time.

    ¡°I want to express my sincere thanks to all those who came right away to help find my granddaughter even though this is not a personal matter for all of you.¡± Walwiss bowed. The other magicians were startled and tried to stop him.

    ¡°Sir, you¡¯ve worked so hard for the magical tower. This is not a matter for you to bow your head for.¡±

    ¡°Yes, if we don¡¯t help in situations like this, how can we call ourselvespanions of the magical tower?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m really thankful.¡± Walwiss expressed his thanks once again and finally exined the reason for this meeting. ¡°Frankly, I received something yesterday.¡±

    When Walwiss made a gesture, a man wearing a butler uniform came into the room holding a silver tter. The butler carefully ced the silver tter down on the table. People¡¯s gazes all turned towards the silver tter. There was an envelope ripped open and a letter on the tter.

    The person sitting right next to Walwiss asked, ¡°Sir, what is this?¡±

    Walwiss let out a sigh, and with a voice full of indignation, he said, ¡°It¡¯s a letter sent by the ones who kidnapped Elena.¡±

    The people began whispering amongst themselves.

    ¡°Would it be all right for us to read the letter?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡± Ond carefully lifted the letter.

    Someone asked, ¡°What¡¯s written on it?¡±

    Ond red at the letter as if he wanted to rip it apart and slowly read it . ¡°We have Elena Dwayne.¡±

    The people swallowed their cries. Even though the first line was way too short, it was more explicit like this. One person closed their eyes, another frowned, and some tried to stifle their anger. They all waited for Ond to say the next line.

    However, Ond put down the letter. ¡°And that¡¯s it.¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    People were dumbfounded. The person next to Walwiss quickly took the letter from the table and scanned its contents. He looked to the front and back, top and bottom, and even tried flipping it upside down. However, what was written on it was really just that one line.

    ¡°What is this¡­¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t believe there¡¯s just one line.¡±

    The people took turns looking at the letter and they all murmured to themselves in bewilderment.

    ¡°Perhaps, this might just be someone¡¯s idea of a joke.¡±

    It was natural that such an opinion would arise.

    However, Walwiss shook his head. ¡°This was on top of a table in my garden. What kind of insane person would secretlye to my house at this time to just y a joke?¡±

    People nodded their heads. Unless someone was really eager to die, no one would y a joke like this at such a time.

    ¡°Then there¡¯s a high probability that it really might havee from the culprit¡­¡±

    People began to fall into deep thought.

    ¡°Why would they send a letter like this?¡±

    ¡°They didn¡¯t write any demands or the reason for their crime. Did they really risk danger and infiltrate the Dwayne mansion just to ry this one line?¡±

    The culprit¡¯s actions were inexplicable bymon sense. Even though all the people gathered here were renowned for their intelligence, their heads hurt from looking at a letter with just one line. The letter continued to be passed around, and it finally made it to Zich.

    Zich frowned as if he really was contemting about the content of the letter and stared at it. However, this was just his outer appearance. On the inside, he was thinking random thoughts that did not matter.

    ¡®I wrote this, but it¡¯s written very strangely.¡¯

    In order to not get caught, Zich had twisted and nted his letters. It was not to the extent that it was difficult to read, but the handwriting was awful. Of course, the quality of the handwriting was not important to anyone else in the room. Zich was thest one to check the letter, so after he looked at it, he put it back on top of the silver tter.

    ¡°Now, I want to hear people¡¯s opinions about this letter.¡± Walwiss asked this, but no one was able to immediately step forward. Why would the culprit write such a letter?

    ¡°Perhaps, it¡¯s to show off.¡± one magemented.

    ¡°Show off?¡±

    ¡°Yes, sir. They literally might have sent it to show off that Ms. Dwayne is currently in their possession.¡±

    ¡°Isn¡¯t that too unrealistic? Why would someone do such a useless thing?¡± Someone argued against the first mage who spoke up.

    However, Zich agreed with the first theory. ¡°We can¡¯t say for sure that it¡¯s not a possibility.¡±

    Everyone¡¯s gazes turned towards Zich. A very unpleasant gaze was also mixed in, but Zich thoroughly ignored that gaze. To be more exact, Zich didn¡¯t even pay any attention to it.

    He continued, ¡°I met quite a lot of people while traveling, and there are some people who are impossible to understand withmon sense. It¡¯s not a far-fetched story for there to be a crazy guy who feels satisfaction by bragging about his crimes to his victims¡¯ families.¡±

    ¡°What are you saying!¡± People clicked their tongues.

    Ond asked, ¡°Then are you saying that this is an act done by an insane person?¡±

    Zich shook his head at Ond¡¯s question. ¡°Sir, I¡¯m just saying that it¡¯s a ¡®possibility¡¯. We can¡¯t find a definite answer from the information we currently have.¡±

    Zich added, ¡°The culprit could also have another motive.¡±

    ¡°What if this is all part of their n?¡± A different opinion came up. ¡°What if it¡¯s to distract us or change ns depending on how we react?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s also a possible exnation.¡±

    Like this, people continued to share their opinions and thoughts. Since there were too few clues, there were no answers that seemed definite. Eventually, a few highly probable exnations came up, and since it was somewhat of a breakthrough, Walwiss¡¯ expression brightened up a bit.

    After sharing a lot of different ideas, the meeting wasing to an end. Before they could all leave, Wayne suddenly asked Zich, ¡°Do you not have any other thoughts? The master called you to bring apletely different perspective, but I see that you haven¡¯t shared any of your thoughts.¡±

    Ond sided with Zich. ¡°He shared his thoughts enough times in this meeting.¡±

    Wayne snorted. ¡°All he did was add onto another person¡¯s idea. That¡¯s not enough to meet our expectations. Didn¡¯t we call him to hear thoughts from apletely different perspective, in ways we haven¡¯t thought of?¡±

    ¡°Hey, that¡¯s enough¡­¡± Other people tried to stop Wayne, but Zich made a big smile.

    ¡°From apletely different perspective¡­Well, I do have one.¡±

    ¡°¡­What?¡± Wayne was startled.

    All the other people in the room, who had stared at Wayne with annoyance and displeasure that a fight might erupt again, looked towards Zich in surprise. Zich opened his mouth very slowly and said with a smug voice, ¡°Why don¡¯t we change our line of thoughtpletely? Right now, we think that this letter is addressed towards the master of the magical tower. However, what if that¡¯s not the case?¡±

    Zich calmly continued while looking at everyone staring at him, ¡°This message could be addressed to not the master of the magical tower but apletely different person.¡±

 Chapter 251

    <h4>Chapter 251</h4>

    ¡°The letter isn¡¯t addressed to me? What do you mean?¡±

    Walwiss was taken aback by the interpretation that waspletely different from the others. Other people also looked towards one another and quietly murmured.

    ¡°We¡¯ve only talked about the person or group who had kidnapped Elena so far in this meeting.¡±

    ¡°Of course, this is a meeting to discuss Ms. Dwayne¡¯s kidnapping. What¡¯s the point of you saying such obvious things?¡± Wayne Jaewick grumbled again.

    Zich looked at Wayne and made a slight smile. Then, with an extremely gentle and kind voice, he said, ¡°Do you want to try listening to someone until the end? How could you ask a question andin every time someone tries to answer it? Some people might think that you are deliberately trying to pick a fight in a state of emergency.¡±

    ¡°What!¡± Wayne stared at Zich like he was having a seizure. He didn¡¯t expect Zich toe back at him like this, but Zich wasn¡¯t done talking. ¡°Of course, I¡¯m not suggesting that¡¯s your intention at all. After all, you are someone whose heart is big enough to ept your son¡¯s moronic behaviors. Besides yourck of child-rearing skills, I still think you are an amazing person.¡±

    ¡°W-Wha¡­!¡± For the first time in his life, Wayne experienced what it was like to be speechless because he was so angry.

    ¡°I know you cut me off without meaning to because you were just so curious. You are not someone who is socking and ignorant that you would try to make a fuss in a situation like this. Even the incident where your son one-sidedly provoked a fight with me¡ªI¡¯m sure that you have themon sense to not hold any ill feelings against me for what your son was obviously in the wrong for. In addition, I¡¯m sure that you would never ever drag that matter all the way to this meeting like some sore loser.¡±

    Thud!

    Wayne stood up and stretched out his hand to pick up the cane stationed next to him. His lips twitched like he was about to recite a spell.

    ¡°W-Wait, wait, Jaewick!¡± The mage next to Wayne snatched the arm reaching for the cane.

    ¡°Calm down! What are you nning to do in this ce!¡±

    ¡°Release me! I¡¯m going to kill that bastard right now!¡± Wayne tried to push away the mage clutching onto his arm, but there was no way an old mage could handle a person¡¯s entire weight. Still, Wayne didn¡¯t stop struggling, and other people started trying to stop him. However, his nerves weren¡¯t calm enough to endure the mocking of a traveler with no ss and made his son into a half-cripple.

    m!

    A sudden bang stopped themotion. Everyone¡¯s eyes shot toward the noise and saw Walwiss ring at everyone with his fist on the table. Walwiss¡¯ eyes burned with rage and shot daggers at everyone. Everyone, including Wayne, who had failed to restrain his anger, was startled.

    ¡°¡­We are supposed to be talking about my granddaughter right now. I asked each and every one of you to refrain from talking about anything else.¡± Walwiss pleaded, but no one was stupid enough to interpret his words as a simple plea. Wayne dropped his staff and quietly sat back down in his seat.

    ¡°Please continue speaking.¡±

    ¡°Then, I will go ahead.¡± Zich answered like the heavy atmosphere had nothing to do with him. Some looked at him with amazement, but Zich didn¡¯t care for their looks. ¡°Where did I stop?¡±

    ¡°You said that we¡¯ve only talked about the people who kidnapped Elena so far.¡±

    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right. Just like I said, we only talked about Elena¡¯s kidnappers. Let¡¯s consider putting another entity to our equation.¡±

    ¡°What kind of entity are you talking about?¡±

    ¡°I am talking about the mysterious robed corpses that were found outside the castle walls.¡±

    People nodded and exchanged their opinions:

    ¡°It''s really suspicious. Even if it¡¯s outside the castle walls, there has never been a case where a group of corpses were found.¡±

    ¡°I heard that their identities weren¡¯t revealed even after the investigation.¡±

    ¡°I heard that they were a bunch of suspicious people, all wearing heavy robes from the investigators. They say that they might be a group of criminals or assassins.¡±

    After keeping quiet, Walwiss said again, ¡°Of course, we also thought those guys could be connected to Elena¡¯s kidnapping. Even so, they are probably against the kidnappers¡¯ side.¡±

    ¡°You must think they shed with the kidnappers, and the robed figures lost.¡±

    ¡°Why? Do you think differently?¡±

    ¡°No, I think the same way.¡±

    ¡°Although they are suspicious, I thought they didn¡¯t have much to do with saving Elena, so I put my mind off it. Other people think the same thing.¡±

    Although it was Zich¡¯s first time participating in a group meeting, it seemed like there had been many meetings beforehand, and people had already decided to push off investigating the robed figures to ater time.

    ¡°Like you said, there¡¯s a high possibility that the group who had kidnapped Ms. Dwayne and the robed figures might be on opposing sides. So now, I will talk on the premise that the two groups had fought to the death to capture Ms. Dwayne.¡±

    Since it wasn¡¯t an oundish im, people didn¡¯t refute Zich¡¯s words. Zich ced the ckmail letter between his thumb and middle finger and waved it lightly.

    ¡°The letter¡¯s content is clearly provocative. It¡¯s enough to enrage the master of the magical tower, Mr. Dwayne, and everyone else who hase to help us¡ªincluding me. But I also believe that the sender of this message has a purpose for trying to provoke us.¡±

    Walwiss breathed heavily and Ond gritted his teeth lightly.

    ¡°If you think about it, there¡¯s another group who would be enraged by this letter¡¯s provocation.¡±

    ¡°¡­The group with the robed figures who failed to kidnap her.¡±

    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s exactly it.¡± Like he wasplimenting a disciple who had given him the perfect answer he was looking for, Zich nodded toward Ond. ¡°It¡¯s just like Mr. Dwayne said. Not only did their n to abduct Elena fail, but they also suffered great casualties, and their opponent is now showing off that they have Elena. It ought to make the robed figures¡¯panions extremely angry. With this reasoning, we can think this letter could have been directed towards the robed figures¡¯ organization.¡±

    ¡°What kind of nonsense are you saying¡­ Even if you are right, then why did they send this letter to the master of the magical tower?¡± One person spoke up in an exasperated tone. ¡°If they wanted to anger the robed organization, they should have directly sent the letter to them. If not sent to the proper recipient, even the best messages be useless.¡±

    ¡°Of course. I agree with that. But what if this letter was delivered properly?¡±

    ¡°What do you mean? This letter was delivered to not one of the robed organization¡¯s members but where the master resides¡­¡± The speaker made a horrified expression as he continued to talk and stopped as his face became bright red.

    Anyone could see that he was extremely furious. ¡°Perhaps, are you suspicious of the master? Do you think that the master of the magical tower is a member of the robed organization?¡±

    Shock fell upon everyone in the room. The speaker as well as other people in the room red at Zich with angry faces. A few of them even twitched their fingers as if they wanted to immediately raise their staffs.

    ¡°¡­Are you suspicious of me?¡± Surprisingly, the master of the magical tower, Walwiss Dwayne, was calm. However, his eyes were focused intently on Zich¡¯s eyes.

    ¡°No, that¡¯s not it.¡±

    ¡°Then what do you mean?¡±

    ¡°Aren¡¯t there other people who also know about the contents of this letter?¡± Zich moved his eyes away from Walwiss and met each and every one of the mages¡¯ eyes who were ring at him with fury and annoyance. Zich¡¯s gaze meant only one thing.

    ¡°¡­You¡¯re suspicious of us?¡± It was the same person who spoke up before and got angry at Zich. His face was now red like an apple, and his hands tightly clutched his staff. Of course, other people were also offended, and some even let out murderous auras.

    Zich shrugged his shoulders and didn¡¯t cancel his statement. ¡°Since this is an offensive idea, I was going to carefully mention it when I found more evidence, but in the end, it turned out like this.¡±

    ¡°Answer my question! Are you suspicious of us?!¡±

    The pressure increased on top of Zich, but Zich was not the type of person to back down because of the intense pressure. Instead, he would work harder to fight against it.

    Zich simply answered, ¡°Yes.¡±

    The menacing and angry atmosphere instantly dissipated due to Zich¡¯s overlyposed answer. People were so dumbfounded that they felt an emotional void. It was like seawater moving backwards before a tsunami, but even this void onlysted for a few seconds. Extreme wrath poured out like a tsunami, rose up over the ground, and swept everything in its path.

    ¡°T-this! If that¡¯s right, then aren¡¯t you also a suspect?!¡±

    ¡°Yes, you¡¯re right. I¡¯m also a suspect.¡±

    ¡°¡­What?¡±

    The anger died down again. No one could properly understand why Zich easily admitted that he was also a suspect.

    Zich lightly pped his hands; it was to lighten up the mood. ¡°Please don¡¯t get so agitated. I also don¡¯t think my spection is the answer yet. I would be thankful if everyone just considered my spection as one of the many spections that havee up so far.¡±

    Zich brightly smiled at everyone. The tense atmosphere loosened up, but it wasn¡¯t because their anger towards Zich had lessened. It was just because the time to unleash their anger had passed by twice¡ªtheir anger towards Zich was the same as before

    However, even in this tense atmosphere, Zich continued to voice his thoughts out loud, ¡°But I still think it¡¯s worthwhile to investigate the robed organization. If the master of the magical tower won¡¯t investigate them, I can dig for information about them by myself.¡±

    ¡°¡­I¡¯ll leave them to you. I¡¯ll also try looking into them.¡±

    ¡°Yes, sir,¡± Zich replied without erasing the smile off his face.

    People began to look ufortable as the master of the magical tower seemed to ept Zich¡¯s thoughts and spections. However, they also thought it was worthwhile to investigate the robed organization, so no one protested outright.

    ¡°Ah, but I¡¯m curious about something. I heard someone say that the robed organization probably had little to do with Elena¡¯s kidnapping so investigating them should be pushed to ater time. Does anyone know who said that first?¡±

    People were antipathetic to Zich¡¯s words. Did he still doubt them? However, they felt iffy at his words andbed through their memory to answer Zich¡¯s question. Some didn¡¯t remember, but there were also several who remembered what happened and turned towards the person who brought up that topic first.

    ¡°W-what¡­¡± The individual was startled as everyone stared at him.

    Zich also looked at him and called out his name with augh, ¡°Was it you? Mr. Wayne Jaewick.¡±

 Chapter 252

    <h4>Chapter 252</h4>

    After Wayne returned home, he took off his robe and ced his cane in his cab. The housekeeper next to him gulped his saliva down quietly. Wayne Jaewick¡¯s personality was on the nasty side, and most servants had to be on their tiptoes around him; however, Wayne seemed to be in a worse mood than usual. In times like this, the housekeeper knew that if something caught Wayne¡¯s eyes, he wouldn¡¯t let go of it easily.

    ¡°How is Mawin doing?¡±

    Unfortunately for the housekeeper, he was asked the question that could possibly irritate Wayne the most. However, it wasn¡¯t as if he could refuse to answer. The housekeeper readied himself and answered, ¡°Young master is still shutting himself in his room, sir.¡±

    Wayne gritted his teeth quietly, while the housekeeper shut his eyes tightly. Thankfully, the response he had expected didn¡¯te, and Wayne made a surprising gesture at the housekeeper. He gestured towards the housekeeper to get out. As if he was escaping from a hungry lion¡¯s den, the housekeeper thanked his good fortune and quickly exited the room.

    Wayne sat in his seat and thought about the meeting that had happened today.

    ¡°Damn it!¡± He picked up the decorations on top of his table and threw them at the wall.

    Crash!

    Since they were made from wood, the decorations didn¡¯t break; but by themotion they made, it was obvious that they would be chipped. However, Wayne showed no interest in these decorations.

    ¡®That damn wanderer!¡¯

    It had been Wayne¡¯s first-time meeting with Zich. Yet, he wasn¡¯t any different from Wayne¡¯s expectations; Zich was rude and arrogant just like Wayne thought he would be. Even just the sight of Zich¡¯s face stirred up curses to the back of his throat. Even so, Wayne pulled out all the patience he could muster to attend the meeting.

    ¡®But he still dared to insult me!¡¯

    Even though Wayne picked a fight with Zich first, that wasn¡¯t the important part. Zich should have endured at least some grumbling from Wayne considering his higher status and authority, but Zich insulted him back instead.

    Wayne clenched his fists.

    ¡®Especially at the end!¡¯ Just because he proposed to investigate the robed figures¡¯ organization at ater time, Zich suspected him. Out of everything, that angered him the most. Of course, no one sincerely thought that Wayne was the culprit; they simply looked at him with suspicious eyes for a moment. Zich¡¯s idea was simply a possibility, and the Jaewicks were still a prestigious family. However, it irked Wayne that he had been suspected for even a short moment. However, that wasn¡¯t the only reason why Wayne was infuriated.

    ¡®I was found out!¡¯

    Like Zich said, Wayne had purposefully tried to change the topic regarding the robed figures. Yet, all of his efforts became useless after hearing Zich¡¯s few words. Now, even Walwiss Dwayne would try to investigate the organization behind the robed figures.

    ¡®I guess it can¡¯t be helped.¡¯

    Wayne took out a piece of paper and ced it on the table. Then, he picked up a pen and roughly scratched the paper with it. ck ink systematically formed characters. The characters weren¡¯t part of a writing system used anywhere in the world, but they were a secret code. Wayne took out several more pieces of paper and wrote the same code on them. Then, after he rolled up the pieces of paper and tied them with a string, he got up.

    The ce he headed to was the top of the mansion where they kept carrier pigeons. He prepared as many pigeons as he had letters and tied the letters to the pigeon¡¯s legs.

    Flutter!

    The pigeon carriers flew up. They circled around the sky a couple of times and scattered all over the ce.

    ¡®This is good for now.¡¯

    Wayne stared at the ce where the pigeon carriers circled. The sun was setting and streaks the same color as blood shone.

    * *. *

    The investigation for Elena¡¯s whereabouts continued. People searched the city inside and out, checking every nook and cranny of the forest surrounding it. Innocent beasts and monsters who had nothing to do with the incident were ughtered amid the search.

    Yet, they still couldn¡¯t find a trace of Elena. Like usual, Zich wandered around the back alleyway for the purpose of finding Elena. He beat up the bad guys hanging around these alleyways while asking about Elena. Of course, these guys had no way of knowing where she was.

    ¡®It¡¯s because we are the ones who have Elena.¡¯ The people who Zich beat would have foamed from their mouths if they heard the truth, but Zich didn¡¯t feel an ounce of guilt.

    ¡®Torturing bad guys is not a sin,¡¯ he simply thought.

    ¡°Kuh!¡± Zich threw the gangster who also couldn¡¯t answer his question against the wall and went to another back alleyway. He nned to relieve his stress¡ªno, find another bad person who might have any information about Elena.

    ¡®¡­Hm.¡¯ Zich¡¯s pupils moved to the side. However, he behaved normally with his legs moving forward, arms shaking lightly, and face looking straight. Meanwhile, he sensed the figures behind him.

    ¡®I am being followed.¡¯

    There were about two of them. Zich pretended to not notice and made a sharp turn inside the alleyway.

    ¡®They seem like assassins.¡¯

    Their movements weren¡¯t like normal civilians, or swordsmen, or mages.

    They were people who had professionally learned to hide their presence and target their opponents.

    ¡®Are they the robed guys?¡¯

    However, for them to be the robed figures, their movements weren¡¯t skilled enough. Zich headed towards an even more deserted area. He soon saw houses that looked like they would fall apart at any moment. It was an abandoned ce where there was no sign of anyone living inside. Zich searched the area as if he was looking for Elena.

    ¡®¡­They are noting out.¡¯

    Even though he had moved to a deserted area where it was easy to ambush him, his opponents didn¡¯t move. They were simply staring at Zich while hiding their presence.

    ¡®Their goal isn¡¯t to ambush me.¡¯

    Then, what was it? Zich stopped his search. When he moved, the people tailing him also moved. He came out to the main street this time, and they continued to follow him.

    ¡®They are still tailing me.¡¯

    That meant only one thing.

    ¡®They are waiting for me to go to Elena.¡¯ It was clear that Zich had been caught kidnapping Elena. It was a dangerous situation, but Zich smiled instead.

    ¡®I¡¯ve caught them!¡¯

    Normally, Zich¡¯s favorite method was to use the guys tailing him to extract information, but he decided against it this time. On the contrary, Zich slowed down his pace so that they wouldn¡¯t miss him. While he wandered all over the city all day, they continued to follow him; this continued even when Zich went back to his lodging.

    ¡®I guess they¡¯re noting inside the lodging though.¡¯

    It seemed as if they didn¡¯t want to risk going that far. Zich went back to his room., and the people following him remained in the same ce. One presence left for a short while and another came back.

    ¡®They¡¯re taking turns.¡¯

    This meant that whoever was following him was preparing for a long haul. Zich went out of the lodging once again, and people tailed him from behind. When Zich bought several fruits and went back to his lodging, they also stayed near his lodging. Then he felt two more presences station themselves near the lodging. Since their movements felt simr, Zich predicted that they were in the same group as the people who followed him.

    ¡®They¡¯re the guys who are tailing L.¡¯

    As Zich predicted, a presence was moving towards Zich; the person was moving towards a room next to Zich¡ªit was L¡¯s room. Zich opened the door to L¡¯s room and pushed only his upper body in.

    ¡°You scared me!¡±

    Zich saw L jump up in surprise. When Zichughed, L¡¯s lovely forehead crinkled.

    L asked, ¡°Why did youe here?¡±

    ¡°I have something to tell you. Come into my room.¡±

    They went into Zich¡¯s room and sat with a table in between them. Zich said, ¡°There are people watching us.¡±

    ¡°People are watching us?¡± L narrowed her eyes, and Zich nodded his head.

    ¡°Two people are watching us each. Since they¡¯re tailing ability seems to be pretty good, I think they¡¯ve been professionally trained. Ah, but they¡¯re not really dangerous. If they attack you, you¡¯ll probably be able to strike back easily.¡±

    ¡°Of course, even if I¡¯m much weaker in closebat, I don¡¯t n to be defeated by those guys in hiding, but¡­¡± L thought it still felt unpleasant to know that there were people following her. ¡°Who sent them?¡±

    ¡°I don''t know, but I have some predictions.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t speak in a roundabout way and just tell me.¡±

    ¡°The mastermind behind this scheme. Or at least people rted to that person.¡±

    ¡°And why do you think that?¡±

    ¡°I think it¡¯s because they found out that we kidnapped Elena.¡±

    L¡¯s eyes widened. She tilted her head. ¡°How? In matters like this, there¡¯s no one as shameless as you, so they must not have found out from you, and I was also very careful with my actions.¡±

    ¡°What do you mean shameless? You¡¯re saying mean things to me.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, because it¡¯s a fact.¡± Even with Zich¡¯s protest, L didn¡¯t withdraw her words. ¡°Perhaps, did Hans and Snoc get found out?¡±

    ¡°No. If that happened, I don¡¯t think they''d be sneaking around like this right now. Judging by their actions right now, it seems like they are waiting for us to go to Elena.¡±

    ¡°Then, how did we get caught?¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s one exnation that I can think of.¡± Zich crossed his arms and leaned back with a cheeky smile on his face. L felt her tension slowly ease up; she recognized that expression.

    ¡°Is this also a part of your n?¡±

    ¡°It might be?¡± His nonchnt voice sounded like he was uttering a line from a y.

    L lightly kicked Zich¡¯s shin and said, ¡°Stop ying around and just tell me.¡±

    ¡°Since mydy requests it, I guess it can¡¯t be helped.¡± With an exaggerated introduction, Zich began his exnation. ¡°Well, let¡¯s discuss the first matter. Don¡¯t you think Elena¡¯s kidnapping happened very suddenly?¡±

    ¡°Suddenly?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. Before we got locked up, you know how I gave a couple of orders to Hans and Snoc, right?¡±

    L nodded.

    ¡°Honestly, if I was the mastermind, kidnapping Elena would not be my top priority. That¡¯s because there are a lot of different ways to increase the rift between the Dwayne and Jaewick family. Moreover, even if they did kidnap Elena, it would have been more effective if they carried out her kidnapping at ater time. For example, when the rtionship between the Dwayne and Jaewick family was even worse than now, Elena¡¯s kidnapping could act as a final blow to end their peaceful rtionship.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re saying that Elena¡¯s kidnapping happened at an earlier time than you expected?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, and that¡¯s not the only thing. The robed figures directly moved to kidnap Elena. So far, they preferred to use other people as agents and supported them from behind. They usually only revealed themselves when incidents wereing to an end. But this time, they came into the heart of the city and directly took the risky and dangerous job of kidnapping Elena.¡±

    ¡°Then, is it already almost time for this incident to end?¡±

    ¡°For that to be true, not much has happened yet. Think about all the incidents that the robed figures created so far. So far, did we do anything else other than beat the hell out of Mawin Jaewick?¡±

    L gestured Zich to continue with her eyes.

    ¡°This is what I came up with. The robed figures decided to move their ns way ahead of schedule. If we think of it like that, it¡¯s not strange that they¡¯d risk it and directly carry out their ns. Since their ns went awry, they¡¯ll have to directly intervene to at least get some results.¡±

    With this exnation, it made sense that the robed figures, who usually moved with great caution, made such a big and risky move.

    Zich continued, ¡°Then why did those guys push their ns ahead of schedule? It¡¯s because a variable appeared. A variable that those guys really, really hate.¡±

    L asked, ¡°Are you saying it¡¯s because of us? Because we taught Elena magic?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s probably not it. She could always learn magic one way or another. She¡¯s a youngdy from an esteemed family, her grandfather is the master of the magical tower, and her father is also an amazing mage. There¡¯s no way they made a n that could be broken by Elena just learning magic.¡±

    ¡°Then what?¡±

    ¡°We used a special method.¡±

    ¡°¡­Nowem¡¯s mana.¡± L suddenly opened her eyes wide. ¡°Now that I think about it, you said it was okay for Elena to keep studying magic by using Nowem¡¯s magic! Did you perhaps predict that this might happen?¡±

    Zich grinned.

 Chapter 253

    <h4>Chapter 253</h4>

    ¡°Okay, let¡¯s try to think about this. Elena has talent¡ªan amazing one at that. However, she hasn¡¯t been able to even wake up her mana yet. Thus, we thought there must be some outside influence, and when we determined that there was something wrong inside her body by using Nowem¡¯s mana, an unexpected incident urred.¡±

    ¡°When we began to train her by using Nowem¡¯s mana, ¡®they¡¯ sensed it and began to spy on us.¡±

    ¡°Yes, exactly.¡±

    ¡°I think we can assume that the mastermind behind all this can feel the mana flowing inside Elena¡¯s body.¡±

    ¡°The mastermind is someone who rendered Elena¡¯s mana useless. It wouldn¡¯t be strange for them to have an ability like that.¡±

    L nodded with her arms crossed, but suddenly stopped. ¡°Wait, the fact that the mastermind was able to pinpoint us means that they knew we trained Elena with Nowem¡¯s mana¡­¡±

    ¡°You have someone in mind too, right?¡±

    L¡¯s eyes darkened. As she said, ¡°¡­Walwiss Dwayne and Ond Dwayne.¡±

    There was clearly something wrong with Elena¡¯s body, and if they fixed what was wrong with her, Elena could possibly use magic. Zich had only told this truth to two people who had the right to know: Elena¡¯s family members.

    ¡°Of course, it could not be those two. Since it is well-known that we are teaching Elena, someone might have been able to guess what we were doing. However, it¡¯s also true that those two are the most suspicious.¡±

    L sighed. Even when she saw how much Zich doubted those two, she also hoped for those suspicions to be wrong.

    ¡®It¡¯s going to be painful for Elena.¡¯

    However, they couldn¡¯t just let the situation be. The mastermind was someone who rendered Elena¡¯s mana useless; it didn¡¯t seem like they had any good intentions.

    ¡°What are we going to do now?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not going to do anything for a while.¡± Zich looked outside the window. Then, he nced at the ce where the people trailing him were.

    ¡°If I don¡¯t go visit Elena, they are going to do something else soon for sure.¡±

    * * *

    At a meeting which had be a regr urrence inside the Dwayne mansion, Wayne asked, ¡°Come to think of it, what happened to your servants?¡±

    Zich stared back at him. ¡°My servants?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I know you used to go around with two people you called servants. I haven¡¯t seen them for a while now.¡±

    ¡°Hey, isn¡¯t it time to quit¡ª¡± Anotherpanion next to them thought Wayne was picking a fight with Zich again. He scowled as if he thought Wayne¡¯s behavior was bing quite annoying now.

    However, Wayne didn¡¯t be agitated and calmly stated, ¡°I¡¯m not trying to pick a fight with him. Even I wouldn¡¯te all this way to pick a fight. I am just asking him out of curiosity.¡±

    ¡°Um...¡± Thepanion trying to restrain Wayne looked a bit doubtful but stopped intervening.

    Wayne continued his question. ¡°You and yourpanion¡ªI think her name was Ms. L? Anyways, you two searched around the city very rigorously, but it¡¯s hard to spot your servants. Just one of them seems to appear from time to time, but the other one never appears anywhere.¡±

    ¡°You know very well, sir. Did you trail us or something?¡±

    ¡°Trail you? How could you say such scary words? I just did a little careful research. After all, weren¡¯t you the one who said thepanions of the robe-wearing corpses could be here?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s certainly true, sir.¡±

    ¡°Doesn¡¯t that also mean that the person who kidnapped Ms. Dwayne could also be here?¡±

    People started murmuring. Zich stared at Wayne, and Wayne continued to speak skillfully. ¡°Ifpanions of the corpses or the people who tried to kidnap Elena might be here, I thought it was also possible for Elena¡¯s kidnappers or theirpanions to be here too.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a very unlikely story, but it¡¯s not impossible, sir. However, do you also realize that you could also be a suspect in this scenario too?¡±

    ¡°Of course. You can investigate me as much as you¡¯d like, but before that, can I ask where your servants are and why they¡¯ve barely shown themselves recently?¡± Wayne¡¯s eyes shone like a viper cornering a mouse as he continued, ¡°Of course, I don¡¯t think so, but one of my underlings keeps expressing their suspicions. They think you kidnapped Ms. Dwayne, locked her up somewhere, and made your servants watch over her. They say it exins your servant¡¯s behaviors: one is in charge of guarding Ms. Dwayne while the other one is in charge of contacting you. Don¡¯t you see how they can think of it this way?¡±

    ¡°I see. It does make sense.¡±

    Wayne¡¯s eyes twitched. He didn¡¯t seem pleased by Zich¡¯s calm attitude.

    ¡°I am d that you think that way. So, could you tell us where and what your servants are doing?¡±

    ¡°My servants are searching in the areas outside of this city. That¡¯s why no one¡¯s seen them recently.¡±

    ¡°Did they note back to the city even once in the meantime?¡±

    ¡°As you know, we are travelers. We are used to homelessness, and rather than wasting time going back and forth from the city, they are searching for Elena while staying outside of the castle¡¯s walls.¡±

    Zich picked up the teacup in front of him and calmly drank a sip. Then, he smiled at Wayne.

    ¡°Does that answer your question?¡±

    ¡°It does.¡± Wayne returned his smile, ¡°¡­If everything you say is true.¡±

    ¡°Unfortunately, I have no other way of proving my innocence.¡±

    ¡°Then, could you let us meet your servants?¡±

    ¡°If you wish, I could organize that.¡±

    Zich and Wayne both smiled at each other. A strange pressure passed between the two and made people swallow their saliva. But as if Wayne¡¯s words had made some impact, people began to look at Zich doubtfully. In the first ce, Zich was an outsider. If they had to choose between Zich and Wayne, everyone in the meeting would believe Wayne¡¯s words.

    However, Zich didn¡¯t care for them. His eyes focused solely on Wayne.

    ¡®Caught you!¡¯

    * * *

    ¡°Wayne Jaewick is suspicious?¡±

    ¡°Yep.¡±

    As soon as Zich returned back to his lodging, he told L everything that happened today. ¡°Since nothing came up when he sent people to follow me, he¡¯s trying to pressure me directly from the front. Since his stupid son also seems rted to the robed figures, he¡¯s even more suspicious.¡±

    ¡°Then is he the mastermind?¡±

    ¡°We have to look more into that matter. The mastermind might be using Wayne Jaewick, who has a lot of hate against me, to pry information from me.¡±

    ¡°Well, no matter how you look at it, Wayne Jaewick definitely seems suspicious. What are you going to do now?¡±

    ¡°He made it so obvious that he¡¯s basically telling us to be suspicious of him. Then we have to make sure.¡± Zich took out an artifact. It was an invisibility artifact that he had used several times before. He stared out the window. All the people who were following him were right outside.

    ¡°Those guys are going to be my alibis.¡± Zich smiled like a viin.

    * * *

    Zich stood in front of a mansion. Even though it was iparable to the Dwayne mansion that the master of the magical tower lived in, the mansion in front of him was enormous. It was the Jaewick¡¯s family mansion.

    ¡®He lives in a humongous ce.¡¯

    Zich recalled the annoying faces of the Jaewicks¡¯ father and son pair. ¡®Should I break a bit of the mansion before I leave?¡¯

    He shook his head.

    ¡®Let¡¯s do itter. If I do it, I need to make sure I do a good job.¡¯

    In the first ce, the Jaewick family had a high possibility of being connected to the mastermind.

    ¡®When the timing is right, I can make up a good reason and destroy them thoroughly and surely.¡¯

    However, it was time for him to be patient. Zich easily passed over the walls of the Jaewick mansion; the guards were unable to detect him, allowing him to sessfully infiltrate the mansion.

    ¡®It seems like I¡¯m constantly infiltrating these days.¡¯

    Zich felt a bit despondent; before his regression, he didn¡¯t need to resort to petty tricks like this and could just destroy everything in his path with sheer strength.

    ¡®Tch! I should be a little more patient.¡¯

    He sessfully released his mana, reminding himself that the strength he possessed in the past would soon be his again and began moving. Zich avoided the servants and workers that were nearby and looked through the entire mansion. There were a great number of rooms. Since most of the rooms were empty or were being used as guest rooms, they didn¡¯t seem important. Then Zich found a room with a human presence inside. Since the person stayed very still, they didn''t seem like a worker.

    Zich went to the next room and jumped out of the room¡¯s window. He made no sound as hended on the window next to him. While hanging on to the window frame, Zich peered into the room.

    ¡®It¡¯s Mawin Jaewick.¡¯

    Mawin Jaewick was sitting on top of his bed and staring absentmindedly into a void. His eyes were unfocused and blurry, and it seemed as if his mind was not really there.

    ¡®I heard that he locked himself up in his room and that his mind was half-gone. I guess that¡¯s what he looks like.¡¯

    Zich used the window next to Mawin¡¯s room to go back inside the mansion. Even though he saw Mawin Jaewick¡¯s appearance, Zich didn¡¯t feel anything. He didn¡¯t feel anger or pity; Mawin Jaewick was already a meaningless existence to him.

    ¡®Instead of a useless thing like that, is there anything that might be of use?¡¯

    Zich began to search all over the mansion again. When he reached the top floor, he heard an animal¡¯s small cry with his keen sense of hearing. Zich quietly went into the room where he heard the animal.

    ¡®It¡¯s a room for storing carrier pigeons.¡¯

    The carrier pigeons softly cried out loud and shook their heads side to side. Zich looked all around the room.

    ¡®There¡¯s probably nothing to see here.¡¯

    Other than the awful smell of pigeons, their waste, various tes, and water containers, there was nothing to see in the room. The perches hanging on top of the ceiling for pigeons to sit on also seemed like they wouldn¡¯t have any important information either.

    Flutter!

    At that moment, a pigeon carrier came flying through a hole in the roof and sat on a perch.

    ¡®Huh?¡¯

    Zich¡¯s eyes brightened up unconsciously when he saw the pigeon flying in. It seemed as if someone had sent a letter to the Jaewick mansion.

    ¡®Of course, I need to check it out.¡¯

    Zich released his invisibility magic. The carrier pigeons fluttered their wings in surprise, but they didn¡¯t run away; it was the result of being trained. Zich carefully took out the letter that was tied to the carrier pigeon¡¯s leg. In a paper that was as small as a palm, letters that Zich had never seen before were written on it.

    ¡®It¡¯s a code.¡¯

    Zich took out a piece of paper from his magic box and copied the letters on it. Then he rolled the letter up and carefully tied it up to the same carrier pigeon again. The carrier pigeon fluttered its wings for a bit, but after Zich finished tying up the letter and moved away, it became calm again.

    ¡®I got at least one harvest.¡¯

    Zich did not know what the letters meant, but it could lead to an important clue. Zich quietly left the carrier pigeon room and continued his investigation. However, he was not able to find anything else that looked important. When he found Wayne¡¯s room, he searched for secret rooms or passageways, but there was nothing he could find.

    ¡®Is the letter the only useful thing I could find?¡¯

    Even though this was better than nothing, it was disappointing. Zich thought about leaving the mansion when he was stopped by a sound. He heard people talking.

    ¡®I think it¡¯sing from the reception room.¡¯

    It was already deep into the night and the whole sky was covered inplete darkness. It was suspicious that a guest would stay sote.

    ¡®I should check it out, right?¡¯

    Zich couldn¡¯t just open the door of the reception room and go in. Like the time he went to Mawin¡¯s room, he decided to spy on them by jumping outside the windows. He used the room next to the reception room to jump outside. Since the reception room was on the second floor, he had to hang on to the window frame. Then he lightly jumped to the side.

    Tap!

    Zich made a small noise, but the conversation in the reception room did not stop. He hadn¡¯t been caught. Zich put more strength into his arms and pushed his head up the window frame. The inside of the reception room appeared in front of him. Wayne was receiving two guests, and Zich knew both of them.

    ¡®Walwiss Dwayne and Ond Dwayne.¡¯

    Two people were talking with Wayne.

 Chapter 254

    <h4>Chapter 254</h4>

    ¡®What an interestingbination.¡¯

    They were all people connected to Zich. Walwiss and Ond were Elena¡¯s family members, while Wayne had all kinds of ill feelings towards him. Zich carefully craned his ears.

    ¡°So, you¡¯re saying that fellow named Zich is suspicious.¡±

    ¡°Yes, sir.¡±

    ¡®Ah, I was wondering why they gathered altogether.¡¯ It seemed like Wayne had invited Walwiss and Ond to smear Zich''s name.

    ¡®Huh? I don¡¯t know about Walwiss, but isn¡¯t his rtionship with Ond bad?¡¯ However, the answer to Zich¡¯s question was soon revealed.

    ¡°Did you call my father to just say that?¡±

    ¡°¡­Mr. Dwayne, I don¡¯t remember inviting you.¡±

    ¡°It isn¡¯t strange for me to apany my father as his son. Also, I heard you had something to talk about Elena. Aren¡¯t I involved in this case too?¡±

    Wayne¡¯s expression clearly showed his annoyance, but he didn¡¯t say more. Wayne could chase away Ond from his house, but he knew that wasn¡¯t ideal at all.

    ¡®Ond must have tagged along uninvited.¡¯ Zich figured out the situation from their conversation.

    ¡°Anyways, that¡¯s simply my opinion, sir. What do you think, master of the magical tower?¡± It seemed like Wayne nned to ignore Ond and push the conversation forward. However, Ond didn¡¯t follow his father all the way to Wayne¡¯s house to stand quietly.

    ¡°Is the ground for your suspicions that stretch of a story you made before?¡±

    ¡°What do you mean stretch! It¡¯s true, that guy is suspicious!¡±

    Ond scoffed, ¡°If you nitpick about everything like that, of course everyone will look suspicious! It wouldn¡¯t be strange for anyone to mobilize a secret force in a situation like this. ording to your logic, we would all be potential suspects!¡±

    ¡®Yup, yup!¡¯ Zich nodded his head by the windowsill. If he could, he wanted to apud Ond. ¡®Even though it¡¯s true that I kidnapped Elena.¡¯

    ¡°It¡¯s more convincing that you are purposefully trying to frame Mr. Zich because of your personal grudge against him!¡±

    ¡°What¡­!¡± As expected of ill-tempered Wayne, he was about to shout in response. Yet, unlike his usual self who would have run wild with rage, he tried to repress his anger.

    ¡®Huh? This is unexpected.¡¯ Zich was quite surprised. As if Ond was also surprised, his expression looked like he was a bit baffled. It seemed like Ond was prepared to raise his voice once Wayne began to shout.

    ¡°It¡¯s true that I dislike that fellow. I admit it. But it¡¯s also true that his servants are acting strangely. I tried to get some of my guys to follow at least the one who shows up sometimes, but they lost him every time.¡±

    ¡°You are suspecting him just because of that?¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s a wanderer with a mysterious background. Also, he has a connection with Elena as a friend of her teacher. Don¡¯t you know? Surprisingly, kidnappings are frequent between people who know each other.¡±

    ¡°We can¡¯t doubt him just because of that.¡±

    ¡°Well, that¡¯s true.¡± As Wayne agreed with him, Ond narrowed his eyes. ¡°Anyways, I definitely think that guy is suspicious. I am going to meet his servants and check them out myself. Then, I am going to dig up information from them or get some professionals to follow them.¡± There was a great amount of certainty in Wayne¡¯s voice.

    However, Zich was also certain. ¡°This guy knows we kidnapped Elena.¡± This was an important piece of information that made the risk of trespassing worth it.

    ¡°Master of the magical tower, what do you think?¡± Wayne asked Walwiss. It sounded like he wanted Walwiss to agree with him.

    ¡®No, it¡¯s slightly different.¡¯

    Rather than desiring agreement, it sounded more like Wayne was trying to test Walwiss. Zich leaned his head closer towards the inside of the room to hear the conversation better.

    ck.

    Walwiss turned around. His eyes shot towards the window.

    ¡®Is there something?¡¯ Zich turned around. However, there was nothing outside the window. So, he turned his eyes back towards the room, but Walwiss continued to stare outside the window.

    ¡®¡­No.¡¯ Zich felt cold sweat on his back. ¡®He isn¡¯t looking outside the window.¡¯

    Zich ced his feet on the wall and pushed himself strongly backwards. His body moved away from the window, and Walwiss¡¯ pupils moved slightly.

    ¡®He¡¯s looking at me!¡¯

    Craaash!

    The window that Zich had been hanging onto burst into mes and pirs of fire shot down. A fire pir slid right past his face and made his whole body burn up.

    Thud! Zich¡¯s feetnded on the ground, and he quickly moved.

    ¡®I gotta make a run for it.¡¯ He had already gained information, and this ce was the enemy¡¯s home ground. Moreover¡­

    ¡®Walwiss Dwayne isn¡¯t someone I can beat right now¡ª'' Before he could even finish that thought, Zich twisted his body.

    Crash!

    A fireball shot down on the area where he used to be and created a giant, pitch-ck hole.

    ¡®Tch! It¡¯s annoyingly fast!¡¯

    However, the fence was just in front of him. If he reached the city, even Walwiss wouldn¡¯t be able to properly attack Zich. Yet, as if Walwiss knew Zich¡¯s intentions, the next attack blocked him from moving further.

    Crackle!

    The wall burned up. It almost looked like a firewall of doom blocking the world of the living from Hell. The wall¡¯s height was the size of five person''s and blocked Zich from retreating behind the fence.

    ¡°¡­Damn it.¡± Even Zich couldn¡¯t do anything but click his tongue. Even when he wasn¡¯t close to the fire, he could feel the intense heat. The surrounding grass and trees let out thick smoke as they burned without even touching the wall of fire. Zich picked up a tree branch near his feet and tried throwing it at the wall.

    Pop!

    Before it even touched the wall, the branch caught fire and scattered apart as ashes as soon as it reached the wall¡¯s fire.

    ¡®It¡¯s going to be difficult to pass through it via brute force.¡¯

    He thought about jumping over the wall, but Zich knew that attacks woulde flying behind him as soon as he attempted to do that.

    ¡®Those attacks will be difficult to block.¡¯

    Zich let out a small sigh. Then he turned his body and lifted his head. This was the time of day where darkness reigned supreme. It was also foggy today, so even the moon and stars were not up in the sky. However, Zich¡¯s surroundings were bright as if it was daylight. In an area that was near Zich, dozens of fireballs floated in the sky.

    Moreover, they were not just ordinary fireballs. Each one of them was more than twice the size of an ordinary human. It was as if dozens of suns had appeared in the sky. In the center, a person floated in the air like a sun god.

    ¡°Honestly, I was a bit confused.¡± The godlike human, Walwiss Dwayne stated, ¡°I did feel a slight sense of something that felt like magic, but I wasn¡¯t entirely certain. So imagine my surprise when I found out that a rat had really snuck inside.¡±

    ¡®He sensed some magic. Did I get caught because of the artifact? The invisibility artifact¡¯s magical energy should¡¯ve been hidden as much as possible.¡¯

    No wonder Walwiss was the head of the magical tower; he really earned the title of the greatest mage in this world. Zich didn¡¯t expect that his invisibility artifact, which had been trustworthy so many times in his infiltration, would be the one to expose him.

    ¡°Release that pathetic magic. It doesn¡¯t even work on me anymore.¡±

    Zich easily released his magic. Since Walwiss had sensed him with the magical energy from the artifact, his invisibility magic would only make his situation worse. However, he wore a robe and covered his face. He had no intention of revealing his identity to Walwiss yet.

    When Zich¡¯s appearance was revealed, Walwiss issued a coldmand. ¡°Take off your cloak as well.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t want to.¡± Zich changed his voice.

    Walwiss¡¯ face became even more cold. ¡°It would be better for you to obediently follow my words if you don¡¯t want to turn into a pile of ashes.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m going to refuse both. I¡¯m not going to take off my cloak, and I¡¯m also not going to turn into a pile of ashes. Also, for your information, I¡¯m not going to tell you my identity and I¡¯m not going to get caught.¡±

    Walwiss was exasperated. He had gone through all kinds of experiences; he participated in numerous battles and experienced various assassination attempts. However, no one had ever replied to him like this. Even though some people tried to bluff their way out, they revealed their insecurity and fear in their voice and bodynguage. Yet, the mysterious figure in front of him was confident to the point of being rude.

    ¡°¡­Well, that¡¯s fine. I¡¯ll check your face after I burn your body.¡± Contrary to his magic, Walwiss¡¯ voice was as cold as ice. ¡°However, before that, I¡¯m going to ask you one question. You punk, are you rted to Elena¡¯s kidnapping?¡±

    Zich shrugged his shoulders. ¡°No idea.¡±

    ¡°Fine.¡± Walwiss raised his staff. ¡°Then I¡¯ll officially begin my interrogationter on. I will also ask a request from you¡ªplease don¡¯t die. I have many things I really want to ask you.¡±

    The fireballs next to Walwiss began moving again. Zich also took out Windur, which had already changed into an ordinary looking sword.

    Whoosh!

    The fireballs came rushing towards Zich.

    ¡°Tch!¡± Zich raised Windur. Even though the fireballs were not near him yet, his whole body was burning up.

    ¡®As expected of Elena¡¯s grandpa. They use the same skills!¡¯

    Like a god in the sky sending judgement down on an arrogant human, fireballs came plummeting down on Zich.

    Crash! Crash! Crash! Crash!

    Jaewick¡¯s yard was burnt to a crisp. The fireballs that hit the groundnded with huge explosions and created gigantic craters on the ground. However, the fireballs didn¡¯t end with just that¡ªthey still didn¡¯t disappear. Like suns stuck to the ground, they began burning everything in the surroundings and rushed towards Zich.

    ¡°Damn it!¡± Zich fused a lot of mana into his sword, and Windur¡¯s power strengthened Zich¡¯s mana. ¡°Hyaaaaat!¡±

    Zich could no longer beid back and rxed like usual. He put a lot of strength into his whole body and swung Windur to shoot out mana des towards the fireballs.

    Cruuuunch!

    The mana des struck the nearest fireball. Normally, Zich¡¯s attack would have easily split the fireball into two, but not this time.

    Bam!

    Zich¡¯s attack was the one to explode. The mana des were unable to pierce through the heat and force of the fireballs.

    ¡°¡­Shit!¡± Even Zich could not help but click his tongue. However, the fireballs paid no attention to Zich¡¯s feelings and continued to fiercely press on towards Zich.

    ¡°Hmph!¡± Zich took a deep breath. He stomped on the ground and focused his mana into Windur again while the fireballs soon appeared right in front of Zich.

    ¡°Ughhhh!¡± His whole body burned. His robe also caught on fire, and his body began to burn. However, Zich focused his mana into critical areas of his body and endured the pain. He couldn¡¯t protect his whole body; if he did, he wouldn''t be able to pierce through the fireballs.

    ¡°Hyaaat!¡± Zich shed the fireballs with Windur.

    Push!

    Even though he felt great resistance, Zich was able to sessfully pierce one of the fireballs with his sword. Like this, he exploded his mana out of Windur.

    Crassssssh!

    An explosion that turned all the other explosions into child¡¯s y erupted from the ground.

 Chapter 255

    <h4>Chapter 255</h4>

    ¡°Kuh!¡±

    Zich barely managed to escape from the explosion, and looked terrible. His whole body was flushed red and pus oozed out. The scorched areas of his body were crumpled and exposed the bones underneath. However, the bones that were supposed to be white were burnt ck.

    ¡®I am going to die at this rate.¡¯ Zich hurriedly gulped down some potions. The pain disappeared; as expected of Karuwiman¡¯s top-rate potions, their effectiveness was on another level.

    ¡®Ah, I suddenly want to really see Lube right now.¡¯ If she were here, she would have been able to heal Zich¡¯s injuries instantly. Walwiss¡¯ attacks were so brutal that Zich began to miss Lube, whom he usually treated as the zombie maker.

    ¡®L wouldn¡¯t even be able topare against him.¡¯ Of course, L would be more than able to catch up to Walwiss given the time, but currently, in terms of skills, Walwiss was above her in every aspect. Yet, Zich couldn¡¯t continue his private, half-escapist thoughts for long.

    Whoosh! The fireballs rushed toward him again. Zich quickly took out a new robe and hid his body. The current robe he was wearing including his clothes were now handfuls of ash. The only thing he managed to save was his magic box. Thankfully, the explosion created a cloud of dust that covered the view and hid Zich¡¯s face from bing exposed.

    m!

    A fireball struck the area where Zich used to be.

    ¡®I should avoid fighting head-on.¡¯

    Breaking just one fireball almost cost him his life. Choosing to fight head-on after that would be a stupid decision. Zich evaded the fireball that wasing from behind him. However, he couldn¡¯t keep escaping. Not only were the fireballs extremely fast, but there were also many of them.

    Slid!

    Zich took out some daggers and threw them towards Walwiss who was hovering in the air. However, the remaining fireballs around Walwiss moved and blocked his view.

    Crackle! The daggers rapidly melted inside the fireball.

    ¡®It¡¯s an all-in-one type of magic. I won¡¯t be able to scratch him at all with some shabby attacks.¡¯

    The situation turned a bit grimmer. However, Walwiss didn¡¯t even begin to officially attack.

    ¡°Wool! Cro! Shin! Win! Kul! Woen!¡± Walwiss started his incantation.

    ¡®He¡¯s adding more magic on top of everything. It¡¯s too much, damn it!¡¯ Zich hoped that the fireballs would stop moving or at least halt a bit during the incantation, but it was futile. The fireballs continued to swiftly move and hit Zich.

    Swoop! Swoop! Swoop! Swoop!

    New fireballs formed in the air. Their sizes wereparably smaller than the ones that were continually swooping down on Zich¡ªthey were about the size of an adult man¡¯s fist. However, Zich couldn¡¯t feel relieved. Topensate for their small size, the small fireballs boasted its incredible number¡ªto the point that the sky seemed to have been colored in raging red.

    ¡®Ah, please tell me it¡¯s not what I think.¡¯ Zich thought. However, since the beginning of this battle, hope had beenpletely turning its blind eye to him.

    Whoosh! Walwiss¡¯ staff¡¯s movements dyed the sky red and small fireballs plummeted to the ground. It would have probably been an incredibly beautiful sight from far away. Perhaps, it could have looked like an asteroid drawing a beautiful line across the sky or a giant fireflynding on the ground. But for Zich, it was a hellish sight that would have left him unsatisfied even after hours of swearing.

    Babababababam!

    The sound of crashing and explosions showed no signs of resting. Red shes bloomed and disappeared on the ground like flowers with short lifespans. The Jaewick family¡¯s garden was already in a state that it could no longer be called a garden in any form or logic. It wasn¡¯t even in a ruin. A magmake had formed over the melted ground, and the ce looked like the early days of Hell that descended onto the human world.

    Crash!

    Thest fireball struck the floor and ended the magic.

    Wayne had been looking at the magic show through the hole that Walwiss made inside the mansion, and he asked with a trembling voice, ¡°¡­Do you think he will be alive?¡± He couldn¡¯t imagine that the mysterious trespasser would be alive after those monstrous spells.

    ¡°I hope so.¡± Ond thought the same thing as Wayne. His eyes lingered on the devastated garden and shot towards his father.

    As the master of the magical tower, Ond had always tried to calmly lead the different schools of magic as much as possible. Although he often butted heads with Ond over Elena¡¯s education from time to time, their fights usually ended with yelling at most. For that reason, people began to growfortable around Walwiss, or in more negative terms, they began to think that he was a pushover. Even though they knew he was an amazing mage inside their minds, it had been a long time since they saw him disy his skills.

    Now, Ond and Wayne realized yet again how astounding Walwiss truly was as a mage. Walwiss was the master of the magician¡¯s tower¡ªthus, making him the strongest mage in the magical tower. He was also the strongest fire mage, and was once known as the ¡®devil¡¯s substitute that called forth Hell¡¯. However, Walwiss paid no attention to the people behind him and quietly stared at the devastation he made below. His eyes scurried around to find his enemy.

    Bang! The ground exploded. Smoke came out as particles of dust and dirt flew out everywhere. Zich came crawling out of a deep hole.

    ¡°I thought I was going to die!¡± Zich eximed without a shred of exaggeration; he really meant what he said.

    ¡°¡­I¡¯m surprised,¡± Walwiss said with admiration in his voice. ¡°I thought that you might still be barely alive, but I didn¡¯t expect you to be able to move around.¡±

    ¡°I was a foot away from death, you shitty old fart!¡± Zich thought he should really send the Karuwimans a thank you gift.

    ¡°That¡¯s what I said. I didn¡¯t expect you to still be able to move around. If everything went ording to my expectations, your whole body should have been burnt and you should be barely clinging to yourst breath.¡±

    Zich could no longer find any trace of the caring grandpa worried about his granddaughter¡¯s future. The Walwiss Dwayne in front of him was a cold-hearted mage fighting against his enemies.

    ¡°However, since you were able to fight the attacks I made so far, I should use more powerful attacks.¡± Walwiss began gathering mana into his staff again. ¡°This is a spell that I¡¯ve only recently created. In a way, this is an experimental test. But I assure you, this spell power would probably be better than all the other spells I¡¯ve used so far.¡±

    ¡°Didn¡¯t you tell me that you just wanted to destroy my body and make me spit out information?¡±

    ¡°While I was fighting you, I realized something. You have quite a lot of talents. Even though I¡¯ve been working hard to make this magic, it¡¯s still notplete yet. Judging by your skills, you might be able to endure it.¡± The mana that Walwiss let out began to spread around its surroundings.

    Walwiss continued, ¡°This is a thank you gift for fulfilling my request to not die. So I¡¯ll ask you once more.¡±

    Thuuuuuud!

    The ground shook.

    Whooooosh!

    The wind blew.

    Crackleeeee!

    mes began to rise up.

    ¡°So don¡¯t die this time either.¡± As soon as Walwiss finished saying this, he began reciting his incantations again. He spoke very fast, and his speed didn¡¯t lose to L¡¯s speed at all. He spoke so fast that it wouldn¡¯t have been surprising if he identally bit his tongue a few times, but on the contrary, even his pronunciation was good.

    The surroundings became even more dangerous and threatening. mes grew even bigger, the wind blew even stronger, and the earth shook even more fiercely.

    ¡®He¡¯s using triplebination magic.¡¯ Zich thought Walwiss was really employing all kinds of methods to crush him. The problem was that those ¡®all kinds of methods¡¯ were serious threats to Zich¡¯s life.

    ¡®Huh? I think I¡¯ve seen this magic somewhere?¡¯

    It was not time for Zich to leisurely contemte over a question he had. Zich could sense the magic that Walwiss was going toplete was extraordinary by just looking at his surroundings. However, he couldn¡¯t get rid of the itch in the back of his mind.

    ¡®Where did I see that magic?¡¯

    Walwiss said that he had created this spell; it was unlikely that a mage, especially the master of a magical tower, would lie about creating a new magic. Therefore, if Zich saw this magic before, he probably saw it before his regression.

    ¡®I didn¡¯t meet Walwiss Dwayne before I regressed.¡¯

    In the first ce, when Zich began fighting with the mages in the magical tower before his regression, Ond Dwayne had been the new head of the magical tower.

    ¡®Perhaps, did Ond use this attack after learning it from his father?¡¯

    However, the magic that Ond mainly used during that time was ice-rted magic. This was also consistent with Elena¡¯s words.

    ¡®Then where did I¡­¡¯

    However, Zich could not think more about this. Walwiss finished his incantation, and he activated his magic. So far, Zich hadpared Walwiss¡¯ magic as a path of fire from hell, but he was wrong. Compared to the magic in front of him, all the magic that Walwiss let out could not be categorized as magic from hell.

    The mes began dancing; they moved with passionate, zing energy as if they could turn everything they touched into ash. The blistering wind helped the mes move even more fiercely. The winds held hands with the mes and spread their zing heat all around their surroundings and made an enormous whirlwind of mes. The earth also participated in their dance. Dirt and rocks rose, left their bodies to the wind and mixed in with the raging mes.

    The size of the magic that Walwiss activated was much too great to defeat one measly human. It looked as if it could easily sweep down an entire army.

    ¡®This sted old fart!¡¯ However, Zich still felt a sense of d¨¦j¨¤ vu that he experienced this magic before. A magic thatbined fire, wind, and earth magic. A scenery that looked as if Hell was opening up in front of him.

    ¡®¡­Hell?¡¯

    Realization suddenly dawned upon Zich¡¯s mind.

    ¡®Inferno!¡¯ This was the name of the magic. As soon as Zich recalled the name of the spell, he began to remember other memories associated with this magic. He recalled when he saw this spell, how powerful this magic was, and the identity of the person who used this magic.

    ¡®Haha! This old fart really was that guy?¡¯

    Zich smiled. He hadn¡¯t expected to meet someone he knew before his regression. Zich stared at Walwiss who was floating in the air.

    ¡®Now that I think about it, I think I¡¯m starting to see simrities.¡¯

    The person that Zich was thinking about had looked very pathetic and weak; it had not been an exaggeration to describe that person¡¯s appearance as a human with just skin and bones. However, there was no one who looked down on him. The power that hade out of that person¡¯s stick skinny body was close to being omnipotent.

    ¡®The Demon Lord of Magic!¡¯

    Like Zich, that person was one of the Demon Lords who reached the pinnacle of power during the Era of the Demon People. In regards to magic, even Elena Dwayne, who had been a Hero Party member, was unable to even match his level. That was how strong the Demon Lord of Magic was.

    ¡®Wait! Then the Demon Lord of Magic and Elena are rted?¡¯ Even Zich was surprised by this information.

    ¡®I definitely heard that Glen Zenard and his Hero Party killed the Demon Lord of Magic.¡¯

    As mentioned before, Elena Dwayne was also part of the Hero Party.

    ¡®Then does that mean she killed her own grandfather?¡¯

    However, Zich thought that was possible. Before his regression, the Demon Lord of Magic was someone who received the title of Demon Lord like Zich. His actions had been evil to a levelparable to Zich.

    ¡®Well, I guess Elena had no choice during that time.¡¯

    Moreover, these were all events that happened before his regression.

    ¡®If Walwiss Dwayne is the Demon Lord of Magic, I should remove him as a possible coborator with the robed figures. On the contrary, he¡¯s probably the target of the robed figures.¡¯

    Since Zich nned topletely crush all the robed figure¡¯s ns, Walwiss wouldn¡¯t be corrupted and be a Demon Lord, and Elena won¡¯t have to experience a tragic fight against her grandfather.

    ¡®Since Elena is a disciple that L cares for, I should do at least this much.¡¯

    However, this was only possible if he came out of this alive.

    ¡®If it was some other spell, it would have been even more troublesome to deal with. Thank goodness it¡¯s Inferno.¡¯

    Zich had been hit by this spell before, and for that reason, he knew how strong it was.

    ¡®And I also know its weakness.¡¯

    Zich adjusted his grip on Windur.

 Chapter 256

    <h4>Chapter 256</h4>

    The rtionship between Zich and the Demon Lord of Magic wasn¡¯t good at best. In the first ce, Demon Lords were the most egoistic beings among the Demon People; thus, it would be stranger if such people were on good terms with each other. Naturally, Zich butted heads with other Demon Lords frequently. He sometimes shed with them by himself or gathered all the forces he could muster to kill them.

    There were always a variety of reasons for his fights with other Demon Lords. He fought for the pride of his forces sometimes, ovepping interests other times, or he fought simply because he didn¡¯t like the other party. He and his enemies would fight to death over something an outsider would have thought so little of. But this was also amon happening in the Demon People Era that Zich had lived in before his regression.

    Craaaash! A huge me mmed into the ground. It turned everything within its reach into ashes, and with its high heat, it made everything in the surroundings burst into mes by themselves.

    Bam! Bam! Baaam!

    The me held an incredible amount of power by itself alone, but there were more than just a few of them. They nketed the sky with their numbers and sted the ground, as if a god was raging or an army of demons was invading. It seemed like everything the mes targeted, whether they were animals, nts, or items, wouldn¡¯t be able to maintain their forms under the attacks. Yet, the spell''s sole target¡ª a single human¡ª moved very leisurely amid these attacks.

    Pop!

    His sword sliced a fireball and it exploded. Although these fireballs didn¡¯t budge from most attacks due to their high temperature and pressure, they easily lost their shape against the sword strike. After breaking one fireball, Zich tightly gripped his sword with two hands. The sword he treasured, Tornium, let out its quiet cry to the heavens. Zich Moore moved.

    Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

    Zich moved his sword so fast that there wasn¡¯t even an afterimage, and ck des poured out of the swinging Tornium. Tens and hundreds of des exposed their fangs and shot towards the sky, meeting the fireballs above.

    Bababababam!

    Red sparks bloomed in the sky. Beautiful and fancy but also frightening remains from the fire sparks rained down from the sky. Zich flicked away the sparks that fell on him and stamped the rest purposefully on the ground. Then he stared up at the sky. The mes that had colored the sky red were all gone now. Instead, an acrid, ck smoke nketed the sky, and a person hovered over it like it was their background.

    The man wore a ck robe that gave off a dreary feeling and held a staff with bloody red jewels attached to it. Both these items were full of individuality and could capture anyone¡¯s attention instantly, but the most noticeable characteristic was his appearance. He had white hair and a beard, but they were only recognizable as such things because they were attached to a person¡¯s face. Rather than body hair, they looked more like rotten spider webs.

    He had deep wrinkles, nk eyes, and like he never had cheek fat since he was born, his skin clung to his bones. Even the hands that were holding his staff looked like a mummy¡¯s. Overall, he looked like a piece of leather that had been sloppily hung over a skeleton. A child would have immediately burst into tears at the sight of him, and Zich also extremely disliked the man¡¯s appearance.

    ¡°Old man! I told you to at least fatten your face up the next time we see each other! I even gifted you some meatst time. How long are you going to live with that kind of face?¡±

    The Demon Lord of Magic whom Zich called ¡®old man¡¯ twitched his eyes ufortably. He moved his colorless and cracked lips. A raspy voice rang out. ¡°You mean the rotten orc meat with hydra¡¯s poison? I can¡¯t understand your nasty personality for giving me such a gift!¡±

    ¡°You are way too old to be still picky about your meals, old man. Just by looking at your face, it¡¯s obvious that you can¡¯t even afford to eat something like I gave you. Besides, let¡¯s have some consciousness and not take a jab at each other¡¯s personalities. It¡¯s a fact that you and I are both rotten to the core.¡±

    ¡°My personality is at least better than yours!¡±

    ¡°Hahaha! Old man, that¡¯s the funniest joke I¡¯ve heard recently. I didn¡¯t see you that way, but you are quite a humorous person.¡±

    ¡°You just want to believe it¡¯s a joke. No matter how rotten I am, it¡¯s true that I at least have a better personality than you. If you gather up all the humans in the surrounding countries and ask them, they will say the same thing!¡±

    ¡°You are delusional to the point it¡¯s making me pity you. Did you already get dementia, old man? Every human in this world knows that my personality is better than yours!¡±

    ¡°You are the one who is getting dementia! Such a pity when you are so young. And the fact that my personality is better than yours is known not only by all humans, but all the elves in the Adrowon forest too!¡±

    ¡°Even the dwarves agree with me too then!¡±

    ¡°All species in this world think I¡¯m better!¡±

    ¡°Even the dragons who disappeared from this world would think that I am better!¡±

    An incredibly childish argument passed between two Demon Lords, the epitome of fear and terror in this world. However, if anyone watched them, they wouldn¡¯t have been able tough at them. In contrast to the childish insults that came out of their mouths, the destruction they created was beyond terrifying.

    Craaash! The Demon Lord of Magic¡¯s fire formed a giant crater. In the center of the crater, a small magma puddle formed.

    Craaaash! The des that Zich shot out made a small canyon. The canyon¡¯s rough shape made it seem like an enormous giant had forcefully split the ground.

    ¡°You rat bastard! The way you keep running doesn¡¯t match your title at all! How could a guy like you gain the title of the Demon Lord of Strength!¡±

    ¡°I never asked anyone to call me something like that! Why are you holding me responsible for what somebody else just started calling me on their own? Moreover, you and I care about rules as much as leftover breadcrumbs. Isn¡¯t it embarrassing for you to insult me about such a petty little thing?¡±

    ¡°Do you not have any pride as the Demon Lord!¡±

    ¡°I would rather swing my sword one more time rather than grow something like that!¡±

    Craaaash! Their two attacks shed again. ck smoke and ashes danced in the air and devastated their surroundings.

    ¡°And who did you say was only running away, you damn old fart!¡±

    Whooosh! Zich swung his sword. There was a massive gust of air, and both of them stretched out their hands and released mana simultaneously.

    ¡°Ugh!¡± The Demon Lord of Magic immediately moved his body up. Even though he could easily evade the blow from Zich¡¯s sword, the mana that Zich let out grazed the bottom of his feet. Moreover, Zich¡¯s mana seemed to have a will of its own as it tried to coil around his leg like a snake. The Demon Lord of Magic quickly floated up and escaped.

    ¡®This troublesome brat!¡¯ He red at Zich. Since Zich mainly used a sword, most people thought he used only his sword to fight, but what was really terrifying about Zich was not his swordsmanship. ¡®What¡¯s really terrifying about him is his limitless amount of mana and his ability to perfectly control all of it.¡¯

    Just having one characteristic like that would make him a difficult opponent, but he possessed both of these characteristics. Moreover, these two factorsplemented each other perfectly and created a synergistic effect.

    ¡®Moreover, he¡¯s also far above average in other skills.¡¯

    Swordsmanship, hand to handbat,bat sense, etc. Even though the Demon Lord of Magic made fun of Zich by saying that the ¡®Demon Lord of Strength¡¯ was wrongly attributed to him, he thought there wasn¡¯t anyone who fit the Demon Lord of Strength title better than Zich.

    ¡®But that¡¯s all there is to it.¡¯

    Regardless of Zich¡¯s title as the Demon Lord of Strength and how he was regarded by people as the strongest Demon Lord, he was also a Demon Lord. The Demon Lord of Magic began reciting his incantations again. The earth shook, the wind blew, and mes burned up.

    ¡®What is this?¡¯ Zich narrowed his eyes as he saw his chaotic surroundings.

    The fiery mes and the frantic winds looked ominous.

    ¡°You must have prepared something big!¡± Zich shouted with a loud voice, but the Demon Lord of Magic paid no attention to him and continued his incantations.

    Zich was sure that the Demon Lord of Magic was preparing one of his most powerful attacks. Zich pursed his lips and scanned his surroundings. He was already surrounded by fiercely moving mes, winds, and rocks. Zich quickly threw a few attacks towards the Demon Lord of Magic, but his opponent blocked all of his attacks.

    ¡°Die, Zich Moore!¡± The Demon Lord of Magic finally activated his magic.

    Fire, wind, and rock came flying towards him. Just one elemental attack could easily kill a human, but three elemental attacks came rushing towards him. Although Zich had a lot of different experiences, it was his first time seeing magic like this.

    ¡®Triple elementalbination magic.¡¯ Zich clicked his tongue.

    The Demon Lord of Magic really lived up to his name. In the first ce, the number of magicians who could use three elements could be counted on one hand. Moreover, most of those magicians also used one element as their main and the two other elements as support. Of course, the magic that the Demon Lord of Magic mainly used was fire magic. However, this just meant that he enjoyed using me magic the most, and he was just as proficient in using other elemental spells.

    On the other hand, even if a mage could use three different elements,bining them was apletely different story. In order tobine different elements, a mage needed to consider the corrtion and the bnce between the different elements.

    The magic in front of Zich also followed the same principles. If the wind was too strong, the mes would be swept by the wind and disappear. If the mes were too strong, the rocks would melt and the wind would be destroyed by the rising air current. If the rocks were too strong, the wind wouldn¡¯t be able to lift them up properly and the force of the rocks would weaken. A mage had to find the perfect bnce where the different elements could bebined to create the highest and lowest power.

    On the other hand, if someone found the weakest point of this magic¡¯s synergy, this magic was surprisingly easy to destroy, especially for Zich who had extraordinary control over his mana.

    ¡®But I can¡¯t find it?¡¯ Despite Zich¡¯s excellent vision, keen senses, and good sense of mana detection, he couldn¡¯t find any part of the magic that was unbnced.

    ¡°Are you trying to find my magic¡¯s weakness!¡±

    Even with a fierce whirlwind all around him, Zich could clearly hear the Demon Lord of Magic. The Demon Lord of Magic seemed to have amplified his voice with mana. He continued to shout, ¡°There¡¯s no weakness! Do you know how much time and effort I put into this spell?! When I first made it, the strength of the wind was weaker than the other elements so its bnce with the earth element was off, but I fixed that a long time ago!¡±

    ¡®Really, that old fart loves to talk.¡¯ Zich grumbled inside and fixed his grip on Tornium.

    He could feel intense magic pressing down on him, but his eyes were calm.

    ¡®I definitely can¡¯t see a weakness.¡¯ Zich admitted this. This spell had a very high level ofpletion. ¡®But that¡¯s all there is to it.¡¯

    A tremendous amount of mana came out of Zich¡¯s body and gathered in Tornium. Zich red at the magic in front of him. ¡®If I can¡¯t see its weakness, I can just crush it with my strength!¡¯

    Crassssssh! Zich¡¯s swing let out an enormous amount of mana. The sky vibrated and the earth seemed to shatter. In front of this power, even the great Demon Lord of Magic vanished without a trace.

    * * *

    ¡®Yeah, it was that exact expression.¡¯

    While recalling the Demon Lord of Magic¡¯s face when he first destroyed ¡®Inferno,¡¯ Zich looked up at Walwiss. He could see Walwiss¡¯ shocked and horrified face. The Demon Lord of Magic¡¯s face from the past and the current Walwiss¡¯ face seemed to ovep with one another.

    ¡°H-How could¡­¡±

    Zich had precisely found the weakness of Walwiss¡¯ magic and nullified it. Walwiss looked at Zich as if he couldn¡¯t believe his eyes. However, Zich didn¡¯t answer Walwiss¡¯ question and quickly ran over the Jaewick mansion¡¯s walls.

    ¡°Stop!¡± someone cried from a distance.

    Zich thought, ¡®It¡¯s Ond Dwayne.¡¯

    And soon enough, a sharp attack came flying towards him. Even though it was a very sharp and precise attack, it wasn¡¯t much of a threat to Zich since he had been dealing with Walwiss so far.

    Tap!

    Zich didn¡¯t even evade the attack and caught it with his bare hands.

    ¡®It¡¯s an ice spike.¡¯

    It was an attack from Ond. Several more attacks came from behind; they were attacks from Ond and Wayne. Walwiss soon came to his senses and began casting spells again. However, Zich sessfully evaded all their attacks and disappeared into the city¡¯s darkness. In the end, he left behind three men with hollow expressions and apletely demolished yard.

 Chapter 257

    <h4>Chapter 257</h4>

    ¡°Father, are you alright?!¡±

    Walwiss heard hurried footsteps from below. When he looked below, he saw his son Ondo looking up at him. Then, Walwiss looked towards the darkness where the mysterious, unidentified man had disappeared into.

    ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± His body began to slowly descend.

    Crash!

    As soon as hended on the ground, he felt something crumble underneath his feet. The pure, white ice covering the ground broke with his steps. The Jaewick family¡¯s garden waspletely frozen now; in stark contrast to the fire sparks, magma, and ashes that covered the area and stirred up an image of Hell, the lightly frozen surface let out cool air.

    It was Ond¡¯s work. It seemed like he couldn¡¯t let the surface continue to burn up or let magma flow out. Walwiss stared at Ond whoseplexion looked a bit pale, and Walwiss¡¯ face was slightly distorted.

    ¡®I can¡¯t believe this little bit of magic changed hisplexion.¡¯

    Although he had cast arge-scale spell, Ond was a representative of a school of magic; even if he sat at the end, he took one of the seats of the top ten figures in the magical tower. But Walwiss remembered how Ond told him that his condition wasn¡¯t good these days and repressed his anger.

    ¡®He must be overworking himself for his daughter,¡¯ Walwiss thought. Moreover, he had no right to scold Ond right now.

    ¡°I lost him. What a shame.¡± Walwiss told his son bitterly and also apologized to Wayne, ¡°I turned the Jaewick family¡¯s garden into a mess. I will definitelypensate you for it. I apologize.¡±

    ¡°N-No need, sir! Since a mysterious person trespassed into our house, it¡¯s actually our management¡¯s fault for being careless. I should be the one apologizing.¡±

    Although Wayne had been acting difficult around Walwiss because of the recent events, he treated Walwiss with the utmost respect now. The debris and ruins in front of him incited too much fear in him to act like a troublemaker as usual.

    ¡°Thank you for understanding.¡± Walwiss thanked him.

    ¡°Who was that guy?¡± Ond stared at the ce Zich had run away from and asked. ¡°I don¡¯t know, but he definitely has some formidable skills.¡±

    ¡®Even if it¡¯s iplete, I can¡¯t believe he saw through my spell¡¯s weakness and nullified it.¡¯

    Walwiss was really shocked when the trespasser targeted the awkward parts in his mana flow and ripped apart the spell itself. He had never been more shocked since he became the master of the magical tower.

    ¡®On top of that, he used invisibility magic.¡¯ Since the trespasser¡¯s movements weren¡¯t like a mage¡¯s, it seemed like he had used an artifact.

    ¡°Do you think he¡¯s someone rted to Elena¡¯s kidnapping?¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t exclude that possibility.¡± Walwiss had overexerted himself in somebody else¡¯s house because of this possibility anyways. ¡°But if that¡¯s the case, this is more troublesome.¡±

    To think that their opponent had someone so skilled like that¡ªit made Walwiss¡¯ heart feel heavy.

    * * *

    When Zich returned, L was waiting inside his room. L felt very relieved when she saw Zich.

    ¡°Were you worried?¡±

    ¡°Of course!¡± As if she thought Zich¡¯s calm attitude was annoying, she responded a bit roughly. ¡°Amotion erupted after you went inside the Jaewick family¡¯s house!¡±

    ¡°What, did you doubt my skills?¡±

    ¡°Usually, I wouldn¡¯t, but the magic I felting from that ce exceeded my imaginations!¡±

    ¡®Well, I suppose someone like L would be more sensitive to it.¡¯ As an excellent mage, L would have probably felt the powerful magical force inside the mansion more strongly than anyone else.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. All my injuries are healed, and my identity wasn¡¯t revealed.¡±

    ¡°Healed? Were you hurt?¡±

    ¡°I thought I was going to die,¡± Zich chuckled. However, L couldn¡¯tugh. If Zich said this, it meant that the intensity of the battle was beyond imaginable.

    ¡°What in the world happened?¡±

    ¡°Before that, could you please give me some space?¡± Zich pulled down his robe slightly, revealing his bare skin. ¡°All my clothes burned when I got attacked. The only thing I¡¯m wearing right now is this single robe, so I¡¯d like to get dressed. Of course, if you want to see me change, I could take off one¡ª"

    m!

    Before Zich could finish his sentence, L mmed the door and left. Zichughed as he looked at the door.

    * * *

    ¡°Walwiss Dwayne was there.¡± These were Zich¡¯s first words to L after he put on new clothes and sat in front of her.

    ¡°Walwiss Dwayne? The master of the magical tower? Elena¡¯s grandfather?¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡±

    ¡°You got caught by him?¡±

    Zich nodded. ¡°He was talking with Ond Dwayne and Wayne Jaewick. I was hanging on the windowsill to eavesdrop when¡ª¡±

    ¡°You got caught.¡±

    ¡°It seems like I was caught because of the artifact¡¯s invisibility magic. I let my guard down. I should have been more careful about using magic in front of a mage of his level.¡±

    ¡°Was it because of the artifact?¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s no need for you to feel guilty. I¡¯m the one who decided to trespass. I¡¯m also the one who let my guard down and made the judgment to use an artifact in front of the head of Sunewick¡¯s magical tower,¡± Zich said in a matter-of-fact tone and smiled. ¡°Furthermore, I was able to retrieve some good information.¡±

    Feeling down at the thought of putting Zich¡¯s danger, L asked, ¡°Information?¡± It seemed as if Zich¡¯s words helped her feel better.

    ¡°You know how there are Demon Lords other than me in the future, right?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. I remember them all as unredeemable, no-good bas¡­no, guys who only negatively impact the world.¡± L¡¯s guilt towards Zich and her judgment of Demon Lords werepletely different matters; despite softening her words, her words about Demon Lords were still extremely harsh.

    Zich did not rebuke L¡¯s statements. ¡°Yeah. And out of the Demon Lords, I¡¯ve found the Demon Lord of Magic.¡±

    ¡°The Demon Lord of Magic?¡± L showed keen interest. Since she was also a mage, L couldn¡¯t help but be more interested in the Demon Lord of Magic out of all the Demon Lords. ¡°Wait! Is Walwiss Dwayne the Demon Lord of Magic?¡±

    Even without thinking too deeply about this matter, L could easily reach the answer bybining all the clues she had so far. L said her sentence as a question in surprise, but she also knew that this was probably the correct answer.

    ¡°Ha, well, it¡¯s not a surprise. Since Walwiss and the Demon Lord of Magic are both magic experts, it¡¯s not strange for the Demon Lord of Magic to have been the master of the magical tower in the past.¡± Then L stared at Zich to get confirmation that she was right.

    Zich said, ¡°You¡¯re right. Walwiss Dwayne became the Demon Lord of Magic in the future.¡±

    ¡°Are you sure?¡±

    ¡°Walwiss Dwayne used one of the Demon Lord of Magic¡¯s original spells. He¡¯s definitely the Demon Lord of Magic.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, that seems reasonable.¡± L epted his exnation as Zich spoke with confidence.

    ¡°I thought he was a nice grandpa who cared about his granddaughter. I can¡¯t believe he bes a Demon Lord in the future.¡± Then, L was surprised again. ¡°Wait! Glen Zenard and his Hero Party killed all the Demon Lords! That means¡­!¡±

    Zich finished her sentence. ¡°That means Elena killed her own grandfather.¡±

    ¡°¡­Do you think that the future Elena knew that the Demon Lord of Magic was her grandfather?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know, but the Demon Lord of Magic probably knew who she was. Elena Dwayne¡¯s background was really well known.¡±

    A granddaughter who killed her own grandfather¡ªjust thinking about it was horrifying. L had no idea what type of situations and events led to such a tragedy, but she didn¡¯t want her disciple, Elena, to have to go through such an experience in the future.

    ¡°We¡¯re going to change the future right?¡±

    ¡°Of course,¡± Zichughed cynically. ¡°Before he gained the title of the Demon Lord, he was just a Demon Person. And the robed figures are in this city right now.¡±

    ¡°Those guys are probably trying to corrupt Walwiss.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s obvious. I thought Elena was their only target, so I didn¡¯t expect a future Demon Lord to appear here.¡±

    ¡°Then are both of them targets of the robed figures?¡±

    ¡°That could be a possibility.¡±

    ¡°Then we should quickly find the identity of robed figures¡¯ coborator. Those guys always have a local coborator.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve already found it. Probably.¡±

    ¡°You already found it?¡± L asked in surprise.

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure about the other areas, but I definitely found the person who targeted Elena.¡± Then Zich got up from his chair and moved towards one side of the wall.

    L¡¯s eyes slowly followed his movements. Zich grabbed something that was leaning on the wall and held it up.

    ¡°¡­Ice?¡± L murmured the identity of the object in Zich¡¯s hand.

    ¡°Yep.¡± Zich put down the object on the table. It was an ice spike that was the size of a person¡¯s arm. The ice spike¡¯s surface was uneven as if it had been roughly cut by a knife, but the edges were very sharp. If someone carelessly touched the ice spike, their fingers would be pierced straight through.

    L narrowed her eyes. ¡°It¡¯s made with magic.¡±

    ¡°As expected, you recognize it right away.¡± Zich sat back on his chair. ¡°While I was running away, Ond Dwayne shot this towards me.¡±

    ¡®Yeah, he said that Ond Dwayne was there too.¡¯ L thought and swiped the ice spike in front of her with her fingers. It was well made. The ice spike had excellent durability and was freezing cold. Even though it had been created a while ago, it was still able to maintain its form; one could gauge the mage¡¯s skills based on that fact.

    ¡®Since he¡¯s going to be the next master of the magical tower, I guess that¡¯s expected.¡¯ Then L put her whole hand on the ice spike and lightly fused mana into it.

    ¡°¡­Ah?¡± L¡¯s eyes widened.

    Zich saw her expression and smirked. ¡°I knew you would be able to recognize it right away.¡±

    ¡°Wait! Then this is really¡­!¡± L lifted the entire spike up and poured more mana into it. The ice spike started glowing faintly.

    Zich watched this sight and said, ¡°When I saw that Elena hadn¡¯t awakened her mana yet, I questioned it from the very beginning. If she failed to awaken her mana due to external measures, why was her mana blocked?¡±

    L moved her eyes away from Zich and stared at him.

    ¡°Did the robed figures block her mana because it would be easier for them to fulfill their ns if she wasn¡¯t strong enough to resist? I also thought that if Glen Zenard was involved in this, he might have blocked her mana so that it would be easier for him to get Elena to join his party. At the same time, he could also prevent Elena from joining another party.¡±

    Just listening to this made L¡¯s blood pressure rise. If Zich¡¯s words were indeed true, L would rip apart Glen¡¯s face as many times as possible.

    ¡°Another thought also came into my mind. What if Elena¡¯s mana was blocked not to aplish some kind of future scheme, but to obtain something out of it in the present? I became more suspicious when I found out that a part of Nowem¡¯s mana kept disappearing whenever it entered Elena¡¯s body.¡±

    ¡°Perhaps¡­¡±

    ¡°Her mana, her magic powers, and her talent itself¡ªwhat if those external measures were sending some or all of Elena¡¯s powers and abilities to a different ce?¡±

    This was why Zich continued to make Elena practice her magic using Nowem¡¯s mana. Zich stared at the ice spike. L also followed his gaze.

    ¡°Ond Dwayne used to be a subpar mage, right?¡±

    ¡°¡­Yeah, and he only became sessful after transferring to another school of magic.¡± Unlike Zich¡¯s light-hearted tone, L¡¯s voice was deeper than normal.

    ¡°This is getting fun. I wonder what that guy was thinking while looking at his daughter. I¡¯m a bit curious about that.¡±

    L did not reply to Zich¡¯s mocking words. She just stared intently at the ice spike in front of her. There was a very slight, familiar energy inside the ice spike. It was an energy that only L and Zich could have recognized since they were constantly with Snoc and Nowem¡ªit was the energy of the earth.

 Chapter 258

    <h4>Chapter 258</h4>

    L ced the ice spike roughly on the table. It looked like she was reliving the rage she felt towards Ondo with it.

    ¡°If the coborator is Ond Dwayne, he must¡¯ve had a hand in turning his father into a Demon Lord.¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s a high possibility.¡±

    ¡°So, in the end, he made Elena kill her own grandfather.¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡±

    ¡°How much of a scum is he really?!¡±

    ¡°Should I add one more thing? If Ond is really taking away Elena¡¯s mana or talent, thatpletely changes the reason why he supported Elena¡¯s magic studies even while going against Walwiss¡¯ wishes.¡±

    ¡°¡­It¡¯s because when Elena studies magic, it bes his power.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know what he stole from Elena specifically, but the possibilities are endless.¡±

    L was speechless. She couldn¡¯t believe that such a heartless father thoroughly taking advantage of his child could exist.

    ¡°Hey, Zich.¡± L asked in a really bleak and cold voice, ¡°When are you going to screw him over?¡±

    ¡°Wow, you are angry.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not in the mood for joking around,¡± L spoke as if she would strike Ond with the greatest magic she knew and erase him from this world if he was within her sight.

    ¡°Unfortunately, I can¡¯t do that right now. So, endure it for a bit more.¡±

    They had just identified the main culprit and hadn¡¯t made any preparations yet.

    ¡°We need to approach situations like this step by step. Whether it be finding evidence or preparing a trap to corner him¡ªwell, you don¡¯t have to worry. You know I¡¯m an expert in these things,¡± Zichughed. It was a kind ofughter that would have made anyone who suffered under his hands turn their heads and shudder.

    ¡°Well, he probably won¡¯t die a pleasant death since you made him your target.¡±

    ¡°Of course.¡±

    Although L always felt ufortable whenever Zich acted beyond necessary in fear that he would be a Demon Lord, she thought he seemed very trustworthy at the moment.

    ¡°Ah, I also have one request.¡± Zich took out a piece of paper from his magic box and handed it to L.

    ¡°I picked it up at the Jaewick family¡¯s mansion.¡±

    They were codes he had copied from the letter tied to a carrier pigeon¡¯s leg.

    ¡°Decipher it for me.¡±

    L scowled. ¡°I just started deciphering a sentence from the ancient empire, but you are giving me more work on top of that?¡±

    ¡°Is it difficult?¡±

    ¡°Of course it¡¯s difficult! It¡¯s not like I even have a clue. If I could just decipher secret codes right away, what¡¯s the point of using them?¡±

    ¡°Is that so? I guess it can¡¯t be helped then.¡± Zich wasn¡¯t that disappointed. If he didn¡¯t have any other clues, he might have tried his best to get a clue or something from the code; but now, he had already battled Walwiss fiercely and uncovered the main culprit. They were already in a situation where it didn¡¯t matter if they deciphered the code or not.

    ¡°Anyways.¡± Zich lightly nced at L looking at the piece of paper that Zich handed to her.

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°Why? Is there something weird?¡±

    L quickly took out a book from her magic box¡ªZich knew what the book was. It was the book from the ancient empire that L had taken from the Great Adrowon Forest. L spread the book open, piquing Zich¡¯s curiosity. He arched his head to look at the book.

    ¡°Look.¡± L pushed the open book towards Zich. Then, she ced the piece of paper that Zich gave her next to it. Zich looked back and forth between the book and piece of paper. Wrinkles formed at the corners of his eyes.

    ¡°It¡¯s simr, right?¡±

    Zich nodded. Like L said, the piece of paper that Zich brought and the letters in the book from the ancient empire looked incredibly simr.

    ¡°Are they using letters from the ancient empire as a secret code?¡±

    ¡°I think so. The letters are very simr.¡±

    ¡°Then that means Wayne Jaewick might be connected to the ancient empire in some way.¡±

    Zich looked at the piece of paper intently.

    L asked, ¡°You said that Wayne Jaewick is suspicious, right? It seems like he¡¯s realized that we kidnapped Elena too. Then, is he working with Ond?¡±

    ¡°No, that didn¡¯t seem to be the case. Their rtionship isn¡¯t good by any means. Of course, there¡¯s a possibility that it could all be an act¡­¡± Zich continued to rack his head¡ªbefore he was attacked by Walwiss, he recalled the conversation they were having.

    ¡®Now that I about it, it sounded like Wayne Jaewick was testing Walwiss Dwayne when he was asking hisst question.¡¯

    At that moment, Zich thought of a possibility. ¡®Does Wayne Jaewick not know who he is coborating with?¡¯ Wayne¡¯s coborator might be someone whom he simply exchanged secret codes with through carrier pigeons.

    ¡®Wayne might have tried to test Walwiss Dwayne because he thought Walwiss might be his coborator.¡¯ The puzzle pieces wereing together.

    ¡®If that was what Ond Dwayne intended¡­¡¯

    Before Zich¡¯s regression, Ond Dwayne was the master of the magical tower, and Walwiss Dwayne became a Demon Lord.

    ¡®Did this bastard push all his crimes onto Walwiss and chase him away?¡¯

    He could¡¯ve finished off the Jaewick family on top of that.

    ¡®No, he might have finished off some other families while he was as it since it would have increased his possibility of bing the master of the magical tower.¡¯

    ¡°What is it? You suddenly look so serious. Tell me if you figured something out.¡±

    Zich informed L of his spections. Her mouth opened slightly.

    ¡°¡­He is plotting some scheme like that?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s still just a spection. We have to make sure of it from now on.¡±

    Zich lifted the piece of paper with the secret code on it. ¡°Anyways, if the person contacting Wayne Jaewick is really Ond, then he must also know what this code is. And Ond is someone who seems like the robed figures¡¯ coborators¡­¡±

    Zich stared at the piece of paper like he was going to burrow a hole into it.

    ¡°The robed guys might be connected to the ancient empire.¡±

    ¡°¡­In the end, it¡¯s the ancient empire again.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, you might not have to decipher the writings from the ancient empire since Ond might know how to read it.¡±

    Zich had great faith in L¡¯s abilities. It wasn¡¯t as if they had no clue; they had many rted materials from the Great Adrowon Forest, and given time, L would probably be able to decipher the text. However, there was no reason for them to take the hard road when they could go the easy way.

    ¡°In the end, I guess we have to face Ond Dwayne head on.¡±

    Zich loudly cracked his fingers; it sounded like something that mighte out of Ond¡¯s body in the near future. Of course, if Zich did crack Ond¡¯s bones, a much louder and terrifying sound woulde out of Ond¡¯s body.

    L let out a sigh. ¡°I¡¯m worried about Elena. Even if she doesn¡¯t have to fight to death with her grandpa in the future, she¡¯ll be extremely shocked by her father¡¯s betrayal.¡±

    ¡°You know we have to do it, right? No matter how painful it is, she has to cut out parts of her life that are rotten. If she doesn¡¯t, her life might be in danger.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s true.¡±

    ¡°You canfort herter. Since she''s your disciple, you will probably be a better source offort than a stranger.¡±

    ¡°Of course, I¡¯llfort her. I¡¯ll work hard to help her out.¡± L tightly clenched her fist and strengthened her resolve. However, the situation was a bit moreplicated than she thought.

    ¡°It might be even more difficult than you thought. I think Ondmitted another serious offense. Of course, this is also deeply rted to Elena.¡±

    ¡°¡­There¡¯s more?¡±

    ¡°This is something that we have to look more into, but do you think Elena is really the first?¡±

    Even though Zich spoke very vaguely, L was able to perfectly understand him. ¡°You think that Ond did the same awful things he did to Elena to another person?¡±

    ¡°Just think about it. Even if Ond Dwayne changed his school of magic, he¡¯s still Walwiss Dwayne¡¯s son. Walwiss Dwayne¡¯s Pulru School of Magic should be much more familiar to him since Walwiss probably trained him in that school from a young age. Moreover, Elena¡¯s specialty is fire magic in the future, so if Ond used her powers, he wouldn¡¯t have trouble fitting right into the Pulru School of Magic. However, Ond Dwayne specifically moved to his wife¡¯s school of magic, the Conrad School of Magic, and learned ice magic there.¡±

    L closed her mouth shut. ¡°¡­Then did he not just take his daughter''s magic but also his wife¡¯s¡­!¡±

    ¡°We have to consider the timing of these events¡ªwhen Ond Dwayne suddenly experienced a growth in his magic, and when Elena¡¯s mom died. However, if Ond¡¯s magic exponentially grew right after Elena¡¯s mom died¡­¡±

    Zich did not finish his sentence, but L clearly knew what he wanted to say next¡ªthat Ond Dwayne killed his wife and stole her magic powers.

    * * *

    While an intensemotion was urring all night in Sunewick and Zich was deeply thinking about the truth of the conspiracy, Elena, who was one of the main reasons for Sunewick¡¯smotion, wasfortably sitting on a chair.

    ¡°My family?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, family.¡± While tightly hugging Nowem, Elena nodded; Nowem had helped her practice magic today as well. Snoc had been her conversational partner for the past few days, and he sat in front of her.

    It was difficult to be locked up in an unknown ce. Even though Elena received three delicious meals a day and she could study magic as much as she wanted, it was psychologically taxing to lose her freedom. If Snoc hadn¡¯t persuaded her that this was for her benefit and if he hadn¡¯t shown her Zich¡¯s Honorary Knight broach, Elena would have tried escaping several times by now. Then Snoc and Hans would have struggled immensely. Fortunately, Elena stayed low and just practiced her magic. However, it wasn¡¯t as if she could practice magic all day.

    When she wasn¡¯t practicing magic, Hans and Snoc talked to her to pass the time. Most of the time, Snoc was the one who talked to her. As a result, Elena and Snoc had be close enough to share very personal stories with each other.

    So, Elena could now easily ask questions about Snoc¡¯s family ¡°I¡¯m curious. You got out of your house, and you¡¯re traveling with Mr. Zich right now. Didn¡¯t your family try to stop you?¡±

    Nowem¡¯s body froze. This topic was ufortable for Nowem as he was deeply involved with the death of Snoc¡¯s father. Snoc noticed Nowem¡¯s difort and made a bittersweet smile. ¡°I don¡¯t have a family. I didn¡¯t have siblings in the first ce, and my father and mother died a long time ago.¡±

    ¡°Ah, I-I¡¯m sorry.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s all right. It was a long time ago.¡± Snoc shrugged. ¡°Even though he¡¯s not blood rted, I have someone who is like a family member¡ªhis name is Sam. He¡¯s a guy who lived next to me, and he acted like my older brother.¡±

    Snoc told Elena about his life. He told her about his hard life as a miner and how much he hated that life. However, when he looked back at his memories, there were definitely happy and fun moments as well. Elena listened with interest to Snoc¡¯s past, which waspletely different from her life.

    ¡°He was that kind of person. Even though he was young, he was very stubborn and old-fashioned like an elderly person.¡±

    ¡°But he must have been a very special person to you, right?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s true.¡± Snoc turned his head as if he was embarrassed. It might have just been the lighting from thentern, but his face looked slightly red.

    ¡°I only have my grandfather and father in my family. My mother died over ten years ago.¡± Elena looked at the ceiling with sad, sentimental eyes. ¡°She was a very kind and caring person. When I was young, I loved falling asleep on herp.¡±

    Snoc nodded. He also had some beautiful memories with his mom, so he could empathize with Elena¡¯s words.

    ¡°Honestly, when she died, I felt like the sky was crashing down. I even felt like I was being thrown into the world by myself.¡±

    Elena wiped the tears that formed around her eyes and continued, ¡°During that time, my father was really cold to me. No, it wasn¡¯t just me, but he didn¡¯t have a very good rtionship with my mother either.¡±

    ¡°Really? That¡¯s a bit different from what I heard. Isn¡¯t he a nice person who is very supportive of your dream?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, he¡¯s like that right now, but in the past, he was different. I was very resentful of him back then, but now, I understand him a little bit. My father was in a simr situation as me when I was young. He was always anxious and insecure because he wasn¡¯t able to use magic properly.¡±

    ¡°I heard that before. I heard that he didn¡¯t give up and worked hard until he became sessfulter on.¡±

    Elena made a small smile. ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s right. It¡¯s really sad that my father¡¯s breakthrough happened after my mother passed away. I think it¡¯s really unfortunate, because my father began to show progress around the same time my mother passed away. If my mother had lived for a bit longer, she would have been able to spend time with my kinder and more caring father.¡±

 Chapter 259

    <h4>Chapter 259</h4>

    Ond Dwayne returned to his mansion. He casually responded to the servants who greeted him with a bow and went to his bedroom. He took off his robe and carelessly threw it on the bed. Then, he walked to the cupboard in the corner of his room. Expensive drinks filled the cupboard from top to bottom. After he took out one and poured himself a ss, he plopped onto his bed.

    Pumpkin seed-colored alcohol filled his ss until it looked like it would flow out with the slightest shake. Ond skillfully ced the ss in front of his mouth and gulped the whole drink down without spilling it.

    ¡°Hah!¡± A burning sensation traveled up his throat and woke him up from his drowsiness. He let out a small breath and chased away the remaining alcohol in his mouth. Then, he refilled his ss and didn¡¯t let it overfill his cup likest time.

    Thud. He ced the wine bottle on the table. Then, he moved to the window.

    ck!

    When he opened the big window, a small terrace attached to the room came into view. Ond leaned on the terrace railing. He saw the city locked inside the darkness; fire sparks burned here and there, but they were not enough to drive away the city¡¯s darkness. The cold air outside cooled his body that had burned up from his drink. He had another sip of his drink.

    ¡°Damn it!¡± Ond suddenly spat out a curse. What happened today passed through his mind again. He remembered the powerful attacks that Walwiss hadunched against the trespasser who secretly tried to eavesdrop on their conversation. It was a sight that could easily shred the confidence Ond had built up for progressing to the point he could be present at the top meetings in the magical tower. Of course, even though they lost the trespasser, Ond couldn¡¯t downy Walwiss¡¯ abilities.

    Ond was also sure of this. ¡®No matter what method I use, I can¡¯t surpass my father.¡¯

    An enormous wall separated him and his father. He thought that he was over this wall and could see his father now, but it was all a delusion. That wall was much higher than he expected. Ond was reminded of his memories¡ªespecially the eyes that used to look at him coldly with disinterest. Those looks always made him hunch his shoulders in shame. He thought he overcame them, but they appeared in his mind again.

    ¡®Damn it!¡¯ He gulped down more alcohol and emptied his ss.

    ¡®Could the n possibly seed?¡¯ Ond began doubting himself. Fears that the gigantic sparks he had created coulde back to him ran wild. Furthermore, it wasn¡¯t only the sudden realization of his father¡¯s power that weakened his will.

    ¡®Why did those stupid guys suddenly die!¡¯ He thought about the mysterious group he had joined hands with and gritted his teeth. Ever since he joined hands with them, he had never suffered any losses. Therefore, he thought this n would seed for sure too.

    ¡®But to think they would all die...¡¯ Furthermore, since no one survived, there was no way he could find out who their killers were. It was unthinkable that his coborators all died even though they had so much of the n left to aplish.

    ¡®Besides, the situation¡¯s already turned to shit!¡¯ It was too early to allow the n to progress further. He had nned to maintain this situation for a couple of years, but because of some unknown variable, everything was turning into a mess.

    ¡®L.¡¯ She was the woman who suddenly dered that she would teach Elena magic. Although her skills were admirable, she made Ondugh. No matter how great a mage was, no one could solve Elena¡¯s current condition.

    Ond always took Elena¡¯s side even while arguing with Walwiss¡ªthe more Elena studied magic, the more beneficial it was to him. No, he actually couldn¡¯t let Elena give up studying magic, but that had been a mistake.

    Ond ced his hand on his chest. The mana inside him always faithfully followed his authority before; but the supposedly pure mana was mixed with foreign substances now, especially before he uttered any spells or used any magic. Additionally, they were beginning to mix into his body.

    ¡®It¡¯s getting harder for me to control my magic because of this.¡¯ He heard that Elena could use magic by momentarily borrowing mana from a magical beast that one of L¡¯spanions carried, which exined the reason for this difficulty. However, that wasn¡¯t the only problem; it was dangerous that they realized that there was an abnormality in Elena¡¯s body.

    ¡®They told my father too!¡¯

    Even though Walwiss didn¡¯t seem like he would immediately dive deep into the matter, there was no guarantee that he would continue his inaction. Ond didn¡¯t think he would be found out since he had used a quite clever method. However, he couldn¡¯t simply trust this method and rx. Since his father found out that there was something strange about Elena, Walwiss might use some unimaginable method to find out the truth. That was the kind of existence the master of the magical tower was.

    Thus, Ond tried to rush the n. Yet everything turned into a mess, and a bizarre situation where Elena was kidnapped by another group happened. Thankfully, he was able to find out who Elena¡¯s kidnappers were.

    ¡®Zich, L, and theirpanions!¡¯

    Foreign substances were continuing to mix in with the mana inside him; it was proof that Elena was continuing to study magic while using the magical beast. However, there was no definite proof to corner them as culprits, and it wasn¡¯t as if he could reveal the foreign power inside his mana.

    ¡®I have to find some evidence against them!¡¯ He also had to find Elena. Her existence was very important to him. She was a very important link connected to the mysterious group he coborated with.

    ¡®Although those guys all died, it doesn¡¯t matter. Since they said Elena was very important to them, I¡¯m sure another group wille.¡¯ Then, he could continue to receive their help. ¡®I also have to get a little help from Elena before my n fully ripens.¡¯

    Ond suddenly felt a tiny bit of guilt. Even though he was working towards his goal, he had to admit that he was using his daughter. In the end, however, he shook his head. ¡®Children can only walk around proudly if their father does well. It¡¯s not like she¡¯s going to be like this forever.¡¯

    While purposefully erasing Elena¡¯s memory by smiling brightly, Ond nodded.

    ¡®Yeah, it can¡¯t be helped. At the very least I have to seed in this goal for Elena. And¡­¡¯

    Ond tried moving the mana inside him. Although some foreign substances were inside it, the mana still moved ording to his wishes. This was ¡®his¡¯ mana.

    ¡®It¡¯s also for Elena¡¯s mother as well.¡¯

    The mana flowing gently inside Ond seemed to flow a bit roughly.

    * * *

    Even though Jaewick¡¯s yard waspletely destroyed just yesterday, the meeting to exchange information about finding Elena continued. Rather than finding the intruder that secretly infiltrated the Jaewick¡¯s residence, finding Elena was still a more important matter. Moreover, the intruder could be rted to Elena¡¯s kidnapping, so there was more reason to continue the meetings. However, one person didn''te to the meeting.

    ¡°Why isn¡¯t heing?¡± Wayne asked in a very annoyed voice. Even though it was understandable that someone would get annoyed by another person¡¯s tardiness, his annoyance was much higher than normal. However, this was also understandable as the person who waste was Zich. Since Jaewick hated Zich, there was no way his tone would be pleasant.

    ¡°Does he think that he¡¯s some kind of hotshot because we gave him permission to participate in this meeting? As expected of a vagabond!¡± As Wayne¡¯s voice grew louder, people¡¯s frowns grew deeper. Even if Wayne¡¯s irritation was not directed towards them, it was still unpleasant to constantly listen to another person¡¯sints. However, it wasn¡¯t as if other people couldn¡¯t understand his vexation, so no one really said anything to him.

    ¡°Mr. Zich is veryte. I think it will be better for us to send someone to bring him and start the meeting by ourselves first.¡± Someone voiced their thoughts.

    Walwiss nodded his head, and the meeting started. However, no noteworthy information came up this time as well. Most of the meeting was spent talking about the suspicious person who infiltrated the Jaewicks¡¯ mansionst night. After the meeting ended with zero results, people began getting up one by one.

    Zich was still nowhere to be seen. When the only people left in the meeting were Walwiss, Ond, and Wayne, the person sent to bring Zich came back.

    ¡°Sir, Mr. Zich is sick so he wouldn''t be able toe today.¡±

    ¡°Sick?¡± Wayne frowned. ¡°If he¡¯s sick, he should have sent someone to inform us that he was sick instead of making us just wait for him.¡±

    Wayne gossiped about Zich to Walwiss for a few minutes, and Walwiss quietly listened to him. Since Walwiss destroyed the Jaewicks¡¯ yard and failed to catch the intruder, he was going to be more considerate of Wayne for the time being.

    Then Walwiss asked Ond, ¡°What are you thinking so deeply about?¡± Walwiss thought Ond was deeply contemting something.

    Ond slowly opened his mouth and said, ¡°I thought it was a bit coincidental.¡±

    ¡°What is?¡±

    ¡°About the intruder yesterday.¡±

    Walwiss and Wayne grimaced at the same time.

    However, Ond paid no attention to their expressions and continued, ¡°The intruder definitely healed himself with some kind of potion, but he got hit several times by your powerful magic. No matter how good his potions are, there are limitations. In particr, I¡¯m sure his mana flow and mind have been hit hard.¡±

    Ond met both of their eyes and continued, ¡°There must have been aftereffects. But the very next day, we are told that Mr. Zich is sic¡ª¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s the intruder!¡± Wayne pped his hands and immediately got up. He looked very excited; even his breathing became a bit rough.

    ¡°It¡¯s not certain yet,¡± Ond said this, but Wayne was not listening to him.

    ¡°Haven¡¯t I been saying this all along?! That guy is suspicious!¡± Wayne spoke as if he was already certain that Zich was the intruder. ¡°Sir! Let¡¯s go see him immediately! If we go see him with the excuse to check up on him, he won¡¯t be able to refuse. Let¡¯s see how he acts then!¡±

    ¡°I said it¡¯s not certain yet!¡± When Ond spoke with a louder voice than usual, Wayne stared at him. ¡°But you are the one who said he was suspicious.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s true but¡­¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not saying that we should drag him out immediately. I¡¯m saying we should just try feeling him out by asking what he did yesterday.¡±

    Ond didn¡¯t seem to have anything to say about this as he closed his mouth. Wayne triumphantly looked at Ond once and moved his gaze back towards Walwiss. ¡°Sir, what is your decision?¡±

    * * *

    It was a bitter on in the day when Walwiss brought Ond and Wayne to visit Zich. When they arrived, Zich was sitting on his bed and L was next to him.

    ¡°Everyone, wee.¡± Zich tried to get up, but Walwiss waved his hand.

    ¡°Don¡¯t stand up. I heard that you were sick. You should sitfortably.¡±

    ¡°Thank you. Then I¡¯ll ept your consideration.¡±

    Walwiss sat on a chair next to the bed. Ond and Wayne stood behind him.

    Zich said, ¡°The two of you should also sit down.¡±

    Ond replied, ¡°It¡¯s all right. We don¡¯t want to trouble a sick person too much. We¡¯ll be gone soon, so we don¡¯t need to sit on a chair.¡±

    Wayne didn¡¯t reply and intently scanned Zich. He was trying to see if there was anything he could nitpick.

    Walwiss asked, ¡°What happened?¡±

    Zich scratched the back of his head as if he was embarrassed. ¡°It seems like I overstrained myself these days, so I¡¯m feeling unwell. My physical condition is poor.¡±

    ¡°I apologize for making you strain yourself.¡±

    ¡°Sir, not at all. It¡¯s all because Ick training. Moreover, it¡¯s purely my choice to help find Elena, so you have no reason to apologize.¡±

    From a nce, it looked like a warm scene where two people were showing consideration for each other. But Walwiss¡¯ eyes swiftly moved around to assess Zich¡¯s condition.

 Chapter 260

    <h4>Chapter 260</h4>

    Zich and Walwiss conversed briefly. Walwiss asked questions expected of a visitor while Zich gave mild replies to all his questions. From time to time, Walwiss asked questions to catch Zich off guard, but like a sly snake, Zich never gave any suspicious answers. As if he had reached the truth, Ond opened his mouth after looking at Zich.

    ¡°Did you hear about themotion yesterday?¡±

    ¡°You mean themotion that happened in the Jaewicks¡¯ mansion? Yes, I heard and saw it too. The lights from the fire were visible even from here.¡±

    ¡°Yes, there was a trespasser at the Jaewicks¡¯ ce yesterday. I even took part in it myself, but we missed him unfortunately. We did beat that guy well with our magic though. Although it¡¯s a bit embarrassing for me to say this, I¡¯m confident in my magic. I¡¯m sure that guy will be suffering from some injuries even with potions or healing.¡±

    Zich smiled widely. ¡°You are suspecting me.¡±

    ¡°Are you disappointed?¡±

    ¡°Not at all. I¡¯m the one who said that there might be apanion of the robed figures among the participants at the mages¡¯ meeting. Wouldn¡¯t it be ridiculous for me to get angry that I was suspected in this case? It¡¯s also true that the timing somehow fits perfectly.¡±

    ¡°Thank you for thinking that way. Then, could I ask you another question while I am at it?¡± Walwiss narrowed his eyes and asked, ¡°Are you the trespasser from yesterday?¡±

    A heavy atmosphere clouded inside the room. Wayne¡¯s fingers twitched like he wanted to arrest Zich right away while Ond and Walwiss took turns looking at Zich.

    ¡°No,¡± Zich answered.

    ¡°Can you prove it?¡±

    ¡°Unfortunately, I can¡¯t prove it since mypanions¡¯ testimony won¡¯t be enough to prove that I am not the trespasser. But I also think that not many people would have alibis during that timeframe.¡±

    The event had happenedte in the day when the lights in the sky were disappearing. Most people were inside their houses and it would be difficult to get another person to testify for them at that time.

    ¡°Hmph! Aren¡¯t you just making excuses?¡±

    ¡°Then, can I ask you all in response? Do you have any evidence that I¡¯m the culprit? It¡¯s simply a coincidence that my condition worsened the day after themotion happened. If you just use someone of being the culprit based on your assumptions, you are not the one who should be talking, Mr. Jaewick.¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°The corpses wearing the robes. Did you clear the suspicions about the fact that you could be involved with the group that kidnapped Elena?¡±

    ¡°What nonsense! I have no connection with those guys!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m the same. I don¡¯t know what specifically happened yesterday, but I have no connections to the incident.¡±

    ¡°Y-You¡­!¡± Wayne¡¯s great desire to strike Zich with the staff he was holding clearly poured out of him. However, Zich simply stared at him calmly, which angered Wayne even more.

    ¡°Then is it okay for us to assume that you have no connection to what happened yesterday?¡±

    ¡°Yes, certainly.¡±

    ¡°I see.¡± Walwiss got up from his seat. ¡°Thank you for answering. We can¡¯t trouble a sick person any longer than this. Take good care of yourself.¡±

    As he turned around, Walwiss looked at Zich again. ¡°I know it¡¯s shameless of me to ask you this, but could you continue helping us look for Elena?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about that sir. I will be fine by tomorrow, and I will start looking for her again then.¡±

    ¡°Thank you.¡± Walwiss nodded as if all his questions had been resolved.

    However, Wayne intervened and said, ¡°Before I forget, when are you going to let me meet your servants?¡±

    ¡°Hans and Snoc? They are going toe back in a few days. Let¡¯s have a meeting as soon as theye back.¡±

    As if he couldn¡¯t wait for that moment, Wayne gave a menacing re like a viper and backed away.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go now.¡± Walwiss took Ond and Wayne and left the room. Ond bowed his head slightly but Wayne didn¡¯t even meet Zich¡¯s eyes as they left.

    ¡°What do you think, sir?¡± As soon as they got out of the lodging, Walwiss turned his head and stared at the approximate location of Zich¡¯s room.

    ¡°There wasn¡¯t anything strange about his statements at least.¡±

    ¡°But¡­¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s true that the timing of his illness is suspicious though.¡±

    Wayne¡¯s face brightened up. ¡°Yes! It¡¯s very suspicious! Are you finally agreeing with me, sir?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not been decided that he is the culprit. I think this calls for a little bit more cautiousness.¡±

    ¡°Yes, certainly, sir! Of course!¡± Wayne passionately agreed as he stuck close to Wayne¡¯s side. It seemed like he was overjoyed that Walwiss began to look at Zich suspiciously. Then, he bbered on, gossiping about Zich to Walwiss. Ond quietly watched them from behind.

    * * *

    After Walwiss and his group left, Zichy on his bed for a bit. But a brief momentter, when their presence departed far away from his lodging, he abruptly got up.

    ¡°Congrattions on your recovery.¡± L¡¯s soulless congrattions remark sounded incredibly unmeaningful.

    ¡°Thank you.¡± Zich also responded indifferently and got off his bed. Unlike what he said and showed until now, he didn¡¯t look sick or injured anywhere. Instead, he actually looked upset that he hadn¡¯t been able to move his body before.

    ¡°I''ve been hungry since I was sick.¡±

    ¡°You are so good at lying.¡± L sneered as she saw Zich rubbing his stomach.

    Zich pouted, ¡°Aren¡¯t you being too harsh to someone who was sick?¡±

    ¡°If you were actually sick, my attitude would be different.¡±

    However, Zich wasn¡¯t sick. In fact, he couldn¡¯t have been healthier.

    Zich plopped onto his bed. L¡¯s eyes followed him.

    ¡°Are you really alright? After listening to them, it seems like it¡¯s true that you were hit by some powerful magic attacks.¡±

    ¡°My body is too tough for me to suffer from that,¡± Zich shrugged.

    ¡°It seems like Walwiss Dwayne is starting to suspect you,¡± L said. If that was true, that didn¡¯t seem like it would be ideal for them. Yet, what she added next indicated the opposite. ¡°¡­As you nned.¡±

    ¡°If I get sick at a time like this, anyone would be suspicious.¡±

    ¡°Will it really be all right? This will definitely help Ond.¡±

    ¡°Yep.¡± Zich nodded. ¡°And that¡¯s what I wanted.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re purposely trying to walk the harder route.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, and that¡¯s nothing new. I¡¯ve always been like this. I¡¯ll definitely do a kind act in the end, but I¡¯m going to do it my way.¡± Zich thought of Ond and smiled.

    L sighed, ¡°Well, I already said I¡¯ll help you, so I¡¯ll act ording to your ns. But try to minimize Elena¡¯s pain as much as possible. She didn¡¯t do anything wrong.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll try, but you know that¡¯s impossible, right? Since the mastermind of this n is her father, she¡¯s going to get hurt regardless of what happens. Her father is the reason for her humiliation and pain, and he¡¯s trying to corrupt her grandfather. Moreover, he might have used her mother and killed her.¡±

    ¡°¡­Yeah, that¡¯s true.¡± Despite how intelligent she was, L could only shake her head sadly since it was impossible to shield Elena from the uing catastrophe.

    ¡°The only thing you can do for Elena right now is to help correct what has been distorted and what will be distorted in the future. So if you¡¯re trying to help Elena, strengthen your resolve.¡±

    L nodded at Zich¡¯s serious advice.

    * * *

    Like Zich said, he returned to the meeting the very next day. Several dayster, he brought Hans and Snoc and introduced them to the rest of the people in the meeting. Wayne sharply questioned Hans and Snoc, but he was not able to gain much information from their answers. In the first ce, their answers were very simple. They said they camped outside the city walls and looked for any suspicious-looking areas.

    Wayne tried to get them to spill information by questioning them about the topography of the areas outside the city, but Snoc and Hans easily answered all of his questions. Moreover, Wayne was also not knowledgeable about areas further away from the city. In the end, Wayne let both of them go.

    When the meeting was over, Zich took Hans and Snoc back to their lodging. Even though Wayne was unable to get the answers he wanted, his face was surprisingly calm. Instead of going back home, he waited to be left alone with Walwiss. Ond also stayed behind, but Wayne was used to it now and ignored Ond; he turned to Walwiss and said, ¡°Sir, let¡¯s send someone to follow Zich¡¯s servants.¡±

    Ond frowned. ¡°Was it not enough to question Zich¡¯s servants?¡±

    ¡°Why would I drop my suspicions from a few questions like that? In the first ce, their answers were exactly as I expected. On the other hand, what we have found out is only just beginning.¡±

    Then Wayne looked back to Walwiss. ¡°If Zich and hispanions really kidnapped Ms. Dwayne, his two servants are the ones probably watching over her. Even though Zich brought them to avoid suspicion, he¡¯s going to send them outside soon because he would feel nervous about leaving Ms. Dwayne by herself. We have to send someone to follow them before they go outside of the city.¡±

    ¡°Didn¡¯t you tell us that you already sent people to follow them, but all of them lost sight of Zich¡¯s servants every time? Then how will you follow them? Are you going to ask Zich if you can send people to apany those two?¡±

    Wayne wanted to hurl insults at Ond for his constant interruption, but he firmly pressed it down and replied, ¡°We can¡¯t make such a request. He¡¯ll obviously refuse by saying various excuses, and if he does ept it, they¡¯ll never lead us to where Ms. Dwayne is.¡±

    Wayne¡¯s gaze moved back to Walwiss. ¡°Sir, I¡¯ve been wondering how they were able to escape from the people I sent every time. But if Zich really is the intruder, I can understand how they managed to escape every time.¡±

    ¡°The invisibility artifact,¡± Walwiss murmured, and Wayne nodded his head.

    ¡°Yes. Even a tracking or tailing specialist would be fooled if people borrowed the great power of magic.¡±

    Since they were all mages, all of them judged magic to be superior to other skills and powers. However, regardless of their thoughts about magic, Wayne¡¯s words were quite convincing.

    ¡°So I¡¯m thinking about sending a mage skilled in tailing people. Sir, if Zich and hispanions really kidnapped Ms. Dwayne, they will lead us directly to where she is.¡±

    Then Walwiss asked, ¡°Did you say that you already sent people to follow them?¡±

    ¡°Yes, sir.¡±

    ¡°Are people still following them?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°Then if Zich¡¯s servants show any signs of moving out, tell me right away.¡±

    Wayne blinked his eyes at the unexpected reply. ¡°¡­Sir, what do you mean?¡±

    ¡°I will go after them myself.¡±

    Wayne and Ond were shocked.

    ¡°What? Sir, how could someone like you do such a¡­.!¡±

    ¡°My granddaughter is involved in this. If I don¡¯t step forward, who will?¡± Walwiss firmly replied and continued, ¡°Moreover, the intruderst time had a very high-quality artifact. The amount of magical energy it let out was extremely small. For that reason, the two of you also couldn¡¯t notice that there was an intruder.¡±

    Wayne put his head down in embarrassment and Ond scratched his face. As two of the top mages in the magician¡¯s tower, their pride were hurt that they were unable to notice a magic artifact nearby.

    ¡°I don¡¯t mean to criticize you two. I was also barely able to notice it, so it¡¯s more urate to say that the intruder¡¯s artifact was extremely advanced. If Zich¡¯s servants also have simr artifacts, other mages will easily lose sight of them. If we want to make sure that they don¡¯t escape, it¡¯ll be better for me to follow them myself.¡±

    ¡°Sir, but still¡­¡±

    ¡°I also know that the public opinion on this case is steadily getting worse.¡±

    Since the whole city was being thoroughly searched to find Elena, the people of Sunewick were increasingly bing more stressed and fatigued. Even though they were obediently following the magical tower¡¯s authorities so far, the people might start protesting. There were already signs of agitation and tension in the air. People in the city also had their own lives to think about.

    Walwiss continued, ¡°So we have to finish this case as fast as possible, and in order to do that, it¡¯s better for me to step forward.¡±

    Like this, Wayne was unable to stop Walwiss anymore.

 Chapter 261

    <h4>Chapter 261</h4>

    Zich left Sunewick. It had been a while since he came out of the city. However, he didn¡¯t go that far and stopped in front of the castle¡¯s entrance. The reason for his visit outside was to send Hans and Snoc off.

    ¡°Did you finish your preparations?¡±

    ¡°Yes, sir!¡±

    ¡°We prepared thoroughly!¡±

    Their voices weren¡¯t loud, but they answered with clear confidence.

    ¡°I mean, there wasn¡¯t even much to prepare for.¡±

    After all, the basic necessities were in the magic box, and there wasn¡¯t anything else Hans and Snoc had to prepare besides some ingredients. Of course, by preparations, Zich wasn¡¯t only talking about material goods.

    ¡°Do you remember what I told you both?¡±

    The two answered right away. There was no way they forgot what Zich had told them. Even if they wanted to forget, the arduous training they went through made it so that they instinctively engraved Zich¡¯s words as soon as they heard them. Zich nodded in satisfaction and grabbed both their shoulders. Then, he pushed his face between Hans and Snoc.

    ¡°We have someone following us. Don¡¯t turn your heads though.¡±

    Hans and Snoc unconsciously tried to look around their surroundings, but they quickly strengthened their necks tightly and stopped their faces from moving.

    ¡°Just go ording to n. Then, it will be alright. Understand?¡±

    Both Hans and Snoc nodded.

    ¡°Good. Then, go now.¡±

    Zich turned their bodies around and hit their backs. Hans and Snoc turned back from the massive castle wall and walked forward. Zich stared at their backs for a bit, then he also turned around and began walking towards the castle wall.

    ¡®Quite an amazing person hase out.¡¯ Zich shifted his gaze and nced up at the castle wall. He noticed a weak presence over there, but that was all. He couldn¡¯t determine their exact location.

    ¡®Their hiding skills are impressive.¡¯ Although had considerable talent in detecting presences, even he couldn¡¯t properly locate the person when he was on full alert.

    ¡®Is it magic?¡¯ Considering the situation and the fact they were in a city famous for magic, it seemed likely that a high-level magician actually came out to follow Zich and his servants.

    ¡®I showed them that I could use an invisibility artifact after all.¡¯

    However, the level of his opponent was still higher than what Zich had expected.

    ¡®Wait, maybe the master of the magical tower came out himself.¡¯ It sounded possible now that he thought about it. ¡®If that¡¯s the case, then that will be a bit dangerous.¡¯ At that moment, Zich felt the presence he had been tracking shake a bit.

    ¡®He is moving.¡¯ It was obvious that the person wanted to find out where Hans and Snoc were by tailing them. Even as the person moved, their presence was still incredibly faint. The possibility that Walwiss Dwayne was the one following them became more likely. Zich stared at Hans and Snoc who were already far away from him. Although they were probably nervous, their bodies were stiff. They both maintained a good level of nervousness. Zich smirked.

    ¡®They will do well.¡¯ Zich thought they wouldn¡¯t have to fight their opponent head-on, and there was a low chance that Walwiss would break in. ¡®And those guys¡¯ skills aren¡¯t something tough about either.¡¯

    Zich turned his body and headed towards the city.

    * * *

    ¡®They are going inside.¡¯

    In the air, Walwiss quietly watched Zich go back inside the castle. There was nothing that seemed suspicious, so Walwiss took his eyes off Zich.

    ¡®The watchmen from the Jaewick family will follow him.¡¯

    The important target wasn¡¯t Zich. Walwiss moved. The secretive but intense mana flowing around him whirled and pulled his body along. Hans and Snoc followed the boulevard that stretched out from the castle¡¯s doors and at some point, they began to walk sideways. The two stepped into a meadow of thick weeds where there was no road or even a small path in sight.

    Walwiss focused his attention. Since they went off the road, they could disappear from his sight any moment now. In mid-air, he opened his eyes widely and slowly followed behind them from a distance. The two passed the meadow and entered a small forest heavily covered by trees.

    ¡®They are blocking my view.¡¯

    Walwiss squinted his eyes. He wondered if he should go lower but went higher up instead. The size of the forest wasn¡¯t very big. If he looked at it from a high ce, he could see the entire forest at once. He could easily see which direction they woulde out of. Of course, Walwiss also didn¡¯t forget to track them with a keen sense of magic since they could use invisibility artifacts. Soon, Walwiss¡¯ suspicions were proven true.

    Wiing! A faint transformation that normal people couldn¡¯t feel caught his senses.

    ¡®They used it!¡¯

    Walwiss closed his eyes. Then, he tried to feel a magical presence. The magical presence began to move. It was an extremely faint energy, so light that most mages would probably fail to sense it even if it was right in front of them.

    ¡®It¡¯s a simr feeling to the one I felt at the Jaewicks¡¯ ce.¡¯

    Walwiss thought he might really be able to meet his granddaughter if he followed them. The magical presence came out of the forest. Walwiss couldn¡¯t see anything with his eyes, but he could feel that there was definitely something there. He continued to feel magical energy, and when he looked at the area intently, he could see something awkward about it. The magical presence continued to move. They had already traveled a considerable distance now.

    ¡®How far are they going?¡¯

    Walwiss still had plenty of mana left. It wasn¡¯t as if he achieved his title as master of the magical tower by luck. However, it was true that he also had a limit.

    ¡®I don¡¯t think they will move for that long though.¡¯

    There was still a chance he could be wrong. Moreover, Snoc and Hans¡¯ speed was beyond his imagination. They continuously moved at the speed of an ordinary person¡¯s maximum sprint.

    Fortunately, Walwiss didn¡¯t need to be concerned about moving too far. Walwiss felt a tremor of magical energy, and then Hans and Snoc revealed themselves. It seemed as if their artifacts¡¯ duration times were over. They soon began climbing a nearby mountain. When they were about halfway up the mountain, an old house came into view. It looked like an abandoned shelter for hunters since it looked extremely old and worn out.

    However, it seemed to have undergone recent renovations so that people could use it as a residence. When Walwiss saw the house, he tilted his head. ¡®Elena is trapped in a ce like that?¡¯

    It looked like an extremely easy ce to escape from. The house looked very unsuitable for imprisoning someone.

    ¡®Is she perhaps tied up?¡¯ Worry sprung up inside Walwiss¡¯ heart. He imagined how his poor granddaughter was all tied up and wouldn¡¯t be able to eat or drink without Zich¡¯s two servants. Fortunately, Walwiss¡¯ imagination was proven wrong.

    Knock! Knock!

    When Hans knocked, the door opened.

    ¡®Armor?¡¯ Walwiss narrowed his eyes as he saw the person who opened the door for Hans and Snoc. The person wore silver armor that glistened in the sunlight.

    ¡®Do they have an aplice?¡¯ Then it made sense that they could leave Elena alone. ¡®Were they not just travelers?¡¯

    If they had an armoredrade, there was a high possibility that a third party was involved. However, the armored person¡¯s movements looked awkward.

    ¡®No, is it actually a golem?¡¯ A golem made out of armor¡ªif something like that guarded Elena, it was understandable that Elena wouldn¡¯t be able to escape this shabby cabin. Walwiss quietly scanned the surroundings. He didn¡¯t go closer yet, just to be safe, and he saw several windows. Unlike the rest of the house, the windows were firmly barred. Walwiss¡¯ suspicion that Elena might be imprisoned inside the cabin deepened.

    Walwiss moved his body to peer through the window and see the inside of the cabin. Then, he saw her¡ªhis granddaughter was inside the house. Walwiss felt relief, and then anger¡ªtwo extreme emotions. He felt bitter that he and Elena had been betrayed, and he felt sorry for the pain that Elena had to experience. Walwiss immediately wanted to burn this house to the ground and then fly back to the city and burn Zich and L to cinders. However, he suppressed his emotions. There was never a time when recklessness made any situation better; he needed to be extra careful since his precious granddaughter was currently being held hostage.

    Walwiss looked down at the cabin with eyes full of fury. The only people in the house were Hans and Snoc if he excluded Elena. Even though there were more movements, they all seemed to being from armored figures that were probably golems. Fortunately, Elena looked fine, and it didn¡¯t seem as if she experienced any torture.

    Elena was sitting still on a bed. From a nce, it looked like she had a lot of freedom to move around, but judging by how the armored golems constantly moved around her, she probably had very limited freedom. Walwiss had confirmed everything he needed to confirm. He quietly withdrew back, and his eyes moved towards Elena.

    ¡®Just wait a bit, Elena. I¡¯ll definitely save you!¡¯

    Even though it was extremely heartbreaking that he had to leave his granddaughter with his enemies, he had no choice. As the master of the magical tower and for Elena¡¯s sake, he needed to deal with the root cause first.

    ¡®I can¡¯t let a single one of them go!¡¯ Walwiss moved his gaze away from his granddaughter and forced his reluctant feet to move away from the cabin.

    * * *

    A substantial amount of time passed since Walwiss left the cabin. The sky was already dark, and the moon and stars were working their hardest to fight off the darkness. The candlelight inside the cabin also fought off the darkness by letting out its subtle light.

    Sitting still in bed, Elena asked dourly, ¡°Hey, how long do we have to wait?¡±

    Hans and Snoc, who were ying cards to kill time, looked up from the table and turned to look at Elena. Then they looked at each other.

    ¡°Senior, do you think it¡¯ll be all right now?¡±

    Hans nodded his head at Snoc¡¯s question. ¡°Yeah, I think so.¡±

    ¡°Really, what are you guys talking about?!¡± Elena let out her irritation.

    Hans and Snoc were quietly whispering amongst themselves so that Elena couldn¡¯t hear them.

    ¡°It¡¯s nothing.¡± Snoc lightly tapped Nowem, who was on his shoulder, a few times.

    Nowem jumped off from his shoulder and then climbed up to Elena¡¯s knees. Elena¡¯s expression brightened up a bit. Since Snoc had left the cabin for a few days, Elena hadn¡¯t been able to practice her magic. Moreover, he also didn¡¯t let Elena borrow Nowem¡¯s mana. Since studying magic was her only source of joy while being locked up, Elena was extremely annoyed by this whole situation. However, now that she could study magic again, Elena felt a little less irritated.

    She hugged Nowem and stared at Snoc. ¡°Where did you go?¡±

    Unlike Hans who she briefly saw sometimes, Snoc was usually always by her side. However, a few days ago, both of them left the cabin, and they had left armored golems as their recements.

    ¡°We can¡¯t tell you.¡±

    Elena had expected this answer, but it didn¡¯t make his reply any less hurtful.

    ¡°Hmph!¡± Elena snorted to show her displeasure.

    When she was about to start practicing magic again, a golem suddenly appeared in front of her eyes. The golems had been ced in this cabin to keep her inside; even though they were annoying, Elena was curious about them as a mage.

    ¡°You said that teac¡­Ms. L made these, right?¡± Even though Snoc continuously told her that this imprisonment was for her benefit and she also knew that her situation was different from a normal hostage situation, Elena refrained from calling L her teacher anymore since L was also one of those who was responsible for her imprisonment.

    ¡°Yeah.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not a super high quality golem, but it¡¯s well-made. She must have put quite a lot of effort into them.¡±

    ¡°Really? Ms. L made them really quickly though?¡± Snoc replied while chewing a root nt from a can.

    However, unlike Snoc who was ignorant about matters like this, Elena became speechless.

    ¡°¡­She made them really quickly?¡± Regardless of whether L was a good or evil person, Elena had to admit that L really was a talented mage.

    Hans had been quietly listening to Snoc and Elena¡¯s conversation, and then he looked outside the window. He thought, ¡®Sir Zich said that if there¡¯s an ambush, it¡¯ll probably happen soon after wee back into the cabin.¡¯

    However, nothing happened today; this meant that Zich¡¯s second prediction had probably happened instead.

    ¡®I¡¯m sure this ce has been discovered today, but nothing will probably happen here for the rest of the day.¡¯

    Hans didn¡¯t have to send a signal to Zich anymore, because the action would probably start where Zich was. Hans set Estede to his side, crossed his hands, and leaned back while holding the back of his head. In this position, he watched Snoc and Elena bicker with each other.

 Chapter 262

    <h4>Chapter 262</h4>

    It was noisy inside Sunewick. Arge number of troops were stationed inside the city, and citizens watched on with anxious eyes. Many recent events left the citizens of Sunewick under considerable stress, and the city¡¯s troops'' suddenrge-scale movement increased their stress even more.

    Zich bought fruit from a stand and bit into it. Then, he stared at the troops dispersing across the city. From a distance away, he heard citizens conversing with one another.

    ¡°What¡¯s themotion about? Did a war break out or something?¡±

    ¡°They are revoking all this havoc to find the granddaughter of the master of the magical tower.¡±

    ¡°Granddaughter? I thought they were already looking for her.¡±

    ¡°There was no progress. So, they are probably deploying all the troops they can to search every nook and cranny of this city.¡±

    ¡°They are going to deploy the troops? What about all the soldiers who have been wandering around until now?¡±

    ¡°Like I said, they are literally mobilizing all forces. Even if this city is protected by magic, the city still needs military troops. Even when they were gathering troops before, they had left the basic troops to protect the city.¡±

    ¡°Wait! So, are they even mobilizing the soldiers who were protecting this city?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right. Soldiers are already spread out outside, and it seems like they are going to search all over the outside of the city too.¡±

    Zich took his attention off the two people¡¯s conversation and looked at the troops again. The many eyes that looked upon these troops didn¡¯t look pleased.

    The unclear reason for mobilizing these forces really was the same as the rumors said. Were they really mobilizing troops while knowing the anger they would incur from their citizens? At least in the meeting at the magical tower, they made their decision for the exact reason. Although many disagreed with him, Walwiss forcefully pushed his decision forward. The people at the meeting said that Walwiss¡¯ patience must have reached the limit while a few of them murmured that Walwiss had finally gone mad. However, Zich didn¡¯t think the same way.

    Flick!

    After finishing his fruit so that only the seeds were left, Zich threw it away carefully. He swiped his mouth, wiped the fruit juice left on his lips, and made a mysterious smile. An even greatermotion was awaiting this city.

    * * *

    Two dayster, Zich attended the meeting at the magical tower. It felt like a familiar way to work now. The soldiers flocking the city continued to stroll around the streets.

    ck!

    Like usual, he opened the door and went inside. There were many people gathered inside already¡ªit seemed like everyone had arrived besides Zich. However, it wasn¡¯t like Zich arrivedte. He usually was the type of person toe in the middle of the meeting.

    ¡°Everyone came early,¡± Zich greeted everyone with ease and sat in his designated seat.

    ¡°Although there¡¯s some time left before the start of the meeting, let¡¯s start early since everyone is already here,¡± Walwiss suggested, and everyone nodded one by one. It was a bit of a strange event. There were days when everyone came early, but they never started the meeting early then. Zich also agreed to Walwiss without anyints.

    ¡°The purpose of this meeting is to find my granddaughter, Elena Dwayne,¡± Walwiss spoke out of the blue. There was no one among the meeting¡¯s participants who didn¡¯t know the purpose of this meeting. However, no one raised any questions.

    ¡°However, it¡¯s no longer necessary for us to have these meetings,¡± Walwiss said as he stared piercingly at Zich. Everyone did the same, and their eyes all shot towards Zich.

    The atmosphere was strange, and Zich looked around his surroundings. He sensed their antagonistic stares and even bloodlust from a few of them.

    Zich smiled. He had kept his etiquette to some degree before, but now, his behavior was far from polite. He leaned his back against the back of his chair and crossed his legs. Anyone could see that he was acting rudely.

    ¡°It seems I have been found out.¡± As if he didn¡¯t care about the hostile gazes aiming at him, Zich spoke nonchntly. ¡°Yes, you are right. I¡¯m the one who kidnapped Elena.¡±

    Silence filled the room. People stared at Zich, stunned; they had been contacted before toe early to the meeting and heard that Zich was the culprit. They were all enraged that Elena¡¯s kidnapper attended their meetings and yed with them. With Walwiss¡¯ words, they nned to bring this arrogant criminal to justice. When they did, they expected Zich to deny their ims shamelessly, struggle, and try to escape¡ª not spit out his sins even without much interrogation and so calmly like this. It seemed like Walwiss was also displeased with Zich¡¯s response.

    ¡°Kidnap? What did you just say?¡± There was no more politeness in Walwiss¡¯ speech.

    ¡°Didn¡¯t you already know everything beforehand? Isn¡¯t that why you prepared this stage for me?¡±

    Zich nced towards the door.

    m!

    The door roughly opened, and soldiers poured in with their shining spears and sparkling hard armor. They surrounded Zich and lifted their spears. They pushed their sharp spears close to his neck, but Zich didn¡¯t even budge.

    ¡°It¡¯s easier for me if you admit to everything.¡± Walwiss got up with his cold eyes staring at Zich, ¡°Tell me everything you know if you want to lessen your pain even a little bit. I am going to drag out all yourpanions too. So, if you are thinking of getting some help from somewhere, stop dreaming.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I won¡¯t worry about something like that.¡±

    ¡°¡­Why are you so calm? Do you think you can run away in a situation like this!¡± Walwiss gritted his teeth while Zich kept the same attitude. There was no way for Zich to run away. Around him, there were Sunewick¡¯s greatest mages, including Walwiss himself; in addition, Sunewick¡¯s elite troops surrounded him.

    In regards to ability and numbers, Zich definitely couldn¡¯t fight them off by himself. However, Zich¡¯s attitude was very irritating.

    Walwiss nced at the soldiers; it was a signal to drag Zich away. The swords directed towards Zich inched even closer. If they moved a bit more, Zich¡¯s body would be pierced. While a couple of soldiers surrounded Zich like this, other soldiers approached him with chains. The chains were made with metals that were as rare as mithril, so they were much tougher than normal chains.

    Zich asked, ¡°Sir, let me just ask one thing.¡± His voice was still calm.

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°The group that was trying to kidnap Elena¡ªhave you looked into the robed figures?¡±

    ¡°¡­I haven¡¯t looked into them yet. After I lock you up in a damn cell, I¡¯ll think about it next.¡±

    ¡°Sir, those guys tried to kidnap Elena. I¡¯m sure of this, because I intercepted and stole Elena from them while they were trying to kidnap her.¡±

    ¡°I have no reason to believe your words, and even if you are right, I don¡¯t have any ns to listen to you right now.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not asking you to believe in me. I¡¯m just talking about our real enemy.¡±

    ¡°Real enemy?¡±

    ¡°Yes, our real enemy.¡±

    A few of the people surrounding Zich and Walwiss began to look perplexed. However, Walwiss¡¯ expression didn¡¯t change. ¡°If you have something to say, then tell meter. Soon, you¡¯ll have to tell me things you want to tell me and you don¡¯t want as well.¡±

    When Walwiss raised his hand, the soldiers put chains around Zich. The surrounding mages also raised their staffs; Walwiss did the same. In order to prepare for a situation where Zich did some kind of trick with an artifact, Walwiss had already gathered mana into his staff.

    ¡°I¡¯m warning you again, but don¡¯t do anything funny! This is not the only ce surrounded by soldiers.¡±

    ¡°Sir, I¡¯m aware. The soldiers are here, in the lodging where L is, and probably in the cabin outside the city where Hans and Snoc are. In order to hide this fact, didn¡¯t you noisily move the troops everywhere even while ignoring theints of the citizens in Sunewick?¡±

    Although Walwiss had been stone-faced so far, he changed his expression for the first time. ¡°¡­You are quick-witted.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m quite known for my wit. If I didn¡¯t have my wits, I wouldn¡¯t be able to properly do a job like kidnapping.¡±

    ¡°Even if you caught on to my ns, it¡¯s toote.¡±

    ¡°No, sir, it¡¯s not toote yet.¡± Zich made a big smile.

    No matter how much he thought about it, Walwiss didn¡¯t think there was a way for Zich to escape. However, Walwiss felt anxious about Zich¡¯s smile. ¡°Quick, tie him up!¡±

    The soldiers tying up Zich quickened their hand movements. However, it was all futile.

    Ziing!

    Mana began moving. Walwiss was sure that Zich had used an artifact.

    Walwiss shouted, ¡°Stop him!¡±

    Walwiss had already told the mages how to respond if Zich used an artifact. Since they were all experienced and highly skilled mages, they were quick to move. Even if Zich used invisibility magic like before or used an attack magic with his artifacts, the mages all knew how to respond ordingly. However, the magic that Zich used was not so simple.

    ¡°Let¡¯s see each otherter.¡± As soon as Zich finished saying this, his body disappeared. The chains fell to the ground.

    ¡°What the, is it invisibility magic?!¡±

    ¡°Stop him! First, surround him with your bodies!¡± The soldiers quickly ovepped their bodies so that no gaps appeared between one soldier to the next.

    ¡°Damn it, how was he able to untie the chains around him!¡±

    ¡°We have to first focus on preventing him from escaping! Just think about the reasonter on! Even if he used invisibility magic, he can¡¯t perfectly disappear from our sight! Find areas that are distorted!¡±

    ¡°No matter how high quality the invisibility artifact is, there are bound to be limitations. The mages shouted to each other and employed many different ways to find Zich. However, all the top mages¡¯ faces, including Walwiss¡¯, werepletely stiff.

    ¡°¡­It¡¯s useless.¡± Wayne stopped the people who were busily moving around.

    ¡°Sir, what do you mean that it¡¯s useless?¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s already gone.¡±

    ¡°What?¡± How was Zich able to escape this imprable siege?

    However, the esteemed Jaewick family head had spoken to them; they couldn¡¯t just ignore his words.

    The captain of the soldiers said, ¡°Sir, even if he somehow managed to escape, he¡¯s probably still nearby! I¡¯ll order the soldiers to immediately search for him!¡±

    However, Wayne replied with a slightly tense voice, ¡°I said it¡¯s useless! He¡¯s probably not near this ce anyways!¡±

    ¡°Sir, what do you mea¡­!¡±

    Wayne didn¡¯t bother giving an exnation to the captain and moved towards Walwiss. ¡°Sir, I think we underestimated his ability too much.¡±

    ¡°¡­No, that¡¯s not it. Who would have thought that he possessed such an item?¡± If their guess was correct, Zich possessed an item that even Walwiss would not dare to have. It was an item that an emperor of arge empire might possibly possess.

    Themander asked, ¡°Sir, what kind of situation is this!¡±

    Walwiss quietly replied, ¡°It seems like he used a teleportation artifact.¡±

    ¡°¡­What?¡±

    ¡°What!¡±

    ¡°No way!¡±

    While the captain was confused, all the mages let out cries of shock. An artifact that could do teleportation magic was so rare that it stunned all the magicians in the room. A magician at Walwiss¡¯ level could do teleportation magic, but putting teleportation into an artifact was apletely different matter.

    ¡°Then he¡¯s probably not around here.¡± Unlike the mages who were frozen in shock, the captain faithfully continued to do his job. ¡°If there are no other clues, I will send the troops to where hispanions are.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll also go with you.¡± When Walwiss began moving, the other mages also followed him.

    * * *

    Tap!

    Zichnded on his feet in L¡¯s room. L had already finished getting ready, and she was looking out the window. When Zich came into the window, she turned her head towards him.

    Zich said, ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±

 Chapter 263

    <h4>Chapter 263</h4>

    ¡°You came earlier than I expected.¡± L ced the staff she was holding down. A moment ago, she had been pointing the staff towards the window.

    ¡°Thanks for this.¡± Zich threw the transportation artifact at L.

    ¡°Were there many people?¡±

    ¡°Loads of them.¡±

    Zich stood next to L and stared outside the window. Armed troops crowded near their lodging; their weapons and armor reflected the sunlight and almost blinded them.

    ¡°Did you finish packing?¡±

    ¡°I finished packing yesterday.¡±

    ¡°You didn¡¯t miss anything, right?¡±

    ¡°Do you think I¡¯m a kid?¡±

    L gave him a pebble and looked inside the magic box. This meant that she had finished putting everything inside it.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go. We don¡¯t have any more reason to stay here. If we stay here any longer, some dangerous people might appear.¡±

    Dududu! It was noisy outside. The troops surrounding their lodging were beginning to move. They saw soldiers roughly smashing the lodging door open and entering it. They would soon enter the room that Zich and L were in. L lifted her staff. Mana flowed out of her body and circled around her and Zich. Then, she recited a spell and moved the mana.

    Whoosh!

    Zich and L were gone. Even their remaining scent dispersed and erased all traces of them.

    Crash!

    A momentter, the door hinges fell off and flew inward. Soldiers rushed in, but only an empty room weed them. They flipped the furniture and searched all over the room, but they couldn¡¯t find any traces of human beings. At the same time, another group of soldiers stormed into the hut where Hans and Snoc were. Likewise, what greeted them was an open tunnel in the corner of the room, and even that tunnel was blocked in the middle so no one could tell where they went. They had lost thest remaining members of Zich¡¯s crew. However, it wasn¡¯t like their search waspletely fruitless.

    ¡°Let the city know,¡± themander of the troops told his subordinates. ¡°...That we found Elena Dwayne.¡±

    * * *

    The one-sided mission to capture Zich and hispanions¡ªwhich they had pushed on despite the fears and difort their citizens felt¡ªhadpletely failed. Even if their opponents¡¯ skill-levels were higher than expected, it didn¡¯t change the fact that they had failed. Since the one who proposed this n was the master of the magical tower, it was obvious that he would be most affected by this incident.

    At the moment, Walwiss didn¡¯t care about his political position. He was only happy that his granddaughter hade back fine and healthy. No one bothered Walwiss right now even though he had many matters to solve.

    ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to join them, Mr. Dwayne?¡± one of the mages asked Ond. While Walwiss hugged and checked Elena to see if she was injured anywhere, Ond stood a couple feet away.

    ¡°I n to approach her after my father moves aside. I¡¯m sure they feel more touched about seeing each other again since they live together.¡±

    ¡°Is that so?¡± The mage thought Ond¡¯s words sounded reasonable and backed away after nodding.

    Ond maintained his position and continued to stare at Walwiss and Elena. Then, after a bit, he murmured softly while sighing, ¡°If only my father was like that to me¡­¡± It was a bitterment, and following that, he wondered, ¡°How can a person change so much?¡±

    In the end, he shook his head. ¡°He must have really changed. There¡¯s no way that¡¯s an act.¡±

    Then, Ond came forward. Since Walwiss and Elena¡¯s reunion seemed like it wasing to an end, he thought he should also step in. Although his murmurings had been quiet, there was always a chance that they could be heard by someone else since they came out of his mouth. This time, the person who heard him was the one who had been standing closest to him: Wayne.

    Wayne stared at Ond¡¯s back strangely. Then, he turned to Walwiss, and as if he thought of something, he smiled slightly and nodded. However, Wayne didn¡¯t notice that Ond was wearing a simr smile as him as he passed by.

    * * *

    It was an incredibly joyful event that Elena was back. But they couldn¡¯t celebrate forever, and Walwiss asked Elena what happened while she was captured. He thought it was time to clean up the mess. After listening to Elena¡¯s story, Walwiss felt relieved. To his surprise, it seemed like she hadn¡¯t gone through a rough experience, but the more he listened to her story, the more questions he had.

    Her kidnappers hadn¡¯t requested her to do much. Except not going outside, they ced no restrictions on her behavior. On the contrary, they actually helped her continue her magic studies. Thanks to that, Elena sounded like she had no antagonistic feelings towards her kidnappers. Since Elena showed this kind of response, Walwiss also pressed down some of the hostile feelings he felt towards Zich and hispanions. But that was all; it still didn¡¯t change that Zich kidnapped Elena and made fools out of them, and they had to continue their search.

    While he was thinking this, Walwis heard some shocking news from Elena.

    ¡°He is the Karuwiman¡¯s Honorary Knight?¡± Everyone else, including Walwiss, was incredibly shocked. Karuwiman was a powerful force that could bring about such a reaction. Furthermore, they weren¡¯t the type of people who gave the title of Honorary Knight to just anyone. But then, how could the Karuwiman¡¯s Honorary Knight be a kidnapper?

    Walwiss asked hastily, ¡°Is that true?¡±

    ¡°Do you perhaps remember what it looks like?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡± Elena drew the brooch she saw on a piece of paper. Since she wasn¡¯t skilled at drawing, she was unable to draw the brooch in detail, but if someone knew what the original brooch looked like, they would instantly be able to recognize it.

    ¡°¡­Are you sure that¡¯s how it looked?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡± Since Elena was also shocked and kept looking at it, she was able to confidently nod at Walwiss¡¯ question.

    Walwiss let out a sigh. It wasn¡¯t a sigh that people made when they were worried about something; it was a sigh of relief.

    The magician who looked at the picture with Walwissughed. ¡°It¡¯s a fake. Of course, how could a kidnapper be a Karuwiman Honorary Knight?¡±

    ¡°What? It¡¯s a fake?¡± Elena blinked her eyes. Walwiss moved Elena¡¯s picture and then nodded his head.

    ¡°The Karuwiman Honorary Knight brooch doesn¡¯t look like this. I saw it before, so I¡¯m sure of it.¡±

    Elena opened her eyes wide; she felt betrayed by Snoc who showed it to her with pride. However, everyone except for Elena was greatly relieved.

    ¡°Yes, of course. I heard that bing a Karuwiman Honorary Knight is harder than bing an official knight. There¡¯s no way a real Karuwiman Honorary Knight would do a wicked act like kidnapping.¡±

    ¡°Since Ms. Dwayne is still yet inexperienced, it seems like they made up a lie like this to keep her quiet.¡±

    ¡°Fortunately, it doesn¡¯t seem like they Ms. Dwayne was ill-treated, but I¡¯m sure they kidnapped her with bad intentions. We must capture them and make them confess their crimes!¡±

    People began sharing their thoughts out loud. Elena looked at her picture that had dropped on the ground. Did Zich and hispanions really deceive her so thoroughly with bad intentions? Her heart grew heavy.

    * * *

    When a few days passed after Elena was safely rescued, Ond returned back to his house. Arge investigation didn¡¯t happen again after Elena was rescued, but the culprits haven¡¯t been caught yet, so the situation hadn¡¯t returned back to normal yet. Ond, as Elena¡¯s father, continued to help Walwiss look for Zich and hispanions. Ond felt very fatigued as he went to his room. Like usual, he took off his robe and put his staff down. Then he lit up a candle.

    Flinch!

    When he turned around, he stopped. Someone was sitting on his chair. It was surprising that someone had infiltrated into his room, but it was even more surprising that it was someone he knew. It was the person they were desperately looking for right now.

    ¡°Zich.¡± Ond uttered his name.

    Zich smiled brightly and got up. ¡°Sir, have you been well?¡±

    ¡°Because of you and yourpanions, I haven¡¯t been well.¡± And while saying this, Ond took a step back. He nced at his staff and calcted whether or not he should perform magic with his bare hands or take some time to grab his staff.

    However, Zich spread his hands out as if to show that he had no intentions to fight. ¡°Sir, I came here to talk. I have no intentions to fight you.¡±

    ¡°Do you think I¡¯ll believe an intruder who secretly came into my house and kidnapped my daughter?¡±

    ¡°Sir, haven¡¯t you heard from Elena? I¡¯m a Karuwiman Honorary Knight.¡±

    Ond snorted. ¡°Yeah, I heard it. And I also heard that you showed her a cheap knock-off that was probably made in a random factory and passed it off as a Karuwiman Honorary Knight brooch.¡±

    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s true. Because the one I showed to Elena was fake.¡± Zich threw something towards Ond.

    Ond instinctively caught it and flinched. He wasn¡¯t sure if the item in his hands would harm him, so he quickly threw it on the ground. Fortunately, it didn¡¯t seem like some kind of dangerous object. The item hit the ground and made a sharp sound. Then, he carefully scanned the item on the ground.

    ¡°This is¡­!¡± Ond was startled. He lifted it back up and carefully scanned it with the candlelight in his room.

    ¡°That¡¯s definitely a genuine article. Sir, what do you think?¡±

    ¡°¡­It looks the same.¡± It was clearly the brooch the Karuwimans gave to their Honorary Knights.

    ¡°If you¡¯ve made sure of my identity, would you be able to return it to me?¡±

    Ond threw back the brooch towards Zich. ¡°How did you obtain it? They don¡¯t give that to people easily.¡±

    ¡°I crushed down what the Karuwimans hate the most.¡±

    ¡°¡­You must have caused some serious damage against the Bellids.¡± If this was true, Zich would have been more than qualified to receive a Karuwiman Honorary Knight broach. Of course, the amount of damage he needed to inflict on them needed to go way above the normal standards.

    ¡°But I can¡¯t trust you with just that. It can be a fake.¡±

    ¡°Of course, I¡¯m not asking you to trust me with just this. Sir, but isn¡¯t this enough for us to have a conversation?¡±

    Ond looked at Zich with suspicion. However, after pondering about this for a bit, he nodded. ¡°Fine. But, I will go and grab my staff. And let¡¯s continue to maintain this amount of distance. It won¡¯t hinder our conversation anyways.¡±

    ¡°Yes, if that¡¯s what you want.¡±

    Ond moved his eyes away from Zich and grabbed his staff. When he felt the hard surface of his staff, he felt his heart calm down again. His mind seemed to also work better. With moreposure than before, Ond said, ¡°Then why don¡¯t you talk? For what reason did youe looking for me?¡±

    ¡°I came to ask you for help.¡±

    ¡°Help?¡±

    ¡°Yes. Sir, you must be aware of how on the day Elena was kidnapped, corpses of robed figures appeared outside of the city.¡±

    ¡°Yes. They were the guys who kidnapped Elena.¡± After kidnapping Elena, the robed figures took Elena out of the city, and then, Snoc and Hans killed all the robed figures and re-kidnapped Elena. This was all information that he had heard directly from Elena.

    ¡°The robed figures are the group of people that I¡¯m chasing after. They are an extremely wicked and evil organization.¡±

    ¡°Really?¡±

    ¡°Sir, I¡¯m sincerely sorry about kidnapping Elena, but it was all done to protect her. She¡¯s not safe even after we killed all the robed figures. Those guys always have a local coborator. While Elena was under my protection, I went around to find the coborator in Sunewick.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know who the enemy is, but you should have at least told that to me or my father!¡±

    Ond strongly spoke up, and Zich calmly continued, ¡°If I¡¯m being honest, I was suspicious of Elena¡¯s grandfather, Walwiss Dwayne, and even you, her father.¡±

    ¡°What!¡±

    ¡°And after careful investigation, I was finally able to identify the culprit.¡±

    Ond¡¯s hands began twitching.

    Zich looked at him and said, ¡°I¡¯m sure that the coborator is Elena¡¯s grandfather, Walwiss Dwayne.¡±

 Chapter 264

    <h4>Chapter 264</h4>

    When Zich mentioned the robed figures, Ond tensed up even as he pretended to be calm. His hands twitched; if Zich said that he was suspicious of him, he was prepared to attack immediately. The only reason why he restrained himself was because of the worry that Zich might actually be Karuwiman¡¯s Honorary Knight.

    To his relief, Zich stated his belief that he thought Walwiss was the culprit. When he heard that, Ond wanted to raise both his hands and cheer, and he barely managed to restrain himself. He forcefully stiffened the muscles on his face and expressed feelings of seriousness and rage. Then, he said, ¡°What did you say my father did?¡±

    ¡°I said I think your father is the robed figures¡¯ coborator.¡±

    Whoosh! Ond pointed his staff at Zich. A tiny bit of mana permeated out of his staff, but all this was nothing more than an act.

    ¡°Be careful of your words! My father is the master of the magical tower!¡±

    ¡°That fact doesn¡¯t prove that he isn¡¯t the coborator.¡±

    ¡°You bastard¡ª!¡± Ond pushed his staff further, but he didn¡¯t use magic. Then, he hoped that Zich would continue.

    ¡°It¡¯s not only Walwiss Dwayne. Although he didn¡¯t make direct contact with the robed figures, it seems like he¡¯s influencing Wayne Jaewick. Besides them, other elite families in the magical tower seem suspicious.¡±

    At this point, Ond began to feel a bit threatened. Zich¡¯s guesses were quite on point¡ªof course, even when he had pointed out thepletely wrong culprit. Ond bit his lips hard. He acted like he couldn¡¯t contain his rage and his cheeks trembled. Zich was impressed. Although he wasn¡¯t on par with his level, Ond¡¯s acting skills were also quite impressive.

    ¡°Okay, why don¡¯t you say everything you want to say? I will hear you out to see how much nonsense you can say!¡±

    ¡°Thank you. Then, let me begin.¡± Zich closed his mouth as if he was trying to organize his words. It didn¡¯t take long, and Zich opened his mouth again to speak. ¡°The first time I felt things were strange was when Mawin Jaewick tried to kill us by employing mercenaries and ambushing us. I saw traces of those robed figures at that time.¡±

    ¡°What traces are you talking about?¡±

    ¡°Those guys have a special skill they use often. It¡¯s mixed into their movements¡ªit¡¯s not something mages would do or notice.¡±

    ¡®So, don¡¯t doubt my words. It doesn¡¯t rte to you at least,¡¯ Zich thought. Like he expected, Ond, who had been tensing up in worry if he had those traces, rxed after he heard Zich¡¯s words.

    ¡®There was something like that?¡¯ Ond wondered for a moment. However, since he knew that the robed figures had considerable influence in Mawin¡¯s decision to employ mercenaries, Zich¡¯s words sounded convincing.

    ¡°Let¡¯s continue. That¡¯s why I interrogated him a bit strongly. If I didn¡¯t see traces of the robed figures, I probably wouldn¡¯t have gone that far.¡±

    ¡°What did you find out?¡±

    ¡°I found out that Mawin Jaewick received help from some mysterious ¡®friends¡¯.¡±

    ¡°I supposed these friends were the robed figures.¡±

    ¡°I thought so too. That¡¯s why I began to investigate. Of course, the Jaewick family immediately imprisoned me, but I ordered my servants to secretly protect Elena. I thought there was a high chance that those guys would target Elena.¡±

    ¡°So, are you saying that you saved Elena from those kidnappers?¡±

    ¡°Yes. I¡¯m sorry that I didn¡¯t return Elena right away, but I wanted to provoke the people who attempted to kidnap her. I knew they would be really shocked about what happened and take action.¡±

    ¡°Is that why you pretended to help to search for Elena when you kidnapped her? To monitor your opponents¡¯ movements?¡±

    ¡°Yes. Ah, I¡¯m also the one who sent the ckmail letter to the meeting in hopes of getting a reaction from the robed figures.¡±

    ¡°How bold.¡± Ond had been considerably interested in the letter, and he secretly wiped off his sweat. Although he thought the kidnapper had addressed the letter to him, he had no idea the sender of the letter was studying everyone while standing right next to him.

    ¡°The first one I suspected was Wayne Jaewick. Not only did he have a personal grudge against Elena, but he also wanted to push off the matter of the robed figurester. But I wasn¡¯t sure. The situation seemed to be heading towards the direction where the Dwayne and Jaewick families were ced against one another. However, that could also be the enemy¡¯s intention.¡±

    Ond nodded, but internally, he was shocked. Zich had seen through his n perfectly.

    ¡°When I trespassed into the Jaewicks¡¯ mansion, I saw a strange sight. I saw you and your father talking to Wayne Jaewick.¡±

    ¡°How is that a strange sight?¡±

    ¡°To be specific, I felt like Walwiss Dwayne was trying to test Wayne Jaewick.¡±

    Ond knew what Zich meant. He had been trying to trick Wayne into thinking he was Walwiss and witnessed Wayne trying to expose his father.

    ¡°So, I thought the Dwayne family could be involved in this conspiracy; it exins how Elena was kidnapped in her mansion so easily too.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not me though.¡±

    ¡°I know.¡± Zich looked at Ond with trusting eyes. If L had seen those eyes, she would have shuddered and turned her head away.

    ¡°That means the only suspect left is your father, but that also leaves us one question. Why would he want to sh with his family¡¯s partner, the Jaewicks? I could guess by his behavior. When there was a conflict between the Dwayne and Jaewick family, your father took the neutral position even if he was the head of the Dwayne family by using his position as the head of the magical tower as the reason.¡±

    ¡°However, that kind of demeanor is expected of the master of the magical tower.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s true. But what if your father is pretending to be neutral so that he could sway the public into thinking that he is unrted to the sh between the Dwaynes and the Jaewicks?¡±

    ¡°¡­What are you trying to say?¡±

    ¡°In short, the sh between the two families will exclude your father¡ªit will be a sh between only the Jaewicks and you and your daughter. And your father¡¯s main target might be you and your daughter.¡±

    ¡°What nonsense!¡± Ond said roughly. On the inside, he wanted to smile until his lips ripped apart. It was because Zich had perfectly uncovered the scenario he hade up with.

    However, his mouth moved differently from his thoughts. ¡°Father is forming a conspiracy against Elena and me? No matter how bad my rtionship with my father looks like to you, my father would never do something like that!¡±

    ¡°Sir, if you don¡¯t believe me, you and Elena would y right into his hands.¡± Zich continued to calmly make his points.

    ¡°Where¡¯s the evidence? You must have some solid evidence to make such oundish usations!¡±

    ¡°I have evidence, but I can¡¯t reveal it to you.¡± Of course, Zich didn¡¯t have evidence.

    ¡°Then do you think I¡¯ll believe such ridiculous words?!¡±

    ¡°However, I can predict what will happen in the future. Would you be able to consider that as evidence?¡±

    ¡°¡­You¡¯re able to predict what¡¯ll happen in the future?¡±

    ¡°With the evidence I have, I can make clear predictions on what¡¯s going to happen soon. Thus, if the future goes ording to what I predicted, I think this is sufficient evidence for me to gain your trust, sir.¡±

    Ond''s eyelids twitched. Since he didn¡¯t refuse right away, it seemed as if he was deeply contemting what he should do.

    ¡®What the hell are you contemting about, you idiot!¡¯ Even though Zich was making a serious face, he was booing Ond inside his mind. ¡®Don¡¯t rack your head and just bite the bait. In the first ce, most of your n went awry when all the robed figures got annihted. A super amazing person with a background as a Karuwiman Honorary Knight is trying to be on your side. With me, don¡¯t you think some of your great ns can be salvaged?¡¯

    Zich thought that Ond¡¯s main goal was to frame Walwiss, kick him out of the magical tower, and be the next master. If Ond really had such a conspiracy, then Zich¡¯s offer of cooperation would be much too sweet for him to refuse.

    ¡°¡­Fine. Because of that fake or real Karuwiman Honorary Knight brooch, I¡¯ll listen to you just this once.¡±

    ¡°Thank you very much.¡± Zich bowed his head.

    Ond put down his staff. ¡°Then what is going to happen in the future?¡±

    Zich exined to Ond his predictions, and Ond nodded.

    ¡°Go ande back after a few days. I¡¯ll decide to trust you or not on that day.¡±

    ¡°Yes, I understand.¡± Zich put his feet on the windowsill; Ond thought Zich probably also came inside his mansion through that window.

    ¡°Let me just ask one thing.¡±

    ¡°Sir, what is it?¡± Zich turned his head back.

    ¡°Why did you show Elena a fake brooch?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s because of the robed figures. The rtionship between the robed figures and the Karuwimans is extremely bad. There was a possibility that the robed figure¡¯s coborator also knew this, so I hid my connection to the Karuwimans. I didn¡¯t need to let them know that a Karuwiman Honorary Knight was chasing after them.¡±

    Of course, this was also not true. Zich had hidden his identity to create a situation where he could best stab Ond in the back. Zich turned his head back and stared out the window. ¡°Sir, a weapon works best when it suddenly appears or when the target is least expecting it.¡±

    Then, Zich jumped out of the window. Ond quietly watched Zich as he became a ck shadow and disappeared from his sight.

    Tap! He shut the door. He quietly let out a cheer because he was unable to contain his happiness to himself. ¡°Yes!¡±

    A far more useful guy than those dead, robed figures was now in his hands. ¡®I can¡¯t believe he really was a Karuwiman Honorary Knight!¡¯ If Ond received help from Zich, whopletely believed Walwiss was the culprit, his n would be much easier to aplish.

    ¡®It¡¯s not time for me to be like this!¡¯ Ond began moving to carry out his n.

    * * *

    Zich returned to their new shelter. Snoc had dug a hole in the ground in a nearby mountain, and due to Nowem¡¯s power, it was veryfortable and warm. After greeting hispanions, he went back to his room(?) andy on his mat. Then, he began snickering.

    ¡®You¡¯re going to suffer like crazy, Ond Dwayne.¡¯

    Zich hadn¡¯t said much to Ond about what he predicted in the future. He hadn¡¯t even made predictions about what would happen soon, and he didn¡¯t really think that his words woulde true¡ª

    ¡®If I hadn¡¯t told them to Ond.¡¯

    If Zich¡¯s n worked, Ond would have to work hard to make Zich¡¯s ¡®predictions¡¯ a reality. He would have to do this so he could get a reason to trust Zich and gain a Karuwiman Honorary Knight as his ally. Moreover, Ond could also avoid Zich¡¯s suspicion as the main culprit. Thus, in the future, Ond would work hard to gain Zich¡¯s trust and not the other way around.

    ¡®And while this happens, I¡¯ll just get more information out of him and control the situation.¡¯

    If Zich¡¯s n was sessful, Ond would be his perfect puppet.

    * * *

    After a few more days passed, Zich secretly went into Ond¡¯s room again. This time, Ond was waiting for him.

    ¡°I went to the Karuwiman shrine and asked about you.¡±

    ¡°What did they say?¡±

    ¡°They verified that you were a Karuwiman Honorary Knight.¡±

    ¡°Sir, with this, your trust in me has probably increased.¡± Zich had already sent a request to a nearby Karuwiman shrine in this city. He asked the priests there to deny that he was a Karuwiman Honorary Knight to everyone except Ond. The highest-ranking priest easily nodded and epted a request from a Karuwiman Honorary Knight.

    ¡°Well, I definitely do have more trust in you than before.¡±

    ¡°Sir, then what about my predictions?¡±

    ¡°They were urate,¡± Ond replied with a very serious voice. ¡°Several families in the magical tower have begun to challenge my father¡¯s authority.¡±

    ¡°Sir, that¡¯s what I said. Haven¡¯t I told you that all the families rted to the robed figures will definitely start challenging the head?¡±

    ¡°But why would they oppose my father¡¯s authority? Weren¡¯t they on the same side?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s definitely part of their n. Anyways, will you keep the promise that you¡¯ll cooperate with me?¡±

    ¡°Even though I don¡¯t perfectly believe in you yet, I guess I have no choice but to believe in you since the situation turned out like this.¡± Ond let out a sigh. ¡°I believe you.¡±

    ¡°Sir, you made a very good choice.¡± Zich¡¯s entire face seemed to smile as he nodded. Then he wondered, ¡®Hmm, what kind of prediction should I make now?¡¯ Regardless of what predictions he made, if they brought harm to Walwiss, Ond would probably aplish most of them. He would do this to further his n and build Zich¡¯s trust at the same time.

    ¡®Heh! It feels like I¡¯ve got a genie who grants my wishes.¡¯ Zich snickered inside his mind while looking at Ond who had a distraught and troubled expression.

 Chapter 265

    <h4>Chapter 265</h4>

    Although Walwiss was d that Elena was safe and fine, he was now stuck in a difficult situation. He had mobilized too many of the city¡¯s troops to save his granddaughter. Of course, the main reason why he had brought up all that fuss to gather troops was to capture Zich and hispanions rather than to save Elena; but since they had failed to aplish their first goal, they couldn¡¯t prevent their reputation from getting tarnished.

    As expected of Sunewick¡ªthe city of the magical tower¡ªthe highest authoritative figure was the master of the magical tower, Walwiss. However, like other cities, Sunewick also had mayors and other bureaucrats, and Walwiss couldn¡¯t just ignore them either. Since he went overboard in this incident, there was now friction between him and them.

    Walwiss didn¡¯t regret his decision. If he encountered the same situation, he thought he would do the same thing again. Yet, it didn¡¯t change the fact that he now had many troublesome problems to deal with. Moreover, on top of this difficult situation, some mages were protesting against Walwiss. They weren¡¯t just ordinary mages, but all from elite families and members of the highest meetings in the magical tower.

    Of course, it wasn¡¯t like they were leading a coup d¡¯¨¦tat. They had simply requested Walwiss to step down from his current position. During normal times, he would have simply been able to ignore their requests, but now, with his weakened political position, Walwiss took considerable damage from them. Walwiss was the master of the magical tower because he was the most talented mage, but that didn¡¯t mean he was guaranteed a life-term position. Since the mages in the tower had gathered for the benefit of the tower, if the master brought some great harm, they were sometimes chased away from their position.

    The people asking Walwiss to step down argued that Walwiss¡¯ actions had seriously damaged the magical tower¡¯s reputation and rtionship with the city. Thus, the mages in the magical tower were split into tworge fractions.

    Overall, the general public opinion was that regardless of what Walwiss did, it was not enough for him to step down and get expelled from the magical tower; however, he should take responsibility for his actions. Normally, these kinds ofints would quietly simmer down and disappear, but those who challenged Walwiss¡¯ authority were from elite families and brought it to the public light.

    ¡°And that¡¯s what the situation of the magical tower is like.¡± Since they were coborators now (at least on the outside), Ond exined the current situation of the magical tower to Zich in great detail.

    Zich fervently listened to Ond¡¯s words as if he believed that Ond would return the same attitude and courtesy. However, both of them had no intentions to join hands and walk the same path together; they just wanted to use each other.

    ¡°However, regardless of how bad the situation is in the magical tower, my father¡¯s influence and power is still substantially high. It would be hard for an outside force to attack him.¡± While saying this, Ond stole a nce at Zich.

    Ond thought that the main reason why Zich had asked for his help despite Zich¡¯s status as the Karuwiman Honorary Knight was because of Walwiss¡¯ powerful status as the master of the magical tower. Therefore, if Zich judged Walwiss¡¯ influence and authority to have plummeted low enough, Zich could start moving independently and think that he no longer needed Ond.

    Ond needed to absolutely prevent that from happening. ¡®Of course, he also knows that I have a connection with the other elite families in the magical tower, so he won¡¯t be able to break our cooperation so easily.¡¯

    ¡°Yes, you¡¯re right.¡± Zich agreed to Ond¡¯s words. ¡°Sir, you¡¯re able to assess the situation very well. I chose to cooperate with you because you are one of the top mages in the magical tower despite your young age, and you are knowledgeable about Walwiss Dwayne. Yet, I really did not make a mistake in choosing you. It¡¯s really fortunate that we¡¯re working together.¡±

    Afterplimenting Ond, Zich¡¯s expression turned serious again. ¡°Sir, as you said, we can¡¯t move hastily. Moreover, the situation right now is strange.¡±

    ¡°Strange? What do you mean?¡±

    ¡°Sir, you told me that out of the top mages, there were a total of three people, including Wayne Jaewick who turned against Walwiss, right?¡±

    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s strange because from my resources, there should be more than three people. But you¡¯re saying that only three stepped forward.¡±

    ¡°¡­Is that so?¡±

    ¡°Yes. Do you think that perhaps, our enemies are hiding their numbers?¡±

    ¡°Yes, that is a possible exnation.¡±

    Even though Ond replied nonchntly, he was taken aback. Honestly, there were a few more families that Ond could influence to turn against Walwiss. Like Zich said though, he didn¡¯t use them this time in case something happened.

    ¡°As I expected.¡±

    Ond felt relieved that Zich let this slip by. However, he was shocked by what Zich murmured to himself next.

    ¡°Is my evidence wrong? If it is, I might have to go back to the very beginning and investigate it all over again¡­¡±

    If Zich decided to start his investigation from the beginning, he would no longer be Ond¡¯s ally and he¡¯d start looking for new culprits.

    ¡®Then I¡¯ll be one of his suspects again.¡¯ Zich had told him that Ond had been a strong suspect before he became convinced that Walwiss was the culprit. If it was the past, Ond would have just snorted if Zich told him he was a suspect, but the situation was different now.

    ¡®I don¡¯t want to have a negative rtionship with the Karuwimans.¡¯

    If Zich suspected him as the culprit, all the benefits from this cooperation would cease, and he¡¯d be exchanging positions with Walwiss.

    ¡®Damn it, I guess it can¡¯t be helped. I need to bring the other guys in.¡¯ Ond didn¡¯t know how many coborators Zich knew. He sneakily tried to ask Zich about it, but Zich shook his head and said he couldn¡¯t reveal that information.

    ¡®If the people who turn against Walwiss are less than what he knows about, he might be suspicious of his evidence and re-investigate this whole matter.¡¯

    Thus, it didn¡¯t matter if more people turned against Walwiss than what Zich¡¯s resources told him, but if fewer people turned against Walwiss than what Zich knew about, the situation would turn out unfavorably for Ond. However, Ond didn¡¯t know how much information Zich had.

    ¡®I guess it can¡¯t be helped. I need to make all my coborators turn against Walwiss.¡¯

    Even though this would make the situation even more dangerous, Ond was unable to let Zich go. The robed figures were all killed, and Zich would be critical for driving out Walwiss. Moreover, he couldn¡¯t let Zich be suspicious of him.

    While watching Ond rack his brain, Zich watched him with clear satisfaction. ¡®Yep. Mobilize all your coborators. Bring out all the cards you have.¡¯ Zich could roughly estimate the number of coborators Ond had by the people who turned against Walwiss, but Zich was sure that there were more people behind the scenes.

    ¡®A guy like you won¡¯t reveal all the cards in your deck from the very beginning.¡¯

    However, Ond now had no choice but to reveal all his coborators. Zich thought, ¡®Well, why don¡¯t you start moving, my friend? How can you aplish your ruined n if not for me? Don¡¯t you have to earn my trust? Why don¡¯t you work hard so that I won¡¯t get suspicious of my evidence and start re-investigating?¡¯

    Zich let Ond think for a very long time, and then finally said, ¡°Then, should we end the meeting for today? Let¡¯s wait a few more days. More coborators might show their faces.¡±

    ¡°¡­I got it.¡± Even though he wanted to grimace, Ond couldn¡¯t do that in front of Zich. He pretended to be calm.

    ¡°Ah, by the way, do you know the reason why your father is targeting you and Elena?¡±

    ¡°¡­It¡¯s not certain that my father is trying to harm us.¡±

    ¡°Sir, I understand your feelings, but I need to get as many clues as possible. It would be okay even if it¡¯s just a spection,¡± Zich asked with a serious expression. On the inside, however, he was thinking, ¡®Yeah, just tell me your made-up excuse about why Walwiss is targeting you and Elena.¡¯

    ¡°¡­If I have to think about a reason¡­¡± Ond hesitantly answered, ¡°I think it might be because he¡¯s embarrassed about me and Elena.¡±

    ¡°Embarrassed?¡±

    Ond asked, ¡°What image do you have of my father?¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s extremely fearsome as a mage. I don¡¯t know what he is like as the head of the magical tower, but he has an image of a grandpa who loves and cares for his granddaughter Elena.¡±

    ¡°Is that so?¡± There was a slight bitterness in Ond¡¯s voice.

    ¡®Is this¡­not an act?¡¯ Zich tilted his head because Ond¡¯s expression looked very real. Zich judged that even if Ond was still acting, there was some truth mixed in with his words.

    ¡°When my father was younger, his personality was not like this at all. He was an extremely cold person who determined a person''s worth based on their magical achievement. In a way, his personality was simr to Wayne Jaewick¡¯s.¡±

    Zich thought this was quite surprising information.

    ¡°Even though my father loves and cares for Elena, who can¡¯t use magic, and tries hard to provide a happy future for her, he wasn¡¯t like that when I was young. My magical abilities were not as low as Elena¡¯s, but they were extremely weak when I was young. My father considered me an embarrassment to him.¡±

    ¡°¡­If I consider how he acts right now, I can¡¯t imagine him to be like that at all.¡±

    ¡°Ipletely understand. I also didn¡¯t think that my father could change this much.¡± Ond let out a sigh. ¡°These are all famous stories. If you ask anyone who is a bit older, anyone can tell you this much. When I was young, I really hated my father, and this was the main reason why I changed my school of magic. It¡¯s also the reason why my rtionship with my father is still strained.¡±

    ¡°I wasn¡¯t aware of this at all.¡±

    ¡°If my father is really the mastermind and we are his targets, that¡¯s probably the biggest reason. Even though his outside appearance has changed, he might still be the same person on the inside.¡±

    ¡°Sir, even though it must have been very difficult for you, thank you for telling me this.¡±

    ¡°As I told you before, it¡¯s a famous story in this city. Moreover, I also believe that my father is not the real mastermind yet. Because no matter how bad our rtionship was in the past, he¡¯s still my father.¡±

    ¡°Sir, I sincerely also wish for that to be true.¡±

    ¡°Thank you.¡±

    ¡®I guess that¡¯s his justification.¡¯ Even though Zich didn¡¯t think this story was Ond¡¯s entire justification, it might be one of the main reasons why Ond wanted to destroy Walwiss¡¯ life.

    ¡®Since he narrated his story so confidently, I don¡¯t think he¡¯s lying. And that old guy wasn¡¯t so great when he was young either.¡¯

    Zich had felt a great distance between the Demon Lord of Magic he knew in the past and the present-day Walwiss Dwayne, but it seemed as if a deep connection between them had existed in the past.

    ¡°Then I¡¯ll be leaving. Before that though¡­¡± Zich rummaged through his pockets and took out a piece of paper. ¡°Sir, would you be able to analyze this for me?¡±

    ¡°What is it?¡± Ond opened up the piece of paper. Mysterious letters or pictures were written on it. They were not letters that were normally used bymon folk. However, Ond was shocked because he was very familiar with the mysterious letters.

    ¡®This is the code I sent.¡¯ This was definitely the code he used when hemunicated with the robed organization, Wayne Jaewick, or other coborators. However, this was in Zich¡¯s hand.

    Zich said, ¡°When I infiltrated Jaewick¡¯s mansion recently, I found this by coincidence. It seems like some kind of code. Would you be able to solve it?¡±

    ¡°This is¡­very interesting.¡± Ond scanned the piece of paper as if he was admiring it. However, contrary to his rxed movements, his brain was quickly moving. He now knew how Zich had obtained this piece of paper. Judging by Zich¡¯s words, it seemed as if Zich was unable to solve this code so far. Moreover, even if Zich managed to solve this code, there was no way for it to be traced back to him. Thus, even if Zich had this piece of paper on him, it posed no danger.

    Therefore, Ond was contemting whether or not he should feign ignorance or help Zich solve this code; he wondered which direction would be more favorable for him.

    ¡°If we solve this code and find out our opponent¡¯s n, it might be significantly easier for us to reveal our opponent¡¯s identity.¡±

    An idea popped up into Ond¡¯s mind. ¡®Wouldn¡¯t I be able to control this guy with my coded messages?¡¯ In the first ce, Ond was the one sending out orders with these codes. If he sent a message using this code to one of his coborators and Zich stole it, then he could pretend to decode the message. If he pretended to give advice while making the situation more favorable for him¡­

    ¡°I¡¯ll try my best.¡±

    ¡°Thank you, sir.¡± Zich bowed, but his heart was far from gratuitous. ¡®Yep. Since L seems to be having a hard time solving this, just give me some clues.¡¯

    These codes were letters that belonged to an ancient empire that would help Zich and L learn about the Clowon Empire. There was no way Zich would ignore someone who knew about these letters. If someone who didn¡¯t know what was happening heard Zich and Ond¡¯s conversation, they would have been astounded by this ridiculous y.

 Chapter 266

    <h4>Chapter 266</h4>

    Walwiss thought themotion inside the magical tower would settle down, but on the contrary, it grew worse as time passed by. The number of people arguing for him to step down from his position increased. One of them was an attendee at the tower¡¯s most critical meetings while others were skilled mages who came from lesser but still elite families. The magical tower was nowpletely divided into two fractions. There were still many people who supported Walwiss, but the size of their opposing force wasn¡¯t negligible.

    As the opposing force grew bigger, attacks against Walwiss grew stronger and harsher. Even the meetings intended to resolve the confusion were filled with shouting.

    ¡°That¡¯s the current situation,¡± Ond said to Zich. The wrinkles on his forehead indicated that he was also suffering.

    As he listened, Zich¡¯s expression also didn¡¯t look pleased. ¡°It¡¯s strange. Even if they are the ones who brought this conspiracy upon themselves, the attacks made against the master of the magical tower have gone overboard. At this point, it doesn¡¯t seem like they have anything to gain.¡±

    ¡®That¡¯s what I¡¯m saying!¡¯ Ond shouted inside his mind. Currently, he wanted to grab Zich¡¯s cors and shake him.

    Ond was the one who created the current situation, but he had also simply followed Zich¡¯s advice¡ªhe believed Zich¡¯s words that the future would change ording to Zich¡¯s evidence.

    ¡®What kind of evidence is that, damn it!¡± At this point, Ond was dying to know what ¡®this evidence¡¯ was. If it wasn¡¯t for the deaths of his coborators¡ª the robed figures and Zich¡¯s title as a Karuwiman Honorary Knight, Ond would have abandoned this n altogether long ago. Yet, Ond couldn¡¯t sever his connection with Zich.

    He saw Zich lost in deep thought. As Zich¡¯s lips twitched, Ond ground his teeth as if he was swallowing back the curses rising from his throat. Zich didn¡¯t say it out loud, but his mouth shape was mentioning ¡®the evidence¡¯ again.

    ¡®I don¡¯t know what it is, but I can¡¯t let him doubt his evidence.¡¯

    ¡°Perhaps¡­¡± Ond started to speak, and Zich stared at him.

    ¡°Do you know what their intentions are?¡± Zich asked.

    ¡°I have my guesses.¡± Ond racked through his head toe up with a likely reason.

    Zich¡¯s eyes shone as he looked at him. ¡°You really are amazing. I guess it was no ident that you gained a seat at the tower¡¯s highest meetings at such a young age.¡± Zich sounded very impressed. However, his inner thoughts couldn¡¯t have been any more different.

    ¡®Yes, tell me your thoughts,¡¯ Zich thought. Although Zich had something in mind, the future that he told Ond was nothing more than what he came up with on a whim. The story could sound unreasonable or unlikely, but Zich didn¡¯t worry at all.

    ¡®He is going to fill the holes in my story himself.¡¯ Zich chuckled inside his mind as he imagined Ond sweating bullets toe up with a usible reasoning.

    On the other hand, Ond didn¡¯t know Zich¡¯s thoughts, and he felt a bit better. The Karuwiman¡¯s Honorary Knight thought of him highly¡ªthis could help him now or even in the future. Ond said in a friendly tone, ¡°I think there might be a self-coup.¡±

    ¡°A self-coup?¡±

    ¡°Yes. I think my father is nning to find all the people who are disloyal to him. After the incident, people who sympathized with the opposing forces began toe forward.¡±

    ¡°Even those who are not part of the conspiracy?¡±

    ¡°Yes, although my father is an impressive figure as the master of the magical tower, before this incident, he never did anything that could incite public criticism. Well, no matter what the situation is, I suppose there are people who are always dissatisfied.¡±

    ¡°I suppose he¡¯s trying to weed those people out.¡±

    ¡°He might also be nning to mix some other families and mages from different groups. If more of them disappear, the power and authority of the master of the magical tower will grow stronger.¡±

    ¡°Then, thest stage must be¡­¡±

    ¡°Yes, a self-coup.¡± Although Ondo hade up with this exnation in a hurry, he was satisfied with his response. He was able to form a usible scheme by using one of the ns he had in mind for chasing away Walwiss and adding a reason to it.

    ¡°Hmm, it¡¯s certainly possible.¡±

    ¡®Okay, I will go with the self-coup,¡¯ Zich thought. As if he was picking fish from a market, Zich changed the direction of his scheme by the flow of the conversation. It waspletely ridiculous, but fortunately or unfortunately, no one realized Zich¡¯s thinking¡ªnot even Ond who was in front of him.

    ¡°Since it¡¯s better the more evidence we have, I will continue to investigate the group coborating with my father. I might be able to retrieve another cryptic message.¡±

    ¡®So send me lots, alrighty?¡¯ Zich thought. Like Zich wanted, Ond thought he should send more secret codes to his coborators to increase the validity of his self-coup theory.

    ¡°Yes, thanks to you knowing how to decipher the code. But I didn¡¯t think you¡¯d also know how to read it, Mr. Dwayne.¡±

    ¡°I also didn¡¯t think I would suddenly see a code I recognized.¡±

    Ond had ended up teaching Zich the code. Of course, he didn¡¯t tell Zich everything; he simply said that it was at a level where he could decipher it if given the time. Although what they each wanted waspletely different, that exnation was enough for both Ond and Zich.

    ¡°You said it was some writing from an ancient empire, right?¡±

    ¡°Yes. I have quite an interest innguages. I didn¡¯t think the research I did as a hobby would help me now.¡± Ond felt a bit anxious, wondering if he should¡¯ve told Zich the code that he learned from the robed figures; but he quickly shook his head and thought, ¡®It¡¯s those guys who failed their missions and died anyways.¡¯

    Ondpletely pushed the fault onto the robed figures.

    ¡°However, since I¡¯m still researching them, I haven¡¯t decoded all the letters. It can¡¯t be helped that I need more time.¡± Ond didn¡¯t n to teach Zich all the codes. He felt no need to, and it was also better for him to gain the upper hand.

    Zich didn¡¯t seem very interested in the codes, but he didn¡¯t leave the responsibility of decoding the codes to just Ond. ¡°One of mypanions, L, is also researching the codes. Sir, she¡¯s also very impressed by your knowledge.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a bit embarrassing. I will work harder to be more helpful to my talented junior.¡±

    Even though this conversation seemed like they were both being considerate of each other, their real intentions werepletely different.

    ¡®Since L is also researching the codes, don¡¯t try to be smart and give me fake information about the codes.¡¯ This was Zich¡¯s intention.

    Since Ond didn¡¯t know Zich¡¯s dark thoughts, he was obviously unable to realize Zich¡¯s real reason for mentioning L. However, it was enough to make him more cautious.

    ¡®I won¡¯t be able to clumsily manipte the codes to my advantage.¡¯ Like this, Ond¡¯s thoughts moved precisely ording to Zich¡¯s ns.

    ¡°But it really is fortunate. Sir, I was able to receive such big help from you. To be honest, I was very doubtful whether or not you would cooperate with me to investigate the master of the magical tower. He is your father after all.¡±

    ¡°I will do my best to help you out, but I hope you don¡¯t misunderstand.¡± Ond said with a tense voice, ¡°I still believe my father, and even if my father¡¯s crimes are revealed, I will not stop believing my father. I also won¡¯t waver in my belief.¡±

    Ond was reenacting the scene of a kind son who loved his father deeply and had a very steadfast but sad trust in a close family member. Ond¡¯s expression also looked very determined.

    Zich nodded his head and mocked Ond in his mind. ¡®Yeah, sure, Whatever.¡¯

    * * *

    As soon as Zich returned to his lodging, he passed several notes to L who was fervently scribbling something while sitting on a desk with all kinds of documents, papers, and books stacked all over the ce.

    ¡°These are the codes I got today.¡±

    ¡°Thanks.¡± L took the notes and put down the paper she was writing on.

    ¡°How¡¯s it going?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s going much better than when I had no clues to work with.¡± L put down her pen and stretched her arms. She straightened up her body and turned her chair.

    Zich asked, ¡°You¡¯re nning to rest?¡±

    ¡°A bit. My body feels stiff because I¡¯ve been writing and sitting all day. My eyes are also getting tired.¡± She turned her shoulders and pressed down the sides of her eyes.

    ¡°Take it easy. The codes are not an urgent matter, and we¡¯re getting more clues now.¡±

    ¡°I am taking it easy. I don¡¯t have anything to do for a while anyway. In the first ce, I came to Sunewick to see if there was anything that could help me decipher these letters.¡±

    ¡®Oh yeah, that was the reason why we came here.¡¯ They had originallye to Sunewick to find information about the letters used by the Clowon Empire. ¡®Since so many things happened, Ipletely forgot about the reason why we came here.¡¯

    In a way, L was the only one who had been faithful to the original purpose ofing to this city. Then L asked, ¡°Is your n going well?¡±

    ¡°Yep. We¡¯ll reach the climax soon. When that timees, Ond is going to climb to the highest peak and then¡­.¡± Zich lifted his hand high up in the air and quickly mmed it down. ¡°He wille crashing down.¡±

    ¡°¡­Please try to give the least damage as possible to the other people.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ve engraved that deep into my mind.¡±

    However, Zich¡¯s smiling face didn¡¯t seem so trustworthy.

    ¡°Ah, but this obviously doesn''t include bad guys, right?¡± He seemed even more untrustworthy because he said things like this. L held her head and nodded. Even though his actions seemed untrustworthy, he really didn¡¯t hurt innocent people, so L trusted him. Of course, if people did wrong and became Zich¡¯s target, Zich was merciless to them.

    L seemed to have taken enough of a break as she turned her chair back to decode again.

    ¡°Have you made any progress?¡±

    ¡°Somewhat. If I had just a few more clues, I¡¯d be able to make faster progress.¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry about them. I¡¯ll continue to bring you more in the future.¡± As long as Ond continued to send more codes to his aplices, Zich would be able to bring more clues to L.

    ¡°That¡¯s fine then.¡± L waved her hand as if to tell Zich to leave, but Zich leaned closer and watched L continue her work. L didn¡¯t say anything either.

    ¡°That¡¯s the tablet you got from the ancient ruins in Violuwin, right?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. I think this one will have the most useful pieces of information. However, I don¡¯t know if it¡¯ll be that helpful. I need to be lucky. Since Icked paper, I didn¡¯t copy all the letters written on the tablet. I didn¡¯t know which sections were important, so I skipped a couple of lines.¡± L wasn¡¯t expecting much. In the first ce, the amount of letters she copied was only a small fraction of the total amount of writings written on the tablets.

    ¡®I should definitely revisit that ceter.¡¯ L needed to somehow persuade Zich to go back to Violuwin¡¯s ruins again.

    ¡°Yeah, work hard.¡± Zich seemed to have lost interest as he left L¡¯s room.

    L waved her hand without even looking up and went back to work again. It seemed as if her efforts weren¡¯t in vain, because L was soon able to interpret one line. However, it was just one line, and L didn¡¯t know what it meant.

    ¡®I also could have interpreted it wrong.¡¯ Was it a line about banning or preventing some kind of event?

    However, L stopped thinking more about this. Since she received clues to decode the ancient writings of the Clowon Empire, she had overextended herself and her mind and body were exhausted.

    ¡®Should I rest a bit?¡¯

    L stopped working and blew out the candlelight. But before the lightpletely disappeared, the candlelight used all its remaining strength to dimly light up the line that L had interpreted.

    [You must never use too much of it.]

 Chapter 267

    <h4>Chapter 267</h4>

    Zich busily visited the mansions of all the elite families that opposed Walwiss Dwayne. Even though all of the elite families¡¯ mansions had tightened up their security due to the tense atmosphere in the city, this didn¡¯t pose a challenge to Zich at all.

    Moreover, Zich didn¡¯t search important areas like the master room, so it was easier for Zich to infiltrate inside without getting caught. Zich only targeted areas like the pigeon carrier rooms or butler rooms where all the important letters arrived. Like this, he was able to collect many messages written in codes like this.

    ¡®I¡¯m sure this will help L make a lot of progress with her decoding work.¡¯

    Zich heard from L about the small sess she made with her work. Even though Zich had no idea what the line that L interpreted meant, the mere fact that L was able to extract meaningful phrases from the strange letters or symbols was praiseworthy. So, while Zich ran around the city and L spent her time on the desk, the conspiracy surrounding the magical tower continued to progress.

    Finally, D-day arrived.

    ¡°D-day has been decided.¡± Ond passed a note to Zich.

    Zich could see letters written in rough handwriting. A date was written on it.

    ¡°Sir, it¡¯s in 3 days.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve interpreted the codes you brought me.¡±

    ¡°Sir, does the D-day refer to the day our opponents are going to initiate a coup?¡±

    ¡°Yes. Coincidently, it¡¯s been decided that an all-magicians conference will happen in 3 days.¡±

    ¡°Sir, that is a very amazing coincidence.¡±

    ¡°Yes, it is a very amazing coincidence.¡±

    Zich and Ond looked at each other and smiled. Anyone who saw them would have thought that they looked like a group of viins nning an evil conspiracy¡ªtechnically, they weren¡¯t wrong.

    Zich said, ¡°An all-magicians conference must be different from the meetings where only the top mages gather together.¡±

    ¡°Yes, as its name implies, it¡¯s a meeting where all the magicians who have even the smallest reputation gather together. Tomorrow, there will be a meeting to listen to all the magicians¡¯ opinions and thoughts, and that¡¯s how they n to end this matter.¡±

    ¡°Sir, but the reality would be different, right?¡±

    ¡°Yes. However, this is a wonderful opportunity for our opponents. If they detain everyone there, they would be able to capture most of the city¡¯s high-ranking people.¡±

    ¡°However, even if the master has enormous authority and power in this city, doesn¡¯t this city still have its own mayor and officials?¡±

    ¡°It seems like the mayor is also attending this meeting with the other high-ranking officials.¡±

    ¡°For our enemies, it¡¯ll be as if very delicious prey would be gathering together.¡±

    ¡°Yes, it¡¯ll be like a feast for them.¡±

    ¡°Sir, so what do they n to do? Are they going to instill a magic trap and bomb the ce or something?¡±

    ¡°If they did that, those who instigated the coup might also get caught up in the explosion. All leaders of the coup, including Wayne Jaewick, will be participating in the meeting as well.¡±

    ¡°Sir, I hope that happens. It would be great if only those guys who staged the coup died.¡±

    ¡°I also agree.¡±

    Zich¡¯s words seemed to have triggered Ond¡¯s sense of humor, because Ond began chuckling out loud.

    Then Ond said, ¡°I doubt our enemies would stage such a just and helpful trap. They probably don¡¯t have the ability to do so either. It seems like they n to capture everyone.¡±

    ¡°I guess they¡¯re not nning to go all the way.¡± Then Zich thought, ¡®That¡¯s fortunate. If they were all in favor of bombing the meeting, then I¡¯d have to intervene.¡¯

    Zich wanted to minimize damage on other people as much as possible since L had also asked him to. If Ond made a conspiracy to kill people in the meeting, Zich would be forced to intervene; however, it seemed as if it would be fine if he just continued to watch Ond¡¯s show unfold.

    ¡°You never know. Capturing someone is the same as having their life in your hands. If the captives are a hindrance to them or do something wrong, our enemies might kill the captives without hesitation.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know how they will deal with the consequences. Even if they grab hold of the magical tower and the city, the country won¡¯t just let them be.¡±

    Sunewick was not a city-state, nor did it border other countries. If the country didn¡¯t recognize the legitimacy of the coup, they would immediately send an army. No matter how great the magical tower¡¯s power was, it was not enough to deal with an entire country¡¯s army. Moreover, Wayne and the resisting mages would have lost some of their power from the coup.

    ¡°Isn¡¯t it obvious? They will make some kind of justification. A justification that will exin how they had no choice but to initiate this coup. Or if not¡­¡± Ond lowered his voice as if he was saying an important secret. ¡°They might try to put the me on the other side.¡±

    ¡°And the one trying to put the me on others is probably the master of the magical tower, Walwiss Dwayne.¡±

    Ond grimaced. ¡°¡­There¡¯s still a possibility that my father is being used without knowing what¡¯s happening.¡±

    ¡°Of course, I have no intentions of interfering with your beliefs.¡± Zich smiled and said, ¡°However, I also know that you''re the type to make strong distinctions between private and public matters. I trust that you won¡¯t ruin our n because of personal feelings.¡±

    ¡°¡­Yes, that won¡¯t happen.¡± Ond, who had tried to get along with Zich so far, now spoke with a very displeased voice. ¡°If we stop the conspiracy and figure out all the information about this event, my father will definitely be proven innocent. I¡¯m sure of this.¡±

    ¡°Sir, I hope what you wantes true.¡±

    ¡®Of course, Walwiss Dwayne is going to be innocent¡ªbut not in the way you want.¡¯ Zich mocked Ond inside his mind.

    Of course, Ond didn¡¯t know what Zich was thinking. ¡°Thank you.¡± Ond rxed his stern expression and replied by acting grateful. Then he said, ¡°Ah, now that I think about it, I have a favor to ask you.¡±

    ¡°Sir, what kind of favor is it?¡±

    ¡°Won¡¯t you protect Elena?¡±

    ¡°Elena?¡±

    ¡°Elena will also be attending the all-magicians conference.¡±

    Elena was not a reputable mage. Instead, she was part of the most esteemed family in Sunewick that had produced many masters of the magical tower, including Walwiss Dwayne. However, as someone without mana, she was not qualified to participate in an all-magicians conference. Then there was only one reason why she would be joining the meeting.

    ¡°She¡¯s going to be brought in as a witness.¡±

    ¡°Yes. It will be dangerous for others, but it will be even more dangerous for Elena since she won¡¯t be able to protect herself with magic. I¡¯m not asking you to protect her right now. Since you are also wanted, you probably can¡¯t do that anyway. I¡¯m just asking you to protect her when the coup begins.¡±

    Zich stared at Ond. Did he mean these words for real? Did he still have fatherly affections for Elena? Or was it¡­

    ¡®Is he trying to protect Elena since he can still use her?¡¯

    ¡°Why are you staring at me like that? Will it be too difficult?¡± Ond stared at Zich who didn¡¯t reply right away.

    Zich nodded. ¡°Elena is my friend¡¯s disciple. Due to the conspiracy surrounding the magical tower and some misunderstandings, our rtionship has be estranged, but L and I still care deeply about Elena. Of course, we will protect her. Moreover, I was the one who said that Walwiss was targeting you and Elena. I will take responsibility until the very end.¡±

    ¡°Thank you. If I¡¯m not asking too much, will Ms. L and your servants also help you in protecting Elena? This is difficult for me to say, but if worse to worst, the only family member I will have left is Elena. I¡¯m ashamed to ask such a personal favor in a situation like this, but this is my life¡¯s request.¡±

    Ond¡¯s expression portrayed the face of a struggling person who didn¡¯t want to be suspicious of his father yet couldn¡¯t fully trust him; thus, he wanted to protect his daughter at least. Any human would have sympathized with his expression. However, Zich felt no emotions from looking at Ond¡¯s expression. He calmly analyzed the hidden meanings behind Ond¡¯s words.

    ¡®Hmm. He wants to take me out of the operation.¡¯

    Since Ond waspletely yed around by Zich¡¯s ¡°evidence¡±, it seemed as if Ond wanted to finish his ns with his own hands.

    ¡®Well, okay. Let¡¯s see how long he¡¯ll carry out his show.¡¯

    ¡°Sir, that¡¯s fine with me. I will bring all mypanions to protect Elena.¡± Zich nodded

    ¡°Thank you.¡± Ond bowed his head.

    ¡°But sir, please also know that if the situation turns awry, I will have to intervene.¡±

    ¡°Of course.¡± Ond nodded since he also knew it would be too much to ask for more.

    After some time passed, the all-magicians conferencemenced in the magical tower.

    * * *

    Over the horizon far away, the sun began to reveal its rays. The world, which had fallen under a deep sleeping spell from the night, began to wake up from its slumber. Many people and living beings began to start their day, and the world became full of life and energy.

    However, there was one ce in Sunewick that couldn¡¯t join in the bright atmosphere outside. Instead, the atmosphere in the magical tower was extremely tense. It wasn¡¯t as if there were no people in the magical tower. On the other hand, there were much more people than usual. However, everyone who had gathered in the magical tower had their mouths shut tight in nervousness. People began getting out of their carriages one by one. They were all mages who had quite the reputation.

    Even though they were mages that usually locked themselves up in their researchbs and sloppily ate and washed themselves, their appearances werepletely different from their usual selves. They had gone back to their residences and gotten plenty of sleep. They even ate a filling meal the day before. They also washed their wrinkly and dirty robes, cleaned their staffs, and organized their hair and beards. Even though mages were usually only interested in their research, they were also aware of the tense situation in the magical tower.

    At that moment, a carriage stopped in front of the magical tower. The surrounding people saw the symbol on the carriage door, and their gazes became fixated on the carriage.

    Creak!

    The carriage door opened, and a man got out. As soon as people saw who he was, people began murmuring amongst themselves. Even though the man also noticed people¡¯s gazes on him, he didn¡¯t meet their gazes. He nced at the magical tower that stretched to the sky. He had been familiar with the magical tower since a very young age, but somehow the tower seemed a bit different today.

    The man¡ªWayne Jaewick¡ªlowered his gaze and stared at the entrance that waspletely open. The people inside looked at him. There were all kinds of emotions on their faces: optimism, pessimism, envy, confusion, contempt, and even horror.

    These were the emotions that people directed towards one of the main figures who had thrown the magical tower into chaos. However, Wayne Jaewick quietly endured their sharp gazes.

    Step!

    He took one step forward. At the same time, he strengthened his resolve. ¡®Regardless of the results, the insurrection is happening today.¡¯ And Wayne had no intention to be on the losing side. He stared ahead, put his chin up high, firmly pursed his lips, and walked naturally towards the entrance. In order to obtain greater power, he walked towards the uing battlefield.

    * * *

    The conference hall was enormous. While the top magicians¡¯ conference happened at the top of the magical tower, the all-magicians conference took ce in the middle of the magical tower. The entire conference hall was made from expanding the second and third floors, so it was huge. It had been made to hold various events in the tower where many people gathered together.

    The conference hall looked like arge lecture room or even a stage. At the bottom of the conference hall, there was a lecture space, and the chairs stretched up to the top all around the lecture space. Many people were already seated in their seats and exchanging their thoughts. The leaders of the uprising like Wayne Jaewick had already stationed themselves in the front rows. Other mages sat together with their friends. On one side, Elena sat in her seat with an uneasy expression.

    When most people seemed to have arrived at the conference hall, Walwiss Dwayne made his entrance. Silence instantly fell upon the whole area.

 Chapter 268

    <h4>Chapter 268</h4>

    The meeting started. People stopped murmuring amongst themselves, and everyone¡¯s gazes shifted towards the center podium of the conference hall. People also stole furtive nces at the people sitting in the front row. The master of the magical tower, all the mages who had the power to participate in the top conference, and Elena were sitting in the front. Sunewick¡¯s mayor and his officials were also with them.

    One person stood on the podium; he was the host of this meeting. He cleared his voice a few times and briefly exined to everyone the purpose of this meeting with a loud voice. Then he called forth Wayne Jaewick, the main leader of the uprising against Walwiss Dwayne. The host called him out so that they could listen to his side first.

    Wayne confidently walked to the podium. It seemed as if he had shed away all his doubts and concerns before he entered the magical tower today, because there was no hesitation in his footsteps. Wayne¡¯s gaze passed Ond, who looked at him with a deep frown, and Elena, who was stiff and tense. Then it finally lingered on Walwiss who looked at him with an emotionless face. They briefly met each other¡¯s eyes, but Wayne soon turned his eyes away. Then he looked straight ahead and met the eyes of all those staring at him.

    Then he opened his mouth.

    * * *

    At the same time, Zich and hispanions were back inside the city. Even though all four of them were wanted as criminals, the city was in chaos. With just a light disguise, people didn¡¯t pay much attention to them. L drew a lot of attention due to her beauty, so she covered her face with a hood.

    However, it was still dangerous for them to openly wander around, so the three of them stood by in a deserted area while Zich watched over the magical tower by himself.

    ¡®It¡¯s about to start.¡¯ Zich narrowed his eyes.

    He saw a group of people enter the magical tower. All of them wore robes and held staffs, but Zich wasn¡¯t tricked by their outfits. They were definitely people who were more used to physical work than magic¡ªwhether that wasbor orbat.

    ¡®Those are definitely guys that Jaewick and his group brought in to stage the coup. They don¡¯t look like mercenaries, but their bodies are too well bnced for them to just be servants.¡¯

    ¡®They¡¯ve been secretly raising soldiers.¡¯ Zich was sure of this. Jaewick and his group had probably nned this coup for a very long time.

    ¡®The robed figures probably helped them raise those soldiers. I can probably find evidence of this from Ond.¡¯ Zich thought that out of all the other ns made by the robed figures so far, this conspiracy was the most borate so far.

    ¡®Is it because they have to make the future Demon Lord and one of the Hero Party members here?¡¯ Zich smirked. The harder they worked on their ns, the more fan Zich would have destroyed them.

    The forces of the coup were able to get into the magical tower without much trouble. The people leading the group in the very front seemed like mages from Jaewick¡¯s school of magic. They stood on standby in the lobby for a while. Zich saw that one of the mages leading the group began to talk in a loud voice.

    ¡®It¡¯s nothing important.¡¯ When Zich tried listening in on them, they were just criticizing Walwiss. However, Zich judged that the mages'' words were meaningless and cut off his interest. Whether or not people agreed or disagreed with the mage¡¯s words, everyone in the lobby was looking at the mage.

    At the same time, Zich saw that a few of the forces of the coup began to move towards the door. They began to close the door of the magical tower. Even if people were focused on a different matter, there was no way no one would notice such a big door closing. However, people¡¯s reaction speeds were slow. When people began to show their reactions, the door of the magical tower had already been closed shut.

    nk!

    Zich could hear the sound of a lock turning.

    ¡®It¡¯s begun.¡¯ Zich looked up at the magical tower. Even though the magical tower stood high up with dignity as always, what was unfolding inside was not the same.

    * * *

    The stiff and quiet atmosphere of the conference hall waspletely gone. The meeting was slowly building up steam, and people¡¯s voices began to grow louder. People began to criticize and point fingers at each other. Even though this meeting had been made topletely end the friction building up in the magical tower, judging by how the meeting was going, it didn¡¯t seem like this meeting was going to be thest meeting.

    Many people looked like they wanted to shut their opponent¡¯s mouth with magic; they tightly held onto their staffs. However, despite the shouting and swearing, the meeting tentatively maintained its rationale.

    ¡°Are you saying that you still trust the master?!¡±

    ¡°Of course,¡± another magician replied to Wayne¡¯s shout. ¡°For what reason should the master be removed?!¡±

    ¡°Have you not been listening to me this whole time! I exined the reasons many times!¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t believe those words of unjust criticism and sophistries as valid arguments! Can you even think with that brain of yours!¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s what I want to ask you! What do you mean by unjust criticism and sophistries! How can you say that even after seeing how the master dealt with the most recent incident! I¡¯m so jealous that you¡¯re able to think so shallowly! I¡¯m sure you live your life without any worries or thoughts!¡±

    ¡°What the¡ª!¡±

    A few more people joined them, and soon, the conference hall became as loud as a bustling marketce. The host tried to calm the two sides, but they didn¡¯t calm down right away. However, when the host requested silence with a loud voice and smacked the gavel a few times, the mages closed their mouths one by one.

    When people quieted down to a certain extent, the host requested everyone to refrain from making harsh and violent remarks. Then he continued the meeting. ¡°I¡¯ll now ask the master.¡±

    Wayne wasn¡¯tpletely calm yet, but he asked Walwiss, ¡°Do you have any thoughts about withdrawing from your position?¡±

    Walwiss stared at Wayne. Many thoughts raced through his mind. While thismotion was happening, he had also thought about this question many times. Should he really withdraw from his position? Did he make such a big mistake? He had thought hard and long about this matter for many days with his eyes wide open. Then, he was able to make a final decision.

    Walwiss replied, ¡°No.¡±

    Walwiss¡¯ firm reply rang throughout the entire conference hall. There was a mixture of cheers and jeers. In the midst of thismotion, Walwiss and Wayne exchanged gazes.

    ¡°¡­We will be taking a short break. Please gather together after our break.¡± With the host¡¯s words, people began to stand up one by one.

    Everyone was tired from the intense and rough meeting. Some people stayed in the conference hall and exchanged thoughts while some went out of the conference hall to cool their heads. Wayne carefully watched these sights, and then he looked at hisrades who hadn¡¯t left their seats. They nodded at each other. It was time to begin their n.

    And Ond quietly watched them from his seat.

    * * *

    After eating bread, dessert, and picking his teeth with a toothpick, Zich stared at the magical tower. No matter what anyone said, he looked like a person enjoying a rxed life. However, even if people were envious of how leisurely his life looked, if they knew about what Zich was going to do soon, they would immediately run away without hesitation. Zich looked up at the magical tower with a slightly bored look. Then his eyes changed.

    ¡®It¡¯s a signal.¡¯

    Zich saw a cloth that looked like a robe waving in and out from a window of the magical tower. This repeated several times. Zich was sure that they were Ond¡¯s forces. It was a signal that the coup was going to happen soon, so Zich got up.

    ¡®I need to call the others.¡¯ Zich needed to call L, Hans, and Snoc who were hiding in a deserted area. Zich slowly moved away from the magical tower.

    * * *

    While Zich went to get hispanions, a significant amount of time had passed.

    ¡°I wonder what the situation is like inside.¡± L looked up at the magical tower.

    ¡°Well, I¡¯m sure it¡¯s far from peaceful. I can guarantee that.¡±

    ¡°You look like you¡¯re in a good mood?¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s no reason why I shouldn¡¯t be happy.¡±

    L shook her head. ¡°Let¡¯s quickly get on with it. I¡¯m worried about Elena.¡±

    ¡°We probably don¡¯t have to worry about Elena.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t think that everyone has rock-hard nerves like you. Even if her body is fine, her heart will be in pain.¡±

    ¡°Your nerves are simr to mine.¡± However, Zich didn¡¯t say anything else.

    They walked towards the magical tower. The door was still firmly shut, and four people were standing guard in front of it. They all wore robes, and from a nce, they looked like mages from the magical tower. However, Zich didn¡¯t think they were mages.

    ¡®They¡¯re definitely not mages. They have weapons hidden beneath their robes.¡¯

    Even though they kept their weapons well hidden, they couldn¡¯t escape Zich¡¯s eyes.

    L asked from behind him, ¡°What¡¯s your n? Are we going to secretly infiltrate inside?¡±

    ¡°Nope. I already did enough of that so far. It¡¯s time for me to use this.¡± Zich clenched his fist and shook it around. Then he confidently walked towards the entrance of the magical tower.

    ¡°Stop!¡±

    As soon as Zich came near, the people guarding the door raised their hands to stop Zich.

    ¡°Entering the magical tower is forbidden right now! You can¡¯t go in no matter what¡ª!¡±

    Grab! Zich¡¯s hands grabbed the speaker¡¯s face. He moved so naturally that no one was able to react. With a big smile on his face, he said, ¡°Shut up.¡±

    Swoosh! Zich moved his arms. He grabbed the person¡¯s head and shoved him against the walls of the magical tower.

    Thud!

    A loud and blunt sound rang out. There wasn¡¯t even a scream. The guard¡¯s blood sttered across the wall and he slipped down to the ground without even being able to cover his bloody nose.

    ¡°It¡¯s an enemy!¡± The rest of the three guards unsheathed swords from their robes.

    ¡°Were you guys not mages?¡± Zich smirked and took out Windur. He deflected all the swordsing towards him.

    sh! sh! sh!

    With the sounds of iron shing against each other, all the swords that came towards Zich bounced off Windur. Zich saw a huge opening in his opponent¡¯s chest area. Windur showed its fangs and pounced.

    Slice! Slice!

    A red line of blood spurted out of the two guards. Zich frowned and avoided the blood that came flying towards him.

    Thud! Thud! Two bodies copsed on the ground.

    ¡°You bastarrrd!¡± Thest remaining guard yelled and ran towards Zich.

    However, Zich didn¡¯t bother dealing with him; he even turned his back. It seemed as if the guard¡¯s sharp sword would immediately slice Zich¡¯s back, but something like that didn¡¯t happen.

    Bang!

    ¡°Kuahhhh!¡± mes swallowed the guard; a painful scream rang out.

    The guard even let go of his sword, iled his arms, and rolled on the ground to extinguish the fire. However, it was futile. Soon, he waspletely burnt and took hisst breath.

    Step! Someone stepped over the burnt corpse. It was L who just used her magic; she clutched her staff and walked towards Zich with a stiff face. Snoc and Hans followed right behind her.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± L spoke with a lot of resolve in her voice.

    ¡°I like your resolve. Yeah, why don¡¯t we go wild inside?¡± Zich put strength into his hands as he opened the door. The door shook a bit, and it seemed as if the door was locked from the inside. However, Zich wasn¡¯t hindered by this and put more strength into his hands.

    Cruuunch! The lock was unable to protect itself, and itpletely shattered.

    Creaak! The door opened, and the inside of the magical tower was revealed. There were several people in the lobby, and anyone could tell that they weren¡¯t mages.

    ¡°Who a¡ª¡±

    The man didn¡¯t even have time to finish his sentence. The people in the lobby were cut down without being able to properly resist Zich¡¯s sword; Zich¡¯s swings didn¡¯t have even the slightest bit of hesitation. Zich confidently walked into the magical tower as no one could stop him from entering. L, Hans, and Snoc followed him from behind.

    ¡°So where are we going to go now?¡±

    At L¡¯s question, Zich easily replied, ¡°The dungeon.¡±

    The dungeon was where everything was going to start.

 Chapter 269

    <h4>Chapter 269</h4>

    Zich already roughly knew the structure of the magical tower, and he walked forward confidently.

    ¡°A dungeon? There was something like that in the magical tower?¡± L didn¡¯t expect a dungeon to be in the magical tower.

    ¡°It¡¯s a prison that holds mages, not ordinary criminals. I heard that they use the dungeon to punish mages whomitted crimes. It¡¯s empty right now.¡±

    ¡°It must be the ideal prison for detaining mages.¡±

    ¡°Yep.¡±

    ¡°Who is it!¡±

    Since the dungeon was a ce where they locked up people, there were guards in front. As soon as they turned a corner and arrived at the staircase leading to the basement, Zich and hispanions saw people blocking the staircase. Even though the guards outside of the magical tower wore robes, the guards in front of the staircase all had their robes off. The guards in the inside of the magical tower must have thought that wearing robes and pretending to be mages was too troublesome.

    Zich did not reply. He pushed his feet into the ground and jumped up.

    ¡°Ene¡ª!¡±

    It seemed as if the guard wanted to shout, ¡°Enemy!¡± but he was unable to finish his word... And he¡¯d probably never be able to say another word.

    Pierce! Windur pierced straight through the guard¡¯s heart. The other guard next to him was extremely shocked and tried to wield his sword, but a bright light passed through him.

    Ssh! Red blood scattered along a path of light. However, not even a drop of bloodnded on Estede. Hans put Estede back to his side.

    ¡°Hans! Snoc!¡±

    ¡°Yes, sir!¡±

    ¡°Yes, sir!¡±

    ¡°Stand guard so that bothersome people don¡¯te in.¡± After giving Hans and Snoc an order, Zich turned towards L. He asked, ¡°What are you going to do?¡±

    ¡°Is Elena down there?¡±

    ¡°Probably not.¡±

    L narrowed her eyes. ¡°They didn¡¯t lock up everyone they captured?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t think so. Moreover, Ond asked us to protect her as an excuse to keep her in check. In a way, she¡¯s just baggage to him.¡±

    L¡¯s eyes turned sharp from the word ¡®baggage.¡¯

    However, Zich continued to talk. ¡°So he probably didn¡¯t imprison her in a dungeon where they¡¯ll be let out sooner orter. He probably put her in a more dangerous ce by using some kind of excuse.¡±

    ¡°More dangerous?¡±

    L¡¯s eyes grew even more menacing, and Zich waved his hands. ¡°He probably didn¡¯t leave her in an extremely dangerous ce. She needs to be safe until Ond at least hands her over to us.¡±

    ¡°Then where would she be?¡±

    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t she be somewhere up in the magical tower? They imprison high-ranking and dangerous mages in a separate area.¡±

    ¡°¡­You sound like you caused this coup.¡±

    ¡°Well, it won¡¯t be far-fetched to say that I really was the one who caused this coup,¡± Zich said half-jokingly and chuckled. ¡°So are youing or not?¡±

    L seemed conflicted for a bit, but she stood next to Zich. ¡°I¡¯ll go with you. Just in case you encounter danger.¡±

    ¡°Haha! Yeah, you¡¯re right! I can be in danger as well!¡± Zich sounded like he didn¡¯t believe this to be true at all. However, he was not mocking L. Even if it was a useless concern, he didn¡¯t think it was a bad feeling to receive L¡¯s concern.

    ¡°Good, then should we check out what kind of danger is waiting for us in the basement? We never know¡ªa legendary dragon might be building a nest down there.¡±

    ¡°Stop saying nonsense and quickly go down.¡± L pushed Zich¡¯s back.

    * * *

    When people thought of dungeons, they normally thought of cold, dark, and gloomy ces. However, a dungeon in the magical tower was different from a normal dungeon. Compared to other dungeons, it was clean and well-maintained. But this maintenance was not for the prisoners.

    L grimaced as she followed behind Zich. She stopped her footsteps, raised her hand, and activated a simple spell.

    Crackle! A small fireball appeared on top of her hand. However, it trembled like crazy as if it was in front of a strong wind.

    L said, ¡°It¡¯s hard for me to use magic.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a ce where they imprison mages. They obviously would have instilled special measures to prevent mages from using magic.¡±

    L swiped the wall. She felt its hard metallic surface, and there was a strange flow of manaing out of it. ¡°Is there something inside the walls of this basement that hinders magic activation?¡±

    ¡°I heard that they used orichalcum, mithril, and all kinds of precious and rare metals as the base and made mana flow through them to interfere with magic activation. Ordinary mages would have an extremely difficult time using their magic but¡­¡± Zich stole a nce at L. ¡°I thought it wouldn¡¯t be much of a problem for you.¡±

    L frowned and replied, ¡°How would I not have much of a problem?¡± However, if ordinary mages who couldn¡¯t use any magic at all in the dungeon heard L¡¯s next words, they would have grabbed her cor and red at her in anger.

    ¡°It¡¯s really annoying to use magic here.¡±

    Zich replied, ¡°Yeah, judging by your reaction, you¡¯ll be fine.¡±

    As expected, this basement¡¯s structure was nothing more than annoying for L. Zich continued to go down the stairs. When they reached the end of the staircase, they saw two more guards. However, they were guarding the inside of the dungeon and faced the opposite direction of Zich and L.

    Then, the sound of Zich¡¯s footstepspletely disappeared. L stared at Zich with wide eyes. She could definitely see him, but his presence hadpletely disappeared. Zich openly approached the guards from the back. However, the guards were not able to notice Zich at all. Zich wielded his sword.

    sh! sh! Two heads flew up high in the air as if flying was their special ability. The heads fell and the bodies copsed. Blood spurted out and formed a puddle on the ground; it continued to expand to cover more distance. Zich calmly passed over the corpses and passed through the door.

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    ¡°What is that?¡±

    Zich and L¡¯s enemies heard the loud sound of someone¡¯s body plopping to the ground. They turned back and stared at Zich. Their gaze moved past Zich and reached their fallenrades on the ground.

    ¡°Those people are¡­¡±

    ¡°They¡¯re enemies!¡±

    They began to take out their weapons. Zich also held up Windur again. However, when L moved next to him, Zich took a step back. L lifted her staff towards their enemies. Zich and L saw them repressing theirughs. They knew that magic was very difficult to activate in the dungeon of the magical tower, so they rushed towards L without hesitation.

    However, unfortunately for them, L was not an ordinary mage.

    Crack!

    L didn¡¯t even say an incantation. Several ice spikes formed around her staff. Her opponents were dumbstruck by how L was able to activate her magic. However, L nonchntly stared at them and shot out her magic.

    Pierce! Pierce! Pierce!

    The sharp ice spikes mercilessly hit their enemies. The enemies were pushed back at a faster speed than the speed they rushed towards L with. Since L¡¯s opponents were pierced by ice spikes that were the size of a human arm all over their bodies, they were most likely dead.

    ¡°They weren¡¯t very strong.¡±

    Zich replied, ¡°Even with the robed figures¡¯ help, it would be difficult for a mage''s family to raise swordsmen. Moreover, I¡¯m sure that they didn¡¯t need strong guys. They just need people who can fight a bit and do small chores like this.¡±

    While Zich and L conversed, they scanned the inside of the prison. Quite a lot of people were locked up behind tough-looking bars. All of them wore robes. It seemed as if they had been treated harshly while being dragged into this prison since all of their clothes were disheveled. There were also many people who had bruises on their faces and bloody marks. However, it didn¡¯t seem like anyone received serious injuries overall.

    One old mage recognized Zich and said in surprise, ¡°¡­You are definitely¡­¡±

    ¡°Wait, is that the person who kidnapped Elena?¡±

    ¡°It seems like it¡­¡±

    A couple more people recognized Zich. Then, other people who hadn¡¯t seen Zich before recognized him from the rumors. Even though it was for a negative reason, Zich was extremely famous in Sunewick. In a way, Zich was the one who brought this chaos andmotion inside the magical tower. Of course, people did not look favorably at Zich.

    The old mage who recognized Zich first also stared at Zich with sharp eyes. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you were also involved with this!¡±

    The old mage shouted because he thought Zich might be on the same side with the forces of the coup, but if he thought more deeply about this, it didn¡¯t seem right so he tilted his head. If Zich was on the same side as the forces of the coup, he wouldn¡¯t have killed all the people who locked them up in prison.

    Zich looked at all the people who were staring at him with suspicion and said, ¡°I came here to help.¡±

    The entire atmosphere of the prison changed with that one line.

    ¡°¡­You came to help us?¡±

    ¡°Yes. Let me first get everyone out of here.¡± Zich took the keys hanging on the wall and began opening the prison cells one by one, starting with the one closest to him. The mages walked out of the prison. Even though they were still suspicious of Zich, they were relieved to be free. Zich scanned all the people who were freed. As expected, all the important people, including Walwiss were not among the people who were freed.

    ¡°Elena is not here,¡± L said with a bit of disappointment in her voice. It seemed as if L had been looking for Elena just in case.

    Zich replied, ¡°I told you before, but Elena is probably locked high up in the magical tower. Let¡¯s go save her now.¡±

    ¡°Wait! It sounds like you know where Ms. Dwayne is. Do you perhaps know anything about the current situation!¡± the old mage asked in a sharp voice. Even though Zich had freed them, the old mage was still suspicious of Zich. As if he was keeping watch, he stood right next to Zich. However, since Zich really did help them out, the old mage used some honorifics when addressing Zich.

    Zich replied, ¡°Sir, of course. If you¡¯re talking about the coup, I know about it very well.¡±

    ¡°What do you mean you know it very well! How!¡±

    However, Zich had no intentions to reply to the old mage. He took out a staff from his magic box. Even though it was a mage¡¯s staff, it was a cheap staff that could bemonly found everywhere. But it was still better than nothing. Zich handed the staff to the old mage who held it with aplicated expression in his eyes.

    ¡°I don¡¯t have any time to exin the current situation right now. I also have no intentions to tell you either. All you guys have to do is choose.¡± Zich took out more staffs from his magic box and passed them around to the other mages. ¡°Choose whether you¡¯re going to quietly leave the magical tower like this or use the staff in your hands to fight against those who are trying to destroy the order of the tower.¡±

    The mages¡¯ eyes changed. They had been ambushed in the middle of their meeting and were unable to properly react against their opponents. It was a humiliating defeat. Moreover, the intruders were people whom they considered theirrades, so they felt a great sense of betrayal.

    The old mage tightly clenched his staff. ¡°¡­I haven¡¯t dropped my suspicions on you. But¡­¡± Then his eyes turned murderous. ¡°I agree that we should beat up and capture those traitors who are forcefully trying to take the authority of the magical tower for themselves.¡±

    ¡°Sir, w-will it really be all right to trust that person?¡± another mage asked the old mage.

    The old mage shook his head. ¡°We¡¯re not trusting them. Don¡¯t ever take your eyes off these two. However, we have to immediately rescue the master. We have to take care of the other matters after the order of the magical tower has been rectified.¡±

    ¡°Yes, you¡¯ve got the right idea.¡± Zich put out his hand. ¡°I don¡¯t know if we¡¯ll be allies for a short while or if it¡¯ll continue after this, but let¡¯s at least get along today.¡±

    ¡°Let me just ask you one question.¡± The old mage held Zich¡¯s hand and asked, ¡°The n you¡¯re making¡ªdid only you and yourpanions make this n?¡±

    Zich replied with a smile on his face, ¡°Of course.¡±

    However, Zich recalled an idiot who believed that he was coborating with him.

 Chapter 270

    <h4>Chapter 270</h4>

    Even among all the magical towers in the world, the magical tower in Sunewick was considered the best. The interior of the magical tower, which seemed to stretch up to the sky and exude an unshakable presence, was on the brink of exploding into an enormous conflict. The conflict was intense enough for it to be categorized as a war.

    Bam! Bam!

    All kinds of magic flew around with the stairs in the center. Fireballs and water bombs were thrown and thunder and wind magic were sometimes added in. Many magic attacks were offset by each other, and some bounced off and hit the walls or stairs. However, not a single magic could make a dent on the magical tower.

    ¡°It¡¯s great that the tower is tough!¡± Zich said this while slicing a fireball flying towards him. From behind, L created tens of fireballs at once and literally bombed the upper floors. Their enemies hiding behind the top of the stairs let out screams and magic stoppeding from them for a short time. Zich used that opening to jump up to the top floor.

    ¡°The magical tower is not just tough! It also decreases the power of magic! It¡¯s fundamentally tiring to use magic here!¡± After letting out a powerful magic, Lined unlike her usual self.

    Zich loudlyughed, and while cutting down an enemy blocking him, he said, ¡°Hang in there! It¡¯s just the magical tower¡¯s defense system working! I warned you about this before!¡±

    The tower¡¯s defense system was a system that activated when people invaded the tower. There were several functions of the defense system, but the most basic ones were strengthening the tower¡¯s physical structure through mana and interfering with magic activation. When the defense system was activated, the magic interference effect that was usually only in the dungeon exponentially increased and spread to the rest of the magical tower.

    Naturally, the magic interference effect lessened as one went up the tower. Therefore, when a fight urred inside the tower, the people on the upper floors had a clear advantage against people on the lower floors. It was a system that effectively stopped mages from attacking and invading the tower. Unfortunately, this effect was clearly being exploited right now as well.

    Bang! Bang!

    Mages began pouring down magic from the upper floors. Their magic was significantly weaker than the magic they usually used, but the mages¡¯ magic on the lower floors was literally a level weaker. However, the mages on the lower floors were slowly pushing their enemies back and climbing up.

    Baaang!

    It was thanks to L who continued to send out astounding magic without getting hampered by the magic hindering effect¡ª

    Crunnch! And Zich who ripped apart all the magic that flew towards them. Of course, Hans wielding Estede and Snoc using mithril to attack his opponents also yed arge part in pushing back the enemy¡¯s forces.

    ¡°Hmm.¡± The old mage, Alben, let out a small cry as he watched Zich and hispanions. He knew who they were. Of course, he didn¡¯t know them well; he just knew them from the rumors going around in the magical tower.

    Zich and hispanions were the evil group that had kidnapped the master¡¯s granddaughter, Elena Dwayne. At the same time, they were also the main reason why this whole conflict had started in the magical tower in the first ce. He obviously didn¡¯t have a favorable impression of them at all. Frankly, he thought that coborating with them felt extremely ufortable and unpleasant. However, it was also true that Wayne Jaewick and his group had started a coup, captured the master, and locked Alben and other mages up in the dungeon. Thus, Alben decided to cooperate with Zich and hispanions with the mindset that an enemy of an enemy was a foe; that was how desperate he was.

    However, Alben soon contemted why Zich and hispanions decided to form an alliance with them. ¡®¡­Wouldn¡¯t it have been enough by themselves?¡¯

    The magic interference effect greatly reduced the capabilities of mages on their side, including Alben¡¯s magic. Moreover, the mages on the other side were also experiencing a less but still significant decrease in their magic powers.

    However, Zich and hispanions, excluding L, were not hampered by the magic interference effect in the first ce, and L was strong enough to ovee the tower¡¯s defense system. Thus, the tower¡¯s defense system actually created a thoroughly favorable environment for Zich and hispanions.

    Even though it was good that the people on his side were strong, it was a serious problem if they became his enemiester on. Alben fell into deep thought. However, Zich and hispanions paid no attention to Alben¡¯s concerns and continued to push forward with great speed.

    ¡°We¡¯ve arrived at the 11th floor!¡±

    When Zich said this, Alben pointed at the 11th floor corridor with his staff and said, ¡°Our enemies might be here! Check all the rooms!¡±

    The mages began to gather all together on the 11th floor. Zich signaled to Hans and Snoc with his eyes so that they could help with the search.

    ¡°I¡¯m also going to say this to everyone¡ªdon¡¯t look at other people¡¯s research! If anyone gets caught looking at the progress of another mage¡¯s research, I¡¯m going to use the rest of my life to kick them out!¡± Alben raised his voice.

    ¡°That person is pretty good.¡± While heading towards the staircase that connected the 11th and 12th floors, L murmured to herself from behind Zich.

    Zich nced back. ¡°I investigated a bit and he¡¯s not from an elite family nor is he strong enough to participate in the top mages conference, but he¡¯s a highly reputable mage. Even though he¡¯s not from a high-ranking family and he doesn¡¯t have much talent in magic, he gave up on having a family, friend, and high status to research magic. Just by this, he was close to gaining the rights to participate in the top <meta charset="utf-8">mages conference. He also holds the highest rank among all the mages in the dungeon.¡±

    ¡°He sounds like an amazing person.¡± L could trust a person like that to carry through with his words. Then she looked past the stairs to the upper floor. ¡°I¡¯m d everything is going pretty smoothly. I don¡¯t think our side received much damage.¡±

    ¡°They made the mistake of activating the tower¡¯s defense system. It¡¯s working great against them.¡±

    ¡°If we continue like this, everything will go smoothly, right? If everything goes ording to n, the people who were being locked up separately will also escape and help us fight against the coup¡¯s forces.¡±

    ¡°If everything goes ording to n.¡±

    ¡°¡­Did you create another ploy?¡± L asked with suspicion in her voice.

    ¡°What do you mean ¡®ploy¡¯? I just imagined something bad. The magic interference effect isn¡¯t the only function of the tower¡¯s defense system. It also has something a bit more dangerous.¡±

    ¡°Something dangerous?¡±

    ¡°You must be talking about the final device.¡±

    L turned back in surprise. Without her noticing, Alben had crept up right behind her. Did he perhaps hear them talking about their n? However, there was no change in expression on Alben¡¯s face. Moreover, there was no way Zich would reveal important information when someone was approaching them.

    L worked to maintain a neutral face and asked, ¡°Did you just say final device?¡±

    Just hearing it sounded ominous. However, Alben replied with a light tone as if they had nothing to worry about. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Since it¡¯s a final device, only the master can activate it, and the current master will never activate it¡ªeven if his son and granddaughter¡¯s lives are at stake.¡±

    L paused and then said, ¡°¡­Then it might be better if he actually activates it.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Alben looked at the beauty in front of him. She was probably the genius mage who had taught Elena. Her magic was amazing like the rumors said. It was enough to make his jealousy, which he thought he had thrown away years ago,e ming back again. Although he was able to extinguish the fires of jealousy through his years of mental cultivation, a question popped up in his mind. The name Elena hade out of this woman¡¯s mouth a few times now, and there was deep concern in her voice whenever she mentioned Elena¡¯s name.

    ¡®¡­Are they really the people who kidnapped Elena?¡¯ At the very least, it seemed as if L wouldn¡¯t try to harm Elena.

    L tightly clutched her staff. Even though Zich assured her that Elena was safe, and L also thought she was probably safe, she wasn¡¯t able to fully control her emotions. ¡®Yeah, like Zich said, Elena is probably safe. Then, it would be better if Walwiss doesn¡¯t activate the final devi¡­¡¯

    L stopped her thoughts as Zich was swinging Windur noisily in front of her. However, his face was looking towards her direction with a strange smile on his face.

    ¡®¡­Perhaps!¡¯ L strongly thought that herpanion, who was like a viin, had done something useless; no, she was certain of it.

    * * *

    Arge group of people was at the top floor of the magical tower. It was a special ce reserved for the master of the magical tower, and not many outsiders entered the top floor unless there was a special event like the top mages conference. However, the top floor was filled with people, including Wayne Jaewick, who were all the leaders of the coup. Their ns had progressed sessfully. They were able to capture the master of the tower, many reputable mages, Sunewick¡¯s mayor, and other high officials. Their n had worked so well that it made them almost wonder if it was okay that everything was running so smoothly. However, the most important part of their n was its ending. Wayne and his group still had to nicely settle the ragged situation that they had ripped and cut apart to achieve their goals. Regardless of how well they carried out their ns, if they messed up the end, their n would end up as a failure.

    If everything went ording to n, Walwiss would now use the coup to get rid of his true political opponents, granting authority and power to Wayne and his forces who instigated the coup. In order to achieve this goal, Wayne acted as the viin and staged a coup. Even though he felt frightful and nervous, he worked hard to obtain the sweet fruits of his effort. Moreover, it hadn¡¯t been long, but Wayne recalled how he felt when he found out that the person leading them was actually the master, Walwiss Dwayne.

    When Wayne first learned of this, his shock was immense. He couldn¡¯t believe that the opponent they had to work the hardest to defeat was on their side. He praised the master¡¯s intelligence and guts. Then, he was certain of his n¡¯s sess. Who would imagine that the two opposing forces fighting against each other in the magical tower were actually on the same side? Just thinking about this had made Wayne want to burst out inughter.

    However, all of his ns and dreams were crashing down upon him.

    ¡°Ah, damn it!¡±

    Crash! Wayne strongly hit the floor with his staff. His extremely expensive staff didn¡¯t break from this movement. However, mages normally took great care of their staffs, and there were very few people who would treat their staffs like this. Wayne¡¯s actions clearly reflected how angry he was. Tied up in a chair with silver cuffs, Walwiss looked at him with a cold expression.

    ¡°What are you staring at me for!¡± Wayne grabbed Walwiss¡¯ cor; there was a crazed look on his face. ¡°You¡¯re the one who sent us the codes! You¡¯re the one who made all the ns! You¡¯re the one who led us!¡±

    A pathetic, dirty, and extremely desperate cry came out from Wayne. However, Walwiss still spoke coldly. ¡°I don¡¯t know what kind of misunderstanding you have but¡­ I never instigated this coup and I never sent a code to you guys. You either had some kind of serious misunderstanding or were yed by another person.¡±

    ¡°D-don¡¯t make meughhhhh!¡±

    Crash! Wayne threw Walwiss on the ground. Walwiss fell onto the ground, and his body rolled. His head also began bleeding, but his expression did not change.

    ¡°Are you¡ªare you trying to throw us away?¡± Wayne said as if he was cursing Walwiss. ¡°You¡¯re trying to use us and throw us away! You had no ns to share your power with us!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m saying this again but¡­¡± Walwiss red at Wayne and said, ¡°It¡¯s not me. And if I did start a conspiracy like that, do you think I would join hands with low-lives like all of you?¡±

    ¡°This bastard!¡±

    Kick! Wayne kicked him. Walwiss let out a groan as he received a heavy blow against his old body. However, Wayne kicked him several more times.

    ¡°H-hey! What are you going to do now!¡± Another mage grabbed Wayne¡¯s shoulder and desperately asked, ¡°You said that the master was definitely on our side! Wasn¡¯t that the reason why we made this n in the first ce!¡±

    ¡°Hey! Answer, Wayne Jaewick!¡±

    Wayne heard hisrades¡ªno, pieces of trash start barking. People who obediently followed his words, even before he revealed to them that Walwiss was the one who was ordering them, were now pushing all the responsibility on him.

    Wayne let out augh in shock. His ultimate dream of bing the next master was flying far away. No, it didn¡¯t just end with his dream being crushed, his life and the Jaewick family was at serious risk. However, he couldn¡¯t let it end like this. He couldn¡¯t just be yed like this and do nothing.

    Wayne pushed away the pieces of trash rushing towards him and red at Walwiss. ¡°So you¡¯re not the mastermind behind this n?¡±

    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right.¡±

    Wayne smirked. ¡°Then tell me. How do I know about this?¡±

    Wayne began walking away.

 Chapter 271

    <h4>Chapter 271</h4>

    ¡°What, hey! Where are you going!¡±

    Hispanion¡ªno, it was like dogs were barking at him, but Wayne paid no attention to them. He headed towards the corner of the magical tower where a desk was.

    m!

    He angrily flipped the desk over. Perhaps his extreme rage was the main factor, but although Wayne¡¯s physical strength was weak as a mage who rarely exercised in addition to his old age, the desk fell easily. There was a small pir where the desk used to be and revealed a hidden space. Walwiss¡¯ eyes twitched when he saw this and thought, ¡®What is he nning to do again?¡¯

    The pir was a device that controlled the tower''s defense system. It also controlled the magic interference system that was widely spread out around the magical tower.

    ¡°What are you nning!¡± one of the mages who was part of the coup shouted.

    Wayne shook his head, and hispanions looked at him in horror. But it couldn¡¯t be helped. His zed, wide eyes indicated that Wayne was no longer sane.

    ¡°Give up,¡± Walwiss told him.

    ¡°Even if the magical tower has a defense system, it¡¯s not a solution to everything. It¡¯s not like you have any more reinforcements. What do you n to do with your small force? Stop making more sacrifices, and¡­¡±

    ¡°Shut up!¡± Wayne shouted. Walwiss gave up on persuading him. It wasn¡¯t because he was scared. He became certain that no amount of talking would be able to persuade Wayne.

    ¡°Not a solution? Even if it¡¯s not a proper solution, there¡¯s something that is powerful enough!¡±

    ¡°Are you talking about the final defense system?¡± Walwiss couldn¡¯t help but click his tongue. ¡°So, how are you going to activate it? It¡¯s not a power granted to the likes of you guys. And I have no intention of activating that power.¡±

    All mages who could participate in the tower¡¯s top conference were able to control the defense system. However, only the head of the magical tower was able to control the final defense system.

    Wayne made an almost lunatic smile. ¡°Stop fooling yourself! Then, tell me! How do I know about this?!¡±

    Wayne began to operate the device. He ced his hand on the gear¡¯s handles and poured in a unique-looking mana pattern; it was a password.

    ¡°It¡¯s useless¡ª!¡± Walwiss¡¯ eyes opened wide. Everyone else did the same. With shocked faces, they all looked at the small pir that shot up from the center of the limiting device. It was the device that could activate the final defense system.

    ¡°Y-You, how could you¡ª!¡±

    ¡°You are the one who taught me!¡±

    ¡°What nonsense! When did I¡ª!¡±

    ¡°You taught me!¡±

    Walwiss closed his mouth and listened.

    ¡°It¡¯s all your fault! It¡¯s your fault that a coup happened at the magical tower and the situation reached this point! Everything that happened and will happen is all your fauuult!¡±

    Wayne lifted his fist high and mmed the activation device down.

    Wiiiiiing!

    An ominous mana began to flow inside the magical tower.

    * * *

    ¡®Is it about time to make my escape?¡¯ Ond surveyed his surroundings. He was locked inside the tower¡¯s conference room, and he saw other people in the same situation as him. Unlike those locked inside the basement prison, they were all mages who held high positions and authority in the magical tower. The coup forces had locked them up separately.

    Unlike the basement prison, the conference room didn¡¯t have a power that restricted magic. The activated defense system would also affect the conference room, but its power wasn¡¯t anything that the people in this room couldn¡¯t deal with. Yet, the cuffs on their limbs restricted their freedom. They were all wearing simr cuffs to the one that Walwiss was wearing; it was a type of artifact specially crafted to restrain mages.

    The artifact didn¡¯t restrict the mage''s magic. It simply exploded as soon as the mage tried to use even a little bit of mana. Thus, no matter how skilled they were as mages, they couldn¡¯t act rashly. It was the same for Ond. He quietly observed his surroundings and waited for the right moment. He wondered how much time had passed. A door opened, and one person came in. He heard a bit ofmotion from behind the door. The troops guarding the mages chatted with the person who came in, and they all talked for a bit. Then, many of them stormed out of the conference room.

    Ond clenched his fist. ¡®He came!¡¯ He was sure that Zich hade in person. That meant Ond also had to move soon.

    ¡®Not right now though!¡¯ Ond nced at the entrance and monitored the situation. The number of guards had decreased significantly; they probably used up many of their forces to deal with the situation. Just like that, some time passed by.

    ¡®Okay, should I go out now?¡¯ There were five keys for the mages¡¯ cuffs. Ond had already copied all of them and ced them inside the conference room beforehand. Furthermore, he had managed to grab them thanks to themotion from before. While escaping from the guards¡¯ eyes, he freed his hands from his cuffs.

    ¡®I did it!¡¯ He curled up his body to hide the fact that he had taken off his cuff and incanted a spell secretly.

    Thud!

    Ond got up. Everyone¡¯s eyes shot towards him, and the guards around him took out their swords. But it was toote.

    Booooom!

    All the guards froze into ice simultaneously.

    ¡°Y-You!¡± Ond saw other mages looking at him in surprise. Their hopeful eyes made Ondugh inside his heart.

    ¡®Yes! This is it!¡¯ There was nothing more satisfying than seeing gazes that admired him. However, Ond hid his inner thoughts and released them from their cuffs.

    ¡°I will exinter. Let¡¯s focus on fixing our current problem for now.¡±

    The mages nodded. At this moment, Ond was the natural leader. He took out the staffs that he had hidden with the keys and gave them to the other mages; the staffs were more luxurious than the ones that Zich had handed out to the people inside the prison.

    ¡°Elena!¡±

    Elena was locked up with him. Feeling down due to the guilt she felt for partly causing this wholemotion, Elena raised her head.

    ¡°You should wait here! People who are going to protect you areing soon!¡±

    After he saw Elena nod, Ond led the mages out of the meeting room. If he defeated the coup with the mages he had right now and framed Walwiss for instigating the coup, Ond¡¯s n would finally be sessful. However, everything didn¡¯t go ording to n. Apletely unexpected dilemma suddenly appeared in front of him.

    ¡°This is¡­!¡±

    An enormous amount of energy surrounded the magical tower. Ond and the other magicians knew what it was, so their faces became stiff.

    ¡°Dwayne!¡± A mage next to him shouted, ¡°The final defense system has been activated!¡±

    * * *

    The magic interference effect in the magical towerpletely disappeared. However, the people who were blocking the coup were not happy at all, because an even more serious threat had appeared in front of them.

    ¡°Get down!¡± Alben shouted, and all the mages on the stairs immediately got down to the floor.

    Swish!

    Sharp ice spike flew above them and disappeared. The magicians slowly raised their heads again, and Alben¡¯s sharp voice struck against their ears.

    ¡°The final defense system has been activated! Use all your magic on defending yourselves!¡±

    All the magicians began raising their staffs and defending themselves. Magic also came flying towards Zich and hispanions. As Zich swung Windur, all the magic that came flying towards him were split in two.

    L asked, ¡°Is this the final defense system?¡±

    ¡°Yep.¡± Zich nodded at L¡¯s question. ¡°Its abilities are pretty simple. When the final defense system is activated, a huge mana storm sweeps into the magical tower, and various magic attackse out.¡±

    Slice!

    Zich continued to talk while cutting all the rocks that came flying towards him. ¡°The type of magic, strength, and location thate out from the tower are all random. But even then, there¡¯s a limit; magic greater than a certain amount of magnitude and power won¡¯te out of the tower.¡±

    ¡°Even this is dangerous enough!¡± L shouted as she intercepted a magic that came flying towards her.

    Hans asked, ¡°Sir, I thought this could only be activated by the head of the magical tower. Has the head been defeated by the coup?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s probably not it.¡± L replied to Hans¡¯ question, and then, she red at Zich. ¡°It¡¯s obvious that he yed a part in this.¡±

    Zich replied shamelessly as if he did nothing wrong, ¡°But I had no choice; if I wanted to trick Wayne into thinking that Walwiss was the mastermind behind this coup, I needed to give him some kind of evidence.¡±

    Hans and Snoc carefully scanned their surroundings to make sure that no one was listening to their conversation. Fortunately, the other magicians were too busy blocking all the magic that was flying towards them, so no one was paying any attention to Zich¡¯s words.

    L said, ¡°So the evidence you gave him was how to activate this system?¡±

    ¡°I told him the password, to be exact. I secretly wrote the password in one of the codes that Ond sent to Wayne and his group. I merely wrote down the mana pattern but that was enough. Since they are all qualified to attend the top mages conference, they all knew what the password signified.¡±

    Zich wielded Windur and crushed all the magic that was flying towards the magicians behind him. ¡°Even though Ond thinks that he made Wayne and his group believe that Walwiss was their leader by his own skills and efforts, the decisive reason why they believe that is because of the password I gave them. Since they have the authority to approach the magical tower¡¯s defense system, they must have secretly checked if the password was real.¡±

    ¡°And theypletely fell into your trap.¡±

    ¡°Yep, precisely.¡±

    ¡°I have a rough idea of how you found out the password for the final defense system so I won¡¯t ask you about that, but did you really hand over the password to Wayne and his group for just that reason?¡¯

    ¡°Of course. I¡¯m a kind person. I haven¡¯t thought for a second that Ond might get frazzled and shocked if the final defense system was activated without his knowledge.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, right!¡± L began nullifying one of the magic flying towards her again and kicked Zich¡¯s shin. ¡°Then you shouldn¡¯t have brought other people here!¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s why I only brought a fraction of people outside the dungeon. Don¡¯t worry. All of the people here are strong enough to endure the defense system here. If we help them, we¡¯ll all be able to get to our destination.¡±

    ¡°And where¡¯s that?¡±

    Zich pointed his fingers up and said, ¡°The conference room.¡±

    * * *

    Even though Ond had confidently left the conference room, his hopeful heart was suddenly crushed by the enormous mana that shook the tower.

    Ond shouted to the mages near him, ¡°Damn it! That Walwiss Dwayne! He really activated the final defense system! Even though his underlings are still inside the magical tower!¡±

    ¡°Is he in his right mind!¡± One mage despaired as he saw the coup members, who tried to block them froming out, get destroyed by the magic from the tower¡¯s final defense system.

    Ond frantically tried to address the situation. He was busy blocking all the magic that came flying towards him, but he also could not understand why the final defense system had been activated.

    ¡®Perhaps, did father hand over the password to Wayne and his group?¡¯

    This was the only exnation, but Ond could not believe it. His father was not the type to hand over such important information to another person.

    ¡®Was I wrong about him?¡¯

    However, there was no leisure for him to think more about this.

    ¡°Dwayne! Let¡¯s quickly go back to the conference room for now! If we continue to move forward like this, it¡¯ll be the same as trying toplete a suicide mission! You also know that the final defense system¡¯s power in the top floors is iparably stronger than the lower floors, right?¡±

    Ond gritted his teeth. He racked his brain to find the best solution, but he did not take too long to make a decision. ¡°¡­Let¡¯s withdraw for now.¡±

    They hadn¡¯t moved very far from the conference yet; it was possibly for all of them to safely go back in. Moreover, the conference room was one of the very few ces that the final defense system¡¯s magic didn¡¯t reach. They all began to withdraw back into the conference room. Fortunately, they were all high level mages, so while some were injured, no one died. Ond was about to go back into the conference room when¡ª

    ¡°You¡¯ve also arrived, Mr. Dwayne.¡± Zich waved his hand and weed him inside.

 Chapter 272

    <h4>Chapter 272</h4>

    ¡°Mr. Zich!¡± Ond greeted Zich very weingly, but in his mind, he cursed and thought, ¡®Damn it, he¡¯s here already!¡¯

    Ond wanted to monopolize the achievement of defeating the coup¡¯s leaders, and he wasn¡¯t pleased to see Zich in the conference room so early. On the other hand, he was also surprised. ¡®He prated through the final defense system already?¡¯

    Even if the effect of the final defense system was weaker on the lower floorspared to the upper floors, that was only inparison. The system was also powerful even on the lower levels. However, Zich managed to prate it in a short amount of time. Looking at the number of mages he brought, it didn¡¯t even seem like he received much damage either.

    Still, Ond kept these thoughts to himself and reached his hand out to Zich.

    ¡°You have seeded splendidly!¡±

    ¡°Isn¡¯t it the same for you, sir?¡±

    The two shook hands. One of the mages with Ond looked at Zich suspiciously and asked, ¡°Isn¡¯t he the one who kidnapped Ms. Dwayne? Why is he here?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t have enough time to exin, but he is our helper for this incident.¡±

    ¡°A helper?¡±

    Along with the others, the mage who had asked the question looked confused.

    ¡°He is a Karuwiman Honorary Knight.¡±

    ¡°What do you mean he¡¯s the Honorary Knight? Wasn¡¯t his brooch already proven to be fake?¡±

    ¡°He showed a fake one to Elena for various reasons. I already saw the real brooch and checked it with the Karuwiman temple.¡±

    People murmured¡ªto think that Zich was really a Karuwiman Honorary Knight. Zich took out his brooch and showed the people who looked at him with surprise. People who knew what the brooch was supposed to look like murmured.

    ¡°That really is¡­¡±

    ¡°Then why did he kidnap Ms. Dwayne?¡±

    Ond cut them off. ¡°I know you have many questions, but let¡¯s hold those for now! Currently, we have to go to the top floor of the magical tower and capture our enemies to calm the situation down!¡±

    People thought for a moment and nodded one by one.

    ¡°I will take the lead,¡± Zich said.

    ¡°We can¡¯t just go without any preparations. It¡¯s impressive how you were able to lead the other mages here without receiving any significant losses, but the effect of the final defense system is much stronger in the upper floors.¡±

    ¡°We don¡¯t have enough time. From what I know, if we don¡¯t stop the final defense system soon, the magical tower will be in danger.¡±

    The end of the final defense system meant the destruction of the magical tower. The system operated by inting the mana flowing in the tower exponentially. If they didn¡¯t stop it on time, it meant the end of the magical tower. Thus, Ond couldn¡¯t disagree right away. In the first ce, he hadn¡¯t even considered the final defense system in his ns.

    ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry so much. I am an expert in these things. I think I proved myself in the Jaewick family residence when I broke down the master of the magical tower¡¯s magic.¡±

    In the end, Ond couldn¡¯t help but ept Zich¡¯s proposal. The reason for his scheming had been to chase away Walwiss and take the magical tower for his own. Thus, he couldn¡¯t let the magical tower be destroyed at all costs. Since the situation had escted to this point, they could no longer tie Zich and hispanions down for Elena¡¯s sake. Right now, reassuming control at the top of the magical tower was the utmost priority.

    Other mages also looked serious as they listened to the two¡¯s conversation. There was no mage who could ept the destruction of the magical tower.

    ¡°What if they try to halt the system before the tower gets destroyed?¡± one asked.

    ¡°They are guys who activated the final defense system because the coup was getting pushed back. I don¡¯t think they will stop from going further.¡± Although there were some questions, Zich quelled them down with his words. ¡°We will go with the most skilled and powerful people from here on out. Sir Dwayne, could you choose among the mages from the tower?¡±

    ¡°I will do that.¡± Ond gathered the magicians. Although he had taken the end seats at the tower¡¯s top conferences, he tookmand among the group of mages naturally.

    Zich nced at him and thought, ¡®He is capable.¡¯

    Then, he took Hans and Snoc and headed to where L was with Elena. L had run to Elena after seeing that she was in the conference room. While asking questions, L looked all over Elena¡¯s body to see if she was hurt anywhere. Thankfully, Elena didn¡¯t seem injured. In the first ce, Elena wasn¡¯t even handcuffed with the cuffs made specially for mages, so there was a low chance of her getting hurt.

    ¡°L, it¡¯s time to go.¡±

    ¡°Okay,¡± L responded to Zich while grabbing Elena¡¯s hand tightly. Then, shemanded, ¡°You must never leave this room. Do you understand?¡±

    ¡°I-I understand,¡± Elena hesitated because she didn¡¯t know how to respond to L. Although it had been settled before that L was a bad person, the current situation seemed to indicate the opposite.

    Like she knew what Elena was concerned about, L said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. We are not really the enemies of the magical tower. I will exin everything after this incident is over.¡±

    ¡°¡­Yes, Teacher.¡± As if Elena decided to believe in L again, she called L ¡®Teacher¡¯ again. L¡¯s face brightened up, but her face stiffened again.

    ¡°You have to stay strong and endure it. Alright?¡±

    ¡°¡­Yes.¡± Elena thought L wasforting her after Walwiss was revealed to be the leader of the coup. But L neither meant that nor could she tell Elena the truth right now.

    ¡°After this is over, let¡¯s practice magic again.¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    L moved away from Elena.

    ¡°Are you done?¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡±

    After L joined the group, Zich turned his head towards the entrance of the conference room.

    ¡°Let¡¯s finish this.¡±

    * * *

    Pop! Pop! Pop! Pop!

    It wasn¡¯t a lie that the final defense system would be much more powerful on the upper floor. As if it were proving Ond¡¯s words, the storm of magic shot out from all directions and filled its onlookers with fear and terror. It was to the point that it made them think entering it was an act of suicide. Thus, Ond thought it would be difficult to make their way up the tower and expected many casualties. However, the situation progressed a bit differently from what he thought. Zich stretched out the arm that was holding Windur.

    Ziing! The mana that had gathered in Zich¡¯s sword scattered out as if magic was being activated. At the same time, all the magic around Zich was nullified. While magic frantically flew all around them, only the area around Zich was calm.

    ¡°Let¡¯s run!¡± Zich led the group of mages who hurriedly tried to follow behind him.

    ¡®¡­This is amazing.¡¯ Ond clicked his tongue at the sight in front of him; Zich¡¯s ability was enough to make him click his tongue in awe. Since the final defense system was fundamentally supported by the mana¡¯s explosive power, there were a lot of unstable areas. However, Zich precisely located those unstable areas and made a safe space for everyone to pass through by forcefully pushing enormous mana into those areas.

    ¡®He really didn¡¯t nullify my father¡¯s magic by luck.¡¯

    Of course, Zich had an easier time nullifying the final defense system since he had experienced it before his regression, but there was no way Ond knew about this. Ond began to feel nervous as Zich¡¯s achievement in thismotion seemed to be piling up. However, he forcefully repressed this feeling.

    Zich was not an official member of the magical tower. No matter how great his achievements were in resolving this conflict, he could never be the next head or the master of the magician¡¯s tower.

    ¡®He¡¯s not going to be a problem in my n to be the next leader.¡¯

    Since Ond¡¯s achievements would be fewer than Zich¡¯s, it would be a bit harder for him to be the next master, but these were things to think aboutter on. Ond worked with the other mages to nullify the magic that Zich wasn¡¯t able to destroy and continued to climb up.

    * * *

    Crash! Zich broke an enormous door that appeared in front of them. A powerful spell immediately flew towards Zich. However, Zich had already moved back.

    Crasssssh! The spell¡¯s ability to make the whole tower shake made it seem extremely powerful. Even though the magical tower was strengthened by mana, it couldn¡¯tpletely withstand the spell¡¯s powerful force and a part of the tower was destroyed. Stones and dust fell down from the ceiling.

    Tap! Zich began running ahead again. He saw mages standing in front of the entrance with their staffs drawn¡ªthey were thest remaining members of the coup. The others probably died from the final defense system or had already escaped to a safe ce.

    ¡°You punnnk!¡± Wayne put out his staff towards Zich.

    Zich increased his speed further.

    Ziiing! Wayne shot a wind spell towards him by using silent incantation. Zich ducked and easily evaded his attack. The mages next to Wayne began hurling all kinds of magic towards Zich. However, Zich also had a mage on his side.

    Bam! Bam! Bam!

    Magic attacks flew from behind Zich. While the magic attacks that flew towards Zich were activated by silent incantation, the magic attacks that flew behind Zich were all powerful magic attacks that L sent by saying her incantations out loud.

    ¡°Ugh!¡±

    ¡°Agh!¡±

    The mages from the coup copsed on the ground while screaming. In an instant, the only enemy left was Wayne Jaewick. Zich moved right in front of Wayne.

    ¡°Agghhhhh!¡± Wayne let out a shout and swung his staff towards Zich. However, there was not much strength that an old mage like Wayne could let out.

    Slice! Windur too easily cut Wayne¡¯s expensive staff in half.

    Punch! Zich immediatelynded a punch. Wayne¡¯s body flew as Zich¡¯s fist mmed against his cheek.

    Thu-ud!

    Wayne¡¯s body was pathetically crumpled on one side of the room. Like this, all the mages from the coup were gone.

    ¡°Arrest them immediately!¡± With Ond¡¯s order, the mages rushed into the room. They put handcuffs specially made for mages on the members of the coup, and they groaned in pain.

    ¡°Where is my father!¡± Ond grabbed one of the better faring members of the coup by his cor and shouted at him. However, Ond received a reply from another person.

    ¡°Sir, he¡¯s over there.¡±

    At Zich¡¯s reply, Ond stared at where Zich was pointing to. Ond saw Walwiss on the ground with his body tied up to a chair.

    ¡°¡­Father?¡± Ond let out his confused question, and a mage moved behind him.

    ¡°Didn¡¯t we hear that the master was the one who instigated this coup? Were we mistaken?¡± the mage said with hope in his voice.

    However, Ond shook his head and gravely replied, ¡°It could be an internal strife.¡±

    ¡°Anyways, we won.¡± Ond approached Walwiss and set the chair back up. Walwiss seemed to have been beaten up quite a lot since his appearance was quite unappealing. He looked up at Ond. The two members of the Dwayne family looked at each other.

    ¡°¡­You¡¯ve crushed the coup. Great job.¡± Walwiss made a faint smile.

    However, Ond did not smile. ¡°Father, were you the one who directed this coup?¡±

    ¡°Of course not. Why would I direct such an event? I have no reason to and look at my state right now. Do I look like their leader right now?¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s lying!¡± Someone urgently denied Walwiss¡¯ words¡ªit was Wayne. Even though he was handcuffed and on his knees, he continued to shout towards Walwiss. ¡°We were definitely moving ording to the master¡¯s orders. The master is just acting right now!¡¯

    ¡°What nonsense.¡±

    ¡°Then how would I know the password for the final defense system!¡±

    ¡°¡­¡± Walwiss couldn¡¯t answer that question either; he also really wanted to know the answer to that question as well.

    Then Ond said, ¡°¡­If we investigate, we¡¯ll be able to figure out what happened. However, it seems like what we¡¯ll find won¡¯t be favorable for you, Father.¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°Father, a Karuwiman Honorary Knight thinks you¡¯re the culprit.¡± Ond pointed at Zich.

    After Walwiss saw who he was pointing at, Walwiss was shocked and eximed, ¡°That person is¡­!¡±

    He was the wicked criminal who kidnapped Elena. What was he doing here?

    ¡°Sir, you¡¯re right.¡± Zich paid no attention to Walwiss¡¯ shock and nodded. With a very serious face, he said, ¡°I know the culprit.¡±

 Chapter 273

    <h4>Chapter 273</h4>

    ¡°What do you mean¡­?¡±

    Walwiss didn¡¯t understand why Zich was with the other mages, especially at this particr time; he had a bad feeling about this. He realized the situation seemed to point to him as the main culprit behind the coup.

    ¡°Why is he here?¡±

    ¡°He is a Karuwiman Honorary Knight. He helped us tremendously in suppressing this coup.¡±

    ¡°What are you saying? Wasn¡¯t his brooch a fake?!¡±

    ¡°It is real. He showed a fake one before because he thought it was too early to reveal his true identity to Elena. I have already finished checking with the Karuwiman temple too.¡±

    ¡°¡­You checked?¡±

    If Ond had checked with the temple, there was a high possibility that it was the truth.

    ¡°Yes, I did. Sir Zich has been chasing after the robed figures who tried to kidnap Elena for a long time. After confirming that their coborator was in this city, he acted ordingly.¡± Ond spoke as if he was boasting his own deeds. Meanwhile, Zich didn¡¯t say much. He simply shrugged his shoulders at the many eyes shifting his way in agreement.

    ¡°And he named you, Father, as the coborator.¡±

    ¡°What!¡±

    ¡°He also told us that you nned to put all the me for your sins on me.¡±

    ¡°What kind of nonsense are you saying! Why would I!¡±

    ¡°I understand. I still believe in you¡ªno, I want to believe in you, Father. However, this is what the Karuwiman Honorary Knight is telling us. I can¡¯t help but doubt a bit, so I re-evaluated everything again. I wonder if there¡¯s a one in a thousand or one in a million chance that you could be the main instigator behind the coup.¡±

    Ond¡¯s eyes drooped down. They were like eyes that wanted to deny the truth that he didn¡¯t want to believe what was right in front of him. Seeing this impressed Zich. He thought, ¡®Wow, this guy is really good at acting.¡¯

    Ond continued, ¡°Father, the current you really has no faults. As the master of the magical tower or a mage, youck nothing. However, you don¡¯t use to be like that.¡±

    ¡°¡­People can change. I changed.¡± As if Walwiss was thinking of an unpleasant memory, his voice was low. Yet, his voice still held a strong will.

    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s what I used to think. But you know, Father, what if you didn¡¯t change?¡±

    ¡°What are you trying to say?¡±

    ¡°Father, I am saying if your current self is all an act, and your true self is still the same as before¡ªI think I can understand what you did.¡±

    The people around them murmured. Even Wayne who was ring at Walwiss with bloodshot eyes turned to stare at Ond in surprise.

    ¡°Father, you used to be a cold person who always ced the family name above your own son. That¡¯s how big your desire for power was. And if you are the same as ever, Father, then that means you still only want one thing: power over the magical tower.¡± Ond looked down at Walwiss. ¡°I¡¯m sure being the master of the magical tower had something to do with your personality change. If you continued to act egotistical and self-righteous like before, other people would have opposed you even if you were the greatest mage in the magical tower.¡±

    Even if the magical tower prioritized magic, one couldn¡¯t possibly have emotions involved in a ce where people gathered.

    ¡°So, if you had put up a face for that reason, I can understand how your personality changed to the one you have right now. However, to your surprise, because you assumed such a weak persona, more people began to ignore the authority you held. I¡¯m sure a self-righteous person like you, Father, didn¡¯t like that. That¡¯s why you nned a self-coup.¡±

    ¡°Are you saying that I used the coup as an excuse to get rid of my opposition and better establish my power in the magical tower?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡± Ond nodded calmly at Walwiss¡¯ words.

    ¡°And I nned to put all the me on you? To my own son!¡± Walwiss finally couldn¡¯t take it any longer and started shouting. However, Ond¡¯s expression didn¡¯t change.

    ¡°Yes, Father. To me, who was your shame and blot to your perfect life.¡±

    ¡°You¡­¡±

    ¡°Is that also your reason for ordering Elena¡¯s kidnapping? If Elena was kidnapped, everybody would have no choice but to follow your words. It would make preparing the coup easier, and it would simultaneously get rid of the other blot on your life¡ªyour talentless granddaughter who couldn¡¯t use even a tiny bit of magic at all.¡±

    ¡°I tried to save Elena!¡±

    ¡°Because the ones who kidnapped Elena were your coborators, Father, and they all died. Isn¡¯t that why you felt threatened by the incident?¡±

    ¡°Ond!¡±

    The father and son looked at each other chillingly. People couldn¡¯t even breathe as they watched the two. Ond was the first one to back down¡ªhe closed his eyes and sighed. Then, he rubbed his eyes like he was tired.

    ¡°This is still just my imagination. I hope with all my heart that it isn¡¯t true.¡± Then, he turned around and looked at the mages in the tower.

    ¡°Let¡¯s arrest him.¡±

    ¡°I will do it.¡± Zich stepped forward. ¡°Since all of you are fellowpanions of the magical tower, I think it¡¯s better for an outsider like me to handle it. Of course, if you all insist that a person from the magical tower should handle matters inside the tower, I will back off.¡±

    ¡°¡­No. Sir Zich, please take care of this for us. We have received too much help from you for us to settle the matter amongst ourselves.¡±

    No one disagreed.

    ¡°Then, I will arrest him.¡± Zich approached closer.

    Ond looked up at the sky. He couldn¡¯t see the sky¡ªonly the ceiling of the magical tower. People thought he had turned the other way to avoid seeing the sight of his father getting arrested, but that wasn¡¯t it. He was repressing the happiness flooding into his heart. He raised his head, worried that someone might catch the glee overflowing in his eyes.

    ¡®I seeded!¡¯ He eximed, ¡®I brought Father down!¡¯

    Now, if Ond handed the evidence that he had prepared in secret to the press, Walwiss would be surely dragged out of the magical tower. Of course, not everything would be over. Ond¡¯s ultimate goal was the top position of the magical tower and not just Walwiss¡¯ downfall.

    ¡®I also have to clean up this mess.¡¯ Since unexpected situations had unfolded one after another, his n was pushed far ahead of schedule. Thus, there were gaps and holes to it. Moreover, he had to check the evidence that Zich possessed, and he also had to find out how Wayne knew the password of the final defense system. However, Ond felt confident about his sess.

    ¡®Since the coup waspleted sessfully, I can control the rest somewhat.¡¯ He was one of the leaders who stopped the coup. Moreover, if he gained the support of Zich, a Karuwiman Honorary Knight who was a critical figure in defeating the coup, he would be able to gain a great amount of influence in the magical tower.

    ¡®In the end, it¡¯s my victory!¡¯

    Ond was immersed in his own glory and emotions.

    Tap!

    Suddenly, he heard something fall down. Ond looked down and saw that Zich had cut off the ropes from Walwiss and released the cuffs on his wrists. The sound Ond heard just now was the sound of handcuffs falling down on the ground. Ond was surprised; even though Walwiss was hurt and didn¡¯t have his staff, he was still a dangerous opponent. All the other mages also shared the same feelings as Ond, and they began murmuring out loud.

    However, Zich¡¯s expression was calm. He turned his back and walked towards Ond.

    ¡°Mr. Z-Zich, why did you release my father¡ª!¡±

    Whish! A sharp sword was pressed against Ond¡¯s neck as he tried to speak and kept Walwiss in check. Ond thought that Zich¡¯s sword looked extremely strange whenever he saw it, but he was able to clearly feel its sharpness. Silence filled the entire room. People who were murmuring amongst themselves swallowed their breaths, and Walwiss was also surprised that Zich had suddenly released the handcuffs and ropes. However, the one who was most surprised was Ond.

    Ond shouted, ¡°W-what are you doing!¡±

    ¡°Sir, I¡¯m only doing my job,¡± Zich spoke in a calm¡ªno, leisurely voice. ¡°I need to capture the person who coborated with the robed figures and led the coup.¡±

    ¡°Then why are you pointing your sword at me! You have to capture my father over there.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s because Walwiss Dwayne is not the culprit.¡±

    ¡°¡­What?¡± Ond was unable to understand Zich¡¯s words.

    Then, as if Zich thought Ond was pitiful, he kindly added in additional information. ¡°Sir, are you still not able to understand what¡¯s happening? The culprit who instigated the coup, kidnapped Elena, and coborated with the robed figures.¡± Zich pushed his sword a little further towards Ond¡¯s neck and said with a smile, ¡°That¡¯s you, you fucking dimwit.¡±

    Zich dropped all formalities and spoke cheerfully. The people surrounding Zich all froze at Zich¡¯s shocking revtion. However, soon enough, everyone¡¯s reactions burst forth at once as if an enormous fire spell had exploded in the room. There were people whose eyes were wide open, people who had their hands covering their mouths, and people who looked all around them. While people showed different reactions, they were all confused and startled.

    ¡°¡­What did you say?¡± Even Walwiss was not able to properly speak despite being told that he was not the culprit.

    However, the one who showed the strongest reaction was Wayne. ¡°Don¡¯t make meugh!¡±

    Wayne cried, ¡°The one who led the coup is Walwiss Dwayne! It¡¯s not Ond Dwayne!¡±

    ¡°I tricked you into believing that, you dumbass.¡± Zich easily crushed down Wayne¡¯s feelings as Wayne spat out blood.

    Then Zich continued, ¡°You were so easily tricked by a couple of codes. Seriously, how stupid can you be? No, is Ond just that skilled? Either way, Ond is clearly heads above you.¡±

    ¡°You braaaaat!¡± Wayne¡¯s face became bright red. He wriggled his fingers, and it looked as if he wanted to immediately attack Zich with magic. The mages near him flinched. If Wayne used magic right now and his handcuffs exploded, all the mages near him would also be seriously injured. But fortunately, Wayne still had somemon sense left. He shouted again, ¡°If he is the leader of the coup, then how was he able to tell me the final defense system¡¯s password!¡±

    ¡°Ah, now that I think about it, there was something like that.¡± Then Zich stared at Walwiss and continued, ¡°Sir, won¡¯t you stop the final defense system first? At this rate, the magical tower will probably copse.¡±

    ¡°Ah, yeah! Walwiss frantically ran towards the defense system¡¯s control device. Then he quickly inputted the mana pattern and stopped the tower¡¯s demise.

    ¡°Look at that!¡± Wayne shouted, ¡°If it wasn¡¯t Walwiss, who would have taught us that!¡±

    ¡°I taught you that.¡±

    ¡°What?¡± Wayne¡¯s mouth gaped open.

    Other people also had their eyes wide open and stared at Zich. However, just this amount of attention was not enough to make a change in Zich¡¯s expression. ¡°I wrote the password disguised as the codes that Ond sent.¡±

    Zich winked at Wayne who was unable to close his mouth and moved his gaze towards Ond. ¡°Did you honestly think that those guys believed Walwiss was the leader just because of your skills and efforts? Even those dimwits were suspicious for a while. If I hadn¡¯t given them the password for the final defense system, they wouldn¡¯t have followed your orders so blindly. It only turned out like this because I helped you.¡±

    Then, Zich thought of something. ¡°Ah, then I guess I have to take back what I said about how you were above Wayne Jaewick. At least that guy actually had a legit reason to believe that Walwiss was the leader. Hmmm, then, who should I judge as the superior one?¡± However, Zich soon gave up on contemting. ¡°I guess I don¡¯t even need to think about this. Both of you are stupid pawns that yed right into my hands.¡±

    ¡°This pu¡ª!¡±

    Punch! Ond struck away Zich¡¯s sword and put his staff right in front of Zich. Mana swirled around his staff. Even though the situation was reversed instantly, Zich didn¡¯t look fazed at all. Rather than being unable to resist, he looked as if he wasn¡¯t even trying to resist at all.

    Ond shouted, ¡°Stop ying around! Regardless of your status as a Karuwiman Honorary Knight who helped us suppress the coup, I won¡¯t stand further insults!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not ying around, Ond Dwayne.¡± Unlike before, Zich spoke in apletely serious tone and told Ond, ¡°The reason why I told you that I was suspicious of the master and pretended to cooperate with you was to bring out all the robed figures¡¯ coborators. So listen to me carefully, Ond Dwayne.¡±

    Ond¡¯s face slowly became more distorted as Zich firmly eximed, ¡°The mastermind behind this coup is you!¡±

 Chapter 274

    <h4>Chapter 274</h4>

    ¡°What are you saying! That¡¯s nonsense!¡± Ond denied Zich¡¯s ims. Then, he counterattacked Zich in response. ¡°I did not lead the coup! I mean, if we really think about it, aren¡¯t you the most suspicious one! How do you know the password to the tower¡¯s final defense system that only the master of the magical tower should know!¡±

    Zich shrugged. ¡°I happened to find out.¡±

    ¡°Do you think the password of the final defense system is so poorly managed that you can just happen to find out about it! Like I said, you really are the most suspicious one!¡±

    ¡°Haha! Hey, Ond Dwayne. You are the one who confirmed my status and checked with the Karuwimans. Yet, are you saying that I¡¯m the most suspicious one now? If I am really on the opposing side of the magical tower, you will also be held responsible for it.¡±

    ¡°I-I simply believed in the Karuwimans!¡±

    ¡°So, are you saying that you can¡¯t believe in the Karuwimans anymore?¡±

    ¡°¡­.!¡± Ond wanted to yell, ¡®Yes, I do!¡¯ this instant, but he couldn¡¯t dare to open his mouth. Karuwimans held strong influence all over the world. Even if Ond was cornered, he didn¡¯t have the rank or courage to say that he didn¡¯t believe in them out loud.

    Zich said as he tapped his head with his fingers, ¡°You should think before you speak. Or you should consider whether or not you have the power to express yourints to the other party.¡±

    ¡°Ugh!¡± Ond gritted his teeth. His hands trembled as if he wanted to use magic, but he didn¡¯t use the mana in his staff in the end.

    ¡°You said you are Mr. Zich, right?¡± another mage asked.

    ¡°Yes,¡± Zich responded cheerfully to the mage who carefully asked his question.

    ¡°Are you really saying that Ond Dwayne led the coup?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a lie!¡±

    Zich¡¯s agreement and Ond¡¯s denial ovepped.

    ¡°I made several efforts to suppress the coup! Don¡¯t you all know that! How does it even make sense that I led the coup!¡± Ond shouted as if he wasining about an unfair situation.

    ¡°Because you are aiming for the position as the master of the magical tower,¡± Zich easily suppressed Ond¡¯s ims.

    ¡°If you drag down the master of the magical tower and get rid of many other expert mages at once, you will be far closer to the position. Since you knew the coup would happen beforehand, it was easier for you to prepare for it and sessfully deal with the situation. Knowing how great of a deed it is to suppress the coup is, you¡¯d be closer to the seat of the head of the magical tower.¡±

    ¡°I never did that!¡±

    People struggled to choose who to believe except one person: Walwiss. Of course, Walwiss hadn¡¯t known about the lead of the coup or even the coup¡¯s existence. Thus, he didn¡¯t think he was the culprit. In other words, he had only one culprit in mind.

    ¡°Ond, you really¡­¡±

    ¡°No! Ah, damn it! You are the one who really led the coup!¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not me!¡±

    The father and son shed again. As they red at each other with raging eyes, Zich quietly intervened. Then, he told Walwiss, ¡°Like how it was mentioned before, I have been chasing after the robed figures for a while now. They work to corrupt people, and when they do, they often make the people around them their coborators. This time, the robed figures¡¯ target was you, Walwiss Dwayne, and the coborator was Ond Dwayne.¡±

    ¡°If you keep speaking nonsense, I am really going to kill you!¡±

    ¡°Try if you want to. But if you do, won¡¯t people really suspect you? It¡¯s very suspicious to kill the person who is trying to testify against you.¡±

    ¡°Y-You¡­.!¡±

    Zich easily cut Ond off and continued, ¡°I have found evidence that other families who supported the coup received help from the robed figures. However, they were nothing more than useful tools. Their real coborator was Ond Dwayne. The robed figures probably approached Ond Dwayne with what he really wanted as their bait¡­.¡± Zich pointed to Ond''s staff that was right in front of his face and said, ¡°Magic.¡±

    ¡°¡­What do you mean?¡± Walwiss asked.

    ¡°You said this man used to not have much talent in magic, right sir? They helped him with that.¡±

    ¡°A method to make a person with no talent develop their magic! How could there be a method like that!¡± If this method really existed, it would shake the foundation of magic. Thus, the mention of such a method made Walwiss forget about his current circumstances and exim in denial.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know the specifics because the robed figures know all kinds of special methods, but I can guess.¡± Zich arrogantly looked down at Ond and offered a shocking statement, ¡°It¡¯s by stealing another person¡¯s magic.¡±

    ¡°¡­What?¡± Walwiss¡¯ mouth dropped open, and other people responded simrly. Only Ond gave a death re to Zich.

    ¡°Nonsense¡ª!¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not nonsense, Ond Dwayne. After investigating, I realized that you found your magical talent shortly after your wife died. Furthermore, the magic you developed was coincidentally in the same school of magic as your wife¡¯s.¡±

    Ond¡¯s face hardened.

    ¡°So, I began to think. What if the amazing magic you suddenly got was stolen from your wife? I heard that your wife used to be a mage with considerable talent¡ªyou know, the kind that you wouldn¡¯t even be able to meet the eyes with if you weren¡¯t from the Dwayne family.¡±

    ¡°How far are you going to go! To what lengths are you going to go to shame me now by iming that I stole my wife¡¯s magic!¡±

    ¡°Yeah. So, I thought your wife died because of that.¡±

    Bam! Ond swung his staff. The hard edge of the staff struck Zich¡¯s face. It made his face turn for a moment and cause blood to drip down from his mouth.

    Ond red at Zich menacingly. ¡°Like you said, my wife and I had an arranged marriage, and our marriage life wasn¡¯t the best. But still, how could you im that I killed my wife to steal her magic? There¡¯s a limit to how much nonsense you can say! First of all, is it even possible to steal another person¡¯s magic!¡± Ond shouted. The people in his surroundings seemed to be on his side now.

    They couldn¡¯t ept the possibility of stealing another person¡¯s magic, and mentioning Ond¡¯ste wife seemed to have caused them to feel an aversion towards Zich. However, Zich spat out his blood mixed with saliva and continued without concern, ¡°Isn¡¯t it possible? I think it¡¯spletely possible. Like how you are stealing your daughter¡¯s magic right now.¡±

    Ond halted.

    ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you before? That we used mana from the magical beast of the Earth to educate Elena, and the beast¡¯s mana was disappearing bit by bit? So, I thought somebody was stealing Elena¡¯s magical talent, and I found out who that person was.¡±

    Clutch! Zich grabbed Ond by the cors. Then, he ced his face right in front of Ond¡¯s and demanded, ¡°So tell me. Why in the world is Nowem¡¯s mana mixed in with the magic you used at the Jaewicks¡¯ house?¡±

    Ond¡¯s eyes widened.

    ¡°Honestly, I didn¡¯t know who the robed figure¡¯s coborator was in the beginning. I narrowed down the culprit to you and the master, but after that, it was difficult to determine who the culprit was. However, after finding out that your magic had Nowem¡¯s mana in it, I became certain who the culprit was.¡±

    Ond had his mouth open. He hadn¡¯t expected his identity to be revealed by something like that. ¡°T-that is a lie¡­¡±

    ¡°If you can¡¯t believe it, why don¡¯t we immediately make Elena use Nowem¡¯s mana? Then you can use your magic. If your mana doesn¡¯t have Nowem¡¯s mana in it, you¡¯ll be innocent. How about it, do you want to try it right now?¡±

    Ond¡¯s excuse was immediately blocked by Zich¡¯s words. If Ond followed Zich¡¯s suggestion, the situation would be disadvantageous for him.

    ¡°¡­No way, is that for real?!¡± People stared at Ond with surprise as he was not able to give an answer. All the gazes directed towards him slowly changed into fury and disgust.

    ¡°N-no! It¡¯s not like¡ª!¡± Ond began to frantically make excuses for himself, but Zich cut off even hisst excuse.

    ¡°You should give up, my friend. I¡¯ve already collected a lot of evidence to prove that you¡¯re the culprit. It was just as easy as pretending to be your coborator.¡± Zich brightly smiled. His smile didn¡¯t even have a trace of friendliness or warmth in it. ¡°Did you think that you were able to finally aplish your goal? Were you ted and ovee with happiness? Too bad. Your soon-to-be fate is not the rose-colored future you imagined where you¡¯ll be the next master of the magical tower. Instead, your fate is a bleak future where you¡¯ll be punished for all the crimes you did, including instigating this coup. How about it¡ªhow was that short, sweet moment of hope?¡±

    ¡°Ug-ughhh-uggh..!¡± The staff that Ond was holding trembled in his hands. He red at Zich with bloodshot eyes. ¡°This damn bastaaaaaarddd!¡±

    sh! An enormous amount of mana suddenly burst out of Ond¡¯s body. The furniture and supplies in the room flew and people crouched down to brace themselves. Zich also used Windur as a shield and blocked the winding from Ond¡¯s body.

    Zich shouted, ¡°You¡¯re finally showing your true colors!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m going to kill you! I¡¯m definitely going to at least kill you!¡± Ond shouted with clear hatred in his voice. Ond¡¯s actions made it clear that he was the mastermind all along.

    Walwiss looked at the sight in front of him in a daze. ¡°¡­Is it really true? Did you really do all those things, Ond!¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I did!¡± Ond shouted and red at Walwiss.

    ¡°Why would you do such a foolish ac¡­!¡±

    ¡°Give me a break! Cut out that fatherly look you¡¯re giving me right now!¡±

    Walwiss made a shocked face.

    ¡°When were you ever interested in me? Just because I wasn¡¯t gifted in magic, you didn¡¯t even treat me like your own child! So don¡¯t make a face like that after all this time!¡±

    The mana that Ond let out became rougher. ¡°Don¡¯t ask me why anymore! Whatever happens, I need to hone my magic and obtain power over the magical tower for myself! Those are all things I learned from you! And if you still ask me why, then I only have one answer for you! The reason why I want to obtain power in the magical tower is for the same reason as you!¡±

    Walwiss closed his mouth. His pale face seemed to have been frozen by Ond¡¯s magic.

    ¡°Don¡¯t ever talk like you¡¯re my father! After you lost all interest in me, I¡¯ve never once considered you my father!¡± Ond firmly dered his severance as a son to Walwiss.

    Walwiss was not able to retort with a single word.

    Zich said, ¡°Hmm, you clearly have a deep grudge against your father. Well, I understand why you wanted to frame the master, but why did you steal Elena¡¯s magic and talent? That child hasn¡¯t harmed anyone, and she¡¯s not the type to harm others.¡±

    Even though the atmosphere had grown so serious that no one dared to interfere between Ond and Walwiss, Zich easily shattered that tense atmosphere and asked Ond a few questions.

    ¡°In order for a child to seed, their father also has to be sessful! Moreover, I also had no intention to steal her mana forever!¡±

    Zich liked Ond¡¯spletely trashy reply. ¡°Don¡¯t make meugh. Then, did you not consider the pain that your daughter would experience when you stole her mana? Anyone can see that your actions are not so different from your father¡¯s actions, which you hated and criticized so much. No, actually, your actions are far trashier.¡±

    ¡°You bastard!¡± Ond mmed his staff on the ground. The staff filled with mana made arge sound as it hit the ground. ¡°How can you understand my feelings! I was unable to meet my family¡¯s expectations, and my entire family looked at me with contempt! All the people around me mocked andughed at me that someone from an esteemed family couldn¡¯t even properly use magic! A person like you¡ªhave you ever experienced such a thing!¡±

    ¡°I have.¡± Zich easily nodded while Ond cried out as if he was spitting out blood.

    Ond was unable to reply for a moment. ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°My birth mother who passed away insulted me at every opportunity and said I wascking in every possible way, and my stepmother always tried to find fault in me to make my half-brother the next heir of the family. Because of my birth mother¡¯s harassment and abuse, my father lost all affection for me and did all sorts of underhanded moves to pass down the family to my brother, and all his vassals looked at me with contempt. Moreover, I was unable to awaken my mana even as I got older, so even the servants of my family looked down on me. Come on, isn¡¯t my background as good as yours?¡±

 Chapter 275

    <h4>Chapter 275</h4>

    ¡°You are bbering whateveres to your mind!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not. I¡¯m just telling the truth.¡± Zich raised his chin. He didn¡¯t identify himself as the subject of the story, but everyone knew that he was talking about his story. From behind, Hans kept fidgeting around with Estede as if he felt guilty.

    ¡°So, that guy still became a Karuwiman Honorary Knight after going through all that?¡± Ond¡¯s face twisted gruesomely. Zich was clearly rebuking him. After experiencing simr childhoods, one became a traitor while the other one became an Honorary Knight. At the stark difference that Zich was pointing out to him, Ond wanted to spit at him. Yet, Zich¡¯s next responsepletely contrasted his expectations.

    ¡°No, that guy also became evil. He became the ultimate viin, iparable to small fries like you.¡±

    ¡°You bastard! Are you mocking¡ª!¡±

    ¡°However!¡± Zich cut off Ond¡¯s angry words, ¡°He at least didn¡¯t me others for his actions.¡±

    It was as if a Great Demon Lord was mocking a small-fry viin.

    ¡°A person¡¯s past can definitely influence their actions, or their life can even be controlled by someone else. But the decision to take that path wholly falls on you.¡± This applied even if somebody else had led the person on the path.

    ¡°So, don¡¯t ce the me on your past!¡± Of course, screwing over the people who manipted his life without his knowledge was another matter. Zich differentiated between these two matters very clearly.

    ¡°¡­So, you are saying that I am in the wrong.¡±

    People disliked it when their opinions were refuted, especially when it was their life philosophy. Naturally, Ond became upset; but Zich didn¡¯t care for his feelings. Thus, his next response didn¡¯t consider Ond¡¯s feelings at all.

    ¡°No, I was just telling you how I feel. You were talking as if you were the most pitiable existence in the world, so I was just trying to show you how delusional you are.¡± It was ridiculous that someone who had walked the path of the Demon Lord was giving advice to another person about their way of living.

    ¡°I¡¯m not the type of person to intervene in how other people live their lives, so you should continue living your own way. Whatever feelings you have or whether you lead a coup, I won¡¯t judge your actions to determine if they are right or wrong. I¡¯m going to live my life my own way, and we can¡¯t avoid shing if you decide to coborate with the robed figures. Well, I¡¯ve bbered on for a long time, but that¡¯s all I wanted to say.¡±

    Zich took back Windur against Ond and got into a fighting stance.

    ¡°Come on, let¡¯s just do whatever the hell we want!¡±

    Crash!

    Zich shot forward. Imbued with mana, his sword flew towards Ond¡¯s heart.

    Tang!

    Zich¡¯s sword bounced off. There was suddenly an invisible wall in front of Ond.

    ¡°Aren¡¯t you just saying that you will do whatever the hell you want in the end!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not! I¡¯m just saying that we won¡¯t achieve anything by showing off our misfortune to each other! It¡¯s all pointlesspared to our current situation anyways! I don¡¯t care about your situation, and it¡¯s not like you will sympathize with another person for having a simr past as you either!¡±

    Crunch!

    Zich twirled his wrist and swung the sword that had bounced off again.

    ¡°Tch!¡±

    Mana whirled around Ond¡¯s staff. Temperature from their surroundings dropped sharply and ice pirs began to shoot up around him. They pierced through everything in their path and widened the area.

    ¡°B-Block them!¡± In a hurry, other mages moved their staffs and responded to Ond¡¯s magical attacks. They were also considerably strong mages, but right now, all they could do was block Ond¡¯s magic with all their might.

    ¡®Hmm. Are they tired?¡¯ Even if Zich had deactivated the defense system, the mages suffered a lot to prate through the system; while their magic kept getting obstructed, they continued to move. It was understandable as to why they were all tired.

    ¡®But this guy¡¯s magic definitely became stronger.¡¯

    Although he took one of the seats at the end, Ond was a member of the top conferences in the magical tower; thus, if his magic abilities became even stronger now, it was evidently going to be quite troublesome.

    ¡°Zich! Is that perhaps¡­!¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s probably what you think, L.¡±

    If Ond had forcefully unleashed his power, there should be some gaps or awkwardness in his movements. However, there was no trace of that in Ond. ¡®He must not have increased his power, and there¡¯s an even lower chance that he increased his original power.¡¯

    That meant only one thing: he had brought in a new power from elsewhere.

    ¡°You must have stolen something from Elena.¡± Although Elena¡¯s talent was incredible, she didn¡¯t have anything that could be considered magic at the moment. He was probably stealing something else such as her life force.

    ¡°Kill him right now!¡± L shouted. It seemed like L had reached the same conclusion as Zich. ¡°You damn bastard! You made all that fuss about how your father hurt you, but how much are you nning to steal from Elena!¡±

    ¡°Shut up! I¡¯m different from my father! I was a good father to her normally! I even supported and cheered her on for her dream! I¡¯m just taking something back for what I did for her!¡±

    ¡°Wow! You are able to say such trashy lines without hesitation! Totally my type!¡± Zich eximed.

    ¡°Zich!¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, L. I don¡¯t n to let this drag on any longer.¡± Zich fixed his grip on Windur. ¡°Elena is a disciple that L dotes on a lot. So, I can¡¯t allow you to steal from her or do anything that might harm her. So, why don¡¯t you die quickly? Stop tormenting your daughter so much!¡± Zich ran towards Ond, and L supported him with magic. Hans and Snoc also helped Zich and attacked Ond.

    Pop! Pop!

    L attacked with magic, and Ond blocked her attacks skillfully. However, he didn¡¯t have a moment of rest as Zich¡¯s attacks came right afterward. Other mages also began to participate in the attacks. They all targeted Ond while avoiding Zich who stuck closely to Ond.

    ¡°You bastarrrrrd!¡±

    Pop!

    Ond¡¯s mana flowed out again. Powerful spells shot towards Ond.

    ¡°Hey! If you use that much power, will your daughter be alright?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s why you bastards have to quickly die!¡±

    Crash! Zich crushed an ice spike and frowned; the recoil was definitely stronger than before.

    ¡®He really seems to be sucking her life force with no concern for her wellbeing.¡¯

    Crash!

    The ground was already covered with ice spikes that Ond had made. Each and every one of them was sharp enough to kill a person, so it was very cumbersome to deal with them.

    ¡°Hyaaat!¡±

    m!

    Zich¡¯s attack was blocked by an enormous ice wall. He saw Ond¡¯s smiling face from across the transparent wall.

    Crunch!

    Zich jumped back to escape the cold air that suddenly enclosed him. The area that he had stood just turned into ice.

    ¡°Hyaat!¡± Hans swung his sword to slice through the ice blocks. However, even Estede was not able to easily slice through the icy walls.

    ¡°Nowem!¡±

    Koo!

    Snoc shot out clumps of mithril. However, even those clumps of mithril became frozen solid, and they were not able to make much of an impact on the battle. A few of them even became stuck inside the ice.

    ¡®It¡¯s a bit annoying.¡¯ Zich was trying to find gaps in Ond¡¯s defense when someone came up from below. One of the mages who stayed behind in the conference room hade up.

    ¡°W-what is happeni¡­!¡± The mage could not continue his words in surprise.

    Zich shouted, ¡°What is the matter?¡±

    ¡°Ah, that! Ms. Dwayne! She seems to be having some kind of seizure! It looks very dangerous! Since the defense system seems to have disappeared, I came up to get help but¡­!¡±

    Zich could easily predict the reasons why the mage hade up to get help. Zich clicked his tongue and L had a murderous expression on her face.

    Zich asked, ¡°Is she in a very dangerous situation?¡±

    ¡°She looks like she¡¯s going to die at any moment!¡±

    ¡°I understand.¡± Zich immediately flung his body towards Ond. Windur¡¯s de was blocked by an ice wall again.

    L shouted, ¡°Surrender immediately! Are you not worried about your daughter¡¯s life!¡±

    ¡°If you guys withdraw, everything will be fine!¡± Ond ignored L¡¯s concern. Zich continued to swing Windur, and Ond also attacked Zich.

    Zich took a step back and tried to find an opening again, but he soon realized something and turned back. A small smile appeared on his lips, and Zich rushed towards Ond again. It was a movement that wasn''t too different from the movements he made before.

    ¡°No matter how many times you attack, I¡¯ll block it every time.¡± Ond raised another ice wall again.

    Crunch!

    Zich fused an enormous amount of mana into Windur and sliced the ice wall. A small gap appeared in the wall. Zich forcefully pushed his body through that opening.

    Ond shouted, ¡°How stupid!¡±

    sssh!

    Ice spikes came out from the wall and pierced Zich. Even though Zich was able to avoid getting hit in his vital areas, his body was covered in blood.

    ¡°Die like that!¡± Ond smiled as he was filled with joy.

    Zich spit out the blood that came up to his mouth and also smiled, ¡°You¡¯re the one who¡¯s going to die, you idiot!¡±

    ¡°What¡­?¡±

    Crassssh! An enormous me split the room. The me instantly melted the surrounding ice and destroyed one of Ond¡¯s legs, pelvis, and upper nk.

    ¡°Uh¡­¡± Ond fell to the ground while letting out a small sound as if he couldn¡¯t believe what just happened.

    Crunch!

    Zich crushed all the ice spikes that pierced through his body and gulped down potions. The holes in his body began to slowly heal. After throwing the empty potion bottle haphazardly, Zich quietly turned towards the person walking up next to him. It was Walwiss.

    Walwiss had a frighteningly stern expression, and after he grabbed a random staff next to him, he walked towards Ond. No one made a sound. They all just watched the scene in front of them inplete silence.

    ¡°Huff! Huff!¡± Ond desperately tried to breathe; his heavy breathing clearly indicated his deep pain.

    Zich scanned Ond¡¯s condition. ¡®If he doesn¡¯t get treated, he¡¯ll definitely die.¡¯

    A third of Ond¡¯s body had been destroyed, but he managed to still say, ¡°¡­Huff! Yeah, I forgot about you.¡±

    ¡°¡­The fact that you forgot about the strongest mage in the magical tower is evidence of your foolishness.¡±

    ¡°That damn nagging¡­¡± Ond let out insults and turned his gaze towards Zich. ¡°Did you purposely get hit to turn my eyes away from the master?¡±

    ¡°Well, I have keen senses. I immediately knew that the master was nning something.¡±

    ¡°Tch!¡± Ond clicked his tongue and looked up at Walwiss. ¡°Why are you looking at me like that, Father? You¡¯re the one who destroyed me.¡±

    ¡°¡­If I hadn¡¯t heard that Elena was in danger, I would have taken care of this more peacefully.¡±

    ¡°Rather than a stupid son, I guess a bright granddaughter is more important.¡±

    ¡°I never said something like that, you foolish son!¡±

    ¡°Hmm, son. It¡¯s a word that makes me nauseous now.¡± The focus in Ond¡¯s eyes began to slowly disappear; he was very close to dying.

    ¡°¡­I have potions. They¡¯re the best kind even among the Karuwiman potions.¡± Zich took out potions from his magic box and showed them to Walwiss. However, Walwiss shook his head.

    ¡°Even if we save his life right now, there¡¯s no way he can survive the events that happen after this. Moreover, he has that weird connection with Elena that allows him to steal her mana. I don¡¯t know what kind of connection it is, but if he lives, he can continue influencing Elena with that connection. Normally, that kind of connection ends when the person on the other side dies.¡±

    ¡°I understand.¡± Zich put back his potions.

    ¡°Hahaha! Even till the very end, you¡¯re not worried about your son. Don¡¯t worry, Father. I can guarantee this as someone who stole Elena¡¯s talents. Elena is an outstanding genius, and people with the same amount of talent as her can be counted on one hand in this world. She¡¯s the talented bloodline that you wanted so much. So by all means, feel free to be happy, Father.¡±

    ¡°¡­Regardless of whatever grudge and emotions you had against me, what you did is unforgivable. Especially considering that you harmed our family members.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t want to hear any more of your naggi...¡±

    Walwiss cried, ¡°I¡¯m sorry!¡±

    Ond closed his mouth. Walwiss was bowing his head. Ond could faintly see that something sparkling wasing out of Walwiss¡¯ face.

    ¡°I¡¯m so, so¡­sorry¡­¡±

    ¡°¡­It¡¯s 20 years toote, you damn father.¡± With thesest words, Ond¡¯s mouth never opened again.

    And like this, the enormous incident that swept the entire magical tower in Sunewick came to an end.

 Chapter 276

    <h4>Chapter 276</h4>

    Zich opened his eyes. Bright sunlight seeped through the windows. He rubbed his eyes, stretched out his arms, and loosened his stiffened body.

    ¡®I had a dogshit dream again.¡¯

    He couldn¡¯t forget dreams like these easily. Zich got up from his bed and looked outside the window. The first thing he saw was Sunewick¡¯s magical tower that soared above from the center of the city. Today would be hisst day seeing the tower. He was leaving Sunewick.

    * * *

    After Ond¡¯s coup failed, Sunewick was caught in a frenzy. The gigantic event had swept not only the people in the magical tower, but all the officials in the city. All the expert mages who participated in the coup were arrested one after another, and many elite families were brought down. Still, the matters of the city didn¡¯t concern Zich and hispanions.

    Of course, the city called them many times since they were directly connected to the incident in the beginning; but as the situation began to settle down, they were no longer called. Zich took the luggage he had already prepared beforehand and walked outside the room. He saw a wide hallway. Currently, they were staying at the Dwayne family¡¯s residence. The Dwaynes had given rooms to Zich and hispanions for the favors they had done but also for the purpose of spying on them. It was a quitefortable lifestyle, but it would have to end today.

    Zich entered the designated drawing room. Then, he waited for hispanions while drinking the tea that an employee gave him.

    ¡°You came early.¡± L entered the room. Her bushy hair and sleepy eyes indicated that she had focused on deciphering Clowon¡¯s text untilte in the evening.

    ¡°Did you make any progress?¡±

    ¡°So, so.¡± She drank her cup of tea in one gulp and shuddered at the intensity of its heat. It was because she wasn¡¯t fully awake yet, but Zichughed at this sight so hard that he rolled on the ground. L shot a piercing re at him, but Zich wasn¡¯t bothered. Heughed until he was satisfied and wiped away the tears from his eyes.

    ¡°But it¡¯s a relief. It was worthing all the way to this city.¡±

    Their original reason foring to Sunewick was to gather information about Clowon or its writing system. Although they failed to get any information about the empire, they were able to retrieve plenty of information about the letters; the ce where they had gotten the information was a surprise though.

    ¡®I didn¡¯t think I would learn about Clowon¡¯s writing from the robed figures.¡¯ Zich was now certain of the robed figures¡¯ connection with Clowon. Then, he wondered how deep this connection ran¡ªdid it apply to the whole group? Or¡­.

    ¡®It could even include Glen Zenard.¡¯

    Zich¡¯s interest in Clowon increased.

    ¡°When do you think you will be done with the deciphering?¡± Zich asked.

    ¡°I don¡¯t really know.¡±

    ¡°Even if it¡¯s short, don¡¯t you have a text sample? Wouldn¡¯t it go faster?¡±

    ¡°Of course not. Even the writing system ispletely different from today¡¯s writing systems. It will take some time for me to perfectly organize it.¡±

    ¡°All right.¡±

    If L said so, it was probably true. Zich decided to waitfortably. He thought, ¡®She will solve it when the timees.¡±

    ¡°By the way, you solved this case pretty peacefully this time. I thought you would torment Ond until the end.¡±

    ¡°He probably suffered enough. He was filled with hope of reaching his goal right before he fell to the bottom.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s true, but it seems different from how you usually handle these matters. You even suggested to the master of the magical tower to give Ond potions to heal him.¡±

    ¡°I did want to torment him a bit more, but Elena might be pained further than. Even if he used her, Ond is still her father. Furthermore, their rtionship wasn¡¯t even on the bad side before.¡± Zich knew a person¡¯s feelings didn¡¯t move only ording to logic.

    L stared at Zich in surprise. ¡°You considered Elena¡¯s feelings.¡± Was ¡°consideration¡± even in Zich¡¯s dictionary?

    ¡°I don¡¯t care how she thinks or feels, but it¡¯s different for you. If she has ill feelings towards me, there¡¯s a high possibility that she will also feel negatively about you since you are mypanion.¡±

    Since L doted on Elena, she would be significantly affected by such an event.

    ¡°¡­It was for me?¡±

    ¡°At least for now, you are mypanion.¡±

    Although she looked fine on the outside, L still hadn¡¯t recovered fully from the shock of what she had seen in the experiment room. Moreover, since she possessed no memories, she had never experienced rejection from someone close to her. In other words, if Elena rejected her, the shock could immensely worsen L¡¯s condition. L looked at Zich as if she was touched, and Zich shrugged and tried to smile it off.

    ¡®Well, that¡¯s not the only reason,¡¯ Zich thought, but he also believed he didn¡¯t need to say everything.

    Afterward, Zich and L talked about various matters; Hans and Snoc arrived after each other in the middle of their conversation. All of Zich¡¯spanions were gathered together now. They simply had to leave, but no one moved. One person was missing.

    ¡°We made you wait,¡± Walwiss apologized as he entered the drawing room. As if he had suffered a lot mentally and from work recently, his face looked considerably haggard. However, he didn¡¯t try to show it at all. He turned his head and said, ¡°Come inside. You should greet them properly again.¡±

    ¡°Ah!¡±

    Walwiss dragged the figure behind him out a bit forcefully, and she came forward awkwardly. It was Elena. Her condition also didn¡¯t look that great. Heavy dark circles colored the area under her eyes; it was understandable considering all the events she had faced recently. However, she tried to force a smile.

    ¡°I-I look forward to joining you all!¡± She bowed deeply.

    ¡°Pleased to meet you!¡± L was the first one to receive her greeting. After her, Zich, Hans, and Snoc also exchanged greetings.

    Although it might seem strange that they were greeting each other now, no one among Zich¡¯s group thought so; after all, it was Elena¡¯s first greeting since she joined them as theirpanion. While L checked Elena¡¯s traveling clothes thoroughly, Zich conversed with Walwiss.

    ¡°Are you really fine with this? To send Elena with us to travel?¡±

    ¡°Is it ufortable for you?¡±

    ¡°Not at all. Even if it was, there¡¯s someone who willpletely rule out my opinion, so I can¡¯t say it outright,¡± Zich said while pointing at L, and Walwiss let out a shortugh.

    Then, Walwiss continued in a serious tone, ¡°She has been hurt too much in this city. Just being in Sunewick might trigger her pain, and I can¡¯t afford to take care of Elena because I¡¯m busy.¡±

    Although his son had led the coup inside the magical tower, Walwiss was surprisingly able to maintain his position as master of the magical tower. There were many reasons for this: since many families and mages had been removed from power due to their involvement in this incident, theycked manpower; furthermore, many sympathized with Walwiss after being betrayed by his own son. Above all, the biggest reason was his abilities. Everyone admitted that the person who could best lead the magical tower in the chaos was Walwiss.

    Yet, his term wouldn¡¯tst long. One of the main reasons why Ond started this coup was because of the way Walwiss had treated him in the past; since Walwiss was also not able to prevent the coup in advance, he had to take responsibility and step down as the head in the future. This was already epted by Walwiss and the mages inside the magical tower.

    However, Walwiss had no time, at least for now, to care for Elena. Moreover, Elena¡¯s only close family member other than Walwiss, Ond, had died in the incident. Elena¡¯s grandparents from her mother¡¯s side had passed away a long time ago, and her remaining rtives from her mother¡¯s side were reluctant to take care of Elena.

    In addition, regardless of what happened, Elena¡¯s father had died from her grandfather¡¯s hands. Her grandfather had also yed a critical role in making her father join hands with the robed figures and meet his demise. Therefore, Elena obviously felt veryplicated feelings towards her grandfather. And one of the solutions that Walwiss offered was for Elena to join Zich¡¯s group and travel with them.

    Walwiss said to Zich, ¡°You are a Karuwiman Honorary Knight and Ms. L is an extraordinary mage who deeply cares for Elena. Most of all, Elena also wants to join your group. I also don¡¯t think it¡¯s a bad idea for her to go out and gain various experiences during this time.¡±

    Thus, with various reasons and conditions, it was decided that Elena would travel with Zich and hispanions.

    ¡°Sir, I¡¯m also quite worried about you.¡±

    ¡°Fufu, thank you. But this is my karma. I need to take responsibility for this.¡± Walwiss looked at a mountain far away with wistful eyes. Zich looked at him and recalled the dream he had this morning.

    * * *

    Leona and Walwiss bickered like usual on that day as well. Since this was so frequent, theirpanions no longer paid any attention to their fights. After the sunset, they camped outside on a in. Zich stood watch and sat next to a zing campfire while looking at the stars in the sky. His eyes were dizzy from staring at the stars that looked as if they were going to fall down at any moment.

    ¡°Oop, my body!¡± Someone sat next to Zich. His voice sounded old and yful but held gravity.

    ¡°Sir, are you not going to sleep?¡±

    ¡°As you get older, you lose sleep.¡± The old man tapped his back in an exaggerated manner.

    Zich made a slight smile. ¡°If Leona hears that, she¡¯llugh at you.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s why I¡¯m saying this to you while she¡¯s sleeping.¡± He looked at a tent. It was the tent that Lube and Leona used. Even though he looked at the tent with disapproving eyes, the light in his eyes was warm.

    ¡°You do really care for Leona.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s because my granddaughter is also around her age. Well, elves and humans agepletely differently though.¡±

    ¡°¡­Sir, I didn¡¯t think that you¡¯d admit to it right away.¡±

    ¡°Why, did you think I¡¯d get embarrassed and change the topic? I¡¯m too old for such cute antics.¡±

    ¡°Well, yes¡­¡± If one only considered years of experience, Walwiss had the most experience out of everyone in Zich¡¯s party. Even though Leona had lived the longest, there was a huge difference in their species, so it was difficult to expect her to be experienced and knowledgeable about life in the human realm.

    ¡°Do you miss your granddaughter? Mr. Walwiss, we can stop by your ce for a bit.¡±

    However, Walwiss quietly shook his head. ¡°It¡¯s all right.¡±

    ¡°¡­Do you not have a good rtionship with your family?¡±

    ¡°Have I been found out?¡±

    Zich did not ask further. He had also left his home because he didn¡¯t have a good rtionship with his family. He didn¡¯t intend to dig deeply into other people¡¯s affairs. Moreover, Walwiss hadn¡¯t talked much about his past or background so far.

    Maybe it was because of the magic of the stars that covered the sky, but Walwiss looked up at the sky and quietly exined, ¡°When I was younger, I was a man full of ambition. I thought status was more important than family, and I thought my offspring needed to be great magicians.¡±

    ¡°You must have had some kind of trouble with your children.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I had a lot. In the end, my son left the family.¡±

    Zich didn¡¯t ask where the son went off to; he could have simply run away from home or gone off on a long journey. ¡°Then sir, what about your granddaughter?¡±

    ¡°My daughter-inw is taking care of her right now. She¡¯s a good person. I¡¯m sure she¡¯ll do an excellent job raising my granddaughter¡ªunlike me.¡±

    ¡°Is that so?¡±

    ¡°Yes. That¡¯s why I have to make this world a little better for my daughter-inw and granddaughter.¡±

    Zich was able to realize why this mage dragged his old body all around the world and suffered with his party members. Silence fell between them as they didn¡¯t move their eyes away from the stars in the sky.

    Zich said, ¡°Mr. Walwiss, I don¡¯t know what you did. I also don¡¯t know your family, so I can¡¯t find the right words to say to you. However, I can confidently say that we¡¯re going to definitely make this world a better ce for everyone to live in.¡±

    Walwiss stared at Zich and Zich also stared back at him. A faint smile appeared on Walwiss¡¯ lips.

    ¡°¡­Thank you,¡± Walwiss said withplete seriousness, and there was no trace of his usual yfulness in his voice.

    * * *

    Zich woke up from his dream. He shook his head and tried to chase away all fragments of his dream.

    ¡®It¡¯s a nonsense dream, a nonsense dream.¡¯

    Even though Zich tried to think this, his dream was etched deeply into his mind, and he could not easily forget it. This dream was the ¡®other reason¡¯ why Zich was a bit generous(?) in regards to Ond¡¯s punishment. While Zich desperately wished that his dreams about Brave were just nonsensical, it was getting more and more difficult to dismiss them as mere dreams. Moreover, Zich feltplicated feelings, since Walwiss was one of hispanions in his dreams. Thus, he had treated Walwiss¡¯ son a bit more moderately than usual.

    ¡®Well, it¡¯s fine now. Everything¡¯s over now.¡¯ Zich stopped thinking about this matter.

    Then, he looked at his newpanion. Elena awkwardly stood next to them. L gave her a bright smile and talked to her, and Nowem climbed on her shoulders and let out Koo! Koo! sounds. It seemed as if Elena would at least not be treated like an outcast. Walwiss also looked pleased at the sight in front of him.

    However, Walwiss¡¯ eyes soon became sharp as he stared at Zich. ¡°Are you really not going to tell me how you were able to figure out the final defense system¡¯s password?¡±

    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s a secret.¡±

    Walwiss frowned at Zich¡¯s words. ¡°If it weren¡¯t for your status as a Karuwiman Honorary Knight and your help in this incident, we might have really tried to kill each other till the very end.¡±

    ¡°Sir, I know. That¡¯s why I easily gave the password to Wayne Jaewick.¡±

    Walwiss let out a groan.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry sir. You can always just change the password, and I won¡¯t know anymore. In the first ce, I could only find the password this one time. I won¡¯t be able to do that again.¡±

    ¡°¡­I hope that your words are really true.¡± However, Walwiss also had a rough prediction. ¡®One of my predecessors must have leaked it.¡¯

    It was very difficult to change the final defense system¡¯s password. Moreover, it was impossible to forcefully change the mana pattern when the tower¡¯s mana was still flowing smoothly. Thus, it was only possible to change the password after the final defense system was activated. Walwiss had also received the password from his predecessors, but it was now time to change it. However, the truth was far from what Walwiss was thinking.

    ¡®It¡¯s good that I found it out during that time.¡¯

    When Zich invaded the magical tower and destroyed the final defense system, one of his subordinates had found out the password. His subordinate told him that since there was no use for the password anymore, and he had a rtively easy time deciphering it.

    ¡®It¡¯s fortunate that I still remember it.¡¯ Zichplimented himself since he easily forgot trivial information.

    Like this, Zich and hispanionspleted everything they needed to do in the Dwayne mansion and left Sunewick. Elena waved her hand towards Walwiss with aplex expression, and Walwiss swallowed his bittersweet feelings and sent his granddaughter off with a smile. After they were no longer able to see Sunewick anymore, Elena cried for a bit. L warmly hugged her while she cried.

    Then Zich and hispanions began traveling again when they were reunited with someone they hadn¡¯t expected at all.

    ¡°Oh my! Mr. Zich! We meet each other here of all ces!¡± A woman popped her head out from her carriage and happily greeted Zich.

    Zich also hadn¡¯t expected to see her again so he replied with a bit of surprise in his voice, ¡°Mydy, it¡¯s been a while.¡±

    Evelyn Rouge, who used to be one of Zich¡¯s subordinates as the Subus, was staring at Zich and hispanions with a sparkle in her eyes.

 Chapter 277

    <h4>Chapter 277</h4>

    This event happened not long after they left Sunewick.

    ¡°Yeah, you do it like that.¡±

    Following L¡¯s advice and encouragement, Elena moved her mana. Shortly after Ond died, Elena was able to awaken her mana. The amount she had wasn¡¯tparable to the amount that Zich had, but it was still immense. Thus, she had difficulties controlling it. However, thanks to her outstanding talent and L¡¯s help, she was able to use a bit of mana before they left Sunewick.

    It seemed like the magic practice she had done with Nowem¡¯s mana was helpful. After she continued to practice manipting her mana, she was able to move enough of it to experiment with magic. The mana Elena moved gathered at the ends of her staff. It was the ultimate quality staff that Walwiss had prepared for Elena before she left. Perhaps she was nervous because it was her first time, sweat collected under her forehead even though she wasn¡¯t even doing an expert-level spell.

    ¡°Lu! Win! Ons! Ku! Biyon!¡± Elena started her incantation. Mana arranged neatly at the end of her staff and a short timeter¡ª

    Pop!

    Red sparks shot off the ends of Elena¡¯s staff.

    ¡°Ah!¡± Elena stared at it nkly. Inparison to Walwiss¡¯ scary and overwhelming magic, it was nothing; but to Elena, no magic could be more splendid and beautiful than the fireworks before her.

    ¡°Ms. L! This is¡­!¡±

    ¡°You did really well, Elena!¡± L gave a thumbs-up to Elena, who seemed like she couldn¡¯t believe the sight before her. Then, L quickly nced at Zich and the others around her. Her sharp gaze seemed to indicate that she would bite off their necks if they didn¡¯tpliment Elena immediately.

    ¡°Congrattions. You¡¯ve made your first step.¡± Zich lightly pped and congratted her. Hans and Snoc also joined in. It seemed like they were constantly checking on L to give them a sign to stop, but it might have been a trick of an eye.

    ¡°Tha¡­nk you¡­¡± At first, Elena¡¯s voice was filled with happiness, but as she continued, it sounded teary. In the end, she barely managed to finish her words as she sobbed. This was the magic she had yearned so much for. If she recalled everything that happened for her to reach this moment, tears came down rather thanughter.

    L hugged Elena tightly. The magic had disappeared by now, but Elena¡¯s cries rang out across the surroundings. Thankfully, Elena¡¯s cries didn¡¯tst that long, and she awkwardly removed herself from L¡¯s arms. Although Elena cried after her emotions overwhelmed her, this was her first time activating magic with her mana; it was a celebratory event, and with L¡¯s suggestion, the group decided to hold a small party.

    It was impossible to have a fancy party since they were living out on the road, but they were able to sit around a bonfire and eat luxurious food that didn¡¯t match their current circumstance. While they were having this feast, what appeared before them was Evelyn¡¯s carriage. They wouldn¡¯t have been able to meet if they had bulldozed through the forest like they usually did, but out of consideration for Elena, Zich used the road this time.

    Evelyn carefully came down the carriage. Then, she strutted towards the group. A knight and Evelyn¡¯s bodyguard, Bupio Ricky, ran to her side. That didn¡¯t seem like the proper reaction for a bodyguard when hisdy was approaching a group of travelers camping on the roadside, but Ricky didn¡¯t look tense. The favor that Zich and L had done for the Rouge family wasn¡¯t a light matter at all. Naturally, Ricky also had a strong sense of trust towards Zich and hispanions. Furthermore, even if Zich had cut ties with his family, he was still the eldest son of the Steelwalls.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t imagine that I would meet you guys here at all.¡±

    ¡°Same here. I didn¡¯t expect to meet you on the roadside at all, miss. It¡¯s not like this ce is the Cronon Kingdom.¡± Zich¡¯s eyebrows arched down slightly. ¡°Please excuse my rudeness, but may I ask if something happened to your family again?¡±

    It was strange for ady from a high noble family to suddenly appear in another country. Remembering what had happened before, Zich asked his question seriously. Thankfully, Evelyn waved her hands like it wasn¡¯t a serious matter. ¡°No. Nothing really happened to my family. I¡¯m simply traveling right now.¡±

    ¡°Traveling?¡±

    ¡°Yes! I am on my way to Janmalpi.¡±

    Zich was a bit surprised. ¡°What a coincidence. We¡¯re on our way there too.¡±

    ¡°Oh my, really?¡± Evelyn¡¯s eyes sparkled. It was as if they could already hear her next words.

    ¡°That¡¯s great! Then let¡¯s go together!¡±

    Zich smirked as she said the exact words he thought she would say.

    * * *

    Janmalpi was a famous entertainment city. It of course had high-end entertainment venues like theatres and opera houses, but the city was also filled with ces like bars and casinos. In short, it was the best city for eating and ying. Evelyn sat between Zich and hispanions sitting around the bonfire. Evelyn¡¯spanions were also preparing their campsite to stay the night.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve seen you before,¡± Evelyn said. She already knew Hans and Snoc, but it was her first time seeing Elena. Evelyn expressed her curiosity towards her.

    ¡°She is a new member of our party. L is teaching her magic.¡±

    ¡°I see. Pleased to meet you. I am Evelyn Rouge.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s my pleasure. I¡¯m Elena Dwayne.¡± Elena responded to Evelyn¡¯s greetings politely.

    Then, Evelyn asked, ¡°For what reason are you all going to Janmalpi?¡±

    ¡°Well, it¡¯s an entertainment city. I thought it wouldn¡¯t be bad to go for a breather.¡± To be exact, it had been L¡¯s request. She had asked for Zich¡¯s advice about what they should do because Elena still looked a bit gloomy, and Zich had suggested taking her to Janmalpi. L epted Zich¡¯s suggestion, and the group decided on the city as their next destination.

    ¡°Lady Rouge, why are you going to Janmalpi? You¡¯d be traveling to another country altogether.¡±

    ¡°We also came here for the same reasons as all of you. Since Janmalpi is famous for its entertainment, I¡¯ve wanted toe here for a long time.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m surprised you were able to gain permission from the Marquess.¡±

    ¡°After that incident, my father listens to most of my requests or wishes. This time, I told him I wanted a change of pace and to go to Janmalpi, and even though he was reluctant to let me go at first, he gave me permission in the end.¡±

    The Marquess probably received a lot of stress from his daughter¡¯s requests. Evelyn smiled like a mischievous prankster who sessfully pulled off a prank, and Zich burst out intoughter as he thought that Evelyn slightly looked like her former self as Subus.

    ¡°But if you go to Janmalpi by yourself, it¡¯ll be less fun.¡±

    ¡°Yes, I was worried about that. Fortunately, I was able to meet my friends on the way there. It would be really great if those friends would y together with me.¡± Evelyn looked between Zich and L. Anyone could tell that she wanted to join them.

    Zich stared at L. They came here to y anyways, so Zich also had noints about moving with one of his past subordinates. L also seemed to have noints. L said, ¡°Yes, then, let¡¯s do that.¡±

    ¡°Thank you so much!¡± Evelyn smiled like a child as soon as L gave her permission.

    Elena stared at their exchange and quietly asked Snoc, ¡°Is that person ady from a marquess family?¡±

    ¡°Yep. She¡¯s the daughter of Marquess Rouge from the Cronon Kingdom.¡±

    Elena was very shocked that Zich and L could talk so casually with a daughter of a Marquess; She was amazed by them again.

    ¡°To be honest, Sir Zich is also the son of a count.¡±

    ¡°For real?¡±

    While Elena continued to garner new information, L and Zich¡¯s conversation with Evelyn continued.

    Zich said, ¡°But Lady Rouge, seeing that you¡¯re looking for people to y together with on the road, it seems like you haven¡¯t met anyone new yet.¡±

    L stiffened. She wondered if it was okay to indirectly mention Albus in front of Evelyn.

    However, surprisingly, Evelyn didn¡¯t look very shocked. ¡°Yeah, I haven¡¯t met anyone I like yet. My father and brother showed me various portraits of possible suitors, but there was no one that I thought was ¡®the one.¡¯ Moreover, after the incident with that person, they are both very careful about my engagement and romantic rtionships, so no one is rushing me to meet someone new.¡±

    Then, Evelyn smiled brightly. ¡°Who knows? I might encounter someone wonderful in this city.¡±

    ¡°I sincerely hope that turns out to be true.¡±

    ¡°Mr. Zich, please help me make that a reality.¡±

    ¡°Of course.¡±

    They conversed like this for a while, and it was now time for them to sleep.

    Evelyn said, ¡°Then, I¡¯ll now return to my carriage.¡±

    ¡°Yes. Lady Rouge, see you tomorrow morning.¡±

    Evelyn turned away from Zich and hispanions, who were getting ready to sleep, and was about to return to her carriage when she suddenly thought of something. She dragged L a short distance away from Zich and the rest of herpanions.

    L asked, ¡°Lady Rouge, what is the matter?¡±

    ¡°Have you made any progress with your rtionship with Mr. Zich?¡±

    L had been slightly nervous from Evelyn¡¯s secrecy, but shepletely eased up. Seeing that Evelyn¡¯s eyes were sparkling in excitement, this matter seemed to be very important to her.

    ¡°Nothing¡¯s going on between me and Zich.¡±

    ¡°Really? Then there¡¯s been no progress at all since west met each other?¡± Disappointment appeared on Evelyn¡¯s face.

    ¡°There¡¯s no progress to talk about. We have no ns to even start such a rtionship.¡±

    ¡°Is that so?¡± Even though Evelyn was disappointed, she couldn¡¯t say anything more to L about this since L firmly denied her rtionship with Zich. ¡°Then, have you found anyone you like?¡±

    ¡°No, there¡¯s no one like that.¡±

    ¡°But the person closest to you right now is Mr. Zich, right?¡±

    ¡°Well, if you say it like that, then yes.¡±

    ¡°Hmm.¡± Evelyn raised her nose. ¡°I got it, for now.¡±

    ¡°¡­Lady Rouge, the ¡®for now¡¯ bothers me.¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s not focus on trivial matters. Ms. L, you should go! Since it¡¯s getting dark, you should start getting ready to sleep.¡±

    Evelyn put her hands on L¡¯s shoulders and lightly pushed her. Even though L finished her conversation with Evelyn, she felt a slight difort as Evelyn pushed her back.

    * * *

    After Zich¡¯s group joined Evelyn¡¯s group, they headed towards Janmalpi together. They hadn¡¯t seen Evelyn for a long time, and she was very energetic. Her difort towards men seemed to have greatly decreased as well. She still flinched slightly whenever an unfamiliar man came near her, but it was much better than before. Evelyn was definitely oveing her painful wounds from the past and was fiercely spreading her new wings out to fly higher and stronger.

    Zich also felt greatly satisfied by Evelyn¡¯s joyful attitude. He felt a lot of enjoyment from meeting her again. However, Zich had another chance encounter when they all arrived at Janmalpi.

    When they all passed the enormous walls and entered the city, everyone except Zich was struck by the spectacr sight of the city. Janmalpi was engulfed in splendor and vitality. Since Zich had already seen this city before his regression, the city¡¯s sight didn¡¯t impress him. Instead, he closely examined the state of the city.

    ¡®¡­There seems to be a lot of guards.¡¯

    Zich could easily understand why there were a lot of guards. This city¡¯s crime rate was as high as its worldwide fame as an entertainment city. If someone didn¡¯t carefully pay attention to their belongings, they could get their wallets stolen three times in a single day. If Zich considered this, it was not surprising that there were a lot of guards.

    ¡®There seems to be even more guards than usual though.¡¯

    However, the people in the city paid no attention to the guards and went around to find something fun to do.

    ¡°Let¡¯s first find lodging.¡± With Ricky¡¯s suggestion, they all went further into the city to find a ce to stay. Zich carefully scanned their surroundings the whole time. Then his eyes identified a building along the boulevard. ¡®Huh?¡¯

    Zich stopped. There was a familiar person next to that building. The person seemed to have also recognized Zich. The man stared at Zich with his eyes wide open, but thatsted only for a moment. He soon grinned and walked towards Zich.

    ¡°Sir Zich!¡±

    As the person approached him while calling out his name, Zich was shocked by this incredible coincidence. ¡°Count Dracul.¡±

    Joachim Dracul, another one of Zich¡¯s subordinates before his regression, was standing in front of him.

 Chapter 278

    <h4>Chapter 278</h4>

    Zich and Joachim stood in front of each other. After inspecting Joachim closely, Zich grinned.

    ¡°Thankfully, you seem to be healthy, sir.¡±

    Joachim used to have a tall but freakishly gaunt appearance. However, the current Joachim looked different from before. Although he was still thin, there was some fat on his body, and he didn¡¯t look as sickly as before. Zich almost failed to recognize him, and he was only able to realize the man in front of him was Joachim because of the long period of time they had spent together before Zich¡¯s regression.

    ¡°I ate well and exercised a lot since I¡¯m no longer in a position where I can live however I want. Ah, of course, it¡¯s also thanks to that ability.¡±

    ¡°You haven¡¯t used it though, right?¡±

    ¡°Of course. Even if I use it, it¡¯s only to move my own blood. I tried using a bit of another person¡¯s blood to assess the danger of my condition, but that was only a couple of times. I also don¡¯t want to be a human who¡¯s mad for blood.¡± Then, he added jokingly, ¡°So, fortunately, there¡¯s no need for you to finish me off, Sir Zich.¡± Joachim mentioned what Zich had said to him before¡ªabout how he would finish off Joachim if he became a monster in his desire for blood.

    Zich smiled in response. ¡°Thank goodness.¡± It didn¡¯t seem like he would have to kill his past subordinate from his pre-regression days for the sake of doing a kind act.

    ¡°Sir Zich, what did youe to this city for? Did you also receive information about this ce too?¡±

    ¡°Information? I don¡¯t know what you came here for sir, but I simply came here for traveling. Isn¡¯t Janmalpi a famous entertainment city?¡±

    ¡°Is that so?¡± Joachim looked a bit disappointed. He nned to ask Zich to coborate and exchange information with him if he hade to the city for the same reason.

    ¡°It seems there¡¯s something going on.¡±

    ¡°Yes, sir.¡± Joachim contemted on whether or not he should share the information he knew with Zich. In the end, he made his decision. ¡°I don¡¯t think there¡¯s any reason for me to hide this from you, Sir Zich. I can even get some help from you too.¡±

    ¡°What is it, sir?¡±

    ¡°I got information that the robed figures were spotted in this city.¡±

    ¡°What did you say, sir?!¡±

    It wasn¡¯t Zich who responded to Joachim¡¯s words. Zich and Joachim turned to their side. They saw Evelyn walking towards them after getting out of a carriage.

    * * *

    Zich and Evelyn unloaded their belongings in an expensive lodging. Zich had plenty of money, and Evelyn was the daughter of a marquess. They both didn¡¯t have to worry about the cost of their lodging.

    ¡°This is a really nice ce,¡± Joachim said while entering Zich¡¯s room. From behind him, Joachim¡¯s knight, Brod, whom Zich was acquainted with, followed. Zich sat Joachim down in a chair that he had prepared beforehand, and Brod stood behind Joachim.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t think this ce would be that impressive to a count.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t you know about our estate¡¯s situation, sir? We have so many different expenses to consider that we have to save as much as possible.¡±

    The Dracul estate was suffering from the aftermath of the catastrophe caused by Joachim¡¯s older brother, Biyom, and the previous count.

    ¡®I¡¯m sure it¡¯s not only his estate¡¯s situation that¡¯s bad.¡¯ Joachim probably didn¡¯t have a great rtionship with other aristocrats in his surroundings. No, not only the aristocrats in his surroundings, but all the aristocrats in the country might be treating him as an outcast. Thus, if Joachim didn¡¯t n to abandon his estate, he had to also deal with diplomatic matters.

    ¡°It must be hard on you, sir.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s fine. We are managing somehow. Fortunately, His Majesty has epted me as the new Count, and I am beginning to have some conversations with other aristocrats. It¡¯s like I¡¯m beginning to see the light. The only urgent problem I have right now is that no one wants to enter a marriage with me.¡±

    Although thest matter was a serious matter for an aristocrat, Joachim said it jokingly. Yet, to Joachim, it seemed like a very insignificant matterpared to everything he had to endure before.

    Realizing this, Zich also smiled slightly and answered jokingly, ¡°How unfortunate, sir.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s very unfortunate.¡±

    The two stiffened theirughter. At that moment, they heard someone knocking. Evelyn came inside. She had changed intofortable clothes and pushed her feet carefully inside. Her bodyguard, Ricky, followed her from behind.

    ¡°Excuse me, sirs. It seems I am a bitte.¡±

    Behind her, L also came in. Joachim stared at her.

    ¡°She is the one who killed Ms. Bargot, right, sir?¡±

    ¡°As expected, you knew, sir.¡±

    ¡°Sir Brod was quite surprised about it.¡±

    Zich stared at Brod, whose eyes shot towards L and moved back to Zich. Although he didn¡¯t open his mouth since his master was talking, his expression was clearly asking for an exnation. Brod had seen L before, so it was understandable as to why he was on guard. When he met L, she was not only a very suspicious stranger but an extremely dangerous person.

    ¡°We started traveling together due to various reasons.¡±

    ¡°Is she someone trustworthy?¡±

    ¡°To me, she is more than trustworthy.¡±

    ¡°I see. Then I will also trust her.¡± Joachim turned his head and looked at Brod, ¡°That¡¯s what he says.¡±

    ¡°I understand, sir.¡±

    That was the end of the matter. Joachim turned his head back, and Brod fixed his eyes towards the front and concentrated all his attention on guarding.

    ¡°Are you satisfied with just this, sir?¡± Zich asked.

    ¡°That¡¯s how much I trust you, Sir Zich.¡±

    ¡°The trust you have in me is too deep, sir,¡± Zich said exaggeratedly.

    Both Evelyn and L sat down and Ricky stood behind Evelyn. With a round table between them, the four people sat down facing each other. They could chat all day since it was a reunion after a long time, but this wasn¡¯t the time for that. Everyone looked serious.

    ¡°Let¡¯s introduce ourselves first. I am Evelyn Rouge from the Cronon Kingdom¡¯s Marquess Rouge family.¡± Evelyn elegantly bowed towards Joachim.

    ¡°I am Count Joachim Dracul.¡± Joachim extended his greetings.

    Zich looked like he couldn¡¯t bear to look at the scene in front of him.

    One person who used to bathe in people¡¯s blood and one person who used to hang the heads of good-looking men on her waist were politely greeting each other. Zich stole a nce towards L. She seemed to be having the same feelings as Zich as she looked at Joachim and Evelyn with an indescribable expression on her face. However, as soon as they finished greeting each other, L and Zich quickly fixed their expressions.

    Evelyn said, ¡°Count Dracul, I didn¡¯t think you were a count because you looked so young.¡±

    ¡°Haha! Lady Rouge, it somehow turned out like this. But now that I¡¯m a count, I realize that it¡¯s not all that great.¡± Joachim spoke friendly to Evelyn and then stared at L. Even though Joachim knew about L, they were never formally introduced to each other.

    Zich put one hand on L¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Sir, you know who L is, right?¡±

    ¡°Yes, I know her very well.¡±

    L bowed. ¡°I was rude back then.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s all right. Since Sir Zich verified your identity, I¡¯m sure you had some kind of reason. If it¡¯s alright with you, I would like to hear an exnation for your actions, but if that¡¯s ufortable for you, it¡¯s fine if you don¡¯t tell me.¡±

    Despite Joachim¡¯s kind words, he made a stark distinction between the way he spoke to Zich and L;pared to when he was talking to Zich, he didn¡¯tpletely raise his level of honorifics when he spoke to L. Since there was a sharp difference in their statuses, it was not strange that he did this.

    When they finished introducing themselves, their conversation turned towards their main topic.

    Zich asked, ¡°Sir, you told me that the robed figures have been spotted here.¡±

    ¡°Before that, is it okay for Lady Rouge to hear this matter as well?¡±

    Evelyn replied, ¡°If those people are the same group of people who are selecting specific people to corrupt, I¡¯m one of their victims.¡±

    ¡°Sir, Lady Rouge was targeted by robed figures like you.¡±

    Joachim stared at Evelyn with a shocked expression. Evelyn didn¡¯t know that Joachim was targeted by the robed figures like her, so she returned his shocked expression too.

    ¡°¡­Lady Rouge, you were also a victim. Then you certainly have the qualifications to hear this as well.¡± Joachim began to officially start his exnation. ¡°Contrary to your expectations, I¡¯m sorry to say this, but my information has not been confirmed yet. It¡¯s merely a suspicion so far.¡±

    Zich replied, ¡°Sir, that alone is worth listening to.¡±

    ¡°Then, I¡¯ll start. After the incident in the Dracul estate, we continued to search for the robed figures¡¯ whereabouts. It was to avenge and recover the Dracul family¡¯s honor. One of the first things we did was look into any areas in our kingdom¡¯s territory where unusual events were happening.¡±

    It was not an easy task. While patching up the mess in his estate, he continued to look for any clues that may or may not exist. However, he persistently continued to search for the robed figures as he coaxed and persuaded the nobles nearby to gain their support.

    ¡°And you were finally able to find an unusual event happening in this city.¡±

    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right.¡±

    Zich saw Brod nod his head from behind Joachim. Brod seemed to be very proud of Joachim¡¯s aplishments and efforts.

    ¡°People are going missing in this city right now.¡±

    ¡°Hmm, a missing people case. However, don¡¯t people always go missing in every city?¡±

    The world they were currently living in was not peaceful. Even though the Era of Demon People had not arrived yet, the world was still dangerous.

    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s true. However, the people who went missing all had the same characteristics.¡±

    ¡°And sir, what is that characteristic?¡±

    ¡°They were all lovers.¡±

    ¡°Lovers?¡±

    It really was unusual.

    ¡°Was there any kind of demand for money or something simr to that?¡±

    ¡°No, not at all. One person among the lovers always goes missing, as if one of the lovers fell into a pit in the ground. The culprit does not discriminate based on gender. One person disappears and the other is left behind every single time.¡±

    ¡°Hmm.¡± Zich rubbed his chin.

    ¡°That¡¯s why we started investigating and focusing on this city. Fortunately, the count that presides over this city has a very close rtionship with my father. In order to help me recover my family¡¯s honor, he easily agreed to let me investigate and take up these missing people cases.¡±

    Of course, since this was a matter between two lords of huge estates, the count of this city probably expected Joachim to somewhat return the favor.

    ¡®He¡¯s probably passing off a troublesome case to a suitable person. And if Joachim sessfully solves this case, he¡¯ll be able to share a part of Joachim¡¯s glory.¡¯

    However, Joachim¡¯s father really must have had a close rtionship with the count in Janmalpi, because he was letting another count investigate his territory.

    Joachim continued, ¡°I was also recently informed that someone spotted a suspicious-looking man wearing a robe.¡±

    Evelyn said, ¡°Those guys were really here!¡±

    However, Zich and Joachim shook their heads.

    Zich replied, ¡°Lady Rouge, it¡¯s not certain yet. From what I heard from the Count, it¡¯s still just a report. Moreover, all the people wearing robes might not be the people we are looking for. People doing backhanded activities usually wear robes to hide their identities.¡±

    Simrly, Zich always wore robes whenever he infiltrated a new ce.

    ¡°Yes, Sir Zich is right.¡±

    ¡°Is that so?¡± Evelyn felt let down as Joachim also agreed to Zich¡¯s words.

    ¡°Nheless, it¡¯s still worth it to investigate more about this matter.¡± Zich smiled; he didn¡¯t know how high the possibility was, but there was a possibility for him to see the robed figures again.

    ¡®Of course, I¡¯m not going to let this opportunity go.¡¯ Zich needed to rip, tear apart, and crush down all the robed figure¡¯s ns. Zich told Joachim, ¡°Sir, I also want to coborate with you.¡±

    ¡°I should be the one asking for your help. If you join our investigation, I¡¯m sure we¡¯ll receive a lot of help.¡±

    ¡°Me too! I¡¯ll also help!¡± Evelyn intervened. Ricky was taken aback, but he was unable to cut down Evelyn¡¯s will.

    ¡°Please at least use the bodyguards I brought with me. I can never forgive those people who used my ex-fianc¨¦ to threaten my family!¡±

    ¡°Then I guess the matter has been roughly decided.¡± Zich met Joachim, Evelyn, and L¡¯s eyes and said, ¡°We should look for the robed figures, and if they are really here, we should thoroughly crush them.¡±

 Chapter 279

    <h4>Chapter 279</h4>

    The next day after they agreed to investigate the matter and annihte all the robed figures if they were rted to the incident, Zich and hispanions toured around the city. It was as if the meeting from the previous day had never happened. After watching the current, most popr theatrical y in the city and dining at a nice restaurant, they were now entertaining themselves at the casino.

    ¡°¡­Is it all right for us to do this?¡± L asked hesitantly.

    Instead of her usual,fortable traveling clothes, she was wearing a light dress now. Since the casino was a luxurious ce, she had to wear a fitting outfit. Her dress wasn¡¯t anything amazing though. Although it was pricey, it was definitelycking inparison to what everyone else wore. However, L had the biggest asset to fashion, which was her face. She usually attracted people¡¯s attention no matter what she wore; so, when she dressed up even a little bit, she captured the eyes of everyone around her. After all, Zich had affirmed that L was the greatest beauty he had ever seen. He couldn¡¯t even count the number of people who had tried to approach her so far. Yet, she rejected each of their advances firmly.

    ¡°Hm? What did you say?¡± While pushing his chips onto the table, Zich turned his head. Anyone could tell that he had failed to hear her because he was too immersed in gambling. Likewise, Zich wore a formal outfit. His clean-cut suit stuck close to his body, and his usually messy hair was smoothened neatly. His aristocratic appearance, which was usually offset by his shifty behavior and tone, was much more noticeable now. Even though it didn¡¯t seem like it, Zich was the eldest son from a high noble background after all. Furthermore, although it wasn¡¯t to the point, he didn¡¯t look human like L¡ªhe was clearly a handsome fellow. It was to the level that he could block many of the men¡¯s advances aiming for L.

    ¡°I asked, is it alright for us to do this?¡± L asked again.

    ¡°Are you concerned about the investigation?¡±

    ¡°What else is there to be concerned about?¡±

    Zich checked the card in front of him and scowled.

    ¡°Damn it!¡± He threw the card and got up from his seat. All the chips he had betted went to the casino¡¯s side. Then, Zich continued, ¡°Okay, you asked about the investigation, right?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m warning you. Don¡¯t make me repeat myself one more time.¡±

    ¡°Okay, okay.¡± Zich raised both of his hands like he was giving up.

    ¡°I am going to investigate, but there¡¯s no need for us to hurry. I mean, there¡¯s nothing for us to do right now.¡± They were still at a stage where they simply suspected that the robed figures might be in the area.

    ¡°We came to this city to tour the area anyway. Our guys have been looking forward to this. Isn¡¯t it fine to cool our heads for a couple of days? Above all, aren¡¯t you the one who suggested for us toe here?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s true.¡±

    ¡°Also, I¡¯m not just wandering around thoughtlessly. I¡¯m carving the locations of this city into my mind and looking around to see if there¡¯s anyone suspicious. I¡¯m not just ying around.¡±

    ¡°¡­Aren¡¯t you getting too into gambling for that to be the case?¡±

    ¡°No, I¡¯m losing right now by the slightest margin. I just need thest, final bit of luck. How could I quit here when I¡¯m about to get back my money¡¯s worth?¡±

    L sighed and clutched her head to see if she was having a headache. It was the same feeling a girl would get about her boyfriend¡¯s childish actions.

    ¡°Anyways, you used up all the money we decided on, right?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, this is myst time.¡±

    Although L worried that Zich might insist on continuing, he coolly turned back from the gambling board. There was no way Zich, whose mind was resilient as his mastery in mana and swordsmanship, would fall into a gambling addiction. Like he said, the casino was simply a ce for him to have momentary fun.

    ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to have your shot?¡±

    ¡°No, I don¡¯t want to.¡±

    ¡°Okay, then let¡¯s look for the other guys.¡± Zich had given Hans, Snoc, and Elena some money so that they could y their hearts out.

    The two walked shoulder to shoulder and began chatting.

    ¡°By the way, why are you weak at gambling? Did you not use your abilities?¡±

    ¡°They have many devices to check for tricks. Of course, with my skills, I can easily bypass them. But what¡¯s the point in gambling then? Gambling is all about just relying on your luck.¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t understand you.¡±

    They passed through the web of wandering people to look for the rest of their party. Then, they heard amotion near one of the tables and turned towards the direction.

    ¡°It¡¯s Elena and Snoc!¡±

    Besides L, Elena felt mostfortable with Snoc. They had gotten close during the time she borrowed mana from Nowem. When she parted ways with L, she tended to move around with Snoc. Thus, it was not surprising that they were together. The real surprising part was the mountain of coins in front of them.

    ¡°Did those guys earn that much?¡±

    ¡°It seems so.¡±

    Even Elena and Snoc looked like they didn¡¯t know what to do with the pile of coins in front of them.

    ¡°Did they use their ability or some kind of trick?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t underestimate the casino so much. It¡¯s only possible for someone like me to trick them. Those guys have no chance.¡±

    ¡°Then did they really achieve that much just by luck?¡±

    ¡°It must be beginner¡¯s luck.¡±

    At that moment, they heard cheering from another table. Their heads turned naturally, and they walked in the direction of the noise.

    ¡°Is it Hans?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s him.¡±

    Likewise, there was also a mountain of coins in front of Hans. It seemed like he was ying alone.

    ¡°It seems like he earned quite a bit too.¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡±

    L tapped Zich¡¯s elbows and asked, ¡°Doesn¡¯t that mean that you¡¯re the only one who lost money?¡±

    ¡°Um¡­¡±

    Unlike before, Zich¡¯s eyebrows were drooping slightly. Seeing his expression, L stifled herughter.

    * * *

    The amount of money that Hans, Snoc, and Elena earned was considerable. Yet, the exhration from their sess instantly plummeted when they exchanged their coins for real money. They hadn¡¯t realized the coins¡¯ true worth before. Those circr shapes just seemed amazing when they were piled up high, but when they saw the total amount they earned in cash, they were able to clearly perceive how much they actually earned. Even though it was definitely a lot, the money that Zich gave Hans and Snoc to use when necessary was just as much if not more. Elena also felt the same way as Hans and Snoc; she was from a rich family after all.

    L saw their expressions andmented, ¡°They don¡¯t look like people who earned a lot of money from a casino.¡±

    ¡°Just let them be. They must have their own standards of feeling satisfied.¡±

    Lughed, ¡°Just like how there¡¯s someone who can¡¯t even meet that standard?¡± It seemed as if L wanted to pay back Zich for always teasing her. However, Zich also had nothing to retort this time.

    ¡°All of you were here.¡± Someone approached Zich and hispanions. It was Evelyn. She was also sightseeing in the city with Zich and hispanions. Ricky closely guarded her from behind.

    Zich asked, ¡°Lady Rouge, did you have an enjoyable time?¡±

    Evelyn¡¯s reaction was lukewarm. ¡°Maybe. I expected a lot, but nothing was really to my taste.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s actually better. If you fall into gambling, it would be a very serious matter. It¡¯s also a good method to lose all the money you set aside ande out of the casino.¡±

    ¡°No, I did gain some money. But it wasn''t very fun¡­¡±

    ¡°¡­¡± Zich closed his mouth. L lightly nudged the side of his waist.

    * * *

    When they got out of the casino, the sky was filled with stars. They all decided to head back to their lodging, and their method of transportation was the carriage. Since Evelyn¡¯s carriage was enormous, all of Zich¡¯spanions could easily fit inside. They conversed about the sights they saw today.

    Evelyn started most of the conversations, and people responded to her. However, their conversation never stopped, and the atmosphere inside the carriage was amicable and energetic¡ªuntil they heard a sudden scream. It seemed to havee from a ce far away, since it was very faint. However, it was loud enough for Evelyn, who received no training at all, to hear it as well. A long, weeping scream rang out in the streets. Everyone¡¯s faces in the carriage stiffened.

    Bang!

    Zich immediately opened the carriage door. ¡°L, Elena¡ªboth of you should protect Lady Rouge and return to the lodging. Hans and Snoc¡ªfollow me.¡± Zich jumped out of the carriage. Hans and Snoc also jumped out and followed behind Zich.

    Tap!

    They fused arge amount of mana into their legs and ran across the city. Zich and Hans ran on top of the roofs and ran as if they were flying. Arge figure followed behind them; it was Nowem who had transformed his body into a giant. Nowem¡¯s sharp ws and pointy teeth looked dangerous and frightening. However, if one peered closely, he still had many of the cute characteristics he had when he was small. Snoc rode on Nowem¡¯s back and closely followed behind Zich.

    The three of them ran across the city at an extremely fast speed. Their destination was where the scream came from.

    ¡®I can¡¯t hear the scream anymore.¡¯

    This was not a good sign. If the scream stopped, it indicated two situations. First, it meant that the reason for the screams had been resolved, or second, the person was not able to scream anymore. Moreover, even Zich could not urately pinpoint the location with just one scream. Zich spread his senses as far as possible. He hoped that he would find something special as he continued to move.

    ¡®Is this it?¡¯ Zich sensed a presence. There was no movement. ¡®The person is not dead.¡¯ It also didn¡¯t seem like they were severely injured.

    ¡®Did they just momentarily lose consciousness?¡¯

    Zich decided to first head towards where the presence was, and they arrived in an alleyway. It was not far from the main road. However, a city was a ce where the atmosphere couldpletely change after a few blocks. Zich saw a person copsed on the ground; it was a woman. Zich flipped over the woman and put his finger next to her nose.

    ¡®Her breathing is normal, and she doesn¡¯t have any noticeable injuries.¡¯

    It seemed as if she had received a huge shock and fell unconscious. However, to be on the safe side, Zich fed her some potions and tried to shake her awake. Hans and Snded behind Zich. Nowem immediately returned to his small form and climbed on top of Snoc¡¯s shoulder.

    ¡°Uhm..¡± The woman began to slowly regain consciousness.

    ¡°Have you gained your senses?¡±

    The woman, who didn¡¯te to her senses even with Zich¡¯s question, suddenly opened her eyes wide. She quickly scanned her surroundings, and when she saw Zich, she let out a small scream and crawled backward. Zich didn¡¯t approach her hastily; instead, he took a couple of steps back and increased his distance from her.

    He said, ¡°I came here because I heard a scream. Were you perhaps the one who screamed?¡±

    ¡°¡­Ah!¡± The wariness in her eyes eased up a little. ¡°Yes, t-that was me.¡±

    ¡°Would it be all right if I ask you what happened?¡±

    ¡°What¡­hap¡­?¡± She began to slowly recall what happened before she fainted and opened her eyes wide. Contrary to how she acted before, she desperately came closer to Zich and clutched his sleeves.

    ¡°P-please¡­!¡± She shouted desperately, ¡°Fran! Please save my lover!¡±

    * * *

    Security guards appeared out of nowhere in a ck alleyway. While carrying torchlights, they carefully scanned the alleyway for any clues. It was clear from their movements that they were very intent on not missing even the most minuscule clue. However, much to their disappointment, they were unable to produce any clear results.

    Zich, Hans, and Snoc watched the security guards work from a distance. One person from among the security guards began walking towards them¡ªit was Joachim. His stiff and serious expression perfectly reflected his emotions.

    Zich asked, ¡°Sir, how is it?¡±

    Joachim replied with great gravity, ¡°It seems like this is another incident of the missing people case that we are chasing after right now.¡±

 Chapter 280

    <h4>Chapter 280</h4>

    Zich stared at the ceiling. The victim was sitting and talking to a soldier nearby. It seemed like she hadn¡¯t calmed down yet, as she let out low cries. The noise creepily crawled across the floor and precisely struck people¡¯s ears. The faces of people around her filled with pity whenever they passed by her. Of course, Zich was the exception. On the other hand, it would have been weirder if he started to sympathize with a woman for crying. Thus, he focused on capturing the culprit.

    ¡°Could you tell us the specifics?¡±

    ¡°It happened when she was returning home after a date with her lover.¡±

    Although it waste, many people wandered around even after the sun set in Janmalpi. The streemps by the roadsides lit up the area for them. Yet,pared to the daytime, the streets were obviously emptier.

    ¡°But she said a strange shadow suddenly ambushed her in the alleyway.¡±

    ¡°A shadow?¡±

    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s how she described her attacker. She said it was a shadow or like ck darkness. It swept them away and dragged them into the alleyway.¡±

    ck darkness¡ªif the robed figures were involved, the incident would definitely involve a Demon Person.

    ¡®Was there someone like that?¡¯ No one came to his mind, so Zich decided to continue listening to the exnation.

    ¡°She said the shadows dragged them into a deep part of the alleyway. But suddenly, the shadow let her go.¡±

    ¡°Let her go?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s the only way we can describe the situation. I mean, this woman is just an ordinary person. They didn¡¯t let the guy go though. The woman screamed and clutched onto the man¡¯s sleeves, but she felt a strong shock at the back of her head. When she regained her senses, you were right in front of her, Sir Zich.¡±

    ¡°Did you ask her about the shadows?¡±

    ¡°We asked her, but we couldn¡¯t find anything specific. ¡®Shadow¡¯ is just the expression the woman used to describe her attacker. It could be something else entirely. We have to investigate this matter more.¡±

    Currently, the victim was in a very agitated state. It was possible that she could remember something more if she calmed down. At the same time, Zich and Joachim thought that there was a low chance of that happening.

    ¡°Is this the first time the criminal revealed themself?¡±

    ¡°Yes. Until now, we have just guessed from the circumstances that there was someone going around kidnapping lovers.¡±

    With the appearance of this strange criminal, Joachim¡¯s guess had more credibility now. Someone could be connected to the robed figures in this city. However, Joachim¡¯s expression didn¡¯t look bright. It was because their guess had gained credibility with another person¡¯s pain, and the woman still hadn¡¯t stopped crying.

    Zich nced at his surroundings. He saw the investigators looking for evidence, but Zich shook his head. ¡®There¡¯s no lingering mana or a special trace.¡¯ There was probably nothing more to find in this ce. Zich left the scene for Joachim to investigate and returned to his lodging.

    * * *

    The attacks continued after the incident. What happened from time to time in secret not only became frequent but happened on arge scale. They sometimes captured two pairs of lovers at once. Furthermore, the criminal kidnapped the men and women separately. As the incidents continued, the atmosphere of the city darkened, and the number of people who wandered the streets dramatically decreased.

    ¡°You must have heard quite a handful,¡± Zich said to Joachim who entered the room. He read the worries on Joachim¡¯s face.

    Joachim made a bitter smile in response.

    ¡°It can¡¯t be helped. They ced me in charge of this matter so I could regain my honor, but not only am I failing to solve the case, it¡¯s getting worse.¡± Joachim took out the remaining chair. Evelyn looked at him with a worried expression.

    ¡°It¡¯s too much. You are working hard too, Count.¡±

    ¡°Thank you, Lady Rouge. I said I heard an earful, but it¡¯s not as if anyone cursed or reprimanded me. Actually, it was more like they were encouraging me. However, it doesn¡¯t change the fact that my position has be ufortable. I have to hurry up and solve this case.¡± Joachim¡¯s voice showed his firm determination.

    Even if they were making progress on this case, Joachim and the Dracul estate were not in good standing. Thus, the little support they had couldn¡¯t be more important to them than right now. Yet, if they failed to solve this case, their rtionship with the lord of this city¡¯s estate, who was one of the few who supported them, would be jeopardized. It would be a critical hit against them. In other words, Joachim had to really solve this case with his life on the line.

    However, simply strong determination couldn¡¯t solve the case, and that was the reason why Joachim visited Zich¡¯s lodging every day.

    ¡°Did anyone find any clues?¡± Joachim looked at the people in the room with expectant eyes. There were the four who were always there: Zich, L, Evelyn, and Joachim. They were a uniquebination, but Joachim had high expectations for this group. Above all, they had Zich on the team. Yet, the response he got was disappointing.

    ¡°There¡¯s not much.¡±

    ¡°¡­Is that so.¡± Joachim was unable to disguise his disappointment.

    Even though Zich and hispanions enjoyed sightseeing around the city, they had no ns to continue sightseeing after witnessing a kidnapping case first hand. Of course, Zich was unaffected, but Hans, Snoc, L, Elena, and Evelyn (who heard the storyter on) could not just ignore such an incident. Thus, they immediately moved to solve this case. Thus, Joachim also tried to get information from Zich and hispanions during this time.

    However, they hadn¡¯t been able to obtain any important clues. So far, all they knew about the culprit was that they used a shadow or darkness ability. Zich thought, ¡®I don¡¯t remember a Demon Person who uses such an ability.¡¯

    L also had no memories of anyone who used an ability like that. However, L¡¯s memories were unstable, and Zich also couldn¡¯t remember trivial events. Thus, the Demon Person responsible for this incident might be so insignificant and weak that Zich might not be able to remember them. ¡®But if I really did meet them, I would have felt an itch in the corner of my mind.¡¯

    A kidnapper who only kidnapped lovers and an ability that used shadows¡ªnothing came up in Zich¡¯s mind when hebined these two clues.

    ¡®Well, that¡¯s fine. I might have forgotten it.¡¯ If he met the culprit, he might be able to remember them again; he might also remember after beating the crap out of them. Even then, if he still couldn¡¯t remember, it wouldn¡¯t matter at all.

    ¡°Then I should continue my investigation for now.¡± There was nothing else he could do but investigate more. ¡°During this time, more victims might appear.¡±

    Evelyn sighed, ¡°Aren¡¯t there any more clues?¡±

    ¡°Lady Rouge, there haven¡¯t been any clues so far. But the culprit has suddenly changed their movements.¡± True to Joachim¡¯s words, the culprit had suddenly changed their method. Previously, the culprit secretly took one of the lovers when no one was around, but now they openly attacked and kidnapped one person when the lovers were together.

    Zich said, ¡°There must be a specific reason, whether it¡¯s due to an external cause or simply a change of heart.¡±

    However, nothing was certain yet. Then, Evelyn suggested, ¡°Why don¡¯t we do this?¡± Everyone¡¯s gazes turned towards Evelyn.

    ¡°Why don¡¯t we try to bait the culprit out?¡±

    Joachim asked, ¡°And how would we be able to do that?¡±

    ¡°Right now, the culprit is only going after lovers, and only lovers who are walkingte at night. Can¡¯t we bait the culprit out by having people pretend to be lovers?¡± Evelyn¡¯s words made sense. Moreover, because of the missing people case, fewer people were going outside, especially at night, so the number of people that the culprit could target had greatly decreased. In other words, if the culprit continued to target couples at night, there was a high chance that the culprit would fall into their trap.

    ¡°That seems like a good idea. I¡¯ll contact the mayor and ask him to secretly pick out skilled professionals who can pretend to be lovers.¡±

    Evelyn added, ¡°At the same time, I think it¡¯ll be a good idea for us to send people on our side.¡±

    ¡°On our side?¡±

    ¡°Yes, we have people who are perfect for this n.¡± Evelyn looked at Zich and L.

    L dumbly blurted, ¡°What?¡±

    Zich also blinked his eyes in surprise.

    However, contrary to their reactions, Joachim seemed to be pleased by Evelyn¡¯s suggestion. ¡°Yes, that¡¯s true. The two of them are very skilled, and since they traveled together, I¡¯m sure they can easily act like they¡¯re lovers.¡±

    ¡°¡­What did you say?¡±

    Joachim and Evelyn ignored Zich who sounded as if he was forcing each word out of his throat. And like this¡­

    ¡°¡­What kind of situation is this?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Zich and L were left on the boulevard by themselves. In order to catch the culprit, they now had to go on a date.

    * * *

    Janmalpi was fundamentally a shy and extravagant entertainment city. There were a lot of ces to see and experience, and it was the perfect ce to go on a date. However, this was only true for actual lovers. There was not a trace of sweetness between Zich and L, at least for now.

    L gave up halfway, and sighed, ¡°¡­I guess we have to do it.¡±

    Evelyn¡¯s idea was not bad, but the problem was that L had to pretend to be on a date with Zich. However, L had lost a lot of her memories, and the knowledge she had didn¡¯t contain trivial subjects like how to act on a date.

    ¡°I¡¯ll leave it up to you, Zich.¡±

    ¡°What? I have to lead?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t you remember what you told me when we first met? You told me you¡¯ll do everything on a date.¡± L was talking about the time when they first met each other at the Dracul estate ¡ª when L killed Ms. Bargot.

    ¡®Now that I think about it, I said something like that.¡¯

    Zich remembered the shock he felt when L uttered his past name, Zich Moore, and he had attacked L while asking her out on a date. Of course, he hadn¡¯t meant to ask her out on a date for real. He merely mocked her to tell her to follow him obediently. However, Zich nodded his head. ¡°Okay! If that¡¯s what you want, I¡¯ll take the lead! Now that I think about it, you must have no dating experience, so it¡¯s only right that I should take charge.¡± Zich confidently stepped forward. ¡°Don''t worry, L. Just trust me! I¡¯ll make sure you have a great first date experience!¡±

    ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll trust you.¡±

    After a while, L let out a deep sigh. ¡°¡­I shouldn¡¯t have expected anything.¡± L stared at Zich with an icy gaze; he was throwing cards while losing a hoard of chips.

    ¡°Ah, damn it. I¡¯m crazy unlucky.¡± Even though it hadn¡¯t been long since Zich had entered the casino, Zich had already lost quite arge amount of money. Whileining, Zich got up from his seat.

    L asked, ¡°¡­Is this a date?¡±

    ¡°Huh? Of course. What do you think a date is? A date is when lovers do something they enjoy together.¡± Then, Zich pointed at the gambling table where he had just lost a lot of money. ¡°See? Gambling is so much fun.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, yeah.¡± L gave up on refuting any further.

    ¡°Hey, you should have fun too. There aren¡¯t many games that you can learn as fast as gambling. I¡¯ll give you some spare change.¡± Zich pulled L¡¯s shoulder and led her to a gambling table. There was nothing to do except gamble in a casino, so L followed Zich and joined the gambling table.

    * * *

    ¡°¡­So, are you telling me that you just gambled the whole day?¡±

    Zich couldn¡¯t understand the dumbfounded gazes directed towards him. ¡°Yes. Even though we worked so hard on our date, the culprit didn¡¯te out at all. As expected, it¡¯s difficult for us to expect results in just one day.¡±

    No one opened their mouths at Zich¡¯s words; they were not touched by his efforts at all. L¡¯s small sigh rang out in the room.

 Chapter 281

    <h4>Chapter 281</h4>

    ¡°¡­Mr. Zich, have you ever been on a date?¡±

    ¡°Why, of course¡­!¡± Zich was about to answer with confidence but trailed off.

    Before his regression, he had only focused on training to gain his father¡¯s approval¡ªhe didn¡¯t have time for girls. After he left his family, he was busy surviving, and when he gained strength, he was fighting against the whole world. In short, he had never gone on a romantic walk with a lover whileughing.

    ¡°¡­Now that I think about it, I have never gone on the type of date that people normally think of.¡± He had only gone on plenty of dates that involved scattering blood and flesh, singing songs of terror, and snatching lives. ¡°Is there that much to a date? Isn¡¯t it all about having fun with your lover?¡±

    ¡°You are right, Mr. Zich. But as someone who knows this so well, why did you spend all your time gambling inside a casino the whole day?¡±

    ¡°Isn¡¯t gambling the most entertaining activity to do in this city? Doing something enjoyable with your lover¡ªyeah~! Is there a more fun date than that?¡±

    Zich was shameless, andmon logic didn¡¯t work on him. Evelyn began to see the crazy side of Zich that many people had experienced.

    ¡°¡­It doesn¡¯t seem appropriate to leave the date to Mr. Zich.¡±

    ¡°¡­Yes, it seems so.¡± Joachim also agreed with Evelyn.

    Although both of them felt affection for Zich as their personal saviors, they knew when things weren¡¯t going to work out. They turned away from Zich, whoined about the assessment he couldn¡¯t understand. Evelyn stared at L.

    ¡°It seems like you have to take the lead, Ms. L.¡± Evelyn hadn¡¯t given up on the idea of Zich and L acting as a couple yet.

    ¡°Ah, but I have also never been on a date.¡±

    ¡°Yes, I know.¡± After all, L didn¡¯t even know an emotion like love, much less a date. Evelyn continued, ¡°So, I will tell you what date course to take. Ms. L, you just have to follow it.¡±

    ¡°¡­I understand. I will try.¡±

    ¡°Mr. Zich. Please follow and cooperate with Ms. L too.¡±

    Even though Zich was dissatisfied that his date course wasn¡¯t epted, he nodded his head in the end.

    ¡°We will provide the expenses of the date on our side. Since this mission is for the city, it¡¯s on us to handle the costs. However, it will be difficult for us to also cover Sir Zich¡¯s gambling expenses,¡± Joachim said, and L agreed with him.

    ¡°Of course. If you say that you will cover the money he lost at the casino, he will definitely waste tons of money at the gambling table.¡±

    ¡°You are talking too harshly.¡± However, Zich, who had lost an immense sum of money also today, couldn''t refute L¡¯s words. ¡°Still, you don¡¯t have to cover our expenses. I¡¯m sure your situation isn¡¯t that great either, Count.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s painful to hear, but we can at least provide expenses for a matter like this. More importantly, didn¡¯t you lose a good sum of money today? Wouldn¡¯t it be difficult for you?¡±

    ¡°We have quite a bit of money. Moreover¡­¡± Zich stared at L. ¡°L earned more than the money I lost.¡±

    Everyone¡¯s eyes shot towards L. She shrugged her shoulders and spat while looking at Zich, ¡°Why do you keep going to the casino when you suck at gambling?¡±

    ¡°Damn it.¡±

    Zich couldn¡¯t even respond properly.

    * *. *

    Two days after the meeting, it was the day they had to act like they were on a date with Evelyn¡¯s n. L had the paper that Evelyn gave her in her hands. The paper was long, and it didn¡¯t seem simple. L peered at the paper intently and said, ¡°Let¡¯s eat first.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s good.¡±

    It was already time to eat lunch, and they were both hungry. Zich looked around their surroundings to see if there was a ce to dine in and found one. It was a restaurant with no special characteristics.

    ¡°Should we go there?¡±

    ¡°No,¡± L refused.

    ¡°What? Is there something else that you want to eat?¡±

    At Zich¡¯s question, L unfolded the paper that Evelyn gave to her again. Then, she looked back and forth between the surrounding stores and the piece of paper.

    ¡°There.¡± L pointed at one of the stores. It was a quite fancy looking ce; even the sign looked like it had been made with a lot of effort. The interior they saw behind the open door also looked high-quality.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go there.¡±

    ¡°Does the paper tell us to go there?¡±

    ¡°That building looks closest to what it asks for.¡±

    ¡°Hm.¡±

    A date was different ording to a person¡¯s preference.

    ¡®This must be Evelyn¡¯s taste.¡¯

    It was a store filled with Evelyn¡¯s preferences that dreamed of a romantic love. Since it didn¡¯t seem like Evelyn who was also new to this city specifically rmended this restaurant, Zich was sure that L had found the store ording to the conditions written on the paper.

    ¡°Okay, let¡¯s go in.¡±

    Today, he had to follow everything L, who was also following Evelyn¡¯s advice, suggested. Besides, a quite tasty aroma was flowing outside of the restaurant. As soon as they entered through the door, the atmosphere inside the ce weed them in; lit up the area. Anyone could tell that the ce existed for couples who came to the city to y. All the customers sitting at the tables looked like couples.

    For now, it seemed like they had picked the right restaurant. They sat at a table and ordered food. Although the food was quite expensive, it was understandable considering that they were in a touristy area. The food came while Zich and L made small talk. The warm steam that rose from their meal and the smell that came off from it stirred their taste buds. Zich lifted his utensils and tried to eat his meal.

    ¡°Wait,¡± L stopped him. She looked at the paper that Evelyn had given her. Then, she picked up her utensil, got a spoonful of stew, and lifted it towards Zich.

    ¡°Say, ¡®Ah.¡¯¡±

    Zich blinked. It had really been a long time since he was startled for real. However, Zich was able to grasp the situation after seeing L¡¯s expressionless face.

    ¡°Is this also a part of Evelyn¡¯s orders?¡±

    ¡°Yep.¡±

    It was as expected. Zich smirked and ate the stew from L¡¯s spoon. The stew was quite delicious; it seemed as if the restaurant used good quality ingredients.

    Then L pointed at Zich¡¯s utensils. ¡°You also have to do it.¡±

    Zich also took a big spoonful of his stew and brought it up to L¡¯s mouth, and L ate from his spoon. Even though quite a lot of time had passed since they started traveling together, this was apletely new experience. Zich stared at L¡¯s face.

    Even if L was just following orders, they were acting way over the top; Zich wondered if L would blush in embarrassment or humiliation. He thought it would be worthwhile to see L make such an expression. However, Zich¡¯s hopeful expectation was easily shattered.

    ¡®There¡¯s no change at all.¡¯

    Rather than a shy or embarrassed face, L looked like a general standing in front of an enormous battlefield. She fiercely ate her stew and intensely stared at the piece of paper that Evelyn had given her. Zich watched her and made a cheerful smile.

    ¡®Evelyn, I don¡¯t think the scene you envisioned wille out this time either.¡¯

    The situation went ording to Zich¡¯s prediction. L continued to do ridiculous and sickly sweet actions. Most of the actions they did were too embarrassing for even normal couples to do in public. However, while L performed these actions, there was not even a trace of sweetness in her expression. Instead, she looked like a monk quitely performing her duties¡ªor a machinepleting its functions.

    Zich and L received the attention of everyone around them. At first, they looked at Zich and L as if they were a cheesy, lovey-dovey couple, but now their gazes werepletely different. If Zich was exaggerating a bit, everyone looked at them as if they were watching a strange monster that they had never seen before. The people around them were definitely not looking at Zich and L as if they were lovers.

    In his own way, Zich was enjoying the attention of everyone around them. But this was not true for L. It was obvious that L was so focused onpleting her mission that she was unaware of how everyone was looking at her.

    Like this, they finished their meals.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± L got up from her chair.

    L tightly held the piece of paper that Evelyn gave her with both hands as if it was a decree from god. Zich followed L and got up from his seat. He got out of the restaurant and nced at the people behind them. People continued to stare at them; they were still looking at Zich and L with horrified expressions.

    * * *

    ¡°So, it seems like we¡¯ve failed our mission.¡±

    Evelyn clutched her head at Zich¡¯s reply. L nced nervously at Evelyn. Even though L had worked hard to follow all of Evelyn¡¯s instructions, she also realized that she probably did something wrong.

    ¡°¡­Are you telling me that you two failed to act like lovers?¡±

    ¡°If someone thought we were lovers, I would actually be amazed by them.¡± Of course, Zich would be amazed by their strange mind. Zich¡¯s words were enough for everyone to understand what happened.

    Joachim said, ¡°¡­It seems like Mr. Zich and Ms. L aren¡¯t suitable for this mission.¡±

    Evelyn also agreed with Joachim¡¯s opinion.

    Joachim continued, ¡°Fortunately, the mayor also thought favorably of Lady Rouge¡¯s n. He told us that they¡¯ve been selecting a pair of professionals to act as couples. We should put our trust in them.¡±

    ¡°I guess that¡¯s the only way.¡± Even though Evelyn sounded disappointed, she nodded in response.

    Then Zich said, ¡°Why don¡¯t we also send Snoc and Elena?¡±

    ¡°Those two?¡± L asked in surprise, ¡°They¡¯re close, but they¡¯re not lovers.¡±

    To be precise, it hadn¡¯t been long since they met each other.

    Zich shrugged, ¡°But it¡¯s not like we can just wait for the city¡¯s support.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s also true. But would the two of them be okay?¡±

    ¡°They don¡¯t have to pretend to be lovers. It will be extremely awkward for them as well. They can just go around sightseeing as friends. If a man and woman look very close and are alone together, people might mistake them as lovers. Wouldn¡¯t this be an easy task for them?¡±

    Then Evelyn said, ¡°And I wonder why the two of you weren¡¯t able to do such an easy task?¡±

    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s exactly right, Lady Rouge. I thought that my date was good enough. It seems like the culprit is very choosy and particr. I mean, a casino date is so romantic.¡±

    L added, ¡°Lady Rouge, I also followed everything you told me to do.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Joachim said, ¡°Lady Rouge, I think it¡¯ll be better if we just think about our future ns from now on.¡±

    Joachim was right. Evelyn clearly realized that she wouldn¡¯t be able to argue against L and Zich.

    ¡°¡­Then let¡¯s leave it up to Mr. Snoc and Ms. Dwayne tomorrow.¡±

    Just like this, their meeting ended.

    * * *

    The next day, Snoc and Elena stood still in the middle of the street. They recalled the mission that they were assigned this morning: y in Janmalpi energetically, have fun, and act as affectionately as possible.

    Snoc and Elena were very nervous after being told that they would soon receive an important mission; however, they were puzzled to receive such a strange mission. Then, Zich and L kicked them outside after giving them a huge amount of money as allowance.

    ¡°¡­What kind of situation is this, Nowem?¡±

    Koo? Nowem seemed to have no idea what type of situation they were in. Then, there was only one more person left to ask. Snoc stared at Elena.

    ¡°You know how Teacher and Mr. Zich failed in acting like a couple, right? It seems like that job has been passed onto us.¡±

    As expected of a magician, Elena was able to correctly answer Snoc¡¯s question.

    ¡°Then do we have to pretend to be lovers?¡±

    ¡°Probably.¡±

    ¡°¡­But I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll be able to do something like that.¡±

    ¡°Same here.¡±

    It was doubtful that Snoc, who spent all of his life mining, and Elena, who spent all her time on learning magic, could skillfully pretend to be on a date.

    ¡°But I¡¯m sure there¡¯s a reason why Teacher left the job up to us.¡± Since Elena greatly respected L, she didn¡¯t want to disappoint her teacher. She wondered how they could pretend to be lovers in a believable way.

    However, Snoc cut off her thoughts. ¡°Well, what can we do if we just keep thinking like this? We just have to do what they told us to do.¡±

    ¡°Wait a moment. But we have to at least think a bit more and start moving¡­!¡±

    ¡°If that was the case, I¡¯m sure they would have told us a little bit more information. Since they didn¡¯t, I think it¡¯s fine for us to just follow exactly what they told us to do.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Snoc reached out his hand towards Elena, and she blinked her eyes a few times. ¡°Let¡¯s start moving. Since the situation is like this, let¡¯s y with all we¡¯ve got.¡±

    Elena quietly nodded, and then the two began to enjoy their time in the city.

 Chapter 282

    <h4>Chapter 282</h4>

    While Snoc and Elena wandered around the city, Zich and L watched them from afar. If the culprit appeared, they nned to jump in immediately. Only Hans was nowhere to be found. Zich had judged that he and L were enough to capture the kidnapper, so he ordered Hans to investigate the city. Thus, Hans was going around the city and carefully searching the area for anything suspicious.

    ¡°Huh?¡± Hans went beyond themercial district and reached a small stream crossing the city. There was a riverside neatly arranged with stones and a couple of stone bridges stationed there too.

    ¡®She is¡­¡¯

    On the bridge, a woman stared nkly at the flowing stream below her with one of her arms leaning on top of the handrail. The woman looked familiar, and Hans soon realized that he wasn¡¯t mistaken. Her unique characteristic was her ming red hair.

    ¡®Ms. Browning?¡¯

    He was sure that she was the person he had met in Violuwin before. They couldn¡¯t be called acquaintances, and it wouldn¡¯t be wrong for him to say that they just knew each other on the surface. Still, Hans remembered the conversation they had before and approached her. Additionally, since she was a skilled person¡ªBrowning could have noticed something strange about the city. Hans was about to initiate a conversation with her when¡ª

    Swish!

    Lara ced her hand on her sword guard and turned around instantly. Hans backed off one step and raised both of his hands lightly.

    Sling!

    Lara unsheathed half her sword.

    ¡°Who are you!¡± Although it didn¡¯t seem like he wanted to fight, Lara couldn¡¯t help but suspect a male stranger suddenly approaching her. Lara¡¯s eyes were filled with wariness.

    ¡°Calm down. I have no intention of fighting. Haven¡¯t we met before?¡±

    Lara nced at Hans¡¯ face suspiciously. With her stunning appearance, many guys approached her whenever she walked alone. ¡®Haven¡¯t we met before?¡¯ was amon phrase that such guys often used. However, L¡¯s wary re soon disappeared.

    ¡°You are¡­!¡¯

    Although it had been a brief meeting, Lara remembered Hans. The conversation they had at the time was memorable to her.

    ¡°Thank goodness you seem to remember me. Can I ce my hands down, miss?¡±

    ¡°Ah, yes! Please!¡± Lara hurriedly pushed her sword back in, and Hans also put his hands down.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t expect to see you here.¡±

    ¡°Same.¡±

    ¡°Did youe to tour the site?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s the n for now,¡± she replied. Yet, her expression was strange. It wasn¡¯t a happy one.

    ¡®It¡¯s not the face of a tourist.¡¯

    Now that Han thought about it, Lara was alone. Although they had met only a couple of times before, he couldn¡¯t see the person who was always with her.

    ¡°Where¡¯s yourpanion? I think his name was Glen Zenard?¡±

    Lara¡¯s expression turned even more sour. Before, she forcefully tried to put up a calm fa?ade, but now it waspletely broken. Hans could tell from a nce that the cause of her sour mood was Glen Zenard.

    ¡°¡­We dide here together, but we are moving separately right now.¡±

    ¡°I see.¡± Hans simply nodded and didn¡¯t dive deep into the matter. He didn¡¯t feel the need to push on a sensitive topic; furthermore, they weren¡¯t even close acquaintances. Yet, he didn¡¯t want to let this awkward atmosphere continue.

    ¡°You haven¡¯t let go of your sword yet.¡± Hans remembered how Lara was conflicted on whether or not she should alter her battle style to focus on using a shield rather than a sword. Although she was still holding a shield, it wasn¡¯t very big; she still had the sword she had before, indicating that she hadn¡¯t changed her battle style yet.

    Hans mentioned her weapon simply because he wanted to change the topic, and it was one of the few pieces of information they had shared with each other. Yet, contrary to Hans¡¯ intentions, Lara¡¯s expression grew even worse. Hans was at a loss.

    ¡®W-What should I do in a situation like this?¡¯

    No matter how much Hans had changed, the change was limited to military prowess. Hans didn¡¯t change much in matters regarding interpersonal rtionships and social skills. His abilities to cope in situations like this was stillcking.

    ¡®L-Let¡¯s tryplimenting her first!¡¯ He thought people¡¯s mood would be better once they receivedpliments.

    ¡°If you didn¡¯t give up on your swordsmanship, your skills must have improved. Even my master said that you have talent, Ms. Browning.¡±

    ¡°¡­By your master, do you mean the person who shed with Glen before? The one who is also an Honorary Knight¡­?¡±

    ¡°Yes, you are right, miss!¡± As Lara seemed less gloomy from her curiosity, Hans nodded eagerly. ¡°My master¡¯s skills are amazing! He is the one who trained me to this point even when I didn¡¯t know anything.¡±

    An amazing person like that acknowledged her skills. Lara felt like her mood became a bit better. However, that didn¡¯tst long.

    ¡®But what¡¯s the point?¡¯ she thought. The person she loved continued to encourage her to change her weapon choice. At first, he made nothing more than soft rmendations, but as time passed, his encouragement became more forceful and pressuring. The way he treated her also changed slightly. Even right now, he left her by herself, saying that he needed to take care of something.

    ¡®I don¡¯t think this is enough to cheer her up.¡¯ Hans gave up onforting Lara when her expression darkened again.

    ¡®Now that I think about it, I didn¡¯t learn about things like this from Sir Zich.¡¯

    The only people skills Hans learned from Zich was provoking others unintentionally. In the end, Hans thought Lara¡¯s mood would worsen the more they conversed and decided to ask the main question he meant to ask her. ¡°Have you perhaps seen a suspicious person or incident in this city?¡±

    ¡°¡­A suspicious person or incident?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°No, I haven¡¯t seen anything like that. Is there something going on?¡±

    Hans wondered for a moment if it was all right to tell Lara about their work. ¡®It¡¯s probably fine. There are already rumors circting around the city. Also, there¡¯s no way a Karuwiman Honorary Knight¡¯spanion could be the culprit.¡¯

    Yet, he didn¡¯t n to tell her the details and narrated a simple summary of what was happening.

    ¡°Kidnappings have been happening inside the city, and we are investigating them.¡±

    ¡°Kidnappings?¡± It seemed like Lara really didn¡¯t know about it as her eyes widened in surprise.

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    Since Lara didn¡¯t seem to know anything, Hans couldn¡¯t find another reason for them to continue their conversation. They weren¡¯t even that close in the first ce.

    ¡°Then, I will leave now. I have to investigate more so that there aren¡¯t more casualties.¡±

    Hans turned his feet around to continue the investigation.

    ¡°Wait!¡± Lara shouted and he halted his steps. ¡°I can help in matters like that.¡±

    ¡°¡­Ms. Browning, you will?¡±

    Hans pondered for a bit. ¡®I don¡¯t think it¡¯ll be a problem.¡¯ Lara Browning was skilled; most of all, Zich had vouched for her skills. In addition, herrade was Glen Zenard, a Karuwiman Honorary Knight like Zich.

    ¡®And we also need more people.¡¯ Since they needed to patrol the entire city, it was better if they had as many people as possible, especially considering the fact that they had a limited number of resources and people allotted to them.

    ¡°Ms. Browning, I¡¯ll tell you this from the start, but even if you help us with this matter, we won¡¯t be able to give you anypensation.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t want something like that. I just want to help people,¡± Lara said with a bit of difort in her voice as Hans seemed to have misinterpreted her good will.

    ¡°Well, if you say it like that, there¡¯s no reason for me to refuse. However, since I received your help, I¡¯ll at least buy you a drink or meal.¡±

    ¡°Are you flirting with me?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t have the leisure to do that. I¡¯m very busy with just my training.¡±

    ¡°Is that so?¡± Lara¡¯s expression softened as she seemed to like that Hans was very focused on his training. ¡°That¡¯s fine with me. I¡¯ll join you for a drink or meal in the future.¡±

    ¡°Thank you. Then, let¡¯s start moving.¡±

    Like this, Hans began investigating the city with Lara Browning.

    * * *

    Unlike Zich and L¡¯s pretend date, Snoc and Elena looked like they were fully enjoying themselves in the city. It was possible to mistake them as a couple having fun. Zich watched them from a roof far away and said, ¡°Look at that. As expected, you have to do what you enjoy¡ªthat¡¯s how a natural atmosphere like that can appear.¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡±

    ¡°So that¡¯s why my casino date was not a problem at all.¡±

    L did not reply. No, she just decided to ignore him. However, she didn¡¯t like Zich¡¯s over-confident expression, so she added, ¡°I¡¯m just saying this to be clear, but I¡¯m absolutely not going to count that as my first date.¡±

    ¡°What? Was my date too high-level for you?¡±

    L wondered how likely it was for Zich to fall down the roof if she suddenly kicked him; she seriously contemted this. However, even while sharing small talk like this, L and Zich did not stop watching over Snoc and Elena.

    The sun began to set. The workers hired by the city began to light the streetmps one by one. The sky was dyed yellow, and then it was soon covered byplete darkness.

    ¡°Stay alert, Zich. It¡¯s almost time for the culprit to appear.¡±

    ¡°I know.¡± Zich clutched Windur, and L lightly surrounded her staff with her mana.

    L said, ¡°It¡¯ll be fine, right? I¡¯m worried about Elena since she hasn''t really begun her training yet.¡±

    ¡°Snoc is also quite strong. I was the one who trained him. He¡¯s at least strong enough to protect himself and Elena, so don¡¯t worry about them.¡±

    Then Zich and L inched closer to Snoc and Elena.

    * * *

    ¡°Ah, it was so fun!¡± Elena stretched out her arms while walking on the boulevard. Her arms carried the items she shopped for today.

    ¡°We also had a lot of fun, right?¡±

    Koo!

    Snoc and Nowem seemed to have also fully enjoyed their day.

    ¡°Are we going to return like this?¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s go back after circling the city a few more times. It¡¯s almost time for the culprit to start appearing. As bait, we should drag it out a little longer.¡±

    ¡°¡­Yeah, we should do that.¡± Elena increased her wariness, and her body naturally became stiffer.

    Unlike Snoc, who had experienced all kinds of experience from following Zich, Elena had joined the group recently. She not onlycked experience, but she was currently in the process of learning how to use her mana. Of course, the speed in which she learned was shockingly fast, but she needed a bit more time and support.

    Snoc might¡¯ve sensed her concerns as she reassured Elena, ¡°Don¡¯t worry too much. Sir Zich and Ms. L are probably fiercely searching for the culprit right now. If they catch the culprit, the culprit will definitely be like this.¡± To show what he meant, Snoc drew a line across his neck.

    ¡°Also, before theye running towards us, I¡¯m sure I¡¯ll be able to block the culprit. Right, Nowem?¡±

    Koo!

    ¡°These kinds of situations will probably happen a lot in the future, so just think of this as practice.¡±

    ¡°¡­Isn¡¯t being a bait too much for practice?¡±

    ¡°This is Sir Zich¡¯s style, so give up on expecting anything else,¡± Snocughed.

    Elena alsoughed as if she gave up. However, this didn¡¯t mean that her nervousness waspletely gone. Snoc also didn¡¯t think her anxiety wouldpletely go away either. Thus, he tried to carefully scan their surroundings even more than usual. It was at that moment¡ª

    Swish!

    A shadow popped out in an alleyway next to them.

    sh!

    However, the shadow hit a rock wall that appeared in front of Snoc and Elena and was unable to reach its goal.

    * * *

    ¡°The culprit arrived!¡± Zich immediately jumped off from the roof.

    L floated in the air and began her incantations. The shadow blocked by the wall that Snoc made began wriggling. However, the shadow soon broke the wall and tried to approach Snoc and Elena again. However, Zich had already arrived next to the shadow.

    ¡°Die!¡± With a cheerful shout, Zich swung Windur.

    The shadow quickly changed its shape to evade Windur. However, Windur was faster than the shadow¡¯s transformation, and its edge scraped the shadow.

    Tremble!

    The shadow twisted its body as if it was trembling in pain and ran back into the alley again. Zich followed it. In an instant, he caught up to the shadow and was about to swing Windur again. But he felt a presence near him.

    ¡®This is!¡¯ Zich felt an enormous amount of mana. He quickly swerved Windur¡¯s pathway and attacked the presence near him.

    Crasssh!

    Windur and the opponent¡¯s sword collided. A loud explosion rang out in the alleyway. Zich narrowed his eyes and stared at his opponent.

    ¡®Huh?¡¯ The sword felt familiar to him. It had a ck de. ¡®Tornium?¡¯

    It had been Zich¡¯s favorite sword before his regression, but a different person was now its owner.

    Zich checked his opponent¡¯s face.

    ¡®Glen Zenard!¡¯

    Apletely unexpected person had popped up in front of him.

 Chapter 283

    <h4>Chapter 283</h4>

    ¡®Why is he here?¡¯

    Zich wasn¡¯t happy to see him. Not only did Zich have a bad impression of him, but Glen was also someone Zich thought was especially suspicious. Yet, Glen¡¯s expression seemed to indicate that he was just as surprised as Zich.

    ¡®Is this guy rted to the kidnapping incidents?¡¯ Zich thought and wished for it to be true. Only then would he be able to beat Glen until he was half-dead and torture him to extract information for good reason.

    ¡®I don¡¯t think the case would be solved that easily though.¡¯

    The shadows were the first priority right now. Zich turned around to track down the shadows.

    ¡°Where are you going!¡±

    Whoosh!

    Zich hurriedly raised Windur as Tornium came his way.

    Crash! An explosive sound rang in the area again. Zich red at Glen menacingly. ¡°¡­What are you doing?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s what I want to ask you! Where are you running away to!¡±

    ¡°Running away?¡± Zich never held such a foolish thought like running away in front of a fight. He detested things like throwing away an opportunity for revenge in the future for the sake of protecting one¡¯s pride; he much preferred the method of bing stronger and paying back his opponent multiple timester. There was a reason why strategic retreat was even a thing. Yet, these things only mattered when Zich was on the losing side.

    ¡®It¡¯s not something I should hear from a person who hasn¡¯t even ripened his potential yet.¡±

    It really was sweeting from a guy who had only barely managed to beat him after gathering all kinds of geniuses in the world before the regression. Zich nced at the alleyway. The shadows were gone now. Even when he tried to detect their presence, he couldn¡¯t detect one clearly. Zich stared above him. L was hovering in the air. By flicking his head, he asked her if she tracked them, but she shook her head. Then, she pointed at Glen.

    ¡®She was also too focused on Glen.¡¯

    They had lost them. It wasn¡¯t guaranteed that the other person would chase after their target if one of them got into a conflict. It was L¡¯s mistake, but Zich understood.

    ¡®Since shecks experience, it can¡¯t be helped.¡¯

    Furthermore, even though Glen¡¯s interference had been the cause for losing their enemy, if one considered how the shadows disappeared from Zich¡¯s detection in that short period of time, it was easy to see that the shadows had considerable stealth skills.

    ¡®Ah, what a disappointment.¡¯ Zich sighed. He had lost the clue to solving the case right in front of him because of a sudden interference. Zich stared at Glen who was still ring at him fiercely.

    ¡®All right. If he doesn¡¯t have a good reason for blocking me, I will beat him up.¡¯ Zich thought that, but he changed his mind immediately afterward. ¡®He can¡¯t have a good reason for blocking me. He¡¯s the one who attacked me first.¡¯

    Zich fixed his grip on Windur. ¡®I should just beat him up. Since I already got attacked first, it''s a good enough reason for me to do that.¡¯

    Zich had many doubts about Glen; of course, they could simply be misunderstandings but¡­

    ¡®So what? It¡¯s his fault for creating so many misunderstandings.¡¯

    ¡°Huh? Now that I see you more carefully, that sword. Are you perhaps¡­!¡± It seemed like Glen was saying something, but Zich was not paying attention anymore. His next action was enough of an answer.

    Whoosh.

    Windur sliced through the space.

    ¡°What¡­!¡±

    Crash!

    Tornium blocked Windur.

    ¡®Hm, shing against Tornium. It gives me a weird feeling.¡¯ However, Zich was only locked into these sentimental feelings momentarily. He immediately threw away these uncharacteristic feelings and began to move boldly for the purpose of crushing Glen.

    ng!

    With Zich¡¯s increased pressure, Tornium bounced off. Then, heid down the sword on its side and swung it.

    ¡°Kuh!¡± Glen backed away. Windur chased after him, and Glen hurriedly blocked it with Tornium.

    Crash! Another explosive sound rang out again.

    ¡®His skills have be much better than thest time I saw him.¡¯ Even when he was angry, Zich could objectively assess his opponent. ¡®As expected of someone who received the hero title before.¡¯ However, that didn¡¯t mean all was well with Glen.

    ¡®But what¡¯s up with his mana?¡¯

    The mana that filled Glen¡¯s sword was uneven and irregr. Zich knew that Glen wasn¡¯t someone whocked mana control. Including the time they briefly met before and of course the time before the regression, Glen¡¯s mana control had always been stable.

    ¡®Did he take something?¡¯ Perhaps, that was the reason why he failed to make the manapletely his. Nheless, that was Glen¡¯s problem to deal with.

    ng! ng!

    Zich continued to swing his sword. Glen managed to struggle against Zich¡¯s attacks, but his movements soon became dull.

    Punch!

    ¡°Kuh! Zich¡¯s feet struck Glen¡¯s stomach. Glen groaned; his face scrunched up like he was in great pain.

    ¡®Huh?¡¯ At that moment, Zich felt a clear uplifting feeling.

    ¡®Why do I feel so good?¡¯

    He felt as if a giant stone that had been pressing down on his heart was removed. His heart felt much lighter now. In a way, it felt like he was walking on a paved road after sludging through a muddy path where the mud reached up to his thighs. Glen clenched his teeth and swung his sword again.

    ng~

    Zich intertwined Tornium with Windur¡¯s branch-like des and pulled it. Glen¡¯s arm was pulled along the way and his torso was exposed. Zich swung his fist and aimed for Glen¡¯s face.

    Punch!

    ¡°Kuh!¡± Glen¡¯s head swiveled backwards.

    ¡®Ahahahahaha!¡¯ A burst ofughter exploded inside Zich¡¯s mind. If they weren¡¯t in a fierce battle right now, he would have rolled on the dirt floor while clenching his stomach. The edges of his mouth twitched out of control.

    ¡®Wow, this is fun!¡¯

    Now that he thought about it, before the regression, Zich had gritted his teeth, hoping tond a punch on Glen¡¯s face at least once. Now, this was the opportunity. The shadows he had missed seemed long gone in his mind now. Zich swung his fist again. Glen tried to move Tornium, but it was interlocked in Windur¡¯s des.

    Punch!

    Glen¡¯s face twisted backwards. Blood spluttered out of his lips.

    ¡®His teeth are strong.¡¯ Zich was disappointed that he couldn¡¯t see any teeth between the blood. ¡®Well, I can make sure to see them.¡¯ After all, it was an easy task to beat a person¡¯s face up until their teeth broke off.

    Zich tried to swing his fist again, but Glen wasn¡¯t such an easy opponent to be hit by the same attack three times. He sessfully took out Tornium from Windur¡¯s grasp.

    Crash!

    Their swords collided again. Glen¡¯s attack became more menacing than before. His battered and bloody face was probably the reason for his change. However, Zich also had no thoughts about letting go of such a delightful opportunity.

    Crash! Crash! Crash!

    Two swords continued to strike each other. Punches and kicks were also exchanged intermittently. However, only one person was getting bruised and bloody.

    ¡®Heeeee!¡¯

    Zich let out a lowugh as he stuck another punch in Glen¡¯s stomach. He really liked the heavy feel of his fist as itnded on Glen¡¯s body. If he could, Zich wanted to spend all day just beating up Glen Zenard. Unfortunately, that was impossible. The enormous collision of mana was already causing significant damage around their surroundings. Walls sted off and railings were cut off. People were running away in all directions. This was only natural as they were both extremely strong.

    However, they were currently in a city, especially during a time when security was tight from the serial kidnapping incidents. Security guards and soldiers learned about Zich and Glen¡¯s fight and quickly ran towards them.

    ¡°Stop!¡± Soldiers came inside the alleyway and pushed their spears towards Zich and Glen.

    Zich withdrew his sword, and Glen also took a few steps back. However, his sword still faced Zich. Glen¡¯s appearance was a mess. Even though he didn¡¯t receive any serious injuries, it was clear that Zich had thoroughly beaten him up. His handsome face was puffed up all over, and even his blood veins were visible. It also seemed as if his bones were broken since he walked strangely.

    Zich felt very refreshed by Glen¡¯s appearance. The fist that beat the hell out of Glen still throbbed in exhration.

    ¡®Should I sleep today without washing my hands?¡¯ The sensation was thrilling enough for him to think random thoughts like this. However, unlike Zich¡¯s yful inner thoughts, the situation on the outside was extremely serious.

    ¡°Exin your situation! No, we¡¯ll first capture you two. Immediately throw away your weapons!¡±

    The soldiers pushed their spears a little further as Zich and Glen seemed to be following their directions. Zich threw a badge towards them.

    ¡°¡­This is!¡±

    ¡°My name is Zich. I¡¯m a Karuwiman Honorary Knight, and I¡¯m currently helping the mayor and Count Dracul to investigate the serial kidnapping cases that are happening in this city.¡±

    The badge that Zich threw was a type of identification badge given by Count Dracul to all those who worked to ensure the city¡¯s safety.

    ¡°While chasing after the culprit, that person hindered. So you just have to capture him.¡± Zich pointed at Glen who was looking at him with a puzzled look.

    ¡°¡­What did you just say?¡± Glen murmured to himself.

    Zich quietly repeated what he said to Glen. At least for the rest of the day, Zich thought he could be kind to Glen.

    * * *

    A fierce battle had urred in the middle of the city. Even though a part of the back alleyway was destroyed, it was actually a miracle that only the back alleyway was destroyed, considering Zich and Glen¡¯s strengths. Many soldiers and people leading the missing people investigation, including Joachim, gathered around where Zich and Glen fought.

    The captain of the security forces alternately listened to Zich and Glen. Even though the captain had always shown a confident and self-assured presence while interrogating possible culprits, he didn¡¯t impose his authority to get information from them. No, it was more urate to say he couldn¡¯t.

    One person was a Karuwiman Honorary Knight and had close connections with Count Dracul and the other person was also a Karuwiman Honorary Knight. Zich exined the whole story to the captain. However, he mixed in a few lies when he exined why he attacked Glen. Rather than a personal grudge, he exined that he thought Glen was trying to protect the culprit. Zich also added that he had met Glen before, but he thought he had no choice but to attack Glen since Glen really looked as if he was protecting the culprit.

    Likewise, Glen¡¯s excuses were also simr. He was patrolling the alleyways when he saw a shadow that seemed to be the culprit of the famous missing people cases going around the city these days. In order to capture the culprit, he followed behind but Zich suddenly jumped out and looked like the shadow¡¯srade. Of course, he recognized Zichter on, but Zich was already attacking him by that time, so he had no choice but to fight back. Both of them had clear identities, and they had their own reasons. Their reasoning kind of sounded like excuses, but it was not enough to further interrogate a Karuwiman Honorary Knight. Moreover, Glen stepped forward and said he¡¯d take care of all the damages and payments, so it seemed as if he wanted to peacefully end this matter.

    ¡°It seems as if this incident happened because of a simple misunderstanding.¡± The captain said to Zich, ¡°So I think it¡¯ll be best if the both of you reconcile and peacefully settle this matter.¡±

    After saying this, the captain of the security guards nced at Zich.

    Zich asked, ¡°What did he say?¡±

    ¡°Ah, he said he¡¯ll definitely be able to reconcile. On the other hand, he apologized for misunderstanding you, and he said that this whole incident happened because of his shorings.¡±

    ¡®That¡¯s how Glen wants to end this.¡¯ Considering Glen¡¯s righteous image, people might think that he was humbly admitting his mistakes and wanted to take responsibility for all the damages. However, since Zich was suspicious about Glen¡¯s good image, he thought Glen might be performing an act.

    ¡®Well, it¡¯s not bad for me.¡¯

    ¡°That won¡¯t be a difficult matter to do. Let¡¯s do that.¡± Zich had already let out all the frustrations and annoyance for missing the culprit at Glen.

    ¡®I still regret it though. I should have hit him a few more times, like at least for the whole day.¡¯

    Zich also wanted to end the incident like this anyway; it was time for him to realistically settle the situation. The captain gathered the two of them in order to arrange a reconciliation. Zich and Glen stood still while facing each other. It seemed as if Glen had used potions to heal himself since his appearance had returned to normal. However, since he wasn¡¯t able to change into new clothes, there were still obvious traces of hisplete defeat. Zich¡¯s mood rose one level higher just by seeing Glen¡¯s appearance.

    ¡°Since we both seemed to have misunderstood the situation, let¡¯s resolve our resentment here and move on.¡± Zich cheerfully put forth his hand.

    Glen held Zich¡¯s hand and said, ¡°¡­Yes. It¡¯s my fault that I misunderstood and swung my sword at you first.¡±

    ¡°I guess you¡¯re well aware of your mistake.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Zich and Glen¡¯s handshake was very brief. They soon let go of each other''s hands and turned their backs without looking back.

 Chapter 284

    <h4>Chapter 284</h4>

    It might¡¯ve seemed like they hadn¡¯t resolved the remaining bitterness from the fight, but that wasn¡¯t the case. The feelings that these two held were much deeper than that. Zich thought hard. ¡®So, why is Glen here?¡¯

    Did hee here by coincidence? It waspletely possible, but if Glen hade to this ce with some goal in mind, Zich thought, ¡®If I find out what it is, I can reveal his true identity.¡¯

    Thus, Zich had to let Glen wander around freely and use him as much as possible. This was the main reason why Zich had epted Glen¡¯s apology easily. Then, Zich returned to where hispanions were. L, Snoc, and Elena were all waiting for him.

    Glen walked to the opposite side from Zich. Then, he turned his head slightly and stared at Zich and hispanions. His eyes lingered on one person briefly. Unless someone was observing him very closely¡ªno, even if they were observing him, they wouldn¡¯t have been able to notice it unless they had outstanding senses and eyes. Glen turned back his head like he was indifferent, but his mind couldn¡¯t be any more different from his outer appearance.

    ¡®Why is Elena there!¡¯

    Elena should have been swimming in an ocean full of despair around this time for his ns, but she was standing right beside Zich. Was he seeing things wrongly? Glen nced at Zich and hispanions again. It was definitely her. Although she wasn¡¯t excitedly talking to her team members right now, there was no doubt that she was part of the team.

    ¡®Damn it! Another change!¡¯ Glen was internally shouting all kinds of curses in his anguish when he heard another voice call out to Zich.

    ¡°Sir Zich, what happened!¡±

    Glen knew this voice. It was a voice he couldn¡¯t forget since it belonged to one of Zich¡¯spanions who held Estede. Glen turned his head around to check when another thing surprised him.

    ¡®¡­What!¡¯ Glen had to prevent his face from twisting at all costs again. Lara Browning was standing next to the damn bastard carrying Estede.

    ¡°You are finally here?¡± Zich asked Hans who was running towards him.

    ¡°I came running after hearing a hugemotion in this area. Did you catch the culprit, sir?¡±

    ¡°No. I did meet the culprits, but I lost them. There was some interference.¡± After saying this, Zich nced where Glen was, and he noticed Glen¡¯s piercing re.

    ¡®Why is that bastard staring at us?¡¯ Zich wondered.

    The reason was soon revealed.

    ¡°Glen!¡± A woman following behind Hans called Glen¡¯s name and ran towards him.

    ¡®It¡¯s Lara Browning.¡¯ She was Glen¡¯spanion who blocked Zich¡¯s attacks with a shield before the regression. Zich asked Hans for an exnation with his eyes.

    ¡°While investigating the city, we met each other by coincidence. She said she wanted to help catch the kidnappers and joined me, sir.¡±

    ¡°Is that so?¡±

    They were an unexpected pairing. Zich turned and saw Glen and Lara conversing. They were both smiling; perhaps it was just a feeling, but there was some awkwardness between them.

    ¡°We will leave first.¡± Glen bowed once and passed Zich and hispanions. Lara followed behind him. She also bowed slightly to the group, and when she passed by Hans, she said with a small smile on her face, ¡°It seems like you have to treat me next time.¡±

    ¡°Whenever you are avable. It doesn¡¯t matter how pricey it is.¡±

    ¡°I look forward to it. But since I don¡¯t really have a taste for luxurious foods, you don¡¯t have to buy me anything expensive. Then, see youter.¡±

    After the short conversation, Lara ran to join Glen.

    ¡°¡­You guys seem pretty close?¡± Zich hooked his arm around Hans¡¯ neck. L was speechless as she watched Zich act like a gangster who provoked fights with couples.

    ¡°Well, thanks to her help, I promised to buy her food and drinks. That¡¯s all.¡±

    ¡°Wow, our Hans knows how to pick up girls now? You¡¯ve sure grown up a lot~¡±

    ¡°I just wanted to pay back for the help I received. Besides, I am already too upiedpleting the training you give me, sir.¡±

    ¡°Hm, your earnesty is impressive.¡± Zich ruffled Hans¡¯ hair. ¡°Keep your mind open. You know, after a meal and some drinks, you guys will grow closer to each other, and that¡¯s how love blooms.¡±

    ¡°I think she already has someone she likes.¡±

    ¡°That doesn¡¯t matter at all. It¡¯s not as if she is married or has kids already. Someone she likes? You can change that! Okay, this is also part of your education. Let me give you some advice¡ª¡±

    ¡°Shut up! Why are you giving him advice when you can¡¯t even do a single date properly!¡± L rebuked him, and Zich protested in response.

    ¡°That¡¯s simply because people can¡¯t understand my version of a date! The dates that I usually do¡ª!¡±

    ¡°Never mind that! If you have nothing else to do, let¡¯s head back now!¡± L pushed Zich¡¯s back. Zich grumbled as he shuffled his feet.

    * * *

    ¡°How did you end up meeting that person?¡± Glen suddenly asked on their way back to their lodging.

    Lara asked in response, ¡°That person?¡±

    ¡°You know, the person who was with you.¡±

    What Glen really wanted to say was, ¡®That damn bastard who stole Estede from me.¡¯ As of now, Hans¡¯ existence was even more annoying than Zich¡¯s. It angered him even more that a guy like that wandered around the city with Lara.

    ¡°I heard that a serial kidnapper was going around the city, so I joined him,¡± Lara said calmly. It seemed like there were no other emotions attached to her words, and Glen could take her words at face-value.

    ¡°I see.¡± Glen also epted her answer as if he didn¡¯t mean much by his question. However, his inner thoughts werepletely different again. ¡®That bastard¡­!¡¯

    That bastard was someone who stole Estede from him and robbed him of the power and authority that was rightfully his. Now, this guy was also growing closer to Lara.

    ¡®Furthermore, I definitely saw Elena with them!¡¯

    When Glen first saw her there, he literally thought his heart would jump out of his chest. He couldn¡¯t understand why the hell she was there. If it wasn¡¯t for the experiences he had gathered for a long period of time, he might have identally dropped his fa?ade.

    ¡®There was never a time when she was Zich¡¯s party member!¡¯ Yet, reality showed the opposite oue. ¡®There¡¯s also the matter with Joachim Dracul!¡¯

    A variable¡ªand an intensely annoying variable at that. However, what twisted Glen¡¯s heart was not the numerous variables that distorted his ns.

    ¡®They stole Estede, and Elena is now part of their group. Moreover, Leona was also in that group before, and they¡¯re also treated like heroes in Violuwin!¡¯

    Fortunately, Leona was no longer with them. Was she not able to adjust to the group and got kicked out? Or were they simply not working together anymore? What was the point in lingering on this topic anyway? It was already a fact that ¡®what should have been his¡¯ was being stolen from him.

    ¡®And that¡¯s not all¡ªthey¡¯re trying to steal Lara away from me too!¡¯ Even though he had ¡®taken¡¯ Lara first, considering the fact that Zich and hispanions had already stolen so much from him, they might also steal Lara away. ¡®This is infuriating, especially when I¡¯m already not satisfied with Lube¡¯s recement at all!¡¯

    Now, he might have to find recements for Elena and Leona!

    Lara nced at Glen¡¯s messy and ruined clothes and asked, ¡°Glen, are you injured? What¡¯s up with your appearance?¡±

    ¡°I had a small fight with Mr. Zich. We had a bit of a misunderstanding.¡±

    ¡°With Mr. Zich?¡± Lara was sure that Zich was definitely the guy that Hans served.

    Lara nced at Glen again. Even though there were no injuries on his face, it was clear that Glen suffered serious injuries. Lara also remembered that Zich barely seemed to have any traces of being in a fight.

    ¡°Were youpletely beaten?¡± Lara also knew that Glen had progressed immensely in skill and strength. However, Zich was still able to one-sidedly corner Glen.

    ¡°Yeah, it turned out like that. As expected, the world is a very big ce.¡± Glen smiled bitterly, but his thoughts werepletely different inside.

    ¡®That bastard! That fucking Zich guy!¡¯

    If Lara hadn¡¯t been next to him, he would have gritted his teeth in frustration. Unlike what he told the security guard captain, he clearly recognized Zich and attacked him. The reason why he did so was simple; it was to hinder Zich from chasing after the shadow. Of course, Glen also expected Zich to attack him back, but he had been confident in his skills. Since his opponent was Zich, he didn¡¯t think he would be able to beat him, but he thought he could properly defend himself until the city¡¯s security guards came. Even though Zich had changed a lot from what he knew, Glen also had a considerable amount of skill.

    Moreover, since he was also a Karuwiman Honorary Knight, if the security guards interrupted their fight, Zich would have no choice but to withdraw. However, Glen¡¯s prediction was half right. Like he predicted, Zich obediently withdrew back when the security guards arrived. However, he had beenpletely wrong about Zich¡¯s skills.

    ¡®Regardless of the number of variables in this timeline, how could there be such a stark difference in our skills?¡¯

    Even though Glen fought with everything he had, anyone could see that Zich fought in a leisurely manner. The fact that Zich only hit him with punches and kicks was evidence of this. Glen was not sure if Zich wanted to capture him as a captive or went easy on him because they knew each other¡ªbut this was not important. What was important to Glen was their sharp difference in strength.

    ¡®I even took an elixir! Even though it got harder for me to control my mana because of that, I became strong enough to cover that fault! Moreover, that guy didn¡¯t even have Estede! I can¡¯t believe that I got pushed back with Tornium in my hands!¡¯

    Glen didn¡¯t know how special Windur was, so he mistakenly thought his weapon was superior to Zich¡¯s weapon. Regardless of this factor, Glen didn¡¯t even pose a challenge to Zich.

    From what he knew, he should be far superior in skills than Zich around this time. However, his misperception led to his utter andplete defeat. Moreover, when he shook Zich¡¯s hands, he saw Zich arrogantly looking down on him. A deep murderous aura briefly came out of Glen¡¯s eyes.

    ¡®Well, I should get over it for now.¡¯ Now that he thought about it, Zich had defeated him countless times. Even though this didn¡¯t mean that he was used to getting defeated, it was not enough for him to go berserk. ¡®From what I¡¯ve heard, he¡¯s searching for the culprit in this city.¡¯ Glen was also doing the same thing.

    Due to all the variables in this timeline, his fame hadn¡¯t spread around the world as much as he had nned. For that reason, he hade to this ce¡ªto kill the culprit. ¡®In the first ce, that bastard¡¯s sess rate is not even that high. That culprit didn¡¯t survive that many times until the Era of the Demon People. I should at least kill the culprit to increase my fame.¡¯

    This was a tactic he had used many times before. Moreover, even if the culprit survived to the Era of the Demon People, they were going to be just a sacrifice for him anyways. Glen was merely retrieving his sacrifice a bit earlier than usual. However, it was unexpected that Zich would intervene in the middle.

    ¡®I guess I can¡¯t immediately fight against Zich right now.¡¯ His power and n were not ready yet, and this was not the right time either.

    ¡®But it would be fine for me to lightly fuck him over.¡¯ Glen recalled Zich¡¯s arrogant expression again. ¡®I¡¯m definitely going to kill the culprit!¡¯

    Glen wondered what Zich would feel if he got beat after receiving support and help from the city. Glen smiled mischievously inside his mind.

    * * *

    ¡°Did you have a fun time? You were really enjoying yourself with Glen Zenard.¡±

    ¡°Yep, it was fun. I had an absolutely fantastic time,¡± Zich chuckled and agreed to L¡¯s words.

    ¡°I thought about helping you, but you seemed to be enjoying it, so I just left you like that. Was that okay?¡±

    ¡°Of course!¡± With just that judgement, Zichpletely forgave L for not chasing after the shadow. Of course, Zich also thought he should give some feedback about her mistake, but it was just going to be a suggestion.

    ¡°It¡¯s disappointing though. We should have caught the culprit.¡± L was very disappointed since she made a mistake.

    ¡°Well, we were blocked, so it can¡¯t be helped. We can also catch the culprit in the next opportunity.¡±

    Moreover, another possibility rted to the culprit had appeared in front of Zich.

    ¡®Right now, Glen appeared in a city where the robed figures could be working. I should definitely investigate this more.¡¯

    Then, Zich might be able to finally catch Glen¡¯s tail. His passion for this mission quietly red up.

 Chapter 285

    <h4>Chapter 285</h4>

    After Zich¡¯s sh with Glen, Zich and his crew continued their search for the culprits. However, as if they had learned from their mistake, the culprits never appeared before Zich and hispanions again. Even when they ced Snoc and Elena as baits, nothing happened. It seemed like the culprits weren¡¯t that stupid.

    Yet, that didn¡¯t mean the incidents stopped. It seemed as if only the criminals only highlighted their alertness as the cases decreased, but they continued with no hints of stopping. After several days passed like that, Zich headed out to a ce early in the morning.

    ¡°Where are you going?¡± L asked. Her voice sounded a bit tired. After seeing Zich leave by himself, she followed him. Although Zich didn¡¯t stop her from following him, he didn¡¯t tell her his destination.

    He simply responded to her question by saying, ¡°I am meeting an old friend.¡±

    L was surprised to hear that he had a friend in this city. In the first ce, it was surprising that Zich had someone he could call a friend.

    ¡®He has a friend with that personality?¡± L was probably not bad for thinking these thoughts.

    Zich stopped in front of a lodging. Even though the lodging didn¡¯t look as high-quality as the one Zich and hispanions were staying in, its size, interior, and standing in this city were nothing to joke about.

    ¡®Is it a rich friend?¡¯ Although L had immediately imagined an ill-mannered gangster when thinking of Zich¡¯s friend, it seemed this ¡®friend¡¯ was surprisingly wealthy.

    ¡®Or is this friend a wealthy gangster?¡¯ An image of a person scattering gold everywhere andughing as people scavenged for them popped up in her mind.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t mean for you to call them down,¡± Zich said to the person who opened the front door of the lodging and came out. It seemed like the person who was going toe out now was Zich¡¯s friend. L looked at the person carefully out of curiosity.

    ¡°¡­Huh?¡± she gasped. Zich¡¯s friend was someone L also knew, so it was more unexpected. The person wasn¡¯t someone who seemed well acquainted with Zich at all.

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    It seemed the person shared the same thought as L. His eyes widened when he saw Zich, and his body stiffened so that he was blocking the entrance of the building.

    ¡°What are you doing? You shouldn¡¯t block the door.¡± As the door was blocked, the woman following him out pushed him a bit forward. Glen had been standing in front of the door in surprise, but he walked forward. However, his eyes were glued to Zich.

    ¡°What are you¡­!¡± Lara was about to ask Glen when she saw Zich. She was also surprised. ¡°Oh? Aren¡¯t you the one fromst time¡­¡±?

    ¡°Yes. I introduced myself before, but if you don¡¯t remember, I can do it again.¡±

    ¡°Ah, no. I remember you. You are Mr. Zich, right?¡±

    ¡°Yes, and you are Ms. Lara Browning, right? I heard from Hans.¡±

    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right.¡±

    Although they were exchanging a conversation, Lara was taken aback. Inparison to Hans, whom she had talked to a couple of times before, she wasn¡¯t veryfortable with Zich. Their first meeting hadn¡¯t been ideal, and he had even fought with Glen recently. Glen said the fight had been his fault, but it was impossible for her to look at Zich favorably when he had beaten up the man she liked. Yet, she carried on the conversation because of the expression on Zich¡¯s face.

    He looked so bright and friendly right now. He didn¡¯t act like someone who had trouble with them on their first meeting or had beaten up Glen recently. He acted like an old friend. L stared at Zich suspiciously.

    ¡®Is he calling these people his friends?¡¯

    Zich didn¡¯t have a good rtionship with Glen and Lara, especially Glen. L thought there must be some kind of misunderstanding or he had met them by coincidence before meeting a friend. Yet, in contrary to L¡¯s beliefs, Zich approached Glen with light footsteps.

    ¡°Have you been well?¡±

    ¡°Ah, yes.¡± It seemed like Glen was also really taken aback as he struggled to respond properly. However, Zich remained unperturbed.

    ¡°I am d to see that you look fine. Even if I had a misunderstandingst time, I feel guilty that I might have gone too farst time.¡± Somehow, Zich¡¯s tone sounded strangely agitating.

    Lara¡¯s face was filled with slight difort, but all Glen did was make a bitter smile. Of course, that was just his outer appearance.

    ¡°It¡¯s fine. It was a good lesson for me to learn. But what did youe all this way here for? Do you have some matters to attend to here?¡±

    ¡°Yes, to tell you the truth, I have something to ask you.¡±

    ¡°Me?¡±

    It was hard to tell if Zich was nning to provoke Glen further by using their battle fromst time. However, with Zich¡¯s current attitude and behavior, that didn¡¯t seem to be the case.

    ¡°Yes, aren¡¯t you also chasing after the serial kidnapper right now?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°Did you find any clues?¡±

    ¡°¡­Why are you asking about that?¡± Glen asked suspiciously.

    Zich maintained his friendly tone as he answered, ¡°It¡¯s because I want to ask for your coboration.¡±

    ¡°Coboration?¡±

    Lara, L, and of course, Glen were all surprised. L was beyond shocked and was closer to stunned. She wondered if Zich had gone crazy from the stress of failing to catch the culprit these days. It was to the point that she wondered if the man in front of her was really Zich. From what she knew, the person Zich disliked and detested the most right now was Glen Zenard. Yet, how could he be asking for Glen¡¯s coboration?

    ¡°¡­It¡¯s a bit sudden. I¡¯m also quite surprised.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s understandable. It¡¯s not like we have a good rtionship. To be honest, it¡¯s quite stressful.¡±

    Glen didn¡¯t reply, but anyone could see that he agreed with Zich¡¯s words.

    ¡°But who are we? Aren¡¯t we Karuwiman Honorary Knights? We have been chosen by the righteous Karuwimans; that also makes us righteous people.¡±

    L¡¯s face grew pale. She suppressed the insults that threatened toe out of her mouth and began to seriously contemte if she had to hit the back of Zich¡¯s head to return him to normal.

    Zich continued, ¡°Even though we have temperaments and opinions, I think that we are at least simr in that we both don¡¯t want any more innocent victims. So wouldn¡¯t it be right for us to let go of our past troubles and coborate together to catch the culprit?¡±

    Zich thought he said some very touching words, but everyone around him waspletely dumbfounded. However, Zich¡¯s words were not wrong.

    Zich saw that Glen was starting to waver a bit, so he added, ¡°What are you wavering for? If you¡¯re a righteous Karuwiman Honorary Knight, don¡¯t you have to immediately grab my hand? Or do you have something special in mind?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t have anything like that but¡­¡±

    ¡°Then there¡¯s no reason for you to hesitate.¡± Zich walked towards Glen and put his arm around Glen¡¯s shoulder as if he was greeting a friend of 20 years. Glen moved his head to the side. Anyone could see that he was ufortable around Zich, but he was unable to push Zich away.

    Finally, Glen asked, ¡°¡­What do you specifically mean by coboration?¡±

    ¡°Like I told you before, I have connections with the person who is in charge of this case. He is receiving support from the count in this estate and the mayor of this city. We meet every night to discuss and exchange information about our findings, and I would like for you to be part of these meetings.¡±

    ¡°¡­And by that person, do you mean¡­¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sure you met himst time. He was the young person who stood next to me and wore expensive armor. He¡¯s Count Dracul.¡±

    ¡°A count?¡± Glen pretended to be surprised, but inside, he was calcting his next move.

    ¡°Yes. Of course, he¡¯ll also be giving us his support. Wouldn¡¯t it be much better for us to coborate and exchange information instead of chasing after the culprit by ourselves?¡±

    Glen seemed to contemte Zich¡¯s words for a bit, but he soon said, ¡°¡­Mr. Zich, your words make sense.¡±

    ¡°Of course! I¡¯m not the type of person to spout nonsense!¡±

    Even though L wanted to deny Zich¡¯s words, she used up all her patience to not say anything again.

    Glen said, ¡°Okay then. Regardless of what happened between us, we have to first stop more victims from appearing. I¡¯ll coborate.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ve made a very good choice, Mr. Zenard.¡±

    The two of them shook hands and smiled while looking at each other. From a nce, they seemed to be trusting each other. However, they were the only ones who knew what was actually inside their minds.

    * * *

    While they were going back to their lodging, L grabbed Zich¡¯s arm and asked, ¡°What are you nning?¡±

    ¡°What do you mean?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m talking about your conversation with Glen Zenard just now.¡±

    ¡°Ah, you mean the conversation I shared with my long-time friend?¡±

    ¡°Friend? Friend? Isn¡¯t he your sworn enemy?¡±

    ¡°Why are you so narrow-minded? Even if I absolutely hate a guy, if I can use him, I can think of him as a friend. I can even treat him like my precious savior,¡± Zich chuckled.

    L shook her head; she was stunned by Zich¡¯s actions. In a way, it was chilling. In order to get what he wanted, Zich didn¡¯t care about what methods he used.

    ¡°Fine, I understand that you¡¯re trying to use Glen Zenard. Then, what¡¯s his use?¡±

    Zich¡¯s expression changed. He was still smiling, but it was a different type of smile. Just now, he had made a bright and energetic smile like a prankster, but his current smile was that of a cold, ruthless schemer. L felt a chill run through her body.

    ¡°Right now, I¡¯m suspicious that Glen Zenard might be the mastermind of the assassin organization that turns people into Demon People. And if this is true, he¡¯s a hypocrite who puts up a kind and righteous fa?ade. I already told you this, right? And my n was built with this in mind.¡±

    Zich sneered venomously like a viin, ¡°A person who makes Demon People and raises their fame by killing those Demon People. If that¡¯s Glen Zenard¡¯s behavior pattern, his reason for searching after the culprit this time is probably for the same reason. No, using the word ¡®searching¡¯ isughable, because he would definitely know who the culprit is.¡±

    ¡°Then why doesn¡¯t he immediately take care of the culprit?¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s probably waiting for the perfect time. The greater the damage and fear surrounding the city, his fame would soar higher when he solves the case.¡±

    ¡°If that¡¯s the case¡­¡± L clicked her tongue at Zich¡¯s prediction.

    ¡°That¡¯s why I drew him over to our side. If he really knows the culprit, I could pry out that information from him.¡±

    ¡°What if he refused?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s why I cornered him like that while spouting out justice and things like that aren¡¯t rted to me at all.¡±

    L recalled the chilling words that Zich calmly let out about Glen Zenard.

    Zich said, ¡°I don¡¯t know if he¡¯s really a kind person or a hypocrite, but as long as he¡¯s putting up a kind act, he won¡¯t be able to refuse if I suggest coborating together to reduce the damage as much as possible.¡±

    And with this exnation, L was able topletely understand Zich¡¯s actions.

    Then, Zichughed, ¡°Heeheehe! If I kill the culprit first with the information I provided, I wonder how angry he¡¯ll get!¡±

    L took a step back from Zich who let out a low, creepyugh. As expected, L was certain that Zich would make an extremely troublesome enemy. However, Zich¡¯s words had a point.

    ¡°Okay, I got it. I¡¯ll help you.¡±

    ¡°Good. Let¡¯s try our best to shake out all the information that Glen Zenard has.¡±

    Like this, the two of them talked about their future ns and went back to their lodging.

    After a while¡­

    ¡°This person is going to help us from now on.¡±

    ¡°My name is Glen Zenard. I¡¯ll try my best to help despite mycking skills.¡±

    Glen Zenard began participating in their meetings.

 Chapter 286

    <h4>Chapter 286</h4>

    The only people who knew Glen in the meeting were Zich and L. It was Joachim and Evelyn¡¯s first official meeting with Glen. Joachim got up from his seat and stretched out his hand towards Glen.

    ¡°Nice to meet you. I am Count Joachim Dracul. I saw you a couple of days ago.¡± Unlike the way he addressed Zich, Joachim talked to Glen semi-informally. This was the way of this world where ss and status dictated every aspect of life. Joachim only used formalities when speaking to Zich because of all the tremendous favors that Zich had done for him. Furthermore, although there was usually no need for Joachim to even speak semi-formally to a peasant, Glen wasn¡¯t a mere peasant.

    ¡°I heard that you are a Karuwiman Honorary Knight like Sir Zich. I look forward to working with you.¡±

    ¡°I feel the same way, sir. I hope I will learn a lot from this experience,¡± Glen politely responded. He showed respect to his addressee by lowering himself, but not overtly so that he remained ssy. Joachim was impressed by Glen¡¯s attitude.

    ¡°I am Evelyn Rouge. Although I am stillcking, I am also part of the team.¡±

    ¡°I am Glen Zenard. Nice to meet you, miss.¡±

    ¡°Lady Rouge is the Marquess¡¯ daughter of the neighboring estate, Rouge,¡± Joachim exined.

    ¡°Is that so?¡± At Joachim¡¯s exnation, Glen¡¯s eyes widened as if he was surprised. It looked as if he had found out Evelyn¡¯s identity for the first time.

    Meanwhile, Zich had a strange feeling as he watched them. ¡®I can¡¯t believe I am seeing the three of them shake hands with each other.¡¯

    Before the regression, Zich and his subordinates including Joachim and Evelyn had fought each other to the death with the hero, Glen. In the end, they all lost their lives under Glen¡¯s hands. Yet, they were now all grabbing each other¡¯s hands to coborate. Of course, Zich was looking at Glen suspiciously while Glen was sharpening his de inside his mind. However, they did not make this scene any less peculiar.

    As the greetings came to an end, people got to their seats.

    ¡°Let¡¯s share the information we have with Mr. Zenard.¡± Zich handed Glen a couple pieces of paper. On the papers, there was information about the victims, day and location of the incidents, and the clues they had gathered about the culprit. However, the information about the culprit was much morecking inparison to the other information.

    Glen read the papers carefully. Then, he said, ¡°It seems like not much information has been revealed yet.¡±

    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s quite embarrassing,¡± Joachim said.

    ¡°No, you don¡¯t have to be embarrassed. If only I hadn''t interfered when Sir Zich had the opportunity to catch the culprit, we might have more information. I¡¯m the one who should be embarrassed.¡± Glen¡¯s voice sounded guilty and sorry.

    ¡®He¡¯s not showing any suspicious signs right now,¡¯ Zich thought.

    Glen exuded goodness right now; as if he was proving Zich¡¯s suspicions to be wrong, he looked much more fitting to be Karuwiman Honorary Knight than Zich. Yet, Zich wasn¡¯t fazed at all.

    ¡®If he really is a hypocrite, he would have fooled the whole world then. He won¡¯t show his real self for something like this.¡¯ On the other hand, it would¡¯ve been even less fitting if Glen jumped up and down in anger right now.

    Then, Glen also shared the information he knew. The information he had was even morecking than the one Zich and hispanions had. Still, no one med Glen for it. As an individual, Glen couldn¡¯t have gathered more information than Zich and hispanions who moved as a group through the city¡¯s support. Furthermore, ording to Glen¡¯s story, it hadn¡¯t been long since he had arrived in the city. Yet, everyone thought that another Karuwiman Honorary Knight in their group would be an extra benefit. Thus, no one objected to Glen joining the group.

    The meeting officiallymenced. They spread out a map of the city on arge table and exchanged their opinions.

    ¡°The incidents seem to take ce in back alleyways or ces near there. However, the different areas seem to share nomonality,¡± Glen said as he pointed out each of the ces the cases had taken ce.

    ¡°Yes, the culprit is using the whole city as if it¡¯s their own backyard. The guy is uselessly hard-working,¡± Zich responded.

    Like that, they exchanged their opinions back and forth.

    ¡°What kind of person is the culprit, Mr. Zenard?¡± Zich asked.

    ¡°I can¡¯t say for sure since we don¡¯t have much information, but¡­¡±

    ¡°Yes, I know. I just want to try hearing your opinion.¡± Zich sounded peaceful like he didn¡¯t want Glen to feel pressured. However, that was simply his fa?ade, and he craned his ears to hear Glen better.

    ¡°Then I would like to make some guesses,¡± Glen stated after a couple of coughs. ¡°First of all, I¡¯m sure the culprit is someone who knows this city really well, especially the back alleyways.¡± Glen tapped the map on the ces that were marked. ¡°The ces where the incidents happened were in back alleyways. The culprit probably chose those ces to avoid people¡¯s eyes and use theirplicated paths as an escape route. Having seen the shadowy appearances of the culprit before, I also don¡¯t think it would be strange for them to have a special ability.¡±

    People nodded their heads. They had made the same guesses.

    Glen continued, ¡°There¡¯s also a high possibility that the culprit could be someone with a lot of influence even in these alleyways. After all, cases have happened all over the city. Even if the culprit is someone who knows the alleyways well, no could possibly cover such a wide scope. It¡¯s hard to believe that the culprit is working alone.¡±

    ¡°Do you think they are working in a group?¡± Joachim asked.

    ¡°Even if the culprit is not a group, I think it¡¯s at least someone who has the power to gather multiple forces. Otherwise, I don¡¯t think they¡¯d be able to have such a good grasp of the whole city like this. I bet even the people in this city don''t know their back alleyways well,¡± Glen said to Joachim.

    Joachim nodded. ¡°Yes. So even if they are a group, I suppose criminal organizations that are more connected to back alleyways are more likely suspects.¡±

    ¡°I agree, sir,¡± Glen nodded. ¡°And we also have to see the time these incidents urred. Most cases happen after the sun has set,te in the day. We need to find a person without an alibi at this time.¡±

    ¡°But wouldn¡¯t our efforts be useless if the culprit was actually an organization all along¡­¡±

    ¡°Yes, Mr. Zich is right. However, it¡¯s a different story if the culprit is leading a crime organization or if they are merely connected to an organization and are moving by themselves.¡±

    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s true.¡±

    ¡°Moreover, I think that the culprit may be a person who lost their lover.¡±

    ¡°Perhaps, is it because the culprit only targets lovers?¡±

    ¡°Yes. Regardless of the culprit¡¯s goal, it¡¯s too bizarre that they only kidnap one person from every couple. I don¡¯t have much knowledge about these matters, but in kidnapping cases, don¡¯t kidnappers usually target children or specifically target one gender? Yet in this case, the culprit always kidnaps one person without discriminating between gender or age. From what I can see, rather than aplishing some kind of grand goal, the culprit seems to be kidnapping people for a very personal reason.¡±

    ¡°So do you think that the culprit is kidnapping people out of jealousy?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know if jealousy is the reason why the culprit is targeting lovers, but I think there¡¯s a very high chance that this might be why they target only lovers.¡±

    ¡°Is that so?¡± Zich fell into contemtion, and then smiled brightly. ¡°That was a very interesting opinion. We¡¯ve also had simr opinions.¡±

    ¡°Well, they¡¯re thoughts that anyone would have, given the circumstances.¡±

    ¡°But it was very helpful. If there are more people who think the same way, we can be more assured of our predictions. Anyways, we received a lot of help from you. We¡¯ll be looking forward to working with you from now on.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s the same for me, Mr. Zich.¡±

    Zich and Glen shared a handshake. Glen greeted the others as well and left the room.

    ¡°Mr. Zenard just shared his thoughts.¡±

    ¡°His thoughts aren¡¯t very different from ours.¡±

    Joachim and Evelyn talked amongst themselves. They had alreadye up with many of the same predictions that Glen shared just now.

    ¡°However, it was interesting that he suggested that an organization might be involved in this incident. Since the culprit could turn into a shadow, I thought only one person with a special ability was responsible for the missing persons case.¡±

    Zich said, ¡°For now, we should search for the culprit by using ourbined thoughts. I think that would be better than investigating random people.¡±

    Joachim replied, ¡°I also agree with Mr. Zich¡¯s opinion. Lady Rouge, what do you think?¡±

    ¡°I also have no objections.¡±

    They all agreed to request the city to investigate people with characteristics likely to be the culprit, and like this, the meeting ended. Joachim and Evelyn went back to their respective lodgings. However, L stayed behind and stood next to Zich.

    Zich distressed himself with a beer that he requested beforehand and asked L, ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡±

    ¡°Were you able to get any useful information out of Glen Zenard?¡±

    ¡°Somewhat.¡±

    ¡°Oh? Really?¡± L was surprised. Even though she had heard the same things as Zich from Glen Zenard, she wasn¡¯t able to obtain any meaningful information from him.

    ¡°What kind of information is it?¡±

    ¡°You also heard what he said. He said that the culprit is someone who knows the city¡¯s back alleyways very well, part of an organization or a leader leading arge organization, and a person who possibly lost their lover.¡±

    Since she was also present in the meeting, L had obviously heard this information too. However, rather than feeling joyful, L frowned instead. ¡°You call that information?¡±

    ¡°Of course. It¡¯s very useful information.¡±

    ¡°All he said were thoughts that everyone could have thought of. Most of the things were information we predicted as well.¡±

    ¡°Yes. But, L. The person who says the information is important as well.¡± Zich spun the beer cup; the beer in his ss slowly spun around. Zich watched this sight in enjoyment and downed the cup in one shot.

    ¡°Aaah~!¡± Zich let out a refreshing sound and put down the beer cup. Then, he asked, ¡°What kind of person is Glen Zenard in your memories?¡±

    L was slightly surprised by Zich¡¯s sudden question. ¡°W-well? In my memories, he¡¯s a hero who swung his holy sword against powerful Demon Lords and Demon People to protect others.¡±

    ¡°Ugh, just hearing that gives me chills.¡± Zich roughly scratched his arms. ¡°Anyways, even though he¡¯s famous for defeating Demon People and Demon Lords in the Era of Demon People, he¡¯s also famous for his deductive abilities and keen sense of judgment. He was especially skilled in finding out where Demon People were hiding by the smallest clues and was known for his analytical mind and sharp instincts. Since I¡¯m suspicious of him, I think it might have all been a show.¡±

    ¡°Then, what Glen Zenard said just now¡­¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s a very high chance that he might have just spoken the truth.¡± Zich calmly talked while grabbing and eating a snack. However, L was not able to stay calm like him. If his words are true, they just received confirmation for many of their predictions.

    ¡°W-wait! There¡¯s a possibility that he might have mixed in some lies!¡±

    ¡°Of course. However, he probably told the truth for the most part. If he lied, then it would mean that he made wrong judgments about the culprit. And that would mean that his image of a person with sharp instincts, analytical mind, and amazing judgement would be cut down.¡±

    ¡°¡­Do you really think that Glen Zenard nned his actions while calcting frivolous factors like his image?¡±

    ¡°Yep.¡±

    L had nothing to say. She thought that Zich might have gone a bit too far in his assessment of Glen Zenard¡¯s personality.

    However, Zich was firm in his answer, ¡°If my suspicions are correct, he¡¯s a person who makes people into Demon People to create a perfect hero image¡ªhe¡¯s a crazy bastard that might even far surpass me. If he¡¯s really a guy like that, it¡¯s totally understandable that he would make calctions to maintain his pristine image.¡±

    ¡°¡­Then are you saying that most of what Glen Zenard said is true?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. Personally, I think that everything he shared is true.¡±

    ¡°That doesn¡¯t align with Glen Zenard¡¯s goal. Won¡¯t it work against his ns if we find the culprit first?¡±

    ¡°Of course. That¡¯s why I think the culprit fits all the characteristics he shared, but they must have some kind of special characteristic that we don¡¯t know about.¡±

    Zich looked down at his now cold, empty beer cup and said, ¡°And we have to find that.¡±

 Chapter 287

    <h4>Chapter 287</h4>

    Joachim passed on the suggestions from Zich and hispanions to the city¡¯s top authorities. The authorities thought their suggestions were valid and began to search for the culprit by going through the whole city. Since the lord of the estate, the mayor, and a lord from another estate were greatly invested in this case, the managers moved quickly and efficiently. Not long afterward, they identified some basic suspects. Since they were looking for arge organization that had the power to cover the entire back alleyway, their choices were limited.

    ¡°I was able to narrow down some of the suspects.¡± Joachim handed Zich a few pieces of paper. There were a total of three suspects written on them. They were all people who had a strong influence in the underworld.

    ¡°These are the people who perfectly match our descriptions. I hope we can get something out of these guys.¡±

    ¡°Certainly, sir.¡±

    Yet, Zich didn¡¯t seem to show that much interest as he flipped through the papers, and he thought, ¡®I suppose it¡¯s at least not these guys.¡¯

    If these people were the guys that they had easily pinpointed with Glen¡¯s suggestions, it seemed right to exclude them out of the equation. Instead, Zich seemed more interested in the documents that Joachim had brought instead of the ones in his hand.

    ¡°What are those documents?¡± Zich asked.

    ¡°We also think of them as the suspects. But we¡¯ve set them aside since they didn¡¯t match some of the descriptions.¡±

    Zich¡¯s eyes shone. These were what he had been looking for.

    ¡°Could I take a look at that?¡±

    ¡°Please do.¡± Joachim handed the documents over, and Zich looked over them carefully. Like Joachim said, they were all people who missed the descriptions they had named by one or two points. Some had no connection to the underworld, some weren¡¯t members of an organization, others had never lost a lover, and so on. After skimming through the description, Zich tapped the papers on the desk and stacked them.

    Then, he said, ¡°Sir, could I borrow these for a bit? Seeing the number of our most likely suspects, I don¡¯t think we all need to join the search. L and I will search for these people here.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s true. I understand. If you find anything, please tell me.¡±

    With Joachim¡¯s permission, Zich took L outside. L craned her neck past Zich¡¯s shoulders and looked at the profiles in his hands.

    ¡°Do you think our culprit is one of them?¡±

    ¡°I think they seem much more likely than our most likely suspects.¡±

    ¡°If Zenard is really the mastermind, isn¡¯t there a possibility that he could¡¯ve led us off even more?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t think he would¡¯ve hidden the culprit so thoroughly like that. There¡¯s no need for him to continue hiding the culprit¡¯s identity, and they just have to bide time for the city to fall into fear.¡±

    Zich returned to his lodging and gathered Hans, Snoc, and Elena. Then he said, ¡°We are going to meet people who might be suspects from now on. If you find something strange about these people when you meet them, don¡¯t hesitate to tell us no matter how small it is.¡±

    It was better the more people they had. At Zich¡¯s serious words, the three nodded. Thus, Zich¡¯s search for the suspects began. Since one of the conditions of these suspects were people rted to the underworld, they met many rough people. Thus, when Zich and hispanions went to meet them, they often tried to intimidate Zich and his group by creating a high-pressure atmosphere. Yet, Zich¡¯s sheer might and the authority that Joachim gave to Zich and his group were more than enough to make them obedient and meek. Like that, Zich and his crew went around the city looking for the people on the documents. Yet, no matter how long they searched, they couldn¡¯t find any clear evidence to pinpoint one suspect. Finally, the sun began to set.

    ¡®I have to leave now.¡¯

    There was a meeting today. If they left now, they would probably match the time for their meeting.

    ¡°Let us go.¡± Zich dragged hispanions to the direction of their lodging and began to walk. Even on his way back, Zich widened the scope he sensed to anticipate for any possible future incidents. Hans and Snoc did the same. Under Zich¡¯smands, Hans widened the scope they sensed as much as possible and Snoc sensed the vibrations of the earth. Yet, they couldn¡¯t retrieve much from their search.

    ¡®Will I not even be able to spot those robed figures?¡¯ Zich wondered.

    Joachim said that the robed figures had been spotted in this city. Yet, Zich hadn¡¯t been able to see their traces since he began his search in this city. It could be that he had missed them, or the information was wrong. It could also bepletely something else.

    ¡®Those guys might have alreadypleted their missions.¡¯

    When the guys finished making a Demon Person, it seemed likely that they would drop their involvement with the case.

    ¡®That will make things moreplicated.¡¯

    Zich¡¯s power was formidable. However, that didn¡¯t mean he could easily remove all Demon People.

    ¡®Even among the Demon People, there are different ranks.¡¯

    Some of them could be strong or some of them could have a really special power.

    ¡®I should be prepared for troublesome matters.¡¯

    At the same time, Zich couldn¡¯t be certain that the makings of a Demon Person had already beenpleted.

    ¡®These kidnapping cases might be part of their path to gain power.¡¯

    Nevertheless, if the culprit was a new Demon Person that the robed figures had made, it was better for them to find them as fast as possible.

    ¡®Well, the investigation is over for today though.¡¯

    If they hurriedly pushed the investigation forward from their feelings of anxiousness, it would be worse than going slow. Zich lifted his hand up and stretched as he walked below a sky turning orange and red.

    * * *

    The next day, Zich and hispanions continued their search. After they circled through many paths and met many people, they stopped in front of a building.

    ¡°You¡­¡±

    L narrowed her eyes and red at Zich. The ce they stopped at was the casino that Zich had brought L to for a date. Zich defended himself while shrugging his shoulders.

    ¡°Don¡¯t look at me like that. No matter how trashy I am, I won¡¯t gamble in the middle of a case¡­¡± Zich trailed off and said, ¡°¡­Now that I think about it, I am that kind of trash. Since we have a lot of time, should we continue our search after a round or two?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Hans, Snoc, Elena, and of course, L stared at Zich nkly. Koo¡­ Even Nowem joined.

    ¡°It was just a joke guys.¡± Zich smirked and lightly tapped L¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Let¡¯s go in. Every second matters.¡±

    ¡°Really, you never fail to amaze me.¡± L let out a sigh.

    Hans asked, ¡°Sir, what kind of people are we going to meet here?¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re going to meet this casino¡¯s owner.¡± Zich took out a piece of paper and read the profile written on it. ¡°The owner¡¯s name is Condel Siede. He used to work as a private loan shark in the back alley, and then set this casino up after getting rich. I guess you could call him a sess story in this sort of field.¡±

    L asked, ¡°Then he must really know his way around the back alley.¡±

    ¡°Yep. He¡¯s famous over there, and I heard that he had a lot of power. Well, no matter how you see it, he¡¯s a great suspect.¡±

    ¡°Then why did we take him out in the final list of culprits?¡±

    ¡°Because the lover part is absent.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re saying that he doesn¡¯t have a lover.¡±

    ¡°Yep, apparently he doesn¡¯t. And not just recently. He hasn¡¯t had a lover since his earliest days. From what the others said, he¡¯s so cruel and violent that if he did have a lover, he¡¯ll sell her right away for money.¡±

    L and the rest of Zich¡¯spanions¡¯ expressions soured. Condel Siede wasn¡¯t the type of person that people with normal mentalities would like. Of course, in Zich¡¯s standard, Condel Siede wasn¡¯t a human who could even be considered evil.

    ¡°For that reason, he was taken off from the final list of culprits. But who knows? He might be secretly dating someone, and he might secretly be a romanticist who¡¯s willing to throw away his life for love.¡± While saying this, Zich opened the door of the casino.

    As usual, a great number of people were gambling inside. It was an ordinary scene in a casino where people let out sighs, insults, and sometimes cheers from all across the room. However, unlike before, Zich didn¡¯t join the gamblers in their insults and cheers; he did not even nce at the gambling tables.

    ¡°Hey!¡± Zich called the security guard standing close to the wall and watching to see if there was anyone causing a scene.

    The security guard asked, ¡°Sir, what is the matter?¡±

    ¡°I need to meet with the casino owner.¡±

    The security guard frowned; sometimes people like Zich appeared in the casino¡ªpeople who came into the casino without notice and said they wanted to meet the casino owner. Most of the people who did this were those who lost a lot of money from the casino and held ill feelings or they wanted to get close to the owner to get some of their money back. In short, they were not proper customers.

    The security guard stretched his shoulders as if he was trying to increase his size. He made a scary expression and threateningly stood in front of Zich. In most cases, people withdrew with just this amount of pressure.

    ¡°I apologize, but the owner is not someone whom you can meet so suddenly.¡± Even though the security guard¡¯s words were still polite, his voice was extremely low; it was to the extent where a person passing by them flinched and increased their distance from Zich and hispanions.

    However, Zich did not even blink his eyes. ¡°That¡¯s not for you to decide.¡±

    The security guard wondered if he had to use force against Zich, but before he could make this decision, a badge was pushed towards him.

    ¡°I need to see your owner because of the recent serial kidnapping cases in the city. If I don¡¯t meet your owner, and your owner bes liable for notplying with the city¡¯s request, would you be able to take the responsibility?¡±

    The security guard¡¯s threatening force was immediately dampened when he saw Zich¡¯s badge. A small-fry like him couldn¡¯t do anything against a badge that clearly had the mayor¡¯s seal on it.

    ¡°¡­Please wait a bit.¡± The security guard¡¯s threatening pressure was nowhere to be seen as he politely asked Zich and quickly went up the stairs. He walked towards where the casino¡¯s VIP or VVIP members gambled. The floor on top of that was probably where the casino¡¯s owner stayed.

    Zich and hispanions waited for the security guard toe back. L nced at Zich. Whenever they went near this casino, Zich would sing songs about wanting to gamble. However, Zich looked like he had zero interest in gambling right now.

    ¡®As he expected, he really gets the job done when necessary.¡¯ Zich looked like a gambling addict whenever he went inside a casino, but he looked like his usual self right now. ¡®Well, he has the potential to be a Demon Lord, so there¡¯s probably no way he¡¯s going to get his mind shaken up by something like gambling.¡¯ While L thought this, the security guard came running towards them as fast as possible.

    ¡°The boss says he wants to meet you. Please follow me.¡±

    Zich and hispanions followed the security guard and slowly walked up the bright red carpet that decorated the stairs. They passed the second floor for VIPs and reached the 3rd floor for VVIPs. When they reached the 3rd floor, Hans, Snoc, and Elena let out sounds of admiration. Even though the first floor of the casino was very luxurious, it was iparable to the 3rd floor. The 3rd floor had decorations that were as extravagant as those in a high-ranking noble¡¯s mansion. However, even this floor was not their destination.

    While passing through gambling tables that had mountains of chips, they went up another floor. The atmosphere changed when they reached the 4th floor. The extravagance of a casinopletely disappeared and a simple but well-polished interior weed them. At the end of the staircase, they saw a door.

    The security guard knocked on the door. ¡°Sir! I¡¯ve brought the guests!¡±

    ¡°Bring them in!¡± A voice was heard from behind the door.

    The security guard opened the door. Then, he looked at Zich and hispanions and pointed his arms inside the doorway. ¡°Please go in.¡±

    As soon as Zich and hispanions went inside the room, the security guard quietly closed the door from outside. The first thing that Zich did was scan the inside of the room. The interior design was simr to the design outside the 4th floor. It gave off a serious and calm atmosphere. There wasn''t much furniture inside the room. If spoken favorably, the room was modest, and if spoken unfavorably, it was empty. Since the room was veryrge, it further heightened that feeling.

    Zich looked to the front. A person was sitting at arge and grand desk in the center of the room.

    ¡°¡­Are you the people who came because of the kidnapping cases?¡±

    ¡°Yes. My name is Zich, and the people behind me are mypanions.¡±

    The man slowly got up from his seat. Zich scanned the person in front of him. The man had his hair slicked back, and his eyebrows were thin. His eyes were long, and the whites of his eyes were clearly visible. A scar cut across the side of his left eye. A man who unmistakably looked like a mob boss slowly walked towards Zich.

    He put out his hand, ¡°Nice to meet you. I¡¯m Condel Siede, the owner of this casino.¡±

 Chapter 288

    <h4>Chapter 288</h4>

    ¡°Nice to meet you, Mr. Siede.¡± Zich shook Condel¡¯s hand a couple of times. ¡°Yes, Mr. Zich. What did you want to see me for?¡±

    ¡°Nothing much. We just needed to ask you some things about the kidnapping incidents.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know what you want to ask about, but I will cooperate to the best of my abilities since you are working for the city.¡± Condel spoke politely, but because of his scary face, it sounded like he was talking sarcastically or trying to intimidate his addressee. It was to the point that Elena, who didn¡¯t have much worldly experience, gulped.

    Yet, Zich continued calmly. ¡°I know that you have a deep connection with the underworld.¡±

    Maybe it was a sensitive question, but Condel stared at Zich with his wide eyes. Zich didn¡¯t turn away though.

    In the end, Condel said after hesitating, ¡°Yes, it is as you say.¡±

    ¡°You are admitting it so easily.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s an open secret. Also, I know how important the city is considering these kidnapping cases. It won¡¯t do me any good by lying carelessly.¡± Then, Condel smiled¡ªor at least, that was what he looked to be doing. His canine teeth shone brightly between the small gap of his opened mouth. If he smiled just two more times, he could have killed a couple of children with that smile.

    ¡°Good judgement, sir. Then, let me continue my question.¡± Zich checked each of the descriptions on Condel¡¯s profile with him.

    When he was done, Zich thought, ¡®There¡¯s no problem with the profile.¡¯

    Zich pushed the content of the profile into the back corner of his mind.

    ¡°Then, can I ask where you were at the time of this incident?¡±

    Condel¡¯s eyes shot from Zich to hispanion. Then, after it made a full circle, his gaze returned to Zich.

    ¡°¡­I know it¡¯s a bitte to ask this, but can I ask if I am being interrogated as a possible suspect?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Mr. Siede. You are not the most likely suspect.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t think you mentioned that to assure me.¡±

    However, Condel maintained hisposure. The greatness of the boss of an underworld organization came to light at this moment.

    He continued, ¡°Could you tell me the date and time of this incident?¡±

    Zich told him the details.

    ¡°Unfortunately, I was home alone at the time.¡±

    ¡°Fortunately for you, Mr. Siede, and to our misfortune, many people don¡¯t have an alibi for that time. You won¡¯t have to worry about that.¡±

    ¡°Is that so? Unlike what you said before, it does lessen my worries a bit.¡±

    ¡°Then, this is the final question. Mr. Siede, do you have someone you can call a lover or someone who you used to? It doesn¡¯t matter if you were married to that person either.¡±

    ¡°No.¡± Condel¡¯s voice sounded firm.

    ¡°Was there not even one person who could possibly be your lover?¡±

    ¡°No. Even if you ask the people around me, you will get the same answer. What I want is not useless things like ying love games¡ªonly money.¡± Condel made his chilling smile again.

    ¡°So, is it alright for me to think that you¡¯ve never loved anyone before?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t think there¡¯ll be any problems if you do that.¡± Condel was firm in his reply again. His cold eyes didn¡¯t even hold an ounce of warmth.

    Zich nodded. He had asked everything he needed to ask. ¡°Thank you for your coboration, Mr. Siede.¡±

    ¡°Then, please catch the criminal as fast as possible. These incidents have been negatively impacting our casino.¡±

    ¡°I will do my best.¡± After their farewells, Zich and hispanions came out of the room. The guard who guided Zich and hispanions to the room was waiting for them in front of the door and led them outside of the casino.

    ¡°Have a safe trip back,dies and gentlemen,¡± the guard sent them off politely and closed the door. Still, unlike how he behaved, the guard probably hoped that Zich and hispanions would nevere back again. They were sure of this.

    L asked Zich, ¡°Did you get anything from that?¡±

    ¡°No.¡±

    ¡°Okay, let¡¯s find the next person then.¡±

    She was used to their endeavors ending up fruitless by now, so L immediately turned her attention to the next person. Zich also took out the papers of the different profiles, but then he turned around. He saw the casino¡¯s disy of its fancy and big exterior.

    ¡®I should back off for now.¡¯

    Zich still had his suspicions. If something happenedter on, he was prepared to tear his suspects apart immediately. However, without evidence, none of them were the culprits yet.

    ¡®If it was like before the regression, I would have tortured each of them to find out who it was.¡¯ Besides, it wouldn¡¯t have even mattered if they failed to catch the culprit. After all, he would have killed all the suspects, and there was a high chance that the culprit was among them. Since Zich was no longer walking the path of the Demon Lord, this was all impossible to do. Thus, Zich took hispanions and left the casino¡¯s vicinity.

    * * *

    From the window, Condel watched as Zich and hispanions went far away. When he could no longer see them, Condel turned around. He went across the empty room and approached a desk.

    Drr!

    He opened its drawers. Inside, there was a small frame flipped upside down. Condel took it out carefully. In the frame, there was a portrait of a pretty woman smiling.

    ¡°¡­.L.¡±

    Condel swiped his fingers down the frame as if he adored it. Right now, there wasn¡¯t a trace of the cold appearance he had shown to Zich just a moment before. As if he had forgotten the passage of time, he swiped his hands across the frame for a long time.

    Some indefinite timeter, Condel finally took his eyes off the picture. His eyes which had showered the portrait with love turned back to their usual, cold state.

    ¡®¡­I heard that I was taken off the list of the most likely suspects, so I didn¡¯t expect them toe so soon.¡¯ Condel recalled the encounter with Zich. ¡®Now that I think about it, I heard that the lord from another estate formed his own, separate team. Those guys must have been them.¡¯

    This wasn¡¯t good. Although it seemed like they hadn¡¯t begun officially suspecting him, it was bound to happen any time now.

    ¡®As I thought, I have to rush the n a bit faster from now on. And¡­¡¯ Condel¡¯s eyes turned dark. ¡®I should gift a small present to those people for working so hard.¡¯

    * * *

    A couple of days after they met Condel Siede at the casino, Zich met Joachim by coincidence on his way to an investigation.

    ¡°Have you had any sess?¡±

    Joachim shook his head at Zich¡¯s question. ¡°No. To be exact, I¡¯ve had no sess with the kidnapping cases.¡±

    ¡°Then, did you seed in other areas?¡±

    ¡°While we were conducting our investigation, we uncovered the crimes of one of our most likely suspects. He killed his lover for cheating on him and buried her.¡± While investigating their culprit¡¯s dead lovers, Joachim and his team had coincidentally discovered a hidden murder.

    Even though it was a serious matter and a significant achievement, Joachim felt disappointed that they weren¡¯t able to track down the culprit behind the serial kidnapping cases. Joachim let out a frustrated sigh.

    ¡°First of all, that guy wouldn¡¯t be the culprit. He¡¯s not jealous of other lovers. No, would he actually be even more jealous?¡±

    ¡°Well, we¡¯re investigating more about this matter first, but I don¡¯t think he¡¯s the culprit. Regardless of what happens, he¡¯ll definitely receive punishment.¡±

    ¡°If we continue working hard on our investigation, I¡¯m sure we¡¯ll find a clue.¡±

    ¡°Yes, I hope that¡¯s true.¡±

    Zich consoled Joachim and was about to go on his way, but stopped. ¡°Ah, now that I think about it, I think I¡¯ll be a bitte today. Please go forward with the meeting with Lady Rouge and Mr. Zenard without me.¡±

    ¡°Mr. Zich, is there something you need to do?¡±

    ¡°One of the suspects has been sneakily avoiding me. Even if I¡¯m a bitte to the meeting today, I¡¯m going to end this matter tonight.¡±

    ¡°Alright, I understand. I¡¯ll exin it to the others.¡±

    Zich and Joachim separated. Time flew by and night approached, but the usual stars and moon that let out their subtle light after the sun disappeared were nowhere to be seen. The dense clouds covered the sky. Due to the kidnapping cases, the streets were more deserted than usual, and it was very chilly outside. Zich and hispanions were walking through these streets.

    ¡°That damned bastard! He looks like a mass murderer, yet he¡¯s aplete coward!¡± Zich¡¯sint rang out in the streets. His piercing words seemed to dampen the chill.

    ¡°He¡¯s being suspected as the culprit. If you¡¯re scared, you can be like that.¡± L spoke up for the guy she was looking for today, but Zich snorted.

    ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s understandable if normal folks do it, but these are guys that beat up people in the underworld!¡± Then, Zich began his speech about what true viins should be like.

    Of course, no one paid close attention to his words, and L soon cut him off. Like this, Zich and hispanions exchanged small talk and walked back to their lodging. Zich was in the very front, and he suddenly stopped. Hans and Snoc were walking a bit slower than Zich, and they stopped too.

    ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± Elena was startled and asked Snoc.

    However, L had spent a long time with Zich, so showed a different reaction. She immediately raised her staff. ¡°Elena, hold up your staff.¡±

    ¡°Ye-yes! Teacher!¡± Elena hurriedly raised her staff.

    Zich and Hans had already taken out their swords, and Snoc also took out mithril from his magic box. Contrary to his usual image, Nowem also growled from Snoc¡¯s shoulder.

    L asked, ¡°Is it the culprit?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I think so.¡± Zich ran towards the roof of a nearby building. He turned his head side to side and gauged their surroundings; then, he started running.

    ¡°Everyone follow me! Snoc! You carry Elena!¡±

    ¡°Yes, sir!¡± With Zich¡¯smand, Snoc transformed Nowem into his giant beast form. Nowem grew big enough for two people to easily ride on top of him.

    After Snoc got on top of Nowem¡¯s back, he put out his hand towards Elena. ¡°Grab my hand!¡±

    While Elena clumsily got on top of Nowem¡¯s back, she asked nervously, ¡°I-is this really all right?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. He¡¯ll never let you fall. Right, Nowem?¡±

    Koooo! Unlike his cute cries when he was small, Nowem¡¯s cries were very low and loud. However, that deep voice felt very trustworthy right now.

    ¡°¡­Then, please take care of me.¡± Elena tightly hugged Snoc¡¯s waist.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go, Nowem.¡±

    Koo!

    Thud!

    Nowem ran towards Zich¡¯s direction. Zich and Hans ran on rooftops, Snoc and Elena were riding on top of Nowem, and L flew in the air. Thanks to their extraordinary transportation methods, they were able to quickly reach their destination.

    ¡®It¡¯s over there.¡¯

    Zich licked his lips after seeing the scene in front of him. A man had copsed in an alleyway. He was not dead; he had merely lost consciousness. In a ce not far away, a wriggling shadow was crouched over his unconscious body; thin arms stretched out from the front, but that onlysted for a moment. The shadow¡¯s arms were sucked in as if it was being sucked into a deep swamp.

    Tap!

    Zichnded on the ground. ¡®There¡¯s no one to interrupt me this time, right?¡¯

    Zich could still clearly remember how Glen had interrupted himst time. He sharpened his senses and explored his surroundings. ¡®He¡¯s not here.¡¯

    Zich tightly clutched Windur and said to hispanions, ¡°Surround that shadow! We¡¯re not going to let him go this time!¡±

    Hans and Snded on opposite sides of Zich with the shadow in the center. L and Elena stayed on top of a roof and directed their staff towards the shadow.

    ¡®Good!¡¯ They sessfully surrounded the shadow.

    Zich ran towards the shadow, but when he was about to swing Windur towards it, he withdrew as quickly as he had run forward.

    Thud! Something hit the ce where Zich used to be and made a loud sound. In the darkness, he saw that a small crater had formed on the ground; it was caused by the shock a second ago.

    ¡®What the hell is this?¡¯ Zich stared at the being that just rushed towards him. A ck figure wriggled disgustingly in front of him.

    ¡°¡­Shadow?¡± The shadow looked the same as the other shadow that just swallowed one person. As soon as Zich realized this, numerous shadows hidden in the darkness began crawling towards them.

 Chapter 289

    <h4>Chapter 289</h4>

    ¡®There are so many of them.¡¯

    Zich counted the shadows slowly approaching them. At a nce, there were about thirty of them.

    ¡®There must be more than the ones I can see.¡¯

    The empty streets were now filled with a great number of beings. Their presence gave off ominous and cloudy energy like the shadows right in front of him. It seemed as if they had dropped from the sky or shot up from the ground.

    ¡®Whatever. I already knew that it would be difficult to detect these guys.¡¯

    At most, Zich was besieged. Although it was a dangerous situation for most people, for Zich, it had simply been a fact of life before his regression.

    ¡°Zich! Those guys even appeared on top of the roofs!¡± L shouted.

    ¡°Come down with Elena now!¡±

    ¡°All right!¡±

    Since they were ambushed, it was better for them to group up. Zich thought about joining hispanions on the roof since being on high ground was advantageous in a battle; but in the end, he decided to have L and Elenae down and stand next to him. The biggest reason for his decision was the structure of the building.

    ¡®If the building breaks down while we fight on top of it, that would be bothersome in many ways.¡¯

    It was unlikely that the rooftops of the shabby houses in the back alleyway would be able to withstand their fights. Moreover, Zich was someone who had decided on doing kind acts. He had to avoid a possible scenario of identally destroying a building and dragging civilians into the fight as much as possible. Of course, if the battle got too rough, it could damage their surroundings like the time he fought Glen.

    ¡®It can¡¯t be helped then.¡¯ Zich made a clear decision. There was nothing he could do about things that couldn¡¯t be helped. Then, he jumped while carrying L and Elena, and the shadows began to attack them.

    Tang! Tang!

    Although they were dawdling around before, the shadows moved with agility now and attacked Zich and hispanions. Their bodies flew towards them like arrows.

    Whoosh! Whoosh!

    Zich swung Windur. The fast and sturdy sword moved dizzily across the air.

    ¡°Ahhhh!¡± Elena screamed and closed her eyes at the shadowsing her way. On the other hand, L simply nced at these shadows, and the expression on her face remained unchanged. Before the shadows reached her, Zich¡¯s sword struck them first.

    Pop! Pop!

    Dozens of shadows bounced off at once. From the clear sky, L gentlynded down next to Zich¡¯s side.

    ¡°Huh? Huh-uh?¡± Unable to calm her thumping heart, Elena looked around her surroundings as if she had seen a ghost.

    ¡°Hans! Snoc! You guys team up and fight there!¡±

    Unlike Zich, L, and Evelyn, who had been rtively close to each other, Hans and Snoc were quite a distance away. Thus, Zichmanded them to stay in their area. He also gave hismand because he believed that the two could handle their opponents after all the training and experience they had gained until now.

    ¡°Yes, sir!¡±

    ¡°I understand!¡± The two answered loudly as they pressed their backs against each other.

    ¡°L! Capture and kill those guys from far away! And Elena!¡±

    ¡°Y-Yes!¡±

    ¡°Bring that person to me!¡± Zich pointed to a copsed man on the ground after the shadows attacked them. He had fallen a bit of a distance away from Zich. The kidnappers usually left one person in ce after kidnapping one of the lovers, but since a battle had erupted like this, there was no guarantee that the culprits would let the man live. Furthermore, even if the culprits left the man alone, there was a possibility that he could be injured or even lose his life in the aftermath of the ongoing battle.

    Elena didn¡¯t know what to do. She felt anxious that she had to separate from L and Zich while mysterious shadows were edging closer to them. Thus, L said, ¡°Trust us, Elena. Besides, if you want to continue traveling with us, you have to get used to situations like this. It will help you improve your skills too.¡±

    Elena looked at L and then shifted her gaze toward Snoc fighting in the distance. Unlike his usual sloppy appearance, Snoc skillfully used the earth around him and the mithril he had taken out to battle. Elena gripped her staff.

    Thud!

    She jumped, and the shadows wriggled and followed her. She suppressed her feelings of wanting to turn around, run away, and closing her eyes while hugging L. Instead, she had her eyes wide open.

    Tang! Tang!

    The shadows bounced in Elena¡¯s direction, but she didn¡¯t stop.

    Whoosh!

    Elena¡¯s hair pped, but it wasn¡¯t because of her running. Something transparent passed her.

    Crash! Crash!

    Walls ofpressed air that L shot targeted the shadows. The shadows bounced off before they could reach Elena.

    ¡°Huff! Huff!¡±

    Elena approached the man¡¯s side and held her breath. However, she didn¡¯t have any time to rest. Elena ced her arm between the man¡¯s armpit and pulled him up.

    ¡°Ehh!¡± There was no way a girl like Elena who stayed inside her house and studied magic all day would possess great physical strength. Furthermore, she had to carry a full-grown man with a big build. Naturally, it was very difficult for Elena to move him. Yet, she gritted her teeth and pushed herself until she seeded in dragging the man to where Zich and L were.

    ¡°Huff! Huff!¡±

    As Elena took in all the breaths she had missed from her relief and physical exhaustion, L patted her back.

    ¡°Good job,¡± L said.

    Elena smiled brightly, but Zich¡¯s next words made her face grow pale.

    ¡°You reallyck stamina. You should get some physical training from meter.¡±

    Even if they had taken an easy road to Janmalpi because of her, Hans and Snoc continued their training rigorously. Since she witnessed their training firsthand, Elena couldn¡¯t help but be stricken with fear¡ªeven more so because she heard about how Zich used to run his past training from Snoc before.

    Elena tried to say something, but Zich focused on his battle again.

    Crash! Crash! Crash! Zich repelled all the swirls of attacks the shadows made. Their hits were heavy, but they couldn¡¯t pierce through Zich¡¯s defense. At the same time, Zich did not stop swinging his sword.

    Thud!

    A shadow from far away blocked Zich¡¯s attack, and its movements became slower¡ªit was the shadow that recently swallowed a woman. Unlike the other shadows, it tried to run away from Zich, but Zich persistently attacked the shadow running away.

    Slice!

    Zich sliced a shadow in half. Without even a scream, the shadow disappeared into the air. However, Zich had only defeated one opponent; other shadows quickly filled up the space. Zich calmly continued to swing his sword. The number of shadows he sliced through soon became one then two, and then three.

    sh! sh!

    L consecutively poured out spells and attacked the shadows in the distance. Even though they were in a back alley, they were still in a city; since she was unable to use magic of great magnitude, she made up for it with quantity.

    With Zich¡¯s support, countless spells attacked the shadows and made them burst. Elena only recently learned to use her mana, but she helped L by using magic too. Hans and Snoc were also fighting well. Estede¡¯s light swept through the shadows and mithril tied the shadows up. They defeated a great number of shadows. It seemed as if Zich and hispanions¡¯ victory was only a matter of time.

    However, the shadows weren¡¯t going to be defeated just like this.

    Slide!

    The shadows suddenly withdrew. The shadow that was trying to run away also vomited out the woman and joined the other shadows. L looked at their movements with suspicion. ¡°Are they trying to run away?¡±

    ¡°No,¡± Zich coldly replied and ran towards the shadows.

    Zich¡¯spanions followed him from behind and continued their attacks. Some of the shadows popped out and defended against their attacks. The attacks from Zich¡¯s group slowed down momentarily. The shadows used that time to gather together in specific ces and fuse together.

    The shadows began to slowly take up shapes; they got longer as if a crouched person was slowly rising up and something that looked like arms and legs began protruding out. The ck shapes also grew more and more colorful.

    ¡°What the hell?¡± Zich sliced a shadow blocking him and looked at the figures in front of him.

    Before he realized it, the shapes now lookedpletely like humans. The shadow humans were expressionless and had slightly dark skin, but if they hadn¡¯t seen the shadows transform and change shape, they would have never realized that the people in front of them used to be masses of shadow monsters.

    ¡°What?¡± Zich was surprised after checking the face of a shadow human. ¡°Those things, perhaps¡­¡±

    At that moment, a shadowy human¡¯s gaze turned towards Zich. He instinctively raised his sword.

    Crashh!

    Before Zich realized it, the shadow man''s fist collided against Zich¡¯s sword.

    ¡°Ugh!¡± Zich let out a small groan. The shock he received waspletely different than before.

    ¡®It got stronger!¡¯

    Then, Zich swung Windur towards the shadow human who tried to pass Zich and rush towards L. The shadow human crouched its body and evaded Zich¡¯s attack. Zich raised his leg and kicked the shadow human.

    Thud!

    Zich¡¯s shin and the shadow human¡¯s arm hit each other. The shadow human withdrew a few steps back.

    ¡°This guy is strong! Sharpen your focus!¡± Zich shouted to hispanions. Fortunately, Hans and Snoc were adapting well to their opponent¡¯s sudden change. However, what was important wasn¡¯t the fact that the shadows had suddenly changed form.

    ¡°Zich! Those guys¡¯ faces!¡±

    Zich replied, ¡°I know!¡±

    Crash!

    Zich and the shadow human collided again, giving him a clear view of the shadow human¡¯s face. It was a familiar face; it wasn¡¯t only this face that looked familiar. All the shadow humans around him looked familiar. He had never met them before in real life, but he had seen all of them in portraits.

    ¡®They¡¯re the victims of the kidnapping cases!¡¯

    All the shadow humans had the faces of the victims.

    ¡°Are they perhaps the victims themselves?¡± L began to hesitate in her movements; if they really were the victims, it was difficult to attack them.

    ¡°There¡¯s no way. I¡¯m sure there¡¯s a connection, but I don¡¯t think they are the victims. I think it¡¯s the opposite. With this, the possibility that the victims died has grown higher.¡±

    There were many among the kidnapped victims¡¯ families and lovers who desperately wanted them to still be alive. It wasn¡¯t an exaggeration to say that this was all they hoped for. Zich hadn¡¯t denied them this hope either.

    ¡®However, it¡¯s a different story if there are monsters that look like the victims.¡¯ From Zich¡¯s experience, there was a high chance that the victims were dead.

    Crash! Crash!

    The battle became even fiercer. Fighting one shadow human was doable, but it was honestly a bit strenuous to fight arge group. Even though there were fewer enemies than before, the shadow humans were exponentially stronger. Zich extended his senses. It seemed as if people had finished evacuating because he didn''t sense anyone near their surroundings.

    ¡°Hey!¡± Zich loudly called hispanions. ¡°There is no one around us! It¡¯s okay for us to destroy the surrounding buildings, so use all your force to attack our opponents!¡±

    It was too tiring to control their strength while facing the shadow humans. Moreover, another worry popped up in Zich¡¯s head as their opponents¡¯ abilities spiked up. ¡®If the culprit sent these shadow humans because they felt threatened by us, the culprit might have also sent these guys to Joachim and Evelyn.¡¯

    Zich fused an enormous amount of mana into Windur and swung his sword.

    Crasssssssh!

    A powerful swing swept the city¡¯s alleyways like a storm.

 Chapter 290

    <h4>Chapter 290</h4>

    While Zich was battling the shadows¡ªto his worry, other people besides him and hispanions were also attacked.

    ¡°Block them!¡±

    ¡°Bide a bit more time! Support troops from the city will join us soon!¡±

    They could hear screams, curses, and shouting from the outside. They heard things breaking and the sound of knives colliding against something dull and heavy. Between these sounds, groans soaked with pain seeped out.

    ¡°Urgh!¡±

    ¡°Ahhhh!¡±

    Just hearing their screams showed how much pain they were suffering. They soon disappeared among the shouting and loud noises but left a clear mark in the minds of those who heard them.

    ck!

    Joachim closed the window shutters. In case anyone shot arrows in the dark, he closed the shutters of all the windows in the room.

    ¡°What¡¯s the situation?¡± Evelyn asked as she quietly had one hand on the center table. Her voice was calm as if she was trying to show her resolve, but her twitching fingers showed the nervousness that she truly felt. Joachim thought for a bit. He wondered if he should tell her the truth or lie to assure her, but when he saw Evelyn¡¯s firm gaze, his worries instantly disappeared.

    ¡°It¡¯s not good.¡± Joachim said the truth. Evelyn¡¯s fingers tapped a bit faster.

    ¡°I see.¡± However, her voice was still calm.

    Joachim distanced himself from the windows. He walked towards Evelyn and sat in front of her.

    ¡°I am worried about Zich and hispanions,¡± Evelyn said. ¡°If we were ambushed, I¡¯m sure they targeted them too.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s probably so, but I know them. They would be able to easily fight off an attack of this magnitude.¡±

    ¡°¡­Now that I think about it, that¡¯s probably true.¡± Evelyn smiled faintly.

    Joachim was impressed. ¡®She¡¯s bold.¡¯

    It was hard to expect aristocraticdies to stay calm in battle situations like this. Most would have been grateful if they didn¡¯t panic and clutch onto other people¡¯s ankles forfort. Yet, Evelyn was different. She felt a bit anxious and fearful for sure; still, she repressed such feelings and tried to search for ways to evade the danger.

    ¡®If a person like that was my wife¡­¡¯ Joachim thought. The current chaotic and unstable Dracul estate needed a missus with that kind of level-headedness and boldness. Moreover, Joachim needed someone who would be able to manage the estate in his ce while he went outside for long periods of time to restore his family¡¯s honor.

    However, Joachim cut his thoughts short. ¡®How could a person like me¡­¡¯ Thedy he was addressing was the daughter of a marquess from a neighboring family. Of course, Count Dracul wasn¡¯t of such a low rank, but one had to take his situation into ount too.

    When all his family members died and Joachim became the Count as thesting member of the family, the first thing he should¡¯ve done was find a wife and leave an heir. Yet, Joachim was still single. His single statue exined how dire his situation was. No family of the same rank was willing to give their daughter up to the Dracul family; and it was the same even if he considered families from one or two ranks lower. At this point, he might have to find some baron¡¯s daughter in the countryside or marry a daughter of a rich merchant who wasn¡¯t even an aristocrat.

    Considering all this, thedy from a neighboring marquess family wasn¡¯t someone he could dare to consider as a potential partner or even look at. At the same time, it was true that he liked Evelyn for many reasons. It was at that moment¡ª

    Crash! The building vibrated, and the noise outside also grew louder. Shouts and groans to block their enemies pierced through the windows and reached them.

    ¡°It seems like our enemies have gone through.¡±

    ¡°Yes, that seems to be the case.¡±

    Joachim sighed, ¡°Our enemies are stronger than we expected. Even after Sir Zenard led many of the enemies away, we are still struggling so much.¡±

    At the start of the battle, Glen took a significant number of enemies away with him from the lodging to lessen their load.

    ¡°Well, it¡¯s no use to justment about it right now,¡± Joachim murmured to himself and opened the window slightly to assess the situation. The shouting that flowed in bits at a time was loud and easy to hear now.

    ¡°It seems like the two enemies have seeded in trespassing.¡±

    ¡°Is that so?¡± Evelyn shuffled through her belongings. Then, she pulled out a small dagger.

    ¡°You are well prepared.¡±

    ¡°I have gone through a lot in the past.¡±

    Although it was impressive that Evelyn took out a weapon as soon as she heard enemies wereing instead of shuddering in fear, no one thought she would be a good fighter.

    ¡°You should escap¡­ actually, is there not even a ce to escape to?¡±

    ¡°Yes. Whatever the result may be, we have no choice but to fight against them.¡±

    Joachim took out the dagger he usually carried around. ¡°Please stay behind me now.¡±

    ¡°Oh my, are you going to protect me?¡±

    ¡°Well, I think I would at least be a better fighter than you, miss.¡± Then, Joachim sliced his wrist with his dagger.

    Splurt!

    Blood poured out from his wrist.

    ¡°W-Wait! What are you doing¡­!¡± Evelyn shouted in surprise and trailed off. The blood that poured out of Joachim¡¯s wrists slowly drifted across the air now.

    ¡°Don¡¯t be surprised. This is my ability.¡±

    ¡°¡­You have a surprising ability, sir.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not such a great ability.¡±

    Crash! The room¡¯s door burst open. Although they had piled up furniture in front of the door to buy some time against trespassers, it didn¡¯t seem to have much of an effect.

    St! The blood that Joachim spurt out made a thin barrier and blocked the debris that shot out. Two figures stepped over the crumpled door and came inside the room.

    ¡°Those people are¡ª!¡±

    ¡°Hm¡­¡± Evelyn and Joachim were baffled. Like Zich, they recognized their enemies¡¯ faces.

    ¡°Sir Count! Aren¡¯t they the missing persons we identified?¡±

    ¡°I think so too.¡± Yet, Joachim didn¡¯t let his guard down. Even if they were victims of the kidnapping incident, they looked like their enemies now. The two shadow humans looked back and forth between Joachim and Evelyn. Then, they moved.

    Crash!

    ¡°Urgh!¡±

    The blood he had spread out wavered. The middle part was stretched out to right where Joachim was standing, because a shadow human had swung its fist. The blood barrier looked like it would be torn by the next punch in an instant.

    Pop!

    Joachim struck one of the shadow human¡¯s temples with blood about the length of a nail. The shadow humans bounced off to the side. However, Joachim didn¡¯t get the effect he wanted.

    ¡®They didn¡¯t even blink when I hit their vital points.¡¯

    The shadow humans were definitely different from normal humans. Other shadow humans attacked them, and Joachim gripped his fist.

    Crash!

    Joachim swung his fist to block the shadow human¡¯s attack. A thinyer of blood coated his fist.

    ¡°Urgh!¡± Joachim scowled. Thest movement he made wasn¡¯t something he could do as someone who never trained arduously for a long period of time. He had moved his body forcefully, using the blood flowing through his body. Of course, this ruined his veins, bones, and even muscles. Joachim continued to move his body forcefully and blocked the shadow humans¡¯ attacks; the injuries in his body increased more and more as he blocked the attacks. He extracted his blood to the limit and started to also feel dizzy.

    Punch!

    The shadow human¡¯s ws pierced into his sides. He repressed the scream that was about to explode inside him. Fortunately, the wound wasn¡¯t deep. Since the injured area was wide, there was a lot of blood loss, but Joachim was able to control that much blood with no problems. Simultaneously, it was also true that he was losing strength. Joachim backed up a couple of steps.

    Thud!

    Somebody ced their hands on his back and helped Joachim regain his bnce.

    ¡®It¡¯s Lady Rouge.¡¯

    ¡°Sir Count, is it possible for you to use that ability with other people¡¯s blood?¡±

    ¡°It is possible.¡±

    Although Joachim¡¯s ability to control other people¡¯s blood was weak since he only practiced controlling his blood, he could at least control blood from one or two people.

    ¡°Is that so?¡±

    As soon as she heard this, Evelyn ced the dagger she had onto her wrist. She hesitated when she saw a thin trace of blood, but she closed her lips firmly, ced more strength into her grip, and cut around her wrist. She failed to do it in one go and had to slice herself multiple times.

    Slice!

    Blood shot up from her wrist.

    ¡°Use this too, sir!¡±

    Joahcim couldn¡¯t refuse in this situation. He added her blood into his mix and made a blood curtain.

    Bam! Bam!

    As the blood curtain became harder, he was able to block the shadow humans¡¯ attacks more easily. Evelyn wobbled since she experienced sudden blood loss, but she didn¡¯t faint.

    ¡°Your body¡¯s moving so fast. Is it because you used your blood?¡±

    ¡°Yes. I am moving my body forcefully by using the blood inside it.¡±

    ¡°Then, can I do the same thing?¡±

    ¡°Yes, but it¡¯s very painful. Your bones, muscles, and vessels will burst every time you move. Furthermore, I would be the one to move your body, Lady Rouge.¡±

    Those were unpleasant-sounding conditions, yet Evelyn replied brightly, ¡°That¡¯s great. I¡¯m not good at fighting anyways. If you move in my stead, it will be easier for me.¡±

    ¡°Are you serious, miss?¡±

    ¡°Do you think I¡¯m joking in a situation like this?¡±

    ¡°¡­I understand.¡±

    A thin stream of blood shot up from Joachim¡¯s wrist and headed toward Evelyn. A simr phenomenon urred around Evelyn¡¯s wrist. Soon, the two people¡¯s thread of blood connected.

    Thud!

    Joachim gained control of Evelyn¡¯s body.

    ¡°I am asking just in case, but you won¡¯t be able to control my body forever right, Sir Count?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about that. It¡¯s impossible if our threads of blood are not connected like right now.¡±

    ¡°Thank goodness. Otherwise, I would have told you to take responsibility over me.¡±

    ¡°My vassals and I would rejoice and celebrate if that happened.¡±

    ¡°No, that can¡¯t happen. I have already decided to choose my husband not by other people¡¯s will but only my will now. Even if I marry into the Dracul family, I have to do that on my own will.¡±

    ¡°That sounds sweet,¡± Joachim replied.

    Pop! At that moment, the blood curtain cracked. Joachim gained authority of the blood that was scattered everywhere and moved Evelyn.

    ¡°It will be painful.¡±

    ¡°I am prepared.¡±

    Crash!

    Evelyn¡¯s body moved at a great speed and attacked the shadow human. Evelyn¡¯s head became nk¡ªshe felt pain like her arm was breaking. Yet, she kept her mouth shut and didn¡¯t scream. Instead, she pretended like she waspletely fine while looking at Joachim.

    ¡°Wow! I feel so relieved afternding a blow on these guys!¡± she shouted. Unlike the tears dripping down her eyes from the pain, her voice sounded clear and confident. Joachim couldn¡¯t help butpletely fall for her at that moment.

    * * *

    Around the time Zich and hispanions arrived at the dormitory, the knights and soldiers protecting their lodging were almost getting overwhelmed by the shadow humans. Corpses of dead soldiers were strewn on the floor. Seeing this sight, Zich and hispanions rushed into battle right away.

    Craaash!

    Zich¡¯s Windur unleashed a tremendous amount of energy. Estede¡¯s light and the fluctuating earth followed from behind; and finally, bombardments of magic attacks added the finishing touches to their arrival. Six shadow humans from the back copsed instantly. Zich wasn¡¯t satisfied though and continued to tread forward. He nned to prate the rows of shadow humans and enter the lodging to ensure Joachim and Evelyn¡¯s safety. However, there was a shadow human blocking them.

    Crash!

    Windur shed with a fist. Zich¡¯s eyes scowled.

    ¡®You bastard!¡¯

    When Zich retracted Windur and swung it again, the shadow human stretched out its feet. Zich straightened his sword again and blocked the attack.

    Craash!

    Zich¡¯s body was pushed far away. His hands, which he grabbed the sword with, jittered. Zich scowled again and red at the shadow human that blocked him. This one was much stronger than the other shadow humans.

 Chapter 291

    <h4>Chapter 291</h4>

    ¡®It¡¯s those guys who ambushed us.¡¯

    Although they looked identical to humans, their colors faded strangely into a dark tint; above all, their faces seemed to reflect no human emotion whatsoever.

    ¡®Huh?¡¯ Zich searched the face of the shadow human blocking his way. ¡®I don¡¯t recognize this face.¡¯

    Zich had memorized the faces of the victims of the kidnapping incidents even before the cases were officially recognized as connected. Yet, he had never seen the face of the shadow person in front of him. She was a woman with brown hair and a quite pretty face. Her small and delicate frame was the type to stir up people¡¯s protective instincts. Of course, if he judged her to be weak just by her exterior appearance, his face would be reduced into a pulp like a fruit in a typhoon.

    <i>Whoosh!</i>

    The shadow human approached him. Zich swung Windur after instilling a bunch of mana into it.

    <i>m!</i>

    A sword jabbed at the shadow human¡¯s arms, but even Windur¡¯s sharp des couldn¡¯t pierce their skin.

    ¡®This one isn¡¯t an easy opponent.¡¯

    ¡°Hans!¡±

    ¡°Yes, sir!¡± Hans answered while battling with another shadow human.

    ¡°Go into the lodging and save the two inside!¡±

    Zich could easily feel that a battle was going on inside.

    ¡®It seems they are holding up quite well.¡¯

    However, they wouldn¡¯t be able to endure it for a long time now. They were no longer the vampire and subus from before the regression.

    ¡°L! Pierce through the path!¡±

    ¡°Understood!¡± L lifted her staff. Her lips twitched, and spells flowed out of her mouth at a high speed. It was to the point that Elena turned around to look at her in surprise.

    <i>Zing!</i>

    Magic was activated. Mana seeped out from the staff and flew towards the ends of her feet to the lodging ce softly in a straight line. However, the effects weren¡¯t soft at all.

    <i>Crack!</i>

    Everything froze instantly. A new, white space formed from where L stood at the front of the lodging. It was as if another ce had suddenly dropped down from somewhere else in the midst of this fierce battle.

    ¡°Wow!¡± Elena shouted at the immensity of the magic. As a mage herself, she couldn¡¯t help but express her admiration at L¡¯s near-perfect magic.

    Hans moved across the frozen white space with all he had. The shadow humans who had been within the scope of the spell froze from the chill and were far away from theirpanions.

    <i>Crash! </i>

    Hans destroyed the walls of the lodging ce and rushed in.

    ¡®Okay, now I won¡¯t have to worry about that side anymore.¡¯ After checking Estede¡¯s shining light inside the lodging, Zich turned his attention back to the shadow humans.

    <i>Bam! Bam!</i>

    While shing his sword, Zich kept checking his opponent¡¯s face.

    ¡®I really have never seen this face before.¡¯

    Was there a victim who the city had failed to identify? It was possible. However, the shadow human whose face wasn¡¯t identified had abilities that far exceeded the other shadow humans.

    ¡®It¡¯s more likely that this one is more special than the others.¡¯

    Windur¡¯s branch-like des hung around the fisting Zich¡¯s way and twisted it.

    <i>Creak!</i>

    ¡®As I expected, its bones don¡¯t break or anything.¡¯ Instead, the exterior of the shadow human waspletely uninjured. ¡®It¡¯s freakishly tough!¡¯

    He pushed Windur right in. Zich nned to pierce Windur¡¯s de into the shadow human¡¯s neck by pouring a lot of his mana into it.

    <i>Crash! </i>The shadow human pushed Windur away. It used therge opening that had opened when Windur bounced off and pulled out the des on its hands.

    ¡°Now!¡¯

    In that instant, Zich concentrated mana into his feet and rotated his body forcefully. Then, he crouched down.

    <i>Whoosh!</i>

    The shadow human¡¯s de-like hands glided past the top of his head. Just its sound disyed the force it had. If Zich had been struck by it, arge, clear hole would have formed on his body. However, Zich¡¯s focus was only on his sword. The shadow human¡¯s stance broke slightly, and Zich swung his sword at the opening.

    <i>Crunch!</i>

    A long wound formed on the front side of the shadow human. A dark energy seeped out between the wounds. Zich had seen this sight plenty of times after cutting a shadow human.

    ¡®Next!¡¯

    Zich wasn¡¯t satisfied after inflicting just one injury. He was about to make his next attack when¡ª

    <i>Whoosh!</i>

    The shadow human backed a significant distance away and went down a nearby road. Its indifferent face looked towards Zich.

    <i>Slide!</i>

    It turned its back, and simultaneously, all the shadow humans who were battling nearby and inside the lodging began to back away at once. Thoseing out of the lodging exuded dark energy as if Hans hadnded a number of attacks on them.

    ¡®Are they retreating?¡¯

    Zich didn¡¯t n to stand by and let them do that. He chased after them. His ultimate target was the shadow human he had injured.

    <i>Crash!</i>

    After getting hit by another attack from Zich, it distanced itself from him again. Zich was about to chase after it again when suddenly¡ª

    <i>Pop! </i>The shadow human¡¯s body burst. The ck forms scattered all over the surroundings like dust.

    ¡®A shadow?¡¯ Before those things became a shadow human, there were shadows. ¡®Are theying apart again?¡¯

    All the shadow humans lost their human form and returned back to their original shadow forms. Like cockroaches that foundfort in dark spaces to escape from human eyes, they were heading towards an alleyway. Mana poured out of Windur. The energy of the sword stretched towards the shadows running away in all directions. Some of the shadows burst after getting hit. Still, even if their shadow forms were weaker than the shadow humans, they were still strong. Furthermore, their numbers were greater now. In the end, about half of them survived and disappeared into the darkness of the alleyway.

    Zich ran into the alleyway. However, as if they had blended into the darkness, none of them could be seen now. Zich heightened his senses but couldn¡¯t detect anything.

    ¡®Ah, I knew it.¡¯ They were truly difficult guys to detect. If they scattered all over the ce like this, even Zich couldn¡¯t do anything.

    ¡°Tch!¡±

    Zich lightly kicked the floor.

    * * *

    ¡°You are in a mess, sir,¡± Zich said when he saw Joachim after he entered the lodging. Joachim¡¯s exterior was fine as if he had used some potions, but his clothes were in ruins and indicated the struggle he had just experienced.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think rough work like this fits me,¡± Joachim said.

    ¡°Still, it seems you have done a splendid job protecting yourself and Lady Rouge,¡± Zich responded.

    ¡°Ha, ha, it¡¯s the other way around. I actually got help from Lady Rouge.¡±

    ¡°Yes, Lady Rouge certainly looks like she did her share.¡±

    Evelyn also appeared to be in a rough state. Although there were no visible injuries on her body, the clotted blood in her hair was probably hers.

    ¡°You used her blood.¡±

    ¡°Yes, so I was able to find out something amazing.¡±

    ¡°What did you find out, sir?¡±

    ¡°I told you that I experimented with my ability, right?¡±

    ¡°Yes, you told me before.¡±

    ¡°When I use other people¡¯s blood, evil thoughts seep into my head.¡±

    Since Zich had never heard the specifics about the side effects of using his authority over blood, Joachim¡¯s words interested him.

    ¡°When I use my enemy¡¯s blood, all kinds of negative thoughts pour into my head and break down my mind. I know very well how mad I would be if I used this power wrongly.¡±

    Even a brief experiment was enough to make Joachim vomit and lose his appetite for a while. It was impossible for him to keep a sane mind if he used his ability too much.

    ¡°Using mypanion¡¯s blood is at least a bit better, but I still feel negative thoughts. Even if they are mypanions, they can¡¯t help but feel a bit reluctant from the wounds, pain, and so on that they feel from drawing out their blood. Well, knights who are used to my ability and pain have almost no negative thoughts though.¡±

    ¡°And I suppose that wasn¡¯t the case for Lady Rouge?¡±

    ¡°Yes, did you know what I felt from her blood?¡±

    ¡°What is it, sir?¡±

    Joachim smiled. ¡°Fear and anxiety, but also a strong will that would not bend.¡±

    ¡°How impressive.¡±

    It seemed that Evelyn had gone through a huge change after thest incident.

    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s really impressive, sir. Truly.¡± Joachimplimented her with all his heart.

    * * *

    After his conversation with Joachim, Zich approached Evelyn.

    ¡°You have gone through a lot.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s nothing. Count Dracul did most of the work,¡± Evelyn said brightly. Yet, her paleplexion and shaking voice seemed to indicate that she still hadn¡¯t been able to free herself from the shock of the battle. It seemed like she needed more time to calm herself. The bodyguards who were close to Evelyn¡¯s side were eyeing Zich to leave her.

    ¡°Please rest now. Eat warm food and rest well. It will help you calm down.¡±

    ¡°Thank you.¡± Evelyn got up to leave Zich. Then, she asked, ¡°How is the Count?¡±

    ¡°He is fine, miss. He is trying to assess the situation and resolve the matter.¡±

    ¡°He is such a strong person.¡±

    Even though Evelyn had helped, Joachim was the one who battled. He got hurt several times more than Evelyn and felt as much pain. Furthermore, although he had a special ability, he wasn¡¯t a knight. He wasn¡¯t even used to fighting. Yet, he had already brushed off his shock of the battle and began moving around. He was definitely different from his weak-looking outer appearance.

    ¡°It¡¯s because he¡¯s someone with a lot of responsibility and has a mission to restore his family¡¯s past glory. And most of all, he is a good person.¡± As Zichplimented Joachim, he felt goosebumps all over his skin. Even though he wasn¡¯t lying, Zich vividly remembered what Joachim used to be like before the regression so it gave him chills.

    ¡°I see.¡± Evelyn recalled Joachim who had everything for her. When she thought she was about to die, he saved her life.

    ¡°Yes, I certainly think he¡¯s an amazing person,¡± Evelyn whispered while smiling.

    * * *

    After meeting his past two subordinates, Zich left the building. The outside was hectic with the arrival of support troops. These troops cleaned the area of corpses, moved the injured, and checked the losses they had suffered. A person passed between them.

    ¡°You finally came, Mr. Zenard.¡±

    ¡°Sorry, I was a bitte. It seems you have arrived here first, Mr. Zich.¡±

    Glen¡¯s body and clothes were injured in ces from the battle. However, it seemed like he hadn¡¯t suffered any big injuries.

    ¡°Are Count Dracul and Lady Rouge alright?¡±

    ¡°Yes, thankfully, they are. I am d to see that you are also fine, Mr. Zenard. I heard that you led some of the enemies away.¡±

    ¡°I was able to manage, but because they suddenly ran away, I couldn¡¯t finish all of them.¡±

    Like that, Zich and Glen exchanged words. Since their rtionship wasn¡¯t deep and they held deep contempt for each other inside their hearts, their sentences were short. It was just a formal conversation where they asked about each other¡¯s well-being.

    Still, it seemed like he couldn¡¯t hide his curiosity, and Glen asked about the magic that had frozen the lodging ce¡¯s wholewn. ¡°Who did that magic, sir?¡±

    ¡°It was L.¡±

    ¡°Are you talking about the mage who travels with you, sir? You know, the one besides your new crew member.¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    Glen carefully searched the traces of the magic and thought, ¡®This is not just any skill.¡¯

    Glen was quite skilled at assessing people. From what he saw, the magic was anything but easy, especially if he considered the age he guessed L to be by her appearance. ¡®She is both skilled and beautiful.¡¯

    She wasn¡¯t just beautiful. She was the most beautiful woman out of anyone he had ever seen.

    ¡®Where the hell did he find her?¡¯

    However, that fact didn¡¯t matter much to Glen. ¡®That woman might actually be better than Elena.¡¯ Glen tried putting L instead of Elena into the party he was thinking of. The outer appearance of the formation he made looked much better, and his resolution became more firm.

 Chapter 292

    <h4>Chapter 292</h4>

    The case was resolved. Although many knights and soldiers lost their lives in battle, they couldn¡¯t mourn forever. With the information they gained from this ambush, they were closer to uncovering the identity of their culprits.

    ¡®As I thought, I should really keep my eye on the thing I fought.¡¯ The strongest shadow human with a face that Zich hadn¡¯t seen on any of the victim¡¯s portraits could be the biggest clue to this case. ¡®If we draw a portrait of the face I saw and search the city, we might be able to find a person who recognizes it.¡¯

    Yet, the problem was time.

    ¡®Before we find any clues about the culprit, there¡¯s a higher possibility that Glen mighte out and say that he found the criminal first.¡¯ Zich couldn¡¯t let that happen. He came up with all kinds of ns and pondered between them.

    ¡°Um, Sir Zich,¡± Hans said.

    ¡°Why?¡±

    ¡°There has been something on my mind, sir. You know the monster you foughtst time?¡±

    Zich¡¯s eyes shone. He fixed his crooked posture and gestured at Hans to speak by lifting his chin.

    ¡°I think I have seen that woman somewhere before.¡±

    ¡°Is that so?¡± An opportunity to learn of the mysterious figure¡¯s identity opened from an unexpected ce.

    ¡°But I can¡¯t remember it well, sir.¡±

    ¡°Are you sure you saw her before?¡±

    ¡°Yes, I think so.¡±

    As he scrunched up his face, Hans swerved through memories that were just out of his reach.

    ¡°Did you see her in this city?¡±

    ¡°No, it wasn¡¯t at Janmalpi, and I don¡¯t think it was after we began our travels.¡±

    ¡°Then, are you saying that you saw her at the Steelwalls?¡±

    ¡°Yes, I think so, sir.¡±

    The Steelwalls weren''t a neighboring family in Janmalpi; they were even in different countries. Thus, it was surprising to hear that Hans had seen her there. If this meeting had happened while they were at the Steelwalls¡¯ residence, it was hard for Zich to help. Although it hadn¡¯t been that long since Zich left his family in the current timeline, since Zich had regressed, his time at the Steelwalls was truly a memory from a long time ago.

    ¡®Even if I can recall my memories there well, it won¡¯t help me much though.¡¯

    As the thorn in his family¡¯s eyes, Zich spent all his time at the residence training his swordsmanship skills that no one told him to do. Thus, he rarely met anyone.

    ¡°If weplete the portrait, I will show it to you first. If you see the face again, you might be able to remember something.¡±

    ¡°¡­A portrait?¡±

    As if that word had made him remember something, Hans fell into deep thought. It seemed as if something hade up in his mind. Zich stared at Hans with anticipation.

    ¡°Ah, I remember it now!¡± Hans shouted. ¡°I¡¯m sure I have seen a portrait of that person at the Steelwalls before!¡±

    ¡°Portrait? So, you didn¡¯t see her in real life?¡±

    ¡°Yes, when I was getting my education at the Steelwalls, we had to memorize the portraits of many aristocrats. I saw her portrait then.¡±

    To avoid the situation of a servant offending another noble, a selective number of them had to memorize all the portraits of different noble families.

    ¡®The Steelwalls ced a lot of their attention and care into educating him, so it¡¯s expected.¡¯

    However, that wasn¡¯t the important part.

    ¡°So, what kind of person is she?¡± Zich got to the point. ¡°Although she looked a bit more mature than the portrait I saw, she looked like Lady Sia Rubrent from the Viscount Rubrent family.¡±

    ¡°Ady from a viscount family¡­¡±

    Why was the name of ady from a neighboring kingdom getting mentioned in Janmalpi, especially as a clue to identify the culprit of the kidnapping incidents?

    ¡°Is there anything else you know about thisdy?¡±

    ¡°Sorry, sir. I didn¡¯t learn anything else besides that. We were simply told to pay our respects if we met the nobles by coincidence¡­¡±

    ¡®Well, I mean, I dragged him away from that ce while he was still getting educated.¡¯

    Still, even this was a big help. Furthermore, he had someone whom he could ask about Sia Rubrent by his side right now.

    ¡°Thanks for telling me. It helped a lot.¡±

    ¡°Yes, sir!¡± As if he was happy to be of any help, Hans answered heartily.

    * * *

    Even after the ambush, the meetings continued to take ce. All the members in the meeting weren¡¯t the type of people who would skip out because they were ambushed just once. Instead, they all were fired up with even more passion to capture the culprits no matter what. The meeting¡¯s atmosphere was stronger than ever, and that wasn¡¯t the only change that had taken ce.

    ¡®He¡¯s going at it again.¡¯ Zich muttered as he watched Glen initiate a conversation with L.

    It wasn¡¯tpletely unexpected though. It wasn¡¯t as if Glen only talked about things rted to work during the meetings; he also talked about personal matters from time to time, and even started conversations with Zich at times. Yet, after the ambush, the number of times he tried to talk to L slightly increased.

    ¡®Did he gain an interest in her?¡¯ Zich wondered. Considering L¡¯s beauty, it wasn¡¯t a strange event. Her appearance was something that could bring out the affection of any man around her. ¡®But the questions he asks are too intrusive.¡¯

    Glen discreetly asked L questions rting to where she was born or how she had lived her life so far. They weren¡¯t questions that a man interested in a woman would usually ask. At the same time, L wasn¡¯t someone who could answer these questions, nor did it seem like she intended to. In the end, Glen couldn¡¯t achieve much from his conversations.

    After the meeting ended, Joachim and Glen left the lodging, and Evelyn returned to her room. Only L remained in Zich¡¯s room, and Zich said, ¡°It seems like our genius magician has captured the heart of another pitiful man.¡±

    ¡°Stop talking nonsense,¡± L retorted.

    Zich chuckled at L¡¯s response. ¡°But it¡¯s true that he is trying to talk to you more.¡±

    L¡¯s face looked a bit displeased. She didn¡¯t suspect Glen as deeply as Zich did, but she couldn¡¯t help but be influenced by Zich¡¯s negative impression of Glen. Thus, L was also suspicious of Glen to some degree. Moreover, even without these factors, Glen was someone Zich disliked. Normally, people didn¡¯t look favorably upon those whom their closepanions strongly disliked; and that was exactly how L felt about Glen. In other words, L didn¡¯t want to be associated with Glen.

    ¡®Did that guy perhaps begin to aim for L?¡¯ Zich thought as he kept teasing her. ¡®Since Elena, whom I suspected was his goal, came to our side, he might be looking for her recement. That would make sense.¡¯ If he thought about L¡¯s beauty and skills, it was reasonable that Glen would try to get her to join his side.

    ¡®Then why would he ask about her past? It¡¯s not as if he is trying to regress one more time and get her to join him from the beginning¡­!¡¯ Zich stopped moving. Then, he tapped on his lips with his fingers and went over what he had just thought over again. ¡®Regressing one more time?¡¯

    Zich had suspected that Glen might have regressed like him. He also thought that Glen might have regressed at a different time period than him. ¡®Just because I regressed one time doesn¡¯t mean he only regressed only one time either.¡¯

    Zich stared at L. He recalled all the memories that L had shared with him, iming that they were ones from the future. Zich thought that was a possibility. However, what if they weren¡¯t possibilities but events that had taken ce before the regression that even Zich couldn¡¯t remember? If that was the case, then the dreams he had were also suspicious.

    ¡®Someone mightugh at me if they heard my thoughts right now.¡¯

    Yet, Zich continued to dive into these thoughts.

    ¡®If that¡¯s the case, how many times has this guy regressed?¡¯

    Three times? Four? No, it could be ten or twenty times or even more than a three-digit number.

    ¡®What if he can control regressions however he pleases? Or what if he can naturally activate it once he meets some conditions?¡¯

    Questions led to more questions.

    ¡®One thing I know for sure is that I can¡¯t use things like torture to extract information out of Glen unless I know what he is doing for sure.¡¯

    If Glen could possibly use the power of the regression whenever he pleased, it was clear that he could turn back time whenever he fell into a disadvantageous situation.

    ¡®Damn it. If that¡¯s the case, I wouldn''t know what to do.¡¯ Zich scratched his head. As someone who had experienced it first-hand, he was aware of how great the power of regressing was. The difference between his current self and him before the regression at the same age range was like night and day. Thus, if one could control their regressions however they liked, it was¡­

    ¡®It¡¯s a huge advantage.¡¯

    It had been a while¡ªa truly long time¡ªsince Zich felt like he had hit a dead end. No matter what methods he used to win, everything would be over if Glen decided to regress. Furthermore, if Glen regressed, it would be much easier for him to prepare measures against Zich¡¯s ns since he would know what happened beforehand.

    A normal person would¡¯ve given up opposing such a person. They would have simply begged for their imaginations to be false and returned to their normal life. However, Zich did not do that.

    ¡®Well, that¡¯s the worst-case scenario.¡¯ Zich wasn¡¯t the type of person who gave up before even fighting his opponent. Moreover, it wasn¡¯t definite that this worst scenario was true. Most of all, if Zich¡¯s suspicions were correct, Glen would be the person or part of the group who had toyed with his life.

    ¡®I can¡¯t let that go!¡¯

    Still, since there was a serious possibility of a danger that could threaten his life, Zich had to think about his next course of action carefully. For now, he needed more information, and Zich knew a clue that could possibly lead him to the information he needed.

    ¡®Clowon.¡¯

    It seemed like he had to fasten his research about that ancient empire.

    When Zich finally made his decision, L asked, ¡°Are you done thinking?¡±

    ¡°Sort of. Was it obvious?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not like it¡¯s my first time seeing you like that. Of course, I know. So, what are you thinking about?¡±

    Since Zich was still hiding the facts about his regression, he couldn¡¯t tell her everything. Furthermore, he still didn¡¯t clear his suspicions that L might be the Demon Lord that came up in his dreams. Thus, Zich told her a part of the truth.

    ¡°I am thinking about the connection between Glen and Clowon.¡±

    Without asking more questions, L nodded. At that moment, they heard someone knocking.

    ¡°Mr. Zich. It¡¯s Evelyn.¡±

    ¡°Come in!¡±

    Zich got up and greeted Evelyn. L also got up with him. Evelyn opened the door and entered the room.

    ¡°I see that Ms. L is already here. Did you stay here the whole time after the meeting ended?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s because we still had some things to talk about.¡±

    ¡°As I thought, you guys hold so much affection for each other,¡± Evelyn said with a strange smile.

    L sighed slightly, ¡°Our rtionship isn¡¯t what you think.¡±

    ¡°Oh my, what did I say? I was just saying that it¡¯s nice to see the bond between twopanions.¡±

    Evelyn smiled excitedly and took an empty seat. Her face was already teasing, and L shuddered at the jokes that were about toe her way once they began to officially talk. Then, Zich and L also took their seats and began the conversation.

    ¡°Why did you call me, Mr. Zich? I don¡¯t think it''s just chit-chat. Did you perhaps find a clue?¡± Evelyn¡¯s face was serious.

    ¡°No, we really just wanted to chat.¡±

    Evelyn blinked.

    ¡°We all have gone through a lot recently and received a lot of help from you, Lady Rouge. Also, I know you weren¡¯t able to enjoy your time here even though your original n was to tour this city. Thus, since you enjoyed talking to us thest time we saw you, we thought you might like a time like this.¡±

    ¡°Oh my, really?¡± Evelyn¡¯s eyes shone. ¡°Then, I have no reason to refuse your offer.¡±

    Then, Evelyn excitedly opened her mouth. The three began to chat. Zich and Evelyn carried most of the conversation while L intervened from time to time. Evelyn teased L sometimes andughed or listened to Zich¡¯s stories with great interest.

    After some time had passed, Zich asked, ¡°So what happened to the situation of the kingdom after that?¡±

    He was beginning to y with his luck.

 Chapter 293

    <h4>Chapter 293</h4>

    ¡°The state of the kingdom?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°Now that you mention it, you were from the Steelwalls, right, Mr. Zich?¡±

    ¡°Yes, there was a time like that,¡± Zich said, barely joking. He never thought of his time at the Steelwalls at all. He had broken connections with his past family before the regression and caused a hugemotion before leaving his family again after the regression. There was no need for him to get sentimental or furious about it now. The most he thought about them was that he could help them once in the future to remember the things his mother had done to them.

    ¡°Hm.¡±

    Evelyn nced at Zich. It seemed like she was wondering if she should tell him or not.

    ¡®The situation must not be good,¡¯ Zich thought.

    ¡°If you find it hard to talk about, you don¡¯t have to. Since I no longer have any connections to the Steelwall house, I don¡¯t really care what happens to that ce.¡±

    Hearing Zich¡¯s response, she started carefully, ¡°If that¡¯s what you think, I suppose it¡¯s fine. It¡¯s not such a serious matter and I don¡¯t know the specifics either. I just know that they are having some trouble regarding their sessor.¡±

    ¡®I guess Greig is not living up to his position,¡¯ Zich thought when he heard this.

    Was it because he was still suffering from his trauma after his battle with Zich?

    ¡®What an ipetent guy.¡¯ Zichughed at his younger brother¡¯s misfortune after he used to look down on him.

    ¡®Since I thought I should help them once, should I go help him?¡¯ Zich soon went back on his thoughts. ¡®No, there¡¯s no need for me to help them, and it¡¯s not like they would ept my help even if that¡¯s my intention.¡¯

    Unless the family was really on the brink of destruction, Count Steelwall would not ept Zich¡¯s help.

    ¡®I guess I wille forward only when they are in a really dangerous situation.¡¯

    Of course, there was no guarantee that he would hear the news when the Steelwall family was in real danger; there was a high possibility of that. Yet, Zich didn¡¯t n to go beyond what he had in mind to help them. If the Steelwall family disappeared, he couldn¡¯t care less either. His thoughts and feelings towards the family ended there.

    Zich gave adequate responses to Evelyn¡¯s statements and changed the conversation topic. In the first ce, he hadn¡¯t prepared this chat to talk about the situation at Steelwall. Evelyn also easily followed the conversation flow since she seemed unwilling to continue to say negative things about the Steelwall family in front of Zich. Thus, they began to discuss various matters about the Cronon Kingdom.

    Zich furtively asked about their nobles. With his smooth speech and stirring away from politically dangerous topics, Zich¡¯s words sounded like in gossip that just passed between closepanions. Of course, it was basically unthinkable for an aristocrat to share gossip with peasants. However, Zich¡¯s original background was in Steelwall, and L was a mage skilled enough to get an aristocratic status this instant if she wanted to. Thus, Evelyn considered them to be half-aristocrats and could talk to them with almost no restraints.

    Soon, the atmosphere became just right for Zich to begin asking the questions he wanted to ask from the beginning. ¡°By the way, do you know Lady Rubrent?¡±

    ¡°Lady Rubrent?¡±

    It was quite sudden.

    ¡°Ah, I remember her,¡± Evelyn answered with no second thoughts. Evelyn responded very fast for a topic that had been suddenly brought up. That meant two possibilities: she was acquainted with thedy before or there was a big incident that came up with just the mention of the family¡¯s name.

    ¡°At one point in time, the family was quite a hot topic among the aristocrats.¡±

    Zich¡¯s eyes shone. His guess might have been right on the mark. ¡°That¡¯s very interesting. Could you tell me more about it?¡±

    ¡°Oh my, do you not know? Didn¡¯t the incident happen while you were still with your family, Mr. Zich? It was such a famous story.¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t receive good treatment while I was with my family. I stayed inside my mansion and trained most of the time, so I don¡¯t really know about rumors circting within the socialite circle.¡±

    ¡°Ah¡­¡± Evelyn searched Zich¡¯s expression again; seeing no change, she continued on after feeling a bit relieved. ¡°Well, I suppose you could not know about it. I said it was a hot topic, but it wasn¡¯t such a big issue that even a disinterested person would know about it. The only reason why I remember it well was because it was gossip that I was interested in.¡±

    Zich supposed it was one of the many gossips that circted through the socialite circles and disappeared.

    ¡°So, what was it?¡±

    ¡°One of Viscount Rubrent¡¯s daughters was named Sia Rubrent.¡±

    It was exactly the reply Zich wanted. Zich egged Evelyn on to continue with his interested face. L had also heard about Sia Rubrent¡¯s existence, and she craned her ears.

    ¡°I haven¡¯t met her in person, but I¡¯ve heard some stories. It¡¯s known that she died a couple of years ago from an illness, but a strange rumor circted around that time, saying that she didn¡¯t actually die from a sickness.¡±

    ¡°What happened then?¡±

    ¡°They said she ran away for love.¡±

    It was an interesting story.

    ¡°Ran away for love?¡±

    ¡°Yes!¡± It was definitely the kind of story that Evelyn loved. She continued excitedly, ¡°Although Viscount Rubrent denied such ims, the rumors didn¡¯t stop. But since it was hard to verify the truth, the rumors didn¡¯tst long.¡±

    ¡°Could you tell me the rumors more in detail?¡±

    ¡°Like most gossip from socialite circles, there are no specifics. The rumors just said that Lady Sia Rubrent fell in love with a servant and eloped with them. Of course, some stories added all kinds of embellishments, but what I already told you are the only things that could be considered reliable.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s almost like a novel.¡±

    ¡°Yes, unlike novels, everyone said that there was no possibility of a happy ending for them.¡±

    ¡°Why is that the case?¡±

    ¡°Viscount Rubrent is rumored to be a quite stubborn person. I met him a couple of times before, and he¡¯s someone who¡¯s proud of being an aristocrat. There¡¯s no way a person would let it be if his daughter ran away to elope with a servant. He must have tracked them down no matter what.¡±

    ¡°I suppose that could have happened.¡±

    ¡°More realistically, what is the possibility that ady aristocrat and a servant would live well after running away? If you think about that, unfortunately, I can¡¯t think of a good future for them.¡±

    Zich and Evelyn continued their conversation. After some more time passed, Evelyn got up since it was now time to sleep. Evelyn seemed to have enjoyed their conversation as her eyes were exhausted, but her face was full of energy. She told Zich and L that they should do this again, then Evelyn went back to her room.

    When only L and Zich were left in the room, Lmented, ¡°We received some pretty good information.¡±

    ¡°Yep.¡±

    The information that Evelyn gave was very useful to their predictions. Zich said, ¡°In order to not get caught, I asked in a roundabout way, but she gave us more information than I expected.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s because you are really skilled in talking like that.¡± Even though L had a lot of different knowledge, she didn¡¯t have Zich¡¯s ability to smoothly lead the conversation to get the answers he wanted.

    ¡°It¡¯s the result of hard effort and talent.¡±

    L easily ignored Zich¡¯spliments to himself and said, ¡°Anyways, as you expected, I don¡¯t think Evelyn Rouge noticed anything was off. It all went ording to your n.¡±

    ¡°Like this, Glen Zenard won¡¯t find out that we know about Sia Rubrent.¡± This was the reason why Zich had asked Evelyn about Sia Rubrent in a roundabout way instead of asking directly. If they asked Joachim and Evelyn about Sia Rubrent, there was a possibility that Glen Zenard might also hear about it, and Glen might get startled and speed up his n. But now, Glen wouldn¡¯t realize that Zich obtained such significant information.

    ¡®Even though I¡¯ll be tricking Joachim and Evelyn for a bit, it¡¯s more important to stab Glen in the back.¡¯

    Zich listed out all the information they had. ¡°A man and woman who loved each other to the extent where they eloped. And the culprit is probably a person who lost their lover. Moreover, the shadow person had Sia Rubrent¡¯s appearance.¡±

    If theybined all this information, it all pointed towards one culprit. L asked, ¡°Is the servant who eloped with Sia Rubrent the culprit?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s a high possibility, but the culprit¡¯s status is not important right now.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, what¡¯s important is where he is right now. Since he used to be a servant, there¡¯s a high possibility that he¡¯s hiding his past status. We also don¡¯t know what he looks like.¡±

    ¡°Yep. One hypothesis has been established.¡±

    L stared at Zich.

    Zich continued, ¡°Even though the clues that Glen gave are definitely true, there must be a trap hidden within his words.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, you said something like that.¡±

    ¡°So that¡¯s why, L. Think about what you would do if you eloped with someone, and the person who is chasing after you is your father who¡¯d never approve of your love.¡±

    L frowned. ¡°¡­I can¡¯t imagine that at all.¡±

    ¡°Just try it. In that kind of situation, you obviously have to hide your identity. But your father probably also expected that as well. You need to do something more than just hide your identity to escape your father, and you don¡¯t want to separate from your lover. Since the two of you went as far as eloping, there¡¯s no way the two of you are going to separate from each other now.¡±

    L fell into contemtion. ¡°Since they¡¯re eloping, they have to move together. Even while moving together, they have to stay hidden in ces where it would be hard for her father to find her. Like in the back alley?¡±

    ¡°And? Would that be enough?¡±

    ¡°Well, they¡¯ll obviously have to disguise themselves. They won¡¯t be able to change their identities. A run-away servant and nobledy won¡¯t be able to immediately get new identities, other than just beingmoners. Then¡­¡±

    At that moment, L also realized something and stared at Zich. ¡°¡­They can pretend to not be lovers.¡±

    Zich made a mysterious smile. ¡°How?¡±

    ¡°They won¡¯t separate from each other, but they won¡¯t be able to tell people they¡¯re wife and husband. Then, how about siblings?¡±

    Zich flicked his finger as if she got it right.

    ¡°Moreover, whether she bes his younger or older sister, it would be better if she¡¯s also ¡®sickly¡¯ as well. Since Sia Rubrent grew up as a noble, people might notice that her behavior is off for amoner. Her lover would have probably tried his best to cut her off from the outside world as much as possible.¡±

    L continued, ¡°And if this prediction is right, it would bepletely pointless to investigate people who had lovers in the past.¡±

    ¡°Yep. To others, they would have looked like close siblings and not lovers.¡± Zich brought a pile of documents from a corner of the room. They were the profiles of people who didn¡¯t make it to the final list of suspects. ¡°While investigating the possible suspects, it seems like Joachim and his team also roughly investigated their family connections as well.¡±

    Zich flipped through one document at a time. Then, he took out one document and pushed it towards L.

    ¡°This person is¡­¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s the owner of the casino.¡±

    L remembered him; he was a memorable person with sharp eyes and a scar on the side of his face.

    ¡°Look at his family situation.¡±

    L looked at the area where Zich pointed. He had no family right now, but it wasn¡¯t always like this.

    ¡°¡­He had a younger sister?¡±

    ¡°Yep. And his younger sister died years ago.¡± Zich smirked. ¡°If this guy is the servant, and his younger sister is Sia Rubrent, don¡¯t you think he¡¯s the perfect suspect?¡±

    ¡°ording to everyone, he never had a lover, right? It might have been because he disguised his lover as his younger sister. There¡¯s a high chance that people might have not realized that at all.¡±

    ¡°Yep.¡± Zich stabbed Condel Siede¡¯s face on the document and said, ¡°Let¡¯s investigate this guy and his sister tomorrow. Let¡¯s see which one is true¡ªif he¡¯s just a casino owner who unfortunately lost his younger sister and has no interest in women, or if he really is a bastard who specifically picks out lovers to kidnap. We¡¯re going to find out soon.¡±

 Chapter 294

    <h4>Chapter 294</h4>

    The next day, Zich headed for the casino. Then, he stood in front of the casino¡¯srge entrance with L next to him. Even though it was pretty early in the day, the casino was already in full business.

    ¡°They sure are busy,¡± L murmured as she saw people going inside.

    Zich replied, ¡°Time means nothing to gambling addicts. These kinds of guys would even bet their lives on gambling if they could. In a way, they are really pitiful.¡±

    ¡°Out of those people, will any of them actually earn money?¡±

    ¡°Never. Even if there¡¯s a day when they earn a bit, they will use it all up on gambling and lose money again. Gambling inside the casino is always more advantageous to the casino.¡±

    Zich and L went inside. As soon as they entered, a feverish sense of desire and excitement rushed towards them.

    ¡°Then, should we y a bit?¡±

    ¡°While losing money, right?¡±

    ¡°I am going to earn something today for real.¡±

    ¡°I hope for that lie to be true.¡±

    The two parted and moved in the direction of the games they each wanted to y. Of course, their main goal wasn¡¯t to gamble but to investigate Condel Siede. In short, this y¡¯s purpose was to gather information, and the two were pretending to gamble. Like before, Zich¡¯s money disappeared bit by bit. He didn¡¯t seem to be all that different from the people whose eyes were red from focusing on gambling as they shouted and spat out curses.

    Still, Zich wasn¡¯t getting influenced by the fever of gambling in the slightest. Inparison to the people around him swept up with excitement, his eyes remained cold. As the game continued, the sum that Zich had grown to quite a sum. Zich let out a big sigh as if he wanted other people to see him. Then, he backed away like he was nning to rest a bit. While he moved, he took one of the beverages that the casino provided and approached the wall.

    ¡°It¡¯s been a while,¡± Zich said while leaning his back against the wall. Besides him, there were bodyguards overseeing the area like they were statues. One of them looked familiar; he was the guard who had guided them to Condel Siedest time. The man¡¯s face scrunched up a bit. Anyone could see that he was unwilling to converse with Zich; yet, his expression also looked a bit taken aback.

    Zich smirked. ¡°You must think that it¡¯s strange that I am speaking to you politely unlike before.¡±

    ¡°No, I mean¡­¡± The guard struggled to continue. Zich¡¯s words were right on the mark. The guard was a bit stunned since Zich had spoken rudely to him before but was paying all his respects to the guard now.

    ¡°I acted like that before because of my job. There are times when I have to act aggressively for my work even when I don¡¯t want to. I hope you can understand since you do a simr line of work.¡±

    ¡°Well, I can understand.¡± The guard had experience suppressing many enraged customers after they lost money in the casino, so he easily agreed to Zich¡¯s words.

    ¡°Then, have you note here to work today, sir?¡±

    ¡°If I came to work, I would¡¯ve sought out Mr. Siede right away. I just came to cool my head. The case I was put in charge of was giving me a massive headache.¡± Zich made a small smile and said, ¡°So, there¡¯s no need for you to continue eyeing me so suspiciously.¡±

    ¡°<i>Cough</i>!¡± The guard had been keeping an eye on Zich as soon as he spotted him, and he let out a fake cough. However, since Zich¡¯s expression didn¡¯t seem all that displeased, he felt a bit relieved. Still, he had to apologize. Since Zich was gambling at the table, he was a customer at the casino. Furthermore, from what he heard, Zich had given up a considerable sum to the casino today too.

    ¡°I apologize if I made you feel ufortable.¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t talk to you to receive an apology, but if you feel some guilt, please be my talk buddy for a bit. I feel like I will lose money again if I return to the table right now. I need some time to recharge my luck.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s fine as long as I can continue to do my work. And please keep it short if possible, sir.¡±

    Zich exchanged various words with the guard about various happenings, gambling, the customers whoe to the casino, and so on. Soon afterward, Zich started, ¡°But you know, your boss¡­¡±

    The guard¡¯s eyes changed. Although his attitude had looked a bit tired until now, he had always answered each of Zich¡¯s questions diligently in consideration of his past spying behavior and Zich¡¯s status as the investigator of his boss. However, the story changed once the topic came to his boss¡¯s personal life.

    ¡°¡­Do you have something to say to the boss, sir?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t get nervous. I told you before that I just came here to cool my head. I just had something personal to ask.¡±

    ¡°¡­What is it?¡±

    ¡°The boss here. What¡¯s his reason for not dating anybody?¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    As someone who didn¡¯t know the specifics of the incidents that were happening right now, Zich¡¯s question seemed to have no connection with the incident; and it seemed like a very personal question. The guard hesitated, and Zich asked like a chatterbox who loved to find gossip and rumors wherever he went.

    ¡°I mean, honestly, isn¡¯t the boss here a truly fine man? If he is operating a casino like this one in Janmalpi, doesn¡¯t that mean he is someone of considerable wealth and skills?¡±

    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s true, sir.¡±

    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t that usually mean one or two lovers?¡±

    The guard nodded at Zich¡¯s question. It was a question that he, himself, had made before. If he was the owner of a casino like this, the guard was sure that he would have lived a very spectacr and fancy life. Yet, his boss, Condel Siede, seemed to almost live like an ascetic.

    ¡°Does he have a hidden lover or anything?¡±

    ¡°Not from what I know, sir.¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s a truly amazing man. Does he pour everything he has into his business? Well, I suppose some people are like that. Or does he not have a lover because he is too focused on his family? I heard of some cases like that¡­¡± Zich murmured to himself and furtively asked, ¡°Is your boss really close to his family?¡±

    ¡°The mayor doesn¡¯t have any living family members.¡±

    ¡°I know that too. He used to have a sister, but she died not too long ago. I am asking about the time before she passed away.¡±

    ¡°Hmm.¡±

    Did he dig in a little too deep? Zich was about to slightly change the topic when the guard spoke again.

    ¡°Now that I think about it, I think I¡¯ve heard something like that.¡± The security guard continued, ¡°He¡¯s basically living in the casino right now, but back then, he used to live in a separate house and left to immediately go home when work was over. I heard that it was because he had to take care of his younger sister. I also heard that his younger sister was so sickly that she couldn¡¯t even go outside often. My seniors told me that even though our boss was a rough guy from the back alley, he had a very good rtionship with his sibling.¡±

    ¡°Is that so?¡± Zich got the answer he wanted; he secretly smiled in satisfaction. After exchanging more small talk, Zich leaned against the wall.

    Zich said, ¡°I¡¯m sorry for bothering you even though you must be busy.¡±

    ¡°No, not at all.¡± However, contrary to his words, the security guard¡¯s expression looked relieved to be free from Zich.

    Zich didn¡¯t say anything; instead, he smiled and went back to the gambling table. Zich repeated this pattern the whole day. After losing a lot of money, he spent time talking to the different employees throughout the casino. There were some people whom he couldn¡¯t get much information out of, but some people gave him useful information.

    When it was almost time for dinner, Zich left the casino with L. Even when they were heading out, the casino was still bustling with people.

    Zich asked, ¡°Did you get any info?¡±

    ¡°Well, it seems true that Condel Siede really cherished his younger sister.¡±

    ¡°Oh, you also found that out? You¡¯re pretty good at getting information out of people,¡± Zich said while recalling how he had to say a bunch of random things and speak in a roundabout manner to lower the employees¡¯ guards. However, L¡¯s reply was different from his expectations.

    ¡°I just asked and they all gave me an answer right away.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡± Zich stared at L. Her beauty was almost unearthly. Even when she was just walking, everyone¡¯s gazes moved towards her. Since the security guards were all men, it seemed as if they were all defenseless against her.

    ¡®Really, this damn world is so unfair.¡¯

    Zich felt that his hard work to lower the employee¡¯s guards and eschew all kinds of information from them was almost pointless.

    ¡®Anyways, I can be more certain of the information I got.¡¯

    Even after this day, Zich continued to persistently gather more information. He investigated around the casino and back alleys to find more information about Condel Siede. Combining all the information he collected, Zich and L were able to find out that Condel Siede cared for his younger sister to an almost abnormal extent.

    ¡°Condel Siede really seems like the guy we¡¯re looking for.¡± L also thought there was a high possibility that Condel Siede was the culprit of the kidnapping cases. ¡°Isn¡¯t it time for us to slowly start a forced investigation against him?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not time yet.¡±

    ¡°What else do you need to do? We¡¯ve already prepared the portrait of the shadow human whom we think is Sia Rubrent.¡± The portrait of the shadow human they witnessed had already been drawn to catch Condel Siede.

    ¡°There¡¯s something I need to do. Something really important about that.¡±

    ¡°What?¡± L¡¯s voice was tense, as it was something even Zich deemed important.

    ¡°Preparation to torture him.¡±

    ¡°¡­What?¡± For a moment, L thought she had heard wrong. However, Zich¡¯s shameless face did not change at all.

    ¡°I need to torture Siede. Did you really think I¡¯d just leave an enemy alone?¡±

    ¡°¡­No.¡± L was very aware of Zich¡¯s awful hobby; in a way, he really was a consistent person. However, L realized that there was something a bit different than usual on his face.

    ¡°Zich.¡±

    ¡°Why?¡±

    ¡°Perhaps, are you angry?¡± L nced at him. Zich¡¯s expression didn¡¯t look much different from usual; his face was confident and energetic. However, L couldn¡¯t stop thinking about how he looked slightly different from usual.

    ¡°¡­Is it noticeable?¡± Zich rubbed his face this way and that.

    ¡°No, it¡¯s not noticeable. It¡¯s just a feeling I had.¡±

    ¡°Really?¡± Zich moved his hand away from his face.

    ¡°So are you really angry? For what reason?¡±

    ¡°Joachim and Evelyn.¡±

    L caught onto what Zich was referencing as soon as he said their names out loud. ¡°Ah, is it because the two of them were ambushed?¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡±

    ¡°¡­But those two don¡¯t really have a deep connection with you right now.¡±

    ¡°I know. Those two are not the subordinates of Demon Lord Zich Moore anymore. They¡¯re not the Vampire and Subus anymore, and they won¡¯t be Demon People either. They¡¯ll probably continue their lives as Count Joachim Dracul and Lady Rouge from the Marquess Rouge family. We probably also won¡¯t have many chances to meet them either. No matter how nicely I describe our rtionship, I¡¯m probably just an acquaintance to whom they owe a huge favor towards.¡±

    Zichughed after saying this. L swallowed her saliva. Zich¡¯sugh was not like his usual yfulugh. It was augh that was closer to theugh of Demon Lord Zich Moore, whom L was most afraid of. If Hans and Snoc were near them, they would have immediately raised their guard up to the highest level and nced at Zich for further orders.

    ¡°I can¡¯t help being angry, and there¡¯s no reason for me to suppress this feeling, right?¡± Zich turned his back and looked at the casino from far away. Condel Siede was probably inside.

    ¡°That¡¯s why I have to fuck him over until I¡¯mpletely satisfied!¡±

    L instinctively took a step away from Zich.

 Chapter 295

    <h4>Chapter 295</h4>

    As usual, there was a meeting. The meeting progressed calmly as usual, but there was a heavy atmosphere pressing down on all the attendees. The kidnapping incidents showed no hint of stopping, and they had been personally ambushed now. Yet, they still hadn¡¯t found the criminal. Therefore, Zich¡¯s next words were especially impactful.

    ¡°We found someone who is likely to be the suspect.¡±

    At that moment, everyone¡¯s faces were quite a sight to see. Everyone¡¯s eyes seemed to pop out of their faces as if someone had hit the back of their heads. On the other hand, L, who already knew everything, looked like she was thinking, ¡®He is finally telling this now?¡¯

    Yet, Zich seemed indifferent to all their piercing gazes and took out a portrait and profile from his belongings and ced them on top of the table.

    ¡°Condel Siede. He is the guy running a casino in Janmalpi. He is still just on the suspect list, but personally, I am sure he is the culprit. Thus, I would like to request the Count to do a forceful interrogation inside his mansion and casino.¡±

    ¡°Um, wait a moment.¡± As if he was failing to keep up with the flow of the conversation, Joachim raised his hand and stopped Zich from speaking.

    ¡°Are you saying that this person seems to be the culprit?¡±

    ¡°Yes, sir.¡±

    Joachim peered into the profile. ¡°He is not one of our most likely suspects.¡±

    ¡°Yes, although he is listed as one of the suspects, he was missing one of the traits we thought our culprit had. So, he wasn¡¯t included in that list.¡±

    ¡°What was he missing?¡±

    ¡°He didn¡¯t have a lover.¡±

    ¡°Hm.¡±

    As if Joachim had already shaken off his sense of surprise, he stared down at Condel¡¯s portrait with cold eyes.

    ¡°Well, his face certainly looks like a culprit.¡± Joachim tapped Condel¡¯s portrait with his index finger. ¡°However, I¡¯m sure Sir Zich didn¡¯t narrow him down as the culprit for just that. What is your reason for thinking that this man is the culprit?¡±

    ¡°Yes, please tell us. We are a bit taken aback that you are suddenly bringing up a person who doesn¡¯t fit the descriptions we have already decided upon.¡± Glen also intervened. His face was filled with puzzlement since a criminal only he should¡¯ve known was revealed. Yet, his puzzled face also looked just as astonished that Zich had put up a person the group hadn¡¯t expected as the main culprit.

    ¡°Specifically, it wasn¡¯t that he didn¡¯t have a lover. It only seemed like it.¡±

    ¡°¡­We have to hear your exnation in more detail, sir.¡±

    ¡°Of course, sir.¡±

    Then, Zich began to slowly exin why he thought Condel Siede was the culprit. Of course, he added a few extra garnishments to the story to spice it up since he had to exclude the fact that he was suspicious of Glen. As Zich continued his exnation, people¡¯s jaws dropped open, especially when he reached the part where Condel Siede eloped with Sia Ruebrent. Even Evelyn couldn¡¯t help but let out a shriek. Once he finished his exnation, a heavy silence filled the room for a bit.

    ¡°¡­So, to summarize your words, Sir Zich, Condel Siede is the servant who eloped withdy Sia Ruebrent, and to hide that fact, they acted like siblings.¡±

    ¡°Yes, sir.¡±

    ¡°And that was why people didn¡¯t know that he had a lover.¡±

    ¡°If they had already made sure people thought they were siblings, nobody would¡¯ve thought that they were anything but close siblings. That is, unless they showed overt affection to each other.¡±

    ¡°Do you have any evidence?¡±

    ¡°I am asking for your permission for a forceful investigation to collect some, sir. Also, it¡¯s not like I have no evidence.¡± Zich took out another portrait. It was the portrait of the shadow human whom he had fought. ¡°This is the portrait of the monster that I fought. I questioned the people in his surroundings with this portrait. Since he kept his younger sister a secret for so long, not many could recognize her face.¡±

    As if he had suffered a lot, Zich shook his head exaggeratedly. ¡°Thankfully, we were able to find a priest who made a prayer on the day Condel Siede¡¯s sister died. He said the sister¡¯s face looked simr to the one in the portrait. Isn¡¯t this enough to warrant apulsory investigation on him?¡±

    ¡°That is true, but...¡± Joachim¡¯s words trailed off, and a shadow loomed over his face. He didn¡¯t look pleased, but there seemed to be an underlying emotion even greater than that. It seemed like he couldn¡¯tprehend why Zich hadn¡¯t told <i>them</i> of such important information.

    ¡®It¡¯s the same for Evelyn.¡¯

    Evelyn¡¯s eyes turned upwards as she red at him. It looked like she was repressing her desire to grab Zich¡¯s cor this instant and shake him up. She might have also felt a sense of betrayal since she had been the one to give them information about Sia Ruebrent.

    ¡°It is as you said,¡± Joachim said. ¡°It¡¯s something worth looking into. I will request apulsory investigation. I¡¯m sure it will go through with this much evidence.¡±

    Afterwards, Zich and Joachim continued their conversation a bit more. Around the time they finished going over the decision to investigate Condol Siede, Evelyn asked with a chilling voice, ¡°Then, is the conversation over?¡±

    Although Joachim had witnessed all kinds of horrific things to save his falling family, he flinched in response to Evelyn¡¯s pressing question. Although her face was smiling, the chill that her beautiful smile exuded seemed like it would freeze her surroundings instantly.

    Unfortunately the target of her chilling smile, Zich, only had a carefree thought. ¡®Oh, she seems like her old, subus self right now.¡±

    ¡°Mr. Zich.¡±

    ¡°What is it, miss?¡±

    ¡°We exchange our thoughts and opinions during our meetings, right?¡±

    ¡°Yes, miss.¡±

    ¡°Then why did you keep such important information from us, Mr. Zich?¡± As if she was quite enraged, her tone sounded sharp.

    Joachim¡¯s eyes darted towards Zich. Even though he didn¡¯t show his rage like Evelyn, her thoughts weren¡¯t that different from hers.

    ¡°Because there could be a spy among us,¡± Zich said lightly. The weight of his words was on apletely different level than everything he had said before.

    Zich nced at the people around him. No, to be more specific, he pretended to nce at everyone while focusing on Glen who also made a very surprised expression. However, his face didn¡¯t look overly shocked; it was an appropriate expression for a person who heard Zich¡¯s words for the first time might make.

    ¡°¡­Are you saying that you suspect us?¡± Evelyn¡¯s voice was mixed with difort. She was expressing an emotion that she had never shown before.

    Zich answered her firmly, ¡°No, miss,¡± but he secretly thought, ¡®Except Glen.¡¯

    Zich put his hand up to stop Evelyn from saying whatever she was going to say and continued, ¡°I was going to tell you this anyway, but we were ambushed recently, right?¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± Joachim replied on behalf of Evelyn, who was too agitated.

    ¡°Why do you think we were ambushed?¡±

    ¡°Isn¡¯t it because we were investigating the culprit?¡±

    ¡°We weren¡¯t the only ones investigating the culprit. The whole city was basically trying to find the culprit. From an outsider''s point of view, we¡¯re merely one of the many coborators hired by the city. Moreover, we only have a small number of people on our team. Why did the culprit specifically attack us?¡±

    It was strange now that Zich pointed this out. Joachim and Evelyn¡¯s faces turned serious.

    ¡°Was it because it was too difficult to attack the mayor or the city¡¯s armed forces, who were the main forces of the investigation? If the culprit doesn¡¯t finish off the main forces, the investigation won¡¯t stop. By attacking us, the investigation speed wouldn¡¯t decrease much either. Was it to scare the city¡¯s force away? The leaders of this city wouldn¡¯t be spooked by something like that. Instead, they would be more agitated and stir up to find the culprit.¡±

    ¡°Isn¡¯t it because we gave various suggestions that were useful to this investigation?¡± Evelyn¡¯s voice was now back to normal.

    ¡°I also think the same way, but how did the culprit find out that we were the ones who made those suggestions?¡±

    ¡°From rumors¡­¡±

    ¡°Lady Rouge, that can¡¯t be it.¡± Joachim denied her words. ¡°Rumors wouldn¡¯t have spread. When we make ns based on our suggestions, the ns aren¡¯t carried out with our names attached to them. The city just sends out its orders, and there¡¯s no reason for the city to spread information about who suggested certain ns.¡±

    ¡°¡­Then, are you saying that there aren¡¯t many people who know that we were the ones who made those suggestions?¡±

    ¡°Yes. The only people who would know about it are people specifically investigating this matter¡ªnot because it¡¯s a confidential matter, but because it¡¯s not information that is necessary for others to know.¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± Zich agreed. ¡°Despite what I said, I don¡¯t think the person is some kind of amazing spy on a super-secret mission. I think the spy just received money to steal useful information from our team.¡±

    ¡°Even that is bad enough.¡± Joachim¡¯s voice was full of disgust. As a person leading a noble family and estate, a subordinate that could be bought with money was no better than a parasite. No, emotionally, he abhorred people like that.

    Zich said, ¡°That¡¯s why I kept this information a secret until now.¡±

    ¡°You could have at least given us a hint.¡± Evelyn¡¯s attitude had softened immensely; she realized that she had misunderstood Zich¡¯s intention in hiding information about Condel Siede from them. However, her face looked a bit disgruntled.

    ¡°I like doing a thorough job when I¡¯m hiding information. It¡¯s childish for me to say things like, ¡®Since the people around me are trustworthy, it¡¯ll be alright.¡¯¡±

    Evelyn and Joachim could at least understand this part. Yet, their views changed when Zich continued, ¡°Well, it was also bothersome for me to share this info.¡±

    ¡°¡­Mr. Zich? Can we have a talk with just the two of us next time?¡±

    ¡°Hahaha! Lady Rouge, I will have to politely decline, because I might be paralyzed by your beauty and not know what to do.¡±

    ¡°Something like that will never happen to you!¡±

    ¡°You never know what might happen.¡±

    The atmosphere of the meeting room was slowly easing up. People were beginning to exchange jokes, and a small smile appeared on people¡¯s faces. However, there was one person who was different. Glen Zenard was also smiling as if the sight in front of him was funny. However, like oil dropping into water, he was unable to mix in with the warmth of his surroundings.

    * * *

    Zich said, ¡°Finally, this incident is slowlying to an end.¡±

    The meeting ended and everyone had gone back to their ces. Like always, L was the only one who stayed behind with Zich.

    L asked, ¡°When Joachimes back with the search warrant, are you going to immediately barge into the casino?¡±

    ¡°Yep. I¡¯m going to capture Condel Siede and search through the casino like a mad dog.¡±

    ¡°Will he obediently let himself be captured?¡±

    ¡°Would a guy like that ambush us? I don¡¯t know about us, but Joachim and Evelyn are nobles.¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡±

    ¡°Also, if he easily surrenders, it won¡¯t be fun for me. He needs to resist a bit.¡±

    As expected, Zich¡¯s shitty personality was still the same. L said, ¡°Siede might not be the culprit.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll think about that when thates to light.¡± His personality was chill as usual.

    ¡°Was it necessary to tell information about Condel Siede to the person who might be involved in this incident?¡±

    ¡°Why, because Glen Zenard also heard our information?¡±

    ¡°Well, it does make me a bit ufortable.¡±

    ¡°I needed to tell Joachim anyway to get the search warrant. It would be weird if I gave out the information to everyone except Glen Zenard.¡±

    ¡°We don¡¯t know what he¡¯ll do now though.¡±

    ¡°I was hoping for that.¡±

    L blinked her eyes. Zich made a bright smile and said, ¡°If he¡¯s trying to get credit for catching the culprit, he¡¯s probably shocked right now. Because in the end, I was the one who found out about the culprit. Then, regardless of what he does, his achievement for this incident would lessen. What do you think he¡¯ll aim for then?¡±

    ¡°¡­Capturing the culprit?¡±

    ¡°Of course. But do you think he¡¯ll just end it like that?¡±

    ¡°¡­He can make the culprit spit out more information in order to raise his achievements even higher.¡±

    Zich shrugged. ¡°We don¡¯t know much about the culprit. Why don¡¯t we use someone next to us who seems to know the culprit very well?¡±

    After fully realizing Zich¡¯s n, L let out augh of astonishment. Then, she said, ¡°As expected, you really are a bad person.¡±

    ¡°Hahaha! I¡¯ll ept that as apliment.¡± Zich¡¯s confidentughter rang out in the room.

 Chapter 296

    <h4>Chapter 296</h4>

    The day after Zich pinpointed Condel Siede as the most likely suspect, Joachim brought a piece of paper.

    ¡°It¡¯s a warrant for our investigation.¡±

    With text that stated that Joachim had the authority to forcefully investigate the casino, the mayor¡¯s stamp was also on the document.

    ¡°We also got some troops and a skilled investigation team. Now, all we have to do is confront Condel Siede and search his casino.¡±

    Zich stared at the troops and investigators Joachim had brought. Their sleek armor and sharp spears sparkled under the sunlight.

    ¡°They seem like elite troops. The mayor must be expecting a lot from this investigation.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s because our investigation hadn¡¯t been progressing to our expectations. The information you gave us in this situation gave us new hope. Well, of course, I still have my own thoughts about why you didn¡¯t inform us about it.¡±

    Even if Zich had his reasons, it seemed like Joachim still held a grudge over the fact that Zich had hidden information about Condel Siede from him. However, Joachim¡¯s grumbling had no effect on Zich.

    ¡°I don¡¯t care for opinions from men,¡± Zich simply responded.

    ¡°¡­Lady Rouge seems to have the same thoughts as me though.¡±

    ¡°Ah, that¡¯s right. I also don¡¯t care for opinions from women.¡±

    ¡°¡­Do you usually say things like that in front of the person you are talking about?¡± Evelyn shot back sharply as she had juste out early in the morning to greet Zich and hispanions.

    ¡°It¡¯s only proper to say things like this right in front of the person rted to it. If I do it behind their back, wouldn¡¯t it just be shady gossip?¡±

    ¡°So, you say it right in front of my face?¡±

    ¡°Truthfully, it doesn¡¯t really matter if the person I am talking about is right in front of me or not.¡±

    ¡°¡­I don¡¯t think I would be able toment the fact that you are my personal savior any more than right now.¡± If Evelyn wasn¡¯t indebted to him, she felt like she would have grabbed Zich by his cor and shook him.

    ¡°Sigh. I can¡¯t believe talking to someone can be this tiring,¡± Evelyn murmured.

    ¡°Isn¡¯t that my charm?¡± Zich asked.

    ¡°You are so noisy. Why don¡¯t you shut up a bit?¡± In the end, L came to block Zich from speaking further. Seeing this, Evelyn sighed again and said while looking at Joachim, ¡°Since Mr. Zich¡¯spanions have a high chance of getting swayed by Mr. Zich, I can¡¯t help but rely on your words.¡±

    ¡°Ha, ha, ha! You have such high expectations of me. Although Sir Zich speaks like this, I know he will be serious once he goes into the investigation.¡±

    Like that, Joachim took Zich¡¯s side and made a solemn expression. ¡°It¡¯s the same for me.¡±

    ¡°Sir Dracul, you said you have to seed in this case for your family and estate at all costs, right?¡±

    Since they met each other often from meetings and so on recently, Evelyn knew Joachim¡¯s general situation. Not only had the issue regarding the Dracul estate been famous, but Joachim also never thought of hiding the dark incidents that had urred internally with his family.

    ¡°Yes, even if we resolve this case, I¡¯m sure we can¡¯t go back to how we were before right away. At least it would be a big leap towards the restoration of my family¡¯s honor.¡±

    Joachim¡¯s face belonged to someone who held his family¡¯s entire future on his shoulders. Evelyn could almost feel the responsibilities that Joachim held, which he carried by sacrificing himself for his family, vassals, and people in his estate.

    ¡®¡­He really is different from that guy.¡¯ Evelyn recalled her past, egotistical fianc¨¦ who had used her and even his own family to gain power. Evelyn said with a sincere smile on her face, ¡°I¡¯m sure everything will work out well, sir.¡±

    ¡°Thank you.¡± Joachim answered with a smile.

    ¡°Are you both finished?¡± Zich asked while he removed L¡¯s hand from his mouth. Both Joachim and Evelyn flinched and backed a step away from each other.

    ¡°I understand what is going on between you two, but please refrain yourself right before we have an important matter to attend to,¡± Zich quipped.

    ¡°That¡¯s not it! Also, I don¡¯t want to hear that from you, Sir Zich!¡± Joachim shouted.

    ¡°If you say so, sir.¡± Zich replied to Joachim¡¯s outburst indifferently and tapped on Joachim¡¯s shoulders. ¡°Let¡¯s go. We have your family and estate¡¯s honor to restore, sir.¡±

    Joachim sighed lightly. ¡°And that¡¯s only after we find out that Condel Siede really is the culprit,¡± he murmured but obediently followed behind Zich. The troops provided by the city also began to move after them.

    Evelyn watched all of this quietly from behind.

    * * *

    Zich saw the casino before him. The casino was running their business like usual, and there were the gambling addicts with their familiar gaunt faces and bloodshot eyes who went in and out of the casino. Since it was his fourth time in this ce, Zich was used to the exterior of the casino.

    ¡°Should we go in?¡±

    Zich stretched out his finger towards the door and Joachim nodded. Since Joachim was the leader of the group, Zich asked for Joachim¡¯s opinion every time they had to make a move. Joachim gave his approval, and Zich ced his hand on therge door and pushed it open with a lot of strength. The insides of the casino came into view. The uniquely feverish atmosphere of the casino swept them up, but itsted for only a moment. People who realized what was happening near the entrance stopped moving. A couple of them were struck with fear as many troops began to storm in.

    ¡°W-What is the meaning of this!¡±

    One of the guards who usually guarded the casino with threatening eyes came running. Even the guard couldn¡¯t dare to narrow his eyes menacingly in front of a fully armored group of troops with spears. Joachim stepped forward and pulled out the search warrant.

    ¡°We¡¯vee to investigate the owner of this casino, Condel Siede. We have already received permission from the mayor, so don¡¯t think about resisting.¡±

    The guard couldn¡¯t find the words to respond to Joachim¡¯s intimidating voice and the warrant with a clear stamp from the mayor. It wasn¡¯t a situation where he could do anything with his position and authority.

    ¡°Investigate.¡± As soon as Joachim gave hismand, the troops behind him rushed inside the casino. The guard could only shout, ¡°Uh, uh, uh...!¡± in response and couldn¡¯t stop them. Customers screamed and scurried about. Most of the soldiers led the customers out of the casino, and the rest began to search through the casino under the investigators¡¯ orders.

    ¡°Let''s go in,¡± Joachim said. Their goal was Condel Siede.

    ¡°I will guide you there, sir.¡± Since he had gone to Condel¡¯s office before, Zich took one step forward to guide them. At that moment, they heard another voice.

    ¡°I apologize, everyone, but we will be moving separately.¡±

    Zich turned his head around. His expression looked surprised, but his eyes shot at the speaker, Glen, coldly. As someone who had continued to attend their meetings, Glen was also participating in this investigation. Lara was also with him. Glen had brought her with him, saying that she would be helpful to the investigation.

    ¡°Since there are many people, including Mr. Zich who will be capturing the culprit, I don''t think it¡¯ll be necessary for me to follow all of you. I think it¡¯d be better for me to stay with the other soldiers and search the casino.¡±

    Like Glen said, there was no need for a whole hoard of people to capture one person; Zich¡¯s group would be enough. They were certainly strong enough, and the fact that they defeated the shadow monster that ambushed them supported this. Moreover, if a battle broke out, the soldiers that were searching through the casino would immediately back them up.

    Joachim replied, ¡°Now that I think about it, that¡¯s true. I understand. Please investigate the casino.¡±

    And like this, Zich¡¯s group and Glen¡¯s group separated before they broke into Condel¡¯s office. Glen led Lara inside the casino and disappeared.

    Zich quietly stared at their backs as they disappeared.

    Joachim said, ¡°Alright, let¡¯s go.¡±

    Zich began leading the group again. They walked past the VIP and VVIP floors. The people in the VIP and VVIP floors seemed to have also noticed themotion downstairs as they stared at Joachim and Zich¡¯s group with wary eyes. However, since the people on these floors had strong connections with money or status, they didn¡¯t fall into chaos like the people on the first floor. The VIP and VVIP customers merely stared at Zich and his group as they went up to Condel¡¯s office. It was only when the soldiers came up to the customers and requested them to leave did they slowly head downstairs.

    ¡°This is the ce.¡± Zich pointed at a door. Condel¡¯s door was tightly sealed shut like before.

    ¡°I¡¯ll go in first.¡± Zich was going to enter first; and just in case, he took out Windur. The others followed Zich and also took out their weapons. Joachim moved back.

    <i>m! </i>Zich forced the door open. Fortunately, there was no sign of an attack as soon as he opened the door. From the wide-open door, everyone could see the inside of the room. The interior of the room looked the same as before. The same thing could also be said for the owner of the room. Condel looked as threatening as before and sat on his desk.

    He looked at Zich and hispanions. ¡°I see that I have some guests.¡±

    Even though Zich and hispanions were menacingly holding up swords, Condel looked unfazed. No, maybe he was just a person who was good at disguising his emotions. Condel slowly got up from his seat.

    ¡°Themotion downstairs seems to be because of my guests as well.¡± Condel¡¯s eyes scanned everyone and stopped at Zich and hispanions. ¡°There are people whom I¡¯ve met before as well. Well, for what reason have I been honored with this visit?¡±

    Joachim stepped forward. He showed their warrant and clearly enunciated each word, ¡°Condel Siede, we havee to arrest you.¡±

    ¡°And sir, for what reason? Even though I can¡¯t say that I¡¯ve lived a perfectly clean life, I don¡¯t think I¡¯vemitted a crime that would warrant such arge troop.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sure that you know about the serial kidnapping cases in this city.¡±

    ¡°Yes, sir. The people over there also came here for the same reasons before.¡±

    ¡°And you are the most likely suspect.¡±

    ¡°¡­Sir, I¡¯ve been told that I was not on the list of most likely suspects.¡±

    ¡°Ah, the situation has changed,¡± Zich intervened. ¡°We gained evidence that made us suspicious of you.¡±

    ¡°Sir, that sounds interesting. Would I be able to hear more about that here?¡±

    ¡°You have a younger sister, right?¡±

    Condel, who had been acting indifferent so far, suddenly froze.

    ¡°She passed away, but when she was alive, you seemed to have loved her very much.¡±

    ¡°¡­Yes. When we were young, we could only rely on each other in that harsh world with no parents. It was extremely unfortunate that when I was beginning to be sessful, and we didn¡¯t have to worry about money anymore, she passed away.¡± Sadness filled up Condel¡¯s face.

    However, it wasn¡¯t as if tears streamed down his face. The amount of sadness he showed was subtle, but everyone could instinctively feel that Condel was extremely heartbroken as he spoke. It was to the extent that the people who were putting up their guard against Condel began to sympathize with him for a few moments. Of course, Zich was unmoved.

    ¡°Did your sister look like this?¡± When Zich showed the portrait of the shadow human, Condel¡¯s eyebrow twitched. Before he could even say anything, Zich gave a warning. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t think about denying it. We already confirmed that this was your sister with the priest who prayed for your sister when she died.¡±

    ¡°¡­You¡¯re a meticulous person. I don¡¯t know where you obtained the portrait, but yes, you¡¯re right. She¡¯s my younger sister who died several years ago. But what does that have to do with this case?¡±

    ¡°We were ambushed recently.¡±

    ¡°How deeply unfortunate. Sir, I¡¯m d that you don¡¯t seem to have received any injuries.¡±

    ¡°Thank you for your concern, but one of the monsters that ambushed us looked exactly like your younger sister.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s very strange. My younger sister definitely died several years ago. Didn¡¯t you just tell me you confirmed that with the priest? Then how could my younger sister suddenlye back alive and ambush you and yourpanions?¡±

    ¡°The beings that ambushed us were not humans. As I said just now, they were monsters.¡±

    Condel frowned. ¡°Then, are you interrogating me right now just because a monster looked like my younger sister?¡±

    ¡°Well, we have a few other reasons, but I guess that¡¯s the main reason.¡±

    ¡°Is that so? From what I know, all the monsters that ambushed you had the appearance of a human. Were you not able to find the identities of the other monsters?¡±

    Zichughed, ¡°You know about this case very well.¡±

    ¡°Isn¡¯t it because this is quite a famous case? I also personally investigated this matter.¡± Condel also twisted the corner of his mouth.

    ¡°Didn¡¯t you just pretend like you knew nothing about this case?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s because I was worried that I might get med for everything by knowing a bit about the case. Sir, since I¡¯m from the back alley, it¡¯s second nature for me to prepare for the worst.¡±

    The two of them red at each other for a minute.

    Then, Zich asked, ¡°Sia Rubrent. Doesn¡¯t this name sound familiar to you?¡±

    Condel¡¯s expression noticeably stiffened.

 Chapter 297

    <h4>Chapter 297</h4>

    It was for an extremely brief moment. Condel¡¯s expression returned to his usually old and indifferent demeanor instantly. Yet, there were people in this room who could catch that split second of change.

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure. I don¡¯t know. Is she an aristocrat from somewhere?¡± Condel said bluntly. Yet, Zich wasn¡¯t someone who would let go of his prey once they showed weakness. He had to bite into his prey¡¯s weakness and shred them apart.

    ¡°She is ady from the Viscount Rubrent family in the neighboring Cronon Kingdom.¡±

    ¡°I see. Why did you mention her name?¡±

    ¡°Just please listen to us first,¡± Zich said while smiling leisurely as if he was telling Condel to slow down. ¡°Surprisingly, thisdy had eloped with a servant from her family. I was really surprised when I heard that. I thought those things only happened in fairytales. What do you think about Mr. Siede?¡±

    ¡°¡­It is definitely not amon urrence.¡±

    ¡°Right, sir? I wonder what in the world that servant guy was thinking. Love between different sses¡ªit sounds sweet when you hear it, but the reality ispletely different.¡± Zich sighed like a parent who didn¡¯t know what to do with their child¡¯s immature thoughts. ¡°I bet the shes they had from being raised in different environments were no small matters. Can ady who had lived a luxurious life as an aristocrat suddenly adjust to the life at the bottom? I¡¯m sure she never did any work with her hands or carried anything heavier than a teacup. She would have never been able to live the same life as the servant she ran away with. Really, it would have been fortunate if she didn¡¯t end up in the slums.¡±

    Zich exaggerated as if he was describing the main character of a great tragedy. ¡°Can bringing a person you love to such a trashy situation really be called love? If you think so, that servant guy is a real piece of trash. If Ipare him to mice in the sewers, it would be an insult to the mice.¡±

    ¡°I see, sir,¡± Condel nodded. As if the facial expression from before had been a trick of the eye, Condel appeared indifferent. He responded like he was listening to insults towards a third-partypletely unrted to him.

    ¡®¡­He doesn¡¯t have a response.¡¯ L tilted her head.

    She thought Zich began to pour out insults towards the servant to agitate Condel. Thus, Condel might have reaffirmed his will to stay calm. Yet, Condel¡¯s response was way too undisturbed, almost nd. Was Condel able to perfectly control his emotions? However, when L saw the expression on Zich¡¯s face, she clicked her tongue. She couldn¡¯t see his facepletely since he was standing in front of her, but she was able to see a bit of the side of his face as she stood next to him.

    ¡®The edge of his mouth is turned upwards.¡¯ She didn¡¯t know what Zich was thinking, but she knew it wouldn¡¯t benefit Condel.

    ¡°If I think about it, sir¡­¡± Zich spoke again.

    Condel sighed. ¡°I don¡¯t even know why you are suddenly telling me all these things¡­¡±

    ¡°Thatdy Sia Rubrent is also a really funny person,¡± Zich continued.

    Condel closed his mouth.

    ¡°What a childish person she was,¡± Zich suddenly began to nder Sia Rubrent. ¡°I can¡¯t believe she fell in love with a servant. She¡¯s someone whocks the dignity of a noble.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°Well, there are immature nobledies like that from time to time, but she took it a step further. I mean, she eloped with a servant.¡± Zich was still smiling and his voice was gentle, but the words he spat out were chilling. His eyes clearly shot towards Condel. ¡°It¡¯s really absurd. What the hell was she thinking? Did she think that she was some tragic main character of a fairy tale? I don¡¯t even have to guess what kind of treatment Viscount Rubrent got from his surroundings after what happened. Did she think she could live a happy life after tarnishing her family¡¯s honor and throwing away the grace her parents showed her by raising her?¡±

    Zich¡¯s posture was crooked. His jaws were raised up while his legs were crossed and his arms were swinging.

    ¡°Was she thinking along the lines of, ¡®I am going to get freedom for my true love!¡¯ If she was right in front of me, I would have told her to regain her senses.¡±

    Condel said, ¡°¡­Didn¡¯t you say that she was a nobledy? It seems you are approaching dangerous territory. From what I know, you¡¯re not a noble.¡±

    Zich smirked. ¡°You must have done a thorough investigation to know my status.¡±

    ¡°I told you before, sir. I didn¡¯t want to end up taking the me, just because of my connections in the underworld.¡±

    ¡°The underworld¡­¡± Zich said suspiciously, but he didn¡¯t dive into the matter any deeper. ¡°Thank you for your concern, but it¡¯s all right. I also have a noble background although I left my family. Furthermore, didn¡¯t Lady Sia Rubrent also run away of her own will? Then, she is a peasant now. I don¡¯t think I will be punished for my words then.¡± Zich shrugged. Then, he added with a smirk, ¡°Also, I don¡¯t think my words would leave this room anyways.¡±

    Joachim nodded inside his mind when he heard Zich¡¯s words. ¡®I guess this is why he asked to make the troops wait outside the door.¡¯

    After Zich suggested that there was no need for soldiers to rush in to arrest one person, all the troops provided by the city waited outside for orders. The only ones in the room were just Joachim and Zich and hispanions. Even if Zich¡¯s words became a problemter on, they were all people who would take his side.

    ¡®He really is through.¡¯ Joachim was impressed again, and Zich continued talking.

    Zich took one step forward. ¡°Why would I want people to misunderstand that I am siding with a stupid, ignorant, rock-brain woman who can¡¯t differentiate between reality and fiction? I can¡¯t let that happen. No, no, not all. Come to think of it, that empty-brained woman deserves so much more criticism than that servant.¡±

    Zich took another step forward. Even though Zich was slowlying closer to him, Condel didn¡¯t move at all; he directly met Zich¡¯s eyes.

    ¡°Do you also think that way, Mr. Siede? That woman probably died while reminiscing about her past life. We can bet on this. While not being able to eat properly or wear proper clothes, she probably rolled around in the dirt and pathetically died while reminiscing about her past. Before she died, don¡¯t you think she thought something like this?¡±

    Zich stopped in front of the desk. While staring directly at Condel¡¯s eyes, he said, ¡°Ah, I¡¯ve been dreaming a false dream! How foolish I was. I miss my warm house. I want to eat the delicious food I ate in the past. And she probably thought this.¡±

    Zichughed very brightly. ¡°I should have never trusted that lowly servant and followed him.¡±

    Crunch!

    They heard something crash. Hans immediately stepped forward and shielded hispanions. Snoc surrounded himself with mithril, and L and Elena took out their staff. Joachim also prepared for the worst by preparing to cut his wrist. However, nothing happened.

    Zich slightly lowered his eyes and looked at Condel¡¯s hand. Condel¡¯s hands were half bent and pushed into the desk. Zich saw that pieces of wood stuck out between Condel¡¯s fingers. Zich moved his eyes back to Condel¡¯s face. His face was still expressionless.

    ¡°Wow, you¡¯re stronger than you look, Mr. Siede. What happened to your desk is really unfortunate. It looked extremely expensive.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°But why did you get so agitated? Perhaps, were you filled with sadness while thinking of Ms. Rubrent¡¯sst moments? Ah, you shouldn¡¯t have.¡±

    Zich waved his hands. ¡°That trashy woman is not even worth our pity. It¡¯s just a waste of a nice desk.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡± Condel didn¡¯t say anything. Instead, his fingers pushed deeper into the desk. Zich watched this sight with pleasure. L could slightly see his emotions from the side of his face, and she shook her head. ¡®His personality is really rotten.¡¯

    L was confident that Zich was merely ying with Siede right now. Even though L wondered if she should even call it ¡®ying around,¡¯ she was sure that Zich was still furious about the culprit¡¯s ambush against Joachim and Evelyn. ¡®He really gritted his teeth when talking about it.¡¯

    If their predictions were correct, Condel Siede was the servant who eloped with Sia Rubrent. And he loved her to the extent where he attacked only lovers to ease his pain of losing her. Then, if someone poured insults towards his ardent love¡ª

    ¡®He¡¯s clearly getting affected.¡¯ Even though Sia Rubrent should have been a perfect stranger to him, Condel was clearly unable to suppress his fury. With this, their suspicions towards him turned into certainty.

    ¡®I don¡¯t think most people would be able to do what Zich is doing right now.¡¯ What L was most surprised about was that this whole situation was merely a result of Zich¡¯s desire to torture others.

    ¡°Oh my, it seems like you got a little heated.¡± Zich softly put his hand over Condel¡¯s hand, which was pushed into the desk. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t get so agitated like this.¡± Zich¡¯s voice was full of mockery; it was a type of voice that would make even someone not involved in this matter burn up in murderous rage.

    With this voice, Zich continued, ¡°You should have tried your best to suppress it. If you get angry and show your strength like this, aren¡¯t you basically telling everyone that you¡¯re the culprit?¡±

    Zich¡¯s suppressedughter struck against Condel¡¯s eardrums.

    ¡°Hey, endure it. We don¡¯t have any kind of amazing evidence either. As you said, all we know is that your dead younger sister and a monster had the same appearance. It really could have all been a coincidence. As I told you, we¡¯re not certain that you¡¯re the culprit yet. Isn¡¯t that why you¡¯re just standing still here? You can¡¯t get angry already.¡±

    People were surprised that Zich would say this to a possible suspect. Joachim, who had been quietly watching Zich so far, stepped forward to intervene. L stopped Joachim from saying anything. L¡¯s promise to help Zich with his ns if he didn¡¯t walk the path of the Demon Lord was still progressing.

    ¡®It¡¯s not like Zich would let his prey escape.¡¯ L was certain of this.

    ¡°If we don¡¯t find sufficient evidence of your involvement in the kidnapping cases in this casino, we won¡¯t be able to detain you for long. Didn¡¯t you give money to all sorts of ces to get as many people on your side as possible? Even though they won¡¯t be able to prove your innocence, they would at least make sure we won¡¯t be able to torture you or detain you for long without evidence. I¡¯m very familiar with the tactics of guys like you.¡±

    Zich moved his hands away from Condel¡¯s. ¡°So, just endure it for a bit. No matter how much I insult, shame, and destroy Sia Rubrent¡¯s name, you can¡¯t show your anger at all. Just think about your position; you¡¯re not supposed to be rted to her at all. Don¡¯t you think it¡¯s suspicious if you show so much agitation when I¡¯m insulting someone not rted to you?¡±

    Zich used his two thumbs to push the corners of his mouth up. Zich¡¯s mouth drew up in an awkward line, like a ridiculous clown. ¡°You don¡¯t want us to be suspicious right? Then, smile. Right now.¡±

 Chapter 298

    <h4>Chapter 298</h4>

    Condel didn¡¯tugh, and all traces of emotion disappeared from his already stoic face. Zich recognized the state he was in. Condel was so, so enraged that he had reached the point of emotionless.

    ¡°¡­Fine,¡± Condel said. His emotionless voice sounded like it was seeping into the insides of a dark cave.

    ¡°It seems like you all are quite suspicious of me, and I can¡¯t do anything about it. What can I do when you havee with such arge number of armored troops? I will follow you all.¡± Condel appeared like an agreeable suspect who was willing to coborate, but his next words struck their ears. ¡°However, if you fail to uncover my crimes, you will find yourselves in a very difficult predicament. I wasn¡¯t raised so delicately that I will look over the defamations you made about me so lightly.¡±

    ¡°Defamations? All I did was insult a servant and an ex-aristocraticdy for eloping. I don¡¯t think there¡¯s any need for you to feel enraged as an outsider, Mr. Siede.¡± Zich resumed his polite mannerism in ce of his previous, outright snarky behavior. However, his words were still prickly.

    ¡°Your attitude was rude even if you were addressing a third partypletely unrted to the incident. The reason for my enragement is because of that.¡±

    ¡°Ah, is that so? I¡¯m really sorry to hear that, sir.¡± Of course, not matching what he said, Zich¡¯s face didn¡¯t look sorry at all.

    ¡°I don¡¯t need your apologies. I¡¯m going to getpensated fully for this anyways by myself.¡±

    ¡°Are you ckmailing me right now, sir?¡±

    Condel pushed his face closer to Zich¡¯s face. ¡°Don¡¯t act cocky.¡±

    Condel¡¯s wide eyes jittered while the scar on his face twitched like waves. His face alone could have pressured most people. ¡°Although I can¡¯t really do much to the Count behind you because of the difference in sses, I can easily ruin a nobody from who-knows-where like you. Even if you really have an aristocratic background as you said, you would no longer be able to babble that you are an aristocrat since you ran away from home.¡±

    ¡°Like Sia Rubrent, sir?¡±

    Unlike before, there was no change on Condel¡¯s face. It seemed like he had hardened his heart greatly. He replied coldly, ¡°You should pray that I won¡¯t be released soon.¡±

    ¡°You are quite courageous to ckmail somebody right in front of me,¡± Joachim said, clearly displeased. Coming from an aristocrat, especially someone who held a count position, these words would¡¯ve made most peasants fall to the floor and beg for forgiveness. Yet, Condel was different.

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure, sir. Rather than courageous, doesn¡¯t it mean that your authority means that much less significant?¡± Condel responded.

    Joachim¡¯s eyes twitched.

    ¡°The shame that fell upon the Dracul family is a famous story throughout the kingdom. If you don¡¯t resolve this case, it¡¯s highly unlikely that you would be able to maintain your connections with the lord of this estate. Isn¡¯t that right, sir? I bet even more so if rumors spread that you arrested an innocent man while insulting him.¡±

    ¡°What is it that you want to say?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m just worried for you, sir. For the Dracul estate¡¯s future. I also don¡¯t want to see one of the great families of a kingdom fall wastefully.¡±

    ¡°I will figure that out myself.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sure you will. I suppose these are useless worries.¡± Condel pushed his chair aside and walked to the side of his desk carefully. ¡°Did you say that you would arrest me? Then, let¡¯s do that right now. It¡¯s clear you brought a warrant to forcefully investigate me. I hope that you will find what you are looking for at the casino.¡±

    Condel nced at the people around him coldly and said, ¡°Otherwise, you¡¯ll be in a very ufortable position. I assure you of that.¡±

    ¡°Wow, you really are confident,¡± Zich replied brightly in response to Condel¡¯s threat. ¡°It seems like you are sure that we won¡¯t be able to find anything in this casino.¡±

    ¡°Truthfully, yes. It¡¯s because I¡¯m not the culprit.¡±

    ¡°Really, sir?¡±

    At Condel¡¯s confident answer without an ounce of hesitation, everyone except for Zich felt a bit anxious. Although one would expect Condel to be a bit nervous in front of a big troop that had to find evidence against him, Condel didn¡¯t appear to have any worries. Of course, it wasn¡¯t that people started to think Condel was no longer the culprit now because of his response. Not only did they have a strong trust in Zich, but the strong response that he had shown at the mention of Rubrent¡¯s name had convinced many of them that Condel was really the culprit.

    However, getting evidence to prove Condel as the culprit was apletely different matter. Zich exined, ¡°I can think of two reasons why you are acting like this. It must be that there¡¯s really nothing here that can pinpoint you as the culprit, or even if there¡¯s something, you are sure that we would never be able to find it.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s the former. I¡¯m telling you again, but I¡¯m not the culprit.¡±

    ¡°So, in other words, are you saying that you are not the past servant of the stupid idiotic woman from the Rubrent family who eloped for love?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡± Although Zich used harsh expressions to describe Sia Rubrent, Condel¡¯s expression didn¡¯t change at all this time. Zich nced down at Condel¡¯s hands; Condel didn¡¯t show an obvious response such as shaking and clenching one¡¯s fist so tightly that they bled.

    ¡°Thank goodness then, sir.¡± Zich smiled. At this point, Condel couldn¡¯t help but only feel a chilling sensation instead offort from Zich¡¯s smile. ¡°To tell you the truth, sir, it hurt my conscience a bit while spurting out all those insults before.¡±

    Everyone¡¯s eyes¡ªincluding L¡¯s, Joachim¡¯s, and Zich¡¯spanions¡¯¡ªshot towards the back of Zich¡¯s head simultaneously. Even Elena, who hadn¡¯t joined the group for long, did the same. Although they had gotten used to¡ªno, half-given up on Zich¡¯s behaviors, they couldn¡¯t bear to hear Zich talk about having a conscience. Yet, Zich remained calm. It was difficult to tell whether or not he noticed the way hispanions were looking at him, but even if he did, everyone knew he wouldn¡¯t care about it either.

    ¡°If you were really the servant I talked about, I would have felt a bit disappointed. After all, how could you have stood by with your mouth shut as you heard insults added to her name if you were really the servant who loved Lady Rubrent enough to elope with her? That couldn¡¯t be love.¡± Zich approached Condel and hung his arm around Condel¡¯s shoulders.

    ¡°Even if I spat out all those insults, I really wanted to believe in the love between the two. Since you say that you are not the culprit, I suppose I don¡¯t need to deny their love now. But if you really are the servant, then that love would be nothing more than foul-smelling waste or a lowly and barbaric matchmaking between animals.¡±

    ¡°¡­Are you done? Then, why don¡¯t you start arresting me?¡±

    ¡°Why are you in such a hurry? Since you won¡¯t be able to keep the casino open for at least a while, why don¡¯t we take our time and chat a little longer?¡±

    ¡°I have no words to say to a rude person like you. Rather than talking to you, I think it would be better for me to stay in jail.¡± Condel stared at Joachim and said to him, ¡°Sir, aren¡¯t you responsible for this team? Won¡¯t it be better for you toplete your goal as fast as possible?¡±

    ¡°Mr. Zich, why don¡¯t we end things here?¡±

    With Joachim¡¯s words, Zich removed his hands away from Condel¡¯s shoulder. Joachim called the soldiers from behind the door; they tied up Condel with a special rope and put their arms beneath his armpits. They just needed to transport Condel outside.

    L approached Zich and said, ¡°You really went out of your way this time.¡±

    ¡°Did it seem like that?¡±

    ¡°Hans and Snoc also seem a bit sickened by your actions.¡±

    ¡°Really? I thought I did a good job educating those two, but I guess they¡¯re still na?ve. I haven''t even properly started yet.¡± As expected, Zich didn¡¯t seem like he was going to stop torturing Condel with just this amount of torture.

    L asked, ¡°Are you really confident about finding evidence against Condel? Since he followed so obediently, it seems like he really did a thorough job hiding any evidence that might point to him as the culprit.¡±

    ¡°Of course.¡±

    L was relieved and thought, ¡®He really must have some kind of n.¡¯

    Then she asked, ¡°What¡¯s the evidence? Where did he hide it?¡±

    L had asked with a light heart, but Zich¡¯s reply was shocking. ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡±

    ¡°¡­What?¡± L opened her eyes wide. ¡°Y-you told me that you were confident about finding evidence against Condel.¡±

    ¡°Yep.¡±

    ¡°But you don¡¯t know what the evidence is, or where it¡¯s hidden?¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡±

    Zich continued to give ridiculous answers with ease. L was surprised for only a moment; she soon narrowed her eyes and stared at Zich. ¡°What are you scheming? Quickly tell me.¡±

    L lightly pressed Zich¡¯s stomach with her staff. She lost her patience. There was no reason for Zich to hide the information from her as well, so he replied, ¡°If I don¡¯t know where Condel hid the evidence, I can leave it up to the guy who knows where it is.¡±

    ¡°¡­A guy who knows where Condel Siede hid his evidence?¡±

    There was a person who immediately popped into her head. ¡®Glen Zenard!¡¯ Now that L thought about it, Glen had separated from them early on, saying that he wanted to search the casino with the soldiers.

    ¡°And it¡¯s even better if that guy is crazy about gaining achievements for himself.¡±

    At that moment, a loud noise came from the staircase outside Condel¡¯s office. A soldier frantically ran up the staircase. ¡°Sir!¡±

    Joachim replied, ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡±

    ¡°We found a strange tunnel outside the casino! Sir, it looks like a secret tunnel, and judging by how deep it is, like it¡¯s connected to a ce outside!¡±

    People¡¯s gazes naturally turned towards Condel; his face now looked strained. Since Condel barely showed any facial expression, they carefully assessed whether they were mistaken. But that was not it; he definitely looked shocked.

    ¡°Oh wow, that¡¯s a really surprising discovery!¡± Zich gave a loud reaction and approached the soldier. ¡°A secret tunnel found in an ordinary casino. That¡¯s a really interesting discovery. Ah, but of course, this doesn¡¯t mean we¡¯ve found the evidence that points to Condel Siede as the culprit.¡±

    Zich continued with an excited voice, ¡°Yeah! There¡¯s no way Condel Siede is the culprit! If that¡¯s the case, then he¡¯ll be a piece of trash who denies his own lover and makes a mockery of what love should be about! I believe in him! I know that Mr. Siede is not someone like that! But we still can¡¯t leave a suspicious tunnel alone.¡±

    In an exaggerated manner, Zich stood in front of Condel. While looking at Joachim, he said, ¡°Sir, please give us an order to immediately go and search the tunnel.¡±

    Then, Zich looked at Condel. He raised his chin up high, and one corner of his mouth was raised up into a mocking smile. Even if Condel didn¡¯t want to see him, Zich was automatically within Condel¡¯s sight, and Condel¡¯s face twisted like an evil spirit.

    Swoosh!

    A ck substance suddenly came out from behind Condel. Zich, who had been preparing for an attack, swung Windur.

    Crassssh! Windur blocked a shadow that had the shape of arge sword.

    ¡°It¡¯s an ambush!¡±

    ¡°Protect Count Joachim!¡±

    ¡°Arrest him!¡±

    The soldiers were startled and quickly grabbed their weapons. Zich¡¯spanions also raised their weapons against Condel.

    ¡°You¡¯re finally revealing your true self.¡± Zich licked his lips. He nced at the ck shadow that jumped out from beneath Condel¡¯s feet, and his eyes met Condel¡¯s eyes.

    ¡°I¡¯m really just asking this because I¡¯m curious, but how does it feel to have to ignore a person who¡¯s insulting your love? To have to thoroughly deny your feelings? Aren¡¯t people normally unable to suppress things like that? Especially when I¡¯m insulting someone who you risked everything to elope with? Ah, if I think about it like that, I have another question.¡±

    Zichughed as he asked, ¡°Sia Rubrent. Did you actually love her?¡±

    <i>Griiit!</i>

    Condel gritted his teeth.

 Chapter 299

    <h4>Chapter 299</h4>

    Slice!

    Shadows shot up from the ground and sliced the ropes that tied Condel up. The ropes were infused with mana, but they weren¡¯t enough to contain Condel¡¯s strength and he raised his arm. Shadows climbed across his body and wrapped around his arms. Then, he swung his arm.

    Crash!

    Windur was hit by Condel¡¯s attack. It was a considerably heavy attack. Hans and Snoc immediately attacked Condel. Light shined from Estede and sharp mithril pieces rained like meteorites.

    Crash! Crash!

    Something jumped out from below Condel¡¯s feet and blocked the stream of attacks. It was another shadow. A couple more jumped out. Since people knew how strong these shadows were, they were fearful. Joachim backed off andmanded the troops. In contrast, Zich, Hans, and Snoc took a step forward; L and Elena poured mana into their staffs.

    The shadows¡¯ characteristically amorphous bodies wiggled and attacked. Zich, Hans, and Snoc checked to make sure they didn¡¯t head towards the normal soldiers. More shadows popped out. Remembering their past ambush, Zich and hispanions knew that this was going to be a difficult battle. Yet, they had brought a bunch of support troops with them this time.

    ¡°Sir Count!¡±

    ¡°We came to help!¡±

    ¡°d you could make it!¡±

    Elite knights specially chosen by the city arrived on site, and Joachim weed them. ¡°Condel Siede was really the culprit! Please help Mr. Zich and hispanions right now to help with the arrest!¡±

    ¡°Yes, sir!¡± The knights pulled out their swords. Arge amount of mana whirled around the sword. As the knights joined, Zich¡¯s side began to gain the upper hand. Yet, Zich didn¡¯t let down his guard at all.

    ¡®I¡¯m sure that guy can bring out way more shadows.¡¯

    If Zich thought about the number of shadows that had run away from them before, there should be much more of them; above all, Condel wasn¡¯t making the shadow humans yet.

    ¡®I don¡¯t think he is ying around. Is there a reason why he can¡¯t use all of his strength?¡¯ However, if that was the case, this was to Zich¡¯s advantage. Zich didn¡¯t hold such a foolish thought like having to defeat his opponent when they were in their best condition.

    Condel scowled a bit more as more knights joined. He red at Zich like he wanted to kill. Zich also stared back; he had a smile on his face like he couldn¡¯t contain the happiness he felt from seeing his opponent look at him with pure hatred.

    ¡°Where is Sir Zenard!¡± Joachim shouted and one soldier responded.

    ¡°He went inside the secret passageway we found to search what was in there!¡±

    Condel flinched. His menacing face twisted even more like the devil.

    ¡®It seems like there is something inside the secret passageway.¡¯

    The shadows that were all over the ce suddenly backed away. One of them thrust its body onto the floor.

    Crash!

    A huge hole formed on the floor.

    ¡®Is he trying to run away?¡¯ Zich hurriedly swung Windur. However, the shadow in front of him intervened. ¡°Hey, you should reply to my question! I asked you if you really loved her!¡±

    Condel¡¯s blood-chilling eyes shot towards Zich again. However, he didn¡¯t fall for Zich¡¯s provocations and disappeared into the lower floor. The shadows continued to thrust themselves onto Zich and hispanions.

    ¡°L!¡±

    ¡°Yeah!¡±

    At Zich¡¯s signal, both Hans and Snoc backed off. Zich also backed away, and seeing his response, Joachim ordered the knights to do the same. L let out an enormous amount of mana from her staff and cast a spell. The shadows rushed towards her, but she finished her spell faster than them.

    Whoosh!

    The surrounding air vibrated. The air swirled with the shadows in the center. The elerated air whirled and turned to fierce winds. The air separated into different floors and swirled in different directions until it could shred apart anything within its reach. Yet, anything outside of its reach wasn¡¯t affected at all; there wasn¡¯t even a light breeze to shake people¡¯s hair strands, much less a strong whirlwind or whistling of the wind. However, the people outside of it could clearly see what was happening to the shadows; they exploded, were sliced, and ripped. Without even the sound of wind or destruction, only the sight before them showed viewers what was happening before them.

    Soon, the soundless destruction was over, and the shadowspletely disappeared.

    ¡°¡­Amazing,¡± Elena murmured. The more and more she saw L¡¯s magic, she couldn¡¯t help but exim in admiration. On the other hand, L calmly took back the staff as if she hadn¡¯t done much.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go too.¡± L tapped Elena on the shoulders and pointed towards the lower floor. Zich, Hans, and Snoc had already gone down the stairs to chase after Condel.

    ¡°Y-Yes!¡± Elena hurriedly followed behind L. Joachim also ordered his troops to chase after Condel. Knights and soldiers steadied their steps to walk down the stairs; while they did this, they stole furtive nces at L. They were shocked about the magic that had wiped away the strong shadows instantly.

    It wasn¡¯t very difficult to chase after Condel. All they had to do was find the noisiest ce in the building. There were also injured soldiers or corpses of those who had tried to block Condel scattered in ces. L and Elena passed by them to arrive at the basement of the casino where there was arge hole.

    ¡°This seems to be the secret passageway.¡±

    ¡°Y-Yes¡­¡± Elena answered weakly because of the horrifying and gruesome sight of what happened nearby. A considerable number of soldiers were dead or injured. Elena wasn¡¯t used to these types of battles yet.

    L lifted her body slightly and stared at Elena. Her face still looked a bit pale.

    ¡°Do you want to stay behind?¡± she asked. Elena looked around her. She gulped, shut her eyes tightly, and clenched her fist.

    ¡°I will go!¡±

    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s the way.¡± L smiled slightly and lifted Elena¡¯s body. Like that, the two disappeared into the entrance.

    * * *

    Zich was running through the passageway with Hans and Snoc. He could see Condel¡¯s back from a distance away. Condel was running away at a fast speed¡ªalmost at the same speed that Zich was chasing after him.

    ¡®Hans and Snoc won¡¯t be able to catch up to him,¡¯ Zich thought. As Zich predicted, the distance between him and Hans and Snoc was slowly increasing. However, it wasn¡¯t as if Zich could slow down to match Hans and Snoc¡¯s speed. ¡®If we miss him right now, it¡¯ll be impossible for us to track him.¡¯

    Condel¡¯s shadows could perfectly escape Zich¡¯s sensing abilities. It also seemed as if Condel could use it on himself since Zich could barely sense where Condel was. If Condel moved a bit further away, Zich would no longer be able to sense him just like the shadows.

    ¡®Well, since there¡¯s only one path in this tunnel, at least I won¡¯t get lost.¡¯

    Zich told Hans and Snoc behind him to try their best to catch up to him and maintain his speed.

    Slide! Slide!

    Two shadows popped out from beneath Condel¡¯s feet. Zich clicked his tongue. ¡®This is going to be troublesome.¡¯

    Zich could no longer afford to increase his distance from Condel; he tightly clenched Windur and increased his speed. In an instant, he approached the shadows. The shadows changed shape as Zich approached them; one of them became sharp enough to pierce through Zich and the other spread wide like a to crush him down. Zich used all his strength and swung Windur.

    Slice!

    The shadow that had spread itself like a was cleanly cut into two. However, since Zich had used a lot of strength to swing Windur, his body was defenseless now. The sharp shadow immediately pierced through Zich¡¯s body.

    Stab! Stab! Stab!

    With a chilling sound, blood spurted out of Zich¡¯s body. The shadow had split itself into three sharp daggers and pierced through Zich¡¯s body. However, Zich did not even let out a groan; his eyelids just twitched once.

    Slice!

    Zich swung his sword down against the shadow and put arge amount of mana into Windur.

    Bang!

    The shadow burst with the explosion of mana. When the shadow disappeared, blood came pouring out of Zich¡¯s injuries; anyone could see that he had taken serious damage. Yet, Zich paid no mind to his body and continued running. Then, he took out a potion.

    Zich had protected his vital organs like his heart; he gulped down the potion and poured it over his injuries. His injuries began to patch up like magic. People would have said that Zich¡¯s methods were insane, but by sustaining heavy injuries, Zich was able to shorten his distance from Condel. He was now able to also clearly sense Condel¡¯s presence. Zich also saw that Condel nced back at him, and Condel gritted his teeth.

    Zich loudly shouted, ¡°Who are you trying to meet? Are you perhaps going toy down flowers for your dead lover? I don¡¯t care whether you¡¯re going to cry or jump in joy in front of her grave, but you should go after answering my question! Did you really love Sia Rubrent!¡±

    Slide! Slide! Slide! Slide! Four shadows popped out this time; it seemed as if Zich¡¯s provocation worked. The shadows crawled on the ground. ¡®It would be a bit difficult to defeat four at once.¡¯

    However, Zich did not decrease his speed. Before he collided with the shadows, he fused an enormous amount of mana into Windur and gave arge swing.

    Ziiiing!

    Air filled with mana hit against the shadows like a hammer. The shadows halted, but it didn¡¯t seem like they sustained serious damage. However, what Zich wanted was that short opening.

    Tap.

    Zich pushed off his foot. He jumped to the top of the ceiling and used the ceiling to jump again andnd behind the shadows. The shadows quickly attacked Zich, but he expertly manoeuvered past them and chased after Condel. The shadows rushed after Zich, but they slowly grew further away from Zich.

    ¡®Hans and Snoc can take care of them.¡¯

    Soon, L and Elena would also join them. On the other hand, it seemed as if Condel really nned to get Zich off his back. Shadows began wriggling out from beneath Condel¡¯s feet again. Zich thought about how to defeat them when he suddenly sensed a new presence.

    ¡®This is.¡¯ Zich felt a presence in front of Condel; the presence seemed to belong to a human.

    ¡®Is another person here to support Condel?¡¯ Zich thought this for a moment, but he recalled a person who came into this tunnel earlier than him.

    ¡®Glen Zenard!¡¯ Did Glen catch up to Condel? Or was he waiting to ambush Condel at the right moment? ¡®But this doesn¡¯t seem like Glen Zenard¡¯s presence?¡¯

    Condel seemed to have also sensed the presence in front of him as he recalled the shadows that were about toe out. He also slowed down a bit; it was clear that Condel was raising his guard. Zich saw that someone was blocking Condel¡¯s path¡ªa woman with long, ming red hair.

    ¡®Lara Browning?¡¯

    Now that Zich thought about it, it wasn¡¯t strange that she was also inside the tunnel; she always stuck close to Glen Zenard. The strange thing was that she was by herself. No matter where he looked, Glen Zenard was nowhere to be seen; Zich couldn¡¯t even sense his presence.

    Zich saw that Lara Browning was shouting something to Condel; she told him to stop. However, there was no way Condel would listen to her. In order to remove the obstacle in front of him, Condel began releasing his shadows again.

    ¡®Would she be able to fight him?¡¯

    From what Zich knew, Lara Browning was not that strong right now. Her skills were iparable to the times when she blocked his Demon Lord self like a huge fortress. Zich didn¡¯t think that she would be able to block Condel in her current state.

    Crasssh!

    ¡°Ugh!¡±

    As expected, Zich saw Lara Browning gulp down a groan as the shadows surrounded her and attacked all at once.

    ¡®Should I save her for now?¡¯

    She might also be a pitiful victim of Glen Zenard. Zich jumped into the battle.

 Chapter 300

    <h4>Chapter 300</h4>

    Lara Browning gradually lost strength in her grip as the shadows surrounded her.

    Seeing her, Condel thought, ¡®Is she the only one?¡¯

    This passageway led to an important base and was the reason why he moved immediately as soon as it was revealed. The only one who had managed to trespass into this ce was the woman in front of him and Condel would do almost anything to rip apart his flesh into pieces and step on them.

    Condel thought if only this woman hade before the others, there was a low possibility for anyone to have reached his secret base yet. However, Condel didn¡¯t have the time to prove it at this point. Zich continued to run after him, and Zich¡¯s skills were nothing tough at. Condel wouldn¡¯t be able to escape a battle against Zich if he interrogated Lara for information. Furthermore, there were many support troops alsoing from behind. Thus, Condel ran across the passageway again.

    ¡®He is going ahead.¡¯ Zich was disappointed. Although he hoped Condel would battle Lara and had his feet tied that way, it seemed clear that Condel wouldn¡¯t ce that much attention on Lara. Zich saw Lara fling her sword all around her as the shadows circled her. Clear streams of mana shot out from her sword.

    ¡®She really does have talent.¡¯ Since Lara had been a member of the hero party that defeated Zich, it was guaranteed that she would have talent. Her skills he saw at first nce.

    ¡®But she hasn¡¯t reached her full potential yet.¡¯ It looked like she was struggling to defeat the shadows, and Zich attacked one of them.

    <i>Crash!</i>

    Even while attacking Lara, the shadow sensed Zich¡¯s movements and transformed into an indeterminate shape to block Zich¡¯s attack. Yet, Zich had expected them to react this way and swung his sword again. Then, one more time after that and another time after that. At the wave of attacks, the shadow formation began to copse.

    <i>Slice!</i>

    After they were sliced, the shadows disappeared. Slight openings formed between these gaps, and Zich targeted these points.

    <i>Craash!</i>

    Zich blocked the attacks that were going towards Lara.

    ¡°Y-You are¡­!¡± Lara looked at Zich in surprise. However, Zich didn¡¯t look back at her. He also didn¡¯t ask questions that ought to have made him curious like why she was alone, where Glen was, and so on. He only ced his focus on keeping track of Condel¡¯s presence.

    ¡®I think I¡¯m going to lose him soon,¡¯ Zich thought. Although their distance had shortened a bit after Condel hesitated when seeing Lara, it wasn¡¯t that big of a difference. If he helped Lara and finished off all the shadows here, Zich knew that he would lose Condel for sure.

    ¡®I don¡¯t need to go that far.¡¯

    What was most important to Zich right now was to screw Condel over. At the same time, he also didn¡¯t n to leave Lara to fend for herself.

    ¡°Hmph!¡± Zich took in a deep breath and ran towards the shadows.

    ¡°W-Wait!¡± Lara shouted from behind, but Zich ignored her. He rushed into battle and the mana enveloping Windur swirled intensely. As if he had given up on blocking, Zich aimed to drive the shadows away with a series of strong blows; of course, since he paid almost no attention to defense, he gained several wounds from the shadows¡¯ attacks. Still, Zich¡¯s attacks showed no signs of stopping.

    <i>Crack!</i>

    One of the shadows split into two from top to bottom.

    <i>Pierce!</i>

    Another one burst from the mana that seeped inside after Windur pierced its body.

    <i>Crunch!</i>

    Another one cracked under Zich¡¯s mana. However, the price of all these attacks was high. Blood flowed down from Zich¡¯s body.

    ¡°Hey! Are you all right? I-I have some potions with me¡­!¡±

    ¡°Listen to me.¡± Zich ignored Lara¡¯s worries. ¡°Since I¡¯ve finished off three of them, it will be easier for you to handle them now. Of course, since four more shadows are heading this way, you won¡¯t be at ease for that long.¡±

    As Zich said, the shadows that he evaded before were rushing towards them now. If those guys joined the fight, the battle would be more challenging. Lara¡¯s face stiffened, but she didn¡¯t fall into despair.

    ¡°I-I¡¯m fine! If webine our powers¡ª!¡±

    ¡°So, you should try your hardest to endure it. I¡¯m sure you can endure for at least a bit with your skills.¡±

    ¡°¡­Sorry?¡± Lara asked foolishly, but Zich didn¡¯t n on talking to her any longer. He prated through the line of shadows and ran past them. He also didn¡¯t forget to gulp down a bottle of potion to heal his injuries.

    ¡°¡­Huh?¡± Lara was left dumbfounded by the situation that had passed by her like a storm. However, because the shadows rushed towards her again, she had no choice but to jerk her body back into action.

    ¡°W-Wait¡­!¡± she cried out, but it wasn¡¯t as if the shadows would stop moving because she told them to. Lara hastily swung her sword andmenced her fierce battle again. She soon recollected her mind as the shadows that had chased after Zich began to rush to her now. In addition to these four shadows, the number of her opponents had now increased by one. Her movements began to be unstable while the wounds on her body began to increase.

    ¡®What? Am I really going to die here?¡¯ Lara couldn¡¯t ept this reality. She felt like she was dreaming. However, the shadows rushing towards her were all real, and the pain she felt from her injuries was also real.

    Lara had been prepared for death ever since she followed Glen in his travels. However, she thought she would die by Glen¡¯s side or while she was protecting him¡ªnot at a passageway in a who-knows-where basement. She was soon filled with fear. Her breathing became rough while her muscles twitched involuntarily. She was continuing the battle with the training and experience she had umted until now, but the trajectory of her sword continued to shake.

    Lara gritted her teeth and tried her hardest to gain her senses back. However, she couldn¡¯t overturn this battle just by simply regaining her senses. At the moment when Lara thought she really was going to die¡ª!

    She saw a light. This was not a metaphor; she really did see a brilliant light. The light lit up the dark tunnel and pushed back the dark shadows. The life-threatening desperation she felt disappeared, and Lara was able to gain some breathing room. And that space increased when the earth around her rose and pushed back the shadows even further.

    <i>Tap!</i>

    Lara saw that someone stood in front of her. She looked at him and she recognized the person holding up a dazzlingly bright sword.

    ¡°Are you all right?¡±

    It was Hans.

    * * *

    ¡®Is it about time for her to be saved?¡¯ Zich nced back. ¡®If she¡¯s still alive, she has probably met Hans and Snoc by now.¡¯

    Zich didn¡¯t just leave Lara alone to fend for herself; even though it didn¡¯t seem like it, he really nned to save her. Zich calcted her skills and the timing of when Hans and Snoc would arrive and decreased the number of shadows ordingly.

    ¡®It would be a very close battle though.¡¯ However, if Zich stayed longer, he would have missed Condel. ¡®Well, I did my best. If she doesn¡¯t survive, that¡¯s just her fate.¡¯

    Condel didn¡¯t seem like he was trying to get rid of Zich anymore; he didn¡¯t release any more shadows and didn¡¯t show any signs of trying to block Zich. All Condel did was run.

    ¡®Did he run out of shadows?¡¯

    Regardless of Condel¡¯s reasons, this was not a bad situation for Zich. Condel and Zich¡¯s strange chase continued. However, it seemed as if Condel had reached his destination as he began to slow down. Then, his movementspletely stopped. Likewise, Zich stopped and maintained a suitable distance from Condel; he also raised his guard. Their gazes headed in the same direction.

    Glen Zenard. He was standing in front of them.

    ¡°I have been waiting for you.¡± Glen¡¯s calm and soft voice usually brought peace to everyone listening to him.

    Condel looked at Glen and then looked back.

    He said, ¡°¡­Did you go in?¡±

    A door was behind Glen. It was an enormous door made out of iron; considering how big it was, the door probably was also thick in width. However, that wouldn¡¯t have hindered Glen, and as if to prove this statement, the iron door had a huge dent on it. Even though the door was sealed shut, it didn¡¯t seem like it would be able to block intruders froming in anymore.

    Glen replied, ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°Is that so?¡± Condel¡¯s voice got lower. Even apletely oblivious person would have realized how angry Condel was.

    Glen let out a sigh; it was loud enough for everyone to hear. ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry. I didn¡¯t touch any of the items that were inside.¡±

    ¡°¡­What?¡± Condel was surprised as if he didn¡¯t expect this answer at all.

    ¡°You can go in yourself and check.¡±

    Condel menacingly asked, ¡°¡­What are you scheming?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not scheming anything. I just thought that there was no reason to ruin the things inside.¡±

    Condel quietly red at Glen. He probably had no idea what Glen was talking about.

    ¡°Actually, I roughly know what your ability is.¡±

    ¡°¡­!¡± Condel was shocked.

    ¡°I was able to find out about this secret tunnel because I knew about your ability. I also admit that your ability to hide using your shadows is impressive. I¡¯m sure that¡¯s the reason why you were so confident even while getting arrested because we don¡¯t have sufficient evidence to detain you for long. However, since I know about your ability, it was an extremely easy feat for me to find out about your tunnel.¡±

    ¡°¡­It¡­doesn¡¯t seem like you¡¯re lying.¡±

    ¡°Of course. And I can also guess your goal.¡± With apletely self-assured voice, Glen continued, ¡°I guarantee it. No matter how hard you work, Sia Rubrent will nevere back alive.¡±

    ¡°!!!¡± Condel¡¯s movements stopped. He looked at Glen as if Glen had hit the mark, or as if his secret had been found out. Regardless of which one was true, one thing that was certain was that Glen¡¯s words definitely had a negative impact on Condel.

    ¡°Your ability is to control shadows, and you make those shadows from taking them out of the corpses you killed.¡± Glen¡¯s words rang out in the cave.

    Condel red at Glen as if he wanted to kill him, and Zich quietly watched their exchange.

    ¡°I also know that you can take out quite a lot of shadows from one corpse. And the shadows you take out from the same corpse can clump together and be a shadow human like the ones that ambushed our team. I also know that this shadow human can wield a great amount of strength. However, no matter how powerful your ability is, it can never bring back a dead person.¡±

    ¡°¡­I was wondering what you were trying to say but¡­¡± Condel let out a smallugh; but from hisughter, there was a slight sense of relief in his words. ¡°I already know that. Stop saying nonsense and move away from that door. If you really left the things inside untouched, I won¡¯t kill you.¡±

    However, Glen didn¡¯t move. ¡°You put another shadow on top of the shadow that you want to bring back alive.¡±

    Condel¡¯s expression stiffened.

    ¡°You add on only a small fraction of the shadows thate out from other corpses to the shadow you want to bring alive. You do this because if you put the shadows from the same corpse, it will contaminate the purity of the shadow you want to bring alive. If you keep adding on shadows from different corpses to the original shadow, the shadow human you want to bring alive would be extraordinarily stronger than the other shadow humans¡ªyes, like the shadow human you made from Sia Rubrent. If you put back the strengthened shadow human back into the corpse, the dead person resurrects. How about it, did I urately guess the information you possess?¡±

    Condel didn¡¯t reply.

    Glen looked at him pitifully and said, ¡°I¡¯ll repeat myself again.¡±

    ¡°¡­Shut up.¡±

    ¡°Your n to bring back Sia Rubrent alive¡­¡±

    ¡°I told you to shut up.¡±

    ¡°...is all useless.¡±

    ¡°Shuttttt uppp!¡± Condel rushed towards Glen. Condel¡¯s shadows and Glen¡¯s Tornium loudly shed against each other.

    Zich quietly watched all of this and thought, ¡®Crazy bastards. They¡¯repletely engrossed in their show. What a fucking joke.¡¯

 Chapter 301

    <h4>Chapter 301</h4>

    The reason why Zich stood by quietly even after catching up to Condel was to see how Glen would respond. At this point, Zich was sure that Glen was an imposter and someone who had regressed like him. These days, he even thought that Glen might have regressed more than once. Simultaneously, Zich was also open to the possibility that he could be wrong. Thus, he had to keep checking what Glen would do. Furthermore, it was also true that Zich didn¡¯t know exactly what Condel¡¯s skills were.

    Zich tried to gather a lot of information from the conversation that was happening before him. Still, he hadn¡¯t expected to see a scene that might havee out of some low-quality, third-rate novel.

    ¡®No, I should have expected this.¡¯

    Since Zich hadn¡¯t interacted with Glen much after the regression, he forgot how Glen had bbered on about all the evil deeds Zich had done. Glen was certainly someone who would act like the ¡®main character who taught a viin walking the wrong path the truth.¡¯

    ¡®Huh? A viin walking the wrong path?¡¯

    Zich stared at the scene in front of him like an audience member watching a y. Filled with rage, Condel attacked Glen, and Glen blocked the shadows with Tornium. Glen struggled to fight off all the shadows surrounding him; they were about thirty of them. Yet, Glen didn¡¯t seem to care for his dire predicament. With a pitiful expression, he shouted, ¡°If you don¡¯t believe me, try it right now! Sia Rubrent might open her eyes! But she won¡¯t be the lover you knew!¡±

    ¡°Shuuuut uuup!¡±

    ¡°Damn it, you bastards!¡± Glen cursed. After he repelled some shadows, he mmed the window open. Then, he pointed towards the inner corners of the room with Tornium. ¡°Then why won¡¯t youplete that damn experiment right now!¡± Although he had spoken politely before, Glen spat out curses now.

    Glen¡¯s angry burst halted Condel for a moment. The shadows were also busy focusing on the room¡¯s inner corners that they didn¡¯t rush towards Glen who had wide openings now.

    ¡°All your efforts are a waste! Your lover will note back alive!¡±

    ¡°Who would believe a lie like that¡­!¡±

    ¡°Did you really have no doubts about this nonsense!¡±

    ¡°¡­¡± Condel couldn¡¯t answer. In his heart, he also had a seed of doubt. Bringing someone back from the dead was something he had only heard about in fairytales. Yet, he had no choice to cling to this hope since it was the only method that could bring back the lover he had lost. Condel¡¯s response was strong. If another person told him the same thing as Glen, Condel might not have responded in this manner, but the problem was that Glen knew everything about his ability.

    If someone who didn¡¯t know anything about the situation yelled at him for believing in a method that could bring alive a person from the dead, he wouldn¡¯t have even blinked an eye. However, since Glen knew what Condel¡¯s abilities were, he was more persuasive. Glen said, as if he understood Condel¡¯s thoughts again, ¡°I know. I know, sir. You are someone who only tried to revive your lover. However, does your lover want the same thing?¡±

    ¡®Seriously?¡¯ Zich felt like exploding intoughter now. He clenched his teeth to prevent anyughter from bursting out.

    ¡°I am asking you. Was the person named Sia Rubrent a viiness?¡± Glen asked.

    ¡°What are you saying! There was no one more angelic than her!¡± Condel answered.

    Even as other servants outcasted him for his scary appearance when he was a mere servant, only she embraced him with a smile. If a person like that was a viiness, even the great Karuwiman angels were basically devils.

    ¡°Then, let¡¯s imagine that Lady Rubrent is still alive. What do you think she would feel? Do you think she would be able to live in this world while smiling and holding your hands like you imagined?¡±

    ¡°¡­.¡± Condel didn¡¯t say anything. The shadows he controlled lowered their bodies and stuck to the ground like lost soldiers.

    ¡°Please stop this now,¡± Glen said quietly. ¡°She won¡¯te back alive. Even if she did, she wouldn¡¯t like the things you are doing right now.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡± Condel still didn¡¯t respond and stared at the ground nkly.

    Zich¡¯s eyes scowled when he saw Condel like that. He didn¡¯t pity. He thought, ¡®Wow, this kind of thing really works on him?¡¯ As if he realized that a powerful boss who held the whole underworld under his grasp was aplete loser, Zich¡¯s eyes turned cold. At the heroic main character¡¯s pleas for justice, the viin was realizing his own wrongdoings and letting go of his sins.

    ¡®No, it¡¯s not to that level. Is he crushing his opponent¡¯s will to continue fighting?¡¯ Of course, if that was the case, it was also an overdone clich¨¦. Zich finally realized what Glen¡¯s intentions had been. ¡®I was wondering where he got the confidence to just rush right in, but he had a trick like this under his sleeves.¡¯

    The current Condel was a tricky opponent even to someone like Zich. Thus, Zich wondered how Glen, whogged much behind his current self, would be able to handle Condel. If Glen was truly a just figure like his image suggested, he probably would have rushed forward with no second thoughts, but if Glen was a suspicious person like Zich thought, Glen must have prepared an alternative n.

    ¡®This must be the alternative n.¡¯

    As if he had known about everything beforehand, Glen gavepletely idiotic advice (in Zich¡¯s perspective) to Condel; and bafflingly, they seemed to work. Although Condel Siede appeared to be someone who had lost his mind, Zich understood. ¡®I suppose this just shows how real his love for Sia Rubrent was.¡¯ Zich also thought, ¡®So what? Even if you love someone, that doesn¡¯t mean you can cause harm to others.¡¯

    Then how was that different from him? Did it matter that the love that Condel pursued was bigger than the strength Zich sought?

    ¡®It¡¯s all bullshit.¡¯ In the end, Condel had inflicted harm on others to achieve what he wanted. In other words, he was the same kind of person as Zich.

    ¡®And I am also a viin.¡¯

    Naturally, Condel was a viin now. No, honestly, Zich didn¡¯t even need to think soplicatedly. Condel almost killed Joachim and Evelyn.

    ¡®This is the end for a guy like that?¡¯ Zich was never going to let that happen. For that reason, he intervened.

    <i>p! p! p! </i>Zich pped his hands. He put a great amount of strength in his ps, so everyone around him could clearly hear him.

    ¡°Wow, I saw such an interesting sight.¡±

    Glen frowned. He felt relieved when Zich stayed quiet while he ¡®persuaded¡¯ Condel, but now that Zich was making his move again, Glen raised his guard. Condel¡¯s reaction was more intense than Glen¡¯s. The empty and crestfallen expression on his face waspletely gone, and Condel shot a hateful re towards Zich.

    ¡°Mr. Zenard, I¡¯m very impressed. Should I have expected this from a Karuwiman Honorary Knight? You were able to persuade a criminal with just a couple of words. As a fellow Karuwiman Honorary Knight, I¡¯m very proud of you.¡±

    ¡®A fellow Karuwiman Honorary Knight?¡¯ Now that Condel thought about it, a person in the investigation team whom he bribed with money told him something like that. Zich, the fucking bastard who deserved to go to hell, and Glen, the person who had been talking to him, were both Karuwiman Honorary Knights.

    ¡°I had no idea that you were holding onto information like that.¡±

    ¡°If we¡¯re talking about withholding information, I also have something to say. Mr. Zich, wasn¡¯t it you who found out about Condel Siede first? Moreover, you investigated him without our knowledge.¡±

    ¡°Of course. I have no intention to criticize you for something like that. Moreover, you were able to utilize that information so well. You were able topletely change Condel Siede.¡±

    ¡°Mr. Zich, I didn¡¯t change him. He just had a shred of consciousness left in his heart, and all I did was put my trust in that part of him.¡±

    ¡°Well, whatever tricks you used, their effects were clearly astounding. It seems like Condel lost his will to continue fighting.¡±

    ¡®¡­Whatever tricks you used?¡¯ Condel slightly raised his head.

    However, Glen was so busy with Zich that he didn¡¯t notice Condel¡¯s gaze.

    ¡°He was such a strong guy that I was wondering how to defeat him, but it¡¯s very fortunate that he was persuaded by a few words. Mypanions will be arriving soon. You did a great job dragging out the time.¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t speak with such intentions¡­!¡±

    Glen continued to talk, but Condel was no longer able to hear Glen¡¯s voice.

    ¡®¡­Persuasion? Hispanions are going to arrive soon?¡¯ Zich¡¯s words slowly began to reassemble in Condel¡¯s mind. The two people near him were both Karuwiman Honorary Knights. Thus, there was a high chance that they nned this situation together. ¡®While I was arguing with that guy over there, enough time passed for theirpanions to arrive. Was that guy just trying to buy time?¡¯

    Moreover, Zich¡¯s words about using ¡®whatever tricks¡¯ were still on his mind. It sounded like in order to buy time, the man in front of him was using whatever tricks and methods to immobilize him. If the man named Glen had used a fair method to persuade him, Zich would not have said something like that. Then, what was the trick that Glen used?

    ¡®¡­The things he said to me.¡¯

    That was the first thing that Condel thought of. Just the fact that Glen conversed with Condel was probably not the trick; therefore, it was probably the content that was the trick.

    ¡®¡­Did he <i>lie</i> to me?¡¯

    A chilling thought passed through Condel¡¯s mind. Now that he thought about it, he had been very close to giving up on everything, even while time passed by and his situation became more disadvantageous for him. Moreover, it was all because of some shrewd words from one person who knew everything about his ability but had nothing to back him up.

    ¡®Perhaps!¡¯

    Condel¡¯s gaze headed towards Zich and Glen who seemed like they were arguing. One person had tried to stop him, and the other person had thrown all kinds of insults at him and his love. At that moment, Condel clearly heard Zich¡¯s words once more.

    ¡°So as two Karuwiman Honorary Knights, I have the same standpoint¡­¡±

    Condel no longer paid attention to Zich¡¯s words.

    ¡®Those two, they¡¯re both the same?¡¯

    Condel¡¯s head, which had beenpletely empty in despair, became clear again.

    ¡°He, haha¡­.¡± A burst of quietughter began to flow out of his lips.

    Zich and Glen turned around to look at Condel.

    ¡°Hehehe, he, hehahahahaha! Ahahaahhahah!¡± Creepyughter erupted out of Condel; he didn¡¯t seem normal.

    Glen was startled. ¡°Why are you¡­!¡±

    ¡°You fucking dimwit!¡±

    <i>Punch!</i>

    Condel punched his cheek with his fist. Glen¡¯s face stiffened. However, Condel continued tough as his cheek puffed up and blood came out of his mouth.

    ¡°I was foolish! I can¡¯t believe I fell for the words of a person who is the same person as that bastard who insulted my Sia!¡±

    Condel¡¯s eyes became bloodshot. ¡°How dare you trick me with your nonsense!¡±

    ¡°Sir, no! Not at all! I wasn¡¯t trying to trick you! You really won¡¯t be able to resurrect Sia Rubrent¡­!¡±

    ¡°Shut up! I¡¯m not going to believe the words of someone like you! No matter what happens in the future or how many people I have to sacrifice, I¡¯m going to bring back my love!¡±

    ¡°Even if your lover happens toe back alive, she won¡¯t like what you did!¡± Glen desperately shouted, but his words were no longer able to reach Condel.

    ¡°We can just stay hidden! We were on the run anyways! If we go to a ce far away from where my actions won¡¯t be able to reach her ears and we stay hidden, no one can hinder our happiness!¡±

    Words could no longer reach Condel. Glen realized this and bit his lips. Condelughed like a madman and took out more shadows from beneath his feet. Zich watched this sight and alsoughed like a madman inside his mind.

    ¡®Yep, great job! Do you think I¡¯ll just let you atone and move on!¡¯

    Zich could never let such a thing happen.

 Chapter 302

    <h4>Chapter 302</h4>

    In addition to the shadows that Condel had pulled out to duel Glen and the shadows that he took out again, there were about seventy shadows surrounding Zich and Glen. Glen red at Zich menacingly; although it was his first time receiving a look like that from Glen ever since the regression, Zich didn¡¯t feel anything. He actually felt calm instead since that was the way Glen had always looked at him before the regression.

    ¡®It was creepy how he kept looking at me with benevolent eyes like he was some kind of saint.¡¯

    ¡°What are you going to do now, sir!¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    While eyeing the shadowsing from all around them, the two shouted with their backs against each other.

    ¡°Everything is ruined because of you!¡±

    ¡°What did I do?¡±

    ¡°Our opponent was losing his will to fight! It¡¯s because of your words that he began to move again!¡± Glen was right. Zich sneakily picked the right words to provoke Condel back into action again. If Condel had lost all motivation to continue fighting, Zich nned to use an even more direct method. However, Zich had absolutely no intention to admit this fact. He couldn¡¯t act however he wanted as he did before the regression.

    ¡°No, all I did was exchange a couple of words with him! At most, we just had a little argument!¡±

    ¡°So, in other words, you provoked him!¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not because of me, but because that guy¡¯s personality is trash! Ask anyone on the streets! Try to exin what happened to them: that an evil guy who picked out only lovers to kidnap and kill was showing signs of repentance with your words; then, he suddenly exploded back again with a couple of words from me!¡±

    Glen didn¡¯t know how to respond. Anyone could see that Zich was right. Condel might have shown a reaction to Glen¡¯s words, but it was impossible to prove that he was actually going to repent and stop his evil deeds.

    ¡°Anyways, it doesn¡¯t change the fact that we have to defeat him! Although it¡¯s difficult, we just have to wait a bit. Since you bought us some time, our forces will join us soon!¡± As soon as Zich said this, he felt a presence on the other side of the passageway. It was Zich¡¯spanions and Lara. The new group of people looked at Zich and Glen, who were besieged by shadows, and shouted at them. Hans, Snoc, and Lara straightened their swords and rushed towards them. L and Elena prepared spells from a distance.

    Condel noticed them and thought, ¡®Damn it!¡¯ Although he wanted to beat up the swindler who tried to trick him with lies and the bastard who mocked him and his lover, he couldn¡¯t waste any more time here. Not only were Zich and Glen considerably skilled fighters, but the guys rushing towards them right now were also formidable.

    In the end, Condel retracted his shadows back. Then, he ran inside the room.

    ¡°Damn it!¡± Glen tried to chase after him and stopped. Further beyond this area was Condel Siede¡¯s territory. If they went in there rashly, it was dangerous. At the very least, it would be impossible to survive by himself.

    ¡°Glen!¡± Thankfully, Lara called his name and ran towards him. Lara¡¯s skills were considerable and would be of great help to him.

    ¡®If only she carried a shield, she would be more useful!¡¯ he thought. The stability formed between a team with a swordsman and a shield master was on a different levelpared to a pair of swordsmen who used swords. In addition to the frustration that he felt because the situation was not unraveling ording to his ns, the anger he felt towards her made him more annoyed. Yet, the patience he had umted through a long period of experience helped repress this annoyance down from appearing.

    ¡°Thankfully, you don¡¯t seem to be hurt anywhere,¡± Glen said to Lara.

    ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s thanks to those guys.¡± Lara pointed at Zich and hispanions.

    Glen raised his eyebrows. On top of his argument with Zich, he was now indebted to Zich¡¯spanions. To be specific, the ¡®just Karuwiman Honorary Knight, Glen Zenard¡¯ would have thought all of this as being indebted to them. Thus, Glen bowed his head and said, ¡°Thank you to all of you guys. Thank you for saving Lara.¡±

    ¡°Ah, no. There¡¯s no need for you to lower your head, Glen. I¡¯m the one who received help.¡±

    ¡°Aren¡¯t you mypanion? Also, my heart felt very heavy for leaving you there like that.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s because I couldn¡¯t keep up with your pace, and that¡¯s why I said I will remain behind,¡± Lara replied.

    Listening to this conversation, Zich thought, ¡®I suppose that¡¯s why Lara Browning was left behind.¡¯ If she hadn¡¯t been able to match his speed, she would have been a hindrance. That had also been the reason why he left Hans and Snoc behind. However, the two situations werepletely different from each other. Glen and Lara had gone ahead to the secret base by themselves; the situation was one where Condel could appear suddenly at any point in time. If Glen had left inexperienced Lara behind and gone ahead in such a situation, one could interpret that he had given up on her life. On the other hand, Zich and hispanions had been chasing after Condel. In other words, the ones remaining behind had no chance of meeting Condel by themselves. Furthermore, there were masses of troops following behind them.

    ¡®Did he think it was fine for her to die?¡¯

    If Glen was really the trash human that Zich thought he was, Lara was simply one of the many tools he held. A tool he valued very much to the point he personally brought her around to ces.

    ¡®It¡¯s weird for him to throw away a tool like that.¡¯ Then, a thought suddenly popped up in his head, ¡®I heard he was suggesting the shield to her. Is it maybe because the Lara Browning he wants is not the current one but the one who carries around a shield?¡¯ Judging by the situation right now, Lara Browning hadn¡¯t thrown away her sword yet. If he thought of it like this, Glen might have really thought that it wouldn¡¯t have mattered if Browning died.

    ¡®No, even if that¡¯s not the case, there might be a reason why she became less important to him.¡¯

    Zich carefully observed Browning and Glen.

    L approached Zich. ¡°What are you doing? Aren¡¯t you going to chase after Condel Siede?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s all right.¡± Glen replied to L and continued, ¡°Ms. L, it¡¯s a dead-end over there. There¡¯s no ce to run away to.¡±

    ¡°Is that so?¡±

    ¡°However, since the space beyond this door is his territory, we have to pay the utmost precaution.¡± Glen put one foot past the iron door.

    Then, he turned his head and looked at Zich and said, ¡°I¡¯m going to try persuading him one more time. I hope you don¡¯t hinder me again.¡±

    ¡°Mr. Glen, I already said I have no intentions to hinder you. I also don¡¯t think that¡¯ll work on him anymore. Anyway, I have no ns to stop your attempt.¡±

    Zich pointed towards the inside of the door. ¡°You should go in first. I sincerely hope that your words that can even make a viin shed tears, work again.¡±

    Their eyes met for a moment. Glen coldly turned his gaze away and went past the iron door. Lara followed behind him with a puzzled look on her face.

    L asked, ¡°What happened?¡±

    Zich gave L a brief summary of what happened.

    ¡°He¡¯s getting mad at you for no reason. Logically, you didn¡¯t do anything wrong. How would anyone know that some crazy guy would go crazy like that with a few words?¡±

    ¡°Yeah! You know me so well!¡±

    ¡°But that was your intention, right?¡±

    ¡°¡­What intention?¡±

    ¡°Do you think I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re like?¡±

    Zich shrugged and L red at him. He acted like he did nothing wrong.

    L said, ¡°Well, I won¡¯t say much about your actions, but just tell me why. Why did you try to provoke him again?¡±

    If everything went ording to Glen¡¯s n, this situation would have ended by now. Did Zich just want to fuck Glen over? L didn¡¯t think that was the case, and she was sure of this when she saw Zich¡¯s face. He was currently making a smile that was fitting of a Demon Lord. Hans and Snoc took a step back, and Elena grabbed the edge of L¡¯s sleeve. Zich¡¯s smile was scary to that extent.

    ¡°I merelypared the two and made my judgment.¡±

    ¡°What did youpare?¡±

    ¡°Ipared between ¡®realizing that everything you did was useless and copsing on the ground with an overwhelming sense of emptiness¡¯ or ¡®using any means to achieve your goal and being unable to reach your goal when it¡¯s just within your sight.¡¯ I judged which one would make someone angrier and more regretful.¡±

    ¡°¡­And what was your decision?¡±

    ¡°Of course thetter.¡± Zich continued while sliding his feet past the iron door, ¡°Condel Siede has to shudder in resentment and anger after seeing that his goal was crushed by an obstacle¡ª<i>me</i>.¡±

    L thought that Zich¡¯s back looked like a snake licking its tongue and crawling towards its prey.

    * * *

    The tunnel beyond the iron door was not very much different from the tunnel outside. The only difference was that the tunnel was now smaller. A tunnel that was too cramped for three people to walk side by side continued on. However, the tunnel soon changed.

    A liquid substance touched the ends of their feet. However, it was not ordinary water. The liquid was not transparent; it waspletely ck as if someone had liquefied darkness and spread it all over the ground.

    Zich shouted to hispanions, ¡°Be careful! I think it¡¯s going to start soon!¡±

    They could now hear sounds of battle; it was probably the sound of Glen and Lara fighting Condel. Zich also stopped running and began walking.

    <i>Slide!</i>

    Not a lot of time passed since they switched to walking. There was a stir on the surface of the liquid substance on the ground, and a ck shape sprang up.

    ¡®Is it a shadow?¡¯ Zich held up Windur and stared at it. ¡®It¡¯s not a shadow.¡¯

    However, it was probably something simr. Even though their bodies were like the liquid substance they were stepping on, their movements and appearance were very simr to Condel¡¯s shadows.

    <i>Ssssssssssssssh!</i>

    Shadows began to rise all around them.

    ¡°What is that?¡± L frowned.

    ¡°I also don¡¯t know. To be safe, let¡¯s call them liquid shadows.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve thought this since a long time ago, but you seriously have zero naming sense.¡±

    ¡°I have a whole ton of fighting sense though.¡±

    While Zich and hispanions thoroughly crushed all the liquid shadows that came out from everywhere around them, they continued to move forward. The liquid shadows were definitely stronger. Even though they were weaker than shadow humans, they were stronger than normal shadows. Moreover, there were shadows that came right under their feet and ambushed them, so it was troublesome to fight them off.

    However, Zich and hispanions were able to defeat them smoothly. Zich and Hans blocked the shadows that wereing towards them and counterattacked. L gathered the liquid shadowsing towards them and burst them together. Elena also attacked the shadows with a few magic attacks that she was now skilled with. Snoc raised the earth up and made a space that the liquid shadows were unable to reach. As they progressed forward, the space in front of them suddenly expanded.

    They reached an enormous open space. The space was filled with ck liquid all over the floor. In the center of the space, there was a topography that sprung up like an ind. They saw that Glen and Lara had already reached the ind, and shadow humans were surrounding them. While Glen was surrounded, he continued to shout things out loud; it seemed as if he hadn¡¯t given up on trying to persuade Condel.

    However, judging by their situation, it didn¡¯t seem effective. There was only fury on Condel¡¯s face.

    ¡®Yep! Good job! Don¡¯t listen to his words! Just ignore and crush him!¡¯ Zich passionately cheered on Condel inside his mind.

    ¡°Zich.¡± L tapped Zich¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Look at that.¡±

    Zich looked at the area that L pointed towards. She was pointing at the center of the ind. There was something on top of a structure that was piled up as high as if it was supporting a sacred sacrifice to the sky.

    Her skin was pale as if all color had been washed away, and there was no trace of life on her face. The figure that was half-swallowed by a ck liquid was definitely a person¡¯s corpse. Even though he had never met her before, Zich was able to instantly recognize the corpse.

    ¡®Sia Rubrent.¡¯

    It was definitely her.

 Chapter 303

    <h4>Chapter 303</h4>

    ¡®I thought it had been a while since she died, but she seems quite fine.¡¯

    Perhaps, it was because of the structure supporting her or the ck liquid nketing her body. Zich looked around the ind. ¡®The missing persons are here.¡¯

    Unlike Sia Rubrent¡¯s corpse, which was specially preserved, other corpses were strewn all over the ind messily and appeared above the ck substance. They were discarded like pieces of trash, and that was what Condel probably thought of them. Condel nced at Zich and hispanions. His face became twisted with rage at once.

    Lmented, ¡°He seems to be really weing you, Zich.¡±

    ¡°Right? I have done many favors for him. I suppose he is someone who knows how to be grateful.¡±

    From behind, the three people with their eyes fixed on Condel turned to look at Zich simultaneously. Although they had been trained to never take their eyes off their opponent during battle to the point it was instinctive now, they couldn¡¯t help but react to Zich¡¯splete nonsense. The shadow humans sticking onto Glen began to run towards Zich. At the same time, a couple of more shadows rose out of the ck substance.

    ¡°Hmph!¡± Zich snorted and retracted Windur back. Condel was definitely a difficult guy to handle alone, but that was why he brought hispanions. This number of shadow humans was nothing to what he could handle.

    ¡®I don¡¯t have to worry about my surroundings here either!¡¯

    Zich shuffled his feet. The ck substance around him bounced off simultaneously and bits of a tinted ck floor came into view. The cavity they were in rang loudly and the floor that Zich stepped on caved in deeply. He transferred strength into his arms as he swung his sword.

    <i>Craaaaash!</i>

    Two enormous amounts of mana shed. Furthermore, they were very sharp and hard. A couple of shadow humans were sucked into the attack and were inflicted with great injuries. That was just the beginning though. Windur¡¯s light continued to sh across the area and strike the shadow humans. Snoc raised the earth from his surroundings; he crumbled the shadow humans¡¯ footholds and lifted a whole rock bed up. Still, the most shy and powerful type of attack was magic.

    <i>Craaaash!</i>

    Fiery sparks inteced with each other engulfed the approaching shadow humans in one gulp. Although she couldn¡¯t finish off all the shadow humans at once, they all received great damage. Thest attacks flew towards the wavering shadow humans.

    <i>Pop! Pop! Pop!</i>

    A couple of fireballs flew precisely at them and burned up the rest of the shadow humans. They belonged to Elena and she showed off her natural talent, which she honed through L¡¯s teachings recently.

    The shadow humans kneeled and toppled onto the ck substance. Their bodies turned ck, and like they were melting, they turned back to shadows and were absorbed into the ck substance again.

    ¡°They are nothing much, actually!¡± Zich shouted as if he wanted others to hear. Yet, it was too early for him to be so confident.

    <i>Sssssssh!</i>

    Shadows shot up from the ck substance again. They began to take form and soon took on human forms. That wasn¡¯t the surprising part since that was how Zich expected the shadow humans formed. However, when Zich saw the shadow human¡¯s face, he couldn¡¯t help but tilt his head.

    ¡°Hey, L. Isn¡¯t that the guy we just killed?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s what I think too.¡±

    An ominous and also annoying thought passed through his mind; soon, Glen¡¯s loud voice reaffirmed this thought. ¡°These guys can¡¯t die in this space! They wille back alive from this ck substance!¡±

    ¡°¡­That¡¯s what he says,¡± L echoed, and Zich scratched the back of his head. ¡°This is bing bothersome.¡±

    The shadow humans who came back alive rushed towards them again. Zich swung Windur once more. ¡°Let¡¯s tread forward like this! Let¡¯s go up the ind for now!¡±

    Zich and hispanions pushed forward step by step. Shadow humans continued to stick to them. Although the shadow humans they couldn¡¯t kill were extremely bothersome, they couldn¡¯t block Zich and hispanions from progressing forward.

    Condel gritted his teeth from this sight. ¡°Tch!¡± He clicked his tongue and swung his hand. In that instant, a significant number of the shadow humans attacking Zich and Glen¡¯spanions backed away. This gave the two groups greater ease and helped them climb up the ind faster. They naturally moved much closer to Glen.

    ¡°Hey, nice to see you, sir. It seems like Glen¡¯s attempted persuasion has failed to reach you,¡± Zich mocked Condel, or maybe both of them. Glen red at him, but Zich was already staring at a different ce.

    ¡°¡­What does that do?¡± Zich asked aloud. The shadow humans who had backed away were scattering and heading to one ce.

    ¡°It looks like they are looking for something,¡± Lmented.

    ¡°Hey, Sir Glen, what is that?¡± Zich asked.

    At this point, L had admiration for Zich now. Before they passed through the steel door, Zich and Glen had argued and he even provoked Glen with mocking words a moment ago; yet, now he asked Glen a question calmly like there was nothing wrong. She didn¡¯t know how more brazen-faced Zich could be.

    Glen was kind, or supposed to be kind, but even he was infuriated and swung his Tornium while ring at Zich sharply.

    ¡°Why are you asking me, sir?¡±

    ¡°I thought you knew about that guy¡¯s ability. Shouldn¡¯t you know what that is too?¡±

    ¡°Why should I have to teach you that?¡±

    ¡°Are you letting your personal feelings interfere from acting for the public when you are a Great Karuwiman Honorary Knight? How shocking would that be to everyone in the world?¡± Zich responded. It was difficult to tell whether Zich was trying to convince Glen or insult him. Everyone who heard him thought thetter. Meanwhile, it was true that Zich was digging into Glen¡¯s pivotal weakness.

    ¡°¡­I think he¡¯s probably trying to ce the shadows into the corpses because they are much stronger that way.¡±

    ¡°Is that so¡­?¡± Zich asked and thought, ¡®He wasn¡¯t just discarding the corpses aside like trash.¡¯ It seemed like Condel had a reason for not cleaning them up.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think a lot of the corpses would move. For a shadow to be infused into a corpse, the corpse must not have passed a specific length of time after death.¡± Glen said and then, nced at Sia Rubrent¡¯s corpse and said, ¡°Well, unless they haven¡¯t received proper care.¡±

    As Glen said, the shadow humans came closer to the corpses rolling on top of the ck substance. Then, they kneeled and ced their hands on the corpse. As soon as they touched the corpse, the tips of their fingers turned ck; and like raindrops seeping into dry dirt, they began to be absorbed into the corpse.

    <i>Spark!</i>

    A corpse that fully absorbed the shadow human opened its eyes. The corpse¡¯s paleplexion and wide-open eyes were enough to scare anybody staring at it.

    <i>Ssh!</i>

    The corpse began to slowly rise up while sshing the ck liquid surrounding it. The corpse¡¯s movements were definitely not human-like; more and more corpses began to rise.

    Zich asked again, ¡°Hey, Mr. Zenard. Do those guys not die either?¡±

    ¡°From what I know, I believe so.¡±

    <i>Kuuaaaah! </i>The corpses let out a loud, wild cry, and they began rushing forward like mad animals.

    <i>Burst!</i>

    The corpses jumped up. ck liquid sshed everywhere around them. They came down on Zich¡¯spanions like a kettle of flying hawks catching their prey. No, to be more urate, they came crashing down.

    <i>Thuuud!</i>

    Windur struck one of the corpses. Estede and Tornium each blocked a corpse too.

    ¡®They¡¯re strong.¡¯ Zich¡¯s hand that was holding onto Windur throbbed. If the corpses continued to attack them without dying, they would be an extremely formidable threat. ¡®I guess there¡¯s only one solution.¡¯

    Zich raised his head. He saw Condel who was standing in front of Sia Rubrent¡¯s corpse in the middle of the ind like a sacred guardian.

    ¡®I need to attack the owner of this ability.¡¯

    Glen seemed to have the same thought as Zich¡ªhe was also staring at Condel.

    Zich said, ¡°We seem to share the same thought.¡±

    ¡°Yes, it seems so.¡±

    Zich stared at hispanions. Hans and Snoc faithfully followed his instructions, L was his equal in regards to talent in magic, and despite being trained for a short time, Elena was a genius who specialized in fire magic and was receiving personal training from L.

    ¡°L.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry and go.¡± L unleashed her magic and pointed her chin towards Condel. ¡°I won¡¯t have problemssting until that guy over there dies.¡±

    ¡°I got it!¡± Then, Zich looked at Glen and said, ¡°Are youing?¡±

    ¡°¡­Browning!¡±

    ¡°Yep, Glen!¡±

    ¡°Would you be able to stay with these people for a short while and buy us time?¡±

    Lara sliced a shadow dashing towards her. Then, she replied with a smile, ¡°Of course!¡±

    Glen nodded his head and red at Condel. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±

    Glen made a big swing with Tornium and the shadows, shadow humans, and corpses fell slightly back. Of course, all three groups tried to attack Glen again, but a sword blocked them from approaching Glen.

    ¡°I¡¯m not going to let anything pass from here on!¡± Lara fused mana into her sword and repelled their attacks.

    Zich shouted to L, ¡°Hey, I¡¯m going!¡±

    ¡°Okay,e back soon!¡±

    After receiving L¡¯s approval, Zich began running. Zich swung Windur and got rid of the enemies that tried to capture him. The enemies chasing after him were swallowed by Estede¡¯s light.

    ¡®I can¡¯t believe I¡¯m partnering up with this guy. I never thought I¡¯d live to see the day.¡¯ Zich thought this as he stared at Glen¡¯s back.

    Zich was currently fighting with the guy that had tried to kill him before. In a way, it was a situation where it would stir up all kinds ofplex emotions in a person¡¯s heart. However, Zich¡¯s heart was steady.

    ¡®There¡¯s a high chance that he¡¯s some kind of swindler. Why should I feel such strange emotions towards him?¡¯

    Instead, Zich was annoyed that he had to partner up with Glen. ¡®How can I partner up with a guy who¡¯s basically on the same level as Hans?¡¯

    Rather than being helpful, it would be fortunate if Glen didn¡¯t hinder his fight. However, it couldn¡¯t be helped. Regardless of whether Glen was really a good person or a swindler, he would definitely try to defeat Condel. Since Glen and Lara Browning were not part of his group, he couldn¡¯t order them around either.

    However, Zich calmed his heart. ¡®Let¡¯s think about this positively.¡¯

    Zich thought that Condel probably had something up his sleeves to defend himself.

    ¡®I can just pass him off to Glen.¡¯ While Glen fought with Condel, Zich could target his true goal.

    ¡®They¡¯reing.¡¯ Condel red at the two people running towards him with icy eyes. One guy was aplete bastard who spouted all kinds of insults towards him and his lover, and the other guy was a swindler who had tried to trick him. They were both despicable bastards.

    ¡®This is actually for the better. I¡¯m going to kill those two with my own hands!¡¯

    He intended to engrave how their skulls looked with his own eyes.

    <i>Slide!</i>

    A shadow climbed on top of Condel and covered Condel¡¯s body like armor. Condel let out a small smile as enormous power flowed through his body. Glen had run ahead of Zich, so he began fighting with Condel first. He raised Tornium up high and mmed it down towards Condel. Likewise, Condel also raised his hands that were covered by the shadows.

    <i>Crash!</i>

    A loud sound rang out between them.

    ¡°Mr. Siede, don¡¯tmit any more sins! Your goal can¡¯t be aplished like this!¡± It seemed as if Glen hadn¡¯t fully given up on persuading Condel as he loudly shouted with a regretful expression on his face. However, Glen¡¯s voice only made Condel angrier. Condel didn¡¯t want to even converse with him anymore.

    ¡°Shut up and die!¡± Condel attacked Glen with his other hand.

    <i>Crassssh! </i>Condel¡¯s attack hit the ground as Glen evaded his attack. Arge hole appeared on the ground and the surrounding earth cracked. The power was terrifying. However, Glen didn¡¯t back down and rushed towards Condel again. After Glen and Condel exchanged a few more attacks, Zich arrived.

    Condel shouted, ¡°Come on! I¡¯ll take both of you on at once!¡±

    Condel faced Glen with one hand, and his other hand was stretched out to attack Zich. Zich increased his distance from Condel and Glen¡¯s fight and after spinning around Condel, he began running again.

    ¡°¡­?¡±

    ¡°¡­?¡±

    Both Glen and Condel tilted their heads. However, Condel¡¯splexion paled as he realized where Zich was heading.

    ¡°That bastard, is he perhaps¡­!¡±

    Zich was heading towards Sia Rubrent¡¯s corpse. Zich turned his head back as he ran. Then, he made a bright smile.

    ¡°Hey, Condel Siede! You said that you need your wife¡¯s corpse to resurrect her, right?¡±

 Chapter 304

    <h4>Chapter 304</h4>

    Condel needed some time to understand what Zich was saying. It wasn¡¯t because heckedprehension skills, but because it was something he hated epting. That was how infuriating Zich¡¯s statement was to him.

    ¡°You bastaaaard!¡±

    <i>Crash!</i>

    Condel pushed his opponent Glen back briefly with a huge attack before hurriedly chasing after Zich. To him, his lover¡¯s corpse was more important than his own life. He couldn¡¯t allow even a scratch on her body.

    Perhaps it was because Condel was inside his own territory, but his physical abilities were far superior to the time Zich had been chasing after him, and he caught up to Zich in an instant.

    ¡°Dieeee!¡± Condel cried. Zich had inmed his anger to the highest degree. Condel mustered all his rage and struck at Zich¡¯s back. He saw Zich move Windur, but it was already toote. Even if Zich reacted right now, he wouldn¡¯t be able to avoid a critical wound. An exuberant smile formed on Condel¡¯s face.

    However, that smile disappeared as quickly as it had formed. Zich didn¡¯t even attempt to block Condel¡¯s attack. As if he weren¡¯t even thinking about it, he didn¡¯t turn around. Strong energy exuded out of Windur as he aimed for his target: Sia Ruebrent.

    ¡°Urgh!¡± A strange groan escaped out of Condel¡¯s mouth. His body felt a great burden, as he tried to halt the attack he had poured all the rage and anger he¡¯d umted from Zich into. Nevertheless, in a disy of superhuman strength, he stopped his attack and rushed in front of Sia Ruebrent.

    <i>Crash!</i>

    Condel aggressively struck away the sts of sword energy, scattering them. Then, he quickly inspected Sia¡¯s corpse. Thankfully, she didn¡¯t appear to be injured anywhere.

    ¡°Ah, how pitiful. I missed her by a hair¡¯s breadth.¡±

    Condel heard the voice he loathed, and red at Zich with a force strong enough to kill. But of course, it had no effect on Zich. Condell yelled, ¡°Hey, you bastard!¡±

    ¡°Yeah, you think the same too, right? If I¡¯d had just one more second, that corpse would have been split in two. You should¡¯ve just continued to attack me. What did you run over here for?¡± Zich said, smirking. ¡°Isn¡¯t that just a piece of meat belonging to someone who croaked a long time ago?¡±

    Condel¡¯s eyes rolled up. The shadows nketing him writhed as if they were expressing his emotions, then rushed toward Zich. A long shadow stretched out from his arm and changed into a sharp spear. It didn¡¯t matter whether it was the head, the neck, or the heart; Condel nned to make a veryrge hole in Zich¡¯s body.

    Unfortunately for Condel, Zich used very cheap tactics, taking one big leap to the side. It wasn¡¯t to evade Condel¡¯s attack. He simply wanted to move away from Condel so he could stand in front of Sia¡¯s corpse with no other obstacles in the way.

    <i>Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!</i>

    Three sword sts flew out this time. With Zich¡¯s fantastic mana control, one stream of sword energy flew straight, and two others twisted in midair to create a formation. Condel gritted his teeth. He blocked the sword sting straight toward him, and struck the other two with his shadows.

    ¡°Dieeee!¡± Zich struck down at Condel with the mana-saturated Windur.

    <i>Crash!</i>

    Fortunately for him, Condel blocked Zich¡¯s attack; but since he had made his move hurriedly, his body wavered. Despite that, Condel didn¡¯t feel threatened. His shadow armor was sharp, hard, and flexible. After regaining his bnce, he nned tond a critical hit against Zich.

    However, his attempts ended in failure once again. ¡°Ehh!¡± With gritted teeth, Condel was forced to back away in order to strike down the attacks targeting Sia¡¯s corpse.

    ¡°Yeah, you should work hard! If you¡¯re even a bitte, your precious princess will be injured! Or is it actually a piece of meat who used to be a princess?¡± Zich yelled. On top of the continuous attacks, he spat out mockery whenever he could, in order to wear down Condel¡¯s mental state.

    Although an unexpected opportunity had given Condel enormous power and skill, he didn¡¯t have many first-hand battle experiences. Even while kidnapping lovers, he had ordered his shadows to do the work and gained no opportunity to build up properbat experience. In the first ce, his goal was to resurrect Sia Ruebrent, and he hadn¡¯t nned to live a life where he would need such experience.

    All these factors had resulted in Condel¡¯s current situation, where he was floundering around due to a mere few words and actions from Zich. However, this didn¡¯t mean that Zich could remain at ease.

    <i>Crash!</i>

    A long shadow limb struck down on a spot where Zich had been just moments before. It pierced a hole through the hard floor with astounding strength. If Zich had been careless, he would have been critically injured. Of course, Zich didn¡¯t intend to let his guard down or fight Condel head-to-head.

    <i>Crash!</i>

    Tornium flew aggressively toward Condel, but he blocked it. Glen was also someone Condel wanted to kill. But right now, he didn¡¯t have the time to be concerned with a small grudge like that.

    ¡°Move!¡± Condel barked as he roughly shoved Glen aside.

    <i>Crash!</i>

    As soon as Glen distracted Condel, Zich rushed toward Sia¡¯s corpse. As he did this, Zich seemed to be enjoying himself so much that Condel felt as if his head would erupt. Windur dropped toward Sia¡¯s neck, but Condel barely managed to intervene and block the attack.

    A loud ding rang throughout the surroundings again. As soon as his attack was blocked, Zich didn¡¯t hesitate to run backward. Then, he poured out mana and shot out attacks.

    ¡°What are you doing! Not blocking my attacks!? If you¡¯re even a bitte, your precious lover will be injured. That¡¯s right, good job! Yeah, just like that, keep blocking! Protect your lovely lover!¡±

    ¡°How dare you! Stop!¡±

    ¡°What kind of idiot would stop just because somebody told him to!? And why would I stop doing such a fun thing?¡±

    Although Zich was the Karuwiman Honorary Knight who had been hired by the city to subdue Condel Siede¡ªthe viin who kidnapped and murdered people¡ªthe current situation seemed to indicate the opposite. To onlookers, Condel looked like a romantic man who was trying his best to protect his lover, and Zich looked like a viin who was torturing him.

    In the end, Glen shouted, ¡°Mr. Zich, please stop! What are you doing!?¡±

    However, Zich was calm. He¡¯d expected that Glen would say something like this to keep up his good guy act. He replied, ¡°What do you mean? Can¡¯t you see I¡¯m trying to defeat Condel Siede, an evil and vicious viin?¡±

    But while Zich said these words, he continued to attack Sia Rubrent¡¯s corpse. Then he said, ¡°I should be asking <i>you </i>that. Why aren¡¯t you immediately attacking Condel Siede?¡±

    ¡°How can you say that!? Aren¡¯t you the one being evil and vicious!?¡±

    ¡®So that¡¯s how he wants to act.¡¯ Zich snorted. ¡°I have no desire to argue about our differences of perspective! If you want to join, join, and if you don¡¯t want to, leave!¡±

    Then, Zich ignored Glen and thoroughly attacked Condel¡ªno, Sia Rubrent¡¯s corpse. His skilled attacks came pouring out; they were all very weak attacks, so it was easy to defend against them. However, they were still enough to rip apart a corpse, so Condel had no choice but to put all his focus into defending all of Zich¡¯s attacks. Moreover, Zich continued to use the openings Condel left while he was defending Sia Rubrent¡¯s corpse.

    Glen watched the sight in front of him anxiously. ¡®Damn it!¡¯

    What kind of choice did he have right now? What he wanted was fame. If everything had gone ording to n, he should have been the one to identify the culprit and defeat him. However, because of the disgusting variable called Zich, his whole n had been ruined.

    Fortunately, he had found the main evidence against Condel Siede, but since Zich was the one who had named Condel Siede as the main suspect, Zich¡¯s achievements were about equal to his own. Thus, Glen needed to make the final move and end Condel, but the current situation was making it hard for him to carry out his ns.

    Glen¡¯s original n had been to point out the faults in Condel¡¯s ns and make Condel lose his will to fight. However, his n had beenpletely crushed. Therefore, he needed to at least kill Condel, but Condel¡¯s skills were formidable. Moreover, Zich was targeting Condel¡¯s weak points and slowly pushing him back. If he stood still and just watched on, Zich might steal all the spotlight from him.

    ¡®It can¡¯t be helped!¡¯ In the end, Glen couldn¡¯t help but join Zich and also rush toward Condel.

    ¡°Hah! In the end, you agreed with me!¡± Zich eximed before shouting brightly, ¡°Well, let¡¯sbine our strengths and punish that evil viin! Ah, but you don¡¯t need to do anything unpleasant!¡±

    Zich furtively redirected Condel¡¯s attacks to Glen, forcing Glen to fight Condel directly. And while Glen was upied with Condel¡¯s attacks, Zich ran toward Sia¡¯s corpse, adding, ¡°Because I¡¯ll be doing the fun¡­ no, dirty work!¡±

    Condel shouted, ¡°Stop right there!¡± However, he couldn¡¯t maneuver as well as he had before. Glen persistently moved closer to him and targeted his life. In the end, Condel missed one of Zich¡¯s swings.

    Condel screamed, ¡°Noooooooo!¡± Fortunately, Zich¡¯s attack this time only lightly scratched the corpse¡¯s forearm. However, the most important thing to him was that an injury had appeared on Sia Rubrent¡¯s corpse.

    ¡°Protect Sia!¡± Condel gave an order to his underlings.

    However, this was also difficult. He had been calling his underlings for a while, but they were beingpletely blocked by Zich¡¯spanions and Lara Browning. A few of them tried to force their way out, but L targeted their defenseless backs with powerful magic, and they were decimated. In the end, Condel only wasted his forces by calling them to his side. At that moment, Zich¡¯s sword cut Sia Rubrent¡¯s wrist; the damage this time was quite severe.

    ¡°You bastards! How can you call yourselves Karuwiman Honorary Knights!?¡± Condel shouted.

    Zich snorted and didn¡¯t reply. Glen also did the same; since the situation had turned out like this, he needed to defeat Condel with his own hands at all costs.

    Condel gritted his teeth. If things progressed like this, it would just end up with hisplete loss. In other words, his grand n woulde to naught, and it would also mean the true depth of his love.

    ¡®I can¡¯t let that happen!¡¯ Condel thought. Just when Glen rushed toward him again and Zich made another swing at Sia¡¯s corpse¡ª

    Condel¡¯s shadow began twisting again.

    <i>Crasssh!</i>

    ¡°Ugh!¡± Glen took a huge leap back. Zich also quickly blocked the sudden attack that had emerged next to him with Windur.

    <i>Thud!</i>

    Zich took several steps back and identified what had attacked him. ¡®It¡¯s Sia Rubrent¡¯s shadow human.¡¯

    He had seen this shadow human when Joachim and Evelyn were ambushed, and it was exceptionally strongpared to other shadow humans. And it was also the shadow human that had helped identify Condel as the main suspect.

    ¡®Yeah, it was weird that he wasn¡¯t using Sia¡¯s shadow human.¡¯ Zich had wondered if Condel couldn¡¯t use Sia Rubrent¡¯s shadow human anymore because it had decreased in strength after receiving a critical injury. However, the shadow in front of him had no injuries at all. Moreover, judging by the attack just now, it didn¡¯t seem as if its strength had decreased.

    ¡®Then, he must not have used it due to personal emotions,¡¯ Zich thought. And his prediction waspletely right.

    Condel thought to himself, ¡®I didn¡¯t want to use Sia!¡¯

    The number of shadows he could control was limited outside this space. For that reason, when he had ambushed those who were investigating him, he had no choice but to send out Sia¡¯s shadow human, which was the strongest of his underlings. However, Sia¡¯s shadow human had received a serious injury from that ambush, and Condel was horrified; he¡¯d had no choice but to quickly retreat. Afterward, he had nned never to use her shadow human again.

    However, this was now an inevitable situation.

    ¡®It¡¯s not as much as I wanted, but¡­¡¯ Condel stared at Sia¡¯s shadow human for a bit. He had wanted to gather just a little more shadow.

    ¡®But it¡¯s okay,¡¯ Condel consoled himself. ¡®I did my best! And Sia will definitely respond to me! Because our love is absolute!¡¯

    Sia¡¯s shadow human moved toward Sia Rubrent¡¯s corpse. Condel stood in front of the shadow human as if he were protecting its back.

 Chapter 305

    <h4>Chapter 305</h4>

    ¡°Huh?¡± Zich blinked. From the situation, it seemed Condel was nning to infuse the shadows into Sia Rubrent. ¡®I thought he still needed more shadows.¡¯

    Zich¡¯s body moved faster than his thoughts. He poured a huge amount of mana into Windur until it looked as if it would burst and swung it.

    <i>Crash!</i>

    Condel blocked the attack. However, Zich had expected him to do that. It was a feint, and Zich flung his body in the direction directly opposite his sword energy¡¯s path. Then, he shot a couple more sts of sword energy. Glen, who didn¡¯t want Sia¡¯s resurrection either, swung Tornium multiple times.

    However, Condel blocked all their attacks withplete disregard for his own safety. He showed his great resilience by blocking some of the attacks with his own body. Since the shadows protected him, he didn¡¯t receive any serious injuries, but his actions showed how desperate he was in this situation. Thanks to his great efforts, the shadow humans were able to sessfully enter Sia¡¯s corpse.

    Zich and Glen backed away for a bit. ¡°What¡¯s happening, Sir Zenard? I thought Sia Rubrent¡¯s shadow human wasn¡¯tplete yet,¡± Zich asked.

    Glen couldn¡¯t give him a proper answer. He only replied ording to his experiences. ¡°¡­I¡¯m not sure. If it had beenpleted, there¡¯s no way he wouldn¡¯t have resurrected her already.¡±

    ¡°I guess so,¡± Zich agreed. ¡°Then, is he just nning to move the corpse? Well, I suppose if it is the shadow human of that corpse, it should be much stronger than the other ones. It seems he¡¯s nning to gather the other shadows too after pushing us off.¡±

    ¡°¡­From what I know, a shadow human that has been infused into a corpse can¡¯t get out again.¡±

    Zich narrowed his eyes. It didn¡¯t make sense. ¡°Are you saying he¡¯s giving up on resurrecting his lover just to get out of this dangerous situation?¡±

    ¡°¡­I also can¡¯t believe it,¡± Glen said.

    Surprisingly, both Zich and Glen¡¯s thoughts were in alignment. But they both knew that just talking to each other wasn¡¯t going to resolve the situation. The two rushed toward Condel simultaneously. They nned to pass by Condel and stop the corpse Sia Ruebrent¡¯s shadow human had been infused into.

    And yet, Condel¡¯s defense remained firm, and he thoroughly blocked all of Zich and Glen¡¯s attacks. Soon, the reward for all his efforts came to light.

    <i>Twitch. </i>

    Sia Rubrent, who had been lying prone, twitched her fingers. Then, she began to move; her toes moved, while her palms flipped, her arms went sideways, and her knees jerked up slightly. Finally, her eyelids trembled.

    <i>Blink!</i>

    Sia Rubrent opened her eyes. Her body rose abruptly, looking at Zich, Glen, and Condel like a mannequin. Her lips were slightly parted. Like a baby babbling, she moved her lips wordlessly.

    ¡°¡­Condel?¡± A voice finally came out of her throat.

    <i>Swing!</i>

    Condel turned his head to face her. Although he was in the middle of a fierce battle and his movement would give his opponents a critical opening, he couldn¡¯t resist. This was the voice he had lost a long time ago and had yearned to hear so much.

    ¡°Sia!¡± Condel shouted. Everything he had missed¡ªher face, hair, voice, and beautiful eyes¡ªcame into view.

    But in contrast to Condel, who was overwhelmed with emotions, Zich and Glen had no reason to do anything. Windur and Tornium each aimed for Condel¡¯s neck and body thanks to the many openings he now showed.

    <i>Slide!</i>

    Sia stretched out her arm. ck energy burst out of her body.

    <i>Craaaaash!</i>

    A loudmotion erupted. The ck energyunched Zich and Glen a good distance away.

    <i>Pop! Pop!</i>

    Two swords shot up in a wave some distance from the ind.

    ¡°Zich!¡±

    ¡°Glen!¡±

    L and Lara called out their names in shock. Other people were also stunned. That was how much of a dangerous situation Zich and Glen appeared to be in, as they were stuck on top of the ck substance. Fortunately, they didn¡¯t seem to be injured.

    ¡°Ah, damn it! L¡¯s magic is enough for flying.¡± Zich grunted as he shook the ck substance off from his sword. Glen also got up, using Tornium as his staff.

    Condel, who was now free from the two, approached Sia. Pure happiness filled his eyes as he eximed, ¡°Sia!¡±

    ¡°¡­Condel?¡± Sia asked. Condel tightly hugged her as she looked at him with nk eyes.

    ¡°Ah, Sia! My Sia! You¡¯re finally awake!¡±

    Tears fell from Condel¡¯s scrunched-up face. He had wanted to see her so much, he had been willing to crush other people¡¯s happiness and throw his own life into the pits.

    However, her body, which hade back from the despair of death, was¡­ very cold. Surprised, Condel took his face off Sia¡¯s shoulders. She was still staring at him with nk eyes.

    ¡°Condel?¡±

    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s me! Your lover, Condel!¡±

    ¡°Condel¡­¡±

    ¡°¡­Sia?¡±

    ¡°¡­Condel.¡±

    Sia¡¯s condition was strange. Anyone could see that she wasn¡¯t responding like a normal human. Then, she suddenly lifted her arm.

    <i>Baaaam!</i>

    ck energy seeped out from her hand. Zich and Glen, who had been trying to ambush Condel, hurriedly retreated on both sides.

    Zichmented, ¡°What a fiercedy.¡±

    The ck energy didn¡¯t lose any of its power as it stretched out and made arge hole in the cave. Zich clicked his tongue but soon bbered on, ¡°You worked so hard to resurrect her, but it seems it wasn¡¯t done properly. What are you going to do now? Your lover seems long gone.¡±

    Condel red at Zich. ¡°Nonsense! It¡¯s just that her resurrection isn¡¯tplete yet! That¡¯s all!¡±

    ¡°Oh? Then, is there a possibility that she would be properly resurrected then?¡±

    ¡°Of course!¡±

    Hearing this, Zich felt relieved. ¡®Thank goodness. He won¡¯t fall into despair just yet because his ritual failed.¡¯ Zich still hadn¡¯t given up on the idea of seeing Condel fall into a greater level of despair after failing to resurrect his lover because of his ownck of power.

    <i>Bam! Bam!</i>

    In the meantime, Glen continued to attack. Yet, Sia was immensely strong. Every time they shed, Tornium was clearly pushed back.

    Condel was filled with exhration at this sight. ¡°Sia wille back, and she¡¯ll also be stronger! You bastards who blocked my love! You damn bastards who ridiculed my love! Look clearly at Sia¡¯s resurrected form!¡±

    <i>Pop!</i>

    Pirs of water and the ck substance shot up from their surroundings. Glen gritted his teeth and called out, ¡°Don¡¯t let Sia Rubrent¡¯s body absorb the ck water! If the ritual continues, a monster iparable to the one right now will be formed!¡±

    ¡®I guess the ck substance isn¡¯t just for show,¡¯ Zich thought after learning the true purpose of the substance.

    ¡°Hmph! How are you going to stop that from happening!? Yourpanions are struggling with my shadows, and you guys have your hands full fighting me!¡± Condel¡¯s voice sounded confident. Even though his n had gone slightly awry in the middle, everything else was still roughly going ording to n.

    Zich also admitted that Condel had every right to be confident. ¡®Even though support will probably arrive soon, the current situation is too dire for me to just rely on help arriving.¡¯

    If Sia Rubrent really waspleted here, the situation might be impossible to deal with. For that reason, Zich used one of his abilities¡ªhis shrewd tongue.

    ¡°Are you going toplete Sia Rubrent?¡± he asked.

    ¡°I will!¡±

    ¡°Really, that¡¯s great.¡± Zich smiled as if he couldn¡¯t understand the seriousness of the situation and said, ¡°As soon as she gains consciousness, I¡¯m going to tell her about all the evil acts youmitted.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Condel¡¯s face stiffened. At the same time, the ck liquid approaching Sia also stopped.

    Zich lowered Windur, and he even pushed it upside down into the ground. He leaned on Windur like a staff and continued, ¡°What are you doing? Weren¡¯t you in the middle of finishing your lover? Do it quickly. I need to have a serious talk with her.¡±

    Zich encouraged Condel toplete Sia, and Condel red at Zich as if he wanted to kill him.

    ¡°¡­Condel?¡± Sia called to him, but she looked at him without intelligence like a doll.

    <i>Ssh!</i>

    The ck liquid pirs crashed into the ground.

    ¡°¡­Just Sia and I are enough to defeat you all,¡± Condel said.

    ¡°Is that your reply?¡± Zich smirked. ¡°Even if you die, you don¡¯t want your lover to find out about your dirty deeds? Fine. Then, why don¡¯t we battle it out again?¡± He suppressed hisughter and said, ¡°But mind you, it¡¯s going to be different from now on.¡±

    ¡°What?¡± Condel asked.

    ¡°Mr. Zenard, take care of that corpse!¡± After saying this to Glen, Zich rushed towards Condel.

    <i>Crashhh!</i>

    The battle started again. Condel tried to stretch out his shadows and strike Zich¡¯s feet. However, Zich moved his feet away as if he could predict the future, and while moving back, he swung Windur again.

    <i>Crash! Crash!</i>

    Zich¡¯s Windur continued to target Condel¡¯s vital organs. However, Condel blocked his attacks with ease. Even while partnering up with Glen, Zich was unable to hit any of Condel¡¯s critical areas. Moreover, Glen was busy fighting with Sia, so he also couldn¡¯t be of much help to Zich.

    But Condel could feel that the situation was slowly turning a bit strange. ¡®Why is it getting harder?¡¯ he thought.

    <i>Crash!</i>

    Condel struck Windur as it targeted his neck. Even though it seemed as if he had struck it away with ease, he frowned; Windur had definitely gotten closer to him than before.

    ¡®Tch! This is nothing!¡¯ Condel swung his fist, but Zich evaded his attack withplete ease.

    Zich smiled brightly and said, ¡°Yep, I got used to it.¡±

    <i>Thud! </i>

    Zich¡¯s fist hit Condel¡¯s temple squarely. As Condel had protected himself with his shadows, he was able to prevent his head from bursting, but he lost his focus. And Zich didn¡¯t miss this opportunity. His swings pierced Condel¡¯s body like a storm.

    ¡°Ugh!¡± Condel retaliated. He pushed back Zich¡¯s attacks and also threw in a counterattack. He sessfully protected himself; Zich stopped attacking and was even pushed back instead. However, the situation just now was enough to instill dread in Condel¡¯s heart.

    ¡®How?¡¯ The current situation was different from before. More and more of Zich¡¯s attacks werending on him.

    ¡®But nothing about him changed?¡¯ Zich¡¯s power and speed hadn¡¯t changed; it was at a level he could easily keep up with. For that reason, Condel was even more confused.

    ¡°Haat!¡± Condel shouted loudly and stretched out his shadows.

    Zich evaded his attack and snorted inside his mind. ¡®I can see everything now.¡¯

    Condel¡¯s speed and power were definitely above Zich¡¯s right now. Moreover, the fluidity and shapelessness of Condel¡¯s shadows made his attacks unpredictable and dangerous. ¡®But so what. The person using it is just a beginner.¡¯

    Before Zich had gotten used to Condel¡¯s power, it had been extremely troublesome to fight him. Of course, Condel was still a dangerous opponent now, but Zich had a much easier time dealing with Condel¡¯s shadows than he had in the beginning. Condel swung his fist, but Zich was already one step ahead. ¡®I can see where his fists are heading.¡¯

    Of course, it was difficult to avoid Condel¡¯s shadows just by seeing where they would go, since his shadows could easily change shape. However, Condel used his flexible abilities in a structured and mechanical way. ¡®Since I moved away, he¡¯s now going to stretch the shadows on his arm.¡¯

    <i>Swoosh!</i>

    As Zich expected, Condel¡¯s shadow stretched out in front of him. However, Zich moved one step away and the shadow was unable to reach him. Zich saw Condel bend his knees. ¡®Are you going to jump forward using your shadows?¡¯

    <i>Push!</i>

    Condel jumped forward, and Zich used that chance to push Windur toward Condel¡¯s body.

    <i>Flinch.</i>

    Zich saw that Condel was startled and thought, ¡®Now, he¡¯s going to spread his shadows wide.¡¯ It was the type of method Condel constantly used when he received a sudden attack. Even though it was a method that let him block arge number of attacks, it also blocked his sight, especially while he was in the middle of anding. And it was also a critical mistake for Condel to miss the movements of an opponent like Zich.

    <i>Pierce!</i>

    ¡°Ack!¡± Condel cried.

    An exhrating sensation climbed up to his shoulder; Zich let out a small smile. ¡®I finally got one hit in!¡¯

 Chapter 306

    <h4>Chapter 306</h4>

    Although Zich managed tond a blow, Condel didn¡¯t receive a lot of damage. All he simply did was borrow Windur¡¯s strength to pierce through the shadows¡¯ defense and punctured a small hole in Condel¡¯s leg. Yet, it wasn¡¯t nothing, and to Condel who wasn¡¯t used to battling, it threw him off significantly; after all, there weren¡¯t many lunatics like Zich who¡¯d rush towards their enemy while smiling with blood dripping all over their body

    ¡°Urgh!¡±

    At the burning sensation, Condel clutched his leg. Zich clicked his tongue at this sight. ¡®He is still an amateur.¡¯ If Hans and Snoc responded to each and every injury they got like Condel, their hellish training with Zich would have stretched over an extra couple of days. ¡®He is full of openings too.¡¯

    Windur pierced the area where the opening was the biggest. Condel managed to block the attack this time, but Zich wasn¡¯t disappointed. ¡®He is bing more careful.¡¯ That was probably not Condel¡¯s intention considering that he was new to fighting, Condel was truly keeping up a brave fight. The desire which bordered on obsession to resurrect Sia Rubrent probably empowered him. However, he probably couldn¡¯t help the defensive mechanisms that were instinctive.

    ¡®There¡¯s a reason why people have to train,¡¯ Zich thought.

    <i>Punch!</i>

    Zich¡¯s feet mmed hard into Condel¡¯s stomach. Condel¡¯s face distorted. He made arge pointy shape on top of his shadow and tried to pierce Zich. However, Zich took a step back and evaded the attack.

    ¡®He is so obvious.¡¯ Zich continued to fight by attacking Condel¡¯s weak points. He also nced at the battle Glen was fighting too.

    ¡®It¡¯s intense.¡¯ The battle was one-sided. Sia Rubrent¡¯s movements were simple and straightforward; they were much more amateurish than even Condel¡¯s movements, but the power and speed of her attacks far surpassed Condel¡¯s. Although Glen resisted with all his might, he probably wouldn¡¯tst long.

    ¡®That¡¯s why I have to quickly subdue this guy¡­¡¯ Zich quickly nced at Glen¡¯s face again. Glen¡¯s handsome face was heavily crumpled up from the intensity of his situation. Then, Zich moved his eyes away and thought, ¡®Maybe a bitter.¡¯ The little devil inside Zich¡¯s heart cackled. ¡®It¡¯s not all on purpose. This guy is really difficult to handle.¡¯

    Although Zich was gaining the upper hand bit by bit, Condel was an impossible being to suppress immediately. ¡®Hm, that¡¯s right. <i>I am</i> trying my best.¡¯ Like that, Zich convinced himself and the battle continued fiercely for a longer period of time.

    <i>Crash!</i>

    Zich¡¯s Windur prated Condel¡¯s barrier and dropped from his body. The shadows wavered.

    ¡°Urrrgh!¡±

    Condel was bloody. Thanks to the shadows covering his body, he wasn¡¯t critically injured but he had received a lot of damage.

    ¡®I¡¯m really going to be finished at this rate!¡¯ Condel gritted his teeth as he started feeling like he was fighting a losing battle.

    <i>Crash! </i>A loud noise rang across the surroundings.

    ¡°Ah! Glen!¡± Lara cried out. Her shouting indicated the situation; in the end, Glen had failed to resist Sia¡¯s fierce attacks. Condel¡¯s eyes shone.

    ¡°Sia!¡±

    <i>Whoosh!</i>

    Sia ran towards him like the wind. Then, she stretched out her fist at Zich.

    <i>Bam!</i>

    Zich¡¯s body was pushed far back. The hand he held Windur felt numb. He stared forward. Like a guardian angel protecting Condel, Sia stood in front of him. Zich stared slightly towards the back this time. He saw Glen copse on top of a ck substance. Even though he didn¡¯t seem dead, it seemed like Glen had lost consciousness, seeing how he waspletely immobile.

    ¡®Did he really faint? Or is he acting to make Sia Rubrent my responsibility?¡¯ As the fight progressed, it was possible if Glen felt anxious about losing the opportunity to defeat Condel because of Zich. ¡®Well, it doesn¡¯t matter.¡¯

    Zich stared towards the front again.

    ¡°Fufufu, ahhahahaha!¡± Condel burst out in hystericalughter, ¡°Did you all see that! This is Sia¡¯s power. This is the power of our love!¡± Then, he shouted, ¡°You damn fools who try to hinder our love! With our love, there¡¯s no obstacle that we can¡¯t ovee! Love is the most sacred and strongest power there is in the world!¡±

    ¡®That¡¯s not true though.¡¯ Zich had met a couple of people who thought the same as Condel. People loved not only their lovers, but they also loved their husband or wife, parent or child, memories, their country, or emotions such as honor. These people ced the love they believed in at the forefront as they rushed into battle with Zich.

    ¡®And I trampled over all of them.¡¯

    Strength was simply strength. Love couldn¡¯t possibly give someone the power to ovee a difficult trial they couldn¡¯t handle; it was all just talk. Zich wanted to ry these thoughts to Condel with sheer power, but his current strength was toocking.

    ¡®How unfortunate.¡¯ Yet, Zich was hopeful that there was a different, great present that he could give Condel in this current situation.

    <i>Bam!</i>

    Sia shot a string of senseless attacks at Zich. Her attacks were simple fist and foot swings, but the power they contained was terrifying. Zich had no choice but take on a defensive stance, and he looked like he was barely managing to block her attacks. Condel was very d to see this. He thought that after Sia finished off the swindler, Glen, she would also finish off this bastard.

    Condel was still not satisfied though¡ªhe wanted to crush Zich as fast as possible. Thus, he also rushed towards Zich. With the coboration between Condel and Sia, they formed attacks with fearsome battling powers that pushed Zich into a deeper corner. Windur couldn¡¯t keep up with the speed of the attacks while Zich¡¯s body couldn¡¯t evade them. The injuries on Zich¡¯s body began to increase one by one.

    Soon, Zich stumbled, creating the best opportunity to attack. Condel clenched his fist with a smile on his face. ¡°Dieeeeeee!¡±

    <i>Punch! </i>Condel felt a chilling but exhrating sensation as his fist sank deep into Zich¡¯s sides. Thinking that he hadnded a critical hit on Zich, Condel felt the utmost happiness. However, that was his mistake.

    <i>Grab! </i>Zich grabbed Condel¡¯s arm which had prated his side. Condel was shocked. He tried to instill strength into his body immediately, but the early confidence he had about his assured victory made his body sluggish. Furthermore, although the injury Zich had inflicted on him was small, it obstructed his movements.

    Thus, while crying out, ¡°Uh, uh¡­!¡± Condel couldn¡¯t move the way he wanted. All he could do was cover his body with shadows in hopes of protecting himself for the worst-case scenario. <meta charset="utf-8">However, Condel wasn¡¯t very worried. Zich had the upper hand for only a brief moment. It was clear from their battle so far that Zich couldn¡¯tnd a critical hit in such a short amount of time. Condel felt ecstatic that he was finally able tond a critical attack on Zich¡¯s body. But that was his mistake.

    <i>Crassssh!</i>

    ¡°Ugh!¡± Condel opened his mouth wide as his stomach was pierced. The pain was so intense that he couldn¡¯t even let out a scream; if he screamed, the pain would be more painful.

    <i>Blub!</i>

    Condel vomited blood and stared at the thing that pierced his stomach. The thing that pierced his tough shadow armor was a hand. It was an extremely lovely and elegant hand, which he could confidently say belonged to someone equally beautiful. Condel¡¯s gaze followed the hand; he looked past the hand that now covered in blood. His eyes swept past the owner¡¯s frail arms and pale neck and reached a familiar face¡­ a most lovely face.

    ¡°¡­Condel?¡±

    ¡°Ugh!¡± Condel vomited more blood as he stared at Sia who tilted her head while looking at him.

    <i>Grab! </i>Someone grabbed his shoulder. Condel turned his head.

    Zich stared at him with a very benevolent expression and said, ¡°In the first ce, what you have to be most careful about when fighting with a partner is your partner¡¯s attack. That¡¯s why you need to practice and build up experience. If not, your opponent can use thatck of experience to their advantage and use your own partner to make a critical hit just like now.¡±

    Zich put more strength into his hand. Condel¡¯s body tilted, and his body moved away from Sia¡¯s arm. He copsed onto the ground like that and rolled over. There was a hole in his abdomen.

    ¡°Hmm, it seems like that thing automatically stops moving when you¡¯re fatally injured. Thank goodness. I was worried that your shadows would continue moving even after you died.¡±

    Zich took out a potion and poured it over his injuries. New flesh began to appear on his side. After roughly throwing his potion bottle away, Zich crouched down next to Condel. Then, he spoke to Condel who was now drenched in blood.

    Zich enunciated each word so that Condel wouldn¡¯t have a hard time understanding him. ¡°Anyways, I saw how great you and your lover¡¯s love was. A love thatpletely drenches the other partner in blood. It¡¯s a very rare form of love in this world. I¡¯ll admit that.¡±

    Zich cackled as if a demon was whispering to a human. It was enough to turn Condel¡¯s insides upside down.

    ¡°S¡­ia¡­ Cough! Ki¡­ll thi...s bas¡­ta¡­rd¡­¡±

    However, all Sia could now do was tilt her head.

    ¡®It seems like he needs to have at least a certain amount of energy to control the shadows.¡¯

    As if to prove Zich¡¯s thoughts, all of Condel¡¯s forces that were attacking L and the rest of hispanions and Lara stopped moving.

    ¡°Too bad. It looks like your lover ns to reject your request.¡±

    ¡°Da¡­mn it¡­¡± Condel clenched his fists. Tears came out of his eyes. Condel probably realized that his n finally failed in the end. His forces, including Sia, stopped moving, and he was dying after getting pierced in the stomach. He raised his arm. He grabbed onto the edge of Zich¡¯s clothes with his trembling and bloody hand. He put strength into it as if he was grabbing onto Zich¡¯s neck.

    Then, he said, ¡°It¡¯s¡­ cau¡­se of yo¡­u.¡±

    ¡°Yep. It¡¯s because of me.¡± Zich eagerly nodded his head.

    ¡°I ju¡­st wan¡­ted to see Sia¡­ on¡­ce more¡­ I ju¡­st¡­ wa¡­nted to see¡­the per¡­son I loved¡­ Bec¡­ause you inter¡­fered¡­!¡± Condel¡¯s hatefully red at Zich.

    Zich just snorted; his carefree attitude went beyond just ignoring Condel¡¯s re. ¡°Now that I think about it, there¡¯s something I prepared for you.¡±

    Zich took out his magic box and took out something from it¡ªa bunch of paper. They were all different sizes and fluttered weakly in Zich¡¯s hand. Zich read the paper on the very top out loud. ¡°Ned finally confessed to me.¡±

    His voice was calm, and he read without any anger or mockery. His calmness stressed the content of the writings in his hand.

    ¡°I¡¯m so happy. My love has finallye true. God Karuna, thank you so much. Ah, even while writing this, I can¡¯t believe that this situation is real. I have no idea at all what to write here. My love and happiness are overflowing to the point where I feel that my heart will burst, but I have no idea how to transfer these feelings into writing. I¡¯m just, just so happy.¡±

    Zich flipped to another piece of paper. The sound of paper flipping rang loudly in the quiet space.

    ¡°I¡¯m finally thinking about proposing to her tomorrow. In order to prepare for that momentous day, I should quickly head off to bed, but I¡¯m so nervous that I can¡¯t fall asleep. I wonder what kind of reaction she¡¯ll show when I propose. Will she smile brightly in happiness? Or will she be moved to tears? She won¡¯t reject me, right? If I get rejected, how am I supposed to live from now on? Anyways, the only thing left is to carry out my ns into action. Please, please let my proposal be sessful¡­¡±

    Zich flipped to another piece of paper. ¡°I¡¯m a bit nervous because it¡¯s my first time expressing my feelings in this way. But I grabbed a pen and began writing because I think that writing is different from saying something out loud. Do you know how special you are to me? No, you probably don¡¯t know. I don¡¯t know how much you know I like you, but it¡¯s probably tens, hundreds of times bigger than what you think. I¡¯m confident of this. Therefore, I¡¯m thankful for everything that brought you here on this earth. But most importantly, I¡¯m thankful to you who came into my life. As we imagine our future together, I¡­¡±

    Zich stopped reading. The papers he was holding were the letters and diaries of the victims killed in this incident. Zich pushed the thick pile of paper towards Condel and said, ¡°Say it again. Say that bullshit again about how you merely wanted to meet the person you loved in front of these letters and diary entries.¡±

 Chapter 307

    <h4>Chapter 307</h4>

    ¡®I suppose this is what he was preparing before.¡¯

    L nced at the documents Zich was holding. She could almost feel the emotions that the writers must have felt as they wrote each page and letter, and that made her rage intensify. Although she had a slight bit of sympathy for Condel in the corner of her heart, knowing that he hadmitted his crime for the person he loved, all traces of that disappeared with the diaries and letters that Zich pulled out now. She red chillingly at Condel.

    ¡°I¡¯m sure <i>your</i> love was precious and amazing¡ª at least to you. I admit it. A person is free to think however they like, and I won¡¯t argue with you about that. But you know, as someone who values love so, <i>so</i> much, don¡¯t you think these people would have also valued their love as much too? Yet, you mercilessly stomped on all these people¡¯s hearts and broke them into pieces. So, how could you say that you simply wanted to see the person you loved one more time?¡± Zich handed Condel several more diary entries and letters.

    ¡°Why aren¡¯t you saying anything? If you are so confident, why don¡¯t you bber on like you did before?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡± Condel couldn¡¯t say anything. His eyes, which were only filled with loath and hatred for Zich, turned to the letters in front of him. He saw the page filled with letters written in pretty handwriting. Emotions dripped out of each word and letter¡ªit felt like they would pop out of the page and pierce his eyes.

    ¡°Isn¡¯t the reason why you only targeted lovers is because of your jealousy? You were angry that other people were enjoying their time with their partners while you lost the love of your life.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°Seeing that you can¡¯t even answer, it seems that I¡¯m right. You really are trash.¡± Zich struck Condel¡¯s head, and Condel made a small groan. ¡°You should just quickly die.¡±

    ¡°¡­Yeah, maybe that would be better,¡± Condelughed heartlessly. His voice that sounded like it would run out of breath returned to normal now. Condel¡¯s injuries were connected by shadows, and he was barely holding onto his life. ¡°If I really think about it, this is what I should have done. If I can¡¯t meet her while alive, I should have sought out Sia by dying,¡± Condel said with a deep sense of longing. As if he had given up on everything, Condel closed his eyes like he was going to naturally ept death.

    This was the end. If Condel died like this, the kidnapping incidents that had brought chaos into Janmalpi would finally meet their end too.

    ¡®Do you think I would let you?¡¯ However, Zich didn¡¯t intend to end this just yet. Normally, he would¡¯ve just let Condel go since he had enjoyed himself tremendously until now. Yet, this time, there were other factors that changed his decision.

    ¡®¡­I mean, after bothering Joachim and Evelyn?¡¯ Zich ced the letter and diary entries back. He blocked the hands of hispanions who were trying to approach him. He also ignored Lara running to Glen¡¯s side to support him. Then, he said to Condel, ¡°Do you think you¡¯d be able to meet Sia Rubrent just because you died?¡±

    ¡°Kuh, kuh! Are you saying that I¡¯ll go to Hell?¡± As if he had already expected what Zich would say to him, Condel chuckled. ¡°There¡¯s a high possibility. Nevertheless, we would both be in the afterlife. Even if I can¡¯t see her face to face, I am satisfied with being even a bit closer to her side. Who knows? What we know of the afterlife might bepletely different from what we believe. Even if the Karuwiman guys always sing songs of Heaven, no one has seen it in real life.¡±

    Perhaps, it was because he had already given up on the situationpletely, Condel didn¡¯t waver. However, Zich also didn¡¯t n to make Condel fall into despair just with these words. ¡°Who said Sia Rubrent was in the afterlife?¡±

    ¡°¡­What?¡± Condel opened his eyes. His eyes were questioning and disyed a glint of anxiety. This was what Zich had wanted to see. Now, all he had to do was make Condel¡¯s anxiety explode.

    ¡°Your lover is here.¡± Zich stretched out his head and pointed at Sia Ruebrent¡¯s corpse nearby.

    ¡°If I die, the effects of my ability will disappear.¡±

    ¡°Well, I expected that. If your ability had that great autonomy, your body would have moved on its own even after a hole formed in it. But you know, isn¡¯t your lover a really special case? She might remain even after you die.¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s no way.¡±

    ¡°How are you sure? In the first ce, the robed figures were the ones who gave you your ability.¡±

    Condel was surprised. He didn¡¯t expect Zich to know that much.

    ¡°Do you really think you know everything about an ability that wasn¡¯t even originally yours? I don¡¯t think so. There could be another factor that you don¡¯t know about.¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s none!¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t know until it happens. Thankfully, we have someone amongst us who knows your ability through and through.¡± Zich pointed at Glen. Although Glen wasn¡¯t dead, Lara had to support him to raise him up. Condel was taken aback when he saw Glen.

    ¡°If your ability was to really resurrect a person from the dead, wouldn¡¯t there already be a soul inside Sia Rubrent¡¯s corpse? Then, even if you go to the afterlife, there¡¯s no chance that you would see her there.¡±

    Condel looked towards Sia. She was staring at him nkly while standing. He wondered if her soul was really in there.

    Zich smiled in his mind after checking that Condel felt conflicted. ¡®That¡¯s right. I won¡¯t ever let you die a peaceful death.¡¯

    ¡°Do you know what I will do from now on?¡± Zich asked Condel.

    ¡°What¡­¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m going to learn from Mr. Zenard about your ability in detail. Then, I¡¯ll do all kinds of experiments with your lover.¡±

    Condel¡¯s eyes burst open. ¡°Don¡¯t make me¡ª! Cough!¡± As if the shadows that had blocked his wounds burst from his agitation, Condel spurted out blood. However, Zich remained unbothered. Condel didn¡¯t need to speak anyways, and he just had to have his ears open to hear the rest of Zich¡¯s words. Zich could do all the talking.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯m not trying to insult your lover. I¡¯m actually doing the opposite. I¡¯m thinking about resurrecting your lover.¡±

    Condel was extremely surprised by Zich¡¯s words. However, judging by Zich¡¯s malicious smile, it didn¡¯t seem like Zich was saying this for his benefit. ¡°I¡¯m going to thoroughly separate you two. Were you thinking about meeting each other in the afterlife and finding happiness? I¡¯m never going to let that happen.¡±

    ¡°This bastard¡­!¡± Condol moved his arm, but he no longer had enough strength to shake the ground like before.

    Zich easily blocked his hand. ¡°And do you know what I¡¯ll do after?¡±

    ¡°Perhaps¡­are you nning to tell her all my crimes!¡±

    ¡°Ah, is that what you think is the worst situation? But no. Ah, I mean, I¡¯m<i></i>going to tell her your crimes, but what I¡¯m saying is that¡¯s not the worst situation.¡±

    ¡°What are you¡­¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m nning to seduce your lover.¡±

    ¡°¡­What?¡±

    ¡°As you can see, my face is good, and I know quite a lot of skills about seducing women.¡±

    Condel snorted. ¡°Ha! Do you think my Sia will get seduced by your lowly charms?¡±

    ¡°Yep.¡± Zich nodded his head. ¡°I can understand your feelings, but there are too many things going against you. First of all, you¡¯ll be forced to separate from your lover. As you know, out of sight, out of mind.¡±

    ¡°A clich¨¦ proverb like that doesn¡¯t rte to us.¡±

    ¡°Okay, maybe that won¡¯t be enough, but this situation is much more serious than you think. First, Sia Rubrent will find out about your crimes.¡±

    Condel¡¯s eyes trembled.

    ¡°She¡¯ll be extremely sad. Her lover attacked innocent couples and put them through intense pain, all for the sake of seeing her again. Moreover, she has no one to rely on anymore. She ran away from her family, and the only person she believed¡ªyou¡ªkicked the bucket. How will she continue living when she lived all her life as a sheltereddy in her noble family?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°Ah, perhaps, she might think about suicide. However, I¡¯m going to do my absolute best to prevent that from happening. In the end, she won¡¯t have any choice but to live. I¡¯m going to thoroughly corner Sia Rubrent like this. Of course, her mind and heart will be devastated from finding out the truth. Then, what do you think will happen when I¡¯m the closest person to her during this painful time?¡±

    ¡°¡­!¡±

    Blood seeped out of Condel¡¯s mouth; it wasn¡¯t because of the injury on his abdomen. Blood came out of his mouth because he chewed the insides of his mouth in extreme hatred.

    Condel shouted, ¡°¡­No matter what happens, Sia will never betray me!¡±

    However, Zich replied as if Condel was being absurd. ¡°Do you really think that?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡± Condel would have normally shouted, Of course, but the situation was too dire for him.

    Moreover, even though Condel was continuing his conversation with Zich, his injury was extremely severe; it was to the extent where he¡¯d die soon. It was only normal that his brain didn¡¯t work as well as before. For that reason, Condel was not able to reply.

    This was the moment that Zich had been waiting for, ¡°Huh? What¡¯s up with you?¡±

    Zich made a benevolent smile and said, ¡°Perhaps, do you doubt your lover?¡±

    ¡°¡­!¡±

    ¡°I got it right? You doubt Sia Rubrent¡¯s love for you, right? You also think that if you died, she could like someone else!¡±

    ¡°That¡­!¡±

    ¡°Since you can¡¯t talk, it seems like I hit right on the mark.¡± Zich¡¯s eyes brightened. ¡°This whole time, you acted like you haveplete trust in your love for each other, but you¡¯re doubting your lover because of a few words from me!¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not true!¡± Condel denied Zich¡¯s words, but Zich continued to let out a stream of words.

    ¡°It¡¯s pointless to lie to me, because what¡¯s inside your heart is the most important. You killed all those people who were precious to their lovers, and now you can¡¯t trust your own lover? Wow, you were even bigger trash than I thought.¡±

    ¡°I never said something like that!¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s pointless to keep lying to yourself like that, you bastard!¡± Zich replied back in a louder voice and continued, ¡°Good! When your loveres back alive, I have more things to tell her! That Condel Siede didn¡¯t trust her at all!¡±

    ¡°You bastard! If you say that, I¡¯ll kill you!¡±

    ¡°How are you going to kill me? When that happens, you¡¯ll have long kicked the bucket!¡±

    Zich pped Condel¡¯s cheeks many times. Condel had no choice but to endure Zich¡¯s mockery.

    Zich continued, ¡°I¡¯m saying this just in case, but I¡¯m not joking around! I¡¯m really going to do everything I said if Sia Rubrentes back alive!¡±

    ¡°You fucking! Fucking shit!¡± Condel tried to get up with the help of his shadows, but the shadows didn¡¯t listen to him. Did he really have no choice but to stay still as this devil in human flesh continued on?

    ¡®It would be better if Sia actually doesn¡¯te back alive!¡¯ This thought crept into his mind. Even though Zich had been shouting like crazy, he suddenly stopped talking. His clear eyes that were like ss rolled down and met Condel¡¯s eyes. Condel moved his eyes away because it felt like Zich was directly looking into his heart.

    ¡°Just now, you¡­¡±

    However, Condel was unable to move away his ears to avoid listening to Zich.

    ¡°You wished for Sia Rubrent to just die like this, right?¡±

    ¡°!!!¡±

    Condel¡¯s heart plummeted. In order to deny Zich¡¯s words, he looked up at Zich. He couldn¡¯t let Zich continue like this. If he also admitted this thought to himself, everything that he had been supporting himself with would crumble. However, when he saw Zich¡¯s face, Condel was surprised. Zich¡¯s face was full of kindness as if his mockery had all been a lie so far.

    ¡°Hey, Condel.¡± Instead of saying hisst name, Zich used his first name and spoke with a gentle voice, ¡°Do you want me to kill Sia Rubrent instead?¡±

    His words were temptation from the devil.

 Chapter 308

    <h4>Chapter 308</h4>

    Condel couldn¡¯t answer immediately. His head was in a mess, and he imagined a scene of Sia smiling beside Zich after she was resurrected. His mind and body felt like they were twisting, and all sorts of curses rose to his throat. Dark thoughts popped up in his head and wandered everywhere.

    ¡®It can¡¯t happen!¡¯

    It couldn¡¯t happen no matter what. Should he ask Zich to kill Sia? But was killing his lover because he didn¡¯t want her to find another lover really the right thing to do when she could be resurrected? Should he simply wish for his lover¡¯s happiness here? His critical injuries and Zich¡¯s flicking tongue disrupted his mind and prevented him froming up with a clear answer, and that left him in the worst situation possible. What Zich was waiting for wasn¡¯t Condel¡¯s response, but this ongoing silence right now.

    ¡°You are thinking about it.¡± Zich began to talk again. ¡°You were yapping about your lover¡¯s happiness, but now you want her to die and follow you.¡±

    Condel looked stunned.

    ¡°I know without you telling me. Even if you want me to kill Sia Rubrent, your conscience is preventing you from asking me outright. Even I think that asking me to kill your lover for your greediness is a very embarrassing thing to do. Especially when you went on and on about the power and sacredness of your love.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not it!¡±

    ¡°No? Ah, I see. Is your love simply a justification for all your sinful actions? What you wanted wasn¡¯t Sia Rubrent¡¯s happiness. You just wanted your happiness. You saw your lover as your puppet, a tool to satisfy your cravings.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s a lie!¡± Ignoring the pain he felt in his stomach, Condel clutched Zich¡¯s cors. Yet, there wasn¡¯t much strength in his body as he was dying. His hand slid down, but Condel kept stretching out his hand. Zich didn¡¯t stop him either. Condel¡¯s helpless movements that had the effect of a fly had no meaning; they simply made Zich happier.

    ¡°If you really loved Sia Rubrent, shouldn¡¯t you die peacefully with the thought that she may be able to stay alive and live a different life? Look at you right now. You want to tie up your lover¡¯s new life with your greed, and you secretly want the enemy you loathe the most to kill her.¡±

    ¡°I told you that¡¯s not true! You damn bastard!¡±

    ¡°If it isn¡¯t, why are you denying it so desperately? You should just ignore my words. Aren¡¯t you acting like this because I stirred something inside your heart?¡±

    ¡°You bas¡ª! Cough!¡± Condel vomited blood. It was a muchrger amount of blood than before. His breathing became rougher. He nced at Condel¡¯s stomach and saw the shadows that covered it were much fainter now.

    ¡®Is it almost over?¡¯

    If Condel was a normal human, he would have immediately died from the injury he got. He was able to survive until now because of his ability, but it was difficult for him to endure more than this. Zich stared at Condel who no longer had the peace he had when he let down everything. All he had was rage, loathe, anxiety, and despair. It was a very satisfying situation for Zich. He couldn¡¯t let the guy who bothered Joachim and Evelyn die peacefully.

    Zich looked towards Sia Rubrent once and then looked at Condel again. ¡°I will also tell Sia Rubrent what happened just now when she resurrects¡ªthat you wanted her death as yourst dying wish.¡±

    Condel¡¯s mouth opened and closed, but no sound came out¡ªjust a strange-sounding wind. His pupils also dted and lost focus. Worried that Condel was also losing his hearing, Zich crouched and whispered into his ear, ¡°If you can see from Hell, I hope you do. I hope you watch the love Sia and I will grow in this world. If what you said was right, I¡¯m sure our love would also be very sacred.¡±

    Thud!

    Condel¡¯s body sprang up. The loathing he had for Zich allowed him to show his final resistance, but that was all there was to it. Zich stared down at Condel¡¯s face. His face was twisted as if all the negative emotions in the world had formed it. Yet, it no longer moved nor breathed, and the shadows which had blocked Condel¡¯s wounds all disappeared. Condel was dead. His life was cut short as he struggled with the despair of his current situation and worries of the future he dreaded. It was also the moment the kidnapping incidents that had gripped Janmalpi came to an end.

    Zich got up. He strung Windur on his back and turned around. His movements were light. His face looked refreshed andpletely contrasted the face of dead Condel. L watched his actions quietly from behind, and followed after him. Otherpanions also followed her and Zich.

    ¡°Are you done?¡± L asked Zich.

    ¡°Yeah.¡±

    ¡°Are you satisfied?¡±

    ¡°Perfectly.¡±

    ¡°Thank goodness.¡±

    If Zich wasn¡¯t satisfied after driving someone to such a pit of despair, L would have been stunned even if she was quite used to him now. She was able to sigh in relief since Zich seemed satisfied. Then, she looked at Condel. She saw his face which appeared to have died while embracing all kinds of pain and clicked her tongue. She thought, ¡®He shouldn¡¯t have bothered Joachim Dracul and Evelyn Rouge.¡¯ If only Condel hadn¡¯t messed with those two, he would have been able to have a bit less painful death.

    After L pondered over Condel¡¯s wrong decision for a bit, she looked towards Sia Rubrent. As soon as Condel breathed hisst, her corpse fell onto the ground like a cut piece of thread. Her face was peaceful, unlike the painful face of her lover. Their contrasting faces seemed to highlight Condel¡¯s foolishness.

    ¡°It seems like the effect on Sia Rubrent is gone with Condel Siede¡¯s death.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s what he said¡ª that his ability will be released once he is dead,¡± Zich responded bluntly. Seeing how he responded to L as if she was saying the most obvious thing ever after Zich¡¯s speech to Condel, it was clear that Zich¡¯s brazenness knew no bounds.

    ¡°Are you saying Condel Siede¡¯s final worries about her were meaningless?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. Well, I have no regrets since I sent him off ufortably.¡± Then, Zich added, ¡°Since I don¡¯t know a way to torture someone even after they die.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    It was as if Zich was indicating that he would torment Condel more if there was a method to do so after everything he had done. Even Hans shuddered although he had been with Zich the longest. Now, Zichpletely lost interest in Condel and Sia and went down to the ind. He saw corpses spread haphazardly all over the ground; they had lost strength after Condel died. The victims¡¯ families could now retrieve the victim¡¯s bodies and find peace.

    However, the sight of the corpses would be devastating for the people hoping that their lovers or family members were still alive. Zich passed by the corpses and stepped off the ind. After Condel died, all the ck liquid disappeared, and clear water now reced their ce.

    Zich approached Glen. ¡°Are you all right?¡±

    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m fine.¡± Glen got up. It seemed as if he just finished healing himself with potions, since there didn¡¯t seem to be any injuries on his body. However, Lara seemed to be worried about him as she helped prop him up.

    Glen said, ¡°You defeated them by yourself.¡±

    ¡°Yes, it somehow turned out like that.¡±

    Glen apologized, ¡°I¡¯m sorry I couldn¡¯t be of help.¡±

    While Zich humbly denied Glen¡¯s words, he carefully scanned Glen¡¯s face. Was he being sincere? Or was he simply putting up a mask? It was difficult to tell from just his face.

    Glen stared at Condel who was sprawled on the ground. ¡°He tried to resurrect a dead person. No matter how deep a person¡¯s love is, it¡¯s an impossible feat. It also shouldn¡¯t be done. A dead person can nevere back alive.¡±

    Glen¡¯s words seemed reasonable enough. In the first ce, Zich respected people¡¯s opinions and thoughts, so he didn¡¯t say anything against them. However, it was a whole different matter if Glen¡¯s words contradicted his actions.

    ¡®And what about me?¡¯

    Before he regressed, Zich definitely died. However, he was able to miraculously regress and gain youth, a new life, and a new chance. In a way, his regression was more extraordinary than resurrecting a dead person. Moreover, Zich was suspicious that Glen might have performed this miraculous feat many times.

    ¡®This bastard, he might be even bigger trash than I thought.¡¯ A person that he, a trash among trashes, admitted was trash¡ªjust the thought of it was enough to make a person dizzy.

    While staring at Condel¡¯s corpse with a sad face, Glen said, ¡°But, Mr. Zich.¡±

    Glen¡¯s voice didn¡¯t sound too good, and it didn¡¯t seem like he was going to mention a pleasant topic. ¡°Did you really have to mock Mr. Siede like that even till the very end? The victor had already been decided.¡±

    Zich shrugged his shoulders. ¡°Yes, I didn¡¯t need to do that. I merely did that because I wanted to.¡±

    ¡°¡­I can¡¯t say that it¡¯s a good hobby.¡±

    ¡°Well, aren¡¯t hobbies just what you enjoy? As long as I don¡¯t harm others, I think it¡¯s fine for me to do whatever I want.¡±

    ¡°And that includes torturing someone who¡¯s about to die?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t think his crimes are light enough to be forgiven with just his death. If a victim of his crime or someone rted to the victims saw my actions, they would be overjoyed. Isn¡¯t that right?¡±

    The atmosphere was heavy. Even though the battle was over, the two leaders of two groups made the atmosphere awkward and tense. At that moment, arge number of footsteps came from the direction of the tunnel. The sound of footsteps hitting water slowly came closer and closer. Zich moved his eyes away from Glen¡¯s face and stared in the direction of the tunnel.

    He said, ¡°It seems like our support has arrived.¡± Even though they werete, he didn¡¯t mind. Since they werete, he was able to decorate Condel¡¯sst journey to the afterlife with thorns and needles. Zich turned his head back to Glen who was still staring at him with disapproving eyes.

    Zich lightly tapped Glen¡¯s shoulder, ¡°We have very different opinions. Well, I knew this already, so it¡¯s nothing surprising. Let¡¯s just not bother each other and walk along our respective paths. I respect your opinions as well.¡±

    Then, Zich turned his back. He needed to exin the situation to the support that had just arrived. However, before Zich could start moving, Glen stopped him first, ¡°What if I can¡¯t respect your opinion?¡±

    A heavy tension surrounded the two groups. Hans put his hands on Estede¡¯s scabbard, and Snoc focused his attention on the ground. L scanned the situation coldly. Lara and Elena were swept by the heavy atmosphere and nervously gauged Zich and Glen¡¯s next actions.

    Ssh! Zich took one step forward towards Glen. He slowly moved forward. People¡¯s nervous gazes followed Zich¡¯s movements.

    Ssh! Zich stopped right in front of Glen. Even though he didn¡¯t hold up his weapon, it felt like a sword fight would erupt at any moment. Then, Zich stared intently at Glen andughed.

    He said, ¡°We have conflicting opinions, and it seems like you won¡¯t respect my opinion. In that case, I can only think of two solutions. The first one is persuasion; by using this method, you can settle the situation peacefully. However, I have no intention of changing my opinion and listening to your persuasion. Then, I guess there¡¯s only one method left.¡±

    Zich put his hand forward and clenched it to make a fist. ¡°Strength.¡±

    The smile disappeared from Zich¡¯s face. ¡°If you can¡¯t respect my opinion and don¡¯t like what I¡¯m doing, that¡¯s the only way to stop me.¡±

    ¡°¡­I understand. If something like this happens next time, I¡¯ll be sure to remember your advice.¡±

    Their gazes briefly met. Zich smiled again. ¡°I hope my advice will be helpful to you.¡±

    Then, Zich finally turned his back and headed towards the support unit. Zich¡¯spanions followed him while Glen remained still and watched Zich¡¯s back.

    Like this, the serial kidnapping cases of lovers in Janmalpi met their end.

 Chapter 309

    <h4>Chapter 309</h4>

    The rumor that the culprit behind the kidnapping incidents was captured spread throughout Janmalpi at a fast rate. Since the case that had been halting the entertainment businesses in the city was finally gone, all the citizens rejoiced. Of course, those connected to the missing persons were deeply saddened. They had been grasping onto the thread-like hope, wishing for their families, lovers, and friends toe back safely, but all the victims returned as corpses. As coffins left the casino one by one, families wept. Some even fainted after crying. Others insulted the culprit and demanded Condel¡¯s corpse to disgrace it.

    Yet, their sadness couldn¡¯t affect the whole city, and Janmalpi regained normalcy quickly. People wandered out in the streets again and lovers filled the space withughter. Entertainment businesses recovered to their previous level. Joyous that the case was resolved, the lord of the estate gave a generous reward to everyone involved in solving the case; this also acted as a way to spread the news even faster throughout Janmalpi.

    After the grand award ceremony, Zich and hispanions returned to their lodging and held their own mini party. The food and table they prepared were way too humble for a party with a count and ady from a marquess family as guests, but everyone took out the drinks they prepared and clinked their sses.

    ¡°Sigh. I finally feel that this case ispletely over now,¡± Joachim said after gulping down a strong drink.

    Zich responded, ¡°It seems the case has really taken a toll on you, sir.¡±

    ¡°It couldn¡¯t be helped. No matter how much we investigated, we couldn¡¯t find any clues and the number of victims kept increasing. I was so worried for the kidnapped people and future victims that I couldn¡¯t go to sleep. Furthermore, my family¡¯s destiny was on the line with this case.¡± Joachim shuddered, thinking about his mental state at that time. ¡°It was truly fortunate that you came, Sir Zich.¡±

    ¡°So, will your family be all right now?¡±

    ¡°We barely managed to regain our bnce after almost falling to the pits, but I can sigh in relief now.¡± Now, Joachim could see a stream of light in a foggy future. It was a situation where he could bepletely satisfied. ¡°I have to continue to rise up with this case as my support,¡± he said. Then, he would be able to ce the Dracul name on top of the world tform again.

    Joachim added, ¡°The culprit¡¯s unexpectedly expert abilities yed a positive influence on our reputation. However, I can¡¯t just be d, considering the victims.¡±

    If this case had been a normal kidnapping crime, there wouldn''t be as many victims as they had right now. Joachim¡¯s voice became heavier.

    Evelynforted him. ¡°Don¡¯t feel so guilty, Sir Count. You gave your all to this case and solved it.¡±

    ¡°Truthfully, that also hurts my conscience too. Sir Zich was the one who solved every single aspect of this case,¡± Joachim said.

    L disagreed. ¡°There¡¯s no need for you to think that way. The responsibility of people in high ces is to find talents and ce them in fitting positions. If it wasn¡¯t for you, Count, nobody would have employed Zich and given him all the necessary support. If you didn¡¯t back him up, I¡¯m sure the case would¡¯ve dragged on for longer. Don¡¯t you think so, Zich?¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡± Zich wouldn¡¯t have been able to solve the case as easily as he did without Joachim¡¯s backing. Moreover, Joachim was the one who had given him information rting to the robed figures.

    ¡®We couldn¡¯t find the robed guys in the end though.¡¯ Although Zich had looked for the robed figures while investigating this case, they couldn¡¯t find even a hair strand from the robed figures.

    ¡®They must have departed after making Condel Siede into a Demon Person and finished everything they needed to do. Or they might have left the rest for Glen to handle.¡¯ Regardless, screwing up the robed guys¡¯ ns was enough of a reason for Zich to help Joachim.

    ¡°Ms. L is right. Besides, the one who was of the least help was me,¡± Evelyn said.

    ¡°That¡¯s not true, Lady Rouge. I mean, your thoughts and knowledge helped us solve this case,¡± Joachim said. In the first ce, it had been her idea to make the party members act like lovers and bait the culprit. Thanks to that, they were able to see Condel¡¯s shadows face-to-face for the first time.

    ¡°Do you really think so?¡± Evelyn asked.

    ¡°Of course.¡±

    ¡°Then I think you have no reason to feel burdened with guilt either, Count,¡± Evelyn said with a bright smile on her face.

    After being taken aback for a moment, Joachimughed heartily and agreed with her. ¡°Yes, you are certainly right, Lady Rouge. I shouldn¡¯t consider myself useless after admitting that you were of help.¡±

    ¡°See, sir? Now, we can put an end to this conversation,¡± Evelyn said and pped her hands. Then, she lifted her ss. Her ss waspletely empty now. ¡°Let¡¯s have another drink!¡±

    They filled up their sses once more, and everyone clinked their sses against each others¡¯ sses. Afterward, all kinds of conversation went back and forth among them; the conversation varied between different topics, and amid the small talk, Evelyn stared at the corner of the table.

    ¡°Hm, did you say that you were Ms. Dwayne?¡±

    ¡°Y¡ªyes?¡± Elena was surprised to suddenly hear her name.

    ¡°You seem a bit anxious. Is there something going on?¡± Evelyn asked.

    Elena had not said much. Evelyn wondered if her and Joachim¡¯s status intimidated her, but that didn¡¯t seem to be the case. Elena was ncing at just one person.

    ¡°You seem to be wary of Mr. Zich,¡± Evelyn said.

    Elena¡¯s body twitched. The person Elena had been ncing at was Zich. Perhaps, she had done something to him. However, the one who answered for her was L.

    ¡°It¡¯s nothing much. You know how nasty Zich¡¯s personality is, right, miss?¡±

    ¡°Well, that¡­¡± Evelyn didn¡¯t finish.

    ¡°Zich used all the means he had possible to torture the culprit this time. It was Elena¡¯s first time seeing something like that,¡± L said.

    Joachim and Evelyn also looked in Zich¡¯s direction. Although they both wanted to know what Zich did that made Elena stare at him like this, they also didn¡¯t want to know at the same time.

    L said, ¡°Time is going to solve this. Hans and Snoc have gotten used to it now.¡±

    Hans and Snoc were nowpletely used to Zich¡¯sck of morality and didn¡¯t show any special response to this incident. Of course, this incident with Condel was one of the cruelest acts they saw from Zich, but they were already aware that Zich was capable of doing such actions and more. On the other hand, they could also understand Elena¡¯s feelings. The first act that Elena witnessed from Zich had started out much too strong.

    ¡°Elena, don¡¯t be too scared. As long as you don¡¯t cross a certain line, he¡¯s harmless. Look.¡± L moved her hand and pinched Zich¡¯s cheek.

    ¡°Whaw you douwing.¡± Zich¡¯s pronunciation became muffled, but he didn¡¯t look angry. If one had to describe how he looked, he looked mildly irked.

    Elena could not help but let out a small ¡®Pwff!¡¯ at Zich¡¯s face.

    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s good enough. You don¡¯t have to get immediately used to him, but there¡¯s no need to be too scared of him.¡± L let go of Zich¡¯s cheek.

    Zich rubbed his red cheek a few times and pinched L¡¯s cheek back. L¡¯s pronunciation came out muffled this time. There was now a fun and pleasant atmosphere in the room. Inside this atmosphere, although Elena was still wary of Zich, she let out augh once more. Like this, their small party turned even more lively.

    * * *

    Zich and hispanions didn¡¯t immediately leave Janmalpi. In the first ce, they hade to Janmalpi to y and enjoy themselves. Condel Siede¡¯s existence had been apletely unexpected event. Since they were stressed and tired from solving arge incident, they passionately enjoyed the entertainment offered in Janmalpi. Even though this was a bit callous to say, they were able to enjoy themselves even more because the number of tourists had decreased from the serial kidnapping cases.

    However, not all of Zich¡¯spanions were ying outside. Zich stayed inside their lodging and rxed in his room. Hans, Snoc, and Elena had gone outside to y. Someone knocked on his door and burst it open. There was only one person who coulde into Zich¡¯s room whenever they wanted to like this.

    ¡°You¡¯re really taking it easy.¡± L entered his room with a thick book in her arm.

    Zich been lying down on his bed with his arms stretched out like dried mud on top of a rock. He raised his hand. ¡°You are here?¡±

    L asked, ¡°Where are the others?¡±

    ¡°They went to y.¡±

    ¡°You didn¡¯t go?¡±

    ¡°No matter how fun it is, it gets boring after a while. As expected, it¡¯s hard to keep up with these youngsters.¡±

    ¡°Since you¡¯re saying nonsense, you seem to have some stamina left.¡± Then, L plopped into a chair and put a thick book on a table. ¡°It¡¯s actually better this way. Come here and help me with this.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m resting right now. I need to recover my stamina.¡±

    ¡°I can pass over your nonsense as a joke the first time, but if you spout out nonsense a second time, it just gets annoying.¡±

    Zich scratched his head and slowly trod down to the table and sat in front of L. He looked like a bum who would justy on his bed all day and eat food. Zich asked, ¡°What are you doing?¡±

    ¡°Deciphering Clowon¡¯s letters.¡±

    Zich¡¯s eyes sparkled; that interested him. ¡°What do I need to do?¡±

    ¡°I need someone to mark the pages of passages that contain these letters.¡± L passed a piece of paper that contained a few of Clowon¡¯s letters.

    L was requesting him to do simplebor; it was not something that he enjoyed doing. However, it was necessary work. Moreover, if he helped, they could uncover the truths about Clowon faster. Zich took the thick book that L passed and opened it. Iprehensible texts densely filled every page. Zich looked at the piece of paper that L gave him and slowly scanned it.

    ¡°Have you had any sess?¡±

    ¡°Not yet.¡±

    ¡°Well, even for the great L, is it hard to interpret letters that you don¡¯t know anything about?¡±

    ¡°No, I already have the minimum amount of information needed to interpret these texts. It¡¯s difficult, but not impossible. The problem is that I didn¡¯t have enough time.¡± L let out a small sigh. ¡°Honestly, I was nning topletely engross myself into interpreting these texts while Elena calmed her heart here.¡±

    ¡°But your n was hampered by Siede¡¯s appearance, right?¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡± L moved her eyes away from her book and stared at Zich. ¡°I know this is a big request, but can we stay in this city for a while? Honestly, I want to have some time deciphering these texts.¡±

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter to me.¡± Zich thought that finding out about Clowon was the first step to finding out about his regression, Glen¡¯s identity, and the robe figure¡¯s identities. Thus, finding out about Clowon was one of his top goals right now. If L wanted to stay in Janmalpi to find out more information about Clowon, there was no reason for him to insist on going to another city.

    Moreover, he could probably do kind acts, his other goal, in this city as well. Like this, Zich readily agreed to L¡¯s proposal, and theirpanions decided to stay in Janmalpi for a while.

 Chapter 310

    <h4>Chapter 310</h4>

    Hans walked on the road by himself. Although he had gone out with Snoc and Elena at first, they moved separately now.

    ¡®I can¡¯t help but feel self-conscious when I¡¯m around those two.¡¯

    He felt like a clueless older brother third-wheeling on his young brother¡¯s date. Of course, it wasn¡¯t as if those two people gave him any signs that made him feel unwee, nor were they actually lovers. Yet, that was how Hans felt whenever the three of them gathered.

    ¡®Those two are especially close.¡¯

    Since Snoc had bonded with Elena while helping her study magic, Elena tended to treat Snoc very kindly. The fact that Snoc was also her first friend after she spent all her time studying magic as the fallen genius also yed a huge factor. Thus, the time Hans spent wandering around the city alone increased even if the three of them went out of the lodging together.

    ¡®It gives me a weird feeling.¡¯

    It almost felt like he was falling behind his younger brother in something. Like that, Hans walked around the city listlessly. Even though he was by himself, since he was in the entertainment city, Janmalpi, there were many things he could do alone. Hans tried not to feel down by the fact that he was alone and tried to enjoy the city as much as he could.

    ¡®If Sir Zich judges that he has given us enough free time, he¡¯ll rmence training again, and it¡¯ll be brutal.¡¯ Hans was sure of it. Then, his feet suddenly stopped at a ce. ¡®This ce is¡­¡¯

    It was a familiar ce. The surroundings which had been filled to the corner with buildings now had an opening. It was one of the main streams that ran through the city, and there were several bridges that stretched over the streams.

    ¡®This is the ce where I met Ms. Browning.¡¯

    Hans stared at the top of the bridge where he met her before.

    ¡®Huh?¡¯ As if he had gone back in time, he saw Lara standing in the same spot, appearing just like before. Since Hans thought he should at least greet her, he approached her. When he was about to talk to her, Lara¡¯s shoulder twitched. She ced her hand on her sword hilt and spun around. Hans couldn¡¯t help butugh because he had gone through the exact same situation thest time he saw her. Like before, Hans took a step back and lifted both arms lightly.

    ¡°Who¡­¡±

    Her wary eyes settled down as soon as she saw Hans. He said with his hands still raised, ¡°Hello, Ms. Browning. We meet again just like before.¡±

    ¡°Ah¡­!¡± Lara saw her hand on the sword hilt and quickly fixed her posture. ¡°I-I apologize.¡±

    ¡°No, it¡¯s fine. I understand why you responded so strongly.¡± Since one of hispanions was the most beautiful person that could possibly exist, he could guess how many bothersome experiences Lara might have gone through. There was probably even more when she was alone. Hans looked around his surroundings. Beyond the railing of the bridge, he saw the flowing streams and more bridges. ¡°You must like this ce. I saw you herest time too.¡±

    ¡°My eyes feel at ease just looking at the stream. It gives me a refreshing feeling.¡±

    Hans and Lara naturally leaned on the bridge rails and talked. They even had amon issue that they could talk about, and their conversation topic naturally flowed to the Condel case that happened a couple of days ago.

    ¡°Is Sir Zenard all right? It seems like he was injuredst time.¡±

    ¡°He wasn¡¯t injured badly. He simply lost his consciousness from arge shock. He also healed all his injuries with potions.¡±

    ¡°Thank goodness.¡±

    ¡°Are yourpanions all right, Mr. Hans?¡±

    ¡°Yes, everyone is fine.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m d to hear that.¡±

    The two asked about each other¡¯s and their team¡¯s well-being. Then, as they continued talking about the case, their topic reached one person they couldn¡¯t skip over¡ªZich. As soon as Zich¡¯s name was mentioned, an awkward atmosphere began to flow between the two.

    ¡°To tell you the truth, I can¡¯t believe that person is a Karuwiman Honorary Knight.¡±

    Hans smiled bitterly at Lara¡¯s words. Hans held a deep admiration for Zich, but even he couldn¡¯t take Zich¡¯s side regarding his personality.

    ¡®I¡¯m sure Sir Zich wouldn¡¯t want me to do that either.¡¯ Even if Hans imed that Zich¡¯s character was good, Hans could bet that Zich would just ask Hans if ¡®he had gone blind.¡¯

    ¡°He gained his title by protecting the Saint and annihting the Bellids, so he doesn¡¯t match the image of holy knights that peoplemonly have.¡±

    ¡°Well, there¡¯s his personality, but the way he treated Condel Siede in the end¡­¡±

    Although Lara had been busy fighting Condel¡¯s shadows with Zich¡¯spanions, she still heard what Zich said to Condel to a certain extent. She especially heard the conversation they had after Condel received a critical wound. Furthermore, she also heard more about the situation from Glen after the case was over. Thus, she had a pretty clear picture of what happened between Zich and Condel.

    ¡°Condel Siede was an evil person befitting punishment. I know that even if he has a sad story, it doesn¡¯t mean he can be forgiven,¡± Lara admitted. ¡°However, the things that man did were too much! If I only consider the situation, it¡¯s hard to tell who the viin is!¡±

    ¡®But Sir Zich isn¡¯t the viin,¡¯ Hans thought. However, if he was asked whose character was worse between the two, Hans would have to give his vote to Zich; and if he was asked whether Zich¡¯s behavior was just like a viin¡¯s, he wouldn¡¯t be able to answer. However, that was all, and Hans responded, ¡°I admit that Sir Zich¡¯s behavior may seem over-the-top to other people and his character is truly terrible. Still, Sir Zich is not a viin.¡± Hans said firmly without a shred of shame or embarrassment.

    ¡°The opponent that Sir Zich tormented was a viin in every form and meaning of the word. Sir Zich would never torment good people who don¡¯t do anything. Instead, he works hard to save such people from the hands of viins.¡±

    ¡°¡­I admit that, but it¡¯s also true that the man¡¯s personality is rotten. What if such a person changed and became a viin? Seeing how twisted he is, I don¡¯t think it would be any strange for such a person to be a vill¡ª¡±

    ¡°Then I would stop him.¡±

    ¡°¡­Sorry?¡± Lara stared at Hans with wide eyes after hearing a response she didn¡¯t expect.

    ¡°If that happened, I would do all I can to stop Sir Zich. I would even put my life on the line to do that.¡± Hans¡¯ pupils didn¡¯t shake at all as he said this.

    ¡°No, if I consider Sir Zich¡¯s strength, even if I put my life on the line, it will simply increase my chance of stopping him by a tiny amount. Still, I will do my best to stop him, and this is also what Sir Zich taught me to do.¡±

    ¡°¡­That¡¯s what he taught you?¡±

    ¡°Yes. Sir Zich fully supports my childish dream of bing a hero. So he says things like that without hesitation. He told me that if he bes a viin, I should likewise point my sword towards him without hesitation.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡± Lara was unable to find the right words to say since she never imagined that Zich was teaching Hans with such a mindset.

    The silence lengthened between them. Hans couldn¡¯t find any reason to stay anymore, so he turned his feet to leave.

    Before he left, Hans said, ¡°Ah, but Ms. Browning, I told you this before, right? Sir Zich told me that you have talent with the sword.¡±

    Lara remembered Hans telling her that. In a way, Zich had been the only person whoplimented her sword talent recently.

    ¡°Ms. Browning, if you want to continue using a sword, you should continue doing what you want. Because Sir Zich is much stronger than yourpanion.¡±

    Hans felt Lara getting emotional; it seemed as if it bothered her that hepared Glen with another person in a negative light. However, Hans didn¡¯t pay her any attention and turned his back.

    * * *

    ¡°And you separated like that?¡± L asked with interest.

    Hans had his head down as if hemitted a grave crime, and nodded. Then, he thought, ¡®How did it turn out like this?¡¯

    After having slightly conflicting opinions with Lara, he coldly turned his back. Now that he thought about it again, he thought he had behaved too coldly. Even though Hans was influenced by Zich and showed no mercy to his enemies, he could not be so cold to others. Therefore, when he returned to his lodging, a mncholy cloud hung over his head, and L initiated a conversation by asking him what was wrong. She went out of her way to drag Hans and storm into Zich¡¯s room. She was going to listen to Hans¡¯ints if he had one. Moreover, a small part of her wanted to release stress from tranting Clowon¡¯s letters by listening to other people¡¯s concerns.

    ¡°Why did you say something like that?¡±

    ¡°¡­I was a bit hurt that she insulted Sir Zich so¡­¡±

    ¡°You did something useless. She said nothing wrong.¡± L turned back and asked Zich, ¡°Isn¡¯t that right?¡±

    Lying down on the bed, Zich waved his hand and said, ¡°Well, she¡¯s right.¡±

    ¡°Sir, I also know that.¡±

    ¡°Punk, what did you say?¡± When Zich lifted his upper body, Hans dragged his chair back¡ªit was a reflexive move from going through Zich¡¯s hellish training.

    Fortunately, Zich merely waved his fist and didn¡¯t directly harm him. Moreover, when L told him to be quiet and threw a pillow at him, he went back to lying t on the bed. L encouraged Hans to continue.

    Hans nced at Zich and continued, ¡°Even though I couldpletely understand her words from an outsider¡¯s perspective, they were still insults against Sir Zich. If I thought about it like that, it would make me a bit angry.¡±

    ¡°Well, no wonder. It¡¯s okay if we call each other bastards, but if others do it, it can be annoying.¡±

    ¡°Hey, that¡¯s not constion,¡± Zich chuckled as he twirled the pillow that L threw at him.

    L ignored him and continued, ¡°So that¡¯s why you mentioned Glen Zenard, whom she seemed to like?¡±

    ¡°Yes. To be honest, I also didn¡¯t say anything wrong.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s also right.¡± If L had to choose who she trusted more in regards to judging talent, she would obviously choose Zich over Glen. In the futures that she knew, there was not a single time where Glen Zenard was able to individually surpass Zich in talent or abilities.

    ¡®In matters of strength and talent, Zich is the very definition of those two factors.¡¯

    Moreover, L thought that Zich also had memories about the future like her.

    ¡°You¡¯re right.¡± Zich threw the pillow he was twirling on the bed and after quickly standing up, he sat on an empty chair. ¡°Anyways, Lara Browning told you a truth that was ufortable for you to hear. You also only said the truth. That could have made her ufortable, but she was the one who did it first.¡±

    L said, ¡°¡­In a way, you¡¯re also amazing.¡±

    Zich admitted that Lara¡¯s insults towards him were all truths without hesitation. L thought Zich had astonishing mana, talent, sense of morality, but out of all of these traits, she thought that his most astonishing trait was his shamelessness.

    ¡°But why are you worrying so much about such a little thing? I roughly know your personality by now, but it seems like your concern is a bit too much. Perhaps, did your heart shrink because you said something harsh to the person you like?¡±

    Zich jeered at him, but Hans shook his head. That wasn¡¯t his concern.

    He replied, ¡°Like I said, I told her to continue using the sword if she wanted to. But even while saying that, I provoked her in the end. I¡¯m worried that she might give up on the sword in retaliation. Even without me saying anything, she seemed to have a lot on her mind.¡±

    They had not expected a worry like this. Zich and L stared at each other and blinked their eyes.

    Zich said, ¡°¡­You¡¯re really concerned about all sorts of things.¡±

    ¡°But isn¡¯t it nice that he¡¯s so innocent? If I imagine everyone to be like you, Zich, the world would be an awful ce.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, my perfection is too advanced for people to catch up to me.¡± Zich ignored L who looked at him as if he was pathetic and turned his eyes to Hans. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about such a trivial matter. If she throws away her sword from such a small provocation, it won¡¯t be because of what you said. It¡¯ll be her her own decision.¡±

    ¡°Sir, but¡­¡±

    ¡°Moreover, I said this to you before, but you didn¡¯t say anything wrong.¡± Zich said with confidence, ¡°It¡¯s true that I¡¯m way stronger than that Glen Zenard guy.¡±

    Hans made a bitter smile.

    Zich said, ¡°But if you¡¯re still concerned about it, I¡¯ll fix the problem for you.¡±

    ¡°Sir, how will you do that?¡±

    ¡°You know, you can only worry about things when you have a certain amount of leisure. I can thoroughly train you so you won¡¯t be able to think about anything els¡­¡±

    Hans quickly jumped up and shouted, ¡°Sir, I have no worries now!¡±

    Zich seemed to be pleased by Hans¡¯ answer and nodded. L quietly clutched her head.

 Chapter 311

    <h4>Chapter 311</h4>

    Glen nced behind him. Janmalpi¡¯s castle walls blocked his sight, and he narrowed his eyes.

    ¡®Damn it!¡¯ He cursed internally. He hade to this city to raise his excessively low reputation, but everything was in ruins now. Although he had achieved his original goal of acquiring fame, this fame was much less than what he had expected to gain.

    Condel was someone who moved discreetly; in case of obstructing his lover¡¯s resurrection, he hid his identity thoroughly. Even though the kidnapping incidents were soon identified by their focus on lovers due to his jealousy towards other couples, Condel¡¯s shadow ability should have been secretive and tactful enough to conceal his identity. ording to the previous timeline, Janmalpi should have failed to catch their culprit, and a new Demon Person with a resurrected lover would form.

    ¡®Of course, it didn¡¯tst long though.¡¯

    The Demon Person named Condel Siede was a truly baffling figure. After resurrecting his lover, he soon realized that she wasn¡¯t the lover he once knew. After all, what Glen said to Condel before wasn¡¯tpletely unfounded. Upon realizing this fact, Condel usually took two paths: he either became a true Demon Person who erupted and destroyed all his surroundings or took his own life.

    ¡®He¡¯s a really unstable guy.¡¯

    Unlike other Demon People who usually followed the set path prepared for them, Condel was someone who had a high chance of not bing a Demon Person at the slightest mishap. If he and his group hadn¡¯t managed to secure enough humans to transform into Demon People, he wouldn¡¯t have even kept the risk of having Condel Siede as a Demon Person candidate. However, since they already had enough Demon People to disrupt this world, Glen was letting unstable guys like Condel alone. From time to time, he used guys like Condel as sacrifices to increase his fame.

    Yet, this time, his n couldn¡¯t have possibly derailed more from his expectations. Although he was unstable, the person who could potentially grow to be a Demon Person was dead now, and all Glen achieved was a very small amount of fame. On top of that, the person who had stolen the spotlight from him was his greatest target: ¡®Zich Moore!¡¯

    Sparks almost seemed to shoot out of Glen¡¯s eyes. The sound of Zich¡¯s name made Glen grit his teeth.

    ¡®He is ruining everything!¡¯

    Zich, who should have be the Demon Lord, was the city¡¯s hero now; and Joachim and Evelyn who should have supported Zich as his underlings to drive the world into fear and despair helped him to save a city instead.

    When Zich looked like he was about to win in his fight against Condel, Glen made Sia rush towards Zich; however, that ended up backfiring on him. ¡®I can¡¯t believe he used Sia Rubrent to bring him down...¡¯

    In terms of battle, Zich¡¯s skills and wits were unparalleled. Their destinies were now beyond warped, and this had never happened before, not even once.

    ¡®It must be because of Zich Moore.¡¯

    When Glen heard that Zich became a Karuwiman Honorary Knight, he was stunned. However, that had only been the beginning. Starting from that, his ns continued to go awry from start to finish.

    ¡®I really have to find that guy.¡¯ Glen thought of the most likely suspect to have created this unbelievable situation. ¡®That damn bastard who taught Zich Moore strange things!¡¯

    Glen didn¡¯t expect that bastard, who could warp destinies to this degree, to appear at this time. Although Glen didn¡¯t know who this person exactly was or what their objective was for leading Zich onto other paths, he knew he had to find them.

    ¡®At least for next time!¡¯ So that their destinies wouldn¡¯t be so distorted like now, Glen had to take action.

    Yet, not everything was bad for Glen.

    ¡®The one named L.¡¯ She was the mage who tagged along with Zich¡¯spanions.

    ¡®She was amazing.¡¯ Her beauty and skills perfectly fit the position as a hero¡¯spanion. Although he was enraged at the thought of Elena being stolen from him, Glen was pleasantly surprised to find someone who surpassed her.

    ¡®If it¡¯s her, she won¡¯t be Elena¡¯s reserve. She will probably push Elena to the reserve position.¡¯

    In the formation of the perfect hero party in his mind, Elena¡¯s name dropped off and was reced by L¡¯s name.

    ¡®Good. I will ask that guy to find more information about L. With the time I gave him, he might have some information about the identity of the person who gave advice to Zich Moore too.¡¯

    Glen supposed that he would at least be able to get a clue.

    ¡®It¡¯s been a while since Ist saw him.¡¯ Glen decided on his next destination.

    ¡®First, I have to get rid of this woman.¡¯ Glen nced at Lara. Since a couple of days ago, Lara seemed to be in deep thought. In a way, it looked like she felt guilty about something; and when Glen asked her the reason for her downcast face, she didn¡¯t give him an answer.

    ¡®¡­Does she still have no intention of taking up a shield?¡¯

    He nced at the sword hanging on Lara¡¯s waist scornfully.

    ¡®Before, she threw away her sword at this time and took up the shield.¡¯

    It was clear that this damn twisting fate was affecting her too.

    ¡®¡­I don¡¯t need Lara Browning if she doesn¡¯t take up the shield.¡¯

    It unnecessarily took attention away from him if he had her on his team. Only he could be the swordsman in his party.

    ¡®I should try convincing her a bit more since her skills are outstanding.¡¯

    Yet, if she continued to insist on holding onto her sword¡­

    ¡®I won¡¯t need to have her around anymore.¡¯

    He also had a recement for her. Although her skills werecking inparison to Lara¡¯s, she was at least much more useful than the current Lara. Glen nced behind him once more. He saw Janmalpi¡¯s castle walls that were further away now.

    ¡®I can¡¯t keep letting Zich Moore do whatever he wants.¡¯

    At this rate, the fame and cheers that were rightfully his would be all taken away from him.

    Glen didn¡¯t have a clear n yet. Right now, he was simply emphasizing the way Zich provoked Condel at the end of their fight so that it wouldn¡¯t be strange even if they shedter on. Depending on the future, he thought he could make a bigger deal out of it or leave the matter to a simple difference in opinions.

    ¡®Zich Moore, just follow your destiny. Don¡¯t act like some just hero that doesn¡¯t fit you. You are not Zich Brave.¡¯ Besides everything, the fact that Zich didn¡¯t show any signs of bing Zich Brave was good news to Glen.

    * * *

    As they expected, when more time passed, Zich began their harsh training again. Elena was also included in their training as well. Since L was focused on tranting Clowon¡¯s letters, Elena¡¯s magic lessons naturally decreased as well. And Zich fully utilized Elena¡¯s new leisure time. Even if Elena was a mage, Zich stressed the importance of having basic stamina and trained her to the ground. As a result, Elena was able to fully taste the hell that Hans and Snoc experienced in their training.

    ¡°Hey, run more! Even if you¡¯re a mage, if you just stay inside your room all day, your brain is going to stiffen! You should know that as a Dwayne!¡±

    Elena had been running so hard that she couldn¡¯t even wipe her vomit or saliva. She almost screamed at Zich¡¯s words. As Zich said, even the magical tower rmended basic exercise. However, it was to the extent where exercise would help with studying magic and not hellish training like this.

    ¡°Your teacher also did the same thing! Are you going to give up!¡± Of course, Zich didn¡¯t expect Elena to reach L¡¯s level since L also had extremely high physical abilities and Elena¡¯s physical abilities were normal.

    However, Zich¡¯s words had a clear effect on Elena. Her eyes, which looked dazed, now regained focus. She gritted her teeth and began moving her legs again.

    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s it! Good job, Elena!¡± Zich loudly shouted as Elena¡¯s back moved further from him.

    ¡®This should be enough.¡¯ Even though Zich was pushing a very harsh training routine on Elena, he had no thoughts about continuing this type of training on her. She was not the type to fight physically, and she couldn¡¯t be called his disciples like Hans and Snoc.

    ¡®She needs to at least have some basic physical capabilities.¡¯

    If she wanted to continue traveling with Zich and hispanions, she needed to have basic stamina. It was also more advantageous in a battle, especially since Zich and hispanions were always getting themselves into dangerous situations.

    ¡®Demon Person, Demon Lord, Clowon, and Glen Zenard.¡¯

    Each and every person or ce he just listed was formidable. No matter how strong Zich was, he couldn¡¯t keep protecting hispanions from these obstacles. For that reason, they needed to do basic training. However, Zich also didn¡¯t concern himself more than necessary about this matter.

    ¡®In the first ce, they joined while knowing that they could fall into dangerous situations.¡¯

    Before Elena joined them, he had already gotten a reply from her grandfather. Most of all, she was that Elena Dwayne; as someone who knew how monstrously strong she could get as a mage, Zich wasn¡¯t that concerned.

    ¡®So what if our opponent is a Demon Person? Elena Dwayne used to be on a team that professionally hunted those people down.¡¯

    Even though Elena went around in a party before his regression, her strength used to be at the same level or above a top-tier Demon Person.

    ¡®Who knows, she might be an even stronger mage than before I regressed.¡¯

    Considering her talent, L¡¯s teachings, and the experiences she¡¯d gain in the near future, this was not a far-fetched thought. On the other hand, there was a high possibility that this would turn out to be true.

    ¡®In order to toughen her up for the future, harsh training is necessary.¡¯

    Of course, going through such difficult training for the first time could weaken the body instead, but Elena could use potions to heal herself. It was a rough but sure-fire method. This was also an extremely shocking event, but Zich was training Elena out of pure goodwill without calctions or out of sadistic tendencies. It was a very rare act from Zich. However, Elena had no leisure to think about such thoughts. Her mind waspletely nk as she ran mindlessly.

    ¡®While L is focused on deciphering the texts and Elena has free time from her magic studies, I need to raise her physical abilities to a certain level.¡¯

    After that, Elena could just train on maintaining her physical abilities. Zich stared at Elena who reached her destination and was running back again. She looked at Zich and turned her gaze to the side.

    Flinch! Her body shivered. She saw that Hans and Snoc were receiving training that was iparably harsher than hers.

    ¡°You guys are cking off!¡± With Zich¡¯s shout, Hans and Snoc straightened their posture. After Zich checked on them, he stared at Elena. ¡°Why aren¡¯t you quickly running!¡±

    Elena put more strength into her legs. This training continued until the sunset, and when the three returned back to their lodging, they were half-dead.

    * * *

    On the same day, Zich¡¯s group ate dinner with Joachim and Evelyn. It had been a while since they ate with them, and Joachim and Evelyn were also still staying inside the city.

    Joachim asked, ¡°Are the others not joining us?¡±

    The only ones in the dining room were Zich, L, Joachim, and Evelyn. None of Zich and L¡¯s disciples were present.

    Zich replied, ¡°I gave them a hard training regimen today, and all of them passed out. Really, they¡¯re all too weak.¡±

    ¡°Is that so?¡±

    Joachim and Evelyn didn¡¯t know about Zich¡¯s training method, so they just listened to his words without thinking much. But L had experience with Zich¡¯s training, and her hands trembled slightly. L made a silent prayer for Elena, Snoc, and Hans who were passed out on their beds as if they were dead.

    After they exchanged some small talk while eating and the dishes began to empty, Joachim opened his mouth. ¡°I¡¯m sorry Sir Zich, but would you be able to ept a request from me?¡±

 Chapter 312

    <h4>Chapter 312</h4>

    ¡°You want to request something, sir?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    As if he was ashamed to ask for Zich¡¯s help again after having received help from him not long ago, Joachim¡¯s face was a bit stiff. Zich smirked inside when he saw that face and thought, ¡®It¡¯s hrious to see him like this.¡¯

    Before the regression, Joachim brazenly bbered whatever was on his mind while following Zich; but now, he felt the shame of hisck of abilities after bing the count of a kingdom. Of course, this Joachim was different from that Joachim. Zich didn¡¯t intend to confuse the two, but he also didn¡¯t think of them aspletely separate entities.

    ¡®Although they aren¡¯t the Joachim and Evelyn I once knew, this is their past selves.¡¯ For that reason alone, Zich¡¯s heart went to these two, and Zich couldn¡¯t find a reason to deny these feelings. This was also the reason why Condel died a very pitiful and cruel death.

    ¡°I will hear you out first, sir.¡± Although Zich said this, he nned to fulfill Joachim¡¯s request if it wasn¡¯t difficult.

    ¡°To exin it simply, the work is eradicating bandits.¡±

    ¡°Bandits?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°Can you borate?¡±

    This was what Joachim told him: after solving Condel¡¯s case, citizens of Janmalpi and the Count who ruled over them were overjoyed. The Count of Janmalpi even said he would give his hand in helping the Dracul family recover their honor back, and this was all Joachim wanted. A few days after that, the Count brought a request to Joachim, saying that it was something that could help bring his family¡¯s honor back a bit.

    ¡°And that¡¯s stamping out bandits?¡±

    ¡°Yes. The Count is close to Marquess Campbell.¡±

    Because he was so focused on the conversation, Joachim had his eating utensils down. Inparison, Zich¡¯s te was already clean.

    ¡°Marquess Campbell is someone with a lot of influence in the kingdom.¡±

    ¡°That means he is someone who can aid you signifigantly, Count Dracul.¡±

    ¡°Yes, exactly.¡± Joachim nodded. ¡°I heard that Marquess Campbell¡¯s territory is swarming with bandits right now.¡±

    Zich tilted his head. ¡°Did the Marquess request help because of these bandits?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°Their numbers must be considerably high if the Marquess¡¯ troops can¡¯t handle them.¡±

    ¡°That doesn¡¯t seem to be the case. I don¡¯t know exactly why, but I heard their numbers aren¡¯t outstanding enough to turn over a whole estate.¡±

    ¡°Yet, they still need help?¡±

    It was hard to understand how a noble with a high title of Marquess was struggling to handle a limited number of bandits.

    ¡°Well, the Marquess doesn¡¯t have a lot of spare resources and soldiers to use right now. His estate is protecting the border against an antagonistic neighboring country. It¡¯s a country they actually fought just some decades ago.¡± It seemed like Joachim held negative emotions about this country as he let out slight difort when mentioning it.

    ¡°Thus, the Marquess has to always keep a certain number of troops at the side. However, it¡¯s not just because they are struggling¡ªthey are also fighting off pirates too.¡±

    ¡°Pirates?¡±

    ¡°Not too long ago, small groups of pirates created an alliance and developed into a formidable force. Thus, the Marquess ced a lot of effort into preparing troops against them and recently began fighting with them.¡±

    ¡°In short, the bandits are messing them up when they have to focus on fighting off pirates and also leave some troops as a reserve against the neighboring kingdom, right?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    It was definitely a difficult position that even a person from a high ss like the Marquess would struggle with.

    ¡°That¡¯s not all. Otherwise, the situation would¡¯ve been settled as an annoying situation already,¡± Joachim said.

    ¡°There¡¯s something more, sir?¡±

    ¡°The ce where the bandits operate is near a city called Bambis. It¡¯s one of the biggest cities among the Marquess¡¯nds and is sizable even inparison to the whole country. It¡¯s also a key point of transportation.¡±

    ¡°These bandits are sure bold. No, in this case, are they clever?¡±

    If these bandits were wreaking havoc knowing the situation the Marquess was in, they were clearly an intelligent group. At the very least, their heads seemed to work much better than most of themon bandits all over the world.

    ¡°We still don¡¯t know what kind of guys they are yet. We don¡¯t know if they are smart guys who have taken advantage of the situation or simply guys with a lot of luck.¡±

    Even if it was thetter, they couldn¡¯t look down on this group. Zich couldn¡¯t deny that one¡¯s luck was as important as their skills to survive in this world. ¡®Their forces could also keep getting bigger.¡¯

    Furthermore, if they attacked the residents living near the transportation hub, they would be able to get a continuous source of ie. Joachim¡¯s following words increased the severity of the situation even further. ¡°Since Bambis is a key transportation point, most of the supplies and goods in thend run through it. This includes the military supplies they need to eradicate the pirates.¡±

    ¡°¡­If it¡¯s to that degree, I suppose we can¡¯t just think that a band of bandits is running wild.¡±

    If they failed to eradicate the pirates because of the dy of military supplies, the Marquess¡¯ reputation along with Count Campbell¡¯s would fall into a pit.

    ¡°I think I have a clearer picture now. The situation totally warrants help from neighboring estates,¡± Zich said.

    ¡°The current Count¡¯s wife is also the Marquess¡¯ younger sister. I¡¯m sure that¡¯s also the reason why he sought the Count¡¯s help too.¡± The situation was even more understandable with the mention of the family connection.

    ¡°So, is Count Campbell sending support troops to the Marquess?¡±

    ¡°No, that¡¯s not it. The Marquess didn¡¯t request that. They do have a troop prepared to deal with the bandits.¡±

    ¡°Then, what kind of help do they need?¡±

    ¡°They need someone who can find the bandits¡¯ home base.¡±

    ¡°I guess that¡¯s giving them trouble.¡± The most troublesome matter to take care of when dealing with bandits was finding their home base. Normally, when trained armies were dispatched, they managed to get rid of bandits; but that was only the case if they fought face-to-face.

    ¡®There¡¯s no way those bandit guys would fight them head-on.¡±

    Most bandits hid their hideouts and ran elsewhere whenever they heard troops heading their way. Therefore, in order to fight off bandits, detection and scouting were more instrumental for sess, rather than actualbat abilities.

    ¡°Yes. On the other hand, the Marquess can¡¯t search the whole city while the entire country is focused on protecting the borders and gathering forces to fight off pirates in the sea, so he is very troubled.¡±

    ¡°So that is why you epted his request?¡±

    ¡°It seems as if the Count here was extremely impressed by our ability to defeat Condel Siede. I think he was even more impressed because his forces weren¡¯t able to catch even a sliver of the culprit¡¯s shadow, but we were able to find and finish him off in an extremely short time period. It¡¯s mostly thanks to you, Sir Zich.¡±

    ¡°Hmm. Then it seems like what I have to do is find the bandit¡¯s home base around Bambis.¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°I got it. I¡¯ll ept the request.¡± Without much thought, Zich easily epted Joachim¡¯s request, and Joachim¡¯s face brightened up.

    ¡°Thank you so much. Sir Zich, I keep being indebted to you in many ways.¡±

    ¡°Sir, you just have to return back the favor with a lot of interest.¡±

    ¡°Hahaha! I¡¯ll make sure to repay you,¡± Joachim chuckled loudly.

    ¡°However, I n to take care of this matter by myself. I ask for your understanding in this regard.¡±

    People stared at Zich with surprise. L had been nning to return to her room and gather her belongings without much thought, but she was especially surprised.

    ¡°What? Why suddenly?¡± L¡¯s voice reflected her surprise.

    However, Zich continued with a calm voice, ¡°We decided to stay here so that you can focus on your work.¡± Zich was referring to L deciphering Clowon¡¯s letters. ¡°There¡¯s no reason for you to go out of your way and hinder your work time. I¡¯m also really looking forward to your results.¡±

    L was secretly pleased with Zich¡¯s words since she thought that her tranting time was going to get cut again. ¡°But why are you going by yourself? You¡¯re not going to take the others with you?¡±

    ¡°Elena probably won¡¯t want to part with you. Rather than for our group to separate like that, it¡¯s better for me to go by myself and quickly take care of this matter. From what I heard, it doesn¡¯t seem like we need a lot of people for this job. The others will actually be a bother.¡±

    If Zich spread his senses as wide as possible and ran like crazy, he could probably catch at least a few targets. Considering this method, if anyone wasn¡¯t able to match up to Zich¡¯s speed yet, they¡¯d merely be a hindrance. Moreover, it was not as if Hans or Snoc¡¯s sensing abilities were as advanced as Zich¡¯s.

    ¡°Just let those two y here. I¡¯m sure they¡¯ll like that.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, for sure.¡±

    Even though Zich did give them free time before, there was no greater freedom than the absence of a terrifying watch guard. Zich decided to give thempletely free reign while he was gone.

    ¡°Okay, while you¡¯re gone, I¡¯ll work hard in deciphering the texts.¡± L agreed with Zich¡¯s suggestion.

    Zich stared at Joachim. ¡°Sir, it¡¯s turned out like this, so please send a report that I¡¯ll be the only lookout.¡±

    ¡°Yes, I understand.¡± Honestly, Joachim was a bit worried that Zich was going by himself, but he soon erased this concern from his mind. From what he knew, Zich had the best sense of judgment among hispanions.

    Like this, it was decided that Zich would be the only one traveling to Campbell.

    * * *

    After their meal was over, Joachim and Evelyn rode on the same carriage and headed towards Joachim¡¯s lodging. Since Evelyn¡¯s lodging was in the same ce as Zich¡¯s group, she didn¡¯t need to ride in a separate carriage from them, but she sometimes rode on Joachim¡¯s carriage when he visited to enjoy a short conversation together.

    It was not strange for the two people who experienced an intense and troubling event to grow closer. Moreover, that feeling had slowly developed further, and it now progressed into a state where they could exchange casual conversations like this in a carriage. Joachim stared at Evelyn who was sitting in front of him.

    She sighed while frowning deeply, ¡°Phew, it really seems like there¡¯s been no progress at all between those two.¡±

    Joachim knew about her concern, and he smiled bitterly. After talking to her a bit more these days, he found out what type of person she was.

    ¡°Well, it¡¯s Sir Zich and Ms. L after all. It¡¯s difficult to judge them based on normal standards.¡±

    ¡°But I wanted to see them get a bit closer. I know it¡¯s for a short while, but now they¡¯re even thinking about separating from each other.¡±

    Since he was the reason for their separation, Joachim remained silent.

    Evelyn noticed his reaction and was immediately startled. ¡°Ah, I¡¯m not ming you at all. I was just frustrated that those two are¡­¡±

    ¡°I understand. You don¡¯t have to be concerned about me.¡± However, the atmosphere couldn¡¯t be lightened up with just a few words; he needed to change the topic.

    Joachim threw in a topic that Evelyn would be very interested in. ¡°But I think there is some hope for those two.¡±

    As he intended, Evelyn immediately showed interest, ¡°Really? Honestly, Ms. L is just indifferent to romantic emotions and her sensitivities are still within ordinary boundaries. But Mr. Zich is so entric, he shows no interest in those matters at all¡ªI mean, how uninterested do you have to be to bring your date to a casino?¡± Evelyn even brought up past events andined.

    ¡°For me, I think that¡¯s why there¡¯s hope.¡±

    ¡°In what way?¡± Evelyn wondered what aspect of the casino date caused Joachim think that there was still hope for a human who nned such a ridiculous day.

    ¡°To be honest, it¡¯s not the first time Sir Zich faked a date. When I met him for the first time, he pretended to date someone during that time too, and his partner was Ms. Bargot. She was the one who killed my family and tried to ruin my estate.¡±

    Evelyn knew about this event to a certain extent, so she quietly nodded.

    ¡°During that time, Sir Zich approached Ms. Bargot to retrieve information from her, and he was extremely skillful. He escorted her so perfectly that in an instant, rumors spread around that they were lovers.¡±

    ¡°What? Then, why would a person like that¡­¡±

    ¡°Yes, so that¡¯s why I was also very surprised. After thinking deeply about this matter, I made a few conjectures.¡±

    Evelyn looked at him with great interest, and Joachim continued, ¡°I thought that Sir Zich did something that he really enjoyed on his date with Ms. L, rather than doing a date for the sake of showing others.¡±

    ¡°¡­So what you¡¯re saying is that the date he had with Ms. Bargot was merely an act, and the date he had with Ms. L was Mr. Zich¡¯s idea of a real date?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    Evelyn was momentarily shocked by thepletely unexpected answer. However, she was also excited that Joachim¡¯s conjecture fit her hopeful oue. Unfortunately, her excitement quickly died down.

    ¡°If that was his idea of a real date, isn¡¯t that also a serious problem?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡± Joachim was unable to respond to that question.

 Chapter 313

    <h4>Chapter 313</h4>

    Zich walked up a mountain. It was a deep forest where not even paths for mountain beasts existed, much less an organized road. A thick cluster of trees blocked his vision and every time he took a step, his foot ttened a bush. asionally, protruding tree roots or caved-in terrain tried to trip him but failed to hinder him. In this ce where only hunters or herb gatherers might tread in besides beasts and monsters, Zich kept a steadfast pace. After all, Zich was someone who preferred to walk in a straight line on a map even if the terrain in front of him was a mountain orke.

    ¡®It¡¯s quiet.¡¯ Zich looked up at the sky. The moonlight quietly seeped from the small gap between the thicket of trees. Cries from numerous insects rang throughout the surroundings, and Zich heard the roar of a mysterious beast from some distance away. Yet, Zich felt an extreme sense of serenity.

    ¡®Now that I think about it, how long has it been since I wandered around alone?¡¯

    Even before the regression, he gathered his underlings before fighting the world; after the regression, he traveled with Hans from the moment he left the Steelwalls. In other words, it had been a very long time ago since Zich traveled alone.

    ¡®Hm, this is good in its own way, but it also has its drawbacks.¡¯

    When he traveled in a group, he tortured¡ªno, trained Hans and Snoc while exchanging meaningless jokes with L. And from now on, Elena would be included in this group.

    ¡®Have I already be ustomed to the situation?¡¯

    If the people who loathed him before the regression saw Zich right now, they might have gasped in shock and denied the reality before them.

    Crack!

    While Zich was deep in his thoughts, he heard the sound of a tree branch snapping close by. Something was approaching him. Was it a beast? However, the presence he sensed suggested something else. Zich took out Windur from his back; it was still the stubborn sword that didn¡¯t disy its transformation abilities unless it determined it to be necessary. Its branch-like des reflected the seeping moonlight.

    Kurgh!

    It was a cry that clearly didn¡¯t belong to a human. Whileying Windur t, Zich scanned his surroundings. In the thicket of trees, there was nothing that caught his eyes. Yet, Zich managed to grasp their movements perfectly.

    ¡®There¡¯s seven of them in total.¡¯

    His opponents were orcs. They were monsters that he met whenever he crossed through the mountains. Although he usually made Hans and Snoc get rid of them, they weren¡¯t with him right now.

    ¡®Am I seriously missing those guys right now?¡¯ Zich smirked. It was a truly funny situation. ¡®Well, I was bored. This is good.¡¯

    Zich raised Windur slowly, and Windur looked as if it was growling while baring its fangs. ¡®They would help get rid of my boredom.¡¯

    Crash!

    Orcs burst out with their chilling shrieks. Zich¡¯s arm muscles wavered as he swung Windur. A terrifying scream rang across the forest for a moment before it fell into a deep silence again.

    * * *

    Arge path stretched out from the center of a big city in all directions. On tnd where there wasn¡¯t a single mountain in sight, the towering city seemed to look down on the pedestrians passing by it because of theck of tall naturalndscapes in the surroundings. Many people traveled back and forth from this city: merchants dragged loaded carriages with the items they nned to sell while travelers walked busily with their staffs as support. Indeed, it was no exaggeration to say that Marquess Campbell¡¯s territory was the center of logistics andmerce.

    Zich was one of the people walking this path. He walked leisurely and surveyed his surroundings.

    ¡®It really is going to be bothersome.¡¯

    Bandits tended to keep their hideouts inside the mountains since it was the best way to escape from subjugation armies. However, there was nothing that could be considered a mountain nearby¡ªthere were just a couple of small hills. There were several forests a bit of a distance away from the city that the bandits could possibly hide in, but they weren¡¯t that big either. Thus, it was a wonder how bands of bandits were roaming around in a ce like this.

    However, it was clear that bandits were in this area. People walking on the center of the road backed away from both sides as troops passed by them. While heavily armored, the soldiers observed all their surroundings warily with piercing eyes. Their gazes shot more sharply to those holding weapons, and their eyes even lingered on Zich for a bit and disappeared.

    They weren¡¯t doing simple surveince. It seemed like they were there to prevent bandits from ambushing the streets or entering the city, and the situation looked serious. A long line stretched across the road, starting from the castle walls. Security had been heightened around this checkpoint area because of the presence of bandits. Zich fumbled with the magic box in his belongings; inside, there was a que and certificate, which he got from Joachim, that could prove his identity. If he showed the guards these items, he would be able to pass through the walls immediately. However, Zich took his hands off the box.

    ¡®I should move alone for now.¡¯

    If he approached the city¡¯s administrators to report to them, they might end up trying to control his actions and behaviors. There was no one in this ce like Joachim who could guarantee Zich the utmost level of freedom. For now, Zich nned to run all around the city¡¯s surroundings with no specific area in mind and look for the bandits by searching for their presence.

    Zich quietly stood behind a long line stretching from the entrance of the castle¡¯s walls. He was tapping the ground with his feet while waiting in line when the castle walls suddenly burst open and troops rushed out. While riding on horses, soldiers sprinted across the road at a fast speed; in surprise, people scurried to the side.

    Zich stared at them. ¡®Did something happen?¡¯

    Perhaps, there was a bandit ambush. Zich quietly stepped out of the line and activated the invisibility artifact that L had made for him. Thankfully, since people¡¯s attention was focused on the troops that had just rushed past them, they didn¡¯t notice Zich¡¯s disappearance.

    The troops went straight across the road and took a sharp right turn in front of a split path. Zich followed the soldiers and also ran towards the right path. He ran for a while until he saw people with frozen expressions. Some people¡¯s faces were even pale with fear. Something was definitely up.

    After a while, the soldiers reached their destination, and Zich hid near their surroundings. The ce they reached was a path that cut through a small forest near Bambis. It seemed as if the city continuously took care of this path since it was quite wide. However, the path that had always acted as a wonderful guide to peacefully lead people to their next destination had changed into a horrific scene of carnage.

    Even though most of the remains had seeped into the soil, people could see the horrors of the ughter from the ckened road. There were bodies on the ground, but they had been mutted to such an extent that it was difficult to identify them. The soldiers came down from their horses and began controlling the situation. The people walking on the road began to move to one side of the road or slowly moved along. The onlookers gazing at the horrifying scene also began to scatter.

    Zich maintained a safe distance away from themotion and climbed on top of a tree to secure a clear view. The gruesome scene on the road came into view.

    ¡®Monsters didn¡¯t do this.¡¯

    Even though the corpses were destroyed to the extent where one could barely tell they were human, Zich was sure of this. There were sharp knife marks on the corpses; it was definitely the work of humans. Moreover, the corpses were naked; no matter how poor someone was, nobody went around naked, so it was safe to assume that they had their clothes taken away from them.

    ¡®It seems like the bandits did this.¡¯

    In reality, the soldiers looking at the scene also said that as well. It was impossible to identify the victims. Needless to say, they couldn¡¯t determine the corpses¡¯ statuses since they had been mutted to unrecognizable shapes. People nced at the terrifying scene as they walked by; their faces were filled with horror. However, Zich was indifferent. He had seen way too much blood in his life for this kind of event to stir his heart.

    On the other hand, he even thought, ¡®If I fix an extremely serious event like this, it would probably be very helpful to Joachim.¡¯

    Zich quietly moved away. There was nothing more he could learn from this ce. He secretly removed the invisibility spell so that no one around the forest could notice him. Then, he blended in with the people walking on the road. After a while, he was able to enter Bambis.

    * * *

    Zich first found lodging to stay in and wandered around the city. As expected of the hub of Campbell estate¡¯s trade andmerce, the streets in Bambis overflowed with people. Rare items were disyed in front of houses where people lived. People¡¯s faces were vibrant and full of life, but there also seemed to be traces of nervousness in them.

    ¡®It must be because of the bandits.¡¯

    Zich wandered around the city for a while, and then the sun began to set. He began to grow hungry. Zich decided to eat dinner and return back to his lodging for today. Rather than a fancy meal, Zich looked for ces to eat a simple meal and have a ss of alcohol. Zich made a small smile because his situation was very different from a few days ago when he and hispanions energetically moved around to find a ce to eat.

    ¡®Was I such a sentimental guy?¡¯ Zich didn¡¯t know if he should get angry that his heart had softened, or if he should be surprised that he had this kind of sentimentality.

    ¡®Well, it doesn¡¯t matter. If I like it, I should just live like that.¡¯ Zich was about to go to a restaurant in front of him when he slightly moved to the side.

    Crash!

    The door of the restaurant roughly opened, and one person came flying out. The person rolled on the ground several times and stopped moving; it seemed as if they had lost consciousness. Passersby began murmuring to themselves at the suddenmotion. Zich went inside the store and saw a mess.

    The tables and chairs were flipped over, and some of the chairs were also broken. Food and spilled drinks littered the floor and sullied the whole ce. Among this mess, Zich also saw people copsed on the floor. On one side of the store, there was a crowd of people that looked like customers; they looked angry, afraid, and horrified.

    After Zich finished scanning his surroundings, he looked back to the center of the store. He saw three people surrounding one person. It looked like a group of people bullying one person, but surprisingly, the group of people looked scared instead.

    ¡°You bastard!¡± One person in the group began attacking the person in the middle. There was a small dagger in his hand. A few people let out screams when they saw the dagger. However, there was no sound of a sharp knife slicing through skin and muscle. Instead, the hard sound of bones breaking rang out in the store.

    ¡°k!¡± The person holding the dagger let out a painful scream and fell to the ground. The arm he was using to hold the dagger dropped and dangled to the side.

    ¡°Damn it!¡±

    ¡°Kill him!¡±

    The remaining two people rushed towards the man in the middle, but the man did not even blink. Instead, he broke the bones of his two opponents at the speed of light. In an instant, the fight was over. Zich stared at the victor.

    The man had long, unruly hair. He had a refreshing, handsome face, but his fierce expression made people reluctant to approach him. His aura was like that of a wild beast.

 Chapter 314

    <h4>Chapter 314</h4>

    There were voices belonging to the people who watched the fight. The rough-looking man was quite famous but for the wrong reasons. Words like ¡®human trash¡¯ and ¡®scum of the earth¡¯ asionally passed between the viewers¡¯ mouths.

    ¡°What are you all looking at, you bastards!¡±

    The man red at his audience and pressured them. All the onlookers quickly turned their eyes away. He clearly talked like a gangster, and soon his eyesnded on Zich. Perhaps, he didn¡¯t like the way Zich was looking at him. He focused his eyes and red at Zich. Anyone could see that he was a second away from making provocations.

    Normally, Zich would have red back at the man, as if he was asking what the man was looking at or rejoicing at the opportunity to stretch out his fists; but Zich lowered his gaze. He quietly stuck close to the wall and moved to where the other bystanders were. If L had been beside him, she would have asked if he was hurting anywhere and would gently suggest a visit to the hospital with worry. The gangster who looked at Zich disgruntledly soon lost interest and took his eyes away after snorting. Then, he kicked the guys copsed on the ground on their stomachs once each and walked to the shop¡¯s entrance.

    ¡°W¡ªwait¡­!¡± a hesitant but desperate voice called out. The gangster turned around and red at the owner of the voice: he was a chubby, middle-aged man whose head was half balding. The middle-aged man took one step back while hupping as if he was afraid. Still, he managed to croak, ¡°E-Even if it¡¯s you, you have topensate for the shop¡­.¡±

    It seemed like this middle-aged man was the owner of this shop. It was understandable that he wanted to get somepensation after seeing his shop in ruins. Furthermore, it wasn¡¯t just that the state of the shop was in a mess; some of the furniture inside it was pretty much destroyed. It was to the point that the shop owner couldn¡¯t let this man go no matter how scared he was. However, the shop owner¡¯s bravery didn¡¯tst long.

    ¡°What?¡± The gangster¡¯s face looked cross as he tightened his fist, and his joints cracked. His action wouldn¡¯t have even called forughter among trained fighters, but formon civilians like the owners who lived a life far away from violence, they were very intimidating. The owner shut his mouth and looked down.

    The gangster looked at the shop owner with amusement and spat on the floor. The shop owner couldn¡¯t say anything as the gangster went out of the shop while cackling. With his departure, the inside of the shop became quiet again.

    ¡°L-Let¡¯s also go.¡±

    The spectators nced at the shop owner and left. The only ones left in the messed-up shop was the owner nkly at the space before him, and Zich. But Zich also joined the rest of the group leaving the ce. Once he was outside, he saw the gangster from far away. Other people let out a string of insults while also looking at the gangster¡¯s back but took a different path from him. However, Zich quietly followed the gangster while keeping a distance. The gangster took some twists and turns a couple of times and disappeared from Zich¡¯s view, but Zich didn¡¯t lose track of him.

    Soon, the gangster went inside an inn. Zich secretly peered inside, using the windows on the sides of the entrance. The gangster was climbing up a staircase casually like he was familiar with the ce. It seemed obvious that he lived here, and Zich felt his presence inside a room. After finding out the gangster¡¯s lodging ce, Zich returned to the shop where the gangster had caused trouble. There was already a sign that the shop was closed in front of the door.

    Zich found the door unlocked, so he opened it and went inside the shop. The owner was wiping the floor with his shoulders heavily drooped. When he noticed Zich, he said curtly, ¡°Business is closed today. There¡¯s a sign on the door.¡±

    Zich didn¡¯t respond and headed towards the table inside. The shop owner furrowed his eyebrows and was about to tell Zich off once more.

    Thud!

    Zich ced a small pouch on top of the table. The threads on its opening were slightly loose, revealing the goods inside it: money. The owner stared at Zich in surprise.

    ¡°It¡¯s probably much more than the crushed furniture and the business you lostbined. With this much, I think I can at least ask for one meal even if this ce is closed. Do you need more?¡±

    The owner shook his head. From a nce, he could tell the money in the sack wasn¡¯tcking but an excessive sum. Zich took out a chair near him and sat. ¡°Can I get the most popr menu you have and one bottle of alcohol?¡±

    ¡°P-Please wait a moment!¡± Since it was an ordering from a person who could change today¡¯s misfortune into luck, the owner rushed into the kitchen.

    Not long afterward, the owner brought out a fairlyrge number of dishes and a bottle of alcohol that clearly looked extremely valuable. Then, he took furtive nces at Zich and the money pouch that he hadn¡¯t received yet. Perhaps, he had a conscience or was a simply shy person, but he didn¡¯t say anything.

    Zich smirked and poured alcohol into his cup. Then, he pointed at his pouch of money.

    ¡°Take this.¡±

    ¡°T-Thank you.¡± The shop owner hurriedly took the money pouch and peeked inside. When he saw that there was more money than he expected, his jaw hung open and sillyughter flowed out of it.

    ¡°Sir, since your business seems to be over for today, could you answer some of my questions?¡±

    ¡°Of course, sir! I will answer everything to the best of my knowledge!¡±

    ¡°You know the gangster who caused trouble in this shop earlier¡­¡±

    The owner¡¯s face, which had looked as if he would have done anything at Zich¡¯s request, faltered a bit.

    ¡°I¡¯m just curious what kind of fellow that guy was.¡±

    ¡°That¡­¡± The owner hesitated to speak. It seemed as if he was afraid of the repercussions he would get if he spoke rashly.

    Thud.

    Zich pushed another pouch filled with money towards him. The owner¡¯s eyes immediately shot towards it.

    ¡°I will never tell anyone that I heard from you.¡±

    The owner¡¯s eyes made a full circle from the money pouch to Zich. After some time, the owner took the money pouch as if he had made up his mind. Then, he cussed, ¡°That guy is a fucking gangster bastard!¡±

    Like he had a lot of things to say about this topic, he took a chair and sat in front of Zich. He let out a stream of insults against the gangster again. The gangster¡¯s name was Tim tt, and he was quite a notorious gangster in this city.

    ¡°Like today, if he gets into a dispute, he starts fighting and breaking things without considering the situation or ce. He is also quick to hit people.¡±

    Zich dipped his bread deep into the soup and ate it while listening carefully to the owner¡¯s story. It was a fact in life that if the listener showed a good reaction, the speaker would also be more eager to talk. After seeing how well Zich listened to him, the owner who had been awkwardly moving his lips began to talk more smoothly.

    ¡°Did you not report him?¡±

    ¡°Of course I did! But the higher folks don¡¯t care about one, low-level gangster who prowls around alleys like this! Moreover, he got arrested once before. I don¡¯t know if he has someone backing him up or not, but he got quickly released! But the person who reported him received punishment for no reason!¡±

    It was not surprising. It wasmon for corrupt city officials to take bribes and watch the backs of mafias and gangsters. The owner said that Tim tt was probably one of those people.

    ¡°The same thing happened today! Why did he have to get into a fight with random gangsters! If they want to fight, they should just fight amongst themselves. Why did they have to fight inside the store and damage the goods here when they don¡¯t have the slightest inclination topensate me!¡±

    It seemed as if the owner also hadn¡¯t been able to receivepensation from the people who fought Tim. For that reason, the owner immediately epted the money that Zich offered. The owner continued to spout out insults against Tim for a while. Zich sometimes nodded his head while he finished his food and alcohol.

    After Zich finished his meal, he went outside the store. The store owner humbly greeted Zich out of the store. The sunpletely set and the moon appeared in the sky, but Zich didn¡¯t head towards his lodging. The ce he headed for was the front of Tim¡¯s lodging. He climbed on top of a nearby rooftop and stared at Tim¡¯s lodging like a statue; he looked like a chilling stalker.

    More time passed, and light began to slowly seep out from across the darkness. However, Zich did not move an inch. People began to slowly move and do their work, but even then, Zich did not move. After a while, the door of the lodging that Zich was staring at opened and Tim came out. Zich¡¯s eyes sparkled.

    Tap!

    Zich lightly jumped down the building and began to follow Tim. As the owner said, Tim looked like a picture-perfect gangster. He walked in a dangerous manner, and if he didn¡¯t like something, he would express his frustration and swear. Whenever someone picked a fight with him, he¡¯d immediately swung his fists. Zich keenly watched this sight.

    * * *

    Tim went to a certain store that night; it seemed as if he went inside to eat dinner. Zich waited a bit and then followed Tim inside the store and ordered food. The food tasted all right; while Zich ate his stew, he persistently looked at Tim. He didn¡¯t know how much time passed until¡ª

    ¡°I found you bastard!¡± Someone burst into the store and came inside. They looked familiar.

    ¡®They¡¯re the punks whom Tim beat the crap out of.¡¯ The injuries and marks all over their bodies were evidence of this.

    Even though Zich used the potions he got from Lube like water, potions were actually extremely precious items. It was not strange for random street thugs to still have their injuries. They all red at Tim; it seemed as if they hade to get their revenge against him. Moreover, they also had many more people with them than before.

    Tap!

    Tim let go of his spoon. Then, he slowly got up. ¡°Ah, you fucking bastards. Why do you guys always have to fuck with me when I¡¯m eating?¡± He turned to them while saying rough words.

    The thugs flinched. It seemed as if their fears from yesterday were still present. However, they gained courage from the numbers on their side.

    ¡°Fuck that bastard!¡±

    The store fell into argemotion. The customers enjoying their meals in a rxed manner screamed and stuck to the wall. Since the thugs had blocked the entrance with their big bodies, they weren¡¯t able to escape. The owner looked as if they didn¡¯t know what to do as they watched their store getting destroyed and let out screams. Only one person¡ªZich¡ªcalmly continued his meal. Moreover, he watched the fight in front of him with a rxed posture as if he was an audience watching an interesting y.

    ¡°Kueck!¡± A thug let out a strange scream and flew towards Zich. He lightly waved his hand.

    Punch!

    ¡°Kkuck!¡± The thug¡¯s body changed direction and mmed into the ground.

    Zich paid no attention to the thug he hit and focused his attention on the fight in front of him. The fight soon ended. The result of the fight today was the same as yesterday. Even though Tim¡¯s opponents had increased, thest one standing was Tim tt, and the inside of the store was aplete mess again.

    ¡°M-my store¡­¡±

    Tim red threateningly at the owner copsed on the ground and murmured to themselves. Then, he approached the nearest thug and began relentlessly kicking him.

    ¡°If! I! Let! You! Guys! Go off easy! You should have! Quietly! Fucked off! How dare you! Try to fight! Me! Again!¡±

    The thug tried to curl his body up as much as possible from Tim¡¯s unforgiving kicks. The people around him became pale in fear at the violent scene in front of them.

    ¡°Ahahahhahahahahahahaha!¡± A burst of loudughter rang out in the store. People¡¯s gazes headed towards the direction of theugh. Tim also stopped kicking. The person whoughed was Zich, and he quickly got up from his chair.

    ¡°¡­Who is this bastard?¡± Tim frowned at this unexpected situation.

    Zich slowly moved towards Tim whose frown deepened; he violently clenched his fist and was about to say something to Zich, ¡°What are y¡ª!¡±

    Grab!

    Zich suddenly grabbed Tim¡¯s hand. He heartilyughed, ¡°Yep! You trashy bastard! You are definitely trash!¡±

    Tim¡¯s face contorted into a bizarre expression. Zich paid zero attention to Tim¡¯s face; he was too busy expressing his happiness at seeing a familiar face.

    ¡°Hey trash, I¡¯m really happy to see you! Do you know how happy I am that you¡¯re still aplete trash human being?¡±

    Zich continued to talk about trash to a startled Tim, ¡°Yep, this is how it should be! You should still be trash! There¡¯s no way the great Tim tt would not be trash! The trash among trash! The greatest trash! The king of trash!¡±

    ¡°What, you bastard!¡± Tim yelled with a vein popping out of his forehead.

    Zich replied cheerfully, ¡°Why, you trashy shit!¡±

 Chapter 315

    <h4>Chapter 315</h4>

    At that time, Zich was clutching the back of his neck while Joachim bathed in a pool of blood and Evelyn searched the corpses for handsome faces.

    ¡°What are you doing, leader?¡± A new voice called out for Zich and made his headache worse.

    As if he didn¡¯t want to turn his head, Zich forcefully moved his neck like a rusty wheel that hadn¡¯t moved in a long time to check the owner of the voice. What caught his eyes was the man¡¯s hair that was as white as snow. His hair looked as if it had passed through a long period of time as ity over his handsome face. However, what finally caught hold of viewers¡¯ eyes was neither his aged hair or his face which looked like it would gain the affection of manydies. It was his eyes. He had the devil¡¯s eyes that could make most people¡¯s body hair stand up at once, lose all the strength in their legs, andnd on their own mess.

    Upon closer inspection, his body appeared to be covered in blood. His white hair was also colored in red as if he had poured dye over them. Of course, the blood didn¡¯t belong to him but the enemies that were lying somewhere in this area of death. This white-haired man was one of Zich¡¯s subordinates: Tim tt, also known as the Werewolf. He was also the guy who was the worst at listening to Zich¡¯s orders.

    Zich was tired of Joachim¡¯s and Evelyn¡¯s entricities, so he didn¡¯t wee Tim¡¯s appearance. Zich knew Tim would bring him more annoyance and rage than those two.

    ¡°What are those guys doing?¡± Tim asked while looking at Joachim and Evelyn and clicking his tongue.

    ¡°As you can see, Joachim is bathing in blood while Evelyn is collecting the heads of handsome men,¡± Zich answered.

    ¡°Such perverted bastards. How do their heads work so that they can think of things like that to do?¡±

    It seemed Joachim and Evelyn had heard him. Joachim clicked his tongue sarcastically while Evelyn outrightly red at him. However, this made Tim puff out his chest even more. One could almost hear an echo of the phrase, ¡®So, what?¡¯ even when he didn¡¯t say such words.

    ¡°¡­I can¡¯t believe that¡¯sing from you,¡± Zich said to Tim.

    ¡°Why? I¡¯m disappointed to hear that from you, Boss.¡±

    Among all Zich¡¯s subordinates, the one who was most like Zich was Tim. For instance, they both were greedy for strength. However, there were also clear differences between them. While Zich didn¡¯t possess many worldly desires and didn¡¯t care for murder that much, Tim enjoyed debauchery and ughter. Although the people Zich usually stomped on and tormented his enemies, Tim crushed and insulted everyone he deemed weaker than him. To put it simply, Zich was someone who purely sought strength while Tim was someone who enjoyed wielding this strength. Thus, Zich¡¯s other subordinates didn¡¯t hesitate to call Tim pure trash. Yet, no one insulted genuinely from their hearts since they were all Demon People¡ªthey were all insane and rotten to the core. Thus, it was just light-hearted joking among colleagues.

    ¡®Of course, they must all really think he is trash though.¡¯

    It was some unbelievable disy of teamwork; if these subordinates were the punishment for his sins, Zich thought it might be better if he started doing a few good acts from now on.

    ¡®How would I be able to do it?¡± On second thought, Zich realized that he didn¡¯t know the method and gave up on the thought immediately.

    Tim wandered between the corpses and kicked them. He seemed to be checking if any one of them were alive. To his disappointment, there were only corpses.

    Kick!

    Tim kicked one of the corpses hard. The corpse got tangled up with other corpses and fell on top of the others, making a huge b of meat. Unlike other corpses, the corpse was well-armored, and a crest engraved on its chest te seemed to indicate that he was someone of a high-standing position.

    ¡°What kind of guy was he?¡± Zich asked.

    ¡°You don¡¯t remember, Boss? He¡¯s the guy who bbered on about justice, judgment, and all that crap in front of all these guys earlier.¡±

    ¡°¡­Ah, that¡¯s him?¡±

    Since there were so many guys just like the fallen soldier, Zich barely paid attention to their words. He could only faintly remember what that man said because it had not been that long ago before he had turned into a corpse.

    ¡°But that guy was the first one to die under your hands.¡±

    ¡°Yes, he did,¡± Tim chuckled. Then, he started kicking the corpse. Although he didn¡¯t use mana, Tim¡¯s body was already a weapon and could crush the corpse further. ¡°All talk! And nothing behind it! What a stupid bastard!¡± Tim spat a string of curses as he kicked the corpse.

    He smiled sadistically. Evelyn sneakily approached Zich and asked, ¡°What do you think that perverted bastard is nning to do?¡±

    Although Zich wanted to retort back and gossip about Tim with her, he mped his mouth shut when he saw the heads hanging from her waist.

    Tim stared at the sky and looked at Joachim this time. After cupping his hands and filling it with blood, he scattered them in the sky. As the blood poured down like rain over him, Tim smiled.

    ¡®¡­Should I really try learning how to do kind acts?¡¯ Zich thought again as he watched his hopeless subordinates.

    * * *

    After recalling his past memory for a bit, he checked the person right before him. With his appearance, personality, voice, and characteristic frowning face, Tim tt appeared exactly like the Werewolf he once knew.

    ¡®Yeah! This is how it should be!¡¯

    It had beenpletely ridiculous up to this point. One guy was nicknamed the Vampire because of his ability to control blood had hemophobia while the other one was nicknamed Subus and killed men by taking away their vitality feared of men. Thus, considering Tim¡¯s violent personality, Zich had thought Tim tt might have been a peaceful scaredy-cat in the past. Yet, Tim tt appeared before him exactly as the trash he was before the regression. Zich couldn¡¯t help but feel deeply moved.

    ¡®I¡¯m so d I avoided a fight with him at first sight!¡¯ The reason why Zich quietly overlooked Tim¡¯s provocations was to make sure that he was a bad person. Aafter observing him for the whole day, it seemed clear that Tim tt was trash. Zich almost got the same feeling one would get meeting another person of the same nationality as him in a foreign country.

    However, this was all strictly in Zich¡¯s mind. Tim tt, whose hands were grabbed for no apparent reason and was called ¡®trash¡¯ at first sight, obviously got angry.

    ¡°What the hell is up with this crazy bastard!¡± Tim roughly pulled away from his hand and swung his fist. He looked extremely agitated since he put a lot of strength into his fist. Moreover, even though he hadn¡¯t expected Zich¡¯s actions, he felt threatened that his hands were caught so easily by a random stranger.

    However, Zich narrowly avoided his fist. Tim was surprised; he couldn¡¯t believe that someone evaded his fist. He hadn¡¯t controlled his strength like when he fought the thugs earlier either.

    However, it wasn¡¯t only Tim who was surprised. Zich was also surprised.

    ¡®This guy, he¡¯s pretty strong already!¡¯ However, Zich could understand why. Even among his four subordinates, Tim tt had the highestbat abilities. If Zich¡¯s forces and anotherrge force collided, Tim was always at the forefront of battle.

    Tim lowered his eyes; his sloppy posture disappeared. He moved his feet to center his bnce and lifted his fists.

    ¡®Is he nning to fight me seriously now?¡¯

    Tim waspletely different from when he fought the local thugs; the surrounding people sucked in their breath as Tim let out a threatening aura. Zich¡¯s hand also flinched. His hands itched to immediately take out Windur from his back.

    However, unlike Tim, Zich was a person trying to do kind acts. He couldn¡¯t fight in a store full of people. Moreover, he had no desire to fight Tim in the first ce.

    ¡°Hey, sorry about this.¡± Zich raised his hands to show that he had no intentions to fight. ¡°You look like someone I know. I was mistaken.¡±

    ¡°¡­If you¡¯re sorry, why don¡¯t you lower your murderous aura?¡±

    Even though Zich had his hands raised, he let out a murderous aura as if he was going to jump into battle at any moment.

    ¡°If I rx right now, I think you¡¯ll immediately attack me.¡±

    ¡°Do I look like a guy who¡¯d do that?¡±

    ¡°Do you think you¡¯re not the type to do that?¡± If it was the Tim he knew, Tim would definitely ambush him at the right moment.

    Tim red at Zich. Even though he wanted to immediately rush towards Zich and turn him into mush, Zich didn¡¯t seem like an easy opponent. Even though Zich had his hands up, his muscles were tense as if he could move at any time, and there was a threatening aura surrounding him. Moreover, he had a bizarre-looking sword on his back. However, Tim didn¡¯t retreat, and Zich could easily guess why.

    ¡®That guy really hates getting treated like a weakling. He¡¯s probably worried that people will think he¡¯s a coward if he gets treated like this.¡¯

    Then, the best solution was to reinforce his pride. Zich said, ¡°I¡¯m really sorry. I sincerely apologize for calling you trash.¡±

    Then, Zich took out a jewel from his box and threw it at Tim. His eyes grew wide open. ¡°That¡¯s probably enough for an apology.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡± After scanning the jewel, Tim stared at Zich. His greedy eyes looked as if he wanted to take Zich¡¯s entire luggage. However, Tim looked like he wasn¡¯t sure if he could beat Zich, so he didn¡¯t rush to attack Zich.

    ¡°¡­Fine! Since you gave me something like this, I¡¯ll generously look over your behavior.¡± Tim put the jewel in his pocket. ¡°Consider yourself lucky.¡±

    Then Tim left the store. Zich looked at him with a pleased face.

    ¡®It¡¯s really great to see that he has no manners.¡¯ It was really Zich¡¯s type of appreciation.

    * * *

    Even though Zich was very happy about his fun reunion with Tim, he didn¡¯t forget his original mission. He went outside the city¡¯s walls. Then, he spread his senses out as wide as possible and began running outside the city like crazy. He used the invisibility artifact whenever there were people nearby since it would be bothersome if a rumor spread around that there was a strange guy running around like crazy outside the city.

    As his usual shameless self, Zich wouldn¡¯t be bothered by such rumors, but the bandits might be threatened if these strange rumors reached their ears. Zich patrolled outside the city for several days. Since Zich was able to run at an extremely fast speed, the amount of area he was able to cover in several days surpassed people¡¯s imaginations.

    However, he couldn¡¯t find anything. He found several people living outside the city, but they were all poor people pushed out of the city. Judging by their numbers and movements, they were definitely not bandits. Zich had no sess today as well. He sat down on a field outside the city.

    ¡®It¡¯s getting difficult.¡¯

    The bandit¡¯s base was at least not outside the city.

    ¡®What should I do now?¡¯

    The first possibility was to continue to run around the city and jumping on the bandits when they ambushed people outside the city. However, this n was too dependent on luck. Moreover, after investigating the bandits for the past few days in the cities, Zich realized that the bandits¡¯ radius of activity was extremely wide, so the feasibility of this n was even lower.

    However, Zich didn¡¯t give up; he did have an idea in mind. Judging by the situation right now, no matter how much he searched outside the city, he wouldn¡¯t be able to find the bandit¡¯s home base.

    ¡®It¡¯s simple actually. If they¡¯re not outside, they must be inside.¡¯

    Zich turned his back. Bambis¡¯ thick walls looked like a gray tent hiding something inside the city.

 Chapter 316

    <h4>Chapter 316</h4>

    Zich opened the door. Beyond the delicious aromaing from inside the shop, he heard some chaotic noises. He stepped inside without hesitation. It was the restaurant that Tim had called ¡®trash¡¯ repeatedly just a few days ago. As if themotion that happened there before was a lie, the restaurant was full of vitality. The owner of the restaurant had looked at the sky as it was about to copse, he was now taking orders while beads of sweat trickled down his face.

    Zich raised his hand to make an order.

    ¡°Yes! What should I get y¡­!¡± When the restaurant owner checked Zich¡¯s face, he looked surprised. It seemed like he recognized Zich. After all, it had only been a few days since he grabbed Zich¡¯s hand and sang about how evil the gangster who messed up his shop was.

    ¡°Are you not going to take my order?¡±

    ¡°Sorry? Ah, yes.¡±

    The restaurant owner handed the menu to him. Zich ordered a simple meal and one ss of beer, and the restaurant owner left while taking the menu board with him. Zich looked around the shop.

    ¡®He isn¡¯t here.¡¯

    Zich couldn¡¯t find the person he was looking for, but he wasn¡¯t disappointed. If he was the person Zich was looking for, there was a high chance that guy was looking for Zich. Furthermore, Zich knew where that guy lived already. However, since the situation would get easier if that guy approached Zich first, ZIch waited in the spot where hest saw Tim.

    ¡®I don¡¯t think I will have to wait that long either.¡¯

    The restaurant owner¡¯s attitude was strange. As if he was looking at a dark magical object that would curse him if he got too close, the owner quickly took Zich¡¯s order and distanced himself. There was really no apparent reason for the owner to act in this manner. Although Zich had caused some trouble with Tim at the shop, he resolved the situation pretty well and didn¡¯t have any troubles with the owner after that. Perhaps, he was worried that Tim would stir up some trouble if he epted Zich as a customer, but Zich thought it was something else.

    ¡®This proves that Tim is looking for me.¡¯ Then, Zich could understand the restaurant owner¡¯s attitude. If the guy who wrecked his shop was looking for Zich, he probably wouldn¡¯t want to even go near him at all. If he could, the owner probably wanted to chase Zich away. Yet, Zich¡¯s connection with Tim also robbed him of the option to do so. If the owner chased away the person Tim was looking for and Tim heard of it, there was a high chance that Tim would flip the restaurant upside down again. Thus, the owner probably wanted Zich to quickly finish his meal and leave the restaurant.

    ¡°Here it is.¡±

    Zich¡¯s guesswork was urate since his food came out much earlier than the other table¡¯s. However, Zich had no intention of granting the owner¡¯s wish. He shredded the bread and dipped the pieces into his soup. Then he ced it into his mouth; a savory and salty smell lingered around his lips.

    ¡®It really is quite a good ce.¡¯ Since he had toe to this restaurant for several days, he would have been annoyed if their food wasn¡¯t tasty. Zich savored his meal and enjoyed it very slowly. He saw the restaurant owner fidget while looking at him from a distance, but Zich didn¡¯t care. Like that, he cleared his food and drink and ced his utensils down. The owner looked relieved, but it was too soon to respond that way.

    Zich stretched out his hand and called the restaurant owner, ¡°One more ss of beer and snacks to go with it.¡±

    The restaurant owner swallowed back the cries he wanted to let out.

    * * *

    Like he was teasing the anxious restaurant owner, Zich sipped his alcohol. As he did this, Zich noticed someone entering the shop. The door to the restaurant opened, and Zich¡¯s eyes shot towards it. The restaurant owner weed customers while swallowing back his sighs due to Zich¡¯s presence, but he suddenly froze in ce. Opposite him, Zich¡¯s eyes sparkled in wee. The person who entered the shop just now was Tim.

    With his usual swagger, Tim nced across the shop. Zich took his eyes off from Tim and tilted his beer ss to act like he failed to see Tim. Soon, the sound of footsteps approached him, and two feet stopped next to Zich¡¯s table. Zich raised his head and saw that Tim was standing right next to him.

    Zich asked, ¡°What is it, sir?¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t remember me?¡±

    ¡°I do. That¡¯s why I am asking you. I don¡¯t think our rtionship is one where we can chat with each other. Do you still have some unresolved anger about the incident fromst time?¡±

    ¡°It is resolved. Very resolved.¡± Tim shed his teeth and smiled. He took out a chair in front of Zich and sat down. Then, he shouted to the restaurant owner, ¡°Give me one ss of beer!¡±

    The owner looked at Tim with an indescribable expression; but like he had given up, he hung his head low and moved to prepare the drink.

    ¡°You aren¡¯t nning to not pay, right?¡±

    ¡°What? What do you take me for? I have loads of money. I won¡¯t steal a ss like this.¡±

    Yet, Zich continued to look at him suspiciously and said, ¡°You can¡¯t sneakily ce the cost of your food onto my billter.¡±

    ¡°Okay, I get it. I will pay for this drink in advance. Will that satisfy you?¡± Tim took out money from his pockets and ced it on top of the table. It was more than the price of one ss of beer. When the restaurant owner came with his ss of beer, Tim handed over the money.

    ¡°I will pay first. You can keep the change.¡±

    ¡°Ah, yes¡­¡± The owner hesitated, worried that Tim would cause trouble and try to get the money back; in the end, he had no choice but to ept it. The owner quickly epted the money and moved far away from the table.

    ¡°Okay, so what is it? Even if we resolved the situation, I don¡¯t think it¡¯smon to sit at the same table with someone you had trouble with for no reason,¡± Zich said.

    ¡°You shouldn¡¯t act so rigid. I am not the type of person who holds others ountable for their past actions. I already forgot what you did,¡± Tim said. Zich was sure that Tim was lying.

    Tim held strong contempt for people¡¯s past wrongdoings; there was no way he didn¡¯t. Although the Tim tt before him wasn¡¯t the ¡®Werewolf¡¯ Zich knew, Zich knew what Tim said was a lie based on the behaviors Tim had disyed until now. Zich smirked and drank his beer; it was to show that he didn¡¯t believe in Tim¡¯s words.

    Obviously, since Tim had a shitty personality, he grew annoyed. ¡°What the hell? You don¡¯t believe me?¡±

    ¡°If you were me, would you believe your words?¡± Zich dropped his honorifics and replied. Tim had been fake smiling so far, and he stiffened at Zich¡¯s words.

    The owner watching them from afar also stiffened as the atmosphere between the two became tense.

    ¡°¡­This bastard, when I¡¯m trying to be nice!¡±

    ¡°You want my money?¡± Zich cut off Tim who was about to angrily yell at him. Tim immediately shut his mouth.

    Tim was startled that Zich had realized his intentions; he wondered if he should agree or deny Zich¡¯s words. Should he continue getting angry or try to be friendly again? Tim¡¯s thoughts became a mess because Zich cut him off with perfect timing.

    ¡®Cute punk.¡¯ At times like this, it was easy to see Tim¡¯sck of expertise.

    Zich said, ¡°Well, fine. I can give you more.¡±

    Tim shut his mouth again after he had finally decided to continue yelling at Zich.

    ¡°But you need to also give me something in exchange.¡±

    ¡°¡­In exchange?¡±

    ¡°Yep, in exchange. I gave youpensationst time because I was rude to you. Well, I did give you a lot for such a small matter. However, there¡¯s no reason why I should give you anything right now. If you want my money, you obviously have to give me something in return.¡±

    ¡°¡­What kind of exchange are you talking about?¡±

    ¡°Why don¡¯t we move to another location? There''s a lot of people listening to us right now. Moreover, a lot of people seemed to be focused on us because you¡¯re quite famous as well.¡±

    Tim scanned their surroundings. When his eyes reached the people around them, they quickly moved their heads down. Tim frowned and red at them. He also wanted to yell at them, but because Zich suddenly stood up, he lost the right timing to do so. Zich raised his cup and gulped down his ss in one shot.

    Thud!

    Zich roughly put down the ss and after paying for the meal, he left the store. At Zich¡¯s fast movements like the wind, Tim dumbly watched on as Zich went outside the door.

    ¡°¡­Ugh, fuck!¡± Since the situation was not going as nned, he swore and quickly gulped down his beer like Zich. Then, he quickly followed behind him.

    An infamous local gangster had quietly left his store; moreover, he even paid for his alcohol. The owner thanked his luck today and let out a sigh of relief.

    * * *

    Tim followed Zich¡¯s back in a swagger. His sharp eyes carefully scanned Zich¡¯s body.

    ¡®Should I fuck him up?¡¯ As Zich predicted, Tim was targeting Zich¡¯s money. Last time, he was threatened by Zich¡¯s aura, so he swiftly retreated after receiving one jewel.

    However, when he went back to his lodging, he felt extremely regretful that he let go of a pushover that gave an expensive jewel from such a small quarrel. Even though his opponent¡¯s ability seemed pretty good, he didn¡¯t think he would fall behind in skills at all. He decided to first get close to Zich and see if he could rip more money off from him.

    With this in mind, Tim went out of his way to find Zich. However, it was an extremely difficult feat to find one person in a big city like this. Moreover, Zich was outside the city most of the time searching for bandits. Tim continuously frequented the store that he first met Zich, and his efforts finally paid off when he was able to find Zich again. On the other hand, Tim didn¡¯t know that Zich had predicted Tim¡¯s thought process and specifically went to the same store so that Tim could find him.

    Tim thought that if he defeated Zich right now, all of Zich¡¯s fortune would be his. So, his fingers twitched in excitement. However, in the end, Tim gave up on ambushing Zich.

    ¡®He definitely doesn¡¯t seem like an ordinary person.¡¯

    His instincts warned him that this guy was dangerous. Even though he didn¡¯t think he would lose, he probably couldn¡¯t win easily either.

    ¡®Even if I attack him right now, I shouldn¡¯t fight him inside the city.¡¯

    If their fight got longer, there were too many things that could hinder them. Tim thought he should at least listen to what Zich had to say. After thinking this, Tim brushed off theplicated thoughts in his mind and calmly followed Zich.

    ¡®He gave up.¡¯ Zich could predict all of Tim¡¯s thoughts. Therefore, even though he was looking forward, most of his senses were directed towards his back. After Tim began following him, the unstable tension around Tim disappeared at a certain point; it seemed as if Tim had decided to make his final decision after talking with him.

    This was also fortunate for Zich. He didn¡¯t have to take his old subordinate¡¯s neck. The ce that Zich led Tim to was an empty back alley where there were lights or people.

    ¡®There¡¯s no one here.¡¯ Tim had his guard raised in preparation for a trap, but he eased his guard a bit after sensing no one around.

    ¡°Why don¡¯t you start talking? I think this is a good enough ce if you¡¯re looking for a deserted area.¡±

    ¡°Yep, it definitely seems so.¡± Zich spun his body around.

    Tim shrugged. ¡°How important is your business that you dragged me all the way here? At this point, I''m even getting really curious.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s understandable. Rather than fulfilling your curiosity, aren¡¯t you more interested in this?¡± Zich took out a jewel from his clothes.

    Tim¡¯s eyes glinted with greed. ¡®As expected, this guy is filthy rich.¡¯

    Tim replied, ¡°Yep. You know me well.¡±

    ¡°I know you¡¯ll like it.¡± However, Zich put the jewel back inside his clothes.

    Tim frowned. ¡°What are you doing? Why are you putting that back in?¡±

    ¡°I told you. This ispensation. I¡¯m going to give this to you if you do what I want.¡±

    ¡°¡­What is it that you want?¡±

    Zich asked with brimming hope, ¡°Do you know anything about the bandits that are running around here?¡±

 Chapter 317

    <h4>Chapter 317</h4>

    ¡°¡­A bandit?¡± Tim looked taken aback. Was it because he heard something he didn¡¯t expect? Or if he wasn¡¯t¡­

    ¡®Is he connected to the bandits?¡¯ Zich carefully studied Tim¡¯s behavior.

    ¡°Hm, now you mention it, I do remember hearing something about a band of bandits near here.¡± Tim talked as if he didn¡¯t know about them¡ª but was that really the truth?

    ¡°Then, do you not know anything about it?¡±

    ¡°Pretty much. It¡¯s hard for me to say this with my own mouth, but I¡¯m a normal gangster who just wanders around the back alleyways. I can¡¯tpare myself to scary guys like that.¡± Tim shuddered, and Zich smirked.

    ¡°Are you aware that you are a gangster?¡±

    ¡°Kurgh! Do you think guys like usck any sense of self-awareness? Types like us actually have better self-awareness than most clueless people. Of course, it¡¯s different from saying this about myself than hearing the same thing from somebody else.¡± Then, Tim red at Zich, perhaps indicating that he didn¡¯t want to be called a gangster.

    Zich didn¡¯t get angry. Tim was a gangster because he acted like this.

    ¡°Did you not even hear a floating rumor?¡±

    ¡°Let me see¡­¡± Tim crossed his arms and thought deeply. Zich showed him the jewel he had ced in his belongings again. Tim¡¯s eyes glittered as he stared at the jewel.

    ¡°I can¡¯t give this to you if you don¡¯t give me the right price for it.¡±

    Tim¡¯s face darkened. Anyone could see that he wasn¡¯t satisfied by the situation. It was only natural for Tim to not get his payments if he failed to provide Zich with the information he wanted. However, Zich knew that Tim didn¡¯t think this way.

    ¡®He must think it¡¯s only natural for him to get the jewel. And my questions are just part of a sly n and a hindrance to stop him from getting it.¡¯ Even a clear stream that flowed deep into the mountainside would be harder to see through than Tim¡¯s heart.

    Swish!

    Zich threw the jewel towards Tim, and Tim caught it in surprise. He smiled at the glint of light that sparkled clearly even in the darkness momentarily and stared at Zich.

    ¡°I thought you weren¡¯t going to give me anything without a price.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a prepayment.¡±

    ¡°Prepayment?¡±

    ¡°Use your connections to find out more about the bandits. Depending on how important the information you get, I will give you more money.¡±

    ¡°¡­And what if I don¡¯t find anything?¡±

    ¡°Of course, you won¡¯t get any more money, but you won¡¯t have to return the prepayments I gave you.¡±

    Tim looked at the jewel he was holding for a moment and tucked it in with his belongings.

    ¡°Can I assume that you¡¯ve epted my offer?¡±

    ¡°¡­Where do I go when I get some information?¡±

    Zich told Tim the name and location of his current lodging and said, ¡°Come to me around dinner time. I am also busy during the day.¡±

    ¡°Looking for bandits?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°Can I ask why you are looking for these bandits?¡±

    Zich smirked. ¡°Why would I look for those pieces of trash other than to capture and destroy them all?¡±

    ¡°They must have hurt you.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not the case. The people who want to screw them over are not only their victims.¡±

    ¡°Are you employed by the city then?¡±

    ¡°This is all the information I can give you. You don¡¯t need to know, and it¡¯s none of your business. All you have to do is give me information about the bandits, and I will give you the money. How simple is that?¡±

    ¡°Fine. I will try looking. If I find anything, I will go to you.¡±

    ¡°To just give you a heads-up, I advise you to find your information as fast as possible. I also won¡¯t be ying around, and you aren¡¯t my only information-gatherer.¡±

    ¡°I will keep that in mind.¡± Tim turned around.

    ¡°Ah, let me ask you again. Do you really not know anything about the bandits?¡±

    Tim stopped his feet. ¡°¡­Isn¡¯t that what I said?¡±

    ¡°You did. I just wanted to make sure of it one more time. You can leave now.¡±

    ¡°How pointless.¡± Tim spat on the ground once and left the back alleyway.

    Left alone, Zich stared up to the sky for a bit and saw arge moon.

    ¡®He has that habit even now.¡¯

    Whenever he lied and hid something, Tim had a habit of wiggling his right thumb. Although it was such a slight movement that most people would miss it, Zich knew about it since he had spent a long period of time with Tim before the regression.

    ¡®Tim definitely has some connection to the bandits.¡¯

    It was a question of how he was connected with them. Zich had to find that out. In the end, Zich followed the path that Tim had disappeared off to and hid his body in the darkness.

    * * *

    Zich continued the investigation for the next couple of days. He inquired about the bandits and recklessly ran around the city¡¯s surroundings, hoping to catch an ambush in the middle of the act. However, he couldn¡¯t find even a trace of these bandits. Yet, that didn¡¯t mean the bandits¡¯ ambush had stopped. They continued to attack the merchants heading towards the city with no signs of stopping.

    ¡®It seems like these guys made their base in the city.¡¯ This would make the situation even moreplicated. Even if skilled bandits were quietly infiltrating a city, they were moving around the city like it was their backyard.

    ¡®I don¡¯t know if they found a dog hole that people don¡¯t know about or something, but if they can go in and out of the castle walls like this, they probably have an insider among the administrators.¡¯ This thought also made Zich even more hesitant to reveal his identity to the city¡¯s management. If there was a spy among the administrators and Zich worked with them, there was a high chance that the bandits might hear of Zich¡¯s ns whenever he came up with them. As he thought, it seemed better to work independently for now while trying to not attract too much attention.

    Zich also thought of following Tim but discarded the thought. Fitting his past nickname, the Werewolf, Tim¡¯s ability to sense his surroundings was extremely outstanding. Zich only managed to trail himst time thanks to his high skills and because Tim was less wary during that time.

    ¡®But it¡¯s different now.¡¯

    Even a simple guy like Tim could realize that Zich might trail him. If Tim was really connected to the bandits, he was probably on his utmost guard, meaning that trailing him was impossible.

    It would be impossible to secretly follow him. Zich decided to first wait until Tim brought information to him. Several days passed like this.

    Knock! Knock!

    Someone knocked on Zich¡¯s doorte at night.

    ¡°Come in. I didn¡¯t lock the door.¡± Zich called the person in without even checking who the visitor was. When the door opened, Zich could see the visitor.

    It was Tim. Zich pointed at the chair in front of him as if he was waiting for Tim all along. ¡°Sit.¡±

    Tim sat on the chair Zich pointed to. He leaned against the back of the chair and twisted his body to the side. His posture was a textbook definition of a gangster¡¯s pose.

    ¡°Judging by how you came to find me, I can safely assume that you have information to give me, right?¡±

    ¡°Yep. It was a very difficult job.¡±

    ¡°Good, so tell me what you know.¡±

    ¡°Hey, why are you being like this? Don¡¯t you have to give me money first?¡±

    Zich smirked and pulled out a pouch from his pockets. He put it down on the table and pulled the pouch string as if to show it to Tim. shy gold coins reflected the candle¡¯s lights and sparkled. Tim reached out his hands towards the pouch as if he was enchanted. However, before his hand could reach it, Zich took the pouch back in his arms.

    ¡°What the hell are you doing!¡± Tim growled as if he was going to jump on Zich at any moment.

    Zich took out a handful of gold coins from the pouch. He even used his mana to take them out, and the number of gold coins in his hand was about half the amount in the pouch. Zich threw the half-empty pouch towards Tim.

    ¡°I¡¯ll give you half of it first. I¡¯ll give you the rest if I¡¯m satisfied with your answer.¡±

    ¡°Satisfied? That was not part of the condition!¡±

    ¡°Then did you think you could earn this amount from random rumors floating around the marketce? No matter how freely and impulsively you¡¯re living your life, your conscience should still be intact.¡±

    Zich moved his hands, and the gold coins clicked against each other. ¡°If you want this, give me information first.¡±

    ¡°Damn it!¡±

    Thud!

    Tim roughly put his legs on the table; his behavior was extremely rude, but Zich did not even blink his eyes.

    ¡°Fine! I¡¯ll tell you!¡± However, unlike his loud voice, Tim had no intentions to offer all the information he knew. He nned to give information bit by bit to scrape out Zich¡¯s money.

    However, there was no way that Tim, who was infamous for hisck of brain before Zich¡¯s regression, could beat Zich in a psychological battle.

    ¡°By the way, I know that the bandit¡¯s home base is inside the city.¡±

    Tim was shocked. ¡®What the hell, this bastard! How did he know that!¡¯

    Even the city officials didn¡¯t know that information yet. Tim was shocked that this information came out of Zich who just seemed like a rich wanderer.

    Zich continued, ¡°So tell me some different information.¡±

    ¡°¡­How could there be bandits inside the city? What are you saying?¡± Tim first denied Zich¡¯s words. However, there was no way Zich would fall for such a bluff.

    ¡°It was a pretty easy task. I looked for the bandits outside the city on my own, but they weren¡¯t there. So the only ce left is inside the city.¡±

    ¡°They¡¯re not outside the city? The soldiers sent out by the city are still searching outside the city right now, so how would you know this information? There¡¯s still a possibility that they¡¯re outside¡ª¡±

    ¡°Nope.¡± Zich cut off Tim¡¯s words, and Tim¡¯s eyebrows twitched.

    ¡°It¡¯s extremely basic information that the bandits are inside the city. If you didn¡¯t even figure that out, I guess there¡¯s no need for us to continue our deal.¡± Zich threw the gold coins in his hands on the table, and they scattered everywhere.

    Then, he pointed at the door. ¡°You can go. There¡¯s no need for you toe here anymore. I¡¯ll give you the pouch with half the money, so take it before you leave.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡± Tim didn¡¯t move. His sharp eyes red at Zich. However, Zich treated him like a non-existent person and got up from his chair without looking at him.

    Tim put down his legs in frustration and shouted, ¡°Damn it, fine!¡±

    Zich sat back down. ¡°Information.¡±

    ¡°I got it, shit!¡± Tim let out a big sigh and shouted, ¡°Yeah, you¡¯re right! The bandits are inside the city!¡±

    ¡°I told you. I know that already.¡±

    ¡°And their method¡­¡±

    ¡°I also don¡¯t need that. They probably have an insider among the city officials managing the city.¡±

    Tim¡¯s eyes widened.

    ¡°Don¡¯t look so surprised. Bambis is the center of Campbell¡¯smerce and trade. No matter how weakly the city guards its walls, it¡¯s not a ce where random bandits can go in and out whenever they want. It¡¯s obvious that there¡¯s a rat inside the management group, whether or not they joined the bandits to gain an advantage or whether they were threatened to do so. So if you want to stay, you have to give me a different piece of information.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡± Timpletely reassessed his judgment of Zich at that moment. He gulped his saliva and stared at Zich. Zich¡¯s abyss-like eyes dug deep into his heart. Tim gritted his teeth. If he got sucked into Zich¡¯s pace, he felt as if he would unwittingly say everything he knew.

    ¡°¡­Fine, you said information other than those two, right?¡±

    ¡°You have other information?¡±

    ¡°Of c¡­!¡± Tim closed his mouth. He seemed to ponder for a while and then clenched his teeth. ¡°¡­Just wait a bit more. I¡¯ll find out more.¡±

    ¡°Well, there¡¯s no reason for me to say no. Okay, you shoulde back after finding out more.¡±

    Tim was about to get up when Zich said, ¡°Wait. You need to return the money.¡±

    ¡°¡­Didn¡¯t you give this to me?¡±

    ¡°Ah, did you not understand my words? That was just a parting gift for when you weren¡¯t able to fulfill my expectations. But you¡¯re telling me that you¡¯ll find out more information. Therefore, that means you want to continue this rtionship, right? Then you should return the pouch because you weren¡¯t able to give me any information at all.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Thud!

    Tim threw the money pouch on the table.

    ¡°Fine. But I really have to risk my life for the job I¡¯m about to do right now. So you better prepare a lot of money for the job I¡¯m about to do.¡±

    ¡°Of course. I have a lot of money. You just have to give me what I want, so I sincerely hope you bring me good information.¡±

    Tim angrily stormed out of Zich¡¯s room. Zich stared at the roughly shut door with aplicated look on his face.

 Chapter 318

    <h4>Chapter 318</h4>

    It was a well-polished road,parable to the ones that lined mansions where aristocrats or rich merchants lived. Yet, one of its serious drawbacks was that it turned into a dirty sludge mixed with all kinds of filth whenever it rained. With the road as the center, several buildings lined the sides; although the shape and size of each building were different from each other, they shared themonality of having a huge sign attached right on top of their entrances.

    Many carriages carrying loads crossed the streets. This was amercial district where various firms were squished together. As expected of a city known for itsmerce and logistics, there were all kinds of headquarters and branches of firms at Bambis, where every imaginable good was bought and sold. Although these firms were all gathered, they weren¡¯t all alike. Their building sizes disyed the difference that each firm had in terms of wealth, scale, influence, and so on.

    Among these buildings, there was a gigantic building that clearly looked to be among thergest buildings in the city. Horses and carriages continued to pass through itsrge front door, numerous goods piled up inside or left the ce, and people went in and out of their offices to conduct business. Soon, the congestion and fever died down and disappeared when the moon rose in the sky.

    The lock of the front door where people and carriages passed through was shut tightly, and hardly anyone was left within the perimeters. The only people remaining were guards who guarded the storage room. By their rough faces and singr weapons, they appeared to be mercenaries. Because of the tall walls surrounding the building, it was difficult to see them clearly from the outside. Perhaps that was why, but these people didn¡¯t seem too focused on guarding. Instead, they seemed to have no interest in their job as they stood with their legs crossed and yawned continuously. Some were even chuckling while exchanging obscene jokes with each other.

    <i>Thud!</i>

    One chuckling guards¡¯ necks arched sharply downward while he made a vulgar hand gesture. The other guard participating in the conversation pulled out his weapon in rm.

    ¡°Who¡­!¡±

    <i>Thud!</i>

    Like his colleague, the back of his head was also struck. These two men clutched the back of their heads as someone stood in front of them.

    ¡°You bastards, what do you think you are doing?¡±

    ¡°Ah, Mr. tt!¡±

    After finding out who had struck the back of their heads, the guards stood up straighter.

    ¡°I asked what you guys are doing.¡±

    ¡°Under Boss¡¯ orders¡­¡±

    ¡°Boss?¡± Tim¡¯s voice rose sharply, and the guard quickly corrected his words.

    ¡°Ah, no! We were standing guard under C<i>aptain</i>¡¯s orders!¡±

    ¡°Yes, guarding¡ªthat¡¯s your guys¡¯ responsibilities. How strange. All I see are gangsters busy killing time rather than guarding.¡±

    ¡°T-That is¡­¡± The guard¡¯s eyes rolled this way and that as he tried to find a good excuse; but when he met Tim¡¯s eyes to say his excuse, all the hundreds of excuses that came to his mind suddenly escaped. Eyes that didn¡¯t seem to belong to a human shot back at him; they held the ferocious energy and bloodthirst of a wolf who had learned of the taste of blood.

    ¡°I don¡¯t expect you guys to act like real, proper guards. I know you guys are bottom-level pieces of trash, but it¡¯s a different story if you guys can¡¯t even act like something else.¡±

    Tim grabbed one of the guard¡¯s hairs and pulled his face closer.

    ¡°You guys should at least pretend like you are doing your jobs! Did you forget how important this job is? Do I have to break open that bean-sized brain of yours and engrave it into your thick skulls!¡±

    ¡°S-Sorry, sir!¡±

    ¡°Guys like you really need an example.¡± Tim raised his hand. All his fingers stood up stiffly and made a hand de. The guards looked at it with eyes full of fear of death.

    ¡°That¡¯s enough.¡±

    Tim turned around and saw a man walking towards him. Around his waist, the man wore a sharp andrge knife; he had an angr face and emitted a rough, fierce aura.

    ¡°Those bastards aren¡¯t your underlings but mine. Even if we are coborating, don¡¯t do anything out of line.¡±

    ¡°Out of line?¡± Tim thrust the guard he was holding roughly onto the ground. The guard groaned loudly when his face struck the floor; although he survived, hisrge nose waspletely ttened.

    ¡°Thanks for bringing that up first, you bastard! I don¡¯t think you guys understand the importance of the work you are doing right now. Should I exin it to you nicely and respectfully again?¡± Tim said to the man.

    ¡°With your fists, right? I don¡¯t mind taking that, but don¡¯t you think your amazing and important work would be ruined then?¡±

    ¡°Seeing the stupid things you guys do, it¡¯s obvious you will all fail. It would be better for me to turn this thing upside down when I have the chance!¡±

    The man with an angr face stared at Tim¡¯s fingertips. Maybe his eyes were ying tricks with him, but Tim¡¯s fingernails appeared longer. This was not good. Although he was acting strongly in front of Tim so he wouldn¡¯t appear like a pushover, he was fully aware that he and his men would be ripped to shreds if they really had a fight with Tim. In the end, the man backed off.

    ¡°Okay, okay. I will warn other coborators and my underlings once more that they shouldn¡¯t put their guard down no matter how trivial the situation seems to be.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t just tell them. Since they are allplete blockheads, they need an example.¡±

    ¡°¡­You are pushing it, Tim tt.¡± The man with an angr face frowned for the first time, ¡°We are your coborators, not your underlings. Are you saying that you would make an example of other people¡¯s subordinates?¡±

    ¡°You guys are the one pushing it. This is something bigger than what any of you guys have ever done before. It needs as much attention and caution for it to seed. You don¡¯t want us to fail just because of some idiots, right?¡± Tim pointed at the guards. The guards were trembling and watching the situation like cornered mice and were surprised to be mentioned. ¡°Quit right now if you n to work with that kind of rotten mindset! Or should I make you quit?¡±

    Tim¡¯s eyes turned yellowish. At that point, the man with the angr face realized that he could no longer push this any further. ¡°¡­We can¡¯t quit. Fine, I get it. But I will be the one to make an example out of these guys since they are my subordinates. That¡¯s all I can offer you.¡±

    The man with the angr face felt his lips be dry. The situation couldpletely change depending on Tim¡¯s next action. Fortunately, the worst-case scenario didn¡¯t happen.

    ¡°¡­Fine. But if I checkter and you didn¡¯t do a thorough job, I¡¯m not going to stand back and just stay still. Tell the other guys to shape up as well.¡±

    ¡°I got it.¡±

    When Tim turned his body around, the man with the angr face let out a sigh. He was able to avoid a direct confrontation with Tim, which was the worst oue for now. He clicked his tongue as he watched Tim jump over a wall and went out of the building.

    ¡®That hot-tempered bastard.¡¯

    Even though he was also hot-tempered, his temperament couldn¡¯t bepared to Tim¡¯s. Tim was the definition of a crazy dog. He spat towards the direction where Tim left and stared at his underlings who were the cause of this mess. Their bodies were stiff as they waited to receive their punishment.

    ¡°Hey.¡± The man with the angr face turned back. There were several more underlings waiting for his order. ¡°Kill these guys. As a warning, take their heads off and pass it around to the other guys.¡±

    ¡°B-boss!¡±

    ¡°Please¡­!¡±

    <i>Crunch!</i>

    Blood spurted out of the two guards¡¯ mouths. The man with an angr face had swung his fist. ¡°How many times do I have to tell you to quiet down!¡±

    Then, he began relentlessly kicking his copsed underlings. Without being able to scream, they had to crouch and quietly take the hits.

    After kicking them until he was satisfied, the man gave an order to his underlings, ¡°Drag them out!¡±

    His underlings dragged out the guards repressing their cries. People who came running from themotion watched this sight with frozen expressions.

    ¡®As he said, an example would definitely be made out of them.¡¯ However, this didn¡¯t mean that the man admitted that thismotion was his or his subordinate¡¯s fault. In the first ce, he was low-life trash who passed off his mistakes or faults to another person.

    ¡°Damn!¡± He snorted and turned his body in frustration. ¡°What the hell are you doing! Go back to work!¡±

    His underlings hurriedly went back to their stations. The man with an angr face menacingly red at his underlings once and also moved out. Like this, a disturbance that took ce in the middle of the night ended.

    * * *

    ¡®Those bastards run around carelessly without knowing how important this job is!¡¯ Tim was still angry. He wanted to immediately turn back and cut the man¡¯s angr face into a circle and make his underlings into blood paste.

    Even though he could take care of them with just his fists, he couldn¡¯t just kill them all. They were still his coborators for now.

    ¡®If only I had my own forces!¡¯

    As expected, he needed his own forces. After he was sessful with this n, he vowed to make his own group. Moreover, he felt iffy that he left the situation like that, especially since he frequently shed with the angr-faced man.

    ¡®Come to think of it, their target is the Demiro Firm, right?¡¯ An evil smile appeared on Tim¡¯s lips.

    * * *

    Zich was sitting face to face with Tim. While Zich was having a drink to end his day, Tim came to see him; that was the only reason why Tim woulde to find him. Zich was hopeful, but on the outside, he asked nonchntly, ¡°Did you bring me new information this time?¡±

    ¡°Of course!¡± Tim¡¯s voice was loud and full of confidence.

    ¡°Okay, tell me.¡±

    ¡°Before I tell you, I have something I want to ask you.¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°Do you have a lot of money?¡±

    ¡°Is that rted to getting more information?¡±

    ¡°Yep. Don¡¯t you know it better than me? In order to get information, you need money. If you need to use someone, you need money to hire them, and if you need to get someone¡¯s help, you need to bribe them a bit. And if you¡¯re going to get involved in something dangerous, you need money to cover it up.¡±

    Zich let out a sound of admiration. However, it was admiration mixed in with mockery. ¡°It seems like you obtained some rare information. But what I expected from you was just some rumors floating around in a back alley. I also didn¡¯t expect much from you either.¡±

    Tim was provoked, but he tried to repress his anger. He needed to first hear how much money Zich had before making his final decision.

    ¡®If he doesn¡¯t have much money, I should just give him false info and rip off some of his money.¡¯

    However, considering that Zich easily gave him a precious jewel for small strife, he probably had loads of money.

    ¡®Then, I need to drag this guy in a little deeper.¡¯ Tim thought this and said, ¡°I found a pretty trustworthy route. In order to crack that route, I need money.¡±

    ¡°Where is it?¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t teach you that.¡±

    Zich stared at Tim for a brief moment and began to pour out money and precious goods all over the table from his magic box. Tim¡¯s carefully constructedposure all flew away when he saw pouches filled with gold coins and sparkling jewels. It was too much wealth for one person to have.

    ¡°Would this be enough?¡±

    Tim swallowed his saliva. ¡®This is way more than I expected!¡¯

    At that moment, Tim changed his thought of Zich as merely a means to earn some allowance to one of his main goals.

    ¡®If he can immediately show me this amount of wealth, he¡¯s probably hiding more wealth!¡¯

    ¡°¡­This is enough.¡±

    ¡°Right? Then, tell me what information you have right now. If you give me useful information, I can fullypensate for your efforts, but before that, you need to earn my trust first.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re going to make your judgment based on the information I brought you today?¡±

    ¡°Of course.¡±

    ¡°All right. I¡¯m sorry, but I haven¡¯t found the bandit¡¯s home base or anything like that. But I think I roughly figured out the bandits¡¯ main goal.¡±

    Zich leaned his body forward and showed his interest. ¡°Their goal wasn¡¯t to ambush people near the city?¡±

    ¡°No. Their goal is a bit bigger. I think their real goal is not outside but inside the city.¡±

    Zich looked at Tim¡¯s thumb; it was not moving.

 Chapter 319

    <h4>Chapter 319</h4>

    When Zich heard Tim¡¯s words, he burst out inughter. ¡°Those bandits are going to ambush the city?¡±

    ¡°ording to my sources, they are.¡±

    ¡°Those guys are getting full of themselves now.¡± How could bandits dare to attack the inside of a city, especially the point ofmerce, Campbell, where regr armies were stationed? However, Zich soon thought of another possibility.

    ¡®No, are their heads actually working?¡¯

    In other situations, Zich would haveughed at them for their stupidity and waited to watch for the events they had nned to fall apart before them; but it was different from usual. Since many of the troops were dispatched to eradicate the pirates, the number of soldiers stationed in Bambis was less than usual.

    ¡®A small number of troops went off to wander around outside to look for the bandits¡¯ home base.¡¯

    In short, the number of troops stationed at Bambis had dwindled incredibly. If the bandits had a sizable force and a well-prepared n, they might¡¯ve really been able to wreck serious havoc inside the city.

    ¡®It will probably be easier for them since they have a spy inside the city.¡¯ The more Zich thought about it, the higher the possibility of sess the bandits seemed to have.

    ¡®If they seed, they will be able to achieve a huge win right away.¡¯

    Zich asked, ¡°What¡¯s their goal? Could it be the city hall? It¡¯d be funny if small groups of bandits took control of the city and started a rebellion. Would they form a new kingdom?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not it,¡± Tim said and insulted his own coborators inside his mind. ¡®They don¡¯t even have the ability to do that. Then, he continued, ¡°It seems like they are going to ambush areas that might get them easy money, but I don¡¯t know which specific ces. I have to obtain more information.¡±

    ¡°To gain that information, you will need more money, right?¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡±

    ¡°Hm.¡± Zich looked like he was thinking, making Tim feel a bit anxious.

    However, Tim repressed his feelings and faked a sense of indifference. ¡°If you don¡¯t believe me, it can¡¯t be helped. I also won¡¯t take any more actions if you don¡¯t give me any more payments in advance. My life is too precious for me to risk it in dangerous situations with no money in line.¡±

    ¡°¡­Fine.¡± Zich threw the two pouches of money on the table to Tim. ¡°One pouch for the information you gave me and another for you to continue investigating. Are you satisfied?¡±

    ¡°O-Of course!¡± Tim answered sloppily and loosened the pouch¡¯s strings to check the money inside. The sparkling lights made him smile.

    ¡°Your information that the bandits are aiming for the city¡¯s insides was quite good. If the information you give me next time is just as good, I promise you you won¡¯t be disappointed.¡± Zich pointed at the leftover money and the precious metal on the table. Tim nodded eagerly.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry! I will even risk my life to gain information.¡±

    ¡°I like your attitude!¡± Zich pped his palms and got up from his seat. ¡°It¡¯s on me! I will buy you a drink! Let¡¯s getpletely wasted tonight!¡±

    Tim responded to the word ¡®drink.¡¯ All gangsters loved drinking, and Tim was no exception. Tim didn¡¯t just like alcohol¡ªhe loved it. Furthermore, this was a free drink. Although Tim dined and dashed habitually, that was that and this was another matter.

    ¡°Sounds goo¡­.!¡± Tim was about to agree when he suddenly stopped.

    ¡°What is it? Do you not drink?¡±

    ¡°No, that¡¯s not¡­¡± Tim was abstaining from drinking these days. Although the word abstaining sounded distant from Tim as someone absolutely mad for alcohol, he was trying to maintain sobriety for his ns. He also felt hesitant to drink with Zich, since he had already chosen him as his future prey. Furthermore, Tim knew that alcohol hindered one¡¯s judgment.

    ¡®Look at him. Is he refusing a drink?¡¯ Zich thought. Before the regression, Tim had been crazy about drinking. There were many times when he went to battle with a hangover; of course, with Tim¡¯s sheer prowess, he managed to clear the battlefield even while intoxicated. On the other hand, since Tim fought his battles ording to his instincts without using much technique or skills, alcohol didn¡¯t seem to deter him that much.

    ¡®Does he not like drinking in this time period?¡¯ However, when Zich considered the reaction Tim had shown him when he first suggested drinking, that didn¡¯t seem to be the case. ¡®Then, is he restraining himself even though he likes drinking?¡¯

    Even Tim from before the regression didn¡¯t drink constantly; he did abstain from time to time whenever he had very important work or a project toplete. Thus, the work had to be so important that a man like Tim, who lived ording to his own agenda, would have repressed the urge to drink.

    ¡®In other words, he is about to do something very important.¡¯ Zich thought it was connected to the bandits causing trouble in Bambis.

    ¡°What? You acted so tough, but you are a weakling who can¡¯t even handle a drink?¡± Zich¡¯s eyes narrowed, and he looked at Tim from head to toe. Zich¡¯s words and attitude irked Tim.

    ¡°Did you just call me a weakling! I have never seen a person who can drink more than me!¡±

    ¡°Is that so? But why do you look like some scared gangster who wants to run away because he is afraid of a drink?¡±

    ¡°Why don¡¯t we go then! You will use up all your fortune while paying for my drinks!¡± Tim yelled.

    ¡®So simple.¡¯ Zich thought. Then, he looked pathetically at Tim, as he huffed to the door first.

    * * *

    When they first took their spots at the bar, the atmosphere between them wasn¡¯t amiable to say the least. Both of them were trying to take advantage and keep secrets from each other. Furthermore, Zich had made a joke against Tim right before they came to the bar. Thus, their conversation was still unpleasant around the time they got a full set of snacks and clinked their sses. Yet, that didn¡¯tst long.

    ¡°Hahahahah! That happened?¡±

    ¡°Of course!¡±

    Zich burst out inughter, and Tim raised his voice. Waste and empty sses were already rolling beneath the table. They had drunk an astounding amount, but it wasn¡¯t enough to knock out regr drinkers like Zich and Tim. Yet, that didn¡¯t mean they were immune to the drinks¡¯ effects; they both were drunk to the point where it just ced them in a better mood.

    For a drinking party to be enjoyable, there were three things that had to be good: the alcohol, snacks, and drinking partner. Surprisingly, after Zich and Tim drank, they clicked like old friends.

    ¡°You should have seen that guy piss his pants! It was so funny seeing him clinging onto the edge of my pants and trembling like mad while begging for his life!¡±

    As someone who grew up as a gangster and was still a gangster, Tim¡¯s stories were all pretty simr. They were all stories about hitting or threatening someone. Normal people would have awkwardly smiled while controlling their expressions or tantly frown and distance themselves from Tim. However, Tim¡¯s listener was Zich. Even though Zich was living a kind life and doing all types of kind acts, his heart was still pitch-ck.

    Naturally, Zich sincerelyughed while listening to Tim¡¯s evil deeds. ¡°Hahaha! That would have been a sight to see!¡±

    ¡°Of course! If I can, I want a picture of it and hang it in a corner of my room.¡±

    ¡°That would probably make a good interior decoration.¡±

    ¡°You think so too?¡±

    ¡°Fine, since I heard a story like that, I should share something too.¡± Zich began telling his story; the story he chose was when he crushed the Bellid¡¯s cardinal, Trislowa, with the Karuwimans. Of course, he took some details out of the story, since it would be advantageous for him to give the least amount of information possible to Tim. Therefore, Zich told his story as if he merely fucked over a random fanatic. Moreover, the only part that Zich needed to share were the parts where he fucked over Trislowa.

    ¡°So I said to him, ¡®What are you doing? Go! You have to quickly go and make me regret my decision!¡¯¡±

    ¡°You didn¡¯t just send him off like that, right? If you let guys like that go, they alwayse back and stab you in the back.¡±

    ¡°You think I¡¯d do that? Of course, I already set up traps in front of the entrance. And then I said to him, ¡®Let¡¯s y a game.¡¯ I told him that if he managed to pass through the traps within a set timeframe, I¡¯d really let him go.¡±

    ¡°Hahaha! Your brain works really well! And then what? What happened to that guy?¡±

    ¡°He was able to barely scrape a win at thest moment. Do you know what that guy said?¡±

    ¡°What did he say?¡±

    ¡°I wonnn!¡±

    ¡°Hahahhahahaha!¡± Timughed so hard that he looked like he was about to choke; the ss he was holding wildly shook. ¡°What a funny guy!¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s how desperate he was!¡±

    ¡°So? How did you reply?¡±

    ¡°I told him that I¡¯m a righteous man, and I acknowledged his win! He won!¡±

    ¡°And then?¡±

    ¡°What do you mean <i>and then</i>?¡± Zich squinted one of his eyes. ¡°Of course, I stabbed his chest.¡±

    ¡°Hahahah! HAAHHA! Keeaahahhaah!¡± Timughed and stamped his feet on the ground. His ss loudly hit the table with a thud.

    Even though people would have normally red at them to be quieter, they were in a private room. Thus, they couldugh and talk loudly as much as they wanted.

    ¡°So regretful! I have to see a face like that in person!¡±

    ¡°Yeah! Of course! If you saw his face, you wouldn¡¯t go hungry for at least a week even if you starve.¡±

    ¡°Was it to that extent? Damn it! Why wasn¡¯t I there!¡± Tim sincerely felt regretful, and he was surprised by his own feelings.

    ¡®When was thest time I had so much fun?¡¯ Tim thought. Since he liked drinking, he sometimes had drinks like this and drank with a lot of different people. There were times when he drank with his gangster friend who prowled the streets with him or random drunk strangers, or when he had a steamy time with a woman. However, it was his first time having so much fun on a drinking night like this.

    It was the same for Zich; however, this was not his first time. Before he regressed, they went out to drink several times like this.

    ¡®As expected, I get along with this guy really well.¡¯

    The night deepened as much as the alcohol bottles piling up on Zich and Tim¡¯s table. After a long time, the noisy atmosphere disappeared, and a few more serious stories passed between them.

    ¡°How did you be a gangster?¡± Zich poured alcohol in Tim¡¯s ss and asked. ¡°Wait, no. I¡¯m going to try to guess. Your personality has been like that since you were born, right? As soon as you got out of your mom¡¯s stomach, I¡¯m sure you swore instead of crying. You definitely said fuck to the midwife as soon as you were born!¡±

    ¡°What kind of trash does that as soon as they¡¯re born?¡± Even though Zich¡¯s words were extremely insulting, Tim justughed and didn¡¯t get angry. ¡°Even I don¡¯t have such a supernatural ability. It¡¯s actually the opposite of what you think. There was no one as soft as me when I was young.¡±

    ¡°Ah, yep. I¡¯m sure that¡¯s right. So, what is the name of that fantastic world where elves fry up dragons to eat and orcs sing songs of peace and gold drops out of the sky instead of rain?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not lying, you fucking bastard!¡± Tim chuckled and raised his ss; his ss was empty. He was about to pour more alcohol into his ss but decided to drink straight from the bottle instead. ¡°Ahh! This tastes great! Anyways, when I was young, I was a real loser. You wouldn¡¯t believe it. But I was scared of fighting! I was a pathetic kid who cried when my parents even raised their voice even a little bit!¡±

    ¡°Really?¡± Tim was probably not lying. Even though gangsters usually exaggerated their stories, they didn¡¯t make up stories about how pathetic they used to be.

    ¡°Then how did such an innocent kid be trash like this?¡±

    ¡°A lot of things happened. A great many things¡­¡± After saying this, Tim did not say anything more.

 Chapter 320

    <h4>Chapter 320</h4>

    Zich and Tim drank so much that it made outsiders worry for their lives. No matter how trained and resilient they were to alcohol, they couldn¡¯t help but be drunk by the sheer amount they drank. By the time Zich and Tim left the bar, they were both extremely drunk. They no longer seemed to have the wariness they had about each other when negotiating and exchanging information and burst into songs with their arms around each other¡¯s shoulders. They sang offbeat and out of tune like drunkards, but they didn¡¯t seem to care about bothering the people around them.

    ¡°Hey, Zich!¡±

    ¡°What, Tim!¡±

    They called each other¡¯s names as if they had known each other their whole lives.

    ¡°You know! I am going to live ve~ry coolly!¡±

    ¡°You are?¡±

    ¡°Yup! With money and power! And girls too! I am going to get everything! And I''m going to crush everyone who gets in my way!¡±

    ¡°What a big dream!¡±

    ¡°You have to dream big! That¡¯s how you be a big shot!¡±

    Tim did be a big shot in his past life. Since he was one of the top subordinates under Zich, the strongest Demon Lord of all the Demon Lords, he couldn¡¯t have gone higher than that.

    ¡°Kuh! Then you have to work hard! You know, gathering skills, money, and connections.¡±

    ¡°I know! That¡¯s why I am working so damn hard right now!¡±

    Even after that, the two wandered in the dark for a long time.

    ¡°Go in!¡±

    ¡°Yeah! You too!¡±

    Even as they parted, the two appeared very close. Nobody would have thought they had been wary of each other before they drank. After sending Tim off, Zich walked through an empty street alone. Every time he took a breath, the smell of alcohol permeated the space.

    ¡®Like I thought, ying with that guy is really fun.¡¯ It was a future that had be a past now. While reliving the memories of the time when he was the Demon Lord, Zich Moore had really enjoyed his time drinking. When Zich first heard that Glen Zenard defeated Tim, the first thought Zich had was that he would feel lonely from now on when he drank; that was howpatible they were. But why did his footsteps have a sense of gloominess mixed in with them?

    * * *

    Afterward, Tim provided information to Zich from time to time about the bandits¡¯ size, skills, and so on. They were all very useful pieces of information.

    ¡°Where did you get information like this from?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a secret. I might think about telling you considering the amount you give me and if you tell me your identity.¡±

    ¡°Nevermind,¡± Zich said. Nevertheless, Zich was sure that Tim was able to obtain this information because of his connection with the bandits.

    ¡®There¡¯s no way that the Tim tt I know would be able to extract information so masterfully even if I gave him tons of money. It might be different for Joachim or Evelyn, but it¡¯s impossible for Tim tt. Whatever the reason was, Zich was able to continue getting information from Tim. Excluding the bandits, the person with the most information about them was probably Zich. Still, that didn¡¯t mean Zich believed everything Tim told him either. To be exact, he was sure there was something else that Tim wasn¡¯t telling him.

    ¡®He didn¡¯t move his fingers, so he isn¡¯t lying. He probably just excluded the parts he didn¡¯t want to tell me. Even if he is like a beast, he can at least use his head this much.¡¯ Tim had probably thought of this not by wracking through his head hard but through his instincts; after all, wolves were cunning creatures.

    ¡°So, you are saying these bandits are aiming for the Demiro Firm?¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡±

    ¡°These guys are sure aiming big.¡±

    It wasn¡¯t as ridiculous as attacking the city hall as Zich mentioned before, but the Demiro Firm wasn¡¯t an easy target at all. They had one of the biggest buildings in themercial district and their firm was asrge as the size of their building. Not only did they have a tightwork that connected the areas within the Campbell estate, but theirworks also stretched out to other estates and even to foreignnds. Furthermore, the goods they handled were precious metals like the things that bandits were crazy about.

    ¡®How much would they gain by just robbing them?¡¯ It was probably enough for each of the members to get a fortune and disperse.

    ¡°You still don¡¯t know where the bandits¡¯ home base is?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, they seem to have hidden it really well. Even though I ced it as my top priority, I couldn¡¯t find them.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t give up and continue looking for it. I will provide you with all the expenses you might need.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry! Remember, I am <i>the</i> Tim tt, and I will be a big shot in the future.¡±

    ¡°Talk about being a big shot once you actually be one. You just sound like a bluffing buffoon right now.¡±

    Tim would have jumped in rage if it was his first time meeting Zich, but heughed off Zich¡¯s snide remarks now. His response disyed how close the two had be.

    ¡°Anyways, the information I gave you is pretty good right?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, it was the best one among the information you gave me recently.¡± Zich threw two gem pieces at Tim. ¡°You know right? One is for yourbor, and the other one is¡­¡±

    ¡°For the expenses that I would use to gain information. You don¡¯t have to remind me every damn time.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s good, you know. I hope you will continue to give me useful information.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Did I ever disappoint you?¡±

    ¡°No, not yet.¡±

    ¡°It won¡¯t happen even in the future.¡± After giving a loud shout, Tim got up. He had the gems Zich gave him tightly grasped in his fists.

    ¡°Let¡¯s have a drink again after everything is over,¡± Zich called out.

    Tim stopped at Zich¡¯s words as he was about to leave the room.

    ¡°¡­Yeah. You have to buy the drinks next time too.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I have no intention of eating off a poor gangster. Even if you say the drinks are on you, it¡¯s not like you would pay anyway. You¡¯d ckmail the bar owner for free drinks, right?¡±

    ¡°Ha, you know me so well,¡± Tim said brazenly and left the room.

    The door closed with a loud creak, and Tim disappeared behind it. However, Zich continued to stare at the door as if Tim was still standing in front of it.

    ¡®He didn¡¯t even look at me.¡¯

    When he replied to Zich¡¯s words about having a drink after work, Tim didn¡¯t turn around and only looked in front.

    * * *

    Late in the night, Tim stealthily walked into the building where he tried to beat up the angr-faced man¡¯s underlings. Tim¡¯s extreme actions seemed to have an effect as no one was fooling around like before. On the other hand, since they were gangsters, they looked somewhat awkward as guards. In the first ce, he didn¡¯t expect them to act like professional guards. He walked to the front; the guards noticed him and straightened their posture.

    The guards clearly remembered what happened to the underlings that Tim chastised; those two had lost their bodies, and their heads were covered in blood with their tongues hanging out. Tim paid no attention to them. He walked up to the building that the guards used as their lodging and entered a room.

    ¡°You came?¡± The angr-faced man Tim quarreled with before weed him inside with hazy eyes.

    ¡°I came here because I have something to say about this n.¡±

    ¡°Say it.¡±

    ¡°Most of our forces have sessfully infiltrated the city.¡±

    The man lying down on a foul-smelling bed with an alcohol bottle in his mouth got up and moved the bottle away from his mouth. He wiped the alcohol from his mouth with his sleeve and smiled with his teeth showing. ¡°The time has finallye!¡±

    Tim asked, ¡°You know the n, right?¡±

    ¡°Of course! I¡¯ve been waiting for this moment even in my dreams!¡±

    ¡®Then, you should have managed your underlings better!¡¯ However, Tim did not voice his thoughts out loud. He would gain nothing from acting on impulse; his face would just be ridden in anger. Moreover, Tim had already chosen a sharp knife that would catch these bastards.

    Tim said, ¡°We have to stop running the business for a while, so we won¡¯t be earning extra ie anymore. You know that, right?¡±

    ¡°Oh yeah, about that. Do we seriously have to do that?¡±

    Tim¡¯s eyebrows twitched.

    The angr-faced man gulped down alcohol again in a rxed manner and said, ¡°We¡¯ve done well so far, and we didn¡¯t even get caught. The extra ie is pretty nice and good for relieving stress, so my underlings like it. And we did well with that job you gave us.¡± He smiled maliciously. ¡°We did well in order to thoroughly chop the corpses so that no one knows we¡¯re an alliance of multiple bandit groups.¡±

    ¡°That was literally the minimum I asked.¡± Tim slowly walked towards him and roughly grabbed the bottle from the man¡¯s hand. ¡°Since trash like you causes problems if there¡¯s nothing to do, I just gave you guys permission to do that. Does it not get through your shit-filled brain the simple fact that while we can easily get out by mixing in with the merchants as guards, there¡¯s a chance we can get caught every time?¡±

    ¡°Hey. All the work we did wasn¡¯t useless. While we were getting that extra ie, we killed the other bodyguards of the merchant firms, so they had no choice but to hire mercenaries as bodyguards. Since we acted like mercenaries, we could sessfully infiltrate various firms. You can¡¯t forget our hard work.¡±

    ¡°I would have been enough for that. No, if I did it by myself, there would be less risk, and we could have perfectly finished the matter.¡±

    ¡°It would have been too much for one person.¡±

    ¡°There was no need to use so many people like this. You just needed to send a few people to ces that I couldn''t cover. However, because of your crappy patience, we had to expand it to such arge scale.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, but even though we used a lot of men, we didn¡¯t get caught. So until the n starts, we should continue¡­¡±

    <i>Grab!</i>

    Tim¡¯s hand grabbed the angr-faced man; it happened so suddenly that the man was not able to even respond. The man lost hisposure, and he coughed while ring at Tim.

    ¡°Hey, listen well.¡± Tim¡¯s fingers lengthened as he choked the man. His eyes turned yellow, and his fangs grew sharp. ¡°Don¡¯t make me angrier than this. I¡¯m the one who started this n. I¡¯m the one who provided the merchant and the manager¡¯s weaknesses that were necessary to this n. Even though you and the others¡¯ patience are at rock bottom, I also have little patience. Right now, I¡¯m utilizing all the patience I possibly can. But even that has its limits. If you fail¡­¡±

    <i>Crack!</i>

    Tim put more strength in his hands. The man¡¯s face turned blue. ¡°I might not be able to show any more patience. You understand?¡±

    The man desperately nodded his head. Tim roughly threw the man on the bed.

    ¡°Cough! Kuak!¡±

    Tim looked down on the man coughing and enjoying a gulp of air with disgust and said, ¡°No extra ie starting from tomorrow. If someone touches one of the merchants, they will die by my hand. Understand?¡±

    ¡°I-I got it.¡± The man nodded his head and was unable to think about talking back to Tim anymore. Tim burst out of the room as if he didn¡¯t even want to share the same space as the angr-faced man.

    Even after Tim was long gone, the sound of rough breathing and coughs rang out in the room.

    * * *

    Even though the atmosphere was tense in Bambis from the continuous bandit ambushes, it couldn¡¯t affect people¡¯s entire lives. People still continued on with their everyday lives. Zich stood in front of a stand. It was a fruit stand that sold a variety of fruits. Zich grabbed a fruit that was about the size of a fist.

    ¡°Want to buy it?¡± The owner of the fruit stand was a wrinkly old man.

    ¡°Please give me two.¡± After paying, Zich held the fruits with both hands. After roughly cleaning one with his sleeve, he took a big bite of the fruit. The nicebination of sweetness and sourness joyfully filled up his mouth.

    The owner scanned Zich¡¯s face and asked, ¡°Did something bad happen?¡±

    ¡°Why, sir? Is myplexion not good?¡±

    ¡°No, it¡¯s not like that, but it looks like you have a concern.¡±

    ¡°Well, I¡¯m looking for something, but I can¡¯t find it.¡±

    ¡°Is that so? Is it important?¡±

    ¡°Yes, it is very important. My rtionship with my friend depends on this problem.¡±

    ¡°Aigoo, that¡¯s an important matter. I really hope you find it.¡±

    ¡°Thank you.¡± Zich smiled and was about to say his farewells when¡ª

    Amotion erupted.

 Chapter 321

    <h4>Chapter 321</h4>

    They were troops. The cavalry advanced forward while infantry followed behind them,manded by knights wearing shiny armor. The army marched past the wide-open gates as if they were going on a battlefield.

    ¡°What is happening? Why is the army moving? Did a war break out?¡±

    ¡°Aren¡¯t the bandits causing trouble again?¡±

    ¡°Damn it! Again?¡±

    The citizens murmured in fright, but there were some hopeful voices mixed in.

    ¡°What if they found those bandits¡¯ hideouts?¡±

    ¡°You think so?¡±

    ¡°If that¡¯s not the case, there¡¯s no reason for a whole army to move like this. Even when the bandits attacked before, this many soldiers never moved before.¡±

    ¡°I really hope that¡¯s the case!¡±

    Filled with a mix of anxiety and hopefulness, the citizens watched therge group of soldiers leave the castle. Yet, Zich thought differently from them. ¡®If such arge army leaves, Bambis would be left even more defenseless.¡¯

    That was probably what the bandits wanted. They might have exposed an area that looked like their home base on purpose to lure the army there. However, that wasn¡¯t the important part to Zich. He sensed that the day bandits nned their raid was not too far away.

    ¡®I also have to make my decision soon.¡¯ Zich¡¯s eyes turned cold.

    * * *

    That night, Tim came to see Zich. His expression was serious as he said, ¡°I found out the day the bandits would start their raid.¡±

    ¡°Really?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m sure of it. I thought my head was going to fall off while trying to find this information.¡± Tim¡¯s hand crossed his neck. ¡°Thank goodness that it seems to have been worth it.¡±

    ¡°When is it?¡± Zich asked sinctly.

    ¡°Tomorrow.¡±

    ¡°¡­That¡¯s really sudden.¡±

    ¡°I was shocked when I found out about it too. But it¡¯s good that I found out at least a day before.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s true.¡± Zich took out a pouch from his pockets. There was some money and a couple of small gems inside it. ¡°Take it. It¡¯s payment for your work.¡± He handed the pouch over and said, ¡°I won¡¯t need to give you any more prepayments anymore, right? Is there any more information you can find out?¡±

    ¡°No, there isn¡¯t. This is enough for the fee.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s unexpected. I thought you would request more, saying that you might be able to obtain more information.¡±

    ¡°Do you think I don¡¯t have a conscience at all?¡±

    ¡°Isn¡¯t that the case?¡± Zich¡¯s expression was filled with intense shock and surprise. ¡°No, no. There¡¯s no way the Tim tt I know would say that. You bastard! Are you not Tim! Where is that gangster!¡±

    ¡°You bastard, you are wrong about me!¡± Tim slumped down on the chair in front of Zich. ¡°I don¡¯t know about other guys, but I don¡¯t n on ripping off my friends!¡±

    ¡°Huh? You think I¡¯m your friend?¡±

    ¡°¡­You fucker, even though I am being considerate of you!¡±

    ¡°No, it¡¯s because I am really surprised. Do you really think of me as your friend?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, you shit!¡± As if he was embarrassed, Tim spoke more roughly than usual. With the way he was growling, it looked like he was about to swing his fists, and Zich didn¡¯t tease him anymore.

    After ring at Zich for a while, Tim¡¯s face stiffened as he asked seriously, ¡°What are you going to do now?¡±

    ¡°I thought your goal was to take out those bandits? Although I couldn¡¯t find their base, since you know when and where they would attack now, you know the best way to stop them.¡±

    ¡°I suppose so.¡±

    ¡°Are you going to target them?¡±

    ¡°Do you think I would be able to handle those bandits by myself?¡±

    ¡°Stop acting weak. Even though I have never seen you actually show off your skills, I know that you are not an easy guy to deal with.¡±

    Zich smirked. ¡°Well, that¡¯s true. If the numbers you told me are urate, it¡¯s more than enough for me to handle them by myself.¡±

    ¡°I thought so.¡±

    ¡°But the number of the bandits you told me is urate, right?¡±

    ¡°Of course! It¡¯s information that I got after a lot of effort!¡± Tim shouted while thumping his chest.

    While holding back hisughter, Zich asked jokingly, ¡°Are you sure? What if there¡¯s another band of bandits raiding another firm?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sure, man! The size of the bandits is just as I said, and their only goal is the Demiro Firm!¡±

    ¡°Fine, I believe you,¡± Zich said and got up from his seat. ¡°If I could, I would like to have a drink with you, but you should return to your ce. I also have to make my preparations.¡±

    ¡°Sure. I got it.¡± Tim also got up and stretched out his hand toward Zich. ¡°I wish you luck, buddy.¡±

    ¡°Thanks, buddy.¡± Zich grabbed Tim¡¯s hand back.

    Tim smiled widely so that most of his teeth showed and left the room.

    ¡®Friend¡­¡¯ Zichy on the bed and thought of the word while staring at the ceiling above him. ¡®That guy didn¡¯t move his thumb while saying that word.¡¯ Therefore, Tim wasn¡¯t at least lying when he said he considered Zich as his friend.

    ¡®Kuh,kuh! That gangster likes me so much after meeting me for only a couple of days that he thinks of me as his friend. But my trashy personality doesn¡¯t seem to have changed much.¡¯

    Zich¡¯s soundlessughter didn¡¯tst long.

    ¡®However, he lied to me about the size of the bandits.¡¯ Their size was much bigger than what Tim told him and their target wasn¡¯t only the Demiro Firm.

    ¡®I expected as much. I mean, it¡¯s a n that includes Tim tt. There¡¯s no way he would just raid only one firm when attacking an almost empty city. No way.¡¯ Zich thought he was beginning to see the end of this n. ¡®I¡¯m sure those guys are nning to ransack this whole city.¡¯

    The city¡¯s defense army was currently minuscule while there were many bandits hidden within. The bandits probably nned to cause confusion by fire at first and raid every chance they had. It was a daring n. If they seeded, rumors about their deed would spread not only in this kingdom but the surrounding kingdoms too.

    ¡®I can¡¯t let that happen.¡¯

    Zich got up from his bed. Like he told Tim, he had to make his preparations; but he would prepare a bit differently than how Tim thought he would do.

    * * *

    Tim returned to his lodging. On his way back, he bought a bottle of alcohol, and he poured himself a ss when he returned to his room. He downed his drink in one gulp and filled it up again.

    ¡®Is it finally happening tomorrow?¡¯ The n he had prepared for by testing all the patience hecked was finally going to bepleted. After tomorrow, he would possess an unimaginable amount of wealth. Of course, that wouldn¡¯t be the end to his deeds¡ªit was just the beginning. With that wealth as his clutch, he would increase his strength even more and be a big shot that the whole world would acknowledge.

    ¡®He¡¯ll probably do a good job, right?¡¯ Tim thought of Zich. If his senses were urate, Zich was definitely strong enough to defeat those bandits.

    ¡®But he¡¯ll have to use up a lot of his strength.¡¯

    Tim was going to utilize that opportunity. Even though they were nning to raid the entire city, they had no ns to continue staying inside the city. Bambis was an important city in the Campbell estate, so no matter how difficult the situation was for the Marquess of Campbell, he would probably immediately send forces to expel the bandits. Moreover, even though there were much fewer soldiers inside the city than usual, it was still troublesome to deal with the ones left. Thus, they nned to raid the city only at night and immediately disperse after.

    Since they had a very limited time frame, they needed to target the ce with the most money, and Zich was basically a treasure chest. Tim¡¯s n was to raid the ces they had originally nned to and also steal Zich¡¯s money as a bonus. Even though Zich was strong, Tim didn¡¯t think that Zich was stronger than him at the very least, even more so after Zich used up a lot of his strength to fight the bandits.

    ¡®Even though I feel iffy about his identity, it doesn¡¯t matter anymore.¡¯

    Zich was definitely not from Bambis. ording to the official, the city wasn¡¯t aware that the bandits had infiltrated the city. If the city had hired Zich, they would have already known this fact by now.

    ¡®It doesn¡¯t matter how big the forces are outside the city.¡¯ Regardless of how close the outside forces were, they wouldn¡¯t be able to reach Bambis in a single day.

    ¡®Even if news spread out about us, we can stop reports from being sent out for at least one day.¡¯

    Moreover, Tim had already ckmailed the city official.

    ¡®I was really shocked when he knew that we were hiding inside the city though.¡¯

    Even though there was a slight bump in his n, fate seemed to be on his side since everything was going ording to n. Yep, his n was going well, but¡­

    ¡®¡­His name is Zich.¡¯

    With a bit of hesitation, Tim quietly prepared for the next day.

    * * *

    Zich quietly looked down at the Demiro Firm from the rooftop of a building next to it. Since it waste at night, the firm¡¯s doors were sealed tightly shut. Even though a significant amount of time had passed since the sun set, Zich stood still because the ambush hadn¡¯t happened yet.

    Most of the lights in the buildings were now mostly turned off. The number of remaining lights continued to decrease. At that moment, a light suddenly appeared from across the building. Someone had started a fire in the middle of the night. However, the size of the fire was too big for it to have been lit as a light source.

    ¡®Someone¡¯s started a fire.¡¯

    With his keen eyesight, Zich saw a wooden house burning up in mes. Was it a fire caused by someone¡¯s carelessness? However, this wasn¡¯t the only fire. Fires began to appear everywhere around the city; by now, anyone could see that it was intentional arson.

    The sleeping city began to slowly awaken. Screams were heard from a distance, and people began toe outside one by one. They were terrified by the sight of fires spreading out all over the city. Zich finally began moving.

    ¡®It has begun.¡¯

    Zich infiltrated the firm¡¯s building. The guards supposedly guarding the firm at night were now nowhere to be seen. They hadn¡¯t been murdered; there weren¡¯t any signs of battle or even a small blood droplets. Zich headed towards the firm¡¯srgest warehouse without hesitation as if the firm was his house¡¯s backdoor. This was where he felt the guards heading towards when the fires first erupted. He leaned against the wall and concentrated on his hearing.

    ¡°Woah, look how much there is!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m rich now! Rich!¡±

    ¡°Hey, stop talking and quickly gather the goods! Are you gonna just take stuff from here? We don¡¯t have much time! We have to quickly take all of this and go to the next ce!¡±

    Zich raised his feet.

    m! He kicked the door open. The giant door of the warehouse broke off and caved inwards. Zich could now see the inside of the warehouse. Arge group of humans were stuck to a huge pile of boxes. Some empty boxes were also rolling on the ground. The bandits inside the warehouse looked at Zich with shocked faces. They had loads of rings on their fingers and numerous nes on their necks. The items were probably from the empty boxes.

    Zich smirked. ¡°I finally caught you guys.¡±

    Judging from the situation, they seemed to have stayed hidden by acting as the firm¡¯s guards. Even though Zich was curious about how the bandits managed to disguise themselves as bodyguards when firms usually hired trustworthy people as their guards, it didn¡¯t matter anymore. The important part was that there were bandits trying to loot in front of him.

    ¡°W-who is that guy?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s my first time seeing him?¡±

    The bandits looked at each other in confusion.

    The angr-faced man sitting on a box twisted his face and shouted, ¡°He¡¯s obviously here to stop us, you idiots! Kill him right now!¡±

    His underlings began to pull out their weapons. Zich took his time to pull out Windur. ¡°I have other guests waiting for me.¡± He put a lot of mana into Windur and said, ¡°So let¡¯s finish this quickly.¡±

    He rushed towards the bandits.

 Chapter 322

    <h4>Chapter 322</h4>

    Zich stuck close to the closest bandit beside him. The bandit looked terrified and swung his knife, but Windur had already dug into his neck.

    Slice!

    A head floated in the sky, and blood shot up like a fountain. The body continued to swing its arms without realizing its head was gone, but Zich had already lost his attention towards it. He easily evaded the knife and moved towards his next target. Perhaps, because he had seen his colleague getting killed, his next opponent was better at responding¡ªbut that was all.

    With a sharp sound, the sword that the bandit was holding crushed into pieces. Windur pierced through the scattered sword pieces and sliced the bandit¡¯s body into two.

    ¡®Next.¡¯

    Zich¡¯s eyes coldly searched for his next target. He saw the next bandit standing closest to him. The bandit appeared terrified, and his pupils shook, but Zich showed no mercy. Zich¡¯s Windur shot out like a sh of light.

    Crash!

    There was a bigmotion. Rather than feeling the sensation of cutting flesh, Zich felt resistance. Unlike the time it sliced through bandits'' bodies smoothly, Windur was blocked by arge sword.

    ¡°Who are you!¡± a man with an angr face barked after blocking Zich¡¯s attack.

    ¡®He is quite good.¡¯

    The man¡¯s sword was filled with strong mana. He wasn¡¯t an easy opponent like the guys Zich had just killed. Zich felt bloodthirst behind him¡ªtwo bandits were aiming at his back. Zich ced more strength into his arms and pushed his opponent¡¯s sword back. He saw the angr-faced man¡¯s expression filled with surprise.

    ¡®This bastard! How could he be so strong¡­!¡¯ the angr-faced man thought. He was pushed a couple of steps back by Zich¡¯s strength.

    After freeing Windur, Zich swung his sword fiercely. The two swordsing from behind him bounced off and exposed the chests of the swords¡¯ wielders wide in the open. Windur dug into these openings.

    ¡°Ahh!¡±

    ¡°Urgggh!¡±

    The sh ripped two chests ripped apart and revealed white bones and a beating heart. The two bandits screamed and pressed the wounds on their chests, but it wasn¡¯t an injury they could block with such a simple method. They both toppled down to the ground.

    ¡°You bastard!¡± Outraged, the angr-faced man rushed in. He let out a vicious aura that seemed formidable.

    ¡®He clearly is far stronger than the others.¡¯ Zich thought the man was the leader of the bandits hiding inside this firm. ¡®But nothing more than that.¡¯ This man was stronger than the other guys, but it didn¡¯t change the fact that he was just the leader of a group of wandering bandits.

    Thud!

    Zich firmly nted his feet onto the ground and gripped his sword guard tightly with both hands. Then, he swung it towards the angr-faced man hard.

    Craaash!

    The angr-faced man¡¯s body bounced off. Blood shot out from his hands that gripped his sword. The impact that Zich¡¯s attack made onto his sword caused his palms to tear.

    Bam!

    The angr-faced man broke through the wall of the storage room, flew, and fell to the floor.

    ¡°Boss!¡±

    ¡°What happened!¡±

    There was shouting from the outside. It seemed like the bandits raiding other storages gathered after hearing themotion. Although the number of his opponents had increased now, Zich remained unconcerned. Instead, he was happy.

    ¡®It¡¯s more annoying if these pests run away.¡¯ Zich sliced the rest of the bandits left in the storage room. Then, he went outside. The angr-faced man got up with the support of his subordinates.

    ¡®Hm, there¡¯s about 60 of them.¡¯ It was a considerable number. Additionally, a couple of them looked quite strong; they were probably leaders of the gang. Yet, Zich still didn¡¯t feel any sense of danger.

    ¡°Kill that guy!¡± the angr-faced man shouted. The bandits rushed forwards and surrounded Zich.

    ¡°The one who manages to kill that guy will get all the items in one of the storages!¡±

    ¡°Waaaaaah!¡± The bandits let out cheers at the deration the angr-faced man made. The worth of ¡®all the items in a storage¡¯¡ª especially one that belonged to a firm that supplied precious metal, was enormous. Passion red up in an instant. Fear or nervousness flew away from the bandits¡¯ eyes and was reced by bubbling greed.

    ¡®As expected of bandits.¡¯ Zich understood their change of heart butughed at their stupidity. ¡®They don¡¯t seem to think about why their boss dered such a great reward for defeating me.¡¯

    The reason why the angr-faced man dered such a great reward for Zich¡¯s head was because he knew how much of a danger Zich posed. Yet, the bandits didn¡¯t seem to consider this in their fixation of the reward; considering their past idiotic actions, there was also a high possibility that they were simply too dumb to realize it.

    The bandits rushed towards Zich at once. In fear that their target would be taken by their colleagues, theypeted against each other. Yet, the skilled fighters among them didn¡¯t join in, including the angr-faced man.

    ¡®They are nning to wait until I get worn out.¡¯

    That was clumsy thinking. Their difference in strengthpared to Zich wasn¡¯t something that could be ovee by such a simple tactic. Zich lifted Windur.

    Crash!

    He blocked the knife aimed at him and sliced around him.

    Slice!

    He cut off the head of a bandit with a greedy face. That was how the battle officially began.

    * * *

    There were corpses all over the floor drenched with blood, and the weapons that belonged to the corpses obstructed people from moving freely.

    ¡°Huff, huff!¡± Zich¡¯s breathing was rough. Although he was bleeding in some ces, it seemed like his injuries weren¡¯t restricting his movements. He had made most of the bandits into corpses, but there were still some left.

    ¡°You bastard!¡± The angr-faced man gritted his teeth. He red like he wanted to kill but didn¡¯t approach Zich rashly; too many of his subordinates had turned into corpses under Zich¡¯s sword for him to act without thinking.

    ¡®Where did a monster like that suddenly pop out from!¡¯ Thankfully, this monster looked tired now, and the only ones left among the bandits were the most skilled fighters.

    ¡®We can win!¡¯ The angr-faced man made eye contact with the rest of his remaining subordinates and approached Zich cautiously.

    ¡°Dieeeeeee!¡± The angr-faced man ran to Zich first. Two subordinates supported him from both sides and rushed to Zich. The three of them were the strongest members with mana. Yet, they weren¡¯t strong enough to reach Zich.

    Whoosh!

    Zich barely escaped the sword the angr-faced man thrust and flicked away the swording from the right side with one of Windur¡¯s des and pierced his sword in.

    ¡°Kuh!¡±

    Windur prated the opponent¡¯s chest and shredded it mercilessly. Blood spilled out from the wound. However, Zich didn¡¯t even have the time to celebrate killing one of his opponents and jumped immediately. A sword swished past the ce Zich was standing. It was an attack from an opponent to his left. Zich fused a lot of mana into Windur, which was covered in blood, and swung it.

    Whoosh!

    A mana-filled swing headed towards the bandit to his left. The bandit wasn¡¯t able to retrieve his sword from the recent attack and received the full brunt of Zich¡¯s attack to his shoulder.

    ¡°Ackkk!¡± His whole arm fell off. A tremendous amount of blood flew out from his injury. If left untreated, he¡¯d probably die from blood loss.

    ¡®Low-level bandits won¡¯t have precious items like potions either.¡¯ And if they did have potions, only the boss probably had it.

    ¡°Y-you bastard¡­!¡± The angr-faced man trembled in anger as Zichnded lightly on the ground. Only he and Zich were left now.

    Tap!

    Zich took one step towards hisst remaining enemy. The angr-faced man took a step back. When Zich took another step forward, the man also took another step back.

    ¡°D-don¡¯te closer!¡± Even though the angr-faced man pointed his sword towards Zich, the tip of his sword trembled. So, he didn¡¯t look scared at all.

    Without changing his expression, Zich coldly decreased his distance from his enemy.

    ¡°Ah, ahhhhhh!¡± Did fear paralyze his senses? The angr-faced man raised his sword up high and rushed towards Zich. It was an attack with no skill or technique; just literally a stupid charge in fear.

    Zich swung Windur.

    Slice!

    The sound of flesh being cut apart rang in the room, and blood spurted out again.

    ¡°Agh!¡± A short scream rang in the air. The angr-faced man¡¯s legs slowly began to lose strength.

    Thud!

    He copsed to the ground; blood began to spread and wet the ground. His mouth that used to order around his underlings no longer moved.

    ¡°Ack!¡± This was thest sound the angr faced man made in this world.

    ¡°Huff! Huff!¡± Zich calmed his breathing. He seemed to have strained himself as his legs were slightly loose. He looked exhausted from his recent battle. But the battle was over. As if to clean up the mess, Zich was about to begin moving but then¡ª

    Zich quickly raised Windur.

    Crasssssh! A loud explosion erupted. Zich¡¯s body floated up and crashed through a wall next to the warehouse and fell down. Boxes broke and all kinds of precious items fell on top of Zich¡¯s body.

    ¡°Oh? You were able to block that?¡± An easygoing voice came from nearby.

    Zich stared at the owner of the voice while he was buried under pieces of wooden boxes and precious essories. From the hole on the warehouse¡¯s wall, the ambusher¡¯s appearance came into full view.

    ¡°¡­Tim.¡±

    ¡°Yep, it¡¯s your friend, Tim tt. We see each other after only one day, Zich.¡± Tim smiled brightly and waved his hand. His behavior was unimaginably friendly for someone who ambushed Zich.

    ¡°Were you surprised? I hope you are. This is my surprise present for you.¡±

    Zich did not reply. He cleaned up the pieces of wood around him and stood up.

    Tim clicked his tongue and said, ¡°I wanted to start our fight by hurting you badly, but as expected, you¡¯re not an easy opponent.¡±

    ¡°¡­I¡¯m just making sure, but since you attacked me, I canbel you as my enemy, right?¡±

    ¡®He¡¯s not surprised?¡¯ Tim was slightly puzzled as to why Zich¡¯s face was so calm. Didn¡¯t he just get attacked by someone he coborated with and became his friend in a short amount of time?

    However, Tim suppressed this question and said, ¡°Of course. It¡¯s not a misunderstanding, and I don¡¯t have a secret backstory. I attacked you with my own will.¡±

    ¡°Is that so?¡± Zich pointed Windur at Tim.

    ¡°I¡¯m giving you a warning as a friend, but you shouldn¡¯t think about fighting me when you¡¯re out of breath after just beating those fucking losers. For me, those guys are nothing more than a warm-up¡­¡± Tim shut his mouth and quickly swung his arms. Before he knew it, Windur¡¯s de was right in front of him.

    ¡®He¡¯s way faster than bef¡­!¡¯ Before he could evenplete his thought, Windur made contact with his arms.

    Crash!

    An unbelievable sound from a collision between an arm and a sword rang out in the air. Contrary to before, Tim was the one to fly away this time. His body collided against the warehouse next to them, and a huge hole appeared. He became buried under wooden boxes and precious items. It was the exact same treatment Zich just received.

    Step. Step. Zich walked towards the hole. Tim was throwing the wooden pieces and precious goods in frustration.

    ¡°I¡¯m giving you a warning as a friend.¡± With a sly voice, Zich copied what Tim said earlier and continued, ¡°You shouldn¡¯t look down on me. I was just pretending to be tired before.¡±

    ¡°¡­Pretending to be tired?¡±

    ¡°Yep. If I showed you all my strength, you might get scared and run away.¡±

    ¡°Get scared?¡±

    Zich seemed to have scratched Tim¡¯s ego as Tim showed his teeth and started growling.

    However, Zich was calm. ¡°Yep, scared. I already expected you to stay hidden and watch me fight.¡± Zich yfully kicked a wooden piece on his side towards Tim. He crushed the wooden piece in anger.

    Zich shouted, ¡°I already knew a long time ago that you were going to target my money and ambush me, you bandit thug-pup, son of a bitch!¡±

 Chapter 323

    <h4>Chapter 323</h4>

    Furious from head to toe, Tim was stunned. He thought he hadpletely fooled Zich and was shocked to find that Zich had known everything all along.

    ¡°¡­Did you trick me?¡± Tim¡¯s voice was low, expressing his clear rage. It was a funny situation. Tim was getting angry that Zich tricked him when that was what he had tried to do to Zich. But that was the kind of guy Tim tt was; he never considered the harm he caused to others while he responded negatively to the damages he received.

    ¡°Yeah, I tricked you. So what? Aren¡¯t you the dumb one to get tricked in situations like this?¡± Zich¡¯s words infuriated Tim even more.

    Zich didn¡¯t lose to Tim in terms of having a horrible personality and self-righteousness. He had no intention of consoling a stupid bastard¡¯s rage for getting tricked. ¡°Is that what you call tricking someone? I had to work so hard to pretend to be tricked by you. Even a three-year-old would not get their treats stolen from you.¡±

    ¡°¡­Ha, haha, hahahaha!¡± Tim burst out intoughter. Then, he hung his head low while his shoulders trembled like he had lost his mind.

    ¡°You¡­¡± Tim stared at Zich. Beyond his shaking front hair, Tim¡¯s eyes looked piercing.

    ¡°Die.¡±

    Crash!

    Tim stretched out his fist. As if he was nning repay Zich for his secret attack, he appeared in front of Zich as if he had teleported. He aimed for Zich¡¯s face, specifically the jaw.

    Whoosh! Zich managed to evade the punch by a hair''s breadth. The wind pressure caused by the force of Tim¡¯s punch seemed to swirl like a typhoon. Zich remained unbothered and swung Windur again.

    Crash! A sword and fist shed against each other. Zich and Tim backed a couple of steps away from each other.

    ¡°¡­What is this?¡± Tim scowled when he saw the back of his fist. Blood flowed down from the injury on his hand. Although it should have been surprising that he was left only with a small injury after the sword and fist shed, Tim didn¡¯t seem to think that way.

    ¡°¡­Although its shape is fucking weird, it seems to be quite a good sword.¡±

    ¡°Right? I think so too.¡± Zich swung Windur like he was showing it off.

    Tim bared his teeth. ¡°Do you think you can beat me just because you have a good sword?¡±

    ¡°No,¡± Zich replied. Tim¡¯s mood became slightly better from Zich¡¯s denial; he thought Zich was realizing the situation he was in. However, the meaning behind Zich¡¯s denial waspletely different from what Tim thought.

    ¡°Even if I don¡¯t have Windur, it¡¯s not hard to beat a guy like you up. So, even if you lose, don¡¯t me it on my sword, okay?¡±

    Tim¡¯s face hardened. He struck the ground without saying a single word in response. His mouth, which usually never shut up from ridiculing and mocking his opponents, closed and he let out intense pressure. His fist overfilled with mana and swirled like a typhoon.

    Babababang! A hugemotion broke out in an instant. As the sword and fist made contact, shockwaves broke out in all directions. The surrounding buildings creaked while the precious metals on the ground rolled. If the owner of the firm saw what was happening right now, he would have screamed in terror. Yet, Zich and Tim didn¡¯t care what happened around them; they only thought of crushing the opponent right in front of their eyes.

    Crash!

    Tim backed away from Zich¡¯s mana-filled attack and scowled, ¡®This bastard is really strong!¡¯ Zich¡¯s skills were beyond what he had expected. Even when he had strengthened his mana, his hands and arms were full of injuries. He even had some deep wounds that revealed specks of bone. Yet, Tim preserved on.

    Whish!

    His injuries began healing at a frightening speed. His muscles contracted, nketing the white bones underneath, and new skin grew on top. Small injuries disappeared without a trace.

    ¡®His regenerative abilities are already amazing.¡¯ Zich clicked his tongue. Before the regression, the reason why Tim had taken the lead most often when they fought with enemy forces was because of his regenerative abilities. Even when he was sliced, pierced, and struck down by his enemies¡¯ attacks, he always healed himselfpletely and led the battlefield in the direction they wanted.

    Of course, Zich didn¡¯t stand by and watch Tim heal himself. He moved to corner Tim more aggressively before he healed all his injuries. Yet, Tim managed to evade Zich skillfully. In the end, all his injuries disappeared.

    Thud! After escaping Zich¡¯s attack, Tim jumped down to the rooftop of one of the storage spaces. As if he wasn¡¯t pleased with the current situation, his face was heavily scrunched up. ¡®What the hell is this!¡¯

    It hurt his pride. Tim thought no matter how strong Zich was, Zich was still an opponent he could beat. After realizing the truth, he realized he was the one who was tricked and getting pushed back in this battle. However, Tim wasn¡¯t afraid; he knew he was going to be the winner in the end.

    ¡°Don¡¯t make such a confident face, you bast¡ª!¡± Tim curled up his fist to prepare for the battle when he realized that he was in a strange situation. ¡°¡­What?¡± He looked around his surroundings and evaluated the situation. ording to his n, the city should have fallen into chaos by now; there should be paths of fire everywhere along with screams of the powerless and vileughter from the bandits sounding in the background. However, the situation around him waspletely different from what he predicted it to be.

    There were some paths of fire burning up the city, but they were very few. Although their original n was to cause havoc inside the city by setting buildings on fire everywhere, the number of fires that burned right now didn¡¯t seem much different from the number they had at the beginning of their raid announcement. Some mes were even disappearing until they werepletely extinguished.

    He heard shouting and the sound of armies shing in a battle. ording to his n, there shouldn¡¯t be any clean-cut battles happening, or at worst, very few of them. At the least, he shouldn¡¯t be hearing the sound of battle happening throughout the whole city like this.

    ¡®It¡¯s almost as if some defense troops were left in this city!¡¯

    ¡°Are you curious?¡± Zich¡¯s voice dug into Tim¡¯s ears. Before he realized it, Zich had already climbed on top of the rooftop with him. Tim¡¯s fierce eyes red at him.

    ¡°You won¡¯t be able to raid the city as you and the other bandits nned. There¡¯re soldiers all over the city.¡±

    ¡°¡­!¡± All kinds of questions swirled in Tim¡¯s head. How did he know that they nned to raid the entire city? And who were those soldiers fighting the bandits right now? What more did he know? Tim was only sure about one thing¡ªthe n he put tremendous effort into and thought had failed.

    ¡°If you¡¯re curious, I can answer your questions.¡± Zich talked calmly like a victor was showing mercy to his enemy. ¡°Of course, you would have to answer my questions as well.¡±

    ¡°¡­Questions?¡±

    ¡°This n. Who made it?¡± Zich¡¯s face instantly became serious. ¡°This n is much too meticulous for it to be made by bandits.¡±

    It was a n that could have only been made if one had a perfect understanding of the current situation in the Campbell estate and Bambis. Moreover, they needed to have secret information about the city officials¡¯ weaknesses to use them.

    Could a random bandit have such a wide informationwork to gain these types of information? Zich doubted this.

    ¡°You probably didn¡¯t make this n. There¡¯s no way you could devise a n like this with your rock-hard head.¡±

    ¡°What the hell!¡± Tim growled in anger, but Zich had no intentions to take back his words.

    ¡®In the first ce, if he was preparing for a n like this, he should have stayed low and quietly made his preparations. But he couldn¡¯t control his personality and caused all kinds of havoc.¡¯

    Zich was able to find Tim in this way. However, Zich understood why Tim acted this way. His hot-tempered personality was the reason why Tim tt was who he was.

    ¡°Hey, did you perhaps get that n from suspicious people wearing robes?¡±

    Tim¡¯s face became ridiculously distorted at Zich¡¯s question. He looked like he was caught with a secret he thought no one would ever know.

    ¡®As expected.¡¯ Zich was sure that this n was also a result of those robed figures¡¯ actions. Then, at that moment, a dark cloud appeared in Zich¡¯s heart.

    Tim asked, ¡°¡­You know those guys?¡±

    ¡°Of course! We¡¯re really close! We ride or die together! So if you have information about them, why don¡¯t you share a bit¡­¡± Zich stopped talking. He let out a sigh and looked down on Tim. ¡°Well, there¡¯s no way those guys revealed any information about them to a punk like you. Whatever. Just forget what I asked you.¡±

    ¡°¡­Haha, you fucking bastard!¡± Tim was so angry that his words came out calmly instead. The swirling questions in his head calmed down at once. The only thing left was his murderous desire to beat the crap out of Zich. At that moment¡ª

    Crash! The front door of the Demiro Firm opened roughly. Zich and Tim both looked at the door at the same time.

    ¡°He¡¯s over there!¡± A knight wearing shy armor stood on top of a rooftop and pointed at Tim while shouting. Ten more soldiers came rushing behind him.

    ¡®Those idiots!¡± Zich saw them and grimaced. ¡®I told them to not interfere here!¡¯

    They were part of the soldiers that had gone out of the city after falling for the bandits¡¯ trap. After seeing the bandits moving out of the city walls, Zich thought that the bandits would soon ambush the city and immediately go to the mayor. If he went through a formal process, Zich thought the city official ratting out the city to the bandits might find out, so he infiltrated the mayor¡¯s office. Since most of the skilled forces had been sent out for the war, it was extremely easy to infiltrate the mayor¡¯s office.

    Of course, the mayor was shocked, but as a result of Zich¡¯s kind ckmail, the Count¡¯s introduction letter, and the Karuwiman Honorary broach, Zich was able to quickly calm the mayor down. Zich immediately told the mayor the information he had, and then he made one request to the mayor whose face was nowpletely stiff. He asked for the soldiers who were just sent out from the bandits¡¯ trap to be immediately called back to the city.

    Since quite a long time had passed since the soldiers were sent out, the mayor expressed the difficulty of the matter, but with Zich¡¯s abilities, it was possible to catch up to them. Fortunately, the mayor was receptive and an easy person to work with; if the mayor refused to listen to him, Zich needed toe up with a different n, but he didn¡¯t need to do that.

    That night, the soldiers dispatched to ambush the bandits¡¯ home base quietly returned back to Bambis. In order to hide their return, the soldiers somewhat disguised themselves. However, since they were sent out for battle, they had little means to perfectly disguise themselves. On the other hand, thete time and darkness of the night covered their clumsy disguises, and above all, they weren¡¯t caught because the mayor worked hard to hide them. The mayor was skilled, so they even perfectly covered their efforts from internal spies. Then, the only thing left was to hide the soldiers around the city.

    When the bandits began attacking the city, the soldiers stationed beforehand immediately began to expel the bandits. The sound of battle ringing throughout the whole city was from the fights between the soldiers and bandits. In addition, before the soldiers were stationed throughout the city, Zich made one more request to the mayor. He asked the mayor to not send any forces to the Demiro Firm.

    Zich judged that the current Bambis¡¯ military forces with all its strongest soldiers sent out for war were too weak to fight the bandits in the Demiro Firm. Unnecessary casualties would just arise.

    ¡®Those idiots¡­!¡¯

    Did the mayor just ignore his words? No, that was probably not the case. Zich thought this over again, but the mayor was really an easy person to talk to. Then, there was only one possibility that came to mind.

    ¡®They were blinded by seeking achievements and ignored orders!¡¯

    It was obvious to see what happened as the soldiers began surrounding the building. The knight jumped from the ground andnded on the roof.

    ¡°You low scum! Your evil deeds wille to an end here!¡± The knight ignored Zich and pointed his sword towards Tim.

    Zich clicked his tongue without thinking; the knight¡¯s actions were not even funny.

    However, it could not even bepared to the annoyance Tim felt. ¡°Hahaha! Today is a really shitty day!¡± Nothing was going to n, and now some kind of trash was pointing his sword at him.

    In order to resolve this suffocating and shitty feeling, there was only one solution.

    Destruction!

    Was it just a light trick? Tim¡¯s skin seemed to wriggle.

 Chapter 324

    <h4>Chapter 324</h4>

    It was a strange sight. The full moon was floating high up in the sky, revealing the world with its moonlight. Tim¡¯s skin wiggled like a swarm of worms crawling below it. It was a disgusting sight, but that was only the beginning. Tim¡¯s body began to transform. He grew taller while his muscles swelled until they looked like they were about to burst. His eyes changed to yellow, his fingernails grew like beasts, his mouth extended out, and his teeth grew pointy. His canines became especially sharp. The most noticeable change were the furs. Silverish, stiff fur grew bountifully over his skin and covered it like awn covered inch by inch like grass.

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    ¡°T-That¡­!¡±

    The soldiers were shocked to see a creature beyond their expectations. They pointed at Tim in astonishment. However, as if the scene before them was too shocking to ept, they couldn¡¯t react. It was the same for the knights. Their stunned faces indicated their psychological state. However, Zich was different from them.

    Whoosh!

    As soon as Tim appeared to be transforming, he ran towards Tim. He was well aware of what Tim¡¯s transformation meant. However, Tim had no intention of dealing with Zich right now. He evaded Zich¡¯s attack and jumped down from the roof.

    Thud! By the time hended on the floor, Tim had lost most of his human appearance. His bright yellow eyes scanned the soldiers around him.

    Crunch!

    A chilling cry rang inside the building. He rushed towards the nearest soldier.

    Sling!

    The soldier didn¡¯t have any time to react. Tim¡¯s sharp ws easily pierced the soldier¡¯s neck. Streams of blood shot up like a fountain and sttered onto Tim¡¯s silver hair.

    Tim¡¯s face could no longer be called a human¡¯s as he smiled.

    ¡°Uh, ahhhh!¡±

    ¡°A monster!¡± The soldiers let out terrified screams. They threw their weapons and began running towards the entrance for their lives.

    ¡°You bastards, stop!¡± The knight rushing from the rooftop to chase after Tim yelled, but no one listened to him. Chased by their fear, they all simply tried to escape outside. However, Tim had no intention of allowing their escape. He rushed towards the soldiers. Since they were all gathered at the entrance, he didn¡¯t have to bother with the task of chasing after them. The soldiers screamed and crashed into each other to run away and made everyone¡¯s escape even harder; Tim closed his distance with them in an instant and ended all the soldiers¡¯ lives.

    Zaaa! He stretched out his pointy mouth and revealed his sharp teeth. Then, he bit into the head of the nearest soldier.

    Crunch! With his hard teeth and unimaginably strong bite, the soldier¡¯s head was crushed into a mush. Lumps of blood burst everywhere and there were spilled brain and flesh.

    ¡°Ahhhhhh!¡±

    ¡°Save me!¡±

    The soldiers tried swinging their fists in resistance, but it was all futile. Tim¡¯s kick cut off entire hands and arms, and his terrifying teeth gnawed on their skin and bones.

    ¡°Stop!¡± A knight ran while screaming, but he was toote. By the time he arrived at the scene, there were only lumps of blood, pieces of flesh, and bones scattered all over the ground with a ferocious monster standing in between.

    ¡°You bastaaaard!¡± An enraged knight flung himself forward with a mana-instilled sword. ¡°Dieee!¡± With a hearty cry, the knight swung his sword.

    ng! His sword struck Tim¡¯s arm. Yet, his sword, which should have been strengthened and sharpened to a much higher degree with mana, failed to pierce Tim¡¯s skin.

    ¡°What¡­!¡± The knight was stunned. He moved backward on instinct, but Tim¡¯s hands were too fast for him. His fur-covered hands clutched the knight¡¯s neck.

    ¡°Kuh!¡± As Timpressed his airway, the knight choked. Tim¡¯s height looked to be about 1.5 times taller than the average person right now. The knight flung his legs around in the air as Tim¡¯s grip tightened around his neck.

    ¡°Kuh!¡± Still, the knight didn¡¯t let go of his sword and continued to stab at Tim¡¯s arm. However, Tim¡¯s body didn¡¯t even budge.

    Zich clicked his tongue at this sight. This knight was a pathetic being, intervening when he shouldn¡¯t have for his desire for glory; because of it, he ended up getting all his subordinates killed and was now also getting overpowered by Tim. Zich had also tried to block Tim in his own way, but Tim¡¯s movements were too fast. If the soldiers had resisted more effectively, he might have been able to save a couple of them, but the soldiers failed to bide even a little bit of time.

    After taking his eyes off the knight, Zich scanned Tim¡¯s appearance. He was a werewolf human¡ªthat was the most perfect word to describe Tim¡¯s current form. It was also a form that Zich was familiar with. Before the regression, Tim had often taken this form whenever he had to give his all; this was also the reason why he gained his nickname of ¡®Werewolf.¡¯

    ¡°Hey, Zich.¡± Perhaps, he was calmer now that he saw some blood, but Tim spoke in a surprisingly peaceful voice.

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°Do you see this guy in my hands?¡±

    Although Zich had thought this before the regression, Tim was good at talking even with a long, wolf-like mouth. If only he hadn¡¯t been his subordinate, Zich would have sliced his neck off a long time ago to see what its insides looked like.

    ¡°I can see. What about that stupid guy?¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s a hostage. Shouldn¡¯t you look concerned and sound furious?¡±

    ¡®That was what he was getting at?¡¯ Zich snorted and asked, ¡°Why do I have to save that stupid bastard?¡±

    The knight shouted something with his pale face from theck of air. However, Zich had no intention of craning his ears and deciphering those iprehensible words.

    ¡°I don¡¯t need a guy who drove his soldiers into a pit of death just so that he could establish himself. Well, if I had the ability to save him, I might think about it, but I know for sure that I would die if I had to think about a hostage while fighting with you.¡±

    ¡°Kuhaahaha!¡± As if Tim was pleased with Zich¡¯s words, he let out a burst of lowughter. ¡°Hey Zich, I have a proposal that I want to make.¡±

    ¡°A proposal?¡±

    ¡°Do you want to join me?¡±

    Zich was a bit surprised since he hadn¡¯t expected this proposal.

    ¡°Originally, I thought of making you my underling, but I changed my mind after realizing that your skills were beyond my expectation. If you join my side, you don¡¯t even need to have money.¡±

    Zich was surprised even more. How could the Tim tt say that he didn¡¯t need money?

    ¡°Weren¡¯t you after my money?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. I was thinking about taking your money, and then making you my subordinate. After fighting with you, I realized that you deserve to be my coborator. Like you said, I¡¯m trash and a gangster, but I don¡¯t steal money from my coborators.¡±

    This was the truth. Before his regression, Tim had gone around looting people everywhere, but he showed no interest in Zich¡¯s money and the belongings of other subordinates. On the other hand, Tim even let them borrow money if they needed it. That Tim tt of all people!

    Zich knew that Tim was making this offer because he had genuinely taken a liking to him. Zich was also pleased to hear Tim¡¯s words. A person he had been close to in the past was reaching out with his hands again. It was impossible to not feel somewhat touched. But at the same time, Zich¡¯s heart sank.

    Zich replied, ¡°¡­Fine. It would be okay to coborate with you.¡±

    ¡°Oh, right? I knew you would¡ª!¡±

    ¡°But, I have a condition.¡±

    Tim had spoken excitedly, but he stopped and stared at Zich. Zich was hesitant about speaking for a bit, because there was a 0% possibility that Tim would ept this condition. If he put forth this condition, his rtionship with Tim would definitely turn antagonistic. However, in the end, Zich let out his words; since he regressed, this was one of the main driving forces moving him.

    ¡°Stop doing bad deeds and start doing kind acts with me.¡±

    ¡°¡­What?¡± Tim¡¯s wolf face distorted strangely. He looked as if he heard a joke that was not even funny. He even cleaned out his ears to see if he was hearing nonsense. ¡°Hey, Zich. I think I just heard something wrong. Could you repeat your words again?¡±

    ¡°I said let¡¯s do kind acts together.¡±

    Tim was left speechless. As a gangster, he heard all kinds of ridiculous things, but Tim thought that this was the most ridiculous thing he had ever heard. ¡°You¡¯re saying that we should do kind acts? Together?¡±

    ¡°Yep.¡±

    ¡°Hey, Zich. Did you eat something wrong?¡± Tim was extremely serious. ¡°Kind acts? Us? Come on, Zich. Even though I haven¡¯t known you for long, I know people like you very well. Of course, I know that because we¡¯re very simr types of people. People like us are very far from the concept of ¡®kind acts.¡¯¡±

    Tim looked at the knight he was holding and shook the knight¡¯s body. ¡°We act ording to our desires, whatever they may be. We are also much stronger than others, but we fundamentally don¡¯t fit in with the rest of society. And you¡¯re telling me to do kind acts?¡±

    Tim¡¯s eyes changed. ¡°What I was offering you was to trample this world together! Kind acts? I didn¡¯t talk about coboration to do that kind of nonsense!¡±

    Did Tim think that Zich was mocking him? Tim¡¯s anger was different from the type of anger he showed before. However, it was clear that he was truly furious. Tim continued, ¡°I¡¯m asking you once more, Zich. Be my coborator. Stop saying fucking nonsense about kind acts and let¡¯s do evil acts together.¡±

    Zich felt that this was probably Tim¡¯s final offer. The murderous aura surrounding Tim died down, and he waited for Zich¡¯s reply. Zich replied, ¡°You¡¯re right¡ªour personalities are definitely simr. I¡¯m not the type of person who will probably do kind acts.¡±

    Did his persuasion work? Tim¡¯s eyes became soft for a moment. However, Zich wasn¡¯t done talking yet.

    ¡°However, do you think I¡¯ll limit my actions by what ¡®type¡¯ of person I¡¯m supposed to be? Who decided that?¡± Zich¡¯s voice was firm. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter to me what type of person I am. I decided that I wanted to do kind acts, and that¡¯s what I¡¯m going to do. I don¡¯t give a crap as to what ¡®type¡¯ or ¡®kind of¡¯ person I¡¯m supposed to be!¡±

    Zich raised Windur and pointed his sword at Tim whose aura became rough again, as if its previous softness had been a lie.

    Zich shouted, ¡°This is my final offer, Tim tt! Come with me to go around and do kind acts! Then I¡¯ll shoulder your past sins and make them disappear!¡±

    ¡°Fuck.¡± Tim kicked away Zich¡¯s offer with just one word.

    ¡°What the fuck are you saying? Fine, I got it. I know that you¡¯re fucking insane. I guess I was crazy. I can¡¯t believe I thought of you as my friend just because we got along after a few drinks.¡±

    ¡°Kurrg!¡± Tim¡¯s anger seemed to have spread to his hand as the knight he was holding made a sound as if he was choking. However, Zich and Tim paid no attention to the knight¡¯s pitiful cry.

    Tim continued, ¡°I¡¯m going to just kill you and take your money as I originally nned. Even though this event didn¡¯t go as I nned, if I take your money and steal the precious items in this firm, I¡¯ll be able to roughly make up for my loss.¡±

    ¡°¡­Are you rejecting my offer?¡±

    ¡°Then, did you really think I¡¯d ept your stupid-ass offer?¡±

    ¡°¡­Okay.¡± Various emotions swirled inside Zich¡¯s heart. However, as expected, the biggest emotion in his heart was a dilemma. However, thatsted only for a moment; Zich soon calmed his heart sinceposure was extremely important in battle.

    Zich said, ¡°Then, Tim tt. You¡¯re going to die here.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s what I should say, you crazy bastard!¡±

    The two ran towards each other. With murder as their main goal, their battle to kill each other began.

 Chapter 325

    <h4>Chapter 325</h4>

    Zich¡¯s Windur flew straight towards Tim. Windur¡¯s des shone sharply, and Tim threw the knight he was holding in response.

    ¡°Urgh!¡± The knight let out a big breath. Although he was half-unconscious after failing to breathe properly for a long time, he was still alive. Tim straightened his nails and pierced the knight¡¯s body flying powerlessly in the air. He nned to throw the knight to block Zich¡¯s vision and use the body as a shield to pierce the two together; this was because although Zich said he had no intention of saving the hostage, he bbered on about doing ¡®kind acts¡¯ and Tim judged that Zich wouldn¡¯t treat the knight carelessly once thrown at him. However, he couldn¡¯t have been more wrong.

    <i>Pierce. </i>Zich pierced the knight¡¯s body, forming a hole inside it. However, there wasn¡¯t only one hole on the body.

    ¡®What¡­!¡¯

    Tim had to twist his body away in shock when Windur popped out from the knight¡¯s body.

    <i>Crunch!</i>

    Windur¡¯s de scraped his body, but it couldn¡¯t inflict any injuries on Tim¡¯s steel-like fur. Tim also failed tond a proper attack against Zich because he had to dodge. Above all, Zich¡¯s attack caused Tim¡¯s back to shiver.

    <i>Pwish! </i>The knight¡¯s body was shredded apart from Zich and Tim¡¯s attacks. Blood, flesh, and bones poured down from the sky like rain, and Zich and Timnded back on the ground from a good distance away from each other.

    ¡°You bastard! I thought you did kind acts! How could you turn a hostage into rags then!¡±

    ¡°I thought I clearly told you. I won¡¯t care about the hostage while fighting you.¡±

    ¡°How could a bastard like you go on about kind acts?¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t cling onto things I can¡¯t do. It¡¯s stupid to feel guilty and worry about things I simply can¡¯t do with my current abilities. Besides, even if I do kind acts, my specialty is beating up viins. Saving hostages is outside my specialty.¡±

    ¡°What sort of kind person are you!¡±

    ¡°I said I do kind acts. I never said a word about being a kind person. I am a bad person.¡±

    ¡®This guy doesn¡¯t make any sense!¡¯ Tim was aware that he was someone who lived however he liked. However, if hepared himself to the guy who imed to be a bad person who did kind acts, Tim began to think that he might not be so bad after all.

    ¡°Do you get it now! The kind of acts that I do aren''t really what most people think of! All there is to it is that viins are the only targets for my bad deeds! Don¡¯t you think you can do that much!¡± Zich tried to persuade Tim once more, but Tim shook his head.

    ¡°That means I won¡¯t be able to bother humans who aren¡¯t bad guys.¡± Tim believed he couldn¡¯t abide by that. He said, ¡°Why would I have to do that? It¡¯s only natural in this world for the strong to eat the weak. Are you seriously telling me to choose my prey with good and evil in mind? Ha! What sort of wolf person would do a damn thing like that!¡±

    ¡°When we drank togetherst time, didn¡¯t you say that you were a weak person in the past?¡± Zich asked.

    ¡°Yeah, I did.¡±

    Some might remember their past as beautiful memories, but for Tim, the past was simply a shameful history that he wanted to erase. ¡°If I think about how damn weak I used to be, it pisses me off so much that it keeps me awake at night and makes me want to kill somebody. If my past self appeared in front of me right now, I would kill him without hesitation.¡±

    Tim expressed a fury, stronger than any emotion he had disyed so far. The existence he probably hated the most was probably his past self.

    ¡°I¡¯m sure you must have gone through a lot to have be so strong.¡±

    ¡°Yeah. They are stories you can¡¯t hear without crying. There were seriously hard times, but I was able to ovee them! I threw away my weak past and was reborn again!¡± Tim stretched out both arms. Then, like he was announcing it to the world, he shouted, ¡°I am strong!¡± There was pride in his voice that he couldn¡¯t hide.

    ¡°Some suspicious guys wearing robes must have given you that strength.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I am surprised that you know about them, but it¡¯s true. However, the power that they gave me was just a trigger, and I am the one who honed and perfected that power.¡±

    ¡°What if the incidents you suffered through were caused by those robed figures?¡±

    ¡°¡­What?¡± Tim¡¯s confident face copsed instantly.

    ¡°I am chasing after those guys. They are part of a group that picks out people, makes them experience all kinds of suffering to ruin them, and turns them into viins. Just like what they did to you.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°You changed ording to their n. Seeing your current self, those guys seeded inpleting their n.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡± Tim didn¡¯t say anything as Zich continued to talk. Zich¡¯s words shocked him considerably.

    ¡°Although I am doing kind acts, my top goal is to capture those guys. How about it? Don¡¯t you want to chase after those guys with me?¡± Zich stretched out his hands again. His eyes looked uneasy as he looked at Tim.

    ¡°¡­I don¡¯t need to.¡±

    The response he got back was disappointing. Zich gripped his fist tightly. ¡°Do you not believe me?¡±

    ¡°No, I believe you. Truthfully, even I thought those guys were really suspicious. It makes sense that they had a scheme like that. Now that I think about it, they had perfect timing when giving me my power.¡±

    Tim stared at Zich. ¡°But joining you is another story. Yeah, those bastards are annoying. I really want to shred them into pieces. But I can do that just by myself! Do you seriously expect me to join hands with you and live like some domesticated pup? I refuse!¡±

    ¡°Even your current personality was created by those guys.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t care! Whatever the process was, this is who I am today!¡±

    Zich sighed. As he thought, Tim was the guy most like him; even his way of thinking was like him. Whether their past was manipted by somebody else or not, both Zich and Tim thought their decisions were theirs alone. Furthermore, they both had the urge to kill off all the guys who yed with their lives regardless of the oue.

    Thus, Zich was certain. ¡®It¡¯s impossible to persuade him.¡¯ The uneasiness Zich felt when he first realized that Tim¡¯s personality was the same as before the regression hit him again. ¡®He¡¯s beenpleted by those robed figures.¡¯

    While having a glimmer of hope, Zich had gone around looking for the robed figures. Judging by their previous actions, if they didn¡¯t finish ¡®corrupting¡¯ Tim, they would still be near Tim and cause various incidents to corrupt him. However, Zich was unable to find the robed figures. Unlike Joachim and Evelyn, Tim¡¯s transformation as a Werewolf Demon Person was alreadyplete.

    ¡°Okay, I got it.¡± Zich decided to respect Tim¡¯s decision; he stopped trying to persuade him. The only thing left was to battle while they had conflicting opinions. Tim also seemed to have grasped Zich¡¯s intention as he lowered his body; he looked like a wolf ready to pounce on his prey.

    <i>Swoosh!</i>

    Zich and Tim ran towards each other; Windur and Tim¡¯s sharp nails collided.

    <i>Crash!</i>

    Windur and Tim¡¯s nails bounced off from the recoil. However, the two of them dug their feet into the ground and stopped themselves from being pushed back.

    <i>Crash! Crash! Crash!</i>

    They cut and sliced and pierced and swung. In an instant, dozens of shes passed between them. Windur¡¯s strange-looking des danced, and Tim¡¯s sharp nails ripped the space between them.

    <i>Swoosh!</i>

    Tim swung his knee. Since he was so big, his knee easily reached Zich¡¯s face. If it hit Zich¡¯s face, Zich wouldn¡¯t end with just a broken nose and a fall to the ground.

    <i>Crash!</i>

    Windur¡¯s sharp de blocked Tim¡¯s knee.

    <i>Tap!</i>

    Tim jumped by using his other foot that was on the ground. He spun once in the air and tried to kick Zich as he came down; just like his hands, Tim¡¯s feet also had sharp nails. Zich bent his waist back and evaded Tim¡¯s attack. A foot covered in silver fur passed right over his face. Zich was able to sessfully evade two kicks from both of Tim¡¯s legs. Even though he was a werewolf, as long as Tim had only two legs, it seemed as if he wouldn¡¯t be able to make any more consecutive attacks.

    However, Zich didn¡¯t lower his guard. He knew how Tim usually fought.

    <i>Crash!</i>

    Tim¡¯s tail fell down on the spot Zich had just moved away from. The mark that Tim¡¯s fluffy looking tail made was enough to devastate a person¡¯s body.

    ¡°Tch! You evaded that?¡± Tim clicked his tongue as he had been confident in this surprise attack.

    Zich swung Windur again. Tim fought back after hended on the ground and easily regained his bnce. A fierce exchange of attacks urred again. At this point, they were able to roughly assess the extent of each other¡¯s abilities.

    Tim smirked. ¡®As expected, this guy is weaker than me!¡¯

    When he was human, he was weaker than Zich, but after he transformed and revealed his true strength, the situation reversed. In matters of strength, speed, and most physical abilities, Tim was superior to Zich.

    Zich slightly frowned. ¡®Has he beenpleted to this extent?¡¯

    The hand he was holding Windur ached. As expected, even though Zich was getting stronger at an unbelievably fast rate, it was strenuous to fight against a werewolf who finished their transformation. However, Zich was not fazed at all.

    The flow of the battle began skewing toward Tim¡¯s favor. With a bit more time, this battle would end with Tim¡¯s victory. Tim also thought this. In order to win as fast as possible, he cornered Zich with even more force than before. However, in a short while, Tim twisted his face in annoyance.

    ¡®This bastard, why isn¡¯t he falling down!¡¯ No matter how many times he hit, kicked, and scratched him, Zichpletely blocked all his attacks. Tim¡¯s attacks were definitely strong, and Zich¡¯s bizarre-looking sword was being pushed bit by bit. However, that was it; so far, Tim had been unable tond a hit on Zich.

    ¡®There¡¯s no way this can happen!¡¯ It felt like hitting a reed. Like a reed, even if Zich¡¯s sword received a strong hit andy t, it¡¯d soon bounce back again.

    ¡°Damn it!¡± Tim attacked even more strongly. He shifted his gravity to the front and put more strength into his attacks. Each of his attacks increased in force. Zich¡¯s defense was getting slowly pushed back. Tim was smirking to himself when¡ª

    <i>Slice!</i>

    Windur managed to dig under his arm and scratched his side. His metal-like fur was cut and his tough skin ripped.

    <i>Spurt!</i>

    Blood spurted out of the injury.

    ¡°What!¡± Tim was shocked. ¡®What the hell is happening!¡¯

    He had definitely been leading the battle, but surprisingly, he was the one to first show blood.

    ¡°What the hell is going on!¡±

    His injury was not serious. Even though the injury wasn¡¯t critical, most people¡¯s movements would have at least been hampered, but Tim had extraordinary regenerative abilities. His injury was already bing faint. However, Tim was confused by this strange situation, and falling into confusion in the middle of a battle was definitely a disadvantage.

    ¡®He fell for it.¡¯ Zich automatically nodded his head after making sure that Tim¡¯s attacks slightly but surely became duller than before. Even though Tim¡¯s physical prowess was clearly above his right now, Zich had experience from his regression. Moreover, his opponent right now was his ex-subordinate, Tim tt. He knew Tim¡¯s fighting style and his movements very well. Zich had trained with him hundreds of times, and he couldn¡¯t even count the number of times they went to battle together.

    Moreover, even if his physical transformation wasplete, the current Tim¡¯s movements were more awkward and sloppy than the Tim he knew before his regression. Therefore, Zich was able to block Tim¡¯s attacks easier than he expected.

    ¡®Also, he¡¯ll probably get even more easily agitated than before.¡¯

    Zich was the one who had fixed this hot-tempered personality of his, and he also knew Tim¡¯s habit when he got extremely agitated.

    ¡°Uahhhhhh!¡± Unable to control his anger, Tim began to let out a storm of attacks. Compared to him, Zich¡¯s eyes were extremely cold.

 Chapter 326

    <h4>Chapter 326</h4>

    The bloodlust nketing their surroundings became thicker. Tim¡¯s attacks were continuously aimed at Zich¡ªthe force he created with his strong and stic muscles was powerful, and his sharp ws moved faster. Zich counterattacked with Windur but Tim¡¯s attacks pushed him back. Tim seemed to have lost his mind, but Zich remained cold and calm. Although an opponent who was enraged from head to toe was dangerous, they also had many openings.

    <i>Crash!</i>

    After blocking Tim¡¯srge swing, Zich wavered while Tim¡¯s eyes shone. His beast-like instincts didn¡¯t miss Zich¡¯s openings.

    <i>Growl!</i>

    Tim pushed his face forward with his mouth wide open. He nned to bite into Zich¡¯s neck; his vision narrowed in his excitement, and he didn¡¯t realize which direction Zich¡¯s feet was moving toward.

    <i>Punch!</i>

    Rather than forcefully trying to straighten his body up, Zich used those movements to aim a kick at Tim. By coincidence or purpose, Zich kicked Tim right in the groin.

    <i>Urgh! </i>Tim¡¯s mouth opened wide and closed in an instant. Although fur and leather shielded him, he was attacked in an important and very sensitive area. After getting kicked by a foot filled with mana there, Tim lost all strength in his body. Zich didn¡¯t miss this chance to swing his sword.

    <i>Crash!</i>

    Tim¡¯s body flew away. After plowing through two storage rooms, he fell onto the floor. A long, deep wound formed on his chest and made him spurt out blood. Yet, he had no time toy peacefully on the ground. As his eyes faced the sky above him, he saw Zich fall towards him. Windur¡¯s des sparkled under the moonlight as it faced him. Tim hurriedly rolled away.

    <i>Baaaam!</i>

    Windur¡¯s des easily dug into the surface. If Tim had been hit by such an attack, he would have received a critical injury. He raised his body up; his injuries were already healing themselves, but Zich rushed towards him again as if he couldn¡¯t miss the opportunity.

    <i>Crash!</i>

    After receiving a huge blow, it seemed like Tim had regained some of his senses again and his movements appeared more sophisticated. Of course, Zich couldn¡¯t let that be.

    ¡°How pitiful! If I gave the kick just a little bit more power, you would have been castrated!¡±

    ¡°Shut up!¡± Humiliation stirred his rage, and Tim¡¯s attacks became dull and messy again. After flicking all the wsing his way and counter attacking with kicks, Zich evaded Tim¡¯s gnashing. Even in this dangerous situation where his body could be shredded at any moment, Zich felt sentimental.

    ¡®This immaturity¡ªit¡¯s been a long time.¡¯

    Before the regression and long before Zich died under Glen¡¯s hands, Tim underwent thorough training under Zich after he joined the team as Zich¡¯s subordinate. Although Tim¡¯s basic physical abilities were astounding, he had many beast-like qualities that Zich had to help train to make up for some of their drawbacks. After that, Werewolf Tim tt became renowned as one of Demon Lord Zich''s subordinates. Currently, Tim¡¯s movements resembled the ones he had when he first began Zich¡¯s training before he polished his skills.

    ¡®He should fix this.¡¯ Zich struck down Tim¡¯s unnecessarily wide arm movements with Windur.

    ¡®He has to widen his peripheral vision.¡¯ Seeing Tim aim for his neck, Zich arched his neck slightly and tricked Tim¡¯s eyes.

    ¡®If he makes steps like that, his feet will get tangled up.¡¯ Zich tapped Tim¡¯s feet, which looked a bit unbnced, and made him stumble.

    ¡®I¡­¡¯ Zich pointed the ends of Windur¡¯s des at Tim. ¡®Told you not to fling your arms however you want when you are surprised!¡¯

    <i>Puuuunch! </i>The ends of Windur¡¯s des pierced into Tim¡¯s body. They clearly prated Tim¡¯s chest wound which hadn¡¯t healed yet and roughly twirled into his organs.

    ¡°Kuh!¡±

    As if the attack this time had been critical, Tim vomited blood.

    <i>Splurt! </i>Windur came back out, soaked in blood. Tim backed a couple of steps away while clutching onto his wound.

    ¡°You¡­!¡± His bright yellow eyes red at Zich. ¡°You bastaaaaaaard!¡±

    After stretching out both hands, Tim rushed towards Zich. Zich did the same.

    <i>Crash! </i>Zich coiled up his body to the left and bounced off Tim¡¯s right hand with all he had. Tim bent his left hand and aimed for Zich¡¯s face. Zich quickly changed Windur¡¯s direction and aimed for Tim¡¯s arm. However, Tim didn¡¯t concern himself with that; he thought Zich¡¯s sword wasn¡¯t instilled with enough mana and power to pierce through his fur and leather.

    <i>Slice!</i>

    Contrary to his expectations, the sword sliced lightly through his arms.

    ¡°What¡­!¡± Tim shouted in shock. However, Zich didn¡¯t slow down his attack. He dived right in and swung Windur again.

    <i>Slice!</i>

    ¡°Ahh!¡± Windur struck the same wounded area, and Tim screamed. The regenerating injury grew bigger. Tim folded his arms as if he was nning to hug Zich. Yet, Zich arched his body, escaped out of reach, and sliced Tim¡¯s sides.

    <i>Slice! </i>Blood spilled out again.

    ¡°Ah, damn it! Fuck!¡± Tim felt like he was going crazy, but he also felt confused. His fur and leather which had managed to deflect most attacks were getting mercilessly sliced now.

    ¡®How did this happen!¡¯

    If this happened from the beginning, he wouldn¡¯t be so confused; however, his fur and leather had been good at blocking Zich¡¯s swords until now. If Zich didn¡¯t apply a lot of power into his strikes, it would have failed to inflict much damage on him.

    ¡®Was he hiding his strength all along?¡¯ However, that didn¡¯t seem to be the case, and while he thought this, the injuries on his body increased even more.

    Yet, this only made Zich certain of his predictions. ¡®As expected, he doesn¡¯t know.¡¯

    Tim had a weakness even Zich discovered muchter before the regression. Whenever he received a critical wound, his defense abilities temporarily dropped. ording to Tim¡¯s words before the regression, they guessed that as Tim¡¯s body focused on healing his critical wound, his defenses decreased significantly as a side effect.

    ¡®When he first found this out, he told me that he was so startled that he almost died.¡¯

    The reason why Tim hadn¡¯t known about his weakness for such a long time was simple; it was because he had never received a serious injury until that moment. It was an anecdote that clearly showed how great Tim¡¯s abilities were even from the very beginning. Moreover, Zich was able to personally verify that while fighting the current Tim.

    However, since this was Tim¡¯s first time finding out about his weakness: if he received a critical hit, his defense capabilities would greatly decrease. Tim was unable to showcase his full abilities. It hadn¡¯t been an exaggeration when the past Tim told Zich that he almost died when he first found out about his weakness.

    <i>Pierce! </i>Windur pierced Tim''s left forearm; Zich¡¯s attack pushed through Tim¡¯s arm this time, and Zich was able to cut half of Tim¡¯s forearm.

    ¡°Ugh!¡± Tim¡¯s hand drooped¡ªhis cut forearm could no longer properly move.

    This was an opportunity. Zich immediately moved his body towards the area where Tim was injured. He nned to unleash his attacks on Tim¡¯s left arm, which seemed to have lost its proper fighting capabilities.

    ¡°W-wait!¡± Tim desperately shouted, ¡°I lost! I¡¯ll do as you say!¡±

    Zich halted his attack. ¡°¡­You¡¯ll do as I say?¡±

    ¡°Yep! I¡¯ll do kind acts or whatever the hell you want me to do! So stop now!¡± Tim showed his right palm, which still functioned properly, and asked Zich to stop.

    ¡°So you¡¯re telling me you¡¯re going to do kind acts?¡±

    ¡°Damn it! I¡¯m telling you I¡¯ll do kind acts or whatever fuckery you want me to do!¡± Tim spoke with agitation as if he¡¯d given up on everything.

    Zich stared at Tim for a bit, and then put Windur back in. ¡°You should have done that from the very beginning,¡± Zich said, like an adult talking to a child. However, there was no hostility in his words.

    Tim¡¯s eyes shined. ¡®He fell for it!¡¯ Tim had no intentions to do kind acts. He just lied to escape from danger since he didn¡¯t think that he¡¯d be able to beat Zich right now.

    ¡®As soon as I regenerate, I¡¯m going to escape!¡¯

    Zich showed a gap in his stance. ¡°Follow me. We have to first clean up thismotion.¡± Zich turned his back.

    ¡®This is an opportunity!¡¯ It was a different story now; it was extremely easy to kill an opponent who turned their back and lowered their guard.

    ¡®Stupid punk!¡¯ Tim mocked Zich inside his mind and raised the nails of his right arm. Even though he hadn¡¯t fully regenerated yet, a perfect chance like this might never appear again. Tim ignored his injuries and moved.

    Zich continued to talk while his back was to Tim. ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry about the people you killed. I will definitely¡­¡±

    ¡®I don¡¯t give a shit about things like that!¡¯ Tim pierced his nails into Zich¡¯s back¡ªno, it seemed like he would. Tim thought he saw a glimpse of something like aet flying towards him.

    <i>Ssh! </i>Blood spurted out. Did his nails make a hole on Zich¡¯s back? However, Zich¡¯s back waspletely fine.

    ¡®Why¡­¡¯ Tim was filled with questions. ¡®Why is he getting further away?¡¯

    Unable to even think about the answer, shock erupted from his back. He was no longer able to see Zich. He could only see an enormous, bright full moon in the night sky.

    ¡°Wh¡­kuak!¡± Metallic blood seeped out of his throat. Tim spit out a clump of blood; at the same time, a burning pain came out from his heart.

    ¡°Ugh!¡± Tim moved his head and assessed his condition. Before he knew it, he had copsed and was lying t on the ground. Blood flowed out like a fountain from the hole in his left chest.

    ¡°W-what, how¡­¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s simple.¡±

    Tim could hear Zich¡¯s voice; he moved his head to the side. Zich put Windur on his shoulder and looked down at Tim.

    ¡°I pierced a hole into your heart. No matter how great your regenerative capabilities are, it¡¯s impossible for you to continue living if I crush your heart.¡±

    Cutting off his neck and this method were the only two methods to kill Tim with his extraordinary regenerative ability. However, Tim still couldn¡¯t understand his current situation. Surely he had ambushed Zich while Zich had lowered his guard. Their current situation should have beenpletely flipped.

    As if he was showing his concern for Tim, Zich crouched down and squatted next to Tim. ¡°Your deration of surrender¡ªI didn¡¯t believe it at all.¡±

    ¡°What¡­!¡±

    ¡°You happily ambushed me seeing that I lowered my guard, but I purposely revealed that opening. You fell for my n, so I just needed to ambush you and grab my victory. Should I tell you something good?¡±

    Zich calmly let out a secret that he had been keeping to himself. ¡°When you lie, your right thumb slightly twitches.¡±

    Tim¡¯s eyes widened. While looking at Tim¡¯s face, Zich continued, ¡°That¡¯s why I didn¡¯t believe your surrender and used that to my advantage instead. That¡¯s also the reason why I found out about your conspiracy. I always knew when and what you were lying about.¡±

    ¡°H-how¡­!¡± Tim became speechless. How did another person who hadn¡¯t even known him for long know a habit of his that even he didn¡¯t know about?

    ¡°Tim, I know you very well. Not just your habit. Didn¡¯t you wonder about how I was able to suddenly start cutting through your defenses? It¡¯s because your defensive abilities go down when you receive a critical hit. You didn¡¯t know, because you probably never received a serious injury after gaining that ability.¡±

    Tim got the answers to the multiple questions he had while fighting Zich. However, he wasn¡¯t happy at all. Instead, he thought of a question that was bigger than all his questionsbined.

    ¡°¡­Who¡­are you?¡±

    Sadness dyed Zich¡¯s eyes, but his voice was calm as he replied, ¡°I used to be your future master.¡±

 Chapter 327

    <h4>Chapter 327</h4>

    ¡°Master¡­?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s right. Your master.¡±

    Zich got up and picked up a nearby box. He ced the box next to Tim¡¯s side and sat on top of it.

    ¡°In the future, Tim, you be an unimaginably great viin.¡±

    Like an old man reminiscing about the past, Zich¡¯s eyes became sentimental. Zich¡¯s face appeared too young to be making a face like that, but Tim thought the expression didn¡¯t look awkward on him.

    ¡°So, you be my underling.¡±

    ¡°¡­Didn¡¯t you say that you do kind acts? How could you ept a viin as your subordinate then?¡±

    ¡°In the future, I will be an even greater viin than you.¡±

    ¡°What nonsense.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s true. Then, how do you think I know about your habits and weaknesses that even you aren¡¯t aware of?¡±

    ¡°¡­Okay then, let¡¯s say that those kinds of things happen in the future. But how do you know of all these things? Are you some prophet who can read the future or something?¡±

    ¡°Or I could be a regressor who came from the future.¡±

    Zich¡¯s words sounded like lies and confused Tim; it sounded too unrealistic. However, if Zich¡¯s unbelievable words were really true, it would make everything Zich said more persuasive. Yet, Tim gave up on thinking farther than that. He already couldn¡¯t redeem himself in this life anyways; and even if Zich was a prophet who knew the future, a regressor, or even a reincarnated demon, it didn¡¯t matter to him. Zich¡¯s words simply bothered him and all he could do was deny them.

    ¡°Hey, I don¡¯t know what kind of stupid dream you had, but it only makes sense for me to be a great viin in the future. No, knowing who I am, I will easily be a super great viin in the future. Are you seriously saying that I will be your underling?¡±

    ¡°In the future, you really do¡ª¡±

    ¡°Bullshit.¡± Tim cut off Zich¡¯s words with a curse word. ¡°I will never follow you. Why would a viin follow a kind guy!¡±

    Zich¡¯s mind became nk; he couldn¡¯t think of the words he wanted to say or anything to retort back. All he could think about were the words Tim called him.

    ¡°¡­Did you just call me ¡®a kind guy¡¯?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, a kind guy. You keep bbering about how you be an even worse viin than me, but seeing the current you, it¡¯s hard to imagine you bing like that.¡±

    ¡°I think you are misunderstanding something, but I am really not a kind guy¡­¡±

    ¡°I know you are a strange guy, but I didn¡¯t know you would be this unique. Didn¡¯t you say that I was simr to you before?¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡±

    ¡°That wasn¡¯t true at all, you moron.¡± Inparison to his rough word choice, Tim spoke in a calm tone.

    ¡°I thought you also agreed with me.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I did. That¡¯s why I am bringing it up again and humbly admitting that I was wrong.¡±

    ¡°The word humble doesn¡¯t suit you.¡±

    ¡°Okay, besides that and just for argument¡¯s sake, let¡¯s say that I repent before I die.¡±

    ¡°What, do you want me to pray for you or something? I do have the title of Karuwiman Honorary Knight.¡±

    ¡°¡­What? The Karuwimans gave you the Honorary Knight title to someone like you? Did they finally lose their minds?¡± Even if he thought Zich was a kind person, Tim thought it was still ridiculous for Zich to have such a holy title.

    ¡°I think so too, but it¡¯s the truth.¡± Zich showed the Karuwiman Honorary Knight emblem, and Tim shook his head.

    ¡°It seems like the world ising to an end. Maybe it¡¯s better for me to leave this world early.¡±

    Although the world wouldn¡¯te to an end, it was true that the world would change into a ce just like Hell; it was truly ironic for Tim to say these words when he would be one of the key figures to make it so.

    ¡°Anyways, if you have the title of Karuwiman Honorary Knight, you really are not the same kind of human as me,¡± Tim said.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t get this title because I was kind.¡± As he had repeated many times before, Zich received the Karuwiman Honorary Knight title because he protected Lube and defeated many Bellids.

    ¡°That might be the case, but considering your actions, maybe the Karuwimans actually know you well¡ªmore than yourself.¡±

    ¡°Like I keep telling you, I am really not a kind person...¡±

    ¡°What do you think a kind person is?¡± Tim cut Zich¡¯s words off again. ¡°Do you need to attain some qualification, or does someone like a god or a king have to give it to you? Or the Saint? Who do you have to be acknowledged by to consider yourself a kind person?¡± Tim vomited another bucketful of blood but didn¡¯t stop talking. ¡°A person I consider to be kind is someone who does kind acts. So, if you do kind acts, you naturally be a kind person.¡±

    Zich received quite a shock. He wanted to retort, but his lips seemed to be glued together. Until now, Zich had considered himself as a super evil human who happened to do kind acts. Yet, Tim¡¯s wordspletely refuted Zich¡¯s beliefs.

    ¡°¡­I am a kind person?¡± Zich got up from his box. ¡°What are you saying? You know how twisted I am.¡±

    The reason why Zich had gotten along so well with Tim while drinking was because of their nasty personalities that matched, and even Tim couldn¡¯t deny this.

    ¡°Yeah, you are twisted. So, you aren¡¯t a purely kind person. I¡¯d say you are like a kind person with a bothersome personality, but that doesn¡¯t change the fact that you are kind.¡± Tim raised his torso. More blood leaked from the hole in his chest, but Tim didn¡¯t seem bothered by it as he said, ¡°I feel better.¡± Tim¡¯s voice sounded morefortable now. ¡°I shouldn¡¯t have considered you to be someone like me just because we got along well. I have seen hypocritical guys who imed to be good, but it¡¯s my first time seeing someone who keeps iming that they are evil. Is this all just part of self-criticizing yourself or something?¡± Then, Tim stared at Zich¡¯s face, and added, ¡°Your face looks even more annoying now.¡±

    ¡°¡­Even if I do kind acts, my core ispletely different.¡±

    ¡°Are the only kind people you can think of gods and saints? Do you think the people who are deemed to be kind only think of pure and good thoughts all the time? Even those guys hold all kinds of impure and evil thoughts in their hearts. I know so since that¡¯s how I used to be when others called me a kind person!¡± During those times, Tim felt bothered when other people made requests to him, and he wanted to hit the people who spoke badly of him. When he saw money, he coveted it, but he thought it was only natural for him to feel this way since it was normal human behavior.

    ¡°Yet, I tried to not show my inner thoughts and continued to do what people would consider as kind acts. When I did that, people looked at me as if I really was a kind person. Isn¡¯t this very simr to your situation? If you don¡¯t want to admit that, I¡¯ll ask you a question in return. Let¡¯s say that there''s a guy who is kind through and through in his heart but does evil deeds. Then is that person kind or bad?¡±

    ¡°¡­The kind acts that I do are beating the crap out of bad guys. With just that, I ca¡ª¡±

    ¡°How many maniacs are trying to solve every single visible injustice in this world? If someone doesn¡¯t do bad things and lives a somewhat kind life, they¡¯re a kind person. Moreover, the thing you do¡ªbeating up bad guys¡ªis something that most people have a hard time doing. Considering your strength, you probably beat up bad guys that are impossible for ordinary people to deal with. You¡¯re good enough to be praised by people. Do you think hero stories are popr for no reason?¡±

    Tim heaved a heavy breath. ¡°Regardless of whether you be a superviin or whatever, I have no desire to follow a person like you right now. What¡¯s the fun in following a kind person?¡±

    Tim¡¯s body shook; it seemed as if he had lost even the small amount of strength he used to hold up his upper body. His body copsed on the ground again. He coughed and more blood continued to seep out of his body. Zich stared at Tim; he looked much younger looking than the Werewolf that Zich was familiar with.

    ¡®If I use potions on him right now, I could save him.¡¯

    Even though other people would have immediately died after getting their hearts destroyed, Tim was still breathing. Of course, full recovery was impossible. Tim would die shortly.

    ¡°I don¡¯t need your pity.¡± Tim continued, ¡°I feel like I¡¯ll vomit if I get pitied by a kind person. It feels like I¡¯m getting pitied by my younger self when I used to be pathetic and useless.¡±

    This was the worst insult for Tim; maybe this was also the reason why he was continuing to bber on so far.

    Zich answered, ¡°¡­Is that so.¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡±

    ¡°Then, do you have anything else to say? I¡¯ll at least be your talkingpanion in yourst moments.¡±

    ¡°Damn it! I decided that I¡¯d die in a huge house in the arms of beautiful women!¡±

    ¡°Be satisfied with this.¡± Zich threw a couple of precious items he found rolling around the ground at Tim. As rings, nes, and other precious items fell on his body, Tim swore andined. But he didn¡¯t refuse; instead, he forced his heavily injured body to move and wore the items on his body.

    However, since his body was no longer that of a human¡¯s, he couldn¡¯t properly wear them. He barely squished the rings past his nails and the bracelets on his fingers, and he coiled the nes around his wrists. An indescribable atmosphere came from Tim¡ªhe had the appearance of a wolf monster with a hole in his heart and all kinds of precious itemstched onto his body.

    ¡°I just satisfied your condition of a huge house with this, but there are no beauties. Should I hold you in my arms until you die?¡±

    ¡°If youy even a finger on my body, I¡¯ll kill you using whatever means possible before I die!¡±

    ¡°Good. We seem to be on the same page.¡± Zich sat back on the same box again. ¡°Now, tell me anything you want to say.¡±

    ¡°I have nothing to say, and it seems like I don¡¯t have any more time anyways.¡± Less blood wasing out of Tim¡¯s injury. It wasn¡¯t because his injury was healing but because most of the blood in his body had already seeped out.

    Even the ground below Zich was flooded with Tim¡¯s blood.

    ¡°You don''t have anyst will?¡±

    ¡°What would a guy like me do with ast will? I¡¯m just regretful that I couldn¡¯t live a shy and luxurious life. What¡¯s the point after I die?¡±

    Tim¡¯s personality was like this. Even before Zich¡¯s regression, Tim was only focused on the present, and he didn¡¯t even have thoughts about what happened after his death at all. Therefore, when Zich had found out that Tim died to Glen Zenard, he felt regretful that he hadn¡¯t conversed with Tim more even about trivial matters. However, even though Tim was dying right now, they couldn¡¯t hold a proper conversation either.

    ¡°Ah, but I have one thing. If you do kind things, then confidently say that you¡¯re a kind person. Don¡¯t spout nonsense about how you¡¯re a bad person doing kind acts.¡±

    ¡°¡­I¡¯m really shocked that you used yourst will for another person.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s the same for me. Damn it, this is not like me at all!¡±

    There were two reasons why Tim said this as hisst words. The first reason was that Zich¡¯s im, ¡®I¡¯m a bad person!¡¯ pissed him off and the other reason was because¡­

    ¡®Regardless of what happened, I wanted to cause havoc in the world with him.¡¯ Zich had been someone who he really got along with, to the point that it was annoying, and this was extremely rare for him. He even thought about bing Zich¡¯s friend.

    Zich replied, ¡°What if I don¡¯t want to?¡±

    ¡°Then, live however the fuck you want!¡± These were Tim¡¯sst words. Tim was no longer able to talk. He was unable to move his body or close his eyes. Barely any blood came out of his body now. In a space surrounded by loud sounds of battle, the silence seemed to fall only upon where Zich and Tim¡¯s corpse was. Zich stared at Tim¡¯s corpse; he could no longer even use potions to save him.

    Zich got up from the box. The battle against the bandits was still ongoing. Zich ran towards the nearest sound of battle, and Tim¡¯s corpse was left alone.

 Chapter 328

    <h4>Chapter 328</h4>

    The day slowly became brighter. The sun rose in the sky like it always did and illuminated certain areas of the city. It might have looked just like any other day except for some things: ashes still let out some smoke, many firms whose entrances were crumbled into pieces, corpses strewn nearby, and there were bloodstains everywhere.

    However, even with this clear evidence of the happenings that had taken cest night, the faces of the people cleaning up the mess didn¡¯t look dark, but bright. It was because they had won in the end, and they didn¡¯t even suffer as much damage as they had expected. Although many buildings were broken, many of the bandits had run away without thinking of fighting when they saw soldiers, whom they had thought were gone, rush towards them. Thus, they lost fewer lives than they had when attacking the bandits¡¯ home base.

    Yet, it was extremely shocking that bandits had managed to seep inside the city, and the citizens¡¯ response to the incident wasplicated. For the stability of the city, the information that Bambis had been cleared from bandits was publicized; thus, even though people felt relieved at first, they couldn¡¯t help but feel fear again. After all, the bandits they expected to be outside of the castle walls were found hidden inside the city. The city was aware of these sentiments andpletely flipped the city from inside and out in response. Merchants, those in management, and everyone even remotely connected to this case were captured or taken down. Even if they had won in the end, it waspletely humiliating that they had allowed the bandits to attack inside the city; and it didn¡¯t seem like those captured would be released any time soon.

    Like that, Bambis slowly regained normalcy, and in the meantime, Zich took a break. Bambis provided a great wee to Zich, the biggest contributor to this incident. Their treatment was expected, and Zich didn¡¯t refuse their services either. Since his mind was in a mess anyway and he needed some time to think, he was happy for this break. When the case was almost resolved, the city rewarded Zich with many awards and goods. He was even offered amission, but Zich declined the offer and left Bambis. He returned to where the rest of his group members were: Janmalpi.

    Zich stood in front of the lodging where he used to stay. He thought hispanions would still be staying there. When he thought of hispanions, Zich unconsciously let out a sigh.

    ¡°What? Why are you sighing as soon as youe back?¡± Zich heard a familiar voice. He turned around. Round and beautiful pupils stared back at him. It was L. It seemed like she was returning back from a short errand outside. Elena stood next to her.

    ¡°It¡¯s been a while.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s been a while,¡± L responded to Zich¡¯s greeting. Elena tilted her head down slightly while standing next to her.

    L scanned Zich from head to toe. ¡°You don¡¯t seem to be injured anywhere.¡±

    ¡°Do I look like someone who gets beaten up in ces?¡±

    ¡°You never know. You might have gotten beaten up by some random guy and wailed for your mommy somewhere.¡±

    ¡°Hmpf!¡± As she imagined the scene, Elena stifled herughter. It was a response that Hans and Snoc wouldn¡¯t have even imagined doing, but she was strictly L¡¯s disciple. Although she had received training from Zich briefly, Zich didn¡¯t treat her the same as those two, where he embodied fear itself. Of course, this didn¡¯t mean that Elena didn¡¯t fear Zich at all, and she quickly ced her mouth over her hand and pressed it to stop smiling.

    ¡°Elena agrees with me.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, think however you like.¡± Zich waved his hand and went inside with L. Elena already had ns with Snoc and parted ways with them at the entrance.

    ¡°I heard from Joachim that you did some amazing work at the ce you went to. He was really happy about it. I didn¡¯t ask about it in detail, but your work seems to have helped considerably in restoring the Dracul family¡¯s name.¡±

    ¡°¡­Is that so?¡± With the mention of Joachim¡¯s name, Zich¡¯s response became one beat slower.

    ¡°Did something happen there? It looks like something concerns you.¡±

    ¡°Is it that obvious?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, very much so.¡±

    With L¡¯s strong assurance, Zich stroked his own face. He wondered if he was failing to hide his expression that it made his emotions obvious, or if L was just really good at noticing.

    ¡®I thought I was hiding it pretty well.¡¯ He thought and replied, ¡°I met Tim at Bambis.¡±

    ¡°Tim?¡±

    ¡°The Werewolf, Tim tt. He is the guy who would be my subordinates like Joachim and Evelyn.¡±

    ¡°Ah!¡± Past memories surfaced as L eximed, ¡°Wow, what a coincidence. You must have been d to see him.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I was very d.¡±

    ¡°Your voice doesn¡¯t sound like it though. Was he apletely different person than before, like how Joachim and Evelyn were?¡±

    ¡°No, he was different from them. He waspletely like how we know him.¡±

    Recalling Tim¡¯s personality, L furrowed her brows. ¡°Wasn¡¯t his personality the worst among your subordinates?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, so he was also the one who I got along with the most.¡±

    L could immediately tell what kind of person Tim was by these words. Then, she shook her head. ¡°But you guys didn¡¯te together?¡±

    ¡°We didn¡¯t.¡±

    ¡°Well, I mean, you aren¡¯t going around gathering underlings right now.¡± With her knowledge about the future, L knew that Zich had a very deep connection with his subordinates. Since he was also maintaining a close rtionship with Joachim and Evelyn even now, L naturally thought Zich might have also brought Tim along with him.

    ¡°But is it all right to just leave that guy alone? You told me his personality is nasty just like before. What if he bes a Demon Person in the future unlike Evelyn and Joachim?¡±

    ¡°He was already about to be a Demon Person when I met him, and he was heavily involved in the case I was working on too.¡±

    At this point, L began to realize that the reason for Zich¡¯s low mood was connected to Tim. She nced at Zich and asked, ¡°¡­What happened to him?¡±

    ¡°I killed him.¡± Zich¡¯s short statement was enough to shock L storngly. Even if these rtionships were from the future, L was well aware of Zich¡¯s concern for the people who would be his subordinates as the case with Joachim and Evelyn showed. She knew Zich probably held simr feelings for Tim, so she was stunned to hear that Zich killed him.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go inside first and talk.¡± L grabbed Zich¡¯s arms and dragged him to his room.

    Zich¡¯s lodging was the same as when hest left it. Since he was the city¡¯s savior and this incident had also been a request from the Count who owned this city, Bambis was paying for the lodging. L guided Zich onto a chair and brewed two cups of tea. The white steam rising from the teacup and the fragrant smell of tea tickled the tip of his nose.

    ¡°Wow, I can¡¯t believe you¡¯re being so nice to me. Is the sun going to rise from the west tomorrow?¡±

    ¡°Unfortunately, a miracle like that would be too difficult even for me. But if you want to drink tea, I can serve you tea whenever you want.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re lying so casually. It would be a relief if I ask for tea and you don¡¯t throw the cup at me, saying that it¡¯s too troublesome.¡±

    L suddenly felt an intense desire to throw the cup in front of her at the cheekily-smiling Zich smiling cheekily. The hot tea inside the cup was an added bonus. However, L quickly changed her thoughts. The way Zich made fun of her in a cheerful tone and his cheeky sarcasm was the same as usual, but L felt that there was something definitely off about him.

    ¡°¡­Are you sad?¡± It was a question that came out of nowhere.

    Even without an exnation, L and Zich intuitively understood the question¡¯s subject matter. Zich rubbed the handle of his teacup with his thumb.

    He replied, ¡°It was sad. I can¡¯t deny it.¡±

    ¡°Even for you, it must be difficult to cut off a precious connection with another person. It can¡¯t be helped.¡±

    ¡°Are youforting me?¡±

    ¡°Of course. I¡¯m not twisted like you. I can try to understand mypanion¡¯s sadness.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m grateful for that.¡± Even for Zich, he experienced a new type of emotion as L called him herpanion, especially after he buried a pastpanion.

    ¡°What about the funeral?¡±

    ¡°I did a simple funeral by myself. I cremated his body and spread his ashes in a nearbyke.¡± Even though it was difficult to secretly take Tim¡¯s corpse out of the collected heap of bandit corpses that were treated like trash, Zich felt bitter about just leaving Tim¡¯s corpse like that.

    ¡°It must have been a lot of work.¡± L quietly nodded. Only the sound of sipping tea could be heard in the room for a while. L then nced at Zich. Even though it was an ufortable question, she needed to ask, ¡°Why did you kill him?¡±

    Zich put down his cup. L gulped her saliva. She didn¡¯t think that Zich would get very angry, but there was a high possibility that this question would get on his nerves.

    Fortunately, Zich¡¯s voice was calm as he replied, ¡°He was trying to do bad things. I couldn¡¯t help it. Since I¡¯m a guy trying to do kind acts, I had to stop him.¡±

    ¡°Yeah,¡± L quietly replied as if she was patting his heart. However, in all honesty, in L¡¯s perspective, this was not a bad situation for her at all. What she feared the most was Zich deciding to walk the path of a Demon Lord. Moreover, her worry had increased since there was a recent trigger that might make him want to be a Demon Lord. Even though Zich had fortunately epted her request and stayed quiet for now, L couldn¡¯t be sure that he would never fall back onto the path of a Demon Lord.

    However, Zich had killed Tim and returned back, even though Zich had gotten along with Tim the most among his subordinates in the future.

    ¡®Even though he knew who Tim was, Zich still killed him because he tried to do evil deeds.¡¯

    In other words, Zich had done a kind act even while sacrificing someone precious to him; and this was definitely a different path from a Demon Lord. L felt a bit relieved by this. Among the two main concerns that pressed down her heart¡ªher mysterious past and Zich¡¯s path to bing a Demon Lord¡ªL felt as if one of her concerns had been addressed. It was to the extent where she felt a spurt of goodwill towards Tim whom she¡¯d never be able to meet.

    ¡®Moreover, I didn¡¯t think that Zich could be this emotional.¡¯ ording to her perspective, Zich was feeling sad about a person ¡®he might possibly know in the future¡¯ and not someone he actually formed a rtionship with in the past. And Zich was wavering for the first time since L met him.

    Of course, since L didn¡¯t know that Zich was a regressor, this was a small misunderstanding. Overall, Zich¡¯s current attitude didn¡¯t fit a Demon Lord¡¯s at all.

    ¡°Okay!¡± L hit the table. ¡°When you¡¯re feeling down, it¡¯s good to do something different! Let¡¯s go out! I¡¯ll escort you around!¡±

    L smiled brightly and reached out her hand towards Zich. It was such a beautiful smile that if there were a hundred people nearby, every single one of them would have fallen in love with her. Zich stared at the hand she put out and moved his gaze towards her face.

    ¡°No, I actually have one more thing I want to consult with you about.¡±

    ¡°Ah? One more?¡± What could there be besides Tim¡¯s death? Moreover, Zich of all people was asking for a consultation.

    ¡®This might be really serious.¡¯ L prepared her heart a bit more than before and sat back down. ¡°Okay, so what¡¯s the matter?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m just asking this, but am I perhaps a kind person?¡±

    ¡°Did you eat something wrong?¡± L had really been sincere about being more caring and kind to Zich who had to kill someone precious to him and was even asking for advice. However, L couldn¡¯t help but spit this question out as soon as Zich asked if he was a kind person.

    ¡°Tim said¡­¡± Then, Zich ryed exactly what Tim had said to him before he died to L.

    Looking as if a Demon Lord had been murdered by an anteater¡¯s nail, L slowly changed her expression.

    ¡°Um¡­so what you¡¯re saying is¡­¡± L clutched her head with both hands. Zich was familiar with her reaction because it was exactly the same thing he had gone through.

    ¡°Zich is really¡­a kind person? No, but the concept of hypocrisy¡­¡± L acted like someone who was epting an extremely difficult idea¡ªno, an idea she detested. Her reaction was a form of self-defense. ¡°No, a hypocrite is someone who puts up a kind front and does bad things in the background, so this is a different matter.¡±

    L continued to mutter by herself. Her extreme strain at Zich¡¯s question was annoying to the point that her beauty couldn¡¯t cover it, but L had no leisure to pay attention to other people¡¯s thoughts. ¡°Yeah, people who do kind acts are definitely kind people. And what Zich does are definitely kind acts. Even though he uses excessive violence on bad guys, there are bad guys in the end.¡±

    L lifted her head and stared at Zich. She looked like a frog that was about to be hit directly in the face by a rock carelessly thrown by a child. ¡°Huh, what? Zich¡­is¡­really¡­a kind¡­person¡­?¡±

 Chapter 329

    <h4>Chapter 329</h4>

    L fell into silence. Zich also didn¡¯t ask her any more questions. An atmosphere that might be heavier than any other one they had experienced since they met flowed across the room. L raised her head and looked at the ceiling for a bit and hung her head down again. Then, she gripped her head, shook it a couple of times, and let out a very deep sigh. Zich could understand her abnormal response.

    ¡®She wants to deny that I am a kind guy no matter what.¡¯ That was what he did when he was resting at Bambis, but in the end, he failed. Like Tim said, he carefully rethought his actions after the regression and realized that he was basically what people called a hero. As soon as he had this thought, Zich felt like throwing up. If he hadn¡¯t skipped a couple of meals from his unrest, he would have vomited profusely. Thus, Zich cheered L on.

    ¡®Yeah, think harder! It doesn¡¯t make sense for me to be a kind person! Quick, find evidence that I am a bad person!¡¯ Even though he failed, L might do otherwise. Surely, a genius mage like L would¡ª!

    ¡°Ha, haha, ha!¡± Strangeughter burst out of her lips, ¡°Yeah, okay, ki¡­nd¡­person¡­Zi¡­ch¡­.¡± It sounded like she was muttering herst will on the brink of death. If this continued, L¡¯s head might explode. As someone who had gone through this same suffering before her, Zich had a strong will to save her.

    ¡°L.¡±

    ¡°Huh, yeah?¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s stop thinking about this topic for a bit.¡± If they couldn¡¯t counter it, escaping from the problem was also a sound tactic. With determined eyes, L nodded. The two drank tea and took some time to settle down their hearts. After a while, L opened her mouth again with a light sigh. ¡°Ah, I lost my mind for a moment after hearing something shocking.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I agree.¡± Zich had responded just like L at first. Furthermore, he had nobody who told him to calm down like he did for L.

    ¡°Well, it¡¯s true that Tim tt makes some convincing arguments. A lot of people probably think that you are a kind or good person, and some might even look up to you as a hero.¡± It was understandable considering the deeds Zich had done. ¡°But Tim might have overyed things a bit. Aplete viin like him might have thought you were just a kind person.¡±

    ¡°Tim used to be a good guy like Joachim and Evelyn.¡±

    ¡°Was he corrupted?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, by the robed guys. I think he also got advice about this incident from them too.¡±

    ¡°It was toote then.¡± L was able to grasp the situation perfectly. ¡°How unfortunate.¡±

    ¡°When I decided to take this path, I knew that something like this could happen. When I met Joachim and Evelyn, I was prepared to kill them if things didn¡¯t go well. It just happened that I didn¡¯t have to do that until I met Tim.¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡± Like that, their conversation about Tim ended. At this point, their mood would simply get worse the more they talked about him now, so L ced her head down on the table. She used her arms as her pillow to support her face and looked up at Zich. Then, she made a strange smile. ¡°Anyways, it was an interesting suggestion¡ªthat you, Zich, are a kind person.¡±

    ¡°Stop it now. Whenever I hear ¡®kind person¡¯ now, I feel sick in my stomach.¡±

    ¡°If you fix some of your methods, you would be a perfect hero. Even better if you torment your opponents a bit less when fighting them.¡±

    Zich waved his hand while shuddering. Then, L got up asked, ¡°Okay, so is the counseling session over? Why don¡¯t we get some fresh air outside for a change of mood¡­?¡±

    ¡°No, not yet. I still have something to say.¡±

    ¡°What is it again?¡±

    After Zich prevented her from carrying out her ns twice now, L puffed up her cheeks.

    ¡°It¡¯s about our knowledge of the future.¡±

    ¡°Knowledge of the future? Are you talking about the identity of our memories from the future? We still don¡¯t know¡ª¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t have knowledge of the future. I regressed from the future.¡±

    L blinked.

    * * *

    Zich told L everything about what happened before the regression. After listening to him without saying a word, L summarized, ¡°So, to organize what you said, you don¡¯t have memories of the future like me but actually lived through the future?¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡±

    ¡°Right after you lost to Glen Zenard and hispanions and were about to die, you counterattacked with an item called The Key that Distorts Destiny.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±

    ¡°When you woke up, you found yourself at a time before you left the Steelwall family¡ªwhen you were much younger?¡±

    ¡°Exactly.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡± L pressed her lips tightly. She looked at Zich directly with harsh eyes. Her eyes were mixed with rage and a sense of betrayal, indicating the shock she felt ¡°¡­You tricked me¡ªthe whole time until now.¡±

    ¡°I am sorry about that part.¡± Without saying any excuses, Zich hung his head. L blinked a couple of times and erased the angry look in her eyes. However, her face was still stered with displeasure and disappointment.

    ¡°Besides making sure of the information you just told me, why did you decide to tell me this now?¡±

    ¡°First of all, the reason why I hid this information from you in the first ce was because I couldn¡¯t trust you. You know, our first encounter wasn¡¯t that great, and you doubted me from time to time too.¡±

    ¡°So, you think you can trust me now?¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡±

    L¡¯s face became a bit softer, but soon, it hardened again. Yet, it no longer showed the force of all the emotions she had before. She had the face of a pouting kid who still wanted to show others that she was still angry.

    ¡°The second reason I am telling you now is because the concept of regression could be the key to learning about Clowon¡¯s identity.¡±

    ¡°Is it because of what happened to Tim?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t regret killing him, but it¡¯s true that I feel like shit. I feel worse than I did when I thought about how someone else might have manipted my life. I have to screw those guys who made my mood drop a lot.¡±

    ¡°You are talking about those robed guys.¡±

    ¡°Before, I said that I would kill those guys if I caught them, but that¡¯s no longer the case. My first priority is topletely kill those guys. Of course, I won¡¯t let them have a peaceful death though.¡± A twisted smile appeared on his face. ¡°I have to find out their main goal and crush it as thoroughly as possible. I need to kindly crush their dreams right in front of them.¡±

    L thought, ¡®As expected, he¡¯s definitely not a kind person.¡¯ Even though she admitted that Tim¡¯s words had a point, she still thought this anyway.

    ¡°I also thought about looking for different Demon People and hindering their ns, but I don¡¯t know exactly where and how they¡¯ll appear. I also don¡¯t know the exact time when they¡¯ll corrupt a person to be a Demon Lord. Most of all, those guys don¡¯t open their mouths at all. Even if I kill and kill and kill them, it¡¯ll just keep going. There¡¯s no point in cutting the hell out of the tails when the head is still alive.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s true.¡±

    ¡°So now that we¡¯re on this topic, how is the deciphering work going? Have you made any progress?¡±

    ¡°Maybe.¡± L¡¯s reply was ambiguous. She put her hand on her chin and looked sulky. It seemed as if she was still angry that Zich had deceived her for so long.

    Zich made a troubled expression and asked, ¡°¡­You¡¯re not going to get angry at me or yell?¡±

    ¡°Even I can tell the right time to do so.¡±

    ¡°Is that so?¡± However, Zich was being way more docile than usual. No matter how softly he reacted, L expected him to at least show his annoyance at her ambiguous reply.

    ¡®Is he backing down because he feels guilty about deceiving me?¡¯ However, Zich was not the type of person to do that. There was probably a different and more important reason. At that moment, Tim¡¯s death shed past her mind.

    ¡®Since he killed his pastpanion, Tim, did his currentpanions be more important to him?¡¯ This was a reasonable hypothesis. Just thinking about this made L¡¯s annoyance disappear further¡ªZich truly thought of her as hispanion.

    ¡°¡­Zich.¡±

    ¡°Why?¡±

    ¡°Since we¡¯re on this topic, I¡¯ll also be honest. I¡¯m actually way more shocked about the fact that you regressed than you think. Thus far, I thought there was another person who could possibly be like me in this world.¡±

    Zich tilted his head for a moment, and then he soon understood what L was trying to say. L didn¡¯t know who she was. Moreover, they even witnessed a bizarre monster that was most likely rted to her. Naturally, one would feel intense anxiety. Compared to most people, L was doing an extraordinary job holding all of herplex emotions inside. Until now, Zich¡¯s existence had been a hugefort to her as someone who also had knowledge about possible futures. However, Zich¡¯s confession hadpletely crushed thisfort.

    ¡°¡­You must have received a huge shock.¡±

    ¡°Yep, it¡¯s huge.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t believe I just heard two consecutive apologies from the great Zich. I¡¯ve achieved quite a feat.¡± Then, L shook her head. ¡°I didn¡¯t bring this up to get an apology from you though. If you think about it, we met quite abnormally. Although it was a misunderstanding, we first met as enemies, and the reason why we teamed up wasn¡¯t because we thought of each other as teammates. The situation just turned out like that, and we had no trust in each other at all. Honestly, in the beginning, we constantly held up our guard and secretly tried to dig out each other¡¯s identities.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, we were like that.¡±

    ¡°If you think back to our past, it¡¯s strange that we¡¯re talking sofortably like this.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s because we experienced a lot of events.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, a lot of things really happened.¡± Even though rtively little time had passed since they met, they had encountered a lot of intense incidents together.

    L continued, ¡°Yet, because of those incidents, we began to trust each other. No, for me at least, I trust you, Zich. I also think that you trust me somewhat, and that¡¯s why you told me your secret.¡±

    ¡°Surprisingly, you immediately believed me when I said I regressed.¡±

    ¡°Why wouldn¡¯t I believe in regression when I have knowledge about the future? That would be funnier.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s true.¡±

    ¡°So Zich, starting today, let¡¯s re-establish our rtionship. You want to find out Clowon¡¯s identity, which would lead to finding out the identity of the robed figures, and in the end, destroy the robed figures¡¯ organization, right?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. And you want to find out about your past and identity.¡±

    ¡°Yep.¡±

    As close travelingpanions traveling, they knew very well what the other wanted.

    L said, ¡°The way we can achieve our goals is most likely the same.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s by finding out more about Clowon.¡±

    ¡°Yep.¡± L nodded. ¡°Maybe it¡¯s for the better that we got this opportunity. We can end our ambiguous rtionship thus far and establish a new, more coborative rtionship.¡±

    L¡¯s clear eyes were directed towards Zich. However, unlike her confident speech so far, her eyes were slightly trembling. Was she afraid of rejection? As soon as Zich rejected L¡¯s offer, their rtionship would definitely be awkward. Moreover, this was extremely terrifying for L since she had no idea about her identity, and the closest person to her right now was Zich.

    Zich met L¡¯s eyes. Even though there was a bit of insecurity in her eyes, they were beautiful and brave. Zich smiled; it was not his usual twisted or crooked type of smile, but a calm one. ¡°Well, I didn¡¯t expect this, but I¡¯m looking forward to coborating with you, L.¡±

    Then, Zich reached out his hand towards L. Her face brightened up and she tightly clutched his hand. ¡°Yep. I¡¯m looking forward to it, Zich!¡±

 Chapter 330

    <h4>Chapter 330</h4>

    On the day Zich returned, hispanions held a wee party for him. Joachim and Evelyn also attended the party. Although they had gathered and drank like this a couple of times before, the mood today was more festive than usual.

    ¡°Thank you so much, Sir Zich!¡± Joachim bowed deeply to Zich a few times; Joachim usually paid overt respect to Zich. Today, he was worse than usual. However, Joachim thought it was only natural for him to act this way. ¡°Thanks to you, it seems that the Dracul family will receive much better treatment than before.¡±

    Even though Joachim had requested Zich to help with the bandit investigation for Marquess Campbell in hopes of bettering the Dracul family¡¯s reputation, he didn¡¯t have many expectations. He thought Zich would find the bandits¡¯ home base with his special abilities and gain Marquess Campbell¡¯s affection, but nothing more. Of course, that would have been a huge help to the Dracul family, but what Zich did was much more than finding the base of a bothersome group of bandits. Zich had prevented Bambis, the center of the Marquess Campbell¡¯smerce center, from suffering huge losses.

    Considering the situation Campbell had been in at the time of the bandits¡¯ attacks, it was difficult to imagine the effect the incident would have caused if Zich hadn¡¯t prevented it. Of course, Marquess Campbell was very grateful to Joachim for sending Zich to his ce and even sent a thank you letter to him. A marquess holding a considerable amount of influence in the kingdom owed him a favor now; and the Dracul family name also regained a lot of the prestige that they had lost.

    ¡°Congrattions, sir. I am d to hear that my work was of help.¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t thank you enough. It¡¯s such a difficult job to regain our family¡¯s past reputation, but I am sure the recovery time has be much shorter now. I think I can at least go around to ces and introduce myself as Count Dracul without having to feel embarrassed about it,¡± Joachim said and smiled brightly. It was shocking to hear that Joachim had to feel embarrassed about his self-introductions when he was a count. It made one realize how notorious the Dracul family¡¯s past predecessors were.

    Then, Joachim told Zich, ¡°Ah, I also have another piece of news to tell you.¡±

    ¡°Is it more good news?¡±

    ¡°To me¡ªno, I mean, for us, it is.¡± Joachim stared at Evelyn sitting next to him. Without conscious intentions, his face rxed and formed a smile. The same thing happened to Evelyn. Zich wasn¡¯t stupid enough to miss what their behavior could mean.

    ¡°Could it be, you two?¡±

    ¡°Yes, I proposed, and Evelyn epted.¡± Instead of saying Lady Rouge, Joachim said her name bashfully. Then, he said, ¡°This is also all thanks to you, Sir Zich. Truthfully, even if I am a count, I had basically been outcast by society, so I couldn¡¯t even think of proposing to ady from a marquess¡¯ family. Now, I think I will at least be able to save face thanks to what you did, sir.¡±

    ¡°We really want to thank you.¡± Evelyn bowed to Zich.

    Although Joachim and Evelyn had been developing feelings for each other, Joachim didn¡¯t dare to propose to Evelyn, considering his circumstances. It was the same for Evelyn. Even if Marquess Rouge had taken a step back regarding matters about her marriage after what happened with her ex-fianc¨¦, it would¡¯ve been a different matter if she formed a rtionship with a disqualified candidate. Thus, the two had been distancing themselves from each other even if they felt affection for each other. Howver, thanks to the case that Zich solved this time, they saw a possibility.

    Joachim added, ¡°Of course, we know it will be difficult. The Rouge family won¡¯t be pleased about this at all, but it¡¯s not like I have no hope. After all, I am still a count.¡±

    It was rare for people Joachim¡¯s age to have a noble title; they were usually the sons and daughters of nobles or heirs at most. Furthermore, there was a strict power difference between a noble and their heir.

    Zich nced back and forth between Joachim and Evelyn. Then he said, ¡°Like you said, the road in front of you will be rough and difficult. Are you both really fine with that?¡±

    Joachim and Evelyn looked at each other, full of affection. They stared at Zich again. ¡°It¡¯s not like we can¡¯t even see a path like before; although it¡¯s a tough road, we still can see a path. Then, I am willing to go through it. After all, I¡¯m not alone.¡±

    ¡°It''s the same for me.¡±

    Joachim and Evelyn ced their hands on top of each other. Seeing that, Zich smiled brightly and said, ¡°I see. I suppose I won¡¯t have to worry about you two any longer. Congrattions.¡± Then, he added, ¡°I wish for you guys to be happy.¡±

    ¡°Yes, thank you.¡±

    ¡°Thank you.¡±

    Other people would have thought Zich was simply giving some blessings, but L thought differently.

    ¡®Thank goodness.¡¯ Zich wasn¡¯t saying thosest words to Joachim and Evelyn; he was saying them for himself.

    Zich still hadplicated feelings after killing Tim tt, and seeing Joachim and Evelyn try to find their happiness was probably very meaningful to him. Therefore, the party that celebrated Zich¡¯s return and the birth of a new couple continuedte into evening.

    * * *

    To uncover Clowon¡¯s identity, Zich and L began moving right away.

    ¡°Give me all the information you know. It¡¯s fine even if you aren¡¯t certain of them,¡± L requested and Zich told her everything.

    ¡°You mean, Glen Zenard?¡± L questioned.

    ¡°Yeah, he is the guy I suspect the most.¡±

    ¡°So, you are saying that Glen Zenard could have regressed multiple times.¡± L pondered over the new information. ¡°Did you say that he couldn¡¯t remember the past you experienced?¡±

    ¡°Before I died, he preached to me about living a kind life. However, when I asked him about it some time ago, he didn¡¯t seem to know about it at all.¡±

    L tapped the table with her thumb. ¡°Well, the first thought I have is that the only person who has memories from before the regression is the regressor and nobody else.¡±

    ¡°I think so too.¡±

    ¡°You think the Key That Distorts Destiny was the thing that caused your regression. That thing was part of Windur, right?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, it was stuck inside my finger, but I don¡¯t remember who or what ced it there. You saw what it looks like too, right?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I remember it clearly. I thought you were going crazy that time.¡± L recalled the memory of Zich suddenly slicing his finger without any warning.

    ¡°Then, let¡¯s organize this. How about we summarize all the information we know into a couple of keywords? Regression, Key That Distorts Destiny, Windur, Glen Zenard, Clowon, Violuwin¡¯s ruins, and the tree in the elf kingdom. What else?¡± L asked.

    Zich coldly replied, ¡°The robed figures¡¯ organization.¡±

    L folded her arms. ¡°If your suspicions are right, Glen Zenard is connected to them, right?¡±

    ¡°Probably.¡±

    ¡°Did Glen Zenard make that organization?¡±

    ¡°Hmm!¡± Zich rubbed his chin. ¡°If he can regress whenever he wants, it¡¯s notpletely out of the picture, since he literally has the power to know the future. Even if he didn¡¯t build the organization from scratch, he canbine various groups to make arge organization with his knowledge of the future.¡±

    ¡°But it¡¯s difficult, right?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m just saying it¡¯s a possibility.¡±

    ¡°Then Glen could have also not made that organization.¡±

    The robed figures were not an ordinary group. Every single one of them possessed abilities and strength beyond a normal level. Moreover, Zich was more impressed about a matter other than their fighting capabilities.

    ¡®Brainwash.¡¯

    In order to raise puppets that didn¡¯t spit out information in front of torture and death, how much time and effort did they have to use?

    ¡°Glen could have stolen an organization that already existed. If he can regress infinitely, then that¡¯s a possibility.¡±

    ¡°About that, Zich.¡± L took out arge heap of papers from her magic box, and unknown letters filled each page. ¡°I haven¡¯t told you the results of my work, right?¡±

    ¡°I was nning to ask you about that. How did it go?¡±

    ¡°I tranted all the tablets we brought from the tombs in Violuwin.¡±

    Zich¡¯s eyes beamed. ¡°As expected, you¡¯re amazing.¡±

    ¡°The books I received from the elves were a great help. For matters like this, it¡¯s better the more clues I have.¡± L spoke as if she hadpleted a small task, but it was not an easy feat at all.

    The clues they brought from the elf kingdom were only a couple of books they thought looked important. They didn¡¯t know which books would be helpful in deciphering thenguage. In the worst-case scenario, not a single book would be helpful. Moreover, even if they were lucky and most of the books were helpful in tranting, it was still arge amount. It would take an enormous amount of time just separating and finding out which parts were useful or not.

    ¡®As I thought, she¡¯s a monster.¡¯ The same thing could be said about her knowledge and magic.

    Zich thought that no one could match him, and even that Glen Zenard was beneath him in terms of pure skills. However, his judgment of L was different.

    ¡®If she progresses like this, she might be as strong as me.¡¯ Zich was also very curious about L¡¯s identity.

    ¡°Zich, I¡¯ll tell you this in advance, but it¡¯s best if you lower your expectations as much as possible.¡±

    ¡°I guess nothing amazing was written on those tablets?¡±

    ¡°Honestly, since we collected these tablets while being chased after thoserge statues, the information we had was pitiful.¡± L grabbed a few pieces of paper and pushed them in front of Zich. Beautiful and elegant handwriting densely filled up the pages.

    Zich skimmed through the pages. ¡°Most of them are achievements.¡±

    ¡®One emperor merged surrounding countries; one emperor sessfully overpowered a monster.¡¯ Achievements like these were written about the emperors.

    ¡®I guess I should have expected this.¡¯

    If that ce was really the tomb of Clowon¡¯s emperors, it was not strange for their achievements to be written on their tombstones. Schrs might be interested in these types of information, but Zich and L were not looking for this type of information at all.

    ¡°Honestly, I was very disappointed while deciphering these texts. It wasn¡¯t people¡¯s achievements I wanted to know.¡±

    ¡°But even so, you worked hard.¡± Zichforted the pouting L.

    Then, L said, ¡°But it wasn¡¯t aplete waste of time.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, it seems like it.¡±

    Even amongst the texts that merely lined the emperors¡¯ achievements meaninglessly, there was a phrase that caught Zich¡¯s attention. It was a line that was probably written on the tomb of the first emperor or the emperor nicknamed the Golden Emperor.

    Zich slowly read the line out loud, ¡°The empire¡¯s main source of strength, The Brushel System, was made by the first emperor ¡­¡±

    L opened her mouth. ¡°I tranted a few of the elves¡¯ books and researched a bit about the Clowon Empire. Since I didn¡¯t trante that much, I can¡¯t be sure of this, but all the emperors I found information about possessed extraordinary skills and achievements. But do you really think that¡¯s possible? For geniuses to continuouslye out of one family.¡±

    ¡°Then, what about the possibility that people became emperors not because of bloodlines but because of their ability?¡±

    ¡°There are records of blood ties between some emperors. Of course, we can¡¯t say that all emperors were blood-rted just because of that.¡±

    ¡°Judging by how it used an empire system, there¡¯s a high possibility that emperors were chosen because of their bloodline.¡±

    ¡°I agree.¡± L nodded. ¡°So, I thought of a hypothesis. What if this Brushel System made regression possible, and all the emperors used the regression ability to lead their empires?¡±

    ¡°That would make sense. Regardless of how stupid someone is, if they have the power of regression, they could reign over their empire as apetent emperor. Even more so if they regress multiple times.¡±

    ¡°I also think the same.¡±

    ¡°Clowon fell into ruin. Was there perhaps such an idiot who led their empire into ruin even with a powerful ability like regression?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s exactly it.¡± L raised one of her fingers. ¡°No matter how great the power of regression is, in the end, what if there was a limit to it?¡±

    L leaned her upper body forward and put her finger on one part of the paper that Zich was holding. ¡°Do you remember this? This was the very first line I tranted.¡±

    ¡°¡­Yeah. I remember it.¡±

    Zich looked at the phrase with a meaningful stare.

    [You must never use too much of it.]

 Chapter 331

    <h4>Chapter 331</h4>

    This phrase appeared after the system called Brushel was mentioned. Of course, since L had copied down the engravings on the burial site bit by bit, they were missing some words in between. However, the spaces between the missing words were short, and it seemed fully reasonable to think that the phrase was talking about the Brushel System.

    ¡°Do you think that phrase is talking about the limits to the regressions?¡±

    ¡°Yeah,¡± L said. Zich looked at the writings again.

    ¡°With just this, it¡¯s hard to tell what this limit is.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s true. We don¡¯t know if there¡¯s a limit in the number of times you can regress, such as if the regressor undergoes some changes, if it leaves some kind of effect on the world, or if it has apletely different side effect.¡±

    ¡°That side effect could be me regressing instead of Glen Zenard.¡±

    ¡°That could also be a possibility.¡±

    ¡°Hm.¡± Zich stared at the words that seemed to warn about the limits of regressing and turned his gaze towards the words "Brushel System".

    ¡®So, is this the name of the thing that causes regression?¡¯ They had simply found out the system¡¯s name and didn¡¯t know what the system exactly was. Yet, one thing came to Zich¡¯s mind with the word, ¡°system.¡±

    ¡°L, you know the Brushel System¡­when I first met you, the guys chasing after you called¡ª¡±

    ¡°They called me the Core.¡± As if she had already thought of it, L cut him off. Her voice didn¡¯t sound pleased; it was understandable since she had to contemte being part of a mysterious system.

    ¡°Like the monster made out of lumps of meat we saw before and the way those guys called you the ¡®Core¡¯, it seems like your past isn¡¯t ordinary by any means.¡±

    Although she tried to act indifferent, L couldn¡¯t help but feel down. ¡°If I am really part of a system that causes regression, then the knowledge I have might not simply be possibilities of the future.¡±

    ¡°Are you saying they are memories of the multiple times you regressed?¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s a high possibility,¡± she said and bit her lips. Zich could clearly read the thoughts on her face.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry.¡± As she tried to clear the indescribable gloomy feelings that seemed to dampen her mood, she heard Zich say, ¡°No matter who you are, you¡¯ll just be mypanion, L.¡±

    L stared at Zich.

    ¡°You know I don¡¯t care that much about what kind of person someone is, right?¡±

    ¡°¡­Yeah, I know that well.¡±

    ¡°Before the regression, I was the guy who hung out with all kinds of Demon People. What you are doesn¡¯t matter to me.¡±

    ¡°¡­Ah, haha! That¡¯s true,¡± L chuckled softly. ¡°Aren¡¯t you so nice, Zich? Did you be nicer?¡±

    ¡°Well, aren¡¯t I supposed to be a kind person? This much is nothing,¡± Zich snorted. He said this because his thoughts for hispanions had be bigger after Tim tt¡¯s death.

    Without erasing the smile on her face, L replied, ¡°Wait, so since you regressed, you must have lived much longer than how you look. Doesn¡¯t that mean you are much older than me? Should I start using honorifics for you now?¡±

    ¡°No need. It¡¯s not like I¡¯m the type of person who follows the rules of hierarchy strictly. Moreover, I wouldn¡¯t be happy to hear honorifics suddenly from you. It would actually scare me.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I mean, if I think about it, I don¡¯t even know how old I am either. Who knows? I might have lived a really long time.¡±

    ¡°Should I start calling you grandma now?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t you dare.¡± L gripped her fist and shook it.

    ¡°Okay, so is this about everything we got from the trantion?¡± Zich scanned the trantions that were filled with the past achievements of Clowon¡¯s emperors that he wasn¡¯t even interested in.

    ¡°We didn¡¯t gain much.¡±

    ¡°Yeah. What do we do now?¡±

    Although it was good that they had decided to earnestly uncover Clowon¡¯s identity, they couldn¡¯t think of the next course of action. After all, they had ced a lot of hope in Clowon¡¯s writings but it didn¡¯t give them much besides the Brushel System and the limits of regression.

    ¡°Do you want to go to the Violuwin¡¯s cemetery again? If we decipher all the writings there, we might be able to find a clue.¡±

    ¡°Hm¡­¡± Zich stroked his chin at L¡¯s suggestion.

    It wasn¡¯t a bad suggestion; although most of the engravings there were probably about the achievements of Clowon¡¯s emperors, there could be other writings that could lead to more clues.

    ¡°The problem is those shadows and the statues.¡± They were also the reason why they had failed to copy down all the engravings there.

    ¡°How is it, Zich? Do you think you can handle them?¡±

    ¡°I might be able to kill off the shadows, but the shadows are still too much to handle.¡±

    ¡°Then let¡¯s leave that method as our worst-case scenario. It¡¯s too dangerous.¡±

    However, they couldn¡¯t think of another method besides that. Zich and L both fell into contemtion, and a deep silence circled around the room.

    ¡°¡­Shootuol.¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    L responded to word that came out of Zich¡¯s mouth, ¡°Shootuol? What¡¯s that?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s the name of a city. A pretty big city.¡±

    ¡°Why are you suddenly bringing up the name of a city? Do you think there¡¯d be a clue about Clowon there?¡± L asked expectedly, and Zich wondered how he should exin this. Truthfully, he was hesitant to bring this matter up. Shootuol was the city that came up in his extremely chilling dream he had from time to time about the ¡®justful Zich.¡¯

    ¡®They said it was a city that a Demon Lord swept away.¡¯

    Zich thought the dreams he had might have some meanings, but at the same time, he thought they could also simply be nightmares he had after hearing about the future with the hero Zich from L.

    ¡°Zich?¡±

    At L¡¯s call, Zich shook his thoughts away.

    ¡°Ah, to tell you the truth, it might not make any sense.¡±

    ¡°Just tell me first. The things we¡¯ve endured and heard until now don¡¯t make much sense anyway. It¡¯s fine if they are trivial. What we need right now is any sort of clue.¡±

    ¡°Okay.¡± Zich told her a dream he had and told her the conversation that the very just and honorable Zich from his dreams had with his otherpanions.

    ¡°You were having dreams like that?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, at first I thought they were just some disgusting, stupid dreams. But these days, I am starting to think that they might mean something.

    ¡°Shootuol. Shootuol¡­¡± L repeated the name a couple of times.

    ¡°Does the name ring a bell somewhere?¡±

    ¡°No, it doesn¡¯t.¡± L shook her head pitifully. ¡°I am curious though. Maybe your regression awakened some of your memories of Zich Brave.¡±

    ¡°Ah, damn it!¡±

    ¡°Why? Is it because of thest name, Brave?¡± L smirked. She was clearly teasing him, but Zich couldn¡¯t refute her. To Zich, the existence of Zich Brave was truly his archnemesis.

    ¡°You said Shootoul is the city that fell under a Demon Lord, right?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s what I heard in my dream.¡±

    ¡°A Demon Lord during the time of Zich Brave, huh?¡± Zich had already told L the description of the Demon Lord he heard from his dream, including the Demon Lord¡¯s abilities and exterior appearance. He also confessed to her the inkling suspicion he had.

    ¡°So, you are saying the Demon Lord could be me?¡±

    ¡°At least from the descriptions of the Demon Lord I heard from my dream, you are the only one who fits them perfectly. Among all the figures called the Demon Lord I knew from before the regression, there was no one with such characteristics.¡±

    ¡°If your suspicions are correct, that¡¯s the first clue we have about my past.¡± L made aplex expression. Although she had imagined all kinds of things about her past, she didn¡¯t expect to hear the title of Demon Lord, especially as the one who antagonized Zich Brave during his time.

    ¡°Well, we will be more certain as we find more clues,¡± L said after a deep sigh.

    ¡°You are calmer than I expected you to be.¡±

    ¡°I am surprised. Very.¡±

    ¡°Isn¡¯t your response too nd for that?¡±

    ¡°I know I don¡¯t really express it, but do you realize how much I think about my past? Among the thoughts I have, they are plenty that is absolutely mortifying. A Demon Lord is nothingpared to those.¡± Besides, L also had another reason. ¡°Moreover, weren¡¯t you also called the Demon Lord? And I see how well you are living right now. Considering that, I don¡¯t think it would matter that much that I used to be the Demon Lord too.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s a relief to hear.¡±

    ¡°Like you said, let¡¯s head to Shootuol. We don¡¯t have any clues besides Violuwin¡¯s burial site anyways.¡±

    Like that, the group¡¯s next destination was decided. After finishing this serious conversation, L looked at Zich with a sparkle in her eyes. ¡°Can you tell me more about those dreams you have been having? What kind of guy was Zich Brave? I mean, even hispanions were different from the ones you have right now.¡±

    ¡°Ah, damn it! Why are you curious about something like that?¡± Zich shivered, but L was stubborn.

    ¡°There could be a clue about Clowon in those dreams. It¡¯s not just because I¡¯m curious. I am asking you because it¡¯s necessary to uncover Clowon¡¯s identity.¡±

    ¡°You can¡¯t fool me.¡±

    ¡°Whatever it is, can¡¯t you just tell me? Who did you say was among yourpanions? I am sure I heard the Saint was in there.¡±

    ¡°Why don¡¯t you rummage through your memories? I thought you had memories of the time I used to be a hero.¡±

    ¡°Why would I ask you if I remember it? I am asking you because I can¡¯t remember it properly.¡±

    ¡°Ah, just quit it. Those guys don¡¯t have any connection to Clowon. I can bet on it.¡±

    Even afterward, L persistently bothered Zich with questions about the dreams. He evaded these questions, but after some bickering, Zich had no choice but to tell L thepanions he saw in his dreams.

    * * *

    After making the decision to head to Shootuol, Zich and hispanions moved without dy. The reason why they had stayed in Janmapli for so long was to give L time to decipher Clowon¡¯s writings in the first ce, so now they no longer had a reason to stay in the city. After sending a message to Joachim and Evelyn that they were leaving, they packed their luggage.

    Although their difficult training and travel wouldmence again, Hans and Snoc had noints. While Zich was gone, the two enjoyed a veryfortable rest at Janmapli and were now even getting a bit bored by the inaction. Elena had also made significant progress in her recovery after what had happened with her grandfather and father. Thus, the next day, Zich and his crew headed outside of Janmalpi¡¯s castle walls.

    ¡°When can I meet you again, Sir Zich?¡± Joachim asked as he hade to greet them off. Evelyn stood closely beside him.

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure. We kind of wander around everywhere without staying in one specific ce, so I can¡¯t give you a clear answer. Maybe we will meet again if fate allows it.¡±

    ¡°Haha! I hope that¡¯s the case.¡± Joachimughed heartily and bowed his head. ¡°I received a truly big favor from you Sir Zich. I want to thank you again.¡±

    ¡°I also want to thank you too,¡± Evelyn also bowed her head.

    ¡°When are you nning to send someone to the Rouge family?¡± Zich asked.

    ¡°We¡¯ve already sent someone. I don¡¯t know how they¡¯ll respond to the news, but I don¡¯t expect it to be positive. However, we won¡¯t give up after seeing a possibility.¡± Joachim and Evelyn smiled while looking at each other. Their tightly clenched hands seem to disy their love.

    ¡°I know I¡¯ve said it before, but I sincerely wish for you both to be happy.¡±

    ¡°We will be happy.¡±

    The two shook hands. After the rest of the group bid their farewells, Zich¡¯s party left Janmali. Evelyn and Joachim watched their backs until they disappeared out of view; and like that, Zich¡¯s party headed towards their new destination: Shootuol.

 Chapter 332

    <h4>Chapter 332</h4>

    After leaving Janmalpi, Zich and his crew went off-trail like they always did.

    ¡°Um, are we really going this way?¡± Unlike everyone else, Elena was stunned since she hadn¡¯t experienced the party¡¯s¡ªspecifically, Zich¡¯s straightforward approach to traveling.

    Elena suffered a lot while experiencing many firsts such as traveling over rough terrains, meeting beasts that appeared from time to time, moving while ughtering monsters in the daytime, and sleeping outdoors at night. Even though she had been warned how arduous the traveling would be in advance, experiencing it firsthand was apletely different matter. Furthermore, Elena was a daughter from an aristocratic family. She was different from the others: for example, even if Hans received preferential treatment for being the grandson of the countess¡¯ nanny, he had still been a servant while Snoc used to be a miner. Even L originally possessed strong stamina, unlike most mages. Thus, Elena had a harder time adjustingpared to the other party members.

    Yet, there were also other factors that helped her: Zich¡¯s past physical training seemed to have some effect, and L always physically trained Elena while teaching her magic too. There was no need for a mage to train their physique or stamina, but those were necessary to travel with Zich. Furthermore, she also had a trusty helper.

    ¡°Kyah!¡± While walking the mountain road, Elena tripped on her own foot. Her legs had given away while walking up the elevated, rough mountain terrain and her foot slipped. She wouldn¡¯t have died even if she fell and rolled down, but she would have received a critical injury. However, thanks to the object that supported her, she was able to avoid such an unfortunate situation.

    <i>Thud!</i>

    Instead of rolling on the dirt, she felt something soft and plushy support her. It was dirt. Smooth pieces of dirt raised Elena¡¯s body up as if it had a mind of its own.

    ¡°Are you okay?¡±

    <i>Koo? </i>Snoc and Nowem approached Elena¡¯s side. She grabbed the dirt and rebnced herself.

    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m all right. Thank you.¡±

    These two were by far the closest to each other among the party members, and whenever Elena got into trouble, Snoc was the first one to step forward to help her. Thanks to Snoc, Elena was able to continue this difficult journey somehow. After traveling for an unknown amount of time¡­

    ¡°I see it.¡± Everyone¡¯s faces brightened at Zich¡¯s words. The magnificent wall hanging at the edge of the horizon was their destination: Shootuol.

    * * *

    Aftering down the mountain and reaching the road, Zich and hispanions enjoyed an easy walk after a long time. Elena was especially happy about this, and as they got closer to the castle walls which appeared so small from far away, they came to realize its true, enormous scale. As the giant from his dreams told him, Shootuol was a major city; and its city walls matched its reputation. However, that wasn¡¯t the most noticeable point about the city.

    Zich and hispanions passed the walls and entered the city. Yet, instead of another wall that they expected to see in most cities that maximized security on all sides, Shootuol was different. What greeted them beyond the walls wasn¡¯t a glistening white wall but a blue sky and equally blue ocean.

    ¡°Wow~!¡±

    ¡°Ohh~!

    Hans and Snoc eximed in awe. L and Elena did the same. The only one who didn¡¯t express his admiration was Zich since he had already seen Shootuol before the regression. Zich guided hispanions to the end. Even if they couldn¡¯t see another wall, this city wasn¡¯t easy to trespass by any means.

    ¡°How tall do you think this wall is?¡±

    ¡°I think a normal person would die for sure if they fell.¡±

    <i>Koo¡­</i>

    ¡°Well, first of all, this ce has an ocean, and it looks like it has quite of a depth, so if we fall right¡­¡±

    Hans, Snoc, and Elena clung onto theddertched onto the cliff, and exchanged their opinions while looking down. Nowem stuffed himself into Snoc¡¯s hair and grabbed tightly in fear that he might fall off. Zich and L also stared down at thedder while standing beside them.

    ¡°It really is glorious.¡±

    ¡°Well, Shootuol is famous for its unique topography.¡±

    Majestic cliffs rose along the coast at perfect angles and blocked the ocean currents. Shootuol was a city that was built on top of these cliffs. However, if that was all, Shootuol would have simply been a city built on an interesting location; it also had other unique characteristics: there was arge road between the coastal cliffs as if somebody had artificially shaved the middle of the cliff. Yet, it had been naturally made and the road that formed, as a result, led to the bottom of the cliff and Shootuol. However, that wasn¡¯t all. Below the cliffs, there was a considerably wide piece ofnd connected to the road. The people of Shootuol gathered theirbor forces and expanded that piece ofnd to make a giant harbor. That area became their central trading hub where they amassed their wealth and helped make Shootuol be the giant, major city that they knew today.

    After listening to Zich¡¯s exnation, the party members stared at the harbor below the cliffs with fresh eyes. It looked like it was full of vitality as a great number of people and goods moved, and trading ships were anchored. Zich pped his hands once to gather hispanions¡¯ attention.

    ¡°Okay, let¡¯s find a ce to stay first and tour afterward. We might have to wander around this city until we are sick of it anyways.¡± Zich dragged hispanions and reserved spots for them in a lodging. Like usual, it was an expensive ce, but thanks to the incident he resolved recently, Zich had more than enough funds.

    All the party members were overjoyed to see a cozy lodging ce after only staying in ces where monsters or beasts roamed. That day, they each got a room and relieved the stress and fatigue they had from traveling. It was only after the next day that they began to search all over Shootuol. Yet, their day proved to be unfruitful. Not only was the cityrge, but Zich himself, also didn¡¯t really know what they had to find. The only thing he had in mind was that he had to find something connected to Clowon. In the end, all they could do was find traces of the robed figures, but even that search had disappointing results. It was hard to tell if the robed figures didn¡¯t do any activities in this ce or escaped everyone¡¯s eyes. There didn¡¯t seem to be any eyewitnesses of their appearance.

    ¡°Do you think there really is something here?¡± After a few uneventful days, Zichined to L. He poured a ss of wine for her and poured one for himself too.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know. Neither you nor I am sure about anything. We came here with the mindset that it would be good if something was here, but it can¡¯t be helped if there¡¯s nothing.¡±

    ¡°I know but¡­¡± L drank her wine in one gulp. Zich filled up her ss again.

    ¡°Don¡¯t stress out about this too much. It¡¯s not like this ce is our only hope.¡±

    ¡°You are talking about Violuwin, right? That ce is too dangerous.¡±

    ¡°But it¡¯s better than having no hope.¡±

    That was true, and L sipped her wine and nodded.

    ¡°Besides, it hasn¡¯t even been that long since we began our search. It isn¡¯t right for us to take things too slowly, but I don¡¯t think there¡¯s any need for us to be so anxious. We might miss the things we need to look out for if we move too anxiously anyways.¡±

    ¡°You are right.¡±

    ¡°Moreover, if the scene I saw in my dream is really a situation from before a regression that we can¡¯t remember, then I think there¡¯s a reason why I saw that specific scene.¡± Then, Zich shrugged his shoulders and added, ¡°So, I can¡¯t tell you to go slow, but let¡¯s do the things we can do one by one.¡±

    ¡°All right, I get it.¡±

    ¡°Afterward, Zich and L talked about trivial matters and continued their mini drinking party. While this went on¡ªperhaps he was imagining it, but Windur seemed to stare at them intently from the corner of the room.

    * * *

    The next day, Zich and L went down to the harbor together. The harbor was bustling with people:borers moving goods and fishersing back from the ocean poured out their catches for the day. They even spotted a few tourists among them. L stared at the ce whererge merchant ships were anchored.

    ¡°It seems the edge of the harbor is off-limits to outsiders.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s because they are so busy. It would be bothersome for them if outsiders are wandering around, not to mention that they probably have a bunch of precious items.¡±

    Besides those areas, the two could wander around anywhere they wanted. Zich and L looked all around them. From time to time, they stopped people walking around and asked about suspicious guys wearing robes. Yet, they didn¡¯t find anything significant.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go back,¡± Zich said while staring at a yellowish tinting sky. L agreed. While she felt disappointed that they hadn¡¯t been able to find any clue today too, she followed behind Zich to go back up to Shootuol when¡ª

    <i>Whoosh!</i>

    L immediately turned her head around. Her eyes shot towards the ocean where the gold-colored waves flowed while reflecting the sunset.

    ¡°What is it?¡± Zich, who was in front of her, turned around.

    ¡°No, I just felt like someone was watching me.¡±

    ¡°Watching you?¡± Zich stared at the area L was looking at. The only thing he could see was the wide, vast ocean and a couple of boats gliding across the waters.

    ¡°There¡¯s nothing.¡±

    ¡°You can¡¯t feel anything?¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡±

    ¡°Maybe it wasn¡¯t anything.¡± L¡¯s sensing skills were barelyparable to Zich¡¯s. Thus, she thought there was a high possibility that she could have mistaken the gaze if Zich hadn¡¯t felt anything. ¡°Sorry, I must have imagined it.¡±

    Afterward, L passed Zich and began to walk the road heading to Shootuol again. Zich also followed behind her, but he searched the area L had looked at sharply first. Yet, he couldn¡¯t find anything suspicious again. After minimizing his suspicion, Zich took his eyes off the ocean without having found any evidence.

    ¡®I should borrow a boat and try searching the area where L felt something.''

    <i>Gurgle! </i>Bubbles formed in the area L had looked at and disappeared.

    * * *

    That night, L fell into a deep sleep. The only thing that filled the room was theforting darkness and peace, and it seemed like they would stay until it became morning before the sun arose.

    <i>Sssssssh.</i>

    Something began to seep under the tightly shut window that even had a lock on it. It was water. Like raindrops crawling down the walls, the water pooling on the floor began to form a bigger puddle. Water continued to flow. It was a truly strange happening since not even the sound of rain or wind could be heard outside. The puddle of water grew to a considerable size but strangely, it didn¡¯t pass a certain range. Unlike normal water, it increased its volume upwards even though nothing was blocking it.

    <i>Drip!</i>

    Watering from the outside stopped. The window and walls showed no trace of water flowing. They didn¡¯t even appear damp and lookedpletely dry; if a person pressed their hand against them, they wouldn¡¯t find a single water droplet on their palms.

    <i>Ssssssh!</i>

    Water began to spurt out of the puddle. It almost seemed like a living creature with its own will. The clump of water shot up to a person¡¯s height and began to change shape. Limbs sprouted, a body formed, and features began to take form on a face until a figure of ady remained.

    <i>Plop!</i>

    The clump of water walked towards L¡¯s bed. L appeared oblivious to the situation around her as she was fast asleep.

    <i>Sssssh!</i>

    The clump of water hung its head. The two holes on its face which looked like eyes shot towards L.

 Chapter 333

    <h4>Chapter 333</h4>

    As if it was assuring L that it was the person she was thinking of, the clump of water nodded slightly and searched her entire body.

    Slide.

    The clump of water moved its arm. Since it was made up of a liquid, it looked like it would probably be impossible for it to grab something like a real human¡¯s hand. Yet, the clump of water stretched out its fingers and¡ª clutch¡ªand gripped L¡¯s neck.

    ¡°Wa¡­ump!¡±

    L opened her eyes wide at the wet sensation squeezing her neck. She tried to scream instinctually, but the clump of water blocked her mouth with its other hand. She couldn¡¯t see her opponent clearly in the darkness. Yet, she could tell that it wasn¡¯t a normal human by the sensation she felt on her skin. She began to run out of air and her mind seemed to fade. Since her lips and nose were blocked, she couldn¡¯t even let out a proper sound. It was an urgent situation for a normal person and the worst possible situation for a mage. She couldn¡¯t cast her spells or focus her mind to do so.

    However, L wasn¡¯t a normal mage. She pointed her arms towards her opponent and activated a magic spell.

    ¡®Kuh!¡¯ she had barely recollected her mind before it was distorted again. Water rushed into her nose, passed into her airways, and seeped into her lungs. Even L couldn¡¯t keep her senses intact in such a situation. She flung her arms around and tried to hit her opponents¡¯ hands. However, her opponent had vital strength made up of water, and L¡¯s arm simply passed through its body. Yet, her useless attacks seemed to have angered her opponent, and it strengthened its body¡¯s pressure as soon as L¡¯s arms were inside it. L¡¯s arm stopped as if it was frozen inside ice. L would lose her life if time continued to pass like this.

    Crash!

    The room¡¯s walls burst open. The clump of water raised its head like it was surprised. A ck shadow nketed it.

    Slice!

    A sharp sword sliced off its arm. Although L¡¯s arms had failed tond any hits on its body, the sword¡¯s attack made an impact.

    Plop!

    The thing¡¯s arm separated from its body. The sliced arm turned into normal water and rained down on L¡¯s face, pillow, and bed.

    ¡°Kuh! Cough! Cough!¡± L turned over and coughed up the water inside her body. A potion was handed to her and she hurriedly drank it. The pain she felt quickly settled down.

    ¡°Are you okay?¡± Zich stood in front of her and asked.

    ¡°I¡¯m¡ª<i>cough</i>, fine.¡± L threw up some of the water remaining inside her body and staggered up her bed. Then, she lit up a ball of light. The dark room instantly became bright, and L could finally see her ambusher.

    ¡°¡­What¡¯s that?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure. It¡¯s my first time seeing something like that,¡± Zich answered while pointing Windur at it. Even after all the mess he had gone through before the regression, it was still his first time seeing a creature like that.

    The thing was looking down at its own arm, which was cleanly severed from its forearm. Then, it stared at Zich¡ªwell, at least, that was what it seemed to be doing; it was difficult to judge whether or not the two holes on its face without any pupils could really be used for sight.

    ¡°You don¡¯t know either?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s what I actually want to ask you. I mean, it obviously came for you.¡±

    ¡°I think I would remember such a ¡®unique¡¯ friend, don¡¯t you think?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s true.¡± Zich took one step forward towards it. The thing looked back and forth between Zich and L. Zich thought that when it was looking towards him, it was looking more at Windur than him. Yet, it was impossible for even Zich to tell what a pupil-less monster was really looking at.

    It suddenly lost its shape. Perhaps, it was nning to attack, and Zich rushed towards it. L also prepared her magic.

    Slice!

    Windur sliced its body into two, making water ssh everywhere. The thing lost its human shape and slumped down to the floor. In case it might rise again, Zich heightened his guard at the water on the floor. However, it showed no response. Zich struck the soaked, wet floor a couple of times with Windur. His attacks only made the sound of a sword shing the floor, and the water didn¡¯t attack or make any more movements.

    ¡°How is it?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s just normal water,¡± Zich extracted back his sword and said. ¡°It ran away.¡±

    * * *

    Hearing themotion, the lodging owner came to check up on the situation. When they looked outside the door, they saw other lodgers looking outside of their rooms to see what was going on. Zich came up with some excuses to the owner, saying that mana identally burst out when he was swinging his sword. The owner was displeased to hear this, but when Zich pushed a considerable amount of money towards his direction as an apology, the owner¡¯s facial expression quickly changed. He treated Zich politely and changed rooms for them immediately. As expected, the power of money was amazing. It wasn¡¯t that bad since no one was hurt by Zich¡¯s actions either. Still, it seemed the owner of the lodging couldn¡¯t leave without saying anything and left after warning Zich to not swing his sword again.

    After sending his otherpanions who came rushing into the room when they heard the noise, Zich and L gathered in their new room.

    ¡°Why did you lie like that?¡± L asked.

    ¡°I thought it would just be annoying if I told them the truth, and it¡¯s not like we can get much help from them anyway.¡±

    ¡°Well, considering that thing, that¡¯s true.¡± L thought about the clump of water that she had seen under the firelight and scowled. She had almost died and didn¡¯t know what the thing was.

    ¡°What in the world do you think that was?¡±

    ¡°I never saw anything like that before I regressed. I can¡¯t really think of anything right now besides the fact that they used water as their medium.¡± He was sure of this since it returned to ordinary water at the end.

    ¡°It¡¯s an ability that can transform water into a human and use a great amount of physical force. It seems like a troublesome ability to handle.¡± Remembering how water passed through her throat and even reached her lungs, L shuddered.

    ¡°I think the main thing we have to think about is that it was targeting you.¡± Zich stared at L suspiciously. ¡°You are not doing bad things behind my back, right?¡±

    ¡°¡­I don¡¯t even feel enraged hearing that from you. It makes me feel remorseful about my life,¡± L sharply retorted to Zich.

    ¡°Well, I suppose that¡¯s the case. You don¡¯t have the type of personality to induce other people¡¯s grudges anyways. I don¡¯t think you got ambushed because of me either. I don¡¯t remember doing anything that could leave grudges against me.¡±

    ¡°Are you seriously saying that you did nothing that could make anyone hold a grudge against you?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not what I said. I said nothing that could leave grudges against me. No grudge is left since I kill most of them.¡±

    ¡°Ah, fine.¡± L nodded soullessly at Zich¡¯s confident words.

    ¡°It¡¯s not like I have absolutely nothing in mind. The gaze you felt by the ocean yesterday¡ªI think there¡¯s some kind of connection to that.¡±

    ¡°A gaze? I didn¡¯t imagine it? Wasn¡¯t it an empty, vast oc¡ª!¡± L stopped speaking. Then, she fell into deep thought with a serious expression on her face. What ambushed her was a monster in the shape of water, and the ce where she felt like someone was watching her was the ocean, which was full of water.

    ¡®Now that I think about it, the water was salty!¡¯ Memories that she hadn¡¯t thought of began toe back to her after she settled down.

    ¡°When you were ambushed, I couldn¡¯t feel any presence. Even if I was asleep, I should¡¯ve felt it if something trespassed into your room,¡± Zich said.

    ¡°Then how did you know that I was ambushed?¡±

    ¡°I was concerned about the gaze you felt at the ocean, so I kept my guard up around your room. Then, I felt your presence disappearing. I thought for a moment that you might be using magic, but it seemed unlikely considering the situation, so I rushed in.¡±

    ¡°¡­You kept watching the whole time?¡±

    ¡°You know, L, I evaluate your skills to be much higher than even you do to yourself. If you say that you felt something¡ªeven if there¡¯s a possibility that it could be your imagination, I would definitely be suspicious of it.¡±

    ¡°I see.¡± It was surprising for L to hear that Zich valued her skills even higher than she did. Embarrassed, she rubbed her clothes with her fingers for no reason.

    ¡°Since that monster could hide its presence by that much, I can¡¯t ignore the possibility that the gaze you felt at the ocean is the same person.¡±

    ¡°I suppose that means we have a ce to check when the day gets brighter.¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡±

    Both Zich and L looked outside the window. Even though the darkness was still everywhere, there was the giant ocean in that direction, so deep and wide that it was impossible to uncover everything it was hiding.

    * * *

    Zich and hispanions went to the harbor at the bottom of Shootuol early in the morning. Even though it was early in the day, the area was buzzing withborers and fishermen.

    ¡°It¡¯s probably around there.¡± L pointed at the area where she felt a gaze. Like yesterday, the ce didn¡¯t have any characteristics; all that existed there was the blue ocean and asionally colliding waves. Not only was the area far away, but there was also nothing that specifically pinpointed the ce, so it was difficult to assess its exact location. Even L was making a rough guess as she pointed towards it.

    ¡°Would we need to dive in?¡± Hans asked Zich.

    ¡°If we need to. But let¡¯s search above the waters for now.¡±

    Zich headed towards the ce where the fishing boats were gathered. After offering a sufficient sum to borrow the boat, Zich and hispanions headed towards the ocean, and L pointed out the location. Although L¡¯s directions were vague, the captain drove the boat without anyints¡ªwhich a sufficient amount of money made possible.

    ¡°I think it was around here,¡± L said. However, there was no confidence in her voice. Now that they were eyeing the area close up, the ce was much bigger than they had imagined. Zich looked down at the ocean. Dark blue waters covered his view, and Zich scratched his head.

    ¡°Were we too simple-minded?¡± It wasn¡¯t that he suspected L¡¯s words, but he thought they might have been a bit mindless for deciding to search the ocean after a gaze. Yet, it was also true that this was a ce where they could possibly find a clue.

    ¡®After lengthening the time we borrow the boat, I should go inside in person,¡¯ Zich thought. He had experience diving into the ocean. If he used mana, he could stay underwater for a long period of time. Furthermore, since the ocean here was pretty clean, he had a wide sphere of vision. Zich was about to gather hispanions and inform them of his n when¡ª

    Whoosh!

    He turned around. To be exact, his eyes shot towards Windur¡¯s hilt.

    ¡®This guy just vibrated.¡¯ After a momentary surprise at Windur¡¯s vibration, Zich¡¯s eyes went towards the ocean again.

    ¡®This is¡­!¡¯ Zich flung Windur down. Hispanions had gathered after hearing his call and asked in surprise, ¡°Sir Zich! What happened?¡±

    ¡°Feel the presence under the ocean.¡±

    Like Zich told him to, Hans focused his senses towards the under areas of the ocean. After a moment, his face stiffened.

    ¡°It¡¯s a monster.¡±

    ¡°Hey, Captain!¡± Zich shouted.

    ¡°Turn the ship around immediately! Let¡¯s head back!¡±

    Not long after Zich¡¯smand¡­

    Crack! Sharp nails came out of the ocean and clutched the boat¡¯s hull.

 Chapter 334

    <h4>Chapter 334</h4>

    Crunch!

    Sharp nails pierced deeply into the hull of the boat. With the bulky muscles the creature had on its thin mismatched arms, it pulled itself up. Soon, its head shot up above the water surface. It was a strange-looking creature. Its whole body was covered with blue scales, and it had an eye too big for its t and wide face.

    Kiiih!

    Its shrieks sounded like mockingughter, and one could see a red waggling tongue between its rows of sharp teeth. To get on top of the boat, it tried to pierce its other hand into the hull, but Windur moved faster than it did and split the creature¡¯s head.

    Kuh!

    Without being able to finish a proper scream, it died. Its arm holding onto the hull lost its strength and sank back into the ocean. However, that wasn¡¯t the only monster that appeared.

    Crack! Crunch!

    Monsters of all kinds of breeds began to crawl onto the boat from everywhere.

    ¡°Shake them off!¡± As soon as Zich shouted hismand, everyone moved to the edge of the boat. Hans swung Estede and Snoc flung out clumps of mithril. L swept awayrge-scale monsters with incantations, and Elena also calmly aimed fireballs at the monsters one by one.

    ¡°Raise the sails to their maximum!¡± The boat¡¯s captain gave hismand, and the few crew members on the boat began to move in a frenzy. The captain continued, ¡°Paddle as fast as you can. Passengers, please, if you can, get rid of the monsters near the oars first!¡±

    ¡°Han, Snoc! You heard him! Take a side and protect the oars!¡± Zich yelled.

    Hans and Snoc quickly moved to a ce closest to the oars.

    ¡°L! Wind magic! Blow wind at the sails!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m on it!¡± L incanted a spell. The mana that passed her hand seeped into the surrounding air.

    Whoosh! A strong wind began to push the sails. As the boat¡¯s speed increased, the boat made bigger waves on the waters, but the monsters continued to get onto the boat.

    Thud!

    Zich stomped his feet. His body shot upwards andnded on top of the sails. He looked in front of the bow and saw the deep blue waters. Even with his extraordinary eyes, he couldn¡¯t see into the end of the ocean. However, he was able to see past several depths and checked that many monsters were gathering below the boat.

    Wiing!

    Soaked in mana, Windur rang. A giant stream of mana formed along the edges of its des.

    ¡®I can¡¯t just make one big blow.¡¯

    If he shot out mana attacks rashly, the water in front of him would burst sideways. Even if his attacks swept away the monsters within his reach, the aftershocks of the attack coulde back to the boat and overwhelm it. Even if it didn¡¯t sink the boat, it could bother its course.

    ¡®I have to sweep away the monsters while facing the least amount of resistance from the ocean as possible.¡¯ Zich raised Windur high and swung it. ¡®I will slice the ocean as thinly as possible.¡±

    Swish!

    He swung Windur so fast that there wasn¡¯t even an afterimage. It almost appeared as if his sword and arm had teleported. Zich swung a couple of times like that; thin and sharp sword slices fell into the waters.

    Pwish!

    Water sshed, but considering the level of strength that had been instilled into the sword slices, the waves were extremely small. He sliced through the water¡¯s surface thinly and sword slices continued to prate the ocean. In the meantime, it sliced everything caught up in it.

    Slice! Slice! Slice! Slice!

    Monster bodies broke apart like rotten fruit, and the monsters ceased climbing up the boat simultaneously. They were disassembled all over the ce and their body parts floated on top of the water surface. Some of them were even swept away by the currents and disappeared. The sliced ocean waters came together again, reconnecting the slight gaps, and from the aftershock, white foams filled the ocean¡¯s surface.

    ¡°¡­What in the world?¡± The captain¡¯s mouth hung open; his hands were wet from sweat since he had tightly gripped onto the boat¡¯s wheels during this crisis. Between the white foams that suddenly appeared before him, he saw colors of red from the blood and monster corpses. His eyes shot towards Zich who was on top of the sail.

    The captain had been shocked when Zich made his first jump since his physical abilities didn¡¯t belong to a normal human. Yet, when Zichnded on top of the sail, he cursed inside his mind. He was furious that Zich took a safe ce while monsters were crawling all over the boat. However, when he saw what Zich did next, he immediately took back all his thoughts.

    Zich swung his sword a couple more times. Every time he did this, white foam formed in the surrounding ocean, and monster corpses floated up. The number of monsters trying to climb onto the boat significantly decreased. However, Zich stayed full alert. In case anyone rxed after seeing the monsters disappear, he shouted, ¡°Don¡¯t put your guard down!¡±

    Zich¡¯s eyes pointed towards the bottom of the ocean. ¡°An even bigger one ising!¡±

    Ssh!

    A great water spray exploded a short distance away from the boat. A gigantic figure burst through the spray of water and shot up to the sky.

    ¡°¡­Kraken,¡± L murmured.

    A gigantic leg with numerous suckers popped out from underneath the waters like a snake.

    Whoosh! The leg moved like a whip and came down on the boat. However, its power was much greater than a simple whip; if one of its legs had struck the small boat that Zich and hispanions were riding on dead center, it would have split their vessel into two and made it amon decoration that adorned the ocean bed.

    ¡°Don¡¯t stop at all costs!¡± Zich yelled at the captain and jumped towards the monster¡¯s leg. Windur was already pouring out rough cries with mana. Windur and Kraken¡¯s legs collided.

    Crash!

    There was a heavy thud. The Kraken¡¯s legs, which were limp like mollusks, were extremely tough to slice. It was a different form of hardness, and its skin seemed like it had raised the squishiness of mollusk bodies to the maximum. The creature didn¡¯t just block Zich¡¯s sword¡ªit even deflected it. The skin was harder to deal withpared to simple ones. Zich went back on top of the sail again. He didn¡¯t have any injuries, but the Kraken also didn¡¯t seem to have received much damage. Although its suckers were injured, considering the mass of the creature, it was probably not even a scratch on its gigantic body.

    Buuuuuuu!

    A strange sound came out of the waters. It sounded like it could belong to a dull horn or even the sound of wind escaping a narrow cave. It was the sound of the Kraken crying. The boat¡¯s captain and the crew members stiffened. Their responses were natural as they were men of the ocean whose greatest fear was the Kraken. Yet, thankfully, they didn¡¯t forget to do their jobs. The Kraken¡¯s legs came out of the surface of the water again; there were three of these legs now. Two legs shot out from both sides of the boat while the third one squirmed out to block its course.

    ¡°Don¡¯t change the trajectory!¡± Zich yelled to the captain.

    ¡°Do you need help?¡± L called out.

    ¡°I¡¯m fine right now. Just focus on putting air into the sails right now!¡±

    ¡°Got it!¡± L continued to push the wind forward and with her other hand, she created lightning and scattered them into the ocean. Her attacks were very effective on the ocean, and as expected of her, L controlled her magic attacks so that the lightning didn¡¯t affect the boat.

    Zich jumped off the top of the sails again. His goal was the leging his way. He concentrated mana into the ends of his sword and pierced the leg.

    Rip!

    Windur pierced its leg. However, it didn¡¯t seem to have inflicted much damage. Instead, the small lips at the center of the suckers revealed their teeth to shred Zich apart. If he ced his feet in them by mistake, his whole ankle would be cut off. Zich avoided the suckers and stood on the Kraken¡¯s leg. Then, through Windur, he forced mana into the Kraken¡¯s insides. The Kraken¡¯s legs shook violently. The part where Windur prated burst and arge hole ripped open.

    Buuuoohaaaah!

    The ocean waved as the Kraken shrieked. Zich kicked off from the leg that wiggled furiously from the pain and jumped to the boat again. He saw the two other legs that looked like they were trying to attack the boat. Zich swung Windur and flicked the legs away. Perhaps, it was the pain the monster felt, but the other two legs easily bounced off without much resistance. The boat narrowly passed by the Kraken¡¯s leg and Zich came down from the sail. He saw the Kraken¡¯s legs hurriedly retreat back to the ocean and felt its presence going farther away.

    ¡®It ran away.¡¯

    They could catch their breaths now. With the skill he had right now, the Kraken was a very strong monster, even more so at its home base: the ocean. Yet, it was too early to let down their guard.

    ¡®They are going crazy out there.¡¯

    Zich and hispanions weren''t the only ones who were ambushed. The boats floating nearby had also been attacked by monsters. Fishing boats, merchant ships, and other boats without exception were attacked. They even saw monsters clinging to the cliffs and trying to crawl into Shootuol. The whole city was getting attacked.

    Crack! Bam!

    In the midst of thismotion, one boat rushed speedily towards the harbor. It seemed it had failed to slow down while returning.

    ¡°Passengers!¡± The captain called Zich, ¡°We have to start slowing down and fold our sails back up.¡± It seemed like the captain had seen another boat crash into the harbor.

    ¡°L!¡±

    ¡°Yes?¡±

    L cut off her mana and the rough winds disappeared immediately; with her now free hand, L unleashed stronger magic attacks against the monsters. When Zich saw this, he whistled.

    ¡®She really is like a monster too.¡¯ Even if she had just used simple wind magic, she managed to maintain it for a considerable amount of time and used other types of magic to bring down monsters at the same time. Her abilities were progressing at a frightening speed. Zich¡¯s conviction that L¡¯s power would be stronger and match the ones he had in his prime when he used to be called the Demon Lord of Strength.

    The wharf was in a mess with ships and boats tangled here and there. With his considerable skills, the captain of the boat managed to maneuver the boat between obstacles and approach the harbor; yet, there was a limit to how skilled he was and in the end, the boat eventually collided with other boats and stopped.

    ¡®This is probably enough.¡¯ If they used the other boats that their boat got tangled up with as a bridge, they could easily get to the harbor.

    ¡°Hans! Snoc! Elena!¡± Zich called them.

    ¡°You guys take the boat¡¯s captain and the crew members and go up to the harbor! Block the monsters trying to get into Shootuol!¡±

    ¡°What about you, sir!¡± Hans asked, and Zich looked at the ocean in response. Other boats were still getting ambushed by monsters in the water. He saw soldiers in the city, but they seemed to be upied in barricading Shootuol from monsters trying to invade the city.

    ¡°I have to save those guys!¡±

    ¡°I understand, sir!¡± Hans gestured to Snoc and Elena. He guided the captain and crew members and jumped over the other boats to head to the harbor. L flew by Zich¡¯s side.

    ¡°Are you nning to do some kind acts?¡±

    ¡°Guess so.¡± Zich stared at the chaos happening over the ocean. ¡°If I don¡¯t, there was no reason for me to have killed Tim.¡±

    ¡°¡­That¡¯s true.¡±

    ¡°I will do the job of detaching each of the monsters from the boats. You can focus your attacks below the ocean and minimize the number of monsters as much as possible.¡±

    ¡°Got it.¡±

    Zich and L moved simultaneously.

 Chapter 335

    <h4>Chapter 335</h4>

    Zich jumped to the closest boat. Sailors struggled to fight off the monsters rushing in. A sailor guarded himself with an oar and another person swung a stick furiously at anythinging his way. One man was even fighting off a monster with a tiny knife, which quickly proved to be too weak to battle a monster. Of course, if he had as many skills as someone like Zich, he would have been able to crack most monsters¡¯ heads with even a wooden club. However, that was too much to expect from an ordinary boatman. As evidence, one sailor was dying over a pool of blood on the deck.

    ¡°Try it, you bastards! Come at me!¡± the sailor holding the oar shouted. Yet, his hands were trembling.

    Kiah!

    The monster revealed its sharp teeth and rushed forward. Using the oar, he managed to push away one monster, but he couldn¡¯t do anything about the one next to him. The monster raised its pointy nails up high and ran towards him.

    ¡°Uh, ahhhh!¡± Contrary to the war cry he made just before; the sailor fell on his bottom while shrieking. It seemed like he would soon be shredded apart by the monster''s nails.

    Slice!

    A chilling sound rang loudly. The sailor watched as the head of the monster that rushed towards him was split into two.

    Shaaa!

    The monster was thrown back to the deck as its blood and other fluids scattered across the air. The same thing happened to other monsters around him. Without a pause, monster heads split into two and their bodies fell to the ground. It almost seemed like a miracle from God.

    Thud!

    The sailor stood nkly while soaked in monster blood when he heard something. It came from the sail, and he raised his head. There was a young man standing on top of the sail with a strange sword. Instinctually, the sailors knew that he was the one who had created this miracle. The young man swung his sword¡ªit was so fast that they couldn¡¯t see it properly, but its effect could be clearly seen. All the monsters crawling to the boat spilled blood and sank into the ocean.

    Thud!

    Zich jumped off from the sail since he hadpleted his work. Showing off capabilities that only a bird might have, he jumped down the sail of another boat. The same thing happened there, and the sailors watched with their mouths hanging open.

    ¡°What are you guys doing! Come to your senses! This isn¡¯t over yet! We are heading to the pier now!¡± The captain roared, the sailors regained their senses, and they began to busily move again. They ced the oar they had taken out in the right ce again first.

    Babababam!

    All the sailors blocked their ears and fell to the ground simultaneously. The captain also stuck his head against the rudder. An intense noise and shining light passed by their surroundings in an instant.

    ¡°W-What¡­¡± One of the sailors looked up at the sky where one ck dot floated in the sky. When he narrowed his eyes and peered closely, he realized that the dot was a human. A light shed inside the person¡¯s hand.

    Babababam!

    A loud ding rang again, and the sailors blocked their ears.

    ¡°I-Is it lightning? A person is scattering lightning?¡±

    ¡°Must be a m-mage.¡± The sailors talked amongst themselves while trembling.

    ¡°Hey, look at that!¡± Other sailors pointed their fingers towards a certain ce. In the middle of an ocean, they saw monsters corpses burnt to crisps, floating on top of the waters. The lightning from before appeared to be the most likely cause.

    ¡°Are they clearing the monsters?¡±

    ¡°Isn¡¯t that what they are doing?¡±

    ¡°You bastards! I told you guys to focus! Go back to your positions immediately!¡± The captain hollered again. Sailors jumped in surprise and began to move quickly. The captain grabbed his rudder. He snuck a nce at Zich and L fighting off the monsters and shook his head. ¡®I have lived all my life riding boats, but I have never seen anything like this.¡¯ The captain was sure that if he got out of this situation alive, he wouldn¡¯t have run out of stories to tell his grandson until he died.

    * * *

    Thanks to Zich and L, many boats were able to escape from the swarms of monsters. Yet, no matter how amazing Zich and L were, there were only two of them, and they couldn¡¯t protect all the boats in the wide ocean. There were even some cases where the ship couldn¡¯t move with the small number of crew members who had survived. In those cases, Zich dropped them off at the nearest decks. As time passed and as more people sessfully escaped or died, the number of moving people decreased. Thus, Zich moved the battlefield towards the harbor. Soldiers were pushing off the monsters using several buildings and goods as their support. Zich and L mixed in with the group and fought them. As most people even in the harbor fled and found safety, the soldiers began to slowly retreat. Fortunately, they were guarding the road leading to Shootuol sturdily thanks to Hans, Snoc, and Elena¡¯s splendid performance.

    ¡°Sir Zich!¡± After slicing the monster blocking his path with Estede, Hans ran towards Zich¡¯s side.

    ¡°How is the situation?¡±

    ¡°We didn¡¯t let a single monster pass! Even the monsters climbing up the cliffs failed to trespass!¡± Hans clearly exined the current situation.

    ¡°Good. Let¡¯s keep blocking from here,¡± Zich instructed.

    ¡°Yes, sir!¡±

    With Zich and L joining them in guarding, a steel-like barrier formed, and monster corpses piled up along the roadside. The number of monsters decreased more and more. They didn¡¯t see any more strong monsters like the Kraken. Eventually, as if they had given up on their attack, the monsters began to return to the ocean one by one.

    ¡°Waaaaaaah!¡±

    ¡°We won!¡± As thest monster disappeared into the ocean, the soldiers screamed. They had managed to fend off a sudden, wide-scale monster attack; they hugged each other and let out a string of fresh curses at the ocean where the monsters disappeared. However, Zich acted differently from the soldiers; he quietly stared at the now calm and peaceful ocean and stroked Windur. It was covered in blood, and it no longer emitted out a murderous aura that it had a few moments ago. Instead, it waspletely silent. However, Zich remembered how Windur shook loudly before the monsters ambushed them.

    ¡®My dream and Windur¡¯s movements. And the sudden monster attacks¡­¡¯

    This city became even more suspicious than before.

    * * *

    After saving the people in the harbor, Zich and hispanions were treated like heroes in the city. They were given rooms that were one level more luxurious than their previous lodgings, and they were also givenpensation. Hans, Snoc, and Elena looked touched by the people who praised them.

    ¡°They¡¯re so easily touched. Shouldn¡¯t they be used to it by now?¡±

    ¡°Just leave them be. It¡¯s nice that they¡¯re so pure.¡±

    Zich and L were sitting in the same room and drinking together. L sipped the wine and ate one piece of cheese. Then she said, ¡°It¡¯s surprising that we got used to this type of reception. We really did go through a lot of amazing events.¡±

    ¡°There were times when we went looking for them as well.¡± Zich chuckled and gulped strong brandy down his throat. ¡°We also came here, and an incident happened. We really are good at finding and going to ces with a lot of trouble.¡±

    ¡°Is that something to be happy about?¡±

    ¡°Well, it¡¯s not a bad thing.¡±

    ¡°Ordinary people would definitely consider it a bad thing.¡±

    ¡°Then, let''s cheer for those of us who refuse to live like ordinary people.¡±

    L looked at Zich who had his ss pushed forward and was sure of this¡ªif he drowned in ake, only his mouth would float on the surface.

    Then L asked, ¡°So Windur shook?¡±

    ¡°Yep.¡±

    They stopped exchanging jokes and began embarking on a serious conversation.

    ¡°Before the monsters ambushed us, Windur suddenly began shaking.¡±

    ¡°Windur doesn¡¯t have the function to give a warning when monsters are about to ambush us.¡±

    ¡°Yeah. The reason why Windur shook is probably not because it was trying to warn me. But it¡¯s also difficult to say for sure that its strange movements had nothing to do with the monsters¡¯ ambush.¡±

    ¡°So you¡¯re saying that Windur shook because it sensed something that triggered the monsters¡¯ ambush?¡±

    Zich nodded. ¡°No matter how you look at it, there¡¯s definitely something in Shootuol. But I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s what we are looking for.¡±

    ¡°I really hope it¡¯s what we¡¯re looking for.¡±

    ¡°I think there¡¯s a high possibility.¡± Zich tapped Windur¡¯s hilt, which was raised next to his side. ¡°This guy is rted to Clowon, so there¡¯s a high possibility that what made Windur react today is also probably rted to Clowon.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I really hope you¡¯re right.¡±

    The two of them clinked their sses again. L asked, ¡°What are you going to do now? Are you going to walk around recklessly and try to find ces where Windur shakes?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s also one possible method, but I¡¯m going to first explore the city to see if there might be something like ancient ruins around here.¡±

    ¡°Now that you mention it, everything rted to Clowon was all part of the ruins.¡± It was the same for the tomb in Violuwin and Adrowon.

    ¡°Even if there is no information about the ruin, there might be legends or folktales that are passed down through generations. So, I¡¯m going to look around this city and find old people.¡±

    ¡°I hope we find useful information.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I feel the same way.¡±

    The two of them gulped down the alcohol in their ss in one shot.

    * * *

    Zich and hispanions began exploring the city. Since the city¡¯s security measures were not lowered yet, there weren¡¯t many people wandering around the streets; this was especially true for the elderly. However, they couldn¡¯t just go to any house and barge in to find old people, so Zich and hispanions fell into a dilemma. However, Zich easily solved this issue.

    Zich said, ¡°Connections should be used for situations like this.¡±

    The mayor easily epted his request when he requested for help. Since they were heroes who saved the city, fulfilling Zich¡¯s request was a very small matter. Zich met many elders and asked about nearby ruins or famous stories. The elders sat down and ryed the stories they knew; in a way, they looked like they were having a more fun time than Zich or hispanions. Older people loved telling stories they heard when they were young to youngsters. Like this, Zich and hispanions met many elders and listened to many stories in a span of multiple days.

    L said, ¡°There was nothing about ruins.¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡±

    It was disappointing, but it wasn¡¯t as if they obtained nothing. Most of the stories that the elders told were useless things such as educational stories or stories to prevent people from going to dangerous ces; they were all interesting but nheless meaningless stories to them.

    However, one folktale was different.

    ¡°I think there¡¯s something about the tale called ''The Cave that Eats People''.¡± L also seemed to have the same thought as Zich when she first brought up this topic.

    The folktale was about a sea cave that was a little far from the city. The cave was on the coastal cliff, and since seawater flowed through the cave, people said it was a ce that one couldn¡¯t enter without a boat. It was also said that the cave was very deep and there was a vortex inside, so even the people in Shootuol did not know the exact size and shape of the cave.

    ¡°They said it was a cave connected to Hell, so demons from Hell would crawl out nearby and capture people.¡± Just this part of the folktale was like an ordinary horror folktale; there was a high possibility that this tale was being passed down to scare away children from going into a dangerous cave.

    However, Zich and L found an interesting detail in this tale. In one part of the story, it was said that a long time ago, the subordinates of a great emperor asionally entered the sea cave to defeat the demons inside.

 Chapter 336

    <h4>Chapter 336</h4>

    Shootuol was inside a kingdom rather than an empire. Expectedly, the one who managed the country wasn¡¯t an emperor but a king. There were other legends that mentioned the head of the country, but all the stories named the major figurehead as the king; this was the only story where the title of emperor was mentioned. It was noteworthy, but of course, they couldn¡¯t be sure of this. This legend was orally passed down through mouths, and there was no way to assure its uracy. Thus, they had to make sure.

    ¡°I suppose we have to go?¡±

    ¡°Yes, we have to,¡± L and Zich said to one another.

    ¡°You said if we continue south along the cliffs, it will be there, right?¡±

    ¡°Since it''s filled with water from the ocean, we can¡¯t walk there. We have to get a boat. It probably won¡¯t be hard to rent one right now.¡±

    Many sailors died because of the monsters; there were probably plenty of ownerless boats in the harbor. Other times, people would¡¯ve lined up to buy these boats, but many were fearful of even venturing into the waters after the monsters¡¯ attacks. There were probably many more people who wanted to sell rather than buy.

    ¡°If that cave is really the ce we are looking for, what do you think it really is?¡± L asked.

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure. If the legend is urate, it will be quite an important ce. I think the rumors that say its connected to Hell were spread so that city people wouldn¡¯t enter it. Moreover, the story said that the emperor sent his subordinates to take care of the demons seems like he wanted his subordinates to retrieve to something.¡±

    ¡°Best case scenario, we might be able to get the thing that a Clowon emperor wanted to retrieve.¡±

    ¡°Maybe there¡¯s something simr to the treasures at Violuwin or Adrowon.¡±

    ¡°Aren¡¯t you hoping too much?¡±

    ¡°I am, but it¡¯s not like there¡¯s no possibility at all.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s true. Then, Zich, I will fill myself with hope like you suggested.¡±

    ¡°Hey, don¡¯t expect too much. It will only hurt if you get your hopes up and reality forces you toe crashing down.¡±

    ¡°Thank you for the warning.¡±

    The two went back and forth while joking and discussing preparations for their search inside the cave.

    * * *

    Like Zich predicted, he was able to get a boat easily at a cheap price. Even more people were hesitant to go to the ocean than he predicted. Yet, he knew the current situation wouldn¡¯tst long. Humans were forgetful creatures, and as long as they didn¡¯t feel some kind of trauma from just looking at the ocean, the shock they felt would pass away with time. Besides, since people around here centered their lives around the waters, they would have no choice but go back to the ocean to at least make a living. The city¡¯s policies, which would never give up on trade and fishing, would only elerate this movement.

    The boat Zich got was a small boat without a sail that he had to move by rowing. They didn¡¯t need arge boat since they had to go inside a cave; besides, he wouldn¡¯t have been able to handle one of a bigger size anyway. Zich and hispanions went out to the ocean with the boat. Although there were few of them, there were already some boats wandering around. Most of them belonged to merchants with a strict schedule deadline to meet. Hans and Snoc took a paddle each. They rowed ording to Zich¡¯smands, as he barked orders with his feet hanging on the bow of the boat. The two had trained their physique and could use mana, so they had no problem pushing a small boat with five people in it.

    ¡°Good. Go straight just like this!¡±

    They made their way across the coastal cliffs. With Hans and Snoc¡¯s strength, the speed of the boat was fast, and they arrived at their destination faster than expected.

    ¡°It¡¯s there.¡± Zich stared at the hole inside the cliff that was the giant cave. It was a considerablyrge cave; it was enough to fit a mansion right into the entrance. It looked like their boat would have no trouble going in. However, like they were warned, the currents were rough. Even from the entrance, rough currents were forming white foam.

    ¡°Go forward.¡± As soon as Zich said hismand, Hans and Snoc rowed the paddles. The boat went forward slowly. As they approached the cave, the currents grew rougher, and the insides of the boat became more turbulent. L approached Zich and asked, ¡°Should I just freeze everything?¡±

    ¡°No, we don¡¯t even know what¡¯s there. There¡¯s no need for you to waste your energy like that. Let¡¯s keep going forward from here.¡±

    ¡°Okay.¡±

    Just when the boat approached the entrance of the cave¡­

    Wiiing!

    There was a small ringing sound. It was audible enough for people in the surroundings to have heard it. Everyone¡¯s eyes shot towards the origin of the noise: Windur.

    ¡°¡­It seems like we havee to the right ce.¡±

    The boat went inside the cave. The dark insides of the cave seemed to be warning them.

    ¡°Elena.¡±

    ¡°Yes!¡± The person in charge of light was Elena this time. L saved her energy just in case for whatever they might encounter. Zich and Hans didn¡¯t need light, but the rest of the group could only move skillfully and make apt judgments with it. Elena quietly incanted a spell, and at the ends of her staff, a fireball the size of a person¡¯s face shot up. The existence of its bright light pushed away the swarming darkness bit by bit.

    Zich pulled out a long chain from his magic box. He brought a chain that had tied the anchor of one of the boats that sank. He disconnected the anchor from the ends of the chain and hung arge steel awl around it.

    Swing!

    The boat shook violently; it began to be swept away by the rough currents inside the cave.

    ¡°Put your oars back.¡±

    Hans and Snoc dropped their oars to the floor. The boat began to shake even more. The fireball lighting up their surroundings shook; every time Elena¡¯s body shook from the boat¡¯s rocky movements, the fireball also shook. Even though she had her knees on the floor of the boat and was supporting her body with a staff, she looked extremely unsteady.

    Zich ordered, ¡°Snoc, support Elena.¡±

    ¡°Yes, sir!¡± Snoc held up Elena¡¯s shoulder.

    Zich, Hans, and Snoc skillfully held up their bnce even as the boat shook. Considering their training so far, it would have been stranger if they lost their sense of bnce from a shake like this. On the other hand, while L¡¯s bnce was better than Elena¡¯s, she was also slightly staggering a bit. L grabbed onto Zich¡¯s shoulder and supported herself.

    Whoosh!

    Zich threw an awl with chains. The sound of chains shing against each other rang out continuously, and the chains flew straight ahead like a snake flying in the air.

    Crash!

    The awl pierced deep into the cave¡¯s wall. Zich threw another awl connected with a chain.

    Crash!

    The second awl also pierced deeply into the cave¡¯s wall. Zich firmly secured his feet on the front of the boat and pulled the chains with both hands.

    Thud!

    As the chains became taut, the ship moving arbitrarily like a leaf caught up in a turbulent flow stopped immediately. Even though the torrents continued to push the ship, the ship did not budge at all as if it was on solid rock. Zich pulled the chains, and the boat began moving forward. Even though it was ufortable to pull two chains at the same time, he persistently pulled up the chains. When the boat got closer to the awl, Zich fused mana into one of the chains.

    Bam!

    The awl stuck on the wall sted out from the mana that Zich fused through the chain, and the awl fell off. Zich retrieved the awl and pierced it into a wall deep inside the cave; he did the same for the other awl and pulled the boat again. The cave was extremely deep. There was nond to step on, and rough currents continued to flow throughout the cave. Fortunately, they saw the end of the cave when they moved a little further. However, it was not a sight they wanted to see.

    ¡°It¡¯s blocked.¡±

    ¡°Yep, it¡¯s blocked.¡±

    L and Zich both voiced their thoughts out loud when they saw a wall appear in front of them. There were no other tunnels besides the tunnel they used to go inside the cave. Since the water continued to swirl, they predicted that there might be an underwater cave. On the other hand, it wasn¡¯t as if there wasn¡¯t anynd at all for people to walk on. There was tnd attached to the wall that blocked their path.

    ¡®Do we have to start looking for an underwater cave?¡¯ Zich pondered about this. He had expected something like this to happen since he knew that some sea caves like this one were connected to an underwater cave. It was not impossible to explore an underwater cave, but it was also true that it was very cumbersome and dangerous. However, Zich did not take too long to ponder his decisions.

    Ziiing!

    Windur let out a cry as if to resolve Zich¡¯s dilemma. Zich raised Windur. Unlike before, Windur didn¡¯t stop ringing. Zich pushed Windur forward, and it rang a bit louder than before. Zich moved the boat forward, and Windur¡¯s cry grew louder and louder. The boat hit the ground and made a loud thud. Zich put his feet on the small plot ofnd attached to the wall and looked carefully at the wall as he moved. Then, he stopped moving at a certain point.

    ¡°Did you find something?¡± L asked as she stepped out of the boat with one foot.

    ¡°Yep. Something really familiar.¡± Zich raised the end of Windur vertically and made it face the front. As if to reaffirm Zich¡¯s thoughts, Windur shook even harder than before. Zich slowly pushed Windur into the gap inside the wall he just discovered. Windur smoothly slid into the gap.

    Click!

    After Windur¡¯s depletely disappeared into the wall, the sound of something interlocking inside the cave rang out loudly. Zich turned Windur.

    Clli-ckkkk!

    Zich heard the click of a device from across the wall. It was when Windur spun half a circle¡ª

    Thuuuud! A slight vibration came from the tunnel. The wall moved little by little around the ce where Windur was stuck. Holes began appearing on the wall as if rocks were being moved one by one, and before they realized it, a giant tunnel appeared in front of them.

    Elena gulped her saliva; it was her first time seeing a sight like this. However, it was different for the others. They had seen something like this a few times before. L got off the boat. She went in front of the tunnel and looked inside. Rather than a cave, deep darkness stretched on and seemed to be tempting people toe inside.

    ¡°¡­Clowon¡¯s ruin.¡± They were certain of this.

    Zich tied up Windur against his back as it became quiet again after opening the door said happily, ¡°We seemed to have struck gold.¡±

    * * *

    After putting the boat into his magic box, Zich led hispanions into the tunnel. Anyone could tell that the tunnel was man-made. The floor, walls, and ceiling were all neatly smoothed out.

    ¡°I-is this one of the Clowon ruins you told me about?¡± Elena tightly clutched her staff and looked all around her surroundings. Combined with the interesting sight and her natural curious constitution as a mage, Elena¡¯s eyes shone brightly as she surveyed her surroundings.

    Snoc replied, ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s probably the case. We went to two ruins simr to this. I told you about them before, right?¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡±

    However, there was a clear difference between hearing about something and actually seeing it. When Elena had first heard about Clowon¡¯s ruin, she had wanted to see it first-hand, and as expected, it was an extraordinary sight.

    ¡®If I tell Grandpa about this cave, he¡¯ll really like it.¡¯

    ¡°You should look aroundter. Since we don¡¯t know what might happen, it¡¯s better to stay focused.¡±

    With Snoc¡¯s warning, Elena quickly regained her focus. She nodded at Snoc and tightly clutched her staff while opening her eyes wide. L was about to warn Elena too, but she saw this and turned her head back to the front. Like this, they all walked on for who knows how long. Then, a hole that stretched deep into the ground appeared in front of them.

 Chapter 337

    <h4>Chapter 337</h4>

    The size of the hole was considerable, and it appearedrge enough for two peasant houses tofortably fit in; under this squarish entrance, never-ending darknessy beyond it.

    ¡®How deep is this ce?¡¯ Zich infused mana into his eyes and looked down. Yet, he still couldn¡¯t see the bottom of the hole. He couldn¡¯t see as well as he did in a bright space, but the hole was also unimaginably deep.

    ¡°How is it? Do you think we can go down?¡± L asked.

    ¡°There¡¯s nothing that I can see that looks dangerous. Since I can¡¯t see the end, we will have to make sure.¡± Zich took out the chains he ced inside the magic box and handed them to Hans.

    ¡°Hold onto this.¡±

    ¡°Yes, sir!¡±

    Even if he jumped down right now, Zich would probably not die with his skills; but at the same time, an unexpected danger could be waiting for him. Zich grabbed the chains tightly and pushed his body down the hole.

    Thud! He positioned his feet onto the walls and went down smoothly. For a while, the group only heard chains shing against the wall or Zich¡¯s feet kicking off. After some time passed, Zich began to see the floor.

    ¡®Is it a stone tablet?¡¯

    Broken shardsy on the ground. If he estimated the original shape and form of the tablet, the tablet was probably simr to the size of the hole.

    ¡®I think that used to be a te that brought people up and down from this hole.¡¯

    He theorized that the te was probably activated with mana, but that was simply a guess. It was Zich¡¯s first time seeing such a device. Even the master of the magical tower at Sunewick with the most proficient knowledge about mana in the world didn¡¯t use a device like this. However, if he considered Clowon, which they supposed had culture and technology superior to their current time, the existence of such a device wasn¡¯t surprising.

    As Zich went down a bit further, he used up the whole length of the chain. Yet, there was still a great distance from the floor. Thus, Zich took out another chain. Crunch!

    After driving the awl into the wall, Zich switched to a new chain and went down again. After a while, Zich was able to step on t ground.

    ¡®There aren¡¯t any other dangers.¡¯

    Although he had expected traps shooting out fireballs or casting down lightning against trespassers, it seemed like this hole was simply a passageway that connected the top to the bottom. Zich took out a wooden block from the magic box and made a torch. It wasn¡¯t to light up the area but to send a signal to hispanions. In case they failed to see one, he lit up about a dozen torches. Not long after he sent this signal, L and the rest of hispanions slowly descended the hole with her magic.

    After erasing her magic, L said in surprise, ¡°It¡¯s really deep.¡±

    ¡°Isn¡¯t this deep enough to be below the ocean?¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s a high possibility.¡±

    A ruin under the ocean¡ªat the sound of such a mystical ce, everyone gulped. They couldn¡¯t believe that this ce could be below the endless, deep blue ocean. Yet, Zich didn¡¯t seem excited as heined about the stuffy, damp basement. Meanwhile, L crouched over the broken rock pieces on the ground and turned them over. Their smooth surfaces clearly indicated that they were created by human hands. Zich approached her from behind and said, ¡°I think it was a te used to transport people up and down the hole. Don¡¯t you think so too?¡±

    ¡°I think so too.¡± L showed him the surface of one of the broken rock pieces and exposed its rough sides. With his good eyesight, Zich easily caught the small hole on the surface.

    ¡°These are probably traces of a magic circle, which means this stone te was a giant artifact.¡±

    ¡°They made an artifact with a s-stone?¡± Elena was beyond surprised, stunned really. As someone who carefully studied artifacts to prepare funds for her magic studies, she knew exactly how unbelievable making an artifact with an ingredient like stone was. Creating an artifact with steel was a skill surprising enough to make mages¡¯ eyes pop out open, andmon stone was even more surprising.

    ¡°Look at this. It¡¯s a trace of a magic circle.¡± L showed Elena the surface of a stone. Elena stared hard at the surface.

    ¡°¡­It really is a magic circle.¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s study thister.¡±

    ¡°Yes!¡± L stuffed all the stone pieces into her box, and Elena eagerly helped until there was not a piece left. After waiting patiently for them to finish, Zich asked, ¡°Are you guys done?¡±

    ¡°Yes, thank you for waiting.¡±

    ¡°Okay, then, let¡¯s continue moving.¡±

    The area under the hole was quite spacious. The smooth walls and ceiling also indicated that the ce around them was artificially created. In front of the side where the te used to be, there was a giant hole. Its square-shaped entrance seemed to suggest that there used to be a door attached to it. The party left the hole. With the fireball Elena made, the surrounding darkness receded, and a new scene came into view.

    ¡°Wow!¡± Elena eximed in admiration. A giant city located deep underneath the basement reflected in her eyes. Buildings made from stacked bricks stood side by side in a grid pattern, indicating that this city had been carefully nned. Other members of the party couldn¡¯t hide their admiration. Although they had seen a sight like this before, this city also had its own charm. Zich went inside the closest building. Perhaps, the previous residents of this ce had taken out all the household items or they had all turned to dust from the long period of time, but its insides were all empty.

    Zich went inside several houses like this and looked around. All the houses had the same structure.

    ¡®It¡¯s not an ordinary city.¡¯

    This ce went beyond an ordinary nned city. It wouldn¡¯t have been strange if one area had the same houses, but other than a few exceptions, all the buildings had the same shape.

    L also seemed to have simr thoughts as Zich. ¡°The buildings are all uniform. It¡¯s not an ordinary city. Do you think these buildings are part of a camp or a dormitory?¡±

    ¡°It seems more like a dormitory. They wouldn¡¯t have built camps this nice.¡±

    The buildings were small, but they were too nice to be camps for a temporary stay. They were also sufficient for one or two people to live inside.

    ¡°Sir, this building is big.¡± Hans looked up at a new building that appeared in front of them. Unique andrge buildings sometimes appeared in front of them amidst all the other buildings that looked the same.

    ¡°All the buildings that look the same were probably residential houses, and these buildings were probably used for a different purpose. Like for convenience or entertainment facilities.¡±

    Hans nodded and epted Zich¡¯s exnation. They went inside therge building, but there was also nothing much inside; they merely found broken ss pieces and metal ornaments. Zich¡¯s group looked around about one-fourth of the city area. Zich and L became more certain that this city was probably a type of dormitory for people to gather together for some kind of purpose and live together.

    L asked Zich, ¡°I wonder, what was their purpose in building a dormitory of this size?¡±

    ¡°I have no idea, but if we move further down, won¡¯t we find something?¡±

    A goal that was important enough to build a secret city like this underground¡ªit really piqued one¡¯s interest. However, the city seemed to have no intention of easily revealing its secret.

    ¡°Get ready.¡± As soon as Zich said this, hispanions¡¯ mood changed.

    L raised her staff, and Hans pulled out Estede. Snoc scattered mithril on the ground, and Elena tightly clutched onto her staff. Zich also pulled out Windur. From the darkness that Elena¡¯s fire did not reach, something slowly moved towards Zich and hispanions.

    ¡°That is¡­!¡± L was surprised; she had seen them before. ¡®They¡¯re the monsters that recently infiltrated my room.¡¯

    A terrifying monster made out of liquid with a humanoid form with two empty holes for eyes. These monsters wereing closer to them in groups.

    ¡®As expected, I can¡¯t sense their presence.¡¯ Zich frowned; since he couldn¡¯t sense their presence, he only found out about them when they revealed themselves. Did they simply have a very high ability to erase their presence? Or were they strong enough for Zich to be unable to sense even their slightest presence?

    ¡®When I fought them before, they didn¡¯t seem particrly strong to me.¡¯ Zich did not ponder long about this, and he could easily find answers by facing them head-on. ¡®But it¡¯s at least certain that someone or some being targeting L is here.¡¯ Zich didn¡¯t know who it was, but he needed to punch them a few times and make them vomit out their n.

    Swish! Swish! The monsters began changing form as they reached Zich and hispanions. Their hands and arms that imitated humans began wriggling and changed into new shapes. Some of their arms changed into knives, some changed into spears, and some changed into scythes. Other than these three shapes, many other weapons appeared in view.

    ¡°It¡¯s going to be fun.¡± Zich pushed Windur forward and made preparations to attack in an instant.

    L took care of Elena. ¡°You can do double incantations, right?¡±

    Elena had been learning double incantations recently. As mentioned before, Elena was talented enough to be part of Glen Zenard¡¯s team and was deeply involved with Zich¡¯s death before his regression. Moreover, after meeting an outstanding teacher like L, Elena¡¯s skills had already improved to a level where she could perform double incantations. Even though it was definitely difficult to maintain a fireball to light up their area and cast another spell, Elena looked quite confident.

    Elena confidently replied, ¡°Yes!¡±

    ¡°Good. Maintainposure regardless of what happens. It¡¯ll be easier to use magic that way.¡±

    Elena raised her staff and firmly replied, ¡°I will keep that in mind!¡±

    L nodded at her disciple¡¯s confident answer and pointed her staff at their enemies. Her expression turned menacing; the caring expression she used as she kindly advised Elena waspletely gone. L¡¯s fury was understandable since she almost died from one of the monsters that looked like them. Ideas churned in her brain to decide which spell to use.

    ¡®Well, electricity is the best against water.¡¯ However, since they were entirely made up of water and moved around in liquid form, they might not receive much damage even after an electric shock.

    ¡®Judging by their appearance, they¡¯re probably strong against water and fire attacks.¡¯ However, that could also be a trap. They were mysterious, unknown monsters. Fire and water elements could be their weakness instead.

    ¡®What I am even wondering about?¡¯ Lightning and mes swirled around in a frenzy from L¡¯s staff. ¡®I just need to test them all out!¡¯

    Crassssh!

    Lightning and fire flew out of L¡¯s staff in two opposite directions. With a thunderous sound, the lightning electrified monsters in one area, and the fireballs that burned across the darkness embraced the monsters and exploded in another area. L quietly observed the results.

    ¡®Lightning doesn¡¯t work.¡¯ The monsters that were electrified didn¡¯t see to receive much damage. ¡®Surprisingly, fire is effective.¡¯

    Fire magic evaporated the water, and when the monster lost more than a certain proportion of their body, they lost shape and returned to normal water. L continued to use many different elemental magic attacks, and she was able toe to her final conclusion.

    ¡®Fire is most effective.¡¯

    This was fortunate. Elena was most confident about using fire magic, so she could also y arge role in this fight.

    ¡®Even though she tries to not show it, she felt concerned about not being of much help.¡¯

    L nodded as she saw a couple of monsters turn back into water puddles from Elena¡¯s fireballs. However, even if L and Elena were decreasing the number of monsters from far away, there were many more monsters. They persistently approached Zich''s group. Zich swung Windur at the monster that appeared in front of him.

 Chapter 338

    <h4>Chapter 338</h4>

    Windur collided with the monster¡¯s scythe. As if it had increased the water pressure making up the scythe, it managed to block Windur. Zich flung Windur one more time, and the monster blocked it with its scythe again. Yet, the scythe¡¯s movements began to fall behind Windur¡¯s speed.

    Slice!

    Eventually, Windur cut off the monster¡¯s arm. As it lost its mode of attack, the monster tried to rush towards Zich with its body. Yet, before that, Windur sliced off the monster¡¯s neck.

    Slice!

    The monster returned to the waters.

    ¡®It¡¯s not difficult to deal with.¡¯ It was at a level where Hans and Snoc could handle it without difficulty. Yet, Zich was half-right.

    Sparkle! Estede sliced the monster¡¯s head while glistening. The monster changed into ordinary water and soaked the ground. That was what Zich predicted would happen, but that didn¡¯t happen with Snoc.

    ¡°Huh, what? Why is it doing this?¡±

    Kooooo!

    At Snoc¡¯s screams, Zich turned around. With mithril floating freely in the air, Snoc struck the monsters. With a great amount of them and mithril¡¯s characteristically hard texture, his attacks hit them in critical ces. Yet, there wasn¡¯t a single monster that Snoc managed to defeat.

    ¡°T-This!¡± Infuriated, Snoc continued to move the mithril. Some of the monsters flicked the pieces away with the arms they had transformed into weapons; although some attacks managed tond on their bodies due to Snoc¡¯s unrelenting attacks, mithril simply passed through their heads and bodies. They didn¡¯t receive even the slightest damage.

    ¡°Snoc!¡±

    ¡°Yes, Sir Zich!¡±

    ¡°You should just protect L and Elena!¡±

    ¡°Y-Yes!¡± Snoc immediately slumped down as if he thought he wouldn¡¯t be any help. Nowem sat on top of his shoulders and also hung his head low. However, Snoc executed Zich''smands thoroughly. Mithril gathered near L and Elena and slowly circled around them. The two could focus on incanting spell with a bit more peace of mind.

    Zich cut down three monsters at once, and they turned into water instantly. ¡®So, Hans can kill them, but it¡¯s impossible for Snoc¡­¡¯

    The monsters were not only physically strong but strong against magic. L and Elena could only fight the monsters currently by vaporizing the water that made up their bodies. Other types of magic didn¡¯t work well against them. Considering that, it didn¡¯t seem strange that Snoc¡¯s attacks didn¡¯t work on them. Zich and Hans were simply special, and he could easily guess the reason why.

    ¡®It¡¯s because of Windur and Estede.¡¯

    It was clear that the two special swords inflicted damage on the monsters.

    Ssh! Ssh! Water burst out of the monster¡¯s mouth, and a strong gush with high water pressure shot at Zich and hispanions. Snoc sharply guarded the area, and he responded to the attack by moving mithril.

    Pop!

    The water streams failed to pierce the barrier formed by several mithril clumps. They lost their power, flowed on top of the mithril, and fell below. Then, L¡¯srge fire sparks passed by Snoc.

    aaaaash!

    Fireballs fell on the monsters as they shot out strong gushes of water. The monsters¡¯ bodies boiled and a considerable portion of their bodies evaporated.

    Ssh!

    They lost their form and water sshed onto the ground. Even the water on the ground let out seething, white steam. Like that, the monsters began to fall one by one. Even while theirpanions died, they vigorously attacked to no avail against the mighty teamwork and power of Zich¡¯s party.

    Slice!

    With Zich¡¯s swing, thest monster turned into a burst of water and copsed to the ground. That was the end. Only the soaked, surrounding ground indicated that monsters had once existed there. Nowem jumped down from Snoc¡¯s shoulder. He sniffed on the water that wet the floor; it seemed like he was curious about the water that had made up the monsters.

    ¡°You can¡¯t drink it, Nowem!¡± Snoc yelled out in worry that Nowem would drink the dirty water on the ground.

    ¡°Did you find out anything?¡± L walked to Zich¡¯s side. ¡°After finishing off so many of them, I would think you found out something.¡±

    ¡°Not exactly, but there are two things thate to mind.¡±

    ¡°Me too.¡±

    Then, they both said as they looked at each other, ¡°The shadows and the me troopers.¡± The shadows that ambushed them at Violuwin¡¯s ruins and the me troopers that the Iron n controlled in the Great Adrowon Forest were made up of fire and shadow. Now, their current opponents were created out of water; although the elements that made up these monsters werepletely different, the form they took and the attacks they let out were remarkably simr.

    Lmented, ¡°If our guess is right, the principle of creation for this one is probably simr to the two previous ones.¡±

    ¡°You mean, the tree, right?¡± They saw a tree in Violuwin¡¯s ruins and another one in the Great Adrowon Forest. If there was another tree in this ce, it would be the third tree.

    ¡°It¡¯s getting clearer and clearer that this ce is part of Clowon¡¯s ruins.¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡± As they became certain that this ce was the ce they had been looking for, L¡¯s mood brightened up.

    ¡°I suppose this tree¡¯s element is water.¡±

    ¡°Considering the guys that attacked us, it seems so,¡± Zich replied while looking at the water left on the floor.

    ¡°And there must be a guy using the tree.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s highly possible.¡± Although they couldn¡¯tpletely erase the existence of an automatic system that attacked trespassers like the one at Violuwin, they thought it was unlikely since monsters wouldn¡¯t have evene out of the ruins to kill L.

    ¡°What kind of guy would our opponent be?¡± Including the anger she felt towards her enemy, she also felt curiosity. She wanted to know the reason why they were trying to kill her.

    ¡°Well, we¡¯ll find that out if we continue to go down here.¡±

    However, they had no intention of rushing. Their opponents¡¯ abilities were still mysterious, and they didn¡¯t know if the opponent could only move the monsters or possess an ability far greater than that.

    ¡®I should try to keep my fitness in peak condition.¡¯

    Fortunately, their surroundings were a good ce to stay; there was no guarantee that there would be a better ce for them to rest in the future. Zich decided to rest here and recover their strength. At Zich¡¯s order, hispanions began getting ready to rest. They started a fire, took out nkets, and busily moved around. However, even Zich didn¡¯t realize that there was a presence watching them from a far distance.

    * * *

    L opened her eyes. She couldn¡¯t see anything. The damp darkness seemed to squeeze her body and send chills down her spine. L quickly lit up a fire and lifted it up, but she couldn¡¯t see any light. Her magic hadn¡¯t failed. She continuously felt her mana getting sucked up, and she definitely felt that sensation when she sessfullypleted her spell. However, she didn¡¯t see a red light or even feel the fire¡¯s warmth. It was as if the darkness covering her surroundings was eating up all her magic.

    L was struck with fear. She tried to find herpanions asleep next to her. However, she couldn¡¯t see anyone at all. She couldn¡¯t see Elena, who had fallen asleep right next to her, or Zich, Hans, and Snoc. They all had made their beds in close proximity. No, L wasn¡¯t even sure if the ce she was currently in was the underground city that they had fallen asleep in. When she looked down, she couldn¡¯t see the floor¡ªno, in this space, something like a floor did not exist. L frantically moved around, but she couldn¡¯t feel anything. She just felt the unpleasant feeling of floating even more clearly.

    At this point, L¡¯s sense of fear increased. She moved her mouth; she circted the mana inside her body and gathered it to her fingertips. She couldn¡¯t see or use the staff she ced next to her so it was more difficult to use mana than usual. Yet, in the first ce, L had spent a longer time not using a staff. Of course, this was only considering the time she remembered. However, the important part was that L was extremely strong, even without a staff.

    L was able to quickly finish casting her spell, but she grimaced. The magic she was preparing right now was lightning magic. Normally, unique light from a lightning spell and a rumbling sound should have stirred the surroundings. However, L couldn¡¯t see or hear anything. It would have been more understandable if L sensed that her magic was being nullified, but she didn¡¯t feel any such sensations.

    L finished her incantation. She shot out her magic without hesitation. Lightning with a huge amount of mana flew from her hand.

    It was pointless. The lightning failed to rip apart the darkness. Instead, it was covered and consumed by it. L shot out all kinds of spells, but they were all useless. She tried to swing her fists while desperately moving around, but there was no change. There was just endless darkness. L was unable to calm her rough breathing, and while frantically looking around her surroundings, she suddenly saw something.

    L¡¯s gaze shifted towards something that suddenly appeared from inside the darkness¡ªshe was happy to see something new, but it did not take long for her face to stiffen. She thought that it might be Zich or a differentpanion. However, the new being that appeared was not one of herpanions.

    It was an eye. There was no other way to describe it. A ck circle was embedded in a round and white sphere as if it was a pupil. There were thin red lines intricately intertwined around the circle. A bloodshot eyeball¡ªthat was what it was. L staggered back. Another eye appeared next to the first eye. Then another appeared. Then another, and another. L freaked out at the enormous number of eyes that appeared in front of her, and the eyeballs continuously increased in number. As if to surround her, they appeared on both sides of her as well as the top, below, and behind of her. Regardless of where they appeared, all the eyes directly looked at her. L subconsciously prepared a spell at this chilling sight.

    In the only spot where the eyeballs had not encroached, a new eyeball appeared. This eyeball was gigantic. It looked big as an average-sized mountain. L stumbled back at its enormous presence. L and the eyeball met each other¡¯s gaze. It was an existence that had no mouth or face¡ªjust a single, enormous eyeball. However, L felt as if it wasughing at her. Darkly and viciously.

    * * *

    ¡°Hey, L!¡± A familiar voice struck her ears. L opened her eyes.

    ¡°You¡¯re finally awake. Are you all right?¡± Zich waved his hand in front of L¡¯s eyes. Her eyes followed his movements.

    She could see. The darkness that had covered her surroundings and the eyeballs were all gone. L quickly got up and looked around. She saw a panoramic view of the underground city where they had fallen asleep.

    ¡°Did you have a nightmare? You¡¯repletely drenched in sweat.¡±

    At Zich¡¯s words, L put her hand on her forehead. She felt her hands covered in sweat. Her clothes also felt damp. However, she felt extremely happy about this sensation and her sight. The fear she felt in the empty darkness still felt vivid to her.

    ¡°Are you really all right?¡± Zich seemed to have thought that L¡¯s condition was extremely serious, since he asked with noticeable gravity in his tone.

    L nodded her head. ¡°I¡¯m all right. Don¡¯t worry. I just had a nightmare.¡± Yes, it really was just a nightmare; it needed to be.

    ¡°What kind of nightmare did you have that makes you look like you went through hell?¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡± L answered with little energy, ¡°I wonder what that was?¡±

 Chapter 339

    <h4>Chapter 339</h4>

    After recovering their stamina, Zich and hispanions began to move again. They found a passageway at the end of the area they were in, and there was a rectangr entrance identical to the one they had used to enter. Zich decided to use the same method as before. He took out iron chains and handed them to Hans. However, he didn¡¯t go down immediately, and he looked at L.

    ¡°Will you really be alright?¡±

    After wiping off her sweat, she looked fine, just a bit tired, but Zich couldn¡¯t help but worry about her.

    ¡°We can rest some more before we leave. We can even return to the city for a bit ande back.¡±

    L shook her head. ¡°No, there¡¯s no need for that. I am just a bit tired. It¡¯s not like my condition is ruined. I can still respond to unexpected situations.¡±

    ¡°Well, I know you have good judgment, so I don¡¯t need to say more. Let me just ask you one more time. Are you really fine?¡±

    ¡°You are not acting like your old selfpletely opposite of Moore.¡±

    ¡°The current me is myself anyways. I quite cared for mypanions too even back then.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s true.¡±

    As they exchanged words that Hans, Snoc, and Elena couldn¡¯t understand, the two smirked.

    ¡°I am really fine. I have no intention to stop the investigation. I¡¯m actually more curious about the space below us now.¡±

    ¡°Do you think there¡¯s something rted to your dream there?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯spletely possible.¡±

    ¡°I guess so.¡±

    Zich and L stared down at the hole. Like an entrance to Hell that tempted lost vagabonds, its sullen mouth was wide open.

    * * *

    Like before, Zich grabbed the chains and went down the hole. The depth of this hole was like the previous one, but there were also some differences. Ayer made up of metal appeared on the side of the wall. It was almost as thick as a forearm, and it appeared to have been made by sticking a wide metal sheetl against the wall. There were metal tes nailed onto opposing walls, grooves burrowed into the others, and it looked as if the metal tes were pulled out to block the grooves.

    ¡®Is it a bulkhead?¡¯ Zich guessed that the area had been created so that if something unexpected happened underneath the hole, it wouldn¡¯t affect the outside too. He ced his finger on the metal te and felt its cold and hard surface. A trace of mana glided across the ends of his fingertips.

    ¡®Adamantium.¡¯ It was metal superior to mithril in durability, manapatibility, and cost. ¡®It¡¯s not even mixed but pure adamantium.¡¯

    A block of pure adamantium even surprised Zich. Furthermore, there wasn¡¯t just one. Zich went down a bit more and saw another te of adamantium. When he went down further, he saw another te. The adamantium tes were driven continuously down in a row with a slight space between each of them.

    ¡®How many bulkheads did they install?¡¯ He wondered what kind of facility existed below him for this many bulkheads to exist. Zich heightened his guard, thinking more dangers awaited underneath.

    Thud! Zichnded on the ground. There was a smashed te in this area too, and like he didst time, he took out many torches and swung them. Not long afterward, L and the otherpanions came down.

    ¡°Did you see the things attached to the walls?¡± L asked.

    ¡°I did.¡±

    ¡°It was adamantium, right?¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡±

    Hans, Snoc, and Elena were surprised to hear this; Elena was especially shocked beyond her wits. Not only did sheck more basic knowledge than the others since she was new to the group, but it was also still difficult for her to ept situations that kept defyingmon logic. The three stared up at the endless hole above them. Metal alloy, which held value beyond their imagination, were stuck on all sides and in rows. L also looked up.

    ¡°Should I collect them?¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s leave them alone right now. We might have a need for them.¡± Zich was mentioning a situation where they would need to activate the bulkheads.

    ¡°To activate them, we would need mana¡ªa processed type that can move those tes.¡±

    ¡°An activation device could exist somewhere here. I mean, it¡¯s a relic with an unknown origin.¡±

    ¡°I suppose so,¡± L agreed with Zich¡¯s suggestion.

    ¡°Moreover, we have a guy with us who can forcefully close the bulkheads if we need to.¡±

    ¡°Oh yeah, that¡¯s right.¡±

    Zich and L turned to Snoc, and Snoc flinched at the unexpected attention. Like the space under the previous hole, this one was connected to arge room. There was also a wide-open entrance on the opposing side. However, the outside of the room was different from the underground city. Unlike the upper floor where buildings made up a city in arge open space, this entrance was simply connected to a passageway. The passageway wasrge and stretched forward in a straight line; unbefitting of a passageway underground, it looked almost clear and refreshing, and on both sides from the main tunnel, two smaller tunnels stretched out.

    Zich chose the tunnel on the left side and led hispanions there. The tunnel was quite long, and they could also find a couple of adamantium bulkheads in there too. Just by observing all the adamantium they found there, they could assess the power and wealth of the force that created this ruin. It was clear that even a powerful country from their current world wouldn¡¯t be able to contest the organization that created this ruin, at least in terms of wealth. The tunnel was connected to a room, and a wide spacious area greeted them. Like the other rooms, this room was alsopletely empty except for some ss shards and metal goods with unknown uses. L showed interest in the metal goods.

    ¡°It¡¯s mithril.¡±

    ¡°Precious metals just roll around in this ce,¡± Zich exhaled like he was grumbling. The party left the room and went into another tunnel. Although there were a considerable number of tunnels, the structure was very simple, so they didn¡¯t have to worry about getting lost. The rest of the tunnels also led to more rooms. There were rooms where a mysterious,rge magic circle covered an entire wall, ones where broken ss pirs filled up the space, and another one where a pile of unprocessed metals stood. Furthermore, in all the passageways connected to a wall, a bulkhead made out of adamantium existed. After entering many rooms, Zich thought he wouldn¡¯t be able to gain a clue in any more rooms and entered the widest and biggest passageway.

    ¡®This is probably the main road.¡¯ Most importantly, there was a high chance they would meet their main opponent there. At a certain point in time, small tunnels on both sides disappeared; only the middle route remained and stretched out to the front. When the small passages on both sides disappeared, the main tunnel gently sloped downwards. When they reached the end of the tunnel, all of them had to stretch their necks backward to look up.

    Arge door appeared in front of them. The door had intricate statues etched onto it, and anyone could tell that there was something important behind it. L gulped her saliva. There might be something rted to her behind this door.

    ¡°I¡¯m going to open it.¡± Zich put both hands on the door. He put a lot of strength into his hands and pushed the door open.

    Grrrrrng! The heavy door was slowly pushed back and vomited out a low cry. The door slowly creaked open, and from the increasing gap, they were able to see what was behind the door. When the gap became big enough for two people to squeeze through, Zich withdrew his hands. Then, he moved inside. The otherpanions also followed him behind.

    ¡°It¡¯s as expected,¡± Zich murmured to himself as he saw something enormous in front of them.

    L stood next to him. ¡°It¡¯s a tree.¡±

    ¡°Yep, a tree.¡±

    As they expected, a gigantic tree was in front of them. They were now in a space that was in the form of a half-dome, as if a round sphere had been perfectly bisected. The wall was made out of huge square-cut stones, and water fell like a waterfall from the semicircr holes in the upper part of the wall. The water collected on the ground to form a blueke, and two-thirds of the space was taken up by a blueke. In the center of theke, there was arge ind.

    The tree was nted on the ind. It was so enormous that the roots that came out on the surface were the size of a normal tree. However, the most unique part of the tree was not itsrge size.

    L stared at the branches of the tree. ¡°As expected, it¡¯s water.¡±

    Instead of green leaves, blue water droplets hung from the branches of the tree. Zich and L¡¯s prediction that there would be a tree with water elements in this ruin was correct.

    ¡°Look, Zich! As we expected, it¡¯s right here!¡± L grabbed Zich¡¯s sleeve and waved it around. However, Zich didn¡¯t match L¡¯s enthusiasm. There was a more important matter.

    ¡°Yeah. I think we also found the bastard who wanted to kill you.¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    Zich pointed his finger at a specific ce. He pointed towards the base of the tree where huge roots were exposed.

    ¡°¡­What is that?¡± L narrowed her eyes and stared at the ce Zich pointed to. ¡°Is that a per¡­son?¡±

    The being looked like a woman with long hair, but Zich shook his head. ¡°If we consider that as a person, we¡¯ll also have to treat goblins and orcs as humans. If we¡¯re being nice, maybe we can say that it¡¯s a mermaid or siren.¡±

    The being¡¯s top part was a human¡ªand quite a beautiful woman at that, but the lower part waspletely different. Nauseating-looking clumps of meat wriggled from the bottom part of its waist.

    ¡°Now that I look at it, there¡¯s no way that¡¯s a mermaid or siren. It¡¯s something much more strange.¡±

    Yet, that was not the important part. The problem was that the creature was attached to the tree roots as if its lower body was sucking out nutrients from the tree like a parasite. Since Zich was familiar with the tree¡¯s power, this sight did not seem like a very good omen.

    ¡ªFufufu! Your words are too harsh.

    An unfamiliar voice rang through the space they were in. The monster attached to the tree opened its mouth. Even though they were far away from the tree, they had no difficulty hearing its voice.

    ¡°Is that so? I thought it was quite an appropriateparison.¡± Even while responding naturally, Zich slightly put more strength into the hand holding Windur.

    ¡ªDo you really think so? If that¡¯s what you¡¯re really thinking, I will be extremely sad, Your Imperial Majesty.

    ¡°What?¡±

    Zich halted even though he had nned to to mockingly reply at whatever words it said. He hadn¡¯t expected the creature to address him this way at all.

    ¡°Your Imperial Majesty?¡± It was a title used to address an emperor. Since there was not even a trace of respect in its tone, he was sure that it was mocking him, but it didn¡¯t seem like the creature was mocking him as an emperor for no reason.

    ¡ªYes, Your Imperial Majesty. Is there something wrong? You even brought the Crown Prince along.

    ¡°¡­Me?¡± Hans stood behind Zich and pointed at himself in shock.

    It was bizarre that the creature addressed him as a Crown Prince when he used to be a servant working for the Count before he became Zich¡¯s disciple. However, the creature¡¯s attention had already moved away from Hans.

    ¡°And¡­¡± The creature looked at L. At that moment, L swallowed her breath. She immediately recalled the enormous eye she saw in her dream. The creature¡¯s gaze looked shockingly simr to the gaze that the eyeball had looked at her with.

    ¡°You¡¯ve also arrived, Princess. No, would it be better for me to call you Goddess?¡±

    At that moment, Zich felt something. It wasn¡¯t that their faces were simr. That creature¡¯s face was also extremely beautiful, but it couldn¡¯t bepared with L¡¯s. But why? Why did he gain a strong feeling that this being was simr to L?

 Chapter 340

    <h4>Chapter 340</h4>

    Zich looked at the creature more carefully. Hepared every aspect of its face¡ªeyes, nose, lips, and even its eyebrows and jaws¡ªwith L¡¯s. They weren¡¯t very alike, but he still got the feeling that they were simr.

    ¡°A princess and a goddess? I know L is beautiful enough to be called those words, but isn¡¯t your ttery too much? Or do you have another reason for addressing her that way?¡±

    Zich stared at L exaggeratedly again, and then he turned to Hans this time.

    ¡°You also called this guy a crown prince.¡± Zich turned his eyes forward again and pointed at himself with his thumb. ¡°And you called me an emperor. Are you saying that Hans and L are my kids or something? In fact, I don¡¯t have any children or even a wife.¡±

    ¡ªI don¡¯t know the rtionship between you three. I simply spoke with the knowledge I had.

    ¡°That makes me curious. What is this knowledge you are talking about?¡±

    ¡ªI¡¯m not sure. What do you think it is?¡±

    The creature smiled. It was an irritating smile that didn¡¯t show even a sprinkle of courtesy.

    ¡°Is your headcking or did you not understand my question? Ah, actually, did you not understand my question because your head iscking?¡± At Zich¡¯s sarcastic remarks, the creature¡¯s snide smile disappeared. ¡°I thought you were quite the sarcastic fellow, seeing how you pretended to pay your respects to me as an emperor, but your face changed at the slightest provocation. I suppose you don¡¯t know the joy of bantering.¡±

    Everyone staring at the creature with their guard up looked at Zich¡¯s face in unison. By joy of bantering, they knew Zich was talking about fooling his enemies and tormenting them. At this, Zich said, ¡°It seems even mypanions don¡¯t understand this art. How pitiful.¡± Then, he shrugged, ¡°That¡¯s another matter¡ªdo you have any thoughts on sharing some of this knowledge with us? Ah, do you need some kind ofmand? Then, as the Emperor, Imand you to spit out all the knowledge in your head this instance.¡±

    The creature¡¯s face was distorted.

    ¡°Is the Emperor¡¯smand not good enough? Do you need the Crown Prince¡¯smand too?¡± Zich grabbed Hans by the shoulders and pushed him forward. With a stunned expression on his face, Hans couldn¡¯t resist Zich¡¯s push and came forward.

    ¡°We also have a princess with us. Ah, actually, you called her a goddess. Then, does L have the strongest voice among us?¡± Zich also ced his hand on L¡¯s shoulders, but she pped his hand away. Zich shook his hand as if she hurt him.

    ¡°Tell us who you heed to. It¡¯s not a hard task to issue amand to you, especially when you beg so earnestly for your envement.¡±

    ¡ª¡­I was just ying around with you a bit, but you¡¯ve forgotten your sense of worth and bber!

    Its voice was harsh now, and its lower body squirmed. It wasn¡¯t a pleasant sight to see a grotesque lump of meat move.

    ¡°Haha, is that your true personality? Your disgusting personality matches your appearance.¡± Zich fixed his grip on Windur so that he was prepared to enter battle at any moment. However, he didn''t intend to attack immediately. Not only was he unaware of his opponent¡¯s abilities, but he also needed to extract information by talking. There were many methods, but Zich decided to use a more direct method.

    ¡°However, the really weird thing is¡ªwhy do I get a simr feeling from you as I do with L?¡± Zich asked the question in his mind as it was. His question had an effect. He felt L look at him in surprise, but he didn¡¯t turn back and stared at the creature piercingly.

    The creature¡¯s face distorted even more harshly. It was responding especially aggressively to the statement that it gave off a simr feeling as L.

    ¡®It¡¯s clear that guy is aiming for L.¡¯ At that moment, Zich saw something strange. The creature wasn¡¯t wearing clothes and its upper body was exposed. The bare skin on disy on its left arm twitched for a moment. It didn¡¯t seem like it had moved it consciously, nor was it a muscle spasm. It almost seemed like that area of the arm had its own mind and moved ording to its own will.

    Blink!

    It was an extremely slight change, but Zich could see it clearly. A tiny eye pierced through the skin and popped out. The surrounding fat nketed it instantly, but Zich clearly saw an eyeball.

    ¡®Is that perhaps¡­!¡± He had seen something simr before. ¡®Those clumps of meat that we saw at theboratory in the ruins!¡¯ It was a monster that was literally made up of mixed and mashed humans; they stuck onto the floor, walls, and ceilings.

    ¡®That clump of meat also loathed L.¡¯ Zich wondered if the creature in front of him was a simr kind of monster. ¡®Is that theplete form of the clumps of meat?¡¯ If that was the case, the situation would be more bothersome. He recalled the intense disy of magic the clumps of meat had showcased.

    ¡®It would be na?ve to think that¡­wouldn¡¯t have a simr magic ability.¡¯

    ¡ªI am¡­simr? To that woman?

    The thing murmured. Although its pronunciation was off, he could still hear its voice clearly. Its eyes shed open, and the snide smile it had at the beginning of their meeting disappeared without a trace. It wiggled its bottom widely. The blood vessels or what could also be nerves popped irregrly on its pink skin erged.

    Rumble! The space shook. The water droplets hanging on the tree dropped one by one. The droplets on the surface of the earth gathered and wiggled like slime and transformed into human shape. They were the monsters that Zich and hispanions had fought.

    ¡®I see. That¡¯s how they are made.¡¯

    The monsters dipped their feet into theke. In an instant, the monster¡¯s bodies disappeared into theke like they were getting blown away. Simultaneously, monsters shot out from the nearestkeshore to Zich and hispanions.

    ¡®It seems like they can pretty much teleport inside the water.¡¯

    Monsters began to overfill thekeshore, each holding individual weapons.

    ¡ªI thought of letting the rest of you go if you give me the woman, but I changed my mind. If you want to die that much, I will let you.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t say that to anger you though.¡± Although it was unbelievable, Zich had really said the creature was simr to L simply to see its reaction. However, there was no way Zich¡¯s exnation would get through the creature anymore.

    ¡ªYeah. Now that I think about it, it¡¯s strange. I was in a good mood, so I made some wrong judgments. Why should I leave Clowon¡¯s remnants alone?

    The creature no longer listened to Zich¡¯s words; it merely murmured by itself as if it was insane.

    ¡ªThe Clowon Emperor¡¯s sword! The Crown Prince¡¯s Sword! And the backup system Core! I should destroy everything!

    Crasssssh! Theke shook and strong waves appeared. The water rose like a tsunami and hit thend where Zich and hispanions stood.

    ¡®The location is not good.¡¯

    Anyone could see that their opponent¡¯s specialty was water. Thus, in a location full of water, they would obviously be at a disadvantage. Zich thought about retreating for a bit and nced back, but he saw the door shut close by itself.

    ¡ªDo you think I¡¯ll let you escape!

    ¡°What annoyingly keen senses!¡± Zich jumped forward and swung Windur at the monsters closest to them. The monsters that were struck by Windur lost shape.

    However, there were a lot more monsters that came up from theke¡¯s surface than the number of monsters Zich defeated. The tree continued to form and drop water droplets from its branches.

    ¡®Attrition warfare like this is unfavorable for us!¡¯

    He needed to directly kill that creature. ¡°L! Ice!¡±

    L understood Zich¡¯s words and immediately raised her staff and began an incantation. White frost appeared on top of her staff. The creature¡¯s attack officially began as theke approached them. Zich fused mana into Windur and scattered his mana out from the front.

    Crash! The water that looked as if it was about topletely sweep them shattered and bounced back. It was an enormous amount of force. However, even though they escaped being swept by theke, the danger wasn¡¯t over yet.

    Swish! Swish!

    From the puddle of water on the ground, a monster sprouted out. At the same time, an enormous whirlwind came out of theke.

    Crassssh!

    The whirlwind bent its back and came sweeping over Zich and hispanions.

    ¡°Snoc!¡±

    At Zich¡¯s order, Snoc raised the earth. Clumps of dirt blocked the top of their heads, and the whirlwind collided against the dirt wall.

    Crash!

    ¡°Ugh!¡± Snoc let out a groan. It looked as if the thin dirt wall would break at any moment from the whirlwind¡¯s intense force. Snoc quickly took out mithril from the magic box and stuffed it in the dirt wall. As tough and easily mana-fusible metals joined in, the dirt wall¡¯s strength dramatically increased. However, their opponent also did not stay still.

    Crash! Crash! Crash! Crash! Four more whirlwinds appeared. The dirt wall began shaking again. Water washed away the dirt, and mithrils used as support came out in full view. At that moment, Elena raised her staff.

    Crackle! Fire erupted from outside the dirt wall. The fire lost strength from the powerful whirlwinds, but Elena continued to send out more mana and maintained the fire. The strong heat of the fire caused the water in the whirlwind to evaporate and the strength of the whirlwind decreased. Thanks to this, the dirt wall was able to endure the whirlwind¡¯s attacks.

    L¡¯s incantation ended. A huge amount of mana circted inside her staff. She reached out with her staff, and for a moment, the world stopped. The countless number of monsters that were increasingly pressuring Zich and hispanions, the whirlwinds that continuously tried to pierce Snoc¡¯s dirt walls, and the waves pushing forward with great intensity were all frozen. The power was so great that even the dirt wall that protected them was frozen, and Elena¡¯s magic was momentarily extinguished. Although Elena was a mage like L, even Snoc and Hans, who had traveled with L for a long time and thought they were used to her ability by now, froze in shock. They were shocked by the icy world that L had created.

    However, Zich was different. Zich had been waiting for this exact moment.

    Tap! He jumped to the forefront. He avoided the monsters that had turned into ice statues and jumped over the waves soaring above the air and theke with frozen currents. In an instant, Zich reached the ind with the tree. He saw that some of the tree roots were frozen along with their enemy. Zich did not hesitate. He climbed on top of the tree root the creature was attached to, raised Windur up in the air, and brought it down.

    Crash! An enormous explosion rang in the air. Bits of ice scattered all around their surroundings. The blue light reflected on the ice pieces of the tree, or more specifically, the water droplets on the tree branches, sparkled and looked extremely beautiful. However, even though Zich was in the midst of this beautiful, sparkling light, he couldn¡¯t enjoy the sight at all.

    A hand was blocking Windur; it was not a normal hand. The hand had eight fingers with sharp nails. Moreover, sharp nails also came out in ces that nails would normally nevere out from¡ªthe palms and back of the hand. The skin of the hand was rough and uneven as if clumps of dirt were haphazardly attached together, and this disgusting skin went past its hand and to its arm. The owner of the arm was the creature that Zich tried to attack.

    The arm hade out by prating through its face.

    sh! Eyeballs suddenly sprouted out from the arm and they all red at Zich.

    ¡°If you have eyeballs everywhere on your body, you must see all sorts of hellish sights.¡± As Zich mocked the creature, a mouth appeared on its arm. It spoke at the same time.

    ¡ªAt least I¡¯ll be able to clearly see your death!

    Crash! All the ice attached to the creature¡¯s skin cracked and scattered away.

 Chapter 341

    <h4>Chapter 341</h4>

    Zich distanced himself from the creature. The sudden shock shattered the pieces of ice on its surface and the tree¡¯s roots. Eyes and lips protruded all over its face and arms, making it a truly bizarre sight. Yet, that was only the beginning.

    Pop! Pop! Pop!

    As its body swelled, it became arge, solid clump of meat. Arms and legs popped out everywhere. Eyes, nose, lips, and ears formed all over its body without missing any of the newly formed bits as well.

    ¡°Is that your true self? How beautiful! At least inparison to your original form!¡± Zich shot a sword attack at the clump of meat. The dozens of arms sticking out of the clump simultaneously lifted their hands forward.

    Wing!

    A magic barrier formed in front of the clump of meat. A single barrier was incredibly strong by itself, but barriers as many as the existing arms formed on top of each other, and Zich¡¯s attack failed to prate them.

    Slide!

    Even as dozens of arms formed a magic barrier, it still had some free hands to do other tasks.

    Crack!

    Waterspouts cracked through the frozenke and gushed out. Simultaneously, the lips on the clump of meat began to murmur spells, each different from one another. It was a situation they had experienced before. Thus, they knew how dangerous and bothersome the situation would be. An immense amount of mana circted around the clump of meat, but that was only the start.

    Whoooosh! As the tree vibrated, it let out a low cry. Zich could feel the tree¡¯s enormous mana getting sucked in by the clump of meat.

    ¡®This is cheating,¡¯ Zich thought as he clicked his tongue. The way this clump of meat attacked was beyond any norm and known standard, but he couldn¡¯t stand and stupidly watch the creature prepare its next spell. He rushed towards the clump of meat, but a magic barrier blocked him. Zich sharply honed the mana around Windur.

    Crash! The first attack was blocked. Yet, there seemed to have been an effect, and the magic barrier shook widely.

    Bababam! It knocked against the barrier in quick session. A crack formed in the barrier and eventually shattered it before it disappeared into thin air. Unfortunately, that wasn¡¯t the only one. Zich saw the hand that had created the barrier gesture form another one. No matter how many barriers he broke, it seemed like a new one would form without any signs of stopping. However, Zich didn¡¯t change his method of attacking. ¡®I should just push forward at times like this!¡¯

    Bababam! He swung Windur even faster. A new barrier reced the previous one, but the speed at which Zich destroyed them was much faster.

    Crash! In the end, all the barriers broke. The clump of meat appeared before Windur defenseless, but it was a second toote. Dangerous energy danced around the tips of the clump of meat¡¯s fingers where magic had gathered. The hands targeted Zich.

    All sound ceased to exist. It wasn¡¯t that the battle had ended; the sound of the magic that poured out of the clump of meat¡¯s hand was so tremendous that everyone had lost their hearing. All they could hear was a giant ¡®Beeeep~!¡¯ at the end.

    Kuuuuuu!

    Some timeter, Zich got his hearing back. As the colossal spell aimed at him disappeared, Zich struck his recovered sense of hearing. The meat clump rolled its many eyes. It had cast the greatest spell it possibly could and hadn¡¯t expected Zich to be alive; it didn¡¯t help that it had never experienced a proper battle before, making it prone to wrong judgments. Zich burst through the disappearing spell remains. He didn¡¯t appear fine at all; he was suffering cuts, burns, frostbite, tears, and so on and bleeding so profusely that it was a wonder as to how he was moving at all. Yet, without even batting an eyelid, Zich steadily swung Windur at the meat clump. Although the meat clump responded quickly, Zich¡¯s attack shredded its skin.

    -Kuaaaaaaaah!

    Multiple lips screamed all at once, and its arms and legs flung around grotesquely.

    ¡®Does it not have much endurance for pain?¡¯

    If it was Zich, he would have moved as he did now immediately after his body was shredded; he would have struck back, defended himself, or escaped at least. Yet, the only thing the clump of meat did was scream. The arm closest to Zich stretched out to grab him. The arms at the backs began preparing a spell again, but Zich had no intention of losing this golden opportunity to approach the meat clump.

    ¡®It¡¯s dangerous for me to distance myself right now!¡¯

    Compared to the amount of magic that fell from the meat clump in theboratory, this one shot out fewer attacks; it was understandable since theboratory had been covered with meat clumps from every corner of the room and hallways. However, the meat clump in theboratory had poured out thoughtless magic spells that also tended to cancel or block each other out. Yet, the one in front of him right now was different. Its magic and mana were superior to the monster from theboratory, and moreover, it fused different types of magic.

    ¡®If I hadn¡¯t pierced through the gaps between the magic, it would¡¯ve been really dangerous.¡¯

    If hepared the meat clump¡¯s recent spell to Inferno, which Walwiss Dwayne had used in the days he was the Demon Lord of Magic and was the product of merging three different types of elemental magic, it stillcked far behind. Yet, Zich was critically wounded and couldn¡¯t cure himself since he didn¡¯t even have the time to take out a magic potion.

    He evaded the monster¡¯s outstretched hand and turned around. The clump of meat was extremely fast. Itnded a simple blow and managed to block Zich¡¯s sword. Yet, when Zich began to move dizzyingly, its arms and legs got tangled up.

    Slice! One arm fell. The meat clump screamed again. Even when it was severed from the body, the arms flopped on the ground. Fortunately, it didn¡¯t seem like it could cast any more spells in this state. Besides the magic of the severed arm, some of the spells were cut off as the mouths began screaming. However, all the other spells werepleted. The eyes red at Zich. The magic attacks were not able to make sufficient damage against him. Since Zich was right next to them, it seemed like they couldn¡¯t userge-scale magic attacks.

    If the meat clump usedrge-scale magic attacks, it might identally injure itself in the process. Thus, the meat clump used narrow-ranged attacks, but Zich quickly evaded all of them with his keen senses. Even though the meat clump tried to form barriers, Zich was so close and fast that it was difficult to form barriers at a suitable range; Zich moved while meticulously calcting this factor.

    ¡ªAhahahahuuahahhhhh!

    The meat clump screamed. It was not a scream full of pain; rather, it sounded as if it were screaming out of intense fury.

    ¡®That¡¯s better for me.¡¯ As his enemy became more and more agitated, it was easier for Zich to control them ording to his will. Zich continued to evade the hands that haphazardly swung at Zich. Each of the hands was surrounded by an enormous amount of mana, so if he was directly hit by any one of them, it would not end with just a few broken bones or ripped flesh. At that moment, the meat clump quickly swung a few of its arms, and a barrier appeared.

    Crassssssssh! Fireballs the size of a person¡¯s head continuously hit against the barrier. The barrier seemed to be withstanding the force, at first, but cracks soon began to appear. Anyone could see that the barrier would notst long. The meat clump began to use more arms to maintain the barrier, so its movements became more clumsy and more gaps appeared. Zich furtively nced towards the direction where the fireballs came from¡ªL was leaning her staff towards his direction. This was an opportunity. Zich firmly pierced Windur into the meat clump.

    ¡ªk!

    The meat clump¡¯s lower body¡ªsince the upper body had expanded to such arge size that it was mostly indistinguishable from its lower body¡ªnevertheless, what resembled a lower body wasrgely ripped away. From the monster¡¯s disgusting injury, something that looked like blood streamed out of its body.

    ¡®Huh?¡¯ Zich discovered something hidden inside the clumps of flesh. However, there was little time for him to stare longer at it.

    ¡®I should look at thatter.¡¯ Zich needed to focus on defeating the meat clump for now. It would be extremely troublesome if the meat clump gained back its mental capacity. ¡®I¡¯m going to chop it up like this!¡¯

    However, the situation didn¡¯t go ording to Zich¡¯s n.

    Swooosh! The water from theke soared. Were whirlwinds going to appear again? However, what appeared from theke was not a whirlwind. It was a long and widely stretched-out tentacle.

    Buuuuuuuuuu! A chilling cry split the air.

    ¡®Kraken!¡¯ Zich furrowed his brows. He saw arge scar on the Kraken¡¯s tentacle.

    ¡®It must be the same Kraken that ambushed Shootuolst time.¡¯ Zich was sure that the Kraken was the same monster that received his attackst time and had run away. Zich stared at the meat clump. ¡®Did it call forth the Kraken?¡¯

    As expected, this creature must have been responsible for the recent ambush in Shootuol. Zich moved towards the meat clump. He had no time to pay attention to the Kraken.

    ¡®I need to kill it right now!¡¯ Zich swung Windur. He was nning to cut the meat clump in half, but Zich¡¯s sword was unable to reach it.

    Twist! Zich¡¯s body copsed momentarily. He had tried to push down the pain with his mental fortitude and patched up his ruined body with mana, but in the end, he had reached his limit. It was not possible for other people¡ªno, even trained knights to fight or properly move in Zich¡¯s current condition. The fact that Zich could still skillfully fight was evidence of how much of a monster he was. However, even though it couldn¡¯t be helped, the gap in Zich¡¯s defense as a result of his injury was extremely critical.

    Crasssh! The Kraken¡¯srge tentacle stuck where Zich was. Zich had no choice but to move back to evade its attack. As Zich moved further away, the meat clump began to make an enormous number of barriers between its body and Zich. It was not an amount that Zich could easily break in a short time.

    ¡®Damn it!¡¯ Zich quickly took out a potion and poured it down his throat. Then, he broke the potion on his body. As soon as the potion touched his body, his injuries healed at an extremely fast rate. However, even while the pain disappeared from his body, Zich was unable to erase the frustration on his face.

    Buuuuuuuu! All eight of the Kraken¡¯s tentacles emerged from theke. They swept the ind, and the teeth inside the tentacles¡¯ suckers threateningly rattled against each other.

    Thud! Thud! Thud! Zich skillfully avoided the falling tentacles and approached the meat clump again. He crushed the barriers that blocked him. However, the meat clump no longer allowed Zich toe closer.

    ¨CWhat a tiresome human being! As expected of a guy possessing the Clowon Emperor¡¯s sword, you¡¯re amazingly persistent!

    ¡°Instead ofplimenting me, why don¡¯t you remove the barriers instead!¡±

    ¨CWhat nonsense!

    However, the meat clump was extremely bothered by Zich since it almost died from Zich¡¯s attack.

    ¨CKraken!

    Buaaaaaaaaaa! The Kraken raised its tentacles high up in the air. At the same time, the meat clump raised its hand.

    Burrrst! Theke covered the ind with strong waves. Whirlwinds soared above the air and water droplets poured down like arrows. Zich quickly swung Windur and went on the defensive. He blocked all kinds of attacksing towards him. At the same time, the meat clump continued to shoot magic attacks at him.

    ¡°Ugh!¡± Even for Zich, this was too difficult for him to endure. The Kraken also stretched its tentacles towards Zich.

    Crasssssh! At that moment, two of the Kraken¡¯s tentacles exploded and dropped off. The Kraken struggled in pain. L¡¯s attack had directly hit the Kraken.

    Buoaaaaaa! The Kraken cried out and changed its target to L. However, the meat clump stopped the Kraken.

    ¡ªDon¡¯t pay attention to that side! Kill the man in front of you!

    The Kraken hesitated for a bit and charged at Zich.

    ¡®I don¡¯t want this type of poprity.¡¯ Zich evaded the Kraken¡¯s tentacles as it tried to strike him again.

 Chapter 342

    <h4>Chapter 342</h4>

    As the clump of meat egged it on, the Kraken moved even more aggressively than before. It rushed towards the ind without even caring about the two tentacles that had fallen off.

    Buuuuuu! After staying hidden underneath the surface, the Kraken finally revealed itself. It mmed its tentacles violently against the ground and climbed on top of the ind. Then, it rushed towards the ce where Zich was without a moment of hesitation. L withdrew her staff from the Kraken again. Hans, Snoc, and Elena also didn¡¯t have the means to pay attention to Zich when they had to fight off the fluid-like monsters.

    ¡®I have to do it!¡¯ L thought. Yet, the clump of meat recollected itself after escaping Zich¡¯s consecutive attacks and blocked her.

    Pop! A barrier made of water shot out from theke and blocked L¡¯srge fireball. It turned an extraordinary amount of water into vapor, but it soon faded until it disappeared.

    ¡°Tch!¡± L prepared her magic again. She nned to leave the defense to Hans, Snoc, and Elena, and focus on only attacking. Yet, because of the rushing waves about to nket them, L also couldn¡¯t help but ce her attention back on defending again. After cutting off any intervention from the rest of the party members, the clump of meat continued to attack Zich. As if it didn¡¯t care whether the Kraken died or not, it rained down magic and water attacks at the area where Zich was. What was very frustrating for the meat clump was the fact that Zich evaded all these attacks, blocked them, and even used the Kraken that attacked him as a shield at times. Yet, he couldn¡¯t keep this up for long.

    Buoooooo! Even though Kraken didn¡¯t rest even after getting beaten down by the meat clumps¡¯ attacks, it finally let down its tentacles. As the ground vibrated, Kraken¡¯s body floated in the air and tried to crush Zich.

    ¡°Tch!¡± Zich clicked his tongue and moved to escape. With his current level of skill, he didn¡¯t have the capabilities to block the Kraken from above. The clump of meat didn¡¯t miss this opening. It simultaneously activated the magic it had prepared with its many hands. Sound ceased to exist again. Colossal magic amplified the effects of each other¡¯s magic and covered almost the entire ind.

    Buoooooooo! No matter how loyal it was to the meat clump, the Kraken seemed to have difficulty enduring this pain and cried. Half of its body flew away while four more of its tentacles were shredded apart. The Kraken was still able to move, as expected of one of the strongest monsters that existed in the ocean; yet, it wasn¡¯t even the target of the meat clump¡¯s attack. The meat clump had simply not cared if it would be affected. It was hard to imagine how much damage it could have caused the true target, Zich, if even the powerful Kraken received this level of injury when the attack wasn¡¯t aimed at it. Still, the meat clump didn¡¯t let its guard down. Remembering from experience, its judgments were right this time.

    Whoosh! Zich prated the cloud of thick smoke. Like before, he was greatly injured, but he moved without considering the state of his body.

    ¡ªThis damn bastard is so hard to kill!

    The meat clump raged. Then, it called.

    ¡ªKraken!

    It prepared magic against Zich again. Although Zich managed to block and fight off the meat clump¡¯s attacks extremely well with his injured body, the Kraken eventually grabbed one of his legs. Zich swung Windur and struck the Kraken¡¯s tentacle that was gripping his, but it only made the monster¡¯s grip harder.

    Ssh! The Kraken dived into the water and dragged Zich¡¯s body along with it.

    ¡ªFinally!

    The meat clump cheered. No matter great Zich was or how injured the Kraken was, the Kraken had the advantage in the waters. Furthermore, thiske was directly connected to the ocean, and the offshores of Shootuol were infamous for their depth. No matter how resilient a person was, they would have no choice but to die. Still, just in case, the meat clump sent a good portion of the fluid monsters into theke. After sessfully forcing the most bothersome opponent into the bottom of the ocean, it decided on the next course of action. In the first ce, Zich wasn¡¯t even its original goal. The many eyes on its body searched for L. Yet, it failed to spot L and herpanions although they had been battling the fluid monsters just a moment before.

    Sliiirk! The pupils attached to the meat clump moved in unison. They circled the area and rolled their pupils so hard that one could almost hear the sound of eyes rolling. Fortunately, it was able to find what it was looking for easily. L and herpanions were fighting in front of the tightly sealed door.

    ¡ªAre they trying to run away?

    It snorted. The door was tightly shut by its mana. It wouldn¡¯t open unless the meat clump wanted it to. Grrrr!

    Yet, the door moved slightly and made all the eyes on the clump of meat open widely.

    * * *

    ¡°It opened!¡±

    Kooooo! Snoc and Nowem cheered. From behind, L sighed in relief. ¡®It was a good choice putting them in charge of it.¡¯

    L¡¯s prediction that Snoc would be able to move the door made from stone with his authority over the earth was correct. Yet, that wasn¡¯t the only factor.

    ¡®If the meat clump had paid attention to the door, they might not have been able to open it though.¡¯

    Thus, Zich had made the biggest contribution.

    ¡®¡­He¡¯s probably fine, right?¡¯ L thought of Zich who had been captured by the Kraken and sucked underneath theke. She couldn¡¯t help but feel worried, and she quickly brushed it off.

    ¡®He¡¯s someone who was called the ultimate Demon Lord. He¡¯ll be able to escape a situation like that,¡¯ she assured herself. She couldn¡¯t even go in to save him. No one in the party was experienced in fighting underwater, and there was a high possibility that they would be a hindrance instead. Therefore, as soon as Zich was dragged into theke, L decided to immediately retreat.

    ¡®I need to at least get the others out.¡¯ L tried to teleport, but it didn¡¯t work. It felt as if the whole space was being blocked, and the meat clump was probably the most likely culprit. Thus, L ordered Snoc to open the door, and fortunately, the door opened. There was now enough of a gap for one person to pass through.

    L raised her staff and shouted, ¡°All of you, run away!¡±

    The fireballs that were instantly generated by L¡¯s silent incantations indiscriminately shot and hit the approaching liquid monsters.

    Elena shouted, ¡°B-but what about you, Teacher!¡±

    ¡°I can go after sending all of you off, so just go!¡±

    ¡°But¡­!¡±

    At that moment, a hand grabbed Elena¡¯s shoulder¡ªit was Hans¡¯.

    ¡°Move immediately! It¡¯s time to retreat now! Are you doubting your teacher¡¯s judgment! We¡¯re no help at all!¡± Estede let out a bright light and sted off a few liquid monsters. However, a much greater number of liquid monsters quickly filled up the hole he made.

    Elena gritted her teeth. She was smart, and she knew that Hans was right; she also knew that her teacher¡¯s judgment was correct, and they, especially her, were of no help.

    Grip! Snoc grabbed her hand. ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡±

    Koo! Snoc and Nowem hurried her along. Elena ran out the door.

    Crasssssh! The door firmly shut not long after the three went outside the door. Snoc did not close the door. L red while facing the front; she saw a gross meat clump behind the swarming liquid monsters.

    ¡ªDid I lose them? Well, it¡¯s fine. They weren¡¯t my targets anyways.

    The meat clump moved. While one part of its body was firmly attached to the tree¡¯s root, it expanded in size.

    Drip! Drrrrip! The meat clump¡¯s flesh began to melt.

    Ssh! The melted pieces of flesh reached the ground and slowly increased in size. Some stretched to the top and some stretched out to the wall and attached themselves there. Corpses were also stuck all over the stretched-out flesh.

    L¡¯s expression wavered as the meat clump seemed to be trying to cover the entire space with its body. Something came bursting out of the main body¡ªit was the same face that the creature had before it changed shape.

    ¡ªYou¡¯re the only one left.

    While aiming her staff at the main body, L said, ¡°It somehow turned out like this. I¡¯m really not happy about it.¡± In order to ensure safety for those three who ran away, L needed to hold back the meat clump.

    ¡ªFufufu! Our positions have beenpletely reversed from before, Princess. It serves you right.

    ¡°Yeah, about that. Have we met each other before?¡±

    The meat clump¡¯s expression slightly twisted in annoyance, but this expression did notst long; it seemed to have understood something.

    ¡ªYou really seem to have forgotten about it. As expected, are you not able to extract the memories? No, for that to be true, your entire personality seems to have changed¡­

    The meat clump, which was tilting its head, seemed to have reached an answer.

    ¡ªYour memories must have been reset.

    Crackle! Lightning shot out from L¡¯s staff; it immediately flew towards the meat clump¡¯s main body. However, L¡¯s magic was blocked by the meat clump¡¯s multiyered barrier. L clicked her tongue as she saw that her surprise attack had failed.

    ¡ªYou¡¯re still barbaric. I¡¯m certain that the people who worshipped you as a goddess were all idiots.

    ¡°Can you stop murmuring to yourself about things I have no idea about? It gets on my nerves. If you really need to talk things out, I rmend you to do it in a small room. If you keep talking to yourself like that, it seems like you have no friends.¡±

    As expected of Zich¡¯spanion, L spewed out insults while she felt nervous.

    ¡ªI wonder how long you¡¯ll be able to talk like that?

    The meat clump continued to expand, and the speed at which it increased grew faster and faster. L continued to shoot out magic towards the expanding meat clump, but theke¡¯s water and the meat clump¡¯s magic nullified all of L¡¯s magic.

    ¡ªYou said you don¡¯t remember, right? That¡¯s okay. The memories are all inside your brain anyways. So I¡¯ll help you remember them. You don¡¯t need to thank me. That¡¯s the reason why I was made in the first ce.

    * * *

    The cold water lowered Zich¡¯s body temperature. The blood flowing out of his body mixed in with the surrounding waters and made a horrifying sight.

    ¡®This is getting really dangerous.¡¯ Zich¡¯s mind was getting dizzy. He had lost too much blood. The blood he let out today was probably more than half of all the blood in his body. If he hadn¡¯t drunk a potion just a few moments ago, even he would have died from blood loss. Moreover, the water pressure tightened around his body and blocked his breathing to lead him one step closer to death. But there was another problem.

    Thud! Shockwaves that carried across the water scattered in all directions. The currents were being pushed back and distorted the light in a mysterious and fascinating way, but there was no one there to appreciate the sight.

    Swoosh! Swoosh! Zich continuously swung Windur, and shockwaves formed every time he swung it.

    ¡®How bothersome!¡¯

    The liquid monster had followed him to the ocean and continued to attack him. As expected, their skills were on a whole different level underwater. The liquid monsters could basically move as if they could teleport, and they continued to move their arms made out of weapons to rip Zich apart. At the same time, the Kraken continued to pull Zich deeper into the ocean.

    ¡®I should make my final decision.¡¯ If he moved passively like this, only death would be waiting for him. However, there weren¡¯t many solutions to his current situation. The Kraken¡¯s tentacles were tough, and Zich didn¡¯t have the leisure to pierce and rip apart the Kraken¡¯s tough tentacles because of the liquid monsters. Zich made his decision.

    Slice! He cut off his leg without hesitation.

 Chapter 343

    <h4>Chapter 343</h4>

    Zich''s severed leg began to be dyed in red. He poured mana into the remaining part of his leg and made it explode. Pop!

    Many air bubbles formed beneath his feet and flipped his body upside down. He looked like he was out of bnce for a bit, but he soon swamfortably underwater.

    ¡®It reminds me of the old times.¡¯

    As someone who had gone through almost all kinds of battles and fights, Zich had experience fighting underwater¡ªmoreover, fighting with one of his legs cut off just like now. Thus, he was able to get ustomed to the situation quickly. Yet, Zich didn¡¯t have the time to rejoice simply because he achieved freedom. Not only were there enemies in his surroundings, but he was also still heavily injured and even missing a leg now; of course, Zich had no intention of living with just one leg.

    Riiip! Zich ripped the clothes on his chest area. Since he didn¡¯t have the time to take out the item in his belongings, he used this method to pop out the magic box from between his clothes. Then, he poured out mana from the bottom of his feet again.

    Pop! Zich¡¯s body shot up at a fast rate. As the Kraken¡¯s tentacle passed him, Zich ced the magic box next to his severed leg. The box sucked his leg in.

    ¡®All right, I got the leg.¡¯ Zich continued to move. The fluid monsters were chasing after Zich with astonishing mobility. The Kraken also wiggled its tentacles knowing that it missed Zich. Even after recovering his freedom, Zich appeared to be in a hopeless situation. Yet, he didn¡¯t think about retreating.

    ¡®I have to kill the Kraken.¡¯

    If hebated with the meat clumpter, the Kraken could interfere with their fight again. Although it was critically injured, the Kraken could heal all its injuries given the time, and with his keen observation skills, Zich was able to catch that it was already healing some of its injuries. Zich continued to advance forward. He swung Windur at the fluid monsters rushing at him, but he didn¡¯t pay great attention to blocking them like before and focused on advancing forward. While receiving more injuries than before, he got close to the Kraken as he had nned. The Kraken wiggled its few remaining tentacles to capture Zich. Yet, its movements were different from the time it had all its tentacles.

    Zich infused an abundant amount of mana into Windur. Then, he flushed out mana from the bottom of his feet again, and his body flew upwards like an arrow. His target was the injury on the Kraken¡¯s head that it had gained from the meat clump¡¯s magic.

    Baaam! The Kraken¡¯s soft, plushy skin was peeking open beneath its hard, outer covering. Zichnded a big blow on it. Yet, that was all¡ªit wasn¡¯t a critical injury. The wound was big enough to cover one or two people, butpared to the size of the creature, it wasn¡¯trge at all. However, Zich was satisfied. He didn¡¯t think he would have been able to cut off the Kraken¡¯s life with just one slice, and the size of this injury was what he wanted to inflict anyways.

    Whoosh! A shivering chill went down the back of his neck. It was clear that the fluid monster¡¯s sharp attacks barely missed his backside. Yet, Zich didn¡¯t turn around and continued forward. His body stuck onto the Kraken¡¯s wound. An outsider might have mistaken that Zich identallynded there because he wasn¡¯t used to swimming, but Zich couldn¡¯t have moved more precisely. He pierced Windur more deeply into the Kraken¡¯s wound.

    Crash! Mana burst out the ends of Windur, exploded inside the Kraken, and dove in deeper. From the impact, the Kraken floundered wildly, making shockwaves that prevented the fluid monsters from approaching closer. To not get bounced off, Zich clutched tightly onto Windur which was stuck tightly to the Kraken¡¯s insides. Then, Zich crouched with his remaining leg onto the Kraken¡¯s fat and pushed his body deeper until itpletely disappeared into the creature¡¯s body.

    ¡®I can finally catch my breath.¡¯

    The Kraken¡¯s insides were cozy. Sticky body fluids, wiggling muscles, and fat was far from what most people thought of when the word ¡®cozy¡¯ came up; but considering what Zich had faced just a moment before, it seemed so. Yet, the peacefulness didn¡¯tst long. When they realized that Zich wasn¡¯t nning toe out of the Kraken¡¯s body any time soon, the fluid monsters began to rush in again. They tried to burrow into the wound and attack him.

    ¡®I am not going out, you idiots!¡¯ Zich took out a load of potions from his magic box and threw them. Karuwiman¡¯s highest quality potionsnded on the Kraken¡¯s injured areas and broke.

    Shaaaa! The Kraken¡¯s injuries began to heal at a fast rate. The fluid monsters that were trying to enter the wound were pushed away by the caving muscles and skin and disappeared. Since Zich was also a foreign body inside the Kraken, the wound¡¯s recovery wasn¡¯t all good for him. However, he solved this problem by burrowing deeper inside.

    ¡®Haa!¡¯ After finally catching his breath, Zich took out potions and poured them on his wounds and drank them. He also attached his severed leg onto his body and dripped potion onto it. Although there was a danger of him attaching it improperly, Zich wasn¡¯t worried.

    ¡®It¡¯s not like I only did this once or twice.¡¯ He looked at the cleanly attached leg with satisfaction. After moving all his toes from his big toe to his pinky toe, he grabbed Windur again.

    ¡®I¡¯m done healing. Should I go kill this guy now?¡¯

    Zich¡¯s goal was the Kraken¡¯s brain. Like a miner mining gold, Zich began wielding Windur and crushing the Kraken¡¯s insides.

    Buaaaaaaaa! The Kraken struggled in pain, covering its painful area with its remaining legs, but there was nothing the Kraken could do against Zich, who continued to climb deeper inside. Moreover, even the liquid monsters began to attack the Kraken; it seemed as if they were trying to alsoe inside the Kraken to kill Zich. However, this was a matter that the Kraken could not allow at all.

    Of course, the Kraken resisted, and a battle between the Kraken and the liquid monsters began. In matters of power and battle prowess, the Kraken was still stronger than the liquid monsters, even with all its injuries. But there were a lot of liquid monsters, and they were also naturally hard to kill. As a result, the Kraken was slightly getting pushed back, but their overall strengths were pretty simr. Zich sensed their fight from inside the Kraken.

    ¡®I was hoping for this, but it really did turn out ording to my n.¡¯

    A sly smile appeared on his mouth.

    ¡®It really is fun to get my enemies to fight each other.¡¯

    The only disappointing thing was that one side was a monster and the other side involved mysterious monsters controlled by the meat clump, so there weren¡¯t any emotional conflicts involved. Normally, his enemies would fight while shouting who betrayed the other first, or they would cry streams of tears while cursing the awful situation that made them fight each other. However, Zich couldn¡¯t enjoy that type of entertainment this time.

    ¡®Well, it¡¯s fine. I don¡¯t have the leisure to enjoy something like that anyways.¡¯

    Zich focused back on wielding Windur again. The Kraken¡¯s frantic movements became more serious; it made a huge movement to its side.

    ¡®Huh?¡¯ At that moment, Zich thought of something interesting. ¡®If I¡¯m skillful about this, I might be able tofortably go back to the ce I was in.¡¯

    Zich withdrew Windur. As the pain disappeared, the Kraken¡¯s movements became calmer; it merely fought off the liquid monsters that kept trying to get into its body. However, when Zich began to swing Windur again, it began struggling again and wriggled all over the ce. After a while, pain began to erupt inside the Kraken and stopped again. After this cycle happened a countless number of times, the Kraken was able to realize one fact: when it moved in a specific direction, the pain didn¡¯t appear.

    The Kraken ignored the liquid monsters and began swimming in a specific direction. It swam faster towards the direction it didn¡¯t feel any pain. Zich calmly closed his eyes and heightened his senses. ¡®Stop.¡¯

    Pierce! The Kraken struggled in pain as Windur pierced its insides. However, it seemed to have learned from its previous experience as it moved in all directions. But soon enough, it swam towards the direction where it didn¡¯t feel any pain.

    ¡®Good. Let¡¯s keep going like this. We¡¯re both going to befortable this way.¡¯

    Like this, Zich quickly returned to where they used to be by controlling the Kraken.

    * * *

    L¡¯s surroundings werepletely covered by the meat clump. The only thing protecting her were the barriers she made all around her.

    Screeech! Screeeech!

    A great number of arms that came out from the meat clump scratched L¡¯s barriers. However, they were unable to break L¡¯s barriers with just this amount of force. It was still a terrifying sight that would send chills down people¡¯s spines.

    ¨CWhy don¡¯t you start giving up?

    The meat clump put its hand on the barrier and said. The meat clump was now right in front of L. It had thrown away its grotesque form and had returned to the human woman they first saw when they entered the space. However, its lower body was still attached to the meat clump surrounding L, so it didn¡¯t lookpletely like a human.

    The creature was so close that it seemed as if L could shoot off its head by breaking her barriers and sending out magic, but L was unable to do that. It was very clear that her opponent¡¯s skills were above hers. Even though their magical abilities were about the same, the tree was giving enormous strength to the creature.

    ¡°I have no ns to give up.¡±

    ¨CYou¡¯re going to resist in vain until the very end?

    ¡°Of course. I also don¡¯t think it¡¯s in vain.¡±

    ¨CPerhaps, are you trusting yourpanions toe back for you?

    The creatureughed.

    ¨COne of them was dragged into the ocean by the Kraken and the others all ran away. Do you think that trash will be able to save you?

    ¡°You never know what¡¯ll happen in the future.¡±

    ¨CHmm, well, that¡¯s true. I also never imagined that I¡¯d be able to capture you.

    ¡°I haven¡¯t been captured yet.¡±

    ¨CBelieve whatever you want. I¡¯m not so cruel that I¡¯ll go out of my way to crush your pointless hope.

    The meat clump began stroking the barrier as if it was stroking L¡¯s face.

    ¨CBut I¡¯m curious about your past. How in the world did youe to move like a human being when you used to only be part of the system?

    ¡°¡­You know about my past?¡±

    ¨COf course. I remember everything. The day when you barged into this space with extremely powerful monsters and¡­

    Thud! The creature mmed its fists against the barrier.

    ¨CThe day you killed me!

    The creature¡¯s face was now frighteningly stiff.

    ¡°¡­I killed you?¡±

    ¨CYeah. Even while I desperately told you that I didn¡¯t want to die, you didn¡¯t even blink an eye and killed me.

    It stuck its face close to the barrier.

    ¨CI can still vividly recall your face that day. And the words you told me that day.

    It opened its mouth wide and stressed the word out loud.

    ¨CFake.

    The creature moved its face away from the barrier.

    ¨CBut you won¡¯t be able to say that to me anymore, because I¡¯m going to be real.

    ¡°¡­I don¡¯t remember that.¡±

    ¨CYeah, that¡¯s probably right. No matter how you look at it, it seems certain that your memories have been reset. Well, fine. I¡¯ll give you your memories.

    ¡°¡­Give me my memories?¡± L asked in surprise.

    The meat clump shrugged its shoulders. When it moved its shoulder, the surrounding meat clumps also wriggled.

    ¨CWe were made for that purpose in the first ce. Well, to be exact, we were made to steal your memories. But I¡¯ll probably be able to imnt my memories into your mind.

    Tap! Tap! The meat clump put two hands on the barrier.

    ¨CSee with your own eyes what type of person you were.

    At that moment, L¡¯s body wavered.

 Chapter 344

    <h4>Chapter 344</h4>

    As Zich rode inside it, the Kraken moved at a considerably fast pace. While trying to remember the path they took, he led the Kraken to specific directions. Since there were no marks underwater and he didn¡¯t have the leisure of looking around his surroundings during battle, Zich got lost multiple times. In the end, he took his many experiences from before the regression and found the path leading to the ruin¡¯skeshore.

    ¡®I¡¯mpletely beneath the ocean.¡¯

    Even though the entrance of the area wasn¡¯t blocked, theke mysteriously existed without getting flooded by ocean water. Yet, Zich didn¡¯t have the time to fulfill his curiosities. Besides, he had an inkling of why that might be the case.

    ¡®It¡¯s probably because of the tree.¡¯

    Zich led the Kraken to the passage under the ocean that headed towards theke, and the fluid monsters didn¡¯t stop pursuing them. The passage curved frequently, but the Kraken flexibly passed through it. Zich assessed the distance he had.

    ¡®I¡¯m almost there.¡¯ Yet, an obstacle appeared in the middle. ¡®What¡¯s that?¡¯

    In a hole that should¡¯ve been wide open, something was blocking it, and it wasn¡¯t natural terrain.

    ¡®It¡¯s sort of a strange presence.¡¯ Although he had felt this presence before, Zich couldn¡¯t remember it clearly. It appeared to be part of a living creature. Zich led the mysterious presence on to attack the Kraken, and the Kraken¡¯s suckers began to strike them. The attacks didn¡¯tst long and the Kraken soon stopped.

    ¡®Huh?¡¯ Zich swung Windur and continued to inflict pain onto the Kraken. It howled pitifully and writhed in pain, but it didn¡¯t attack the presence blocking the path.

    ¡®I have to check it out.¡¯ Zich made a path inside the Kraken¡¯s body. He discarded the wiggling muscles around him and advanced forward.

    Pop! He created an opening to the outside.

    ¡®I have to check quickly!¡¯ He could still sense the fluid monsters¡¯ movements. Furthermore, the suckers on the Kraken¡¯s legs wouldn¡¯t leave a parasite that was pushing into its skin alone. Zich arched his head slightly to the outside and searched the obstacle.

    ¡®That is¡­!¡¯ Zich was surprised by the existence. ¡®A meat barrier?¡¯

    A clump of meat that looked like a mix of many people was blocking theke.

    ¡®It¡¯s like the ones I saw at theb. Did that meat clump stretch its body out?¡¯ No wonder it had a slightly different presence from the meat clump in the previous ruin. ¡®I suppose this means I havee to the right spot.¡¯ That was all he needed. Escaping the attacksing his way from the fluid monsters and giant legs, Zich hid inside the Kraken¡¯s body again.

    * * *

    A white light seeped into a world filled with darkness. It almost seemed like it was making cracks in the darkness and shooting lights between these gaps. Like a moth diving into the mes at the risk of burning its body, ¡®I¡¯ opened my eyes with a thirst for the light.

    ¡°It¡¯s a sess! Look, the eyes are open!¡±

    ¡°Hey, someone call the warden! The rebel group¡¯s test specimen has beenpleted!¡±

    ¡°We will be able to get a decent bonus with this!¡±

    Beyond a transparent ss, I saw a group of humans wearing white robes cheer with their arms raised. I tilted my head, wondering why they were acting this way. However, that wasn¡¯t the only thing I didn¡¯t know¡ªI didn¡¯t know where I was, why I was inside a ss case filled with liquid, nor¡­ who I was. Past the ss wall, I saw someone enter. It was an old man whose long, bushy white beard covered his neck and his face was covered with wrinkles. He approached the ss, pressed his face closely next to it, and looked at me.

    I also stared back at him closely. His eyes were burning up as he looked at me; his flushed cheeks indicated his excitement even further. Yet, I thought his eyes were very cold. Although the old man¡¯s burning enthusiasm and excitement were directed towards me, it didn¡¯t seem like they were truly for me.

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t seem right for us to still call it by its code name. Why don¡¯t you name it, Sir Warden?¡±

    ¡°Yes, certainly! Since it¡¯s our first sessful test experiment, we should give it a name.¡± The surrounding humans gave a suggestion to the old man.

    ¡°Hm. I suppose we should.¡± The old manbed his beard and seemed to ponder for a bit. However, he didn¡¯t have the attitude of a person thinking about an important matter; to give an example, he had the attitude of someone sloppilying up with the name of a flower that caught his eye in a garden. Thus, the name that came out of the old man¡¯s mouth wasn¡¯t anything spectacr.

    ¡°Finel. How about Finel?¡¯

    ¡°As expected of the Warden!¡±

    ¡°Considering that this one is the test experiments from that group of rebels, it¡¯s a very fitting name, sir.¡±

    ¡°I thought so,¡± the old man chuckled and ced his hand on the ss. Then, he said, ¡°Your name from now on is Finel. Engrave this deeply into your mind.¡±

    Like that, I gained a name that meant ¡®submission¡¯ in the imperialnguage.

    * * *

    For a while, I stayed inside the ss. People looked at me with curiosity as they passed by, and I also stared back at them. After we spent a great amount of time observing each other, I was able toe out of the ss case.

    ¡°All measurements are stable. It will be able to endure experiments with no trouble now.¡± I saw a man tell the old man. After that, the experiments began. It started with simple ones and moreplicated ones came, all conducted on me. Among them, there were some that were extremely painful. But if I excluded those, I was treated fairly well. It appeared that I was quite a precious experiment, one that they were curious about.

    However, when they learned who I really was, their attitudepletely changed.

    ¡°You damn bastard!¡±

    m! One of the researchers kicked me. I fell and felt intense pain. I screamed in agony, but the kicks didn¡¯t stop.

    ¡°Stop.¡± It was only when the old man talked did the kicks stop. However, the old man¡¯s voice was not kind at all. It seemed as if he stopped them because my existence had some research value instead of any concern for my livelihood.

    ¡°But sir! Look at its research purpose! Its dirty and lowly research purpose! This dirty thing was made to steal the memories of the Golden Emperor¡¯s princess who is praised as the Empire¡¯s Goddess! We need to kill it immediately! We need to dispose of this creature and all the experiments they¡¯re making and incinerate all the research materials¡­.!¡±

    ¡°Stop!¡± The old man¡¯s voice loudly rang out in the room.

    The person who was speaking stopped, but they still seemed agitated as their breathing was rough.

    ¡°It¡¯s the Emperor¡¯s order.¡±

    ¡°The Emperor ordered something like this?¡± the person asked as if they couldn¡¯t understand; the surrounding people seemed to share the same sentiments as they began murmuring amongst themselves.

    ¡°The Emperor ordered us to thoroughly research this experiment so that we can find out its characteristics, weaknesses, and anything else we can find.¡±

    ¡°Yes, I understand.¡±

    People began nodding their heads as if they could finally understand the purpose of their research. The old man looked at me, and I curled up even tighter. The excitement and passion in his eyes were now gone. The only thing left now was an icy chill. However, I knew that the old man¡¯s gaze hadn¡¯t fundamentally changed. I was just a tool to him¡ªfrom an interesting item, I had merely changed into a dirty item.

    By looking at his gaze and the gazes of the surrounding people, I could easily predict what my future would be like.

    * * *

    From then on, the experiments done on me were mind-numbingly horrible. I was able to realize that the experiments they did on me before had actually shown some consideration for me.

    They enjoyed giving me pain; all I could do was to curl up and cry out to get the least amount of pain possible. As more time passed, the intensity of the experiments climbed higher and higher. Then, I was able to find out why they showed so much hatred for me. From what I gathered, there was some kind of system that supported the whole empire, and inside that system, a princess was asleep there.

    The Golden Emperor was the one who founded the empire and was the one who was the most admired and exalted among all the emperors. The princess was the Golden Emperor¡¯s daughter. This princess¡¯ poprity in the empire seemed to be beyond my imagination. As one of the main axes who supported the empire, the princess was exalted as a goddess who protected the empire. It seemed as if I was born to steal the memories of this princess who was so popr that she was even worshipped.

    ¡°Do you finally understand it now, you dirty monster! Your existence itself is a sin! You¡¯re a cursed being that should have never been born!¡± one researcher said while spitting on my face.

    ¡°So diligently cooperate with the experiment if you want to make your worthless life even a little bit more useful!¡±

    The only thing I could do was nod my head. I realized thister on, but it seemed as if there were also existences simr to me inside thisb. In a way, they were my sisters, and their fates were also simr to mine. They were dragged into theb, and I sometimes heard their screams from my container.

    When the experiments were finished, I went back to the ss container I was born in. Then, I was forced to fall asleep. I often tried to resist the drowsiness that came over me; I wanted to have a small, very small amount of time for myself when there were no experiments. It was extremely terrifying to know that whenever I opened my eyes, experiments would begin again. However, my resistance always ended up futile as the drugged water was poured down my container.

    * * *

    Crash! I heard the sharp sound of something breaking. At the same time, I felt my body lean forward. I opened my eyes in surprise, and the floor came closer to me at an extremely fast rate.

    Thud!

    ¡ªAck!

    I helplessly rolled on the floor. I felt pain all over my body, and it was not just because I fell on the ground. Sharp prickles of pain were mixed in with a heavy hit on the floor. When I assessed my condition, I realized that the ss pieces of the container that imprisoned me were pierced into my body. While tears fell down my face in pain, I looked at my surroundings. The floor was soaking wet and ss pieces were scattered on the floor. When I looked back, the ss container I was in hadpletely shattered.

    ¡®What happened?¡¯

    At that moment¡ª

    Thud!

    I turned my gaze as I heard a footstep. Then, my eyes opened wide. In a usually dark room, a fireball in the air was lit up the area. I saw a person below the fireball.

    The person was not a researcher, nor was she wearing a white robe. I also knew who she was. I had never seen her in real life, but I had seen her in portraits before.

    ¡ªPri¡­nce¡­sss¡­

    She was the reason why the researchers had tortured me so much.

    The Princess whose face was so cold that I wondered if she even knew about emotions, said, ¡°I heard about you. You¡¯re the existence that was created to steal my memory, an asset of Clowon.¡±

    I didn''t dare to open my mouth. She moved closer to me, and when she approached a certain distance, we both flinched.

    ¡°¡­This is how it feels.¡± The Princess put her hand on her head. ¡°They told me you can only steal my memories when I¡¯m in the system, but it seems as ifing closer to me is also another way of stealing my memories.¡±

    The Princess put her hand on her knees and while bending her body towards me, she said, ¡°But I should check. What do you see? Tell me without skipping anything.¡±

    ¡ªAh, that, I¡­

    I fumbled and opened my mouth because I was shocked by the unbelievable information that came flowing through my mind.

    ¡ªC-Clowon fell¡­

    ¡°And?¡±

    ¡ªAnd a new civilization entered the world¡­

    ¡°What else?¡±

    ¡ªWhat the P-Princess wants is¡­

    I gulped my saliva.

    ¡ªThe restoration¡­of Clowon.

 Chapter 345

    <h4>Chapter 345</h4>

    ¡°With what method?¡±

    -The Brushel System¡ªwith its enormous mana, you n to revert tens of thousands, or even perhaps, hundreds of years to the time before Clowon copsed. The reason why you are here is to find one of the means to aplish this, which is the Tree of water¡­

    ¡°Anything else?¡±

    -T-That is all.

    The princess straightened her back. ¡°Good performance, but does it only have recent memories? I suppose reading unconscious memories is still too much of a reach.¡± She looked down at me with cold eyes. Then, she asked, ¡°Why are you shaking so much?¡±

    ¡ªT-That¡­is¡­

    ¡°As expected, you can also read other things.¡±

    I looked up towards the princess. Her face was still void of any emotions, and at that moment, I couldpletely understand what others meant when they said that she was part of the System.

    ¡°Yes, I n to kill you,¡± she said. It was a ruthless death sentence. Even if I was something created by an experiment, and I only had memories full of pain, I wanted to live.

    ¡ªAh, p-please¡­let me live¡­

    ¡°Clowon has to revive.¡± As if that was its defined destiny, the princess said this matter-of-factly.

    ¡°I can¡¯t let any indefinite variables live,¡± the princess said and disappeared into the darkness. I wondered if she had shown mercy to me, but then I soon noticed the myriad of monsters standing behind the monster.

    ¡°Kill it.¡± With her simple words, my death was decided. The monsters approached me, and my life seemed to havee to an end.

    * * *

    ¡ªHuh?

    I opened my eyes. Although memories of my body being ripped apart to shreds by monsters were still vibrant in my mind, I was alive. I looked around. The broken ss case was restored to its original state and filled with fluid just like before. It was then that I knew by instinct.

    ¡®I regressed!¡¯

    I didn¡¯t know the reason, but it seemed like I had gone back in time. I wondered if I was back in the time of Clowon like the princess had said. However, when I looked around, that didn¡¯t seem to be the case. The lights in the room were turned off, and the room simply looked like a facility that had been abandoned for a long time.

    ¡®I don¡¯t know the reason, but¡­¡¯

    I broke the ss, and the fluid inside it spilled out. I stepped outside the ss case and for the first time in my life, I stepped forward of my own free will.

    ¡®I won¡¯t die in vain likest time!¡¯ I swore to protect myself.

    * * *

    ¡ªHow is it? Isn¡¯t it entertaining?

    While clutching her head, L stared down at Finel.

    ¡ªI¡¯m sure it¡¯s a new experience looking at a past you don¡¯t know, especially from another person¡¯s point of view. I hope you thank me for the unique experience.

    ¡°¡­This is¡­your past?¡±

    ¡ªYeah. The daughter of the Golden Emperor of Clowon¡ªthe Eternal Princess of the Empire¡ªthe Imperial Guardian Goddess, that¡¯s all you. How is it? What is it like to realize your identity as someone who could be said to have grown up in the noblest way in the world?

    L didn¡¯t respond. She was still organizing the memory that Finel had sent her.

    ¡°Did I try to restore Clowon?¡±

    ¡ªIt seems like you loved your mothend too much, Princess.

    Finel mocked L, then scowled as she turned around. Somebody was pounding her corpse underneath theke.

    ¡®Kraken?¡¯

    Why was the Kraken attacking her?

    ¡®Did I harm it too much?¡¯ However, it didn¡¯t matter. Finel used the tree¡¯s mana and gave amand to the Kraken. Soon, its attacks stopped.

    ¡®What happened to the mission? Did it seed?¡¯

    If Zich had killed the Kraken, it wouldn¡¯t be returning.

    ¡®No, there¡¯s a possibility that he could¡¯ve escaped.¡¯

    Nevertheless, Finel was sure Zich wouldn¡¯t be in a state to fight, and the thought of Zich¡¯s possible departure filled her with joy. The opponent she had feared the most was likely to have either died or escaped, the princess was in her grasp, and the rest of the princess¡¯ party was iparably weaker than the other two. Finel was sure of her victory. Now, the only thing left for her to do was aplish her goal.

    ¡°Did I really used to be a Demon Lord?¡± L asked.

    ¡ªI guess that¡¯s what outsiders called you. I mean, anyone could¡¯ve seen how merciless and cold you were. You killed and broke everything that even slightly got in the way of Clowon¡¯s restoration.

    It was just like how L had killed her.

    ¡ªWell, who cares about that? That¡¯s none of my concern. So, Princess, I showed you your past that you were so curious about. I want to receive my payment for it now.

    ¡°Payment?¡±

    ¡ªYes.

    Finel smiled brightly.

    ¡ªNo need to be afraid though. It¡¯s really nothing actually. All you have to do is give me your body.

    ¡°Give you my body?¡± L was taken aback.

    ¡ªWhy? You are not going to refuse, are you? I¡¯m sure not. You wouldn¡¯t.

    Finel¡¯s gentle voice turned rougher.

    ¡ªMy life was like hell every day because of you. Even when Clowon fell, I died under your hands. Why can¡¯t you just give me your body afterpletely ruining my life!

    She screamed thest few words. Driven by madness, Finel pounded the barrier. Her other hands that had been scratching the barrier were balled into fists and followed her. Although these movements didn¡¯t inflict much damage to the tough barrier, Finel¡¯s appearance, voice, and the meat clumps nketing the surroundings were enough to invoke great fear.

    ¡ªDo you! Do you realize how happy I was to see your current state!

    When Finel first found L at Shootuol, she was terrified. She thought L hade to kill her again. Even though she prepared to protect herself, the feelings she felt upon death were too traumatic. Thus, she desperately and carefully observed L with an inkling of hope to find her opponent¡¯s weakness; while she did this, Finel noticed something strange about L. The L she knew was such a cold person that she seemed to be made from metal. Yet, this L wasn¡¯t cold at all; instead, sheughed, got angry, and had fun like any ordinary person. Furthermore, she even had humanpanions. Could the princess who only dreamed of Clowon¡¯s restoration travel with herpanions like that?

    Still, L was still the princess, and Finel thought she had to kill L before she killed her. Her assassination attempt at the lodging failed with Zich¡¯s intervention, and even after she gathered many monsters to crush her in the waters, even that n failed. But it wasn¡¯t like these efforts werepletely fruitless. Finel realized that L was no longer the princess who only thought of Clowon¡¯s restoration. She guessed that L¡¯s memories must have reset, which meant that she was basically another person. With this assurance, Finel changed her ns to kill L and secure her body.

    Drip! In that instant, the skin on Finel¡¯s arm flowed down. L couldn¡¯t help but fixate her gaze onto it.

    ¡ªIt¡¯s gruesome to see, right?

    Finel grabbed the skin dripping down and rubbed it with her hands. The skin returned to its original state, but it didn¡¯t seem to have solved the underlying problem.

    ¡ªSince you saw my memory, you must also know why my body became like this.

    The first thing Finel did to live was eating her sisters who were still alive. One by one, she fused her unconscious but clearly alive sisters to her body. As shebined with more and more of her sisters, her power grew stronger, but her body became just as unstable. However, Finel persistently and thoroughly ate her sisters.

    Even if her body copsed, she thought that it was more important to block L¡¯s attack. However, when she realized that L was no longer the princess she used to be, her judgment was ill-advised.

    ¡ªIt doesn¡¯t matter anymore. Since I was born from you, your body would be perfect for me to transfer to.

    L shouted, ¡°Don¡¯t make meugh!¡±

    Finel just snorted.

    ¡ªDo you want to live? I understand; even if your consciousness was only awakened recently, I¡¯m sure you have a desire to live. It was the same for me.

    Yet, this was the extent of Finel¡¯s understanding.

    ¡ªBut are you worth living?

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡ªAren¡¯t I right? In the past, you told me that you were called a Demon Lord, right? Then, think about it¡ªhow many people did you massacre to bebeled with such a title?

    L couldn¡¯t remember. She didn¡¯t remember being called a Demon Lord, but she remembered what Demon Lords were like. A prime example of a Demon Lord was Zich Moore. Considering the number of people that Zich Moore killed, L as Clowon¡¯s Princess probably also killed a horrific number of people.

    ¨COur dear goddess who protects Clowon, you should have died when Clowon fell. Ah, no there¡¯s something better.

    Finel made an extremely twisted smile and continued talking.

    ¨CYou should have just never been born. You should give me your body and make your worthless life even a little bit more useful.

    Finel returned the exact words that the researchers had mercilessly hurled at her towards the Empire¡¯s princess. L tightly bit her lips, but she didn¡¯t withdraw her barriers.

    ¨CFine, I guess you want to resist till the very end, but it doesn¡¯t matter.

    Finel put her hand on the barrier again.

    ¨CI just gave you my memory, right? So give me your memories this time.

    ¡°Ack!¡± L tightly clutched her head. Memories began gushing out from her head.

    ¨CHmmm, I guess the world looks like this now.

    Finel nodded as she extracted L¡¯s memories. She had only observed the surroundings near Shootuol and had been unable to gain precise information of what the world was like outside of Shootuol.

    ¨CAhahaha! Princess, you had quite a fun adventure.

    It was an adventure full of happiness, sadness, and enjoyment. L seemed to have traveled constantly, met newpanions and many different people, and faced all sorts of incidents.

    ¡®All while I was shivering in fear and fusing my body with the body of my sisters!¡¯ Finel¡¯s hatred grew one level deeper. ¡®Well, it¡¯s fine now. This will be my new life now.¡¯

    Finel took out all the memories that were easy to take from L; most of them were memories of recent travels. However, Finel also knew that a vast amount of information was hidden deep inside L¡¯s brain; they were probably umted memories of when L used to be part of the System. Finel shuffled through the memories without hesitation.

    ¡°Aghh!¡± L clutched her head. She dropped her staff and fell down on her knees. The mana she was letting out was cut off, and the barrier disappeared.

    Finel smirked. Flesh meat clumps moved towards L on the ground like water flowing in a river.

    * * *

    Swoosh!

    The liquid monsters had noticed him and immediately rushed towards him. Zich pushed his head back in like a turtle, and he hurriedly shoved his body inside the Kraken¡¯s injury and threw a potion to heal the Kraken¡¯s outside flesh.

    ¡®What should I do?¡¯ Zich fell into deep thought for a bit. ¡®Well, first, that meat clump is definitely stronger than me.¡¯

    When Zich fought the meat clumpst time, he had gained the upper hand for a short period of time, but it would probably be much harder for him to approach the creature now.

    ¡®But I can¡¯t just leave.¡¯

    He didn¡¯t know what happened to L, Hans, Snoc, or Elena. In the first ce, Zich didn¡¯t even think about a n in which he ran away and left them. Zich looked up. From past the Kraken¡¯s sticky muscles, the meat clump was probably covering up the wholeke.

    ¡®After I rescue them, we should quickly escape.¡¯ Zich strengthened his grip on Windur. ¡®The n is to improvise. It¡¯ll be fine. I¡¯ve done this many times.¡¯

    During his days as Zich Moore, he had improvised hundreds of times and had been sessful.

    ¡®Before that, I should kill this guy.¡¯

    Zich wandered around while rupturing the Kraken¡¯s insides; the Kraken struggled in pain, but Zich thoroughly ignored its movements.

    ¡®I found it!¡¯ A grayish-white brain appeared in front of Zich, but Zich didn¡¯t kill the Kraken right away. He destroyed the surrounding flesh and continued to give more pain to the Kraken.

    Buuuaaaaaaaaaaaaa! The Kraken moved frantically, and Zich controlled its movements. The Kraken sank, and then moved towards the meat clump at an extremely fast rate. Of course, as long as it was getting mind-controlled, it probably wouldn¡¯t collide with the meat clump, but that was enough for Zich.

    sh! Zich grinded the Kraken¡¯s brain. In an instant, the Kraken stopped breathing. However, the Kraken¡¯s body continued to rise due to inertia. The Kraken¡¯s corpse rose to a level where it was almost about to collide with the meat clump¡¯s wall. At that exact moment, Zich ced his magic box on the Kraken¡¯s body. Its corpse instantly swept into the magic box, and arge empty space appeared in the ocean. A huge amount of water was still present in his surroundings, but there was now an empty space where the Kraken used to be, and only Zich existed in this space. The liquid monsters near him wriggled while looking at Zich, but since there was no water in the space he was in, they were unable to attack Zich.

    However, that was only for a moment. The ocean water quickly moved to eat up the space that appeared inside it. The liquid monsters also filled up the space, but Zich¡¯s body continued to rise from the inertia. He saw the ocean water moving further away from him and the meat clump¡¯s wall from a distance. Zich swung Windur, which was filled with an enormous amount of mana.

    Crassssssssh!

    The ocean water bounced off and the meat clump exploded.

 Chapter 346

    <h4>Chapter 346</h4>

    Crash! A huge collision rang out, and Finel turned around in surprise. Her body, specifically her sisters that were attached to her body, was crumbling and breaking apart from her; between their remains, one person came into view.

    Thud! Zich nimbly jumped on top of the lumps of fat. The mushy sensation he got uponnding made his face scrunch up. The arms popping out around his surroundings floundered. Their eyes looked towards Zich while their noses sniffed, and their mouths screamed. Zich sliced off the nearest meat clumps that came out like humps. Their mouths screamed, but Zich ignored them. The meat clumps he sliced off were huge, literally big enough to be a small house, and Zich lifted them. While slicing off the arms reaching for him like cutting down tree branches, he stared at the hole he created. Fluid monsters were crawling out of the hole.

    ¡°This ce is forbidden to enter,¡± Zich murmured and shoved the meat clump right into the hole.

    Crumple! Although the meat clump was much bigger than the hole, everything that made up the floor and what Zich held consisted of meat clumps, so he was able to push it into the hole with enough force. It filled up the hole so tightly that even a drop of water couldn¡¯t leak in. Zich sliced all the fluid monsters that had already made their way in and stared at the hole he had blocked.

    ¡®They were hard to deal with because of their abilities, but since they weren¡¯t that physically strong, at least they wouldn¡¯t be able toe in immediately.¡¯

    Crunch! After crushing a nearby lip and piercing Windur into the eye next to it, Zich looked forward.

    ¡°Hey, it hasn¡¯t been that long since west saw each other.¡±

    The surrounding arms tried scratching Windur, but they couldn¡¯tnd a mark on the sturdy sword which was stronger than most rare metals. When the arms changed their targets and aimed for Zich, he personally crushed them with his feet.

    ¡ªYou are¡­!

    Finel¡¯s face was distorted. Zich thought her face looked just like how people responded when cockroaches suddenly popped up in their house.

    ¡ªYou didn¡¯t die nor run away!

    ¡°Die? Me? If you wanted to kill me, you shouldn¡¯t have only sent the Kraken but dozens of monsters that you keep at even deeper pits underwater. Even then, I¡¯m not sure I would die. Regardless, I¡¯m not the type of person who would die just because you sent some weird fluid monsters and the Kraken off to kill me.¡± Zich puffed out his chest confidently. ¡°And what do you mean by running away? I¡¯m not the type of person who needs to seed in all my battles or kill my enemies, but I¡¯m not cowardly enough to run away from a shoddy monster like you.¡±

    ¡ªHow dare you! Know your ce!

    When Finel shouted, the whole area rumbled and echoed. Mouths from all over the ce rang in unison and created a chilling effect. Yet, it only made Zich clean his ear holes and blow his earwax.

    ¡°Don¡¯t you think there¡¯s a difference in opinions in what my ce is?¡± Zich¡¯s eyes turned sharp. ¡°More importantly, is L there?¡±

    Near Finel, there was a gathered pile of meat clumps. In a way, it looked like the cocoon of an insect that was about to emerge.

    ¡ªYou have keen senses.

    ¡°Well, I won¡¯t be anything without my senses,¡± he remarked like he had received apliment. Then, he continued, ¡°It seems like you have given L quite the full-course treatment. Although I was the one who suggested it, I think L is satisfied now. She won¡¯t have a good impression of you if you go too far. How about letting her go now?¡±

    ¡ªWhat nonsense.

    Finel immediately shot down Zich¡¯s suggestion.

    ¡°Yeah, I thought so. Guys like you don¡¯t listen to suggestions. You are the type of kid who didn¡¯t listen to what adults told you and regretted itter on.¡±

    Zich took out Windur from the floor. ¡°Unfortunately, the only thing effective for guys like you is a good beating.¡±

    ¡ªYou bber on so well for someone dragged to the bottom of the ocean by me!

    ¡°It wasn¡¯t by you but the Kraken. Aren¡¯t you the one who is having trouble remembering things now? Even with the immense power you gained, you still struggled against me and called the Kraken. You are just like an arrogant child calling for her mommy after getting beaten up by the neighborhood kid.¡±

    Zich stationed Windur upright. ¡°Now you don¡¯t even have this Kraken. Who are you going to tattle to now?¡±

    ¡ªJust because you had the upper hand once, your arrogance knows no bounds! Why don¡¯t you try me again! I will teach you that the coincidence fromst time won¡¯t happen again!

    ¡°Yeah, yeah. Why don¡¯t you teach me since I am so willing to learn? Please don¡¯t call on your mommy this time.¡± Then, Zich¡¯s tone suddenly dropped much lower, ¡°Ah, before that, let me ask you this. What happened to the other guys? You know those three fluffy kids.¡±

    ¡ªHmph! I killed all of them!

    Finel snorted since she wanted to get on Zich¡¯s nerves, but the choice of her opponent was too unfortunate.

    ¡°Is that so? I¡¯m d they all escaped safely. As expected of L, I knew she would do at least that much.¡±

    ¡ªI just told you I killed them!

    ¡°If you are done with your lecture, do you want to listen to my lecture on lying? You are so bad at it that it¡¯s making me pity you even when you are my opponent.¡± Although his words sounded like he was speaking for her sake, everything besides them such as his tone, expression, and posture looked down on Finel.

    ¡ªYou bastard!

    Finel was enraged. Zich began to rush towards her. The arms all over the floor tried to grab him, but Zich stepped over them as he ran. Realizing that it was difficult to attack him physically, they began to use magic. A familiar scene like before unfolded. Each of the lips recited individual spells while magic circles formed on the hands. Yet, Zich was determined.

    Babababam! Magic rained down on Zich. They were bombardments that fought with sheer numbers, not caring whether they canceled or interfered with each other; Zich made his way between them. However, even Zich couldn¡¯t escape the magic that Finel herself used.

    ¡°Tch!¡± While clicking his tongue, he escaped the fireball flying his way, smashed the cold air trying to grab his ankles, and scattered the lightninging in front of him.

    Baam! An enormous explosion rang out in the space filled with fleshy chunks. The whole space shook, and the nearby ¡®mouths¡¯ screamed. However, Finel unleashed spells without caring if her body was injured. This was one of the reasons why she relentlessly poured out mana even in areas where mouths and arms were making barriers to protect their main body. Of course, the main reason why Finel was releasing magic like this while injuring herself in the process was that she realized how much of a threat Zich was. Her wariness towards Zich had exponentially increased after he threatened her life, and it reached its peak after Finel read L¡¯s memories. Finel saw that Zich would be called Demon Lord Zich Moore in the future.

    ¡®I can¡¯t let down my guard at all!¡¯ Finel clenched her teeth and continued to pour out mana as hard as she could.

    ¡®It¡¯s hard to get closer.¡¯ Zich continued to strike and evade Finel¡¯s spells while continuing to move forward. Fortunately, since Finel¡¯s flesh covered the entire surface of theke, she couldn¡¯t use the power from theke waters.

    After evading Finel¡¯s attacks like this for a while, Zichnded on something hard instead of squishy flesh.

    ¡®It¡¯s a tree root.¡¯ It was the root of the gigantic tree covering the ind. Even while the entire space was covered in flesh, the tree still carried a formidable and grand presence. Of course, arge part of its roots was still covered in flesh clumps but the parts that were revealed were a sight to see.

    ¡ªDie over there!

    With Finel¡¯s shout, the tree branches began dropping water droplets again. It seemed as if she was nning to create the liquid monsters again. Zich tightly clutched Windur to crush them when¡ª

    Wiiiiing! Windur trembled. At the same time, the tree root that Zich was stepping on lightly vibrated.

    ¡°Hmm?¡±

    ¡ªW-what is that?

    Zich and Finel were both taken aback. This was the first time Finel experienced something like this, but it was different for Zich. The corners of his mouth curved upwards.

    ¡®As expected, that works here as well.¡¯ A nostalgic amount of mana swirled inside his body, and Zich swung his sword.

    Crassssssh! Zich¡¯s swing carried iparably more force than before and shredded apart the water droplets falling down like a storm. The water droplets couldn¡¯t transform into monsters and shatteredpletely against the flesh clumps or tree roots.

    Finel¡¯s jaw dropped. The strength that Zich just showed was shocking. Then, a memory that she stole from L suddenly rose to the surface of her mind¡ªwhen he was near trees that were simr to the Tree of Water she was on, Zich¡¯s power exponentially increased.

    ¡ªDamn it!

    Finel began pouring out spells again, but Zich sliced all of them and approached further. The speed at which he was moving forward was also extremely fast. Finel bit her lips. If she had remembered Zich¡¯s rtionship with the tree just a little bit earlier, she would have never let Zich approach the tree.

    ¡®As expected, I need to properly organize the memories I stole.¡¯ However, she couldn¡¯t turn back time. ¡®I guess it can¡¯t be helped.¡¯

    On the other hand, this wasn¡¯t the first time Zich hade closer to the tree. In the first ce, Finel¡¯s first battle with Zich was on a tree root. However, during that time, there was no sign at all that Zich¡¯s power would be triggered, but now, he was able to continuously shoot out enormous amounts of power. Finel could think of one possible reason.

    ¡®My control over the tree has decreased.¡¯

    This happened because Finel had moved away from the tree root to subdue and capture L. Finel seeped into the clumps of flesh. She began to move while using the clumps of flesh as tunnels. All the flesh was part of her body, so it was easy for her to move her main body across the clumps of flesh.

    ¡°You¡¯re over there!¡± Of course, Zich was not an easy opponent. He sensed her movements and unleashed attacks at her main body.

    However, Finel could use the arms and mouths attached to her flesh and shoot out spells, form barriers, and easily return back to the tree roots. In order to increase her strength, Finel began retrieving the flesh that had scattered around her surroundings.

    Ziiiiing!

    As Finel began to focus her attention on gaining control over the tree, the tree¡¯s vibration greatly decreased. At the same time, Zich¡¯s mana also decreased. Zich clicked his tongue as his strength decreased, but he wasn¡¯t very disappointed. ¡®In the first ce, my strength hadn¡¯t increased that much anyways.¡¯

    Even though his strength hadrgely increased, it was significantly less than when he was able to use all of the mana in his body like before. ¡®And it¡¯s probably because of that meat clump.¡¯

    But it was all right. Zich was able to reach his intended goal. Zich stared at the wall made out of meat clumps in front of him. If Zich recalled how the space looked when he first came inside, there used to be an open hole in the ce he was looking at. In other words, there was a huge amount of meat clumps aggregated in that ce, and Zich sensed L¡¯s presence deep inside this pile of meat clumps.

    ¡®I need to pull her out.¡¯ Zich was about to swing Windur towards the inside of the wall when¡ª

    Crasssssh! Zich evaded the magic aimed at his back. He slowly turned around and stared at Finel who attacked him.

    ¡ªYou think I¡¯d just sit back and watch you release her!

    ¡°Hey, obsession is also a disease. Did you perhaps fall in love with L? I support all kinds of love, but you need to get consent from the other party. One-sided love like that is not love but a crime.¡±

    ¡ªLove? Even though I know you don¡¯t know anything, you¡¯re really an unpleasant guy! The only emotion I feel towards her is hatred!

    ¡°Then, why don¡¯t you let her go now? Why are you trying to embrace someone you find so unpleasant?¡±

    ¡ªIt¡¯s because she¡¯s going to be my new body!

    Even though it seemed like an interesting story, there was no time for Zich to satiate his curiosity because Finel was about to start attacking again.

    ¡®Hmmm, it¡¯s true that her attacks are troublesome. Is there a way to distract her while I save L?¡¯

    At that moment, Zich felt a familiar presence. Zich¡¯s gaze headed towards where the door was. When Finel was retrieving her flesh, she had also retrieved the flesh covering the door so there were no obstacles blocking the door anymore. When the door opened, Zich saw familiar facesing in.

    ¡°Sir Zich!¡± Hans called out to him in a loud voice.

    Zichughed loudly as he saw the man together with Snoc, and Elena.

 Chapter 347

    <h4>Chapter 347</h4>

    Hans, Snoc, and Elena ran to the ce where Zich was while holding up their guard against the meat clumps in their surroundings. Their movements made Zich very satisfied.

    ¡®Even Elena is sort of keeping up.¡¯

    Her movements didn¡¯t belong to a mage stuck in a corner of her room, researching all day. As expected, it appeared that L trained her quite well. Of course, Finel didn¡¯t stand by and let the group reunite with Zich. Magic and the power of water struck them again. Yet, Hans, Snoc, and Elena masterfully used each of their special skills and seeded in reaching Zich¡¯s side. However, the reason why they were able to reach their destination safely wasn¡¯t only because of their skills.

    ¡°Didn¡¯t its attacks be a bit weaker?¡±

    <i>Koo! </i>Nowem agreed with Snoc¡¯s statement. Hans also thought that the shocks he felt on Estede while blocking the spells were much lower than before. The mage among them, Elena, gave her own exnation.

    ¡°Isn¡¯t it because the meat clumps covering this room havee out of that monster¡¯s body? Their dispersion might have also scattered its powers.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s probably the case.¡± Elena¡¯s words gained more validity than Zich¡¯s words.

    Finel had separated her body, so the authority she had over the tree fell; moreover, she was probably spending a lot of her powers encapsting L.

    ¡®Since she talked about taking her body and whatnot, she is probably pouring huge amounts of her power into that process.¡¯

    There were several other guesses they could make, but they were sure about one thing: Finel could no longer use the ginormous power like before. Of course, her current powers were noughing matter, but it wasn¡¯t at a point where the rest of the group couldn¡¯t block them anymore. Zich stared at Hans, Snoc, and Elena. ¡®These guys would be enough.¡¯

    However, Zich wondered why these guys were still here.

    ¡°Didn¡¯t L let you guys escape?¡± Zich asked.

    ¡°Yes, she let us escape by putting her life on the line. However, since we weren¡¯t sure if you werepletely defeated, we hid a bit of a distance away in a hole that Snoc dug. We thought we could be of some help if a battle erupted again.¡±

    ¡°What if both L and I werepletely done for? It would¡¯ve slowed down your escape.¡±

    ¡°We judged that it was more convincing that you left the frontlines for a bit rather than dying or escaping, sir. However, since we couldn¡¯t wait the whole time, we decided to use a sand clock to see how long we should wait.¡±

    ¡°What about the escape method?¡±

    ¡°We thought we could take full advantage of Snoc¡¯s abilities since his abilities worked in other areas besides the room where the monster was. We didn¡¯t think Snoc would be able to dig a hole way up to the surface, and we also considered the danger of the hole falling into the ocean. Thus, we thought we could keep using the passageways and immediately dug a hole and hid there when we noticed dangers. Since we each have a plenty amount of food and water, we thought we would be able to get out even if it takes a couple of days.¡±

    If they had stayed behind thoughtlessly out of guilt with no n in mind, Zich had nned to scold themter. He was satisfied to hear that Hans had a bit of a sloppy but definite n.

    ¡°Whose idea was this?¡±

    ¡°I thought of the main idea and got help from Snoc and Elena,¡± Hans said. His usually shy and hesitant demeanor towards Zich was nowhere to be found. Hans had a strong conviction; it wasn¡¯t that he didn¡¯t think he could be wrong. His conviction stemmed from the belief that his n was the best one he could possiblye up with, and there was nothing he could do if he was wrong. This made Zichugh heartily.

    ¡°Good job!¡±

    The fact that Hans had acted on his own judgments made Zich very happy. Regardless of the situation, anyone could move on orders; but a person like that had an extremely difficult time exceeding a certain level or surviving for a long time in unexpected situations¡ªespecially for Zich¡¯spanions who experienced all kinds of events.

    ¡®Yeah! I don¡¯t need some puppet who only moves ording to my orders.¡¯ At the very least, Zich had no intention of letting Hans and Snoc grow like such idiots; it was probably the same for L. Zich pointed at the meat clumps near him. ¡°I am going to go save L starting now. In the meantime, you have to block that guy. Are you confident you can do that?¡±

    ¡°Our opponents¡¯ attacks have be much weaker than before. I don¡¯t know about killing it, but I¡¯m sure we can endure its attacks. Above all, I believe that I can¡¯t escape when I have to protect someone to be a worthy wielder of Estede.¡±

    ¡°Like Senior said, we can¡¯t leave Lady L considering our dreams. Sir Zich, you told us that a cry for justice without any strength backing it up is useless, but I think we at least have the strength to protect you both right now!¡±

    ¡°Yes, Lady L is also my master!¡± Elena added.

    The three responded with their individual aspirations and will.

    ¡°Good. So, you guys will protect us. Well, I don¡¯t think it will take long since all I have to do is take her out.¡±

    ¡ªDo you think it will be that easy!

    Finel shouted.

    ¡ªEven if it¡¯s far away from me, that is also part of my body! Moreover, it¡¯s specially made so I poured in a lot of my powers! Even you wouldn¡¯t be able to break it easily.

    ¡°I don¡¯t n on breaking it. I am just going to make a hole and pull her out. I¡¯m sure at least that much would be possible.¡±

    ¡ªHow ridiculous! Even if it¡¯s disconnected from the main body, do you think I won¡¯t be able to kill something that hase inside my body!

    ¡°We will only know that once I¡¯m inside it.¡±

    The mana inside Zich¡¯s body circled around once. ¡®There¡¯s barely any left.¡¯

    After Finel gained authority over the tree again, his mana was decreasing at an exceedingly fast pace, but he still had a tiny bit left.

    ¡®It¡¯s enough for me to try this.¡¯ Zich raised Windur and aimed it at the meat clump. <i>Bam!</i>

    ¡®As I thought, it¡¯s hard.¡¯ Zich felt a vibration that traveled to his palms. It really wasn¡¯t an easy task. However, his attacks weren¡¯t futile; a hole that two or three people could crawl into appeared.

    ¡ªThis is¡­!

    Finel¡¯s face stiffened as she sensed Zich¡¯s power. His power was still an extraordinary amount.

    ¡°Work hard in protecting us.¡±

    ¡°Yes, sir!¡±

    ¡°Sir, we got it!¡±

    ¡°Please take care of Teacher!¡±

    Zich put his hand on the mushy hole and squeezed his body inside. The flesh clumps wriggled and attempted to patch up the hole. Arms began to threateninglye out and attack Zich. A few of them were also preparing small-scale magic attacks. Zich shot out mana towards them again.

    <i>Crasssh! </i>The hole got a bit wider. Zich¡¯s entire upper body almost disappeared fully into the hole.

    ¡ªEven if you manage to survive there, do you think these pieces of trash can block me!

    Zich halted. He lifted his head and looked at the meat clumps on the ceiling; an eye was attached over there. It was definitely connected to Finel¡¯s sight, and an ear was also attached next to it. Zich put his mouth near the ear and said, ¡°Don¡¯t look down on L and my disciples, you fucking bastard!¡±

    After crushing the eye with his fingers, Zich continued to push into the meat clumps.

    * * *

    With vague memories, L half-opened her eyes as if she was drunk. She wasn¡¯t able to see anything, but she knew what kind of state she was in. A disgusting fishy smell wafted through her nose, the sound of crushing flesh reached her ears, and the sensation of sticky pressure surrounded her whole body. L was sure that she was buried inside Finel¡¯s flesh. She wanted to scream, but she had no strength to do so. L didn¡¯t even know how she was breathing while buried under Finel¡¯s flesh.

    No, was she even breathing? Perhaps she had already stopped breathing. Then, how was she able to smell this disgusting, fishy smell? All kinds of thoughts came up inside her mind. It felt as if she was in a half-conscious state when she was about to fall asleep. She tried to stay focused to assess her situation, but her attention quickly dissipated after only a few seconds.

    However, L was sure about one thing. If she continued to stay in her current state, her existence wouldpletely disappear forever. With this thought in mind, L suddenly felt fear. But even this fear did notst long. Memories, idents, and emotions all mixed together, and L was unable to distinguish which one was what. Then, a sudden memory popped into her mind. L didn¡¯t know why only this memory was clear even in her half-conscious state. It was the memory of L¡¯s cold face as she looked down at ¡®herself¡¯ (a memory of her face from Finel¡¯s perspective).

    It was during the time when she used to be called a Demon Lord, an existence who massacred countless people. Even though L didn¡¯t know the exact number of people she killed, from Zich¡¯s words, Shootuol waspletely destroyed. During Shootuol¡¯s destruction, a great number of people probably died, and not even one person might have survived. It was probably all done to gain control of Clowon¡¯s ruin near Shootuol. Even though this ruin was at a certain distance away from Shootuol, the L in the past probably killed everyone to erase all possible variables, considering the fact that she killed Finel for this very reason.

    After thinking this, another memory rose to the surface¡ªit was L¡¯s own memory this time. L remembered how she worried about Zich bing a Demon Lord again and the efforts she put to lead him to the ¡®right path.¡¯ When L remembered this, she felt extremely embarrassed. Even though she continuously requested Zich to not be a Demon Lord, in truth, she had also been a mass-murdering Demon Lord herself. The only difference between them was that Zich was faithful to his emotions and desires while L was a cold-blooded person who only moved for Clowon¡¯s restoration.

    Why? Why did she suddenly remember what Finel said to her?

    [Is your life worth living?]

    Even though it was a memory that no one else remembered, she definitely killed a huge number of people.

    [You should have never been born.]

    She was not much different from her main source of concern: Zich. Even though L had made all kinds of predictions and theories while worrying about her forgotten past and whether she was an experiment or not, she had never imagined that she could have been a Demon Lord like Zich Moore. Maybe, she was even more shocked because of this reason. When she thought this far, a new concern suddenly came up in her mind.

    What would happen if she recovered all her past memories and reawakened her past self? L''s n to restore Clowon had definitely ended up in failure since the world without Clowon was continuing on. Yet, if she went back to when she was Clowon¡¯s princess and not who she was anymore, she might start moving for Clowon¡¯s restorations. And if she was sessful¡­

    Everything that happened after Clowon¡¯s fall would bepletely erased. Just thinking about this sent chills down her spine. Thousands, tens of thousands, or a possibly even longer history of all the humans who lived and all the people currently living would bepletely gone. It really was a bone-chilling event. In a way, Finel might have been right that it would be better if she just died here.

    When L thought this, she closed her eyes. Since there was no light, this was a meaningless gesture. However, it was enough to let the subconscious tears that formed in her eyes drop down to her cheeks. Even if her current consciousness was not her original consciousness, her past selfmitted unforgivable sins, and her very existence had the potential to endanger the present world, even then¡­!

    ¡®Even then, I want to live!¡¯

    <i>Grab! </i>L opened her eyes as someone grabbed her hand. A faint light seeped through the darkness.

    ¡°I found you!¡±

    She heard a familiar voice.

 Chapter 348

    <h4>Chapter 348</h4>

    ¡°Are you alive?¡±

    She heard the voice again. For a moment, L couldn¡¯t speak. She wondered if the situation before her was part of a dream or reality. She even thought Finel could be mimicking Zich¡¯s voice to torment her. Yet, it was clear that she wasn¡¯t imagining or dreaming of these rough palms that were pulling her hand.

    ¡°Hey, are you dead? Feeling your current temperature, it seems you are still alive. Did you faint? Or is this not L?¡±

    ¡°N-No, I am L!¡± Worried that Zich might let go of her hands, L gripped the hand that was clutching hers harder and yelled.

    ¡°Ah, so <i>it is</i> L.¡±

    <i>Pop! </i>In an instant, she felt the meat clump¡¯s dirty and heavy weight that had been pressing her down disappear. Although she heard a scream full of pain in the background, she didn¡¯t focus on it.

    ¡°What¡¯s that stuff all over you?¡± Zich asked.

    <i>Pop! </i>Another shock swept the surroundings again, and the legs of the meat clump disappeared. Yet, there wasn¡¯t any injury on L¡¯s body. It was a surprising level of mana control. L couldn¡¯t put any strength into her legs and fell to the ground.

    ¡°What, is this ce thatfortable?¡±

    ¡°W-wait!¡± L tried to hurriedly get up but fell again.

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t seem like it¡¯s because you are just surprised.¡± Zich pulled himself out of the hole and pushed his feet into therge room he had made. Then, he looked around. ¡®As I thought, this ce seems to be really special.¡¯

    Since he had controlled the de attack to not injure L, the force had been much weaker than the attack he made to pierce this hole. Yet, because of the de attack, all the meat clumps that had been surrounding L fell apart. Compared to the meat clumps that had blocked him so far, the meat clumps here had the defense ability of paper. Zich smashed their remains on the ground as much as he pleased and approached L.

    ¡°Thankfully, it doesn¡¯t seem like you are hurt anywhere.¡±

    ¡°Ah, yeah. I¡¯m not hurt.¡±

    ¡°Then, is it just that you can¡¯t put any strength in your body?¡± It was probably the side effect of the meat clump¡¯s attempt to steal her body.

    ¡°W-wait! If I wait a bit, I think I can¡ª¡±

    Zich ignored her. It would be preferable if L recovered quickly, but right now, they didn¡¯t have the time to leisurely wait and see when she would be fully capable of walking again.

    <i>Bam! </i>Zich struck the fireball flying his way.

    ¡°Magic?¡±

    ¡°This ce is still the inside of the damn meat clump. It has been grossly blocking me since I came in.¡±

    ¡°Ah!¡± L remembered what she hadpletely forgotten at Zich¡¯s sudden appearance. ¡°That must have been the firelight I saw!¡±

    She had seen a firelight when she grabbed Zich¡¯s hands but didn¡¯t see it anymore. It seemed that the light that she saw hade off from the magic Finel shot.

    ¡°Let¡¯s get out of here first.¡± Zich grabbed and lifted L with one arm and clutched Windur tightly with the other.

    ¡°You are freakishly light. Are you eating properly these days?¡±

    ¡°W-Wait¡­.¡±

    ¡°What, do you need to do something? I don¡¯t know what it is, but do it next time. We don¡¯t have the time for it right now.¡±

    Truthfully, L still felt guilty towards Finel. Thus, she had stopped Zich without thinking twice. Yet, it was true that she also desperately wanted to continue living, so in her heart, she felt relieved that Zich ignored her. Furthermore, it wasn¡¯t like Zich was wrong. Meat clumps began to push into the area again. Several hands stretched out between these areas, and eyes and lips also popped out simrly. Then, they began to enchant spells.

    ¡°How is your mana, L?¡±

    ¡°It seems okay. I think I only lost strength in my body.¡±

    ¡°Then, can you use magic?¡±

    L lifted her arms and tried moving her fingers. It felt much harder to move them than usual, but it wasn¡¯t to the point where she couldn¡¯t move them at all.

    ¡°It¡¯s alright.¡±

    ¡°Good! Then, let¡¯s get out of this disgusting ce first.¡± Zich deflected the magicing his way with Windur. Light, storms, and heat rushed into the dark ce. Thanks to that, L could check her surroundings with her eyes.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°What is it? Why did you suddenly go silent?¡±

    ¡°¡­We just have to prate the area to make a passageway, right?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. I mean, magic makes the most powerful single blows.¡±

    ¡°I understand.¡± L began to murmur a spell. Her mana overflowed and began to gather at the ends of her fingers.

    ¨C Kyaaaaaah!

    Several lips let out iprehensible screams.

    ¡®Hmm. Even though these guys are controlled by the main body, it¡¯s a reach to say they are also part of it.¡¯ Their magic and attack methods were all crude. ¡®Yet, it¡¯s true that they are special products.¡¯

    In addition to their magic, their physical strength was formidable. Thus, he had to go through a lot of trouble to break their walls. Nevertheless, he seeded in retrieving L, and considering the mana gathering in L¡¯s hands, escaping appeared to be easier than trespassing.

    <i>Crackle! </i>Fire sparks burst out of L¡¯s hands. It wasn¡¯t the usual fireball that swept up a wide area like a tsunami of mes, but apressed fire spark that shot out in a straight line.

    ¨C Kieeeeeeh!

    The lips screamed simultaneously. The smell of burning skin and fat grazed thickly across their noses, but L didn¡¯t stop. She continued to cast spells. Although Zich had to maintain a sloppy stance, there was now a space where he could walk through while carrying L.

    ¡®This isfortable,¡¯ Zich thought as he sliced an arm reaching for him. With L joining, the situation had be much easier. Leaving the task of piercing a hole to L, all he had to do was block the attacks in their surroundings.

    <i>Crunch!</i>

    ¨C Kueeeeeeh!

    He even poked the eyes that annoyingly red at him from time to time.

    <i>Baam! </i>The fire spark that was fading away after burning through a path of meat clumps finally blew forward cleanly. The fire sparks flew while leaving a long red trajectory and disappeared after burning away the meat clumps on the opposite wall. A hole had formed in front of Zich and L, and beyond it, a bluish lighting from the water tree seeped in. Instead of the disgusting smell of burning flesh, fresh air tickled their noses.

    ¡ªAhhhhhhh!

    The mouths cried out loud as if to let out their frustrations at their inability to stop Zich and L. However, Zich nor L had any desire to understand their hurt feelings.

    <i>Crush! </i>Zich swung Windur and expanded the hole; L did the same thing. <i>st! st! st!</i>

    L¡¯s magicpletely burnt the flesh surrounding the hole, making it expand to arge enough size for two people to sufficiently pass through. Zich stepped out of the hole without hesitation.

    ¡°Sir Zich!¡±

    ¡°You¡¯vee out!¡±

    ¡°Teacher!¡±

    Hans, Snoc, and Elena called out to them happily. However, they all immediately closed their mouths as soon as they saw L and Zich¡¯s appearances. More specifically, they shut their mouths after seeing Zich. L took out a bunch of potions from her magic box as soon as they came out of the hole. Then, she looked up at Zich. She bit hard on her lip.

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°Just drink this first!¡± L put a potion on Zich¡¯s mouth. Zich gulped down the potion without any resistance. While he was drinking the potion, L took out more potion bottles and sprayed them everywhere on his body.

    ¡°Um, Sir Zich?¡± Hans approached them and carefully asked, ¡°Are you all right?¡±

    Zich was holding L, and she didn¡¯t seem to have received any surface-level injuries. The problem was Zich. His appearance was disastrous; his body was covered in blood, and there were manyrge holes throughout his body. There were areas where they could see parts of his bones, and they could also see his intestines moving in his stomach area. The skin around those areas had severe burn marks.

    Moreover, his face, which was the most visible area when fighting an opponent, was in an extremely dire state. There was a hole in his cheek, so they could clearly see his inner teeth, and one of his eyes waspletely mangled. It was definitely unable to perform its proper function.

    However, the part that made hispanions speechless was Zich¡¯s careless attitude. Even though they had seen him look unfazed while receiving severe injuries before, his current condition looked way too serious.

    ¡°Wow, my pain instantly disappeared.¡± It was even more bizarre to see him chuckle as L poured potions on him.

    However, they couldn¡¯t continue to stay frozen in shock. Finel¡¯s attacks hadn¡¯t stopped yet.

    ¡ªY-y-you¡­!

    After seeing that Zich had rescued L, Finel was unable to properly talk and huffed in fury. She looked like a child who got her snack taken away from her.

    ¡ªYou fucking bastaaaaaards!

    Finel loudly cried out; enormous mana trembled and likewise, her flesh moved in a frenzy. Even though it felt as if the whole space was trembling from her cries, Zich merely cleaned his ears.

    ¡°So fucking loud.¡± This was the extent of Zich¡¯s thoughts about Finel¡¯s cries.

    ¡ªKill, I need to kill you!

    Finel¡¯s eyes rolled back in fury as the long-awaited n she was so close to achieving was shattered by Zich.

    ¡ªI don¡¯t need a body anymore! I¡¯m going to kill you bastards here! All of you!

    ¡°Ah, is that so? We seem to share mutual feelings. I¡¯m also starting to get tired of seeing your face. Let¡¯s end this.¡± Zich lifted up Windur.

    The surrounding meat clumps began wiggling again; the meat clump that had imprisoned L was moving more strongly than the other parts. ¡®She¡¯s nning to gather her body parts again.¡¯

    ¡°Hans! Snoc! Elena!¡±

    ¡°Yes, sir!¡± All three of them answered at the same time.

    ¡°All of you stay here and prevent that meat clump from moving!¡±

    ¡°Yes, sir!¡±

    As soon as Zich gave them an order, the three of them began moving. Snoc used mithril to build a wall and stopped the meat clump¡¯s path. Hans and Elena mercilessly attacked the meat clump. Even though they were unable topletely stop the meat clump¡¯s movements, it was definitely moving slower than before.

    ¡°L.¡±

    ¡°Yep! What should I do?¡±

    L seemed to have be oddly morepliant than before, but Zich didn¡¯t think too much about this. He merely thought that there was now a higher possibility that she might forgive him for the action he was about to do.

    ¡°You¡¯re able to use all your magic, right?¡±

    ¡°Of course!¡±

    ¡°Good!¡± Zich lifted L high up in the air.

    ¡°¡­What?¡± L let out a surprised yelp as Zich supported her butt with his elbow and put his hand on her back. ¡°W-wait! Zich, what are you doing right no¡ª!¡±

    ¡°I trust you, L!¡±

    ¡°Kyaaaaaaah!¡±

    When they talked about this eventter, although Hans and Snoc had been with L for a very long time, and of course, Elena, they all agreed that it was the very first time they ever heard L scream like that. Regardless of how light L was, she was still a full-grown adult, and she still carried a certain amount of weight. However, with Zich¡¯s throw, L¡¯s body flew in the air at an extremely fast speed¡ªright in front of Finel.

    ¡ªWhat!

    Even Finel was startled in the middle of her attack. She hadn¡¯t expected him to throw L like that in her direction. For that reason, a small gap appeared in her movements. Zich used that moment to run towards theke at full speed.

 Chapter 349

    <h4>Chapter 349</h4>

    ¡®Seriously, that guy!¡¯ As soon as L saw Zich jump into theke, she could tell what he was thinking. ¡®He used me as bait!¡¯

    Positive feelings were blown away at once and were reced by the emotions she usually felt about Zich: annoyance, frustration, and exhaustion; what angered her the most was the fact that his n to use her as bait was clearly effective. L felt Finel¡¯s attacks diminish.

    ¡®He should have at least warned me about it!¡¯ However, L knew that Zich¡¯s response to this statement would be obvious. He would say things like, ¡®I didn¡¯t have time,¡¯ or ¡®If I exined it to you, the enemy could find out,¡¯ or ¡®ns like this should be kept hidden from even your ownpanions,¡¯ and so on. Although all these exnations had merit, it only ignited her anger more.

    ¡®I know it¡¯s not because he doesn¡¯t care about me.¡¯

    She knew at least this much from his usual attitude. Above all¡­

    ¡®He came to save me with all those injuries.¡¯

    Images of the wounds on Zich and the warmth she felt on his hands when he pulled her out of despair passed through her head. Eventually, L stopped feeling annoyed. Even when she tried to cling to her anger, she couldn¡¯t stop them from disappearing; it was like trying to contain water in a palm while it flowed down between her fingers. L regained her bnce. After lifting her body into the air with magic, she stretched out her hands at Finel whose vengeful face came into view and broughtplicated feelings into L¡¯s heart.

    L clearly remembered the memories that Finel showed her, and the despair that Finel felt in those memories made her heart ache. Still, that didn¡¯t mean L could give up her body. Moreover, it didn¡¯t seem like Finel¡¯s rage would quell just by taking L¡¯s body. L activated her magic.

    <i>Bam!</i>

    With a sh of light and an explosion, strong energy nketed the area. To y the role of bait dutifully, she created useless but showy lightning magic. Of course, the attack didn¡¯t inflict significant damage onto Finel, and her sturdy barrier blocked the magic. However, L continued to shoot out spells to y her part. Finel knew this intention and continued to pay close attention to Zich while blocking L¡¯s magic.

    <i>Whoosh!</i>

    When Finel swung her hands, theke wobbled. New fluid monsters ran on top of theke and rushed towards Zich. Even after she lost strength and had to be on her guard against L, Finel was still not an easy opponent. L could not bide any more time. Zich ravaged through the fluid monsters constantly, but the way they mobilized in water was simply incredible; using theke as their base, they besieged Zich again.

    ¡®Now!¡¯ Evading the fluid monsters, Zich slightly lifted himself off theke, and Finel¡¯s eyes shone.

    <i>Bam! </i>Finel shot out lighting towards Zich. Due to that attack, L¡¯s attack almost reached her, but her efforts paid off.

    <i>Ssh! </i>Perhaps, her attack had hit the mark. Zich fell into theke after getting hit by the spell.

    ¡°Zich!¡± L shouted in shock. Inparison, a smile bloomed on Finel¡¯s lips. However, she quickly calmed herself down. ¡®There¡¯s no way that cockroach died to that!¡¯ At this point, Finel hadplete faith(?) in Zich¡¯s abilities, and her beliefs weren¡¯t betrayed.

    <i>Shaaa! </i>Theke¡¯s surface exploded, and Zich jumped up.

    ¡ªI thought so!

    Although her predictions were right on the mark, Finel¡¯s words didn¡¯t hold an ounce of joy. Instead, it was severe loathing that could grind down not only her teeth but all the gums below her teeth. For a moment, Finel gave up on blocking Lpletely.

    ¡®It will be dangerous if that guy approaches!¡¯ Then, Finel reaffirmed herself. ¡®A blow or two is fine.¡¯

    L was firing spells with silent incantations and faithfully fulfilling her role as a diversion. Finel could endure a couple of blows from this level of magic.

    ¡®I have to focus on that guy first!¡¯ she thought as she gathered arge amount of magic in both hands.

    ¡°Hmph!¡±

    Zich swung his body like an arrow.

    ¡°Haaaaah!¡± While shouting, he threw Windur and it shot forward like an arrow, but Finel wasn¡¯t in its trajectory. It was aiming for the tree¡¯s root, an attack that no one expected. Yet, surprisingly, Finel moved as if she had prepared for this attack.

    <i>Craash! </i>Her magic struck Windur. With its great abilities, Windur was able to endure the attack for a bit, but it couldn¡¯t block the full extent of the Finel¡¯s magic that was backed by the tree¡¯s mana.

    <i>Ssh!</i>

    Windur fell and futilely sank into theke.

    ¡°All right!¡± Finel was locked in exuberance. She had been afraid of Zich approaching closer not only because of his superior fighting experience or skills¡ªthe biggest reason was the resonance between Zich and the tree. She thought Zich would try to use this resonance again.

    ¡®ording to L¡¯s memories, what resonates with the tree is that sword.¡¯

    Although she had been taken aback when Zich threw his sword at the tree, she was able to properly respond to it since she had been preparing for his attack.

    ¡®Since the sword fell into theke, he won¡¯t be able to find it easily!¡¯

    The fluid monsters could maximize their abilities inside theke. Thus, whether or not Zich entered theke, she thought she blocked Zich from approaching closer. Yet, this was na?ve thinking.

    ¡®Huh?¡¯ Finel was stunned to see that Zich didn¡¯t slow down.

    <i>Ssh! </i>To escape any intervention from the fluid monsters, Zich made a wide kick at the surface of theke, lifted his body up, and shot straight toward Finel.

    ¡®W-Was the sword also a bait?¡¯

    Finel hurriedly fired a magic attack, hoping to block Zich slightly through it.

    <i>Pop! Pop!</i>

    ¨CWhat!

    Two holes pierced through Zich¡¯s body. He didn¡¯t block against the magic attacks at all, and this sight filled Finel with anxiety more than relief. She was certain that Zich was nning to pull another trick. As if to confirm her thoughts, Zich¡¯s body began healing.

    ¡®Uh, how? None of hispanions are heal¡­!¡¯

    Then, Finel found something sparking from the hole in Zich¡¯s body. She also saw that a different liquid other than his blood was also flowing out from it.

    ¡ªP-perhaps, did he shove a potion inside his body?

    Then, it would be understandable that his injury would immediately heal as soon as he received damage. However, Finel recalled that Zich¡¯s body was covered in injuries when he came out of her flesh clumps. Thus, it meant that he shoved the potion inside his body after he came out.

    ¡®When? I¡¯ve never strayed my eyes away from him¡­¡¯

    Then, Finel remembered that Zich fell into theke after getting hit by her attack; that was the only time that Zich had escaped her range of vision.

    ¡ªThat rotten bastard!

    Finel could not help but scream out in frustration.

    <i>Crasssssh!</i>

    ¡ªUcckkk!

    L¡¯s spell directly hit her body as Finel was distracted by Zich. Even though it was a spell from a silent incantation, L was a powerful mage. The force of L¡¯s spell was equal or greater than an ordinary mage who spent a long time uttering each part of a spell. Zich did not miss this opportunity to rush towards Finel.

    ¡ªUghhhh!

    Finel quickly made a barrier and blocked L¡¯s attack. However, Zich was already right in front of her. Without much choice, Finel had to make another barrier right in front of her. That ended up in failure. Since she had to quickly make a new barrier while maintaining another barrier to block L¡¯s magic, she could only make a barrier that covered her upper body. However, Zich¡¯s target was not her upper body.

    <i>st! </i>Zich exploded mana from his palm and shifted his trajectory; his body instantly fell down. Then, he fused a great amount of mana into his hand.

    <i>Pierce! </i>Zich¡¯s arm pierced into Finel¡¯s lower body, which was made out of meat clumps. However, this was the extent of his attack, and Finel didn¡¯t gain much damage.

    ¡ªStupid bastard!

    Was it because he lost his sword? But it was not bad at all that her opponent¡¯s attack waspletely useless. She might have gotten scared of Zich more than necessary.

    ¡ªDie!

    Finel was about to end Zich, but he smirked.

    ¡°As expected, it was here!¡± Zich felt something burning from his fingertips. He tightly clutched onto this object.

    ¡ªNo way, you¡­!

    Did Finel finally realize his intentions? Herplexion became pale in fear. She hurriedly tried to attack him, but Zich was a step faster.

    ¡°Hmph!¡± He stopped his breathing and put more strength into his arm muscles. He was trying to rip the object out of her flesh.

    ¡ªAck!

    An abundant amount of mana that was in Finel¡¯s hand scattered, and this wasn¡¯t the only thing that happened. The barriers protecting her disappeared, and the liquid monsters rushing towards Zich also lost their shape and returned back to the water.

    <i>Drip! Driip!</i>

    As Zich¡¯s arm emerged, the sound of something ripping apart in Finel¡¯s lower body increased.

    ¡ªAh, n-o!

    Finel grabbed onto Zich¡¯s arm, but her resistance was extremely weak. As Zich¡¯s arm was pulled out more, Finel¡¯s appearance became stranger and stranger. She looked as if she was forcibly suppressing an explosion that was about to erupt. Her body swelled up in many areas, and her skin stretched out as if blood veins were about to burst.

    ¡®As expected!¡¯ Zich¡¯s prediction was right; he stared at the object starting to appear from his hand. The object was a bright red color, and it looked familiar. Of course, the color of it was opposite from the one he saw before.

    It looked like the Lake¡¯s Tear. The Lake¡¯s Tear he saw in the Adrowon Great Forest, and the object he was currently holding looked identical to each other. The first time he noticed it was when he sted her her lower body off in their first fight. With his keen eyes, he saw a glimpse of it deeply etched into her skin.

    ¡®Yeah, it was weird.¡¯ From what Zich knew, the tree¡¯s mana and power went beyond a person¡¯s imagination. Then, even if she was connected to Clowon in some way, how was she able to control the tree¡¯s power by herself?

    ¡®There had to be some special method.¡¯

    ¡ªW-wait! Wait!

    Finel¡¯s appearance was bizarre and horrifying. Her whole body swelled up as if she was beaten up for many months. It was different from when her body swelled up to increase in size, and her current appearance was evidence that the tree¡¯s mana was overpowering her.

    ¡°Hmm? Are you going to beg for your life after all this?¡±

    ¡ªAll I wanted was to just live! Fine! Take me instead! I¡¯ll be yourpanion!

    Finel¡¯s voice was frantic.

    ¡ªIn the first ce, you¡¯re not connected to the princess by trust! You met her as an enemy and coincidentally started traveling together.

    ¡®She¡¯s pretty knowledgeable about us?¡¯

    Since Zich didn¡¯t know that Finel had stolen L¡¯s memory, he was a bit surprised by this.

    ¡ªBut shemitted all kinds of ughter before she lost her memories! You also saw it in your dreams, right! The things she did in Shootuol!

    L approached closer, and she lowered her eyes. Judging by L¡¯s behavior, it didn¡¯t seem as if Finel was lying.

    ¡ªRight? This isn¡¯t a bad deal, right? I can do better. I won¡¯t even be like her and stop you from being a Demon Lord, something that she of all people shouldn¡¯t be saying. I won¡¯t even intervene in any of the things you do, and my abilities won¡¯t be inferior to hers! Then, it¡¯ll be fine if I join your group instead of her!

    Finel¡¯s voice sounded as if she was almost crying by the end. Zich realized that Finel was not lying. She really just wanted to live, and if he brought her along, their travels might be easier. However, Zich¡¯s reply was to just put more strength into his hand. Finel also realized this.

    ¡ªW-why¡­

    ¡°It¡¯s simple really,¡± Zich replied without an ounce of hesitation. ¡°You¡¯re not L.¡±

    <i>Riiip! </i>Zich ripped out the red object from Finel.

 Chapter 350

    <h4>Chapter 350</h4>

    The response was immediate.

    ¡ªKuiehahahohahiiii!

    A strange and indescribable voice burst out Finel¡¯s mouth. Including her body, all the meat clumps she gathered swelled up simultaneously.

    ¡ªKieahhhh!

    All the lips let out different, individual screams, but they didn¡¯tst long, as a blue ray of light began to shoot out of all the eyes, nose, lips, and ears. It was mana, an overwhelming one that was impossible to fully wrap one¡¯s mind around. The mana was powerful enough to even make Zich take a step away. Zich and L met each other¡¯s eyes. Without even needing to nod their heads or say anything, they both distanced themselves from the torrent of mana.

    ¡®Those guys¡­¡¯

    Zich looked for Hans, Snoc, and Elena. As if they also felt something highly unusual, they were distancing themselves as farthest away from the meat clumps that they had been fighting as possible. Zich and L joined them.

    ¡ªAhhhhhh! Ah! Ahhhhhh!

    Finel shrieked desperately. Her cries were distressing enough to make any listeners grimace, including even her own opponents. Except for Zich, all the party members¡¯ expressions darkened.

    Craash!

    Finel¡¯s body exploded. The rough current of mana shredded her body into pieces. Her main body and all the body parts scattered around the space burst without a single exception.

    Slid!

    After wandering the space for a good amount of time, the mana disappeared. All that was left was the faint, cold mana emanating from the tree.

    ¡°¡­That must be the original form of the tree.¡± Like L said, the tree¡¯s appearance changed. The water droplets that had hung instead of green leaves were gone, reced by clear streams of water spewing out from every branch of the tree.

    The water streams were filled with mana and flowed past its own roots, through the crevices in the ground, and down to theke. It was a truly mystical sight. The bluish light scattering from the tree appeared a bit brighter than before.

    ¡°Look at that, Nowem. Water ising out of the tree.¡±

    Koo!

    ¡°Is the tree making the water?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t think so.¡± While getting supported by Elena since she hadn¡¯t recovered her strength fully yet, L disagreed with Snoc¡¯s words.

    ¡°It¡¯s probably pulling up all the water from nearbykes. Even if it¡¯s normal water, it¡¯s not a normal task creating liquid. Even this tree wouldn¡¯t be able to do such a task.¡±

    ¡°I see.¡±

    ¡®Well, it¡¯s already astounding that it¡¯s pouring out water and flowing out that much mana though,¡¯ L thought as she stared at the tree in admiration. Yet, that didn¡¯tst long. There was a task she had to do besides just admiring this tree.

    ¡°Elena, could you go that way?¡±

    ¡°Ms. L! That ce is¡­¡± Seeing where L was pointing, Elena hesitated. L understood why her lovely disciple was so worried, but this was an important task for her.

    ¡°Please,¡± L said. Elena couldn¡¯t dare to reject her master¡¯s request and looked towards Zich for help.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I will go with you.¡±

    ¡°Thank you.¡± Elena felt a bit relieved hearing that Zich would join them. She supported L and began to carefully walk where L wanted to go. Finel¡¯s remains were rolling around everywhere after bursting from mana. They were all burnt to the crisp and it didn¡¯t seem like there was any possibility that they would regenerate.

    The ce where L wanted to go wasn¡¯t far away from the ce where the rest of thepanions were. L and Elena soon stopped their steps, and Zich stood half a step away from them. L looked down towards the ground. What came to her view was a burnt clump of meat¡ªFinel¡¯s flesh. Unlike Finel¡¯s other body parts, it was still in arge clump.

    ¡ªUh, ah, ahh¡­

    Little groans were slowly flowing out of her, but Finel could no longer feel pain. She had lost most of her physical abilities to that extent.

    ¡°¡­Finel.¡± L called to Finel, who only had her head and chest left.

    ¡®Is that this guy¡¯s name?¡¯ Having called Finel ¡®that thing¡¯, ¡®that guy¡¯, meat clump, and so on until now, it was Zich¡¯s first time learning Finel¡¯s name. Yet, Zich didn¡¯t open his mouth. He just quietly watched what L was doing.

    ¡ª¡­You¡­.ahhh...

    Finel lifted her head from the ground. Her face was charred, and her nose was missing while one of her eyes was crushed; most of her eyesight was gone in the eye that barely managed to survive. Although she still had her hearing abilities, even that had deteriorated to a great degree.

    ¡ª¡­You¡­bit...ch¡­.

    Even after her body waspletely burnt, the loath in her heart was still burning. Her one remaining eye red at L, in a skewed way because she had lost most of her eyesight.

    ¡ªThis¡­is not the¡­end¡­

    In her dying voice, Finel spluttered out curses.

    ¡ªIf there¡¯s¡­ another regression¡­ I will get my¡­ freedom for sure¡­

    ¡°¡­Finel.¡±

    Finel¡¯s face became even more distorted.

    ¡ªDon¡¯t¡­call me¡­by that name¡­!

    With herst remaining strength, she shouted while spurting out blood.

    ¡ªI am not a submissi¡­!

    Thud!

    She couldn¡¯t say anymore. Finel¡¯s face fell to the ground, and her movementspletely stopped. She was dead. Zich walked to Finel while holding Windur. He nned to make sure of her death, but L quickly called his name.

    ¡°Z-Zich! You don¡¯t have to go that far¡­!¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know what connection you made with this guy when you were alone with it, but this guy is our enemy. Thus, I must make a hundred a percent sure that it¡¯s dead,¡± Zich said firmly, making L close her mouth. Her lips twitched like she wanted to say something, but soon, it settled as she agreed to his words.

    Plush!

    Windur pierced into Finel¡¯s body, but there were no movements. L shook her head. Zich pierced in Windur a couple of more times, but Finel continued to show no movements at all. Zich pulled out Windur and announced indifferently, ¡°It¡¯s over.¡±

    * * *

    When the battle was over and they thought the situation was now safe, Zich and hispanions sat down. Hans, Snoc, and Elena poured the potion down their bodies and healed their injuries. Zich also ripped his body and took out each potion he stuffed in his body. The otherpanions stared at him in horror, but this wasn¡¯t their only reaction.

    Hans said, ¡°In an emergency situation, that might not be a bad n.¡±

    Snoc answered, ¡°Yes, it seems so. Senior, I guess the problems are ¡®which areas of the body would be most effective to put the potions in¡¯ and ¡®how well I can move while stuffing the potions inside my body¡¯, right?¡±

    Elena looked at Snoc and Hans, who were seriously debating about the merit of Zich¡¯s potion stuffing method, with shock.

    Koo!

    ¡®Even Nowem!¡¯

    Would she also be like this if she stayed longer in this group? Elena suddenly became very worried about her future.

    L seemed to have gotten back her strength as she stood upright with her own strength. However, it was still too much of a strain for her to move like usual. Every step she took felt like she was walking on solid ice. However, L continued to stay besides Finel.

    ¡°Have you calmed your heart?¡± Zich approached her while rubbing off the blood stuck on his skin.

    L nodded. ¡°Roughly.¡±

    ¡°Then, would you be able to tell me what happened between you two?¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡± L had no ns to hide this information from Zich in the first ce. L beckoned Zich to follow her with her finger. The information that L was about to share was rted to regression; it was still a secret from Hans, Snoc, and Elena. Zich stopped the disciples who were about to follow them with his hand. Then, Zich supported L, who was unstably walking, by holding her arm.

    ¡°Thanks.¡± L didn¡¯t reject Zich¡¯s goodwill, and she walked while leaning half of her body weight to Zich.

    Since Hans and Snoc, especially Hans, had a very sharp hearing, they needed to move a great distance away from the rest of the group. They walked past the space with the tree and walked a long distance into the tunnel.

    ¡°Even Hans wouldn¡¯t be able to hear from this distance.¡±

    ¡°Really?¡± L sat on a projected rock nearby.

    ¡°What happened?¡±

    At Zich¡¯s question, L slowly opened her mouth. She had already finished organizing her thoughts, and there was no hesitation in her voice. L exined all the events that happened since Zich was dragged into theke by the Kraken. She also exined other details like Finel¡¯s name, her identity, the reason why Finel targeted her, and her connection with Finel and the strange creatures they faced before.

    ¡°Hmm.¡± Zich stroked his chin. ¡®First, some of my questions have been clearly resolved.¡¯

    Zich was happy about the information he obtained. But seeing L¡¯s slouched posture, it didn¡¯t seem like this was the case for L.

    ¡°Okay, Clowon¡¯s Princess. Why do you look so down?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t call me that.¡±

    ¡°Then, should I call you goddess?¡±

    L red at him in anger. However, this type of reaction didn¡¯t work on a person like Zich at all. While watching him stumble back in an overexaggerated way and chuckle loudly, L wanted to punch him.

    ¡°Well, it doesn¡¯t seem like you¡¯re upset that you were someone of high status in Clowon. Then, are you feeling pity for Finel, or what¡¯s her name?¡±

    ¡°Pity. Yeah, you¡¯re right. I thought she was really pitiful.¡±

    ¡°Well, from what I heard from you, she had a tragic life.¡±

    Finel was born as an experiment and tortured all her life. In the end, she was murdered. Her life was the very picture of a tragic life. However, Zich didn¡¯t put too much meaning into it.

    ¡®Before I regressed, the number of people who had tragic lives like that could fill a city.¡¯

    However, Zich also knew that it was too much to expect L to have the same sentiments as him. Moreover, L had yed a part in Finel¡¯s tragic life.

    Zich asked, ¡°Do you feel guilty?¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡± L nodded. Then, she immediately said, ¡°I wonder what type of person I was before I lost my memory?¡±

    ¡°Didn¡¯t we get a rough picture? A cold and emotionless Demon Lord who would kill and destroy everything to restore Clowon.¡±

    L slightly shivered.

    ¡°Were you concerned about that?¡±

    ¡°¡­Yeah.¡±

    Zich was able to predict what L¡¯s current state was like. ¡®She¡¯s probably shocked by how she was like before she lost her memories,bined with her pity for Finel.¡¯

    If it was Zich, he wouldn¡¯t be bothered by these matters at all, but L was a different person from him. Moreover, L¡¯s emotions were probably closer to the norm.

    ¡®Also, I have things I can¡¯t easily shake off either.¡¯

    Zich sat down next to L. Since he sat down on the ground, he had to look up at L, who was sitting on a rock. However, L¡¯s eyes were looking down, so it was easier for him to meet her eyes this way.

    ¡°Well, I understand. It¡¯s extremely shocking to know that there¡¯s a version of yourself that you can¡¯t ept. From the information we have, it seems like it¡¯s basically a fact that I used to have thest name Brave at one point, so Ipletely understand your emotion.¡±

    This truth had given him a nightmarish shock. Zich expressed his disgust by frowning, and L made a small smile at this sight.

 Chapter 351

    <h4>Chapter 351</h4>

    ¡°As someone who also feels shock, fear, sadness, loath, rage, and many more negative emotions, I will give you some advice.¡±

    Although L was grateful for Zich¡¯s sympathy, she couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Do you really hate Brave that much?¡±

    Since Zich said he had the same feelings as her, he probably felt all the emotions he mentioned about Zich Brave. How much despair and hopelessness did one have to experience to feel so many distressing emotions at once? Even L didn¡¯t have all those feelings although she was going through deep turmoil.

    ¡°Yeah,¡± Zich answered.

    It was just one word without any more embellishments, but out of everything L had heard from Zich, she thought it was the sincerest words to have evere out of him. The strong conviction shining in Zich¡¯s eyes emphasized this even more. L pressed her lips together.

    ¡°How awful. Were you sad remembering the horrifying memories of yourself that are opposite to who you are now?¡± Zich began to look at L pitifully. It was unbelievable that the cold-hearted Zich was sympathizing with a person for being in a simr position as him.

    ¡®How much could he possibly hate Brave!¡¯ The confidence she had gathered in the recent days about being able to read Zich¡¯s thoughts shattered into pieces. However, regardless of what L¡¯s state of mind was, Zich gave her the best advice he could possibly give.

    ¡°First of all, the simplest method to get rid of most of the negative feelings is to deny that person is you.¡±

    ¡°¡­What do you mean that person isn¡¯t me? That was definitely who I was.¡± L had seen everything clearly through Finel¡¯s memories. The princess she saw through Finel¡¯s eyes was herself.

    Yet, Zich simply shrugged his shoulders and said, ¡°Think about it a bit differently.¡±

    ¡°I know what you are saying. You are asking me how I could treat two people with different memories, thoughts, methodologies, and worldview as one just because their physical bodies are the same. I suppose you want me to go further beyond what a ¡®person¡¯s identity¡¯ is and think about what the essence of a ¡®person¡¯ is.¡± L looked at Zich like she was surprised and said, ¡°I didn¡¯t think you would offer such a philosophical solution to my problem, but I¡¯m sorry. I don¡¯t think a part of me can separate myself from that person I saw with such a method.¡±

    ¡°¡­I guess there was a method like that. I suppose you really are a mage trying to approach the problem with logical thinking.¡±

    ¡°¡­That isn¡¯t what you were suggesting? Then, what¡¯s the method you came up with?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s simple. You really, really hate that person, right? Enough to pierce their heart with a sword as soon as they appear in front of your eyes, right? You know, your current self ispletely different from that person, so the more you think about it, there¡¯s no way that disgusting person could be you. Yeah, there¡¯s no way she could be me.¡± L could see a calm madness swirling in Zich¡¯s eyes. ¡°Do you get it L? It¡¯s not possible for that guy to be the same person as me. Just not possible. It¡¯s meaningless to even wonder about it. That¡¯s just the conclusion you should reach.¡±

    ¡°¡­At the very least, I think I can tell how much you hate Zich Brave¡¯s existence.¡±

    ¡°In reality, I don¡¯t think that guy is the same person as me. I won¡¯t admit it or ept it. I can¡¯t evenprehend it.¡±

    ¡°Y-Yeah, I got it.¡± In a way, Zich Brave surpassed Glen Zenard as his greatest arch-nemesis.

    ¡°Seeing your reaction, it seems like it¡¯s hard for you to ept this method too.¡±

    ¡°Yet.¡±

    ¡°Well, the foolproof method is to remove the cause of the emotions¡ªeven though you have no reason to feel any more pain since you are not the same person as your version before the regression.¡±

    ¡°But that¡¯s impossible even for you.¡± Seeing how Zich became infuriated at the mention of Brave¡¯s name, he wasn¡¯t carrying out the method he suggested well either.

    ¡°Even I have things that are impossible for me to do. I am not an idiot who thinks I can do anything. I am actually a very humble person.¡±

    Although she wanted to engrave the definition of humility in 20,000 letters into his brain, L knew her words wouldn¡¯t really get to him anyways and decided to ignore hisment. It was the right decision.

    ¡°If it¡¯s impossible to erase the cause of these emotions, we could just leave it up to time. A person¡¯s memory is very convenient. No matter how painful or difficult a memory is, the magic of time can help repress it. Of course, this magic doesn¡¯t work all the time, and seeing your response right now, you don¡¯t seem to want that cure.¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°Then, the most effective way is self-justification and exempting yourself from any behavior or thought.¡±

    ¡°Self-justification¡­¡± L murmured.

    ¡°Well, it¡¯s a method that many bad guys who don¡¯t have the guts toe to terms with their sins head-on use often, but it doesn¡¯t make it any less effective. If you don¡¯t like the sound of the word, think of it as atonement. I think they are both the same thing anyways, like two sides of a coin.¡±

    ¡°¡­If I had to do something for atonement, what would be a good idea?¡±

    ¡°Do you really need to look for one? There¡¯s one thing we are already working hard on.¡±

    L immediately knew what Zich was talking about. ¡°Kind acts.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s it.¡± Zich gestured with his fingers. ¡°Turn over your sympathy about Finel and the times you can¡¯t even remember with kind acts. I can tell you about this in detail. I¡¯m your senior in that field.¡± At Zich¡¯s words, L burst into a small chuckle.

    ¡°That¡¯s true. You are my senior. Snoc too.¡±

    ¡°Moreover, the kind acts we are doing is beating up bad guys. It¡¯s the same as stopping Demon Lord L. Don¡¯t you feel more at ease thinking this way?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, we just have to act like Zich Brave, right?¡±

    ¡°¡­I didn¡¯t think you were the type to repay generosity with ungratefulness.¡±

    L burst intoughter again; it was louder than thest one. It was too much of a stretch to say that she had returned to normal, but her mood was definitely better than before.

    ¡°Were youforted a bit?¡±

    ¡°A little bit. I got it, Zich. I¡¯ll follow your words. I can¡¯t think of any good method for myself anyways.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s a great decision.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ll help me in the future, right? As my senior.¡± L stared at Zich with a gaze full of trust.

    Zich also faced her gaze head-on. ¡°Of course. I¡¯ll perfectly educate you on how to make your enemies fall into a pit of despair.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t need that.¡±

    Zichined about how he couldn¡¯t understand her reasoning. Like this, they finished discussing L¡¯s feelings, and they moved onto the next topic.

    ¡°I¡¯ve obtained new memories.¡±

    ¡°Other than the memory Finel forcibly nted in you?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. Memories I¡¯ve lost.¡±

    This really piqued Zich¡¯s interest. ¡°Were you able to get all your memories back?¡±

    Zich was able to easily predict that L probably had an enormous number of memories just by the current memories she had. If she was able to retrieve all her memories, it would be very helpful in the future.

    ¡®Especially in revealing Glen Zenard¡¯s true identity.¡¯

    ¡°No, that¡¯s not it.¡±

    It was a slightly disappointing reply, but Zich didn¡¯t dwell too long on this and continued to listen to L.

    ¡°I¡¯m just a memory device. I¡¯m sure there¡¯s a separate device that reads and utilizes my memory, and that¡¯s probably the reason why I don¡¯t have proper ess to my memories. But Finel shuffled through my mind to look at my memories, so I was able to remember to a certain extent. To be exact, the memories that I can remember are the ones Finel took out.¡±

    ¡°It seems like she wasn¡¯t able to take out all the memories?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, it seems like you intervened while she was extracting them.¡±

    ¡°Then, there¡¯s no reason for me to be disappointed.¡± If the price of this information was a threat to L¡¯s life, he didn¡¯t need it. This was the meaning behind Zich¡¯s words, and L was able to realize this meaning without much difficulty.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°Ah, it¡¯s nothing! Rather than that, information¡ªwe were talking about information, right?¡± L quickly changed the topic. ¡°Even if I have memories, I don¡¯t have all the memories of everything that happened before a regression. Even though they must have considered this factor while creating me, they still wouldn¡¯t be able to put all the memories that happened before a regression. Just think about what would happen, if all the memories of the past, including information about a path that a neighbor passed through, were saved.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s useless, and it would also take up a lot of memory space.¡±

    ¡°Yeah. I¡¯m saying this again, but I¡¯m just a memory device. I need a separate output system if I want to take out my memories. If you want to put memories into me, you need a different input system.¡±

    ¡°Only the memories injected by the input device are stored in you.¡±

    ¡°Yep.¡±

    ¡°What is that input system?¡±

    ¡°Estede and Tornium.¡±

    Familiar names came out of L¡¯s mouth. Zich looked back without thinking. Hans was at the end of the tunnel; in the room where the tree was. Estede would still be hanging from his waist.

    ¡°The information near those two swords is automatically stored in my head.¡±

    ¡°That must be the reason why you were able to remember me and Glen Zenard to a certain extent, even when you lost your memories.¡±

    Zich had used Tornium, and Glen had used Estede. Then, naturally, their actions would be embedded into L¡¯s memories.

    ¡°Yes. It¡¯s not like I don¡¯t have other memories, but I especially have a lot of memories about you and Glen Zenard. So that¡¯s why, Zich.¡±

    ¡°Hmm?¡±

    ¡°One of the memories I retrieved is about Glen Zenard.¡±

    Zich dly weed any information about Glen Zenard; he urged L to quickly continue with his eyes.

    ¡°We were suspicious that Glen Zenard was the one behind the robed organization, right?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, we¡¯re almost certain of it now.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re right. The one behind it is Glen Zenard.¡±

    ¡°I knew it!¡± Even if Zich was sure of it, it was better to have the most evidence possible, especially if this new evidence was the final nail in the coffin.

    Zich smirked. His mouth slightly opened, and his canine teeth looked threatening. He looked as if he was going to bite off Glen¡¯s neck at any moment.

    ¡°So he masked himself as a hero and tricked the whole world? Let¡¯s see if he can act the same way even after we reveal his true face.¡± Zich imagined this day and chuckled in glee. Then, he asked, ¡°Can you exin to me what you saw?¡±

    ¡°Glen Zenard was giving an order to a man, and robed figures were gathered around them.¡±

    ¡°Hmm, a man. Is he perhaps an underboss or administrator?¡±

    ¡°There was something slightly strange. Glen only gave an order to that man. Then, the man gave another order and the robed figures started moving.¡±

    ¡°If he¡¯s the administrator, that¡¯s nothing strange. In an organization of that size, it would be ridiculous if a boss gave every single order.¡±

    ¡°Do you also think so?

    ¡°If you thought that something was strange, there might be something more to it.¡± Zich thought and asked, ¡°Perhaps, did you feel that the robed figures seemed to be more loyal to the man than Glen Zenard?¡±

    ¡°Well, I¡¯m not sure but it seemed so¡­¡±

    ¡°Maybe Glen Zenard didn¡¯t create the organization.¡±

    ¡°What do you me¡­ah!¡± L realized what Zich meant. ¡°You¡¯re saying that the organization is that man¡¯s, and Glen Zenard is merely controlling that guy, right?¡±

    ¡°Yep. Maybe that¡¯s more likely. When a regression happens, everything returns back to square one, and that¡¯s also the same for Glen Zenard. Then, would he be able to make such arge organization in that short timeframe? Well, I won¡¯t say it¡¯s impossible, but it¡¯s hard to believe.¡±

    ¡°In short, you¡¯re saying that Glen found out about that organization while going through his regression and made the boss of that organization his subordinate, right?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. Of course, we need to find out more about this to be certain, but it¡¯s true that a new character has emerged. At the same time, we found a clue to peel off that bastard¡¯s face.¡± Judging by Zich¡¯s grinning face, he was clearly very pleased.

 Chapter 352

    <h4>Chapter 352</h4>

    After talking about Glen¡¯s newpanion, the two touched upon various topics.

    ¡°Was there this guy among the input devices?¡± Zich pushed Windur towards L.

    ¡°There wasn¡¯t. I couldn¡¯t remember anything about Windur from the memories I could recall.¡±

    ¡°Only this guy¡¯s identity is still a mystery.¡±

    Starting from the ancient empire, Clowon to L, Estede, Tornium, and so on, many of the things they were curious about wereing to light. Yet, the mysteries surrounding Windur, the sword which they suspected had pulled Zich to his new beginning, was still hidden under a veil.

    ¡°Didn¡¯t Finel say that it was the Clowon Emperor¡¯s sword?¡± L said.

    ¡°That¡¯s all we know about it. She didn¡¯t say much besides that.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s true.¡±

    Windur was the most mysterious identity among Zich¡¯spanions. Both Zich and L stared at it, but like it always did, Windur remained silent and feigned ignorance.

    ¡°Tch! What a bothersome fellow. It only transforms in necessary situations too. If you consider that, it seems to have its own will, but it¡¯s pretending to be clueless.¡±

    ¡°Like master, like sword. You guys are perfect for each other.¡±

    ¡°Damn it!¡± Zich clicked his tongue andtched Windur onto his back. ¡°By the way, what is the connection between the pastboratory we saw and Finel? Was that thing we saw in theboratory also Finel¡¯s sister?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t think that¡¯s the case. I heard that the empire created Finel by stealing research results from a rebel army.¡±

    ¡°I see. So, I guess thatboratory belongs to the rebel army.¡±

    ¡°I think the experiment might have gone out of control in the middle of research there though.¡±

    ¡°Good point. The things there didn¡¯t look like finished products at all.¡± Zich recalled the meat clumps surrounding the entire ruin and shook his head.

    ¡°Shall we go back now? I¡¯m sure the guys are worried about us,¡± Zich said while turning around to see the room where the tree was. ¡°Ah, but before that, I have one more question. Is there a possibility that you could revert to being the Princess?¡±

    ¡°I thought of that too.¡± It was horrifying for L to imagine; while simultaneously losing her current sense of self, she would awaken into a new Demon Lord. That was a catastrophic happening that should never happen personally for her and for the world. Yet, inparison to such a danger, L wasn¡¯t that worried.

    ¡°I think that¡¯s almost impossible. The Princess¡¯ desire for Clowon¡¯s restoration was created through her past and teachings. Since that past waspletely blown away, she won¡¯t reappear anymore. In other words, she is dead.¡±

    ¡°I suppose you don¡¯t have any memories as the Princess.¡±

    ¡°No. I still have a lot of remaining memories, but I don¡¯t think hers would be among them. Like Finel said, my memories have beenpletely reset.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s weing news if the Princess died because of that and you were born as a result, but I want to know why your memories were reset.¡±

    ¡°We will find out as we keep investigating¡ªjust like how our many questions were answered.¡±

    ¡°I really hope that¡¯s the case.¡±

    With that, the conversation that they had to do in separation from the rest of the group ended. Zich wanted to confirm the memories L recovered, but it was something he could doter. It wasn¡¯t ideal for them to stay apart from the rest of the party for too long. Zich returned to the room where the tree was, but L stopped him. ¡°Wait, Zich.¡±

    ¡°Huh? Do you have something more to say? If it¡¯s not important, could you tell me next time?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s something important.¡±

    Seeing her stern face, Zich turned half a circle. ¡°What is it? Did you remember something new about Glen Zenard or Finel?¡±

    L shook her head. ¡°It¡¯s not about them.¡±

    She looked straight at Zich. Her eyes were filled with determination. ¡°I want to apologize first. I¡¯m sorry.¡± She bowed and Zich tilted his head.

    ¡°Did you do something to me that calls for an apology? I don¡¯t tend to forget grudges easily, but I can¡¯t really think of anything right now.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry about constantly pestering you about not bing a Demon Lord. I acted like I was trying to stop a future viin from bing evil, but I wasn¡¯t any different from you. I had no right to say those words to you.¡±

    ¡®I do think her case is a bit different, but¡­¡¯ Zich thought. Like the conversation topic they just had, memories yed a crucial role in shaping a person¡¯s character¡ªto the point that Zich was apletely different person from Zich Brave like how L was to the Princess. Zich had memories from before his regression while L did not, and they didn¡¯t even need to state out loud which one of them had the higher possibility of falling into the path of a Demon Lord.

    ¡®Although I¡¯m the extension of Demon Lord Zich Moore, L¡¯s connection to the Demon Lord Princess ispletely cut off.¡¯

    In other words, there was a good cause and reason for L¡¯s pestering. However, it wasn¡¯t time for him to exin all this in detail; there was also no way that the logical mage L had failed to think about this. It seemed like she was apologizing because unlike her thoughts, her heart was still not in order.

    Zich suddenly pinched L¡¯s cheeks. He did it lightly so that she didn¡¯t feel much pain, but L was taken aback by this unexpected behavior.

    ¡°Wat are ya doing?¡± Her pronunciation slipped because her lips were pulled.

    Zich didn¡¯t answer. Instead, he pulled on her other cheek.

    ¡°I ashewed, wat are ya doing?¡±

    Zich still didn¡¯t answer. He simply moved his hand up and down, front and backward, and even circled it around. Due to the guilt she felt towards Zich and from the belief that there was a reason behind his actions, she simply watched him for a while. Yet, when Zich continued to only focus on pinching her cheeks without saying anything, L¡¯s patience gradually reached its limit.

    ¡°Leh go!¡±

    ¡°I tald ya to leh go!¡±

    ¡°Can ya hear me!¡±

    Zich didn¡¯t let go even after she repeated herself multiple times, and she even tried to move his wrists away, but it was impossible to push away Zich¡¯s crazy strength with the strength of a mage.

    Kick!

    In the end, Zich only backed away when L kicked his shin. L rubbed her red cheeks with two hands and shot an annoyed re at him. ¡°Why did you just do that?¡±

    ¡°I did it to see your reaction.¡± Zich shrugged his shoulders. ¡°It seems like you¡¯re feeling an immense amount of guilt because of the things you did as a Demon Lord in the past. As a former Demon Lord, I¡¯ll say that if something like this happened to a Demon Lord for no reason, they¡¯re the type of humans who would immediately draw out blood. However, you endured for a long time without doing anything. I give you my assurance that you don¡¯t have any talent in bing a Demon Lord. So stop talking about how you and I are not any different. My pride as a Demon Lord would be hurt.¡±

    ¡°¡­You don¡¯t have pride in something like that.¡±

    ¡°Just follow along in situations like this. Really, you can¡¯t read the mood.¡± Zichined, and L made a small smile. Then, she moved one step forward toward Zich and put her hand out.

    Stretch!

    ¡°¡­Whaw yew dooing.¡± Zich¡¯s cheeks were now stretched out, and he looked at her dumbfounded.

    However, L continued to smile and stretch out Zich¡¯s cheek in all directions. It was the exact same thing that Zich did.

    ¡°Is this revewnge?¡±

    ¡°Yourr repawing goodu wiv evil?¡±

    ¡°Saay somewing.¡±

    However, L did not reply. In the end, Zich had to grab L¡¯s wrists and forcibly push them away; only then did L withdraw her arms.

    ¡°Why did you do that?¡± Zich asked with perfect pronunciation. He didn¡¯t seem angry; he just looked at her as if her behavior just now was absurd.

    ¡°You told me that Demon Lords would immediately draw out blood in this type of situation, right? But you also endured it too, right?¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t say I¡¯m a Demon Lord now. I¡¯m walking apletely different path from when I used to be a Demon Lord.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s right. You¡¯re not a Demon Lord. Not anymore.¡±

    ¡°Did you make all this fuss to just check that?¡± Zich rubbed his face while grumpily looking at her.

    ¡°Zich.¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    Lughed. The tip of her mouth moved upward into a smile, and her eyes curved into subtle crescents. This smile was more bright and more beautiful than any smile that L had made before. It was enough to make even Zich dazed although he had gotten used to L¡¯s appearance.

    ¡°Thank you.¡± The emotions she felt were too great andplicated to express with a simple thank you. However, no matter what modifiers she used or decorate her speech with elegant rhetoric, it was impossible to express her current feelings. L had never felt more remorse that there was a limit to what words could express. Thus, L expressed her thanks simply rather than using all kinds of fancy words and expressions.

    ¡°I¡¯m really grateful for a lot of things.¡± Saving her life, helping her find her past,forting her, etc¡ªall the things that Zich did for her passed through her mind.

    Zich lightly tapped L¡¯s shoulder once. Then, he replied, ¡°You¡¯re wee.¡±

    * * *

    When Zich and L returned back to the room, Hans, Snoc, and Elena were gathered in front of the tree. Elena seemed to be full of curiosity as she looked all over the tree and observed every aspect of it. She intensely gazed at the falling water until a frown appeared on her forehead; then, she tried tapping the tree root with her staff and even tried digging at the tree root. Compared to her, Nowem¡¯s actions were much more rudimentary. He stared at the pouring water with curiosity and then opened his mouth.

    ¡°Ah, no, Nowem!¡±

    Koo?

    ¡°Who knows what¡¯s in that water!¡± Nowem¡¯s actions were stopped by Snoc¡¯s fast reaction.

    Hans maintained a small distance from those two, but he was also looking at the tree. Even though they were all utilizing different methods, all of their interest was on the tree. Zich and L joined them. The three of them were about to move closer to L and Zich, but Zich waved his hand to tell them to continue what they were doing. Hans, Snoc, and Elena went back to focusing on the tree.

    Zich also stared at the tree. ¡°This is our third one, right?¡±

    ¡°Yep.¡±

    ¡°The second one was the Tree of Fire, and the third one was the Tree of Water. And we don¡¯t know what the first one is.¡±

    ¡°I can roughly guess what it is.¡±

    ¡°As expected of L. You really fit the title of a great mage.¡±

    Even with Zich¡¯s praise, L replied nonchntly, ¡°I think it¡¯s the Tree of Earth.¡±

    ¡°And the reason?¡±

    ¡°Just think about it. The Tree of Fire and the Tree of Water both emitted substances based on the elements from their branches. Then, what about the Tree of Earth?¡±

    ¡°Well, the first thing I can think of is that it might emit dirt or rock.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, you might think that, but if we don¡¯t limit our understanding of these trees as emitting out their unique attributes, we can also say that all the trees are simr in that their branches reveal their elemental properties. Just think about the tree we saw in the tomb. It looked more like roots than branches, right?¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡±

    ¡°I think the part we saw might really be the tree¡¯s roots.¡±

    Zich understood what L was trying to say by this sentence. ¡°You¡¯re saying that it¡¯s a tree that let out its roots into the sky and grows towards the earth, right?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. Doesn¡¯t it match the name, Tree of Earth?¡±

    L¡¯s words resolved Zich¡¯s question.

    ¡°Yeah, that definitely makes sense. Good. Until we find evidence against it, let¡¯s consider that tree as the Tree of Earth.¡± Zich easily made his decision. ¡°Then, I guess the only thing left to do is to take care of this thing.¡±

    Zich shifted through his pockets and fished something out; the object that Zich took was what Finel used to control the Tree of Water.

 Chapter 353

    <h4>Chapter 353</h4>

    ¡°I suppose it¡¯s the me¡¯s Tear.¡±

    The simrity that the item had with the Lake¡¯s Tear was uncanny; the fact that it held an immense power inside was also the same. The only difference was that they had elements opposite from each other.

    ¡°There was the Lake¡¯s Tear where the Fire Tree was, and now, the me¡¯s Tear is where the Water Tree is. It¡¯s too much of a coincidence.¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s no way it¡¯s a coincidence,¡± L said firmly.

    ¡°Do you know something?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I found out.¡± It was something she learned from Finel¡¯s memories. Zich nodded. Finel had stuck the me¡¯s Tear into her body to control the Water Tree. There was no way she didn¡¯t know about it.

    ¡°That item used to be in theboratory. You know the many passageways and rooms you saw beforeing to this room? Those used to beboratories.¡±

    ¡°Was it a study subject? No, I suppose the empire could have created it.¡±

    ¡°Yes, you are right. The empire created it.¡±

    ¡°Seriously? They could even make stuff like this? How much power and knowledge did this empire exactly have?¡±

    If the empire still existed to this day, perhaps Demon Lords including Zich and Demon People wouldn¡¯t have been so active. Even if they didn¡¯t have the cheat-like ability of regressing, they most likely would¡¯ve subjugated them.

    ¡°Should we go to check up on it?¡±

    ¡°Of course, we should.¡±

    Zich called the three interested in the Water Tree. They were about to return after going into the ruin, but L stopped them.

    ¡°We are going toe back anyway. I also have something to say to them on the way anyways.¡± Zich knew the thing L had to tell him was something she had to also hide from Hans, Snoc, and Elena.

    ¡°We came back needlessly then. We should have taken care of everything when we went outst time.¡±

    L paid no heed to Zich¡¯s grumblings and told the three, ¡°The tree will go through a transformation, so don¡¯t be too surprised.¡±

    L took Zich and left the room. After they walked through the main passage, smaller passageways on the side began to appear. L didn¡¯t hesitate and chose one. After she walked a bit further, she reached one big room.

    ¡°Is this the ce?¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡±

    Zich searched the room slowly. An borate magic circle was painted throughout the entire room. It wasn¡¯t unusual since there were magic circles in the other rooms too. Yet, this room had a special characteristic. In the middle of the room, there was an octagonal pir as tall as a person¡¯s waist. Like everything else, it was also engraved with a magic circle all over its surface, and there was a round groove on its top. L walked up to the front of the pir and ced the me¡¯s Tear on top of the pir.

    Crackle!

    A rough current of fire shot up from the me¡¯s Tear. L backed three steps away, but its fiery heat even reached Zich, who stood a distance away.

    Whooosh!

    The magic circle in the room resonated. Blinking red lights began to appear.

    Haaaa!

    Fire sparks shot up from the me¡¯s Tear and began to travel across the magic circle engraved on the pir. It was a truly majestic sight.

    ¡°Is this okay?¡± Zich edged closer to L and asked. His hands were reaching for Windur on his back. He nned to pull out Windur as soon as the situation became dangerous.

    ¡°It¡¯s fine. The mesing off from the magic circle aren''t that hot.¡±

    Like L said, the mes coloring the magic circle red simply emitted light heat and weren''t pouring out heat strong enough to harm people. Instead, it was making the insides of the room soothingly warm.

    Zich took his hands off Windur.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go back, Zich. The tree should¡¯ve changed."

    Zich and L turned around to take the path they took. Meanwhile, L said, ¡°I thought of something. You know, regressing is not just any kind of ability, right?¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡±

    There could have almost been nothing more miraculous than an ability that could turn back time.

    ¡°No matter how great the powers of the empire were, I don¡¯t think it was possible for them to have created the regression ability with no foundation.¡± She wasn¡¯t undermining the empire; that was simply how unbelievable the regression ability was. For them to control a tremendous ability like that freely, there must have been some kind of cornerstone¡ªsomethingpletely beyond a person¡¯s imagination,¡± L said and stared forward. At the end of the passageway, there was the giant water tree.

    ¡°I suspect these trees.¡±

    ¡°Are you saying that these trees created the regression ability?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. These trees contain an unimaginably great amount of mana. Furthermore, all the three trees we found have a connection to Clowon.¡±

    The Tree of Earth was in the burial site of the emperors of the empire. The Tree of Fire was in the territory that the empire¡¯s military upied. Finally, the Tree of Water was where the empire¡¯sboratory was.

    ¡°If there really is a foundation for the regression ability, I am most suspicious of these trees.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s certainly true.¡±

    ¡° I bet it would have been very difficult for them to control them since not only do they contain a huge amount of mana, but they also have elements from nature. Thus, they probably needed a processor.¡±

    ¡°Are you saying that the me¡¯s Tear is the processor?¡±

    ¡°I think so.¡±

    Zich thought of Finel. She had controlled the Tree of Water using the me¡¯s Tear. When he took the me¡¯s Tear, she couldn¡¯t endure the tree¡¯s immense mana and burst. Considering that, L¡¯s ims sounded very convincing.

    ¡°Specifically, I think it¡¯s a device that represses the tree¡¯s power. Since the power of the tree is too strong, I¡¯m sure they couldn¡¯t have controlled it entirely.¡±

    Zich and L soon arrived at the room where the tree was. There they saw it¡ªinstead of the streams of water they saw previously, water droplets were hanging from the tree branches.

    * * *

    Zich and hispanions returned to Shootuol. Thepanions fell onto the beds as soon as they arrived at their lodging. They weren¡¯t gone for that long, but the mental stress from this event was much more than long journeys. That indicated the magnitude of Finel¡¯s strength.

    While Hans, Snoc, and Elena fell into a peaceful slumber after eating a delicious meal and lying down in afortable bed for a long while, Zich and L gathered in their room again. It was to finish their previous discussion. Since Hans, Snoc, and Elena were fast asleep, it was now a perfect time to discuss by themselves.

    ¡°You said that regressions are probably connected to the tree, right?¡± Zich¡¯s interest was obviously in this matter. Honestly, when he found out that Glen was also a regressor and he could regress multiple times ording to his will, Zich had felt a small concern. No matter what Zich did, it would all be nullified if Glen just turned back time. Zich knew about the dangers of regression more than anyone else since he had greatly benefited from regression himself.

    However, if L¡¯s argument was right, there might be a way to stop Glen¡¯s regression.

    ¡®So far, I¡¯ve been only relying on Windur to find out more about the mysteries of regression.¡¯

    When Zich destroyed the Bellid¡¯s northern base and met Glen, Zich had tried to figure out if Glen was also a regressor. Glen¡¯s reaction was extremely subtle at that time, so he thought there was a high possibility that Glen was not a regressor. However, they were now certain that Glen had gone through countless regressions. Then, had Glen pretended to not know what Zich was talking about back then?

    ¡®No, there¡¯s a high possibility that he might really have not known.¡¯ This was Zich¡¯s thought.

    Then, why did Glen not know about an event that happened before his regression?

    ¡®It¡¯s because he was not the main yer of this regression. At that time, he was also dragged into the past like everyone else.¡¯

    Thus, Zich tried to find out more about his regression by focusing on Windur, which was the key to his regression. His goal was to prevent Glen from turning back time again. However, L had introduced another factor that might help them learn more about regressions.

    ¡°Do you remember the story of the five mysterious trees?¡±

    ¡°You must be talking about the story we heard in the Great Adrowon Forest.¡±

    ¡°Yep. I think that those five trees are referencing the trees we saw. The remaining two trees we haven¡¯t seen yet are probably in ces rted to Clowon. I think that those five trees make up the regression system.¡±

    A system in which a total of five trees with enormous mana and power were mobilized to support it¡ªa system like that seemed as if it would be enough to perform an astounding feat like regression.

    ¡°Then, to stop a regression, do I need to cut down all those trees?¡±

    ¡°Do you think that¡¯s possible?¡±

    ¡°No, it¡¯s too much.¡±

    It would be impossible for even Zich Moore to cut down one of those trees. If Zich attempted to cut one down, there was a high possibility that he would get defeated instead. A Demon Lord that died from a tree¡ªit was not even a joke he couldugh about.

    ¡°There could be another method.¡±

    ¡°What is it?¡±

    ¡°We can go looking for all the trees and dismantle all their suppressors.¡±

    ¡°Tell me more in detail.¡±

    ¡°The Lake¡¯s Tear, and the object we named the me¡¯s Tear. They¡¯re all objects made to suppress the tree¡¯s powers, and that¡¯s probably the reason why their elements are the opposite of the trees they were found with.¡±

    The Lake¡¯s Tear was found where the Tree of Fire was, and the me¡¯s Tear was found where the Tree of Water was.

    ¡°I bet there are also Tears with opposite elements in areas where the other trees are. That¡¯s probably the reason why Clowon put these objects near the trees.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s to suppress the powers of the trees and to control them ording to their will.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, and if the regression ability is really made by using the trees, the system was probably made by using the suppressed power of the trees as its base. No matter how great of an empire Clowon was, it probably wouldn¡¯t be able to use the trees¡¯ real powers.¡±

    ¡°In short, if we go around looking for those trees and retrieve all the Tears, then the regression system that uses the suppressed power of the tree as its base would copse.¡±

    ¡°Exactly.¡±

    Zich rubbed his chin. ¡°But wasn¡¯t the Lake¡¯s Tear, the inhibitor of the Tree of Fire, already removed from its tree? The Lake Tribe kept the Lake¡¯s Tear and not in Clowon¡¯s ruin in Mentis. When I first opened the room with the Tree of Fire, its mes burned and continued to let out its power.¡±

    ¡°As long as the system has already been established, even if one inhibitor is removed, it will probably still work. But I¡¯m sure it¡¯s more unstable than before.¡±

    ¡°Then, since we also released the tree of water by removing its inhibitor, the system is probably even more unstable than before.¡±

    ¡°Yes, if my thoughts are correct.¡±

    ¡°If we release one more tree, the system will probably crack exponentially, right?¡±

    ¡°Perhaps, the system mightpletely copse.¡±

    ¡°Now that I think about it, there¡¯s one tree that we know the location of.¡±

    There was still the tree in Violuwin¡¯s tomb, which ignored the naturalw of order and let its roots on the sky and grew from the ground. However, both Zich and L closed their mouths. It was because they recalled their enemies in the tomb.

    ¡°Will you be able to fight them?¡± L asked this, but she didn¡¯t think that she would be able to hear an optimistic response.

    In the first ce, the reason why they came to Shootuol instead of the Clowon ruin they knew about was because it was difficult to defeat the enemies in Violuwin.

    ¡°L, you got a bit stronger this time, right?¡±

    ¡°You noticed?¡±

    ¡°Of course, I¡¯ll notice such an amount.¡±

    ¡°It seemed as if getting my body stolen by Finel was actually a fortunate urrence. I don¡¯t know if I should be happy or not about this.¡± L continued bitterly, ¡°The amount of mana and the extent of my magic have certainly increased, but it¡¯s still too much for me to deal with the enemies in Violuwin by myself.¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t need to deal with them myself. I might perhaps have a way too.¡±

 Chapter 354

    <h4>Chapter 354</h4>

    ¡°Another way?¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡±

    Zich took out an object from his belongings. Fiery mana burst out as it came out and let its presence be known.

    ¡°The me¡¯s Tear? What are you going to do with that?¡± L blinked. The me¡¯s Tear was a treasure that held a great amount of mana and probably had many uses. Yet, it was hard to guess what Zich would do since he was not a mage.

    ¡®By his tone, it sounds like he ns to use it to stretch out his abilities.¡¯

    ¡°I am going to absorb the mana inside this object and make it sh against my mana.¡±

    ¡°What!¡± L was stunned. ¡°What kind of nonsense are you spluttering! Are you nning on dying? The insides of your body could burst into mes! No, there¡¯s a higher possibility that your body could turn to ashes the moment you attempt this!¡±

    On their way to returning to Shootuol, Zich had been looking at the me¡¯s Tear like a child with a new present; now, it seemed like his mind had also regressed to that of a child.

    ¡°Calm down and hear me out first. Do you think I will do something like that thoughtlessly?¡±

    While still grunting, L crossed her arms to listen. Her gaze looked piercing like she was nning to shut Zich down immediately if he let out any more nonsense.

    ¡°A lot of my mana has been released now. However, because of howrge my mana capacity is, there¡¯s still a lot more mana that hasn¡¯t been released yet. It will probably take a lot of time for all my mana to be released.¡± Even though Zich was loosening up his mana at a shockingly fast pace by using his skills and memories from before the regression, he was still a long way from his prime days. ¡°So, I n to forcefully awaken it by absorbing this guy¡¯s mana and shing it with mine.¡±

    Zich was nning to use energy drain method which was the same method he used with the core inside Bellu¡¯s statue to awaken his dormant mana. The only concern was that the me¡¯s Tear¡¯s mana was so overwhelmingly higher that it couldn¡¯t evenpare to Bellu¡¯s energy.

    ¡°Then, I will be able to regain my original power much more quickly.¡±

    ¡°The date of your death wille much more quickly too. Did you really tell me all that confidently as if it was actually reasonable?¡± It seemed like L wasn¡¯t convinced. She continued, ¡°If it was the Lake¡¯s Tear, I might have pondered for a tiny bit since water mana is on the calmer side. But that thing holds fire mana! It¡¯s incredibly tricky mana to deal with! It¡¯s destructive and explosive!¡±

    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t that make it more effective? I personally think lightning mana would be more effective, but it can¡¯t be helped. This is the only option we have.¡±

    ¡°Zich!¡± At L¡¯s strong refusal, Zich shrugged.

    ¡°I thought you would be against it, but you are reacting even stronger than I expected you to. Why are you making such a big deal out of it? Are you worried about my body that much?¡±

    ¡°O-Of course! How could I not worry about mypanion¡¯s body!¡±

    ¡°Your reaction seems too intense for just that.¡±

    ¡°Just stick to the topic of the me¡¯s Tear!¡± L quickly steered the direction of the conversation. ¡°Anyways, I¡¯m against it! It¡¯s too dangerous!¡±

    ¡°I also have no desire to die. I want to attempt it because I think I have a good chance of making it work. You know my mana control. Even if the fire element isn¡¯t my type of mana, I can handle it.¡±

    ¡°Is there a need for you to be in such a hurry? All your mana can be awakened given the time. You can probably release it much faster than other people with an ordinary amount of mana. Can¡¯t you wait until then?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m going to tell you clearly now, L, but we don¡¯t have much time.¡± Unlike his usual joking manner, Zich spoke in a serious tone. L pursed her lips and listened to Zich¡¯s words. ¡°After finding out that Zenard has the regression ability, we are basically walking on top of a volcano that could explode at any moment. Many things have changed in our current timeline because of you and me, and that¡¯s probably not what Glen Zenard wants. Perhaps, he isn¡¯t turning back time because he is still confident that he can achieve the future he wants or wishes to experience a new situation he hadn¡¯t experienced yet. But the moment he changes his mind, we¡¯ll lose everything we¡¯ve been working for without even resisting. Just like it had always been.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    L couldn¡¯t respond.

    ¡°In fact, even this moment right now could have happened after another regression. We have already reached a point where we might have to doubt everything¡ªthe time, our memories, and so on. To erase that possibility, we have to stop the time regression. To do that, we have to do everything avable to us as quickly as possible.¡±

    Zich rxed his expression and he returned to his usual carefree tone. ¡°I wish to just beat Glen Zenard up, but since I don¡¯t even know what his conditions are to regress is, I can¡¯t. Anyways, this is just my suggestion.¡±

    ¡°¡­I understand.¡±

    ¡°What about my suggestion?¡±

    ¡°¡­I agree to it.¡±

    ¡°Thank you for understanding,¡± Zich smirked.

    L opened her mouth again. ¡°I will also help. I will make the thing you are about to do a bit safer. So, let me borrow the me¡¯s Tear for a bit.¡±

    ¡°I would be grateful if you would do that, but I can¡¯t wait too long.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I also don¡¯t n on dragging this out for too long.¡±

    L received the me¡¯s Tear from Zich. The red light that the me¡¯s Tear gave off tickled her eyes as if it wasughing at her and asking, ¡®You think you can handle me?¡¯ Yet, L¡¯s gaze didn¡¯t move from the light that came off the me¡¯s Tear.

    ¡°I will find an answer within a week at least.¡± L ced the me¡¯s Tear in her belongings.

    * * *

    After that day, L stayed stuck inside her room. She didn¡¯t evene out to eat her meals, and other people had to bring her food to her room. Exactly one weekter, she finally came out.

    ¡°Ipleted it.¡±

    ¡°Good work.¡± Zich handed some fruit juice to L. Like a camel finally finding an oasis after wandering in a desert, she gulped the drink down.

    ¡°You are a mess.¡± Like Zich said, L¡¯splexion looked like a patient¡¯s. Her hair was disheveled, and there were long dark circles under her eyes. Herplexion was also very pale. Overall, she didn¡¯t look like she was in a great state at all. However, L paid no attention to her appearance; the result she had was much more important than her appearance.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go back to where the Tree of Water is. This object¡¯s effect will be greater there.¡±

    ¡°That sounds good, but you should spend at least a whole day sleeping.¡±

    ¡°¡­Is it that serious?¡± L rubbed her face.

    Zich firmly replied, ¡°It feels like a zombie is talking to me.¡± Honestly, Zich was greatly exaggerating her state, but this was enough to convince L.

    ¡°¡­Okay. I¡¯ll sleep for just one day.¡±

    ¡°Yeah. No matter how urgent things are, there is an order we should follow. Rather than just quickly doing things and ruining the whole process, it¡¯s quicker and better to rest when it¡¯s time to rest.¡±

    L nodded and went back to her room. Then, she slept sweetly for the whole day.

    * * *

    Zich and hispanions went back to where the Tree of Water was. The tree was emitting mana while letting out blue water streams.

    ¡°This ce is full of water mana,¡± L said while taking out the me¡¯s Tear from the magic box. ¡°It¡¯s a very good ce to suppress fire mana, even more so if you directly use the water mana here.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re not thinking about using the Tree of Water, right?¡±

    ¡°Are you insane? How can you say that even after seeing what happened to Finel? We¡¯re just going to use a bit of the mana that is in this space.¡±

    While saying this, L took out another object from her magic box. It was a pouch. She pulled the string on the pouch to open it and put her hand in it to take out a silver powder. The powder consisted of finely ground mithril; L had purchased it in the magical tower a while back.

    L softly scattered this powder right next to the Tree of Water and began drawing a certain symbol. Complicated lines crossed and intertwined with each other. Symbols that were hard to identify started toe together and became more concrete and specific.

    ¡°Woah!¡± Elena let out an exmation while watching her teacher. From her perspective, L¡¯s work surpassed an amazing magic circle to a level of masterful artwork.

    ¡°I¡¯ll let you research itter on.¡±

    ¡°Really?!¡± Elena was overjoyed by L¡¯s words.

    L finished the magic circle. It was about three meters in size, and it looked very sophisticated. Moreover, since the magic circle was made out of mithril, its price was probably also very expensive.

    ¡°It¡¯s done!¡± L put her arms on her waist and looked down at her work. She meticulously scanned her magic circle to make sure there were no errors, but her magic circle was perfect.

    L stared at Zich. ¡°You said you¡¯ll do energy drain, right? You just have to do it here.¡± Then, she pointed at the center of the magic circle. ¡°I made the surrounding water mana swirl from the inside here.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I can feel it.¡±

    ¡°With this amount of water mana, the destructive nature of fire mana will be decreased somewhat. Then, it¡¯ll be very helpful for you.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, it definitely seems like it will. Thanks, L.¡±

    ¡°If you¡¯re thankful, you should be careful. Don¡¯t easily die on me.¡±

    ¡°I will keep that in mind.¡± Zich walked inside the magic circle. He carefully stepped inside to not scatter the powder away and reached the center of the circle.

    L stared at him with a concerned look on her face. Hans and Snoc¡¯s eyes also met. Even though they didn¡¯t say anything, they knew they shared the same thought by reading each other¡¯s expressions.

    ¡®Don¡¯t you think they seem closer somehow?¡¯

    ¡®Yes, it seems so.¡¯

    While L and Zich were unaware of Hans and Snoc¡¯s cheeky(?) imagination, the two of them continued on with their n. Zich sat down in the middle of the magic circle and tightly clutched onto the me¡¯s Tear. He felt a hot sensation from his palm. Zich closed his eyes, and L gulped her saliva. The others also stared at Zich nervously.

    ¡®Energy drain.¡¯

    Ziiing!

    The mana inside the me¡¯s Tear moved. Mana that felt like rough mes incinerating everything in a dry grasnd dug into Zich¡¯s body.

    ¡°Ugh!¡± A groan came out of Zich¡¯s mouth. Hispanions tightly clenched their fists. Although Zich was normally calm even while receiving an injury that normal people would die to in shock, he couldn¡¯t suppress a groan (even if it was only for a moment). Thus, hispanions were able to understand just how much pain Zich was in.

    ¡®It really is difficult.¡¯ Zich sweated while trying to control the fire mana that erupted into his body. The fire mana recklessly moved in all directions and tried to rip apart Zich¡¯s body as if it was an invader breaking through a fortress.

    ¡®Nheless, what L prepared for me is really helpful.¡¯

    Even though the surrounding water mana was unable to suppress the fire manapletely, it continuously interfered with the fire mana¡¯s energy. Zich slowly moved the fire mana inside his body. The sweat droplets on his forehead began streaming down his face. However, Zich was unable to feel this sensation at all¡ªhe had already blocked all his external senses. This was how focused he was.

    Zich was sessful in leading the fire mana towards where his mana was without inflicting that many injuries on his body. However, the truly important part started from there on out.

    ¡®I need to staypletely focused.¡¯ Zich steeled his resolve and made the fire mana collide with his mana. It seemed like an immovable fortress that would never copse.

    Crasssssh!

    It was a sound that only Zich could hear¡ªsomething that sounded like the sky and earth opening and tearing apart¡ªand it rang throughout his body.

 Chapter 355

    <h4>Chapter 355</h4>

    ¡®Kuh!¡¯ Zich quickly regained his senses.

    ¡®Did I lose my consciousness for a bit?¡± That seemed to be the case. Even if he had mentally prepared himself, the sh between the fire mana and his own mana was beyond imagination.

    ¡®Thank goodness I gained back my consciousness right away.¡¯

    Even though he had fainted very briefly, it was for a long period of time considering his current situation. If he hadn¡¯t tightly gripped onto the mes¡¯ mana as soon as he regained his consciousness, he would have turned into ashes like L said.

    ¡®I can¡¯t let that happen!¡¯

    The reason why he was trying this extremely dangerous method in the first ce was to win, and he had no n on dying pointlessly in this ce. Soon, it seemed risking his life had paid off.

    ¡®It cracked!¡¯

    The mana that hadn¡¯t even budged when he tried his hardest broke out. Like a farmer cutting wheat during harvest season, Zich collected them all.

    ¡®Good!¡¯

    Zich transformed the mana into forms that he could use and immediately mobilized them to help control the fire mana.

    ¡®I am going to do it one more time.¡¯ Zich moved the fire mana again. He put his guard up to not faint this time.

    Craash!

    ¡®Kuh!¡¯ He didn¡¯t lose his consciousness this time, but he was on the verge of doing so.

    ¡®It¡¯s really not an easy task.¡¯ He grumbled. Zich collected the escaped mana and made them readily avable. Then, led the fire mana again.

    Bam!

    Bam!

    Baam!

    The fire mana and Zich¡¯s mana continued to sh, and every time they did, the mana that had been locked deep inside Zich¡¯s body broke free. Zich worked hard collecting them and did it a couple of more times.

    Blink! Zich opened his eyes. A stream of light passed by his eyes, and everyone looked at him nervously.

    ¡°Haa!¡± Zich sighed. It was a sigh filled with several meanings: it conveyed the relief for the mind-numbing pain to finally be over and the fatigue that was dragging his whole body down. Yet, the biggest part of it was the happiness he felt from the mana currently filling up his body.

    ¡°Are you okay?¡± L asked carefully.

    ¡°I am fine. There¡¯s nothing wrong with my body.¡±

    ¡°Thank goodness.¡± She stroked her heart. After checking his condition, she asked if Zich achieved his goal, ¡°How¡¯s your mana?¡±

    Zich didn¡¯t answer immediately. He circled his mana all over his body and checked his gains. Then, he gave a thumbs-up. ¡°I couldn¡¯t have done better.¡±

    He felt mana overflowing from his body.

    * * *

    Although Zich had gotten hold of a lot of mana for risking his life, it wasn¡¯t the end to his struggle. Since he had gained so much mana in such a short time, he had to make up for the rest by pure effort.

    ¡°Huff! Huff!¡± Zich¡¯s breathing was rough. Although he was rarely out of breath, he couldn¡¯t help it now; sweat poured down his body like rain, and all the muscles in his body constantly screamed. Yet, Zich pressed on, ignoring his muscles¡¯ pleas and pushing them harder. From a distance away, hispanions stood watching.

    Gulp! Somebody swallowed their saliva down. It was hard to tell which one of them did it; perhaps even the person did it without unknowingly, seeing how difficult the level of Zich¡¯s training was.

    ¡°¡­I need to self reflect, senior.¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    Snoc and Hans quietly talked to each other.

    ¡°Whenever Sir Zich said things like, ¡®This is light training,¡¯ or Iisn¡¯t this easy?¡¯ while training us, I thought it was a bit irritating, but I think I know now¡­¡± Snoc sighed, ¡°He wasn¡¯t exaggerating.¡±

    Koo. Nowem let out a sound in agreement. Hans also nodded. Compared to the training that Zich was undergoing right now, all the training they had received was like child¡¯s y.

    Crunch! They heard a chilling sound. Everyone¡¯s faces darkened. Unable to withstand the intensity of the training, Zich¡¯s wrist cracked; ording to the sound, it seemed that his bones were broken. Yet, even with this considerable pain, Zich¡¯s face didn¡¯t even flinch. He picked up the potions that he prepared by his side beforehand and poured it over his wrist. The swelling wrist immediately healed to its original state. Then, as if nothing had happened, he returned to training. Everyone stared at Zich in utter shock.

    Zich turned to them. ¡°What are you guys doing just watching me? Are you guys not nning to train?¡±

    ¡°N-no!¡±

    ¡°We will get onto it then.¡±

    Koo!

    Hans and Snoc moved in a panic. Nowem nted himself tightly on top of Snoc¡¯s shoulders, and Elena slid her body closer to L. After chasing away his onlookers, Zichmenced his training again.

    ¡®I have to make my body even sturdier.¡¯

    His new supply of mana would be a huge additional asset for him. Yet, it could be a double-edged sword; no matter how strong a fortress was, it would copse instantly on a soft foundation. It was the same for the body. Even if he held a huge amount of mana, if his body was too weak to handle it, then it would shred into pieces from the sheer force. Thus, Zich needed a sturdier physical body for the strong mana he obtained.

    ¡®It¡¯s hard,¡¯ he thought.

    Of course, it was; for a couple of hours now, he was literally abusing his body without using any mana. It wasn¡¯t a good training method at all. This kind of excessive method tended to ruin the body instead of helping it. Yet, Zich used potions to ovee these negatives.

    ¡®I don¡¯t even have many potions left now.¡¯

    Since he used the potions for all kinds of situations, even his giant supply of potions was reaching its end now. It was actually surprising that the supply hadsted this long considering how he used potions like water.

    ¡®Since I have to save some for emergencies, I can¡¯t continue this training for too long.¡¯

    It was a bit disappointing since he was enjoying the fact that he was getting stronger and stronger.

    ¡®I¡¯ll be able to get back some of my power to a certain extent.¡¯ Zich moved his mana inside his body. His body hadn¡¯t adjusted to his mana yet, so pain swept through him.

    However, the flow of mana didn¡¯t stop. If he hadn¡¯t forcibly awakened his mana through the me¡¯s Tear and used his mana like this, he would have severely injured himself. Even though his training was extremely crude, the results were astounding.

    ¡®I¡¯m going to increase my skills as much as possible here.¡¯

    Zich held the me¡¯s Tear again and walked into the magic circle that L drew.

    * * *

    All of their ns in Shootuol ended. Zich and hispanions began walking to head towards Violuwin again. Their travels were the same as usual; they walked straight through dense forestry and harsh terrain. Of course, during the night, they camped in the wilderness. From time to time, Zich continued to utilize the me¡¯s Tear.

    His power didn¡¯t exponentially increase like the first time he used it. Since they were no longer near the Tree of Water and couldn¡¯t get the support of the surrounding water mana, he needed to be much more careful about using the fire mana inside the me¡¯s Tear. However, even this greatly increased his strength.

    ¡°Fwaa!¡± Zich let out a deep breath and opened his eyes.

    Hans and Snoc stared at him with curiosity in their eyes.

    ¡°You guys want to try it?¡± Zich jokingly pushed the me¡¯s Tear closer to them.

    L scolded him, ¡°You want to kill them? Don¡¯t offer something like that to them.¡±

    ¡°W-we¡¯re all right.¡± Hans refused while stuttering, and Snoc fiercely nodded his head.

    Zich immediately withdrew the me¡¯s Tear. He wasn¡¯t serious about it anyway.

    L stared at the fire andmented, ¡°We¡¯re going to Violuwin again. It¡¯s definitely not a ce I would like to visit again.¡±

    When L saw their statues in the middle of the city, she felt an indescribable sense of embarrassment. ¡°We should disguise ourselves again, right?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. If we want to avoid troublesome affairs.¡±

    Elena was unable to understand L and Zich¡¯s conversation. She asked Snoc who was quietly standing next to her, ¡°What are they talking about? Is there a reason why they might be targeted in that city?¡±

    ¡°Something happened but it¡¯s the opposite of what you¡¯re thinking.¡±

    ¡°The opposite?¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re not trying to hide our identities because the city is hostile to us, but because they are too weing. Do you remember how I told you what happened in Violuwinst time?¡±

    Elena nodded.

    ¡°After that event, the whole city became extremely favorable towards us.¡±

    ¡°Then, isn¡¯t that a good thing?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. It¡¯s good, but the way they show their favor is too much.¡±

    Snoc finished his thought by saying, ¡®You¡¯ll know when we get there¡¯, and Elena tilted her head.

    A few hourster¡ª

    ¡°Woaaaaaaah!¡± Elena¡¯s mouth was wide open as she saw four statues standing in the middle of arge square. She looked especially touched while looking at the statue of L and didn¡¯t hide her emotions.

    L was embarrassed. ¡°Stop looking at it!¡±

    However, Elena could not repress the sparkle in her eyes, and Zich burst intoughter. In the end, L¡¯s hand pped Zich¡¯s back, but Zich still did not stopughing.

    These were all events that happened on the day Zich and hispanions arrived back at Violuwin.

    * * *

    ¡°Teacher, you¡¯re really impressive!¡± After entering the city, Elena seemed very impressed. She hadn¡¯t imagined that herpanions would be heroes great enough for a city to make statues for them. Even though she lent a helping hand to save Shootuol, they hadn¡¯t received such extravagant treatment like this.

    Moreover, Elena was able to see how loved they were by the decorations showing their gratitude scattered throughout the city and by the songs that praised their achievement and skills.

    ¡°Look at this, Snoc!¡± Elena held up a small ne from a shop. There was a small metal decoration on the ne. ¡°It¡¯s supposed to represent the magical beast of one of the heroes who saved the city.¡±

    Koo?

    At Elena¡¯s yful tone, Nowem reacted faster than Snoc and stared at the decoration on the ne. Nowem¡¯s mouth gaped open as he saw that his appearance had been extremely morized into something that looked like an ancient dragon.

    Koo!

    In response to Nowem¡¯s strong protest, Elena burst out intoughter. Snocforted Nowem as he was causing a smallmotion on his shoulder. Elena loudlyughed while seeing this sight. Then, she hung the ne on Nowem¡¯s neck. After finally calming himself down, Nowem got agitated again and began fiercely biting on the decoration with his teeth.

    ¡°Ah, no, Nowem! Don¡¯t chew on weird things!¡±

    Koooo!

    Again, one person and one animal began causing a scene. As the instigator of this scene, Elena furtively retreated back and headed towards where L was.

    ¡°Teacher, I clearly understand why you and the others have to disguise yourselves. It¡¯s really an amazing amount of poprity.¡± True to Elena¡¯s words, everyone except Elena had disguised themselves. ¡°But will this amount of disguise be enough? It doesn¡¯t seem like much has changed.¡±

    ¡°In the first ce, there are not many people who really know us. It¡¯s also hard to say that the statues look exactly like us. Moreover, people are surprisingly bad at telling apart people who are not close to them. They might just think that we look simr to the statues. When we came here a second time in the past, no one recognized us.¡±

    ¡°Is that so?¡± Elena nodded. ¡°But if someone recognizes you and the others, I wonder what kind of person they are?¡±

    ¡°Who knows? Won¡¯t they be a person who knows our face for some reason or another? They might have seen us in battle, and we helped restore the city. We also met the higher-ups of the city as well.¡±

    ¡°Or they might be an extreme fan.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, that might also be true.¡±

    L smiled softly and agreed to Elena¡¯s odd words.

    * * *

    Zich was exploring the city by himself to assess the atmosphere of the city; nothing much had changed sincest time. ¡®It¡¯s so ordinary that I wouldn¡¯t have imagined that the Tree of Earth was under this city.¡¯

    However, this could also be said for Shootuol. There was nothing to gain by wandering around the city. Zich was about to return to hispanions when¡ª

    ¡°H-hello!¡± Someone called out to him.

 Chapter 356

    <h4>Chapter 356</h4>

    Zich looked behind him. There was a woman bowing low while heaving with her hands on her knees like she had hurriedly chased after him. The most notable part about the woman was her bright yellow hair. It was trimmed neatly and hung over the shoulders, wavering every time she took a breath. After recollecting her breath, she straightened her back and her ck eyes shot towards Zich.

    She was a hard-toe-by beauty, and even the light freckles on her cheeks added to her charm.

    ¡°Did you call me?¡± Zich asked. She nodded eagerly.

    ¡°Y-Yes, I did! You are sir Zich, right? The one who saved Violuwin¡­!¡± She then fumbled through her bag and pulled out a rolled piece of paper. When she opened it up, there was a portrait of Zich¡¯s face. Unlike the portraits of heroes that were on sale in the streets that contrasted the real faces of Zich¡¯spanions, the portrait she was holding was remarkably urate. Anyone would have been able to pick out Zich with just this painting.

    ¡°It was a really expensive item! Very hard to get too! I¡¯m sure there isn¡¯t another portrait that¡¯s drawn as urately as this one!¡± She smiled prettily and gleamed with excitement. Zich stared at the portrait.

    ¡®It seems like someone who knows my face has drawn it. The artist¡¯s skills are considerable too.¡¯ It was clear that the item was pricey and rare, and Zich nodded in agreement. ¡°I think the title of hero is too much, but it is true that I¡¯m the person who helped when monsters ambushed Violuwin.¡±

    ¡°It really is you!¡± She grabbed both her hands and jumped up and down. Still, she clutched the portrait carefully so she wouldn¡¯t crumple it. ¡°Ah, I almost forgot!¡± She searched through her bag again and pulled out a pen and ink.

    ¡°If it isn¡¯t too much of a bother, could you sign here¡­?¡±

    Zichughed in astonishment when he saw her pen. It was already soaked in ink, and with it, he signed his signature elegantly on the lower right corner of the portrait.

    ¡°Could you also write, ¡®To dear Marilyn Frill?!¡±

    ¡°Is that your name?¡±

    ¡°Ah! I forgot to tell you my name!¡± As if she had witnessed the sky crashing down, she let out a small shriek and quickly introduced herself. ¡°My name is Marilyn Frill! Sir Zich, I have admired you ever since you saved Violuwin!¡±

    ¡°Uh, Ms. Frill?¡±

    ¡°Please call me Marilyn!¡±

    ¡°Ms. Marilyn, could you please quiet down first?¡± Zich had disguised himself so that other people wouldn¡¯t notice him, but it was about to be meaningless now. The people in his surroundings were even beginning to show an interest in him. It wasn¡¯t that his identity was revealed, but the smallmotion had attracted some attention. However, it seemed like he would be found out if he let Marilyn go on.

    ¡°Ah, s-sorry!¡± Marilyn covered her lips and arched her head low. Her voice became much quieter than before.

    ¡°It¡¯s fine, miss. Just please keep your voice low like now.¡±

    ¡°Yes!¡± she sped her hands together and answered. ¡°But Sir Zich...¡± While addressing him as politely as she could, she took a step closer to Zich with admiring eyes. They were already too close considering that they were a man and woman meeting for the first time, but Marilyn didn¡¯t seem to mind such matters. ¡°Why did youe to Violuwin again? Where are your otherpanions? Ah, perhaps¡­!¡±

    As if she realized something, her eyes turned wide. ¡°Is Violuwin going to be ambushed by monsters again¡­!¡±

    Her voice rose to an even higher level than a scream, and Zich blocked Marilyn¡¯s mouth. They received attention from their surroundings again from more people than before. It didn¡¯t seem like they recognized Zich, but he couldn¡¯t feel relieved about it. ¡®They are not looking at me like a criminal, but their res are still pretty suspicious.¡¯

    If they caused any moremotion, someone might call the guards. Although some time passed, the city had been attacked by a swarm of monsters; furthermore, since this ce was a tourist city, surveince was much better than other ces.

    Zich took his hands off Marilyn. He had to get rid of the gazes that were suspecting him as a criminal trying to forcefully kidnap a girl.

    ¡°Didn¡¯t I ask you to lower your voice?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry! I got too excited!¡±

    Marilyn nodded again. Most people turned their attention away after seeing that. They made sure that Zich wasn¡¯t someone trying to kidnap a woman in the middle of the day. Yet, it wasn¡¯t like he was able to free himself from all the gazes.

    ¡°Let¡¯s change locations first.¡± As soon as Zich suggested it, Marliyn¡¯s eyes sparkled.

    ¡°TWould I be able to meet the other heroes?¡± she asked. It seemed like she also wanted to see L, Hans, and Snoc. She rolled back the portrait with Zich¡¯s signature and put it in her bag. When Zich peeked inside, he saw three more rolled pieces of paper and guessed what they were.

    ¡°Um, I have to think more about that¡­¡±

    ¡°What? Would I not be able to meet them!¡± Her voice grew louder and attracted attention from her surroundings once again.

    Zich sighed and said, ¡°Fine, let¡¯s go.¡± He was a hundred percent sure that she was calcting all her actions.

    * * *

    ¡°Wow! Wow! Wow! Wow!¡± She eximed in admiration exactly four times whileparing the portraits she was holding to Zich¡¯spanions. In the end, she took out Zich¡¯s portrait andpared it with him again.

    ¡®She really does like me.¡¯ Zich wasn¡¯t being narcissistic. Even though Zich wasn¡¯t stingy aboutplimenting himself, he was more cautious about people liking him; however, he wasn¡¯t mistaken that Marilyn liked him.

    Rather than showing romantic interest, Marilyn showed so much admiration for Zich that a five-year-old kid passing by to look for ces to y would have easily noticed her affection.

    ¡°Ah? You¡¯ve gotten one morepanion?¡± Marilyn said this while looking at Elena.

    ¡°Anotherpanion joined us while traveling.¡±

    ¡°So you¡¯re saying that she¡¯s a new hero candidate!¡±

    ¡°A h-hero candidate! I¡¯m not such an amazing person! I¡¯m just learning magic from my teacher, Ms. L!¡± Elena quickly denied such ims, but it didn¡¯t seem like Marily epted this exnation

    ¡°I understand! So the new hero candidate is a disciple of a hero!¡±

    ¡°A new hero¡­I¡¯m not a great enough person to receive such an astounding title!¡±

    ¡°Oh my, but isn¡¯t it fine? Ms. L is a renowned hero in Violuwin, so I doubt that someone like her would carelessly choose someone to be her disciple. So if I may ask for your name¡­¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m Elena Dwayne.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sure that Ms. Elena will definitely be an amazing hero. You¡¯re even traveling with the other heroes as well.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll be such an amazing person¡­¡±

    ¡°You have an amazing teacher, right? So I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll definitely be an amazing hero.¡±

    Elena hesitated. Even though she thought that Marilyn¡¯s assessment of her ability was exaggerated, it was hard to deny her words since Marilyn¡¯s overestimation of her ability was based on L, her admirable teacher. Marilyn passed Elena while she could not find the right words to say and officially began addressing the otherpanion.

    ¡°You must be the Sun Hero, Mr. Hans! The bright light emanating from your brilliant sword must be truly fantastic!¡±

    Hans awkwardly replied, ¡°Ah, t-thank you.¡± Even though he had gotten quite used to harsh travels and battles, he wasn¡¯t used to such directpliments yet. Moreover, his nickname as the Sun Hero was also embarrassing. On the other hand, he also felt happy. It felt as if his dream was slowlying true. This was also the same for Snoc.

    ¡°The one holding the small mole must be the Earth Hero, Mr. Snoc! Your ability to lift the earth and drop it is truly formidable!¡±

    ¡°T-thank you.¡± Snoc¡¯s reaction was not much different from Hans¡¯. Compared to him, Nowem loudly cried, ¡°Koo!¡±

    ¡°And you must be Ms. L! The one who annihted monsters with her powerful magic! You¡¯re an astounding beauty at that! I¡¯ve heard that men clutched their hearts after seeing you and couldn¡¯t fall asleep!¡±

    ¡°Thank you.¡± Unlike Hans and Snoc, L calmly epted Marilyn¡¯spliments. However, L felt overwhelmed by her disciple¡¯s admiring eyes, and she tried her absolute best to not turn towards Elena standing next to her.

    ¡°And¡­!¡± Marilyn stared at Zich. She amplified the sparkle in her eyes a hundred times more. ¡°The leader of this party of heroes and the hero swept the monsters in this city with his overwhelming strength! Even his name is the Strength Hero! The very picture of a hero who led three other heroes to save Violuwin in the midst of danger!¡±

    Marilyn took one step towards Zich and said, ¡°Sir Zich!¡±

    ¡°Hmm, yes, I am in fact Zich.¡± Zich withdrew a step back as if he found this quite wearisome. Even though Zich had no qualms about peopleplimenting him, this type ofpliment was too painful for him. After all, wasn¡¯t sheplimenting him as a hero?

    ¡®It makes me want to throw up.¡¯ Zich¡¯splexion became pale. Even though Marilyn was able to perform the astounding feat of making Zich pale in horror and take a step back, she seemedpletely oblivious to her achievement. She merely looked around and made a bright smile.

    ¡°I never imagined that I would be able to directly meet the heroes of Violuwin like this. I wonder if this is all just a dream!¡± Marilyn pinched her cheeks. It seemed as if she put a lot of strength into it since her cheeks immediately reddened. The pain must have been intense, but her cheerful face didn¡¯t change in the slightest.

    ¡°It really is real!¡± Rather than pain, it seemed as if her happiness was much greater. ¡°Ah, I can¡¯t believe I almost forgot!¡± She quickly shuffled through her bag and took out portraits of them.

    Hans, Snoc, and L were startled as Marilyn pushed their portraits toward them and a pen dipped in ink. However, they soon carefully signed their names on their respective portraits. Even though most of them merely wrote their names in clear handwriting, Marilyn was extremely happy with them.

    <i>Koo!</i>

    There was even Nowem¡¯s footprint in ink next to Snoc¡¯s signature. She also received Elena¡¯s signature. Marilyn¡¯s im was that since Elena was going to definitely be an amazing hero in the future while following the otherpanions, she needed to get a signature in advance. After getting everyone¡¯s signatures, Marilyn looked at them and creepily smiled. She looked almost mad that the otherpanions unconsciously took a step back.

    Zich asked, ¡°Have you fulfilled all your goals?¡±

    ¡°Yes, I have! I can¡¯t believe I¡¯m this lucky!¡±

    ¡°Are you that happy about meeting us?¡±

    ¡°Yes, beyond words!¡±

    ¡°Then do you want to have a meal with us?¡±

    Marilyn¡¯s lips shut close. It was obvious that she couldn¡¯t believe her luck, but that was only for a moment. She passionately nodded her head. ¡°If it won¡¯t trouble you, I will dly ept that offer!¡±

    ¡°Would you be able toe here again during dinner time?¡±

    ¡°I will definitelye! No matter what happens, I¡¯lle! Even if all my legs and arms are broken, I¡¯ll stille!¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t have to go that far.¡±

    However, even Zich¡¯s dissuasion couldn¡¯t stop her passion. Marilyn hummed as if she had received the best present in her life and left their lodging.

    L asked Zich, ¡°What are you thinking?¡±

    Zich¡¯s current action waspletely different from their original goal of disguising themselves to avoid getting their identities discovered.

    Zich shrugged and pointed at Hans and Snoc. ¡°I think this is a good opportunity. It¡¯ll be good for those two to experience what type of reaction they¡¯ll receive for the kind acts they did.¡±

    So far, Hans and Snoc had never received anypensation or praise for all the hero-like actions they did. Even when they did good deeds and people began praising them, Zich quickly left the city to move on with their travels. If they talked to a person who received their help and found out what kind of thoughts they had, it would¡¯ve had a positive effect on their motivation. Hans and Snoc felt embarrassed about Zich¡¯s words.

    ¡°That¡¯s not the only thing, right?¡±

    Zich immediately nodded at L¡¯s question. ¡°Yeah. There¡¯s another reason, but you also know about it, right?¡±

    ¡°Yep, that¡¯s true.¡±

    Marilyn Frill. She was someone that was in Zich and L¡¯s memories. Before his regression, she was thest member of Demon Lord Zich Moore¡¯s four subordinates¡ªthe Witch, Marilyn Frill.

    Zich had not expected that he would meet her here.

 Chapter 357

    <h4>Chapter 357</h4>

    The field was littered with corpses. The ce reeked of death, and Zich simply stared at the sight before him like he had lost his mind. Joachim Dracul was widening a pool of blood as if he was nning to not only bathe but swim in it. On the other side, Evelyn Rouge was weaving through her collection of handsome men¡¯s heads for her n to create the most handsome man in existence. Finally, Tim tt was picking out the corpses of those who irritated him even slightly and ground them into ashes. Each of these subordinates contributed to Zich¡¯s sky-high stress level.

    ¡®No, can I even consider them my subordinates? What kind of underlings stress out their leader so much!¡¯

    They gave him such a headache that Zich even wondered about doing kind acts to better his karma.

    ¡®Wait, but since those guys are bad guys, if I kill them, would I be doing a kind act?¡¯ It sounded quite valid to him. ¡®Yeah! I should just kill them! Then I will be doing a kind act and the origin of my stress will disappear! There are only positives to this!¡¯ Zich gripped Tornium tighter. His faithful demon sword was already prepared to take in fresh blood.

    ¡°¡­Haaa!¡± Zich loosened his grip. Although he had given off murderous intent for a moment out of stress, he didn¡¯t genuinely want to kill his subordinates. He was quite attached to them now. However, that also meant that he would have to continue to carry this stress, and this fact made his headache worse. Suddenly, he heard someone speak.

    ¡°Oh my! Our demon lord doesn¡¯t seem to be in the best of moods.¡±

    Zich felt a soft sensation around his arms as delicate arms wrapped around his.

    ¡°Marilyn?¡±

    ¡°Yes! It is I, your faithful servant, Marilyn Frill!¡±

    She was Zich¡¯s fourth subordinate, the one with the nickname ¡®Witch.¡¯ He saw her smile under her unique-looking wide-brimmed hat.

    ¡°Is something worrying you?¡± she asked.

    ¡°What else would I be worrying about except one thing?¡± Zich pointed in front of him with his chin. Marilyn turned to where Zich pointed.

    ¡°They are your pride and joy, mypanions!¡±

    ¡°My pride and joy?¡±

    ¡®Like I thought, this one is out of her mind too!¡¯ The heavens had taken away his final hope, and Zich seriously fell into despair after a long time.

    Marilynughed while looking at herpanions¡¯ mad behaviors but didn¡¯t take off her arms around Zich. No, instead, she stuck more closely to him.

    ¡°This is ufortable.¡±

    ¡°Come on, why is the great Demon Lord of Strength acting like this?¡± Marilyn skillfully retorted back.

    ¡°I told you it¡¯s ufortable!¡± Zich ced his hand on Marilyn¡¯s forehead and pushed her.

    ¡°Urghhhhh!¡± Yet, Marilyn tried to stick onto Zich like she was some kind of human leech. ¡°I¡¯m¡­not¡­going to let go¡­.!¡± She resisted Zich¡¯s powerful push while shuddering. As the Witch and against the Demon Lord of Strength, she couldn¡¯t beat Zich physically; of course, Zich didn¡¯t give it his all, and Marilyn hung on with all she had. In the end, Zich gave up.

    ¡°Are you satisfied now?¡±

    ¡°Of course, heheh!¡± She rubbed her cheeks against Zich¡¯s arm just like a dog rubbing against their owner¡¯s legs.

    ¡®Well, I suppose this is all right.¡¯ Compared to the other three scavenging the field of corpses in front of him, Marilyn stressed him out the least. Moreover, unlike the others crushing everything in their path with brutal strength, she used her intelligence and took the role of his advisor.

    ¡°I am standing next to the Demon Lord I admire and love so much! Of course, I am satisfied!¡± They were touching words. Zich¡¯s scrunched-up face rxed a bit for the first time. However, it didn¡¯tst long. ¡°I am so happy. I couldn¡¯t be happier! I hope this moment continues forever. I only need to stand by you, and I don¡¯t need anything else,¡± she continued.

    ¡°¡­Hey.¡± Cold sweat began to flow down his back suddenly, and Zich tried to pull his arm away.

    <i>Grip! </i>However, he couldn¡¯t pull away. Perhaps, he was imagining it but Marilyn¡¯s strength seemed stronger than before.

    ¡°That is¡­¡±

    ¡°So, we have to step on, rip, and crush everything that stands in our way from this happiness. Then the greatness of your name will ring across allnds, and anyone who fails to acknowledge it will be removed from this world!¡±

    ¡°Let go of my arm first¡­!¡±

    ¡°If the world is cleansed like that, it would truly be great. An ideal world where anyone who doesn¡¯t follow you would be gone. No, actually, if you think about it, even your followers can betray youter on. We really can¡¯t trust anyone else. I suppose we have to kill everyone.¡±

    ¡°If they aren¡¯t in my way, I don¡¯t necessarily need to kill¡ª¡±

    ¡°The only one left would be the one who truly follows you. Since those guys might also betray you, we can kill them in the end. Then, the only ones remaining would be you, the Demon Lord, and your only true faithful servant: me.¡± Her eyes became teary. Calm madness swirled inside them, and it was Zich¡¯s first time seeing such a bizarre look.

    ¡°What a dream-like world!¡±

    ¡°¡­Is that so?¡± Zich gave up on pulling his arm away.

    ¡®Better, my ass,¡¯ he thought. Zich realized in his core that none of his subordinates were normal.

    ¡°Mm, I need some more blood¡­¡± Joachim Dracul said after pulling out the blood vessels of the corpses near him and squeezing the blood out of them.

    ¡°Isn¡¯t there a straighter nose?¡± Evelyn said whileparing all the heads that she hadid around her and looking for the nose that would fit her ideal male face.

    ¡°Try to resist! Try to resist again, you bastards!¡± Tim tt said while dismembering the corpses.

    ¡°Hehehe, our fantastical future is in clear sight,¡± Marilyn Frill giggled as if she was high.

    Zich looked up at the sky. Unlike the hell on earth, the sky couldn¡¯t have been a clearer blue.

    ¡°Ahh, I just want to go somewhere and have some time alone.¡¯

    The sky remained silent as it looked down upon Zich¡¯s cloudy eyes.

    * * *

    ¡®The Witch, Marilyn Frill¡­¡¯

    L stared at Marilyn sitting across from her and was fervently moving her fork and knife. Her bright expression and cheerful tone gave off a very friendly impression. Her personality was also very forward and extroverted, so she was alreadyfortably talking with the others. It seemed as if she was full of curiosity, as she constantly asked the others all kinds of questions. However, there were a lot of stories they couldn¡¯t tell other people, so they had to carefully craft their answers; Hans and Snoc had an especially hard time.

    The person she was interested in the most was Zich of course. Therefore, Hans and Snoc were able to take a break.

    ¡°Now that I think about it, Sir Zich¡¯s sword shape looks very strange.¡± Marilyn carefully looked at Windur, which Zich ced next to him. Her curiosity was only natural. The otherpanions also thought the same thing whenever they looked at Windur.

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t look like an ordinary sword. Could you tell me where you got this sword from?¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t reveal that.¡±

    ¡°Sir Zich, you have a lot of secrets.¡± Marilyn pouted her lips in disappointment, but that was only for a short moment. She soon returned back to her cheery self. Marilyn asked Zich many different types of questions; most of them were small details like what he liked and his hobbies.

    Zich¡¯s hobby and what he liked was beating the crap out of his enemies, but since he wasn¡¯t able to say that, he chose an appropriate hobby and preference to tell her. They were not lies. Even Zich had things that he liked other than fucking over his enemies; he certainly had foods and colors that he preferred.

    ¡°Wow! Really? That¡¯s the same as me!¡± Marilyn pped her hands and asked many other questions.

    L stared at this sight with a grim look. ¡®I knew it.¡¯

    Yes, L knew about this. Among the memories that became clearer after Finel¡¯s interference, there were memories about Marilyn Frill¡ªotherwise known as Zich Moore¡¯s fanatic. She was the most loyal follower out of Zich Moore¡¯s subordinates. It wouldn¡¯t have been an exaggeration to describe her loyalty as extreme.

    Moreover, out of all Zich¡¯s subordinates, she had the least troublesome personality. Unlike the others¡ªVampire, Subus, and Werewolf¡ªwho caused destruction wherever they were, the Witch wasn¡¯t much of a threat to the world if left alone. There was only one reason why she had be a danger to the world. It was because the person she followed was Demon Lord of Strength, Zich Moore. If Zich Moore hadn¡¯t existed, she might not have even done evil deeds.

    ¡®But she always followed Zich Moore.¡¯

    Now that L thought about it, this might have also been a ploy of the robed figures, but from what L knew, there was another reason why Marilyn had always followed Zich¡ªit was because Marilyn and Zich¡¯spatibility was way too good.

    ¡°Oh my, that¡¯s also the same as me!¡± With great excitement, Marilyn found out more things she shared with Zich. Every time Zich said something, she eximed that it was also true for her. A random person passing by might think that she was sucking up to Zich to gain his favor, but that wasn¡¯t it. If the knowledge that L had was right, everything Marilyn said was true.

    Zich replied, ¡°This is really a coincidence.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t you think it¡¯s destiny at this rate?¡±

    L could clearly see that Marilyn¡¯s favor towards Zich, which was already high, increased further as they continued talking. It was to such an extent that Hans and Snoc, who had almost zero sense in these matters, noticed that the signs Marilyn was sending out seemed beyond normal. It was basically fated that this would happen as soon as she met Zich.

    ording to L¡¯s memory, regardless of when they first met, Marilyn always chased after Zich after falling in love with him. Moreover, Zich was also oddly kind to her. Even though Zich was extremely soft to his former subordinates, this went way beyond his normal behavior.

    ¡®It¡¯s probably as a result of Tim tt.¡¯ L recalled Tim tt as he had fallen beyond redemption that Zich had to directly take care of him. Since Marilyn was a subordinate that he met after this event, the emotions in his heart must not be the same as before.

    ¡®Yeah. I understand all that.¡¯ L didn¡¯t know what kind of coincidence let their group meet Marilyn in Violuwin, but it was self-evident that due to her natural tendencies, Marilyn would eventually take a great liking to Zich. In a way, this could be destiny as Marilyn said.

    But why?

    ¡°Ah, this is delicious. Sir Zich, try this one!¡±

    A dark shadow cast over L¡¯s face as she saw Marilyn smile and move a tasty part of the dish to Zich¡¯s te.

    <i>Clutter!</i>

    ¡°T-teacher?¡± Sitting next to her, Elena called out to L.

    L regained her focus. She realized that she had put down her fork on an empty part of the te.

    ¡°Um, is there something wrong?¡±

    ¡°No, nothing is wrong. I just thought about something else momentarily.¡± Then, L properly stabbed her food with a fork and put it into her mouth. However, Elena felt a looming danger in L''s appearance.

    Something about L¡¯s gaze as she looked at Zich and Marilyn was frightening.

 Chapter 358

    <h4>Chapter 358</h4>

    The dining continued. With Marilyn¡¯s friendly personality and Zich¡¯s unusually warm response to her, Marilyn quickly adapted to the group. Light chit-chat and softughter passed over the dining table a couple of times.

    ¡°Then, are you traveling alone, Ms. Marilyn?¡± Hans began to call Marilyn by her name.

    ¡°Yes. If I travel around and increase my knowledge about the world, I believe that I can also raise my skill level.¡±

    ¡°You said you were a mage, right?¡± Elena asked.

    ¡°Yes, but I am far from the fancy-type of mage people usually think of. I specialize in curses.¡±

    ¡°Ah!¡±

    Curses or in other words, dark magic, was a special type of magic. Although it was still in the same category of magic, it was fundamentally different from traditional types of magic and was the opposite of holy magic that priests used. Like how a traditional mage couldn¡¯t use holy magic, it was also impossible for them to use dark magic; this rule applied to even L although her knowledge pretty much surpassed all mages in the world. Due to this unique characteristic, it was a type of magic that didn¡¯t have a good image amongst the general popce. As a result, curse casters were often gloomy and anti-social. Yet, as if she was directly going against these stereotypes, Marilyn was an extremely cheerful person.

    ¡°Fufufu, do you get it now? If you make me mad, I might cast a scary curse on you all so be careful.¡± Like a beast shing its ws, Marilyn clenched her fingers and shot her arm up in the air. Yet, she didn¡¯t give off any inkling of danger.

    Elena burst intoughter and said, ¡°I¡¯ll be careful.¡±

    ¡°Huh? Why are youughing? I am going to cast a really scary curse.¡±

    ¡°Could you tell us specifically what this curse would be?¡±

    ¡°Yes, thank you for asking!¡± Marilyn coughed and said, ¡°Well, first, I am going to turn everyone who doesn¡¯t listen to me into frogs!! Then, I am going to put them in arge pot filled with all kinds of poisonous herbs¡­!¡±

    ¡°How outdated is that image!¡± Elena couldn¡¯t hold in it any longer and burst out intoughter. Mariyln was describing the fearful and misunderstood image that people used to have about curse casters in the past.

    ¡°I am telling you, that¡¯s really what I am going to do!¡± Marilyn thumped the desk a couple of times while looking frustrated. This only made Elenaugh louder and made the rest of the group smile. Even Zich and L smirked.

    <i>Koo? </i>Nowem took his head out of Snoc¡¯s bowl of soup and looked around in puzzlement.

    Marilyn red at the peopleughing exaggeratedly for a moment and said, ¡°Well, I will forgive all of you since you are Sir Zich¡¯spanions.¡± Laughter burst out again from her remark. Marlyn¡¯s jokes made even Lugh and helped her recover some of her mood. Yet, Snoc¡¯s next question shot it down again.

    ¡°Now that I think about it, you address Zich so politely, Ms. Marilyn.¡±

    ¡°I could do the same for you, Snoc.¡±

    Snoc waved his hands and responded, ¡°There¡¯s no need for that at all. I just thought you admired Sir Zich very much.¡±

    ¡°Of course!¡± Marilyn shouted. ¡°After hearing all those stories about this city¡¯s heroes, I began to admire everyone who saved the city. However, I thought Sir Zich was the most special one. I became more certain of it when I saw him in person.¡± She looked towards Zich¡ªher eyes were filled with love and admiration. Normally, Zich would have bbered on to hispanions to boast about his poprity, but knowing Marilyn, he responded differently.

    ¡®The love she used to have for me was too heavy.¡¯ He recalled memories from before the regression. Whenever a woman wandered around or clung to him even for reasons other than love, a murderous face would swoop down and wave a staff around with an intent to kill. It was also the reason why she had shed with Evelyn quite many times.

    ¡®Of course, she was a good subordinate andpanion if I disregard that part of her.¡¯

    Furthermore, it had always been enjoyable to talk to her like now. To Zich, she was an existence that was simr but also different from Tim. Her natural personality and tendencies matched his, and if Tim matched Zich regarding his violent inclinations, Marilyn matched him in everything else like personal tastes. Although his feelings for her weren''t as much as the feelings Marilyn had for him, he had always enjoyed the time they spent together.

    <i>ck! </i>In front of him, he heard utensils colliding. When he looked toward the origin of the noise, he saw L pick up the spoon she had dropped.

    ¡°Get a new one.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s fine. I finished all my soup anyway.¡±

    L left her spoon in the corner and began to slowly pincher her bread apart. Marilyn asked hesitantly, ¡°You don¡¯t appear to be in a good mood. Is it perhaps because of me?¡±

    ¡°No, it¡¯s not that.¡± L shook her hands and denied it. ¡°My condition is just not that great today.¡±

    ¡°Really?¡± Zich searched all over her face. ¡°Hm, yourplexion doesn¡¯t look too good. You kept dropping and spilling things too. Should we end our meal now? I think we¡¯ve already had our fill.¡± Zich got up from the chair.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go. I will take you to your room.¡±

    ¡°No, I¡¯m <i>really</i> all right! Actually, I felt better while I was eating!¡± She strongly denied it. It didn¡¯t seem like she was lying.

    ¡°Well, I suppose talking together in a group like this could be better for your mood than anything else.¡±

    ¡°Exactly!¡±

    ¡°Still, if your mood suddenly worsens, don¡¯t hesitate to tell me.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, thank you.¡± When she saw Zich take his seat again, L let out a sigh of relief. This meal was an opportunity for Zich to meet his ex-subordinate, Marilyn; she thought it was a very meaningful and enjoyable time for him.

    ¡®So, I can¡¯t get in the way of that.¡¯ As someone whom Zich had helped in many ways, she wanted to protect a small event like this for him. No matter how down her mood was, she couldn¡¯t ruin this gathering¡¯s atmosphere.

    ¡®Huh?¡¯ L suddenly felt something strange. ¡®My mood became better?¡¯ The pangs that had been pressing at one side of her heart stopped. It was a phenomenon that even L was surprised about.

    ¡®For what reason?¡¯ L had no idea. The only thing that happened just now was that Zich was worried about her.

    ¡®I don¡¯t know what happened, but I became fine.¡¯ L could think about the reasonter. She just decided to be happy about not ruining the atmosphere for now. However, that was only for a short while. Her mood worsened as she saw Zich and Marilyn happily converse. Elena sat next to her and kept stealing furtive nces at her.

    ¡°May I ask why all of you came back here to Violuwin?¡±

    At Marilyn¡¯s question, Zich made up another story. ¡°There¡¯s only one reason why we¡¯de to a tourist city.¡±

    ¡°Is it to sightsee?¡±

    ¡°Yes. When we came to Violuwinst time, we couldn¡¯t properly sightsee because of the monsters. During the second time, the people of Violuwin recognized us, so it ended up as a failure as well.¡±

    Zich shrugged his shoulders. ¡°It¡¯s to an extent that I thought destiny might be hindering us from sightseeing Violuwin. At this point, I became stubborn. No matter what obstacles blocked our path, I was going toplete sightseeing in Violuwin.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s a very interesting thought.¡±

    ¡°If we have only one life, we should try to have an interesting life.¡±

    ¡°I agree!¡± Marilyn smiled and continued, ¡°I thought that all of you might havee because there were signs of monsters in Violuwin again.¡±

    ¡°Well, at least from the information we have, there are no signs of monsters for now.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s really fortunate. Ah, but I¡¯m slightly regretful about something. If there really were monsters, I would have joined your group and fought together. It would have been a good memory.¡± Marilyn made a face as if she was almost dreaming.

    Then, she seemed to have thought of something as she stared at Zich. ¡°Would you be able to tell me the main goal of your travels?¡±

    ¡°There are many reasons, but our biggest goal is doing kind acts throughout our travels.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s a splendid goal! As expected, it really fits with everyone here as heroes.¡± Marilyn suddenly turned around and stared straight at Zich. After cleaning up her appearance and making sure there were no wrinkles or messy areas, she made a pretty smile at Zich.

    ¡°Don¡¯t you perhaps need one morepanion in your group? I¡¯m a curse caster. I¡¯m an amazing talent for torturing my opponents.¡±

    L saw it for a moment¡ªZich was about to immediately ept her offer, but he tried his best to suppress it.

    ¡®Really, that guy¡­¡¯

    Zich didn¡¯t want to immediately recruit Marilyn to join because he took a liking to her; it was probably because he was attracted to what she said about how she could inflict all kinds of torture on her opponent.

    ¡®There¡¯s probably nothing that could impress Zich more.¡¯

    If Zich had any thoughts about increasing the number of hispanions, Marilyn probably now increased her probability by at least 50%. However, as expected, this was not enough. This was probably also the reason why Zich quickly suppressed his offer. The most important thing was her skill.

    ¡®In regards to trusting her, she was famous for being fanatically loyal to Zich Moore before his regression.¡¯ Even though her loyalty towards him as the Witch was gone now, Zich probably knew how to make her loyal to him again since he did it before. ¡®She¡¯s already showing small signs of that past loyalty.¡¯

    Of course, since Zich was not the Demon Lord of Strength Zich Moore anymore¡ªhe didn¡¯t need Marilyn to swear loyalty to him either. It was enough to just trust her. ¡®Then, as expected, the problem must be with her skills.¡¯

    As the Witch, Marilyn Frill¡¯s skills were self-exnatory. She was one of the four subordinates of the Demon Lord of Strength after all. As a curse caster, she would be weak in direct confrontations, but she would be able to push her opponents to the brink of hell with all kinds of curses and support.

    ¡®Of course, it¡¯s up to Zich to finally push them off to hell.¡¯ In this way, Marilyn was definitely a coveted talent for Zich. Moreover, if he added Marilyn to his group, he might receive a small amount offort for killing Tim tt with his own hands. ¡®I can see that it¡¯s still bothering him.¡¯ L¡¯s thoughts directly hit the mark.

    ¡°Our travels are extremely difficult. Ms. Marilyn, you won¡¯t be able to survive if you don¡¯t have a certain amount of skill.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s embarrassing to say this about myself, but I¡¯m very confident in my skills.¡± Marilyn puffed out her chest.

    ¡°If you say so, I think it¡¯s a good idea to test your skills.¡±

    ¡°A test! I¡¯m confident in any test! Just give me an opportunity!¡±

    ¡°Your confidence is a great sight to see.¡± Zich turned his head towards L and said, ¡°L.¡±

    ¡°Yeah?¡±

    ¡°Can you test Ms. Marilyn¡¯s skills?¡±

    L pointed at herself with her thumb. ¡°Me?¡±

 Chapter 359

    <h4>Chapter 359</h4>

    The next day, Zich and hispanions and Marilyn entered a nearby deserted forest. A heavy thicket of trees blocked the clear sky. If one viewed the area from above, they would only see green and no ground. Yet, arge hole formed in this ocean of green.

    <i>Crash! </i>Another tree copsed. Zich lifted the tree that fell over with one hand and threw it.

    <i>Thud! </i>The treended on a pile of cut trees that hispanions had already made. Zich stuck Windur upside down on the ground and looked around his surroundings. ¡®This size is good enough.¡¯

    ¡°I am done cutting trees now! Snoc! Pull out all the tree roots!¡±

    ¡°Yes!¡±

    ¡°I understand!¡± At Zich¡¯smand, Hans stopped swinging Estede and Snoc ced his hand on the ground. Ripples formed in the dirt like skipping stones making ripples in ake.

    <i>Drrrr! </i>The ground began to backflow where trees¡¯ roots were firmly established. Like vapor rising from boiling water, the dirt started pushing outwards. Likewise, tree roots were pulled out of the earth, and Zich and Hans cast them to one side. Soon, arge vacant lot was created. Zich gestured with his hands¡ªHans, Snoc, and Elena moved away from the lot. Only Zich, L, and Marilyn stood in the center.

    ¡°Are you both ready?¡±

    ¡°Yes!¡± Marilyn gripped her staff and shouted.

    ¡°Me too,¡± L said.

    ¡°I¡¯m sure you both know this, but the purpose of this duel is to test Marilyn¡¯s skills. I hope both of you don¡¯t go too overboard.¡±

    ¡°I understand, sir!¡± Marilyn answered loudly, and L nodded.

    ¡°I will intervene if the situation looks like it¡¯s getting too dangerous,¡± Zich said and turned around to back away. However, as if he had just suddenly thought of something, he turned back around and said, ¡°L.¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    ¡°Go easy on her.¡±

    ¡°Okay,¡± she answered. No matter how amazing Marilyn was, she couldn¡¯t be stronger than L by any means. In addition, a curse caster tended to be weak in directbat. Yet, Marilyn wanted to protest.

    ¡°Sir Zich, do you think I will lose?¡± She puffed out her cheek. ¡°Even though Ms. L is a hero and an amazing mage, I am also a worthy opponent!¡±

    In situations like this, most people would have tried to make the other party¡¯s mood better withforting lines, but Zich was firm.

    ¡°Still, I¡¯m sure L is stronger than you,¡± he said. His belief seemed resolute, and a gust of wind blew around L¡¯s face. She tilted her head and wondered, ¡®Why is my mood good again?¡¯

    Inparison, Marilyn¡¯s cheeks were more puffed up than before. Nevertheless, Zich indifferently stomped to where his disciples were. Only Marilyn and L remained in the center. Marilyn pouted her lips as if she was dissatisfied, but as if she wasn¡¯t genuinely angry, she soon stretched out her hands to L while smiling. ¡°Hope we have a good fight.¡±

    ¡°Me too.¡± L grabbed Marilyn¡¯s hands.

    Then, Marilyn added, ¡°Like Sir Zich said, please go easy on me.¡±

    ¡°I thought that disgruntled you.¡±

    ¡°Although I am confident in my abilities, it¡¯s not to the point that Ick self-awareness. Furthermore, it¡¯s true that ck mages are weak in head-to-head battlespared to traditional mages. I just wanted to joke a bit.¡± Marilyn smiled widely. She was truly a bright person, and L couldn¡¯t help but also smile.

    ¡°You must really like Zich.¡±

    ¡°Ehehe, although it hasn¡¯t been long since I¡¯ve seen him, I am already head-over-heels for him.¡±

    L was already aware of this, but for some reason, she couldn¡¯t exin the reason why her smile faltered slightly.

    ¡°What about you, Ms. L?¡±

    ¡°¡­Sorry?¡± L asked.

    As if she was sharing secrets, Marilyn lowered her voice and asked, ¡°Do you love Sir Zich too, Ms. L?¡± Marilyn looked serious. L opened her mouth to deny it immediately. The word love didn¡¯t fit at all in her rtionship with Zich. He would also probably smirk and deny it immediately. But what was the reason? No words came out of her mouth.

    In the meantime, Marilyn continued, ¡°You guys share a special rtionship with each other among everyone else. I couldn¡¯t help but be conscious of it.¡± Perhaps, she had felt this way since Zich and L shared many secrets such as the regression, Clowon, Glen Zenard, and so on.

    ¡°So, how do you feel?¡± Marilyn asked almost insistently. L opened her mouth to answer when¡ª

    ¡°Widen your distance!¡± L heard Zich yell from the farthest corner of the lot. L sped her mouth shut.

    ¡°I will hear the answerter?¡± Marilyn winked sweetly and walked away like Zich told them to. L stared at her for a moment before she began to widen the distance between them too. Then, with a good amount of space in front of them, they faced each other. Even if this was a light duel to test Marilyn¡¯s skills, real magic would pass back and forth between them, and the two looked quite nervous. Then, Zich threw a rock. It flew between L and Marilyn as they stared at it.

    <i>Thud! </i>The rocknded on the floor, and L and Marilyn simultaneously moved.

    <i>Pop! </i>L made the first move. A fireball the size of a fist shot up from the ends of her staff. Marilyn''s face looked stunned to see L perform magic with no incantation or preparatory movements at such an exceedingly fast speed. She quickly moved her body away.

    <i>Crasssh! </i>The fireball flew forward and collided against a tree. The tree broke in half and fell over. In the severed area, sparks burned up and scattered ck ashes.

    <i>Pop! Pop! Pop! </i>More fireballs shot up from L¡¯s staff. There were three of them this time. One of them was aimed at Marilyn while the other two flew in the direction where she would most likely escape to. Yet, Marilyn hadpleted her own spell. ck smoke formed around her surroundings.

    <i>Pswhhh! </i>The mes that collided with the ck smoke greatly decreased in size andpletely disappeared. L shot out a couple more fireballs. However, all it did was shake the ck smoke and did not deal direct damage to Marilyn. At the same time, Marilyn began chanting another spell.

    <i>Whoosh! </i>A green light passed through the ck smoke and stretched out; this was Marilyn¡¯s specialty. L didn¡¯t know what its specific effects were, but it was clear that getting hit by it wouldn¡¯t be good. L stretched out her thumb.

    <i>Crackle! </i>A bright yellow light pierced the green light, and the flying green light disappeared without a trace.

    ¡°Ahh!¡± L heard Marilyn¡¯s shout from inside the ck smoke. Marilyn hadn¡¯t expected that her curse would be easily nullified by one shot of L¡¯s magic. However, Marilyn was also not an easy opponent. She was only startled for a moment and immediately began casting a new spell.

    <i>Flutter! </i>L heard thousands of thin pairs of wings pping. Something that looked like another cloud of smoke came out from inside the ck smoke. However, it was not smoke.

    ¡°They¡¯re bugs.¡± Hans carefully assessed them. Elena stood next to him, and she flinched after Hans said that they were bugs.

    Thousands of bugs pped their wings with a bone-chilling sound and rushed towards L. She frowned in disgust, but that was the extent of her emotion. There was no hesitation in her movements.

    <i>Crackle! </i>mes rose from beneath L¡¯s feet and crawled through the ground like a snake. The bugs¡¯ bodies suddenly grew as the mes approached them.

    <i>Bang! </i>A huge pir of fire stretched throughout the entire space. The bright red me stretched out its red tongue everywhere as if it was trying to consume everything in its surroundings.

    <i>Whoosh! </i>Nothing remained except for ck soot where the fire pir disappeared. Of course, this was also true for the bugs.

    ¡°Tch!¡± Marilyn clicked her tongue. The ck smoke surrounding her had be very faint due to L¡¯s continuous attacks. If a few more fireballs hit it, the remainder of it wouldpletely disappear.

    Marilyn began uttering spells again, and she took out a few small bottles from her pocket. L stared at them with a keen eye.

    ¡®They¡¯re potions.¡¯ They were not healing potions made in temples. They were probably potions containing all kinds of curses with terrible effects.

    <i>Caw! </i>L heard a loud bird cry from the sky. When she looked up, ten crows were spinning in the sky. One of them came flying down towards Marilyn.

    <i>Grab! </i>The crow tightly grabbed onto the potion that Marilyn gave to it and began flying again. When L was about to shoot a magic arrow toward the crow, a swarm of bugs began rushing toward her again. There were now five swarms of bugs.

    ¡°Now that we¡¯ve warmed up, let¡¯s officially get started!¡±

    L heard Marilyn¡¯s voice from inside the ck smoke. She mmed her staff on the ground and said with a level-headed voice, ¡°As much as you want.¡±

    <i>Baaaaaam!</i>

    mes began erupting from beneath L¡¯s feet. However, these mes were on apletely different level from when L burned one swarm of bugs. The swarm of bugs quickly turned their trajectory to avoid the mes. However, the mes swept towards the bugs like an eagle chasing down its prey.

    <i>Crackle! </i>The five swarms of bugs became a pile of ashes once again. However, Marilyn didn¡¯t back down and called out more bugs. The crows began spinning above L¡¯s head. It seemed as if Marilyn had nned to spill the potion on her at the right time.

    ¡®It¡¯s a bit bothersome.¡¯ L was about to drop the crows when she felt her body suddenly be heavy.

    ¡®Is it a curse?¡¯ Her eyes moved towards the ck smoke where Marilyn probably was.

    ¡°Weak curses can be cast even from a distance!¡±

    L could hear Marilyn¡¯s triumphant voice from inside the ck smoke. She noticed a few more things that had changed about her body. Her five senses declined, and the flow of mana in her body twisted. They were not serious problems, but considering that she was in the midst of battle, it was not something to take lightly either. Marilyn used this opportunity to go on the offensive.

    <i>Wiiiiing! </i>The bugs rushed toward L without any consideration for their bodies.

    <i>Driip! </i>From above, the crows opened the potions with their mouths and dropped them.

    <i>Bam! Bam! </i>Green light burst out of Marilyn¡¯s ck smoke. It also seemed as if Marilyn had decided to increase her defenses as the ck smoke grew even bigger in size and approached L. L might be injured by this attack. Hans and Snoc watched the battle anxiously, and Elena tightly clutched her two hands. Only Zich was indifferent to this sight.

    L moved her mouth for the first time to say a spell. In an instant, she was able to utter a spell at an incredibly fast speed.

    <i>Crassssssssh! </i>It was an explosion of mes. Therge pir of me centered around L literally evaporated the falling potions and crows circling over her head. The bugs were also swallowed up by the bright red mes, and curses of light were not able to pierce through the mes. When the pir of me disappeared, the only thing left was Marilyn¡¯s ck smoke.

    ¡°Hyaaaaat!¡± Marilyn suddenly burst out of the ck smoke. She raised her staff high up andunched a self-propelled charge. In a way, it was a great ambush that utilized the ck smoke she had expanded tounch her previous attack. If her opponent had been an ordinary mage, this type of attack might have worked.

    However, her opponent was L.

    <i>Tap! </i>L smacked the staff away with one smooth motion and grabbed onto Marilyn¡¯s cor.

    ¡°Huh? What?¡± L¡¯s hand dragged Marilyn. Unable to properly retaliate, Marilyn was thrown to the ground.

    ¡°Ack!¡± Tears started streaming out of her eyes from the pain that shot up from her back. When Marilyn managed to open her eyes, L¡¯s staff was pointed right at her.

    ¡°I won, didn¡¯t I?¡± L calmly dered her victory.

 Chapter 360

    <h4>Chapter 360</h4>

    ¡°I looooost!¡± Seeing L¡¯s staff in front of her face, Marilyn yelled with two arms up in the air. Yet, she sounded strangely refreshed. L removed her staff and reached out her hand.

    ¡°Good job.¡±

    ¡°Thank you!¡± Marilyn grabbed L¡¯s hand and lifted herself up. ¡°As expected of a hero¡ªyou are so strong!¡±

    ¡°You were strong too, Ms. Frill. Not only were your skills polished, but you were also quick to respond. The way you tried to swing your staff at the end was also good as a surprise attack.¡±

    ¡°But it didn¡¯t work.¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s no need to beat yourself down for that. I am a special mage. A certain someone told me that I had to have basic physical strength regardless of my field and trained me rigorously,¡± L said and red at Zich as he slowly approached them. ¡°So, I am good at fist-fighting for a mage. Ms. Frill, if you were versing another mage, your attack would have most likely worked.¡±

    ¡°That makes me feel a bit better.¡± Marilyn nodded and said, ¡°Ah, and please just call me Marilyn.¡±

    L stared at Marilyn. Until now, she had unconsciously avoided calling Marilyn by her name. There was something that made her feel reluctant to do so, but after they battled each other with magic, all that seemed pointless now. Thus, L made a small smile and said, ¡°Sure, Ms. Marilyn.¡±

    Zich finally reached them with the rest of theirpanions.

    ¡°Are you hurt anywhere?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± L answered and looked toward Marilyn.

    ¡°I¡¯m also fine. My lower back hurts a bit, but I¡¯m sure that it will be better in a day or two.¡±

    ¡°Maybe we should visit a priest just in case,¡± L said. Even if it was a test, L was worried after throwing her down.

    Marilyn shrugged. ¡°I am a traveler who has traveled alone for quite some time now. This isn¡¯t even considered an injury in my books.¡±

    ¡°Well, I guess that would be true.¡±

    There would probably be no other traveler besides Zich and hispanions drenching themselves with potions like water whenever they were inflicted with injuries. Most travelers let their injuries heal naturally if there weren¡¯t any priests around.

    ¡°More importantly, how are my skills? Are they enough for me to pass?¡± Marilyn asked with great expectations. Zich looked at L, and L nodded.

    ¡®With that level of skills, she at least won¡¯t be a hindrance,¡¯ she thought. The fact that Marilyn was a curse caster would also work as an asset for the team. ¡®Besides, our team is too focused on firepower. If other teams of travelers or adventurers overcame their obstacles by utilizing each of their member¡¯s unique skills, Zich and hispanions were the types to crush through everything with just sheer strength. The fact that they had not only one but two mages, which were extremely rare in number, disyed how much the team focused on firepower. Moreover, since Marilyn used to be one of Zich Moore¡¯s subordinates, her future potential was almost guaranteed. There was no reason for them to deny her ce at the party.

    ¡°L agrees too. I also rate Marilyn¡¯s skills highly.¡±

    ¡°Then, can I really be one of you all?¡±

    ¡°Well, I¡¯m for it, but I think we have to hear more of what the rest of ourpanions have to say.¡±

    ¡°I understand.¡±

    ¡°Then, could you tell us where you are residing currently? We will contact you after we make our decision.¡±

    ¡°No, I will visit you all in person after a couple of days. Will three days be enough for everyone to have reached an agreement?¡±

    ¡°It will be more than enough.¡±

    ¡°Then, let us meet in three days. I hope to hear good news soon!¡± Marilyn said with a voice full of expectations.

    * * *

    ¡°Are you going to ept her into the team?¡± L asked. Although they said they would hear everyone¡¯s opinions, the party members basically moved ording to Zich¡¯s opinion with L adding her thoughts on top of that. Of course, it wasn¡¯t that Zich would ignore other people¡¯s opinions, but his disciples tended to follow exactly what he said.

    ¡°I am thinking.¡±

    ¡°Are you conflicted because it seems like she has already fallen?¡± If it wasn¡¯t for that, it didn¡¯t seem like Zich had any other reason to disagree with her joining.

    ¡°It really makes me conflicted since there¡¯s no evidence that she has fallen.¡±

    The abilities of the Vampire, Subus, and Werewolf were all special types from before the regression that the robed figures had probably gifted. In ordance with that, if one of Zich¡¯s past subordinates had the same ability as she did before the regression, it could mean that she had already met the robed figures. However, that didn¡¯t necessarily have to be true in Marilyn¡¯s case. Although curse casters were rare, it wasn¡¯t like they didn¡¯t exist. Their abilities weren¡¯t <i>that</i> rare.

    It was the same for her personality. Since the other three went through dramatic personality changes after their corruption, it was easy to tell after a couple of meetings if they had fallen or not. No, Zich didn¡¯t even have to meet them a couple of times to know because of their ¡®outstanding¡¯ personalities. Yet, Marilyn didn¡¯t have a trashy or unique personality like the other three in her witch days. In other words, they had no way of knowing if the robed figures had alreadypleted their deed with her or not.

    ¡°Even if it¡¯s after the robed figures finished their work, wouldn¡¯t it be fine this time? I thought the Witch always followed yourmands. She only became a Demon Person because you became a Demon Lord. If you did kind acts like now, she might have be a good person.¡±

    ¡°Does this mean you are in full agreement with this?¡±

    ¡°To be specific, I have no reason for disagreeing,¡± L said. However, that was all she thought. From what she witnessed and experienced so far, Marilyn Frill didn¡¯t appear to be a bad person at least. For some reason, however, L wasn¡¯t pleased with the idea of her joining.

    ¡°Even if our abilities have progressed, if we go back to the cemetery again, we don¡¯t know what will happen. If you think about that, it¡¯s a good idea to increase our battle power.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s also true.¡± Zich nodded his head. ¡°Good, let¡¯s first ept her, and if there¡¯s anything suspicious, we can observe her from a closer angle.¡±

    Zich made his final decision. It was expected, but L was unable to hide herplex emotions.

    * * *

    ¡°Please take care of me!¡± A woman wore a wide-brimmed sun hat and gave a small bow to Zich and hispanions¡ªMarilyn was going to join them starting today.

    Marilyn individually greeted each member and stood in front of L. ¡°I¡¯m looking forward to working with you, Ms. L!¡±

    ¡°Me too, Ms. Marilyn.¡±

    They both held each other¡¯s hands. It was a very energetic sight, and it was clear to everyone that Marilyn especially liked L among all thepanions just by looking at their handshake. Of course, the person she liked the most was Zich.

    Like a puppy greeting her owner, Marilyn ran towards Zich and said, ¡°Thank you for letting me join your group! I-I¡¯ll really do a great job!¡±

    ¡°Ms. Marilyn, you¡¯ll be fine with that amount of passion.¡±

    Like this, Marilyn officially joined Zich¡¯s party.

    * * *

    First, Zich brought along Marilyn to hunt monsters. Even though he knew that her skills were at a very high level, he needed to know the limit and extent of her abilities. Zich was well aware of the Witch¡¯s skills, but that was all before his regression.

    <i>Kuaaaaaaack! </i>A muscr orc let out an awful scream and rolled on the ground. Two orcs were fighting each other next to the fallen orc. Another one screamed and fumbled with its body until it eventually smashed its head on a tree. These were all results of Marilyn¡¯s curses. The first orc fell under a curse that inflicted crushing pain all over its body, and the second group of orcs fell under a curse that made their allies look like enemies. The third orc fell under a curse that blinded its eyes.

    ¡°First, these are the simple curses I can do,¡± Marilyn spoke as if they were barely anything, but Zich¡¯spanions, specifically the three disciples, were shocked by the power of curses.

    Since L had overpowered Marilyn the whole time in their recent battle, Marilyn didn¡¯t get to properly showcase her skills. This was even more shocking, as all of Marilyn¡¯s curses were shot down before they could have an effect. However, when Marilyn¡¯s curses reached monsters like the orcs, the results were shocking and horrifying.

    ¡°Is there anyone who wants to try experiencing a curse?¡±

    All three of the disciples shook their heads in unison as if they had pre-nned it. Then, they looked back at the cursed orcs again. The orc under a torture spell was inflicting wounds on itself, and the two orcs fighting each other were both covered in deep injuries. Regardless of which orc won, it would be difficult for either of them to survive. The blinded orc frantically moving around in shock was on the ground after hitting its head on a rock.

    ¡°They¡¯re not as fancy as magic, but curses use less mana. They¡¯re also much faster and the uracy is very high. Curses have their own advantage.¡± Marilyn jokingly boasted about her skills.

    ¡°Yes, but L¡¯s attacks shattered all those curses.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s because Ms. L is way too strong! When she hit my curse with a bolt of lightning, I thought my heart was going to drop! I can¡¯t believe she was able to perfectly hit a flying target when it¡¯s hard to even hit a still target with magic! She was able to do that with lightning magic which is infamously unpredictable! The curse¡¯s light wasn¡¯t even that big!¡± Marilyn whined to Zich while shaking his sleeve. It was understandable that Marilyn wouldin about L¡¯s skills.

    Marilyn grumbled to Zich for a long while afterward. L stared at this sight with a strange gaze.

    * * *

    Zich and hispanions looked for several more monsters to practice working with Marilyn. During this time, thepanions grew even closer to her. However, even among this group, two people got especially close to her. The first person was obviously Zich, and the second person was L. After they epted Marilyn as part of their group, she moved into their lodging and traveled with them.

    L had gone out to finish a matter and was about toe back when someone tightly hugged her from behind. If it was several days before, L would have been surprised and immediately hit the person¡¯s head with her staff. However, she could predict who the person was, so she sighed, ¡°I told you to not stick close to me like that, Marilyn.¡±

    ¡°But I can¡¯t stop myself if I see your back, L!¡±

    ¡°Are you a pervert?¡±

    ¡°Hmm, I can¡¯t deny it in regards to you.¡±

    ¡°I hope you firmly deny such ims so that I won¡¯t be worried about them in the future.¡±

    Marilyn moved away from L¡¯s back and began walking alongside her. They dropped their honorifics and were nowfortable calling themselves by their names alone¡ªthey looked like childhood friends.

    ¡°Were you able to find what you were looking for?¡±

    ¡°No. Honestly, I didn¡¯t expect much. Since Violuwin is a tourist city, it doesn¡¯t have many objects or information about magic. I just wandered around for a walk.¡±

    ¡°You must have gone out to cool your head, right? To prepare for going to an important ce in several days.¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡±

    In a few days, Zich and hispanions would be going back to the Clowon Emperor¡¯s tomb. They hadn¡¯t given specific information to Marilyn yet, and they just told her that they were going to an important ce. The two of them walked the streets together and continued their conversation. It was just small talk, but this also soon reached an end.

    ¡°Ah, Sir Zich!¡± Marilyn ran towards Zich standing in front of the lodging. L watched them from behind.

 Chapter 361

    <h4>Chapter 361</h4>

    L watched Marilyn wrap her arms around Zich, and he didn¡¯t push her away. It was a familiar scene, just like how the rtionship between the Witch and the Demon Lord of Strength had been. It was nothing strange, but¡­

    Throb!

    Yet, her heart ached every time she saw a sight like this. She kept feeling this as the days passed by, and their designated time to go to Violuwin¡¯s burial site edged closer. Marilyn and L went to the market to prepare for their uing arduous journey. Although they had most of the necessary items inside their magic boxes, the party had used a good amount of their supplies from all their traveling. Furthermore, since the ce they were going to was especially dangerous, there was a possibility they could fall into a trap and be forced into hiding for an extended period of time.

    The conversation between L and Marilyn usually flowed with Marilyn asking questions about things she was curious about, and L answered these questions. Marilyn was interested in many things, and after asking yet another question, Marilyn said, ¡°L.¡±

    ¡°What is it, Marilyn?¡±

    ¡°I think I actually love Sir Zich!¡± Her eyes sparkled as if they had changed into stars.

    Throb! L¡¯s heart squeezed again. Yet, she didn¡¯t show it and spoke indifferently as if she didn¡¯t care much. ¡°What a surprise. It¡¯s as if you don¡¯t tell me how much you love Zich every other day.¡±

    ¡°I thought I could be mistaken. I¡¯m not the type of person who believes in love at first sight.¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t?¡± L asked like she couldn¡¯t believe it. So what did all the behavior that Marilyn had shown up until now mean? Still, Marilyn nodded confidently.

    ¡°Yes. I didn¡¯t think I could fall so deeply for someone I just met!¡± Marilyn ced both hands on her cheeks and shook her head. She looked like a girl deeply in love.

    ¡°¡­Is that so?¡± L answered a bitte. ¡°Hm, Marilyn.¡±

    ¡°Yes?¡± Marilyn stared at L, and L pretended to be carefree as she asked, ¡°I don¡¯t mean to offend you, but what if you really are mistaken?¡±

    L immediately regretted saying those words and thought, ¡®Of course she isn¡¯t!¡¯ Originally, Marilyn Frill was a person who fell for Zich instantly at first sight in every timeline; it was as if they were destined to be together, and it was ridiculous for L to suggest that Marilyn was mistaken. Yet, L couldn¡¯t stop herself from talking. ¡°I thought you didn¡¯t even believe in love at first sight. Perhaps, your misunderstanding grew as you began to doubt your beliefs.¡±

    ¡°It could definitely be a possibility.¡± Unexpectedly, Marily nodded in understanding. L¡¯s face brightened slightly. Yet, the response she got back wasn¡¯t what she wanted to hear.

    ¡°But I still want to enjoy this feeling a bit more. It¡¯s not like I¡¯m trying to marry Sir Zich right now or anything,¡± Marilyn said. She let out a small, embarrassed shriek after saying the word ¡®marry.¡¯

    ¡°So, L, can¡¯t you help me a bit?¡±

    ¡°¡­Help you?¡±

    ¡°Yes! After all, you have stayed with Sir Zich far longer than I have. You have an important voice in the party and ording to the atmosphere, you seem to be the closest to Sir Zich.¡± After she said all this, Marilyn looked a bit concerned. ¡°L, do you perhaps also like Sir Zich?¡±

    ¡°As if.¡± L waved her hand. ¡°We are just friends. If I really had to describe our rtionship, he¡¯s more like a troublesome younger brother.¡±

    ¡°Haha! Seeing your personality, I suppose you can feel that way!¡± Marilynughed. ¡°Then could you help me from now on?¡±

    Okay. It seemed almost impossible for L to say this simple, four-letter word. All she could think of were extremely poor excuses. Her outstanding brain seemed utterly useless now.

    All she could manage to say was, ¡°I¡¯m not sure if I can help you since I don¡¯t know much about romance.¡±

    Yet, Marilyn pressed on. ¡°Then, let¡¯s discuss it together. I also don¡¯t have much dating experience. I¡¯m sure two mages cane up with something good. Yup, no matter how many times I think about it, I think it¡¯s a good idea. You stayed with Sir Zich for a long time while my personal tastes match his. If we coborate, we¡¯ll be able toe up with a good method.¡±

    ¡°¡­All right, I will help you.¡± In the end, L couldn¡¯t help but utter these words.

    ¡°Oh, thank you so much L! You really are a great friend!¡±

    Marilyn grabbed both of her hands, and L smiled awkwardly.

    * * *

    The day that they had to go to the burial site finally arrived. Zich and hispanions headed to Violuwin¡¯s ruin. The ruin was crowded with people as usual. Although tourist attractions rted to the heroes who saved the city were thriving, previous attraction sites still retained their poprity. Zich and hispanions weaved through the crowd, passed through the familiar attraction sites, and came inside the ruin.

    ¡°Are we allowed toe here?¡± Marilyn¡¯s eyes widened as she asked.

    Zich responded whileughing. ¡°We can¡¯t.¡±

    ¡°Huh? Then, are we doing something illegal?¡±

    ¡°Technically, yes.¡±

    Marilyn blinked.

    ¡°What is it? Do you want to drop out from this group now?¡± Zich asked jokingly.

    Marilyn smiled at Zich¡¯s yful banter and said, ¡°In order to perform heroic deeds, it can¡¯t be helped thatws have to be broken sometimes.¡±

    ¡°As expected, you¡¯re very flexible in your thinking. You really are a suitable talent for this group.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, right!¡± L clicked her tongue and pushed their backs. The two chuckled and walked forward¡ªthey really got along well.

    Zich and hispanions continued to walk through the tunnel. Even though it was a veryplicated path, there was no hesitation in Zich¡¯s footsteps.

    L asked, ¡°Do you remember the way?¡±

    ¡°Of course.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s fortunate. If you forgot, we would have to borrow the power of your coy sword. Ah, would it not teach us this time? Since your sword is extremely haughty, it might ignore our requests and think that teaching us one time would have been enough.¡±

    ¡°I feel upset because your words really hit the mark.¡± Zich tapped Windur, which was on his back, with his finger. ¡°If that happens, you can help.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s also true. Of course, I¡¯ll be expecting a suitable payment.¡±

    ¡°I hope you¡¯ll be able to feel touched by granting kindness to this amazing and talented person, Goddess.¡±

    ¡°Are you really going topliment yourself like that? Wait, no, but before that, I told you to not call me a princess or a goddess!¡±

    ¡°You secretly added in ¡®princess¡¯ as well. As expected, you also really love yourself.¡±

    L wielded her staff. Of course, Zich was not the type of person to get hit by such attacks, and he moved his body this way and that to skillfully avoid them. Their conversation was light-hearted and frivolous. It was the type of conversation that they normally had. However, L did not know why she felt so happy about this pointless conversation.

    ¡°Uhh¡­¡± Marilyn let out a sigh while watching them from behind. ¡®As expected, I won¡¯t be able to act that friendly, right?¡¯

    There was definitely a clear difference in how Zich treated L and Marilyn. Zich was still keeping a certain amount of distance from Marilyn. Of course, considering the short amount of time they had been together, they were very close. However, it couldn¡¯t bepared to L¡¯s rtionship with Zich. It didn¡¯t matter if they were just close. Their rtionship seemed one step further from just being close¡ªit was either love or friendship.

    ¡®I don¡¯t know about Sir Zich, but L¡¯s is definitely more towards love.¡¯

    Even right now, whenever she approached Zich, Marilyn could clearly see L flinch every time. However, it was also clear that L wasn¡¯t aware of her feelings yet.

    ¡®She probably started liking him romantically recently, or she might have had no experience with love and doesn¡¯t know what emotion she is feeling. It¡¯s either those two.¡¯ Marilyn stared at L.

    Since L turned her face to the side to talk to Zich, Marilyn could only see her side profile. However, even just this amount was enough to show L¡¯s unearthly beauty; it seemed as if she was emitting light by herself. When Marilyn first saw L for the first time, she thought her breath was going to stop. Even though she had been confident in her own beauty, L¡¯s beauty was on apletely different level. If L really decided to seduce someone, no one would be able to resist falling in love with her.

    ¡®Sir Zich is really amazing. Even though L is right next to him, he can just treat her like she¡¯s a friend.¡¯

    Marilyn had even been suspicious that Zich might be gay, but fortunately for her, that didn¡¯t seem to be the case. Marilyn wanted to immediately separate them, but she repressed her feelings.

    ¡®If I try to tear them apart too much, it¡¯ll be counterproductive.¡¯ Marilyn was already sticking close to Zich way too much. If she tried to forcibly separate L for no reason, there was a high possibility that she would face resistance. Thus, Marilyn just stared at Zich and L yfully conversing with a sour look.

    After a while, Zich and hispanions reached the secret door.

    Thuuud!

    Just like before, when Zich approached the door, it automatically opened. Marilyn opened her mouth wide as if she was shocked. ¡°There was something like this in Violuwin?¡±

    L replied, ¡°I know it¡¯s surprising, right?¡±

    Zich also added, ¡°Honestly, Ms. Marilyn, the real reason why we came back to Violuwin was toe back here. We have matters to finish beyond this secret tunnel.¡±

    ¡°Amazing!¡± Marilyn shouted, ¡°I can¡¯t believe you know such a ce like this! As expected, heroes are different!¡±

    ¡°I think this has nothing to do with being heroes though,¡± Zich smirked. ¡°Ms. Marilyn, you need to be cautious. Dangerous beings that even we couldn¡¯t defeatst time exist here.¡±

    ¡°¡­Dangerous beings that even all of you weren¡¯t able to defeat? Marilyn asked with a surprised face. ¡°Um, then, is it be all right for us to go in?¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry. Our skills have considerably increased since thest time we came here. Moreover, we also now have a trustworthypanion to help us out.¡±

    Marilyn blinked her eyes and pointed her thumb at herself. ¡°Are you perhaps talking about me?¡±

    ¡°I had no idea that I''d be able to recruit a skilled curse caster in this city. We were very lucky. I was thinking that since our party is very attack-focused, it would be great to have someone act as a support, whether they can use heals or curses.¡±

    ¡°¡­It seems as if I¡¯ve dug myself in a hole.¡±

    ¡°You can¡¯t run away now.¡±

    Marilyn burst intoughter at Zich¡¯s humorous threat. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I was able to meet my destiny in the grave I dug for myself, so at this point, I think I¡¯ve picked the perfect spot to set my gravestone.¡±

    Then, she raised her staff up high. ¡°Tell anything toe at me! I¡¯ll curse those stupid monsters or smelly undead or crazy viins!¡±

    ¡°I like your energy. I hope that you can continue with the same mindset.¡±

    Zich and hispanions stepped inside the secret door. Marilyn looked around in curiosity. ¡°Is our destination far away?¡±

    ¡°No, we¡¯re almost there.¡±

    Marilyn tilted her head at Zich¡¯s reply because there were only tunnels around them. Then, Zich took out Windur. He found the gap on the wall again and pierced Windur. Then he turned it around.

    Thuuuuud! A secret tunnel that looked exactly the same as the one fromst time appeared. Marilyn stared at this sight in surprise.

    ¡°Ms. Marilyn, our destination is up ahead.¡± Zich pointed inside and spoke cheerfully. However, his eyes quietly stared at Marilyn as she looked at the entrance with a shocked expression.

 Chapter 362

    <h4>Chapter 362</h4>

    The ruin didn¡¯t appear different from thest time they saw it. Everything looked the same: the passageway was four or five times bigger than the outside one which spread out from the door, and murals on the walls showcased soldiers, golems, and monsters that red down at them while baring their teeth fearsomely.

    Yet, the opponents they were worried about didn¡¯t appear. Lmented on this first, ¡°I was worried that the shadows would rush at us as soon as we opened the door.¡±

    L had been clutching her staff tightly; likewise, Hans pulled out Estede and had his guard against the entrance while Snoc scattered mithril all over the floor.

    Kooo!

    Nowem also red at the entrance while crouching. Even Elena didn¡¯t know what was going on, but she read the situation, gripped her staff tightly, and held her breath. However, when the group opened the door and realized that there were no shadows behind it, they rxed slightly.

    ¡°Shadows? What is that?¡± Marilyn asked.

    ¡°You know how Zich said that there were dangerous beings that we couldn¡¯t beatst time?¡±

    ¡°Those were the shadows?¡±

    ¡°They were one of the dangers,¡± L exined to Marilyn about the shadows. Unlike her usual carefree self, Marilyn looked serious as she listened to L¡¯s exnations intently. Zich and hispanions went inside the entrance. Intimidating murals on the walls and the ceiling fiercely looked down on them. It made everyone including even those besides Marilyn and Elena nervous.

    ¡°Is this the entrance to the tomb?¡±

    Elena had heard quite a bit about this ce. Still, no matter how detailed she heard about it, seeing it in person was apletely different matter. While seeing the murals that made her crouch while walking, she asked Snoc if they were close to their destination.

    ¡°Yup. If we keep following the passageway from here, we will see arge door. Then after we pass through the door, we¡¯ll reach the tomb. Like Snoc said, the party soon arrived in front of arge door. Zich opened the door and revealed the insides of the tomb into view.

    ¡°This is¡­¡±

    ¡°Woooow!¡± Elena could only exim in admiration at the majestic sight before her. Even the rest of thepanions looking at it for their second time held their breath at the overwhelming feeling of the tomb pressing down upon them¡ªof course, except for Zich as he had evidently been wrung dry of emotions.

    ¡°Fortunately, all the statues have returned to their original spots,¡± Zich said, and the otherpanions approached Zich¡¯s side. Seeing the statues standing on top of their respected podiums, Snoc let out a breath of relief. No one rebuked him for it since everyone who witnessed the might of these statues felt different degrees of relief.

    ¡°Are those the statues that are immune to magic?¡± Elena asked Snoc again.

    ¡°Yeah, since even Ms. L¡¯s magic doesn¡¯t work on them, you should also be very careful.¡±

    Hearing that even her teacher¡¯s magic didn¡¯t work on them, Elena was filled with nervousness. Marilyn listened to them from the side and looked down at the statues with surprise. She muttered, ¡°¡­There are traces of battle.¡±

    There were burnt marks and scratches all over the tomb.

    ¡°Yeah, because we really fought with all we had here.¡±

    ¡°With the dangerous existences here, right? So, if the shadows are one of them, are the statues another one?¡±

    ¡°Exactly.¡± Zich stared at the statues. ¡°It was a really dangerous situation for us. With their overwhelming statures and the sheer forceing from them, hard exteriors that swords couldn¡¯t pierce through, and a special characteristic that nullified magic, they were truly tough opponents.¡±

    ¡°If magic doesn¡¯t work on them, then I guess I would also be useless.¡±

    ¡°What certainly doesn¡¯t work on them are traditional types of magic. Curses might be different. We also have the shadows to consider, and you can use magic against them.¡±

    Zich and hispanions followed a zigzag pattern to the bottom of the tomb. They arrived at the floor and carefully moved to the closest statue. The statues didn¡¯t move.

    ¡°They won¡¯t strike their swords at us immediately for no reason.¡±

    ¡°It certainly seems so.¡±

    Zich and L were relieved to see the unmoving statues, but they couldn¡¯tpletely let down their guard. They didn¡¯t know when the statues would suddenlye down their podiums and strike with their swords to slice them all.

    ¡°As we discussed before, let¡¯s go near the pyramidter,¡± L warned everyone.

    Last time they were here, the tree on top of the pyramid vibrated before the statues began to move, and that vibration urred after Zich climbed on top of the pyramid. Thus, they reasoned that the next series of events had happened because Windur approached the tree.

    Knowing this, Zich agreed easily, ¡°Yeah, I know.¡±

    Before anything, they had to search the tomb first. They had to find the object they thought was sealing the tree and free the tree from it. They thought the object would be a marble filled with mana like the Lake¡¯s Tear or a me¡¯s Tear, but they couldn¡¯t bepletely sure of it. They entered the Golden Emperor¡¯s grave first. They thought that since the Golden Emperor was the one who established the empire and brought it to its golden age, there was a high chance that they could find something there. Although they didn¡¯t find anything therest time, they had also not been actively searching for anything. Yet, that wasn¡¯t the only reason why they went inside the Golden Emperor¡¯s grave first.

    ¡°This is the grave!¡±

    ¡°Wow! Wooo!¡±

    Marilyn and Elena were amazed as they looked around the stone room. Yet, unlike them, L had her mouth shut the whole time as soon as she stepped into the room, and as if he knew what state she was in, Zich slowly followed her from behind, half a step away at a time. L stopped in front of a coffin. Just like how her memories, it was a simple and in structurepared to the scale of the grave. L quietly looked down at it from the side.

    ¡°Should I open it for you?¡± Zich asked and L hesitated a bit before she nodded.

    Grrrr!

    bs of stones gritted against each other as the lid slowly opened. A corpse sleeping inside the coffin slowly revealed itself.

    The Golden Emperor. It was the body of the Emperor with such an extravagant name. He was also L¡¯s father, and he looked like an old man who had fallen asleep. Now that they were looking at him, he looked a bit simr to L.

    L didn¡¯t say anything; she merely looked down at him with an intense gaze.

    ¡°Is this person the chamber¡¯s owner?¡± Marilyn leaned her head from behind.

    L did not reply. She just continued to look down at the corpse.

    It was Zich who replied. ¡°Yes. Apparently, he was called the Golden Emperor in an ancient empire.¡±

    ¡°Wow, that¡¯s a grand name. Was he that amazing of a person?¡±

    ¡°ording to an elf who used to be ourpanion, he was an emperor that founded an empire that even elves dared not to cross and led the empire to its golden age.¡±

    ¡°Is that so?¡± Marilyn looked down at the corpse with a surprised face. Then, she nced at L. ¡°Why is L acting like this?¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s a small story behind it.¡± Zich shrugged. ¡°Well, it¡¯ll be fine. Let¡¯s leave her alone for a while.¡± Zich dragged Marilyn¡¯s arms to the side, and Marilyn followed his lead. Zich also grabbed the others and left the chamber. L stood alone in the chamber and stared quietly at her father she didn¡¯t remember for a long time.

    * * *

    After they came out of the stone chamber, the group scattered. They had all moved together in case an ambush happened, but there was no need for them to keep staying together since things were calm. Thus, Zich told the disciples to scatter and look for any suspicious signs or activities. Even if something likest time happened, their skills were high enough to join up with Zich and Lter on easily. Zich also went into another chamber and assessed his surroundings. Marilyn followed him from behind closely.

    ¡®Nothing seems to be particrly out of order.¡¯ Zich went out of the chamber and then looked at the pyramid. ¡®If there¡¯s something here, then it¡¯s probably over there¡­¡¯ However, they couldn¡¯t immediately check the pyramid. ¡®Even if nothing good turns up, we should first search all the chambers.¡¯

    When Zich was about to move to the chamber, he saw Ling out of the Golden Emperor¡¯s chamber. Zich and Marilyn approached her.

    ¡°How are you feeling?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± It didn¡¯t seem like L was faking it since her tone was calm.

    ¡®I mean, even if he¡¯s supposed to be her dad, she has no memories of him.¡¯

    Moreover, L didn¡¯t really like her status as Clowon¡¯s Princess. It waspletely understandable that she would be able to quickly organize her emotions. L asked, ¡°Were you able to find anything?¡±

    ¡°No. It seems like there¡¯s nothing really important inside the chambers.¡±

    ¡°As expected, will the most likely ce be the pyramid?¡±

    ¡°I also think so.¡±

    L and Zich looked at the pyramid.

    L said, ¡°But even then, we have to go to the pyramidter.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I was thinking that too. We should also search all the stone chambers just in case. Who knows? Maybe what we¡¯re looking for is in an unimportant-looking chamber.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I agree.¡± L tapped on Zich¡¯s back. ¡°I¡¯ll trante the letters on the stone chambers. Maybe something wille up.¡±

    ¡°The letters on the stone chambers?¡± Marilyn intervened while quietly listening to their conversation. ¡°Are you talking about the letters written on the stone chambers?¡±

    L replied, ¡°Yep.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re able to trante that?¡± Marilyn¡¯s eyes widened in shock.

    ¡°I was able to coincidentally learn it. I can¡¯t immediately read it like a book, but it won¡¯t take long for me to trante.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re very proud of our talented mage.¡± Zich lifted up L.

    ¡°Even if you praise me, you won¡¯t get anything so stop your nonsense.¡±

    ¡°I got it. So stingy. Normally, wouldn¡¯t people at least buy a meal if they hear apliment like this¡­¡±

    After kicking Zich in the shin as he continued to spout nonsense, L was about to return to the chambers. However, L tilted her head as Marilyn remained behind even when Zich left.

    ¡°Marilyn, weren¡¯t you going to go with Zich?¡±

    ¡°I was nning to do that, but I want to see you trante the letters in the stone chamber. Even though I¡¯m a curse caster who does different magicpared to other mages, I still have the curiosity that is characteristic of all magicians.¡±

    ¡°Is that so?¡± L nodded. She also had the curiosity of a mage, so shepletely understood Marilyn¡¯s reasoning. ¡°There¡¯s nothing much to see, but if you want to, you can do that.¡±

    ¡°Thanks, L!¡± Marilyn was very excited about L¡¯s reply.

    The two went inside the chamber. Unlike before when L did not even nce at the coffin, L began reading the letters on the walls.

    Marilyn took one step forward while watching this sight. ¡°I¡¯m really sorry to bother you, but L.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, why?¡±

    ¡°Would you be able to read this passage written here?¡± Marilyn gathered her hands together and asked while looking sorry. It seemed as if her curiosity as a mage had been sparked again.

    L didn¡¯t refuse and read the short passage. It wasn¡¯t an important passage; the passage simply just praised the Golden Emperor.

    ¡°Thank you so much!¡± Marilyn gave a small bow.

    After saying it was fine, L turned around and continued to read the letters in the stone chamber.

 Chapter 363

    <h4>Chapter 363</h4>

    The group searched every nook and cranny of the stone room, but like Zich predicted, they couldn¡¯t find anything suspicious. All it had was a coffin that contained a corpse. After they searched through all the stone rooms they could find, Zich and hispanions gathered at the Golden Emperor¡¯s grave.

    ¡°Did you find anything?¡± Hans, Snoc, and Elena simultaneously shook their heads at Zich¡¯s question.

    ¡°I shone Estede¡¯s light in every corner and searched, but I couldn¡¯t find anything noteworthy.¡±

    ¡°In case there was something inside the walls, I used my ability to search but I couldn¡¯t find anything either.¡±

    Koo!

    ¡°I don¡¯t think there was anything hidden with magic too.¡±

    The trio hadn¡¯t found anything with their abilities. Zich turned to Marilyn this time. She also left L¡¯s side and searched for suspicious ces.

    ¡°I also didn¡¯t find anything worthwhile.¡±

    Zich wasn¡¯t disheartened by the disappointing news; he had already expected this. Instead, he became sure that the object sealing the tree was inside the pyramid. Zich went inside the stone room and saw L still deciphering the ancient text.

    ¡°How is it going?¡± Zich asked, and L turned her head away from tranting. ¡°Are you making any progress?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t have any problems with tranting since most of Clowon¡¯s writing system is in my head now.¡± L swiped down the letters in front of her with her hands.

    ¡°Did you find out anything important?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    Zich¡¯s eyes sparkled. ¡°What is it?¡±

    ¡°I will tell youter. Wouldn¡¯t it be better for you too if I trante all the text from the other graves and organize their content before informing you?¡± Indeed, that seemed preferable.

    ¡°That sounds reasonable. I¡¯m sure you will organize the content cleanly, but if there¡¯s any information about sealing the tree, I hope you can tell me right now.¡±

    ¡°I guess that means you all didn¡¯t find anything.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s what we both expected.¡±

    ¡°There was nothing among the texts I tranted that mentioned the sealing object.¡±

    ¡°Then I guess there¡¯s only one method left.¡±

    While epting the possibility of shadows and statues wreaking havoc, Zich had to climb the pyramid. L also agreed.

    ¡°When are you going to go up there?¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s go up after resting at least a full day. Since an intense battle might be abrupt, I want to be in my best condition.¡±

    ¡°I agree.¡±

    ¡°You should also rest. I bet you looked at those letters without resting, but you have to go up the pyramid with me.¡±

    ¡°Okay, I will.¡± L obediently followed Zich out of the room.

    The party members prepared a camp in a corner of the tomb. Perhaps it would¡¯ve been morefortable to build the tent inside the grave, but nobody wanted to sleep next to a corpse. After taking out tools from the magic box and preparing a tent and thick nkets on the ground, they made a quite nice sleeping ce. Inparison to the ones they had to sleep in during Zich¡¯s training, it could¡¯ve been considered a luxurious setup. The group gathered burning materials, made a fire, and cooked food over it. It was a simple dinner, but it was enough to fill up their bellies and relieve their fatigue from the day¡¯s work.

    ¡°Everything is perfect except the fire lights up there. They¡¯re a bit bothersome,¡± Snoc grumbled at the mana light lighting up the space brightly from the ceiling.

    Hans smirked and agreed. ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s true. It¡¯s not easy to sleep if it¡¯s too bright.¡±

    ¡°Yes, certainly.¡±

    ¡°Um you guys? Am I really hearing this from you both? You both sleep as soon as your head falls to the floor,¡± Elena said. As ady who had grown up in an extremely prestigious family, she had a hard time adjusting to Zich¡¯s traveling amodations at first. She was now mostly used to it now, but in the beginning, she had a hard time sleeping and was always jealous of the two for being able to fall asleep immediately as soon as theyy down. Thus, it was unbelievable that those two were muttering such words.

    ¡°Aren¡¯t you also quite well-adjusted now?¡±

    Koo!

    Elena¡¯s eyes narrowed as she watched two people and one animalugh at her. While their disciples conversed like this, Zich and L began to officially discuss their ns to go up to the pyramid tomorrow.

    ¡°First of all, I think we have to do something about Windur.¡± L pointed at Windur beside Zich.

    ¡°I know. Since I can¡¯t leave it behind, I will put it inside my magic box.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s most preferable for you to just leave it, but...¡±

    Since the tree and Windur¡¯s union created an unimaginable event, it was best to try to prevent it from happening by leaving Windur. However, it didn¡¯t seem right to leave Zich¡¯s main weapon far away. If a dangerous situation suddenly arose while they were apart from the sword, they could fail to properly respond to the situation.

    ¡°I guess it can¡¯t be helped. Let¡¯s put it in the magic box like you said.¡±

    After deciding Windur¡¯s temporary removal, they changed their topic to the sealing object, which they guessed was somewhere inside the pyramid now.

    ¡°Don¡¯t you think it¡¯s highly likely that the object will be on top of the pyramid? Or near the tree. Did you see anything unique when you were up there?¡±

    Although the entire party had gone up to the top of the pyramid, it was only in a hurry after an unexpected event erupted. Zich and Leona were the only ones who leisurely searched the pyramid¡¯s peak.

    ¡°I was too focused on the tree, so I didn¡¯t see the area closely.¡±

    ¡°I guess I have to search for it as soon as I get up there.¡±

    ¡°It could also not even be at the peak but inside it.¡±

    ¡°Then I guess I have to find an entrance connecting to the inside.¡±

    ¡°It would be a bit easier if we ordered Snoc to do it. After all, it seems to be made of stone, although it has magical elements.¡±

    Like that, they exchanged opinions and mapped out their ns for tomorrow. From the side, Marilyn listened to their conversation closely.

    * * *

    The next day, the party headed towards the pyramid. While moving closely together, they walked up the long staircase. Since it was the area where the tombs had previously raised their defensive mechanisms, they needed extra precautions for their safety.

    Windur was no longer on Zich¡¯s back because he had already put Windur in his magic box. However, in order to prepare for emergency scenarios, he had an ordinary long sword on his waist. However, since it had been a while since Zich used a sword other than Windur, he felt a bit awkward about it and pointlessly tapped the sword on his waist.

    They arrived at the peak of the pyramid. As expected, the first thing that caught their eye was the huge tree letting with its roots reaching up to the sky. This mysterious and awe-inspiring sight was enough for people to be speechless. It was Elena and Marilyn¡¯s first time seeing such a beautiful flow of mana from a tree. The others also gazed with marvel at the tree.

    p! Zich¡¯s p awakened them from their daze and brought them back to reality. ¡°I admit that the tree in front of us is extremely fascinating, but we have things to do first.¡±

    Then, Zich assigned each person a location they should search on top of the pyramid and ordered them to look for anything suspicious. The group listened to Zich and began searching everywhere around the top. The only exception was Snoc who put his hand on the pyramid with Nowem and tried to grasp the overall structure of the pyramid.

    ¡®Is it not here either?¡¯ Even though they looked around for some time, they couldn¡¯t find anything unusual.

    ¡°Hey, did you find anything?¡± Zich asked Snoc.

    Snoc looked a bit troubled. ¡°Sir, it¡¯s difficult to precisely assess the overall structure of the pyramid because of the mana around the whole pyramid.¡±

    Koo¡­ Nowem also cried out in disappointment.

    Zich scratched his cheek. ¡®This might be a bit more troublesome than I thought.¡¯

    Fortunately, Windur stayed calm inside the magic box. After they looked all over the top of the pyramid, they all reconvened. Nobody was able to find anything. Now, they had no choice but to look around the pyramid¡¯s walls.

    ¡°Let¡¯s separate. I don¡¯t think the tree will suddenly go berserk after all this time.¡±

    The others nodded their heads at Zich¡¯s words and began climbing down on different sides of the pyramid. Each step of the pyramid made out ofrge, clean-shaped rocks were twice the size of an average human being. If they were not careful, a normal person would lose their life.

    Tap! After jumping down one step, Zich slowly began walking to one side while facing the wall. If he saw something even a bit suspicious, he tapped the area with the end of his sword.

    ¡®Should I take out Windur?¡¯

    The mysterious and coy sword might tell him lead him to another secret passage. However, the problem was that as soon as he took Windur out, it might trigger the tree and the tree might go berserk.

    ¡®If I can¡¯t find an entrance, I won¡¯t have any choice.¡¯ Thus, Zich decided to leave Windur as his final resort. As time passed by, their search range gradually decreased. Next to him, L floated up in the air and moved down the pyramid. She was looking at the entire pyramid with a wide view. Compared to her, Zich meticulously looked at each part of the wall. Like this, a significant amount of time passed when¡ª

    ¡°Hmm?¡± Zich stopped in front of a certain part of the wall. He put his finger on the wall. ¡®It¡¯s a gap!¡¯

    The gap was a long cut across the stone. It was a clear cut as if a sharp knife had cut through mud. Zich had seen a gap like this before. When they first entered the tomb, the keyhole where he put Windur in looked exactly like this gap. Zich loudly called out and gathered hispanions.

    ¡°What happened?¡± L had been hovering near Zich and also looking for an entrance, so she was the first one to arrive. Zich didn¡¯t say anything and pointed his finger at the gap.

    ¡°¡­It¡¯s a gap?¡±

    ¡°You also think it¡¯s what I¡¯m thinking, right?¡± Even though Zich didn¡¯t specify what he was thinking about, L was able to easily grasp what he was trying to say.

    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s probably right.¡±

    ¡°Should I take out Windur?¡± Zich took out his magic box from his pocket. L fell into a short contemtion. She calcted their distance from the tree branch and then nodded her head.

    ¡°I¡¯m for it. We¡¯re at a good distance from the tree, but most of all, this is the only clue we currently have.¡±

    Zich immediately took out Windur as soon as L expressed her approval.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    The two stared at Windur with nervous eyes. Fortunately, Windur didn¡¯t show much reaction. L and Zich let out a sigh of relief.

    ¡°I was worried that as soon as I took it out, it was going to cause a hell of a scene but fortunately, it¡¯s calm.¡± He felt sour that even though he was its owner, he had to pay great attention to Windur¡¯s reaction.

    ¡°Damn it, I should really throw away my Demon Lord title now.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s an excellent thought. What¡¯s the good of having such a title?¡±

    Zich puckered his lips and pushed Windur into the gap.

    Click!

    They heard the sound of something interlocking inside. Zich and L looked at each other. They nodded their heads once and looked back at the gap again. Zich began turning Windur.

    Grrrrrung!

    The gap in the stone began turning.

    Kurrrrung!

    With a slight tremor, the wall began moving slowly down. Then, a tunnel appeared in front of them.

    ¡°Sir Zich! May I ask what happened!¡± Hans asked as he answered Zich¡¯s call.

    Zich pointed his chin towards the tunnel in front of them and said, ¡°I found the tunnel.¡±

 Chapter 364

    <h4>Chapter 364</h4>

    The tunnel that appeared before them was big enough to fit three people. Zich looked at all thepanions beside him and said, ¡°Let¡¯s go in.¡±

    Hispanions nodded, and Zich walked inside the entrance. Like the graveyard area, mana light seeped out from the ceiling. So, they didn¡¯t have any difficulties seeing.

    Stomp! Stomp!

    The sound of heavy footsteps echoed throughout the tunnel. Like the entrance of the tomb, the walls were decorated with murals, but they gave off a different feelingpared to the previous murals. If thest mural looked like it was trying to intimidate trespassers, these seemed like they were paying respects to their visitors.

    ¡°It seems we havee to the right ce,¡± Zich said while nodding. The tunnel was connected towards the bottom. Based on its structuralyout, they had to move towards the center of the pyramid. In case a trap suddenly burst out, the group members walked carefully, and they only arrived at the open space after quite a bit of time had passed. The room they arrived at was a considerably big room. The walls were smooth¡ªthey were made of neatly stacked and carefully carved brick stones. However, what captured their attention wasn¡¯t the smooth, shiny walls. Zich turned his neck to look up at the thing that had burst out of the ceiling and murmured, ¡°¡­That must be the stem of the tree.¡±

    The stem of a gigantic tree was prating from the outside of the room. Perhaps they were imagining it, but the brown andrge stem looked extremely hard, just like a rock.

    ¡°Zich! Windur!¡± L shouted and Zich quickly ced Windur into the box. Then, he nced at the tree. Fortunately, the tree didn¡¯t seem to show any special response.

    ¡°What a surprise. I didn¡¯t expect the tree to suddenly burst out,¡± Zich grumbled and ced Windur back in and took out the spare sword he had kept inside the magic box.

    ¡°It seems like we¡¯ve found what we were looking for.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s true.¡± Underneath the tree stem that prated the ceiling, there was another tree growing on the ground. The tree lookedpletely different from the tree above it. Its stems stretched upwards, and as if it was showing off its overflowing vitality, thick green light shone from it. The green tree stretched out its stems to the ceiling; as if it were suppressing the brown tree, its green branches wrapped around the brown branches. Anyone could see that the green tree was subduing the brown tree.

    ¡°You don¡¯t think that tree is also one of these giant trees, right?¡± Zich asked while pointing at the green tree.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think so. I think it¡¯s more simr to the Lake¡¯s Tear or the me¡¯s Tear.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I mean the mana I feel from it feels weak,¡± Zich replied.

    Although the green tree¡¯s mana was outstanding, inparison to the Tree of Fire, Tree of Fire, Tree of Water, and the Tree of Earth, the mana seemed to becking in this tomb. It was to the point they were iparable.

    ¡°Then do I just have to kill this tree?¡±

    ¡°Before that, we have to investigate more.¡± L stopped Zich from swinging his sword around immediately.

    ¡°It¡¯s not in the marble form that we know of. There¡¯s no guarantee that it¡¯ll die peacefully.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s true.¡± Of course, the fact that piqued L¡¯s curiosity that most mages naturally possessed yed a great factor in this decision too. Nevertheless, Zich didn¡¯t bother himself about it; truthfully speaking, they didn¡¯t know what would happen anyways.

    ¡°Are you going to investigate it immediately?¡±

    ¡°I have to.¡±

    ¡°Take your time. It¡¯s not something that you can do in a hurry.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. That¡¯s what I intend to do.¡± Looking at her gleaming eyes, it seemed like L would stick around the green tree for a while now.

    ¡°¡­Well, good luck,¡± Zich said and shrugged.

    * * *

    L ran into the green tree¡¯sboratory. Elena and Marilyn followed behind her. While the three mages focused all their attention on researching the green tree with the will of breaking it apart, the rest of the group members were left without much to do. In the beginning, they lingered where the mages were. They nned to protect the mages if a dangerous situation suddenly arose. Yet, they couldn¡¯t continue to stare at a research process when they didn¡¯t know when it would finish. Zich, Hans, and Snoc took turns protecting the room, and the other two decided to continue searching the tomb in case they missed something. Like that, everyone naturally fell into their respective roles.

    The three mages studied the green tree with their eyes literally shing. After feeling the properties of its mana, they found its source and where it moved. With the coboration of L, who was at the level of the greatest mage, Marilyn, the curse castor skilled enough to be one of Zich¡¯s subordinates in the future, and Elena, who had been one of the hero¡¯s party members that defeated Zich before the regression and were extremely adept in magic theory, the investigation progressed quickly.

    Yet, since the project started off with almost no information about the green tree, nobody could be sure when the investigation would end. No matter how crazy they were all about researching, humans also needed rest. The three mages took turns sleeping or eating their meals.

    ¡°Haa!¡± L came out of the pyramid to take a quick nap. She floated up and came down to the camp the party had prepared beneath the pyramid.

    ¡°Did youe to rest?¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡± Her fatiguedplexion brightened up a bit after smelling the stew. She ran towards it and stood next to therge pot. Arge number of vegetables and meat were boiling inside the pot.

    ¡°I thought this before, but you are unexpectedly good at things like this.¡±

    ¡°My experience level is on apletely different level from the other guys.¡± After Zich swirled the pot one time, he sprinkled salt to season the stew. Then, he took a spoonful of stew and tasted it.

    ¡°Hmm, it¡¯s done.¡± Zich poured the stew into a bowl and passed it to L.

    She immediately epted the stew and lifted her spoon. The vor of the stew spread inside her mouth. The oil from the generous serving of meat raised her appetite and the differentbination of smells from the vegetablesbined together to bring out a unique vor. Moreover, the well-bnced amount of salt gave a savory taste to the stew. As the taste of well-cooked meat and vegetables burst in her mouth, her spoon automatically reached for another spoon of stew.

    ¡°Does it taste okay?¡±

    ¡°Yep, it¡¯s good!¡± In the first ce, L was very hungry from researching for a long time. She gulped down the food.

    ¡°While you¡¯re going up, take two more servings for the two people up there. Is Hans standing guard right now?¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡±

    ¡°Then, take three bowls, including Hans¡¯.¡±

    ¡°Okay.¡± Even while replying, L didn¡¯t stop moving her spoon.

    While watching her, Zich said, ¡°Listen to me while you¡¯re eating.¡±

    While chewing her food, L stared at Zich.

    ¡°I¡¯m nning to carefully watch every action that Marilyn does from now on.¡±

    Thud! L¡¯s spoon stopped at Zich¡¯s unexpected words. She wiped the stew on her mouth and said, ¡°What do you mean?¡±

    ¡°I mean exactly what I said. I¡¯m going to be carefully watching Marilyn from now on. You should also watch what she does to the tree.¡±

    L was startled. Zich had always shown a soft attitude towards his subordinates. Therefore, L thought that Zich¡¯s easy decision to ept Marilyn as theirpanion was also a result of this tendency. However, the atmosphere that Zich gave off was extremely cold. He was not joking about this.

    ¡°Can you exin so it¡¯s easier for me to understand?¡± L put down her stew on the ground and straightened her posture.

    ¡°I told you to listen while eating.¡±

    ¡°Do you think this is something I can listen to while eating? Stop straying from the topic and exin!¡±

    Zich shook his head as if it couldn¡¯t be helped and opened his mouth. ¡°I¡¯ve been thinking about this for a long time. To be exact, I¡¯ve been thinking of this since I became certain that Glen Zenardpletely twisted my life.¡±

    Zich¡¯s eyes automatically turned cross as he talked about Glen. This was evidence of how much he hated Glen Zenard.

    ¡°If he nned to kill me after raising me as a Demon Lord, it would have been better for him to control my actions. In order to do that, the best method is to put a spy in my group.¡±

    ¡°¡­You¡¯re saying that Marilyn Frill is that person?¡±

    Zich swirled his portion of the stew with his spoon. ¡°Marilyn acted as the nner in our group since she was smart. When I was weak, I used my brain a lot. However, I began to rely mostly on my strength as more of my mana got unleashed and I could use more of my power. My mana wasrge enough for that to be possible, and it was also due to my bitterness from getting chased out of my house because I wasn¡¯t able to use mana.¡±

    L quietly listened to Zich¡¯s words.

    ¡°However, even then, when I made the whole world my enemy, I couldn¡¯t just continue without using my brain. Even though our attack power was superior, our opponents began using just as many traps and resources to fight us.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s when Marilyn began her role as the nner.¡±

    Zich nodded his head. ¡°Marilyn has good sense, and her brain works fast. She was also good at reading her opponent¡¯s ns, and of course, she was good at avoiding our opponent¡¯s traps. So naturally, after she joined our team, I left all the brain work to her and focused my attention on going crazy on the battlefield. For that reason, we began relying more and more on Marilyn¡¯s ns.¡±

    ¡°¡­If Marilyn was a traitor like you said, that would have been the worst scenario.¡±

    ¡°Before the final battle with Glen Zenard, we were caught up in our enemies¡¯ scheme and were torn apart. All my four subordinates werepletely crushed¡ªJoachim, Evelyn, Tim, and even Marilyn. However, Joachim, Evelyn, and Tim all lost their lives to Glen Zenard and his party members. Marilyn was different.¡±

    Tap! Zich¡¯s spoon, which was swirling in the stew, hit the bottom of the bowl and stopped. ¡°I was told that Glen Zenard defeated her by himself.¡±

    ¡°¡­That means that Glen Zenard¡¯s otherpanions weren¡¯t able to witness Marilyn Frill¡¯s death.¡±

    As the circumstantial evidence came to light, L¡¯s face became very serious. ¡°But the affection she shows for you is¡­real?¡± L showed a bit of hesitation as she said affection; she was still unaware of her emotions.

    ¡°Yep. It was like that even before my regression. Her emotions towards me are probably real.¡±

    ¡°Then, aren¡¯t you perhaps mistaken?¡±

    ¡°If it was me, L.¡± Zich put down his now lukewarm stew to the side. Then he swirled the stew in the pot that was still letting out steam. ¡°If I had tens of thousands of opportunities and I was able to know my opponent¡¯s likes and tastes perfectly and I had to nt a spy under them, I would thoroughly educate my subordinate.¡±

    Educate. That one word sounded extremely chilling to L.

    ¡°I would educate them to perfectly match my opponent¡¯s tastes and send them out so that my opponent would easily favor the subordinate. If it was possible, I would also imnt real emotions into my subordinates so that they would love my opponent. Since their love itself is real, even a person with very sharp senses wouldn¡¯t suspect that subordinate. If I really did this, a lovely and fatal poison that matches my opponent from head to toe would bepleted.¡±

    A memory of Marilyn¡¯s past shed through his mind. It was when she called Zich her ¡®destined match.¡¯

 Chapter 365

    <h4>Chapter 365</h4>

    ¡°Then is the reason why you decided to ept Marilyn as a member is to observe her?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. I thought I could extract some good information from her if she joined.¡±

    ¡°What kind of information are you talking about?¡±

    ¡°I think those guys have at least one tree in their possession.¡±

    L¡¯s face stiffened, but she soon nodded.

    ¡°Since they knew that I was the Core and have gone through several regressions, I think there¡¯s a high chance that they have control over the entire system.¡±

    ¡°Moreover, since all the trees were in ces that were important to the Empire like the tombs of their emperors or theirboratories, I¡¯m sure they have at least one tree if they have control over a system that is rted to the Empire. There are five trees in total after all.¡± The whole Adrowon Forest could have had some kind of important meaning that they didn¡¯t know about for the Empire too.

    ¡°Marilyn is certainly not the robed figures¡¯ckey. If you look at her role and abilities, she¡¯s probably in a considerably high position in the organization. I think she must know exactly where the tree near the system is then.¡±

    ¡°¡­Do you think she would know the way to control the tree?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t think the organization can even use the tree perfectly. Even if they have the tree under their control, they probably wouldn¡¯t be able to control it as perfectly as Clowon. However, as an organization that has seen the tree for a long time, there¡¯s a high chance that they would know many methods to control it.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sure it would be ideal for us to learn other information besides that.¡±

    Zich nodded. ¡°If my guess is right, even if she does love me, she prioritizes her loyalty to her organization above everything and uses me for them. Since even the people in the lower ranks of the organization don¡¯t open their mouths, you can imagine what Marilyn would be like since she is probably in the upper ranks. She won¡¯t open her mouth even after torture.¡±

    ¡°So, are you nning to extract information secretly?¡±

    ¡°Yes, but the main problem is that she¡¯s extremely sharp. Even if I hated using my head before the regression, she was thorough enough that I didn¡¯t suspect her as a spy at all. I highly doubt she would leave traces of information carelessly.¡±

    ¡°Then, wouldn¡¯t it be basically impossible to get any information from her?¡±

    ¡°No matter how meticulous she is, she is human. She wouldn¡¯t be able to help, but there should be some openings. The same can be said for even the great me.¡±

    ¡°Ah, never mind that.¡± At Zich¡¯s self-praise, L cut him off instantly. She snorted like she was annoyed by him and Zich continued, ¡°The reason why she showed no openings before the regression wasn¡¯t only because of how careful she was, but also because of the regression. She would have known what I would do. In other words, she could predict my actions and events in the future.¡±

    ¡°Now you are saying the current situation has be unpredictable for her, right?¡±

    ¡°Yes. Even if many regressions had happened, I doubt there were many instances where people besides them had knowledge about the concept of regression. Even I wouldn¡¯t have known about it if it wasn¡¯t for this guy.¡± Zich tapped Windur. ¡°In other words, those guys had their nspletely ruined in this timeline.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a situation that could make Marilyn not know what to do.¡±

    ¡°Exactly.¡± Zich nodded. ¡°Since they have the power of the regression, changed variables must not pose a great threat to them. They can just turn back time, so the changes must be simply bothersome. However, if that changed variable learns the concept of regression, the story would change, even more so if the changed variable¡¯s skills are outstanding.¡±

    ¡°They would be since the changed variable could have an effect on their power.¡± The difference between knowing about their existence and not was huge.

    ¡°Okay. So, I get the suspicions you have. I think they have merit.¡±

    ¡°You want to ask why I am telling you this now, right?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. You don¡¯t have to tell me the reason why you hid this from me. Considering your personality, I¡¯m sure you thought you wanted to hide things like this as much as possible, even from people on your side.¡± Since she was used to this part about him, L said indifferently, ¡°The reason why you are bringing up this now is because you have no more reason to hide it and you need my coboration?¡±

    ¡°Yes, L. I need your coboration.¡± Zich nodded. ¡°I do have another reason for keeping this matter from you. If I told you beforehand, Marilyn might have be suspicious. Like I told you, she is freakishly sharp. I don¡¯t think your acting is bad, but I don¡¯t think you would¡¯ve been able to trick her for long.¡±

    ¡°Does that mean you n to take care of her soon?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    In this tense atmosphere, L recalled Marilyn. She was her vibrant friend who always clung close to her while smiling. She felt a strong bitterness that was equal to swallowing a big clump of sand.

    ¡°It seems that you have be attached to her in that short period of time,¡± Zich said, catching her feelings just by her expression.

    ¡°If I must say something, there¡¯s a high possibility that the reason why she stayed so close to you was because she wanted to dig out information from you.¡±

    ¡°¡­Because I am the system¡¯s core?¡±

    ¡°She might have tried to figure out the reason why there was so much more change in this timeline than the other ones through you.¡±

    ¡°How depressing.¡±

    ¡°Really?¡±

    ¡°You are so calm about this.¡±

    ¡°I was betrayed like this or backstabbed by my colleagues all the time before the regression. The Demon People Era was a time like that.¡±

    L stared at Zich¡¯s face. He appearedpletely indifferent. L was saddened by the fact that the second person she could possibly call a friend besides Zich could be a spy who infiltrated the team to bring them down. Even though it hadn¡¯t been that long since she met Marilyn, she feltplex feelings about her; yet, Zich said he was used to it.

    ¡®How many things did he have to go through when he went from Steelwall to Moore?¡¯

    Seeing the stark contrast between their personalities, it seemed to have been unbelievably intense. The stories Zich brought up from time to time proved this. For the first time, L began to feel pity towards Zich Moore.

    Whether he knew this or not, Zich continued, ¡°I think that she might havee to this city to conduct research for her organization. The owners of Estede and Tornium changed in this city¡¯s ruin. Even though they instigated the monster ambush, Glen Zenard also personally witnessed the shadow beings here. They¡¯re a huge change from a variable, right?¡±

    Moreover, these changes were not just small matters.

    ¡°However, we appeared again in this city. She probably approached us to steal information from us. As long as I was in this group, she was probably confident that she would be able to join our group.¡±

    ¡°So what should we do from now on?¡±

    At L¡¯s question, Zich quietly began exining his n. She carefully listened to his n. After he finished giving his exnation, L nodded. ¡°I got it. I¡¯ll do as you said.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll leave it up to you.¡±

    L got up from her seat. ¡°I¡¯ll start heading up. If I take more time, I¡¯ll draw out suspicion.¡±

    ¡°Take the food as well.¡± Zich filled up three bowls with stew and passed them to her. L stared at the stew bowls in front of her. One was for Elena and one was for Hans. Thest remaining one was for Marilyn.

    ¡°¡­It¡¯s notpletely certain that Marilyn is a traitor yet, right?¡±

    Zich nodded at L¡¯s question. ¡°Yeah.¡± He threw down thedle in the pot and continued, ¡°However, there¡¯s a very high possibility.¡±

    At that moment, L saw a crack in Zich¡¯s calm expression for the first time. The expression that came out was simr to what L was experiencing right now¡ªit was bitterness. ¡°But I still want to believe her till the very end.¡±

    * * *

    Zich and the whole group gathered together. Thepanions, including the three mages who couldn¡¯t hide their tired eyes from long hours of research, sat in a circle around a campfire. Since it had been a while since they all gathered together to eat, the food in front of them was luxurious. They each grabbed a cup of alcohol and a thick, well-cooked piece of meat full of spices and seasoning. Thepanions¡¯ moods lightened up as they saw the fancy feast, which was hard toe by while camping out like this.

    Koo! Nowem also let out a happy cry as he vigorously pushed his portion of the meat with his small mouth.

    ¡°Have you had any sess?¡±

    At Zich¡¯s question, L shook her head. ¡°Not yet. It¡¯s slow because we don¡¯t have any prior information about this subject.¡±

    ¡°Do you think you¡¯ll need a lot of time?¡±

    ¡°Probably?¡±

    Like this, as Zich and L began talking to each other, they gathered everyone¡¯s attention. However, this was the extent of the otherpanions¡¯ reactions. It wasmon for L and Zich to exchange conversations like this during mealtime.

    ¡°Then, we¡¯ll have to camp out here for a while. However, we can¡¯t stay here forever.¡±

    ¡°I know. I also don¡¯t want to keep staying in an underground tunnel like this. Moreover, we¡¯re in a grave.¡±

    If they went inside the stone chambers, they could easily see corpses whose time of death were difficult to pinpoint. A personcking in fortitude wouldn¡¯t want to stay in a ce like this for even a second. The others also seemed to have the same thoughts as they all nodded.

    ¡°So that¡¯s why I¡¯m thinking about changing the n a bit.¡±

    ¡°The n?¡±

    ¡°You know, the letters in the stone chamber. I¡¯m thinking about tranting those first.¡±

    ¡°Do you think they¡¯ll have information written about that brown tree or that green tree?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t you think there¡¯s some possibility? We also found interesting clues from there as well¡­¡± L stared at the air, and she slightly frowned as if she was trying to recall previous information. ¡°The Brushel System. Clowon. We found those clues from there after all.¡±

    Elena asked, ¡°Teacher, Clowon is the name of the ancient empire, right?¡±

    Only Zich and L knew information about regression, but the disciples knew about things like the name of the ancient empire.

    ¡°The name of the empire?¡±

    At Marilyn¡¯s question, Elena exined, ¡°It¡¯s probably the name of the empire that made this tomb. I heard that it was an extremely prosperous empire in the past.¡±

    ¡°Is that so? Then, what¡¯s the Brushel System?¡±

    ¡°I also don¡¯t really¡­¡± Elena stared at L to ask for help.

    L took a sip of her wine and replied, ¡°I also don¡¯t know either. It seems like it was an important system of the empire but¡­ Well, if I continue to trante the letters, won¡¯t I find out what it is?¡±

    ¡°Do you think information about that system will be on there?¡±

    ¡°I think there¡¯s a high possibility it might.¡±

    Marilyn nodded. ¡°Understood. Then, did you find out anything else?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re really curious. As expected, mages can¡¯t help them themselves.¡±

    ¡°Should you of all people be saying that to me?¡±

    The two looked at each other and smiled.

    ¡°There was nothing much. I wasn¡¯t able to look at all the stone chambers, but there¡¯s a good chance that there¡¯ll be important information. So for now, I¡¯ll ask you to continue researching the tree with Elena. I¡¯ll alsoe back to research the tree once a day. The trantion won¡¯t take long too. Most of the passages are just praising the emperors. If I skip those passages, there probably won¡¯t be much important information.¡±

    ¡°I understand. Leave the research to me.¡±

    ¡°Thanks, Marilyn.¡±

    Several more days passed by.

    ¡°I¡¯ve found out how to stop the Brushel System,¡± L said to herpanions after she had focused intensively on decoding the letters.

 Chapter 366

    <h4>Chapter 366</h4>

    She was young when she first saw him.

    ¡°This is the person you will serve from now on.¡± With those words, her caretaker handed her a portrait. It was a drawing of a young man. He had handsome features and had the type of face that was especially popr to thedies, but the confident, borderline arrogant look on his expression seemed like it would crush all the affection he had gained. Yet, what was important to her wasn¡¯t the face on the portrait or the expression on the man¡¯s face but the words she heard while receiving it.

    This was the person she had to serve now, and that was how Marilyn learned of Zich¡¯s existence. From that day on, Marilyn learned detailed information about Zich such as his preferences, past, and future. The main reason why this information was passed on to her was simple. After molding her preferences into Zich¡¯s and making her learn about his past and future, they wanted her to be well acquainted with Zich. Yet, the organization wasn¡¯t satisfied by just that. They brainwashed her intensely so that some core beliefs were engraved into her heart.

    After finishing her education, the organization¡¯s head asked while showing her Zich¡¯s portrait, ¡°Who is this person?¡±

    Marilyn answered without hesitation. ¡°He is the one I have to serve.¡±

    ¡°And?¡±

    Marilyn¡¯s face reddened. Her eyes looked dazed while her fingers wiggled. She clearly looked like a girl in love.

    ¡°He is also the person I love.¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡± The head nodded in satisfaction. ¡°Like you said, he is the person you will serve and love.¡± As if he was trying to nail in her mission and emotions, he added, ¡°If you have to choose between the person you love and me, who would you serve?¡±

    ¡°Of course, you, master.¡±

    She was made to truly love Zich so that she didn¡¯t think of loving anyone else. However, the rest of the brainwashing strengthened her loyalty to the head of the organization. Her loyalty to the head was absolute to the point that she could push the person she loved to the pits. Of course, her natural tendencies also had a factor in this.

    ¡°Yes. Even if he bes the object of your love, you have to follow me. That¡¯ll also help you with your love.¡± The head of the organization chuckled, ¡°To aplish my goal, I have to do countless regressions. You can meet Zich Moore in every timeline.¡±

    Marilyn¡¯s expression fell into a daze. Seeing this, the head of the organization continued, ¡°Of course, you won¡¯t be able to remember the things from before the regression, but I¡¯m sure that won¡¯t matter to you. The only thing important to you would be to continue standing by his side.¡±

    ¡°In the previous timeline, did I also tag along with Sir Zich everywhere?¡±

    ¡°Of course. As his right-hand underling, you always apanied him wherever he went. You loved Zich Moore every time.¡±

    ¡°Ah!¡± Marilyn gripped her hands tightly.

    ¡°Work hard, Marilyn Frill. I don¡¯t know when this will end, but until we meet our goal, you will always be with Zich Moore.¡±

    At that moment, Marilyn knew what kind of expression she was making without looking in the mirror. She was making a beautiful, very beautiful smile.

    * * *

    Marilyn looked toward Zich. As soon as she saw his face, her heart thumped and her face flushed. She wanted to gaze at him forever like this. However, since she had things she needed to do, she eventually pulled her eyes away. She felt a wave of regret but forcefully gathered her heart together. This wasn¡¯t the time to dawdle; the situation was too serious for that. L stated that she had found a way to halt the Brushel System. Her words were enough to flip the entire organization upside down.

    From what she knew, the Brushel System was a miraculous system that could cause a regression. It was also the system that supported her organization. Her organization was only able to develop after using the regression as their focal point, so hearing that there was a method to stop it rmed her.

    ¡®This is dangerous.¡¯ Marilyn naturally felt this way. Her organization was both meticulous and careless. They were meticulous because they nned out their actions with all the information they had gathered through their regressions while they were careless from the confidence that they could turn back time no matter how much their ns got warped. Thus, what if they could no longer use the power of regression?

    ¡®I don¡¯t think they would copse right away.¡¯ Although Marilyn didn¡¯t know everything about her organization, she knew its members were strong, and they weren¡¯t a weak group by any means. However, they wouldn¡¯t be able to escape the chaos that followed afterward and might eventually fall in the end. Marilyn definitely had to prevent this from happening. However, that wasn¡¯t an easy task.

    ¡®First of all, it¡¯s a problem that my opponents are Sir Zich and L.¡¯

    In the future, Zich was supposed to be someone who inflicted the whole world with fear and reached the highest position avable as the Demon Lord of Strength. Even right now, although his powers hadn¡¯t fully matured, his immense strength was guaranteed.

    Furthermore, L would be an equally tricky opponent; Marilyn didn¡¯t know her identity specifically, but L used to act as the system¡¯s core; while pretending to research beside her these past few days, Marilyn had also be aware of L¡¯s vast knowledge and insights.

    ¡®I also can¡¯t underestimate the others.¡¯

    The one named Hans held Estede which originally belonged to Glen. Furthermore, he had the title of ¡®Sun Hero¡¯ attached to his name, which used to also belong to Glen. His name was spreading quickly from this city to everywhere else, and although he was an existence that the organization hadpletely missed, the fact that he was Esthede¡¯s wielder highlighted the fact that he was a noteworthy figure. And what about Snoc? Before the regression, he was the ¡®Tyrant of the Earth¡¯ who made an entire country copse. Seeing how the mythical beast of the earth was always with him, he still had the potential to develop into a Demon Person in the future since the beast made him into a Demon Person before. Moreover, there was Elena Dwayne. She was a talent that Glen Zenard put dabs on as one of his futurepanions. Now, L was teaching a talent like that.

    ¡®I might be able to beat them one by one, but my chances of winning greatly decrease with even two people.¡¯

    Their group was really too powerful for a five-person party.

    ¡®A direct confrontation will be impossible.¡¯ Just Zich would be able to ignore her curses and split her head in two. ¡®I should gather information first.¡¯

    Marilyn asked L after she just told everyone that she found a way to stop the Brushel System and was now eating, ¡°So were you able to find out how to stop the Brushel System?¡±

    ¡°Yep. Are you interested?¡± L said this as she put a spoonful of soup into her mouth.

    ¡°Of course I¡¯m interested. It¡¯s a system that¡¯s constantly mentioned in an emperor¡¯s grave of a powerful empire. It might be a clue to an amazing spell or a new device that hasn¡¯t been discovered yet.¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s a high chance that it¡¯s probably rted to magic. It seems like it was rted to that tree.¡± L took out the spoon from her mouth and pointed at the tree on top of the pyramid.

    ¡°Would you be able to tell me what you found out?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. It¡¯s not really a long story though.¡± Even though it might have been bothersome to deal with Marilyn who kept asking questions while she was eating, L easily replied, ¡°I don¡¯t know what exactly the Brushel System is, but I think it¡¯s a system that uses that tree as its base. In short, it uses the tree¡¯s mana. That green tree inside the pyramid is a system that suppresses the tree¡¯s power.¡±

    This was information that had already been discussed while researching the tree, so Marilyn nodded and urged L to say the next word.

    ¡°From what I read, if we increase the strength of the green tree to make it easier to suppress the tree¡¯s power, the energy transported to the Brushel System would decrease and the system would copse. It also says that if we want to start the system again, we need an extensive amount of preparation time, so if the mana output of the tree bes unstable, it¡¯ll tell us to destroy the suppressor. Apparently, that¡¯s better.¡±

    Marilyn listened to L¡¯s exnation with an expression full of curiosity. However, unlike her face which showed only pure curiosity, her thoughts became moreplicated than ever.

    ¡°Perhaps, could you tell me where you found that information?¡± Marilyn carefully asked with nuance as if she was merely curious and had no ulterior motives. The answer she got back was utterly disappointing.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡±

    ¡°But aren¡¯t you the one who tranted it?¡±

    ¡°I told you. I wasn¡¯t going to take a long time tranting the texts. If it was like usual, I would have recorded every ce where I found each specific line, but I had no leisure to do so this time. While I¡¯m reading through the passages, if I find something important, I just write it down and immediately move on to my next text so I don¡¯t know where each of the passages is. Well, judging by the location of my notes, it seems like it¡¯s around the middle area of the tomb.¡±

    It was hard to locate the source of information just by knowing it was from a stone chamber in the middle area.

    ¡®Should I ask a bit more specifically?¡¯ However, if she dug further, she might draw out people¡¯s suspicion. Marilyn¡¯s eyes followed L as she stretched out her arms.

    ¡°Since it¡¯s a system that constantly gets mentioned, it might be a super important system, but I finished tranting anyways, so I¡¯ll be going back to researching the tree.¡±

    ¡°In the end, tranting the passages ended up as a futile effort.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I already said that,¡± L grumbled at Zich¡¯s words.

    ¡°And you don¡¯t know what that Brushel System is at all?¡±

    ¡°No. The only thing I can guess is that it¡¯s a system that might be supporting this tomb with mana? It¡¯s also the tomb of past emperors. The afterlife rituals of the empire might have believed that the emperors would go to heaven only if these facilities were maintained.¡±

    ¡°If not it, the statues or shadows we faced might be the Brushel System. Like a defense system for the tomb.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s also a possibility.¡±

    Zich and L both looked at the top of the pyramid.

    Zich said, ¡°Then, won¡¯t it be fine if we stop the system momentarily?¡±

    Marilyn was startled. If L¡¯s words came into fruition, she needed to employ all possible means to block them from stopping the Brushel System. However, she couldn¡¯t strongly stop them, because this would only draw out suspicion. Marilyn fiercely repressed a shocked cry rising up her throat and tried to react in a logical manner.

    However, L reacted first. ¡°Are you nning to recklessly stop a system that we¡¯re not sure about? What if something unexpected happens?¡±

    At that moment, L really looked like a goddess to Marilyn.

    However, Zich didn¡¯t easily back off either. ¡°We don¡¯t have much time, L. You know we can¡¯t just stay here and do research for the rest of our lives. Moreover, we¡¯re not trying to start the system, but we¡¯re trying to stop it. Rather than something happening, it¡¯ll probably disappear.¡±

    ¡°Then, you should think about the possibility of causing damage by erasing such a system. For example, what are you going to do if this enormous space was being maintained by that system? If this whole ce copses, it¡¯ll obviously affect Violuwin. An enormous number of people will die.¡±

    ¡°I also think the same way,¡± Marilyn intervened and added strength to L¡¯s opinion.

    Zich took a step back as two people opposed his n. ¡°Fine, if those are your thoughts. But keep in mind that we can¡¯t stay here forever. There mighte a time when you two will have to choose between stopping this system or giving up on your research.¡±

    ¡°I know. I¡¯m not disagreeing for no reason. I¡¯m going to at least research those two trees and see where their mana are heading towards. We might be able to find out if that system is maintaining this tomb or not.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll send you my best wishes.¡±

    After their conversation ended, Marilyn let out an internal sigh of relief.

 Chapter 367

    <h4>Chapter 367</h4>

    Marilyn quickly took care of the most urgent problem. However, not everything was fixed yet obviously. There was still the great pressing threat that Zich and hispanions could halt the system. Marilyn had to figure out the solution to this problem as soon as possible and the first thing she had to do was to find out whether L was telling the truth or not. However, that was also impossible.

    ¡°I really don¡¯t know what to do. I only thought about finding a clue, and when I saw that there wasn¡¯t a clue, I just thought I could join their research about the trees.¡±

    While carefully choosing her words, Marilyn asked about the location of the writing that L read.

    L answered, ¡°I think it was around there?¡± L pointed at a point of the tomb and twirled her finger to give its general location. Yet, there were many stone chambers in the area. Marilyn counted the number of chambers and when the number exceeded 50, she stopped.

    ¡®I can¡¯t even check it out in secret at this rate!¡¯ Unlike L, Marilyn wasn¡¯t in the position to go around investigating as she pleased. Although she knew the ancient empire¡¯snguage, there were too many stone chambers she had to read in secret away from Zich¡¯s and hispanions¡¯ watchful eyes.

    ¡®How the heck did L look through all those stone chambers!¡¯ It was an outstanding feat. As if the tomb showcased Clowon¡¯s long history, the number of statues in this ce was truly vast. Marilyn also knew that reading through all of them wouldn¡¯t have been an impossible task for L. She was stunned when she saw the speed L took to read the ancient texts inside the Golden Emperor¡¯s stone chamber. It was astonishingly fast, and Marilyn was sure that L had also used magic to increase her reading speed. Since she almost couldn¡¯t believe it, Marilyn even tested her sneakily, and to her disbelief, she found out that L had perfectly grasped the text¡¯s contents.

    ¡®I thought she learned the writing system only recently. How can she read them so fast while even using speed-increasing magic!¡¯ It was then that Marilyn truly grasped the gap between their talents. Considering that L investigated the stone chambers with all her talents without sleeping, Marilyn could ept the im that L had managed to go through all the chambers in this tomb¡ªa feat that was simply impossible for her to do.

    She couldn¡¯t step out to investigate the stone chambers now. She had pretended to not know the Clowon¡¯s scripture. While Zich was pressuring them to speed up their research on the trees, it would seem unreasonable for her to go off to investigate stone chambers with writings that she wasn¡¯t supposed to know. Nobody would ept her excuse.

    ¡®I bet they would all be suspicious of me.¡¯

    Her only choice was to investigate in secret. With her severely limited time, searching through many stone chambers would be an impossible task. Even if she knew Clowon¡¯s scripture, she could only trante bits of it at a time and didn¡¯t have the skills to speedily read through them like L.

    ¡®Actually, investigating even just one or two of them might be impossible.¡¯

    Zich, Hans, and Snoc took turns guarding the pyramid in case of dangerous situations while the rest continued to wander around the tomb, looking to see if there was anything useful. She could be found by them.

    ¡®Sir Zich is especially dangerous.¡¯

    Marilyn knew the abilities that Demon Lord Zich Moore had. Thus, she knew that his detecting abilities and the scope he could sense were immense. Even if he hadn¡¯t reached his full potential, he could still sense across a wide perimeter.

    ¡®He must have widened the perimeters he is sensing to keep an eye out for unexpected events too.¡¯

    With Marilyn¡¯s current skills, it was difficult for her to escape Zich¡¯s detection. In short, this all meant that it was impossible for her to check if L was speaking the truth or not.

    ¡®I will just get rid of that n.¡¯ It was a waste of her time to hold onto a n that was impossible for her to carry out.

    ¡®Should I just leave when the situation arises and make a report?¡¯

    Although she had met Zich and hispanions coincidentally, she had also approached them calctingly. It was true that arge part of the reason why she approached them was because of her personal greed to stay around with Zich, whom she loved. Truthfully, she did feel like she was on cloud nine ever since she started staying with Zich. However, Marilyn¡¯s biggest reason for getting close to them was to dig out information from Zich and hispanions. Zich and hispanions were great figures of interest. ording to her master, they were creating too many changed variables in this timeline. Her organization was even beginning to judge that this timeline was hopeless.

    ¡®Although the master said that idiot is still ying hero even in this situation.¡¯ At this point, that idiot¡¯s obsession with being a hero seemed to even surpass her own love for Zich. Nevertheless, since her master had made sure there were critical changes in this timeline, she thought she could make use of her coincidental meeting with Zich and hispanions to extract information from them.

    So far, the information she had just gained was far beyond a couple of changed variables that her organization was worried about. Even though she couldn¡¯t verify the information, it wasn¡¯t something she could ignore. It was preferable for her to keep this information in mind and send it to her master after leaving the tomb with Zich and hispanions. Of course, Marilyn also had her share of worries about that n.

    ¡®What if they try to halt the system before that?¡¯ What if that really led to stopping the Brushel System? Zich had backed off because of her and L¡¯s disapproval, but that was only temporary. L didn¡¯t seem to bepletely against the interruption of the system. If the tomb didn¡¯t show many anomalies even if they halted the system, they might attempt to do exactly that.

    ¡®If they still try to stop the system even after all that¡­¡¯

    Marilyn really didn¡¯t want to think about this at all, but she needed to prepare herself.

    ¡®My time with Sir Zich in this timeline woulde to an end.¡¯ A faint murderous intent glowed in her eyes.

    * * *

    Some time passed after L went back to researching the tree. However, Zich and hispanions¡¯ actions didn¡¯t change much. The three mages focused on their research and the others took turns protecting the mages. However, thepanions began to slowly feel bored while staying longer in a tomb which didn¡¯t change. This was especially true for Hans and Snoc. Their duties were extremely dull as they couldn¡¯t even train in case an unexpected event urred. On the other hand, they also couldn¡¯t rest in peace either. While they were going through this monotony, they heard some weing news.

    ¡°You checked it?¡±

    ¡°Yep.¡± L confidently nodded in response to Zich¡¯s question. ¡°The brown tree¡¯s mana is surrounding this whole space. That¡¯s probably the source that¡¯s maintaining this ce.¡±

    ¡°Then, is that the Brushel System?¡±

    ¡°No. This is just a simple magical function that uses the tree¡¯s mana. It¡¯s not worthy to give such a grand title as a system.¡±

    ¡°Then, at least this ce won¡¯t break if we stop it.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯ll probably be the case.¡±

    ¡°Then, are we going to try stopping the system?¡± Zich¡¯s eyes beamed. He was also extremely bored by their current daily life.

    L nodded. ¡°I researched various matters, but I think there¡¯s little chance that it¡¯ll cause damage to our surroundings. I also don¡¯t want to waste too much time doing more research.¡± L said this and nodded again. ¡°Yeah, now I¡¯m nning to research how to stop the system.¡±

    ¡°I agree.¡± Zich seemed extremely pleased by L¡¯s decision.

    The others quietly listening to their conversation also brightened up as they saw the end of their lives in this tomb.

    However, Marilyn voiced a concern. ¡°We don¡¯t know what¡¯s going to happen, so isn¡¯t it a bit risky to suddenly stop an unknown system?¡±

    ¡°Marilyn, you also agreed that there¡¯s an extremely low chance that stopping the system will harm our surroundings.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, but there¡¯s still a what if.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, of course there is a possibility, but we don¡¯t have much time.¡±

    ¡°Then how about we just leave it alone? Honestly, we don¡¯t want to stay longer in a tomb, and it¡¯s not like we can¡¯te back again. We cane back next time to conduct research again.¡±

    ¡°Are you nning toe back here many times?¡± L asked Zich, and he shook his head.

    ¡°I don¡¯t intend to settle down near Violuwin. I¡¯m nning to just keep wandering around, and we probably won¡¯t be able toe here frequently enough for you to feel satisfied with your research.¡±

    L contemted for a short while, but then she raised her head as if she had reached her final decision. ¡°As expected, it¡¯ll be better to stop the system. If we stop it, there might be a very small chance it¡¯ll cause harm to its surroundings, but on the other hand, the system might also be causing harm too.¡±

    ¡°I understand.¡± Marilyn no longer disagreed.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry Marilyn. I¡¯ve only been pushing my opinions.¡±

    ¡°No, not at all. I also think there¡¯s a very small chance that something bad will happen from stopping it.¡±

    ¡°Thanks.¡±

    L smiled at Marilyn, and Marilyn gave a soft smile back. However, the inside of her mind waspletely different.

    ¡®I guess it can¡¯t be helped.¡¯ Marilyn finalized her decision as she continued to naturally exchange small talk with L. ¡®In the end, I have to use my final resort.¡¯

    * * *

    When Marilyn went inside the pyramid to start researching earlier on, the otherpanions also began moving to do their own work. Only Zich and L were left.

    ¡°Is she starting now?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s starting now.¡±

    Zich and L¡¯s gazes headed towards the pyramid, or more specifically towards Marilyn who was inside the pyramid.

    Zich said, ¡°If she really is a spy that the robed figures nted, she won¡¯t just stand idly when we told everyone that we¡¯re going to stop the Brushel System.¡±

    ¡°How do you think she¡¯ll react?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know. Regardless, she won¡¯t be able to do anything to us by herself. Even if she¡¯s going to be the Witch in the future, the difference between our current strength is too big.¡±

    Then, Zich stared at where the disciples were. ¡°Well, we should first decrease our fighting power so that Marilyn can move around more freely. I should use an excuse to send Hans, Snoc, and Elena back up.¡±

    ¡°Yeah. We¡¯re the only ones Marilyn probably finds dangerous.¡±

    Marilyn wouldn¡¯t oppose a decision leading her enemies to scatter their forces. Moreover, they also intended to make her movements a bit easier. If Marilyn revealed her true intentions, there was a high possibility that Marilyn might reveal important information such as information about regression.¡°What I can immediately think of is, of course, information about how to use the tree¡¯s mana.¡±

    ¡°However, that¡¯s only if Marilyn is able to use the tree¡¯s mana.¡±

    ¡°Yeah. So, when you¡¯re researching about the tree with Marilyn, you should closely observe her movements. It¡¯s highly likely that she¡¯ll try to do something then.¡±

    ¡°Should I block her?¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t have to necessarily do that. Just increase your knowledge about the tree. We don¡¯t know when we¡¯ll need that informationter on.¡±

    ¡°Got it.¡± L headed towards the pyramid. Zich slightly raised his head as he watched L¡¯s back. The enormous pyramid filled his range of vision.

    ¡®What choice are you going to make now, Marilyn?¡¯ Zich¡¯s gaze towards the pyramid did not leave for a long while.

 Chapter 368

    <h4>Chapter 368</h4>

    A slight change urred after L dered that she would halt the system. First, the number of people in the party decreased. Zich sent Hans, Snoc, and Elena up before him so that there would be an emergency response team if some kind of danger fell upon Violuwin the moment they stopped the system. Hans and Snoc were delighted to hear this. They had gotten sick of loitering around the tomb without much to do. Only Elena seemed to be disappointed by the departure.

    As someone who had focused heavily on magic theory and studies when she thought she didn¡¯t have any magic, her magic knowledge wasparable to high-level mages; thus, she was enjoying her time researching the tree. Yet, she also didn¡¯t disagree with Zich and followed Hans and Snoc back to the city¡¯s surface; as she walked with her slouched shoulders, Snoc and Nowem worked hard onforting her. In the end, only three people¡ªZich, L, and Marilyn remained behind in the tomb.

    ¡®This is an opportunity!¡¯ Marilyn was overjoyed to see the three disciples leave. Zich¡¯s forces had decreased, and with their absence, it would be easier for her to carry out her n. Yet, it still wasn¡¯t that much. There was still a huge risk, since she knew the greatest strengths on Zich¡¯s team was Zich himself and L.

    Marilyn began to manipte the tree little by little. Since Elena was gone, she was able to manipte it when L left the space to eat or sleep. When only one person was left near the tree, Zich came to guard it, but even that was fine. Even if Zich was the Demon Lord of Strength, he wouldn¡¯t be able to tell if Marilyn was manipting the tree or not. Furthermore, she couldn¡¯t have been happier to be left alone with Zich in the same room.

    As she worked, Marilyn and Zich engaged in lengthy conversations. They didn¡¯t talk about anything important and simply centered their conversation to any topic thrown at them. Marilyn was full of glee to even have such insignificant chit chat since it was something she would not be able to do for long in this timeline. As they carried on this enjoyable conversation, L came back after her meal.

    ¡°Marilyn, you should also eat ande back.¡±

    ¡°Should I?¡± Marilyn was getting hungry, but she regretted that her sweet time with Zich had to be cut short, so she hesitated.

    ¡°You should go ande back quickly. What are you taking your time for? Time is precious around here.¡±

    ¡°Ah, wait a moment!¡± Marilyn moved away from L who was lightly pushing her back and approached Zich.

    Grab! She suddenly hugged Zich.

    ¡°Eheheh!¡± While letting out hystericalughter, she left through the entrance door, satisfied. As if she was swept by happiness, she skipped with light footsteps.

    ¡°You must be happy to have a beauty like that hug you.¡± L stared at Zich with narrowed eyes. Zich smirked.

    ¡°I have gone through too much to feel happy about a silly hug like that.¡±

    ¡°Good for you.¡± L¡¯s mood worsened. She took rough footsteps to the tree and crouched near it. Then, she began to search the tree¡¯s mana again.

    ¡°How is your work going?¡±

    L conveyed her mood to Zich with her silence. Yet, the silence didn¡¯tst long, and L wasn¡¯t foolish enough to be trapped by her feelings.

    ¡°It¡¯s going well.¡±

    ¡°Does it seem like Marilyn noticed anything wrong?¡±

    ¡°She seems busy. She doesn¡¯t even secretly try to hinder me either.¡±

    ¡°Did you grasp the tree¡¯s mana movements?¡±

    ¡°Generally,¡± L said. If Marilyn heard this, she would have gasped. Zich was also surprised.

    ¡°Already? I thought it would take you longer.¡± This was the best-case scenario Zich had imagined. Realistically, he didn¡¯t expect L to fully grasp the tree¡¯s identity and simply wanted her to gain a better understanding of the tree. Then again, perhaps he should¡¯ve expected this from L; she had exceeded his expectations once more.

    ¡°You know how I studied the Tree of Water before? I used that experience. Besides, Marilyn¡¯s mana movements were simple, so it was easy to see through them.¡± Besides the fact that L had the experience studying the Tree of Water, Marilyn would have been filled with shock to hear anyone describe her mana movements as ¡®simple.¡¯

    ¡®Marilyn¡¯s talents had always been through the roof though.¡¯ However, Zich understood. L¡¯s talents wereparable to his and weren¡¯t something that the likes of Marilyn¡¯s talents couldpare to.

    Thus, Zich responded simply, ¡°That is good news. Then, do you know what Marilyn is doing right now?¡±

    ¡°Generally.¡±

    ¡°¡­What is she doing? Is she just focusing on the research?¡± Zich asked with hisst ounce of hope, but the response he got was disappointing like he expected.

    ¡°No.¡±

    ¡°¡­I see.¡±

    With this, the small bits of hope that Marilyn wasn¡¯t connected to the robed figures were vanquished.

    ¡°What is she doing?¡±

    ¡°That is¡­¡± L couldn¡¯t finish her words. It was because Zich had ced his fingers to his lips while looking towards the entrance. It seemed like Marilyn wasing back. Zich blurted out an ordinary, mundane topic, and L naturally responded to it. Zich leaned against the wall while jokingly asking questions, and L responded sinctly while researching the tree. They looked like they had spent all their time with menial chit-chat.

    ¡°I¡¯m back!¡± Marilyn said while returning to the room.

    ¡°Hey. How was your meal?¡±

    ¡°Today¡¯s meal was delicious!¡± Judging by the oil around her mouth, it seemed as if she had really enjoyed her meal today.

    ¡°Then, is it my turn?¡± Zich pulled his back off the wall and walked towards the entrance.

    ¡°Wait, Sir Zich!¡± Marilyn called out to Zich. She approached Zich and buried her face in his back. ¡°Fufufu!¡±

    The sound of happyughter rang throughout the room. However, she didn¡¯t cling to him for long. She soon moved her face away from Zich and waved her hand. ¡°Please enjoy your meal!¡±

    ¡°I will.¡±

    After Zich left the room, Marilyn walked towards the tree again. Her cheeks were blushing in happiness.

    L asked, ¡°Are you that happy?¡±

    Recently, Marilyn was sticking even more closely to Zich than before.

    ¡°Of course. I¡¯m dying of happiness.¡±

    L¡¯s expression becameplicated as she stared at Marilyn¡¯s cheerful smile. Was this really the face of someone nning a conspiracy behind their backs? At first nce, it was impossible to believe.

    ¡®But¡­¡¯ L looked at Marilyn¡¯s mana flow. Her eyes shook as she saw where Marilyn¡¯s mana was heading towards. It was certain that Marilyn was lying to them.

    * * *

    Several days passed like this. Marilyn¡¯s expression of affection towards Zich increased one level higher, and L¡¯s mood worsened respectively. However, their research on the tree continued without problems, and L was now able to control the green tree. This basically meant that the date for Marilyn to carry out her ce was now set.

    ¡®I hoped L wouldn¡¯t find out.¡¯ Marilyn let out a sigh. However, she also hadn¡¯t been very hopeful about this. Even though it would be too difficult to control the Tree of Earth, Marilyn thought that L would definitely be able to control something like the green tree.

    ¡®In the end, I¡¯ll have to kill them.¡¯ Marilyn had alreadyid out her n. She just merely had to carry it out.

    ¡°Are you nning to stop the system tomorrow?¡±

    ¡°Yep.¡±

    Zich and L began conversing amongst themselves. L was her very close friend, and Zich was the person Marilyn loved. Marilyn quietly captured Zich and L¡¯s faces as she would no longer be able to meet them.

    * * *

    In order to prepare for tomorrow, they went to bed earlier than usual. Dead silence filled the room. The only things in the room were the stone chambers and statues. Since the only beings that could let out sounds were now asleep, it was no wonder that the space was dead silent.

    It was at that moment.

    Grrung!

    A low sound rang in the room. It sounded as if a heavy stone on a rock was being forcibly moved.

    Grrrnng!

    The sound rang out again. This time, the sound was a bit louder. Moreover, the same sound could be heard from another ce.

    Grrrrrrrrng!

    The sound grew even louder, and there were now more ces emitting that same sound.

    sh!

    Zich opened his eyes. He immediately clutched Windur and got up. He assessed his surroundings, but nothing looked suspicious. However, Zich didn¡¯t let down his guard. ¡®I definitely heard something.¡¯

    There was no way Zich misheard this sound. Moreover, this was a sound he had heard before. Zich raised his head and stared at the nearest statue. Normally, the statues stared directly to the front with sharp eyes. However, the statue that Zich was looking at was different. The statue bent its head and was now looking in Zich¡¯s direction.

    ¡°L! Marilyn!¡±

    As soon as Zich shouted, L opened her eyes. She grabbed her staff next to her and raised her body. Her movement looked extremely trained; it was from the experience that she gained in her travels.

    ¡°W-what¡¯s the matter?¡± Compared to L, Marilyn¡¯s movements were clumsy. She clutched her staff and stared at Zich with startled eyes. However, Zich¡¯s reply was unnecessary.

    Thud!

    A loud sound rang in the room. Everyone¡¯s gazes headed towards where the loud sound came from. The statue standing on the tform in a grand pose hade down to the ground.

    ¡°W-w-what is that!¡± Marilyn eximed in surprise. However, since it wasn¡¯t Zich and L¡¯s first time seeing a moving statue, they coldly assessed their situation.

    ¡°Zich. Did you perhaps secretly bring Windur inside the pyramid?¡±

    ¡°I never did that. Whenever I went near the tree, I stuffed Windur back into the magic box and went around with a substitute sword on my waist. You also saw me.¡±

    ¡°Then, why is that moving?¡±

    ¡°Who knows?¡±

    ¡°Is this a situation to be leisurely having a conversation!¡± Marilyn shouted to them.

    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s also true. Let¡¯s escape first.¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t lower the system yet.¡± As Zich led them out, Lined and followed him from behind.

    ¡°You two are way too rxed!¡± Marilyn was dumbfounded.

    Thud! Thud! Thud! Thud!

    It was a spectacr and amazing sight to see huge stone statues descending from their pedestals. They all looked at them, had swords in their hands, and if they didn¡¯t make it obvious that they wanted to crush Zich, L, and Marilyn, it would have been a great sight to see. The statues weren¡¯t the only things that began moving. An unusual mana flow swirled around and scattered in all directions.

    Ssssk!

    Something ck was starting toe out of the ground.

    ¡°Shadows¡­¡± True to L¡¯s words, they were the same shadows that had tortured Zich and hispanions before. Zich clicked his tongue as he saw a number of them spouting from the ground.

    ¡°It seems like they¡¯re going to fight us like they did in the past.¡±

    ¡°They¡¯re definitely not good news.¡± L also frowned. ¡°Well, there¡¯s no need to be startled. If our enemiese at us likest time, we just have to treat them like how we didst time.¡±

    Zich stepped forward. The shadows began flowing in as if they were being pushed by water. At the same time, the statue closest to Zich wielded its sword. An enormous sword came down on Zich, and likewise, Zich swung Windur.

    Crasssh!

    A loud sound erupted in the room. The stone statue¡¯srge sword soared high up in the air, and the statue lost its bnce and floundered.

 Chapter 369

    <h4>Chapter 369</h4>

    ¡®¡­What the hell is that?¡¯

    Marilyn stared at the scene in front of her with a dumbfounded look on her face. She blinked a couple of times to make sure of what she was seeing. However, it seemed like her eyes weren¡¯t ying tricks on her. The statue¡¯s sword wasrge enough to slice andpletely tten Zich¡¯s body onto the earth, yet Zich showcased the opposite oue. His sword was smaller than a needle inparison to the statue, but it deflected the statue¡¯s sword.

    Bam!

    The statue lost its bnce and flung its feet around. Zich took that opportunity to run towards the statue; while he did this, he massacred the shadows in his way.

    Thud!

    Zich jumped from the statue¡¯s podium. Hended on the statue¡¯s face and swung Windur.

    Baaaaam!

    There was a giant explosion. After receiving a blow from Windur, the statue¡¯s face arched sharply. The shattered fragments of the statue¡¯s face scattered in the air. Zich stepped on thergest fragment and flipped backwards.

    Whoosh!

    A terrifying air st swept the ce where Zich used to be. The statue had swung its arm and made a terrifying noise. Its fingers twitched as if it was wondering why Zich was missing from its clutches. However, Zich¡¯s counterattack didn¡¯t end there.

    Booom!

    The statue tumbled backward and crushed the shadows in the area. Then, Zichnded next to L. He sliced the shadows rushing towards him and looked towards where the statues had fallen.

    ¡°I can finally handle them now.¡±

    ¡°Thank goodness.¡± L tilted her staff sideways. Lightning gathered at the ends of her staff and burst out simultaneously.

    Cracklee!

    Bright lightning swept through the shadows like a ck tsunami and gathered momentum to even swallow the statues. The shadows disappeared without a trace. Watching this outstanding disy of power from behind, Marilyn gulped. Yet, L didn¡¯t look satisfied and even clicked her tongue.

    ¡°It really doesn¡¯t work on them,¡± she said. Although her lightning magic erased the shadows, the statues continued to move even after receiving her attacks. It was almost irritating how unaffected they looked. Of course, this didn¡¯t mean that her magic was useless. At least to the shadows, L¡¯s magic was cmity itself. With her strengthened magic, the shadows werepletely obliterated.

    ¡®¡­Amazing.¡¯ Marilyn unconsciously gulped again while watching the battle. She had already expected them to be strong, but witnessing their power firsthand was another matter. Their skills exceeded her expectations.

    ¡®Should I join their efforts to escape?¡¯

    It seemed like Zich and L nned to escape the tomb like this. If the two were chased out of this ce, the system would be safe for now. Yet, Marilyn quickly changed her mind. ¡®There¡¯s no guarantee that they won¡¯t give up.¡¯

    While she attempted to contact her leader, Zich and L might try to halt the system again. Since they thought the Brushel System was attacking them, it was a high possibility.

    ¡®I should end it here.¡¯ Marilyn was certain that her rtionship with them would have to end in this timeline. However, she couldn¡¯t attack the two carelessly. While aiming for the most critical moment, she had to wait and pretend to be on their side.

    Whoosh!

    Mana swirled around Marilyn¡¯s staff and light shed from it. The light struck an approaching stone statue.

    Bam!

    The sh of lightnded on the statue, but the statue appeared unaffected. It continued to walk towards them withrge strides viciously. Marilyn shot a couple of more shes at the statues, but they failed to inflict any damage to them.

    ¡°It seems like curses don¡¯t work on them either!¡± Marilyn said, and Zich clicked his tongue.

    ¡°Maybe they nullify all types of magic. By the looks of it, I bet even holy magic won¡¯t work on them.¡±

    ¡°I will fight off the shadows like L then!¡±

    ¡°Please do. I will handle all the statues.¡± Zich blocked another gigantic stone sword flying his way.

    Bam!

    The stone sword bounced off high like the previous one, but this one didn¡¯t lose its bnce.

    Whoosh! Whoosh!

    Two swords attacked Zich at once this time. After slicing off the shadows lingering around his surroundings, he lifted Windur. Then, he looked up towards the two stone swords. Although they were bothing down at him simultaneously, there was a time difference between them. Zich ced Windur on the stone sword that arrived slightly first.

    Bam!

    A different sound from before erupted. Compared tost time when he crushed thest statue with sheer strength, he diverted the stone sword¡¯s power sideways.

    ¡°Hmph!¡± Then, he collided with Windur more strongly against the stone sword flowing away.

    Bam!

    The second stone swordnded and collided against the first stone sword that Zich flicked away. Although it had lost a lot of its momentum from Zich¡¯s impact, its force was about the same level as the first one thanks to his added strength. Naturally, the two stone swords bounced off against one another.

    Bam! Bam!

    The two statues lost bnce. Zich jumped in between them and swung Windur widely against the statue¡¯s ankle closest to him.

    Crack!

    Windur crushed half of the statue¡¯s ankle. The statue was already off bnce, so this hit caused the statue to fall down on its knees. Zich then swung Windur towards the other statue¡¯s ankle. This statue was more off bnce than the other statue, so it tilted widely and fell. Unfortunately, the second statue copsed on top of the statue on its knees.

    Crasssssh!

    The two statues collided and rolled on the floor. From their impact, the stone floor cracked, and a cloud of dust rose into the air. The shadows swept into their collision were also wiped out. Zich thought of running towards the other statues and stopped. It wasn¡¯t ideal to get too far from L, and the statue he was targeting was already raising its body.

    ¡®There¡¯s no need for me to go overboard.¡¯ While slicing numerous shadows, he approached L and Marilyn.

    ¡°It must be easy for you to deal with them now,¡± L said as she annihted the surrounding shadows with fire and lightning.

    ¡°It¡¯s better thanst time. But they aren¡¯t opponents we can deal with lightly.¡±

    ¡°It seems so by the looks of it.¡±

    ¡°How about you?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s as you see.¡±

    The blue light shining off her staff circled around her.

    The shadows¡¯ movements stopped. Like dolls made by a mad dollmaker, the shadows froze in ce immediately¡ªbut that wasn¡¯t the end of it.

    Crack! A crack formed on the shadows¡¯ surface until the shadows¡¯ body shattered. The shadows¡¯ remains rolled on the ground and soon disappeared.

    ¡°You are also taking care of them much more easily than before.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sure it¡¯s because my skills have greatly improved, but it¡¯s also thanks to Marilyn.¡±

    Zich turned his head and looked toward Marilyn. While facing forward, she was murmuring a spell.

    sh! Light popped off her staff and burst above the ce where shadows were gathered. The shadows¡¯ movements became clearly dull; she had cast a curse that slowed down movements. While preparing her next spell, Marilyn noticed Zich¡¯s eyes on her.

    Squint!

    She closed one eye, winking at him, and shifted her attention back to her spell. Zich smirked and jumped into the battlefield. Swords shed, fireballs and lightning swirled, and curses shot across the air. Stone statues and shadows fought against these enormous powers with their own immense powers and numbers. Unfortunately for them, they couldn¡¯t stop Zich and L as they had gotten iparably stronger than thest time they hade to this ce. Stone statues and shadows gradually broke apart, but the one thing they didn¡¯t do was run away. They continued to rush toward Zich and hispanions to kill them. Eventually, the stone statues and the shadows surrounded Zich, L, and Marilyn in a circle. Yet, Zich and hispanions continued pushing forward, and it looked like they would be able to escape out of the tomb any moment now.

    Bam!

    Zich struck Windur against one of the statue¡¯s waists. The stone statue¡¯s remains scattered in the air as it took steps backward.

    Boom!

    It collided against another stone statue that was cornering Zich and hispanions. It didn¡¯t fall thanks to the collision, but it restricted the movements of a couple of other statues. However, this wasn¡¯t the only cluster of statues.

    Bam!

    Another statue blocked Zich and hispanions¡¯ path. Like he was used to it now, Zich swung Windur skillfully and blocked the statue in front of him.

    Whoosh!

    A giant stone sword fell. It was an attack frightening enough to make all the hair on one¡¯s body stand. The shockwaves and the poundings it caused could flip one¡¯s stomach upside down. Yet, Zich had managed to strike back many of these astounding attacks dozens of times, showcasing what a monster he was again. Still, that didn¡¯t change the fact that the statue¡¯s attack would be critical if it managed tond on him; he would probably die if he received the whole blow. Marilyn¡¯ eyes narrowed chillingly as she saw Zich and L¡¯s backs in front of her. They seemedpletely capable of passing through this overwhelming siege and breaking free. However, Marilyn couldn¡¯t let them be. She took a couple of steps backward and headed towards a ce swarming with shadows.

    Her actions seemed suicidal. She remained unscathed because Zich was protecting her; without him, she wouldn¡¯t have been able to survive as a curse caster. ck shadows rushed towards her, and their hands looked like they could rip her to pieces. Surprisingly, the shadows paid no attention to her and passed right by her. Then, Marilyn stretched out her staff. Her spell was alreadyplete, and mana was gathered at the ends of her staff; she had prepared the strongest curse that she could possibly muster, and her target was Zich.

    Of course, with Zich¡¯s overwhelming mana, he would not die to this curse. However, it could create an opportunity for the statues to attack; and when Zich was gone from the picture, it would also not take that long for L to also lose her life. Marilyn stared at Zich¡¯s back. He was swinging Windur against the stone swords flying his way. She engraved this scene into her mind and thought, ¡®Goodbye, my love.¡¯ The curse poured out and sneakily and gloomily crawled towards Zich¡¯s back.

    m! There was a series of gigantic collisions. The stone statue¡¯s sword struck the floor. Marilyn calmly stared at the ce where the dust had erupted. She had to witness the end of the person she loved, but what she saw was different from her expectations.

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    Marilyn felt goosebumps on the back of her neck. She felt like something she couldn¡¯t see with her eyes was aimed toward her. The shadows and stone statues around her moved.

    Boooom! There was another collision. The shadows near her disappeared due to immense power¡ªMarilyn was shocked by the dirtied stone swords in front of her, but what shocked her, even more, was the sight beyond it.

    ¡°It finally led to this.¡± She heard a chilling voice. ¡°You really were the betrayer, Witch.¡±

    As a stone sword blocked it, Windur shed.

 Chapter 370

    <h4>Chapter 370</h4>

    Marilyn was surprised¡ªno, she was astounded. If it wasn¡¯t for the stone statue, Windur would have split her into two instantly. Furthermore, she was shocked that Zich had expected her betrayal, but what surprised her the most was the word Zich had spat out: Witch. It was the title that other people were supposed to call her in the far future when she became Zich¡¯s subordinate. It wasn¡¯t a word that was supposed to appear now, especially from Zich¡¯s mouth.

    ¡°Hmph!¡± Zich gripped his sword harder and pushed the stone sword away. Marilyn quickly gathered her senses, backed away, and gathered the shadows in front of her.

    Baam!

    ¡°Kyaaah!¡± As the manaing out of Windur flew across her, Marilyn screamed and covered her face with her arms. Fortunately, the shadows acted as an effective shield for her, and she didn¡¯t receive any damage; only the rough winds created by the sword¡¯s swing struck her face. But he kept going, and Marilyn backed away even when she couldn¡¯t see everything in front of her clearly. Statues and shadows reced her previous location.

    Bam! Bam! Baaaaam!

    She heard more collisions. Zich was crushing everything in his path.

    Cruuuunch!

    Ice pirs shot up from the ce where she used to be¡ªthe magic belonged to L. Yet, thanks to Marilyn¡¯s quick thinking and adapting skills, Zich and L failed to inflict any damage on her.

    ¡°She¡¯s a quick thinker,¡± L said while shattering the frozen shadows.

    ¡°She¡¯s someone who will be my subordinate in the future. Furthermore, even though she usually worked from behind, her battling skills weren¡¯t bad either. You must know since you battled her.¡±

    ¡°Yes, I do.¡± L recalled the recent battle; even though Marilyn was a curse caster, she disyed considerable fighting abilities although curse casters tended to be at a disadvantage in a one-on-one battlepared to traditional mages.

    ¡®Future subordinate? Working from behind?¡¯ While listening to their conversation, Marilyn¡¯s shock deepened. Bing Zich¡¯s subordinate in the future and taking on staff roles were part of her organization¡¯s n and were all things Zich shouldn¡¯t have known. Marilyn¡¯s face hardened chillingly. She didn¡¯t think that Zich knew about regressing but seeing his and L¡¯s attitude, they definitely knew about the concept. She felt goosebumps on her back now. Her organization¡¯s greatest secret had been uncovered. Worst of all, it was the future Demon Lord of Strength Zich Moore, and the System¡¯s Core, L.

    ¡®But how?¡¯ The first thing that came to her mind was that someone from her organization had leaked information. However, that seemed unlikely. ¡®Very few of us know this information.¡¯

    Even though she didn¡¯t know all the members in her organization who had this knowledge, she knew the number didn¡¯t go above ten fingers. Additionally, they all went through intense education to the point that they didn''t even share information with each other. There was an extremely low possibility that the very small and special minority in her organization who knew about regressing would have leaked that information. Glen Zenard was also out of the equation.

    ¡®There¡¯s no way that crazy guy in his hero y would go around babbling about that.¡¯ Ironically, she could trust a crazy guy like that in this aspect.

    ¡®Then, is it perhaps L?¡¯ Marilyn was aware that a huge amount of knowledge was stored in L since she was part of the system. Yet, only the system could disclose the knowledge inside her, and although small bits of memories could appear in L¡¯s mind, it wouldn¡¯t go beyond that.

    ¡®They told me that she wouldn¡¯t be able to recall her memories to the point that she would be sure of the concept of regression¡­¡¯ At most, they said L would believe that she had memories of the future. Furthermore, they said L¡¯s memories would fade gradually after a burst in the beginning.

    ¡®Still, that¡¯s the most usible thing that I can think of.¡¯ Marilyn wasn¡¯t sure what happened, but she guessed that L¡¯s memories were clear and exact. However, she didn¡¯t have any more time to think about this matter.

    ¡°You must have a lot of free time.¡± After striking away two stone swords in his way, Zich rushed towards Marilyn again.

    ¡°Urgh!¡±

    Marilyn hurriedly moved the shadows, and Zich¡¯s feet slowed. Marilynunched more curses at Zich. However, her curses¡¯ lights got stuck in Windur¡¯s fancy trajectory and were sliced in half. Yet, Marilyn wasn¡¯t even disappointed. ¡®I didn¡¯t even hope for anything more!¡¯

    Seeing Zich¡¯s current movements, it seemed like no matter how strong the curse she shot was, Zich would be able to split them in half. Furthermore, what she wanted wasn¡¯t to stop Zich¡¯s movements¡ªher goal was something else.

    Boom!

    The stone statue approaching Zich¡¯s side twisted its direction sharply. It raised a heavy stone sword and struck it down. Its goal was L.

    ¡°Tch!¡± L clicked her tongue and stretched out her hand sideways.

    Pop!

    Sharp wind des stretched sideways and sliced all the shadows in the path. An empty space appeared by Marilyn¡¯s side instantly. L quickly flew towards the area.

    Baaaam!

    A stone sword collided against the ground and created arge mark while flying dust and stone pieces dispersed into the air. L scowled as she dusted away the dirt and stone powder from her robe, but she remained uninjured. However, that wasn¡¯t the end of the attack.

    Whoosh!

    Another stone sword fell to the ground. Like before, L cleared an area with magic and flew over there. She managed to escape three swords in the same manner; it was an amazing feat if one considered a mage¡¯s average physical abilities. However, she still had her limits as a mage.

    ¡°Kurgh!¡± L lost her stance after escaping the third stone sword. It seemed impossible for her to escape by flying again; she didn¡¯t even seem capable of clearing an area filled with shadows for her to go to. She looked up to see a stone sword falling from the sky. Marilyn wondered if she had given up. However, there was no sign of despair in her eyes.

    Crassssh!

    The sword statue dropped like lightning where L was. However, there were no injuries on her body. L calmly continued to swing her staff.

    sh!

    The wind flowing around her crushed all the shadows rushing towards her. When L saw that her surroundings became clear, she said, ¡°Sorry, I wasn¡¯t able tost.¡±

    ¡°No need to apologize. I also wasn¡¯t able to push her enough either,¡± Zich said as he pushed a stone sword to the side.

    Thud!

    As the stone statue dropped to the side, Zich swung Windur towards the statue¡¯s arm area.

    Crasssh!

    Arge area of the statue¡¯s wrist was shattered. If the statue were a human, it would have immediately dropped its sword, but the statue was still tightly gripping its sword. On the brighter side, stone fragments continued to drop from the statue¡¯s wrist, so it seemed as if the whole wrist would probably fall off with a few more strikes. However, it was still extremely formidable.

    The stone statue did not attack again. Instead, it dropped its half-broken wrist and withdrew. The shadows also merely surrounded Zich and L and did not attack. Like this, their fierce battle momentarily stopped. Zich and L¡¯s gazes headed towards one ce: the only person who could possibly stop the statues and shadows¡¯ movements right now.

    ¡°I had no idea that you were going to immediately attack me from there,¡± Marilyn sighed. True to her words, it seemed as if Marilyn was very shocked since she used the shadows and statues to protect her like an iron wall. ¡°Sir Zich, why did you charge forward like that? What if L got hurt?¡±

    ¡°L is different from other mages who are weak and need protection. She¡¯s the type of person who¡¯ll smack anyone hastily rushing towards her with a staff. Haven¡¯t you experienced that yourself?¡±

    ¡°Yes, I certainly experienced it before, but I hadn¡¯t expected her physical abilities to be that high.¡± Marilyn hadn¡¯t expected L to be able to evade so many of the statue¡¯s attacks. Her n to attack L to separate them had almost failed. As she saw Windur¡¯s chilling de right in front of her face, Marilyn thought her life in this timeline was going to be over.

    ¡°Well, it¡¯s fine if you realize that now, but did you stop the battle to just ask that question?¡±

    ¡°Yes, you¡¯repletely right. Sir Zich, are you going to stop using honorifics towards me?¡±

    ¡°Are you seriously expecting me to keep using honorifics to you after all this? The Witch Marilyn Frill I know is not so shameless like this, even if you continued to hide your secret motive and stab my back in the end.¡±

    Marilyn shut her mouth at Zich¡¯s detailed words. She thought there was a very high possibility that Zich probably heard information about the regression from L. However, judging by Zich¡¯s words, it sounded as if he had experienced regression firsthand.

    ¡®Most of all, that attitude¡­¡¯

    Even from the very start, Marilyn thought Zich¡¯s attitude was more like Moore than Steelwall. However, she thought that was because of the unexpected variable in this timeline. She even thought it was better this way because it would help her find out the variable that changed Zich from Steelwall to Moore. However, another possibility appeared inside Marilyn¡¯s mind now, and that possibility began to take root.

    ¡®It¡¯s not that he changed into Moore from Steelwall. Instead, it feels more like his personality is the softer version of Moore.¡¯

    Zich¡¯s memory, actions, attitude, personality, and even all the unexpected variables could be exined by this exnation. However, Marilyn wanted to reject this exnation. This exnation contained a much more dangerous possibility than Zich merely finding out that regressing was possible.

    ¡®There¡¯s no way this is possible. The only one who can regress right now is that hero dimwit.¡¯ Marilynforted herself like this, but she couldn¡¯t throw away her suspicions. She needed to confirm the truth. This was the reason why she had stopped their battle while hoping that her worst prediction was not the truth.

    ¡°I¡¯ll just ask you one thing, Sir Zich.¡±

    ¡°I can predict what you¡¯re going to ask, but go on. It probably won¡¯t be a hard question for me to answer.¡±

    ¡°How did you know about the existence of regression?¡± Marilyn gulped her saliva while hoping for Zich to not confirm her worst fears.

    ¡°I experienced it.¡±

    ¡°¡­Please say it to me again clearly.¡±

    ¡°Hey, Marilyn. Don¡¯t act like a fool. You¡¯re a smart person. Why are you pointlessly asking me a question that you already know the answer to? It¡¯s not like you don¡¯t understand. You just don¡¯t want to believe it.¡±

    ¡°Then, did you really¡­¡±

    Zich tapped his shoulders with Windur a few times and smirked. ¡°You know, the thing about regression is that it¡¯s a very peculiar experience.¡±

    Marilyn almost dropped her staff at that moment. She had heard about Zich Moore¡¯s exceptional strength and power. Of course, Marilyn didn¡¯t feel any fear about this matter. Instead, she felt prideful that the person she loved possessed such an outstanding amount of strength. However, that was only if Zich yed around like a puppet and stayed within their ns.

    ¡°It was a nice experience to have at least once. I earned quite a lot of things from it. I was able to fuck over my annoying family one time, and I obtained a new hobby. I also got my power much faster than before. But do you know what I like the most from all this?¡±

    Zich¡¯s face changed. His expression looked extremely displeased and frightening, and people who knew about his strength would feel even more terrified. ¡°I was able to find out that there are fucking bastards who dared to y with my life however they wanted!¡±

    ¡®He knows about the organization!¡¯

    Marilyn had no choice but to ept the truth now. Their situation was even worse than she expected.

 Chapter 371

    <h4>Chapter 371</h4>

    Marilyn couldn¡¯t open her mouth. She stared at Zich¡¯s chilling eyes and scrunched her nose.

    ¡®How much does he exactly know?¡¯ She wondered, but soon realized how meaningless it was to wonder. ¡®He seems to know everything that¡¯s important anyways.¡¯ Besides, she heard something much more astonishing.

    ¡®He went through a regression?¡¯ How could that be possible? From what she knew, the only ones who regressed were the hero idiot and her master.

    ¡®There¡¯s no way there¡¯s another person can regress¡­¡¯ It wasn¡¯t such amonce ability, but seeing Zich¡¯s current behavior and attitude, it seemed true that he had regressed; and if he had really regressed like he imed, Marilyn wondered what would happen if Zich used the power of the regression like her organization did. To say it simply, it would be an utter nightmare.

    ¡®Even that hero idiot said he never had a satisfying win after regressing so many times.¡¯

    Zich¡¯s dormant abilities were astounding. Thus, if he had the advantage of going through a regression on top of that¡ªit made Marilyn¡¯s mind dizzy. Would her organization even be able to beat him then? No, if people with the regressing abilitiespeted, would there even be a winner among them?

    ¡®If Sir Zich really has a regression ability like that hero idiot, there¡¯s no point in killing him here!¡¯

    To a person with the regression ability, there was no true loss; it was simply another trial and error. Even the quick-witted and intelligent Marilyn didn¡¯t know what more to do in this situation.

    ¡®Let me get more information for now and check if Sir Zich really has the same ability as the hero idiot.¡¯ If that was really the case, she had to prioritize reporting the situation to her master rather than trying to kill Zich.

    ¡°Would it be all right for me to ask one more question?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t you have more than one to ask? I¡¯m sure all kinds of questions are circling inside your head right now like how I gained the regression ability, what the extent of my ability is, how itpares to your organization¡¯s regression ability, and so on.¡±

    ¡°As expected of you, Sir Zich, you know me so well. Then, like you said, let me take back my request to just ask one question. Could you tell me the answer to everything you just mentioned right now?¡±

    L was impressed. Although Marilyn was baffled just a moment before, she had regained her calm once again and responded to Zich¡¯s wordsfortably. Indeed, she showed signs of a capable advisor whom Zich had relied on before the regression.

    ¡°Of course, as long as you ept my condition.¡±

    ¡°What is it?¡±

    ¡°Be my subordinate.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Marilyn parted her lips. Joining Zich was a very appealing offer. Although it didn¡¯tst long, she had been happy to apany him. Furthermore, she would¡¯ve joined Zich as his subordinate if the original n had progressed like normal; however, the purpose of her joining was to bring upon Zich¡¯s fall as a spy and that wasn¡¯t what Zich wanted. Zich wanted her topletely leave her organization and swear absolute loyalty to him. She didn¡¯t even need to think a second more for a condition like that. Marilyn shook her head.

    ¡°It¡¯s impossible for me to fulfill that condition.¡± She thought for a moment of promising a false loyalty to Zich and going under him, but a shady method like that didn¡¯t seem like it would work on the current Zich. ¡®If I tried that, all my information could be stolen from me instead.¡¯ It was a high possibility considering Zich¡¯s abilities.

    ¡°You are quite firm. I suppose the brainwashing was very thorough to the point that it forced you to love a specific person.¡±

    ¡°Who knows?¡± She gave a mysterious reply but repressed the shakings on the corners of her mouth. ¡®He even knows about that?¡¯ she thought. She began to fear his knowledge more and more.

    ¡°Well, fine. As I thought, we can¡¯t have a proper conversation.¡±

    ¡°You are misunderstanding. I want to have a proper conversation with you, Sir Zich.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, sure. How can I believe you? You were so dedicated even before the regression, which makes it hurt more that you were the betrayer.¡±

    Zich lifted Windur. ¡°Do you know about the people who will be yourpanions in the future? Vampire, Subus, and Werewolf?¡±

    ¡°¡­I know.¡± There was no point in denying it now.

    ¡°Are you aware that I changed their futures?¡±

    ¡°I also know that.¡± It was one of the reasons why her master said this timeline was ruined.

    ¡°Joachim and Evelyn are going on a new path. They also became lovers.¡±

    ¡°Is that so? How great!¡± Was she pretending? Yet, Marilyn appeared like she was genuinely celebrating; there was no point in her acting right now either.

    ¡®As I thought, she was made to feel affection for those guys beforehand too.¡¯ This made Zich feel moreplicated. ¡°But it was toote for Tim. I met him after your guys corrupted him.¡±

    ¡°That is good news¡ª¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s why I killed him.¡±

    ¡°¡­.!¡±

    Marilyn shut her mouth. She knew that if she excluded herself, Tim was the subordinate who had gotten along the best with Zich. If they considered the fact that Marilyn had been set to match with Zich from start to finish, it might be urate to say that Tim had naturally connected with Zich the best. Thus, it was more shocking to hear that he had killed Tim.

    ¡°To tell you the truth, I didn¡¯t think I would feel this kind of emotion. I had to kill one of my subordinates whom I treasured the most¡­¡± Mana began to pour into Windur. ¡°I am sad, Marilyn.¡±

    Zich¡¯s body shot out like a sh of light. He sliced the shadows protecting Marilyn and sped forward. Simultaneously,rge fireballs shot from behind and supported Zich by burning the surrounding shadows. Zich was fast. Although the surrounding shadows were battling him with numbers, Zich continued to spring forward as if they were hardly a hindrance. Of course, Marilyn didn¡¯t stand still. When she waved her hand, the statues and shadows began moving again. They stood in front of Marilyn and covered her with their bodies while attacking Zich. The ones in the rear directly attacked L, and Marilyn activated curses with her staff.

    Bam! Bam! Bam!

    Explosions erupted continuously. Zich had moved deeper into enemy territory by pushing the statues back, but five stone statues blocked him this time. Shadows also rushed towards him. Of course, the shadows no longer posed a challenge to Zich right now. However, the problem was Marilyn¡¯s curses that discreetly seeped through the gaps between the shadows.

    Crush!

    Light came out as Zich shattered a curse with his fist. From a nce, it seemed as if Marilyn¡¯s curses didn¡¯t pose any danger to Zich at all, and he was able to easily shatter them with his fists. However, this was not the case. They were a significant challenge to Zich. Marilyn¡¯s curses came so close to Zich that he couldn¡¯t slice them with Windur, so he had to fuse mana into his hand and shatter them with it.

    Moreover, Marilyn¡¯s curses went beyond just shooting lights towards him. While these curses were less effective, there were curses that Marilyn could immediately cast upon people as long as they were within her sight. Zich¡¯s movements grew duller from the many curses already cast upon him. On the other hand, the curses that Marilyn could cast by sight were not very powerful curses. Of course, as a powerful curse caster, even Marilyn¡¯s weak curses were strong, but Zich¡¯s mana resistance was extremely high.

    Slice!

    Zich sliced a shadow that jumped from his side, and then smoothly swung his sword again.

    Bang!

    Windur shattered a curse that suddenly popped out from the shadow¡¯s back.

    ¡®He was able to block that?¡¯ Marilyn was shocked. This was a skill that Marilyn hadn¡¯t even shown in her practice battle with L. It was a skill where she attached a curse to an insect she summoned or an ally, and when they reached the target, the curse would suddenly pop out and ambush its target. However, Zich was able to masterfully block this skill. Marilyn was certain that Zich hadn¡¯t blocked her skill by merely reacting fast. He knew about this skill.

    ¡®As expected, did he learn all of my skills before his regression?¡¯

    Marilyn was not disappointed. Only one of her skills had be ineffective. Moreover, she was the one at an advantage right now.

    Bam! Bam! Bam!

    While Zich was still moving forward, the situation was slowly leaning towards Marilyn¡¯s favor. Zich¡¯s strength was frightening, but since L¡¯s magic didn¡¯t work on the stone statues, Zich and L¡¯s side was losing in terms of sheer power. Since L was there and also a mage with weak defenses, Zich could also not move farther away to capture Marilyn either. The biggest role of those in the front was to protect those at the rear.

    As the battle became more advantageous for her, Marilyn lowered her guard, and this feeling grew bigger as Zich and L were pushed farther back.

    ¡°Sir Zich, why don¡¯t you give up?¡± Marilyn continued, ¡°If you give me all the information you know about regression, I¡¯ll stop now. By the way, Sir Zich, you are a very popr figure in our organization.¡±

    That hero idiot and her master both thought very highly of Zich. It was probably because of incidents that happened in different timelines, but Marilyn did not know what happened during those timelines and she didn¡¯t want to know either. The only thing that Marilyn wanted was to be with Zich in all the timelines that repeated infinitely until her master could reach his goal.

    ¡°Regardless of your knowledge about the existence of regression, you¡¯ll never be able to beat us in the end. We¡¯ve been regressing for a longer time than you can even imagine.¡±

    Marilyn¡¯s voice sounded like a mother consoling her child, a lover whispering sweet words, and a devil tempting a human. ¡°Regression is really an extraordinary power. I know how hard it is to give up. But no matter how hard and difficult life gets, if the whole world goes back in time, all your troubles and pain be nothing. Haven¡¯t you already experienced it, Sir Zich? So you should forget all the hard and difficult things that are tying you down. Live together with me in this loop we don¡¯t know when it¡¯ll ever end. Forever.¡±

    Marilyn¡¯s eyes burned subtly as she looked at Zich. Her eyes were affectionate despite the signs of madness in them. Regardless of Marilyn¡¯s intentions, Zich could definitely feel that her heart was at least sincere. Marilyn was a great beauty. Even though she was a bit less beautiful than L, it was because L¡¯s beauty surpassed that of a human, and it wasn¡¯t because there was any fault in Marilyn¡¯s appearance. If a beauty like Marilyn spoke tenderly with love and affection, most men¡¯s hearts would have wavered, but Zich¡¯s expression did not change in the least. Instead, his expression was freezing cold.

    ¡°I refuse! I don¡¯t need a life in which I¡¯m yed around by others. It¡¯s much better to live a life the way I want, even if it¡¯s just once!¡±

    ¡°As expected, that¡¯s your final decision.¡± Marilyn let out a sigh. ¡°Then, I guess it can¡¯t be helped. I have no choice but to use a rough method.¡±

    When Marilyn waved her hand, the statues and shadows¡¯ attacks became even more rough. It seemed as if Zich and L were going to be swept in by their attacks at any moment.

    ¡°How long do you think you will be able tost? As long as you have a burden called L, it¡¯ll be too much for you. Why don¡¯t you give up?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll give you one word of advice, Marilyn.¡±

    ¡°What is it? If it¡¯s your advice, I¡¯ll ardently listen to it with both my ears. If you also add in words of surrender, I think it¡¯ll also be much better as well.¡±

    ¡°If it was you in the future, you would have never let down your guard even if I was getting pushed back. Even more so if an extremely skilled mage was with me!¡±

    Crassssssh!

    Zich made a wide swing with Windur and a strong storm made from his swing burst out. The statues faltered back.

    Crash!

    At the same time, L¡¯s magic sprung out, and Zich and L¡¯s surroundings became clean. However, Marilyn wasn¡¯t troubled. The statues had merely retreated back a bit, and she could easily fill up the shadows again. Her advantage hadn¡¯t changed at all.

    sh!

    L shot out a wind spell. Marilyn moved the statues in front of the spell¡¯s trajectory; the spell that hit the statue would disappear without causing any damage. However, an unexpected sight appeared in front of Marilyn. Zich pulled L¡¯s magic towards Windur, swept it around his sword, and shot it back out with his mana.

    ¡°Huh?¡± Even before Marilyn¡¯s dumbfounded voice fully disappeared¡ª

    Bammmmm!

    The sound of the statue¡¯s upper body ripping apart rang loudly in the tomb.

 Chapter 372

    <h4>Chapter 372</h4>

    ¡®What is that!¡¯ Marilyn gasped as she looked beyond the falling dust of the statues¡¯ remains; but unlike her racing heart, her head calmly analyzed the situation.

    ¡®It looks like he is wrapping his sword with L¡¯s magic, adding his own mana on top of it and shooting it out.¡¯ Seeing this, Marilyn recalled a piece of information she had heard before. ¡®Mana Adjoin!¡¯

    It was one of Zich¡¯s skills that her master had told her about before. Using hispanion¡¯s magic, Zich increased his power bybining it with his own mana and shooting it out. Not only did it amplify the total power of his attack, but it also inflicted both magic and sword damage; the most surprising thing was that the magic¡¯s properties changed slightly as it responded to Zich¡¯s mana. Even the stone statues that boasted ofplete resistance to magic crumbled against the formation of this type of attack.

    Marilyn bit her lips and felt a surge of annoyance. It wasn¡¯t because the statues were getting destroyed or that everything wasn¡¯t going as nned.

    ¡®He is supposed to use that skill with me!¡¯

    Unlike Zich¡¯s other subordinates who rushed to the frontlines whenever a big battle broke out to ughter their enemies, Marilyn always stuck closely to Zich¡¯s side. During these times, the skill theymonly used was Mana Adjoin. She heard stories of how her curses nketed the whirls created by Zich¡¯s sword swings and chopped up everything in their path and spread the curses even farther. Since Zich¡¯s three other subordinates preferred killing their enemies first-hand rather than coborating (and their abilities were too unique to make mana adjoining possible anyways) this was a special skill that Zich only used with Marilyn. Naturally, Marilyn¡¯s eyes turned green with envy to see Zich using this skill with L.

    ¡°What an astounding skill. Wasn¡¯t that something you only used to do with me?¡± She couldn¡¯t help but make a remark even amid a battle.

    Since Zich was also the talkative type during battles, he responded, ¡°That was before the regression. Henceforth, that will never happen ever again.¡±

    ¡°Not at all, Sir Zich. Once time turns back again, it will be our special skill again.¡±

    ¡°You can have false hopes and misunderstandings by yourself, but don¡¯t drag me into it. Otherwise, I will have to take matters into my own hands. Do you think you can handle that?¡±

    ¡°I think I can at least right now.¡±

    ¡°Well, let¡¯s see,¡± Zich said and began to break apart the stone statues again.

    Baaaaam!

    There were fire sparks this time. Large sparks burst out from Zich¡¯s sword and exploded on the stone statue. The statue¡¯s entire head flew off. Marilyn¡¯s eyes sparked with jealousy once again, but she repressed these feelings and racked her head.

    ¡®How can Sir Zich already use Mana Adjoin?¡¯

    Without Zich¡¯s astounding mana control skills, one couldn¡¯t even attempt a skill like Mana Adjoin. Besides mind-boggling mana control skills, one also had to have a considerable amount of mana backing behind them.

    ¡®How did Sir Zich awaken this much mana already?¡¯ She was part of an organization who had immense interest in Zich and investigated him thoroughly. One of the key aspects of Zich they studied was his strength, and ording to their study results, they found that even if Zich tried to release his mana as soon as he was born, it would be simply impossible for him to release all of it before he was twenty-five years old¡ªthat was how outstanding his mana was. They even organized the amount of mana that was possible for Zich to release at each age range. Thus, when they heard of happenings such as the fact that Zich had wielded great power at Violuwin, they knew he wouldn¡¯t have awakened all his power yet. They supposed that he would¡¯ve likely gotten help from an outside force. Their guess was right¡ªZich¡¯s strength returned to levels that were within their projections.

    ¡®Considering that, it¡¯s impossible for Sir Zich perform Mana Adjoin with the amount of mana possible in his current age range.¡¯ That was the case even if Zich had gone through a regression, and Marilyn was sure that Zich hadn¡¯t gone back to the moment of his birth and started building up his mana then.

    ¡®When he was at Steelwall, they said Sir Zich¡¯s personality was exactly like Zich Steelwall.¡¯ Yet, she heard that around the time he left the family, his personality had changed. The organization supposed that a variable that they didn¡¯t know about urred during that time and searched the family¡¯s surroundings. Although the hero idiot dispersed the investigation team and made the search longer, they thought they would still be able to find what they were missing. However, no one expected regression as the changed variable. Their belief that they were the only ones who possessed the power of regression was too strong.

    ¡®There was never a need to question the belief either.¡¯ Marilyn didn¡¯t know the exact number of times the regressions had urred, but it seemed to have been an exceedingly great amount ording to her master. Thus, how could they have possibly known that another person would suddenlye to possess such an ability?

    Nevertheless, Zich had gone through this regression around the time his personality underwent a change. Marilyn wondered if Zich had been acting for a while to hide the fact that he regressed, but she erased that possibility.

    ¡®ording to his story, it seems that he regressed while he was Zich Moore. It¡¯s impossible for Zich Moore to live while repressing his true personality and temper.¡¯ Compared to the stories she heard about Zich Moore, the current Zich seemed much softer, but he was still Zich Moore. Moreover, the Steelwall Family treated Zich Steelwall as an embarrassment. The possibility that Zich would endure such treatment was zero. Thus, this meant that Zich was able to control this enormous amount of mana in that short amount of time. For Zich, this was an impossible feat.

    ¡°You released quite a lot of your mana.¡±

    At Marilyn¡¯s question, Zich replied easily again, ¡°It¡¯s amazing, right? You can really tell how crazy I worked.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t think that was possible with just effort. If it¡¯s all right, would you be able to tell me how you were able to release so much of your mana?¡±

    ¡°I can answer as many questions as you would like, but Marilyn, do you have enough time to hear my exnation?¡±

    Bam!

    Zich pierced the statue¡¯s waist and with a mana attachment attack using L¡¯s ice magic¡ªhe eventually cut off the entire waist area of the statue and the statue¡¯s upper body fell. The lower body also copsed to the ground. Zich and L were already very close to Marilyn. True to Zich¡¯s words, it seemed as if Zich could immediately suppress Marilyn and end the battle.

    However, Marilyn also had another trick up her sleeve. ¡°Yes, it seems so. I also don¡¯t think I have enough time for more questions.¡±

    Marilyn raised her staff up high and hit the ground. A change urred in the pyramid, which was a short distance away from them.

    Ziiiiing!

    A peculiar sound rang in the air. It sounded as if something was vibrating the air. They didn¡¯t even need to check what it was. Zich and L had heard this sound plenty of times before. The tree shook.

    Whoosh!

    The statue near him swung down its sword at Zich, and Zich tried to deflect the sword like before. However, Zich changed his mind and decided to just push the sword to the side because the speed of the sword was clearly faster than before.

    Crassssh!

    ¡°Ugh!¡± A groan escaped from Zich¡¯s mouth.

    Zich was able to sessfully lessen the sword¡¯s power by pushing it to the side. Despite Windur¡¯s branch-like shape, Zich was able to skillfully divert the power of his opponent¡¯s sword¡ªand this was truly a testament to Zich¡¯s amazing skill. However, even though Zich pushed the sword to the side, the statue¡¯s strength had increased to an extent that Zich¡¯s arms became sore. Seeing that Zich was having a hard time, L immediately raised her staff. Lightning poured down on the shadows that rushed towards Zich.

    Crackle!

    The lightning¡¯s light shed in the space all around them. Arge number of shadows were swept by L¡¯s magic and disappeared, but L frowned. The number of shadows that disappeared were much smaller than before. It was clear that the statues and shadows¡¯ strengths had been greatly amplified. Zich also used mana attachment, but its effect had also decreased.

    ¡°The situation has reversed again.¡± Marilyn winked.

    ¡°As expected, the mana moving the statues and shadows seem to being from the tree.¡± As L murmured to herself, Marilyn stared at her.

    Marilyn¡¯s eyes turned sharp.

    L asked, ¡°You lowered the suppressor on the tree and raised the mana supplied to the statues and shadows, right?¡±

    ¡°Yep. As expected of L. You were able to easily catch that.¡±

    ¡°If you do that, the entire system will be overloaded even if performance improves temporarily.¡±

    ¡°Thank you for your concern, but it¡¯s fine. If I can catch you two, it doesn¡¯t matter if this defense system breaks.¡± Moreover, even if the defense system broke down and important information disappeared, it didn¡¯t matter. As long as Marilyn informed her master about the existence of this ce, her master could investigate this ce after going through another regression. It was much more valuable to capture Zich and make him spit out secrets about his regression and capture L and put her back in her original spot.

    ¡°Then, why don¡¯t you just rip off the entire suppressor device instead?¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t do that.¡± Marilyn shook her head firmly. ¡°Now that I think about it, you tried to lead me into taking off that suppressor device, right? You told me that the Brushel System was written in the graves.¡± This was a thought that Marilyn immediately had after finding out that Zich and L both knew she was a traitor. ¡°I don¡¯t know the exact reason why, but since you two seem to be urgently waiting for me to take off that suppressor, I can¡¯t just do that.¡±

    Zich said, ¡°As expected, you catch on to things really quickly.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t you think I need to at least be on this level to be Sir Zich¡¯s strategist in the future?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m saying this one more time, but you won¡¯t have an opportunity to be my strategist again.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m saying this one more time, but I¡¯m going to continue working next to you, Sir Zich.¡±

    Zich clicked his tongue at her obsessive words.

    Crash!

    Zich evaded a stone sword that dropped next to him and swung Windur.

    Bam!

    Arge dent formed on the statue¡¯s arm. However, it was not enough for the statue to be neutralized.

    ¡°You should really give up now. There¡¯s no chance that you two can win,¡± Marilyn advised Zich once again.

    Zich smiled at her. It wasn¡¯t a hopeless smile that people made when theypletely gave up. Instead, it was a smile that was slightly yful. Marilyn¡¯s face stiffened; shivers ran down her body and she didn¡¯t know why.

    ¡°My cute ex-strategist Marilyn.¡± Zich clicked his tongue in an exaggerated way and continued, ¡°Did you think I made my n without thinking that you¡¯d be able to catch onto my ns?¡±

    ¡°What¡­¡± Marilyn was unable to finish her sentence.

    Baaaaaaam!

    A new sound erupted in the room. The sound came from the same ce asst time¡ªthe pyramid. However, the sound was not a small vibration but a loud explosion. Marilyn widened her eyes and stared at the pyramid. Was she mistaken? The tree on top of the pyramid looked much more lively than before. However, that was the only time she could pay attention to another ce besides where Zich was.

    ¡°Marilyn.¡± Zich called out to her; his voice sounded extremely calm and collected. ¡°Now that I think about it, you said you only heard stories about how I was like when I was the Demon Lord of Strength, right?¡±

    Marilyn stared at Zich. She saw him raise Windur high in the air. He shouted with a clear voice, ¡°I will clearly show you why I was called the Demon Lord of Strength! You don¡¯t need to refuse! I can at least do this much for my lovely subordinate!¡±

    Zich swung Windur.

 Chapter 373

    <h4>Chapter 373</h4>

    Marilyn thought she was quite outstanding. She wasn¡¯t being arrogant. Objectively, she was an extremely outstanding individual, and there was a reason why the organization chose her to be a spy under Zich. No matter how much their personalities matched, it would¡¯ve been impossible for her to be a subordinate whom Zich trusted without skills. As a result, Marilyn had great confidence in herself. Even if she was weak in face-to-face battles as a curse caster, she thought she could beat most opponents in her age range. She supposed that her abilities would continue to progress in the future until there weren¡¯t many who could rival her. Considering how she was one of Zich Moore¡¯s key subordinates and toprades among the Demon People, Marilyn¡¯s evaluation of herself was valid. Yet, right now, she felt that this confidence in herself waspletely useless.

    An ear-splitting noise rang inside the tomb due to Zich swinging Windur as he had done many times in this battle. A sword sh filled with mana that felt like it could stop her heart in an instant passed by her. There was nothing that could hinder it¡ªregardless if it were the earth, stone chambers, shadows, or statues, they were all the same in front of its power and were crushed under its might. The sh shot forward and reached the ends of the tomb, hitting against the wall.

    Baaaaam!

    The sh finally disappeared. However, the effect it had was chilling. Parts of the wall copsed to the ground. Although the wall was much stronger than ordinary walls since it was protected by the tree¡¯s mana, a gigantic dent formed in it.

    Bam! Bam! Baaam!

    The stone statues cut off by the sword swings fell. They didn¡¯t move after they were neatly sliced in half. Marilyn gripped her staff tightly and leaned her body against it. Her legs felt limp, and she felt like she would fall without the support of her staff. She painfully raised her head and checked the effects of Zich¡¯s attacks. The first thought she had wasughable¡ª she thought that his movements were clean. The sword marks that appeared in front of Zich shot straight forward; they shot past the areas cleanly removed of shadows and corpses of statues were sliced vertically in half. It even sliced the statues standing on top of their monumental podiums and made a deep mark on the wall. It was a chilling sight that showcased the power of Zich¡¯s strikes.

    Marilyn gulped. Like forcing a rusty windmill to turn, she turned her neck and looked at Zich again. He was making a cheery smile. It was the face she loved, but for the first time since she met him, she felt an emotion other than love: fear. The object of her fear opened his mouth now.

    ¡°How is it, Marilyn? How is it like seeing the strength of the Demon Lord in person?¡±

    In other times, she would have answered Zich''s questions immediately, but now, her lips didn¡¯t open. It felt like her lips were stuck together with very strong glue.

    ¡°Hey!¡± She heard a loud noise and saw that L was ring angrily at Zich. ¡°Why did you also smash the stone chambers! There are writings that I haven''t deciphered yet!¡±

    ¡°They are probably not anything important anyways.¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t know without checking! I don¡¯t know what kind of information would be there!¡±

    The two began to argue in the middle of a battle. Most people would have been dumbfounded by the situation, and some might have even clicked their tongues in annoyance. Yet, the two weren¡¯t arguing in the middle of battle because they were foolish.

    ¡®It¡¯s because they are at ease.¡¯

    Even while they were surrounded by shadows and statues, they were fully confident about their safety, and Marilyn couldn¡¯t deny it.

    ¡°I¡ªI get it!¡± Zich grumbled and swung Windur.

    Baaaaaam!

    Another collision erupted. Dozens of statues copsed simultaneously around them, and the shadows near them were crushed as a result. Marilyn was at a loss for words at the sight of statues breaking apart in pieces. She wondered how many times they were cut in the short span of time. Yet, the person who caused this ridiculous situation didn¡¯t seem to feel much.

    ¡°Is this much fine?¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡± While seeing Zich and L converse with one another, Marilyn regained her senses. The battle wasn¡¯t over yet, and it was one she couldn¡¯t lose at all costs. No matter how strong Zich was, she couldn¡¯t give up.

    ¡®I have to attack now!¡¯

    Even if they were at ease for a reason, they had let their guard down. If she could inflict damage onto them, this was the best opportunity. With mana, Marilyn moved the statues and shadows. The statues and shadows¡¯ movements became agile like mana flowing in like water.

    ¡®As expected, the tree seems to have bepletely liberated.¡¯

    As more mana poured into the statues and shadows, their powers naturally strengthened. However, Marilyn wasn¡¯t satisfied. It was because Zich had be far stronger than how strong the statues and shadows had gotten. Bearing Marilyn¡¯s worries, the shadows and statues rushed towards Zich and L.

    ¡°Should I help you?¡± L asked, but Zich shook his head.

    ¡°No need.¡±

    L nodded and didn¡¯t ask any more questions; she had asked without really meaning it anyways. So, she crossed her arms and began to watch as a stand-by. She knew how strong Zich was at this state. Zich moved. The shadows rushed towards him with their arms changed into sharp des, but Zich sliced them easily. Even mud seemed harder than them at this point.

    Boom!

    One statue ran towards Zich. It lifted its sword high and struck down at Zich. Zich¡¯s reaction was to slightly raise his open left hand. The stone sword quickly dropped down and approached the top of Zich¡¯s head. It was at that moment that Zich finally moved his left hand. Zich¡¯s hand hit against the sword¡¯s side.

    Bam!

    An unbelievably loud sound erupted from Zich¡¯s small action, which looked almost like a joke. The result was astounding. So far in this battle, there was a time when the stone statue¡¯s wrist had been cut off, but it never lost its grip on its sword. However, this time, the stone statue all too easily dropped its sword. The sword that was flipped to the side crushed the shadows that were gathered together, and it tumbled a few times before lying t on the ground. Without its sword, the stone statue stood defenseless in front of Zich, and Zich lightly swung Windur in a diagonal line.

    Slice!

    An extremely soft sound rang out in the air, and the stone statue waspletely cut from its shoulder to the waist. Marilyn was preparing a curse, and her mouth was wide open. The battle in front of her was like literally a fight between an adult and a child. Moreover, the difference between their levels looked like a fight between a trained adult at an extremely high level and a child who just started walking on two feet. However, this was only the beginning.

    Windur began moving like a storm. Regardless of its danger and ferociousness, the sword aura it unleashed with its movement was extremely beautiful. Some of the aura spewed out in arge half-moon shape while other parts scattered like snow or spread out like light the size of a finger. It was to the extent that Marilyn was momentarily in a daze¡ªshe had now lost the statues and shadows that protected her.

    This was also the same for L. ¡®I guess you can also fight like this.¡¯

    So far, whenever Zich released all his mana, his main battle tactic was merely letting out hisrge amount of mana. However, just this tactic was more than enough to suppress his enemies. On the other hand, Zich¡¯s battle method was different this time; one could even call his battle style elegant as he really showed off his amazing mana control. Moreover, he wasn¡¯t limiting the amount of his mana to control it; he was freely using all the mana he released without any trouble. He merely refined and fine-tuned his mana and used it in a more sophisticated way.

    ¡®It must have been impossible to defeat him.¡¯ L pitied Glen, who faced Zich as his enemy, for a very brief moment.

    Bam! Bam!

    The stone statues were quickly crushed. Likewise, the shadows had zero chance at stopping Zich. He was able to easily crush the shadows as if he was stepping on an army of ants crawling on the ground. Marilyn also did not start still; she continuously shot out curses. However, Marilyn¡¯s curses broke before even reaching near Zich. The curses she put on Zich by sight didn¡¯t seem as if they were even working.

    Thud!

    A stone statue copsed to the ground; it was thest remaining statue. All that remained were shadows clustered together like insects. However, the shadows were unable to pose a danger to even L.

    Zich stared at Marilyn and said, ¡°How about it, Marilyn? Have you realized the power of a Demon Lord at least a little bit?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    It did not take long for Zich to defeat all the stone statues. The shattered fragments of the statues were sttered all over the ground, and it seemed as if they were there since the very beginning. Shadows continued to rush towards them, but their movements were meaningless since all the statues were destroyed. Marilyn stopped the shadows¡¯ movements as she saw that they were all destroyed by a flick of Zich¡¯s finger.

    ¡°Is this the end? Or did you prepare another surprise show?¡±

    Instead of replying to Zich¡¯s question, Marilyn asked a question back, ¡°You¡¯re saying that¡¯s the power of a Demon Lord?¡±

    ¡°Yep. To be exact, it¡¯s the state when all of my mana has been released.¡±

    ¡°That must have been the power you used to defeat the monster ambush and save Violuwin in the past.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±

    ¡°And that process must be rted to the tree.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re also right about that.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re easily replying to all my questions.¡±

    ¡°Because it doesn¡¯t matter what information you obtain anymore.¡± Zich was confident about not losing to Marilyn, and this was what he meant by this sentence.

    ¡°You¡¯re full of confidence. Do you really think you¡¯re going to win?¡±

    ¡°If you have anything else in mind, do it. I can even wait for you if you need time to prepare.¡±

    Marilyn was not able to reply.

    At her silence, Zich said again, ¡°This is my final offer, Marilyn. Come join me.¡±

    Marilyn felt the gravity of his words. It was easy to realize that this was really hisst offer. Marilyn smiled; it was a very beautiful and lovely smile. ¡°I refuse.¡±

    ¡°Is it because of your loyalty to your master?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s also true, but this is also what I want.¡±

    ¡°Why?¡±

    ¡°Rather than staying beside you in one life, I want to continue meeting you, even if I don¡¯t remember my past lives.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re saying that again.¡±

    ¡°This is what I truly feel. I have strongpetition in this life as well.¡± Marilyn stared at L.

    L tilted her head as she watched their conversation from behind.

    ¡°Honestly, I¡¯m not confident about beating L in a battle for you, Sir Zich.¡±

    ¡°What the hell are you saying!¡± L shouted out loud after realizing what Marilyn meant.

    However, Marilyn was calm. ¡°It¡¯s fine to be naive, but it¡¯s not good to deny your feelings too much, L. If you have even a little bit of sense, anyone can tell that you like Sir Zich.¡±

    ¡°Wh¡­!¡± L¡¯s face turned bright red.

 Chapter 374

    <h4>Chapter 374</h4>

    Even though her lips moved, no sound came out. She almost looked like a group of carps mouthing above the water surface, but she eventually managed to squeeze out a word.

    ¡°That¡­!¡± She was trying to scream out something along the lines of ¡®That¡¯s not it!¡¯ to deny Zich¡¯s im. Yet, Marilyn blocked her attempt.

    ¡°There¡¯s no need for you to be that embarrassed about it, L. Liking another person is amon urrence. Just look at me. How confidently do I express my feelings?¡±

    ¡°¡­At the very least, I know that your actions don¡¯t representmon human behavior.¡±

    Marilyn pouted. ¡°Everyone expresses their love differently. There are a hundred different types of love for a hundred different people. There ought to be people like me who express their love a bit more actively.¡±

    ¡°A bit more?¡± That was such an understatement¡ªsame for the word, ¡®actively¡¯. It would be more fitting if the words ¡®a bit¡¯ were changed to ¡®excessively¡¯ while ¡®actively¡¯ was reced by ¡®aggressively¡¯. Yet, Marilyn didn¡¯t seem to have an ounce of embarrassment about her love. She nodded with a confident expression on her face.

    ¡°Of course! Inparison to how big my emotions are, the way I express them is so small.¡±

    L almost wanted to learn this level of boldness. In regards to love, Marilyn seemed to even exceed Zich¡ªthe epitome of shamelessness.

    ¡°Besides, there¡¯s no need for you to pretend otherwise, L. Didn¡¯t I tell you? Anyone with even a little bit of sense can see through all your emotions, and you know how quick Sir Zich is.¡±

    L¡¯s eyes rolled. Her mind stopped churning at Marilyn¡¯s words. It wasn¡¯t because she didn¡¯t understand Marilyn¡¯s words. On the contrary, she refused to think any longer because she understood instantly what these words meant. If she thought a second more, it would end with her utter embarrassment and humiliation. However, Marilyn didn¡¯t intend to let L evade her feelings.

    ¡°Sir Zich has been aware of your feelings for a while now.¡±

    L¡¯s face reddened. She naturally turned back towards Zich and stopped. She couldn¡¯t bear to see his face right now.

    ¡°I told you I don¡¯t have any feelings!¡± L attempted to deny it, but her voice went up and down.

    At this sight, Marilyn¡¯s burst intoughter. L¡¯s red face looked like it was about to erupt, and a teardrop hung from her eyes in embarrassment as she red at Marilyn. This made Marilynugh even harder. ¡°My gosh! Sir Zich, how could you feign ignorance towards such a pure child?¡±

    Zich had been quiet until now, but he finally spoke up. ¡°She is just learning about human rtionships. I thought it would be better for her to go through these experiences first-hand rather than me giving out advice.¡±

    L gasped and she turned around fast to look at him.

    ¡°Sir Zich, are you like a father with a daughter? With your way of thinking, you seem more like a grandfather. Ah, since you said you regressed, I suppose your true mental state is more like one.¡±

    Zich groaned. Perhaps, he was displeased to hear about how old he was. Yet, L¡¯s head was whirling with all the new information popping up around her. She hadn¡¯t dreamed in her wildest dreams that Zich had these kinds of thoughts about her.

    ¡°Huh? If you thought that she should experience these things firsthand, shouldn¡¯t you have stopped me before I said anything?¡±

    ¡°As if I could have stopped you from spurting all that out.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s true.¡± After fighting each other to the death, there was no way Marilyn wouldn¡¯t say something simply because Zich told her not to.

    ¡°Besides, I thought it would be fine for her to realize her emotions this way. Although it¡¯s good to realize these kinds of things slowly, it¡¯s also good to get the truth out at once and organize them.¡±

    ¡°How rough.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m the one who used to be called the Demon Lord. This is nothing.¡±

    Even as Zich and Marilyn continued their conversation, L failed to grasp all her senses.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think you¡¯ll be able to converse with L for a while now. Then, should we talk a bit more at ease?¡±

    ¡°Was that your goal?¡±

    ¡°Huh? I don¡¯t know what you are talking about,¡± Marilyn said while sticking out her tongue, assuring him further.

    Zich smirked. ¡°Fine. Say everything you want to say.¡±

    ¡°Wow!¡± Marilyn celebrated with both hands in the air and quickly opened her mouth. She didn¡¯t want to lose even a second. It was a strange sight. Although they were fighting for each other¡¯s lives just a moment before, they were now conversing like long-term friends. Around them, there were still rolling remains of the stone statues, arge number of shadows circling around, and crumbled parts of the tomb proving as evidence for their battle. Yet, the two began to talk cheerfully as if their surroundings had nothing to do with them.

    They didn¡¯t even talk about anything important but engaged in simple chit-chat. They talked about topics that friends who hadn¡¯t seen each other in a long time would share over drinks. Although they hadn¡¯t met each other long, the conversation flowed naturally as Zich carried it on with his image of the past Marilyn before the regression and Marilyn with the stories she heard about Zich since she was young. Even L, whose mind was nk as a white paper, realized that the situation in front of her was strange. However, she didn¡¯t intervene in their conversation. She just quietly watched to see what the oue would be. Not long after that, there was a change.

    Drip!

    Marilyn¡¯s mouth, which had been moving non stop with a bright smile, let out a drop of blood and it eventually dripped down her chin.

    ¡°What?¡± L was startled. Did Marilyn identally bite the inside of her lip while talking?

    However, the amount of blood flowing out of her mouth continued to increase. It was not an amount that coulde out from just chewing the inside of one¡¯s mouth a little bit. On the other hand, Marilyn and Zich didn¡¯t bring up this matter in their conversation at all¡ªZich conversed with Marilyn while she let out a copious amount of blood.

    They just continued talking. They were so calm about it that L even rubbed her eyes a few times to see if her eyes were working properly. But the blood flowing out of Marilyn¡¯s mouth did not disappear. Instead, blood was now flowing out of Marilyn¡¯s eyes, nose, ears, and all the holes that were possibly on her face. Likewise, Marilyn¡¯s face grew paler. However, even despite all this, Marilyn did not erase the smile on her face and did not stop talking. It was an extremely bizarre sight.

    It was after some time that Marilyn¡¯s words stopped. Her breathing was now rough, and half of her face was covered in blood. Her eyes were unfocused, and it seemed as if she was unable to properly see anymore. However, she was still smiling.

    ¡°Is it almost over?¡±

    At Zich¡¯s question, she nodded. ¡°I wanted to converse longer, so I tried to endure as long as possible, but I think this is my limit.¡±

    ¡°You should have used a slightly weaker curse then.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I should have. I thought I should use the strongest curse I have if I¡¯m going to do it, but it seems to have been too strong. There are other curses that are more fitting for suicide.¡±

    It was only then did L realize what was happening. Marilyn had put a curse on herself to end her life. Zich knew this and epted Marilyn¡¯s conversation to see her off on herst journey. Marilyn¡¯s legs were shaking; her body had be too weak to even hold up her body.

    Zich stared at this sight as he said, ¡°Perhaps, this might be the first time we¡¯ve shared a sincere conversation.¡±

    ¡°Oh my, I was always sincere. I¡¯m sure that I was also sincere in the future that you know as well, Zich. You can bet with me on this.¡±

    ¡°How shameless¡­¡±

    Marilyn burst out inughter as Zich clicked his tongue. ¡°Could I make a final request, Sir Zich?¡±

    ¡°What is it? Depending on the content, I might ept it or not.¡±

    ¡°Please don¡¯t win.¡± Marilyn continued with a calm voice, ¡°A pitiful defeat is good, and forfeiting your victory is good as well. Please lose your fight against our organization, and return to the never ending cycle of time. Then let¡¯s meet again, forever.¡±

    Zich folded his arms. While looking at Marilyn who was covered in blood, he said, ¡°This will be thest time I¡¯ll ever meet you. This is also thest conversation I¡¯ll ever have with you. And this will be thest time we¡¯ll see each other¡¯s faces.¡± There was no refusal more firm than this.

    However, Marilyn seemed to have expected this reply as she looked unaffected. ¡°You¡¯re cruel.¡±

    ¡°What about you guys who yed around with another person¡¯s life?¡±

    ¡°All those things are arbitrary. For me, right now, there¡¯s nothing more cruel than your words. In the first ce, the most important thing in this world is my own feelings.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s a great double standard. Your taste is simr to mine. I really like it.¡±

    Marilyn made an embarrassed smile as Zich pped his hands as if he was impressed. L looked at this peculiar scene with a dumbfounded expression.

    ¡°L.¡±

    ¡°¡­Um, yeah?¡± L replied a secondter as Marilyn suddenly addressed her.

    ¡°I hope you have a fun time with Sir Zich in this timeline.¡±

    ¡°I told you that it¡¯s not like¡­!¡± L¡¯s words stopped as she met Marilyn¡¯s cold and obsessive gaze.

    ¡°In the end, however, Sir Zich will be mine.¡±

    L closed her mouth at Marilyn¡¯s persistent deration. However, that was only for a few moments. The agitation in her face disappeared as L calmly replied, ¡°That probably won¡¯t happen, Marilyn. That¡¯s because we¡¯ll be the winners in the end.¡±

    ¡°Yep. Nice words, L.¡±

    When Zich took L¡¯s side, Marilyn red at Zich. ¡°Are you only taking L¡¯s side? I¡¯m extremely jealous.¡±

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter even if you¡¯re jealous. What you want won¡¯t ever happen.¡±

    ¡°Honestly, I¡¯m also worried. Since our n got distorted to this extent, there might be a chance that we might lose. Even then, I¡¯ll wish for your defeat till the very end, Sir Zich.¡± Then, Marilyn vomited out a big glob of blood; bits of flesh and other substances were mixed in with the blood. Her torn intestines wereing out of her mouth as well. Zich and L quietly watched this sight.

    ¡°Huff! Huff!¡± Marilyn let out several rough breaths and stared at Zich. While her face was twisted in pain, she made a frightening smile and reached out her hand towards Zich.

    ¡°¡­Sir¡­Zich¡­let¡¯s¡­def¡­initely¡­meet¡­aga¡­¡±

    This was the end.

    Thud!

    Marilyn¡¯s body, which had not copsed even while a brutal curse was eating away the entire inside, fell forward. Blood burst out of her body like a fountain. Zich slowly walked towards Marilyn and while closing Marilyn¡¯s eyes with his hand, he quietly whispered, ¡°Goodbye, Marilyn. Let¡¯s never meet again.¡±

    Like this, Zich uttered his final farewell to hisst subordinate.

 Chapter 375

    <h4>Chapter 375</h4>

    Zich looked down at Marilyn. Although her face looked extremely grim with blood covered all over it, her facial expression appeared quite calm. Perhaps she believed until the end that Zich would lose and that she would meet him again, or maybe she had apletely different thought. Perhaps, this was her body¡¯s natural response to death.

    After kneeling to close her eyes, Zich extended his legs and got up. Then, he looked around. The first thing he saw was the numerous shadows coloring his surroundings ck. It seemed like they were still listening to Marilyn¡¯s orders to be on standby since none of them were attacking, but Zich knew this would notst long. With Marilyn¡¯smanding presence gone, they would go back to attacking Zich and L like the system wanted. However, Zich and L weren¡¯t too worried. Marilyn was now dead, and all the stone statues were destroyed. Shadows that simply battled with numbers weren¡¯t worthy opponents for them.

    ¡°L?¡±

    ¡°Y-Yeah?¡± L responded. With an awkward expression, she approached him. She still had not recovered from Marilyn¡¯s sudden outburst. Yet, Zich didn¡¯t seem to mind that matter much.

    ¡°Could you protect her corpse for a bit?¡± The shadows appeared like they would move soon. They didn¡¯t seem like they would also attack a corpse, but they couldn¡¯t bepletely sure. Besides, the corpse could be harmed from the after-effects of battle. Although L didn¡¯t stare at Zich properly from her embarrassment, she calmed slightly as Zich¡¯s attitude wasn¡¯t different from normal.

    ¡°I got it.¡± L nodded without asking for any more reasons.

    ¡°Thank you.¡± Zich took his eyes off Marilyn as L reced him.

    L looked down at Marilyn¡¯s corpse. Marilyn was the member of the organization who distorted Zich¡¯s life and tried to get L as their core. She was definitely the enemy, but as L looked at her, she feltplicated feelings. She had developed affection for her. Furthermore, it didn¡¯t seem like Marilyn had treated L friendly simply because of her mission. L was sure that Marilyn also had affectionate feelings for her.

    Baaaam!

    She heard a loud noise from her side. She turned slightly and saw Zich cleaning the area of shadows in his way. After freeing themselves from Marilyn¡¯s authority, the shadows rushed aggressively towards Zich, but they couldn¡¯t hinder his footsteps. The shadows also ran towards L, but L remained just as indifferent as Zich to them. She lifted her staff.

    Shaaa!

    Fire sparks shot out from her staff.

    Boom!

    The fire sparks drew a circle as they spread out and consumed the shadows. Like wiping ck ink off the floor with a clean towel, the surrounding shadows disappeared and revealed the floor. Although it didn¡¯t take long for the shadows to nket the area again, L swept them away again.

    After leaving Marilyn¡¯s corpse to L, Zich walked towards the closest stone chamber. He had tried not to harm the stone chambers because of L¡¯s request, but since this one had been closest to the center of battle, it was half crumbled. Thankfully, although its entrance was a bit crumbled, it still held up its ce. Zich arched his back and went inside.

    ¡®It looks fine.¡¯

    Although there were piles of stone pieces, the coffin in the innermost corner was fine. Zich treaded towards the coffin, opened its lid without hesitation, took out the corpse inside, and flung it carelessly onto the ground. It was such poor treatment to a corpse that belonged to the Clowon Emperor who had brought his empire to the Golden Age. Yet, Zich didn¡¯t feel any guilt from his actions.

    Thud!

    He hung the coffin on his shoulders and came out of the stone chamber. The shadows greeted him, but Zich sloppily swung Windur at them and the shadows disappeared with simply just that. Zich crushed the shadows, also rushing towards L and approached her side.

    ¡°Is that for Marilyn?¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡±

    Zich ced the coffin down and ced Marilyn inside it. L didn¡¯t say anything as she watched. The owner of the coffin was in a way, L¡¯s rtive; however, L didn¡¯t feel much about that matter. On the contrary, she had ill feelings towards Clowon after seeing Finel in theboratory, people like Glen Zenard who manipted people¡¯s destinies using the power of regression, and so on. Zich ced the coffin with Marilyn¡¯s corpse inside his magic box.

    ¡°Are you going to bury her somewhere?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, before she betrayed me, she was quite a good subordinate. I think I can at least prepare a burial for her,¡± Zich said and began walking. ¡°Let¡¯s calm the shadows down first and also take the me¡¯s Tear.¡±

    ¡°Sounds good.¡±

    The two prated through the shadows and walked towards the pyramid. Not long afterwards, they arrived at the center of the pyramid where the green tree was. However, burnt ashes had reced the green tree, coloring the floor into a deep dark color.

    ¡°This must be the tree¡¯s true appearance,¡± Zich murmured as he saw the brown tree that had freed itself from the green tree. Like the Tree of Fire that let out fire sparks and the Tree of Water where water flowed down its branches, this brown tree showcased bumpy rocks on its branches. It was definitely revealing itself as the Tree of Earth like Zich and L had predicted. The Tree of Earth had erged its branches and covered most of the room. Some of the branches even dug into the walls and floors. Zich turned his body and blocked the entrance of the room.

    ¡°Let¡¯s get rid of those guys first.¡± Windur began to slice the shadows trying to enter the room. The shadows didn¡¯t rise out of this room. All they had to do was defeat the shadowsing from the entrance.

    ¡°Wait a bit.¡± L put her hands on the Tree of Earth. An iparable amount of mana from when it was wrapped around in the green tree now flowed out from it. However, L was not taken aback. She had felt this amount of mana from the Tree of Water before. L calmly followed the Tree of Earth¡¯s mana flow and was able to reach the system which continued to release shadows.

    ¡®It¡¯s been damaged extensively.¡¯

    In the first ce, the defense system produced shadows using the mana suppressed by the green tree, so the system was no longer able to contain the overflowing amount of mana from the Tree of Earth without a suppressor. The system would probably disappear naturally and the shadows would disappear too. However, L didn¡¯t need to wait for that to happen.

    Ziiiing!

    L¡¯s mana began following the flow of the Tree of Earth; it never tried to go against the flow of the tree. If L tried to twist the tree¡¯s manafortably, she would most likely be like Finel. Even though L¡¯s mana was extremely powerful, it couldn¡¯t bepared with the tree¡¯s mana. Like this, L¡¯s mana reached the system. She was almost swept in by the rough flow of the tree¡¯s mana a few times, but she utilized her talents, past experience with the Tree of Water, and secretive observations from Marilyn¡¯s interactions with the tree to sessfully reach her destination. L began injecting her mana into the system.

    Halt!

    The shadow swinging its sickle arm towards Zich stopped moving; the same was true for all the shadows waiting for their turn.

    Sssssst.

    The shadows began melting into the ground, dripping like mud full of water and they soonpletely disappeared without a trace. Zich tried going outside of the pyramid, and the shadows were nowhere to be seen outside as well. After checking for remaining shadows, Zich returned inside the pyramid.

    While bending her waist and inserting her body between the branches of the lushly stretched-out Tree of Earth, L turned her head and asked, ¡°How was it?¡±

    ¡°They all disappeared.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s good.¡± After saying this, L continued to push the branches and went deeper inside. Then, she came back out after bringing out a red marble. The thing in her hand was the me¡¯s Tear.

    Zich nced at it. ¡°Are there any parts that are broken?¡¯

    ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± L passed the me¡¯s Tear to Zich.

    The me¡¯s Tear was the reason why Zich was able to release all of his mana andpletely break the device that was suppressing the Tree of Earth. They had tried to bait Marilyn to break the suppressor device on the Tree of Earth on her own will, but there was a low possibility that this n would work. In fact, Marilyn also hadn¡¯tpletely broken the suppressor on the Tree of Earth. However, Marilyn had lowered the suppressor¡¯s ability after realizing that Zich knew about her true identity. Zich¡¯s bait influenced Marilyn to take measures to remove the green tree just in case. This was also the reason why Marilyn had been able to weaken the green tree¡¯s suppressing abilities and increase the strengths of the shadows and statues. L had also used this measure.

    After secretly imnting the me¡¯s Tear into the Tree of Earth, L made a simple activation artifact and hid it inside. Then, she connected that to Marilyn¡¯s mechanism to remove the green tree. When L activated her mechanism, mana from the me¡¯s Tear interacted with Marilyn¡¯s mechanism and exploded at once. L had secretly done this because she thought that Marilyn would likely lower the green tree¡¯s suppressing function at least a little bit to strengthen the defense system. L¡¯s n was sessful and the green tree was unable to endure the strength of the me¡¯s Tear and was incinerated into ashes. Then, the now liberated Tree of Earth resonated with Windur and awakened all of Zich¡¯s mana.

    ¡°As we expected, that guy seems to awaken your mana by resonating with the trees.¡± L tapped Windur hanging on his back and continued, ¡°And the defense system seems to be activated when some kind of problem happens to the tree.¡±

    L exined that the defense system probably judged that the tree and Windur¡¯s resonance was a problem and tried to eliminate Zich and hispanions.

    ¡°You¡¯ve learned quite a lot.¡±

    ¡°I looked intently at what Marilyn was doing while standing next to her. Whenever she was away, I checked how she moved her mana every time. So I¡¯m now sure that I have a deep understanding of the tree.¡± L swept the rough rocks that came out from the branches with her hands.

    ¡°Then, did you obtain all the information that you could possibly get from the tree?¡±

    ¡°Roughly. I think it would be good to have some time for me to be sure.¡±

    ¡°How long will that take?¡±

    ¡°About ten days.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not very long. Then, you should take some time to check.¡± Zich also approached the tree and tried touching the tree like L did. He felt the rough bark texture of the tree and hardness of the rocks, and he felt the astounding amount of mana flowing inside the tree.

    ¡°This tree has beenpletely freed from its restrictions, right?¡±

    ¡°Can¡¯t you just tell?¡± L tapped the rocks that sprung out from the tree.

    Zich smiled. ¡°If our predictions are right, Glen Zenard¡¯s regressing ability must have be more unstable.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s probably the case.¡± Even while replying, L nced at Zich to gauge his mood.

    Zich had a natural dislike of Glen in the first ce, and as more of Glen¡¯s dirty deeds came to light, Zich¡¯s hatred for Glen grew exponentially. Moreover, the fact that Glen had nted a spy among Zich¡¯s former subordinates had now fullye to light. L didn¡¯t even dare imagine how far Zich¡¯s image of Glen had now plummeted.

    Suddenly, Zich uttered something L had never imagined would evere out of his mouth.

    ¡°L.¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°Should I try to be a hero for real?¡±

    L blinked.

 Chapter 376

    <h4>Chapter 376</h4>

    ¡°Acting as a hero?¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡± L ced her hand on Zich¡¯s forehead and said, ¡°You don¡¯t have a fever.¡±

    She took a potion from the magic box and looked at Zich caringly like a mother. ¡°Here, why don¡¯t you drink this first? Then we can go visit a priest or a doctor.¡±

    ¡°¡­I understand what you are saying, but I¡¯m not hurt.¡±

    ¡°A patient doesn¡¯t know what illness he has. Let¡¯s talk after you drink that.¡± L kept pushing the potion bottle into Zich¡¯s hand. Zich scowled and lightly pushed her hand away.

    ¡°I told you I wasn¡¯t sick.¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s no way you would say that if you weren¡¯t sick.¡± L was firm even at Zich¡¯s strong denial. Then, she wondered to herself, ¡®Did Marilyn¡¯s betrayal shock him too much?¡¯ Worry filled her face. Knowing what she was thinking, Zich let out a light sigh. Thinking that this ridiculous misunderstanding would not be settled if he didn¡¯t talk, he quickly spoke up.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯m not saying this for some absolutely skin-crawling, dreadful reasons like ¡®to enforce justice into this world¡¯ or ¡®save all the unfortunate souls in the world.¡¯¡±Hearing words that finally befitted him, L rxed slightly.

    ¡°Then, what¡¯s your reason for saying such chilling words?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s to fuck with Glen Zenard,¡± Zich said confidently. These words were very befitting of Zich.

    ¡®Hm, I guess he really isn¡¯t sick.¡¯ L elegantly threw all her worries about Zich in the waste pile in her mind. Then, she crossed her legs and flicked her head for him to continue exining.

    ¡°It¡¯s nothing borate on. I don¡¯t know what his reason is, but it¡¯s clear that Glen Zenard is obsessed with the title of hero.¡±

    L also agreed and nodded in response. ¡°So, are you saying that you will steal this hero title from him?¡±

    ¡°Yes. I have to repay him for treating me so respectfully. It would be impolite otherwise.¡± Zich smiled. L wanted to back away one step at this moment, but she persevered and gulped. As he smiled slyly, he epassed the aura and terror from his Demon Lord days.

    ¡°¡­Well, I guess that means you don¡¯t n to kill him immediately.¡±

    ¡°Yes, since I don¡¯t know when he will regress.¡± From Marilyn¡¯s behavior this time, there was something Zich gained assurance in.

    ¡°You know how Marilyn tried her hardest not to kill me?¡±

    ¡°Well, that¡­¡±

    When Marilyn was manipting the statues and shadows at times she had the upper hand, it felt like she had pulled herself back.

    ¡°But isn¡¯t it obvious why? For her, it¡¯s much better to capture us alive if she can.¡± Then, Marilyn¡¯s organization could use L as the core again and extract information from Zich. However, Zich seemed to disagree with her.

    ¡°For that to happen, the regression ability is too important and risky. If they identally lose track of me, it would mean absolute trouble for those guys.¡±

    ¡°Hm, now that you mention it, that seems true. Is there another reason she didn¡¯t try to kill you?¡±

    ¡°I think it might be because they fear my regression. Truthfully, I thought before that the condition for regression was death.¡± There was no special reason for this belief but that his body had been sliced in two at the moment of his regression.

    ¡°However, I can¡¯t be sure that Glen''s condition is death. Yet, I felt like Marilyn wanted to prevent my death after finding out about my regression. It makes me wonder if she feared that I would regress again after I die. If that¡¯s the case, that probably means that she also knows the condition of other people¡¯s regression.¡±

    In other words, that could mean Glen Zenard¡¯s condition to regress was his own death.

    ¡°¡­If that¡¯s really true, then I suppose we have to hold back on killing him¡ªat least until we have determined that his ability has been blocked.¡±

    If they carelessly killed Glen, everything could return like before. It would be ideal if Zich retained his memories even after Glen¡¯s regression, but they couldn¡¯t be sure of these factors.

    ¡°Yeah. So, I don¡¯t n on acting as a hero immediately. If I speed up things too fast and steal his hero title, he might kill himself because he isn¡¯t satisfied by the current state of matters in this timeline.¡±

    ¡°Haven¡¯t too many things changed for him to kill himself now? Shouldn¡¯t he have done it ages ago then?¡±

    ¡°Certainly. I almost want to apud his perseverance and not giving up on being a hero even in this timeline.¡±

    L thought Zich¡¯s use of the word ¡®apud¡¯ sounded very insincere.

    ¡°However, I still have no intention of letting him be. As soon as I block his regression, I am going to try to take the title of hero.¡±

    Zich¡¯s eyes turned icy. ¡°I can¡¯t let him die a peaceful death. He has to die only after I take what he wants the most.¡±

    After hearing Zich¡¯s deration, L was sure of this: no matter how outstanding Glen Zenard¡¯s abilities were, whether he had some grand, secret ploy, or even if he had lived a great number of years, thest years of his life would be full of suffering.

    * * *

    Zich and L stayed at the tomb for exactly 12 days. Like she predicted, L spent exactly ten days researching the tree and in thest two days, she scanned the writings on the stone chambers that had survived the battle. In the meantime, Zich focused his attention on awakening his mana up through the me¡¯s Tear. 12 days was both a long and short amount of time. Depending on the person¡¯s mindset, it could pass at an extremely slow ce or in an instant. Thus , 12 days was an extremely long time for L. It wasn¡¯t because she was in an underground tomb or was researching trees and stone statues.

    The only reason why time passed extremely slowly for her was because Marilyn had revealed her feelings. After her disciple left to the surface and Marilyn died, the only ones in this quiet, deserted ce were her and the person who knew about her feelings. Naturally, all kinds of thoughts rushed into her head. At first, she nced profusely at Zich, but he didn¡¯t mention the incident. L thought that was fortunate. However, as more time passed, her anxiety began to grow.

    ¡®Shouldn¡¯t I say at least a few words?¡¯

    However, even while these thoughts continuously piled up inside her mind, L perfectlypleted her research on the tree and tomb. She had incredible concentration. When L finished her research, the two began exiting the tomb. The tomb¡¯s former grand and awe-inspiring sight was gone, and they walked up the long stairs while leaving behind the now crumbled and destroyed tomb. During this time, L¡¯s dissatisfaction and anxiety reached their pinnacle; her difort was clearly visible on her face.

    Zich nced at her face and smirked. ¡°Are you unhappy that I¡¯m not saying anything even after knowing about your feelings?¡±

    ¡°Hm, what?¡± L was startled. She didn¡¯t think that Zich would choose this specific time to bring up this topic. Her embarrassment, which had been repressed by difort and anxiety, began to raise its giant head. L¡¯s face reddened.

    ¡°W-what are you talking about?¡± L tried to reply as calmly as possible, but her voice was at least three octaves higher than normal. Her voice cracked two times as well.

    L¡¯s face became redder, but she didn¡¯t give up on her calm act. ¡°Cough! Hm! I think you and Marilyn seem to have misunderstood my feelings because I don¡¯t like you.¡±

    ¡°Is that so?¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡±

    ¡°I got it. It seems like I misunderstood. I¡¯m sorry. I won¡¯t ever mention this topic ever again.¡±

    ¡®What?¡¯ L was taken aback and stared at Zich¡¯s back as he climbed up the stairs as if nothing happened.

    L was startled that Zich so calmly epted her denial, which she quickly made out of embarrassment. The two climbed up the stairs in silence for a while. Zich saw that L¡¯s face was full of dissatisfaction.

    He smirked and said, ¡°I did what you wanted me to, but why is your expression like that?¡±

    L did not reply; her gaze merely became even sharper.

    Zich stopped walking and turned back. L also stopped while putting a certain amount of distance between them.

    ¡°What?¡± L¡¯s voice was full of discontent.

    Zich bent his knees and matched his eye level with L, who was a few steps away from him. ¡°You¡¯re flustered by the new emotions you suddenly feel, right?¡±

    L was about to instinctively deny his words, but she closed her mouth because his eyes looked extremely serious.

    ¡°I think it¡¯ll be especially confusing for you. You have a lot of knowledge, but in regards to emotions, it¡¯s not far off to say you¡¯ve just started developing emotions. It¡¯s understandable that you will be flustered by the emotions that are very different from the emotions that you usually feel.¡±

    L steadfastly listened to Zich.

    ¡°Don¡¯t try to immediately deny your feelings. Try to slowly explore and observe how you feel and then take your time trying to figure out your emotions. I¡¯m sure that you won¡¯t take long before you can face your emotions head-on. When that timees, I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll be able to naturally think of things you want to do. Then, it won¡¯t bete to act on those thoughts.¡±

    Zich straightened his knees and fixed his posture. However, his eyes were still fixated on L¡¯s eyes.

    ¡°Originally, I hoped you would slowly get used to those emotions, but due to Marilyn¡¯s unexpected shock tactic, it became like this so I understand your confusion. But as I said before, this situation is not bad either. I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll be able to get through this well, so you don¡¯t need to be so anxious.¡±

    L mumbled as if she was looking for something to say and quietly said, ¡°¡­I don¡¯t think this is something for you to say.¡±

    Zichughed out loud. ¡°Of course. I¡¯m telling you about what I felt soon after I was kicked out of my family. It¡¯s something I felt when I still hadn¡¯t gotten rid of my Steelwall self. These days, I¡¯ve been looking back on my memories before my regression, especially the memories I had before bing a Demon Lord.¡±

    ¡®Ah!¡¯ L was able to immediately understand what Zich was saying. He was speaking based on his past experience with love. As soon as L realized this, she felt something pour out of her heart. It was definitely jealousy. However, even before L realized what this emotion was, the feeling of pity filled up L¡¯s heart. L also knew that there were many incidents that changed Zich from Steelwall to Moore, and she knew that those incidents were not good memories for him at all. Considering this fact, L could easily predict that Zich¡¯s love probably did not end well. For that reason, L did not ask him about this.

    ¡°Unexpectedly, you¡¯re telling me all this nicely.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s because you¡¯re myrade.¡±

    Comrade. It was a word that once described Tim tt and Marilyn Frill. This word probably brought up the mostplicated emotions for Zich right now, since he recently ended the lives of two of his four subordinates. L also didn¡¯t linger on this topic as well.

    ¡°I got it.¡± L continued, ¡°I¡¯ll try to do as you said. It doesn¡¯t seem like bad advice for me.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, good thinking.¡±

    L secretly nced at Zich and said, ¡°I¡¯m just asking, Zich.¡±

    ¡°Yes?¡±

    L hesitated, but she finally asked, ¡°When I face my feelings with certainty, if I confess¡­or do something like that, will you ept it?¡±

    Zichughed; it was a very annoyingugh. ¡°It¡¯s one hundred years too early, dummy.¡±

    ¡°¡­Wasn¡¯t the timing right for you to just nod considering the flow of the conversation?¡±

    ¡°Do you think it¡¯s easy to be next to a great person like me? If you want, you can make me fall for you. There¡¯ll be a lot of chances in the future.¡±

    His self-confident smile was so annoying that L wanted to punch him. L stuck out her lips and climbed up the stairs while passing Zich. He followed her from behind with a smile on his face.

 Chapter 377

    <h4>Chapter 377</h4>

    Zich and L came out of the ruins and returned to the city. Hans, Snoc, and Elena stayed at the lodging ce they had used before they headed to the tomb.

    ¡°You are back, sir?¡± Hans nodded to the two he hadn¡¯t seen for long. Only he was there, and it appeared that Snoc and Elena had gone out.

    ¡°Yeah. Did nothing much happen?¡±

    ¡°Yes, sir. We kept surveilling the city, but nothing much happened.¡±

    It hurt L¡¯s conscience to hear Han¡¯s words; they had only told Hans and the other disciples to survey the city to trick Marilyn. In other words, their actions had beenpletely meaningless. However, unlike L, Zich¡¯s expression didn¡¯t change since he waspletely shameless.

    ¡°Good job.¡±

    Hans bowed at Zich¡¯spliment. Then, seeing that the party¡¯s newest member was missing, he asked, ¡°I don¡¯t see Ms. Frill with you. Did she go somewhere?¡±

    L¡¯s face darkened, but Zich was calm again as he said, ¡°She betrayed us, so we killed her.¡±

    ¡°¡­.!¡±

    ¡°¡­!¡±

    L was also surprised. She hadn¡¯t expected Zich to say it so outright. Hans was also incredibly surprised, but it didn¡¯tst long.

    ¡°I see,¡± Hans said and didn¡¯t ask any more questions. L tilted her head to the side.

    ¡®He is also really strange,¡¯ she thought. She didn¡¯t know if she should say that Hans¡¯s trust or loyalty towards Zich was exceedingly high. Since she also heard of the events leading to Hans bing Zich¡¯spanion, the current Hans seemed more strange to her.

    In the end, Zich and L went up to their rooms at the lodging ce. Since the room they had stayed in before was empty, they got the same rooms as before. They could finally restfortably on a bed after a long time. The two didn¡¯t mind rough conditions and camping outside was easier with all the goods they stuffed inside the magic box, but thefort couldn¡¯tpare sleeping on top of a bed with a roof over their heads. The twoid around until dinnertime and greeted Snoc and Elena after they came back from their surveince.

    Like Hans, Zich told them that they had killed Marilyn after her betrayal. The two were surprised, but Snoc showed a simr response to Hans. Since he had spent a long time traveling with Zich, it seemed like he had a simr level of trust in Zich as Hans. Elena seemed to have more questions, but when she saw L nod, she didn¡¯t say much and let the matter pass.

    After eating their meals and sharing their current situations, thepanions separated to their individual rooms. Zich went to his room andy on the bed. Since he had lounged around until dinnertime, his fatigue from traveling was already all gone. However, he hadn¡¯t had a break in a long time. Lounging on the bed and doing nothing for a couple of days didn¡¯t seem like a bad idea now. Yet, Zich had toe off his bed soon afterward.

    ¡°Come in,¡± Zich said before the familiar presence in front of his door even knocked. Like he expected, L came in.

    ¡°What is it?¡±

    ¡°I have something to discuss.¡±

    ¡°Take a seat.¡± Zich sat on a chair beside a table and pointed at a chair in front of him.

    ¡°Excuse me,¡± L entered carefully. She walked in awkwardly and sat in the seat that Zich pointed at. It waspletely different from the time before when she walked into Zich¡¯s room with no hesitation. However, this was expected since she had realized her feelings now, and she was entering the room of the person she liked.

    Zich wanted to burst intoughter from this sight but kept quiet. ¡°Okay, what is it?¡±

    Although L was slightly stiff from nervousness, she rxed after Zich talked to her in a carefree manner like usual.

    ¡°It¡¯s not anything important. I just wanted to ask you about future ns.¡±

    ¡°Future ns¡­¡± Zich leaned his back against the chair. ¡°I don¡¯t really have much in mind. I want to smash Glen Zenard¡¯s back right now, but we don¡¯t know how to stop his regression yet. We also don¡¯t know the location of the other trees either.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I mean you said you would officially begin to act like a hero after blocking Glen Zenard from regressing.¡±

    ¡°I n to rest for a couple of days. I have to think about what to do in the meantime,¡± Zich sighed. ¡°I wish a clue about the next tree could just drop down from the sky.¡±

    ¡°How could that¡­¡± L suddenly shut her mouth, and Zich looked at her in wonder. He saw her eyes pointing towards his backside and turned around. Windur was leaning against the wall. Usually, Windur looked very strange, but now it looked different. Like a tree that had been beaten by strong winds for several days, its branch-like des were leaning to one side.

    ¡°¡­Did that always look like that?¡±

    ¡°It began to change form when you began talking about a clue for the next tree.¡±

    Zich got up from his seat. He walked to the wall and gripped Windur.

    Ziiing.

    When Zich lifted it up and twisted its direction slightly, it moved its des like a living creature. Its des twisted like before in the same direction. Zich paced around the room while holding Windur a couple of times and L¡¯s eyes followed him. Windur¡¯s des pointed at the same corner of the room no matter which direction Zich turned his body towards.

    ¡°¡­I think this guy is pointing to a specific ce. What do you think?¡±

    ¡°I think so too.¡±

    ¡°The direction it¡¯s pointing to is probably where the tree is.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s what I thought.¡±

    Zich stared at Windur and said, ¡°Return to your original form.¡± As soon as Zich finished his words, Windur returned to its original, tree branch-like form.

    ¡°Where is the tree?¡±

    Windur¡¯s des began to swerve again. It was now certain; Windur was pointing at where the tree was.

    ¡°What is up with this guy?¡± If it wanted to tell them the location of the tree, it should have told them earlier on. Zich grumbled and sat back down in his chair.

    ¡°Perhaps, can that sword actually talk?¡±

    L¡¯s words sounded extremely persuasive, and it wasn¡¯t because Zich was going crazy. Zich asked a couple of questions in case this coy sword would reveal any other information.

    Zich asked various questions to Windur about where Clowon¡¯s important ruins were located and the locations of Demon People, Estede and Tornuim, Glen Zenard, etc. However, Windur didn¡¯t react to any of the questions above. The only thing it reacted to was the location of the tree. Moreover, Windur only revealed the location of one tree. From Zich and L¡¯s predictions, there should be two more trees left.

    ¡°There might actually be only one tree left. Or it could have judged that we don¡¯t have the ability to find the other tree,¡± Zich said as he ced Windur back on his table.

    ¡°Or perhaps, both of the trees are in the location it¡¯s pointing towards.¡± L made another suggestion, but Zich was pessimistic about L¡¯s suggestion.

    ¡°That¡¯s being way too optimistic, but the possibility is not zero.¡± Zich knew very well that hopeful predictions usually had very little possibility of turning into reality.

    ¡°Regardless of what it is, a clue is a clue. I guess we¡¯ll find out if we go to where this guy is pointing us towards,¡± Zich said as he tapped Windur next to him.

    * * *

    Before they left the city, Zich went to a mountain that was a short distance from Violuwin. The only person with him was L and the disciples remained in the city. The mountain they went to was an extremely rough ce to climb, but L skillfully climbed up the mountain. There was no need to even mention Zich¡¯s expertise. After they climbed up the mountain for a while, Zich and L were able to reach the spot they saw from the bottom.

    Among the rough terrain in the mountain, there was a spot that was easy to move around. There was not even a big tree to block the sky so sunlight also came through very well. Zich began digging the ground there. In an instant, he dug a hole that was deeper than a person¡¯s height. Then, he took out the coffin that had Marilyn¡¯s corpse from his magic box. Before he put the coffin in the hole, Zich opened the top of the coffin and looked down at Marilyn¡¯s corpse. Her face was still in a horrible state, but her expression looked peaceful. Zich closed the top. He put the coffin inside the hole and pushed the dirt back into the hole to cover it up.

    L quietly watched this sight from a few steps away. It did not take long for Marilyn¡¯s grave to bepleted. After ttening out the earth, Zich put a rock the size of a human in front of the grave. Then, he stretched out his finger and put it towards the surface of the stone.

    Crrrrrck!

    His finger filled with mana easily scratched the surface of the rock. Zich moved his finger and wrote on the rock.

    [The one who desired a foolish and eternal dream lies here.]

    After shaking off the rock dust by pping his palms, Zich put a bouquet of flowers in front of the rock. L had been quietly watching Zich¡¯s actions. She stepped forward and also put flowers in front of the rock. Then, they looked at the grave for a short while.

    ¡°It¡¯s really over.¡±

    ¡°Yeah,¡± Zich calmly affirmed L¡¯s words.

    ¡°It feels weird to see her grave like this.¡± There was a trace of bitterness in L¡¯s voice. Even though it hadn¡¯t been very long since she traveled around with Marilyn, thetter had made a big impact on her.

    ¡°Now that I think about it, I became close to her really fast.¡±

    ¡°If not for her obsession with me, her personality was very friendly and lively. It¡¯s a really good way to make friends.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s definitely true, but her obsession with you was horrible. Whatever she said, she would start going on about how much she liked you.¡±

    ¡°She probably did that because she noticed your feelings early on and wanted to shake you up mentally so that she could more easily draw out any information that you had. If you do a good job, it¡¯s a very effective method.¡±

    L opened her eyes wide; her thoughts hadn¡¯t reached that far.

    ¡°Well, she probably also wanted to keep you in check. When two people like the same person, if you continuously express your feelings for the person you like to your rival, your rival would falter to express their feelings. This method is also quite effective.¡±

    L said dejectedly, ¡°¡­She really was an amazing person in various ways.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, but she¡¯s buried here now.¡± For thest time, Zich imprinted Marilyn¡¯s grave into his eyes and then turned his back. ¡°We¡¯ll never meet her ever again.¡± There was clear resolution in his voice.

    * * *

    After finishing all their work, Zich and hispanions left Violuwin. Even Zich, the leader of their group, did not know their destination. They merely headed in the direction Windur pointed towards. Like owner, like sword¡ªWindur only gave its direction by pointing straight ahead. Even while passing a high cliff, a wide river, and a dense forest, it didn¡¯t provide any side paths or ways around those locations. In the first ce, it was funny to expect kindness from a sword. However, thanks to Zich, thepanions were able to move through the rough terrains without much trouble. Then, what appeared in front of them was a gigantic mountain that seemed as if it would pierce through the sky.

 Chapter 378

    <h4>Chapter 378</h4>

    The ce was much closer to the sky than any other location. Peaks nketed with white snow shot upwards as if they werepeting to see who would arrive at the top first, and white clouds flowed next to them like a river. Denest Mountain was the name of the mountain range far in front of them. The gigantic mountain range crossed a total of seven countries and was given a variety of nicknames such as ¡®The World¡¯s Roof¡¯, ¡®Haven of the Gods¡¯, ¡®The First ce to Have Been Created¡¯, and so on. Yet, the reason why the mountain range was so famous wasn¡¯t only because of its vast size. The giant peak in the Denest Mountain Range had the tallest known mountain in the world: Sellockblum. With its rough terrain, it was difficult for an ordinary person to even climb up to the middle.

    Clouds and haze covered its peak almost every day so that it was hidden from view. Some even considered this mystical ce sacred. Zich and hispanions eyed the mountain. The mountain was so big that it made the other peaks in its surroundings look small inparison. Zich stared at Sellockblum Mountain and then looked at Windur.

    ¡®It really does seem like it''s pointing at that.¡¯

    Windur¡¯s twisted des pointed towards the mountain. Of course, since it was only pointing in one direction, there was also a possibility that it was pointing at something beyond Sellockblum.

    ¡®I should go there first though,¡¯ Zich thought and made Windur change back to its original form before he hung it on his back again.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± Zich led hispanions to a path again. As she stood next to him, L asked, ¡°Your destination is Sellockblum right?¡±

    ¡°It seems so.¡±

    ¡°If it¡¯s Sellockblum, there is bound to be something there.¡±

    ¡°But we don¡¯t have much information about the ce.¡±

    Sellockblum appeared like it rejected all human presence, as if it would never fall under humanmand. Although it was basically impossible for ordinary people to reach its peak, there were unordinary people in this world. People who had heightened their physical abilities with mana had conquered the mountain a long time ago. Yet, the number of mana users in this world was small, and only a few of them could climb Sellockblum. Even mana users had difficulty climbing Sellockblum easily, and there were even fewer people who had a reason to climb the mountain in the first ce. After all, there was a difference between being able to do something and actually wanting to do it. Thus, even after it was conquered, much information about the mountain remained unknown.

    ¡°Isn¡¯t that the reason why they weren¡¯t discovered for so long? Ah, but if you consider Violuwin, that might not be the case.¡±

    Although Violuwin¡¯s ruin had existed in a big city right under an extremely popr tourist site, people weren¡¯t aware of its presence at all. If Sellockblum had a ruin, it would be even harder to find it.

    ¡°Well, let¡¯s go there first. Whether or not it¡¯s our destination or a simple pass-through, we will have to climb it first.¡±

    ¡°Are you going to go right away?¡±

    ¡°No, I¡¯m going to drop by Pialu first.¡±

    Pialu was the city closest to the Denest Mountain Range. No matter how high the mountain range was, there were bound to be people who lived and traded there, and Pialu was a trading point where merchants passed through. Yet, it wasn¡¯t arge trading center flowing with goods and money like the other cities Zich and hispanions had visited. The Denest Mountain Range had extremely harsh terrain and moving goods through the area was difficult. Thus, inparison to other trade cities, Pialu was much smaller in size. However, it was still more than enough to rest a couple of days there.

    ¡°Since we don¡¯t know what will happen there, we should get a good rest.¡±

    L thought of the ruin where the Tree of Water and Tree of Earth were and nodded. After walking like this for some time, the sun set, and the moon rose. Zich and hispanions set up a simple campsite and lit up a fire. They took out food ingredients from their magic box and ate. Zich looked behind him, and Hans was the next person to notice. He clutched Estede as he got up. Zich and Hans¡¯ behavior made the rest of theirpanions wary. L and Elena got up while gripping their staffs and Snoc got up after cing Nowem on his shoulders.

    ¡°What is it?¡± Elena quietly asked Snoc. After concentrating on the noise from the earth, Snoc answered, ¡°Looks like monsters. There¡¯s a considerable number of them. I reckon about twenty to thirty of them.¡±

    Nervousness passed through Elena¡¯s eyes, but it was just enough to be fitting for battle. She had met monsters in this exact manner multiple times now. L swung her staff. Fireballs shot out from her staff and lit up the area. The monsters hiding in the darkness revealed themselves.

    ¡°They¡¯re ogres.¡± Like Zich said, they wererge monsters with the ogres and a mix of small monsters with them. Zich lifted his chin while looking at Hans, Snoc, and Elena, and the three of them walked forward. Zich and L stood and watched; there was no need for them to get involved. Soon, a battle erupted between the three disciples and the monsters. Hans ran while holding Estede. Light shone a couple of times and monsters pushed forward. Snoc lifted the earth and crushed the monsters.

    ¡°Move aside!¡± Elena shouted and Hans stepped back. A giant fireball fell on the already half-annihted monsters.

    Baaaaam!

    The earth vibrated and swept the surroundings. Red fire burned the monsters.

    Crash!

    Thest ogre was burned to a crisp and fell. This group of monsters wasn¡¯t at a level to threaten Zich. Hans, Snoc, and Elena walked and sat back down in their spaces. Zich and L were already in their seats.

    ¡°Good work,¡± Zich said shortly afterward and the disciples nodded.

    Even though the monsters in front of them would havepletely decimated a normal group of travelers, Zich and hispanions were extremely calm. Considering their skills, their battle just now was not even a warm-up.

    ¡°Don¡¯t you think there¡¯s an unusuallyrge number of monsters?¡± L expressed her suspicions; it hadn¡¯t been just once or twice that monsters ambushed them in a short time frame.

    Zich also had the same thought, so he nodded. ¡°What¡¯s even more unusual is that monsters like ogres are moving around in groups and even with weaker monsters. It¡¯s definitely a strange urrence.¡±

    ¡°Sir, do you think it might be because we¡¯re near the mountain range? Moreover, it¡¯s not just an ordinary mountain range.¡±

    Hans expressed his opinion, but Zich shook his head. ¡°That could exin the high frequency of monster attacks, but it doesn¡¯t exin why those idiots are moving around in groups. Moreover, even if we¡¯re near the infamous Denest Mountain Range, this amount of monster ambushes is still strange.¡±

    Most of all, they were near a city: Pialu. Compared to a full-fledged trading city, it was a shabby ce, but a city was still a city. In addition, Pialu was also the first line of defense against monsters that mighte down from the Denest Mountain Range.

    L said, ¡°Then, you¡¯re saying that something happened there, right?¡±

    ¡°Yep.¡± Zich looked sideways. At the end of the dark path, there¡¯d be Pialu, and beyond it was the Denest Mountain Range. Lastly, Sellockblum was inside the Denest Mountain Range. What would be waiting for them there?

    ¡®I hope it¡¯s something rted to the tree.¡¯ Zich filled his heart with hope.

    * * *

    After staying the night, thepanions continued walking. The monster ambushes continued, but they were unable to cause any harm to Zich and hispanions. Instead, all the monsters lost their lives. However, not everyone could defend themselves against monster ambushes like Zich and hispanions.

    ¡°¡­It¡¯s awful.¡± L scowled, and Hans, Snoc, and Elena did the same.

    Zich took a step forward and picked up a random arm sprawled out on ;the ground. The arm¡¯s cold temperature seemed to represent the feelings of the owner when they died. Hans and Snoc also scanned the surrounding corpses.

    ¡°Senior, monsters must have done this, right?¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡± While bending one of his knees, Hans picked up a leg sprawled on the ground and scanned his surroundings. ¡°There are no other parts.¡±

    Only flesh and a few limbs remained on the ground¡ªno other body parts could be seen. Moreover, considering the enormous amount of blood spilled on the ground, the number of body parts was extremely small. There was only one exnation that Hans could think of.

    ¡®They were all eaten.¡¯ Hans clicked his tongue and got up after straightening his legs.

    Contrary to Zich, Hans, and Snoc who investigated the corpses, L and Elena scanned the items that probably belonged to the dead people. Shattered pieces of wood were scattered on the floor. They were so thoroughly shattered that it was impossible to know what they could be used for if not for a small fragment of a carriage wheel that was also left behind. If this small fragment wasn¡¯t present, L and Elena would have had to decipher the purpose of the wooden pieces just by guessing.

    ¡°They must have been merchants.¡±

    There were various misceneous goods on the ground. It seemed as if the monsters left them behind because they were not edible goods. Thepanions judged that merchants passing through this path were massacred by the monsters¡¯ sudden ambush. After roughly collecting the corpses, they buried them next to the path and raised one grave marker in front. Then, they headed off to Pialu. However, it was not long until they met with another pile of corpses. And then another. And another.

    ¡°It seems like the situation is more serious than we thought.¡± Zich rubbed his chin as he stared at the blood-stained ground where there was not even a piece of flesh left. This was also after they defeated another group of monsters.

    ¡®Our feet might be tied to Pialu for a while.¡¯

    Even though Zich decided to officially start acting like a heroter on, he didn¡¯t think it was a bad idea to at least start the foundation earlier on. He thought it would be fine to give some of his support if Pialu was being exposed to monster ambushes.

    Wth this in mind, Zich met with another pile of corpses. It seemed as if the merchant group this time was extremelyrge¡ªthere were a great number of scattered goods, wagon fragments, human body parts that were not eaten yet, and blood marks. It also seemed as if the merchants had shown great resistance as they also saw parts of monster flesh. The monsters must have also eaten parts of their fellowrades as well.

    Thepanions easily piled up the body parts to one side. They dug a hole next to the path and were about to bury the parts with dirt when¡ª

    Dudududududu!

    They heard the sound of horse hooves from afar. L stared at where the sound came from. ¡°People that look like mercenaries areing.¡±

    Zich had noticed the group of people earlier on, and he said calmly, ¡°They¡¯re probably people hired by the city. The city won¡¯t stay still when things are like this.¡±

    ¡°There probably won¡¯t be a conflict between us, right?¡±

    ¡°Would they try to pick a fight with a human when monsters are running amok like this? Unless they¡¯re seriously crazy, they¡¯ll just nce at us and go their own way.¡±

    ¡°But what if they¡¯re crazy?¡±

    ¡°Why do you even need to ask?¡± Zich replied without hesitation as if L was asking about natural truths like rivers flowing into oceans and objects falling down to the ground. ¡°If they pick a fight, we have to fuck them up. I said I¡¯ll act like a hero, not like a stupid-ass dipshit pushover.¡±

    Zich tilted his head. ¡°Ah, are those two things actually the same?¡±

    ¡°¡­You really have a lot of animosity against the word hero.¡± L shook her head.

 Chapter 379

    <h4>Chapter 379</h4>

    People riding on horses approached Zich and hispanions. They wore thick leather armor lined with hard metal and carried sharp weapons. Their almost bursting muscles and serious eyes indicated they weren¡¯t just wanderers but skilled mercenaries. Yet, skills and good character often didn¡¯t go hand-in-hand with one another. L let out a small sigh. From far away, she could just tell these guys would not pass by without making a fuss.

    L wondered if she could avoid them. She didn¡¯t like people who made provocations; thus, she hoped that the mercenaries would calmly pass by them and prove her wrong. However, in cases like this, her expectations often failed.

    The mercenary closest to them shouted, ¡°Hey! You there!¡± He was clearly addressing Zich and hispanions. They turned around to look at the mercenaries. There were twenty of them. Considering their significant number and rough demeanor, most people would have felt great pressure from facing them. However, Zich and hispanions weren¡¯t ordinary people.

    Zich and his crew stopped in front of the mercenaries. The man in the front took one step forward; he was the man who had yelled at them before. Although the other mercenaries looked scary and intimidating, they were nothingpared to this man. Like a mountain bandit, the man¡¯s face was covered with a ruffled mustache, and there was a knife mark on each side of his jaw. Above all, the eyepatch on one of his eyes made him look even more fearsome. The man looked up and down at Zich and hispanions and smirked.

    ¡®As I thought!¡¯ L shook her head. She felt the man¡¯s one eye disgustingly linger on her and Elena. As if she also felt the gaze, Elena hid half of her body behind Snoc. It wasn¡¯t that she was scared¡ªshe simply shuddered from the natural repulsion she felt.

    ¡°Who are you guys!¡± the one-eyed man shouted. It was apparent that he was trying to intimidate the group. Yet, no one in Zich¡¯s group was scared by the man¡¯s vain attempts of intimation.

    ¡°Speak for yourself,¡± Zich responded crookedly. L was impressed. Although his appearance and clothing werepletely different from the mercenaries, he acted just like the mercenaries he was facing.

    The one-eyed man scowled, this wasn¡¯t the response he had expected. With a considerable number of men with mean-looking faces and battle horses¡ªadmittedly not the ones with astronomical prices, but still impressive¡ªhe had expected most travelers to cower in fear. Yet, Zich and hispanions showed apletely different response. The one-eyed man repressed his anger. He wanted to crack his opponent¡¯s head after Zich spoke to him impertinently, but he couldn¡¯t use his fists right away. Even if they were trained and armed, Zich and hispanions were also armed.

    ¡®Moreover, those girls look like mages.¡¯

    It was very surprising that this group had not one but two mages¡ªthey were extremely rare and hard toe by. Nevertheless, the one-eyed man didn¡¯t think he would lose this battle; his group had battled mages before and won. However, unexpected things could happen once they pulled out their swords and began to fight; this was even more so when there were mages in his opponents¡¯ party. Yet, what the one-eyed man wanted to avoid most was causing amotion in this ce.

    ¡®I don¡¯t want him toe and check because of themotion.¡¯ Thus, the one-eyed man decided to hold himself back from fighting. Besides, he had another way to achieve his goal instead of fighting.

    ¡°We are mercenaries hired by Pialu!¡± the one-eyed man shouted as if he was trying to emphasize his authority from the city too. Of course, this method didn¡¯t work on Zich.

    ¡°So?¡±

    The one-eyed man quelled his erupting anger once again and said roughly, ¡°What were you guys doing right now?¡±

    ¡°Can¡¯t you tell? We are burying the corpses rolling around the street.¡± Zich pointed at the burials that weren¡¯t covered with dirt yet. The one-eyed man smirked. Zich knew what this smile meant. The man had found something to nitpick about.

    ¡°Oh? Are you perhaps trying to cover up evidence for your misdeeds?¡±

    Zich let out a very exaggerated sigh. The one-eyed man¡¯s smile instantly disappeared. Zich¡¯s sigh meant that he clearly looked down on him.

    ¡°Hey, hey!¡±

    Zich looked at the man and said, ¡°If you are going to keep saying nonsense, waste somebody else¡¯s time. There¡¯s no one among us who will even shudder at your ridiculous attempts to intimidate us.¡±

    ¡°What! Ridiculous! Must I remind you once again that we are mercenaries employed by Pialu! We also have the authority to investigate the happenings around the city!¡± The one-eyed man took out something from his belongings. It was a scroll, and the man proudly unrolled it. It was a contract that showed the contract they made with the city. It was the real deal with a clear seal that belonged to Pialu.

    ¡°Do you get it now! We are obligated to find and erase everything that might threaten Pialu because of this contract! From what we can see, you guys are an extremely suspicious bunch,¡± the one-eyed man said confidently and stared at the holes that Zich and hispanions had dug.

    ¡°Therefore, I will arrest and investigate you all! Don¡¯t resist and follow us! If you refuse, you are not only refusing us but the city¡¯smand and thereby refusing the lord of this estate¡¯smand. Beyond that, you will also be refusing the kingdom¡¯smand!¡± The one-eyed man was basically ckmailing them¡ªif they didn¡¯t follow his order, they were making an enemy out of the whole kingdom. There was nothing wrong with the man¡¯s statement. If they broke the city¡¯s order, it meant that they were ignoring the lord of the estate¡¯s authority and thus the kingdom that had given the lord the authority.

    Thepanions behind Zich who looked carefree before stiffened now. They also didn¡¯t intend to back down from these mercenaries¡¯ ckmail, but it was a different story when a country was backing them. The one-eyed man was proud of himself as he finally saw that Zich¡¯spanions looked tense. It was enjoyable to see how Zich and hispanions acted unfazed and cheeky at first, then changed their attitude when he brought up his authority he received from the city.

    ¡®This is why people are obsessed with power.¡¯

    Even though it was fun to y around with his opponents with his specialty, which was brute force, using authority against his opponents was also fun in its own way. The one-eyed man waspletely immersed in the authority he recently obtained from the city these days. Moreover, the prey he found this time was of extremely good quality.

    ¡®It¡¯s my first time seeing such nice girls.¡¯

    The one-eyed man scanned L and Elena. They were both beauties that were hard toe by. No, it was his first time seeing beauties like them. L was also on an entirely different caliber. While Elena was still a beauty that could possibly exist in real life, L was a beauty that didn¡¯t look real even after rubbing his eyes and staring at her again. It was to such an extent that if she imed that she was a goddess, he would believe her.

    ¡®The guys are okay too.¡¯

    Two of them were extremely handsome and while one was clearly less good-looking than the other two. His body looked firm so he would probably also be in demand. Since he had given them enough of a scare, it was time for him to reap the benefits.

    The one-eyed man made a strict expression (but regardless of what he did, it looked like the face of a gangster) and said, ¡°If you understand, quietly foll¡­!¡±

    ¡°Fuck it.¡± However, Zich¡¯s cold reply cut off his words.

    The one-eyed man opened his eyes wide. He hadn¡¯t imagined that his words would be cut off, and he stared at Zich. Then, he noticed that Zich didn¡¯t even seem to be even a bit nervous. He was startled for only a moment and his face soon reddened. Then, he loudly cried out, ¡°You insolent brat! How dare you defy the city¡¯s orde¡­!¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s no way that the city gave such a shitty order.¡± Zich cut off the one-eyed man once again.

    The one-eyed man¡¯s face was now burning red, and the hand on his scabbard twitched as if he wanted to slice Zich immediately. However, the one-eyed man seemed as if he wanted to suppress Zich with authority in whatever means possible, so he didn¡¯t pull out his sword.

    Instead, he shook the contract in front of him. ¡°Don¡¯t you see this contract in front of you!¡±

    However, this still didn¡¯t work on Zich. He snorted, ¡°It¡¯s true that you guys made a contract with the city.¡±

    ¡°If you know that, immediately follow us¡­!¡±

    ¡°But the contract that you punks made is just a contract to hunt down monsters. Right now, you¡¯re going around to check if there are any monsters wandering around.¡±

    The one-eyed man closed his mouth. His wide eyes that looked as if they were about to pop out of his sockets verified that Zich¡¯s words were indeed true. The mercenaries watching the situation with twisted smiles also stiffened.

    ¡°W-what nonsense¡­!¡±

    ¡°Nonsense, my ass. While we wereing here, we saw monsters moving around in groups. There are also a lot of people who were ambushed by monsters. Even if this ce is near the Denest Mountain Range, it¡¯s still a dangerous situation beyond what¡¯s normal. Pialu would have obviously responded to this situation, and one of its responses was to hire mercenaries like you guys.¡±

    Shock slowly filled the one-eyed man¡¯s face, but Zich continued speaking.

    ¡°However, in a situation where monsters are causing havoc, would it make sense for Pialu to give the rights to investigate humans who have nothing to do with monster ambushes? In a city that lives on trade? Especially to mercenaries like all of you who have no value except for brute force and throw trust and loyalty into trash? Even if there are a lot of ipetent people as higher-ups, their brains would be able to at least think this much if they¡¯re leading a trade city, you fucking idiots!¡±

    The one-eyed man¡¯s expression turned menacing at Zich¡¯s insults.

    ¡°It¡¯s so obvious. You probably threatened people with that low-level contract and reaped the profits and also got some fun in the process. Let me remind you now, don¡¯t you see this tragedy in front of us?¡±

    Zich pointed at the blood marks, wood pieces, and scattered goods on the ground. ¡°Even though it¡¯s already a shitty thing tomit crimes while being hired by the city, you should have at least done that after doing your job. What kind of useless punks can¡¯t even do their job properly but try to do trashy acts first? Punks like you are worse than dogs, you trashy bastards.¡±

    ¡°What kind of nonsense are you spouting out from that filthy mouth of yours!¡±

    ¡°Then, why don¡¯t we go to the city and check? You won¡¯t change your words, right? If you want to investigate us, we obviously have to go to the city. Unless you were nning on dragging us to a secret hideout that only you guys know.¡±

    Compared to the agitated one-eyed man, Zich¡¯s voice was unbelievably calm. However, rather than getting angry together, this was even more annoying.

    ¡°You bastaaaaaaard!¡± The one-eyed man pulled out his sword. At the same time, the mercenaries also pulled out their weapons.

    Zich¡¯spanions also got ready for battle.

    ¡°Diiiiiiiiee!¡± The one-eyed man let down his sword.

    Zich didn¡¯t move and watched the sworde down towards him. The sword approached the area right above his head, and the one-eyed man twisted his lips while imagining how Zich¡¯s head would soon be split in two.

    Crasssh!

    The one-eyed man¡¯s body flowed sideways. His sword and his arm that held the sword waspletely shattered. The one-eyed man stared at the scattered metal fragments, flesh, and bone pieces flying in the air. His eyes headed towards Zich. Before he realized it, a bizarre, tree-looking sword was in Zich¡¯s hand. Yet, this was the extent of his thought.

    Bam!

    The one-eyed man hit the ground with a harsh thud and cked out.

 Chapter 380

    <h4>Chapter 380</h4>

    After throwing the one-eyed man in the air with one blow, Zich stared forward. Other mercenaries were rushing towards him. They looked astounded that their leader had been blown away, but there was no hesitation in their movements. It was proof that they had a lot of experience. However, the difference between their skills and Zich¡¯s skills wasn¡¯t something that could bepensated by experience.

    ¡®Should I let the others have them?¡¯ Zich thought of his disciples, but he quickly changed his mind. ¡®Do I really have to give them up? I don¡¯t think these guys would give them much experience.¡±

    Although the amount of the experience that his disciples had gained was less than what the mercenaries had, the quality and depth of their experience was iparably higher. Thus, there was only one thing left to do.

    ¡®I should relieve my stress.¡¯ Zich had been stressed from recent events anyways, and this was an opportunity to let it out. Thus, after asking the rest of hispanions to let him handle the situation, he stepped forward. The mercenaries approached him. While giving off a menacing stance, they didn¡¯t slow down. It seemed like they nned to beat Zich down with their weapons or stomp him with their horses.

    ¡®How cute.¡¯ Zich lightly swung Windur.

    Craaash!

    The weapon and arm of the guy running in front of his group broke. Then, the man flew sideways and rolled onto the ground until his movements ceased. The now ownerless horse continued to run, and Zich twisted his body slightly to avoid it. Then, he swung Windur at the next mercenary.

    Bam! Bam! Bam! Bam!

    A series of collisions rang, and one person was immobilized at each sound. The mercenaries¡¯ arms and weapons were crushed as they rolled on the floor and lost consciousness. At this point, this was a phenomenon as natural as rain falling from the sky or leaves whistling from the winds. In an instant, dozens of mercenaries were rendered useless. The rest of the mercenaries turned their horses&rsquo back in shock and tried to escape. However, Zich didn¡¯t let them.

    Bam! Bam! Bam!

    Loud eruptions continued to ring. Mercenaries flew off from their horses¡¯ backs. Even if they had lost their will to fight, Zich had no mercy. He crushed each of their weapons and arms without exception. Soon, all of themy on the ground unconscious. Inparison, not a single horse was injured. Without their owners, they neighed and stood around not knowing what to do. Zich hung Windur on his back again and L approached him.

    ¡°What are you going to do with those guys now?¡±

    ¡°I want to just leave them be, but¡­¡± Zich clicked his tongue annoyedly and said, ¡°Seeing how they act, it¡¯s probably not their first time doing something like this. Since there are probably other victims, we should force information out of them.¡±

    Hearing this, L stared at him and smiled slightly.

    ¡°What are you looking at me like that for?¡± Zich asked.

    ¡°Well, I just thought you were really trying to y into your hero role. Before, you would have just killed or discarded them whether or not there were victims.¡±

    Zich lifted his nose with a grunt, but he couldn¡¯t disagree with her. Lughed as if she thought this was very funny.

    ¡°Hans! Snoc!¡± At Zich¡¯s call, both came rushing in. ¡°Bind those guys¡¯ wounds and gather them in one ce so that I can interrogate them.¡±

    Hans and Snoc moved right away. With Zich¡¯smand, the mercenaries were gathered in one corner. The difficult task was to close their wounds. Blood continued to flow out of their wounds, and it seemed like they would die from blood loss at this rate.

    ¡°I suppose we can¡¯t use potions, right, senior?¡± Snoc asked Hans.

    ¡°No need to use potions on guys like them. We don¡¯t even have much supply left either,¡± Hans said and pulled out Estede. Then, he sliced the wounded area. He did this because the men¡¯s wounded areas were in a ragged state from Zich¡¯s mana, and it was impossible to cure.

    ¡°Kkuaaaah!¡± A mercenary woke up from the pain and screamed. However, Hans and Snoc ignored him.

    ¡°Elena!¡±

    ¡°Yes!¡± Elena came running with Hans¡¯ call.

    ¡°Burn their wounds and block them.¡±

    ¡°I understand.¡± Elena would have scowled before when she had just left her house, but now, after she gained many experiences with Zich¡¯s group, she couldplete requests like this with noints.

    ¡°Ah! Ah! Ahhhhh!¡±

    Burning was one of the most painful experiences that a human could undergo, especially if the ce that was burning was the area where their arm was severed. Of course, the men getting burned shrieked in pain, but no one in Zich¡¯s group cared for their screams.

    Zich approached the one-eyed man first. After his wound was cleanly burned, he hadpletely cked out, but Zich had no intention of letting him go off easily. Zich knew that unlike the robed guys, the mercenaries would give him the information he needed with enough pain. Now, when Zich was about to ask the one-eyed man a question, he turned around and looked in the direction where the mercenaries had appeared.

    ¡°What is it?¡± L asked.

    ¡°More guys areing again.¡±

    ¡°Do you think they are these guys¡¯panions?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know, but it seems like they are Pialu¡¯s troops.¡±

    The one-eyed man felt relieved after hearing Zich¡¯s words. It seemed like he could avoid torture for now. Of course, not everything was settled with the new troops¡¯ arrival. If the rest of Pialu¡¯s army and ¡®that guy¡¯ learned what he had been up to, he wouldn¡¯t be able to get off easy. Yet, the one-eyed man thought that was preferable to losing his life after getting tortured by the mysterious traveler in front of him. Whoever this new troop was, it was clear that they would try to interrogate the group of travelers for the city.

    ¡®I can at least buy some time. Then, I can figure out a way to get myself out of this situation in the meantime,¡¯ the one-eyed man thought as he red at Zich. ¡®If I just get out of this mess, I¡¯ll definitely kill him!¡¯

    The one-eyed man now knew very well that his opponent was unimaginably skilled, but it didn¡¯t matter. Regardless of how skilled his opponent was, it wasn¡¯t as if he couldn¡¯t be hurt or couldn¡¯t die. Even if his opponent was extremely skilled, there were still methods to kill him. In the past, he had also sessfully killed opponents way more skilled than him in reality.

    Of course, his methods would be considered underhanded and despicable, but what did it matter? The only thing that mattered in the end was winning. However, unfortunately for the one-eyed man, Zich was way crazier than he expected. Zich turned his gaze back towards the one-eyed man. The one-eyed man became instinctively nervous from his gaze, and his instincts were right on the mark.

    Crunch!

    ¡°Aghhhhhh!¡±

    Zich lightly hit the man¡¯s shin, and with a chilling sound, the one-eyed man let out a scream. Zich looked down at the man with a cold gaze. ¡°How many times did you do this crap?¡±

    ¡°Ugh, uuuugh¡­¡± The man could not reply right away because of the pain.

    Of course, Zich had no intention of understanding the man¡¯s pain; instead, he stepped on the man¡¯s arm, which had been torn apart in the cross-section.

    ¡°Aghhhhhhhhhh!¡± This part of his arm was already in severe pain, so it didn¡¯t bode well for the man. Moreover, Zich seemed to have thought that he didn¡¯t do enough since he began moving his feet and further tore apart the man¡¯s arm.

    ¡°Kuahh! Ack! Kyackkk!¡±

    ¡°I asked you, how many times did you do this?¡±

    The one-eyed man raised his head at Zich¡¯s question. His body trembled like mad in pain. ¡°I-if the forces from P-Pialu see th¡­ackkkkkk!¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not for you to worry. Just answer my question. How many times did you do this crap?¡±

    While hearing Zich¡¯s cold voice, the one-eyed man was finally able to make an urate judgment of Zich¡¯s character.

    A crazy bastard.

    If a new force was approaching them, an ordinary person would have shifted their attention towards the new force, especially if highly possible that the people approaching them were the one-eyed man¡¯srades. However, Zich paid no attention to the people approaching him and focused only on torturing the one-eyed man. It was definitely not a decision that a sane person would make.

    The one-eyed man suddenly became very scared. He thought that he could at least live while a new force approached them, but he realized that his neck could be cut off even before the new group arrived.

    ¡°Four, four times! It was four times!¡± In the end, the one-eyed man could not help but tell the truth.

    ¡°Where did you drag the victims?¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s a mountain near the city, and inside it, there¡¯s a cave! I dragged them there!¡± The one-eyed man no longer had any courage to lie and obediently replied to Zich¡¯s question. However, he was unable to immediately reply to Zich¡¯s next question.

    ¡°I¡¯m asking just in case, but where are the victims right now?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°Well, it¡¯s fine.¡± Zich did not force out a reply this time. He had asked this just in case, and he could easily predict what had happened to the victims. ¡®They¡¯re all probably dead.¡¯

    Zich was about to ask the next question when¡ª

    ¡°Stop!¡± A loud voice stopped them. The forces sent from Pialu had arrived; the one-eyed man¡¯s face brightened up. He was going to be finally free from this horrific torture, but when he saw who it was, his face stiffened.

    Zich also turned around towards the sound of the voice. ¡®Those guys are also mercenaries.¡¯

    The new group that arrived didn¡¯t look much different from the one-eyed man¡¯s group; they also might be the one-eyed man¡¯srades. There seemed to be about forty of them, and there were more people than the one-eyed man¡¯s group.

    ¡®Hmm?¡¯ Zich tilted his head while scanning the new group of mercenaries. The person leading the new group of mercenaries looked familiar.

    ¡®That person is¡­¡¯ Zich was able to easily identify the person in front of him. ¡®That¡¯s Zich Brave¡¯spanion.¡¯

    Since the person looked exactly the same in Zich¡¯s dream, it was not difficult to identify him. He was the only one of Zich Brave¡¯spanions he hadn¡¯t met so far. The man that Zich called the Shy Giant was right in front of him. The giant man scanned the surroundings as if to gauge the situation. His gaze momentarily stopped on the fallen mercenaries and soon shifted towards Zich and the one-eyed man.

    ¡°Did your group do this?¡±

    ¡°Well, yeah.¡± The man spoke with heavy seriousness, but Zich replied carelessly.

    The underlings behind the giant man began to stir up amotion; they put their hands on their weapons and even looked as if they were going to immediately rush towards Zich. But the giant man raised his hand and stopped them.

    Yet, the giant man also seemed to be extremely angry as his voice was extremely cold. ¡°These guys are my underlings. If you did this for no reason, I won¡¯t stay still.¡±

    Zich smirked, and the giant man¡¯s mood seemed to worsen. ¡°What are youughing about?¡±

    ¡°No, because it¡¯s funny that you¡¯re talking about a ¡®reason¡¯ when your underlings are in this state. Of course, it might be because you are a cold and calm type of person, but after witnessing their actions, I can¡¯t help but think of another reason.¡±

    Zich continued brazenly, ¡°These guys must be a pain in the ass for you too, right? Even while seeing this punk getting tortured with one arm cut off, you judged that this guy might be in the wrong.¡±

    The giant man did not say anything. However, seeing that the mercenaries behind him scrunched up their faces, they seemed to agree with Zich¡¯s words.

    ¡°Well, it¡¯s fine. Rather than a fight, if you want a conversation, there¡¯s no reason for me to maintain my silence. While we were burying the dead bodies of those who were ambushed by the monsters on this road, these guys suddenly appeared and said we looked suspicious. They said it looked like we ambushed the merchants and were trying to destroy all evidence of our actions. They also said that they received the authority from Pialu to investigate any suspicious people nearby. So that¡¯s why I¡¯m going to ask, did you guys really receive such authority?¡±

    Zich let out a whistle as he saw the giant man¡¯s face clearly twist in anger.

    ¡°As expected, it¡¯s a lie.¡±

 Chapter 381

    <h4>Chapter 381</h4>

    The giant man looked around his surroundings again. He had been distracted by the sight of his underlings on the ground with one of their arms missing and he failed to grasp the whole scene. He saw wooden pieces that appeared to be parts of a carriage and items that looked like goods to sell. The blood flowing out of his underlings¡¯ bodies looked fresh and contrasted with the dried-up blood spots on the ground. Lastly, there was arge hole that looked like it had been made to cover up the corpses.

    ¡°B¡ªboss! It¡¯s not true! That guy is lying!¡± the one-eyed man shouted anxiously.

    However, the giant nced at the one-eyed man once and didn¡¯t seem to really believe his words. Simultaneously, it didn¡¯t seem like he fully epted Zich¡¯s im either.

    ¡°Check it.¡± The giant man pointed towards the hole andmanded the underlings behind him. One of the underlings got off his horse and ran towards the hole. Zich and hispanions didn¡¯t stop them from doing so. The underling peered into the bottom of the hole before he jumped in. Then, he picked up one arm and lifted it high for the giant man to see.

    ¡°They are all body parts! There are no full corpses here!¡±

    ¡°How do you think they died?¡±

    ¡°They look like the corpses we¡¯ve seen plenty of times before¡ªlike the ones that had been eaten by monsters.¡± It was just like what Zich imed.

    The one-eyed man quickly opened his mouth as the situation seemed to be going against him. ¡°That¡¯s not it, boss! We were just passing by when those guys attacked us first! That guy is lying about everything!¡±

    Unfortunately for him, his boss thought Zich¡¯s im was more credible. On one side, there was one of his disruptive underlings known to have a terrible personality and never listened to him. Inparison, the other side was a group of people who tried to bury the corpses that the monsters had attacked. Yet, the giant man couldn¡¯t be sure, and it wasn¡¯t because he wanted to take his underling¡¯s side. He simply thought it was dangerous to make quick judgments without clear evidence.

    The giant man said while looking at Zich again, ¡°¡­Okay, let¡¯s leave the reason for the battle aside for now. I want to ask what you were trying to do to this guy when we arrived here.¡±

    ¡°Torture.¡±

    ¡°¡­Why?¡± Even if they were talking about an underling he disliked, the giant man seemed displeased to hear that the one-eyed man had undergone torture. He disyed a rage different from before. Yet, Zich remained calm.

    ¡°Do you think today is the first time this guy did something like this? Or do you think he has done this kind of thing a number of times and just didn¡¯t get caught yet?¡±

    ¡°Were you trying to dig up his past crimes?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. I also got some good information. He told me that he did this same thing four times already.¡±

    The giant man red at the one-eyed man.

    ¡°He¡¯s lying!¡±

    ¡°Lying, lying, lying. Is that all you can say?¡± Zich looked at the one-eyed man pathetically. Yet, the one-eyed man was desperate.

    ¡°Then, what else should I call a lie!¡±

    Zich shook his head like an adult sighing to a kid throwing a tantrum. The one-eyed man was irked by Zich¡¯s reaction. Yet, Zich didn¡¯t care about his feelings and asked the giant man, ¡°Is there a mountain near the city? Like a ce with a cave where they could drag people into and kill them secretly?¡±

    ¡°There is one ce that I can think of.¡±

    ¡°You should try searching that ce. He told me that he dragged their victims into a mountain cave beside the city.¡±

    ¡°Boss, don''t tell me you are really believing this guy¡¯s story! I¡¯m sure this guy is the one who used that ce for murder! He¡¯s trying to frame me for his actions!¡±

    ¡°¡­For now, I will have to take you all to the city, and we will officially start investigating from there,¡± the giant man said firmly. Surprisingly, Zich didn¡¯t seem to resist the idea.

    ¡°Fine, since we were on our way to Pialu anyways. But will that be alright with you guys? Didn¡¯t you all get a mission to get rid of the monsters? I don¡¯t think the city¡¯s administrators would like it if you abandoned your mission for this matter.¡±

    The giant man didn¡¯t reply, but seeing how the edge of his nose twitched, Zich¡¯s words had hit the mark.

    ¡°It can¡¯t be helped. Even if that¡¯s the case, we can¡¯t continue to survey the area in this situation,¡± the giant man finally answered and gestured to his underlings. The mercenaries moved; some of them ran towards the city as if they were going to ask for more reinforcements. The rest of the mercenaries were divided into groups, one supported their fallenpanions, and the other gathered the horses clustered in one area. The rest surrounded Zich and his group in case they ran away. Zich didn¡¯t concern himself with their behavior and didn¡¯t say anything; as a result, the rest of hispanions also stayed quiet.

    When the situation settled down to some degree, the giant man shouted, ¡°We are returning back!¡±

    Like that, Zich and hispanions headed on their awkward joint journey with the group of mercenaries to Pialu.

    * * *

    People¡¯s first impression of Pialu usually went along the lines of ¡®simple and rough¡¯. Although it was called a trading post, itcked both goods and people. Some people even exaggerated that the city had nothing. The city was bustling with vitality and energy when Zich and hispanions arrived. However, it gave off apletely different atmospherepared to other trading posts: nervousness. Every ce held potential danger whether it be beasts, bandits, monsters, or so on; even the weather could obstruct people¡¯s livelihood. Yet, the danger that existed in Pialu was one level higher because one could only reach the city after passing through the Denest Mountain Range. Its terrain was rough while its weather was capricious, and it had monsters far more dangerous than other areas.

    Thus, it was reasonable for the level of tension to be higher than other cities. However, the nervousness flowing across Pialu seemed too excessive even while considering these factors. Rather than a trading post set up by merchants, the city seemed more like a fort set up for the army as a key location. Zich thought of the possibility that Pialu could be fulfilling another role besides acting as a trading post; it could be acting as the first line of defense against monster invasions from the Denest Mountain Range.

    Zich and hispanions went inside Pialu. It seemed as if the mercenaries they sent before had already exined the situation to the higher-ups since someone who looked to be of high status stood in front to greet them. In order to investigate the current situation, the higher-ups in the city had sent an investigator. Judging by the investigator¡¯s sour expression, it seemed as if everyone rted to the incident would be investigated for a while. However, the atmospherepletely changed when Zich took out an item¡ªthe Karuwiman Honorary Knight emblem.

    As soon as he saw this, the investigator changed his attitude although he had treated Zich and hispanions like a nuisance. His attitudepletely flipped, and he became very polite towards them.

    The giant man was also extremely surprised, but at the same time, he let out a sigh. If their opponent was a Karuwiman Honorary Knight, it was game over for them. He looked at his one-eyed underling. He saw that his underling¡¯s one eye was trembling in terror.

    ¡®He won¡¯t live.¡¯

    As a Karuwiman Honorary Knight, his opponent waspletely trustworthy. Moreover, he probably didn¡¯t lie in his exnation, and his underling probably used the small authority he received from the city to kidnap merchants and take their possessions after killing them. There was no way the city would let a person like this get away. The one-eyed man wouldn¡¯t be able to escape execution.

    ¡®That¡¯s why I told him many times to live a proper life!¡¯

    The life of a mercenary was very rough. It couldn¡¯t help but be rough. All kinds of troubles and provocations followed the life of a mercenary. However, his underling¡¯s actions went far beyond what was normal. Typically, the one-eyed man had ignored his orders as often as eating a meal, and in the end, he caused an incident like this.

    The one-eyed man looked at the giant man as if to ask for help; he had also realized the gravity of his situation. However, the giant man did not even meet his eyes.

    ¡®He¡¯s only getting what he deserves.¡¯

    Even without this happening, the giant man had been pondering about kicking out this punk and all the people who followed him. He just had to change his mindset and think positively that one of his problems was solved through the help of outsiders.

    ¡®The problem is that we also need to take responsibility¡­¡¯

    Since the one-eyed man and his followers were under his mercenary group, he wouldn¡¯t be able to avoidplete responsibility for the one-eyed man¡¯s actions. The giant man chastised himself for not kicking out the one-eyed man earlier.

    ¡®Guess it can¡¯t be helped. There¡¯s no other way than to do my best to fix the situation.¡¯

    Even then, he probably wouldn¡¯t receive harsh treatment since Pialu needed as many people as possible right now. If he utilized this part, he could lessen the responsibility he needed to take over his underling¡¯s actions.

    ¡®But this dude still won¡¯t be safe.¡¯

    The reason why this city needed mercenaries was to protect the people inside the city. Thus, even if they werecking human resources, the city wouldn¡¯t let a person harming the city slide. The giant man continued to roll his head around to figure out a way to control and manage the situation, and among his thoughts, not a single thought was about saving the one-eyed man.

    * * *

    After flipping the situationpletely using Zich¡¯s status as a Karuwiman Honorary Knight, Zich and hispanions grabbed a room that was quite luxurious in Pialu. Then, they immediately began investigating the current state of the city. Anyone could see that something unusual was happening.

    Night arrived. Zich and hispanions were gathered together in Zich¡¯s room; it was to exchange the information they gathered during the day while also eating dinner. Various conversations passed between them, and all thepanions shared even the smallest detail they found out while investigating the city.

    ¡°It¡¯s as we expected,¡± Zich said as he scooped a spoonful of soup.

    As they expected from the corpses sprawled on the paths and the monster ambushes they experienced while walking to Pialu, monsters from the Denest Mountain Range were attacking the city

    ¡°Did anyone find out the reason?¡±

    No one replied.

    ¡°No one did.¡±

    ¡°You also don¡¯t know?¡± L asked and continued, ¡°You asked the Karuwiman priests here. High-level priests are connected to the higher-ups in the city, so they should know much more than the average person.¡±

    ¡°It seems like they don¡¯t know either. They told me that the monsters suddenly began ambushing them randomly. I also tried to extract information from the higher-ups in the city, but it seems like they don¡¯t know either.¡±

    ¡°What a disappointment.¡±

    ¡°But it¡¯s not like I don¡¯t have anything in mind.¡±

    Everyone¡¯s gaze fell on Zich.

    ¡°I looked into when the monsters began attacking the city, and coincidentally, it¡¯s around the time when we freed the Tree of Earth.¡±

    ¡°¡­Perhaps, do you think this situation is rted to the tree?¡±

    Zich nodded. ¡°In the first ce, the reason why we came all the way here is that we thought that this guy would lead us to another tree.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s true.¡±

    ¡°Of course, I can¡¯t be certain. This incident might have coincidentally urred around the same time, and it might be because of apletely different reason. However, it¡¯s enough of a reason to check it out.¡±

    ¡°Then, are we going to immediately go inside the mountain range?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, we should.¡± Zich took out Windur. Even before Zich gave hismand, Windur curved its de and pointed in one direction. ¡°This guy is still pointing towards the Denest Mountain Range as well.¡±

    ¡°Then we should prepare well before we go in. Since the bottom of the mountain is in this state, the situation might be much more serious at the top.¡±

    ¡°Or it might be more peaceful.¡±

    ¡°I really hope that¡¯s true.¡±

    After this, they talked for a little longer and finished their meal. Then thepanions headed to their own individual rooms. However, L stayed behind in Zich¡¯s room. It was to talk about a topic that they couldn¡¯t discuss when the other three were present.

    ¡°You remember the leader of the mercenary group we saw, right?¡± As soon as the two of them were alone, Zich immediately brought up a topic on his mind.

    ¡°Of course, I remember. Why would I forget when it hasn¡¯t even been that long?¡± Unlike most mercenaries, the leader was quiet and someone they could talk to. Moreover, his size was extremely big. However, that was the extent of her thoughts; there was no reason for L to be more interested in him.

    However, the next words that Zich said immediately sparked L¡¯s interest in him.

    ¡°That guy¡­ I think he¡¯s one of Zich Brave¡¯spanions that I saw in my dreams.¡±

 Chapter 382

    <h4>Chapter 382</h4>

    L¡¯s eyes turned round.

    ¡°Zich Brave¡¯spanion?¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡±

    Zich thought of the dream he had before. ¡°He is the one who came out in my dream with Aine Primel Lube, Leona Pearl in Draud, and Walwiss Dwayne.¡±

    ¡°¡­It¡¯s startling to hear the names of the group like that.¡± They were all astounding names: Karuwiman¡¯s Saint, the elf princess from the Adrowon Forest, and the master of the magical tower. Although the giant man was the boss of the mercenaries, he was less established than the rest of the group. Of course, L had no intention to undervalue the giant man because of hisparably less fame in any way. The other three people in the group weren¡¯t simply famous, but their skills were nothing short but incredible. Just the fact that the giant man belonged to such a group indicated his skills.

    ¡°Hmph! That Brave bastard. How could a hero choose people by their status?¡±

    ¡°¡­There¡¯s no way a hero like him would do that. They were all people who didn¡¯tck in skills in any way. He must have gathered hispanions ording to their skills for sure.¡±

    ¡°Who knows? Even when he is called a hero, Glen Zenard had all kinds of schemes in his mind. How can you be so sure that Brave wasn¡¯t like that?¡±

    ¡°Why are you acting like a seven-year-old?¡±

    Zich always assessed the situation calmly to the point it was sickening, but he became an immature child whenever the topic of Zich Brave came up. This trait hadn¡¯t changed even after he decided that he would start ying the role of a hero.

    ¡°Anyways, I gathered a bit of that person¡¯s information,¡± Zich said, seemingly curious about Brave¡¯spanion even if he hated Brave. ¡°His name is Til, nost name. It¡¯s just one syble.¡±

    ¡°He''s certainly not from a high-ss family.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s rare for a group of mercenaries to have someone from a high-ss family. Even if there were some from a good family, there would be aplicated story and they wouldn¡¯t go around giving theirst names. Still, he has quite arge number of men in his mercenary group.¡±

    ¡°Howrge?¡±

    ¡°500.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s a lot.¡±

    It was a size muchrger than what L had expected. ¡°I suppose it¡¯s expected of Zich Brave¡¯spanion. He¡¯s capable.¡± Zich groaned at L¡¯s admiration.

    ¡°No need to praise him so much for just 500¡­¡±

    ¡°So, is that all?¡± As Zich began to grumble again, L skillfully cut his words and directed the conversation to get more information.

    Zich continued disgruntledly, ¡°I don¡¯t have much besides the fact that his mercenary group¡¯s skills are highly valued. There were good rumors about them too.¡±

    ¡°Isn¡¯t it strange that there are good rumors circting about them? I mean, if you think about the guys you fought, it¡¯s strange people think well of them.¡± L was right. Usually, when mercenaries stayed in a city like this one, they tended to cause a considerable number of incidents. Zich thought the same but added, ¡°Even if I ignore that fact, there¡¯s a sense that the public¡¯s view of them is a bit too favorable.¡±

    ¡°Really?¡± L¡¯s expression became more serious. If anyone else said this, she would have thought they were worrying needlessly, but these words belonged to Zich. Considering his chillingly adept sensing skills, the story was highly usible. His intuition wasn¡¯t as insignificant as other people¡¯s and had been honed and created with the overwhelming experience he had as the Demon Lord of Strength.

    ¡°However, Til doesn¡¯t look like someone who would run his mercenary group violently and immorally,¡± L said. They couldn¡¯t bepletely sure of this since they had only met Til briefly, but Zich¡¯s next words questioned her statement.

    ¡°Would Brave¡¯spanion be a person like that?¡±

    ¡°There was the case with Walwiss Dwayne.¡±

    ¡°That guy was also not a bad person although he had a problem with child-rearing.¡±

    ¡°Although we can¡¯t call him a bad person, we can¡¯t call him a good person either.¡±

    ¡°Well, I mean you said Walwiss joined Brave¡¯s group as a way of atoning his sins. Then, would Til¡¯s case be the same?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know. We have to find out more.¡±

    L looked at him in surprise. ¡°You are going to find out more? As expected, is it because he is Brave¡¯spanion?¡± She smiled slightly as she said these words teasingly.

    ¡°Of course, since the robed figures might have marked him as a target,¡± Zich said calmly, which made L disappointed. However, his next words surprised her. ¡°Besides, he could be the other Demon Lord.¡±

    ¡°¡­Demon Lord?¡±

    ¡°Think about it. The hero party was made up of Zich Brave, Aine Primel Lube, Leona Pearl In Draud, Walwiss Dwayne, and Til,¡± Zich said while stretching out his fingers. ¡°From the group, Lube and Leona changed into Glen Zenard¡¯spanions. Zich Brave and Walwiss Dwayne both became Demon Lords. If there¡¯s an external force that changed the destinies of Brave¡¯s party, they wouldn¡¯t have left Til alone.¡±

    ¡°¡­The Demon Lord of Strength was you while the Demon Lord of Magic was Walwiss Dwayne. Then, there¡¯s only one Demon Lord left.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, the Demon Lord of Disaster.¡± Zich tapped his fingers on the table.

    ¡°What kind of person was he?¡±

    ¡°You also don¡¯t have any memories about him?¡±

    ¡°I do. Thanks to the memories I awakened recently, I learned more in depth, but I¡¯m sure it can¡¯tpare to someone who actually met the Demon Lord in person.¡±

    ¡°I also didn¡¯te face to face with him much¡­¡± Zich crossed his arms and organized his thoughts. ¡°If I had to describe him with one word, his identity was mysterious.¡± Zich continued to say everything he knew about the Demon Lord of Disaster. ¡°I don¡¯t know his face since he went around with his long hair down and left his beard to grow to absurd lengths. He also only wore a simple piece of fabric.¡± Yet, there was one noticeable part about his physique. ¡°He was extremelyrge.¡±

    ¡°Like Til then?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, like Til.¡±

    Even though they couldn¡¯t say Til was the Demon Lord of Disaster with just this simrity, it was better than having no information.

    ¡°Even though it was a small number, I led a group made up of four subordinates, and the Demon Lord of Magic also managed a group of evil mages. Thus, we all had our forces. However, that guy was by himself. Nobody ever saw him with another person.¡±

    Of course, there was a possibility that anyone who saw him with another person died, but Zich didn¡¯t think this was true.

    ¡°That guy just suddenly appears, and then he causes all kinds of destruction and massacre and leaves his surroundings in a waste. Then he disappears. A person tried to figure out the pattern of his appearances, but in the end, they failed.¡±

    L intently listened to Zich¡¯s words and continued to match his information with hers.

    ¡°That¡¯s the reason why he¡¯s called ¡®Disaster¡¯. At least people could try to predict where I or the Demon Lord of Magic was and where we were heading, but that guy didn¡¯t have anything like that. That¡¯s why people began to call him the Demon Lord of Disaster. His behavior pattern was the definition of disaster to people.¡±

    ¡°Did you fight against him before?¡±

    ¡°Like I said, hees and leaves whenever he wants. So, the number of times I met him could be counted on one hand. It¡¯s not like I searched the whole world to kill him either.¡±

    Rather than searching the world for him, Zich had no interest in him.

    ¡°Even then, there was a time I fought with him. About two times. It was when he appeared in the same territory as me and¡­¡±

    ¡°How was he?¡±

    ¡°Well, as someone who was also called a Demon Lord like me, he was strong.¡± The Demon Lord of Disaster did not use systematic techniques. This was inplete contrast with Zich¡¯s method which expertly used his overpowering amount of mana and let it out like a fountain. Meanwhile, the Demon Lord of Magic¡¯s method was to let out a storm of magic spells utilizing his long history of studying magic.

    ¡°His attacks are simple. He attacks by moving fast andnding a hard hit. He defends by quickly moving away or blocking attacks with his hard skin.¡±

    ¡°¡­That¡¯s brainless fighting.¡±

    Even though L had this knowledge inside her mind, she was bbergasted by the Demon Lord of Distaster¡¯s method of fighting.

    ¡°Yep. It was brainless fighting. Even with this fighting method, he was able to receive the Demon Lord title. The fists he recklessly swings are full of mana, and they were enough topletely crush swords. With minimal movement, he can evade all attacks. Even if yound an attack on him, it doesn¡¯t get through his skin. The more annoying thing is that even if you barely manage to injure him, his healing ability is extraordinary. So, he heals his wounds instantly.¡±

    Thinking back to their fights, Zich clicked his tongue. ¡°Even though I¡¯m confident about winning regardless of whatever weapon or skill my opponent uses, I was honestly a bit startled by his fighting method. It was the only battle that I realized how scary it was to fight someone who recklessly fought while only trusting his body.¡±

    ¡°You still won, right?¡±

    ¡°Of course!¡± Zich replied pridefully. He lifted his chin and nose in the air; it seemed as if he was very proud of himself that he could beat the Demon Lord of Disaster. ¡°After fighting all day, I won both times.¡±

    ¡°But even then, you weren¡¯t able to kill him?¡±

    ¡°Well, yeah.¡± Zich seemed a bit regretful about this as he slightly lowered his chin that was pointed towards the sky. ¡°As I said before, he wasn¡¯t an ordinary foe. Moreover, whenever the situation became unfavorable for him, he withdrew as if he didn¡¯t have any pride as a Demon Lord. Both times, I wasn¡¯t able to capture him when he ran away.¡±

    ¡°Oh my? Did you also say that you don¡¯t have any pride as a Demon Lord?¡±

    ¡°Kuhaha! Yeah, that¡¯s also right. The only one who had such a useless thing was that old fart, the Demon Lord of Magic. No, honestly, that old fart would have also immediately run away if he was in danger.¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t believe this is how Demon Lords were really like.¡±

    Even while L looked at him with a pathetic gaze, Zichughed harder instead. ¡°Demon Lords were just the best among evil and despicable people anyway! It¡¯s hrious for people like that to talk about pride!¡±

    ¡°Okay. It¡¯s good to see that you admit this.¡±

    ¡°Of course! I¡¯m the type of person who admits facts!¡±

    L did not continue this conversation. Even if she continued, her head would just hurt instead at Zich¡¯s shamelessness.

    ¡°Then, we¡¯re going to investigate Til¡¯s surroundings from now on, right?¡±

    ¡°Yep. We¡¯re going to get busy. We need to also check where Windur is pointing towards, and we need to scan Til¡¯s surroundings to see if the robed figures are nearby.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, but they¡¯re things we need to do, right?¡±

    ¡°Yep.¡± Zich leaned deeply into the chair¡¯s back. ¡°We also have a lot of experience. We already found three trees, and we fucked over a lot of robed figures. We also helped that Walwiss Dwayne guy as well. Even though we have to investigate the tree and a Demon Lord at the same time, I don¡¯t think it¡¯s an impossible feat.¡±

    Then, Zich added one more line. ¡°It¡¯s not like we¡¯ll have another super troublesome thing to worry about.¡±

    However, Zich realized that he shouldn¡¯t have said that additional sentence the very next day.

    * * *

    ¡°You are¡­¡±

    ¡°Hm?¡±

    ¡®What the hell? Why is Glen Zenard here?¡¯

 Chapter 383

    <h4>Chapter 383</h4>

    Zich noticed them when he was looking around the area where the mercenaries stayed to gain more information about Til. The mercenaries camped outside and below the castle walls, probably to maintain their autonomy. Thus, Zich had to go beyond the castle walls to see the mercenaries¡¯ base, and it was when he was walking in that direction that he met Glen¡¯s eyes. There was no need to say who saw who first. Like lovers reuniting, they recognized each other instantly. Of course, it was without an ounce of love in their eyes but more likely, hatred. Yet, even if their rtionship was fake and both parties wanted to spy on each other, the two were too well acquainted to simply ignore each other.

    ¡°Huh? What is it, Glen?¡± Lara turned her head to see what Glen was looking at and noticed Zich. She also looked surprised to see him. Glen treaded towards Zich, and Zich waited for Glen to reach him patiently.

    ¡°It¡¯s been a while, sir.¡±

    ¡°Indeed, sir.¡±

    The two did not show a hint of their clear loathing for each other. If L had been there, she would have been impressed by the thick masks they were both wearing. As if they had nned it beforehand, the two addressed one another with the perfect level of distance and awkwardness, much like a pair that had battled together a couple of times but didn¡¯t get much closer due to shing personalities.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t expect to see you here. Did youe here to investigate the monster peculiarities at the Denest Mountain Range?¡±

    ¡°Yes, sir. While I was passing by this area, I coincidentally learned of the monster attacks urring here.¡± Of course, there was another reason why Zich hade to this ce, but he had no intention of revealing this fact. Glen nodded.

    ¡°That¡¯s a splendid decision, sir. I am proud of you as a fellow Karuwiman Honorary Holy Knight.¡±

    ¡°Oh well.¡± Zich carelessly responded to Glen¡¯s fake ttery. Then, hemented, ¡°I see that your party has increased, sir.¡±

    Up until now, Glen had only onepanion: Lara Browning. However, now, he had two more. Of course, they weren¡¯t thepanions Glen had from his pre-regression days. Lube was currently working as the Saint for the Karuwimans while Leona returned to her elf forest. Lastly, Elena was now a member of Zich¡¯s party. Three of Glen¡¯s originalpanions had changed their trajectories due to Zich¡¯s influence. Zich felt a great amount of joy and pride about this fact.

    ¡°Yes, we have some newpanions. Let me introduce you to them.¡± Glen pointed at thepanion closest to him. ¡°This is Chelsea Windne here. She was even selected as a potential candidate to be the Karuwiman Saint. However, she very graciously left everything behind to travel with me.¡±

    ¡°Nice to meet you. I am Chelsea Windne,¡± Chelsea introduced herself to Zich curtly. Then, she smiled while looking at Glen. ¡°As I told you before, there¡¯s no need to thank me. I should be thanking you instead since I am happy that I can be part of your travels.¡±

    ¡°Haha, Chelsea is always overflowing with consideration for others.¡±

    Zich stared at the woman named Chelsea Windne. ¡®So, she was a saint candidate like Lube¡­¡¯ If that was true, she probably had considerable skills since not anyone could be a saint candidate. ¡®If I think about the concern Lube told me about before, it makes me question that.¡¯ Yet, even Zich didn¡¯t think that the Chelsea Windne in front of him could be the concern that Lube had confided in him about. There was no need for him to think to that extent anyway. Then, Glen pointed to another one of hispanions.

    ¡°She is our party¡¯s mage, Pina Acous.¡±

    ¡°¡­You are Zich?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°¡­I heard that one of yourpanions is the granddaughter of the master of Sunewick¡¯s magical tower.¡±

    ¡°If you are talking about Elena, then yes.¡±

    An indifferent, perhaps, even cold expression formed on Pina¡¯s face. She was wary of herpetition.

    ¡°Did she learn how to do magic?¡±

    ¡°Of course, miss. Not only does she have an outstanding teacher, but she also ces tremendous effort in her studies. She will be stronger than most mages now.¡±

    ¡°Okay. Thank you.¡± It seemed that Pina had a connection to Elena in some way, but Zich didn¡¯t dig into this matter. He could ask Elena about itter if he was curious about it.

    ¡®It seems like he¡¯s got the basic formation down.¡¯ Two sword wielders, one mage, and one healer. The party¡¯s bnce was even better than Zich¡¯s party, which was heavily concentrated on damage dealing.

    ¡®Of course, we won¡¯t lose if we battle them though.¡¯ Truthfully, he wouldn¡¯t even need Hans, Snoc, or Elena. With just him and L, they could finish them off. However, Zich didn¡¯t let his guard down since his opponent had the cheat-like power of regression and even cornered Zich to his deathbed once.

    ¡®It really became troublesome.¡¯

    Not only did they have to find a ce where they guessed a tree would be, but they also had to survey Til¡¯s surroundings since he was a prospective Demon Lord; now, Glen Zenard had appeared. The situation had be moreplicated. Yet, Zich didn¡¯t n on disregarding Glen.

    ¡®I should think of this positively.¡¯

    If he spied on Glen, he might find a clue as to how Til became a Demon Lord. Zich stared deeply at Chelsea and Pina standing by Glen''s side. However, he noticed something slightly strange.

    ¡®Lara Browning.¡¯

    She was the one who had continued to be Glen¡¯spanion while the other three original members didn¡¯t. She stood behind Glen.

    ¡®Her expression doesn¡¯t look good.¡¯ He nced at her waist and thought, ¡®It seems like she didn¡¯t abandon her sword either.¡¯

    Even though Zich heard that Glen suggested to Lara to take up a shield instead of a sword, she firmly held onto her sword.

    ¡®Of course, Lara Browning with a shield was not bad.¡¯ In fact, she wasn¡¯t just ¡®not bad¡¯. Before the regression, she defended against all of Zich¡¯s attacks in their fight against him. Considering that, her battling skills with a shield were formidable.

    ¡®Still, a sword suits her much more.¡¯ Even though Zich hadn¡¯t seen her fight many times, Zich was sure of this. ¡°Ms. Browning, it¡¯s also been a while.¡±

    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s been a while.¡± Even though she epted his greeting, judging by her voice, it didn¡¯t seem like she had positive emotions about Zich. However, he no longer felt any animosity from her like before.

    ¡®No, is she just merely feeling down?¡¯ Zich was able to find out the reason for her state right away.

    ¡®She¡¯s being pushed out.¡¯

    He saw a subtle distance between the three of them, including Glen and Lara. It wasn¡¯t an unusual urrence for rtionships to change as new people joined a party. However, Zich didn¡¯t think that Lara was being pushed out for a reason like that.

    ¡®Is she getting outcasted with Glen¡¯s lead?¡¯

    This made too much sense. Zich clicked his tongue inside his mind but didn¡¯t reveal his thoughts. He couldn¡¯t reveal that he had figured out Glen Zenard¡¯s true nature yet.

    ¡®I need to stab his back when he least expects it.¡¯

    ¡°Then Mr. Zenard, will you be hunting monsters from now on?¡±

    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s only right. We¡¯re also nning to go around the city to protect people and try our best to investigate why all of this is happening.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll be able to do a good job.¡± Zich calmly let out words that he didn¡¯t even mean.

    ¡°Mr. Zich, what will you do?¡±

    ¡°I also have a simr goal. We have to defeat the monsters and find out the reason for these monster ambushes.¡± Of course, Zich was going to focus on investigating the reason for these happenings, or more specifically, the tree. However, there was no need for him to share this information with Glen.

    ¡°We might fight together like before.¡± Glen then erased the friendly smile off his face and said a bit stiffly, ¡°I hope what happenedst time won¡¯t happen again.¡±

    Glen was talking about when Zich tortured Condel Siede and killed him.

    In contrast, Zich smiled and said, ¡°As I said before, if you want to force your opinions on me, there¡¯s only one way.¡± Zich tapped the scabbard holding Windur on his back.

    Glen¡¯spanion¡¯s faces stiffened. Chelsea and Pina slightly held onto their staffs, and Glen blocked them with his hand. ¡°It¡¯s all right. There¡¯s no point in fighting right now.¡±

    ¡°Yes, Mr. Zenard¡¯s words are correct. There¡¯s no point in fighting right now. The situation is dire right now, and there¡¯s no reason to fight.¡±

    On the other hand, it also meant that if the situation was different and there was a suitable reason, they would fight. A slight tension flowed between Zich and Zenard¡¯spanions. However, just like he said, Zich had no intentions to fight Glen right now.

    ¡°It seems like you recently arrived in the city, and all of you must be tired. I¡¯m afraid I¡¯ve been holding onto you for too long. Then, I¡¯ll take my leave now. I have things to do.¡±

    Like this, Zich bent his neck one time and passed Glen and hispanions. Glen¡¯s gaze followed Zich¡¯s back, but Zich didn¡¯t even turn back once and disappeared into the crowd of people.

    Chelsea stood next to Glen and asked, ¡°Is that the person named Zich?¡±

    ¡°Yep.¡±

    ¡°Mr. Glen, he¡¯s definitely the person you said helped Ms. Lube, right?¡¯

    ¡°From what I know.¡±

    ¡°Then, he¡¯s a benefactor for us Karuwimans.¡± Chelsea lightly gathered her hands together and closed her eyes. She looked as if she was blessing the future path of the benefactor of Karuwiman. However, her internal thoughts werepletely different.

    ¡®That¡¯s the fucking bastard!¡¯

    Thepetition to pick the Karuwiman Saint had ended up absurdly and in vain. In the first ce, the main reason why Lube became the Saint was that her ability was much greater than the other saint candidates. The other candidates hadsted only because Lube¡¯s naivety was holding her back. However, Zich helped her grow and even handed her the enormous achievement of stopping Bellid¡¯s evil conspiracy. From then on, the possibility of other saint candidates bing the Saintpletely disappeared. As expected, the Karuwiman Saint position went to Lube, but at a much faster rate than expected. However, Chelsea could not admit her defeat.

    Lube was much better than her in terms of abilities and skills, and she had always been the target of Chelsea¡¯s jealousy. Chelsea could not possibly defeat Lube in terms of abilities. For that reason, Chelsea had tried to be the Karuwiman Saint. If she was able to grab the Saint position for herself and stood at a higher position than Lube, this would be definite evidence that she was better than Lube. However, even that goal had gone up in smoke. Moreover, it didn¡¯t seem like she would be able to properly stay in the church when she had bullied the present Saint in the past.

    Even though Lube hadn¡¯t disclosed Chelsea¡¯s bullying yet, she could always open her mouth and expose her. Therefore, Chelsea left the church and joined Glen¡¯s party, which was led by another Karuwiman Honorary Knight other than Zich.

    ¡®If Lube obtained the Saint position by gaining achievements, I can do that as well.¡¯

    If she piled up achievements that wereparable to Lube¡¯s, shook her political footing, and brought Lube down from her Saint position, Chelsea would be able to be the new Saint. This way, it was very fortunate that her fate intertwined with Glen Zenard.

    ¡®Anyone can see that this person looks much more fitting to be a holy knight than that Zich guy.¡¯ Chelsea had obsessively collected information about Zich after he helped Lube. From her information, she found out that Zich was different from the holy knight that people usually imagined. ¡®If I expose the true personality of that man named Zich, I¡¯ll have an easier time dragging down Lube since she received help from such trash.¡¯

    However, the problem was that the achievements that Zich made were not just ordinary achievements. If Chelsea disclosed his personality without sufficient evidence, it would easily be buried under his achievements. For that reason, she also needed to make an achievement even greater than his.

    ¡®If it¡¯s this person, it¡¯ll be possible.¡¯

    Chelsea made a bright smile and smiled at Glen. He was a true hero who would be able to lift her to her rightful ce.

 Chapter 384

    <h4>Chapter 384</h4>

    Unlike what she thought, Chelsea¡¯s outer appearance looked like the epitome of a perfect priest. It seemed impossible to see through her. However, Glen knew Chelsea¡¯s heart since he knew her personality through countless regressions.

    ¡®Low-ss wench.¡¯

    Who cared if her skills were outstanding, or if her appearance was good? Chelsea wasn¡¯t worthy to be a member of his ¡®just hero party¡¯. Yet, it couldn¡¯t be helped. Among the ¡®spares¡¯ he had, she was the only priest who had both good skills and appearance. Of course, he didn¡¯t n on keeping her on his team for long.

    ¡®I should quickly increase my fame and swap her with a better one.¡¯ As Glen thought about this, his heartmented that he couldn¡¯t get Lube again. She was a priest, whose skills, appearance, and character fit him the most. Again, it couldn¡¯t be helped though. While waiting for her, he might lose opportunities to spread his name. Moreover, bothersome guys like Zich Moore wandered around the world doing kind acts. Even if this was a dream that no one remembered, he had to be the hero praised and admired by all, especially if hispetitor was Zich like now.

    ¡®It¡¯s actually good this way. If I solve this case, I will prove that I am much more fitting to be a hero than Zich Moore,¡¯ Glen thought.

    The havoc caused by monsters at the Denest Mountain Range was something even Glen didn¡¯t know about. At this point, he wasn¡¯t even surprised about this level of change in this timeline. Still, annoyance spurred up inside him, and he suppressed it by thinking of his uingpetition with Zich. To be exact, he felt thrilled at the thought of beating and crushing Zich.

    ¡®Even if he is Zich Moore, he won¡¯t be able to solve this case faster than me, since I have gone through countless experiences.¡¯ Glen looked beyond the castle walls and red at the peak of the Denest Mountain Range.

    ¡®I am going to solve it for sure!¡¯ Unidentifiable obsession and madness whirled inside his eyes.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± he said to hispanions. They had to quickly unload their baggage and annihte the monsters. He tapped both the shoulders of Chelsea and Pina in front of him and moved. However, he didn¡¯t turn around to see Lara from behind him.

    Lara stared at the three moving forward without a care for her. Then, she moved her feet weakly and followed them.

    * * *

    That night, Zich said over the dinner table, ¡°I met Glen Zenard today.¡±

    L stopped midway putting her spoon into her mouth. ¡°You met that guy?¡± Where?¡±

    ¡°Near the castle walls. It seems he came today.¡±

    ¡°What did hee here for?¡±

    ¡°He says annihting monsters and finding the reason for their gathering, but I don¡¯t know what his real intentions are.¡±

    L clutched her head. Her head hurt that she had to worry about one more thing in this situation.

    ¡°Did anything happen when you met him?¡±

    ¡°He got morepanions.¡±

    ¡°Companions?¡± L quickly nced at Elena. Thetter was chewing her food quietly while listening to Zich. She asionally pulled her bread apart and gave them to Nowem.

    ¡°Who are they?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know them. I think their names were Chelsea Windne and Pina Acous?¡± At the mention of their names, Elena froze for a moment. ¡°One is a priest while the other is a mage,¡± Zich said and turned to Elena. She looked a bit surprised.

    Zich asked, ¡°It seems the one named Pina Acous knew you. Could you tell me what kind of person she is?¡±

    ¡°She knows Elena?¡± L asked.

    ¡°She asked me if Elena can use magic well now.¡±

    ¡°Really?¡± L also turned to Elena.

    Feeling both their gazes, Elena carefully exined, ¡°She was famous inside the magical tower. She was chosen as one of the young mages who would lead the magical tower in the future.¡±

    If Pina was from Sunewick, it wasn¡¯t strange that she knew Elena. Elena was well-known inside Sunewick¡ªof course, although her fame was more negative. However, seeing Elena¡¯s expression, it seemed like they hadn¡¯t just known each other. Elena continued, ¡°She was the ace of the Quaral School of Magic.¡±

    ¡®Quaral School of Magic. I think I¡¯ve heard of it before¡­¡¯ Before Zich could remember where he heard it, L quickly asked, ¡°Wasn¡¯t that the school of magic that Jaewick was part of?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡®Oh, that¡¯s right. That¡¯s where I heard of it,¡¯ Zich thought. He remembered the Jaewick family, especially the ster youth of the magical tower, Mawin Jaewick, that L pawned after a provocation; it was also the family who tried to lead a coup d¡¯¨¦tat under Ond Dwayne¡¯s influence.

    ¡®The Quaral School of Magic was the one that Wayne Jaewick was the leader of.¡¯

    Elena hesitated, wondering how she should address Wayne Jaewick, and decided to add ¡®sir¡¯ to his name in the end. ¡°Acous was ¡­Sir Wayne Jaewick¡¯s only granddaughter and Mawin Jaewick¡¯s cousin. People often said that she and Mawin would lead the Quaral School of Magic further in the future.¡± Then, she wondered, ¡°But why did Pina leave Sunewick¡­?¡±

    ¡°It was probably difficult for her to stay in Sunewick since her grandfather was one of the culprits behind the coup. Besides, wasn¡¯t the Quaral School of Magic an active participant of the coup? That probably made it harder for her to stay.¡±

    The Quaral School of Magic received a huge setback because of the coup. Even if they didn¡¯t disappear, it would probably take them a long time to recover.

    ¡®I suppose Pina is resentful.¡¯ Although Wayne Jaewick was the main leader of the coup, the one who had secretly manipted the situation was Elena¡¯s father, Ond Dwayne. Even if it was Wayne Jaewick¡¯s own greed for power that pushed him to rebel and he had no one to me but himself, people were funny creatures who often did iprehensible things. Of course, these were all Zich¡¯s guesses. He pushed off making judgments about Pina Acous for now.

    ¡®Rather than all that, she could simply be feelingpetitive since Elena is beginning to make great strides in her path as a mage.¡¯

    ¡°Um, how is Ms. Acous¡¯ condition?¡±

    Was it because they were both mages? Or did she think that Pina Acous was one of the victims of the coup d¡¯¨¦tat that her father instigated? Regardless of the reason, Elena carefully asked her question.

    ¡°It didn¡¯t seem bad. It seems like she gets along with herpanions somewhat.¡±

    Zich thought to himself, ¡®If I don¡¯t include Lara Browning.¡¯

    ¡°That¡¯s fortunate.¡±

    ¡°Since we¡¯re in the same city and we¡¯re trying to do the same thing, we might meet each other while moving. You can check out her condition then.¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°Sir¡­¡± When Zich and Elena¡¯s conversation came to an end, Hans also asked Zich, ¡°Was Ms. Browning still with them?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, she¡¯s still there.¡±

    ¡°Did she perhaps throw her sword away?¡±

    ¡°No, it seems like she¡¯s still holding onto her sword. She still had a sword on her waist.¡±

    Hans nodded in response.

    Zich smirked and said, ¡°Why, you interested?¡±

    ¡°Yes, sir. A sword seems to fit Ms. Browning more than a shield. Didn¡¯t you say that as well, Sir Zich? When I met her, she also seemed more interested in the sword. My heart feels relieved since she seems to be walking the path she wanted.¡±

    Zich was slightly exasperated as he saw Hans calmly reply to his question. However, Zich didn¡¯t give up and poked fun at Hans once more.

    ¡°Why, is your heart relieved when she¡¯s walking down her desired path?¡±

    Hans tilted his head. ¡°Even if she is a person I don¡¯t know very well, isn¡¯t it good to see someone walking the path they want to and chase after their goals? Her talent is with the sword.¡±

    ¡°Stop it. Hans is different from you. He¡¯s an innocent guy,¡± L said as she tapped Zich¡¯s arm with her elbow.

    Zich withdrew and smacked his lips. However, his mood lightened up with a new thought. ¡®Maybe, I can also steal Lara Browning away from him as well.¡¯ Now that he thought about it, she was also a talent that was too good to go to waste under Glen. Rather than rotting together with a dirty guy like Glen Zenard, it was better to leave his party even if it meant that her heart would get hurt. However, Zich didn¡¯t think about devising a specific n to get her out of Glen¡¯s party. ¡®If it¡¯s fate, it¡¯ll work out by itself.¡¯

    Zich stared meaningfully at Hans who was focused on his meal.

    * * *

    After two days, Zich headed toward the city hall. The administrators of the city hall who knew his identity took great care of him. Zich stopped them from bringing out the mayor of the city and revealed the purpose of his visit.

    ¡°You¡¯re saying that you want to join in raiding the monsters.¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    The administrator talking to Zich made a very big smile. The reason for it was obvious. The city was in serious jeopardy, and there was no way that they wouldn¡¯t wee new forces in a situation where they were greatlycking human resources. Moreover, Zich was a Karuwiman Honorary Knight; he was someone they couldpletely trust in regards to skills and integrity.

    ¡°There¡¯s no reason for us to refuse! As expected of a Karuwiman Honorary Knight! How just and magnanimous you are!¡± The administrator ttered Zich until his saliva dried out.

    ttery didn¡¯t cost any money. If he gained the help of a Karuwiman Honorary Knight with a few words, it was an extremely good deal. Moreover, he wasn¡¯t even really lying. The administrator felt grateful to Zich. Therefore, the administrator tried to make everything as convenient as possible for Zich.

    ¡°Perhaps, is there anything you want? We¡¯ll try our best to fulfill your wishes.¡±

    ¡°Do you remember the disgraceful incident with one of the hired mercenaries a few days ago?¡±

    The administrator¡¯s expression dropped. This was also not a good memory for him. ¡°Yes, there was something like that. It was probably the incident with the Wolf¡¯s Canine Mercenary Group.¡±

    The Wolf¡¯s Canine was the name of the mercenary group that Til was part of.

    ¡°Now that I think about it, I heard that Sir Zich¡¯spanions were involved in that incident.¡±

    ¡°Yes, we were.¡±

    ¡°I want to apologize once again. This is definitely a problem with the management in the city.¡±

    When the administrator bowed his head, Zich waved his hand. ¡°I already received enough apologies, and I also have no intentions to make it an issue. The reason why I brought this topic up was because quite a lot of mercenaries were executed from that incident, so I was wondering if there were many gaps around the city¡¯s defense.¡±

    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s true.¡±

    The neck of forty mercenaries had been cut off at once. They were trying their best to patch up the gaps, but the city was already greatlycking people. So, it couldn¡¯t be helped that there were gaps.

    ¡°We want to cover those gaps.¡±

    ¡°Is that what Sir Zich wants?¡± The administrator fell into deep thought. ¡°It won¡¯t be difficult for us to station you to a ce where you want to go, but will it be all right? You¡¯ll be working in the same ce as the Wolf¡¯s Canine.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯ll be all right. We¡¯ll cover the gaps and simultaneously spy on the Wolf¡¯s Canine. Since they already had such rotten people among their members, there may be more people like them in the same group.¡±

    This was not a bad deal for the city. The administrator nodded and forwarded Zich¡¯s suggestion to the higher-ups and soon received permission. Like this, Zich was able to get justification to spy on Til at a close distance to the Wolf¡¯s Canine.

    * * *

    The next day, Zich and hispanions began guarding the city wall at the time they were assigned. Even though it was strenuous work, Zich¡¯spanions were used to Zich¡¯s harsh schedule. This was not rigorous for them at all.

    Crunnch!

    The orc that rushed towards them was cut into two by Windur. The other monsters let out angry screams and rushed toward their allies, but their fates were not very different from the orc. In an instant, they were all defeated by Zich and hispanions¡¯ attacks.

    ¡°There are more monstersing down the mountain range than we thought,¡± L said as she looked down at the goblins that were burnt to ashes by her magic. Zich also agreed. The time between their rests and monster ambushes was shortening.

    ¡®Rather than being able to cut down the monsters¡¯ activities, it¡¯s actually getting bigger instead.¡¯

    Of course, this was not a good sign at all.

    ¡®As expected, I need to climb up the mountain range as fast as possible.¡¯

    With this in mind, thepanions began patrolling the city wall again when¡ª

    He saw mercenaries that were patrolling like him and hispanions.

 Chapter 385

    <h4>Chapter 385</h4>

    About thirty mercenaries skillfully rode their horses.

    Were they the Wolf¡¯s Canine? It seemed to be the case ording to their appearance and clothing. Like their self-willed personalities, the mercenaries all wore their own unique clothing. There weren¡¯t many who tried to appear in uniform. The mercenaries were gathered around a group of merchants. Seeing how the merchants had three carriages and other mercenaries as their bodyguards, they seemed like a formidable group. Yet, they couldn¡¯t rival a group of thirty or so mercenaries with horses.

    The man who appeared to be the merchants¡¯ leader and the clear leader of the mercenaries were conversing. No, it was more urate to say that they were having a heated argument with stiff faces and raised voices.

    ¡°They are arguing?¡± L said, thinking simrly to Zich. Then, she turned to him and asked, ¡°What are they arguing about?¡± With Zich¡¯s absurdly good ears, she thought he would be able to hear what they were saying.

    ¡°They are arguing about the road. Even though the mercenaries had to survey the area, it seems that the merchants had backed away a bit too slowly.¡±

    ¡°Are they seriously arguing about such a trivial matter?¡±

    Even from far away, they could tell the two groups weren¡¯t on friendly terms. Therger force made up of mercenaries seemed like they were ready to pull out their knives in an instant.

    ¡°A lot of wars start for trivial reasons, and most fights happen because of fleeting emotions. They don¡¯t really need any reasons to fight anyways,¡± Zich said and stared at the mercenaries. ¡°Well, I think the mercenaries started the fight in this case.¡±

    ¡°Howe they are provoking the merchants even though it hasn¡¯t been long since theirpanions were executed for doing the same thing?¡±

    ¡°I know right? Although mercenaries are the type of guys who never think about the consequences of their actions, they ought to be a bit wary after a huge incident happened just a couple of days ago. Their heads must be beyond help.¡± The merchants¡¯ bodyguards and mercenaries shed again. Thankfully, both groups didn¡¯t pull out their swords. It seemed that they hadn¡¯t lost their minds to that extent, and the Wolf¡¯s Canine group members got off their horses. They all looked like they could put up a strong fight, as they swung their fists intimidatingly.

    ¡°Are you just going to stand and watch?¡± L asked.

    ¡°I want to, but I suppose I shouldn¡¯t,¡± Zich replied.

    Even though he was nning to officially begin his hero actter, he had determined to do kind acts too. Zich lightly tapped his feet and shot up like an arrow. Hended in the center of the conflict and shouted, ¡°Stop!¡±

    His mana-filled voice rang throughout the surroundings. The relentlessly swinging fists stopped, and everyone who had been fighting looked towards Zich. They all lookedughable with blood flowing down the edges of their mouth or nose and some of their eyes were swelling up with bruises. Fortunately, no one was dead or critically injured.

    ¡°If you all can¡¯t control your tempers, take your fight somewhere else¡ªnot at a ce where monsters are running rampant,¡± Zich said.

    ¡°Who are you!¡± one of the mercenaries shouted.

    ¡°Are you guys part of the Wolf¡¯s Canine?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, so what!¡±

    It was as Zich had expected. ¡°I have been hired like you guys to defend the city,¡± Zich said and clicked his tongue. ¡°I can¡¯t believe guys who should be battling monsters are picking fights with the people they should be protecting.¡±

    ¡°What did you say, you bastard?¡± the mercenary shouted. He scowled and made himself look more threatening. Yet, to Zich, the man¡¯s face was as meaningless as the face of a little frog living in the mountain behind a vige.

    ¡°No one is really injured, so you guys should end things here. Or, if you want to continue, do it inside the city.¡±

    Although some of them were bruised or wounded, the number of injuries they currently had was nothingpared to the ones that mercenaries usually had. Yet, no one among the two groups was willing to listen to Zich. He had suddenly appeared before them, and this was more the case for the rough mercenaries.

    ¡°Who do you think you are,manding us to do this and that¡­!¡±

    Whoosh!

    The mercenary huffed and grunted as he stomped towards Zich, but then he suddenly stopped. It was because Zich¡¯s hands were right below his neck before he had realized it. Not only did he fail to respond, but he also failed to see Zich¡¯s movements.

    ¡®If his hands were a sword¡­¡¯ The mercenary¡¯s back was wet with cold sweat, and hispanions also froze in ce. They no longer showed the explosive rage they had felt towards Zich.

    ¡°With this much, I can at least tell you guys to do ¡®what you are supposed to do¡¯, right?¡±

    The mercenary nodded with fearful eyes. Zich removed his hand, and the mercenary let out a deep sigh; it was then that he realized that he had been holding his breath the whole time. It wasn¡¯t because of Zich¡¯s hand that he stopped breathing; the immense pressure he felt from Zich was far too great.

    ¡®Who in the world is he?¡¯ The mercenary nced at Zich and hispanions. Then, his eyes widened because he realized that he had heard about them before.

    ¡®A-Are you the Karuwiman Honorary Holy Knight?¡±

    ¡°I guess you¡¯ve heard the rumors.¡± Zich didn¡¯t refute his im, and the mercenary grew more nervous.

    ¡°If you don¡¯t want your heads hanging on the gallows, why don¡¯t you shush? You know, by not fighting with the people you are supposed to protect.¡±

    The mercenary turned his body roughly and shouted, ¡°¡­Let¡¯s go!¡± The other mercenaries sloppily wiped their blood and got back on their horses. Then, they hurried across the road, but not without ring at Zich and hispanions after they reached a certain distance. It was as if they were telling Zich and hispanions that they would remember their faces. Of course, instead of fear, Zich mocked them for trying to keep their pride as they ran away in fright.

    Zich was very impressed with himself. ¡®My temper must have really died down since I let guys like that live,¡¯ he thought.

    Zich cackled inside his mind and thought he was basically like a hero now and shivered. It was chilling that he thought he was like a hero. ¡®Ah, damn it! I need to quickly get rid of this¡­¡¯

    If he wanted to act like a hero, he needed to get used to being called a hero. However, Zich was certain that this was not going to be an easy feat for him at all. L moved next to Zich and asked, ¡°Is it all right to just send them off?¡±

    ¡°This is not a big enough incident to justify their arrest. They didn¡¯t ambush the merchants and a fight merely broke out between them. No one died or lost their arms, and they didn¡¯t use any weapons. Moreover, the city is in a dire state. They won¡¯t be able to punish each and every small skirmish.¡±

    It was apletely different matter from the one-eyed man¡¯s group who systematically kidnapped merchants, killed them, and hid evidence of their crimes.

    ¡°Since the merchants know their identities, if they want to express their frustration, they can go to the main headquarters of the Wolf¡¯s Canine.¡±

    As Zich said, the merchants began getting ready to depart, and the mercenaries that were hired to guard them spit out curses and spat on the ground but it didn¡¯t seem like they were going to chase after the mercenaries in the Wolf¡¯s Canine. Zich and hispanions saw two merchants heading toward them. It seemed as if they wereing to express their gratitude for stopping the fight, and they probably also wanted to ask about Pialu¡¯s current situation.

    While waiting for them toe closer, Zich secretly nced in the direction where the Wolf¡¯s Canine¡¯s mercenaries headed off towards. He saw their now small backs from far away.

    ¡®As expected, are they just violent mercenaries?¡¯ This was also the same as the rumors. ¡®Then, that means that Til is the head of a mercenary group like that.¡¯

    He might be far too gone like Tim tt. However, Zich¡¯s suspicions were soon shaken.

    * * *

    Bam!

    The troll swung itsrge fist. However, the mercenary facing the troll calmly raised his shield and blocked the troll¡¯s fist. A gap appeared next to the troll¡¯s side.

    ¡°Now!¡± A mercenary holding arge sword jumped from behind the mercenary holding the shield. The mercenary mercilessly sliced apart the troll without hesitation.

    Kuaaaaaaa!

    The monster let out a painful scream. However, there was no one here who could pity and sympathize with the monster¡¯s pain. An axe soon followed after the sword and targeted the troll¡¯s neck.

    Kuack!

    Boom!

    The troll quickly raised its arm. The sharp axe was blocked by the troll¡¯s arm. For a troll with fast healing abilities, this injury was pretty much meaningless. However, this was not the end of the mercenaries¡¯ relentless attacks.

    Pierce!

    A halberd jumped out and directly hit the troll¡¯s neck.

    Gurggle!

    Even for a troll, an injury at the neck was a critical hit. The troll lost its strength instantly. Therge sword used that opportunity to swing at the troll once again.

    Slice!

    The troll¡¯s neck rose high up in the air, and the headless body of the troll copsed on the ground. This type of sight was happening all around them. Mercenaries in three or four groups worked together to defeat one monster and were skillfully pushing back the monsters. Their professional techniques were enough to draw admiration from their onlookers.

    ¡°They¡¯re amazing.¡± This was also true for L; she also expressed her admiration.

    Zich also agreed by nodding in agreement. ¡°They almost seem like a professional army. It¡¯s really not something you usually see among normal mercenaries.¡±

    ¡°Even if they don¡¯t work together like that, it seems like those people are more than capable of defeating the monsters here.¡± This was how impressive the mercenaries¡¯ skills were.

    ¡°The fact that they possess enough skills to defeat a monster is not enough of a reason to stop working together as a group. Even if there is a gap between their skills and the monster¡¯s skills, if they¡¯re unlucky, they can get hit by a random sword and die¡ªthat¡¯s what a battle is like. If there¡¯s a safer way, it¡¯s better to use that method.¡±

    Zich added one more line. ¡°Well, this isn¡¯t relevant for a genius like me.¡±

    ¡°Really, such a show-off.¡±

    While the two shared small talk like this, the battle ended. Unlike the monsters who received all kinds of injuries, there was not a single injury on the mercenaries.

    ¡°Judging by their outfits, it seems like they¡¯re part of the Wolf¡¯s Canine, right?¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡±

    ¡°We meet them often.¡±

    ¡°Well, we¡¯re stationed in the same area.¡± This was also the reason why the city¡¯s administrator had expressed his concerns.

    At that moment, a person who looked like a leader among the Wolf¡¯s Canine¡¯s mercenaries approached Zich and hispanions. He was a young man that looked like a typical mercenary with two long, threatening scars on his cheeks. Was he going to express his anger that they merely watched the battle? Since their image of the Wolf¡¯s Canine wasn¡¯t good at all, this was their first thought.

    However, the man¡¯s actions werepletely contrary to their expectations. ¡°Excuse me, are you perhaps the Karuwiman Honorary Knight and hispanions?¡± The man instantly recognized Zich and hispanions.

    If one had even a little bit of information about Zich and hispanions, it was not difficult to recognize them since it was difficult to find a party that brought along two rare magicians.

    ¡°Yes, sir.¡± Since the young man greeted them with politeness, Zich also returned the favor.

    ¡°I¡¯m Max, the vice-captain of Wolf¡¯s Canine.¡± Max introduced himself and bowed his head. ¡°I heard that my underlings have caused a huge disturbance to all of you. I want to apologize for that once again.¡±

    Zich and hispanions were surprised because they expected him to stir up a fight rather than give a direct apology like this. Judging by Max¡¯s attitude, it didn¡¯t seem like they were empty words either.

 Chapter 386

    <h4>Chapter 386</h4>

    If he tried to bring up thest incident, Zich had nned to confidently beat the man down with logic and support that legitimized his actions.

    ¡°I¡¯ve already received apologies for that matter. There¡¯s no need for you to apologize even more.¡±

    ¡°Thank you very much.¡±

    Zich stared at Max in surprise and turned to the other mercenaries. After cleaning up the ce of battle to some degree, the mercenaries all looked in their direction. The mercenaries¡¯ vice-captain was lowering his head, and he was the same vice-captain who had sent some of theirpanions to the gallows even if it was a well-deserved punishment.

    Thus, Zich expected them to look at least displeased, but they stood calmly in their spots; it was as if they thought it was natural for their vice-captain to bow his head to Zich. Thispletely different side of the Wolf¡¯s Canine that Zich had not seen before piqued his curiosity.

    ¡°To tell you the truth, I¡¯m surprised,¡± Zich said. ¡°I thought the Wolf¡¯s Canine was a very self-centered and violent group, but seeing your group¡¯s attitude, that doesn¡¯t seem to be the case.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s understandable that you think that way because of the things you went through,¡± Max said bitterly.

    ¡°No, it¡¯s not only because of that incident. I saw members of the Wolf¡¯s Canine shing with a group of merchants today while I was surveying the area too.¡±

    ¡°¡­Could you tell us that story in more detail please?¡± Max asked.

    It wasn¡¯t difficult. Zich told him the event he had witnessed today immediately, and as Max listened to him, his face darkened more and more.

    ¡°Those bastards¡­!¡± Max gritted his teeth. Then, he said, ¡°We showed you an embarrassing side of us again. I apologize.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s fine. I wasn¡¯t the receiver of their provocation this time.¡±

    ¡°Yes. If I meet this group of merchants, I have to apologize to them.¡±

    It was truly strange. Even if people had different personalities, how could people in the same mercenary group have such starkly different temperaments? Zich snuck in a question.

    ¡°Sir Max, you are different from the other members of the Wolf¡¯s Canine that I¡¯ve met so far. Same for the people here. Is there a reason for that?¡±

    Max let out a deep sigh. It seemed like he had a long story to tell, and Zich waited until he spoke.

    ¡°Those guys are the guys who came inter.¡±

    ¡°Later?¡±

    ¡°I know this might sound like an excuse, but originally, our mercenary group moved on strong footholds of trust and superior performance. It was to the point that other mercenaries mocked us for wanting to be knight wannabes. Yet, we didn¡¯t care since we enjoyed the fact that we were different from other mercenaries.¡±

    ¡°Then, can I think that everyone here including Max are the original members of the Wolf¡¯s Canine?¡¯¡±

    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s it!¡±

    Max¡¯s voice heightened in satisfaction that his points were passing to Zich clearly. ¡°The guys you met are newbies who joined to erge our group! Even if it¡¯s to strengthen our team, those guysck basic manners and morals¡­!¡± Max said agitatedly and calmed himself down. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I got too excited.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡±

    ¡°Anyways, please don¡¯t judge our group just because of those guys. They are not representative of the original Wolf¡¯s Canine.¡±

    Zich didn¡¯t say what he was thinking, which was, ¡®Whatever the past was, it¡¯s different now.¡¯ There was no need to badger Max. From what he¡¯d seen until now, Max didn¡¯t seem like a viin and wasn¡¯t someone he needed to agitate. After conversing a bit more, Zich and hispanions bid farewell to the mercenaries.

    ¡°What do you think?¡± L asked. She didn¡¯t even need to mention who she was talking about.

    ¡°If even the vice-captain talks like that, there must be intense internal conflicts within the group.¡±

    ¡°I wonder if that had a negative effect on you know, him.¡± Since their disciples were in their surroundings, L spoke ambiguously. However, it wasn¡¯t hard to tell that she was talking about Til.

    ¡°It¡¯s a strong possibility.¡±

    ¡°Then, did that person sh with the head of the mercenaries?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s possible, but haven¡¯t you seen Til?¡±

    L recalled the short time she saw Til and said, ¡°I can¡¯t say for sure since our meeting with him was very brief, but he seemed more like the guy named Max.¡±

    ¡°Then, I think it¡¯s more reasonable to believe that it would be apletely different person who would cause disruption in the group.¡±

    ¡°How could a disruption arise when the captain and vice-captain are like-minded?¡±

    ¡°Well, they have 500 members. There ought to be conflicting opinions. Even if the top two people inmand have the same opinion, they couldn¡¯t possibly suppress all their members¡¯ opinions. Additionally, if a person holding a simr status as the two instigates a conflict, it would be harder to repress it.¡±

    Zich stared towards the direction leading to Pialu. From far away, he could see a faint image of Pialu¡¯s castle walls. Below it, there were the camping grounds for the Wolf¡¯s Canine.

    ¡°As I thought, I really have to visit them at least once.¡±

    * * *

    The evening that Zich made his decision, he visited the Wolf¡¯s Canine camping site. When he revealed his identity, it wasn¡¯t difficult for him to be introduced to Til. Zich nced at the insides of the pce. Although they had prepared their camping ground below the castle walls, they set up their defenses quite well. Walls were set up in multiple ces while tents were ced smartly to block the view of trespassers. Although the tents were made from clothes and broke easily as a result, it was better than nothing. Small details like this saved lives. However, not all areas of the camp were carefully structured.

    ¡®This ce is a bit sloppy,¡¯ Zich thought. Tents and walls were stationed in this spot like the other areas, but it looked more carelessly done. It was better than nothing, but it seemed like the barriers in the ce would save one life at most. While he was observing the camp, Zich soon realized the reason why. ¡®The camp is divided into two sides.¡¯

    One side was thoroughly shielded with tents while the other side was carelessly put together. It was the same for the mercenaries wandering around the camp. The mercenaries on the side that had done a thorough job on their barricades were equipped and appeared like they were preparing for the next day¡¯s mission; on the other hand, the mercenaries on the other side wandered around aimlessly like they had nothing nned for the next day.

    However,pared to thest problem, the problems they saw before were miniscule inparison. Even though Zich had observed them for a short time, he was able to clearly feel the atmosphere of the camp. There was a serious rift between these two fractions. It was not just to the extent that they didn¡¯t get along; emotions close to antagonism passed between them. What would happen if therades they needed to trust their backs with were their enemies?

    ¡®Even though their skills are pretty good, if there¡¯s a sufficient motive, this group will easily copse.¡¯

    Zich¡¯s judgment of the Wolf¡¯s Canine plummeted to the ground.

    ¡°It¡¯s here.¡± The mercenary guiding them led Zich to arge tent. He felt several presences inside. The mercenary that guided them shouted loudly towards the tent, ¡°Sir, Sir Zich, the Karuwiman Honorary Knight, has arrived!¡±

    ¡°Tell him toe in!¡± It was Til¡¯s voice that they heard before.

    The mercenary pointed towards the tent. ¡°Please go in.¡±

    Zich pulled up the drape covering the entrance of the tent and went in. The first person they saw was Til¡ªhe sat right across the entrance. He was holding his head with his hand as if he was dealing with a cumbersome problem. Zich¡¯s visit was probably one of the troublesome problems he was stressing over. They had seen Max in the afternoon, and he sat next to Til. Across them was a person they had never seen before. Considering that the person was sitting with the captain and vice-captain, he was probably also someone of a high position in this mercenary group.

    ¡°Wee.¡± Til got up from his seat and greeted Zich. Max and the other person also sat up.

    ¡°I apologize for visiting sote in the day.¡±

    ¡°No, not at all. May I ask why you are visiting us?¡± Even though Til was polite, his directness was characteristic of a mercenary.

    Zich also felt morefortable with this and said, ¡°Perhaps, did you hear what happened today?¡± As he said this, Zich nced at Max, and judging by how Til¡¯s face darkened, it seemed as if he heard Max¡¯s report.

    ¡°Are you talking about the conflict between our members and a group of merchants?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°For showing you another disgraceful sight, I¡­¡±

    Til was about to apologize, but his words were cut off by the new person next to him.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think a Karuwiman Honorary Knight needs to intervene in this matter.¡±

    ¡°Hey!¡± Til quickly tried to stop the person next to him, but it seemed as if the person had no intention of taking back his words.

    ¡°Aren¡¯t I right, Captain? A small fight like this ismon among mercenaries. It wasn¡¯t as if people drew their swords or anyone became disabled. So, this matter is something for us, the merchants we had a conflict with, and the mercenaries to solve together. It¡¯s not a matter that requires a Karuwiman Honorary Knight¡¯s intervention.¡±

    Then, he said to Zich, ¡°I¡¯m not sure if a noble and holy Karuwiman Honorary Knight like you would find this incident extremely disgraceful, but it¡¯s a verymon urrence in this field. Please respect our ways as well.¡± When he finished his speech, he met Zich¡¯s eyes. He lookedpletely confident in his words.

    ¡°Who is this person?¡±

    Til red at Nick with a chilling gaze and replied, ¡°¡­He¡¯s the vice-captain, Nick.¡±

    It seemed as if Nick was the other vice-captain in the Wolf¡¯s Canine.

    Zich nodded and said to Nick, ¡°I understand, Mr. Nick. You said that what happened today was a matter between mercenaries, and it was not a ce for me to intervene. You are correct. I also agree. It¡¯s not a matter for me to intervene and blow up the situation. It¡¯s not like I don¡¯t know the ways of a mercenary at all.¡±

    Nick looked as if he thought it was unexpected that Zich agreed with him.

    However, Zich was not finished with his words. ¡°However, it¡¯s a different story if it¡¯s about a mercenary group that recently tricked merchants and took their possessions after killing them.¡±

    Til, Max, and Nick¡¯s faces immediately contorted. This topic was not a weing subject for anyone in the Wolf¡¯s Canine.

    ¡°Normally, when such a big event like that happens, even the roughest and reckless mercenaries are more careful about their behaviors for a while, but the mercenaries in the Wolf¡¯s Canine immediately caused more trouble.¡±

    Nick tried to speak again, but Zich stopped him by raising a hand. ¡°Fine. If you don¡¯t want me to intervene in mercenary matters, I won¡¯t. Even for me, I don¡¯t want to push my ideas of right and wrong like an old-fashioned person. Even though I received the title of a Karuwiman Honorary Knight, I¡¯m still just an ¡®honorary¡¯ knight, and I¡¯m not officially a holy knight. To a certain extent, I can ept behaviors that holy knights wouldn¡¯t be able to ept.¡±

    In reality, Zich had an awful personality that ordinary people wouldn¡¯t even be able to follow, but he didn¡¯t mention anything about this matter.

    ¡°However, even for me, I couldn¡¯t stop thinking about the Wolf¡¯s Canine¡¯s actions this time. Even when normal mercenaries would be more careful, they outrightly cause trouble around their surroundings. Since this is an emergency situation, although most of their actions are being dismissed, I can¡¯t help but be concerned that they might cross the line once again.¡±

    Zich let out words like ice shards, but he suddenly smiled brightly. ¡°Oh my, the atmosphere has be too heated. I also don¡¯t have any intentions to tell people in the Wolf¡¯s Canine to do this or that. Like Mr. Nick said, mercenaries have their own methods of doing things. I just came here to give you a careful warning. Please just be a bit more careful in the future. Do you understand me, Mr. Nick?¡±

    ¡°¡­I¡¯ve understood very well,¡± Nick replied with an expressionless face.

 Chapter 387

    <h4>Chapter 387</h4>

    Zich left the tent. A chilly air flowed inside the tent, and an atmosphere frosty enough to pierce dwellers swept them. Zich remained unconcerned even when his words had been the cause.

    ¡®I¡¯m hungry. I wonder what I should eat for dinner,¡¯ he simply thought. A worry that most people would haveughed at was Zich¡¯s current greatest worry. At that moment, someone went outside the tent. It was Max.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go, Sir Zich. I will guide you to the castle walls.¡±

    Zich was about to refuse him when he realized Max¡¯s goal. ¡®He¡¯s trying to avoid any forms of conflict.¡¯

    If Zich shed with the mercenaries before he left the camp, it was hard to tell what would happen. There would be many losses, and Zich wasn¡¯t an ordinary person¡ªhe was a Karuwiman Honorary Holy Knight. Besides, Max had good reason to be worried since his subordinates had caused a string of troubles recently.

    ¡°I will ept your guidance with gratitude.¡± Max looked relieved by Zich¡¯s words.

    ¡°Then, let us go,¡± Max said.

    Zich and Max began to leave the camp, and no mercenaries approached them. Although there were some mercenaries who lingered around to look at Zich with curiosity, they quickly turned away after receiving a stern look from Max. In the meantime, Max asked Zich about many matters. It was just chit-chat with no important content, intended to decrease the awkwardness between them and make them friendlier toward one another. About the time when Zich and Max reached the camp¡¯s entrance, somebody approached them.

    ¡®¡­A child?¡¯

    Two children, unbefitting of the mercenaries¡¯ campsite that reeked of blood and metal, were following a mercenary into the campsite the boy and girl looked to be about six or seven. No matter how much experience he had gathered, the only thing Zich could think of was human trafficking; that was how much the children looked ill-fitting in the mercenaries¡¯ camp. Yet, thankfully, that didn¡¯t seem to be the case.

    ¡°Mr. Max!¡±

    ¡°Max!¡±

    The two children separated from the mercenary and ran to Max. His was scary enough to make even smiling children burst into tears, yet the children ran towards him gleefully while calling his name. It seemed like they were considerably close. Contrasting the solemn expression he had been wearing the whole time, Max broke into a wide smile. Yet, the muscles on his face twitched and the scar on his cheeks wiggled like worms. Unintentionally, his face became even more fearsome-looking, even more so as torches in their path cast deep shadows on his face. Yet, the children seemedpletely unbothered by Max¡¯s scary face.

    ¡°Oh my! It¡¯s Walter and Ellie! Why are you guys here sote?¡±

    ¡°We came to see Dad!¡±

    ¡°Yes!¡±

    ¡°Hmm, still, isn¡¯t it a bit toote right now? It worries me very much if you guys wander outside the city sote.¡±

    The city walls were already closed at this time. The children had been able to get out because the guards knew that they were connected to the mercenaries¡ªit was the same as the reason why Zich was able to go beyond the city¡¯s walls at this time.

    ¡°B-But it¡¯s been a long time since west saw Dad!¡±

    ¡°Yeah!¡±

    The boy voiced his opinions strongly while stuttering. The girl nodded her head aggressively beside him. With an uneasy expression, Max looked at the mercenary who brought the children. The mercenary shrugged his shoulders and said, ¡°What can we do, sir? Captain and Sir Nick have left the camp for many days. Even if it¡¯s a bitte, we should let them meet their dads at times like this.¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s right!¡±

    ¡°Yeah! Yeah!¡±

    The children cried loudly and nodded energetically. The mercenary guiding them smiled lovingly at these children and whispered quietly to Max. Of course, Zich could hear everything he said.

    ¡°Based on the atmosphere, it seems like the two will butt heads again. I don¡¯t know about other times, but right now, we have an important guest with us. I knew they both wouldn¡¯t fight in front of the children, so I quickly grabbed them.¡±

    ¡°Hmm. But this won¡¯t resolve the disagreement between the two.¡±

    ¡°Who said this would solve it? If this problem were to get resolved after a big fight, I would have given each of the weapons and told them to try it ages ago. Seeing those two, it¡¯s obvious that emotions are going to fly again, and they would make no progress with their rtionship. It¡¯s better to bring the children and ovee the immediate danger. I¡¯m sure the two will calm down once the next day arrives.¡±

    Max looked at the two children. Two pairs of gleaming eyes stared back at him, and Max let out a small sigh before he tapped on the mercenary¡¯s shoulder.

    ¡°I got it. Take them and go.¡±

    ¡°Yes, sir!¡± the mercenary said and ced his hands on the children¡¯s backs. ¡°Okay, then, let¡¯s go meet your dads.¡±

    ¡°Yup! Bye Mr. Max!¡±

    ¡°Bye!¡±

    The two children waved their hands as they went inside the camp. The mercenary with them bowed their heads slightly at Zich and Max and followed the children. Max stared at them until the children disappeared into the camp.

    ¡°My apologies, sir. I said I would guide you, but I made you wait.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s fine, sir. It¡¯s surprising to see children on the mercenaries¡¯ campgrounds.¡±

    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s very unfitting, right sir?¡±

    ¡°To tell you the truth, yes.¡±

    Max made a bitter smile. ¡°They are the captain and vice-captain¡¯s children.¡± Zich had thought so while listening to their conversation. Therefore, the two began to walk towards Pialu¡¯s city walls again.

    ¡°The boy is the captain''s son while the girl is the vice-captain, Nick¡¯s daughter.¡±

    ¡°Unlike their fathers, the two seem quite close. Thank goodness for that. Children should grow brightly without fighting since that¡¯s what they would have to do without wanting to when they grow up.¡± Then, Max sighed and said, ¡°Their rtionship wasn¡¯t always so bad. Instead, it was the opposite. After all, they started the Wolf¡¯s Canine and I actually joined and got promoted as the group gotrger.¡±

    Like this, Max began exining the situation in the Wolf¡¯s Canine. Even though it was not a subject matter to tell an outsider, it seemed as if he wanted toin to someone. Zich¡¯s status as a Karuwiman Honorary Knight also yed arge part.

    ¡°Both of them are very skilled and the captain¡¯s skills are extremely terrifying. Most knights won¡¯t stand a chance against him.¡±

    ¡®That¡¯s probably true.¡¯

    Til had been part of Zich Brave¡¯s team, which was full of highly skilled talents, and Zich also predicted that he was probably one of the three Demon Lords that made the world tremble in fear.

    ¡°Vice-captain Nick is also very skilled even though he is not as strong as the captain. Moreover, his ability to manage the mercenary group is extremely high.¡±

    ¡®The captain is in charge of the strength department and the vice-captain takes care of the internal matters. The bnce is good.¡¯

    This was probably how they were able to raise the Wolf¡¯s Canine to 500 people.

    ¡°Moreover, their rtionship is also very special because they share simr circumstances.¡±

    ¡°Is it rted to those children?¡±

    ¡°Yes. They both gained children and lost their wives at around the same time. However, considering that their only education was basically just how to fight and use swords, what could those two do to take care of their children? Moreover, since they didn¡¯t want to get married again or leave their children to other people, they decided to just bring around their children while beginning their mercenary careers.¡±

    ¡°Isn¡¯t that a bit ridiculous?¡±

    ¡°Of course, it¡¯s absurd! Honestly, when I first joined this mercenary group, I thought it waspletely ridiculous! A mercenary group with children. I¡¯m sure it¡¯s not good for the children¡¯s education at all!¡±

    After this, Max continued to murmur insults towards Til and Nick to Zich. However, they were not insults that showed any real hatred. His words were closer to a family member worrying about the circumstances of another family member.

    ¡®He has a lot of affection for Til and Nick.¡¯

    However, why did a mercenary group like that be like this? Zich was able to soon find the reason.

    ¡°Everything went to hell when the captain and vice captain¡¯s opinions began to sh.¡± Max¡¯s eyes let out a mncholy light.

    * * *

    After Zich left, Til and Nick didn¡¯t talk for a while. A heavy atmosphere filled the insides of the tent. As soon as someone opened their mouth, it seemed as if their anger towards each other would burst forth all at once. However, as soon as they felt two small presencese inside the tent, the tension loosened up.

    ¡°Dad!¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s Dad!¡±

    Walter and Ellie burst into the tent and jumped into their dads¡¯ arms.

    ¡°Ooph!¡±

    ¡°Oh no! You have to be careful!¡±

    Walter and Ellie acted childish in front of their dads, but soon, their gazes moved towards their ¡®friend¡¯s dads¡¯.

    ¡°Hello, Mr. Nick!¡±

    ¡°Hello, Mr. Til!¡±

    Walter and Ellie were the children of people they had ill feelings for. Even if they were kids, people might have worried that Til or Nick would look at them with unkind eyes. However, Til and Nick made a big smile and epted the children¡¯s greetings.

    ¡°Yep, Walter. Were you energetic today as well?¡±

    ¡°Yes, Ellie. Let¡¯s go eat something delicious together next time.¡±

    The mercenaries Til and Nick that looked like mercenaries meeting their enemies in battle just a moment ago were nowhere to be found, and they treated the children like nice and caring fathers. Seeing this sight, the mercenary who brought Walter and Ellie smiled in relief. He had put out an immediate fire, and now, even if the children left, arge fight would not erupt between them.

    Til and Nick spent some time with their kids. However, since it waste, the children soon became sleepy. Before theypletely fell asleep, Til and Nick quickly called their underlings and ordered them to return the children to lodging inside the city. Since they both realized their underling¡¯s intentions of bringing the kids in when there was a tense atmosphere between them, Nick and Til red at their underling. However, since the mercenary had also worked under them for a long time and was skilled at dealing with them, he was able to avoid their sharp gaze with a whistle and returned back to the city with the children.

    ¡°Seriously, that guy is so¡­¡± Nick let out a sigh andined about the underling that went out with the children.

    Til also shared the same sentiment. ¡°He definitely did this on purpose.¡±

    ¡°I agree.¡±

    Even though they were formally captain and vice-captain of Wolf¡¯s Canine, they were friends personally. So, they dropped honorifics when they were alone. Of course, their rtionship right now was too strained to be called friendship.

    ¡°Ah, I¡¯ve lost my motivation. I¡¯m going to get up now.¡± Nick got up and walked out of the tent. Til also felt the same, so he didn¡¯t want to fight. However, as the captain, he needed to say what needed to be said.

    ¡°We still need to solve today¡¯s matter.¡±

    Nick immediately halted. ¡°Did I not tell you that I¡¯ve lost my motivation?¡±

    ¡°We can¡¯t take care of matters here with just your motivation. I told you before, but we don¡¯t need underlings we can¡¯t control. If things like this keep happening, I¡¯m going to send those guys away.¡±

    Nick let out a deep sigh. Then, he turned his body around and stared at Til¡ªno, he red at him.

    ¡°Hey, Captain.¡± Even though they were alone, Nick called him by his title rather than his name. ¡°We¡¯re mercenaries. How long will you live such a strict life that even knights don¡¯t follow? Conflicts like this always happen among mercenaries. Even though the new guysck integrity, their skills are good enough. When did a job as a mercenary also consider people¡¯s day-to-day activities? Don¡¯t they need to be just good at the jobs they¡¯re given?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s because problems are arising while they¡¯re carrying out orders.¡±

    ¡°Other mercenaries alsomit those acts. Even the people who hire us consider those factors as expected urrences when hiring mercenaries!¡±

    Their gazes sharply met again.

    ¡°¡­Let¡¯s stop. My good mood from seeing the kids is going to get ruined. It must be the same for you.¡± Nick turned his body again, but he heard Til¡¯s voice from his behind.

    ¡°Let¡¯s not be embarrassing dads for our kids. That was what we swore when we founded Wolf¡¯s Canine, Nick.¡±

    ¡°¡­Was it to not be embarrassing dads for our kids? Yes, it was like that back then.¡± Nick spoke with a slightly sentimental tone, but his next words no longer held any sentimental feelings; instead, they carried a firm mindset.

    ¡°Til, even if I be embarrassed about myself, it¡¯s also a father¡¯s way to give more things to their child. If our mercenary group grows bigger, we¡¯ll be able to receive more requests and obtain more money. Then, we¡¯ll be able to do more things for our children.¡±

    Nick then exited the tent. Like this, their fight ended with no results again. At a certain point in time, their differing opinions continued to run parallel to each other.

 Chapter 388

    <h4>Chapter 388</h4>

    Several days passed after Zich dropped by the mercenaries¡¯ camping grounds. He and hispanions continued to survey the area and exterminate monsters. Thanks to Zich¡¯s wide surveying abilities, they were able to get rid of far more monsters than any other team. An administrator from Pialu came and made a fuss the day before, praising their performance and how much they should have expected from a Karuwiman Honorary Holy Knight. However, the number of monstersing down from the mountain range didn¡¯t decrease. They still didn¡¯t know the reason for the strange monster appearances.

    Yet, even with the danger of monsters hovering over them, the people at Pialu continued to live their days to the fullest. Zich and hispanions called it a day after annihting a couple of monster groups. They cleaned their bodies that were dirty from battle¡ªmostly from the dust coating them¡ªand took a break. Their designated time for surveying the area was from sunset to noon, so the day was still bright. Although they battled, the monsters they had fought could¡¯ve been tiny fish and it wouldn¡¯t have made a difference to them. They didn¡¯t really feel fatigued either. Elena felt the same way as she had already finished getting used to this monstrous party.

    The sun hovered over them in the center of the sky. Nobody was tired enough to take a midday nap and spent the time doing whatever they wanted to do. Zich and L came out from behind their lodging and went to a quiterge garden that was decorated by the ce they were staying at. As expected of a luxurious lodging ce, the garden was decorated quite nicely. Grass nketed the floor and thick autumn trees covered the outside view. Flowers were nted all over the ce, and there were plentiful tables and chairs for guests to rest on.

    ¡®As expected of a trading city¡¯ Zich thought as he sat on a chair and looked around his surroundings. Even if the ce they stayed was expensive and luxurious, if the city¡¯s economy wasn¡¯t great, there was no way they could have a ce like this. Considering this, even if Pialugged behind other trading cities, it really was a city for trading.

    Still, perhaps, because of the monster havoc, there was no one else in the garden besides them. There weren¡¯t many guests at the lodging in the first ce.

    ¡°Ah, this is really nice,¡± L said as she slumped down on her table. She sipped the tea that an employee from the lodging gave her and soaked up the sunlight¡¯s warmth. She thought things couldn¡¯t have been any better. ¡°I feel like all my stress is going away.¡±

    ¡°As if you got any stress from the menial tasks we have been doing.¡±

    ¡°Be quiet. It''s mental stress. All we have been doing these days is killing monsters,¡± L said and ced her cheek on the table.

    ¡°I suppose so. A person ought to feel stressed and tired if they are old.¡±

    ¡°Who are you calling old!¡±

    ¡°You, I am talking about you. Isn¡¯t your age at least four digits long?¡±

    L narrowed her eyes. However, she simply heaved and couldn¡¯t find the words to refute him. After finding out that she was Clowon¡¯s princess¡ªfurthermore, the first emperor¡¯s daughter¡ªher age was older than any human currently living in this world.

    ¡°That''s the same for you too! If we add the years from before, you are much older than how you look too!¡± By ¡®before¡¯, L was talking about Zich¡¯s pre-regression days. ¡°Besides, I was asleep most of the time! You can¡¯t count that time period!¡±

    ¡°Yes, yes, miss. I should heed to the words of the elder.¡±

    ¡°Urghhhh!¡± L gritted her teeth and red at Zich. Yet, Zich smiled so brightly that it was irritating.

    ¡°I should just throw a fireball at you.¡±

    ¡°I guess it would have an effect, of course, if I actually get hit.¡±

    L licked her lips at Zich¡¯s brazen expression and looked down at the table again. Seeing her response, Zich sipped his tea and thought, ¡®She¡¯s much better at expressing herself now.¡¯

    To be more specific, L had be much more open and emotional in front of him. The reason why was probably her confession from before, and now, this was L¡¯s way of expressing her feelings ofpanionship. Like that, Zich and L continued to converse. L enjoyed their calm chats while facing one another very much. They brought up each and every menial topic and continued their conversation naturally. Yet, there was always that one person who intervened and broke the peace at a time like this.

    ¡°Excuse me¡­¡±

    Somebody approached the table and initiated a conversation with them. L turned around. A man awkwardly stood there. L let out a sigh¡ªshe could tell what he wanted just by the look on his face since it had happened countless times before.

    Still, since she couldn¡¯t bepletely certain that the man had another important matter to discuss with them, she asked politely, ¡°Do you need something?¡±

    However, her guess was right. Perhaps the man gained confidence from L¡¯s politeness, but his face brightened up a bit.

    ¡°Could I perhaps know your name, miss?¡±

    ¡°For what reason, sir?¡±

    ¡°Ah, you see..¡± the man coughed, ¡°I couldn¡¯t help but try talking to ady as beautiful as you. If it¡¯s fine with you, would you like to have some tea¡­¡± As if they all copied the same phrase from one another, L had heard the exact words tens and hundreds of times before. Like she thought, he hadn¡¯t approached her for any important reason.

    L shook her head and said, ¡°No, I¡¯m sorry but I don¡¯t have time.¡± She smiled as she refused him. Yet, she and Zich watching this scene in front of her knew that there was almost no one who turned around and left with just those words.

    ¡°No, it¡¯s just that I know a really nice tea house nearby. If you don¡¯t want tea, what about a meal together? There¡¯s a ce that is renowned for their Pialu specialty dish¡ª¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± One polite rejection was enough. L threw away the little snacks she had left and coldly cut him off. The man was stunned by L¡¯s quick change of attitude, and L¡¯s cold eyes looked at the man like he was an eyesore. Still, it seemed like the man didn¡¯t n to give up. He was incredibly persistent, but this was also expected.

    Zich stared at L. She got rid of her fake expression and she now had an annoyed expression with her hand on her face. Normally, no matter how beautiful a person was, they would still look a bit worse with an expression like that, but her appearance barely changed.

    ¡®That¡¯s why he asked her out even though a person like me is sitting in front of her.¡¯

    ¡°Would you reconsider once mo¡­¡±

    ¡°I said I¡¯m not interested.¡± Then, L moved her gaze away from the man. She mercilessly ended her extremely thin rtionship with him. Of course, this action shocked the man as he had approached her with deep interest.

    ¡°P-please don¡¯t be like tha¡­¡± The man unconsciously reached out with his hand to grab L¡¯s arm. His actions were so simr to all the people who approached L in the past that it wouldn¡¯t be surprising if they all nned this together.

    ¡°Hey.¡± Zich had been silently watching this event, but he finally spoke up.

    The man¡¯s gaze shifted towards Zich. His gaze was not kind, since Zich was thepanion of a goddess-like woman he had fallen in love with at first sight. He had also witnessed how even though she looked at him with annoyance, she brightly smiled and conversed with the man next to her. Thus, his jealousy obviously exploded. Like a beast expanding its body to the maximum to threaten its opponent, the man straightened his shoulders and looked down at Zich. As if to pressure Zich, the man red at Zich¡ªno, he was about to do that.

    ¡®Huh?¡¯

    The man felt his back be suddenly wet. His teeth chattered and his whole body shivered. He wanted to withdraw. He wanted to run away. Most of all, he wanted to move his gaze away from Zich. However, he couldn¡¯t do that because he felt his life would immediately end the very moment he moved his eyes away. The amount of time that the man experienced this strange phenomenon was short, but this was long enough.

    ¡°Fuck off.¡± At Zich¡¯s emotionless words, the man ran away without being able to reply. It seemed as if he lost strength in his legs as he fell a couple of times while running away, but he desperately ran out of the garden without being able to let out a single scream. Zich and L¡¯s surroundings became peaceful again.

    ¡°Couldn¡¯t you just help from the very beginning?¡± Lined.

    ¡°For punks like him, the person involved has to be the one topletely end things. Then it¡¯s my turn toe forward. If Ie forward from the very beginning, there are a lot of punks who¡¯ll say stuff like I¡¯m shackling you or how they look better with you or other nonsense like that.¡±

    ¡°You can chase them away like you did just now.¡±

    ¡°Wow, you¡¯re saying some scary things. Are you telling me to put such intense pressure on innocent folks? How could you think such thoughts? Do you have a heart or not?¡±

    L slightly opened up her palm. The mana circting in her hand made it seem as if she wanted to immediately throw a fireball directly at his face. However, after checking that Zich¡¯s face was shameless to the max, she gave up. Regardless of how many fireballs she threw toward his face, his metal-ted shamelessness would not disappear.

    ¡°Anyway, it feels like these things keep happening more often than before.¡± L put her head down on the table andined again.

    Zich thought he knew the reason why.

    ¡®Don¡¯t people say that when a person falls in love, they get prettier?¡¯

    Zich didn¡¯t know if it was merely a myth or if there was any meaning behind it, but it was certain that L looked a lot more vibrant than before. Did L sense Zich¡¯s intense gaze?

    L turned her head and looked up at him. ¡°Hmm? What happened? Did you fall for me or something?¡±

    ¡°No wonder, it¡¯s about time you got dementia at that age. Don¡¯t worry, I can understand.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m really going to shoot a fireball.¡±

    However, Zich and L continued their small talk as if nothing happened. They didn¡¯t know how much time passed by. Zich¡¯s gaze headed towards the side¡ªL¡¯s gaze also followed Zich¡¯s and naturally headed towards the side. They saw a figure at a small distance away from them. Was a simr event likest time going to happen again? L frowned unconsciously, but she soon found out that it was different this time. The figures next to them were extremely small.

    ¡®Children?¡¯ The two kids she was seeing for the first time were in front of her. There was one boy and one girl. L quickly fixed her expression and asked, ¡°Who are you?¡±

    Zich replied instead, ¡°They¡¯re the Wolf¡¯s Canine¡¯s captain and vice-captain¡¯s kids.¡±

    ¡°Ah, the kids you spoke about before?¡± Their bright eyes were lovely, and they didn¡¯t look like mercenaries at all.

    ¡®It seems like they¡¯re at least doing a good job raising their kids.¡¯

    Zich was bbergasted when he heard that Til and Nick were working as mercenaries while bringing their kids around. Of course, he immediately wondered if children could grow normally in an environment like that. However, the children they saw looked much healthier and well taken care of than they expected. They at least looked like children from the upper-middle ss. Their clothes were neat, and their skin was clean. Most of all, the children were extremely energetic and lively.

    L asked kindly, ¡°Do you have business with us?¡±

    The children¡¯s eyes sparkled as they looked at L.

    ¡°A super pretty sister!¡±

    ¡°Yep, yep! She¡¯s the prettiest sister I¡¯ve ever seen!¡±

    ¡°Oh my! Thank you.¡± L smiled brightly. ¡°Do you have any business with this sister?¡±

    At L¡¯s question, Til¡¯s son, Walter, pointed at Zich. ¡°I saw this old guy in my dad¡¯s mercenary group a few days ago!¡±

    It seems as if the children had decided to approach Zich out of curiosity since they saw him a few days ago.

    ¡°Old man, are you also my dad¡¯srade?¡± Nick¡¯s daughter, Ellie asked this time.

    Zichughed and replied, ¡°First of all, I¡¯m not an old man. I¡¯m an older brother. I¡¯m not one of your father¡¯srades either. You got it?¡±

    ¡°Okay, old guy!¡±

    It seemed as if the kids didn¡¯t understand Zich¡¯s words. Augh slipped out of L¡¯s lips. ¡°As expected of kids. They¡¯re really good at judging people.¡±

    Then, L offered an extremely pure and bright smile to the kids. ¡°Like this old guy said, he¡¯s not your dad¡¯srade. He¡¯s this sister¡¯srade.¡±

    Considering that L emphasized old guy and sister, L was definitely getting revenge against Zich¡¯s mention of her age. Zich clicked his tongue as if he was in a bad mood. He gulped down the lukewarm tea in front of him in one shot. Like this, a peaceful time that didn¡¯t suit the danger Pialu was in passed by. However, this was only for a moment.

    Several dayster, a much greater number of monsters began rushing towards them from the Denest Mountain Range.

 Chapter 389

    <h4>Chapter 389</h4>

    The event happened after Zich and L met Walter and Ellie. Following their meeting in the garden, Walter and Ellie stayed at the same lodging ce as Zich and hispanions. Zich and hispanions were staying at a considerably luxurious ce, and the fee for their stay there was unexpectedly high. Even if they were their fathers¡¯ precious children, one could tell how high the Wolf¡¯s Canine¡¯s earnings were for their leaders¡¯ children to afford this stay.

    Perhaps it was because they had already met each other before, but Walter and Ellie quickly became close to Zich¡¯s party. They gathered in the garden; there weren¡¯t many people because of the current situation in the city. At the center of the garden, Zich, Hans, and Snoc faced the children.

    While clutching on a tree branch from who-knows-where that was as big as his arm, Walter red at the three. Ellie did the same thing. As if he thought their behavior wasughable, Zich chuckled while crossing his arms.

    ¡°Ahhahaha! You arrogant kids! How dare you provoke the Great Demon Lord, Sir Zich! You must have no fear!¡± heughed exaggeratedly and wore a mischievous expression. Next to him, there was a tree branch as long as his arm like the ones the children had.

    ¡°Fine! I will praise your courage and face you personally!¡±

    Zich slowly pulled out the tree branch as if it was a legendary demon sword and wielded it against the children. Likewise, the children lifted up their tree branches like swords with serious faces¡ªof course, that was more adorable than intimidating.

    ¡°Demon Lord! This is the end of your evil deeds!¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s the end!¡±

    Walter spoke first and Ellie followed. Zichughed harder when he heard this. ¡°Kuaaaah! The end of my evil deeds? Ridiculous! My evil deeds will continue to spread far and wide. Hero, your skills were quite impressive. Thus, this merciful Demon Lord will give you an opportunity to repent. Join me and be my underling!¡±

    ¡°I won¡¯t!¡±

    ¡°Yeah!¡±

    Walter and Ellie yelled defiantly.

    ¡°If you do, I will get you sweet juice from the store in front!¡±

    ¡°Uh, really?¡± Walter''s heart wavered from Zich¡¯s temptation. The tree branch that he had firmly aimed towards Zich until now dropped slightly lower.

    ¡°The Demon Lord doesn¡¯t lie! I won¡¯t give you just one¡ªI¡¯ll buy you juice every day for a whole month!¡±

    ¡°A month?¡± Even Ellie began to waver while standing behind Walter. Like fish trying to find salvation in a dried-up well, their pupils jumped this way and that.

    L and Elena had been watching this scene at a distance, but they suddenly burst intoughter.

    ¡°What do we do, Teacher? The world has fallen into danger though.¡±

    ¡°As expected of the Demon Lord. The methods he uses are sly and tricky.¡±

    L held in herughter. Thankfully, the two young heroes didn¡¯t fall for the Demon Lord¡¯s sly ploy. They refused the Demon Lord¡¯s offer loudly¡ªL and Elena politely turned their eyes away from the clear lingering ache in their voices.

    ¡°I will go!¡±

    ¡°Ahhhh!¡±

    The children rushed towards Zich. Of course, the effect of seven and eight-year-old children swinging wooden branches posed as much danger as an ant crawling on the ground to him, but Zich moved like he was blocking the children¡¯s attacks with all he had.

    ¡°Kuh! To think your skills were this great!¡±

    ¡°How is the swordsmanship I learned from Dad!¡±

    ¡°Isn¡¯t it impressive!¡±

    In actuality, the two moved much more sharply than most ordinary children. Besides the environment they grew up in, it seemed that their fathers had taught them. After receiving some of their attacks purposefully, Zich backed away hurriedly.

    ¡°Hmph! You are quite good, heroes! But I still have my scary underlings with me! Do you think you can handle them?¡±

    From behind, Hans and Snoc walked forward. It seemed they were taking these theatrics seriously as they wore serious expressions.

    Koooo!

    It was the same for Nowem. He stood up on Snoc¡¯s shoulder with his front legs raised like a bear trying to scare its prey. Of course, no one was scared by this sight. Instead, the young heroes¡¯ eyes sparkled as if Nowem¡¯s cuteness had struck their hearts. Yet, the tiny heroes still didn¡¯t back down from Nowem¡¯s overwhelming cuteness and pressed on.

    ¡°Even if two more of you join, there¡¯s no way we¡¯re going to lose!¡±

    ¡°Who said only two?¡± Zich turned in the direction of L and Elena watching them intently.

    ¡°Elena!¡±

    ¡°Sorry?¡± Elena responded, surprised to hear her name.

    ¡°What are you doing! You have to support us!¡±

    Elena blinked. She hadn¡¯t expected her to be called on to be part of this y, and she looked clearly taken aback. Although she enjoyed watching them, she didn¡¯t know how she felt about taking part in the theatrics. Elena quickly turned around to look at L. At times like this, she could only rely on her teacher. She looked toward L with pleading eyes as if she was asking to be saved.

    However, L smiled brightly and asked, ¡°What are you doing? You should quickly go.¡±

    It seemed like L had no intention of saving her. With her teacher¡¯smand, Elena couldn¡¯t refuse any longer. Like a cattle being dragged to the ughterhouse, she walked weakly towards Zich.

    ¡°You have to appear like a Demon Lord¡¯s underling when youe.¡±

    ¡°A D-Demon Lord¡¯s underling? How do I do that?¡±

    ¡°Laugh haughtily. Like this, ¡®Ohohohho!¡¯¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t do that!¡±

    ¡°You can¡¯t do it, Miss?¡± Walter said.

    ¡°She is no fun,¡± Ellie added.

    The children looked at her with disappointment. Their eyes looked so pure and clear that Elena had to take a step back. ¡®Is this how scary the innocence of children are?¡¯ she thought. Elena looked to her teacher again for salvation, but L simply waved her hand at her leisurely, and Elena had no choice but to give up.

    ¡°Oh, oho¡­hohoho¡­ho¡­¡±

    ¡°Yeah, a bit more! Tighten your stomach muscles and use all the strength in your throat!¡±

    ¡°Ohohoho!¡±

    ¡°Good!¡±

    Even though Elena received Zich¡¯s praise and the children¡¯s ps, she was not happy at all. Her bright red face was even more conspicuous under the clear blue sky. L watched this sight with a smile on her face. Demon Lord Zich¡¯s group, including Elena, began facing the children once again. As expected of an ex-Demon Lord, Zich¡¯s act as a Demon Lord was very impressive.

    ¡®Or could his mental age be simr to those children?¡¯ Considering his actions right now, this spection was very persuasive. Like this, a more peaceful time passed between them.

    Their patrol time today was around sunrise. After ying, they nned to eat dinner and go out of the city to patrol. However, their ns werepletely shattered by the bell that suddenly rang in the air.

    Ring! Ring! Ring! Ring!

    Bells that hung around the city walls began ringing one by one, and soon theybined together to make a loud cluttering sound, and the sound scattered like crazy throughout the city. Like a demon¡¯s cry that loudly sang of people¡¯s fortune, it brought anxiety to people¡¯s hearts. Zich and hispanions also heard this sound while they were at the climax of their Demon Lord y.

    ¡°Zich!¡± L jumped from the table, and Zich stopped ying and stared at the ce where he heard the sound with a stiff face. ¡®It¡¯s definitely not a good sign.¡¯

    He lowered his head. Walter and Ellie had role-yed as heroes with energetic and bright expressions, but they now looked scared.

    ¡°Go back to your rooms. And don¡¯t try to go out.¡±

    ¡°Yes, Yes!¡± Walter quickly nodded and grabbed Ellie¡¯s hand. Then, they ran inside the lodging.

    After checking that the children went inside the building, L said, ¡°What are you going to do? Should we run towards the closest entrance?¡±

    ¡°Wait.¡±

    ¡°Do we have time for that? Considering the situation, it seems like a very serious event happened¡­¡±

    The contract they made with the city was to just patrol around the city. Whatever unexpected variable that urred in the city had nothing to do with them. However, no one in Zich¡¯s group tried to avoid the current situation.

    ¡°If they¡¯re ringing the emergency bells to such a great extent like this, it¡¯s obvious that the army would be mobilized. Then, the city would try to establish a main direction ofmand, and if the city¡¯smanding team is not idiotic, they¡¯ll try to gather together all the possible forces inside the city. Thus, people wille to us from the city¡¯smand post. Since they¡¯ll tell us where our strengths are most needed, it¡¯s better to just stay still for now.¡±

    Zich¡¯s words werepletely on the mark. Soon afterward, a soldier quickly came running toward them.

    * * *

    The soldier led Zich and hispanions to a certain entrance in the city wall and exined the current situation.

    ¡°It¡¯s the monsters! A number much greater than usual are heading straight towards Pialu!¡±

    ¡°Sir, how many?¡±

    ¡°I also don¡¯t know, sir! I¡¯ve been informed that we are unable to get an exact estimate of the number of monsters!¡±

    Considering that they were getting riled up like this, the number of monsters was probably enormous. When Zich and hispanions reached the city wall, the soldiers were already quickly moving. There were soldiers already climbing up the city wall after arming themselves, and there were soldiers moving necessary goods.

    The door in the city wall, which should bepletely open during the day, was barely open for only a few people to pass through. It was ready to close at any time.

    ¡°Please stand ready here! Themanding officer will arrive soon!¡± The soldier led Zich and hispanions to the top of the city wall and hurriedly went down.

    Zich stared beyond the city wall, but he couldn¡¯t see any monsters yet. He looked immediately beneath the city wall this time.

    ¡®It¡¯s the Wolf¡¯s Canine¡¯s camp.¡¯

    However, he couldn¡¯t see anyone in the camp; this was expected. No one was stupid enough to continue staying in a camp when the number of monsters was so great that even a city with high walls would be so tense. Even though the camp was somewhat well-prepared for defense, it was still just a camp. While Zich scanned his surroundings, troops began to gather around the surrounding walls. They were not soldiers; they were mercenaries.

    ¡®Are they gathering all the mercenaries to this side?¡¯

    In a way, since Zich and hispanions were not officially part of the city¡¯s military forces, they were not much different from the mercenaries in the city¡¯s perspective. There were mercenaries from the Wolf¡¯s Canine among the mercenaries that came up. Til was leading Nick, Max, and a couple of other underlings with a loud voice and quickly climbed up the wall.

    ¡°I¡¯m Til, the captain of the Wolf¡¯s Canine! The city has given memand of the mercenaries! Listen to mymands in this battle!¡±

    The paper he held high up in the air with his right hand fluttered in the wind. It was probably the document confirming his authority. When arge group of mercenaries was gathered together like this, it wasmon to givemanding power to the captain with thergest number of mercenaries.

    While shouting loudly like this, Til noticed Zich and approached him. ¡°Ah, Sir Zich! You¡¯ve also arrived. If I knew you would be here, I would have given up themanding authority to you.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s fine. Mr. Til, as someone leading arge mercenary group, I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll do a much better jobmanding than me.¡±

    ¡°Thank you. Even though shameful events happened between us, let us move on and fight together. I¡¯m saying this for the sake of the city.¡±

    ¡°Of course.¡±

    Til smiling as he seemed to be pleased by Zich¡¯s reply. They shared a handshake.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but you must excuse me. I need to tell the others that I receivedmanding power from the city.¡± Then, Til began moving around the city while shouting in a loud voice again. The mercenaries followed him from behind. Max was familiar with Zich¡¯s group, so he lightly showed his respects and passed by them. Surprisingly, Nick also slightly bowed his head. Considering how they separatedst time, it was a very surprising event.

    ¡®Is he acting like this because I yed with his daughter?¡¯

    This was the only reason Zich could think of. As expected, Nick seemed to be a sucker for his daughter.

 Chapter 390

    <h4>Chapter 390</h4>

    Themotion was still ongoing on top of Pialu¡¯s castle walls. Soldiers ran to find their ces, and the voices of low-levelmanding officers trying to pass on orders from their superiors rang throughout the area. The soldiers stationed in their ces stared across the castle walls anxiously while gripping their weapons. Soon, a battle to the death involving blood, metals, and magic would take ce.

    Zich and hispanions had taken their positions early on and were now staring beyond the walls. Although they were also facing an imminent battle, their tension was clearly on a lower level than those around them. Zich was especially so calm that it appeared like he was going to a pic instead of a battle.

    ¡®Huh?¡¯ While leaning his body against the wall and waiting for the monsters to arrive, Zich sensed something surprising. ¡®That guy also came?¡¯ He saw Glen Zenard and hispanions climbing on top of the castle walls.

    ¡®Well, he said he dide to get rid of the monsters attacking Pialu, so I suppose it¡¯s not strange for him toe here.¡¯ Furthermore, if he wanted to reinforce his title as a hero, he had to continue to take part in events like this. In this sense, Glen¡¯s participation was natural.

    Glen also noticed Zich¡¯s presence. He nodded slightly and Zich did the same in response. That was all. The two didn¡¯t acknowledge each other any more than necessary.

    ¡°Do you realize how funny your guys¡¯ rtionship is?¡±

    ¡°Shut up,¡± Zich replied sinctly at L¡¯s teasing.

    Not long afterward, Zich noticed some ck dots. He took his back off from the wall and clutched Windur.

    ¡°Prepare.¡± At Zich¡¯smand, the rest of hispanions began to prepare for battle. The people in their surroundings looked at them in confusion since they couldn¡¯t see monsters with their own eyes yet. However, that didn¡¯tst long.

    Sliiid!

    Glen pulled out Tornium. Then, in order of how good their eyesight was, others took out their weapons. When everyone finished preparing for battle, they all could see an enormous group of monsters clearly rushing toward Pialu beyond the walls.

    ¡°Uh¡­!¡±

    ¡°What, so many¡­!¡± People¡¯s faces fell as they checked the number of monsters. Monsters of a number far greater than any of them had ever seen werepeting with one another to arrive at the castle first. Although Zich¡¯spanions had appeared calmer than the others, even they stiffened at the sight of the monsters¡¯ insurmountable numbers.

    As if they hade down from the Denest Mountain, the monsters gathered at the castle wall facing the mountain range. It was the ce that the city¡¯s main force was protecting, and Zich and hispanions stood some distance away from it. Based on the number of monsters and their trance, it was clear that a battle would also erupt where they currently were. Regardless of the ecology they were predisposed to or the animosity they had for one another or the natural food chain set in ce, all the monsters grouped together as one entity to rush towards Pialu.

    ¡®There¡¯s nothing that¡¯s really dangerous,¡¯ Zich thought as he saw them. Among the monsters, there were ones even dangerous to Zich such as the Kraken. However, among the monsters rushing toward them, it seemed like none of them was at that level. Of course, this thought process only applied to true monsters like Zich. Others had to stop their bodies from shaking in fear at the sight of the terror before them. After running madly, the monsters finally arrived near the fighters¡¯ vicinity.

    ¡°Shoot!¡± Arrows shot down from the castle walls. The sharp ends of the arrows bared their edges at the monsters.

    Fling! Fling!

    Kueh!

    Kyah!

    Monsters let out filthy screams as they were shot by arrows and fell to the ground. Then, they were soon trampled by the monsters rushing behind them and were ripped apart into unidentifiable shapes. However, there weren¡¯t many monsters who met this end. Although the arrows were effective against small monsters like goblins or kobolds, their effectiveness sharply decreased once the monsters were at least the size of orcs. Their stretchy leather and thick muscles blocked most of the arrows. Although some were critically injured, many of them had the characteristically persistent lifeforce of monsters and continued moving. Since it wasn¡¯t as if their actions werepletely useless, soldiers continued to shoot arrows. However, in the end, they couldn¡¯t stop the monsters from arriving at the castle walls.

    Bam!

    One of the ogres who arrived first thrusted its body strongly against the castle walls. A thick wooden door wrapped with chains shook strongly. Thankfully, the door didn¡¯t break, but the ogre didn¡¯t give up.

    Bam! Bam!

    The ogre continued to m the castle walls, and monsters joined from the side. A troll knocked on the door with a log that it had pulled out from somewhere. Small monsters stabbed the door with their tiny weapons betweenrge monsters¡¯ legs. Their attacks didn¡¯t only take ce at the castle door. Many monsters stuck to the castle walls too. Made from natural stones, the castle walls were ragged and bumpy, but it wasn¡¯t suitable for climbing by any means; the slopes were very perpendicr. However, many monsters were able to climb with ease, and that wasn¡¯t all.

    Uahhhh!

    Kuaaah!

    Different kinds of monsters all banged against the castle walls. However, unlike the castle door, the wall was made up of neatly piled stacks of stones and it didn¡¯t look like it would break as easily. Knowing this problem,rge monsters began to throw the smaller monsters over the castle walls.

    Punch!

    Crunch!

    As expected, the smaller monsters thrown over the walls without any safety devices or care couldn¡¯t havended safely. Many of them died from the fall or were severely injured. Yet, a few of them were able to continue battling after the fall and posed a great threat to the fighters. Some monsters even climbed on top of other monsters banging on the walls and reached the top of the wall in that manner.

    Even the mid-sized monsters were bigger than humans. As the monsters climbed on top of theirrades, they were able to soon reach the top of the city walls. Even though the monsters¡¯ attacks had no strategy or technique, their attacks were steadily cutting down Pialu¡¯s forces. Moreover, the attacks were not only directed at the wall pointing towards the Denest Mountain Range. When the monsters at the bottom of the walls were so crowded that they couldn¡¯t move forward, they began moving to the side and attacking the surrounding walls.

    It didn¡¯t seem far off that the monsters would soon reach where Zich and hispanions were. Due to the monsters¡¯ fierce attacks, the people were stressed out. Zich stared as the monsters attacked the city.

    ¡®Hmm, it¡¯s not enough to make the city fall.¡¯

    Even though there were a lot of monsters, it didn¡¯t seem enough to cross over Pialu¡¯s giant walls. However, the damage to the city wouldn¡¯t be small. There were already screams, shouts, and a lot of blooding from the walls that were attacked.

    ¡°L.¡±

    ¡°Got it.¡± There was no need for Zich to say anything further. L immediately raised her staff at Zich¡¯s word. She focused on the mana flowing in her body and began her incantation. The mana she calmly gathered was sucked into the end of her staff.

    Crackkkkle!

    An enormous fireball appeared at the end of her staff. All the surrounding gazes shifted towards her. People who had never seen a mage before, and even people who had seen mages a few times stared at the fireball she made with shock and admiration. This was how overpowering L¡¯s magic was. L finished her incantation, and the spell waspleted. She lightly swung the staff in front of her. The fireball followed the trajectory of her movement and flew out.

    Bammmmmm!

    The fireballnded in the middle of a group of monsters and literally covered its surroundings in mes. The monsters that were directly hit instantly turned into ashes and the surrounding monsters received serious burns. When the mes finally diminished, there was arge ck hole among the monster hoards.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    The people witnessing this power became speechless and tightly shut their mouths. However, this leisure did notst long. Even though L¡¯s magic attack was enough for humans to lose their will to fight and immediately run away, the monsters relentlessly continued their attacks. Finally, they reached Zich and hispanions.

    Zich turned back to hispanions. ¡°Well, fight hard.¡±

    Considering that they were in a war against monsters, it was a very carelessmand, but this was enough.

    ¡®They¡¯re not opponents I need to give specific advice for.¡¯ Moreover, his disciples wouldn¡¯t let down their guard just because their opponents were weak; he didn¡¯t teach them like that. Hans and Snoc stuck close to the front of the wall and Elena faced the monsters while raising her staff. L had alreadypleted her second spell.

    Bammm!

    Another enormous me bombed the monsters, and a huge number of monsters were swept away. The surrounding people felt a tremor pass through their bodies. Since the spell hit a ce that was closer to them, they were able to experience the force of the spell more vividly than before.

    ¡°What are you doing! Prepare for battle right now!¡± Til loudly shouted and awakened people back to their senses, which was as expected of a captain leading 500 mercenaries. At Til¡¯smand, people began diligently moving.

    ¡®He¡¯s pretty good.¡¯ Zich stared at Til.

    Til was killing monsters climbing up the walls while sending outmands everywhere. ¡®I probably don¡¯t have to worry about the wall with him here.¡¯

    After Zich made his decision, he immediately made his move. ¡°Hans. Snoc.¡±

    ¡°Yes, sir!¡±

    ¡°Yes, sir!¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re going down.¡± With just these words, Zich jumped over the rampart. The only thing in front of him was air, and a hoard of monsters bustled below. It looked like an act of suicide to anyone who was watching.

    ¡°What¡­!¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    The people nearby were obviously horrified. However, Zich wasn¡¯t the only person who jumped down. Hans and Snoc followed him and jumped down the wall. Did they suddenly get the impulse tomit group suicide due to overwhelming fear? A couple of mercenaries nearby quickly looked down to the bottom of the wall. The sight they expected were threepletely mangled bodies, ripped under the hands of monsters even before all three of them reached the ground. However, the sight they witnessed waspletely different from their expectations.

    Bammm!

    A loud explosion erupted. Even though it was notparable to the sound of L¡¯s magic, the sound of the explosion this time was also considerably loud. The mercenaries looking down at the bottom of the wall widened their eyes. In a sea of monsters attacking the city walls, a small hole appeared. In the hole, they saw Zich, Hans, and Snoc who had jumped down and parts of monsters that were so ripped apart that it was impossible to distinguish their shapes.

    Kuaaaaaah!

    Oouhhhhh!

    The monsters who noticed Zich, Hans, and Snoc rushed towards them like crazy. It seemed as if they would be drowned by the sea of monsters like arge tsunami sweeping through a fragile leaf. However, the resultspletely strayed from people¡¯s expectations once again.

    Bammm!

    A tree branch like a sword destroyed the monsters with their surroundingndscape.

    Slice!

    The monsters swept by a bright light copsed after getting their whole body cut apart.

    Crassh!

    Earth that rose up from the ground covered the monsters and crushed them underneath. Like this, the crack in the monster hoard that appeared in front of the wall began to steadily increase in size, and likewise, the shock of the onlookers grew bigger.

 Chapter 391

    <h4>Chapter 391</h4>

    No matter how weak it was, a monster inflicted fear on people. Although a monster¡¯s strength and cunningness depended on the type of species it was, all monsters shared themonality of cruelty. Seeing humans as food was just its basic nature, and they were capable of far greater evils. Even weaker monsters traveled in groups or used various methods to ovee their weakness when attacking. Thus, people couldn¡¯t simply overlook them. The fact that their enemies were monsters instead of humans unconsciously affected the mercenaries¡¯ morale.

    Yet, the shocking event shook the foundation of fear firmly rooted in their human brains since birth. It started with a gigantic spell. A fireball as big as a house appeared and began burning the terrifying monsters in one sweep. Most of the mercenaries had never seen magic in their lives. Thus, when they saw a spell that they had only seen in storybooks when they were children, they were overwhelmed with immense shock. Simultaneously, big hope arose in their hearts that they would be able to win this battle if such a great mage was with them.

    However, that wasn¡¯t the end of their hope. Three people suddenly jumped down the castle walls. Not many actually witnessed the three go down, but it didn¡¯t take long for the other mercenaries to notice their existence. There was one person swinging a strange-looking sword that looked like a tree branch and crushed the monsters like they were rotten blocks of wood. Another one sliced the monsters in half with a sword that poured out light. Thest one carried a fearsome creature who flipped the ground upside down and suffocated the monsters. Although monsters were rushing towards them from everywhere, it didn¡¯t seem like they were being pushed back at all. Instead, they seemed to be at ease as they fought. It was as if they were watching heroes right out of storybooks.

    Crash!

    Magic shot down over the monsters once again. There wasn¡¯t only one person using magic. Next to the mage who cast the first burst of magic, they saw another mage. Although her spell appeared weaker than the first mage¡¯s, the magic she used also had no problem burning down the monsters.

    ¡®My goodness.¡¯ Til clicked his tongue as he watched the scene below the castle walls. He was at a loss for words because of the unbelievable sight in front of him.

    From the beginning, Til was happy to meet Zich and hispanions. Although their first meeting hadn¡¯t been ideal, the situation was resolved well; these days, the group even yed with his son often. Til had boundless love for his son, so he naturally began to think well of Zich¡¯s group. Even Nick changed his attitude after hearing that Zich and hispanions yed with his daughter frequently even though he had seen Zich scornfully during their arguments. Even though Til and Nick often argued because of their conflicting ideals for the future, they both loved their children dearly.

    Of course, this wasn''t the only reason that Til wee Zich and hispanion¡¯s presence. Zich had the title of Karuwiman Honorary Holy Knight. It was a title that couldn¡¯t be ignored by any means¡ªnot because of the title¡¯s value, but the skills that followed it, which his underlings could witness. Thus, if Zich and hispanions joined his group, they would be much more advantageous in this battle. Til became more convinced of this belief after seeing the spell that one of Zich¡¯spanion¡¯s shot. Although Til had experienced many things and seen a couple of mages, had never witnessed such amazing magic.

    Til had strong hopes. He could win this battle while minimizing his losses. Yet, his mind became nk when he saw Zich and the other two jump down from the castle walls. He wondered what in the world they were thinking about. It made him wonder if a Karuwiman Honorary Holy Knight wouldmit suicide out of fear in this battle. Yet, what happened afterward made him utterly speechless. Just three people were swiping away a group of mostlyrge monsters. It wasn¡¯t a battle but a one-sided ambush. The scene shocked Til to the point he stood staring absentmindedly when he had to give orders to his subordinates. L finally woke him up from his dazed state.

    ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to takemand? There are monsters crawling from other ces,¡± she calmly said while striking down with another spell.

    As she said, the number of monsters trying to climb the castle walls was increasing. Although Zich and hispanions had distracted a considerable number of monsters, there was an unimaginably great number of them. After quickly regaining his senses, Til began giving out orders.

    ¡°Archers, take your bows¡­!¡± Til started and shut his mouth. L noticed that his eyes were on Zich, Hans, and Snoc.

    ¡°You don¡¯t have to hesitate to shoot just because of those guys. They won¡¯t be beaten just by aimless arrows.¡±

    Now that he thought about it, it seemed foolish to even be worried about those three. Til gave the orders for his subordinates to shoot. Arrows flew across the castle walls. Although some fell where Zich and hispanions were, they all deflected the arrows without even ncing at them. Feeling relieved from this, Til continued to give out orders to shoot. Other mercenaries poured hot water down the castle walls or dropped downrge stones. However, that wasn¡¯t enough to block all the monsters, and one or two began climbing up the walls with their hands. The mercenaries stabbed them with their weapons.

    ¡°Hmph!¡± Til¡¯s giant swords severed the heads of three monsters who lifted their necks over the castle walls. From a distance away, Nick drilled holes into the monsters¡¯ foreheads while Til was cracking the monsters¡¯ heads with an axe. Supported and encouraged by Zich and hispanions¡¯ feats, the mercenaries had a much easier time defending the castle walls.

    The most noticeable part of the battle was Zich and hispanions by far. Including the mercenaries close to the castle walls, even Pialu¡¯s soldiers from far away witnessed their fight. They looked at Zich and hispanions with admiring eyes, and of course, Glen was deeply displeased about the situation.

    ¡®Damn it!¡¯ He cursed inside his mind. He felt annoyed that the soldiers looked at Zich and hispanions with eyes full of admiration. Those eyes should be directed towards him¡ªthe noble hero.

    Yet, what was the situation like? The people standing out the most on this battlefield were Zich and hispanions. If the battle ended like this, no one would remember him.

    ¡®I¡¯m also gonna go.¡¯ This was the only way. Even though he wouldn¡¯t be able to hoard all the attention, he would at least be able to gather all the remaining attention.

    ¡°Chelsea!¡±

    ¡°Yes!¡±

    ¡°You walk around and heal the injured soldiers.¡±

    ¡°What? What about you, Sir Glen?¡±

    ¡°Do you think I¡¯ll receive an injury in a skirmish like this?¡±

    ¡°Hmm, unexpected urrences can ur, so I don¡¯t feel reallyfortable about this, but I understand.¡±

    ¡°Pina!¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡±

    ¡°You use your magic to help the soldiers.¡±

    ¡°Got it.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll be going down the wall.¡± Glen tightly held onto Tornium.

    Lara quickly tried to stop him. ¡°It¡¯s dangerous, Glen!¡±

    A woman who ignored his advice was annoying him¡ªGlen red at Lara. She had no choice but to close her mouth at his cold gaze.

    ¡°You think I won¡¯t be able to do what they¡¯re doing?¡±

    ¡°I-it¡¯s not like that. Those people are fighting in a group. If you really want to, I can also go with y¡ª¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± Glen coldly cut off Lara¡¯s words. ¡°I can¡¯t fight while protecting you.¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t need to protect me! I also have skills of my own ri¡ª!¡±

    ¡°I said it¡¯s fine.¡± Glen interrupted Lara again.

    ¡°T-then what should I d¡ª¡±

    ¡°Help the soldiers nearby.¡± After saying this, Glen jumped down the city wall.

    Lara stared at Glen¡¯s departure with a dumbfounded expression.

    ¡°¡­I¡¯ll go first.¡± Pina seemed ufortable by the awkward silence as she held her staff and ran towards the front of the wall.

    ¡°Ms. Browning, take care!¡± After Chelsea encouraged Lara with her trademark smirk (considering Chelsea¡¯s personality, it was probably closer to mockery than encouragement), she went to the nearest soldier with injuries.

    Lara was left by herself. Even though screams and shouts were everywhere and bloody battles between humans and monsters were going on all around her, she stood still as if she couldn¡¯t feel anything. Fortunately, the time she spent in this state was not long. Even though the monsters had notnded on top of the walls yet, it was not a good idea to be dazed in the middle of battle. Lara took out her sword. Then, she stuck tightly to the front of the wall and swung her swords at all the monsters climbing up.

    Slice! Her sword followed a clean trajectory and cut off an ogre¡¯s neck. The ogre that lost its neck fell to the bottom of the wall.

    Slice! Slice! Slice!

    Lara continued swinging her sword. Every time she swung her sword, a monster lost its life. Lara¡¯s sword style was extremely clean; it was not something to be taken lightly. It was to the extent that Zich even nodded and thought she was pretty good. However, Lara¡¯s face was expressionless. She steadfastly cut off the monsters¡¯ heads as if she was an emotionless machine.

    * * *

    The soldiers celebrated as they saw another person jump straight into the sea of monsters. Unlike Zich¡¯s group which was made up of three people, the person was killing monsters by himself. Of course, since there was a difference in numbers and gaps in skills, Glen was unable to kill as many monsters as Zich¡¯s group. However, the fact that he could survive after jumping straight into a sea of monsters was extremely impressive.

    L also stared at this sight. ¡®Is that Glen Zenard?¡¯ It seemed as if Glen jumped down because he didn¡¯t want Zich to steal his spotlight. L precisely guessed Glen¡¯s inner thoughts.

    ¡®Should I pretend it was an ident and shoot him once?¡¯ The desire to shoot him with magic suddenly rose inside L¡¯s heart, but she forcibly repressed it. ¡®He¡¯s Zich¡¯s prey, so I should just leave him be.¡¯

    Suddenly, L felt a surge of mana next to her. Her gaze naturally headed in that direction.

    Bam! Apleted spell shot out and hit the monsters. Arge fireball burned the monsters.

    ¡®Hmm.¡¯ L stared at the person who cast the spell; the girl looked like she was around Elena¡¯s age. It was L¡¯s first time seeing her, but she immediately thought of someone.

    ¡®Zich said that Glen Zenard got newrades.¡¯ He definitely said one of therades was a mage from the magical tower in Sunewick, and her name was Pina Acous.

    ¡°¡­Acous?¡± Elena looked at the girl with wide eyes.

    ¡°It¡¯s been a while, Dwayne.¡±

    ¡°Ah, yeah. It¡¯s been a while.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re now able to use magic.¡±

    ¡°Yep.¡±

    Pina stared at Elena¡¯s staff. A strong me was burning at the end of it. Even though Elena had stopped her incantation in surprise, there was no sign that the me would disappear.

    ¡°You also learned incantation suspension?¡±

    ¡°Hmm? Ah, yep. I learned it from my teacher.¡± Pina¡¯s gaze shifted towards L. At the magical tower, L was extremely famous and she wasbeled as a genius magician. Like the rumors described her, she also possessed an unearthly beauty.

    L said, ¡°Hey, you two, catch up with each otherter on. We need to finish off the monsters in front of us right now.¡±

    ¡°Ah, yes!¡± Elena shifted her gaze back to the front and used her magic. Pina watched this sight for a bit and then began attacking monsters again.

    The battle was reaching its end. Even though monsters continued to rush forward, the humans were not pushed back even a bit and killed all the monsters. When the sun slowly started to set, their long battle finally ended. In the end, humans won. At the bottom of the city wall, there were only dead monster corpses, and not a single monster was alive.

    The soldiers let out their cheers. This was their way of celebrating their victory and surviving a harsh battle. Moreover, it was also a tribute to those who yed significant roles and left a deep impression on everyone in this battle. These people were Zich and hispanions and Glen¡ªthey stood between countless monsters as they back their weapons. Meanwhile, the otherpanions let out a small sigh on the top of the city wall. People looked at them with eyes full of admiration.

    The birth of the heroes was in full swing.

 Chapter 392

    <h4>Chapter 392</h4>

    After the battle ended, Zich and Glen¡¯spanions were showered with praise and hospitality. Even the city¡¯s mayor invited them into his mansion and took part in the celebration.

    ¡°I heard the stories! Stories of the great feat you have shown in battle! As expected of a Karuwiman Honorary Holy Knight!¡± The mayor spluttered all kinds of ttery along with his own spit, but considering their achievements, his enthusiasm was expected.

    Normally, the mayor would have set up a grand ball in celebration, but considering the circumstances the city was in, they were treated to a simple dinner. Although the two groups were invited at the same time, Zich¡¯s party and Glen¡¯s party didn¡¯t engage in many conversations. In the first ce, they were supposed to feel awkward with one another outwardly; inwardly, they couldn¡¯t wait to murder each other.

    Since they didn¡¯t know when the monsters would attack again, they ended their meals early. The mayor lent them a carriage so that they could have an easy ride back. After a big battle, everyone felt fatigued¡ªsome more or less than others¡ªand they all fell asleep instantly. Although L usually visited Zich¡¯s room during the evenings to exchange opinions, she didn¡¯te either. It didn¡¯t take long for Zich to fall asleep either after hey on his bed. Yet, he didn¡¯t have a peaceful sleep.

    ¡°Damn it! It¡¯s this dream again!¡± Zich grumbled. A scene he had seen multiple times unfolded before him.

    Walwiss and Leona lightly bickered. Zich Brave watched them with a bitter smile, and Leona made a short prayer amid this chaos. Then, Til was also attending to his own matters. They all appeared as they did in his dreams, and Zich also had the same nasty feeling he always felt in them. Yet, Zich didn¡¯t turn his eyes away and denied the situation in front of him like he had done in his first dream. It was because he had gained a lot of useful information from these dreams.

    While crossing his arms, Zich waited to see what the dream would show him this time, but there wasn¡¯t much information. Zich Brave and hispanions exchanged trivial conversations. Zich thought he was having this dream because he met Til and needed information about him, so tilted his head in wonder. ¡®Is this just a pointless dream?¡¯

    If that was the case, then the situation would be truly unpleasant. Just seeing Zich Brave¡¯s face gave Zich deep agony, especially if he wasn¡¯t going to gain any information from it. Zich clicked his tongue in annoyance when he noticed something strange.

    For the most part, the scene in front of him remained the same. Walwiss and Leona argued, Leona prayed, and Til was upied with menial tasks. Yet, thest remaining person, Zich Brave was behaving differently now. He had been watching Walwiss and Leona¡¯s argument with a bitter smile, but he was now looking at Zich. So, he wondered if something was behind him and turned his head. However, nothing was there, and thendscape simply continued beyond him. Zich turned to face forward again. Zich Brave was looking in his direction again.

    Zich moved his body one step to the left. Zich Brave¡¯s head turned slightly. Zich tried moving five steps to the right this time. Zich Brave¡¯s eyes followed him once again. He was sure that Zich Brave was looking at him now.

    ¡®He can take part in this dream too?¡¯ Since this was the first time something like this happened, Zich was extremely surprised.

    At that point, Zich Brave smiled; then, he spoke to Zich.

    [Let¡¯s meet soon.]

    Before he could understand these words, Zich woke up from his dream. What he saw when he opened his eyes was a ceiling covered with darkness. It seemed like it was still night as no light seeped through the windows. However, Zich couldn¡¯t go to sleep. He raised his body.

    ¡®What was that?¡¯ It was different from his usual dreams. He looked at Windur lying in a corner of the room. Like it usually did, it pretended to act dumb as it quietly leaned against the wall. Maybe because Zich didn¡¯t take his eyes off it, but Windur transformed as if it couldn¡¯t help it anymore.

    Swish!

    Its branch-like des pointed in one direction. It was acting in the same manner it did when Zich was looking for a ce with a tree.

    ¡°Did you show me that dream?¡±

    Windur didn¡¯t answer. It simply pointed toward one direction without saying anything. Zich stared in the direction it was pointing, and all he saw was a wall covered by the darkness. However, he knew what was beyond it.

    ¡®The Denest Mountain Range.¡¯

    The sword which usually feigned ignorance expressed itself so strongly now. Not following its direction wasn¡¯t even an option.

    ¡®I was nning to go into the mountain range anyways.¡¯ The city had been attacked by arge-scale of monsters recently. Since numerous monsters had died, it would most likely be safe for some period of time. ¡®I¡¯m sure there won¡¯t be an attack stronger than this too.¡¯

    There could be stronger monsters than the ones they saw in this battle. Furthermore, no matter how many monsters they killed this time, it was foolish to think that the Denest Mountain Range was now empty of its monster inhabitants. No, considering the enormous scale of the mountain range, they didn¡¯t even kill that many monsters.

    ¡®I should leave the rest of the team behind.¡¯ If hispanions stayed, they could protect the city from strong monsters. If he added the soldiers and the Wolf¡¯s Canine on top of them, it seemed like there was little chance that a siege against Pialu would be sessful.

    ¡®Glen Zenard¡¯s party is okay if you only consider their skills¡­¡¯

    It was their minds rather than their skills that were dangerous. Truthfully, Zich didn¡¯t want to leave the city where Til was since he used to be Zich Brave¡¯spanion and possibly the Demon Lord of Disaster. He didn¡¯t know when Glen would start his ploys. Yet, he was leaving some of hispanions behind for that exact reason.

    ¡®If it¡¯s the current L, she¡¯ll lead the rest of the guys well.¡¯

    At the very least, she would bide enough time until Zich returned. After making his decision, all he had to do was carry it out. He made a bold move.

    ¡®I will leave after dawn.¡¯ There was no need for him to drag it out anymore.

    * * *

    ¡°For that reason, I¡¯ll be going to the mountain range.¡±

    ¡°Did you really have toe and tell me that so early in the morning?¡± Lined to Zich who came and told her this when the sun hadn¡¯t even risen yet.

    ¡°For matters like this, you need to act on it as soon as you think of it.¡±

    ¡°Really, you¡¯re all tal¡­¡± However, L also thought they needed to take action after such an unusual urrence in Zich¡¯s dream. ¡°So you¡¯re saying that Zich Brave stared at you? And he said he¡¯ll meet you soon?¡±

    ¡°Yep. He was clearly aware of me, so I¡¯m extremely regretful.¡±

    ¡°About what?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s because that could have been the moment I could interact with the dream. I need to at least stab that fucking Zich Brave bastard¡¯s head¡­¡±

    ¡°¡­You¡¯re really consistent.¡± L was amazed at the consistency of Zich¡¯s hatred towards Zich Brave.

    ¡°Well, since that bastard told me we¡¯ll meet soon, I can rip him apart.¡±

    L did not reply. Her expression became ambiguous. ¡°¡­What do you think that means?¡±

    ¡°You mean about meeting soon?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. Since Zich Brave is you.¡±

    Zich outrightly made an annoyed face. It was horrifying to hear that push-over, sucker, and justice-idiot was himself. However, this time, he just frowned and quietly waited for L¡¯s next words.

    ¡°Before the regression, Zich Brave was probably an amazing hero for sure. However, that was all before all the regressions. After time was turned back,pletely different events and meetings passed and Zich Brave disappeared. After many regressions, the Demon Lord of Strength, Zich Moore, threw away hisst name and became just Zich¡ªthe ¡®you¡¯ right now.¡±

    ¡°In the end, everything ends well. If you think about it in this way, regression is not bad.¡± Zich was saying that regression wasn¡¯t bad because the present him was the right one and his past self was faulty. He was shameless as always.

    However, L still had a serious expression. ¡°Then, considering all these factors, how will Zich Brave be able to meet you? There are numerous Zichs, but there¡¯s only one Zich in one timeline.¡±

    It was only then did Zich finally realize what L was worried about. ¡°You think that if I change into Zich Brave, I might disappear.¡±

    ¡°All kinds of things have happened so far. If I believe that such a thing will never happen, I¡¯d be stupid.¡±

    ¡°Isn¡¯t Zich Brave the ideal type of person you want? Won¡¯t it be better if I change? That guy will never be the Demon Lord that you¡¯re so worried about.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t speak nonsense, Zich.¡± L stared directly into Zich¡¯s eyes. Her appearance right now was the most energetic one he had ever seen. ¡°The person I love is you. Not Zich Brave.¡±

    Zich blinked his eyes. He hadn¡¯t imagined that L would ever say such brazen words. However, it seemed as if L had been swept up in the atmosphere. Even though only one candlelight lit up her room, anyone could see how red her face was. However, she did not lower her head.

    Zich let out a smallugh. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Even if something happens, I¡¯ll be the one to crack that guy¡¯s head, and he won¡¯t be able to harm me.¡±

    ¡°¡­I¡¯ll believe you.¡±

    ¡°Good. Then, exin the situation to the other guys. Also, I¡¯ll leave the monster ambushes and Glen Zenard up to you.¡±

    ¡°Isn¡¯t that too much work?¡±

    ¡°I''m only saying this because I trust you.¡±

    ¡°Fine. I got it.¡± L nodded and then she tapped Zich¡¯s arm. ¡°Come back safely. Don¡¯t get hurt out there for no good reason.¡±

    ¡°All right.¡±

    ¡°If something seems weird,e back right away.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m also not going there with the intention of solving everything. If something happens, I¡¯lle down immediately to ask for help.¡±

    ¡°Then, that¡¯s enough.¡±

    Like this, after finishing his conversation with L, Zich went out of the lodging. L opened the window and saw him off as Zich disappeared into the darkness.

    * * *

    As expected of the enormous size and height of the Denest Mountain Range, the mountains inside the range were extremely steep. This was especially true for Selockblum, which was its highest peak. Sharp cliffs blocked the way forward and appeared at every turn, and as characteristics of a tall mountain, ice and snow covered thend, and the weather changed frequently. Moreover, the coldness of the mountain, which seemed as if it would freeze a person¡¯s skin, was an enormous trial to get over as people climbed higher. There were also monsters wandering in the mountains. Most people couldn¡¯t imagine that they would ever be able to climb Selockblum. However, these obstacles were only relevant to normal humans.

    Crunch!

    Zich pierced his fingers into cliffs that looked like they were specially sharpened. After checking that his fingers were firmly ced, he put strength into his arms. Zich¡¯s body moved up, and in this state, he pushed his other hand¡¯s fingers into the cliff. Since he had climbed for a while now, what he could see at the bottom lookedpletely ck. If he fell, even if he had multiple lives to spare, all of his lives would be lost. However, Zich steadily pushed his fingers into the cliff and climbed higher.

    Even though it took some time, it was not very difficult for Zich to climb the cliff. However, what blocked Zich was not only the high cliffs.

    Kuckk!

    Zich heard a coarse sound without a trace of elegance in it, and he raised his head. Somethingrge was flying towards him. It was arge monster with wings¡ªa griffin. It sped towards Zich¡ªthe griffin was definitely treating Zich like its prey. Zich pulled Windur from his back, and when the griffin reached him and opened its mouth, Zichzily swung Windur. Thin but strong mana flowed through the griffin¡¯s mouth and body.

    Slice!

    In an instant, the griffin¡¯s body was cut in two. The griffin, which had been freely flying in the sky, was unable to win against the force of gravity and plummeted down into darkness while its blood and intestines scattered in the air. However, Zich had no interest in a dead griffin. He returned Windur on his back and began pushing his fingers into the cliff again. Like this, his climb continued.

 Chapter 393

    <h4>Chapter 393</h4>

    After climbing up to the cliff, Zich looked down. He couldn¡¯t see the floor. White clouds hung around the middle of the cliff and covered the areas below. It was a rare dream-like scene that brought chills to its viewers. If he fell from here, it would be the same as flinging his body high up into the air. Zich gazed a bit upwards. A white nket of clouds nketed the sky like open ins, and several peaks shot through them. They were covered with ice caps and appeared white, matching the color of clouds so that it looked like he was in a world with only white ins and mountains.

    Zich turned his head and looked behind him this time. Unlike the other peaks that barely managed to reach over the cloud, the peak behind him belonged to the tallest mountain in the world: Selockblum. It still maintained its massive figure and looked down on Zich.

    ¡®I have to keep going up.¡¯ He hung Windur, which pointed in the direction of Selockblum¡¯s peak, and continued treading forward. Since he wasn¡¯t on a cliff, there was no need for him to force his fingers into the cliff, but the slope and terrain remained difficult and rough. The high piles of snow kept pulling his ankles down, and sharp winds kept trying to rip apart his clothes. Then, the bright orange sky gradually turned brown. However, Zich continued walking. Even the rough mountain path of the world¡¯s greatest peak couldn¡¯t halt his feet. Some timeter, Zich finally stood at the highest point in the world.

    ¡®I can¡¯t believe it made me go all the way to Selockblum¡¯s peak.¡¯

    Although Zich hoped that Windur would guide him to a cave somewhere in the mid-region of Selockblum, Windur continued to guide him towards the mountain top.

    ¡®Well, it¡¯s a ce worth seeing at least once.¡¯

    The only word that came to his mind was ¡®marvelous¡¯ as he looked at the sky that seemed to stretch to infinity and the view that existed below it. Even with his excellent eyesight, Zich couldn¡¯t see any living creatures on the surface below him. There were also no mountain peaks standing alongside Zich. He was at the highest point in the world. The only thing that existed above him was the sky, clouds, and heavenly bodies. This fact made even Zich¡¯s emotions stir. He had climbed up the mountain at the speed of lightning without resting because he was worried about Pialu. Now, as Zich sat on top of the peak¡¯s boulder, he stared below him for a moment.

    ¡®When the matter at Pialu settles down, I should bring the rest of the team here,¡¯ he thought. It was a sight too marvelous for him to see alone.

    Zich stared below him nkly and something passed his mind. He remembered something else he had promised to do and took out an object from the magic box. It was a small urn. Zich opened the urn¡¯s lid and checked its contents. It was filled with ashes.

    ¡®It was stored well.¡¯

    Zich ced his hand into the urn and took out handfuls of ashes. Then, he scattered the ashes into the air.

    Whooosh!

    The strong winds clutched the ashes and escaped into the sky. Zich continued pulling out and scattering the ashes from the urn, not caring what happened to them. The ashes quickly disappeared until thest fistful of ashes and an amount too tiny to be grasped inside the urn remained. Zich stared at the ashes in his hands and said, ¡°Didn¡¯t I promise you? I said I would scatter you in the highest ce in the world.¡±

    Zich scattered thest fistful of ashes. Then, he flipped the urn and emptied it. While looking at the ashes floating in the air, he said, ¡°Goodbye, Trislowa. Don¡¯t hold any resentment towards me for this since everything is your fault.¡±

    Whooosh!

    As if it were shuddering in rage, the ashes seemed to shake as they flew in the winds. Then, they dispersed until it looked like they had melted into the blue sky. Feeling that he hadpleted an important mission, Zich was filled with satisfaction and pride.

    ¡®Yup, it¡¯s important to keep promises.¡¯

    It wasn¡¯t fitting for Zich to say since he had broken multiple promises while killing Trislowa, but no one was around to argue with him now. After dwelling in this emotional moment and finishing hisst task involving Trislowa, Zich carried out the main reason for his visit to this peak. He took out Windur whose des were curved. Unlike how it usually looked, Windur¡¯s de pointed to the area below his feet.

    Zich rubbed the floor with his feet and pushed away high piles of snow. However, that didn¡¯tst long. Soon, apletely frozen floor beneath him greeted him. It was clear that it wouldn¡¯t break from a simple shock.

    Zich stared at Windur, and it persistently pointed below Zich¡¯s feet. ¡®I guess I have to dig.¡¯ Zich didn¡¯t expect to be shoveling snow aftering all the way up to Selockblum. Afterining a bit, he turned Windur to the peak. Then, after he poured arge burst of mana into it, he stuck the ground below him hard.

    Craaaaash! A gigantic collision whirled around Selockblum¡¯s peak, and the immense amount snow piled up in the area reacted.

    Craaaash! The peacefully sleeping snow erupted. It moved even the snow nearby and a cloud of white dust whirled until it fell below. Snow swept down the mountain peak, but Zich didn''t look concerned even though he had caused this massive disaster. Since the avnche urred in such a high ce, he knew it wouldn¡¯t harm the areas below the mountain. Zich simply continued to dig in the area that Windur pointed toward. Although the floor changed into an extremely hardened ice lump, it couldn¡¯t block Windur after it was filled with mana.

    Every time Zich swung Windur, ice chunks that were bigger than a human jumped out. After some time passed¡ª

    Bam! A sharp sound rang out from beneath the ice. This waspletely different from when Windur simply mmed against the ice. In the first ce, ice that could push Windur back with mana did not exist.

    ¡®Found it!¡¯ Zich fused arge amount of mana in his foot and raised it.

    Craaackkk!

    The ice underneath his feetpletely broke. Zich cleaned up the shattered ice, and a hard metal appeared underneath. First, the metal that let out cold air was not an ordinary piece of metal at all. However, Zich was not interested in different types of metal; his gaze was stuck on the long crack that appeared between the metal. Zich inserted Windur into that crack.

    Click! He heard something click from the inside. Zich turned Windur, and the crack began turning with Windur at its center.

    nk!

    When Windur turned a full circle, Zich heard the sound of metal nking.

    Crk!

    As Selockblum shook, the spaces beside the crack slowly began pushing to the side. After a while, a hole big enough for one person to go inside appeared in front of Zich.

    ¡®It¡¯s here.¡¯ Anyone could tell that this ce was rted to Clowon. Zich ordered Windur to point towards the location of the tree. However, Windur didn¡¯t change at all.

    ¡®Does it think it doesn¡¯t need to lead me anymore?¡¯ Windur really did whatever it wanted to. Zich clicked his tongue and tied Windur on his back. Then, he looked down into the hole where he could see a long staircase that stretched down.

    ¡®What should I do?¡¯ Zich pondered a bit. He had found what he wanted, and there was probably another tree underneath this hole. ¡®Do I have to bring the others?¡¯

    Whenever they found a tree, it never ended easily for Zich and hispanions so far. For the Tree of Fire, they were swept into a tribal war between elves, and for the Tree of Water, there was an experimental monster that tried to steal L¡¯s memories. For the Tree of Earth, they had to battle Marilyn and the defense system in a tomb.

    ¡®However, I can¡¯t be certain that it¡¯ll be the same for this ce.¡¯

    In the best-case scenario, there might be no obstacles at all for this tree, and his concerns would have all been naught. Zich couldn¡¯t be certain of anything right now in this situation, but his concern did notst long.

    ¡®I¡¯m going down.¡¯

    As long as Til and Glen Zenard were in the city, he needed someone he trusted to also stay in Pialu for his heart to feel relieved. Moreover, regardless of how dangerous the situation was, Zich was confident that he¡¯d at least be able to escape. Zich put his feet on the staircase, and when his body fully disappeared beneath the hole, the door closed again. As if it had been doing this for a very long time, the hole fell into silence. Once again, only the noisy sound of wind flowed around Selockblum.

    * * *

    It was dark inside the hole. However, the darkness was unable to cover Zich¡¯s sight. Zich moved on with ease as if arge light source was only cast upon him. The staircase spiraled, stretched out below, and continued on until it reached Selockblum¡¯s center. However, regardless of how long the staircase went on, there was still an end. Zich put his feet at the bottom of the staircase and he noticed that his surroundings were quite wide. Light shined from the ceiling like the Emperor¡¯s tomb, so it was bright. One thing caught Zich¡¯s eye below the lights.

    ¡®Is it a house? No, judging by how it looks, is it a temple?¡¯ Since it was a building built a long time ago, it might be apletely different ce than what Zich expected, but regardless of what it was, it looked like a temple to Zich.

    Zich walked towards the building. Considering howrge this space was, the building was also considerablyrge. After walking up smooth staircases,rge pirs weed Zich. Heavy roofs were ced on top. Since it was a building inside a city, it didn¡¯t need a roof, but that was probably the architectural style. However, unlike its massive size, the inside of the building was very simple. There were no walls; only pirs supported the roofs on top so the inside was clear. The most noticeable feature of the building was therge altar and a statue on top of it.

    ¡®It¡¯s the first emperor of the Clowon Empire.¡¯ He had already seen this face in the Emperors¡¯ tomb. ¡®It¡¯s L¡¯s dad.¡¯

    Zich took out Windur. It was a statue of a figure that moved by itself in the Emperor¡¯s tomb and freely attacked Zich like crazy. There was no assurance that this statue wouldn¡¯t also do the same thing. However, even when Zich approached the statue, it didn¡¯t move. Zich continued to keep his guard against it.

    ¡®The statues in the tomb also began moving only after it was triggered.¡¯ While keeping his guard up against the statue, Zich scanned his surroundings. Nothing looked very special to him. He only saw things that looked like preparations for some kind of ritual.

    ¡®Is the object of worship the first Emperor?¡¯

    This was not very surprising. The first Emperor was the one who created the basic framework of Clowon. This was enough for his predecessors to serve him as a god. However, it didn¡¯t matter how much the people in Clowon sincerely worshiped their first Emperor. ¡®There¡¯s nothing much for me to see here.¡¯

    Zich searched the area around the temple and found a hole behind the Emperor¡¯s statue. A long staircase stretched out from below the hole likest time. Zich descended down the stairs, and the staircase was also very long this time. When Zich reached the bottom of the staircase, he was able to see it¡ª there was an enormous tree covered in extremely thick chains floating in the air.

 Chapter 394

    <h4>Chapter 394</h4>

    It was an extremely peculiar sight. Trees were special beings that could grow and shoot upwards towards the sky endlessly, but its beginnings would always start from the ground. Even if it sprouted towards the sky, its roots firmly grasped the ground. Of course, the Tree of Earth had a strange structure since its roots reached up to the sky and grew inwards into the earth, but it didn¡¯t break the principle of growing while attached to the ground.

    Yet, the tree in front of him was different. From its leaves to the ends of its roots, there was not a spot on the tree attached to the floor. If it wasn¡¯t for the chains wrapped around the tree, it looked like it would float to the ceiling. The chain held the tree to the ground like a noose tying up a bird that was trying to fly away.

    ¡®The bind doesn¡¯t look that tough though.¡¯ A considerable part of the chain that was tied to the tree was broken off and wavered in the air.

    Pop! One more chain broke off. The chain couldn¡¯t withstand the sudden increase in force and flew towards Zich. He arched his back.

    Bam! Above him, it sounded like the air was getting whipped. The chains followed a disorganized trajectory and distanced themselves from Zich. ¡®It would¡¯ve been dangerous if I had taken a direct hit.¡¯

    The chains had been tightened to the limit, and the force it swirled with as its parts broke off couldn¡¯t be underestimated. If an ordinary person were pped by it, their bones wouldn¡¯t be the only things to break. The upper and lower parts of their body would have been divided into two. Furthermore, the chains didn¡¯t appear to be made up of normal metal and were soaked with mana. If Zich had gotten hit, even he would have suffered more than a simple injury.

    ¡®That must be the object suppressing the tree.¡¯ Zich thought the chain fulfilled the same role as the Lake¡¯s Tear, the me¡¯s Tear, and the green tree that had once surrounded the Tree of Earth. However, seeing how arge part of it was broken off, it didn¡¯t seem like it waspletely fulfilling its role.

    ¡®I can also feel a great deal of the tree¡¯s mana.¡¯

    Zich felt the difference in mana levels between a suppressed tree and a free one. The mana he felt right now was too high for a restricted tree. ¡®But the mana is too little for me to believe that it¡¯spletely unsuppressed.¡¯

    It seemed more urate to think that this tree¡¯s suppressor had lost half of its effectiveness. Perhaps, the suppressor had degraded over a great length of time. Yet, the other suppressors he saw before showed no signs of aging; they brilliantly performed their roles as if they were new. It was just a guess, but Zich thought that time had no effect on the suppressors.

    ¡®Then, is it because I removed the other trees¡¯ suppressors?¡¯

    Zich thought the trees were the key to solving the regression question. Thus, there was a high possibility that all the trees were connected; therefore, it was also possible that the other trees could influence one another after they were freed from their suppressors. Zich walked right below the tree.

    Whiiiish!

    As he neared the tree, the air whirled harder. His clothes pped and his hair waved wildly in the air. There shouldn¡¯t be any wind inside a basement like this, especially if the only area leading to the outside was a single staircase that stretched through a deep tunnel. The only exnation for this unbelievable situation was the tree.

    ¡®This is the Tree of Wind.¡¯

    Then that exined everything: the wind tickling his body and the tree hovering in the air. After observing the tree for a bit, Zich approached the chain that tied the tree to the floor, hoping to remove the chains. Although Zich could slice through steel like it was mud, this was no ordinary chain. If he recalled the past suppressors, even if they had lost half of their abilities, he couldn¡¯t underestimate them. Yet, he had something to rely on. He pulled out Windur from his back and clutched it. Soon, Windur shook.

    Wiiiiing! At the same time, the tree of wind vibrated.

    ¡®It¡¯s here!¡¯

    The dormant mana inside Zich began to gradually wake up. It always pleased him to feel his body fill up with power. It felt like moving one¡¯s limbs freely after recovering from an injury. Zich tried turning around the mana he had perfectly awakened, and the mana surged across his whole body. Zich smirked and poured mana into Windur.

    Whooosh!

    As rough mana flowed into it, Windur¡¯s de trembled. Zich lifted Windur high into the air and swung powerfully at the chain in front of him.

    Crack!

    Although he met great resistance, Zich seeded in cutting the chain.

    Whoosh!

    The chain barely missed Zich and passed by him. With its taut body loosened, the chain turned into a fearsome weapon.

    ¡®Nothing is easy,¡¯ he thought.

    If he only focused on cutting the chains, the wildly floundering chains would chop his body into pieces. Zich concentrated his attention and broke off each chain. The more chains he broke, the mana that flowed out of the tree increased.

    Crunch!

    The moment Zich cut off thest chain, mana exploded out of the tree. The winds blew madly inside the space.

    Dddrrrrrr!

    The chains attached to the tree flew away with the winds. Thrusting away the thing that had chained it down, the Tree of Wind flew up and disyed its astonishing figure in the air.

    ¡®It¡¯s done.¡¯ With this, their reason foring to Pialu was aplished. ¡®It was ridiculously easy.¡¯ It was even more so considering what happened with the other trees.

    Even though his energy dropped a bit, this was not a bad thing. Zich was not a sadist that believed all results had to be achieved after long and difficult trials. ¡®If the simple path is an easy path, it¡¯s better to go the easy way.¡¯

    Anyway, Zich achieved his goal, so he looked up at the tree of wind. ¡®With this, there are a total of four trees that are now released from their suppressors. Would Glen Zenard¡¯s regression ability be gone by now?¡¯

    Unfortunately, there was no way to check this.

    ¡®Should I go back?¡¯ Even though Zich achieved his goal of freeing the Tree of Wind, there were still many things to do in Pialu. He needed to guard against Glen Zenard and stop Til from bing a Demon Lord, and he needed to spy on the monsters¡¯ movements. Zich was about to turn away when¡ª

    Thud!

    He heard arge vibration of mana. Zich looked up at the Tree of Wind while stopping in his steps. It was letting out a white light.

    Ziiiing! Windur began shaking at the same time. Anyone could see that they were resonating together. Zich felt aplicated flow of mana from Windur. It began forming a pattern with support from the Tree of Wind.

    ¡®As expected. There¡¯s no way this would end so easily.¡¯ Zich clicked his tongue. If he could end this matter by just breaking some chains, there was no need for Windur to directly guide him to this path.

    ¡®I¡¯m not even surprised anymore. What do you n to do?¡¯ Zich looked down at Windur and thought this. Windur¡¯s mana reached its peak, and at that moment¡ª

    Bam! There was no sound or light anymore, but Zich could feel that something enormous had exploded in this space. Zich¡¯s consciousness was swallowed up by this explosion.

    * * *

    After Zich climbed up Selockblum, L focused on defending Pialu with Hans, Snoc, and Elena. They were startled to hear that early in the morning, Zich had gone up the mountain by himself. However, the three of them obediently followed L¡¯s instructions. People were still patching up the damage to the city walls. They needed to fix the crushed walls and clean up the huge monster corpses. Moreover, since there was no guarantee that there would no longer be monster ambushes, they also needed to continue patrolling. L led thepanions and walked around the area they were assigned to patrol. Since they had killed an enormous number of monsters in thest ambush, they didn¡¯t see any monsters. However, it wasn¡¯t as if there were no unpleasant and unwanted meetings.

    ¡°Hello, how do you do?¡± A man approached L with a friendly smile¡ªit was Glen Zenard.

    While they were returning back, L and herpanions met Glen Zenard¡¯s partying from Pialu. It seemed as if Glen Zenard¡¯s party had been assigned to patrol right after Zich¡¯s group.

    L almost clicked her tongue, but this was too obvious to do in front of him, so L calmly replied, ¡°Hello.¡±

    Glen scanned L¡¯s back for a bit. ¡°I don¡¯t see Mr. Zich. May I ask where he went?¡±

    ¡°He went up to Selockblum. He said he was going to see if he could find out the reason for the monsters¡¯ unusual behaviors.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s amazing.¡± Glen showed a face full of admiration; his expression seemed as if he was deeply impressed by Zich¡¯s ability to act. His exterior act was so great that if one did not know about his dubiousness, they would have never guessed any other emotions from him.

    The two groups did not exchange very important conversations; they merely just passed by each other and exchanged greetings with people they were familiar with. Like this, the two groups separated. However, the people with ties with the other party were bothered by the people in the other group.

    ¡®Ms. Browning¡­ It seemed as if her mood was extremely down¡­¡¯ One such person was Hans. He was concerned for Lara who he had met quite often.

    ¡®She really was Pina.¡¯ The other person was Elena who checked that the mage in Glen¡¯s party was a mage from the same magical tower as her. However, the first person who came to meet another party member was not any of the aforementioned people. It was an unexpected but predictable person at the same time.

    ¡°Would I be able to talk with you for a bit, Ms. L?¡± Glen approached L as she was peacefully drinking tea by herself in a garden that Zich and L had been recently using to restfortably.

    * * *

    ¡°I was a bit surprised. I have no recollection of seeing any member in your group in this lodging,¡± L said as she stared at Glen sitting in front of her.

    Glen made the friendly smile that he always made. ¡°We were also looking for a good ce to stay, but after hearing that Mr. Zich¡¯spanions were all residing here, we decided to move here too.¡±

    ¡°Were we that close? For you to immediately move after finding out our party¡¯s lodging?¡±

    ¡°Of course, it depends on the situation. I think we need to at least coborate right now in this situation. Aren¡¯t we at least close enough to hold hands when we are facing the same enemy? It was also like that at Janmalpi as well.¡±

    ¡°In the end, we separated with extremely ill feelings though.¡±

    ¡°Well, I also understand that there¡¯s a high possibility that something like that will happen again. However, I also don¡¯t think it¡¯s a good idea topletely ignore someone we¡¯re fighting together with.¡±

    ¡°I understand your reasoning, but why did you ask to see me?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not an important matter. No matter how distant, no, not good our rtionship is, aren¡¯t we fighting together? I don¡¯t think it¡¯s a bad idea to try to at least slightly build our friendship.¡±

    ¡°If it¡¯s something like that, I think it¡¯ll be better to do that with Zich, since he is the leader of our group. Moreover, the person you shed the most with was Zich. When Zich returns, should I let you know?¡±

    ¡°Ahaha, I also need to talk with Mr. Zich. However, he¡¯s not here right now, so I want to converse with you, Ms. L.¡±

    ¡®He picked me.¡¯ L became sure of this.

    It seemed as if Glen wanted her to be hisrade. No, rather than arade, would it be more fitting to say that he wanted a pretty doll next to him? It waspletely obvious that at Zich¡¯s disappearance, Glen thought this was the perfect opportunity to make his move.

 Chapter 395

    <h4>Chapter 395</h4>

    Besides the wide and decorated garden in their lodging, there was also a small backyard. Although it was managed well, it didn¡¯t give off the same feeling of care and novelty as the garden did. Yet, it was this aspect that appealed to Hans more.

    Whoosh!

    He clutched Estede harder and swung his sword. Even though he hade back from watch duty, he didn¡¯t skip on basic training. He always practiced some sword swings even when Zich gave him a vacation to rest. It was because his body had be so ustomed to training that it was more ufortable for him to not do them.

    Whoosh! He focused all his attention on each swing. Since he had suppressed all his mana, sweat flowed down his face.

    ¡®I think that¡¯s enough for today.¡¯ Since he had to be on watch duty the next day too, he couldn¡¯t overexert himself from training. At this point, Hans knew that sufficient rest was also part of training and put Estede back away. Then, he said, ¡°Good to see you again, miss.¡±

    ¡°Likewise, sir.¡±

    Before he realized it, Lara was standing beside him.

    ¡°Did I interrupt you?¡± Lara asked.

    ¡°It¡¯s not like I was officially training. Besides, I¡¯m not such a great person that I would be bothered while swinging my sword a couple of times to loosen up.¡±

    ¡°Thank goodness.¡±

    ¡°Anyway, what are you here for, miss?¡±

    ¡°My team and I moved out to stay at this ce, and I happened to see you.¡±

    ¡°I see.¡±

    The two didn¡¯t speak for a moment. Although they couldn¡¯t say that they were strangers, they weren¡¯t friendly with each other to the point that they could fervently exchange topics to discuss. It wasn¡¯t that they disliked each other; they simply didn¡¯t have amon topic to talk about.

    Hans thought about just leaving when he saw the sword on her waist.

    ¡°I see that you haven¡¯t given up on your sword yet.¡±

    ¡°¡­Yes.¡± Her expression wasn¡¯t bright. Considering that she had talent in swordsmanship and personally liked the field, it seemed most likely that there was an exterior force behind her dark expression. He could think of only one thing.

    ¡°I suppose Sir Zenard isn¡¯t pleased with your decision.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡± Lara bit her lips, proving that seemed to be the answer. No, seeing her response, it seemed that it wasn¡¯t easy to disagree with Glen.

    ¡®Now that I think about it, she looked out of ce when I saw herst time.¡¯ Hans got this impression from a simple nce in her direction. That was how obvious Lara¡¯s situation was.

    ¡°Is your group perhaps treating you like an outcast?¡± Even as he asked this, Hans thought there could be no way. Yet, Lara didn¡¯t answer him right away.

    ¡°¡­Is it really true?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not it.¡± Lara twirled around and disappeared into the building like she was running away. Although she denied it, considering her attitude and the party¡¯s atmosphere, it seemed like the other members weren¡¯t treating her well.

    ¡®With her abilities, isn¡¯t she an impressive party member?¡¯ Hans wondered. Although Hans didn¡¯t have a clearly favorable opinion of Lara since she didn¡¯t think well of Zich, he knew she was a skilled swordsman. Even Zich had acknowledged this fact. Yet, Hans decided to stop thinking further. ¡®It¡¯s none of my business.¡¯

    She was a member of a different party. Furthermore, he wasn¡¯t close enough to her to intervene either. He remembered Zich¡¯s teaching, which was, ¡®Don¡¯t fool yourself into thinking that you can solve everything.¡¯

    Hans wiped off his sweat with the towel he prepared beforehand and went inside the building. He was trying to think of what to do after taking a refreshing shower when he saw Lara in the lobby leading to his room. Since they had parted ways awkwardly, he didn¡¯t n on talking to her and decided to pass quietly to enter his room. Lara was staring nkly somewhere, and without thinking, Hans turned to see what she was looking at. In the wide-open lobby, he saw the lodging ce¡¯s garden.

    Hans saw L first. That wasn¡¯t strange since she frequented the garden these days. There was no reason for her to not go there just because Zich wasn¡¯t with her. However, the problem was the person with her.

    ¡®Ah, Glen Zenard.¡¯

    Hans didn¡¯t have a very good impression of this fellow. Not only had Hans been influenced by his party¡¯s leader, Zich, who passionately hated the man, but Hans also wanted to distance himself away from Glen after meeting him several times. Glen was conversing with L while wearing an amiable smile on his face. L was responding to him fairly well.

    ¡®How strange. Ms. L isn¡¯t the type of person to exchange lengthy conversations with others besides our party members.¡¯ Furthermore, he knew that L¡ªalthough not as much as Zich¡ªalso disliked Glen considerably.

    ¡®I suppose she is trying to do something.¡¯

    Hans didn¡¯t think for a second that L was bing friendlier with Glen. He could easily tell that she was purposefully putting up a pretentious act for Glen. However, unlike Hans, who made such projections, Lara couldn¡¯t have been more unsettled. She turned around. Although she noticed that Hans was near her again, she didn¡¯t react to him. Her mind was too full of thoughts. In the end, she walked back up to the staircase, and as Hans watched her go, he thought she looked like a straggler about to copse.

    * * *

    Snoc and Elena toured the area. Pialu was a trading city where people from beyond a mountain range andpletely different cultures exchanged goods. As expected, there were many exotic goods. At least, there usually were such goods.

    ¡°There¡¯s not much today too.¡± Elena pulled her eyes away from the goods showcased on the stalls and murmured. Since they reached Pialu, Elena frequently wandered around the streets to find interesting items, but she hadn¡¯t been able to find any item she liked so far. In the first ce, there were not many items on sale, and the reason for that was obvious. Due to the monsters attacking Pialu right now, the supply chain in Pialu had been blocked. Since they weren¡¯tpletely surrounded by monsters, basic trades still took ce, but most of the trade that passed through the Denest Mountain Range had been basically cut off. However, since Pialu was still a trading city, precious items could be found sometimes, and magical items were one such example. Of course, for Elena, they were not very impressive items since Zich¡¯s group possessed all kinds of rare and special items. However, they were enough for eye-shopping.

    ¡°¡­Dwayne?¡±

    While Elena was looking at a magical item, she heard someone call her name. ¡°¡­Acous?¡±

    ¡°We meet here of all ces.¡± Pina Acous was next to her; it seemed as if she was also looking at magical items. Pina looked at Snoc. ¡°He¡¯s yourpanion, right?¡±

    ¡°Yep. His name is Snoc.¡±

    ¡°Hello.¡± Snoc awkwardly bowed his head. Nowem rode on his shoulder and yelled, ¡®Koo!¡¯

    Pina¡¯s eyes sparkled when she saw Nowem. ¡°A magical beast of the earth.¡± Pina had witnessed how Snoc and Nowem fought in thest battle. Pina¡¯s curiosity, which all mages possessed, appeared in her eyes.

    Koo¡­ Nowem hurriedly hid himself in Snoc¡¯s arms. Even the great magical beast of the earth, Nowem, was terrified by the inquisitive eyes of mages.

    Pina frowned, but she didn¡¯t make any other gestures towards Nowem. ¡°I¡¯m Pina Acous.¡± Instead, she introduced herself to Snoc. ¡°I¡¯m from the same magical tower as Dwayne.¡±

    ¡°Yes, I¡¯ve heard. I¡¯m Snoc.¡±

    The two shared a short handshake.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t know that you also came out of Sunewick.¡±

    At Elena¡¯s words, Pina calmly replied, ¡°I left because it was hard to stay there.¡±

    ¡°As expected, is it because of that event?¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡±

    Elena closed her mouth, and Pina didn¡¯t say anything. Snoc nced at them as they stood in heavy silence. Nowem also poked his face out and darted his eyes around.

    ¡°¡­You use magic well.¡± Pina was the one to first break the silence.

    ¡°You were also amazingly skilled as usual,¡± Elena replied.

    The two went back to silence. Snoc was about to say something to break the awkward silence when Pina moved one step closer to Elena, startling her. She sensedpetition or a strong emotion-like hostility in Pina¡¯s eyes.

    ¡°I¡¯m going to go back to Sunewick no matter what and I¡¯m going to be the next master and restore my school¡¯s honor.¡±

    ¡°Uh, Acous?¡±

    ¡°Then, I¡¯ll show the world for sure this time.¡± Unlike Pina¡¯s aloof tone so far, her words had strong emotions in them. ¡°I¡¯ll show them that the Quaral School of Magic is better than the Pulru School of Magic.¡±

    Pina turned her body around¡ªher attitude was cold enough to freeze the atmosphere. She disappeared among the crowd while continuing to let out a cold aura. Elena stared at her back in a daze.

    ¡°No matter how I see it, it seems like she resents me.¡±

    ¡°Rather than you, it¡¯s your father. Or your grandfather. Or she might have a grudge against your whole school.¡± Snoc stood next to Elena and continued, ¡°But if she wants to get mad at you, there¡¯s no reason for her to resent you. Even though the Jaewick family was used as a ploy, in the end, it was their choice. I guess, there¡¯s no need to have a reason to dislike someone.¡±

    Koo. Nowem jumped out from Snoc¡¯s arms and hopped onto Elena¡¯s shoulder. Then, he tapped her shoulders a few times as if tofort her. Elena chuckled.

    ¡°You don¡¯t have to put yourself down for such a thing. You didn¡¯t do anything wrong, and you don¡¯t have anything to be responsible for. Even if you understand her anger, it¡¯s a different story altogether to ept it. There¡¯s no need for you to feel guilty.¡±

    ¡°¡­Do you really think so?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. I think the same for what she said about her school of magic. You¡¯re not thinking about getting pushed back by her, right?¡±

    ¡°Of course not.¡± Elena¡¯s words were filled with confidence this time. It was a bit of a reach to say that Elena¡¯s school of magic was the Pulru School of Magic since L was her teacher. However, it was precisely for that reason that Elena could not be defeated by Pina. Elena could not possibly ept defeat when she was getting taught by a teacher who was the very definition of perfection.

    ¡°I won¡¯t ever lose.¡± Elena made a firm resolve.

    * * *

    Zich opened his eyes. He raised his senses and scanned his surroundings. Nothing much had changed since the mana explosion. The space he was in was still gigantic, the chains were listlessly sprawled on the ground, and the Tree of Wind was still floating in the air. However, there was no way that nothing happened when such arge amount of mana had resonated.

    Zich looked down at Windur, which was in his hand. ¡°What did you do this time?¡± Windur was treating him however it wanted to. Zich wondered if he should slowly put his ego sword right below Zich Brave and Glen Zenard on his list of top annoying guys.

    Tap! Zich heard footsteps. Someone other than him was in the space, and Zich turned his head. When he found out the identity of the person, Zich¡¯s eyes widened.

    ¡°It¡¯s nice to see you. Talking to you like this is the fir¡ª"

    Bam! Zich swung his sword before the other party even finished talking. His sword filled with mana directly pressed down on his opponent, but his opponent thoroughly blocked Zich¡¯s attack. The white sword that blocked Windur was also very impressive.

    ¡°Hey, I just want to have a conversation¡­¡±

    ¡°Ah, a conversation. Of course. I also like to talk. Let¡¯s do it, but only after I break your skull!¡±

    At these words, Zich Brave couldn¡¯t help but smile bitterly.

 Chapter 396

    <h4>Chapter 396</h4>

    ¡°I would like to do everything you request of me, but I can¡¯t do just that. After all, we won¡¯t be able to talk if you crack my head.¡±

    ¡°Well, try harder!¡±

    ¡°You know you are being unreasonable, right?¡±

    Bam!

    Mana exploded between the two swords and made a huge shockwave. Both Zich and Zich Brave backed away. As soon as his feet touched the floor, Zich ran towards Zich Brave. Their swords collided again and many times more. Zich¡¯s mana waspletely free thanks to the Tree of Wind. The destructive force of his attacks was iparably higher than all his previous attacks. However, it was the same for Zich Brave.

    He possessed the same amount of mana as Zich, so he moved Estede skillfully and blocked Zich¡¯s attacks. Every time their swords shed, Estede¡¯s light shed and made lines in the air.

    Bam!

    There was another collision. If there had been a person in the vicinity, they would have died instantly from the mana¡¯s shockwave and shes from the two. That was how intense their fight was.

    sh!

    Estede¡¯s light shed again. Zich backed away with a disgruntled expression on his face. ¡®I guess I have to give him credit on the way he uses Estede.¡¯

    Estede¡¯s most noticeable trait was, of course, its light. Normally, Hans shot off this light and used it to wrap around his sword de to increase its fighting power. Yet, Zich Brave added onto this technique and used a special skill called ¡®Blinding Lights¡¯. Of course, Hans used this skill asionally too, but the way Zich Brave used it was on another level. With exquisitely perfect timing, Zich Brave covered Zich¡¯s view multiple times. It was extremely deadly to be blinded even momentarily in the midst of a battle.

    ¡®Should I say, as expected of me?¡¯ Zich wondered with small admiration. Then, a secondter, he was enraged by the fact that he had addressed Zich Brave as himself and swung his sword in a frenzy.

    ¡°Perhaps, did you suddenly be infuriated for some silly reason?¡±

    ¡°Shut up!¡± Zich viciously stamped down on Zich Brave¡¯sments.

    The fight continued. Since they both had reached their peak in experiences, skills, and physique, it didn¡¯t seem like their fight would reach a conclusion any time soon. However, as time passed, Zich began to gain the upper hand. The reason why he gained the advantage was because of the difference in their weapons.

    Baaam!

    Windur mercilessly cracked Estede¡¯s light. Although its light bothered Zich, besides this trait, Esterdegged behind Windur in every aspect such as durability, mana amplification, and so on. Both Zichs were aware of this fact. Thus, Zich acted confidently while Zich Brave frowned.

    Bam!

    Their attacks shed again. This time, Zich Brave clearly had to back away. Zich didn¡¯t miss this chance to chase after him. Zich Brave also didn¡¯t seem like he nned to give Zich this moment. He let out an intense light and yelled, ¡°Hey! This isn¡¯t the time for this! I really have important things to talk about with you! So, please stop attack¡ª!¡±

    ¡°I told you that cracking your head is my priority!¡±

    ¡°Like I said, I won¡¯t be able to talk if you crack my head!¡± Zich Brave amplified his voice so that it cracked, but Zich didn¡¯t slow down his attacks.

    ¡°No, there¡¯s no meaning to cracking my head! You must know it too! I¡¯m not the real Zich Brave. I¡¯m sure you would not even feel that great if you cracked my head¡­¡±

    ¡°No matter if this is reality or a dream or something else, if I see Zich Brave, I have to crack his head first. It¡¯s a rule that has been set since the beginning of time!¡±

    ¡°How could there be a rule like that!¡± Zich Brave yelled. Meanwhile, he evaded Windur flying his way by a hairbreadth and swung Estede towards Zich. He clicked his tongue as he blocked Estede.

    ¡°Fine! Then, after we finish talking, I will let you crack my head!¡±

    The ringing sound from Windur stopped. Zich Brave was able to breathe a sigh of relief.

    ¡°¡­After talking?¡±

    ¡°Yes. You know that you must listen to what I have to say. You are just turning your eyes away from this fact because your hatred towards me is greater than that.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not that I¡¯m turning my eyes away from that fact. I simply want to crack your head while shouldering all the consequences from doing so.¡±

    ¡°¡­I don¡¯t think that¡¯s something you should boast about,¡± Zich Brave sighed and loosened his posture. Fortunately, Zich didn¡¯t use that chance to attack. ¡°Let me ask you this first. How much do you hate me?¡±

    ¡°More than Glen Zenard.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s too much.¡±

    Zich ced Windur on his shoulders and slouched as he stared at Zich Brave. ¡°So, why don¡¯t you start talking then?¡±

    ¡°It feels as if you will slice my head off if I misspeak.¡±

    ¡°You know very well.¡±

    Zich¡¯s continuous unkind treatment irked Zich Brave slightly, so he said, ¡°If I really give it my all, it won¡¯t be easy for you.¡±

    Yet, Zich tly dismissed this statement. ¡°I just proved to you well enough that I¡¯m stronger than you in the battle we just had.¡±

    ¡°Not because of the differences in our skills, but our weapons.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s also a type of skill to acquire a good weapon. It¡¯s also not something a person who has Estede should say.¡± Although it wasn¡¯t on par with Windur, Estede was one of the top three weapons that Zich knew of.

    ¡°Let¡¯s battle one more time after exchanging weapons!¡±

    ¡°Are you crazy?¡± Zich had no intention of giving Windur and disliked the idea of holding Estede even more. Then, he said, ¡°Stop saying nonsense and quickly tell me what you need to say.¡±

    ¡°Ha, no matter how harsh your words are, I suppose even you can¡¯t withstand your curiosity,¡± Zich Braveughed.

    ¡°No, it¡¯s so that I can quickly crack your head.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    An expression that couldn¡¯t have belonged to Zich Brave¡¯s face appeared, but Zich didn¡¯t even snort. In the end, Zich Brave rxed his shoulders as if he¡¯d given up. ¡°Fine. My goal was to converse with you anyway.¡±

    Zich Brave put back Estede into his scabbard, and then seriously looked at Zich. ¡°It¡¯s our first¡ªno, it¡¯s not the first time since you saw me in your dream. I¡¯ll still introduce myself. My name is Zich Brave. I¡¯m you in the very first timeline, a timeline you don¡¯t remember.¡±

    Zich snorted to show his displeasure, but he did not deny Zich Brave¡¯s words. ¡°However, I¡¯m obviously not Zich Brave himself. In the first ce, whether it¡¯s Steelwall or Brave or Moore, there¡¯s only one existence that is Zich. I¡¯m a type of matter that was made through the stored memories and mana of the World Tree.¡±

    The World Tree. Even though a word that piqued Zich¡¯s interest came out, Zich didn¡¯t immediately interrupt Zich Brave to further dig for more information.

    ¡°The reason why I appeared in front of you is for one reason. I came to teach you the things you are curious about and ask for one request from you.¡±

    Zich scowled. It looked as if he was restraining himself from immediately shouting, ¡®No!¡¯

    Zich Brave read his expression and said, ¡°You really do hate me.¡±

    ¡°Of course.¡± Zich immediately replied, ¡°If you¡¯re a matter formed out of memories, why did you appear in that form of all people? You didn¡¯t need to be Zich Brave.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m being projected through you, so I can¡¯t help but take your form. Moreover, of all the numerous Zichs that existed in the past, I thought that I was the best person to share this story.¡±

    ¡°You?¡±

    ¡°Yes, me.¡±

    Even though Zich wanted to immediately m Windur into Zich Brave¡¯s self-confident face, he suppressed this desire with supernatural patience. It was not time for that yet.

    ¡°Well, even though I have the appearance, consciousness, and behavior of Zich Brave, my will right now is the World Tree¡¯s will.¡±

    The word ¡®World Tree¡¯ came out again. Regardless of what it was, the World Tree was probably deeply involved in this matter.

    ¡°Do you know what the World Tree is?¡±

    ¡°Isn¡¯t it basically what those things are?¡± Zich pointed at the Tree of Wind behind him.

    ¡°Yep, but to be more exact, those guys are the World Tree¡¯s clones.¡±

    ¡°¡­Clones?¡±

    Zich turned his head back and stared at the Tree of Wind. The tree was still in the air surrounded by winds. The mana flowing out from the tree was still astounding. It wasn¡¯t a surprise that those trees were the source of regressions. However, it was shocking to hear that those trees were just simply clones.

    ¡°We thought that there were a total of five trees, but are all five of those trees clones then?¡±

    Zich Brave shook his head. ¡°The four trees you saw are all of the World Tree¡¯s clones. However, it¡¯s not wrong to say that there are five trees.¡±

    Zich was able to immediately catch the meaning behind Zich Brave¡¯s words. ¡°Thest remaining tree is the original tree.¡±

    ¡°Yep.¡±

    Zich let out a small sigh. If the clones were like this, how much mana did the original one have? Zich couldn¡¯t even imagine it.

    ¡°Doesn¡¯t the regression system use the power of the World Tree as its main source?¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡±

    ¡°Then, that means the regression system is still going on.¡± Even for Zich, he felt a light sense of hopelessness when he thought that everything he did so far had been useless. However, he had been too hasty in his thoughts.

    ¡°No, the regression system has stopped functioning. Congrattions, Zich. You two were right.¡±

    ¡°¡­Then the possibility of Glen Zenard being able to regress is¡­¡±

    ¡°None.¡±

    Zichughed. Hisugh made him sound ted since he made an extremely loud sound that shook the whole space. They had finally made a huge strike against the back of that sted bastard¡¯s head. Zich steadfastly did what he could do, but he couldn¡¯tpletely erase a small trace of anxiety in his heart since no matter what great things he did, it would all disappear if Glen just turned back time. However, right now, he heard that Glen Zenard had lost his power to regress.

    ¡°I can now fuck that guy over to my heart¡¯s content!¡±

    ¡°¡­Is that the first thing you think of?¡±

    ¡°What else do I have to think of other than this?¡±

    Zich Brave shook his head. It was a reaction that people who couldn¡¯t understand him usually showed, so Zich paid no attention to it.

    ¡°Just tell me more about the regression system.¡± Even though the regression system no longer posed a threat to him, Zich was still curious about it. Even though the main culprit of all the numerous regressions was Glen Zenard, the main source of his power was the regression system.

    ¡°There¡¯s nothing really much to exin. Most of what you know is all there is to it. It¡¯s a system that uses the power of the original World Tree and four of its clones to turn back the entire world¡¯s time. The systempletely wipes all the efforts, results, sess, mistakes, wrongs, and everything that humans achieved after the time set for regression. This is called the Brushel System. Of course, the one who activates the system is exempt from this.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s the condition to activate it?¡±

    ¡°Death.¡±

    Zich had expected this.

    ¡°How much can it go back in time?¡±

    ¡°It differs based on how one uses it, but Glen Zenard thinks it can only go back to the same point in time. So, he uses it like that.¡±

    ¡°And how do you use it?¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s a control device where the World Tree is located. Well, no one canpletely control that device anymore.¡±

    The World Tree was mentioned once again. Zich stared at Zich Brave. Zich Brave definitely said that his will was the World Tree¡¯s will, and he said that he hade to ask for a request from Zich.

    Thus, Zich decided to push all his other questions forter and asked, ¡°What does the World Tree want?¡±

    Zich Brave¡¯s reply was extremely simple. ¡°Freedom.¡±

 Chapter 397

    <h4>Chapter 397</h4>

    ¡°Freedom¡­¡±

    Personally, it was a reason that Zich couldprehend very well. After all, he had thrown away everything that restricted him and flipped the world upside down to simply gain strength. Of course, it was onlyter that he found out that he had been fooling himself to think that was freedom.

    ¡°Exin it in detail.¡±

    ¡°To exin that story, I have to go back to the time when the Brushel System was created. You know how great the Clowon Empire was, right?¡±

    ¡°I know.¡±

    With just the Brushel System, no other country could pose a threat to the empire. Furthermore, there was a high possibility that the variety of skills that the robed figures gave to Demon People was part of Clowon¡¯s great legacy.

    ¡°The root of the empire¡¯s power was the Brushel System. No matter how outstanding the empire¡¯s magic was, it couldn¡¯t turn back time. Thus, the empire developed its magic to the utmost level by using the Brushel System and increasing its national power with it. In other words, everything started from the World Tree.¡±

    Since he had already guessed that the trees were the center of regressing, Zich quietly nodded.

    ¡°Do you know about the Golden Emperor?¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s Clowon¡¯s first emperor who also made the Brushel system.¡±

    ¡°Yes, he is the one who established the Clowon Empire. However, before all that, it is said that he was a member of a high-ss family. Above all, he was an amazing genius.¡±

    He was also L¡¯s father; thus, it wasn¡¯t strange at all for the emperor to be a genius. Instead, Zich was curious about a different point.

    ¡°Do you not know exactly? You are speaking as if you heard this information from somewhere else.¡±

    ¡°Even I don¡¯t know everything. The knowledge I have is nothing more than clumps of people¡¯s memories rted to the Brushel System on top of the World Tree¡¯s will.¡±

    ¡°Then, does that mean there¡¯s someone who knows the origin of Clowon¡¯s Brushel System? Is it Glen Zenard?¡±

    ¡°No, that is um, part of L¡¯s memories.¡± As if it was hard for him to say L¡¯s name, Zich Brave stuttered when he said L¡¯s name.

    ¡°It must be from one of the memories that L can¡¯t remember.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s also not it. This memory is from the original L who was the Demon Lord. It was erased from her without a trace. Specifically, when the Brushel System was initialized once, her memories from before that point werepletely wiped from her.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s good to hear since there¡¯s no way that she would be a Demon Lord again.¡±

    An individual¡¯s personality was based on the individual¡¯s natural character and the experiences they went through. If L¡¯s memories from her Demon Lord days were wiped out, it meant that the experiences that came with it werepletely gone too.

    ¡®L would be happy to hear this.¡¯ Zich knew that L was secretly concerned about this matter. However, that was that, and there was another matter he had to attend to.

    ¡°If L¡¯s memories were erased, how would you feel about that?¡±

    ¡°Someone else remembered L¡¯s memories. You met her too.¡±

    Zich immediately thought of one being. ¡°Finel.¡±

    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s her memory.¡±

    Zich Brave¡¯s voice sounded a bit bitter. Since he had a great sense of justice, he probably sympathized with Finel.

    ¡°Besides the memories she showed L, she had quite a few other memories. Although she died, I could fortunately store the memories from before. Well, since there isn¡¯t a specialized core like L to store the memories, I can¡¯t store the memories for long, but it¡¯s possible to hold them for a brief period of time.¡±

    In short, Finel remembered the memories of L¡¯s initialization, and the World Tree was using that memory. Zich nodded and waited for Zich Brave to tell him more.

    ¡°Anyway, it is said the Golden Emperor found the World Tree in his youth. It was an outstanding discovery since it could almost hold an infinite supply of mana. From that point on, the Golden Emperor invested everything he had to study the World Tree. In the end, he found a way to use its mana. His research had progressed smoothly thanks to his genius brain and his family¡¯s riches. Then, he came up with a n to use several and different kinds of World Trees. However, as the Golden Emperor aged, he began to obsess over one area of research.¡±

    ¡°I suppose he wanted longevity. It¡¯s an obvious story.¡±

    It wasn¡¯t even an exaggeration that immortality was the dream of every powerful figurehead. Those with power didn¡¯t hold back on pouring all kinds of resources to live just one more day. If the emperor got his hands on the unimaginable existence such as the World Tree, it would have even been more so.

    ¡°Like you said, he tried to lengthen his life. It seemed like he had an easy time with this task by using the World Tree. However, the Golden Emperor couldn¡¯t be satisfied with just that. As he researched the World Tree more and more, he became more obsessed about its power and desired to earn more,¡± Zich Brave said disgruntledly as if he thought ill of this fact.

    Yet, Zich responded differently. He had turned the world upside down to gain strength, and he was closer to the Golden Emperor than he was to Zich Brave.

    ¡°In the end, the Golden Emperor used the World Tree and created a gigantic system.¡±

    ¡°That must be the Brushel System.¡±

    Zich Brave nodded. ¡°To control the World Tree¡¯s power more easily, he detached four pieces of power from it. The World Tree¡¯s mana was too great to deal with by itself. So, that was how the four trees you saw so far were created. Then, the emperor broke off a branch from the original tree and created a sword to use as the system¡¯s key.¡±

    Zich¡¯s eyes naturally shot towards his treasured sword. Zich Brave noticed Zich¡¯s movements and said, ¡°Yes, Windur is the key.¡±

    Zich pulled out Windur and nced at its des. No matter how many times he looked at it, it was a strange-looking sword; but now, he could understand the reason for its appearance.

    ¡®The reason why it looks like a tree branch is because it actually is one.¡¯

    ¡°Windurter bes the emperor¡¯s symbol. Due to that, many of the empire¡¯s important buildings were structured in a way so that Windur could open them. It was the builders¡¯ sign of loyalty that they would hide nothing from the emperor¡¯s eyes.¡±

    Zich now also knew why Windur could open all of Clowon¡¯s ruins.

    ¡°Like this, after the Golden Emperor connected the four clones and the original World Tree, he made a system and tried to turn back time. And as you know, he was sessful.¡±

    This system literally gave the Golden Emperor an infinite number of opportunities.

    ¡°From that day on, he had nothing to be afraid of. There was no need for him to be afraid of failure. If there was something unfavorable for him, he could just simply turn back time. Then, he raised his own country and called it an empire. Moreover, the Brushel System continued to evolve, and part of the reason for that was because he integrated his most talented child, his daughter, into part of the system.¡±

    Zich Brave was talking about L.

    ¡°It was also during this time that Estede and Tornium were born. The knowledge inputted into Windur, Estede, and Tornium was stored into L¡¯s memory. Normally, Windur was given to the Emperor, Estede to the Crown Prince, and Tornium to the strongest general in the empire. However, depending on the situation, the owner could change for a short while, especially when important information could be obtained elsewhere. However, the emperor always kept Windur.¡±

    Since Windur was the mark of the emperor, this was as expected.

    ¡°Like this, the whole world seemed as if it would be a personal garden for the Golden Emperor. However, the Golden Emperor died in the end. Isn¡¯t that weird? Why did someone who possessed such overwhelming strength ept their death? Even if there was a limit to his lifespan, he could just keep turning back time.¡±

    Zich shrugged his shoulders and replied jokingly, ¡°He must have gotten bored of life. Or maybe he reached some kind of awakening.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not it.¡±

    ¡°If that¡¯s not it, then there¡¯s only one thing left.¡± Zich turned back his head and stared at the Tree of Wind. ¡°There¡¯s a limit to the Brushel System.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s exactly right. Even though the Golden Emperor did whatever he wanted and treated the world as his ything, as more time passed, he realized a serious drawback. The more he turned back time, his mind grew stranger. Or to be more exact, he began fixating on only one thought¡ªhis greatest wish.¡±

    ¡°Hmm, a wish. Then, what was the Golden Emperor¡¯s wish?¡±

    ¡°Immortality.¡±

    Zich¡¯s response was lukewarm. ¡°Isn¡¯t that what he originally wanted? He also had a way to do it. What¡¯s the problem if his wish bes a bit bigger?¡±

    ¡°Fulfilling a wish is basically just a way for you to be happy. However, the side effect of repeatedly regressing is that it makes the process your ultimate goal in an extremely twisted and narrow-minded way.¡±

    ¡°Didn¡¯t he just be senile? He¡¯s not just fucking one or two years old.¡±

    Zich Brave chuckled. ¡°Your words have a point, but it¡¯s something entirely different. From what I heard, it feels like you¡¯re not yourself anymore, and you just be a doll that moves to fulfill your sole goal. To state it simply, you be insane. It was to the point that even the Golden Emperor, who arrogantly looked down on the world and time itself, felt terror.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s why he stopped regressing.¡±

    ¡°Yes. I don¡¯t know if that¡¯s the limit of the system or a human¡¯s limit. However, in the end, the Golden Emperor could not beat this fear and epted his death.¡±

    ¡°Then the Brushel System was passed onto the next generation.¡±

    ¡°Yes, and that led to the empire¡¯s progress. However, this fear also appeared in the next emperor. Not long after that, the next emperor also epted their death.¡±

    ¡°Thus, the reigning period for a Clowon Emperor is until they ept the Brushel System and feel that terror.¡±

    ¡°Yep, and that time period seems to differ between different people.¡±

    Zich beckoned Zich Brave to continue with his eyes.

    ¡°Like this, the Clowon Empire continued to prosper. They stored information and grabbed lost opportunities by regressing. It sounds simple, but it¡¯s basically cheating. If nothing went out of the ordinary, Clowon would have prospered forever.¡±

    ¡°But Clowon fell in the end.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s because a variable appeared.¡± Zich Brave¡¯s eyes slightly darkened. ¡°As I said before, people who experience a certain amount of regressions will experience their minds going astray and fall into terror. Then they stop using the power of regression. I haven¡¯t experienced it myself, but I¡¯m sure it must be absolutely terrifying since it''s a terror that Clowon emperors, would give up on everything and ept their deaths even though they could control the world however they wanted. However, a variable was born into the Clowon¡¯s royal family¡ªa person whopletely fell for their desire to the extent that even this terror could not stop them.¡±

    ¡°It must be Clowon''sst emperor.¡±

    Zich Brave nodded with a stiff face. ¡°He was also the same as the other emperors. He did as he pleased, but this was what all Clowon emperors did.¡±

    Unless they were saints, it was basically impossible for a human to not abuse a power that allowed them to erase all their mistakes.

    ¡°However, even he progressed the empire when he wanted to. However, the end of his regression slowly approached, and his time of reign wasing to an end. Despite how terrified he was, he persistently tried to continue regressing.¡±

    ¡°And he became crazy.¡±

    ¡°Yes, thest emperor¡¯s wish was to rule over the world, so he turned into a tyrant. I heard that his reign was really a hellish time. An enormous number of people were killed and tortured. Thus, regardless of how long the empirested, more and more people expressed their discontent. You¡¯re able to easily predict what happened then, right?¡±

    Zich let out a twistedugh and said, ¡°Rebellion.¡±

 Chapter 398

    <h4>Chapter 398</h4>

    Regardless of the time and ce, there were always opposing forces that challenged authority. Even Clowon wasn¡¯t an exception to this rule. Furthermore, Zich and hispanions knew through Finel that a rebellion army existed in the Clowon Empire. After all, the rebellion army created her existence.

    ¡°Like you said, there was a revolt, and it seeded.¡±

    ¡°I don''t know who they are, but they sure are impressive. I¡¯m sure it wasn¡¯t an easy task to do at all.¡±

    The rebels¡¯ target was the emperor who had the whole world in his grasp and possessed a great weapon called regression. He seemed to have no ws.

    ¡°First of all, the empire¡¯s citizens were all aware of the existence of the Brushel System. Thus, they could prepare for it.¡±

    ¡°The Brushel system isn¡¯t a power that they could ovee by just prepping for it.¡±

    After all, regression was a power that prevented even Zich from carelessly attacking Glen Zenard.

    ¡°Well, secondly, a couple of the empire¡¯s noble families secretly researched the Brushel System, and that¡¯s how they created Finel. Of course, this always happened from time to time, and whenever the emperor found those who coveted the Brushel System through cunning tricks, he mercilessly wiped out their family line. Still, those who desired the system continued to appear. You must know too¡ªthat there is no end to human greed.¡±

    Zich strongly agreed with this statement.

    ¡°Of course, that wasn¡¯t enough. Although they researched the Brushel System, they couldn¡¯t even mimic its time regression function. After all, only the people who passed a strict selection process and proved their skills and loyalty to the emperor could enter the ce where the five regression trees were. Well, that was the case until Windur came into the picture.¡±

    Zich looked down at his sword again.

    ¡°Even the Golden Emperor probably hadn¡¯t expected Windur to bare its fangs at him. It couldn¡¯t have been foreseen. The Golden Emperor and none of the other emperors experienced something like that.¡±

    ¡°Was time turned back until everything went to hell?¡± That was the only scenario Zich could think of that separated thest emperor from the other ones.

    ¡°Yes. Turning the same time back continuously strained the Brushel System. It didn¡¯tpletely break it, but it gave the World Tree a slight opening to utilize.¡±

    ¡°You said the World Tree wanted freedom. I suppose the World Tree didn¡¯t like the situation it was in.¡±

    ¡°Yes, the World Tree was separated into five and restrained so that it could be easily controlled. Of course, the World Tree doesn¡¯t have an aggressive will for freedom like humans do. At the very least, it felt that its current situation was abnormal and wished to return to its normal state.¡±

    ¡°Continue with the story.¡±

    ¡°So, the World Tree used that small opening to make a way for its release. To do that, it had to destroy Clowon first. However, since the mana from its original body and all its copies were restrained and stolen, it couldn¡¯t use its power. Thus, it used the only and very tiny part of itself that wasn¡¯t restrained, which was Windur.¡± Zich brushed Windur''s hilt once, and Zich Brave continued, ¡°You must have experienced it before too¡ªespecially since it was the item that turned back your time.¡±

    ¡°¡­The Key that Distorts Destiny.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s exactly it.¡±

    Zich stared down at the finger that had held the key and looked back to Windur again. His eyes shot toward one of Windur¡¯s des where the key to destiny was attached to.

    ¡°You don¡¯t have any memories of obtaining that key, right?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, not at all.¡±

    ¡°So, passed on with the will of the World Tree, Windur embedded a part of its body into one person. With all the memories that the World Tree possessed, it chose the person it deemed to have the highest possibility of bringing about the fall of Clowon. After a part of Windur¡¯s body attached itself in that person¡¯s body, the World Tree could perform one miracle for that person.¡±

    ¡°Regression.¡±

    Zich finally knew the reason why the Key that Distorts Destiny was inside his body without any memories of him obtaining it and how he had gained the ability of regression. The same event had happened to him too.

    ¡°The emperor wasn¡¯t aware of this regression and got swept into it instead.¡±

    ¡°I suppose this regression became the crucial factor for making a counterattack against the emperor.¡±

    ¡°Yes. The World Tree happened to choose someone by the name Josh Libra. As the Clowon Empire¡¯s Marquess, Josh Libra was someone who held considerable power in the empire and disapproved of the tyrannical emperor. Thus, Marquess Libra had been one of those people who secretly researched the Brushel System. Although he conducted research in many well-hiddenboratories, the emperor eventually found out about his deeds. Naturally, the Libra family fell into ruin while everyone involved went through all kinds of torture and was ughtered. Josh Libra also lost his life. The emperor personally stabbed a knife into his neck. However, when Marquess Libra opened his eyes again, he had gone back in time. With this second opportunity, he didn¡¯t hesitate to start a revolt.¡±

    This revolt seeded. However, that made Zich wonder and ask, ¡°Wasn¡¯t the Brushel System still active? If so, couldn¡¯t the emperor have just gone back to the time before the rebellion and overtake them?¡± After all, everything would have been over if the emperor just regressed again. Zich also added, ¡°Since the Brushel System still exists and is fine till now, I¡¯m sure Josh Libra didn¡¯t nullify the system either.¡±

    ¡°Marquess Libra used the condition for activating the system to his advantage.¡±

    ¡°I thought the condition was death. Then, couldn¡¯t he have just killed himself?¡±

    ¡°Glen Zenard continues to use the basic condition of death to activate the system because he doesn¡¯t know about the devices controlling it. I mean, if there was a condition other than death to activate the system, why would anyone use the former method? Even if you don¡¯t really die because time is turned back,mitting suicide is extremely painful.¡±

    ¡°But enduring that amount of pain is easy.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t think that everyone is like you.¡± Zich Brave stared at him as if he was a bit pathetic.

    For a moment, Zich seriously pondered if he should try cracking Zich Brave¡¯s head again.

    Zich Brave seemed to have noticed Zich¡¯s intentions as he hurriedly began exining again. ¡°However, only the emperor knows the method to activate the regression system. Before he seeded the throne, he used the control device to change the activation method into a method that only he knew. However, Josh Libra knew the method since his family was the one who made Finel.¡±

    ¡°Did they finish their experiment before the emperor¡¯s regression?¡±

    ¡°Yes, they finished the prototype. By that time, they were able to steal some of L¡¯s memories.¡±

    ¡°From those memories, they found out how to activate the system.¡±

    The way to input information about the Brushel System was through Estede, Tornium, and Windur. Since Windur was the mark of an emperor, it must have obviously been present when the emperor changed the method to activate the system. Then, the changed method went into L¡¯s memories, and through her, the method to activate the regression system went into Josh Libra¡¯s hands.

    ¡°Before he regressed, when the emperor found out that there was research to steal L¡¯s memories, he was extremely furious. Of course, all the research that Marquess Libra earned was thoroughly crushed. However, the emperor didn¡¯t feel very threatened since the entire Libra family was killed. He didn¡¯t think that Josh Libra could possibly¡­¡±

    ¡°Possibly also regress like him.¡±

    Zich Brave nodded. ¡°After he regressed, Josh Libra thoroughly prepared his rebellion, and when he entered the pce, he found the right opportunity to make it impossible for the regression system to be activated. The emperor had put his power of regression into his crown. Josh Libra knew this, so he infiltrated the pce and destroyed the emperor¡¯s crown. He thought he seeded pretty easily because he knew exactly where the crown would be from stealing L¡¯s memories.¡±

    That was the moment when the emperor¡¯s overwhelming strength disappeared.

    ¡°Josh Libra also tried to kill the emperor afterward, but he failed. However, it was not a bad situation at all since the emperor¡¯s absolute advantage had disappeared.¡±

    ¡°Then, did he immediately raise a rebellion?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. Many people held resentment in their hearts at the emperor¡¯s astounding acts of tyranny. Moreover, when people found out that the emperor lost his regression power, the size of the rebellion exploded. Like this, Clowon was swept in a civil war.¡±

    ¡°Even if the crown broke, wouldn¡¯t it be fine if he just created a new activation method?¡±

    ¡°The device to suppress the Brushel System and the original World Tree is in a deserted ind across the ocean. In order to change the activation method, the emperor needed to go to the ind himself while holding Windur. They had used this method for security purposes, but in a situation where he lost his power, this distance was a fatal weakness for him because Josh Libra blocked the emperor from reaching that ind. The emperor was put into a situation where he needed to first defeat the rebellion in order to retrieve his power. The only thing left was the collision of these two forces. It was also during this time that Finel was passed over to the empire.¡±

    ¡°So the result of the rebellion ended with Josh Libra¡¯s victory.¡±

    ¡°Um, not quite.¡±

    Zich tilted his head. ¡°Didn¡¯t you say that the rebellion seeded?¡±

    ¡°Yes, the rebellion seeded. The emperor died and Clowon fell. However, this didn¡¯t mean that Josh Libra was victorious.¡±

    ¡°He must have co-destructed or was stabbed in the back.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s both. The empire copsed, but the rebellion received a fatal blow. Josh Libra was also stabbed by one of his allies who wanted power.¡±

    Zich Brave shook his head. ¡°After that, no one knows what happened because there¡¯s no record of that in L¡¯s memories. It¡¯s because all information inputted into the system was stopped. However, one thing that I¡¯m sure about is that intense chaos swept across the world.¡±

    When arge order copsed, it was natural thatrge chaos followed after. Then, the time that came after the chaospletely erased traces of Clowon and continued to the present time.

    Zich lightly pped his hands. ¡°It was quite an entertaining story. A lot of my curiosity was fulfilled. But what happened to those three swords?¡±

    ¡°For Estede and Tornium, a general who received serious injuries put both swords in the tomb made for the emperors and died¡ªit is the ce where you found Tornium. As for Windur, the World Tree made Windur fly to a nearby underground cave because it judged that whoever obtained Windur would just use it for themselves and not for the World Tree to gain freedom. Like this, the attempt to free the World Tree ended half sessfully.¡±

    ¡°Are you saying that Windur was asleep until I found it?¡±

    ¡°Yep.¡± Zich Brave stopped talking for a bit. It seemed as if he wanted to give Zich time to organize the information that he had given him.

    ¡®It¡¯s really a grand story.¡¯ From this, most of Zich¡¯s questions had been answered. Zich said, ¡°Then, the story probably continues by Glen Zenard discovering the Brushel System.¡±

    Zich recalled the person who was most annoying after Zich Brave.

    However, Zich Brave shook his head. ¡°No. The person who reactivated the Brushel System was apletely different person.¡±

 Chapter 399

    <h4>Chapter 399</h4>

    Zich narrowed his eyes. Glen Zenard was the one currently using the power of regression; thus, Zich naturally thought that Glen was the person who reactivated it. However, the response he got back was negative, and Zich understood the meaning behind this response immediately. He thought that there could be another mastermind behind Glen, but it was a guess that he couldn¡¯t support or prove at all until now.

    ¡°Is the one who reactivated the Brushel System, the mastermind behind everything perhaps?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°Then, I guess that guy was just using Glen Zenard.¡±

    Zich Brave nodded, and Zich¡¯s expression turned serious. However, his serious expression didn¡¯tst long and he said, ¡°Well, even if that¡¯s the case, I won¡¯t change my way of screwing him over.¡± The confirmation of another mastermind just meant that Zich had another person to screw over.

    ¡°¡­I thought this before, but your personality is incredible.¡±

    ¡°Personally, I think your stupid-ass sense of justice is even more incredible.¡± Zich didn¡¯t hold back on mocking Zich Brave in the slightest. ¡°How is it even possible to use Glen Zenard? He has the power of regression.¡± That was the number one reason why Zich couldn¡¯t have been sure of the real mastermind¡¯s existence. Then, Zich continued, ¡°Even if that guy tried to use Glen, Glen has the regression ability. Glen should have noticed something given enough time. No, more importantly, why did that guy give the regression ability to Glen Zenard when they reactivated the system?

    ¡°The mastermind was the one who handed the regression ability to Glen Zenard.¡±

    Zich opened his wide. Since the mastermind was the one who reactivated the Brushel System, he could understand how they might have the means to give the regression ability to someone else. However, Zich couldn¡¯t understand why they would do such a thing.

    ¡°¡­Why would anyone give the regression ability to someone else? Did they die after passing on the ability like the previous Clowon emperors who passed on their abilities to the next emperor in line?¡±

    ¡°No, the mastermind is alive and well.¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t understand it at all.¡± It was utterly unbelievable that someone would have passed on the regression ability even if they weren¡¯t going to use it. Zich thought, ¡®I suppose there could be a possibility that they gave up on using it because they began to fear it after using it too many times.¡¯ However, that only exined why someone would¡¯ve given up on the ability rather than passing it on to someone else. How could they do so without knowing what the other person would do with the regression ability or even be mixed up with the other person¡¯s evil deeds?

    Zich Brave exined this matter, ¡°You have to know about the events that took ce before the Brushel System was reactivated¡ªwhen you were me and L was reincarnated as Clowon¡¯s princess. The story takes ce in the first timeline after Clowon fell and the regression ability hadn¡¯t been used yet.¡±

    Zich looked disgruntled. He didn¡¯t like how Zich Brave said, ¡®...when you were me.¡¯ However, he didn¡¯t stop Zich Brave from speaking.

    ¡°You know that L was a Demon Lord in the first timeline, right?¡±

    ¡°I know. L was tormented over this fact considerably.¡±

    ¡°¡­To tell you the truth, I never thought such a terrifying Demon Lord would change this much. Furthermore, to think that she woulde to like me¡­¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t think I won¡¯t notice if you speak like you and I are the same person.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t be like that. Even if you hate it, you and I are the same person.¡±

    ¡°I really should crack your head immediately¡ª¡±

    ¡°Okay, okay. I get it.¡± Zich Brave pleaded as Zich clutched Windur more tightly. ¡°It¡¯s true I can¡¯t believe that L changed so much. I have suffered immensely because of her in my time. Even if I ept the fact that she had changed, it would probably be impossible for me to hang around her so closely.¡±

    ¡°Like how I am not you, she also isn¡¯t the princess of Clowon. She¡¯s just L. Not only is she quite cute, but she has good skills, beauty, and a great personality. There¡¯s no reason to dislike her. You are just letting your prejudice get in your way of seeing the truth.¡±

    ¡°You are right. Even if I am aware of this fact, I am not confident that I can act any differently.¡± Zich Brave had experienced all kinds of sufferings and difficulties during the time that L was Clowon¡¯s princess. However, Zich had no intention to understand Zich Brave¡¯s perspective at all.

    ¡°You have no determination.¡±

    ¡°What if Glen Zenard changes like her, and another ¡®you¡¯ told you to be friends with him?¡±

    ¡°I will have to crack that guy¡¯s head.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡± Zich Brave was at a loss for words at Zich¡¯s brazenness. The only thing he managed to say in the end was, ¡°¡­You must really like the phrase, ¡®cracking your head.¡¯¡±

    Zich replied, ¡°Stop saying nonsense and quickly resume exining.¡±

    Thus, Zich Brave continued, ¡°In the first timeline, everything started when L woke up. As you know, she tried to resurrect Clowon and destroyed everything that stood in her way of aplishing this goal. The destruction she caused ?was indescribable. There was a reason why people called her ¡®Demon Lord¡¯ and feared her.¡±

    The only one whom Zich judged as having a simr talent as himself was L. If it was her, the event waspletely possible. Furthermore, she had extra help on top of her own power.

    Zich Brave added, ¡°She used the legacy that Clowon left behind. One of them was the army of monsters she led. Furthermore, her ability to use the World Tree was outstanding. Since she had to maintain the Brushel System, she didn¡¯t use up all the power of the trees. However, using even part of the World Tree¡¯s power was more than enough to inflict terror onto the world. On top of that, there were those with special abilities who followed her.¡±

    Zich immediately thought of a group. ¡°Demon People.¡± He remembered that the robed figures offered special powers when they tried to create Demon People. ¡°So, you are saying that L led an army of monsters and Demon People, and used the World Tee¡¯s mana on top of her overwhelming talent?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not exactly the case, but it was something like that.¡±

    ¡°¡­You must have had an intense battle.¡±

    Of course, L¡¯s army of Demon People probably didn¡¯t include everyone from the Demon People Era. During the Demon People Era, there were many among the Demon People who didn¡¯t receive power that belonged to the Clowon Empire. The biggest examples of this case were the Demon Lord of Strength, Zich, or the Demon Lord of Magic, Walwiss Dwayne. Yet, even while considering this, L¡¯s forces would have been plenty strong.

    ¡®My ex-subordinates, Vampire, Subus, and Werewolf, were all probably on that side at least.¡¯

    However, there definitely must have been some people unleashing chaos in the world during the Demon People Era, which helped Zich Brave in the original timeline. Furthermore, the whole world would¡¯ve probably coborated with Zich Brave to fight off L, so it wasn¡¯tpletely disadvantageous for Zich Brave either. However, even with all these things considered, it was true that Zich Brave had experienced an astounding fight.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t think you''d ever be impressed by me.¡±

    ¡°I admit what¡¯s true. I¡¯m not the type of person who rashly acts on personal emotions.¡±

    ¡°¡­If I point out the faults in your words, I¡¯ll end up as the loser, right?¡±

    Zich waved his hand for Zich Brave to just continue exining. Zich Braveined as if he couldn¡¯t ept Zich¡¯s treatment, but he exined, ¡°Anyways, our fight with her was really arduous, but in the end, we won.¡±

    A sense of pride appeared briefly on Zich Brave¡¯s face, but this onlysted for a short time period. ¡°When I thought our fight was finally over, everything went wrong.¡±

    ¡°The mastermind must have stabbed you in the back.¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°Who was that mastermind?¡±

    ¡°That is¡­¡± Zich Brave¡¯s appearance began to shake. It looked as if a shadow reflected on ake was being distorted. Zich Brave also seemed to be surprised by this as he looked startled. He opened his mouth, but Zich could only hear a few words that were cut apart, and he couldn¡¯t even hear those properly either.

    ¡°Hey, what happened!¡± Zich shouted at Zich Brave, but he couldn¡¯t get a reply. The situation began to worsen. Zich could no longer hear Zich Brave¡¯s voice, and his figure began to grow blurrier. Even while this was happening, Zich Brave pointed at Windur, and he looked very desperate as he did this.

    ¡°You¡¯re telling me to follow this guy?¡± Zich asked as he stared at Zich Brave¡¯s mouth. It seemed as if Zich had guessed correctly because Zich Brave made a slightly relieved expression. However, it was different for Zich. He moved one step at a time towards Zich Brave¡¯s body and reached out with his hand. His hand passed right through Zich Brave¡¯s body. Zich Brave¡¯s body was slowly breaking up into fragments from the flow of mana.

    Zich realized that Zich Brave was going to disappear soon, so he shouted in frustration, ¡°Hey you punk, why the hell are you disappearing like this!¡±

    Zich Brave¡¯s expression looked apologetic, but his face soon changed into dismay at Zich¡¯s next words. ¡°You told me that you¡¯d let me crack your skull after finishing your story!¡± Zich¡¯s cries made him sound extremely frustrated. Was this really a matter to be so emotional about? Zich Brave disappeared while making a baffled expression. However, Zich Brave¡¯s thoughts were of no concern to Zich.

    ¡°You damn bastard! How dare you break your promise!¡±

    Zich huffed in anger and jumped around where Zich Brave disappeared. However, even if he did this, there was no way that Zich Brave woulde back after he turned into mana and faded into the air.

    In the end, Zich stopped getting worked up, but this didn¡¯t mean that he¡¯d given up. ¡®He told me to follow this guy. Then, I might be able to meet Zich Brave again if I keep following where this guy leads me.¡¯

    Zich had already met him once. Who said it¡¯d be impossible for him to meet Zich Brave a second time? ¡®If I meet him again, I¡¯m going to crush him for sure.¡¯ Zich swore to himself as he tightly clutched onto Windur.

    * * *

    nk!

    A hard sound rang in the air. A gaze that was cold enough to instantly freeze all those itnded on scanned a machine in front of him.

    nk!

    The sound rang out again. If one listened closer, it was the sound of a finger tapping the top of a certain mechanical device. The person who was tapping on it was a man. Considering that he was deeply furrowing his brows, he looked to be in an extremely bad mood.

    ¡°Sir, what is the matter?¡± An underling politely asked the man.

    ¡°Something went wrong.¡±

    ¡°Sir, are you talking about the system?¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡±

    The underling¡¯s face also became serious. The main basis of their organization was the system; a problem in the system meant a problem in their organization.

    The man got up from his seat. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±

    ¡°Sir, where are we heading?¡±

    ¡°I must go to Glen Zenard.¡±

    The underling slightly narrowed his eyes. He didn¡¯t like Glen Zenard¡ªGlen¡¯s hypocritical personality was despicable, but the way he also treated their master as his underling was even more infuriating.

    ¡®That idiot doesn¡¯t even know he¡¯s being used!¡¯

    However, following Glen Zenard had been their master¡¯s orders. The underling politely bowed his head. ¡°Sir, I¡¯ll make the necessary preparations.¡±

    After the underling disappeared, the man began walking towards the opposite direction from his underling. After a while, his eyesnded on a huge tree, an enormous tree that was surrounded by boiling magma.

    ¡®I must find the reason.¡¯ The man looked at the original World Tree with intent eyes. He was the same man who stared at Zich and hispanion¡¯s statues at Violuwin in the past.

    * * *

    For the past few days, Glen continued his attempts to befriend L. He worked hard to earn her favor with his kind face and words. It seemed as if his words were notpletely in vain since he could now talk more easily with her than before. However, this was the extent of his efforts. He wasn¡¯t able to get even a glimmer of information about her past, which was the information he most wanted. In order to change the past, he needed to know the past when turning back time. For that reason, he was annoyed that L didn¡¯t open up about her past. However, he never expressed his annoyance on the outside, and L¡¯s attitude sparked his fighting spirit instead. ¡®I¡¯ll definitely make it so that you only look at me!¡¯

    It didn¡¯t matter how long it took. The amount of time he had was limitless anyways. However, there was something thatpletely destroyed his leisurely attitude.

    ¡®¡­This is a dream.¡¯

    Glenforted himself many times like this, but it was not easy. The figure in front of him was his past self¡ªa person that he absolutely detested.

 Chapter 400

    <h4>Chapter 400</h4>

    A group of children quickly ran past. They nced at each other with smiles filled with excitement and hope, leaving an innocent air that only children could possess and disappeared into the parade. It wasn¡¯t only the children. A young pair of lovers and a middle-aged couple with their children joined the parade in order. After them, a man with a fearsome face, an old man with a cane, and all kinds of people regardless of their age, gender, and so on walked towards the city¡¯s main road in unison.

    People¡¯s wild cheers waved across the road. They were all cheering for a group of people walking down the middle of the road. They were Zich Brave and hispanions, who had saved the city from yet another disaster. To get a closer look, people pushed into the already crowded road to see Zich Brave and hispanions slowly treading between the ever-increasing crowd. They were this age¡¯s greatest heroes.

    Among the crowd, there was one noticeable man watching the heroes. Like the people around him, his eyes were filled with admiration and envy. However, his clothes were extremely tattered and dirty, and his skinny, emaciated body indicated the man¡¯s deplorable living conditions. However, his face was extremely beautiful, and it was clear that the man would make manydies¡¯ hearts flutter if he simply fattened up his cheeks by eating well and washed up.

    The man couldn¡¯t push his way into the crowd because he was too weak andcked energy. However, he did his utmost best to crane his neck over the crowd to see the heroes. After a couple of attempts, he finally seeded in seeing the hero, and the sight of Zich Brave holding up a shining holy sword stirred up a tremendous emotion inside him.

    The man and the hero seemed to exist in different worlds. Compared to the hero who fought for humankind with the support of numerous countries, he was a nobody, barely surviving day after day at the city¡¯s bottom. However, the man couldn¡¯t help thinking while watching the heroes receive love from everyone in the world: ¡®If only I could also be a hero¡­¡¯

    Bam!

    At that moment, an enormous wave of mana fell. The man¡¯s body disappeared first. Then, the crowd, houses, the street, and even Zich Brave and hispanions disappeared. Arge ck hole appeared where the parade used to be.

    Crack!

    The rest of the scenery crumbled. Like broken ss, it broke into pieces and was sucked into the ck hole. The only one who remained was Glen Zenard holding a ck demon sword.

    ¡°No.¡± His eyes darted and shot downwards. ¡°This isn¡¯t me anymore. I am a hero now!¡±

    An immense amount of mana was sent into Tornium and an ominous ringing sounded from its des. Glen swung the sword. The ck hole shook widely and broke without a sound.

    Blink! Glen opened his eyes and hurriedly got up. He flung away the nket on top of him.

    ¡®¡­A dream.¡¯

    It was dark outside through the window, and the sun hadn¡¯t risen yet. However, Glen didn¡¯t n to go to sleep again. He got down from his bed and raised the kettle on the table. There was a cup next to it, but Glen ced the kettle¡¯s mouth directly onto his and drank. Half of its contents flowed past his mouth and wet his clothes and the floor. Eventually, he threw the empty kettle onto the table and sat back down on his bed.

    ¡®Calm down, Glen Zenard. It¡¯s just a stupid dream.¡¯ The dream had nothing to do with the present. It was something he had almost erased from his mindpletely. He didn¡¯t know why he was having this dream now of all times, but it was all meaningless. He assured himself with these words, but he couldn¡¯t help feeling an instinctual unpleasantness. It really, truly was unpleasant.

    ¡°Urgh!¡± He wanted to vomit, and Glen quickly blocked his mouth. He couldn¡¯t believe that he felt the urge to vomit just because he recalled this memory.

    ¡°Weak! So unbelievably weak!¡±

    The hero he dreamt of wasn¡¯t weak like this. A hero had to be praised by all and was perfect in every way. A hero wasn¡¯t this dirty and weak.

    ¡®Isn¡¯t¡­a hero?¡¯ Glen felt a great sense of danger suddenly. He wondered again why he had this dream. ¡®Is this a warning from myself?¡¯

    It was true that this timeline couldn¡¯t have been stranger. There were too many changed variables to count, and Zich Moore was being treated as a hero instead of him. He had always maintained the status of a hero even in the timelines he ruined; however, in this current timeline, there was hardly anyone who called him a hero.

    ¡®Yeah! It¡¯s a warning that I¡¯m giving myself because I have been watching the situation toocently and optimistically!¡¯ Glen thought this timeline was basically ruined and focused on gaining more information to use for the next regression as a priority. However, it seemed like that had been the wrong approach. ¡®Even in a ruined timeline, I have to be called a hero. I have to be a hero!¡¯

    He had to take back the position he lost. He was no longer the poor existence watching admirable figures from afar while sucking his thumb. ¡®I have to start again now!¡¯

    He even had a fitting target nearby. Glen¡¯s eyes dangerously glittered.

    * * *

    L was not in a good mood. It had been several days since Zich left for the Denest Mountain Range, and in the meantime, Glen Zenard continuously pestered her. As he gave her a sleek smile and continuously initiated useless conversations, L felt that he was the worst kind of man.

    ¡®If only I gained some useful information.¡¯ The reason why L epted Glen¡¯spany was to extract information from him. Perhaps it was because he had gone through countless regressions, but Glen was incredibly adept at evading the questions that L asked about him. Thus, L¡¯s stress was at its limit.

    ¡®Moreover, there¡¯s that dream I had.¡¯ Her body shuddered as she recalled it. L had dreamed of when she was Clowon¡¯s princess¡ªa time period she had only glimpsed through in Finel¡¯s memories. Even though their appearance was the same, they werepletely different in behavior, mindset, and most of all, their gaze.

    ¡®Her eyes look like there¡¯s no emotion in them.¡¯ L couldn¡¯t believe they were the same person. After she woke up from her dream, L had a hard time suppressing the vomit rising in her throat.

    ¡®On the bright side, after this dream, the amount of time Glen Zenard has tried to converse with me has decreased.¡¯ If that wasn¡¯t the case, L might have thrown a fireball at his face in frustration. She didn¡¯t know why Glen Zenard changed his behavior.

    ¡®It might be because I didn¡¯t properly converse with him.¡¯ Even then, her suffering was not fully over. Even though his attempts to converse with her had noticeably decreased, she still had to talk to him sometimes.

    ¡°Ah, Ms. L.¡± While walking down the hallway, L heard an annoying voice. She desperately tried to keep a straight face, and she had never felt so jealous of Zich¡¯s shameless acting skills.

    ¡®No, if Glen Zenard was his opponent, even his thick skin would crack.¡¯ L gritted her teeth at Glen¡¯s horrific tactics.

    ¡°Hello, Mr. Zenard,¡± L replied while keeping her face and expression as normal as possible. She couldn¡¯t make a smile. There was no need to, and she didn¡¯t have the confidence to pull off a smile while looking at Glen¡¯s face. The two of them shared a short conversation in the hallway. Then, L slightly tried to elicit information by saying, ¡°Mr. Zenard, you seem a bit busy these days. Is there anything going on?¡±

    ¡°Things are slightly better than before, but as you know, we¡¯re still currently battling monsters. So I increased my patrol duty for a bit longer. No matter how much I enjoy my time here, protecting people is more important.¡±

    Glen said a couple of ¡®righteous words¡¯ that seemed scripted. L could slightly grasp why Zich hated hearing people say righteous words so much. ¡®No, that¡¯s not it. I only feel this way because I know that Glen Zenard is a hypocrite. There¡¯s no way that I¡¯d have the same thoughts as Zich. That¡¯s impossible.¡¯

    Even though L loved Zich, she didn¡¯t want to think like him at all. However, there was no way that Glen could read L¡¯s thoughts. He asked L for tea as he had constantly been doing for the past few days, and the location was always at the garden in their lodging. They shared small talk while drinking a cup of tea. However, neither of them enjoyed their time together as they merely said empty words to fish out information from each other. On the other hand, Glen was satisfied with this situation. ¡®If she had zero interest in me, she wouldn¡¯t converse with me like this.¡¯

    Glen couldn¡¯t catch L¡¯s true intentions in the slightest and he felt satisfied with himself. ¡®I just have to slowly gauge her interest like this.¡¯ It didn¡¯t matter if he only gained one piece of information about her in this timeline. He could use this piece of information as his base to get two, four, or eight pieces of information in the next timeline and eventually figure out the perfect condition to make her hisrade. This method had never failed him so far because he just needed to keep trying until it worked. Moreover, to get what he wanted, he used any means or methods possible.

    ¡®There were many people I couldn¡¯t even converse with like this in the beginning.¡¯ A prime example of such a person was Lara Browning. He didn¡¯t know how much effort he had to exert to get her. In their early meetings, Lara Browning rejected him so firmly that he wondered how anyone could be so firm. However, what was the situation like now?

    ¡®With just a few words from me, she¡¯s now willing to throw away her precious sword.¡¯ However, as soon as he thought this, Glen Zenard¡¯s mood turned sour. In this timeline with a lot of unknown variables, Lara Browning stubbornly held onto her sword without throwing it away. After perfecting her route, this had never happened before.

    ¡®The Lara Browning who refuses to throw away her sword is not Lara Browning anymore.¡¯ Thus, Glen Zenard almost lost all interest in Lara Browning in this timeline. To get the Lara Browning he wanted, he just needed to return everything back to normal in the next regression. It was better to focus on L for now.

    ¡®Isn¡¯t this situation pretty good for now?¡¯ Even though L never smiled at him, she epted his invitation for tea every time. He was sure that L had some sort of interest in him as well. He smiled darkly inside his mind at the thought that he could steal something from Zich again.

    ¡°Oh? You were here?¡±

    Glen heard a familiar voice. When he turned around, he saw Zich standing in front of the garden entrance. ¡®Did he already return?¡¯ Glen desperately tried to stop himself from frowning. However, he became happy when he thought of what he and L currently looked like to Zich.

    ¡®Hisrade is drinking tea with me while he was struggling outside.¡¯ Moreover, he felt even more pleased as he was confident that L was opening up to him. Glen turned back to look at L. He was curious about what type of reaction she would show, but hepletely stiffened when he saw her face.

    ¡°Zich!¡± L made a bright smile that she had never shown him even once. Her goddess-like beauty exploded at that moment. It was to the extent that even Glen became speechless even though he had all kinds of experiences throughout his many regressions. L immediately got up and quickly walked towards Zich. Glen could only nkly stare at her back as she walked. He couldn¡¯t think properly because his mind felt so cluttered and confused, but he was sure of one thing¡ªhe felt like a dumb clown.

 Chapter 401

    <h4>Chapter 401</h4>

    Yet, Glen¡¯s expression didn¡¯t falter. His mad, almost childish obsession with embodying the perfect hero forced him to appear unfazed even as he witnessed such a mind-boggling shock. He got up as he watched L greet Zich like a newlywed wife weing her husband back from an overseas trip.

    ¡°It¡¯s been a while, Sir Zich.¡± Glen approached Zich and stretched out his hand. L turned in his direction. Unlike when she was greeting Zich, there wasn¡¯t a trace of a smile left on her face. Glen¡¯s annoyance rose to another level at this, but there was nothing he could do about it.

    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s been a while, Sir Zenard.¡± Zich lightly grabbed Glen¡¯s hand and let go.

    ¡°I heard that you went to investigate the abnormality of the monsters¡¯ movements. Have you made any progress?¡±

    ¡°Not at all.¡± Zich shook his head. ¡°Since a significant number of nearby monsters hade down already, I couldn¡¯t see as many as before. That was all I saw. I still don¡¯t know about the cause of this abnormality is.¡±

    ¡°Hm, what a pity.¡± Contrary to what he said, Glen was overjoyed to hear this news. If Zich had found out the cause of this current happening, his fame would only grow higher¡ªand there was no way Glen would be pleased about that. News of Zich¡¯s failure filled Glen with joy.

    Zich asked while looking at L, ¡°How are the monsters acting now?¡±

    ¡°There hasn¡¯t been a mass ambush like before. They have been appearing less frequently than before, but it seems like they are stilling down near the city¡¯s vicinity continuously.¡±

    ¡°I suppose that means the problem hasn¡¯t been solved yet.¡± Zich slowly nodded and turned in Glen¡¯s direction.

    ¡°I will be returning to my room. I am quite fatigued after walking through the mountain range for several days,¡± Zich said.

    ¡°Ah, how senseless of me to not notice and keep you here, sir. Please go and have a good rest.¡±

    Zich left with gratitude in his eyes and turned his back. L followed behind him. Although she also bid farewell to Glen with her eyes, she clearly showed him that she had absolutely no more interest in him. Glen stared at the ce where the two had disappeared for a while and also turned around.

    * * *

    Zich ced Windur in one corner of the room and threw his body onto the bed.

    ¡°Uh, sofortable!¡± As the soft nket enveloped his body, it appeased the tiredness he felt. With his mouth wide open, Zich wiggled his body like a caterpir making a cocoon.

    ¡°Are you tired?¡±

    ¡°Just a bit.¡±

    Although he said only a bit, it was surprising to hear that Zich was tired from just walking through a mountain range¡ªeven if it was the Denest Mountain Range.

    ¡°Something must have happened.¡±

    ¡°Something sure did.¡±

    L pulled a chair forward and sat next to him on the bed, demanding Zich to tell her what happened immediately.

    ¡°I told you I¡¯m tired.¡±

    ¡°I thought you said it was only ¡®a bit¡¯. There¡¯s no way you would be groaning on the bed this much.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s true.¡±

    Unable to refute this perfect logic, Zich raised his torso. Then, he checked to see if anyone was eavesdropping on them. The lodging waspletely empty and he couldn¡¯t feel the presence of Glen¡¯s party, which he was most wary about. It seemed that they had left.

    ¡°I found it.¡± Zich barely gave a detailed ount, but L understood what he was saying by those three words.

    ¡°Which element?¡±

    ¡°Wind.¡±

    ¡°What did it look like?¡±

    ¡°It wasn¡¯t as fancy as the fire or water one, but it floated in the air and wind whirled in strong currents around it.¡±

    L¡¯s eyes sparkled. As a mage, she felt considerable curiosity about a floating tree. She wanted to ask so many questions about the wind tree immediately, but she held back. There was something more important than that now.

    ¡°Was there nothing much?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. If there were something, I would¡¯ve returned immediately and requested your help.¡± Yet there were no long-eared creatures that wanted to be kings, giant statues that moved by themselves, or an experiment created during ancient times.

    ¡°Thank goodness. I thought you would be sucked into a strange happening like all the previous times.¡±

    ¡°I did, actually.¡±

    L looked at Zich questioningly, and Zich slowly recounted everything he had experienced. L listened to everything he said quietly and sighed after Zich finished his exnation.

    ¡°Wait a minute.¡± Her head was in a mess after hearing too much information. Zichy on the nket quietly to give her some time to think in peace. Some timeter, L lifted her head and stated, ¡°That means you¡¯ve learned almost everything about the regressions surrounding the empire.¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡± Yet, after getting up again, Zich didn¡¯t look relieved or pleased. ¡°It¡¯s unfortunate that I couldn¡¯t learn much about the most important figures: Glen Zenard and the mastermind behind him.¡±

    ¡°You said Zich Brave suddenly disappeared, right?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. If I think about the situation then, I¡¯m sure he didn¡¯t intend to do that.¡± It was clear that something had interfered.

    ¡°Is it that person we think is the mastermind?¡±

    ¡°Or that guy might have stupidly forgotten that there¡¯s a time limit to these things.¡±

    ¡°¡­Don¡¯t you think that sounds unlikely?¡±

    It seemed that Zich wanted to put down Zich Brave in whatever way possible.

    ¡°No, he¡¯s totally capable of something like that. That¡¯s why he even broke the promise with me. Wait, hold up. What if he just escaped because he didn¡¯t want his head cracked?¡± Then, Zich muttered that he would crack Zich Brave¡¯s skull immediately the next time they met and mince his limbs as interest. He also mumbled other horrific things that would¡¯ve struck fear in any innocent soul. After confirming that Zich¡¯s obsessive resentment toward Zich Brave was the same as ever, L shook her head.

    Then, Zich asked, ¡°Did nothing much happen here?¡±

    ¡°Nothing really. We just kept going on monster raids.¡±

    ¡°If that¡¯s the only thing that happened, why did you seem so close to Glen Zenard?¡±

    ¡°What? Are you jealous?¡± L asked with a slight smile.

    ¡°I was just curious. There¡¯s no way the L I know has such low standards.¡±

    ¡°You should just say you are jealous in times like this.¡±

    ¡°I was jealous. So jealous that I wanted to pierce Windur through Glen Zenard¡¯s face as soon as I saw him.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s how you usually feel.¡±

    Zich wanted to stick Windur on Glen¡¯s face all the time after all. Zich snickered, and L continued, ¡°After you left, he suddenly approached me. He asked me to have a cup of tea with him and kept initiating light conversations, so I just yed along thinking that it was a good opportunity to extract information.¡±

    ¡°So, were you able to fish out any information?¡±

    ¡°Not at all. He¡¯s really good at hiding information about himself. When he talks about himself, none of the details he provides are important.¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s someone who¡¯s lived with lies and trickery his whole life. If you¡¯re able to get information out of him so easily, it¡¯d be suspicious instead.¡± Zich also acknowledged Glen¡¯s skills in this department, so he wasn¡¯t disappointed that L wasn¡¯t able to elicit any information from him.

    ¡°But it seems like he really picked you out as hisrade? I¡¯m so, so jealous.¡± Zich quickly threw his body back to the ground when he saw that a sharp ice shard had formed in L¡¯s hand. Then, he stared at L without looking at her left eye. ¡°Do you have anything else to tell me?¡±

    L erased the ice shard and said, ¡°I had a dream.¡±

    ¡°A dream?¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t think much of it until now but¡­¡± L told Zich that she saw herself as the Clowon Princess and the Brushel System¡¯s core. ¡°If I calcte the timing of the dream, I think it¡¯s around the time you met Zich Brave.¡±

    ¡°So you¡¯re saying that my meeting with him might have influenced you.¡±

    ¡°After I had that dream, Glen Zenard didn¡¯t try to flirt with me as much.¡±

    Zich narrowed his eyes. ¡°Did that guy also have a dream?¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s definitely a possibility. Judging by how that guy¡¯s behavior changed, that dream might have influenced him in some way.¡± There was another reason to observe him a bit more carefully.

    ¡°Anyway, we¡¯ve reached our goal here, right?¡±

    Zich pushed a thought to the corner of his mind at L¡¯s question. ¡°Yeah. Even though it¡¯s I couldn¡¯t finish hearing what Zich Brave had to say, I know what I have to do next so it¡¯s fine.¡±

    Zich got up from the bed and lifted Windur, which he put in the corner of the room. Windur seemed to read Zich¡¯s thought as it began to swerve and point in one direction. It was in a different direction than its previous target. L stared at Windur with fresh eyes. She was amazed that it used to be part of the World Tree. She knew that it was an extraordinary sword, but she hadn¡¯t imagined it to be a part of something so amazing.

    ¡°Then, are we going to leave right away?¡±

    ¡°No, we have to stay for a little longer. There are still some matters we need to resolve.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re talking about Til and Glen Zenard, right?¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s that too, but you also said that monsters are still ambushing the area. We need to solve that matter and then go.¡±

    L blinked several times. She looked like she was inplete disbelief, but thissted for only a moment. Her eyes curved into a smile and she said, ¡°Yeah. We need to save a city from dangerous monsters.¡±

    ¡°¡­I feel some sort of unpleasant feeling.¡± L looked at him like a mother proud of her son. Of course, Zich never experienced such a gaze from his father, stepmother, or biological mother.

    ¡°You¡¯re probably imagining it.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s probably my imagination.¡±

    ¡°Without considering Til or Glen Zenard, we also don¡¯t know when the monster ambushes will stop. Are we really going to stay here until the monster ambushes stop?¡± L didn¡¯t feel happy about staying in one city for a matter that they didn¡¯t know would end or not, especially at a time when they had a clear goal to aplish.

    However, Zich was rxed. ¡°The fact that Glen Zenard can¡¯t regress anymore has given us more leisure time.¡± This was true. The fact that everything they achieved and worked for was no longer in the danger of disappearing like a passing dream gave them a huge sense of security and relief. ¡°Moreover, I think that the monster ambushes are happening because the Tree of Wind¡¯s seal was half released, and mana spread to its surroundings. There¡¯s a high possibility that these ambushes will soon lessen.¡±

    Zich¡¯s words also had a point. However, Zich was only half right. The monster ambushes did not lessen and exploded in number again.

    * * *

    Slice!

    Zich sliced an ogre¡¯s neck as it bared its fangs. He made such a clean cut that the ogre couldn¡¯t realize its death yet and ttered its teeth. Zich evaded the ogre¡¯s body as it fell and looked for other monsters. His surroundings were filled with monster corpses and blood, but his appearance was extremely clean.

    ¡®It¡¯s over.¡¯ Hisrades defeated the other monsters. Zich tied Windur to his back. He nced at hisrades, and no one was injured. However, L¡¯s face as she walked toward Zich didn¡¯t too good.

    ¡°They keep increasing, Zich.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, they are.¡± Zich stared at the Denest Mountain Range. The mountain range peeking over the clouds seemed to be looking down at the people in the city and mocking their desperate efforts.

    ¡°Is it because of the Tree of Wind? Contrary to our thoughts, that tree might be drawing the monsters here.¡±

    This was a possibility, but Zich thought the possibility of this was very low. ¡°Monsters didn¡¯t act in a frenzy in the Adrowon Great Forest.¡± The Tree of Fire had been fully released from its seal early on, but he hadn¡¯t heard any news about monster ambushes from the elves. A great number of monsters lived in the Adrowon Forest. If the Tree of Fire was drawing in the monsters, the elves wouldn¡¯t have been able to live in peace.

    ¡°It might be because the Tree of Wind was just released from its seal.¡±

    This conjecture had a higher possibility. ¡°We should look more into Violuwin and Shootuol¡¯s situation.¡± The trees¡¯ seals in these two ces had recently been released. If Pialu was experiencing devastation because of the Tree of Wind, then those two cities should have also been affected in one way or another.

    ¡°But I don¡¯t think it¡¯s because of the tree.¡±

    L asked, ¡°Then what?¡±

    Zich stared at Pialu¡¯s city walls from far away. Glen Zenard should probably be still at the city walls if he was following the patrol shifts.

    ¡®Glen Zenard.¡¯ Zich¡¯s eyes turned cold.

 Chapter 402

    <h4>Chapter 402</h4>

    Zich knew of three ways to artificially control monsters. The first one was using the Pyramid of Vengeful Souls, which Trislowa had attempted to create in the past. Second, there was the method that L used during her days as the princess of Clowon. Finally, there was the method that the robed figures had used when attacking Violuwin. Of course, there was no guarantee that these three forces used different methods from one another.

    ¡®I mean, there¡¯s a high possibility that the robed figures used the same method to control the monsters like L did in her princess days.¡¯ They both probably used Clowon¡¯s ruins. ¡®It¡¯d be the same for the Pyramid of Vengeful Souls.¡¯ It was hard to imagine Glen just leaving the Bellids alone after undergoing countless regressions when he got himself involved in all kinds of ces.

    ¡®Maybe Glen secretly offered the Pyramid of Vengeful Souls to the Bellids.¡¯

    Nevertheless, Zich was certain that Glen knew a method for controlling the monsters to fit his ns, and he was scheming something with them. ¡®To think that I would have an opportunity to screw him over so fast.¡¯

    The guaranteed way to sess was not missing a given opportunity, and Zich had no intention of losing this one.

    ¡®I think I will be able to do something joyful before leaving this city.¡¯ Zichughed heartily in a good mood. Yet, contrary to what he was feeling, hispanion, L, increased her distance from him and backed a couple of steps away.

    ¡°How chilling,¡± L whispered, revealing her true feelings.

    * * *

    From then on, Zich began to spy on Glen. He expected Glen to make some movements if he was scheming something. Yet, Zich failed to find anything suspicious about Glen. All Glen did was take care of monsters outside, walk around his lodging from time to time, and attempt to draw attention from L. Had his predictions missed the mark? Yet, Zich thought there was a low possibility of that.

    ¡®He might be waiting for a suitable time. Or he might have already finished his preparations.¡¯ Zich thought thetter had a higher possibility. The fact that there were monsters ambushing the city seemed to indicate that Glen¡¯s ns had already solidified somewhat, and perhaps Glen had progressed his scheme further while Zich went to check on the Wind Tree¡¯s existence. Although he left the task of spying on Glen to L, her particr skill sets weren¡¯t the best for surveilling a secretive person like Glen.

    ¡®Besides, she probably can¡¯t pour all her attention into surveilling him.¡¯

    If this was all true, then what kind of scheme was Glen preparing? What came to Zich¡¯s mind were Til, since heter became the Demon Lord of Disaster, and the monsters that attacked Pialu. With these two key words¡ªTil and the monsters¡ªZich tried to decipher Glen¡¯s movements.

    ¡®Of course, I¡¯m sure this guy¡¯s goal is to y the hero.¡¯ Then, the punitive expedition of the monsters was out of the question. For Glen to be praised as a hero, he would have to aplish much more than other people. Yet, the presence of Zich¡¯spanions at Pialu prevented him from aplishing such a thing. Furthermore, Zich¡¯s team was far superior to Glen¡¯s in terms of skills. Even if Glen had prepped the stage for a gigantic monster ambush, it was clear that Zich¡¯s party would steal his spotlight.

    ¡®Even that guy must have realized the difference in our skill levels.¡¯

    Rather, Glen was probably even more bothered by this fact than anything else, and Zich was probably an unbearable eyesore to him since certain regions treated Zich as a hero. Zich thought that Glen had a connection to the monsters¡¯ abnormal movements, and there would be a reason why the monsters were acting so peculiarly. However, all this also meant that Glen¡¯s true goal was something else.

    ¡®As I thought, does it have to do with Til? What kind of methods did he use to manipte Til?¡¯ The first thought that came to Zich¡¯s mind was the methods the robed figures had used to create Demon People up until now: they used the people in the person¡¯s surroundings to corrupt them.

    ¡®The people around Til are¡­¡±

    There was Nick who had a bad rtionship with him and Max whose rtionship with Til was good.

    ¡®There are also the kids, but¡­¡¯ Would he really use children? ¡®If it¡¯s that guy, he totally would and even go beyond.¡¯ Zich was sure of it. ¡®Nevertheless, it seems clear that I should search Til¡¯s surroundings.¡¯ Thus, Zich decided to watch Til and Glen closely.

    * * *

    The monster attacks continued. For a couple of days, the level of their attacks ended with the monsters lingering near the city like before. However, as time passed, the number of monsters increased, and their attacks became more frequent. Naturally, people became more anxious and they were worried that mass numbers of monsters would attack all at once like before. Although they had sessfully blocked thest monster ambush, they had suffered significant casualties. Furthermore, there was no guarantee that the next ambush would have a simr number of monsters as before, and there could even be more monsters next time. Yet, Zich believed that the monsters¡¯ movements had been purposefully staged, so he observed the situation from a different point of view than the city¡¯s residents.

    ¡®If the n is to ambush the city with monsters, these sorts of operations aren¡¯t necessary.¡¯ The monsters¡¯ current movements only made the city residents more anxious. If the n was to take over the city, a much more efficient way would be to gradually decrease the monster attacks and catch the residents off guard.

    ¡®This means that this guy¡¯s n isn¡¯t to attack the city.¡¯ Even if attacking the city was part of his n, it probably wasn¡¯t a central part of his n. Thus, it seemed more likely that the schemer was trying to strike fear and worry in the citizens¡¯ hearts. They were already seeding since the city had reached its peak anxiety.

    However, that wasn¡¯t probably his final goal either. ¡®He might be trying to create chaos or stop trade.¡¯ Or, there might be apletely different reason. ¡®I need to first gain more information.¡¯ He needed more information to narrow down the possible theories.

    Zich went into the square¡ªhe had made ns with another person at the square today. Even though anxiety and fear had swept the city, there were quite a few people wandering around, and many shops were open. People had to earn a living even in times of crisis, and the monsters hadn¡¯t reached this part of the city yet. The sun was beginning to set. Several people were sitting outside at the bar tables. Most people were mercenaries who hadpleted their work for the day, but there were a couple of non-mercenaries mixed in with them.

    ¡°Over here!¡± One person at a table waved his hand and called out to Zich, and he approached him.

    ¡°You¡¯re here early.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re the one who''ste.¡± The person, Max, watched as Zich sat on the opposite side and called the waiter. ¡°Beer, right?¡± Max ordered beer without waiting for Zich¡¯s reply. There was already a half-empty beer cup in front of him.

    ¡°Are you ordering without even hearing my reply?¡±

    ¡°Do I even have to hear your reply? Just drink whatever I give you. You haven¡¯t drank anything else so far¡­¡± Then, Maxughed out loud and gulped the rest of his beer. The scar on his face menacingly moved as he drank. Just a few days ago, Max had treated Zich politely as a Karuwiman Honorary Knight, but now, he treated Zich as if they were close buddies or even a younger brother.

    When Zich decided to spy on Til¡¯s surroundings, the first n he thought about was to hide his body and spy on Til¡¯s surroundings¡ªthis was what people usually thought of first when they heard the term ¡®spy on¡¯. However, the danger level for this n was high, and it was time-consuming as well. Thus, the next idea he thought of was to fish out information from the people around Til. Even though it also took a while to get information and there was room for bias, this method took less time and was less dangerous than directly spying on Til. As a result, Zich chose to elicit information from Max.

    Max was one of the closest people to Til, and he also looked at Zich favorably as a Karuwiman Honorary Knight. ¡®He¡¯s also one of the main suspects for corrupting Til.¡¯ Of course, it was ridiculous to use the term ¡®suspect¡¯ when Zich was currently suspicious of everyone around Til without any evidence. However, since Max was close to Til, it was definitely worthwhile to keep observing him. Anyway, with all these thoughts in mind, Zich approached Max.

    It was easy to get close to Max¡ªhe had already been trying to leave a favorable impression on Zich and his team because of their past trouble with mercenaries in his group. Moreover, Zich¡¯s easygoing temperament, or if said negatively, rough personality, went along well with Max¡¯s own temperament who was a mercenary to his core despite his principles of trust and faith.

    They had now reached a stage where they sometimes met after work and drank a cup of beer together. Moreover, they were now so close that Max stopped using honorifics and spoke informally to him. The waiter brought two cups of beer. He put one cup in front of Zich and the other cup in front of Zich. Max¡¯s first cup was alreadypletely empty.

    ¡°Is it okay to drink that much?¡± Zich asked in a tone of rebuke as Max held his second cup of beer in glee. Even though they finished their work for today, they needed to always be ready for battle since the situation was so dire.

    ¡°I¡¯m going to just drink this and stop.¡± Max¡¯s voice sounded mncholy; he seemed sad that this was hisst cup. He gulped down his first cup like a wanderer after traveling around a desert, but he sipped his second cup like he was drinking hot tea. Even while drinking, Max frowned in frustration that his beer was decreasing.

    Zich smiled at Max¡¯s obvious expression and gulped his beer. Zich and Max shared small talk. Even though Zich was meeting him to fish out information, he didn¡¯t particrly put any effort to draw the conversation in one direction. The conversation was going to lead to topics that they shared anyway. Even if Zich didn¡¯t put any effort to bring out the topic, the conversation naturally shifted in the direction that Zich wanted.

    ¡°You¡¯re also aware that the number of monster ambushes has increased, right?¡±

    ¡°Of course. Isn¡¯t that why everyone in this city is so nervous?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s why people are saying we should send Walter and Ellie to another city,¡± Max spoke casually, but Zich¡¯s eyes brightened.

    ¡°Well, no wonder. It¡¯s dangerous for the kids to stay here since we don¡¯t know when the monsters will ambush us again.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s what I¡¯ve been saying. I think the captain and Vice-captain Nick finally regained their senses.¡± Max had always felt very ufortable bringing along children with the mercenary group. Thus, it was only natural that he was so supportive of sending the kids to another city.

    ¡°But I didn¡¯t know that there was such a brave person who would be able to make such a suggestion. It would be difficult to make such a suggestion to those two who care for their children so much that they even bring their kids along with their mercenary work.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s definitely not easy, but it was okay this time since the person who brought up the topic first was Vice-captain Nick.¡±

    ¡°Is that so? Then, everything must have turned out fine.¡± Zich took a sip of his beer as if he was no longer interested. However, his eyes were glistening.

 Chapter 403

    <h4>Chapter 403</h4>

    Although Zich liked alcohol, he limited himself to only one cup of beer. It wasn¡¯t because he was afraid that his judgment would be hazy or that he would lose control from a single cup of alcohol, but in consideration of Max who wasn¡¯t in the same boat as him, Zich ced his cup down. Max almost appeared pitiful as he tried to lick thest remaining droplets of beer on the bottom of his ss cup. However, Max didn¡¯t concern himself with other people¡¯s gazes and only focused on finishing his drink.

    ¡°Why don¡¯t you have another cup, sir?¡±

    ¡°Our captain told us to never drink more than two cups.¡± Max¡¯s voice was weak as if he had heard a good scolding from his parents about this issue in the past.

    ¡°Then why don¡¯t we get up now?¡±

    ¡°Wait a minute. I still have some left.¡±

    It was almost grotesque to see Max¡¯s tongue wiggle inside the bottom of the transparent beer ss. Zich sighed and tried to interrogate Max once again when noisy bell sounds rang across the whole city.

    Ring! Ring! Ring! Ring! Zich, as well as Max, who had been peering deeply into his beer ss, and the other people in the room, simultaneously turned their heads to where the bell sound was. Inside a bell tower on top of the castle wall, they saw the bell shake like mad.

    Thud! Zich and Max both ran at once and headed to an assembly point n designated for emergency situations. They ran across the streets and saw that the ringing bell had pushed the already worried-sick city¡¯s residents over the edge. Every road they passed was filled with people moving hastily in worry and fear. The ominous perception that chaos was encroaching on the ce slowly spread throughout the city like poison.

    ¡°Damn it! Is it the monsters?¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s a high possibility.¡±

    While skillfully evading people in their way, the two conversed. Although Zich would¡¯ve been able to reach his destination much faster by himself, he matched his pacing with Max. The ce they were heading to was the castle wall that directly faced the Denest Mountain Range. The city¡¯s administrators moved the assembly point further to the forefront after seeing Zich¡¯s party, Glen¡¯s party, and the Wolf¡¯s Canine''s astounding skills. When the monsters ambushed, this ce was the area where the most vicious battles took ce.

    ¡°Will there be a simr amount asst time?¡±

    ¡°Then we won¡¯t have much to worry about, sir.¡±

    The two arrived at the assembly point quickly. After informing the city guards¡¯manding official of their arrival, Zich and Max climbed on top of the castle walls to look toward the Denest Mountain Range. They saw masses of monsters approaching them.

    ¡°Their numbers seem to be simr to before¡­¡±

    Although they hadn¡¯t seen all the monsters yet, Max sounded a bit relieved to see that the size of the monsters¡¯ army appeared simr to before by a rough estimate. Yet, Zich¡¯s next words pulled him away from any sense of relief.

    ¡°Look over there, sir,¡± Zich said and Max looked where Zich¡¯s finger pointed.

    ¡°¡­What¡¯s that?¡±

    All traces of his past relief disappeared, and Max¡¯s body stiffened in nervousness. Between the monsters, there was a strange-looking figure which also clearly looked like a monster mixed in with them. Yet, this monster looked different from all the monsters Max had ever seen, even considering his numerous experiences. Compared to moremon (?) monsters such as goblins, orcs, trolls, and ogres, this one crawled toward the castle walls while pushing monsters out of their way, and something about it stirred up intense fear in its human viewers. When Zich revealed the identity of this monster, it seemed as if Max¡¯s fears manifested into somethingughing at him.

    ¡°It¡¯s a basilisk.¡±

    ¡°¡­That¡¯s a basilisk?¡±

    Even an ignorant mercenary like Max had heard of its name. Outwardly, they looked like giant snakes, but their tails were said to be strong enough to crush steel, their poison toxic enough to melt boulders, and most frighteningly, gazes so deadly that they turned people into stones. Although their existence was confirmed, these monsters were close to fables that only appeared in stories among ordinary folks.

    ¡°Well, if it¡¯s the Denest Mountain Range, it¡¯s not strange that such monsters exist, but¡­¡±

    Max was stunned at the sight of a monster he had never seen before, especially after hearing that it was a fearsome monster he had only heard of.

    ¡°Would you be able to stop that?¡±

    ¡°If there¡¯s only one, I can handle it without much trouble.¡±

    ¡°Oh, really?¡± Max let out a sigh in relief, but his face stiffened again at Zich¡¯s following words.

    ¡°That is, if there¡¯s only one of them.¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t tell you for sure, but the sight of a basilisk confirms that even high-level monsters are influenced by the force that¡¯s influencing all these monsters. Yet, it would be strange to think that there would be only one high-level monster like that guy in the Denest Mountain Range.¡±

    ¡°Seriously, ah, damn it!¡±

    After hearing Zich¡¯s gloomy analysis of the situation, Max aggressively kicked the castle wall.

    ¡®Truthfully, thest battle was too easy considering that we were fighting monsters from the Denest Mountain Range,¡¯ Zich thought.

    The official battle soon began. Other troops began arriving at their location, including Zich¡¯spanions, and¡­

    ¡®Glen Zenard¡¯s also here.¡¯ From atop the castle walls, Zich looked down as Glen hurriedly came in running with his otherpanions.

    * * *

    ¡°Shoot!¡±

    Like thest battle, the first attack started with masses of arrows flying down the Pialu castle walls. The small monsters struck by the flurry of arrows tumbled to the ground and middle-level monsters unluckily hit in their vital areas lost their lives. The next attacks were magical ones.

    Bam! Bam! Fireballs dropped onto the monsters with no restraint. The monsters at the center of the explosion shredded into pieces and the whirlwind of mes inflicted injuries on the monsters in the surroundings. The mages aimed their magic where strong monsters were. The sight of the strong monsters¡¯ bodies getting torn into pieces and their remains flying into the air gave a new, refreshing feeling to those drowning in fear. Yet, the soldiers who would¡¯ve cheered like in thest battle kept their mouths closed.

    Kieeeeeeh! The soldiers flinched at the terrifying sounds. This caused them to have openings in their stance and led to their injuries or even deaths. However, it couldn¡¯t be helped. The monster¡¯s screams triggered intense fear among the soldiers.

    Crunch! The basilisk mercilessly ripped apart a kobold in front of it and blood sttered on its scales. However, the basilisk seemed to bepletely unaffected that another small monster died due to its movements. It only focused its ominous eyes on Pialu¡¯s walls.

    Crunch! Zich crushed the skull of an ogre climbing up the wall and stared at the basilisk. ¡®Should I start moving?¡¯ He couldn¡¯t let the basiliske any closer to the city wall. Zich could use the city wall to his advantage for all the monsters he had faced so far, but this was not the case for the basilisk.

    ¡®I need to defeat it outside of the wall¡¯s vicinity.¡¯ Zich went up the parapet. This startled the soldiers next to him and they stared at him, but they soon turned their attention to the monsters. Zich was already famous in Pialu, especially among the soldiers. It was not hard to recognize him as Windur¡¯s special shape always made him stand out.

    Tap! Someone went up next to him. Zich looked to his side without an expression; he saw an annoying face.

    ¡°You¡¯re nning to attack the basilisk, right?¡±

    ¡°Are you also nning to go?¡±

    ¡°Yes, because it¡¯s better to get rid of the danger as soon as possible. It¡¯s also not a monster that ordinary soldiers can take care of.¡± The Tornium inside Glen¡¯s hand glistened sharply.

    Glen looked at the basilisk from far away and nced at Zich. ¡®I can¡¯t let this guy get all the attention.¡¯ Of course, he knew that Zich was the best at killing monsters, and Glen was very familiar with Zich¡¯s skills. Of course, he wasn¡¯t disappointed by this fact since he made preparations to stand out in this battle. Glen was confident that no matter how many monsters Zich killed, he would make the biggest achievement.

    ¡®Even then, I can¡¯t just stand still while this guy hogs all the attention.¡¯ Glen needed to overshadow Zich¡¯s achievements as much as possible and make his achievements stand out. Thus, he couldn¡¯t let Zich defeat the basilisk by himself. Zich could also clearly read Glen¡¯s thoughts.

    ¡®I would have thought he was an annoying hero bastard a long time ago, but¡­¡¯ Zich now thought Glen was just a two-faced bastard. ¡®Huh? Did my impression of him actually improvepared to when he was the Sun Hero Glen Zenard?¡¯

    To Zich, a two-faced bastard was better than a just and righteous hero. Zich stared at Glen for a moment.

    ¡°¡­Why are you staring at me?¡±

    ¡°No, it¡¯s nothing much.¡± Zich turned his head. Then, while he was jumping down from the city wall, he thought, ¡®If this guy wasn¡¯t trying to use me, I might have had a different type of rtionship with him.¡¯ Of course, since Glen Zenard was trying to use him, they would always be enemies.

    * * *

    Zich and Glen hacked the monsters and moved forward. Every time Zich and Glen swung Windur and Tornium, the monsters in front of them were sliced into pieces. They were so fast that their speed was simr to an ordinary person running at full speed. The wall of monsters couldn¡¯t hinder them at all. As a result, it did not take long for them to reach the basilisk. The basilisk seemed to also have noticed them as its chilling eyes headed towards Zich and Glen.

    Kiiiiiiiiieck! The basilisk opened its mouth and let out a terrifying sound. Poison dripped down its enormous and numerous teeth and it looked extremely menacing. The basilisk moved back¨Cdid it shrink back in fear at Zich and Glen¡¯s unstoppable advance? No, the basilisk wasn¡¯t a monster who would be afraid of something like that.

    Pak! The basilisk¡¯s head sprung forward as a sharp arrow pulled from a tight bow. The basilisk¡¯s sharp teeth and poison rushed towards them, and Zich and Glen moved to opposite sides as if they had nned to do so beforehand.

    Bammm! A loud sound that was simr to the sound of magic attacks exploded in the area. Sharp teeth and poison weren¡¯t the basilisk¡¯s only weapons. Its sharp movement from its firm muscles and tough scales was another formidable weapon. A huge ditch formed in the area where the basilisk passed through. It crushed the monsters that were swept to the side into pieces. The monsters that were cut by its teeth were melting from the poison. It was a sight that would make anyone¡¯s hair stand on end, but Zich and Glen didn¡¯t look scared. They both swung their swords towards the basilisk¡¯s body without hesitation.

    Crush! Crush! The mana-infused swords pierced the basilisk¡¯s tough scales and sliced its flesh.

    Kaaaaaaack! The basilisk screamed and shook its body. Even this movement acted as a powerful attack. Zich and Glen moved back.

    Whoosh! The basilisk swung its tail. Its target was Zich since Zich¡¯s attack hurt more than Glen¡¯s. Zich bent over, and the basilisk¡¯s tail passed him. It was easy to tell how powerful the force of its tail was by the strong shockwaves and wind pressure created from its movement.

    Glen swung Tornium again while Zich held the Basilisk¡¯s attention. Zich also swung Windur after evading the basilisk¡¯s tail.

    Kikk! The basilisk slithered and swung its tail, but it couldn¡¯t catch Zich or Glen. The furious basilisk red at them. Then, at that moment¡ª

    sh! The basilisk¡¯s eyes beamed.

 Chapter 404

    <h4>Chapter 404</h4>

    It almost appeared as if a bright light source was shining from inside the basilisk¡¯s head. The light swept across the surroundings.

    Shaaa!

    Everything the light touched stopped moving. They lost their color and turned into a gloomy gray and stiffened in ce. The basilisk¡¯s light was transforming everything it touched into stones. All the monsters convened on the spot, the monster corpses that Zich and Glen had killed, and even all the stomped, ttened grass on the ground were locked into a stone-cold grayish world.

    ¡®The petrification light!¡¯ Zich looked at the newly-formed stone pieces next to him and narrowed his eyes. The basilisk¡¯s immense physical abilities, sturdy scales, and fatal poison were all traits that made it a terrifying monster; but on top of all these traits, the basilisk possessed a light that transformed everything within its touch into stone.

    ¡®It won¡¯t be able to change everyone into stone but¡­¡¯. People like Zich and Glen who possessed strong mana could resist the petrification effect, and they wouldn¡¯t instantly turn to stone like these monsters. Yet, it was still dangerous. The topyer of their skin could be affected upon contact and hinder their movements, making them more prone to injuries. Of course, that was only the case if the light managed to touch them.

    Psshhh! The petrification light poured out again and Zich hurriedly escaped.

    Shaa! Something came out of the basilisk¡¯s mouth this time¡ªZich twisted his feet and threw his body to the left side. The substance that came out of the monster¡¯s mouth fell over Zich¡¯s previous location.

    Sizzle! The spot began to melt and let out bitter-smelling smoke.

    ¡°Posion!¡± The basilisk¡¯s poison was much stronger than the petrification light. Unlike the petrification light which Zich could resist with his mana, this poison would immediately melt his skin and bones while letting out a foul odor. Now that he was almost out of potions, Zich needed to evade this poison at all costs. Yet, this didn¡¯t mean that he should only keep evading in battle.

    ¡°Kieeehh!¡± Zich saw Glen¡¯s Tornium pierce the basilisk¡¯s body. Glen¡¯s attack had prated deeply this time by attacking the same spot that Zich had attacked. The basilisk floundered more severely than before, and Glen backed away speedily. It seemed to be mostly on guard against Zich until now, but from the recent attack, it seemed to consider Glen as the greater threat. While the basilisk¡¯s attention was drawn to Glen, Zich jumped above the basilisk without hesitation. Windur vibrated with a strong mana flow, and while the basilisk emitted petrification light and spat poison at Glen, it noticed Zich approaching. It flung its tail that was strong enough to break through steel; but of course, its strong tail was only effective if its strikended.

    Bam! The basilisk¡¯s tail meaninglessly struck the empty ground and sent a flurry of dirt flying into the air. Zich¡¯s eyes shone at this sight, and he dashed toward the basilisk¡¯s front. The basilisk¡¯s eyes darted at Zich and the petrification light shone toward him. At that moment, Zich strongly kicked off the ground.

    Baaam! From a flurry of mana-filled kicks, the floor surrounding Zich simultaneously settled down. ordingly, the basilisk struck its tail hard against this area and a dust cloud rose into the air. Even more dust clouds flew into the air because Zich had struck the floor with mana like he was purposefully dispersing it. Simultaneously, the dust cloud became so thick that sunlight was blocked, and it was surrounded by darkness.

    Spark! The basilisk shined its petrification light but it couldn¡¯t prate ?the dust cloud. Although it was a fearsome light that changed everything it touched into stone, it couldn¡¯t ovee the physics of light itself. As the petrification light disappeared, Zich jumped out of the dust cloud. He was very close to the basilisk now and took the monster by surprise. However, with the quick response speed expected of a high-level monster, it stretched its mouth wide open as if it was preparing to bite Zich down with its poison-filled teeth. Yet, this was the monster¡¯s fatal mistake. With its mouth wide open, the smooth roof of the basilisk¡¯s mouth came into view right in front of Zich¡¯s Windur as it swirled with immense mana.

    Baaaaam! The mana shot from Windur¡¯s de swing prated through the roof of the basilisk¡¯s mouth. The basilisk¡¯s mouth hardly put up a resistance and crumpled down, but Zich¡¯s mana kept digging deeper until it reached the monster¡¯s brain and ground it into pieces.

    Kueh! The basilisk didn¡¯t shout for long. It soon lost energy in its body and after Zichnded back down on the ground, he moved sideways slightly.

    Bam! Next to him, the basilisk¡¯s head fell powerlessly.

    [Waaaaaaaaaah!]

    From far away, a cheer erupted. The soldiers on top of the castle walls had burst into celebration at the basilisk¡¯s death, and their morale clearly boosted upwards.

    ¡°You have seeded, sir,¡± Glen said while approaching Zich¡¯s side.

    ¡°It¡¯s thanks to you.¡±

    ¡°No need to thank me. You did all the work, Sir Zich.¡±

    The twoplimented one another but didn¡¯t mean a single word. If L had seen the two, she would¡¯ve shaken her head at the terrible sight. No matter what these two thought, their greatest foe for the moment had died, which meant that they would be able to defend against this monster invasion quite easily this time too.

    The two returned to the city, and as they expected, the ambush ended with Pialu¡¯s victory. However, that was not the end. Unlike how the second invasion came quite some time after the first one, the third monster invasion came only four dayster. This time, there were two basilisks and a flying monster that looked to be a wyvern. Four days after that, on top of flying monsters and basilisks, there were even behemoths mixed into the army of monsters.

    * * *

    Crunch! Zich felt a strong resistance from Windur. Although Windur maintained its sharp de and sliced through anything hard and stretchy like mud and was filled with mana on top of that, it failed to slice the neck that was nketed thickly with a mane.

    Kuaaaaaaah! The behemoth roared. Its appearance reminded one of a giant lion walking upright, and it red at Zich on its nape. The behemoth¡¯s sharp ws rushed towards Zich.

    Bam! Zich blocked its attack with Windur. However, he didn¡¯t block it straight-on; rather, Zich slightly moved his body to the side and blocked the behemoth¡¯s attack by reducing the force.

    Tilt! Zich¡¯s body shook by the behemoth¡¯s enormous strength. The force of the attack on Windur had caused Zich¡¯s bnce to waver. However, Zich was not surprised; he had actually been aiming for this phenomenon. Zich¡¯s body spun, and he used the force of the behemoth¡¯s attack against it by using that spin to attack the behemoth¡¯s nape once more.

    Bam!

    Kuahhhh! The mane was cut off and blood spurted out of its neck. The behemoth hurriedly tried to reach out with its hand again. The behemoth¡¯s hand contained explosive power, powered by its enormous muscles and mana from its body. However, Zich weed its attack instead. ¡®It¡¯s startled!¡¯

    The behemoth¡¯s prideful mane that seemed as if it would never break was broken off, and it had received a huge gash on its neck. It was probably the first time that the behemoth experienced something like this, and likewise, it waspletely frazzled. As a result, there was no way that any of the behemoth¡¯s attacks would reach Zich.

    Zich avoided the behemoth¡¯s attack and attacked its neck again. The behemoth could no longer rely on its mane for protection and tried too hard to protect its neck. Zich pretended to keep aiming for only its neck and pushed the behemoth to a corner.

    Thud! In the end, the behemoth copsed under Zich¡¯s continuous attacks. Zich scanned his surroundings after killing the behemoth. He saw Glen facing a basilisk by himself. It was not surprising since despite receiving aid from his party of heroes, Glen sessfully defeated him as a Demon Lord. Glen would probably defeat the basilisk soon. Hans was facing the other basilisk by himself.

    ¡®He¡¯s pretty good.¡¯ Zich had told Hans the key points of what he should watch out for while fighting a basilisk, but he had to admit that Hans¡¯ movements were good. He had put Snoc together with Hans at first, but Snoc was now cleaning up the other monsters around them since Hans alone was enough to defeat the basilisk.

    However, the situation was still dire. A huge number of monsters were stuck on Pialu¡¯s walls. Moreover, winged monsters were flying over the city walls and continuously attacking the city. Zich killed the monsters around him and ran towards Hans. After defeating therge monsters, they needed to focus all their strength on defending Pialu.

    In the end, they sessfully defended Pialu again from the monster ambushes, but the damage done to the city was much greater than before.

    * * *

    They won. The monsters withdrew after leaving an enormous number of theirrades behind. Kobolds and goblins¨Cmonsters that ordinary adults could manage to defeat, as well as monsters like ogres that trained soldiers had a difficult time defeating were sprawled everywhere below the city walls. Even though their continuous victories and the pathetic state of their enemies should have increased their morale, the soldiers walking below the city¡¯s walls looked mncholy.

    ¡°Ack!¡±

    ¡°Ugh¡­¡±

    The injured soldiers continued to be transported. Some received light injuries, but there were also many people who received deep injuries and had their limbs cut off. There were even those who died while being transported.

    L had reduced countless monsters to ashes and proved the usefulness of mages once again. She murmured, ¡°It¡¯s terrible.¡±

    ¡°It can¡¯t be helped in a battle.¡±

    ¡°Even then, the atmosphere is awful even though we won.¡±

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter if we keep winning when we don¡¯t know when this battle will ever end. Moreover, we don¡¯t know how many monsters wille in the next ambush.¡±

    The indefiniteness of the monster ambushes and the fact that the number of enemies they had to fight continuously increased gnawed on people¡¯s hearts.

    ¡®He really made a good n.¡¯ Zich was impressed by Glen. Even the higher-ups in the city would feel nervous by now. Rather than showing a fierce army of monsters at once, it was sometimes more effective to steadily suffocate people with anxiety like this.

    ¡°Sir Zich!¡± One soldier approached Zich; judging by how he waspletely soaked in blood, he seemed to have suffered a lot in this battle. ¡°Themander is looking for you!¡±

    ¡°Did you do something wrong?¡± L sent a suspicious nce at Zich.

    ¡°Why would I do that? All I did was diligently beat the crap out of monsters. It¡¯s probably to discuss future ns.¡± Zich was currently the most skilled fighter in this city and someone who held the status of a Karuwiman Honorary Knight. He was probably being called to give advice on future battles.

    ¡®They¡¯re probably trying to stop me from going anywhere else as well.¡¯ Zich wasn¡¯t under Pialu¡¯s government; if he wanted to leave, the city couldn¡¯t easily stop him.

    ¡°See youter.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, see youter. Don¡¯t cause trouble.¡±

    Zichughed at L¡¯s motherly words and waved his hand. The ce that the soldier led Zich to was a big building. Zich went inside the building and saw arge space with big tables and people gathered together. The first person he saw was themander and top officials who called him, and people who looked like mercenaries sat on opposite sides. Til was among the mercenaries, and Glen Zenard was also with them.

 Chapter 405

    <h4>Chapter 405</h4>

    ¡°Wee, Mr. Zich.¡± Themander greeted Zich, and themanding officer and the other mercenaries also looked at him fondly. A strong ally like Zich gained affection from his surroundings easily, especially more so since he always dashed to the frontline in battles and defeated strong monsters. It wouldn¡¯t be an exaggeration to say that all weapon-wielders on the battlefield likedZich.

    Themander sat Zich down in the empty seat right next to him. He clearly showed everyone how highly he thought of Zich. Yet Zich was displeased; it was because Glen was sitting in the seat beside him. Considering Glen¡¯s efforts, it was only natural that Glen would take the second seat away from themander, and Zich couldn¡¯t argue about the seating arrangements. Nevertheless, he was displeased by the situation that made him sit right next to Glen. After Zich sat down, themander cleared his throat. It seemed like everyone had taken their seats already.

    ¡°Then, let¡¯s start our meeting.¡± A heavy atmosphere suddenly befell the conference room. ¡°I called you all to discuss our future ns for battle. I¡¯m sure we¡¯ll be able to reach a better judgment with many heads than one.¡± As he talked, themander looked not to the side where the city¡¯s regr army was, but toward where Zich was sitting. ¡°So, if you all have something you want to say, please don¡¯t hesitate to bring it up to the table.¡± It was shocking that themander was willing to take suggestions from mercenaries who made up the majority of this group, but this act only showed how the severity of the city¡¯s situation. Knowing this, the mercenaries¡¯ expressions didn¡¯t look bright even when they had been included in the conversation.

    ¡°Then, I will exin the current situation,¡± themander said again as his face stiffened. ¡°As you all know, the situation in the city doesn¡¯t look too bad. We have sessfully defended against four monster invasions, and we haven¡¯t suffered huge casualties. It¡¯s almost a miracle.¡±

    People nodded. Everyone gathered here had experiences and skills that supported them. Although the ones defending the castle had a natural advantage, they had performed well beyond their expectations.

    ¡°A huge part of this sess is thanks to the efforts of all of you here. However, I would like to take this chance to especially highlight and thank the two Karuwiman Honorary Knights and theirpanions for lending us their help.¡± No one spoke against themander for putting Zich and Glen on a pedestal, because they all agreed with him. Zich nodded indifferently while Glen disyed his characteristically friendly, good-natured smile and uttered conventional heroic lines such as, ¡°It¡¯s all thanks to everyone¡¯s hard work and efforts.¡± During such moments, Zich felt an intense desire to curse out loud.

    ¡°However, I¡¯m sure all of you know that our future prospects aren¡¯t that great considering our sess.¡±

    People agreed and a few nodded again. ¡°The gap between each monster invasion is getting shorter and the intensity keeps rising. In the worst-case scenario, we might have armies of monsters filled with high-level monsters like behemoths and basilisks charging at us every day.¡±

    Some people groaned upon hearing such frightening imagery, and several cursed under their breaths.

    ¡°Is it even possible for such numbers of monsters toe so frequently?¡± one of the mercenaries asked. The number of monsters that came out to ambush the city was abnormally high, and it seemed difficult to think that they would be able to continueing with such numbers.

    ¡°The Denest Mountain Range is tall and wide to the point that no one knows its exact size. Since monsters are pouring out of such a ce, we think it¡¯s possible.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t we have any reinforcements?¡± one of themanding officers asked.

    ¡°Our lord has requested reinforcements from central cities. Seeing how dire the situation is, these cities will send us reinforcements, but it will take some time for them to arrive.¡± This sounded hopeful, but it would be all useless if the city fell before any support troops arrived.

    ¡°So, this is our situation. If anyone has a proposal, speak up now. It doesn¡¯t matter how big or small it is.¡±

    Some people exchanged their opinions, but a practical method that they could apply to their situation didn¡¯te forth. After all, a proposal that could solve a pressing problem didn¡¯t just pop out because many people were gathered. Then, Glen opened his mouth.

    ¡°I have one thing in mind,¡± he said. Everyone¡¯s eyes turned to Glen, including Zich¡¯s.

    ¡®Is he finally making his move?¡¯ Zich thought. As everyone hoped expectantly, Zich hoped for apletely different matter from the others.

    ¡°Our current problem is because of the monsters that areing from the Denest Mountain Range,¡± Glen started.

    ¡°Who here doesn¡¯t know that!¡± An impatient mercenary shouted but sped his mouth shut again when others red at him.

    Although it would¡¯ve beenpletely normal for Glen to show that he was annoyed after an interruption like that, he continued without changing his expression. ¡°Of course, I know everyone here knows that. I just wanted to establish this point before starting.¡± Glen spoke in a soft voice and officially started giving his proposal. ¡°I would like tounch an investigation team to go deep into the Denest Mountain Range. It¡¯s certainly out of the ordinary that so many monsters are attacking areas inhabited by humans, especially since they are targeting the castle walls that surround a city. I believe that there would be a clear reason for this abnormality.¡±

    ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Themander became lost in thought slightly, but he didn¡¯t seempletely on board with Glen¡¯s suggestion. Then, he asked carefully to not offend Glen. ¡°I understand what you are saying, Mr. Zenard. If we seed in identifying the cause of the monsters¡¯ abnormality, I¡¯m sure it will help solve the problem. But do you think that¡¯s possible? Like I said before, the Denest Mountain Range is extremelyrge. Even if the root cause exists there, it¡¯s hard to think that we would find the solution there too.¡±

    Then, themander nced at Zich and said, ¡°I heard that Mr. Zich went up to the mountain range for the same reason.¡±

    ¡°Yes, I did,¡± Zich said.

    ¡°Did you make any discoveries?¡± themander asked.

    ¡°If I did, the situation wouldn¡¯t have gone this far,¡± Zich replied. Although Zich had done everything he had nned to do on the mountain that was also relevant to the monster attacks, he didn¡¯t reveal this information since he had no intention of spreading information about the trees.

    Themander¡¯s gaze shifted back to Glen. ¡°Of course, it doesn¡¯t mean that you¡¯ll fail since Mr. Zich failed. I¡¯m sorry to say this, but I think it¡¯s unlikely that you will be sessful without any clues.¡±

    Since they were in a formal setting and Glen was a Karuwiman Honorary Knight with numerous achievements, themander carefully worded his rebuttal against Glen¡¯s statement; if it was anyone else, he would have insulted and shouted at them to regain their senses.

    However, Glen was still confident even in front of themander¡¯s pessimistic replies. ¡°I have a clue.¡±

    People began murmuring amongst themselves. Themander also widened his eyes. ¡°Mr. Zenard, you have a clue? What type of clue is it?¡± He leaned his upper body towards Glen and ushered for Glen to continue. If Glen was speaking the truth, they might finally find a way to solve this awful situation. People¡¯s hopeful gazes gathered towards Glen.

    However, Glen slowly shook his head and turned down people¡¯s expectations. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I can¡¯t reveal that information.¡±

    People¡¯s gazes turned to disappointment; a few people even looked at him with suspicion. However, Glen remained firm.

    ¡°Why can¡¯t you reveal it to us?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s because I used my personal informationwork, and I¡¯m also notpletely sure of it yet.¡±

    ¡°Then, are you speaking about something you¡¯re not certain of?¡± There was a hint of displeasure in themander¡¯s voice.

    However, Glen paid no mind and strongly replied, ¡°Is there anything we are sure of right now? We don¡¯t even have the smallest clue to solve this situation.¡±

    Themander was at a loss for words.

    ¡°I think it¡¯ll be a worthy endeavor. We don¡¯t have any other methods anyway, and it seems like I¡¯m the only one who¡¯s proposed anything remotely close to a solution.¡± Then, Glen looked straight at themander and continued, ¡°Please send me to the mountain range. Shouldn¡¯t we explore all possible methods to solve this situation?¡±

    ¡°Aren¡¯t you just saying that so you can run away by yourself?¡± One mercenary narrowed his eyes in suspicion at Glen.

    ¡°I¡¯ll be leaving myrades here. It¡¯ll be easier for me to move by myself for this matter anyway.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s what I¡¯m saying. Aren¡¯t you nning to leave yourrades and run¡­¡± The mercenary stopped talking. Glen had remained calm throughout the whole situation, but he furrowed his brows. If Glen had been an ordinary person, the mercenary would have continued to egg them on, but his opponent was someone who could defeat a high-ranking monster by himself.

    ¡°I can look over most insults directed towards me, but you¡¯ve crossed the line by saying that I¡¯ll run away after leaving myrades.¡±

    The mercenary frantically moved his eyes at Glen¡¯s chilling tone. ¡°I¡­I¡¯m sorry.¡± The mercenary spoke with a small voice as if he was squeaking out his words. Mercenaries were notorious for acting rashly and rudely, and he was a mercenary that perfectly fitted this description. However, he knew he couldn¡¯t act like this to everyone.

    ¡°I ept your apology.¡± Glen moved his gaze away from the mercenary, and the mercenary let out a small sigh in relief. Glen¡¯s gaze headed towards themander again. ¡°Commander, what¡¯s your answer?¡±

    ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Themander fell into thought.

    At that moment, someone sided with Glen. ¡°I¡¯m in favor.¡± Everyone¡¯s gaze shifted towards the speaker. Glen also naturally moved his head and then widened his eyes. The person who spoke in favor was none other than Zich.

    ¡°Commander, since Mr. Zenard feels so strongly about this matter, why don¡¯t you send him to the Denest Mountain Range?¡± Zich went one step further and even supported Glen¡¯s statement.

    ¡°That¡¯s not such an easy matter to decide¡­¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sure you¡¯re concerned about our forces weakening.¡±

    If Glen¡¯s strength wasn¡¯t so instrumental in fighting off the monster ambushes, themander might have just taken a blind risk and sent him off. However, Glen was way too crucial for their battles. Only Zich, Glen, and a few others could fight the high-ranking monsters. If no one blocked the high-ranking monsters, and the monsters attacked ordinary soldiers¡­ even the thought of it made one shudder.

    ¡°However, we don¡¯t have a clear n right now. Since Mr. Zenard seems pretty confident, I don¡¯t think it¡¯s a bad idea to leave it up to him.¡±

    ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Themander fell deeper into thought.

    * * *

    The meeting ended like this. As expected, no good suggestions were brought up, but with Zich¡¯s support, Glen¡¯s proposal passed. Glen decided to head to the Denest Mountain Range the very next day.

    After getting out of the conference room, Glen told Zich, ¡°Mr. Zich, I had no idea that you¡¯d help me out.¡±

    ¡°Why are you so surprised? It¡¯s not like I did anything much anyway.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s because I thought our rtionship was too strained to help each other.¡±

    ¡°Then, what about all the times we battled together? I just helped you out with that same mindset, so you don¡¯t need to feel like I did anything for you.¡±

    ¡°¡­Then, I won¡¯t go out of my way to thank you.¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t even expect it.¡± Zich waved his hand and headed back to the lodging. He felt Glen¡¯s gaze on his back. ¡®Bastard, just fucking ept it if I helped you. I don¡¯t even need your thanks.¡¯ On the other hand, Zich thought he might die from extreme hives if Glen thanked him.

    ¡®I¡¯ll only be able to find out what you¡¯re nning if you get what you want.¡¯ Was it now time for him to officially begin his ns? Zich¡¯s mischievous smile spelled conspiracy.

 Chapters 406

    <h4>Chapters 406</h4>

    After finishing another big battle, Zich and hispanions went to rest in their lodging. Other soldiers stayed behind the castle walls to clean up the area, but no one dared to request Zich¡¯s party to do the same. After a hard day of work, rest felt especially precious. With a good sleep, Zich woke up early the next morning to have breakfast and spent the afternoon drinking tea elegantly in the garden.

    He was alone in the garden. The lodging that had previously been vacant waspletely empty now because of the continuous monster invasions. Everyone else had escaped to other cities, and it felt as if Zich¡¯s party had rented out the whole ce.

    ¡°You seem to be overflowing with ease,¡± L said while holding her own tea supplies and taking the seat in front of him.

    ¡°In desperate times, the one who enjoys their brief moments of peace is the true winner.¡±

    ¡°What are you going on about?¡± Like she always did, L smoothly dismissed Zich¡¯s bbering. Then, she scanned the garden and raised her teacup to her mouth. Then, she said, ¡°Yesterday¡¯s battle feels like a dream.¡± Like she said, the garden looked as splendid as ever and didn¡¯t seem to belong to the same city where a battle that reeked of blood had taken ce.

    ¡°It¡¯s a beautiful scenery that we are working hard to protect.¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t think you were capable of saying such poetic lines.¡±

    ¡°Of course. No matter what you say, I¡¯m still an aspiring he¡­¡± Zich said boastfully with his chin raised when he suddenly scowled.

    L looked at Zich like she couldn¡¯t believe him. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you fix your loathing for heroes a bit so that you can act more like one?¡± Seeing that Zich grimaced by just referring to himself as a hero, L wondered if it was really possible for him to act as one. It was truly baffling that Zich¡¯s greatest obstacle to being a hero was not because of hisck of skills, but his perception of a hero.

    ¡°It¡¯s okay. I always do what I say I will do.¡± Zich''s reply didn¡¯t seem very convincing. He murmured ¡®I am a hero¡¯ repeatedly like he was trying to brainwash himself and shuddered. Then, while drinking her tea, Lmented again, ¡°You must really be at ease.¡±

    Everyone else was worried sick about when the next monster attack woulde, and if they saw Zich¡¯s current attitude, they might have yelled curses at him in anger.

    ¡°It¡¯s true that I¡¯m at ease.¡±

    ¡°Is it because you are such a great winner like you just said?¡±

    ¡°No, it¡¯s because there won¡¯t be monster attacks for a while from now on.¡±

    This was surprising news. L ced her teacup down and ced both arms on top of the table and stared at him hard, shooting him with an intangible pressure to hurry up with the exnation already.

    ¡°Glen Zenard went up to the Denest Mountain Range to find out the cause of the monsters¡¯ attacks.¡±

    ¡°Now that you mention it, I did see Glen Zenard leaving just now,¡± L said, remembering how she had watched Glen leave through her window. She thought to herself, ¡®He seems to be going far away seeing that all hispanions are out to greet him off.¡¯

    ¡°Did Glen Zenard cause this situation to happen?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°He causes incidents to happen and goes to solve them. Gee, how easy it must be for him to y hero,¡± L grumbled while thinking of Glen¡¯s sickeningly heroic face.

    ¡°Yeah. That¡¯s why monster attacks won¡¯t happen when our sir hero is gone. After all, if someone aplishes heroic acts and spreads their name in his absence, he won¡¯t like it one bit. For instance, this ¡®someone¡¯ could be a handsome, skilled, ex-demon lord.¡±

    ¡°I see that you still show no hesitancy when boasting.¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s no need for me to act embarrassed when speaking the truth,¡± Zich said brazenly. ¡°Anyways, there¡¯s a high possibility that Glen Zenard won¡¯t send any monsters for the time being. He¡¯s someone that I bothered enough to make me into a Demon Lord. He won¡¯t let me umte any more fame and glory. Furthermore, he has hispanions here in this city.¡±

    ¡°You think he¡¯ll be worried that hispanions would die without him? I suppose even he might value hispanions.¡±

    ¡°It might be more that he doesn¡¯t want to lose the tools that prop him up.¡± Considering what that guy was doing to Lara Browning, Zich thought his statement was more persuasive.

    ¡°If that¡¯s really the case, then he¡¯s unsalvageable trash.¡±

    ¡°Is that even a surprise anymore?¡±

    ¡°Besides that, are you going to quietly stay here? I thought you would at least tail him secretly.¡± Knowing Zich, L knew that there was no way he was going to let things flow in Glen¡¯s favor; she was so certain about this that she¡¯d bet her own magic on it

    ¡°It¡¯s clear that his skills are way lower than mine, but it¡¯s not to the point that I can keep tailing him. He will have his guard up much more than usual, and it¡¯s not like I¡¯m an expert in tailing people.¡±

    ¡°¡­You snuck around everywhere until now even though you aren¡¯t even an expert in tailing?¡± If L recalled everything Zich had done so far, it seemed more believable that he was an assassin or a spy, but Zich simply shrugged his shoulders.

    ¡°I¡¯m just saying that there¡¯s no need for me to follow that guy while shouldering potential dangers. I just have to follow another figure that is moving within his ns.¡±

    ¡°And who is this person?¡±

    Zich pointed toward their lodging with his chin. ¡°Oh, he just came out.¡±

    L turned her head and saw several people in the lobby. Although her eyes weren¡¯t abnormally sharp like Zich¡¯s, she could make out who they were. Between the rough-looking faces that clearly belonged to the mercenaries, there were two children: Walter and Ellie. Then, there were their fathers, Til and Nick, and their subordinates surrounding them.

    * * *

    ¡°Hello, sirs.¡± Zich ced himself between the group of mercenaries. Not yet having quelled the fever of battle from yesterday, the mercenaries exuded light bloodlust at the suddenly approaching figure. However, when they realized that the intruder was Zich, they quickly withdrew their hostility.

    ¡°Mister!¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s Mr. Zich!¡±

    Walter and Ellie weed Zich. Whatever the others thought of him, to the children, Zich was simply a nice uncle who yed fun games with them. Zich smiled at the children and then looked at Til and Nick. ¡°It¡¯s the first time I¡¯ve seen you two look for me at the same time. May I ask what happened?¡±

    The children were the ones who answered first. ¡°We¡¯re going to another ce!¡±

    ¡°Yep! Yep! We¡¯re going somewhere more fun than here!¡±

    ¡°Is that so?¡± As Max told him before, it seemed as if Nick¡¯s suggestion to send their kids to a different city had been approved. This was also an opportunity that Zich had been waiting for. The children chatted next to Zich and then ran to L and began chatting with her.

    Zich stared at this sight and asked, ¡°Are you nning to evacuate them?¡±

    ¡°Yes. This city is way too dangerous for them to stay here,¡± Til replied, and Nick nodded in agreement. Even though Zich hadn¡¯t met them together many times, it was his first time seeing them in agreement.

    ¡°Have you made preparations for their bodyguards? Even if we do take a short break since the monster ambush ended yesterday, there¡¯s no guarantee that there are no random monsters wandering around the city.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m nning to send my underlings with them.¡± Til looked at the mercenaries around him and replied, ¡°There are guys who¡¯ve been in the Wolf¡¯s Canine for a long time. I trust their loyalty and skills.¡±

    There was deep trust in Til¡¯s voice. Judging by his words, the mercenaries that Til pointed out were probably mercenaries that were with the Wolf¡¯s Canine from its early days.

    ¡®Since they¡¯re going to be protecting their children, they must haveplete trust in them.¡¯ Til called out to his children who were with L. Walter and Ellie came running back to him.

    ¡°Well, let¡¯s go now. I¡¯ll drop you off in the front of the city¡¯s walls.¡±

    Walter looked up at Til and asked, ¡°Dad, are you really noting with us?¡± Ellie seemed to also not want to separate from her father as she grabbed Nick¡¯s hand.

    ¡°We are going with you, butter. Your dad and the other uncles here have some work to finish.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right. Go with these uncles first and just wait for us a bit. We¡¯ll finish our work fast and also return.¡±

    The kids made a small nod; rather than understanding why they needed to go, they seemed to ept their fathers¡¯ words because it couldn¡¯t be helped. However, as expected of children who grew up in a mercenary group, they didn¡¯t seem to be afraid of separating from their parents. Walter and Ellie rode on the carriage that was in front of their lodging. Til and Nick also got into the carriage to send them off.

    The mercenaries bid farewell to L and Zich and went out of the lodging. The children leaned out with their bodies and waved goodbye. Zich and L also waved them goodbye. Their figurespletely disappeared from view, and now they were left alone by themselves.

    ¡°The lodging is going to be quieter now.¡± L seemed to have gotten close to the kids as she looked sad to see them go. ¡°What are you going to do now?¡±

    ¡°Of course, we¡¯re going to follow them.¡±

    ¡°The children?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. Even though it¡¯s difficult to keep following Glen Zenard because of his skill and experience, it won¡¯t be difficult to follow them.¡± Zich stared in the direction where the mercenaries disappeared. ¡°If I keep my distance and slowly follow them, they won¡¯t notice.¡±

    ¡°Do you really think something will happen?¡± If something bad happened, there was a high possibility that the kids would also be swept up, so L was very concerned.

    ¡°There¡¯s a high possibility that something will happen to them. If Glen Zenard wants to use Til, there¡¯s no better bait than those children.¡±

    ¡°But there¡¯s no certainty that it¡¯ll happen this time. The period when they corrupt Til might beter on.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, but that¡¯ster on. We¡¯ll have toe up with a different n then.¡±

    However, judging by Zich¡¯s confidence, it seemed as if he believed there was a high possibility that the situation would turn out as he thought.

    ¡°I hope you¡¯re right.¡±

    ¡°Haha, I also hope so.¡± Zichughed and continued, ¡°Then I¡¯ll be able to smoothly fuck over Glen Zenard.¡±

    ¡°¡­Don¡¯t you think there¡¯s something strange about your choice of words?¡±

    ¡°So you think I have a sophisticated way of talking?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s really not it.¡±

    * * *

    The carriage that Walter and Ellie were on began heading towards the nearest city from Pialu. Til and Nil dropped them off from the castle wall and returned to the city. The number of mercenaries protecting the children was seven in total. Ordinary children would shiver in fear that they were stuck between scary-looking adults without their parents, but Walter and Ellie weren¡¯t afraid at all. It was because they had grown up in a much rougher environment than other children, and the mercenaries protecting them were people they were all very familiar with.

    ¡°Mister, how long will it take for us to arrive?¡±

    ¡°Hmm. Won¡¯t it take about three days?¡±

    The kids were so outgoing that they leaned out of the carriage window and asked the mercenary moving next to them.

    ¡°Most importantly, don¡¯t lean outside the window. The carriage is going to be moving faster from here on out. If you¡¯re not careful, you might fall over.¡± No matter how well the roads were built, the carriage would shake roughly if it began moving fast, and this would cause the passengers to grow tired. Thus, the mercenary could clearly predict that the children would suffer throughout the long journey. However, the children were currently escaping Pialu for their own protection. Even if the children were going to suffer while traveling, it was better to move for their own good.

    ¡°Yessir!¡± Fortunately, the kids listened to him well. As soon as the kids sat back down into their seats, the carriage began gaining speed. The mercenaries riding on their horses also ran with the carriage. And Zich, who had been quietly following them since they left Pialu, also increased his speed.

 Chapter 407

    <h4>Chapter 407</h4>

    ¡®Nothing much happened today too.¡¯

    Zichy on top of arge tree branch chewing on a piece of beef jerky. The sun had already set, and darkness was dominating the area. The only forces that put up a resistance against this darkness were the moon which shone the most brilliantly among the twinkling stars and the reddish light of the bonfire a bit of a distance away from Zich¡¯s tree. Zich stuffed another piece of beef jerky into his mouth and looked toward the bonfire. This was where the mercenaries guarding Walter and Ellie camped. The carriage where the children stayed was in the deepest part of the camp while the mercenaries slept in a circle around the carriage; next to the bonfire, there was one person vigntly surveying their surroundings.

    The travel was going so smoothly that Zich was losing his momentum while tailing them. Although the mercenaries encountered one group of monsters, they defeated them instantly before Zich needed to step in. Yet, Zich didn¡¯t let his mind drift from the matter and heightened his guard again.

    ¡®It¡¯s about time for something to happen.¡¯ Their current location was in the middle between Pialu and the city they were going to; in other words, this point was at the farthest distance from a city. Due to the monster invasion at Pialu, there was hardly anyone on the streets, especially in the dead of the night when people should be asleep. They had met all the conditions to have the least amount of people in their surroundings, and likewise, Zich felt no presence in their surroundings.

    ¡®If I was nning to do something, I would do it now.¡±

    Then, like he had predicted, he saw one of the mercenaries who had been sleeping rise. It wasn¡¯t time to change onlookers yet. Perhaps, he could be going to the bathroom, but the man¡¯s demeanor indicated something else. The mercenary who just got up met eyes with the other mercenary acting as the onlooker, and a tense atmosphere flowed between them.

    ¡®I doubt they are nning to have a secret meeting.¡¯ Zich spat out the beef jerky he was chewing and carefully jumped down from his tree. Then, he snuck into the back of the camp; he moved so stealthily that it made his past deration to L that he wasn¡¯t an assassin seem like a big joke.

    The two mercenaries carefully lifted the weapons that they had ced beside them beforehand. The light from the bonfire shone on their swords and glinted ominously. They met each other¡¯s eyes again, nodded, and approached thepanion nearest to them. Their movements couldn¡¯t have appeared more suspicious, and Zich hid between the des of grass near the camp. He already had a couple of stones that he had picked up on his way. He could easily slice the necks of these two mercenaries but decided against it.

    ¡®I have to reveal that they are the betrayers.¡¯ If he didn¡¯t, Zich might be the one who could be used as the ambusher even after trying to help them.

    ¡®If I wake everyone up after those guys killed some people, they won¡¯t misunderstand the situation, but¡­¡¯ He couldn¡¯t let any of the mercenaries die pointlessly.

    ¡®How bothersome it is to act as a hero,¡¯ he thought. Although his body shuddered at the word, hero, his hand flicked one stone without faltering even a bit.

    Bang!

    ¡°Ugh!¡± The mercenary¡ªno, ambusher let out a groan while attempting to strike his sword down at a sleeping figure. He needed to avoid making noises on this quiet night, but his hand hurt too much. Punch! After getting struck by a stone, the ambusher¡¯s sword twisted from its trajectory and missed its target by a lot, and hit the area above a mercenary¡¯s head. As dirt spluttered on top of his head, the mercenary opened his eyes.

    ¡°¡­Huh?¡± The mercenary¡¯s eyes looked sleepy and lethargic from suddenly waking, but when he saw the unleashed sword in front of him, all his drowsiness immediately disappeared.

    Punch! The ambusher¡¯s sword aimed for the mercenary¡¯s head again, but the mercenary was an experienced veteran. He quickly rolled his body sideways and evaded the sword; and even while he did this, he didn¡¯t forget to grab his weapon. The ambusher¡¯s sword missed its mark again and simply sliced the nket the mercenary was sleeping on.

    ¡°Shit! Which bastard¡­!¡± The mercenary cursed harshly and while calming his thumping heart, his eyes widened. It was because he had checked the ambusher¡¯s face.

    ¡°Nedvill?¡± The mercenary¡¯s stunned voice indicated his shock at seeing his closestpanion attacking him.

    ¡°Damn it!¡± Nedvill also cursed at the ruined situation and swung his sword at the mercenary again in hopes that he would be able to resolve the situation by taking his opponent by surprise. Yet, his faint hope soon disappeared without a trace.

    ng! ng! ng! Their swords shed. Since they knew each other¡¯s skills well, the fight didn¡¯t die down easily. Soon, others woke up from themotion.

    ¡°Who¡¯s that!¡±

    ¡°Is it an ambush?!¡±

    ¡°What are the night duty guards doing!¡±

    The mercenaries quickly looked around their surroundings and picked up their weapons to judge the situation. Yet, what they saw weren¡¯t monsters, thieves, or other enemies they had imagined; they were stunned to see their ownpanions fighting fiercely.

    ¡°¡­What the hell are you guys doing?¡± the other mercenaries asked in confusion and Nedvill yelled, ¡°Gronick, this bastard, suddenly attacked me!¡±

    Gronick scowled as he fought with Nedvill. ¡°Stop your bullshit! You are the one who tried to pierce me with your sword while I was sleeping!¡±

    ¡°What? You, bastard? How dare you lie when you were trying to separate my head from my body!¡± Nedvill rolled his tongue fervently, unwilling to lose to Gronick. The others hadn¡¯t grasped the situation fully yet, but this state of confusion didn¡¯tst long. This incident happened during Nedvill¡¯s shift and Gronick¡¯s nket had been ripped with a sword. Moreover, there was some mysterious figure that hindered his ambush. ¡®If I don¡¯t react properly, I¡¯ll die!¡¯

    ¡°Hey, Bill and Shed are also fighting!¡±

    ¡°Fuck! What the hell is going on!¡±

    Nedvill¡¯s aplice, Shed, seemed to have also failed. His problem became even moreplicated. The mercenaries were confused about how they should react. It was at that moment¡ª

    ¡°Walter! Ellie! Don¡¯te out of that carriage!¡± Nedvill heard Shed¡¯s voice. Even though it sounded like Shed was trying to stop the children from getting swept into themotion, Nedvill interpreted his wordspletely differently. ¡®Yeah, that¡¯s right! If we capture those two as hostages, we¡¯ll be safe from the others!¡¯

    Nedvill pretended to stand guard against Gronick and moved towards the carriage. Gronick, caught onto Nedvill¡¯s intentions while ring at him. ¡°That ba¡­! Someone, protect the carriage!¡±

    However, Gronick was toote. Nedvill began quickly running towards the carriage with Gronick¡¯s voice as the signal. He seeded with his n. The other mercenaries were startled and tried to run towards the carriage, but they had to stop when Nedvill swung his sword. Nedvill let out a sigh in relief and Shed came and stood next to the carriage. He was sessful in holding the carriage hostage.

    Nedvill loudly shouted, ¡°Don¡¯te closer! If you take even one step forward, I¡¯ll destroy the carriage!¡±

    ¡°What? What did that bastard just fucking say?¡±

    ¡°You fucking bastard! That¡¯s where Walter and Ellie are!¡±

    All the mercenaries had been with Wolf¡¯s Canine from the very beginning, and Walter and Ellie were like a nephew and a niece to them. There were a couple of mercenaries who really thought of them as their own kids as well. It was only natural that they would show intense fury at Nedvill and Shed¡¯s actions. Combined with the feeling of betrayal, the mercenaries red murderously at them as if they were ready to immediately rip Nedvill and Shed apart and chew their raw flesh.

    However, Nedvill and Shed did not even blink an eye. ¡°Shed, go in and capture those brats.¡±

    ¡°I got it.¡± Shed slowly approached the carriage door. A few mercenaries took a couple of steps in a burning rage, but they had to stop after seeing Nedvill¡¯s sword vibrate with mana. Someone of Nedvill¡¯s skill would easily be able to blow away a carriage, and it was impossible to think that weak children could survive such an attack. The mercenaries could only grit their teeth and re at Nedvill and Shed.

    Even though Nedvill seemed to have gained an advantage, he couldn¡¯t lower his guard because there were a lot more people on the other side. Moreover, he couldn¡¯t figure out what was the thing that hindered his ambush at first. Thus, Nedvill guarded against his exrades while scanning outside their campsite.

    ¡®I don¡¯t know what the hell that was, but it might suddenly pop out again.¡¯ As a trained veteran, Nedvill intently scanned his surroundings to not miss even the smallest detail. However, no matter how trained he was, he couldn¡¯t predict that an enemy woulde down from the sky the next moment, or that his enemy could reach him from the other side with a single jump.

    Bam! He heard a loud noise from the carriage. Had Shed opened the carriage door? ¡®No, the sound is too loud for¡­!¡¯

    Crash! He heard something break.

    ¡°Aghhhhhhhh!¡± A scream followed¡ªit was Shed¡¯s voice. Something was going terribly wrong. As soon as he thought this, Nedvill swung his sword towards his back. Even though he didn¡¯t know who his opponent was and there were still enemies in his front, his instinct was telling him to immediately eliminate the unknown variable from behind. However, it was apletely different matter to act on his instinct and sessfully carry his n out.

    ng! His mana-infused sword all too easily bounced back. He scrunched up his face from the pain in his hand and after taking a couple of steps back, he stared at the person who had repelled his sword.

    The person came into view under the light of the moon and sparkling stars. While sitting on top of the carriage, the man had a strange tree-branch-like sword in one hand and the throat of a ripped and bloody Shed in another hand. Nedvill knew who he was. Even though they had never spoken to each other, there was no way he couldn¡¯t recognize who it was. The shock he felt while seeing this man¡¯s monstrous strength in the battles at Pialu had left a deep impression on him. Moreover, before they left the city, he had seen the man at the lodging where the children resided.

    ¡°¡­Zich.¡± Nedvill murmured his name.

    ¡°Hey! Isn¡¯t it the first time we¡¯re conversing like this?¡± After saying this, Zich threw Shed to the floor. After he was thrown next to Nedvill, Shed screamed like crazy. His injuries scraped the floor and brought sharp pain throughout his body. However, no one spared a nce at Shed. In front of Zich¡¯s presence, Shed¡¯s scream was as noticeable as a firefly¡¯s glow in front of the sun.

    Tap! Zich jumped down the carriage. Nedvill immediately withdrew. ¡°You know, I¡¯ve gotten really curioustely. They say you get less curious as you age, but I don¡¯t know why it¡¯s the opposite for me.¡± Zich stuck out his lips andined, giving him the impression that he was talking to a close friend.

    However, Nedvill didn¡¯t get this impression at all. Sweat began pouring down his face.

    ¡°But what can you do? I was born like this anyway, so even if people insult me for not acting my age, I need to satisfy my curiosity. So there¡¯s something I¡¯ve been really curious about, and I think you can give me the answer.¡± Zich lifted Windur. ¡°You probably don¡¯t want to say it, but you don¡¯t have to force yourself. I¡¯ll find it out by myself soon enough¡ªit¡¯s my area of expertise.¡±

    Zich revealed his white teeth andughed. However, Nedvill didn¡¯t feel likeughing at all, and Zich had no intentions to consider Nedvill¡¯s feelings either. Like this, the two mercenaries¡¯ betrayal easily ended in vain.

 Chapter 408

    <h4>Chapter 408</h4>

    The situation settled quickly. After receiving light treatment for their injuries, Nedvill and Shed were tied down and discarded to a corner of the campsite. Then, someone who appeared to be the captain of this mercenary group hurriedly opened the carriage¡¯s door and went inside.

    ¡°Eck!¡±

    ¡°Ughh¡­.¡±

    The captain saw two children hugging each other in fright with teary faces.

    ¡°It¡¯s all right now! It¡¯s okay!¡± The captainforted them, and the children burst into tears in his embrace. The children wailed hard as if they were pouring out all the fears they had held inside the carriage. Then, the captain carefully inspected the children. Since the ambushers failed to directly attack the carriage, it didn¡¯t seem likely the children would be injured anywhere, but he needed to make sure. Thankfully, there were no visible injuries.

    Some timeter, the children¡¯s cries gradually diminished and changed into quiet breathing noises. Not only was it time for them to be deep asleep, but relief hade to the children after they were stricken with fear; thus, it was probably hard for them to endure a wave of drowsiness and they fell asleep. Afterying the children quietly down onto the nkets, the captain carefully closed the carriage¡¯s door and went outside.

    ¡°Are they asleep?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡± After the captain answered one of hispanions, he approached Zich sitting next to a bonfire.

    ¡°Aren¡¯t you a Karuwiman Honorary Holy Knight, Sir Zich?¡±

    ¡°Yes, I am.¡±

    ¡°My name is Dalton. I am in charge of this group here,¡± Dalton introduced himself and hung his head low at Zich. ¡°But first, I want to thank you from the deepest corner of my heart for helping Walton and Ellie! Thank you very much!¡±

    Since Dalton thanked Zich so formally, which was unexpected of a mercenary, Zich got up and epted his gratitude.

    ¡°Sir Zich, are you the one who stopped those guys from ambushing us?¡±

    Those they had thought of as close allies turned into enemies and attempted to ambush them in the dead of the night. Thus, it was basically a miracle that nobody died or even got injured. But Dalton didn¡¯t hold much faith in the word ¡®miracle¡¯ and thought there was a reason behind every unlikely event; naturally, he thought Zich was the reason for their fortunate oue tonight.

    ¡°Yes. I thought of intervening before anything happened, but I thought it would be better for you all to realize the situation first. Thus, I only stopped the first ambush and didn¡¯t intervene afterward. If I had intervened from the beginning, I thought I would be the one used of betraying you all.¡±

    ¡°I see!¡± If that was the case, Zich had not only saved the children but everyone in this camp. Dalton hung his head again. ¡°Thank you again, sir!¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s no need for you to be so grateful. What I did was for a purpose anyway.¡±

    ¡°A purpose?¡± Dalton echoed. Now that the topic arose, Dalton wondered why Zich was in this ce outside of Pialu. Zich was a central figure in the defense of the city. Even when a couple of mercenaries from the Wolf¡¯s Canine had been chosen to guard the children in their travels, the city wasn¡¯t pleased that they were losing some of their troops. Considering this, Dalton thought the top administrators of Pialu would¡¯ve tried their best to not let Zich leave.

    ¡°I have been tailing you all since I was in the city,¡± Zich said. Dalton¡¯s face stiffened. Even if Zich saved their lives, it wasn¡¯t pleasant to hear that he had tailed them. Curious, Dalton asked, ¡°For what reason, sir?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not like I guessed that an ambush like just now would ur, but I predicted that something would happen to you all.¡±

    ¡°What¡­!¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s all I can tell you.¡± Zich firmly drew a line and Dalton couldn¡¯t protrude easily. ¡°Also, I don''t know exactly what is happening and why they tried to ambush you all. We have to find that out now.¡± Zich stared at Nedvill and Shed.

    ¡°What are you nning to do¡­?¡±

    ¡°We have to extract information. Since the process will be intense, I am going to put some distance between us.¡±

    Dalton immediately knew what Zich meant by an ¡®intense process¡¯: it was torture. He stared at the betrayers copsed on the floor. Just yesterday, they had cried andughed together like closepanions, and he had numerous memories with them that he could recount at this moment. The thought that these two had tried to ambush them filled Dalton head to toe in anger, but if he thought about them receiving horrific torture, a part of him felt pity for them. Yet, Dalton quickly chased these feelings away.

    ¡°They are traitors!¡± Also, they were bastards who had targeted Walter and Ellie.

    ¡°Let me join you. I also want to know who ordered them to do such a thing!¡± If Dalton found out, he wished to leave a slice mark on this bastard. Yet, unexpectedly, Zich disagreed with him.

    ¡°No, please protect the children here.¡± Zich told him to protect the children, but he was simply stating his refusal in another way.

    ¡°What do you mean, sir? This issue involves us! We also have to know who¡ª!¡±

    ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you before? This is all I can tell you.¡±

    Dalton¡¯s mouth closed at Zich¡¯s firm response. It didn¡¯t look like he had fully epted the situation, but Zich spoke like it couldn¡¯t be helped.

    ¡°This incident is rted to some scheme that rtes to the danger Pialu is currently in. Even if you are involved in this incident, I can¡¯t tell you what it is, and this is really the limit of what I can reveal to you.¡± Zich then pursed his lips, clearly indicating that he wouldn¡¯t say any more.

    If the speaker hadn¡¯t been Zich and if it was a different time, Dalton might have pestered him on, asking what kind of nonsense he was spouting.

    ¡°¡­I understand.¡± Eventually, Dalton had no choice but to agree.

    ¡°Please wait a bit. It will be over soon. You won¡¯t hear screams either since I don¡¯t want the children to wake up.¡±

    Then, Zich picked up the two ambushers on the ground and went inside the forest. That was thest of Nedvill and Shed that Dalton and the other mercenaries saw.

    After time passed and Zich returned to the campsite, they didn¡¯t see Nedvill or Shed with him. Zich¡¯s appearance was so clean that it didn¡¯t look like someone who just went out to torture two people. He looked like someone who had gone out for a short walk at night instead. However, Dalton caught the sharp smell of blood wafting around Zich¡¯s body.

    * * *

    Zich moved with the mercenaries until they reached their destination. Nothing much happened during their travels. Even though the atmosphere wasn¡¯t bad like in Pialu, the new city¡¯s atmosphere didn¡¯t seem good either. There were very few people passing through the city¡¯s walls, and the guards looked tense and nervous. Since a city nearby was continuously getting ambushed by monsters, the neighborhood city¡¯s residents couldn¡¯t help but feel anxious.

    However, this city was still faring better than Pialu; since it was outside of the range that monsters attacked, it was considered rtively safe. The mercenaries and Zich stared at the city wall from far away and didn¡¯t move.

    Dalton was at the very front of the group. He stared at the city with conflicted eyes and then stared at Zich who was next to him. ¡°Do we really have to go to a different ce?¡±

    After torturing Nedvill and Shed, Zich suggested to Dalton that they change their location¡ªno, rather than a suggestion, it was closer to a demand. Zich replied, ¡°If you go past this city, there¡¯s a vige nearby. It¡¯s not as big as the city, but it¡¯s also quiterge. It¡¯s not a bad ce to stay.¡±

    However, no matter how big a vige was, it couldn¡¯t be as advanced as a city. Most of all, Dalton was concerned about the children¡¯s safety. After discovering traitors in their group, he had be even more vignt about the children¡¯s safety.

    When Dalton continued to hesitate, Zich continued, ¡°I¡¯m going to go back to Pialu and I¡¯ll maneuver the situation so the enemy will think that the children were sessfully kidnapped. However, if all of you stay in the city, this n won¡¯t work.¡±

    ¡°Uh¡­¡± Dalton let out a groan¡ªhe couldn¡¯t help but ept Zich¡¯s demand in the end at Zich¡¯s next words.

    ¡°If the enemy discovers that all of you are in that city, they might try to attack you and the children again.¡±

    ¡°I understand. Let¡¯s head to the vige.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s really not a bad ce. It¡¯s also safe so you should get a lot of rest¡ªjust think that you¡¯re getting a long-due vacation.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll keep that in mind.¡± Dalton nodded.

    ¡°Ah, and as I told you, you must never contact the other mercenaries.¡± Zich firmly reminded Dalton again. If he was trying to make it so that the children were kidnapped, everything would go to waste if Dalton contacted the rest of the Wolf¡¯s Canine.

    Dalton nodded. ¡°I will remember.¡± Like this, Dalton and hispanions passed the city and headed towards the vige as Zich told them to.

    * * *

    When Zich returned back to Pialu, the city was still swept by fear and anxiety. However, nothing much had changed since Zich left and came back. As Zich expected, there must have been no monster ambushes while he was away. Zich reported his return to the guards first. As he thought a few days ago, Zich didn¡¯t think the city would easily let go of a strong fighter like him.

    Zich went out of the city with the excuse of patrolling the entrance of the Denest Mountain Range to look for any signs of monsters. If monsters had ambushed them while Zich was away, they would have caught his lie, but there had been no monster ambushes. As a result, Zich returned to the city without any problems. When he returned to the lodging, he saw L drinking tea in the garden; it seemed as if this had be a new habit of hers.

    ¡°Zich!¡± L saw Zich and weed him with a bright expression. Zich naturally sat in front of her.

    ¡°Nothing much happened, right?¡±

    ¡°Yep. As you expected, there were no monster attacks.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s good to hear.¡±

    ¡°So people are starting to say that the monster attacks might have ended.¡±

    ¡°Well, people want to be hopeful.¡± However, reality was normally cruel. ¡°What about Glen Zenard?¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s no news about him. He probably didn¡¯t return to the city.¡±

    ¡°I guess so.¡± If kidnapping Walter and Ellie was part of his n, Zich predicted that Glen would start moving again after finding out that their kidnapping was sessful.

    L had worked hard to answer Zich¡¯s question, so she asked, ¡°Did your n go sessfully?¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡±

    ¡°Can I hear what happened?¡±

    ¡°Two mercenaries picked out to guard Walter and Ellie betrayed the group and tried to kidnap them.¡±

    L frowned; since she had gotten quite close to those two children, her mood plummeted from this news. ¡°Weren¡¯t they supposed to be trustworthy guys? I thought they were mercenaries who were with the Wolf¡¯s Canine from the very beginning.¡±

    ¡°Trust built over a long period of time is definitely valuable, but it¡¯s not absolute.¡±

    ¡°Why did they betray the group?¡± L wondered if they had some kind of unfortunate circumstances.

    ¡°Money.¡±

    ¡°¡­Just because of money?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not just. There are so many incidents and problems that arise from money.¡±

    ¡°But is that money worth kidnapping children you watched over for years?¡±

    ¡°The amount of money they were promised was extremely high. They also received a lot of money in advance. Most of all, it¡¯s up to people themselves to decide what¡¯s worth it or not. Not other people.¡±

    L pouted, but she did not deny his statement.

 Chapter 409

    <h4>Chapter 409</h4>

    ¡°What did you do with those guys?¡±

    ¡°I was nning to let them live for giving me information, but those guys just croaked on the spot. They are probably peacefully resting beneath the dirt now.¡± In other words, those two died from the aftereffects of torture and were in the ground. It was a terrifying story, but both Zich and L remained calm. These two had gone through far too much to be shocked by this.

    ¡°Who was the perpetrator?¡±

    ¡°Even they didn¡¯t know. They said a mysterious person with a heavily pressed down robe and a purposefully altered voice offered them the deal.¡±

    ¡°Is it the robed figures?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t think so. I have been surveilling the city just in case they are involved, and I didn¡¯t find any trace of them. I don¡¯t think it¡¯s the robed figures but a person who just wanted to conceal their identity with a robe. You know, it is not as if the guys we call ¡®robed figures¡¯ are the only ones who wear robes.¡± As Zich said, a robe wasmon outerwear for people traveling long distances or those who didn¡¯t want their identities exposed. ¡°Since they got the offer near the campsite of the Wolf¡¯s Canine, I think there¡¯s a high chance the perpetrator is within the mercenary group. The guys in the Wolf¡¯s Canine think the same.¡±

    ¡°Do they have someone specific in mind?¡±

    ¡°The neers.¡±

    Baffled, Lughed, ¡°Even though their long-termpanions betrayed them for money, they are suspicious of the neers?¡±

    ¡°I told you. Trust from having spent a great amount of time together weighs heavily on the mind.¡± It was only ironic that these people held onto such trust even when a recent incident advised them to do otherwise.

    ¡°Still, I don¡¯t think this perpetrator will bepletely unconnected to the robed figures or Glen Zenard.¡±

    ¡°Of course. I think this incident actually proves that those guys are somehow connected to all this in some way.¡±

    L tilted her head, egging him on to continue.

    ¡°Think about it. The original members of the Wolf¡¯s Canine trusted one another aspanions, and these two particr traitors were so trusted by theirpanions that no one ever expected them to betray them. However, when someone is trying to get a coborator to kidnap the children of the two leaders in the Wolf¡¯s Canine, would they normally approach such people?¡±

    ¡°They wouldn¡¯t.¡± The two traitors were the type of people that perpetrators would normally never coborate with or approach.

    ¡°Of course, this made those two only more suitable for betraying, but if the perpetrator had approached people carelessly, their kidnapping n would¡¯ve beenpletely uncovered. Yet, inside the Wolf¡¯s Canine, no one was aware of the n except those involved in the scheme.¡±

    ¡°Then, that means the perpetrator had managed to pick out not just one, but two of the original members of Wolf¡¯s Canine that would betray their group.¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°And that can¡¯t be a mere coincidence.¡± If anyone had such luck, they should quickly try out for world domination since everything would unravel ording to their ns.

    ¡°Probably not. How do you suppose our perpetrator knew of those guys¡¯ inclinations beforehand?¡±

    ¡°Maybe because they had watched them by their sides for a long time?¡±

    ¡°I asked the other mercenaries, and they said that those two traitors showed no warning signs or strange behaviors before. They said those two yed with the children decently like the other mercenaries.¡±

    ¡°Then, could it be that the perpetrator knew of the future?¡± L said jokingly, but this was exactly what Zich wanted to say.

    ¡°If that¡¯s the case, then the perpetrator would¡¯ve been able to approach them without any hesitation.¡± Therefore, there was a high possibility that this case had some connection to Glen and the robed figures who had knowledge of the future.

    ¡°What were they nning to do after kidnapping the children?¡±

    ¡°Even the kidnappers didn¡¯t know the exact purpose for their actions. It seemed like they were just nning to take the children and hide with them for some time.¡±

    ¡°That means they weren¡¯t really nning to do anything to the children. I suppose the perpetrator¡¯s true intention was to create a situation where the children were kidnapped.¡±

    ¡°Probably. That¡¯s why I am nning to go along with their schemes,¡± Zich said and pulled out a piece of paper. ¡°They told me that the perpetrator told them to leave a piece of paper in a designated ce if they seeded in their kidnapping. So I n to fulfill their exact wishes.¡±

    ¡°Won¡¯t they suspect the writing? Like their handwriting?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. They wrote these letters themselves before they copsed.¡±

    ¡°What if those guys were tricking you?¡±

    ¡°Do you think I gave those guys a chance to pull that on me?¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s no way.¡± Although she didn¡¯t actually see them, L could clearly imagine the two kidnappers¡¯ fear-stricken faces while they wrote under Zich¡¯smands.

    ¡°I can¡¯t thank those two enough for their coboration,¡± Zich muttered. L thought she should never approach the graves of those Zich had killed with him.

    ¡®They might really jump out of their graves from intense rage.¡¯

    * * *

    The designated ce to hide the kidnappers¡¯ letter was located inside a forest that was a considerable distance away from the city. Not only was the area far away from man-made roads, but it was also near the Denest Mountain Range, so there was no trace of people. However, Zich looked at this ce and thought it was quite a nice ce. Since no one was there, it was a ce where someone could work in secret. Although it was a good distance away from Pialu, it wasn¡¯t so far that it would take a couple of days to return to the city. Above all, it was near the Denest Mountain Range.

    ¡®They could have easilye here with the excuse that they had to survey the area.¡¯

    To detect the monster ambushes as fast as possible, Pialu sent a considerable number of scouts near the Denest Mountain Range. Zich had also used this excuse of surveince to follow Dalton¡¯s group. Zich looked around the forest. It was a wide and thickly upied forest, but he didn¡¯t enter it because there was no need for him to do so.

    ¡®This is the spot.¡¯ Zich looked up at a tall tree located at the farthest edge of the forest. As if it had been struck by lightning, one side of it was charred ck and it was noticeable from even far away.

    ¡®Is this the ce?¡¯

    As Nedvill had told him, there was a small crevice under the tree¡¯s roots. Zich ced his letter in this space. Then, he climbed up to a nearby tree branch and waited. Time passed, and, in the meantime, a couple of people passed by the side of the forest. They were all rangers that the city had sent out, but no one approached the forest. Then, Zich finally saw two people approach the forest¡¯s edge. While heavily armored, these two surveyed their surroundings as they came closer and Zich could immediately tell who they were.

    ¡®They¡¯re mercenaries from the Wolf¡¯s Canine.¡¯

    By their rough and lurking movements, it was easy to tell that they were the neers in the Wolf¡¯s Canine. On the other hand, their sharp gazes indicated that they were ready to immediately react if they were ambushed. As expected of mercenaries in Wolf¡¯s Canine, they were definitely veterans despite their awful personalities. Zich quietly watched their movements. The mercenaries looked around the Denest Mountain Range and forest with wary eyes and slowly headed towards the tree where the piece of paper was hidden.

    ¡®That guy is¡­¡¯ One guy looked familiar. He was someone who was highly skilled among Wolf¡¯s Canine and proficiently fought in their most recent battle¡ªit was to the point that he even caught Zich¡¯s eye. ¡®As expected, they took precaution.¡¯

    Someone of his level would be able to catch Nedvill and Shed if they decided to hide and try to find out the people who hired them. Of course, finding Zich was still beyond this guy¡¯s expertise. He pushed his hand below the tree root that Zich slipped the paper into. Then, soon after, he pulled out a piece of paper with some dirt on it. He shook off the paper until all the dirt was wiped off and turned to hisrade.

    Zich listened carefully to their conversation.

    ¡°Hey, I found it! It¡¯s the item that the vice-captain told us to bring.¡± Vice-captain meant that it could either be Nick or Max. However, Zich thought that there was a higher possibility that this was from Nick since he was the one who had brought in the neers and covered for them.

    ¡°Is it a letter? What¡¯s written on it?¡±

    ¡°Hey, hey! Leave it! I told you to not look at it!¡±

    ¡°Will it matter if we just take a quick nce at it?¡±

    ¡°How are we going to just nce at it when it¡¯s sealed with wax! It doesn¡¯t matter to me if you want to die, but don¡¯t drag me in too!¡± The mercenary was curious about the contents of the letterined, but he no longer pestered the other mercenary again. This was a wise decision because the contents of the letter were coded. So, even if they saw it, they wouldn¡¯t be able to read it. They¡¯d just lose Nick¡¯s trust.

    The mercenaries left the forest. They were not interested in their original mission which was scouting, but they keenly scanned their surroundings to find out if anyone was following them. Zich followed them, and the mercenaries headed towards Pialu. As they approached the city, things that Zich could use to take cover decreased, and the number of people also increased.

    Moreover, since Zich was bing more famous in Pialu, secretly following the mercenaries became exponentially harder. It had been a while, but Zich took out the invisibility artifact that L had given him. He hadn''t used it so far since an invisibility artifact wouldn¡¯t work on Glen and there was no need to use it to chase after Dalton¡¯s group. However, it was a good idea to use it now since Zich nned to follow these mercenaries until they reached the campsite.

    ¡®Til won¡¯t be with them, right?¡¯ With his skills, Til would be able to see through the artifact. However, he was on patrol duty around this time, and besides, Til was the poster boy for trust and hard work. He would not forget about his patrol duty. The mercenaries went inside the city. After therge monster ambushes began, Wolf¡¯s Canine had moved their campsite inside the city walls. They used an entire square inside the city to set up camp. Zich carefully followed the mercenaries and infiltrated the Wolf Canine¡¯s camp.

    After they reached the campsite, the two mercenaries separated. Even though it was a surprising development, Zich calmly chased after the mercenary carrying the letter. He passed through the campsite and went inside a tent. Zich went as close to the tent as possible and listened carefully.

    ¡°I¡¯m back!¡±

    ¡°Yeah. Have you found the item?¡±

    ¡®It¡¯s Nick¡¯s voice!¡¯ Was he really the criminal? Zich heard something crumple from inside the tent; it was the sound of paper flipping. He was sure that the mercenary had taken out the letter.

    ¡°It¡¯s right here.¡±

    ¡°Good work. You can leave now.¡±

    ¡°What, you¡¯re telling me to immediately leave after getting what you want?¡±

    ¡°Is there anything else you need?¡±

    ¡°You can¡¯t even tell me those words while looking at me in the eyes! Ha, whatever! What can I expect from the vice-captain?¡± The mercenary spoke with displeasure, but his tone didn¡¯tst long. Zich heard something get thrown inside the tent; there was the slight sound of metals clinking against each other. ¡°Go out to drink with the other guy whom you went with.¡±

    ¡°Hehe! This is why I like you, Vice-captain!¡± It seemed as if the mercenary received some money, and his attitudepletely changed.¡±

    ¡°As you know, we¡¯re still in an emergency situation. Don¡¯t drink until you¡¯re drunk.¡±

    ¡°Do you think I¡¯m a newbie? I also don¡¯t get drunk from beer, so you have nothing to worry about.¡± The tent¡¯s entrance fluttered and the mercenary went out with a pleased face. It seemed as if he was overjoyed at the thought of drinking. Even after the mercenary left, Zich didn¡¯t depart from Nick¡¯s tent. After hearing the sound of paper flipping, silence filled the camp. It seemed as if he was reading the letter.

    After a short while, Zich heard, ¡°Yes!¡± He definitely heard a low but happy voice from Nick. Zich also smiled happily. ¡®Wow, I also feel happy that you¡¯re feeling happy.¡¯ There was nothing more to gain from spying any longer. Zich quietly left the campsite.

 Chapter 410

    <h4>Chapter 410</h4>

    ¡°It¡¯s Nick,¡± Zich blurted out to L with no exnation at all. Yet, L immediately understood what Zich¡¯s careless deration meant.

    ¡°As we expected.¡±

    ¡°Yes, just as we thought.¡± Nick had been their number one suspect for having a hand in corrupting Til, so this wasn¡¯t surprising news.

    ¡°If that¡¯s really the case, doesn¡¯t that mean he ced his own daughter in danger? What a bastard!¡± L heaved in anger. However, Zich thought the opposite.

    ¡°His n might have been to take his daughter away from imminent danger. The kidnappers said they were told not to harm the children¡ªof course, he mentioned it in a roundabout way about using them for future purposes and so on.¡± The two kidnappers had raised their swords at the children when their identities were revealed, and they would¡¯ve probably done more if the situation turned worse. However, it was unlikely that Nick would¡¯ve predicted that far.

    ¡®Perhaps, Nick might have twisted those two guys¡¯ heads off if he saw them raising their sword at his child.¡¯ Zich added, ¡°Anyways, I let that guy know that his n seeded. I¡¯m sure that something¡¯ll happen now whether it is instigated by Glen Zenard or Nick or not. I am just going to wait from now on. Well, I don¡¯t think I will have to wait that long.¡±

    As Zich predicted, a couple of dayster, they got the news that Glen had returned.

    * * *

    Glen¡¯s return signified that the mastermind¡¯s schemes were progressing to the next stage. Thus, Zich carefully tracked Glen¡¯s and Nick¡¯s movements but thought he wouldn¡¯t get much out of it.

    ¡®If Glen¡¯s aim is fame, then he will act first no matter what it is.¡¯

    Zich¡¯s guess soon became true. Glen requested to see him, saying that he had something important to tell Zich. Seeing that their meeting ce was at the city hall, ?Glen had requested to rent out the marketce, and he had invited many others besides Zich.

    ¡®Is this a stage for him to boast about his achievements?¡¯ Zich wondered. If that was the case, those Glen had invited were probably cast members, existing for the purpose of proiming and cheering for Glen¡¯s greatness.

    ¡®Won¡¯t I at least be one of the central characters on this stage though?¡¯ It hurt Zich¡¯s pride a bit to think about his role on Glen¡¯s stage. ¡®Before the regression, at least I had a main role as the antagonist.¡¯ Previously, Zich had arduously fulfilled his role as the greatest obstacle against the main characters¡¯ path. Yet, that all happened before the regression, and Zich had no intention of being a puppet hanging by Glen¡¯s threads this time either.

    ¡®I will act out the role you¡¯ve given to me for now,¡¯ Zich simply thought, knowing that there would be no need to keep his pretense for much longer. After all, the invisible thread that Glen had used before the regression to move all his dolls in an borate dance no longer existed. Perhaps, Glen would be pleased to see the dolls on his stage move on their own will and crush the stage they were on.

    ¡®It doesn¡¯t matter even if he isn¡¯t pleased.¡¯ No matter what anyone said, Zich would do as he pleased, and his eyes shone ominously at the thought.

    * * *

    Zich leisurely walked to the city hall since there was still some time left before the meeting. The people wandering around Zich murmured when they saw him, not in a poor light, but more in an admirable light than anything else. News of Zich¡¯s greatness had already spread across the city, and everyone knew his name.

    ¡®How awkward.¡¯ Although Zich was used to frightened and hateful gazes, he couldn¡¯t seem to get used to eyes looking up at him with admiration and affection. This was something he needed to ovee to walk the path of a hero, but Zich wasn¡¯t sure if there would evere a time when he would get used to these gazes.

    ck! Zich turned his head at the sound of horses clomping next to him.

    ¡°Hello, Mr. Zich.¡± Riding on a horse, Til approached Zich¡¯s side.

    ¡°Hmpf!¡± Til jumped down the horse skillfully. The horse wavered momentarily, but it soon calmed down when Til stroked its face. He grabbed the horse¡¯s reins and stuck close to Zich¡¯s side.

    ¡°Hello, Mr. Til.¡±

    ¡°Are you also going to the city hall, Mr. Zich?¡±

    ¡°Yes. Mr. Zenard called me. Is it the same for you too?¡±

    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s the same.¡±

    ¡°If he even called the captain of Wolf¡¯s Canine, Mr. Zenard must have discovered something big,¡± Zich said. ¡®Although he probably prepped everything himself.¡¯ The more Zich thought about it, the more ridiculous the whole situation seemed to be. However, Til didn¡¯t know anything, so he couldn¡¯t help but think deeply of the matter.

    ¡°I wonder what Mr. Zenard found. I hope it¡¯s something that can overturn our current situation.¡±

    ¡°Well, I¡¯m sure it is a good finding. Perhaps, the monster invasion became less frequent these days because of this finding.¡± Zich exined. ¡®I¡¯m sure of it since that¡¯s the only way his fame would rise.¡¯

    Yet, Til waspletely clueless to Zich¡¯s thoughts, and heughed in agreement. ¡°I really hope so. I will be able to see the children once this whole situation gets resolved.¡±

    ¡°You said that you were sending them to a nearby city, right? Did they arrive safely?¡± Zich asked, pretending not to know what really happened.

    ¡°No, I told them they don¡¯t need to contact me. I just told them to get a lodging and wait until I contact them first.¡±

    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t it be better to at least get a message that they had arrived at their destination safely?¡±

    ¡°With the monster attacks going on here, it would probably be hard for them to find someone who would be willing willinglye to this city to pass on a simple message. I also can¡¯t really ask my guys toe since it¡¯s dangerous for them to divide and move in small numbers when the children need to be protected.¡±

    ¡°Aren¡¯t you worried about the children?¡±

    ¡°I am proud of my subordinates. I handpicked guys that I trusted in terms of their skills, achievements, and loyalty. If monsters are attacking the next-door city, I might be worried, but I won¡¯t be anxious just for the escorting of my child.¡± There was a strong sense of pride in Til¡¯s words. Zich wondered how he would feel if he told him that two of his ¡®trustworthy¡¯ subordinates betrayed him and ced a sword at his son¡¯s neck.

    ¡®Nevertheless, this means he doesn¡¯t know about the kidnapping.¡¯ Zich was very pleased to know that Dalton was keeping his word and staying quiet. After this, they walked towards the city hall while conversing together.

    * * *

    The two were guided to a room inside the city hall. The room was a sizable room adorned with neat decorations that had the estate and city¡¯s logos on them. They saw arge table in the middle with chairs surrounding it. This room was a meeting room, and several people were already sitting in their chairs. After a brief scan, Zich saw that most of them were people he saw in the previous meeting with themander where they discussed future ns. They were all strong or important leaders of groups that made a significant impact in recent battles or were strong.

    ¡®He really only gathered the strongest forces together.¡¯ Zich clicked his tongue inside his mind but didn¡¯t change his expression. Since there were no nametes on the table, there didn¡¯t seem to be assigned seats. Zich and Til sat down on empty seats. A couple of people initiated conversations with him, and Zich passed the time by conversing with them. Fortunately, the main star of this show didn¡¯t n on letting his co-actors wait too long.

    The door burst open and themander came in, and Glen followed from behind. Even though Glen looked the same as always, Zich felt as if he was desperately trying to keep his glee hidden.

    ¡®He¡¯s definitely doing that.¡¯ Even though Zich also couldn¡¯t detect anything different on Glen¡¯s face, he waspletely certain that Glen was acting to suppress his glee. As soon as themander entered the room, people stood up.

    ¡°Ah, all of you should keep sitting down,¡± themander said and headed towards the head of the table. Glen continued to follow him. Themander sat at the head of the table, and Glen sat right next to him.

    ¡°It seems like everyone has arrived.¡± After checking everyone¡¯s faces, he said, ¡°First of all, I would like to thank everyone foring despite my sudden call.¡± Even though it was unusual for a noble like him to express his gratitude, the city was in such a dire state that he couldn¡¯t be rude to skilled professionals. Moreover, since two Karuwiman Honorary Knights, Zich and Glen, were present, he couldn¡¯t lose face either.

    He continued, ¡°Most of you here know that Mr. Zenard, who is next to me, went into the Denest Mountain Range with a special mission.¡±

    People nodded; Glen Zenard going to the mountain range had been the only result of theirst meeting. One impatient onlooker quickly asked, ¡°Perhaps, did you find anything?¡±

    Even though he could have felt annoyed that someone cut him off, themander smiled instead. From what Zich knew, themander¡¯s personality was definitely on the generous side, but he was also not a simpleton to smile happily in response to rude behavior. ¡®He must really be pleased with what Glen Zenard found out.¡¯ Zich¡¯s thoughts were right on the mark.

    ¡°Mr. Zenard will be the one to exin.¡±

    When themander looked at him, Glen stood up. ¡°I¡¯m Glen Zenard.¡± After a short introduction, he began his exnation. ¡°Since we don¡¯t have much time, I¡¯ll cut to the chase. I found the root of the monster attacks.¡±

    People were shocked. Some stood up with gleaming eyes and some people murmured to themselves, wondering if it was real. Even though they showed various reactions, most of the reactions expressed feelings of joy and delight.

    The impatient person who spoke up previously asked again, ¡°What is it?¡±

    Glen raised both of his hands and tried to calm him down. ¡°Now, now. Please don¡¯t rush me. I¡¯ll begin exining everything.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, dude. You¡¯ve been acting out too much.¡± A person who seemed like the impatient man¡¯s acquaintance clutched his clothes and forcibly pushed him down back into his seat. The impatient man seemed to have also realized that he acted too impatiently and obediently stayed in his seat.

    ¡°First, please take a look at this.¡± Glen took out a magic box. Then, he began taking out something from the box, and those seeing a magic box for the first time were extremely surprised by how such a big item coulde out of a small box. They were aware that such a box existed, but it was their first time seeing it in real life. On the other hand, those already familiar with magic boxes focused more on the item that Glen took out.

    ¡°What is that?¡±

    ¡°It looks like a¡­horn?¡±

    ¡°Or a fang of arge beast.¡±

    ¡°There seems to be something drawn on its surface?¡±

    ¡°Isn¡¯t it a magic circle? Then, is it an artifact?¡±

    People began murmuring amongst themselves after looking at the item that Glen took out. Zich also looked carefully at the item. Like people said, it looked like a horn or fang of an animal. The circr surface curved to the side and ended with a pointy tip while various patterns and drawings covered its surface. It looked like an artifact made by mages or decoration from certain tribes. Then, people started frowning and scrunched up their faces in displeasure after they initially looked at it with curiosity at first.

    ¡°There¡¯s an extremely awful auraing off from it.¡±

    ¡°You also feel that?¡±

    ¡°You too?¡±

    Everyone seemed to feel something disgusting emanating from the object. A couple of people even pushed their chairs back and increased their distance from the object. There was something intensely abhorrent about it that made people want to move away.

    Thus, people naturally asked, ¡°What is that?¡±

    Glen calmly identified the item. ¡°This object is called the One-sided Pyramid of Lamentations.¡±

 Chapter 411

    <h4>Chapter 411</h4>

    When Zich saw the object called the One-Sided Pyramid of Lamentations, the first thing that came to his mind was, ¡®What¡¯s that? It looks like a cheap copy of the Pyramid of Vengeful Souls.¡¯

    Even Zich had never seen that item before. However, based on its shape and name, he could tell that this item was somehow connected to the Pyramid of Vengeful Souls. ¡®Besides, what the hell is up with its name? A ¡®One-Sided Pyramid¡¯?¡¯

    Most objects called ¡®pyramids¡¯ had a square or triangr base; of course, no pyramid with a single side for its foundation existed.

    ¡®The name-giver must have hardly given any thought when naming this thing or they might have wanted to describe its connection with another item that has a simr function.¡¯ Zich thought thetter was more likely and continued contemting. ¡®No matter how much I look at it, this item definitely has a connection with the Pyramid of Vengeful Souls. Is it like a second-rate version of it?¡¯

    The feeling Zich got from the item was definitely like the one he got from that fish-head god, Bellu.

    ¡°What is this item, sir?¡± someone finally asked. It was unclear as to what the item was just by its appearance.

    ¡°I¡¯m sure you all know of the Bellid religion,¡± Glen responded. There was no way anyone didn¡¯t know the Bellids. The religious organization terrorized and made their existence known all over the world. Some people among this group even shed head-on with Bellid¡¯s filthy followers, and a majority of the listeners scowled at just the mention of the organization¡¯s name.

    ¡°Their organization made this item.¡±

    Upon hearing this, those curiously reaching their hands toward the One-Sided Pyramid of Lamentations hastily pulled their hands back.

    ¡°What are those damn scoundrels doing here out of all ces?¡±

    ¡°They were summoning monsters with this item,¡± Glen answered.

    People murmured amongst themselves. Their eyes looked full of loathing, shock, and fear as they stared at the pyramid.

    ¡°Summoning monsters? Then, are you saying that the monster invasions in Pialu happened because of those guys?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°Then what are you doing, sir! Shouldn¡¯t you break that thing immediately!¡± one of the mercenaries yelled. He balled his fists up as if he was ready to pound on the pyramid at any given chance.

    ¡°It¡¯s fine like this. This item¡¯s reach only covers the city. If there¡¯s no monster within its perimeters, it would be nothing more than a strange-looking decoration. Furthermore, its activation has already stopped.¡¯

    This was good news, but after hearing Glen¡¯s words, people couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Didn¡¯t you say those guys brought the monsters from the Denest Mountain Range? How were they able to call upon such a great number of monsters with such a limited scope?¡±

    ¡°Of course, it would be impossible with just this one,¡± Glen said and pulled out another One-Sided Pyramid of Lamentations from a box. People were surprised to see another one, but they weren¡¯t mindblown. They just felt a slightly greater sense of danger.

    Yet, that wasn¡¯t the end. Glen continued to pull out magic boxes and the pile of One-sided Pyramids on the table grew bigger and bigger. Some timeter, there was a whole pile of them on the table, and the sight of them brought people to speechlessness.

    ¡°If this many are scattered in one area, their strength and influence increases exponentially. This was all I found, but I expect there to be considerably more One-sided Pyramids inside the mountain range.¡±

    ¡°A-Are you saying that this isn¡¯t all of them?¡±

    ¡°There was a limit to finding so many at once, and I failed to find all of them.¡±

    ¡°No, I don¡¯t mean to me you. However, does this mean that monsters are still gathering in groups in the Denest Mountain Range as we speak?¡±

    ¡°Yes, sir,¡± Glen answered, and people¡¯s faces stiffened at his horrifying confirmation.

    ¡°I¡¯m sure that I was able to slow down the speed at which the monsters gather by bringing a significant number of these goods, as we are experiencing that first-hand right now. However, this peace won¡¯tst long.¡±

    ¡°Then, let¡¯s go to find these items immediately!¡±

    ¡°No, there¡¯s a better method than that,¡± Glen said. Zich noticed that Glen appeared as if he had been waiting for someone to dere to go search for the One-sided Pyramid of Lamentations. What Glen said from then on was probably what he had been preparing to say.

    ¡°Usually, the Bellids use this One-sided Pyramid with the Pyramid of Vengeful Souls.¡±

    ¡°What is this thing called the Pyramid of Vengeful Souls?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a simr item called the the One-Sided Pyramid that the Bellids use and they use it to control monsters.¡±

    ¡°What an astonishingly simple but bothersome ability.¡±

    ¡°Yes. After gathering many monsters with the One-sided Pyramid of Lamentations, the user of these items could use the Pyramid of Vengeful Souls to control monsters. That¡¯s how these items are connected to one another.¡±

    ¡°So, to summarize what you said, sir, some bastard is using two types of items to control monsters and attack Pialu?¡±

    ¡°Exactly.¡±

    ¡°Hm.¡±

    ¡°Who is this bastard!¡±

    ¡°If I catch this guy, I¡¯m going to twist their head off!¡±

    Everyone responded to Glen¡¯s words in their individual ways, but each one of them felt rage.

    ¡°I¡¯m sure it¡¯s those Bellid guys. Didn¡¯t you say that the items belonged to the Bellids?¡±

    ¡°I think there¡¯s a high possibility. After all, they regard these items as their sacred objects.¡±

    ¡°Damn it! Those guys are the abominations of this world! They¡¯re fucking cockroaches that crawl around everywhere. We should catch all of them and crush them into pieces!¡±

    Soon, the city hall turned into a ce for people to denounce the Bellids. People cursed the Bellids with all the swear words they knew and spat. If a Bellid follower had been in the group, they would¡¯ve struggled to keep theirposure and responded with at least fear or anger.

    ¡°Quiet down, everyone! Mr. Glen hasn¡¯t finished speaking!¡± themander yelled and people began to quiet down. The meeting room soon grew quiet again and themander told Glen to please continue.

    Glen nodded slightly in appreciation to themander for preparing his stage to talk again and parted his lips once more. ¡°We don¡¯t know for sure if the ones behind all this are the Bellids as we expect, but it¡¯s certain that there¡¯s someone who is trying to invade Pialu using the One-Sided Pyramid of Lamentations. Thus, if we just get rid of this figure, we can put an end to this situation.¡±

    ¡°Why are you saying such an obvious¡­!¡± One person began to shout in annoyance, but a low voice cut them off.

    ¡°You have a way to find them.¡± It was Zich. He looked at Glen with calm eyes.

    ¡°Yes, I have a way,¡± Glen also calmly replied without avoiding his gaze. There was a way to find the root cause of the monster ambushes. The room started heating up¡ªeveryone was eager to hang the person responsible for this mess. Even the mercenaries felt this way. Even though they made money by fighting, it was only meaningful if they survived.

    Zich held an One-Sided Pyramid of Lamentations in his hand. ¡°I think your method is probably rted to this object here.¡±

    ¡°As expected of Mr. Zich, you¡¯re quick to catch on.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m basically a corpse without my wits.¡±

    Glen smirked at Zich¡¯s joke. ¡°As Mr. Zich said, we can find out the location of the Pyramid of Vengeful Souls with the One-sided Pyramid of Lamentations.¡± Glen took out another item from the magic box, which was a thin metal te. However, its sparkling surface and the glowing manaing off it made it seem different from an ordinary metal te.

    ¡°It¡¯s an artifact.¡±

    ¡°Yes, Mr. Zich.¡± Glen grabbed a One-Sided Pyramid of Lamentations and put it on the metal te. Complicated drawings were already etched on top of the metal te, and Glen infused some mana into the metal te.

    Ziing! The metal te slightly vibrated. The mana flowed into the magic circles and activated it.

    Swoosh! The One-Sided Pyramid of Lamentations slightly floated up, and people eximed in admiration. The object slowly spun in the air and pointed at the pile of One-Sided Pyramid of Lamentations on the table.

    ¡°It reminds me of apass.¡±

    ¡°Yes, Mr. Zich. It performs a simr function as apass.¡±

    ¡°Its ability is to probably point towards other One-Sided Pyramids of Lamentations. Mr. Glen, you must have found the other One-Sided Pyramids of Lamentations using this artifact. Does this artifact also point towards the Pyramid of Vengeful Souls?¡±

    ¡°Mr. Zich, your insight is astounding. You¡¯re correct about everything. We can find the Pyramid of Vengeful Souls with this object.¡±

    People expressed their acmations. However, Zich narrowed his eyes instead. ¡°But there must be a condition or limit since you would have found the root cause immediately by yourself.¡±

    Glen let down the artifact on the table and said, ¡°The problem lies with its range.¡± The artifact stopped. ¡°I can only find it if the One-Sided Pyramid of Lamentations or Pyramid of Vengeful Souls is within a specific range. That¡¯s why I had to run around the Denest Mountain Range like crazy to find this much.¡± Glen¡¯s voice sounded a bit fatigued to express the struggle he went through as he continued, ¡°I¡¯ll mass produce this object and share it with all of you. I predict that the culprit with the Pyramid of Vengeful Souls is near here. Perhaps, they might even be hidden inside the city. However, if we use this artifact near that person, we¡¯ll be able to easily find them.¡±

    ¡°What happens if there are multiple targets within a specific range?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯ll point towards the closest one.¡± Glen activated the artifact again and distributed the One-Sided Pyramids around the room. Then, he put one right next to the artifact, and the artifact¡¯s direction was fixed to the nearest One-Sided Pyramid of Lamentations.

    A method to sessfully find the root cause of this dire situation had finally been suggested. People felt encouraged and hopeful, but some expressed different opinions.

    ¡°What¡¯ll happen if we don¡¯t find the Pyramid of Vengeful Souls?¡±

    ¡°Why don¡¯t we just search the entire Denest Mountain Range with the people here? It seems better to just find all the One-Sided Pyramids of Lamentations instead.¡±

    Glen shook his head; his expression was extremely serious. ¡°It¡¯s impossible to enter the Denest Mountain Range right now. Why do you think I came down the mountain range?¡±

    ¡°Isn¡¯t it because it¡¯s difficult to find all the One-Sided Pyramids of Lamentations by yourself?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s because I couldn¡¯t go around looking for them anymore.¡± Glen¡¯s tone was serious. ¡°After retrieving numerous One-Sided Pyramids of Lamentations, the speed at which monsters gathered together slowed down, but the monsters are still gathering together.¡±

    ¡°The number of monsters that gathered must be so great that it¡¯d be impossible to retrieve the One-Sided Pyramids of Lamentations.¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°Then, even if there¡¯s a bit of damage, it might not be a bad idea to block one more monster raid and begin moving. After culling some of the monsters, we can go around looking for the One-Sided Pyramids of Lame¡­¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry to intervene, but there probably won¡¯t be a next time.¡±

    What was he saying? People waited for Glen¡¯s next lines. It didn¡¯t seem like he was going to share any good news.

    ¡°While I wasing down the Denest Mountain Range, I saw monsters such as the basilisk and behemoth that we fought and, of course, new high-level monsters we haven¡¯t fought yet like the titan and hydra. There were around 40 of them.¡±

    The atmosphere of the meeting froze. 40 high-level monsters. Everyone knew how overwhelmingly powerful they were by fighting the basilisk and behemoth. Yet, ording to Glen, there were 40 of these terrible monsters.

    ¡°A-are you really sure?¡± themander asked in surprise. It seemed as if he hadn¡¯t heard this part either.

    However, Glen wasn¡¯t finished yet. ¡°Moreover, those are just numbers I confirmed before I left the mountain range. There might be more of them now.¡±

    People¡¯s mouths opened wide¡ªeveryone fell into shock.

    ¡°We don¡¯t have a next time since Pialu will certainly be annihted if there is another monster ambush,¡± Glen spoke seriously, and Zich quietly stared at him.

 Chapter 412

    <h4>Chapter 412</h4>

    Annihtion¡ªthe chilling word weighed down heavily on all listener¡¯s hearts. The fate of a city overrun by monsters was clear, which would only lead to pure destruction and death. Concepts such as mercy didn¡¯t exist inside existences such as monsters.

    ¡°¡­I don¡¯t know what kind of guy we are dealing with, but we must find them.¡± Not a trace of his previous bright expression was left. Themander¡¯s eyes looked gloomily for the mysterious perpetrator somewhere afar or in the midst and incurred bloodlust.

    ¡°Let¡¯s quickly start our search! What if this guy drags the monsters down here while we are taking our time!¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s impossible right now,¡± Glen said while cing the metal te down. ¡°For each of us to search, we each need a pair of this artifact and a One-sided Pyramid of Lamentations. However, the only metal te I have is the one I am holding right now.¡±

    ¡°Then how¡­?¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ll have to make it,¡± Glen said firmly. Other people responded dubiously. ¡°Make it? How can you make an artifact so easily?¡±

    No matter how trivial it was, one needed to pour a significant amount of effort and goods into making an artifact; that was how precious the item was. Thus, people were astounded to hear Glen talk about making artifacts as if they were going to make y tes or the like.

    ¡°I¡¯m sure we won¡¯t be able to make them easily, but we have three mages in this city.¡±

    ¡°We are aware of that, but are these mages capable of making artifacts? I heard that one¡¯s magical skills are separate from their artifact-making skills.¡±

    ¡°Mypanion certainly can,¡± Glen said. Then, he turned to Zich and said, ¡°What about yourpanions, Sir Zich?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t even need to ask them. They certainly can. Moreover, one of mypanions is the best mage ever.¡±

    ¡°Then, this conversation is over.¡± Glen proimed,¡± After producing as many artifacts as we can, let¡¯s find this perpetrator.¡±

    * * *

    After calling L and Elena and showing them the artifact, Zich asked, ¡°So, can you make it?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s easy enough.¡±

    ¡°How easy?¡±

    ¡°As easy as you scheming to screw someone over.¡±

    Zich thought on the statement for a bit and asked, ¡°Isn¡¯t that way too easy?¡±

    ¡°Isn¡¯t it?¡± L responded, but Elena, let out a mixed smile and looked awkward while sitting next to her. Zich pushed the artifact toward Elena and asked, ¡°What about you?¡±

    Elena carefully lifted the artifact and studied the magic circle engraved on it. L was able to decipher the artifact¡¯s logic and mechanic with a quick nce, but she wasn¡¯t at such a level yet. No, even if she studied all her life, she doubted if she would be able to reach L¡¯s aptitude for magic.

    ¡°¡­Yes. I think I will also be able to make it. There are noplicated engravings and the shape of the magic circle is on the easy side.¡±

    ¡°Good. Then, please make us some.¡±

    ¡°Do we have the ingredients to make these though? This is mithril.¡± L stroked the metal te, and mithril¡¯s unique mana tickled the ends of her fingers.

    ¡°Did you, perhaps, offer the mithril we have?¡±

    Since they had swept heaps of mithril in the ancient empire¡¯s ruins, they had sufficient metals to make the necessary number of artifacts. However, that wasn¡¯t what Zich had promised.

    ¡°Glen Zenard said he had enough.¡±

    ¡°Oh my, he really is an amazing person. That amount of mithril would¡¯ve given him quite arge sum of money.¡±

    ¡°Since the situation was urgent, the city decided to use the ingredients that Glen had and offered to pay him back for themter. However, Glen refused any sort of payment saying that his sacrifice was nothing if he could serve the people.¡±

    ¡°What a just hero he is.¡±

    ¡°He sure is.¡±

    The two chuckled. Not knowing what they were smirking about, Elena looked awkwardly again.

    ¡°Well, that¡¯s that. Work hard on making these artifacts for now. It¡¯s quite urgent, so please do your best.¡±

    ¡°For now?¡±

    ¡°Yes, for now.¡±

    The two smiled again. Elena looked at them both and thought that L and Zich¡¯s mischievous smiles looked very simr to each other.

    ¡®Snoc and Mr. Hans told me that their rtionship was not like this in the beginning.¡¯ Even when she had first joined, there was a sense of distance between the two. But now, as she looked at these two, Elena thought, ¡®It¡¯s true that couples be more alike to each other.¡¯

    * * *

    After L and Elena left to start making artifacts, Zich strolled inside the city. The thick atmosphere, shrouded in fear of iing monsters, pressed down on Zich¡¯s body. The air was so heavy that it could turn any bright person instantly gloomy, yet Zich¡¯s footsteps were light. After all, it would¡¯ve been weirder for Zich to be affected by such things as a heavy atmosphere when he had usually been the one to cause them before the regression. Although it seemed like Zich was wandering as he pleased, the trajectories he treaded followed a rule: they were all near the vicinity of the Wolf¡¯s Canine¡¯s camp.

    ¡®They should officially start moving when so much of the scenario has been released already.¡¯ Zich didn¡¯t know what kind of ¡®adorable¡¯ n these guys might have in mind, but it wasn¡¯t difficult for him to figure out that this n¡¯s goal was Til. Of course, he didn¡¯t only circle around the camp noticeably¡ªhe wandered inside alleyways and even near the castle walls to give him the appearance of surveilling the area. The fact that the crime rate went up in this chaotic situation gave him a good enough motive to do this too.

    ¡®It will also give me more fame as a hero,¡¯ Zich thought and shuddered at the title that he could never get used to. Then, he stared at the city hall located far away.

    ¡®L said they would be done around tomorrow¡­¡¯ Zich recalled.

    Most people were shocked to hear that the job of creating more than dozens of artifacts could be finished in just a day. People were obviously shocked by Zich¡¯s promation about hispanion. For instance, Glen¡¯srade, Pina, was inplete disbelief. However, after L made an artifact in a matter of seconds in front of her, Pina had no choice but to believe his words.

    ¡®I wonder when he¡¯ll begin. Before the artifacts areplete? Or after they areplete?¡¯ Whatever happened, it was not long until Glen would officially execute his n to corrupt Til. A significant amount of time had passed since Zich searched throughout the city. Before he knew it, the sun shining at the peak of the sky was moring to hide itself behind the mountain, and darkness quickly chased after it.

    ¡®Should I eat something?¡¯ Zich didn¡¯t n to go back to the lodging. He nned to at least continue his ¡°search¡± the whole day. Zich went to the nearest shop and purchased a loaf of bread. He went around the streets and ate the bread in lumps when¡ª

    Boom! He felt a subtle aftermath of mana hit his skin. He turned his head; it hade from the city¡¯s wall.

    Booom! He felt the aftermath of mana hit his skin again. ¡®It¡¯s a battle!¡¯ Did the moment he had been anticipating finally arrive? Zich stuffed the rest of his bread into his mouth. Then, he fused mana into his legs and pushed off the ground. His body floated high up andnded on a rooftop right next to him.

    Boom! Boom! Boom! He continued to feel the force of mana. Zich felt it while stepping on the rooftops of several buildings. When Zich arrived at the wall, it was in aplete mess as if a strong typhoon had struck it. There were many holes on the ground and damage done to the walls. Fortunately, there didn¡¯t seem to be any casualties, but most people were in a daze and looked extremely shocked. Zich continued to feel the shockwave of mana from outside the city wall. He could now even clearly hear the sounds of battle.

    ¡®Should I ask? Or follow suit?¡¯ Zich wondered if he should first assess the situation or follow suit in battle. Zich¡¯s mind quickly spun, and he made a decision. ¡®I¡¯m going to follow suit.¡¯ He hit the ground again.

    ¡®Til and Glen Zenard are probably fighting each other.¡¯ Zich¡¯s prediction was exactly right. It did not take him long to reach the scene of their battle after running at full speed. A ferocious battle was happening there. Glen Zenard was fiercly swinging Tornium¡ª a demon sword that exponentially increased its owner¡¯s power. It greedily consumed Glen Zenard¡¯s mana and expelled its enormous power without mercy. Glen¡¯s skills were amazing to the point that any skilled fighter wouldn¡¯t even think about fighting him. However, Til looked at least one level stronger than Glen to all onlookers. All of Glen¡¯s swings were being reflected. With a swing of Til¡¯srge sword, he scattered the shock of Tornium¡¯s force. Even though Glen managed tond a direct hit, even Tornium¡¯s ferocious de couldn¡¯t shatter Til¡¯s long sword.

    ng! ¡°Ugh.¡± Glen was being pushed back instead.

    ¡®Amazing.¡¯ Zich was amazed by Til¡¯s skills. If he summarized Til¡¯s sword style, it was rough and blunt. In a way, it was a sword style that was theplete opposite of Zich¡¯s style. Zich used his overwhelming talent and experience to perfect a style that could even be described as art. However, those weren¡¯t the only differences; Til and Zich¡¯s sword style had one simrity¡ªthey were both incredibly strong.

    Crasssh! ¡°Ughhh!¡± Glen¡¯s body got pushed back after Til¡¯s sword hit him again.

    ¡®Yeah, go for it!¡¯ Zich cheered for Til inside his mind. He felt extremely regretful that he couldn¡¯t cheer his head off out loud. ¡®I really like him as a person!¡¯ Til¡¯s likability to Zich increased exponentially, and Til¡¯s strength overpowered Glen to the point that Zich felt this way.

    Til¡¯s simple swings vibrated the air and his pierces felt as if he was hurling an entire mountain at Glen. Moreover, Til didn¡¯t just have strength. Even though his sword style was rough and blunt, he specifically swung his sword in directions that were advantageous to him and exploited his opponent¡¯s openings. Til had reached the pinnacle of a mercenary¡¯s sword style; it was a style that reached its peak only through real life experiences.

    As Zich watched Til¡¯s sword style, he naturally thought, ¡®He definitely seems like the Demon Lord of Disaster.¡¯

    m! ¡°Agh!¡± In the end, Glen was strongly pushed back by Til¡¯s attack and rolled on the ground. Zich wanted to hire a musician and dance in front of Glen as he fell, but this was not the time to do that. He desperately used up all his patience to suppress his desire and jumped next to Glen. ¡°Are you all right?¡±

    ¡°Y-yes.¡± Even while blood dripped from his mouth, Glen slowly got up.

    ¡®Tck! He doesn¡¯t seem really hurt.¡¯ Zich¡¯s opinion of Til dropped. Til should have done a better job beating the crap out of Glen. How could he stop with such little injuries? However, Zich suppressed his disappointment because it was now time to follow Glen¡¯s carefully nned y. ¡°What happened? Isn¡¯t he Mr. Til?¡±

    ¡°Yes, he is.¡±

    ¡°Then, why are you two fighting?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll give you a detailed exnationter, but that person has the Pyramid of Vengeful Souls.¡±

    Zich stared at Til; his face looked extremely strained. ¡°Then, Mr. Zenard, are you saying that Mr. Til is the mastermind behind this entire affair?¡±

    ¡°We don¡¯t know yet, but it¡¯s reasonable enough for us to capture him.¡± Then, Glen stood next to Zich and said, ¡°Let me borrow some of your strength.¡±

 Chapter 413

    <h4>Chapter 413</h4>

    Zich almost instinctively spat out, ¡®No!¡¯ and he resisted the urge to swing Windur at Glen¡¯s neck with all his might. In reality, only his hands wiggled on Windur and even as his instincts stirred up a rebellion inside him, Zich continued to assess the situation. ¡®Should I help this guy here and suppress Til?¡¯ However, was that part of Glen¡¯s n? If it was, he needed to hinder it at all costs somehow.

    ¡®Would this guy want to share the credit of finding the culprit with me?¡¯ There was no way. A sly guy like Glen would certainly not do something that would force him to divide the merit and fame of solving a huge case like this. Then, there was only one reason why Glen was behaving this way.

    ¡®He must have prepared something up his sleeves so that Til wouldn¡¯t get caught.¡¯ By the time Zich thought to this point, he caught a swarm of other presences with his senses.

    Wuahhhhhhh! He heard a rough monstrous cry, and when Zich turned in the direction of the noise, he saw a cluster of monsters rushing toward his direction.

    ¡®They are quite strong monsters.¡¯ He didn¡¯t see weak monsters like kobolds or goblins¡ªhe only sawrge monsters like ogres. The one running at the front was a behemoth. These monsters didn¡¯t pose such a great threat to Zich or Glen, but they were enough to affect the progress of their battle with Til.

    ¡°Tch! Why of all times!¡± Glen shouted angrily. Yet, Zich had deduced that this entire scenario and he knew that Glen was simply ying his usual theatrics after setting it all up. Although the monsters were dangerously approaching, they were still quite a distance away. Thus, Zich quickly approached Til and asked, ¡°What happened, Mr. Til?¡±

    Til didn¡¯t answer. He simply stared at Zich with an eerily stiff face. Zich raised Windur and said, ¡°If you don¡¯t answer, I will have no choice but to think of you as the culprit we¡¯ve been looking for.¡±

    Yet, Til still didn¡¯t answer.

    ¡°I understand. Then, let¡¯s talk after I render you immobile.¡± Zich rushed at Til, and Til swung his sword resolutely.

    sh! ¡®As expected, he is strong.¡¯ From that single sh, Zich felt pain in his hands as if his palms were ripping apart. Zich saw many openings in Til¡¯s movements, but he couldn¡¯t easily aim for them. As soon as he aimed for a weak spot, the entirety of Til¡¯s immense sword swing would thrash at him and drag forth death. Zich and Til shed a couple of more times until the cluster of monsters reached Zich¡¯spanions.

    ¡°Tch!¡± Zich clicked his tongue and backed away from Til. An ogre¡¯s thick muscled arms passed through the ce he had been standing, and Zich swung Windur again.

    Kyaaaaah! After he was inflicted with a long wound, the ogre screamed painfully. Zich grimaced at the yelling and sliced the ogre¡¯s neck off. The ogre¡¯s nasty scream was cut short, and Zich searched for Til. Til was standing a distance away from the center of the battle, and the monsters didn¡¯t attack him¡ªthey only aimed for Zich and Glen.

    Zich and Glen immediately began their work, exterminating all the monsters in their surroundings. The behemoth jumped around wildly while shrieking, but even a high-level monster couldn¡¯t endure long against Zich and Glen¡¯sbined attacks. With countless injuries covering its body, the behemoth let out its final cry and breathed itsst breath. Soon, all monsters copsed to the ground, but Til was nowhere to be seen.

    ¡°Damn it! We lost him!¡± Glen kicked the floor and yelled in an outburst. Zich snorted at this sight inside his mind and hung Windur on his back.

    * * *

    The case of the escape of the Wolf¡¯s Canine¡¯s captain stirred up a hugemotion inside Pialu. Not only had the Wolf¡¯s Canine contributed significantly to the fight against monsters, but Til was one of the strongest people in the city, which was evident from the fact he had escaped from Zich and Glen¡¯s tracking even if they had been upied by monsters. Whatever the truth was, people were stunned by what had happened.

    The next day after Til¡¯s escape, people gathered at the city hall¡¯s meeting room once again. Unlike yesterday when the mood had been quite favorable because they found out the cause of their problem, the mood was absolutely miserable today. Particrly Nick, who now represented the Wolf¡¯s Canine in Til¡¯s ce, looked like he hade to his close friend¡¯s funeral.

    Themander said, ¡°Mr. Zenard.¡±

    ¡°Yes, sir.¡±

    ¡°Please exin to us what exactly happened.¡±

    ¡°I understand,¡± Glen said and got up from his spot. All eyes shot towards him. ¡°After the meeting ended yesterday, I surveyed the city because I thought our culprit could be somewhere inside the city.¡±

    People nodded inprehension.

    ¡°When I went near the castle walls, I saw that Captain Til about to go outside. At first, I thought Captain Til was leaving to patrol the area.¡± In the Wolf¡¯s Canine, even the captain and the vice-captain went outside to patrol from time to time. Of course, to maintain leadership within the group, either the captain or the vice-captain always stayed behind the camp.

    ¡°However, I thought it was odd that even if the captain was strong, the Wolf¡¯s Canine members always patrolled in groups. The captain was alone. Thus, I thought it was strange and thinking that he might need help with something, I approached Captain Til. Of course, the artifact was still activating the whole time.¡±

    ¡°Was it then¡­it reacted?¡± Nick¡¯s solemn voice rang inside the meeting ce.

    ¡°Yes, it did.¡±

    ¡°Could it actually be the One-sided Pyramid of Lamentations? Doesn¡¯t the artifact also react to that item too?¡± one person asked, but Glen shook his head.

    ¡°I handed over all the One-sided Pyramids of Lamentations to the magicians. The mages told me that one never went missing, and I checked the numbers.¡±

    ¡°Then, does Captain Til really possess the Pyramid of Vengeful Souls?¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s a high possibility.¡±

    Themander said to Glen, ¡°Please continue.¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s not much to say after that. I asked Captain Til to exin, and he suddenly tried to run away. Then, I chased after him but missed him. That¡¯s all.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve heard that the monsters tried to protect Captain Til. Is that true?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not exactly true. However, it¡¯s true that I missed the captain because of the monsters¡¯ attacks, and it¡¯s also true that the monsters did not attack Captain Til. Mr. Zich also witnessed this.¡±

    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s true.¡± Zich nodded in agreement as people stared at him.

    ¡°Then, is it really true¡­¡±

    ¡°Hmm.¡± All the evidence was pointing towards Til as the mastermind behind the city¡¯s ambush.

    ¡°If the captain was really the mastermind who possessed the Pyramid of Vengeful Souls, why couldn¡¯t we find it in thest meeting?¡± Nick asked. He looked desperate, as if he didn¡¯t want to believe that their captain was the culprit. ¡°Isn¡¯t it unlikely that he would leave such a valuable item in a different ce? Since you even activated the artifactst time, if he really possessed the Pyramid of Vengeful Souls, we should have caught him then.¡±

    People began murmuring amongst themselves as Nick¡¯s words made sense. However, Glen calmly exined, ¡°The artifact points towards the nearest One-Sided Pyramid of Lamentations or the Pyramid of Vengeful Souls. When I activated the artifactst time to show how it works, I put a One-Sided Pyramid of Lamentations right next to the artifact. Thus, even if Captain Til had the Pyramid of Vengeful Souls on him, the artifact would have pointed towards the closest pyramid next to it. So, he wouldn¡¯t have been caught.¡±

    ¡°¡­Damn it,¡± Nick muttered a swear word under his breath. It was only natural that the mercenaries in the Wolf¡¯s Canine would feel very conflicted since their captain was under suspicion as the main culprit behind the city¡¯s current situation. Regardless of the betrayal they felt towards the captain, the future of their mercenary group was at stake, and other people would also look at them with suspicion. Nick¡¯s swearing sounded like aption of all their conflicted thoughts.

    ¡®Fucking bastard.¡¯ However, Zich knew the truth, and he only saw it as an unpleasant act from a hypocrite.

    ¡°Perhaps, was there a reason why Captain Til would betray us?¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s no way! He¡¯s a guy too kind for his own good! There¡¯s no way he¡¯d suddenly be¡­¡±

    Silence fell on the meeting for a short moment, and then themander said, ¡°Whatever it is, we have work to do. Mr. Zenard, have you finished preparing all the artifacts?¡±

    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s all thanks to the mages.¡± Glen took out the artifacts. ¡°I¡¯ll be passing this out to all of you here and to other skilled people. Please use this artifact to search the city and the mountain range to find the mastermind who attacked the city.¡±

    One mercenary sarcastically remarked, ¡°Isn¡¯t the Wolf¡¯s Canine¡¯s captain the mastermind?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not certain yet. If we find the specific reason, everything will be solved. Since Mr. Zenard said the artifact reacted to what Captain Til had, we might be able to find him as well.¡±

    Another mercenary asked, ¡°Are you perhaps also going to let the Wolf¡¯s Canine handle this?¡± It seemed as if people were ufortable with including the Wolf Canine¡¯s mercenaries in the search group when their captain was under strong suspicion as the culprit.

    Themander didn¡¯t say anything for a minute and also stared at Nick with slightly suspicious eyes. But then, he seemed to have reached a decision as he quietly said, ¡°I¡¯ll trust them.¡±

    There was a smallmotion on one side but it soon died down. ¡°We¡¯ll return your trust.¡± Nick bowed.

    Themander looked around at everyone and said, ¡°We don¡¯t know when the monsters will attack us again, so please decide on an area to search and look for the person controlling the monsters. I¡¯ll give a generous reward to everyone and give a special reward to the person who finds the culprit and captures them.¡±

    * * *

    ¡°What happened, Vice-Captain!¡±

    ¡°Is our contract still valid?¡±

    ¡°Will we still get our money?¡±

    ¡°Do we still not know where the Captain is?¡±

    As soon as Nick returned to the camp, the mercenaries surrounded him. Every single one of them looked worried. It was natural since their captain had stabbed them in the back. After telling everyone what happened in the meeting room, he passed the artifact he received to skilled people in the camp and ordered them to search for the culprit. No one expressed theirints at Nick¡¯s orders. Since Til was gone, Nick had no choice but to lead the Wolf¡¯s Canine. Even though there was also Vice-Captain Max, Nick created the mercenary group with Til, so Max was pushed behind Nick for the next line inmand. Like this, the Wolf Canine¡¯s mercenaries scattered throughout the city to find the culprit.

    Most of the mercenaries really tried their best to retrieve the lost trust in their group. The best way to erase people¡¯s suspicion of their group was to find the mastermind behind the monster¡¯s attacks. However, it waspletely different for Nick and the other mercenaries. They moved quite half-heartedly. Since they had nned this incident in the first ce, it didn¡¯t make sense that they would try their best to find the culprit.

    ¡®Everything¡¯s going pretty much ording to n.¡¯ Contrary to the other mercenaries who felt nervous, Nick felt a deep sense of satisfaction. ¡®Let¡¯s go around like this for a while.¡¯ It was an extremely easy task. He leisurely moved around his set area as if he was on vacation. However, his leisure didn¡¯tst long.

    ¡°W-what is this¡­!¡± He began shaking as he looked at the letter in his hand.

    The letter contained the following words: [I have your daughter.]

 Chapter 414

    <h4>Chapter 414</h4>

    Nick had found the letter while he was ¡®patrolling¡¯, which was basically another name for going on a break. Since he didn¡¯t need to worry about monster attacks, he wandered around his designated area when he noticed something strange. ¡®What is that?¡¯

    It looked like a clumsily woven scarecrow. Stationed crookedly, its arms were severely misaligned, making it look like a child¡¯s crude copy of one made by adults, and the scarecrow looked especially shabby as it stood in an open space and not on a field. However, its insides seemed to be considerably durable as it withstood strong winds.

    Nick was currently in an area where monsters frequently popped out even during normal times without monster ambushes. Yet, the scarecrow didn¡¯t exist in this spot just yesterday, which meant that someone must have made the scarecrow near the Denest Mountain Range¡¯s vicinity ?when the monsters coulde attacking at any moment.

    ¡®How suspicious. Really suspicious.¡¯ Did his coborator prepare this? Or was this somethingpletely unrted? Nick pulled out his sword and cautiously approached the scarecrow. Fortunately, the scarecrow had no traps, and he carefully studied it.

    The scarecrow had clothes as if it was mimicking a human figure. Yet, its clothes were ripped in several ces and pped in the air. Nick narrowed his eyes. Scarecrows normally wore old and torn clothes, but the fabric on this scarecrow looked good as new. It was ripped as if somebody had purposefully cut it with a sharp object, and thick blood smeared its clothes. Nick didn¡¯t know what happened to the owner of these clothes, but he doubted that they would be safe.

    ¡®I think I¡¯ve seen this dress before...!¡± Nick opened his eyes so wide that they looked like they would rip. Without a trace of his previous cautiousness, he stomped towards the scarecrow and clutched the dress hard.

    ¡®This is¡­!¡¯ A recent memory passed through his head.

    <<Dad!>>

    He heard his lovely¡ªoh so lovely voice of his daughter.

    <<Do I look pretty?>>

    <<Of course! Our princess is the prettiest in the world!>>

    <<Hehe!>>

    Ellie twirled once in front of Nick, and the pretty frills hanging on her clothes pped. This was the dress that his daughter had begged him to get for her some time ago, and he had bought it for her birthday. The memory of his daughter epting these clothes and hugging him with a bright smile was one of his life¡¯s most precious memories. He could almost clearly see her now, clinging onto his thighs and rubbing her cheeks against him in her new clothes. Thus, he could recognize that the clothes the scarecrow was wearing were his daughter¡¯s even in such a ruined state. After all, this dress was the first thing his daughter had packed when leaving for Pialu. But why was this dress here in such a tattered state?

    ¡®N-No! I can¡¯t be sure that this is Ellie¡¯s dress yet!¡± It could just be a simr dress. He quickly checked the clothes¡¯ tag. When he gave this dress to his daughter, he had engraved Ellie¡¯s name there.

    ¡°Please! Please let there not be¡­!¡¯ With shaking hands, he lifted the tag and checked it. Then, his heart filled with so much shock that it almost stopped.

    [Ellie]

    These threaded five letters were clearly on the tag.

    ¡°Uh, uhahhhhh!¡± Nick burst out screaming. His mana-filled voice echoed in his surroundings. ¡°Who¡¯s the bastaaaaaard!¡± Boiling with anger, he raised his sword and was about to slice the scarecrow but stopped when he remembered who used to own the clothes that it was wearing.

    ¡°Ah, urghh¡­!¡± While gritting his teeth, Nick tried to repress his rage somehow.

    ¡®Calm down! The guy who did this must have a purpose!¡¯ There was no way someone would¡¯ve stationed a scarecrow wearing his daughter¡¯s bloodied and ripped clothes by coincidence. Nick sheathed his sword and searched around the scarecrow, and he soon found a piece of paper underneath arge rock at the bottom of the scarecrow¡¯s feet. Nick flung the rock away and picked up the piece of paper.

    ¡°H-How¡­!¡± Rage filled him up again.

    [I have your daughter.]

    This was confirmation. Someone had kidnapped Ellie and was threatening him with her.

    ¡°Daaaaamn it!¡±

    Then, after shouting and grunting angrily for a while, Nick racked through his head.

    ¡®I need to check if Ellie was really kidnapped or not!¡¯ he thought, but unfortunately, he knew there was a high chance she was. After all, the clothes Ellie treasured the most were in front of him in a ruined state.

    ¡®Did those guys betray me?¡¯ What came to his mind first were the subordinates he had employed. As expected of bastards who moved ording to money, perhaps the n failed because of them. However, Nick soon shook his head and thought they couldn¡¯t have created this scenario.

    ¡®If it was those guys, they would¡¯ve asked for money first.¡¯

    The person behind this work simply informed Nick that they had Ellie, but didn¡¯t list out any requests. It seemed that the culprit was nning to manipte Nick however they liked.

    ¡®I have to find those guys first!¡¯ He needed to know if his subordinates had betrayed him or if a third party had intervened and kidnapped Ellie.

    * * *

    Nick immediately returned to the city. Although he still had some time left before his patrol time was over, it was none of his concern. He had to investigate something else that took much more precedence. In thest meeting, the fact that Til and Nick¡¯s children had gone to the city next door was brought up, because it was suggested that Til might have gone to pick up his child. Thus, a person was dispatched there.

    ¡°Ah, Mr. Nick!¡± A soldier on guard duty recognized Nick. Normally, Nick would¡¯ve started with a greeting, but his urgent matter caused him to rush to the point.

    ¡°Did Mr. Zich perhaps return?¡±

    ¡°Ah, the holy knight? Yes, he returned recently.¡±

    Nick quickly went into the city. The person sent to the nearest city was Zich since he was the only one who could face Til and had ties with the children. Themander looked displeased that the city¡¯s strongest defense was leaving for a short while, but since it was more urgent to search for Til, he gave his permission for Zich to leave. Moreover, it was certain that the city would get destroyed if there was another monster ambush.

    ¡®He¡¯s probably at the city hall, right?¡¯ Zich probably went to report to themander right away. Nick¡¯s footsteps quickened even more. The city hall guards recognized Nick and let him in right away. They also informed him that Zich was inside the city hall. Nick let out a sigh in front of the city hall¡¯s meeting room, which was being used for a strategy meeting and knocked on the door.

    ¡°Who is it!¡±

    ¡°Sir, it¡¯s the vice-captain of the Wolf¡¯s Canine, Nick!¡±

    ¡°Come in.¡±

    Nick opened the door and went in. Zich and themander were sitting together. ¡°Wee, Mr. Nick. What¡¯s the matter? Shouldn¡¯t you be patrolling the city during this time?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s because I thought it was about time for Mr. Zich to arrive.¡± Then, Nick turned his head towards Zich. ¡°What happened to the children?¡±

    Themander frowned because it seemed like Nick was pushing off his duty for personal reasons. ¡°Vice-Captain Nick! Do you think that¡¯s a sufficient reason for you to abandon your duty!¡± Themander already looked unfavorably towards the Wolf¡¯s Canine because of the matter with Til, so his words came out harshly.

    If Nick didn¡¯t want the monsters to attack, they wouldn¡¯t attack the city. Of course, he couldn¡¯t say that. ¡°I sincerely apologize, but I was so curious¡­¡±

    ¡°Now, now, let¡¯s calm down. Commander, let¡¯s not get heated about something that has already happened.¡± Zich calmed themander. Themander shut his mouth, but he looked greatly displeased.

    However, Nick had no leisure to consider themander¡¯s feelings. ¡°So my daughter¡­¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sincerely sorry to say this, but she wasn¡¯t there.¡±

    ¡°¡­She wasn¡¯t there?¡±

    ¡°Yes. It seems like she didn¡¯t even enter the lodging they were supposed to go to. I asked around the city for a bit, but no one saw her either. It seems like they didn¡¯t even enter the city.¡±

    ¡° How can¡­¡± Nick copsed to his knees in shock. He hadn¡¯t expected helpful information from Zich. In the first ce, it had been Nick¡¯s n to kidnap the children before they went to the nearest city. However, since someone might have kidnapped his daughter for real, he tried grasping at straws and asked Zich for confirmation. It was the same type of mentality as looking for a lost item in the same ce again.

    Themander said, ¡°Perhaps, Captain Til might have kidnapped her.¡±

    ¡°Sir, I also thought of that, but rather than trying to kidnap Vice-Captain Nick¡¯s daughter, I think it was to take his own child.¡±

    ¡°So you¡¯re saying that Vice-Captain Nick¡¯s daughter got swept into that affair.¡± Themander looked at Nick with a look of pity. Even though he was furious that Nick went against orders and wanted to pour insults at him, he felt pity that Nick didn¡¯t know the whereabouts of his daughter. He was also a father.

    ¡°Perhaps, have you seen any signs of her whereabouts? Even the smallest detail is fine!¡± Nick desperately asked Zich, but Zich shook his head.

    ¡°Unfortunately, I wasn¡¯t able to find any clues, and I didn¡¯t have enough time to carefully look for any signs.¡± Zich tapped Nick¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Sir, don¡¯t worry about it too much. There¡¯s no evidence that she¡¯s been kidnapped yet. They might have just gone to another location because something came up.¡±

    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right.¡± Themander supported Zich¡¯s thoughts, but he also didn¡¯t look like he believed Zich¡¯s words. ¡°When this matter ends, I¡¯ll do my best to help find your daughter. So, go back to your designated area and do your best to find the culprit since we¡¯ll be able to search for your daughter as soon as this situation is resolved.¡±

    ¡°¡­I got it.¡± Nick left the meeting room like a sick and old patient.

    Themander watched him leave and sighed. ¡°He seemed calm before, but now he lookspletely different.¡± Since Til¡¯s son, Walter, was with Ellie, there were predictions that Ellie might have been harmed while Til went to find Walter. Nick¡¯s extremely calm demeanor had impressed themander when people mentioned this to him before, but now he was disappointed by Nick¡¯splete panic after his daughter went missing.

    ¡°It¡¯s a matter rted to his child. How can he stay calm?¡±

    ¡°Well, that¡¯s true.¡± Themander nodded. ¡°Anyway, I should exclude Mr. Nick from battle as much as possible. Even though he¡¯s skilled, he won¡¯t be able to use his skills properly in that state.¡±

    ¡°Are you also going to leave the patrol duty for his designated area to another person?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll also have to think about that.¡± Since the number of One-Sided Pyramids of Lamentations was limited, he couldn¡¯t let an unsuitable person continue to be in charge of this mission. ¡°I was d that this matter could finally be resolved, but it feels like new problems keeping up.¡±

    ¡°Sir, you have a lot on your shoulders.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s nothingpared to what you guys are doing.¡± Themander looked at the door that Nick left through one more time and said, ¡°It¡¯s not that I don¡¯t understand Vice-Captain Nick¡¯s feelings. I also hope that his daughter is all right. People who kidnap children should really get struck by lightning and die.¡±

    ¡°Ipletely agree with your words.¡± Zich nodded. ¡°Those guys need to experience the exact same pain they inflicted on others.¡±

 Chapter 415

    <h4>Chapter 415</h4>

    Aftering out of the city hall, Nick dragged his feet back to his assigned post. Although he continued to move and his artifact was activating again, his movements appeared soulless.

    ¡®What should I do?¡¯ That was all he thought of. Before he realized it, he was in front of the scarecrow again. The scarecrow was still wearing his daughter¡¯s shredded clothes blotted in blood. As he stared at him, it seemed tough at him cruelly.

    Sling! He unsheathed his sword but didn¡¯t swing it immediately. He carefully removed his daughter¡¯s clothes from the scarecrow, leaving only its bare, shabby body left. There was no need for him to hesitate now.

    Bam! Nick¡¯s sword struck the scarecrow once, twice, and thrice. A series of heavy blows shed against the scarecrow and changed it into crumbled wooden pieces and scattered everywhere. Yet, Nick wasn¡¯t satisfied and stomped on the small wooden pieces into even smaller pieces.

    ¡°Haa! Haa!¡± Nick heaved. He wasn¡¯t tired by this much. Although he was weaker inparison to Til and oversaw domestic duties in the Wolf¡¯s Canine, he was still the vice-captain. His heavy breathing simply disyed the explosive emotions whirling inside him.

    Crunch! After aggressively stomping another tree branch, Nick shouted, ¡°Uhahahahah!¡± His angry outburst expressed his inner turmoil most perfectly and his daughter¡¯s blood-stained clothes shook wildly in his grasp.

    * * *

    The day became dark. Afterying the nket on the ground and lighting up a bonfire, Nick became lost in his thoughts. He no longer cared about the mission. The culprit everyone was searching for was him, so he had no one to look for anyways, and his mind was only focused on his daughter¡¯s whereabouts. The meat skewers he had ced next to the bonfire to eat for dinner dripped with oil as they cooked, but their delicious scent failed to distract him from his thoughts.

    ¡®Is Til the one behind this?¡¯ Nick thought, but shook his head. ¡®No, if he was the culprit, there¡¯s no way he will be moving ording to my letter.¡¯

    Til had run away because of Nick. Through a letter, Nick informed Til of Walter¡¯s kidnapping and ordered him to escape outside of the city without saying anything to anyone. In his letter to Til, Nick had included the memento Walter got from his mother and carried around everywhere to increase the persuasiveness of his letter¡¯s contents¡ªjust like how Nick saw his daughter¡¯s clothes and became convinced that someone had truly kidnapped his daughter. Since Til had beenbeled as the most likely mastermind behind the monster invasions as Nick had nned, it seemed too much of a reach tobel Til as the suspect.

    ¡®Then, is it my coborator?¡¯ His coborator had realized his desires and provided him with a variety of support and power; furthermore, he knew most of Nick''s ns. If it was him, it would make sense how the children had been kidnapped in the middle of their travels.

    ¡®But why?¡¯ Nick couldn¡¯t think of a reason why his coborator would do such a thing. After giving him an astounding artifact called the One-Sided Pyramid of Lamentations, would his coborator immediately backstab him?

    ¡®Would he even have a reason to do so?¡¯ Now that he thought about it, there hadn¡¯t been a clear reason why his coborator helped him. Then, perhaps his coborator had something to gain by backstabbing him.

    ¡®Those bastards!¡¯ Nick soon became sure that his coborator was the one who kidnapped his daughter and burst out in anger.

    Then, suddenly¡ªCreak! He heard something break and turned his head. Someone was standing a bit of a distance away from him. It was the sound of a person stepping on the tree branch that Nick had dropped. Nick immediately clutched the sword next to him, and his agile reflexes disyed the skills and experience he also possessed.

    ¡°Who is it!¡± He evidently heightened his guard as a mysterious figure appeared in thiste hour, especially in a dangerous ce where monsters could appear. Additionally, the figure was wearing a robe that covered his face.

    ¡®Is that guy the coborator?¡¯ After kidnapping Ellie, they might havee to officially reveal their true intention. Yet, it wasn¡¯t his coborator. The figure slowly walked near the bonfire and removed the robe covering his face. Nick¡¯s eyes stretched wide open.

    ¡°Y-You¡­¡±

    After discarding his robe, Til asked Nick coldly, ¡°Have you been well?¡±

    Nick fell into a daze. What in the world was Til doing here? Til should have been quietly waiting for him in a designated spot ording to his orders. However, Til seemed unbothered by the fact that Nick was surprised and said, ¡°Sit.¡± Then, he cut a nearby tree and threw the woodblock next to the bonfire in front of Nick, clearly giving it to him as a substitute for theck of chairs. Til also hastily organized some tree branches and sat on top of them, and the entire time he did this, Nick simply stared at him, dumbstruck.

    Til picked up one of the meat skewers stuck on top of the bonfire and said, ¡°Eat. It¡¯s going to burn.¡± Then, he slid a piece of meat off from its skewer with his mouth and ate. Seeing how calm Til appeared as if nothing had happened, Nick¡¯s head became a mess.

    ¡®What is he thinking?¡¯ Did Til perhaps know that the one who sent the letter to him was Nick? If he did, then how much did he know? Perhaps, did he also know that Nick was behind the monster invasions? All kinds of thoughts popped inside Nick¡¯s head and disappeared to only appear again. Then, Til¡¯s following words instantly threw Nick¡¯s muddled mind into a nk state.

    ¡°Did you get the gift I sent you?¡±

    ¡°¡­Gift?¡±

    ¡°Ellie¡¯s clothes.¡±

    An intense shock like a hammer made of adamantium banging his head overcame him.

    ¡°How did you¡­!¡±

    ¡°Even if it became unwearable, I thought it was only right to return it to you.¡± Even while talking, Til didn¡¯t stop eating. After collecting himself from a great sense of shock, Nick¡¯s eyes slowly reddened.

    ¡°¡­Did you kidnap Ellie?¡±

    ¡°Maybe?¡± Til threw the skewer he finished eating at the campfire and then said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Ellie¡¯s fine.¡±

    ¡°You bastard!¡± Nick pulled out his sword and put it towards Til¡¯s neck. However, Til didn¡¯t even blink an eye.

    He didn¡¯t even seem like he was going to retaliate; instead, he just stared intently at Nick¡¯s eyes. ¡°I don¡¯t think your actions right now will help Ellie.¡±

    ¡°Shut up! Tell me where Ellie is right now!¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t waste your energy, Nick. You can¡¯t beat me anyway. If you fight me here, you¡¯ll die a pointless death, and Ellie will soon follow you.¡±

    ¡°You fucking bastard!¡± Nick pushed his sword a bit closer to Til¡¯s neck. A stream of blood flowed from Til¡¯s neck from the sharp de.

    However, Til¡¯s voice was still calm. ¡°I¡¯ve been friends with you for a very long time, and I also think of Ellie as my daughter. I don¡¯t want to hurt you two if I don¡¯t have to. So Nick, put down your sword.¡±

    ¡°You¡­!¡±

    ¡°If you don¡¯t, the next thing you¡¯ll get is Ellie¡¯s finger.¡±

    ¡°¡­!¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t think that I won¡¯t be able to do it.¡±

    Nick didn¡¯t have any choice but to withdraw.

    ¡°Sit.¡± At Til¡¯s order, Nick dropped on top of the mat. However, his eyes red murderously at Til.

    ¡°So let me hear it. Why did you kidnap my daughter?¡±

    ¡°Because there¡¯s something I need to do.¡±

    ¡°Something you need to do?¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s that?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s none of your business.¡± Til grabbed another skewer and began nonchntly eating another skewer again. ¡°I need to do something in the Denest Mountain Range, but the security there is too high. I¡¯ll be using your designated area, so keep your mouth shut about it. Of course, you can¡¯t let others take charge of your area either.¡±

    ¡°What business do you have at the Denest Mountain Range?¡±

    ¡°Isn¡¯t it obvious?¡± Tilughed mockingly. ¡°It¡¯s to use the Pyramid of Vengeful Souls.¡±

    ¡°¡­What?¡± Nick made a shocked face again.

    However, without considering Nick¡¯s confused expression, Til relentlessly continued, ¡°If you just do everything I say, I¡¯ll let Ellie live, so stay quiet and cooperate with me.¡±

    ¡°¡­You¡¯re saying you have the Pyramid of Vengeful Souls?¡±

    ¡°Why are you acting stupid? The city should have caught on by now. Has the information not reached you yet?¡±

    ¡°N-no, that¡¯s not it but¡­¡± Of course, the city thought that Til was the most likely suspect to possess the Pyramid of Vengeful Souls¡ªNick also knew this. However, this didn¡¯t make sense at all. ¡®I have the Pyramid of Vengeful Souls!¡¯ he thought to himself.

    However, Til was saying that he had the Pyramid of Vengeful Souls. ¡®Perhaps, are there two Pyramids of Vengeful Souls?¡¯ However, the Pyramid of Vengeful Souls was not amon object that could be found anywhere on the streets. Moreover, judging by Til¡¯s words, he was acting as if the monster attacks had been part of his n all along.

    ¡®But I was the one who made that n with the coborators¡­¡¯ After thinking this, Nick reached another conclusion. ¡°Were you the coborator!¡± If this was true, everything made sense. Nick was sure of his thoughts. However, the reaction he received was contrary to his expectations.

    ¡°Coborator? What the hell are you talking about?¡± Til looked at him strangely.

    Nick¡¯s brain became muddled again. ¡®He¡¯s not the coborator?¡¯ Was he lying? However, if he really was the coborator, there was no reason for him to lie right now. There was no reason for him to lie after giving so much information.

    ¡®Then what happened!¡¯ While Nick was confused, Til finished his second skewer and then got up.

    ¡°Anyway, I¡¯ve told you my requirements, so I¡¯ll be going.¡±

    ¡°W-wait! I have more things I need to a¡­!¡± However, Til shook his head and shut Nick¡¯s mouth. Then, he tapped Nick¡¯s shoulder a few times. ¡°I leave it up to you Nick. Let¡¯s continue to stay close friends. Then, Til disappeared into the darkness. Nick stared speech at the darkness for a long while.

    * * *

    After ckmailing Nick, Til moved through the darkness with ease. The destination he reached was a small hut in a forest.

    ¡°Pweh!¡± Til went inside the hut and let out a sigh.

    ¡°Good work, Mr. Til.¡± Til stared in the direction of the voice. A person came out from the shadows in the corner of the hut. ¡°Your acting was excellent.¡± It was Zich. He had an extremely pleased expression on his face.

    ¡°Bluffing and tricking others is necessary for my field. Acting at this level is a must.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s also true that you did a great job.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure if I should be happy.¡± Til sat on a stool inside the hut, and Zich sat on the opposite side. Til wiped his face with his hand. The chilling expression that he used to ckmail Nick waspletely gone, and there was only deep fatigue on his face.

    ¡°You seem very tired.¡±

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t feel great to ckmail my friend, especially when I¡¯m ckmailing him with his daughter.¡±

    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s natural for ordinary people, especially for a good person like you. However, you must keep this in mind, Mr. Til.¡± Zich leaned his upper body towards Til. ¡°Nick tried to do the exact same thing to you.¡±

    Til¡¯s washed-out eyes stared at Zich.

 Chapter 416

    <h4>Chapter 416</h4>

    ¡°I still can¡¯t believe it.¡± Til¡¯s voice cracked. Sense of betrayal, sadness, and rage all converged to take away the strength in his voice.

    ¡°I have known him for a long time. Although we butted heads recently over financial problems within the mercenary group, how could this happen?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not easy to decipher a person¡¯s heart.¡± That was why there were many betrayals and victims in this world.

    ¡°I still have more trust in Nick than in you, Sir Zich. At least that¡¯s what I want to believe,¡± Til spoke warily like a sinner confessing in front of a priest.

    ¡°I understand. But in the end, you came to me because you believed in me. A person can¡¯t haveplete control of their feelings. Thus, it¡¯s important for one to hold on to firm reason and logic to not get swayed by their emotions. And you have aplished just that, Mr. Til.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s because there¡¯s circumstantial evidence.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m d just that was enough to make you have a change of heart. There are many who turn the other way even if you dangle the truth in front of them.¡± Zich epted Til¡¯sments understandingly even though Til¡¯s remarks could¡¯vee off as rude, and this made Til look at Zich in a new light. This was apletely different side of Zich from their first encounter. At first, Til doubted if Zich was really a Karuwiman Honorary Holy Knight considering his rough and violent actions, but right now, he appeared as a high-level priest who embraced all sinners.

    ¡®This could be the Karuwiman Honorary Holy Knight¡¯s true character,¡¯ Til thought. Perhaps, they had no tears or blood ?when violence was needed, but in front of the injured, they wore apletely different face andforted their wounds. Of course, Til didn¡¯t realize that this was all Zich¡¯s ploy to make Til move without hesitation ording to the way he wanted and screw Glen over.

    Til suddenly went over all the events that had happened before until now in his head. He thought of the mysterious letter that he received along with a memento from his dead wife¡ªthe memento was an object that Walter never parted with and served as the best proof of his son¡¯s abduction. Thus, Til had no choice but to leave the city like the letter told him. He might have been irresponsible for doing so, but that was how precious Walter was to Til. Additionally, he thought he had someone to believe in.

    ¡®I thought that even if I disappeared, Nick would be able to lead our mercenary group well.¡¯

    Even if they had bad blood from conflicting opinions, the two acknowledged each other¡¯s capabilities¡ªat least that was the case for Til. He thought Nick would be able to clearly bring Wolf¡¯s Canine back into order even if he suddenly left the city. Of course, when he first heard that Walter was kidnapped, he naturally thought there was a high chance that Nick¡¯s daughter, Ellie, could also be kidnapped. There was a high chance that the kidnapping took ce while the children were going to the neighboring city, and this meant that Ellie would have also been kidnapped with Walter or, at worst, lost her life.

    Thus, Til thought Nick could¡¯ve also received the same ckmail letter as him, but when he read the lines in the letter that told him to leave the city without letting anyone know, especially Nick, he changed his mind. The letter told him that the only one they needed to see was Til, himself, and this made Til think that Nick must not know about the kidnapping incident. Thus, Til thought he could leave the matter of his mercenary group to Nick. Til resolutely decided that if Ellie was kidnapped along with Walter, he would also save her life even at the cost of his life.

    ¡®But to think Nick was the one who sent me the ckmail letter.¡¯ The thought of Nick doing this to him had been unimaginable at that time.

    Anyway, after receiving the ckmail letter, Til nned to obediently leave the city. He had no intention of causing a ruckus there, nor did he think that he would have much trouble leaving. When leaving the castle walls, the only people he would have to be wary about were the guards; but even these soldiers knew Til¡¯s face well and would let him leave without question, thinking Til was leaving to patrol like usual. At most, they might think it was strange that he was leaving by himself instead of in a group, but Til could easilye up with a reasonable exnation on the spot.

    Unfortunately, he met Glen Zenard while trying to leave. Of course, Til nned to quietly leave the city without interacting with Glen, but the artifact that Glen had in his hands was pointing to him. At that time, neither the Pyramid of Vengeful Souls nor even the One-Sided Pyramid of Lamentations was among his possessions; at least, he had no memory of possessing either of them. Yet, seeing that Glen¡¯s artifact was clearly pointing at him, Til realized that he had fallen into a trap.

    However, Til couldn¡¯t do anything then. Glen asked him for hispliance, but if he heeded Glen¡¯s request, he would disobey the letter¡¯smands. Then, he didn¡¯t know what would happen to the children. Til thought he had only one choice: forcefully push his way out.

    Glen¡¯s skills were astounding, but Til thought he could escape from him if he was facing Glen alone. Yet, not long afterward, Zich came in running, and Til was swept by a much greater sense of danger. If Glen and Zichbined forces, Til thought even he would not be able to escape. It was then that the group of monsters suddenly intervened. Seeing how the monsters only attacked Zich and Glen, Til realized that this was also the mastermind¡¯s n. Still, there was nothing he could do, and using this chance, Til escaped.

    The first ce Til headed to after escaping the city was the neighboring city, where Walter and Ellie had headed. He needed to make sure that the children had really been kidnapped. Thus, Til went inside the city and checked the lodging where the children were supposed to be and found out that they weren¡¯t there. Til felt like everything was crushing before him then, but at that moment, someone approached him.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t think somebody would be waiting for me in this ce knowing that I woulde here,¡± Til remarked upon seeing the figure.

    ¡°Isn¡¯t it only natural for parents to check the ces where their child could be when their child is kidnapped? I wasn¡¯t sure, but it was good enough of a reason for me toe here.¡± After saving Walter and Ellie from getting kidnapped, Zich gave the owner and workers in the lodging arge sum of money and asked them to give an envelope to a person who¡¯d arriveter on to find the children. Zich also added the condition that they must give the envelope only when arge man came by himself. There was an item from Walter and a letter inside the envelope. Til didn¡¯t have a specific solution in mind, and he followed the instructions written in the letter.

    Like this, he was able to meet Zich and hear the truth. Moreover, he met up with the children. When he heard that Walter and Ellie were kidnapped, he felt as if all the worries of the world were on his back. However, even though he was d that they hadn¡¯t been kidnapped, Til did not trust Zich¡¯s words¡ªno, he couldn¡¯t believe it. Til had a very deep and long connection with Nick, but the evidence that Zich brought forward shook his trust.

    The first suspicious evidence that Zichid out was the artifact that forced Til into fighting Glen. Without his knowledge, there was a One-Sided Pyramid in his magic box, or more specifically, in one of the bags holding the Wolf Canine¡¯s funds. Nick was in charge of Wolf¡¯s Canine¡¯s internal affairs and often took those bags, so he was the most viable culprit. On the other hand, it was hard to say that Nick was definitely the culprit with just this information because Nick could also get tricked, or someone might have switched the bags.

    However, Til followed Zich, and when he saw Nick¡¯s actions during his patrolling duty, Til¡¯s suspicions deepened. While secretly observing Nick¡¯s actions from far away, Til realized that Nick¡¯s actions were way too carefree. The Wolf Canine¡¯s captain was currently under scrutiny as the main culprit and had suspiciously run away. Moreover, even though Til and Nick were at crossroads right now, they personally had a very close rtionship; it was natural that Nick should be worried about Til. How could he go around so carefreely?

    If Til was in the same position as Nick, he could never act like him. ording to Zich, the city thought that Til was the most likely suspect to have the Pyramid of Vengeful Souls and was the reason why monsters were ambushing the city. Moreover, the reason why people were patrolling the city was to stop Til from calling the monsters to the city. Even if Til didn¡¯t believe Zich¡¯s words, the reason why Nick was outside right now was probably to patrol the city.

    However, Nick¡¯s movements didn¡¯t look like someone trying to patrol the city at all. He was acting like he knew that the monsters would not ambush them during this time. After seeing such strange behaviors from Nick, Til started suspecting him. At this point, Zich¡¯s words began to sound more convincing.

    Then, Zich made a suggestion¡ªhe had a specific n in mind, and Til should try carrying that n into action. If Nick was really a traitor, he would definitely show his true colors. Til deeply contemted his choices, but he had no other choice than to nod in the end. Thus, the first part of the n had been to trick Nick with Til¡¯s acting.

    ¡°Honestly, I don''t want to keep doing this, and it also hurts my heart to see Ellie cry.¡± Even though it was necessary for their n, they had to take Ellie¡¯s favorite clothes by force. Even though they had tried their best to console her and gave her other pretty and expensive clothes, it didn¡¯t change the fact that they took the dress from her. For a while, the other mercenaries and Til broke out in sweat trying tofort Ellie as she cried.

    ¡°Mr. Til, it¡¯s the same for me. I¡¯ll try to minimize such forceful methods as much as possible, but the results were very effective since Nick was very shocked.¡±

    Til also agreed with him on this matter.

    ¡°Mr. Zich, what are you nning to do now?¡±

    ¡°We need to ckmail Nick and control the situation until Nick¡¯s coborators reveal themselves.¡±

    ¡°Do you think there really are more people involved?¡±

    ¡°Yes, there are definitely more people working with Nick. They are people trying to drag you down by using Nick.¡±

    ¡°If they really exist, I won¡¯t ever let them escape.¡± Til had looked gloomy the whole time, but he let out a murderous gaze. It was a gaze that only someone who walked the path of brutality and destructive violence and blood could let out.

    ¡°You¡¯ll definitely be able to meet them.¡± Zich was sure of it.

    * * *

    Zich got out of the building that Til was in and headed towards Pialu.

    ¡®We¡¯ve sessfully finished the first part of the n.¡¯ With this, Nick wouldn¡¯t be able to grasp how the current ongoing situation. However, Zich had no intentions to end the matter like this. ¡®I¡¯m going to shake him up a bit more.¡¯ Glen and the robed figures were probably extremely wary of Zich. Since there was an overwhelming number of the robed figures¡¯ ns that Zich had destroyed so far, he wouldn¡¯t be able to easily make contact with Nick alone.

    ¡®But if this n starts to go awry, it can¡¯t be helped.¡¯ Zich thought that Glen might have carried out this n by himself in the beginning, but after seeing the One-Sided Pyramid of Lamentations, he changed his mind.¡¯ Since the monsters keep gathering together, it¡¯s probably true that the One-Sided Pyramids of Lamentations are scattered throughout the entire Denest Mountain Range. But Glen wouldn¡¯t be able to scatter all those pyramids by himself.¡¯

    Since Glen was consistently seen inside the city, he probably didn¡¯t have enough time to spread so many pyramids by himself. There was also a low possibility that he had prepared the pyramids beforehand since the first monster ambush happened because the Tree of Wind went berserk, and it was a situation that the robed figures couldn¡¯t have foreseen.

    ¡®They probably made a new n based on that first monster ambush.¡¯ Thus, this meant that the One-Sided Pyramids of Lamentations were scattered throughout the Denest Mountain Range after the first monster ambush, and they needed a significant number of humans to fulfill this task.

    ¡®There¡¯s definitely an organization helping that Glen bastard.¡¯ Zich was certain that they were the robed figures.

 Chapter 417

    <h4>Chapter 417</h4>

    ¡®Plus, there¡¯s a high possibility that those guys aren¡¯t just ordinary robed figures.¡¯ The robed figures were scattered all over the world to fulfill their mission of corrupting people. Did that mean there were guys conveniently nearby that Glen could immediately use in his n?

    ¡®It¡¯s not like there¡¯s no possibility for that since Til is here, but the Wolf¡¯s Canineing to Pialu must have been a sudden surprise for them.¡¯ Overall, Zich thought that the trap currently hanging over Til¡¯s head was the one Glen had managed toe up with only recently, and the robed figures had moved immediately for his hasty n.

    ¡®That means there¡¯s a high chance there are robed figures who normally follow Glen around.¡¯ Of course, they wouldn¡¯t move right next to Glen; otherwise, Zich would¡¯ve found out about their existence a long time ago.

    ¡®It seems like they are waiting on standby at a suitable distance for his calls whenever he needs them.¡¯ If that was the case, those guys would be pretty high-up even among the robed figures, and Zich didn¡¯t reach this conclusion simply because Glen controlled the robed figures..

    The seriously annoying bastard, Zich Brave, had told him this: ¡®There¡¯s a mastermind behind Glen Zenard.¡¯ If there was really a mastermind controlling Glen, then there was a possibility that there would be spies near Glen watching his movements. The best spies were those close and trusted by the observer, not knowing they were spies. The most dangerous foes were the friendly ones.

    ¡®If my guesses are correct, I will be able to sever both Glen¡¯s and the mastermind¡¯s arm simultaneously.¡¯ Of course, this wasn¡¯t Zich¡¯s main purpose. ¡®Even if that¡¯s not the case, this is a chance for me to screw that bastard over again! That¡¯s enough for me!¡¯

    And that was by far the most important thing.

    * * *

    Ever since Til ckmailed him with circumstances that he couldn¡¯t understand at all, Nick tried his best to piece together the ongoing events. Yet, nothing connected them. He tried to kidnap the children, but someone else¡ªthe one he tried to me the crime on¡ª had ended up doing the deed instead. It was an ironic situation where the attacker had be the victim while the victim had be the attacker, and it made Nick¡¯s head hurt. Yet, one thing seemed to be clear.

    ¡®Til currently has Ellie.¡¯ This was an absolute nightmare.

    As usual, Nick was outside the city to patrol his assigned post, not caring about actually patrolling. All he did right now was fret about the situation he had been thrust into and burst out in anger from time to time.

    Thump! Thump!

    From a distance, he saw Tiling toward him. Even though he was the wanted man everyone in the city was ardently searching for, Til walked withplete ease. Nick seethed, thinking that Til could show such ease because he knew Nick¡¯s weakness. He wanted to shake Til by his cor and immediately ask him where Ellie was. Yet, he couldn¡¯t do that. He didn¡¯t have the skills to do so, and the fact that Til had Ellie weighed too heavily upon him. In the end, Nick couldn¡¯t help but do what he had been doing until now, which was just ring menacingly at Til.

    Yet, Til didn¡¯t spare even a nce at Nick and treated him as if he was invisible; this made Nick even angrier. It was because Til¡¯s expression seemed to say, ¡®No matter how angry you are, you can¡¯t do anything to me.¡¯

    ¡®I can¡¯t just let things be like this!¡¯ Nick had to do something. Yet, although he had e up with many ns before, he couldn¡¯t think of a logical method now.

    ¡®If I could at least know what that guy is nning, I bet I could think of something¡­¡¯ Til was going into the Denest Mountain Range once every couple of days. Nick didn¡¯t know why, but Nick thought that if he knew, there would be a way to get him out of his current situation.

    ¡®The problem is that I can¡¯t trail that guy.¡¯

    Til never officially learned how to control his mana. He had outstanding talent that allowed him to stomp over most knight groups head-on, but beyond that, his skills in other areas besides fighting weren¡¯t that high. ordingly, his sensing and surveilling abilities were subpar. Thus, if Nick just had some infiltrating ability, he would have been able to easily trail Til. However, the problem was that Nick had also never gone through official training in anything, and his skills were also significantly worse than Til¡¯s.

    ¡®If I secretly chase behind him, he¡¯s definitely going to find me.¡¯ Yet, all Nick could think of was trying to trail behind Til somehow without getting caught. While these thoughts swirled around in his head, a voice asked him, ¡°How is your patrol going, Mr. Nick?¡±

    Nick returned to Pialu every couple of days. Patrollers who oversaw posts outside the city went back to the city to exchange information. There, Nick attended another meeting in the city hall that ended smoothly with little updates. However, it wasn¡¯t as if he gained nothing from this meeting; although Nick thought he would be exempt from patrolling after he left his post abruptly once he heard about Ellie¡¯s kidnapping, themander surprisingly kept Nick in patrol duties. Nick was relieved to hear this since he had to meet Til¡¯s demands. Of course, this just meant that Nick could maintain the current situation, but he still had no clue about what was going to happen.

    While Nick was forcefully pushing himself to eat in a store near the city hall trying to make a breakthrough, Zich approached him. Although he couldn¡¯t have been more annoyed that Zich was bothering him during this chaotic time, he managed to reply curtly.

    ¡°Not much happened, sir.¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t sound too energetic, sir. Well, it¡¯s understandable since you don¡¯t know your daughter¡¯s whereabouts,¡± Zich said and sat in front of Nick.

    Nick wanted to tell Zich to fuck off, but he racked his head for a socially eptable way to chase this young man away as fast as possible.

    ¡°Hm, as expected, I think it will be better to give this to you.¡± Zich took out something from his belongings and Nick¡¯s eyes darted toward it.

    ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s an artifact.¡± The item that Zich took out was the artifact that pointed toward the One-Sided Pyramid of Lamentations and the Pyramid of Vengeful Souls. Theplicated patterns drawn on the metal te drew his eyes toward the item.

    ¡°Why are you giving me this?¡± Nick already had the same artifact as well. In the first ce, everyone looking for Til had an artifact and a One-Sided Pyramid of Lamentations.

    ¡°Mr. Nick, this one is different from the one that you have.¡±

    ¡°¡­It¡¯s different?¡±

    ¡°Yes. This is an upgraded version of the artifact with more advanced functions than the one that people currently have.¡±

    Nick¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°You were able to upgrade the artifact¡¯s function in this short amount of time?¡±

    ¡°The mage in my group is a genius, so she¡¯s fully capable of such a feat.¡± There was pride mixed in with Zich¡¯s voice. Compared to him, Nick looked at the artifact in front of him with concern. Even though Nick couldn¡¯t do anything right now because of Til¡¯s unexpected actions, he was the one who instigated the monster ambushes in Pialu. He couldn¡¯t grasp how this unexpected artifact would influence his ns.

    Nick needed more information first, so he asked, ¡°She¡¯s really amazing. May I ask which functions have been upgraded?¡±

    ¡°Its detection ability has significantly increased.¡±

    ¡°By how much?¡±

    ¡°The range it can detect is at least two times bigger than this city.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s amazing.¡± Nick was truly amazed. He didn¡¯t think that it was possible to upgrade the artifact¡¯s function so significantly.

    ¡°However, there aren¡¯t only advantages.¡± Zich¡¯s confident expression slightly changed into a frown. ¡°The price of making the artifact is higher since it required more rare ingredients to make this. Moreover, the number of magic circles inscribed into the metal te is significantly greater, so we can¡¯t quickly mass produce it like thest artifact.¡±

    ¡°Yes, that makes sense.¡± Was this fortunate or unfortunate for him?

    While Nick persistently tried to weigh the upgraded artifact¡¯s utility, Zich continued, ¡°At least with this, we will be able to find the person with the Pyramid of Vengeful Souls from further away. Moreover, there¡¯s a lower possibility that we¡¯ll get caught while secretly tailing them.¡±

    A light bulb lit up in Nick¡¯s head. ¡®If I have this, won¡¯t I be able to track down Til?¡¯ Even though Nick couldn¡¯t tail Til with his current skills, it might be possible with this artifact. If he chased after Til while maintaining a long distance, even Til wouldn¡¯t be able to discover him easily. Nick began to desperately want the upgraded artifact, but then he recalled what Zich had previously told him.

    ¡°D-did you say that you were going to give this to me?¡±

    ¡°Yes, I did.¡± Zich smiled and nodded, and to Nick, it looked like a gracious smile of a god to one of their followers. It was a chilling thought that would make any of Zich¡¯srades tightly shut their eyes in horror.

    Zich continued, ¡°Mr. Nick, it¡¯s because you seemed to be looking most desperately for Til. I hope ?you take this and find Til as soon as possible so that Ellie can also safely return.¡±

    ¡°T-thank you so much!¡± Nick bowed his head so deeply that it looked as if his head would m the table. His attitude differedpletely from when he first met Zich. With a smile that looked gracious to Nick, Zich said, ¡°I really hope you seed.¡±

    * * *

    Nick bowed a couple of more times to show his gratitude and went on his way. Zich didn¡¯t move his gaze away from Nick¡¯s back, and it was only when Nick fully disappeared did he finally turn his head. He erased the smile off his face, leaned his back against a wall, and crossed his legs. His attitude returned to its original rough manners, and Zich stared at the area where Nick disappeared again.

    ¡®Yeah, I really hope you¡¯re sessful.¡¯ If Nick saw the smile that Zich made at the moment, he might have wanted to pluck out his eyes and split his head for falsely thinking that Zich¡¯s smile had looked gracious.

    * * *

    When Nick returned to his assigned post, the first thing he did was activate the artifact. After cing the One-Sided Pyramid of Lamentations on top of the artifact and burying the Pyramid of Vengeful Souls in a location far away, he increased his distance. Even though he had gone very far, the One-Sided Pyramid of Lamentation was clearly pointing towards the Pyramid of Vengeful Souls. When the One-sided Pyramid of Lamentations lost its target and began spinning around, Nick couldn¡¯t even see the area where he had buried the Pyramid of Vengeful Souls.

    ¡°Great!¡± Nick loudly shouted; he forgot his age and began jumping up and down like a kid. He was delighted by the upgraded artifact¡¯s ability. However, he couldn¡¯t just be happy; he needed to retrieve the Pyramid of Vengeful Souls. Nick went back to the original location and retrieved the Pyramid of Vengeful Souls.

    ¡®If I just have this, I¡¯ll be able to tail Til without getting caught.¡¯ However, he suddenly thought of a new concern. ¡®If I have the Pyramid of Vengeful Souls, I won¡¯t be able to properly use the artifact. Regardless of the range that the artifact could detect, the artifact worked by pointing towards the nearest One-Sided Pyramid of Lamentations or the Pyramid of Vengeful Souls. Thus, it will always point towards his Pyramid of Vengeful Souls. Since he hadn¡¯t been trying to find the Pyramid of Vengeful Souls unlike the others, this had never been a concern so far, but the situation had now changed.

    ¡®I need to leave one of them.¡¯ Of course, he should leave behind the One-Sided Pyramid of Lamentations, but there was a problem. ¡®As expected¡­¡¯ When Nick ced the Pyramid of Vengeful Souls on top of the artifact, it didn¡¯t move. Nick strongly bit his lip.

 Chapter 418

    <h4>Chapter 418</h4>

    Nick returned to his assigned post like always, and he started the bonfire and prepared to camp. Since he needed to spend several days outside, it was necessary for him to prepare thoroughly. As the sun set and it turned dark, only the bonfire¡¯s light lit up the surroundings. He stuck the prepared meat onto the skewers and ced them next to the bonfire.

    As the meat cooked, a delicious aroma spread across the area. Just yesterday, Nick hadn¡¯t been able to eat well while thinking about his kidnapped daughter. He had only been forcefully stuffing food into his mouth, worried that he wouldn¡¯t have enough energy when the opportunity to save his daughter arose. However, today was different. Although he forcefully shoveled food into his throat like usual, he chewed until hepletely broke the food down. He looked like a person filling his stomach before an important event.

    Thud! Then, somebody sat in the seat in front of him. Not even looking up to see the intruder, Nick continued eating his meal with his eyes glued to the ground. The person in front of him stretched out his hand for the meat skewer.

    p! Nick responded to this gesture by pping the person¡¯s hand and growling, ¡°There¡¯s nothing for you.¡±

    The man sitting in front of him, Til, said, ¡°Don¡¯t be like that. What are the perks of having a friend?¡±

    ¡°A friend? What kind of friend kidnaps their friend¡¯s daughter!¡± Although Nick had tried to kidnap Til¡¯s son, Walter, not that long ago, the irony of the situation didn¡¯t strike his mind in the slightest now.

    ¡°Well, I get it.¡± Perhaps, Til had some conscience even in a situation like this or maybe he wasn¡¯t too attached to the food in the first ce, but he obediently drew back his outstretched hand.

    ¡°Just tell me what you need to say and leave!¡± Nick said while throwing a bare skewer into the fire. Seeing how aggressively he threw the item, it seemed like what Nick wanted to throw into the fire wasn¡¯t the skewer but Til¡¯s face.

    ¡°It¡¯s not anything important. I just want to check if you are properly managing this territory.¡±

    ¡°So, you did your checking. Don¡¯t make me lose my appetite and fuck off already!¡±

    ¡°Alrighty then.¡± Til got up. Then, Nick focused his eyes on the bonfire again and bit into another skewer. This was no atmosphere for greetings to be exchanged and the two didn¡¯t even expect such things to take ce. However, Til still had some things to say.

    ¡°Ellie is doing well,¡± Til said.

    Nick stopped midway while roughly biting off a piece of meat. Yet, Til didn¡¯t say more and hid his body beyond the area where the bonfire¡¯s light reached and sliped into the darkness.

    ¡°¡­That bastard!¡±

    Punch! After Tilpletely disappeared, Nick mmed his skewer down to the ground. Nick breathed heavily for a while, unable to quell his anger. Soon, he collected his breath and told himself, ¡°Calm down. There is no better opportunity than now.¡¯

    Although Til always headed to the Denest Mountain Range during the day, for some reason, he moved in the night. Trailing someone was easier during the night than during the day. Of course, there weren¡¯t only positives as the darkness also obstructed the tailer¡¯s eyes and increased the difficulty of trailing. Yet, Nick had a secret weapon. The artifact that Zich gave him began to point in one direction. The direction the artifact pointed toward wasn¡¯t Til in the darkness, but Nick himself.

    ¡®As expected.¡¯ It couldn¡¯t be helped. Nick took out a Pyramid of Vengeful Souls from his magic box. Nick looked down with mixed feelings at the object which scattered evil energy and clenched his eyes shut. Then, he began digging. Since he used mana, he quickly dug a hole to fit half a person, ced the Pyramid of Vengeful Souls inside it, and covered it up with dirt.

    ¡®Good!¡¯ The hiding spot wasn¡¯t obvious and no one woulde here anyways. Nick turned his back away from a trickling sense of worry and began to run toward where Til had disappeared. His artifact pointed toward the Pyramid of Vengeful Souls for a while, but after some point, the tip of the One-Sided Pyramid of Lamentations¡¯ horn twirled and pointed forward.

    ¡®Caught him!¡¯ Nick almost burst out into a cheer, but he quickly covered his mouth. Only the sound of wind rushing past grass or tiny insects could be heard now, and if he yelled loudly, Til could find his position.

    With joy filling his heart, he thought, ¡®Even if it¡¯s that guy, I can catch up to him across this distance!¡¯ If he added some tailing methods ?he learned over people¡¯s shoulders, he would be able to trick Til. Nick used the artifact he was holding as hispass and trod forward. In case Til might notice him, he avoided approaching too close. He maintained a distance where if he stopped walking for a bit, the One-Sided Pyramid of Lamentations would lose its direction and spin.

    Nick felt even more overjoyed as Til headed to a thick forest in the mountain range. If it was a forest with a lot of coverage, it would be even easier for him to sneak inside. Like that, Nick¡¯s trailing continued. Then, although Til continued to move bit by bit, he stopped.

    ¡®I think he stopped.¡¯ Nick took one step back and the One-Sided Pyramid of Lamentations lost its direction and spun. Then, when he took a step forward, the object pointed toward the front, and when he took a step back again, the object lost its direction again. This could only mean that Til had stopped moving. Nick carefully approached Til.

    ¡®He¡¯s there.¡¯

    In a forest where all trees greedily stretched their branches towards the sky to gain sunlight, there was a small area where the starlight shone for some reason. Til stood there. Nick lowered his stance¡ªhe had approached quite close to Til thanks to the artifact, the darkness, and the thick forest, but there was a limit to how close he could get.

    ¡®If I move any closer from here, he will notice me.¡¯

    Although there was still some space between them, it was at a distance where Til could sense him. As someone who had known Til for a long time, Nick knew Til would notice him if he made any special movements.

    ¡®What is he doing?¡¯ Nick then wondered.

    All Til did was stand quietly inside the forest. He was actingpletely different from Nick¡¯s prediction that Til would use the Pyramid of Vengeful Souls to control the monsters. However, Nick waited patiently. After some timeter he heard a rustle from inside the forest. Nick¡¯s heart dropped when he thought that he might have made the noise, but thankfully it wasn¡¯t from him.

    Step! Step! A figure walked out of the dark forest with a robe that covered their entire body. They looked extremely suspicious as if they wanted to conceal their identity with the clothes they wore. However, Nick was familiar with their appearance.

    ¡®Robed figure?¡¯ Nick¡¯s coborator who gave him the Pyramid of Vengeful Souls wore the same clothes as the figure in front of him.

    Til spoke first. ¡°You¡¯rete.¡±

    Nick focused on their conversation. Even though he was far away from them to not get caught, if he fused mana into his ears, he could hear their conversation. Moreover, it also helped that their surroundings were extremely quiet.

    ¡®Now that I think about it, the sounds of the grass bugs have disappeared.¡¯ Nick gulped as he realized a fact he had overlooked because of his anxiety. ¡®It¡¯s after that robed guy appeared.¡¯ The grass bugs were probably frightened by the chilly aura he gave off. ¡®He might be more of a dangerous guy than I thought.¡¯ Nick¡¯s nervousness increased even higher.

    The robed figure replied, ¡°You¡¯re the one who came too early.¡± His voice was artificially rough and deep to hide his real voice. Then, a short silence followed; they red at each other as if they were gauging each other.

    The robed figure was the one to break the silence. ¡°Is the n going well?¡±

    ¡°Of course.¡±

    After hearing the word n Nick focused his hearing even more intently. If he found out what the n was, he might be able to find ?Ellie. However, unfortunately for Nick, they didn¡¯t talk about the n in detail.

    ¡°Is that so? That¡¯s good.¡± The robed figure merely made a brief reply.

    ¡®What the heck, that¡¯s it?¡¯ Normally, there were multiple parts in a n. When someone checked a n, even if they didn¡¯t carefully address every detail, they usually at least made sure of the most important parts. However, the two of them seemed to have no intentions of further discussing their n. Shockingly, the robed figure seemed satisfied by Til¡¯s answer.

    ¡°If everything is going well, then there¡¯s nothing more to say.¡± The robed figure turned his body as if he was about to leave.

    ¡®What should I do?¡¯ If the meeting ended like this and Til returned, the only thing Nick would gain from this incident was just information that Til was meeting an unknown person and nning something. Considering that he took a dangerous risk and tailed after Til, it was a pathetic result. Should he remain here and spy on Til for a bit longer? Or should he follow the new mysterious figure? While Nick was pondering¡ª

    ¡°Wait!¡± Til stopped the robed figure.

    Nick was relieved, and then his heart filled with expectations. Til might reveal helpful information.

    ¡°What is it?¡±

    ¡°Do you know Nick?¡±

    Nick¡¯s expression stiffened when his name was mentioned. He wondered what Til was going to talk about.

    ¡°Yeah, I know. He¡¯s yourrade.¡±

    ¡°Then, do you also know that I¡¯m holding his daughter as a hostage?¡±

    The robed figure stifled hisughter. Nick had to struggle to stop himself from grinding his teeth.

    The robed figure replied, ¡°Of course. I also know that you¡¯re trying to use the hostage to control him as you please.¡±

    ¡°If you know about that, it¡¯ll be easier for me to talk to you. When I met himst time, he said something strange.¡±

    ¡°What are you talking about?¡± The robed figure turned his body to face Til again; he seemed extremely interested in Til¡¯s words.

    ¡°He asked me if I was the coborator.¡±

    ¡°Aren¡¯t you obviously his coborator? You guys arerades. Ah, but right now, is he just a traitor whom you¡¯re threatening with a hostage?¡± There was mockery in the robed figure¡¯s voice, but Til didn¡¯t get flustered.

    ¡°I have no intentions to y word games with you. When you guys approached me, you introduced yourselves as coborators. Yet, that same word came out of Nick¡¯s mouth. Of course, he could just be referencing someone who was really coborating with him in some type of work, but I thought I needed to make sure. Do you know why?¡±

    The robed figure¡¯s lowughter rang in the air again. This reaction was enough for Til to know that the robed figure knew something he didn¡¯t.

    ¡°Of course, I know. It¡¯s so easy to read that idiot.¡±

    Idiot. Nick¡¯s face stiffened at the robed figure¡¯s insult.

    ¡°Then, are you guys the coborators that he was talking about?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s probably the case. But he¡¯s really foolish. I can¡¯t believe he mistook you as one of us. No, in his perspective, I guess it¡¯s understandable that he could think you were one of us.¡±

    ¡°Instead of murmuring to yourself, why don¡¯t you exin?¡±

    ¡°Didn¡¯t I already tell you? Before we tried to recruit you, there was another guy we were trying to persuade to join us.¡±

    ¡°Are you talking about that guy who sent a letter to me saying that they kidnapped my son?¡± Deep anger seeped into Til¡¯s voice.

    ¡°Yep, I¡¯m talking about him.¡±

    ¡°And that person is Nick?¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡± The robed figure nodded. ¡°Just like how you¡¯re using him, he tried to also use you in the same way by kidnapping your child.¡±

    ¡°¡­But my son is with me right now.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s the problem.¡± The robed figure clicked his tongue. Then, he spoke as if he was extremely disgusted by Nick. ¡°That guy failed toplete such a simple mission. Is there any reason why we should keep him?¡±

    ¡°So you got rid of him?¡±

    ¡°Is that even surprising? Trash needs to be thrown away. If we hold onto such trash, it¡¯ll just stink.¡±

    ¡°Judging by how he sent the letter to me, it seemed as if he was sessful in capturing my son as hostage. How was he able to do this?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s because I spread false information.¡± Unlike the stifledughter he had been making so far, the robed figure loudlyughed this time. Hisughter rang throughout the forest.

    ¡°What¡¯s the reason?¡±

    ¡°For fun.¡± His voice was full of mirth. ¡°It¡¯s enjoyable to watch someone who thinks they¡¯re the mastermind and above other people get yed so hard.¡±

    The veins around Nick¡¯s eyes bulged.

 Chapter 419

    <h4>Chapter 419</h4>

    Til said, ¡°If that¡¯s the case, you should¡¯ve at least given me a heads-up when I said I was going to use him.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry about that, but aren¡¯t you surprisingly calm? He¡¯s someone who tried to trick you.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m already using him now. There¡¯s no need for me to hold vengeance in my heart for that.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s no fun because your response is so nd.¡± The robed figure seemed disappointed but Til snorted.

    ¡°Didn¡¯t you say it yourself? That guy is trash. Didn¡¯t you think I would have the same feelings as you?¡±

    ¡°Did you already know he was bad beforehand?¡±

    ¡°I have been with that guy for a long time. Although his skills arecking, he has so much greed in his heart. Of course I noticed. Even if he backstabbed me, I think nothing more than, ¡®I see.¡¯ Like you said, that guy is utterly hopeless.¡±

    ¡°Haha! We really did pick the right coborator.¡± The robed figure seemed gleeful; although hisughter sounded strange in his raspy voice, he sounded clearly entertained by the current situation.

    ¡°Moreover, I am quite offended that you asked that guy to coborate before you came to me.¡± Although his words sounded rather calm, the way Til¡¯s fingers lingered around his sword¡¯s hilt seemed to indicate that he felt anger beyond simple rage. Sensing a foreboding feeling from Til, the robed figure reached out with both his arms.

    ¡°Calm down. How lowly do you think of that guy that you are so enraged by the mere fact that we asked him before you?¡± the robed figure said butughed crazily again. Yet, when Til grabbed onto his sword¡¯s handle, the robed figure quickly continued, ¡°It wasn¡¯t because your skills are morecking than his. The only reason why we contacted him first was that we thought he was a guypletely capable of backstabbing hispanion for his gain. If I had known you were simr to that guy, I would¡¯ve made the offer to you first.¡±

    ¡°Does that mean I''m as bad as he is?¡±

    ¡°Admit the obvious, man. The world calls guys like you who backstab others for their gains a ¡®human insect¡¯.¡±

    It was a harsh assessment, but Til removed his hands from his sword¡¯s handle. ¡°I have to admit, what you say is true.¡±

    ¡°I really like people who are objective about themselves. It was truly a great idea to make you our new coborator. I bet if I had told Nick the same things, he would¡¯ve jumped up and down angrily.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s true that the guy has no self-awareness,¡± Til agreed.

    ¡°So, is everything rted to that guy over? Is there nothing else that¡¯s important?¡± Til asked for confirmation as if he was trying to finish ?the conversation, but he stopped when the robed figure spoke again.

    ¡°Somewhat¡ªalthough I gave that guy the Pyramid of Vengeful Souls.¡±

    ¡°¡­Have you gone mad?¡± Til asked. He said in a low voice but with an obvious sense of shock, ¡°How could you have given something so precious to that guy? Are you fucking serious!¡±

    ¡°Hey,e on. Let¡¯s not get too worked up.¡± The robed figure calmed Til down. ¡°First of all, I won¡¯t make any excuses regarding that decision. If I had known how utterly incapable he was, I wouldn¡¯t have given the item to him.¡±

    ¡°Are you seriously expecting me to just ept¡­!¡±

    ¡°Again, calm down. We can control that guy easily anyways. Furthermore, we have Ellie as a hostage.¡±

    ¡°Hm.¡±

    ¡°This is good actually. I was already nning to put all the me on that guy anyways, and if he has the Pyramid of Vengeful Souls, it will make the task that much easier. He won¡¯t be able to make any excuses. After all, he was a traitor in the first ce. When they investigate him, they will find more and more evidence,¡± the robed figure said.

    ¡°¡­You really are using him thoroughly,¡± Til replied.

    ¡°Even among trash, there are some useful ones. It¡¯s important to use such things well.¡±

    ¡°I agree with that. That¡¯s why I used that guy, Nick, for that long.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ll fit right into our group.¡±

    ¡°Nonsense. Anyways, no matter how incapable that guy is, he must not know about the n. We don¡¯t know what kind of obstruction wille our way.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t think that would matter much, but all right. I¡¯ll be careful. Anything else you¡¯re curious about?¡±

    ¡°No.¡±

    ¡°Good. Then, let¡¯s see each other againter.¡± The robed figure then disappeared into the darkness of the forest. Til also disappeared into the forest on the opposite side.

    Some timeter, the inside of the forest was quiet again and only the sound of grass bugs could be heard. Nick left the forest muchter after the grass bugs sang their chorus again. His face was incredibly stiff¡ªso stiff that he could¡¯ve been mistaken for a corpse.

    Drip! Drip! Trails of blood trickled down his fist. He gripped so hard that his fingernails had dug into his palms. Yet, Nick didn¡¯t seem to be in pain as the rage burning up inside him blocked him from feeling anything else but anger.

    ¡®I see. So that¡¯s how it was.¡¯ Listening to those their conversation had given him a rough idea of the whole situation.

    ¡®My kidnapping n failed, so those guys immediately approached Til.¡¯ Perhaps something had instigated this new turn of events, but Nick didn¡¯t care about the little details. The important part seemed to be that he had been backstabbed, and he now knew what Til and the robed figure thought of him.

    ¡°Fine. If those guys are going to be like that, I can¡¯t sit idly.¡± Nick gritted his teeth. It seemed his teeth would break instantly from the sharp sound. After letting out a fierce disy of rage, Nick disappeared back into the forest.

    * * *

    Swish! The grass rustled as it distorted. A robed figure who had been sitting on a hastily cut bottom of a tree turned his head toward the direction of the noise. Til was the one who came out from the bushes. Why were the two meeting each other again after separating not too long ago? Did they still have things left to discuss?

    Yet, the atmosphere between the two was now strange to say the least. Before, a sharp current had flowed between the two. This was expected of people who didn¡¯t trust each other but were forced to coborate, yet that sharp tension hadpletely disappeared.

    ¡°You came.¡± Unlike before, the robed figure¡¯s voice wasn¡¯t rough or scratchy, and he spoke with a normal voice. The robed figure lifted his hood, and it was surprisingly Zich¡¯s face. He got up and approached Til. Even though Til¡¯s face had looked extremely cold and serious just a few moments ago, his face now looked drenched with exhaustion.

    ¡°Mr. Til, you¡¯ve done well.¡±

    ¡°Was there anything off about me?¡±

    ¡°Not at all. Even I was shocked. I think you can even change your career and pursue acting.¡±

    ¡°That will never happen.¡± Til had practiced extensively to trick Nick; he had suffered so much that he would rather hold a sword and rush towards monsters instead of acting. ¡°Besides that, did we sessfullyplete our goal?¡±

    ¡°Of course. Nick heard our entire conversation.¡± Zich was full of confidence. He was confident because just like how Nick tailed Til, Zich had also tailed Nick. After making sure that Nick had found a ce to spy on Til, Zich put on a robe and met up with Til as nned.

    ¡°That¡¯s good.¡± Til was relieved that his hard work had paid off. ¡°We¡¯ll be able to see the results, right?¡±

    ¡°Of course. With this, Nick won¡¯t be able to believe his coborators anymore. It¡¯s always a great strategy to cause internal strife among our enemies.¡± This was the reason why Zich had staged this y. However, even after hearing about the sess of their n, Til¡¯s face didn¡¯t look too happy. Zich could easily guess why.

    ¡°Do you feel ufortable about tricking your formerrade?¡±

    ¡°Yes. Isn¡¯t it funny?¡± Til sounded lost and sad, but Zich shook his head.

    ¡°Not at all. Everyone reacts differently, and it¡¯s not like we can control how we feel. As long as your emotions don¡¯t impede our n, it doesn¡¯t matter.¡±

    Til¡¯s heart felt a bit more rxed as Zich affirmed the feelings he judged as pathetic. ¡®As expected of a Karuwiman Honorary Knight.¡¯ Til made an assessment that Zich¡¯srades would get the chills if he said that out loud.

    ¡°Moreover, that wasn¡¯t the only result we obtained. Honestly, I did think that there was a high possibility that we could get it, but it was so easy that I¡¯m a bit taken aback.¡±

    ¡°Then¡­¡±

    ¡°Yes. We obtained the Pyramid of Vengeful Souls.¡±

    Til looked at Zich with a surprised face. This had been part of Zich¡¯s n. He purposely gave the artifact that L produced to Nick. Then, he sent Til out during a time that was easy to tail him. Then, Nick would definitely try to tail Til. Since Til had the One-Sided Pyramid of Lamentations that Nick secretly put on him, it was not difficult for Nick to tail Til.

    However, to tail Til, Nick also had to separate from the Pyramid of Vengeful Souls, so he had buried the Pyramid of Vengeful Souls underneath the ground. Zich had seen the entire process while following Nick. What needed to be done after this was simple¨CZich took the Pyramid of Vengeful Souls and hid it somewhere else and followed Nick.

    ¡°But if he finds out that the Pyramid of Vengeful Souls is gone, won¡¯t he react strongly?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s all right. I reced it with a fake one.¡±

    ¡°A fake?¡±

    ¡°Yes. It¡¯s a model that imitates the Pyramid of Vengeful Souls on the outside with a One-Sided Pyramid of Lamentations on the inside. Since the energy emitted by the One-Sided Pyramid of Lamentations and the Pyramid of Vengeful Souls is the same, as long as he doesn¡¯t try to directly use it, figuring out the difference will be hard. Well, it was very fortunate that the One-Sided Pyramid of Lamentations was smaller than the Pyramid of Lamentations.¡±

    How far could this guy see and n out his ideas? Til was sincerely d that Zich was not his enemy. ¡°So, we erased the possibility of monsters ambushing Pialu. That¡¯s very fortunate.¡± Til felt relieved that their biggest danger had disappeared, but Zich had no ns to be satisfied with just this result.

    ¡°Yes. With this, we can also carry out another n to increase the strife between Nick and the robed figures, and we can also decrease the robed figures¡¯ power at the same time.¡± Zichughed, and Til moved a few steps back. Zich¡¯sughter was so chilling that even Til, who had a very favorable impression of Zich and also had a lot of unique experiences, drew back.

    * * *

    On one of therge peaks in the Denest Mountain Range, there were a great number of monsters gathered together. The monsters that had gathered together from the energy that the One-Sided Pyramid of Lamentations emitted. It was a terrifying sight to see small various monsters and extremely strong monsters gathered together. Yet, strange figures were moving between the group of monsters. They all wore robes and their hoods covered their figures. They were people that Zich usually called the robed figures.

    Monsters that looked like they would beat the shit out of all humans who came near them strangely did not touch the robed figures, as if they had all received amand to specifically not kill them. Moreover, the robed figures also seemed to be aware of this fact as their movements while moving between the monsters didn¡¯t carry an ounce of tension or a sense of danger. Therefore, it took them a while to notice that the monsters¡¯ movements were a bit stranger than usual.

    ¡°What?¡± One person wearing a robe raised their head. They saw a titan in front of them. It was a monster that should have stayed still like a doll from the Pyramid of Vengeful Souls¡¯ influence. However, that monster¡¯s gaze shifted towards the robed figures.

    Shiver! Goosebumps popped up all over the robed figure¡¯s body.

 Chapter 420

    <h4>Chapter 420</h4>

    Glen stood at a ce that was a considerable distance away from Pialu. In front of him, the Denest Mountain Range¡¯s gigantic mountain peaks stood in rows, and like the others, he had alsoe out using the excuse of patrolling the area. Glen didn¡¯t appear to be in a good condition; it wasn¡¯t that he was injured, but the way he kept tapping his foot with his arms crossed made it seem like he felt anxious about something.

    Swoosh! A small shadow popped out in front of Glen and a person appeared. The person was covered head to toe in a robe, and he kneeled in front of Glen and bowed.

    ¡°What happened?¡± Glen¡¯s voice was cold and revealed his current state of mind. The robed figure lowered his head even more.

    ¡°It¡¯s just as we predicted. It seems like ourrades in charge of managing the monsters have all been taken out.¡±

    Bam! Glen¡¯s feet struck the robed figure. Even though he hadn¡¯t instilled mana into his feet, a great amount of force hade out of his well-trained and honed legs. The robed figure toppled backward. He tried to get up quickly to bow to Glen again, but his movements appeared to be more awkward than before.

    ¡°What¡¯s the cause?¡±

    ¡°The orders ced on the monsters seemed to have broken. The monsters also attacked ourrades who had gone to check on the situation.¡±

    ¡°Are they dead?¡±

    ¡°They didn¡¯t think that the monsters would attack, so some¡­¡±

    Bam! Glen kicked the robed figure again. Part of the robed figure¡¯s arm dangled about, and his bone had clearly been broken. Yet, the robed figure didn¡¯t even groan and continued kneeling on the ground.

    ¡°You dare give me such news!¡± Glen¡¯s voice rang across the area. He had dispatched some of his subordinates to manage the monsters that they gathered with the One-Sided Pyramids of Lamentations. Thus, his subordinates assessed the monsters¡¯ fighting abilities and helped maintain their strengths as much as possible.

    The pyramids freed the monsters from the binds of their food-chain rtionships, so they wouldn¡¯t attack each other; but if they didn¡¯t attack each other, they would only be weaker. Monsters also needed to eat, so it was necessary for the strong monsters to be fed with weak monsters from time to time. Those who fulfilled this job were Glen¡¯s subordinates, and they met Glen outside the city once every couple of days and gave him information about the monsters¡¯ fighting power. Yet, this information transmission had been cut off a couple of days ago. To find out what happened, Glen sent off more subordinates to receive this disheartening news. A part of him wanted to rip this incapable subordinate apart, but Glen squeezed out all the patience he had.

    ¡°What¡¯s the cause?¡± If something happened, there was obviously a cause for it. ¡°The only thing that can be used to give specific orders to monsters is the Pyramid of Vengeful Souls. Thus, I can only think that someone with the item must have given the order to cancel the previous order.¡±

    One of the people possessing the Pyramid of Vengeful Souls in this vicinity was Glen, but he hadn¡¯t given the order to the monsters. Thus, that left only one culprit.

    ¡°Nick. Did that guy do this?¡±

    ¡°Considering the circumstances, that seems like the only logical conclusion,¡± the robed figure answered.

    Glen furrowed his eyebrows. ¡®But why?¡¯

    Nick was one of those guys who rarely changed even through many regressions. He was also someone who usually moved perfectly ording to Glen¡¯s ns. Thus, it seemed unbelievable that Nick would have removed an order ced on the monsters.

    ¡®No, that guy shouldn¡¯t have even known that I ced a different order on the monsters in the first ce.¡¯ Glen had ordered the monsters to follow the robed figures¡¯ orders. Nick shouldn¡¯t have known about this fact.

    ¡®Damn it! Another variable!¡¯ It was just in exhausting now. He didn¡¯t know who had warped his ns this time, but if he found out, he wouldn¡¯t let them die an easy death.

    ¡®I will give you the worst pain possible every time I regress!¡¯ He swore to himself. However, even with this will, it didn¡¯t solve the situation in front of him.

    ¡°The monsters are alright, I suppose?¡±

    ¡°Yes, sir. Since they¡¯ve been well taken care of until now¡ªthe high-ss monsters still possess their original strength. It doesn¡¯t seem like that¡¯llst long since those guys would need to eat to maintain their strength and live.¡±

    Glen thought deeply. ¡®Do I have to give another order to the monsters?¡¯

    However, considering that one of hismands had been overturned, it seemed like there would be a high chance that could happen again. Furthermore, Glen had no intention of stepping forward to take fullmand of this situation; his role was to simplyy down the foundation for his subordinates to begin with.

    ¡®Nick has to be the one to carry out the n.¡¯ Only then would Til be able to take his honorable first steps in bing the Demon Lord of Disaster.

    Besides, if Glen took fullmand, there was a great danger of Zich finding out about him. However, if their ns kept going amiss like this, he wouldn¡¯t have many options left.

    ¡®I should try meeting Nick first.¡¯ Glen couldn¡¯t ask Nick straight-up since even Nick didn¡¯t know that Glen was the true culprit behind the events taking ce in Pialu. However, Glen would be able to gauge Nick¡¯s reaction to his questions.

    ¡®Fortunately, my returning time oveps with Nick¡¯s this time.¡¯ Glenmanded the robed figure, ¡°Leave now.¡±

    The robed figure stood up and although the injuries he received from Glen¡¯s outbursts caused him great difort when moving, he didn¡¯t groan even once and disappeared. Glen looked up to the sky. The seamlessly clear blue sky seemed to contrast his emotional distress as worries shrouded his whole mind.

    Bam! Glen kicked a nearby stone out of anger.

    * * *

    After returning to the city, Glen reported to themander at the city hall. He asked about Nick¡¯s whereabouts and learned that Nick hadn¡¯t returned yet. However, ording to the schedule, Nick should definitely being back to Pialu today, and Glen entered a nearby store to kill time. There, Glen met someone he wasn¡¯t pleased to see.

    ¡°Oh? Mr. Zenard, you were here.¡± Zich was eating his meal.

    ¡®Was today also the day this bastard returns?¡¯ Since he was already in a bad mood, it was even more annoying to see Zich. However, Glen suppressed his annoyance because he needed to act like the hero of justice whenever people were looking at him. ¡°It¡¯s been a while, Mr. Zich.¡±

    ¡°If you¡¯re nning to have a meal, why don¡¯t you sit down here?¡± Zich pointed at the seat in front of him.

    ¡®Give me a break.¡¯ Rather than eating a meal with Zich, it was better to eat on the floor of a dirty bathroom. However, he couldn¡¯t say these thoughts and said, ¡° Haha! Thank you for the offer, but aren¡¯t you tired from your mission? I think it¡¯ll be better if you enjoy your meal by yourself at a leisurely pace.¡±

    Glen made a firm refusal, and he thought Zich would now withdraw. They didn¡¯t have a good rtionship in the first ce, but Zich was unexpectedly persistent. ¡°My stamina is not so low that I¡¯ll grow tired from a bit of work. Isn¡¯t it the same for you, Mr. Glen? I¡¯m asking you to sit with me because I have something to tell you. So, even if it¡¯s ufortable, please endure it a bit and sit.¡±

    At Zich¡¯s words, Glen couldn¡¯t find a suitable excuse to refuse. He had no choice but to sit in front of Zich. The waiter approached their table to receive his order. Glen ordered one drink; it was his way of showing that he¡¯d leave after only hearing what Zich wanted to tell him. Zich seemed to have caught onto his intentions as he didn¡¯t say anything. Instead, he made a small nod as if he was also pleased by Glen¡¯s actions.

    ¡°Mr. Zich, what is it that you want to tell me?¡± Glen¡¯s face was still bright, and his voice was kind, but there was a firmness in his tone. Zich didn¡¯t feel the need to break the wall between them. No, rather, he wanted to pile much thicker and bigger walls, numbering hundreds between them, so he immediately went straight to the point. ¡°I climbed up the Denest mountain range during my mission.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ve gone through a dangerous mission.¡± Glen made his voice full of concern, but of course, he wasn¡¯t concerned about Zich in the least. He merely poured insults toward Zich for doing something pointless inside his mind. ¡°Was there really a need for you to do that? What¡¯s important for us right now is to find Til.¡± Glen expressed his displeasure; he thought this amount of negativity was fine since it was a few words of disapproval towards someone who couldn¡¯t set appropriate priorities.

    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s true, but we haven¡¯t been able to find Til so far, despite all our efforts. Thus, I thought that even if we don¡¯t find Til, we would have to consider the worst-case scenario. Since we can¡¯t just stand still when the monsters ambush Pialu, I thought it wouldn''t be a bad idea to check out how the monsters have changed since youst reported about their activities. Ah, of course, I didn¡¯t approach them closely since it was dangerous. I observed them from far away and moved out.¡±

    ¡°¡­Is that so?¡± Since Zich¡¯s words had a point, Glen couldn¡¯t express his disapproval anymore. ¡°So, what did you find?¡± Glen was slightly nervous. He was worried that Zich might have found something that might hinder his ns. And to his extreme frustration, Glen¡¯s prediction was correct.

    ¡°I saw people wearing robes.¡±

    ¡°Really?¡± Glen¡¯s mind quickly spun. ¡®What the heck did he see? Did he see them controlling the monsters? Or did he see the scouts who went to find the guys who went missing?¡¯ Even if those guys were discovered, it didn¡¯t pose much of a threat to Glen. However, he felt that it was necessary to fish for more information.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know if they¡¯re the Bellid guys, or they¡¯re the robed figures that I¡¯ve been chasing after, but regardless of their identity, they approached the monsters without even hiding.¡±

    ¡°And then?¡±

    ¡°Well, they got ambushed by the monsters and died. But there was one person who managed to escape.¡±

    It seemed as if Zich saw the scouts who went to find the guys that went toplete his order, and Glen tilted his head in confusion. ¡°They were ambushed by monsters? Perhaps, are you talking about an entirely different group? It¡¯s hard for me to believe that any of the organizations you mentioned would die so pointlessly.¡±

    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s true. That¡¯s why I¡¯m also confused.¡±

    Glen had to mention a new culprit to stop Zich from narrowing down his suspects. Even though it didn¡¯t seem very useful, he needed to use this tactic to keep confusing his enemy. Glen sighed internally, but he felt satisfied that Zich seemed to have epted his opinion. He felt a small sense of achievement that he could trick his opponent about even a small matter like this. But this feeling onlysted for a moment.

    ¡°Yeah, now that I think about it, you¡¯repletely right, Mr. Zenard. They¡¯re dumb bastards who died by the monsters they controlled. How could there be such idiotic people! Isn¡¯t that right?¡±

    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s also true,¡± Glen replied to Zich¡¯s words as calmly as possible, but Zich didn¡¯t finish yet.

    ¡°If those guys really are rted to this situation, they must be more stupid than we can even imagine. The same thing can be said for the leader who''s in charge of those dumb bastards.¡±

    ¡°¡­Yes.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m definitely sure that the leader of such a group has a shady and disgusting personality. His head is not too bright either. He¡¯s basically the epitome of an idiot¨Cno, that¡¯s too harsh to an idiot.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°That bastard is probablyughing at people, thinking that he¡¯s so smart. But you must know it too, Mr. Zenard, that the most ignorant and stupidest people are those who think they¡¯re smarter and better than others. His underlings are probably insulting andughing at him inside their minds, thinking that a loser would always be a loser no matter what he does.¡± Then, Zichughed loudly and asked Glen, ¡°Isn¡¯t that right, Mr. Zenard?¡±

    ¡°¡­Yes, that¡¯s definitely the case.¡±

 Chapter 421

    <h4>Chapter 421</h4>

    ¡°Pfft!¡± There was a loud burst ofughter. It was the kind ofughter that couldn¡¯t be restrained because it was uncontroble. L stared at Zich judgingly as he kept choking inughter while clutching his stomach.

    ¡°Can¡¯t you stopughing?¡±

    ¡°No, kukuh! I want to stopughing too but¡­it¡¯s not easy.¡± Zich tried to breathe calmly and stop hisughter, but his back arched as another burst ofughter came out of him.

    ¡°Does it make you that happy?¡±

    ¡°Isn¡¯t that obvious? Messing with Glen is one of the most worthwhile things I do!¡± Then, Zich recalled his recent encounter with Glen. ¡°It probably killed him that he couldn¡¯t even show it on his face while I kept insulting him! He had to agree with me as I insulted him right in front of his face using his subordinates!¡± Zich ced his back on the ground and chuckled.

    As L watched him, she thought, ¡®If Glen Zenard saw you right now, wouldn¡¯t he be even more enraged?¡¯ Maybe he would be even more than enraged. He might copse from the shock and die on the spot, and even then L would be able to understand what had happened. Zich keptughing non-stop after his meeting with Glen in the shop where he had relentlessly insulted Glen while pretending not to know anything. It seemed this interaction had left Zich very satisfied.

    ¡°At least the robed figures in the Denest Mountain Range have been taken care of, right?¡± If she could, L wanted to start the conversation after Zich finishedughing, but since it didn¡¯t seem like Zich was going to stop any time soon, L began talking.

    ¡°More specifically, they were guys near the monsters, but it doesn¡¯t really matter since they wouldn¡¯t have gone inside the Denest Mountain Range if it wasn¡¯t for those monsters.¡±

    ¡°You have done a lot, especially since you found out that the robed figures were inside the Denest Mountain Range.¡±

    ¡°The army of monsters is an extremely powerful force. Even if they didn¡¯t specifically use the monsters for their schemes, they have many other uses for them. For example, if Glen¡¯s ns turn awry and a disadvantageous situation arose, they could use the army to sweep the surroundings and try to undo everything. Considering that, it would¡¯ve probably been advantageous for them to maintain their monsters in the best condition.¡± Zich turned his head and looked in the direction of the Denest Mountain Range. ¡°It¡¯s only natural that I thought there would be guys managing the army of monsters in a hidden location. Of course, there were patrollers to make sure outsiders wouldn¡¯t find the location of the monster army, but I have this.¡± Zich pulled out a Pyramid of Vengeful Souls and shook it for L to see. It let out its characteristic sticky and dark energy that made L instinctively scowl.

    ¡°You used it so easily.¡±

    ¡°The methods of using artifacts like this one are all simr.¡± Zich ced the Pyramid of Vengeful Souls back into his magic box. ¡°Let¡¯s see. The monsters with themand to not attack the robed figures attacked them. Naturally, they will only be able to think of the Pyramid of Vengeful Souls as the cause. So, the robed figures¡¯ suspicions will naturally fall upon Nick.¡±

    Zich¡¯s eyes twirled as if he was enjoying this situation. ¡°Although it was entertaining to see that Zenard bastard act like he wasn¡¯t involved with what was going on desperately, it¡¯s regrettable that I couldn¡¯t see the sight of him bursting in rage with my own eyes. Well, I bet he¡¯s heaving about it right now, so I should at least observe him through my imagination.¡±

    ¡®He really does have a terrible form of entertainment,¡¯ L thought again while looking at Zich.

    * * *

    Zich¡¯s predictions were perfect.

    ng! Glen was taken aback by the sudden loud noise. What he saw were the rolling remains of apletely broken table, which his fists had broken.

    ¡®Damn, I did it without realizing!¡¯ His fist didn¡¯t hurt. He had gone through enough training so that he wouldn''t feel pain by breaking just a single table. The problem he had wasn¡¯t physical, but mental. He had broken his table without meaning to because of the rage rising in his heart, and this was quite a critical mistake for Glen.

    ¡®Calm down. I can¡¯t show this side of me to anyone else.¡¯ A hero taking out his anger on objects wasn¡¯t the hero he dreamed of. A perfect hero didn¡¯t get swept by their emotions.

    ¡®Damn it! It¡¯s all because of that damn Zich Moore!¡¯ He tried to calm down somehow, but whenever he thought of Zich¡¯s face, he seethed in anger. He breathed deeply to calm himself down when¡ªknock, knock! Due to the knocking sound, the thin wall of patience that he was finally building cracked.

    ¡°Who is it?¡± Unable to control himself, Glen¡¯s tone was cold. It seemed like the person outside the door was taken aback and didn¡¯t reply right away. Glen stomped towards the door and opened it.

    ck! The person who knocked came into view, and Glen scowled. It was Lara. She wasn¡¯t someone he was pleased to see, especially while he was in the middle of an emotional outburst. The sight of Lara made him even angrier.

    ¡°Ah, um, hello Glen¡­¡±

    ¡°What do you want?¡± Again, Glen spoke in a cold manner. Although he had been acting a bit cold to her, he had never spoken to her with such tant coldness. But seeing Lara who also wasn¡¯t going his way on top of still recovering from Zich¡¯s insults made him incapable of controlling his emotions.

    Lara lifted her shoulders. ¡°Uh, yes. It¡¯s because I heard a loud sounding from your room. So I thought maybe something could¡¯ve happened¡­¡±

    ¡°Nothing happened,¡± Glen said and closed the door. Although Glen could sense that Lara wasn¡¯t leaving past his door, Glen ignored it.

    ¡®I should go see Nick first.¡¯ Then, he should try to find out whether or not Nick had really used the monsters to kill his subordinates.

    ¡®What if I don¡¯t find out anything?¡¯ Then the situation would be more of a headache. Glen roughly smashed the remains of the table while heaving.

    * * *

    Her feet felt heavy as she walked. Although she was looking forward, her eyes were unfocused. As if she was burdened with negative energy from the entire world, she walked with drooped shoulders while walking. Glen¡¯s re was still vivid in her memories. His chilling eyes clearly looked at her as if she was a hindrance. Even though she felt that Glen¡¯s attitude towards her was slowly worsening, it was the first time she received such an obviously hostile gaze from him.

    ¡®As I expected, does he hate me?¡¯ The truth that she had been desperately trying to run away from began rearing its ugly head, and her concerns that he might kick her out of the party were bing a clear reality. No, in reality, the situation might have already be that bad, and she was merely refusing to see the problem as it was. ¡®Then, what should I do from now on¡­¡¯ While Lara fell into thought¡ª

    Tap! Something touched her shoulder, and she flinched. She instinctively reached for the sword on her waist. Then, she realized that she had been walking mindlessly on the streets and released her hand. ¡®Did I hit someone?¡¯ As someone who had trained for a long time, it was embarrassing that she put herself into such a situation. She immediately tried to apologize to the person she hit. However, when she saw the person in front of her, she was so surprised that her apology went back into her throat.

    ¡°Are you all right, Ms. Browning?¡± Hans put his hand on her shoulder and looked at her with concern.

    * * *

    Zich looked at the two people sitting at the same table as him with curiosity. Zich sat in the middle of the circr table, and Hans sat on his right¡ªthis part was as expected. The reason why he hade here in the first ce was to meet Hans after all. However, Lara Browning, sitting on his left, was an unexpected guest. Lara also seemed to be confused about why she was here as she squirmed around and looked around constantly.

    Zich asked Hans, ¡°What happened?¡±

    ¡°While I was walking, I saw her walking unsteadily. The city is unsafe right now and I felt nervous about leaving her alone, so I brought her here.¡±

    ¡®It sounds like he picked up an abandoned puppy.¡¯ While traveling with him, Hans seemed to have developed a slightly stubborn side. ¡®Something must have really happened to her. ording to Hans, it sounded like he had one-sidedly brought her here, but if he hadn¡¯t received her consent, she wouldn¡¯t be sitting here either. Hans was not the type of person to bring a woman forcefully, and Lara was also not the type of person to be dragged around without putting up a fight.

    ¡®I can roughly guess what happened.¡¯ Zich had shredded Glen¡¯s pride just a few moments ago, and it seemed as if Glen had taken out his anger on her. ¡®Why is he taking out his anger on an unrted person when he¡¯s still wearing a mask of a just hero?¡¯ Did Lara¡¯s importance to him disappear that much, or was Glen¡¯s anger been thatrge?

    ¡®It might be both.¡¯ Nheless, Zich was very satisfied that he made Glen at least significantly angry. As a result, he approached Lara in a very warm manner despite her unexpected presence. ¡°Did something happen, Ms. Browning? Since we know each other, you can discuss your problems with me.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡± Lara bowed her head and twirled her fingers. The inside of her mind was messed up. Even though she had followed Hans, she didn¡¯t know what she was doing here. Moreover, the person in front of her was Zich¡ªhe was someone she didn¡¯t like too much. In the end, she got up and said, ¡°No, it¡¯s nothing. I¡¯m sorry for troubling you. I¡¯ll be leaving.¡± Then, she grabbed the sword next to her and was about to turn around but Zich¡¯s question stopped her.

    ¡°Did something between you and Mr. Zenard?¡±

    She quickly turned her head and stared at Zich. She looked taken aback that he had read her mind. All kinds of thoughts spun in her head. Should she ask how he knew? But then she would be admitting that there was trouble between her and Glen. Even if it was true, Lara felt ufortable about admitting that there was trouble between her and herrade, especially someone she liked, to a person she wasn¡¯t close to.

    ¡°Please sit. There seems to be something you want to talk about.¡±

    Lara hesitated for a bit, and then she sat back down in the end. Hans, the one responsible for bringing her in the first ce, hadn¡¯t said a single word so far. Lara thought that Hans¡¯ calm demeanor was slightly annoying, so she nced at him.

    ¡°You must be curious about how I know, and I can easily answer that question. It¡¯s because it¡¯s very obvious. Rather, I think it would be harder to not notice it when the atmosphere between you and Mr. Zenard is so thick.¡±

    Lara lowered her head. In the end, her rtionship with Glen was so bad that an outsider would notice it by just looking at them.

    ¡°Since you seem to be more troubled than usual today, it seems like the trouble between you two has deepened.¡±

    Lara bit her lips. She wanted to immediately deny Zich¡¯s words, but she couldn¡¯t. At that moment, Zich slowly offered his advice. ¡°Since we know each other, I¡¯ll be giving you my two cents. Why don¡¯t you distance yourself from him for a bit?¡±

    ¡°¡­Distance myself?¡±

    ¡°Yes. In a situation when the two of you are emotionally hurting each other, the situation might only grow worse if you two are forced to stay next to each other. So, why don¡¯t you do the opposite and create some space between you two? Of course, I¡¯m not saying you shouldpletely go your separate ways.¡± When Lara¡¯s expression worsened, Zich waved his hand and said, ¡°Just have time off from each other until both of you settle your feelings. Then, the two of you can converse together in a rational manner. After that, you¡¯ll be able to have a much more meaningful conversation than when both of your emotions are running high.¡± Zich¡¯s words slowly crawled into Lara¡¯s heart.

 Chapter 422

    <h4>Chapter 422</h4>

    However, Lara didn¡¯t ept Zich¡¯s suggestion right away. She had never thought of distancing herself from Glen¡ªnot even once. Zich continued, ¡°I apologize if Ie off as rude, but what are you doing right now, Ms. Browning?¡±

    ¡°Me? Ah¡­ I am patrolling,¡± she said in a quiet voice with her head lowered. Patrolling wasn¡¯t such a lowly task that she should speak of it so meekly. Furthermore, from what Zich knew of her, Lara Browning was someone overflowing with justice to the point of rigidity. There was no way such a person would be embarrassed about having to patrol; instead, she should¡¯ve ced great importance even on the most menial tasks and felt proud about doing them.

    ¡®It¡¯s probably something rted to Glen Zenard,¡¯ Zich thought. Perhaps, Glen was ignoring her, and Lara was patrolling and wandering around the city aimlessly. Zich stroked his chin as if he was in great thought.

    ¡°Ms. Browning, you weren¡¯t part of the investigation to search for Til, right?¡±

    ¡°¡­Yes.¡±

    Lara would not be wandering inside the city if she was. Everyone with an artifact had already all gone outside the city to search for Til.

    ¡°How strange. From what I know about your skills, you certainly meet all the requirements to be part of Til¡¯s search team.¡± Even those with a lower set of skillspared to her had taken artifacts to participate in the search. Of course, the reason for her non-involvement was obvious: it was because Glen didn¡¯t want her to participate, and Zich spoke in a more roundabout way because of that.

    ¡°I mean, there¡¯s no way Mr. Zenard didn¡¯t rmend you, especially with your skills.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Lara lowered her head slightly more.

    ¡°Oh my, it seems I have meddled into matters I shouldn¡¯t have. This is for Mr. Zenard to resolve with you and not for me to say,¡± Zich said and pretended to be deep in thought. ¡°Then, how about this, Ms. Browning?¡±

    Lara lifted her head slightly and stared at Zich.

    ¡°Hans also participated in the search through my rmendation,¡± Zich began, and Lara¡¯s eyes darted to where Hans was. Although Hans had brought Lara here, he didn¡¯t intervene in their conversation; he just simply listened.

    Lara felt a twinge of jealousy that Hans had gotten the same mission as Glen, but she easily epted it. After all, she recognized Hans and thought his skills were more suitable to take on the mission.

    ¡°Why don¡¯t you go around with Hans for now? It will allow you to distance yourself from Mr. Zenard too.¡±

    ¡°Sorry?¡± Lara¡¯s head shot up in surprise. Hans also looked surprised as if he hadn¡¯t expected this turn of events.

    ¡°I highly value your skills, Ms. Browning. You seem to especially have a lot of talent in swordsmanship,¡± Zich said.

    Lara felt conflicted. She was happy to hear that she had talent in swordsmanship, but Zich wasn¡¯t the person she wanted to hear these words from at all. Yet, Zich had made her a good resolution. She no longer had to wander around the city aimlessly or the excuse of patrolling. Lara finally could do something that would make her feel like she was helping others. Yet, even if she had met Hans a couple of times, it seemed too much of a jump to wander around with a man that she had almost no rtionship with. Thus, she was about to reject Zich¡¯s offer when his following words made her sp her mouth shut again.

    ¡°Also, I don¡¯t think Mr. Zenard would care much even if you went with Hans toplete the missions.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    * * *

    ¡®I ended up agreeing.¡¯ Lara sighed. She was aware that she had been feeling cornered these days. Thus, she had been determined to not get drawn into strange delusions and to keep a tight grip on her mentality.

    ¡®Look at me now.¡¯ She thought she was so pathetic for wavering from Zich¡¯s single statement. Was her resolve too weak?

    ¡®No, I might have felt more cornered than I thought.¡± In conclusion, this situation wasn¡¯t all that bad since she was able to realize the seriousness of her current situation. Now, she had to face the result of her decision. Lara looked forward and saw the back of a young man. The man was walking forward with light footsteps and a white sword hung on his waist. It was Hans, and she would be working with him for at least the next couple of days.

    In the end, Lara had agreed with Zich to join a temporary party with Hans. He also didn¡¯t seem to protest, and thus everything went along smoothly. Since Hans had made most of the preparations, all she needed to get were her sword and some extra clothes; before she realized it, she was already heading toward Hans¡¯ patrolling area with him.

    ¡®It¡¯s not toote still. Should I just go back?¡¯ Even if she refused now, she knew Hans wouldn¡¯t mind. After all, he had done a fair job by himself. Furthermore, his skills were much superior to hers.

    ¡®He could be simr or even stronger than Glen,¡¯ Lara thought, and it dawned upon her how astounding Zich¡¯s party exactly was. Although she thought her party with Glen as their leader was considerably strong, they couldn¡¯tpare with Zich¡¯s party at all.

    ¡®But what should I do if I refuse?¡¯ If she backed out now, then she¡¯d just continue patrolling around the city meaninglessly. Furthermore¡­ she recalled Glen¡¯s cold eyes.

    ¡®Urgh!¡¯ It hurt her heart to even think of it. Her heart thumped and kept pleading for mercy, but she kept agitating it with a continuous current of emotions. She recalled Zich¡¯s words again.

    [Also, I don¡¯t think Mr. Zenard would care much even if you went with Hans to do the missions.]

    These words were like cold icicles piercing deep into her heart, and they felt especially sharp because they were convincing.

    ¡°It¡¯s fine if you go back now.¡± It was then that she heard Hans¡¯ voice. While standing in front of her, Hans was looking at Lara with his head turned.

    ¡°There¡¯s no need for you to feel pressured. I canplete the mission on my own. Even if you refuse and go back now, Sir Zich wouldn¡¯t think badly of you either.¡± Even if Lara refused at thest minute, Zich would respond with nothing more than, ¡®Is that so?¡¯ Then, Hans continued, ¡°However, if you have a concern that you can¡¯t solve immediately, I think Sir Zich¡¯s suggestion for you to distance yourself from it is a good idea.¡±

    Hans scratched the back of his head. He seemed to be wondering if he should say this or not, but he soon made his final decision and said, ¡°Moreover, Ms. Browning, I¡¯ve thought this before, but I think you¡¯re much too dependent on Mr. Zenard.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t think we¡¯re close enough for us to intervene in each other¡¯s affairs like this.¡± Unlike so far, Lara responded sharply. Her rtionship with Glen was an extremely sensitive matter. Since she currently felt very conflicted about her situation and wasn¡¯t close with Hans, it was natural that Lara reacted this way.

    However, Hans was not taken aback. ¡°Yes, we¡¯re definitely not close enough to intervene in each other¡¯s personal matters. However, I¡¯m not talking about your rtionship with Mr. Zenard.¡± Hans recalled the first time he saw Lara. Her expression waspletely different when he met her for the first time. Inplete contrast to Zich, Lara had followed rules and principles to the tee. Even though this was an extremely tiresome personality to be around, her attitudes and actions were clearly based on justice. However, Hans couldn¡¯t sense that from her anymore.

    ¡°The resolve you made when you started on your journey¡ªwas that resolve only based on your feelings for Mr. Zenard?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡± Lara became silent as if a giant hammer had struck her.

    * * *

    ¡®I wonder if he¡¯s doing well?¡¯ Zich stared at the ce where Hans and Lara disappeared off to. ¡®This is the perfect time to shake Lara¡¯s resolution.¡¯ Glen was focused on apletely different matter right now, and Lara Browning¡¯s current position on the team was precarious. There was no better time than right now to pull Lara out of the party, or at least give her a sufficient reason to leave. It was for that reason that Zich left Hans to convince her. ¡®If it¡¯s that guy, they¡¯ll see eye to eye.¡¯

    There were probably a lot of simrities between a hero-in-training and a strict rule-follower. ¡®Well, I¡¯m a bit bothered that I may have influenced Hans a little too much.¡¯ To a strict rule follower, Zich was an existence that should be avoided at all costs. Since Hans had been greatly influenced by Zich, he might not look too great to a rule-follower either.

    ¡®Nevertheless, their basis is centered on justice, so they must have things inmon.¡¯ Moreover, it didn¡¯t matter if Hans wasn¡¯t sessful. His n to pull out Lara from Glen¡¯s party was of extremely low priority and didn¡¯t matter if it turned out sessful or not. ¡®Now, I should also start finishing up my main n.¡¯ His main n had already almost reached the climax. Zich got up from his seat.

    * * *

    Nick returned to the city to give his periodic reports, and this time he went back to his assigned post. He had never slept soundly since his n had gone amiss, but he was in a particrly foul mood that day. ¡®That bastard wasted my time for no reason!¡¯

    Nick¡¯s main source of frustration was Glen. While he was trying to return to his assigned post, Glen suddenly appeared and kept on bothering him. They hadn¡¯t conversed on anything important either. Nick already felt frustrated and anxious, so he grew even angrier at Glen¡¯s pestering. Nick spat insults toward Glen and sat at his usual campsite.

    ¡®I need to be sessful today.¡¯ Ever since he obtained the upgraded artifact, Nick tried to follow Til every time Til visited him, because he wanted to eavesdrop on Til¡¯s ns and perhaps find out Ellie¡¯s location. However, Nick had only been lucky on the first day, since his tailing kept failing after the first time. Til used his mana to move, and he was too fast for Nick to sessfully follow him. There was even a time when he tailed Til too closely and almost got caught. However, even then, Nick couldn¡¯t give up.

    ¡®I need to save Ellie no matter what!¡¯ With a strong resolve, Nick tailed Til once again. He was lucky this time. Like the first time, Til visited him when it was dark outside. It seemed as if Til had already visited the mountain range as he arrived from that direction. Til scratched at Nick¡¯s pride with pointless conversations like usual and disappeared in the opposite direction of the mountain range. Was he going to finally be sessful today?

    When Til began to move fast, the artifact would lose its target and spin around. However, the artifact continuously pointed toward the front today. ¡®Is he walking today?¡¯ Was it because it was at night, or was there a different reason? It might just be because he felt like it. However, the most important fact was that there was now a much higher chance that Nick could sessfully tail Til. Nick narrowed his eyes as he continued following Til.

    ¡®Did this guy just stop?¡¯ When he moved one step back, the artifact began spinning, but when he took one step forward, the artifact pointed towards the front. Had Til reached his destination? But they were still pretty close to Nick¡¯s assigned post.

    ¡®Let¡¯s make sure.¡¯ Even if he had to expose himself to danger, Nick decide to move closer to Til.

 Chapter 423

    <h4>Chapter 423</h4>

    Fortunately, Til was inside the forest. Since the ce where Nick had sessfully eavesdropped on the conversation between Til and the robed figure had also been in the forest, Nick¡¯s heart raced. He thought he would gain valuable information like thest time he was in a ce like this.

    ¡®He¡¯s there.¡¯ Nick saw Til¡¯s figure between the thicket of trees. Til wasn¡¯t alone.

    ¡®It¡¯s that guy!¡¯ It was the robe-wearing bastard who betrayed him. Since a robe covered his face, Nick wasn¡¯tpletely certain that it was the same guy who ridiculed him, but that wasn¡¯t the important part. The organization the robed figures belonged to was already his enemy, and to not get found out, Nick went behind a big bush andy t on the floor. Then he craned his ears toward the conversation. He could hear their voices.

    ¡°That¡¯s enough about the n.¡±

    Nick automatically scowled at the robed figure¡¯s raspy voice, forcefully created to hide his identity. In addition to the robed figure¡¯s voice, the fact that the conversation about a n had already ended enraged him much more.

    ¡®Damn it! I should have taken the risk and followed them more closely!¡¯ Nick thought. However, if he had actually done that, they would¡¯ve easily determined his position. Yet, he couldn¡¯t help but feel regretful. Then, hoping that ¡°this n¡± would get brought up again, Nick focused on their conversation again.

    ¡°Then, is that all you needed to ask?¡± Til asked.

    ¡°No, I have one more thing to say.¡±

    ¡°What is it?¡±

    ¡°It seems like the guy named Zich is sniffing around where Walter and Ellie are,¡± the robed figure replied, displeased.

    Nick¡¯s heart pounded so fast that it felt like it would burst; his heartbeat was so loud that Nick clutched his chest, but even as he did this, he focused all his senses on his ears.

    ¡°What the fuck do you mean by that!¡± Til didn¡¯t speak that loudly, but Nick could clearly feel a sense of urgency in his voice. ¡°I thought you guys said you would protect them well!¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. No matter how amazing that guy is, he won¡¯t be able to find the children right away. Even if he pinpoints a specific spot, it¡¯ll be easy to relocate the children. We already have the preparations to do so. What you are worried about won¡¯t happen.¡±

    ¡°Our opponent is a Karuwiman Honorary Holy Knight. His fighting prowess doesn¡¯tck behind me by any standards. Are you guys really telling me ?you can hold on against a guy like that?¡±

    ¡°We won¡¯t need to hold on. We can just take the children and escape. Even if our opponent is a Karuwiman Honorary Holy Knight, we can at leastplete a mission of that level.¡±

    ¡°You never know,¡± Til said doubtfully, but the robed figure didn¡¯t say more. The robed figure¡¯s attitude seemed to indicate that he didn¡¯t care whether or not Til believed him. The conversation between the two stopped momentarily as a strange tension flowed between them. Hoping that they would reveal the location where the children were imprisoned, Nick continued listening to the conversation while holding his breath. However, in the end, neither Til nor the robed figure brought up anything that could specify where the children were. The robed figure spoke again.

    ¡°¡­Anyways, you shouldn¡¯t worry and just focus on the n. In the worst-case scenario, we can use Nick¡¯s daughter to make a deal and take your son somewhere else.¡±

    ¡°You must keep that promise at all costs,¡± Til growled like he was making a warning. As if he also had no intentions of pushing this matter further, he also changed the conversation topic.

    ¡°But what will you do if you really end up handing Nick¡¯s daughter over to Zich? You won¡¯t be able to manipte Nick however you like any more then.¡±

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t really matter. Our n is almost in its final stage, and you won¡¯t have toe to the Denest Mountain Range anymore. Nick would have much less use then.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t forget, that guy has the Pyramid of Vengeful Souls.¡±

    ¡°Yes, we have to take that back.¡±

    Nick carefully touched the area around his chest and felt the hard exterior of his magic box.

    ¡°If we lose Ellie, we will immediately lead that guy into a trap, kill him, and take away the Pyramid of Vengeful Souls. Are you satisfied now?¡±

    ¡°Yes. Good.¡±

    After thisst exchange, the two parted. Til and the robed figure disappeared in opposite directions and Nick came out of the bush. While holding the artifact, he continued to chase after Til. Yet, from then on, no matter how much Til increased his speed, the artifact quickly lost its aim and spun. He failed to trail Til today too. Yet, unlike before, hope sprouted in his heart.

    ¡®So, Zich might know where Ellie is?¡¯ Considering the urgency in their voices, it seemed like Zich had a high chance of saving Ellie.

    ¡®As expected of a Karuwiman Honorary Holy Knight!¡± All the negative emotions Nick first felt about Zich were already gone now, and appreciation of the man reced them. Ellie wasn¡¯t saved yet, and in the process of saving her, something could go awry. Yet, he had to prepare for at least that much.

    ¡®If I just keep getting dragged back and forth by these guys, there¡¯s a low chance Ellie would stay alive.¡¯ They could kill Ellie to get rid of the evidence. Nick thought that Til might let Ellie live, but he couldn¡¯t be certain of that either.

    ¡®Rather than relying on that, it¡¯s better for Ellie to be saved.¡¯ Thus, Nick prayed that Zich would be able to save Ellie. Yet, he couldn¡¯t rest in peace by leaving everything up to Zich.

    ¡®After all, they said they¡¯ll kill me if Ellie is taken away.¡¯ Nick¡¯s eyes turned dark. If those guys tried to lead him somewhere, that meant Ellie was no longer in their grasp either because she had been saved or killed.

    ¡®There would be no reason for me to do nothing when that happens. Those guys need to pay for what they did.¡¯

    * * *

    ¡®Did everything go ording to n?¡¯ Zich saw Nick move out of the forest and took off his robe. ¡®With this, if the robed figures try to converse with him, he¡¯ll think that Ellie was rescued and immediately try to attack them.¡¯ Since the hostage who tied him down would be gone, Nick would rush towards them in vengeful fury. However, his n wasn¡¯t perfect yet; there were still some seasonings he needed to add to his n to make it perfect.

    ¡®It was definitely there, right?¡¯ Zich stared in the direction of his next goal. A chilling smile yed on his lips.

    * * *

    Glen was at his assigned post. However, like Nick, he wasn¡¯t interested in patrolling the area. His only interest was fulfilling his n, but his head hurt because the situation had gone awry at some point. ¡®Why the heck is that Nick bastard still so quiet?¡¯ If everything was going to n, Nick should have found Til and let people know. To be more exact, Nick would produce that result by ckmailing Til, but the truth was not very important. However, Nick was still quiet even when the expected time had long passed.

    ¡®Does he really have some kind of secret n?¡¯ Since Nick had released the control on the monsters, he was already the number one culprit for killing his underlings. ¡®Is this bastard also deviating from my n?¡¯

    Glen tightly clenched his fist. No matter the situation, it was annoying as hell to have a pawn, who always faithfully followed his n, suddenly deviating from it. ¡®When I saw himst time, there didn¡¯t seem to be anything suspicious about him.¡¯ However, he looked much more down and anxious than usual¡ªit was as if his child really had been kidnapped as the rumors said. ¡®I need to first make contact with him.¡¯

    Since he didn¡¯t want to get caught by Zich, Glen had been minimizing contact with Nick as much as possible. However, since the situation had already gone way off, he needed to make contact with Nick. Glen pondered about when, how, and where he should meet Nick when he suddenly felt a presence near him. Glen flinched because the presence felt way too close. Or more specifically, he flinched because he couldn¡¯t detect their presence until they were extremely close to him. It was even more surprising because the person didn¡¯t seem like they were particrly trying to hide their presence.

    There was only one person nearby who could possibly do this. Glen¡¯s mood plummeted to the abyss.

    ¡°Ah, you were here.¡± Zich waved his hand towards Glen.

    Glen almost scrunched his face, but he put on a straight face and a mask like usual. ¡°Why, if it isn¡¯t Mr. Zich. May I ask for what reason have youe all the way here? What was so important that you would leave your assigned post?¡± While not showing his annoyance, Glen slightly mixed critique into his words. If other people heard him, they¡¯d simply think that he was scolding Zich for abandoning his duty.

    Zich shrugged. ¡°I don¡¯t have anything to say about leaving my assigned post, but I have something to ask you.¡±

    ¡°Is it more important than our mission?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    Zich was saying that there was something more important than finding Til, someone who could immediately annihte Pialu. Was he just imagining it? Glen felt an ominous feeling. ¡°What is it?¡± he replied without revealing his emotions.

    Zich asked Glen various questions. Most of them were information that had already been confirmed about the army of monsters. Zich wanted information that was a bit more detailed.

    There was no need for him to lie, so Glen replied truthfully. After Zich finished asking for information about the number of high-level monsters and the army of monsters in detail, he soon nodded his head. ¡°Thank you for your help, Mr. Zenard.¡±

    Glen felt his lips grow chapped as he furtively asked, ¡°It wasn¡¯t a difficult task, but why do you want this information?¡±

    Zich smiled brightly; his smile felt extremely ominous to Glen. ¡°I think I¡¯ve found a solution to stop the army of monsters.¡±

    Glen desperately had to stop himself from swearing.

    * * *

    Glen asked what Zich¡¯s method was. On the surface, he merely showed his curiosity, but on the inside, he fervently worked to fish out this information from Zich. However, Zich sealed Glen¡¯s lips shut by saying it was a secret. Again, Glen had to desperately suppress himself from swinging his fists at Zich.

    ¡°If I¡¯m sessful with this, Pialu won¡¯t have to worry about monster attacks anymore.¡± With just these words, Zich left. It seemed as if Zich said these words to him to make him feel less worried, but rather than feeling relieved, Glen felt as if his insides were being flipped over. He stared at the area where Zich disappeared for a while and then he fell to the ground.

    ¡®What¡¯s the solution?¡¯ The army of monsters gathered together in the Denest Mountain Range was such a formidable force that even Glen wouldn¡¯t attempt to defeat them without the Pyramid of Vengeful Souls. What could be the solution to defeating such arge group of monsters?

    ¡®Is he bluffing?¡¯ If it was any other person, Glen might think that they were bluffing cause they were out of their mind. However, the problem was that it was Zich who told him this. He was the type of person who coulde up with a new method to solve this mess.

    ¡®If a solution really exists, and it works¡­¡¯ Then, Zich¡¯s reputation would reach the heavens. Glen couldn¡¯t let that happen. ¡®I need to immediately go and meet Nick.¡¯ Before Zich could carry out his solution, Glen needed to fix this situation.

 Chapter 424

    <h4>Chapter 424</h4>

    Nick looked down at the letter in front of him. Since its clean front surface was tightly sealed with melted wax, he couldn¡¯t see who it was from. However, Nick knew who sent it right away.

    ¡®Those guys must have sent it.¡¯ They must have been the robed figures he had once believed to be his coborators¡ªthose bastards who disappeared saying that they wouldn¡¯t contact him anymore unless it was necessary. On the other hand, they had been scheming all kinds of evil ns behind his back. Nick was sure that it was definitely from them, and he picked up the letter. His hand trembled as he roughly pulled off the seal and ripped the letter open.

    ¡®As I thought!¡¯ The letter simply said they had something to tell him and contained the location of their meeting ce. On the edge of the letter, there was a small marking Nick had agreed upon tomunicate with the robed figures.

    ¡®They are deciding to put this damn symbol now?¡¯ Even though the marking had symbolized their coboration, it looked deceptive and cheap now, and without any hesitation, Nick ripped the marking apart.

    ¡®Anyway, the reason why this letter came to me is probably because Ellie managed to escape.¡± Perhaps, she was dead, but Nick repressed this thought from his mind.

    ¡®Now, I only have one thing left to do.¡¯ It was to kill the robed figures. They were guys who dared to backstab him and make a fool out of him. There was no reason to keep them alive and they needed to pay for what they did. Of course, this would be no easy task. From what he saw, the robed figures¡¯ skills weren¡¯t bad, and above all, Til¡¯s existence hung deeply in his mind. He had spent a long time with Til, so Nick of all people knew how scary the man was. However, Nick thought he didn¡¯t need to worry about Til too much.

    ¡®If I think about the conversation between the two, it seems like one in charge of managing me is the robed figures. Plus, they wouldn¡¯t call Til just to get rid of me.¡¯ Nick was well aware of his skills. If there were several robed figures waiting to ambush him, they would be fully capable of immobilizing him. This fact hurt his pride, but it was the truth.

    ¡®I¡¯m sure the other side is fully aware of this too.¡¯ Of course, Nick would not go alone. He had no ns to die a pointless death, and he was going to bring strong reinforcements to ovee the trap the robed figures were preparing for him.

    ¡®I can¡¯t just take anyone.¡¯ He would need to exin the content of this letter when asking for help, anding up with a believable story behind it would be a formidable task. Moreover, the robed figures knew that Nick had used the monsters from the Denest Mountain Range to attack Pialu. If that truth was somehow revealed, he would lose everything.

    ¡®I suppose I can¡¯t use it?¡¯ Nick fumbled with the magic box holding the Pyramid of Vengeful Souls. If he could, he wanted to use the monsters to get rid of the robed figures. However, he didn¡¯t want to make those guys be suspicious of him by doing something out of character; after all, they didn¡¯t seem to be aware of his betrayal yet.

    ¡®Then there¡¯s only one option left.¡¯ Among his subordinates, there were conveniently those whomitted crimes for their own gains and covered them up. Thinking they were the best options he had, Nick began moving.

    * * *

    ¡®He¡¯s starting to move.¡¯ From far away, Zich specifically watched one person leave past Pialu¡¯s walls. He was clearly a mercenary by his appearance, and he dashed across the road on a horse while others followed behind him. There was nothing strange about this sight. Pialu was still in an emergency state, and many people were patrolling the area with artifacts and preparing for the unexpected. Considering all this, it wasn¡¯t strange that a mercenary was leaving the city like this.

    However, it was strange that there were so many mercenaries moving on horses at once. Only the members of Wolf¡¯s Canine used expensive animals like horses, and there were many more mercenaries going outside the castle walls than usual.

    ¡®Nick is making his move.¡¯ This meant that the robed figures had finally made their move too. Zich smiled in satisfaction. ¡®It seems like they are going to go all out.¡¯ Nick had probably contacted the members in his own Wolf¡¯s Canine division who received artifacts to search for Til.

    ¡®Since he has something to hide, he probably got those newbies with questionable morals.¡¯ It was clear to Zich that after leading them with money, Nick was nning to get rid of these peopleter to get rid of the evidence.

    ¡®I should follow them now.¡¯ These guys were heading to the area where the robed figures and Nick had agreed to meet. Zich couldn¡¯t miss this opportunity to screw the robed guys over.

    ¡®Moreover, it¡¯s always so fun to watch these puppets act ording to my ns.¡¯ Zich moved like a child, excited about the prospects of having a sweet treat.

    * * *

    After the sun fell and many hours passed since darkness nketed thend, Nick stood quietly in the forest. He had his sword on his waist and wore armor like he waspletely prepared for battle. Considering his upation as a mercenary and the current situation, his appearance wasn¡¯t strange at all. However, it didn¡¯t change the fact that he was exuding a strange energy.

    Rustle! The grass shook. Nick turned his head and stared at the area where the noise came from. Nick didn¡¯t know when he arrived, but a robed figure was standing there. The figure¡¯s ck robe blended in with the darkness and made him look like a ghost. Nick became filled with rage as he recalled the robed figure who had insulted him with Til. But he didn¡¯t rush forward.

    ¡°You came?¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡±

    The robed figure¡¯s voice was different from the one who talked to Til, but that didn¡¯t matter to Nick. They were all the same anyway, and it didn¡¯t matter which one was standing before him when he was going to kill all of them. Probably not knowing what was going through Nick¡¯s mind, the robed figure asked, ¡°Do you know why we called you when we said we won¡¯t contact you anymore?¡±

    ¡°How would I know?¡± Nick tilted his head, and although he couldn¡¯t see well because of the robe covering the figure¡¯s face, the robed figure slightly narrowed their eyes. Nick¡¯s attitude seemed confrontational rather than clueless.

    ¡®Is the information true?¡¯ the robed figure thought about how he was told that there was a high chance that Nick betrayed them. Seeing Nick¡¯s attitude, the information seemed trustworthy. However, the robed figure didn¡¯t hastily make his judgment. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you follow the n?¡±

    ¡°What n are you talking about?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t y games with me! I¡¯m asking why you haven¡¯t sold out Til yet!¡± If everything went ording to n, Glen should¡¯ve caught Til in front of arge audience with a shy show and been chased out of Pialu. Then, Glen would be the hero of Pialu. However, this n wasn¡¯t progressing at all, and it was all because of Nick. The robed figure¡¯s voice naturally became angry.

    However, Nick wasn¡¯t scared. As a mercenary, he had also experienced many things. If he got scared from just this amount of pressure, he wouldn¡¯t have been able to maintain his position as the vice-captain of Wolf¡¯s Canine.

    ¡°Hey, don¡¯t be like that. How can you tell me to sell out Til? Why should I sell out my closest friend andrade?¡±

    The robed figure¡¯s face turned stiff at Nick¡¯s carefree tone. ¡°Are you going to betray us?¡±

    ¡°Betray?¡± Nick¡¯s tone, which had been dripping with sly sarcasm, quickly changed. ¡°How dare you say that to me? Do you think I don¡¯t know anything!¡±

    The robed figure couldn¡¯t understand what Nick was saying. All they did was follow orders from the higher-ups, provided various kinds of support to Nick, and made preparations while waiting for the perfect time to intervene again. However, the robed figure was sure of one thing¡ªNick no longer had any desire to coborate with them.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about, but let the city know where Til is right now. If you just do this, we¡¯ll give you what we promised.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re telling me to tell the city where Til is?¡± Nick was exasperated; he couldn¡¯t believe that Til¡¯s coborator was acting like he was trying to sell out Til. Hadn¡¯t that n gone to hell after they decided to betray him and hold hands with Til? Their behavior was abominable, to say the least. Nick didn¡¯t need to listen any longer; he didn¡¯t feel any need to listen to their nonsense anymore.

    Swish! Nick took out his sword. Since it was night and there wasn¡¯t any light, the de¡¯s chilling light didn¡¯t reflect off the sword, but the sound of his sword was threatening.

    ¡°Stop with your nonsense and fight. I¡¯ll make sure you repent for your betrayal.¡±

    ¡°¡­You¡¯ve lost your sense of reason.¡± When he saw Nick pull out a sword in front of him, the robed figure no longer hid his murderous aura. He also pulled out a sword from his robe.

    ¡°I¡¯ll give you a warning, but don¡¯t you think that I¡¯ll waver because of Ellie. I know that you guys no longer have Ellie!¡±

    ¡°I have no idea why you¡¯re saying such fucking nonsense but¡ª.¡± Tap! The robed figure flicked his fingers. Robed figures hiding in the bushes began to appear one by one. They surrounded Nick and red threateningly at him. ¡°This is my final warning. Follow the n.¡±

    ¡°Hahaha!¡± Nick didn¡¯t lose hisposure despite the fact that he was surrounded by arge number of enemies. Instead, he let out a low chuckle as if he found them all absurd. ¡°Did you really think I wouldn¡¯t be able to think this far?¡± Nick had arrived at their destination earlier and scanned the area. He didn¡¯t notice any clear traps. Thus, there was only one method they would probably employ¡ªthey were probably going to surround him and gang up on him. Thankfully, Nick had an excellent method to address this situation.

    Fweettt! Nick whistled. Since he infused mana into it, the sound of his whistle traveled across trees and bushes and reached a very far distance. Anyone could tell that he was sending a signal, and the robed figures¡¯ faces stiffened. Nickughed at them. ¡°You¡¯re not the only one who can fight with numbers, you stupid idiots.¡±

    ¡°Kill him!¡± The robed figure in front of Nick rushed towards him. The robed figures surrounding Nick also pulled out their swords and rushed towards him.

    Crash! Nick and the robed figure¡¯s swords collided. Even though Nick¡¯s skills were significantly lower than Til¡¯s, his skills suited him as the vice-captain of Wolf¡¯s Canine. Nick easily blocked the robed figure¡¯s attacks. However, even this had its limits. Since he didn¡¯t have an overwhelming amount of fighting power like Zich, Glen, or Til, his strength would slowly decline as the robed figures ganged up on him. However, fortunately for him, he wasn¡¯t alone.

    A loud cry came from the forest. The robed figures turned their heads; a great number of mercenaries were running towards them from across the forest.

    ¡°You bastard!¡± The robed figure facing Nick gritted his teeth, but Nick was calm.

    ¡°Why are you staring at me like that? You guys were the ones who decided to gang up on me first.¡± Then, Nick strongly pushed away from the robed figure¡¯s sword. The robed figure moved back and stared at the mercenaries rushing towards them.

    ¡°You! You! You! You!¡± He pointed at four other robed figures and said, ¡°You four will kill Nick with me and the rest of you will block the mercenaries heading towards us!¡± As expected, the robed figure who approached him first seemed to be the leader. His subordinates followed his order without hesitation.

    ¡°Do you really think that those punks hiding around in the shadows can beat my trained subordinates who¡¯ve been through numerous real-life experiences?¡±

    Nick mocked them, and the leader gritted his teeth. ¡°You won¡¯t have any time to talk, you bastard.¡±

 Chapter 425

    <h4>Chapter 425</h4>

    As Nick predicted, the battle flowed in favor of the mercenaries. The robed figures were elite members of their organization, but they had focused heavily on honing their infiltration skills above all other skills for their jobs. Inparison, mercenaries lived by their swords and were strong in closebat. Although their characters were questionable, the people Nick brought were skilled enough to have gotten epted into Wolf¡¯s Canine.

    The elite robed figures put up a good fight¡ªthey used the natural terrain to block the mercenaries from advancing as much as possible and tried to get rid of Nick first; yet, things didn¡¯t go ording to their ns. Nick was too strong. He wasn¡¯t known for his fighting prowess in his group because he had been overshadowed by Til, but that simply was proof of Til¡¯s monster-like abilities. All in all, Nick was skilled enough to be one of the top five fighters in Wolf¡¯s Canine.

    ¡°Tch!¡± The robed figure¡¯s leader clicked his tongue. He was annoyed that Nick had easily blocked a four-person joint effort to put him down. Although they still had the advantage in numbers, it didn¡¯t seem like they would be able to defeat Nick easily.

    ¡®If we drag out the time any longer, the other mercenaries will get involved,¡¯ the robed figure¡¯s leader thought. Then, that would only increase their possibility of losing to Nick. ¡®At the very least, we have to retrieve the Pyramid of Vengeful Souls back.¡¯

    The leader watched as his subordinates fought the other mercenaries. ¡®Should I try shaking things up?¡¯

    ¡°Hey, do you guys know who this guy is!¡± The leader¡¯s mana-filled voice rang across the ce. ¡°He was the one who attacked Pialu and tried to ce the me on Til! Do you still n to fight for a guy like that!¡± Perhaps, the mercenaries wouldn¡¯t even heed to their enemy¡¯s words in the middle of fighting, but the leader thought it was better than doing nothing. Yet, the mercenaries responded differently from the leader¡¯s expectations.

    ¡°Kurghuhuhuhu!¡±

    ¡°Hahahaha!¡± The mercenaries took a furtive nce at the leader andughed. Their response was too strange for people who didn¡¯t believe what he was saying.

    ¡°¡­Did they perhaps already know about it?¡±

    Nick replied, ¡°I thought it would be better for them to know beforehand rather than hearing the news in the middle of a battle and losing their fighting capabilities.¡±

    ¡°Then, does that mean those guys already knew about your deed and still agreed to fight for you? They really are beyond saving just like the rumors said,¡± the leader said and thought there was only one option left now. He then made his decision. This was the first method that came to mind when he saw an unexpected group of mercenaries rushing toward them.

    p! p! The leader backed away and pped two times. Since he had instilled mana into the sound, all the robed figures heard the ps clearly even while fighting.

    ¡®What is he doing?¡¯ Nick focused on the leader''s actions. Even in the midst of a fearsome battle where swords collided and a momentary distraction could cost him his own life, the leader¡¯s actions were very distracting.

    ¡®It¡¯s not like he suddenly lost his mind.¡¯ Nick thought there must be some kind of purpose to the leader¡¯s actions, and as he continued to block a flurry of sword attacks, he tried to assess the situation. Whatever happened, he needed to remain collected and calm. Yet, when he saw what happened next, all his resolution to keep calm turned to nothing and he watched, stunned.

    Crack! The leader¡¯s robe ripped roughly and from the inside, and his muscles swelled up. As wild mana whirled around him, the leader¡¯s body grew bigger and bigger.

    Bam! The leader¡¯s body became sorge it looked like a rough and bumpy boulder. The leader cast the now dangling, ripped robe to the side and stepped forward.

    ¡®What is that¡­¡¯ Nick¡¯s face hardened. He hadn¡¯t expected the robed figure to have hidden power like that. The leader rushed to Nick.

    ang! The sword which Nick used to block the attack trembled. The leader was much stronger than before, and Nick backed away slightly. Nick moved his numb hands and stared at the figure in front of him. The face hidden under the robe that Nick had been curious about was now in full disy, but it didn¡¯t appear to be the man¡¯s original face. It was too monster-like.

    ¡®He really did be stronger.¡¯ However, after shing with the leader, Nick was relieved to find out that the leader hadn¡¯t be that dangerous. Nick could endure until his subordinates finished off the other robed figures and came to his aid. Yet, his judgment had been too hasty. When the leader rushed toward Nick, the other three robed figures distanced themselves from Nick.

    Crack! Crack! The same sound as the one that hade out of the leader¡¯s body during the transformation began toe out of them too. Surrounded by a strong current of mana, their bodies swelled, and their robes were ripped. Nick¡¯s eyes widened at this sight.

    ¡®Don¡¯t tell me these guys can transform too!¡¯ Nick quickly nced at his subordinates and the robed figures fighting against each other. The same thing was happening over there too. While some of the robed figures dealt with the mercenaries, the rest were turning into monsters.

    ¡°Damn it!¡± Nick cursed. Although the fight was currently in favor of the mercenaries, Nick didn¡¯t know what would happen if all the robed figures transformed into those monster-like forms.

    ¡®I have to kill at least one of these guys first!¡± Nick quickly moved. He swung his sword as if he was trying to attack the leader in front of him. The leader responded, but it was a feint attack. Nick withdrew his sword again, arched his back, and tried to dash past the leader¡¯s side. He nned to get rid of the robed figures who were still transforming.

    Bammm! The leader¡¯srge feet mmed against Nick, but Nick ttened his sword and blocked his attack. Even though he didn¡¯t receive much damage, he couldn¡¯t carry out his ns to attack the other robed figures.

    ¡°Do you think I¡¯d let you go so easily?¡± Even in his transformed state, the robed figure could still talk like a human. Nick stared at the leader and stared back at the robed figures behind his back¡ªthey had all finished transforming.

    ¡®It won¡¯t be easy for me to defeat them.¡¯ Nick gritted his teeth.

    * * *

    The battle between the robed figures and the mercenaries was extremely fierce and intense. Both sides put their lives on the line and used every means possible to defeat their opponent. shes, screams, and blood passed between them. Even though their thoughts, goals, and ideals were different, they all fought their very best to end their opponents¡¯ lives. However, in a ce that was at a suitable distance from the battle, there was an individual who was in an opposite state of mind from them and clearly showed a lot of leisure.

    ¡°Woah.¡± Zich looked at the robed figures change into monsters with interest. Since it was a tactic that the robed figures had often used when they were driven into a corner, it was nothing new. However, there was one aspect of this battle that was different from all his battles with the other robed figures.

    ¡®In this group, all the subordinates can also use that skill.¡¯ Usually, the only ones who could transform into monsters were the leaders of the robed figures. However, for this group, the robed figures, including the leader, had all transformed into monsters.

    ¡®As expected, they must be the elite troops.¡¯ Zich felt very satisfied that his prediction had been correct. Like an audience member watching a fighting match, he enjoyed watching these two sides fight each other.

    On the other hand, there was also another person watching this fight next to Zich. It was Til. He stared at the robed figures and the mercenaries with a hard stare. His gaze especially lingered on the mercenaries Nick had personally brought¡ªthey had no morals. Even though Til had looked at them with disgust and wanted to find an excuse to chase them out, they were still part of Wolf¡¯s Canine.

    ¡°Ugh!¡± One mercenary was hit by one of the robed monsters and rolled on the ground while screaming. The bone on his nose had copsed and half of his teeth were missing. However, he wasn¡¯t in pain for much longer¡ª

    Crunch! The monster¡¯s feet crushed the mercenary¡¯s face; his head burst, and his eyeballs rolled in front of the monster¡¯s feet. The mercenary¡¯s white brain matter, flesh, and pieces of bone also flowed out. The monster smirked at the corpse he killed and moved to find their next target.

    Til asked anxiously, ¡°Don¡¯t you think we have to help?¡±

    However, Zich seemed as if he had no intentions to help. He replied to Til with a leisurely voice. ¡°Let¡¯s step forward when their forces decrease further. It''s most advantageous for us to just watch when two enemies are fighting each other.¡±

    ¡°But those guys are my subordinates.¡± While they were talking, one more mercenary died, and the frown on Til¡¯s face deepened.

    ¡°Aren¡¯t those the same guys you wanted to kick out in the first ce?¡±

    ¡°They¡¯re still my subordinates and part of Wolf¡¯s Canine.¡±

    ¡°Yes, but they¡¯re also the same guys who knew you were being falsely used but decided to ignore it for their own benefit.¡±

    Til had nothing to say. He recalled the mercenaries¡¯ reactions when the leader of the robed figures said the truth; they could have chosen to not believe their enemy. Instead, even after learning the entire truth, they decided to follow Nick for their own gain.

    ¡°I think that it¡¯s actually for the better since you don¡¯t have to stress over those guys anymore.¡±

    Til couldn¡¯t brush off Zich¡¯s hand tapping on his shoulder. In the end, Til also decided to just watch the two sides fight against each other. The mercenaries were greater in number, but the robed figures obtained great power from transforming into monsters. Their power was about equal.

    Even though more mercenaries died, arge number of robed figures also died. It seemed as if this battle would only end if both sides werepletely annihted. Both sides also seemed to have realized this. However, their reactions were different. The leader of the robed figures continued to attack unfazed. However, Nick¡¯s expression began to look more and more anxious. ¡®This can¡¯t continue!¡¯

    Mercenaries moved ording to money, but money only mattered if they were still alive. They would risk their lives for a battle that had the possibility of victory, but it was apletely different story for a battle they had no chance of winning or would end in total destruction for both sides. The mercenaries here were especially selfish and opportunistic to the core. A couple of mercenaries began moving back. There was no need to even ask who had a higher possibility of winning between those fighting with their lives on the line or those desperately trying to run away.

    Tap, tap, tap! The mercenary in the very back turned around and began running away.

    The leader shouted, ¡°Don¡¯t let them escape!¡± They couldn¡¯t let the number of people who knew about them increase. However, there were still more mercenaries than the robed figures. If they all scattered in different directions, it might be very difficult to capture them all. However, the leader¡¯s concern didn¡¯tst long.

    Slice! A sword that suddenly appeared cut the neck of the mercenary running away. The mercenary¡¯s head soared high in the air and plummeted to the ground, and the mercenary¡¯s body crashed into the tree it was running towards and halted. Everyone¡¯s gazes moved towards the third party that suddenly appeared.

    ¡°How can you run away so cowardly? Trash like you need to kill each other as much as possible. Isn¡¯t that the only reason why you exist in this world?¡± Zich mocked the people in front of him with the same confidence as usual.

 Chapter 426

    <h4>Chapter 426</h4>

    Between the two forces, Nick was the first person to recognize Zich.

    ¡°Mr. Zich?¡± Nick said joyfully when he realized that the third party that had abruptly appeared was Zich. Nick didn¡¯t know whether Ellie had been saved or killed, but he was sure that the robed figures¡¯ organization no longer had her now. Since there was no way those shady robed figures would tell him the truth easily, Nick thought the only way he would learn about his daughter¡¯s whereabouts was by checking her status for himself. Zich had been preparing the rescue n for his daughter, so now Nick could ask for his daughter¡¯s whereabouts from the person who should know best.

    Nick felt hopeful seeing that Zich appeared fine; perhaps, this meant that his daughter¡¯s rescue had gone well. Furthermore, Nick hoped for one more thing.

    ¡®He came to help us kill those robed figures!¡¯ Nick thought Zich had trailed behind the robed figures after saving his daughter. Nick was well aware of Zich¡¯s skills and thought there would be no better support than Zich right now. That was about the extent of Nick¡¯s thoughts as soon as he saw Zich. No matter how highly he thought of Zich and trusted him now, Nick couldn¡¯t take his eyes off his current fight for too long as the vice-captain of a mercenary group. Even the hopeful thoughts that entered his mind upon Zich¡¯s entrance sparked and passed by quickly.

    ¡°W-What is that!¡±

    ¡°Isn¡¯t that the Karuwiman Holy Knight?¡±

    ¡°Karuwiman Holy Knight? Then, is he on our side?¡±

    ¡°Didn¡¯t you see him kill the bastard trying to run away?¡±

    Like the mercenary said, Zich had killed an escaping mercenary. Even though it was unforgivable that the mercenary had turned his back away from his enemies and tried to run away, it didn¡¯t make sense that an outsider would suddenly intervene and kill theirpanion. Additionally, what Zich said also hung on their minds.

    ¡®Trash should try to get rid of as many of each other as possible.¡± Those words had been clearly ones of mockery, as if Zich was insulting everyone here. Perhaps, there was a misunderstanding¡ªNick thought after he heard the confused voices around him. After all, Zich was the Karuwiman Honorary Holy Knight who had worked hard to save his daughter.

    ¡°What are you doing, Sir Zich!¡± Although he was enraged about hispanion¡¯s death, Nick controlled his voice and expression as he spoke to Zich. ¡°You just came out and killed ourpanion. Are you misunderstanding something, sir?¡±

    As soon as the mercenaries heard the word ¡®misunderstanding¡¯, their eyes shed expectantly. The robed figures were taken by surprise by the new, unexpected intruder. If Zich joined the mercenaries as their ally, they would not need to escape. Although they had lost onepanion, one death meant little before an almost guaranteed victory. Zich smirked at all the hopeful gazes directed at him. He had made his entrance by slicing one of theirpanion¡¯s heads and insulting them, but they still hoped that he could be on their side.

    ¡®My goodness. It seems like I have done quite a good job on keeping my image.¡¯ It was so good to the point that his own acting was beginning to frighten him. While the mercenaries were still deep in their hopeful delusions, the robed figures hadpletely different thoughts.

    ¡®Zich Moore.¡¯ The leader of the robed figures stared at Zich intently. Of course, the leader recognized Zich. In some ways, Zich could be considered the most important factor to their biggest n. Furthermore, the robed figures knew that many of their ns had gone to ruins because of Zich. Although Zich appeared and sliced a mercenary¡¯s head off, they knew there was no way Zich would be on their side.

    ¡®If that guy intervenes, we have no chance at victory,¡¯ the leader thought. He had no choice now but to use some of his subordinates¡¯ lives as bait to capture Nick and escape right away. The leader was about to signal to his subordinates when¡ªCrunch! He heard a chilling sound beside him, and everyone¡¯s eyes turned to the origin of the noise.

    Bam! One of the robed figures who had transformed into a monster was rolling on the ground after turning into lumps of meat; the body was almost sliced in half and its torso was ripped multiple times roughly. Instead of skills, it seemed like pure, brutal strength had caused the wounds.

    ¡°¡­Til?¡± Nick murmured after seeing the person kill the transformed robed figure.

    As Til stood in the darkness while holding his giant sword, he looked so fearsome that even those who knew him well took a couple of steps back.

    ¡°Why is that guy¡­¡± Nick thought there was a low chance that Til would appear, but he wasn¡¯t too surprised to see him either. After all, Til was a coborator with the robed figures. Yet, contrary to his firm belief that Til was the robed figures¡¯ coborator and to his confusion, Til was attacking the robed figures now.

    Whoosh! Til swung his sword again and the robed monsters nearby responded. With their heightened physical abilities, they swung their weapons at Til.

    Crunch! Bang! Yet, these attacks all proved to be fruitless in front of Til¡¯s overwhelming strength. Fists ripped apart against Til¡¯s giant swords and swords futilely bounced off. Then, Til¡¯s giant sword dived between the gaps that opened after these collisions. Crunch! There was another chilling sound and two robed monsters fell to the floor again.

    ¡°Capture Nick!¡± the leader yelled and even he ran toward Nick. The robed monsters nearby thrust their bodies at Til too. They were willing to risk their lives to block Til to let the rest rush toward him. Nick maintained hisposure. He might have been in grave danger before, but the situation was different now. He didn¡¯t know what happened and whether or not an internal conflict had erupted between the two groups which was why Til was attacking the robed figures now. Furthermore, Nick thought that Zich had joined them and believed that Zich¡¯s previous attack had been a misunderstanding.

    ¡°Lock in defense format!¡± Nick yelled and the mercenaries hurriedly into position. Thankfully, it seemed they knew the situation had changed and didn¡¯t try to run anymore.

    Nick shouted to Zich, ¡°Mr. Zich, I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re misunderstanding, but let¡¯s first stop those guys! Those guys are the reason for Pialu¡¯s current situation! Let¡¯s first defeat those guys and talk¡­!¡±

    Nick¡¯s shouts did notst long.

    Slice! Zich sliced the nearest mercenary who moved to fight the robed monsters while gauging Zich¡¯s reaction.

    ¡°T-that bastard! He killed another one of us!¡±

    ¡°What the hell, Vice-Captain! Wasn¡¯t there a misunderstanding?¡±

    Nick was also confused. ¡°M-mr. Zich! What are you doing!¡±

    However, it seemed as if Zich had no intentions to reply to Nick¡¯s question. His sword indifferently swung towards the mercenaries.

    Slice! Another mercenary next to Zich lost his head. It was by this time that all the mercenaries, including Zich, realized that Zich was treating them like his enemies, regardless if there was a misunderstanding or not.

    ¡°Everyone, gather together for now!¡± Nick gave an order, but the mercenaries hesitated to follow his order. Their desire to escape exponentially increased after they determined Zich to be their enemy instead of their ally.

    Nick couldn¡¯t believe he called these bastards his subordinates. He thought that Til might have been right about kicking them out of the Wolf¡¯s Canine for a bit. Then, he shouted, ¡°Do you seriously think that you can escape in this situation! We need to first gather together and raise our defense! They¡¯ll kill the ones who try to escape first!¡±

    Thest sentence finally moved the mercenaries. They wanted to escape, but as Nick said, if they escaped, they would be the ones to die first. Moreover, even if they wanted to follow a person, no one was stepping forward to take the hit. Since they were all the same kind of people, they all knew that no one would escape first in this situation. On the other hand, if they just stood still like this, they would all die without being able to resist, so they had no choice but to follow Nick¡¯s words. His words hit the nail on the head for guys who had no sense ofradeship.

    However, they had only stalled time for a little bit, and the situation was still extremely dire. The robed monsters were still rushing toward the mercenaries. Zich was killing the mercenaries, and Til was decimating the robed monsters.

    ¡®And these guys are no help at all!¡¯ The mercenaries were stupid in the first ce, but they became even dumber due to the pressure and were merely following Nick¡¯s orders out of habit. However, Nick wasn¡¯t sure how long they¡¯d follow his orders. ¡®Most of all, those robed bastards are targeting me!¡¯ The mercenaries in his group could turn him over and ask him to stop the fight. ¡®I guess it can¡¯t be helped.¡¯ Nick had no choice but to make a decision since his life was most important.

    Nick loudly shouted, ¡°Don¡¯t move!¡± There was little chance that his enemies would stop moving from his shout. Surprisingly, the robed monsters, Zich, and Til all stopped moving. The Pyramid of Vengeful Souls was in his hand. ¡°If you guys move even a little bit, I¡¯ll activate this!¡± Nick said withplete sincerity. His sincerity seemed to have reached his enemies as nobody moved.

    ¡®They stopped for now!¡¯ Nick let out a sigh in relief. The robed figures who gave the Pyramid of Vengeful Souls to him would definitely know what this was. Zich also said that he had seen the Pyramid of Vengeful Souls before, and Til also knew that Nick had it with him.

    The leader of the robed figures asked, ¡°What are you nning to do with that?¡± His sharp eyes stared at the Pyramid of Vengeful Souls. However, he didn¡¯t stare for long and said while keeping his guard against Zich and Til, ¡°Nick, pass that over to us. If you do that, I won¡¯t chase after you this time.¡±

    ¡°Hmph, no, you won¡¯t be able to chase after me.¡±

    The leader¡¯s chilling gaze scanned Nick, but instead of backing down, Nick raised his chin. There was no way that Nick would pass over his only lifeline to the robed figure. The leader wanted to immediately kill Nick and take the Pyramid of Vengeful Souls from him, but it was difficult for him to make a move in case Nick really carried out his words.

    ¡°Even if you activate that, there¡¯s no way you¡¯ll live. How long do you think it¡¯ll take for the monsters to reach here?¡±

    There was a significant distance between the monsters in the Denest Mountain Range and their current location. Even if Nick immediately called the monsters here, they wouldn¡¯t be able to arrive on time. Yet, Nick answered, ¡°Yeah, but it also can¡¯t be helped that your group¡¯s n would bepletely crushed.¡±

    Even the leader couldn¡¯t easily reply to that statement; if the n went amiss, he would have to deal with all kinds of violence and frustration from Glen. Moreover, something seemed to have irked him immensely, as Glen¡¯s annoyance was one level higher than usual. If Glen found out that the n went amiss because of them, he didn¡¯t know what kind of consequences they would have to face. However, he couldn¡¯t just easily leave the Pyramid of Vengeful Souls to Nick. The leader tried to think of a n as fast as possible¡ªa way to skew the situation in their favor.

    ¡°Hey, Til.¡± The leader called out to Til who was attacking them. Til¡¯s gaze shifted towards him. ¡°Coborate with us. If you do that, we¡¯ll give you the opportunity to save your son and make you free!¡±

    The leader thought that Til was still being ckmailed by Nick, so he attempted to get Til to join their side. Nick¡¯s eyes widened at this scene. ¡®What is this fucking nonsense?¡¯

 Chapter 427

    <h4>Chapter 427</h4>

    What did he mean by freeing Til¡¯s son?

    ¡®Did those guys kidnap Til¡¯s son to tie him down too?¡¯ If that was the case, Nick could understand why there was an internal conflict between Til and the leader of the robed figures and why the leader was now making such a strange offer to Til.

    ¡®If it¡¯s those guys, it¡¯s possible,¡¯ Nick thought. After all, those guys immediately extended their hands to Til after he failed to kidnap Walter and Ellie. Nick thought he was now able to grasp how their rtionship operated. Yet, the leader¡¯s following words crumbled all of Nick¡¯s interpretations.

    ¡°I have a good guess on where Nick ced your son. You have no more reason to be ckmailed by him.¡±

    ¡°What nonsense are you saying!¡± Nick burst out what he barely managed to hold in thest time the leader spoke. He couldn¡¯t help it this time as he shouted, ¡°You guys are the one who used Til to kidnap my daughter and ckmailed me!¡± If that wasn¡¯t the case, Nick would have no reason to bring a whole bunch of subordinates that he had no trust in and cause amotion like this in the middle of the night. Thus, Nick yelled, ¡°Did you guys think I still hadn¡¯t noticed Til¡¯s connection with you guys!¡±

    ¡®What the hell is he saying?¡¯ The leader of the robed figures scowled and thought the same as Nick. ¡®What is he trying to do?¡¯ he wondered. The leader would¡¯ve understood if Nick had something that would drive Til farther apart from the robed figures so he wouldn¡¯t join them; yet, Nick talked as if the robed figures had joined hands with Til from the beginning.

    ¡®Why is that guy saying that after seeing Til attack us?¡¯ Nick¡¯spletely baseless derations baffled the leader.

    ¡°Join us, Til!¡± Nick shouted. ¡°You got betrayed by them too, right? As expected of those guys. I will do my best to help save your son! You can also help me save my daughter!¡± Nick stretched out his hand to Til and continued, ¡°I know you can¡¯t believe those guys because they betrayed you anyways. Then, it¡¯s better to join hands with someone you have at least been with for a long time!¡±

    ¡®Betrayal?¡¯ The leader was even more baffled. They didn¡¯t have much of a rtionship with Til in the first ce since they had handed most of this n¡¯s execution over to Nick. But why was Nick talking about betrayal when they hadn¡¯t agreed on anything with Til in the first ce? The leader couldn¡¯t see behind Nick¡¯s intentions at all. Everything Nick said made them fall into deeper confusion.

    ¡®Stop.¡¯ The leader recalled what Nick said.

    ¡®I thought he was saying nonsense to mock us, but¡­¡¯ The leader began to think that Nick maybe had a different understanding and information of the events that had unfolded.

    ¡°Nick.¡±

    ¡°What!¡± Nick replied in a hostile tone. However, the leader didn¡¯t concern himself with that since he had a more important issue to settle.

    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell the city about Til¡¯s whereabouts?¡± the leader asked even though Til was right there listening to them.

    ¡°What nonsense are you saying now of all times! Do you think I don¡¯t know all the things you guys have been¡­.!¡±

    ¡°Tell me now!¡± the leader roared. The leader¡¯s yelling did not scare Nick, but because he felt that the situation was flowing strangely, he answered for now.

    ¡°You guys took Ellie and used her to ckmail me!¡±

    ¡°Ellie? Your daughter? Didn¡¯t you take your child and Til¡¯s child and ce them somewhere?¡±

    ¡°Why are you pretending to be clueless now! Since I failed to capture the kids, you guys joined hands with Til and kidnapped them instead!¡±

    ¡°We never did such a thing!¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t lie! I saw it with my own eyes! I saw Til meeting one of you guys! How dare you try to lie!¡±

    However, even as they argued like this, both sides began to feel that something was clearly wrong. After all, there was no reason for either of them to lie so borately when they had already reached the point of trying to kill each other.

    ¡°You saw us meet Til?¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡±

    ¡°Who was it? Why did you think that person was us?¡±

    ¡°Of course, it was a guy with a robe¡­¡± Nick closed his mouth. Now that he thought about it, he just naturally thought that the guy talking to Til was one of the robed figures because he wore a robe, but there was no evidence proving this. Enraged, the leader soon grasped the situation and yelled, ¡°You fucking idiot!¡±

    ¡°Wait! That guy was already aware of our rtionship! If he didn¡¯t, I wouldn¡¯t have thought of him as one of you guys!¡± Nick retorted. Of course, his excuse fell on deaf ears.

    ¡°Plus, it¡¯s true that Ellie was kidnapped! Til showed me Ellie¡¯s clothes as evidence!¡±

    The leader turned his head swiftly and looked at Til who was watching them with cold eyes.

    ¡®That guy kidnapped the children?¡¯ From what he knew, Til wasn¡¯t someone who would do such a thing at all. He was about to ask Nick for more details when a burst of lowughter interrupted him.

    ¡°¡­Pft!¡±

    ¡°Pffffffft! Pft! Kfufufufufu!¡±

    It was the sound of someone struggling to contain theirughter. It wasn¡¯t a pleasant sound to hear, especially when they were in such a mess. Everyone¡¯s eyes turned in the direction of theughter. Like a flood rushing through a broken dam, Zichughed loudly while clutching his stomach. Heughed so hard that one might wonder if his lungs would give out.

    Nick, the mercenaries, and the robed figures all stared at Zich in astonishment. Yet, Zich¡¯sughter showed no signs of stopping.

    ¡°What are youughing about?¡± the leader asked without hiding his annoyance.

    ¡°Ah, sorry, my bad. I tried my best to suppress it until the end, but it¡¯s too funny watching you two.¡± Even while he was talking, his words kept getting cut off because he couldn¡¯t contain hisughter.

    ¡°Hey, Mr. Nick.¡±

    ¡°What is it?¡± Since Nick believed that Zich had saved Ellie, he had a favorable impression of Zich, but he was quite taken aback by Zich¡¯s loudughter. He might have instinctively realized that his favorable impression of Zich might be fundamentally wed.

    ¡°The person you met before. Perhaps, did he look like this?¡±

    Nick¡¯s eyes almost bulged out of his sockets when he saw the item that Zich took out¡ªit was a robe. From a nce, it wasn¡¯t noticeably different from the robes that the robed figures often wore. Zichughed and put the robe over his whole body; then, he made his voice rough and low. ¡°Or more like this.¡±

    ¡°You¡­! You¡­!¡± Nick¡¯s fingers shook as he pointed at Zich.

    It was only then did the leader realize the current situation. ¡°Were you the bastard who tricked Nick!¡±

    ¡°As you can see.¡± Zich pulled off the robe and put it in his magic box again. ¡°Ah, for your information, I¡¯m also the one who kidnapped Walter and Ellie. Or to be more exact, I stopped the children from being kidnapped under your orders, Nick. I took them away and had they stay at a ce where I wanted them to be.¡±

    ¡°You were the one who kidnapped Ellie? Then why did Til ckmail me?¡±

    ¡°I was the one who ordered Til to do that.¡±

    People looked at Til, but he just stayed in the darkness without saying a single word.

    ¡°I¡¯ve been aware that you are the culprit behind the monster ambushes in Pialu for a while, but I didn¡¯t feel satisfied with ending the matter with just your capture. I also knew that you were coborating with these vile robed bastards, but as expected of cockroach-like bastards, I couldn¡¯t see even a trace of their hair.¡±

    Zich¡¯s tone, attitude, and voice were all mocking them for ying right into their hands. Nick, the leader, and all the robed figures and mercenaries¡¯ faces began to scrunch up. However, Zich was calm; instead, he seemed to have gained energy from their anger and hatred as his voice increased one level higher. ¡°So I thought long and hard about how I could drag those cockroaches out from their shadows. That¡¯s why I tricked you so that you won¡¯t be able to do anything, and those cockroaches will crawl out to check up on you.¡± As he talked, Zich referenced the robed figures as cockroach-like bastards to just cockroaches. He seemed to find great enjoyment every time he called them cockroaches. Of course, as Zich¡¯s mood improved, the robed figures¡¯ moods worsened.

    ¡°Of course, just this won¡¯t be fun enough, so I added a bit more seasoning to make it more enjoyable. I thought that since I was getting help pulling out those cockroaches from the shadows, I should also get your help in getting rid of them. As you know, cockroaches are filthy.¡± Then, Zich wiped his hand on his shoulder to show how dirty they were. It was aical gesture, but no one found it mildly funny.

    ¡°Anyway, I really received a lot of help from you, Mr. Nick. I can¡¯t thank you enough. You dragged out the cockroaches, helped me get rid of them, and¡­¡± Zich¡¯s smile was so wide that it almost reached his ears. ¡°You even gave me great joy by perfectly acting as a dumb puppet under my hands. I really don¡¯t know how I can ever repay you.¡±

    Nick loudly shouted and rushed towards Zich. ¡°You bastaaaaaaarddd!¡±

    sh! Two swords collided. Nick infused arge amount of mana into his sword and let out a murderous aura. However, it could not pass through Windur.

    ¡°Oh my, why are you getting so angry? I¡¯m merely expressing my sincere gratitude towards you.¡±

    ¡°Dieeeee!¡±

    Bam! The mana in Nick¡¯s sword exploded; he furiously swung his sword like a mad man and shook the surrounding air. However, Zich was able to deflect his attacks with the most minimal movement. Even while he was so furious that he thought he was going nuts, Nick realized that it¡¯d be too difficult for him to defeat Zich by himself.

    Nick shouted, ¡°What are you doing! Kill this guy!¡± However, the mercenaries faltered and hesitated to make a move. ¡°If you don¡¯t kill this guy, it¡¯ll also be the end for you guys! Do you really think this guy will let you live?¡±

    ¡°Of course. How could I just leave those traitors who betrayed their captain and strayed to the wrong path alone.¡± Zich¡¯s word instigated the mercenaries to begin moving. The mercenaries clenched their teeth and rushed towards Zich.

    Then, Nick shouted to the robed figures this time, ¡°You guys help too! Our misunderstanding has been resolved! This guy has been ying with us the whole time!¡±

    The leader replied with annoyance, ¡°It¡¯s not us but you.¡± Then, he turned towards his subordinates. ¡°We¡¯re leaving.¡± There was no reason for them to participate in thismotion. Moreover, Zich was prey that Glen specifically marked as his. Even though it¡¯ll be difficult for them to kill him, they must also not kill him.

    ¡°You bastards!¡±

    The leader heard Nick spitting insults at them, but he paid no heed. Since so much of their n had been discovered, their n this time had ended up in total failure. It would only be a loss if they dragged on this n any longer. However, they couldn¡¯t easily escape either.

    ¡°Who said we¡¯ll let you go?¡± Til had been standing still the whole time, but he now began moving. His giant stature blocked and pressured the robed figures.

 Chapter 428

    <h4>Chapter 428</h4>

    Baang! Til¡¯s giant sword swept over the robed figures. The robed figures resisted, but they failed to block the full force of Til¡¯s swing. Til red at the robed figures in front of him. Since they had transformed into monsters, there was no trace of their human selves, but it didn¡¯t matter to Til whether they were humans or monsters. The only point that mattered was that those guys were the ones who had involved him in their evil schemes.

    ¡®Because of those guys, I¡­!¡± All the suffering he had undergone until now whizzed by, especially the shock he felt when he heard of Walter¡¯s kidnapping and the powerlessness that bound him when he had no choice but to follow what the letter told him to do. The robed figures in front of him were the start of it all.

    Baaaaam!

    ¡°Kurrrrgh!¡±

    ¡°Ugggh!¡±

    Although the robed figures had dramatically increased their strength and durability through their transformation, they still couldn¡¯t withstand Til¡¯s power. He struck down blows on them like cmity, and the robed figures couldn¡¯t do anything but endure. Yet, they soon reached their limits.

    Crack!

    ¡°cck!¡± Til¡¯s giant sword struck one of the robed figure¡¯s necks. Even if the robed figures had increased their life force because of their transformation, they couldn¡¯t survive after a sword pierced their necks. The robed figure copsed on the spot and stopped moving. Seeing this, the leader¡¯s expression stiffened.

    ¡®Not good.¡¯ From the fight just now, the leader realized ?they might just end up losing more men by trying to get the Pyramid of Vengeful Souls back. Plus, the leader had just gained important information that Zich had gone around pretending to be them. Even if he got rebuked for losing the Pyramid of Vengeful Souls, he judged that he needed to withdraw. Yet, he soon realized that it was a miscalction on his part when he assessed that he could escape by simply sacrificing some of his subordinates.

    ¡®To think that they were this strong!¡¯

    Til rushed toward them like a giant bear and his subordinates blocked him with all their might. Yet, there wasn¡¯t a single subordinate who could properly block him.

    ¡®We have to scatter and escape.¡¯ However, even this n wasn¡¯t grounded in much reality. Just a second before, he tried to get one of his subordinates to escape and get the information out that Zich was pretending to be them. In response, Til had pulled out a tree by its roots and flung it at the subordinate. Since he had been too focused on escaping, the subordinate didn¡¯t even have the time to resist and died, crushed underneath the weight of the giant tree. Although a robed figure wouldn¡¯t have normally died from a simple tree, it was a different matter if Til had imbued the tree with his might and thrusted it at an incredible speed. If they all scattered, it was clear that more giant trees would fly at them from behind.

    ¡®If we had more men, it would¡¯ve been fine.¡¯ Then, at least some of them could¡¯ve escaped. Yet, because of their battle with the mercenaries and Til¡¯s ambush, it had significantly impacted their numbers.

    ¡®The problem isn¡¯t just him either.¡¯ The leader nced at Zich who was in all sense of the word annihting the mercenaries. Anyone who came within his reach was sliced mercilessly, and like the robed figures, the mercenaries were having trouble running away. Although some attempted to run, sharp mana des flew their way each time and sliced through their backs. When Zich saw Nick lift the Pyramid of Vengeful Souls, he didn¡¯t even blink. Considering how much time it took for monsters to arrive at a given location, Nick¡¯s actions weren¡¯t the least threatening to him.

    ¡®Such fearsome skills.¡¯ The leader eximed his admiration. They were now in danger of bing annihted without a single one of them surviving. It was a situation he didn¡¯t think was possible at all. Yet, this was reality. The leader quickly racked his head and tried to think of what more he could do now to escape from this situation.

    ¡®There¡¯s really no other choice but that,¡¯ the leader decided. Then, he yelled, ¡°Join forces with the mercenaries!¡±

    It was a different sort ofmand from his previous ones that were all about running away. Yet, the robed figures moved ording to the leader¡¯smand obediently.

    ¡°What the hell are you scheming!¡± When Nick had asked to coborate, the leader of the robed figures paid no mind to his suggestion, but now, the leader finally wanted to coborate? It was only expected that Nick would speak bitterly. However, the leader replied calmly, ¡°Even if we are scheming, are you in the position to refuse?¡±

    ¡°Damn it!¡± In front of such pressing danger, Nick couldn¡¯t afford to refuse an offer even if it came from someone he didn¡¯t trust at all. ¡°So, what are you exactly scheming! Is it something that would help us?¡±

    ¡°If everything goes ording to n.¡± The leader gave hismand and made his subordinates surround Nick. It seemed as if they were trying to protect Nick with their formation.

    ¡°We will block all the attacksing your way with our lives on the line, so you use the Pyramid of Vengeful Souls!¡±

    ¡°Is that all you could think of? Didn¡¯t you see me threaten that guy repeatedly already!¡± The threats hadn¡¯t worked at all.

    ¡°That¡¯s because you called the monsters toe here!¡± The leader yelled.

    ¡°But where else could they go?¡± Nick wondered.

    ¡°Move them to Pialu!¡± The leadermanded.

    Both Zich and Til stopped moving. It worked. A faint smile appeared on the leader¡¯s lips.

    ¡°Yourpanions are all in the city. Even if there are strong people there, the number of monsters gathered in the Denest Mountain Range isn¡¯t something that a single city can handle. If they are ambushed by monsters, it¡¯s obvious that those inside the city would be all annihted.¡±

    As Zich¡¯s and Til¡¯s attacks stopped, the mercenaries were able to take a breather and they all looked at the leader with hopeful eyes. It seemed like the leader¡¯s ckmailing had worked.

    ¡°Of course, yourpanions could run away, but from what I¡¯ve heard, they are quite the heroic bunch. Would they just run away and leave the civilians in danger?¡±

    Zich replied, ¡°There¡¯s no way they would do that.¡± Til didn¡¯t reply either, but his cold gaze was enough of a reply.

    ¡°Then, wouldn¡¯t it be better to quickly return to Pialu? Since there¡¯s still some time until the monsterse down and ambush Pialu, the best decision is to get as many people to escape.¡± Of course, even if they did this, they might not be able to get them out in time. ¡°However, if you still don¡¯t want to let us go, then one of you two can return to the city to warn the others.¡± It didn¡¯t matter to the leader if one of them stayed behind; if there was only one person, they could escape by sacrificing a couple of people.

    ¡°It¡¯ll be better to decide as fast as possible if you want one more person in Pialu to live.¡± Then, the leader looked toward Nick and said, ¡°Quickly activate the Pyramid! That¡¯s the only way for us to live!¡± If the monsters rush towards Pialu, their n wouldpletely be shattered. The leader had received a special message from Glen before he headed off to meet Nick, so he didn¡¯t hesitate.

    ¡®He told me to wipe out Pialu if there¡¯s a sign that the n would go amiss.¡¯ Glen especially hated that there was a strong possibility that Zich might end up as a hero. The reason why they had moved before the set time was because Zich said that he had a solution to the monsters ambushing Pialu. Moreover, judging by the situation, Zich was definitely on the brink of achieving a feat that would earn him the praise of everyone in the city since he would be getting rid of Nick and the robed figures.

    ¡®It¡¯s better to use the monsters and wipe out Pialu rather than that turning out to be true.¡¯ Then, Zich¡¯s achievement would disappear since he wasn¡¯t able to stop the monster ambushes. Moreover, if Zich and Til quickly returned to Pialu to evacuate the citizens of Pialu, this would give them sufficient time to escape.

    Nick took out the Pyramid of Vengeful Souls. An ominous aura flowed out from it, and Nick gulped. It was not difficult to send out an order to the monsters to ambush Pialu. Since he was very far from the army of monsters, he couldn¡¯t send out aplicated order, but he could at least order them to attack in a specific direction. However, as soon as Nick gave such an order, Pialu would turn into hell. He wondered how many citizens of Pialu would be able to survive. Even Nick began to feel the burden of arge number of lives on his shoulder.

    ¡°What are you doing? If you can¡¯t do it, give it to me. I¡¯ll do it.¡± Although the leader said this, Nick faltered. However, his face soon became firm, and he tightly clutched the Pyramid of Vengeful Souls.

    Zich asked, ¡°Are you going to ept his suggestion?¡± In a way, he made it sound as if this whole situation wasn¡¯t rted to him at all. In another way, he sounded like he was acting indifferent while suppressing his anger.

    ¡°Is there any other way for us to live?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, if you think about it, that¡¯s true.¡± Zich nodded. Considering that they were holding the whole city hostage, he was way too calm. Nick and the leader became slightly anxious; did Zich have another n in mind?

    However, the leader firmly pushed that thought away. ¡°It¡¯s a bluff. There¡¯s nothing that these guys can do now.¡± Then, he encouraged Nick and said, ¡°The reward that we promised will go directly to you, and we¡¯ll also definitely find Ellie for you. You know about our informationwork, right? Those guys will be too busy evacuating people in Pialu, and it¡¯ll be impossible for them to do anything while we look for Ellie. If we¡¯re lucky, they might kick the bucket as well.¡±

    As expected of a leader of the robed figures¡ªthe leader was quite a smooth-talker, and his words were enough to give Nick a push to harden his resolve.

    Zich noticed Nick¡¯s resolve, and he mocked him. ¡°Mr. Nick, are you going to feed Pialu to the monsters? Have you fallen that low?¡±

    ¡°You guys are the ones who caused this!¡±

    ¡°What do you mean we¡¯re the ones who caused this? All we did was work hard to protect the city. We should be gettingpliments and not be held responsible for this situation. This whole situation in Pialu all happened from start to finish because of your selfish and greedy crimes. Can you not push the responsibility onto me?¡±

    Nick didn¡¯t reply and raised the Pyramid of Vengeful Souls in the air.

    ¡°¡­Are you really nning to do it, Nick?¡± Til had been staying quiet so far, but he finally spoke up. ¡°Many people in Pialu will die. Can you endure such a big sin? I don¡¯t know what these guys promised you, but think about whether it¡¯s worth more than the lives of the people in Pialu!¡± Til¡¯s voice, which had been calm in the beginning, grew louder by the end as if he was spitting blood. Regardless of Nick¡¯s betrayal, it hurt Til¡¯s heart to see how low Nick had fallen since they had known each other for a long time. He hoped that Nick would realize this and repent for his sins. However, his expectations ended up as false delusions.

    ¡°A small sacrifice is necessary for a greater cause.¡±

    Til shut his eyes; he didn¡¯t have the confidence to look at Nick anymore. He shifted his gaze away from Nick and closed his mouth as he decided to leave everything up to Zich.

    ¡°Yes, Ipletely agree. A small sacrifice is necessary for a greater cause.¡± Even though the situation was extremely dire, Zich supported Nick¡¯s statement instead. Everyone was confused, but Zich did not stop siding with Nick. ¡°You¡¯re saying that you have a more important reason to continue than all the lives of people in Pialu, right? You should have said that in the beginning. If I knew that, I wouldn¡¯t have tortured you like this.¡±

    Nick, the leader, the mercenaries, and robed figures, were all bbergasted by Zich¡¯s words.

    ¡°Then, you should quickly use the Pyramid of Vengeful Souls. If there is such a lofty reason, I¡¯m sure the citizens of Pialu would all easily ept their deaths.¡±

 Chapter 429

    <h4>Chapter 429</h4>

    ¡°You bastard! Do you think that this is some kind of a joke!¡± That was exactly what Nick thought, but Zich looked offended like he had been greatly misunderstood.

    ¡°How could you say such harsh words? I simply wanted to cheer you on,¡± Zich said.

    ¡°Don¡¯t fall for his tricks and activate the Pyramid of Vengeful Souls now!¡± the leader of the robed figures shouted. Nick was about to activate the pyramid when Zich¡¯s words stopped him.

    ¡°Well, Ellie will also lose her life since she is at Pialu, but I suppose that can¡¯t be helped either.¡±

    ¡°¡­What?¡± Nick¡¯s face fell in disbelief. This was a provocation that Nick couldn¡¯t ignore in the slightest, and Zich smiled brightly at him after seeing his reaction.

    ¡°Since it¡¯s about time for us to wrap up this situation, I called Ellie to Pialu. Walter was fine since he met his dad from time to time, but Ellie whined quite a bit since she hadn¡¯t been able to see her dad for so long. So, tofort her, I brought the children to Pialu and hid them there. I thought that by doing so, I could also have you as hostage if you tried anything weird.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t listen to him, Nick! It¡¯s obvious that he is lying!¡± the leader yelled.

    ¡°Aha. I suppose it sounds like I¡¯m lying considering everything that happened. Unfortunately for you, there¡¯s not a single false point in my statement.¡± Then, Zich made a slightly sympathetic face. ¡°However, now that I think about it, Ellie is really pitiful. After all, she will end up dying due to her father¡¯s decision even though she loved her father very much. I can clearly picture her in my head, the sight of her crying for her father as she enters a monster¡¯s mouth.¡±

    Nick¡¯s body shuddered.

    ¡°Again, it can¡¯t be helped. For the greater cause, you have no choice but to sacrifice Ellie. Mr. Nick, don¡¯t think of anything else and just quickly activate that Pyramid of Vengeful Souls. You¡¯ll have to sacrifice the small things for much more.¡± Then, Zich yelled while pping.

    ¡°Sacri¡ªfice!¡± p! ¡°Sacri¡ªfice!¡± p! ¡°Sacri¡ªfice!¡± p!

    Nick, of course, and the leader, the mercenaries, and even the robed figures gave Zich a mortified stare. It looked as if they had seen a monster that they couldn¡¯tprehend at all.

    ¡°Y-You are a Karuwiman Honorary Holy Knight! How could you say such words so easily!¡± Nick yelled.

    Yet, Zich shrugged hisment off and said, ¡°I am simply cheering you on, Mr. Nick. I don¡¯t know why you are suddenly bringing up my knighthood now.¡± Zich then made an innocent-looking expression as if he really had no idea what he was doing, and increased Nick¡¯s blood pressure to new heights.

    ¡°Well, it¡¯s true that I got the title of a Karuwiman Honorary Knight because I caught a whole bunch of Bellid bastards, and my character had little to do with it.¡±

    ¡°Even the Karuwimans must have lost their minds for giving a bastard like you a holy knight title!¡±

    ¡°What are you so surprised about? You know, I¡¯m best friends with the Karuwiman¡¯s saintess,¡± Zich said shamelessly and grated Nick¡¯s patience. ¡°It¡¯s time for you to decide now. Decide whether you will activate the Pyramid of Vengeful Souls or not. My legs hurt from waiting so long.¡± Zich arched his back and massaged his knees. Zich¡¯s mocking behavior made his enemies lose their minds, but it really was time for Nick to decide now. While Nick gritted his teeth, he thought, ¡®Did Zich really ce Ellie at Pialu?¡¯ If that was the case, would she be able to survive the monster invasion? Zich¡¯s muttering about how Ellie would cry out for her dad before dying passed through his head again.

    ¡®¡­I can¡¯t.¡¯ Nick couldn¡¯t do it. The reason why he had agreed to coborate with the robed figures in the first ce was for Ellie; they had promised him arge sum of money and connections to high-ss folks that would allow him to raise his daughter in a better environment and lifestyle. Nick loosened his grip on the Pyramid of Vengeful Souls. He was about to say that he was going to surrender when¡ª Crack! He felt a burning pain on his side.

    ¡°Urgh!¡± It was unimaginable pain. Although Nick had endured all sorts of injuries while living as a mercenary, it was his first time experiencing pain like this. Clearly, the current wound was iparably more severe than anything he had encountered before. Nick looked down at the side of his stomach and his eyes opened wide. There was a giant hole on his side as if someone had violently dug out a huge chunk of his flesh. Nick stared at the figure next to him. The eyes on a monstrous face were looking coldly down at him.

    ¡°¡­You!¡±

    ¡°If you are going to keep hesitating like that, quit it. I will do it,¡± the leader said.

    Nick lost strength in his legs. He fell weakly, but the leader grasped his neck and held him in ce. Then, as the leader shook Nick¡¯s body, he took the Pyramid of Vengeful Souls.

    Thud! When the leader loosened his grip, Nick fell like a sack of trash and copsed to the ground. Intestines and red blood spilled out like a fountain from his open wound. It was clearly a critical injury and he seemed to be approaching his end. However, Nick¡¯s eyes only focused on the pyramid. The mercenaries were looking at Nick and the leader with confused expressions.

    ¡°B-block¡­that¡­guy¡­¡± Nick gave an order while he was on the verge of death. However, the mercenaries merely squirmed and did not move to follow Nick¡¯s order.

    Nick forced his lungs to breathe and was about to squeeze his words out when the leader cut him off. ¡°This guy will soon die, and we still have enemies who are eagerly waiting to kill us. I don¡¯t think I even have to waste time to exin which side would be more advantageous for you to follow.¡±

    The mercenaries also agreed with the leader. They nced at each other, and in the end, they ignored Nick.

    ¡°N¡­.no¡­¡± Nick fell into despair at his subordinate¡¯s betrayal. He kept on thinking about how his daughter would get eaten by a monster. ¡°Please¡­ju¡­st¡­Ellie¡­¡± Nick pitifully shouted as he died, and then finally stopped speaking. He stopped breathing.

    ¡°¡­Nick.¡± Til looked at Nick¡¯s corpse. His friend had changed from a faithfulrade to his closest enemy in a day. His eyes looked conflicted as he looked at Nick¡¯s corpse. Nick had betrayed his closest friend to fulfill his own greedy desires; he met a pathetic end in a nameless forest without fulfilling any of his desires.

    However, nobody except for Til thought much of his death; only Til looked at Nick¡¯s corpse with despondent eyes. This made Nick¡¯s death even more pathetic.

    Ziiing! The leader immediately infused mana into the Pyramid of Vengeful Souls. Then, he looked toward Zich and Til and said, ¡°Is it okay for you to be so rxed? I rmend you two to get to Pialu as fast as possible so that you can save at least one more person.¡±

    However, even while facing the possibility of a giant army of monsters ambushing Pialu, Zich and Til were way too calm. Instead, Zich was even pushing the leader to quickly call the monsters to Pialu. ¡°Ah, that? You don¡¯t have to worry. Even if we¡¯re going to Pialu, we¡¯ll figure that out by ourselves. You don¡¯t have to worry about us, so just quickly call the monsters.¡±

    The leader narrowed his eyes. ¡°Your bluff is too much. I¡¯m different from that idiot Nick.¡±

    Did he feel annoyed that the leader insulted Nick?¡ªTil slightly furrowed his brows. However, he didn¡¯t do anything else and stared at the leader¡¯s actions. Time passed, and the leader continued to infuse mana into the Pyramid of Vengeful Souls. However, nothing changed. Did nothing change on the opposite side too when it was activated?

    However, judging by how confused and taken aback the leader looked, that was definitely not the case. Zich thought it was funny when a look of befuddlement appeared on the monster¡¯s face. ¡°W-what? What¡¯s up with this?¡± The leader increased the amount of mana he infused into the Pyramid of Vengeful Souls. However, there was still no change with the Pyramid of Vengeful Souls. The leader grew anxious and multiplied the amount of mana by two times.

    Crack! An ominous sound came from the Pyramid. ¡°What!¡± The leader frantically scanned the Pyramid of Vengeful Souls. He saw that there was arge crack and small fragments were falling off.

    ¡°Oh my? What, is it broken?¡±

    The leader couldn¡¯t even hear Zich¡¯s mockery. The leader quickly put his hand toward the Pyramid of Vengeful Souls in a desperate attempt to fix the Pyramid. Of course, there was no way he could fix it by just pressing on it.

    Crumble! Instead, the crack grew bigger, and a fragment that was as big as a nail fell from the Pyramid. He saw the inside of the Pyramid from the cracked hole. ¡°¡­What is this?¡± The leader pushed his finger into the hole.

    Crack! The hole grew bigger and more fragments broke off. The leader began scraping the surface of the Pyramid of Vengeful Souls as if he was cracking an egg, and what he found inside was a One-Sided Pyramid of Lamentations that was firmly ced so it wouldn''t move around. The leader became silent; no, he couldn¡¯t say a word. He couldn¡¯t understand what was going on, but he was sure of one thing¡ªthe Pyramid of Vengeful Souls he was holding was a fake. It was a mold that only looked like the Pyramid of Vengeful Souls on the outside.

    ¡°Ha! Hahh! Heeahahahaha!¡±

    The leader heard sounds ofughter; it was twistedughter full of glee. It was a type ofughter that made one wonder how could there possibly be a burst ofughter so full of mockery and ridicule.

    ¡®Zich Moore.¡¯ The person who wasughing was Zich. He had one of his hands on his face, and his shoulders shook withughter. Although the leader had many memories of Zich defeating him, he felt a keen sense of d¨¦j¨¤ vu. And his sense of d¨¦j¨¤ vu was right on the mark.

    ¡°Are you perhaps looking for this?¡±

    The leader was beyond shocked when he saw what Zich took out. Zich was holding an item that he had been sure was in his possession¡ªthe Pyramid of Vengeful Souls.

    ¡®What the hell happened!¡¯ Why was the fake Pyramid of Vengeful Souls with Nick, and why did Zich have the real Pyramid of Vengeful Souls? ¡®No, is that also a fake?¡¯ The leader looked at Zich suspiciously.

    ¡°Perhaps, are you doubting if this is real? Why don¡¯t you have a little bit of trust, my friend? This is definitely real.¡± Zich shook the Pyramid of Vengeful Souls in an exaggerated manner. ¡°It¡¯s the real Pyramid that allowed me to use the monsters in the Denest Mountain Range to wipe out all yourrades.¡±

    The leader¡¯s face twisted in shock. The only people who knew about this were the robed figures and the person who caused this incident. ¡®Is that really real!¡¯

    ¡°Ah man, I had no idea that you¡¯d like the fake so much. I didn¡¯t know that you¡¯d really kill Nick to get that. No, that¡¯s wrong of me. Since one¡¯s personal thoughts are crucial to determining the value of an item, I full heartedly support your personal taste. If I knew ?you would like it so much, I would have made a couple more.¡± As Zich¡¯s high-spirited voice rang out in the air, the leader¡¯s fury exponentially increased.

 Chapter 430

    <h4>Chapter 430</h4>

    No matter how angry or boiling with wrath they were, there was nothing more they could do. Both Zich and Til were at levels beyond what they could cope with and even theirst hope, the Pyramid of Vengeful Souls, was in their hands. Additionally, their fighting forces had decreased with Nick¡¯s death. The leader of the robed figures couldn¡¯t think of a single way to overturn this situation and finding out how Zich gained the Pyramid in his hands seemed all meaningless now.

    ¡°Huh? It¡¯s quiet. I thought you guys would be fussier than this.¡± Zich ced his Pyramid of Vengeful Souls back. His enemies¡¯ responses had weakened; it meant that their mentality hadpletely broken down.

    ¡®It won¡¯t be fun to y with them in such a state.¡¯ There was no point in tormenting them any longer. It was time for Zich to end things. Without saying more, Zich fixed his grip on his sword and Til followed suit.

    ¡®Is he nning to wrap this up?¡¯ The leader stared at Zich and Til with hopeless eyes. He could easily see his forting future, and he predicted that he wouldn¡¯t be able to breathe for much longer. Yet, there was no fear in his eyes.

    ¡®This timeline is a failure.¡¯ The leader knew today¡¯s loss would eventually be nothing, as if it had never happened. There was no way that hero bastard would let this timeline be with all these changed variables running around.

    ¡®However, I should resist till the end,¡¯ the leader thought. Throughout all the timelines, Zich had never gone around acting like this. He needed to do all he could to get this information out.

    ¡°Let¡¯s scatter from here on out.¡± The robed figures and the mercenaries stared at the leader. ¡°Each man is on his own. Don¡¯t think of anything else and just run!¡±

    Swish! The leader turned around and ran. The mana imbued in his legs gave him great speed.

    Swish! Swish! Swish! The robed figures moved next; they ran as soon as the leader¡¯s foot took off. Although theirbatant abilities wereckingpared to other areas of expertise, their speed was top-notch. Thus, they disappeared into the forest instantly. The mercenaries appeared to be in a frenzy for a bit, but they soon moved after the robed figures were a bit of a distance away from them. They too realized that this was their final attempt¡ªtheirst gamble to survive.

    ¡°Oh, how fun.¡± Zich smirked. ¡°I will take care of the robed figures. Mr. Til, please take care of the mercenaries.¡± Since the robed figures were faster than the mercenaries, it was only right for Zich with the faster legs to chase after them. Til nodded.

    ¡°You are not going to go easy on them because they used to bepanions, right?¡± Zich asked. Even if these mercenaries never listened to Til on top of being betrayers, they had been his subordinates. From the beginning, Zich had let Til take care of the robed figures in consideration of this. Yet, these were unnecessary worries.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry.¡± Til watched coldly as his previouspanions hurriedly made their escape. ¡°I will clean up the mess as their ex-captain.¡±

    ¡°I understand.¡± There was no need to worry anymore. Zich¡¯s body shot forward instantly, and Til also moved. He imbued mana into his legs and stomped his feet fervently. The ground sunk deeply, and his body flew forward. Even without sophisticated maniption of his mana, Til¡¯s enormous mana and strong durability transformed his body into a sharp arrow.

    Flick!

    ¡°Kuaaah!¡±

    Til sliced off the waist of the first mercenary he caught up with. The mercenary screamed, and as his blood and intestines scattered everywhere, his body copsed to the floor. However, Til¡¯s eyes were already chasing another prey.

    Slice!

    ¡°Ahhhh!¡±

    Crunch!

    ¡°Gurgle!¡±

    The yelling continued to ring across the forest. The mercenaries also ran with all they had with mana wrapped around their legs, but they were far slower than Til. Furthermore, because they had to keep evading trees blocking their path, they couldn¡¯t easily speed straight forward. Trees also blocked Til¡¯s path, but he didn¡¯t let them slow him down.

    Bam! Bam! Bam! After slicing a tree in front of him, Til collided against the tree with his mana-filled body. The tree twisted, flew, crashed onto another tree and fell. It was such a simple, almost barbaric method to clear his path, but it was effective. The mercenaries couldn¡¯t go too far before Til killed them.

    ¡°W-Wait, Captain! It¡¯s me! I am part of Wolf¡¯s Canine!¡± Some of the mercenaries tried to invoke Til¡¯s sympathy as they begged for their lives. Yet, Til showed no mercy and struck them down.

    ¡°Urgh!¡± a mercenary yelled and fell over as his body was split into two. Til searched for other prey with cold eyes, and his movements showed not even the slightest hesitation.

    * * *

    Like Til, Zich was doing a good job getting rid of the robed figures.

    Thud! Zich flew across the air as he stepped over the tree branches. In the dark, trees didn¡¯t let out their characteristically green light and covered his view instead. However, Zich didn¡¯t let this deter his ability to capture his prey.

    Rustle! Zich¡¯s body emerged from the tree leaves and branches and shot down the forest. In front of him, there was a robed figure hurriedly running away.

    Slice!

    ¡°Urgh!¡±

    Zich¡¯s de sliced through the robed figure¡¯s body. The robed figure let out a shriek and after a short gasp, he died. Paying no mind to him, Zich jumped on top of another tree again. Since their special skill was stealth, the robed figures could hide their presence proficiently. However, Zich¡¯s detecting skills were far superior to their stealth skills, and the number of the robed figures quickly dwindled until there was only one left: the leader.

    Thud! Zichnded in front of the leader, and they stopped running.

    ¡°You¡¯re the only one left now,¡± Zich said as he raised Windur.

    ¡°Did you kill all my underlings?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, you¡¯re thest one.¡± The leader let out a sigh. He had expected this, and his gamble had ultimately failed. ¡®Even so, I¡¯m not going to die easily.¡¯ He tightly clenched his fist. ¡°Die!¡±

    The leader rushed towards Zich. He used his increased physical abilities as a transformed monster to attack Zich, and Zich lightly swung Winfur.

    Bammm! A loud explosion erupted between the two, and the surrounding trees shook. The birds holding their breaths and shivering in fear all instantly flew away. However, thissted only for a moment, and silence soon fell upon the forest again.

    ¡°Cough!¡± The leader was sprawled out beneath a tree that hadpletely bent over from the shock of impact. His appearance was devastating. His limbs were bent in the opposite direction, and there was arge hole in his chest. Blood flowed out from his mouth, and blood spurted out of deep injuries all over his body. They were injuries that would have immediately killed off any ordinary person.

    However, the leader was still breathing. His injuries seemed to be also repairing themselves, as his regenerative abilities were truly fitting for a monster. Since his injuries were so deep, however, it would still take some time for him to heal until he could start moving again. There was little chance that Zich, who was holding Windur in front of him, would wait that long for him to heal.

    ¡°Kill me.¡± Then, the leader continued, ¡°I¡¯m saying this just in case, but don¡¯t think that I¡¯ll spit out any information.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I don¡¯t have such false hopes.¡±

    ¡°Then, kill me however you like¡ªwhether you kill me immediately or after ying around with me.¡± The leader closed his eyes; there was almost no trace of fear in his appearance.

    Zich stared at him for a bit. ¡°You¡¯re not getting scared.¡±

    ¡°Hmph! Did you think that I¡¯d be shivering in fear?¡± the leader mocked Zich. Even though he was on the verge of death, it was clear that he wasn¡¯t going to surrender to Zich. Instead, he provoked Zich with the rashness of an individual who had given up on everything¡ªand it was Zich¡¯s hobby to crush these types of people.

    ¡°Is it because your death would disappear as if it never happened in the first ce?¡±

    ¡°¡­What nonsense are you talking about?¡± The leader¡¯s expression slightly stiffened. Regardless of what Zich meant, there was no way that Zich knew about regression. Thus, the leader couldn¡¯t help but stiffen when Zich spoke with a tone as if he knew their biggest secret.

    However, the leader soon rxed his expression. ¡®There¡¯s no way that this guy knows our secret.¡¯ Contrary to his expectations, the leaderpletely lost hisposure at Zich¡¯s next words.

    ¡°I¡¯m talking about how if that bastard Zenard turns back time, you¡¯ll also return back to life. So isn¡¯t that why you¡¯re acting so confident right now?¡±

    ¡°¡­I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about.¡±

    ¡°Act properly. Hey, your voice is shaking.¡± Zich poked the leader with the end of Windur. ¡°Your life is hard, right? Since there are so many variables in this timeline, Glen Zenard must be throwing all kinds of tantrums. Gosh, it''s an absolute joke that he¡¯s called the Sun Hero.¡±

    The leader didn¡¯t reply; his face became extremely pale. He had no idea how they were in this situation, but he was sure of one thing: ¡®He knows about regression!¡¯ The leader thought that this was the worst possible scenario. As Glen¡¯s obsessive target, Zich was a human that needed to be the strongest Demon Lord. They instilled all the members in the organization with information about how dangerous Zich was. However, no one was afraid of him. No matter how dangerous the situation got, Zich was just a person who would y right into the ns.

    However, Zich Moore, their most dangerous target, had already seen through most of their ns. ¡®This is really dangerous.¡¯ Sweat began to drip from the leader¡¯s face.

    ¡°Woah, even if you changed into a monster, you can still sweat.¡± Zich wiped the leader¡¯s sweat with his sleeve. Even though the blood on the leader¡¯s face also got on his sleeve, Zich didn¡¯t seem to mind. If a passing onlooker saw this sight, they might have mistaken Zich¡¯s action as an extremely kind gesture, but Zich was merely ying with the leader.

    ¡°You¡¯re not even making an excuse. I guess you must also know that if I know this much, none of your excuses would work on me.¡±

    ¡°¡­How did you find out?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s simple really. I also regressed.¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°I regressed as the Demon Lord of Strength, Zich Moore.¡±

    ¡°Impossible!¡± His shouts sounded like screams. Blood spurted out of his throat when he shouted, but he paid no attention to his condition. If Zich¡¯s words were true, there was a regression that they didn¡¯t know about, and as a result, Zich Moore had regressed. It was then that everything began to make sense to the leader. ¡°P-perhaps, is the variable for this timeline¡­!¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s me.¡± Zich made a twisted smile. ¡°Moreover, I have no ns to end the variables with just this amount. I n to pull out the very root of your organization who dared to y with my life. Of course, Glen Zenard is included and the mastermind behind this all.¡±

    ¡°You even know about Master!¡±

    ¡°How about it? Are you starting to feel a bit of despair?¡±

    ¡°How were you able to obtain that information¡­¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s no need for you to know, and I also don¡¯t feel any reason to give you any more information.¡± Zich felt satisfied by the leader¡¯s shocked expression which was full of despair. ¡°Ah, there¡¯s one more thing I need to tell you before you die.¡±

    Zich ced Windur on the leader¡¯s face. ¡°You guys can¡¯t regress anymore. I stopped the regression ability. You know what that means, right?¡± Zich smiled brightly and put power into his grip. ¡°It¡¯s over for you!¡±

    Bam! The leader¡¯s head burst into a red mist.

 Chapter 431

    <h4>Chapter 431</h4>

    The forest had turned into a battlefield, and clusters of trees copsed onto the ground, formingnd between arge body of water. Moonlight shone on this surface and lit the surroundings. Soon, an intense red light that was stronger than the faint moonlight began to spread across the forest.

    Crack! Crackle!

    Large trees burned and let out sparks. Each tree was so big that even if two people stretched their arms wide open and tried to hug the tree, they would barely ?cover the perimeter. Since such trees were burning up like wood in a firece, the path of fire became much more intense. This gigantic fiery body almost looked like a fire monster as it moved around this way and that ording to the air flow.

    Whoosh! Something fell into the path of fire. It was a corpse.

    Swish! Swish! Swish! More bodies were thrown in. These were corpses that belonged to the dead mercenaries and the robed figures, and the fiery sparks swallowed them greedily. Although there were quite a few of them, the fire was much bigger than them and had no trouble burning the corpses.

    ¡°Last one!¡± Zich threw thest corpse in his hands and wiped his hands clean. Now, all he needed to do was wait for the fire to turn the corpses into ashes. Zich turned his back from the fire and from a bit of a distance away, he saw another much smaller fire burning. Within this small firey one single corpse. Unlike the mercenaries¡¯ and robed figures¡¯ corpses that had been carelessly thrown into the mouth of fire like trash, this corpse was being given a proper farewell and taken care of with respect.

    Zich walked toward it and saw Til quietly watching the fire.

    ¡°Are you done, sir?¡± Til asked when Zich stood next to him.

    ¡°Yes, there are no more corpses left.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry for making you take care of the whole mess,¡± Til said.

    ¡°It¡¯s fine. I¡¯m not enough of a bastard to hinder someone from making theirst farewell to a friend.¡±

    Zich looked down at the fire. Inside the fire, the corpse¡¯s clothes and skin were already all charred ck and the bones were crumbling. This was Nick¡¯s corpse. After the fire had swallowed Nick¡¯s corpse, Til had continued to watch it without moving. What was he feeling? Was Til relieved that a betrayer was now dead? Or was he sad that a friend he had been with for a long time waspletely gone from this world? Or was it a mix of all these feelings? If so, which emotion was taking the biggest ce in his heart? It was impossible to tell as Til quietly watched the fire with his lips tightly pressed together in an obstinate expression.

    On the other hand, Zich didn¡¯t have many thoughts about this matter. Since this matter involved Til and Nick, Til could figure it out between the two of them, and it wasn¡¯t Zich¡¯s ce to say anything.

    ¡®Should I let the fire be until everything is burned?¡¯

    It seemed like Til would not leave his spot until Nick¡¯s body became a handful of ashes, and since Zich had no loyalty for Nick to pay his farewells to until the end, he thought it would be good for him to do something else. Zich was about to move when Til spoke.

    ¡°I trust that you will keep your promise.¡±

    Til sounded desperate. If Til had been his enemy and spoke in such a way, Zich would have dly broken the promise andughed at him. However, he didn¡¯t need to do that to someone like Til.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I can¡¯t say that I¡¯m an honest person even if it kills me, but I don¡¯t n to break this promise.¡± Then, thinking that Til would probably worry, Zich added, ¡°¡­Since I think your friend died while bearing the punishments for all his sins.¡±

    Til then recalled what happened before Nick¡¯s death. Nick had fallen into despair when he heard that the daughter he loved so much was being held hostage after suffering from Zich¡¯s ns. Then, he died while fearing for his daughter¡¯s death. It was a perfectly tragic death, sad enough to draw pity from onlookers. Of course, even these onlookers would change their minds once they heard all the things Nick had done.

    ¡°So, it¡¯s fine even if we make it so that Nick unfortunately died from a terrible event.¡±

    ¡°Thank you.¡±

    Til had helped Zich ridicule and mock Nick. The fact that Nick was their enemy now yed a factor in why Til helped, but it was mostly because of the promise they had made. In return for promising to help Zich give Nick a painful death, Zich promised to not tell the world about Nick¡¯s betrayal. The reason why Til made this deal wasn¡¯t to protect his friend¡¯s honor or trust for the mercenaries.

    ¡°With that, people will not point fingers at Ellie,¡± Zich said. Both Zich and Til were well aware of how people gazed at family members of criminals. The more severe a criminal¡¯s crime was, the more their family members would be under greater scrutiny. If Nick¡¯s crimes were revealed to the world, it was unthinkable how much pain Ellie would have to endure. Thus, Til was grateful to Zich for epting his offer, and helping to ridicule Nick seemed like a cheap price to pay. Furthermore, Til also agreed with Zich¡¯s logic that if Nick¡¯s evil deeds didn¡¯t spread across the world and he could keep his honor, he should at least die while paying for his sins.

    ¡°You really treasure Ellie.¡±

    ¡°She has always been like a daughter to me. I don¡¯t want to see her hurt.¡± Til¡¯s expression looked bittersweet. ¡°However, I know she¡¯ll cry for a period of time after hearing about her father¡¯s death.¡±

    ¡°Are you going to raise her?¡±

    ¡°Of course. I think Nick would have done the same. Although he tried to frame me as a criminal and reap the benefits, I¡¯m sure he would¡¯ve raised Walter with Ellie,¡± Til said.

    ¡®Really? Do you really think so?¡¯ Zich thought, but he kept this to himself. He didn¡¯t mean to make fun of Til, and also thought that Nick adored Walter too. However, if Zich thought of what Nick had done when Til had be the Demon Lord of Disaster, it really was questionable.

    Til used to be the Demon Lord of Disaster and caused an enormous amount of catastrophe and mass genocide. Before he had regressed, Zich had believed that the Demon Lord of Disaster was constantly looking for something. ¡®If they carried out a simr n like the one in this regression and sessfully corrupted Til, I can only think of one person he was probably looking for.¡¯ It was probably his son, Walter.

    Of course, since the Demon Lord of Disaster had gone insane, ?there was a low possibility that he was moving with the clear goal of finding his son. He was probably acting in habit of what he desired the most before he went insane. If he really had been sessful in finding Walter, there was a very low chance that Til could even recognize him. However, considering that he was still looking for his son after losing his ability to reason, his fatherly love was extremely impressive.

    ¡®If he was still looking for his son, this also means that he wasn¡¯t able to find Walter in the end.¡¯ As Til expected, Nick could have also taken care of Walter. ¡®If that was the case, would Til look for his son so desperately?¡¯ If Walter was under Nick¡¯s protection, Til wouldn¡¯t have wandered all over the world like that.

    ¡®There¡¯s probably a high chance that Walter went missing.¡¯ That probably was arge factor in making Til the Demon Lord of Disaster. Zich didn¡¯t know the person behind Walter¡¯s disappearance. Nick could have tried to protect Walter, but he might have fallen for the robed figure¡¯s ploys.

    ¡®Even then, we also don¡¯t know if Nick abandoned Walter.¡¯ Of course, now, it didn¡¯t matter what was the truth, since this future would never happen.

    ¡°Is that so?¡± Thus, Zich gave up on questioning Til¡¯s words; instead, he just monotonously agreed with them.

    ¡°This whole incident must be over now, right?¡± Til asked with a hopeful tone, as he wanted to end this headache-inducing incident as quickly as possible. However, Zich firmly shook his head.

    ¡°Perhaps, there is still the most important matter left.¡±

    Til moved his eyes away from the fire for the first time and looked at Zich. There was deep disbelief in his eyes¡ªor more exactly, he didn¡¯t want Zich¡¯s words to be true.

    ¡°Do you remember how they ckmailed us with the Pyramid of Vengeful Souls?¡±

    ¡°Yes. They told us that the monsters were going to ambush Pialu, so we should quickly go and evacuate the citizens. Do you think that there will still be a monster ambush in Pialu?¡±

    ¡°Yes, with a very high possibility.¡±

    Til¡¯s face stiffened. ¡°Mr. Zich, not a single person should¡¯ve escaped. Moreover, you have the Pyramid of Vengeful Souls in your possession.¡±

    ¡°Those guys are part of a veryrge organization. We probably didn¡¯t kill all of them.¡± First of all, Glen Zenard was alive, with his eyes wide awake.

    ¡°Moreover, they might have more Pyramids of Vengeful Souls. When the robed figures were controlling the monsters, the monsters didn¡¯t attack them. It was probably because the monsters received amand, and Mr. Nick probably wasn''t the one who gave it.¡±

    Til¡¯s expression worsened as Zich continued, ¡°Yet, most of all, even if they had no other choice, they decided to send monsters to ambush Pialu way too easily. Those guys value their missions more than their lives. Since these guys easily decided to ambush Pialu, I think that they alreadymunicated with their higher-ups beforehand about this matter.¡±

    ¡°Then, isn¡¯t this a very serious matter?!¡± Considering the number and strength of monsters gathered together in the Denest Mountain Range, it would be a piece of cake for the monsters topletely wipe off Pialu from the world map. As the robed figures said, they needed to get to the city as fast as possible and begin evacuating people.

    ¡°There¡¯s no need for you to be so frazzled. I set up a basic counter n to deal with the situation.¡±

    Til was impressed that Zich set up a counter n in that short amount of time. He was also amazed that Zich got rid of the false charges against him and defeated all their enemies at once. The more he saw Zich, the more he thought that Zich was impressive.

    ¡°First of all, it¡¯s this.¡± Zich took out the Pyramid of Vengeful Souls in his pocket.

    Til¡¯s face brightened up. ¡°Oh, I get it! I just realized that we can also control monsters!¡± Since he was taken aback by the high possibility that Pialu would be ambushed by monsters, he couldn¡¯t think very far. Yet, after thinking for a bit, he realized that they didn¡¯t need to fear the monsters if they had the Pyramid of Vengeful Souls. However, Til¡¯s expectations were crushed in a second.

    ¡°That¡¯ll be great but¡­¡±

    ¡°Is there another problem?¡±

    ¡°If we use the Pyramid of Vengeful Souls, that means the two orders would contradictory, and I don¡¯t know what will happen if such a situation urs. The monsters could split into two groups and follow different orders, or they could fall into confusion. The third possibility is that both orders could be nullified.¡±

    This was a matter that even Zich could not predict what would happen. ¡°I don¡¯t know about the first possibility, but if the second scenario happens, it¡¯ll be dangerous for Pialu.¡± If the monsters split into two groups and listen to orders from two different Pyramids of Vengeful Souls, it would be fine, since the two groups can fight each other and kill each other off. However, if the monsters fall into confusion or the orders get nullified, Zich didn¡¯t know what the monsters would do. They could fight each other until both parties died, but they could also recklesslye down the mountain range.

    ¡°Would you be able to make an order at this distance?¡±

    ¡°That would probably be difficult. I know how to use the Pyramid of Vengeful Souls, but my training and experiencepared to the robed figures or Mr. Nick is much lower. I can only issue an order if I approach the monsters.¡±

    ¡°Then we have to immediately go to the Denest Mountain Range! Before they do anything to the monsters, we need to make the first move! Let¡¯s make the monsters fight each other and scatter in different directions.¡± The time they spent cleaning up the corpses felt wasteful to Til. It was to the extent that he regretted doing a basic funerary rite for Nick.

    However, contrary to Til¡¯s frantic heart, Zich acted way too leisurely. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it too much. I have a different n besides the Pyramid of Vengeful Souls, and that¡¯s the reason why I¡¯m taking my time like this.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s the n?¡±

    Zich smiled instead of replying and pointed at Nick. ¡°With this n, your heart won¡¯t feel so heavy about not being with your friend in his final moments.¡±

    It seemed as if Zich didn¡¯t immediately want to teach him the answer. Til felt anxious, but he nodded. Even though it hadn¡¯t been long since he met Zich, he fully trusted Zich.

 Chapter 432

    <h4>Chapter 432</h4>

    Til was nervous. He saw the immense Pialu castle walls in front of him. The walls used to be a trustworthy existence that he could freely pass through at any time, but today, the walls looked like a monster that could swallow him in one gulp. Since Til¡¯s name hadn¡¯t been cleared yet, he would be captured as soon as he entered the city, and there was a high possibility that people wouldn¡¯t listen to him even if he tried to exin the situation. No matter how much he thought about it, entering the city while yelling, ¡®I am innocent!¡¯ didn¡¯t seem like the right answer.

    If he had enough time, he might be able to clear up the misunderstanding, but time was something hecked. Still, Til strengthened his resolve and walked toward Pialu. After all, he did have something to rely on, and he recalled what Zich had told him.

    [Mypanion will be waiting for you at the castle walls.]

    Zich had foreseen this happening and made the necessary preparations; through hispanion, Zich told Til that his words would gain persuasiveness.

    ¡®It would be best if Sir Zich came with me though¡­¡¯ Til thought. Yet, Zich had already left the area to prepare for another possible incident.

    There were some people wandering around Pialu¡¯s castle walls. Most of them were people taking flight, while a couple of brave souls used this opportunity to make some money, and of course, there were those who were fully armored. Most of these armored folks were those who went out to patrol and check if monsters wereing. Til looked at these people carefully. His face was already well-known throughout the city, and with hisrge body, he couldn¡¯t hide among crowds.

    Soldiers should have captured Til as soon as they saw him, but they hesitated to approach. First, they couldn¡¯t bepletely certain that this man was Til by the way he brazenly walked near the city. Second, they were wary of Til¡¯s formidable strength. Of course, they didn¡¯t n on leaving Til alone simply because of these reasons, and they quietly surrounded Til so that he couldn¡¯t run away. Some ran inside the city to let the news of Til¡¯s arrival be known.

    ¡°Captain?¡± Til heard a familiar voice, and when he turned to face it, he saw a weing face.

    ¡°Max!¡± Til hadn¡¯t seen Max since he left Pialu because of Nick¡¯s ckmail. ¡°I didn¡¯t think I would be so happy to see your face.¡± Til was so d to see Max that Max¡¯s rough, scarred face almost appeared handsome, and upon thinking this, the fact of his deep suffering truly dawned on Til. Max hurriedly ran toward him.

    ¡°What happened! There are wanted posters of you saying that you are most likely the betrayer!¡±

    ¡°I know. I will tell you what happenedter. Right now, there¡¯s something more urgent I have to take care of.¡±

    ¡°What urgent thing?¡± Unlike those who eyed Til warily from far away, Max walked close to Til¡¯s side. Feeling Max¡¯s trust in him, Til¡¯s nervousness dropped a bit. However, Max didn¡¯tpletely trust Til, and his hands lingered in a position where he could pull out his axe at any time.

    ¡°What is more urgent than clearing your name!¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s just something like that.¡±

    ¡°Damn it! I already have a headache because Vice-captain Nick took a whole bunch of our mercenaries and disappeared, and now you won¡¯t even answer my questions!¡± Max grumbled, but his voice was bright. Since Til was returning to the city of his own will, Max thought there was a high possibility that what Til had been used of might not be true. Yet, Til¡¯s heart felt ufortable when the topic of Nick was brought up.

    Eventually, the two reached the castle walls. There, a considerable number of soldiers were gathered and staring at Til warily. It appeared that all the soldiers they could gather near this area had been called.

    ¡°Are you the captain of Wolf¡¯s Canine, Til?¡± the highest-ranked knight in the group asked.

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°You are under arrest. I am warning you. I advise you not to resist.¡± There was nervousness and fear in the knight¡¯s voice. The knight knew of Til¡¯s strength. The fact that he could talk so boldly to Til in his face disyed the knight¡¯s bravery. Til thought the soldier was an interesting fellow, but he had no intention of following the knight¡¯s words.

    ¡°I don¡¯t have the time for that. Guide me to the city hall and take me to themander-in-chief.¡±

    ¡°How ridiculous! You are an important suspect behind the monster invasions in Pialu! How could I take you to the city hall or themander!¡±

    ¡®Their response is as expected.¡¯ Til sighed deeply and yelled in a mana-filled voice, ¡°I came here because Sir Zich called for me! He told me he already talked about the matter!¡± Til yelled, surprising the people in his surroundings. Knights raised their swords and soldiers pulled out their spears. Max also pulled out his axe halfway and backed a couple of steps away. Yet, Til didn¡¯t show any signs of attacking.

    ¡°What are you¡­!¡± the knight eximed.

    ¡°Excuse me.¡± An elegant voice sounded, and people¡¯s eyes were naturally drawn toward it.

    ¡°¡­Ms. L?¡± It was no exaggeration to say that L was one of the most famous people in the city, and now L walked past the knights and soldiers without hesitation and straight toward Til.

    ¡°Uh, uh! It¡¯s dangerous,¡± the knight shouted, but he couldn¡¯t stop her from moving. In the end, L stood in front of Til.

    ¡°You came because Zich sent you?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°It seems like the situation involving you has been resolved.¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    L nodded and looked at the knight. ¡°I would like to guide Mr. Til to themander. Will that be all right?¡±

    If anyone else had asked such a question, the knights would have yelled what kind of nonsense they were uttering and chased them away. However, they were talking to one of the most revered heroes in this city.

    ¡°H-He¡¯s one of the suspects to have introduced great danger to Pialu! Bringing him to themander without investigating more is a bit¡­¡±

    ¡°Mr. Til has been framed and there¡¯s nothing more about it,¡± L responded.

    ¡°Framed?¡± The knight was surprised. People murmured as they also listened.

    ¡°Yes, I will tell you the exact detailster. We don¡¯t have time. The fact that Mr. Til came alone without Zich apanying him speaks to how urgent the situation is.¡±

    ¡°Yes, this is true.¡± Til couldn¡¯t tell him that monsters mighte ambushing Pialu at any moment; there were too many people here. If he carelessly said those words, he might increase the chaos and confusion among the people in this city. However, the knight was still hesitating.

    L reached out her hand towards Til. ¡°Zich probably gave you something. Could you give it to me?¡±

    Til nodded and gave the item that Zich had handed to him before they separated¡ªit was the Karuwiman Honorary Knight broach. L pushed that broach towards the holy knight. ¡°This is the broach of a Karuwiman Honorary Knight. Since Zich gave this to Mr. Til, he¡¯s willing to take responsibility for this situation as a Karuwiman Honorary Knight. Is this not enough?¡±

    ¡°¡­I understand. I¡¯ll guide you there.¡± In the end, the knight had no choice but to back down.

    * * *

    ¡°Ah!¡± Themander let out a sigh and looked at Til. It was already shocking that a wanted suspect had suddenly appeared in front of him, but the news that Til brought was even more shocking. ording to Til, he had been ckmailed with his son''s kidnapping, and there was actually a different culprit for Pialu¡¯s situation. Moreover, he said he had coborated with Zich, saved the hostages and defeated some of the culprits. This was the basic summary of Til¡¯s words.

    Themander could at least ept this part of Til¡¯s narrative somewhat. He would only know what happened after investigating more, but if this was true, then it was good news. However, the real problem was what Til had told him at the end.

    ¡°So you¡¯re saying that the monsters might ambush Pialu?¡±

    ¡°Yes, sir.¡±

    The reason why they had searched for Til with so much effort and time was because they thought Til might use the monsters to destroy Pialu. However, all their efforts were in vain as Til told him that the monsters would advance toward Pialu regardless of his presence.

    ¡°On the other hand, Mr. Zich didn¡¯t seem to be very worried. He said he had a solution in mind. Even though there¡¯s a high possibility that the monsters will ambush Pialu, it¡¯s not definite.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s fortunate but¡­¡±

    ¡°He told me that the solution will take some time, so if monsters are really going to ambush Pialu, we have to buy time.¡±

    The reason why Til went to Pialu first ahead of the monsters was to give a warning. If he had first gone to check the monsters and his return to Pialu matched the monsters¡¯ speed, there wouldn¡¯t be any time for Pialu to prepare for the monster attacks. Moreover, since they didn¡¯t know how the monsters would react to two contrasting orders, they needed to set up a countern for both situations.

    Themander tapped his fingers on the desk and became quiet for a while. However, he didn¡¯t take long to make his decision. If Til¡¯s words were true, there was no time for him to ponder long about this. ¡°Are youpletely sure that Mr. Zich said he had a solution?¡±

    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m sure about that. But he didn¡¯t tell me what the solution specifically was.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re telling me to blindly believe him without even knowing the solution¡­¡±

    Til also understood themander¡¯s reaction. ¡°Nheless, there hasn¡¯t been a time when things went bad because I believed Mr. Zich. I personally trust him.¡±

    ¡°It isn¡¯t a bad idea to trust him.¡±

    Themander stared at L who was also in the room with them. ¡°I have an idea about what Zich has in mind. With that, he¡¯ll be able to stop the monsters. As Zich said, we should focus on finding out how the monsters will move and minimize the damage to Pialu as much as possible.¡±

    ¡°And what is that method!¡± Themander was d that L knew what Zich¡¯s n was, but L shook her head.

    ¡°I can¡¯t tell you. The only thing I can tell you is to advise you to follow Zich¡¯s words.¡±

    Disappointment filled themander¡¯s face; he even looked slightly angry. However, he wasn¡¯t able to get angry at L and fell into thought again. ¡°¡­I guess it can¡¯t be helped.¡±

    Thud! Themander mmed the desk and got up from his chair. ¡°If the monsters reallye down here, we won¡¯t have any other methods anyway. I¡¯ll believe you and Mr. Zich.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ve made a wise decision.¡± L smiled.

    * * *

    Tap! Zichnded in an area in the Denest Mountain Range. The terrain in the mountain range was rtively t, and a lot of grass used to grow in this section. However, it lookedpletely differentpared to before. The dirt was dug up and the rocks were crushed. As if there was a conspiracy to make the whole area deste and lifeless, the whole area was destroyed. The grass that was vibrant in color even at a high elevation was nowhere to be seen. Dried blood, flesh, and bones of unknown creatures lined the floor instead.

    This was the location where the monsters from the One-Sided Pyramids gathered. Since so many monsters were in one ce, it was understandable that the ce was in such tatters. However, the monsters that had devastated this ce like this were nowhere to be found. ¡®They¡¯ve moved.¡¯

    As expected, Glen seemed to be nning to annihte Pialu by using the monsters.

    ¡®I won¡¯t let him do that.¡¯ Zich wasn¡¯t going to let Glen erase all the work and achievements he had made so far. He began running towards Pialu.

 Chapter 433

    <h4>Chapter 433</h4>

    Even though Zich had prepared a countermeasure, the most ideal thing that could happen was for the monsters to not attack Pialu in the first ce. However, not all wishes came true, so L headed to the Denest Mountain Range while holding the Pyramid of Vengeful Souls to get rid of the monsters. Since L was a high-level mage skilled in mana control, everyone thought L would be better at using it. Above all, since L could teleport, she could quickly decipher the monsters¡¯ movements and return. Like she had expected, she saw an army of monstersing down from the mountain range and advancing toward Pialu.

    ¡°So, it¡¯s finally came to this,¡± themander swiped his face with his hands and sighed. The situation he had wanted to avoid at all costs was edging closer to reality.

    ¡°Did the Pyramid of Vengeful Souls have an effect on them?¡± themander asked L almost pleadingly.

    ¡°It did to a degree, and it caused their bnce to break. Strong monsters began killing the weaker ones or they ate them.¡±

    ¡°Then, can¡¯t you make the monsters get rid of each other?¡± themander asked as his expression brightened up. However, if this was possible, L would have done so a long time ago.

    ¡°That was the extent of influence the pyramid could exert on them. Their forces might have weakenedpared to before, but they are definitely going to arrive at Pialu soon.¡±

    ¡°Is it because of the Pyramid of Vengeful Souls in the enemy¡¯s possession?¡±

    ¡°Probably.¡±

    ¡°If we and our enemy both have the same item, shouldn¡¯t we be able to half-control the monsters?¡±

    ¡°That may sound reasonable, but we don¡¯t know much about the Pyramid of Vengeful Souls. The effect of the pyramid could change depending on a person¡¯s experience with them or our enemy could have multiple pyramids. Or, there could be apletely different reason that¡¯s preventing us from having less control over the monsters.¡±

    ¡°So, in other words, we have to prepare for the monster invasion.¡±

    ¡°Yes, but don¡¯t worry. Zich wille soon. He won¡¯t take too long.¡±

    ¡°I really hope so,¡± themander said and strengthened his resolve. Then, he got up from his chair to prepare for the uing battle.

    * * *

    They held a meeting. Even those who had gone out to patrol the surroundings were called to question Til. Since there was no meaning to searching for Til anymore, they used a beacon to call everyone back in. A heavy silence weighed down the meeting room, and all the people who looked at Til in surprise or wariness pressed their lips tightly now.

    ¡°So, in short, we have to minimize the damages as much as possible before Mr. Ziches.¡± Themander¡¯s firm voice rang in the silent space.

    ¡°How long would we have to endure?¡± one mercenary asked. Themander shook his head.

    ¡°We don¡¯t know exactly.¡±

    ¡°So, are you telling us to just endure without really knowing what¡¯s going on?¡±

    ¡°Then, is there another way?¡± themander asked, and the mercenary didn¡¯t reply. ¡°Even if you order everyone to escape, it¡¯s toote now. All we can do is trust Sir Zich¡¯s words.¡±

    ¡°Then, shouldn¡¯t he have at least told us what his ns are?¡± The one behind this question was Glen. As if he had felt the danger of the situation, Glen had a hard expression on his face unlike his usual self. Then, Glen turned to L. ¡°Ms. L, you said you knew what Sir Zich¡¯s solution was.¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°Then, please tell us what it is.¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t tell you.¡±

    ¡°¡­Are you really telling us to put our lives on the line for a method you can¡¯t tell us?¡±

    ¡°If you word it like that, I suppose so,¡± L answered.

    Bam! Glen mmed the table hard. People¡¯s eyes narrowed at Glen¡¯s violent behavior, but many of them agreed with his feelings. In a way, L¡¯s response seemed to be devoid of any sense of responsibility.

    ¡°Do you realize how nonsensical you sound?¡±

    ¡°Then, do you have a solution you would like to propose, Sir Zenard? Please tell us. If it¡¯s reasonable, then we can rece ours with yours.¡±

    ¡°No, wouldn¡¯t everything be solved if you just tell us what this solution is?!¡± Glen insisted.

    In his head, Glen thought, ¡®By solution, it¡¯s probably a solution regarding the army of monsters.¡¯ Since his subordinates hadn¡¯t returned at the promised time, Glen had already established that the n involving Til and Nick was a failure. Thus, there was only one thing left for him to do: destroy Pialu so that Zich couldn¡¯t earn merits for the achievements he had made in the city.

    Glen was shocked when Til first brought the Pyramid of Vengeful Souls with him. He insulted his incapable subordinates furiously inside his mind. However, it was still possible for him to call the monsters even if another party had the Pyramid of Vengeful Souls. He had engraved it into the monsters¡¯ heads to only respond to the pyramid he had. Although it took a lot of preparation to do this and the number of monsters he could call lessened with this method, he had no choice since he couldn¡¯tpletely shield them from the influence of another pyramid.

    ¡®Only this solution is left now.¡¯ Yet, L was the only one in the room who knew what this solution was, and she kept her mouth sealed. Even at the risk of diminishing his pure holy image, he insisted on an answer forcefully. Yet L seemed like she had no intention of opening her mouth.

    ¡°Once again, I can¡¯t tell you,¡± L said.

    ¡°¡­What if we say that we won¡¯t follow your words?¡±

    ¡°Then, what else do you all n to do?¡±

    Glen had a difficult timeing up with a response.

    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t it be good to evacuate the city residents?¡± One of the leaders participating in the meeting offered a suggestion, but L shook her head.

    ¡°Again, it¡¯s toote now. If we move people outside the city hastily, it might cause more harm instead.¡±

    ¡°¡­Then, I suppose we have no choice but to follow Mr. Zich¡¯s words.¡±

    No one disagreed, and thus, they reached a decision.

    * * *

    Lara returned to her lodging after a while. Lying on the bed seemed to relieve the fatigue of staying outdoors for several days. Lara had been searching for signs of Til with Hans. It was a much harder task than patrolling the city. However, Lara enjoyed this task despite her fatigue. Moreover, she felt that it was much more meaningful work than staying in Glen¡¯s party and getting ignored and looked down on by Glen. It was also a great experience to work with Hans.

    After meeting him a few times, Lara thought that he was an extremely hardworking and good person, and her thoughts were confirmed by working with him the past few days. Searching for someone was an extremely boring task since they needed to persistently work on an uncertain goal and look for a person that they might never find. There was also a high possibility that all their efforts would be in vain.

    However, Hans continued to press on with extreme persistence and hard work. Moreover, when they happened to cross a monster, he never let a single one escape. He was also very caring and kind to Lara. With all these factorsbined, Lara¡¯s heart feltfortable for the first time in a long while. However, this onlysted for a very short while. When a beacon was raised on the next mountain as a sign for them to return to Pialu, Lara realized she felt extremely disappointed.

    [I hope this helps you find the part of yourself you lost.]

    These were the words that Hans had told her when they separated in the city. As he said, Lara felt like she had returned to the person she was when she first began her journey. However, when she returned to her party¡¯s lodging, she felt as if this feeling was a shining memory from a long time ago.

    Knock! Knock! Knock!

    ¡°Ms. Browning! Mr. Glen is calling for you!¡± Lara heard Chelsea¡¯s voice. It seemed as if Glen was gathering his party members. In the past, Glen used to call her personally, but from a certain point onwards, he never knocked on her door again. Lara lifted her body and opened the door. There was no one there. Chelsea seemed to have already headed towards Glen¡¯s room. Wasn¡¯t it normal forrades to wait for each other in situations like this? However, Lara was used to this treatment. She went to Glen¡¯s room and knocked on the door.

    ¡°Come in.¡± When she opened the door and went in, she saw Glen, Chelsea, and Pina. It seemed as if she was thest person to arrive. Lara pulled out a chair for herself and sat down withoutint. When everyone arrived, Glen began exining what happened in the meeting he attended just now.

    Chelsea slightly frowned and said, ¡°Then, do we have to just blindly listen to Zich and defend against the monsters until who knows when? That¡¯s so irresponsible of him.¡±

    ¡°I share the same thoughts.¡± Glen nodded. ¡°But even then, it¡¯s already been decided, so we have to follow his words.¡± Glen contemted deeply about what choice he should make, but in the end, he decided to defend against the monsters on the frontline. The biggest reason why he made this decision was because of the countermeasure that Zich talked about. ¡®I need to figure out what his n is.¡¯

    Since there were so many variables in this timeline, it might be a countermeasure he never imagined before. ¡®It might be possible for me to hinder him.¡¯ Then, Pialu might get destroyed like Glen hoped for. ¡®If that happens, I can push the responsibility of Pialu¡¯s annihtion onto him.¡¯

    Moreover, based on the image that Glen had been building, it was also expected of him to face the monsters on the frontline. In every possible way, it was only natural that Glen should take the lead in this battle.

    ¡°Perhaps, does he have some kind of suspicious n? It¡¯s already strange that he suddenly brought the captain of Wolf¡¯s Canine. The captain of Wolf¡¯s Canine was the most likely culprit at one point after all.¡± Chelsea already had hated Zich, so she used this opportunity to insult him. Of course, she pretended like she was carefully suggesting a thought on the surface.

    ¡®There¡¯s no way that¡¯s true.¡¯ Lara thought this in her mind and waspletely shocked. She didn¡¯t imagine that she¡¯d take Zich¡¯s side. She hadn¡¯t thought very well of Zich initially, but it seemed as if her favorable impression of Hans had also spread to Zich.

    While Lara was shocked by her change in thought, Glen continued, ¡°We don¡¯t have any evidence. Let¡¯s avoid baseless suspicions for now.¡± Glen spoke with principles, but everyone could see that he was not pleased to say this.

    ¡°Anyway, since the city has decided on its policy, we have to do our job.¡± Glen exchanged nces between Chelsea and Pina and said, ¡°Both of you follow orders from the top of the walls like you¡¯ve been doing so far. Pina, you use magic, and Chelsea, heal those who are injured.¡±

    ¡°Got it.¡±

    ¡°Yes, I understand.¡±

    Both of them nodded their heads. Glen continued, ¡°And Lara, kill the monsters climbing up the city walls.¡±

    ¡°Then, what about you, Glen?¡±

    ¡°We decided that those who are skilled will go down the city walls and face the high-level monsters since there¡¯s a high possibility that the city walls would copse if they make contact with the walls.¡±

    Lara would have just quietly followed Glen¡¯s orders if she acted like usual. She would have ignored and suppressed her opinions with the reasoning that Glen was the leader, and she needed to follow him. However, Lara was different from usual today.

    ¡°Could I also go down the city walls?¡±

    ¡°¡­Lara, you want to?¡± Glen looked slightly surprised, as he didn¡¯t expect Lara to question his order. His expression didn¡¯t look pleased, and Lara flinched. The words she wanted to say hovered around her mouth; on one hand, she wanted to just ept his orders like before and quickly get over this situation, but Lara took one step further today.

    ¡°Yeah. With my skills, I think I¡¯ll be helpful in stopping the high-level monsters.¡±

    [You¡¯re strong, Ms. Browning.]

    The words that Hans told her before they separated circled inside her mind.

 Chapter 434

    <h4>Chapter 434</h4>

    A nervous air spread across Pialu. This type of atmosphere was expected considering that today could be Pialu¡¯sst day. An army of monsters wasing, and the only hope they could cling to was Zich¡¯s solution that L refused to even exin. If the situation hadn¡¯t been so grave and Zich wasn¡¯t a Karuwiman Holy Knight, they both would have been chased away while being showered with curses that they were lunatics. Yet, in the end, Pialu epted Zich¡¯s suggestion. Not everyone agreed and from time to time, some people burst out in frustration, but they couldn¡¯t change their ns at this point. Soon, people simply strengthened their resolve.

    Not long afterward, they saw dark shadows appearing from far away. They were very small at first, but as time passed, the shadows grew bigger. As these shadows wiggled and lengthened, they seemed like vivacious monstersughing at them with their tongues hanging out.

    ¡°They¡¯vee.¡± Themander looked beyond the castle walls solemnly and stared. The soldiers near him gulped. The situation they had ardently wished for not to happen was approaching.

    ¡°Ready the soldiers and let the mercenaries know.¡±

    ¡°Yes!¡±

    The nextmander in line gave out orders to the soldiers near him. Yet, themander-in-chief simply red at the army of monsters from far away.

    ¡°Okay. Let¡¯s give it a try,¡± he said. There was no ce to back away to now. Themander gripped the handles of the sword hanging on his waist tightly.

    * * *

    There was amotion above the castle walls. Soldiers holding spears stationed themselves in rows behind the battlement and archers nocked their arrows on their bows. Mercenaries held onto their weapons and made preparations while the mages and priests tightened their grip on their staffs. Moreover, those tasked with the most important mission of preventing the high-level monsters from reaching the castle walls also finished their preparations.

    Lara gripped her sword tightly. The dark figures of the monsters grew clearer and closer; and ?the force of this army of monsters appeared to be stronger too.

    ¡°Gulp!¡± The soldier near her gulped. The sound of his gulping was so loud that it surprised him, and the soldier looked at his surroundings in surprise. In a way, it was a very funny scene, but no one wasughing. That was how nervous people felt, and Lara felt the same way. When she told Glen that she would also fight the high-level monsters, Glen¡¯s response hadn¡¯t been as pleasant as she expected. He expressed clear disapproval; in simr situations from before, he used to talk in a soft voice as if he was quelling a child, but he didn¡¯t do that anymore. He simply spoke in a cold tone like he thought she was pathetic.

    [You don¡¯t have the skills.]

    Then he looked disapprovingly at the sword on her waist. He still was displeased that Lara hadn¡¯t changed the weapon of her choice from a sword to a shield. However, Lara didn¡¯t back down.

    [I still want to, and I don¡¯t think my skills are ascking as you say.]

    Lara had never resisted so much before, so Glen looked considerably surprised. Following that, he said in a cold voice.

    [Do what you want.]

    From then on, Glen thoroughly ignored Lara¡¯s presence andmenced his meeting while addressing only Chelsea and Pina. Lara also no longer felt the need to be in Glen¡¯s room and left. Lara couldn¡¯t immediately assume the role of fighting high-level monsters. Her current position was simply a member of Glen¡¯s party, and it wasn¡¯t as if she could ask themander himself to let her fulfill the role. Yet, she had someone else to rely upon.

    ¡°Are you ready?¡± Hans stopped midway of wandering the castle walls and asked Lara. Although Hans was also just a member of Zich¡¯s party, he was well-respected in the city because of his outstanding skills. With a rmendation from someone like that, themander heeded her request to join the front-line fighters and Lara could join those fighting the high-level monsters. Lara knew that Glen¡¯s rtionship with Zich wasn¡¯t good, so she didn¡¯t know what Glen would think about her coboration with Hans; she supposed he probably wouldn¡¯t think well of it. Yet, Lara now felt more passion and excitement than she had ever felt in a while.

    ¡°I am done with my preparations.¡±

    ¡°As I told you before, you are strong. So, please have some confidence,¡± Hans said.

    ¡°Yes!¡± She didn¡¯t realize how nice it was for another person to trust and believe in her. Lara smiled slightly as she nodded.

    * * *

    Kuoooooh! The ogre dashing from the front cried loudly. As if that was a signal, other monsters began screaming simultaneously. Although the monsters were still a distance away, the soldiers could feel their skin quaking. From the center of the army of monsters, the high-level monsters revealed themselves.

    Kuaaaaah!

    Kieeeeeeh!

    These were sounds that could squeeze a person¡¯s heart. These noises especially affected some soldiers and they lost their grip over their weapons before falling over. Only when theirmanders showered insults at them did they grip their swords again and stand up. However, they couldn¡¯t change the fear-stricken look in their pupils.

    ¡°Their numbers have decreased,¡± themander-in-chief murmured, recalling the number of monsters Glen had mentioned to him before. L¡¯s use of the Pyramid of Vengeful Souls hadn¡¯t beenpletely ineffective. Still, the number of monsters still posed a great threat to the city.

    ¡°Give them a signal.¡± The aide by his sidemanded another soldier.

    Da-thump! Da-thump! Da-thump! The sound of drums rang across the battlefield.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±

    ¡°Yes!¡±

    Hans and Lara jumped down the castle walls, and they weren¡¯t the only ones. Many others also jumped down, each one of them Pialu¡¯s most skilled fighter taking the role of fighting high-level monsters. Hans and Lara immediately dove into the army of monsters.

    Sparkle! With a sh of light, an orc and a troll in the front were sliced into pieces. With another sh of light, an ogre from the back was sliced into two.

    ¡®He really is amazing.¡¯ While slicing monsters from behind, Lara stared at Hans¡¯ fighting, impressed. It seemed clear to her now that Hans was stronger than Glen.

    `Then how strong is the man named Zich who taught Hans swordsmanship?¡±

    From the fighting she had witnessed before in battle, she knew Zich was an amazing fighter. But now, she thought she might have underestimated his strength. The two pierced through the group of monsters in an instant and arrived at a ce where high-level monsters were gathered.

    Bam! A titan stepped on the ground and seemed to cause an earthquake near their surroundings. Their shadows alone could be mistaken for mountains and their enormous sizes triggered fear in people¡¯s hearts. Yet, Lara didn¡¯t back down. She gripped her sword tightly and dashed forward.

    * * *

    Bam!

    ¡°Ugh!¡± Glen felt a strong shock climb up his arms as he blocked the basilisk''s tail with Tornium and frowned.

    Spit! Poisonous venom shot out of the basilisk''s fang straight toward Glen like a fountain, but he quickly evaded it by moving his body to the side.

    Chiiiiiick!

    Kucck!

    Kueeeeck!

    The monsters hit by the venom screamed and melted. A sufficient amount of time had passed since the battle had started. To a certain extent, the people in Pialu were sessfully defending the city. Ordinary soldiers used the city walls to push off any monsters climbing into the city, and the strongest fighters in Pialu expertly baited the monsters away from the city to prevent them from entering it.

    ¡®They¡¯ll soon reach the limit.¡¯ The difference in power and numbers was toorge, and the humans were slowly losing. No one knew when either side would fall. However, this was of no concern to Glen. ¡®When the hell is he nning to initiate his countern?¡¯ Glen couldn¡¯t see a trace of Zich. ¡®Well, even if the city copses like this, it won¡¯t be bad for me.¡¯ However, there was one thing he found bothersome.

    Crassh! A titan near him swung its giant fist. However, it ripped apart a monster close by and failed to kill its target.

    sh! The light from Estede drew Glen and the Titan¡¯s gaze, but Estede¡¯s light was not what annoyed Glen so much. Even though it was annoying as hell that this no-name punk was swinging Estede, something else was even more annoying.

    Bam! Glen saw Lara pair up with Hans and hit the Titan¡¯s ankle. Glen tightened his grip on Tornium. When Lara told him that she wanted to face the high-level monsters, he felt an extreme amount of displeasure and a slight shock at her rebellious attitude. Therefore, he told her to just do whatever she wanted because, based on her personality, if she didn¡¯t receive themander¡¯s permission, she would follow themander¡¯s decision.

    However, he had no idea that she¡¯d ask Zich¡¯s subordinate to get a rmendation to fight the high-level monsters. This whole affair annoyed him to hell, and he gritted his teeth. Regardless of how much Lara Browning was acting outside his control in this timeline, she was his. Yet, she was acting however she wanted right now.

    ¡®Now that I think about it, isn¡¯t this the perfect opportunity?¡¯ Wasn¡¯t it a good idea to expel that Hans punk who was not included in any of his ns? Considering that Hans was a thief who stole his Estede, he deserved to die. Death was also natural in a battle, and there were many ways to subtly kill him on the battlefield.

    SSSSSckkk! Glen looked at the basilisk rushing towards him and slightly moved to the side.

    Bam! Bam! Bam! While avoiding the basilisk that was frantically moving its body, Glenshed out with his swings as if he was trying to retaliate. However, his swings were directed towards the other monsters and not the basilisk. After a few moments, many monsters started chasing after Glen. He secretly tried to push the monsters towards Hans. Thanks to his limitless experience, his movements were extremely subtle. Even though Lara could also die as a result, Glen didn¡¯t care.

    ¡®Lara is not going to be a proper person in this timeline anyway.¡¯ Glen had a twisted thought that the only ¡°proper¡± and correct way for Lara to exist was for her to act exactly like how he wanted her to be. However, this was not the only thing. Glen also thought, ¡®I don¡¯t need a woman who¡¯s been tainted by another man!¡¯

    Bamm! Glen provoked another monster and moved his body back.

    Kuaaaahhh!

    Keuahhh!

    The monsters frantically moved around in anger and desperately tried to find a target to unleash their rage at. The people they saw in front of them were Hans and Lara.

    Bam! The behemoth rushed straight toward Hans and Lara with its enormous body, and they quickly moved away. A sh of light came from the basilisk after that. The titan and hydra also let out piercing shrieks and rushed towards Hans and Lara.

    Lara¡¯splexion grew pale. No matter how skilled she was, it was natural that she would feel anxious about dealing with such fierce attacks from so many monsters.

    ¡°Are you all right?¡± Hans moved closer to Lara and asked, ¡°If you think it¡¯s too difficult, you can step back for now.¡±

    ¡°¡­Didn¡¯t you tell me that I¡¯d be able to do it?¡±

    ¡°Your skills are more than enough, but it¡¯s not like I can help you with your mentality.¡±

    ¡°Fufu, yes, that¡¯s true.¡± Lara¡¯s face was still pale, but motivation returned to her eyes. ¡°This is rted to saving people.¡± She fixed her grip on the sword. ¡°I can¡¯t fall like this.¡±

    ¡°I also agree.¡±

    Then, the two swung their swords at the monstersing at them in all directions.

    * * *

    Glen had passed over many high-level monsters to Hans and Lara, and he was now fighting the monsters at a slight distance away from them.

    Bam! A huge light beamed out. A great amount of mana exploded and made a loud sound¡ªthat was where Hans and Lara were. Glen slightly frowned and stared in their direction. ¡®No way. They didn¡¯t escape that, right?¡¯ Glen didn¡¯t feel happy that all his efforts would be in vain. Then, Glen saw something flying towards him.

    Crash! The object let out all kinds of bright light and pierced the front of the ground that Glen was standing on. Glen knew right away what it was¡ªthere was no way he would forget it since it used to once be a sword that symbolized him.

    ¡®Estede!¡¯ It was his sword that he had lost in this timeline, his precious sword that a thief had stolen from him. ¡®Is he dead?¡¯ If that was true, it would be great news. It would feel like a gift after so many annoying events that had happened recently. Without even thinking much about it, Glen threw down Tornium and then grabbed Estede¡¯s hilt. ¡®It finally returned to me in the end!¡¯

    To Glen, it felt clear that he was fated to be a hero. Glen felt Estede in his hand and put more strength into his arms.

    Thud! ¡°Hmm?¡± Shock and astonishment filled Glen¡¯s eyes.

 Chapter 435

    <h4>Chapter 435</h4>

    ¡°Kuh!¡± Lara blinked. Strong light swept across her surroundings and stung her eyes slightly. However, the light didn¡¯t affect her much because Hans warned her every time it shed, and she was able to turn her head and close her eyes in advance. However, Estede¡¯s light shed in front of the monsters head-on, so they rubbed their eyes and looked pained.

    ¡°Amazing!¡± Lara eximed in admiration after checking her surroundings. Hans¡¯ recent attack hadn¡¯t simply just stolen the monsters¡¯ eyesight. This was only a small effect, and the strong currents of light brought upon tremendous destruction in one swing; it was evident based on therge marks on the high-level monster attacking Hans and Lara. However, there was a negative result from the usage of the skill. Lara instantly realized that Estede was missing from Han¡¯s hands.

    ¡°Mr. Hans! What happened to your sword?¡±

    ¡°I dropped it. It¡¯s because I haven''tpleted this skill yet.¡± Hans was incredibly calm even after losing a rare sword like Estede. Lara was even more surprised than him.

    ¡°That¡¯s serious!¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s fine. I have a recement sword,¡± Hans said and pulled out a sword from a magic box. Although this sword was also a precious sword, inparison to Estede, it was the difference between the sun and a firefly. However, Hans calmly swung his new sword.

    Baang! Hans¡¯ mana shifted forward to the nearest behemoth. Covered in wounds and struggling to even open its eyes, the behemoth was nothing more than arge target. Hans¡¯ attack struck the area where the behemoth already had a deep wound.

    Kaaaaaak! The behemoth floundered in pain.

    ¡°Unbelievable!¡± These past few days, Hans had continuously impressed Lara. With an outstanding sword like Estede, a swordsman couldn¡¯t help but begin to rely on the sword¡¯s strengths and neglect their swordsmanship. Even if they tried to not let their sword lead them, it would probably have an effect on them. Yet, Hans was different. When he held Estede, he used the sword¡¯s strength skillfully and led the battle. Now that he couldn¡¯t use Estede and could no longer use certain tactics with that, Hans matched his tactics ording to his new sword and didn¡¯t show any weaknesses. He fought as if he had used an ordinary sword all along.

    Kuaaaah! A titan let out a scream filled with agony under Hans¡¯ sword. Lara eximed in admiration again. Of course, it wasn¡¯t as if they couldn¡¯t feel Estede¡¯s loss. Even though Hans performed splendidly with just an ordinary sword, it was clear that his fighting power was weaker than before.

    ¡®I have to find his sword!¡¯ Lara thought. Hans was too upied with fighting monsters, so Lara scanned her surroundings while blocking the monsters¡¯ attacks. Since Hans drew many of the monsters¡¯ attention to him, Lara had some ease to search for the sword.

    Sparkle! She soon spotted a light and her eyes widened. It was definitely Estede¡¯s light. Lara pierced through a group of monsters and dashed toward where the light shone.

    ¡°Glen?¡± Then, she saw Glen standing next to Estede stuck in the ground. Glen¡¯s expression looked strange. He didn¡¯t have his usual kind, gentle expression or an indifferent face that he only showed to Lara. He looked lost, as if something important to him had crumbled, and he even appeared indifferent to the chaotic battle around him.

    Kuaaaah! An ogre rushed from behind Glen. Normally, an ogre would¡¯ve been cleanly sliced into two withoutnding mark on Glen, but something seemed off about Glen now. Even though he must have realized that an ogre was rushing from behind, he didn¡¯t react? at all.

    ¡®No!¡¯ Even if Lara was disappointed in him, it wasn¡¯t as if all her feelings for him hadpletely disappeared. Plus, her personality didn¡¯t let her simply watch a person die in front of her. Yet, the distance between them was too wide. Before she could reach him, it seemed as if the ogre¡¯s rough fist would crush Glen¡¯s head. Thus, she used the only method she could think of.

    Whoosh! The sword in her hand flew from her head straight toward the ogre.

    Crunch!

    Kyaaaah!

    The ogre shrieked from the sword stuck in his eyes. Lara had seeded in saving Glen, but now she was in danger.

    Grrrrrr! An ogre missing one eye viciously pulled out the sword and flicked it down to the ground. Then, with its remaining eye, it rushed toward Lara full of bloodlust. Other monsters in her surroundings also aimed for her. However, because she had thrown her sword just now, her hands were empty. She was about to pull out a recement sword from a magic box like Hans when she noticed something.

    ¡®That¡¯s¡­!¡¯ She saw a sword on the ground not too far away from her. Its ck de was especially memorable and familiar to her. ¡® Tornium?¡¯ That was Glen¡¯s sword. Lara knew that since he carried the sword everywhere he went. Before she fully processed the entire situation, she reacted first and ran to pick up Tornium.

    Zing! ¡°Urgh!¡± Lara was a bit taken aback as strong energy rose into her hand and dug into her entire body.

    Kuaaaah! The ogre had approached her by now. Lara suppressed her surprise and swung her sword.

    Slice! Lara was surprised yet again. The mana she had infused into her sword had been amplified by several folds and easily shredded the ogre¡¯s thick skin. Tornium¡¯s effect was beyond what she had even imagined. There were more monsters besides the ogre, and Lara swung Tornium again.

    Baaang!

    ¡®Amazing!¡¯ Although she controlled her mana amount knowing that the sword would amplify it, a power much more than what she had imagined burst out.

    ¡®Is this Tornium¡¯s power?¡¯ She thought it was an amazing sword, but it was another matter when using it in person. Yet, as expected, there weren¡¯t only positives.

    ¡®It¡¯s definitely heavy.¡¯ Lara wasn¡¯t talking about the sword¡¯s weight. As someone who had lived most of her life while holding a sword, there was no way she would struggle from the weight of a sword. She was talking about the sword¡¯s rebound.

    Baaaang! She swung Tornium once more, and her amplified mana swept the nearby monsters. Simultaneously, she felt a heavy rebound on her hands.

    ¡®It will be really dangerous if it falls into the wrong hands,¡¯ she thought. However, Lara was able to use Tornium skillfully and get rid of the nearby monsters.

    ¡°Glen!¡± Lara shook Glen¡¯s shoulders as he stared at Estede stupidly. His wandering eyes came into focus again.

    ¡°¡­Lara?¡±

    ¡°Wake up and gather your senses! What are you doing on a battlefield!¡± Lara said while striking a blow to a monster approaching them. The monster died while letting out an ear-splitting scream, and Glen finally realized that the sword in Lara¡¯s hands was Tornium.

    ¡°¡­Why are you holding that!¡± Glen yelled.

    Lara was stunned. It was her first time seeing Glen this angry. Even when he scorned her, he had never been so agitated. Glen¡¯s face was truly a spectacle to see¡ªit contorted so wickedly that it seemed as if the gentle self he had shown until now was all a lie.

    ¡°Give it to me!¡± Glen snatched Tornium away from Lara¡¯s hands. Shocked, Lara couldn¡¯t resist much and let go of her grip. Glen searched Tornium carefully like he was worried that some parts might be broken from Lara¡¯s touch. If there was even the slightest dent on the sword, it looked as if Glen would hold Lara ountable. Normally, Glen would have never shown this kind of behavior. Yet, the betrayal of the sword Estede, which he simply believed to have parted paths only in this timeline and firmly trusted in, added on top of things not going ording to his ns had pushed Glenpletely off the edge.

    ¡°¡­Glen?¡± Lara asked carefully. However, Glen didn¡¯t even meet her eyes. It was then that Lara realized it. ¡®¡­The Glen I know of no longer exists.¡¯

    Perhaps, Glen had changed or she might have been tricked this whole time. Nevertheless, the Glen she loved would never be so infuriated simply because hispanion used his sword. Lara didn¡¯t say anything more to Glen; in the first ce, she never intended to fight with Glen. Thus, she quietly approached Estede, which had been her main goal ofing here anyways. Lara gripped Estede.

    Wiing! Warm energy flowed across her body in an instant. It was apletely different feeling from Tornium, but the two swords had the same amount of enormous power.

    ¡°You¡­!¡±

    When Lara turned around, she saw Glen staring at her inplete shock. However, Lara shifted her eyes away from him. It was more urgent for her to give this sword to Hans.

    Thud! Her body flew into the air. After grasping her own sword lying nearby, she ran straight to Hans.

    Slice! Slice! She sliced all the monsters in her way with Estede.

    ¡®It really is a great sword!¡¯ The more she used the sword, the more impressed she was by it. Since she didn¡¯t feel a heavy recoil like she had with Tornium, it was easier for her to use Estede too. Any swordsman would dream of the sword, and even an immaterialist person would start to feel materialistic greed with Estede in their grasp. Yet, there was not even a single inkling of greed in Lara¡¯s eyes. The only thing in her mind was that she had to give this sword back to its rightful owner.

    Spark! The monsters in front of her were swept by a current of light, and Lara passed through the space that opened up.

    ¡®It¡¯s a bit difficult to deal with the light.¡¯ As expected, the better a sword was, the more training one needed. Yet, Lara¡¯s current experience was more than enough to fulfill her current goal.

    ¡°Mr. Hans!¡± Lara called out loudly as Hans battled against monsters. Hans distanced himself from the monster in front of him and looked in her direction.

    ¡°Catch!¡± Lara threw Estede powerfully. As the sword poured out light with her mana, Estede flew and appeared like an asteroid hitting the Earth¡¯s surface.

    Thud! Hans grasped Estede. Soon, a blinding light poured out of Estede¡¯s de.

    Crunch! Light pierced into the titan¡¯s arm reaching for Hans. Arge chunk of flesh fell off and blood poured out.

    Kaaaaah! The titan gripped its fist tightly and wailed, and in the meantime, Hans approached Lara¡¯s side.

    ¡°Did you get this for me, Ms. Lara?¡±

    ¡°Yes!¡±

    ¡°It must not have been easy to hold Estede.¡±

    After all, Estede was supposed to be a sword that chose its own master¡ªalthough, of course, Zich considered it a stupid sword ever since he held it.

    ¡°Sorry? No, I didn¡¯t really have any difficulties,¡± Lara said, feeling a bit disheartened. She recalled how Glen had red at her menacingly for using his sword and worried that Hans might do the same. Fear shot up in her heart, but truly, fortunately, Hans smiled instead.

    ¡°I see. I knew you would be able to hold it.¡± Hans thought anyone could tell that Lara was the epitome of justice, and she was someone Estede could truly ept.

    ¡°Thank you.¡±

    After Lara expressed her gratitude, Hans rmenced his battle. A cluster of lights iparable to her wielding the sword flew at the monsters. Lara quietly looked at Hans¡¯ back as he fought. Perhaps, it was because the person she loved treated her so maliciously just before, but Hans¡¯ simple expression of gratitude touched her heart. However, she wasn¡¯t in an ideal location to dwell on her emotions, and Lara fixed her grip on her sword and rushed into the battlefield to help Hans.

    Although Pialu fought better than expected, they were soon reaching their limits. The difference between their numbers was too great. After avoiding a hydra''s poison, Lara sliced an orc next to her. She simply sliced one orc but her elbow felt numb¡ªshe was reaching her limit.

    ¡®If we continue like this, we will lose!¡±

    ¡°Mr. Hans! Is the solution Ms. L talked about still not ready?¡± As soon as Lara asked this question, arge explosion urred in the middle of the group of monsters.

    Baaaaaaam! Lara quickly turned in the direction of the noise. In a spot that had been filled with monsters, a crater formed. The bright red remains on the surface clearly disyed what had happened to the creatures that used to be there, and one person stood in the middle of this crater.

    Thud! Somebody ced their hand on Lara¡¯s shoulder. It was Hans. With a mysterious refreshed look on his face, he said, ¡°He came. Our solution.¡±

 Chapter 436

    <h4>Chapter 436</h4>

    ¡°A solution?¡± Lara blinked hard and searched the crater carefully. She saw Zich. Lara had seen Zich many times before, and although it was mostly negative, she held quite strong feelings for him. There was no way she mistook him, especially with his tree branch-like sword that proved his identity. However, Zich was really all she saw inside the crater. The ¡®solution¡¯ that everyone had been expecting seemed to be nowhere in sight, but the giant crater that formed with Zich¡¯s arrival gave her hope.

    ¡°What kind of solution?¡±

    Zich and hispanions kept this so-called ¡®solution¡¯ tightly sealed amongst themselves. It was the same for Hans. Hans simply hinted that he had an inkling of what this solution might be, but he didn¡¯t exin it. Unlike the others, Lara didn¡¯t have many suspicions about this solution, mainly because she had a lot of faith in Hans. However, she was also curious and since this solution was now in action and wasn¡¯t a secret anymore, she finally asked the question again.

    Lara wondered what this solution could be. Was it a way to easily suppress the monster? Was it a strong artifact that could makerge craters? Perhaps, it could be somethingpletely different from everything she had thought of. She thought whatever the solution was, there was no need for her to be surprised. But when Hans told her the answer, Lara immediately blurted, ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°I said, Sir Zich is the solution.¡±

    Lara blinked hard. She stared at Zich once and turned back to Hans.

    ¡°Mr. Zich?¡± Lara asked again.

    ¡°Yes, Sir Zich.¡±

    ¡°How could Mr. Zich be the solution?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s simple.¡± Hans¡¯ next words were even more unbelievable. ¡°Sir Zich can just beat them all.¡±

    ¡°¡­What?¡± Lara doubted her own ears, thinking she might have heard wrong. However, Hans reassured her that her ear was fine.

    ¡°All of this would be solved if Sir Zich just defeated them all,¡± Hans said.

    Defeat them all? Did Hans truly mean that Zich was going to fight the army of monsters by himself? ¡®Impossible...¡¯ Lara felt disappointed at this irresponsible response. She was aware of how outstanding Zich¡¯s skills were as she had witnessed them multiple times in battle, but it was not to the point that he could handle this enormous army of monsters by himself. If he possessed such skills in the first ce, he should¡¯ve disyed them in their previous monster invasions.

    ¡°I know what you are thinking,¡± Hans said. Perhaps, prickled by the sharp gazes that Lara shot at him, Hans scratched his cheeks and said, ¡°I won¡¯t tell you to believe¡­¡± Then, he pointed at Zich and added, ¡°Since Sir Zich will prove it soon anyways.¡±

    As Hans finished his sentence, the monsters that had stopped moving from the sudden explosion resumed their activities again.

    Bang! One of the hydras stretched out itsrge legs. Unbefitting of its size, it quickly sprinted toward Zich. Its nine heads screeched individual sounds and appeared especially freakish, but in contrast, Zich hardly moved. He simply turned around and stared at the hydra. Zich appeared like a flicker of fire in front of a wind. His death appeared imminent, as the hydra might crush him with itsrge body or melt him down by piercing its poisonous fangs. Yet, Zich leisurely raised his Windur and swung it down.

    Slice! Sharp cutting noises rang across the surroundings, and the hydraing forth was sliced in half. The hydra was still running across the ground ferociously and its nine heads continued to scream with their teeth showing, but it was clear that it would not exist for long. Baaam! Its bottom fell first and then its torso fell to the ground and rolled. The hydra¡¯s heads were still alive and baring their fangs, but even this didn¡¯tst long.

    Slice! Slice! Slice! There were three consecutive slicing sounds this time. As it dragged its torso with its several heads, the hydra¡¯s movements stopped. Thump! The sliced hydra necks were torn into pieces and fell into a hot bath of blood. Zich simply nced at this and turned his body. The hydra died and could no longer reveal its bloodlust.

    Kuaaaah!

    Kyaaaaah!

    Perhaps, the monsters were threatened by the hydra¡¯s vain death or were enraged by the human standing right in the center. Leaving all others behind, they all began to dash toward Zich. It was quite a spectacle to see numerous monsters and dozens of high-level monsters rush toward one human. Of course, it probably was a terrifying sight for the person of interest. Yet, what happened next blew everyone¡¯s mindspletely.

    Spark! A basilisk¡¯s eye shone and shot out petrification light. In response, Zich held Windur horizontally and swung it.

    Slice! The light literally sliced in half and turned the monsters advancing forward from the opposite side into rocks. Zich waspletely unaffected.

    Bam! The basilisk¡¯s body fell and rolled on the ground strengthless. Its body had been sliced horizontally in a long line. The thin and long cut on it showcased its painful death. Zich began officially moving. He infused a great amount of mana into Windur and swung it.

    Bamm! The monsters flew away at Windur¡¯s explosive mana, and there was not a single monster in its range that was unscathed. Monsters that were cut at least into five parts rained down like hail.

    Bam! Bamm! Bammm! Like wiping a dark blot with a clean towel, monsters that filled the battlefield disappeared into chunks with each piercing scream. After wiping away the blots, bright red blood reced them

    Kuahhh! Zich had been ughtering the monsters without mercy, and a titan stopped him; its enormous and muscr arms swung towards Zich, and he swung Windur at the titan in response.

    Bamm! The titan¡¯s arm exploded; the arm¡¯s tough skin, muscle, and the overpowering strength that came with it looked fragile, like a cracked egg on the ground.

    The titan also seemed shocked that a small human had destroyed its arms as it nkly looked at its shoulder letting out streams of blood.

    Slice. A red line appeared on the titan¡¯s body.

    Pierce! The diagonal line split open and the titan¡¯s body was ripped apart.

    Thud! As expected of itsrge size, even though only the titan¡¯s upper body fell, an extremely loud sound rang in the air. However, Zich no longer paid any attention to it as his sharp eyes were already scanning the other monsters.

    Kuaaaah! Keuhhhh!

    Was it because the Pyramid of Vengeful Souls was controlling them? Or was it because of the monster¡¯s natural violent characteristics? Even though the monsters saw Zich decimate so many monsters, they didn¡¯t lose their ferocity in the slightest and rushed toward Zich with bloodthirst. However, the monsters¡¯ actions were like a moth flying to a me.

    * * *

    ¡°Ms. Browning, I told you that he¡¯ll soon prove it.¡± Hans sounded prideful, but Lara had no leisure to reply to his words. While opening her eyes wide, she was thinking if the scene in front of her was real or not until her head hurt. However, as the explosive sound rang in her ear, the monster¡¯s blood that scattered in the air and the shockwaves pressing into her skin forced her to face reality.

    Lara asked, ¡°Uh, what happened?¡± She sounded slightly shocked as she clutched onto the edge of Hans¡¯ clothes and asked for an answer, ¡°I knew that Mr. Zich was strong, but it was not to this extent!¡± Zich¡¯s strength could not be exined as just strong. It felt like she was watching a legendary force from ancient stories that sessfully hunted and defeated a dragon that destroyed an army in a matter of moments. Even while she was asking Hans, she clearly saw Zich jump off and rip apart a behemoth rushing towards him like a bouncy ball that children yed with.

    ¡°Hmm, I don¡¯t know exactly either but¡­¡± Hans began thinking of how much he should ry to Lara, but there was nothing much to hide about Zich¡¯s current situation. ¡®Sir Zich doesn¡¯t seem to have any intentions of hiding that strength in the first ce.¡¯

    ¡°The amount of mana that Sir Zich possesses is more than what people can even imagine. Sir Zich hasn¡¯t been able to awaken all that mana for now, but if he satisfies a specific condition, he can use all that mana.¡±

    ¡°So are you saying that the sight in front of us is when he can use all of his mana?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    Lara went back to looking at Zich fight. Zich was now facing a titan, behemoth, and basilisk all together and slicing them up.

    ¡°Even if he can use all of his mana, is it possible to be so proficient at using all of his mana so fast?¡±

    ¡°Well, the only exnation for that is that Sir Zich is a genius.¡± Hans shrugged his shoulders.

    Lara wanted to ask how that even made sense, but she swallowed her words as there was clear evidence in front of her. Lara naturally became curious. ¡°What is that condition?¡±

    However, Hans firmly shook his head. ¡°I cannot reveal that information.¡±

    The information about Clowon¡¯s ruins and the trees were secrets that only the party shared. Even though Hans trusted Lara as a good person, this was apletely different matter. Lara also epted his reply. A method that allowed one to awaken all the mana inside one¡¯s body¡ªit was a skill that she had never heard about. Considering the usefulness of that skill, it was natural that they didn¡¯t want to share it with others. Thus, Lara asked a different question: ¡°Why didn¡¯t you reveal that this was the solution?¡±

    If the soldiers knew about this astounding solution beforehand, they wouldn¡¯t have begun the fight with such uncertainty, and in a way, Lara thought that they could have decreased the damage received by at least a little bit. However, when Hans asked a question in return, she had no choice but to also exin his exnations.

    ¡°Would you have believed it?¡±

    ¡°¡­That¡¯s also true.¡± Lara easily nodded in agreement. After this, their conversation stopped, and they quietly watched Zich rip apart the monsters. There were a couple of monsters that rushed towards them, but they easily defeated them. Zich had already killed most of the high-level monsters. Pialu¡¯s soldiers were also pushing back the monsters, and the battle was reaching the end.

 Chapter 437

    <h4>Chapter 437</h4>

    The army of monsters from the Denest Mountain Range greatly threatened Pialu. It consisted of high-level monsters that ordinary people couldn¡¯t even imagine fighting and was teeming with so many ordinary monsters that seemed impossible to count. Although the city had called for reinforcements from other ces, none could be found. It seemed like the destiny of Pialu¡¯s citizens was only death. People raised their weapons out of fear that they or their families could be the monsters¡¯ next meal, but they prayed and prayed that the solution themander-in-chief told them about was true. After all this heartache, the answer to their prayers was right in front of their faces.

    Baaam!

    A titan as big as the castle walls cowered like a small child. Since the titan was so big, people could see the scene from well above the castle wall.

    ¡°Waaaaaaaaa!¡±

    ¡°Uaaaaaaaaah!¡±

    Every single soldier waved his or her weapon in the air and cheered. One figure was erasing the fear that rose right up to their nose by the second. With just a flick of his hands, Zich mocked the monsters that could¡¯ve crushed them, and the audience felt refreshed to see these monsters losing without being able to put up much of a fight.

    Baaam!

    There was another explosion, and monsters died in clusters. The soldiers cheered loudly again.

    ¡°He really is amazing.¡± While gripping her staff, Elena sighed watching Zich fight. Even though she had seen the extent of Zich¡¯s powers multiple times since she joined his party, she was still not used to it. Even though it wasmon knowledge and tended to be the case that a mage¡¯s magic was above a swordsman¡¯s sword in terms of sheer power, Elena knew her magic could never surpass Zich¡¯s attacks. Inparison, Snoc simply shrugged like he was used to this. Snoc had also been one of those in charge of fighting high-level monsters, but when Zich¡¯s monster annihtion began, he returned to the castle walls.

    ¡°I think Sir Zich¡¯s strategies and swordsmanship are all amazing, but above all else, I think this is the most amazing part about him. His immense mana just supports his pure strength.¡±

    ¡°You told me that¡¯s the strength Sir Zich has when hepletely releases his mana, right?¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡±

    The two went back and forth like this and continued their conversation; there wasn¡¯t a trace of nervousness from being on a battlefield, as Nowem demonstrated by slouching on Snoc¡¯s shoulders and yawning loudly. Yet, unlike these people watching the battle peacefully, some only expressed shock and bewilderment.

    ¡°¡­What¡¯s that?¡± Unlike her usually cold self, Pina stared at the scenery Zich unfolded with wide eyes. Pina never thought her mindcked behind her peers. Instead, even in the magician¡¯s tower where only geniuses gathered, she thought her mind was superior to them all. She was the genius among geniuses¡ªthis was her own evaluation of herself. This wasn¡¯t wrong in any sense since she was one of the top minds among the greatest minds. Yet, no matter how much she tried, she couldn¡¯t wrap her head around the sight before her.

    ¡°How¡­?¡± How was it possible for an individual to disy such might and strength? Beyond amazing, it was frightening.

    ¡°But it¡¯s a bit strange.¡± Then, Pina heard a voice beside her and turned her head. She was standing next to L, Elena, and Snoc. Themander had gathered the mages in one ce to easily protect them. Snoc had spoken just now.

    ¡°Don¡¯t you think Sir Zich¡¯s attacks are a bit dull right now? I don¡¯t think he¡¯s giving it his all. If he did, I think he would¡¯ve defeated the monsters some time ago.¡±

    Hearing this, Pina thought, ¡®That¡¯s not even all his power?¡¯ It didn¡¯t make sense. The might Zich disyed currently was astonishingly frightening¡ªhow could anyone insinuate that he wasn¡¯t using all his power?

    ¡®Are they bluffing because they are hispanions?¡¯ Thinking this, Pina concluded that Snoc was simply a bluffer. Yet, L¡¯s next words made Pina swing her head around and stare at L.

    ¡°It¡¯s because he¡¯s aware of his surroundings. Even if he¡¯s some distance away, there are people around, and if he attacks however he likes, they could get caught up in these attacks. Furthermore, he¡¯s fighting near a city. If he changes the terrain more than necessary, it would be a headache for the Pialu¡¯s residents to fix,¡± L said and smiled. She thought it was praiseworthy that Zich was thinking about his surroundings. This type of behavior was unbelievable if he was Zich Moore. As he said, Zich was thoroughly acting like a hero, and now, there was no way that Zich would be Zich Moore. Thus, L watched Zich fight contently and approved of his actions.

    ¡®¡­.He really is not giving his all?¡± Pina felt even more conflicted. To Pina, L was a mage with formidable skills, and thus, her words held apletely different meaning and weight than Snoc¡¯s. Next to Pina, there was Chelsea. Her kind mask waspletely shattered now as Chelsea watched¡ªno, glowered at Zich.

    ¡°I can¡¯t believe it. I can¡¯t believe it. I can¡¯t believe it,¡± Chelsea murmured endlessly and so quietly that even Pina couldn¡¯t hear her even though she was standing right next to her. Due to the sound of battle and growing cheers of the soldiers, no one could hear her. However, Chelsea was in such disbelief that she didn¡¯t even think about being heard.

    ¡®He¡¯s that strong?¡¯ Zich was the number one figure who made her rival Lube (although only by her own ims) into a Saintess. Naturally, Zich was a huge eyesore to Chelsea, and she, therefore, wished for his misfortune at all times. However, she had not imagined that he would have such amazing skills. This was not merely an annoying situation; Zich¡¯s power was an extremely dangerous threat to Chelsea. Her n to regain her status using Glen had gone totally awry because of him.

    ¡®Can Glen really surpass this guy?¡¯ Chelsea shook her head. She hadn¡¯t been traveling for very long, but she roughly knew Glen¡¯s skills. Glen¡¯s skills could not even scrape the bottom of Zich¡¯s skills right now. ¡®Glen is such a useless bastard!¡¯

    Chelsea¡¯s mouth felt bitter as she realized that the rope she had grabbed onto to pull herself up was not good enough¡ªno, herpetition¡¯s rope was way too tough and strong. It felt like her mouth was full of sand. However, there was nothing that Chelsea could do right now. All she could do was re at Zich furiously and think about what to do for the future.

    Like this, while each person had different thoughts about Zich¡¯s skills, they all watched Zich fight the monsters.

    * * *

    Bam! Something passed by the soldiers. Considering that it made an enormous sound when itnded, it must have weighed a lot. True to their expectations, a basilisk¡¯s head that Zich just cut offnded near them. The surrounding soldiers quickly moved away from the basilisk¡¯s head. Even though the head was cut off from the main body, it was still terrifying to be near it.

    However, Glen did not move an inch even when the basilisk¡¯s head passed him and he calmly looked forward. An onlooker might have thought he was unfazed by his surroundings and was carefully assessing his situation, but Glen didn¡¯t even feel remotely peaceful or calm.

    ¡®How! How! How! How!¡¯ His inner voice was hideously stained with jealousy and pressed down on his heart. ¡®What the hell happened!¡¯ His eyes became bloodshot, and his pupils were dead set on Zich as he continued to massacre the monsters.

    Zich¡¯s age was different. The sword he was holding was different. The timing was also different. However, Zich¡¯s current state was all too familiar to Glen.

    ¡®That¡¯s Zich Moore!¡¯ Zich Moore was the final chess piece that should have been the final ending for his journey as a hero. However, Zich Moore was also a chess piece that should never have appeared at this time. Had his eyes gone bad perhaps? Glen was in denial as he rubbed his eyes several times. However, the sight in front of him did not change.

    Zich was still using the same enormous power that reminded Glen of Zich Moore and was massacring the monsters. Even though Glen was shocked that Zich was wielding a power that he shouldn¡¯t possess at this time, there was another reason why Glen¡¯s mood hit rock bottom.

    Bamm! Zich¡¯s frightening attacks swept through the monsters, and the monsters died without even resisting properly. Then, soon after¡ª

    ¡°Woooooahhhhhhhhhh!¡± The people around him cried out in joy and happiness. Glen also heard cheering from across the city walls as well. Whether it was themander, the soldiers, or the mercenaries, everyone was screaming their heads off. It was a sound that Glen was extremely familiar with. He had received these cheers several, tens, hundreds¡ªno, way more than hundreds of times before. To the Sun Hero, Glen Zenard, receiving people¡¯s cheers was as natural as breathing.

    However, people were not cheering for him. Zich Moore, the Demon Lord of Strength and his final enemy, was receiving praises instead.

    ¡®Don¡¯t make meugh!¡¯ How could people cheer for a Demon Lord? Did that even make sense especially when a ¡®righteous hero¡¯ like him was nearby? However, no matter how much Glen gritted his teeth inside his mind, nothing changed. Zich was sweeping the monsters by himself, and people were cheering for Zich, not him.

    Bamm! With another explosion, many monsters began dying again, and there was another round of cheers. ¡®Shut up! You, useless weaklings! All of you are useless trash that can¡¯t even solve your own problems and just want to leech on others!¡¯

    Even though Glen had received cheers as if they were a natural part of his life, now that people were cheering for Zich, he showered insults towards the audience. However, Glen kept these insults to himself. He really wanted to spit out these harsh insults out into the world¡ªhe wanted to approach these pieces of trash and tell them he was the true hero. He wanted to pluck out their eyes for failing to recognize him.

    However, Glen desperately tried to suppress these desires. If he really carried out these thoughts, he would have to throw away his hero title. Glen really felt as if his insides were churning. However, there was nothing he could do. He could only stand still pathetically as he watched Zich fight and listen to people cheer for him.

    Bamm! A behemoth fell and rolled right in front of Glen. People¡¯s cheering increased several folds as it was thest monster. All the monsters that had ambushed Pialu were now gone. Even though Pialu ended up victorious, Glen didn¡¯t join the celebration. Zich climbed on top of the behemoth¡¯s corpse. Then, Glen looked up at Zich, and Zich looked down at him.

    ¡°It seems as if we¡¯re both fine.¡±

    Glen had no choice but to reply, ¡°¡­Yes.¡±

    People began surrounding Zich, and Zich lifted Windur high up in the air on top of the behemoth¡¯s corpse.

    ¡°Oooahhhhhhhhh!¡±

    People¡¯s loud cheering shook the air. Glen had no choice but to stand quietly among the crowd, not uttering a single word.

 Chapter 438

    <h4>Chapter 438</h4>

    The battle was over. The monsters that lookedrge enough to swallow Pialu left piles of corpses as big as themselves and were all defeated. They could no longer pose a threat to Pialu, and the soldiers burst out in joy. They and their families had reached the edge of death¡¯s door ande back alive. There was nothing that could¡¯ve made them happier¡ªthey hugged one another and cheered from the bottom of their hearts that their lives hadn¡¯t been cut short. As big as their happiness was, their reverence for one person grew even greater.

    A sword rose above a behemothrge enough to inflict fear with just its size. He was just like the hero they had dreamed of in their youth while ying with tree branches. Perhaps, they were witnessing a great historical scene that would be remembered for generations and generations. People felt a deep sense of awe, and everyone¡¯s eyesnded on Zich as he stood on top of the behemoth¡¯s corpse. No one spared a single nce to the man below gripping his fist tightly with his head lowered.

    * * *

    ¡°Ahahahahah! Karuwiman Holy Knights are really different!¡± Themander-in-chief¡¯s mouth was open so wide that one could almost see the insides of his throat, and he kept pping his hands on top of Zich¡¯s shoulders.

    ¡°You swept away that immense army of monsters by yourself! You are just like the heroes in legends! No, considering how your deeds would be spread for generations, you are indeed a hero from the legends!¡± Then, themanderughed heartily again, and the people in their surroundings did the same. The cheering for Zich showed no signs of ending.

    ¡°Can I ask why you haven¡¯t used the strength you showed us today until now?¡± Themander¡¯s expression or tone wasn¡¯t usatory; it seemed like he had already guessed that Zich must have had his own reasons. However, as amander, he needed to ask the necessary questions.

    ¡°I can only use the strength I just showed after meeting specific conditions. I can¡¯t use it whenever.¡±

    ¡°As I thought,¡± themander said and didn¡¯t inquire anymore about the power. He knew he would be going too far to dig into an obvious secret skill. Then, he asked, ¡°Couldn¡¯t you have at least given us a heads up, though? We wouldn¡¯t have gone through such a nerve-wracking experience then.¡±

    ¡°Would you have believed me?¡±

    ¡°Well, that¡¯s true.¡± Although themander sounded a bit disappointed before, he immediately looked understanding after Zich¡¯s response. Even after seeing Zich¡¯s battle with his own eyes, themander still thought itcked believability. If Zich had tried to exin what he was going to do, themander most likely would have lost faith in Zich instead.

    ¡°Also, our battle isn¡¯t really over yet,¡± Zich said seriously, which didn¡¯t fit the current atmosphere.

    ¡°We have to quickly remove all the One-Sided Pyramids of Lamentations in the Denest Mountain Range. If we don¡¯t, there could be more monster invasions, maybe not as big as the size we saw today, but another one.¡±

    Themander hadn¡¯t been able to control his lips from turning upwards even after he stoppedughing, and he also became serious.

    ¡°You are right, Mr. Zich. We can¡¯t say the battle is over yet.¡± Then, themander beganying down somemands to his subordinates. The soldiers surrounding Zich also stopped their cheering and became serious. Freeing themselves from the fever of excitement and joy, they soon resumed their usual demeanors. Some moved to clean up after the battle and others headed to the Denest Mountain Range holding artifacts to put a final end to this battle. Yet, the faces of these people looked unlike anything they had shown until now. Without a hint of despair on their expressions, their faces sparkled with hope. Like that, therge-scale monster invasions in Pialu came to an end.

    * * *

    Zich and hispanions stayed in a gigantic mansion. Although Zich had received quite the treatment as one of the important forces for Pialu¡¯s cause and as a Karuwiman Holy Knight, he now received a treatment of apletely different caliber. Before, there had been important fighters in Pialu besides Zich, and Glen also had the title of a Karuwiman Holy Knight like him; however, now that Zich had the status as the only hero who saved Pialu, the treatment he received improved.

    The mayor lent Zich and hispanions one of the most luxurious mansions in the city, and they ced many housekeepers and servants in the mansion so that they wouldn¡¯t feel any sort of difort during their stay. Although Zich should have been relieving his stress from the recent battle without any worries thanks to this splendid treatment, he was growing more and more irritated.

    They were all in arge room with a giant bed, elegant furniture, and fancy ornaments¡ªit was thergest room in the mansion that had also been given to Zich. However, Zich wasn¡¯t alone, and all hispanions were gathered with him. On the bed, Zichy on his side with one of his hands supporting his face. He was scowling, which disyed how much difort he was feeling. Nowem was lying face-down on top of the room¡¯s thick carpet. He had increased in size several timesrger than an average person andy prone with his tongue hanging out like an animal shot down by a hunter. Of course, Nowem waspletely fine. Above him, L was standing with Zich¡¯s sword, Windur, in her hands for some reason. She raised Windur towards the ceiling and burst intoughter.

    ¡°Pffft!¡± She clutched onto her stomach, fell over Nowem¡¯s back, and let out stifledughter. Tears collected at the edge of her eyes.

    ¡°Are you having fun?¡± Zich said, displeased.

    ¡°Of course! It¡¯s fun! You of all people have begun to walk the path of a true hero. There¡¯s nothing more joyful and hrious than that. Your pose was perfect then.¡± Then, she got back up again and raised Windur high in the air. Nowem looked up at her when she sat down, so he lowered his head back down and stuck out his tongue.

    ¡°Pfff!¡± L burst outughing again. Currently, L was imitating Zich¡¯s actions at the end of the battle, and Nowem was imitating the behemoth and pretending to be dead. Moreover, when L climbed up on top of Nowem and raised Windur high in the air, she looked simr to Zich. Compared to L, who wasughing outrightly, the disciples were gathered together in a corner and covering their mouths with red faces. Nothing much would happen to L if she made fun of Zich like this, but if the disciples burst outughing, they would surely receive serious bacsh.

    ¡°Hero Zich who saved Pialu!¡± At L¡¯s shout, the disciples were reaching their limit, but they barely managed to suppress theirughter. It was basically torturous to keep theirughter down.

    ¡®Damn it!¡¯ Zich moved his gaze away from L and sprawled out on the bed. ¡®I shouldn¡¯t have copied that bastard.¡¯ Even though he said he was going to act like a hero, this was not an easy task for Zich who lived the opposite life of a hero. When he first regressed, he even asked Lube what he should do to live a kind life.

    To Zich, his strongest impression and idea of a hero came from Glen Zenard. The pose he made at the end was merely a pose that he copied from Glen. Moreover, he had received a very good reaction; there was even talk of building a statue of Zich in that pose. However, the problem was that all of this was an excellent subject matter for L to use to tease him. Even though Zich was unfazed by people¡¯s mockery or teasing as long as he was not embarrassed, he felt intense disgust toward heroes. So he was more than just annoyed at L¡¯s teasing. While Zich¡¯spanions were enjoying their long-awaited leisure (except for Zich who was having an awful time), a sound came from the door.

    Knock! Knock! They heard someone knock on the door.

    ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± L got off Nowem¡¯s back and shouted towards the door.

    The person who knocked on the door was one of the staff members. ¡°There¡¯s someone who is looking for Mr. Hans. Would you like to meet them?¡±

    ¡°Me?¡± Hans got up from his seat after working hard to suppress hisughter in the corner. He wondered who would be looking for him, and one person came to mind. Yet, he still asked, ¡°Who is it?¡±

    ¡°She introduced herself as Ms. Lara Browning.¡±

    Hans quickly headed towards the door.

    * * *

    Lara felt ufortable in this situation. Even though she had met everyone in this room before, they were basically strangers. Moreover, even though she had conversed with some of the people here before, it was closer to a verbal fight rather than a conversation. However, Lara thought it was fortunate that Hans was at least sitting in front of her.

    Hans was the only person that she feltfortable talking to in this room¡ªno, she felt mostfortable with him in this whole city. The staff ced a teacup in front of her. Lara expressed her thanks and took a sip of tea. It was an expensive tea that fully satisfied even Lara¡¯s taste buds who grew up as a noble. After taking a couple of more sips, she felt as if her heart felt a bit more rxed.

    Hans asked, ¡°Ms. Browning, for what reason have youe here?¡±

    Lara made a bitter smile at his business-like tone. Punch! L kicked Hans¡¯ shin. Even though she was a mage, L was strong enough to beat up a knight apprentice with her bare fists and no mana. Hans rubbed his shin in pain.

    L said to Lara, ¡°Please speakfortably and excuse this guy. He¡¯s a bit crude.¡±

    ¡°Thank you.¡± Lara slightly bowed towards L. ¡°It¡¯s all right. I know Mr. Hans doesn¡¯t mean it in a bad way.¡±

    ¡°Is that so? Then, that¡¯s fortunate.¡± L looked at Hans with a surprised expression. She knew that Hans had been hanging out with Lara, but it seemed as if they had gotten closer than she expected. ¡®She might really separate from Glen Zenard like Zich wanted.¡¯

    When she slightly nced towards the bed where Zich was, he was looking at Hans and Lara with a pleased expression.

    ¡°Shall we leave if you want to talk to him privately?¡±

    Lara shook her head at L¡¯s suggestion. ¡°No. I can¡¯t burden you with that much when I¡¯m an uninvited guest. I didn¡¯te here to say anything that important. I just wanted to say my farewells before I leave this city. Since I received a lot of help from Mr. Hans, I wanted to also thank him as well.¡±

    ¡°Oh my, are you already leaving? I¡¯m sure that the city is also nning to give a big reward to Mr. Zenard¡¯s party.¡±

    Everyone knew that Zich made the biggest achievement in this incident, but this didn¡¯t mean that other people¡¯s achievements were less notable. The number of achievements that Glen and his party came right below Zich¡¯s achievements. Of course, even then, the difference in their achievements was as big as the space between the sky and the earth.

    However, Lara slowly shook her head. She made a bitter smile and said, ¡°Glen, Widne, and Acous are going to stay in the city.¡±

    ¡°What? Then, will you be the only one leaving, Ms. Browning. Ah, perhaps¡­¡±

    Lara nodded as L looked surprised. ¡°Yes, I left Glen¡¯s party.¡±

    Zich¡¯s eyes gleamed.

 Chapter 439

    <h4>Chapter 439</h4>

    Following the end of the monster invasions, Pialu¡¯s residents, regardless of their age, status, post, and sex, enjoyed happy and cheery days, free of all worries. However, a very small number of these residents held an emotionpletely opposite to these feelings of joy. Lara returned to her lodging. The ce was still quiet. Although the war was over, not enough time had passed for the city to regain its original vigor. It was a matter of time; soon, this ce would be bustling with merchants waiting to trade beyond the Denest Mountain Range.

    However, as of now, there were even fewer people than before since the group they had shared this lodging ce with¡ªZich and hispanions¡ªhad moved to the mansion the mayor provided for them. Thus, she and herpanions were the only ones left in the lodging. Lara walked up the staircase, followed the long hallways, and stood in front of her room. Her eyes lingered on Glen¡¯s room next to hers. Glen hadn¡¯te out of his room after the recent battle. Skipping his meals, he just remained holed up in his room and didn¡¯t respond even when hispanions knocked on the door.

    Of course, Lara was worried. She knew nothing would happen to Glen even if he skipped a couple of meals, but the fact that he was holed up in his room hinted that he was struggling with some kind of problem. Although Lara had given up on all hope in regards to Glen, she couldn¡¯t help but worry. After all, he was someone she used to love once.

    ck! A lock was released and a door opened. It wasn¡¯t Glen¡¯s room.

    ¡°Did you return just now?¡± Pina came out of her room.

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    The conversation was over like that, and a heavy silence circled around them. The fact thatpanions in a party meant to protect each other¡¯s lives showed so much distance clearly indicated the abnormality of Glen¡¯s party. However, unlike Glen or Lara who gained apletely new mindset, after the recent battle, Pina didn¡¯t seem much different from before. Like she had always done, she let off a cool air with her characteristically cold face. However, Pina wasn¡¯t really heartless as she appeared.

    ¡°He didn¡¯t eat again,¡± Pina said and crouched in front of Glen¡¯s room. It was then that Lara realized there was a tray with a simple meal in front of Glen¡¯s room. It seemed as if Pina had left the meal there. However, the meal on the tray was untouched.

    ¡°Did Glen note out today too?¡±

    ¡°It seems so,¡± Pina said and began banging on the door. ¡°Isn¡¯t it about time for you toe out! How long are you going to be holed up in there!¡± Pina yelled unlike her usual self, but what answered her was only silence. It was the same even after she knocked a couple of times. In the end, Pina gave up.

    ¡°Do you have a guess as to why Glen is acting like this? Ms. Browning, you have traveled with Glen the longest out of all of us.¡±

    ¡°¡­No. I can¡¯t think of anything.¡± Lara also didn¡¯t know why Glen was stuck in his room or if the Glen she had known until now was really him. The only definite thing she knew was that the Glen she had fallen in love with was no longer the current Glen.

    ¡°I don¡¯t get why he is acting like this,¡± Pina sighed. Since the leader of the party, Glen, was living like a recluse, the party couldn¡¯t function like normal. Although people were making all kinds ofmotions and rejoicing if they took just one step out of their lodging, only this lodging was the epitome of gloom.

    ¡°How is Ms. Widne?¡± In contrast to Glen, Widne was one of the people who had changed after the battle. Widne still went around with a kind smile everywhere she went, but Lara noticed that Widne would asionally show hints of nervousness she hadn¡¯t disyed before.

    ¡®Before, she used to stick around Glen whenever she had the chance. Not anymore,¡¯ Lara thought.

    ¡°Who knows? I haven¡¯t seen much of her either,¡± Pina said. No matter how distant they were to each other, it was unbelievable that fellowpanions showed this muchck of interest in one another.

    ¡®It really is a strange party,¡¯ Lara thought and recalled how Hans had described hispanions; he looked truly joyful then.

    ¡°Are you both talking about me?¡± It was then that the door of another room opened, and Chelsea stepped out. Then, she asked Lara, ¡°Are you curious about something?¡±

    ¡°No, it¡¯s just that it¡¯s been a long time since we saw you after the battle,¡± Lara answered.

    ¡°True, but it can¡¯t be helped since our leader won¡¯te out of his room.¡± Chelsea stared at Glen¡¯s room. Her regretful face seemed to show her worry for Glen, but why was that so? Lara thought that Widne¡¯s expression could also be described as annoyed or at least irritated.

    ¡°Ms. Browning, where have you been going around these days?¡± Yet, Chelsea was the same as before when asking her a question.

    ¡°I am patrolling outside the city since monsters that separated from their group could be wandering in the surroundings.¡±

    ¡°As expected of you, Ms. Browning. Patrolling even by yourself. May our god Karuna bless you.¡±

    ¡°How diligent of you.¡± Both Chelsea and Pina were impressed by Lara, and she smiled slightly in response. Like that, the three conversed back and forth. No one exchanged deep conversations since all their rtionships were just a step above strangers who knew each other¡¯s faces. However, even in this conversation, Lara felt something she hadn¡¯t experienced before. It was the first conversation the three had shared without Glen.

    ¡®I¡¯m enjoying myself a bit.¡¯ It was ironic that Lara, who had already decided on leaving Glen¡¯s party, was now finding out the joy of conversing with herpanions of all times. But her mind didn¡¯t change simply because of this joy; she simply thought it wouldn¡¯t be bad to have ast nice memory with her soon ¡®ex¡¯panions. Thus, Lara became more active in leading the conversation and enjoyed her conversation with them. However, this enjoyment didn¡¯tst long.

    Click! They heard the door lock opening. Lara, Pina, and Chelsea all became immediately silent, and their gazes head towards Glen¡¯s door.

    Slide! Since they were staying at an expensive lodging, the door seemed to have been well greased as the door opened smoothly without much noise. The room they saw from the small crack of the door was dark. Considering that the outside waspletely sunny right now, it seemed as if Glen had closed all the curtains. Then, Glen moved out of the door.

    ¡°Glen!¡± Lara walked towards Glen. His hair was messy, and he looked like he hadn¡¯t shaved in days; he looked very different from his usual well-groomed and clean style. However, except for his messy hair and beard, he looked the same as usual.

    ¡°Are you feeling unwell anywhere?¡± she asked with concern, and Glen looked at her. Lara instinctively took a step back and hit the te they left behind for Glen. It made a loud sound as it flipped over. However, no one, not even Lara who kicked the te, paid any attention to it.

    Lara had not received a warm gaze from Glen recently. His disapproving gaze and disgruntled tone were always directed toward her. However, she could swear that she had never received such a cold gaze from Glen before. How could she describe it? Indifference? Frigid? She couldn¡¯t think of any word that described Glen¡¯s eyes right now.

    However, Lara was sure of one thing¡ªGlen no longer considered her hisrade. He moved away and passed Lara as if he was passing a rolling stone in the street and stood in front of Chelsea and Pina.

    ¡°M-Mr. Glen?¡±

    ¡°Glen?¡±

    Chelsea and Pina were both flustered by Glen¡¯s attitude. They both cautiously called out to Glen.

    Glen said, ¡°Have you been well?¡± Fortunately, his voice and tone were the same as before. ¡°I want to first apologize. You must have been worried because I locked myself in my room without telling you two, right?¡±

    ¡°Uh, yeah. That¡¯s true. Are you all right now?¡± As expected of a mage, Pina found her cool first. However, even she couldn¡¯tpletely cover her surprise as her voice slightly shook.

    ¡°I¡¯m all right. I wasn¡¯t sick anywhere anyway. I just needed time to think.¡±

    Chelsea asked, ¡°Time to think?¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡±

    ¡°What did you need to think about?¡±

    Instead of replying, Glen asked, ¡°Chelsea, Pina, don¡¯t you both want to gain fame?¡±

    At Glen¡¯s words, Chelsea and Pina¡¯s eyes sharpened into focus.

    Pina replied first. ¡°Of course I want it. The reason why I left the magical tower is because I want to restore my school¡¯s honor and status. To do that, I need to increase my magic ability and gain fame¡ªa fame great enough to wash away my school¡¯s negative image.¡±

    ¡°There are people who look unfavorably towards those who seek fame as someone from the clergy, but I have a different opinion. As my fame increases, Karuwiman¡¯s fame would also naturally increase. Then, many more people would try to follow God Karuna¡¯s light. Thus, I want to have some amount of fame.¡± Then, Chelsea thought, ¡®Most of all, if I have overwhelming fame, I¡¯ll be able to drag down Lube from her position.¡¯

    Pina confidently said what she wanted to say, and Chelsea also hid her inner thoughts and spoke, but they were both simr in that they wanted fame.

    Glen nodded with satisfaction. ¡°Then, let¡¯s begin to work on increasing our fame.¡± Then, Glen slightly lowered his voice. ¡°By using any means.¡±

    ¡°Glen?¡± Lara was shocked. Chelsea and Pina were shocked too. As a Karuwiman Honorary Knight, Glen had moved for justice at least on the surface. However, Glen was saying that he¡¯d even throw away working for a just cause. Of course, they all didn¡¯t think that Glen would actuallymit a crime since Glen had put on a thick mask so far. However, it was clear that something had deeply changed about Glen.

    ¡°What are you saying, Glen! That¡¯s not the right thing to do!¡± Lara thought that she was wrong about the type of person Glen truly was, but she had never imagined that he¡¯d outrightly say that he would use any means to increase his fame. However, when Lara¡¯s eyes met Glen¡¯s, she gulped. It felt as if she was looking at a deep cave filled with endless darkness where not even a stream of light could be found.

    She almost swore out loud. How could someone change so much? She knew this instinctively: ¡®There¡¯s no hope for Glen anymore.¡¯ Lara looked at Chelsea and Pina. She thought that no matter how much they desired fame, they wouldn¡¯t easily support his statement¡ªno, she wanted to believe this.

    However, as soon as she saw their faces, thest hope she had been clinging to shattered into pieces. Pina and Chelsea looked taken aback, but they didn¡¯t seem to be really against Glen¡¯s words. It was then that Lara realized that there was arge rift between her and them. The reason why Lara had started her journey with Glen was because she was drawn to his sense of justice and wanted to help people and do the right deed. She believed that Glen shared the same sentiments, but the Glen in front of her was apletely different person from the person she thought he was. It was clear that Chelsea and Pina also shared the same mindset as Glen because their goals and reasons for beginning their journey were fundamentally different from hers. She felt as if the rope connecting her and Glen broke and became more tightly wrapped around Glen, Chelsea, and Pina.

    ¡°Glen¡­¡± Lara called Glen¡¯s name; her voice had no strength. Glen looked toward her, and Lara held onto her final hope. But it did not take long for her final hope to bepletely crushed.

    Glen said with an icy voice, ¡°You¡¯re still here?¡±

 Chapter 440

    <h4>Chapter 440</h4>

    ¡°After that, I got my belongings and left,¡± Lara said with a bitter smile, but no one among Zich¡¯spanions smiled in response.

    ¡°How could he be so mean?¡± L said, displeased. L didn¡¯t find Glen¡¯s behavior strange since she already knew about his true self, but it still made her angry to hear the way he treated Lara. Others had simr thoughts as her, but only Zich made a strange expression.

    ¡°Thank you for worrying about me, but don¡¯t worry. I have already settled my feelings. I actually feel refreshed now.¡± Lara had obviously been hurt when Glen ignored and dismissed her to the point she felt cornered. Yet, considering how she felt about Glen, her pain felt surprisingly light. When Lara realized this, she realized that her feelings for Glen hadpletely cooled. All the remaining feelings she had for Glen were swept away by hisst words and disappeared.

    ¡°Yes, don¡¯t think about that good-for-nothing man anymore. I¡¯m sure you will be able to have a much more worthwhile meeting, Ms. Browning.¡±

    ¡°Haha, thank you.¡± Lara seemed touched by thesefortingments and smiled.

    ¡°Can I ask you one thing, Ms. Browning?¡± Zich asked.

    ¡°Of course.¡± By now, a lot of Lara¡¯s negative feelings toward Zich had diminished and she answered Zich¡¯s question without any reluctance.

    ¡°Mr. Zenard¡¯s change is a bit sudden. Do you perhaps know the reason why he became like that?¡± Zich asked.

    ¡°Who knows? To tell you the truth, I¡¯m going to say I no longer know Glen¡¯s true self. However, if I must pick out a time when something strange happened¡­¡± Then, Lara proceeded to tell Zich about the time Glen had stood still next to Estede in the middle of battle. Zich¡¯s eyes sparkled as he heard these words.

    ¡®That guy was standing next to Estede?¡¯ Zich thought and asked, ¡°Could you exin in more detail?¡±

    Thus, Lara exined the situation more in-depth, and Hans also added his insights since the reason why Lara met Glen at that time was because Hans had lost Estede. Zich racked his head. ¡®Considering that guy¡¯s personality, there¡¯s no way he would just stand there and watch after Estede flew toward him.¡¯ Lara also said Glen¡¯s Tornium had been cast on the ground. ¡®Did he throw Tornium away as soon as he saw Estedee flying his way?¡¯ It was a possibility. ¡®Then, that guy definitely must have tried to pick up Estede.¡¯ Yet, ording to Lara¡¯s exnation, it seemed as if Glen had failed to do so and stood foolishly next to the sword as if he had lost his mind. All this meant one thing.

    ¡®Estede rejected that bastard!¡¯ A person who prided himself as a hero was rejected by a holy sword!

    ¡®Ah, damn it! I should¡¯ve seen his face then!¡¯ This was one of the few things Zich truly regretted. If he could, he wanted to save Glen¡¯s expression at that moment as a portrait, statue, poem, and all other forms of art and pass them on for generations. Besides, the reason why Zich was happy to hear that this wasn¡¯t simply because of the despair Glen must have felt by this event.

    ¡®That guy must have really lost his regression powers!¡¯ The fact that Glen failed to wield Estede was proof of this. Zich always had deep suspicions and questions about the way Estede chose its master. He didn¡¯t know about Hans, Lara, or L, but he and Glen definitely shouldn¡¯t have met the sword¡¯s criteria to be its master. Therefore, that meant two different things: the information that only people full of justice could wield the sword was false or Zich and Glen had something that made them exceptions to Esteed¡¯s criteria. Zich thought thetter was probably correct.

    ¡®Those who have powers rting to Clowon must be able to ignore the criteria and hold Estede.¡¯ For Zich, he must have been able to pull out Estede because of the Key That Distorts Destiny in his finger at the time. As for Glen, it must have been because of his regression abilities. Thus, Estede¡¯s rejection of Glen meant one thing.

    ¡®His regression ability disappeared.¡¯ It wasn¡¯t that Zich hadn¡¯t believed in Zich Brave¡¯s words, but the more proof of Glen''s lost ability, the better. Next to him, L¡¯s eyes appeared profound, and it seemed like she had also reached the same conclusion as Zich.

    ¡®Whatever it is, this is good news for me.¡¯ Not only did he gain more evidence that Glen had lost his regression ability, but he received pleasing information about how Glen had reacted to it and that Lara Browning had also left his party.

    Then Zich turned to Lara and thought, ¡®She really does have a talent.¡¯ She had taken up a shield in which she possessed less talent because of Glen, but even then, she had performed impressively while fighting against him in his Demon Lord days. If she officially concentrated on honing her skills in swordsmanship, it was clear that she would reach much greater heights than ever before.

    ¡®Should I teach her a bit?¡¯ Of course, Zich had no intention of officially instructing her as a master like he was to Hans and Snoc, but he thought it wouldn¡¯t be a bad idea to give her some sort of trigger.

    ¡°Then, does that mean Acous followed that man¡¯s suggestions?¡± Elena asked in a worried voice. It seemed like she was worried since Pina was from the same hometown as her.

    ¡°Yes, she said she needed to recover her school of magic¡¯s honor.¡±

    Elena¡¯s face darkened, but she didn¡¯t say anymore. Even though Pina Acous was from the same ce as her, they were close to strangers and their families¡¯ rtionship was also strained. Then, after Elena closed her lips again, Hans asked, ¡°Ms. Browning, are you nning to leave the city like this?¡±

    ¡°Yes. There¡¯s no reason for me to stay in this city any longer. It will only be awkward for me to keep seeing Glen and the otherpanions too.¡±

    ¡°Do you have any ns?¡±

    ¡°Not really. I¡¯m just nning to continue traveling and help those in need since that¡¯s the reason why I began traveling in the first ce,¡± Lara smiled at Hans in appreciation of how he had helped remind her of the original reason why she left home.

    ¡°Then how about traveling with us for a bit?¡±

    ¡°¡­What?¡± Lara¡¯s eyes opened wide. She was surprised by Hans¡¯ proposal. It seemed like otherpanions were also surprised. However, Hans calmly asked for Zich¡¯s permission. ¡°Sir Zich, will that be all right?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t mind.¡± Zich had already thought he might try teaching her a bit. Since she also brought news of Glen¡¯s embarrassing moments, Zich easily epted Hans¡¯ request. ¡®Also, if we meet Glen Zenardter on, and he sees Lara Browning on our side, he¡¯ll definitely make a great expression.¡¯ Zich imagined Glen¡¯s twisted expression andughed inside his mind.

    Lara was flustered; the situation was progressing without her intention.

    ¡°How about it, Ms. Browning? I think that our party will definitely notg behind Mr. Zenard and his party members.¡±

    Zich yelled at Hans. ¡°Hey, who the hell are youparing us to? Of course, we¡¯re definitely above them!¡±

    ¡°Um, I¡¯m a bit taken aback by the sudden suggestion.¡±

    Zich replied, ¡°Well, Ms. Browning, we also don¡¯t n to immediately leave this city. So, you can take your time to think more about this.¡±

    ¡°¡­Then, I¡¯ll think more about it.¡± However, Lara also thought that this wasn¡¯t a bad idea. She had gotten more time to make her decision, but her heart was already skewing towards joining Zich¡¯s group.

    * * *

    Even though the atmosphere in Pialu had been like a festival recently, today¡¯s atmosphere was different. The sound of people moring and celebrating had disappeared and silence fell upon the whole city.

    The city walls were usually not open to the public since there was the danger of falling. However, the most important reason why it was blocked by the public was because it was a military structure. However, the city wall today was filled with people, and it wasn¡¯t only the top of the city wall. People had also climbed up to the nearby mountains and gathered together. They were there to see the funeral.

    Even though they ended up victorious in their fight against the monsters, there was significant damage and a great number of people died. Most of the people who had died were the fathers, husbands, and sons of people who lived in Pialu. The citizen¡¯s eyes reddened as they watched thest moments of their loved ones who died for them. Family members of those who died cried their hearts out, and there were even some people who fainted. Even then, the funeral continued.

    Priests from Karuwiman came out, gave their funerary blessings, and lit a huge pile of logs. The zing fire burned the logs, and people moved the corpses on top of the logs, intently watching this sight unfold. There were members of Wolf¡¯s Canine among the corpses; many of the members from Wolf¡¯s Canine had died, especially the members that Vice-captain Nick had brought along. Of course, they hadn¡¯t died because of the monsters, but because of Zich and Til.

    However, Nick¡¯s conspiracy wasn¡¯t revealed to the public, and neither was the true nature of the mercenaries who followed Nick. The public was told that Nick had met his end honorably while chasing after the mastermind behind the monster attacks.

    ¡°Waaaaw! Daddddddd!¡± Ellie reached out her hand towards the mes. Max desperately grabbed Ellie and pulled her back; she looked as if she was immediately going to jump into the mes. Max¡¯s eyes were also bloodshot. No matter how manyints he had about Nick recently, they had known each other for a long time, and he felt despondent.

    The other members of Wolf¡¯s Canine were next to him. They watched Nick and theirrade¡¯sst moments with devastated expressions. Til was standing at a short distance from the other members of Wolf¡¯s Canine and stood next to Zich. He calmly looked at the area where Nick was lying down.

    Then, he suddenly said, ¡°Thank you for keeping your promise.¡±

    Zich had been watching the funeral emotionlessly unlike the others, and he looked at Til.

    ¡°With this, people wouldn¡¯t point their fingers at Ellie.¡± He looked at Ellie who was still trying to frantically wiggle out of Max¡¯s grip. Deep sadness filled Til¡¯s eyes. Ellie had lost her one remaining parent, and she had now be an orphan. However, she at least wouldn¡¯t be picked on by people as a child of a criminal. The other mercenaries in his group would also treat her pitifully as the daughter of one of theirrades who died honorably.

    ¡°Mr. Til, what do you n to do from now on?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll have to reorganize the mercenary group. We¡¯ve lost too many people.¡± On the other hand, it was fortunate that most of the casualties were the new members that Nick brought. ¡°I¡¯m nning to remake the group again from the very beginning. We had too many traitors.¡± Even after excluding the new mercenaries that Nick brought, the people who kidnapped Walter and Ellie were some of his original subordinates.

    ¡°It¡¯s impossible for me to know the hearts of all my subordinates, but I''m going to do my best to make a mercenary group with people I can trust.¡±

    ¡°So you¡¯re nning to return Wolf¡¯s Canine to how it used to be.¡±

    Til nodded.

    ¡°It sounds difficult just listening to you.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s why I¡¯m nning to stay in Pialu for a while. Fortunately, the city officials said they wanted to extend our contract, so I¡¯ll be reorganizing the mercenary during this time.¡± The war against the monsters was over, but the city nned to maintain its military strength just in case.

    ¡°I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll be able to do it. I¡¯ll be cheering for you.¡±

    ¡°Thank you. What will you be doing, Mr. Zich?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m nning to leave soon since we¡¯re still in the middle of traveling.¡± Since they got everything they could get from Pialu, they needed to head in the direction that Windur pointed towards.

    ¡°If you get into trouble, pleasee and find us. I want to pay back this favor.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll keep that in mind.¡±

    Then, the two of them looked at the zing mes.

 Chapter 441

    <h4>Chapter 441</h4>

    He saw Pialu below the mountains. Flickering torches revealed parts of the city¡¯sndscape in this darkness. Glen glowered at the city that looked like an eyesore as it stood intact when monsters should have stomped and destroyed it. Furthermore, the city¡¯s citizens who called and cheered Zich¡¯s name whenever they had the chance annoyed him. Glen wanted to destroy the city?.

    ¡®If I get the chance, I will demolish this ce and not leave even a single pebble behind.¡¯ The fact that they praised the name of another instead of a true hero like him made them deserve such destruction.

    Stomp! Glen heard footsteps from behind him and turned around. People were approaching him from behind in this darkness. They were all robed figures with their hoods heavily pressed down over their faces. They were clearly Glen¡¯s subordinates, but the aura they gave off was different from the robed figures that had appeared before.

    ¡°Master.¡± The person standing in the front stepped forward and took his robe off.

    ¡°What is it, Ultel?¡± Ultel was the one who had met Glen near the area where Zich¡¯s party¡¯s statues were at Vioulwin. He had also been at the ruin where the World Tree was located. Although Glen treated the robed figures mostly like supplies, he treated this man differently. It was because Ultel was the leader of the robed figures¡¯ organization and an important figure in aplishing Glen¡¯s goals. However, even Ultel was nothing more than a subordinate to Glen. Not hiding his displeasure, Glen said, ¡°I told you to not look for me if you can.¡±

    ¡°I heard that things haven¡¯t been going ording to n recently.¡±

    Glen scowled. ¡°Have you been trailing me?¡±

    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t dare, sir. Yet, since my mission is to help you ?fulfill your goal, I receive periodic reports from my subordinates. Don¡¯t you also know of this, Master?¡±

    Of course, Glen was aware of this. He had simply spat out words to take his anger out on the man, and the way Ultel kept retorting back to all his questions annoyed Glen even more.

    ¡°Of course, I know Master would have his own ns. I worry that I failed to read your mind in this aspect from my foolishness and made a mistake in my way of supporting you. I beg you to relieve yourself of anger and free me from my curiosity.¡± Ultel bent his body low to the ground. Glen appeared to be very annoyed, but Ultel wasn¡¯t too worried.

    ¡®There¡¯s just one way to deal with this puppet,¡¯ Ultel thought. Just like a seven-year-old kid, Glen Zenard was the type of human who relieved his anger once anyone ced him on a pedestal and praised him. The robed figures had used this method to mold Glen into what they wanted from him many times before. Thus, Ultel thought Glen would quickly let go of his anger even if he did pout about it long afterward. Yet, contrary to his expectations, Glen took a step forward in Ultel¡¯s direction. Ultel was taken aback when he saw Glen¡¯s eyes. They appeared hollow and empty.

    sp!

    ¡°Kuh!¡± Glen grasped Ultel by the cor of his neck and lifted him. The other robed figures flinched. All of them were Glen¡¯s subordinates by name, but no one actually believed this. Glen was simply a puppet for Ultel¡¯s goals, and a mere doll had grasped their master. However, no one moved beyond that. They had to continue their theatrics until Ultel gave hismand.

    ¡°Hey, Ultel. Tell me. Who am I?¡±

    ¡°Y-You are¡­ our master¡­¡± Even though he couldn¡¯t breathe well, Ultel answered urgently.

    ¡°Yes, I am the master, and my orders are absolute. All you guys have to do is shut your mouths and follow what I tell you to do. So, how dare you guys act on your own? Are you guys nning to hinder my ns too?¡±

    Glen was reaching the limit now. Like this time, Ultel had always visited Glen from time to time. Even when his heart wasn¡¯t truly loyal to Glen, he tried to minimize the things Glen could nitpick about.

    ¡®This bastard! He must have something going on!¡¯ Ultel was sure of it. From what he knew, there was not a time when Glen had behaved like this. Something had seriously gone wrong.

    ¡°I-I¡¯m sorry! I will be more careful in the future!¡± Ultel begged for forgiveness, but Glen¡¯s anger showed no signs of quelling. It was only natural since Glen was simply taking out his anger on somebody else, and Ultel became sure that the reason why Glen was angry was unrted to him. This annoyed Ultel. It made him want to push Glen to the ground and stomp him relentlessly, but considering Glen¡¯s usefulness, he resisted the urge.

    ¡®Damn it! What should I do?¡¯ Ultel thought he might die at this rate. Of course, this didn¡¯t matter much since even if he died, this bastard hero could simply revert time again. However, there had been too many changed variables in this timeline for him to simply ept this death, and the abnormal response the system had shown recently upied his mind. He thought it shouldn¡¯t be possible, but¡­

    ¡®I can¡¯t just dismiss the possibility that something might have happened to his regression ability.¡¯ If that was the case, all their ns would go to ruins. ¡®At worst, I might have to kill this bastard!¡¯ Thankfully, the situation didn¡¯t reach the worst-case scenario.

    Thud!

    ¡°Cough! Kuh!¡± Ultel breathed in the fresh air as he copsed onto the ground.

    ¡°Well, whatever. I need you in this current situation anyways,¡± Glen murmured.

    ¡®He still pulled that shit when he needs my help?¡¯ Ultel had an intense urge to p Glen across the face but suppressed it and bowed his head even lower.

    ¡°Please tell me if you need anything.¡±

    ¡°I am going to use all my power-ups now.¡±

    ¡°Sorry?¡± Ultel blurted out loud and looked up to see Glen. However, when he saw Glen¡¯s eyebrows wiggle, he quickly bowed his head again.

    ¡°You have to use those power-ups step by step, Master! Or the side effects will be too serious!¡± Ultel cried. He thought inside his mind, ¡®Stop being so obstinate, you fucking trash! Shouldn¡¯t you know best what happens if you use them rashly!¡¯

    Glen Zenard¡¯s natural talents were truthfully not that great¡ªno, it was verycking to put it lightly. In terms of talent, he couldn¡¯tpare to Hans and wasckingpared to even ordinary knights. The only way Glen became the leader of a party of heroes that eventually defeated Zich Moore (who could be said to have been born with the best talents) was thanks to the inheritance left from the Clowon Empire.

    Thanks to this inheritance, Glen could raise his innately low mana and increase his physical abilities as well. Moreover, he used the experience and swordsmanship that he earned through countless regression. With all these factorsbined, he became skilled enough to be called a hero with no faults. However, even then, he couldn¡¯t catch up to Zich.

    No matter how great Clowon¡¯s ruins were, there was a limit. Since he was forcibly injecting strength that he wasn¡¯t innately born with, he needed to take extreme caution. Glen needed to slowly increase his strength over time to cause not burden his body too much. However, Glen was saying that he was going to ignore all these precautions.

    ¡®Doesn¡¯t he know how many times his body burst because he got too impatient and recklessly absorbed more power to get stronger faster!¡¯ Ultel knew this from L¡¯s memory, so he clicked his tongue and insulted Glen in his mind. He also mocked Glen for hisck of talent as a bonus.

    ¡°Ultel.¡±

    ¡°Yes, sir!¡±

    ¡°I said I¡¯m going to do it.¡±

    Ultel knew that Glen was going to be too stubborn to listen to him. Ultel had no choice but to agree in the end. ¡°¡­I understand. I¡¯ll make the necessary preparations.¡±

    ¡®But even then, he won¡¯t die right away, right?¡¯ Since Glen had previous experience from his regressions, and he had absorbed a lot of power already, there was a low possibility that his body would suddenly burst and his regression ability would be activated like in the beginning.

    ¡®Even so, there would be a significant burden on his body.¡¯ However, Ultel already stopped thinking too much about this. The one who would be in pain was that hero idiot anyway. There was something much more important to Ultel than Glen¡¯s condition¡ªhe needed to gain information about why the system was behaving strangely.

    ¡®It might also be rted to why this idiot is suddenly throwing a tantrum.¡¯ With extreme caution, Ultel carefully talked to Glen to fish out information about the system. Fortunately, or because Ultel spoke carefully, Glen didn¡¯t begin throwing a tantrum again. He just still looked annoyed.

    They exchanged a short conversation and Glen looked at Ultel and coldly said, ¡°Prepare all the power-ups in a few days.¡±

    ¡°Yes, sir!¡±

    Glen left Ultel and began going down the mountain. ¡®Yeah! I need power right now!¡¯

    Glen gritted his teeth as he saw Pialu¡¯s city wallspletely intact, which stood as evidence of his failure. ¡®I can¡¯t let Zich Moore steal any more of my possessions!¡¯ Zich stole Lube, Leona, Elena, and even Lara. Moreover, Zich was even looting his honor and fame. ¡®I¡¯ll never forgive him!¡¯

    However, there was also another reason why Glen wanted to immediately gain strength. However, Glen thoroughly ignored this reason and desperately suppressed any thoughts that arose in his mind. In many timelines, Estede had always been his. It was to the extent that Estede probably spent the most time with him, and the reason why he was called the Sun Hero was all because of Estede. However, he wasn¡¯t able to lift Estede this time. Why?

    ¡®Perhaps¡­¡¯ He quickly suppressed this thought and erased it from his mind. However, he couldn¡¯t erase his emotions. Every time this thought popped into his head, his heart felt heavy and stuffy. If he described it with one word, he definitely felt terror.

    However, Glen strongly shook his head. He continuously erased all bad thoughts that crept into his mind and anxiously walked forward. He couldn¡¯t even bear to think of it.

    * * *

    ¡°¡­He left.¡± Even after Glen disappeared, Ultel had his head lowered for a while before he finally got up. His subordinate moved next to him.

    ¡°Sir, are you all right?¡±

    ¡°That bastard! He¡¯s talentless and his personality sucks ass!¡± Ultel spat on the ground.

    ¡°When our n is fulfilled, let¡¯s give him all the pain that this world can offer and kill him.¡±

    ¡°No! That guy is mine.¡± Ultel had no intentions to give such a sweet moment to his subordinate. ¡°Anyway, it¡¯s good that I went to meet him. He¡¯s a lot angrier than what I was reported.¡±

    ¡°Sir, did something like this happen many times?¡±

    ¡°No.¡± After they garnered a lot of information and systematically structured their conspiracies, there had never been a timeline with so many unexpected variables.

    ¡°Then, sir, what might be the reason?¡±

    ¡°Well, there¡¯s one guy who¡¯s often rted to variables.¡± Ultel coldly said his name: ¡°Zich Moore.¡± Ultel recalled the time when he saw Zich¡¯s statue in Violuwin; as expected of a hero from the original timeline, he was able to achieve such a great feat in a short amount of time.

    ¡®Did variables appear after he met up with the Core and began traveling with her? It¡¯s really troublesome if he became a variable out of everyone else.¡¯ Ultel was one of the many people who knew how headache-inducing it was to have someone so strong like Zich as their enemy. ¡®I need to look more into it.¡¯ Ultel led his underlings into the forest and disappeared into the darkness.

    * * *

    The day when Zich¡¯spanion nned to leave Pialu arrived. Even though they were heroes praised by the city, Zich and hispanions quietly left Pialu. When they told the mayor that they were leaving, the mayor tried to prepare a huge farewell celebration, but Zich curtly refused by saying that they already received enough.

    ¡°You mean that you¡¯ve already received enough praises as a hero and you¡¯re sick of it, right?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I think I¡¯ll get goosebumps if I got any more praises.¡±

    Lara blinked her eyes at Zich¡¯s reaction. ¡°Why is he showing that kind of reaction?¡± Lara cautiously asked Hans, who was standing next to her, and Hans made a bitter smile.

    ¡°Sir Zich doesn¡¯t like being called a hero.¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s a strange person.¡± Wasn¡¯t it an honorable title? Lara couldn¡¯t understand Zich¡¯s reasoning.

    ¡°Well, everyone has a different way of thinking of things.¡±

    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s true.¡± Lara nodded.

 Chapter 442

    <h4>Chapter 442</h4>

    Although her time with Zich and hispanions had been short, Lara was able to grasp the team¡¯s dynamic quickly. In her past group, Glen had considerable authority as the leader, but all the members felt like they were in equal standing. However, in Zich¡¯s party, it was clear that Zich was the clear head and leader of the group. L seemed to treat Zichfortably in the group, but the other three submitted under Zich¡¯s authority.

    ¡®No, is it a bit different for Ms. Dwayne?¡¯ Elena Dwayne seemed to follow L more than Zich and ordingly, Zich seemed to treat her more gently. Yet, it was different for Hans and Snoc. The two¡¯s loyalty to Zich seemed absolute and unwavering.

    ¡®Is it because Mr. Zich taught both of them?¡¯ Lara thought. Thus, Lara judged that two groups¡ªZich and his disciples and Lara and her disciple¡ªhad joined to form one party. Yet, even so, there didn¡¯t seem to appear any conflict between these two groups. Instead, there was a strong sense of trust between them all.

    ¡®It¡¯sfortable with them.¡¯ The party was so stable that Lara felt this way after joining them only recently. Even though the party was clearly hierarchical, she never felt ufortable. Maybe she felt this way because she had felt so ufortable with herst party. It was unbelievable that she felt difort in a party that was supposed to be equal but feltfort in a clearly unequal party. The realization of this fact made her realize exactly how abnormal Glen¡¯s party had been.

    The sun set and Zich and hispanions prepared to camp outside. Masters of this skill by now, they prepared a nice, cozy campsite instantly. Then, they made a fire, took out food ingredients from the magic box, and prepared dinner. The soup boiled and a delicious aroma that made one salivate spread across the surroundings. Yet, there was one person who was too upied to even notice this smell.

    ng!

    ¡°Kuh!¡± Hans¡¯ body wavered as his sword bounced off wildy. However, he soon gained his bnce again and rushed forward.

    ng! Hans swung his sword quickly again, but his attack was easily blocked.

    Punch!

    ¡°Kuh!¡±

    A foot struck his stomach, and Hans rolled backward.

    ¡°Again!¡± Zich yelled. Hans grimaced. He appeared to be in considerable pain, but he grabbed his sword again and rushed toward Zich. Nearby, Lara watched the two intently.

    ¡®Outstanding!¡¯ Lara eximed, impressed by Zich and Hans¡¯ fighting practice. The two were training without mana since if they did, they would turn their surroundings intoplete ruins. But Lara wasn¡¯t surprised about that since it was amon way to train.

    ¡®Both of their skill levels are so high.¡¯

    Hans¡¯ sword flowed smoothly. Although Lara was aware of Hans¡¯ skills after seeing him fight many times before, it still impressed her every time. That was how impressive his skills were. However, what astounded her even more was Zich¡¯s skills.

    ng! ng! ng! des struck down relentlessly like a storm, and Hans struggled to block them all. Zich¡¯s attacks moved so fast and perfectly that it almost made one doubt whether or not he really was not using mana.

    ng! Eventually, Hans lost his grip over his sword, and he raised both hands as a sword hung by his neck.

    ¡°You¡¯re just a teeny tiny better thanst time. You still have a long way to go. Continue training,¡± Zich said to Hans.

    ¡°Yes, sir!¡± Hans picked up his sword from the ground and answered loudly.

    ¡°Next is Browning.¡±

    Lara jumped up when Zich saw her.

    ¡°Get ready,¡± Zich ordered.

    ¡°Got it!¡± Lara raised her sword and stood in front of Zich.

    ¡°Make your move.¡±

    As soon as Zich gave his order, Lara let out a loud cry and ran toward him with her sword. Zich and Lara¡¯s swords shed.

    ¡®He has no openings!¡¯ Lara continued to swing her sword, but she couldn¡¯t find Zich¡¯s openings at all. Lara gave her best while Zich clearly looked like he was taking it easy; still, Lara¡¯s sword failed to pass through Zich¡¯s.

    Whoosh!

    ¡°Ugh!¡± Instead, the asional attacks Zich threw at Lara made her shiver.

    Punch!

    ¡°Ah!¡±

    Zich struck Lara¡¯s elbow with the hilt of his sword and Lara fell back without any resistance.

    ¡°Should I stop?¡± Zich asked. Unlike how he treated Hans and Snoc, Zich didn¡¯t really push Lara. He would stop immediately if Lara said she didn¡¯t want to train, but of course, Lara didn¡¯t have the slightest desire to stop.

    ¡°I will continue!¡± Lara quickly got back up and assumed her stance. She blocked another one of Zich¡¯s attacks. Then, Zich attacked Lara without going easy on her. He did everything¡ª he hit and kicked her¡ªexcept for slicing. And in response to these attacks, Lara smiled. She knew that fighting with a high-level swordsman would increase her skills. This was impossible while she was in Glen¡¯s party. There was no way Glen would act as her fighting partner when he didn¡¯t like the fact that she was using a sword in the first ce, and it wasn¡¯t as if Chelsea, a priestess, or Pina, a mage, could train with her. Thus, Lara enjoyed this moment tremendously.

    ng! Lara¡¯s sword bounced off because she couldn¡¯t endure Zich¡¯s attack in the end.

    ¡°That¡¯s enough for today.¡±

    ¡°What? I can do more, sir!¡± Although her body ached, Lara wanted to keep training. Whenever she trained with Zich¡ªalthough she could be imagining it¡ªshe felt like her skills were improving. The fact that she could swing the sword as much as wanted to gave her a sense of fulfillment.

    ¡°The meal is ready. It¡¯s not like there¡¯s only today either.¡± However, Zich ignored Lara¡¯s pleading coldly, and Lara took a seat next to Hans¡¯ while pouting.

    Hans asked her, ¡°How was it?¡±

    ¡°It was fun.¡± Lara hadn¡¯t felt this fulfilled since she first left her home to travel with Glen; the aches she felt all over her body didn¡¯t even faze her.

    Everyone shared the finished meal. Since they were all extremely hungry, they immediately stuffed the food into their mouths as soon as they received their share. However, an unexpected guest hindered their simple meal time. Zich had stuffed a big spoonful of stew into his mouth when he looked towards one area of the forest with a displeased expression.

    ¡°Tch! Why the heck do they have toe when we¡¯re eating.¡±

    ¡°Are they monsters?¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡±

    Hans and Snoc put down their bowls; they looked like they were ready to attack the monsters right away.

    ¡°Just continue eating.¡± Zich made a piercing movement with his spoon a few times in the air. Lara felt a chilling sensation of mana fly towards the inside of the forest.

    Bam! Bam! Bam! Then, she heard something fall from far away. She gulped and saw that there was a hole the size of a finger in a few of the trees near the.

    ¡®What kind of person is he¡­¡¯ It wasn¡¯t only Zich¡¯s swordsmanship that was impressive. Zich was really a master in everything rted to power. However, none of his otherpanions were surprised; it seemed as if they thought something like this was nothing to be surprised about. Hans and Snoc also lifted back their bowls and were already eating.

    Zich, who just killed a bunch of monsters, was also calm andined, ¡°It¡¯s regretful that I don¡¯t have the Pyramid of Vengeful Souls during this time. If I had that, those things won¡¯t act so bothersome.¡±

    The Pyramid of Vengeful Souls and the One-Sided Pyramid of Lamentations were both destroyed. Many people had desired the Pyramid of Vengeful Souls since it was an artifact that could freely control monsters; if someone had this, they could use this for all kinds of ns. However, there was no way Zich would pass this off to another person. To make sure that they could never be used again, Zich destroyed the Pyramid of Vengeful Souls and all the Pyramid of Lamentations in front of everyone. There were a couple of people who looked disappointed, but no one outrightly protested because they all knew how dangerous they were.

    ¡°What¡¯s the point of regretting something that¡¯s already gone. Killing a few monsters isn¡¯t a difficult task for you too.¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t understand, L, but things that are the most bothersome to do are the menial, small tasks. It¡¯s more bothersome to do an errand in front of your house than to go on a trip far away.¡±

    ¡°We don¡¯t need that kind of dog shit philosophy, so focus all your mind on other, more productive endeavors.¡±

    L and Zich lightly bickered with each other. Lara also now realized that this was a habitual urrence. She felt slightly ufortable about it in the beginning, but she now easily ignored their bickering and continued eating her meal. After finishing their meal, they cleaned up and began going to sleep one by one. However, Zich didn¡¯t fall asleep and quietly looked at Windur. Its des were bent and were pointing towards their next destination.

    ¡°Do you feel conflicted?¡±

    ¡°Why would I be?¡± Zich immediately denied L¡¯s question.

    ¡°But you must have someplicated thoughts. The next destination is that ce after all.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not been decided yet.¡±

    ¡°Why are you in denial? It¡¯s not like you. Windur is definitely pointing towards that ce. Hans already seems a bit excited.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s because that guy has no bad memories about that ce.¡± No, instead, he had grown up receiving love from everyone.

    ¡°But you have bad memories?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not that I have bad memories about that ce. I only have bad memories. It¡¯s no wonder why I caused such a scene as soon as I gained consciousness. Well, that was fun though.¡±

    ¡°Even so, I¡¯m a bit excited to go. It¡¯s the ce where you grew up.¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s nothing to be excited about. Since it¡¯s at the border and far from the capital, there¡¯s nothing to really sightsee and enjoy. This is even more true considering that fights between neighborhood countries break out on random days.¡±

    ¡°That doesn¡¯t matter to me. I just want to see the ce where you grew up.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ll probably be very disappointed,¡± Zichined and red at Windur. ¡°Why do you have to guide us there out of all ces? Even jagged terrain would have been better.¡± Then, Zich grabbed the curved de of Windur and put power into his hands. It looked as if he was trying to force Windur¡¯s de to change direction. However, Windur did not budge an inch and stubbornly pointed in one direction.

    ¡°Give up. Even if you do that, it won¡¯t change our destination.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not our destination, but ayover.¡±

    L made a smallugh and said, ¡°If that¡¯s what you want to believe, I won¡¯t stop you.¡±

    Zich would have normally made a rebuttal, but he didn¡¯t feel like doing that this time. ¡°Ah, damn it! Why is it really there of all ces?¡±

    If they followed the direction that Windur pointed towards, they would reach the Steelwall¡¯s estate¡ªZich and Hans¡¯ hometown. For Zich, it was a ce he really didn¡¯t want to go to. While he was following Windur, he thought it was strange, but he hadn¡¯t imagined that they would really arrive right in front of Steelwall Estate.

    ¡°Well, it¡¯s fine. The Steelwall Estate is big. We probably won¡¯t have to go to Violsa.¡± Count Steelwall¡¯s mansion was in Steelwall¡¯s capital, Violsa. It was a ce that he really, really didn¡¯t want to go.

    However, Lughed prettily for no reason and said, ¡°You know, Zich.¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°I heard that if you say things like that, then it¡¯ll definitely happen. Zich, do you believe in this superstition?¡±

    ¡°Be quiet,¡± Zich snapped.

    * * *

    ¡°Ah, damn it!¡± Zich roughly scratched the back of his head. He looked at Windur in his hand with resentment. However, Windur steadfastly continued to point toward the city in front of them.

    L was next to him, and she teased, ¡°I told you, right? If you say things like that, it happens for sure.¡±

    The ce where Zich first began his journey after he regressed a few years ago was right in front of him.

 Chapter 443

    <h4>Chapter 443</h4>

    ¡°What are you doing? We have to go in!¡±

    ¡°Wait a bit. I have to prepare myself.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s the fuss? You are acting as if you are going to fight a dragon.¡±

    ¡°That would actually make me feel morefortable.¡±

    L pushed Zich from behind. Zich resisted slightly, but in the end, he walked begrudgingly toward the city.

    ¡°Hans.¡±

    ¡°Yes!¡±

    ¡°You take the lead since we¡¯vee back to your hometown.¡±

    ¡°Isn¡¯t this ce also your hometown too, Sir Zich?¡±

    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s also my hometown which I have absolutely no good memories of. Stop saying useless things and take the lead.¡±

    Like that, the party passed through the castle¡¯s gates. The guards didn¡¯t appear to recognize Zich or Hans. Even if he had been outcasted, Zich was once the traditional heir of the Count and Hans was also been a servant who resided mostly in the mansion. They weren¡¯t existences that a guard at the end of the socialdder would recognize.

    After everyone entered the city, the party made three different responses: Hans appeared reminiscent, the others looked curious since they heard that this ce was Zich and Hans¡¯ hometown, and finally, there was Zich who looked like he had eaten shit. Finally, the party first got a lodging ce to stay in. They each went into their individual rooms, and Zichy on his bed and lifted Windur.

    ¡°Point to the right direction,¡± Zich growled while baring his teeth. If Hans or Snoc had seen this expression, their bodies would¡¯ve immediately frozen in response, but this ckmail did not faze the one Zich was addressing.

    Ssssssst. Windur¡¯s de pointed in one direction. Zich sighed.

    ¡®Why is it there of all ces?¡¯ Of course, Zich knew where Windur was pointing. It was the ce he had lived in until he came out to the world: Steelwall Mansion¡ªthe ce where Count Steelwall and his family lived. Zich scratched his head and calmed his mind.

    ¡®Fine. I should just go while I am at it.¡¯ It wasn¡¯t like he was scared. He just didn¡¯t want to go because of all the annoying things he remembered. ¡®Should I flip that ce upside down again since I am going there any?¡¯ Zich thought of things that would have probably made everyone at Steelwall foam at the mouth.

    Eventually, Zich got up from his bed after hardening his resolve to return to the Steelwalls¡¯ mansion. He thought he should assess the city¡¯s atmosphere first and left the lodging and headed to the streets. Although he had spent his childhood in this city, it was all very unfamiliar to him. It was because he had never gone out to explore the city since all he did was train to get acknowledged by his parents.

    ¡®The city is actually put together pretty well.¡¯

    Violsa was a ce that could be called a central city for not only the Steelwall Estate, but the estates in the surroundings. There were some rough, sturdy look spots as expected of a border city, but there were also ces that looked elegant. Zich wandered aimlessly and headed toward a nightlife district. True to its name, even though the sun had set, the district was still lively and bright, and firemps that stores had ced in front of their doors lit up the streets.

    Zich was looking around his surroundings when he heard a loud ng. Something sharp broke in a shop a bit of a distance away.

    ¡®Is it a fight?¡¯ There was no way Zich would miss an entertaining sight like that. Like a dog finding a fallen piece of meat, he hurried to the ce where he heard the noise. He soon arrived in front of a considerably luxurious andrge store that clearly looked like a ce that high-ss people visited.

    ¡®Oh, are rich guys going at it?¡¯ Due to concerns like saving face or their opponent¡¯s strengths, rich people hardly engaged in physical fights. Of course, it still happened asionally like the scene in front of him.

    ¡®Fights between rich guys have their own charm too.¡¯ Zich chuckled to himself and approached the store.

    ck! Some people suddenly opened the door and came outside.

    ¡®Huh? Those guys are¡­?¡¯ Two people with light clothing and swords on their waist stood in front of the store¡¯s entrance like they were guarding it. It seemed they were the subordinates of the guy making amotion inside the store. ¡®They are knights.¡¯ The emblems on their chest clearly showed that they were members of the elite Steel Spear Order of Knights. There weren¡¯t many people that the knights from the Steel Spear Order would personally guard. As a man¡¯s shouting flowed out of the store, Zich smirked. He realized who was in there. More onlookers began to gather from themotion and stared at the store curiously. Fights tended to be bad for businesses, but forpletely unrted bystanders, they were simply interesting events. Yet, no one could hastily approach the store because of the two knights guarding the door. No one in this city had a higher status than Count Steelwall, so everyone could only murmur as they surrounded the store.

    ¡°Again?¡±

    ¡°What is going to be the Steelwalls¡¯ future¡­?¡±

    Although they couldn¡¯t see what exactly was going on, the onlookers seemed to easily guess what was going on, as if this sort ofmotion was amon urrence. With an excited and gleeful heart, Zich pushed past the onlookers and approached the store.

    ¡°Back off!¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s off limits here!¡± The two knights snapped at Zich menacingly. The two clearly looked like they were in a bad mood, and it seemed like they would give hell to anyone who didn¡¯t abide by their orders. Yet, Zich simply ignored their warnings, and the knights¡¯ responses grew more aggressive.

    ¡°Didn¡¯t you hear us telling you to back off!¡±

    Zich continued to walk, and in the end, the knights took out their swords.

    Sling! Sling!

    Onlookers flinched at their sharp actions.

    ¡°This is yourst warning! If you ignore our order anymore, we will arrest¡­!¡±

    ¡°Who are you guys?¡± Zich cut them off and stared intently at the knights¡¯ faces. Even if these knights were members of the Steelwalls¡¯ most elite group of knights, there was no way Zich would remember the faces of every knight. Yet, it was different for the Steel Sword Knights. They all had to memorize the faces of the Count¡¯s family members, even the face of the powerless eldest son who was pushed off from the heir seat.

    ¡°You bastard, are you going to keep¡­¡± One of the knights was about to capture Zich when the other knight grasped his arm.

    ¡°W-wait!¡± the other knight cried.

    ¡°Why?¡±

    Zich was amazed. ¡°Wow, there¡¯s still a guy who remembers my face? How impressive.¡± There was one person he wanted topliment.

    * * *

    The inside of the store was a mess. A table was flipped over, and expensive drinks and dishes were scattered wastefully all over the floor. All the shattered sses and bowls were all extremely expensive products. It was enough to make any store owner instantly get a headache, and this usually would have never happened in this store.

    No matter how high one¡¯s status was, this store was a ce where only those with high status could enter. Even if they wanted to cause amotion, they needed to be cautious of the other customers. Moreover, the Steelwall Estate had a very high level of security.

    However, the person causing a scene right now was an exception to this rule. ¡°Can you not hear me! I told you to bring me more alcohol!¡± His voice rang loudly inside the store; it was an extremely unpleasant voice that naturally brought anger to all those who listened to him. Considering that he slurred all his words, it was clear that he waspletely drunk.

    Naturally, as the staff were extremely annoyed; they wanted to immediately p the back of the man¡¯s hand and kick him to their heart¡¯s content. However, he was someone they couldn¡¯t do anything against whether it was status, wealth, or physical strength.

    One of the staff members desperately suppressed their annoyance and said, ¡°I sincerely apologize, Young Master, but we received an order that we can¡¯t give you any more alcohol, so¡­¡± The staff didn¡¯t finish their sentence and looked at the knight standing next to the young man. The knight standing there as a bodyguard was the one who told them to not bring out any more alcohol; he also seemed frustrated by this situation as he repeatedly pressed his head with his hands.

    ¡°What? Who the hell made such an order! I¡¯m the heir to this estate!¡±

    ¡°Young Master, I¡¯m the one who said that.¡±

    The young master red at the knight as if he wanted to kill him. However, the knight calmly said, ¡°The Count has given me an order to stop you from drinking after a certain number of bottles.¡±

    The Count was his father. The young master wouldn¡¯t dare to cause a scene when the Count¡¯s name was mentioned and became silent for a short while. However, this was for just a moment.

    ¡°That¡¯s why I said I¡¯ll drink just one more bottle! Did I say I¡¯d keep going?¡±

    ¡°Sir, you¡¯ve been saying that, and you¡¯ve already finished four bottles.¡± Of course, all evidence of the young master¡¯s drinking was now scattered all over the floor. ¡°Sir, you have to really stand up now. If you return home anyter, you¡¯ll get a long scolding from the Count and Countess.¡±

    ¡°Damn it!¡± The young master was like a kid. He began thoroughly stepping on the food on the ground. The staff members¡¯ expressions grew worse. It was already difficult to clean up food, and it became even harder since the young master had stepped on it and rubbed it all over the floor. The knight looked at the staff¡¯ expressions and sighed internally.

    The young master was someone who would inherit the Steelwall Estate. However, if he caused such problems like this, the citizens of Steelwall would distrust him and have negative emotions about him. The knight¡¯s eyes moved away from the staff and looked at the other customers in the store. The staff blocked onlookers froming into the store, but they couldn¡¯t chase away the customers already drinking here. All of them were watching the young master make a fool out of himself, and he was supposed to be someone who would stand above them in the future.

    ¡®When did it get so bad?¡¯ No¡ªhe knew the answer to this question. It was ever since that duel; the duel that everyone was confident that the young master would easily win. That one duel had changed everything. Before that duel, the young master had been an extremelypetent heir. His skills and morals were high above everyone else¡¯s. However, after that duel, the young masterpletely changed. He stopped all of his studies and only went outside to drink. The Count and Countess tried scolding him and even tried to gently coax him, but nothing worked.

    ¡®Did he really have to make his own brother like this?¡¯ Resentment sprung up in his heart, but the knight soon shook his head. ¡®No, it was understandable that he acted that way.¡¯ Considering the discrimination he received in the estate, it was natural that the first young master would make such a scene before he left. However, the knight couldn¡¯t help but feel a small amount of resentment as the future of the Steelwall Estate remained bleak.

    ¡®We should have pushed the first young master as the heir.¡¯ This was probably what everyone was thinking right now.

    The young master said, ¡°Hey.¡±

    ¡°Yes, sir?¡±

    ¡°You just thought of that bastard, right?¡± The young master¡¯s eyes sharpened in anger. ¡°You justpared me with that bastard right now!¡±

    ¡°Sir, I have no idea what you¡¯re talking about.¡± The knight was taken aback, but he strongly denied the young master¡¯s ims. It was all too obvious what would happen if he agreed. Unfortunately, the young master didn¡¯t seem to believe his words.

    ¡°Fuck! You think I don¡¯t know! There are a bunch of shitheads gossiping behind my back. They say that it would have been better if that bastard inherited the estate! And you¡¯re the same as them!¡±

    ¡°Not at all, sir!¡±

    The young master stood up. He was so drunk that his body shook. His blurry and dted eyes sharpened, and he clutched the knight¡¯s cor. ¡°This bastard and every other bastard all go Zich! Zich! Zich! If you like Zich so much, why don¡¯t you bring that bastard here! I¡¯ll give this sted status as an heir to him anytime!¡±

    ¡°Young master! Your words are too harsh¡­!¡±

    Kick! The young master was in front of the knight before he suddenly flew to the opposite side. He made a loud noise as hended and rolled on top of the mess he made.

    ¡°Ack!¡± The sharp fragments of ss pierced his body, and smelly food was smeared onto his clothes. ¡°Which bastard¡­!¡± The young master let out his anger at the crazy person who dared to kick him. However, after seeing who the person was, the young master immediately froze. ¡°Uh, uh¡­¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s been a while, Greig. Have you been well?¡±

 Chapter 444

    <h4>Chapter 444</h4>

    Everyone was stunned by the current situation. The Steelwalls¡¯ heir had flown across the room from someone¡¯s kick. They couldn¡¯t believe what had happened even after witnessing it in person. The knights in charge of guarding Greig felt this even more so and were horrified to see a random assant attack the person they were supposed to protect. Perhaps, this was what it meant to feel shivers down one¡¯s spine. In addition to shock, worries about what they would face from this incident weighed heavily upon their hearts. They had failed to do their jobs, and there would be consequences. Fear about the future heightened one of the knight¡¯s rages, and he grabbed his sword.

    ¡°You bastard¡­!¡± Without even thinking of checking to see who his opponent really was, the knight moved to slice his opponent.

    p! The knight stopped pulling his sword halfway. Zich had blocked the knight¡¯s sword hilt.

    ¡®When did he¡­?¡¯ The knight felt shivers in his bones for a different reason now. His opponent had approached him in an instant and blocked his sword; it was clear this was a formidable opponent. Now that the knight thought about it, even though he had paid less attention to his surroundings than he should have because of Greig¡¯s annoying ruckus, he realized that he hadn¡¯t felt anything right before Zich assaulted Greig. It seemed clearer now that the man in front of him was a skilled fighter. The knight gained a new resolve and decided to move to kill his opponent.

    But when Greig muttered, ¡°B-Brother?¡± the knight had no choice but to stop moving.

    ¡®Brother?¡¯ the knight thought. From what he was aware of, Greig only had one older brother¡ªthe one who had been the ipetent eyesore of the Count family until hepletely flipped people¡¯s views on him. Now, almost everyone regretted how they had treated him before. This brother was also the one who turned Greig into apletely ipetent heir now.

    The knight opened his eyes wide and studied his opponent. Zich appeared older than what he remembered, but the man¡¯s face was clearly Zich¡¯s.

    ¡°¡­Young Master Zich?¡±

    ¡°You guys do all remember me.¡± Zich took his hand away from the knight¡¯s sword, and the knight no longer tried to attack Zich. The other knight who had been trying to stop people from getting in hurriedly rushed inside. He nned to wrap up the chaos as the situation turned in an unexpected direction.

    ¡°Y-young Master! You can¡¯t use violence!¡±

    Zich waved his hands like he thought the situation was bothersome. Then, he walked toward Greig. The knight approached to stop him. Even if Zich was Greig¡¯s older brother, Greig was the official heir to the Steelwalls and they couldn¡¯t let him be exposed to any more violence. Even the kick that Zichnded on Greig before was a crime since Zich no longer had any connection to the Steelwalls after giving up his session.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I won¡¯t hit him anymore.¡± Zich picked up a random chair on the ground and ced it in front of Greig.

    ¡°Tch, tch! What a state you are in.¡± Zich almost sounded like an older brother worried about his brother. Yet, neither Zich, the speaker, nor Greig, the one being addressed, thought that way. The rtionship between the two was not so brotherly.

    ¡°Why are you here?¡± Greig red aggressively at Zich, but when Zich met his eyes coldly, Greig flinched and turned away. This hurt his pride very much. It would¡¯ve been unthinkable when Zich had lived in the Steelwalls that there woulde a day when Greig wouldn¡¯t even be able to meet Zich¡¯s eyes. Yet, even when he tried to resist, Greig¡¯s eyes kept turning in another direction and whenever their eyes met, he remembered what had happenedst time¡ªthe incident that made him like this.

    Flinch! Greig¡¯s body trembled unconsciously. He remembered what Zich looked like as he tried to rush at him with a thick coat of blood covering him from head to toe and a mad look gleaming from his face. It was the sight he had seen hundreds and thousands of times in his dreams. Seeing this, Zich was satisfied that Greig couldn¡¯t even meet his eyes.

    ¡®The seed I nted is firmly rooted into ce,¡¯ Zich thought. Greig would have be an even greater and morepetent heir after oveing that loss, but it seemed like he hadn¡¯t been able to like Zich had expected.

    ¡®I mean, why else would he be making a ruckus in a ce like this?¡¯ Greig had fallen so picturesquely that Zich wanted to dock some points off for hisck of creativity. It wasn¡¯t a bad feeling though. After all, Zich loved to see guys who ignored him rolling on the floor like trash.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I only came back because I have something to take care of at the estate,¡± Zich said. Zich sensed the knights from behind him show slight disappointment.

    ¡®Has he lost this much support?¡¯ It showed how lowly people thought of Greig that they hoped for the eldest son, who had openly defied the Count and given up the session, to make his return. Of course, it probably helped that news of Evelyn¡¯s case in Westillburd had spread across the kingdom, and that Zich and Hans had incredible skills. On top of that, Zich was also a Karuwiman Holy Knight. Yet, if people weren¡¯t so disappointed in Greig, they wouldn¡¯t have disyed their feelings so openly. Fortunately, for the knights, Greig hadn¡¯t noticed their response since he was too focused on facing Zich.

    ¡°I was wandering around the city when I heard a ruckus and decided to check it out. So, I found you causing a scene here to get more alcohol. How unexpected of the esteemed heir of the Steelwall family to do such a thing.¡±

    Greig¡¯s face turned bright red. Even he was aware of how pathetic he appeared, but thest person he wanted to hear from about this was from Zich.

    ¡°You left the family on your own feet. What does it matter to you now? Mind your own business!¡±

    ¡°I want to, but you are my brother. Of course, I can¡¯t help but care.¡± No brotherly affection existed between the two, and both sides knew that Zich¡¯s words were simply nothing more than mockery. Greig gritted his teeth again, and this only made Zich happier. Zich wanted to aggravate Greig even more, but he decided to back away for now.

    ¡®There¡¯s no need for me to sh head-on with the Steelwalls,¡¯ Zich thought. If it was necessary, Zich wouldn¡¯t hesitate to swing Windur, but he needed to do something inside the Steelwall Estate. Furthermore, if he made a bloody mess now, it would make a dark blot on his n to gain the title of a hero.

    ¡®This is really bothersome. Did Glen Zenard deal with this dilemma every time he regressed?¡¯ Glen¡¯s ability to carry out his obsession was one thing Zich found really admirable about Glen.

    Then, Zich got up from his seat. ¡°If you¡¯ve stuffed yourself, get up and go home. Don¡¯t cause any more trouble and leave.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s none of your business!¡±

    ¡°You''vepletely be a child. Stop causing a scene and go.¡±

    ¡°I told you it¡¯s none of your busin¡­.!¡±

    Greig could not finish his sentence because Zich had grabbed his neck. Greig¡¯s eyes rolled back, and he immediately copsed.

    ¡°Y-young Master!¡±

    Zich saw that the knights behind Greig did not know what to do. However, Zich paid no attention to them and put Greig on his shoulder like luggage.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±

    ¡°Sir, what?¡±

    ¡°I said let¡¯s go. If you guys bring this guy in this condition by yourselves, all of you will get in trouble anyway, right?¡±

    ¡°Um¡ªwell¡­¡± The knights would already get into a lot of trouble for letting the situation get to this point. However, it was a different story if Zich brought Greig back to the mansion.

    ¡°Or do you n to just bring this guy by yourselves? Then, won¡¯t all of you get in trouble? You know that you guys are supposed to arrest me, right?¡±

    The knights looked troubled by Zich¡¯s words.

    ¡°If you can¡¯t arrest me immediately due to various circumstances, you¡¯ll at least get into less trouble if you bring me with you. You can also make the excuse that you didn¡¯t know how to respond to me, so you wanted to ask the higher-ups first.¡±

    The two knights stared at each other and nodded. ¡°Sir, we¡¯ll apany you.¡±

    Like this, Zich returned to the home he hadn¡¯t visited in a long while.

    * * *

    Zich was lying down in a soft bed. The beds that they used in their previous lodging were also luxurious beds, but as expected, they were not good as the beds for a noble family.

    ¡®Man, this feels weird.¡¯ Zich was in his hometown that he was born and grew up in, but he had also left it all behind him. Even though it hadn¡¯t been part of his n, it was his first time returning home on his own two feet. The room that Zich was in was the Count¡¯s guest room. It seemed as if they changed up his room.

    ¡®Well, I¡¯ve taken the first step here.¡¯ When he realized that the destination that Windur was pointing towards was inside the Count¡¯s mansion, Zich had to brainstorm a lot for ideas. First of all, he had been expelled, and he didn¡¯t have a good rtionship with the Count and his family. If he went in suddenly and asked to meet the Count, there was a low chance that he could meet the Count.

    ¡®It was good that I met Greig.¡¯ Even though he met Greig coincidentally, Zich immediately made a n after seeing Greig¡¯s condition. Couldn¡¯t he use this situation to get inside the Count¡¯s mansion? He was the person who beat up his son after all. Since Zich was his first son that left the family, there was an even higher possibility that the Count would personally confront him whether it was to show his anger or protest.

    ¡®I even thought of the possibility that he would immediately force me into prison, but I guess that¡¯s not happening.¡¯ However, even though the Count forced him into a guest room, it didn¡¯t change the fact that Zich was locked up. The Count was probably going to call him after figuring out the whole situation.

    ¡®If nothing worked out, I was going to try using my status as a Karuwiman Honorary Knight to try to meet him, but this is much better.¡¯

    Under normal circumstances, there was a low possibility that the Count would agree to meet him, and even if the Count met him, there was a much, much lower possibility that the Count would give him permission to search the mansion. However, Zich had a n if he used Greig.

    ¡®I wonder when they¡¯lle back.¡¯ Before he went to the Count¡¯s mansion, he asked the staff in the store to send a letter to hispanions, so that they wouldn¡¯t wonder about where he was. Zich leisurely waited in the mansion he grew up in.

    Knock! Knock! ¡°Sir Zich, the Count is calling for you.¡±

    Zich smiled brightly at these words.

    * * *

    Zich walked on the thick carpet in the hallway. He saw the simple ornaments that decorated both sides of the wall, which seemed slightly too humble for a count.

    ¡®This is making me think of the past.¡¯ After he regressed, this was the path he used after he beat the crap out of Hans and Biner with great excitement and headed towards the Count¡¯s room. Zich and the servant reached the front of the Count¡¯s room, and the servant knocked on the door. ¡°Sir, I¡¯ve brought Sir Zich!¡±

    ¡°¡­Let him in.¡±

    The servant opened the door. He thene bowed towards Zich and gestured towards the inside of the door with his hand. Zich walked inside step by step. The inside of the room was the same as before; there was the same furniture, the same decorative nt, and even the Count¡¯s long beard like a long steel wire.

    Zich smiled brightly and walked in front of the Count. Then, he slightly bowed towards him. ¡°It¡¯s been a while, Sir Count Steelwall. Since you look healthy, it seems like I don¡¯t have to ask how your health is faring.¡± Zich clicked his tongue inside his mind. He nned to make an ordinary greeting first, but his words came out dripping with sarcasm unconsciously.

    ¡®Well, whatever. It¡¯ll all work out.¡¯ While everyone around them looked shocked, Zich saw the Count¡¯s lips twist into a frown. Zich calmly looked at the Count.

 Chapter 445

    <h4>Chapter 445</h4>

    ¡°Where did you learn manners like that!¡± As expected, the Count expressed his outrage at Zich¡¯s attitude. Any resident under the Steelwall family would have shuddered in fright due to the Count¡¯s anger, but Zich was the only person in this ce who didn¡¯t fear the Count.

    ¡°Well, first of all, it¡¯s not the etiquette that I learned here.¡±

    ¡°Of course! There¡¯s no way our house would teach such horrendous manners!¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s true. Besides horrendous manners, there¡¯s absolutely nothing else I learned in this ce, whether good or bad.¡±

    The Count¡¯s eyelids trembled in rage. He remembered thest time he met Zich at Westillburd. Zich had sarcastically remarked then that the only things he learned at the Steelwall Estate were things like bad manners.

    ¡°Are you ying word games with me?¡±

    ¡°I have no intention of doing so. Even if you want to, Sir Count, I hope you understand if I refuse. I am too busy for that,¡± Zich said and shrugged. Seeing that the Count¡¯s face was turning bright red, the butler, Trell, quickly tried to halt the situation from progressing further.

    ¡°Sir Count, please calm down first.¡± Trell stopped the Count right before he exploded and turned to Zich. ¡°Please sir, stop provoking the Count. Even if you are a Karuwiman Holy Knight, we won¡¯t permit such provocations, especially if you are relying on your personal connection to the Count to behave in this manner! You have already given up on your Steelwall name.¡±

    Unlike the others who addressed Zich as young master, Trell clearly treated Zich like an outsider. The way Trell acted was the correct way. Others still called Zich young master because they were unsure of how to act around Zich and because the Count was silent about the matter; however, it was a problem that would be easily resolved by the Count expressing his will. From the way Trell acted, it seemed like Trell had also clearly given up on hoping for Zich toe back unlike the others.

    However, nothing could be farther away from the truth. In fact, many people probably didn¡¯t want to make Greig the next Steelwall heir as much as Trell. If the others had been impressed by Zich¡¯s strength and mentality for breaking down Greig not long after he awakened his mana, Trell focused on Zich¡¯s strategy-making skills above all. Thus, when he heard that Zich returned, he immediately grasped his fists tightly and thought, ¡®Rather than an unstable heir, a person superior in strength and strategy is more fitting to be the heir even if he has a rough personality.¡¯

    Furthermore, Zich was the eldest. Although Zich had a critical weakness in that he had given up his session, he was too spectacr for Trell to simply give up. Besides, Trell had been one of the very few who hadn¡¯t discriminated Zich from the beginning. Yet, even as he thought this, Trell had to take the Count¡¯s side. Zich had been rude, and he served the Count after all. Of course, there was also a part of him that had intervened in their conversation in worry that their conversation would pass the line of no return and their rtionship would be impossible to mend.

    ¡°I¡¯ll be careful.¡± Zich backed off. In the first ce, harsh words hade out of his mouth instinctively, and he didn¡¯t have any intention of provoking the Count in the beginning. Furthermore, Trell was one of the few whom Zich held no negative feelings for in the Steelwall family. Thus, Zich and the Count stopped arguing. However, the tense, cold atmosphere remained like before.

    ¡°What did youe here for? You went out confidently that you would nevere back again.¡± The Count¡¯s tone softened slightly¡ªbut this was only inparison to his previous explosive aura and his voice was still plenty cold.

    ¡°I did. You also said that you would slice me in half if you ever caught sight of me again, Sir Count.¡±

    The Count¡¯s cheeks twitched, but he didn¡¯t jump up to get a sword to slice Zich in half, and Trell sighed in relief.

    ¡°Of course, I didn¡¯t return for no reason. I have a request to make.¡±

    ¡°A request?¡±

    ¡°I have something to do at the estate, so I hope you can give me permission to enter. Ah, I could also damage the estate a bit too, so I hope you would give me permission in that regard too.¡±

    m! The Count mmed his fist down his chair and the chair¡¯s wooden armchair broke off easily like y. The vassals standing nearby also turned cold and Trell scowled. Although they had let go of Zich¡¯s provocations considering the torment he had endured under them in the past and other factors, Zich had crossed the line just now. Especially the part about him damaging the Steelwall Estate that had been passed down for generations¡ªthat was going too far.

    ¡°It seems like there has been a slight misunderstanding. What I said just now wasn¡¯t meant to insult you in any way.¡±

    ¡°Do you think I will ept such nonsense? If that wasn¡¯t to insult me, what was it!¡± The Count roared fiercely like he would never give Zich any permission, but Zich had expected this.

    ¡°You are aware that I met Greig, right sir? His condition didn¡¯t seem very good. He¡¯s a drunken heir who constantly makes scenes. He even makes me worried about the Steelwalls¡¯ future even though I left the family.¡±

    ¡°How dare you say such thing¡­!¡± It was unbelievable that the cause of Greig¡¯s current condition was speaking in this way. The Count thought he should take this chance to take a sword and slice Zich into two like he had stated.

    ¡°I will fix him.¡±

    ¡°¡­What?¡±

    ¡°Like I just said, I will make him recover to his original state.¡±

    The Count looked stunned. It was an offer he hadn¡¯t expected at all, and he said, ¡°You are saying that you would do something everyone in our family has failed to do despite all their efforts?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s just how amazing I am.¡± Zich raised his jaw and looked down at the Count arrogantly.

    ¡°How can I trust you?¡±

    ¡°I am a Karuwiman Holy Knight and have also revealed the truth behind the scheme involving the Rouge and Windpool families at Cronon Kingdom. These are the two things that I can present to you as my credentials for now, Sir Count.¡±

    Trell felt bitter hearing this. He also heard what had happened at the kingdom¡¯s capital, Westillburd. For that reason, his desire to make Zich as the next heir got stronger. Since Zich had given a good impression to the King and Prince, if Zich became the next Count, they would be able to receive a lot more support and help.

    ¡°Most of all, aren¡¯t you out of solutions? If you want to just let Greig be, I guess it can¡¯t be helped then.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡± Even though the Count found Zich irksome, he had to admit that Zich had skills. Most importantly, the Count couldn¡¯t let Greig stay in his current condition. ¡°¡­Would you really be able to cure him?¡±

    ¡°Sir, no one can be certain of a cure. However, there¡¯s a very high possibility that I¡¯ll be able to cure him.¡±

    ¡°What do you want?¡±

    Zich straightened two of his fingers. ¡°First, don¡¯t ever interfere with the treatment I¡¯m going to make him put him through. Please block the Countess especially from interfering, since she¡¯ll be shocked. And the second one is what I already told you before. Please give me permission to enter the mansion and damage it.¡±

    The first condition was bothersome but still understandable. However, no matter how much he thought about it, the Count could not understand the second condition. ¡°What are you nning to do in this mansion that you¡¯ll put that as your second condition?¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s something I need to find here.¡±

    ¡°Are you saying that there¡¯s treasure buried here?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know. It¡¯s something that I also need to look for.¡±

    ¡°What if I refuse?¡±

    Zich grinned. ¡°I¡¯ll use all the connections I have to put pressure on this estate to fulfill the second condition.¡±

    ¡°¡­How dare you ckmail me!¡± Count Steelwall had steadfastly protected the estate from all kinds of pressure, and Zich¡¯s words were the highest form of provocation. It was the same for the others around them; the knights¡¯ expressions looked especially grim in response tot he humiliation.

    However, Zich didn¡¯t step back. He erased the mockery he used to provoke the Count so far and replied seriously, ¡°Sir, I¡¯m saying this to inform you that what I¡¯m doing is not merely a way for me to insult or mock the Steelwall family. This is an extremely important matter for me. So, why don¡¯t we end this matter as a win-win for both of us? Greig will be treated for you, and I¡¯ll also be able to fulfill my goal.¡±

    The Count continued to re at Zich with angry eyes. However, judging by how he didn¡¯t order Zich to immediately be pulled out, he seemed to be contemting his choices. ¡°¡­Fine. Why don¡¯t you give it a try? If you return Greig back to his past self, I¡¯ll give you what you want.¡±

    ¡°Sir, you¡¯ve made an excellent decision. Zich made a satisfiedugh. ¡°Then, I¡¯ll take my leave.¡± He got what he wanted; there was no longer any reason to stay with the Count for any longer.

    However, before he left, the Count said, ¡°¡­You really are uninterested in bing the next heir to Steelwall.¡± Bing heir Count Steelwall title was the first thought that hade up in his mind when the Count heard that Zich had returned. However, Zich didn¡¯t say a single word rted to bing the next heir.

    ¡°Of course. Steelwall is much too small for me.¡±

    ¡°Ha! The Cronon Kingdom¡¯s metal fortress is not big enough for you? Then, what ce do you think is suitable for your skills? Do you think you have to be a king?¡±

    The surrounding vassals flinched at the Count¡¯s brash words. However, Zich carefully scanned the Count. It didn¡¯t seem like a trap; the Count seemed to have just thrown a question because of how bbergasted he was at Zich¡¯s words.

    Thus, Zich said without an ounce of hesitation, ¡°I¡¯ll think about it if I can be the next emperor of Clowon.¡±

    ¡°An emperor, your arrogance knows no limit. But, Clowon¡ªis there even a country like that?¡± The Count thought that Zich was making a vain attempt at a bluff, since Zich mentioned a country that he never heard of. However, if there was anyone who knew about Clowon¡¯s existence here, they would have clicked their tongue at Zich¡¯s audacity.

    * * *

    ¡°How can you cause so much trouble as soon as you get out?¡± L¡¯s disapproving gaze pierced Zich¡¯s face. However, her gaze easily bounced off Zich¡¯s rock-solid face as if it was covered in all kinds of rare metals.

    ¡°It wasn¡¯t trouble. I was able to use a coincidental incidence to my advantage.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, how great of you.¡± L snorted and heard his excuse in one ear and out the other and looked around their surroundings. ¡°This was the ce where you grew up.¡± Then, she began looking around several rooms. After Zich became in charge of Greig¡¯s recovery, the Count invited all of Zich¡¯spanions. This implied that the Count was treating Zich officially as his guest. Of course, the fact that Hans was one of hispanions probably also yed a big part.

    ¡°There¡¯s no point looking around since this isn¡¯t my room.¡±

    ¡°Ah, is that so? That¡¯s disappointing.¡± Even then, L didn¡¯t stop looking around the room. ¡°Then would I be able to see the room that you grew up in?¡±

    ¡°If you go around and ask any servant, they¡¯ll probably guide you around the mansion as long as it¡¯s not an important ce. Since my room is not an important ce, they¡¯ll probably show you around.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll ask about thatter on.¡± L sat on the opposite side of Zich. ¡°I¡¯m surprised that you said you¡¯ll cure your brother.¡±

    ¡°Since Windur pointed at the Steelwall mansion, I thought that I needed to make a deal if I wasn¡¯t nning to annihte the whole Steelwall family. Moreover, when I was leaving the mansion, I thought that I would at least help out one time, considering how much people suffered under my mother¡¯s viciousness.¡±

    ¡°Hmm, is that so?¡± L thought this made sense, so she epted his exnation. However, after listening to his next words, she readily nodded and thought, ¡®Of course, as expected of Zich.¡¯

    ¡°Since he¡¯s sick to this extent, don¡¯t you think it¡¯s necessary for me to undergo a slightly rough treatment? Regardless of how much Greig screams.¡±

 Chapter 446

    <h4>Chapter 446</h4>

    There was a smallmotion at the Steelwall Estate when people heard the news of Zich¡¯s return. The return of the eldest, who had left the house in a storm, brought forth all sorts of curiosities and imaginations. Many people thought Zich might have returned to take the position as the next Count, but many others had the opposite opinion. They imed that there was no way a person who had made such a ruckus before would bear the embarrassment ofing back to ask for a position that they had thrown away.

    Whenever more than one person gathered in the estate, the conversation naturally turned to this topic. Some weed Zich¡¯s return while some felt more reserved about it, and others didn¡¯t care either way. However, one thing was certain: people were focused on each and every action that Zich took. The story of how Zich left his family was well known, so people thought Zich would stir up a hugemotion again¡ªand they were exactly right.

    ¡°¡­What is it?¡± Greig asked as Zich stood in front of him. Considering their strained rtionship, Greig¡¯s voice sounded malicious, but his eyes still wavered like he couldn¡¯t meet Zich¡¯s eyes.

    ¡°Take this.¡± Zich threw the object he had ced next to him to Greig. When Greig caught it instinctively, he simply thought, ¡®A sword?¡¯ This type of sword was normally given to soldiers. It wasn¡¯t a good sword, but its des were sharp.

    ¡°What is this?¡±

    ¡°Can¡¯t you see? It¡¯s a sword.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s obviously not what I¡¯m asking!¡±

    Zich smirked. ¡°Aren¡¯t you too old to act cute in front of your older brother? I won¡¯t go easy on you, so don¡¯t try to y some tricks.¡±

    Greig gritted his teeth, but Zich didn¡¯t care and pulled out his sword.

    ng! The multiple des of Zich¡¯s sword split sharply across and invoked a sense of danger as it split the sunlight shining upon it. Greig unconsciously stepped back after he saw Zich raise his sword. He was reminded of his trauma, and it felt like Zich would rush at him while covered with blood again. Greig¡¯s hands trembled lightly as he gripped his sword.

    ¡°You heard me right? I¡¯m going to help cure you.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not like I¡¯m even ill!¡±

    ¡°Oh my, don¡¯t you remember what I told you in thest battle?¡±

    Greig hardened his expression. Of course, he remembered, but Zich decided to engrave the words into him again.

    ¡°If you endure this trial, you will be able to go to the next stage in life. Look at the state you are in now. Instead of jumping to the next stage, you are just floundering in a low mess right now. What you are suffering from right now is trauma, and that¡¯s definitely a sickness. I¡¯m going to cure you of it.¡± Then, Zich pointed to the sword Greig was holding with his chin and asked, ¡°What are you doing? Quick, pull out your sword.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡± Greig looked down at his sword. He didn¡¯t know exactly what this cure was, but he knew that they were going to duel now, and this fact tightened his heart. He remembered hisst battle with Zich, and his hands trembled ?harder. If he could, he wished he could pull out his sword nonchntly, and even if his skills werecking inparison, he wanted to give it his all to fight Zich. Yet, his body didn¡¯t listen to his will.

    ¡°What? Are you not going to pull out your sword?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°Well, it won¡¯t really matter.¡±

    Greig stared at Zich. ¡®Were they not going to duel?¡¯ He hoped they wouldn¡¯t, but he soon saw Zich right in front of him. Whoosh! Zich¡¯s sword drew a clean arc and pierced Greig¡¯s body.

    Slice!

    ¡°Ah!¡± Zich drew a long line across Greig¡¯s body, and he let out an ear-splitting scream. However, Zich didn¡¯t respond to this scream and kicked Greig¡¯s wound instead.

    Thump!

    ¡°Ugh!¡± Greig¡¯s body rolled to the edge of the training ground.

    ¡°I am going to keep attacking whether you pull out your sword or not.¡± Zich¡¯s words were beyond cold¡ªthey were frigid and gave off a chilly air. So, Greig realized that there was not a hint of exaggeration in Zich¡¯s words. Several of the knights watching Zich and Greig outside the training ground flinched and shuddered. Although these knights were used to harsh battle and were in a territory known for it, it felt different when the estate¡¯s heir was involved.

    Still, they didn¡¯t move. Greig had received special treatment as the heir, but this level of training is what they all also endured. Furthermore, the injury Zich inflicted on Greig wasn¡¯t even that deep. Above all, the Count gave them orders to never intervene with Zich¡¯s healing (?) method. Yet, not long afterward, their resolve to not intervene began to shake.

    Slice! Slice! Punch! Slice! These sounds brought chills to all the watchers. They all came from Greig¡¯s body, and Zich cornered Greig like he was trying to kill him. He also didn¡¯t hold back from inflicting critical injuries, and the only thing he refrained from doing was making an attack that would immediately kill his opponent.

    ¡°S-Shouldn¡¯t we stop him?¡±

    ¡°The Count gave his orders.¡±

    ¡°But would Sir Count have expected such a crazy thing to happen?¡± It was unthinkable that the Steelwall¡¯s heir would be cornered to near death in the middle of their property.

    ¡°He might really die at this rate!¡±

    All the on-looking, curious servants had run away terrified by now, and some were blocking their mouths with their hands to keep their lunch down. That was how fierce this fight was.

    ¡°Won¡¯t it be better to just let it be?¡± Then, another knight gave a totally different opinion.

    ¡°Just let it be? When the young master is getting violently assaulted? Are you in your right mind!¡±

    ¡°My mind ispletely fine. Honestly, it¡¯s not like Young Master Greig will really die.¡± Zich also had no real intention to kill Greig; there were even a few priests ready on standby on the training ground. When Zich thought Greig had reached his limit, he called out to the priests and let them heal Greig. However, when the priests finished healing Greig, he mercilessly attacked Greig again.

    ¡°Even though he was fine before, I was honestly disappointed by the young master¡¯s actions. Moreover, the reason why the young master changed was because of that duel in the past¡ªit became a traumatic event for him. Thus, forcing him to get used to it like this is one way to return him back to how he was before.¡± The knight shrugged his shoulders. ¡°It¡¯s a method we¡¯ll never be able to do.¡± No one in this estate could continuously push the next heir, Greig, to the point of almost killing him. This was apletely different situation than training Greig until he almost wanted to die.

    ¡°But the young master might bepletely broken if this continues!¡±

    ¡°Then do you want the young master to just stay in this pathetic state?¡±

    The two knights¡¯ opinions shed. Both of their opinions were based on solid reasoning, but their disagreement ended with one knight¡¯s words.

    ¡°We have to follow the Count¡¯s order anyway. The Count will hear about this treatment or torture sooner orter. If he changes his order, we¡¯ll have to intervene, and if not, we¡¯ll keep on watching like this.¡±

    All the knights epted this opinion and began watching the fight again.

    At that moment, one knight looked toward the mansion. ¡°Well, this isn¡¯t going to end peacefully."

    The Countess was approaching them with a bright red face full of fury.

    * * *

    Punch! Greig copsed to the ground as Zich punched him directly in the face. His body was already worn out and cut all over from Zich¡¯s sword. ¡°You punk, don¡¯t be a wuss and get up.¡±

    Zich poked Greig with the end of his sword. However, Greig merely let out a soft moan and didn¡¯t move even a finger¡ªno, he couldn¡¯t even move his fingers.

    ¡®Hmm, is this really his limit?¡¯ This seemed to be good enough for today. ¡®I also got rid of a lot of my pent-up stress.¡¯ Beating up his rude younger brother was always thrilling and fun. Since he had the justification to beat up his brother, no one could stop him anyway. ¡®Nevertheless, it¡¯d be more fun if he resisted a bit.¡¯

    It seemed as if their previous duel really traumatized Greig. Like a mouse in front of a cat, Greig couldn¡¯t make even retaliate once. It wasn¡¯t a matter of a difference in skill,l but willpower.

    ¡°Greig!¡± Then, someone suddenly called out Greig¡¯s name.

    ¡®As expected, she came.¡¯ Zich thought that if there was someone who might hinder him in their first round of treatment, he thought it would be Greig¡¯s mother. The Countess quickly ran towards Greig and held her son covered in blood. Unlike her blood-soaked son, her face waspletely white.

    ¡°What are you doing? Please heal Greig immediately!¡± the Countess yelled towards the priests, but the priests nced at Zich. As part of the Karuwiman Church, an order from a Karuwiman Honorary Knight held more importance than a Countess¡¯.

    ¡°Please heal him.¡±

    As soon as they received Zich¡¯s permission, the priests approached Greig and used their holy powers. Greig¡¯s body slowly healed and became clean without a single scratch. Then, Greig lifted his upper body and sat on the ground. The Countess grabbed his face. She carefully inspected his face to make sure that not even the smallest scratch was left.

    ¡°Are you hurt anywhere?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m all right, Mother.¡±

    After making sure that Greig was fine, the Countess let out a sigh of relief. However, she wasn¡¯t done. She quickly turned her head and red at Zich with zing eyes full of anger. ¡°What are you doing?¡±

    ¡°What? Did you not hear from the Count? I¡¯ll be treating Greig.¡±

    Unlike the Countess, Zich replied with his usual carefree self and replied cheerfully. This attitude made the Countess even more furious. ¡°How is this treatment? What kind of treatment hurts someone to this extent!¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a very specialized treatment, so I¡¯m not sure if the Countess knows it. I understand your anger.¡±

    ¡°S-specialized treatment?¡± How could such torture be a form of specialized treatment? It was so ludicrous that she felt all of her energy seep out of her body. Then, the Countess gritted her teeth towards Zich and held Greig¡¯s hand. ¡°Let¡¯s go! I¡¯ll immediately go to the Count and protest. I¡¯m going to chase this guy out if it¡¯s thest thing that I do!¡±

    ¡°If that¡¯s what you want to do, please do so. However, if the Count doesn¡¯t change his order, the treatment will continue.¡±

    ¡°You think I¡¯ll let that happen?¡±

    ¡°What can you do? No matter how powerful you are, you¡¯ll have to follow Count Steelwall¡¯s orders. It doesn¡¯t seem like the Count wants to let Greig continue to stay like this.¡±

    The Countess shot him a murderous re and roughly turned her head as if she didn¡¯t even want to look at him. Then, she dragged Greig and left the ce.

    Zich shouted towards their backs, ¡°Come tomorrow at the same time, Greig! We need to continue our treatment!¡±

    ¡°T-that bastard¡­!¡± The Countess shouted back, but Zich ignored her and slowly left the training ground with light steps.

 Chapter 447

    <h4>Chapter 447</h4>

    Zich went to the Count¡¯s room after he was summoned there. He wasn¡¯t told the reason why the Count was calling him, but it was obvious that it would be about Greig. He could easily imagine the Countess, who had red at Zich the entire time during his training with Greig, pestering the Count to do something about the situation. Of course, Zich wasn¡¯t afraid, and there wasn¡¯t a hint of worry in his steps.

    Zich went inside the Count¡¯s room and saw that there was also another guest: the Countess. She sat right beside the Count and red menacingly at Zich as soon as he came in. Zich smiled, further infuriating the other party with his response, and the Countess scowled even more. Zich tilted his head in front of the Count. Zich¡¯s etiquette was far toocking to address a count, but nobody madeints about it now at this point.

    ¡°I heard you called for me.¡±

    ¡°Do you know why I called you?¡±

    ¡°I can only think of one thing. Isn¡¯t it rted to Greig?¡±

    ¡°What else?¡± The Countess, instead of the Count, answered this time. ¡°How dare you abuse the Steelwalls¡¯ heir in such a way! Inside the Steelwalls¡¯ estate too! Do you think we would just look over this matter?¡¯

    ¡°What do you mean abuse? It seems like you have a huge misunderstanding about the situation. What I am doing is treating him.¡±

    ¡°Treating? What kind of damn cure is this?¡±

    ¡°This is a very specialized treatment, so I don''t think you would know of it, Countess. Think of it like this: the more bitter a medicine is, the more effective it is. And the harsher the medicine is, there ought to be more side effects. This is the case for the treatment that I am using.¡±

    ¡°You bber on so well¡­! Quit what you are doing this instant! How dare you call the nonsense you are doing as treatment!¡±

    ¡°I refuse.¡±

    ¡°What¡­?¡±

    Zich pulled his eyes away from the Countess, and he stared at the Count with dissatisfaction. ¡°Isn¡¯t this a bit different from our promise, Count? I thought I requested you to not meddle no matter what kind of treatment I use. I also specifically mentioned the Countess and asked you to hold her back from intervening. Yet, you ignored all that. To tell you the truth, this is very disappointing.¡±

    ¡°¡­Do you really think your methods will be effective?¡± The Count didn¡¯t sound pleased, but perhaps he was maintaining his cool because he had promised before.

    ¡°Of course,¡± Zich responded sinctly, and the Count clutched his head while the Countess looked enraged. However, Zich didn¡¯t care whatever response these two showed.

    ¡°If that¡¯s all you needed to ask me, I will be going now. Staying any longer will just be a waste of time.¡± Then, Zich turned his back.

    ¡°Wait! I¡¯m not done speaking!¡±

    ¡°The conversation is over, Countess. Since the Count has already made his promise, talking any more would be a waste of time. If you wish for me to stop the treatment, the Count should cancel the promise on his end. Well, unless the Count wants to partake in this treatment himself?¡±

    ¡°How would the Count be able to treat his son in such a way!¡±

    ¡°Then, I suppose we are done talking,¡± Zich said. He then opened the door and left the room. Before he closed the door, he saw the Countess clutch onto the Count¡¯s arm and beg. The Count looked deeply troubled, but he didn¡¯t call for Zich again. His silence was already his answer and permission for Zich to continue.

    ¡®Great. I can keep messing with him.¡¯ Zich smiled in satisfaction.

    * * *

    Zich continued his ¡®psychological treatment for Greig¡¯ today like usual. When Zich¡¯s sword shed against Greig¡¯s, he backed away. He didn¡¯t lose his grip over his sword, but Greig¡¯s sword bounced off to the side because of the might of Zich¡¯s attack, and Greig¡¯s torso came into view.

    Punch! Zich kicked Greig¡¯s stomach. Babam! Greig rolled across the training ground. He had rolled countless times on the training ground now. It was to the point that he had probably spent half the dayying on the ground.

    ¡°Get up, you bastard!¡± Zich yelled. Greig staggered upwards. He had held onto his sword after getting hit so many times, showing that he was from a military family after all. However, Zich was dissatisfied.

    ¡®I¡¯m starting to get bored of this.¡¯ Although Zich prided himself for never getting bored of tormenting others, the other party needed to struggle more than what Greig was doing now for him to enjoy it. Yet, the current Greig didn¡¯t show the response Zich wanted. Usually, he would¡¯ve provoked his opponent with another weakness to make them resist again, but since he was trying to cure Greig, he couldn¡¯t use the same method he used on his enemies.

    ¡®Still, he has be used to bloody fights.¡¯ Greig wouldn¡¯t be able to aplish amazing feats on battlefields, but he was not at a point where he could maintain his cool after receiving severe injuries. Of course, the treatment wasn¡¯t over with just that yet.

    ¡®There¡¯s no way he¡¯ll beat me, but I have to make him bare his fangs.¡¯ Currently, Greig was so unconfident that he only focused on blocking Zich¡¯s attacks. It couldn¡¯t be said that he was used to duels now. For him to really recover from the shock and trauma that stemmed from that one duel, Greig needed to rush at Zich like a crazy dog even at the risk of injuring himself.

    ¡®He doesn¡¯t need to worry about dying, and he can immediately heal himself after getting injured. He won¡¯t have such an opportunity again. He really is one lucky guy.¡¯ Zich thought Greig should consider it the world¡¯s greatest fortune that he had a great brother like Zich¡ªhe thought this not knowing that if Greig had heard Zich¡¯s thoughts, he would have dashed at Zich with all he had.

    ng! Zich¡¯s sword shed against Greig¡¯s again. Greig¡¯s body lost its bnce, but he soon regained his stance. Then, Zich showed a slight opening. Greig flinched, but he didn¡¯t dive in. He hadn¡¯t realized that Zich purposefully showed him an opening, but he was simply too afraid to attack Zich.

    ¡®As I thought, I have to use something stronger.¡¯ Zich thought, then said, ¡°Hey, do you even have any intention to try?¡± Zich hung his sword on his shoulder. ¡°It¡¯s only natural you can¡¯tnd a finger on me, but have you even forgotten how to try?¡±

    Greig didn¡¯t answer. He was simply waiting for this hell to be over and was already used to Zich¡¯s provocations. Howver, what Zich said next ruffled him up slightly.

    ¡°Tch, tch! Can you even go around saying that you are my brother at this rate? Ah, I guess it can¡¯t be helped since we are half-brothers. Our bloodlines are so different.¡± Greig stared at Zich, and Zich continued, ¡°We have one father, but since there¡¯s so much difference between us brothers, isn¡¯t it obvious what the reason would be?¡±

    ¡°¡­Shut up.¡±

    ¡°Huh? So, you do know how to talk. I thought you suddenly forgot how to talk. I still can¡¯t shut up because I don¡¯t think I¡¯m saying anything wrong. Well, even though my mother¡¯s personality is too terrible to be expressed in words, it seems like she definitely had better skills than your mother. If there¡¯s such difference between their children, it¡¯s obvious¡­¡±

    ¡°Shuuuut up!¡±

    Bam! Greig¡¯s sword collided against Zich¡¯s. Mana poured out from Greig¡¯s sword and his eyes looked bloodshot.

    ¡°Haha! What! You angry at me for insulting your mom?¡±

    ¡°Shut up! Shut up! Shut up! ¡°

    Bam! Bam! Bam! Greig furiously swung his sword. Instead of using swordsmanship skills, he simply swung his sword in a rage. Due to the heavy force he used, each of his strikes went down with a heavy thud. His stance was also not too crumpled thanks to the heavy training that had been ingrained into him since childhood.

    ¡°Do you even know what your mother did to my mother! To me!¡± Greig yelled. The time when Zich¡¯s mother was alive, his and his mother¡¯s days had been a living hell. Although the Count tried to protect them as much as possible, Sara Steelwall¡¯s shady tricks knew no bounds. Greig could still remember everything as clear as day, especially the sight of his mother crying painfully while hugging him. Even though he had been very young at the time, he would never forget these memories.

    It was so bad that Greig imagined Sara Steelwall to be the Demon Lord in the stories that his nanny read to him. A normal person might have tried to kill them by poisoning them or using other methods if they hated another person so much, but Sara Steelwall did everything except for things that would lead them to their deaths. It wasn¡¯t because she was concerned about the Count¡¯s thoughts or because she thought killing them would be going too far. It was because she wanted to keep them alive by her side to torment them as long as possible.

    Punch! Zich¡¯s fistnded on Greig¡¯s face. Greig rolled on the floor again, but unlike before, Greig jumped back up and rushed toward Zich again. There was bloodlust in his eyes.

    ¡°Are you really expecting me to sympathize with you right now? There¡¯s a part of me who wants to listen to my brother¡¯s first heartfelt confession, but I¡¯m just telling the truth. The difference between us is attributed to this fact. I have a sickness that prevents me from lying, so I can¡¯t tell you pretty lies that you want to hear!¡±

    ¡°Shut up!¡±

    ang! The two swords shed again. It was their first time fighting like they were in a duel since that time. Of course, Zich was clearly overwhelming his opponent, but Greig didn¡¯t give up and continued to rush forward. No, rather than not giving up, the description that he lost his sanity would be more urate.

    Crunch! Zich¡¯s sword dug into Greig¡¯s arm. Normally, Greig would have screamed then and backed away, but it was different this time.

    Whoosh! Without even ncing at his forearm, he swung his sword with his other hand.

    ¡®He learned that from me. This guy has talent too.¡¯

    Ting! Zich deflected Greig¡¯s de, but Greig gritted his teeth and swung his sword again. The injury on his arm grewrger, but he didn¡¯t care about that. Zich was very satisfied. The situation he had wanted was finally taking form.

    ¡®Yeah! This is how the treatment is effective!¡¯ It also made the feeling of punching Greig more enjoyable on top of that.

    ¡®Thank you, Mother!¡¯ Zich thought and focused on the duel once more.

    * * *

    Since Zich and Greig started their dueling, there were always onlookers surrounding the training ground. Today, Zich¡¯spanions were also spectating L sat next to Hans, and she asked him cautiously, ¡°Was Zich¡¯s mother that amazing of a person?¡±

    Hans fell into deep contemtion. If he talked about Sara Steelwall, that would only mean that he would have to insult her. Thus, he needed to think whether Zich would leave him alone if he talked about her.

    ¡®Would it not matter?¡¯ Hans thought. Considering the things Zich said from time to time, it didn¡¯t seem like he had much affection for his mother. Furthermore, he also criticized her sometimes too.

    ¡°I can tell you about one of my interactions with her. When I was young, I was eating, but she suddenly came and snatched the bread I was eating and stomped on it with her shoes. Then, she ced the ttened bread onto another te with food and left.¡±

    The mouths of other people listening to Hans¡¯ story hung open.

    ¡°However, what I remember from that time wasn¡¯t her bullying, but madam¡¯s expression. You know, when a person bullies another person, they will usuallyugh at them or look enraged, right? But there was no emotion on madam¡¯s face. She just looked like she had slightly pushed a rock away to the side of the streets. It was then I realized that madam was a truly frightening person.¡±

 Chapter 448

    <h4>Chapter 448</h4>

    Bang! Swords filled with mana shed, and the sound that followed rang across the entire training ground. Like always, Zich¡¯s sword shot forward like a storm, and Greig gritted his teeth and bared the attacks with his sword.

    ng! ng! ng! Greig managed to barely defend against several attacks, but these attacks were a small minority of Zich¡¯s attacks. The rest of the attacks fell directly onto his body.

    Slice! Slice! Slice! The sound of his body shredding clearly traveled to Greig¡¯s ears, followed by a pinging ache; and even though he didn¡¯t see bright red blood flowing down his body, he could feel it. Yet, he didn¡¯t cower in fear. Only when Zich¡¯s attacks stopped did he check his condition.

    ¡®I can still move!¡¯ He had felt this level of pain many times before. Now, he could tell how deep his injuries were or whether his body could still move simply by the pain he felt.

    Tap tap! Perhaps Greig had thought wrong. His legs gave out and his stance crumpled.

    Whoosh! Zich¡¯s sword aimed toward this opening, but then Greig¡¯s eyes shone.

    Flick! He ced more pressure on his legs and swung his sword. The definite strength and force his sword made couldn¡¯t have been made without the right bnce. He had clearly used a feint move.

    ¡®Like this, just once!¡¯ However, Greig¡¯s hope was misced. Swish! Zich easily tilted his torso, and Greig¡¯s sword missed; simultaneously, he felt a pain climbing to his thighs.

    ¡°Urgh!¡± This time, Greig really fell because his legs gave out. Then, he quickly looked at his thigh. There was arge hole in his thigh due to Zich¡¯s sword.

    ¡°It¡¯s good that you feinted, but you should have calcted that your opponent would¡¯ve recognized your feint and tried to trick you in reverse.¡± Zich chuckled next to him and gave a piece of advice that sounded more like mockery. Greig tried to get up while gritting his teeth, but the injury in his thigh was too big for him to stand. Thus, Zich nced at a priest nearby.

    A priest approached Greig and used his holy powers. Greig¡¯srge injury that spat outrge amounts of blood became small in an instant and healed.

    ¡°Thank you always for your help,¡± Zich thanked the priest since he had been using them frequently for the past few days.

    The priest smiled lightly and said, ¡°Considering how an honorary holy knight is helping us, what we are doing is nothing. Moreover, I have previous experience working with you, sir.¡±

    This priest was the one who had healed Zich when he had suffered many injuries dueling right before he left the Steelwalls.

    ¡°I was so shocked that time when you said you would fight in that state.¡±

    After healing Greig, the priest got up. ¡°Okay, I¡¯m done here.¡±

    ¡°Thank you. You can leave now since I am nning to stop for today.¡±

    ¡°What? Already?¡± Greig¡¯s eyes widened. He looked up to the sky. The sun was still in the middle of the sky. Usually, they would have dueled ruthlessly for hours more, but today was different.

    ¡°What? Do you want to get sliced more or something? Have you opened your eyes to that world after getting one-sidedly beaten up for a while now? Even if I am psychologically healing you, I can¡¯t help you with that too.¡±

    ¡°Of course not!¡± Greig yelled, but Zich continued to look suspiciously at him. The priest also distanced himself from Greig a bit. Greig heaved while ring at Zich, but soon, he disappeared into the mansion, and Zich watched him leaving while chuckling.

    ¡°Then, I will take my leave now as you suggested,¡± the priest said.

    ¡°Yes, thank you for your work.¡±

    The priest left, and all the spectators also disappeared after Greig returned to the mansion. Soon, the only people remaining on the training ground were Zich who was still soaked with Greig¡¯s blood, and the sole remaining person from the spectators, L. She approached Zich and asked, ¡°Howe you ended the session so early today?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s bing useless now. I actually dragged it on longer than necessary because it was fun tormenting Greig. Yet, even I¡¯m bing sick of that now,¡± Zich said. L had already guessed this, but hearing Zich say it directly to her made her sigh.

    ¡°Then, is the thing you have been calling ¡®treatment¡¯ over?¡±

    ¡°No, not yet.¡± Zich stared at the ce where Greig had disappeared.

    ¡°He has simply be used to duels now. So, that means he¡¯s cured to some extent since his trauma in duels is almost gone now. I thought that guy might bepletely broken, but I guess he endured.¡±

    ¡°If his trauma is gone, doesn¡¯t that mean the treatment is done?¡±

    ¡°He still has a severe problem left. Inparison to that, his trauma in duels is nothing much really.¡±

    ¡°What is that?¡±

    ¡°The embarrassment he felt from getting beaten by someone he had looked down on. That¡¯s probably the biggest reason for his current state. Due to the shame and humiliation he felt from his loss, he probably became dispirited by the way others viewed him. His self-confidence would¡¯ve naturally been smashed into pieces too.¡± In the first ce, this was what Zich had aimed for when he crushed Greig in their duel, and this n had worked so well that Greig fell to the state he was currently in.

    ¡°How will you solve that?¡±

    ¡°Simple. I just have to show that guy the truth.¡±

    ¡°What truth?¡±

    Zich stretched out his chest and ced more pressure on his neck as if he was telling an obvious fact. ¡°I just have to show him the truth that the difference between him and me is as wide as the difference between the sky and the earth. I have to make him realize thatparing himself to me is a joke in itself. Then, he won¡¯t think it¡¯s an embarrassing fact that he is weaker than me since it¡¯s only natural as the cements of this world. I can also nt some confidence in him too.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡± L had felt this way before, but Zich had an impressive amount of confidence. However, the fact that his words weren''t wrong still rmed her. ¡°So? what are you going to do to show this huge difference between him and you? You¡¯ve probably thought of something, right?¡±

    ¡°Hm? I haven''t really thought about it yet.¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°I thought maybe I could take him to a monster hunt, but I still have to think of the details.¡±

    ¡°How could you think of something that important starting from now?¡± L¡¯s tone rose, but Zich remained calm.

    ¡°I just need to stick by his side anyway. If he sees my overwhelming talent next to me, wouldn¡¯t he naturally gain admiration for me?¡±

    ¡°Ugh, I seriously can¡¯t deal with you!¡± In the end, L smacked Zich on his back.

    * * *

    After returning to the Steelwall Estate, Hans went around ces to give his greetings. Unlike Zich, Hans had no ill feelings toward the Steelwalls, and everyone weed him with open arms. Among them, the person who was most d to see him was the Countess. She embraced him like a lost child finally returning home after a long time.

    For the Countess, her nanny had been a very special person. Not only had her nanny taken care of her since her youth, but she had also been the support that allowed her to hang on while she was tormented by Sara when she first came to the Steelwall Estate. Thus, naturally, she thought of the nanny¡¯s grandson, Hans, very dearly¡ªespecially after all of Hans¡¯ blood-rted guardians such as his nanny or parents died from old age or sickness. The Countess wanted Hans to stayfortably in the estate near her, but Hans refused this offer, saying that he was Zich¡¯s servant and disciple now.

    Hans rested for several days after arriving at the Steelwall Estate. Since this was his home, he psychologically felt morefortable. He trained just enough so that his body wouldn¡¯t be stiff and enjoyed thefort of being back. Yet, after some time, he thought he had rested enough and took up his sword again.

    Whoosh! Whoosh! Hans¡¯ sword sliced through the air fiercely. He held a sword made for fundamental sword training and heightened his body¡¯s senses every time he brought his sword down. He needed to ingrain the proper stance into his body while exercising. Only then would his body be able to react faster than he could think in an unexpected situation. This would help him stabilize and be fiercer.

    ¡°You are already here.¡±

    Hans rxed his stance when he heard a voice. Lara was walking to the practice ground.

    ¡°Are you going to train too, Ms. Lara?¡±

    ¡°Yes. Now that no one can guilt me from practicing swordsmanship, I¡¯m going to swing my sword until I¡¯m satisfied.¡± Lara pulled out the sword from her waist. After swinging her sword a couple of times, she looked at her surroundings.

    ¡°It really is a nice practice ground.¡±

    ¡°The Steelwalls are a renowned knight family acknowledged by the kingdom. This ce is one of the best among all the Steelwall Estate¡¯s practicing grounds. Only the Count¡¯s family members or high-ranking members of the knight order can use it.¡± This ce was the same one that Zich used when he received permission from the Count.

    ¡°You know this ce so well.¡±

    ¡°Well, I¡¯ve cleaned this ce many times before.¡±

    ¡®That¡¯s right. I heard that Hans used to work here as a servant,¡¯ Lara thought. However, matters of someone¡¯s ss had little meaning for her now. Besides, no matter how much a person was obsessed with ss and deemed lower-ss people inhuman, they wouldn¡¯t be able to treat Hans poorly because of the skills he possessed. Furthermore, it appeared that Hans was no longer a servant from what she heard, and Hans didn¡¯t seem to care too much about his past or ss either. Above all, Lara was not the type of person who would reevaluate her assessment of a skilled fighter like Hans simply because he used to be a servant. In short, Hans¡¯ past held zero meaning for the two.

    ¡°Should we try dueling?¡±

    ¡°If you would, I would be grateful.¡± There were many things to learn from dueling with a highly-skilled fighter, and Lara always weed the chance to duel with someone of Hans'' level of skill. Thus, instead of a training sword, Hans pulled out a normal sword. Then, the two ced some distance between each other and faced forward.

    ¡°Please make the first move.¡±

    ¡°I won¡¯t refuse then.¡± Lara rushed toward Hans.

    Bang! Bang! Bang! They used some mana as they shed, so loud noises rang across the training ground. The sounds traveled quite far, and people began to slowly gather around the ce curiously. Of course, there weren¡¯t many people since the training ground was only permitted to a select few, but those who gathered were many of the top names in the Steelwall Estate.

    ¡°Hm¡­¡± A knight withpletely white hair and beard watched the two fight carefully. He was Mihen Tiner, the man titled as the best knight in the Steelwall Estate and the captain of the Steel Spear Order of Knights. He had been passing by the area for an errand when he heard a loud noise from the training ground and came to check out what was happening. He watched Hans and Lara duel quietly.

    ¡°¡­His name was Hans, right?¡± Mihen finally spoke, and the knight next to him nodded.

    ¡°Yes, sir. He used to be a servant and is the grandson of the nanny who used to serve the Countess,¡± the other knight answered.

    Mihen also remembered seeing Hans. Although he didn¡¯t know all the servants in the Steelwall Estate, Hans was quite famous in the estate for having the Countess¡¯ favor. Yet, even before that, Mihen had also seen Zich take Hans on the day he ran out of the estate. At that time, he hadn¡¯t thought much of Hans. Even if the Countess treasured him, he thought that a servant was just a servant, and all he did was simply click his tongue as Zich dragged Hans away, and Hans had tears and snot trickling down his face. Furthermore, Mihen had also been too upied by the sudden strength and genius that Zich had disyed that day.

    Yet, the Hans he saw again was apletely different person. The way he swung his sword was skillful and the mana he poured out felt heavy. Mihen hadn¡¯t assessed all of Hans'' capabilities yet, but it was obvious that Hans¡¯ skills didn¡¯tg behind the members of his knight order. If he also considered the fact that Hans must have learned swordsmanship only after he had left the estate, his skills were unbelievable, almost <i>frightening</i>.

 Chapter 449

    <h4>Chapter 449</h4>

    ¡®I heard the rumors, but¡­¡¯ Mihen had heard that the king also praised Hans¡¯ skills along with Zich¡¯s at Westilburd, but he didn¡¯t think much of the news. Even if Hans had talent, his training period had been incredibly short, and even if Mihen thought Zich possessed was a genius in swordsmanship, he was still doubtful of Zich¡¯s teaching skills.

    Furthermore, hearing that Hans possessed a unique and great sword made him undervalue Hans¡¯ skills even more. The fact that he heard the story directly from the Count didn¡¯t help either since he didn¡¯t witness the scene with his own eyes. Thus, he ended up making very conservative judgments about Hans. Yet now, Mihenpletely reassessed his evaluation of Hans.

    ¡®He¡¯s strong.¡¯ His new evaluation of Hans was simple but bold. Lara¡¯s skills were also outstanding. If she agreed to do so, he wanted to ce her in the most elite order that he led in the Steelwall Estate: the Steel Spear Order of Knights. Yet, Hans¡¯ skills easily surpassed even those of Lara. Even though they were dueling, anyone could tell that Hans was the one overseeing Lara¡¯s swordsmanship.

    ¡°How skilled do you think he is?¡±

    ¡°He doesn¡¯t seem to be below us at least.¡±

    Mihen¡¯s subordinate knights from behind murmured amongst themselves. They were all busy evaluating Hans¡¯ skills. The fact that these prideful knights acknowledged his skills highlighted how impressive Hans was. Soon, the knights¡¯ topic of conversation changed.

    ¡°Wasn¡¯t that guy just a servant before he left the Steelwall Estate?¡±

    ¡°The Countess treasured him, but that was about it.¡±

    ¡°How did he grow so strong in such a short amount of time?¡±

    Theyced thest words with envy, wariness, and in jealousy. Yet, Mihen could easily understand their feelings. The knights endured tough training every day to hone their skills as knights that belonged to the family that acted as the kingdom¡¯s first barrier. Thus, it irritated them that a man who had just been a normal servant not that long ago now appeared as a formidable fighter. They almost wanted to grab onto his cors and shake the truth of his newfound strength out of him.

    ¡®No, there¡¯s no need to even ask him.¡¯

    The reason was obvious.

    ¡°What are you guys doing?¡± Then, Mihen suddenly heard a low voice and turned around. The Count was slowly approaching the training ground. Mihen and the knights paid their respects to him, and when the Count raised his hand, the knights returned to their original positions. The Count slowly stood beside Mihen. Then, he looked at Hans and Lara¡¯s duel. Perhaps, Hans and Lara didn¡¯t realize the Count hade, or they simply didn¡¯t care, but they continued their duel.

    As the head of the Steelwalls, the Count naturally possessed high-level fighting skills and knowledge. After all, the reason why Zich had been pushed off the heir position was that they had thought hecked the skills for the status. That was what the position of Count Steelwall called for. This also meant the Count could also see how impressive their skills were.

    ¡°Impressive.¡±

    ¡°Yes. It¡¯s to the point that I want to ept them both into the Steel Spear Order of Knights if possible.¡± Mihen¡¯s eyes were locked on Hans. ¡°Especially Hans. I think if I just teach him well, he can be my next sessor.¡± Mihen wasn¡¯t saying empty words or speaking rashly; the sessor of the next captain of the Steelwall¡¯s most elite fighters, the Steel Spear Order of Knights was an important position.

    The knights murmured amongst themselves. They hadn¡¯t realized that Mihen already evaluated Hans¡¯ skills to such a level. The Count pressed his lips tightly together and focused on the duel. His eyes caught Hans¡¯ skillful swordsmanship which the spectators admired. The Count knew Hans very well, as he used to be a servant that the Countess treasured very much. Although Hans had been slightly arrogant because of the favor the Countess showered over him, he had been a normal servant besides that.

    ¡°How did he progress to such a level¡­?¡± the Count sighed.

    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t it be pure talent?¡±

    Hearing this, the Countmented even more. If he had known about Hans¡¯ talent, he would¡¯ve made him train as a knight immediately.

    ¡°Of course, it would¡¯ve probably been difficult through just talent. He probably gained considerable help from the young master, Zi¡­¡± Mihen trailed off and shut his mouth. He nced at the Count. It was difficult to bring up the topic of Zich in front of the Count.

    The Count didn¡¯t answer, but it was obvious that he was now in a foul mood. The knights from behind been exchanging opinions also noticed the Count¡¯s change in mood and closed their mouths too.

    ¡°¡­I will be going now.¡±

    ¡°Yes, see you sir!¡±

    Soon, the knights behind the Count quickly left as a result of the ufortable atmosphere. When the Count finally left, one of the knights asked Mihen, ¡°Why did you say such things to the Count?¡±

    ¡°I said it without thinking,¡± Mihen said. He couldn¡¯t defend himself much, but Mihen wasn¡¯t worried since the Count wasn¡¯t such a sensitive person that he would charge Mihen for his words.

    ¡®It¡¯s not like I was wrong,¡¯ Mihen thought to himself. Then, he sighed about having lost two amazing talents: Zich and Hans. ¡®If only those two remained, Steelwall would have be much stronger¡­¡¯

    * * *

    In the meantime, L, Snoc, and Elena were on another training ground.

    ¡°Snoc, please make the preparations.¡±

    ¡°Yes!¡± Snoc pulled out the stones he had prepared beforehand. Each of the rocks was as big as a person¡¯s head, and soon dozens of stones were piled before Snoc¡¯s feet. L turned back to Elena.

    ¡°Are you ready?¡±

    ¡°Yes!¡± Elena nodded while clutching her staff tightly.

    ¡°Good. Snoc, start now!¡±

    Hearing this, Snoc began using his ability. The stones at his feet floated and flew across the air. Simultaneously, Elena poured mana into her staff.

    <i>sh!</i> A fireball appeared in front of Elena¡¯s staff and flew into the air. Its target was the rock that Snoc threw in the air.

    <i>Bam!</i> The fireball directly hit the target, and a shy fireball appeared in the sky. L lifted two fingers towards Snoc, and Snoc threw two stones this time.

    <i>Bam! Bam!</i> Elena¡¯s magic hit the two stones this time. Elena began to feel more confident. She skillfully continued to hit the rocks that continued to fly in the air. However, as the number of rocks increased and increased in speed, she began to miss a couple of them.

    <i>Swish!</i> ¡°Ah!¡± Elena let out a sad gasp as one of her fireballs narrowly missed a rock. However, she soon quickly steadied her heart and continued to shoot out fireballs. The numerous rocks beneath Snoc had disappeared in an instant, and Elena lowered her staff.

    ¡°You¡¯ve improved significantly.¡±

    Elena¡¯s expression brightened at L¡¯spliment.

    ¡°However, you still have a lot of work ahead of you.¡±

    Then, Elena¡¯s shoulder quickly drooped; L found it funny that Elena¡¯s behavior changed so drastically by her every word.

    ¡°Snoc, can you prepare for the next training?¡±

    ¡°Yes!¡± Snoc pulled out mithril this time. Even though it was an extremely precious metal, Zich¡¯spanions had taken so much of them from Clowon¡¯s ruins that it was just amon metal to them. The mithril fragments gathered together into a big clump from Snoc¡¯s power.

    ¡°Elena.¡± At L¡¯smand, Elena pointed her staff towards the mithril clump.

    <i>Bammmmm!</i> Arge explosion followed. While Elena had used magic based on precision and speed so far, she now used magicpletely based on power. She cast several spells in a row. Like this, Elena¡¯s magic training continued.

    Since there were shy fireworks in the air, viewers naturally gathered around. There were more onlookers than when Hans and Lara were training. It was because watching mages perform magic was a rare sight.

    ¡®Amazing.¡¯ Trell was one of the people who had been watching Elena¡¯s training since the beginning. It was also his first time witnessing a mage performing magic close up. ¡®Based on her magic, isn¡¯t she an extremely great mage?¡¯

    As a butler for Count Steelwall, Trell knew basic information about magic. Even though the magic that Elena was showing right now was not precise, he could judge her level of magic. She was definitely not an ordinary mage. Trell had also heard about L. The mage who appeared as one of Zich¡¯spanions during the incident at the capital was probably the L in front of him. True to the rumors, she was an amazing beauty. It was definitely not a tall tale that a couple of the nobles who saw her became love sick and physically ill. Moreover, she was skilled enough to teach such an amazing mage as Elena.

    ¡®That guy is also extremely skilled.¡¯ Trell had also heard about Snoc who could control the earth however he wanted. From what he heard, Snoc had also yed a big part in resolving the incident at the capital. ¡®Every single member in his party is an amazing character.¡¯

    Zich had full control of his party. Trell knew how amazing this was, and how this was the most important ability that a noble needed to stand above people. ¡®It¡¯s really regretful.¡¯ Zich¡¯s physical abilities and brain were both outstanding, and he had the charisma topletely take charge of such amazing talents. Of course, no matter how amazing each of his members was, they were just five people. If he had to take charge of more people, it might be apletely different story. However, it was still a very good sign that he had the potential to be an excellent leader.

    ¡°You were here.¡±

    Trell heard a voice from behind; he didn¡¯t even need to check who it was. Trell turned around and showed his respect. ¡°Sir, you¡¯ve arrived.¡±

    ¡°Hmm.¡±

    When the Count stood next to him, Trell straightened his posture. The two of them watched the magic training side by side. L, who had been just watching Elena use magic, grabbed her staff. She was going to show an example.

    <i>Crckle!</i> A huge fire pir flew up as if it would rip the sky. It was an extremely amazing and awe-inspiring sight. Many people eximed in awe. Most of the people here were just amazed by the visual effects of the magic, and Trell was also part of this group while thinking all sorts of thoughts. However, skilled fighters, including the Count, looked at L instead of the fire pir.

    ¡®What an amazing amount of mana!¡¯ They clearly felt that the level of magic just now was different than the magic from before.

    Trell rubbed his chin and said, ¡°Sir, is there a way we can recruit these people?¡±

    This was the Count¡¯s second time hearing this. He had heard from Mihen just now if they could recruit Hans and Lara to Steelwall. The Count also felt the same way. For talents like them, he wanted to use any conditions to bring them into the estate. However, these amazing talents all followed his eldest son whom he had ignored and exiled.

    ¡°Sir Zich has arrived.¡± Like Trell said, they saw Ziche out of the training grounds. The magic training stopped, and they saw L, Snoc, and Elena.

    ¡°They seem really close.¡± The Count heard the subtle disappointment in Trell¡¯s words. He probably thought that if Zich maintained his position as heir, hisrades would have naturally been brought to the estate.

    The Count did not reply.

 Chapter 450

    <h4>Chapter 450</h4>

    News of the greatness of Zich¡¯s party spread across the entire Steelwall Estate. People¡¯s attention especially gravitated to the mages since mages usually gathered in their magicians¡¯ tower and rarely moved outside of it unless they received amand from the king. Yet, Zich¡¯s party had two of these rare mages.

    L and Elena rarely appeared on the training ground because it was also important to learn theory for magic, unlike sword fighting which ced the utmost importance on ingraining physical techniques into their bodies. Yet, the little magic they showed for practice caught the attention of everyone around them. A ce like Steelwall that ced special attention on military might was particrly excited to see them.

    Just having the title of a mage was impressive, and people were awed by Zich¡¯s ability to have <i>two</i> such people aspanions. Apanied by their disappointment in Greig, people began to regret that Zich had been chased away from his house even more. Yet, no one would speak these words in front of the Count, Countess, or Greig.

    Almost everyone in Steelwall had looked down on Zich and treated him terribly. Although people tended to turn away from facing their past wrongs, they couldn¡¯t keep doing so forever when the abilities of Zich and hispanions continued to remind them. Yet, Zich paid no mind to what the people at Steelwall thought of him and continued Greig¡¯s treatment¡ªwhile not forgetting his original goal, of course.

    ¡°Is it here?¡± L asked.

    Zich and L were in the estate¡¯s back garden. The garden looked like a small forest, and it was the ce where Zich used to practice swordsmanship in his youth.

    ¡°Yes.¡± Zich tried shaking Windur. Its des were pointing to the floor that they were standing on.

    ¡°Thank goodness that it¡¯s not below the estate building,¡± L said.

    Although Zich gained permission to ruin some parts of the estate under the condition of treating Greig, it was clear that the people at Steelwall would certainly not like it if he did so. L was relieved to see that they wouldn¡¯t need to get involved in unnecessary conflicts. Yet, Zich snorted.

    ¡°What do you mean, thank goodness? I was hoping that I could destroy the Count¡¯s bedroom or office as much as I wanted with this chance.¡± Then, Zich shook Windur harder. ¡°Hey! Tell me the truth. There¡¯s something in the Count¡¯s bedroom or the office, right? I know you are just hiding this fact because you are worried that I may still have affection for the Count and it would hurt me too much to dig up the ce. But you don¡¯t have to worry about that. Even if my heart is torn to pieces, I wouldn¡¯t turn away from the important task of freeing the World Tree. So, quickly point to those ces now. You don¡¯t even have to point all your des. Just arch one of them, hmm?¡±

    ¡°What are you doing with your sword?¡± Even if Windur was a sword that had a slight sense of will, it was unbelievable that its master was spouting his yearnings to it, especially for a reason such as screwing his father over.¡±

    ¡°Wait a minute. Don¡¯t you see how I¡¯m trying hard to persuade Windur?¡±

    ¡°I can see how you are clearly wasting your time.¡±

    Zich¡¯s persuasion continued on, but Windur didn¡¯t even budge and pointed at the ground they were on. Eventually, Zich gave up. ¡°Tch! Does it think it¡¯s some martyr of a nation or something?¡±

    ¡°Stop joking around. Are you going to dig up this ce now?¡±

    Zich looked below him and shook his head.

    ¡°Since I haven''t finished treating Greig yet, I¡¯ll get an earful from digging up this area now. Let¡¯s do itter.¡±

    Zich returned Windur to its original form and hung it on his back. The two conversed about other topics and nned to return to the estate when Hans approached them.

    ¡°Did something happen?¡± Zich asked, seeing that Hans¡¯ expression didn¡¯t look good.

    ¡°There¡¯s a guest at the estate.¡±

    ¡°What about it?¡± It wasn¡¯t a surprising thing for a guest to visit a high-ss noble family like the Steelwalls. Seeing Hans¡¯ expression, Zich could easily tell that a rather unwee guest hade, but he didn¡¯t care too much about it. Yet, Zich stopped when Hans spoke again.

    ¡°They are from the ud Count family.¡±

    ¡°What, really? Why are those guys here?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure, sir. When I asked, people seemed to avoid answering me.¡± Unlike Zich, no one had ill-hearted feelings for Hans, and Hans still maintained good rtions with his past rtionships. Thus, it was surprising that people were hesitant to discuss any matters with him.

    ¡°Is it about me?¡± Zich asked.

    ¡°That seems to be the case.¡±

    ¡°If that¡¯s the case, what they came here for is obvious. Seriously, they are so greedy.¡± Zich smirked. After listening quietly, L asked, ¡°Where is the ud family from?¡±

    ¡°They are the guys who made Steelwall gain the title of the kingdom''s Iron Fortress.¡±

    ¡°So, are they enemies?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡± Count ud was the margrave of the neighboring kingdom of Cesteel. Like most kingdoms that bordered each other, the Cronon Kingdom and Cesteel Kingdom didn¡¯t have a good rtionship. It wasn¡¯t just bad¡ªthey often got into disputes, and whenever these disputes arose, the first ones called were the nobles in the bordering regions of these two kingdoms: Count Steelwall and Count ud.

    Naturally, the rtionship between the two counts was full of animosity. They shed countless times. Besides the wars between the two kingdoms, there were also numerous fights just between the two estates. Although Count Steelwall held the superior forces, Count ud¡¯s forces were also formidable. They were also a strong military family that had fought against the Cronon Kingdom, more specifically against the Steelwall family, for a long time.

    ¡°They are stillplete idiots though.¡±

    ¡°¡­Is that all you have to say, sir?¡± Hans asked, baffled, and Zich burst into a chuckle.

    ¡°Did something happen between those people and Zich?¡± L asked. Hans had said that someone from the ud family came for a reason rted to Zich. The men¡¯s current attitude seemed to indicate there was something more to the ud family than simply being the Steelwall¡¯s enemy. L wondered if Zich had shed personally with the ud family before he left his home.

    ¡®Isn¡¯t Zich too calm for that to be the case?¡¯ After all, Zich was the type of person who would¡¯ve immediately gone off to screw someone over if he had some previous conflict with them.

    ¡°They are my mother¡¯s family.¡±

    ¡°¡­What?¡±

    ¡°The ud family is my mother¡¯s side of the family. In other words, she used to be part of the ud family before she got married.¡±

    * * *

    Count Steelwall sat crookedly in his seat as he looked at the man in front of him. He was the envoy sent by Count ud¡ªthe Steelwall¡¯s generational arch-nemesis and his family-inw.

    ¡°Have you been well, Sir Count Steelwall?¡±

    ¡°Well, it hasn¡¯t been bad.¡± Count Steelwall had recently experienced the worst days of his life, but this was information he didn¡¯t need to tell the envoy. After all, the envoy was sent from a group of people who would jump at every weakness he showed and try to shred him apart with it.

    ¡°Thank goodness. I¡¯m sure our Lord will be very d to hear that too.¡±

    ¡°When have we ever exchanged heartless greetings to each other before? Don¡¯t waste any more time and tell me what you¡¯vee here for.¡± The Count spoke extremely rudely, but the envoy didn¡¯t pay much attention to it. That was simply the rtionship between the Steelwalls and uds.

    ¡°Then, like you said, I won¡¯t waste any more time and I¡¯ll get to the point. Did you find Sir Zich?¡±

    The Count¡¯s lips twitched. He had expected what the envoy would say, but hearing the words directly had a different impact.

    ¡°I told you before, but don¡¯t meddle in the matters of other estates.¡±

    ¡°We wish to, but Sir Zich isn¡¯t a stranger. Although he is your child, he¡¯s also our lord, Count ud¡¯s precious grandson.¡±

    ¡°Precious, my ass.¡± The Count dropped all formalities and cursed while snorting. Although he had been outright insulted, the envoy showed no expression on his face. Between the two families, the Count¡¯s actions couldn¡¯t even be considered rude.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know what kind of misunderstanding you have, but it¡¯s true that Sir Zich is our master¡¯s grandson. Furthermore, our lord deeply treasures his daughter, who unfortunately passed away, and his grandson.¡±

    ¡°And I suppose he treasured them so much that he dered war on me?¡±

    The marriage between Count Steelwall and Sara ud had been the marriage of the century. Moreover, it was between family members from the direct head of the line, and the goal of this marriage was obviously one thing only¡ªpeace.

    After their marriage, the two regions had quickly stabilized, and it almost appeared as if the choice of marriage was perfectly responsible for this situation. Yet, this peace had been merely a short illusion.

    ¡°My father-inw is surely an amazing person. To think he would use his daughter as a tool to catch his enemy off-guard.¡± The Count emphasized the word ¡®father-inw¡¯ mockingly.

    The envoy shrugged. ¡°Since you are also a noble, I believe that you would also know. Authority stands above all. There are times when you don¡¯t have any options even when the child and grandson you love are in danger.¡±

    The Count waved his hand. ¡°Stop bbering and leave. If I listen to you any longer, I¡¯m going to pull out your tongue. Don¡¯t think about intervening in the matter of Steelwall¡¯s heir anymore. Zich already gave up his position as the sessor, and there¡¯s no way that guy would return here any more.¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s nothing that¡¯s absolutely definite in this world.¡±

    ¡°Tell that to Livil ud. There¡¯s no ce for you guys in the Steelwall heir position. Even in the very unlikely scenario that he resumes his position as heir again, there¡¯s no way he would deal with the likes of you. Why would he join hands with guys that are clearly trying to use him as a pawn!¡±

    ¡°You can¡¯t be sure of that, Count. But I understand for now and will take my leave. I hope you keep in mind that in our Cesteel Kingdom and in your own Cronon Kingdom, the rule is that the eldest son seeds the family. Please keep that in mind, sir.¡±

    ¡°Get out, you bastard!¡± The Count chased the envoy and afterward, he clutched his head.

    ¡°Trell.¡±

    ¡°Yes!¡±

    ¡°Make sure those guys don¡¯t know Zich is back. They are probably going to do bothersome things if they find out.¡±

    ¡°Yes, I understand,¡± Trell said. However, he couldn¡¯t guarantee it since the ud family¡¯s envoy hade so unexpectedly and the rumors surrounding Zich and hispanions had spread so far and wide.

    * * *

    ¡°¡­Oh, so that happened?¡± L roughly heard what ?happened between the Steelwall and ud families.

    ¡°In the first ce, the reason why my mother¡¯s personality becamepletely ruined was because of that incident. She married her family¡¯s enemy in the name of peace, but her side of the family showed no concern for her and dered war. That pushed her off the edge. She probably treated her servant cruelly and ruled over the household with an iron fist because she worried that she could be divorced and chased away at any time. Perhaps, she might have thought she would even be killed. It probably drove her crazy that my father even took in a concubine. If you think of it like that, it¡¯s sort of understandable why she tormented Greig and his mom so much. She¡¯d been psychologically cornered.¡±

    Zich continued, ¡°But whatever her reason was, she lost all support in the estate because of that. She made the wrong choice, and because of that, I also suffered and became an outcast.¡± Then, Zich added one more line. ¡°Well, even without that incident, my mother¡¯s personality was always really nasty though.¡±

    L¡¯s jaw dropped while Hans turned away.

 Chapter 451

    <h4>Chapter 451</h4>

    Zich simply snorted when he heard that an envoy representing Count ud hade and didn¡¯t ce much attention to it. He didn¡¯t care even when he was sure that the envoy hade to the Steelwall Estate to take his side.

    ¡®Of course, it¡¯s not for my benefit, but for theirs.¡¯ Their n to make Zich¡ªwho was rted to them¡ªSteelwall¡¯s Count and use him somehow for scheming was so transparent that it only made himugh. Zich felt even less affinity or bond to the ud family than he did for Steelwall.

    ¡®Why would I care for the guys who dered war when their daughter and grandson were in enemy territory?¡¯ Due to that, his mother¡ªwith her already terrible temper¡ª had exploded into new proportions and made him aplete outcast in his youth. Zich had no ns to go out of his way to beat down the ud family for this reason, but he also didn¡¯t n on heeding to their words either. In the end, Zich led L and Hans back into the Steelwall Estate. Zich cleared all the thoughts he had about the envoy from the ud family and he assumed that Count Steelwall must have chased the envoy away by himself.

    ¡°I finally found you, sir.¡± Somebody hastily approached Zich. It was Trell.

    Zich stared at Trell and asked, ¡°What is it, sir?¡± After his tense conversation in front of the Count where many rude words had been exchanged, Zich and Trell addressed each other politely now that the situation was settled. In the first ce, the two held no ill feelings toward each other.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry sir, but could you stay in your room for the rest of today?¡±

    Zich smirked. ¡°Is it because of the envoy from Count ud?¡±

    ¡°¡­You knew?¡±

    ¡°Hans told me.¡±

    ¡°If you know already, this would make things easier. Could you stay in your room until he is gone¡­?¡±

    ¡°Would that really be necessary?¡± Suddenly, they heard an unfamiliar voice. Trell scowled while Zich turned around. An unfamiliar man, who seemed to be the owner of the voice, walked slowly toward them while leading a couple of people. The Steelwall soldiers near the man had the same expression on their faces as Trell. With the people¡¯s clear responses, it was easy to tell that this man was the envoy from Count ud.

    ¡°What are you here for?¡± Trell asked a question first. He slightly blocked Zich with his body as if he was unwilling to let the envoy converse with Zich. Meanwhile, Zich decided to watch the situation for now.

    ¡°I was on my way out after finishing my conversation with the Count. Who guessed that I woulde upon an unexpected encounter like this right before leaving?¡± The envoy¡¯s eyes shot toward Zich. ¡°To think that Young Master Zich Steelwall would have returned¡­¡±

    Trell¡¯s eyes turned cold, but on the other hand, Zich was impressed.

    ¡°He hase prepared.¡± Zich was surprised that the envoy recognized him at first nce. Even if the ud family was his mother¡¯s family, they didn¡¯t know Zich well. After all, the Steelwalls weren¡¯t so foolish to show a potential sessor to a family who had offered their daughter in the name of peace and blown it all away.

    ¡®I guess they managed to get their hands on a portrait and memorized my face. Although I¡¯ve aged a bit, it¡¯s not like my face became unrecognizable,¡¯ Zich thought to himself.

    Then, the envoyined to Trell. ¡°But isn¡¯t this too much? You knew I came to see Young Master Zich, but you tried to hide him.¡±

    ¡°We never hid him. Since Sir Zich is no longer a member of the Steelwall family, we simply thought it was unnecessary to cause amotion around him. Above all, aren¡¯t you all no longer allowed to stay in the Steelwall Estate anymore?¡±

    Although the Count had ordered for the envoy to be chased away this instant, he lingered around the estate with all sorts of excuses. The Steelwall family was a rough military family stationed on the border while the man was an envoy from the enemy¡¯s territory. Knowing that the Count could use physical force to drag him out, the envoy treaded upon very thin lines to not step over the Steelwall soldiers¡¯ patience. Thanks to these efforts, he managed to stumble upon this current situation.

    The envoy walked past Trell and approached Zich. Trell attempted to block him, but the envoy avoided this obstruction like a mouse going through an obstacle course.

    ¡°Nice to meet you for the first time, Young Master Zich. I am Klint Jude, and I serve Count ud.¡±

    Zich didn¡¯t answer. He simply crossed his arms and stared at Klint.

    ¡°I thought you woulde back for sure, young master. I¡¯m sure your grandfather, Count ud, would be overjoyed to hear this news.¡±

    ¡°Why would that guy be happy?¡± Zich asked.

    ¡°Sorry?¡± Klint asked, taken aback. He was taken aback by Zich¡¯s rough and brazen speech which was unfitting for the eldest son of a noble family. On the other hand, Trell and the soldiers guiding the envoy blocked their mouths to keep theirughter from seeping out. Seeing the damn annoying envoy¡¯s stunned face melted all the rage and annoyance they felt. Then, a strange sense of expectations began to rise in their hearts. Count Steelwall had been shaken by Zich¡¯s unexpected words and behavior, so they hoped that this bloody envoy would be his next victim.

    ¡°What do you mean why, sir? Of course, Count ud would be happy because he treasures you, his grandson, very much,¡± Klint said, purposefully avoiding the fact that Zich had addressed his grandfather as ¡®that guy¡¯. Yet, Zich simply snorted again.

    ¡°You say that a guy who used his daughter and grandson as shields to backstab his son-inw treasures me? Wow, that makes me so happy that my body is trembling.¡± Zich then proceeded to shake his body in exaggeration. Klint¡¯s face stiffened. Even though he had to be on Zich¡¯s good side, Zich was clearly mocking him now.

    ¡°¡­I understand how you feel, young master. The world of nobles can¡¯t help but be heartless. Yet, as for the one affected by it, I¡¯m sure they would have a hard time epting the way things are. However, I assure you that our Count felt tremendous pain for that decision. He wants to support you specifically because of that in many¡­¡±

    ¡°No thanks.¡± Zich judged that he needn¡¯t listen to the envoy any longer and cut Klint off. ¡°Support my ass. What¡¯s the use of support when he used his daughter and grandson to ambush the Steelwall Estate, got crushed, and got chased out instead? I don¡¯t need it, and even if I need it, I¡¯m doubtful of your side¡¯s ability.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡± Klint tightly shut his mouth. The event that Zich had referred to was a topic that was <i>never</i> mentioned in the ud Estate. The ud family had ambushed the Steelwall Estate, using peace as a cover, but contrary to their expectations, they had beenpletely crushed under the Steelwalls¡¯ retaliation. Even though the Count had used his own blood to fabricate peace, the only thing left for him was mockery and insult that he still lost aftermitting such a dishonorable act. Thus, this incident was forbidden from even being mentioned in the ud estate. However, Zich shattered this rule without a care in the world.

    Klint wanted to immediately shout in anger, but he couldn¡¯t do that. He also no longer stand to see the people of Steelwall looking at him with eyes full of mockery. ¡°¡­I understand your sentiments, young master. I congratte you on your return, and I hope to see you again. Then, please excuse me.¡± Contrary to how he had used any means to push off his return date and explore the Count¡¯s internal matters, the envoy quickly left with hispanions.

    Steelwall soldiers immediately moved closer to them; they were spying on the envoy and his group while they were leaving. However, the soldiers¡¯ footsteps seemed strangely light. When Klint, his group, and the soldiers disappeared from view, Trell beganughing. He didn¡¯tugh in a boisterous way, but it was enough to express his intense joy.

    ¡°Heeeheheh! Ah, that¡¯s the funniest scene I¡¯ve seen in a while.¡± Trell had witnessed a scene that he could talk about with his friends andugh about.

    ¡°Sir, I didn¡¯t expect that you would side with us. I sincerely give you my thanks for that, including how I was able to watch a funny scene.¡± Perhaps... did Zich have any lingering attachment to Steelwall? Trell became slightly hopeful.

    ¡°Hmm? What are you saying about siding with who?¡± Zich blinked his eyes as if he had no idea what Trell was talking about.

    ¡°¡­Didn¡¯t you insult the envoy from ud and take our side?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I wasn¡¯t? Why would I side with Steelwall? All I did was just give a light-hearted warning since that guy was saying so much nonsense.¡±

    Warning? How could such viperous words full of malice be just a warning? Trell became lost for words. He slightly nced towards Zich¡¯s side. L was holding her head and letting out a small sigh. Then, he moved his gaze back towards Zich, and he was calmly standing there as if he had said nothing wrong.

    ¡®¡­As the Count says, it might be better to just exclude him as the sessor.¡¯ This was the first time since Zich revealed his skills that Trell lowered his high opinion of thetter.

    * * *

    Klint left the Steelwall Estate and arrived at the ud Estate. As soon as he entered the ud Estate, he was relieved. Even though he had acted confident at the Steelwall Estate, he had been extremely tense the whole time because Count Steelwall could cut his neck off at any time on a strange whim. The rtionship between Steelwall and ud was that bad. However, even that ordeal was finally over.

    After Klint returned to the ud Estate, he could not take a breather. Even though Count ud¡¯s forces were weaker than Count Steelwall¡¯s, they weren¡¯t so weak that an outside force could do whatever they wanted inside their estate. The first thing that Klint did after he took a break was organize what happened at the Steelwall Estate inside his mind. Most of the things were simr to before; Count Steelwall¡¯s rudeness was still at its peak, and it was the same for the rest of the Steelwall family.

    ¡®Those impudent bastards.¡¯ Even though Klint maintained politeness at all times to Count Steelwall, as a member of the ud family, there was no way he had favorable thoughts about Count Steelwall. Honestly, he had wanted to refuse to go to Steelwall despite his lord¡¯s order. ¡®However, since I made an achievement this time, my efforts haven¡¯t been in vain.¡¯

    Klint smirked and recalled the unexpected meeting he had at Count Steelwall¡¯s mansion. He had met Zich Steelwall, Count ud¡¯s grandson and Steelwall¡¯s eldest son, who had left after no longer being able to endure the discrimination in the Steelwall family. However, he had returned recently. The ud family had been carefully looking for his whereabouts, so this was definitely good news.

    ¡®Even though he¡¯s extremely rude.¡¯ When Klint recalled the conversation he had with Zich, annoyance crept into his mind again. ¡®Since he grew up in that trash-filled Steelwall Estate, I guess his vulgar and lowly behavior can¡¯t be helped.¡¯

    However, this did not matter; he had fulfilled his purpose. ¡®Count ud really is trying to achieve a goal that has a low possibility.¡¯ Making someone of his bloodline as the next Count Steelwall and exercising his influence sounded like a good n, but everyone knew that this was no easy task. Count ud also probably didn¡¯t think this had a high possibility of seeding either.

    ¡®It¡¯s not a bad idea to just poke around a bit. It won¡¯t take a lot of guards to do this either, but I really wish the Count would think of the people who have to risk their lives.¡¯ Klint let out a sigh. The carriage that he was riding on continued to move, and he eventually reached the Count¡¯s mansion.

    Even though it hadn¡¯t been that long, it felt as if he hadn¡¯t returned in ages since he¡¯d been at Steelwall. Klint was about to go into the mansion to give a report when he heard a familiar voice.

    ¡°Is that you, Mr. Jude?¡±

    Klint turned around and moved his head towards the voice. ¡°Ah, it¡¯s been a while.¡± He exchanged a handshake while calling out the person¡¯s name. ¡°Mr. Zenard.¡±

 Chapter 452

    <h4>Chapter 452</h4>

    Glen Zenard was the guest residing in the ud Estate for the past couple of days. With his title as a Karuwiman Honorary Holy Knight, he had solved a couple of the Count¡¯s concerns and was staying at the estate in return for his deeds. Furthermore, he was now helping them on a very important mission during his stay.

    ¡°So how was the Steelwall Estate?¡± Glen asked. His eyes shone greedily like a snake flicking his tongue in front of prey. However, it was gone in an instant¡ªso quickly that even Klint, whose head worked especially well in corrupt and dirty matters, didn¡¯t notice.

    ¡°There weren¡¯t any signs of what we were looking for.¡±

    ¡°Is that so?¡± Glen said calmly, but inwardly, he was scowling. He thought, ¡®Still not yet?¡¯

    It seemed like he needed to employ a few more subordinates, and after deciding this, Glen stopped paying attention to Klint. In the first ce, Glen rarely gave attention to extras unless there was something he wanted from them, and these extras were nothing more than tools that made him shine brighter. Yet, what Klint said next attracted Glen¡¯s attention again.

    ¡°The only special thing that happened was that the Steelwall family¡¯s eldest son came back.¡±

    ¡°¡­Steelwall¡¯s eldest son?¡±

    ¡°Yes. Zich Steelwall. He is our Count¡¯s grandson. I heard he left the family because of their broken rtionship, but when I went to the estate, he was there, And¡­¡± Klint recalled Zich¡¯s attitude toward him and gritted his teeth. ¡°His personality was really trashy. As expected of someone with the lowly blood of Steelwalls running through their veins.¡±

    Klint insulted Zich and then stared at the ud Estate. ¡°Let¡¯s continue our conversation next time. I have to report to the Count first.¡±

    ¡°Yes, sorry for keeping you here when you are busy. Please go.¡±

    Klint bowed his head slightly to Glen and went inside the mansion. Glen was all alone now, and his mind seemed to whirl.

    ¡®Zich Moore returned to Steelwall?¡¯ Normally, Zich should¡¯ve never returned to Steelwall after leaving once. In the past regressions, Zich had lived without paying any attention to his ex-family. Yet, apparently, he was now back at the Steelwall Estate.

    ¡®Is this also a changed variable?¡¯ Glen didn¡¯t feel too downcast about this though. This timeline had been way off its normal tracks so far that this level of change seemed like nothing. Instead, the news made him happy since originally, Zich wasn¡¯t part of Steelwalls¡¯ fall. Glen had annihted Zich¡¯s birth family in the previous regressions so that Zich¡¯s origins would be muddied even further. The fact that Zich didn¡¯t care for his family at all didn¡¯t matter to Glen, and Glen did so to simply fulfill his personal, vulgar satisfactions. Glen also thought the main tool for his n, the ud family from Zich¡¯s mother¡¯s side, was especially fitting for the whole storyline. Thrilled by these prospects, Glen ced considerable care into bringing Steelwall to ruins even when the n didn¡¯t involve making Demon People or helping him be a hero.

    Above all, the reason why Glen simply came here for the sole reason of destroying Zich¡¯s birthce was that Zich dared to surpass him in fame and began to be praised as a hero. In other words, he was just taking his frustration and anger out through this n. Although Steelwall¡¯s fall was supposed to happen a bitter, timely ns were useless in this timeline now. He didn¡¯t care about it anymore and decided to just get rid of Steelwall early.

    ¡®I will show that I am the true hero this time!¡¯ Glen clenched his fist tightly and circled his mana around slightly. He felt an enormous flow of mana that was iparable to the amount he felt before. Glen also felt his body ache, but he ignored that feeling. He just wanted to boast to the whole world of the new power he gained, especially to Zich.

    ¡®I am going to push my n forward even more.¡¯ His ve might protest about this decision, but that was none of his concern. A ve only needed to do what his master told him to do and prepare a smooth path for his master.

    ¡®Just you wait!¡¯ Glen thought, swearing to show Zich his superiority for sure this time while bringing a shy fall for Steelwall.

    * * *

    Since Greig was bing used to duels, Zich was decreasing the frequency of their battles. Of course, the biggest reason for this change was that Zich was getting sick of beating up Greig.

    ¡®Is it about time for me to go monster hunting with him?¡¯ Zich thought it was about time for him to progress his n of showing Greig the greatness of his older brother. Although the Countess might protest against this n, it was the Count¡¯s job to deal with her.

    ¡®There¡¯s a difference between beating him up directly and tossing him around to make him suffer. With thetter, I can enjoy it a bit more.¡¯ Zich smiled devilishly.

    ¡°Ah, Sir Zich!¡± Snoc walked toward Zich from far away. He was with Elena, and it seemed like the two had gone out together. Zich¡¯s party obviously didn¡¯t move as a group every day, and these days, the party members went in pairs in set ways: Zich and L, Hans and Lara, and Snoc and Elena. Of course, the members went in groups of twos or fours from time to time or with other people, but this was the mostmonbination.

    ¡°Are you guysing back from a date?¡± Zich asked them.

    ¡°No, we aren¡¯t.¡±

    ¡°We aren¡¯t.¡±

    Snoc and Elena firmly denied Zich¡¯s joke. However, seeing how Nowem sighed deeply while lying on his back on Snoc¡¯s shoulder, it showed that it was only those two who didn¡¯t realize what was going on. Zich thought of teasing them a bit more, but decided against it. Very generously, he decided to leave these two innocent young ones alone.

    ¡°Fine, I¡¯ll believe you,¡± Zich said and was going to pass them by like this, but Snoc stopped him.

    ¡°Sir Zich.¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°It might be nothing big, but there is a strange rumor going around in the city.¡±

    ¡°Rumor?¡± Zich turned around his body. There was no way that Snoc would mention this to him if he wanted to tell Zich fruitless gossip like who cheated on who, or which shop sold cheaper goods and which shop didn¡¯t. ¡°What is it?¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s a rumor that Count Steelwall is secretly a Bellid who worships Bellu, and there are hidden Bellid shrines all around the Steelwall Estate. Moreover, there is an extremelyrge Bellid temple right here in Violsa.¡±

    ¡°What ridiculous nonsense.¡± Zich picked his ears.

    Zich definitely hated Count Steelwall, but he had no intentions to mock Count Steelwall with lies. ¡®It¡¯s better to just hate him without any reason.¡¯ Zich calmlypleted a thought that other people would call him crazy for.

    ¡°Sir, as expected, it must be a lie, right?¡±

    ¡°The muscles in Count¡¯s head are not so soft that he¡¯d fall for those fanatics.¡± Zich mocked his father outright.

    ¡°Since it¡¯s a rumor rted to the Bellids, I thought I needed to tell you.¡±

    ¡°Good job. However, there is baseless gossip about the Bellids everywhere you go, since they are hated by the whole world. You can ignore baseless rumors like that.¡±

    Snoc nodded. Zich was about to just keep going his way, but Elena stopped him this time.

    ¡°But the rumor has spread quite far, and just a few days ago, there hadn¡¯t been any signs of this rumor before.¡±

    ¡°Spread far?¡± Zich slightly frowned. This was definitely a strange coincidence. ¡°I got it. I¡¯ll look more into it.¡±

    After Snoc and Elena left, Zich fell into thought. ¡®Rumors about those Bellid guys¡­¡¯ He was definitely sure that the rumor was nonsense. Considering Count Steelwall¡¯s nature, there was no way he could be a Bellid. ¡®Even though both of their personalities are absolute dogshit, their goals and styles are different.¡¯

    Then, was it just merely a baseless rumor? However, it was suspicious considering that Elena thought there was something strange about this rumor. Even though Elena did not have much experience, she was known to be a genius. Moreover, she had gained a significant amount of experience while traveling around with Zich and L. If she thought there was something suspicious about this rumor, it was worth looking into.

    ¡®Now that I think about it, there are three rumors.¡¯ Since they were all rted to the Steelwall Estate and the Bellids, it could sound like just one rumor, but Snoc definitely mentioned three different rumors.

    ¡®The first rumor is that Count Steelwall is secretly a Bellid who worships Bellu.¡¯

    ¡®The second is that there are Bellid shrines all throughout the Steelwall Estate.¡¯

    ¡®The third is that there¡¯s a temple of a substantial size somewhere in Violsa.¡¯

    Among these three rumors, the only rumor that Zich knew for sure was a lie was the first rumor that Count Steelwall was secretly a Bellid who worshiped Bellu. ¡®I don¡¯t know whether or not the other two rumors are true.¡¯

    Then, Zich suddenly thought of what happened before his regression. He recalled that when he came to Steelwall on of a whim, it was alreadypletely annihted. ¡®Perhaps, was it because of these rumors?¡¯

    This was a reasonable exnation why Steelwall had been destroyed. If it was discovered that Count Steelwallmunicated secretly with the Bellids or got falsely used, even the Steelwall Estate known as the kingdom¡¯s steel fortress would be unable to escape annihtion. The Karuwimans would immediately emunicate Steelwall, gather ?their holy knights, and the Cronon Kingdom would coldly turn away from Steelwall. Like this, Steelwall would be alienated from the whole world and eventually copse¡ªthis was what happened to all Bellids.

    ¡®I should definitely look more into it.¡¯ Zich went out of the Count¡¯s mansion and began investigating. The rumors he heard were roughly what Snoc and Elena had already told him. From a nce, the rumors had spread out, so it seemed like merely vile rumors spreading around the marketce. However, as Elena told him, the rumors had spread very far despite the the fact that they were spread only recently.

    ¡®Was it purposely spread around?¡¯ However, it was hard to say that for certain. The nature of rumors was that once they started, they spread like wildfire. However, when rumors spread so far, there were many times when there was a reason for it.

    ¡®Someone might have purposely spread these rumors, or they¡¯re rumors based on a truth, or it might be both.¡¯ There was no need to make a definite decision for now, but these rumors were enough for him to keep an eye on them. There was now a reason for Zich to keep going outside the Count¡¯s mansion.

    Then, soon after, Zich felt that the rumors were spreading at an extremely fast speed. The possibility that Zich¡¯s prediction was right began increasing. Moreover, the rumors were slowly bing more specific, and there was even a ce hypothesized to have the Bellid temple.

    By this time, there was also a change on the Count¡¯s side as well. Even though they had merely passed these rumors off as baseless gossip spreading around in the city, the rumors were bing very detailed and specific. Thus, they began looking for the origin of these rumors because they thought that someone was purposely spreading these rumors. At the same time, they began looking for the location of the rumors about the Bellid temple. If the rumors really were true, they nned to find it first and destroy it.

    However, the situation did not go the way they wanted it to. As the rumors stated, a Bellid shrine was discovered at the Steelwall Estate. However, the ones who found it were not the Steelwall soldiers.

 Chapter 453

    <h4>Chapter 453</h4>

    Zich faced Count Steelwall. Although the Count¡¯s face was usually sour when he talked to Zich, his expression was even worse than usual. His ring eyes were moments away from spewing out intense bloodlust and his twitching mouth looked like it was about to pour out all kinds of harsh insults. The muscles in his right arm swelled as if he was going to grab his sword and destroy everything in his path. Anybody would¡¯ve struggled to utter even a word to the Count. Yet, Zich didn¡¯t even pay the slightest heed to the Count¡¯s mood and said, ¡°Seriously! Tell me where you met these new friends! Friends so close that you gave up a part of your house to them. Didn¡¯t you ever hear that you have to carefully discern the friends you make?¡±

    ¡°¡­If you are going to make provocations, get out. I¡¯m not in the mood to y word games with you.¡± The way the Count immediately lowered his voice disyed the urgency of the trouble he was in. If Zich pushed any more, he might really have a sword aiming for his head. Although Zich wasn¡¯t afraid of that, he didn¡¯t n on just getting into fights rashly without thinking.

    ¡®It¡¯s understandable. I¡¯m sure he knows how serious the situation is.¡¯ The nonsensical rumors circting around the estate that the Steelwall family was connected to the Bellids became something more than mere rumors with the discovery of the Bellid followers. Of course, although the Steelwall family wasn¡¯t immediatelybeled as the Bellids, this was a serious scandal. If the family was really used of being Bellids and couldn¡¯t free themselves of these ims, they would naturallye to ruins. It was understandable that the Count was so distressed.

    The Count needed to understand the exact situation and find out the origin of the rumors. If this situation was the cause of someone¡¯s schemes, he needed to tackle the root of it all.

    ¡°I heard that you dispatched an investigation team.¡±

    ¡°So, what if I did?¡±

    ¡°Are there some spaces left to join?¡±

    The Count looked at Zich like he was a bit surprised. ¡°Are you also nning to go?¡±

    ¡°I am a Karuwiman Holy Knight. I can¡¯t stand still and do nothing after hearing that those bastards appeared.¡±

    There had been voices calling to bring Zich into the investigation team because of his title as a holy knight. In all honesty, the Count also thought that was an enticing suggestion since if he used Zich, they would be able to free themselves of the usations against them much more easily. Yet, the Count had hesitated to ask Zich. It wasn¡¯t because of his pride. He wasn¡¯t so foolish that he would clutch onto his pride in a situation where the whole Steelwall family coulde to ruins. It was because he didn¡¯t know whether or not Zich also suspected him of having ties with the Bellids. The Count thought the usations he was under were ridiculous, but Zich might think differently as a Karuwiman Holy Knight.

    ¡°¡­Are you nning to spy on the investigation team?¡±

    ¡°Spy?¡± Zich asked as if he had heard a ridiculous statement.

    ¡°There are spections that we are going there to destroy evidence.¡±

    ¡°The situation must be serious if rumors like that are already circting.¡± Zich smirked, ¡°But that means it¡¯s even better for me to go. If I go with them as a Karuwiman Holy Knight, those false rumors will naturally disappear. Even if I¡¯m from the same bloodline, they won¡¯t be able to say that a Karuwiman Holy Knight is shielding the Bellids.¡±

    ¡°¡­You must not be suspecting me.¡±

    ¡°Who? You?¡± Zich shook his head as if he thought there was no way. ¡°While holding up the title of being the kingdom¡¯s Iron Wall with pride, you are the type to destroy your own estate rather than sell it to the Bellids. How could you be part of the Bellids? It¡¯d more convincing if you told me that you are worshipping an ant that you found in a nearby garden as a god.¡±

    ¡°Is that so?¡± The Count thought over the matter. He had little time, and he had been hesitating on whether or not he should request Zich to help anyway. In reality, there was no need for him to even think about the matter.

    ¡°Okay. I will tell them that you are joining.¡±

    ¡°When are you going to send the team?¡±

    ¡°Tomorrow.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s fast.¡± Considering how serious the situation was, it was only natural. As Zich expected, the Count allowed Zich to participate in the investigation. Thus, Zich was about to leave the room after taking care of his business when he stopped.

    ¡°Ah, but I have one request.¡±

    ¡°What is it?¡± Due to the help Zich offered to provide, the Count nned to grant most requests. However, Zich¡¯s next words caused the Count¡¯s cheek to twitch.

    ¡°I am going to go with Greig.¡±

    Zich¡¯s n to show his greatness as an older brother was still ongoing after all.

    * * *

    There weren¡¯t many people on the investigation team: just Zich and Grieg and a couple of knights. Yet, each of the knights was a high-ranking official in the Steel Spear Order of Knights, and the leader was the Order¡¯s vice-captain, Danny Chriss Nunn. The list of names clearly showcased how concerned the Steelwalls were about the current situation, and as soon as the day brightened, the group left the city on horses. The horses helped them reach their destination, a nearby vige, quickly.

    It was a normal rural vige that could be seen anywhere except that it was very empty. Although it was a small vige, theck of people was most likely because of the recent discovery of a Bellid temple.

    ¡°Oh my! Pleasee here, sirs!¡± The vige leader weed them eagerly for this reason too.

    During normal times, no one would wee a military grouping into their vige. Even if the group had been permitted to enter, it didn¡¯t change the fact that its members were moving killing machines. Worried that the knights'' swords might be aimed at them , the vigers couldn¡¯t possibly be d to see the group''s arrival. People weed such guests only when there was something that endangered them even more such as bandits, another country¡¯s army, or apletely different entity.

    This time, a terrifying fish-head temple posed the more dangerous threat.

    Danny stepped forward and said, ¡°We heard that there is a Bellid temple near here.¡±

    ¡°Yes, yes! There is! That horrifying thing really is here!¡± The vige chief tightly closed their eyes from just mentioning the Bellid temple. No one liked the Bellids and they all gritted their teeth at the Bellids¡¯ horrifying acts, and this was even more true for simple vigers. The vigers were extremely worried that all kinds of bad things would happen to them just by the fact that there was a Bellid temple nearby. Thus, they wished for the knights to immediately go and get rid of the temple.

    ¡°Where is it?¡±

    ¡°I-it¡¯s that mountain!¡± The ce that the vige chief pointed toward was a mountain that was a short distance away from the vige. It was a mountain with no special characteristics and looked like any other mountain. However, just by the knowledge that the Bellid temple might be there, the mountain looked different from other mountains. If someone were to exaggerate, it looked as if it was going to stand up by itself, expel ck rocks and rotten trees, and cause havoc around its surroundings¡ªno, the vige chief believed that this would happen for sure.

    Danny was going to immediately drag the soldiers and began moving, but Zich stopped him. ¡°Sir Chriss Nunn. Please wait a bit.¡±

    Danny asked, ¡°Sir, what¡¯s the matter?¡±

    ¡°Why don¡¯t we stay one night near the vige for just today and go up there tomorrow?¡±

    Danny narrowed his eyes. ¡°Won¡¯t it be better to immediately go and destroy it if the Bellid temple is there?¡± He would have ignored this suggestion if it came from his underling or any other person and immediately rush towards the mountain like a wild boar, but Danny stopped himself since it came from Zich. He didn¡¯t do so just because Zich was part of the Count¡¯s family or used to be an ex-sessor.

    Even though the Steelwall family felt threatened by this sudden event, it wasn¡¯t able to shake Steelwall to its core. On the other hand, they didn¡¯t think lightly of this matter as well. If the matter really turned for the worst and the Countpletely fell under a conspiracy, Zich¡¯s existence was Steelwall¡¯sst saving grace because he was a Karuwiman Honorary Knight. They needed his support, and this was apletely different emotion than feeling nostalgic and amazed by an ex-sessor¡¯s ability. Thus, Danny showed extreme respect to Zich.

    Zich continued, ¡°I want to hear what the vigers have to say and hear from them about how they found out that the Bellid temple was here, how the rumors spread here, and other information.¡±

    ¡°Hmm.¡± Zich¡¯s words definitely made sense. Even though it was definitely an urgent matter to destroy the Bellid temple, fish tank or whatever it was on that mountain, the most important goal was to find out why this event happened in the first ce.

    ¡°I understand. Then, let¡¯s camp out for the night.¡±

    ¡°What? Sir, you¡¯re not immediately going?¡± The vige chief seemed to have hoped for the knights to immediately go and destroy the temple.

    ¡°We need to ask you a few questions first, so make sure you tell the truth!¡±

    ¡°Sir, please stay back,¡± Zich asked Danny to stay behind since the chief was shivering in fear. The chief was already overwhelmed with fear, but Danny made it worse by threatening the vige chief. At this rate, the chief might forget all the information they had out of sheer fear. ¡°It¡¯s all right. There¡¯s no need to be afraid. He just wants to also quickly solve this problem by finding the root of this rumor. Even though his attitude is rough, he has no ill intentions. Please calm down first, and answer my questions.¡±

    When Zich talked softly, the vige chief, who seemed as if they were going to faint any moment, began to look calmer. Zich continued to calm down the vige chief while asking more questions. People looked at Zich withplete shock, Greig in particr, but Zich ignored them.

    * * *

    Stars appeared in the night sky. Contrary to the city, in which lights could be seen during the night, the vige fell intoplete silence when the sun went down. Darkness gained control of the entire area, as not even a single light could be found. Naturally, there wasn¡¯t a single viger walking around outside, especially so considering the situation. There was no one in the vige who wanted to roam outside and get captured by the Bellid devils.

    However, one person calmly walked around on this terrifying night: Zich. The darkness wasn¡¯t even an obstacle for him, and he actually wanted the Bellid bastards to ambush him. He slowly walked around and organized the information he collected today.

    ¡®A traveler¡­¡¯ ording to the vigers, including the vige chief, a traveler hade to the vige one day. Even though they were rural inhabitants, naturally wary of foreigners, the traveler¡¯s money and amicable personality had lowered the viger¡¯s wariness. He had told them various stories spreading in the city, and the vigers were interested in his stories. This was also when the vigers had heard the rumors going around in the Steelwall Estate. These rumors had left an ufortable feeling in the vigers'' minds, but they didn¡¯t think too much about it. Rumors were just rumors, and although they were talking about a ce somewhere in the area, the range was nheless quite wide.

    Moreover, if the Bellid temple really had been here, they would have seen strangersing and going around, but they hadn¡¯t seen anyone like that. Thus, the vigers had thought that there wasn¡¯t a Bellid shrine here and dismissed it as merely an ill-fated rumor and spit on the ground. However, one day, the traveler who had been traveling around with this vige as his base hade back with a deathlyplexion. Then, he frantically tried to pack his bags and leave. Of course, the vigers asked him what had happened. They had been worried for him, since they had gotten very close to him during the past few days.

    Then, the vigers had been paralyzed by the traveler¡¯s next words. ¡°B-bellid! The Bellid shrine really exists!¡±

 Chapter 454

    <h4>Chapter 454</h4>

    ¡®Something smells fishy.¡¯

    It was a very murky smell, so pungent that it could numb his nose. A traveler hade to a remote, rural vige and after hearing rumors about the estate, he had found a Bellid temple soon after? Furthermore, how had the rumors about it spread so fast?

    ¡°Why? Was he looking for a gold mine or something?¡± Someone joked after gathering all the information they gained, and the knights shared their opinions. All the knights chuckled at this, including Danny, and Greig kept his mouth tightly sealed. The traveler was really a strange fellow. Something was definitely going on behind these ridiculous rumors.

    ¡®The question is whether the temple is a trap or a part of another grand scheme.¡¯ Zich thought thetter was more likely, but he didn¡¯tpletely dismiss the possibility of the temple being a trap.

    ¡®I should try going for now.¡¯ Only then would he be sure.

    * * *

    The investigation team moved out as soon as the sun rose. After a light breakfast, they climbed the mountain that the vige leader had pointed out. They didn¡¯t know the temple¡¯s exact location¡ªthe people had tried their best to not go near it, after the traveler had told the vigers that there was a Bellid temple in the mountain and had run off. Thus, they had no choice but to search for the site themselves.

    ¡®Well, first of all, this ce fulfills all the conditions for a Bellid temple to exist.¡¯ Zich thought while looking at ake right next to the mountain. After all, one of the conditions those fish-head worshippers needed to fulfill to build a temple was to have a body of water near it.

    ¡®The size of the temple must be pretty small,¡¯ Zich thought. Since theke wasn¡¯t that big, the temple would be simr.

    In the end, the team separated into groups of two and began to search the mountain. The mountain wasn¡¯t that big, and since all members of the team were super humans who wouldn¡¯t feel tired from just searching an entire mountain, the investigation progressed quite quickly. Greig showed clear displeasure in being paired up with Zich, but Zich didn¡¯t pay attention to his feelings at all.

    The two passed through bushes obstructing their path and ran up a slope. Zich¡¯s sharp eyes scanned his surroundings, and Greig did the same. Even though Greig was slightly ticked off by Zich, he knew the situation could turn serious from a slight mistake. After some time, Zich noticed a burrow under a boulder. He immediately approached the burrow. It was big enough to fit a person only if they crouched, so Zich kneeled with one leg and studied the ground.

    ¡®Someone entered this ce. Many of them too.¡¯ Zich¡¯s eyes glistened. He had gained a good sense of the ce.

    ¡°It¡¯s here.¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°The Bellid temple is here.¡±

    ¡°How did you¡ª¡±

    Completely ignoring Greig¡¯s question, Zich entered the burrow. Greig scowled, but after a short sigh, he also followed behind Zich. It was dark inside the burrow, but it didn¡¯t hinder their vision. After they marched across the bumpy floor, the burrow gradually becamerger. Soon, it becamerge enough for them to stretch out their backs and then the space expanded until it was big enough to fit a house.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know how those fish-head bastards are so good at finding annoying ces like this? Are they actually worshipping a cockroach instead of a fish head?¡± Zich nodded as if he thought his own words were very reasonable. The two continued walking and the size of the burrow continued to grow.

    ¡°It¡¯s here.¡± A building appeared in front of them.

    ¡°¡­This is a Bellid temple?¡± Greig gulped and stared at the building.

    ¡°Is it your first time seeing one?¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s probably not a single person in my family who has seen something like this.¡±

    ¡°Well, I guess it¡¯s reasonable.¡±

    Since the Bellids had the life force and secrecy of cockroaches, there was hardly anyone in this world who had seen a Bellid temple or a practicing follower in person while not belonging to the cult. They were so good at hiding that even among the Karuwiman Holy Knights, who had the motto, ¡®Must kill all Bellids!¡¯ engraved into their minds, there were many who had never seen a Bellid temple.

    ¡°You should have a good look at it with this chance. You should kill any guy who makes and lives in a dreadful house like this one.¡± Zich believed that doing such would be good for the whole world. Then, as Greig studied the temple with half-curious, half-fearful eyes, Zich went inside. The temple was the size of two average houses, and as Zich had expected, it wasn¡¯t that big.

    ¡®I can¡¯t sense any presences,¡¯ Zich observed. As soon as he entered the temple, the first thing he saw was that grotesque-looking Bellu statue, and there was an altar next to it.

    ¡®Hm, based on its structure, it seems to be a ce where small prayer meetings are held. They probably do some sacrifices here too from time to time.¡¯ Zich didn¡¯t think these sacrifices would be proper in any sense of the word, and the dried-up blood stains on the altar represented evidence of that.

    Greig entered the temple. His eyes were locked onto the Bellu statue.

    ¡°Is that Bellu?¡±

    ¡°What do you mean Bellu? Just call him fish head. There¡¯s no need to respect the faith of crazies who have a hobby in naming a fish.¡±

    Even though Bellu was an evil god, Greig was shocked to hear how easily Zich taunted a god who inflicted so much terror in the world. In a way, it was the first time Greig thought Zich was really amazing¡ªof course, it was in a negative sense. Zich searched the temple thoroughly, checking every nook and corner.

    ¡®It doesn¡¯t seem to be an abandoned site. Does a Bellid follower live nearby?¡¯ Zich thought. Yet, the only people living nearby were the vigers. Then, did that perhaps mean that the vigers were Bellid followers?

    ¡®There were no signs of that.¡¯ However, one couldn¡¯t be too sure since the Bellids always surpassed all imaginations.

    Eventually, Zich didn¡¯t find anything special about the ce and went outside the burrow, sent a signal, and called the other knights to the spot. Then, after leading them to the ce, they began searching the temple again. The knights responded like Greig upon seeing the building.

    They nced at the Bellu statue of Bellids and searched all over the temple. However, even though more people joined the search, they couldn¡¯t find anything special. Zich and the others first moved out of the cave.

    Danny said first while narrowing his eyes, ¡°First of all, sir, it¡¯s true that the Bellid temple is here. This has be a troublesome matter.¡±

    There were three rumors spreading around the Steelwall Estate, and one of the rumors turned out to be true. Thus, people would think that the other two rumors could also be true, and the main problem was that the first rumor about Count Steelwall being a Bellid could end Steelwall altogether. Greig and the other knights probably had the same thoughts.

    Greig asked Danny, ¡°What do we do?¡±

    ¡°We need to first thoroughly destroy that temple and let it be known that we¡¯re not rted to the Bellids at all.¡±

    Zich also had the same thought. Of course, the reason why Zich wanted to destroy the temple wasn¡¯t to save Steelwall from danger. He thought that he might find a clue about the conspiracy while destroying the temple, and he also just wanted to destroy the Bellid bastard¡¯s temple for personal reasons. However, regardless of their reasons, Zich and Danny both wanted to destroy the temple.

    Even though they didn¡¯t have a hammer or pickaxe, they didn¡¯t need these tools to destroy a small temple like this. If they just infused mana into their swords and swung it a few times, they could even slice a tough rock like mud. Since they reached the same decision, they were about to go back to the temple to first destroy that eyesore when¡ª

    ¡°We have guests.¡±

    ¡°Guests?¡±

    Danny tilted his head at Zich¡¯s words; however, his face soon stiffened and he raised his head. He also felt a presence while climbing up the mountain. ¡®How did he notice them way faster than me?¡¯

    Danny Chriss Nunn was the vice-captain of the strongest force in the Steelwall Estate, the Steel Sword Knights. However, Zich sensed a presence climbing up this mountain way faster than him.

    ¡®I knew that he got much stronger, but I didn¡¯t know it was this much!¡¯ It was to the extent that cold sweat dripped down his back. Was it possible to gain so much skill in just a few years? Danny was the first one to notice the presence among the Steelwall soldiers, and the other knights began to notice the presence one by one. The knights¡¯ gazes, including Greig¡¯s, moved towards Zich. However, Zich paid no attention to their gazes.

    ¡°They are¡­¡± The people wore shiny armor with a symbol etched onto it, and everyone knew who they were. Danny let out a groan, ¡°The Karuwiman Holy Knights.¡± As a devout Karuwiman follower, Danny had no reason to feel so disgruntled to see them usually. Instead, he would have been the one to approach them first and exchange greetings with them with heartyughter. However, the situation was different now, and he had no choice but to feel tense around them. The holy knights seemed to have also noticed them.

    Zich asked Danny, ¡°It¡¯ll be okay if I deal with them, right?¡±

    Surprisingly, Zich had been obediently following Danny¡¯s words so far. The only one he had full control over was Greig, and when he made a suggestion or request, Zich didn¡¯t control the soldiers however he wanted. However, the situation was a bit different now. They were dealing with Karuwiman Holy Knights, and as an Honorary Holy Knight, it would be easier for Zich to deal with them. Danny easily nodded in agreement.

    Zich stepped forward, ¡°All of you must be Karuwiman Holy Knights.¡±

    ¡°Yes. I¡¯m Winstin Dyner, a faithful follower of holy Karuna.¡± Winstin used to be in charge of protecting Chelsea when the Saintess hadn¡¯t been decided yet. He looked at the knights behind Zich, or more specifically, he checked the symbols etched on the soldiers¡¯ armor.

    ¡°Are all of you knights from the Steelwall Estate?¡±

    ¡°Yes, they are. I¡¯m Zich, and Steelwall¡¯s coborator for now. I also hold the title as a Karuwiman Honorary Knight.¡±

    The holy knights behind Winstin eximed in admiration. Just the fact that he was a Karuwiman Honorary Knight was enough to gain their respect.

    However, Winstin was different. ¡®Honorary Holy Knight Zich?¡¯

    He had heard of this name before. He was the one who saved Lube and helped her obtain the title of the Saintess. Zich was also the bastard who thoroughly crushed his n to make Chelsea the next saintess and surpass that sted Belri Weig.

    ¡®It¡¯s this bastard?¡¯

    Zich showed the Karuwiman Honorary Knight broach to them, and his status was confirmed. Winstin¡¯s hand twitched. He wanted to immediately pull out his sword and slice this bastard¡¯s neck. However, he didn¡¯t do this because his goal was to surpass Belri Weig. He couldn¡¯t ruin his future because of personal emotions.

    Winstin smiled. ¡°Ah, Sir Zich. I¡¯ve heard of you before. You¡¯ve helped Lady Lube in many ways.¡±

    Winstin and Zich shared a handshake. Winstin desperately suppressed his desire to immediately crush Zich¡¯s hand as he grabbed it. Winstin and Zich shared a short conversation, but it wasn¡¯t anything special. It was more like small talk shared between people before they performed an important task. However, Greig and the Steelwall knights were shocked by this sight. It was a whole different experience to see Zich being treated like an Honorary Knight by the Karuwiman Holy Knights.

    ¡°Wow, those serious holy knights are so friendly towards him.¡±

    ¡°As expected, Honorary Holy Knights really are different.¡±

    ¡°Quiet!¡± Danny made his subordinates shut their mouths and gazed at Greig who was staring intensely at Zich¡¯s back.

 Chapter 455

    <h4>Chapter 455</h4>

    Not paying any mind to what the people from the Steelwall Estate thought, Zich and the holy knight continued to converse.

    ¡°I suppose the reason why you came all this way is because of the rumors?¡± Zich said.

    ¡°Of course. Since it¡¯s a rumor concerning those filthy, nasty Bellids, we have to check the ce in person even if there¡¯s a possibility that the rumors are false.¡± After saying this, Winstin nced at the Steelwall knights and turned back to Zich.

    Zich noticed this behavior and thought, ¡®He¡¯s suspecting them.¡¯

    However, Winstin didn¡¯t appear to be looking at a definite suspect and seemed to hold a level of doubt whether the Steelwalls were really connected to the Bellids. Considering the Steelwall¡¯s prestige, Winstin didn¡¯t show his suspicions openly; after all, he didn¡¯t want to risk causing friction between the Steelwalls and Karuwimans in the case the rumors were proven to be false.

    ¡°I think you all also came because of the rumors. Did you perhaps find anything?¡±

    ¡°Yes, there really was one like the rumors said.¡±

    The holy knights¡¯ mood changed instantly. ¡°Are you talking about a Bellid temple?¡±

    ¡°What else could it be?¡± Zich pointed at the burrow behind them. ¡°It¡¯s in there. It¡¯s not that big.¡±

    ¡°Well, that¡¯s probably the case considering the size of theke next to the mountain. Did you all find anything there?¡±

    ¡°No, it was clean. So, we were nning to just break down the temple. We thought we might be able to find something while destroying the ce, and even if we don¡¯t, it would be better than leaving that sickening ce alone.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s true. But before you destroy it, could we check the ce one more time?¡± Winstin asked, but his eyes were firm. If Zich refused in this situation, there would probably be a serious conflict.

    ¡°As much as you wish,¡± Zich backed away one step to the side and stretched out his arm to the burrow.

    ¡°Thank you for your cooperation.¡± Winstin gestured to the holy knights, and they went inside the burrow. When all the holy knights disappeared, the rest of the investigation team from Steelwall approached Zich.

    ¡°There won¡¯t be any misunderstandings, right?¡±

    ¡°What reason would they have for misunderstanding? We simply came here to check the rumors. Even though they didn¡¯t seem topletely trust you all, they didn¡¯t seem to be certain of their suspicions either.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s good to hear.¡±

    ¡°But let¡¯s try following them in,¡± Zich suggested. Soon, the rest of the team went back inside the burrow again. When they reached the temple, holy knights were searching all over the building, and some were using some kind of holy magic on the walls. It appeared that the Karuwimans had special methods to find traces of Bellid followers.

    ¡°Did you find anything?¡± Zich asked Winstin since he was the one who ordered the holy knights at the temple entrance.

    ¡°No. We didn¡¯t find anything special yet.¡±

    ¡°What ce do you think this is, Sir Dyner? Do you think it¡¯s a ce for Bellid followers living nearby? Or do you think it¡¯s a ce built for a special purpose or perhaps somethingpletely different from anything I mentioned?¡±

    ¡°Who can say? Even I don¡¯t know exactly.¡± For now, Winstin avoided answering. ¡°ording to our experiences, it doesn¡¯t seem to be a ce built for a special purpose. The dirty statue of Bellu is nothing borate on, and seeing its size, this ce seems to be for Bellid followers who live nearby.¡±

    ¡°Then, do you think the vigers living nearby are Bellid followers?¡±

    ¡°We can¡¯t dismiss that possibility.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t you think the likelihood of that is low?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s certainly true.¡± If those vigers were really Bellid followers, they wouldn¡¯t have let the traveler who found the temple run away, and they would have left the vige as soon as the rumors spread.

    ¡°There seems to be nothing unusual or special, Sir Dyner,¡± one of the holy knights said to Winstin.

    ¡°Hmm, as I thought, is it really just a small-scale temple?¡± Winstin was disappointed. When Chelsea failed to be the next saintess, he decided to temporarily drop his aspiration of surpassing Belri Weig. Since Belri Weig became the Saintess¡¯ guardian knight, the gap between them only widened, and Winstin needed to do something to shorten the gap back somehow. It was then that he heard the rumors circting around the Steelwall Estate. Thirsty for any merits, Winstin moved faster than anyone and hoped that he would be able to find something that could help recover the aspiration he had lost here: an important Bellid base, a divine item, or a high-ranking officer.

    Thus, he was extremely disappointed to find out that all his expectations had been wrong and all he found was a small Bellid temple. Furthermore, he wouldn¡¯t gain credit for even this small deed since the Steelwall knights found this ce before him.

    ¡®Now that I think of it, there¡¯s a rumor going around that the Steelwall Estate is rted to the Bellids,¡¯ Winstin thought. Yet, even if he was obsessed with gaining merits, Winstin knew that there was a high possibility that this was nothing more than a rumor. It was highly unlikely the Steelwall family which boasted of being the kingdom¡¯s Iron Wall would associate themseleves with such a group of people, and no one among the Karuwimans believed these unrealistic rumors.

    ¡®If it¡¯s really true, there would be no better way to gain merit.¡¯ If he revealed that these rumors were true, his fame and aplishments would rise, and he would be able to make a dent on Zich¡¯s honor as he had helped the Steelwalls. Moreover, he might be able to cut off Zich¡¯s head with his own hands. Of course, this was all simply in his head for now.

    ¡°The search is over. Break down this disgusting building and interrogate the people in the nearby vige.¡±

    ¡°Wait!¡± At Winstin¡¯smand, Danny stepped forward and refuted, ¡°Even if you are holy knights from Karuwiman, please refrain from acting indecently! This ce is part of the Steelwall Estate, and we are the first ones to have found the Bellid temple!¡±

    Knowing how much the Karuwimans made a fuss whenever the Bellids were involved, the Steelwall knights had let the holy knights search the temple again. However, they had no obligation to let them do anything more than that. They could let the holy knights break down the Bellid temple if they asked for their permission first, but interrogating the vigers was another matter. Even if the vigers were suspicious, they were still people who belonged to the Steelwall Estate. Those who interrogated them also needed to be from Steelwall.

    ¡°I spoke as if I was ignoring the Steelwalls¡¯ authority. I apologize for that.¡± Winstin bowed. Of course, he wasn¡¯t giving a genuine apology. He was already annoyed that the thread of hope he had for his career had crumpled and was displeased to see that Danny was trying to interfere with his ns now. Without a doubt, Danny¡¯s personality was on the bad side.

    At the same time, Winstin couldn¡¯t just push Danny out of the way. Danny was a knight from a high-ss noble family. If things turned in the wrong direction, he could get pushed farther away from his goal.

    ¡°I hope you will understand our position as knights belonging to Karuwiman that we won¡¯t be able to simply return like this. Besides everything else, we have to interrogate the vigers.¡±

    Danny groaned. Like how Winstin had to consider the Steelwalls¡¯ position, Danny had to do the same for the Karuwimans. It was then that Zich intervened.

    ¡°Since a Bellid temple has been found nearby, we have to interrogate the vigers anyway. Plus, the best ones at finding that fish head¡¯s ves are the Karuwimans,¡± Zich said.

    ¡°Pffft!¡± The holy knights burst intoughter. It seemed they liked Zich¡¯s word choice of ¡®fish head¡¯. Then, Zich continued, ¡°However, it¡¯s true that the vigers belong to the Steelwall Estate. It should be required for Steelwalls¡¯ government officials to apany the holy knights during every interrogation. I¡¯m sure this isn¡¯t too much to ask from both sides since this is the way it¡¯smonly done in these types of situations.¡±

    The knights and holy knights all nodded, and the tense atmosphere between them lifted.

    ¡°Now, all that¡¯s left is this building.¡± Winstin knocked on the temple¡¯s walls. Heavy thumps rang across the surroundings eerily. ¡°Were the people from Steelwall going to destroy this structure themselves?¡±

    After some thought, Danny answered, ¡°I think it''s fine to let you do it.¡±

    They could let the holy knights do that, since they had asked for permission first. Danny watched the holy knights eagerly beat down and destroy the Bellid temple with a bitter smile on his face. He decided to leave the burrow since there was nothing more for him to do and there was dust flowing everywhere since the temple was torn down. He was about to order his men to retreat when one of his knights gave a suggestion.

    ¡°We should check the situation just in case something pops out. Moreover, I think we should also learn about the Bellids¡¯ temples to some degree. As dreadful rumors are circting around the area, there¡¯s no guarantee that no other temples would appear again.¡±

    Hearing this, Danny nodded. Then, he said to Zich, ¡°You can leave first, young master.¡±

    ¡°No, I want to also watch,¡± Zich replied. Then he took out some handkerchiefs from his magic box and handed them to the knights. He also got another one for himself and blocked his nose and mouth with it. The knights thanked Zich and also blocked their noses and lips.

    In the cloud of dust, stone bs were sliced and cracking noises rang across the area. As if the holy knights showed what it truly meant to shred something to pieces, the temple was turning into dust. The knights watched their demolishing process and were a bit fearful when they clearly witnessed how much the Karuwimans detested the Bellids. Yet, no matter how many negative feelings the Karuwimans felt, the demolition process would eventuallye to an end. Stone pebbles and dust settled down, and the holy knights stopped their work process. Then, all sounds were cut off.

    <i>Whoosh! </i>Zich swung his hand. His mana moved and formed a powerful wind. The dust clouds in the burrow simultaneously seeped out of it. His cloudy vision returned to normal, and although the dust flying in the wind didn¡¯tpletely disappear, it no longer obstructed their vision.

    ¡°Are you satisfied?¡±

    Winstin smiled at Zich¡¯s question. ¡°How could I ever be satisfied with something rting to stomping down the Bellids? If I could, I would like to devote every day to stomping those cursed bastards. However, since we have limited time here, we have to stop now.¡±

    It was an intense disy of tenacity against one enemy. Zich couldn¡¯t help but also be impressed. In the meantime, there were holy knights wandering around the temple¡¯s remains and searching for things they could use to attack the Bellids even more. Zich kicked the scraps on the ground into the air and let the dust fly. It seemed like most of them thought they did enough and were preparing to take their leave. It was then that one of the holy knights found something. He bent down and searched through the dust.

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    ¡°What is it?¡± the holy knight next to him asked.

    Zich and the Steelwall knights also looked toward the area from far away.

    ¡°It seems to be some kind of ripped paper. It¡¯s¡­!¡± The holy knight shouted loudly.

    ¡°An order with a stamped seal?¡±

    Everyone¡¯s attention went toward the object. Something moved.

 Chapter 456

    <h4>Chapter 456</h4>

    No one had predicted it. Everyone¡¯s attention went toward that ce because nobody thought that something would actually appear in a temple that they had alreadypletely broken down. Even Zich turned his focus to the area. Even if all their attention had been focused elsewhere, it didn¡¯t mean they wouldn¡¯t be able to respond to a sudden event, especially when everyone here had skills that the world recognized. Among them, Zich was especially talented.

    <i>Bam! </i>At the sudden explosion, people stopped focusing on the new object and turned their attention elsewhere.

    ¡°What are you doing?¡± Zich asked in a low, icy voice. His eyes shot toward a knight that was about to pull out a sword and jump out.

    ¡°Huh, uh? What¡­!¡± Danny yelled out in shock.

    The knight clicked his tongue, clutched his sword tightly, and roughly deflected Windur. Then, he stomped the ground and his body flew backward like an arrow. The knight¡¯s target was that holy knight who had just found something.

    ¡°Are you ignoring me?¡± Zich asked.

    Shivers went down the knight¡¯s back. Zich¡¯s words were full of bloodlust, and the knight¡¯s body moved before he could think. His body twirled and he swung his sword toward the back. Yet, his sword meaninglessly sliced the air, surprising himpletely.

    ¡°Just kneel for now.¡±

    <i>Crack!</i>

    ¡°Kkuurgh!¡± The knight felt a terrible pain in his shin and screamed. His vision was quickly blurred, but as expected of a trained knight, he stilled his body before hepletely copsed. Although his shin hurt severely, he gritted his teeth and endured the pain. Yet, it was all futile.

    ¡°I told you to kneel.¡±

    <i>Crack!</i>

    ¡°Kugh!¡±

    It was the other shin this time. In the end, the knight kneeled on the floor and nced at his legs while his handsy on the ground. His leg was extremely twisted in a direction that shouldn¡¯t be possible, but that wasn¡¯t all.<i></i>

    <i>Crunch!</i>

    ¡°Kuurrgh!¡± It was the hand this time. The knight¡¯s eyes were redirected to his hand where new pain bloomed. Blood flowed out of his newly pierced hand, and a sword that looked like a tree branch was stuck inside it. The tree branch looked as if it had bloomed using his flesh and blood as nutrients.

    ¡®Ah, I was¡­¡¯ The knight finally realized who had brought him to such a state. Only one person walked around with such a unique and strange-looking sword.

    ¡°Who were you again?¡± Zich crouched next to the knight with two twisted legs and one pierced hand. Then, he thought for a bit and said, ¡°I¡¯m sure I heard your name when we began. Well, it¡¯s okay since it¡¯s not important anyway.¡± Even though Zich might have been able to remember the knight¡¯s name if he thought harder, he decided to ignore it. It wasn¡¯t important after all.

    ¡°Why were you aiming for a Karuwiman holy knight?¡± Zich scowled.

    The knight¡¯s eyes rolled upward so much the white of his eyes reced his pupils, and foam filled his mouth as he trembled.

    <i>Thud! </i>Eventually, his body fell to the floor and rolled like a piece of trash. His convulsions worsened; anybody could tell that he wasn¡¯t in a normal state. Zich was about to ce his hand on the knight¡¯s body when the convulsions stopped. Not just the convulsions, but the knight¡¯s entire body stopped moving. Zich could no longer hear the knight¡¯s breath or heartbeat. Thus, he got up and pushed the dead knight with his feet, and the knight rolled weakly across the floor.

    ¡°¡­He¡¯s dead.¡± Zich clicked his tongue and hung Windur on his back.

    The sudden outburst was over, but the knights and holy knights who had pulled out their swords while Zich blocked the knight¡¯s dash didn¡¯t let down their guard. Thus, they were more astounded by Zich¡¯s calmness.

    ¡°Put your swords back. The situation is over,¡± Zich said.

    The knights wondered whether Zich had a mentality of steel or was just stupid. In any case, no matter what people thought of him, Zich continued to do as he pleased.

    ¡°Sir Chris Nunn, who is this guy?¡± Zich pointed at the now-dead knight.

    Danny sighed. He closed his eyes for a few seconds like he was tired. As the vice-captain of the Steel Spear Order of Knights, Danny was also a skilled fighter who had countless first-hand experiences in battles. He had also responded immediately when the knight on his team had suddenly acted out, but Zich had responded so quickly that he hadn''t been able to catch up. Thus, Danny caught onto what Zich was asking immediately.

    ¡°He¡¯s one of the members of the Steel Spear Order of Knights, but I don¡¯t know why he acted like that just now,¡± Danny responded. Then, he turned to his subordinates and asked, ¡°Is there anyone who knows why this bastard suddenly acted this way?¡±

    All his subordinates shook their heads and Danny scrunched up his nose. What happened just now wasn¡¯t something that he could pass over lightly. Although Danny hadn¡¯t been able to approach the knight because Zich had acted faster than him, it was also clear who the knight had aimed his sword at. The Karuwiman holy knights were also aware of this since they didn¡¯t withdraw their swords again to keep up their guard. Danny knew how dangerous it was to bring about conflict with the Karuwimans.

    ¡®But why in the world did this guy¡­!¡¯ Danny wanted to grab his subordinate¡ªno, ex-subordinate by the cor and question him.

    ¡°Can we assume that it wasn¡¯t all your guys¡¯ intention to ambush us?¡± Winstin asked coldly as he looked at them fiercely.

    Danny quickly answered, ¡°Of course! We also don¡¯t know why that bastard did that!¡±

    ¡°Hm!¡± The holy knights continued to look at them suspiciously but ced their swords down for now. Yet, they didn¡¯t sheathe their swords, and an awkward and tense atmosphere flowed between the two groups.

    However, Zich ?easily ignored this atmosphere and moved towards the holy knights. While both the Steelwall knights and holy knights had lowered their swords but didn¡¯t put their swords back into the scabbards, Zich swished towards them with nothing in his hand. The holy knights flinched; they wondered if they should stop him. If it was one of the Steelwall knights, they would have definitely stopped him from approaching them any closer. However, while Zich was Steelwall¡¯s coborator, he was also a Karuwiman holy knight. In the end, they had no choice but to allow Zich toe closer.

    Zich approached the holy knight who was holding what they found in the fragments left behind by the Bellid temple. ¡°Would I be able to take a closer look at that? It seemed as if that guy just now was targeting you.¡±

    The holy knight was unsure of what to do but eventually passed it onto Zich. He definitely said it was a decree with a seal. However, the size of the paper was small; it was probably a fragment of a ripped decree. Zich checked the piece of paper and his eyes slightly widened. Then, he smirked. ¡°This is funny.¡±

    Winstin asked, ¡°Sir, what is it?¡±

    ¡°Like this person said, it¡¯s a decree¡ªno, a part of a decree.¡±

    ¡°It must be a decree from the Bellids. Perhaps, is there anything important written on it?¡±

    Winstin¡¯s voice slightly went up in expectation because there might be something written on it that could help him increase his fame.

    ¡°No. Since most of it has been ripped apart, I don¡¯t know what the order was.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s disappointing.¡±

    ¡°However, I can pretty much clearly see the seal.¡±

    ¡°Would it be all right if I took a look?¡±

    Zich passed the piece of paper to Winstin. As Zich said, there were just some words, ¡®This is an order,¡¯ and a half-preserved seal. Since all of the details of the order had been ripped off, the only information they had was the seal. However, even this was an achievement.

    ¡°It¡¯s been damaged, but not to the extent that we can¡¯t recognize it. If we investigate this seal more, we might be able to catch traces of the Bellids.¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s no need for us to investigate. I know where that seal is from.¡±

    Winstin¡¯s expression brightened at Zich¡¯s words. ¡°Is that so? That¡¯s great news. Where is this seal from?¡±

    Zich nced at Greig and the Steelwall knight. Then, he said calmly, ¡°It¡¯s from Steelwall.¡±

    ¡°¡­What?¡± A crack appeared on Winstin¡¯s bright smile; it was the same for the others. A couple of others weren¡¯t sure if they heard properly, but most of the holy knight¡¯s heads nked out.

    However, Zich kindly enunciated each word and said again, ¡°I said it¡¯s from Steelwall. More specifically, the seal of Count Steelwall, the master of this estate. I¡¯m sure of it.¡±

    People fell into silence. However, this onlysted for a moment. Argemotion soon swept across the people.

    * * *

    Count Steelwall was sitting with a deep frown. The expensive table he used to do his official work was shattered into two and sprawled in front of him. Even though the ink bottle had fallen to a corner of the room and stained the wall, Count Steelwall paid no attention to it. This was also true for Trell.

    Trell would have nagged at the Count to keep his noble manners, but he kept his mouth tightly shut. When the ink bottle had fallen on the floor, the ink had slightly sttered on his clothes, but he paid no mind to it.

    ¡°¡­Another one appeared?¡±

    ¡°Yes, sir,¡± Trell replied calmly, like usual.

    However, the Count, who had worked with him for many years, heard the slight tremble in Trell¡¯s voice.

    ¡°Where is it this time?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a vige in an area called Shanas.¡±

    The Count bent his waist and grabbed his desk shattered into two.

    <i>Crash!</i> The already shattered desk was roughly thrown to the side. The Count grabbed a map from the dust and debris that the desk used to be. He wiped off the dust and spread the map.

    ¡°Where is it?¡±

    ¡°Sir, here.¡± Trell grabbed a broken feather pen that was crushed under the debris and spread one side of the map. He then drew a circle on one side. The Countughed in futility; anyone could see that he wasn¡¯tughing out of joy.

    ¡°It¡¯s really spreading all over the estate like a parasite.¡± Other than the circles that Trell made, there were numerous circles drawn all over the map. The circles indicated all the ces where they found Bellid temples in. Bellid was the enemy of the whole world. Even though the Bellids had their bases all over the world, they had never imagined that they would have built so many temples on the estate. This problem was no longer a mere threat, but a catastrophe that tainted the Count¡¯s honor and threw it with heaps of trash.

    ¡°What about the Karuwiman folks?¡±

    ¡°They¡¯re in the same state. They¡¯re digging up everywhere to try to find every single Bellid temple here.¡±

    No matter how much the Karuwiman were respected, they couldn¡¯t search all-around a noble¡¯s estate so frantically like this. They also needed to respect a noble¡¯s authority. However, it was apletely different story when so many Bellid temples appeared in an estate like this.

    ¡°Moreover, they sent an official request to ask more holy knights to be sent here.¡±

    ¡°¡­The state of the matter here is a disaster.¡± The Count gritted his teeth. However, there was something more important than this. Even the Count faltered a bit when he asked his next question; it was a matter that even as an iron fortress of the Kingdom, he was careful about. ¡°¡­How are people viewing us?¡±

    Trell sighed and replied, ¡°They are bing more and more suspicious of us.¡±

 Chapter 457

    <h4>Chapter 457</h4>

    The Count was in great danger. Rumors that they had thought were meaningless gossip were being proven true one by one. Now, people¡¯s trust in these rumors was iparable to the time when they had just started to spread, and among the rumors surrounding the existence of a Bellid temple, the most critical rumor to the Count by far was the rumor that he was a Bellid follower himself.

    When people had first heard these rumors, they had thought they were too ridiculous to be taken seriously and dismissed them instantly. Now, after many new findings, they were at a point where they couldn¡¯t simply ignore these rumors anymore. In several Bellid temples at the estate, evidence showed that Count Steelwall had a close connection to the ce; the decree with the Steelwall stamp that Danny brought was one such piece of evidence. However, even this could be said to have been fabricated to frame the Count, and what truly cornered the Count was another matter.

    ¡°How did the investigation on the knights go?¡± the Count asked with a slightly indignant and tired voice. As expected, the Count was enraged by the situation. As a person overseeing a border state and enforcing his kingdom¡¯s safety, he ced the utmost importance on his estate¡¯s military might. The knights were central to this military might, but they were currently the ones who suspected the Count the most.

    Whenever a Bellid temple was found, the Count sent a team of knights to the location. A majority of the temples werepletely empty, so there was no reason for them to be injured. Yet, whenever these knights were dispatched, some died or came back with injuries. The cause of this was their fellow knights. These knights caused havoc whenever evidence that revealed a connection between the Bellids and Count Steelwall was found. Thus, many knights died, not expecting theirpanion knights to swing their swords at them. Although a Steelwall knight had died to arade rather than an enemy, it wasn¡¯t as big of a problem as the fact that some of these knights had attacked the Karuwiman holy knights.

    After rumors involving the Bellids were spread, the Karuwimans had been keeping a close eye on the situation. They had sent their own holy knights to investigate the temples and met Steelwall knights in these searches. In most cases, the Steelwall knights and holy knights coborated to search the Bellid temples.

    The enemy of their enemies were an ally. Furthermore, since there were many faithful Karuwiman believers among the knights, there was no reason for them to deter the holy knights from joining them. Above all, the holy knights were experts regarding the Bellids. Yet, in these investigations, there were instances of the Steelwall knights suddenly trying to ambush the holy knights. Of course, the holy knights and their fellow Steelwall knights tried to catch these ambushers every time this happened. However, the ambushers all died with their eyes rolled back. It was suicide. Even if something like this happened once, it would warrant suspicions against the Count. But cases like this happened several times and resulted in the death of a few holy knights. Naturally, suspicions against the Steelwalls deepened.

    The Steelwall Estate flipped over from these incidents and the Count immediately ordered an investigation of all his knights. Normally, the knights would haveined that even the Count couldn¡¯t trust them, but this time, they kept their mouths closed and obediently followed through with the search.

    ¡°We found a total of 57 Bellid believers.¡±

    ¡°¡­What?¡± the Count asked in disbelief. Due to the recent incidents, he had expected to find some suspicious people, but he hadn¡¯t expected such arge number of them to pop out. Trell continued his report calmly even as the Count looked shell-shocked.

    ¡°We also found evidence of Bellids in the ambushers¡¯ houses. It¡¯s highly likely those guys were also Bellid believers.¡±

    <i>Bam!</i> The Count stamped his feet hard. His feet dug into the ground and caused the mansion to vibrate. Trell wanted to restrain the Count, worried that the building might crumble, but knowing his words could inme the Count¡¯s rage even more, he kept his mouth shut.

    ¡°What have you been doing while these damn guys were crawling all over into our estate!¡± The Count¡¯s loud voice rang across the room. Trell wanted to press his hands against his ears to block the voice, but he couldn¡¯t do so in front of his lord. Fortunately, the Count didn¡¯t shout any longer, but his fiery eyes indicated that his anger hadn¡¯t quelled yet.

    ¡°Search other people in this estate thoroughly too! The vassals, servants, soldiers¡ªall of them! Search anyone rted to our family!¡±

    ¡°Yes! I will ask for the Karuwimans¡¯ help in this matter!¡±

    Like that, the Count began to act against the gigantic chaos nketing his estate. Yet, he and Trell didn¡¯t know that this chaos was just the beginning.

    * * *

    <i>Baaaaaang! </i>Another Bellid temple crumbled. Clouds of dust began to rise out of the ground and the Bellids¡¯ dirty fish-head statue disappeared inside it. Since the temple was deep inside a forest this time, and there were no coverings in the surroundings unlike the time at the cave, the clouds of dust didn¡¯t collect around the site. Instead, the dust quickly flew away in the air.

    ¡°Snoc. Lift the remains and see if there¡¯s anything there.¡±

    ¡°Yes, sir!¡± At Zich¡¯smand, Snoc used his powers.

    <i>Sssssssh!</i> The temple¡¯s remains rose to the air and scattered. People looked at these hovering remains intently, and Snoc broke down some bigger lumps at Zich¡¯smand. Yet, nothing caught their eyes.

    ¡°That¡¯s enough.¡±

    Temple remains fell to the ground again.

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t seem like there¡¯s anything here.¡±

    ¡°I also think that seems to be the case,¡± Danny said while rubbing his eyes. He had looked piercingly at these remains to see if there was any evidence that could go against the Count. Fortunately, there didn¡¯t seem to be anything, but of course, it didn¡¯t mean that the situation became better simply because nothing came up now.

    Dannyined, ¡°How in the world are there so many Bellid temples here?¡±

    ¡°Seeing the number of temples, those cockroach bastards must haveid their eggs in the Steelwall Estate. Wouldn¡¯t that exin the situation?¡±

    ¡°Yes, it can¡¯t be helped since they¡¯re cockroaches.¡± Danny chuckled as he found Zich¡¯s words refreshing. However, hisughter didn¡¯tst long, and he let out a deep sigh. ¡°We¡¯re in a dilemma because of those cockroach bastards. The estates around us are clearly trying to put a distance between us, and the royals seem to be heavily criticizing Count Steelwall.¡±

    ¡°Well, since cockroaches are popping out with every investigation, it means that the house owner hasn¡¯t been properly managing his property. It¡¯s understandable that he¡¯s getting criticized.¡±

    ¡°Uhm.¡± Danny couldn¡¯t agree with Zich who was insulting the Count with great enthusiasm; Count Steelwall was still his lord whom he swore loyalty to. Moreover, he knew how much the Count was suffering right now.

    ¡°Were there viges nearby?¡±

    ¡°There is a vige nearby, but they don¡¯t seem to be rted to the Bellids.¡± Like Danny said, the people they found near the temples were unrted to the Bellids.

    ¡°You¡¯ll still have to question them.¡±

    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s true.¡± However, it didn¡¯t seem as if it¡¯d produce any meaningful results. After destroying the Bellid temple, they were going down when¡ª

    ¡°Someone¡¯sing up,¡± Zich said while looking down the mountain.

    Danny wasn¡¯t surprised this time and looked towards the area that Zich was staring at. ¡°Are they the Karuwiman holy knights?¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s a high possibility that they are, since it seems like they¡¯re extremely skilled.¡±

    Like Zich said, the people who climbed up the mountain while moving through the bushes were Karuwiman holy knights. They saw Zich and hispanions and narrowed their eyes because they noticed that they were Steelwall knights.

    Danny clicked his tongue. The holy knights hadn¡¯t shown such a harsh reaction before. Since they were in the Steelwall Estate, it was unbelievable that the holy knights would narrow their eyes and frown while looking at the Steelwall knights. However, Danny couldn¡¯tin because their reaction was only natural considering the estate¡¯s current state. The Steelwall knights swallowed their humiliation. On the other hand, Zich¡¯s mind waspletely focused on another matter.

    ¡®That bastard.¡¯ A familiar face stood in front of the Karuwiman holy knights. ¡°We meet again.¡± Zich took a step forward and put his hand out.

    The other person also recognized Zich. He grabbed Zich¡¯s hand and greeted him back. ¡°I had no idea that I¡¯d meet Mr. Zich here.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s the same for me, Mr. Zenard.¡±

    The person in front of him was no other than Glen Zenard. Both of them were continuing their acts. They acted like they didn¡¯t want to see each other but were somewhat close. Their acting was so perfect that the surrounding knights and holy knights couldn''t see what their rtionship was like from a nce. Even though they were both acting, L shook her head as if she was looking at something horrific.

    ¡°Mr. Zich, did you alsoe here to check on the Bellid temple?¡±

    ¡°Yes. It seems as if you and the holy knights are also here for the same reason.¡±

    ¡°Of course. As a Karuwiman Honorary Knight, I can¡¯t just stand by idly when ites to the Bellids.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s a very noble thought. However, we destroyed all the temples here already.¡±

    ¡°Is that so? As expected of you, Mr. Zich. Would it be all right for us to check one more time? It¡¯s necessary to check thoroughly for such an important matter like this.¡±

    Danny¡¯s eyebrow twitched. The other knight¡¯s expressions weren¡¯t great either. Even though Glen spoke politely, he was directly telling them that he didn¡¯t trust them.

    However, Zich calmly nodded. ¡°Of course. You can take as much time as you want to check. It¡¯s not difficult to find the location, since fragments from the temples have changed into dust and are scattered around where the temple used to be.¡±

    Zich called out to his otherpanions to go down the mountain, but a holy knight blocked their path. Zich asked, ¡°What is it?¡±

    ¡°Excuse me, but have you found anything inside the temple?¡±

    Zich smirked. On the other hand, the Steelwall knights¡¯ expressions worsened because they knew what the holy knight was really asking. He was asking if Zich found evidence of the close rtionship between the Steelwalls and Bellid as found in the other Bellid temples. If they took it one step further, the holy knight was asking if he was perhaps hiding evidence of the connection between the Steelwalls and Bellid. How could he say such a degradingment in front of the Steelwall knights at the Steelwall Estate? The holy knight wouldn¡¯t easily withdraw either, since no one hated the Bellids more than them.

    ¡°We found nothing of that sort.¡±

    ¡°Are you sure?¡±

    Zich showed his honorary knight brooch to the holy knight, and the holy knight was shocked. Zich asked, ¡°Perhaps, do you still think I¡¯m lying to you about the Bellids?¡±

    ¡°P-please forgive my impudence!¡± The holy knight apologized with apletely different attitude from before.

    ¡°If you¡¯re suspicious of me, please go and ask Mr. Zenard. We know each other.¡±

    ¡°Not at all, sir! This is enough for me to trust you!¡±

    ¡°Then, we¡¯ll go on our way.¡± Zich and hispanions passed the holy knights and moved down the mountain.

    Danny moved next to Zich and said, ¡°Pweh! Thanks to you, young master, we were able to get through that peacefully. If you weren¡¯t here, a fight might have broken out.¡± His eyes were full of gratitude and trust. It was the same for the other knights. Greig was also still being dragged around by Zich, and he looked at Zich¡¯s back with fresh eyes.

    ¡°Since I received this status from the Karuwimans, I should use it when I can.¡±

    While conversing with Danny like this, Zich thought about Glen. ¡®That bastard came all the way here. Perhaps, was Steelwall Estate¡¯s copse rted to him as well?¡¯

    If this was true, there was only one way for Zich to respond. ¡®I¡¯m going to stop him.¡¯

 Chapter 458

    <h4>Chapter 458</h4>

    Although Zich had been helping Steelwall catch the Bellids, he hadn''t been going out of his way to prevent Steelwall¡¯s fall. All he had done was participate in the destruction of the Bellid temples and treat Greig. If Steelwall was threatened or attacked by another country or estate because of the suspicions they attracted, he had no ns of intervening. Yet, the story changed if the attacker was Glen Zenard.

    Fortunately for Count Steelwall, Zich had a better image of him aspared to Glen Zenard. No, to be more specific, there was no existence that Zich hated more than Glen Zenard, except Zich Brave. It was evident to Zich that the Steelwall Estate had been swallowed up into some kind of gigantic scheme, and he had been wondering if he should involve himself more deeply. Now, with Glen Zenard¡¯s appearance, there was no need for him to wonder anymore.

    ¡®Of course, I have to intervene,¡¯ Zich thought, pondering on why Glen was aiming for the Steelwall Estate. He thought of one possible reason. ¡®Is it because it¡¯s my birth ce?¡¯

    There could be other reasons too, but Zich felt a strong sense of certainty that his guess was right. Then, he began to wonder exactly how much interest Glen had in him; at this point, it clearly looked like an obsession.

    This was all meaningless, anyway. Whether Glen was obsessed with him, loathed him, or was enraged by his existence, the most important thing was Zich¡¯s own feelings.

    ¡®How should I crush him this time?¡¯

    Unlike others, who moved heavily because of the serious atmosphere, Zich¡¯s footsteps appeared to be very light.

    * * *

    ¡°Did you say Glen Zenard?¡± L asked in surprise.

    ¡°Yeah. There¡¯s a very high possibility it¡¯s him. Nah, I¡¯m sure it¡¯s him.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s him again.¡± L clicked her tongue. ¡°But why is he aiming for the Steelwall Estate? Is it because it¡¯s your birthce?¡±

    As expected, L had reached the same conclusion as Zich.

    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t that be the most likely exnation?¡±

    ¡°My god! Is that guy actually in love with you or something?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t say something so terrifying.¡± Zich¡¯s body shuddered.

    ¡°Well, I don¡¯t want my love rival to be that guy either.¡±

    ¡°That is one of the top three horrifying things I¡¯ve ever heard in my life.¡± If Hans or Snoc had said such words instead of L, Zich would have tormented them and wouldn¡¯t have let them get proper sleep for at least a year.

    ¡°Do you have any proof of your hypothesis?¡±

    ¡°Of course. Everything makes sense if Glen Zenard is involved.¡± Then, Zich began to exin things one by one. ¡°One of the biggest reasons why the Steelwall Estate is being suspected is because they are revealing the Count¡¯s knights as Bellid followers.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not just the knights though.¡± Not just the knights, but plenty of vassals, regr servants, and so on were being revealed as Bellid followers inside the estate.

    ¡°People are suspicious whether or not the Count really didn¡¯t notice anything when the Bellids had so deeply seeped into the estate. I can understand their sentiments too.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I mean it¡¯s not like whoever the Bellids interact with bes a Bellid follower. If they had such an ability, the whole world would be in their hands. Some people must have refused the conversion for sure. No, considering the ratio, there probably should have been more people who resisted. Then, naturally, the Count should have noticed what was going on, and the knights who refused the conversion would have also reported to the Count. Upon hearing that the Bellids wereying their roots inside his ce, the Count should¡¯ve flipped his estate upside down to massacre or chase away all the Bellids like he¡¯s doing now.¡±

    The fact that the Count hadn¡¯t realized that the Bellids were spreading so much influence within his estate meant that the Bellids never failed in their conversion or that the Count had purposefully helped the Bellids.

    ¡°It really does look suspicious.¡±

    ¡°Yes. Anybody can see that thetter has a higher possibility than the former. No, in terms of possibilities, the former would seem practically impossible.¡±

    ¡°You think the former has the higher possibility, right?¡±

    ¡°Yes, since the county¡¯s enemy probably has the <i>great</i> hero bastard by their side,¡± Zich said cynically in a voice without a hint of admiration. ¡°You can see how Glen is connected to the Bellids just by the Pyramid of Vengeful Souls. If that guy is involved, I can ept the unbelievable 100% conversion rate.¡±

    ¡°Yes, because he would have some contacts who would be able to convert people into Bellid followers with his regression ability.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not all. Even a person who would never convert could be corrupted with knowledge from the future. I am the greatest example of such a case.¡± Then, unlike his usual self, Zich hesitated and spat out carefully, ¡°You know¡­ since I used to be¡­what do you call it¡­? A considerably <i>just </i>guy.¡±

    ¡°You mean hero Zich Brave, right?¡±

    ¡°Ah, damn it!¡± Zich¡¯s body shuddered at L¡¯s voice with a hint ofughter. These words gave him goosebumps and caused his skin to crawl every time he heard them.

    ¡°Yeah, hero Zich Brave! They managed to change even a guy like that, so converting people to be Bellu followers would not be that difficult.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sure it wasn¡¯t easy either.¡± If they considered how many Bellid followers and structures they found, they could clearly see how much effort and time their enemies had ced into this scheme.

    Then, L asked, ¡°So is that guy nning to use the Karuwimans to cause Steelwall¡¯s fall?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s probably not the case.¡± Zich recalled the time before the regression. ¡°Before my regression, Steelwall waspletely wiped off. Not even the family members of the servants who worked there survived. Even if the Karuwimans tend to respond to the Bellids with utmost thoroughness, they don¡¯t go that far. I¡¯m sure the Karuwimans attacked Steelwall, but there must be another group who attacked Steelwall then.¡±

    ¡°You must have a suspect in mind. Who is it?¡±

    ¡°My mother¡¯s family.¡±

    L recalled the information she heard about Zich recently. ¡°The ud Estate?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. Those guys came here recently, right? They came with the ridiculous reason that they were worried about me. I thought that it was because they wanted to try making me the next sessor and use their influence through me, but it might have been to judge the Steelwall Estate¡¯s current condition.¡±

    ¡°Wait, so you¡¯re telling me that the ud family is the one causing this chaos?¡±

    ¡°Probably.¡± If Zich¡¯s words were true, it would cause argemotion.

    ¡°Then, that must mean the ud family is connected to the Bellids in some way¡­¡±

    ¡°Yeah. So we have to find evidence for that. If a war breaks out, it¡¯ll be pretty fun, since both Steelwall and ud will use each other of being Bellid followers and fight each other.¡± Zich chuckled.

    ¡°Are you seriouslyughing about the fact that your father¡¯s family and your mother¡¯s family might be on the brink of war?¡±

    ¡°Whether it¡¯s my father¡¯s side or my mother¡¯s side, I detest both sides. Well, at least my father¡¯s side is a bit better, so I guess I¡¯ll side with them. No, since that hero idiot is clearly on the ud family¡¯s side, it¡¯s meaningless to talk about which side is better.¡± If Glen had sided with Steelwall, Zich would have sided with ud with zero hesitation.

    Zich continued, ¡°Anyway, if it¡¯s true that the ud family coborated with the Bellids and caused this wholemotion, it¡¯s obvious what their goal is. First, they¡¯re going to make it seem as if the Steelwall family is connected to the Bellids andpletely iste them. If they¡¯re rted to the Bellids, even the Cronon King can¡¯t easily help them out. When the Steelwall Estate is thoroughly isted, the ud family will dere a war against them by saying that they can¡¯t forgive the Steelwall family for being Bellid supporters.¡±

    ¡°So they n to act like a salvation army.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, an extremely dirty and corrupt salvation army.¡±

    ¡°Even then, will the Cronon King and the surrounding estates standby when an estate from a foreign country brings their army and invades an estate from their kingdom?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s when the great and noble Sir Glen Zenard wille in.¡±

    ¡°Ah, I guess they¡¯ll force their way in as Karuwiman coborators.¡±

    ¡°Yeah. No matter how great the Karuwimans are, it would be too much pressure for them to fight against the Steelwall Estate by themselves. So, Glen Zenard would step in and connect the ud Estate and the Karuwimans. Then, his n will beplete. Since the ud Estate is invading the Steelwall Estate for a perfect reason and the Karuwimans are on their side, even the Cronon Kingdom can¡¯t easily step in. The ud estate would be able to eat up the Steelwall Estate, the Karuwimans would be able to raid the Bellids¡¯ base, and Glen Zenard would be able to destroy my hometown. It¡¯s really a perfect n that they would all be happy about,¡± Zich said with mockery mixed in with his voice.

    <i>m!</i> Dirt flew into the air and fell down on a pile of dirt. Since he had already dug a great amount of dirt, the pile was extremely high. Zich strongly pushed the shovel into the ground. Under Zich¡¯s hand, the shovel all-too-easily pierced into the tough earth. Another clump of dirt flew into the air. The ce where Zich and L were conversing was the area that Windur had pointed at in the past. It was the location of Clowon¡¯s ruins, and Zich was currently working hard to find the ruin.

    ¡°If Snoc was here, it would have been easier,¡± L said as she sat next to therge and deep hole that Zich had made.

    ¡°It can¡¯t be helped, since that punk is too busy going out and ying with Elena these days.¡±

    ¡°What? You¡¯re surprisingly easygoing about him ying around.¡±

    ¡°No matter how much of a piece of trash I am, I¡¯m not so trashy that I¡¯d force a young guy to work when he¡¯s trying to date someone.¡±

    ¡°A young guy? You talk like a grandpa.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, tell me about it. Even if I add up my age before my regression, I¡¯m still not that old. If I want to hear that I¡¯m old, I should at least be as old as you¡­¡±

    L shot out a small lightning bolt while Zich quickly swung his shovel and blocked it.

    ¡°Stop saying nonsense.¡±

    When L shook her fist, Zich let out a bigugh and began shoveling again.

    ¡°Is it okay to start digging already? Don¡¯t we have to go to the ruin after you finish treating your brother?¡±

    ¡°I already got permission.¡±

    ¡°The treatment isn¡¯t over yet, right?¡±

    ¡°No, but the Count can¡¯t refuse any of my requests now.¡± Evidence of Steelwall¡¯s connection with the Bellids were popping up all over the estate. While this was happening, Zich¡¯s existence was the same as rain in a drought to them. To be more exact, Zich¡¯s status as a Karuwiman Honorary Knight was extremely helpful to them. ¡°After I told him that I¡¯ll continue helping as a Karuwiman Honorary Knight, he immediately gave his permission.¡±

    ¡°The Count must be extremely desperate right now.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, he sure is.¡± Since his estate was on the brink of ruin and the Steelwall family might copse with one wrong move, there was no way he wouldn¡¯t be desperate.

    ¡°You must be in a hurry because of the tree, right?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. If a war breaks out, I need more power.¡± No matter how intense the war got, if Zich regained all of his mana, the chances of him losing would be slim, since he would literally be themander of a one-man army. ¡°I¡¯m not sure if the tree would be here.¡±

    L nodded her head in agreement. ¡°I also think the same.¡±

    The only tree left was the original World Tree. If the World Tree was here, there was a high possibility that the Brushel System was here. However, the Brushel System was also probably controlled by the mastermind.

    ¡°No matter how I think about it, this doesn¡¯t seem like the ce where the mastermind would be. Well, it¡¯s fine.¡± Zich stopped overthinking. ¡°I¡¯ll check with my own eyes.¡±

    A metal door appeared beneath the dirt that Zich was standing on.

 Chapter 459

    <h4>Chapter 459</h4>

    L¡¯s body floated in the air and went down into the pit. It was very deep, and it was understandable why the Count hadn¡¯t noticed the ruins¡¯ existence even though they were under the very building he lived in.

    ¡°Should we wait until the otherse?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s fine. Let¡¯s just quickly finish the job by ourselves.¡± Zich kicked the dirt covering the metal door, and the shape of the door became more and more visible. Like the entrance of other ruins, there was a groove at the center, and Zich stuck Windur into it.

    <i>ck! </i>As Zich twisted Windur around, the door made a clicking sound and slowly opened. A staircase that led to the basement came into view.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Zich stepped onto the staircase first and L looked up to the top of the pit.

    ¡°Can we just leave the pit exposed like this? What if other people see this ruin?¡±

    ¡°I requested the Count to prevent people froming near this ce for now. I don¡¯t think we have to worry, since he keeps promises like the traditional man he is. Besides, what can people do after seeing this? They will just learn that a ruin exists below the Steelwall Estate and the matter will end like that.¡± Then, Zich tapped his shoulder with Windur to emphasize his point. ¡°It¡¯s not like they cane in without this guy.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s true.¡± L nodded and went through the door. When the two went down the staircase and reached a certain level, the door automatically closed and cut off the connection with the outside. The staircase spiraled downwards, and it wasn¡¯t hard for them to see in front as there were stones that emitted light stuck on both sides of the wall. It seemed clear that the ruins¡¯ functions were still alive.

    The staircase wasn¡¯t that long, and after they reached the end of the stairs, they saw several stone tes hovering in the air and tunnels leading to the basement. Zich raised his head and checked the other end of the tunnel. It appeared to be considerably long, considering that he couldn¡¯t properly see the end. Then, Zich turned his attention to the hovering stone tes.

    ¡°Do we have to go down while riding on those things?¡±

    After studying these stone tes, L nodded. ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s probably right.¡± Then, she climbed on top of one of them. Then, she asked Zich, ¡°What are you doing? Get on.¡±

    ¡°Are you able to move it?¡±

    ¡°Probably?¡± she answered.

    Zich got on top of the stone te. At the center of the stone te, there was a square pir as tall as the lower half of a human body. L nced at the top of this pir and lightly pressed on it.

    <i>Wiing!</i> Zich felt mana pour into the stone te, and the stone te began to move slowly toward one of the tunnels.

    ¡°How did you manage to move it?¡±

    ¡°They have the instructions to start it here.¡± L pointed at the small bits of writing at the top part of the pir. They were probably Clowon¡¯s writings. It seemed like L could now fluently read simple messages like this without any trouble after continually researching Clowon¡¯s typography. The tunnel continued for a long distance¡ªthe te first slid down a long slope, then the ground eventually returned to horizontal. Like that, the two moved along the tunnel for a long time.

    ¡°I think we are outside the Steelwall Estate now. What do you think?¡±

    ¡°Way beyond it. We probably are out of Violsa now.¡±

    Finally, after a long wait, Zich and L moved out of the tunnel and entered a new space. The ceiling was so high that they had to arch their necks backwardpletely to see it, and they barely made out the floor beneath them. The stone te continued to move while hovering in the air.

    Zich and L¡¯s focus shot toward the direction the stone te was heading. There was an object in the distance that looked like a gemstone. From all sides of its multi-faceted surface, it reflected mana lighting from the ceiling, appearing like a diamond or a crystal. As it separated the light shining on its surface and scattered it everywhere, it was beautiful enough to make even the coldest soul stare in wonder.

    One could think that this object was a precious gem that Clowon had ced here. However, it also had another characteristic: it was very big. The gem was bigger than most castles, and the beauty of it,bined with its sheer size, was enough to make viewers¡¯ minds go nk from its overwhelming magnificence.

    ¡°The scale those Clowon guys operate on is something else entirely,¡± Zich said in a mocking tone. ¡°It must not be a diamond, right?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, it appears to be a crystal.¡±

    Zich wondered how much value that rock would have if it was a diamond. No, even if it was a random crystal, it would have an astronomical value. There was a circr ring around the crystal, and the stone te stopped in front of it. The two climbed over the ring, and from closer up, the crystal appeared to be even more impressive. They felt the mana directlying out of the crystal, and the structure appeared to be even more special considering that it was in a Clowon ruin. Then, Zich and L walked onep around the ring and studied their surroundings.

    ¡°There are no trees.¡± All the clones of the World Tree they had seen before were in the shape of a tree, even though they had truly unique characteristics. In this space, however, they couldn¡¯t find anything that could be considered a tree or even resemble it.

    ¡°This can¡¯t be the tree, right?¡± Zich asked while looking up at the crystal.

    ¡°No way. Even if the World Tree¡¯s clones are special, I doubt they would take such an unusual shape.¡± L disagreed.

    The ring was generally circr in shape, but it protruded in two ces. One ce was the area where the stone te which Zich and L had been riding on stopped and seemed to be a stop station. The other protruding spot was located inside of the ring and stretched toward the crystal. This spot was full of devices with unclear functions.

    ¡°This must be the equipment to suppress the ruin, right?¡±

    .

    ¡°Probably.¡± L scanned the device. ¡°It doesn¡¯t seem like it¡¯s broken.¡± However, it was the same as broken if they didn¡¯t know how to use it. While L inspected every inch of the equipment to find instructions for it¡ª

    <i>Bamm!</i> Arge sound rang in the space.

    ¡°Kyaah!¡± The ring vibrated, and L¡¯s body shook. Zich immediately grabbed her arms and supported her. He felt an enormous amount of mana sprout out from its surface. The two of them quickly moved to the edge of the ring and looked down.

    <i>Thuuud!</i> The sight in front of them was spectacr. It looked like a fairy¡¯s whimsical dance on one hand, and despair scattered at doom¡¯s day on the other hand. The floor they saw before was shrouded in darkness, no longer visible. Instead of the ground, the sight of red, blue, green, and brown colors colliding and shattering against each other came into view.

    ¡®It¡¯s mana.¡¯ It was an amazing sight. Although mana was normally invisible, it was hard to believe that one could see it so visibly. How dense was the mana?

    ¡®Is it red for fire mana, blue for water mana, green for wind mana, and brown for earth mana?¡¯ Mana with different properties showed different and distinct colors. They collided against each other as if they were fighting for space. When the red mana approached the blue mana, its strength significantly decreased, and when it approached the green mana, it increased in strength. This was not strange considering the nature of their properties. On the other hand, something else caught Zich and L¡¯s attention.

    ¡°The mana feels familiar,¡± L murmured. The mana swirling below them felt familiar. ¡°Is that mana from the World Tree¡¯s clones?¡±

    They sensed all the mana they felt from the trees they had seen so far. L pushed her face slightly further out of the ring. ¡°It seems as if the mana from the World Tree¡¯s clones spread out all over the world is gathered here.¡±

    ¡°Then, is this like a magic reservoir for mana?¡±

    <i>Kuoooohhhh! </i>The mana breaking apart and increasing in size began slowly spinning around the crystal sphere. It wrapped around the strong pirs reinforcing the crystal sphere and climbed up. Then, the crystal absorbed the mana. Zich and L saw multi-colored mana fill the crystal like paint dripping into transparent water. The mana strands inside the crystal began mixing with each other and eventually lost their original colors. Soon, the four different colorspletely disappeared, and only white mana was left in the crystal.

    The crystal let out light. It wasn¡¯t the same beautiful light surrounding the crystal anymore. It was intense like the sun, and the mana inside the crystal began rising up again. It wrapped around another pir connecting therge crystal and ceiling and began climbing again. After a while¡ª

    <i>sh!</i> The mana let out a bright light and swept to one side; in an instant, it was absorbed into the wall without leaving a trace. The only thing left was the faintly visible ground and the light-reflecting crystal. They could no longer see the mana from the World Tree¡¯s clones.

    ¡°It seems like it¡¯s over.¡± Zich had been holding onto L to protect her from an unknown danger, but he let go of her arm.

    ¡°Oh my, I don¡¯t mind if you keep holding onto me.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s too cumbersome.¡±

    ¡°Well, I¡¯ll do it then.¡± L put her arms around Zich, and he didn¡¯t push her away. Then, Zich nced down.

    ¡°We just saw something quite interesting.¡±

    ¡°Yeah. It would be very hard to see a sight like this anywhere in the world.¡±

    ¡°What do you think it is?¡±

    ¡°Hmm. We have too little information to make a final decision by just seeing that. If I make a prediction¡­¡± L slightly tapped her chin with her thumb. ¡°Don¡¯t you think it might be the energy maintaining the Brushel System?¡±

    Zich also had the same thoughts as L. ¡°Then, the direction that the white mana headed towards must be where the Brushel System is, right?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I think so too.¡±

    ¡°The original World Tree would be there as well.¡± Zich and L stared at the wall that the white mana had disappeared off to. Zich smirked. ¡°It seems as if we¡¯ve finally found ourst goal.¡±

    ¡°Control your expression, Zich. If the other kids see you right now, they¡¯ll not only burst out crying but they¡¯d all freak out.¡± Zich¡¯s expression was so terrifying that L almost instinctively let go of Zich¡¯s arm. However, considering that he snorted, he definitely had no intentions of listening to L¡¯s words.

    ¡°To change the subject¡ª¡± Zich moved his gaze away from the wall and turned his body around. The enormous crystal came into view. Since they were near the crystal, he couldn¡¯t even see the whole shape. However, the size of the crystal was of no importance to Zich.

    ¡°L, did you perhaps see what happened when the crystal let out white mana?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. You¡¯re talking about the shadows reflected inside the crystal, right?¡±

    When the white mana left the crystal, they saw some type of shadow inside. Zich put more strength into his eyes and intently stared at the crystal. After finding out that there might be something inside the crystal, it seemed as if he could really see something that seemed like a shadow inside the crystal.

    Zich asked, ¡°Then, what do you think it is?¡±

    ¡°I could barely see it, so I¡¯m not sure. But if I have to say it¡­¡± L recalled the shape again¡ªit was a shadow among the bright light inside the crystal. It had an enormous body with folded wings and a long tail. There were even horns on top of its head. L had never seen it in real life, so she couldn¡¯t be sure, but there was one existence that came to her mind. ¡°It looked like a dragon.¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡± Zich stared at the crystal with sharp eyes. ¡°I think so too.¡±

 Chapter 460

    <h4>Chapter 460</h4>

    No one had seen a dragon in real life. It was the same for other species who lived much longer than humans, and it wasn¡¯t because dragons lived in the backcountry or were in hiding. Dragons simply no longer existed in this world. Yet, everyone knew about their existence. Although most only had an abstract idea of a dragon¡¯s appearance, they could clearly imagine one.

    A dragon was generally shaped like a lizard, but it had bat-like wings andrge horns on top of its head. However, its most noticeable characteristic was its size. It was simply enormous,parable to most small mountains, and it was as strong as it wasrge. It overflowed with mana, had an overbearing physique, and could burn down a vige with one breath. Surprisingly, dragons could even use magic. In short, dragons were beings that could erase an entire country by themselves.

    With just descriptions alone, one could fathom the power of a dragon as a strong monster. No, it was questionable whether or not people could even call these beings monsters. ording to the way many families engraved dragons onto their symbols, one could easily tell what people thought of these creatures. However, because of how long ago dragons lived, plenty of people doubted whether dragons had even existed in the first ce.

    ¡®I mean, even the elf whopared my mana supply to a dragon¡¯s was just projecting.¡¯ However, the elf wasn¡¯t makingpletely baseless ims, since she was a schr who had looked through the elves'' many ancient records.

    If one asked Zich what he thought about these dragons that were now legends, he would say he didn¡¯t think much about them. Whether or not dragons really existed or were strong or weak beings, they werepletely unrted to him. However, this all changed if one appeared right in front of him.

    ¡°Is it really a dragon?¡± L asked as she stood on the farthest edge of the ring to have the closest look at the crystal.

    ¡°It¡¯s definitely possible.¡± If this had been another ruin, they would have simply thought that the creators of this crystal must have ced something that only mimicked the form of a dragon. Yet, they were currently in Clowon¡¯s ruin.

    ¡®With the enormous power that the empire had, they could have used dragons as experiments.¡¯ It really was an astonishing empire. How could they use dragons that were so unbelievably strong even if only half the stories that circted around them were true? While Zich was reflecting on these thoughts, L looked like she couldn¡¯t bear to watch from afar any longer and flew toward the crystal. Zich pulled out Windur and steadied his body since a dangerous situation could arise when she approached the crystal. After all, defensive devices could exist to protect the crystal, causing a strong burst of mana to st out of it, or apletely unexpected event could arise. Thus, Zich warned L, and she waved her hand like she was telling him not to worry. Fortunately, the situation they worried about didn¡¯t happen, and L studied the crystal while flying all around it. Seeing that there didn¡¯t seem to be many findings after L looked around, Zich sat down, putting his sword next to him. Then, he stared at L and gripped Windur again.

    ¡®In the end, I guess there¡¯s nothing that could awaken all the mana here.¡¯ Usually, Windur vibrated if they were near a clone of the World Tree and it would awaken all of Zich¡¯s dormant mana. But now, it was quiet.

    ¡®It¡¯s fine. I will just go back a bit ufortably.¡¯ Zich calmly stored away his expectations.

    ¡°There¡¯s no way this thing is alive, right?¡± L asked while tapping the crystal.

    Zich responded simply, ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡±

    There was no way he would know about a creature that disappeared a long,<i> long</i> time ago. Of course, logically, it was impossible for a living creature to live for so long, even if they were talking about a dragon. If Zich had to make a bet, he would be on the side that the dragon was dead.

    ¡°Even if it¡¯s a dragon, would they be alive inside a crystal? Like we saw before, they would have been struck by the World Tree¡¯s mana for an incredibly long period of time too.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s true.¡± L nodded. It appeared that this dragon was a part of the system, but L also doubted that Clowon had used a living dragon. If the dragon had been that strong to still be alive, it must have been a near-impossible task to lock it inside a crystal.

    However, Zich added, ¡°We can¡¯t be certain, though. We are talking about Clowon and a dragon, after all.¡±

    Common sense didn¡¯t work on these two things, and L nodded in agreement. Then, after studying the crystal a bit more, L sat beside Zich.

    ¡°I will study the ruin here a bit more.¡± Therge-scale magical device had ignited L¡¯s curiosity as a mage.

    ¡°Are you nning to stay here alone?¡±

    ¡°Well, you still have things to take care of up there,¡± L said. She was talking about how Zich still needed to dig behind the Bellids¡¯ tracks and prepare for the likely war that Glen would initiate. It was definitely better for them to split here. Yet, there was one big problem.

    ¡°You know you can¡¯t enter without me, right?¡± The key to the ruins¡¯ only tunnel was Windur. L¡¯s teleportation magic didn¡¯t work here.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I have plenty of food here with me.¡± L shook her magic box and said, ¡°Just visit me from time to time. I will get out once my research is done here.¡±

    ¡°A dangerous situation could arise.¡±

    ¡°I need to take at least that much risk.¡± L shrugged and added, ¡°I thought about the reason why Windur guided us to this ce. There¡¯s no way it led us here simply because there¡¯s an amazing structure to see.¡±

    Zich looked at Windur and nodded. Although Windur was a trickypanion who dragged Zich to ces whenever it saw fit, it never led them to do useless things.

    ¡°But we already earned something from this trip. We learned the direction of the World Tree¡¯s original body,¡± Zich said while pointing at a wall where white mana had disappeared.

    L shook her head and said, ¡°That¡¯s true, but that doesn¡¯t mean that there¡¯s nothing more to find. Moreover, didn¡¯t Zich Brave tell you to follow where Windur led you?¡±

    .

    ¡°Yeah, that damn bastard told me that.¡± Zich gritted his teeth. Zich Brave was the only one that the usuallyid-back Zich responded to with so much rage.

    Zich showed only cold fury even towards Glen Zenard. L bit back a bitterugh. ¡°I think that there might be a way to meet him again here.¡±

    Zich also had this same thought Zich Brave told him to follow Windur before. ¡°If that happens, it¡¯ll be good for me. I got it. I¡¯ll stop by periodically.¡±

    He nned to stay at the Steelwall Estate for a while anyway. There was no reason for him to refute L¡¯s suggestion. However, he asked one more question before he left. ¡°If a war really starts and I die and lose Windur, you¡¯ll be trapped here forever. Then what will you do?¡±

    L let out a chuckle as if she just heard a hrious story. ¡°Is there any possibility of you dying?¡±

    Zich had no choice but to stand still andugh at the amount of trust in L¡¯s brief words.

    * * *

    After leaving up the investigation of the ruin to L, Zich searched Violsa. Since people were finding numerous Bellid temples in the Steelwall Estate, the usibility of the other two rumors had significantly gone up. Among the three rumors, there was a rumor that there was a Bellid temple of a gigantic size right in the Steelwall Estate¡¯s capital, Violsa.

    ¡®There¡¯s a high possibility that this rumor is true.¡¯ Obviously, someone caused thismotion to maliciously rip apart the Steelwall Estate. If there was arge Bellid temple in the capital city, people¡¯s trust in the Steelwall Estate would significantly plummet. However, Zich couldn¡¯t easily find the temple, so he made ns to look for it again the next day and returned to the Count¡¯s mansion.

    ¡°Hmm?¡± A carriage stood in front of the Count¡¯s mansion¡¯s entrance. From a nce, it looked extremely expensive, so it was clear that a person of high status was riding it. This was not a surprising matter. The Count was a high-ranking noble, and it wasn¡¯t rare that someone of high status woulde to visit. However, there was something that caught Zich¡¯s eyes. It was the symbol inscribed on the carriage.

    ¡®It¡¯s the Karuwiman symbol.¡¯ It seems as if the Karuwimans had officially started making their move. Zich wondered who came as a representative and asked a servant near him.

    The servant answered, ¡°The Saintess has arrived.¡±

    ¡°Saintess?¡±

    There was only one Karuwiman Saintess.

    ¡®It¡­must not be a coincidence?¡¯ She already knew that he was part of Count Steelwall¡¯s family. Moreover, this was a situation that even required the Saintess to possibly step forward. Lube might be suspicious of Steelwall; no, she had a very clear reason to do so. However, it was also clear that she was someone who would be of great help in this situation. ¡®If Lube is here, there is a high chance that Belri Weig came with her too.¡¯

    Zich immediately moved inside the mansion. ¡®Seriously, I can¡¯t believe that there woulde a day I would be d to see the Karuwiman Saintess and Tasnia¡¯s Killing Machine.¡¯

    Zich was amazed at himself and headed towards the room where they were waiting.

    * * *

    A subtle sweet smell wafted around the sitting room. As expected of expensive tea leaves in a high-ranking noble¡¯s mansion, the smell of the tea was very deep and pleasing. A teacup was also ced in front of Zich. However, Zich took only a few sips and put it down. He was more interested in the person elegantly drinking from her cup right now. ¡°I thought that someone from the Karuwimans woulde here as a representative, but I had no idea that it would be you, Lady Lube.¡±

    Lube cracked a smile and put her cup down. ¡°Another person was supposed to be sent here, but after hearing that you were here, I pestered them a bit.¡± Then, she jokingly stuck out her tongue.

    Trell took a sharp breath as Lube looked different from the usual graceful appearance she showed to the followers who respected and admired her. Even though he had noticed that the Saintess had a close rtionship with Zich ever since she took his side at the Cronon capital, they seemed to be even closer than he thought.

    Moreover, the Karuwiman¡¯s strongest holy knight, Belri Weig, was joyously chuckling in front of Zich. ¡°I also lent a helping hand. I couldn¡¯t stand still knowing that I was passing up an opportunity to see you again and crush those Bellid bastards.¡±

    Trell couldn¡¯t believe that he was the same person who had looked at him with suspicious eyes and a cold, indifferent expression before Zich arrived. It was also the same for the Saintess. Even though she hadn¡¯t directly gazed at him suspiciously like Belri Weig, and her voice was soft, Trell and the Count knew that she was scanning them with a mask on her face. However, Lube looked as if she didn¡¯t put on any mask while conversing andughing with Zich now. It was clear that she was reallyughing in joy at meeting Zich.

    Was this good news? If Zich had still been using the Steelwall name, there would have been nothing more fortunate than this. However, Zich had thrown away the Steelwall name. Trell couldn¡¯t lie that Zich¡¯s rtionship with Steelwall was good with a clear conscience. Thus, the Count and Trell had no choice but to be on guard as the Saintess, Belri, and Zich conversed. Even though their conversation was happening inside the Count¡¯s mansion, the Count and Trell could only sit back and watch the conversation unfold.

    ¡°I would like to talk for longer, since it¡¯s been a while since we''ve met, but unfortunately, we came to the Steelwall Estate for a specific reason. So, I think I¡¯ll have to finish our business here first.¡± Lube spoke with a friendly gaze like before, but she drew a clear line between her and Zich. ¡°Sir Zich, you must be well aware of the events causing amotion around here.¡±

    ¡°Of course, Lady Lube. I found several of the Bellid temples myself.¡±

    ¡°Count Steelwall told us that all the rumors are definitely not true, and he¡¯s not rted to the Bellids at all. I wanted to ask your opinion about this matter.¡± Lube¡¯s pupils directly stared at Zich. ¡°What do you think, Sir Zich?¡±

    The Count, Trell, Lube, and Belri Weig all anxiously waited for Zich¡¯s next words. Compared to them, Zichughed lightly and replied as if there was no need for him to even hesitate. ¡°There¡¯s no way that old boomer teamed up with the Bellids.¡±

 Chapter 461

    <h4>Chapter 461</h4>

    After hearing Zich describe the Count as a ¡®boomer,¡¯ Lube and Weig momentarily forgot the severity of their situation and almost burst intoughter. However, they managed to hold it in. Even if the Count was suspected as a Bellid follower, nothing was certain yet, and the Count was a high-ss noble. If theyughed now, it would only taint Karuwiman¡¯s name. Thus, thanks to the mental training they had both undergone as a Saintess and a holy knight, the two managed to suppress theirughter.

    ¡°Hmph! Hmph!¡± Trell fake coughed awkwardly. Unlike those two, he couldn¡¯tugh and nced at the Count warily. Since he was standing behind the chair the Count was sitting on, he couldn¡¯t see the Count¡¯s face. Yet, he could easily predict what the Count¡¯s expression would be.

    Like Trell had predicted, the Count¡¯s face was strangely distorted. He was obviously irritated by the expression used against him, but he couldn¡¯t say much to Zich. It was because although Zich talked roughly and called him an offensive term, Zich was nevertheless taking his side.

    ¡°I see, so that¡¯s how you think, Sir Zich.¡± Although Lube had almostughed aloud, she quickly cleared her emotions and became serious again. Contrary to Zich¡¯s light and carefree attitude, this was a very important issue for the Karuwimans.

    ¡°May I ask why you think that way?¡±

    ¡°From a long time ago, this man had been obsessed with his estate¡¯s title as the kingdom¡¯s Iron Wall. There¡¯s no way a guy like that would do anything to tarnish that name. How could such a guy worship the Bellids? Rather than supporting them, he would be the first one to crack those Bellid guys¡¯ skulls.¡±

    ¡°So, you are speaking based on your personal intuition. Do you perhaps have any concrete evidence to support your statements?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t.¡±

    The Count and Trell¡¯s faces darkened. Zich spoke more harshly about them than they had expected, but since he took the Count¡¯s side, they thought they might be able to clear up some misunderstandings. Like them, Zich had no evidence that could free them of the usations, and they had no choice but to bear the brunt of most of them.

    ¡®I¡¯m sure his words were of some help,¡¯ Trell thought and looked at Zich. After all, Zich was still speaking confidently in front of the Kauwiman Saintess and their greatest knight.

    ¡®If only he could¡¯ve been the heir.¡¯ Trell told himself that the matter was already over, but he continued toment. If Zich, a Karuwiman Holy Knight, became the Steelwall Estate¡¯s heir, they would be able to fix matters even if they encountered the worst possible scenario. Even if the Count failed to free himself from the suspicions, if Zich became the next head of Steelwall, things would naturally get resolved since no one would frame an honorary holy knight as a Bellid follower. As Trell dwelled on these thoughts, Zich and Lube continued their conversation.

    ¡°I see. Even if you say so, if you don¡¯t have any proof, people will continue to doubt the Count. After all, you have close ties to the Steelwall Estate.¡±

    ¡°Although that statement makes me bitter, ashamed, and even a bit enraged, I admit it. Even though I did cut my ties with them, I¡¯m sure many people will view my connection with them as suspicious.¡±

    That was how blood ties worked.

    ¡°To make it clear, I am not helping the Steelwalls because I like them. No, to tell you the truth, I wouldn¡¯t feel much even if the whole Steelwall family disappeared without a trace from this world.¡±

    These were shocking words. The Count and Trell expressed their difort from the ufortable mention of Steelwall¡¯s fall, and Lube and Weig were stunned by Zich¡¯s cold deration. Of course, both the Count and Trell were shocked too, but when they saw Zich¡¯s face, they knew he was telling the truth.

    ¡°If your rtionship with the Steelwalls is so bad, can you please tell us why you are trying to help them?¡±

    ¡°I have many reasons, but I think you all will be satisfied with just one.¡± Then, Zich arched his torso, met Lube¡¯s eyes, and said in a joking manner, ¡°I mean, do we really <i>have</i> to think of many reasons for screwing up those Bellid bastards?¡±

    Lube blinked hard several times. Then, the edges of her eyes curved beautifully. ¡°Ha, ahaha, ahahaha! That¡¯s right! You don¡¯t need to think of many reasons to take care of the Bellids!¡±

    ¡°Hahahaha! I¡¯m learning many things from you, Sir Zich. If it¡¯s a matter of crushing those guys, you can coborate with anyone!¡±

    Lube and Weigughed hard at Zich¡¯s words as if they were very satisfied with his answer. After that, the two didn¡¯t bring up any more serious topics, and even the tensed-up Count was pulled into their light-hearted chatter. They acted like guests who hade amiably to enjoy their stay. It was then that the Count and Trell realized that at least in Lube and Weigh¡¯s minds, the Count waspletely taken off their suspect list.

    Soon afterward, Lube and Weig left the drawing room. Although the Count was cleared off the suspect list from their minds, they didn¡¯t return home. It was because they wanted to find the temple that was said to be at the center of the city. The two nned to linger in the Karuwiman temple at Violsa.

    * * *

    Silence filled the drawing room once more. The cooled tea cups on the table showed that several people had recently been in the room. Trell had been standing still behind the Count up until now, and he stepped forward.

    ¡°Fortunately, it seems like we have ovee our most urgent issue for now.¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡± It wasn¡¯t like they were freed of all suspicions, but it really was a huge benefit that the Karuwiman Saintess believed them.

    ¡°Let¡¯s get rid of the misunderstanding surrounding us slowly like this. We have to find the guys who dared to frame the Steelwall family of such horrendous acts and punish them.¡± Both Trell and the Count had already guessed that the recent incidents weren¡¯t just coincidences.

    ¡°We should.¡±

    The Count also had no ns to let this matter pass. He nned to make the one who framed the Steelwall family pay severely for their actions.

    ¡°I¡¯m surprised that the Saintess took back her misunderstanding because of couple of words from the young master. He has really be great.¡± While Zich argued with the Count, Trell had drawn the lines by calling out to Zich as ¡®Mr. Zich¡¯. Now, he also called Zich ¡®young master,¡¯ like the others.

    Trell had begun calling Zich young master since Zich began coborating with Steelwall. However, this was not the time to pay attention to such matters. Trell wondered how much trust the Saintess and Belri Weig had in Zich for the Saintess to give her support. He could only gasp in admiration. Thus, Trell had forgotten that he was in front of the Count for a moment.

    ¡°¡­¡± The Count did not reply, and Trell did not say anything more either. Trell realized his mistake. No matter how highly he regarded Zich, the Count had still exiled him; talking favorably of Zich went against the Count¡¯s authority, since it could sound like he was using the Count of making a mistake in exiling Zich.

    Of course, the Count wouldn¡¯t rebuke Trell for such a small matter, since the Count had no doubts about Trell¡¯s skills and loyalty. Even while numerous Bellid temples and evidence kept popping up across the estate, Count¡¯s trust in Trell did not waver. However, Trell was not foolish enough to act so boldly and brashly in front of the Count. On the other hand, even though it would have been natural for the Count to feel slightly annoyed, he remained silent. He kept touching his teacup and seemed to be deep in thought.

    * * *

    Lube and Weig joined Zich in his efforts to investigate the temple. A couple of holy knights also tried to follow them, but Lube argued that it would be better to investigate separately and managed to get them off their backs. Zich did not stop Lube from joining him. There was no organization better than the Karuwimans for finding and beating the crap out of the Bellid bastards.

    Lube asked, ¡°Sir Zich, what are your thoughts about this situation?¡± She was trying to exchange her thoughts with Zich since he had begun looking for Bellids since the rumors began spreading. Moreover, she asked him because she greatly trusted his expertise.

    ¡°I think that it was started by those who hold malicious intent against Steelwall.¡±

    ¡°Well, it¡¯s true that everything is turning out for the worse for the Steelwall family.¡± Zich¡¯s opinion was something that everyone had thought of at least once in this current situation. A fraction of people even began turning their eyes suspiciously towards those with a bad rtionship with Steelwall. However, there was one reason why the Steelwall family was looked at with the most suspicion.

    ¡°It can¡¯t be helped since physical evidence of their connection with the Bellids keeps popping up.¡± Even people who thought that this whole situation was a conspiracy couldn¡¯t help but change their thoughts when more and more evidence of the Bellid and Count Steelwall kepting out. Maybe some people thought of this situation as a conspiracy but still thought that the rumors surrounding Steelwall were true, or maybe some thought that the dark side of Steelwall had finallye to light.

    Lube asked, ¡°Perhaps, is there any suspect you have in mind?¡±

    ¡°I do, but I¡¯m not certain. So I can¡¯t tell you yet, Lady Lube.¡±

    ¡°Is that so?¡± Lube did not ask further.

    They began searching all over Violsa, and they sometimes met with the Steelwall knights and the Karuwiman Holy Knights who were moving with the same purpose. They exchanged information with the knights, but they weren¡¯t able to get much useful information.

    ¡°As expected of fish heads, they¡¯re even better at hiding than cockroaches.¡±

    ¡°Honestly, I think that Bellu¡¯s head should be called cockroach instead of fish.¡±

    Zich and Lube quietlyined amongst themselves. Weig walked right behind Lube andughed as the Saintess spewed out harsh words. At that moment, Zich¡¯s group encountered another group. Since they had already met with the other Steelwall knights and Karuwiman Holy Knights, it wasn¡¯t strange to meet another group of people. However, this group wasn¡¯t just an ordinary party.

    ¡°Hey, we meet again.¡± Zich waved his hand. Glen slightly nodded.

    ¡°Mr. Zich, you must also be looking for the Bellid temple that is rumored to be in Violsa.¡±

    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s correct. Cockroach nests need to be cleaned up in advance if we want to eliminate thempletely.¡±

    ¡°Is that so?¡± Their conversation was very brief. After they exchanged formal pleasantries, they soon separated. They had already met each other in front of a Bellid temple, and they were still putting up an act. However, the two groups didn¡¯t begin immediately moving away because there were other people who knew each other.

    ¡°It¡¯s been a while, Chelsea. Have you been well?¡± Lube took one step forward and talked to Chelsea.

    Chelsea smiled as she stood next to Glen. ¡°Yes, thanks to you. How are you doing?¡±

    ¡°Hmm, I¡¯m a bit tired since the duty of a Saintess weighs heavily on my shoulders. But I¡¯m getting used to it. No matter how tiring the work is, I can¡¯t avoid it since it¡¯s my duty, right? Since <i>I¡¯m</i> the Saintess.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, the duty of a Saintess is heavy to the extent that someone without qualifications wouldn¡¯t be able to bear it. I hope you are able to endure it. Since you were able to get a noble position as a Saintess, you need to be someone fitting of that role.¡±

    ¡°Thanks for your concern, but it¡¯s not to the extent that I can¡¯t bear it. Since I can¡¯t just pass this important position to another person, I n to stick to it no matter what happens.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s great that you think this way. Yeah, you should work hard with such a positive attitude and not copse under the pressure.¡±

    Both of them had bright smiles on their faces and their tones were extremely cheerful. However, Zich didn¡¯t think that their views about each other were positive in the least.

    ¡®The atmosphere is insanely tense.¡¯ He couldn¡¯t even lie and say that they looked close.

 Chapter 462

    <h4>Chapter 462</h4>

    Zich and hispanions continued to move to look for the Bellid temple.

    ¡°Does that person not have any manners?¡± Zich asked vaguely while missing many pieces of information, but Lube and Weig easily understood what he meant.

    ¡°Yes,¡± Lube said with her puckered lips. ¡°She¡¯s the person who kept trying to pick a fight with me when I used to be the Saint Candidate and was always desperate to put me down?.¡±

    ¡°I thought she disappeared to a rural temple somewhere after Lady Lube gained the Saintess title. I didn¡¯t imagine for her to be with Sir Zenard at all,¡± Weig said disapprovingly. He also didn¡¯t have good opinions of Chelsea because of the memories he had rted to her.

    ¡°Well, it was quite fun when I pped her hard in the face after I followed your advice.¡±

    ¡°Yes, it was a scene that made me feel refreshed after frustrating me for a long time,¡± Weig added.

    The memory of that p made both of them happy, and their faces rxed once again.

    ¡°It¡¯s an honor that my advice was helpful to you,¡± Zich said.

    ¡°Your advice was of great help. Thanks to the experience Lady Lube had with you and the advice you gave, she was able to ovee her only weakness and gain tenacity. If you think about that, you did so much for the Karuwimans.¡±

    ¡°Thank you for ttering me. But if Lady Lube¡¯spetition was the person we just met, it doesn¡¯t seem like she really needed my help. I think she would¡¯ve been be a Saintess just by her character and skills alone.¡±

    ¡°There were other Saint Candidates, but like you, I know that Lady Lube would have been the Saintess in the end. However, it¡¯s true that she grew and progressed during her time with you. I can only be thankful as someone who serves Karuna.¡± Weigplimented Zich, and then he looked back and clicked his tongue.

    ¡°The fact that a person like that even tried topete with Lady Lube is wrong in itself. We really have to break apart the Karuwiman¡¯s human selection process at its core and start over again.¡± While Weigined about Karuwiman¡¯s systems, Lube thought about Glen.

    ¡°The man who was with Chelsea was called Sir Glen Zenard, right? The Karuwiman Honorary Holy Knight. Did he ept her as hispanion without knowing her true character?¡± she asked.

    ¡°That must be the case. There¡¯s no way a holy knight with that title would hang around with a person like that.¡±

    There was great trust ced on a Karuwiman Honorary Holy Knight since the Karuwimans didn¡¯t give out this title unless they did deeds worthy of the name. It appeared like Zich had received the title easily, but at the time Lube suggested the title to him, Zich had already saved the Saint Candidate once and stopped ¡®a city sacrifice ritual¡¯ that could have destroyed an entire city. Zich had done deeds like that countless times before his regression, so he didn¡¯t think too much about what he did, but they were all truly impressive feats. Thus, Lube and Weig naturally thought that Glen had made simr aplishments like Zich since they both had the same title and didn¡¯t think Glen was a suspicious existence. Thus, they were shocked when they heard Zich¡¯s words.

    ¡°He probably knows, considering how sneaky he is.¡±

    ¡°Hm, the rtionship between you and Sir Glen doesn¡¯t appear to be all that great. Although I don¡¯t think you would go around talking ill about a person just because of that reason.¡± Even good-natured people had conflicts and shed with others depending on the paths they ventured and the thoughts they had. Weig had thought Zich and Glen¡¯s rtionship was simply along these lines. Yet, considering the way Zich spoke now, that didn¡¯t seem to be the case.

    ¡°You said that the person whopeted with Lady Lube for the Saint title was Chelsea Windne, right? You know, the one who made you say that Karuwimans should fix their people selection process from the roots.¡±

    ¡°Yes, I did,¡± Weig answered. He was a bit taken aback, not knowing what Zich was trying to say.

    ¡°It seems like there are a lot of cases where those unfit for their positions go up in the Karuwimans¡¯ circle.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s embarrassing to admit, but it¡¯s true. There are many others who seem unfit for their positions besides Chelsea Windne.¡±

    ¡°Then, wouldn¡¯t that also apply for the Karuwiman Honorary Holy Knight position?¡±

    ¡°¡­Are you saying that Sir Glen Zenard is the same kind of person as Chelsea Windne?¡± Weig asked with a heavy tone. Anyone replying to Weig¡¯s question would have ced great care and attention before answering it, but Zich talked casually like usual.

    ¡°In the first ce, the title of Honorary Holy Knight is given to a person who does many deeds for the Karuwimans. The selection process for such a position is mostly outside the Karuwimans¡¯ jurisdiction and would be less strict than one done internally within the organization. If you consider how a person like Chelsea Windne managed to pass through those difficult and strict selection processes within the organization, consider the process in which a Honorary Holy Knight gets chosen.¡±

    ¡°Hm.¡± Weig thought Zich¡¯s words held merit. He stroked his chin and nodded, and Lube also thought deeply about the matter.

    ¡°Of course, I won¡¯t ask you guys to trust me immediately, since I could be wrong.¡± Zich didn¡¯t speak forcefully. Although Zich knew Glen¡¯s true self for several reasons, it was Lube and Weig¡¯s first time hearing about this news. Even if the two trusted Zich very much, what Zich said now challenged the Karuwimans¡¯ credibility.

    ¡°Just think about what I said once when you meet that person,¡± Zich concluded.

    ¡°¡­I understand.¡±

    ¡°We will do that.¡±

    The two nodded. Since Zich was telling them this, their suspicions of Glen would have now sprouted in their hearts.

    ¡®It¡¯s about time he¡¯s brought down.¡¯

    Zich had been watching without taking much action because of Glen¡¯s regression ability until now. However, since he made sure that Glen¡¯s ability had disappeared, he no longer needed to consider it.

    ¡®He¡¯s going to wake up from his long, <i>long</i> dream. When he does, reality wille crashing down on him.¡¯

    * * *

    All of the problems urring inside the Steelwall Estate were ording to Glen Zenard¡¯s instructions. Ever since Zich first met Glen at the Steelwall Estate, after destroying a small Bellid temple, Zich was sure of this thought. Thus, when he heard that Glen had found arge Bellid temple in Violsa, he wasn¡¯t surprised. Instead, he had expected this to happen soon.

    ¡®Something rted to Count Steelwall would be found there.¡¯ Then, the conspiracy would elerate and gain momentum. Moreover, unlike the empty Bellid temples found in the other cities, there were quite a few Bellid followers inside therge Bellid temple found in the capital city. Therefore, he heard that they had asked for more support to exterminate those followers.

    ¡®Is he nning to gather people and act like a hero again?¡¯ Glen¡¯s psychology was so obvious that it wasughable. ¡®Well, he¡¯s probably doing this to also show the evidence of Steelwall¡¯s connection with the Bellids to as many people as possible.¡¯

    Regardless of Glen¡¯s intentions, Zich nned to go to the location where the Bellid temple was found near Violsa. If everything went ording to expectations, the raid would end soon, but he didn¡¯t know how the situation would progress. Thus, Zich went to meet L before he went to the temple.

    ¡°That¡¯s why it might take me longer toe and meet you again,¡± Zich said as he ripped apart a piece of bread and dipped it in soup.

    Zich and L had set up a table on top of one of the rings surrounding the gigantic crystal and ate together. Zich had been going to check on L at least once a day unless something came up; he came mostly during meal time. L waspletely immersed in research the whole day, but stopped her research for that short time to enjoy a meal with Zich.

    L cut the meat and put it into her mouth as she said, ¡°I got it. I¡¯ll keep that in mind.¡± L was a bit disappointed that this enjoyable time wouldn¡¯t continue for a while, but she didn¡¯t show it on the outside.

    ¡°It probably won¡¯t take that long, since I heard that the temple is close by.¡± The new temple that was found was extremely close to Violsa, so it wasn¡¯t far off from the rumors.

    L nodded and then narrowed her eyes. ¡°You¡¯re going with the Saintess, right?¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡±

    ¡°Hmm.¡± L looked at Zich as if she was displeased. She began cutting her meat a bit more roughly. However, this was only for a moment.

    ¡°Okay. Come back safely and take care of yourself.¡± She then smiled as if nothing had happened.

    ¡°What? You¡¯re not going to tell me to not stick closely to the Saintess or not cause trouble?¡±

    ¡°Do you think I have the right to tell you that now? I just one-sidedly have a crush on you.¡± Her voice was calm, but there was fierce passion in her eyes. ¡°But I¡¯m going to definitely make you look back, and when that happens, I¡¯ll tie you down like you just said.¡±

    ¡°I like being free, but I won¡¯t stop you from trying. Good luck. I¡¯ll cheer you on.¡± Zich smirked and threw the rest of the bread into his mouth. ¡°How¡¯s your research going?¡±

    ¡°So far, I haven¡¯t had much sess,¡± L said as she stared at the unknown equipment gathered in the ring. ¡°I¡¯ve been slowly infusing mana into the equipment to find out their function, but I¡¯ve been making slow progress, since I don¡¯t know what¡¯ll happen if I make a mistake and touch the wrong part.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s a good idea. Even if it takes a bit more time, it¡¯s better to be safe.¡± Zich recalled the multi-colored mana he saw a few days ago. If that mana lost control and went berserk, a huge disaster would erupt. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter if you can¡¯t finish it even after the conspiracy ends. We can just stay longer here. Since I¡¯ve done quite a lot of work here, my sted father won¡¯t be able to force me to immediately leave.¡±

    ¡°I got it.¡± Then, the two began to exchange small talk. Anyone could see that they were having an extremely enjoyable time. After finishing their meal like this, they both went back to their respective jobs.

    * * *

    Zich brought his party along excluding L and teamed up with Lube and Weig. The temple that Glen said he found was about one hour away from Violsa by carriage.

    ¡°Seriously, these cockroach bastards are experts at finding ces like this.¡± Zich clicked his tongue when he saw the entrance of the cave that appeared in front of him.

    ¡°It¡¯s an ability that perfectly fits them. An extremely cumbersome ability.¡± Lube red at the entrance with cold eyes. They went inside the cave. It seemed as if many people had already entered the cave as there were traces of footprints everywhere around the entrance. The cave was extremely deep, and it grew wider as they walked deeper in. It was the perfect ce where a Bellid temple might be.

    When they were almost at the end of the cave, there discovered a grand Bellid temple. It wasn¡¯t as big as the one in the northern branch, butpared to the other temples they had seen so far, it was definitely enormous. They saw Steelwall knights and soldiers and Karuwiman holy knights gathered around the temple, but there weren¡¯t that many people. Regardless of the fact that the cave was pretty sizablepared to other caves, it was still not big enough for arge number of people to go in at once.

    The Steelwall knights and soldiers and the Karuwiman holy knights stood still with a bit of a distance between them; it reflected the current rtionship between the Steelwalls and Karuwimans.

    ¡°Ah, you¡¯ve arrived.¡± Zich heard a voice that made him immediately frown, and he stared at the owner of the voice.

    Glen Zenard was walking towards him.

 Chapter 463

    <h4>Chapter 463</h4>

    ¡°I thought you would be here, sir,¡± Glen said while grabbing Zich¡¯s hands and lightly shaking them. He still kept a certain distance, but Glen appeared happy to see Zich. From an outsider''s point of view, it looked like Glen was happy to have some additional support and wished to avoid unnecessary conflicts. Yet, Zich didn¡¯t think the same way.

    ¡®This guy is scheming something.¡¯ Zich thought Glen might have something he wanted to show him. Zich didn¡¯t know what that exactly was, but he was certain that Glen¡¯s reason for wanting to show him something wasn¡¯t to make him happy.

    ¡®The first thing I can think of is him bringing up something that connects the Steelwalls to the Bellids and mocking me with it,¡¯ Zich thought, but that didn¡¯t seem to be entirely the case. ¡®Well, he seems really eager to show it to me, so I will eventually end up seeing it anyway.¡¯

    Then, Glen also shook Lube and Weig¡¯s hands in order. He returned to where he had been heading. Lube and Weig¡¯s eyes chased after Glen¡¯s back, and he soon turned to the people waiting for him.

    ¡®As expected, there¡¯s Windne too.¡±

    ¡°Yes, Saintess. We also missed another face,¡± Weig said sarcastically, clearly showing his disdain.

    ¡°Are you talking about Sir Winstin Dyner?¡± Zich asked.

    ¡°You know about him, Sir Zich?¡±

    ¡°A couple of days ago, I went to destroy Bellid temples and met a small group of holy knights in the process. The person who led the group was him.¡±

    ¡°It seemed like he acted as soon as he saw a chance to umte merits, just like the greedy wolf he is.¡± Weig scowled tantly. It was unusual for someone of Weig¡¯s character to show such open disdain toward a person.

    ¡°You have a very poor opinion of the man.¡±

    ¡°Besides, whether I like him or not, he¡¯s the one who guarded Chelsea Widne while she was still a Saint Candidate.¡±

    Zich then looked back and forth between Chelsea and Winstin andmented, ¡°They don¡¯t appear particrly close considering their past rtionship.¡±

    Although the two were conversing, they appeared to be very distant and indifferent to each other; it was unthinkable that their rtionship had once been one between a guarding knight and Saint Candidate, especially now.

    ¡°It¡¯s probably because they both have no trust in each other. Winstin Dyner dislikes me because of his jealousy and greed. He doesn¡¯t shy away from using any means possible to overpower me, and that was the reason why he became Chelsea''s guard knight. He probably wanted to bring me down by supporting Chelsea as the next Saintess. Of course, he failed.¡± Weig appeared happy when he mentioned the part about Winstin¡¯s failure and made it clear much he disliked the man.

    ¡°Of course, Chelsea Windne must have joined hands with him since she had nothing to lose. Like attracts like, and they were a match made in heaven. After Lady Lube became the Saintess, the rtionship between the two is as we see it now. I bet they both are ming each other for their current situation.¡±

    ¡°If that¡¯s true, then there is clearly a huge hole in the Karuwiman¡¯s human selection process.¡±

    ¡°Yes, those two are the greatest reason why I thought your words hold merit.¡± Weig was referring to Zich¡¯s previous conversation about Glen¡¯s unfitness for his holy knight title.

    ¡®I owe those two.¡¯ Zich thought about Chelsea and Winstin, but of course, he didn¡¯t n on paying back what he owed them. Then, Zich looked around the temple.

    ¡°It¡¯s strange.¡±

    ¡°You think so too?¡± Lube seemed to have had the same thought as Zich and she nodded at Zich¡¯sment. ¡°There¡¯s no water here.¡± A body of water, which was one of the requirements for a Bellid temple, didn¡¯t appear to exist in this ce.

    ¡°Is there perhaps a bigke outside of the cave?¡±

    ¡°None that I know of,¡± Lube replied. Since she lived near Violsa, she knew the ce¡¯s general terrain. There was arge river that people in Violsa used as their main source of water, but it was located on the opposite side of the city center. In the first ce, the reason why people failed to quickly find this huge temple was because of theck of a body of water. Normally, when they were looking for Bellid temples in an area, they searched for all ces where there was water and investigated the surrounding area. Yet, the ce that Glen found didn¡¯t have enough water to support a Bellid temple. Furthermore, the size of this temple was quiterge, so the body of water near it had to also berge.

    ¡®There¡¯s nothing.¡¯ When Zich had first heard that Glen found a temple in this region, he had expected to see an enormouske like the one that had existed in the Bellid¡¯s northern base. Yet, no matter how much he searched, he couldn¡¯t find water near the temple¡¯s surroundings.

    ¡°A Bellid temple stationed in a ce without water¡­ How should we think about this situation? Do the Karuwimans know something about this?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know about it.¡±

    ¡°I also have never heard of such a case. Although I have spent a long time getting rid of the Bellid bastards, it¡¯s my first time seeing a Bellid temple without water nearby.¡±

    Both Lube and Weig appeared skeptical. One could think that they might have simply never heard of such a thing, but Lube was a Saintess who remembered all sorts of records and history about the Bellids that the Karuwimans had gathered, and Weig had spent his whole life fighting the Bellids to the point his nickname was the Bellid Exterminator. The fact that even those two didn¡¯t know about this case showed how unique this temple was.

    ¡°As I thought,¡± Zich said.

    ¡°How did Sir Zenard find a temple like this? Almost everyone has been searching near the capital,¡± Lube asked. Normally, she would have just brushed off the matter and been impressed that the Karuwiman Honorary Holy Knight had managed to find a Bellid temple, but now, Lube had doubts regarding Glen¡¯s behavior. It was clear that she was influenced by Zich¡¯s assessment of Glen. It was the same for Weig, but the two cautiously approached the topic.

    .

    ¡°It really is strange, but that doesn¡¯t make him suspicious since he could¡¯ve been looking somewhere else after seeing that everyone was searching near the capital.¡±

    Zich also agreed and thought, ¡®The excuse that Glen prepared must also be simr.¡¯

    However, it was an extremely encouraging sign that Lube and Weig were both suspicious of Glen. Zich nned to slowly shatter Glen¡¯s perfect image like this and bring to light his true character. ¡®Is there anything more rewarding than that?!¡¯

    Just thinking about reaching this goal made Zich¡¯s heart feel more rxed and lowered his stress. On the other hand, this was not the time to immerse himself with happy thoughts.

    ¡°Let¡¯s ask Mr. Zenard questionster on and first focus on preparing for battle.¡±

    Hispanions nodded.

    * * *

    Glen gathered a great number of people with the excuse that the Bellids were nning to retaliate against them, but honestly speaking, it didn¡¯t seem like this was necessary.

    <i>Bamm!</i> The mana inside Glen¡¯s Tornium swirled fiercely inside. As expected of a demon sword that greedily sucked away its owner¡¯s mana, it let out an overwhelming amount of explosive power.

    <i>Crashhhh! </i>

    ¡°Aghhh!¡±

    ¡°Ugghhh!¡±

    The Bellid followers blocking Glen¡¯s way flew off as if they were leaves being swept away by a tornado. Their bodies were shattered into pieces, and their bloody organs scattered in the air. Judging by this sight, it was extremely doubtful that they would be able to live. Even after this, Glen continued to push back the Bellid followers with enormous force. Many people expressed their admiration for his amazing skills.

    Zich carefully watched Glen¡¯s fight. ¡®He¡¯s gotten stronger.¡¯

    Moreover, he didn¡¯t get just stronger. Thest time he had seen Glen Zenard, his skills weren¡¯t even at Hans¡¯ level. However, it was different now. ¡®Hans won¡¯t be able to handle him. In a way, his sheer power might be even stronger than mine.¡¯

    Of course, Zich didn¡¯t think that he would lose to Glen. However, it was clear that Glen¡¯s strength had significantly increased.

    ¡°That person is strong,¡± Weig said as he cut a Bellid follower in two and looked at Glen. He seemed to be impressed by Glen¡¯s strength. However, he didn¡¯t onlypliment Glen. ¡°However, there seems to be something off about him.¡±

    ¡°I also think the same.¡± It was impossible for someone to exponentially increase their strength as much as Glen. Even though Zich had gotten strong at an incredibly fast speed and was still getting stronger, he had nevertheless gone through a normal process. He did use a shortcut, but that had only been a small part of the process. ¡®After passing a certain level, shortcuts don¡¯t work anymore.¡¯

    This was also the reason why Zich had used the energy drain technique to increase his strength just once. As more and more mana was awakened, the effectiveness of infusing foreign mana into one¡¯s body and forcibly awakening one¡¯s dormant mana decreased. However, Glen¡¯s previous state when Zich saw himst time was at a level that didn¡¯t work well with shortcuts. Thus, it was impossible for him to have gotten so strong with any ordinary shortcut. There was only one possible exnation that Zich could think of.

    ¡®Is he using a technique from Clowon?¡¯ Zich was sure of this. However, even if it was a technique from Clowon, he didn¡¯t think that it was possible to increase one¡¯s ability like Glen did.

    ¡®If that was possible, he would have used that shortcut way before, considering his personality. There definitely must be a side effect.¡¯ As evidence, there was a noticeable awkwardness that Glen exhibited every time he moved. However, Zich didn¡¯t think that this was the extent of his side effect. He was sure that there was a very critical side effect; if the side effect was not too severe, Glen would probably end up with a disability, but¡­

    ¡®If it¡¯s severe, he¡¯ll lose his life.¡¯ Zich clicked his tongue. He could guess why Glen tried to increase his strength to the point that he¡¯d break his body.

    ¡®Did he hate getting pushed back by me so much that he¡¯ll throw away his life like this?¡¯ Glen was really a fool.

    ¡®No, he might also have superficial thoughts that if something bad happens, he can just regress again.¡¯ Then, Glen would soon realize how horribly wrong he was.

    Glen had been defeating the Bellids in the very front, and he nced back. His gaze slightly met Zich¡¯s and moved away. It looked like Glen was just trying to check the situation behind him, but Zich thought differently. ¡®Really, that guy is one crazy bastard.¡¯

    Glen¡¯s behavior just now was the same as a kid looking around to check the reactions of other kids to brag about how great he was. ¡®I¡¯m probably the main target of his show-off.¡¯

    It felt as if Glen was whispering, ¡®How about it? Look at me! I can also do this much!¡¯ right into his ears.

    ¡®He¡¯s trying to show off to the others at the same time.¡¯

    On the other hand, Glen¡¯s ns seemed to have worked pretty well. The morale of the Steelwall knights and soldiers and Karuwiman holy knights seemed to have gone up due to Glen¡¯s lead. They all rushed into the temple without hesitation. Since they couldn¡¯t useplex formations due to the differences between the Steelwalls and Karuwimans, and their fighting space was restricted due to the cave¡¯s terrain, they formed the most basic formation and merely pushed forward. However, due to Glen¡¯s efforts and everyone¡¯s individual skills and battle expertise, they were able to continuously push back the Bellids.

    Zich stared at Glen and his ability that let him mercilessly butcher the Bellids. It was definitely amazing, but Zich¡¯s gaze towards him was full of disdain.

    ¡®Even after using Clowon¡¯s legacy, your skills are only that level.¡¯ Zich recalled Glen¡¯s skills before he regressed and shook his head.

 Chapter 464

    <h4>Chapter 464</h4>

    <i>Baaaam!</i>

    The force from Tornium¡¯s swing destroyed a huge part of the Bellid temple, and the allied forces swarmed inside.

    ¡°It¡¯s over,¡± Weig said while watching from behind.

    ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to join, Sir Weig?¡± It really was strange that someone known to ruthlessly destroy Bellid followers, and ordingly nicknamed the ¡®Bellid Exterminator¡¯, would be standing at the back.

    ¡°I came here as the Saintess¡¯ guard. Although my hands are itching to move, I can¡¯t let anything get in the way of me fulfilling my mission.¡±

    ¡°Oh! I¡¯m fine. Sir Zich is with me along with the others. If you want to, please go.¡± Lube intervened. There were many Karuwiman holy knights in this area besides Weig. There was a low chance that the Saintess would be endangered, and no one would rebuke Weig for going to the frontlines to help. Yet, Weig shook his head.

    ¡°I can¡¯t do that. I have to lead by example.¡± Weig stared at the crumbled area of the Bellid temple, peered inside it, and said, ¡°I also have something to confirm because of what Sir Zich told us.¡±

    Weig didn¡¯t even need to exin what he was talking about and Lube said, ¡°You must be talking about Zenard.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sure there¡¯s a reason why Sir Zich thinks so poorly of him. I want to look at him carefully from behind to see what kind of person he is.¡±

    ¡°I am doing the same thing.¡± On the same lines as Weig, Lube had been watching Glen¡¯s movements since the beginning of the battle.

    ¡°So, did you notice anything from observing him?¡± Zich asked them both.

    ¡°Nothing yet.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s the same for me.¡±

    Deciphering a person¡¯s true self by the way they swung their sword in battle was a feat too great for even Lube and Weig. However, it wasn¡¯t like their efforts werepletely fruitless.

    ¡°If I had to point out something, he seems to have a desire to show off,¡± Lube pointed out.

    ¡°I agree with you on that, Lady Lube, but we can¡¯t simply call that bad. Most people have a desire to be recognized, and there are times when that desire could be used for the good. Of course, there are many cases where it could be used negatively too,¡± Weig responded.

    ¡°Well, we¡¯ll have to watch him a bit more,¡± Lube said and then took one step forward. ¡°Let¡¯s go in then.¡±

    ¡°Sorry?¡±

    ¡°Sir Weig, it¡¯s necessary for you to learn more about that man anyways. It¡¯s the same for me too. Since we can¡¯t see him too well from here, the right choice for us is to go in,¡± Lube said in a carefree tone as if she was suggesting for them to take a walk in a garden behind a house.

    ¡°Let me warn you first, Lady Lube. It¡¯s still very dangerous inside. Since we will be entering it, there¡¯s a high chance that someone could suddenly ambush us. Even areas that seem perfectly cleared of enemies are no exceptions.¡±

    ¡°Do we need to worry though? When you will be protecting me, Sir Weig?¡± Lube smiled and Weig burst into augh.

    ¡°I suppose I can¡¯t refuse when the Saintess puts so much trust in me. Yes, let¡¯s go in.¡± Then, Weig turned to Zich. ¡°What are you going to do, sir?¡±

    ¡°I will follow you both in. I am also a Karuwiman Honorary Knight, so I should do my share to protect the Saint,¡± Zich said jokingly and winked.

    ¡°Fufu! If so, I really don¡¯t have to worry for my safety. Who would be able to pose a danger to me when both Sir Weig and Sir Zich are guarding me?¡± Lube said and walked to the temple. Zich and Weig protected her from both sides.

    The three passed by the crumbled temple¡¯s walls, and the messed-up insides of the building came to view. There were corpses everywhere and the ce was soaked with blood. However, Zich, Weig, and even Lube weren¡¯t bothered much by the corpses, since they belonged to Bellid followers who shouldn¡¯t have existed in the first ce. Then, the three moved toward the direction where they heard noises. From time to time, Bellids who had been in hiding or pretending to be dead attacked them after recognizing Saintess Lube, but they all died to Zich or Weig¡¯s sword before they could even approach her.

    After wandering around the temple like that for a while, they finally found their target: Glen. They could see evidence of Glen¡¯s work all around the inside of the temple too. Glen went around and annihted all the Bellids in sight. His movements made it seem like he was overjoyed that he was finally in a ce where he belonged. Meanwhile, Zich watched coldly from behind and didn¡¯t join the battle. He knew the official fight would only begin after this battle was over anyway.

    * * *

    The battle was over. Every Bellid follower died without exception, and the allied forces began cleaning up the area. They gathered the debris and corpses in one area, and those who didn¡¯t join the cleaning searched every corner of the temple to see if they could find any other information rting to the Bellids. This group included Zich¡¯s current team.

    After looking around the room, Lube said in disappointment, ¡°Hm, there isn¡¯t much here.¡±

    They were in a room with several beds and what appeared to be the Bellid followers¡¯ living space. Yet, nothing there could bebeled as valuable information. Eventually, the group went out of the room. Several people in front of them gathered into groups and hurriedly walked past them. Seeing this, Weig scowled.

    ¡°The atmosphere doesn¡¯t seem good.¡±

    Zich furtively nced at the Steelwalls and Karuwimans and said, ¡°Well, it¡¯s only natural since one side is suspicious of the other, and the other side is displeased for being under suspicion.¡±

    ¡°The Steelwall soldiers and knights joined the Karuwimans to fight against the Bellids and performed exceptionally well. Why are they still suspicious of them?¡± Lube slightly narrowed her eyes as if she was displeased by the Karuwiman holy knights¡¯ behavior.

    However, Zich shook his head. ¡°It¡¯s difficult for the Steelwalls to escape suspicion with just that. Since the existence of Bellid temples has already been revealed, there¡¯s also a possibility that the Steelwalls are merely taking the initiative and working hard to destroy the temples to avoid suspicion. If I take this one step further, it¡¯s possible for the Karuwimans to think that the Steelwalls might be taking the initiative to erase any suspicious evidence connecting Steelwall with the Bellids.¡±

    ¡°¡­This is a really troublesome affair.¡±

    ¡°Lady Lube, even though it really hurts my heart, this is the world that you have to get used to.¡± Weig¡¯s words pierced Lube¡¯s heart.

    ¡°Well, considering how they didn¡¯tpletely exclude Steelwall forces from the Bellid temple investigation, the situation doesn¡¯t seem to have reached the worst possible scenario yet,¡± Zich said as he removed arge rock that had fallen in front of him.

    Lube carefully walked through the open tunnel. ¡°Was anything found in the temple?¡± she asked partly out of curiosity.

    However, Zich¡¯s reply was firm. ¡°It¡¯ll be found, and it¡¯ll definitely be evidence that¡¯ll make people even more suspicious of Steelwall¡¯s connection with the Bellids.¡±

    ¡°¡­How are you so sure?¡±

    ¡°Lady Lube, do you recall what I told you before? The current situation at Steelwall has all been done under the goal of dragging down Steelwall to destruction. If my predictions are correct, there is no better ce than here to throw in a critical piece of evidence. Judging by the size of this temple, there¡¯s a high possibility that this is the main base where the Bellids control the other temples spread throughout the Steelwall Estate. Or at least that¡¯s what people would think. I predict that this <i>evidence</i> would be hidden in a secret room or tunnel.¡±

    Right after Zich¡¯s voice faded, someone shouted, ¡°It¡¯s a secret tunnel! We found a secret tunnel!¡±

    Lubell and Weig¡¯s gazes turned towards Zich, and Zich just shrugged. ¡°The minds of those who set up ns like this are all pretty simr.¡±

    ¡°¡­If something like this happens to Karuwiman too, we should definitely ask Sir Zich for help.¡±

    ¡°I deeply agree.¡± Weig passionately agreed with Lube¡¯s opinion.

    * * *

    Zich¡¯s group immediately headed in the direction of the voice. There were already a significant number of people there, so Zich and hispanions squeezed through the crowd. No one could stop a group that Saintess Lube and Belri Weig were part of. They were able to soon stand in front of the crowd.

    Zich scanned the secret tunnel which was part of a wall. Judging by its structure, it seemed like a type of tunnel that would only be revealed after a special function pushed a part of the wall back. Two holy knights stood in front of the tunnel¡¯s entrance and stopped people from going in. They were blocking the Steelwall forces and even the other Karuwiman holy knights, but they couldn¡¯t act against Lube or Weig.

    ¡°Are you stopping people from entering the tunnel?¡±

    At Weig¡¯s question, one of the holy knights standing guard immediately replied, ¡°Yes, sir. We are stopping everyone from entering the tunnel under Sir Dyner¡¯s order.¡±

    As soon as Winstin Dyner¡¯s name popped up, Weig was immediately displeased. ¡°I guess Sir Dyner has enough power to give out an order like that. So what¡¯s the reason?¡±

    ¡°He told us that there might be unforeseen dangers inside and said that if there is evidence inside, it might be damaged if too many people go inside. Thus, Sir Dyner took a small group of people inside and told us that he¡¯ll check the situation first ande back.¡±

    There was nothing to criticize about Dyner¡¯s reasonings. Weig asked, ¡°Who were the people who went in?¡±

    ¡°Sir Dyner, five holy knights that he picked, and Sir Zenard, who is a Karuwiman Holy Knight, and his teammates. One of his teammates is Lady Chelsea Widne, who was previously one of the top saint candidates.¡±

    Zich suppressed a groan froming out. This was the perfect situation that Glen Zenard could control. Even though Zich already knew the answer, he asked just in case, ¡°Who was the one who found this tunnel?¡±

    The guard gave an expected answer. ¡°Sir Zenard.¡±

    Lube and Weig slightly nced back at Zich. Since Zich had already warned them before, they felt slightly suspicious that the person who found the tunnel was Glen.

    Weig said, ¡°Let¡¯s also go in.¡±

    Lube nodded and took a step forward. ¡°Sir, we can go in, right? Even though Sir Dyner told you not to let anyone in, I don¡¯t think he also meant us.¡±

    ¡°Of course, Lady Lube!¡± The guards backed away one step as if to say that she could enter whenever she wanted. Zich and hispanions disappeared into the tunnel. The guards went back to their positions and sharply looked around the room to ward off anyone else from entering.

    * * *

    The inside of the tunnel was dark. The floor and ceiling were well organized, but it wasn¡¯t decoratedvishly. The tunnel wasn¡¯t very long either since they didn¡¯t have to walk long to reach the room connected to the tunnel. When they entered the room, they saw Winstin, the holy knights, Chelsea, Pina, and Glen Zenard.

 Chapter 465

    <h4>Chapter 465</h4>

    The room was extremely messy. There were a bunch of documents scattered all over a desk in the corner. This area was especially disorderly and would have made any neat person freak out. Some of the documents were even scattered on the ground, and a couple of holy knights were cing them back on top of the desk.

    ¡°Who is it! I said no one is allowed to¡­!¡± Winstin shouted aggressively while standing near the entrance but stopped when he saw Lube and Weig.

    ¡°I heard that you all made an important discovery, so we asked the people outside to let us in. You didn¡¯t include us when you said ¡®no one¡¯ is allowed in, right Sir Dyner?¡±

    ¡±Of course, Saintess. I gave the order thinking it would hinder the investigation if there were too many people in the room. Of course, both of you are exceptions to this.¡±

    Then, Winstin bowed his head politely. Chelsea had been watching from behind, and she turned her head after scowling slightly. Although they had separated paths now, it appeared that she still didn¡¯t want someone who used to be her personal guard bow his head to her ex-rival, Lube.

    ¡°Did you find anything?¡±

    Winstin¡¯s eyebrow wiggled at Weig¡¯s question, but that was all, and he soon replied normally.

    ¡°We found a load of documents. We don¡¯t know about the contents yet, but I thought it would be rted to themotion happening inside the Steelwall Estate and ordered my men to gather them in one ce.¡±

    Weig stared at the holy knights collecting the fallen documents. They bowed slightly to Weig, and Weig nodded and jerked his chin to tell them to continue their work. The holy knights began gathering their documents again.

    ¡°Is there anything else?¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s one thing that caught our eye.¡± Winstin stepped to the side, revealing the center of the room that his body had been concealing. There, Glen and his group were surrounding some kind of object. Although they were now listening to Lube, Weig, and Winstin¡¯s conversation, it seemed they had been studying it before Zich¡¯s group entered the room. Zich¡¯s group naturally turned their attention to the object, and Lube cautiously walked in front of it.

    ¡°¡­Is it a model?¡±

    ¡°That seems to be the case,¡± Weig said while standing next to Lube.

    The objecty on top of arge table and seemed to be in the form of andscape. There was a mountain, a in, a river, and a city carved onto its surface. It seemed to have been made with wood and was made so delicately and with detail that it could have been taken from a bird¡¯s eye view in the sky. Zich also stood between the two and studied the model. However, his main focus was on Glen.

    ¡®He¡¯s probably going to show us something now.¡¯ This was a vital opportunity for Glen to gain merits by revealing the Bellids¡¯ schemes. If Glen had already nned out a scenario, now was the time for him to show something. ordingly, Glen was taking the stance of someone deeply in thought, and Zich focused on the object in front of him to suppress his urge tough. If Zich had to continue to witness Glen¡¯s obvious acting any longer, he would start rolling on the ground inughter.

    ¡°It seems like the model is pointing toward a specific ce. Don¡¯t you think so, Sir Weig?¡±

    ¡°Yes, Saintess. It¡¯s clear that the Bellids had been conjuring up dirty schemes here.¡±

    ¡°Do you know what ce this is?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure. I don¡¯t know what every ce in the world looks like.¡± Weig shook his shoulders. ¡°I think it must be a ce close by, but, <i>this </i>bothers me.¡±

    Weig pointed at one part of the model. Unlike the areas that had many curves to show the different topographies without differences in color, the area that Weig pointed out was carved tly with smooth techniques.

    ¡°Is that ake?¡±

    ¡°Considering how obsessed those Bellid guys are with water, there¡¯s a high possibility.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s quite big.¡±

    ¡°Yes, if youpare it to the city carved on the model, even more so. However, from what I know, there are nokes near here.¡±

    Then, Weig turned his focus to Zich.

    ¡°Sir Zich, have you perhaps seen argeke like this near here?¡± To confirm, Weig asked Zich, who was actually from the Steelwall Estate, but his tone seemed to indicate that he had low expectations.

    ¡°I haven¡¯t seen one either.¡±

    Weig nodded like he had expected as much and asked Winstin this time. ¡°I''m sure you all have been exchanging your opinions when you found this model. What do you all think?¡±

    ¡°We have simr thoughts as you. Since there are norgekes in sight here, the model seems to be of a different ce and not here.¡±

    It seemed like everyone¡¯s consensus was that the model showed a different area.

    ¡°Then, where is this ce? I¡¯m sure the Bellid followers must have had their purpose for making a model like this. Should we order some people to find this ce? After all, the Bellids must be up to no good in whatever they do.¡±

    ¡°It could be a model not grounded in reality. They could have made a model out of imagination for a different purpose. Of course, I agree with you that the Bellids must not have made this for a good purpose.¡±

    Lube and Weig exchanged opinions. The others also studied the model carefully or shuffled through the documents piled up on the desk and tried to decipher the Bellids¡¯ intentions. Zich was also lost in thought. Of course, he wasn¡¯t trying to desperately think of an answer like the others since he thought, ¡®Even if we don¡¯t do anything, Glen Zenard is going to tell us the answer anyways.¡¯

    Glen was still pretending to be deep in thought. He was probably looking for the right time to make himself more noticeable. Seeing this, Zich thought there was no need for him to wait patiently until Glen told them the answer.

    ¡®Especially since that guy will be pissed off if I say the answer before he does.¡¯ Of course, he wouldn¡¯t be able to shake up Glen¡¯s n with just this, but this wasn¡¯t a concern to him. This was a great opportunity to worsen Glen Zenard¡¯s mood, and Glen¡¯s anger was Zich¡¯s happiness.

    ¡®Should I start using my head for real?¡¯ Zich began racking his head to take Glen¡¯s spotlight. ¡®First, there¡¯s a high possibility that this sculpture is a miniature model of the surroundings here.¡¯ Since all the evidence they had collected so far pointed towards Steelwall, it was logical to think that this miniature model was also rted to Steelwall.

    ¡®If I think of it like that, I think I can figure out the locations.¡¯ Even though he had been exiled, Zich used to be Count Steelwall¡¯s next sessor. He roughly knew theyout of the Steelwall Estate, so he was able to immediately locate Steelwall Estate in the model.

    ¡®They modeled an extremelyrge area.¡¯ The model did not just cover the Steelwall Estate, but the neighboring estates as well. It even showed the ud Estate, which was an estate in a different country.

    ¡®That area is probably Violsa, and the area a little farther from that is probably where we are.¡¯ However, even Zich couldn¡¯t understand theke part. If the model really represented the Steelwall Estate and the surrounding estates, the size of theke was way too big. Moreover, the extent that theke impacted the surrounding estates was also toorge. ording to the model, half of the Steelwall Estate was covered under theke and the estates next to it werepletely underneath theke, including most of the ud Estate.

    ¡®Arge river flows into theke, but it¡¯s nothingpared to the size of theke.¡¯ The river expanded during rainy seasons, but it was nowhere as big as theke in the model. ¡®Did the Bellid bastards really just make a model out of their imagination?¡¯

    Or it could be their wishful hope. If he looked at the model, argeke would exist in the temple that Zich and hispanions were currently in, and considering that the Bellids built their temples aroundrge bodies of water?, then this ce would be the perfect environment for the Bellids.

    ¡®Hmm?¡¯ The wheels in his head began to turn. ¡®There¡¯s no surrounding water in this temple, which is especially strange considering its size. It¡¯s a special case that even Lube and Weig haven¡¯t ever seen or heard.¡¯ On the other hand, the model in front of him perfectly met Bellid¡¯s requirement in building a temple.

    ¡®This ce definitely doesn¡¯t fit the Bellids¡¯ requirements. Moreover, it¡¯s hard to believe that those bastards suddenly began building their temple in a ce without arge amount of water nearby.¡¯

    The Bellids were extremely well-known for building their temples next torge bodies of water, so it was difficult for them to build a temple, and once they built it, they would easily be found out and hunted. Thus, it was reasonable for one to think that considering these circumstances, the Bellids might have changed their requirements, but as one of the major creeds among Bellid followers, building temples next to bodies of water was not a requirement that they could easily change. Bellid was fundamentally a religion, and Bellid followers must dutifully follow their religious creeds.

    If they could change the creed however they wanted, they would probably first want to get rid of the creeds that made them a taboo to other people and increase their numbers. So it was reasonable to think that the Bellids absolutely needed arge amount of water nearby to fit a temple of this size.

    ¡®Then, this temple would also definitely need water.¡¯ Moreover, it needed to be a significant amount of water. However, this amount of water only existed in the model that the Bellids made and didn¡¯t exist in real life. On the other hand, it also meant that the Bellids made a model of ake that didn¡¯t exist in real life as if they were nning to make it in the future.

    Zich¡¯s gaze scanned theke in the model. The beginning of theke began from one of the flowing river streams. The river existed in real life, and the modelke also began upstream.

    ¡®The end of the modelke is at¡­!¡¯ Zich quickly moved. People who were deep in thought all looked towards Zich.

    ¡°Did you notice something, Sir Zich?¡± Lube asked with a bright expression.

    Zich didn¡¯t immediately reply and continued to scan the model. Even though he didn¡¯t reply, Lube was not disheartened; instead, she quietly watched him to not disturb him. It wasn¡¯t only Lube, as Weig, Chelsea, Pina, Winstin, and all the other Holy Knights quietly focused on Zich¡¯s movements¡ªeven Glen Zenard.

    ¡°Pweh!¡± After scanning the model for a bit, Zich straightened his back and let out a sigh.

    Glen asked, ¡°¡­Have you found out something, Mr. Zich?¡± His voice was full of expectations as if he was hoping that Zich would know the answer. However, it might have been just his bias, but Zich felt as if he could read a subtle nervousness in Glen¡¯s voice.

    ¡°I thought of a reasonable theory.¡±

    ¡°Really? What is it?¡± Lube walked toward Zich with a hopeful expression. Unlike Glen, Zich felt that her voice was filled with pure intentions. Zich let out a small chuckle and said, ¡°First, this model most likely represents the surrounding area here. However, the size of this model is bigger than our expectations. It covers a total of four surrounding estates, including the Steelwall Estate.¡±

    Weig asked, ¡°However, there isn¡¯t such argeke like this around here. Moreover, the size of thiske doesn¡¯t make sense if it includes four estates, and it doesn¡¯t make sense that there¡¯s such a bigke hidden around here.¡±

    ¡°Of course, because it¡¯s not hidden. Rather, theke is going to be made in the future,¡± Zich spoke nonchntly, but the content of his words was not light enough for people to take them so calmly. Zich thought that Glen¡¯s face might have stiffened momentarily.

 Chapter 466

    <h4>Chapter 466</h4>

    ¡°¡­It¡¯s going to be made?¡±

    ¡°Yes. Those damn fish-head bastards must have changed their tactic. Instead of building a temple near a body of water, they decided to make argeke in front of the temple instead.¡±

    ¡°¡­Is that even possible?¡± Weig¡¯s tone sounded doubtful. Others reacted simrly and looked at Zich suspiciously. Zich¡¯s words would have been more persuasive if the size of theke had been smaller. A group of superhumans who could skillfully use mana could build a small reservoir in a couple of days, but beyond that, it was near impossible. Perhaps, if a nation harnessed great resources and started arge-scale civil engineering project, it was doable, but saying that a secret organization could build ake of this size was a stretch.

    Besides, even if they had the ability to do so, neighboring areas wouldn¡¯t stand by and watch the Bellids construct a wholeke. Even if the Steelwall Estate was supporting the Bellids, theke intruded another estate¡¯s territory, and it appeared impossible to make arge-scaleke in secret.

    ¡°Logically, it¡¯s impossible. However, it is possible if this is an urate model of the nearby areas.¡± Zich raised his finger, and pointed at the model¡¯s side and said, ¡°¡­If we block this ce.¡±

    ¡°What is there?¡±

    ¡°You might not know the geographical advantage of this ce, but beyond the area that this model shows and where my finger is pointing, there¡¯s a very unique topographical feature there.¡±

    ¡°You must be talking about the Horus Gorge.¡± Glen intervened. Clearly, he was displeased by the fact that Zich was currently taking the lead in the situation and was trying to elevate his standing.

    ¡®So childish.¡¯ Beyondughing at him, it almost made Zich sympathize with Glen. Of course, Zich was also ying his theatrics just for the purpose of preventing Glen from taking the spotlight right now, and his behavior wasn¡¯t that different from Glen at its core, but Zichpletely disregarded this point.

    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s as you say. You¡¯re so smart, Sir Zenard,¡± Zich said.

    ¡°What kind of topographical feature is that?¡± Lube asked.

    ¡°It¡¯s a narrow valley between steep rocky walls, and arge stream runs through it.¡±

    ¡°I see! If you block that ce, the river¡ª¡±

    ¡°Yes, it is as Sir Zenard said.¡± Zich cut off Glen from intervening. He had no intention of giving Glen an opportunity to speak more than necessary. Of course, Zich cut off Glen in the middle of his sentence unnoticeably and softly carried on the conversation as if he agreed with Glen. Thus, not many ced much importance on Zich¡¯s interaction with Glen¡ªexcept for Lube and Weig who had been paying close attention to Zich and Glen¡¯s conversation after what Zich told them recently.

    ¡°If they break the gorge with some method, the stream will have no ce to go and nket the nearby ground. The lower its foundation, the more damage it will cause.¡±

    ¡°So, are you saying the result of such an event would be thiske?¡± Weig gasped and aggressively added, ¡°Those bastards. Now they are destroyingndforms just for their temples.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s actually very fitting of those cockroaches since it¡¯s normal for pests to damage their surroundings so that they can build their homes,¡± Lube said. People who weren¡¯t used to Lube speaking in a rough way looked at her in surprise; her way of talking fit neither her appearance nor status. The holy knights waiting patiently after picking up the fallen documents on the ground looked crushed as if the sky had fallen down on them. Zich turned his head away from them. It was time for these holy knights to wake up to reality. Besides, Zich was the number one cause of why Lube could spit out such harsh words so easily as she did now.

    ¡°I guess they are nning to carry out this scheme a month from now,¡± Zich then continued.

    ¡°Why do you think that?¡±

    ¡°There will be a monsooning around this region at that time.¡±

    ¡°¡­They are targeting the time when there¡¯s more rain than usual to crush the gorge and block the stream. It definitely is the most fitting time to make ake.¡± Weig nodded. ¡°We should investigate this Horus Gorge right away.¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s a high chance those Bellids will be there. If we are unlucky, they might have already made considerable preparations to carry out their ns. After all, it¡¯s not as if a n to destroy a gorge can be carried out in just one or two days.¡±

    ¡°That means we should act even faster, while those guys are still not all that well prepared.¡± Weig stared at Lube, and she nodded.

    ¡°We are going to put teams in charge of reporting about this ce and investigating the gorge. Everyone here, please search to see if you can find any other information.¡± After giving out amand to the holy knights, Lube bowed and left with Weig. Chelsea and Winstin watched this sight with jealousy. The Saintess had the highest authority to give orders to people belonging to Karuwiman; likewise, her guard knight, Weig, held great influence as the one who protected the Saintess. Chelsea and Winstin boiled with jealousy because the positions they had desired the most were taken by people they hated the most.

    Yet, of course, they didn¡¯t show their discontent for long. They had nothing to gain by ring at Weig, and their standing would only worsen if they showed any signs of it. Thus, the two began to do what they could now, which was hoping for an opportunity to drag down the two they envied the most.

    Zich also left the room following Lube and Weig. He also nned to make preparations for the gorge. ¡®Although I am curious about those documents, gaining information about the gorge takes precedence.¡¯

    Besides, important information among them would be organized and reported to Lube and Weig anyway. They would also share this information with Zich too.

    ¡®I think I¡¯m starting to see what type of n Glen Zenard is nning.¡¯ Of course, he hadn''t perfectly figured out Glen¡¯s n yet, but he was now sure of the basicyout. While heading towards the exit of the room, Zich nced back. He saw that Glen was conversing with Chelsea and Pina; they were probably discussing their future ns.

    His expression looked pretty serious, but other than that, Glen¡¯s face looked the same as always. However, Zich was sure that Glen¡¯s insides were flipping over in frustration and anger because Zichpletely destroyed his chance to get attention.

    ¡®I¡¯ll soon make you express that emotion on your face as well.¡¯ With thesest thoughts, Zich left the room.

    * * *

    Glen furtively nced towards where Zich had been previously standing. He gritted his teeth and clenched his jaw unconsciously, but he quickly suppressed his emotions because he couldn¡¯t reveal his true nature in front of other people. However, Glen was so angry that he wanted to show his anger and grit his teeth even when there were other people around.

    ¡®That bastard!¡¯ While everyone failed to grasp what the model indicated, Glen had nned to step forward and gain everyone¡¯s attention with his deductive reasoning. He had already finished nning the expression, tone, and situation he would set up to reveal his predictions and reasonings. All he needed to do was carry out his n. However, Zich¡¯s interventionpletely shattered this n.

    As if he had taken a nce at Glen¡¯s ns, Zich had stolen Glen¡¯s job andid out his deductions. People had intently listened to him, and Glen couldn¡¯t bear to watch this sight. However, he couldn¡¯t have stopped Zich. If Zich had made false and far-fetched deductions, Glen would have mocked Zich inside his mind and could have shared his thoughts. Rather, he would have been much happier if this had happened instead of his original n, since he could have triumphed over Zich and proved to everyone that he was much more intelligent and brilliant than Zich.

    However, the situation hadn''t gone ording to Glen¡¯s n. Zich¡¯s deductions were extremely precise and urate, to the extent that there was nothing that Glen could have added on or criticized. Glen even thought, ¡®Did he gain information from another source?¡¯ However, there was no sign that indicated this to be true. Zich had definitely made his deductions purely from looking at the model in front of him. Of course, a big part of the reason why Zich had been able to make a sessful deduction was that he had been sure that this whole situation was one of Glen¡¯s schemes, but Glen had no way of knowing this fact.

    Anyway, as a result, Zich¡¯s wless deductions hadpletely taken away Glen¡¯s opportunity to take the spotlight. When Zich¡¯s deductions had precisely hit the mark, Glen had tried to intervene a couple of times, but Zich had prevented him from doing so. Thus, in the end, Glen¡¯s dream of finding out the Bellids¡¯ conspiracy before everyone else and leaving a deep impression on everyone around him was shattered into a million pieces.

    ¡®I dragged it out too long!¡¯ He shouldn¡¯t have pretended to ponder for so long and given the opportunity for Zich to talk first. He should have shortened his thinking process and immediately voiced his ¡®deductions¡¯. He utterly failed to reach his goal, but he consoled himself despite his disappointment. ¡®It¡¯s okay. It wasn¡¯t a very important matter this time anyway.¡¯

    He had merely wanted to gain a bit more attention through this event. There was a much more important n that he needed to sessfully aplish. If he were sessful with this n, he would achieve a great amount of fame¡ªit was to the extent that people wouldn¡¯t even remember Zich¡¯s aplishment this time. Glen recalled Zich¡¯s appearance and how Zich ryed his deductions while gaining everyone¡¯s attention.

    ¡®Hmph! Hog all the attention for these minuscule events as much as you want. I¡¯ll be the victor in the end.¡¯ Glen wasn¡¯t being overconfident. He could start again as many times as he wanted, so he could just keep trying until he was sessful. Glen worked hard to let go of the humiliation he felt just before.

    * * *

    After taking control of the Bellid temple, Zich went to meet L before he headed towards the Horus Gorge. It seemed as if the Count kept his promise with Zich as no one approached the hole that contained Clowon¡¯s ruin while he was gone. Of course, even if they approached the hole, they wouldn¡¯t be able to find out what was in it.

    Zich opened the door, went inside the ruin, and met L. She was stillpletely immersed in her research, but it seemed as if she had little sess. However, Zich was still not disappointed. He took out a dining table, and after filling up the table with food, they sat facing each other. Zich told her what happened in the temple while they ate.

    ¡°They¡¯re nning to make an enormous artificialke. I¡¯m amazed by the scale of their ns.¡±

    ¡°Even so, I find it believable because those guys even tried to do a ritual by using an entire city as a sacrifice.¡±

    L nodded at Zich¡¯s words. ¡°Then, are you going to go back to the Horus Gorge?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. Since it¡¯s the ce that Glen Zenard seemed to have chosen for his next stage, I need to follow through withoutints.¡± Zich shoved the food in his mouth and moved his fork.

 Chapter 467

    <h4>Chapter 467</h4>

    ¡°You know, I give him respect for all the effort and care he poured into his show.¡±

    ¡°You won¡¯t let that get in the way of your evaluation of it, right?¡±

    ¡°Of course! He should be grateful that I am even watching his show to the end. How could he expect me to give it a good evaluation too? Even if hecks a conscience, he should have realistic expectations. It¡¯s obvious that the whole point of his show is self-promotion and showing how awesome he is as the best-in-the-world main character. He should be the one praising me for watching his ridiculous show so seriously.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s true.¡± L nodded without a moment of hesitation. ¡°You still have to be careful. Even though Glen Zenard is a stupid guy who wanders around in his delusions and doesn¡¯t even have his regression power anymore, you can¡¯t look down on the tremendous length of time that guy experienced and went through.¡±

    ¡°Of course. I don''t even n on looking down on it.¡± Even if Glen was aplete delusional idiot, he had managed to aplish his goals when he focused on them for a long time. After all, Zich had also lost to Glen before the regression.

    ¡°Unlike before, that guy doesn¡¯t realize what¡¯s really going on from our end, while we have a pretty urate grasp of his situation. It¡¯s different from the situations where things were only to his advantage.¡± Then, Zich smirked and said, ¡°If you think of it that way, there¡¯s no better environment than now to mess with him.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t show that kind of smile anywhere else. I¡¯m used to being with you, but it even gives me the chills. It makes me want to move away from you immediately.¡± Even if L¡¯s affection for Zich was strong, it couldn¡¯t ovee everything. Like that, the meal was over. Zich swiped the table, chair, empty tes, and so on all into his magic box and waved his hand at L.

    ¡°I¡¯m going now.¡±

    ¡°Okay. I will try to make some progress before youe back from the Horus Gorge,¡± L said.

    ¡°Like I said, there¡¯s no need for you to hurry. This incident isn¡¯t going to end overnight anyways.¡± Zich was about to leave when¡ª<i>Tap!</i> He felt something press his back. Zich looked behind him and saw that there was nothing there.

    ¡®I didn¡¯t feel a presence, so it¡¯s expected but¡­¡¯ If someone could approach Zich so closely while concealing their presence, he or she would have to be a very powerful being. However, Zich didn¡¯t think such a being could exist. No matter how amazing someone was, there was no way he would fail to catch their presence if they were right behind him. That meant something besides a human had pressed his back. Zich immediately thought of the suspect.

    <i>Swoosh! </i>Zich pulled out Windur from his back. Without even trying to make excuses, Windur continued to curl the ends of one of its des.

    ¡°It¡¯s you again.¡± Zich wasn¡¯t even surprised anymore after seeing his sword act strangely so many times. ¡°So, what is it, this time?¡±

    Other people would have thought he was crazy for talking to his sword, but Zich remained calm. Likewise, L also didn¡¯t think it was strange as she watched, and both of them looked at Windur curiously to see what kind of response he would show. Soon, Windur fulfilled their expectations.

    <i>Swoosh! </i>The sword¡¯s de moved and pointed toward L¡¯s location.

    ¡®Is it pointing at the crystal?¡¯ Both Zich and L thought Windur was pointing at the giant crystal behind L, but when Zich moved closer to the crystal, Windur¡¯s de changed directions. Zich moved Windur around, and whenever he did this, the sword continued to change directions. After some trial and error, Zich and L became certain of what Windur was pointing at.

    ¡°Me?¡± L pointed to herself in surprise.

    ¡°That seems to be the case.¡± Zich circled L and Windur continued to point at her.

    ¡°This guy clearly needs something from you. Do you have anything in mind?¡±

    ¡°No. Nothing at all.¡± L appeared stunned to have be Windur¡¯s target.

    ¡°Hm.¡± Zich tried to decipher Windur¡¯s intentions and nced up and down the sword¡¯s branch-like des. Then, he looked back and forth between Windur and L.

    ¡°Here!¡± Zich went to L and handed Windur over.

    ¡°What? Huh?¡± He basically pushed the sword into her hands.

    <i>Sssssh! </i>In an instant, Windur¡¯s de that was pointing at her returned to normal. It seemed to have fulfilled its wish.

    ¡°Has it returned to normal?¡±

    ¡°I think it wants something from you.¡±

    ¡°What would Windur want?¡±

    ¡°How would I know?¡± Although Windur was his treasured sword that helped him in many ways, it never exined anything easy enough for him to understand. It could be that the sword couldn¡¯t talk, which yed a great factor in this, but Zich disagreed with this opinion.

    ¡®Even if this guy knew how to talk, it would only say what it wanted and keep its mouth tightly sealed otherwise,¡¯ Zich genuinely thought. He could bet on it too.

    .

    ¡°If I had to make a guess, isn¡¯t it because it needs you to search the ruin?¡± Zich said while looking around the ruin. This was the only reason he could think of, and L agreed. However, they still had more questions than answers.

    ¡°How?¡± L asked, perplexed. Zich also struggled to reply.

    ¡°Maybe something will pop up if you keep researching with that guy.¡±

    Although Windur was a prissy fellow, it also stepped up when necessary. Thus, it would help out L when needed.

    ¡°Wait! Does that mean you n to leave Windur here?¡± L was surprised to hear Zich talk as if he was nning to leave his sword with her. Windur was a clue to unearthing the mysteries behind Clowon, but it was also a strong weapon and Zich¡¯s favorite sword. Moreover, it was probably the strongest sword in this world. However, Zich was leaving Windur with L way too easily.

    ¡°It can¡¯t be helped, since Windur wants to go with you. Now that I think about it, it might be better if you keep it for the time being. With Windur, you can go in and out of the ruin whenever you want.¡±

    ¡°But it¡¯s your main weapon.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s my main weapon, but did you forget who I am? Even though Windur is a sword with such great functions that it''s iparable to other swords, it¡¯s still just a sword. Even if I use a normal sword, it won¡¯t be a problem for me because I¡¯m not such a weakling to be restricted by the sword I use.¡± There was not a trace of lie or exaggeration in his speech, because he really meant every word.

    L did not refuse anymore, since she realized that Zich wouldn¡¯t ept her refusal anyway. Moreover, she also thought that with Windur, she might find a clue to help with her research. In the end, she said, ¡°I got it. I¡¯ll keep Windur for you for a bit, and I¡¯ll definitely show you some results when you return.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s more than enough.¡± Zich nodded.

    * * *

    Zich moved out of the ruin. Since he didn¡¯t have Windur anymore, L went to the entrance with him and opened the door. The expression he saw on L as he watched the door close was full of resolve. He could probably expect some results when he came back to see her again.

    ¡®It does feel like something is missing.¡¯ Zich slightly touched his back. It felt slightly awkward when he couldn¡¯t feel his sword there, but he would soon adjust to it. Zich took out a sword from his magic box. It was a sword that was good enough to be called a master-crafted sword, even if it wasn¡¯t a legendary sword like Windur, Estede, or Tornium. Zich put the sword on his hip and was returning to his room when he met Trell in the hallway.

    Trell bowed towards Zich and said, ¡°You¡¯vee out, young master.¡± It seemed as if Trell had been waiting for Zich toe out.

    ¡°Did something happen?¡±

    ¡°The Saintess and Sir Weig have arrived. They both want to meet you.¡± They probably came to deliver the information they found in the Bellid temple.

    ¡°Where are they?¡±

    ¡°They are in the reception room with the Count.¡±

    ¡°Please lead the way.¡± Zich followed Trell and headed towards the Count¡¯s reception room.

    * * *

    Zich sat on the reception room chair and took a sip of tea. When he nced at his surroundings, he saw that the scene that had happened a few days ago was being repeated. The Count, Zich, Lube, and Weig were in their respective seats, and Trell stood firmly behind the Count.

    Zich ced his teacup down and said, ¡°Lady Lube, I heard that you¡¯ve brought the documents from the Bellid temple.¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡± Lube looked at the documents in front of her. There weren¡¯t that many pages, but Zich was certain that those papers contained useful information that they specifically selected and shortened. Lube pushed those documents to Zich.

    Weig exined, ¡°Most of the information is about the location and condition of the other temples. It wasn¡¯t really useful to us since we¡¯ve already found most of those temples, but there were some that we haven¡¯t found yet, so we immediately sent our holy knights there.¡±

    Zich took the documents and slowly read them. The sound of Zich flipping through the papers and the rustling of paper filled the room. Zich roughly scanned through the documents and stared at Count Steelwall. Was he mistaken? The Count¡¯s face seemed extremely stiff.

    ¡®No wonder his expression is like that if he read through this.¡¯ Zich put the documents back down on the table. ¡°Well, this first proves that my predictions were correct.¡±

    ¡°Yes. It¡¯s clear now that the Bellids were nning to make argeke here.¡± A part of the documents had detailed ns about theke. However, this was not very important information since Zich had already predicted this. Of course, since this document proved Zich¡¯s deduction, it wasn¡¯tpletely meaningless, but Zich didn¡¯t think this was too important either since Glen Zenard would have stepped forward to correct Zich if he was wrong and shown off his deductive abilities. Considering the fact that Glen stayed quiet, Zich was confident that his prediction was correct. So, the most important information from this document was something else, and this was the reason for the Count¡¯s hardened expression.

    ¡°The Steif Fortress¡­¡±

    As soon as Zich said this name, the Count let out a groan and Trell sighed. The Steif Fortress was a fortress near the Horus Gorge. The Horus Gorge was located near the estate¡¯s boundary, so as a result, it was a strategic point for military operations. The only ce for a foreign intruder to easily enter the Steelwall Estate was through the Horus Gorge, so naturally, the Count had built the Steif Fortress to block intruders froming through. However, the document contained information about this Steif Fortress.

    ¡®The Bellid¡¯s influence is deep within the Steif Fortress.¡¯

 Chapter 468

    <h4>Chapter 468</h4>

    ¡°How deep is their influence?¡± Zich asked, and Weig shook his head.

    ¡°We don¡¯t know exactly how much. We also learned about the Steif Fortress while looking through the documents, so we came to visit the Count for this reason.¡± Since the fortress was within the Steelwall Estate, they needed the Count¡¯s coboration to gain information.

    Zich stared at Count Steelwall. The Count¡¯s face looked like it was full of worries because of the current situation''s direction. Even though he was trying not to show it, he couldn¡¯t stop the slight changes in emotion on his face. That showed how dire he considered the current situation to be.

    ¡®Nheless, that¡¯s none of my concern.¡¯ Zich did not have even the tiniest bit of concern for the Steelwall Estate as he looked to the Count.

    ¡°You heard what they said, right?¡± Zich asked.

    ¡°¡­Yeah.¡± The Count finally opened his tightly sealed mouth. His worried-filled voice slowly filled the room.

    ¡°Do you know anything about it?¡±

    ¡°I sent someone. I expect to see a report soon,¡± the Count answered. In other words, he didn¡¯t know about the ce that well.

    ¡®There was no way the Count, who didn¡¯t even know the Bellids were sneaking into Violsa, would know about a fortress that¡¯s far from here.¡¯ It was expected. Zich looked back at the documents again. They had only found out that the Bellids¡¯ forces had prated the Steif Fortress, and there was no exact information in the documents. The documents only stated that the Bellids were nning to use their forces inside the fortress to further their n, which was to crush the Horus Gorge.

    Zich then stated, ¡°Those fish-head worshippers must have be really fearless to try to artificially create ake that covers three estates.¡±

    ¡°It seems like they have forgotten their ces after sticking their heads inside water for too long,¡± Weig said.

    ¡°Sir Weig, please. Those guys never knew their ce in the first ce.¡±

    ¡°Oh yes. You¡¯re correct, Saintess. Like you said, there¡¯s no way those bastards would ever realize their ce.¡± Weig immediately admitted his mistake. If Bellid followers had overheard their conversation, they would have raised their swords in anger and tried to kill them both¡ªalthough their heads would have flown off from the mere attempt.

    ¡°It¡¯s true that this issue is quite bothersome. If the Bellids have prated the Steif Fortress deeply, beyond our expectations, then we would have difficulties investigating the Horus Gorge too.¡±

    ¡°The situation there could be much worse than your expectations, Sir Weig,¡± Zich said.

    People¡¯s attention shot toward Zich.

    ¡°What do you mean by ¡®much more than our expectations¡¯?¡±

    ¡°If the Bellids have the entire Steif Fortress within their grasp, we would have to forcefully upy the ce.¡±

    Shock rippled across the room. The Count and Trell opened their eyes wide, and Lubell and Weig also appeared stunned.

    ¡°Do you really think the situation could be that bad?¡± Trell cautiously expressed a contradictory opinion to Zich¡¯s words, but his voice shook lightly.

    ¡°Who would have predicted that there were so many Bellid underlings inside the Count¡¯s residence though?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡± Trell couldn¡¯t retort.

    ¡°¡­Then, does that mean we might really have to go to battle to upy the fortress?¡± Lube sighed.

    ¡°In the worst-case scenario, I think so.¡±

    ¡°How high do you think the possibility is, Sir Zich?¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t make exact predictions since weck information, but I personally think there¡¯s a high chance¡ªespecially if you consider how much care and effort those guys ced into this n.¡±

    People fell into silence. The situation was bing more and more serious. The Count covered his face with his hands. Beyond rage, the Count was starting to feel tired and lost. However, there was no time for the Count to linger in these feelings, and Zich said to the Count, ¡°If we have to really attack the Steif Fortress, you can¡¯t just dispatch some knights and soldiers like you have been doing. You have to send off an army. Will you be ready to do that at any time?¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s no proof that the entire fortress is in the Bellids¡¯ hands.¡±

    ¡°So are you going to move when you are certain? We don¡¯t have much time. We don¡¯t know how far their n to destroy the Horus Gorge has progressed. If the gorge is broken down while we bide time here, there will be great damages.¡±

    The Count pressed his temples like he was tired. His motions didn¡¯t seem to relieve him one bit because of the sheer amount of burden he seemed to be feeling now.

    ¡°Trell.¡±

    ¡°Yes, sir.¡±

    .

    ¡°Give an order to the central army right now and gather the Steel Spear Order of Knights and the Steel Sword Order of Knights. Prepare to do drafts just in case too.¡±

    ¡°I understand, sir.¡± Then, Trell excused himself and left the room.

    ¡°We should also make preparations,¡± Weig said to Lube.

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    Lube and Weig also got up. Thus, Zich had no longer any reason to remain inside the room. He also wanted to avoid being left alone with Count Steelwall too.

    ¡°I will also excuse myself.¡± Zich got up. Like that, the sudden meeting came to an end. People worked on their own responsibilities and waited for the person the Count had sent to learn about the fortress¡¯ situation toe back.

    Several dayster, they got the news that the person who had been sent to the fortress was killed by themander there. At the same time, they also heard reports that suspicious movements had been spotted inside the fortress. Zich¡¯s worst prediction hade true.

    * * *

    The Steelwall family began moving extensively as soon as news of the Bellids¡¯ capture of the Steif Fortress. The Count immediately sent out all the forces he could send and formed an expedition team. The Karuwimans who heard this news sent out their holy knights and priests and joined forces with the Steelwalls. Of course, Zich was also part of this group. Hans, Snoc, Elena, and Lara also joined the expedition team, and Zich even dragged Greig in as well.

    ¡°Have you got some rest?¡± Even though Zich had practically dragged Greig around, Greig was slowly bing more and more fatigued from the rigorous schedule. As such, he had given Greig a short break when he had gone to destroy thetest Bellid temple. Moreover, he also gave his disciples a break as well, so all of the party members were in peak condition.

    ¡°Yeah.¡± Greig replied calmly¡ªno, he tried to reply calmly, but judging by his stiff expression and lower-than-usual voice, it was obvious that he was extremely nervous.

    ¡®Well, it¡¯s only natural.¡¯ What they were going to do from now on was officially a war. It was only natural for Grieg to get nervous for his first intense battle. Even though he heard that the Countess was strongly against Greig participating in this battle, Zichpletely ignored her. The Countess¡¯ opposition was merely the buzzing of a fly to him, not even worth his attention.

    Even though it would have been slightly cumbersome if the Count had also opposed Zich¡¯s decision, the Count had actually epted it without much hesitation. It seemed as if the Count had also made the same judgment, since the situation was bing more and more serious. It would be better for Greig to gain experience despite the dangers. Moreover, there was a high possibility that they would win this battle.

    Even though this was a war, their target was only the Steif Fortress. Moreover, the Steif Fortress was built to face enemiesing from the Horus Gorge. Thus, it was difficult for those at the Steif Fortress to face the Steelwall forcesing from the opposite direction. In addition, holy knights and priests were also participating in this battle, and Saintess Lube and the strongest Karuwiman Holy Knight, Belri Weig, were even included in this group.

    No matter how much Zich thought about it, there was no better opportunity than this to help Greig gain experience as the next sessor. The Count was not so out of touch that he would miss this great opportunity, even while his head hurt from dealing with such a chaotic situation.

    ¡°That¡¯s good to hear. I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll still feel nervous, but all you have to do is fight like you usually do. At least you won¡¯t die.¡± Since Zich was still technically treating(?) Greig, Zich encouraged Greig by tapping his shoulders, unlike his usual self.

    ¡°Got it.¡± Greig also instantly nodded, also unlike his usual self. It seemed as if Zich¡¯s treatment, which seemed like aplete scam, actually had an effect, as Greig was slowly moving away from his profligate lifestyle. Moreover, his attitude towards Zich was also much gentler than before; he didn¡¯t look at Zich like he was looking at his parent¡¯s sworn enemy.

    After encouraging Greig, Zich approached his party members this time. ¡°Hey, how is your condition?¡±

    All four of his party members nodded in unison. Hans replied as the representative. ¡°Sir, we¡¯re in good shape.¡±

    Zich carefully scanned all their faces and then nodded. ¡®Well, it¡¯s as expected.¡¯

    Hans and Snoc really looked to be in good condition. Theirplexion looked bright, and they didn¡¯t even look tired. Instead, they even seemed too rxed in front of a war. However, this wasn¡¯t the case for Elena and Lara.

    ¡®I can understand why.¡¯ Hans and Snoc had gone through all kinds of adventures while apanying Zich, and both the wealth and the depth of their experience, as well as the challenges they had ovee, were far beyond their peers. However, this wasn¡¯t true for Elena and Lara. Elena had joined Zich¡¯s party muchter on, and she had only studied at the magic tower. From what Lara said, it didn¡¯t seem like she had much experience either.

    Even though Glen should have helped Lara build experience for his ideal ¡®hero party¡¯, it seemed as if he hadpletely excluded and prevented her from gaining experience when he saw that she wouldn¡¯t give up her sword.

    ¡®The more I hear about that punk, the more he looks like a total loser.¡¯ On the other hand, regardless of Glen¡¯s personality, Elena and Lara probably felt a lot of pressure about joining a war against other humans. Of course, Zich was sure that talented people like them would be able to easily adjust. However, it was also true that they probably wouldn¡¯t be able to disy their full strength and might fall into danger. Even though Greig was in a simr position, the Count¡¯s knights would probably protect him.

    ¡°Hans, Snoc.¡±

    ¡°Yes, sir!¡±

    ¡°Yes, sir!¡±

    ¡°Protect them in this battle,¡± Zich said to Hans while looking at Lara and pointed his chin towards Elena to Snoc.

    ¡°Yes, sir!¡±

    ¡°Yes, I will!¡±

    If those two protected them, Elena and Lara would at least not die, even in the worst-case scenario. Elena¡¯s expression became slightly brighter, but Lara¡¯s expression worsened instead. Their reactions reflected their disposition so well that Zich let out a small burst ofughter. ¡®That¡¯s the difference between a mage and a swordfighter.¡¯

    Mages normally attacked from the rear, and swordfighters normally stood at the front and attacked their enemies head-on. So it couldn¡¯t be helped that they would have different thoughts about being protected. However, Lara didn¡¯tin, since she knew that this was not a situation where she could cling to her pride while she stillcked skills. Instead, she became even more motivated and passionate to hone her skills using this experience.

    Like this, all the preparations wereplete, and the expedition team headed towards the Steif Fortress.

 Chapter 469

    <h4>Chapter 469</h4>

    The joint army left Violsa and trod across the stream flowing through the gorge. The knights advanced with their glistening armor alongside the holy knights on their horses. They were followed by the priests and then the soldiers. They marched fast. They were in a hurry since they needed to investigate the Horus Gorge as fast as possible.

    Of course, they didn¡¯t move in a way that would burden the army. The Steelwall Estate people had plenty of experience in dealing with external opponents, especially with the ud family. Mihen Tiner, the chosenmander-of-chief for this army, perfectly controlled the army¡¯s marching speed.

    Not long after the army began their advance forward, they soon reached the Steif Fortress. The fortress stood at the entrance of the gorge like a gatekeeper and appeared to be very sturdy. As one of the most important fortresses inside the Steelwall territory, they had managed the ce with quite special care and attention. Yet, defeating the purpose of their efforts, the gs nted outside the fortress had no connection to the Steelwall Estate.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t expect to see those sickening gs here.¡±

    ¡°Yes, who could¡¯ve expected that?¡±

    Zich and Weig clicked their tongues. All the gs pping from the fortress belonged to the Bellids. They were clear proof that the fortress was now under the Bellids¡¯ control.

    ¡°Do you think those guys really hang up their gs because they are proud of them? If they had any sense, they should have realized how embarrassing their symbol is and they should be ashamed to show it anywhere. It seems like they have a problem not with their education, but with their core instincts,¡± Zich said.

    ¡°Aren¡¯t you thinking too well of the Bellids, Sir Zich? It¡¯s exactly because they are unable to think withmon sense that they believe in things like Bellu. Don¡¯t you think so, Sir Weig?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s as you say. To tell you the truth, I still wonder if the Bellids can reallyprehend ournguage. If they had intellect low enough to be Bellid followers, how could they learn to understand speech and writing?¡±

    Zich, Lube, and Weig took turns dissing the Bellids like good pals. They appeared atplete ease, unbefitting of people facing an uing battle. However, there were very few people who possessed such ease. Even the Steelwall soldiers who had umted a lot of experience felt nervous in front of a battle that would put their lives in jeopardy.

    As expected of elite fighters, they soon changed their feelings of nervousness to their advantage. As soon as they saw the Bellids¡¯ gs, the army separated a part of their forces and got into formation. Zich treaded to the front to see the fortress better, and Lube and Weig moved with him.

    ¡°I was wondering how the Bellids gained full control of the fortress, but it seems like that¡¯s our answer.¡±

    They had thought the Bellids must have won over the higher-ups, but of course, Zich and the others hadn''t thought everyone at the fortress had gone over to the Bellids¡¯ side. There probably had been great resistance when the Bellids tried to take control of the fortress in the beginning, but it was clear that the victory must have gone to the Bellids in the end as the gs on the fortress indicated.

    ¡°No, I¡¯m sure they weren¡¯t able to resist in the first ce.¡± Zich proposed an opposing view and nced to his side. Lube was scowling at the fortress harshly, and her expression didn¡¯t match her pretty, pure face. Small gritting soundsing out of her teeth indicated the rage she was feeling.

    ¡°How dare they do such¡­.!¡± Lube said in a low voice threateningly, and Zich understood the reason for her strong response.

    ¡®It¡¯s understandable. The thing that could have happened in her worst dreams became a reality,¡¯ Zich thought and looked to the top of the fortress walls again. The tips of the enemy¡¯s sharp spears sparkled. As expected of an important fortress belonging to Steelwall, the weapons were in good condition. Yet, the people holding these weapons weren¡¯t Steelwall soldiers. Without skin or muscles covering them, their white bones were exposed, and in the empty space between their eye sockets, a chilling light lingered ominously. They were undead¡ªmostly skeletons¡ªstanding on top of the castle walls.

    There were also numerous undead creatures besides skeletons also standing above the fortress walls with weapons in ordance with the Bellids¡¯mands to block the suppression army. Weig then said in an ufortable tone, ¡°A city ritual¡ªthose damn bastards dared to do such a damn thing¡­!¡±

    ¡®City ritual¡¯ was the terrible scheme that had been in progress in Porti, where Zich first had met Lube. Zich had uprooted the scheme with his appearance. Yet, it seemed like there hadn¡¯t been any figure like Zich at the Steif Fortress, and the fortress had fallen under the Bellid¡¯s ns. From behind, Zich heard Hans exin to the otherpanions what a city ritual was. While listening to this conversation, Zich quickly began to assess the situation.

    ¡°It¡¯s clear that many soldiers have transformed into the undead and are attacking us.¡±

    ¡°We must kill them as quickly as possible to return them to Karuna. Unfortunately, that¡¯s the most we can do for them,¡± Weig said while repressing his anger.

    Zich also didn¡¯t have any other suggestions. However, they couldn¡¯t just think about the undead only.

    ¡°We can¡¯t focus our attention on the undead. Truthfully, they are the lowest priority in a city ritual.¡±

    ¡°You must be talking about the power to suck away life force.¡± Weig had also been worried about that as he replied with a heavy tone.

    ¡°I¡¯m sure the ritual here is going to be smaller than the one that was going to be made in Porti, since there¡¯s a difference in the number of people.¡±

    ¡°That doesn¡¯t make me feel relieved.¡± Weig smiled bitterly. Yet, his mood returned to normal as he was skilled in controlling his emotions.

    ¡°Even then, we can¡¯t give up on taking control of the fortress, so we need to be careful. Lady Lube, please suppress your fury and hone that emotion to destroy the Bellids.¡±

    ¡°I understand.¡± Lube red at the fortress for a bit and turned around. Zich stared at her and was slightly dismayed.

    ¡®This makes me recall how she looked before I regressed.¡¯ She looked exactly like this when she rushed towards him with Glen at his hero party. Of course, she had cried for him when he died, but she had also showed formidable drive and strength when attacking him. After Lube and Weig disappeared into the camp, Zich also took his group and went inside. They reached the frontline.

    <i>Crackle! </i>An ominous sound came from the dark clouds as if the sky was sighing at the uing battle.

    * * *

    The forces of the offensive troops stood in line in front of the fortress. They were right in front, and the soldiers stared at the fortress with tense eyes.

    ¡°Attack!¡± With themander¡¯s loud shout, the battle started.

    ¡°Oooowaahhhh!¡± The soldiers shouted loudly and ran towards the fortress. Their presence was so threatening that it felt as if the Earth¡¯s axis was shaking because of their energy and movement.

    Compared to them, the Steif Fortress was quiet. The undead couldn¡¯t talk, and the couple Bellids they saw in between the undead didn¡¯t open their mouths either. However, just because the Bellids didn¡¯t shout, it didn¡¯t mean that their fighting spirit wascking. No¡ªin a way, their fighting spirit derived from their religious fanaticism might be significantly higher than that of their opponents.

    The offensive troops ran towards the fortress as if a giant tsunami was rushing towards the Bellids and the undead. However, the Bellids saw a couple of dots in front of the offensive troops; a few people were running toward the fortress at a much faster speed than the other soldiers. These people were Zich, Hans, and Snoc. Zich and Hans wrapped their legs with mana, and Snoc was riding Nowem, who had turned enormous. Their speed was on a different levelpared to the other soldiers. They left the other soldiers far behind and rushed straight towards the fortress.

    Their numbers only amounted to three people and one beast. Anyone would think that it was impossible for such a small group to destroy a fortress by themselves. The forces at the fortress seemed to also think the same thing as not even a single arrow flew towards them. It seemed as if they judged that it would be a waste to use arrows against them. However, their judgment waspletely off.

    Zich, Hans, and Snoc reached the bottom of the fortress in a sh. Then, Zich and Hans stood side by side around Nowem as if they were protecting Snoc. Snoc put his hand on the fortress wall, his eyes met with Zich¡¯s, and Zich gave a nod.

    <i>Ziiing!</i> Earth mana began to fill Snoc¡¯s hand, and this mana flowed into the wall in a matter of seconds.

    <i>Crrrck!</i> One of the well-polished stones in the wall popped out and rolled on the ground. The sight of arge rock, bigger than a person, flying in the air and dropping to the ground looked surreal. However, this was only the beginning.

    <i>Crrrrrrrck!</i> Rocks that formed the wall continued to be pulled out, and they were all from the bottom. What would happen if all the rocks at the bottom disappeared? The answer was obvious¡ªcopse.

    <i>Crumble!</i> The wall shook, and the rocks began to crumble. The ominous sound of falling rocks added to the suspense. The forces at the fortress seemed to have finally realized the severity of their current situation as they began attacking Zich and his group. A huge number of arrows flew towards them, and water beams that were definitely from the Bellid priests sharply flew at them. Hot water and rocks were also dropped from the top of the wall. However, Zich and Hans were right next to Snoc for a reason.

    <i>Zing! Zing! Zing! </i>Zich swung his sword. His sword was not Windur, but an ordinary sword that was just tough andfortable to wield. As if to prove that the words he had said to L were true, Zich easily cut all the arrows flying toward them with his sword. He also cut the rocks falling on them and scattered the hot water away with a sh. It was also the same for Hans. Every time Estede shed brightly, all the attacks towards them were neatly vanquished. While this was going on, Snoc continued to take out the rocks at the bottom of the wall.

    <i>Crruuummmbllle!</i> In the end, an enormous amount of dust surrounded the Steif Fortress as it copsed. The undead on top of the wall were swept up in the copse and also fell. Considering that the fortress had looked foreboding and indomitable, as if no one could sessfully defeat it, it really copsed all too easily.

    ¡°Oooowaahhhh!¡± The soldiers gave another loud shout at this sight. In all honesty, the soldiers hadn¡¯t been able to erase their nervousness while running toward the fortress. They didn¡¯t have a siege tower or even adder to climb up. Even though they heard that their allies would destroy the wall so they could enter the fortress, it was hard to believe that such a tough wall could be destroyed. However, the Steif Fortress, which had looked like an iron wall, copsed right in front of them. The troops¡¯ morale significantly increased.

 Chapter 470

    <h4>Chapter 470</h4>

    Zich and hispanions instantly destroyed the top of the tower, but they didn¡¯t stop there. The more space they had knocked down inside the fortress, the better. Zich encouraged Hans and Snoc to move spots next to the crumbled fortress walls, and Snoc ced his hand on the wall again.

    ¡°Block!¡± He heard someone yell above him. His enemies felt an intense sense of danger after the fortress¡¯ wall suddenly broke. A flurry of attacks flew toward Zich¡¯spanions, but again, Zich and Hans¡¯ swords blocked all the attacks. Like he did before, Snoc pulled out all the stones at the foot of the fortress wall, like he had done to the adjacent one.

    <i>Crumble! </i>The wall fell, and another entrance formed. Zich was still not satisfied with just this, and hispanions moved to the next wall.

    Their wall-crumbling efforts only came to an end when the soldiers started reaching the fortress. If they broke walls now, their allies might get swept by the fortress remains instead.

    There were three entrances broken into the fortress now. If Steelwall tried to rebuild the fortress again, it would most likely cost a significant amount. However, it couldn¡¯t be helped. They needed to investigate the Horus Gorge as soon as possible, and in order to minimize their sacrifices and save time, they needed to destroy parts of the fortress. After finishing his work, Zich turned to Hans and Snoc.

    ¡°It¡¯s good here. You guys go and do what you have been doing,¡± Zich said, hinting at protecting Elena and Lara. The two nodded and moved instantly. They had already nned out Elena and Lara¡¯s positions. When the two went farther away, Zich stared at thest hole they had made. There was still a hazy cloud of dust settling in the area, and Zich thought as he looked at it, ¡®Should I go up the castle walls and crush the enemy¡¯s troops? Or should I jump inside the fortress?¡¯

    Zich didn¡¯t contemte for long. ¡®I will clear out the castle walls first.¡¯

    If this had been a battle between humans, Zich would have chosen to jump past the castle walls since if he got rid of themanders first, the flow of the battle would turn in their favor or might even mark the end of the battle. Yet, this war wasn¡¯t a normal war. It was a war with the undead led by Bellids. The concept of captives didn¡¯t even exist on this battlefield, and it was a battle that would only end if the veryst Bellid followers and undead were killed.

    ¡®Right now, the more I get rid of, the better.¡¯ To do so, Zich needed to sweep away the enemy forces attacking them on top of the fortress wall. Zich had no problem jumping on top of the wall even when it waspletely fine; but now, as the wall remains acted as pedestals for him to step on, it made it even easier for Zich to jump over.

    <i>Thud! </i>Zich lightlynded in the fortress, and all the enemy forces there rushed toward him. Sharp spears flew toward Zich, and Zich¡¯s sword moved gracefully against them.

    <i>Sling! Sling! Sling! </i>Rough metal cked in quick session and the spears that the undead were holding bounced off. The undead were not empty-handed with nothing to protect them as Zich swung his sword at them.

    <i>Slice! Slice! Slice! </i>With slicing sounds, the undead running toward Zich shattered into pieces. Zich treaded forward while stepping over these remains and continued to swing his sword.

    <i>Swish! Swish! </i>Sharp water trails flew between the undead. They were the Bellid followers¡¯ attacks.

    ¡®As expected, they are weak.¡¯ Zich narrowed his eyes at the water squirts flying at him. Even though they had taken full control of a fortress, there weren¡¯t many Bellid followers. If there had been more, they wouldn¡¯t have shot these small water squirts, but used the stream flowing next to the fortress with their ritual.

    ¡®Maybe this is more proof that there weren¡¯t many Bellid followers that seeped into the fortress in the first ce.¡¯

    There didn¡¯t need to be many followers for a city sacrifice ritual. Even in the scheme to sacrifice Porti, the only one pushing the n forward was Grotim, the vice-mayor of the city. At the same time, there could be another exnation for theck of Bellid followers in the fortress.

    ¡®The Bellid guys could be too focused on something else.¡¯

    They could be focused on something so important that it took precedence over protecting a fortress, and there was only one thing Zich could think of. Zich stared at the area beyond the fortress where the Horus Gorge was. Two cliffs stood facing each other proudly, as if they were higher than the sky. They seemed to be standing upright and boasting to each other that their height was taller than the other. If andmass of their size crumbled, it was evident that the river would be blocked. The cliffs would lose their aloof atmosphere and take their anger out on the surroundings for their fall until they passed over the stone wall blocking their way.

    ¡®Perhaps, it could be both.¡¯ It was pointless to think about that now, and taking over the fortress took the utmost priority right now. Zich focused more power on his legs and sliced everything in his path.

    <i>Baaam! </i>Then, Zich heard a faint explosion from afar. He nced behind and saw arge explosion from inside the fortress. Elena had officially entered the battlefield. As expected of a talented pupil under a great master, Elena¡¯s skills exploded as a result of many experiences. Now, she was annihting her enemies with impressive fire magic, as if she was trying to boast.

    ¡®She¡¯s doing well.¡¯ This battle was on a different scale than all the previous ones she had participated in. Without experiencing something like this first-hand, she wouldn¡¯t know how to deal with the number of forces rushing at her.

    ¡®Snoc is helping her well.¡¯ The stone clumps scattered everywhere along with the explosions added validity to this thought.

    ¡®I¡¯m sure it helps that Elena¡¯s mentality is strong too and that the undead are also her enemy.¡¯ Magic was an outstanding ability to annihte arge number of humans. However, if her enemies had been really humans instead of the undead, Elena wouldn¡¯t have been able to unleash a string of spells without hesitation.

    <i>Baam! </i>There was another explosion inside the fortress. This one was caused by a sword rather than magic. Hans and Lara were shing their swords at the forces rushing at them. All the undead and Bellids blocking them were cut into pieces. Zich considered Hans as one of the three most talented people out of everyone he had met. Hans and Lara were both showcasing brilliant skills.

    ¡®How could he try to make such a talented fighter give up on her sword?¡¯ Zich clicked his tongue. Lara was someone who had joined the hero party that had defeated Zich while using a shield that wasn¡¯t even her expertise. Her innate talent was astounding. Even though it wasn¡¯t as great as Hans¡¯ talent, Hans was a monster that even Zich was amazed by, so he couldn¡¯t be used as aparison.

    Zich turned his gaze away from Lara and stared at the person who had treated Lara as a sidekick or an essory. Glen was currently rushing towards the fortress with great speed. To no one¡¯s surprise, Glen Zenard was participating in this battle. Zich felt Glen¡¯s desperation to make an achievement greater than anyone else in this battle.

    ¡®It would have been great if he had pure intentions.¡¯ Zich barely repressed his desire to immediately jump over the wall and smack the back of Glen¡¯s head. Glen¡¯spanions seemed to be also showcasing their skills, but their impact wasn¡¯t as great as Zich¡¯spanions, so they didn¡¯t get as much attention.

    <i>Bam! Bam!</i> Zich saw Weig at work on another fortress wall. The priests, including Lube, let out an extraordinary amount of holy mana toward the undead and melted them. Moreover, the knights from the Steelwall Estate swept through the battlefield like a tsunami. Thebination of the Steelwall and Karuwiman forces, Glen¡¯s party, and most of all, Zich¡¯s party, was enough to mercilessly destroy the Bellid forces despite their geographical advantage. The battlested less than half a day, and ended with the joint forces¡¯ perfect victory.

    * * *

    The state of the Steif Fortress after the end of the battle was appalling. Piles of undead corpses and fragments scattered between the crushed and burning fortress and buildings. The fortress¡¯ walls had hit the peak of this devastation. However, this sight also meant that the victor and loser had been decided in this battle.

    Normally, the victor would be happy without thinking about future events and celebrating their victory, but the joint forces were different. Their goal wasn¡¯t to raid the Steif Fortress but to crush the conspiracy at the Horus Gorge. However, the Horus Gorge wasrge. Moreover, its terrain was extremely rough and rocky. True to its name, there were two enormous cliffs on both sides of the gorge. Since they didn¡¯t know where the Bellids were plotting and causing chaos in this gorge, they needed to climb up dangerous cliffs and search all over the top of the cliffs to find the Bellids. This was no ordinary feat.

    Since they didn¡¯t have much time, the people going to investigate the top of the cliffs had to be superhumans such as knights or holy knights, but ordinary soldiers were going to also help investigate the bottom of the gorge. The best way to investigate with limited time was to employ as many people as possible. However, even then, they couldn¡¯t immediately take their forces to investigate.

    Even though they easily achieved victory, they still took control of the fortress. The soldiers were fatigued from their fight, and they didn¡¯t know how long it would take to investigate the Horus Gorge. Naturally, they needed to spare time to rest.

    Mihen first ordered the soldiers to organize and clean up the fortress. The soldiers began cleaning up the corpses and undead. The knights headed towards the camp they set up outside the fortress. Their n was to take a short break at the camp that was quickly made for them to sleep and immediately be deployed to investigate the gorge.

    On the other hand, some were full of energy, and Zich¡¯s group was one of them. Zich asked, ¡°Are you all ready?¡±

    Hans and Snoc nodded. Lara and Elena decided to step out. Since Elena was a mage, she had exerted a lot of energy in this battle, and Lara hadn¡¯t fully adjusted to this party yet. However, Hans and Snoc had been constantly dragged into battle and also received Zich¡¯s extremely strenuous training in-between, so they were full of energy.

    Zich thought about also bringing Grieg along, but Greig was also quite tired from the first major battle he had just experienced. Zich thought about forcing Greig toe, but raising Greig to such a level wasn¡¯t necessary. His treatment was slowly starting to show some effect, and there was no need for him to force Greig to go to such a dangerous ce.

    ¡°All right, let¡¯s go.¡± Zich led Hans and Snoc towards the Horus Gorge. Commander-in-chief Mihen was worried, but Zich went to the Horus Gorge with the excuse that they were merely going to scout the ce out first. However, Zich¡¯s group wasn¡¯t the only one heading toward the gorge.

    ¡°Mr. Zenard, are you also nning to investigate the gorge?¡± As expected, Glen was not going to step out for a matter like this. Glen met Zich¡¯s group in front of the gorge¡¯s entrance, and he nodded.

    ¡°Every moment is precious right now, so I think people who can afford to should start moving.¡±

    Zich suppressed himself from spitting at Glen¡¯s shameless, smiling face and nced at the gorge. He was sure that the Bellids were plotting something somewhere in the gorge.

    ¡®If we destroy the gorge, there¡¯s a high chance that they¡¯ll continue their work on the cliffs.¡¯ Even though their n to make ake was crushed by the joint forces, Zich didn¡¯t think they would stop their ns at all.

    ¡®They¡¯ll at least continue for the sake of revenge.¡¯ Rather than making argeke in front of the temple, they would continue their ns with the goal of causing damage to nearby estates. The Bellids were like that. To ensure that their n went smoothly, it would be best for the Bellids to make both cliffs copse at once to damage nearby estates, but since the joint forces were right in front of them, there was a high chance that they would quickly sabotage one side.

    Zich pointed at one cliff. ¡°We¡¯ll take this side.¡± He implied that Glen should take the other one and carefully checked Glen¡¯s reaction.

    ¡°¡­Since there aren¡¯t many people, don¡¯t you think it¡¯s better for us to join forces and carefully observe each side? Regardless of how little time we have, it¡¯s too dangerous to randomly scan the area and miss the Bellids.¡±

    Zich smirked inside his mind. ¡®I chose the right one.¡¯

 Chapter 471

    <h4>Chapter 471</h4>

    If the cliff that Zich chose hadn''t been the one the Bellids were working on, Glen would have probably easily epted Zich¡¯s suggestion, since he would¡¯ve been able to monopolize the credit of finding the Bellids by himself. Zich wasn¡¯t stupid enough to think that Glen had offered to coborate without any ulterior motives. Glen¡¯s intention was obvious, and Zich knew that Glen wanted to do a joint investigation because the Bellids were specifically at the cliff that Zich had pointed at. Thus, Zich refused Glen¡¯s offer.

    ¡°I understand what you are saying Mr. Zenard, but I wonder if we really have to do that.¡± When Glen opened his mouth to refute, Zich interrupted him again. ¡°Considering your skills, I¡¯m sure you won¡¯t make any mistakes like that.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡± Glen parted his lips.

    ¡°Honestly, our rtionship isn¡¯t good, but I think we both acknowledge each other¡¯s skills. I know I won¡¯t make a mistake like that, and I also think you will be able to investigate quickly and thoroughly. Don¡¯t you think so?¡± Although Zich answered a question with a question, he didn¡¯t think Glen would say ¡®no¡¯ to his question at whatever cost.

    ¡®If he denies what I¡¯m saying, that would be the same as admitting that his skills arecking. There¡¯s no way that hero-obsessed guy would do that.¡¯ If Glen wanted to act ording to his n, he needed to back down once and push his suggestion to do a joint investigation even harder. However, Glen responded as Zich had predicted.

    ¡°¡­If you word it like that, I suppose it can¡¯t be helped. I will investigate the other cliff,¡± Glen said.

    ¡°I knew you would say that,¡± Zich said and stretched out his hand. ¡°Good luck, Mr. Zenard.¡±

    ¡°You too.¡± Glen shook Zich¡¯s hand and headed to the Horus Gorge.

    ¡®That dumb bastard!¡¯ Zich thought and chuckled to himself while looking at Glen¡¯s back. Then, he said to the others, ¡°We should also go too.¡±

    Hans and Snoc soon followed him, and they went to the cliff on the opposite side of where Glen had gone. The sharp and formidable cliff stretched out before them. It was the sort of cliff that even a trained person wouldn¡¯t dare to climb without the right equipment. For Zich and hispanions, however, the terrain was nothing more than a bit-difficult version of a t ne. Furthermore, one of theirpanions was Snoc, and he focused his mana at the bottom of his feet.

    <i>Grrrr! </i>The stone te they were on began to float. Zich tried knocking on the te with his feet and looked down at it. They were quickly moving far away from the ground, and when Zich looked up again, he saw them quickly approaching the top of the cliff. Soon, they were able to ce their feet on the top of the cliff.

    <i>Drip!</i>

    Something cold touched Zich¡¯s cheek. Zich lifted his head up and looked at the sky. The sky was looking dark and cloudy like it was going to pour at any moment, and little droplets fell down.

    <i>Drip! Drop!</i>

    More raindrops began to fall. Zich felt a cold sensation all over his body and the drops on the ground gradually increased.

    <i>Shaaaaaa! </i>Soon, heavy rain began to pour. The rain was so strong that it obstructed people¡¯s vision.

    ¡®It¡¯s finally starting.¡¯

    It was the start of a long monsoon season. Zich indifferently looked down at the stream flowing toward the inside of the gorge. The stream still flowed like usual. The pouring rain caused ripples in the stream, but besides that, the stream was quiet. Yet, this wouldn¡¯tst for long. Soon, the stream would increase in size from the falling rain and reveal its true ferocious nature to its surroundings.

    ¡°A river can expand in an instant,¡¯ Zich thought and saw troops inside the fortress hurriedly making preparations. Fortunately, the fortress was far from the river¡¯s influence, and the water would not flood that area. However, since the soldiers¡¯ temporary campsite that they had been set up before the battle was located near the stream, Zich saw many knights leaving their rest time to prepare.

    ¡®How unlucky.¡¯ But they hadn¡¯t nned to use the campsite for long anyway. Their original n was to stay a night at the campsite and move to the fortress after making preparations. They nned this so that the soldiers could rest for a brief period and quickly go investigate the area. However, because of the brutal weather, all their rest time had gone to the gutter.

    ¡®In the end, their n to quickly dispatch the knights ended in nothing,¡¯ Zich thought and didn¡¯t concern himself with the matter anymore. ¡®I¡¯m sure they¡¯ll take care of it well.¡¯

    It wasn¡¯t as if theirmander was a little child. Theirmander, Mihen, was a knight with a lot of experience and he would know how to get out of the situation. It was then that a hand popped out of the cliff Zich and hispanions were now on top of. A person crawled from below to the top of the cliff.

    ¡°You also came, sir?¡± Zich asked and Weigughed.

    ¡°I can¡¯t just rest peacefully when we have to find those Bellid bastards!¡±

    ¡°Aren¡¯t you tired?¡±

    ¡°Even if I am old, I won¡¯t get tired just this. My mind is still young,¡± Weigughed again.

    ¡®Well, I mean, it would be reallyughable if this guy was tired from this level of battle.¡¯ Instead, if Weig hadin down saying he was tired, Zich would have immediately suspected that Weig had been kidnapped or killed and that the man in front of him was an imposter pretending to be Weig.

    ¡®No, in the first ce, Weig isn¡¯t someone you can kidnap or kill without other people noticing.¡¯ If there was a person who could do something like that, Zich definitely wanted to meet them.

    Zich then noted, ¡°Lady Lube didn¡¯te with you.¡± He had looked behind Weig, since Lube stuck close to Weig¡¯s side wherever they went, but he couldn¡¯t feel her presence.

    ¡°The Saintess feels slightly tired from this battle. She had been burning with passion knowing that her opponents were Bellids, and there had been a city ritual on top of that. So, her will to fight was greater than any other time.¡±

    ¡°She must have pushed herself beyond her limit.¡±

    ¡°Thanks to that, a lot of people were able to live.¡± Weig shrugged and added, ¡°But it¡¯s clear that Lady Lube is still inexperienced.¡±

    ¡°Well, she¡¯s still young.¡± Zich also didn¡¯t fault Lube for overextending.

    ¡°Sir Zich, as someone who looks to be of simr age to Lady Lube, I don¡¯t think you should be saying that. Yet, somehow when you say it, I end up believing you.¡± Weigughed out loud, and then his gaze immediately changed. ¡°Let¡¯s stop with the chitchat and begin looking for those rat bastards. No, we should call them mole bastards now. Even though those bastards¡¯ god is a fish head, I don¡¯t know why they¡¯re digging the ground so much.¡± While Weig was mocking the Bellids like usual, they heard a rough sound.

    <i>Koo!</i> Nowem stood up on Snoc¡¯s shoulder and loudly protested.

    ¡°Hmm? Ah, oh my. It seems like I spoke wrongly.¡±

    Even though Nowem was a magical beast of the earth, his appearance was that of a mole. Nowem felt angry that Weig was insulting moles.

    ¡°It was my mistake. I¡¯ll apologize.¡± Weig formally apologized. Nowem nodded as if he epted Weig¡¯s apology and went back to lying t on his belly on Snoc¡¯s shoulder again.

    Weig stared at this sight with curiosity. ¡°You said that he was a magical beast of the earth, right? No matter how many times I see him, it¡¯s so interesting.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not only his appearance, but his ability is also amazing. We n to get a lot of help from him again.¡± When Zich gave out a signal, Snoc nodded. Nowem also raised his nose and jumped off from Snoc¡¯s shoulder. Then, Snoc put his hand on the ground.

    ¡°What are they doing?¡±

    ¡°They¡¯re looking for the Bellids. Honestly, we don¡¯t know where those mo¡­ rat bastards are hiding right now underground.¡± Zich was about to say mole, but he nced at Nowem and quickly changed his words. Fortunately, Nowem had his nose stuck to the ground and was busily moving around, so he didn¡¯t catch Zich¡¯s words.

    ¡°However, I¡¯m sure that those bastards are somewhere inside the cliff. After all, if they want to destroy the cliff, it¡¯ll be best to start from the inside.¡±

    Weig nodded in agreement.

    ¡°If those guys have a brain, they¡¯ll try their best to hide until their preparation isplete. However, the magical beast of the earth, Nowem, and his contractor, Snoc, will be able to find them easily.¡±

    .

    ¡°Hmm, it¡¯s definitely better than looking for them without any n.¡± Weig seemed to like Zich¡¯s n. No, rather than like, he felt satisfied that they could find the Bellids as fast as possible. The faster they found the Bellids, the faster he could fuck them up. Weig opened his mouth to show his sharp canines and let out a murderous aura. ¡°If we can find their dirty hideout, it¡¯ll be easy to crack their heads open.¡±

    ¡°We can¡¯t lower our guard.¡± Zich firmly said to Weig, who was already thinking up all kinds of methods to crack open the Bellids'' heads. ¡°There¡¯s a high chance that they have the power they gained from using an entire city in their sacrificial ritual.¡±

    ¡°Now that I think about it, they didn¡¯t use that power when we were attacking the fortress.¡± While they were slicing all the undead, Bellids, and traitors, those who knew about the sacrificial ritual, including Zich, were wary about their surroundings. The life force that they took from the ritual was an extremely great power. If the Bellids had used that power while they were attacking the fortress, they wouldn¡¯t have won so easily.

    However, the Bellids didn¡¯t use that power, so they couldn¡¯t lower their guard either. They knew for certain that this power existed, and as long as that power existed under the Bellids¡¯ hands, it was clear that they would use it with evil intentions.

    ¡°I think ?those guys will use that power to make this cliff copse.¡±

    ¡°I agree with your opinion.¡± Making a cliff copse and blocking a river was no easy feat. The cliff was made of hard stones, and ordinary attacks couldn¡¯t break it. This was even more true if the Bellids were nning to destroy such arge part of the cliff to block a whole river. Naturally, the first thing that Zich thought of was the power that the Bellids gained from the sacrificial ritual.

    Weig said, ¡°Even those Bellid bastards won¡¯t be able to immediately control the power they gained from the sacrificial ritual. They¡¯ll have to process the power first, and I think the reason why they¡¯re quiet now is because they¡¯re currently processing the power.¡±

    ¡°I have the same thoughts as you, Sir Weig. When they finish processing it, they¡¯ll probably make the gorge copse.¡± Moreover, the enormous amount of rain pouring down wouldbine with the destruction of the cliffs to cause disastrous flood damage around the nearby estate.

    ¡°As expected, it doesn¡¯t feel right to leave all of this to Sir Snoc. Even if it¡¯s less effective, I¡¯ll also go look for those bastards.¡±

    ¡°Me too.¡± Zich also had no ns to leave the search all up to Snoc. He also signaled to Hans, and the three of them, excluding Snoc, scattered throughout the cliff. As expected however, the one who found the Bellids first was Snoc. Rain was still pouring down even then.

 Chapter 472

    <h4>Chapter 472</h4>

    The entrance Snoc found was on top of a cliff, below the cracked gap in the surface. The gap was so narrow that a person had to contort their body to squeeze in. The space below was also very tight, and one had to arch their back to barely move through. On the other side of the wall, there was another small gap covered by a protruding boulder. They had to squish their bodies in again, and after crawling through this hole a bit more, they arrived at an artificial tunnel big enough for a person to walk through normally.

    ¡°I am honestly impressed by these guys¡¯ abilities. To avoid getting noticed, they managed to find a ce like this and dug a tunnel through.¡± Zich was impressed. The space below the gaps between the boulders definitely existed naturally, and using this natural terrain, the Bellids had created a secret passageway.

    ¡°It¡¯s as you say. Those trash bags have such an unnecessary skill.¡± Weig also couldn¡¯t help but admit the Bellids¡¯ ¡®skills¡¯ as he grumbled. If they didn¡¯t have Snoc with them, they would have had great difficulty finding this ce.

    ¡°The passageway continues on straight from here,¡± Snoc said while pointing toward the other side of the cave and Nowem cried in agreement.

    <i>Koo!</i>

    ¡°It¡¯s not a veryplicated passageway. It goes straight and does not split. At the end of the passageway, I sense a cavity of considerable size.¡±

    ¡°That must be those cockroach bastards¡¯ nests.¡±

    There was no need for them to say anymore.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go in,¡± Weig said. He already had his sword out and seemed anxious about digging his hand into the Bellid followers¡¯ blood. Weig appeared like a madman crazy for blood. Even Zich wondered if it was all right for a holy knight to act like this. However, Zich had no reason or intention to disagree with Weig.

    ¡°Yes, let¡¯s go.¡±

    ¡°Isn¡¯t it better to call more people?¡± Hans asked if they should go with more support, but Zich shook his head.

    ¡°It¡¯s better to suppress those guys as fast as possible. Considering the size of the passageway, I don¡¯t think there¡¯s that many of them anyway.¡±

    Snoc had already told them that the size of the cavity wasn¡¯t that big. Even if the ce was packed with Bellid followers from corner to corner, there was a limit on how many of them there could be in one space. Additionally, it was more efficient for a select number of people to move in a narrow space like this. Above all, Zich and hispanions were easily the most skilled fighters in the joint army.

    The team began to move across the passageway. The rainwater from outside began flowing inside, and the rain was still pouring down heavily. Thus, Zich asked Snoc, ¡°How long till we reach the cavity you sensed?¡±

    ¡°It won¡¯t take too long, sir. If we continue at this speed, we will arrive there in the time it would take to drink a hot cup of tea.¡±

    ¡°Even though we are that close to it, I can¡¯t feel the power they would have amassed from the city sacrifice ritual. As I thought, they must have really yed some tricks to hide their powers.¡±

    ¡°I think so too. We might have wasted a lot of time if we had searched the area by trying to sense their powers.¡±

    Weig and Zich¡¯s opinions aligned. Zich looked at the other side of the passageway warily and nced around to see if there was anything suspicious.

    ¡°¡­What is that?¡±

    There were holes about the size of fingers all over the passageway. They clearly didn¡¯t seem to be naturally made, and when Zich looked down, he saw that the floor was full of holes submerged in water.

    ¡°I scanned the entire passageway, and it appears that these mysterious holes are everywhere. They¡¯re quite deep too,¡± Snoc exined. Zich stopped walking momentarily and searched the holes. With only one eye open, Zich tried looking inside one of the holes. He didn¡¯t see much, and he only sawplete darkness.

    ¡°I¡¯m sure they aren¡¯t here for interior design,¡± Weig said ufortably while tapping on these holes. Whatever intention the Bellids had when making these, it clearly wouldn¡¯t be gooding from them.

    ¡°I think they might have made these holes to make the cliff crumble more easily. By weakening the inside, the passageway would crumble faster,¡± Zich said and pried his eyes away from the holes.

    ¡°As I thought, everything they do is up to no good,¡± Weig snorted. He didn¡¯t even appear to be surprised anymore. Of course, this didn¡¯t mean that his rage had quelled at all.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go, Sir Zich. We have to crush them before they do something more ridiculous.¡± Weig''s voice sounded enraged.

    Zich and hispanions began to walk again. They didn¡¯t make their presence known by making amotion, but they didn¡¯t try hard to conceal their presence either. Since their path was a wide-open passageway without traps or many obstacles, it was hard for them to hide their presence. As they had expected, when they reached the end of the passageway, they saw Bellid followers greeting them.

    ¡°They came!¡± Weig immediately stepped forward while holding his sword. Since the space was so small, it was clear that he would be a hindrance if more than two people fought, so Zich stepped behind Weig. However, Zich was ready to fight at any time, and it was the same for Hans and Snoc.

    ¡°Sir Weig, please be careful when fighting. If we m the wall too much, the passageway could copse because of us, and we could be the ones to cause the cliff to crumble.¡±

    A wall filled with holes obviouslycked durability. It might be fine if only the passageway broke, but the passageway¡¯s copse could cause a butterfly effect and cause other areas to crumble. So it was better for them to be careful. Even Snoc wouldn¡¯t be able to stop a mass-scale copse. Furthermore, they needed to find the true nature of the city sacrifice ritual and destroy it.

    ¡°I will keep that in mind!¡± Weig said and rushed toward the Bellid followers. The Bellids did not stay still. About fifteen followers extended their hands at the same time.

    <i>Sssssh! </i>The level of water flowing inside the tunnel grew exponentially higher. It reached their ankles instantly, and it seemed as if the tunnel would be full of water soon. Of course, Zich¡¯s group wouldn¡¯t immediately drown, but their movements were restricted. They also couldn¡¯t suppress their breathing forever. Most importantly, the water also added another aspect of danger.

    <i>Bamm!</i> Since the Bellids controlled water, the force of their skills became significantly greater. Sharp streams of water flew towards them, and strong water pressure pulled on them from below. However, Weig ignored all these disadvantages and rushed forward. As someone with all kinds of experiences, this situation posed no threat to him.

    <i>Burst! </i>Weig strongly kicked the water to break the pressure that rose up to squeeze and destroy his leg. He sliced apart the sharp water streams flying towards him with his sword. Even though he couldn¡¯t help slowing down, the Bellid¡¯s attacks did nothing to him but slightly tie down his feet for a bit. When Weig approached them, the closest Bellid follower pulled out his weapon and attacked Weig.

    <i>Bam! Bam! </i>It seemed as if he was skilled as he exchanged a couple of attacks with Weig; the Bellids behind him also intently focused on attacking Weig. However, this was the extent of their retaliation.

    <i>Crassh! </i>The Bellids¡¯ formation broke down from Weig¡¯s heavy blow, and Weig did not miss this opportunity to strike back.

    <i>Slice!</i> Weig¡¯s sword smoothly cut his opponent¡¯s neck. Blood spouted out like a fountain, and the cut-off head sshed into the water. Bright red blood flowed from the head and dyed the water red. However, no one paid any attention to that sight. Weig continued to rush forward without much emotion and sliced off the Bellids¡¯ heads. The tunnel was full of water, but this disadvantage wasn¡¯t enough to stop Weig.

    It did not take long for the narrow tunnel to open up and widen; they had reached the joint space at the end of the tunnel. There were about fifteen more followers gathered together, but something else caught the attention of Zich¡¯s group.

    ¡®The Bellu statue.¡¯ The statue, which was infamous for its fish head, stood in the center of the space, and aplicated and strange magic circle was drawn around it. Judging by how it didn¡¯t disappear even when the space was filled with water, it must have been drawn with a special substance or had the magical ability to protect itself.

    Zich carefully scanned the statue. ¡®I can feel it from here now.¡¯ The statue emitted a subtle amount of energy. It wasn¡¯t very threatening¡ªjust the amount of energying off from it was weak, and the amount of energy it actually had was probably much greater. ¡®There¡¯s probably the power they made from the sacrificial ritual there.¡¯

    Now, there was only one thing left for them to do¡ªthey needed to destroy the magic circle surrounding the statue and crush it. Then, the power would have nowhere to go and scatter in all directions. Weig seemed to have the same thought as Zich as he clutched his sword and began moving to cut the Bellids. However, the Bellids could also clearly guess their reactions and retaliate.

    However, so far, none of the Bellids could even stop Weig from Zich¡¯s group. Moreover, since their environment changed from a narrow tunnel to arge space, there was no need to leave the fighting to only Weig. Zich, Hans, and Snoc all joined the battle. In an instant, four Bellids lost their lives. There were still about ten Bellids left, but their future didn¡¯t look too bright either. It was clear that it won¡¯t take long for the rest of the followers to also die. A look of conflict and hesitation passed the Bellids¡¯ faces for a brief moment, but soon, their eyes were full of hardened resolve.

    ¡®Are they nning to do something?¡¯ There was no need for Zich to wait for them to carry out their ns; Zich immediately swung his sword. Numerous sword shes cut through the water, and as the water separated and the reflections on the water shook, it was a strange and beautiful sight. Of course, as Zich¡¯s targets, nothing could be more chilling.

    However, the shes couldn¡¯t reach the Bellids and were shattered into pieces as if an invisible hand had strongly crushed them. ¡®They crushed them with the water pressure.¡¯ It was a method that the Bellids often used. However, its strength was iparable to before.

    Zich scanned the Bellids; they had all gathered around the Bellu statue and had their hands on it. ¡®Are they borrowing the statue¡¯s power?¡¯

    Zich began to feel an explosive powering from the statue suddenly. Something that was hiding the statue¡¯s power had disappeared, and it was arge enough power that even Zich felt threatened.

    The Bellids were beginning to use the statue¡¯s power directly. The attacks that they unleashed were on apletely different level than before. As if they were paying back Zich and his group for hindering their ns, they fiercely let out their attacks.

    It was definitely a dangerous situation, but there wasn¡¯t a weak person in Zich¡¯s group. They all soon joined forces and began retaliating. Even while receiving strong attacks, they progressed forward steadily. Even though it would take them a bit of time, they could definitely achieve victory.

    Zich sensed a presenceing from behind and sighed. He didn¡¯t even have to think about who the presence was because the answer was way too obvious.

    ¡®Glen Zenard.¡¯

    Glen slowly appeared into view.

 Chapter 473

    <h4>Chapter 473</h4>

    Glen¡¯s sudden entrance was unexpected, since he should have been investigating the cliff on the opposite side. Weig also appeared to be surprised by Glen¡¯s appearance, but unlike Zich, who thought of Glen¡¯s actions as pathetic, he weed Glen¡¯s entrance. After all, Weig didn¡¯t find anything wrong with Glen¡¯s behavior, although what Zich told him made him a bit more suspicious. Thus, Weig thought Glen had purelye to support them. The water also mademunication basically impossible between them, so they couldn¡¯t ask Glen what happened either. Yet, Zich thought there was no need for them even to ask.

    ¡®He¡¯s just going to make up excuses anyway,¡¯ Zich thought. They would be wasting their breath if they asked.

    Even with Glen joining the battle, the Bellids didn¡¯t back down easily. The water-filled space gave the Bellids a great environmental advantage, but of course, this didn¡¯t mean that Zich and hispanions were losing. Each person in Zich¡¯s group possessed great skills and they were able to calmly block the Bellids¡¯ attacks and counterattack.

    At a nce, the battle appeared to be at a stand still, and it seemed like the fight would end in a draw. Little by little, the fight was slowly but surely leaning toward Zich¡¯s party. Although their progress was slow, they advanced forward with each step. The Bellids also noticed this, and their movements became rougher. Yet, they failed to block Zich¡¯s party from advancing.

    The Bellids looked more and more worried. They still had some distance before Zich¡¯s party reached the statue, but they were concerned about the magic circle around the statue. If they walked a couple of more steps, Zich and hispanions would step into the circle. The magic circle was crucial to their ns, although less so than the statue, but if Zich¡¯s party harmed it, their scheme would turn into a failure.

    It was hopeless to expect Zich and hispanions to leave the magic circle alone. The Bellids had already spotted Zich eyeing the circle, and from time to time, his party aimed for the circle instead of the Bellids or the statue. Thus, the moment Zich¡¯s party treaded onto the circle, they would destroy it, and the Bellids had to prevent that from happening at all costs.

    However, it was impossible to do so with their current powers. The power of the statue was outstanding, but they couldn¡¯t use it properly. Theycked the ability to do so, and they were saving the statue¡¯s power for a special purpose. Yet, they knew that if things continued to progress this way, Zich and hispanions would ruin the magic circle. In the end, there was only one option left. The Bellids looked at each other. They read each other''s determination through their eyes and realized that they all had the same thought and strengthened their resolve. Zich also sensed what they were thinking.

    ¡®Tch!¡¯ Zich clicked his tongue inside his mind and tried hard to increase his speed even more. However, just like how the Bellids couldn¡¯t stop Zich¡¯s party from advancing, it was impossible for Zich¡¯s party to move faster than their current speed. That showed how strong the Bellids¡¯ resistance was.

    Three Bellid followers suddenly ced both of their hands on Bellu¡¯s statue. Their attitude seemed to indicate that they did not care whether or not Zich and hispanions approached them. Besides these three, the rest of the Bellids took one step forward in front of the statue. Then, they continued to shoot out attacks at Zich¡¯s party.

    <i>Wiiiing! </i>The water vibrated. Light came out of Bellu¡¯s statue, and a surge of energy flowed out. It was unclear what was happening, but it was clearly something terrible. Besides the three Bellids with their hands on the statue, the other Bellids continued to resist. However, after the power they got from the statue was cut off, they struggled to properly defend against Zich¡¯s group. In the end, they made up for the difference in skills with their own lives. They didn¡¯t fear death and rushed toward Zich¡¯s party. They didn¡¯t try to win and their primary goal was to slow Zich¡¯s party down to buy more time for theirpanions. In the end, this n was sessful. Zich¡¯s party advance slowed down a little bit while the lighting out of the statue grew stronger and stronger.

    <i>Slice!</i> Zich¡¯s sword sliced a Bellid follower, and crimson blood sshed into the water. That was thest resisting follower, and after all the obstacles disappeared, Zich¡¯s party thrust themselves forward to destroy the statue. However, it was toote.

    <i>Pop! Pop! Pop! </i>The Bellids with their hands on the statue of Bellu exploded into pieces. Their blood sshed onto the already red waters. It was a grotesque sight. Yet, unfitting of the sight and their gruesome end, the Bellids¡¯ expressions looked extremely satisfied before they exploded. They had achieved their purpose.

    <i>Bam! </i>Zich infused his feet with mana and stepped on the magic circle. He made a clear footprint on the circle, intending to ruin its shape. Yet, the statue¡¯s light didn¡¯t disappear. Weig ced great force into his sword and swung it at Bellu¡¯s statue. The statue looked like it was going to break in front of his enormous power.

    <i>Bam! </i>Yet, the statue remained undisturbed, and Weig¡¯s sword powerlessly bounced off it. Weig scowled and swung his sword again.

    <i>Bam! Bam! Bam! </i>However, there were no signs of the statue breaking, and all that sounded was Weig¡¯s sword repeatedly bouncing off the statue. The others also joined in to destroy the statue, but none of their attacks were effective. Zich and Weig¡¯s mana-filled swords bounced off effortlessly, and Hans also could not use Estede¡¯s light to crack the statue. Snoc tried to use his power over the earth to break the statue apart, but that also failed. It was the same for Glen¡¯s attacks. While this went on, the light from the statue continued to grow stronger.

    <i>Crack!</i> A small crack appeared on the statue¡¯s surface. Did their attacks finally get through? However, Zich¡¯s group¡¯s faces didn¡¯t brighten up¡ªthey weren¡¯t the ones who had caused the crack on the statue.

    <i>Crackle!</i> An enormous amount of power began seeping through the crack, and it spread everywhere like a spider web. The amount of power it let out also increased. Then, Zich¡¯s group realized what would happen next. There would certainly be an explosion.

    <i>Tap!</i> Someone tapped Zich¡¯s shoulder¡ªit was Glen. He looked at Zich with a stiff expression. Then, he pointed his fingers toward the tunnel. It was obvious what he was indicating; he was telling Zich to escape through the tunnel before the explosion urred. Zich nodded without much thought; even to him, the situation was beyond their abilities. If they lingered any longer, they might also get swept up by the explosion.

    Zich ordered Hans and Snoc to escape. They also nodded in agreement because as his disciples, their thought process was also simr to Zich¡¯s. Moreover, they also had a significant amount of trust in Zich. Weig also agreed to escape with a somber expression. Even with all his experience, he also realized that staying here any longer wouldn¡¯t change anything. On the other hand, as someone who had negative feelings about the Bellids, he felt the strongest sense of humiliation and loss among everyone here.

    They all turned their backs toward the statue and ran towards the tunnel. Since the tunnel was not very long, it did not take them long to get to the surface. Rain was still pouring outside, and the rain droplets were bigger than before. Zich¡¯s group was already all soaking wet from fighting inside with the water, so the heavy rainfall made little impact on them. Instead, they even felt refreshed because the clean water washed away the blood on them.

    Most importantly, even though they hade outside, the dilemma was not over. An explosion would soon eat up the whole cliff. They didn¡¯t know how big the size of the explosion would be, but it was clear that the explosion would at least reach where they were standing. They all began running. The rain droplets that hit their bodies stung, and they tried to increase their distance away from the statue as much as possible. They ran for a while when¡ª

    <i>Baaaaammmmm!</i> An enormous explosion with bright light swallowed their backs.

    <i>Craakk!</i> The earth shook as if there was arge earthquake. It was such arge vibration that an ordinary person wouldn¡¯t be able to keep their bnce. They all looked back and saw rocks flying in the air within the heavy downpour that hindered their sight. The rocks spanned from the size of a person¡¯s fist to rocks the size of a house, and they freely flew around the air regardless of their respective sizes. It was a surreal sight, and it even looked mystical from a nce. However, this mystical sight had enough power to bring catastrophic disaster and crush the hopes of the surrounding people. However, the rocks flew around in the air for only a moment and soon fell under the inescapablews of gravity.

    <i>Bam! Bam! Bam!</i> The heavy rocks ultimately fell and hit the surface indiscriminately. Their heavy masses made them a terrifying weapon, and the areas that the rocks fell on instantly became devastated. The Steif Fortress, which was nearby, the viges at a slight distance, and all the living creatures near the gorge had to crouch and shiver in fear at the unexpected disaster. However, this was only the beginning.

    <i>Crkkkk!</i> They heard arge sound from the direction of the cliff. The Horus Gorge¡¯s cliff seemed as if it would eternally stand upright and haughtily look down on everyone below, but it was crumbling down. It looked as if a enormous giant was continuously hammering down the cliff with a hammer and chisel. The top part of the cliff had a huge hole, and its original shape was gone.

    The debris and wreckage from the cliff fell, collected below the gorge, and blocked the river. As a result, the flowing river stopped. With thebination of the rain that poured down from the sky without rest, the water level of the river rose exponentially. The river grew beyond its original size and spread out to the sides.

    Considering that the gorge was blocked, there was no way it would end with just mild flooding. Zich¡¯s group began heading towards the cliff again. They carefully moved down the terrain that was greatly caved in from the explosion and stood at the edge of the cliff that was much shorter than before.

    <i>Crumble!</i> Rock debris dropped below their feet. Even though the rocks should have dropped to the river normally, there were no sshing sounds. Instead, there was only the sound of rocks hitting against other rocks.

    ¡°Damn it!¡± Weig swore, and Hans and Snoc¡¯s expressions also darkened. It was obvious what oue the enormous rock piles in front of them would bring. Zich nced at Glen. He was looking down at the gorge with a stiff expression as if he was ming himself for not stopping this situation. However, Zich was sure that this was not the case. Moreover, he was sure that this huge event would certainly be the major turning point for the conspiracy that Glen was plotting.

 Chapter 474

    <h4>Chapter 474</h4>

    Although the joint forces had quickly taken over the fortress and suppressed the betrayers, Bellid followers, and the undead, they had failed to fulfill their ultimate goal of preventing the destruction of the Horus Gorge. ordingly, the stream flowing in through the gorge continued to expand at a frightening speed from the heavy downpour. However, their efforts weren¡¯tpletely in vain.

    ¡°If we consider the power that the statue diffused, the explosion should have been much bigger. Then, there would¡¯ve been a biggermotion at the Horus Gorge and there would have been many more stones blocking the gorge. Then, naturally, the damage caused by the flood would¡¯ve been bigger,¡± Zich said.

    Weig agreed. ¡°Now that I think about it, when the statue was emitting light, there was a lot of power seeping out of it. Those guys must have tried to use the power solely for the explosion, but we must have arrived before their preparations were done. We probably cornered those guys to speed up the explosion while also forcing them to sacrifice their lives,¡± Weig said. He exactly saw through what just happened. However, his voicecked strength as he added, ¡°However, it breaks my heart that people would suffer a lot even from this iplete explosion.¡±

    If the Bellids who had caused this were right in front of him, Weig would¡¯ve surely bit his teeth into their bare skin. Zich could swear on this fact. In the end, Weig stared at the scene in front of him gloomily. Zich also turned to see what he was looking at. It was the Steif Fortress, and the scenery he made out between the heavy downpour of rain was depressing. Standing near the Horus Gorge, the Steif Fortress couldn¡¯t escape the bombardment of stonesing from the area.

    The buildings inside the fortress were already in shambles because the Bellids had resisted in the deep corners of the building till the end. Thus, the shelter which had already beencking to shield the people inside decreased even further and exposed the considerable number of troops there to the rolling stones. The number of people suffering from injuries and casualties increased as a result.

    Even the people who had escaped inside the buildings weren¡¯tpletely safe. Most of the buildings had been built with wood, and they failed to block therge boulders. Holes easily prated through the walls and hurt the people inside. For instance, a boulder as big as a housepletely crushed one building and killed everyone inside it.

    Of course, the knights and holy knights tried their best to stop the boulders and the priests immediately healed the injured, but they couldn¡¯t save everyone. Ordinary soldiers, priests with little offensive power, inexperienced knights, and even some holy knights were on the death list. Their decision to gather as many troops inside the Steif Fortress to quickly dispatch them to investigate the gorge led to such a dreadful result.

    Fortunately, since Karuwiman priests were with them, there weren¡¯t that many deaths, although many were injured from the falling stones. Now, the injured were quickly being healed. However, that didn¡¯t mean the atmosphere of the ce was bing better. The soldiers and knights had been determined to die in the middle of battle, but these deaths came so suddenly that it made them all the more tragic. Weig appeared to be in deep sorrow. But unlike Weig, Zich appeared surprisingly calm.

    ¡®We couldn¡¯t have prevented this situation.¡¯ In the first ce, Zich had already predicted the possibility of failing this mission. Even though they had moved as fast as they could, the Bellids had shown that they were thoroughly prepared, and Zich thought that there was a high possibility that they would be toote from the beginning. Even if Zich was a rare-toe-by genius, he couldn¡¯t do everything by himself, nor was he such an emotional human toment about it. Even if he had grown soft, it wasn¡¯t as if his personality from the pre-regression demon lord days had gone anywhere.

    Of course, Weig had simr thoughts as Zich. Yet, as a just Karuwiman holy knight, he couldn¡¯t erase his feelings of sorrow over the injured and dead. In contrast, Zich, who used to be a demon lord, assessed the situation with cold logic.

    ¡®Glen definitely didn¡¯t participate in this battle to establish honor or fame.¡¯ Specifically, he didn¡¯te here to gain the fame of blocking the destruction of the Horus Gorge. ¡®If he wanted to gain the title of the hero who blocked the gorge¡¯s destruction, he would¡¯ve set up a solution.¡¯ However, Glen showed no sign of that, and Zich thought it was unlikely that Glen failed to use the solution he had prepared because Zich continually hindered him.

    ¡®Glen had the chance of gaining huge fame by saving several nearby estates at once. If his n was to gain fame here, he would¡¯ve shown some intention of finding a solution.¡¯ Considering that Glen was extremely obsessed with the hero title, this was especially true. Yet, instead of acting like it, Glen was the first to suggest everyone leave the explosion site. This meant one thing: that Glen had no intention to block the Horus Gorge from getting destroyed in the first ce. This would change the reason why Glen had hastily run to the Bellids¡¯ secret area too.

    ¡®He didn¡¯te to block them, but us who were trying to stop the destruction from happening.¡¯

    The destruction of the Horus Gorge must have been a necessity for Glen. If Zich¡¯s party looked like they were going to immediately break the statue and the magic circle, Glen might have sneakily tried to hinder them. However, in the end, Zich¡¯s party failed to stop the Bellids¡¯ resistance, and naturally, Glen didn¡¯t have to hinder them either. So, the reason why Glen so desperately ran towards the Bellids¡¯ secret hideout was probably for apletely different reason than everyone else.

    ¡®He came here to stop everything, yeah, but what he tried to stop was not the gorge¡¯s copse. He wanted to stop us to keep it from copsing.¡¯

    It seemed as if the gorge¡¯s copse was necessary for his n. If Zich¡¯s group had immediately broken through the Bellids¡¯ retaliation and showed signs of breaking the Bellu statue or magic circle, Glen would have tried to secretly hinder them. However, Zich¡¯s group hadn''t been able to break through the Bellids¡¯ defenses in the end, so Glen hadn''t hindered them either. This was Zich¡¯s assessment of the entire situation.

    ¡®If that¡¯s the case, it¡¯s a mystery as to why he revealed the information about the gorge¡¯s copse to us.¡¯ ording to the information that everyone knew, after careful investigation, they found information about the Bellid¡¯s n to destroy the Horus Gorge at the Bellid temple. However, Zich knew that this whole situation was progressing perfectly ording Glen¡¯s n. Thus, Glen had a clear reason for revealing this information to everyone.

    ¡®If we didn¡¯t have that information, those Bellid bastards wouldn¡¯t have been hindered, and there would have been a bigger destruction.¡¯ However, Zich decided to not think about this any deeper. ¡®The situation had already progressed to the extent that even I couldn¡¯t stop it and only could decrease the destruction a little bit. The copse of the Horus Gorge would have happened regardless. Then, the reason why Glen revealed this information might be something ?trivial.¡¯ Glen might have wanted to gain some merits while attacking the fortress or for some other reason.

    ¡®The only thing is that there is a high possibility that this event will trigger Glen¡¯s next goal.¡¯ Zich could roughly guess his n. ¡®I¡¯ll need to wait a bit longer.¡¯ If he gained more information, he would be able to specify Glen¡¯s conspiracy a little bit more. He didn¡¯t think that he would have to wait very long to receive the next information. After organizing his thoughts, Zich focused his attention back to the situation in front of him.

    The offensive troops¡¯ headquarters, including Mihen, were busy at work. A messenger dispatched to give a report about their current situation had already been sent to the Count. ¡®They told me ?they already sent messengers out to the other estates to be careful as well.¡¯

    If the joint forces failed, the catastrophe that followed wouldn¡¯t only affect the Steelwall Estate, so Count Steelwall had already warned the other estates nearby. If the other estates epted the Count¡¯s warning and made preparations, they would have received less damage than expected. However, they wouldn¡¯t be able topletely prevent all damages.

    Zich looked up at the sky. The rainy sky was dark and cloudy as if it was worrying about the pain and troubles that the Steelwall Estate would have to face in the future.

    * * *

    The troops retrieved the dead and immediately made preparations to return. Since their enemies were gone, there was no need for them to stay any longer while dealing with the harsh weather.

    The Steif Fortress was left alone; after investigation, it was clear that the river¡¯s flooding would reach the Steif Fortress and sink it. The river water had already reached the fortress¡¯ walls. The copsed gorge was still blocking the river¡¯s flow. Mihen and a couple knights briefly looked around the gorge to see if they might be able to clean up the copsed rocks forcefully, but they couldn¡¯t even attempt to clean it up. Regardless of how many people there were, rocks piled high up between the two cliffs were impossible to clean up without a specific and proper n.

    Mihen even tried asking Snoc if he could resolve the issue; he had been impressed by how easily Snoc broke down the fortress¡¯ walls. However, Snoc shook his head. Even though he had made a contract with Nowem, the magical beast of the earth, and could control the earth, there was a limit to his power. The size of the copse was so big that even Snoc could not quickly clean up all the rocks. Moreover, the speed at which the water was rising was extremely dangerous. Soon, the river would easily surpass the pile of rocks, and it would get even harder to move the rocks.

    In the end, they couldn¡¯t stop the river from flooding. This was also one of the reasons why Mihen quickly decided to return. Large-scale flooding was bound to create victims, and the troops were essential to facilitate evacuations and control the chaos that followed. There was no need for them to surround the gorge for no reason.

    The joint forces that returned to Violsa were immediately given tasks and scattered to their respective regions. The holy knights and priests also moved to help ?the citizens with Count Steelwall¡¯s request. Zich brought hispanions and went to Count Steelwall¡¯s mansion.

    The inside of the mansion was aplete mess. He saw the Count¡¯s high officials, including Trell, were extremely busy at work. The Count¡¯s long moustache was more tangled than usual. Trell, who always had a calm attitude and clean appearance, was running around without fixing his messy hair. The servants¡¯ faces were also very downcast. He saw many of them gather in pairs and whisper to each other anxiously. Even the Countess who red at Zich whenever she happened to see him quietly passed him by without showing any signs of ill-intent towards Zich. Her face was as white as a sheet.

    Zich thought that the entire Steelwall Estate¡¯s atmosphere was probably simr to the atmosphere in the Count¡¯s mansion. Zich moved his gaze towards the window and he saw that rain was still pouring from the sky. The gloomy atmosphere surrounding the mansionbined with the wet and dark scenery outside to make the atmosphere even more gloomy. However, Zich¡¯s emotion waspletely different from the people around him.

    Hans and Snoc were worried as well, but Zich was calm. There was not even a hint of a frown on his face. ¡®It doesn¡¯t rte to me anyway.¡¯

    Since Zich was not interested in the Steelwall Estate, he didn¡¯t care whatever happened to it. Rather than worrying about the estate, it was more worthwhile for him to think about ways to piss off Glen.

    However, there was also no reason for him to stop hispanions from helping the estate, so he easily epted their request. All of hispanions scattered to find work to do. At this point, Zich also had nothing to do. He thought about helping out the estate a little bit to kill time when¡ª

    ¡°You¡¯vee back.¡± L came to find Zich.

 Chapter 475

    <h4>Chapter 475</h4>

    L went to see Zich the very next day after he arrived back at the estate. He was d to see her, especially since he was wandering around looking to kill time while waiting for Glen to take the next course of action.

    ¡°It¡¯s been a while. Have you been doing well?¡± Zich asked.

    ¡°Yes.¡± L¡¯s expression seemed off somehow as she answered.

    ¡°Did you make any progress?¡±

    ¡°Um, you could call it progress¡­¡± L¡¯s voice trailed off; it was unlike her to be so hesitant. Her expression showed that she seemed to be wondering if she could say the progress she made was good or not.

    ¡®Something must have happened.¡¯ Zich thought that rather than nothing happening, even a bad event was better. Thus, he dug a bit deeper.

    ¡°What happened?¡± he asked.

    ¡°It¡¯d be better for you to see it in person rather than me exining it.¡± L pushed Windur toward Zich, and he gripped Windur¡¯s handle. The sensation he felt from his treasured sword after a while felt good. Although he firmly told L that he never became dependent on his weapons, he did feel a sense of emptiness while using another sword. Zich immediately dropped the sword hanging on his waist and ced it in the magic box. Then he swung Windur behind him and he felt a familiar sense of the weight on his back.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± L left Zich¡¯s room first, and Zich followed her. Their destination was obviously Clowon¡¯s ruin, and Zich skillfully stuck Windur in front of the ruin¡¯s entrance and opened the door. A familiar tunnel greeted them, and Zich stepped inside.

    ¡°Did something happen? The atmosphere at the Steelwall Estate was tense,¡± L asked, recalling the faces of some of the servants she had passed, and the gloomy atmosphere pressing down heavily on the estate. Since L had been inside the Clowon¡¯s ruin the entire time, she didn¡¯t know what happened outside.

    ¡°Something did happen¡ªa pretty huge thing,¡± Zich exined to L everything that had happened. As L heard more and more of the story, her expression hardened.

    ¡°Isn¡¯t that a huge deal?¡±

    ¡°It is. All the low regions around the stream are going to be submerged now.¡±

    ¡°So that¡¯s why the atmosphere was like that.¡± L now understood why the Steelwall Estate had the same dreary atmosphere as a graveyard thickly covered by fog at sunset.

    ¡°What are you going to do now?¡±

    ¡°What can I do? The people at Steelwall have to deal with the gorge. They n to remove the boulders blocking the gorge with manpower, but considering the size of the event, they wouldn¡¯t be able to block the immediate damage caused by the flood. They would only be able to officially act once the rain stops.¡±

    ¡°You aren¡¯t going to help?¡±

    ¡°Well, since I am going to be a¡­ hero, I n to help with the recoveryter on, but not now.¡± Zich still stuttered when saying the word hero.

    ¡°Is it because of Glen Zenard?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, that guy is clearly scheming something with this incident. I have to crush that first.¡±

    ¡°Can you guess what he is scheming?¡±

    ¡°I have a guess, but since I¡¯m not sure of it, I will tell youter.¡±

    L nodded. As they conversed, they arrived at their destination before they realized it. Therge crystal that overwhelmed everything in its surroundings with its size greeted them like before. L stretched out her hand toward Zich and said, ¡°Lend me Windur for a bit.¡±

    ¡°Here.¡± Zich gave Windur to her without hesitation.

    L clutched Windur tightly and moved to the protruding edge of the ring outside the crystal, which they thought was the ruin¡¯s restriction device. Zich watched this scene from a distance.

    ¡°We¡¯re here,¡± L said.

    <i>Baaaam! </i>With a loud bang, the ring vibrated. It all felt familiar to him, and Zich moved to the farthest edge of the ring and looked below.

    <i>Booooom!</i> All sorts of mana flowed across the floor of the ruin.

    ¡®It¡¯s the mana that belongs to the copies of the World Tree.¡¯ No matter how many times he saw it, the phenomenon amazed him. Like before, the mana with their individual colors circled around the pirs supporting the crystal and began to slowly ascend. Then, the crystal sucked them inside, causing the mana to lose its individual colors, and it began to emit white light. Although it was Zich¡¯s second time seeing this sight, it impressed him again; perhaps even more so now that he had the ease to slowly appreciate its beauty after witnessing it once. Like before, Zich thought the pure white light would now escape out of the crystal and climb up another pir connected to the ceiling and disappear into the walls. Yet, the mana followed a trajectory contrary to Zich¡¯s predictions and moved differently from before.

    <i>Wiing! </i>The crystal vibrated and made a sound. Parts of the light that had tried to climb up the pir began to circle inside the crystal.

    <i>Wiiiing!</i> Simultaneously, another vibration rang across the area¡ªit wasing from Windur which L held.

    ¡®As I thought, this guy is doing something again.¡¯ How many secrets did this weapon keep from its master? Zich was sure that even if he had a secretive and picky lover, Windur would still be harder to handle. Then, white mana seeped out of the crystal, and just like before, it climbed the pir connected to the ceiling and disappeared into a wall. However, arge part of the white mana also remained inside the crystal.

    <i>Sliish! </i>Then, the remaining white mana transformed into a circr shape, left the crystal, and slowly approached L. Windur was still vibrating.

    L walked backward and moved next to Zich. ¡°It¡¯s over there.¡±

    Zich scanned L¡¯s expression. She had that same strange expression when he first asked her if she made any progress. However, her expression was easier to read than before. The fundamental emotion she showed was disgust, but there was another, moreplicated emotion hidden behind it. Despite her disgust, she thought what she discovered might be helpful to them.

    ¡®There was a time when I felt the same emotion.¡¯ Zich thought that there were probably times when he felt the same way. ¡®For me, it felt as if something was pressing down firmly on my heart.¡¯ That emotion was definitely disgust.

    Zich scanned L¡¯s expression again. ¡®If there is a lot more disgust in her emotion, then¡­¡¯ In that instant, Zich recalled a time when he felt a simr emotion¡ªit was when he saw the Tree of Wind, one of the World Tree¡¯s clones, tied up in chains and floating in the sky. Or to be more specific, when he saw Zich Brave¡¯s physical manifestation.

    ¡®Perhaps!¡¯ Zich stared at the white mana with surprise. Before they knew it, the white mana had reached the suppressor device¡¯s location. When the light reached the ring¡¯s surface around the level of a person¡¯s waist, its shape began to change. The top and bottom areas where the arms and legs usually were began to elongate, and a part of the top became longer and formed something that looked like a neck and separated the face and body areas. The ends of the arms and legs separated and formed fingers and toes, and something that looked like white threads grew on top of the head and formed into a hair shape. The white light changed into a human shape in a matter of seconds.

    However, the transformation wasn¡¯t over. Texture appeared on the mana¡¯s surface, and different colors began to appear. Then, the transformation wasplete. There was not even a trace of white mana left. The only thing left was a being that looked like a human in every way.

    ¡°So that¡¯s what happened.¡± Zichughed in surprise. The mana that changed into a human looked extremely familiar, and an otherworldly face shone below her long-silver hair. Her white, almost transparent eyelids slowly opened and revealed red eyes that dazzled like jewels. Zich looked to his side. Hisrade, with the same type of expression, red at the woman in front of him.

    ¡®It¡¯s probably the same phenomenon as me.¡¯ Fortunately, since Zich had also gone through the same experience before, he wasn¡¯t too surprised.

    ¡®No, it wasn¡¯t fortunate.¡¯ Zich stopped his eyes from narrowing as he recalled Zich Brave¡¯s appearance.

    ¡°Yeah.¡± Zich said, ¡°I can roughly guess what happened.¡±

    The woman¡¯s red pupils moved towards Zich. Even though she had the same face as L, her gaze waspletely different. L always looked at Zich full of love. There were times when there was also yfulness in her gaze, or anxiety, or concern. However, L had always looked at him with fierce emotions.

    However, the woman¡¯s eyes when she looked at Zich were different¡ªher eyes were icy. Zich thought that there was no better word than this to describe her eyes. It felt as if two solid bloody circles had been frozen into two pupils. The woman said, ¡°¡­Zich Brave.¡±

    Her voice was terrifyingly cold like her gaze. It felt as if she could freeze everything her voice reached. However, Zich could also read a small sense of hatred and anger in her words as well. It was clear that she hated Zich Brave, and naturally, Zich¡¯s impression of her increased favorably.

    ¡°I understand why called me that name, but I¡¯m different from him. I also detest him with all my heart, so just call me Zich.¡±

    She looked at him quietly and blinked. Was she reacting positively to him? Or just ignoring him? It didn¡¯t matter either way to Zich.

    ¡°Well, let¡¯s first introduce ourselves. I¡¯m Zich. I¡¯m the same as that bastard you know, but also different from him. I also want to continue to be different from him.¡± Zich revealed his hatred towards Zich Brave in his short introduction and asked, ¡°Okay, it¡¯s your turn now. What¡¯s your name, Princess?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡± She slowly scanned him as if she was trying to reach the deepest corner of his mind and finally answered, ¡°Serpina Arnoux Boyne Slesvita Wipsin Clowon.¡±

    ¡°Hmm, there¡¯s no way I¡¯m calling you that.¡± Zich had no intention of calling her by her full name. Zich couldn¡¯t understand the mindsets of people who had such long names to show their noble or royal lineage.

    ¡®I¡¯ll just call her Princess.¡¯ It wasn¡¯t technically wrong either, but Serpina seemed to have a different thought. She opened her mouth, and the icy voice came out again. ¡°You¡¯re extremely rude. I guess you¡¯re the same as Zich Brave in the end.¡±

    ¡°My impression of you has plummeted by your words just now.¡± Zich felt annoyed and continued, ¡°I¡¯m telling you this one more time, but I¡¯m not that bastard¡ªjust like how my team member here is not you.¡± Zich held L¡¯s shoulder. L also raised her hand and put her hand on top of Zich¡¯s.

    ¡°Yeah, she¡¯s not me. How can someone who lost their Clowon pride be me?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know what¡¯s so important about having Clowon pride, but it¡¯s fine if you understand now. So don¡¯t treat me the same way as Zich Brave.¡±

    Zich and Serpina¡¯s gazes sharply collided against each other.

 Chapter 476

    <h4>Chapter 476</h4>

    A tense atmosphere went back and forth between them, and some time afterward, Serpina broke the silence.

    ¡°So, should I treat you as apletely different entity from Zich Brave?¡±

    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s all I want right now.¡±

    ¡°You speak as if you might want more from meter on.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s our first time seeing each other. Who can guess the future? Furthermore, the fact that you appeared here right now indicates that there¡¯s a high possibility that we are going to be involved somehow. We should try to get as much as we can from our interaction with you if possible.¡±

    ¡°¡­You really are different from Zich Brave. At least that guy was noble and not so sleazy like you.¡±

    ¡°Thank you for thepliment.¡± To Zich, who didn¡¯t feel a hint of shame from a word like ¡®sleazy,¡¯ what Serpina said was nothing but apliment, especially if that characteristic differentiated him from Zich Brave even more. Serpina looked at Zich disapprovingly and turned to L.

    ¡°Although you aren¡¯t me, it¡¯s very unpleasant to see you since you at least share the same physical body as me. Shouldn¡¯t you raise your standards for men? Even if you lost your pride as a member of Clowon¡¯s royalty and went even further to deny your bloodline to live as amoner, you could rule this world with just your physical abilities. I know this better than anyone as the owner of the original body. If you wish, you could have people much better than this lowly man around you. You don¡¯tck anything in terms of skills or beauty, so how did you end up with such a rogue like him?¡±

    L snorted. ¡°Do I really need to exin? I¡¯m sure you won¡¯t be able toprehend it no matter what I say.¡±

    ¡°Yes, I suppose there¡¯s no point in warning someone who can¡¯t even see that the path she is walking on is a groundless swamp.¡± Serpina nodded like she understood everything.

    After looking at Serpina for a bit, Zich suddenly stretched his hand out to L and asked, ¡°Do you still need to hold onto Windur?¡±

    ¡°Hm, I¡¯m not sure. I haven¡¯t let go of it since I called her.¡±

    ¡°Then we can test it now.¡± Zich took back Windur like he didn¡¯t care whether or not Serpina disappeared. Fortunately or unfortunately, Serpina didn¡¯t disappear. Lines formed on her delicate forehead because they were ignoring her. Yet, Zich didn¡¯t care about that and thought that the work he was going to do now was more important.

    ¡°How did you do that?¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°You know, summon the princess.¡±

    L was a bit taken aback by Zich¡¯s abrupt question, but she answered, ¡°When the World Tree¡¯s mana enters the crystal, you can put Windur¡¯s mana inside it and create a resonance.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s easy. How did you learn about it?¡±

    ¡°Windur told me.¡±

    This sword pretended to feign ignorance in front of Zich and only told Lter on.

    ¡°Tch, tch. A master who gets ignored by his own sword. Your title as the Demon Lord of Strength isughable,¡± Serpina snickered. Zich gripped Windur tightly and barely managed to suppress his strength. He thought he would move on to his next course of action since he heard the method he wanted to know from L.

    ¡°Are you perhaps nning to call forth Zich Brave?¡± L knew exactly what he was doing.

    ¡°I have to crack that guy¡¯s head as I promised.¡± Zich nned to never forgive a guy who dared to break a promise with him and run away. Of course, although Zich Brave did not leave of his own will because of some exterior interruption at that time, Zich had no room for understanding. After Zich heard that Serpina appeared after L created a resonance with Windur, Zich thought, ¡®I¡¯m sure Zich Brave will pop out if I do the same thing.¡¯ Zich waited eagerly for the next time to expel mana. Yet, Serpina¡¯s next words crushed Zich¡¯s expectations.

    ¡°Even if you create a resonance, Zich Brave won¡¯te out.¡±

    ¡°¡­What?¡± Unfitting of his character, a look of despair quickly colored his face, and he looked like a child whose candy had been stolen from him. Zich¡¯s change in expression also shocked Serpina, and her ice-cold face also shifted slightly. Yet, there was no future where she gave her saving graces to Zich.

    ¡°It¡¯s true I came out because I am rted to this woman, but it¡¯s also because of the World Tree¡¯s will. The one who is needed in this situation isn¡¯t Zich Brave, but me. So, even if you create a resonance right now, the World Tree¡ªspecifically, your sword won¡¯t call Zich Brave.¡± Zich looked down at Windur. Like usual, Windur was feigning ignorance.

    ¡°Should I just throw this thing away? It might melt if I throw it in a volcano,¡± Zich muttered.

    ¡°You know that would be a useless thing to do. If that sword got damaged by just that, it wouldn¡¯t be a sword that symbolizes the Clowon emperor¡¯s authority.¡±

    Zich¡¯s hope crumbled in front of this cruel truth. To think that the great Demon Lord of Strength would be pushed so far, L was impressed with Windur¡¯s abilities. However, she was mostly baffled by the situation.

    ¡°This damn sword, seriously,¡± Zich grumbled and threw Windur to the ground. Yet, this behavior was childish and meaningless; no one¡ªnot even Zich, thought that he would be able to really throw Windur away. It was just a short-lived grievance.

    ¡°Okay, so did you say that you are necessary for this situation?¡± Zich asked Serpina while leaving Windur rolling on the ground.

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°Why?¡±

    ¡°Why do I have to exin?¡± Her attitude waspletely contrary to the way she had spoken until now; it was as if she was ying with him or mocking him. Yet, Zich didn¡¯t get angry.

    ¡°Is the World Tree¡¯s intentionpletely different from yours?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re at least quick-witted.¡± Serpina made a faint smile. However, anyone could see that she was looking down on him, so it was unpleasant for the receiver.

    Despite being brought out by the World¡¯s Tree, she refused to coborate to free the World Tree. However, if Zich thought about it, her actions made sense.

    ¡®She¡¯s part of a country that used the World Tree however they wanted in the first ce.¡¯ Moreover, she was the daughter of the emperor who made the Brushel System and acted as the core of the system. It was na?ve to think that a person like that would make an effort to free the World Tree with pure intentions.

    ¡®However, there¡¯s no way that the World Tree doesn¡¯t know that.¡¯ Then, why did the World Tree call forth Serpina? There was only one thing he could think of¡ª¡®It¡¯s probably because of her ability.¡¯ There was something that only Serpina Arnoux Boyne Slesvita Wipsin Clowon could do.

    L also had the same thought. She said to Zich, ¡°I think that it probably has something to do with this ruin¡¯s suppressor.¡±

    ¡°As expected. There¡¯s no one more suitable for that job than that person over there. This is outside of Zich Brave¡¯s capabilities in the first ce.¡± However, the problem was that the person who could do the job had no intentions of coborating.

    Zich asked, ¡°I guess we¡¯re the ones who have to persuade her, right?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s probably the case.¡±

    ¡°It seems like you¡¯ve already tried several times. How did it go?¡±

    ¡°Well, you know how they say you be more stubborn as you age? Then, how stubborn do you think ?this princess is?¡±

    This meant that her stubbornness had been built over thousands of years. Only oues that he couldn¡¯t imagine and didn¡¯t want to imagine popped up in his head. If he just acted ording to his will, he wanted to immediately raise a white g and throw it on her pretty face and tell her to do whatever the hell she wanted with ny percent of swear words mixed in. However, no matter how bold Zich usually acted, he couldn¡¯t do this.

    ¡°Why don¡¯t we sit first?¡± Since it was clear that their conversation wouldn¡¯t end in just a couple of hours, Zich decided to sit. He took out a couple of chairs; the chairs were normal, wooden chairs. Surprisingly, Serpina didn¡¯t say much and slowly sat on the chair withoutining.

    Zich asked straightforwardly, ¡°Do you have any intentions to coborate with us?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not that I don¡¯t, but to be more exact, you two will be coborating with my n.¡±

    ¡°Even though it¡¯s obvious what you want us to coborate for? Let me ask to make sure. What¡¯s your goal?¡±

    ¡°The restoration of Clowon.¡±

    L let out a sigh next to Zich. Judging by her fatigued expression, it was clear how much she struggled to persuade Serpina and failed.

    ¡°So, do you want to turn back time before Clowon copsed?¡±

    ¡°If we can, that¡¯s the best option.¡±

    ¡°No, that¡¯s unnegotiable.¡±

    Serpina surprisingly seemed unfazed by Zich¡¯s firm refusal. It seemed as if she also knew that this was an unrealistic goal.

    ¡°Then, why don¡¯t you two directly restore Clowon?¡±

    ¡°You want us to raise a country?¡±

    ¡°Won¡¯t it be possible with you two?¡± In matters of probability, it was within their limits; Zich and L were capable of raising a country. However, it was not a proposal that piqued Zich¡¯s interest. ¡°Even if we raise a country and name it Clowon, it won¡¯t be like the real Clowon in the first ce.¡±

    Clowon was an empire from so long ago that only elves remembered it, and it was apletely forgotten country to humans. Even if they raised a country right now, it wouldn¡¯t be any different from raising a country with just the same name as Clowon. However, Zich soon corrected his thoughts.

    An empire was ruled by an emperor and its reign was based on the emperor¡¯s lineage. Thus, an empire could be restored as long as the emperor¡¯s bloodline remained. Not to mention, Clowon¡¯s first emperor¡¯s daughter was sitting next to him right now.

    ¡°You seem to have caught on. Yeah, you got it. Even though she has lost her royal pride and rejected her bloodline, it doesn¡¯t change the fact that she¡¯s a part of Clowon¡¯s royal bloodline. Moreover, since her father is the Golden Emperor, her lineage is purer than any other emperor.¡± Serpina said while looking at L.

    L slightly flinched. She could not get used to Serpina¡¯s gaze¡ªSerpina looked at her as if she wasn¡¯t a living being, but a tool. Before she met Zich, it was the exact same type of gaze that the robed figures had looked at her with while they were chasing after her.

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter to me if you directly have a kid with her, or if she bears a child with someone else. The important part is that her child will pass on the Clowon emperor¡¯s bloodline. Then, even though the time, ce, and subjects under the rule arepletely different, the country will definitely still be Clowon.¡±

    ¡°Is that all you want?¡±

    ¡°No, there¡¯s one more thing.¡±

    ¡°What is it?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s the restoration of the Brushel System.¡±

    ¡°Hey, the Brushel System is gone. You must know that too.¡± Regression was no longer possible; it was a truth that Zich Brave reassured him about.

    ¡°Yeah. However, you have the knowledge to restore it. You have sufficient knowledge to resurrect the system,¡± she said, like a snake tempting a human. ¡°You know how Glen Zenard used that power to his advantage. If you use that knowledge, all that power will be yours. Glen Zenard is someone without talent, but with the power of regression, he became strong enough to even beat you. If he could reach that level, what would happen if someone unbelievably strong like you obtained that power?¡±

 Chapter 477

    <h4>Chapter 477</h4>

    Yet, Zich¡¯s response was rather indifferent.

    ¡°There¡¯s no way the World Tree would just let that happen,¡± he said.

    ¡°That tree clearly has free will, but no matter how special it is, it is still just a tree. Furthermore, its powers are sealed right now. It is able to call me here using the emperor¡¯s sword, the woman with my physical body, and the special characteristic of this space, but it can¡¯t control me or make me disappear. Can¡¯t you sense its powerlessness by the fact that it is trying to free itself by depending on me? <i>Me</i>, even though I am among those who confined it the most.¡± Serpina¡¯s tone indicated that she clearly looked down on the World Tree. She seemed to think of it as a useful tool, and considering how the empire had treated the World Tree, it wasn¡¯t wrong for her to think like this.

    Zich didn¡¯t dispute that point either. He was only working to free the World Tree to push Glen Zenard to his fall and he had never thought deeply about the tree before. Still, that didn¡¯t mean he agreed with her opinion either. Truthfully, he just didn¡¯t care too much about the matter. Even if he did care a little, he didn¡¯t n on disagreeing with her on every little matter. He would¡¯ve gone along with most of what she said as long as it was reasonable¡ªif only she hadn¡¯t said the following words: ¡°It¡¯s not a hard thing to do. After finding the World Tree¡¯s original body, seal its copies, and ce that woman as the core again.¡±

    ¡°..Did you say to ce L as the core again?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. Not anyone can be a core. One needs outstanding talent and has to go through numerous processes to be one. You wouldn¡¯t need to make a core again since you already have aplete ingredient next to you.¡±

    Zich looked at Serpina for a bit and turned to L. ¡°So that¡¯s what she says. What do you think?¡±

    ¡°I hate it!¡± There was no need for her to even think. L refused angrily.

    ¡°That¡¯s what she says,¡± Zich said to Serpina, and she stared at L. L clutched onto Zich¡¯s sleeves tighter as Serpina looked at her emotionlessly as if she was just a tool.

    ¡°I can¡¯t understand. If you live as a core, you will be immortal through the World Tree¡¯s mana. It¡¯s also the reason why you are even alive right now in this century. The number of those who desire immortality is basically the same as the number of creatures in this world. How could you refuse so vehemently?¡±

    ¡°How could you consider that as living! Without ¡®myself¡¯ as an existence, I will just be part of a system! That¡¯s not what it means to be alive!¡±

    ¡°Is theck of freedom the problem? You say the same thing as the World Tree,¡± Serpina said in surprise. She wasn¡¯t mocking L¡ªshe really couldn¡¯t understand L¡¯s point of view.

    ¡°Of course, I will admit that it is restricting, but shouldn¡¯t you be willing to give up that much for the glory of the empire that will rise once again? Think about it. You will be taking part in the empire¡¯s glory. Even if you live for long, you will only be able to live a little over a century at most. However, if you give up a body like that for the empire, you will be immortal, the empire citizens will praise your name for eternity, and you will be able to live forever with the empire.¡±

    ¡°What do you mean forever? The empire fell,¡± Zich retorted.

    ¡°We have to make preparations for that, obviously. If you consider that, it was actually better for the empire to fall once since we can truly create an immortal empire that will never fall.¡± Serpina really wanted to establish the empire in this current time period again.

    ¡°¡­.Were <i>you </i>really fine with just that?¡± L asked Serpina. Serpina was someone who had lived her whole life without her own will but for the sole purpose of supporting the empire¡¯s system. The empire she belonged to had been annihted, so it was difficult to find even a small clue about it, but she was moving to raise the empire once again. Thus, another version of herself, L, would have to be a part of the system again.

    ¡°I was born as Clowon¡¯s princess and grew up to be a core. A question like that makes no sense to me.¡±

    ¡°Youck something.¡±

    ¡°Those with great callings tend not to be understood by others,¡± Serpina said. However, could her behavior simply be described as a ¡®great calling?¡¯ L had looked at Serpina with wariness and hate as Serpina only saw her as a tool. However, Serpina didn¡¯t only see L as a tool¡ªshe also saw herself as nothing more than a tool. Thus, as they conversed more, L began to feel a sense of remorse and pity for Serpina.

    However, no matter what L felt, Serpina paid no heed to it and looked to Zich as if she was waiting for an answer. Zich had already decided on his answer by then.

    ¡°I won¡¯t do it.¡±

    ¡°¡­Why?¡±

    ¡°L doesn¡¯t want it,¡± Zich replied calmly. Yet, the reaction he got from these words was strong. L¡¯s eyes welled up with emotions because she was touched, and inparison, Serpina scowled.

    ¡°For such a trivial reason?¡±

    ¡°Isn¡¯t it <i>your </i>offer that¡¯s so menial that I can refuse it for such a trivial reason?¡±

    For the first time in her life, Serpina felt an emotion like rage. She barely changed emotions and hardly showed it, but she definitely did have them. Yet, Zich didn¡¯t concern himself with it in the slightest. Whether or not the rage came from a good or bad person or was intense or weak, Zich was so used to others aiming their rage at him that he was indifferent to it.

    ¡°Then, there won¡¯t be any coboration,¡± Serpina said coldly. It seemed like their agreement was falling apart, and L looked taken aback. She was pleased from the bottom of her heart that Zich took her side, but Serpina also called to cut off their coboration.

    Her sharp eyes indicated that she would not easily change her stand. Tension passed between them, and Zich and Serpina¡¯s gazes roughly shed against each other in the air. However, this did notst long.

    ¡°Is that so?¡± Zich shrugged and continued, ¡°Then, why don¡¯t we just give up?¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°¡­What did you say?¡±

    L¡¯s eyes widened, and the ends of Serpina¡¯s eyes shook. However, Zich seemed indifferent regardless of their surprise. Zich got up and stuffed the chair he was sitting on back into his magic box. Then, he put his hand on L¡¯s seat as well.

    ¡°What are you doing? Get up.¡±

    ¡°Ah, okay.¡± Flustered, L awkwardly got up, and then Zich also folded her chair and put it in his magic box.

    Then, he tapped L¡¯s shoulder. ¡°You must have had a hard time staying in this dark underground base these past days, right? You should get back up and rest for a while. You can get some sunlight and take short walks.¡± Zich moved his gaze away from L as she was too taken aback to reply, and he stared at Serpina.

    Then, he said, ¡°You should also get up. I need to take back the chair.¡±

    ¡°¡­What do you think you are doing?¡± Serpina sharply asked him, but Zich was calm.

    ¡°What do you mean? You told me that you had no intentions to coborate. Then, what¡¯s the point of conversing with you like this? We don¡¯t think well of each other, so if we just sit here and talk, we¡¯ll just waste time getting angry at each other. So let¡¯s just separate and go our respective ways. Ah, you¡¯re just matter formed out of mana, so if you disappear, it¡¯ll be over for you. I guess we¡¯ll be the only ones going our way.¡± With these words, Zich waved his hands for her to quickly get up.

    It really seemed like Zich wanted to end their conversation. Bewilderment continued to grow on Serpina¡¯s face. ¡°¡­Why don¡¯t you stop your bluff?¡±

    ¡°What bluff?¡±

    ¡°If you don¡¯t coborate with me, it¡¯ll be your loss.¡±

    Zich smirked; hisugh was clearly mocking her. ¡°Now that makes me curious. Why do you think it¡¯s our loss if we don¡¯t coborate with you?¡±

    ¡°The World Tree¡¯s freedom¡­!¡± Serpina stopped mid-sentence. She realized the contradiction in her words.

    ¡°And you don¡¯t want the World Tree¡¯s freedom.¡± Zich clearly pointed out the contradiction.

    Serpina decided to stay quiet for a bit because she had nothing to say. However, she also couldn¡¯t give up just like this. ¡°¡­Without me, you won¡¯t even figure out the method to suppress the World Tree.¡±

    ¡°We don¡¯t need it.¡± Zich denied her statement again. ¡°Hey, Princess, I think you¡¯re misunderstanding something here. The reason why I came here is that Windur guided me here.¡± Zich tapped the hilt with his thumb. ¡°The reason why this guy probably led us here is for the World Tree¡¯s freedom. But you know, I¡¯m not really so desperate about freeing the World Tree.¡± He continued speaking as if he was appeasing a child. ¡°My goal is Glen Zenard¡¯s perfect fall, and the World Tree¡¯s freedom is necessary for that goal. Thus, the World Tree¡¯s freedom is merely a method and not my goal.¡±

    ¡°If you coborate with me, it would definitely be helpf¡ª!¡±

    ¡°Right now, I don¡¯t need to cling so tightly to that one method,¡± Zich interrupted Serpina. ¡°The reason why I continuously tried to free the World Tree was because of Glen Zenard¡¯s regression ability. No matter how great I was, I couldn¡¯t do anything about that ability because the Brushel System is really an amazing power. It¡¯s for me to understand why you¡¯re so proud of it. However, as you know, the Brushel System has been destroyed now. In short, this means that Glen Zenard can no longer regress.¡± Zich smirked, and Serpina thought that his smirk was extremely annoying.

    Zich paid no attention to her feelings and continued, ¡°Then, I can sufficiently ruin him without the World Tree¡¯s help.¡± So far, everything he said was the full truth. ¡°Of course, it would be easier to ruin him if I continue to free the World Tree. However, I¡¯m not so desperate to ept your requests.¡±

    ¡°¡­Your enemy is not only Glen Zenard.¡±

    ¡°Ah, yeah. There¡¯s still the mastermind left.¡± There was an enemy that Zich Brave mentioned in the past. The reason why Zich obediently followed Windur was to figure out the mastermind¡¯s identity. ¡°It doesn¡¯t mean that I won¡¯t find out their identity just because the World Tree won¡¯t help me. I can slowly fish out more information from Glen Zenard by angering him, and most of all, isn''t the white mana that contains the mana of the World Tree¡¯s clones heading towards the direction of where the original World Tree is? So, if we search all over in that direction, we¡¯ll be able to find the original World Tree and find the mastermind. These are some of the methods that I¡¯ve thought of for now. If I ponder more about this, I¡¯m sure I can think of other methods as well.¡±

    Serpina became speechless. Zich stared at her stiff expression and mocked her. ¡°Do you understand now, Princess? When I refused to restore the Brushel System, you lost all the possible cards in your deck to make this deal. Of course, I won¡¯t deny the fact that you had an extremely strong card in your favor, but what can you do? It doesn¡¯t really interest me. I don¡¯t know how great you were when Clowon existed, but as just some matter made out of the World Tree¡¯s mana, that¡¯s the extent of your worth. Do you now understand who has the power in this negotiation, Princess Serpina Arnoux Boyne Slesvita Wipsin Clowon?¡±

 Chapter 478

    <h4>Chapter 478</h4>

    ¡°¡­¡± Serpina didn¡¯t say anything, but she clearly expressed her thoughts by the icy re she burrowed into Zich. He probably died a hundred or thousand times already in her mind through all kinds of torture, but Zich didn¡¯t care.

    ¡®She can¡¯t do anything about it anyway.¡¯ No matter how much the other party threatened to harm him, if they couldn¡¯t transfer their thoughts into action, it made no effect on reality. Zich was also not the type to fight another party for their imagination.

    ¡°If you understood that, let¡¯s separate now.¡± Zich took one step back and said, ¡°It seems you really like that chair, so I will lend it to you for a while and take it backter. If you need something to take out your anger on, you can also break it into pieces. I can at least give up a chair for the esteemed Clowon princess, and you can think of the chair as me when you break it apart. <i>Ah,</i> if you want, I could also write my name on it.¡±

    Then, Zich took out a pen and ink as he spoke. L thought Zich was really one of the world¡¯s best in mocking others and gaped in astonishment.

    ¡°¡­Aren¡¯t you curious about the scheme surrounding the Steelwall Estate?¡± Perhaps, Serpina had finally realized the position she was in. After looking like she was about to spit all sorts of curses at him, she suddenly made an unexpected remark. It seemed like she was trying to show that she still had another trick up her sleeve. Yet, Zich paid no heed to what she said again.

    ¡°I don¡¯t need you to tell me. I already have a general guess anyway.¡± Zich looked at her from above as if he was looking down on her and said, ¡°There¡¯s going to be a war, right?¡±

    Serpina didn¡¯t answer, but even this response answered his question.

    ¡°A war?¡± Inparison, L appeared to be very surprised. ¡°Who with whom?¡±

    ¡°Steelwall with probably ud.¡±

    ¡°¡­That¡¯s your father¡¯s family against your mother¡¯s family.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± Zich spoke calmly even about a war involving both his families. ¡°It¡¯s not really surprising though. The Steelwalls and uds have exchanged attacks and blood with one another for generations.¡±

    Although the purpose of the marriage between his father and mother was to reconcile these two families, that had backfired from a betrayal and the two families¡¯ rtionship was even worse than before the affair. Considering this, it wouldn¡¯t be a strange thing for them to go to war at all.

    ¡°Isn¡¯t it a reach for the two families to go to war in this situation?¡±L asked.

    It didn¡¯t seem like Zich was talking about a minor sh between two families in the way that he worded it, but arge-scale military war. The two estates belonged to separate countries and were both border provinces of their respective kingdoms. The sh between these two estates would likely lead to a war between the two kingdoms.

    Of course, the entire kingdoms could not go to war, and only the neighboring and central regions might give their support, thus leading to a smaller war, but even this smaller scale wasparatively bigger than a simple sh between estates. Also, there was the problem of all the attention currently on the Steelwall Estate. In their current situation, a war, especially one that would involve two kingdoms, would seem like too much for Steelwall Estate to handle.

    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t it be a great burden for the ud Estate too?¡± L thought the ud Estate would naturally instigate the war first since the Steelwall Estate was too preupied with other matters to do so. However, she soon changed her opinion and said, ¡°No, I suppose the Steelwall Estate could start the war too.¡±

    The Steelwall Estate could try to eliminate the chaos surrounding them using war. The estate¡¯s reputation might worsen, but Steelwall could at least tightly gather and bind the worried nobles and their citizens in the name of war. Yet, Zich shook his head.

    ¡°No, the ud Estate will make the first move.¡±

    ¡°As I thought. Like I said before, it would burden them too,¡± L said. The Steelwall Estate might actually be d to have this war since an enemy from the outside appeared at just the right time for them to unite their internal forces again.

    ¡°Yes, but if a situation that can ease their burden arises, it will be a different story.¡± As if he was checking his guesses, Zich exined to L without taking his eyes off Serpina. Then, he continued, ¡°First of all, the Stellwall Estate is used of serving the Bellids. You are aware of that, right?¡±

    ¡°Yes, I know.¡±

    Even though the Steelwall Estate denied these ims fervently and searched their estate to find the Bellids personally, they were still not free from their usations. The Bellid followers had infiltrated far too deep and destroyed their reputation.

    ¡°While that¡¯s ongoing, the Bellids did such a huge thing as destroying the Horus Gorge. Now, that wouldn¡¯t have mattered so much if it had only caused damage to the Steelwall Estate.¡±

    ¡°¡­It probably hurt the ud Estate too, right?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, a pretty big one at that.¡±

    ¡°They might ask forpensation from the Steelwall Estate for the damages they received and provoke them.¡±

    ¡°Since the Steelwalls are used of supporting the Bellids, they could make perfect use of that too.¡±

    ¡°If they start their war on that basis, the Cronon Kingdom will be hesitant to support the Steelwall Estate.¡±

    They were forming a clearer picture now.

    ¡°Will the kingdom not provide any support to the Steelwall Estate still? Even if Count Steelwall is used of following the Bellids, there¡¯s no clear proof of that. Furthermore, Steelwall Estate is clearly part of the Cronon Kingdom while the ud Estate belongs to another one.¡±

    If ud Estate swallowed up the Steelwall Estate, the Cronon Kingdom¡¯s forces and territory would decrease; it was unlikely the kingdom would let that be.

    ¡°They probably have a handy method for that.¡±

    ¡°Like what?¡±

    ¡°You know how I told you that destruction of the Horus Gorge will damage three estates?¡±

    ¡°¡­Is a third force going to appear then?¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡± Zich nodded. ¡°There¡¯s an estate called Pinne, which is a small estate next to the Steelwall Estate. They are pretty indifferent to each other, but the problem is that they also received a significant amount of damage from this event as well.¡±

    From the model that Zich saw in the Bellid temple near Violsa, he saw that the nnedke was also supposed to sink the Pinne Estate. Of course, since the gorge¡¯s copse had only seeded halfway, the water didn¡¯t rise as much as the model indicated, but Zich was sure that the Pinne Estate had suffered a significant amount of damage.

    ¡°The Pinne Estate is part of the Cronon Kingdom. If they go to war against the Steelwall Estate, it would be a civil war between two estates in the Cronon Kingdom.¡±

    ¡°Is the Pinne Estate strong?¡±

    ¡°Not at all.¡± Their military strength was like any normal estate. Compared to the Steelwall Estate, which had more military power than most marquess estates as the Iron Fortress, their strength would be considered puny.

    ¡°Won¡¯t they have a strong ally this time? Even though the ud Estate is from a foreign country, they¡¯re both estates that received great damage from the vile Steelwall Estate¡¯s ¡®conspiracy.¡¯¡± L was talking about the potential alliance between the ud Estate and Pinne Estate.

    ¡°Then, many things would be solved for the ud Estate. The Pinne Estate already received a lot of damage from the Steelwall Estate, which already has tons of bad rumors ndering it, so if they fight the Steelwall Estate, they¡¯re merely retaliating with a just cause. Then, naturally, it won¡¯t be a war between different countries, but an internal civil war. The ud Estate will argue that they were merely sending out forces as an estate that also received the same damage as the Pinne Estate.¡±

    ¡°The ud Estate will make up the main force, right?¡±

    ¡°Well, it can¡¯t be helped. Their new friend who suffered just as much as them are toocking in strength to fight against a powerful viin.¡±

    ¡°Then, what will the ud Estate gain from this? If they win like this, the Pinne Estate will merely swallow up the Steelwall Estate.¡±

    ¡°The Pinne Estate will probably also give out some of Steelwall¡¯snd, but what the ud family wants the most is probably theplete copse of the Steelwall Estate.¡±

    Zich recalled the information about Steelwall¡¯s situation that he made his underling investigate before he regressed. ording to the information, Steelwall¡¯s opponents made sure to thoroughly kill off even all the servants, and everything in the Steelwall Estate was crushed and destroyed. It was the action of someone with a deep hatred towards the Steelwalls.

    ¡®Well, that can happen if the Steelwall Estate fell under a ruthless Demon Person, but...¡¯ Since he lived during a time when all kinds of Demon People wreaked havoc throughout the world, this thought wasn¡¯t too far-fetched. However, Zich was sure that the culprit who ruined the Steelwall Estate back then was the ud Estate.

    ¡°The copse of the Steelwall Estate would be an extremely joyous event for the ud Estate as someone who was enemies with them for a long time. Moreover, since the Steelwall Estate is an especially strong estate in the Cronon Kingdom, they can significantly reduce their neighboring country¡¯s total military strength. Moreover, there¡¯s no guarantee that the Pinne Estate will be able to properly control and take care of the Steelwall Estate, and it¡¯s even less likely that they¡¯ll be as strong as the Steelwall Estate. If there is a low chance that this bes possible, it will also take a significantly long time.¡±

    If they won this war, everything will go ording to Count ud¡¯s will. He could pressure the Pinne Estate with superior military power and decrease their authority, and if he wanted to start a war, it would be much easier for him to swallow up the entire estate. This was a winning battle for the ud Estate in every way.

    ¡°Additionally, if Karuwiman¡¯s Honorary Knight Glen Zenard also lends his support to the ud Estate, things would go even more smoothly.¡±

    L recalled how Zich said that Glen Zenard was definitely plotting a conspiracy. ¡°Perhaps, do you think this is Glen Zenard¡¯s n?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s what I think.¡± It was a well-developed n but also extremely difficult to carry out. There were way too many things to prepare such as the alliance between the ud and Pinne Estate, the infiltration of Bellids in the Steelwall Estate, and so on. However, as someone who repeatedly regressed, it waspletely within Glen Zenard¡¯s abilities.

    ¡°If Glen Zenard really coborated with the ud Estate, no wonder the Steelwall Estate couldn¡¯t do anything to stop its copse.¡± Even if the Karuwimans had not been directly involved in this affair, the Steelwall Estate would have received significant damage by the sole fact that a Karuwiman Honorary Knight was siding with the ud Estate. Glen Zenard and his party members¡¯ powers were also an added bonus.

    ¡°However, the effect this time hasn¡¯t been that great.¡±

    ¡°Well, it¡¯s a no-brainer since I¡¯m an Honorary Knight just like him, and I¡¯m siding with Steelwall.¡±

    ¡°Of course, I¡¯m not saying that Glen Zenard doesn¡¯t have another n. Since it¡¯s true that I¡¯m from Steelwall, he could argue that I can¡¯t properly distinguish between my affection for my family and work.¡±

    ¡°How ridiculous.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s ridiculous.¡±

    If someone knew the true rtionship between Zich and the Steelwall family, it was an argument that no one would make. However, not a lot of people knew the details of their rtionship. On the other hand, there were way more people who thought they had a strong rtionship through shared blood ties.

    ¡°Anyway, this is the extent of my guess.¡± Zich stared at Serpina. ¡°So, Princess, what do you think about my spection? Do you still think that the cards you¡¯re holding are so valuable to me?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡± Serpina did not open her mouth to speak.

    Zichughed in satisfaction and then stared at L. ¡°My spections are correct.¡± If he were wrong, Serpina would have reacted differently. Then, Serpina also realized that Zich confirmed his spections by her reaction and bit her lips.

    However, Zich had no intentions of sympathizing with her. ¡°By the way, Princess, do you have any other cards in your deck? Try taking out anything, since you really need one to persuade me.¡± Instead, his eyes glinted with the intention to steal more information from her.

 Chapter 479

    <h4>Chapter 479</h4>

    Serpina didn¡¯t speak. It seemed like she was wary of getting swept up in Zich¡¯s narrative if she spoke hastily like before. Yet, there was nothing she could do now.

    ¡°It seems like you really don¡¯t have much.¡± Zich closed his mouth like he was pondering. Yet, even this was simply part of the theatrics he was showing Serpina to prepare for his next move, and he had already set up the next course of words and actions perfectly in his mind.

    ¡°Fine, Princess. I¡¯ll give you an opportunity.¡±

    ¡°¡­What opportunity?¡±

    ¡°Well, tell us the exact reason why the World Tree got you out. If it were just to ry information, even that damn Zich Brave would¡¯ve done a better job,¡± Zich said. L thought there was a high possibility they wouldn¡¯t have been able to learn any information from Zich Brave even if he came out because Zich would try to crush his skull, but she kept her mouth shut.

    ¡°¡­What would I gain from telling you that?¡±

    ¡°Hey, Princess. I¡¯m not the one in a rush. It¡¯s you. If you came out instead of Zich Brave, there must be something that only you can do. If that¡¯s the case, then you should reveal what that is.¡± Zich then sighed tantly. ¡°Gosh, it really is a struggle talking to a sheltered princess who doesn¡¯t know the way of the world.¡±

    The edge of Serpina¡¯s hands moved slightly. She was probably repressing herself from attacking Zich. Even L was beginning to sympathize with Serpina¡¯s position even though she disliked her. Then, L felt a wave of relief that she was on the same side as Zich.

    ¡°¡­This is the waypoint where the World Tree¡¯s original body gathers mana and sends it to its copies. It¡¯s also a ce where the World Tree manufactures its mana.¡±

    ¡°Hm, hm!¡± Zich showed his satisfaction with this response by nodding hard. Of course, even this gave a bad impression to Serpina as she slightly scowled. Yet, she didn¡¯t stop speaking.

    ¡°Even if the Brushel System had been halted, the World Tree¡¯s mana still contributes to the strength of the mastermind¡¯s powers. However, if you cause distortions in this ce, you will at least be able to cancel out the manaing from the World Tree¡¯s copies.¡±

    ¡°I see. So, the purpose is to take away some of the mastermind¡¯s power source.¡± Since the one actively restricting the World Tree¡¯s freedom was probably the mastermind, the World Tree would obviously want to weaken the mastermind¡¯s powers.

    ¡°That¡¯s also the reason why I came out instead of Zich Brave. Even if that guy has the knowledge, he can¡¯t skillfully distort this ce.¡±

    ¡°It would be much easier if we had the Princess¡¯ help,¡± Zich said.

    Serpina¡¯s face loosened a bit now that her words seemed to have an effect on Zich finally.

    ¡°Why don¡¯t you inform L of this distorting method? Won¡¯t it be a hassle to call you whenever we need to distort a ruin?¡±

    ¡°That is exactly the will of the World Tree.¡±

    ¡°As expected, that guy knows what¡¯s up.¡± Zich seemed to be very satisfied. ¡°Okay then, let¡¯s start as soon as possible. However, since L needs to also make preparations, why don¡¯t we officially start teaching tomorrow?¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°¡­What are you going on about?¡±

    Both L and Serpina expressed surprise at Zich¡¯s sudden schedule n. Not paying any attention to their reactions, Zich continued, ¡°Yeah, that¡¯ll be better. Since she kept studying in this basement for a while, L also needs some rest. She needs to soak in the sunlight a bit and eat fresh food.¡±

    ¡°Wait! I didn¡¯t even say that I will teach her!¡± Serpina refuted but closed her mouth again at Zich¡¯s lowered, sharp gaze. What Zich would say next worried her, and like she expected, Zich¡¯s tongue battered her down again.

    ¡°Hey, Princess. Even if the situation is not going in your favor, shouldn¡¯t you at least be able to assess the situation a bit? If things go this way, you won¡¯t be able to aplish anything you want. Will you be really fine with that?¡±

    Serpina¡¯s expression clearly showed that she wouldn¡¯t be fine with that.

    ¡°As I said before, all the things you said are of not much use to me if I decide to go through the trouble. Fortunately for you, Princess, I do not like bothersome things. Thus, the things you have to offer aren¡¯tpletely worthless.¡± Zich said rather hopeful things that did not befit him. However, L could bet everything she had that Zich didn¡¯t say these words in courtesy of his addressee, but to earn something.

    ¡°However, they aren¡¯t at the level of taking on your requests. So, you need to revise your request conditions.¡±

    ¡°Besides Clowon¡¯s revival, there¡¯s nothing else I wish for.¡±

    ¡°No, no. That¡¯s because you simply didn¡¯t think of options besides that,¡± Zich said affirmatively.¡°If things go like this, Princess, you will disappear without aplishing anything. And Clowon, which is everything to you, will be wiped from all memories except for the elves living in the forest who might mention it from time to time. Is that what you want?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡±

    ¡°Obviously not. So, instead of such a huge condition like Clowon¡¯s revival, think of something a bit more realistic.¡±

    Serpina fell into contemtion, but Zich didn¡¯t stop and continued, ¡°Of course, I won¡¯t tell you to make another request from the get-go. Deals have to be fair.¡±

    L clicked her tongue at how deceitful and cheap the word, ¡®fair,¡¯ could feel when Zich said it.

    ¡°Princess, you still have the mastermind and the information about the World Tree as part of your cards. Think carefully about what you can exchange with those cards. If the conditions are right, I may coborate with you¡ªthis is the opportunity that I was talking about.¡± Then, Zich whispered to Serpina like a devil, ¡°Don¡¯t you have to do anything you can for Clowon?¡±

    ¡°¡­I got it. I¡¯ll think more about it.¡±

    L felt as if electricity was passing through her body at these words. Was the woman in front of her really the Clowon princess who ignored all her words with a stubbornness honed from thousands of years? However, Zich was not done speaking.

    ¡°You made a good decision. Then, as I said before, let¡¯s start with you teaching L how to control that energy source.¡±

    ¡°Wait! I¡¯ll do that after I think about my condition¡­!¡±

    ¡°Hey, Princess! I exined it so carefully to you, and you¡¯re still being so stubborn? I¡¯m giving you an opportunity right now, so you should at least give us this much. I¡¯m not even telling you to reveal all your cards!¡± Zich¡¯s voice, which had been soft as if he was consoling a child, became rough again. However, his words turned soft again to persuade her.

    ¡°Also, this isn¡¯t a bad offer for you either. You need time to think about what to ask us for Clowon, right? Since you¡¯re just a matter made out of mana, you need Windur toe out like this. So, this means that you need our help to even think. You should pay up in exchange for this, and if you think of it like this, I¡¯m not asking too much at all.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s no need for you to even ponder more about this. Have you realized it? Perhaps if you keeping out like this, you might even think of a good condition for us to restore Clowon. If that¡¯s what you want, what you need to right now is to materialize into the real world and buy as much time as you can to think.¡±

    ¡°¡­Fine.¡± Serpina nodded in the end. Zich¡¯s word moved her, especially to ¡®buy more time to think.¡¯

    She said, ¡°I¡¯ll first exin how to operate this energy source.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s an excellent idea!¡± Zichughed and pped his hands. Hisughter was extremely annoying to Serpina, but Zich joyously eximed, ¡°Yeah, if people converse together like this, we can always find a way to join forces!¡±

    ¡°You of all people shouldn¡¯t be saying that!¡± Serpina said coldly, but it was not enough to break Zich¡¯sughter.

    A loser¡¯s cries were not enough to even pierce Zich¡¯s ears, nevertheless, his heart. ¡°Well, I guess there are times when conversations don¡¯t work,¡± Zich said this shamelessly and looked at Serpina as if he just recalled something. Serpina was now thoroughly sick of this gaze.

    ¡°Hmm, is there perhaps a way you can tell me more information about the uing war a bit earlier on? Now that I think about it, I¡¯ll have to continuously let L borrow Windur if she wants to keep calling you out. Therefore, I think it¡¯s only fair if you give me something more topensate for my decrease in fighting power.¡±

    ¡°¡­I¡¯ll just say onest thing. You¡¯re a fucking bastard that can¡¯t even bepared to Zich Brave!¡±

    * * *

    ¡°Haha, so easy.¡± Zichughed brightly as they left the ruin. L was next to him, but she couldn¡¯tugh along with him because she had clearly seen how Serpina, who had the same face as her, got thoroughly yed by him.

    L said, ¡°I had no idea that you''d be able to bully her into cooperating like that.¡±

    ¡°What do you mean, bully? How can you speak so harshly? All we did was reveal both of our cards, and we reached a fair agreement.¡±

    ¡°Why don¡¯t you look up the definition of fair again?¡± Even though L reproached him, his ability sincerely impressed her. ¡°¡­Even so, that was amazing. You got a princess like that to do what you want so easily.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s nothing really amazing. She wasn¡¯t a hard opponent.¡± Zich thought of Serpina. ¡°Even though she¡¯s a princess of an ancient empire and a Demon Lord that existed way before me, that doesn¡¯t mean she has good negotiation abilities. In contrast, it¡¯s reasonable that her negotiation abilities are greatlycking.¡±

    Zich raised one of his fingers at a time and began exining each reason for his thoughts, ¡°Since she was assigned to be a core when she was young and immediately became part of the system, she must have no negotiation experience. When she awakened as a Demon Lord, she must have gotten her way by pure strength, so she couldn¡¯t have built her negotiation experience like that either. No, the problem doesn¡¯t lie with her negotiation abilities. She just doesn¡¯t have much life experience in general. It¡¯s hardly any work to sway someone like that.¡±

    ¡°But she still has an extraordinary amount of knowledge.¡±

    ¡°Knowledge and experience are different. Isn¡¯t that why the World Tree called forth the Princess and not Zich Brave?¡±

    ¡°Well, no wonder.¡± L epted Zich¡¯s exnation.

    ¡°The most bothersome part about her is her pride as Clowon¡¯s princess, but I can use that against her as well. So, in summary, I would say she¡¯s like a shrimp in terms of capturing difficulty.¡±

    ¡°¡­Yet I wasn¡¯t able to persuade such an easy opponent at all.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not like you have a lot of life experience either, and you also have less knowledge than her. In more ways than one, I would say it was a disadvantageous situation for you.¡± Then, Zich unnecessarily added, ¡°Most of all, you¡¯re at the same level as a shrimp as well.¡±

    L hit Zich¡¯s arms with her palms, and he cackled senselessly.

 Chapter 480

    <h4>Chapter 480</h4>

    Yet, the mood between the two, specifically to L, was pretty good. There was nothing to be upset about when they had solved some major problems. They had learned about distorting a ruin, and they also learned the exact details of the scheme surrounding the Steelwall Estate. It seemed like Glen Zenard, Count ud, or whoever couldn¡¯t pose a threat to them at all. L couldn¡¯t imagine Zich losing even in a situation where hecked information, much less a situation where he had a grasp of everything. However, Zich thought differently.

    ¡°Don¡¯t let your guard down, L.¡±

    ¡°Hm?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m talking about the Clowon princess. Keep your guard up against her.¡±

    ¡°¡­Against her?¡± L asked. Serpina had been one-sidedly beaten by Zich¡¯s art of talking. She was so ruthlessly beaten that L even began to feel pity for herter on. Thus, L was taken aback by Zich¡¯s warning.

    ¡°She probably won¡¯t think of many useless thoughts right now since I shook her up so much. However, the effect of that won¡¯tst forever,¡± Zich said. Surprise or shock quelled as time passed and it could also be a mechanism for one to organize their thoughts and calmly assess the current situation.

    ¡°I mentioned time to push her to the edge, but she actually has the advantage in that aspect. She onlycks experience, but seeing you, I know how abnormally well her head works.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s true that people can think of all sorts of things if they have a lot of time.¡± L nodded. Then, she looked at Zich drearily and said, ¡°Her resentment about what she suffered from you will build up too, and she might take it out on me.¡±

    Zich didn¡¯t meet L¡¯s eyes. ¡°I¡¯m sure she won¡¯t do anything more than nitpick about things to give herself an edge. However, I should mention that I don¡¯t think of things nearly asplicated as you do.¡±

    After all, L had failed to pierce through Serpina¡¯s iron wall-like stubbornness before Zich came.

    ¡°It will be a headache.¡± L could clearly visualize the difficulties she would face in the near future and clutched her forehead.

    ¡°That will actually be more preferable.¡±

    ¡°What do you mean ¡®preferable?¡¯ Just the thought of it makes me want to vomit.¡±

    ¡°If she nitpicks things, then that means that¡¯s the only thing she can do at the moment. Her goal is to make the situation more advantageous for her by clutching onto any possible points. However, if she starts coborating with us without raising a fuss, that¡¯ll be more of a problem. L, do you think the Princess is someone who will amiably cooperate with us?¡±

    ¡°Not at all.¡± L firmly denied it as someone who had experienced Serpina¡¯s stubborn nature firsthand.

    ¡°I think so too. If she cooperates without anyints, it would only mean that she is scheming something.¡±

    ¡°No wonder you are telling me to always be on my guard.¡±

    ¡°The problem is that it will be a very difficult thing to uncover the Princess¡¯ schemes.¡±

    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t it be easy for you?¡± L asked. She couldn¡¯t help but think so after seeing how Zich treated Serpina not too long ago.

    ¡°I¡¯ll be busy from now on, so I can¡¯t spend all my time trying to uncover her schemes. Moreover, if she tries to use the ruin or the Brushel System, even I wouldn¡¯t know what she is nning since it¡¯s not my field of expertise.¡± After saying that, Zich stared at L.

    ¡°Moreover, if she is really doing something like that, you are the only one who can notice it. Even if you fail to notice it and she seeds in her attempt, you are the only one who can fix things.¡± Then he ced both hands on L¡¯s shoulders and said, ¡°I¡¯m trusting you to keep your eyes on her.¡±

    Zich¡¯s words¡ªspecifically the part about him trusting her¡ªdirectly struck L¡¯s heart. L balled her fists and said loudly, ¡°Yeah, leave it to me! I¡¯m going to keep a very close eye on her to make sure she doesn¡¯t do anything weird.¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡± Like that, Zichpletely erased all his worries about Serpina. It might seem like he ced too much of a burden on L, but there was nothing else he could do.

    ¡®It¡¯s because no one else but L can really understand what the Princess is scheming,¡¯ Zich thought. Besides, Zich also trusted her; considering her skills which he had witnessed throughout their travels and all the experiences she had endured, he knew that L wouldn¡¯t be yed by Serpina.

    ¡®Even if we encounter the worst-case scenario, L will at least prepare a hole for us to escape out of.¡¯ That was all he needed, and he could handle the rest. While L was thinking of the tense mind games she would y with Serpina starting tomorrow, she looked at Zich again.

    ¡°Okay, so that¡¯s enough about me. What are you going to do outside, Zich? You said you will be busy.¡±

    ¡°I have to prepare for war,¡± Zich answered. They were already sure from Serpina¡¯s attitude that a war would ur.

    ¡°I¡¯m sure Count ud has already made enormous preparations for the war. However, Count Steelwall isn¡¯t in a position to get proper support from his surroundings. There would obviously be a difference in power, and Count Steelwall would be at a great disadvantage. If I had my original power, I would¡¯ve been able to fill the gap by myself, but unfortunately, not all of my mana has been freed yet.¡±

    ¡°But most of it has been released, right?¡±

    ¡°Yup, that¡¯s right.¡± Zich tried flowing mana throughout his body. He felt an amount of mana iparable to the time when he had first regressed. Yet,pared to the days he was called Demon Lord of Strength, it was still significantlycking. However, even this problem would notst for long. Zich felt the hardened mana inside him. Since it was hardened in the innermost area of his body, it was denser than all the mana he had released up until now. The amount of mana within him was also enormous.

    ¡°I¡¯ve finished honing my physical body. If I just release this guy, I will be able to recover my strength from my demon lord days. If that happens, we can basically say that no one can fight me head-to-head.¡± Zich exuded confidence, but it waspletelyprehensible if one considered the feats he had aplished in his demon lord days. He was the one who had shed with a party of heroes, including Glen Zenard, and it would be no exaggeration to say that he was one of the strongest among the people in his time. It was no wonder why he was able to fight the whole world with only a few underlings.

    ¡°I haven¡¯t recovered all my former strength though, so I should think of a suitable n.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s true.¡±

    ¡°First of all, I should tell Father that war ising.¡±

    ¡°He must be having a hard time. So many incidents are happening in his estate, and now, he has to prepare for war.¡± Moreover, he had to start a war during a disadvantageous situation. Regardless of how strong the Steelwall¡¯s military might was, it was clear that they would suffer tremendously, and this was extremely good news to Zich.

    ¡°That annoying old fart should suffer a bit more.¡± Zich cackled as he imagined the expression on Count Steelwall when he ryed the news.

    * * *

    As Zich expected, Count Steelwall¡¯s expression twisted into a deep scowl. ¡°¡­So you¡¯re saying that the reason why the estate is in this mess is because of those pieces of trash in ud?¡±

    ¡°Yes, probably so,¡± Zich replied and looked at the desk that the Count was sitting on. The Count had to get a new desk because he mmed and threw it too much in anger, but unfortunately, it seemed as if his new desk would notst too long either. The area that the Count had his hand on was already getting chipped and it made a cracking sound.

    If the Count continued to apply his strength in the same area, the whole desk would split into two and copse. Even now, it seemed as if the desk would not be able to continue its function for long. This desk would also soon be reced, but Zich didn¡¯t think the next desk wouldst long either. It might be a better idea to not ce a desk in front of the Count until the current situation dies down. While Zich was thinking pointless thoughts, the Count¡¯s mind was spinning.

    Zich¡¯s ims first sounded persuasive. Currently, the Steelwall Estate was in chaos because of the Bellids, and those who would be the happiest and delighted in their situation would be the ud family. However, there was a reason why the Steelwalls hadn¡¯t pointed at the uds as the main culprit.

    ¡°Do you seriously think those bastards joined hands with the Bellids?¡±

    The reason was that they hadn¡¯t thought that a high-ranking noble would hold hands with the Bellids, and Count Steelwall still had a hard time believing this.

    However, Count Steelwall and his officials couldn¡¯t help but nod at Zich¡¯s next words. ¡°They¡¯re bastards who sent the Count¡¯s daughter to get married for the sake of peace and stabbed the Steelwalls¡¯ backs. To cause Steelwall¡¯s fall, it makes sense that they would also join forces with the Bellids.¡±

    ¡°¡­Yeah. Those guys are definitely capable of that.¡± The Count humbly admitted that he was prejudiced that a high-ranking noble would not join forces with the Bellids. ¡°However, if they get caught, it won¡¯t end easily for them.¡±

    ¡°It won¡¯t matter as long as we don¡¯t get caught. People like them all have the same mindset.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s true.¡± Count Steelwall agreed with Zich¡¯s thoughts again. ¡°And you¡¯re saying that the Pinne Estate would be the one first dere war.¡±

    ¡°If the n that I¡¯ve looked into is correct.¡±

    ¡°If what the young master says is right, this matter is extremely serious.¡± Trell was next to the Count as always, and he spoke with a serious expression.

    Zich replied, ¡°Yes, it¡¯s a serious matter. Most of all, the ud Estate¡¯s final goal is probably the extermination of Steelwall. Even if they think that they won¡¯t get caught, they joined hands with those infamous Bellids¡ªit¡¯s clear that they have no intentions to end things lightly.¡±

    The Count and Trell¡¯s faces stiffened. Zich didn¡¯t use the word fall but extermination; it meant that everyone rted to Count Steelwall would be killed. Seeing how the situation was going, Zich¡¯s words were not merely an exaggeration.

    ¡°¡­If it¡¯s Count ud, that sted old fart, he might really do that.¡± Even though Count ud was technically Count Steelwall¡¯s father-inw, their rtionship was so strained that such a friendly title wasn¡¯t suitable to describe their rtionship.

    ¡°Trell.¡±

    ¡°Yes, sir.¡±

    ¡°Immediately make preparations for war. Make sure to do it discreetly for now. Since we haven¡¯t received a deration for war yet, people will look at us suspiciously if we prepare for war now.¡± People were still suspicious of Count Steelwall and his connections with the Bellids. If he began to prepare for war during this time, getting used of starting a war would be the least of their problems.

    ¡°Yes, sir. Since our soldiers have already been sent out to remediate the damage, if we align our preparations with their movements, we will be able to trick the eyes of outsiders.¡±

    The Count nodded; he trusted that Trell would do a good job.

    Zich said, ¡°Sir, it won¡¯t be enough with just that. The ud Estate have fought with the Steelwalls for a long time, so they are very familiar with the extent of Steelwall¡¯s strength. The ud Estate probably joined hands with another force as well. Do you have a countern?¡±

    ¡°¡­I will be requesting help from the surrounding and center estates.¡± However, there wasn¡¯t much confidence in his voice.

    ¡°I will sincerely hope that there are those who you have built a strong trust and rtionship with to help you out even in a situation like this.¡±

    The Count couldn¡¯t refute Zich¡¯s mockery.

    Soon after, a harsh protest came from the Pinne Estate. Their protest was so outrightly hostile that anyone could see that they were clearly considering war. The ud Estate thoroughly backed up the Pinne Estate with the reason that they were also victims like the Pinne Estate. While Count Steelwall dealt with the Pinne and ud Estates, he requested help from other estates as nned. However, not a single estate epted Steelwall¡¯s request for help.

 Chapter 481

    <h4>Chapter 481</h4>

    Pinne Estate¡¯s deration, supported by the ud Estate, cast a dark shadow of war over the Steelwall Estate. Yet, even if they heavily rebuked the Steelwalls for being Bellid supporters and made it sound like they were ready to drag their troops over to the Steelwall Estate, the Pinnes showed no signs of mobilizing their forces at the moment. It wasn¡¯t because they didn¡¯t want war though; the culprit was the rain.

    <i>Shaaaaa!</i> Like usual, thick raindrops poured over the Steelwall Estate again. Although water was an essential life supply, there was a limit to how much they could gather at a time. If there was too much, heavy rain could ruin farnds instead of helping and cause sh floods. Thus, during this season, it was necessary for the Steelwall Estate to keep a close eye on the amount of rain pouring and prepare to limit damages. Yet, this year, one worry nketed all others: the constantly rising water level of the river. The body of water had expanded in size by so much that it could no longer even be called a river. It was more like ake.

    Thend around that area was submerged in water, and everything that was on it¡ªthe houses, fields, paths, and forests disappeared underneath. As water characteristically flowed from a high area to a lower area, the Steelwall Estate suffered the most damage as they were located downstream and had many londs. However, the Steelwall Estate could only evacuate its citizens, and it couldn¡¯t do much else.

    Even if the Steelwalls were a strong military family in the kingdom, they were nothing more than small ants against the might of nature. They tried to remove the boulder blocking the Horus Gorge, but it was not an easy task. Fierce currents formed around the area, as a mass amount of water had gathered in the narrow area, and no matter how strong a knight was, they would be easily swept and killed if they ventured there. Furthermore, because of the situation currently guing the Steelwall Estate, it was impossible to dispatch the knights anyway. In the end, it seemed like they had to push off recovering the Horus Gorge after the monsoon was over.

    The Steelwall Estate was busy today too. They had to fix the water situation, provide solutions, and prepare for war. They were so busy that all the administrators under the Count wished that each day was as long as a week. However, no matter how busy they were, they always needed to make time for specific figures, such as the Karuwiman Saint, Lube, and the holy knight, Weig.

    ¡°I heard that you both were leaving.¡± Although there wasn¡¯t a day the Count didn¡¯t scowl heavily from all the reports causing his headaches, he couldn¡¯t dare to make such an expression to Lube or Weig. The Count couldn¡¯t hide his exhaustion on his face. The fact that a noble and a strong knight like him showed such a face showcased the insane amount of stress he was experiencing.

    ¡°Yes, since it seems like the Bellid¡¯s temple in the Steelwall Estate has been settled for the most part. Thank you for your cooperation, Sir Count.¡±

    ¡°I should be the one to thank you all. You both helped us clean this estate from those muckworms leeching here. We will never forget the help the Karuwimans showed us this time.¡± The Count thanked them deeply.

    Yet, Lube¡¯s expression didn¡¯t look bright as she epted this expression of gratitude. ¡°There¡¯s no need for you to be grateful. Taking care of the Bellids is one of the most important missions bestowed upon the Karuwimans.¡± Then, after closing her mouth and thinking, she sighed and said, ¡°Besides, we don¡¯t know if the Karuwimans will continue to take the Steelwall Estate¡¯s side.¡±

    ¡°¡­Did something happen?¡± the Count asked, feeling a change in the atmosphere.

    While standing beside her, Weig exined, ¡°We are leaving right now because we received orders for our return.¡±

    ¡°Considering both of your positions, it will be difficult for you both to continue staying here,¡± the Count said wishfully as if he wanted this reason to be the one why they were leaving. He appeared like a child trying to hide his mistakes, but like how a child¡¯s mistakes always ended up getting caught by their parents, his attempt was futile. Besides, a parent¡¯s job wasn¡¯t to only forgive andfort their child for their mistakes.

    ¡°What will the importance of our ranks matter when it involves exterminating the Bellids? We were ordered to return for a much more important reason.¡± Then, thinking that she shouldn¡¯t circle around the matter, she blurted, ¡°We will be going to discuss whether or not the Karuwimans will take the Pinne Estate¡¯s side.¡±

    The Count didn¡¯t say anything, or more urately, he couldn¡¯t. It felt like someone had smacked the back of his head hard. No, he preferred if someone had actually done that instead. At least the worst that could happen was his own death, and even if he died, Grieg could take his position after him and maintain the family. However, Lube¡¯s deration basically spoke of the possible annihtion of the entire Steelwall family.

    ¡°W-what do you mean by that?¡± The Count managed to open his mouth to speak again. His voice cracked and disyed how panicked he was. Lube and Weig looked at the Count pitifully.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry too much. Nothing has been set in stone yet.¡± Lube tried to assure him, but the Count didn¡¯t feelforted by her words at all. After all, it was as if they told a heavily injured person hanging onto the edge of a cliff that they were thinking about dropping him. The only thing that gave the Count some breathing room was the fact that the Saintess was amiable toward them.

    ¡°Haa! Can I ask how this happened?¡± the Count asked.

    ¡°Someone lended a huge helping hand in destroying the temple inside Steelwall this time¡ªa man named Glen Zenard. Like Sir Zich, he has the Karuwiman Honorary Knight title. It seems he had made a formal call to action to the Pope.¡±

    This was the first time the Count had heard of Glen Zenard¡¯s name.

    ¡°It seems like that man is certain that the Steelwall family is working for the Bellids.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s utter nonsense!¡±

    The Count could no longer suppress his anger and ended up shouting. Even though he was being rude, Lube and Weig understood his circumstances and didn¡¯t criticize him for it.

    ¡°¡­Please excuse me.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s all right. Anyway, because of that, there¡¯s now a call for a meeting between high-ranking priests to decide whether the Steelwall Estate really is a supporter of the Bellids and if we should deploy our military forces after emunicating Steelwall.¡±

    ¡°Lady Lube, I assure you that we¡¯ve never joined hands with the Bellids!¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I believe you since Sir Zich trusts you.¡±

    Count Steelwall felt relieved with Lube¡¯s reply, but he couldn¡¯t help feeling bitter in the corner of his mind. Even though Zich had been discriminated against in the Steelwall family and basically kicked out, he was now someone that was essential for Steelwall¡¯s survival.

    ¡°However, Sir Zenard probably put that proposal forward with a solid backing, since it¡¯s not a light matter to emunicate a high-ranking noble and exercise military forces against them.¡±

    ¡°Normally, it¡¯s impossible for that to happen.¡± As Weig said, many countries did not look favorably towards the Karuwimans pointing their swords at nobles as a religious organization.

    However, this did not make the Count relieved; instead, he said in a mncholic tone, ¡°¡­This isn¡¯t a normal situation.¡± If one thing went wrong, the Karuwimans might really join forces with the Pinne Estate and attack them.

    Weig said, ¡°First of all, we n to vote against the proposal. Since Sir Zich vouched for you, I¡¯m sure the rumor about you being a Bellid follower is at least wrong regardless of the verity of the other rumors.¡± However, in other words, if Zich hadn¡¯t vouched for them, Weig might have pointed his sword toward the Steelwall Estate. Count Steelwall was familiar with the rumors about Weig¡¯s mercilessness and cruelty towards the Bellids, so he felt a chill run down his back.

    ¡°Sir Zich will also apany us this time.¡±

    ¡°¡­That guy will also be going?¡±

    ¡°Yes, Sir Zich is famous among the Karuwimans. He even met the Pope once before as well.¡±

    Count Steelwall¡¯s eyes widened in surprise. Even though Zich was a Karuwiman Honorary Knight, he hadn¡¯t expected Zich to have also met the Pope.

    ¡°Considering all the achievements he made, the other high-ranking priests won¡¯t be able to easily intervene and refute his words. It¡¯ll probably be impossible for us to directly exert military force against the Steelwall Estate, so sir, please don¡¯t be so worried.¡±

    Count Steelwall replied, ¡°Sir, it would be great if that really turned out to be true.¡±

    After this, they exchanged some small talk, and Lube and Weig left. However, the Count did not get up to leave. Even though there was a mountain of documents waiting for him, he couldn¡¯t even think of dealing with those right now.

    ¡°¡­The Karuwimans won¡¯te and attack us, right?¡± Count Steelwall threw his question at Trell who was standing behind him like always.

    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s what we need to hope for,¡± Trell sighed. Even with all his experience, he couldn¡¯t help but feel fatigued at all the incidents that kept appearing. However, as someone who supported and advised the Count, he couldn¡¯t stop thinking.

    ¡°Sir, we need to think of a countern.¡±

    ¡°Have you thought of one?¡± the Count asked hopefully. Was there a countern to address this disastrous situation?

    Trell couldn¡¯t immediately reply because he wasn¡¯t sure if his n was feasible, and it was a n that would be extremely difficult for the Count and his family to ept.

    ¡°¡­It¡¯s to make Sir Zich the next sessor of Steelwall.¡±

    ¡°¡­What?¡± The Count couldn¡¯t believe his ears. However, he wasn¡¯t foolish and could soon understand why Trell brought this topic up. ¡°¡­If a Karuwiman Honorary Knight bes the sessor, it would at least stop the Karuwimans from attacking us.¡±

    ¡°Yes, since the Honorary Knight they appointed will be the next sessor. The Pinne Estate and ud Estate will also be more cautious about their actions as well.¡± They wouldn¡¯t stop their attacks because they received damage from the Horus Gorge. However, it was also true that their justification to attack the Steelwall Estate based on Steelwall¡¯s connection to the Bellids would be greatly weakened.

    ¡°¡­I¡¯ll seriously contemte it.¡± No matter how much he hated Zich, Count Steelwall had to employ all possible means to prevent Steelwall¡¯s copse. He couldn¡¯t let his personal emotions hinder his decision.

    ¡°Of course, if the Karuwimans don¡¯t participate in this war, it won¡¯t be necessary. The biggest problem is whether or not the young master will ept it even if we try to give him the position as the next sessor.¡± Zich had continuously spoken about how uninterested he was in Steelwall¡¯s next sessor position. Would he really take the position if the Count wanted him to?

    The Count sighed. He began to regret chasing Zich out from the Steelwall Estate for the first time.

    * * *

    Zich headed towards the general meeting area where the Pope was with Lube and Weig. Since every second was precious right now, they rode their horses nonstop. Lube usually moved around in a carriage, but she also rode a horse. She could skillfully ride a horse, but since her stamina wasckingpared to the other two, by the time they arrived, she looked extremely fatigued. However, even this was amazing since most priests didn¡¯t train their bodies at all. After experiencing that terrifying incident in Portia, Lube did basic physical training without resting a day. The sessful results she showed in the march this time were also thanks to her training.

    ¡°We¡¯re notte,¡± Lube said with a weary voice.

    Weig¡¯s eyes gleamed with pride as he looked at her. ¡°Lady Lube, your training paid off.¡±

    Lube chuckled and said with bloodshot eyes, ¡°Fufufu, I¡¯m the type of person who keeps their word.¡±

    Zich looked up at the grand temple, Yuras, in front of them. A very important meeting was going to take ce there soon. The corners of Zich¡¯s lips curved into a smile as he looked forward to Glen¡¯s showmanship.

    ¡®Let¡¯s see how hard he acts out his y for us.¡¯ Zich would finally be able to see Glen¡¯s hrious expression when watching his carefully nned stage crumble.

 Chapter 482

    <h4>Chapter 482</h4>

    Priests and holy knights were gathered inside the Great Yuras Temple. There weren¡¯t that many people, but once one looked at the faces of each individual, one couldn¡¯t brush off the fact that there were so few of them. Most of the priests were high priests, and if they weren¡¯t, they had enough merits and experience to take up the position if a high priest seat was vacant.

    It was the same for the holy knights. They had umted great titles and military might and could be said to be representative Karuwiman knights. Above all, there was Saintess Lube¨Cthe face of the Karuwimans¡ªandstly, the representative and the highest ranking figure of the Karuwimans whose duty was to spread the group¡¯s ideals and purpose across the world: the Pope. With the exception of the meetings they routinely held, it was very rare for people of this stature to gather together like this, especially for just a single issue. Yet, because this single problem was so grave, no oneined as they gathered at Yuras following the Pope¡¯s order.

    Since they had hastily arranged the meeting date, it seemed like most people hade in a great hurry. Most of the priests¡¯ faces looked dreadfully tired. Yet, their eyes indicated that they were wide-awake, and it seemed like no one would use the excuse of tiredness to not give their full attention to the meeting.

    Zich looked closely at the people who had gathered. They were mostly people he didn¡¯t know. Considering how often Zich used to sh fiercely against the Karuwimans, that might seem surprising; but before the regression, Zich was older when he umted enough power to fight against the world. Since the high priests in this meeting were all old, it seemed like they had died before Zich Moore officially began his activities. As proof of this, Zich saw some familiar faces among the priests who were next in line to be high priests. Those priests were the ones Zich killed in the future.

    However, that was all before the regression. Zich was working with the Karuwimans now, and there was a very low chance they would die under Zich¡¯s hands during this timeline. Then, after checking the attendees, thest ce Zich turned to look at was the seat in front of him.

    ¡®Glen Zenard.¡¯ As usual, the sheer sight of Glen worsened his mood. Zich wondered if there was anything about the man he could like, but in the end, he stopped trying. Although Zich always enjoyed going against the impossible, finding an aspect of Glen that he liked was an extremely unpleasant experience before it was impossible.

    ¡®Ah, actually there is one!¡¯ The way Glen scowled in response to his actions pleased Zich very much. He could even say the sight was more beautiful than any scenery in the world.

    ¡°We¡¯ll begin our meeting now,¡± the Pope said sternly, and the small murmurings in the room disappeared.

    ¡°As you all know, this meeting is about whether or not we will provide military support to the Pinne family in their attack against the Steelwall family.¡±

    A sense of nervousness began to circle around in the tense atmosphere. Everyone was aware of the issue they were going to deal with today, but once the Pope spoke of military support, they began to truly feel the seriousness of the issue.

    ¡°You all must also be aware of how hesitant we, Karuwimans, are in meddling in wars, especially conflicts between nobles. However, the reason why we are describing this issue here is that this conflict has the possibility of involving our arch nemesis, the Bellids.¡±

    As soon as the Bellids were mentioned, the nervous and tense atmosphere began to be mixed with slight bloodlust. That was how much the Karuwimans loathed the Bellids¡¯ existence.

    ¡°I¡¯m sure all of you know the general situation, but for those who are misunderstanding something or don¡¯t know the whole situation, I will quickly give you an overview.¡±

    ¡°I will exin.¡± A priest standing next to the Pope rose. It seemed like he already had a n in mind since he continued in a calm voice. Those who more or less already knew all the information listened attentively.

    ¡°¡­And that is all.¡± As the priest finished his exnation, people began to exchange opinions with the person next to them. They didn¡¯t talk loudly, but since most of the people in the room were talking, the room became quite noisy.

    ¡°Silence.¡± All noise ceased with the Pope¡¯s single, heavymand.

    ¡°Since all of you now know everything that¡¯s going on, let¡¯s start discussing our opinions. I will give the first word to the Honorary Knight, Glen Zenard, who was the first one to bring forth this topic on the table.¡±

    ¡°Hello, I¡¯m Glen Zenard.¡± Glen got up.

    ¡°Sir Glen, state your position.¡±

    ¡°First of all, I want to express my deepest gratitude for His Holiness, the Pope, for paying heed to my request and creating this space. I also want to thank everyone foring to this meeting despite everyone¡¯s busy schedules.¡± Glen bowed deeply. People responded positively to his polite manners, but Zich tried hard to repress a strong urge to vomit.

    ¡°As it was just exined to us, the current situation is beyond chaotic. I can¡¯t pride myself on being well-versed in the history of battles against the Bellids, but I know situations as big as this one aren''tmon.¡±

    Those who were knowledgeable about the history nodded.

    ¡°In other words, that¡¯s just how severe the situation is, and the Bellids really gave it their all in this case. Thus, I think we Karuwimans have to act a bit more aggressively than what we¡¯ve currently been doing. As much time and effort those guys have poured into this scheme, they¡¯ll receive a big blow if they fail too.¡±

    Some flinched hearing that they couldnd a big blow on the Bellids. Most of the holy knights who had experienced shing against the Bellids in person responded to these words, and it appeared that Glen had seeded in firing up people¡¯s battle spirits. Yet, no one spoke openly to agree with him.

    ¡°First of all, I think there¡¯s merit to Sir Zenard¡¯s words,¡± one of the high priests said.

    ¡°However, this matter won¡¯t end with just attacking and defeating the Bellids.¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s no need to think soplicatedly. Isn¡¯t getting rid of the Bellids one of our highest priorities as Karuwimans? We just need to follow our usual policy.¡±

    ¡°We need to be more careful when thinking about this. We¡¯re here to decide whether or not to make the Steelwall Estate our enemy; it¡¯s only natural that we consider various factors and concerns.¡±

    ¡°No matter how strong the Bellids are, we, as Karuwimans, shouldn¡¯t be intimidated by them.¡±

    ¡°No, I¡¯m saying that whether our enemies are strong or not, there¡¯s no definite evidence that Count Steelwall is a Bellid support¡ª¡±

    ¡°Count Steelwall is definitely a Bellid supporter.¡±

    ¡°¡­!¡± The high priest stopped mid-sentence and looked at Glen. All the others also did the same. Regardless of how many incidents and events rted to the Bellids urred in the Steelwall Estate, they had been extremely cautious about branding a high-ranking noble as a Bellid supporter.

    However, Glen calmly voiced his thoughts out loud. ¡°I understand all of your concerns. Even though many countries believe and follow Karuna and respect the Karuwimans, they don¡¯t want us to intervene in state affairs. In short, they don¡¯t want us to obtain authority, and this is also obviously true for matters rted to nobles. Many of them would despise how we are intervening in this affair as well.¡±

    Glen began his speech by saying the negatives, but he soon continued, ¡°However, if we¡¯re so busy pleasing everyone and being careful not to cross them, how will we ever defeat those sted Bellids? Of course, we might earn a bad name and be criticized, but if we¡¯re fearful of getting criticized and intimidated, the Bellids will spread their wings further in this world. There¡¯ll also be more victims.¡±

    Glen tightly clenched his fist and increased his voice one level higher. ¡°That¡¯s why we have to make our move no matter what the world says to us! No matter how many people insult us and are suspicious of our behavior, if we move with firm resolve and belief, the world will realize our sincerity in the end!¡± Glen¡¯s clear pronunciation and appropriate tone, and hisrge gestures at the perfect time increased his persuasive power. Of course, no one here would be yed around by grand gestures and words, but it was enough to make people think of his words one more time. However, not everyone looked favorably at his words.

    ¡°Aren¡¯t you just saying the obvious?¡± Zich threw cold water at Glen who was burning with passion. While leaning on the back of his chair, he said, ¡°I have no idea why you¡¯re saying all this, but is there anyone who doesn¡¯t even know that in this room?¡± Zich had apletely opposite tone from Glen and spoke in a calm and almost rxed tone. However, his words also clearly grabbed people¡¯s attention.

    Zich continued, ¡°In the first ce, the Pope personally spread different information to the other countries when we raided the Bellid¡¯s northern branch, and when this situation was resolved, he perfectly dealt with the aftermath. The grand Pope has already shown his dedication to following Karuwiman¡¯s policy to exterminate the Bellids, and it¡¯s the same for everyone here. Mr. Zenard, your words sound like just a waste of time for all of us here.¡±

    Even with the same content, the way people epted a speech was different depending on how the words were phrased and spoken. As Zich said, while there were differences in intensity, all the people here had the same thoughts as Glen.

    Glen nned to increase his persuasive power by voicing these thoughts in a concrete way. However, after a few words, Zich dismissed Glen¡¯s speech as a waste of time, and a couple of people also nodded as if they agreed with Zich¡¯s words. The atmosphere of the meeting changed.

    Zich said, ¡°The purpose of this meeting today is to see if you have concrete evidence of whether or not Count Steelwall is a Bellid supporter in the first ce. Mr. Glen, stop wasting our precious time when everyone here is already busy. Quickly bring out your evidence.¡±

    Even though his words were rude, he wasn¡¯t wrong either. Moreover, even though some people were seeing Zich for the first time today, everyone knew of his achievements. There were also some holy knights with fiery tempers, so Zich¡¯s attitude wasn¡¯t considered much of a problem either.

    Glen looked coldly at Zich, who ruined the atmosphere, but no one on this earth could faze Zich with just a cold gaze. Instead, Zich stared back at him with a mocking expression.

    ¡°¡­I understand. As Mr. Zich wants, I¡¯ll immediately bring out the evidence.¡± Glen turned around and called out to someone. A person came into the meeting room.

    ¡®That person is¡­¡¯ A small burst ofughter escaped Zich¡¯s lips. ¡®Wow, it¡¯s really been a while.¡¯

    The person walked up next to Glen, and Glen said, ¡°Will you first introduce yourself?¡±

    ¡°Hello, everyone. I¡¯m Halton Byner.¡± He bowed.

    ¡°Sir Byner is a young knight who is part of the Steelwall¡¯s Steel Spear Order of Knights.¡±

    Halton Byner. He was the knight who protected Hans and looked down on Zich right after Zich regressed and got beaten up like crazy. Moreover, after framing Zich, hepletely lost to Zich in a duel. Now, he appeared in front of Zich again.

 Chapter 483

    <h4>Chapter 483</h4>

    Byner had made quite an impression on Zich. When he was a Demon lord, some people tried to defeat him like Glen, but no one provoked a fight with him like he was just some weed in the middle of the road. His strength and name were too high-reaching for anyone to dare to do that. Thus, Byner¡¯s attitude toward him right after Zich regressed felt very refreshing rather than annoying. Of course, Hans acted simrly, but Byner had tried to attack him with violence.

    However, that was all; he wasn¡¯t anyone Zich needed to give more attention to beyond that, and when Zich returned to the Steelwall Estate, he even failed to recall Byner. After Zichpletely humiliated Byner in their duel, Byner¡¯s existencepletely disappeared from his mind. Yet, ever since thesting impression he made during their first meeting, Zich recognized him right away.

    ¡®A Steelwall knight appeared with Glen¡­¡¯ It was clear that their union wasn¡¯t for a good purpose.

    Byner looked toward Zich, and Zich could feel rage and loathing in his gaze.

    ¡®It¡¯s out of revenge.¡¯ Byner probably gained a sense of revenge after the humiliation he endured from Zich. Even though he simply received the price for his actions, it seemed that Byner didn¡¯t think the same way. Zich didn¡¯t think so badly about this since he acted upon revenge whenever he felt annoyed about something. Thus, he couldn¡¯t deny such a feeling from Byner and understood Byner¡¯s desire for revenge against him.

    ¡®Of course, understanding and epting this revenge are different matters,¡¯ Zich thought. He simply understood Byner¡¯s sense of revenge but didn¡¯t n on letting him go through with it.

    ¡®He would be able to carry out his revenge if he had the skills.¡¯ However, Zich didn¡¯t think Byner was capable. With his arms crossed, Zich raised his chin. Sparks flew out of Byner¡¯s eyes when he saw Zich¡¯s clearly rugged posture. The two exchanged tense nces until Glen spoke.

    ¡°Sir Byner, please exin what you have experienced,¡± Glen said, and Byner finally took his eyes off of Zich and looked toward the others.

    ¡°Hello, I¡¯m Halton Byner. Since you all must be busy, I will get to the point.¡± Byner let out a deep breath and said, ¡°Some time ago, I saw a suspicious figure going in and out of Count Steelwall¡¯s office.¡±

    ¡°Suspicious figure¡­ Could you exin more in detail?¡± one of the high priests asked.

    Byner replied without hesitation as if he had been waiting to answer. ¡°He was a Bellid priest.¡±

    People murmured amongst themselves.

    ¡°Is that really true?¡±

    ¡°How could I dare to lie in this ce?¡± Byner said firmly as if he was trying to emphasize his sincerity.

    ¡°How did you know that person was a Bellid?¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t know until a few days ago. I simply thought he was the Count¡¯s guest¡ªof course, not any guest since he visited the Count often. Still, I thought he was nothing more than a special guest, but after an incident, I began to think that something was strange.¡±

    ¡°What was strange?¡±

    ¡°That man seemed quite close to other people in the estate besides the Count. Thus, I thought he was someone who was generally close to the Steelwalls and not just the Count. However, I suddenly recalled recently that those who had been close to the man were identified as Bellid followers.¡±

    Several people gasped. Byner gained confidence through their response, and his voice grew a bit louder.

    ¡°I then began to suspect the man. Several days after that finding, he came to visit the Count again. Like they always did, he had a one-on-one meeting with the Count and left the estate. Then, I trailed the man and saw him head to a house on the outskirts of Violsa.¡±

    ¡°So what happened after that?¡± Glen asked in order to express the curiosity others were feeling and smoothen the flow of Byner¡¯s exnation that could otherwise be too stiff.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t follow him inside since I only had my doubts and no concrete evidence, but I remembered that house and checked on it often to see if anything special happened. When I heard that arge temple was found near Violsa, the building became empty.¡±

    ¡°How did you know that there was no one in the building?¡±

    ¡°Lights were turned on in the house every night. Strangely enough, I couldn¡¯t see any lights after the rumor of the temple spread. Then, a couple of days passed after that, and I still saw no lightsing out of the house.¡±

    ¡°So, you must have gone in the house then.¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    Byner and Glen continued to talk back and forth to ry the whole story. Zich watched them intently to see how this theater y would progress.

    ¡°The door was closed, so I forcefully opened it and entered. I will definitely atone for that sin.¡±

    ¡°I am very impressed by your great sense of justice, but unfortunately, this isn¡¯t the time to discuss that. Please continue with your exnation.¡±

    ¡®They sure are ying around.¡± In his mind, Zichughed as the two confessed, repented, and forgave each other in their y.

    ¡°The house was empty. There wasn¡¯t a single piece of furniture, and it didn¡¯t look like a ce fitting for a person to live. There were also items scattered all over the ce as if the resident had left the ce in a hurry. This scene only made me more curious about the owner of the house,¡± Byner said.

    ¡°So how did the search go?¡± Glen asked.

    ¡°I wasn¡¯t able to find much. Just some dirty clothes and rotten food, but among them, there was something very important.¡±

    ¡°And what was that?¡±

    Byner took something out from his belongings. It was a tightly rolled-up scroll.

    ¡°It was this.¡± Byner handed Glen a roll of paper. Everyone¡¯s gaze moved towards the scroll.

    ¡°What is that!¡± A high priest with short patience raised their voice.

    Byner replied as if he had been waiting for someone to ask, ¡°It¡¯s a written order from Count Steelwall,manding that all the evidence found in the Bellid temples near Violsa be destroyed.¡±

    Glen opened the roll of paper with an exaggerated movement and raised it high in the air toward the audience.

    ¡°Are you sure?¡± someone asked, half shocked and half suspicious.

    Byner firmly replied, ¡°The seal stamped on the document is definitely Count Steelwall''s. I''m very familiar with it because of my job.¡±

    Gasps and sighs came out from everywhere. While it was true that part of the Steelwall Family had been tainted by the Bellids, those who supported Count Steelwall argued that the Count had no connections with the Bellids. However, the evidence that Byner brought out crushed their argument.

    ¡°¡­Is Count Steelwall really involved¡­¡±

    ¡°We have to first make sure, but if the seal is really Count Steelwall¡¯s, there¡¯s a high chance that he is deeply involved.¡±

    While people exchanged their thoughts, Byner added, ¡°In addition, the handwriting is definitely from Count Steelwall as well.¡±

    Suspicions towards the Count increased. Count Steelwall had already been looked at with suspicion, so even a small piece of evidence could incriminate him. On the other hand, in this case, a fairly strong piece of evidence had been presented to them.

    ¡°This is decisive evidence that Count Steelwall is connected to the Bellids! Thus, we need to side with the Pinne Estate and raid the Steelwall Estate!¡± Glen voiced his suggestion loudly, and then he looked at Zich. ¡°Mr. Zich, what is your opinion? Don¡¯t you think that the Karuwimans should side with the Pinne Estate?¡±

    It was obvious why Glen targeted Zich to ask this question. Lube and Weig frowned. However, Zich was calm; he even chuckled and said, ¡°Not at all.¡±

    ¡°Would I be able to hear why you think that way?¡± Glen was calm. He even seemed rxed. It seemed as if he was confident of his advantage.

    ¡°From what I saw from standing next to Count Steelwall, he is not a Bellid follower at all. He also has no rtion to the incidents currently happening in his estate. If you argue that his abilities arecking because he couldn¡¯t properly maintain his estate, I would agree, but a Bellid supporter? Considering his personality, that¡¯s impossible.¡±

    What if Count Steelwall had heard Zich¡¯s words just now? Even though Zich was certainly speaking up for Count Steelwall, his every word was full of scorn.

    ¡°So you¡¯re saying that you don¡¯t have concrete evidence.¡±

    ¡°Yes, just like you.¡±

    Glen¡¯s expression stiffened. He pointed at the document in his hand. ¡°I brought the evidence here.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a document that you¡¯re arguing <i>is</i> evidence. I think that this incident is a sly conspiracy from those who are targeting Steelwall, and those guys cunningly allowed the Bellids to infiltrate the Steelwall Estate. Considering their skill, I fully expect them to be able to counterfeit the Count¡¯s seal and penmanship.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re not saying that because you¡¯re Count Steelwall¡¯s son?¡± Byner said to Zich. This was the first conversation they had since Zich first regressed and was defeated in their duel. Byner¡¯s voice was full of hostility.

    Compared to him, Zich¡¯s voice was extremely calm. Even though the location and the people around them were different, the situation was somewhat simr to before. It was simr to when Zich beat the crap out of Hans and Byner, and then, Byner said all kinds of usations at him in front of Count Steelwall. Byner and Zich both felt this as well. Byner, who had lost, gritted his teeth, but Zich was extremely rxed as the winner.

    Zich replied, ¡°So you¡¯re saying that my personal feelings are clouding my judgment?¡±

    ¡°Are you not?¡±

    Zich smirked. ¡°This is hrious,ing from you who know very well of my rtionship with the Count.¡±

    ¡°¡­Regardless of how strained your rtionship is with the Count, you¡¯re still connected to him by blood.¡±

    ¡°Okay, let¡¯s just pretend that I¡¯m supporting Count Steelwall because of personal emotions as someone who shares the same blood. Then, let¡¯s consider the fact that I might not be the only person with personal emotions.¡± Zich pointed at Byner. ¡°First, there¡¯s a very high chance that you hold ill feelings towards me. You picked a fight with me in the past, and after lying to avoid punishment, you were utterly defeated in a duel against me.¡±

    Byner tried to say something, but Zich did not give him an opportunity to intervene. ¡°By this same logic, there¡¯s a possibility that you are using false testimony to attack me, who is siding with Count Steelwall¡ªall because of your personal emotions.¡± Then, Zich pointed his finger at Glen. ¡°It¡¯s the same for Mr. Glen here. My rtionship with him isn¡¯t great either. Lady Lube and Sir Weig also know this as well, and considering the atmosphere here, it seems like a couple of other people know this as well.¡±

    Since Glen and Zich were both Karuwiman Holy Knights, it wasn¡¯t strange that information about their rtionship spread among the Karuwimans.

    Zich continued, ¡°Well, it doesn¡¯t matter because those who didn¡¯t know would have found out this time. Anyway, there¡¯s also a possibility that Mr. Zenard is siding with the Pinne family to attack me.¡±

    ¡°Those ims arepletely false!¡± Glen strongly denied it, but Zich shrugged.

    ¡°I¡¯m not saying that it¡¯s certain. Considering how Sir Byner talked about personal emotions, I just merely wanted to suggest that both of you are in the same boat as me.¡± Then, Zich made an extremely taunting smile.

 Chapter 484

    <h4>Chapter 484</h4>

    ¡°¡­It certainly seems that Sir Byner was a bit too impatient,¡± Glen admitted. Byner¡¯s expression turned sour, but Glen continued, ¡°However, Count Steelwall is still suspicious. Although you im that this evidence is fabricated, I believe it to be real. We can¡¯t just deem a decree stamped with the Count¡¯s seal as fake without any evidence.¡±

    Glen¡¯s hand struck the decree on the table and continued, ¡°To go against this, Sir Zich, you would need to provide counter evidence that could prove the Count¡¯s innocence. You won¡¯t sound so convincing if you continue to im Count Steelwall¡¯s innocence without anything.¡± Then, Glen said to the others in the room, ¡°Don¡¯t you all think the same?¡±

    It was Glen¡¯s trick to ce pressure on Zich by getting others to agree with him. Glen¡¯s words also sounded much more persuasive since he had a decree as evidence while Zich had nothing.

    It was then that a young, soft voice, unbefitting of the room mostly full of old people, intervened and caught everyone¡¯s attention. ¡°May I say something?¡±

    Lube was raising her hand quietly. Even though she was young, no one in the room looked down on her, including Glen.

    ¡°Of course. I will wee your opinion at any time,¡± Glen said.

    As everyone looked at her, Lube cautiously said, ¡°I think there¡¯s merit to Sir Zich¡¯s words.¡±

    Glen¡¯s face didn¡¯t show much change in expression, but Zich was certain that Glen was shooting off all kinds of curses inside his mind.

    ¡°¡­Could I ask why you think so? Do you perhaps know a piece of information that even Sir Zich doesn¡¯t know?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not the case.¡±

    ¡°Then why do you think this way, Lady Lube?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s because I trust in Sir Zich.¡±

    Glen failed to endure Lube¡¯s statement as his face distorted slightly. Yet, nobody thought strangely of this change. As Lube intervened in Zich and Glen¡¯s heated argument and took Zich¡¯s side, she was basically saying that Glen¡¯s stance was wrong, and the only basis of her im was that she trusted the person. Other people would¡¯veshed back in frustration, but the person speaking now was the Karuwiman Saintess, Aine Primel Lube. Glen quickly fixed his expression and spoke in a coaxing tone like he was talking to a little child.

    ¡°¡­I am aware that you have great faith in Mr. Zich, Saintess. It¡¯s only natural since he saved your life, but this matter is far too important to act only upon trust.¡±

    ¡°When did I say that I¡¯m only making my im because of my trust in Sir Zich?¡±

    ¡°¡­Is that not the case?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s true I trust Sir Zich deeply, but the reason why I¡¯m supporting him is because of the aplishments he has umted.¡±

    ¡°His aplishments?¡± Glen sounded taken aback by Lube¡¯s words.

    ¡°Yes, aplishments. Like you just mentioned, Sir Zich saved my life at Porti and stopped a city ritual from happening there at the same time.¡±

    Glen was well-aware of this event. Normally, he was supposed to first build a rtionship with Lube byforting her after she failed to stop the ritual from happening. Yet, all this n had beenpletely ruined. Now that he thought about it, that was the first time he felt something was going wrong in this timeline.

    ¡°He also taught me a method to stop a city ritual, which could return the life force inside the underground water before the city ritual could bepleted.¡±

    ¡°¡­What?¡± Glen¡¯s calm fa?ade that he had managed to keeppletely crumbled. His eyes widened and his lips parted slightly. He clearly showed that he couldn¡¯t believe what he was hearing. Again, no one including Lube thought that Glen¡¯s reaction was strange. Instead, others were just as surprised as Glen.

    ¡°There is a method like that?¡±

    ¡°A method that can return stolen life force from the city ritual!¡±

    Such a method would be groundbreaking. Of course, Glen¡¯s response seemed a bit more intense than what could be normal, but it was still understandable. However, Zich had a different thought. ¡®Of course, he¡¯s shocked since it¡¯s not a method that should exist at this time.¡¯

    It was a method that Lube created at a muchter date, but now she was saying she had learned it from Zich. To Glen, it was something that shouldn¡¯t have happened by any means.

    ¡°Although there are those who already know of it, I will exin the method since there are more of you here who are unfamiliar with it¡± Thus, Lube began to exin and people¡¯s expressions showed with more and more admiration. Meanwhile, Glen¡¯s mouth opened wider and wider.

    ¡°We only shared this method with a small number of people in the church until now. It was so that we could check for possible side effects, and we thought Sir Zich could be a focused target among the Bellids if we revealed the method right away.¡± Then, Lube turned to Zich and said, ¡°Now, we have grasped its logic and assessed that Sir Zich wouldn¡¯t be removed from the Bellids¡¯ target list from just revealing this fact.¡±

    ¡°Thank you for sharing that. As you said, the Bellids¡¯ affection for me won¡¯t decrease even further just because of this additional thing. It must have already hit rock bottom anyway.¡±

    ¡°However, that¡¯s not it. Sir Zich¡®s biggest aplishment is something else,¡± Lube added.

    ¡°Yes, the destruction of the Bellids¡¯ northern base.¡± Weig supported Lube¡¯s im.

    ¡°Yes, the one who gave us information about the Bellids¡¯ northern base that we desperately sought out for so long was Sir Zich. He also participated in the war, and not only did he fight splendidly there, he personally killed a Bellid cardinal named Trislowa, broke a Pyramid of Vengeful Souls, and more.¡±

    Many expressed their astonishment from all over as Zich¡¯s aplishments came into light.

    ¡°Throughout all these events, Sir Zich¡¯s ims about the Bellids have all been proven to be true in the end. The Bellids suffered great damages each time.¡± Then, Lube looked back at Glen and said, ¡°Considering all that, I think we have enough grounds to trust what Sir Zich says. After all, he has never been wrong about the Bellids before.¡±

    After Lube said everything, she closed her mouth. Those who agreed with Lube nodded, but of course, not everyone agreed.

    ¡°Lady Lube, your words clearly have a point.¡± The person who spoke up was Uruwon Luce. He wasn¡¯t a high priest yet, but he was a priest who was often mentioned to be the next high priest. Moreover, he was also someone that Zich had arge interest in.

    ¡®That guy is the punk who rmended Glen Zenard to be an Honorary Holy Knight.¡¯ He was also rted to Glen in several other ways.

    Since Uruwon Luce hadn¡¯t spoken up so far, Zich thought he wouldn''t intervene in this meeting, but when it seemed as if Glen was losing, Uruwon stepped forward. ¡°Since he has been right so far, he will continue to be right. This statement does clearly have a point, but I think we should approach such a thought with caution. Incidents usually happen when unexpected situations ur. Thus, even if Sir Zich has never been wrong about the Bellids so far, this doesn¡¯t mean that he¡¯ll never be wrong in the future.¡±

    ¡°However, isn¡¯t it true that real-life achievements also matter? Considering the achievements that he¡¯s made so far, isn¡¯t it certain that he has a separate informationwork? Am I right, Knight Zich?¡± a high priest asked Zich.

    Zich felt goosebumps run down his back when the high priest called him ¡®knight.¡¯ However, since he had received the title of a Karuwiman Honorary Holy Knight, it couldn¡¯t be helped that the high priest would address him as Knight Zich. Thus, this was a trial he needed to endure and move on.

    Zich replied, ¡°I can¡¯t say more about that matter.¡±

    ¡°Is that so¡­¡± The high priest merely nodded and didn¡¯t ask further. Then, he continued, ¡°He says that, but I¡¯m sure he has an informationwork since he has made achievements that don¡¯t make sense otherwise. Then, we must judge that his attitude right now is based on that informationwork he has.¡±

    ¡°Isn¡¯t that merely spection? He has only replied that he couldn¡¯t answer. I think that your spection has gone too far.¡±

    ¡°However, this spection is the only reasonable exnation for his achievements.¡±

    More and more people began to join Luce and the high priest¡¯s debate, and soon enough, people began passionately arguing their views. Zich observed this spectacle for a bit and stared at Glen. Normally, Glen would have tried to participate in this debate and done anything he could to make the Karuwimans ept his opinion.

    However, Glen had his mouth firmly sealed. Was Glen intently observing the debate and honing his argument? No, that wasn¡¯t it¡ªGlen was clearly spaced out.

    ¡®Oh my, is he still shocked about Lube revealing the method to stop the sacrificial ritual?¡¯ Now that Zich thought about it, Glen¡¯s reaction was understandable because it was a matter that Glen couldn¡¯t easily dismiss as a random variable. If Zich had really taught Lube that method, only one possibility would naturallye up in his mind¡ªand that was Zich¡¯s regression.

    Zich observed Glen¡¯s reaction in a rxed manner, and it seemed as if Glen¡¯s mind had basically frozen in shock. It was a sight that was extremely satisfying to Zich. He wanted to etch that expression onto a piece of wood or rock or metal and hang it up in his house. No matter how bad his day was, Zich was sure that he would feel better after seeing it. While Zich was observing Glen¡¯s expression like this¡ª

    Someone shouted, ¡°Isn¡¯t that because Mr. Zich is coborating with the Bellids?¡±

    Zich turned his gaze towards the fucking bastard who ruined his happy moment and saw Byner, staring at him with fury. Even though it was annoying that Byner was grouping him with dumb fanatics like the Bellids, he was even more annoyed that Byner had disturbed his time to observe Glen¡¯s stupid expression.

    Thetest_epi_sodes are on_the ???????.???. website.

    ¡°What are you saying!¡±

    ¡°Mind your words, Knight Byner!¡±

    People began furiously criticizing Byner. Zich was a Karuwiman Honorary Knight. To say that Zich was on the same side as the Bellids was not just insulting Zich, but the Karuwimans who gave him the Karuwiman Honorary Knight title. Byner also realized that the words he spoke out of anger were quite provoking and quickly shut his mouth.

    However, Zich was not the type of person to quietly stand by. ¡°I¡¯ve listened to your words well, Knight Byner. It seems like the reason why I¡¯m siding with the Steelwalls is because you think the Steelwalls and I are both on the same side as the Bellids. Are you aware that this logic is also applicable to you?¡±

    ¡°What¡­!¡±

    ¡°I told you before that I think this incident is a conspiracy, and the forces behind this conspiracy are probably deeply rted to the Bellids. Based on the situation right now, they have to be involved. Perhaps the Bellids themselves might be the ones behind this conspiracy. However, you two are also arguing to raid Steelwall, which is their goal as well. Thus, you two are making the same argument as the forces behind this conspiracy.¡±

    ¡°What are you saying¡­!¡±

    ¡°What? You still can¡¯t understand me? I didn¡¯t think that I said anything difficult. Well, if you didn¡¯t understand, then I will tell you directly.¡± Then, Zich walked towards them and said, ¡°I¡¯m suspicious that you two might be on the same side as those conspirators or perhaps the Bellids.¡±

    ¡°What kind of nonsense are you saying!¡± Byner shouted frantically.

    In contrast, Zich softly replied, ¡°Why is this nonsense? Someone in this room dared to suggest that a Karuwiman Honorary Holy Knight is a Bellid supporter. Since even a Karuwiman Honorary Holy Knight can be a Bellid supporter, anything can happen. Am I wrong?¡±

 Chapter 485

    <h4>Chapter 485</h4>

    Byner¡¯s face flushed bright red. He looked clearly agitated, and his muscles kept twitching as if he wanted to swing a blow at Zich at this instant. The little amount of patience that still remained in him barely managed to stop him from acting out in violence, but it also couldn¡¯t restrain his mouth and tongue. Thus, he was about to speak more harshly than before when¡ª

    <i>Grip!</i>

    He felt a strong pressure on his forearms. Although his arms were honed through rigorous exercise, he felt a considerable amount of pain. Byner looked down at his arm while scowling. With a hardened expression, Glen was clutching his arm tightly. Anyone could tell that Glen was restraining him, and with his eyes, Glen suggested Byner to look around him.

    Byner looked at his surroundings, and his fury cooled immediately. People were looking at him with disapproving gazes. By raising suspicions against Zich, Byner was questioning the Karuwimans¡¯ capability, especially if his usation was rted to the Bellids since the Karuwimans were the ones who gave Zich his title as Honorary Knight.

    ¡°¡­I apologize. It seems I misspoke due to my anger.¡±

    Byner bowed toward his audience. His actions were too groveling for a knight to take, but he had no other choice than to act out of consideration for his mistake.

    ¡°Why don¡¯t we overlook this matter seeing how apologetic he is? He simply blurted out his words before thinking. You know how youths can get fired up like this. I¡¯m sure there was a time when we used to be the same way.¡± Luce defended Byner.

    ¡°Even in our youths when we couldn¡¯t contain our temper, we never made such ims.¡± Yet, the high priests seemed to still feel a sense of difort, and all the reddish tint in Byner¡¯s face disappeared, leaving him with no color.

    ¡°He hasn¡¯t experienced much yet and is stillcking. Why don¡¯t we show the greatness of Karuna¡¯s mercy by looking over an immature youth¡¯s mistake?¡± Luce then began to tantly describe Byner as cking¡¯ and ¡®immature.¡¯ These descriptions were all offensive to Byner, but he couldn¡¯t refute them. Finally, with Luce¡¯s defense and Byner¡¯s apology, people began to ept the apology. However, it still didn¡¯t erase the disgruntled look many had when looking at Byner.

    ¡°There¡¯s just one thing that¡¯s certain though,¡± Weig said in the tense atmosphere. His tone and expression also looked disgruntled after Byner¡¯s im as he continued, ¡°There¡¯s no way that Sir Zich could be a coborator with the Bellids. If Zich was really their spy, he must¡¯ve provided us with information in order to gain our trust. However, the damages they suffered from doing so are way toorge. Besides the other cases, the Bellids¡¯ entire northern base waspletely annihted. What kind of organization would destroy one of their vital bases just to nt a spy?¡±

    People nodded.

    ¡°The Bellids are trash, but unfortunately, they are not stupid too. If they were that stupid, we wouldn¡¯t have so much trouble with them. In short, it¡¯splete bullshit that Sir Zich is a Bellid coborator,¡± Weig said and red at Byner.

    Byner flinched at the word, ¡®bullshit,¡¯ but he couldn¡¯t dare to make eye-contact with Weig and turned his gaze away.

    ¡°Okay, okay! Let¡¯s calm down, Knight Weig. There¡¯s no one here, including me who would suspect that knight Zich is working with the Bellids. Byner just made a mistake. He was too agitated.¡±

    ¡°If that¡¯s the case, he should quickly fix that personality of his. It¡¯s the sort of personality that inconveniences others.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sure Knight Byner thinks too,¡± Luce said and made Byner leave the meeting room. Glen also agreed to this. Although he had brought Byner as a witness to attack Steelwall, he had garnered only a bunch of negative feelings. He regretted that he didn¡¯t step in sooner¡ªhe had been too shell-shocked about the method of hindering the city sacrifice ritual.

    ¡°Let me just say one thing.¡± The Pope hadn¡¯t said a word until now, and he said in the unsettling atmosphere, ¡°I have absolute faith that someone we appointed as a Karuwiman Honorary Knight wouldn¡¯t be enchanted by ill beliefs.¡±

    It was short, but the Pope¡¯s words heavily pressed down on them.

    ¡°Let¡¯s continue the meeting,¡± the Pope said and listened to the discussion with his mouth closed again. Ideas and opinions were exchanged for a while after that. Both sides argued for their side of the discussion, but as time passed, Glen¡¯s suggestion was pushed back. People¡¯s belief that the Karuwimans shouldn¡¯t be involved in a fight between noble families was the most influential factor. Not to mention, there was also the issue with Byner, whom Glen had brought as a witness. Besides the personal feelings they felt toward Byner, many thought they couldn¡¯t trust his testimony or the evidence he brought.

    The meeting ended like that, and the Pope gave the final conclusion of the discussion: ¡°Like we have always done, we will stand on neutral grounds in the battle between the Steelwall family and Pinne family.¡±

    It was aplete victory for Zich¡¯s side.

    * * *

    After the meeting ended, the high priests dispersed to do their own business. Those who were busy immediately headed to their temples as soon as the meeting was over, but others used this opportunity to talk with others. After all, it was very rare for high priests to gather in one spot like this. Among these groups, there was one group that looked especially tense.

    Luce looked to the young knight sitting in front of him. As if he knew he was in the wrong, the knight hung his head low.

    ¡°To tell you the truth, I am very disappointed in today¡¯s matter, Knight Byner.¡±

    ¡°I-I apologize!¡± Byner bowed his head even lower, but Luce¡¯s chilly gaze didn¡¯t warm up in the slightest.

    Then, he soon sighed and closed his eyes. ¡°¡­Sigh! I want to immediately cast you out, but nothing will change even if I get angry at an event that¡¯s already happened. Raise your head.¡±

    ¡°T-thank you!¡± Only then was Byner able to raise his head up again.

    ¡°However, the mistake you make is quite significant. If the high priests didn¡¯t think that the evidence you brought and your testimony was trustworthy, then¡­¡± Contrary to what Luce said, he didn¡¯t have high hopes that the Karuwimans would participate in this war because of Zich¡¯s existence. Thus, they had lowered their goal to emunicating Count Steelwall so that there would be even fewer forces willing to help out the Count. However, everything had gone to waste.

    Luce looked at Byner and clicked his tongue inside his mind. ¡®Maybe I shouldn¡¯t have made this punk testify. It might have been better to keep using him as a spy in the Steelwall Estate.¡¯

    However, since Byner stabbed Steelwall in the back in front of Zich, he could no longer stay with Steelwall. Then, there was only one way to use him now. ¡°Face the Steelwalls with your life on the line in the uing war¡ªthat¡¯s the only way you can cover for your mistake.¡±

    ¡°Sir, I¡¯ll keep that in my heart.¡±

    ¡°Then, please take your leave, since you and I will both be busy for a while.¡±

    Byner politely bowed and left after he was dismissed. Byner looked up at the sky. The bright, blue skypletely contrasted with his mncholy heart. ¡°Damn it!¡±

    The brightness of the sky seemed to be mocking him, so he unintentionally swore. Fortunately, his voice wasn¡¯t very loud, so people around him couldn¡¯t hear him.

    ¡®This is so embarrassing!¡¯ Byner walked with extreme frustration. People felt his violent temper and withdrew, but Byner didn¡¯t feel like paying attention to his surroundings. He recalled Zich¡¯s expression during the meeting. ¡®That bastard!¡¯

    Everything was ruined after his duel with Zich. Before the duel, there had been talks about him bing the next head of the Steel Sword Order of Knights as a talented recruit. However, his positionpletely changed after the duel. People didn¡¯t insult or treat him cruelly; nothing had really changed from the outside. However, Byner could feel that people no longer looked at him with full of expectations, and there were some gazes of condescension mixed in. The problem was that he had lost to Zich even though Zich had just started learning how to use mana.

    Even though rumors about Zich¡¯s amazing talent had spread, it was also true that he had awakened his mana only recently. Moreover, everyone objectively thought that Byner¡¯s skills were above Zich¡¯s. Byner began training like crazy to erase these bad rumors so that he could regain his dignity. However, the oue was a total failure. The psychological chains that Zich put on him had grabbed him by the ankles. He couldn¡¯t surpass his limits and therades he thought were far behind him began catching up to him quickly. When the situation turned out like this, Byner¡¯s hatred towards Zich grew stronger day by day. Soon, this hatred also reached Count Steelwall.

    However, Zich hade back recently. Even though a hateful person had returned, Byner didn¡¯t think much would change even with his return. He even internally mocked Zich foring back to the estate during such a chaotic time and wondered what he could possibly do. However, the situation turned outpletely different from his thoughts.

    Greig Steelwall, who was in the same¡ªno, much worse situation than him, was slowly beginning to recover under Zich¡¯s treatment. Moreover, Zich intervened during Steelwall¡¯s crisis and helped out the Steelwall Estate. Everyone around him startedplimenting Zich. Swear words naturally came out of Byner¡¯s mouth; why was the person who dropped him to hell being praised to the heavens? Byner had to suppress himself from swearing as the people who gossiped about Zich, saying he wasn¡¯t going to be a trustworthy sessor,pletely changed their position and started praising him. Byner¡¯s hatred towards Zich increased.

    When the uds reached out to him during this time, Byner considered them as his savior. He could finally get revenge against Zich and the Steelwalls who looked down on him. No¡ªhe wasn¡¯t acting on revenge. He was acting as a righteous judge against those who supported the Bellids.

    ¡®The next time I meet him, it will be on the battlefield.¡¯ There wouldn¡¯t be a failure like this the next time. Byner sharpened the sword in his heart and mounted his horse.

    * * *

    Luce looked at the door that Byner left though and let out a small sigh. ¡®This guy and that guy¡ªthey¡¯re all useless.¡¯

    In the end, their n failed this time. ¡®It was quite an important n.¡¯

    Surprisingly, causing Steelwall¡¯s fall was not important to him. Steelwall¡¯s copse was Glen Zenard¡¯s personal pleasure in the first ce. To Luce, his small goal was to earn merit through this war, and his big goal was to get the Karuwimans to intervene in a fight between nobles. No matter what the reason was, once the Karuwimans joined a fight between nobles, they would be more likely to utilize their military powers in the future. Then, the Karuwimans¡¯ power would naturally decrease.

    ¡®That was what was supposed to happen¡­!¡¯ However, they had failed. This war should have been the first time the Karuwimans should have used their military forces to intervene in political matters. However, because of one person, the Karuwimans couldn¡¯t intervene in the uing war and weren''t even able to emunicate Count Steelwall.

    ¡®Zich!¡¯

 Chapter 486

    <h4>Chapter 486</h4>

    As soon as Luce thought of the name, he felt a surge of annoyance and rage. He recalled the enormous amount of damage he had suffered from Zich. From Zich¡¯s past actions alone, he wished he could rip Zich¡¯s body apart limb to limb and grind them to pieces to feed fish. On top of that, Zich had struck a new blow against them today.

    ¡®To think he knew a method to stop a city sacrifice ritual!¡¯ As soon as he heard these words, Luce had to swallow back his horror. He failed to disguise his face from the sheer shock he felt, but fortunately, other people were also shocked¡ªthough in a different way than him¡ªand didn¡¯t notice. Thus, Luce barely managed to maintain his calm till the end of the meeting, and now that he was alone, he was seething in anger.

    ¡®I knew things failed in Porti, but to think it was because of a method like that!¡¯ It was a very disgusting method without any respect for the sole god who would rule this world: Bellu.

    ¡®I have to find out as soon as this is over!¡¯ Although Luce heard about the general situation in the meeting, he wanted to know every single detail. Only then would he be able to think of countermeasures.

    ¡®I can¡¯t let a method that could hinder the great Bellu¡¯s ritual exist!¡¯ Yet, there was something more important than that.

    ¡®There¡¯s just one step left now!¡¯ He would soon be a high priest. If the next high priest died, he would be one of the likely candidates to rece him, and that was how he was able to attend an important meeting like this one.

    ¡®However, it¡¯s not over yet.¡¯ He was still <i>one </i>of the likely candidates for the high priest seat. This meant there were others who could take the seat instead of him.

    ¡®As I thought, I really need more merits.¡¯ He needed to take the high priest position as fast as possible. Furthermore, the high priest position wasn¡¯t the only seat he was aiming for.

    ¡®My goal is to be the pope.¡¯ Luce thought and momentarily imagined himself as the pope. As he stood formidably in his seat, the saintess, high priests, the holy knights, and every one belonging to the Karuwiman influence would bow their heads deeply to him. The power and authority he would grasp excited him. Above all, the thought of those who were considered the most holy among the Karuwimans bowing their heads toward him brought Luce great exhration.

    ¡®They wouldn¡¯t be able to imagine the Karuwiman pope serving the great Bellu,¡¯ Luce thought. Who would discover that their greatest enemy could be sitting right above them all? Luce couldn¡¯t hold back hisughter from his imagination.

    ¡®With that, I would bepensated for everything I have suffered.¡¯ As a faithful believer of Bellu, it was not easy for him to impersonate a Karuwiman priest. It had been especially a great struggle for him to disguise Bellid energy as Karuwiman energy, but thanks to a special method that was gifted to him, he was able to perfectly fool everyone around him. This aplishment alone proved the Bellids¡¯ superiority over the Karuwimans.

    Of course, this method was especially difficult and tricky so most couldn¡¯t mimic it, but his point was still valid. Thanks to a method like that, he was able to get chosen.

    ¡®I have to quickly be on the move.¡¯ Although the Karuwimans had dered themselves to be neutral, he couldn¡¯t sit still and do nothing.

    ¡®I have to try to talk to that guy.¡¯ Luce thought of his coborator. ¡®But will he be fine?¡¯

    He recalled Glen¡¯s attitude after the meeting was over. Although Glen had desperately tried to act fine, there was something clearly awkward about his behavior. It looked like his soul had been sucked out of him. If he had been his usual self, he would be participating in this gathering right now.

    ¡®His condition didn¡¯t look good as soon as the Saintess mentioned the method to stop the city ritual.¡¯ However, it was strange that Glen would feel so unsettled hearing about such a method. After all, he was simply their coborator and not a member of the faith.

    ¡®Well, whatever. I don¡¯t care why he was so shocked, but rather if he would be able to ovee it with his skills.¡¯

    Glen was someone the Bellid pope had assigned to Luce as a coborator, and he had shown considerable skills so far. Besides, even if Glen couldn¡¯t do much, it didn¡¯t matter. Luce had already decided to participate in this war.

    ¡®All I need to do is give them a clear reason to take action. They wouldn¡¯t be able to hold back if the reason is good enough.¡¯ Of course, no matter what means he used, he would face disagreements since he would be overturning what the pope had already decided upon. Perhaps, some would begin to think that he was unsuitable for the pope or high priest position because of this. Yet, his n to move them was closely tied to the group that tested the Karuwimans¡¯ rigidity the most: the Bellids.

    ¡®Hmph! To think there would be a day when the Karuwimans'' hatred for our group would be of help.¡¯ Of course, Luce wasn¡¯t grateful at all. ¡®Anyway, I will participate in this war and wipe away the Steelwall family. My people wille up with the fabricated evidence after the family is gone.¡¯

    Luce let out a low chuckle after gathering his thoughts. ¡®Who among the Karuwimans would guess that a poisonous mushroom like me was growing among the Karuwimans?¡¯

    * * *

    ¡°There¡¯s a betrayer among the Karuwimans,¡± Zich suddenly spat out while they were all drinking tea. Lube and Weig blinked hard momentarily and gasped.

    Without realizing that her teacup was overflowing, Lube stuttered, ¡°W-What do you mean, Sir Zich?!¡± She looked like she was ready to shake Zich by the cor if he didn¡¯t answer her right away. Inparison, Weig appeared calm. It was his years of experience and time that allowed him to react not so strongly as Lube.

    ¡°Could I hear about it more in detail?¡± Weig asked sternly, unfitting of his usual leisurely manner.

    ¡°Lady Lube, please calm down. If you¡¯re so agitated, you won¡¯t be able to listen properly.¡±

    ¡°Ah, all right.¡±

    ¡°Please put down your teacup first.¡±

    Lube¡¯s teacup was already half empty and barely any tea had passed her lips. Most of it had dropped to the ground. Normally she would have been embarrassed, but she didn¡¯t care about it in the slightest. Lube put down her teacup and looked at Zich. Her eyes were urging Zich to exin.

    ¡°It is as I said. There is a traitor among the Karuwimans¡ªand a Bellid at that.¡±

    Lube closed her mouth with her hand. Weig couldn¡¯t maintain his calm exterior this time as well. The fact that there was a Bellid follower among the Karuwimans waspletely different from having a traitor among them.

    ¡°¡­Sir Zich. First of all, do you realize the full extent of your words?¡±

    ¡°Of course. Didn¡¯t we thoroughly discuss that topic earlier?¡± Just a few minutes ago, the meeting¡¯s atmosphere had grown extremely tense because of Byner¡¯s usation that Zich was a Bellid supporter.

    ¡°Sir Zich, you were just used of being a Bellid supporter and now you¡¯re saying that there¡¯s a Bellid among us¡­¡±

    ¡°Yes, I know it¡¯s not the best timing, but even then I can¡¯t keep my mouth shut. It¡¯s an extremely important matter.¡±

    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s true but¡­¡±

    ¡°Since you two are already shocked, let me reveal one more piece of shocking news.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m afraid of what you¡¯re going to say now.¡± Weig wasn¡¯t exaggerating; he really felt this way, and the words that Zich said next didn¡¯t betray his expectations.

    ¡°Glen Zenard, who is a Karuwiman Honorary Knight, is a Bellid supporter.¡±

    Silence fell between them.

    ¡°¡­Sir Zich, do you recall what His Holiness said in the meeting just now?¡±

    ¡°Yes, I do. He roughly said that he doesn¡¯t believe that a Karuwiman Honorary Knight would coborate with the Bellids.¡±

    ¡°Then, you must also realize that the words you¡¯re sayingpletely shatter what His Holiness said to us all.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s why my heart severely hurts. It¡¯s so heartbreaking to know that His Holiness¡¯ good trust was betrayed.¡±

    ¡°¡­Ugh!¡± Weig was no longer able to maintain the calm fa?ade he had on; he deeply sighed and pushed his body back. Then, he didn¡¯t say anything for a while and after firming his resolve, looked at Zich.

    ¡°Like you said, since we¡¯re already all so shocked, let us hear everything. Who is the traitor?¡±

    Weig and Lube waited in anticipation for Zich¡¯s next reply.

    Zich said, ¡°The traitor is the person you just saw¡ªPriest Uruwon Luce. He is the person the Bellids have nted among the high-ranking Karuwimans.¡±

    ¡°Damn it!¡± Weig couldn¡¯t help but swear. Uruwon Luce was someone in line as the next high priest, and if he earned more merit and experience, he could potentially aim to be the next pope. But how could someone like that be a Bellid?

    ¡°Is that true, Sir Zich? This isn¡¯t something to joke about!¡± As someone who extremely trusted Zich, Weig couldn¡¯t help but ask again. He desperately wanted Zich to say that he had been lying or just joking. As Weig said, even though this wasn¡¯t a matter to ever joke about, Weig had full intentions to forgive Zich if he said he was joking this one time. However, Weig¡¯s hope was shattered into pieces.

    ¡°I won¡¯t ever joke about something like this. I¡¯m certain that Uruwon Luce is a Bellid. He is aiming to be the high priest and even has the desire to be the next pope if it¡¯s possible. I guess I don¡¯t have to exin the reason why he¡¯s aiming for these positions.¡± The reason why an enemy would nt a spy was obvious.

    ¡°B-but Sir Zich! If Sir¡­Uruwon Luce really is a Bellid, then there¡¯s no way we could have failed to catch him!¡± Since Lube couldn¡¯t mark him as a Bellid withplete certainty yet, she still addressed Luce as ¡®sir.¡¯ However, judging by how she stuttered before calling Luce¡¯s name, Lube¡¯s heart wavered.

    ¡°It¡¯s because he used a special method. A method that allows Karuwiman energy to cover up dirty Bellid energy.¡±

    ¡°How can there be such a method!¡± Lube¡¯s voice almost changed into a scream. If Zich¡¯s words were really correct, it would be extremely terrible for the Karuwimans. Weig¡¯s face also stiffened.

    ¡°And what is that method?¡± Weig hurriedly asked Zich, but Zich shook his head.

    ¡°I apologize, but I don¡¯t know yet.¡±

    Lube¡¯s expression became gloomy. They didn¡¯t even know the method by which a Bellids could fake being a Karuwiman. She asked, ¡°Is there a solution?¡±

    ¡°I also don¡¯t know that yet either.¡±

    Lube became even sadder. However, contrary to Lube, Weig noticed a keyword in Zich¡¯s sentences.

    Weig asked, ¡°By yet, are you saying that you can figure it out with more time?¡±

    Lube lit up; her hopeful eyes darted towards Zich.

    Zich did not betray Lube and Weig¡¯s hope this time. ¡°Yes, I can figure it out.¡±

    Then, Zich thought, ¡® I¡¯ll fish out that information from the Princess like the information about the Bellid traitor.¡¯

 Chapter 487

    <h4>Chapter 487</h4>

    Weig and Lube looked relieved after they heard that Zich could figure out a solution, but their faces were soon filled with concern as they nced at one another.

    ¡°Um, Sir Zich, could you perhaps tell us the source of your information?¡± Lube asked cautiously.

    However, Zich shook his head. ¡°I apologize, but I can¡¯t reveal that to you.¡±

    It was startling news that Uruwon Luce, a high-ranking priest among the Karuwimans was a Bellid spy, but it was also a useful piece of information. If it was true, it gave them an opportunity for them to stamp out the spy Bellids had nted among them. <i>If it was true.</i> Although both Weig and Lube trusted Zich immensely no matter what he said until now, they couldn¡¯t help but tread upon this information extra carefully. The possibility of Luce being a Bellid was even more pressing than the suspicions about Count Steelwall being a Bellid follower.

    However, Zich refused to disclose the source of his information again. Weig wondered how he should take this shocking information that a Karuwiman high priest was a Bellid spy when he suddenly heard a determined voice free of all doubt.

    ¡°I believe you.¡±

    Weig looked taken aback as he turned to the figure next to him.

    ¡°Lady Lube?¡±

    Lube was staring at Zich with a determined look on her face.

    ¡°¡­Is it okay for you to trust me so recklessly?¡± Even Zich seemed to be surprised by Lube¡¯s statement.

    Yet, Lube simply smiled and replied, ¡°I think I have never seen you make a face like that before.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s how stunned I am.¡± Zich shrugged, and Lubeughed aloud.

    ¡°I said it before in the conference room. You have a long list of aplishments. The news of a spy so close to us is shocking, but the method you told us that could stop a city sacrifice ritual or the location of the Bellid northern base was just as shocking. Yet, you proved both of those points to be true, and that¡¯s enough for me to put my trust in you again.¡±

    ¡°What will you do if I¡¯m wrong?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s my responsibility. What¡¯s the worst that can happen? Take my saintess position away from me?¡±

    ¡°Lady Lube!¡±

    ¡°Calm down, Sir Weig. To tell you the truth, the position of saintess doesn¡¯t really mean much to me. Even without my saintess title, I will be able to fulfill Karuna¡¯s will across the world. If what Sir Zich says is true, we will be able to get rid of a bug crawling inside Karuwiman¡¯s headquarters. Even if it¡®s false, I will only lose the empty title of a saintess that holds little value to me. With such a difference in gains and losses, how could I not believe in Sir Zich?¡± Lube spoke calmly of things that would¡¯ve made people like Chelsea, who desperately thirsted for the saintess position, throw a fit.

    ¡®Amazing.¡¯ Even the mighty Zich was impressed by Lube. He wondered how many people in the world would be able to treat a holy Karuwiman position like Lube.

    ¡°¡­I told you this before, but it¡¯s that exact attitude that makes you truly fitting for the saintess position,¡± Weig said admiringly and nodded his head. Then, he added, ¡°But it¡¯s as you say. Sir Zich has always rewarded our trust in him with excellent performances. I don¡¯t suppose the case with Uruwon Luce will be any different.¡±

    Weig no longer even addressed Luce formally, and with that, he was expressing his stance to treat Luce like a betrayer from now on. Then, he asked, ¡°So, Sir Zich, how will that betrayer act from now on?¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s going to try to gain some fame and honor in this war using whatever means possible...¡±

    ¡°The Pope already expressed his desire for the Karuwimans to take a neutral position. Will that guy really try to go against the Pope¡¯s deration if he really is aiming to be a high priest andter, the pope?¡±

    ¡°Although the words of a pope are important, the thing that the Karuwimans prioritize above all else is the annihtion of the Bellids. If that guy manages to annihte the Bellids¡¯ important force, he will be forgiven and further recognized.¡±

    ¡°However, that depends on how important the force is. Most annihtions of forces aren¡¯t important enough to overthrow what the Pope says.¡±

    ¡°What if it has to do with the ¡®new northern base¡¯ the Bellids are nning to construct? Wouldn¡¯t that be important enough?¡±

    The northern base was the area that had beenpletely wiped out because Cardinal Trislowa killed the wrong person¨Cthe boy whom Zich was getting close to. Yet, that ce was so important that others would have been shocked by the reason for its destruction.

    ¡°Then, everything changes,¡± Weig admitted. The possibility of a new northern base would make the Pope step out again and apologize for his mistake and acknowledge Luce¡¯s ims.

    ¡°Do you think this matter with Count Steelwall will lead to Luce fabricating a story about a construction of the Bellid¡¯s northern base?¡±

    ¡°No.¡±

    ¡°What? Then how do you think things are going to progress?¡±

    ¡°I should¡¯ve made myself clearer. What I meant to disagree with you about wasn¡¯t the construction of the Bellid¡¯s¡¯ northern base but the part about fabricating a story.¡±

    Lube¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Then, does that mean it¡¯s true that they are trying to establish a new northern base here?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m¡­not keeping up with what you are saying. If this entire issue¡¯s purpose is to construct the Bellid¡¯s new northern base, why is the betrayer, Uruwon Luce, trying to stop it?¡±

    ¡°Since this issue affects neighboring territories including Steelwall, there are also many goals on the line.¡± Zich stretched out one finger and continued, ¡°The first one is as I said before, to gain fame and honor. Guys like Glen Zenard, Uruwon Luce, and so on are all trying to increase their fame by blocking the construction of the new Bellid¡¯s northern base. As they are all connected to the Bellids, it would be very easy for them to fabricate evidence.¡±

    Then, Zich stretched out a second finger and said, ¡°The second goal as I said is the restoration of the northern branch. Since the Bellids need arge body of water to build their temple, the location they can choose is very restricted, and there¡¯s a high chance that they¡¯ll be caught. Therefore, the restoration of the northern branch is probably a cumbersome matter for them as well.¡±

    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s true. We¡¯re searching every nook and cranny for ces that have a lot of water and are suitable for building a temple.¡± Moreover, since the northern branch is a giant temple, it couldn¡¯t be helped that it would be noticeable to outsiders.

    ¡°Even then, the Bellids will still try to restore the northern branch, so naturally, they would use this incident to implement their n.¡±

    ¡°And how will they do that?¡±

    ¡°Do you remember the Pinnes?¡±

    ¡°Of course. They¡¯re the ones who started this war.¡± Even though most people considered this war a war between the Steelwalls and uds, the Pinnes were technically the ones who started the war.

    ¡°They¡¯re the Bellid supporters.¡±

    How many times were they going to be surprised? Weig and Lube¡¯s mouths hung half open.

    ¡°¡­I know that I¡¯m being intrusive, but would you really not be able to reveal the source of your information?¡± It wasn¡¯t because Lube doubted Zich¡ªshe was extremely curious. How could Zich obtain information that even the Karuwimans, who were the best professionals in the world for catching the Bellids, couldn¡¯t even catch a whiff of?

    ¡°I apologize, but I cannot.¡± Then, Zich thought, ¡®Since I can¡¯t tell them about regression or the Princess.¡¯

    On the other hand, the Princess¡¯ information was really useful. ¡®I had no idea that they predicted that I would destroy the Bellid¡¯s northern branch and made sufficient preparations.¡¯

    Before he regressed, no one had stopped him from wiping out the Bellid¡¯s northern branch; it seemed as if the mastermind and the Bellids thought that this would help control Zich. However, since they couldn¡¯t leave the northern branch in such a state, they nned this conspiracy as a countermeasure.

    ¡®The Princess did tell me that this n is moving faster than the original timeline.¡¯ This was definitely the result of Zich¡¯s interventions and how much he¡¯d messed up the original timeline.

    Then, Zich said to Lube and Weig, ¡°However, it¡¯s certain that this information is true. The Bellids are nning to use the Pinne Estate as their northern branch. As a noble, no one would be suspicious that they are Bellid supporters. The original problem was that there was no water nearby. On the other hand, while it is true that the Pinne Estate suffered significant damages due to the copse of the Horus Gorge¡¯s copse, there¡¯s now water overflowing near the estate.¡±

    Weig said, ¡°Now the conditions to build a Bellid temple have sufficiently been reached.¡±

    ¡°It is just as you say, Sir Weig. Of course, due to my interference, they couldn¡¯t reach their target level, but they can easily reach this level after gaining control of the Steelwall Estate. They can destroy the gorge one more time and argue that the full effects of the gorge¡¯s copse subsequently appeared.¡±

    ¡°The situation is soplicated that it¡¯s making my head hurt.¡± Weig shook his head. ¡°Perhaps, do they have another goal?¡±

    ¡°Yes, they do. That¡¯s the fundamental reason why this n was made in the first ce. What I told you just now is merely an additional goal they added on while trying to reach their main goal.¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s such an important goal like that?¡±

    ¡°Well, that¡¯s what they consider important since what one considers important is extremely rtive to an individual,¡± Zich said vaguely.

    ¡°If it¡¯s possible, we will be grateful if you can tell us about that goal as well.¡±

    ¡°There is someone who wants to ruin the Steelwalls.¡±

    ¡°Are you talking about the uds?¡± The first culprit that Weig thought of were the uds who had fought with the Steelwalls over generations, and they were moving passionately against the Steelwalls this time as well.

    ¡°Of course, the uds also want the Steelwalls¡¯ ruin, but strictly speaking, they are also merely being used this time around. There¡¯s a different individual who wants Steelwalls¡¯ copse and has been separately moving on his own.¡±

    ¡°And who is this person?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s Glen Zenard.¡±

    Weig became silent as Glen¡¯s name was mentioned again. Lube had been quietly listening to their conversation, and she also clenched her first.

    ¡°¡­And what is the reason why he¡¯s aiming for Steelwalls¡¯ copse?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s because he hates me.¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°What did you just say?¡±

    Weig and Lube were bbergasted. They couldn¡¯t believe Zich¡¯s words.

    ¡°I said it was because he hates me, and that¡¯s why he hates my family as well, even though I broke all ties with my family.¡±

    ¡°What, so you¡¯re saying that he nned this enormous incident all because he hated one person?¡±

    ¡°Isn¡¯t he really an amazing guy?¡± Zich replied withughter. However, Lube nor Weigughed along.

    ¡°Lady Lube and Sir Weig, you¡¯re aware that Glen Zenard and I hate each other. However, you must think that it¡¯s not to the extent that we want to kill each other. But our emotions towards each other are much worse and more rotten than what you two think¡ªit¡¯s to the extent that he wants to massacre my entire family because he hates me. Even while creating such an enormous incident like this.¡±

    ¡°I-I can¡¯t understand it.¡± It seemed as if Lube couldn¡¯t grasp Glen¡¯s mindset at all; even as the Saintess, there was someone she disliked as well. However, she had never wanted to massacre their entire family while also creating such a huge incident like this.

    ¡°Yes, an ordinary person would never be able to understand such a mindset. It¡¯s normal not to.¡± Zich softly continued, ¡°However, that guy is not normal. He¡¯s crazy.¡±

 Chapter 488

    <h4>Chapter 488</h4>

    ¡°Then, is the reason why you also dislike that man¡­?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not the only reason, but it¡¯s definitely one of them.¡±

    Weig covered his face with both hands. ¡°A high priest like Uruwon Luce and an Honorary Knight are both guys like that. What in the world is going to happen to the Karuwimans?¡±

    ¡°No, this is actually good news.¡± Although she couldn¡¯t hide the unsettlement in her voice, Lube said calmly, ¡°Even if we continue toment about this matter, it¡¯s not like the rotten parts of Karuwiman will just disappear. We would have to cut them out, and fortunately for us, we have Sir Zich to help us.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s true.¡± Weig nodded. Rather than being a clueless idiot, it was better to face the harsh reality, no matter how dark the truth was. Then, Weig turned to Zich and asked, ¡°Could you help us, Sir Zich?¡±

    Weig¡¯s zing eyes stared at Zich. The sparks in them said the words that needed to be said.

    ¡°Of course. If I learn more information, I will tell you both immediately,¡± Zich said, thinking of the Princess who was probably busily teaching L about the ruins. ¡°However, I suggest you both not act immediately since we have no evidence. Honestly, I¡¯m very surprised you both believe in me without a doubt.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s how great everything you have aplished so far is.¡±

    ¡°I will dly ept such praise from Karuwiman¡¯s greatest holy knight. If you want to cut off Karuwiman¡¯s rotten parts, both of you should just secretly prepare to act when necessary. The truth wille to light when this war is over anyway.¡± With it, Glen¡¯s influence over the Karuwimans woulde to an end.

    ¡®Whether it¡¯s his arms, legs, fingers, or toes, I¡¯m going to cut them all off, one by one.¡¯ Zich imagined Glen¡¯s sullen expression and leisurely ced his teacup to his lips.

    ¡°We will do that. I also will keep an eye on Luce in secret. I¡¯m sure he will show some movements if he is trying to use this chance to gain some merits.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s a good idea.¡± Zich also didn¡¯t know how Luce would act from now on after the Karuwimans dered neutrality since the Karuwimans had participated in the fight against Steelwall with Glen¡¯s rmendation before the regression. Thus, he didn¡¯t disagree with Weig¡¯s im to spy on Luce.

    ¡°Then, let¡¯s wrap things up here,¡± Zich said and ced his empty cup down. ¡°We will make it so that those guys won¡¯t earn anything from this war. Nothing at all.¡±

    Zich¡¯s eyes sparkled.

    * * *

    After separating from Lube and Weig, Zich went to where his horse was. He had many tasks to do right now, such as checking up on L, the Princess, and the state of the seed he had nted not long ago. However, while he was on his way, someone stood in his path and blocked him.

    ¡°Mr. Zich!¡± It was Glen Zenard. He looked like a nervous wreck, barely managing to keep his emotions on hold from exploding. Inparison, Zich appeared to be atplete ease.

    ¡°Oh, I didn¡¯t expect to see you here, Mr. Zenard. What is it? Was there something you couldn¡¯t grasp in the meeting just now? It¡¯s nothing us two can really argue about since the Pope already told us¡ª¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t care about such little things!¡±

    ¡®To describe today¡¯s meeting as ¡®such little things¡­¡¯ Glen¡¯s remark clearly showcased his current emotional state. The meeting¡¯s main issue was one that could put an end to the family that Zich, whom he detested so much, used to belong to; it was something that should¡¯ve kept Glen awake for several nights in excitement. Yet, Glen had described the meeting as if it was nothing much, which meant that there was something more that shook up his mentality. Zich could clearly guess what that was.

    ¡°Then what else can I do for you?¡±

    ¡°Is it true that you provided the method to block the city sacrifice ritual?¡±

    <i>As expected</i>. Zich replied a bit exaggeratedly, ¡°Yes, I did. I was very d to lend a helping hand to hinder those dirty Bellids'' ill-doings.¡±

    ¡°Where did you learn such a method!¡± Glen stepped closer and asked as if he wanted to eat Zich alive. Zich backed away the same amount of distance Glen approached him. Zich obviously didn¡¯t wee Glen approaching him even a tiny bit closer.

    ¡°I learned it by coincidence from someone. But why do you ask that?¡±

    ¡°Who was the person?!¡±

    Glen was clearly acting rudely, demanding Zich to blurt out information on the spot. With an attitude like that, Zich would have refused to tell Glen even the smallest, menial details like what he ate for yesterday''s dinner, but this time, Zich answered gently.

    ¡°A very kind person told me. A person so kind, she would cry even as her enemy died. However, she was also foolish because she followed another person foolishly without knowing that she was being tricked.¡±

    ¡°What I¡¯m asking for isn¡¯t such abstract descriptions!¡± Glen shouted angrily, even though Zich went through the trouble of answering him. Yet, Zich still didn¡¯t get annoyed and only struggled to hold inughter that was about to burst at any moment.

    ¡°Then, what kind of information do you want?¡±

    ¡°I want the exact description of the person who shared this method! Their name, nationality, ce of residence, and so on!¡± Glen looked clearly desperate as he didn¡¯t even show the basic etiquette of providing the reason for his curiosity.

    Zich didn¡¯t me him, and he just simply replied, ¡°I don¡¯t want to tell you.¡± Zich had to hold his tongue from adding, ¡®You idiot, do you think I¡¯d tell you all that?¡¯

    Glen¡¯s desperate face froze, and the next moment, it turned all red. ¡°¡­Are you joking with me?¡±

    ¡°I think you¡¯re the one who is joking around. You just suddenly grabbed onto me while I was passing by, and you¡¯re trying to force me to spit out information. Perhaps, do you want us to start the uing war right here?¡±

    Glen faltered when Zich spoke with a threatening voice. It seemed like he finally realized their circumstances. Even though no one was around them, they were still inside Yuras. People would begin gathering around them if they caused a bit moremotion. Considering the topic at hand, this was not advantageous for Glen.

    ¡°¡­I apologize for my rude behavior. I was too agitated.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t need your apology. Mr. Glen, I¡¯m a bit busy right now, so if you may, please move away.¡±

    ¡°If you tell me the identity of the person who taught you how to stop the sacrificial ritual, I¡¯ll immediately move.¡±

    ¡°I just told you. I refuse.¡±

    ¡°Would it really not be possible?¡±

    ¡°Certainly not. What if that information leaks and the Bellids attack that person?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll keep my mouth shut.¡±

    ¡®Hell yeah, you would. Rather than believing you, it¡¯s more usible that the Bellids would begin building their temples next to fire pits.¡¯ How could he believe someone whose very existence was a lie?

    Zich continued, ¡°Even then, I can¡¯t. If I make exceptions like this, information would leak out one way or another and spread in an instant. I¡¯m not keeping this information from just you, as I have no intentions of revealing the identity of this person to anyone else. Since I didn¡¯t reveal this information to even Lady Lube and Sir Weig, why would you be any different?¡±

    Glen bit his lips when Zich said he didn¡¯t reveal this information to even Lube and Weig because he knew that Zich would never reveal this information to him.

    ¡°¡­I understand.¡± Then, Glen finally moved away. ¡°In my desperate desire to meet the person who made such an amazing method, I¡¯ve acted discourteously to you. I apologize once again.¡±

    ¡®This punk, he¡¯s backing away way too easily?¡¯ Perhaps, did he give up? However, Zich was sure that Glen hadn¡¯t given up. ¡®He must be plotting something.¡¯

    It was easy to predict Glen¡¯s next actions, and Zich could roughly guess what he was plotting.

    ¡°Then, let¡¯s see each other next time.¡± Zich slightly bowed his head towards Glen and went on his way.

    Glen intently stared at Zich¡¯s back. ¡®I need to find that person at all costs!¡¯ Even though this timeline was filled with numerous variables, it was apletely different story if the method to stop the sacrificial ritual had already appeared so early. If everything had gone to n, Lube should havee up with this method after Glen had helped her out in various ways.

    ¡®Now that I think about it, they said there was a variable that changed Zich Moore.¡¯ Did that ¡®person¡¯ also teach Zich something? ¡®I need to force that guy to spit out information.¡¯

    Glen had to utilize every method possible even while giving up on this timeline.

    ¡®This is actually good, since I need to meet him on the battlefield soon anyway.¡¯ Glen could show off his superior power and beat up Zich and force him to spit out information then. ¡®I failed to make him thest pawn for me to defeat. There¡¯s no reason for me to let him be.¡¯

    Most of all, it was annoying that Zich beat him and was being treated like a hero by those around him when he was the true hero. Even though this was a failed timeline, there should only be one hero admired by the whole world.

    ¡®I¡¯m going to eliminate him this time.¡¯ Murderous intent gleamed in Glen¡¯s eyes.

    * * *

    While Zich was crushing Glen¡¯s pitiful n in Yuras, the Steelwall Estate was thoroughly preparing for the uing war. However, considering that the surrounding forces were disassociating themselves from Steelwall, their preparation was far from easy. Around that time, a person came to visit the Steelwall mansion.

    ¡°Marquess Rouge sent you?¡± Count Steelwall stared at the man in front of them.

    ¡°Yes, sir.¡± The man politely replied to Count Steelwall.

    Count Steelwall made an extremely delighted expression. Since most of his connections were trying to keep a distance from him, he was overjoyed that a high-ranking noble such as Marquess Rouge had sent an envoy to him.

    Naturally, he brimmed with hope. ¡°All right. So why has Marquess Rogue sent you here?¡±

    ¡°The Marquess has heard that the situation here is quite dire.¡±

    ¡°I wish that I could tell you with full confidence that Steelwall will bepletely fine, but I don¡¯t even have the leisure to make such a bluff right now. It is as you say. We are in an extremely dire situation.¡± The Count already received news that the ud Estate had allied with the surrounding estates and built a formidable army. However, the Steelwalls could only fight with their own forces.

    ¡°As expected, the situation is grim. It¡¯s extremely unfortunate.¡±

    ¡°Yes, considering the situation, I¡¯m extremely grateful that Marquess Rogue has sent an envoy here. Perhaps, is he nning to support us?¡± Count Steelwall didn¡¯t beat around the bush and directly asked the man. Even though he was hopeful, he was also fearful that the man might havee for an entirely different reason.

    However, fortunately for the Count, the man nodded. ¡°Yes. Marquess Rogue has decided to aid Steelwall.¡±

    ¡°Oh, ooh! Is that true?!¡± The Count jumped up. It looked as if he might immediately go and hug the man.

    ¡°Marquess Rogue has said that it¡¯s extremely unfortunate that the whole kingdom is getting yed around by an obvious conspiracy from foreign powers. As part of the same kingdom, it is only natural that we help out Count Steelwall.¡± Then the man added, ¡°Most of all, since our benefactor, Sir Zich, has requested our help, it¡¯s only natural that we give our support.¡±

 Chapter 489

    <h4>Chapter 489</h4>

    The Count¡¯s face twitched as soon as he heard Zich¡¯s name.

    ¡°Did you say you came here at the request of Zich?¡±

    ¡°Yes. Some time ago, Zich wrote a letter to the Rouge family saying that the Steelwall family had zero connections with the Bellids and if we had the luxury to do so, he asked for us to offer you our help.¡±

    The Count was aware that Zich had done a great favor for the Rouge family since he personally witnessed Zich free Evelyn Rouge from her ex-fianc¨¦¡¯s crime. Thus, the Count understood why the Rouge family woulde to their aid at Zich¡¯s request. He also knew that he couldn¡¯t refuse their help in his current situation, and with the masking skills he had long honed as a noble, he concealed any sign of dismay on his face. Even though the Count had a rough personality, a noble needed to know how to converse while hiding their true feelings. So, no matter how much the name ¡®Zich¡¯ upset him, the Count didn¡¯t make his displeasure obvious.

    He simply replied, ¡°¡­Is that so?¡±

    In his heart, he wished for the official to quickly change the topic, but the man had no intentions of doing so.

    ¡°Yes! Sir Zich is the one who saved ourdy and recovered the Rouge family¡¯s honor. How could we stand by when such a person asks for our help? If we don¡¯t answer his call, it would only make the Rouge family the subject of insults and humiliation.¡±

    ¡°I see.¡± The Count could only give a simple answer. He couldn¡¯t tell someone who hade all this way to help that he didn¡¯t want to listen to what the official had to say. Fortunately, the official¡¯s praise for Zich came to an end there.

    ¡°For now, we brought supplies that can be used for the war right away. I heard that your resources are running pretty low right now.¡±

    ¡°Unfortunately, yes.¡± The nobles weren¡¯t the only ones trying to distance themselves from the Steelwall family. The merchants and vendors also acted simrly. Although they didn¡¯t outrightly refuse to trade with the Count because of the difference in sses, they made all sorts of excuses to avoid meeting him. This was a critical hit to the Steelwalls as they were currently preparing for war. Although they were trying to gather resources with all the money and authority they could muster, they had far fewer supplies than what they needed.

    ¡°We¡¯ve piled up the first batch of supplies outside. I''ve written down the exact quantity of goods here, so please check itter.¡± The official from the Rouge family pulled out a scroll from his belongings and gave it to the Count. There was a considerable amount of things written on it.

    ¡°Thank you very much. We¡¯ll have some breathing room with this.¡±

    ¡°This is the amount we amassed hastily. We will send much moreter.¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t expect the Rouge family to help us this much.¡± To think that they would send more even when the amount written on this scroll was considerable¡ªthe Count thought it was excessive even if the Rouge family was indebted to Zich.

    ¡°Ah, I didn¡¯t exin everything. The amount gifted to you right now isn¡¯t only from the Rouge family.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not only from them?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sure you know that ourdy is engaged to Count Dracul from a neighboring country.¡±

    The Count nodded. The break-up of the engagement between Evelyn Rouge and her fianc¨¦ Albus Windpool was a very famous story involving the Crown Prince¡¯s attempted assassination, an intense battle inside the pce, and so on. It was the perfect gossip story. This was why the kingdom¡¯s nobles also paid great attention to Evelyn¡¯s new engagement, and news of it also reached the Count¡¯s ears.

    ¡°Count Dracul also sent a hefty number of supplies to help Sir Zich.¡±

    ¡°Why does that sir¡­?¡± The Count had never seen Count Dracul¡ªhe had only heard the name in passing.

    ¡°Did the Rouge family request Count Dracul to act?¡± The Count naturally thought this since Count Dracul was their son-inw and couldn¡¯t think of any other reason.

    Thus, he was shocked when the official answered, ¡°I heard that Count Dracul also received a lot of help from Sir Zich. I was told that Count Dracul was able to reach his current position and ourdy was able to meet himrgely thanks to Sir Zich. Thus, Count Dracul passionately offered his aid.¡±

    The Count¡¯s head went nk. He didn¡¯t expect Zich¡¯s name to pop out like this again. Unaware of the Count¡¯s current emotions, the official continued, ¡°The Count also wanted to send troops, but it was too difficult with his current situation. However, he says that he has more than enough supplies to give, so you can look forward to the next batches.¡±

    ¡°¡­I must send my gratitude to Count Dracul,¡± the Count babbled.

    ¡°I also think there will be aiding in from the Windpool family.¡± The official¡¯s voice was lower than before. It was only natural considering what the Windpool family¡¯s son, Albus Windpool, had tried to do against Evelyn and the Rouge family. Yet, since Albus Windpool was the sole person responsible for the past, the Windpool family thoroughlypensated the Rouge family, and the two families currently maintained an awkward rtionship with one another.

    ¡°The Windpool family also feels indebted to Sir Zich since they might have beenpletely yed by that bastard, Albus Windpool, if it wasn¡¯t for him¡ªespecially if you consider their fallen honor and their current sessor¡¯s position.¡±

    ¡°This is great news for us, but does the Windpool family have the luxury to help us?¡± The Windpool family had been wiped of their potential heirs besides Albus by the robed figures. They had barely managed to fill in the position by using one of their far-distant rtives, but the heir¡¯s position obviously wasn¡¯t stable.

    ¡°That¡¯s exactly why they are trying to show their support now. Sir Zich is the Windpool family¡¯s savior. He stopped their problematic child who joined hands with the guys who made the Marquess fall ill and caused all sorts of other troubles. If you consider that, helping Zich for this favor can help bring a sense of legitimacy they need.¡±

    ¡°I got it.¡± Count Steelwall nodded and carefully asked, ¡°Then, would it be possible for them to deploy troops to our side?¡±

    Even though providing supplies would be helpful, there was nothing more helpful than receiving more troops since numbers greatly mattered in war. Moreover, the Steelwalls certainly had fewer troops than their enemies.

    ¡°We are nning to do so on our side. The Marquess is currently deciding the appropriate number of troops to be sent to Steelwall. I¡¯m not sure about Marquess Windpool, but I think there is a high possibility that they will also do the same.¡±

    Count Steelwall¡¯s face brightened up. ¡°Thank you! I, Count Steelwall, will never forget Marquess Rogue¡¯s help!¡± The Count praised the generosity of Marquess Rogue a few more times and sent the envoy out. He also checked to make sure that the envoy¡¯s stay for one night before he returned to the Rogue estate will befortable. Like this, the Count¡¯s meeting with the envoy ended, and he sat back in his chair.

    ¡°Sir, have you finished your meeting?¡± Trell came back into the room. He had a steaming cup of tea in his hand.

    ¡°Thanks, Trell.¡± The Count had been thirsty, so he took the tea and satiated his parched throat. As expected of Trell who had been serving Count Steelwall for a long time, the tea was brewed exactly how the Count liked it.

    Trell sat in front of the Count. ¡°Sir, you must have received good news.¡±

    ¡°It was good news. I heard that Marquess Rogue and Marquess Windpool will be aiding us. Ah, and our neighbor, Count Dracul.¡±

    ¡°Count Dracul? Why would a count from a neighboring country help us out?¡± Even though it was good to offer the most amount of support, Trell was still curious why Count Dracul would help them out.

    The Count said nothing for a bit. Then, he closed and opened his mouth a few times as if it was hard for him to speak. After a sigh, he finally said, ¡°It seems as if he received great help from Zich.¡±

    ¡°From the young master?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not the only thing.¡± The Count had an easier time talking after he began and he continued without stopping. ¡°It seems like Marquess Rogue is also helping us after receiving a letter from Zich.¡±

    ¡°Marquess Rogue? Is that also true for Marquess Windpool?¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡± The Count lowered his gaze toward the inside of his teacup. Hisplicated expression reflected on the surface of the tea. The connections that the Count made over the years made it tantly clear that they didn¡¯t want to associate with him anymore, but the connections that Zich made were trying to help him out instead. It was even more ironic that he had kicked out Zich with the intention of never seeing him again.

    Trell also understood the Count¡¯s feelings and quietly waited for the Count to sort out his feelings.

    Then, the Count said, ¡°Anyway, our disadvantageous situation has improved significantly. If more peoplee out to take our side like this, those who are idly watching might change their minds.¡±

    Of course, there was no certainty that more people woulde out to support them. No, the Count thought that this was probably all the support he was going to get from outside forces. However, neither the Count nor Trell said this out loud.

    ¡°Since we have some leeway for supplies, if we have a few more troops, we might have a solid chance at winning this war. How is it going with the process of hiring mercenaries?¡± As expected, hiring mercenaries was the best way to make it up for theck of soldiers. However, even this was not easy for the Steelwall Estate.

    ¡°Sir, it¡¯s not easy. As you know, those who do mercenary work have a strong tendency to believe in superstitions.¡±

    Since mercenaries always stood between life and death, they had a strong tendency to believe in superstitions, and the Steelwalls¡¯ ties with the Bellids made the mercenaries extremely reluctant to take up their hiring offer.

    ¡°Even so, try your best to hire them. Since we have a bit of leeway with the funds because of the additional supplies, you can increase their pay a bit more.¡±

    ¡°Yes, I got it. I¡¯ll try contacting them again.¡± However, there was a low chance that they could hire mercenaries, and they couldn¡¯t just stand by without doing anything. Trell got up to follow the Count¡¯s order. He thought, ¡®I wish that an unexpected ally would suddenly appear ande help us out.¡¯

    Trell couldn¡¯t help but think these thoughts, but he knew they were merely wishful thoughts. He thought about the work he had to do in real life and left the room.

    * * *

    The rain was still fiercely beating down upon the Steelwall Estate. The harsh winds blowing intermittently made the raindrops even more ferocious and rough, so there were very few people on the road. However, there was still a group of people moving despite the harsh rain.

    ¡°Sir, I¡¯ve been preparing myself since I heard it was the rainy season, but it¡¯s much more intense than I expected.¡± The person, wearing a robe to avoid the rain and standing in front of a horse, looked back.

    ¡°We¡¯re almost here. If we keep going a little bit more, we¡¯ll be at Violsa. So we will soon be able to avoid the rain and warm ourselves up.¡±

    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s my only hope.¡± The manined, but he soon burst out in boisterousughter. ¡°Since I know that I¡¯ll see Zich soon, I don¡¯t feel too bad.¡± Then, he turned around and said to the person behind him, ¡°Isn¡¯t that right, Captain Til?¡±

 Chapter 490

    <h4>Chapter 490</h4>

    Max made a bright smile, fitting of a child rather than a scary-looking man like him. Til twitched, but he couldn¡¯t do such a cruel thing like telling Max to stop smiling because it brought him chills.

    ¡°That¡¯s true.¡± Zich was a memorable figure, and he had been with them during their worst times. To Wolf¡¯s Canine mercenary group, who lived by their skills alone, Zich¡¯s sheer strength and skills also left a deep impression in their minds. Furthermore, Til and Max also had personal rtionships with Zich. Max stayed as a close friend to Zich during their cooperation, and Til was greatly indebted to Zich.

    ¡°To think that guy was really a noble.¡± Max shook his head. ¡°No matter how much I think about it, that guy is theplete opposite of those dainty, high sirs. He fits in with mercenaries like us that roll in the mud much better and not those trustworthy and famed mercenary groups.¡±

    ¡°Is it okay for you to speak of him in that way if he has a noble background?¡±

    ¡°Hmph! He¡¯s not the type to get angry about stuff like this. I¡¯m sure he would agree with me if he heard me instead.¡±

    Til thought Max¡¯s words were believable and didn¡¯t say more.

    ¡°Will you be all right?¡±

    ¡°What do you mean?¡±

    ¡°For me, I would be d to drink with Zich and go fighting, but is it all right for you to make a contract with Count Steelwall?¡±

    Unlike Max who followed whatever order that was given to him, Til was the captain of the Wolf¡¯s Canine. It was only natural that Til would have a lot more to think about.

    ¡°I¡¯m sure you heard a lot of rumors about the Count whileing here. Honestly, they didn¡¯t sound good.¡± It wasn¡¯t just ¡®not good.¡¯ Rumors that Count Steelwall was part of the Bellids had already spread across the city and obviously reached the mercenaries¡¯ ears. Even if they were different from other mercenary groups, many were interested in superstitions and an employer connected to the Bellids was possibly the worst kind. The fact that nobody in the group had run away so far only spoke of the great trust the group had in Til.

    ¡®Well, I¡¯m sure kicking out all the scoundrel-like guys in the group after that incident yed a factor too,¡¯ Til thought. It was still no reason to underestimate the influence Til had over his men.

    ¡°Mr. Zich clearly said that wasn¡¯t the case in his letter. Isn¡¯t he a Karuwiman Honorary Knight?¡±

    ¡°He said he was, although it¡¯s hard to believe.¡± Max, who had imagined a holy knight to wear a shining sword, shield, and armor while praying to God, could only be doubtful when hearing that Zich was a Karuwiman knight¡ªeven when there was the term ¡°Honorary¡± attached to the title. In regards to this, Til also had the same thought as Max.

    ¡°Still, it¡¯s true that Mr. Zich is an Honorary Knight. Although his speech and behavior are rough, he doesn¡¯t go against the name of a holy knight.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s true.¡± Max nodded. The way Zich had fought against the rushing army of monsters with his sword had been the perfect picture of a holy knight. However, even if Count Steelwall wasn¡¯t a Bellid follower, it wasn¡¯t like there was no other problem.

    ¡°By the way things are going around, the Steelwall family is alsocking in forces,¡± Max added. Although mercenaries traveled ording to where money moved, in the end, they valued their lives the most. Following a weak force only ced their lives in greater danger, even if the reward increased ordingly.

    ¡°We can fill in the weak spots.¡±

    ¡°Well, that¡¯s true.¡±

    They might sound overconfident to an outsider, but the Wolf¡¯s Canine had the skills to support their ims. Captain Til¡¯s skills were on another level. Of course, even a strong group like the Wolf¡¯s Canine wouldn¡¯t be able to talk about filling in ¡®weak spots¡¯ if they were participating in a mass-scale war between nations, but the way things were progressing, it seemed like this war would only involve an alliance of several estates. In such a case, the Wolf¡¯s Canine would be a significant force.

    ¡°Furthermore, they have Mr. Zich. Do you think they will lose easily then?¡±

    ¡°Not at all,¡± Max answered with no hesitation, recalling Zich¡¯s power.

    ¡®Especially the power he showed in thetter half of the monster invasion¡­¡¯ Max thought and gulped. He heard that it was a power that Zich was able to use only momentarily through a special method, but that power had been truly overwhelming.

    ¡°Mr. Zich doesn¡¯t only have strength like us brutes¡ªhe is also smart. I¡¯m sure he has some kind of n.¡± As someone who led a mercenary group, Til wasn¡¯t stupid either, but he was definitelyckingpared to Zich. Til genuinely thought this, but it appeared that Max wanted to refute it.

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure about me, but Captain, is your head okay¡­¡±

    ¡°Stop saying nonsense and look in front of you. We are almost there.¡± Til ignored his subordinate, whose brain seemed to also be tightly filled with muscles like his body. Max grumbled, but he seemed to have thought he went too far and he soon sped his mouth shut again. After making his subordinate shut up, Til looked in front of him indifferently. From afar, he saw a castle wall.

    ¡°A castle wall!¡±

    ¡°We are at Violsa!¡±

    ¡°Yes! We can escape this damn rain!¡±

    ¡°Alcohol! Alcohol! Beer or whatever we can get, I¡¯m going to pour them in my mouth!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m going to sleep on a bed right away!¡±

    Although they hadn¡¯t said anything until now, their march had been strenuous and hard, and they cried out as soon as they saw Violsa¡¯s castle walls. Themotion they made even reached the carriage they were surrounding.

    ¡°Hmm, have we arrived yet?¡± Til¡¯s son, Walter, opened the carriage window and rubbed his eyes.

    Max gently replied, ¡°Yeah, we¡¯re almost there.¡± Then, he red at the mercenaries who¡¯d caused a scene and woke Walter up. The mercenaries tightly shut their mouths at the Vice-captain¡¯s menacing eyes and pretended to be busy.

    ¡°What is Ellie doing?¡±

    Walter scanned the carriage for a bit at Til¡¯s question and replied, ¡°She¡¯s still sleeping.¡±

    Til said, ¡°Yeah. You should also get more sleep. Once we arrive, I¡¯ll wake you up.¡±

    ¡°Okay.¡± Walter closed the window and went back inside.

    Max asked, ¡°What do you n to do with the children? Will you be leaving them in a lodging again?¡±

    ¡°No. Zich said that he¡¯ll make arrangements for them to stay in the Count¡¯s mansion.¡±

    Max looked at Til with surprise. ¡°The Count¡¯s mansion? Did I hear that right? Count Steelwall¡¯s mansion?¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡±

    ¡°¡­Now he¡¯s really starting to sound like a real noble.¡± Max had no idea that Zich would make arrangements for the children to stay at a noble¡¯s mansion.

    ¡°Well, since that¡¯s been settled, we don¡¯t have to worry about the children this time¡­¡± Til stopped mid-sentence and looked to his side. Max also did the same, and the other mercenaries began looking in the same direction.

    There was another path next to the one they were walking on. The path next to them began at a different starting point than theirs, but merged with their paths if they went a little further. There was one person walking on the path next to them. Since rain was pouring down, the person was covered head to toe in a robe.

    Even though the mercenaries also had on a simr outfit, the person still looked suspicious. They were clearly heading toward the mercenaries¡¯ direction. The mercenaries slightly moved their hands towards their weapons. Even though they didn¡¯t immediately let out a threatening aura since they were still not sure of the person¡¯s identity, they nned to immediately take out their weapons if the person showed any suspicious behavior.

    Til carefully scanned the personing towards them. Despite his immense talent, Til didn¡¯t have the ability to see through and scan past a robe, so he didn¡¯t know the person¡¯s identity. However, judging by the glimpses he saw of the person¡¯s figure as the person moved towards them, Til was sure that the individual was a woman. The only weapon she had on her shoulder was a single bow, but there was also the possibility that she was hiding something underneath her robe.

    Til said, ¡°Doesn¡¯t it seem like she¡¯s heading towards us?¡±

    Max replied, ¡°Yeah, doesn¡¯t it seem like it?¡±

    ¡°I wonder why?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know, but it¡¯s at least not because she fell in love at first sight, considering our group¡¯s faces.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s true.¡± Til immediately agreed with Max¡¯s statement.

    She looked at the Wolf¡¯s Canine from a short distance, and the Wolf¡¯s Canine mercenaries had also stopped moving.

    ¡°Miss, do you have business with us?¡± Max stepped forward and asked the robed woman. As he talked, the scar on his face twitched, and his face was scary enough to cause the faint of heart to pass out.

    However, she didn¡¯t seem fazed in the least, and the mercenaries increased their caution one level higher. Max¡¯s face was one of the standards that the mercenaries used to judge the strength of their opponents¡ªeven though Max seriously hated this fact.

    ¡°You guys just mentioned Zich, right?¡± As expected, the individual inside the robe had a female voice. However, they hadn¡¯t expected her to mention Zich at all.

    ¡°Um, yes, that¡¯s true.¡± Max judged that there was no need for him to hide this fact so he agreed, but he became even more cautious of the person in front of him. When they were conversing, he was certain that there hadn¡¯t been anyone close enough to hear their conversation. Even if he considered that their voices might have been carried over by the wind, this was impossible considering the pouring rain. Of course, she could have eavesdropped on them by using mana, but this meant that she targeted them specifically to eavesdrop on them.

    ¡°You¡¯ve eavesdropped on us. How extremely distasteful.¡± There was now a slightly higher possibility that the person in front of them had approached them with hostile intentions. Max¡¯s face stiffened, and his scary face became even more frightening. However, his threatening face did not faze her in the slightest.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry if I made you ufortable, but I wasn¡¯t trying to eavesdrop on your conversation. I just heard it.¡±

    ¡°You just heard it? But we didn¡¯t shout at the top of our lungs. It¡¯s not like you were close enough for us to have heard our conversation. Yet, you¡¯re saying that you happened to hear it while walking here? Are you seriously expecting us to believe that?¡±

    The robed individual let out a deep sigh. ¡°Well, I guess it doesn¡¯t matter since I¡¯m already here.¡± She muttered this and removed her robe. The long hair she had hidden under her robe scattered in the air and fluttered down.

    The Wolf¡¯s Canine¡¯s mercenaries were extremely shocked. The first reason was because the individual who had appeared inside the robe was extremely beautiful. The second reason was because of the long ears poking out of her hair on both sides of her face.

    ¡°¡­Elf?¡± A mercenary muttered to himself.

    ¡°You see this, right? I don¡¯t know about humans, but we can easily hear voices from that far of a distance.¡±

    ¡°Ah, yes¡­¡± Max dumbly nodded. He was startled to see an elf for the first time.

    On the other hand, it seemed as if she was used to this reaction as she nonchntly continued, ¡°So, you guys know Zich, right?¡±

    ¡°Yes? Ah, yes. We know someone who goes by the name of Zich.¡± Max was so startled to see an elf that he unconsciously replied to her every question.

    ¡°Is he the same Zich who¡¯s from Steelwall?¡±

    ¡°Yes, you¡¯re correct. Perhaps, does Lady Elf also happen to know that punk?¡±

    ¡°Of course. He¡¯s my friend.¡± The Lady Elf, Leona Pearl in Droud, replied with a bright smile.

 Chapter 491

    <h4>Chapter 491</h4>

    ¡®A friend.¡¯

    Everyone including Max and the other mercenaries was surprised and craned their ears at the sudden appearance of an elf. It was unbelievable that Zich was friends with an elf whom most would never see in their lifetimes.

    ¡®A friend with another species? Doesn¡¯t that only exist in novels?¡¯ Yet, the elf smiling in front of him was not his imagination.

    ¡°Lady Leona!¡± someone then yelled. All the mercenaries turned to the voice and saw a group of robed figures rushing toward them.

    ¡°We told you not to go by yourself¡­ah, how can you take down your robe!¡± The person who was probably the group leader yelled from the front. Anyone could see how much he was struggling and garnered some pity from around him. Yet, the apparent cause of his troubles, Leona responded with a bright, cheery voice.

    ¡°It¡¯s okay! These people said they are Zich¡¯s friends.¡±

    ¡°With Sir Zich?¡± The leader stopped midway from scolding Leona and turned to the mercenaries upon hearing Zich¡¯s name. Soon, he resumed his yelling. ¡°Still, you can¡¯t just take off your robe! It will be bothersome for us if humans learn of our identity!¡±

    ¡°Our destination is right in front of us anyway. Are we going to have our robes over us even when we are dering that we came to help Count Steelwall?¡±

    ¡°We won¡¯t, but you should keep it on until then!¡±

    The two bickered and Til quietly observed them. Then, he noticed another group of simrly dressed figures waiting quietly on the side. They all wore robes and wielded bows and arrows.

    ¡®Are those guys also all elves?¡¯ To think such a rarely seen species would be gathered in arge group like this.

    ¡®Did theye here to help Count Steelwall too?¡¯ The Wolf¡¯s Canine was nning to work under Count Steelwall after receiving a letter from Zich, and thus, Til thought the elves must have alsoe after receiving a letter.

    Til slowly moved his horse and moved to Max¡¯s side and asked, ¡°Did you all alsoe here to participate in this war with Count Steelwall?¡±

    Leona stopped her bickering with the leader and answered, ¡°That¡¯s right. Zich asked us for help if we could. Since we have some debts to repay, we came to help. We, the Lake Tribe, aren¡¯t the type to forget a favor. Did you guys alsoe to help Count Steelwall?¡±

    ¡°To be more exact, we were employed under him since we are mercenaries. However, we also came back to repay the debt we owe to Mr. Zich.¡±

    ¡°As I thought!¡± Leona clutched the leader¡¯s sleeves tightly and shouted, ¡°See! See! They came here for the same reason!¡±

    ¡°I get it, so don¡¯t get so excited,¡± the leader said in an exasperated tone and looked toward Til. ¡°Um, Mr. Mercenary? Let¡¯s get moving for now. We can¡¯t stand in the middle of the road with the rain pouring like this.¡±

    ¡°I agree.¡±

    Like that, the mercenaries and the elves began moving again with some distance between them. Amazed by the rare sight of elves, the mercenaries kept ncing at them, but the elves didn¡¯t appear much interested in the humans and walked while only facing forward.

    However, Leona was different. From time to time, she approached the mercenary group and asked them questions. Max did most of the answering. Although it wasn¡¯t for two people who came from such different worlds to continue an ongoing conversation, the two managed to do so. The best thing for two strangers to talk about during their first meeting was to find amon ground, and they talked about the topic they both knew well: Zich.

    Even though the two had clearly expressed their intention ining here to help Zich, they had wondered if they were talking about the same person. As they talked more, they became more certain that the Zich they were talking about was the same person. They were sure that there couldn¡¯t be another Zich with such memorable and unique traits.

    Since they met each other when they were close enough to the city to see its walls, they arrived in no time. Unbelievably, only a few people were waiting at the city walls¡¯ entrance. Although there was a heavy downpour going on, rumors surrounding the Steelwall family and the iing war deterred people away.

    However, there was still a waiting line and the two groups waited behind it. As soon as the two groups stood in line, they attracted attention from all around them. Thepletely armored group of mercenaries and heavily robed figures were all eye-catching, but as expected, people¡¯s attention was drawn toward Leona.

    ¡°Isn¡¯t that person an elf?¡±

    ¡°An elf? What?¡±

    Many looked at her in curiosity, but Leona didn¡¯t pay any attention to it. She was already well aware of how humans would see her from herst travel. Not long after the two got in line, guards quickly ran toward them. They were surprised to see an elf, but they immediately calmed themselves down and approached the Wolf¡¯s Canine first.

    ¡°Are you all mercenaries?¡± The guards looked nervous about seeing a group of fighters when they had a war to prepare for. Although they brought a couple of other guards with them, their numbers couldn¡¯tpare to the Wolf¡¯s Canine. However, at the same time, they were also filled with hope and expectations. They knew the Count was trying to employ mercenaries even though things weren¡¯t going well.

    Til hopped off his horse and stood in front of the guards.

    ¡°Yes, we are. We are a mercenary group called the Wolf¡¯s Canine.¡±

    ¡°What is your purpose for visiting Violsa?¡±

    ¡°I heard that Count Steelwall is looking for mercenaries for the uing war.¡±

    ¡°Are you all going to participate in the war?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    The guards¡¯ expressions brightened up. These mercenaries looked skilled at first nce and were a valuable surprise while the Count was struggling to recruit mercenaries.

    ¡°We wee all of you. I will report to the officers right away!¡± The guard informed hispanion in charge of reporting, and hispanion was about to run back into the city when Til took out a tightly rolled-up dried leather scroll.

    ¡°Ah, wait.¡± Inside, there was the letter Zich had sent him. Til had carefully covered it to shield it from the heavy downpour.

    ¡°Could you send this to Count Steelwall?¡±

    ¡°What is that?¡± The guard asked while taking the leather scroll.

    ¡°There¡¯s a letter inside. The person who called us here said we just needed to give this letter to the Count.¡±

    ¡°The one who called you here? Who¡¯s that?¡±

    ¡°Mr. Zich. I heard he is the Count¡¯s son.¡±

    The guard who had been eyeing the leather scroll suspiciously looked surprised.

    ¡°It¡¯s a letter from Young Master Zich?¡±

    ¡®So, it¡¯s real!¡¯ Max eximed inside his mind after hearing this confirmation that Zich was truly a Count¡¯s son. He hadn¡¯t really been doubting the fact, but when the guard called Zich, ¡®young master,¡¯ the truth really dawned on him.

    ¡®Yes, it is from him.¡¯

    ¡®I see. I will report that too.¡¯ The guard carefully handed the leather scroll to hispanion.

    ¡°Wait!¡± Leona pulled out a letter tightly bound with tree leaves.

    ¡°I also have that too! Give this to that¡­ Count person!¡± Leona handed the letter to the guard. The guard was taken aback by the abrupt situation.

    ¡°Could I¡­ ask what this is?¡± the guard asked. Even though he had been a guard for a long time, he had never seen another species before and didn¡¯t know how to react.

    ¡°It¡¯s a letter. You can give that to the Count fellow.¡±

    ¡°I apologize, but I can¡¯t give the Count any letter¡­¡± The way that Leona was addressing the Count was extremely rude. If she hadn¡¯t been an elf, the guards might have dragged her away because of her rudeness, but the guard thought he couldn¡¯t respond to another species with human standards. He thought the elf must have handed him her letter seeing Til hand his letter over to him. Thus, he nned to quietly refuse her when Til¡¯s additional exnation stopped him.

    ¡°That letter is probably also from Mr. Zich.¡±

    ¡°¡­This letter is also from the young master? What do you mean by that?¡±

    ¡°I talked to them on our way here, and it seems like they came here because of Mr. Zich¡¯s request.¡±

    ¡°Sorry?¡± The guard looked at Leona in shock. The leader of the elves stood next to Leona. His head was lowered as if he was having a headache from Leona¡¯s unpredictable actions. Sighs could even be heard between the raindrops. However, to fulfill his mission, he soon said in a serious voice to the guard, ¡°It is as he says. That letter is from Sir Zich, and although the exact details will be inside it, I will exin it simply.¡± The leader took off his robe, and the rest of the group took off their robes too. The guards were shocked. They hadn¡¯t imagined the robed figures standing behind Leona to be all elves.

    Indifferent to the guards¡¯ reactions, the leader continued, ¡°Please ry to the Count that elves from the Great Adrowon Forest havee in hopes of participating in this war to repay the debt they owe to Sir Zich.¡±

    ¡°¡­What?¡± Even the guard thought his response was stupid, but he couldn¡¯t help it. Elves were participating in this war? For the young master on top of that? As if boulders had tumbled down to block them from thinking, the guards¡¯ mouths fell wide open and they didn¡¯t realize raindrops were falling into them.

    ¡°Huh? Why are they acting like that? Was there something wrong with themunication?¡± Leona flicked her hand in front of the frozen guards.

    The guards finally came to their senses, but it was only their minds that came back to normal and they still failed to grasp full control over their bodies.

    ¡°Ugh¡­so¡­um, elves are participating in this war?¡±

    ¡°Yeah! We owe a lot to Zich. Granting a request like this is nothing.¡±

    An army of elves? The elves¡¯ expertise in archery and magic was well known among the humans. Even the guards who knew very little about elves could easily tell how formidable the force in front of them was.

    ¡°C-Contact the Count right away¡­!¡± The guard hurriedly told hispanion to ry the message, but he was stopped again.

    ¡°Hey, the guard over there. Could you also give my letter to the Count?¡± Before anyone noticed, another group had approached them. The guard turned around instinctively in this state of confusion and daze. His head felt like it was about to explode.

    An old man came into view. He was a normal old man holding a cane, but the guard noticed that his cane looked unusual and special. However, what really caught the guard¡¯s eye wasn¡¯t the cane or the group of people behind the old man. It was the leather scroll the old man was stretching out to him. He didn¡¯t even hear what it was inside yet, but after receiving two simr objects, the guard naturally thought the contents inside it would be the same as before.

 Chapter 492

    <h4>Chapter 492</h4>

    ¡°What are you doing? I told you to take it.¡± The old man shook the leather scroll. Then, a middle-aged man behind the old man sighed and approached the old man¡¯s side.

    ¡°If you say it like that, the guard won¡¯t know what to do, master.¡± The middle-aged man carefully took the leather scroll from the old man¡¯s hands and approached the guard.

    ¡°This is the letter Mr. Zich gave us while requesting our help. In the letter, he told us that we just needed to show this to the Count,¡± the man said and nced at Til and Leona. ¡°It seems like there are other people with the same request as us, so I think it will be better to take them altogether.¡±

    ¡°W-We will.¡± The guard took the letter wrapped in leather and handed it to hispanion. Hispanion had a total of three letters now and hurriedly ran inside the castle walls.

    ¡°Are you guys also Zich¡¯s friends?¡± Leona showed interest in the new group. The old man, Walwiss Dwayne, stared at Leona.

    ¡°A friend¡­I suppose you could say that.¡±

    ¡°As I thought!¡± Leona eximed.

    In terms of outer appearance, Leona looked much younger than Walwiss and could seem disrespectful to an elder, but Walwiss didn¡¯t fault her. It was a well-known fact that elves lived long lives, and they looked young even if they were a couple hundred years old. Thus, people knew that unlike what her appearance indicated, Leona was older than she looked.

    ¡°I also heard you are Zich¡¯s friend,¡± Walwiss said.

    ¡°Yeah!¡±

    ¡°Hm, having an elf friend. Skilled people sure are different.¡± Walwiss nodded and then he turned his attention to the Wolf¡¯s Canine. ¡°Are you all also Zich¡¯s friends?¡±

    ¡°Yes, sir.¡± Til nodded and bowed.

    ¡°You all look like mercenaries but have quite the manners.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s one of our group¡¯s mottos.¡±

    Walwiss looked at the Wolf¡¯s Canine with admiration and said, ¡°How impressive.¡±

    ¡°You appear to be a mage, sir. Is my guess urate?¡±

    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s why I came to offer my help. Without magic, what would a weak old man like me be able to offer in a war?¡± Walwiss chuckled.

    ¡°Is everyone behind you also mages?¡±

    ¡°Yes, they are my disciples. There was no need for them toe, but they insisted on following me.¡± Unlike what he said, Walwiss looked pleased and appeared touched by his disciples¡¯ care for him. Til nced at the mages. They were few in number, but if everyone in the group were mages, it wasn¡¯t a small number by any means. Til imagined getting struck by one of their spells and shook his head. He might be able to survive, but the rest of his men would suffer significant casualties.

    ¡®They don¡¯t look like inexperienced, young mages either.¡¯ The chuckling old man and the middle-aged man standing next to him both looked impressive; it was the same for the other mages.

    ¡®I can only think of one ce where they would hold such mages.¡¯ Til thought and asked, ¡°Are you perhaps from the magical tower?¡±

    Magical tower¡ªthe authority and gravity these words held weren¡¯t light. The middle-aged man answered instead of the old man.

    ¡°Our master was the head of the magical tower not so long ago.¡±

    Til was stunned. He thought the old man looked formidable, but to think he was the head of the magical tower? That meant the old man was at the least one of the top five mages in the kingdom. The other mercenaries and the guards were shocked beyond disbelief. They had also heard plenty about the might of the magical tower.

    ¡°¡­Magical tower?¡± However, most of the elves weren¡¯t knowledgeable about human society, so it was their first time hearing the name.

    ¡°It¡¯s a ce where mages gather in the human world. I heard that it¡¯s a ce where mages are raised, and things generally rting to magic such as research are done,¡± the leader of the elves exined to Leona. Since he had experience traveling for a long time in the human world, he had much more knowledge about human societypared to other elves.

    ¡°I see,¡± Leona nodded, happy to learn a new piece of information but nothing more. However, she was only able to react like that because she was an elf. Humans, especially, normal people like the guard were star-struck.

    ¡®M-Master of the magical tower?¡±

    In some ways, the master of the magical tower held as much authority as a king of a kingdom. The guard felt faint from the series of nonstop shocks he was experiencing. He was only able to hold his ground and remember his mission with the training he had undergone as a Steelwall guard. Truthfully, he felt a bit dizzy, and he waited eagerly for hispanion toe back with an order.

    * * *

    Count Steelwall¡¯s residence buzzed with excitement. New support forces had appeared right when they were struggling to amass troops for the uing war. It was very good news, but the people at the Count¡¯s residence felt shocked more than anything else; it was because the forces that came to their aid were beyond the norm and exceeded people¡¯s expectations.

    ¡°What happened?!¡± the Count urgently asked Trell, who hade to report to him. Although Trell usually maintained a calm demeanor, his face looked considerably unsettled as he spoke.

    ¡°We lent a luxurious lodging ce to the Wolf¡¯s Canine, provided the elves with rooms nearby in the estate¡¯s garden, and since the mages wanted a quiet ce, we gave them an outhouse for them to unpack their belongings.¡±

    ¡°Did they have anyints?¡±

    ¡°They all seemed satisfied. Since we¡¯ve assigned a person to each group, if they have anyints, we¡¯ll immediately get a report.¡±

    ¡°All right.¡± The Count was greatly relieved to hear that the situation was settled. He stared at the air and let out a sigh, and his gaze moved toward the three letters sitting on top of his table. The Count¡¯s gaze looked conflicted. He had already read through all the contents of all three letters. The content of the letters was nothing special; Zich had merely written that he called people he knew to help them out with the war, so the Count should hire them.

    However, the people he contacted were not ordinary in the least. The Count first grabbed the letter on the left¡ªit was the letter that the Wolf¡¯s Canine brought. ¡°The Wolf¡¯s Canine¡­I gave up on trying to hire them.¡±

    Considering that the Steelwalls always had to prepare for war as the Iron Fortress, they had a rough assessment of the mercenaries working inside the kingdom and their surrounding countries. Of course, they didn¡¯t keep an update on every mercenary group. There was no need or even resources to do that; instead, they constantly kept tabs on mercenaries with notable skills, and even among these skilled mercenaries, the Wolf¡¯s Canine took the top spot. Their skills were unmatched, and they were also known to be trustworthy, a characteristic that mercenaries notoriouslycked. The Wolf¡¯s Canine¡¯s captain, Til, was even strong enough for the Count to personally monitor.

    Thus, the Wolf¡¯s Canine was one of the mercenary groups that the Count had wanted to hire. However, even if he wanted to hire them, he had no idea where they currently were. If he sent out a search unit, they could probably find the Wolf¡¯s Canine, but they didn¡¯t have much time. Naturally, the Count was shocked that the Wolf¡¯s Canine woulde directly to the Steelwall Estate and ask him to hire them.

    Trell said, ¡°Since they have quite a reputation, I¡¯m sure they will be of great help in this war. After meeting them in person, they don¡¯t seem like mercenaries in a good way.¡±

    The Count nodded. ¡°Ah, how are those kids doing?¡± He was referring to Til¡¯s son and Nick¡¯s daughter.

    Trell answered, ¡°They are doing well. We provided a nice room for them and told the maids to take especially good care of them.¡±

    Zich had written to him that the children should be directly taken care of inside the Count¡¯s mansion, and the Count epted this request. Considering the situation at hand, it was a very small price to take care of two children to get the help of a mercenary group like the Wolf¡¯s Canine. Like this, Count Steelwall and Trell finished their discussion about the Wolf¡¯s Canine.

    On the other hand, the Wolf¡¯s Canine was the least troublesome group to deal with. Regardless of how dire the situation was and the fact that the Wolf¡¯s Canine was a top-tier mercenary group, they were still mercenaries that money could hire. However, the other two groups werepletely different. The Count picked up a letter in the middle this time.

    ¡°So you said this was from the Lake Tribe¡¯s princess?¡±

    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s what I heard.¡±

    The Count clutched his head. He was already shocked that the elves wanted to participate and help out in this war, but he was even more shocked that an elf princess was part of this group as well.

    ¡°The princess is from the Lake Tribe, but there are also other elves from different tribes. The group they brought is a type of joint army with soldiers from different tribes mixed in.¡±

    ¡°And they¡¯re all indebted to Zich?¡±

    ¡°Yes, ording to them. Since they have no reason to lie, I think it¡¯s probably true.¡±

    ¡°They¡¯ll probably be helpful in this war, right?¡±

    ¡°The elves¡¯ skills in archery and magic are renowned throughout the world. They also informed me that they only sent out their elite soldiers this time.¡±

    They had to first assess the elves¡¯ skills to make exact judgments, but there was a low possibility that their skills would be lower than their expectations. Either way, it was helpful that their numbers would increase.

    The Count grabbed thest letter. ¡°A group of mages, including the master of the Sunewick magical tower¡­¡±

    ¡°Sir, it¡¯s the former master of the magical tower.¡±

    Trell corrected him, but this was not the important part. The Count replied, ¡°Regardless of whether he¡¯s the current or former master, it doesn¡¯t change the fact that he¡¯s considered the strongest mage, even in Sunewick.¡±

    Trell didn¡¯t disagree, so he also nodded. The former master and his thirteen disciples were a powerful force. The Count had numerous experiences on the battlefield, so he had naturally seen mages fighting firsthand. With his own eyes, he witnessed how amazing and strong magic could be. Fourteen mages hade to Steelwall to offer their support. It was even more amazing that they were all mages at the top of their field. The Count was certain that if the mages joined forces with the Steelwall knights and soldiers, their military strength would significantly increase.

    The Wolf¡¯s Canine, elves, and mages from the magical tower. Count Steelwall had been in despair because he couldn¡¯t receive help from anyone nearby just a few days ago, but now, he had allies that were nothing short of astounding. With these forces, he could sufficiently face the forces that the uds gathered together. No, the Steelwalls might even be able to push them back without much trouble. It was definitely something to be happy about.

    However, the Count felt conflicted. Of course, he was d, but the problemy with the fact that Zich had gathered all of these groups together. Even though Zich was helping the Steelwalls for now, he was someone that the Count had kicked out. However, the one who was supporting Steelwall was not him, but Zich. As a Karuwiman Honorary Knight, Zich prevented him from being marked as a Bellid supporter, and he quickly filled up the gaps in the Steelwall¡¯s military force.

    On the other hand, Greig, who the Count had so earnestly wanted as his next sessor, had done nothing for this disastrous event. Instead, even Greig had received help from Zich and was recovering from psychological trauma. The inside of the Count¡¯s mouth felt bitter. He gathered his saliva and gulped it down, but this bitter taste didn¡¯t disappear.

 Chapter 493

    <h4>Chapter 493</h4>

    While many things were happening on the surface, L was ardently learning how to control the system from Serpina. The gigantic amount of mana sent from the World Tree¡¯s copies filled up the cultivation room¡¯s floor today too, just like any other day. L ced her hand on the restriction device on top of the ring surrounding the crystal and closed her eyes. Serpina stood next to her with her arms crossed and stared at L indifferently like usual.

    <i>Whooosh!</i>

    Mana spread out from L¡¯s hand and seeped into the restriction device. The crystal shone and the ring shook gently.

    <i>Flinch!</i> The mana, which had been climbing up the pirs, suddenly halted. Although it circled around the pir, it didn¡¯t go up into the crystal. Seeing this, Serpina said, ¡°That¡¯s enough.¡±

    L stopped pouring in her mana. Thus, the mana circling the pir climbed up to the crystal, inserted itself, transformed into a white light, and disappeared through the wall.

    ¡°Haa!¡± L heaved and wiped the sweat flowing from her forehead. This exercise wasn¡¯t physically difficult, nor did it take a lot of her mana, but it required much of her concentration. Yet, even as she felt this light sense of fatigue, L felt proud of herself.

    ¡°You¡¯ve improved a lot.¡± The process of controlling this device was extremely delicate and difficult. Considering that, L had improved at a shockingly astonishing speed. However, Serpina had no intention of praising L for her improvement. Instead, if L hadn¡¯t shown this much progression at this time, she would¡¯veughed at L¡¯s powerlessness.

    ¡°It¡¯s only expected because you have my body,¡± Serpina said, ruining L¡¯s celebratory moment. L red at Serpina, but Serpina remained indifferent.

    ¡°Let¡¯s end it here for today.¡± Serpina sat in a chair a bit of a distance away.

    ¡°Already?¡±

    ¡°Didn¡¯t you see the manaing from the World Tree¡¯s copies disappear? Even if you want to do more, you can¡¯t.¡±

    ¡°You could teach me another maniption method.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve already taught you everything. I basically taught you the entire theory behind this system, and the only thing left for you to do is to practice the only thing you can do when the mana from the World Tree¡¯s copies is here.¡±

    ¡°¡­Aren¡¯t you just trying to bide time by making excuses like that?¡±

    ¡°Think however you want, but I¡¯d rather have you provide evidence for your ims. Or you could go search for some evidence right now.¡±

    ¡°You are aware that you are able to exist right now in reality thanks to me, right?¡±

    ¡°Are you ckmailing me?¡±

    ¡°I have no reason to.¡±

    ¡°Do as you wish, but the contract was that I could stay in reality if I taught you how to control this device. If you break the contract, I also have no reason to keep my end of the deal. Remember that.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡± L red at Serpina. Was she telling the truth? Or was Serpina scheming something else?

    ¡®If Zich was here¡­¡¯ But he wasn¡¯t here now. He had gone to deal with matters above the surface after saying he trusted in her. Thus, L worked harder to keep a close eye on Serpina. But so far, she hadn¡¯t found out much.

    ¡°If you don¡¯t have anything else to say, let¡¯s end things here. I also don¡¯t want to waste time.¡± Then, Serpina closed her eyes. She was probably thinking of ways to get her requests fulfilled. L looked at her disapprovingly and ced her hand on the restriction device again. It seemed impossible to find out what Serpina was thinking currently, and thus, L thought it was better to practice with the restriction device in the meantime.

    She poured mana into the restriction device again and slowly skimmed through the system. Time quietly passed like that. Although they were in the same space, L and Serpina didn¡¯t say a word to one another. They had absolutely no affection for each other and it would¡¯ve been weirder if they chatted like friends. L stopped pouring mana into the device again. She wiped more sweat off her forehead and took a step away from the restriction device when she heard an unexpected voice.

    ¡°What are you working so hard for?¡±

    L looked back. Although Serpina was usually lost in her thoughts with her eyes closed, she was staring intently at L now.

    ¡°What do you mean?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s as I said. Why are you trying so hard?¡±

    L wondered whatpelled Serpina to suddenly ask her such a question. L looked at her a bit suspiciously.

    ¡°Since the Brushel System has been broken, you don¡¯t have to worry about regressions anymore. There¡¯s also no reason for you to work so hard to free the World Tree. What you are doing right now is all for the purpose of bringing Glen Zenard and the mastermind behind him down. However, you don¡¯t have a clear agenda to bring both of those people down. At most, the mastermind tried to capture you after escaping the Brushel System, but that¡¯s about it. Is that the reason why you are working so hard?¡±

    ¡°Let me think.¡± L wondered about Serpina¡¯s question. ¡°Well, first of all, Glen Zenard and the mastermind had caused a great deal of damage to other people. Isn¡¯t it only natural that I should try to stop them?¡±

    ¡°We have some great warrior of justice here,¡± Serpina said mockingly, but L ignored her and continued speaking.

    ¡°Another reason is that it could help Zich.¡±

    ¡°So, is it because of love in the end?¡± Serpina¡¯s voice sounded strange. ¡°Is that emotion that great?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sure you don¡¯t know of it.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know since I only move for Clowon. I have no intention or need to understand a menial emotion like that.

    ¡°That¡¯s good. I also have no intentions to convince you, so let¡¯s just leave our respective feelings alone.¡± L replied indifferently and she thought that this would be the end of their conversation. However, instead of closing her eyes and falling into deep thought again, Serpina was still staring at her.

    Serpina asked, ¡°Did you learn that mindset from Zich?¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s interesting. You felt hostile and sentimental feelings toward him in the beginning, but now, you even adopted his mindset.¡±

    L stared at Serpina with slightly surprised eyes. ¡°Yeah, now that you say it, I felt that way when I first met him. Honestly, I don¡¯t remember why I even felt those emotions.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s probably because my feelings were still inside you that time. The hostility you felt towards him was because of my memories while fighting Zich Brave, and the sentimental feelings you felt were because you might have briefly thought he was Zich Brave since he didn''t feel like Zich Moore. Zich Brave was very memorable to me in various ways.¡±

    Even though Serpina¡¯s voice still sounded emotionless, L felt as if there was slight emotion behind her words.

    Serpina asked, ¡°Can you tell me about Zich?¡±

    ¡°Why the sudden change in tune? I didn¡¯t expect you to be curious about Zich.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve gained a slight interest. Even though you lost your sense of duty for Clowon and lost all your memory, it doesn¡¯t change the fact that you are still me. My interest has slightly been piqued towards the process that made me feel an emotion like love.¡±

    L fell into thought. Was Serpina secretly plotting something behind her back? Serpina might be trying to hinder her from practicing her control of the system. ¡®On the other hand, this might be an opportunity for me to limit her time thinking about unnecessary thoughts that might hinder us..¡¯

    ¡°Fine.¡± L nodded. ¡°Where should I begin?¡± L recollected her memories and began rying her story with Zich to Serpina, and Serpina quietly listened.

    * * *

    The atmosphere in the Steelwall Estate had changed. Considering that there were rumors about Count Steelwall being a Bellid supporter, a war at bay, and ack of reinforcements, the Steelwall¡¯s morale was at an all-time low. However, after unexpected allies hade to help, Steelwall¡¯s morale began to increase. The fact that they had reinforcements was enough to increase the soldiers¡¯ morale, but the reputation and skills of the reinforcements boosted their spirits even further.

    First of all, two marquesses were supporting them, and arge mercenary group that was renowned even in neighboring countries, elves, and mages from the magical tower in Sunewick were also joining them. Even wars between countries would not be able to recruit such skilled members. The Steelwall soldiers and knights thought that with these reinforcements, even the uds and their allies would not be able to beat them. Thus, their morale substantially increased, and Zich¡¯s reputation also naturally increased as the person responsible for gathering such an elite group of people.

    ¡°You have arrived, young master!¡±

    After finishing his business in Yuras, a guard loudly weed Zich inside with extreme respect on his return to Violsa.

    ¡®What the hell is up with this punk?¡¯ Zich stared at the guard with suspicious eyes. However, the guard merely looked back at Zich with sparkling eyes. Zich waved his hands a few times toward the guard¡¯s ufortable gaze and entered the city. However, Zich soon realized that the guard wasn¡¯t the only one with a chilling gaze. Everyone shared the guard¡¯s sparkling eyes, and they all looked at him as if he was an amazing and great person. Zich finally found out why their gazes towards him had changed when he reached the Count¡¯s mansion.

    Zich asked, ¡°They¡¯ve arrived?¡±

    ¡°Yes, sir.¡± Trell revealed the news to Zich that the Wolf¡¯s Canine, elves, and mages had arrived.

    ¡®All those folks actually came.¡¯ Even though Zich had sent letters to them, he hadn¡¯t expected much. Since Steelwall was greatlycking in numbers and military strengthpared to their enemies, Zich had sent letters to people that might be of help. In short, he had merely tested the waters and didn¡¯t think that they would all send reinforcements.

    ¡°Where are they?¡±

    ¡°We rented an entire high-end lodging for the Wolf¡¯s Canine¡¯s mercenaries and prepared a ce for the elves and mages to stay inside.¡±

    ¡°Would you be able to invite all of them to my room? Since I called them, I should greet them.¡±

    ¡°Sir, I¡¯ll immediately make preparations.¡± Even though Trell had always acted respectfully to Zich, excluding the times when Zich fought with the Count, Trell acted even more politely than before. Then, Trell asked, ¡°Young master, may I ask what happened with the Karuwimans?¡±

    ¡°The Karuwiman have announced that they will remain neutral. There won¡¯t be an emunication either.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s very fortunate.¡± Trell¡¯s eyes brightened up in joy. They no longer had to worry about fighting against the Karuwimans, which would have been the worst-case scenario.

    ¡°Please report to Father as you see fit. I need to first go and see the people who came to help us out.¡±

    ¡°Yes, sir.¡± Trell respectfully bowed and quickly disappeared. It seemed as if Trell eagerly wanted to share the good news with the Count.

    Zich went back into his room. While he was recovering from the fatigue of a long trip¡ª

    <i>Knock! Knock! Knock!</i> He heard a loud knocking sound.

    ¡°Come in.¡± As soon as Zich gave his permission, the door burst open, and Leona stood in front of him with a bright face.

    ¡°Zich! It¡¯s been a while!¡±

 Chapter 494

    <h4>Chapter 494</h4>

    Her voice was just as Zich remembered it¡ªa cheery and bright voice that filled up the room. Leona made a wide, crease-free smile.

    ¡°It¡¯s been a while.¡± Zich got up from his seat and greeted her. To think that he would be having such a bright reunion without someone who had apanied Glen Zenard to kill him¡ªthe change in rtions that the regression brought gave Zich a never-ending sense of amusement.

    ¡®Yeah, it¡¯s unusual that I¡¯m meeting her as a friend.¡¯ Although Leona had been hispanion during the days when he was Zich Brave, Zich desperately waved that memory away.

    ¡°How have things been?¡± Leona asked after sitting in the seat facing Zich. He also sat back down again.

    ¡°It¡¯s the same as usual.¡±

    ¡°I suppose that means things aren¡¯t peaceful around here.¡±

    ¡°Is that what it means?¡± Zich smirked and asked for tea from the servant who had guided Leona to this ce.

    ¡°If I think about what happened while I was traveling with you, certainly. How many incidents did we go through in that short time?¡± Leona began to count. ¡°You fought Midas as soon as we met, and then we fought that meat-clump-looking monster in ab. We even went to a cemetery belonging to the ancient empire¡¯s emperors after that and went through a war in my hometown.¡±

    Leona shook her head. ¡°Now, there¡¯s a war in your hometown. It would be ridiculous of me to think you would have had safe travels after I left.¡±

    ¡°Two of those things happened because of you though.¡± They had gotten involved with Midas because they were trying to retrieve the Lake¡¯s Tear that Leona had lost, and one of the participants of the war in the Great Adrowon Forest was Leona¡¯s own n.

    ¡°That¡¯s why I came running here when I received your letter.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m grateful for that.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Leona puffed up her chest pridefully. It was then that they heard another knock on the door.

    ¡°Come in.¡± The door opened at Zich¡¯s answer. Two people were standing outside the door: an old man with a cane and a giant.

    ¡°You already had a guest,¡± the old man, Walwiss, said while walking into the room. His eyes turned to Leona. On the other hand, the giant, Til, remained outside and surveyed the room from there.

    ¡°Is there something important going on?¡± Zich asked Til.

    ¡°No, we just came to give our greetings, but it seems like someone was here first.¡±

    ¡°If that¡¯s the case, you can juste in. Others have alsoe to just give their greetings.¡±

    ¡°See, I told you it was going to be fine,¡± Walwiss said calmly and sat in front of the table Leona and Zich were sitting around. She brazenly said, ¡°We are going to bepanions fighting together. It will be good for us to get to know each other, especially since we have alle here in response to Zich¡¯s call.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, we are all friends of Zich!¡± After Leona said this, Til knew it would¡¯ve been strange for him to return to his room and quietly sit in one of the seats.

    Zich stared at the people sitting in front of him. They were all formidable figures: Leona¡ªthe princess of the elven Lake Tribe and one of the members of the hero party who defeated Zich before the regression; Walwiss Dwayne¡ªthe ex-head of the magical tower and a Demon Lord who was feared like Zich before the regression; Til¡ªthe captain of the Wolf¡¯s Canine mercenary group and another Demon Lord before the regression.

    ¡°Have you been well, master of the magical tower?¡± After greeting Leona, Zich greeted Walwiss among the two others.

    ¡°I have been well, and I¡¯m no longer the master of the magical tower. I passed on the title to someone else.¡± It was only expected that Walwiss would step down from his seat as the head after his son, Ond, tried to raise a rebellion in the magical tower. He had only maintained his seat for a short period of time until the chaos died down, and it seemed he hadpletely stepped down now.

    ¡°Fortunately, you don¡¯t look so saddened by it.¡±

    ¡°Yes, I feel refreshed really. It was because I was so obsessed with authority and pride that things led up to that in the first ce. They all seem meaningless to me now.¡± Ond¡¯s rebellion had caused a significant change in Walwiss¡¯ mind and heart, and Walwiss now appeared like a man who had let down a heavy burden from his shoulders.

    ¡°¡­I¡¯m d to see that you are better.¡± Zich actually meant it. Whatever their rtionship was before the regression, they were coborators now, and Walwiss hade running to his aid this time. He did feel taken aback to see Walwiss look so easy going when he had looked so serious and solemn as the master of the magical tower before. Zich now saw a bit of Walwiss from his dreams as Zich Brave¡¯spanion in the current Walwiss.

    ¡°Did you meet Elena yet?¡±

    ¡°I did. She improved a lot¡ªso much that it¡¯s an understatement. Who would guess that she had freed her mana not so long ago?¡± Elena had disyed her skills to her grandpa after not seeing him for some time. Walwiss'' eyes shone as he talked about his granddaughter with pride.

    ¡°It really was the best choice to leave Elena to you guys.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m d you are satisfied. L cared for her a lot.¡±

    ¡°I must really repay herter.¡±

    After having a simple conversation with Walwiss, Zich turned to Til quietly sitting in his seat.

    ¡°How have you been, Til? Although I doubt much happened.¡± Inparison to his time with Leona and Walwiss, it hadn¡¯t been long since they separated and Zich didn¡¯t think something would¡¯ve happened in that short period of time.

    ¡°Like you said, not much happened. The only memorable thing that happened was that we reorganized our mercenary group again.¡±

    ¡°Now that I think about it, you told me that was your immediate n. How has that been going so far?¡±

    ¡°I won¡¯t say it¡¯s perfect, but I think we¡¯ve recovered some of our original structure and mindset.¡±

    ¡°Congrattions.¡±

    ¡°Thank you.¡± Til slightly smiled.

    ¡°How are Walter and Ellie doing?¡±

    ¡°They¡¯re doing well. Ellie still got sad sometimes, but considering that she easily smiled after, I think she¡¯s getting better.¡± Fortunately, it seemed as if Ellie was sessfully oveing her father¡¯s death. Til continued, ¡°Thanks to your generosity, they¡¯re both staying at the Count¡¯s mansion right now. I want to express my gratitude for that.¡±

    ¡°It was nothing. To hire the Wolf¡¯s Canine, this much of a favor is nothing.¡±

    While Zich was making light conversations with everyone and catching up on how they had been doing, he heard another knocking sound. ¡°Come in.¡±

    It was the servant who he had requested to bring tea. Even though Leona was the only guest in his room when Zich asked for tea, the servant prepared four cups of tea. It seemed as if the servant noticed that Walwiss and Til wereing to see Zich and meticulously prepared four teacups. Soon after, a steaming cup of tea was ced in front of everyone.

    Zich took a sip from the cup and looked at all three of them who epted his request and readily moved their feet toward an uing war. ¡°Now that I think about it, there¡¯s something I need to say first.¡± Zich lowered his head and said, ¡°I give you all my sincere thanks for epting my request.¡±

    Leona, Walwiss, and Til shook their heads. Leona said, ¡°As I told you before, Zich, you took our side and fought with the Iron Tribe together. I should repay the favor. The other elves also easily agreed.¡±

    Walwiss said, ¡°If it weren¡¯t for you, I would have been chased out of the magical tower without even knowing why. And I would have lost everything. Compared to that, helping you out like this is nothing.¡±

    Then, Til finally said, ¡°We are mercenaries. It¡¯s only natural for us to receive money and work for our employers. We just merely selected Count Steelwall as our employer this time. Mr. Zich,pared to what you¡¯ve done for us, selecting a specific employer to work under is really nothing.¡±

    Before his regression, Zich¡¯s rtionship with the three of them was so bad that Til, who was his enemy, still had the best rtionship with him. However, they were all now saying that they were greatly indebted to Zich and wanted to repay him.

    ¡®Is this the repayment I get for doing kind acts?¡¯ It wasn¡¯t bad; Zich sincerely thought this in his mind. ¡°Thank you for saying that.¡± Zich said his thanks again and continued with a slightly serious voice, ¡°Originally, our forces would have been greatlycking in numbers and strengthpared to our enemies in this war. However, with all of you here, that¡¯s no longer true.¡±

    Even though the forces that they brought to Steelwall were not too great in number, the quality and strength of their forces were hard to find in any country.

    ¡°However, our opponent should not be looked upon lightly either.¡± Zich was sure that Glen Zenard and hisckeys would be among their enemies.

    ¡°You¡¯re right.¡± Walwiss continued, ¡°Before I received your letter, there was a rumor going around the magical tower¡ªthe Conrad School of Magic is heading towards the ud Estate for an uing war.¡±

    The Conrad School of Magic was the school that Ond Dwayne and Jaewick were part of. Considering that they were the core perpetrators of the magical tower¡¯s coup d¡¯¨¦tat, it was also the school that had taken the greatest amount of damage after their failed coup d¡¯¨¦tat.

    Walwiss added, ¡°It seems as if they¡¯re trying to restore their lost honor that fell after the coup d¡¯¨¦tat.¡±

    Til asked with a serious expression, ¡°Then, are you saying that our opponent also has mages on their side?¡± Mages were extremely dependable to have as an ally, but they were equally as frightening as an enemy.

    ¡°Yeah, but you don¡¯t have to worry since we¡¯ll be dealing with them.¡± Walwiss quenched his parched throat with tea and said with a clear voice, ¡°I can guarantee that my disciples¡¯ skills are top-tier even in the magical tower. I¡¯ll also be participating in this war. Even though I¡¯ve retired as the master, my skills are not rusty yet.¡± Walwiss had been nonchntly talking, and there was suddenly a sharp glint in his eyes. His personality had be softer, but his fangs and ws were still sharp.

    Zich asked, ¡°Will you be all right? They¡¯re still mages affiliated with the magical tower.¡±

    Walwiss shrugged. ¡°Even though I won¡¯t say this happens often, it¡¯s not like something like this never happens. Also, even though mages are gathered together in the magical tower, we¡¯re not the type to be friendly with other people. This is even more true between different schools. Moreover, you must also know very well how tense the rtionship between my school and the Conrad School of Magic is. Even though we¡¯re not at the point where we¡¯re trying to kill each other with burning hatred in our eyes, it¡¯s also not good enough for us to feel useless emotions when facing them as our enemies. So you have no reason to worry.¡±

    ¡°I understand.¡± Since Walwiss made his thoughts so clear, there was no need to dive into this matter any further. Zich epted Walwiss¡¯ exnation. Then, he said, ¡°If our opponent also has mages, this war might get a bit harder. However, this doesn¡¯t mean that we¡¯ll lose. To tell you the truth, I never thought that we¡¯d lose this war. I had this mindset even before all of you came here. Now that all of you havee, I¡¯m only more certain that we won¡¯t ever lose. Instead, I¡¯m most interested in right now thinking about how much and how I should crush those bastards.¡±

    Leona, Walwiss, and Til held in their bitter smiles. Even though they felt grateful towards Zich, they knew that he didn¡¯t have a good personality.

    Zich continued nonchntly, ¡°So, let¡¯s go with good spirits since that won¡¯t even be a challenge for us.¡± Then, Zich raised his teacup as if it was a wine ss.

    ¡°For our victory.¡±

    Leona, Walwiss, and Til raised their teacups and clinked their cups with Zich¡¯s ss.

 Chapter 495

    <h4>Chapter 495</h4>

    After clinking their cups for victory in the uing war, the four met again after the sun set. The same number of people filled Zich¡¯s room like before but what filled their cups this time was alcohol instead of tea.

    ¡°Kuuuh!¡± Zich eximed as the alcohol passing through his throat sent jitters across his skin. The slight fatigue he felt from his stay in Yuras seemed topletely wash away with the drink. Indeed, a good drink after finishing a day of work was one of the greatest pleasures life could offer. Even a potion that woke him right before dying wouldn¡¯t be able to bring about a sensation like this one.

    ¡°As expected, alcohol belonging to a famous noble sure is different,¡± Walwiss said while licking the remaining alcohol on his lips. Even though he must have been treated to exquisite meals and drinks as the master of the magical tower, it seemed like Count Steelwall¡¯s drink pleased Walwiss very much.

    ¡°Uhh, this is tasty for you all?¡± Inparison, Leona shuddered after taking a sip from her ss. ¡°It¡¯s not even sweet, only bitter.¡±

    ¡°Elves only drink fruit wine, right?¡± Zich asked. Fruit wines tended to have low alcohol content and were very sweet by nature. It also gave off a flowery scent through a special method belonging to the elves and brought joy to any drinker¡¯s mouth. It was a drink Zich had enjoyed before the regression, and it was understandable that a hard drink wouldn¡¯t taste good to Leona who was only used to such drinks.

    ¡°I have heard of that before. Is it really that tasty?¡± Perhaps, the fruit wine activated a mage¡¯s natural curiosity or an alcohol lover''s interest, but Walwiss asked eagerly.

    ¡°It¡¯s at least much tastier than this drink.¡±

    ¡°I hope I can get the opportunity to drink itter,¡± Walwiss said and gulped down his drink.

    After watching the two converse, Zich turned to Til this time. Til was drinking without saying anything. Even though Til belonged to a mercenary group that didn¡¯t act like a standard group, Til was really a mercenary with his manner of drinking. He downed the alcohol instead of tasting it carefully like Walwiss.

    ¡°Does it suit your taste?¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± Til said simply. Til was a man of few words, and their conversation had been choppy.

    ¡®Was he always like this?¡¯ When they met before, Zich clearly remembered having quite a long conversation with him before. Now, Til hardly talked. He didn¡¯t seem ufortable with Zich or this space, so it appeared that his reserved demeanor was just part of his natural personality. Then what was the side that Til showed him before?

    ¡®Now that I think about it, I haven¡¯t talked to him much about personal matters.¡¯ Most of what they talked about was rted to the case they were dealing with, and all they did was ask about each other¡¯s well-being aspanions employed for the same job.

    ¡®Is he the type to separate his public and private life?¡¯ Zich thought. There were people like that, and Zich recalled the scene he saw in his dreams. When Til appeared, Zich thought he was a quiet giant. The Til he was seeing now was exactly the same Til he saw in his dreams, and as soon as he realized this, Zich felt chills on his back.

    ¡®Damn it. It almost feels like I¡¯m in Zich Brave¡¯s dream.¡¯

    As soon as he thought this, Zich kept trying to talk to Til. It was as if he was trying to desperately deny Til¡¯s quietness. Yet, Til¡¯s lips, which had easily moved in matters regarding his mercenary group or work, didn¡¯t easily open this time. Thus, knowing that Til would feel ufortable if he bothered Til any more than this, Zich had no choice but to ept Til¡¯s quiet nature in the end.

    ¡®It¡¯s fine. I still have Leona and Walwiss,¡¯ Zich thought. The two had always bickered in his dreams, but now, they were talking to each other amicably.

    ¡°Humans really move their mana like that?¡± Leona asked Walwiss.

    ¡°It¡¯s a method that was developed because there are many humans whose ability to control mana iscking inparison to elves. However, with such a method, it¡¯s difficult to be an expert mage.¡±

    ¡°Then, are you different?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m different. It won¡¯t be an exaggeration to say I¡¯m the best among the humans.¡±

    The two talked back and forth about magic. Themon topic of magic helped their conversation and made it smooth sailing. To an outsider, it looked like Leona was much younger between the two and was addressing a much older elder rudely, but in terms of age, Leona was the senior. Wallis was aware of this, so he didn¡¯t look displeased and only enjoyed the conversation.

    ¡®Yeah, see. At least those two are showing different behaviors from the dreams,¡¯ Zich thought after seeing Walwiss and Leona. This brought him a huge sense of relief, but it didn¡¯tst for long. More time passed and more cups were emptied.

    Swayed by the mood, even Leona who had scowled at the taste of the alcohol kept taking more sips of her drink and soon began to feel tipsy. Once she felt drunk, more drinks naturally followed. Although she only drank fruit wine, Leona also knew how to drink, and she began to empty more and more cups. The conversation she had with Walwiss also began to change bit by bit.

    ¡°What? You aged that much but aren¡¯t you still a kid who doesn¡¯t know much about the world yet?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m still young in terms of elf age!¡±

    ¡°Then, you should pay more respect to an elder like me! These young-uns don¡¯t know how to treat their elders¡­!¡±

    Perhaps it was the alcohol, but the two began to shout at each other with reddened faces. Zich didn¡¯t know how their conversation led up to this or why they were fighting. When he realized it, they were already exchanging harsh words. Of course, they were still maintaining boundaries and didn¡¯t seem to have deep-seated ill feelings, but such things weren¡¯t important to Zich. The real problem was that Walwiss and Leona were beginning to act exactly like Zich Brave¡¯spanions from his dreams. He began to feel an emotion that had dried up a long time ago: fear.

    Zich stared at Til. It seemed like Til was wary of getting involved in their conversation and quietly drank. If anyone had to intervene, it would have to be him¡ªjust like Zich Brave did in his dream.

    ¡®Damn it! I can¡¯t taste my drink at all!¡¯

    This was the first time he lost all sense of joy while drinking alcohol. He nced at Leona and Walwiss and did his best to ignore their bickering.

    ¡®I¡¯m never going to mediate between them!¡¯ His internal pledge at that moment was arguably firmer than his resolve to ruin Glen Zenard. However, when they finished drinking and had to leave, Zich was the one who calmed Walwiss and Leona down and sent them on their way.

    * * *

    The next day, Zich went to meet his disciples after a long time.

    ¡°Sir, did you have a good trip?¡± Hans stood as the representative of the disciples and greeted Zich, and Zich stared at the three of them. Snoc warily nced at Zich as Zich¡¯s attitude was different from usual.

    ¡°Yeah. I¡¯m very d to see you all.¡±

    Hans and Snoc flinched. Since Elena had only joined them recently and she was L¡¯s disciple, she was less fearful of Zich than the other two, but this was apletely different matter. There had never been a time when Zich greeted them so brightly like this. Perhaps, did they unknowingly make him mad? However, judging by his face, he really seemed happy to see them.

    They had no idea why. However, it didn¡¯t seem like they would be punished, so Hans and Snoc rxed. They had no idea that Zich was feeling extremely grateful to see them and he kept reassuring himself that he was not Zich Brave.

    ¡°You¡¯ve done well in sending the requests. Good job.¡± Zichplimented Hans and Snoc. Even though the war was getting pushed back because of the heavy rainfall, it was best to send requests for support as soon as possible. Thus, Zich left his request letters to Hans and Snoc, and thanks to their speedy efforts, the reinforcements were able toe at the perfect time. They aplished a great feat.

    Afterplimenting Hans and Snoc, Zich turned to Elena. ¡°Have you caught up with your grandpa after not seeing him for a long time?¡±

    ¡°Yes, sir.¡±

    ¡°Your grandfather was extremely happy that your skills improved so much.¡±

    ¡°Is that so?¡± Elena scratched her cheek in embarrassment. However, she couldn¡¯t suppress the small smile on her lips. ¡°But he told me to not lose focus and work even harder.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, you should always have a spirit of improvement no matter how good the results are.¡± After saying this, Zich looked at each disciple again. ¡°As you all know, we¡¯re going to war soon, and you three will stand in front with me. There¡¯s no need to stand frozen in anxious anticipation, but make sure you firmly prepare yourself for the uing war. Got it?¡±

    ¡°Yes!¡± All three of them loudly replied to Zich.

    * * *

    Many people wereing in and out of the Count¡¯s mansion like usual. Since there was a war looming, the number of people was also greater than normal. Everyone, including all the servants, felt strangely anxious, and they could feel that a war wasing up right to their skin.

    Trell was moving extremely busily once again since he needed to take care of the estate¡¯s daily matters for the Count who was busy preparing for the war and also needed to assist the Count¡¯s war efforts. As expected of the Count¡¯s most trusted advisor and one of the Steelwalls¡¯ most skilled members, Trell efficiently aplished his tasks. He stood in front of several servants and gave them several orders. After the servants bowed and left, Trell turned around to fulfill his next task.

    ¡°Trell.¡± A woman approached him. She was Flora Steelwall, the Countess and Greig¡¯s biological mother.

    Even while he was busy, Trell respectfully bowed his head. ¡°What is the matter, Countess?¡±

    ¡°You seem busy.¡±

    ¡°Yes, it can¡¯t be helped since we¡¯re preparing for war.¡±

    Other nobledies might have tried to express their concerns about the uing war, but Flora showed no signs of anxiety or nervousness. She showed an attitude fitting of thedy of the house of Steelwall, the kingdom¡¯s iron fortress.

    ¡°I wanted to discuss the mansion¡¯s internal matters with you.¡±

    Trell wasn¡¯t the only one taking care of the mansion¡¯s internal matters. As thedy of the house, Flora was also partially responsible for the mansion¡¯s internal matters, and the reason why she went to find Trell was to discuss a matter inside the mansion.

    ¡°Then, I¡¯ll take care of it like that.¡±

    ¡°Yes, I got it, Countess.¡±

    ¡°Trell, leave the internal matters to me as much as possible and please focus on helping the Count.¡±

    ¡°Yes, I¡¯ll keep that in mind.¡± Trell looked at Flora with true respect. Flora was the concubine who became the main wife after Sara Steelwall died. Compared to Sara who only knew how to yell with a sharp voice, Flora was basically perfect as Steelwall¡¯s Countess. The fact that she remained calm and maintained the center of the estate as thedy of the house in one of the worst, if not worst, times in Steelwall history was perfect proof of her aptitude and strength. However, Flora also had her faults.

    Flora¡¯s gaze moved towards the window, and Trell saw that her gaze became extremely conflicted. Trell also looked towards the window and saw Zich conversing with Hans, Snoc, and Elena. Then, Trell looked back at Flora. She would have usually emitted hostility towards Zich as soon as she saw him, but the emotions on her face wereplex and hard to read. Zich was her non-biological son that she hated due to her ill feelings toward Sara and her desire to make Greig the next sessor. However, it was all thanks to Sara¡¯s son that the Steelwall Estate was beginning to regain bnce after it was greatly shaken up.

    Her gaze was probably not much different from the others in the Steelwall Estate as they looked at Zich. Trell became slightly curious about how her gaze would change when this war ended and the Steelwall Estate survived.

 Chapter 496

    <h4>Chapter 496</h4>

    Zich nced up and saw Flora standing in front of the window sill. She quickly turned her head and disappeared beyond the window. Zich snorted and turned away. Considering their rtionship, her response was natural, but Zich didn¡¯t show any more signs of displeasure than this.

    ¡°Let¡¯s break up now.¡± Zich waved his hands at his disciples.

    ¡°Is it over?¡± Lara had been watching the party begrudgingly from a distance, and she slowly approached them.

    ¡°Yeah. Have you also been doing well?¡±

    ¡°Yes. The people at the Count¡¯s residence have been treating us very well, so I didn¡¯t feel any difort.¡± Then, she turned to Hans, Snoc, and Elena. ¡°Did I really have to step out for this meeting, though?¡±

    ¡°You are not my disciple. I don¡¯t know what harsh words I am going to spout out at them and when.¡± Zich tapped on Hans and Snoc¡¯s shoulders.

    ¡°I don¡¯t mind.¡±

    ¡°My caring heart mind, however,¡± Zich said and Hans and Snoc struggled to control their expressions.

    Seeing this, Lara burst outughing: ¡°Pft! It seems like some people don¡¯t agree with you here,¡± she said.

    ¡°I¡¯m sure there are. Not everyone has the same mindset, but I¡¯m sure that¡¯s not the case for my guys.¡± Zich then looked at Hans and Snoc and asked, ¡°<i>Right</i>, guys?¡±

    ¡°O-Of course.¡±

    ¡°Y-Yes.¡±

    The two smiled awkwardly, making both Lara and Elenaugh.

    ¡°How¡¯s your sword?¡± Zich then asked, and Lara took out the sword she was carrying and swung it in the air. A clean, silverish light sliced through space with a chilling sound. Then, Lara ced her sword back into her sheath. It was a very simple movement, but Zich understood many things from her movement.

    ¡°You¡¯ve improved a lot.¡±

    ¡°Thanks to you.¡± Lara grinned. After joining Zich¡¯s party, Lara was overjoyed that her skills were improving noticeably.

    ¡°Can¡¯t I call myself your disciple at this level?¡±

    ¡°I only helped you slightly until now. You aren¡¯t my disciple yet.¡±

    Zich met her eyes and then asked, ¡°Why? Do you want to officially learn under me?¡±

    ¡°Um, I have been wanting to do that more and more these days. I also don¡¯t want to be left out just like before too.¡± Lara had seriously taken to heart that the party met without her only.

    ¡°Tell me if you want to. Torturin¡ªI mean, training two or three people won¡¯t make much of a difference.¡±

    ¡°¡­Did you just say torturing?¡±

    ¡°You must have misheard me.¡±

    ¡°¡­I suddenly lost a lot of my willpower.¡±

    ¡°Kuh! Yeah, think about the matter slowly,¡± Zich said. Then, Lara walked toward Hans with aplicated expression. Zich looked to his disciples and Lara.

    ¡°With this, I¡¯ve seen most of the faces I needed to after returning,¡¯ Zich thought. He didn¡¯t see the Count or Greig, but there was no need for him to see them.

    ¡®There¡¯s only one person left to see then.¡¯ However, this person wasn¡¯t someone he could just pay a visit.

    ¡®When is L going toe out?¡¯

    Zich thought he should hang out in front of the ruin¡¯s entrance for a while.

    * * *

    Fortunately, Zich was able to meet L two dayster. L looked tired aftering out of the ruin, but she still looked healthy.

    ¡°It¡¯s nice to see your face.¡± This was the first thing L said when she saw Zich.

    Zich smirked. ¡°It seems like you went through quite the trial.¡±

    ¡°I mean, all I have been doing is stroking a weird device inside a basement. It would have been better if I at least had betterpany, but the person I was with couldn¡¯t have been more awkward to be with.¡±

    ¡°The Princess certainly can¡¯t be goodpany,¡± Zich said and pointed outside the ruin. ¡°Should we rest outside a bit?¡±

    ¡°No, I¡¯m fine. I can soak in the sunlight as much as I want after this matter is over. I have to do important things right now.¡± L nced at the sunlight shining from outside a bit regretfully but she soon turned her back from it. Zich also didn¡¯t insist anymore since he respected L¡¯s decision. Then, while walking side by side, they entered the ruin again. The ruin¡¯s door closed automatically and blocked their connection from outside.

    ¡°What happened in the meeting you attended?¡± L asked.

    ¡°Karuwimans decided to take a neutral position.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s good. I¡¯m sure Glen Zenard must have tried toe up with all sorts of tricks to involve the Karuwimans.¡±

    ¡°He did and brought Halton Byner.¡±

    ¡°Halton Byner?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sure I told you before that there was a guy who tried to provoke me with Hans right after I regressed.¡±

    ¡°Ah, that must be the knight you crushed in a duel afterward.¡± L remembered clicking her tongue when hearing that there was an unfortunate knight who provoked a fight with Zich when his character was closest to his Demon Lord days.

    ¡°That guy stuck with Glen this time.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t think we heard his name in Serpina¡¯s exnation,¡± L recalled how Serpina had given Zich information about the uing war looking as if she had been out of her whole fortune. L was sure that Serpina didn¡¯t mention Byner¡¯s name then.

    ¡°Did she purposefully omit that information?¡± L asked. It was possible since Serpina was basically forced to spill this information.

    Zich disagreed. ¡°I think it¡¯s a changed variable that was caused by my actions. I¡¯m sure that until this timeline, I never made a whole mess inside the Count¡¯s residence before leaving.¡±

    ¡°Glen Zenard must have used that change.¡±

    ¡°To no effect though.¡± Zich smirked, thinking how much both Glen and Byner must have been enraged at their failure.

    ¡°By the way, you said you requested for support forces. What happened to that?¡± L asked.

    ¡°Yes, I did. All the people I requested for help came.¡±

    L¡¯s eyes turned wide. ¡°Really? People like Leona and Walwiss came too?¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡± Zich exined how all the people who received his requests brought their reinforcements and were gathered together in the Steelwall Estate. He also added that Joachim and Evelyn¡¯s family sent supplies.

    L keenly listened to all of his words. ¡°That¡¯s amazing.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, it is. I just sent the letters thinking that I wouldn¡¯t lose anything even if I was rejected, but I didn¡¯t expect everyone toe.¡± It was especially surprising since it was no ordinary request but a request for support in a war.

    ¡°I assume you must feel proud?¡±

    ¡°Well, I can¡¯t say I¡¯m not.¡± Zich slightly turned his head away as if he was a bit embarrassed.

    L chuckled and said, ¡°You¡¯re getting repaid for your kind acts. Regardless of the reasons why you did those kind acts, those people definitely received a lot of help from you. Even if you talk about acting as a hero, I guess I can¡¯t even joke or make fun of you anymore. No matter what other people say, you¡¯re definitely walking the path of a hero who helps others.¡± Then, she made a yful expression and said, ¡°Who knows? You might be able topete with Zich Brave now.¡±

    ¡°Please don¡¯t mention that name in front of me.¡±

    Lughed again as Zich shook his head.

    ¡°Damn it. Now that you mentioned Brave, I want to talk about how frightening it is to see Walwiss, Leona, and Til.¡±

    L stoppedughing and blinked.

    ¡°Walwiss used to act serious and dignified in the magical tower but I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s because he threw away his position as the master of the magical tower or not, but he became a totally easygoing and cunning old grandpa. Just this fact is enough to make my stomach feel queasy, but he¡¯s now even bickering with Leona more and more. Til¡¯s the same too. He replied earnestly to all my questions in the past so I didn¡¯t think that he had any trouble conversing with other people, but in private settings, he hardly talks.¡±

    ¡°Hmm, so your mainint is that the appearance of Zich Brave¡¯spanions that you saw in your dreams are turning into reality?¡± L immediately caught the meaning behind Zich¡¯s words. However, this wasn¡¯t difficult as Zich mostly showed such a horrified reaction when it was a matter rted to Zich Brave.

    ¡°Yeah.¡± Zich let out a deep sigh.

    L thought, ¡®Isn''t it about time for him to stop hating Zich Brave so much?¡¯ It made sense that Zich hated Zich Brave, the pr opposite of him, in the beginning when his Demon Lord memories and attitudes were still fresh. However, regardless of the reason, Zich was currently walking the path of a hero. Even though their personalities were different, the path that Zich was walking was not very different from Zich Brave¡¯s. So why did he still hate Zich Brave so much?

    ¡®Well, everyone has different tastes.¡¯ L epted Zich¡¯sints with the same manner that Zich had towards people¡¯s personal preferences. ¡°Other than that, did anything special happen?¡±

    ¡°Walwiss has been keeping an intense eye on Snoc.¡±

    ¡°Is it because of Elena?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s the only possible reason since the person who¡¯s closest to Elena is him.¡±

    Even though L was also very close to Elena, there was naturally a slight boundary between them since they were master and disciples.

    ¡°He was looking at Snoc as if Snoc was a thief trying to steal his precious granddaughter.¡±

    ¡°Snoc¡¯s going to suffer a lot.¡±

    ¡°If a country bumpkin who used to work at a mine wants to date ady from a prestigious family in the magical tower, he should at least expect to endure that much.¡±

    Of course, Walwiss was the strongest magician in Sunewick, so he was no ordinary obstacle. Like this, Zich finished rying everything that happened on his side and asked L, ¡°What about you? How is it going with learning how to control the device system?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not very hard. With just a little bit more time, I¡¯ll fully be able to control the energy route.¡± Of course, even though she said it wasn¡¯t hard, it was probably extremely difficult for a normal person. Only L could say this since she was an extraordinary genius.

    Then, she added, ¡°But Serpina is suspiciously quiet. If it¡¯s as you said before, there¡¯s a high possibility that she¡¯s plotting something.¡±

    ¡°Is that so?¡± Compared to how seriously L said her words, Zich¡¯s reply was rxed. ¡°I told you this before, but I¡¯ll leave that matter up to you. Only you can probably figure out what she¡¯s plotting. Most of all, I trust you.¡±

    No other words could make L happier. Sheughed and nodded. ¡°Don¡¯t worry!¡±

    Like this, the two continued conversing and went inside the ruin.

    * * *

    ¡°It¡¯s you.¡± Serpina immediately frowned when she saw Zich.

    ¡°Hey, how can you immediately frown after seeing a person¡¯s face?¡±

    ¡°Think back about your past actions.¡±

    ¡°The past? I can only recall making a fair trade that sessfully fulfilled both of our wishes.¡±

    ¡°If you had existed when Clowon existed, I would have done one of these two things¡ªripped off your sly tongue and thrown it to the ground or forced you to use it for the empire.¡± Serpina cursed Zich, but her words showed how much she respected his skills.

    Zich shrugged. ¡°I have no intention to have my tongue pulled out or stay in one ce. Most of all, Clowon fell into ruins and disappeared. Once upon a time...¡±

    Serpina loudlyughed and turned her body. ¡°What are you doing, L?! Immediately stand in front of the device!¡± It seemed as if Serpina realized that talking with Zich only resulted in losses, so she turned her focus back to L.

    ¡°What a great master. It¡¯s amazing how motivated you are to teach your disciple one more lesson.¡±

    Serpina listened to Zich¡¯s mockery with one ear and let it flow out the other as she walked towards the device. L put her hand on the device and allowed her mana to flow into it, and Serpina stood next to her and watched her work. Zich did not taunt Serpina anymore and quietly watched L at work.

    A few more days passed by¡ªsoon, the rain stopped and the war began.

 Chapter 497

    <h4>Chapter 497</h4>

    A tense atmosphere circled around the ud Residence. Rumors that the ud family would help¡ªno, use the excuse of helping the Pinne family to fight Steelwall had already spread across the entire estate. Count ud purposefully didn¡¯t hide this fact. To make it more difficult for the Steelwall family to gain coborators, they needed to spread the word that they were helping the Pinne family far and wide.

    Although the ud family had frequently shed and warred with the Steelwall family, they rarely gained much from their fights; instead, they were often crushed by the Steelwall¡¯s military might. After all, they had even used their own daughter to try to gain the upper hand on the Steelwalls. Thus, whenever they shed against the Steelwall family, the ud soldiers¡¯ morale plummeted since they lost whenever they fought against the Steelwalls.

    However, it was different this time. The Steelwalls were suffering from suspicions that used them of being Bellid followers. While they had many allies, Steelwalls couldn¡¯t request help from anyone. Rumors that the Karuwimans could destroy Steelwall added fuel to the fire, and ud soldiers¡¯ courage began to soar with the higher prospects of winning. There was nothing more dangerous than demoralized soldiers, but with these factors, they didn¡¯t have to worry about it this time. It was an ideal situation for the ud family.

    If things continued like this, Count ud would be able to fulfill his greatest wish: seeing the Steelwalls¡¯plete surrender. After swallowing up the Steelwalls¡¯ property and estate, Count ud pictured a rosy dream of him bing a marquess or greater. However, the n which had smoothly sailed until now was beginning to crack. He didn¡¯t know whether he should be impressed by how well the n had progressed until now orment that it was failing now, but Count ud could say for certain that the new turn of events wasn¡¯t favorable to him.

    ¡°So, in the end, you are telling me that the n to get the Karuwimans involved failed.¡±

    Count ud stared at the two people standing in front of him. Halton Byner hung his head like hemitted a grave sin while Glen calmly stared at him. They showedpletely opposite attitudes from one another, but they had one simrity right now¡ªthe Count couldn¡¯t stand the sight of them. The nasty-tempered Count wanted to vehemently curse at these men, but he couldn¡¯t do so in the end.

    ¡°Yes,¡± Glen answered simply.

    His carefree attitude like he hadn¡¯t done anything wrong irritated the Count, but he restrained himself once more. Yet, he couldn¡¯t hide his disappointment. ¡°Didn¡¯t you say that you would at least be able to emunicate the Steelwalls even if the Karuwimans didn¡¯t participate in this war?¡±

    ¡°Yes, I did.¡±

    Count ud thought that Glen would at least give him an excuse, but Glen didn¡¯t. The Count¡¯s temper barely scraped his limits again, but the Count also thought that something was amiss.

    ¡®Was that guy¡¯s personality always like this?¡¯ As expected of a Karuwiman Honorary Knight, Glen Zenard had always acted like a just holy knight as if he had popped out of a storybook. Thus, Count ud naturally believed that Glen would look apologetic about this failure. Instead, Glen only sounded unapologetic and brazen.

    ¡®No, maybe it¡¯s not that he¡¯s unapologetic.¡¯ Now that Count ud thought about it, Glen seemedpletely out of it, as if his interest in this n had disappeared.

    ¡®Something must have happened at Yuras.¡¯ However, that was Glen¡¯s problem. If Glen¡¯s attention was elsewhere, it seemed clear that he wouldn¡¯t be of much help in this war too.

    ¡®Why is he causing this much trouble right at the end of things?¡¯ The Count wondered, but he couldn¡¯t act like usual. Glen yed a key role in this n, and the reason why he was able to keep pressuring the Steelwalls so efficiently until now was because the Karuwiman Honorary Knight, Glen Zenard, supported the uds.

    ¡®He would¡¯ve been more useful if it wasn¡¯t for that damn grandson of mine¡­!¡¯ The Count gritted his teeth while thinking about Zich. His troublesome grandson, Zich, failed to keep his position as the heir and ran out of his house instead. Recently, he crushed Count ud¡¯s ns to use him to influence the Steelwalls. The biggest reason why Zich had been an outcast in the Steelwall residence was because of Count ud, but the Count didn¡¯t me himself. He only med only Zich, and it enraged the Count that Zich became a Karuwiman Honorary Knight and took the Steelwalls¡¯ side.

    ¡®Ever since that guy came back, my ns were thwarted¡¯

    In a situation where the Steelwalls were suspected of supporting the Bellids, Zich had significantly lessened people¡¯s suspicions as he took the Steelwalls¡¯ side. However, there was no point in cursing Zich now.

    ¡®I should think about whether or not I can keep using <i>this </i>guy first.¡¯ Even if the importance of Glen¡¯s title as an Honorary Knight couldn¡¯t shine as much due to Zich¡¯s interference, it could still be useful. Rather, if Glen disappeared and Zich continued to side with the Steelwalls, the two families¡¯ positions couldpletely flip.

    ¡®Although his fighting skills are also outstanding, if his mind is elsewhere, it will be better to take him out of battle,¡¯ Count ud thought. If Glen Zenard died in this war because he couldn¡¯t focus, they would no longer be able to use the title of Honorary Knight to shield them.

    ¡°It seems there¡¯s something on your mind. How about thinking one more time about your participation in this war¡­?¡±

    Count ud could not finish his words. His annoyance toward Glen disappeared and was reced by an unpleasant and unknown difort. Glen¡¯s eyes moved towards Count ud. However, the Count couldn¡¯t help but feel a chill run down his back. He felt a strange and unpleasant sensation behind Glen¡¯s empty eyes. He had to stop himself from cursing.

    ¡°I thank you for your consideration but¡­¡± Glen continued, ¡°There¡¯s no need for that. I am well aware of how important this war is.¡±

    ¡°¡­Yes, that¡¯s true.¡± As a high-ranking noble, Count ud masterfully hid his emotions using his experience and pride. However, his perception of Glenpletely changed.

    ¡®This guy might be different from the person I thought he was.¡¯ Glen¡¯s stance as a just Karuwiman Honorary Knight might merely be a fa?ade. Even though people would be shocked if this information was made known to the world, Count ud had no intentions to expose Glen''s true nature or dig into this matter any further. Glen¡¯s personality didn¡¯t matter to him. The only thing that mattered to him was whether or not Glen was useful to him, and Glen was still useful for now.

    ¡®Judging by his reaction, he still seems to be interested in this war.¡¯ Rather, Glen seemed extremely obsessed about it. Perhaps, the reason why he seemed so spaced out might be rted to the war. ¡®If that¡¯s the case, I should squeeze out everything I can from this punk.¡¯

    There was a high possibility that Glen would fully utilize his outstanding fighting abilities for this war and be a valuable asset.

    Count ud said, ¡°It¡¯s unfortunate, but I guess it can¡¯t be helped since not all ns are sessful. In exchange, I hope you can achieve amazing results in this war.¡±

    ¡°Sir, don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll make sure to fully showcase my skills on the battlefield.¡±

    ¡°Then, that¡¯s good enough. Since you must be tired after your trip to Yuras, you should go and rest.¡±

    Glen turned back and left the room. Count ud stared at the door for a bit and shifted his gaze back to Halton whose head was deeply bowed as he nervously waited for his next words. Then, Count ud ordered, ¡°You should also go and prepare. I trust that you will show your loyalty to the ud Estate in this war.¡±

    ¡°Yes, sir! I will! Thank you, Count ud!¡± Halton bowed many times and left the room.

    ¡°Tck!¡± The Count clicked his tongue after they both left. He was extremely disappointed that their n fell through. However, he stopped lingering on his disappointment since their situation wouldn¡¯t get any better. ¡®Even if this n failed, we still have the advantage.¡¯

    Even if the Karuwimans didn¡¯t join them, Count ud was still confident that they¡¯d win. He got up from his seat and walked towards the window. Rain was still pouring outside. It rained so much that he was sick of it, but it was about time for the rain to stop soon. As soon as the rain stopped, he¡¯dunch his offense against the Steelwall Estate.

    ¡®The preparation is over.¡¯ The allied forces he was leading would violently and perfectly crush Steelwall, which wouldn¡¯t be able to get any proper help from outside forces. Count ud imagined putting the ud g inside the Steelwall mansion. He couldn¡¯t stop himself from smiling. Even though the uds had been enemies with the Steelwall for generations, the world looked at the Steelwalls as a head above the uds in terms of power and strength, and their past battles served as evidence.

    However, it was going to be different now. He was going to flip the ud¡¯s losing streak and destroy the Steelwall Estate. ¡®It doesn¡¯t matter what means I use. Thest person whoughs wins!¡¯

    Count ud quickly wanted to obtain the glory of victory and prayed that the rain would stop as soon as possible. News that reinforcements had arrived at the Steelwall Estate had not reached him yet.

    * * *

    The rain stopped. As if it had never rained, the sky was bright blue, and rather than dark rain clouds, the sky was filled with white clouds. The greenery also shone vibrantly as they soaked in the sunlight after a long time of gloom. The peaceful scenery seemed as if it would sing praises of vitality and life forever. However, it took only a moment for this peace to shatter into pieces.

    Horse hooves mercilessly stepped on the dirt that was slowly starting to dry, and the procession of horses formed deep hoof indentations on the ground. The sunlight glittered on the spears that were pointed towards the sky, and the winds made the gs flutter aggressively. It was an enormous army. Fully armored soldiers moved along the path without stopping, and they crossed the country borders without hesitation. The ud¡¯s invasion was in full swing. Glen stood in the very front, and he tightly clutched Tornium with cold-blooded eyes.

    * * *

    The uds¡¯ activities were immediately reported to Count Steelwall, and naturally, the Steelwall Estate fell into amotion. Even though they had expected the uds to attack, wars could never be taken lightly. A heavy atmosphere began to flow inside the Steelwall Estate. However, one person had been eagerly anticipating this very moment.

    ¡°It¡¯s finally time for me to beat the hell out of that bastard, Glen Zenard.¡± Zich grinned at the news of the invasion.

 Chapter 498

    <h4>Chapter 498</h4>

    ¡°I see,¡± L said, but she didn¡¯tugh like Zich. Instead, her expression darkened.

    ¡°Why? What¡¯s with that expression? We are finally getting the chance to screw over that bastard.¡±

    ¡°But it¡¯s during a war. If I think about all the blood that will be spilled that day, I can¡¯t be happy about it.¡±

    ¡°Now that you mention it, I suppose that¡¯s the normal reaction to have.¡±

    However, their responses to each other¡¯s reactions ended like that. Zich didn¡¯t look down on L for being weak, nor did L rebuke Zich for being cruel. At this point, the two hade to terms with their contrasting personalities and it was only a trivial matter for them. There was no need for them to understand each other¡¯s way of thinking but to ept them.

    ¡°When is the battle?¡± L asked.

    ¡°It¡¯s in two days.¡±

    ¡°I guess the preparations areplete then.¡±

    ¡°They¡¯ve long beenpleted. Even a dog wandering in the slums would know that the war was going to start as soon as the monsoon was over. The following two days are just to solidify the troop formation they prepared beforehand.¡±

    ¡°Where would the battle take ce?¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s a meadow not too far from the area between the Pinne residence and the estate''s boundary. It seems like they are nning to meet their enemies there.¡±

    ¡°They are going to intercept? I thought they would stay inside.¡±

    ¡°Defending on home ground is best for defense, but if they allow enemies inside the estate, it will devastate their grounds. It would be better to intercept if they can. Well, it does seem like that was their strategy at first when the prospects of war were first beginning to emerge.¡± The Count had probably nned that begrudgingly, knowing that there would be clear differences in the size between their troops and their enemy¡¯s troops.

    ¡°So that basically means they gained the ability to intercept thanks to you.¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡± It was undebatable since the three new forces that had joined Steelwall were all connected to Zich.

    ¡°What are the chances of winning?¡± L asked, and Zich answered as if he thought her question was funny.

    ¡°It¡¯s not <i>winning</i> that we should focus on in this battle¡ªit¡¯s what can we do to torment Glen Zenard as much as possible.¡±

    ¡°You have no intention to lose, do you?¡± Zich disyed a ridiculous amount of confidence, but this was Zich she was talking about, and L felt an iprehensible sense of relief from his words instead.

    ¡°What are you going to do now? Are you going to participate in the war too?¡± Zich asked. This was the reason why he came to talk to L before the battle. Although there were high-level mages like Walwiss Dwayne participating in this war, the more mages they had, the better. Furthermore, L¡¯s skills far surpassed that of a normal mage, and she would be a great help if she participated in the war. However, L shook her head.

    ¡°No, I won¡¯t participate this time.¡±

    ¡°Really? Okay.¡± Zich nodded.

    ¡°You are so quick to understand. Aren¡¯t you going to ask me why?¡±

    ¡°If it¡¯s something you can tell me, I¡¯m sure you would,¡± Zich said.

    As if she was happy to have Zich¡¯s trust, L smiled slightly and said, ¡°It¡¯s because of Serpina.¡±

    With a serious expression, Zich listened to her intently.

    ¡°You know how we are suspecting that she¡¯s scheming something.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m pretty much sure of it. If that wasn¡¯t the case, she wouldn¡¯t be only passively teaching you like she is doing right now.¡±

    ¡°If that¡¯s the case, that could mean she¡¯s alreadyid out some of her tricks already. I spied on her as much as possible, but it¡¯s a fact that Ick knowledge about the ruin¡¯s systempared to her.¡±

    ¡°So, you are saying that you will stay behind to uncover her schemes, huh?¡± Zich said.

    ¡°You told me that you would trust me about Serpina. I can¡¯t betray your trust.¡±

    ¡°Yeah,¡± Zich said and tapped L¡¯s shoulder. ¡°I am saying it again, but I am leaving all matters rted to her to you.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I am actually more worried about you. I know your abilities well and don¡¯t think you will lose, but your opponent is Glen Zenard. You said you think his abilities have grown tremendously,¡± L said.

    ¡°And that¡¯s <i>really </i>something you shouldn¡¯t worry about,¡± Zich said confidently. ¡°If that guy is exactly what I think he is, there¡¯s no way he can beat me.¡±

    ¡°What do you mean by ¡®exactly what I think he is?¡¯¡±

    ¡°It just means he¡¯s a loser.¡±

    ¡°Ah, I see.¡± L smiled. ¡°If that¡¯s the case, then there¡¯s really no way you will lose¡ª since there¡¯s no one who is as much of a sore loser as him.¡±

    The two thought of ¡°this loser¡± Zich was going to beat andughed aloud.

    * * *

    When Zich came out of the ruin after meeting L, there was an unexpected guest waiting for him.

    ¡°d to see you again, Sir Zich.¡± Lube was wearing her prim saintess clothes like usual as she greeted him. Next to her side, Weig was there as her bodyguard like any other time.

    ¡°What are you two here for?¡± Zich asked.

    ¡°Oh my, did wee to a ce that we shouldn¡¯t? But we came here pretty recently too.¡±

    ¡°The situation¡¯s different now.¡±

    Since the Karuwimans dered neutrality, the presence of these two in the Steelwall residence could cause significant political damage to the Karuwimans. It was also not a good move for Lube and Weig¡¯s personal standings. Lube nced at Weig.

    ¡°There¡¯s no one in our surroundings.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s true.¡±

    After receiving confirmation, Lube asked, ¡°You remember Uruwon Luce, right?¡±

    ¡°Of course I do. I tantly pointed him out as a spy.¡±

    ¡°He resigned from his priest position.¡±

    At this interesting news, Zich fixed his posture.

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t stop there. He made a formal announcement that he was going to leave the Karuwimans.¡±

    ¡°What did he say his reason was?¡±

    ¡°He said he couldn¡¯t ept the fact that the Karuwimans proimed neutrality for this war.¡±

    ¡°Geez, he¡¯s directly going against the Pope¡¯s order. As expected, traitors are in a different league.¡± Zich cynically mocked Uruwon Luce. ¡°Then, I guess he¡¯ll side with the uds this time.¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°I can clearly see his intentions.¡±

    ¡°Really? How so?¡± Lube tilted her head.

    Zich answered, ¡°If the uds sessfully invade the Steelwall Estate and if they find evidence that the Steelwalls are Bellid supporters, he would be able to sessfully rejoin Karuwiman. You two must know better than even me about how much the Karuwimans hate the Bellids, so you should easily expect what type of treatment he¡¯ll receive when he rejoins.¡±

    ¡°He¡¯ll be treated like a hero and be praised as a true Karuwiman follower by many people.¡± Lube imagined Luce, the traitor, receiving such a treatment, and her face fell.

    Zich continued, ¡°I think there are other people who disagree with the Karuwimans¡¯ decision to stay neutral in this war. Of course, they¡¯ll be praising Uruwon Luce¡¯s actions right now.¡±

    Weig replied, ¡°Yes, there are.¡±

    ¡°And if he manages to sessfully aplish his n this time around, the Pope will receive a bacsh regarding his authority, and then Uruwon Luce will be one step closer to bing the next pope.¡±

    Lube said, ¡°A Bellid spy would love that to death.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s probably the real reason why he left behind the position he worked so hard for.¡± Zich smirked. ¡°Well, for that to work out, he needs to first win this war though.¡± And Zich had not even an ounce of thought about losing this war.

    ¡°That¡¯s true. There¡¯s no chance that he¡¯ll ever reach his goal.¡± Lube also seemed to think that there was zero probability that Zich would ever lose, and her expression noticeably got better.

    Zich continued, ¡°He¡¯s probably not feeling too great either, since his ideal n would have been to participate in this war while maintaining his priest position as part of the Karuwimans supporting the uds. It would have been very difficult for him to leave a high-ranking position that he worked so hard to get as a spy. In other words, this means that this war is important enough for him to let go of his Karuwiman status.¡±

    Weig asked, ¡°You really can win, right?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s merely a matter of how long it¡¯ll take us.¡±

    Weig nodded at Zich¡¯s confident answer. ¡°Well, no wonder. While we wereing here, I heard that reinforcements arrived at the Steelwall Estate, and they¡¯re all amazing people.¡±

    ¡°I also heard that. Is that true?¡± Lube also showed her curiosity. Since a famous mercenary group, mages, and even elves wereing forward to help out the Steelwalls, she couldn¡¯t help but be curious.

    ¡°I¡¯ll introduce you to themter. If it¡¯s you all, Lady Lube and Sir Weig, I¡¯m sure they won¡¯t refuse to meet you all either.¡±

    ¡°Thank you!¡± Lube¡¯s expression brightened up as she was really excited to meet them.

    Zich asked, ¡°But did you two really juste here to tell me about Uruwon Luce¡¯s activities?¡± Zich thought that their status was too high for them toe all the way here to just tell him this information. On the other hand, since they couldn¡¯t outrightly reveal the fact that Uruwon Luce was a traitor to anyone else, they might havee all the way here without much choice.

    However, Weig shook his head as if to show that he hadn¡¯te all the way here to just tell Zich this news. ¡°We came here to tell you that, but also to match the bnce. Even though Luce definitely left his priest position by his own will, outsiders might see it differently.¡±

    ¡°Yes, that''s true.¡±

    People might think that the Karuwimans had superficially announced neutrality just to avoid getting criticized for intervening in a fight between nobles, and they were actually trying to support the uds. No, Zich was sure that there would probably be a lot of people who would think this after seeing Uruwon Luce on the uds¡¯ side.

    ¡°That¡¯s why we came here. Of course, we won¡¯t be able to directly side with Steelwall like Luce. We just came here with the justification that we¡¯re here to make sure that Bellid supporters are really not rted to this war.¡±

    ¡°Even if you two don¡¯t participate in this war, your presence would be helpful.¡±

    ¡°Of course, we don¡¯t have any intentions to just watch.¡± Lube said with a firm voice, ¡°If it¡¯s as you say, Sir Zich, there¡¯s a possibility that they¡¯ll use Bellid power in this war. If that¡¯s the case, Sir Weig and I will immediately participate in this war as yourrades.¡±

    ¡°Hahaha, I feel really reassured!¡± Zich really wasn¡¯t saying empty words. Just their presence would prevent the uds from utilizing the Bellids¡¯ power as their secret weapon. And if they did use their power despite Lube and Weig¡¯s presence¡­

    ¡®It would be even better.¡¯ Contrary to their intentions, the Steelwalls would be able to perfectly get the Karuwimans on their side.

    Weig added, ¡°Honestly, we hadn¡¯t really nned to participate in this war. Originally, a couple of people with a simr status as Luce were supposed to be sent but¡­¡±

    ¡°Sir Weig!¡± Lube quickly cut him off before he could finish.

    ¡°That seems like a very interesting story.¡±

    At Zich¡¯s curious gaze, Weig ignored Lube¡¯s frantic eyes and continued, ¡°It¡¯s more shocking than interesting. Lady Lube tried to throw away her position as the Saintess and was going to participate in this war on Steelwall¡¯s side.¡±

    Even Zich, who was calm and cool about most matters, was shocked. The position that Luce threw away was definitely very hard to obtain, especially since it was certain that he was going to be the next high priest. However,pared to the Saintess position, the high priest was miniscule inparison, since the Saintess position was no different than the face of Karuwiman.

 Chapter 499

    <h4>Chapter 499</h4>

    When Zich looked at her, Lube shrunk her neck back like a turtle.

    ¡°Of course, the Pope and I tried to stop Lady Lube. Although she isn¡¯t normally a stubborn person, she was very firm about this matter. We finally agreed to exchange the priests going to Steelwall with Lady Lube and me in the end.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s simply because Luce¡¯s words were hanging on my mind,¡± Lube said very quietly. ¡°Before quitting his priest position, he said something¡­¡±

    ¡°Luce said that even if the Pope already gave his order, his religious conviction is screaming at him to not let this matter go as it''s connected to the Bellids. Even if he loses his status and future, he said he will act for the great Karuna and the world. I¡¯m not recounting what he said word for word, but it was generally something like that.¡±

    Zich clicked his tongue at Weig¡¯s exnation. ¡°How tear-jerking for a traitor.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s true that his words were convincing. If Sir Zich hadn¡¯t told me that guy was a traitor beforehand, I would¡¯ve been moved by his words too.¡± As if the thought disgusted her, Lube¡¯s body trembled.

    ¡°What that guy said also made me think. I wondered if it was really in ordance with Karuna¡¯s teachings for me to not do anything even while knowing that the Bellids nted traitors and even brought in nobles inside the organization. If you only consider his words, Luce might be right in this case.¡±

    ¡°Betrayers say surprisingly logical or even truthful words. It¡¯s so that people can be easily swayed and moved by their words. From there, they will distort their intention or mix in slight lies to move the situation along to their advantage,¡± Zich said and joked to Lube. ¡°Doesn¡¯t Lady Lube mean that she doesn¡¯t trust me to win and stop our enemies in this war?¡±

    ¡°What? That¡¯s not the case at all!¡± Lube yelled in shock, but Zich tilted his head doubtfully.

    ¡°Really? You might not think you have those thoughts, but you might be unconsciously harboring them. Don¡¯t you think so, Sir Weig?¡±

    ¡°As someone who has served Lady Lube for a long time, I have to say that it¡¯s a very persuasive im.¡±

    ¡°Sir Weig!¡± Lube¡¯s voice went one pitch higher while Weig chuckled. Zich alsoughed aloud, and the more he did, the reddish tint on Lube¡¯s face deepened.

    ¡°Anyway, I understand what both of you are saying. I will also tell the Steelwalls. There¡¯s no doubt that they would wee you both joining. Why don¡¯t you both leisurely move with the Steelwall forces and watch the war from there?¡± Zich said confidently, ¡°Then, I will surely show both of you that your worries werepletely unnecessary.¡±

    * * *

    The Steelwall forces began to move. ud troops passed the Cronon Kingdom¡¯s boundary and reached the Pinne Estate, but they didn¡¯t tread into Steelwall¡¯s territory yet. After receiving this news from their agents, the Steelwalls didn¡¯t quicken the pace of their march. They still had plenty of time to arrive at the battlefield first and prepare their formation. If they needlessly hurried, it might lead to losses in troops or supplies instead.

    However, the Count didn¡¯t let his guard down. He continuously sent people to the estate¡¯s boundaries and confirmed their enemies¡¯ location and prepared for possible scenarios. Thankfully, their enemies only appeared once they finished getting into formation.

    ¡°There are many troops,¡± Hans murmured while watching the swarm of enemies in front of him. ¡°Just in sheer numbers, they have three times the number of troops.¡±

    ¡°If it¡¯s that much, hasn¡¯t victory already been decided?¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t deny that our enemies have the clear advantage in numbers.¡± Zich then nced at Hans and asked, ¡°Why? Does it scare you?¡±

    ¡°I admit that seeing their numbers made me nervous at first, but I feel better now that I¡¯ve changed my way of thinking.¡±

    ¡°How did you change it?¡±

    ¡°I just wondered which one is better. Fighting with three times the Steelwalls¡¯ current size or fighting against Sir Zich.¡±

    ¡°And the result is?¡±

    ¡°Of course, thetter is overwhelmingly better.¡± Hans shook his head. ¡°Whether thetter is better or not, I thought about how I would feel if I was in our enemies¡¯ position. I immediately felt chills down my spine. Thus, after realizing that my situation was thetter, all my anxiety disappeared.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s an interesting way of relieving tension.¡±

    ¡°I also taught Snoc the same method. He also looked quite anxious, but he immediately rxed when I taught him this method. Unfortunately, Elena didn¡¯t receive such a drastic effect while the method was almostpletely ineffective for Ms. Lara.¡±

    ¡°Well, they haven¡¯t been with me as long as you guys.¡± In the end, it was a good thing that important forces such as Zich¡¯spanions were able to loosen up before battle.

    ¡°Who¡¯s going to make the first move? Wouldn¡¯t it be better to strike when our enemies are getting into formation?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s a way to do it, but if things go wrong, our enemies could surround us since they have three times our number.¡±

    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t it be all right if we add our support?¡±

    ¡°Yes, but it seems like my father is nning to focus solely on defense. It¡¯s not a bad strategy since the other side is invading. We will win if we just manage to block them from going through this location, but the other side needs to break through our troops and march forward. It¡¯s also true that defense is more advantageous than offense, especially as time goes by. There¡¯s no need for us to go out of our way to attack since there¡¯s a high possibility of failing. Even if we seed, there will be more sacrifices.¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t know you would be negative about having sacrifices, Sir Zich.¡± Although Hans admired Zich, it wasn¡¯t like he didn¡¯t know his personality.

    ¡°Of course, I don¡¯t care about other peoples¡¯ sacrifices, but there¡¯s someone who needlessly dislikes stuff like that.¡±

    ¡°Sir, you must be talking about Ms. L.¡±

    ¡°Even now, she¡¯s currently working hard with a roommate she doesn¡¯t like. I should at least fulfill her wish.¡±

    Hans thought that L would be delighted to hear this if she was next to them.

    Zich continued, ¡°Moreover, I don¡¯t have any desire to lead this army, so I n to follow orders for now.¡± If Count Steelwall was an unskilled and inexperienced leader, he would have thought the contrary, but Count Steelwall was one of the top military leaders in the whole kingdom.

    ¡®Is there nothing more to see?¡¯ Even though they were standing guard against each other, there were still no signs that the two forces would begin fighting soon. Zich turned around and asked, ¡°Are you going to keep watching?¡±

    ¡°Yes, this is more fun than I thought.¡± It seemed as if Hans had found the enemy¡¯s formations interesting.

    ¡°All right. Then I¡¯ll be taking my leave.¡±

    ¡°Yes, sir.¡±

    ¡®What?¡¯ Zich was about to move away when a few people on horseback moved out from the enemy¡¯s side. ¡®They¡¯re dispatch riders. Are theying to suggest surrender?¡¯

    However, Count ud probably also didn¡¯t think that the Steelwalls would surrender, and this was merely a formality. Zich lost interest and was about to turn around again when a person caught his eye. ¡®That guy is?¡¯

    The dispatch rider in the very front was extremely noticeable and immediately caught Zich¡¯s attention.

    ¡°Hey, Hans.¡±

    ¡°Yes, sir.¡±

    ¡°Come with me for a bit. I think we¡¯ll be able to see something fun.¡± Zich brought along Hans and headed towards themander''s headquarters.

    * * *

    Count Steelwall¡¯s tent was almost two times bigger than the other tents. There was a g indicating that it was themander¡¯s headquarters on top of the tent, and there was much higher surveince around it. Several people were inside the tent. There was Count Steelwall, the captain of the Steel Sword Order of Knights, Mihen Tiner, and other captains and vice-captains in the Steelwall army. They were continuously receiving reports about the enemy¡¯s movements and were making ns. While they were making ns, they received a report that the enemy had sent out dispatch riders.

    Even though they roughly expected what the dispatch riders would propose and already decided on their answer, they couldn¡¯t just send off the dispatch riders without even meeting them. Thus, Count Steelwall let the dispatch riders enter. However, he didn¡¯t expect the identity of one of the dispatch riders at all.

    ¡°Have you been well, Sir Count Steelwall?¡±

    ¡°¡­I¡¯ve not been well because some bastards invaded us with no good reason. Now, my mood has gotten significantly worse.¡± Count Steelwall¡¯s scary face twitched like a snake. ¡°If I¡¯m not wrong, aren¡¯t you Halton Byner?¡±

    ¡°Yes, sir. That is correct,¡± Byner replied indifferently at the Count¡¯s furious re.

    ¡°I was sure that you were part of our Steel Spear Order of Knights.¡± The Count nced at the captain of the Steel Spear Order of Knights sitting next to him. The captain was ring at Byner as if he wanted to kill him. Anyone could see that his underling had betrayed him.

    Byner replied, ¡°I¡¯m serving Count ud now.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, so you¡¯re telling me you betrayed us.¡±

    ¡°Sir, please think of it as following the right path.¡±

    <i>m!</i>

    ¡°A bloody bastard dares to spit out such trash!¡± The captain of the Steel Spear Order of Knights couldn¡¯t suppress his anger any longer and mmed the desk and jumped out of his seat.

    However, Byner was still nonchnt because he knew they would react like this if he came as one of the dispatch riders. On the other hand, he felt nervous, and after slightly licking his dry lips, he looked at the Count and said, ¡°Sir Count ud has proposed the Steelwalls to surrender. If the Steelwalls abandon their wrong and unjust path as Bellid supporters and take responsibility for all their sins, he promises ?he will treat the Steelwalls kindly.¡±

    ¡°This fucking bastard!¡± The captain of the Steel Spear Order of Knights shouted even louder. The captain seemed as if he was going to pull out his sword at any moment, but Byner still did not stare at him. However, Byner didn¡¯tpletely ignore him either.

    He said, ¡°Is this how the Steelwalls treat a dispatch rider?¡± Even though sweat was dripping down Byner¡¯s forehead, he didn¡¯t back down. He was also desperate. He had alreadypletely turned over to Count ud¡¯s side, and since his n to sell off the Steelwalls to the Karuwimans failed, he needed to do whatever he could to earn merits.

    <i>ng!</i> The captain of the Steel Spear Order of Knights pulled out his sword in the end. It seemed as if he was going to slice Byner at any moment, but the Count stopped him.

    ¡°Stop!¡±

    The captain of the Steel Spear Order of Knights had no choice but to stop at the Count¡¯s shout.

    The Count asked, ¡°What happened?¡±

    He didn¡¯t direct the question to someone, but the captain immediately understood that the Count was asking him, so he immediately answered, ¡°We suddenly lost contact with him recently. I thought that he ran away because he was afraid to fight in the war and pulled him out of the order of knights. We had many problems with him after the duel in the past, so I apologize for not checking on his status. After this war is over, I will take full responsibility.¡±

    ¡°So that¡¯s what happened.¡± Count Steelwall looked at Byner with a cold gaze.

    ¡°Sir!¡± A soldier called out to Count Steelwall.

    ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± Mihen asked instead of the Count.

    ¡°Sir Zich hase to visit!¡±

    Everyone, including the Count, shifted their gaze towards the tent¡¯s entrance. Byner¡¯s eyebrow twitched in displeasure.

 Chapter 500

    <h4>Chapter 500</h4>

    ¡°Let him in!¡± As soon as the Count gave his order, Zich pushed the tent curtains open and entered.

    ¡°How are you, sirs?¡± Zich¡¯sidback voice rang inside andpletely contrasted the heavy atmosphere inside the tent. Zich obviously wasn¡¯t oblivious to the moods of those inside the tent, but he simply ignored them.

    ¡°Ah, hello.¡± Inparison, Hans read the room and cautiously entered with an awkward greeting. He noticed the Count, the captain, and vice-captain of his order of knights first. Furthermore, there was a person who appeared to be the dispatch rider among the group. Hans first nced at the man quickly, but then his eyes widened. Since the dispatch rider looked familiar, Hans studied his face closely. Then, Hans realized who he was.

    ¡°Huh? Sir Knight Byner?¡± Hans knew this man. Right after Zich regressed, he joined hands with Byner to fight Zich; it was also because Byner was utterly crushed by Zich that Hans was dragged away to be Zich¡¯s ve too. However, Hans didn¡¯t have negative feelings for Byner¡ªno, it would be more urate to say that he didn¡¯t think about Byner at all while traveling with Zich and experiencing all kinds of training and incidents. Still, Hans could recognize Byner¡¯s face almost immediately.

    Byner also recognized Hans, and his expression darkened. Unlike Hans, Byner didn¡¯t hold good feelings towards the former. It was only natural since Hans triggered his shameful downfall. Of course, Byner was the one who looked down on Zich and acted violently, but if he was someone who could admit his wrongs, he wouldn¡¯t have betrayed the Steelwalls in the first ce. Byner turned a blind eye to Hans¡¯ weing face. Seeing that Byner didn¡¯t seem to look pleased to see him, Hans also backed away awkwardly.

    ¡°What brings you here?¡± the Count asked Zich. Currently, the Count couldn¡¯t treat Zich brashly; before, he couldn¡¯t do so because Zich was treating Greig, and now it was because Zich was a formidable force supporting him. The Count wasn¡¯t so foolish to treat Zich rudely when most of the volunteer reinforcements hade for Zich; this was also the reason why the Count let Zich inside easily when he was talking to the dispatch rider.

    ¡°It¡¯s because the dispatch rider is someone I remember,¡± Zich said while looking at Byner.

    ¡°Now that you mention it, Young Master had a special rtionship with this guy.¡± Mihen nodded to show his understanding.

    From behind, Hans tilted his head and murmured, ¡°¡­Dispatch rider?¡± A dispatch rider was someone the enemy sent to negotiate. Thus, how could a Steelwall knight, Byner, be one?

    Zich exined, ¡°This guy is a betrayer. He¡¯s now Count ud¡¯s faithful dog.¡±

    Hans looked at Byner in surprise.

    ¡°¡­It sounds like you were already aware of that beforeing here,¡± the Count said suspiciously, and Zich responded confidently.

    ¡°I did know about it before. I met him at Yuras recently, and he¡¯s the one who reported to the Karuwimans that Steelwall was a Bellid supporter.¡±

    ¡°What!¡± The Count¡¯s chilly gaze toward Byner up until now widened for the first time. ¡°Y-You bastard¡­!¡±

    The captain of the Steel Spear Knights pulled out his sword again and the Count didn¡¯t stop him. What Zich said was on another levelpared to simply betraying them. Besides the Count and his subordinates, Byner also appeared surprised.

    ¡°You didn¡¯t tell them beforehand?¡± Byner asked.

    ¡°Why must I report every little thing about a guy like you? It seems like you are misunderstanding something, but you aren¡¯t that important. As soon as your usations against the Steelwall family failed to make changes, you lost all usefulness. Of course, if you were a skilled knight, I would¡¯ve judged you as a potential danger and prepared countermeasures.¡±

    Zich tantly looked Byner up and down. It was like he was assessing a dirty object and the look Zich gave was so infuriating that even a bystander like Hans felt ufortable. It was even more so for Byner, the direct target of Zich¡¯s insults. Byner frantically tried to repress the unpleasantness he felt when Zich added, ¡°How could you threaten us with your skills? Rather than wasting my breath on talking about your existence, I would rather eat another loaf of bread.¡±

    Zich¡¯s clear and thorough disregard for him made Byner¡¯s eyes see red. The reason why he didn¡¯t immediately attack Zich was because of their difference in skills and the fact he was inside Steelwall¡¯s camp.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t expect you toe as a dispatch rider. I hear how unabashed I am at times, but I don¡¯t think I would be able to do something so bold to my ex-master, whom I betrayed. Congrattions. You finally beat me in something.¡± Zich winked and raised both thumbs, but nobody in the room really took his words aspliments.

    ¡°Did they really give you this job because you failed in the n to get the Karuwimans involved by using the Steelwalls as Bellid followers? <i>Ahaha.</i> It really must be hard to live as a betrayer. You must really have to kiss your boss¡¯ ass to secure a position for yourself. I understand. I ept all forms of living, though I would rather kill myself rather than live like that.¡± Zich brought his hands to his neck and pretended to sever his head.

    ¡°Some people wish to live bravely like lions and some people want to live like sewer rats. Thus, I will root for you. All the people in the world will probably mock and despise your pitiful life, but you must persevere and live your life! Every time you are in doubt, remember my face and cheer up!!¡±

    Blood dripped from Byner¡¯s hands. He clenched his fist so tightly that his nails pierced his palms. Count Steelwall and the captains, especially the captain of the Steel Spear Order of Knights, swallowed back their anger and were now watching the scene in front of them with keen interest. It was extremely enjoyable to watch a traitor be roasted alive.

    ¡°¡­If it wasn¡¯t for you bastard¡­¡±

    ¡°What?¡± Zich put his hand on his ear and exaggeratedly pointed it towards Byner.

    Byner remarked, ¡°If it wasn¡¯t for our duel, I wouldn¡¯t have fallen like this!¡± It sounded like a desperate cry full of heartache. Anyone could clearly sense the pain and despair in his strained voice.

    However, it was not a voice that could get through Zich. ¡°Wow, I was wondering what you were trying to say, but let me make this clear. You picked a fight first, you tried to escape punishment by lying, you easily epted a duel against me, and you were the one who got beaten up shitless by me. How can you pass all the me onto me?¡± Zich didn¡¯t show any anger or hatred; his attitude seemed just like someone dealing with a child. ¡°After all that, you¡¯re scummy trash who tried to sell off the lord you served just because I¡¯m coborating with the Steelwalls.¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s also responsible for that!¡± Byner pointed his fingers at Count Steelwall. There was already no trace of respect toward his former lord in his words or action.

    ¡°Of course, I¡¯m not saying he¡¯s not responsible either. However, his basic stance towards me was neglect, and he didn¡¯t encourage his underlings to abuse me. Thus, your actions towards me were fundamentally your responsibility.¡± Then, Zich shrugged. ¡°Why don¡¯t you stop ming others for your actions? Greig also got beaten up like you, but he didn¡¯t sell off Steelwall because he hated me. Even though it seems as if he caused a nuisance to his surroundings while drinking, that was the extent of his offense. He¡¯s also gotten a lot better since then and has been recovering from that trauma.¡±

    Then, Zich grabbed Hans¡¯ shoulder as Hans stood next to him and said, ¡°I dragged Hans out because of your loss, but even he is being treated as a hero in certain ces. What happened to you? You were the one who received the highest expectations and hope out of those three. How does it feel to fall behind by yourself? Wasn¡¯t itfortable to rest your butt on the ground while everyone was running their ass off? Isn¡¯t that why you had so much time to think about doing such useless things?¡±

    Zich took a step forward, and at this distance, he could clearly see Byner¡¯s bloodshot eyes. ¡°You came here to propose surrender, but there is not a single person who¡¯s going to say they¡¯ll surrender. So, why don¡¯t you go back now and wag your tail at your new owner? Don¡¯t you have to work hard to please him so that you can at least get a few leftover bone scraps?¡±

    Then, Zich took three steps to the side and pointed toward the entrance. ¡°As you can see, the exit is over there. Let¡¯s see each other on the battlefield.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡± Byner stared at the tent¡¯s exit and moved his gaze back to Zich.

    ¡°You¡­¡± A strange voice flowed out of Byner¡¯s mouth as if the air was escaping out of dry, cracked earth. ¡°I swear I¡¯ll kill you if we meet on the battlefield.¡±

    ¡°Wow, that¡¯s a very cool deration. I¡¯ve heard that many times, but of course, there¡¯s not a single person who remains alive after saying that to me.¡± Zich¡¯s cheeryughter annoyed the hell out of Byner. Zich continued, ¡°Unfortunately, I¡¯m already booked by another person in this war. My poprity shows no signs of ever cooling down. s, the fate of a popr person is really tough. So why don¡¯t we do this instead?¡±

    Zich suddenly pointed at Hans, and Hans flinched in surprise. ¡°First, try defeating Hans. I don¡¯t feel like giving someone of your level the right to immediately challenge me. Normally, for these matters, it¡¯s best to first take down the underlings before you get to the final boss. Even though he looks like this, Hans is my number one disciple. Even though he has some dumb moments, his skills are pretty good. If you beat Hans, I¡¯ll even set up a date to fight with you.¡±

    Byner stared at Hans, and Hans gulped. However, thissted only for a moment, and Byner¡¯s gaze moved back to Zich. His gaze was filled with hatred and murderous intent.

    <i>p!</i> Byner angrily flipped open the cloth covering the entrance and left themander''s headquarters.

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t seem like he understood me, right?¡±

    ¡°Probably, sir.¡± Hans shook his head. Even though he¡¯d gotten used to it, he still thought that Zich¡¯s ability to anger people to the verge of dying out of frustration was truly terrifying. He thought, ¡®If things went differently, would I have ended up like him?¡¯

    Since Hans had also looked down on Zich and was forcibly dragged out by him, Byner¡¯s story hit close to home. ¡®I might have to thank Lady Sara Steelwall¡­¡¯

    Hans knew that the reason why Zich had softened his punishment towards him was because Zich¡¯s mother, Sara, had severely bullied him. Even though Sara Steelwall was a terrible person, he felt a surge of gratitude towards her when he thought about how he didn¡¯t end up like Byner. In any case, Hans decided to be happy about the fact that Zich¡¯s verbal attacks were not directed toward him.

 Chapter 501

    <h4>Chapter 501</h4>

    After Byner left, the people inside themander''s headquarters turned to Zich. People admired or appeared unsettled by the way Zich treated Byner, but the Count said, ¡°You drove the dispatch rider away on your own ord,¡± the Count said.

    ¡°He came to tell you to just surrender anyway. Were you nning to ept it when our enemies¡¯ intention to anger us and make us refuse by sending a betrayer is so obvious?¡±

    ¡°Your grandfather is the type of person who would do things like that without blinking an eye. Well, you are right. I have no intention to surrender so it doesn¡¯t matter whether he sends me a betrayer or not.¡± Although it was unbelievable for someone to send back the dispatch rider without asking the superiormander, the Count didn¡¯t disagree with Zich. Other people also did the same seeing the Count¡¯s response. Even the person heavily scowling like he was deeply upset about the situation didn¡¯t raise questions.

    ¡°I just came to pick on Byner when I saw that he came as a dispatch rider,¡± Zich then said.

    ¡°¡­Is that really all?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s really no other reason why you came here?¡±

    ¡°That is exactly what I¡¯m saying.¡±

    The Count clutched his forehead. He thought Zich became a brazen guy, but he didn¡¯t think Zich was this reckless too. To be honest, the Count did feel refreshed seeing Zich wrangle Byner dry, but he didn¡¯t expect Zich toe inside themander''s headquarters just to do that. The Count nced at Hans who appeared a bit exasperated, but he didn¡¯t appear to be surprised.

    ¡®In other words, he must be used to Zich behaving this way.¡¯

    The Count shook his head. After parting ways with Zich, the Count regretted leaving Zich unattended for most of his youth instead of teaching him some manners. It was the first time Count regretted his treatment of Zich in the past.

    ¡°It¡¯s fine. I had an announcement to make anyway. You should stay to listen since you are already here.¡±

    ¡°Do you have something else in mind? I heard that your strategy is to focus on defense right now.¡±

    ¡°Of course, I will move with a focus on defense. However, just because we are on the defensive doesn¡¯t mean we have to be stuck in only one ce. Even if a defensive strategy is advantageouspared to an offensive one, we will have the weakness of losing our initiative over the battle. We should try to limit our weakness as much as possible.¡±

    ¡°Then, what must I do?¡± Even if Zich epted the Count as themander-in-chief right now, he was more than willing to refuse the Count¡¯s order if he didn¡¯t like the order.

    ¡°We will have to thoroughly torment them.¡±

    ¡°Tell me the method.¡±

    Although, if he <i>did</i> like the order, Zich didn¡¯t mind following it too.

    * * *

    At the invader¡¯s campsite, the military forces were joined by the allied forces, but everyone knew that the main force belonged to Count ud. Thus, naturally, Count ud was themander-in-chief. Right now, Count ud was meeting face-to-face with Byner in his tent, which was the first one that was built.

    ¡°They refused our offer to surrender?¡±

    ¡°Count Steelwall didn¡¯t refuse in person, but seeing how he didn¡¯t stop Zich from chasing me away, it¡¯s clear he has no intention to surrender.¡±

    Count ud stared at Byner. To stabilize and secure his position as a betrayer, Byner had headed to where Count Steelwall was without any fuss to ry the offer; but when he returned, there was something wrong with Byner¡¯s attitude. Byner appeared to be polite to the Count like usual, but his mind was elsewhere.

    ¡®It¡¯s simr to Glen Zenard.¡¯ The two guys whopletely screwed up the n to involve Karuwimans at Yuras were now even beginning to act alike. However, unlike how he acted to Glen, Count ud didn¡¯t say much to Byner because he was not a very important man, and the Count simply thought, ¡®I have no intention of giving him any special ns, and I¡¯m sure he will just die on the battlefield on his own if he doesn¡¯t get a grip soon.¡¯

    Thus, Count ud said, ¡°Good work. You can leave now.¡±

    ¡°Yes, thank you, sir!¡±

    After Byner left, Count ud spread out a map on top of his desk and began to think about the uing war. Soon, something interrupted his thinking time.

    ¡°Sir Count! Viscount Pinne arrived!¡±

    ¡°Guide him in!¡± Count ud immediately yelled at the soldier.

    A stout, half-balding man entered through the entrance. It was Viscount Pinne. Like his appearance, the Viscount¡¯s personality was also not that great. Furthermore, inparison to Count ud, his forces were iparably weaker. Since they were even from different countries, Count ud normally wouldn¡¯t have even ced the Viscount on his mind for even a brief moment. However, it was different now. Viscount Pinne was now an important coborator who allowed Count ud to attack Steelwall without being seen as an invader from a neighboring country.

    ¡°What is it, Viscount Pinne?¡± Personally, Count ud didn¡¯t want to be too acquainted with Viscount Pinne, but he still forced a smile.

    ¡°I came because there was something I wanted to discuss about the war.¡±

    ¡°Discuss? I thought we finished talking about most matters in thest meeting.¡±

    ¡°That was before the situation changed.¡±

    Count ud sighed lightly, knowing what the Viscount was talking about.

    ¡°Are you talking about the reinforcements that are gathered at the Steelwall residence?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    Unlike the time when the allied forces first confidently dered war against the Steelwalls, they were now in a bit of a bind. It was because reinforcements had appeared for the Steelwalls. Of course, they thought Steelwall would be able to get some support forces with all the connections they had made until now no matter how bad the public opinion was against them. However, the reinforcements that arrived at Steelwallpletely flipped over their expectations.

    ¡°Well, let¡¯s just say that support from Marquess Rouge and Marquess Windpool were still within our line of expectations. Even though they aren¡¯t very close to Steelwall and they¡¯re one of the highest ranking nobles in the kingdom, it still makes sense to me somewhat despite how bitter it makes me feel. Hiring the Wolf¡¯s Canine mercenaries also makes sense to me. Even though the Wolf¡¯s Canine is a famous mercenary group, they¡¯re still mercenaries in the end. The Steelwalls could have easily hired them with their wealth.¡± These reinforcements he listed out so far were still within normal lines of thought; of course, they were still much more than what they expected the Steelwalls to gather. However, the reinforcements that cameter were apletely different story.

    ¡°But this isn¡¯t true for the mages from the magical tower or the elves.¡±

    Count ud narrowed his eyes. He also thought it was ridiculous when he heard this news for the first time.

    ¡°I heard that the former master of the magical tower and his disciples have joined the Steelwalls! They are one of the best mages even in Sunewick! Sir, you must know also very well how powerful mages can be on the battlefield.¡±

    ¡°We also have mages on our side.¡±

    ¡°Yes, but they¡¯re all mages who failed in a rebellion and barely managed to survive.¡±

    Count ud did not reply because it was clear to everyone the stark difference in the power between these two groups.

    Viscount Pinne continued, ¡°That¡¯s already a pain in the neck, but I¡¯ve heard that elves have also joined the Steelwalls! Why the hell are elves joining in a war between humans!¡±

    Elves. Everyone knew of their existence, but very few people had seen them in person. It was hard to believe that elves who distanced themselves from human society suddenly appeared as their enemies, so it was only natural for the allied forces to fall into chaos.

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter if elves were just a mysterious, magical race, but you know they¡¯re nothing tough about!¡± Due to their innately higher physical ability and lifespan than humans, they often surpassed humans with pure martial arts alone. Their skills with the bow, which was the first weapon that came to mind when people thought of elves, were also close to being supernatural. Moreover, each and every one of them was a powerful mage. A race like that suddenly emerged as their enemy in droves. On the other hand, this wasn¡¯t their only problem.

    ¡°I¡¯ve also heard that other nobles in the Cronon Kingdom heard this news and are moving to support Count Steelwall. Although the nobles of the Cronon Kingdom were reluctant to support Count Steelwall because of the malicious rumors surrounding the Steelwall Estate, they were beginning to show signs of supporting him little by little as reinforcements gathered around Steelwall. News that the former master of the magical tower and the elves were on the Steelwalls¡¯ side was the pivotal reason.

    ¡°If they drag out the time a little further, other nobles in the Cronon Kingdom will begin sending their reinforcements to Steelwall. Then, our advantage in numbers would disappear.¡±

    Then, the allied forces would bepletely at a disadvantage. They were currently in enemy territory, and they couldn¡¯t say that the quality of their soldiers were better either. Their enemy was the Steelwalls, known for their military prowess. The number of soldiers, which was the only thing they overwhelmingly had an advantage over the Steelwalls, might soon be equal. It was only natural that Viscount Pinne would be nervous. In the worst case scenario that they lost, Count ud and the others in the allied forces could return to their own countries but Pinne was an aristocrat in the Cronon Kingdom and couldn¡¯t leave. There was no way that Count Steelwall would leave the Pinnes alone.

    Viscount Pinne continued, ¡°We need to crush them before the other nobles begin sending their reinforcements to Steelwall. You must know how hard it is better than anyone else, since the uds have fought with the Steelwalls for generations.¡± Time wasn¡¯t on the side of the allied forces either.

    Viscount Pinne sighed. ¡°When we joined forces, we were in an overwhelmingly advantageous position, but I don¡¯t know how it became like this¡­¡±

    Count ud also agreed with Viscount Pinne in this matter. He had been overjoyed that his sweet dream of finally beating the Steelwalls woulde true, but before he knew it, they were at a disadvantage.

    Viscount Pinne nced at Count ud. ¡°ording to the rumors, most of the reinforcements are apparently from Count Steelwall¡¯s first son, Zich. Your grandson.¡±

    Zich. His name was brought up again. Count ud thought that his grandson waspletely useless, but now, he was slowly pushing them into a corner. ¡°We¡¯re merely connected by blood. We share no personal feelings as grandson and grandfather.¡±

    Viscount Pinne also seemed to have no intentions of digging further into this matter, and he just nodded. ¡°Anyway, please know that I¡¯m not the only one with these worries. The others will probably say the same thing in our uing meeting that¡¯s going to happen soon.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve listened to your concerns.¡± Even though it was bothersome as hell, Count ud did not show it. Instead, he made a serious expression as if he had carefully regarded the Viscount¡¯s opinions and thought of them as extremely important. He added, ¡°Your words do have a point, but we also have a lot of talent on our side. What you¡¯re worried about won¡¯t happen, so it¡¯ll be better for you to not worry too much.¡±

    ¡°¡­I¡¯ll trust you.¡± While not erasing the suspicions in his eyes, Viscount Pinne then left themander''s headquarters.

    Count ud sat back on his chair and looked down at the map. However, unlike before, he couldn¡¯t stay focused. Count ud covered his forehead with his hand and looked up at the ceiling. Even though the war hadn¡¯t even started yet, he was already tired.

 Chapter 502

    <h4>Chapter 502</h4>

    After the soldiers moved in a hurry, themotion inside the camp settled down. It wasn¡¯tpletely quiet, as expected of a ce that housed soldiers preparing for an imminent war. Yet, the tent that Chelsea stayed in was considerably quieter and better than most. The size of the tent was not only big¡ªa few people shared it, and the goods stored there were also of better quality. Overall, it was better than mostmanders¡¯ amodations.

    This was only expected for someone of her rank. Chelsea was an outstanding holy mage, selected as a saint candidate at one point among the many priests in the church. Furthermore, her power was especially weed on a battlefield where the boundary between life and death was the faintest. Yet, even though she received such splendid treatment, Chelsea wasn¡¯t pleased.

    ¡®I hope it will be all right.¡¯ Even if her living space was better than most, the tent¡¯s hard bed, iparable to the luxuries she enjoyed during her saint candidate days, subtly poked her bottom. The situation greatly irritated her, but the anxiety she felt far surpassed the irritation she felt about her bed.

    ¡®I can¡¯t fail this time.¡¯

    It was quite shocking that Uruwon Luce, who was the closest to bing a high priest, quit his position, stating religious convictions as his reason. She had paid great attention to this war when hearing that the Bellids were involved and even after the Karuwimans dered neutrality. Chelsea thought this war could be her opportunity. Thus, not long after Luce left his priest position, Chelsea also left the church for the same reasons as him. Furthermore, her heart was also the same as Luce¡¯s.

    ¡°My status will increase another rank if I just seed this time.¡¯

    If they defeated Steelwall and managed to find evidence that they were connected to the Bellids inside their residence, the Karuwimans would have to call her back again even after they dered neutrality. Naturally, they would also see her in a different light.

    ¡®I can also get Priest Luce¡¯s support too.¡¯ Although they hardly knew each other, Luce was the one who had rmended herpanion, Glen, as an Honorary Knight. Naturally, his opinion of her wouldn¡¯t be bad either, and now she had followed in his footsteps, leaving the church and joining Count ud¡¯s forces to participate in this war. They already exchanged a simple greeting on the battlefield.

    If everything went well and Luce sessfully returned to the church, he would have established a great victory and name for himself even before bing a high priest. Since Luce was already thought to be the next high priest, if he seeded in this battle even while at odds with the Pope, he would rise to be on the level of bing the next pope.

    ¡®If that happens, my position inside the church would also grow.¡¯ Then, she would be praised for having stepped down from her position along with the future pope for the purpose of stopping the Bellids¡¯ schemes. They would call her the truly faithful follower of Karuna, and the thought of the praise she would receive gave Chelsea the jitters.

    ¡®I heard that bitch, Lube, also tried to step down from her position.¡¯ Unlike the situation with Luce, news of Chelsea¡¯s quitting was less known because of this reason. Of course, there were stark differences in the status and authority that Luce heldpared to Chelsea, but it was also true that Lube¡¯s intention to resignpletely buried news about Chelsea¡¯s withdrawal.

    To think that her once-in-a-lifetime, high-risk gamble to quit the church would be buried by Lube so that it wouldn¡¯t even make the headlines¡­ Lube was really an existence that she couldn¡¯t like by any means. Furthermore, the fact that her resignation was processed without many issues while the Pope stepped forward himself to stop Lube clearly showed the difference in their statuses and that made Chelsea feel worse.

    If she thought about it, this wasn¡¯t all that bad. ¡®They said the ce she wanted to support after resigning was Steelwall.¡¯

    This meant that if the alliance with Count ud won and they found evidence of Bellid¡¯s connection with the Steelwalls, Lube¡¯s name could be greatly tarnished. Then, Chelsea would be able toe closer to her wish to drag down Lube from her position and be the next saintess. Just the thought of it brought her pure joy.

    For this joyful thought to turn into reality, she needed one, absolute condition: Count ud¡¯s alliance to end victorious. Thinking this, Chelsea let out a sigh. She was aware of the general situation right now. Just a couple of days ago, the possibility of their win was very high, almost guaranteed. Yet, the situation was different now.

    Count ud¡¯s alliance still had the advantage in numbers, but it was true that the current atmosphere was different from before. Chelsea nced to her side. There was an empty bed that belonged to Pina who shared the tent with her. After hearing that she would be fighting against arge number of people from the Pulru School of Magic, the flicker in Pina¡¯s eyes changed. It seemed like she was hanging around with people from her school of magic and igniting her desire for victory.

    ¡®Her eyes show that she¡¯s half-mad.¡¯ However, Pina¡¯s new preupation wasn¡¯t very important to Chelseapared to her concerns for another person.

    ¡°Lady Windne.¡± A familiar voice soon called her outside the tent.

    ¡°Come in.¡±

    Winstin Dyner pped open the tent¡¯s curtains and entered. As someone who had guarded Chelsea in her saint candidate days, he also left the church alongside Luce and Chelsea. He was now serving as one of the knights in Count ud¡¯s forces.

    ¡°How is he?¡± Chelsea¡¯s voice sounded slightly hopeful, but Winstin shook his head.

    ¡°He¡¯s the same as before.¡±

    Chelsea pressed her lips into a thin line. The leader of their party, Glen Zenard¡ªthe Karuwiman Honorary Knight with outstanding skills who once dered loudly that they should all try to amass fame and glory¡ªhad been acting strangely recently.

    ¡®It started after he came back from Yuras.¡¯

    Chelsea knew that their n in Yuraspletely failed, but how could someone change so much because of one failure?

    ¡®He should be better as a leader¡­!¡¯ Since Lube stole her opportunity to be the next Saintess, Chelsea had hoped Glen would give her another opportunity to regain her rightful position and wanted Glen to show a more reliable and trustworthy appearance as a leader. However, it seemed as if Glen was constantly being chased by something. ¡®I should¡¯ve known since I saw him getting swayed by that man named Zich!¡¯

    Chelsea was annoyed that Zich was pushing back the person she chose to follow, and Zich also had a close rtionship with Lube. From bodyguard to connections outside of Karuwiman, Chelsea had nothing that could beat Lube.

    ¡°Do you think that his behavior will cause any negative impacts on this war?¡±

    ¡°No. Rather, I think he¡¯s much more passionate about this war than anything else.¡±

    Chelsea was relieved to hear this. She suppressed her conflicted emotions. Even though their current situation was very unstable, they had a lot more troops on their side. In terms of quality and skills, it was a bit worrisome, but it was not to the extent that they would be defeated so easily. She thought, ¡®Yeah. We just have to win. Everything will be fine if we win.¡¯

    If she re-established her position within Karuwiman after winning this war, she wouldn¡¯t need to be part of a small party and travel around anymore. Once she sessfully returned to Karuwiman, she could shake up the weakened Pope and Lube and be the next Saintess. Chelsea firmed her resolve and burned with the desire to win.

    * * *

    It was now the second day since Count ud¡¯s allied forces set up their campsite. The Steelwalls were still in a defensive position and showed no signs of moving outside of their base. However, the allied forces were the ones on the offense and could not stand still. In the end, the doors of the allied forces¡¯ campsites opened, and the soldiers began pouring out. Even while the allied forces made amotion while organizing their formations, the Steelwalls didn¡¯t make a move. Count ud frowned and thought, ¡®This should be the perfect time for them to strike.¡¯

    Targeting an enemy before they organized their formation was a great time to attack, so Count ud hoped that the Steelwalls would initiate an attack during this time. However, the Steelwalls still showed no signs of movement, so he was disappointed. ¡®I guess it can¡¯t be helped. We¡¯ll have to crush them with our strength.¡¯ Even though the damage they¡¯d receive would increase, he had already prepared his mind for that. If all the forces under hismand were exterminated, Count ud could happily smile at the sky if he could beat Steelwall.

    ¡°Attack.¡± Count ud gave out his order. The soldier next to him signaled, and the signal soon spread throughout the troops.

    <i>Thud!</i> The soldiers at the very front stepped forward.

    * * *

    ¡®They¡¯reing.¡¯ Zich was staring at the allied forces on top of the campsite¡¯s walls, and he put his hand on top of his sword¡¯s hilt. However, his attitude was unbelievably nonchnt for someone who was facing a war. ¡®As expected, the ones on the very front are throwaways.¡¯

    The soldiers¡¯ formation was a mess, their armor was of low quality, and their movements were clumsy. Zich thought, ¡®They¡¯re definitely not Count ud¡¯s troops, so they must be mercenaries or one of the surrounding estates¡¯ foot soldiers.¡¯

    Even though the Steelwalls continuously beat the uds, they had a sizable enemy, and their soldiers were well-trained. There was no way that any of their soldiers would show such clumsy movements. The allied forces began slowly moving forward. Since they hadn¡¯t reached the campsite yet, the Steelwalls showed no particr response.

    <i>Puuuuuuuuuu!</i> A loud bugle came from the allied forces.

    <i>Owahhhhhhhh!</i> The troops shouted loudly and began running toward the Steewalls. At the same time, the Steelwalls immediately shoot arrows from their walls. It was the official beginning of a full-fledged battle.

    * * *

    <i>Splurt!</i> Zich¡¯s sword sliced a soldier climbing a wooden wall. The soldier received arge wound on his neck and fell to the ground. His eyes were full of fear and disbelief that he was going to die, but Zich didn¡¯t care. It was ridiculous for him to feel any emotions about killing a soldier after all this time.

    <i>Slice!</i> Blood spurted out again, and another soldier fell. Zich rhythmically sliced the soldiers and scanned his surroundings. So far, the battle was progressing like any other battle. Steelwall soldiers repelled their enemies by climbing on the wooden walls with arrows and spears. There were no rough charges from knights or fancy magic from mages. The allied forces were saving their elite soldiers and utilizing their superior numbers, and the Steelwalls were also only sending out their regr soldiers.

    However, the allied forces wouldn¡¯t be able to hold onto their elite soldiers for long, and the real battle would start when they came forward. The allied forces continued to batter Steelwall¡¯s walls for three days. They attacked in almost every direction to find a weak spot and received a lot of damage. However, the allied forces¡¯ troops still had the advantage. Three dayster, soldiers that hadn¡¯te forward until now appeared into view¡ªsoldiers fully armored with precise formation. Afterpleting their analysis of Steelwall¡¯s walls, the allied forcesunched a new attack.

 Chapter 503

    <h4>Chapter 503</h4>

    Count ud¡¯s new force stationed themselves on top of the hignds in clear view of the Steelwall soldiers. Anyone could see that this new force was different from all the other forces they had seen, and the Steelwall soldiers appeared to be two times as nervous.

    ¡°The real battle will start now.¡± Hans gripped Estede tightly and beside him, Snoc looked at the battlefield with Nowem riding on his shoulder. Elena wasn¡¯t with him. She was with her grandfather and the other mages. Another person, Lara, stared at the advancing troops.

    ¡°Will you be all right? You might have to fight Glen Zenard.¡± Zich directed his question at Lara.

    Lara turned to him, and surprisingly, it didn¡¯t take long for her to nod.

    ¡°I¡¯ve already sorted my feelings and made up my mind. I didn¡¯t leave his party with light determination.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s good then. If you happen to meet him again, prepare yourself. He won¡¯t be the same person you used to know.¡±

    ¡°Are you telling me to remain firm since he¡¯s an enemy now?¡±

    ¡°No. First of all, his skills have improved dramatically. There¡¯s a high chance he won¡¯t be just firm when meeting you.¡±

    ¡°¡­I understand. I¡¯ll keep that in mind.¡±

    ¡°I will stick closely to her side,¡± Hans said.

    ¡°Okay, but if that guyes, send me a signal immediately. I¡¯m not exaggerating when I say he¡¯s going to be the scariest guy among our enemies right now.¡±

    ¡°Yes, sir.¡±

    ¡°Keep that in mind and you both can do whatever you like for the rest,¡± Zich said and stared in front of him while licking his lips. ¡°Likewise, I also n to do whatever I want to.¡±

    * * *

    Although Count ud brought the elite forces, he didn¡¯t deploy them immediately. Like before, the ones who stood at the very front were the mercenaries whocked training and equipment and soldiers belonging to other estates.

    <i>Waaaaaaah! </i>While screaming, soldiers charged forward. As expected, the soldiers who were not well-equipped or trained didn¡¯t have high morale or a strong will. Yet, behind them, there stood their superiors wielding sharp spears, staring at them intently. They knew that although they had a high chance of dying if they continued to advance, they had a definite chance of death if they turned back and ran away. Thus, the soldiers had no choice but to continue marching toward their deaths.

    <i>Pwing! Ping!</i>

    A torrent of arrows began to pour down from the sky again. The arrows aimed toward the sky changed their trajectories to the ground and pointed their sharp edges at the sea of soldiers.

    ¡°Kuaaah!¡±

    ¡°Ahhh!¡±

    Unable to defend themselves, the allied forces¡¯ soldiers were helplessly shot. Some of them held up shields that they retrieved from somewhere or made themselves, but there were very few of them. Even among these few, there weren¡¯t many who could use them properly because of theck of training. The only thing that most soldiers could do was watch the arrows fly in the air and hope that they wouldn¡¯t hit them. Nevertheless, the allied forces pushed on. They ced wovendders onto the wall and tried to climb up the giant wall. Some threw their ropes while some brashly stuck their axes onto the wooden wall.

    Yet, whatever they did, the Steelwall soldiers fiercely blocked them. A great number of casualties arose on both sides, but expectedly, the allied forces bore the brunt of these damages. It was then that Count ud¡¯s elite forces began to move.

    <i>Thud! Thud! Thud!</i>

    Count ud¡¯s elite forces moved in perfect synchronization as if they shared one consciousness and ced great pressure on the bystanders.

    ¡®They areing.¡¯ As he swung away the heads of enemies that were endlessly trying to climb above the wall, Zich¡¯s gaze turned sharp. The fact that Count ud¡¯s elite forces were moving indicated that their enemies were seriouslying for them now.

    ¡®I¡¯m sure Glen Zenard will move with them,¡¯ Zich thought.

    * * *

    Although Count ud¡¯s elite forces began to move, the ones who began attacking first were their mages. While getting protection from specially selected knights from the uds, the mages stood at a distance where they were away from the arrows¡¯ reach but were still in range of their spells. Then, they began to murmur incantations while lifting their staffs.

    <i>Sssssh! </i>

    A chilly aura, characteristic of the Conrad School of Magic, began to surround the area so that even the knights protecting the mages began to shudder in the cold.

    <i>Pooop!</i>

    A small ice chip formed in the air. Then, they began to clump together on a single point and began to grow in size. The continuous chilliness aided their growth.

    <i>Pop! </i>In an instant, icicles formed in the air, and the Conrad mages pointed their staffs toward the front.

    <i>Swoosh! Swoooosh! </i>

    The icicles began to fly in unison. Therge mass that came with its gigantic size sped across, and only those who were directly struck by them could fathom its destructive power. No matter how sturdy they were, it was clear the wooden walls had been erected temporarily for this war. The walls would be instantly crushed by these ice attacks. The Steelwalls watched the icicles fearfully, but their fear didn¡¯tst long.

    <i>Crackle! Craaackle!</i>

    Large masses of fire floated from the Steelwalls¡¯ side. The soldiers flinched from these fireballs that looked ready to burn away everything within their reach, but thankfully, the fireballs¡¯ targets weren¡¯t them.

    <i>Whoosh! Whoosh!</i>

    The fireballs shot forward and shed against the icicles flying toward the Steelwall.

    <i>Baam!</i>

    Strong mes danced in the air and hot steam poured out.

    ¡°Ahh!¡±

    ¡°Kkkuaaaah!¡± Soldiers who were below the point where the two spells shed felt the heat and shrieked in pain. Even those who were well-equipped fell victim to the fire, as the hot steam dug into the gaps between their armor and cooked them alive. Since the location where the hot steam burst was outside of the wall, the only ones who were harmed by it were the allied forces¡¯ soldiers.

    <i>Boom! Boom! Boom! </i>

    Magic collided in the air a couple of times, and every time this happened, hot steam sshed the soldiers. Yet, the mages appeared to be unconcerned about these soldiers. Their eyes were only focused on the mages in front of them.

    ¡°Hm, as expected. They can put up a fight.¡± Walwiss narrowed his eyes and scanned the Conrad mages from a distance.

    A disciple next to him said, ¡°Sir, regardless of their current situation, they¡¯re still one of the biggest schools, and we didn¡¯t even destroy them for the coup d''etat they initiatedst time, so it¡¯s only reasonable that they¡¯re still strong. Moreover, they have a lot more mages on their side.¡±

    ¡°So, you¡¯re saying that you¡¯re not confident about winning this battle?¡±

    His discipleughed as if Walwiss had just told him a joke. ¡°Of course not. I was merely acknowledging my opponent¡¯s skills.¡±

    ¡°If you have time to boast, quickly send out another spell like the others!¡± Walwiss kicked his disciple¡¯s butt and pushed them forward. Then, he stared at the Conrad mages and raised his staff and said, ¡°Don¡¯t hate me.¡±

    <i>Crackkle!</i> Fireballs appeared in the air. Each fireball was as big as a person¡¯s head, and they quickly increased in number and passed over a hundred. The mages of the Conrad School of Magic also noticed the fireballs, and their movements became even faster. Walwiss lightly swung his staff, but the results of his movement were not light at all. The fireballs floating in the air struck the mages from the Conrad School of Magic one after another.

    ¡°Block it!¡± The Conrad mages didn¡¯t idly stand by either. They hurriedly finished reciting their spells after seeing that Walwiss¡¯ spell wasplete. Fist-sized ice balls, ice spikes, and a tall ice wall were formed at the same time. Ice magic desperately created by the Conrad mages faced Walwiss¡¯ mes in the air.

    <i>Bam! Bam! Bam!</i> A massive amount of steam formed in the air, just like when the fireballs and ice spikes collided against each other. The Conrad mages expected this to happen, so they attacked from a distance and were able to avoid any direct damage.

    ¡°Aghhh!¡±

    ¡°Ugh! Ahhhhh!¡±

    However, the unlucky soldiers were caught up in the massive steam. Even though the Conrad mages intercepted arge number of fireballs, there were still a great number of fireballs left, and the ice walls blocked those fireballs.

    <i>Bammmm!</i> The mes could not pierce through the ice walls. However, no one was relieved.

    ¡®They finally stopped it.¡¯ A knight ordered to protect the mages lowered his sword and sighed. He nced at the mages near him; every single one of them looked nervous, and one was even dripping with sweat.

    ¡®How can they struggle so much to just block one person¡¯s magic?¡¯ Of course, that person was no ordinary opponent. The knight clearly heard the leader of the Conrad mages saying that the former master of the magical tower was attacking them.

    The knight already knew that the former master of the magical tower was on their enemy¡¯s side, and due to the former master¡¯s participation, the power bnce of the mage forces hadpletely shifted to their enemy¡¯s side. However, it was apletely different feeling to experience the different power bnce in real life. He clearly felt from their attack just now that the mages on their side were no match for the enemy mages.

    ¡®¡­Count ud ordered me to bring back the mages alive at all costs.¡¯ The knight tightened his grip on his sword.

    * * *

    ¡®Hmm, it got blocked. Those guys are pretty good.¡¯ Walwiss smacked his lips as the spell he cast with arge amount of mana was blocked. However, his disappointment was brief because he didn¡¯t think that he could defeat all his enemies with just a single attack. When all of Walwiss¡¯ spell was blocked, the Pulru mages began shooting out their magic attacks again. The Conrad mages also began retaliating again, but since they spent so much mana blocking Walwiss¡¯ magic, they couldn¡¯t properly intercept likest time. The Conrad mages weren¡¯t able to intercept a couple of the magic attacks and were about to get hit when¡ª

    <i>Bam! Bam!</i> The fireballs exploded in the air. It wasn¡¯t the Conrad mages who made the fireballs explode.

    ¡®It¡¯s the bodyguards.¡¯ Walwiss saw the knights around the Conrad mages pull out their swords and swing them around. Their swords sliced the fireballs and made them explode. Walwiss thought, ¡®They seem quite skilled. Since the expert soldiers are guarding the Conrad mages, they must be receiving great treatment.¡¯

    When the knights began blocking most of the magic directed toward them, the Conrad mages regained some of theirposure. They left most of the spells heading towards them to the knights and began to focus on attacking. Then, on the contrary, the Pulru mages had to go on the defensive. Walwiss thought they couldn¡¯t stay like this and was about to start another magic attack when¡ª

    <i>Swoosh!</i> Something shed past Walwiss and made a small shockwave.

    ¡°Ack!¡± A knight who was slicing a magic attack fell to the ground. There was a stir in the enemy camp. Walwiss nced behind him. He saw an elf pulling a new arrow out of her quiver.

 Chapter 504

    <h4>Chapter 504</h4>

    Walwiss intended to express gratitude to the elf behind him for helping the mages. Although there were quite a few people who had negative prejudice toward elves, he was not such a person. Thus, he turned around, but when he saw who the elf was, Walwiss clicked his tongue instead.

    ¡°Is that how you respond to someone who just helped you all out? Is that how humans usually behave?¡± Leona said mockingly while nocking her arrow onto her bowstring. Then, she added, ¡°Ah, I spoke without thinking. Zich and the other humans I saw are different. It seems like it¡¯s just your personality that¡¯s the problem.¡±

    ¡°You should think long and hard before you speak from now on. It¡¯s not proper for someone of your age to think so little¡­¡± Walwiss responded and clicked his tongue a couple more times.

    Leona red at him menacingly, but Walwiss had already turned his gaze back to the mages again.

    <i>Shaaaa!</i> A cluster of arrows flew toward Walwiss with a chilling sound. It looked as if the arrowhead would pierce through his skin any moment now.

    <i>Crack!</i>

    Yet, the fireworks popping in Walwiss¡¯ surroundings burned the arrowspletely.

    ¡®As I thought, it¡¯s not safe here either.¡¯ Walwiss surveyed the battlefield. Although the allied forces¡¯ archers¡¯ attacks weren¡¯t as effective as those from the Steelwalls¡¯ archers, they were stillunching arrows past the walls. Of course, there was no way an aimless arrow that wasn¡¯t even like the elves¡¯ arrows could threaten Walwiss, but they posed a danger to the other mages. Walwiss looked at the other mages. They were also blocking the arrows by making a firewall, and there were soldiers holdingrge shields, sticking close to their sides.

    Although the Steelwalls didn¡¯t give up their elite knights to protect the mages as the allied forces did, the soldiers protecting them were still formidable. However, that didn¡¯t mean the mages werepletely safe from the rain of arrows.

    ¡®I mean, there¡¯s no ce that¡¯s safe on a battlefield,¡¯ Walwiss thought. The only scenario when a battlefield became safe was when the battle was over. Walwiss burned with passion to make this scenario a reality.

    <i>Crackle!</i>

    A fire spark burned at the edge of Walwiss¡¯ staff again. He didn¡¯t create as many fire sparks as before as he created just one. Yet, this one was huge, and the soldiers near Walwiss hurriedly increased their distance from him. Although the fireball was high up in the sky, its heat even reached the surface, and Walwiss swung his staff.

    <i>Whoosh</i>! The fireball began to move again. It was a bit of an exaggeration, but it appeared as if the sun was falling down from the heavens. The Conrad mages became busy again, and they aimed a gigantic amount of ice magic at the fireball.

    <i>Bam! Bam!</i>

    The fireball¡¯s size decreased as ice crashed into it, but its scale was still massive as it moved toward the allied forces¡¯ troops. The knights began to move, and Leona pulled her bowstring.

    <i>Sling!</i>

    A chilling, swishing sound tickled Walwiss¡¯ ears once again.

    <i>Bam!</i>

    ¡°Urgh!¡± One knight fell over when the arrow hit his face. The shot was meticulously shot through the tiny gaps between the armor and once again highlighted the elves¡¯ exquisite archery skills. Leona wasn¡¯t the only elf who came to give her support; several other elves around her also fired arrows.

    <i>Sling! Sling! Sling! </i>

    There were consecutive arrow shots swishing through the wind, and each arrow was stealthy and strong. Yet, the knights protecting the Conrad knights were chosen with great care and attention. Although they were stunned by an arrow that could even kill knights, they soon swung their swords against them. They couldn¡¯t evade them knowing that they had to protect the mages behind them with their lives hanging on the line. Thanks to them, the alliance was able to limit the damage done by the elves¡¯ arrows. However, they couldn¡¯t simply be happy about that.

    <i>Craaaackle!</i>

    While the knights were busy dealing with the elves¡¯ arrows, Walwiss¡¯ massive fireball had arrived at their location.

    <i>Boooom!</i>

    The fireball exploded. It was such an earth-shaking explosion that it wouldn¡¯t have been surprising if some people in the surroundings would have gotten down to the ground thinking that the heavens were unleashing their wrath at them. The scattered fire sparks crawled across the surface in search of more prey.

    <i>Drop! Drop!</i>

    It was like the hellfire they had heard of only in stories, and it looked as if it would burn forever. Yet, eventually, the fire went out. A couple of fireballs rolled over the charred ground, but that was nothingpared to the sight from before that illustrated a divine punishment. Considering the might of the fireball, it seemed as if no one within its influence would be able to survive; yet, what appeared after the mes disappeared was a hard, ice wall nketing the surroundings.

    ¡°You failed,¡± Leona remarked.

    Walwiss felt humor in her tone and his white-colored eyebrows wiggled. ¡°Those guys are quite the skilled mages. Furthermore, the knights with them are also quite skilled.¡± Then, Walwiss added, ¡°Also, they don¡¯t seem to be all fine.¡±

    Before Walwiss even finished speaking, the ice wall crumbled. The people inside it clearly looked like they were in disarray. All the mages were alive, but they looked pale as if they had poured so much of their magic and efforts into the defense just now. The knights were in a far worse state than them. To buy time for the mages to activate their magic, they had literally thrown their bodies into the fireball. Their shiny armor which had glistened against the sunlight looked battered now, and there were also numerous knights who had copsed onto the ground with smokeing off from them. It was evident what condition those without armor would be in.

    Leona immediately pulled her bowstring along with the other elves. Pulru mages also raised their staffs again.

    ¡°Ack!¡±

    ¡°Aghh!¡±

    The knights and mages desperately retaliated against the attacks, but victory was leaning towards the Steelwall side. Soon after, the Conrad mages began frantically running back to retreat. However, there was no one on this battlefield who¡¯d let them off so easily. Arrows and magic flew toward them, and the knights protecting the mages red at this sight. They had been ordered to protect the mages with their lives. The knights dragged their bodies with heavy armor that felt heavier than usual and stood in front of the spells and arrows flying toward the Conrad mages. Then, they literally blocked the attacks while sacrificing their lives.

    ¡°Tsk, we lost them!¡± Leona lowered her arrows and murmured furiously. As she said, she couldn¡¯t stop the mages from escaping their range of attack.

    ¡°Well, what¡¯s the matter? We killed a lot of knights instead.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, that''s true.¡± Leona agreed and turned around. ¡°Then, I¡¯ll be going.¡± The mission that the elves were assigned was to freely move around the battleground and specifically target elite soldiers like knights, mages, or evenmanding officials. Since the mages and knights withdrew, it was now time for them to look for new prey.

    ¡°Be careful. Make sure not to trip over a falling rock while recklessly jumping around.¡±

    ¡°Do you think I¡¯m a child?¡± Leona stuck out her tongue and dragged her team to another area.

    Walwiss clicked his tongue several times and moved his gaze back to the battlefield. Even though they had sessfully pushed back the Conrad mages, the war wasn¡¯t over. He saw arge number of soldiers gathered together like cockroaches. Since the Conrad mages intercepting their attacks were gone, it was now time to show how terrifying mages could be on the battlefield. Walwiss pointed his staff forward.

    * * *

    While the Conrad magicians fought on the battlefield, the allied forces also mobilized their knights. Since many different groups were part of the allied forces, the number of knights they could mobilize was massive, and this was the reason why they could set aside arge number of knights to protect the Conrad mages.

    <i>Puuuuuuuu!</i> With the loud sound of the bugle, the knights began running across the battlefield. The foot soldiers standing in front quickly rushed to the side. It was a spectacr sight to see the soldiers splitting into two with the knights¡¯ charge. Of course, not all the soldiers could flee in time. There were also soldiers who fell andnded in front of the knights¡¯ path. However, the knights showed no consideration toward them.

    <i>Tatatata!</i> The horses mercilessly stamped on everyone in front of them, regardless of whether they were a foe or a friend. Blood pools formed wherever the knights passed. The knights¡¯ charge could be seen from the Steelwall¡¯s walls. Soon, an rm sounded, and the Steelwall knights gathered one after another in the direction of the allied forces¡¯ knights. The soldiers targeting the Steelwall¡¯s barrier moved out to the side like a low tide, and in a matter of minutes, there was nothing between the Steelwall and allied forces¡¯ knights.

    The Steelwall knights began to jump down from the barrier one by one. The hastily constructed wooden walls had no advantage as a barrier against the charge of knights. The knights could break the walls into pieces by simply cutting them up with mana. Thus, the Steelwall knights faced the enemy knights outside the wooden walls. The Steelwall knights formed a simple formation outside and the allied forces¡¯ knights turned their horses and charged forward.

    <i>Baammmm!</i> The knights from the two sides shed violently.

    ** *

    Lara swung her sword at the knight in front of her. Swords full of mana continuously collided with each other and made an ear-deafening noise. The knights facing Lara were fairly skilled, but they were no match for Lara, whose innate talent was beginning to blossom.

    <i>Pierce!</i> Lara¡¯s sword pierced the knight¡¯s chest. Since the knight¡¯s armor was of high quality, there was strong resistance, but Lara was able to sessfully prate through the armor and reach her opponent¡¯s heart.

    ¡°Ack!¡± A burning scream erupted from the knight¡¯s voice. However, thatsted only for a moment, and the knight¡¯s body soon dropped.

    <i>Thud!</i> Lara pulled out her sword, avoided the knight¡¯s body, and began to look for her next opponent. The battle between the knights was extremely fierce. It was still too early to say that victory was leaning towards the Steelwalls because even though the Steelwall knights had superior skills, the allied forces had a far greater number of knights. Lara was about to move to help the Steelwall knights near her when she suddenly felt a chill run down her body. Without even determining the cause of her chill, she swung her sword sideways.

    <i>Bamm!</i> A loud sound erupted, and Lara¡¯s body reeled. She desperately held onto her bnce, and after taking several steps back, she was able to regain control of her body. However, she couldn¡¯t help but frown as pain spread throughout her hand. Lara looked for the person who attacked her, and her eyes widened.

    ¡°It¡¯s been a while, hasn¡¯t it?¡± the speaker said with a soft voice. Lara knew that voice very well. There had been a time when her heart always felt calm after hearing his voice. However, the only emotion she felt in his voice now was anxiety.

    <If you happen to meet him again, prepare yourself. He won¡¯t be the same person you used to know.>

    Lara recalled what Zich said to her before. She sucked in a deep breath and stared at the man she used to love.

 Chapter 505

    <h4>Chapter 505</h4>

    Glen¡¯s face was so gentle that it was unbefitting for someone facing an enemy on a battlefield. For some unknown reason, Lara thought his current condition was like a volcano that was about to erupt.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t expect to meet you here at all.¡±

    ¡°Really?¡± Lara also responded calmly, but she was warily holding up her guard against him. She thought Glen would pull out his Tornium and bare his fangs any moment now.

    ¡°Were you hired by the Steelwalls?¡±

    ¡°I suppose I can say that. I also participated in securing the Steif Fortressst time. Did you not notice me then?¡±

    Glen scowled slightly. He was too focused on gaining fame before Zich did that he didn¡¯t survey his surroundings. It was the same right now too, and he only happened to spot Lara by coincidence.

    ¡®What should I do with her?¡¯ With a serious face, Glen thought about how he should take care of her. They werepanions before after all¡ªbut not for too long.

    ¡®Is there a need for me to think? She¡¯s the enemy anyway.¡¯ Furthermore, an enemy in the most important war for Glen. He might have changed his mind if there were signs that Lara woulde back to the ¡®right path,¡¯ but no matter how much he thought about it, it seemed like that would never happen.

    ¡®She¡¯s already ruined anyways. It might actually be better for me to get rid of her with this chance.¡¯ Glen was already being driven mad by the countless changed variables in this timeline, and so he thought it wouldn¡¯t be bad to prevent more changed variables by getting rid of one.

    ¡°Regardless, the fact that you are standing on the battlefield right now means that you are prepared for death, right?¡± Glen asked.

    Lara gulped realizing that Glen¡¯s atmosphere changed, but her eyes still zed with determination. She answered, ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±

    ¡°I understand.¡± Glen raised Tornium and said, ¡°Then, die.¡±

    Glen sprung forward and swung his sword. His speed was fast and the power he carried in his swing was enormous. Mana spewed out of his sword de as if it was going to chop up everything in its path. It was such a fierce, aggressive attack that it would make most fighters step back unconsciously. Yet, Lara¡¯s eyes didn¡¯t waver at all as she faced this attack.

    <i>ng!</i> The two¡¯s swords shed.

    ¡°Urgh!¡± Lara groaned. The might of Glen¡¯s sword was truly enormous. Her body wavered while her legs lost strength. Her palms hurt like they were going to rip apart, and it felt like she would lose her grip over her sword at any moment. Still, Lara endured, and Glen¡¯s attack failed to pierce Lara¡¯s sword.

    ¡°Huh?¡± Glen looked stunned as if he saw something that was never supposed to happen. Glen swung his sword again.<i> ng!</i> Lara blocked his attack again. <i>ng! </i>Glen¡¯s attack was blocked once again. <i>ng!</i> And again.<i> aang!</i>

    Glen swung his sword with more force this time, but the result was the same. Lara¡¯s body wavered and shuddered like a leaf shaking in a typhoon, but she managed to block his attacks in the end. She even made counterattacks at times. Of course, the attacks she sneaked in while she was busy with blocking posed no threat to Glen, but the important part was that she managed to counterattack in this situation. Glen was aware that it hadn¡¯t been long since Lara was able to solely focus on training with her sword; furthermore, his skills and power had be iparably stronger since he separated from Lara.

    Yet, with all things considered, Lara was managing¡ªalthough gruelingly¡ªto block his attacks. This was astounding even if Glen wasn¡¯t giving his all right now and indicated that Lara had made exponential progress in the short time period since theyst conversed. Rage shot up inside Glen. A brilliant, natural talent that he wished for but didn¡¯t have was soaring in front of his eyes. How dare a broken doll who refused the right path he had prepared for it boast its talents in front of him?

    ¡°Huff! Huff!¡± Lara heaved. Death crept right up to the ends of her feet, and her body became soaked in cold sweat in fear of it. However, Lara¡¯s expression wasn¡¯t downcast. She didn¡¯t know what happened, but as Zich had warned, Glen had be much stronger. Yet, she managed to endure his attacks right now. This was clear evidence that her swordsmanship skills which had been denied for so long had truly improved. Furthermore, the one who was proving this change was Glen, who had dismissed her talent. Thus, Lara felt a strong sense of pride even in this unfavorable situation.

    Regardless of what emotion Lara felt, it was clear that she was in a dangerous situation. Lara also noticed that the way Glen looked at her hadpletely changed, and he was ready to kill her. No matter how much Lara enjoyed a battle that proved her abilities, it wasn¡¯t to the point that she would give her life up for it. At the same time, it was difficult for her to seek help from those around her right now. Others were also busy fighting enemies intently since their enemy forces held at least the advantage in numbers. Above all, Lara knew that the moment she took her eyes off Glen to seek help, her head would fly off her body.

    ¡®He told me to send a signal when I met Glen,¡¯ Lara thought about what Zich told her. ¡®Will I be able to do that?¡¯

    Sending even a simple signal seemed difficult right now considering Glen¡¯s current condition. However, in the end, Lara collected her thoughts.

    ¡®No, I can do it. If I give up one arm, it¡¯s possible.¡¯ Fortunately, the Steelwalls had an unbelievably great Karuwiman priest on their side. Although the Karuwimans were maintaining a neutral position, from the conversation she heard between herpanions, Zich seemed to have a close rtionship with the Saintess. Thus, Lara thought the Saintess would easily heal an arm if she asked for it. Moreover, there was no other solution that she could think of than this.

    <i>Bam!</i>

    Glen stamped his feet. Lara steadied her sword and prepared for Glen¡¯s attack.

    ¡®Huh?¡¯ Yet, her preparation was useless. When she realized it, Glen was right in front of her.

    Lara screamed and fell backward. Her hair flew in all directions by the fierce winds that arose from the explosion. However, even in this situation, Lara clearly saw what happened. A man with a white sword was standing in front of her.

    ¡°Are you all right?¡± Hans said while slightly turning back. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. There were some knights who were in danger near us so I moved away for a bit.¡± Then, Hans moved his gaze back to the front because it was too dangerous for him to continue talking while looking at Lara.

    Glen said, ¡°You¡¯re¡­¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s been a while.¡± Hans lightly greeted Glen.

    Glen also knew who Hans was¡ªhe was one of the people that wretched Zich had brought along. However, it was not Hans¡¯ appearance that was important to Glen right now. Glen looked back and forth between Hans and Lara, who was standing behind Hans. Since Zich and Glen¡¯s party had met each other a couple of times, there were chances for Hans and Lara to meet each other. Since they were now on the same side, they might have gotten a bit closer in their rtionship. However, in Glen¡¯s eyes, their rtionship looked way deeper than just two people on the same side.

    ¡°¡­You guys look close.¡±

    Hans slightly frowned because he didn¡¯t think this was the appropriate time to discuss such a subject matter. However, since this wasn¡¯t a hard question to answer, Hans easily replied, ¡°It¡¯s because Ms. Lara is part of our party.¡±

    ¡°¡­Our? That punk Zich¡¯s party?¡±

    ¡°Sir, you¡¯re not close enough with Sir Zich to address him as ¡®that punk.¡¯¡± Hans felt angry and retaliated against Glen¡¯s words, but Glen was too taken aback to reply. The only thing on his mind was that the broken doll he threw away was now under Zich¡¯s control. It was a betrayal. Even though he was the one who tried to control Lara however he wanted and chased her out after she refused to blindly follow him, he still thought Lara betrayed him. He could never allow such an injustice.

    Glen¡¯s eyes became bloodshot. Even though Hans couldn¡¯t guess what Glen was thinking, he could clearly see that Glen was angry. Hans had no idea why Glen suddenly got so angry.

    ¡°Ms. Lara!¡±

    ¡°Yes!¡±

    ¡°Please immediately send a signal to Sir Zich!¡±

    Glen didn¡¯t give any time for Hans to rest as he immediately swung his sword. Tornium voraciously gobbled up his owner¡¯s mana and a tremendous amount of power exploded. Likewise, Estede also let out a bright light and shed with Tornium.

    <i>Bammmmmm!</i> A powerful sound rang out on the battlefield, iparable to the sounds that Lara and Glen made when they were fighting.

    <i>Bam! Bam! Bam!</i> The loud sounds of swords shing continuously rang across the battlefield. The sight of Estede¡¯s white light shing with Tornium¡¯s ck light looked straight from a depiction of an ancient battle in mythology.

    ¡°Ugh!¡± Hans was pushed back a couple of steps. The lighting off from Estede dimmed a bit.

    ¡®He¡¯s strong!¡¯ It was an extremely simple assessment, but this was the best word to describe Glen¡¯s current skill. ¡®Is he really the same person I sawst time?¡¯

    Hans had also seen Glen fight a couple of times while following Zich. After seeing Glen fight recently, he thought that Glen¡¯s skill was fairly simr to his. He was even amazed and found it ridiculous that Glen always openly challenged Zich with such subpar skills. However, Glen¡¯s skill was currently far beyond his expectations.

    ¡®He might be on the same level, or even stronger than Sir Zich.¡¯ Hans now understood why Zich kept warning him about Glen, and Hans realized that no matter what he did right now, he could never beat Glen.

    <i>Swish! </i>Glen swung Tornium again, and Hans frantically blocked his attack. The amount of power and speed that Glen instilled into his sword far surpassed Hans¡¯ skill. Regardless of how much light Estede let out, Tornium¡¯s ck de shattered Estede¡¯s light and pierced through with ease. Various wounds began forming all around Hans¡¯ body. He hadn¡¯t received any critical injuries yet, but his wounds weren¡¯t small either. However, Hans¡¯ movements were still light.

    ¡®Compared to training, this amount of injury is nothing.¡¯ Hans was covered in blood whenever he trained with Zich; there was no way this amount of injuries would hinder his movements.

    ¡®It¡¯s actually pretty tolerable?¡¯ Hans had been shocked by Glen¡¯s substantial increase in skills for only a few moments and was now even thinking other thoughts. His opponent¡¯s skill was definitely above his and even above Zich¡¯s. As someone who learned from Zich by getting beaten up like crazy, Hans was definitely sure of this fact. However, it was also true that Glen¡¯s attacks were easier to endure than Zich¡¯s attacks.

    ¡®There¡¯s something a bit awkward about this person¡¯s movements.¡¯ Hans remembered that Glen¡¯s movements were extremely clean. Even though Hans thought he wouldn¡¯t lose to Glen in a fight, he thought that he needed to work a bit harder to catch up with Glen in terms of swordsmanship. However, Glen¡¯s current movements were no longer the same as before.

    ¡®It¡¯s very small, but there are gaps in his movements.¡¯ This was the reason why Hans continued enduring Glen¡¯s attacks. Of course, this didn¡¯t mean that Hans could win, as it was clear that he wouldn¡¯t be able to endure Glen¡¯s attacks for long. However, Hans also had no intentions to finish this fight either.

    ¡®Sir Zich said that this person is his prey.¡¯

    A sword suddenly intervened between Hans and Glen. The mana that shed between them bounced back on both sides. Glen bnced his body and his gaze headed towards the man who interrupted their fight. The murderous intent in his eyes deepened.

    Zich chirped, ¡°You two look like you¡¯re having fun. Why don¡¯t you let me join?¡±

 Chapter 506

    Chapter 506

    It was a light-hearted, carefree voice, unbefitting for a ce like a battlefield. The amount of confidence contained in this voice matched the speaker¡¯s character and clearly expressed who the voice belonged to. It was the voice of Hans and Lara¡¯s savior, whom even Glen weed at the moment.

    ¡°Sir Zich!¡± Hans yelped in joy to see Zich, while Zich nced at Hans to evaluate his condition.

    ¡°Oh my. It looks like you received quite the beating.¡±

    ¡°Nothing critical though, sir.¡±

    ¡°Seems like it. Still, back away for now and rest.¡±

    ¡°With ourcking numbers, don¡¯t we need every person on board to fight?¡± Hans asked.

    It didn¡¯t seem like Hans had any intention to leave the battlefield, and Zich smirked. ¡°Is that so? Then, do as you wish.¡±

    Zich didn¡¯t train his disciple so weakly that Hans would fuss over such ¡®minor¡¯ injuries anyways. Furthermore, Zich didn¡¯t only push his disciples to their limits¡ªhe also taught them to measure them too. Thus, Hans wasn¡¯t someone who would keep on floundering around and forcefully stay in the battle, because he was swept by his emotions.

    ¡°You still have some potions left, right?¡±

    ¡°Yes, but my injuries aren¡¯t at a level where I would need to use them. Don¡¯t we also need to save them right now?¡± The potions they had earned from previous achievements were disappearing now even though it was natural considering their harsh training with Zich and the intensity of their travels.

    ¡°Use them. You should use them when necessary. Plus, we¡¯ll be able to grab a whole bunch more if we win this war anyways.¡± In this war, Zich nned to wipe away the Pinne family while he was at it as the Bellid¡¯s base, and if he did that, he would be able to secure a significant number of potions again as a reward.

    ¡°I understand.¡± There was no need for Hans to refuse when Zich was going that far. Hans nodded and backed away after taking out a potion. Then, he looked at Glen.

    ¡°Be careful, Sir Zich. He¡¯s not the same man as before. I don¡¯t know how I should describe it, but¡­¡±

    ¡°You think he¡¯s stronger than me now?¡±

    ¡°¡­Yes.¡± Hans looked warily at Zich, worried that Zich would feel offended by his honest answer. However, Zich showed no change in expression. Hans also knew that Zich wasn¡¯t the type of person who would be angry at such a statement, but he had only been worried because of the subject of their conversation: Glen. Hans was well aware of how much Zich hated Glen.

    ¡°I got it. You guys should quickly go ahead and help other guys.¡±

    ¡°Yes!¡± Hans took Lara and moved to help the other knights. As if she was worried, Lara turned around to check on Zich multiple times, but Hans didn¡¯t look back even once. That was his disy of trust in Zich.

    ¡°Are you done with your chit-chat?¡± Glen then asked. His usual polite speech was nowhere to be found, but Zich wasn¡¯t peeved by this and was actually relieved by it instead.

    ¡®The fake, polite mask he used to wear was more horrifying,¡¯ Zich thought. Now, they could finally express their dislike of each other tantly. This was only possible because of Glen¡¯s change in attitude, and the fact that Glen showed this change after he wore a mask of a hero wherever he went showed the big change in heart he had recently experienced.

    ¡®As I thought, what happened at Yuras must have been a huge shock to him.¡¯ However, Zich wondered how Glen could be so shocked by just that much when there were so many more fun things toe.

    ¡°Yup, I¡¯m done.¡± Zich also took off his mask and replied bluntly. He felt so refreshed to no longer have to put up a polite face in front of Glen.

    ¡°Hope you don¡¯t have any regrets since that would have been yourst conversation,¡± Glen said.

    ¡°Oh, that makes me so scared that my body is shuddering in fear.¡± Zich hugged his body tight and trembled like he was in a cold storm. Zich¡¯s mocking didn¡¯t perturb Glen since his goal was clear anyway: Zich¡¯s death.

    Glen rushed to Zich. <i>ang!</i> The two swords collided. As if the fights that had taken ce before were all a joke, the sound of their collision was more fearsome than any other. Glen¡¯s ck sword created a silverish trajectory that shed at Zich wildly.

    <i>ng! ng! ng! ng!</i>

    Zich deflected Glen¡¯s attacks, but that didn¡¯t mean Zich was fighting on even footing with Glen.

    ¡®As I thought, it¡¯s tough,¡¯ Zich thought while deflecting another attack flying his way. The current Glen had suddenly be much stronger with some mysterious method, and he was stronger than Zich right now. Furthermore, the difference in their swords was also a huge setback for Zich. Although he was using a high-quality sword, it was just an ordinary one that was iparable to Tornium; Zich was especially aware of this as Tornium¡¯s previous master.

    ¡®This makes me miss Windur.¡¯ Zich wanted to see his peculiarly-shaped, fickle sword again.

    <i>Bam!</i> Zich¡¯s sword bounced off widely from Glen¡¯s big attack, leaving his body open. Glen dashed forward with Tornium. <i>Whoosh!</i>

    Zich darted backward, so Glen¡¯s sword only grazed his chest slightly. However, Glen didn¡¯t look disappointed. Instead, he chased after Zich with gleeful eyes, he was overflowing with joy that Zich was bleeding.

    <i>Crunch! </i>Although Zich had been protecting his sword¡¯s outeryer with mana, it couldn¡¯t endure Tornium¡¯s sharp and hard de. There were dents all over Zich¡¯s sword and a slight crack now.

    ¡®I can do it! I can do it!¡¯ Glen cheered. In the beginning, Zich used to be an existence like the clouds in the sky, a being that he could never reach and could only gaze at. Yet, these feelings gradually disappeared as he regressed again and again, and eventually, the great Zich swayed under his ns and fell from Brave to Moore. It was as if he had flung and wrapped a rope around the giant cloud floating in the sky and nted it in mud.

    However, this timeline had been very different. Glen thought that Zich would remain stuck in the mud, but in this timeline, it felt as if Zich would free himself of the ropes binding him and fly high in the sky once again. The sense of inferiority and hopelessness he once felt appeared in his mind again. Glen thought there was no way he would lose with a perfect power like a regression, but these unpleasant memories kept vexing him.

    Thus, he stubbornly continued this timeline. Glen now felt ted that he was pushing back someone like Zich with his power. Glen felt the thrill of throwing down a cloud floating in the sky to the hard ground once more.

    ¡®I¡¯ll definitely kill him this time!¡¯ He was going to kill Zich and search Zich¡¯s surroundings to find the cause of this timeline¡¯s variable. Then, he¡¯d be able to follow an even more polished n in the next timeline¡ªall for his perfect life.

    However, Glen¡¯s expression grew worse the more he attacked. He was clearly leading the fight, but the fight that was supposed to end quickly showed no signs of ending.

    ¡®Damn it!¡¯ Glen couldn¡¯t help but curse after his swing toward Zich¡¯s heart was blocked.

    ¡°Why don¡¯t you just die!¡± Glen loudly yelled out in frustration and fiercely swung his sword down.

    <i>Bammmmm!</i> However, his attack was blocked again.

    ¡°Your strength and speed have increased, but in exchange, you have a lot of openings in your movement. You didn¡¯t gain that strength naturally, right?¡± Zich had received various injuries but nothing serious enough to hinder his movements. He casually added, ¡°I clearly see that your body is getting controlled by your new power. You should know better than to wear clothes that don¡¯t fit you. How high is your inferiorityplex that you forcibly push your arms and legs into clothes that don¡¯t fit you?¡±

    Zich mocked his opponent like usual. However, Zich¡¯s words affected Glen more than even his expectations. The word ¡®inferiorityplex¡¯ was the key to triggering Glen¡¯s fury.

    ¡°Dieeeee!¡± Glen indiscriminately attacked Zich with all of his might. His attacks were so ferocious that even Zich wasn¡¯t able to easily retaliate and had to focus on defense.

    However, his swift tongue continued moving. ¡°What the¡ª Why are you getting so mad? Perhaps, did I hit it right on the mark? Then, instead of getting so angry like this, why don¡¯t you reflect on your past actions? If you just get angry like this, you¡¯ll never be able to move forward.¡±

    ¡°Say those words only after beating me! You can¡¯t even properly retaliate against my attacks!¡±

    ¡°Ah, I admit current skills definitely do surpass mine. I¡¯ll humbly admit this since even though the clothes don¡¯t fit you at all, I have to agree they are really extravagant.¡±

    However, Zich¡¯s voice was as nonchnt as ever. ¡°However, I learned something in the past. There¡¯s no reason for me to fight by myself when facing a strong opponent. Am I right?¡±

    ¡°What nonse¡­!¡±

    <i>Baaaam!</i> Glen quickly moved to the side. An enormous shockwave hit the area where he used to be.

    ¡°Ughhh!¡± Glen let out a groan. However, he was able to endure the attack by moving a few steps away.

    ¡°Hmm, amazing.¡±

    Glen heard the person who attacked him; he red in the direction of the voice and was shocked to see the speaker. Glen knew this person very well. ¡®Til?¡¯

    Til was the captain of the Wolf¡¯s Canine. ording to Glen¡¯s n, he should have be the Demon Lord of Disaster and eternally cause chaos in the world till the end. However, Til was rubbing his sword next to Zich, and he looked like Zich¡¯s closerade. Glen¡¯s thoughts weren¡¯t far off either.

    Zich said, ¡°That¡¯s why I told you that it won¡¯t be easy.¡±

    ¡°When I briefly saw him at Pialu, I thought he was fairly amazing, but I didn¡¯t think that he would be able to block a surprise attack like this.¡±

    ¡°So you¡¯re saying you don¡¯t want to fight?¡±

    ¡°Hmm.¡± Til pointed his sword towards Glen. ¡°Trust and performance are basically the symbols of the Wolf¡¯s Canine.¡±

    ¡°Then, there¡¯s only one thing left to do.¡± Zich pulled out a new sword and looked at Glen.

    Anyone could see that two people were going to join forces and fight; Glen stared at them with intense hatred. He didn¡¯t just lose the opportunity to defeat Zich. The sight of Zich and Til fighting together made Glen recall an extremely terrible memory.

    ¡®I can¡¯t believe those two bastards are joining hands. It¡¯s like when he was Brave!¡¯ The memories of when Zich used to be a hero lingered in his mind. ¡®If those guys are heroes, then, what am I?¡¯

    Glen thought that this couldn¡¯t happen; it should never happen. The only true hero had to be him. He had put so much effort to erase all traces of Brave. However, an unpleasant image was lingering in front of his eyes.

    ¡®I need to erase it!¡¯ Glen tightly clutched Tornium, and the sword let out an ominous resonance as if it could read its owner¡¯s heart.

    ¡°Huaaaaat!¡± Glen let out a cry and began fighting again. Their surroundings had already turned to waste due to Zich and Glen¡¯s fight. Their fight had been so astounding that even the knights and soldiers around them couldn¡¯t even think about approaching them, and their fight became even more intense as Til also joined in.

    Zich and Til¡¯s coboration was extremely smooth. Glen became even more furious at this sight because they looked so simr to Zich Brave¡¯s timeline.

    ¡°Diiiie!¡± Glen burst out with his mana and attacked Til and Zich. However, Glen couldn¡¯t recklessly attack as he did just recently since they were fighting him on almost equal footing.

    ¡®Damn it! If I had just a bit more time to get used to it¡­!¡¯ Since he had forcibly infused a strong power into his body, Glen couldn¡¯t yet utilize all of his skills yet. He was extremely angry about this fact. Of course, it was his choice to forcibly increase his power, so he had no right to get angry. However, even then, Glen managed to hold onto his upper hand and that was also a testimony to how much he exponentially increased his power. Glen was able to take the offensive again with confidence.

    However, a flying arrow shooting toward him shook his confidence.

 Chapter 507

    <h4>Chapter 507</h4>

    <i>ng!</i>

    Glen struck away the arrow. Due to Zich and Til¡¯s fierce coboration, it had been quite difficult for him to sense the stealthy shot. It would¡¯ve been truly dangerous for him if he hadn¡¯t moved in time. The archer¡¯s skills were so good that they had perfectly predicted his movements and aimed for his heart. However, rather than feeling a sense of danger, Glen felt a great wave of annoyance. Another obstacle that hindered him from killing Zich appeared.

    ¡®Who is this bastard!¡¯ Glen quickly searched for the person who shot at him. He wouldn¡¯t let the archer die a peaceful death if he caught sight of them. It didn¡¯t take him long to find out the archer¡¯s identity either. Although she was a bit of a distance away, she stood out among the crowd. A lightly armored, womanly figure stood tall while holding a bow and arrow; the most noticeable thing about her appearance was her long ears which were much bigger than a human¡¯s.

    Glen didn¡¯t even have to check her ears to see who he was dealing with. There was no way he didn¡¯t recognize her when she was one of the necessary figures to create his perfect life.

    ¡®Leona!¡¯ The elf princess was looking at him, but he didn¡¯t recognize the look she gave him. The Leona he knew only looked at him with reverence and affection¡ªnot the cold, chilling look she was giving him right now as if she had sighted an enemy.

    ¡°Are you all right, Zich?¡± Leona asked.

    Furthermore, the one she worried about was Zich and not him. All Leona did was point her bloodlust-filled arrow at him, and while she worried for Zich, she didn¡¯t pull her cold eyes away from Glen because she thought he was a dangerous enemy. Glen was aware that Leona had traveled with Zich, but now that Lara had also turned against him, this information provided no constion to him.

    Glen''s eyes naturally went to Zich since he was the cause of this whole situation, but when he saw Zich¡¯s face, he immediately regretted doing so. It was a very slight change, but Glen noticed that the edge of Zich¡¯s mouth was slightly turned up. Zich was clearly mocking him and boasting of the greatness of hispanions. Glen also couldn¡¯t help but add another meaning behind Zich¡¯s smirk. It almost seemed as if Zich was showing off thepanions he had stolen from Glen.

    Til had always been Glen¡¯s enemy, so Glen was simply surprised and not swept by anger when Til appeared at Zich¡¯s side. However, it was different for Leona. She was meant to stand by his side and fulfill her role as one of the main supporting leads. Yet, she was now siding with Zich and facing him as an enemy.

    ¡®Along with Lara!¡¯ Glen was so furious he wanted to take his heart out of his chest and cool it in ice water. Yet, Glen¡¯s anger didn¡¯t end there.

    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m fine.¡±

    ¡°You seem to have too many injuries to say that.¡±

    ¡°These are all light wounds. Besides, it doesn¡¯t matter if I get a serious wound.¡± Zich raised his voice slightly to make his point clear, ¡°Since I can just ask Lube to heal them when I return.¡±

    ¡°Lube¡­Are you talking about the Karuwiman Saintess, Aine Primel Lube?¡± This was also another topic Glen couldn¡¯t just gloss over. Lube was standing on Zich¡¯s side. Glen didn¡¯t know why the Karuwiman Saintess would be on his opposing side after the group dered neutrality, but that wasn¡¯t the point. Glen was already aware that Zich and Lube had be close since the beginning of this timeline. Yet, the most pivotal problem was that the three people who should be his rightfulpanions had turned to Zich¡¯s side.

    ¡°¡­I¡¯ll kill you,¡± Glen murmured. He said it in a small voice on a noisy battlefield, but Zich and all hispanions heard him.

    ¡°¡­Didn¡¯t I see that guy before? The one who is supposed to be Karuwiman¡¯s Honorary Knight? By the way he talks, it doesn¡¯t seem like he is one at all¡­¡± Leona said curiously. However, she looked like she understood after seeing Zich¡¯s face. ¡°Well, you are also one too, so maybe that exins things.¡±

    ¡°Yeah. I am also one too.¡± Zich agreed with a slight smile. ¡°It appears that our noble Honorary Knight is very angry, so let¡¯s be on high alert.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s what I was nning to do anyways,¡± Leona said while squinting her eyes at Glen. ¡°He clearly looks like a bad-tempered guy and has the face of a viin.¡±

    ¡°<i>Kuh,</i> Ipletely agree.¡± Zich almost burst intoughter after hearing Leona¡¯sments. On the contrary, Glen¡¯s anger shot up, and he poured more mana into Tornium.

    ¡®I¡¯m going to kill them all!¡¯ Glen had made up his mind now. He was determined to give up all hope for this timeline now. Whether these people were his perfect supporting characters or not, he would kill all of them and turn back this timeline.

    <i>Bam! Bam! Bam!</i>

    Zich, Til, and Glen¡¯s swords shed, and between the gaps, Leona¡¯s arrows swerved in. Glen would have been satisfied by just maintaining an upper hand while fighting both Zich and Til at the same time, but now that Leona¡¯s arrows wereing into the mix, it became more difficult for Glen to handle the fight by himself.

    <i>Boom!</i>

    ¡°Kurgh!¡± Glen managed to strike away the arrow flying at him again. However, that left him open to Zich and Til¡¯s attacks.

    <i>Bam! </i>Glen barely blocked Til¡¯s attack, but Zich¡¯s sword approached right in front of him in the meantime. Thus, with no other choice, Glen rolled on the dirt floor and evaded Zich¡¯s sword. Glen quickly got up to prepare for the next attack, but the moment he saw Zich¡¯s face, he felt his blood rising. Zich was barely managing to repress hisughter while looking at him.

    ¡®Damn it!¡¯ Glen gripped Tornium¡¯s handle. He wanted to kill Zich no matter what. He wondered if there was anyone he could ask for help near him, but nobody in his surroundings came to his aid. Even knights couldn¡¯t intervene in this fight unless they had formidable abilities, and knights skilled enough to provide aid were all upied in their own battles. Even if the allied forces were superior in terms of numbers, the Steelwall knights were superior in terms of quality, and all the skilled fighters from the alliance had to deal with them.

    Moreover, the allied forces knights had other opponents besides the Steelwall knights.

    ¡°Ugh!¡± One allied forces knight, who was pushing back a Steelwall knight, fell to the ground. An arrow pierced into the knight¡¯s neck. Just judging by this sight, it seemed unlikely that the allied forces¡¯ knights would be able toe and help Glen.

    ¡®What useless punks!¡¯ However, no matter how much heined inside his mind, the situation didn¡¯t change. Soon after, an event that put the side of the allied forces even more at a disadvantage urred.

    <i>Baaaaam!</i> A fire pir erupted in the area where a hoard of allied forces soldiers was gathered together. At the same time, small firebombs shot towards the allied forces¡¯ knights. After the Conrad mages retreated, the Pulru mages could now support the Steelwall soldiers and attack the allied forces¡¯ knights.

    ¡°Do you need my help?¡± Despite the fierce battle, they heard a leisurely voice from the sky. A person was floating in the air, and he was someone that Glen also knew.

    ¡®Even Walwiss Dwayne is here!¡¯ He was someone who should be called the Demon Lord of Magic in the future, and he was considered unbeatable in terms of magic even now. Someone like that appeared as Zich¡¯s ally.

    Leona looked at Walwiss and said bluntly, ¡°We don¡¯t need your help. We¡¯re already pushing him back. Why don¡¯t you go away and take care of your granddaughter?¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s no need. She¡¯s casting spells, and she¡¯s safely surrounded by my disciples. I also left a fairly skilled bodyguard to protect her.¡± However, contrary to his words, Walwiss sounded a bit disgruntled. It seemed as if there was something that bothered him.

    However, Glen didn¡¯t care about the subtle affairs of Walwiss¡¯ emotions; there was only one piece of information that lingered in his ears. By Walwiss¡¯ granddaughter, they probably meant Elena. ¡®Elena is also on their side?¡¯

    Lara, Leona, Lube, and even Elena were on Zich¡¯s side. He had gone out of his way to specially select them for his perfect life, but they were all on his enemy¡¯s side. How did this make sense? Glen had been gritting his teeth so much that he even wondered if he would have any teeth left. The only thing on his mind was to immediately go and kill Zich. However, considering that he was already getting pushed back, if Walwiss also joined in, victory would be far out of his grasp. Yet, there was no need for him to ponder further.

    <i>Pppuuuuuuu!</i> A loud signal rang in the air. The allied forces let out a retreat signal. The first emotion that Glen felt after hearing that sound was annoyance. How could he turn around and run away while leaving that sted Zich in front of him? However, his small sense of reason not yet eaten by his burning rage warned Glen that he needed to retreat from this situation. If even his allies disappeared while he was at a disadvantage, he would be isted in the enemy camp alone.

    Glen¡¯s body trembled in fury. The reason why he had risked terrible side effects and exponentially increased his strength was to beat Zich. However, even while risking so much, he failed to kill Zich even though he was standing right in front of him. A sense of helplessness swirled inside his body. He never induced this war for it to turn out like this. Glen red at Zich; he had quite a lot of wounds, but his expression was still annoying.

    ¡®I need to kill him at all costs!¡¯ Glen was never going to turn back time until he sessfully aplished this goal because he wanted to specifically kill Zich in this timeline. However, it was currently impossible. ¡®I¡¯ll kill him for sure next time!¡¯

    Glen forced his feet to move and he moved toward the allied forces¡¯ camp. The other allied forces'' knights and soldiers also slowly retreated, and the Steelwalls didn¡¯t overextend themselves to chase after them.

    Like this, the first battle was over.

    * * *

    Countless corpses were sprawled in front of the Steelwalls¡¯ campsite. However, most of the corpses were from the allied forces¡¯ side. The allied forces left many corpses and weren¡¯t able to take a single step inside the Steelwalls¡¯ campsite and had to retreat in the end. The Steelwalls also received some damage, butpared to the allied forces, they were able to sessfully defend their camp with extremely little damage. Thus, the first battle was a perfect victory on the Steelwall side without any contest.

    Moreover, the allied forces¡¯ morale was low as they retreated. Of course, their morale hadn¡¯t plummeted to the ground after one battle. They still feltforted that they were surpassing the enemy in numbers. However, this was what the ordinary soldiers felt. Themanding officials had to draw up a new strategy based on today¡¯s results, and they were clutching their aching heads.

    ¡®It¡¯s tough.¡¯ Count ud described the Steelwall¡¯s formation with one word, and there was no better word to describe it. Since the situation had turned outpletely different from his expectations, he had known that this war wouldn¡¯t be easy. However, he didn¡¯t think that their side wouldn¡¯t even be able to infiltrate even a part of the enemy¡¯s walls. The first battle ended up with the absolute worst possible oue. Negative thoughts began creeping up in his mind. It felt as if the same result whenever the uds confronted the Steelwalls would happen this time as well.

    ¡®I can¡¯t lose again.¡¯ He had put so much effort into creating this opportunity. He could not produce the same results as always at all costs. ¡®I should learn from today¡¯s battle ande up with a new strategy¡­¡¯

    However, his thoughts were soon interrupted.

    ¡°Sir Count ud!¡±

    Count ud clutched his head as he watched Glen rush into the tent despite the guard¡¯s restraint.

 Chapter 508

    <h4>Chapter 508</h4>

    Glen was behaving incredibly rudely. Even if Glen was a Karuwiman Honorary Knight, Count ud was a high-ranking aristocrat. Furthermore, they were on a battlefield where obeying authority and military discipline was more important than any other time. Thus, Count ud immediately reprimanded Glen after taking his hand off his head.

    ¡°How could you act in such an insolent manner!¡±

    Yet, the Count¡¯sment seemed to have no effect on Glen¡¯s attitude.

    ¡°I have something to ask you, sir.¡± Glen made a request, but the way his eyes shed indicated that he would use whatever means if the Count didn¡¯t answer him. Count ud was greatly disturbed by this behavior. He was someone who didn¡¯t have a good temper. Instead, he was a vicious, sneaky, and cruel man. He wasn¡¯t someone who would let someone act so impudently to him.

    However, he was also aware that the situation wasn¡¯t good. They needed every force to fight for him right now. Glen was one of the few highly skilled fighters that the allied forces could put forth since theycked quality despite their quantity. Furthermore, Glen¡¯spanions included an outstanding mage and a priest. Not to mention, the Karuwiman priest, Luce, had left the Karuwimans to be independent and was also close to Glen. It appeared as if all the rare talents in the allied forces were connected to Glen.

    ¡®Damn it!¡¯ Count ud had an intense urge to call for Glen¡¯s beheading, but all he could do right now was insult Glen furiously inside his mind.

    ¡°¡­What do you want to ask?¡± Count ud asked.

    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell me information about our enemies!¡±

    ¡°Information about our enemies?¡±

    ¡°The ex-master of the magical tower and hispanions! The Wolf¡¯s Canine mercenary group! Elves! Saint Lube! Are you going to say that you didn¡¯t know they were participating? Are the allied forces so ipetent that they couldn¡¯t even obtain such information!¡±

    ¡°What are you talking about? We¡¯ve long since been aware of that information!¡±

    ¡°Then why didn¡¯t you ry that information to me?!¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s because you holed yourself up inside your tent!¡±

    Count ud thought that Glen was beingpletely unreasonable. Even when they tried to share the information they learned with him, Glen stayed inside his tent and refused tomunicate. At this moment, Count ud seriously thought about just killing Glen without worrying about the consequences.

    Most people would have felt embarrassed and apologized by now, but Glen¡¯splexion didn¡¯t change one bit. He simply furrowed in annoyance and contemted. At this point, Count ud began to feel a sense of wonder more than anger.

    ¡®This guy, how did he change so much? What in the world happened at Yuras¡­!¡¯

    Glen clearly had the etiquette and a strong sense of justice at the beginning of their ns, just like a picture-perfect Karuwiman Honorary Knight. Yet, there was no trace of that image on Glen right now. He was wildly running around without a care for his surroundings like abat horse only chasing after its goal.

    ¡°Do you have other information besides that?¡±

    ¡°Go and ask the aide. He will exin it to you well.¡± Count ud didn¡¯t want to waste any more of his effort and energy dealing with Glen. Thus, he shook his head and left Glen to his aide. Glen also went out of the tent without giving a single apology. All he did was bow his head once before leaving as a greeting.

    ¡®I suppose I should be grateful for at least that.¡¯

    Count ud thought he should be grateful that Glen didn¡¯t curse at him or create havoc inside the tent. Even if it was Glen he was talking about, there was no way he could avoid giving punishment if Glen acted any more rudely than this. Count ud slumped in his chair, bowed his head, and closed his eyes. He needed to reorganize his troops ande up with a new strategy as fast as possible, but right now, all he wanted to do was rest.

    * * *

    Chelsea stepped out of a big tent and breathed in the fresh outside air.

    ¡®Ah, I feel alive.¡¯

    She felt much better now that she was freed from the fishy smell of blood and painful groans. Chelsea looked back to the tent she came out of; it was a ce where among the injured, the ones with especially serious injuries were being treated. As one of the few priests in the allied forces, she continuously poured out holy magic at these injured soldiers until she reached her limit. Since she could no longer use any magic for now, she was finally able to take a break.

    Chelsea looked down at her clothes. Although she had left Karuwiman, she was still wearing their priest uniform. The pure white clothes that had been embroidered with symbols that glowed with a mystic light were all dyed in dark red blood. The clothes¡¯ white fabric made the dried-up blood even more noticeable.

    Chelsea rubbed her bloody hands aggressively to no effect.

    ¡®Why must I do things like this¡­¡¯ Chelsea couldn¡¯t believe that she, who should live a high and noble life as the Karuwiman¡¯s Saintess, would have to take care of dying soldiers in a dirty ce. Although it was necessary for her to do this in order to be a Saintess, it still annoyed her. She wanted to quickly get out of this filthy ce and quickly moved her feet.

    She continued to see the injured. Those who suffered minor injuries were getting treated outside and groaning softly in pain from their injuries. Seeing them, Chelsea only felt more annoyed. After she walked a bit more, Chelsea finally reached the tent that had been assigned to her. Her tent was in an area where tents belonging to high-ranking or important figures in the army were clustered. It appeared that most of these figures were busy dealing with the aftermath of the battle and the area was almost vacant. Thus, Chelsea easily noticed two people standing not too far away from her tent.

    ¡°Priest Luce?¡±

    Luce had been talking with a knight, and she turned around at Chelsea¡¯s voice. ¡°It¡¯s you, Priestess Windne.¡±

    ¡°What are you doing?¡±

    ¡°I was talking with our fellowrade for a bit.¡±

    Chelsea looked at the person next to him; she didn¡¯t know his name but remembered she had seen him before. ¡®Didn¡¯t they say he was the knight who betrayed Steelwall?¡¯

    True to her words, he was Halton Byner, and he was the one who acted as a whistleblower to testify against Count Steelwall. Even though he did something that was beneficial to Chelsea, her feelings towards him were on the negative side.

    ¡®He should have done a better job!¡¯ If Byner had testified more effectively, the Karuwimans would not have stayed neutral like now and they would have participated on the allied forces¡¯ side. Then, they wouldn¡¯t have to treat so many injured soldiers with so few priests.

    Luce said to Byner, ¡°Why don¡¯t you leave for now?¡±

    ¡°Yes, sir.¡± Byner bowed to Luce. He also greeted Chelsea and left.

    Chelsea asked, ¡°Did you have business with that person?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve just told him to share any information he knew since the information that the knights and priests have ess to are different.¡± Byner was the perfect person for the job, since he had a deep connection with Luce. ¡°Of course, I don¡¯t think any valuable information will get through to him since traitors are not weed anywhere.¡±

    ¡°That must be why hisplexion looks so bad,¡± Chelsea recalled Byner¡¯s expression as he left.

    ¡°Rather than that, something bad happened to him on the battlefield, but there¡¯s no need for me to pay attention to such personal matters.¡± Then, Luce immediately changed the topic; this was how insignificant Byner was to him. ¡°How is the treatment going?¡±

    ¡°I did my best, but there are too many wounded soldiers. Their injuries are also very severe.¡±

    ¡°Most of the soldiers with severe injuries probably got injured by magic. I heard that the mages on Steelwall¡¯s side really showed off their magic this time.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t we also have mages on our side?¡± Chelsea thought of Pina, herrade, who was obsessing over this war.

    Luce replied, ¡°It seems as if they werepletely pushed back by our enemy¡¯s mages. I guess it¡¯s as expected of the former master of the magical tower and his disciples.¡±

    It was not very good news; Chelsea began to feel anxious. ¡°B-but even then, we¡¯ll win the war, right?¡±

    ¡°Of course. We have to.¡±

    However, even with Luce¡¯s affirmation, her anxiety didn¡¯t easily die down because Luce¡¯s affirmation didn¡¯te from solid evidence. It came from his personal conviction. On the other hand, Chelsea was at a point where she needed to beforted by Luce¡¯s groundless conviction.

    Luce said he had business to take care of and left, and Chelsea returned to her tent. Hers was noticeably bigger than the tents assigned to the others, but Chelsea still felt frustrated. She tried to change out of her bloody priest clothes but gave up because it was clear that no matter what clothes she changed into, they¡¯d all get dirty with blood. Then, shey down on her smelly makeshift bed.

    Regardless of how well they kept the tents, it couldn¡¯t be helped that a stale smell woulde out of them since they were on the battlefield. The stuffy smell pricked Chelsea¡¯s nose. Even though she was very tired from treating the wounded soldiers, she couldn¡¯t fall asleep easily. Just thinking of how she had to go through the same hellish process again as soon as she woke up kept her eyes wide open. In the end, she sighed, lifted her upper body, and sat up.

    <i>Flutter!</i> Someone suddenly came into her tent, and Chelsea checked who it was. ¡®Acous.¡¯

    Pina was the person who hade into the tent. Even from a nce, her condition didn¡¯t seem good. Her robe was covered in dust, and her staff, which she meticulously cleaned every day, was covered in dirt. However, her face stuck out to Chelsea the most; Pina¡¯s hollow eyes and stiff expression showed how terrible her mood was. Pina didn¡¯t look like she had the leisure to greet Chelsea as she immediately crouched in front of her belongings and began rummaging through her bag. It seemed as if she found what she was looking for as she quickly got out and was about to leave the tent, but Chelsea¡¯s voice stopped her.

    ¡°I heard that the mages haven¡¯t had good sess in the battlefield. Is this true?¡±

    Pinapletely stopped in her tracks. An awkward atmosphere flowed inside the tent, but Chelsea paid no attention to it. If she was the type of person who cared about such matters, she wouldn¡¯t have even brought up such a sensitive topic in the first ce. Chelsea continued, ¡°There are many people injured by mages. Can¡¯t you do something about it?¡±

    It was obvious by now that Chelsea didn¡¯t have a good personality. She had merely put up a kind act to look good in front of other people and Glen, their leader. However, things weren¡¯t going her way, she was slowly reaching her limits. Moreover, there was something strange going on with their party leader, Glen, as well. Chelsea was obviously taking out her frustration at Pina, and Chelsea was also clearly aware of what she was doing.

    Pina replied while suppressing her emotions, ¡°¡­It won¡¯t be like this the next time.¡±

    ¡°I really hope that turns out to be true. I really don¡¯t want to see wounded soldiers with such terrible injuries anymore.¡±

    Pina didn¡¯t reply and left the tent. Chelsea also didn¡¯t expect a reply, so she reclined back down on her bed. Possibly due to letting out her anger at Pina, her eyes that had been wide awake slowly started to close. Soon after, Chelsea¡¯s soft breathing filled the tent.

 Chapter 509

    <h4>Chapter 509</h4>

    Thus, while the individuals from the allied forces dwelled in their own thoughts and cleaned up after their recent battle, the people on Steelwall¡¯s side also got to work.

    ¡°Please get us some bandages!¡± Lube¡¯s pure white clothes that symbolized her Saintess status had been dirtied by blood and dirt a long time ago, not leaving a trace of their previous sacredness. It was the same for her face. Her hands were soaked with blood while her dainty face was blotted with red. Her hair which fell down like a waterfall was also in the same state. If anyone saw her, they would have misunderstood her to be one of the wounded.

    Even a random homeless person wandering in a downtown market would have looked cleaner than her, but Lube didn¡¯t care a single bit about her appearance. As always, Weig was standing next to her. He would have usually maintained a distance while walking beside her, but it was different in this state of emergency.

    <i>Crunch!</i>

    ¡°Ahhh!¡± The wounded person beneath him screamed and turned his body, but Weig used his other leg and pressed down on the patient harder.

    <i>Crunch! </i>Another chilling sound resounded, and the bone that had prated out of the soldier¡¯s skin returned to its original position.

    ¡°Good, it¡¯s done! You endured it well!¡± Weig said. The soldier didn¡¯t endure anything at all and shrieked as much as necessary while he was contorted, but Weigplimented the soldier for enduring the pain and patted his shoulders.

    Lube and Weig were at the ce where they treated the injured Steelwall soldiers. Although the Steelwall side had fewer casualties than the winners of this battle, they still suffered a significant number of casualties. Naturally, Lube healed the injured with her outstanding skills, but even as the Saintess, she had her limits. The fact that she was still young and hadn¡¯t allowed her full talents to blossom yet also yed a factor, but Lube refused to rest even after she ran out of holy mana.

    Karuwiman priests learned other methods of healing besides using holy mana and magic. When Lube ran out of holy mana, she used her knowledge in various fields to continue treating the injured. Weig respected her decision and helped her by staying by her side. Karuwiman holy knights couldn¡¯t use healing magic, but they also learned basic treatment methods. Furthermore, since his upation meant that he was injured on a regr basis, he also had professional knowledge in treating bodily trauma¡ªthe way he had just fixed a soldier¡¯s protruding bone was a result of this.

    Yet, even as Weig respected Lube¡¯s decision, as the Saintess¡¯ protector, he needed to stop her from overexerting herself. Weig took Lube and went out of the barracks where the soldiers were.

    ¡°Why don¡¯t you take a break now, Lady Lube?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m all right physically. I have trained myself after all,¡± Lube said. Then, she bent one arm like she was trying to show her muscles. A smile formed on Weig¡¯s face at this inspiring sight, but he quickly fixed his expression and turned away.

    ¡°No, you have to rest. Other people are also working hard, so it will be fine even if you leave for a bit, Lady Lube. Moreover, other people have already taken their breaks. You¡¯re the only one who hasn¡¯t yet.¡±

    ¡°But¡­¡± Lube started, but one voice stopped her.

    ¡°Sir Weig is right.¡±

    Both Lube and Weig turned their heads. Zich was approaching them.

    ¡°Sir Zich!¡±

    ¡°You both have done so much,¡± Zich said.

    ¡°We only did what we were supposed to do as Karuna¡¯s servants.¡±

    ¡°I know that, but isn¡¯t it another matter to express my gratitude for the hard work you both have done?¡± Zich said and then looked at Lube. ¡°Lady Lube, I really think you should rest as Sir Weig said.¡±

    ¡°I can still move,¡± Lube retorted but Zich shook his head firmly.

    ¡°One of the most important things that a healer should be careful of is their own condition. If a healer gets sick, then there¡¯ll be no one who can treat people. The sick won¡¯t be able to do anything then. Is that what you want to happen, Lady Lube?¡±

    ¡°¡­I understand. I will rest a bit.¡±

    ¡°Thank you, Lady Lube.¡±

    Weig smiled, satisfied. Then, he said, ¡°I will stay here a bit longer and help treat the soldiers. Will you be able to go to your lodging by yourself?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not a child. Besides, are you seriously telling me to go rest when you are going to continue helping here?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s just the way it is, Lady Lube, since holy knights have overwhelmingly better stamina and priests. If you want to change your position from Saintess to a holy knight, I am willing to show you the ropes though,¡± Weig joked.

    ¡°No, thank you.¡±

    Weigughed. Then, Zich chimed in, ¡°Since Lady Lube could secretly head toward where other injured people are, I will guide her to her lodging.¡±

    ¡°As expected of Sir Zich. He¡¯s very sharp.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s enough, you two.¡± Lube looked a bit peeved as she lifted her head.

    ¡°Ooh my! I don¡¯t know how I would handle the aftermath after teasing Lady Lube! Please guide her safely to her room, Sir Zich.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll certainly do that.¡±

    Weig bowed his head once toward Zich and Lube each and went inside the barracks again. Zich also guided Lube to her lodging, but while they were heading to the location, Lube expressed that her feelings were hurt by not facing Zich. Of course, this didn¡¯tst long. Even if she tried to act, Lube was too kind to even act angry for a long period of time.

    ¡°How was treating the injured soldiers?¡±

    Thus, when Zich asked her a question like nothing was wrong when she was thinking about how to better express her anger, Lube answered right away.

    ¡°Honestly, it¡¯s hard. But it¡¯s necessary to work and also save lives. It¡¯s only expected of me to do it as a Karuwiman.¡± Lube¡¯s mindset waspletely opposite of Chelsea, whoined about doing the same work. Lube¡¯s bright face as she said these words clearly showed that she was speaking the truth.

    ¡°Although many died, there are also many who lived thanks to our treatment. When I see their faces, I forget that I¡¯m tired.¡±

    ¡°As expected of Karuwiman¡¯s Saintess.¡±

    ¡°You praise me too highly. But you¡¯re aware of this, right? The people I treated won¡¯t be able to participate in this war anymore.¡±

    ¡°Yes, I know.¡±

    Even though Lube was staying in the Steelwall Estate, the Karuwimans were staying neutral in this war and couldn¡¯t help the Steelwalls. Thus, they formed a contract. Soldiers no longer fit to participate in the war would be treated by Lube, and even if they recovered, they would bepletely excluded from participating in the war.

    ¡°They would have died if you hadn''t treated them anyway, so the Steelwalls wouldn¡¯t have been able to send them out regardless of the contract or not. Thus, the Count decided that it would be better to save people¡¯s lives instead. I have nothing to say against this.¡±

    ¡°Then, that¡¯s good.¡± Like this, Lube and Zich approached Lube¡¯s tent. Then, they heard two voices.

    ¡°So, that¡¯s how you went on a journey with Zich?¡±

    ¡°Yes, sir!¡±

    One voice sounded annoyed and strained as if they really didn¡¯t like the person they were talking to, and the other voice sounded extremely stiff from nervousness. Zich and Lube looked at each other and quickly headed toward the direction of the voices.

    Lube said, ¡°They¡¯re¡­¡±

    Zich replied, ¡°It¡¯s Snoc and Mr. Dwayne.¡± It was a funnybination. Snoc and Walwiss also noticed Zich and Lube.

    Walwiss said, ¡°Ah, you came back.¡±

    ¡°Did something happen?¡± Zich asked a question, but judging by how the corners of his mouth were twitching into a smile, it seemed as if he could roughly guess what was happening.

    Walwiss replied, ¡°Well, it¡¯s nothing much. I was merely asking questions to this young man here because I was really curious about a few things. This happens when you¡¯re old¡ªyou get awfully curious for no reason.¡± Walwiss waved his hand as if he was not doing much, but anyone could see that he was intensely investigating Snoc¡¯s background and drilling him with questions; his attitude far surpassed mere curiosity due to old age.

    ¡°Grandpa!¡± Then, a new person appeared.

    Walwiss¡¯ shoulder flinched as a sharp voice rang throughout the space. In contrast, Snoc¡¯s shoulders, which had been stiff, rxed a little bit and got lower. Elena approached them with an angry expression and shouted, ¡°I can¡¯t believe it! Are you bothering Snoc again?¡±

    ¡°What do you mean, bother?! I merely had some questions I wanted to ask him, so we were having a conversation.¡±

    ¡°Is that true?¡±

    Snoc nodded at Elena¡¯s question. It seemed as if he couldn¡¯t ovee Walwiss¡¯ fierce eyes that were pressuring him to agree with him.

    However, smart Elena wasn¡¯t asking Snoc. ¡°I wasn¡¯t asking you but Nowem.¡±

    Nowem, who was always stuck on Snoc¡¯s shoulder, stared at Walwiss, and Walwiss also intensely looked at Nowem. However, the great magical beast of the earth Nowem didn¡¯t back down from a mere re.

    <i>Koo!</i> With a short cry, Nowem nodded his head.

    ¡°Look at this!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m going to immediately put this sted mole on ab bench!¡± Walwiss furiously let out his anger like someone whose dirty secret had been revealed. However, he couldn¡¯t help lower his tail after seeing his granddaughter¡¯s sharp eyes.

    ¡°Don¡¯t hurt Nowem! If anyone¡¯s going to try to put Nowem on ab bench, I¡¯ll be the first one to do it!¡±

    <i>Koo? </i>She still hadn¡¯t given up on that yet?<i></i>Nowem had been bravely standing up to Walwiss, but he looked extremely betrayed by Elena¡¯s deration.

    Grandpa and granddaughter fought for a while, and it only ended when Elena dragged out Snoc.

    ¡°How can a granddaughter raise her voice to her own grandpa!¡± Now left alone, Walwiss grumbled to himself. However,pared to his fierce words, his shoulders looked slightly defeated.

    ¡°Sir, you don¡¯t seem to like Snoc,¡± Zich said while suppressing hisughter.

    Compared to him, Lube didn¡¯t know what was going on, so she asked, ¡°Did he do something wrong?¡±

    Walwiss replied, ¡°There are some people you don¡¯t like for no reason.¡±

    ¡°However, there is a reason why you don¡¯t like him.¡±

    At Zich¡¯s words, Walwiss became speechless and closed his mouth.

    ¡°Seriously, people who¡¯re always talking about their age always act like little kids.¡± A new voice chimed in.

    Walwiss¡¯ frown deepened as he sharply said, ¡°Why are you eavesdropping on other people¡¯s conversations? Where did you learn such awful manners?¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t eavesdrop. I just heard it because our hearing is way better than human¡¯s.¡± Leona leisurely walked toward them, and pointed at her ears.

    ¡°How convenient.¡±

    Leona replied, ¡°It sure is.¡±

    Anyone could see that Leona and Walwiss¡¯ second round of fighting was about to begin. Zich slightly nced at Lube. He didn¡¯t want to be part of such a useless fight. Lube understood Zich¡¯s signal and nodded.

    Zich said, ¡°We¡¯ll be leaving first since I¡¯m taking Lady Lube to her ce. Since she¡¯s been treating the wounded until now, she desperately needs to take a break.¡±

    Fortunately, Leona nor Walwiss tried to stop Zich or Lube. They only red at each other and bared their teeth. After Zich and Lube left, a small quarrel between two natural-born enemies rmenced.

 Chapter 510

    <h4>Chapter 510</h4>

    After separating from Walwiss and Leona, Zich and Lube arrived at Lube¡¯s lodging.

    <i>Whoosh! Whoosh! </i>They heard swinging sounds. The way the sword sliced through the air sharply indicated the high level of swordsmanship they had, and the sound came from further inside.

    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s Mr. Hans,¡± Lube said, spotting the person swinging his sword.

    Hans wasn¡¯t swinging his sword for aplete round of training. He was the type of person to push himself to his limits when training as Zich instructed him to. Yet, right now, he was lightly swinging his sword to warm his body up. His behavior was a given, considering that a battle could erupt at any moment. However, Zich felt a sense of anger in Hans¡¯ swings.

    Lara sat a bit further away from Hans. By the sword lying next to her and the sweat dripping from her face, it was clear that she had also been swinging her sword not long ago. Hans stopped when he spotted Zich.

    ¡°Don¡¯t mind us and continue what you were doing. We aren¡¯t here for you.¡±

    ¡°No, I was about to finish up here.¡± Hans ced his sword back in its sheath. ¡°I see that you are with the Saintess.¡±

    ¡°She was overexerting herself, so I was forcefully taking her to her room.¡±

    ¡°Sir Zich¡­¡± Lube nudged Zich¡¯s side. Of course, Zich didn¡¯t even budge. Hans thought one would need at least an awl made out of mithril and orichalcum to pierce through Zich¡¯s thick skin.

    ¡°You are indeed the Saintess, Lady Lube,¡± Hans remarked.

    ¡°She¡¯s too much of a saintess that it¡¯s a problem,¡± Zich said.

    ¡°Can¡¯t you stop?¡± Lube eyes turned so sharp that they looked like it could pierce even a thick tree, and thus, Zich backed off from the topic.

    ¡°Okay, so were you warming up?¡± Zich asked Hans.

    ¡°Yes, Lara and I were exercising lightly,¡± Hans said. Lara also got up and stood next to Hans.

    ¡°Since we don¡¯t know when the next battle will arise, we need to warm up.¡±

    ¡°I like your mindset, but you know that it will backfire if you expend more energy than necessary, right?¡±

    ¡°Yes, we are not that foolish.¡±

    ¡°Well, someone of Lara¡¯s skill would know, and I beat down such teachings to Hans personally,¡± Zich said.

    Hans shuddered. Although he felt grateful to Zich for all the training and had noints about them, ?he had almost lost his mind during their training sessions. Just thinking about it brought him chills as a reflex.

    ¡°But Hans, I sense some anger in your swings.¡±

    ¡°¡­You noticed, sir?¡± Hans wasn¡¯t too surprised. It was natural for Zich to notice such things.

    ¡°Yeah, I did. Why? Are you angry that you were pushed back by Glen Zenard?¡±

    ¡°¡­Honestly, yes.¡±

    ¡°That guy became stronger, so much that even I couldn¡¯t handle him by myself. Thus, it¡¯s only natural that you can¡¯t beat him with your skills.¡±

    Hans knew that much and had no intention to deny this fact.

    ¡°It still makes me so angry,¡± Hans said. He hated that the person he had thought was on a simr level to him was suddenly superior to not only him, but his master too.

    Zich stared at Hans intently. Although Hans usually looked nervous whenever Zich looked at him, he looked clearly into Zich¡¯s eyes now. Zich smiled.

    ¡°Yeah, you need that kind ofpetitive spirit, too.¡± Apetitive spirit led to one¡¯s desire to progress and improve oneself, and such feelings were necessary in order for one to reach a higher level. Zich knew Hans would be able to control hispetitiveness so that it wouldn¡¯t have a negative effect; the fact that Hans was just loosening himself up instead of training too hard proved this statement.

    ¡°Remember that frustration and anger. It¡¯s going to increase your skills to a much higher level.¡±

    ¡°I understand.¡±

    ¡°However, there¡¯s no need for you to be so conscious of that guy. He¡¯s not even worth getting angry about. Glen Zenard forcefully increased his fighting level by borrowing outside powers, so he is going to have to deal with plenty of negative side effects. I¡¯m sure he¡¯s using life force as fuel for his current powers right now.¡±

    ¡°Yes, sir!¡± Hans replied, ending the matter about Glen. Yet, the person standing next to him, Lara, didn¡¯t look so relieved. Even if she had settled her feelings and thoughts, this was her pastpanion and love they were talking about.

    ¡°Does this mean he doesn¡¯t have much time left to live?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know about that. Although it¡¯s clear he used some kind of weird method to boost his strength and that some side effects should follow that, I don¡¯t know what kind of method it is or what the side effects are. He could die early or be immobile. However, there¡¯s one thing that¡¯s clear: his future is going to be beyond unfortunate.¡±

    ¡°How did he change so much?¡± Lara asked without wanting a reply. Rather than asking, she was mostlymenting over this fact.

    Yet, Zich knew the clear answer to her question.

    ¡°You are wrong about the most basic part, Lara. He didn¡¯t change.¡± Zich continued after confirming the surprise in Lara¡¯s eyes. ¡°His true face is cracking through.¡±

    Lara couldn¡¯t reply to this statement.

    * * *

    Although they had lost the first battle without doing anything significant, the allied forces didn¡¯t back down. Count ud especially had no intention to do so, and he once againunched an attack with the troops.

    <i>Waaaaaaaaah!</i>

    The allied forces ran forward with a ground-shaking roar. The momentum they carried felt like it would nket the mountain and separate the sea, but that was all there was to it. There were many cases when high momentum didn¡¯t lead to good results.

    ¡°Kuh!¡±

    ¡°Urgh!¡±

    The allied soldiers began to fall under the Steelwall soldiers¡¯ counterattacks. At this rate, it seemed like their corpses would cover the mountain and divide the sea. However, the allied forces continued to rush forward with their numbers and aimed for the gaps in the walls. The Steelwall soldiers blocked their attacks skillfully just like the nickname the estate had earned in the kingdom as the Iron Fortress.

    <i>Ping!</i> Tornium¡¯s ck mana aimed for Zich. Even though Zich could block Glen¡¯s immediate attacks, he didn¡¯t think that he would continuously be able to block Glen¡¯s subsequent attacks. However, he continued to block Glen¡¯s attacks without much worry.

    <i>Bammm!</i> Zich¡¯s hands felt numb, and his muscles felt sore. As expected, Zich¡¯s stance crumbled. However, Glen couldn¡¯t add in another hit.

    <i>Swing!</i> Arge sword swang toward him from the side and let out a chilling amount of mana. Without even having the leisure to send a nce towards Zich who was withdrawing, Glen had to swing Tornium to his side.

    <i>Bam</i>!

    ¡°Ugh!¡± Til let out a painful groan as he received Glen¡¯s retaliation. His huge sword trembled.

    ¡®I need to first finish at least one person!¡¯ Glen pushed back Tornium and pointed his sword at Til¡¯s heart. However, Glen¡¯s attempt was hindered once again.

    <i>Swoosh!</i> A small shockwave rang in his ear. He had already heard this sound many times. Even though he was used to it, it didn¡¯t make the arrows any less dangerous.

    ¡®Should I ignore it?¡¯ If he risked injury and pushed Tornium further toward Til from here, Glen thought he could definitely take out Til from the battlefield. However, Glen didn¡¯t linger on this idea for too long. He wasn¡¯t only facing Til, and he didn¡¯t know how deadly the attack shooting at him would be. In the end, Glen turned Tornium¡¯s trajectory, and the flying arrow bounced off his sword.

    <i>Bam!</i> Glen gritted his teeth and red at those surrounding him. Til was swinging his sword in the front, and Zich was finding openings in his movement with sharp eyes in the back. Leona had another arrow on her bow and was ready to shoot at any moment from a short distance. He was sick of this formation. In every battle, they surrounded him like this and fiercely attacked him. There were awkward moments in the beginning, but after some time, their teamwork becamepletely seamless. If they continued fighting like this, the result would be the same as before. He would be forced to retreat after getting pushed back, and that was basically the same as running away.

    Glen shouted at Zich in frustration. ¡°How can three of you fight against me like cowards!¡±

    However, Glen¡¯s provocation had no effect. Zich cleaned out his ears to show that he considered Glen¡¯s words like a dog barking. A loud sound could be heard from the allied forces¡¯ main campsite; it was the same sound that had rung out on the battlefield a couple of times already¡ªthe signal to retreat. Glen gritted his teeth to the point that all his teeth might break. However, he had no choice but to turn back his feet to retreat towards the allied forces¡¯ campsite like the others.

    The Steelwalls garnered another victory for themselves. Zich returned to the campsite with the others and went around as if he was looking for someone. ¡®He¡¯s over there.¡¯

    Zich moved through the chaotic group of soldiers right after the battle and headed toward the person he was looking at.

    ¡°Sir, you¡¯ve arrived.¡± Hans bowed his head. After replying with a wave of his hand, Zich sat next to Hans and looked down at a soldier huffing for breath. The soldier tossed his helmet to the side, and hisplexion looked terrible.

    ¡°How was your first war, my younger brother?¡±

    Greig shifted his eyes and looked up at his older brother. His lips werepletely chapped as he replied, ¡°¡­It¡¯s the worst.¡±

    Zich chuckled at Greig¡¯s words. ¡°If you can talk at least that much, you¡¯ll be fine.¡±

    Zich¡¯s gaze headed towards Hans. ¡°Good job. It seems like you¡¯ve done well protecting him.¡±

    Greig was starting to recover from his mental shock, and Zich sent him out in this battle to wash away the final remnants of his trauma. ¡®It¡¯s good to get over a shock with another shock.¡¯

    Moreover, regardless of how this war ended and the state of the Steelwall Estate, Greig would never stay away from war as the next heir to Steelwall. Even though there was a lot of opposition, Greig was sent to war to face his enemy for the first time under Count Steelwall¡¯s permission. Of course, if Glen died in this war, all of Zich¡¯s efforts would go to waste, so he proposed for Hans to act as Greig¡¯s bodyguard. Hans¡¯ skill was already famous in the Steelwall Estate, and thanks to the Countess¡¯ influence, Count Steelwall also had a very favorable impression of Hans, so he easily agreed to Zich¡¯s proposal.

    Zich stared at Greig again and said, ¡°Take care of your condition. Eat and rest well. You have to take good care of yourself if you want to continue fighting.¡±

    ¡°¡­Got it.¡± Greig scowled at the thought of going out to fight again, but he didn¡¯t protest.

    ¡®This guy¡¯s treatment is also almost over.¡¯ Even though Zich¡¯s opportunity to torture Greig as much as he wanted under the guise of treating him was now over, he didn¡¯t feel any regrests since he already tortured Greig as much as he wanted to.

    Hans looked in the direction of the allied forces¡¯ campsite and asked, ¡°Sir, when will the next battle happen?¡±

    ¡°Well, they¡¯lle out whenever they want. But that won¡¯tst long either.¡±

    Hans and Greig looked at Zich with confusion.

    ¡°No matter how stupid they are, they¡¯ll start to look for different strategies after getting beaten so much.¡±

    Then, Zich smiled. A chill passed through Hans and Greig because of his frightening grin.

    ¡°Don¡¯t you think it¡¯s about time for us to start hitting them back?¡±

 Chapter 511

    <h4>Chapter 511</h4>

    The morale among the allied forces wasn¡¯t good. It was only natural since they hadn¡¯t won a single battle after shing with the Steelwall army several times. They might have been more hopeful if they were making some progress, but their attacks didn¡¯t seem to make the slightest dent in the barriers set up by the Steelwalls. Even if they managed to significantly damage one area using their superiority in numbers, the areas were cleanly restored by the next battle. It was so disheartening that the wooden barriers, which would have easily broken under a trained knight¡¯s swing, were beginning to look like a legendary citadel from hell.

    As expected, the mood wasn¡¯t good inside the allied forces¡¯ conference tent. Inside the tent, Count ud was with other important members of the allied forces. Each of the members¡¯ faces was stiff and downcast as they listened to the adjutant¡¯s report of the current situation. The adjutant tried to talk as calmly as possible while omitting any sign of emotions, but the content of his words was enough to cause a huge headache for everyone in the meeting.

    ¡°That is the summary of damages suffered by the allied forces so far.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s a lot of causalities,¡± one of the nobles noted. It was a simple statement, but it perfectly exined the allied forces¡¯ situation.

    Another person asked the adjutant, ¡°What about our enemy¡¯s casualties?¡±

    ¡°We don¡¯t know exactly, but it¡¯s estimated that they suffered much fewer damagespared to us.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sure they did. We couldn¡¯t even break through that useless, fragile wooden barrier, much less attack them properly,¡± the noble remarked. The barrier was created too meticulously and well to be called ¡®useless¡¯, but the adjutant continued on without retorting this point. He knew that they would stray away from the main topic if he nitpicked such matters.

    ¡°We won¡¯t be able to do much if we continue to attack them senselessly like this.¡±

    ¡°I agree. The enemy¡¯s defenses are much stronger than we expected. At this rate, it¡¯s only going to our soldiers who are going to die.¡±

    People began to voice their opinions in the conference room. However, as they talked to one another, their eyes were always pointing at the top seat where Count ud sat. Whatever suggestion they made, they knew it would be up to the Count to ept them or not. Yet, they continued to bring forth their ideas in order to pressure the Count to stop his foolish offensive and find a better strategy.

    ¡°Even though we lost many soldiers, we are still far superior in numbers. It¡¯s our obvious advantage, and it seems best to use that.¡±

    ¡°How about we leave an army simr in size to our enemy¡¯s and make the rest attack other areas of the estate? If we attack the estate¡¯s insides directly, I¡¯m sure they will be shaken.¡±

    ¡°If we are going to do that, why don¡¯t we turn the entire Steelwall Estate into ruins? I¡¯m sure they will be thrown off even more then.¡±

    ¡°If we do so, the benefits we would gain when taking the Steelwall Estate would greatly decrease. Furthermore, even if the Steelwall troops are mostly gathered here, I¡¯m sure they would have left at least a few troops in their important stronghold. Will our soldiers be able to break through with their current low morale?¡±

    ¡°Moreover, that could ce the main base at risk. I hate to admit it, but our enemy¡¯s forces are superior in terms of quality. If we leave a simr number of soldiers with our enemy here and send the rest elsewhere, there¡¯s a high possibility that our enemy would ambush our main base. How about wepletely surround our enemies and cut them off from their supplies and starve them to death? I think it would be possible with our numbers.¡±

    Then, Viscount Pinne said, ¡°Whatever the method is, we can¡¯t take too long.¡±

    Everyone¡¯s eyes shot to the Viscount.

    ¡°We got news from our estate that our majesty sent a person.¡±

    ¡°The king of the Cronon Kingdom?¡± Unlike the majority of the people gathered inside this tent, Viscount Pinne was a noble from the Cronon Kingdom, and the ce where this war was taking ce was within the Cronon Kingdom¡¯s territory. Naturally, everyone tensed up after hearing that the king of the kingdom they were in had sent news.

    ¡°Did the person perhaps say that the Cronon Kingdom would be involved in this war?¡±

    ¡°Thankfully, that didn¡¯t seem to be the case.¡±

    People were relieved. If the Cronon Kingdom officially got involved at this point, their chance of victory significantly decreased. However, Viscount Pinne¡¯s next sentence signified that they couldn¡¯tpletely let their guard down.

    ¡°Yet, it seems like His Majesty has expressed clear disapproval for this war and hinted at his desire for us to stop it at this point. It''s highly likely that the whole kingdom will get involved if the war continues any further.¡±

    ¡°What!¡±

    ¡°Hm¡­¡±

    Although the worst-case scenario of having an entire kingdom meddling in this affair didn¡¯t happen yet, people sighed after hearing that it was a high possibility in the future.

    ¡°If the Cronon Kingdom gets involved, wouldn¡¯t we also be able to get help from our kingdom?¡±

    ¡°That would mean a war between kingdoms. Will our kingdom want to bear such a burden? I don¡¯t think they are even prepared for a proper war right now. Furthermore, we aren¡¯t even winning this war right now and we¡¯re struggling to gain victory even with an overwhelmingly greater number of forces.¡±

    ¡°If that¡¯s the case, it would be best for us to cleanly end the war before the Cronon Kingdom gets involved.¡±

    ¡°However, that¡¯s not easy as it sounds.¡±

    Sighs filled the conference room again.

    ¡°What are your thoughts, Count ud?¡± Since it seemed like everyone had pretty much said their opinions, the adjutant asked the Count. Other people¡¯s eyes began to shift back to Count ud again.

    ¡°¡­It seems like everyone agrees that we must deal with our enemies as quick as possible,¡± Count ud said. Everyone nodded. ¡°I also agree on that point, and on that note, I¡¯ve made my decision.¡±

    Everyone¡¯s gaze gathered towards Count ud, and they anxiously waited for his next words.

    Count ud said, ¡°Let¡¯s split up the troops. I¡¯m going to keep a slightly greater number of troops than our enemy and send the rest of the troops deeper into Steelwall.¡±

    ¡°Then, are you aiming for Steelwall¡¯s capital city, Violsa?¡±

    ¡°No.¡± A cruel light shed in the Count¡¯s eyes. ¡°We¡¯ll be burning down the Steelwall Estate.¡±

    People were startled. Although such a proposal had been suggested before, they didn¡¯t expect the Count to carry it into action.

    ¡°If you do that, we¡¯ll be severely criticized for our actions, and we¡¯ll also have less to gain from this war.¡±

    ¡°Moreover, this operation may encourage the Cronon Kingdom to officially step in and participate in this war.¡±

    Various opposing statements came out, but Count¡¯s resolution was firm. ¡°I understand all of your concerns, but please remember that we¡¯re here to defeat Bellid supporters. We must deal with those evil demons before their influence spreads outside of Steelwall.¡± Even while saying this, Count ud¡¯s mind was upied by apletely different thought. ¡®I have to win this war at all costs!¡¯

    Count ud still only cared about victory even though victory was no longer guaranteed for them like in the early stages of the war. He couldn¡¯t help it. The Count carefully observed all the people sitting around him. Of course, everyone here wished to win the war, but they didn¡¯t seem desperate like him. In the first ce, their estates didn¡¯t border the Steelwall Estate, and even if they lost this war, they could just retreat and go back to their estates. Since they could easily pass on Steelwall¡¯s retaliation and anger to Count ud, they shared none of his urgency.

    However, Count ud¡¯s position waspletely different. It wasn¡¯t just a matter of facing Steelwall¡¯s retaliation. ¡®Those guys will never allow me to give up on this war.¡¯

    Count ud literally joined hands with the devil for this war¡ªa devil called the Bellid. The Bellids wanted to destroy the Steelwall Estate by using any means possible.

    Count ud thought, ¡®If I back down now, I have no idea what those guys will do. No, even if I lose, I¡¯ll probably suffer the same consequences.¡¯

    He was joining hands with them, but he also didn¡¯t like the Bellids either. He had merely joined forces to get what he wanted. However, this was only Count ud¡¯s problem. He saw several people frown and scowl at his remarks. They hade to take a part of the spoils in the name of subjugating and expelling out the evil Bellids, and very few people hade here out of sincere faith. Of course, Count ud was aware of their concerns.

    He said, ¡°Even if we can¡¯t make a decent profit due to this operation, the ud Estate will make up for it.¡±

    ¡°Well, if that¡¯s the case¡­¡±

    ¡°As expected, you¡¯re generous.¡±

    Only then did people finally look relieved. There were some people who still looked slightly ufortable, but no one refused Count ud¡¯s offer.

    ¡°Shouldn¡¯t we also listen to Viscount Pinne¡¯s thoughts? Wouldn¡¯t he suffer the most if the Steelwall¡¯s Estate is burned to the ground?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s all right with me.¡± Viscount Pinne nodded. Frankly, the Viscount was not in the position to protest Count ud¡¯s proposition. If they lost this war, the Pinne Estate, whose territory bordered the Steelwalls and even shared the same kingdom, would receive serious retaliation from the Steelwalls. The Pinnes were also desperate to win. Of course, since they were Bellid supporters, they couldn¡¯t give up on this war either.

    ¡°It seems like our meeting has been sorted. Then, let¡¯s hurry up and reorganize our forces. We must end this war as soon as possible.¡± Like this, the allied forces¡¯manders made a final decision. However, no one here expected the Steelwalls to make their move first.

    * * *

    ¡°You¡¯re suggesting that we attack the Pinne Estate?¡± Count Steelwall¡¯s wary gaze headed towards Zich.

    ¡°Yes, sir.¡± Zich nodded. Everyone gathered in themand headquarters, including Count Steelwall, tilted their head.

    Count Steelwall asked, ¡°What¡¯s your reason?¡±

    Attacking the Pinne Estate was not a very good choice considering their current circumstances. Regardless of how well the Steelwall¡¯s army was blocking the enemy¡¯s attacks, they were still at a disadvantage in terms of numbers. If they wanted to attack the Pinne Estate, they needed to split the troops, and doing so would weaken their main defense. The main camp could be destroyed if things went wrong. Moreover, since they had rtively few troops, the number of soldiers they could send out to attack the Pinne Estate was not much. It was questionable whether such a small number of soldiers would be able to effectively attack enemy territory. It was for these reasons that people hadn¡¯t thought of counterattacking their enemy.

    However, no one ignored or criticized Zich¡¯s words due to his high reputation. Count Steelwall also asked a question for rification, not because he was looking down on Zich.

    ¡°Our enemies aren¡¯t going to attack us head-on anymore, since they know that we¡¯re at aplete advantage. Even Count ud has probably figured that out by now.¡±

    No one rebuked Zich for talking so harshly about his grandfather. Their rtionship with Count ud had already crossed a river of no return.

 Chapter 512

    <h4>Chapter 512</h4>

    At Zich¡¯s suggestion, everyone including Count Steelwall nodded. They were also expecting the allied forces to soon change their offensive strategy.

    ¡°They are probably going to take advantage of their superior numbers. I suspect that they n to surround us and cut us off from our supplies or divide part of their forces to attack a different part of our estate.¡±

    ¡°Hm, we also came up with the same conclusion. Between the two hypotheses, we think thetter has a higher possibility. Other estates in our surroundings and even the royal family are starting to move. We can¡¯t be certain that they will participate in this war, but just their movements alone will put huge pressure on our enemy. Regardless, it¡¯s obvious our enemy can¡¯t drag this on for long, which makes it more unlikely that they would take the option of slowly drying out our supplies.¡±

    As expected of someone who had plenty of experience on the battlefield, Count Steelwall precisely saw through everything that was happening in the present.

    ¡°The question is whether or not those guys are going to target one of our important bases or aim to destroy and cause havoc indiscriminately.¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡± The Count raised one eyebrow. It was preferable if their enemies chose to attack their important base since they left some troops there. Therefore, it wouldn¡¯t be easily prated. While that went on, they could attack their enemy¡¯s weakened main base with their superior fighters; or if that proved difficult, they could form a detachment to torment the enemy forces that had gone inside the estate. The allied forces had been defending well so far with their far superior numbers. However, if they split forces, their offensive power would weaken, giving the Steelwall army the ease to send a detachment. Thus, if the allied forces went to their important base, the Steelwall forces could attack both sides with the force already existing in the base and the detachment.

    On the other hand, if their enemies chose the strategy of causing as much destruction as possible while ignoring important bases, the Steelwalls would need to counteract that too. They would need to either attack their enemy forces in charge of the annihtion or attack their enemy¡¯s main base. That would cause a much greater strain to Steelwall¡¯s forces which werecking in the numbers department. However, if the Count let the enemy forces do as they wished, the morale of his men would fall and cause a significant burden for the Steelwall Estate.

    The second strategy would also cause a big strain for the allied forces, but both Zich and Count Steelwall knew what kind of man Count ud was.

    ¡°That damn old fart would calmly order for the indiscriminate destruction of the Steelwall Estate.¡±

    ¡°I think the same.¡±

    ¡°Are you still telling us to attack the Pinne Estate, leaving the allied forces that would try to burn down the estate?¡±

    ¡°Will you be able to stop them?¡±

    ¡°We can make a detachment and avoid fighting them head-on as much as possible while trying to tie them down to one ce. We would also have to evacuate the residents nearby.¡±

    ¡°You will be able to save some lives that way, but there will be significant damage done on the properties and farnd.¡±

    ¡°It can¡¯t be helped. There¡¯s a limit to how big we can make the detachment to fight off the enemy forces.¡± The Count¡¯s decision was cold. He couldn¡¯t spend his whole fortune to block the potential damages in front of him. It was true that the idea of the possible consequences of his decision gave him a bitter taste in his mouth though.

    ¡°That¡¯s why we must strike the Pinne Estate. Then, our enemies would prioritize the detachment heading to the Pinne Estate and attack them. In times like this, we have to take the initiative.¡±

    ¡°I get what you are saying, but you are aware that this n also has its problems, right?¡± There wasn¡¯t a hint of rebuke in the Count¡¯s voice. He sounded like he was telling Zich to exin his point so that it was more understandable.

    ¡°As I have been saying repeatedly, even if we deploy a detachment, we wouldn¡¯t be able to make a big one. Do you think we would be able to attack and secure the Pinne Estate with a force like that?¡± the Count asked.

    ¡°I am nning to make the most elite force we can possibly afford. I think it would be possible if we form a group with the elves, my subordinates, and some knights.¡±

    ¡°No, if we did that, there would be a big dent on our main defense,¡± the Count said firmly. The main reason why they sessfully managed to block their enemies¡¯ attacks was thanks to elite forces like the mages and the elves. Thus, if the elves and even the Steelwall knights joined the detachment, their main defense would weaken too much. Yet, Zich didn¡¯t back down.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. If our enemies heard that we sent a detachment to attack the Pinne Estate, they would also send their elite troops to capture us. Then, our side would manage to defend with just the main remaining troops.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s the reason for that judgment?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s the symbolism that the Pinne Estate holds in this war. The reason why the uds and other guys from our neighboring country could brazenly cross the border was that the Steelwalls were used as Bellids too. Above all, it¡¯s because the Pinne family, who is part of the Cronon Kingdom, requested their help. Although they took some leaps, thanks to the Pinne Estate, they could set up this war as one between two estates in one kingdom.¡±

    This was a fact that everyone was aware of.

    ¡°If we take over the Pinne Estate, we could wipe away this story, and the kingdom would have even more reason to get involved. It would be a situation the allied forces would want to avoid very much.¡±

    ¡°You do have a point.¡± The Count nodded. ¡°It¡¯s still too weak. That damn old fart could use the chance to turn the Steelwall Estate intoplete ruins. He might actually be happy that our forces decreased.¡±

    ¡°Of course. Everything I said just now would be the exnation we would give on the surface.¡±

    ¡°Then?¡±

    ¡°Sir, let me ask you this first. Have you found out why there¡¯re so many Bellid traces in the Steelwall Estate?¡±

    Count Steelwall frowned; this was the topic that annoyed the Count the most besides the war.

    ¡°No.¡± Count Steelwall furiously shouted, ¡°I¡¯ll crush those cockroach bastards as soon as I find them!¡±

    ¡°Cockroaches that appear in homes are usually nearby. They make a nest inside the home, or if they can¡¯t, move to a neighboring home.¡±

    ¡°A neighboring home?¡± Among the ces that could be called Steelwall¡¯s neighbors, the ud Estate and the Pinne Estate were the only two ces involved in this war. Considering where Zich wanted to attack, he could only be referring to one ce.

    ¡°Perhaps, are you telling me that the Bellid¡¯s nest is inside the Pinne Estate?¡±

    ¡°To be exact, the entire Pinne Estate is the Bellid¡¯s nest.¡± This waspletely unexpected. Everyone including the Count widened their eyes and looked shocked.

    ¡°¡­They were the Bellid supporters?¡±

    ¡°Yes, sir.¡±

    ¡°Despite this, they used us of being Bellid supporters and dragged others into this war with the excuse that they¡¯ve received damage from Bellid supporters?¡±

    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°Sir, do you now understand why they would try their hardest to capture our detachment if we try to attack the Pinne Estate?¡± If it gets revealed that the Pinnes were Bellid supporters all along, their situation would bepletely reversed. The Cronon Kingdom and the surrounding estates will immediately dere war in favor of Steelwall, and the Karuwimans might also take the Steelwalls¡¯ side and attack the allied forces. If that happened, victory would be assured for the Steelwalls.

    ¡°¡­Even if the Pinnes insist on protecting their main camp, if the others oppose it, nothing will happen.¡± Their opponent was the allied forces. No matter how much Viscount Pinne argued for his territory¡¯s protection, the others could possibly reject his proposal.

    ¡°It¡¯s hard for me to believe that everyone in the allied forces are Bellid supporters.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sure that at least Count ud is working with the Bellids.¡±

    Another round of shock swept through the listeners. Zich was the only one who looked calm as he continued, ¡°Of course, it seems as if even Count ud doesn¡¯t know that the Pinnes are Bellid supporters, but the Bellids will definitely force Count ud to move if they¡¯re getting attacked.¡±

    While Viscount Pinne was merely a member of the allied forces, Count ud was themander-in-chief of the allied forces. The amount of influence they had on the coalition waspletely different.

    ¡°I n to bring Sir Weig with me as part of the detachment, and I also n to spill this information out to our enemies.¡±

    ¡°¡­If Belri Weig finds out traces of Bellids in the Pinne Estate, this war will be over.¡±

    ¡°The allied forces will have no choice but to target the detachment to stop him.¡±

    Count Steelwall fell into thought. If Zich¡¯s words were true, his n was definitely worth a try. The question was whether he should believe Zich¡¯s words that the Pinnes were Bellid supporters and whether the detachment could really attack the Pinne Estate while enduring the persistent pursuit of the allied forces.

    Count Steelwall said, ¡°¡­Since you¡¯re bringing this up, you¡¯ll be leading the detachment, right?¡±

    ¡°Of course.¡± Zich looked at Count Steelwall as if he said the most obvious thing ever.

    ¡°It¡¯ll be an extremely arduous task. Are you confident that you can do it?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m fully confident that I¡¯ll give them worse than hell.¡±

    The Count nodded at Zich¡¯s confident reply. ¡°Propose the number of soldiers you need. I¡¯ll do my best.¡± The Count gave his permission, and Zich smiled happily.

    ¡°You won¡¯t regret it.¡± Then Zich left themand camp. He needed to select the people he needed as fast as possible. Even though he¡¯d roughly thought of the detachment¡¯sposition, it took a bit more time to make it detailed. Zich suddenly stopped and looked sideways. Past the scattered barracks and wooden barrier, he saw the allied force¡¯s campsite. Glen Zenard was definitely in there.

    Zich grinned. Even though Zich said that the allied forces will chase after the detachment to prevent the traces of Bellid from being found in the Pinne Estate, he knew that they woulde after him regardless.

    ¡®If Glen finds out that I¡¯ll be leading a detachment, he¡¯lle after me no matter what.¡¯ Thus, they didn¡¯t have to worry that the allied forces would ignore the detachment and attack the Steelwall Estate.

    ¡®The only thing left is to y around with them using the detachment.¡¯ He roughly thought of a n for this as well.

    ¡®They should start to realize what kind of situation they¡¯re in right now.¡¯ Zich chuckled as he recalled Glen¡¯s furious expression as he rushed toward him.

    * * *

    Zich¡¯s n quickly went into action. Zich requested the Count for the talents he wanted, and the Count immediately gave his permission. A few dayster, a considerable number of troops moved out of the Steelwall¡¯s main camp under the cover of night. A watch guard spying on the Steelwall¡¯s camp discovered their movement and immediately reported it to the allied forces¡¯ headquarters.

    The allied forces first showed caution toward the sudden and suspicious movement from the Steelwall side. They continued to send scouts out to figure out what their goal was. They lost contact with the scouts at one point, but they were roughly able to garner their enemy¡¯s goal. Their enemy¡¯s goal was believed to be the Pinne Estate, and Zich was leading the detachment. Moreover, a figure who appeared to be Belri Weig was also part of the group, and as soon as this information was received, some members of the alliance fell into panic.

 Chapter 513

    <h4>Chapter 513</h4>

    Count ud brooded over the information that his scouts had brought. They generally found out what their enemies were aiming for, how many and who would be in the group carrying out this goal, and so on. Their enemy¡¯s target was the Pinne Estate, and the reason for this move was to erase the grounds that the allied forces were in Cronon Kingdom¡¯s territory in the first ce. If the Pinne Estate fell, the Cronon Kingdom would immediately dere the Steelwalls as the victor and request for the allied forces to promptly evacuate the kingdom. Furthermore, this request might not end with just a simple suggestion either.

    However, even after perfectly deducing his enemy¡¯s ns, Count ud looked more displeased.

    ¡®Is that really their only intention?¡¯ The amount that the Steelwalls would gain from this n was too smallpared to the risks they would have to undertake. With this n, the Steelwalls would have to divide up their already small army, causing the main base¡¯s defenses to weaken ordingly. If that happened, the allied forces might be able to prate through their defenses much more easily and capture them. Inparison to this huge risk, the only thing their enemy would gain was clearing the allied forces¡¯ grounds for participating in this war. Even if the Cronon Kingdom got involved in the warter, the allied forces could devastate Steelwall Estate before that to Count ud¡¯s joy.

    Furthermore, there was the question of whether the enemy¡¯s detachment would even be able to aplish their goal. The Pinne Estate had also prepared its defenses, and it seemed like a huge feat for the detachment to capture the Pinne Estate with theirparably tiny numbers. No matter how much Count ud thought about it, the losses and gains didn¡¯t match up.

    ¡®However, it¡¯s currently true that those guys split up their army.¡¯ If they only thought about this point, this wasn¡¯t bad news for the allied forces.

    ¡®I will postpone thinking about the other intentions they might have. It¡¯s not like I can deduce that with my current information.¡¯ Who knew? That arrogant Steelwall bastard could have simply gone crazy under the pressure of this war (although there was a meager chance of that).

    ¡®Then, what should I do now? Should we continue to attack their main base like this or split our forces to chase after our enemy¡¯s detachment? No, as I thought from the beginning, it¡¯s bad to devastate the Steelwall Estate first.¡¯ Count ud had many choices and each one had its own advantages. Count ud racked his head to see which one was best for the allied forces¡ªno, for<i> him</i>. Then, as he was thinking these thoughts, the guard outside let him know that there was a visitor.

    ¡°Sir Count! Viscount Pinne hase to see you!¡±

    ¡°Let him in!¡± Count ud wondered why the Viscount came to see him. ¡®I hope it¡¯s not anything troublesome¡­¡¯

    The Count made his wish, but it was immediately crushed. Unlike his usual self, Viscount Pinne looked extremely on edge and nervous.

    ¡°What is it?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sure you heard that the Steelwalls are sending a detachment to our estate, sir,¡± Viscount Pinne said.

    ¡°Of course I did.¡±

    ¡°We have to stop them immediately! Send the troops here who belong to my estate!¡±

    Count ud¡¯s face contorted grimly. He was annoyed that the Viscount had rushed in to say something of that level. Even if his estate¡¯s matters were important for Viscount Pinne, he was themander-in-chief of the allied forces. It wasn¡¯t up to the Viscount to tell him to do this or that. Furthermore, the Viscount had asked him in amanding tone rather than making the request politely.

    ¡®Was I too lenient on him?¡¯ Count ud wondered. The Count had treated Viscount Pinne nicely unlike his usual bad-tempered self since the Viscount was the main reason why they were able to keep this war an internal strife within the Cronon Kingdom, but the Count began to wonder if he had made the wrong decision by doing that.

    ¡®I should show him who¡¯s the boss.¡¯ Of course, Count ud couldn¡¯t immediately sever Viscount Pinne¡¯s head or remove him from his position. They still had to act like equalpanions in this alliance. Whatever benefits Viscount Pinne brought for him, there was still arge gap in their powers; the person who would lose the most if the allied forces failed was Viscount Pinne. There were many ways Count ud could use to crush the Viscount¡¯s pride and dignity. Yet, Count ud soon couldn¡¯t put his ns into action.

    Viscount Pinne nced at the guards standing outside his tent furtively and looked toward the tent. Then, he arched his back and ced his face close to the Count¡¯s ears and said in a quiet voice, ¡°That is, if you don¡¯t want others to find out that you coborated with the Bellids, sir.¡±

    Count ud abruptly got up from his seat. His hand instinctively reached for a sword on his waist, but his swordy in the corner of the barracks. Still, the Count¡¯s bloodlust didn¡¯t calm down and his fingers twitched. It looked like he wanted to reach out with his hands and choke Viscount Pinne¡¯s neck. Sensing the Count¡¯s bloodlust, Viscount Pinne hurriedly said, ¡°Calm down. I am also a Bellid follower so there¡¯s no way I¡¯d tell others about you.¡±

    Count ud stopped moving. ¡°¡­You are a Bellid follower?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°Ha!¡± Count ud felt a deep sense of relief and slumped back to his chair. After letting out a big sigh, he looked to Viscount Pinne. Even if he was coborating with the Bellids, it came as a huge shock that Viscount Pinne was a Bellid follower. Maybe the idea that his connection to the Bellids might have spread to the outside world unsettled him so much that the Count easily epted that Viscount Pinne was a Bellid follower.

    ¡°I now know what it feels like to die from shock. Please be careful so that you don¡¯t cause too much strain on this old man¡¯s heart.¡±

    ¡°You still seem healthy and well, sir. The way you moved to kill me just now left a big impression on me,¡± Viscount Pinne said, and his expression turned serious. ¡°That¡¯s enough chit-chat though. This is a very urgent matter. We have to kill the Steelwall¡¯s detachment right away.¡±

    ¡°I see. If you are a Bellid follower, there must be traces of the Bellids in your estate¡¯s castle.¡± If the news that the Pinne family was connected to the Bellids was revealed right now, it would have a critical effect on the allied forces. Yet, the situation was far worse than what Count ud had imagined.

    ¡°There aren¡¯t just traces there. I¡¯m sure you know that the Bellids¡¯ northern base was demolished.¡±

    ¡°I know. The Karuwimans vigorously spread that news all over the world.¡±

    ¡°The Pinne Estate is the new northern base and will rece the old one.¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°And I am the one who will be in charge of that base.¡± The importance of a simple Bellid follower and a manager of the Bellid northern base was incredibly different. Count ud¡¯s expression tensed upon hearing Viscount Pinne¡¯s important position.

    ¡°The reason why we coborated with you is because we wanted to expand and secure our new northern branch.¡±

    ¡°¡­So you were using me.¡±

    ¡°Isn¡¯t it the same for you too?¡±

    Count ud red at Viscount Pinne, but he didn¡¯t show any signs of aggression like before. ¡°¡­Fine. I won¡¯t bring up stupid things like trust and belief when we¡¯re both using each other. Why are you telling me such important information?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s to reveal to you how important this n is for us. So, please form an army to stop them.¡±

    ¡°You said you were in charge of the Bellids¡¯ northern branch. Why can¡¯t you stop them yourself?¡±

    ¡°As you know, the reports state that Belri Weig is part of the detachment. Of course, considering the Karuwimans¡¯ current position, he¡¯s apanying the Steelwalls to monitor the battlefield, but that¡¯s why it¡¯s even more dangerous.¡±

    ¡°The rest of your troops must somehow be rted to the Bellids.¡±

    ¡°Yes. Without the Bellids, we only have a handful of troops.¡± This was extremely dangerous. If Belri Weig sniffed out the Bellids among the Pinne Estate¡¯s soldiers, their previous n to bring the Karuwimans on their side against the Steelwalls mighte back to haunt them instead.

    ¡°¡­What if I refuse?¡±

    ¡°Sir, do you think you can refuse? You¡¯re already on the same boat as us.¡±

    ¡°I can feign ignorance. No one will believe the Bellids anyway.¡±

    ¡°I know you won¡¯t be so foolish. This is not just any ordinary matter¡ªit¡¯s about the Bellid¡¯s new northern branch. Not only the Karuwimans, but the Cronon Kingdom will send out their forces to desperately investigate and resolve the situation. If you¡¯re confident ining out clean, you¡¯re wee to do whatever you want.¡±

    ¡°You guys won¡¯t ever let me off easy, right?¡±

    ¡°Do I even have to say it? I¡¯ve gathered a lot of evidence in my mansion as well.¡±

    Count ud had no choice but to admit that he had only one option. ¡°Fine. I¡¯ll send troops to the Pinne Estate.¡±

    ¡°An excellent choice, sir.¡±

    ¡°But!¡± Count ud red at the Viscount. ¡°Remember that this is a major exception! If you guys n to treat me like a puppet, I also won¡¯t stay idle!¡±

    The Viscount deeply bowed and said, ¡°¡­Don¡¯t worry, sir. I wasn¡¯t lying about being in the same boat.¡±

    The anger in Count ud¡¯s eyes lessened as his mood softened in response to the Viscount¡¯s subservient posture. ¡°Is that all you have to say?¡±

    ¡°I sincerely apologize, but I have one more request.¡±

    Count ud¡¯s eyebrow twitched. How dare the Viscount make another request even after a warning. However, the Count tilted his chin for the Viscount to continue as the Viscount maintained his subservient posture.

    Then Viscount Pinne said, ¡°Please include Glen Zenard in this operation.¡±

    ¡°¡­Are you mad?¡± Count ud¡¯s question was harsh, but he had no intentions of insulting Viscount Pinne. He was just genuinely curious about what on earth the Viscount was thinking.

    The Count continued, ¡°Even though that guy seems slightly¡ªno, quite crazy right now, he¡¯s still a Karuwiman Honorary Knight. Why would you want to leave this operation to him? Do you want to tell everyone that we¡¯re rted to the Bellids? Perhaps, are you a Karuwiman spy?¡±

    ¡°We can¡¯t use any of our followers as long as Belri Weig is in the detachment anyway, so even if we send out a Karuwiman Honorary Knight, it won¡¯t be a loss for us. Moreover, Glen Zenard is one of our strongest soldiers. Since there¡¯s a high chance that the detachment is made up of Steelwalls¡¯ most elite soldiers, it¡¯s only right that we should send him out to bnce the difference in the quality of the soldiers on our side.¡±

    The Viscount¡¯s words made sense. However, Count ud narrowed his eyes. ¡°Is that your only reason?¡±

    ¡°What other reason would I have? We¡¯ll have a higher possibility of protecting my estate if we use a great talent like Glen Zenard. Sir, I¡¯m only bringing this up in case you exclude Glen Zenard from this operation just because he is a Karuwiman Honorary Knight.¡±

    ¡°¡­Fine, I¡¯ll believe it.¡±

    ¡°Then Glen Zenard will¡­¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll first think about your suggestion in a favorable light. Why don¡¯t you leave for now?¡±

    ¡°¡­I understand. Sir, I humbly hope you think deeply of my suggestions.¡± Viscount Pinne gave his farewell greeting and left the tent. He first scanned the soldiers guarding the tent; they showed no signs of having heard his conversation with Count ud.

    Viscount Pinne headed towards his tent. He looked calm, but his innermost thoughts were in turmoil. ¡®I revealed it in the end.¡¯

    All his efforts to hide his identity and keep his distance from Count ud had all gone to waste. Viscount Pinne sighed, but it couldn¡¯t be helped since he needed to protect the Bellid¡¯s northern branch. However, he also had a huge question in his head.

    ¡®They ordered me to include Glen Zenard in the pursuit team at all costs. What the hell is that about?¡¯ In fact, the idea of including Glen Zenard hadn¡¯te from him; it was an order from the higher-ups. Even though he wondered why they gave him such an order, he soon erased all doubts from his mind. ¡®I¡¯ll just do as I¡¯m told.¡¯

    However, this also brought up another problem. Count ud told him that he¡¯d think favorably of the Viscount¡¯s suggestion, but the future was unpredictable.

    ¡®What do I do if he doesn¡¯t include Glen Zenard?¡¯ Giving up was not an option. He deeply pondered whether he should persuade or threaten the Count and what sort of excuses he should use to ground his reasoning. Fortunately, there was no need for him to rack his head to find a suitable excuse. As Viscount Pinne suggested, Glen Zenard was included in the pursuit team. Soon, a group of troops from within the allied forces was set out to the Pinne Estate, and Glen Zenard stood in front with his eyes full of murderous intent.

 Chapter 514

    <h4>Chapter 514</h4>

    The pursuit team relentlessly charged forward on their horses. The pursuit team had been hastily put together and was forced to cover a long distance, but all of its members were well-known elites and they moved expertly.

    Yet, even they hesitated when they saw arge forest in front of their path.

    ¡°What are you going to do, sir?¡± the vice-captain asked the captain of the allied forces¡¯ pursuit team.

    ¡°The terrain is good for ambushing. Furthermore, our enemies have the elves on their side.¡± It wasmon knowledge that elves were iparably stronger inside a forest than humans. It seemed that the captain thought the same and stopped his troops for now.

    ¡®Our enemy¡¯s traces continue on from here.¡¯ There were traces that a considerablyrge group of people had moved around, and it was clear that the Steelwall forces had moved across this path. The captain turned his attention back to the forest again, which was filled corner to corner with trees, and every time the wind passed through them, their leaves rustled. This forest scene of abundant life under the blue sky would¡¯ve filled most viewers with a sense of peace and serenity. Yet, to the pursuit team, the forest looked like a coy snake hiding its poisonous fangs.

    ¡®It¡¯s difficult to go around it too.¡¯ Arge rocky mountain stood on the opposite side of the forest with the path at the center. It was a hard structure where only a few trees that barely managed toy their roots stood and openly showcased grayish rocks that covered it. Even elves wouldn¡¯t be able to hide in an area where there were such few trees. Furthermore, the terrain also restricted their movements. Even if they were on well-trained, expensive horses, it would be impossible for them to ride through the rocky mountain. Even if it were possible, their speed would be greatly restricted.

    ¡®If those guys reach the center of the Pinne Estate like this and attack the castle, we could be toote.¡¯ Thus, it wasn¡¯t an option for them to take the roundabout way and they would have to go through the rocky mountain.

    ¡®As I thought, do I have to send scouts into the forest?¡¯ However, whether or not the scouts found their enemy, it would all take a lot of time. The captain red at the forest with frustration.

    ¡°What do you think you are doing!¡± Then, he heard an angry voice behind him. The captain was displeased to hear amotion in an alreadyplicated situation. Yet, the person who recklessly approached his side was someone the captain couldn¡¯t simply dismiss: Glen Zenard. Glen¡¯s status and title were not only amazing but his skills were also considered the best in the allied forces. Thus, the captain repressed his strong urge to yell back.

    ¡°What is it, sir?¡± the captain asked.

    ¡°That is what I want to ask you! Why did you stop the team!¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s a thick forest ahead of us. If the elves are waiting for us inside to ambush us, we could suffer significant damage. It would take us too much time if we go around it, so I¡¯m trying to think of a¡ª¡±

    ¡°Let usmence advancing forward!¡±

    People scowled at Glen¡¯s words. Several of them even faked a cough to disy their difort. Yet, Glen didn¡¯t back down.

    ¡°If we stall for too long, the Pinne Estate will be captured. Even if our enemy is few in number, we have confirmed that they are the elite of the elites. If they attack the Pinne Estate¡¯s castle, the weakened defenses there wouldn¡¯t be able to endure for long. The Viscount¡¯s forces aren¡¯t even big in the first ce.¡±

    ¡°But if we advance rashly and get ambushed¡­¡±

    ¡°Then, that¡¯s all for the better. Our enemy has split their already small troops, and they can¡¯t split it up more than that. Thus, if we get attacked, that means the entire detachment is inside the forest. In another sense, that means that the Pinne Estate¡¯s safety will be guaranteed for now. Afterward, we can calmly wipe out the forces inside the forest.¡±

    ¡°Hm¡­¡± The captain brooded over Glen¡¯s words. Although Glen hade forward brashly, there was logic to his words. The only concern was that they could suffer great casualties from an ambush¡­.

    ¡®Rather than risking the possibility of the Pinne Estate getting captured, it would be better for us to bear the risk of getting ambushed,¡¯ The captain then thought.

    ¡°Vice-captain!¡±

    ¡°Yes!¡±

    ¡°Resume advancing forward. Tell the rest of the men.¡±

    ¡°Yes, sir!¡±

    ¡°Warn them to be on guard since we could be ambushed.¡±

    ¡°Got it, sir!¡± The deputy quickly ryed the order to his subordinates, and his subordinate passed on the information to the rest of the team in a loud voice. The captain surveyed his surroundings. Glen had disappeared by then, and it seemed like he returned to his original position as soon as his request was met.

    ¡®Glen Zenard¡­¡¯ His military might was incredible and based on the suggestion he just made, it was evident that he had a good head over his shoulders too. However, the captain¡¯s face was still scowling. ¡®He¡¯s not a likable man at all though.¡¯

    The pursuit team rushed across the path again. Horse hooves fiercely clopped against the ground, and even as they gained speed, the pursuit team didn¡¯t stop warily surveying the forest. Some observed the sides of the forest more than the front while advancing. This was only natural since the descriptions of the elves''patibility with the forest were well known across the human world.

    The forest wasn¡¯t veryrge, and it was quiet. Instead of flying arrows, only the rustling leaves caught their attention. The pursuit team hoped that this peace and quiet would continue until they reached the end of the forest. Yet, as usual, such wishes were never fulfilled.

    <i>Whoosh!</i>

    They heard a faint swishing noise in between the loud clomping of the horses. Everyone in the pursuit team heard the noise and felt all the hairs in their body stand up.

    <i>ng! ng! ng! </i>

    As expected of elite fighters of the allied forces, they blocked the sudden flying arrows. This was also the reason why they continuously held up their guard in the forest and skillfully blocked the arrows flying toward them. However, not everyone sessfully blocked the flying arrows.

    ¡°Ugh!¡±

    ¡°Aggh!¡±

    ¡°Keck!¡±

    Those pierced by arrows in critical areas fell from their horses and let out piercing screams. Most of them instantly died, and those who were alive were brutally trampled on by the horses that came after them.

    ¡°It¡¯s an ambush!¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t slow down! Let¡¯s first get out of here!¡±

    ¡°Raise your guard! Strike down the flying arrows as much as you can!¡± The pursuit team did not stop moving. Instead, they increased their speed, since there was no suitable ce to turn back either. The decision to chase the elves into the forest waspletely out of the question.

    The captain looked deeper into the forest with mana. He could see something running between the trees. ¡®As expected, they¡¯re elves.¡¯

    <i>sh!</i> He gritted his teeth as he struck down an arrow flying toward him. However, at the same time, he felt relieved. ¡®They¡¯re not in the capital city.¡¯

    For an unknown reason, he was ordered by Count ud to protect the Pinne Estate even at the cost of sacrificing the entire pursuit team. If their enemies were still in this forest, he at least didn¡¯t have to worry that the Pinne Estate¡¯s capital would fall under the enemy¡¯s attack.

    ¡®We need to first get out of here and surround the forest.¡¯ Then, the pursuit team could slowly drive them away with their far superior numbers. It was also not a bad option topletely burn down the forest, but the ambush wasn¡¯t the enemy¡¯s only trap.

    <i>Crrrrrack!</i> An ominous sound rang out in the air. It came from a rocky mountain next to them.

    ¡°What is that?¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s that sound?¡±

    The knights who had been blocking arrows while raising their guard in the forest nced toward the direction of the rocky mountain. They also felt that the sounding from the rocky mountain was highly ominous.

    ¡°Captain!¡±

    ¡°I know.¡± The captain also assessed the rocky mountain. It seemed as if something bad was going to happen, but the pursuit team couldn¡¯t afford to change their n. ¡°Let¡¯s get out of here as fast as possible. It won¡¯t matter if we get away from the rocky mountain and this forest.¡± However, the situation didn¡¯t go as they expected.

    ¡°Ah, ah?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s andslideeeee!¡±

    ¡°Runnnn!¡±

    The knights frantically screamed, and the captain also hurriedly looked up at the rocky mountain.

    <i>Crumbbble! </i>Rocks were rolling down the rocky mountain. Most of them were small stones, but there were alsorge rocks the size of human bodies. In addition, the stones rolled down on the hillside and quickly gained enough momentum to be frightening weapons.

    ¡°Damn it!¡± The captain couldn¡¯t help but swear at their situation. In that short time, his brain frantically churned to find a solution. After biting his lips, he infused a lot of mana into his neck and shouted, ¡°Leave your horses and avoid the stones!¡±

    Even though it seemed like the whole mountain was copsing, the captain quickly realized that thendslide was merely a small copse of the surface of the rocky mountain, and the size was not as big as it looked. Of course, it was nothing tough about either. The captain thought, ¡®We can minimize the damage by leaving our horses and moving on our own!¡¯ Since they were all elite soldiers, they could avoid rocks falling at extremely high speed.

    At the captain¡¯smand, the knights jumped down from their horses, quickly dodged the rolling stones, and shatteredrge rocks by infusing mana into their swords. However, there were so many stones that not all the soldiers were able to escape damage.

    <i>Bam!</i>

    ¡°Ack!¡± A knight hit in the head by a fist-sized stone fell to the ground with a scream. Stones pounded his helpless body countless times.

    <i>Crack!</i> The knight¡¯s life ended as a giant rock hit his body, and the enormous amount of blood seeping through his armor made his death more than certain. Moreover, it wasn¡¯t just the rocks that attacked the pursuit team.

    <i>Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh!</i> An endless number of arrows came from the forest. The arrows cruelly targeted the knight¡¯s gaps as they frantically tried to avoid the falling stones. The knights hit by arrows fell to the ground, and the stones covered them in an instant. In a short period of time, many stone tombs were erected all around the area, and thendslide that seemed as if it wouldst forever finally ended. Many lives were lost, and the majority of the horses were dead. The remaining soldiers were covered in dirt and dust, making them look defeated and exhausted, but many soldiers were still alive. It was thanks to the captain''s quick judgment and the soldiers¡¯ outstanding individual abilities. However, their nightmares were not over yet.

    ¡°Kill them!¡±

    ¡°<i>Ohwaaaaaa</i>!¡± Knights with swords jumped out of the forest with a loud cry. Unlike the exhausted pursuit team, the Steelwall knights looked as energetic and lively as ever. In the very front, a figure ran out before anyone else with an arrogant smile. The figure approached the enemy in an instant and ughtered the three closest soldiers in a sh.

    Then he took a deep breath and shouted, ¡°Where are you, Glen Zenard?! Let¡¯s y another round here!¡± With these words, the two troops officially began their confrontation.

 Chapter 515

    <h4>Chapter 515</h4>

    Zich¡¯s voice rang across the battlefield and garnered all the attention of those around him. Through this war, Zich became well known among the allied forces, and so many people recognized him; after all, he was the one who had participated in earth-shaking battles every time he shed with Glen.

    Count ud¡¯s forces hesitated upon seeing Zich. Although they were all fighting machines trained to fight to the death, they couldn¡¯t help but stall in front of Zich¡¯s tremendous power. Fortunately, there was no need for them to deal with Zich directly, as there was one person who immediately responded to Zich¡¯s call.

    <i>Whoosh!</i> As soon as they thought the wind swept them, one figurended near Zich.

    <i>Thud!</i>

    Zich stared at Glen. The two exchanged looks as Glen¡¯s eyes also fixated on Zich. Then, the two swung their swords in unison.

    <i>aaang! </i>Their swords collided and a shockwave swept across their surroundings. It was such a strong wave that would¡¯ve made the well-trained knights lose their bnce if they didn¡¯t hold their guard. In the center of the shockwave, Zich and Glen red at one another with their swords shing against the other sword.

    ¡°Hah! To think you would run to me because I called. Even a trained dog wouldn¡¯t be so obedient.¡± Zich made a snide remark with his crooked mouth.

    ¡°I will kill you for sure this time!¡±

    ¡°Should I call you foolish for clinging onto something you won¡¯t be able to achieve? Or should I apud you for your perseverance in not giving up on something that¡¯s impossible? Tell me what I should say. I can do at least that much for you.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re all talk!¡±

    <i>Boom! </i>Zich¡¯s body flew away from the mana pouring out of Tornium. Glen followed up with another attack immediately as if he was determined to not disrupt the flow.

    <i>Bam! Bam! Bam! </i>Glen¡¯s merciless attacks were like a storm. ck mana fiercely shot toward Zich, and Zich deflected each attack with his long experience in battle. Yet, because of their difference in levels, Glen¡¯s attacks soon pushed back Zich¡¯s attacks.

    Maybe Glen was happy that he was cornering Zich, but he excitedly yelled, ¡°What is it?! You talked so arrogantly but you can¡¯t even do much! I suppose your great friends aren¡¯t here today!¡±

    Zich didn¡¯t respond and quietly blocked Glen¡¯s attacks. Glen thought Zich didn¡¯t even have room to respond right now. It was partly true since if Zich lost even a little bit of his attention, Tornium would pierce his body. However, as it had been until now, Glen¡¯s wish wasn¡¯t fulfilled. Unlike how Glen was pushing back Zich, the entire battle was leaning in favor of Steelwall. The allied forces outnumbered them, but they were mentally drained from the sudden ambush and traps. Their sword swings also felt heavier than usual. The elves¡¯ arrows continued to pour at them, so the allied forces were losing members at a much higher rate. Yet, the allied forces persevered, and they moved to steadily push back the Steelwall forces with their superior numbers¡ªuntil something that broke their fighting spirit appeared.

    <i>Boom! </i>They heard another loud explosion from the rocky mountain. The allied forces were shocked.

    ¡®Not another¡­¡¯

    ¡®No way! Did they really cause andslide when theirpanions are here?¡¯ The allied forces turned to the rocky mountain. Thankfully, they didn¡¯t see boulders and rocks rolling down, but what they soon saw was even more terrifying than andslide. If it were andslide, their enemies would be swept up in it at the same time, and they could move to increase the damage inflicted on their enemy. However, what descended from the rocky mountain were soldiers in heavy armor.

    ¡°There are more enemies!¡± The allied forces¡¯ captain had maintained his calm until now, but he was extremely shocked.

    ¡®Where in the world have they been hiding?¡¯ It didn¡¯t make sense for troops to suddenly pop out on a rocky mountain with so little cover. Yet, that was what exactly happened.

    ¡®Was it their n to pull out most of our forces and defeat us in groups?!¡¯ If that was the case, they had yed right into their enemy¡¯s n. Even if the allied forces had endured well until now, their bnce would break once the armored soldiers from the mountain joined the fight.

    ¡°Captain!¡± The vice-captain called out to the captain in an anxious voice. The captain gritted his teeth¡ªthere wasn¡¯t even a moment for him to think now.

    ¡°Retreat!¡± In the end, the captain ordered his forces to retreat; he skillfully separated parts of his forces immediately and ced them on each side to block the Steelwall forces. The soldiers stationed at the sides of the group were meant to buy time with their lives, but they faithfully followed the captain¡¯s order. Using them, other soldiers began to escape from the battlefield.

    ¡°You talked so boldly, but you lost again,¡± Zich said. Zich¡¯s body was in tatters after blocking Glen¡¯s attacks by himself. His clothes were soaked in red from the blood dripping from his injuries. His sword had dents and chips everywhere, as it failed to endure against Tornium. In contrast to his body, however, Zich¡¯s expression was very bright, and Glen¡¯s confident face was scowling.

    ¡°You bastard!¡± Glen swung Tornium again. There was another big shockwave, and Zich blocked Tornium with his sword. Zich¡¯s sword chipped away again, and Glen pushed Zich back in that condition.

    ¡°Even if I have to retreat, I will go after I kill you!¡±

    ¡°Ah, I knew you would do that. You are so clingy and pushy¡ªjust the kind of style that isn¡¯t popr with girls.¡± Then, Zich smirked. ¡°That¡¯s why Lara dumped you.¡±

    <i>ng!</i>

    ¡°Ugh!¡± Zich groaned at Glen¡¯s increased power. It seemed like his provocation was very effective this time. He could clearly see the blood vessels in Glen¡¯s eyes. Zich¡¯s hands trembled. Glen¡¯s Tornium could cut through Zich¡¯s sword and slice Zich any time now. However, Zich¡¯s expression did not change.

    ¡°Why are you getting so mad? Are you the type to refuse to believe in the truth even when it¡¯s right in front of you? That¡¯s one more tiresome character trait you have, and one more reason why you¡¯re so unpopr. Did you perhaps get dumped by other people besides Lara?¡±

    ¡°You!¡±

    ¡°Sir Zenard! What are you doing?! We were ordered to retreat!¡± One knight called out to Glen Zenard.

    Zich said, ¡°Hey, yourrade is calling out to you. Don¡¯t you have to go now?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll kill you first!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll give you some advice, but you should never confess your love like this. Even a hundred years of passion will immediately cool off. Is this the reason why you were dumped even before you confessed?¡±

    ¡°Stop saying nonsense! Something like that has never happened to me!¡±

    ¡°No, just think a little harder.¡± Zich lowered his voice like an evil viin plotting in the dark. With a vile smile, Zich continued, ¡°Lube and Leona. Even though they¡¯re supposed to be yourrades, you weren¡¯t even able to talk to them.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s because of you, bastard inter¡­!¡± Glen¡¯s movement stopped with a jerk. His movement just now seemed more like a machineing to a sudden halt. ¡°¡­What did you just say about Lube and Leona?¡±

    ¡°Why are you surprised? You tried to make them yourrades along with Lara, right? To fight against me.¡±

    Glen¡¯s eyes widened to their maximum.

    ¡°Ah, to be exact, not against Zich, but against the Demon Lord of Strength, Zich Moore.¡±

    ¡°You, you¡­¡±

    ¡°You want to ask how do I know this? Or how much I know? Or maybe it¡¯s a different question.¡± At that moment, Zich pushed Tornium to the side, and Glen couldn¡¯t properly respond due to the shock. Zich immediately moved back his body, which had been pressed tightly against Tornium, and rushed towards Glen. No matter how rotten to the core he was, Glen reached an extremely high level of swordsmanship. So, he swung his sword to hastily block Zich¡¯s attack. However,pared to the overwhelming skills he showed before, his movement was now slow enough for Zich to yawn. Of course, his defense didn¡¯t work against Zich.

    <i>ng! </i>Unlike its name as the demon sword, Tornium bounced off way too easily, and Zich thrust the sword into Glen¡¯s abdomen without hesitation.

    <i>Pierce! </i>

    ¡°Ugh!¡± The sword went straight through Glen¡¯s stomach, and Glen groaned in pain. Zich put more strength into the sword. <i>Crunch!</i>

    ¡°Aghh!¡± Zich¡¯s sword was pushed into Glen¡¯s stomach to the hilt, and Zich put his blood-stained hand on Glen¡¯s head and said, ¡°Who am I?¡±

    ¡°You¡­you¡­what¡­¡± Glen stuttered as he spat out blood.

    Zich was extremely pleased to see Glen¡¯s face contort into astonishment and horror. ¡°I don¡¯t know. Who could I be? Am I Zich Brave, the courageous hero who fought against the Demon Lord for the justice of the world? Or am I Zich Moore, the Demon Lord of Strength who terrorized the world with blood? Or am I something entirely different?¡±

    Zichughed like an evil spirit who tricked people and led people to their deaths. ¡°What do you think I am?¡±

    ¡°Aghhhhhhhhhhhhh!¡±

    A knight swung his sword from the side, and Zich immediately pushed Glen in his direction.

    ¡°Ugh!¡±

    The knight was shocked to see Glen being pushed toward his sword. He frantically tried to move his sword away and seeded. However, that had precisely been Zich¡¯s intention as the knightpletely lost his bnce in the process.

    <i>Smack!</i> Zich¡¯s fist mmed into his head, and not only the knight¡¯s helmet, but his head was shattered into pieces. Zich pulled out the sword from the falling knight¡¯s body and looked at Glen. He saw another knight pick up Glen and run away with him on his back. Then, several other knights protected the back of the knight carrying Glen. It was clear that they were trying to protect Glen even while sacrificing their lives.

    Zich thought, ¡®They¡¯re intent on protecting Glen more than themselves.¡¯

    Technically, saving Glen would be more effective than saving the lives of several knights for the allied forces since Glen was much stronger than multiple knights put together. This was an obvious decision for the allied forcescking strong soldiers with expert skills.

    ¡®Is it an order, or is it their will?¡¯ However, Zich pushed the thought away because regardless of their reasons, there was only going to be one oue. ¡®They¡¯re all going to die.¡¯

    Zich didn¡¯t intend to kill Glen here, and this was the reason why he had aimed for Glen¡¯s abdomen. However, the knights were blocking Zich to defend Glen. ¡®I have no intentions of chasing after Glen Zenard, but there¡¯s no reason for me to peacefully let my enemies in front of me go, right?¡¯

    Zich was still wounded from his battle with Glen, but such small wounds posed no challenge to him inbat. ¡®Victory was achieved as nned, so I don¡¯t have to go and help the other side. All right, I¡¯ll treat these pitiful guys to a full-course meal.¡±

    Zich was merciful enough to give them all a tragic, pointless death.

    Like this, the first sh between the Steelwalls¡¯ detachment and allied forces ended with a one-sided victory.

 Chapter 516

    <h4>Chapter 516</h4>

    After the battle ended, Steelwalls¡¯ forces started cleaning up the battlefield. There was no way they could perfectly clear their tracks in enemy territory, so all they did was ce theirpanions¡¯ corpses in magic boxes and gather the enemy¡¯s corpses in a pile and burn them. Of course, they didn¡¯t forget to take any of the valuables their enemies possessed. It was a type of clean-up that was only possible due to their perfect victory.

    ¡°Good work, Snoc.¡± Zich waved his hand as he saw Snocing down from the rocky mountain. Snoc had clearly done the most in this battle. He was the one who created a smallndslide while hiding in the mountain, and the armored soldiers who suddenly appeared mid-battle were also his work.

    ¡°Their movements have be much better than before.¡± Zich praised Snoc¡¯s armored soldiers that had caused the pursuit team¡¯s captain to order his men to retreat.

    ¡°It¡¯s not like I was ying around while you were all training, sir,¡± Snoc said.

    <i>Koo! </i>Snoc and Nowem responded loudly at the same time. The armored soldiers were empty bodies of armor that Snoc moved with his power as he had done in the elves¡¯ forest. Snoc had hidden inside a boulder using his abilities and caused a smallndslide as soon as the enemy intruded the area he waited for them to enter. This attack took their enemy by surprise. Furthermore, he also induced the pursuit team to retreat by releasing empty armored soldiers while his allies engaged with the enemy. Although they had to use L¡¯s creations and shabby golems to make up for hisck of skills at the Adrowon Great Forest, Snoc was now skilled enough to manage an event of this scale by himself.

    If their enemies had actually fought with the armored soldiers, they would¡¯ve found out that these were hollow bodies; thus, that was why the armored soldiers in the frontline were actual knights who had hidden with Snoc. All this didn¡¯t take away from the fact that Snoc had driven their enemies to run away.

    One of the knights approached Zich; it was Danny Chris Nunn. As the vice-captain of the Steel Sword Knights, the Count had assigned him as Zich¡¯s aide. The fact that a vice-captain of the great Steel Sword Knights apanied Zich as his aide clearly showcased how highly considered Zich was among the Steelwall forces.

    ¡°How are our casualties?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not like there¡¯s none, but there¡¯s not many, especially considering our enemy. Congrattions on such a great victory, sir!¡±

    ¡°The battle isn¡¯t over yet, but thank you.¡± Zich stared at the people cleaning up and asked, ¡°Where is Grieg?¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s cleaning up the corpses with the others.¡±

    ¡°If he can move on his own like that, I suppose he ispletely freed from his emotional trauma.¡±

    ¡°Thanks to you, young master,¡± Danny said. His eyes were full of admiration as he looked at Zich. Everything Zich had shown Danny since he came back to Steelwall was nothing short of amazing that simplepliments couldn¡¯t describe his aplishments.

    ¡°What are you going to do now? Are you going to wipe out our enemy here?¡± If they annihted the allied forces¡¯ pursuit team, it would give a huge edge to the Steelwalls in this war.

    Zich shook his head. ¡°Those guys¡¯ troops are still above us. It won¡¯t be a good strategy to attack them recklessly just because we won this time.¡±

    ¡°Then¡­¡±

    ¡°We are going to attack the Pinne Estate.¡±

    ¡°The Pinne Estate?¡± Danny looked a bit puzzled. Of course, the reason why they had formed this detachment was to capture the Pinne Estate in the first ce, but that was before the pursuit team came into the picture.

    ¡°Even if forces at the Pinne Estate are weak, they might drag out time with us. It would put us in quite a pinch if our enemies attack us from behind,¡± Danny said.

    ¡°You won¡¯t have to worry about that,¡± Zich said in a confident voice that soothed Danny¡¯s worries. ¡°Our enemy won¡¯t be able to chase us, and the Pinne Estate won¡¯t be able to drag out time with us as their opponents.¡±

    ¡°How is that possible? Even if it¡¯s possible for us to trick our enemies into making them run away, it won¡¯t be an easy feat to capture the Pinne Estate in an instant.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s fine.¡± Zich smiled. It was the kind of smile that even hispanions, who were used to his personality, wanted to step away from. Naturally, Danny¡¯s face also slightly stiffened.

    ¡°Most of the remaining troops at the Pinne Estate would empty their capital to capture us.¡±

    ¡°¡­Are you saying that they would use every single one of their troops? Of course, that will allow them to corner us better, but would that really happen? Anyone can see that would be a serious gamble leading to their disadvantage.¡±

    If the Pinne Estate¡¯s forces missed the Steelwall forces, that would leave the Pinne Estate¡¯s capital unprotected and vulnerable. That would be a huge hit for the allied forces who still had superior numbers even after they lost.

    ¡°I¡¯m sure since I baited them,¡± Zich said.

    ¡°A bait, sir?¡±

    ¡°Yes, a bait enticing enough that they would want to capture and kill us even if all other ces fall to ruins,¡± Zich said and looked to where their enemies had disappeared.

    ¡®Hm, I wonder what Glen Zenard is thinking now?¡¯ Zich had released the information that he had been saving so carefully and painfully. He still remembered what a sight Glen showed with his twisted face. Even if hebined his time before the regression and this timeline, he had never seen a better sight than that one.

    ¡®I really want to save that image in a portrait and admire it from time to time.¡¯ Zich regretted that it would be impossible to carry that out. He tried to imprint the image firmly into his mind so that he wouldn¡¯t forget even the smallest detail, but even he couldn¡¯t stop the deterioration of memories over time. Thus, he sighed.

    ¡®It can''t be helped, but it¡¯s impossible.¡¯ Furthermore, it was not all over yet. ¡®I will be able to see even better expressions than that.¡¯

    Although Zich shared pretty direct information, he didn¡¯t give everything away. He simply revealed that he knew information from before this timeline.

    ¡®I didn¡¯t tell him that he can no longer regress and that I regressed.¡¯ Perhaps, Glen could have thought far enough that Zich also gained the power of regression and was going crazy about it now.

    ¡®Will he be able to realize that he no longer has the regression ability too?¡¯

    Zich ced his hand down. He thought of the utter shock Glen must have felt hearing the shocking piece of information he told him. He recalled how he had deflected Glen¡¯s sword and pierced his sword into Glen¡¯s abdomen while Glen stood there defenselessly.

    ¡®Even then, he didn¡¯t let go of Tornium.¡¯ Zich¡¯s attack caused Glen¡¯s arm to bend widely to the side, but even then, Glen tightly held onto his sword.

    ¡®Would he have been able to hold on to his sword if he knew that he lost his power of regression?¡¯ Glen was obsessed with the power of regression. If he found he lost his power of regression, it was highly likely that he would bepletely frozen in shock and not even be able to resist weakly.

    ¡®Of course, he could have been so flustered that his mindpletely nked out, but¡­¡¯ Zich clearly recalled the image of Glen tightly clutching his sword while being dragged away by a knight. ¡®He probably won¡¯t be able to think that his ability to regress has beenpletely neutralized. I¡¯m sure he thinks I regressed like him.¡¯

    Or perhaps he wouldn¡¯t even be able to think that far either. ¡®Well, regardless of what he thinks, it¡¯s obvious what he¡¯ll do.¡¯ Thus, this operation would be sessful. ¡®Please think hard and despise me all you want, aspiring Sir Hero. Make it worth saving your life.¡¯

    * * *

    The defeated pursuit team managed to escape the forest and rocky mountain, and they finally stopped after running for a long time. They looked miserable. Their shiny armor, symbolic of a knight, was stained with blood and dust, and most of the horses had died, so they had to run on their feet. Most of all, there was a sharp decline in the number of troops. The captain decided to regroup his team for now.

    Despite the miserable state of the pursuit team, thanks to the captain¡¯s judgment and the skills of the troops, their forces still remained intact even after three sudden ambushes, a trap, and another ambush. However, this was the only positive part of their situation. Since they needed to move as fast as possible to quickly chase after their enemies, they reduced any additional burden to the minimum and packed the smallest amount of food and goods possible. However, with this attack, they had lost all their food and supplies¡­

    ¡®One or two times will be all right, but it¡¯s impossible to keep fighting like this.¡¯ The captain decided to first set up a camp. They needed to rest and time to regroup some of their scattered soldiers when they retreated. However, they wouldn¡¯t be able tost long because, apart from anything else, they had no food.

    ¡®I sent some guys to hunt in a hurry, but there¡¯s no way it¡¯ll be enough. Even if I want to plunder, we aren¡¯t in enemy territory either.¡¯ They lost most of their money as well, so buying food was not an option.

    ¡®I¡¯ll have to first retreat to Pinne¡¯s capital.¡¯ He could get supplies for his troops there. Joining up with the reinforcements in the Pinne Estate had also been one of their original ns as well.

    However, an unpleasant voice interrupted the captain¡¯s decision.

    ¡°Sir, what are you going to do now?¡±

    The captain sighed. He was nowpletely sick of this voice. The captain turned around and stared at the man named Glen shouting at him. Glen used a precious potion to heal his wound, so it cleanly patched up the deep wound on his abdomen. However, it seemed as if he hadn¡¯t fully recovered from the injury either as he looked slightly tired. On the other hand, it was clear that Glen wasn¡¯t interested in his fatigue in the slightest. Glen¡¯s face looked frighteningly stiff, like someone who had heard his parents¡¯ obituary. The captain red fiercely at Glen, but Glen didn¡¯t even nce at him.

    The captain sighed again and finally said, ¡°We¡¯ll first head towards the Pinne Estate¡¯s capital. We¡¯ll be able to get supplies and protect the estate, so it¡¯s obvious¡­¡±

    ¡°No!¡±

    The captain scowled at Glen¡¯s extremely rude behavior. His hand twitched as if he wanted to strike Glen¡¯s neck immediately.

    ¡°How can we just go to the capital when we don¡¯t know where they¡¯re heading?!¡±

    The vice-captain couldn¡¯t hold in his anger anymore and shouted, ¡°We already know about their goal! Besides, the order we received was to protect the Pinne Estate! There¡¯s nothing strange about going to the capital!¡±

    ¡°What if they go back to the Steelwall Estate! If things go wrong, the main camp might be attacked!¡±

    The vice-captain could not answer immediately because it was true that the main camp was currently weaker due to the formation of the pursuit team. However, the captain spoke up instead, ¡°We can pick a group of people to spy on our enemy. If the enemy returns, then we¡¯ll also return. Most importantly, we no longer have any supplies. No matter how long knights canst without eating for a few days, our group¡¯s power would significantly weaken too.¡±

    ¡°You can easily solve those matters by taking resources from the viges around us and requesting supplies from the Pinne Estate!¡±

    ¡°Even if we do that, we can¡¯t fight our enemies currently. I don¡¯t know what methods they¡¯ve used, but the number of our enemies is on par with us. We''ll be defeated if we get ambushed while waiting for supplies toe.¡± Glen was about to say something, but the captain firmly raised his hand.

    ¡°We¡¯re heading to the capital. Sir, I¡¯m the captain of this unit so follow my decision!¡±

 Chapter 517

    <h4>Chapter 517</h4>

    The sun set, and as if the sky was acting in consideration of the pitiful allied forces, it hid its moon and even the stars. Like the pursuit team, it looked gloomy and dreary. The pursuit team cut nearby trees into sticks, sharpened their edges, and stuck them sparsely into the ground. Besides these, the only visible structures were a couple of tents. They were emergency items that several high-rankingmanders and important figures carried in their magic boxes. These tents and some food were thest of their supplies.

    Even a magic box had a capacity, and it was especially insufficient to hold all the army¡¯s goods. Furthermore, a magic box was also a rare artifact that didn¡¯t have abundant space. Thus, the number of goods they had right now was severelycking inparison to the number of people they had. The few tents they had were naturally assigned to the higher-ups, and the rest of the knights didn¡¯t even have a nket toy on. They curled up on the cold ground to relieve their tired bodies. There were only bushes around them that they could use, but they failed to gather enough of them.

    It was a new environment for the knights since they had enjoyed a luxurious lifestyle up until now. Yet, when their heads hit the floor, they fell into a deep sleep. Perhaps it was an escape from their recent crushing defeat or their preparation for another uing battle, but whichever one it was, this sleep was a luxury that the pursuit team couldn¡¯t afford. On the other hand, some couldn¡¯t fall asleep.

    ¡®What do I do?¡¯ Glen sat on the ground and incessantly murmured to himself. ¡°<i>What do I do? What do I do? What do I do</i>?¡±

    If others heard what Glen was saying, they would have thought that he had gone mad. However, Glen was too panicked to consider how others might think of him.

    ¡®I can¡¯t let him be.¡¯ Of course, Glen was thinking about Zich. The image of Zich smiling snidely at him appeared clearly in his head. At times, Zich seemed to really be standing in front of him, making Glen almost pull out his sword. Yet, he knew he couldn¡¯t afford to even dawdle in these delusions.

    ¡®How much does he know? And how!¡¯ Zich could¡¯ve just urately guessed that he tried to make Lube, Elena, and Lara hispanions. Glen didn¡¯t know how high the possibility of that was, but Zich could¡¯ve connected the dots between the situation and environment somehow. Yet, mentioning Brave and Moore was apletely different matter.

    ¡®How!¡¯ Glen clutched his hair tightly and thought of all sorts of possibilities and searched through his memories from all his past timelines. Only one thought came to his mind, but Glen didn¡¯t want to acknowledge this one at all costs. He couldn¡¯t ept it. He was able to live through so many timelines thanks to this one reason and that had to be solely his. It had been only his, at least until now. Now, everything was crumbling.

    Glen repeatedly tried all sorts of ways to deny this thought, but eventually, he had to admit that this chilling,<i> utterly </i>frightening exnation was the most realistic one.

    ¡®Did he really¡­.¡¯ Glen gulped. It filled him with fear to even organize this phrase in his head that his forehead broke out in cold sweat.

    ¡®Does that guy really know information from before the regression?¡¯ Glen was sure that even if a faithful believer realized the absence of their god, a loyal subordinate learned of their master¡¯s betrayal, or a filial son found out his parents were his enemy, they wouldn¡¯t feel the despair and fear he was feeling at the moment.

    ¡®How else would that guy have known that information?¡¯ As if he was walking on a shaky, paper-thin stone bridge, Glen stepped forward in his thoughts, moving one foot at a time.

    ¡®Did somebody tell him? Or¡­¡¯ Sweat covered Glen¡¯s entire face and rolled down to his jaws and dropped to the floor.

    ¡®Did that guy, Zich, regress?¡¯ Glen shuddered like mad, and the shock of that thought seemed to almost cause him a heart attack. How many times did he regress to catch up with Zich? In the end, he couldn¡¯t beat him one-on-one, so he had to form a party to defeat him. And how long did it take him to corrupt Zich? There were countless attempts to make Zich into the perfect demon lord. Zich was someone who made Glen use all sorts of tricks, methods, and the divine power of regression to control as he wished. <i>That </i>Zich had regressed?

    ¡®How many times did he regress? How did he regress? What¡¯s happening!¡¯ All these thoughts circled inside Glen¡¯s mind without finding a clear answer. Yet, Glen couldn¡¯t just sit there and do nothing.

    ¡®Zich! I have to capture Zich!¡¯ As usual, the best method was to take information from the person in question and act fast as possible. Who knew what a fearsome being like Zich who had regressed could do? It would clearly not be in his favor.

    ¡®The problem right now is that damn coward.¡¯ Glen gritted his teeth while looking at the pursuit team¡¯s captain.

    ¡®I have to head to the Pinne Estate¡¯s capital city!¡¯ If they stalled any longer, they risked losing sight of Zich. Since the pursuit team was routinely surveying the area with scouts, they knew their enemy was still inside the forest. However, there was no guarantee that the detachment would continue to stay there. They could even return to the Steelwall Estate and reunite with the main army.

    ¡®I have to capture them here!¡¯ If the detachment joined Steelwall¡¯s main army again, the difficulty of catching Zich would increase even more. Glen knew that his forces¡¯ fighting abilities were lower than Zich¡¯s at the present.

    ¡®It¡¯s really no time to spare any means!¡¯ Glen made up his mind. Soon, a secretive signal that no one on the pursuit team could recognize shot up quietly.

    * * *

    The pursuit team was ready to leave. During their few days of rest, the soldiers consoled the shock of their defeat and were able to reunite with their scatteredrades. If they waited a little bit more, more of their allies could rejoin, but they were running out of time.

    For whatever reason, Steelwall¡¯s detachment didn¡¯t move from the forest. It was fortunate for the pursuit team, but they couldn¡¯t drag out the time any further. They didn¡¯t know when their enemies would begin moving, but most of all, theirck of food was a serious problem. The knights fell asleep hoping that today would be thest day they would have to roughly sleep on the ground without a tent or even a mat. If they at least reached the Pinne Estate¡¯s capital, their current beggar lifestyle would finally be over.

    However, the captain was still wide-awake, and a light shone through his tent. A person slowly approached his tent.

    A knight guarding the captain¡¯s tent asked, ¡°What¡¯s the matter, Sir Zenard?¡±

    Glen answered, ¡°I¡¯vee here to see the captain.¡±

    The knight nced at his fellow guard after hearing Glen¡¯s reply. Glen Zenard really was an outstanding figure, but while guarding and staying close to the captain, they all witnessed his rude and reckless actions. Their captain would never wee Zenard¡¯s visit. However, it was also their job to announce Glen Zenard¡¯s presence.

    ¡°Captain! Sir Zenard hase to see you!¡±

    ¡°¡­¡± As expected, the captain seemed to be displeased to hear this as he was silent for a while. Then, he finally said, ¡°I¡¯m busy right now, so bring him inter.¡±

    It was a clear rejection. It wasn¡¯t something he should say to a Karuwiman Honorary Knight and a key figure in the allied forces. However, the knights also fully understood the captain¡¯s perspective.

    One knight politely but firmly said, ¡°Sir, the captain is busy. I apologize, but pleasee backter.¡±

    Glen quietly looked at the two knights, but they didn¡¯t back down either and met his gaze.

    Then Glen said, ¡°¡­I really have to see him¡­¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I¡¯m under orders. No one is allowed to enter.¡±

    ¡°I guess it can¡¯t be helped.¡± The two knights were relieved. It was quite stressful to have a conflict with Glen. He was widely known as the strongest fighter in the allied forces. Both knights thought he would withdraw now.

    ¡°It¡¯s easy to deal with these two anyway.¡±

    The two knights instinctively reached for their swords. They were skilled enough to be part of the pursuit team made of elite soldiers and were also in charge of guarding the captain. So, their bodies moved before their heads could fully process what was happening. However, that was all they could do. They were not the strongest, or even close to being all-powerful in this world. Before they knew it, what looked like two shadows reached out their arms toward the knights. Did theye from the ground? Or had they been here all along? It was impossible to tell where the shadows hade from.

    The two knights¡¯ bodies were drained of energy. However, this whole process happened without a sound. Those wearing ck robes caught the falling bodies before they could hit the ground. When the two obstacles were gone, Glen roughly opened the entrance of the tent and went inside.

    ¡°¡­I¡¯m sure I said I was busy.¡± The captain visibly frowned when he saw Glen.

    ¡°You don¡¯t seem particrly busy to me.¡±

    ¡°Not everything you see on the outside is true.¡± In fact, the captain had so much work to do that he was still awake even after most of the pursuit team had gone to sleep. Of course, he wasn¡¯t so busy that he couldn¡¯t spare a bit of time to meet one person, but he hadn¡¯t technically lied. The captain thought Glen had ignored the guards and forced himself in since no one would be able to physically stop Glen. He was by far the strongest in the allied forces. On the other hand, if that were the case, it would be natural for the guards to quickly follow him in with paleplexions, but there were no signs of anyoneing in from the outside. The captain sensed the two knights¡¯ presence still outside the tent¡¯s entrance.

    He thought that this was a bit strange, but he first decided to ask why Glen hade to see him. ¡°So, what¡¯s the matter?¡±

    Glen walked slowly towards the captain. ¡°I heard that we are heading to the capital tomorrow.¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°We need to chase after them and catch the Steelwall¡¯s detachment.¡±

    ¡°Are you talking about that again?¡± The captain sighed and turned his head. ¡°I can¡¯t allow it. We¡¯re going to head towards the Pinne Estate¡¯s capital.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t need your permission.¡±

    The captain stared at Glen and finally examined his face. It was chilling. Even if they weren¡¯t on good terms, this wasn¡¯t an expression one showed to an ally. The captain quickly raised his head as he sensed danger.

    ¡°What are you¡­!¡±

    ¡°Regardless of what you decide, this force will attack the detachment.¡± Glen¡¯s body moved, and his hands gripped the captain¡¯s neck in a sh. The captain resisted with all he had, but he was unable to free himself from Glen¡¯s grip or even make a sound. The captain looked down at Glen with shock, and he saw a robed figure standing behind Glen. This was thest sight the captain saw before he lost consciousness.

 Chapter 518

    <h4>Chapter 518</h4>

    Around daybreak, the vice-captain woke up early and headed for the captain¡¯s tent. Today, they could finally put an end to this exhausting stay outside and head to the Pinne Estate¡¯s capital city. Although he didn¡¯t try to show it in front of his subordinates, the vice-captain was also very sick of this ufortable outdoor camping.

    ¡®I want to quickly return, eat hot food, and sleep in afy bed,¡¯ he thought. His thoughts even strayed to the family members he had left at home, and the vice-captain quickly shook his head to focus on what was important at present.

    ¡°I am here to meet the captain,¡± the vice-captain said to the guards protecting the captain¡¯s tent.

    ¡°¡­I understand.¡±

    ¡®Huh?¡¯ The vice-captain stared at the knight guiding him in. ¡®Something is¡­strange?¡¯

    The vice-captain studied the knight carefully. There wasn¡¯t anything noticeably different. As his position required, he had seen the guarding knights andmand officers on many asions and was very familiar with them. In terms of appearance, there was nothing unusual.

    ¡®¡­Am I imagining it?¡¯ the vice-captain wondered.

    ¡°The captain says you can enter,¡± the knight said. The vice-captain studied the knight again, and as if the awkwardness he had sensed before was all a lie, the knight didn¡¯t look different from any other time.

    ¡®It was my imagination.¡¯ The vice-captain murmured to himself that this was all the result of the continuous stress he had been enduring recently.

    ¡°Hello, Cap¡­¡± The vice-captain was giving his greeting when he abruptly stopped. There was an unexpected figure next to themander.

    ¡®Glen Zenard? What is this guy doing here so early in the morning? No, it¡¯s obvious what he came for.¡¯ There was only one thing Glen Zenard had been requesting even before their previous battle.

    ¡®Is he going to insist that we can¡¯t retreat and have to fight against the detachment again?¡¯

    Glen Zenard was really a persistent man¡ªto think he would insist to the captain on the day they were retreating and heading to the Pinne Estate.

    ¡®It will be meaningless. There¡¯s no way themander will ept a demand like that.¡¯

    The vice-captain bowed his head once to Glen and walked to the captain. Then, he said, ¡°We have finished our preparations to head to the Pinne Estate¡¯s capital. We can leave immediately, but should we discuss the exact time¡­?¡±

    ¡°We will not go.¡±

    ¡°¡­Sorry?¡± the vice-captain asked.

    ¡°I said we will not go.¡±

    ¡°N-not go where, sir?¡± Considering the flow of the conversation, it was clear what the captain was saying, but the vice-captain asked again. He couldn¡¯t understand the present situation. He even wondered if he had misunderstood something, but the captain confirmed his worries with his reply.

    ¡°We will not go to the capital city. We will fight the detachment here.¡±

    ¡°T-That¡¯s impossible, sir! Even if the size of our forces is simr, our opponent is superior to us in quality! Furthermore, the morale of our soldiers is low since it hasn¡¯t been long since we lost a battle! We don¡¯t even have supplies!¡± The vice-captain quickly spat out all the reasons why they shouldn¡¯t fight their enemy right now.

    ¡°If we send a person to the Pinne Estate and get support from them, it will solve those problems.¡±

    ¡°Then, the defense at the Pinne Estate wouldpletely crumble! If our enemy strikes the city at that time¡­!¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s no way that will happen since we are watching our enemy.¡±

    ¡°But¡­!¡±

    ¡°This is an order.¡±

    The vice-captain bit his lips. No matter how much he expressed his opposition, the one giving the orders was the captain. If the captain wished it, the vice-captain¡¯s words would hold no effect. The vice-captain then looked to Glen who was calmly listening to their conversation.

    ¡®As I thought, is it because of this guy?¡¯ That was the only exnation the vice-captain coulde up with why the captain would drastically change his mind overnight.

    ¡®But how?¡¯ The captain had been determined to move to the capital city. How could that determination change in less than a day? No matter how much the vice-captain thought about it, he couldn¡¯t think of a viable reason. In the end, the only thing that remained was his sense of duty to follow the captain¡¯smand.

    ¡°¡­I understand,¡± the vice-captain said helplessly. However, it wasn¡¯t like he had lost all hope yet. ¡®The Pinne Estate could refuse.¡¯

    No, the vice-captain was sure that they would do exactly that. Pinne was part of the allied forces, and all members of the allied forces were equal. Considering that the Pinnes gave them the reason for this war, they were given more reverence and care than what would normally be given to a viscount¡¯s forces.

    ¡®I¡¯m sure they will protest if we try to take their remaining troops.¡¯ Furthermore, this order wasn¡¯t evening from themander-in-chief, Count ud, himself, or the estate¡¯s master, Viscount Pinne.

    ¡®Then, the captain would have no choice but to give up.¡¯

    Yet, this hope endedpletely in vain. Not long after the captain contacted the Pinne Estate, the Pinne Estate¡¯s troops appeared. Considering their numbers, it seemed like all the remaining troops hade to support them. The vice-captain fell into utter shock after seeing this.

    ¡®Are they out of their minds!¡¯ The vice-captain wanted to know what in the world was going on in the head of the person who was ruling the Pinne Estate in the viscount¡¯s absence. The other knights also seemed puzzled by the situation, but this order hade from their captain. No matter what they thought about the situation, all conditions had been met for them to face the detachment again. For now, they ate the food that the troops from the Pinne Estate had brought. The fact that they no longer had to worry about their supplies running dry as they ate with theirpanions brought up the soldiers¡¯ morale considerably.

    However, it wasn¡¯t like their environment had dramatically improved. Even if they refilled their food supplies, they couldn¡¯t prepare adequate tents and bedding in that short time frame. The majority of the knights couldn¡¯t escape from the predicament of sleeping on the floor. Furthermore¡­

    ¡®¡­There¡¯s something off about those guys¡­¡¯ The vice-captain felt an ufortable feeling that he couldn¡¯t exactly pinpoint from the troops who hade from the Pinne Estate. They seemed different from ordinary soldiers, but the vice-captain couldn¡¯t focus on this matter for too long. Their next battle with the Steelwall forces in the forest was edging closer. Even if it was a battle that he had opposed, there was no way he could neglect it. They needed to squeeze out a victory somehow. Like this, the second round of the Steelwall¡¯s detachment versus the allied forces¡¯ pursuit team began.

    * * *

    Glen looked at the detachment¡¯s campsite in the distance. Even though the campsite looked very strange as half of it was intertwined with the forest, they thought it was probably because of the elves¡¯ influence. Several tents were raised inside the wooden fences that were intertwined with the branches and leaves of the forest. The knights were moving in between the spaces between the tents and fences.

    ¡°We¡¯ve received no reports of elves being seen, but we predict that they are probably hidden inside the forest.¡±

    ¡°Is there any possibility that they¡¯ll act independently?¡±

    ¡°No matter how strong elves are, they¡¯re only a few of them. I don¡¯t think they can move on their own with such a small number.¡±

    ¡°I see.¡± Themander nodded and gave out an order. ¡°We will divide the troops into two. The reinforcements from the Pinne Estate will take a wide turn to re-enter the forest and move behind the Steelwall forces. When we attack the enemy from the front, they¡¯ll attack the enemy from behind.¡±

    ¡°But sir, the forest is the elves¡¯ territory! No matter how small their numbers are, it¡¯ll be hard for the reinforcements from the Pinne Estate to endure their attacks!¡± The vice-captain expressed his opposition, but the captain firmly shook his head.

    ¡°This is an order!¡±

    ¡°¡­¡± The vice-captain felt as if the captain had be a stranger in one night. The captain was not the type of person to suddenly overturn the order and lead his troops in such a narrow-minded way. What the hell happened that night? What did he talk about with Glen Zenard? The vice-captain stared at Glen, but Glen¡¯s eyes were focused only on the detachment. His eyes glistened with madness.

    * * *

    At the captain¡¯s order, the Pinne Estate¡¯s reinforcement made a big detour into the forest so that they wouldn¡¯t be caught by the Steelwall¡¯s detachment. Shortly after entering the forest, their leader issued an order. ¡°Put away the useless weapons.¡±

    All the soldiers roughly dropped their spears. One soldier took out a magic box and put all of the spears inside.

    The leader ordered again, ¡°Take out what you¡¯re used to.¡±

    The soldiers brought out their new weapons at his order. They each took out a sword and a staff¡ªanyone could tell that they were not ordinary soldiers.

    ¡°I¡¯m going to exin this only once. After those dumb wits attack the Steelwall from the front, we¡¯re going to immediately attack from the rear. The elves are likely to strike back so be careful. Kill all the people who stand in your way! That¡¯s our only goal.¡± The leader looked at his subordinates and asked, ¡°Does anyone have any questions?¡±

    A soldier asked, ¡°What do we do if we get found out by those dimwits?¡± It was extremely disrespectful that they called their allies dimwits, but the leader didn¡¯t care because the words he said next were even more chilling.

    ¡°Kill them.¡±

    ¡°Sir, we might get found out by all of them. If that happens¡­¡±

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter,¡± he replied with a rxed voice. ¡°In the worst-case scenario, I was ordered to kill all of them.¡±

    ¡°Yes, sir.¡±

    While saying words and showing actions that made it hard to believe they were on the same side as the allied forces, the Pinne Estate¡¯s reinforcements slowly infiltrated the forest.

    * * *

    ¡°Attack!¡± At the captain¡¯smand, the pursuit team immediately hit the ground and started running. Since they lost most of their horses, they had to run with their own feet, but the sight of the knights charging at once was a majestic and spectacr sight to see. Glen was running in the very front.

    The distance between him and the detachment narrowed at once, and the sight of his enemies came close to his eyes. Glen paid no attention to their shing swords and armors¡ªhis only goal was Zich.

    ¡®Where is he!¡¯ Glen thoroughly scanned the campsite, but he couldn¡¯t see Zich. However, it didn¡¯t matter. ¡®If I kill a bunch of these guys, he¡¯lle crawling out sooner orter!¡¯

    <i>Baaam!</i> After crushing the clumsily built wooden fence, Glen ran towards the nearest enemy.

    ¡®Die!¡¯

    <i>Swoosh!</i> Glen swung Tornium as it let out eerie ck mana toward his enemies.

    <i>Slice!</i> His sword cut through hard armor like slicing soft mud. However, Glen¡¯s expression didn¡¯t look pleased. ¡®What¡¯s this?¡¯

    It didn¡¯t feel like he sliced through a person. No blood or flesh flew through the air. He hurriedly examined the cut he made and found out that the inside of the doubleyered armor was empty.

    ¡°What the¡­¡± Glen quickly sliced the armor next to him; that one was empty as well. He sliced another one, and it was the same for that one as well. ¡°Ahhhhhhhh!¡±

    <i>Baaaaam!</i> Tornium¡¯s huge ck mana sted the detachment¡¯s camp. Its force was so strong that the pursuit team rushing behind with a cry, stopped for a moment. However, Glen could care less about them. There were no signs of humans in the crater he made¡ªjust the remains of armor rolling around.

    ¡°What is this!!!¡± Glen furiously cried out.

    At the same time, Zich snuck a nce towards their fake campsite. ¡®Well, Snoc will do a good job.¡¯

    His efforts to train Snoc hadn¡¯t been a waste. It was now time for him to trust Snoc and focus on finishing his job. ¡®Then shall I slowly begin as well?¡¯

    The walls of the Pinne Estate, which looked weak to him, clearly appeared into view.

 Chapter 519

    <h4>Chapter 519</h4>

    The Pinne Estate was perfectly average in size for an estate belonging to a viscount. There was the capital city surrounding Pinne¡¯s castle and the castle walls surrounding the capital city; beyond it was the city where the estate residents dwelled and the castle walls surrounded that city. Compared to the Steelwall¡¯s wall that belonged to a Count protecting the kingdom¡¯s frontier, the Pinne Estate¡¯s walls looked incredibly shabby and small. Although it was a bit of an exaggeration, it just looked like a slightly tall wall. There was no way such a structure could block the detachment which wasposed of only elite fighters among the Steelwall forces.

    <i>Thud!</i>

    Zich went up the castle wall with just one jump and looked at the city from there. The moonlight and starlight shining from the night sky revealed the city.

    ¡®There are no guards.¡¯ There weren¡¯t just a few¡ªthey werepletely absent. It was inconceivable that a city, no matter how small, could have no guards at ate hour like this. In every sense of the word, the city seemed to have given up on defending itself altogether. Yet, right now, such an incredible thing was happening before their eyes.

    ¡®As expected, they took them all away.¡¯ Zich smirked. ¡®How would he have even concerned himself about the matter of protecting the Pinne Estate after I hinted that I could¡¯ve used the same great power as him?¡¯

    Zich was sure that Glen¡¯s conviction that he could just turn everything back as if it never happened by regressing again even if the Pinne Estate¡¯s identity was revealed also yed a big factor in Glen¡¯s decision. Glen did not know that he no longer had such power.

    Still, Zich couldn¡¯t let his guard down. ¡®I¡¯m sure this ce was chosen to be the new northern base. There could be hidden defense troops here.¡¯

    However, it was evident that this force would be significantly fewer in numbers than usual. Zich sent a signal to those behind him and jumped over the castle walls. Normally, he would¡¯ve had to open the castle doors and call the others, but the detachment members¡¯ skills made that all meaningless to do.

    <i>Fling! Fling! Fling! </i>

    Dark shadows continued to jump over the walls. Without a single guard in sight, the detachment infiltrated the Pinne Estate without much trouble; it took a remarkably short time for all of them to reach the inside of the castle walls. Zich pointed his finger at the Pinne Estate¡¯s capital city and jumped again. Everyone also followed and jumped. Since the estate wasn¡¯t thatrge, it didn¡¯t take long for them to arrive at their destination.

    ¡®As expected, there are still some guards in this area.¡¯ Zich saw some guards surveilling the capital city while holding torches. Of course, considering that this was a castle belonging to a noble with an estate, they were very few in number. Rather than defenses against an enemy, it appeared as if the guards existed to block residents from stealing the castle¡¯s goods.

    Zich nced behind him. Among the detachment mostly made up of Steelwall knights and elves, only one person wore an especially eye-catching armor: Belri Weig. As a Karuwiman holy knight, Weig looked quite nervous. If Zich were right, this ce would be the Bellid¡¯s new northern base, which meant that it was no different from a pit of hell. Thus, Weig¡¯s hands wavered around the sword on his waist to crush the demons that could burst out of this hell pit in the disguise of a normal nobleman¡¯s castle.

    ¡®Should I try to be as discreet?¡¯ Zich wondered. Seeing the number of guards there were, they clearly would be able to gain victory easily even if they rushed head-on, but there was no need for them to raise their enemy¡¯s rm right now. Furthermore, the capital city¡¯s castle walls were much higher than the ones surrounding the outer city¡ªit seemed like they couldn¡¯t make a proper wall surrounding the master¡¯s castle. Yet, it didn¡¯t pose an obstacle to the detachment. The guards surveying the area didn¡¯t even notice them, much less block them.

    ¡®We will wipe away all the guys inside the castle walls first,¡¯ Zich thought.

    Unfortunately for the soldiers belonging to Viscount Pinne, this was a very easy matter to do.

    ¡°Kuh!¡±

    ¡°Urgh!¡±

    Without letting out even a single proper scream, the soldiers lost their lives. Like that, the capital city¡¯s walls fell under the detachment¡¯s hands. Yet, even though the forces inside the castle had greatly decreased, they still couldn¡¯t allow the castle to fall without anymotion.

    <i>ng!</i>

    An attack was blocked for the first time. The Steelwall knight who had swung his sword was taken aback. He didn¡¯t think there was an enemy skilled enough still remaining inside the castle to block his swift attack. The enemy died in the end as another knight intervened and attacked, but they couldn¡¯t stop the enemy from sending a signal.

    <i>Beeeeeep!</i>

    A sharp rm rang and got cut off. The second knight severed the enemy¡¯s life and cut the signal short, but the sharp, shrill noise had already rung throughout the area by then.

    ¡®This puts an end to our secrecy.¡¯ Zich wasn¡¯t that disappointed though. He already thought it was about time for them to get caught and he knew that even if there weren¡¯t troops left, the administrators and servants managing this ce would still be here. They had got caught too soon if only such people remained in the castle, but if Zich considered another group besides them, the situation was understandable.

    ¡®Those Bellid bastards.¡¯

    <i>Ding, ding, ding, ding!</i>

    The bell noisily rang and people asleep inside the castle began to wake up. The light sources inside the castle started to increase one by one.

    ¡°What are you going to do now?¡± Leona asked with her arrow on her bow.

    ¡°What else but continue ording to our n? We never thought we wouldn¡¯t get caught anyways,¡± Zich said while staring inside the castle. ¡°We will take over this ce.¡±

    ¡°I understand.¡± Leona shot her arrow at the soldiers running nearest to her. As Zich saw her moving farther away, he fixed his grip on his sword. Since his swords kept changing recently, the touch of this sword felt especially unfamiliar to him. Zich looked down at his sword and smacked his lips.

    ¡®I¡¯m starting to miss Windur.¡¯ Despite its coy nature, it was definitely the best sword he had ever used. However, nothing could be done about the fact that he didn¡¯t have Windur right now.

    Zich looked at Weig who was standing next to him and said, ¡°Sir, are you ready?¡±

    ¡°Of course. If I really find traces of the Bellids or their followers, I will immediately join forces with you.¡± He thumped his chest as if he was telling Zich to trust him.

    ¡°It won¡¯t take long.¡± Zich rushed out, and Weig stayed close to his side. The castle, which had looked like it was deep asleep in thefort of darkness a few moments ago, was now struggling like a wild beast in the face of a sudden ambush. They heard shouts and screams all over the ce. However, as time passed by, the sound of a full-fledged battle gradually reced the screams.

    ¡°¡­That¡¯s strange.¡± Weig murmured, ¡°If that many reinforcements were sent out, there shouldn¡¯t be a force to hold out like this.¡±

    ¡°Yes, it¡¯d be very strange¡­ if what I told you wasn¡¯t true.¡± Zich cut down a couple of soldiers and kicked the door of the castle.

    <i>Baaammm!</i> The gate burst open and the inside was exposed. The candles on the wall lit up the castle walls, and there were two figures waiting for them behind the door. They were neither a knight nor a soldier, and they didn¡¯t wear armor. Of course, they could have been knights who didn¡¯t have enough time to properly put on armor due to the enemy¡¯s surprise attack, but the aura they let out waspletely different from that of a knight or a soldier. The people behind the door attacked before the debris from the falling door fell to the ground. However, Zich turned his body as if he had expected their attacks.

    <i>Swoosh!</i> A sword whizzed past the previous location of Zich¡¯s heart. It was a horrifyingly precise attack, but what mattered to Zich was that they missed. Then Zich retaliated.

    <i>Baaam!</i> Zich¡¯s sword collided with his opponent¡¯s sword. Fragments of the door, which had not yet fallen to the ground, were caught in the collision and flew farther away.

    <i>Swish!</i> There wasn¡¯t only one opponent. While one person attacked Zich, another person aimed for Zich¡¯s neck. However, Zich paid no attention to the second attack because there was a person who would soon be a reliable ally next to him.

    <i>Baaaam!</i> As Zich expected, the second attack was blocked by a sword from his side. Zich slightly frowned from the loud shockwave of the collision and nced sideways. A sword surrounded by a burning, bright light was pressing back against another sword.

    ¡°This energy¡­¡± Weig shouted, ¡°You bastard, you¡¯re a Bellid!¡±

    The kind smile and energeticugh that he always showed toward Lube as a doting grandpa was nowhere to be found, and the only person left was the Bellid ughterer, Tasnia¡¯s Killing Machine, and Karuna¡¯s Sword.

    ¡°B-belri Weig?¡± Their opponents also recognized Weig and eximed in shock.

    Zich clicked his tongue inside his mind at their shocked expressions. ¡®I¡¯d also be surprised if someone like Belri Weig suddenly popped out of nowhere.¡¯

    This was even more true for his enemies.

    Weig¡¯s eyes scanned his opponent¡¯s sword. There was no need for him to think any further. The damp, dirty, and awful energy that he sensed from them was the most familiar energy to him right after Karuna¡¯s sacred holy energy. Weig shouted, ¡°How dare you trash plot such a filthy scheme!¡±

    <i>Baaaam!</i> His holy energy spiraled out. Zich moved back and watched Weig fight his opponents. With a burning white sword, Weig pushed back two Bellids.

    <i>Bam!</i> One of the Bellids was brutally smashed by Weig¡¯s sword. The white holy energy that Weig let out and the red blood of the Bellids strangely contrasted each other.

    <i>Swoosh!</i> After defeating one of the Bellids, Weig¡¯s sword pointed toward the second person. The second Bellid tried hard to stop Weig¡¯s attack. However, his efforts were nowhere enough to block Weig¡¯s ferocious attack. The Bellid follower clenched his teeth and began shouting loudly, ¡°Belri Weig is here! We must not lose sight of our intruders! Don¡¯t leave a single one of them aliv¡­!¡±

    <i>Slice!</i> Weig¡¯s sword cut his throat. Even though the Bellid fell, his mouth continued to murmur something. However, no sound could be heard from his lips.

    <i>Thud!</i> The Bellid¡¯s body fell and Weig¡¯s movement also stopped. It seemed as if the Bellid had sessfully conveyed his message¡ªthey could feel different presences from the inside of the castle moving toward them.

    However, Zich paid no attention to this and approached Weig. ¡°Do you believe me now?¡±

    ¡°Yes, I¡¯ve made sure.¡± Weig looked up at the castle. ¡°That this damn ce is a dirty roach¡¯s den.¡±

    ¡°Then will you help us from now on?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry.¡± Weig stepped into the castle. ¡°Cleaning out roaches is my area of expertise.¡±

 Chapter 520

    <h4>Chapter 520</h4>

    Zich and Weig moved inside the castle with the knights. Although the Bellid followers continued to attack, they failed to block Zich¡¯s team. Weig was especially amazing. As if he were proving why he was nicknamed the ughterer of the Bellids and was feared by them, he mercilessly sliced all the Bellid followers in their path.

    <i>Psh!</i>

    Weig¡¯s sword took away another life, and the body pierced by his sword rolled on the floor.

    ¡°This ce has beenpletely upied by the Bellids,¡± Weig said and red at the person he had killed with a look of horror. She was a normal-looking middle-aged woman wearing a servant''s uniform. She wasn¡¯t like the rest of the Bellid followers who tried to stop them so far. When Zich and Weig arrived, she had been hiding and trembling in fear without any bloodlust. The woman appeared to be an ordinary worker who only did what she was told in this pit of evil without knowing anything that was going on. Yet, when Weig extended his hand toward her, her eyes changed, and she thrust the dagger she had kept hidden toward Weig.

    Of course, Weig didn¡¯t fall victim to such an unskilled attack. Her attack failed to even graze him, and instead, his sword left arge hole in her chest. Although Weig sessfully blocked a sudden attack, his face darkened. He could clearly tell that the woman was neither a Bellid knight nor a priest. However, he also didn¡¯t feel the dirty Bellid energying from her, which meant that she hadn¡¯t been brainwashed to follow them either. She was someone who followed the Bellu with her right state of mind, and the sight of such a person turned Weig¡¯s insides upside down.

    ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you? Everyone inside the castle is connected to the Bellids.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not that I don¡¯t believe you, Sir Zich, but as a Karuwiman holy knight, I have to make sure¡­¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Ipletely understand.¡±

    ¡°Anyway, this is the third time this happened. Since all the workers I shed with have shown the same response, I¡¯m sure what you said is right, Sir Zich.¡± Weig inhaled deeply and exhaled. ¡°I will wipe out everyone in this castle.¡±

    ¡°Let me repeat myself again: there is no ordinary person in this castle. Whoever they are, they are all Bellid followers. There¡¯s no need for you to feel guilty about getting rid of any one of them.¡±

    ¡°That is one thing I¡¯m satisfied with,¡± Weig said. Then, they started running again.

    ¡°As a new northern base, their forces are too weak.¡±

    ¡°Not only is the ce still iplete, but their forces also entered the forest where we shed with the allied forces to capture me.¡±

    ¡°You really are great at dealing with cockroaches, Sir Zich.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sure you mean well sir, but your word choice doesn¡¯t make it sound so good.¡±

    People listening to Zich and Weig¡¯s conversation might¡¯ve thought they were exchanging jokes while sitting onfortable chairs with drinks in their hands, but the two continued to run while killing any Bellid in sight.

    ¡°You know where the destination is, right sir?¡±

    ¡°Certainly I do. Didn¡¯t I say it before? I am an expert in exterminating cockroaches in their own homes. It¡¯s obvious what kind of locations those dirty and nasty guys like.¡± After slicing another Bellid knight, Belri Weig looked below his feet. ¡°It¡¯s in the basement.¡±

    Since it was clear that the Bellids were scattered all over this castle, there was no doubt that this ce was the Bellids¡¯ main base. Still, the more evidence there was, the better.

    ¡°If there are so many guys like this, even if the base isn¡¯tplete, they must have set up a ritual spot.¡± Weig heaved from his nostrils. ¡°How utterly unpleasant.¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s quickly find it and crush it. Something like that will cause harm to the world by just existing.¡±

    ¡°You mean something like this?¡± The two continued to go down the basement, and they soon arrived at a basement prison cell. The air was dreary, damp, and stuffy with a faint smell of blood. It did an excellent job of putting down people¡¯s moods to rock bottom instantly. Surprisingly, Weig seemed to be pleased by this ce.

    ¡°Ah, this is the perfect ce for stuffing Bellid bastards inside. If those guys knew their ce and gathered to live in a prison cell like this, I would¡¯ve liked them a bit more.¡±

    ¡°Even then it wouldn¡¯t influence your conviction to wipe them all off the face of the earth, right?¡±

    ¡°Of course. The evil they cause is too awful to bury with just a tiny bit of affection.¡±

    There was no one inside the basement cell. However, ording to the dried blood, it was clear that a considerable number of people must have died in it. The two soon reached the end of the prison cell, but there were no other paths. The other side of the cell¡¯s cold wall darkly greeted them.

    Weig scowled. ¡°I¡¯m sure there¡¯s a secret passageway here somewhere. Those guys really like to act as cockroaches.¡± He sighed deeply and looked at Zich.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go take care of the guys in the other ces first, Sir Zich. I will inform His Holiness, the Pope, of this ce and bring in a special expert. They will be able to find the passageway easily with their expertise.¡±

    Yet, as if he was peeved by the fact that they couldn¡¯t immediately crush the pests¡¯ nest, Weig¡¯s expression was still sour. Meanwhile, Zich intended to relieve Weig of his annoyance right now.

    ¡°Sir Zich?¡±

    Zich half-ignored Wieg¡¯s call and went past the metal bars. Since there were no prisoners, the prison cell¡¯s door was half-open. Zich headed to one side of the wall and with his hand on his jaw, he searched the wall.

    ¡®So¡­¡¯ Then, trying to recall his old memories, he began to press on a couple of stones that made up the wall.

    <i>Drr! Drr!</i>

    Even though he didn¡¯t even exert much pressure, the stones on the wall were surprisingly pressed inward. Weig¡¯s eyes shone, and he also went into the cell with Zich.

    <i>Booom!</i>

    A small sound seeped out of the wall Zich stood in front of, and a section of the wall big enough to fit one person moved backward until an entrance formed.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think you need to call for another person toe here anymore,¡± Zich said while pointing at the tunnel.

    ¡°¡­Is the source of information about this tunnel also a secret as well?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry to say this, but yes.¡±

    Weig shook his head and stepped into the tunnel. ¡°Sir Zich, you are really an interesting person. Well, I won¡¯t try to pry after all this time. Let¡¯s go beat up those dirty Bellids.¡±

    Zich followed Weig and also stepped inside the tunnel. He nced back at the door of the secret tunnel and thought, ¡®Geez, as expected, that princess is really useful.¡¯

    If Serpina had heard his thoughts, she would have ground her teeth and trembled in anger, but Zich calmly entered the tunnel and disappeared inside. The other knights also followed behind them.

    * * *

    <i>Baaam!</i> Weig¡¯s bright sword sparked a strong storm of holy energy. Two Bellid knights who tried to stop it groaned, but they sessfully managed to block it and dissipate the energy.

    Weig was infuriated by their actions, ¡°You damn rubbish!¡±

    His sword let out an even stronger light, and the holy energy rushed towards the two Bellid knights.

    ¡°Ugh!¡±

    ¡°Ack!¡±

    However, they couldn¡¯t stop Weig¡¯s attack this time, and bright light struck their bodies. With a horrific scream, their bodies were torn apart into smithereens.

    Danny had been watching this fight from behind, and he subtly asked Zich, ¡°Isn¡¯t hepletely different from his usual self?¡±

    Danny hadn¡¯t known Belri Weig for that long, but Belri Weig was the very example of a true holy knight. He was just, strong, and kind to everyone. However, the violent sight of Weig mercilessly cutting down the Bellids made Danny suspicious if he really was the Belri Weig he knew. It was to the extent that he even thought that Belri Weig looked more like a Bellid than the Bellid knights as he crushed the Bellids like an evil spirit.

    Zich replied, ¡°This is how Karuwimans are when they face the Bellids. Even Saintess Lube shows no mercy against the Bellids. So if you have no intentions to fight against the Karuwimans, you should thoroughly distance yourself away from the Bellids.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll keep that in mind.¡± Danny shivered at how if things came to the worst, the holy energy currently crushing the Bellid followers might be directed toward him. While Weig was running wild, the others also didn¡¯t stay still. Even though they didn¡¯t have a religious duty like the Karuwimans to exterminate the Bellids, the Bellids was responsible for conspiring against the Steelwalls. The Steelwall knights also ughtered the Bellids with great anger.

    The underground Bellid facility was not veryrge. Compared to the northern branch they destroyed in the past, it was much smaller. However, considering that the entire estate was under the Bellids'' influence, it was easy to see why they hadn¡¯t built a huge facility.

    <i>Bam!</i> Zich cut down the Bellids¡¯ magic and rushed towards the Bellid priests. As Zich got closer, a priest hurriedly moved their staff in a hurry, but of course, they couldn¡¯t move fast enough to block Zich.

    <i>Slice!</i> Zich cut the priest into two and moved to find his next target.

    <i>Bam!</i> Zich kicked the big door in front of him. The borately sculpted door was clearly made by an excellent craftsman, but there was no hesitation in Zich¡¯s kick. Instead, he seemed to have precisely aimed for Bellu¡¯s sculpture on the door.

    ¡®This is thest room.¡¯ The room looked like a prayer room judging by how borately it was decorated. The scale of the room wasrge, and each piece engraved on the wall was full of life.

    About twenty Bellids were inside the room and holding up their guard against Zich, but among them, a person at the center of the group stood out. He was a wrinkled old man with a long white beard. Zich was also somewhat acquainted with him.

    Zich said, ¡°Woah, there¡¯s a boss here.¡±

    ¡°That person is¡­¡± Weig followed Zich into the room, and he also recognized the old man¡¯s identity. ¡°Cardinal Vishipuna!¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s probably the one in charge of the whole ce.¡±

    Weigughed. Even thoughughter was usually contagious, Zich thought that no one would want tough with him right now. Then he also thought, ¡®Hmm, I shouldn¡¯t steal his opponent, right?¡¯

    Vishipuna hadn¡¯t angered him like Trislowa. If Vishipuna had done Zich wrong, Zich would have tortured Vishipuna for a long time and ended him regardless of what Weig wanted. ¡®I got Trislowa, so I should let him have this prey.¡¯

    Zich said to Weig, ¡°Sir, I¡¯ll let you have him. Since I had a grudge against Trislowa, I ended his life, but it would look better if you finish him off as Karuna¡¯s Sword.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ll let me have him? Thank you so much, Sir Zich!¡± Weig was exultant.

    However, Vishipuna¡¯s face was sharply distorted. He shouted, ¡°Y-you damn fiend! Who do you think I am to talk about me like that?!¡±

    Zich and Weig looked at each other. Then they looked at Vishipuna and said simultaneously, ¡°A cockroach boss.¡±

 Chapter 521

    <h4>Chapter 521</h4>

    ¡®A cockroach boss¡­¡¯ As a cardinal of the newly established Bellid northern base, Vishipuna was very strong. The dreary Bellid power he shot out viciously was aimed at his opponent. An ordinary knight or mage wouldn¡¯t have been able to deal with his attacks, but unfortunately for Vishipuna, his opponent was the man named to be the strongest holy knight among the Karuwimans, Belri Weig. Furthermore, Weig possessed the strongest loathing a person could possibly have for the Bellids.

    <i>Baaam!</i>

    ¡°Kuh!¡± Vishipuna was pushed back, and he sputtered blood from his mouth. The sight of a wrinkly old man writhing in pain could invoke a bit of sympathy to most, but there wasn''t any hint of such emotion in Weig¡¯s eyes. To him, the Bellids were simply monsters in human form.

    ¡®How fearsome.¡¯ Zich twirled his tongue. Although he now had enough power not to get pushed by Weig, there was still something about the might of Weig¡¯s attacks that made one¡¯s heart clench.

    <i>Boom!</i>

    Zich evaded the attack flying his way by just moving one step and looked at his attacker. He was Vishipuna¡¯s guard knight.

    ¡°Kuh!¡± Maybe he was disappointed that his attack failed to hit his target, but the knight appeared to be stunned.

    ¡®His reaction is too much for someone who just missed an attack though,¡¯ Zich thought again and looked behind him. ¡®Ah, it must be because of that.¡¯

    Among the many Bellu statues stationed in the room, one was half-crushed by the attack just now. It seemed like it had been unintentionally destroyed because Zich evaded the attack.

    ¡°Huh? Did you just destroy the statue of the god you believe in? Wow, how could youmit such a sphemous act!¡± Zich¡¯s mouth didn¡¯t stop moving even if his opponent¡¯s move had been unintentional. ¡°Or does your god actually like its followers destroying its statues? What a perverted god Bellu is! Well, it does make sense. If he wasn¡¯t, he wouldn¡¯t make his followers do all sorts of cockroach-like things.¡±

    ¡°Shut uuuup!¡± On top of feeling distressed that he identally broke the statue of the god he worshiped, Zich¡¯s flickering tongue seemed to make the Bellid holy knight¡¯s vision blur in rage. Yet, Zich had already heard people telling him to shut up thousands of times now, and there wasn¡¯t a single time he did what he was told. After all, Zich had also seen as many people as a colony of ants rush toward him inplete rage at once. Thus, his current opponent¡¯s rage didn¡¯t stir his heart in the slightest.

    ¡°If it isn¡¯t, then what is it? Are you actually a Karuwiman follower posing to be a Bellid? Now that I think about it, I know a spy who is like you. The fact that you have two eyes, one nose, and lips is the same. You should¡¯ve told me beforehand that you were a spy. I would¡¯ve turned a blind eye to you.¡±

    The Bellid knight¡¯s attack continued in the meantime, but to his disappointment, Zich evaded all his attacks. It was so frustrating. Zich dodged the knight¡¯s attacks by the breadth of a hair each time, and the way he avoided them looked utterly silly. Anyone could see that he was provoking his opponent on purpose. Zich¡¯s provocations seemed to rock the Bellid knight¡¯s core, and the knight¡¯s eyes saw red.

    ¡°So, what are the Bellids like? Are they all sick perverts? What about their way of living? Since they are all fish heads, I¡¯m sure they all live in the water, but do they live in the ocean, a river, or ake? I bet they live like pale chubs escaping predators in the water. What do they do when they see a shark?¡±

    ¡°Shut uuuup!¡± The Bellid knight raised his sword high. Bellu¡¯s energy gathered inside his sword, but he didn¡¯t strike down with his sword.

    <i>Slice!</i> Zich¡¯s sword moved like a beam of light. The trajectory of his sword light drew and sliced his enemy¡¯s neck. The strong sh of Bellu¡¯s energy disappeared and the sword that had lost its power tumbled to the ground.

    ¡°Is ¡®shut up¡¯ the only phrase you know? You have such poor vocabry. You should at least be able to stay calm if you don¡¯t have skills.¡± Zich¡¯s assessment of his opponent ended like that. Then, he turned his head to find his next target.

    ¡®It¡¯s almost over.¡¯ Although the Bellids here were the elites of their group, the members in Zich¡¯s forces were unimaginably skilled. Furthermore, Zich and Belri Weig¡¯s military might was above and beyond. A majority of the Bellid followers died, and only three Bellids remained, including Vishipuna.

    ¡°Kurgh!¡±

    ¡®Now, there¡¯s only two,¡¯ Zich noted as another Bellid knight fell under Danny¡¯s sword. It was as expected of the vice-captain of the Steel Sword Knights. He couldn¡¯tpare to Zich and Weig, but Danny was also impressive. Soon, another one fell, and only Vishipuna was left.

    ¡®It looks like that fight is almost over too.¡¯

    ¡°Haaaaa!¡± Weig swung his sword with a loud battle cry.

    <i>Baaam!</i>

    Weig¡¯s sword stopped in front of a semi-transparent barrier. However, seeing the barrier shake violently, it didn¡¯t appear like it wouldst for long.

    ¡°Uggh!¡± Vishipuna endured the pain while gritting his teeth. He clenched his teeth so hard that his gums sank and blood streamed out of his mouth. However, this didn¡¯t happen because he simply exerted all his effort.

    <i>Crack!</i>

    An ominous sound rang from the barrier surrounding Vishipuna. Although shocked, he tried to respond as quickly as possible, but Weig acted faster. He pulled his sword back slightly and mmed the barrier again.

    <i>Bam!</i>

    ¡°Urgh!¡±

    In response to the current of holy mana, the barrier protecting Vishipuna cracked and light struck him. Vishipuna screamed at the splitting pain from the attack. Even in such a favorable situation, Weig remained calm. It was a scene that highlighted the extensive experience he had in fighting with opponents. As Vishipuna struggled in pain, Weig¡¯s sword sliced his neck. Just like that, the one in charge of the Bellids¡¯ northern base disappeared.

    ¡°Haa!¡± Weig sighed deeply and pointed his sword down. He stared intently at Vishipuna and then turned his head around.

    ¡°Good work, sir. That was an amazing disy of military fight that affirms your title as the greatest Karuwiman holy knight.¡±

    Weig replied, ¡°Haha, thank you for thepliment, but Sir Zich is much more amazing than me.¡± Weig¡¯sugh was so cheerful that it was hard to believe he was the same person who went around viciously killing the Bellids only recently. It was to the extent that Danny, who was behind Zich, slightly rubbed his eyes.

    Zich said, ¡°We can¡¯t be satisfied with just this though. I¡¯m sure ourrades are exterminating them all over the castle at this very moment, but there¡¯s still plenty of roaches left.¡±

    ¡°Yes, Sir Zich is right. They¡¯ll have to bepletely exterminated at once. Otherwise, they¡¯ll run away andy their dirty eggs somece else.¡± Weig shook the sword on his waist and burned with fighting spirit.

    Thus, the Steelwall¡¯s detachment swept through the Pinne Estate¡¯s capital, ughtered all the Bellids, and tookplete control of the castle.

    * * *

    The leaders of the detachment gathered in a ce used as a reception room of the castle. Thanks to the great sess of the operation, everyone¡¯splexion looked bright, but they didn¡¯t lower their guard. Even though the capital was now under their control, they were still in enemy territory.

    ¡°So what are you nning to do, young master?¡± Danny asked, ¡°Will you continue to upy this ce as nned?¡±

    Zich¡¯s justification for attacking the Pinne Estate was to capture the Pinne Estate¡¯s capital and overturn the nature of this war and weaken the allied forces¡¯ ims for invading a neighboring country. However, this had merely been an excuse, and Zich had no intentions to stay here.

    Zich replied, ¡°No, we¡¯re pulling out.¡±

    ¡°Will that be all right? That¡¯s not what we nned.¡± Danny¡¯s voice didn¡¯t carry a hard, interrogative tone at all. Seeing the amazing achievements that Zich made so far, he hadpletely eliminated all doubts about Zich¡¯s judgment and skills.

    Zich answered, ¡°The reason why we tried to capture this ce was to destroy the allied force¡¯s justification for invading a foreign country and bringing the other estates from the Cronon Kingdom into this war. But we¡¯ve found something even more amazing.¡±

    ¡°You must be talking about the Bellids.¡± Danny gulped. He never imagined that an aristocrat would join forces with the Bellids and transform his entire estate into a Bellid base. Even though the Steelwall knights¡¯ current image of the Pinnes was so poor that it reached the lowest depths of the sea, it was still hard to imagine that an aristocrat would join hands with the Bellids.

    ¡°Young master, did you already know of this?¡±

    ¡°Yes, I did.¡±

    In a way, they were deceived by Zich, but Danny merely nodded once. Considering the benefits that the Steelwalls would make from this discovery, deception was a minuscule price to pay.

    Zich said, ¡°After a day¡¯s rest, let¡¯s immediately return to the Steelwall Estate and team up with the main unit. Let¡¯s also contact the royal capital and surrounding estates¡ªand of course, the Karuwimans.¡±

    When Zich looked at Weig, and the man thumped his chest. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Now that we have such clear evidence, the Karuwimans willpletely be on Count Steelwall¡¯s side. We have to thoroughly show the world what happens to people who dare to join hands with the Bellids. Of course, I¡¯ll prove to Cronon¡¯s Royal Highness and all the other lords of the Cronon Kingdom of what I saw with my own name.¡±

    The fact that the Karuwimans¡¯ best holy knight was vouching for this matter would bepelling enough for all the lords and the Cronon king to believe their words, especially when it was a matter rted to the Bellids¡¯ existence.

    While looking at everyone, Zich said, ¡°From now on, this war will no longer be a ridiculous war disguised as a territorial war. Their efforts to frame us as Bellid supporters will now bepletely turned over in our favor, and we¡¯ll make the alliances that our enemies desperately tried to make.¡± Zich grinned. ¡°Now, let¡¯s take it easy and see what our enemies franticallye up with.¡±

    * * *

    The allied forces¡¯ pursuit team ambushed their enemies, but they were soon overwhelmed by a great sense of despondency. All the beings they thought were enemies were all just empty armor. They had no idea what ploys their enemies had used, but they had beenpletely deceived by the self-moving armor.

    The pursuit team anxiously checked all the tents, but there was nothing. They couldn¡¯t even see any supplies like weapons or food, let alone enemy soldiers. There were only empty tents.

    ¡°Damn it!¡± Glen checked another empty tent and furiously pulled the tent fabric. The tree supporting the tent broke and copsed under the enormous force. However, Glen didn¡¯t even spare a nce at the broken tree and pulled open another tent. There was nothing there either. It was already clear that they had been duped. Even Glen was now aware of that, and his current actions were nothing more than a meaningless act of looking for an item he had lost in his room in the same ce again just in case. Glen slumped to the ground. All kinds of anger and irritation red up in his heart like an active volcano. Yet, at the same time, he also had an eerie thought. Their enemy must not havepletely disappeared from the world. It was clear that they had been tricked, and their enemies had probably headed towards a different destination. It wasn¡¯t hard to guess where they would be headed. ¡®The Pinne Estate¡¯s capital!¡¯

    Glen knew what was in the Pinne Estate¡¯s capital, so he could fully anticipate the repercussions that woulde if the Pinne¡¯s capital happened to fall under their enemies¡¯ control. ¡®We need to move immediately!¡¯ Glen wasn¡¯t only thinking about the repercussions either.

    Since Zich would have headed there, Glen needed to also head toward the capital to catch him. Glen leaped to his feet and headed toward themander he brainwashed. They had to move as fast as they could.

 Chapter 522

    <h4>Chapter 522</h4>

    Glen used the captain he made into a puppet to immediately move the army. His destination was, of course, the Pinne Estate where he thought Zich must have headed. He had a strong desire to find and torture the person behind the empty, moving armor, but he didn¡¯t have much time to spare right now.

    ¡®It¡¯s probably the Tyrant of the Earth.¡¯ That would exin how the metallic armor was able to move by themselves.

    ¡®How stupid am I?! Even I knew that guy always stuck closely by Zich Moore¡¯s side!¡¯ It was rare and astonishing, but Glen was ming himself this time, saying that he wouldn¡¯t have fallen into this trap so easily if he had thought a little bit more about Snoc¡¯s abilities. However, Glen had always thought of Snoc as simply one of the many Demon People he had scattered across the world. He had never carefully inspected the abilities of each Demon Person, and it was quite natural that Glen failed to consider Snoc¡¯s ability this time too.

    ¡®I¡¯m sure that guy is somewhere around here, but¡­¡¯ Glen looked around his surroundings in anger. He was certain that Snoc must be hiding underground nearby. Even someone who made a contract with the mythical beast of the earth couldn¡¯t intricately control metal from far away. Glen wanted to search for Snoc even if he flipped the ground upside down, but he decided to push that n to another time.

    ¡®I should crush him the next time I see him!¡¯ Even if another changed variable arose as a result, Glen swore to do just that and gritted his teeth. The allied forces¡¯ pursuit team quickly marched. Although they lost most of the military horses from thendslide, they were still elite soldiers. They threw away majority of the supplies the Pinne Estate people had brought with great effort and forced an extreme march to move at an unbelievable speed.

    Yet, they weren¡¯t rewarded for their efforts. When the pursuit team first saw the castle walls, they were filled with hope. They didn¡¯t see anyone belonging to Steelwall and the walls looked untouched. Thus, some even thought that the Steelwall¡¯s detachment might have been satisfied with their victory against them and returned to their main army. Yet, when they saw the castle inside the capital city, all their hopes were swept away. The bloodstains and corpses strewn all around the castle walls clearly showed that a battle had recently taken ce.

    ¡°Ah, damn it!¡± one of the knights cursed in a low voice. Others didn¡¯t voice it out loud, but they also had simr feelings as the knight, including Glen. In fact, he felt a rage that far surpassed anyone else¡¯s. However, even he couldn¡¯t dwell on this emotion for long since he needed to quickly take action.

    ¡®I can¡¯t let our troops enter the castle!¡¯ Since Belri Weig was with their enemy, there was a high chance that the fact Viscount Pinne was a Bellid follower had been uncovered. At the very least, they would have definite proof that the viscount had secretlymunicated with the Bellids. Yet, Glen didn¡¯t care about such matters, and the only thing that concerned him was Zich. Even if all his schemes were uncovered, he needed to capture Zich.

    ¡®I just need to find out how and how much that guy knows and regress again.¡¯ Thus, the allied forces didn¡¯t know of the viscount¡¯s connection with the Bellids, because the other members of the allied forces would try to withdraw from this war. Glen was sure of this, and if that happened, there would be fewer troops to capture Zich.

    Thus, Glen immediately moved the captain. He made only those connected to the Bellids among the Pinne Estate¡¯s soldiers inspect the castle and made the rest wait outside. Then, Glen entered the castle himself to confirm something.

    ¡®The Bellid facilities is under the basement. They¡¯re probably fine, right?¡¯ If that area wasn¡¯t discovered, they could prevent the worst-case scenario. They might not be able to excuse the Bellid followers who tried to protect the castle, but they also found Bellid subordinates in the Steelwall Estate. Of course, the Pinne Estate¡¯s situation was more severe since there were even some Bellid fighting forces inside, but a third party would need to take some extra time to assess the whole situation, seeing how confusing and bewildering the progression of this war was.

    ¡®Even if thingse to the worst, we just need to stop the Karuwimans from participating until the war is over,¡¯ Glen thought. Yet, Glen¡¯s hopes were immediately crushed by the sight before him.

    In a daze, Glen stared at therge hole in one of the basement prison¡¯s walls. The secret passageway leading to the Bellid facilities he had desperately hoped to keep hidden was out in the open for everyone to see. Glen went inside this hole while gripping his fist tightly. In case there were enemies remaining, he pulled out Tornium and warily looked around his surroundings. Yet, he couldn¡¯t spot any enemies; he only saw Bellid followers. Then, Glen stopped moving when he reached thest room. There were the corpses of Vishipuna, the one chosen to be the manager of the Bellids¡¯ northern base, and his bodyguards lying all over the floor. The sight of the floor filled with their dried blood was quite grotesque, but that didn¡¯t faze Glen. Only the ckish-red letters written on the opposite entrance caught his eyes.

    The words were written in blood, probably belonging to the corpses on the ground. The imagery looked chilling, but Glen¡¯s attention was only focused on the content of these letters.

    [To the <i>oh-so-</i>noble and esteemed hero, who must have rushed here like a damn dog getting chased by a beast.]

    It was a piece of writing that clearly expressed the twisted and sarcastic character of the writer despite its flowery word choice; Glen instinctively knew that the writing was addressed to him.

    [It makes meugh to imagine you fussing and stirring up all sorts of trouble to capture me, but I think anyone who shows as much effort as you warrant apliment. Good work on doing absolutely nothing.]

    The following lines were also full of mockery.

    [As you can clearly see, we have found evidence of your endearing and heartfelt rtionship with these roaches. Unlike you, our real holy Karuwiman knight burst outughing after finding this den. The Karuwimans will soon emunicate and dere war against the allied forces, and when that timees, that will be the end of your forces.]

    Glen¡¯s eyes became bloodshot.

    [But wouldn¡¯t it be too disappointing for things to end just like this? After all those years you¡¯ve been chasing me? So quickly go back to the allied forces¡¯ main base. I¡¯ll be waiting for you. Why don¡¯t you try giving ast desperate attempt before everything is over?]

    Then the writing ended with thest line:

    [From a past friend of yours for decades or hundreds or thousands or tens of thousands of years.]

    ¡°¡­This bastaaaaaard!!!!!¡± Glen shouted with all his might, surrounded by a pile of dead bodies.

    * * *

    ¡°What? Sir, we¡¯re immediately returning to the main base?¡± The vice-captain was bewildered by the captain¡¯smand.

    ¡°Yeah. Since the enemies have probably returned by now, we should also follow them.¡±

    ¡°But sir, didn¡¯t we just arrive here? There are many knights who feel tired because of the long march. Wouldn¡¯t it be better to at least take one day to rest in the castle? Moreover, I¡¯m suspicious as to why our enemies immediately abandoned the capital after gaining control of it.¡±

    Despite the high standards used to select the pursuit team, the knights of the pursuit team were physically and mentally exhausted from numerous factors. They not only lost their first battle, but their enemies had also deceived them. The ufortable sleeping situation and long march did not help their condition either. Thus, it was too much of a strain for them to immediately begin moving without a break.

    In addition, the detachment¡¯s movements were strange. It was spected that their enemy attempted to take control of the Pinne Estate to overturn the nature of this war. If so, then they should have upied the Pinne Estate¡¯s capital for a certain period of time, since Viscount Pinne was still alive, and they couldn¡¯t implete victory over the estate after capturing the capital only once. However, they couldn¡¯t even find a single enemy soldier.

    He even thought that the detachment might have failed to capture the capital, but considering the state of the castle and the scattered mess of the Pinne Estate¡¯s troops, this was surely not the case. Perhaps, had they withdrawn after suffering too much damage while capturing the castle and judged that it was impossible to continue fighting and withdrew? There was a possibility that this could be true, but he couldn¡¯t be certain.

    The vice-captain continued, ¡°Above all, there is no guarantee that our enemy has headed back to the Steelwall Estate. They could have moved to apletely different location that we didn¡¯t expect for an unknown operation.¡±

    One way or another, the vice-captain was not yet sure of the enemy¡¯s movements. However, the captain continued to push his order as if had some strange conviction. ¡°I¡¯m sure that they returned to their main base! Get ready to leave immediately!¡±

    ¡°¡­I understand, sir.¡± The vice-captain had no choice but to nod at the captain''s forceful and dogmatic behavior, which he was now used to. His shoulders slightly drooped as he went outside.

    After the vice-captain left, Glen entered the tent after some time passed. He didn¡¯t even greet the captain and walked toward him. However, the captain, who should have rebuked Glen¡¯s rude behavior, did not show any signs of dissatisfaction. No, there was no response from him at all. Glen stood in front of the captain and looked into his eyes. The captain¡¯s blurry and unfocused eyes clearly showed that he wasn¡¯t in good condition.

    ¡®As expected, brainwashing in a short time has great side effects.¡¯ If it weren¡¯t for the side effects, it would have been extremely helpful for him to control the world as he pleased. Glen clicked his tongue in regret. ¡®I can¡¯t use this guy for much longer either.¡¯

    However, it didn¡¯t matter. It did not matter to him whether a human who was not even worth being an extra died in order to achieve what he wanted. Besides, it wasn¡¯t time for him to worry about others.

    ¡°Cough!¡± Bright red blood burst out of his mouth. Glen roughly wiped the blood around his mouth with his hands. He frowned while looking at the blood on his hand. ¡®As expected, the side-effects are severe.¡¯

    It was the remnants of Clowon Empire that had made Glen worthy of the hero title even though hecked talent. With the Clowon Empire¡¯s power, he forcibly increased his small amount of mana and exponentially increased hiscking muscle strength and reflexes. In addition, it also increased his other abilities. However, since it fundamentally modified his body¡¯s performance, the user had to slowly adjust their body ordingly to properly use it. However, Glen disregarded its correct function and recklessly used it in this timeline. His ability rose quickly, but his body was breaking down from the side effects.

    However, Glen didn¡¯t care. ¡®My body will return to its original, healthy state if I regress anyway.¡¯ It was more important than anything else for him to defeat Zich. ¡®Yeah, after I capture that bastard and extract information from him, I can just regress.¡¯

    Of course, Zich could have been lying about waiting at the main camp. Therefore, Glen was also going to employ every possible means to find out Zich¡¯s whereabouts. However, if Zich really was waiting for him at the main camp, he thought, ¡®I¡¯m going to use all the forces I can in the uing battle!¡¯

    Glen began to hone his fighting spirit in what might be hisst battle in this timeline.

 Chapter 523

    <h4>Chapter 523</h4>

    The pursuit team returned to their main base. Upon their return, they did not show the slightest sign of the fierce spirit and intense vigor they had shown when first leaving. Even those who didn¡¯t know their situation could tell at first nce that they had incurred a huge failure or defeat. They looked shabby and their movements dragged from deep fatigue. Nobody would¡¯ve been able to guess that they were the allied forces¡¯ best elites by just looking at them.

    As soon as they entered the camp, the pursuit team members began to sit down and rest without care for whoever looked at them. Fortunately, nobody said anything to them. The vice-captain requested the captain to let them be, and thankfully, the captain¡ªwhose personality had suddenly turned merciless and stubborn¡ªgranted the request without saying much. Thus, the pursuit team was able to restfortably after a long time.

    Yet, the one who could be the cause of the pursuit team¡¯s current condition, Glen, showed not even the tiniest bit of care for them. To him, the soldiers weren¡¯t even extras¡ªthey were equivalent to the rocks rolling in the streets. The only thing on his mind was Zich. Glen was d to hear hopeful news that the detachment, including Zich, had returned to the Steelwall army¡¯s main base.

    ¡®I will really kill that guy this time!¡¯ Glen let out his bloodlust as he looked at the Steelwall army camp from a distance.

    * * *

    While Glen frolicked around and spent his time ring up his bloodthirst for Zich, others were busy trying to solve a truly troublesome problem.

    ¡°¡­So, in the end, they were found out.¡± Count ud couldn¡¯t hold back his sigh after hearing Viscount Pinne¡¯s report. The Count was extremely shocked to hear that the Bellid forces inside Pinne castle were revealed. Even if lightning came down from a clear sky and destroyed a part of his residence, he wouldn¡¯t have been this surprised.

    ¡°Is there a way that we can cover this up? Can¡¯t you just feign ignorance about the fact that Bellid followers were found in your castle? I¡¯m sure Count Steelwall can¡¯t emphasize this point too much since Bellid followers came out of his ce too.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve been told that the altar where prayers to Bellu are held and its nearby facilities were found at the castle.¡±

    ¡°¡­They even made something like that?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s very important for those serving Bellu.¡± Viscount Pinne looked offended to hear Count ud refer to their altar and its nearby facilities as ¡®something like that.¡¯ He shifted his gaze slightly upwards. Count ud also noticed the change in the Viscount¡¯s expression, but he had no intention to take back his words. It was the altar that had brought upon this serious situation after all.

    ¡°And I¡¯m sure the Karuwimans are aware of all this?¡±

    ¡°Yes, since Belri Weig moved with them. He must have clearly checked it with his own eyes.¡±

    ¡°Damn it!¡±

    <i>Bam!</i> Count ud pounded the table with his fist filled with mana and smashed the desk into pieces. Its remains flew everywhere. Yet, the two didn¡¯t even blink.

    ¡°Did something happen, sir?!¡± the guards asked from outside after hearing the noise.

    ¡°It¡¯s nothing. Carry on with what you¡¯ve been doing,¡± the Count said and stared at the Viscount. No, he red at the man.

    ¡°What are you going to do now?¡± Although he was repressing his rage, Count ud was extremely furious. The scheme he had set up looked as if it was going to fly back at him. It would be all over if the truth that the allied forces had been coborating with the Bellids spread. If the Karuwimans officially participated in this war, it wouldpletely eradicate the possibility of them winning this war.

    It would only be fortunate if the matter ended with Viscount Pinne being used of coborating with the Bellids, but what if they began to suspect Count ud too? If so, Count ud would no longer just worry about losing in this war but the survival of his family and estate. There was a high possibility that all this could happen since the Viscount informed him that he possessed evidence of the Count working with the Bellids.

    ¡®I shouldn¡¯t kid myself that my enemy missed that evidence in this ambush,¡¯ Count ud thought.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry,¡± Viscount Pinne suddenly said.

    ¡°What did you just say? Don¡¯t worry? How could I not worry in this situation!¡± Considering the situation, the Count¡¯s anger didn¡¯t settle down easily. Yet, Viscount Pinne¡¯s next words instantly quelled the Count¡¯s erupting volcano of anger.

    ¡°There¡¯s a way.¡±

    ¡°A way? You have one?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°What is it?!¡± The Count looked at the Viscount like a traveler sighting an oasis after wandering in a desert for days. If Viscount Pinne requested him to do something right now, Count ud was willing to ept most matters no matter how burdensome they were. But the Viscount¡¯s reply made the Count¡¯s face grow several times more fearsome than before.

    ¡°I also don¡¯t know.¡±

    ¡°¡­Are you joking with me right now?¡± the Viscount said in a low voice, but his voice held apressed bundle of emotions that pressured his addressee more than he would¡¯ve done by shouting. Viscount Pinne also knew that the Count¡¯s patience must have reached its limit now.

    ¡°It¡¯s the message I got from above. If we fulfill just one condition, they said they will take care of the rest.¡±

    Count ud¡¯s rage settled slightly seeing that the Viscount wasn¡¯t ying with him. At the least, he judged that he couldn¡¯t slice the Viscount this instant.

    ¡°By ¡®above¡¯, you don¡¯t mean the Cronon Kingdom, but the Bellids, right?¡±

    ¡°Yes, sir.¡±

    ¡°What is the condition?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s the destruction of the Steelwall army.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s a difficult condition.¡±

    The allied forces hadn¡¯t been able to secure a single victory in this war. The main base already looked like it was ready to ept defeat. Of course, no one was stupid enough to say this in front of Count ud, but someone with a great amount of experience on the battlefield would have easily read the atmosphere of the situation. Compared to the allied forces¡¯ morale that was crawling on the ground, the Steelwalls¡¯ morale was piercing the sky. Since the Steelwalls won every battle, it was no surprise that their morale was so high. Moreover, the quality of the Steelwall soldiers was much higher than the allied forces¡¯ soldiers, and the allied forces¡¯ only advantage, which was their superior numbers, was quickly no longer bing an advantage due to their continuous losses. How could theypletely eradicate the Steelwalls under these circumstances?

    ¡°We have no other choice.¡±

    ¡°¡­Do you really not know what that method is?¡±

    ¡°Sir, they won¡¯t tell me.¡±

    ¡°From what I¡¯ve seen so far, I¡¯m certain that you don¡¯t have a low position in the Bellids, but they¡¯re hiding it from you too?¡±

    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m not in the highest position either.¡±

    Viscount Pinne¡¯s words sounded extremely fishy, and the Bellids could also be lying. However, the Count knew he had no choice but to follow Viscount¡¯s opinions. As Viscount Pinne said, they really had no other choice. Count ud reluctantly said, ¡°¡­Fine. I¡¯ll do as you say.¡±

    ¡°An excellent choice, sir. I¡¯m sure you already know this, but just in case, we¡¯ll have to attack as soon as possible.¡±

    ¡°I know that.¡± The situation would get worse for them if they dragged out the time and the world found out about their cooperative rtionship with the Bellids and fought against them.

    Viscount Pinne added, ¡°Sir, don¡¯t worry too much. There¡¯s not just bad news. We, the Bellids, also intend to participate in this attack from a different direction.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡± For a few moments, Count ud couldn¡¯t decide if this was good or bad news. It was better to not get found out that the allied forces were rted to the Bellids in any way, no matter how trivial it was. However, since they needed to annihte the Steelwalls at all costs, Count ud couldn¡¯t help but instinctively wee support from the Bellids.

    Count ud answered, ¡°¡­We can¡¯t fight together. If the Bellids give the impression that they¡¯re cooperating with us, our military will fall in chaos before we can even destroy our enemy.¡±

    There were only a handful of people among the allied forces who were cooperating with the Bellids, and most of the allied forces were just ordinary people.

    Viscount Pinne answered, ¡°Of course. The higher-ups would have surely considered that factor as well. I¡¯m sure they know what they are doing.¡±

    ¡°Then that¡¯s fortunate.¡± Contrary to his words, Count ud¡¯s response sounded very displeased. However, there was no other way. ¡°Why don¡¯t you take your leave now? I also have to prepare for the final battle.¡±

    ¡°Yes, sir.¡± Viscount Pinne bowed and left the Count¡¯s tent. He began walking straight to his tent. ¡®What the heck are the higher-ups thinking?¡¯

    Considering that his estate fell under their enemies and information about the Bellids had been leaked, Viscount Pinne also felt mncholy. If the battle ended like this, his downfall was certain. The fact that the higher-ups had a solution was his one source of hope, but he couldn¡¯t think of a way that they could possibly get out of this situation.

    ¡®Why are they trying to annihte the Steelwall army while even exposing our forces?¡¯ How would this help the Bellids? ¡®It feels like we¡¯re being swayed by a third party who desperately wants to annihte the Steelwalls.¡¯

    However, the Viscount erased this thought as soon as he thought of it.

    ¡®No one can use the Bellids for their own gain.¡¯ The Bellids were the ones who used others and it was never the other way around. Viscount Pinne, who waspletely enamored with the Bellids, was convinced of this thought.

    ¡°Hello, Sir Viscount Pinne.¡± Someone interrupted his thoughts and called out to him.

    Viscount Pinne looked at the man who greeted him. ¡®Glen Zenard.¡¯

    He was one of those sted Karuwiman Honorary Knights and one of the idiots who couldn¡¯t protect his estate. Even though Glen Zenard was one of the top most disgusting people to him in the allied forces, Viscount Pinne skillfully hid his feelings. He said, ¡°Hello, Sir Zenard.¡±

    Glen said, ¡°I think I saw youing from the Count¡¯s tent. Have you perhaps heard anything about his intentions?¡±

    The Viscount answered, ¡°It seems like there will be a final offensive against the Steelwalls soon.¡±

    ¡°Is that so? That¡¯s good news.¡±

    Whenever he saw Glen Zenard, Viscount Pinne usuallyughed inside his mind and mocked Glen for being a puppet of the Bellids while being a Karuwiman Honorary Knight. However, he couldn¡¯tugh at him this time.

    ¡®Is it because of his eyes?¡¯ Viscount Pinne strangely felt ufortable at Glen¡¯s shining eyes. He quickly said, ¡°I¡¯m quite busy, so you must excuse me.¡±

    ¡°Ah, I apologize for stopping you when you¡¯re so busy. Please go on your way.¡±

    Viscount Pinne gave a slight bow and passed by Glen. He didn¡¯t know why, but the ufortable feeling in his heart didn¡¯t disappear.

    ¡°This time for sure.¡± Glen was now left alone, and he murmured, ¡°I¡¯ll definitely catch him.¡±

    His voice dripped with murderous intent.

    * * *

    A few dayster, the allied forces mobilized all their forces to attack the Steelwalls. Zich watched them from above the Steelwalls¡¯ barrier. His heart was fluttering in anticipation because he was sure that Glen was somewhere among the offensive forces.

    ¡®Isn¡¯t it about time for you to deal with the truth now? Right, Glen Zenard?¡¯ Zich stroked the sword at his waist and scanned the allied forces rushing toward them.

 Chapter 524

    <h4>Chapter 524</h4>

    War was a terrifying event no matter how much one embellished it with all sorts of fancy garnishments and ornate wordings. There, people¡¯s corpses were scattered into pieces, blood sprayed in the air, and lives were squashed. The battlefield could be said to be a ce where fear lived and breathed, as people would lose one of their most treasured goods¨Ctheir own lives¨Cby tens and hundreds of thousands.

    Naturally, soldiers entered the battlefield with anxiety filling them from head to toe. But even as fear panged their hearts, humans were adaptable creatures. The soldiers soon became used to this intense emotion that clenched their chests. It was the same for the Steelwall soldiers who watched the advance of the allied forces. They also felt nervous, and fear still lived well in their hearts. They had be quite used to fighting the allied forces by now, but today, it seemed like the dulled emotions they felt during their first battle were taking control over them once again.

    ¡°¡­I thought so. Those guys look different than before, don¡¯t they?¡±

    ¡°Damn it. I kept telling myself it¡¯s my imagination, but you ruined it.¡±

    Two soldiers holding their spears tightly on top of the walls conversed as they looked at the allied forces running toward them. The two felt nervous because of what their superiors told them. Their superiors warned their subordinates that there was a high possibility that the allied forces might use all means possible and undertake all necessary damages to put an end to this war. The soldiers were happy to hear that this war would end soon, but they soon fell disheartened again, as they imagined how fiercely their enemy would fight now. They had hoped that they could continue to block their enemy¡¯s attack a little bit more like this and that the war would naturallye to an end.

    However, as if they were proving their superiors¡¯ warnings, the allied forces came at them with a different atmosphere than usual. It seemed as if they were intent on putting an end to everything with this one battle. The two soldiers weren¡¯t the only ones who looked nervous. Even the knights who possessed far greater military skills than they stared at the allied forces more sharply than before.

    ¡°Shoot!¡± With the order, archers let go of their tightly pulled bows. Arrows nketed the sky in ck and shot toward the allied forces.

    ¡°Kuh!¡±

    ¡°Ahhh!¡± The soldiers cried out as arrows shot down like rain. Many became injured and fell to the ground, and there were a number of people who died just like that. Yet, as if they didn¡¯t care for their fallenpanions, the allied forces continued to advance toward the Steelwall forces. Thus, thest battle of this war began.

    * * *

    The Steelwall forces clearly realized the allied forces¡¯ intent to make this battle thest one. They saw no sign of their enemy searching for weak spots like they usually did, and the allied forces flocked to the front in suchrge masses that even the Steelwall troops that had been blocking them well until now felt frightful. With their numerical superiority, the allied forces brutally attacked head-on. They didn¡¯t tread carefully across the tough terrain or walls. Instead, they charged relentlessly into the range of the arrows so that the archers couldn¡¯t even take a moment to rest.

    Filled with shouting and screams, the battle seemed more desperate than usual, but surprisingly, it didn¡¯t appear as intense or eye-catching as the previous battles; this was because the allied forces hadn¡¯t deployed their knights and mages yet. Likewise, not knowing when the allied forces would let their elite troops out, the Steelwall forces also saved their elites. Thus, the only ones who fought and spilled blood on the battlefield currently were the soldiers.

    ¡°We lost a significant number of soldiers in charge of attacking the left side of the wall,¡± the vicemander told Count ud. Even the Count saw that the number of soldiers on the left side of the wall had clearly decreased.

    ¡°Dispatch the reserve troops immediately.¡±

    ¡°¡­Sir Count. If we continue to lose our soldiers like this, we might have difficulty when trying to take over the Steelwall Estate.¡±

    The reason why the allied forces hadn¡¯t been attacking the Steelwall forces with all their might until now was that they were nning to do more than just crush the Steelwall¡¯s army; even if they defeated the army in front of them, they would need more troops to invade the Steelwall Estate. Therefore, if they continued to lose soldiers like this, it was a wonder if they would be able to sessfully capture the Steelwall¡¯s residence in the end. Yet, the Count remained firm in his decision.

    ¡°I have my reasons. You just need to follow mymands.¡±

    ¡°¡­I understand.¡± What more could a mere vicemander say to go against the Count¡¯s words? The vicemander supposed the Count must have his own thoughts and moved to put themand into action.

    ¡®I need to weaken them first,¡¯ Count ud thought. Even if the Steelwall forces were on a more advantageous terrain and had a wall, fighting them here was easier than taking over a castle.

    ¡®They will eventually be exhausted if I keep dispatching more soldiers,¡¯ Count ud thought.

    Count Steelwall was probably aware of this. Thus, unlike the allied forces who didn¡¯t let any of their knights or mages out yet, the Steelwall forces began to let out some of their knights earlier than them. The Steelwall army gradually became wearier while their elite forces lessened bit by bit. Of course, this method resulted in the loss of a mass number of his allied forces¡¯ soldiers, and if this situation continued, Count ud¡¯s vicemander¡¯s words would be reality.

    Moreover, Count ud didn¡¯t have any sort of countern at all. He hoped desperately. ¡®Those Bellid bastards really do have a n, right?¡¯

    Count udmented the pitiful circumstances that he had to entrust his life and his family¡¯s fate to untrustworthy fanatics. How the hell did he end up in this pathetic situation? However, it couldn¡¯t be helped. If the Bellids didn¡¯te up with a solution, the uds would really be over. He hadn¡¯t even imagined in his wildest dreams that he would ever fall into a situation like this when he first started this war. However, he also knew that this situation was a reality and not a dream.

    The allied forces¡¯ attacks did not stop even after a long time. The bodies of the allied forces¡¯ soldiers piled up like mountains beyond the barrier, but the soldiers continued to attack by stepping over theirrades¡¯ bodies.

    ¡®Isn¡¯t it about time for them toe out?¡¯ Even though Count ud resolved to pour out everything he had in this battle, he was still anxious to see countless soldiers die. Of course, it wasn¡¯t because he suddenly had the noble epiphany that the soldiers¡¯ lives were also precious. It was because, despite the fact that Count ud held the highest authority in the allied forces, it was still a coalition made up of different entities. As countless soldiers died, the faces of lords from other estates began to stiffen, and most of them quietly looked at the battlefield with red faces. They had all been holding in their frustration due to Count ud¡¯s authority, but Count ud knew they were almost at their limits.

    ¡®I still can¡¯t stop.¡¯ If there were a person who said they¡¯d take their troops and leave the allied forces, he needed to firmly maintain his authority by beheading them if it came to the worst-case scenario. This was an act that even Count ud had never even considered, let alone implement, but he was now in an extremely dire position. Fortunately, what Count ud feared the worst did happen.

    The Steelwall troops began to act strangely. Their soldiers¡¯ movements began to noticeably slow down. At the same time, a signal came up from behind the Steelwalls¡¯ barrier.

    ¡®They¡¯re here!¡¯ Count ud shouted, ¡°Vicemander!¡±

    ¡°Yes, sir!¡±

    ¡°Immediately send out the knights and mages! We¡¯re going tounch a full-scale attack!¡±

    ¡°Yes, sir!¡±

    As soon as he gave out an order, Count ud red at the Steelwall troops with murderous eyes. ¡®The battle is going to officially start now!¡¯

    Thisst battle would decide the fate of everything.

    * * *

    ¡®They¡¯re here.¡¯ Zich cut down another enemy soldier and nced back. He saw a group of people in the distance. Judging by how they were running at full speed on horseback, it did not seem as if it would take long for them to reach the Steelwalls¡¯ campsite. A whole new force had suddenly appeared on the battlefield, but Zich could easily guess who they were.

    ¡®Bellid bastards.¡¯ Since Glen was eager to capture him by using any means, Zich had predicted that Glen would mobilize the Bellid forces in this war. The rear side of the Steelwall campsite had an extremely nted terrain. Due to this environmental factor, the allied forces couldn¡¯t easily surround them and only concentrated their offensive at the front.

    However, those rushing towards them probably wouldn¡¯t be hindered by the sloping terrain as the Bellids had most likely sent out their strongest fighters. ¡®Those guys must have been originally stationed to protect the Pinne Estate¡¯s capital.¡¯

    Even though the Bellids¡¯ northern branch was still iplete, it was highly unlikely that the Bellids deployed to protect the Pinne Estate would becking in skills. If Glen hadn¡¯t dragged them outside of the capital after falling for Zich¡¯s trick, the detachment would have probably suffered considerable damage when attacking the capital. It was definitely dangerous for the Steelwalls to receive a joint attack from the back by such a force.

    However, Zich¡¯s expression didn¡¯t show even the slightest sign of worry. ¡®They finally sent out their knights.¡¯

    The knights of the allied forces had only been watching the battlefield from the rear, and they were finallying out of their base. It was clear that they were being sent out to attack at the same time as the Bellids.

    ¡®They won¡¯t be fighting side by side though.¡¯ It would be difficult for the allied forces to openly cooperate with the Bellids. No matter how eager Glen was to employ all possible means to defeat him, most of the allied forces probably had negative feelings about the Bellids.

    ¡®They¡¯re probably under a great amount of strain even now.¡¯

    The corners of Zich¡¯s mouth turned up slightly. He couldn¡¯t suppress hisughter while imagining how frantically Glen had run around to capture him after his revtions. However, Zich couldn¡¯t be satisfied with just this¡ªthere was still the highlight of the show left. As the allied forces¡¯ knights began to move out, the Steelwall knights also began to prepare themselves for battle. Zich found Glen among the allied forces¡¯ knights. ¡®He¡¯s over there.¡¯

    Glen also seemed to feel the same way as him as Glen¡¯s gaze preciselynded on Zich. The Steelwall knights began jumping past the barrier one by one. Zich also stepped out of the barrier.

    <i>Tap!</i> Zichnded lightly on his feet and walked straight toward Glen while cutting down the allied soldiers blocking his path. Soon, there was no one left between the two. The knights noticed Zich and quickly moved back. Zich and Glen¡¯s eyes met, and they both smiled. They exchanged a fierce and bone-chillingugh and rushed toward each other.

    <i>Baaaam!</i> The sound of two swords colliding against each other rang across the battlefield.

 Chapter 525

    <h4>Chapter 525</h4>

    Two huge powers shed. Wild currents of mana collided and exploded to destroy one another. Each side let out a power that no ordinary person could endure, but the two powers weren¡¯t equal. One side was clearly getting pushed back and like it had been recently, Glen was pushing Zich back. Glen¡¯s mana tightened around Zich and his sword as if it was trying to crush them both at once. Zich moved the flow of the mana behind him and tried to target Glen¡¯s weak spots, but it wasn¡¯t easy.

    <i>Bam! </i>Anothermotion arose, and Zich was pushed back a couple of steps back. His hands felt numb while the muscles in his elbows felt like they were going to convulse. Zich¡¯s mana was like a giant hale that arose from circting throughout his entire body while Glen¡¯s mana felt like a hale big enough to swallow the entire kingdom. In the end, Zich¡¯s mana couldn¡¯t withstand Glen¡¯s.

    <i>ng!</i>

    Glen¡¯s sword forcefully twisted Zich¡¯s sword. Like a snake full of venom, the end of his sword aimed for Zich¡¯s chest.

    <i>Whoosh!</i> Zich hurriedly bent down, but Glen¡¯s sword sneakily altered its trajectory and continued to aim for his chest. Zich ced more pressure on his feet then.

    <i>sh!</i> Glen¡¯s sword missed Zich¡¯s body by a hairbreadth. Glen¡¯s eyes were filled with regret but he soon retracted his sword skillfully and attacked again. Although he thought it was a shame that he missed thest opportunity, he didn¡¯t think he would be able to defeat Zich that easily anyway.

    <i>Whoosh! Whoosh! </i>Glen¡¯s sword continued to bare its fangs and threatened Zich. Meanwhile, Zich continued to block Glen¡¯s attacks with his clean swordsmanship and genius instincts, but he couldn¡¯t bridge the gap between the fundamental level of powers. Usually, Zich¡¯spanions made up for the gap, and even the powerful Glen was pushed back the moment the others joined Zich.

    Yet, there were no signs of Zich¡¯spanions joining him this time.

    <i>Baaaam!</i> Glen swung his sword widely and Zich backed away a couple of steps. Glenughed at this sight and said, ¡°It seems like your friends aren¡¯t here to help you today.¡±

    ¡°They are all upied with other matters,¡± Zich said nonchntly, but Glen instantly realized what was going on.

    ¡®They went to block the Bellids from raiding from behind,¡¯ Glen thought. The majority of the Steelwall''s main army was facing the allied forces from the front. If they took some troops away to block their rear, their frontlines could be prated. However, it wasn¡¯t like they could do nothing as their enemy¡ªwho all seemed like elite fighters by their movements¡ªalso attacked from behind. Thus, Glen was sure that the ones who usually helped Zich had gone to block that side now.

    ¡®The best oue!¡¯ Glen celebrated internally. ¡°Okay, so did youe by yourself to block me? Even during such an important time?¡±

    ¡°It seems like you are misunderstanding something. I was nning to deal with you alone this time. Now that you bring it up, I realized how embarrassing it was that all mypanions joined me to just deal with someone like you.¡±

    ¡°As expected of Zich Moore. Your mindset is truly one of a Demon Lord.¡± Glen outrightly called him ¡®Zich Moore¡¯ now. There was no need to hide anything now, and Glen raised his sword again.

    ¡°However, unlike you, I n to be a true hero,¡± Glen said and shook his finger slightly. Zich felt the temperature around him dramatically fall and he also swung his sword.

    <i>Crunch! </i>Frozen white ice cracked under Zich¡¯s mana. Magic didn¡¯t cause much damage to Zich, but it was enough to give Glen an opening. Of course, Zich was fully aware of his own predicament, and he didn¡¯t draw his eyes away from Glen. Yet, it wasn¡¯t Glen didn¡¯t aim for Zich¡¯s opening this time.

    <i>Whoosh!</i>

    Zich sensed the next attack with all his senses and simultaneously swung his sword at his new opponent. <i>Pwsh! </i>His sword pierced into his opponent, but instead of cheering that his attack seeded, he scowled.

    ¡®He took it?¡¯ Although Zich had immediately counter-attacked, he had swung his sword while his stance was broken; rather than an attack, it was more like a way to prevent his opponent¡¯s second attack. Considering the first attack, Zich knew his opponent¡¯s skills were quite high and didn¡¯t belong to someone who would easily receive an attack like this one. This meant his opponent was either caught off guard or¡­

    ¡°Had no intention to block.¡¯

    <i>Whoosh! </i>Zich quickly retracted his sword and arched his torso lower to the side. His opponent¡¯s sword pierced the previous location of Zich¡¯s body. It was an attack made with no consideration of their own injuries, and Zich stared at his opponent to see a familiar face.

    ¡®Halton Byner!¡¯ He was one of the people Zich had first stomped after his regression along with Hans. Byner was scowling deeply, not because of the injury Zich just made on his shoulder, but because he failed to end Zich just now. Zich ced more pressure on his legs and kicked off the surface.

    <i>Crunch!</i>

    A sharp air de made a hole where Zich used to be. <i>Thud! </i>Zich softlynded back down on the surface and nced at his elbow. Blood dripped from his forearm and fell to the floor. He hadn¡¯t been able topletely escape thest attack. It wasn¡¯t a serious injury, but the air de had slightly scraped his skin.

    Zich pulled his eyes away from his injury and stared at where the attack had flown from. Glen was retracting his sword with a sour expression on his face.

    ¡®He brought along apanion,¡¯ Zich thought. He saw Byner move to where Glen was while warily facing Zich. The injury on his shoulder began to heal rapidly, and Zich looked farther away. There, he saw Pina holding her icicles in the air and Chelsea raising her hand toward Halton.

    He looked back at Byner. Thanks to Chelsea¡¯s healing magic, Byner¡¯s injury hadpletely healed in the blink of an eye. Despite herck of integrity, she really was talented enough to have been one of the saint candidates with Lube.

    ¡®Did he gather everyone he could?¡¯ Even though Glen was the strongest fighter in the allied forces, he didn¡¯t have the authority to use the allied forces¡¯ troops however he wanted to just kill one person. Moreover, Glen had already made a bunch of reckless ns and caused a great strain on the allied forces¡¯ troops to annihte the Steelwall army. He did all this with the firm belief that he could always rely on his power of regression.

    Pina and Chelsea were originally part of Glen¡¯s party and considering that Zich saw Byner at Yuras with Glen, it was clear that he was also quite close to Glen. Even though it was definitely a dangerous situation, Zich felt likeughing because their presence was evidence of how desperately Glen wanted to kill him.

    ¡°Hasn¡¯t the situation beenpletely flipped?¡± Glen mocked Zich. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me I¡¯m being cowardly. Isn¡¯t this what you usually do?¡±

    ¡°Of course, I won''t tell you off.¡± Zich shrugged.

    ¡°I guess you at least have a bit of conscience.¡± Glen nced at Byner, and Byner¡¯s eyes burned with hatred. To Byner, Zich was his enemy who had taken away his brilliant future. Byner felt that he could give up everything he had for the sake of revenge. However, Zich didn¡¯t look moved at all by Byner¡¯s intense desire to sacrifice everything he had to kill him. Zich had faced tens and hundreds of people like Byner before he regressed that he could fill up wagons with people like him and still have people left over.

    On the other hand, it was also true that Zich was in a precarious position. Glen¡¯s current abilities were definitely above his, and Byner¡¯s skills also couldn¡¯t be looked down on. Moreover, Pina¡¯s magic aimed for Zich at every possible chance, and even if Zich managed tond an attack on one of them, Chelsea¡¯s healing reversed all the damage he did. However, Zich wasn¡¯t very nervous. Rather, he thought this whole situation was funny and felt very familiar. It made him recall Glen¡¯s past party that defeated him before his regression. Even now, he would unconsciously shake his head whenever he thought of Glen¡¯s past party with their overwhelming skills and bnced abilities. However, not a single person from his memory was in Glen¡¯s current party.

    ¡°If youck in strength, it¡¯s not a bad idea to make it up with numbers. But isn¡¯t this party too shabby considering your original members?¡±

    Glen¡¯s expression stiffened. In contrast, Zich leisurely checked each and every member of Glen¡¯s party as if he wasparing their faces with another party inside his mind.

    ¡°Are you satisfied with this?¡± It was a question out of the blue, but Glen instantly grasped the meaning behind his question.

    ¡°¡­Die!¡± Glen rushed towards Zich. At the same time, Glen¡¯s party members also started moving.

    <i>Bammm</i>! Zich blocked Glen¡¯s sword, but Tornium pushed back Zich¡¯s sword with its heavy and destructive power. Zich couldn¡¯t handle all of Glen¡¯s power this time as well and was pushed back. Halton was aiming for this gap. While Zich was using all of his concentration to block Glen¡¯s sword, Halton pushed his sword toward Zich¡¯s side, which was now clearly exposed. It seemed as if Byner was going to carve a huge hole on Zich¡¯s side, and a cruel smile appeared on his face. However, a sudden light flew across and blocked Byner¡¯s attack.

    <i>Baaaam!</i>

    ¡°Ugggh!¡± Byner tightly clutched his sword. He wanted to hold onto his sword and stop it from bouncing off, but it was also because of his anger toward the person who prevented him from seeing Zich¡¯s blood.

    ¡®Who the hell¡­!¡¯ Byner looked at the person who blocked his sword, and his eyes widened. ¡°¡­Hans.¡±

    He muttered his opponent¡¯s name without realizing it.

    Hans replied, ¡°We meet again, Sir Knight Byner.¡±

    ¡°You¡­!¡± Byner was about to say something but quickly moved back as a sword shed toward him. It was Lara¡¯s sword. She stood beside Hans and pointed her sword at Byner. Her gaze brieflynded on Glen, but her eyes quickly left him and nailed Byner.

    <i>Swoosh!</i> While Lara pushed Byner back, Hans used that opportunity to swing Estede toward Glen.

    <i>Bamm!</i> It was extremely unlikely that Hans could sessfully attack Glen, and Zich couldn¡¯t currently push him back either. Estede was all too easily blocked by Tornium and was even pushed back. However, Glen couldn¡¯t rush toward Hans to slice his neck off since Zich was by his side.

    <i>Swoosh!</i> Zich aimed his sword at Glen. Despite wanting to at least cut off one of Hans¡¯ arms, Glen had no choice but to withdraw. However, Glen¡¯s party wasn¡¯t finished with their attacks yet. Icicles began to fall toward the spot where Zich, Hans, and Lara were. Pina hadunched a magic attack. However, all of her magic was soon destroyed by a gigantic fireball.

    ¡°¡­Elena.¡± Pina strengthened her grip on her staff. She looked at Elena as she came riding on Nowem with Snoc andnded next to Zich.

    ¡°They have quite a few people over there too.¡± Chelsea frowned and clicked her tongue.

    Their fight that could have been easily over became much more difficult. However, she tightly clutched her staff to use holy magic at any time. Glen coldly looked at the people gathered beside Zich. His gaze lingered on Lara for a while but didn¡¯t stay long. He said, ¡°Didn¡¯t you say your friends were busy?¡±

    Zich calmly replied, ¡°You asked about my ¡®usual¡¯ friends.¡±

 Chapter 526

    <h4>Chapter 526</h4>

    That was Zich¡¯s typical wordy. Zich had fooled him on purpose, but since there was nothing wrong with what Zich actually said, Glen couldn¡¯te up with a proper retort. Surprisingly, Glen didn¡¯t get angry. Zich¡¯spanions obstructed him from defeating Zich, but everything was all still within his expectations.

    ¡®It¡¯s fine as long as the Demon Lord of Disaster and Demon Lord of Magic don¡¯t intervene.¡± Glen had also brought along some ¡®tools¡¯ for a situation like this one, and he rushed at Zich as if none of Zich¡¯spanions fazed him.

    <i>Bam! </i>Zich and Glen¡¯s swords collided once more. Hans went to help Zich when¡ª<i>whoosh! </i>Byner swung his sword at Hans while Hans changed the direction of Estede¡¯s swing too.

    <i>Bam!</i> As Estede and Byner¡¯s swords shed, another loud sound rang out. Hans and Byner backed away a couple of steps; in that moment of opportunity, Lara aimed her sword at Byner. He struck away Lara¡¯s sword and moved back a bit. Byner boiled with anger as new obstacles appeared, and his bloodshot eyes red at Hans and Lara.

    From far away, Pina activated her magic again. She formed arge pir of ice this time¡ªit was a pir so big that those struck by it would end up disfigured and unrecognizable. Her target was Elena since she was chanting an incantation. Unlike its size, the ice pir was quick and instantly towered over Elena¡¯s head. Yet, what struck Elena¡¯s body wasn¡¯t the ice pir.

    <i>Drrrr! </i>The earth rose and covered Elena¡¯s head like it was protecting her. It was Snoc¡¯s doing. The barrier was mixed with dirt and hard metals and fully shielded Elena from the ice pir; in the meantime, Elena finished her spell and shot down a pir of fire at Pina.

    <i>Shaa! </i>Like it was going to burn everything in its path, the fire pir rushed forward. However, Elena¡¯s attack also failed tond on Pina. <i>Wing!</i> A semi-transparent barrier appeared in front of Pina, blocked the pir of fire, and melted into the air. After each member of both teams made their first attacks, the two teams officially engaged in battle. Sharp des rushed for one another, magic spells devastated their surroundings, and authority over the earth shed with holy magic. Soldiers distancing themselves to not get mixed in Zich and Glen¡¯s fights moved even further away. It was evident what would happen if ordinary soldiers were swept up in the battle.

    Although they fought as members of each team cooperated with one another, Zich and Glen began to drift farther apart from the rest of their groups as time passed. Glen looked at Zich suspiciously.

    ¡®Is he really nning to fight me by himself?¡¯ Glen wondered. He was purposefully trying to distance Zich from his group since he was confident that he would win if they fought one-to-one. After all, Glen had brought his ¡®tools¡¯ to upy Zich¡¯spanions temporarily while he got rid of Zich. If Zich brought the samepanions from theirst battle, his tools might not have been able to tie down Zich¡¯spanions at all, but thanks to the Bellids¡¯ ambush, Zich¡¯s previouspanions weren¡¯t with him. With this, his tools could buy him a bit more time.

    Yet, Zich had the same thought as Glen, and he followed Glen¡¯s movements to easily separate himself from his group. No, it almost seemed as if Zich was the one who was leading Glen away.

    ¡®How annoying.¡¯ Glen recalled how Zich had confidently boasted that he nned to fight with him alone. Although this was favorable for Glen, it bruised his ego at the same time.

    ¡®Damn bastard. I¡¯m going to make him regret everything he said!¡¯

    The two continued moving while shing swords. The soldiers within their vicinity quickly escaped, but those who were too slow or obstructed in some way died under the impact of their collisions. Of course, the two didn¡¯t care about this. Since they were outside the wall right now, all the ones dying in their surroundings were soldiers from the allied forces, so Zich didn¡¯t hesitate, and Glen didn¡¯t care for such menial matters. Like that, the two separated from theirpanions and focused deeply on their own battle.

    * * *

    No one from the two teams cared as Zich and Glen separated from them. All members had been told by their leaders to keep the other team¡¯s members upied and nothing else.

    ¡°Haaaa!¡± Byner swung his sword widely, and Hans blocked the attack with Estede.

    ¡°Kuh!¡± Byner groaned. He attacked a couple of more times, but Hans calmly swung Estede and deflected all his attacks.

    ¡®Even though he¡¯s just a servant!¡¯ Byner thought. The only thing that had been special about Hans was that he was the grandson of the Countess¡¯ nanny; he was just a servant who did various chores inside the residence¡ªunlike <i>him </i>who was one of the shining, promising talents among the Steelwall knights. The difference between them should have been as wide as the distance between the sky and the ground. Yet, this mere servant was blocking all his attacks. No¡ªalthough Byner wasn¡¯t admitting it because of his pride, his body was feeling first-hand that Hans was much superior to him in skills.

    The fact that Hans was Zich¡¯s disciple deepened Byner¡¯s loathing for Hans. His anger was flowing more toward Hans now after realizing that Zich¡¯s skills weren¡¯t something he couldn¡¯t dare to reach. In other words, Byner abhorred Zich the most, but because it seemed like he wouldn¡¯t ever be able to beat Zich, Byner was taking his anger out on Hans. Of course, Byner also didn¡¯t admit this. Whatever the reason, Byner wanted to brutally ughter Hans. Thus, he continued to swing his sword but couldn¡¯t pierce through Hans¡¯ defenses.

    <i>Splurt! </i>

    ¡°Ugh!¡± Instead, Lara used the openings to pierce his side. However, Byner didn¡¯t stop.

    <i>Grab!</i> Byner grabbed Lara¡¯s sword, which was pierced into his side, with his bare hands. Even though blood dripped down his hand from the sharp de, Byner paid no attention to the pain. He swung his sword at Lara in that state.

    ¡°Ack!¡± Lara was taken aback. She couldn¡¯t immediately decide whether to give up on her sword and withdraw or use a different method. And such a dy was fatal in a life-threatening battle.

    <i>Smack! </i>Hans quickly kicked Byner, and Byner struggled to stand upright while being pushed back. At the same time, Byner¡¯s sword narrowly missed Lara¡¯s neck.

    ¡°Thank you!¡± Lara wiped the sweat on her forehead and expressed her gratitude.

    <i>Swoosh! </i>Ice magic rushed toward Hans and Lara again as Byner was pushed back. me arrows appeared at the same time and crashed against the ice.

    <i>Pssshhhhhh!</i> Hot steam bloomed in the middle of the battlefield. Then rocks burst through the steam and fell towards Pina and Chelsea. Byner intervened in the middle and swung at the rocks with a lot of mana in his sword.

    <i>Baaam! </i>The rocks were shattered and turned into crumbles and sand and scattered in all directions. He sessfully blocked Snoc¡¯s attack, but Byner¡¯s wound grew bigger. Since his wound was severe, Byner would soon be incapacitated to fight if he continued fighting. However, when Chelsea¡¯s staff lit up with light and moved toward Byner, his wound began to heal quickly.

    Hans stared at this sight and said, ¡°You ignore your wounds and continue attacking your opponent. That¡¯s a method I¡¯ve seen many times. It seems as if you¡¯ve learned something from your fight with Sir Zich.¡±

    ¡°Shut up!¡±

    Hans sighed. ¡°Why don¡¯t you stop? To be frank, your grudge against Sir Zich is ridiculous. It¡¯s true that you and I were in the wrong, and it was a mistake that was severe enough to get my neck cut off and for you to be dismissed as a knight.¡±

    Hans had been disrespectful to the Count¡¯s sessor, and Byner even tried to hit Zich.

    Hans continued, ¡°Sir, return to Steelwall after getting rid of your ridiculous grudge and ask for forgiveness from Sir Zich and Count Steelwall.¡±

    ¡°Forgiveness?¡± Hans¡¯ words irked Byner, and he furiously gnashed his teeth. ¡°Forgiveness? Me? To whom? For what? The whole household was against him during that time! He was crushed by the pressure and kept quiet too! You should know how it was!¡±

    The emotions Byner had umted so far flowed out like a waterfall.

    However, Hans calmly replied, ¡°You should apologize for trying to hit Sir Zich and for betraying the Count. Regardless of the situation, what we did was clearly wrong, and the whole household wronged Sir Zich. Moreover, from what I heard, the Count didn¡¯t hold you responsible after you lost to Sir Zich. However, you betrayed him at such an important time. There are numerous reasons why you should apologize.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t make meugh! I was supposed to obtain honor and glory iparable to a mere servant like you! Also, he¡¯s the bastard who put my dreams and future into the mud! And this is the estate of that bastard¡¯s family! All of which are subject to my revenge!¡± Byner¡¯s voice was dripping with deep hatred. He continued, ¡°All I did was act like how everyone did around me like usual! Why do I have to experience such a pathetic defeat and have my future thrown in the mud!¡±

    ¡°Is that so.¡± Hans looked up at the sky for a moment as if he realized something and met Byner¡¯s eyes. Then he said, ¡°You were just unlucky.¡±

    ¡°¡­What?¡± Byner had been venting about his grudge as if he was vomiting blood, but he suddenly became speechless. He lookedpletely bewildered, yet anger soon consumed him. ¡°Unlucky. I was unlucky? You¡¯re saying that my life turned into shit just because I was unlucky!¡±

    ¡°But isn¡¯t that true?¡± Hans calmly replied as if Byner¡¯s anger was none of his business. ¡°If there were another knight instead of you, they would have probably done the same as you. Sir Zich¡¯s attitude and reaction toward them would have been the same. Thus, the same situation would have unfolded regardless of who it was. You were just there by chance.¡±

    Then Hans softly repeated himself as if he were catering to a crying child, ¡°You were unlucky.¡±

    Byner realized that being told off so directly like this made one feel futile before getting angry. Lara nced at Hans. Byner was clearly their enemy, and judging by his attitude and words, his morality was definitely on the bad side, but she hadn¡¯t expected Hans to tell a person burning up with rage and hatred that all their struggles were a result of just bad luck.

    ¡®I thought this before, but Mr. Hans is surprisingly good at crushing people with his words.¡¯ It also went without saying who Hans adapted this ability from. ¡®Should I consult with Ms. L?¡¯

    Lara stored this idea in her head and said, ¡°Mr. Hans, you¡¯re surprisingly cruel in a way.¡±

    ¡°Huh? But he didn¡¯t say anything wrong?¡±

    <i>Koo.</i>

    ¡°¡­¡±

    One beast and one more person had been deeply influenced by Zich.

 Chapter 527

    <h4>Chapter 527</h4>

    Zich and Glen shed far away from theirpanions, where they had a low possibility of getting bothered by other people. They sent a flurry of attacks, each one a dream for an ordinary knight to make toward an enemy. Glen sent a current of mana into Tornium, and although his body ached with the mana he couldn¡¯t withstand yet, the pain was still endurable. Glen knew that although it was only aching right now, the side effects of this power would soon inflict greater injuries on him. Yet, Glen didn¡¯t care. He was only focused on crushing Zich right now.

    <i>Baaam! </i>Glen swung Tornium, and Zich backed away while wavering. When Glen swung once more, Zich hurriedly escaped as he was almost rolling on the ground. Then, Zich barely managed to block the next swing with his sword.

    ¡®What is he thinking? Was he really just bluffing?¡¯ Glen wondered. Zich confidently said that he would be fine alone, but now that they were fighting one on one, all Zich did was evade with all his might. Zich didn¡¯t even defend himself well, so arge part of his body was full of injuries. Glen enjoyed seeing Zich struggle to protect himself against his attacks, but in a corner of his heart, he couldn¡¯t help but worry.

    ¡®He could also have something up his sleeves¡­¡¯ However, Glen soon decided to push away his worries. He needed to focus on crushing Zich at this moment.

    ¡®Whatever trick he has nned, I will crush him before he can use it!¡¯ Then, He would take Zich to his main base and torture Zich until Zich spat out information. If he did that, Glen was sure that everything would turn back to how it was before¡ªto the just, calm world where he had control over everything.

    <i>Baam! </i>Glen¡¯s attacks became fiercer. He had an intense drive to finish this battle no matter the critical injuries he suffered. ordingly, Zich¡¯s hands became busy, but he continued to endure relentlessly. He blocked, deflected mana, and let his body bear the non-critical attacks.

    ¡°Damn it!¡± Glen eximed in an outburst as Zich kept looking like he was about to fall but didn¡¯t. ¡°Just fucking die!¡±

    <i>Bam!</i> As Glen cursed, he swung Tornium down on Zich, but Zich also managed to block this attack in the end.

    ¡°Why would I do anything that benefits you?!¡± Zich said while licking the blood dripping from his cheeks and spitting it out.

    ¡°You can¡¯t beat me with your skills! Your father will also soon meet his end too! Stop your futile resistance and give up!¡± Glen yelled.

    ¡°That¡¯s what I would do if you were actually right, but I have all means to beat you, and my damn dad will not meet his end here.¡±

    ¡°Stop your nonsense¡­!¡± Glen swung Tornium again.

    <i>Boom!</i>

    A huge explosion rose from the allied forces¡¯ territory. Glen quickly looked in the direction of the explosion. There had been plenty of explosions up until now. Both sides had elite soldiers who could use mana and the Steelwalls had mages who specialized in fire magic and caused frequent explosions on the battlefield. However, this explosion was on another level¡ªit was as if it belonged to the leader of the Pulru School of Magic, the past master of the magical tower, or the Demon Lord of Magic before the regression, Walwiss Dwayne.

    ¡®I thought that guy went to block the Bellid guys,¡¯ Glen thought. Although the Bellid troops that struck the Steelwall army from the rear was few in number, they were of considerable quality. Even if Til and Walwiss were strong, it wasn¡¯t a force that could be so easily defeated. Yet, reality was cruel.

    <i>Baaaam!</i> Fire magic struck the allied forces once again. Those within the vicinity of his attacks were shredded apart, and everyone in the surroundings suffered severe burns. The allied forces were shaken up. For some reason, their enemy¡¯s greatest mage hade back.

    ¡°Can you spare time to look away?¡±

    Glen flinched in surprise and raised Tornium.

    <i>Bam!</i> Zich¡¯s sword pressed down on Tornium. It wasn¡¯t an attack that endangered him greatly, and the difference in their levels was still quiterge. Yet, Glen felt chills on his back as he saw Zich¡¯s face beyond his sword. With blood all over him, Zich was still grinning.

    ¡°It seems like Walwiss hase back. Til is going toe back soon, and the troops that left to take care of the rear will join us once more. What did you say before? That my father was going to meet his end?¡± Zich asked.

    Glen pushed Tornium angrily, and Zich let himself be pushed. Yet, his lips didn¡¯t rest. ¡°One of your great predictions has been proven wrong like this. The rest of your predictions will also soon go to hell.¡±

    ¡°How could the Bellids be defeated already?¡± Glen couldn¡¯t believe it. His eyes burned with doubt, but Zich was the type of person to free others of such distrust.

    ¡°I already know you are great buddies with the Bellids. If I mentioned that I might have regressed in any way, I knew that you would lose your mind and would use any means to capture me. Thus, it was easy for me to predict that you would bring the Bellids to attack.¡± The precautions they needed to take were simple.

    ¡°So, I¡¯m sure you know who the Bellids¡¯ worst enemies are?¡± At Zich¡¯s question, light exploded out from the Steelwall army. The light felt holy, and it softly caressed the Steelwall soldiers crying in pain on the battlefield. The soldiers¡¯ injuries began to heal in an instant, and Glen could immediately tell who had created such a miracle.

    ¡°Aine,¡± Glen said.

    ¡°I think the Saintess would be displeased to hear someone like you calling her name.¡±

    ¡°You brought in the Karuwimans, you bastard!¡±

    ¡°The enemy of an enemy is a friend. Plus, I don¡¯t really have a bad rtionship with them in the first ce, so you could say we are best friends.¡±

    ¡°You shouldn¡¯t have had enough time¡­¡± Glen muttered. Even if they had requested support from the Karuwimans as soon as they found traces of the Bellids at the Pinne residence, it was impossible for them to send reinforcements so fast.

    ¡°I told you. I could easily predict the Bellids¡¯ attack. I requested the Karuwimans for support before I even left for the Pinne residence.¡±

    ¡°¡­Are you saying the Karuwimans moved without any evidence?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s because there¡¯s a Saintess who believes every word I say without any doubts. It really is good to have connections with people in the higher ranks. Well, they came on the condition that they wouldn''t intervene in the battle if the Bellids didn¡¯te, but as you can see, there weren¡¯t too many problems with that.¡± Zich looked at Glen like he was looking at a puppet.

    ¡°It really is so easying up with ns against a predictable guy like you.¡±

    ¡°You bastard!¡± Glen burst out in anger. But the situation had worsened.

    ¡°Wipe those guys away!¡±

    ¡°Those guys dared to join hands with the Bellids! Kill them all!¡±

    ¡°If you aren¡¯t connected with the Bellids, surrender immediately!¡±

    Knights wearing pure white armor began to jump forward between the Steelwall forces. After seeing the insignia engraved on their armor, the allied forces¡¯ soldiers began to shake even more maddeningly than when they saw Walwiss¡¯ magic. It was the Karuwiman holy symbol. The holy army had begun to turn against them, and Zich nced at them.

    ¡°Look at that. That¡¯s the result of your simple thinking. Admit it now that you are a fool.¡±

    ¡°Shut up!¡± Glen lost all previousposure, and he rushed toward Zich. ¡°You! I just have to defeat you!¡±

    There was still time left. If he just defeated Zich and got information out of him, then everything would be over. He was going to turn back the time of this damn world. However, Zich knew exactly what Glen was thinking.

    ¡°No, that¡¯s not going to happen.¡± He struggled to block Glen¡¯s attack and continued, ¡°I can clearly read your thoughts. You¡¯re nning to defeat me and regress after getting information out of me, right?¡±

    Even though Zich mentioned regression, which was Glen¡¯s most important secret, Glen wasn¡¯t fazed. He had already roughly guessed that Zich probably knew about regression, judging by how he knew information he should have never known. However, Zich¡¯s next words were the most shocking words that Glen had ever heard in all of his lifetimes across all timelines.

    ¡°Too bad. The basis of your n is fundamentally wed.¡± Zich slowly and clearly enunciated each word so that Glen could catch everything he said. ¡°You can¡¯t regress anymore.¡±

    ¡°¡­What?¡± Glen¡¯s movement stopped momentarily. What was he saying? Glen couldn¡¯t understand him. He had heard every word since Zich kindly stressed each word for Glen to hear. However, the content of his words was the problem. ¡®I can¡¯t regress?¡¯

    Regression was the special ability that allowed him to be called the Sun Hero and win the respect of everyone around him when he used to be among the lowest.

    Once he began using his regression ability to the fullest, he never ever imagined himself losing his regression ability. No, he couldn¡¯t imagine it; just thinking about it was terrifying. However, it was also a meaningless worry. Even though Glen had regressed so many times that he couldn¡¯t even keep count, his regression ability had never failed him. But now he couldn¡¯t regress anymore?

    ¡°That¡¯s ridiculous.¡± Despite how shocking it was, Glen coldly denied Zich¡¯s words and said, ¡°I have never failed to regress so far.¡±

    ¡°So did anyone who knows about regression ever appear like this?¡±

    Glen couldn¡¯t answer.

    Zich continued, ¡°Hasn¡¯t this timelinepletely gone out of your expectations? A lot of things that you¡¯ve never experienced before are happening in this timeline. Is there a guarantee that you won¡¯t lose your regression ability?¡±

    ¡°¡­Don¡¯t make meugh,¡± Glen murmured quietly, but it soon turned into a loud scream. ¡°Don¡¯t make meughhh!¡±

    <i>Bammm!</i> Glen swung Tornium, and a huge amount of mana crushed their surroundings. However, the tip of his sword was wavering as if to represent his current state of mind. Glen couldn¡¯t break through Zich¡¯s defense even when he was calm, so Zich¡¯s swift tongue moved even faster as he gained some leisure. ¡°Don¡¯t make meugh? What do you know about regression? What about the Clowon Empire? The Brushel System? Do you know where the power you relied on so much originated and how it works?¡±

    Glen was hearing these words for the first time. Of course, he couldn¡¯t answer Zich¡¯s questions. ¡°Shut uuuup!¡±

    <i>Baaammm! </i>The mana that erupted from Tornium left a deep scar on the earth. ¡°Just you! I just need to kill you! Then this damn timeline and everything that didn¡¯t go my way will return back to their rightful ce!¡±

    ¡°Hahahaha! That would be nice too! But do you know this, Sir Hero?¡± Zich blocked Tornium and shouted, ¡°Now that you can¡¯t regress anymore, this is really the end if you die.¡±

    Glen had been swinging Tornium like crazy, but he stopped once again.

    Zich continued, ¡°There¡¯s no next time. I don¡¯t know if there¡¯s an afterlife like the Karuwimans believe, but your life in this world will at least be over.¡± Zich fixed his grip on his sword and pointed it towards Glen. ¡°Then shall we dance with our swords again? With our one and only life on the line.¡±

    Zich thought that Glen¡¯s face was deathly pale. He looked at Glen and said, ¡°How was your long moment of hope?¡±

 Chapter 528

    <h4>Chapter 528</h4>

    Glen saw Zich smiling in front of him. The way Zich kept smiling maniacally while covered in injuries and blood made him appear like a demon who had crawled straight out of hell. Yet, that wasn¡¯t the important part. Even if Zich were a demon, Glen wouldn¡¯t have feared him normally, because he would have been confident that he could suppress anyone using his power of regression. Yet, it was this demon who ryed to him that his power had disappeared now. In other words, the limitless time and opportunities the power of regression gave him were no longer his for the taking. Now, like the others, he needed to fumble around and do all he could with just a single opportunity.

    Glen was well aware of how this single opportunity could be meaninglessly lost, especially on a battlefield where everyone was eager to take another life. An opportunity like one¡¯s life was so vulnerable that a single arrow in the sky could take it away.

    ¡°You are lying.¡± Glen refused to believe Zich¡¯s words.

    ¡°I¡¯m sure you are lying.¡± Glen¡¯s eyes were bloodshot. Zich shrugged.

    ¡°If you don¡¯t want to believe me, don¡¯t,¡± he said. If Glen demanded evidence this instant, Zich wouldn¡¯t be able toe up with a satisfactory answer anyway. There was no way he could show Glen what happened to the Clowon ruins right now, and even if it was possible, Zich had no intention of doing so.

    ¡°If you don¡¯t believe me, why don¡¯t you try dying?!¡± Zich dashed toward Glen. Zich¡¯s sword was soaked with bloodlust as it aimed for Glen, but it failed to break through Glen¡¯s defenses as the difference in their skill levels remained the same.

    Glen blocked Zich¡¯s attack easily and aimed for Zich¡¯s weak spot. The battle experience he umted during his long period of living came to fruition, and his body moved before he even thought of the movements. <i>Whoosh! </i>Zich pulled out his sword as his body staggered. He was nning to ignore the attacking his way and attack Glen anyway. However, just gauging by their speed, it was clear that Glen¡¯s attack would reach Zich much faster than the other way around.

    Glen hoped he could finally put an end to this damn Zich now. If he just pushed his sword forward, his victory was guaranteed. Of course, he needed to bear Zich¡¯s attack, but unless he hadpletely rotten luck, this attack wouldnd a critical blow on Zich.

    <i>Flinch! </i>Glen¡¯s body stiffened. All the movements he had made unconsciously until now were intercepted by a feeling. His muscles rapidly jittered while the trajectory of his sword changed. While giving up a victory he would have imed if he had just pushed forward a bit more, Glen chose to block Zich¡¯s attack. <i>Bam!</i>

    A gigantic shockwave exploded as their swords shed and the two ced some distance between each other. The two showedpletely contrasting expressions. Glen¡¯s face was stone cold although he had been certain of his victory a moment ago; on the other hand, Zich was smirking as if he had expected everything.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong? You would¡¯ve won if you pushed a bit further.¡±

    Glen didn¡¯t answer, and Zich rushed forward again. Their swords collided once more, but their sh seemed slightly different than before. Glen still had the upper hand, but his movements seemed more restrained now. When Zich dived in a little further, he jumped back in surprise and hurriedly blocked Zich¡¯s attacks.

    ¡°What, what, what?! Is the Great Sun Hero scared or something?!¡± Zich¡¯s attacks grew even rougher as the situation progressed, and Glen¡¯s movements became even more restrained.

    ¡°As I thought, you¡¯re a coward!¡±

    <i>Bam! </i>Glen blocked Zich¡¯srge swing. Glen¡¯s face was pitifully pale.

    ¡°You can¡¯t even swing your sword properly in fear that you might die! Unlike everyone else, you had limitless lives until now!¡± That wasn¡¯t all. Zich added, ¡°You are such a coward that you can¡¯t properly attack an opponent who clearly has less strength than you now that you have one life! It really was great of me to take away the regression ability from you!¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t make meugh! Do you think I really believe you?!¡± Glen was still denying the loss of his ability, and Zich snorted.

    ¡°That¡¯s why you are even more of a coward! You can¡¯t even believe that your regression ability has disappeared! You can¡¯t even swing your sword properly because of a little doubt!¡±

    At Zich¡¯s provocations, Glen gritted his teeth and pushed away Zich¡¯s sword aggressively. Then, he moved to rush forward at Zich¡ªat least he attempted to, but his feet didn¡¯t move. Noise from his surroundings became clearer to him now: shouting and the sound of soldiers shing, explosions caused by magic and mana des, screams of the injured, and thest groans of the dying. These were the sounds that made it clear to him that he was on a battlefield where people ced their lives on the line.

    All these things had belonged to another world from him until now. However, once he realized that he was standing in the same world as these beings, fear and anxiety started to rise within him.

    ¡°Are you unable to make even the first attack now?! Come at me! You know that you¡¯re more powerful than me right now!¡±

    Yet, Glen didn¡¯t move at Zich¡¯s provocations. Zich also didn¡¯t say anymore. If Glen didn¡¯te to him, he could go to Glen instead. <i>Bam! Bam! Bam! </i>Zich¡¯s wave of attacks followed and his tongue kept moving.

    ¡°That reminds me, you forcefully increased your powers, right? You thought you could just regress anyway and didn¡¯t think about the side effects, but it¡¯s different now.¡±

    As he senselessly blocked Zich¡¯s attacks, Glen felt his heart drop. He knew better than anyone else what these side effects would be.

    ¡°My pitiful Sir Hero. Even if you barely manage to run away from this ce, the only thing waiting for you will be side effects. Are you going to die right away or will you live the rest of your life crippled? No matter what happens, it¡¯s clear that yourst opportunity has gone up in mes.¡±

    ¡°Shut up!¡±

    ¡°Based on everything you¡¯ve done so far, it seems like you wanted to be a hero, but look at you now! You are going to bebeled as a Bellid coborator and fall as a viin. Your title as a Karuwiman Honorary Knight will obviously be taken from you, and all your Karuwiman underlings will be wiped out simultaneously. Inparison, I will be the hero you so desperately wished for.¡±

    Zich hated being called a hero to the point that it made his voice falter, but he calmly called himself a hero with the sole determination of hurting Glen. ¡°Oh,e to think of it, I should tell you the reason why I became a hero. In short, it¡¯s thanks to you, Glen Zenard.¡±

    What bullshit was he spouting now?

    ¡°The reason why I started doing kind acts after I regressed is because of what you told me right before I regressed.¡± Zich recited word for word what Glen had told him. ¡°¡®If you are born again, I hope that you will live a kind life!¡¯¡±

    Zich even imitated Glen¡¯s solemn tone that he used at that time, but his expression was still full of mockery.

    ¡°That¡¯s the reason why I started doing kind acts, and it has influenced my actions up until now.¡± Zich met Glen¡¯s eyes. ¡°The biggest enemy who ruined your n was you!¡±

    Glen felt as if he couldn¡¯t breathe anymore. He was the one who treated Zich as a variable and was determined to find and rip apart the person who told him to live a kind life. However, he couldn¡¯t believe that the bastard he wanted to tear apart to death was himself before he regressed. Moreover, the news that Zich also regressed was even more shocking.

    ¡®Why did my ability also work on him?!¡¯ However, if Zich had really regressed, it would exin a lot of his questions.

    Zich continued, ¡°Well, shall I follow the brilliantly shining Sun Hero¡¯s words and thank his grace for introducing Demon Lord Zich Moore to apletely new path? I¡¯ll dispose of the trash in front of me who secretly performed all kinds of evil deeds in the world!¡±

    <i>Bam! Bam! Bam!</i> Zich¡¯s attacks continuously threatened Glen¡¯s critical areas¡ªthe head, neck, and heart. If any of his attacks broke through, Glen would instantly die. Glen frantically blocked his attacks.

    Zich shouted, ¡°Come on,e on,e on! Work hard to block my attacks! If your defenses fall even once, you¡¯ll really die!¡±

    Glen was shocked by many revtions today, but his mind was currently upied by one emotion¡ªfear of death. Now that he didn¡¯t have a backup n, Glen¡¯s mind was solely focused on surviving. He couldn¡¯t even think of using his increased strength despite the side effects or the experiences he umted through his countless regressions. The fact that this fight could really be hisst and that his opponent was Zich, who imed victory even after all kinds of obstacles, forced Glen to be unable to think of anything else except escaping death. This was something that Glen wouldn¡¯t have even thought of if he had his regression ability. However, now that he had one life like everyone else, the temptation of running away was too sweet.

    ¡°Aghhhhhh!¡± Glen let out a shrill scream. He swung his sword with a loud cry that also sounded like a scream.

    <i>Swooosh!</i> Glen let out numerous shes with Tornium toward Zich, and Zich had to firmly nt his feet on the ground to intercept Glen¡¯s attacks.

    <i>Baaaammm! </i>Fortunately, the attacks weren¡¯t very powerful and with an explosion, all traces of Tornium¡¯s energy disappeared. However, it wasn¡¯t only this that disappeared. Zichughed. It wasn¡¯t the type ofughter he used to mock his opponents, but a heartyugh that came deep from his stomach.

    ¡°Ahahahhaha! Is this for real, Glen Zenard?! I wasn¡¯t really sure if you¡¯d do it, but you really went that far!¡± Zich saw Glen running with his back facing him. He looked like a rabbit running away from a lion. Zich wanted to immediately throw down his sword and roll all over the ground while clutching his belly, but he couldn¡¯t let Glen escape.

    Zich quickly chased after Glen and loudly shouted, ¡°Glen Zenard from the allied forces is running away with his tail between his legs! Is this what the strongest fighter of the allied forces looks like?!¡±

    He had to clearly inform everyone of Glen¡¯s sorry figure.

    * * *

    After Zich and Glen disappeared on their own, the sh between the two parties continued for a while. However, it didn¡¯t take long for one side to emerge as the dominant one.

    ¡°You lowly bastaaaaard!¡± Byner was furious after Hans¡¯ unintentional provocation, and he swung his sword toward Hans. However, his sword was all too easily blocked by Estede. Hans¡¯ skills already far surpassed Byner¡¯s in the first ce. The difference in the quality of their weapons was also massive. Moreover, due to Hans¡¯ dissuasion, Lara did not intervene in their fight, but she was also waiting to jump in at any moment as she stood a short distance away from them. Anyone could see from a nce that there was a huge difference in power between the two parties. The only reason why Byner was still holding on was because of Chelsea.

    <i>Shaaa! </i>The scratches on Byner¡¯s body disappeared. Thanks to Chelsea¡¯s efforts, Byner rushed toward Hans again, but the same thing happened again. Even with Chelsea¡¯s support, Byner was no match for Hans.

 Chapter 529

    <h4>Chapter 529</h4>

    If the front line crumpled, the rear would be the next target. Thus, the rear end¡¯s priority was to help the front line so they wouldn¡¯t fall, and this was the biggest reason why Chelsea healed Byner¡¯s injuries immediately every time. ordingly, Pina also tried to support Byner from the back as much as possible, but this wasn¡¯t easy for her.

    ¡°Tch!¡± Pina clicked her tongue and shook her staff. She quickly murmured a spell.

    <i>Shaa!</i> Mana gathered at the end of her staff and dramatically lowered the temperature of her surroundings. As if stars were falling around her, ice crystals that glittered against the sunlight formed inrge clusters. Although the size of each crystal was small, they were imbedded with mana and surpassed most stones in strength.

    <i>Shoom!</i> Pina pointed to the front with her staff, and the ice crystals rushed toward the area she pointed to. The sight was pretty, but none of that woulde to mind of those struck by them. This spell appeared like it would devastate its surroundings easily, but a sudden rising wall of mes blocked it. Thus, the ice melted. It didn¡¯t melt easily like normal ice since the crystals were made of mana, but what blocked them was also fire made from magic. In the end, none of the ice crystals managed to prate the wall of fire.

    ¡°Did you fail again? I thought you said it hasn¡¯t been long since that mage learned how to use magic! You always prided yourself as an elite mage, but you can¡¯t even do anything about a newbie mage!¡±

    ¡°Shut up!¡± Pina responded coldly to Chelsea¡¯s snidements and quickly prepared her next spell. Yet, Elena¡¯s spell was faster. <i>Crackle! </i>The fire sparks twisted like a snake and thrusted forward at Pina. She also moved her staff to counter the attack.

    <i>Crack! Crack!</i> A wall of ice rose in the trajectory where the fire sparks came flying. Yet, the fire sparks swerved around her wall easily like it was making light of Pina¡¯s defense and continued to advance. Pina¡¯s eyes rose<i>. </i>

    <i>Psh! Psh</i>! Ice crystals rose from the ground this time. They mercilessly struck the groups of fire sparks. The fire sparks shook widely once, exploded, and disappeared into the air. Pina felt relieved after blocking the attack, but she soon heard Chelsea yelling.

    ¡°Wait, Ms. Acous! Look up!¡±

    Pina looked up, and her eyes widened. She didn¡¯t know how they got there, but there were several giant fire arrows hovering in the air.

    ¡®When did they¡ª?¡¯ Pina wondered and a thought came to her mind: ¡®Double Incantation!¡¯

    Pina hurriedly raised her staff. There wasn¡¯t enough time for her to finish murmuring a spell and she quickly set up an ice wall with a silent incantation. The fact that she could do a silent incantation at her age disyed Pina¡¯s talents as a mage. However, her silent incantation wasn¡¯t perfect yet, and she made several more ice walls while bearing the risk of consuming a considerable amount of mana. Fire arrows began to fall from the sky.

    <i> Crack! Crack! Crack!</i> The fire arrows began to break the ice walls shielding her, but Pina¡¯s efforts weren¡¯tpletely meaningless as many of the arrows disappeared upon breaking her ice walls. Yet, the hastily made ice walls failed to block everything. <i>Crack! </i>Thest ice wall broke and the remaining fire arrows aimed for Pina.

    Pina¡¯s face turned pale, but a wall of light appeared in front of her and shielded her.

    ¡°Ah, seriously! Can¡¯t you do better?¡± Chelsea raised her voice, but she didn¡¯t even have the time to keep being angry at Pina.

    ¡°Kuh!¡±

    ¡°Ah, sh¡ª!¡± Chelsea quickly poured out holy power at Byner who received a big wound from Hans¡¯ attack. After recovering, Byner blocked Hans again. However, the situation gradually turned more and more unfavorable for them.

    ¡°¡­I can¡¯t lose.¡± Pina stared at Elena. With cold eyes, Elena was murmuring incantations and her mouth moving non-stop. Elena Dwayne had been the loser with zero talent in magic even though her grandfather was the leader of therge Conrad School of Magic and the master of the magical tower. She had been someone whom an elite like Pina didn¡¯t even need to bother paying attention to. However, the Elena she met again was apletely different person now. Who would have guessed that Elena officially began her magic studies only recently?

    Elena¡¯s rapid growth was thanks to her natural, good mana base and the fact that she rigorously studied magic theory even when she heard she had no talent in magic. Furthermore, she had an outstanding teacher who helped her bridge the gap between theory and practice. Yet, there was no way Pina knew of all this, and the sight of Elena¡¯s clear progress was hard for her to bear.

    Due to the rebellion at the magic tower, the already frigid rtionship between the Dwayne and the Jaewick family grew even colder. Furthermore, Pina was the granddaughter of the head of the Jaewick family, Wayne Jaewick. Thus, she naturally held negative feelings for the granddaughter of Walwiss Dwayne and daughter of Ond Dwayne. Above all, Pina left her city to bring back glory to her school of magic. This war was part of the steps to achieve her goal, and thus she needed to win this battle at all costs.

    ¡®I can¡¯t lose!¡¯ For personal and professional reasons, she couldn¡¯t lose this time. Pina unleashed her magic at Elena again.

    <i>Pop!</i>

    ¡°Kuh!¡± Like before, Pina was pushed back again. Chelsea burst out in anger as she had to block another attack from Elena again, but Pina had no luxury to pay attention to other people¡¯s words.

    ¡®If I can¡¯t even beat Dwayne¡­¡¯ Pina felt more anxious. From the front, Lara fought as a reserve while Snoc stood at the back. Snoc was not intervening in her fight with Elena, but Pina was aware of how strong Snoc¡¯s abilities were. After the two monsters, Zich and Glen, disappeared on their own and only theirrades were left, a few people tried to intervene in their battle as they thought it would be easier to join their fight. Since they were outside the Steelwalls¡¯ camp, the allied forces were the ones to make a move. However, no one could sessfully intervene because Snoc took care of all of them.

    Stone spears suddenly rose from underneath the soldiers running with their weapons and prated the soldiers from the lower part of their bodies. A huge amount of rocks fell on those with arrows, and the knights rushing toward them were ripped apart by Nowem¡¯s sharp teeth and ws. Pina had been warily ncing at them, and she gulped. As expected, the magical beast and his contractor¡¯s abilities were amazing. However, Pina couldn¡¯t happily admire their abilities since they were her enemies.

    It was a bleak situation, but Pina firmed her resolve. ¡®We need to win!¡¯

    This was a righteous war to defeat the Steelwalls, since they were coborating with the Bellids. If Pina made significant achievements in this war, the reputation of the Conrad School of Magic would increase, and on the contrary, the reputation of the Pulru and Dwayne Schools ofMagic would plummet. In the best-case scenario, the next master of the magical tower mighte from the Conrad School of Magic.

    However, she was a mage. She couldn¡¯t be optimistic about the situation simply by grit or will and needed facts to support her belief. Fortunately, the situation wasn¡¯tpletely hopeless.

    ¡®We just have to hang in there until Zenard gets here!¡¯ Anyone could tell that Glen¡¯s power was greater than Zich¡¯s. If he defeated Zich and returned, the situation wouldpletely be reversed. ¡®There¡¯s still hope!¡¯

    However, it did not take long for her hope to wane. There was suddenly a huge explosion on the battlefield. Walwiss Dwayne had returned. At the same time, the Steelwall troops returned from the rear and were pushing back the allied forces. However, apletely different matter shocked the allied forces the most.

    ¡°Kill all the Bellids and those who coborated with them!¡±

    ¡°Surrender! If not, you¡¯ll receive Karuwiman¡¯s judgment!¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s only death for those who coborate with the Bellids! If you didn¡¯t know anything about this, immediately drop your weapons!¡±

    The allied forces were extremely shocked by the sudden participation of the Karuwimans, and Chelsea, Byner, and Pina were all likewise bbergasted.

    ¡°What? What are you talking about?! How can we be Bellid coborators?¡± Despite leaving the Karuwimans, Chelsea, as a follower of Karuna, was the first to react. She was shocked, but as a former Karuwiman, she knew better than anyone how the Karuwimans treated those who coborated with the Bellids. She hadn¡¯t thought much about this when she was a Karuwiman, but judging by the current situation, they could end up in the same state as the Bellids. Most of all, the reason why she was enduring this whole ordeal was because she still hadn¡¯t given up being the Karuwiman Saintess. However, what would happen if she wasbeled as a Bellid coborator? Her dream to be the next Saintess would bepletely shattered. It wasn¡¯t as much as Chelsea, but Byner and Pina were also flustered.

    However, Zich¡¯s party was rxed as if they had already known this would happen. ¡°It¡¯s over now.¡±

    Hans jumped down from the barrier and looked at the holy knights pushing back the allied forces and said, ¡°Surrender. If you fight back, you¡¯ll only die pointlessly. All of you know what it means to bebeled as a Bellid supporter by the Karuwimans, right?¡±

    ¡°¡­Surrender?¡± Byner was also quite taken aback by the unexpected turn of events, but he immediately became furious when Hans uttered the word surrender. ¡°How dare you tell me to surrender to a lowly servant like you!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m asking you to surrender to the Steelwalls, not me.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll never surrender to that damn Zich¡¯s family! Never!¡±

    Hans sighed. ¡°If that¡¯s your decision, yes, I¡¯ll respect it.¡± Hans was strongly influenced by Zich, but he also greatly respected people¡¯s choices. So, he said, ¡°You do know that you have to take responsibility for your decision, right?¡±

    Hans moved his eyes away from Byner and looked at Chelsea and Pina. ¡°What about you two? Are you two also going to say that you¡¯ll never surrender?¡±

    ¡°Wait! Wait a minute!¡± Chelsea frantically shouted, ¡°What the hell is going on?! Why are you saying that we¡¯re Bellid coborators?!¡±

    Hans answered, ¡°This whole situation urred because Count ud coborated with the Bellids to take over the Steelwall Estate. The entire Pinne Estate was also the Bellids¡¯ northern branch.¡±

    Chelsea¡¯s jaw dropped. ¡°T-then, does that mean Mr. Glen was fooled?¡±

    ¡°No, it¡¯s the opposite. Glen Zenard wasn¡¯t fooled. He was the one who deceived others.¡±

    ¡°What are you¡ª!¡±

    ¡°Glen Zenard was coborating with the Bellids all along.¡±

    Chelsea, Pina, and Byner were shocked beyond belief. Chelsea muttered in a daze, ¡°There¡¯s no way¡­¡±

    <i>Bam! </i>Then someone made a loud sound and roughly approached them. People¡¯s gazes headed towards the individual¡ªit was Glen.

    ¡°Mr. Glen!¡± Chelsea was delighted to see Glen. ¡°You came at the right time! Could you please exin the current situation¡­!¡±

    However, Glen saw them and loudly shouted, ¡°Byner! Chelsea! Pina! Protect me right now with your lives!¡±

 Chapter 530

    <h4>Chapter 530</h4>

    ¡°Sorry?¡± After hearing such an unexpected remark amid asking for a proper exnation for this catastrophic situation, Chelsea made a stupid remark. She didn¡¯t understand at all.

    <i>¡®Protect him with our lives?¡¯</i> These were selfish, irresponsible words without a care for whether they lived or died. On the other hand, Glen might have had good reasons for making this request, but Chelsea had no intention of considering Glen¡¯s circumstances. Her goal was to be the next Saintess and be the backbone of power among the Karuwimans. Thus, whatever reasons Glen had, Chelsea wasn¡¯t fond of granting it at all, especially at the risk of her life. Furthermore, that wasn¡¯t even the most important thing now.

    ¡°What are you talking about¡­no, rather, what¡¯s that? Why are the Karuwiman holy knights intervening in this battle and calling us Bellid coborators?!¡± Chelsea demanded an exnation while praying that Hans was wrong.

    Pina also added, ¡°I heard that you are also on the same side as the Bellids! I¡¯m sure that¡¯s not the case. It¡¯s just an oundish usation, right?¡±

    Although she always maintained a calm demeanor no matter what happened, Pina¡¯s voice sounded extremely desperate. If Hans was right, then everything she had done until now would turn to waste¡ªno, beyond that, if the news that she fought with the allied forces, who coborated with the Bellids, spread along with the rebellion at the magical tower, her Conrad School of Magic could disappear altogether instead of being restored to its former glory. After all, who would want to join a school of magic with such a tattered reputation? Thus, Pina couldn¡¯t do anything more than hope and pray.

    Although he was not as anxious as the other two, Byner also waited for Glen¡¯s reply nervously. He simply wanted to get revenge against Zich and the Steelwalls and had absolutely no desire to be marked as a Bellid coborator. The three wished that Glen would firmly deny these ims and give them an eptable exnation. However, Glen was anxious just like them. He felt like Zich would be chasing after him any moment now. He didn¡¯t even have the patience to wear the mask he had worn to hide his true nature until now.

    ¡°Shut up and block that bastard Zich from here! I will take care of the rest!¡± Glen shouted back.

    ¡°How are you going to take care of things?¡±

    Glen flinched and looked behind him. He didn¡¯t notice that Zich had chased after him and was staring right at him.

    ¡°H-He came! Hey, what are you all doing?! Block that guy immediately!¡± Glen attempted to escape again, but hispanions didn¡¯t let him. <i>Crack! </i>Sharp ice crystals surrounded Glen instantly.

    ¡°Exin first!¡± Pina said icily while raising her staff. Not too long ago, she might have believed Glen. She might have thought that Glen must have some n and tried to stop Zich with her life on the line. However,her faith in Glen was crumbling to no end right now, and she couldn¡¯t let the man who was trying to escape and using them as shields leave without any exnation. It was the same for Chelsea and Byner. Their eyes glistened and asked Glen for the truth.

    The ice crystals surrounding Glen were sharp, hard, and could easily pierce a person¡¯s body. It would¡¯ve been hard for a normal person to dare to move inside it, but Glen was different. Currently, Glen could be considered the strongest on the battlefield, and the ice crystals, which were made by hasty incantations, were too weak to hinder him. He could easily remove them with his bare hands without even bothering to pull out Tornium. Thus, Pina was nervous that Glen would instantly break her spell and try to attack her. Yet, contrary to their expectations, Glen didn¡¯t defend or counterattack.

    The three hoped that maybe Glen had now realized he overstepped his boundaries and was willing to talk to them. Yet, they soon realized that something was strange. Glen¡¯s attitude was too strange for a person ready for a conversation. Rather than attempting to talk, he seemed¡­

    ¡°He¡¯s scared. What a loser.¡± Zich couldn¡¯t help but click his tongue at Glen¡¯s behavior which was even more loser-ish than what he had expected.

    ¡°Sir Zich.¡± Hans approached Zich. He was holding potions from his magic box. ¡°Take these.¡±

    Zich also had potions, but since there was no reason for him to decline, he took the potion and poured it all over his body. The wounds covering his body from head to toe disappeared in an instant.

    ¡°Have you finished your work?¡± Hans asked.

    ¡°Yes, very well. Look at the state that guy is in.¡± Zich jerked his head toward Glen. ¡°Can¡¯t you tell what a splendid job I did by just looking at that?¡±

    ¡°Hm, since I don¡¯t know your n, I can¡¯t really tell, sir.¡± Hans and the others had simply followed Zich¡¯s orders, and they didn¡¯t know what processes had been taken to reach this result.

    ¡°However, that man is clearly different from his usual self. It almost looks as if he is scared although there¡¯s no way¡­¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s scared,¡± Zich said calmly. Everyone close to them, including Hans, heard Zich¡¯s words and were shocked.

    ¡°Did you just say he¡¯s scared? But magic of that level poses no danger to him.¡± The ice crystals surrounding Glen were something that everyone here could easily break out of. It wasn¡¯t a situation where Glen should be frightened with his monstrous strength and skills.

    ¡°Well, Glen used to have a very special ability. I can¡¯t exin it in detail, but it wouldn¡¯t be wrong for me to say that he used to have infinite lives.¡±

    ¡°Infinite¡­lives?¡¯

    A human had only one life¡ªit was the one truth that a schr who lived their whole life gaining knowledge and a farmer rolling in the dirt both knew. Since it was so precious, people tried to protect it with all they had.To think that a person had not even a couple but limitless lives¡ªit was beyond shocking for Hans to hear this. Even Glen¡¯spanions who heard it stopped harassing Glen to look back and forth between Zich and Glen.

    ¡°Yes, it really is a tremendous ability, but I took that away from him. Now, that guy only has one life like everyone else. Let me ask you, Hans. If you had infinite lives and began to have only one life at one point, what do you think would happen?¡±

    ¡°Hmm, I don¡¯t know. It¡¯s something I¡¯ve never thought about.¡± Hans found it difficult to answer.

    Zich replied, ¡°Having an infinite number of lives means that there¡¯s nothing in the world that can threaten you. So it¡¯s extremely easy to challenge things that others don¡¯t dare to try because they''re afraid of losing their lives¡ªlike a fairytale hero.¡±

    Hans felt a terrible sense of contempt in Zich¡¯s voice as he said the word hero; it was clear that Zich didn¡¯t hold any positive connotations with that word.

    ¡°Then what do you think will happen if you had nothing to fear and did everything you wanted in the world, but you suddenly lost your all-powerful ability that made all of this possible?¡± Zich pointed at Glen. ¡°You be like that.¡±

    Hans, along with the others in Zich¡¯s party, looked at Glen.

    ¡°You start to shrink in fear while facing hardships that you can ovee with your own skills. Why do you think that happens? It¡¯s because he¡¯s never experienced it before. It¡¯s because even a weak attack that can be blocked with a finger and an attack slow enough to make a person yawn could hit him and kill him if he¡¯s unlucky. He¡¯s overwhelmed by the fear of dying to the extent that being surrounded by a few icicles like that paralyzes him in fear. The reason why he came all the way back here was to run away from me, and he immediately told hisrades to protect him with their lives.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s really¡­¡± Hans looked at Glen¡¯s frightened expression and said, ¡°Pathetic.¡±

    ¡°Hahaha! Yeah, it¡¯s pathetic.¡± Zich thought Hans¡¯ words were so funny that he even clutched his stomach andughed. However, the others did not find the current situation as humorous as Zich. Rather, the only person who outrightlyughed was Zich, and most of Zich¡¯s party had slightly disgusted expressions on their faces.

    However, Lara was a bit different. ¡°¡­Is that really Glen?¡±

    ¡°You may not believe it, but that¡¯s what he¡¯s really like. You made a really great decision to leave him. Now, you know very well that a guy like that won¡¯t ever treat you like a realrade, right?¡±

    Lara did not reply, but everyone understood that it was an unspoken affirmation.

    ¡°¡­Is that really true?¡± Pina asked Glen. Her voice was imbued with deep anger. Pina had put high hopes on Glen Zenard to return her school back to its original glory. However, she had never imagined that this was Glen¡¯s true self.

    ¡°Say something!¡± Chelsea also stepped in. She always respectfully addressed everyone around her with honorifics, especially Glen, but there was no longer any respect in her speech. Her hysterical voice rang out in the air. Byner was silent, but he was also extremely disappointed. He had joined hands with Glen for revenge, but he found that all the possibilities that Glen showed were lies.

    Zich joyfully watched this sight for a while and slowly began moving. ¡®Should I start catching him now?¡¯

    There was no reason to let Glen escape here. It was now time for him to break off their long, long rtionship. Zich tried to approach Glen, who was hesitating to move in fear, when¡ª

    <i>Crackkk!</i> The ground rumbled.

    ¡°W-what?!¡±

    ¡°Kyahhhh!¡±

    The whole ground shook violently as if it were a ship being swept away by an enormous wave. The soldiers around them fell, rolled around, andy sprawled out on the ground. In the meantime, those who were unlucky suffered damage from the weapons on the ground.

    Inparison, Zich¡¯s party easily maintained their bnce. Their hard and intense training left them unfazed with a shaking of this level. Only Elena, who was a mage, leaned on Snoc to maintain her bnce. Zich looked down at the ground and then at Snoc, but Snoc shook his head to say that he wasn¡¯t the one who caused it..

    ¡®Then is it a real earthquake?¡¯ Judging by the situation, this was highly likely. ¡®Was there an earthquake like this before my regression?¡¯

    Nothing clearly came to mind, but Zich couldn¡¯t conclude that there hadn¡¯t been an earthquake during this time just because he couldn¡¯t remember it. Fortunately, the earthquake didn¡¯tst very long. The earth quickly regained its usual solidity, and people began to let out sounds of relief. However, Zich felt ill at ease. He strongly felt that this earthquake was an ominous sign. ¡®I hope I¡¯m wrong.¡¯

    * * *

    L was studying the system inside the ruin like usual. She didn¡¯t know how long it had been since she stayed underground without stepping outside once. Now, even her sense of time was slowly bing dull. However, her enthusiasm for learning didn¡¯t fade at all. She absorbed all of Serpina¡¯s education with incredible concentration. It would not be long until she learned everything there was to know about this ruin.

    ¡°That¡¯s enough for today.¡±

    L cut off her mana at Serpina¡¯s words. A strong feeling of fatigue washed over her, and she pressed her fingers against her eyelids.

    Serpina said, ¡°What are you doing? Hurry and set up the meal.¡±

    L slightly red at Serpina who had a brazen expression with the same face as her. Serpina raised her chin as if she was urging L to quickly get to work. L sighed and took out the table, chairs, and food from her magic box.

    ¡°Hmm, the food is getting worse and worse.¡±

    L replied, ¡°It¡¯s because we¡¯ve already eaten all the delicious meals. If you have aint, don¡¯t eat it.¡±

    Serpina sat on a chair without answering and grabbed the bread that was closest to her. L also sat her tired body down in the chair opposite Serpina.

 Chapter 531

    <h4>Chapter 531</h4>

    L took apart her bread and ate it in bits. Since the bread was stored inside a magic box where time didn¡¯t pass, it was still warm like it had just been baked. As its salty and sweet taste entered her mouth, she felt her body regain a bit of its lost vigor. She took a couple of spoonfuls of soup and ripped the steak with her teeth. She didn¡¯t have the time to eat elegantly and use a fork and knife.

    At this moment, Zich and hispanions were on the battlefield where their lives were threatened every second. Of course, L didn¡¯t think anything would happen to them since Zich was also there, but that still didn¡¯t erase the danger of the battlefield. Above all, Glen Zenard and the Bellids were there. Thus, while herpanions were struggling, she couldn¡¯t leisurely enjoy her meal. At least before they came back, she needed to show them that she could perfectly control this ruin.

    ¡®I have to master this as fast as possible and join them on the battlefield.¡¯ L touched Windur¡¯s handle, which she ced next to her. Although Zich confidently told her that it didn¡¯t matter which sword he had, it was true that Zich was best at disying his skills when wielding Windur. Thus, L tried to finish her meal as fast as possible. In contrast, Serpina seemed to be taking her sweet time in everything.

    ¡°Tsk, tsk. You eat like a beast that has been starving for at least a month. Even if you lose your sense of history, pride, and memories, you still have the great Clowon¡¯s first emperor, the Golden Emperor¡¯s blood running in your veins. Can¡¯t you at least try to keep basic etiquette?¡±

    ¡°I have things much more important things than that to take care of,¡± L said while her hands and mouth never stopped moving.

    ¡°Take your time eating. I know I said it before, but eating like that isn¡¯t good for your health.¡±

    ¡°Mind your own business.¡±

    ¡°How can I do that when you are eating like that right in front of me?¡± When L tried to sit somewhere else with her food, Serpina stopped her. ¡°Stay seated. I prefer to have someone to talk to while eating.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t think the same.¡±

    ¡°If you are going to keep acting uncooperative like this, I am going to stop teaching you. It might be a good idea for you to rest for just a day.¡±

    Ignoring most of what Serpina said, L red at her. ¡°Then, I am going to halt your summoning.¡±

    ¡°Do as you wish,¡± Serpina responded like she was talking to a child throwing a tantrum. L red, but Serpina leisurely sliced her meat like she didn¡¯t care whatever decision L made. L wanted to banish Serpina at the spur of the moment, but she knew she couldn¡¯t while knowing that would slow down her learning even more.

    In the end, L slowed down her eating. If Serpina had made an oundish request, it would¡¯ve been more understandable for L to de-summon her, but her request was simple.

    ¡°Okay, so what kind of conversation do you want to have? Do I have to praise Clowon and their princess or something?¡± L asked.

    ¡°That¡¯s not necessary. I heard so much of that while Clowon was still fine. Why don¡¯t you tell me more about that lover of yours?¡±

    ¡°¡­Again?¡± The two had conversed about Zich considerably often, so it was surprising that Serpina was asking about Zich again. L narrowed her eyes.

    ¡°Did you perhaps..?¡±

    ¡°If you are asking me if I¡¯ve fallen in love with that guy, I hope you realize that there should be a limit to how far delusions can go too.¡± It didn¡¯t seem like Serpina was lying. ¡°I¡¯m just curious. It really makes me wonder how I, who had no connection to something like love, am practicing it even after I lost all my memories. Furthermore, it¡¯s to another version of Zich Brave who hindered my ns. It¡¯s only natural that I¡¯m curious.¡±

    It did make sense after Serpina gave her exnation¡ªalthough L didn¡¯t think she was Serpina at all.

    ¡°¡­Okay. It¡¯s not that difficult anyway. Also, Zich and I aren¡¯t lovers right now.¡±

    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s a useless one-sided love. I can¡¯t believe that you can¡¯t even seduce one guy with my looks, and you¡¯re suffering from such a thing as unrequited love. This is why no matter how good a tool is, if the person who uses it is no good, it¡¯s worthless.¡±

    Serpina¡¯s haughty expression bothered L, but L suppressed her annoyance. Although Zich effortlessly maintained his advantage with Serpina, L had a hard time dealing with her. It was better for L to suppress her anger at times like this. So like Serpina requested, L slowly talked about Zich while they ate. Like most people, L enjoyed talking about the person she loved. L¡¯s anxiety that she needed to speed up or her annoyance towards Serpina gradually settled down as she talked about him.

    Serpina calmly watched as L talked about Zich. Since they had already talked about this topic many times, Serpina had already heard a lot of what L said before. Yet, Serpina didn¡¯t stop her and even threw in questions to go along with L¡¯s story. Like that, they conversed but not for long. Moreover, contrary to her expectations, Serpina didn¡¯t request her to continue talking even after they finished eating.

    ¡°Quickly clean up. We have to start our lessons again.¡± Serpina spoke like she wasmanding a servant and got up from her seat. Then, she walked toward the restriction device. After L swung a couple of air punches behind her, she stuffed the tes, table, and chairs into the magic box and followed her. Serpina started her lessons again. Though she disliked Serpina, L didn¡¯t rest in her learning and soaked in everything she learned.

    ¡°Like you guys guessed, this ce is the central base of mana. If something happens to the Brushel System, it can act as a reserve to manipte it.¡±

    This was very surprising information. ¡°Then are you saying that we can control the Brushel System here too?¡±

    ¡°The mana connection has to be constant, and other conditions also need to be fulfilled. However, since the Brushel System has been destroyed, it¡¯s now a useless function.¡± Serpina swiped the control device with her hands. ¡°Since I¡¯m teaching you, I guess I should teach you how to do that as well. Try injecting mana into the controls.¡±

    L began to inject mana into the controls following Serpina¡¯s instruction.

    <i>Ziiiing!</i> Soon, the entire ruin began to shake slightly. ¡°What did you do?¡± L looked at Serpina with slight suspicion.

    ¡°I called out something familiar to you and to me.¡±

    L tilted her head at Serpina¡¯s iprehensible words and found somethinging up from below her. ¡®Isn¡¯t that¡­?¡¯ It was arge ss container. The ss container was rising on a square metal te, and it wasrge enough for one person to fit inside it. L narrowed her eyes. It didn¡¯t look exactly the same, but she had seen something simr to the ss container before at the secretboratory in Shootuol. It looked simr to the one that Finel, an artificial creature created to extract her memory, was imprisoned in. The difference between that ss container and the one in front of her was that the one in Shootuol was cracked and broken and covered in dust, but this one was perfectly fine.

    <i>Swoosh!</i> The ss container rose to where L and Serpina were standing. The metal te supporting the ss settled right next to the ring surrounding the crystal where L and Serpina were standing as if it had originally been part of it all along.

    Serpina said, ¡°You probably don¡¯t remember it, but your body was in a device like this. To be exact, it''s a device ced in the center of the system. That¡¯s how I was able to function as a memory device for the Brushel System.¡±

    ¡°You must have been extremely proud of your job.¡± L sarcastically replied at Serpina¡¯s voice beaming with pride.

    ¡°Of course. It was the greatest time of my life, and that was also what most of my life was like.¡±

    ¡°I really don¡¯t understand it. How do you feel so proud of being just a part of a system?¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t need to understand it, and I don¡¯t need anyone to understand me. A human¡¯s life is worthless once they die anyway. Isn¡¯t it much more meaningful to be part of the foundation that supports and helps the empire?¡±

    ¡°And you were fine with that?¡±

    ¡°You guys are the ones who seem unreasonable to me.¡±

    L realized again that the princess next to her really gave everything she had for the empire.

    Serpina said, ¡°Our conversation has gone astray. Anyway, I stored the memories that I received from the two keys inside that device.¡± The two keys she was referring to were Estede and Tornium. Then she continued, ¡°However, it has another function in case of an emergency.¡±

    ¡°And what¡¯s that?¡±

    ¡°Adjusting the Brushel System.¡±

    L had been inspecting the device while listening to Serpina, but now she turned her head toward Serpina.

    Serpina continued, ¡°The Brushel System was usually managed by external managers, but when a fatal error that even they couldn¡¯t control arose, I was awakened to also take on the role of coordinating the Brushel System. Since I knew a lot about it and was also part of the system, it was much easier for me to ess the systempared to the people outside.¡±

    ¡°If it was so much easier for you to manage the Brushel System, why didn¡¯t you manage it in the first ce instead of leaving it to other people?¡±

    ¡°As I told you, I¡¯m part of the Brushel System. We don¡¯t know what kind of errors might arise if I start to operate the system with my own will as part of the system that stores memories. Thus, the only time I adjust the system is when the errors in the system are deemed uncontroble and the whole system will copse without my intervention.¡±

    ¡°Hmm. Anyway, in short, you¡¯re saying that if I get inside this device, I¡¯ll be able to operate the Brushel System much more efficiently, right?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. Of course, it¡¯s iparable to controlling the center from the device in the central base, and that function is useless now since the Brushel System has copsed. Well, you¡¯ll be able to control the ruin¡¯s system much more efficiently there.¡±

    Then Serpina closed her mouth and stared at L.

    ¡°¡­Why are you looking at me?¡±

    ¡°What are you doing? Quickly get in.¡±

    L stared at the device. Half of the ss container opened and made an entrance for her to enter. ¡°This isn¡¯t a trap, right?¡±

    ¡°If you don¡¯t want to, I¡¯m not going to force you. I¡¯m not teaching you because I want to. Oh, but don¡¯t quit summoning me, since I didn¡¯t break the contract.¡±

    L looked at her suspiciously, and Serpina calmly returned her gaze.

    ¡°¡­Fine.¡± L turned her back and walked toward the device. The entrance to the device was higher than L¡¯s waist. She entered the entrance of the device in a swift moment.

    ¡°Try raising your mana inside it.¡±

    L raised her mana as Serpina instructed her to.

    <i>Thud! </i>The entrance closed. L was slightly surprised, but she didn¡¯t panic and began moving her mana as Serpina had taught her to. ¡®It¡¯s definitely more efficient here.¡¯ It was much easier to grasp the structure of the ruin here than outside of the device. While L becamepletely absorbed in exploring the device, Serpina quietly made her move.

 Chapter 532

    <h4>Chapter 532</h4>

    After experimenting with the ss device, L turned her attention beyond the ss wall. Then, she narrowed her eyes.

    ¡°What are you doing?¡± she asked and tensed up. Serpina was standing in front of the restriction device before she even realized it.

    ¡°I¡¯m trying to help you.¡± Serpina ced her hand on the device and infused mana into it. L felt that it became easier for her to work the device, and Serpina¡¯s mana was guiding hers. Yet, even though Serpina was helping her, L scowled.

    ¡°What are you plotting?¡± L asked.

    ¡°What do you mean? I¡¯m just helping you diligently ording to the contract.¡±

    ¡°Wow, your hard work is bringing me to tears,¡± L replied.

    Serpina was the one who said that L had learned everything there was to know in theory, and the only thing left for L to do was to practice with the mana of the World Tree¡¯s clones. Thus, when there was no manaing from the World Tree¡¯s clones, there was nothing for L to do but kill time. When L rejoiced that she could finally restrict the flow of mana from the World Tree¡¯s clones and thought her studies were over, Serpina stopped her from going to help Zich. Serpina told her that she had only taught L how to restrict the mana from the World Tree¡¯s clones, but to block it altogether, she needed to know how to restrict the entire ruin too.

    When she heard this, L pondered deeply if she should just pierce Serpina with Windur. Eventually, after announcing that she would surely undo the summoning of the princess if Serpina tricked her one more time, L began to learn how to restrict the whole ruin. This was all that happened until this point.

    ¡°There¡¯s no need for you to go that far. Just express gratitude and reverence for me in your heart.¡±

    <i>¡°As if.</i>¡± L red at Serpina one more time and went to investigate the ss device again. She quickly figured out how to use the restriction device with her outstanding talent and Serpina¡¯s guidance.

    <i>Wiiing!</i> The ruin vibrated. L looked below the ss wall and the bottom floor of the ruin.

    <i>Sliiiid!</i>

    The mana from the World Tree¡¯s clones was flowing in. ¡®Is it already time?¡¯

    Her concept of time had almost been frozen during her stay in the basement, and the routine flow of mana was the only thing that reminded her of it. As it always did, mana gradually increased from the ruin¡¯s floor.

    ¡®Amazing! I can feel the enormous amount of mana!¡¯ This device was on a whole other levelpared to the normal devices on the outside. L felt chills as she felt the mana from the World Tree¡¯s clones envelope her.

    ¡®This is just a very tiny portion of mana from the World Tree¡¯s clones. I suppose that¡¯s why it can do something as ridiculous as turning back time,¡¯ she thought. Only words of awe escaped her mind. Even Zich and L who held an unimaginable amount of mana could feel as if their mana was nothingpared to this. Although she had always kept her guard up against Serpina, L unconsciously loosened her focus, thus creating an opening.

    <i>Swish.</i> Serpina¡¯s mana guided L¡¯s mana and secretly moved it somewhere else. Usually, L would have immediately responded, but she was toote in noticing it because of the World Tree¡¯s clones¡¯ mana. Serpina¡¯s mana moved quietly like a snake aiming for its prey and suddenly moved explosively.

    ¡®Huh?¡¯ L finally noticed it then. After being upied by the World Tree¡¯s clones¡¯ mana, L quickly assessed the situation and acted.

    ¡®She finally¡­!¡¯ L red at Serpina beyond the ss wall, but she had no time to spare. She had to quickly stop that damn princess¡¯s schemes. First of all, L tried to undo Serpina¡¯s summon, but she soon frowned.

    ¡®There¡¯s something interfering with Windur¡¯s mana.¡¯ It seemed as if the mana from the World Tree¡¯s clones had flowed into this ss device, and something was interfering with Windur.

    ¡®She put me in here with that knowledge!¡¯ L gritted her teeth but didn¡¯t even have the time to get angry. She tried to get out first, but the entrance didn¡¯t open.

    ¡®She blocked the entrance.¡¯ The way Serpina recently moved her mana was probably for this purpose. Although she was stuck inside this device, L snorted.

    ¡®She ns to block me with just this?¡¯ Using the device, L began to manipte the ruin. She had to fight with Serpina over the authority of the ruin, but L wasn¡¯t worried. Even if her opponent knew everything about the Brushel System, she had no intention of losing this battle, and she wasn¡¯t relying on some baseless confidence. Serpina already passed on everything about the ruin to L, and L had already nned out what she would do if she ever faced a situation where she would have to fight over the authority of the ruin¡¯s system with Serpina.

    With just these points, it would be a disadvantageous fight for L, but L had two advantages going for her right now. First, there was the ss device that contained her. As expected of a reserve device for controlling the Brushel device, it was very sensitive to mana. Compared to Serpina who used a normal restriction device, L was able to connect to the system more easily.

    The second advantage was Windur. L was holding it right now. Until now, Windur had been amplifying L¡¯s mana as she held it, and its abilities far surpassed most staffs. Furthermore, it was a branch of the World Tree, which made it even easier for her to use the restriction device that dealt with the World Tree¡¯s clones¡¯ mana. With these two advantages, L was confident that she could beat Serpina in their battle for control of the ruin.

    Proving her beliefs, L instantly wiped away Serpina¡¯s mana that had infiltrated the system. In just the blink of an eye, half of Serpina¡¯s mana disappeared, and she could take care of the rest with just as little time. Even though everything was progressing to her expectations, L couldn¡¯t lower her guard. It made her more nervous that everything was progressing well.

    ¡®Did Serpina reallye up with such a shabby n that could be destroyed just like that?¡¯

    Although Zich had treated Serpina like a toy, she was no easy opponent. L thought of two possibilities.

    ¡®She has something else up her sleeve¡­Or her schemes don¡¯t take long toplete,¡¯ L thought. Beyond the ss wall, L searched for Serpina. She was still standing in front of the restriction device and staring at the crystal. Whether or not L and Serpina fought, the World Tree¡¯s clones¡¯ mana flowed into the crystal as it had done for countless years. It was then that Serpina moved. She ced her hand on the restriction device and seemed to finally be working toward her goal now.

    ¡®What¡¯s her goal though?¡¯ Most of the ruin was already under L¡¯s control. Whatever Serpina attempted to do, it wouldn¡¯t be easy for her to do it without L¡¯s intervention. Of course, L predicted that Serpina¡¯s counterattack would be formidable. L worked to open the ss container¡¯s entrance and prepared to respond to any of Serpina¡¯s actions. However, Serpina¡¯s actionspletely escaped L¡¯s expectations.

    ¡®Uh?¡¯ L had been monitoring Serpina¡¯s mana, and she thought she had made a mistake in her detection for a moment. While she had been focusing her mana on central points where she expected Serpina to fight for control, L realized that Serpina¡¯s mana was heading toward apletely different ce than she expected. It was a ce that L had never thought that Serpina would attack or even think of attacking.

    ¡®W-what is she doing!¡¯ L was befuddled and quickly moved to block Serpina¡¯s mana. Thanks to the increased efficiency inside the device and Windur¡¯s support, L was able to quickly devour Serpina¡¯s mana. However, she was a littlete, and Serpina¡¯s lips curled up in a satisfactory smile.

    <i>Rummmble! </i>The whole ruin began to shake. There was a slight vibration when the mana of the World Tree¡¯s clones began to flow in, but this vibration was on apletely different level. It was at that moment that the entrance of the ss container finally opened. L rolled out of the device. Then she shouted at Serpina in disbelief, ¡°What the hell are you thinking?!¡±

    ¡°How vulgar. Get up first.¡± Serpina clicked her tongue and rebuked L who was in such a hurry to get out that she was half-sitting on the ground. Serpina¡¯s nonchnt tone greatly irked L, but L quickly got up as Serpina instructed.

    Then she quickly approached Serpina and grabbed her by the throat. ¡°Say it now!¡±

    Since L had spent a considerable amount of time with Zich, she was quite skilled at threatening people. However, the problem was that even if Zich came, Serpina could not be intimidated by simple threats.

    Serpina replied, ¡°Why are you getting so agitated? This ce was made by Clowon, and since you¡¯ve decided to reject being Clowon¡¯s princess, I¡¯m the only one in the world who has the right to im this ruin.¡± Serpina continued with an annoyingly calm voice, ¡°As the owner of this ruin, what¡¯s wrong with trying to destroy my possessions?¡±

    The biggest reason why L failed to stop Serpina¡¯s action was that she couldn¡¯t predict that Serpina would try to destroy this ruin. Serpina sought Clowon¡¯s resurrection, and the Brushel System was an instrument for her goal. Even though the Brushel System was currently disabled, Serpina would do everything in her power to revive it. Thus, L thought that every single part about this ruin would be extremely precious to her. However, what Serpina did just nowpletely undermined L¡¯s expectations.

    Serpina had just attempted to trigger the ruin¡¯s self-destruction function.

    <i>Ziiiiiing! </i>A tremendous resonance came from where the crystal was. L and Serpina looked at it in unison. L clenched her teeth. She had hurriedly stopped Serpina¡¯s attempt, so she stopped the entire ruin from copsing, but she couldn¡¯t stop part of the World Tree¡¯s clones¡¯ mana from leaking and going berserk. Fortunately, the extent of its destruction was extremely small, so it wouldn¡¯t be able to destroy even the ring they were standing on, let alone the entire ruin.

    However, the state of the crystal where the mana gathered together waspletely different. L knew without even looking that the mana inside the crystal was beginning to twist strangely. L turned her gaze back to Serpina and tightened her grip. ¡°Stop saying nonsense and tell me your goal.¡±

    ¡°Okay, I will.¡± Serpina easily nodded her head. Her behavior was leisurely considering that the situation was already irreversible. ¡°I just have one goal, and it¡¯s to wake up the dragon.¡±

    ¡°As expected, is that still alive?¡±

    ¡°Of course. We¡¯ve implemented all kinds of measures, but above all, a dragon¡¯s vitality is really a wonderous thing.¡±

    A dragon. Dragons were regarded as legends in the world, and their amazing power and abilities were also passed down in legends. L asked, ¡°What happens after you wake up the dragon? What are you going to do with it?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s simple. I¡¯m going to make it kill Zich.¡±

    L thought her heart plummeted for a moment; it felt as if she heard a loud <i>thud</i> in her heart. To L, there was no worse catastrophe than Zich getting killed. ¡°W-why¡­?¡± L stammered in dismay. However, L didn¡¯t even realize she stuttered; that was how shocking this news was to her.

    Serpina replied, ¡°I thought of various ways to revive Clowon, but I couldn¡¯t find a clear answer. The Brushel System is broken, and I¡¯m currently unable to move to my satisfaction. Even then, I thought I might be able to find the answer if I could move freely somehow. Then I realized something. If I can''t do it, I should make someone with the same ability as me carry out my will.¡±

    Serpina looked straight into L¡¯s eyes. Compared to L¡¯s trembling eyes, her gaze was steadfast. ¡°I immediately thought of someone suitable. Someone who deeply loves Zich, has the same face as me and has an amazing ability. Then, at the same time, I also thought that if Zich dies, this person will dearly miss him and rebuild the Brushel System for me.¡± Then Serpina whispered to L as if she was tempting her, ¡°It¡¯s all too easy to meet a dead person again with the Brushel System. I¡¯m sure you¡¯re well aware of that yourself.¡±

 Chapter 533

    <h4>Chapter 533</h4>

    <i>Bam! </i>There was a heavy thud as L¡¯s fistnded squarely on Serpina¡¯s cheek. Although she was a mage, L could easily beat down a young adult man with her blows, and Serpina¡¯s face turned the other way while the rest of her body wobbled. However, Serpina¡¯s physical body was also L¡¯s. Likewise, her body was iparably stronger than most mages. Furthermore, Serpina¡¯s body had been simply materialized by the World Tree, so she didn¡¯t receive much damage. Serpina slowly turned her head and stared at L again.

    ¡°You asshole!¡±

    ¡°You realized it just now?¡±

    L raised Windur and moved her mana. She nned to halt Serpina¡¯s summoning at this instance. Yet, she didn¡¯t disappear.

    ¡°It¡¯s useless.¡±

    ¡°¡­You fixed your mana into your body.¡±

    ¡°As the flow of the mana from the World Tree¡¯s clones was disrupted and too much pressure was ced on the crystal, it became possible for me to do so. Of course, if the World Tree¡¯s mana regains order as time passes, things will turn back to normal, but you should give up for now.¡±

    L acted swiftly after hearing what Serpina said.<i> Whoosh! </i>She swung Windur at Serpina. If she couldn¡¯t stop the summoning, she could physically eliminate her opponent. Even though a sword was more efficient at a close distance, it was still very umon for a mage to swing a sword before magic, and the fact she did so disyed L¡¯s strong will.

    Her swing was so swift and clean that even Zich and Hans would have admired it. Yet, Serpina easily evaded the attack. After biting her lips, L prepared a spell. As Windur amplified her mana, her spell waspleted instantly and it shot toward Serpina right away. Yet, Serpina easily nullified L¡¯s attack again.

    L¡¯s opponent was Clowon''s princess. Inparison to L who didn¡¯t have most of her memories, Serpina surpassed L in most areas, and the difference in knowledge was critical for a mage. Yet, L didn¡¯t give up and quickly prepared for her next spell.

    <i>Wiiing!</i> However, a powerful burst of mana began to bloom out of the crystal. L looked at the crystal in surprise. It seemed like the wildly fluctuating mana inside would destroy the crystal at any moment. L gritted her teeth, red at Serpina, and jumped into the ss container again.

    ¡°It¡¯s meaningless. That mana isn¡¯t something you can repress. It¡¯s impossible even for me¡ªI¡¯m sure you know that too.¡±

    L ignored Serpina and tried to restrain the mana by injecting hers. Serpina watched her calmly as she did so and made no attempts to stop L¡ªit was because there was no need for her to do so.

    <i>Craack!</i> L¡¯s effort was futile and there was a loud burst. The new line across the crystal¡¯s surface widened and became arge crack. More mana seeped out of it.

    ¡°Damn it!¡± L mmed her fist against the ss container. Then, she got out of it again and approached Serpina.

    ¡°Confess!¡± L demanded.

    Even without a proper exnation, Serpina easily understood what L meant. She shrugged. ¡°I don¡¯t like repeating myself, but considering your pitiful position, I will say it again. There¡¯s no method to stop that.¡±

    ¡°There must be a method to control the dragon!¡±

    ¡°Ah, that¡¯s what you meant? Unfortunately, there¡¯s no method like that. This central base was created to maintain the Brushel System. It doesn¡¯t have a function to control a living creature.¡±

    ¡°Then how are you going to kill Zich?¡±

    ¡°Like I said before, I have no ns on controlling the dragon. My n was to simply awaken it, and everything else will naturally fall ording to my wishes.¡± Serpina sounded aggravatingly carefree. ¡°It¡¯s not as if we raised that dragon. We simply needed one for the Brushel System, so we captured a wild one and forcefully stuffed it inside the crystal.¡±

    Unlike Serpina who was proud to be part of the system and obediently followed her fate, it seemed like the dragon had a more ¡®normal¡¯ state of mind.

    ¡°I¡¯m sure it will have great loathing for the Clowon Empire, and if it wakes up, it will want tosh the fury it had umted for so long. Unfortunately for it, the Clowon Empire has long since fallen. Its anger will not subside from that fact, and it will look for beings rted to the empire.¡±

    ¡°¡­And that¡¯s Zich?¡±

    ¡°Yes. He is the owner of the Clowon emperor¡¯s sword. Wouldn¡¯t that make him a perfect target for the dragon?¡±

    ¡°Windur is with me now though.¡±

    ¡°But he still reeks of Windur, and a dragon will be able to find him easily.¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s Hans¡¯ Estede and Glen Zenard¡¯s Tornium too.¡±

    ¡°They will also be the dragon¡¯s targets. As long as I can kill Zich, I don¡¯t care what happens to the others.¡±

    ¡°¡­I thought this ce and I were your primary goals. Weren¡¯t you nning to restore the Brushel System using me? How will that work if I also die?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about that. We are safe.¡±

    ¡°What sort of nonsense are you saying? If what you say is right, wouldn¡¯t the dragon target this ruin first in its anger against the empire?¡±

    ¡°Even if the crystal breaks, the dragon won¡¯t wake up right away. It won¡¯t have its right sense of mind for a while, and it¡¯ll hazily recall the fact it had been locked up until now. Thus, it will immediately try to move away from this ce.¡±

    ¡°If a dragon of this size tries to break through the ground, this ruin will also be buried.¡±

    ¡°Is that all you can think of? I thought the dragon¡¯s expertise in magic is still known to this day.¡±

    <i>Magic</i>¡ªthat made L think of another possibility.

    ¡°¡­Teleportation.¡±

    ¡°Yes, as soon as that crystal fully breaks, the dragon will teleport and disappear.¡±

    ¡°You are quite certain. Do you not think your predictions might go wrong?¡±

    ¡°The Brushel System wasn¡¯t made sessfully the very first time. It was made with many trials and efforts.¡±

    ¡°Does that mean the dragon escaped many times before?¡±

    ¡°Yes, and there were others besides this one.¡± The might of Clowon¡¯s power that it could capture several dragons and experiment on them astonished L once more and made her think that the empire was even greater than what she had imagined. However, this wasn¡¯t the time for her to stand there gaping in awe.

    ¡°It should be impossible to teleport inside Clowon¡¯s ruin.¡±

    ¡°When the crystal breaks, the seal will be temporarily broken. Ah, don¡¯t think you can restrain it with the system. This is a phenomenon that happens because of the gap caused by the momentary distortion of the ruin¡¯s mana. It¡¯s apletely physically induced event, so you won¡¯t be able to stop it even if you gain control of the entire ruin. However, this will all happen in an instant. The mana flow will calm down soon and teleportation will be blocked again¡ªall thanks to Clowon¡¯s excellent design.¡±

    ¡°¡­Did they perhaps establish that function to prevent the ruin from copsing in case they identally awakened the dragon?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re exactly right.¡±

    ¡°If the dragon has such high detection capabilities that are strong enough to detect Windur¡¯s energy, wouldn¡¯t this ruin be the first target of its attack?¡±

    ¡°This site even nullifies teleportation. Of course, it has a function that blocks mana from flowing outside this ruin, and it goes without saying how powerful this function is.¡± All possibilities were perfectly blocked.

    L turned her head toward the crystal. She quickly began incanting spells, and a huge fireball appeared on top of her head. L threw the fireball at the crystal.

    ¡°How pointless.¡± Serpina clicked her tongue as she watched L, but L deliberately ignored her.

    <i>Bammmm!</i> The mes that hit the crystal caused a huge explosion, and hot wind swept past L and Serpina. The force was so strong that it seemed as if it would easily melt the crystal into a puddle. However, L saw the result of her spell and bit her lips. On the contrary, Serpina didn¡¯t show much emotion as if shepletely expected this result. L¡¯s spell was able to make a dent in the crystal, but considering how powerful her magic was, the damage was minuscule. Moreover, considering the size of the crystal, it was no different from an elephant getting bitten by a mosquito.

    However, L didn¡¯t give up. She continuously dished out spells as if she was trying to fight with quantity over quality. Her magic steadily damaged the crystal, but the speed at which she damaged it was very slow.

    ¡°The surface of the crystal is very strong. It¡¯s only natural since it was used to seal the dragon despite also supporting mana for the World Tree¡¯s clones. Of course, with your magic, you¡¯ll be able to break it eventually, but you won¡¯t be able to break it in time. If you do manage to break it in time, what are you going to do? The dragon will just wake up in this ruin. Are you going to face the dragon by yourself?¡±

    Even while Serpina mocked her, L didn¡¯t stop. She agreed with Serpina¡¯s line of reasoning, but L couldn¡¯t just sit still. She wasn¡¯t making ast-ditch effort. Even if her actions were futile, L couldn¡¯t give up and do nothing.

    Serpina no longer spoke either. She realized that no words would reach L right now, so Serpina folded her arms and watched L¡¯s desperate and useless struggle with a leisurely attitude.

    <i>Rummble! </i>The vibration grew even worse. This vibration could also be probably felt by those on top of the ruin, and judging by the size of the shaking, it may have transmitted quite far outside the ruin¡¯s surroundings. There was now a crack on the surface of the crystal. However, that crack was only a fraction of the entire crystal, and it was extremely small in proportion to the entire crystal.

    <i>Halt!</i> The shaking stopped. It stopped so suddenly and quickly that the shaking almost felt like a dream. However, it was slightly difficult for L to find her bnce as her body couldn¡¯t immediately get used to the sudden change.

    <i>Crk! </i>A louder sound than all the previous soundsbined together rang out of the crystal. A huge crack formed on the surface of the crystal like a spider¡¯s web.

    <i>Blink!</i> L felt a shudder run through her body. Serpina must have also felt the pressure as her rxed attitude also disappeared. Something bright yellow was shining inside the crystal. The long red eyes that soon appeared into view looked like the embodiment of destruction itself. The dragon¡¯s eyes moved all around as if it was trying to grasp the current situation. However, it also was unable to focus. L recalled that Serpina had told her that the dragon wouldn¡¯t be able toe to its senses for a while after it woke up.

    <i>sssh! </i>Mana gushed out of the dragon¡¯s body. As mages, L and Serpina could feel the dragon¡¯s powerful mana better than anyone else. The mana flowed out haphazardly but then soon settled down and began to move in a specific pattern and order. The movement of the mana was so precise and beautiful that L momentarily forgot about her situation and was amazed. Shepletely understood why despite their disappearance long ago, dragons were still known for their mastery in magic.

    ¡®Is it trying to teleport?!¡¯ Considering the huge amount of mana, it seemed as if the dragon was trying to move to a very far ce.

    ¡°¡­Do you know where the dragon is going?¡± Even though L really didn¡¯t want to talk to Serpina, the only person who knew a lot about the dragon was Serpina. For Zich, L lowered her pride and asked Serpina for help again. L added, ¡°It¡¯s using too much mana for it to merely move right above the ruins.¡±

    Serpina replied, ¡°It¡¯s probably going to where itsir used to be. Dragons tend to go to theirir in situations like this. It seems like they feel the safest in theirirs.¡±

    Of course, there was no way that the dragon¡¯sir would still exist during this time. L asked, ¡°Where is that?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s probably around the boundary between the Steelwall and Pinne Estates.¡±

    ¡°¡­You. Did you think that far and¡­!¡±

    ¡°No, that part was really a coincidence. Of course, I won¡¯t deny that it¡¯s a coincidence in my favor.¡±

    The boundary between the Steelwall and Pinne Estates was the area where the war was currently in full swing. It was also the ce where the dragon¡¯s targets¡ªZich, Hans, and Glen¨Cwere all gathered together. At that moment, the dragon¡¯s mana reached its limit, and the mana moved vigorously around the dragon. Then the dragon disappeared. All that was left was a huge, empty crystal with cracks and dents here and there.

 Chapter 534

    <h4>Chapter 534</h4>

    ¡°The dragon left,¡± Serpina said nonchntly, and L red at her.

    ¡°Nothing will change no matter how much you re at me. All there is left for us to do is wait for the result and see whether Zich dies or not. Of course, I¡¯m sure that all this will end with Zich¡¯s death.¡± Serpina continued speaking, not caring that L¡¯s gaze grew fiercer.

    ¡°Zich might have been able to put up a good fight if he could perfectly use all his power. He might have even been a dragon yer, a very rare aplishment even in the Clowon Empire. But right now, he hasn¡¯t awakened all his mana yet.¡±

    Thus, it would be difficult for Zich to beat the dragon.

    ¡°There are others there with him!¡±

    ¡°Yes, they are yourst hope, right?¡± Serpina walked across the space that had be deadly silent. There were numerous remains of the cracked crystal rolling on top of the ring, and Serpina stopped in front of a piece that reached her knees and was perfect for sitting.

    ¡°Then, let¡¯s waitfortably and see how the event unfolds above the surface,¡± Serpina said while sitting down. If L wasn¡¯t so upset, Serpina seemed like she might have ordered her to make her a cup of tea. Of course, if she actually did that, L would¡¯ve thrown a weapon at her instead of handing her a teacup.

    ¡®Should I go right now to try to join the battle?¡¯ Lyle wondered. However, there was a high possibility that everything would be settled by the time she reached the battlefield. If she needed to do something, she had to do it in this ce. L clenched her fist tightly in nervousness.

    ¡®Hm?¡¯ She felt Windur¡¯s handle in her hands, and L quickly went inside the ss container.

    ¡°It¡¯s pointless.¡± Serpina clicked her tongue, but it seemed like she had no intention to stop L and didn¡¯t move. Inside the ss container, L infused mana into the device. Among the gently flowing mana, it felt like there was a hole in the middle, which was probably caused by the dragon''s absence. The mana of the World Tree¡¯s clones was scattering uncontrobly in all directions. Although it looked like it was going to settle down again, L was sure that it would never reach the state it had been when the dragon was inside the crystal. At the very least, it seemed like she wouldn¡¯t be able to control the ruin to help Zich like Serpina said.

    Yet, it wasn¡¯t hopeless. L clutched Windur. It could be a wasted effort or a false hope, but L didn¡¯t n to give up until the end. This was what she had learned from the person she loved. L began to take control of the clones¡¯ mana even though it was difficult to control because of the gigantic amount, and she had only been able to control it more easily before because the mana had moved inside the ruin¡¯s system. Thus, now that the system was down, L was moving the mana just by herself. Mana continued to fluctuate like a wild beast without concern for L¡¯s will, but L focused her attention. She supported the neutralized system, and the more she did this, L¡¯s consciousness began to seep into the system. After some push and pull, L managed to retrieve part of the mana, and she slowly guided them to the ss container she was in. Then, she made Windur resonate with them.

    <i>Ziiiing!</i> A fierce sound of mana resonance burst out from the ss container.

    ¡®¡­Isn¡¯t that?¡¯ Serpina¡¯s eyes widened.

    * * *

    It was hectic on the battlefield. The war wasn¡¯t over yet, and although they were still surrounded by enemies, most people were still recovering from a sudden earthquake that had confounded them. Of course, there were exceptions, and the battle began to regain its original fever thanks to them. Zich and Glen were naturally one of these exceptions since they were unaffected by the sudden disaster, but Pina had lost her bnce from the earthquake. Unlike Elena, Pina had no one supporting her, and she failed to endure the ground¡¯s vibrations and shaking with a normal mage body.

    Naturally, the magic that had been surrounding Glen disappeared. Glen didn¡¯t miss this opportunity¡ªor at least he tried not to.

    ¡°Where are you going?¡±

    ¡°Ugh!¡± As soon as Glen lifted his feet off the ground, Zich flew at him and swung his sword. At Zich¡¯s swing, Glen rolled away woefully on the ground. It was an attack that posed little danger to Glen¡¯s current skill level, but the sight of him evading such an attack made everyone around him think the same thought: <i>Glen is a lost cause now</i>. It really was hopeless for Chelsea, Pina, and Byner now. However, that was their problem that they had to deal with, and Zich continued to corner Glen.

    ¡°Eck!¡± Glen shrieked as Zich¡¯s sword swerved over his head. His eyes wandered around like a lost bug and fixed on Chelsea, Pina, and Byner. ¡°What are you all doing?! Protect me!¡±

    None of them responded to Glen. They didn¡¯t have the ability to fight against all of Zich¡¯spanions and seeing Glen¡¯s current state made them not want to do it either. On the other hand, Chelsea wanted to beat up Glen herself if it wasn¡¯t for Zich. She had given up her position and left Karuwiman after trusting Glen¡¯s words, but what was this sight that he was showing her?

    ¡®H-How could I have believed a guy like that¡­!¡¯ More than the resentment she felt toward Glen, Chelsea became furious at herself and how foolish and blind she had been. While Chelsea got riled up in anger at herself, Pina stood there in a daze. Even though Glen had been acting strangely recently, he still had been a reliablepanion who she thought would help her regain her school¡¯s former glory. But that dream was all in ruins now. Judging by the information she gathered so far and the current situation, she could now roughly guess Glen¡¯s true nature. She thought that Glen was her hope in reviving her school, but he was merely a liar and swindler. His true nature was beyond pathetic. Whether it was anger or despair, both Chelsea and Pina hadpletely lost their will to continue fighting.

    Yet, Byner was different. His two goals were Zich¡¯s death and the Steelwall¡¯s ruin, and between these goals, he wanted Zich¡¯s death more. Not to mention, the enemy he detested the most was right in front of him. Now that all his ns had fallen through, the only thing he had left was spite.

    ¡°Hyaaaaaaat!¡± He let out a cry and rushed towards Zich. Hans raised Estede to try to block him, but soon put his sword down because Zich shot him a nce to tell him to leave Byner alone. Hans clicked his tongue inside his mind and looked at Byner¡¯s back.

    ¡®What a poor guy.¡¯ Hans knew better than anyone that whoever fought with Zich would meet a terrible ending and he could predict Byner¡¯s future. Hans had felt a sense of camaraderie for Byner. When Zich suddenly changed, they were beaten up by Zich together, and when they tried to frame Zich, they both suffered utter defeat. Thus, Hans had tried to persuade Byner to abandon his hatred and enjoy afortable future, or at least give up on trying to fight Zich, which was basically the same as a suicide attempt.

    However, judging by Byner¡¯s behavior, Hans realized his wish was a hopeless dream. Hans looked at Byner with pity and turned around. Regardless of what Hans thought, Byner¡¯s heart was full of vengeance.

    ¡°Hyaaaat!¡± Byner struck down his sword at Zich, but Zich all too easily pushed back Byner¡¯s sword.

    ¡°Ugh!¡± Byner didn¡¯t give up. Hepletely gave up on defense and rushed towards Zich again. However, considering therge difference in their skills and Byner¡¯s decision to give up on defense, it did not take long for Zich to pierce his sword into Byner¡¯s stomach.

    ¡°Ack!¡± A painful moan escaped Byner¡¯s mouth. However, there was no despair in his eyes. Instead, he even smiled while blood flowed out of his mouth as if he had been waiting for this moment all along.

    <i>Grab!</i> Byner grabbed Zich¡¯s sword, which had prated his abdomen. Even though blood dripped down his cut hand, Byner didn¡¯t even blink an eye.

    ¡°Now!¡± Byner shouted while vomiting out blood and looked at Glen. ¡°While I¡¯m holding onto this bastard¡¯s sword, quicklye and¡­!¡±

    No matter how inferior he was to Zich in terms of skill and power, Byner was confident that he could stop Zich¡¯s sword for a short moment, and that was all he needed. In that short timeframe, Byner was confident that Glen could cut off Zich¡¯s neck. It didn¡¯t matter if Zich dropped his sword and withdrew. Given the difference between Zich and Glen¡¯s skills, Glen could easily overwhelm Zich, who was now without a weapon. Byner thought that since he made the situation so favorable for them, even the cowardly Glen might change his mind and fight.

    Surprisingly, Zich didn¡¯t show much of a reaction. He didn¡¯t try to pull out his sword from Byner¡¯s stomach or pull out another sword. All he did was just stare at Byner. Byner had no idea why Zich was just standing still without saying a word. It might be because Zich was so startled by his unexpected behavior. Regardless of the truth, it wasn¡¯t a bad situation for him. Byner hoped for Glen to quickly cut off Zich¡¯s neck. However, even as time passed, Zich¡¯s neck was still attached to his body, and no attack was aimed at Zich. Byner looked at the ce where Glen was again, but there was no one there anymore.

    ¡®Why¡­¡¯ He quickly looked around in a hurry and saw Glen running away¡ªextremely pathetically. However, Glen wasn¡¯t able to sessfully escape. A giant earth wall appeared and blocked his path and a shining sword shed at him. Glen avoided Hans and Snoc¡¯s attacks while frantically attempting to escape again.

    ¡°Tsk, tsk! Did you seriously think that trash would defeat me if you just stopped me for a few seconds? I¡¯m not sure if you¡¯re na?ve, stupid, or senseless. That guy only cares about himself. Would a guy like that be moved by your sacrifice and give up on running away and try to kill me instead?¡± Zich¡¯s cold words also pierced Byner¡¯s heart, and he continued, ¡°Well, if you¡¯re blinded by a single purpose, you get a tendency to interpret your surrounding situations in a favorable light. I can understand your sentiments, but it¡¯s also true that you¡¯re foolish, Halton Byner. Extremely foolish.¡±

    <i>Push!</i>

    ¡°k!¡±

    As Zich turned his sword around, Byner¡¯s wound grew bigger. ¡°How was your sweet mo¡­well,e to think of it, you didn¡¯t have any such moments. You merely hoped and made ns by yourself and fell into a delusion. It¡¯s time for you to go, Halton Byner.¡±

    With thesest words, Zich pulled out his sword. While blood spurted out like a fountain, Byner fell to the ground. Before his eyespletely closed, thest image he saw was Zich turning his back toward him with disinterest and moving toward Glen.

 Chapter 535

    <h4>Chapter 535</h4>

    After Zich finished off Byner who had been hanging around him like a mosquito, he chased after Glen. Meanwhile, Glen was struggling to fend off Hans and Snoc¡¯s attacks even though they were far weaker than him. Rather than counterattacking, all Glen did was try to find all means to escape; even then, it seemed like he was struggling to seed. His mental fortitude was so poor,parable to that of a small bug. No amount of power or skills could make up for it.

    ¡®No, that¡¯s too insulting for bugs. At least the bugs are good at running away,¡¯ Zich thought. As Glen continued to disy that he was no better than a bug in front of him, Zich¡¯s heart swelled with pleasure and warmth. Anyone could see that Zich¡¯s party had a clear advantage, but Zich didn¡¯t lower his guard.

    ¡®What was that earthquake just now? Was it just a normal one?¡¯ If it was simply a natural disaster, it didn¡¯t matter, but Zich felt the earthquake was a harbinger of something more. Thus, Zich widened the periphery of his senses as wide as possible and continued to observe his surroundings. It was then that Zich caught onto something, and he stopped running toward Glen. His face stiffened as he stared where he sensed the new presence.

    Beyond the green pasture, past the flowing river from afar, there stood a mountain range with peaks with pointy tops. Mana flew out from the area, and because it came from a considerable distance, it felt quite faint. Yet, Zich knew that though it flew breezily from where he was, the mana must have been like a tremendous whirlwind at the point where it began.

    ¡®What is that? Does it have something to do with the earthquake just now?¡¯ There was no clear evidence, but the recent earthquake had been bothering Zich.

    <i>Boom! </i>A short while afterward, a wave of mana swept the battlefield. ¡°Huh?¡±

    ¡°W-What¡¯s that?¡±

    Only Zich had felt the faint remnants of mana just before, so this sudden wave of mana came as a surprise for the others. They hadn¡¯t taken the precautions that Zich took nor did they possess his outstanding talent. But now, everyone on this battlefield, or at least those who could handle mana, could feel it. Zich narrowed his eyes and stared at the mountain range. The wave of mana had alsoe from there like before, but unlike the previous one, it felt much stronger.

    ¡®Is it¡­magic?¡¯ The mana spread in an orderly fashion across the battlefield, and this form of mana was mostly seen in magic.

    ¡®It seems like someone is searching for something.¡¯

    More people began to look toward the mountain range at the tide of mana. They also felt that there was something unusual and formidable about the mana they had just felt. No one sensed it as delicately as Zich, but they all sensed the enormous scale the mana must have been at its origin point. Hans and Snoc also nced toward the point while guarding against Glen. Zich focused his senses on the mountain range.

    ¡®We have to finish this war first,¡¯ he thought. Then, he would go and search that mountain range. Although thendscape was huge, Zich thought he might be able to find the being who amassed such arge amount of mana easily.

    However, there was no need for Zich to go all the way to the mountain range. He saw a ck dot flying above the mountains, and even though he focused his mana into his eyes, it was too far for him to grasp what it exactly was.

    ¡®Is that¡­?!¡¯ Zich was rarely surprised, but this time, his face stiffened from the unexpected turn of events. Even from far away, he saw the creature¡¯srge body and wings covered in scales. Large horns were stretched out from its faces and from behind, a snake-like tail wiggled. Its general appearance resembled a lizard, but it couldn¡¯t bepared to such a being. Zich thought he wasn¡¯t mistaken since he saw one recently.

    ¡°A dragon,¡± Zich murmured as the dragon¡¯srge mass came into clearer view.

    ¡°Uh, Hey! What¡¯s that?!¡±

    ¡°Ah, what¡­!¡±

    A soldier who turned around in annoyance in response to hispanion kept tapping his shoulder and froze in ce. The battle began to stop. The fiercely shing swords, the magic that exploded in a spectacle, and the holy magic that healed injuries disappeared one by one. Everyone stopped to look up at the sky.

    ¡°Sir Zich.¡± Hans approached Zich, but Zich¡¯s eyes were still fixed on the dragon. Glen was left on his own now, but Zich didn¡¯t say anything about it. The dragon was close enough that it could now be clearly seen by ordinary people who couldn¡¯t control mana.

    ¡°¡­A dragon?¡± somebody murmured. Besides Zich, no one else had seen a dragon in real life, but they could easily see what this creature was. Dragons from legends were well-known after all.

    ¡°I-is it really a dragon?¡±

    ¡°The ones from legends?¡± People were stunned. Many thoughts swept the battlefield, such as whether or not this was really a dragon or why a legendary creature had just popped out from nowhere. But they couldn¡¯t stand thinking for long. The dragon¡¯s mouth opened wide open.

    <i>Whooosh!</i> Mana began to fluctuate around them. A red air current formed, and as the color deepened, it seemed like the sun had risen inside the dragon¡¯s mouth.

    ¡®Its breath!¡¯ In every legend that a dragon appeared in, a dragon let out a breath filled with its mana.

    <i>Hwaaaaa! </i>The dragon¡¯s breath poured out and congested the mes into a single light. The red, ming hot light imbued with mana flew in a straight line. The sky was dyed red as if the sun was setting.

    <i>Bammmm! </i>The dragon¡¯s breath gave off a tremendous sound and crashed into the ground. Scattered debris followed the explosion because the breath burned and melted everything it touched. Instead of debris, hot air spread all over the ce. Then, the ensuing breath abruptly stopped. A long, deep ditch formed next to the battlefield, and the ditch was still red and emitted hot heat. The vegetation around the ditch, which had been full of vitality, was burnt to a crisp and crumbled under the following waves of hot wind.

    ¡°Ugh¡­¡±

    ¡°Uh¡­¡±

    The soldiers were paralyzed at the sight of the breath¡¯s power. Even though they had experienced the abilities of many superhumans like mages, priests, and knights, the dragon¡¯s breath looked like an attack on apletely different level.

    ¡°Agh, ahhhhhhhhhhh!¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a dragon. A real dragoooonnnn!¡±

    The soldiers naturally fell into a panic, and it happened more frequently among the allied forces¡¯ soldiers since they had received less training. On the other hand, this didn¡¯t mean that the Steelwall soldiers were calm either. The Steelwall soldiers also looked up at the dragon flying in the sky with confusion and were horrified by the traces of destruction that it left. Their horror was a result of the devastation that the dragon showed and their fear towards the unknown. No one knew how exactly strong dragons were. The only basis for their judgment was the breath they saw and legends that had been passed down from generation to generation. However, that alone was enough to terrorize people; no¡ªit was because of theirck of information that scared people even more.

    ¡°Calm down!¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t panic and keep your formation!¡± The lieutenants shouted and tried to desperately calm down their soldiers. However, the wide-spread agitation and panic did not subside easily. Rather, some of the lieutenants, who should be calming their soldiers, began to also run away.

    While the battlefield fell into confusion, Zich only stared at the dragon. ¡®It¡¯s that dragon¡ªthe one from the Clowon ruin.¡¯

    It looked simr to the one in the Clowon ruin, and besides, where else could another legendary dragon suddenly appear from? ¡®The earthquake earlier was suspicious. If it was caused by that dragon¡¯s awakening, then it all makes sense.¡¯

    Zich was assessing the situation and an individual came to mind. ¡®You¡¯ve yed a funny trick, Clowon¡¯s princess.¡¯

    Zich wanted to punch her pretty face at least once when he returned to the ruin.

    <i>Ziing. </i>He began to feel a giant surge of mana from the dragon¡¯s mouth; it was trying to let out another breath again.

    <i>Baaaaaam!</i> A red ray of light poured out of the dragon¡¯s mouth again. The destructive power was the same asst time and left a huge crater on the ground. However, just likest time, it didn¡¯t cause any damage on the Steelwall or allied forces¡¯ armies. The breath¡¯s power was formidable, but both of the breathsnded at areas a short distance away from the battlefield.

    ¡®Is it a warning?¡¯ This was Zich¡¯s first thought, but Zich soon erased that thought because he felt a strong sense of murderous intenting from the dragon. It was not something a being who wanted to just give a warning would let out. ¡®It¡¯s something you only let out if you have someone you want to kill by using any possible means.¡¯

    Zich carefully observed the dragon. ¡®It looks like it¡¯s having a hard time flying?¡¯

    Upon closer inspection, Zich saw that whenever the dragon pped its wings, its body slightly shook from side to side, and it looked the same as a person faltering due to ack of energy. Of course, considering its giant size, Zich thought it was already unbelievable that it could fly with just two wings attached to its sides. But it was the legendary dragon after all, so Zich ditched that thought.

    ¡®Then is it feeling unwell?¡¯ This was highly likely. This dragon had been trapped in the crystal for countless years. To be honest, Zich thought it was foul y that it could still be alive. The fact that an enemy¡¯s condition was poor should have been weing news, but Zich didn¡¯t put much hope on this.

    ¡®It¡¯s quickly stabilizing its condition at a rapid pace.¡¯ The uracy of the second breath was noticeably closer to the battlefield than the first. Moreover, it was shaking significantly less than when it first appeared.

    ¡®I guess I can¡¯t hope to face a weak, sick dragon.¡¯ Zich fiddled with the handle on his sword. ¡®Then what should I do? It would be great if I know why that guy¡¯s so angry.¡¯

    There could be a clear reason, or it might just be a hot-tempered dragon. Or it could be venting its anger by destroying its surroundings after being locked up for so many years.

    ¡®If it¡¯s angry for a specific reason, is there a way I can turn its anger towards the allied forces?¡¯ However, Zich¡¯s hopes fell apart because as soon as he made eye contact with the dragon, he felt the dragon¡¯s murderous intent grow stronger. It was then that Zich became certain. ¡®Ah, there¡¯s no way I can get out of fighting this guy.¡¯

    If he couldn¡¯t escape it, there was only one option left.

    ¡®Well, who cares if it¡¯s a dragon? Let¡¯s fight.¡¯ If it was possible, he wanted to knock it down as quickly as possible. ¡®I¡¯m also worried about L. She might have fallen for Serpina¡¯s tricks.¡¯

    Zich¡¯s sword began to overflow with mana.

 Chapter 536

    <h4>Chapter 536</h4>

    It was a guaranteed loss if he went into an inescapable fight shaking in fear. Zich mustered up all his courage and got ready to face the dragon. Yet, as expected, a dragon wasn¡¯t an enemy he could easily defeat with merely self-assurance and confidence. <i>Shaaaa!</i>

    The dragon opened its mouth again. This was its third breath, and the dragon was too close to the battlefield for Zich to hope that it would miss its mark again. Its slit pupils inside its bright yellow eyes spotted Zich.

    <i>Shaaaaa! </i>As Zich expected, the third breath was aimed straight at him.

    ¡°You guys, evade on your own!¡± Zich said to hispanions and jumped sideways. All of Zich¡¯spanions could take care of themselves, so that was all he needed to say to them. Chelsea and Pina were near him, but Zich didn¡¯t bother with them.

    ¡®Glen Zenard¡¯spanions can figure things out on their own.¡¯ Zich let them be since it seemed like they no longer had any will to fight, but it still didn¡¯t change the fact that they were enemies.

    <i>Baaam! </i>The dragon¡¯s breath fumed in the area where Zich used to be. Mana infused with heat burned and prated the ground, and Byner¡¯s corpse on the ground turned to ashes in an instant. Although Zich managed to evade the attack, the dragon¡¯s eyes continued to track his movements. He couldn¡¯t let his guard down.

    <i>Boooom! </i>The dragon turned its head, and its breath moved ordingly. The dragon¡¯s breath left burnt cracks on the ground as it chased after Zich.

    ¡®It¡¯s fast!¡¯ Even if Zich moved fast using mana, he couldn¡¯tpare to the dragon spitting fire by just slightly tilting its head. Zich felt a burning sensation on his back.

    ¡®Now!¡¯ Zich focused his attention on the encroaching mana and jumped sideways. <i>Booom! </i>The dragon¡¯s breath struck where he used to be and moved to the side. If Zich had been even a secondte, he would¡¯ve been struck by the breath. Yet, the crisis wasn¡¯t over. The breath changed directions and aimed for Zich.

    ¡®How persistent!¡¯ Zich changed directions again and evaded the breath. It seemed like the dragon had expected Zich¡¯s movements and swerved, but Zich changed directions once more. In the end, the dragon¡¯s breath failed tond on Zich again.

    <i>Whoosh!</i> The breath disappeared, and Zich was finally able to ce both his feet on the ground and stare at the dragon.

    ¡®The dragon¡¯s lung capacity is annoyingly good.¡¯ The way Zich thought about the dragon even in such a serious situation was remarkably like him.

    ¡°Sir Zich!¡±

    ¡°Are you all right, sir?!¡±

    Hans and Snoc came running.

    ¡°I¡¯m all right,¡± Zich said and looked around. Unlike before, this attack had caused considerable damage. Even when people had distanced themselves to not get caught up in Zich and Glen¡¯s fight, they were still standing in the middle of a battlefield. Zich was only able to slightly limit the damages he directed the breath to where there weren¡¯t many people, but there were still many casualties. Not many were injured though since those swept by the breath whether directly or by deflection died instantly and turned into a fistful of ashes.

    ¡®Well, it doesn¡¯t matter since they are all the allied forces¡¯ guys.¡¯ Zich indifferently ended his concern about the damage like that.

    ¡°Zich!¡± A worried voice called out to him. Leona was hurriedly running toward him.

    ¡°Hey, Leona.¡±

    ¡°Are you injured anywhere?¡±

    ¡°As you can see, I¡¯mpletely fine.¡±

    ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you? He isn¡¯t someone who will die from just that.¡± Walwiss dropped to the ground behind Leona. ¡°If he were, he would¡¯ve died to my Inferno attack before.¡±

    ¡°I thought I was really going to die that time though,¡± Zich said in exaggeration.

    ¡°Stop joking. Besides that, I¡¯m assuming thatrge creature isn¡¯t also part of your n?¡± Walwiss looked toward the dragon. The dragon didn¡¯t seem like it was nning to shoot out another breath and instead was flying toward where Zich and hispanions were. It seemed it wouldn¡¯t take long for the dragon to arrive at their location. Walwiss noted, ¡°A dragon¡¯s entrance seems fitting to mark the end of a major y though.¡±

    ¡°I would never manage such a y nor write an act like that,¡± Zich replied.

    ¡°Yes, you don¡¯t seem to have any talent in that field.¡±

    ¡°But I do have great talent in writing up an act to bring despair to people.¡±

    ¡°That sounds like a terrifying talent.¡±

    While they joked with one another, Walwiss¡¯ eyes strayed away from the dragon.

    ¡°Dragons¡­they are known to be Lords of Magic ording to the legends,¡± Walwiss said.

    ¡°You must be greatly moved at the sight of them, sir.¡±

    ¡°I would¡¯ve been if it wasn¡¯t trying to kill us.¡±

    Then, someone approached them with heavy, loud stomps.

    ¡°You are here, Mr. Til.¡±

    ¡°It looked like you needed some extra support,¡± Til said.

    ¡°It¡¯s as you say. Our opponent is a dragon. Will you be all right with that?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve already received my payment, so I have to work for my pay, sir,¡± Til replied.

    ¡°What a model mercenary. If all mercenaries were like you, people would have a much more positive view of mercenaries,¡± Walwiss said in admiration.

    ¡°That will ce me in a difficult position. I wouldn¡¯t have as muchpetitive value if we were all the same.¡±

    ¡°Haha! You sure are a mercenary with the right business mind. I¡¯m impressed. Other mercenaries only think about finishing their work as fast as possible,¡± Walwiss chuckled.

    ¡°Sir Zich!¡± another person shouted. Zich turned and saw Lube drop from Weig¡¯s arms and run toward them.

    ¡°The Saintess and Sir Weig also came.¡±

    ¡°We have finished cleaning up the Bellid guys. We came because we were curious about the dragon that popped out of nowhere,¡± Weig said and looked up. ¡°Perhaps, is this also one of your surprise events?¡±

    ¡°Why does everyone think that I¡¯m the one who called that dragon?¡±

    ¡°But¡­¡± Lube was the one who replied, ¡°It¡¯s <i>you</i> we are talking about.¡±

    Zichughed dryly. ¡°Geez, you really make me at a loss for words.¡± Since Zich was also well aware of everything he had done until now, hepletely gave up on making excuses for himself. He looked at the people around him¡ªevery single one of them had amazing skills and thought, ¡®This should be good enough.¡¯

    Zich turned his gaze toward a knight standing awkwardly at a short distance. ¡°Sir Knight Chris Nunn.¡±

    ¡°Ah, young master.¡± The person that Zich addressed was the captain of the Steelwall¡¯s Steel Sword Order of Knights Danny Chris Nunn. It seemed as if he had rushed toward Zich out of concern, but he had lost the opportunity to approach Zich when many of Zich¡¯srades suddenly appeared.

    Zich said, ¡°Tell my sted father to move the troops to the rear as much as possible. The war is basically over, and the allied forces can¡¯t attack us in this situation either. Well, they don¡¯t seem to have the leisure to do so either.¡±

    Zich watched the allied forces running away like an army of ants escaping a flood.

    ¡°Yes, sir. Young master, are you nning to fight the dragon?¡±

    ¡°Since the dragon is obviously showing its hostility, I can¡¯t just sit still and wait for it to attack.¡±

    ¡°Then we¡¯ll also help. I¡¯m sure that the best knights from the Steelwall Estate will be able to help fight a dragon.¡±

    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s true. However, pleasee back with those at least at the level of vice-captain among the knights. If it¡¯s anyone below that, I think they¡¯ll just die needlessly.¡±

    ¡°Yes, sir!¡± Danny immediately began running towards the main camp.

    <i>Rumble! </i>The ground trembled, but it was not an earthquake. Something huge fell to the ground.

    ¡°It¡¯s here,¡± Til said while looking at the dragon and raised his sword. Others also prepared for battle.

    ¡®As expected, it¡¯s huge.¡¯ Zich calmly thought this as he looked at the dragon in front of him. No wonder it was a monster passed down through legends. Regardless of how long ago they disappeared, stories about a monster like this deserved to be passed down orally for a long time with fear.

    ¡°I can¡¯t believe I¡¯m looking at a dragon. If I tell this to Grandma, she¡¯ll freak out.¡± Leona¡¯s grandma was the Lake Tribe¡¯s shaman. As one of the oldest living beings in this entire world, she probably knew about the dangers of dragons better than anyone else. It was understandable that she¡¯d be shocked beyond belief if she heard that her cute granddaughter and her next heir had to face an angry dragon.

    The dragon opened its mouth again.

    ¡®Is it another breath attack again?¡¯ Even though it was now the fourth time he¡¯d seen it, this didn¡¯t make the attack any less dangerous. Zich¡¯srades raised their guards and were on high alert. However, the dragon¡¯s breath headed toward apletely different ce.

    <i>Bammmm! </i>The dragon¡¯s breath cut through the ground once more and shook the earth. At the same time, the dragon¡¯s target let out a horrifying scream.

    ¡°Ugahhhhhhhhh!¡± The noble Sun Hero screamed his ass off while avoiding the dragon¡¯s breath. Judging by his position, it seemed as if he had tried to sneak away while Zich, Hans, and Snoc¡¯s attention were all focused on the dragon.

    ¡°Woah, he really looks like a bug.¡± Leona covered her mouth with her arm and frowned. Her gesture resembled someone exposed to a terrible stench¡ªthat disyed the depth of her disgust for Glen.

    ¡°Yet he¡¯s still managing to avoid everything.¡± Lube looked at him scornfully. Her tone was also filled with disgust, and it sounded as if she wished he¡¯d died instead. Ever since she realized he was a dirty Bellid coborator who had infiltrated into the Karuwimans, she only wished him ill-will.

    Zich held back hisughter. Glen was receiving the worst looks from thedies he so desperately tried to recruit into his party. ¡®I got the picture I wanted.¡¯

    Glen had fallenpletely into ruins. He would never be able to be a hero or anything remotely like a hero.

    ¡®Why did the dragon attack him though?¡¯ The dragon didn¡¯t seem as if it was trying to kill everyone on sight as there were still many soldiers fleeing in all directions. ¡®Was I not the dragon¡¯s target?¡¯

    On second thought, it was quite out of the blue that the dragon was so hostile to him. How did he gain the hatred of a dragon which just woke up?

    ¡®Glen and I are the only ones that directly got attacked by the dragon,¡¯ Zich thought of what simrities he shared with Glen. Even though just the thought of finding simrities with Glen was infuriating, he was able to barely manage to keep his disgust in check. Fortunately, no one had to see him vomiting.

    ¡®Perhaps, does it only target regressors?¡¯ This was his first thought, but Zich had to immediately rectify his thought.

    <i>Swoosh! </i>The dragon twisted its heavy body, and a huge tail flew toward them. People frantically ran all over the ce to escape its attack.

    <i>Baaaam!</i> A long crater appeared where the dragon¡¯s tail hit; this was the result of swinging its tail just once. The dragon¡¯s enormous and powerful body was a story of legends, but it was frightening to see it in person. However, it was not the tail¡¯s power that caught Zich¡¯s eyes.

    ¡®Just now, it definitely went after Hans.¡¯ Then Zich¡¯s hypothesis that the dragon only targeted regressors was rejected, and a new hypothesis emerged in his mind.

    ¡®Perhaps, does it target only those who used Clowon¡¯s swords?¡¯ However, this was the extent of Zich¡¯s thoughts.

    <i>Baaaaammmmmmmm!</i> As if all of its previous attacks had been a joke, the dragon began to ferociously let out a wave of offensive attacks.

 Chapter 537

    <h4>Chapter 537</h4>

    The dragon raised its giant feet and stomped down on Zich and hispanions. <i>Booom! </i>The sheer power and speed that came from the dragon¡¯s mass size alone and the hard scales that were surrounding all of its body could crush a sturdy building just by stomping its feet. Fortunately, Zich and hispanions quickly evaded the attacks and tried to dive into the dragon¡¯s weak spots. Yet, the dragon was more powerful than they expected.

    The dragon rotated its body like flowing water and instead of whipping its tail vertically likest time, it mmed its tail horizontally onto the ground toward Zich¡¯s party. <i>Whoosh!</i> Just the sound of the wind blowing showed the mighty force behind the movement.

    ¡°Hmph!¡± Til ced more pressure on his legs and nted them on the ground. Then, he raised his sword up. He couldn¡¯t continue running away. Even if their opponent was a dragon, they couldn¡¯t win if they didn¡¯t attack. Furthermore, Til was confident. Although he didn¡¯t possess any sophisticated techniques, he didn¡¯tg behind anyone else in strength. The dragon¡¯s attack was also a simple, heavy thrust with its weight, and the Saintess could heal his injuries even if he was severely wounded.

    ¡°Haaaa!¡± Thus, Til rose to take on the insane challenge of catching the dragon¡¯s tail head-on. <i>Baaam! </i>Til¡¯s sword and the dragon¡¯s tail collided. An enormous explosion rang out, and the result of the sh was immediately visible.

    ¡°Urghh!¡± Til¡¯s body bounced off like a leaf swept by the wind.

    ¡°Snoc!¡±

    At Zich¡¯smand, Snoc moved the earth. The ground rose with his hand movements and safely caught Til. Lube rushed forward and Snoc moved Til to where she was. Meanwhile, Zich checked Til¡¯s condition. Although they were a bit of a distance away, it wasn¡¯t hard for Zich to see what the impact of the collision was.

    ¡®His arm is crushed.¡¯ Til¡¯s arm was in a grotesque state. His hands and elbows were twisted eerily while they were covered in blood. His crushed bones were piercing through his skin, and if they hadn¡¯t had a holy priest with them, it would¡¯ve been impossible to heal his arm to its original state. It was a wonder how Til hadn¡¯t let go of his sword even in such a condition.

    ¡®Compared to that, the damage the dragon received¡­¡¯ Zich saw the dragon retract its tail. The part of its tail that collided with Til sent a ssh of blood into the air, but its injury was very smallpared to Til¡¯s. Zich moved to Til¡¯s side. Thanks to Lube¡¯s holy magic, Til¡¯s injury was already noticeably better.

    ¡°How is it?¡± Zich asked.

    While scrunching from the pain still bothering him, Til answered, ¡°It is superior to me in strength, mana, and everything else. Above all, its outer coating is hard.¡±

    ¡°It does look hard¡­¡± The durability and hardness of dragon scales wereparable to metals like mithril or orichalcum. Zich searched the dragon¡¯s body. Every inch was covered with red scales. <i>Hwaaaa! </i>The dragon spewed mes. It seemed angry about the injury it received on its tail.

    The dragon moved its hand. It had thin arms and hands that didn¡¯t seem to fit itsrge body and heavy hind legs, which made it aical sight. Yet, the effect this movement caused wasn¡¯t funny by any means. <i>Wiiing! </i>Mana fluctuated in the dragon¡¯s body, flowed out, and organized itself.

    ¡®Magic!¡¯ They were finally able to witness the magic of a being called the Lord of Magic, but no one rejoiced over this fact.

    ¡°¡­You are joking, right?¡± Walwiss murmured. As the one who was most proficient in magic, he was the first one to notice, but everyone else had the same thoughts as him. It was the same for Zich.

    Unable to hold it in simply by murmuring, Walwiss yelled, ¡°A five-part incantation? Impossible¡­!¡±

    Immense mana swirled around the dragon and it drew upon five different types of magic at the same time.

    ¡®No, it¡¯s not even an incantation,¡¯ Walwiss thought. There was no need for the dragon to memorize long spells, and in this case, it would be more urate to say that the dragon was doing a five-part non-incantation spell, but Walwiss didn¡¯t have the ease to slowly exin this to hispanions. Magic had many different elements such as fire, wind, water, earth, and lightning. When using several types of magic at once, using the same element type was the easiest, simr element types were easier, and opposing element types were the hardest. Yet, the dragon was implementing magic of five different properties on an extremely high level.

    ¡°I will handle two of them!¡± Walwiss shouted and swung his staff. He had already prepared two types of magic with incantations. <i>Baam!</i> Walwiss¡¯ magic and the dragon¡¯s magic collided, and Walwiss¡¯ magic fiercely pressed on.

    <i>Pssh! </i>Walwiss¡¯ magic seeded in destroying the dragon¡¯s. But that was only two of them, and three were remaining. Snoc raised the earth and made a wall in front of the magic attack. Matching that, Elena also swerved her staff. Fully recovered now, Til infused mana into his sword and swung a mana air de while Weig also poured out holy magic. Leona also ced her bow down this time and shot out a spell. <i>Bam! Bam! Bam!</i>

    The dragon¡¯s magic was intercepted by Zich and hispanions¡¯ coboration, but there was no time for them to celebrate.

    <i>Shaa!</i> Before its magic was offset, the dragon was forming new, high-temperature mana from its mouth.

    ¡®Hmm,¡¯ Zich thought while looking at it. ¡®It seems like it won¡¯t be over any time soon.¡¯

    <i>Baaaaam!</i> The dragon let out its breath again.

    * * *

    The battle was incredibly fierce and fearful.<i> Boom! </i>There was another explosion, and after the dragon lowered its body, it swung its front legs. It had an astonishingly small front legpared to the rest of the size of its body, but the destruction it caused wasn¡¯t different from any of its other body parts.

    <i>Thud! </i>Hans and Weig aimed for the dragon¡¯s legs, but the dragon swung its tail and blocked them. Its tail hindered their attacks. At the same time, mana gathered around the dragon again.

    ¡°Damn it!¡± Walwiss hurriedly tried to prepare another spell. Even though Walwiss was one of the best mages in the world, he was too busy offsetting a portion of the dragon¡¯s magic.

    ¡®I see.¡¯ Zich recalled how an elf that he met before his regression had told him that he had the same amount of mana as a dragon¡¯s. To be honest, he had been pleased to hear that the amount of mana he had was equivalent to that of a legendary creature. He had been proud of himself, thinking that he was on the same level as a dragon. However, he had beenpletely wrong.

    ¡®Only the amount of our mana was the same.¡¯ Dragons didn¡¯t just have arge amount of mana. Their huge body was a weapon by itself. Dragons could crush people and make craters in the earth by merely moving. Only expert knights like Weig or Til could barely manage to damage the dragon¡¯s tough scales after trying with all their might. Moreover, the dragon used magic so skillfully that Walwiss, who wouldter be known as the Demon Lord of Magic, was astonished beyond belief. It also shot out powerful breaths continuously without rest. Zich and hispanions directly experienced why dragons were so revered and feared in legends.

    Of course, if Zich had the power that he had during his prime, it might have been apletely different story. However, all of Zich¡¯s mana hadn¡¯t been released yet. Til and Walwiss were also very strong, but they weren''t as strong as when they were called the Demon Lord of Destruction and the Demon Lord of Magic. It was also the same for Lube and Leona. Weig was at least in his prime, but his skills were slightly weaker than the top Demon Person in the era of Demon People. In other words, it seemed much too difficult for them to defeat the dragon at their current power.

    ¡®Damn it, if I had all of my mana, I could at least try to do something.¡¯ The amount of mana he had was at least equal to a dragon¡¯s. ¡®Even if we mobilize all the soldiers, it won¡¯t work.¡¯

    Trying to fight the dragon with more soldiers was equivalent to increasing the number of victims. The soldiers¡¯ weapons wouldn¡¯t be able to prate the dragon¡¯s scales, and a dozen of soldiers would merely be meat jerky with a single step from the dragon.

    ¡®I think we can get a bit of help from the Count¡¯s elite knights though.¡¯ However, it still seemed unlikely that they¡¯d be able to beat the dragon.

    <i>Baaam! </i>The dragon¡¯s tail swept the ground, and Zich saw Hans and Weig avoid the tail in a hurry. They had been relieved when the dragon came down to the ground since they thought it would be easier to fight a monster with two legs on the ground than a flying monster. However, the situation was contrary to their expectations. The dragon¡¯s overwhelming physical attacks were relentlessly pushing back Zich¡¯s party. It was to the extent that they thought it had been easier to defend when the dragon was in the air and only attacked them with its breath and magic.

    <i>Bam!</i> Once again, the dragonpleted its spell and fired attacks at them. However, two of the attacks went inpletely different directions.

    ¡°Ahhhhhhhh!¡± Glen¡¯s horrendous scream rang out in the air again. Glen seemed to have failed to escape again. His attempt to escape drew a lot of the dragon¡¯s attention away and was very helpful to Zich¡¯s team.

    ¡®It¡¯s my first time feeling thankful to him.¡¯ However, Glen¡¯s distraction was not enough to lead them to victory.

    <i>Bammm!</i> Zich dodged a huge chunk of ice that flew toward him. A ball of fire flew right into the ce he escaped to, so Zich pushed his body away as if he was flinging his body into the air. However, he was unable to avoid the dragon¡¯s tail that came right after.

    <i>Crash! </i>

    ¡°Ugh!¡± Zich raised his sword to defend against the dragon¡¯s tail and rxed his body as much as possible. His body bounced back. The sword, which had umted damage, shattered and scattered debris into the air. At the same time, his arm was severely twisted.

    <i>sh! </i>The dragon took advantage of this opportunity and shot another breath to end Zich. However, even while his arms were messed up, Zich did not lose his concentration.

    <i>Thud!</i> He fused a lot of mana into his feet and hit the ground. He used the momentum of his flight to change direction.

    <i>Baaaam! </i>The breath brushed past Zich, and he felt its scorching heat barely miss him.

    ¡°You punk!¡±

    ¡°Haaaat!¡±

    Weig and Til attacked the dragon. Even though their ferocious attacks didn¡¯t work on the dragon, it seemed to have distracted the dragon, and the breath flying toward Zich stopped. Zich immediately ran to Lube.

    <i>Wiiiing!</i> Lube healed Zich¡¯s arm. Lube didn¡¯t make a worried expression or say any words of concern; she waspletely immersed inpleting her duties on the battlefield. After healing his arm, Zich pulled out a new sword and jumped into battle again. However, the battle showed no signs of victory.

    ¡®We need someone who can take on the dragon¡¯s attack!¡¯ Zich and hispanion¡¯s attacks managed to injure the dragon¡¯s body once theynded, but the main problem was that the dragon¡¯s attacks were so ferocious and intense that they couldn¡¯t manage to attack it. Thus, they needed someone to block the dragon¡¯s attack while the others attacked the dragon. However, Zich couldn¡¯t even attempt to take on the dragon¡¯s attack because if he were hit even once with the dragon¡¯s attack, his bones would vaporize immediately and not even a trace of his body would be left. Zich racked his brain to find a solution.

    <i>Baamm! </i>

    ¡°Aggh!¡±

    ¡°Ugggh!¡±

    The dragon¡¯s breath brushed past Hans and Snoc. They had been trying to defend themselves while attacking the dragon.

    ¡°Mr. Hans!¡±

    ¡°Snoc!¡±

    Lara and Elena called out their names. As expected of Zich¡¯s disciples who had to endure his terrifying training, they immediately tried to pull themselves back while feeling intense pain. However, the dragon was one step faster than them. Despite itsrge size, the dragon jumped nimbly towards them; it was trying to crush them with its heavy weight.

    ¡°Damn it!¡± Zich immediately moved. He couldn¡¯t think of a way to save them. While Zich coldly thought that he might have to give up on them and gritted his teeth¡ª

    <i>Ziing! </i>He suddenly felt a strange sensation at the tip of his index finger. At the same time, an explosive amount of mana soared from his body. There was no time for him to think about the reason for this phenomenon. He elerated his speed and hit the dragon with his sword.

    <i>Baaaaaaam!</i> With a loud explosion, the dragon¡¯s enormous body faltered for the first time.

 Chapter 538

    <h4>Chapter 538</h4>

    Everyone on the battlefield witnessed the scene, including Zich¡¯spanions, the soldiers leaving the area in orderly ranks, and escapees aimlessly fleeing the area in fear. After not budging an inch at Zich''spanions¡¯ numerous attacks, therge dragon lost its bnce and flew through the air.

    <i>Boom!</i> They thought the dragon was like a gigantic mountain that would not fall under any natural disaster, but in the end, it fell and rolled on the ground. They almost couldn¡¯t believe their eyes. Furthermore, the man behind the attack was someone every person on the battlefield knew whether they were from the Steelwalls or the allied forces. After all, his inhumane battles against Glen caught the attention of everyone around them nearly every day during the war.

    There was no cheering yet. He had toppled the dragon over just once, and it was much too early to celebrate. However, it was also true that the dragon finally seemed to have been pushed back when no human attack could make it budge. Thus, everyone couldn¡¯t help but feel hope rising in their hearts. While everyone else was feeling shocked and awed by Zich¡¯s skills, it seemed like Zich was also surprised.

    ¡®This power is¡­¡¯ This was his mana. Zich was sure of it. The mana that had been dormant inside him awakened and flowed inside his body. But it wasn¡¯t time for his mana to awaken yet. The mana in the innermost corner of his body was still hardened, and he had only been able to use all his mana when holding Windur that resonated with the World Tree. Zich stretched out his hand. He felt something foreign at the tip of his finger.

    ¡®The Key that Distorts Destiny?¡¯ He was sure of it. That finger was used to hold the key that was part of Windur.

    ¡®Did my mana get released when this key came back into my finger?¡¯ Then, why did this key suddenly pop back into his finger? L was the one who had Windur right now, and that made Zich think.

    ¡®It must be L¡¯s doing.¡¯ Zich was sure of it. A smile formed on his lips¡ªit wasn¡¯t the kind of terrifying smile he made when mocking or tormenting his enemies. It was a very calm and soft one.

    ¡®Of course, she isn¡¯t the type to betray my expectations.¡¯

    * * *

    While sitting on one of the crystal remains, Serpina stared at L inside the ss container. Serpina didn¡¯t know what L would do at first when L guided the mana of the World Tree¡¯s clones while clutching Windur tightly. She simply thought that L was uselessly resisting and all her efforts would be futile. Serpina could swear upon the name of Clowon, as well as her pride and reason for living, that there was no way to restrict the dragon from this ce. But when the mana from the World Tree¡¯s clones started resonating, her eyebrows slightly went up. Then, she sprung to her feet when a huge amount of mana flowed outside.

    ¡®What is she doing?¡¯ On second thought, L was also Serpina herself. When Serpina backstabbed L by physically breaking the crystal when L was distracted with controlling the system, there was no guarantee that L wouldn¡¯t do something simr.

    ¡®Instead of trying to restrict the dragon with the system, is she trying a different method?¡¯ Serpina thought. L was standing defenselessly right now, so Serpina could destroy the ss container with magic and hinder L¡¯s ns. Then, all of L¡¯s ns would be futile. Yet, Serpina didn¡¯t attack L. Instead, she sat back down on the broken part of the crystal, crossed her legs, and watched with her chin on her hand.

    ¡°How surprising. Are you not nning to do anything?¡±

    Serpina suddenly heard a familiar voice behind her, and she felt a chilling sensation around her neck. She looked down and saw a pure white sword hanging around her neck. It was a sword she knew very well: Estede, the Clowon prince¡¯s sword. Even when its des didn¡¯t directly touch her, its aura seemed to prickle her skin. Serpina turned around and stared at the person.

    ¡°Is this really the method L came up with to turn the situation around?¡± Serpina asked and said the name of the person wielding the sword at her. ¡°Zich Brave.¡±

    Zich Brave raised his guard against her movements and replied, ¡°No, I¡¯m simply meant to be on watch duty to make sure you don¡¯t do anything unnecessary.¡±

    ¡°I see.¡± Serpina nodded. ¡°Thank goodness. I would¡¯ve been disappointed in her if you were supposed to be the solution.¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s no way I can go help the guys above ground though.¡±

    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s why I said I would¡¯ve been disappointed if you were the solution. I thought she could¡¯ve just tried anything out in her desperate attempt to fix the situation.¡±

    The two were forms made by the World Tree¡¯s mana and couldn¡¯t go very far from the mana. Thus, even if L summoned Zich Brave, he couldn¡¯t go to help Zich.

    ¡°She wasted energy calling you.¡±

    ¡°Howe?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not nning to do anything more now.¡±

    ¡°Do you realize how unbelievable you sound right now?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not my concern whether you believe me or not.¡±

    Zich Brave looked at her with suspicion. Serpina smirked after seeing his expression. ¡°If you don¡¯t believe me, why don¡¯t you just kill me?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯d be d to, but will you die without resisting?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t want to.¡±

    Brave clicked his tongue. If he could, he wanted to slice her head off and erase all possibilities of future conflicts. Yet, this was Serpina he was dealing with¡ªthe person he had fought to the death many times. It would be reasonable to say that he was the person who knew her abilities the best. When L summoned him and he stood behind Serpina, he nned to try to kill her if the chance arose. However, as expected of a person with the Demon Lord title, he saw her shoulders shake slightly. He needed to give up on his original goal and be satisfied that he had managed to get so close to her. It was also a surprise she didn¡¯t do anything as she watched him ce his sword near her neck.

    Brave thought, ¡®I¡¯m sure she would¡¯ve struck back as soon as I tried to slice her neck though.¡¯ Serpina knew L called Brave to protect her. If they started fighting, it was evident that Serpina would direct most of her attacks toward L as he would prioritize protecting her. Zich Brave was sure that Serpina would fight like this. However, Serpina seemed to have zero interest in Brave to the extent that Brave seriously contemted if he would be able to kill her if he quickly moved his sword.

    ¡®Does she really n to do nothing?¡¯ Serpina really was just looking at L. Since L had assigned him to stop Serpina from doing anything harmful, he should have weed Serpina¡¯s attitude. However, her current behavior was incredibly suspicious.

    <i>Ziiing!</i> While Zich Brave confronted Serpina, the mana from the World Tree¡¯s clones swirled inside the ss container.

    ¡°Ha.¡± Serpina let out a snort as she realized what L was trying to do. She saw mana concentrate on one of Windur¡¯s edges and saw it disappear. ¡°The Key that Distorts Destiny.¡±

    Serpina looked at Brave. ¡°You guys are nning to release all of Zich¡¯s mana.¡±

    ¡°Even if his opponent is a dragon, Zich will be able to have a fair fight if he has all of his mana.¡± Brave easily admitted it since there was no reason to hide it.

    ¡°Is that so? Of course, even so, the dragon will have an advantage, but I guess Zich has hisrades. It¡¯ll be fun. I really don¡¯t know who¡¯s going to win now.¡±

    Brave looked deeply into Serpina¡¯s eyes. Even though her n had been hampered, she didn¡¯t show any signs of dismay. Instead, she was calmly muttering to herself and analyzing the current situation. ¡°The fragmented part of the emperor¡¯s sword is most closely connected to Zich, since the emperor¡¯s sword forced a part of itself into Zich¡¯s body. With the mana from the World Tree¡¯s clones, the emperor¡¯s sword can force the key back into Zich¡¯s body. In ces where they need the World Tree¡¯s power, L can act as the mediator and directly send the World Tree¡¯s power to Zich to release all of his mana. I see. With this method, Zich can continue to use all of his mana even outside this ruin.¡±

    ¡°¡­You¡¯re really just going to analyze it like that?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re a really persistent man. What¡¯s up with you? Do you want me to antagonize you two?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s because I can¡¯t trust you. This whole situation happened because you betrayed L in the first ce.¡±

    ¡°What do you mean betrayed? We were in a contract rtionship in the first ce. While L and Zich learned my knowledge, I was supposed to look for any opportunities to initiate my n. How can you talk about betrayal when there was no trust in the first ce?¡±

    ¡°You sure talk well. Yeah, there¡¯s no trust between us. Then, how do you think I felt when you said you wouldn¡¯t do anything?¡±

    ¡°You didn¡¯t believe it for even a second.¡±

    ¡°Thank you for understanding how I feel,¡± Brave said with the driest and ttest tone possible. Serpina merely shrugged at his voice, which was full of sarcasm instead of gratitude.

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter whether you believe me or not, but I really don¡¯t n to do anything else. I¡¯m merely waiting for the results outside.¡±

    ¡°Why?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s because that was myst desperate effort.¡±

    ¡°¡­Go on.¡± Thest words caught Brave¡¯s interest.

    ¡°I¡¯m being pushed to a corner much more than you think. Zich is a hellishly annoying bastard.¡± Serpina thought of Zich and shook her head. ¡°When we were fighting each other, I didn¡¯t think there was a more annoying bastard than you, butpared to Zich, you can be considered cute. No, since you¡¯re the same person, I guess I don¡¯t have to differentiate between the two of you.¡±

    Then Serpina continued, ¡°Anyway, waking up the dragon was a gamble for me too. Since the empire is gone now, it¡¯ll be extremely difficult to catch the dragon and put it back in the crystal. Applying it as part of the system would basically be impossible. Of course, there were other methods I could have used instead, but I couldn¡¯t be certain of the results for any of them either. Above all, it¡¯s uncertain whether L will fully cooperate with my ns even after Zich dies. If she refuses, I¡¯ll disappear without being able to do anything.¡±

    ¡°¡­But you still awakened the dragon for it to attack Zich?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sure you know it as well. Apart from being part of the Brushel System¡¯s core and supporting the empire, there¡¯s no reason for my existence.¡±

    Brave said, ¡°Regardless of the urgency of the situation, I should have never called you.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s already been done. Besides, you guys had no choice but to call me.¡±

    ¡°So you¡¯re just going to quietly wait for the results toe out now that your job is over after waking up the dragon?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    Her words made sense, but Brave thought Serpina had another reason besides this. He said, ¡°But it¡¯s still suspicious. Based on what you said, my appearance and Zich¡¯s release of his mana will certainly interfere with your n. However, your reaction is way too calm¨Ceven if this is yourst-ditch effort with a high possibility of failure. No, shouldn¡¯t you feel even more nervous because it¡¯s yourst try?¡±

    Serpina sighed, but it wasn¡¯t a sigh to mock Brave. It seemed more like a reaction from someone who was about to say something that made them ufortable to say out loud. ¡°¡­Yeah, you and I are in the same boat anyway. No matter how bad our rtionship is, I guess this is still fate. This will probably be thest time I talk to you, no matter the results.¡±

    Serpina turned around and stared straight at Brave. The sword pointed at her neck and narrowly missed her skin. ¡°It may be hard for you to believe, but will you still listen?¡±

    ¡°This whole situation feels like a joke in the first ce. There¡¯s no reason for me to say no after listening to you so far.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I guess that¡¯s also true.¡± Serpina nodded. ¡°This is myst desperate effort and it¡¯s also for me to put a final conclusion to my life.¡±

 Chapter 539

    <h4>Chapter 539</h4>

    ¡°The final conclusion to your life?¡±

    ¡°When you first saw her, what sorts of thoughts did you have in your head?¡± Serpina pointed at L. Brave nced at L momentarily and quickly turned back to ce his guard up against Serpina.

    ¡°It¡¯s hard to say. I haven¡¯t thought about the matter deeply, but it¡¯s clear that unlike you, she is a very upright soul.¡±

    ¡°Yes, as you say, she and I are different. Then, let me ask my next question. What do you think about Zich?¡± Although Brave¡¯s name was also Zich, he immediately knew that Serpina was referring to the Zich who was currently fighting a dragon outside.

    Brave¡¯s expression looked conflicted as he replied, ¡°Um, he¡¯s aplicated guy.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s one way to describe him. He says he does kind deeds, but he doesn¡¯t have the same characteristics as you.¡± Unlike Zich who tormented viins in the name of doing kind acts, Zich Brave was genuinely a just person. It was natural that he didn¡¯t feelfortable with a character type like Zich¡¯s.

    ¡°However, no matter how much that guy¡¯s behavior doesn¡¯t suit you, you can¡¯t help but think of him as special. You know the reason for that too, right?¡±

    ¡°Yes, because that guy is me.¡±

    Although he had be apletely different person through various incidents and experiences, the Zich that was fighting the dragon right now was also him. It might have been different if Zich had been aplete stranger, but people always went easy on themselves.

    ¡°Yes, we can¡¯t help but see our other selves more specially. It¡¯s the same for me too.¡± Even if Serpina constantly criticized L and despised her, she couldn¡¯t disregard her. It was because L was also herself.

    ¡°Truthfully, she was quite disappointing, but she also interested me. She made me think, ¡®If I gain different experiences, I suppose I would also change like that.¡¯¡± In another way, L was another possibility of herself¡ªshe was directly facing things that most people only dreamed about.

    ¡°Thus, I asked her many questions. She didn¡¯t have much experience to share because it hasn¡¯t been long since she gained consciousness. She couldn¡¯t bring up many topics that interested me except one.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s that?¡±

    ¡°Her love for Zich.¡±

    Brave¡¯s expression turned awkward.

    ¡°Don¡¯t even dream about it. The Zich she loves is the one who is battling on the surface, not you.¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t dream of such a thing. Even though L is a good soul, there are times when I get shocked seeing her because she has the same face as you. So, why would I even dream of that?¡±

    ¡°For a hero, you¡¯re prejudiced.¡±

    ¡°The Demon Lord I fought made too much of asting impression on me.¡±

    Serpina snorted and continued, ¡°L looked like she was really enjoying herself when talking about Zich. To be honest, that part of her really piqued my interest and filled me with awe. It was simply astonishing that I, who gave up everything for Clowon and loved the empire with my whole being, could be like that. I wouldn¡¯t have blinked an eye if it was anyone else¡¯s story. No matter how great or passionate the love was, it wouldn¡¯t have even touched my heart except this one.¡±

    ¡°In other words, her love touched your heart because L was another version of yourself.¡±

    ¡°Yes, and as I continued to watch her, I began to think, ¡®This version of myself isn¡¯t too bad.¡¯¡±

    ¡°Then, you should¡¯ve just let them do what they wanted to do.¡±

    ¡°I couldn¡¯t let that happen. Even if I gained a personal wish, it doesn¡¯t change the fact that I am Clowon¡¯s princess. That¡¯s why I nned this event.¡±

    It was then that Brave understood what Serpina was saying.

    ¡°So, if the dragon wins, you are going to aim to revive Clowon as the empire¡¯s princess, and if Zich wins, you are going topletely give up on the matter.¡±

    ¡°I did my best as Clowon¡¯s princess. If this n fails, there¡¯s nothing left for the princess to do. The oue of this battle will decide whether I will remain as Clowon¡¯s princess, Serpina, or a normal woman who loves a man named L.¡±

    ¡°You sure put much thought into thisplicated thing.¡±

    ¡°I wish I could live simply as you.¡±

    ¡°I also have many thoughts too.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, sure, whatever you say,¡± Serpina replied sarcastically.

    ¡°If what you say is true, then that¡¯s good news for us. Thanks to L, Zich has a better chance of defeating the dragon now.¡±

    ¡°Yes, I didn¡¯t think of that. No wonder Zich left her here to guard against me. To think that she would find a way to turn the situation around right away¡­¡± Serpina readilyplimented L this time and added, ¡°Although it was useless to call you.¡±

    ¡°Well, that¡¯s because we don¡¯t trust you yet.¡±

    ¡°Fine, I will acknowledge that calling you was good judgment on her part,¡± Serpina nced at L. ¡°But the price of that was great.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡± Brave didn¡¯t respond to her words.

    <i>Boom!</i>

    * * *

    The dragon raised its body again. Due to its massive size, it looked as if a mountain was rising. Its eyes turned to Zich. Until now, its eyes had been filled with fury and loathing, but now there was a sense of vignce mixed in. On its shoulder area where Zich had struck, there was a wound deeper than any of the previous ones. It wasn¡¯t critical, and considering a dragon¡¯s strong stamina and vitality, the injury wouldn¡¯t hinder its movements either. Nevertheless, it didn¡¯t take away the fact that this was a huge breakthrough. Furthermore, it hadn¡¯t even been a proper attack that made it either. Since Zich had used mana that suddenly surged out of him, he couldn¡¯t use any special skills or techniques immediately. The dragon also instinctively knew that future attacks were going to be even more critical from now on.

    <i>Wiiing!</i> The dragon prepared its magic. The sight of five different types of magic getting created in an instant was astonishing no matter how many times one saw it¡ªthough an enemy couldn¡¯t purely admire the view. Zich moved his awakened mana all over his body. The gigantic amount of mana seemed to evoke a sense of omnipotence inside him, but Zich didn¡¯t forget to remain level-headed.

    ¡®My mana amount is on the same level as a dragon now, but that¡¯s all there is to it.¡¯ Zich didn¡¯t have scales that couldpare to rare metals, and his stomps alone could not shake the ground either. He also didn¡¯t have his breath mixed in with high-temperature mana or magic skills that could form five different types of elemental magic at once.

    Zichnded next to Hans and Snoc. Weig and Til were supporting them. Zich approached Hans and took Estede from his hands while saying, ¡°I¡¯ll be borrowing this.¡±

    ¡°Yes, sir.¡± Even though his precious sword was being taken from him, Hans obediently passed his sword to Zich.

    Zich held Estede and began moving again. Glen was crouched in a fetal position and was shivering from head to toe.

    <i>Swish!</i> Zich swung his sword toward Glen without warning. Even while shivering in fear, Glen managed to block Zich¡¯s attack. However, Zich had already recovered his mana from his prime, and the sword he was using was Estede, which was the opposite sword equivalent to Glen¡¯s Tornium.

    <i>Bamm!</i>

    ¡°Aghhh!¡± Their positions werepletely flipped from before. Glen wasn¡¯t able to endure Zich¡¯s attack and rolled on the ground like a bug.

    ¡®Should I kill him?¡¯ Zich became slightly conflicted about whether he should kill Glen or not, but he soon gave up on this thought. ¡®It would be better to let him live and distract the dragon for us.¡¯

    If hepared the risk of the dragon in front of him and Glen, who hadpletely fallen into despair, the scale wouldpletely be tipped towards the dragon¡¯s side.

    ¡°Give that to me!¡±

    <i>Punch!</i>

    ¡°Ack!¡±

    Zich kicked Glen¡¯s stomach as he was staggering, and Glen copsed while vomiting blood from his mouth. Then Zich immediately broke Glen¡¯s hand.

    ¡°Aghhhh!¡± A scream burst out of Glen¡¯s mouth, and Tornium fell helplessly to the ground. Tornium was the reason why Zich had approached Glen even in the face of the dragon¡¯s threat.

    <i>Tap!</i> Zich lightly kicked Tornium in the air and held Tornium in his empty hand.

    <i>sssh!</i> The dragonpleted preparing its magic attack. Zich kicked Glen one more time.

    ¡°Agh!¡±

    Again, a painful moan came out of his mouth, but thanks to Zich¡¯s kick, he was able to escape from the center of the dragon¡¯s magic attack. Of course, since the size of the dragon¡¯s magic was substantial, he couldn¡¯tpletely move away from the range of the attack. However, Glen was fully capable of escaping the dragon¡¯s attack from that distance.

    ¡®Continue to act as our bait.¡¯ Zich had no doubt that Glen would be more than willing to y this noble role. The amount of debt that Glen owed to him was unmeasurable; acting as bait for a dragon was nowhere enough to pay just the interest, and Zich thought Glen should be grateful for his generosity. After thinking these fruitless thoughts for a moment, Zich began moving. Thanks to his fully released mana, his movements were significantly faster than before.

    <i>Baaaam!</i> The dragon¡¯s magic attack fell toward the spot where Zich used to be. Lightning and mes surrounded by a gust of wind ferociously danced around to engulf Zich.

    ¡®Three elements¡ªit¡¯s convergence magic!¡¯ It was on the same level of magic as Walwiss¡¯ Inferno. Of course, the dragon¡¯s magic didn¡¯t have just three elements as earth and ice were also mixed into the attack as well. Even though there were elements that offset each other, the dragon¡¯s incredible magic ability and enormous mana forcibly converged them together into one huge magic attack. It was a frightening sight to see elements that should have never existed next to each other converge and bare their sharp teeth. Fortunately, the earth and ice elements disappeared due to Walwiss¡¯ interference.

    However, the remaining elements were still threatening and dangerous. Zich put more strength into his hands, and he strongly gripped the two swords. The swords devoured Zich¡¯s mana and began to transform it into power. He held Estede in one hand and Tornium in the other. Light and dark mana leaked out from Estede and Tornium while the mana from the Key that Distorts Destiny mixed in with the two swords. Then, their powers exploded.

    <i>Swish!</i> Zich lifted Tornium. It had been a long time since he¡¯dst held it in his hands. Tornium¡¯s characteristically rough mana ran wild, and this was the reason why Tornium was called the Demon Sword; those who weren¡¯t able to properly control its mana were harmed by Tornium instead. However, it didn¡¯t pose any threat to Zich who had used Tornium like his hand before his regression. Instead, the sensation of Tornium in his hand even evoked a sense of longing.

    <i>Swing!</i> Zich infused arge amount of mana into Tornium and swung it. Tornium¡¯s mana crashed against the dragon¡¯s magic.

    <i>Crasssssh!</i> Tornium¡¯s raging mana pushed back the dragon¡¯s magic. The wind scattered, the mes died down, and the lightning cracked down a notch. It seemed like the magic was screaming. Zich watched this sight and lifted Estede this time. Before his regression, this was Glen¡¯s ego-sword that always stood in his way. He thought that he would never use it, and even when he found out that he could use it, he had passed it off to Hans.

    Estede let out a brilliant light in the hands of a former Demon Lord. Zich¡¯s enormous mana rapidly turned into light, and Zich concentrated his mana to the tip of the sword and pierced the dragon¡¯s magic attack.

    <i>Wiiing!</i> Light emitted out of Estede, and it prated the magic that was already weakened by Tornium.

    <i>Bang!</i> The dragon¡¯s magic attack lost its sense of direction and died while raging in the air. Zich¡¯s eyes and the dragon¡¯s eyes met.

    <i>Roaaaaar!</i> The dragon let out a loud roar and rushed toward Zich with its mouth wide open. While engulfed in light and dark mana, Zich also rushed toward the dragon.

 Chapter 540

    <h4>Chapter 540</h4>

    Since Zich was holding a sword, it was advantageous for him if the dragon came closer. At the same time, the sight of a dragon rushing at him like a speedy arrow with its giant mass wasn¡¯t very weing either.

    <i>Whoosh!</i> Zich swung Estede. It colored its surroundings white and headed for the dragon¡¯s face. <i>sh!</i> The dragon moved its neck slightly and evaded the light. Simultaneously, it managed to move closer. It was then that the dragon spread its wings out. Itsrge body floated in the air and Tornium swung through the air.

    ¡®Damn it, how can it move like that with its size?!¡¯ Zich grumbled as he looked at the dragon flying at him with its mouth wide open. If a creature was this big, it was only reasonable for its movements to be duller too, but with some exaggeration added in, it seemed to move like a soft and fine hairball through the air. Yet, it was simply mad that despite this, the destructive power it showed matched its size. After infusing a load of mana, Zich swung Estede again.

    <i>Bam! </i>His palms vibrated from the shock. Even when the dragon¡¯s scales were hard, Zich thought that with all his freed-up mana, Estede, and Tornium, he could prate the dragon¡¯s body. Yet, Estede failed to inflict critical damage on the dragon.

    ¡®Ah, I see.¡¯ Zich noted calmly after his attack, ¡®Its talons are much sharper than its scales.¡¯

    Estede couldn¡¯t advance further against the talon that the dragon stretched out.

    <i>Sha! </i>The dragon opened its mouth again and mana quickly gathered inside its mouth. Hot heat began to fluctuate around the area between Zich and the dragon.

    ¡°Tch!¡± After clicking his tongue, Zich poured mana into Tornium and Estede.

    <i>Baaaam! </i>The dragon shot its breath at Zich. There wasn¡¯t even space for Zich to escape because of their close distance, and Zich became swept into the breath.

    ¡°Sir Zich!¡± After Lube healed him and he took out his recement sword, Hans tried to jump back into the battle. However, he yelled Zich¡¯s name in shock. Even though Hans had all the faith in Zich that a person could possibly have, the might of the dragon¡¯s breath was too powerful. Others were also shocked, as Zich was shot by the dragon¡¯s breath directly. There was no one among them who would be able to survive an attack like that.

    The dragon¡¯s breath died down. It appeared to be refreshed after letting out arge breath, and perhaps it was satisfied that it got rid of the guy that bothered him the most among its opponents. Yet, the dragon couldn¡¯t remain happy for long. After the breath disappeared, one figure remained standing behind two crossed swords. Although smoke wasing out of his body, his clothes were charred, and his skin was reddened. Zich had survived the dragon¡¯s breath.

    ¡®I managed to block it.¡¯ Although he borrowed the strength of his released mana, Estede, and Tornium, Zich had managed to endure the dragon¡¯s breath. Of course, Zich didn¡¯t n on doing something like this again since he hadn¡¯t been able to deflect the damagepletely. Yet, with this, he at least checked that he wouldn¡¯t die even if was directly attacked by the dragon¡¯s breath. His conditions seemed to have improved.

    ¡®Good, it¡¯s worth a try now!¡¯

    <i>Rooooar!</i> Perhaps, it was enraged that it had failed to remove Zich and the dragon let out a gigantic roar. It pped its wings and flew into the air. Then, it rushed at Zich. Mana moved around it and magic began to form.

    ¡®It¡¯s doing all sorts of things now.¡¯ The dragon was now creating magic while moving at high speed. Even with two swords and freed-up mana, Zich was still not at a level to face a dragon.

    <i>Bam! Bam! Bam!</i>

    Zich swung a series of air des. They sliced the magic and bounced off the dragon¡¯s talons so that the breath missed its mark. Still, even if he had the same amount of mana as the dragon or had good weapons, Zich didn¡¯t have an advantage over the dragon.

    Whoosh! The dragon activated its magic again. It seemed it was nning to shoot out a triple elemental magic attack and double elemental magic attack simultaneously this time. Usually, Walwiss would have nullified the double elemental magic attack while the others dealt with the rest. However, it was different now.

    <i>Whoosh! </i>Light stretched out from Estede and shed against the magic. It couldn¡¯t pierce through the gaps between the elements like Zich had done with Walwiss¡¯ Inferno¡ªthere were absolutely no openings in this damn dragon¡¯s magic attacks, and Estede¡¯s light simply pushed against the magic with its force. Following it, Tornium mana also collided with the magic attack.

    <i>Bam!</i> In the end, the double elemental magic attack failed to beat Estede¡¯s strong attack and became nullified. The triple elemental magic was also weakened greatly by Tornium¡¯s attack, and Elena finished it off with her magic. This gave Walwiss the opportunity to do something else besides nullifying the dragon¡¯s magic.

    <i>Wiiing! </i>A great deal of mana whirled around his staff.

    ¡°Attacking a dragon with magic¡­I am dealing with all sorts of things after living so long.¡± Walwiss spoke like an old man. Yet, unlike hismenting tone, mana moved furiously from his staff.

    ¡°I won¡¯t run out of things to brag about at least,¡± he said and activated Inferno; it was the same spell that had threatened Zich¡¯s life before. Strong wind engulfed fire and earth and headed straight toward the dragon. The dragon quickly tried to fly higher, but the light and dark mana hindered his movement.

    ¡°Where do you think you¡¯re going?!¡± Zich sent out mana shes in all directions. The dragon waved its arm and shattered them one by one. However, because of Zich¡¯s attacks, the dragon failed topletely escape Walwiss¡¯ spell. The strong wind containing fire and stones continuously struck the dragon¡¯s body. The dragon¡¯s tough scales had powerful resistance, but it was continuously struck by magic from the best mage among humans. The dragon¡¯s scales burned and broke and revealed its flesh underneath; then, wind cut through its exposed flesh.

    <i>Roaaaaar! </i>The dragon screamed, and its gaze turned towards Walwiss. It opened its mouth wide and gathered mana in its mouth. Until now, Zich and hispanions busily moved their bodies when it looked as if the dragon was going to let out its breath attack, but it was different this time.

    <i>Bammm!</i> The dragon spewed a bright, red breath and heated the air. Its target was Walwiss and those next to him. However, Zich intervened before the breath could reach its target.

    <i>Swoosh! </i>Estede and Tornium were already letting out a strong resonance with mana. Zich took a deep breath in, exhaled once, and then swung his sword.

    <i>Bamm!</i> The two swords collided against the dragon¡¯s breath and engaged in a fierce struggle. Even though it seemed like a simple swing, it contained all kinds of techniques that Zich had umted so far. Of course, it was not easy to block the dragon¡¯s breath. Regardless of how much stronger he got, the dragon¡¯s breath was no ordinary attack. However, even then, Zich sessfully changed the direction of the breath. The breath moved away from its original trajectory and disappeared into the empty sky.

    ¡°Aaaaah!¡±

    ¡°Hyaaat!¡±

    Til and Weig used this opportunity to jump toward the dragon, and their attacks destroyed the dragon¡¯s scales and injured its flesh.

    <i>Roaaaaar! </i>The dragon raised its legs and tried to strike those two, but they quickly escaped. Then the dragon immediately attacked with its tail. The tail swept across the ground and swept everything in its path, but Zich intervened again.

    <i>Bam! </i>Tornium and the dragon¡¯s tail collided. Zich¡¯spanions hadn¡¯t even dared to block the dragon¡¯s tail once it moved, but Zich sessfully stopped it. Til and Weig tried to widen their distance a little further from the dragon¡¯s tail, and when they saw Zich block the dragon, they immediately turned back toward the dragon again. Their swords injured the dragon¡¯s body once more, and the flow of the battle changed. Before, their strategy relied on avoiding the dragon¡¯s powerful attacks while hurting the dragon in between, but now, they focused on injuring the dragon as much as possible. Even though the dragon¡¯s attacks were as powerful as before, Zich intervened and blocked all of them.

    The battle between Zich¡¯s group and the dragon was visible to onlookers even from a distance due to the dragon¡¯s gigantic size. The dragon let out its breath, shot magic, and shook the whole ground with its enormous body. Even from far away, the dragon¡¯s attack was so overwhelming that it made people feel tiny and weak inparison. It was a terrifying sight to see even from a distance. However, unlike before, the dragon¡¯s powerful attack no longer reached Zich¡¯spanions.

    A figure covered in light and darkness. The sight of a single person confronting a dragon head-on was the embodiment of ancient tales and legends. Zich¡¯spanions were also working hard to attack the dragon, but Zich was the most noticeable by far. It was also true that he held the most important role in this battle.

    ¡°Young master!¡± A couple of knights came running toward Zich. They were the elite knights that Danny called for support. Mihen, the captain of the Steelwall¡¯s Steel Sword Order of Knights, stood at the forefront and loudly announced their arrival. ¡°We¡¯ll join you!¡±

    The knights pulled out their swords and rushed toward the dragon. As the best knights of the Steelwall Estate, their support would be a great addition to the battle. The pressure on the dragon increased. Zich received most of the dragon¡¯s attacks, and the others focused on attacking the dragon. The dragon also tried its best to fight back, and it even tried to kill the others before finishing off Zich. However, the result of its effort was worse than before.

    <i>Bam! Bam!</i> The dragon¡¯s magic was blocked by Walwiss, Elena, and Snoc, and its physical attacks were hindered by Hans, Lara, and the Steelwall knights. Til and Weig made up for their shortfalls, and Lube immediately healed those who were injured. While all of Zich¡¯spanions nullified the dragon¡¯s attacks, Zich was free to make his attack.

    <i>Crk! Screeeeech!</i> The dragon let out a piercing scream as its shoulder was pierced, and a long cut shed its side. Tornium greedily ripped apart the dragon¡¯s side, and blood dripped down its de. Compared to Tornium, Estede, which had pierced the dragon¡¯s shoulder, boasted a pure white shade. When Zich rushed toward the dragon again, the dragon hurriedly moved away, and the others furiously attacked the dragon. For the first time, the dragon began to feel a sense of crisis, and it spread its wings and flew up.

    ¡®Is it running away?¡¯ Zich looked up at the dragon. Unlike before, the dragon flew at a much higher altitude than before. However, the dragon was still full of fighting spirit. It opened its mouth wide and began to gather arge amount of mana inside its mouth for another breath attack. At the same time, magic began to form all around the dragon.

 Chapter 541

    <h4>Chapter 541</h4>

    While the dragon prepared its breath and mana simultaneously, Zich analyzed the situation calmly.

    ¡®Is it really only nning to use its breath and magic at the same time?¡¯ It was clearly a terrifying attack. Magic by itself was incredibly powerful and would only be more so if the dragonbined its breath with it. However, it wasn¡¯t an attack that threatened their lives. Zich and hispanions could defend against an attack like that without great difficulty, and Zich didn¡¯t think the dragon¡¯s attack would end there.

    <i>Booom! </i>Mana whirled and magic formed around the dragon. Zich approached Walwiss¡¯ side and asked, ¡°Do you know what that is?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s clear that it¡¯s not going to be a simple magic attack.¡±

    ¡°Is that all you can guess right now?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s also clear that the magic has different elements¡­¡± Walwiss narrowed his eyes as he surveyed the dragon.

    ¡°Let me try piercing it.¡± Since the dragon was so high up, they had very limited ways of attacking it. Walwiss poured out spells while Leona shot her arrows. Yet, before their attacks could reach the dragon, it activated its magic first.

    <i>Wiing! </i>Multiple magic circles decorated the area in front of the dragon. They didn¡¯t fall down¡ªinstead, they rushed toward the other magic circles next to them. Did its magic fail? Seeing this sight, Walwiss hardened his expression.

    ¡°The magic circles are amplifying the power of the other magic circles next to them.¡± Utilizing the natural elemental properties, the magic circles synergized with each other, elevating the power of the magic altogether. Like that, the five different elements continued to amplify each other. The dragon¡¯s breath mana also reached its peak. All it needed to do was to spew it out. It was then that Walwiss realized the dragon¡¯s intentions.

    ¡°That bastard! It¡¯s nning to strengthen its breath with magic!¡± As soon as Walwiss finished his sentence, the dragon¡¯s magic sucked in its breath.

    <i>Whoooosh! </i>The light that the breath emitted grew more intense, and the heat and mana that came off it were indescribable. The dragon spat its breath out.

    <i>Shaaaa! </i>A giant red light sliced through the air, and when Walwiss¡¯ spell and Leona¡¯s arrow finally reached it, they dissipated without a trace. Thus, the breath continued to plummet down. It seemed as if the sun was falling to the ground with a long tail hanging behind it.

    ¡°Gather to one ceeee!¡± Zich yelled. People immediately gathered to Zich¡¯s side. There was nowhere to escape now. The breath reached a wider area than previous ones, and even if they tried to escape it, the dragon would try to immediately change the breath¡¯s direction. For an ordinary breath, as long as one didn¡¯t get directly hit by it, they wouldn¡¯t receive a big injury. However, considering the mana behind its breath, it seemed they would die even if this breath grazed them. The fact that all of Zich¡¯spanions were standing close by thanks to Zich blocking the dragon¡¯s attacks for them was working in their favor now. Zich stood in front and infused a great amount of mana into Estede and Tornium.

    ¡°Anything is fine! Everyone shoot your strongest attack at the same time when I give a signal!¡± Under Zich¡¯smand, people began to prepare their skills simultaneously. The dragon¡¯s breath was close to them now.

    ¡°Now!¡± Zich yelled and swung Estede and Tornium. Light and dark mana rushed forward wildly, and the rest of the party¡¯s individual attacks followed suit. They were all experienced in battle, but none of themunched an attack that could interfere with one another.

    <i>Baaaaaam! </i>The dragon¡¯s breath collided with the party¡¯s attacks. Estede¡¯s and Tornium¡¯s mana fiercely resisted the breath, but they weren¡¯t strong enough to block the magic-intensified breath. Yet, other powers soon supported the two swords. A gigantic mana shockwave soared between the two campsites.

    <i>Baaaam!</i> A huge explosion rose. Zich quickly crossed Estede and Tornium and called forth his mana. In front of him, Lube made a wall with holy magic. Soon, the explosion soon swept them and high-temperature mana nketed their surroundings. It overturned the surface and charred it ck. Nearby vegetation turned into ashes in an instant, and the area looked like hell itself.

    People gulped. A powerful blow that was iparable to all the previous attacks had struck Zich¡¯s party. It didn¡¯t appear as if they would survive. Cold shivers went down people¡¯s backs as they wondered who the dragon¡¯s next target would be if Zich¡¯spanions died. Thus, when they saw Zich¡¯s party still standing after the mes and explosions died down, everyone cheered whether they were the Steelwalls still holding their ground or the allied forces scattered everywhere. Even the Karuwimans who came as reinforcements for the Steelwalls cheered in unison. The humans¡¯ fear of the dragon that suddenly came to ravage them was so great that it made everyone group together in support.

    Although they survived the dragon¡¯s breath, Zich¡¯s party had received significant damage. Lube¡¯s barrier was the first to break, and even when Zich and the others tried to block the attack as much as possible, they failed to break the full impact of the breath. Fortunately, no one died. If Lube healed them, they could fight again. However, Lube sustained serious injuries; even though her whole body was burnt, she stretched out her hand to check Zich¡¯s condition. Although she should have healed herself first as the healer in a normal situation, all the party members couldn¡¯t move properly due to their injuries. Thus, she nned to heal the strongest and most vital fighter, Zich, to keep the dragon in check. However, that naturally slowed down the whole healing process since she wouldn¡¯t be able to heal people as quickly in an injured state. Moreover, they might be in great danger if the dragon attacked them while Lube was unable to heal as fast as before. Thus, Lube was conflicted. She needed to finish healing Zich as fast as possible and heal herself. Then, another person intervened.

    ¡°Heal your own injuries first!¡± Lube heard a painfully strained voice and turned in that direction.

    ¡°Windne?¡±

    It was Glen¡¯s formerrade, Chelsea. She was also severely injured from the dragon¡¯s breath. However, she endured the seething pain and pointed her staff toward Zich.

    <i>Wiiing!</i> Light sprouted out from Chelsea¡¯s staff, and Zich¡¯s injuries began to heal. Lube stared at Chelsea in surprise for only a moment and quickly withdrew her staff from Zich to heal herself. Zich nced at his injuries and turned his gaze away from Chelsea. He knew that after she was abandoned by Glen and witnessed Byner¡¯s death, Chelsea and Pina were at a loss of what to do next and were caught in the middle of their battle with the dragon.

    ¡®She must have given up on running away after seeing the dragon attack Glen.¡¯

    When the dragon let out its breath just now, Chelsea and Pina also ran toward Zich and hispanions; they also felt that the dragon¡¯s breath this time was different from all the previous breaths.

    Chelsea asked Zich, ¡°Are you all right?¡±

    Chelsea was also a great beauty. Moreover, even while her body was covered in injuries, she decided to heal the others first. The average man would have been extremely touched by her actions, but Zich just smirked as if he thought her question was funny.

    He said, ¡°Your future is in tatters anyway. Do you think that you can use this opportunity to make aeback if you help us and catch the dragon?¡±

    Chelsea¡¯s cheeks slightly trembled. ¡°Of course not. Even though we used to be enemies, we need to gather our strengths together in times like this.¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s no need to pretend. I¡¯ve heard from the Saintess and seen things for myself. Do you think your pretense will work now? Our dear Saintess is looking at you as if she¡¯s watching something terrible.¡±

    ¡°Ah, geez. As expected, it doesn¡¯t work.¡± Chelsea immediately threw her mask away. ¡°You¡¯re exactly right. I don¡¯t intend to fall like this, so I¡¯ll do everything I can.¡±

    Chelsea moved her staff away from Zich. ¡°I finished healing you.¡± Then, she also began healing herself.

    Zich checked his body and looked up. The dragon was still floating in the sky. Then he said, ¡°If you two risk your lives, you¡¯ll probably get a chance to recover your position at least once. However, you should seriously give up on the Saintess position.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m confident that I can do a better job than Lube!¡±

    Zich pointed his finger at Glen, who was fidgeting as if he couldn¡¯t decide what to do. ¡°You really don¡¯t have an eye for men.¡±

    ¡°Damn it!¡± Even though this had nothing to do with being a Saintess, Chelsea didn¡¯t refute Zich¡¯s words and only swore because what Glen did behind the scenes for this war was truly astounding on multiple levels. Zich lifted his two swords again and cut the magic attacks aimed at hispanions. Those healed by Chelsea and Lube also began moving.

    ¡°Your schemes are pathetic as usual.¡±

    ¡°Shut up.¡±

    Chelsea grumbled at Lube¡¯s insult, and Lube didn¡¯t say anything more. Even though she personally disliked Chelsea, her skills were definitely among the best in the Karuwimans. Since there was one more person who could heal, the battle would also be more advantageous for them. So, Lube weed Chelsea¡¯s addition to the team. Chelsea wasn¡¯t the only one who joined the fight. Pina also interfered with the dragon¡¯s magic next to Elena¡¯s side.

    She thought, ¡®I need to do everything I can here to build my merits to rebuild our school¡¯s reputation!¡¯

    Pina saw how formidable the dragon was, and she knew that if they lost, they would all die. However, Chelsea and Pina were both willing to risk their lives for their goals, considering that their current situation was already at its lowest point. Like this, the two joined Zich¡¯s group to fight against the dragon, and Zich¡¯s group acknowledged their participation and efforts.

    Laranded where Lube and Chelsea were. Bright red mes swirled her arm. Lara frowned at the intense pain of being burned alive. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn¡¯t extinguish the fire.

    ¡°It¡¯s a magical me that won¡¯t go out.¡± Pina was next to Lube and Chelsea, and she put her staff on Lara¡¯s arm.

    <i>Crunch!</i> Ice grew on Lara¡¯s body and extinguished the me. Then the ice covering her arm also soon fell off. The charred arm soon returned to normal with Chelsea¡¯s holy magic.

    ¡°Thanks!¡± With just this word, Lara jumped into battle again. She ran toward the dragon with her sword raised, and Pina saw her join Hans and attack the dragon together.

    <i>Bamm! </i>Fire and earth magic mixed together and targeted the dragon; Elena and Snoc hadbined their powers to attack the dragon. Even though most of the attacks missed the dragon, they were sessful in damaging the dragon. Compared to their joint attack, Pina shot ice magic toward the dragon by herself.

    Chelsea watched this sight and furtively nced toward Glen¡¯s location. She saw him shivering in fear and rolling on the ground at another magic attack from the dragon.

    ¡®Damn it!¡¯

    Zich¡¯s words about how she had no eye for men hit too close to home forfort.

 Chapter 542

    <h4>Chapter 542</h4>

    The dragon¡¯s amplified breath seemed to embody the sun in the sky as it shot across the air. Even as a group that could bebeled as humanity¡¯s most skilled fighters was in one ce, they barely managed to defend themselves while suffering significant damage. Even Zich couldn¡¯t think of a clear countermeasure if the dragon continued to shoot out magically amplified breaths from high up. Fortunately, the dragon didn¡¯t continue to shoot out a series of special breaths.

    ¡®No, it probably can¡¯t.¡¯

    The dragon was still boiling with bloodlust and was clearly aware that the people it was fighting were dangerous. There was no way it would underestimate humans simply for their small sizes when the Clowon empire¡¯s humans had captured and trapped it inside a crystal. Thus, the fact that it didn¡¯t continue to shoot out attacks that would render Zich¡¯s group almost immobile meant that it didn¡¯t have the capabilities to do so.

    ¡®There¡¯s a high possibility that it will burden it too much.¡¯

    If the dragon made another breath attack like that, the party wouldn¡¯t have been able to defend themselves; after all, Lube even gave up on healing herself to heal Zich. Thus, it would¡¯ve only made sense for the dragon to quickly shoot out another breath attack, but it didn¡¯t. Instead, it slowly came down andnded on the ground. It was back in the air now, but after shooting out the amplified breath, Zich saw that its mouth, neck, and chest area were extremely red.

    ¡®Maybe even the dragon can¡¯t handle the breath¡¯s high temperature.¡¯ This meant that this amplified breath was basically a double-edged sword for the dragon.

    ¡®It can¡¯t be used easily and when it is used, the dragon reveals its weakness.¡¯ In other words, this attack wasn¡¯t only bad news for Zich and his party.

    <i>Whooosh!</i> The dragon changed targets. It let out a loud roar and rushed forward. Then, it let out a giant breath from its mouth and made its enemies scatter. Every time its feetnded on the ground, the ground shook like there was an earthquake.

    ¡®Is it aiming for Lube?¡¯ The dragon was clearly aiming for Lube and Chelsea and appeared to be trying to cut off their source of healing.

    ¡®It¡¯s getting more and more used to battle. Or should I say it¡¯s getting its senses together?¡¯ If it had been simply moving on its rage and loathing for those holding Clowon¡¯s swords before, the dragon seemed to move more efficiently and tactically now¡ªjust like how it was trying to cut off their source of healing first which was one of the most fundamental rules of battles. Of course, Weig wasn¡¯t going to let the dragon attack Lube. The others also protected Lube and Chelsea knowing the importance of their roles.

    ¡®Its loathing hasn''t disappeared yet.¡¯

    Glen attempted to escape again, but sensing what he was nning to do in an instant, the dragon shot out another magic attack at Glen. The fact that it still wanted to keep Glen within its vicinity while knowing that it must aim for Lube and Chelsea first showcased that its rage for Clowon was still wildly fluctuating. In the end, the dragon¡¯s attack at Lube and Chelsea failed. It sustained more injuries, but Zich¡¯s party didn¡¯t look happy.

    They were also running out of mana. Although they each possessed an immense amount of mana for a human, they still couldn¡¯tpare to Zich or the dragon. As the wounds on the dragon increased, their mana pool was also depleted. Since they were not in a situation to save mana, the speed at which they lost their supply was exceedingly fast.

    ¡°If those with little mana begin to step away from the fight, we¡¯ll be pushed back. There¡¯s a limit to Lady Lube and that girl, Windne¡¯s holy magic too,¡± Weig said worriedly. Zich was confident in fighting against the dragon until the end, but he couldn¡¯t win against this monster by himself. Instead, he might be done for while trying to protect those who had depleted their mana.

    ¡®That all means I should end this battle as fast as possible,¡¯ Zich thought. Then he said, ¡°Please tell the others that we should gather in one ce like before and attack.¡±

    ¡°The dragon might shoot out another one of its special breaths,¡± Weig said. Zich¡¯s party didn¡¯t fight in one ce to avoid an attack like that.

    ¡°I am aiming for that.¡±

    ¡°There could be big drawbacks to that, but I suppose we will have to undertake the dangers to finish this battle quickly.¡± With his great battle experience, Weig also recognized the dragon¡¯s weakness and moved to call the others.

    <i>Bam! Bam!</i> The attacks against the dragon intensified, and the dragon noticed that Zich¡¯spanions had gathered in one ce again. Seeing this, its twisted its head around in a strange manner. It seemed to be wondering if it should deliver another amplified magic attack, but it was curious why Zich and hispanions would gather after seeing its previous attack. Was it a trap? Or were they trying to end this battle as fast as possible while taking on the risks? The dragon saw that there was a sense of fatigue on some of its enemies¡¯ faces.

    The dragon made its decision. When it flew high in the air, the ways that its enemies could attack it were restricted. Shooting out an amplified breath exhausted the dragon and it made flying temporarily impossible, but its opponents would greatly suffer after withstanding an attack like that. At the very least, they would be left immobilized likest time.

    <i>p!</i> The dragon pped its wings and flew into the sky. <i>Whoosh!</i>

    High-temperature mana was already gathered inside its mouth and magic began to form around it too. After reaching a certain altitude it was satisfied with, the dragon looked below. Its enemies were huddled in one ce. They wouldn¡¯t be able to escape to a safe ce now and would have to do their best to block its attack.

    <i>Baaaam</i>! The dragon spewed another breath. It felt the heat from its mouth, neck, and chest, and it didn¡¯t take long for those sensations to be painful. Although normal, high-temperature breath didn¡¯t affect its body¡ªthis magically amplified breath put too much strain on its body. Thus, it couldn¡¯t spew it from too far, but it far surpassed an ordinary breath in all other ways. It had failed to kill its enemies with the previous attack, so the dragon strained itself a bit more this time. As a result, it experienced more pain.

    <i>Humph</i>! The dragon stopped its breath and closed its mouth. Then, it opened its mouth again. It threw up the heat passing through its throat as much as possible. The intense pain lingered, and it was so painful that it wanted to rip out its own throat. However, the dragon endured the pain and stared at the area where its breath hit. The dragon needed to check its enemies¡¯ current condition. At that moment, the dragon sensed multiple presences rushing towards it. The dragon felt two energies moving at an astounding speed; it was all too familiar with both energies and the hostility it felt rose. The energy was from the Clowon¡¯s Crown Prince¡¯s sword and the general¡¯s sword. The person using both of these swords had the strong scent of the Clowon emperor¡¯s sword on him. He was also the one who posed the greatest threat to the dragon.

    The dragon began to grow nervous. Had this human endured its breath and was jumping this high up? The dragon¡¯s mouth, neck, and chest were still letting out smoke. The dragon¡¯s hard scales had softened up and its tough muscles were loose and limp. If those two swords pierced its body right now, it would sustain an injury iparable to the ones before. If the dragon got hurt in the mouth or neck, it could still endure the pain, but getting an injury on its chest was apletely different story. If one of the swords reached the dragon¡¯s heart, its life would be over.

    The dragon pped its weak wings and wrapped its arms around its chest. However, the dragon¡¯s sense of crisis didn¡¯tst very long. The dragon had expected Zich toe up with Estede and Tornium. However, even though two swords were flying toward it¡ªthe dragon couldn¡¯t see the human using those two swords. The dragon had been so startled that it hadn¡¯t realized this until now, but the Clowon emperor¡¯s sword energy was still way below. The human had just thrown his swords toward it.

    The dragon soon rxed. As expected, its enemies couldn¡¯t reach the dragon at this altitude. At best, only arrows and magic posed a threat. The dragon could sufficiently defend against those attacks even in its weakened state. How could that human dare to think that he could threaten a dragon by just throwing swords into the sky?

    The dragon soon removed its arms from its chest. Then it reached out its hands toward the flying swords. They were detestable swords; if the dragon managed to take them away from the enemy, it would be much easier to fight the humans. No matter how sharp they were, it was not difficult to snatch the two swords. However, what the dragon felt in its hand was not a sharp sword that its scales could feel.

    <i>Thud!</i> Zich suddenly appeared and kicked the dragon¡¯s hand and flew his body into the air. Before the dragon could grasp the situation, Estede and Tornium were in his hands. The two swords were full of mana and were ready to burst out at any time. Anyone could see that Zich¡¯s target was the dragon¡¯s chest, which was still emitting heat and smoke. The ne hanging from Zich¡¯s neck sparkled in the sun. <i>Crunnnnch!</i>

    <i>Keuahhhhhhhhhh!</i> A scream iparable to the previous one came out of the dragon¡¯s mouth. The dragon¡¯s scales, which had softened from its breath, were unable to block Estede¡¯s light, and its limp muscles were ripped to shreds from Tornium¡¯s rough mana. Blood sprouted out of its ripped chest. Even though the dragon didn¡¯t even blink an eye at most of the injuries it sustained so far, it couldn¡¯t help but squirm frantically at its most recent injury.

    <i>Swoosh!</i> The dragon swung its arms. Even though it pped its arms around randomly due to pain and shock, the dragon¡¯s monstrous physique made each move fatal. Moreover, the attacks preciselynded on Zich.

    <i>Crunch!</i> Zich¡¯s entire arm holding Tornium was torn off. Blood spewed out like a fountain and fell far away with Tornium. However, Zich¡¯s eyes were still calm. Instead, he kicked the dragon¡¯s ws and ripped off his arm. Then, he quickly moved his body again. <i>Crunnnnnnnnch!</i>

    <i>Kuahhhhhhhhhhhh!</i> Estede¡¯s bright light pierced through the dragon¡¯s chest. The dragon¡¯s wound became even deeper, and its scream became even more terrible. The dragon swung its hand again, and as expected of a dragon, it precisely aimed for Zich once again despite its injuries. Zich had easily sacrificed one of his arms, but he couldn¡¯t lose the other one either. If he did, he would miss a golden opportunity to finally kill the dragon that they had worked so hard to obtain.

    <i>aang! </i>Estede bounced out of Zich¡¯s hand. His hand wasn¡¯t able to endure the reaction and turned into a bloody mess. However, Zich used that momentum instead to approach the dragon¡¯s wound. Zich moved through the dragon¡¯s blood spewing out like a waterfall and squeezed into the dragon¡¯s wound. The dragon¡¯s movements grew even more frantic. The dragon¡¯s hard ws dug into its chest to grab Zich. Even though the dragon received a wound that a human wouldn¡¯t be able to survive, a dragon¡¯s vitality was strong. If it got sufficient rest, the dragon could easily heal from a wound of this level.

    However, Zich also didn¡¯t think the dragon would die from such a wound. Zich used his one remaining arm and legs to move deeper into the dragon¡¯s body. There was no hesitation in his movements, as his target was already in clear view. Soon, Zich¡¯s target, which was soaked in blood, appeared in front of Zich in the darkness.

    There were two things that immediately came to mind when people thought of dragons. The first was a dragon¡¯s breath and the second was a dragon¡¯s heart like the one in front of him. Zich could feel the tremendous amount of mana radiating from the dragon¡¯s heart. Then he raised his hand.

    ording to stories, a dragon¡¯s hardness was as tough as a dragon¡¯s scale. At a nce, Zich did not seem to have the ability to inflict an effective blow on the dragon¡¯s heart as he lost both Estede and Tornium and could not even properly hold up himself. However, Zich looked at his hand. Several fingers were bent, and the palm and back of his hand were so severely crushed and ripped that he could see his bones. But his index finger was fine. Zich bit his index finger. The front of his finger was ripped off, and a piece of metal could be seen poking out of his blood-flowing flesh. This was the item that he used to give ast ¡®fuck you¡¯ to Glen before his regression¡ªThe Key that Distorts Destiny. Zich infused his finger with mana and pierced it into the dragon¡¯s heart.

 Chapter 543

    <h4>Chapter 543</h4>

    Dragons¡ªthey were the beings that only appeared in legends. It was hard to tell whether they really existed or if their existence was imaginary through some aspiring storytellers¡¯ imaginative tales. Regardless of how they came to be known, the fame of these unseen mythical creatures was astounding.

    In stories, dragons yed many roles at once. They yed viins who tormented people, wise teachers who provided guidance and advice, orpanions who fought alongside the main character. The image of this versatile creature naturally brought forth admiration from all around the world, and numerous royals and nobles with dragons in their insignias. Thus, people were especially shocked when a dragon first appeared on a battlefield.

    Furthermore, when the dragon¡¯s strength was as exactly as they had imagined, they shuddered with fear. They feared that they would soon be nameless extras that the dragons annihted in the stories they read. A dragon was a great catastrophe beyond the reach of most humans. Yet, this dragon was falling from the sky with a fountain of blood spurting from its chest. Some thought they were dreaming. Perhaps, the dragon would regain its bnce in the next moment and mock them for falling prey to its tricks and let out another one of those terrifying breaths.

    The onlookers¡¯ thoughts ran wild, but fortunately, their imaginations didn¡¯t be reality. <i>Baaam!</i> A loud collision sounded as the dragon hit the ground, and dust scattered in the air. Everyone subconsciously took a step back. Soon, the sound and cloud of dust settled down, and all that remained was the dragon¡¯s gigantic body that stayed inside the hole it made with its bodyweight. Its wings, which had appearedrge enough to cover the sky, drooped, and its fiery face that spewed fire and hands that called forth magic didn¡¯t move.

    One by one, people started to realize that their suspicions had turned into expectations, and their expectations turned into happiness. Finally, their happiness turned into a celebration. Nobody knew who started it or if everyone had started at the same time, but one thing was clear: everyone standing on that battlefield was screaming their heart out.

    <i>Waaaaaaaaaaaaah!</i> They saw a legend before their eyes and also witnessed its fall. They couldn¡¯t see clearly from so far away, but they had seen white and ck mana collide against the dragon, and the dragon crashed after that. With just that, people could piece together what had happened. When an evil dragon appeared in stories, another figure was bound to appear at the same time. Another legend had appeared to overthrow the dragon: a dragon yer. Right now, they were witnessing the birth of another unbelievable existence.

    The dragon breathed itsst breath on the ground, and its heart stopped beating ordingly. There was no way the dragon could move on its own now.

    <i>Splurt! </i>The giant wound inside the dragon¡¯s chest flinched, and Zich crawled out of it. Zich was standing quite high up because of the dragon¡¯s sheer size, and when he freed himself from the dragon¡¯s woundpletely, his body fell to the ground.

    <i>Thud! </i>His body rolled on the floor. It almost appeared as if a human corpse was next to the dragon¡¯s corpse. However, unlike the dragon, Zich staggered to stand up.

    ¡°Kah, ptui!¡± He spat out a mouthful of dragon blood. A dragon¡¯s blood was disgusting¡ªno, who would say blood was tasty besides Joachim from his pre-regression days?

    ¡®In legends, dragon blood is known as miracle medicine that can save the dying, but there isn¡¯t much to it now that I¡¯ve tried it,¡¯ Zich thought. Blood was still spewing out of his severed arm and broken finger; there didn¡¯t seem to be any change in his mana either. Although Zich finally found a difference between a real dragon and the ones from legends, he was disappointed. One reason why he crazily rushed forward at the dragon was because he hoped that its blood would heal his injuries. It really was disappointing.

    ¡°Sir Zich!¡± Lube was rushing to him while Weig carried her. When she arrived right next to him, she started healing his injuries. Even Zich felt pain when one of his arms was missing, and his hand was twisted, yet with Lube¡¯s holy power, he felt less pain in his body. Injuries that could have taken his life if left untreated began to constrict.

    ¡°Huh? What¡¯s this¡­?¡± Lube spotted The Key That Distorts Destiny that had disappeared into one of Zich¡¯s fingers, and she looked confused. ¡°I¡¯m sorry Sir Zich, but it seems I have to cut off one of your fingers. There¡¯s a foreign substance inside it. Usually, these things naturally seep out during the healing process¡­¡±

    Zich stopped Lube from calling Weig to help her.

    ¡°It¡¯s fine. It¡¯s not a foreign substance. Rather, I will call it my trump card.¡±

    ¡°Is that so?¡± Lube epted Zich¡¯s exnation. No wonder it didn¡¯te out even though she was using her holy power. Thus, Lube focused on healing again. As she did so, Zich¡¯spanions gathered around him one by one.

    ¡°Are you all right¡­ no, you clearly look like you aren¡¯t.¡± Weig was the second person toe running after Hans, and he could tell that Zich''s condition wasn¡¯t great. Zich¡¯s body was tattered to the limit and the word, ¡®all right,¡¯ didn¡¯t fit its description in any shape or form.

    ¡°I¡¯ll soon be fine, and if I didn¡¯t go this far, I wouldn¡¯t have been able to defeat the dragon.¡± Zich punched the dragon with his fist. Hans and the others who had approached Zich with concern all moved their gaze toward the dragon¡¯s corpse.

    ¡°¡­You really defeated it.¡± Hans couldn¡¯t help but feel awed. He hadn¡¯t had the leisure to think much about the dragon¡¯s size while risking his life, but now that the battle was finally over, the dragon¡¯s gigantic size amazed him. Moreover, the dragon¡¯s overwhelming power was truly astounding.

    ¡°Yeah, we defeated it, so be as happy as you want. Dragon yer¡ªyou became someone who onlyes out in legends.¡±

    Dragon yer. As soon as he heard these words, Hans felt a chill down his spine. Dragon yers only appeared in legends and novels. It wasn¡¯t just a matter of ability; one could only receive this title after defeating a dragon, but there were no more dragons in this world. asionally, some people imed that they defeated a dragon, but they were all cons and swindlers. However, all the people here could use this grand title now that they had defeated a dragon.

    ¡°Really, a dragon yer. Hahaha, it¡¯s really a majestic title! Aren¡¯t you the one who mainly fought with the dragon?¡±

    Hans felt his excitement sink at Walwiss¡¯ words. Walwiss was right. Zich was the one who fought head-on with the dragon; all they had done was support Zich.

    Zich replied, ¡°I couldn¡¯t have done it alone. The only reason why we were able to win was because we all gathered our strengths and endured its final attack.¡±

    Anyone could see that the dragon¡¯s weakness was its chest after it let out its special breath attack, and the dragon¡¯s heart was inside its chest. Zich had aimed for this area. Everyone first worked together to block the dragon¡¯s special breath, and Chelsea only focused on healing Zich so that Zich could immediately move after the dragon let out its breath.

    Walwiss said, ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s true. When the breathsted longer than we expected, I thought it really was all over¡­¡±

    However? they sessfully blocked the dragon¡¯s breath in the end, and Zich immediately threw Estede and Tornium at the dragon. While the dragon lowered its guard after realizing that Zich was absent, he appeared in front of the dragon and grabbed Estede and Tornium again. It was then that Zich made his fatal attack.

    Walwiss said, ¡°That item of yours was very useful.¡±

    Zich replied, ¡°It¡¯s L¡¯s. She gave it to me before I left.¡± Zich rubbed the ne on his neck. It was an artifact that allowed one to teleport. Before they separated, L had given it to him, and this artifact yed a crucial role in their victory.

    Even though it was extremely helpful during battle, Zich had kept it hidden until the veryst moment. When Hans and Snoc had fallen into danger, Zich thought about using the artifact. However, even if he used the artifact, he wouldn¡¯t have been able to save them from danger. In the end, this artifact had led them to victory.

    ¡°Even so, I can¡¯t believe we really managed to defeat a dragon.¡± Weig shook his head as if he couldn¡¯t believe it.

    ¡°Mr. Zich, you used that strange power again.¡± Til looked at Zich with respect as he witnessed the same power that Zich used when he easily annihted hordes of monsters. ¡°I didn¡¯t think you''d be able to directly confront a dragon.¡±

    ¡°Didn¡¯t you see what happened? Even I can¡¯t directly face a dragon by myself.¡±

    ¡°What you did was sufficient enough to say that you directly confronted a dragon by yourself.¡± Who in the world could fight on equal footing with a legendary dragon? In his view, Zich was like the heroes that appeared in legends.

    ¡°It¡¯s over.¡± Lube moved her hands away. No wounds were left on Zich¡¯s body¡ªonly his bloody and tattered clothes showed any signs of a fierce battle.

    Lube said, ¡°If you feel ufortable in any way, please tell me immediately. Since you were injured by a dragon, I might have missed some areas to treat you.¡± Dragon curses were frequent and famous in novels. Zich might have received damage that even the Karuwiman Saintess failed to catch.

    ¡°I¡¯ll keep that in mind. Have you finished treating the others?¡±

    ¡°I already finished while you were cutting off the dragon¡¯s head.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s good news.¡± Zich nodded. Mihen and the other Steelwall knights stood a short distance away. Their faces were full of joy. They attach their names next to a legendary dragon yer, and their lord¡¯s son had faced the dragon by himself.

    ¡°Sir Tiner.¡±

    ¡°Yes, young master!¡± Mihen immediately ran to Zich at his calling.

    ¡°I guess we can say that the war is over.¡±

    ¡°Yes, of course! The allied forces arepletely scattered! They probably won¡¯t be able to gather their troops together, and even if they can, there¡¯s no future for them!¡± The Karuwimans had taken the Steelwalls¡¯ side and branded the allied forces as Bellid coborators. Moreover, they had a legendary dragon yer in their midst. Whether it was the allied forces or anyone else, the Steelwalls could easily trample their enemies.

    Zich said, ¡°So you won¡¯t need me anymore.¡±

    Mihen looked startled. ¡°I-is something the matter?¡±

    ¡°I need to check something. Urgently.¡± Zich¡¯s eyes darted toward L¡¯s location in the Clowon ruins.

 Chapter 544

    <h4>Chapter 544</h4>

    Zich soon reached the Clowon Empire¡¯s ruins. People from the Steelwall residence were stunned to see his return. Although they received news that the battle was turning in their favor, they hadn¡¯t heard any crazy news such as a legendary dragon suddenly ransacking the battlefield, not to mention Zich leisurelying back to the residence to check up on personal business matters after ying it. That sort of information was what people would call the newsreader crazy for even saying.

    Some were even worried that Zich hade back to ry the news of Steelwall¡¯s loss. Yet, Zich shut them all up by showing them the permits he received from the Count and continued on his way. Although the Count also questioned Zich¡¯s unexpected behavior, he didn¡¯t have the heart to ask his son the reason for his actions right after he had in a dragon.

    Several soldiers were protecting the hole connected to the Clowon ruins. Zich passed them and went inside. He reached for the door that only opened if the person had Windur. Yet, this door slid open right in front of him this time. Perhaps, it was the key inside his finger, but Zich believed there could be another reason. It seemed as if somebody else had opened the door for him. When Zich entered the ruins, the door closed again and the ruins from the outside.

    Since he had been to this ce many times now, he moved quickly. Soon, he arrived at the location of therge crystal and ring surrounding it. The crystal was broken, and of course the dragon that used to be there wasn¡¯t inside it. As he thought, the dragon was from this ce. Zich stepped into the ring.

    ¡°You are here.¡± She had the same appearance as L, but her attitude, aura, expression, and everything else were different. Zich pulled out his sword and ced it next to her neck.

    ¡°Is the dragon your doing?¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± Serpina answered indifferently. Zich stared at Serpina for a bit and pulled back his sword. ¡°Too bad for you. We crushed your final n.¡±

    ¡°I thought so.¡± Serpina had already expected her loss when she saw that Zich had arrived in the ruins. Zich¡¯s words only confirmed her thoughts.

    ¡°You guys won. Congrattions.¡±

    ¡°Surprisingly, you don¡¯t seem to have any lingering sense of regret.¡±

    ¡°The dragon was my remaining sense of regret. I was nning to drag it on with the feeling if it won but I lost.¡±

    ¡°I suppose that means you won¡¯t be doing anything useless from now on.¡±

    ¡°There is no ¡®from now on¡¯ for me,¡± Serpina said a bit bitterly. Yet, Zich didn¡¯t care for her emotions at all.

    ¡°How surprising. I thought I would have to fight you as soon as I saw you.¡±

    Serpina then said, ¡°Zich Brave.¡±

    Zich scowled. The being who Zich hated the most, even more than Glen, appeared in front of him. Brave raised his sword. It wasn¡¯t because he felt hostile toward Zich; it was actually the opposite. He was sure that Zich would swing his sword at him as soon as they saw each other. Furthermore, Zich Brave wanted some revenge. Although the amount of mana they had was the same and their skills were equal, their previous battle oue had been decided by the quality of their swords. Now, L had Windur and Zich was holding an ordinary sword. Inparison, Zich Brave had Estede. He could win this time for sure.

    Of course, Zich Brave had no intention of fighting to the death. He just wanted to show Zich that he wasn¡¯t weaker than him. However, unlike his usual self, Zich threw his head back and turned away from Serpina.

    ¡°Where is L?¡± Zich asked.

    ¡°Follow me.¡± Serpina gestured to him with her finger.

    ¡°Huh?¡± As the two left, Zich Brave, who had been prepared to gain a bit of his pride back, was left alone.

    ¡°Hey, hey! Wait for me!¡± He quickly rushed to follow them. Then, he asked Zich, ¡°What! Why are you acting so calm? Shouldn¡¯t you be rushing at me to kill me likest time?¡±

    ¡°Why would I fight someone as soon as I see them? Do you think I¡¯m some street thug?¡± Zich scoffed and Zich Brave wondered if he should be the one to try to kill Zich. Yet, unlike Glen, Zich Brave truly had the mind of a hero and fell into deep contemtion.

    ¡°¡­Damn it!¡± In the end, Zich Brave thought Zich was making a fool out of him and followed the two.

    Serpina took Zich to L. Inside the ss container, L was sleeping with her eyes closed and gripping Windur. The edges of Zich¡¯s eyebrows rose.

    ¡°Exin.¡±

    As Zich requested, Serpina calmly exined everything that happened to Zich. He nced at Brave from time to time while listening to her exnation to check the truthfulness of her words. Although he still looked peeved, Zich Brave nodded and confirmed that Serpina wasn¡¯t lying.

    ¡°So that is what happened.¡± Serpina finished recounting what happened.

    ¡°Then why isn¡¯t Ling out of that stuffy container when everything is over?¡±

    ¡°In order to send the Key That Distorts Destiny to you and awaken all your dormant powers with the World Tree¡¯s mana, she needed to do more than just approach the system normally. Thus, she went deeper into the system and fell asleep to the point that she became its core.¡±

    ¡°¡­Are you saying that she became the system¡¯s core?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°Is she going to wake up by herself?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s impossible.¡±

    Zich immediately pulled out his sword. If it was impossible for her to wake up on her own, he thought he could break the container from the outside. Yet, Brave stopped him.

    ¡°What are you doing?¡± Zich asked.

    ¡°I know what you are thinking, but don¡¯t.¡±

    ¡°Why? Will I hurt her if I break this container?¡± Zich asked.

    ¡°Her physical body will be fine, but that¡¯s it,¡± Brave said. In other words, L would be affected in other ways besides physically. Zich looked at him, telling him to go on. Instead, Serpina exined this time.

    ¡°You must be aware that there¡¯s a tremendous number of memories stored inside my body. Those memories y a very important role in the prosperity of the Clowon Empire, and naturally, the empire was aware of how dangerous it would be if those memoriesnded to the wrong hands. This was why even the rebels aimed for my memories too.¡±

    Zich recalled the rebel experiment he had seen before.

    ¡°Thus, the empire ced an extra precaution on the system. If someone tries to take my body out of the system by force, my memories will be sealed. I won¡¯t be able to remember them without the Brushel System. As a side effect, I will lose my self-identity.¡± Serpina stared at L. ¡°That¡¯s how I became her. Due to the paradoxical nature of endless regressions, the World Tree was able to umte enough power to forcibly awaken her. As a result, her memories were sealed, and my character waspletely erased from her body and was reced by L as you know her now. Of course, since she woke up due to the World Tree¡¯s power, it seems like her memories haven¡¯t been properly sealed.¡±

    ¡°¡­Then, that means if I destroy this ss¡­¡±

    Serpina replied, ¡°You¡¯ll see the third version of me.¡±

    The strength drained from Zich¡¯s hands. ¡°¡­Did L know about this?¡±

    ¡°I roughly told her everything about the system. She must have had an inkling about it while she still had time to change her mind.¡± In other words, L chose to be in that state on her own will.

    Serpina said, ¡°The body is still the same anyway, but all the memories are gone. If you guide her well, she may have a simr personality to L.¡±

    Zich said tly, ¡°That won¡¯t be L then.¡± Zich had thoroughly distinguished himself from Brave and he thought of L and Serpina aspletely different people. He could not im that L without her memories and self-identity was still the same person he used to know.

    ¡°What¡¯s the solution?¡± Zich asked. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me there isn¡¯t a way. Otherwise, you wouldn¡¯t have been able to fight with Zich Brave as a Demon Lord.¡±

    Serpina had woken up after a long time and moved to rebuild the Clowon Empire. During this time, she had maintained her self-identity and acted as Serpina, not L.

    Serpina said, ¡°As expected, you¡¯re quick to catch on. Even though I wanted to see you troubled for a little longer.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not in the mood to joke around, so spit it out quickly.¡±

    ¡°You must have grown very attached to her. You¡¯re usually not so impatient.¡± It was only when Zich sharply red at her that Serpina began to exin. ¡°It¡¯s simple. I told you that the memories automatically get sealed when I¡¯m forced to awaken, right? Then it¡¯s fine as long as no one forces her to wake up. In other words, if you wake her up through the formal procedures, it¡¯ll be fine.¡±

    ¡°And how do you do that?¡±

    ¡°You can¡¯t do it here. It¡¯s only possible from the center of the Brushel System, where the World Tree is.¡±

    Brave added, ¡°It¡¯s also where the mastermind stays most of the time.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s good. I was going to stick my sword into that bastard¡¯s face anyway, so I can do that at the same time.¡±

    Brave asked, ¡°And also free the World Tree?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s a bonus.¡±

    Of course, regardless of Zich¡¯s priorities, the World Tree would coborate with Zich as long as he could free it.

    Serpina said, ¡°You know where it is even without me telling you the location, right?¡±

    ¡°Of course.¡± A location appeared in Zich¡¯s mind; it wasn''t information that he already had in his head. ¡°Is this L¡¯s knowledge?¡±

    Serpina answered, ¡°Since she became part of the Brushel System¡¯s core again, she recovered all her sealed memories.¡± The vast knowledge and information from Clowon had all returned to L. ¡°Even though it¡¯s only possible to see the memories through a special device inside the Brushel System¡¯s main body, you are now connected to her through Windur and the Key That Distorts Destiny. So it¡¯ll be possible for you two to exchange information.¡±

    Zich ced his hand on the container that L was in; she still had her eyes tightly shut. However, she definitely had sent the information that popped into his head Zich¡¯s next goal was now set¡ªhe was going to crush the mastermind and secure the main body of the Brushel System. He¡¯d also secure the World Tree.

    ¡°What are you two going to do now?¡± Zich said while looking at Serpina and Brave.

    Brave answered, ¡°Since my role is over, I should go.¡± The reason why Brave had appeared was to watch over Serpina; if she disappeared, there was no reason for him to stay any longer.

    Zich asked Serpina, ¡°What about you?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s the same for me.¡±

    ¡°Good to hear. I was worried that you might want to remain here and argue again for Clowon¡¯s reconstruction.¡±

    ¡°Myst desperate attempt failed. Staying any longer would be meaningless.¡± Serpina stared at the container that L was in and turned her gaze back to Zich. ¡°Pass this off to her. Try living your own life. I¡¯ll be watching to see how well you live for someone who abandoned the great task of rebuilding the Clowon Empire.¡±

    Since Serpina had been tying her body to this ruin with her unique mana control ability, as soon as she released her hold, her body returned to the mass constion of mana.

    Brave grumbled, ¡°She really does whatever she wants.¡±

    ¡°What are you doing? You should quickly go too.¡±

    ¡°¡­You¡¯re a really annoying guy too.¡±

    ¡°¡­You should be grateful that I¡¯m not cracking your skull.¡±

    ¡°You want to have a rematch?¡± Brave had not given up his dream of revenge, but Zich waved his hand.

    ¡°I¡¯m not in the mood so just go.¡±

    ¡°¡­Your affection for L has really deepened.¡±

    Zich didn¡¯t answer. Brave smirked and said, ¡°Well, it¡¯s not surprising. When I also first got kicked out, I hated the whole world. I was able to heal thanks to myrades, but that¡¯s not the case for you, right?¡±

    Rather than healing his pain, Zich had experienced all kinds of strenuous and treacherous events. ¡°No one must have cared for you with such pure intentions like her or was willing to sacrifice themselves for you. If there was such a person, then <i>I</i> wouldn¡¯t have be a Demon Lord.¡±

    ¡°When are you leaving?¡±

    ¡°Fine, I got it. I¡¯ll leave. But one more thing.¡± Brave smiled and said, ¡°As you are now, Estede will also fit you well.¡±

    Then he disappeared.

 Chapter 545

    <h4>Chapter 545</h4>

    The allied forces lost. Although Count ud went as far as using Bellid forces in battle, it backfired on him instead as Zich read his ns beforehand and called for the Karuwimans¡¯ support to annihte the Bellid forces. Yet, even this couldn¡¯tpare to the heartache the Count felt when he realized that his scheme against Steelwall was working against him now. The Karuwimans had officiallybeled them enemies, and the Pope called for an exmunication.

    The lords of other estates who had participated in this war hoping to get scraps from Count ud were now quickly cutting all ties with the Count and swearing that they had no clue that he was connected to the Bellids. Hoping to get on the Steelwalls and the Karuwimans¡¯ good side, some even dered that they would help with the investigation against Count ud.

    The Steelwalls with their powerful military and the Karuwiman holy knights and priests, the representatives of reverence and faith, made a frighteningbination. They wereing for them now, and there could be no greater nightmare than this. While the allied forces struggled to find a way out of their situation, they also gained another piece of information that astonished them. It was about the birth of a dragon yer.

    ¡°Don¡¯t give me that kind of nonsense and get the proper information!¡±

    ¡°Are you seriously joking right now? Do youck so muchmon sense that you don¡¯t know what¡¯s a joke or not?¡±

    ¡°I nt you guys over there to check for stupid, useless pieces of information like this one! If you can¡¯t understand even this much, quit your jobs right now!¡±

    The people who first ryed this news met great resistance. They talked about existences that could only appeared in legends, and people ignored them; especially in times of crisis like this one, no one had the patience to listen to such utter nonsense. Yet, these rumors began to gain more and more validity, and when they were confirmed to be true, all of Steelwalls¡¯ enemies fell to the ground.

    ¡°¡­Really? A dragon really appeared? And it was in? Furthermore, the one who yed it was Count Steelwall¡¯s son, Zich Steelwall?¡±

    ¡°He no longer uses the name Steelwall after he gave up his seat as the heir¡­¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not even important!¡±

    They barked at one another. This was a dragon and a dragon yer they were talking about. A dragon could burn the ground with its breath, use expert-level magic, and deflect attacks with its scales that rivaled rare metals. The existence of one could turn the world upside down, but someone had defeated a creature like that. ording to their sources, the dragon was as strong as the legends said, so strong it could easily burn a castle or two. Yet, such a being crumbled under a single group of humans that belonged to the Steelwalls. Thus, on top of heavyweight names like the Steelwalls and the Karuwimans, they now had a legendary dragon yer opposing them. Naturally, as soon as the allied forces¡¯ leaders received this information, they all were brought to their knees. Whether they were sane or mad, anyone could tell this wasn¡¯t a fight they could win. So, they riled up in anger at Count ud who had pulled them into such a mess.

    ¡°Insist that we didn¡¯t know anything! We won¡¯t even be lying about it since we really didn¡¯t know!¡±

    ¡°That damn Livil ud! How could he join hands with the Bellids no matter how much he hates the Steelwalls and brings us into it too? Was he trying to ruin as many families as possible?!¡±

    ¡°No matter what, we need to protect our family name! Give them territories or have our title lowered¡ªdo whatever we need to do to survive!¡±

    The allied forces¡¯ lords werecking behind in everything: military power, justification for their actions, and so on. Furthermore, even the residents of their estates were starting to voice their concerns.

    ¡°I heard that our lord joined hands with the Bellids?¡± The residents talked amongst themselves.

    ¡°There are rumors that Karuwiman holy knights are going toe to attack this ce any moment now.¡±

    ¡°Damn it! What if we arebeled as Bellid supporters because of our lord?¡±

    Usually, their lords would¡¯ve been too high-up for them to talk ill of, but the fear of being marked as a Bellid coborator was much bigger than fearing their lord. To put it bluntly, if one lost their life, it was over for them in the living realm; but a Bellid coborator suffered eternal damnation even after death. As expected, the people¡¯s loyalty to their lords was shaken up. At this point, the lords might lose their heads from their own citizens rather than Steelwall¡¯s army or the Karuwiman holy knights. Since many of their soldiers died in this war, their estates¡¯ military power was lower than usual, and it was even more dangerous for the lords.

    Like this, the Steelwalls instigated further chaos in their enemies¡¯ territories and began to march toward the Pinne Estate first with the Karuwimans. Zich participated in the frontline. The Steelwall army¡¯s morale was through the roof. Their suspicions against their lord had been cleared, and the truth that their enemies had been Bellid followers came to light. Their enemies were fleeing, and above all, they had a legendary dragon yer in their midst.

    All of them had witnessed Zich¡¯s battle with the dragon. They saw Zich using light and dark mana to wrap around the dragon and fight with it head-on. Even if their enemies brought armies several times their size,id traps, or ambushed them, there was no need for them to worry. What did they need to fear when a dragon yer was with them?

    Eventually, they arrived at the Pinne Estate. It wasn¡¯t difficult to subjugate the estate. For this battle, Viscount Pinne used his previous troops. However, many Bellid followers had already been killed in thest battle, and many of his soldiers had scattered away. Some had returned to the estate, but they seemed to have no will to fight. In the end, it was just futile resistance that a few Bellid priests and followers made. They shut the castle doors tightly and fought, but they couldn¡¯t prevent their decided fate. Their feeble resistance was crushed easily and Steelwall¡¯s troops took over the Pinne castle. Unfortunately, they couldn¡¯t find Viscount Pinne. It seemed that he hadn¡¯t returned to his estate at all and escaped as soon as he decided their n had failed.

    ¡°The smell is beyond foul.¡± Weig frowned as he saw traces of Bellids in the main castle. He had seen this sight when he infiltrated the main castle before, but it was impossible to get used to something that smelled no better than feces or the sight of cockroaches even after many times. Staying in this sted ce was no different to Weig than swimming in filth.

    ¡°Let¡¯s burn it all.¡± Lube looked as if she wanted to immediately pour oil and strike up a fire. She turned towards Zich for permission, and no one opposed the idea of burning all the traces of the dirty Bellids.

    Zich answered, ¡°If we¡¯re going to do it, let¡¯s go all out.¡±

    They¡¯d even turn the grudges of the sted Bellids into ashes. On that day, an enormous fire consumed the Pinne¡¯s main castle.

    * * *

    After they finished their business with the Pinne Estate, their next target was naturally the ud Estate. Originally, they nned to destroy the allied forces and end this war by crushing the Pinnes. They had changed the nature of this obviously international war into a civil conflict, but the situation had changed. They obtained clear evidence of Count ud¡¯s coboration with the Bellids and their secret ns in the Pinne Estate.

    The majority of the Bellid followers in Pinne, including Viscount Pinne and the Bellid leaders, had been mobilized for this war. Thus, no one among the Bellid leaders was there to give an order to destroy incriminating evidence, so the Steelwalls were able to easily get their hands on evidence for Count ud¡¯s coboration with the bellids. There was no better time than now to crush the uds.

    Moreover, the Karuwimans also wanted to convict Count ud, and there was no reason for Count Steelwall to object this since this was a golden opportunity topletely uproot and destroy a sworn enemy that the Steelwalls had been fighting for generations. Like this, the Steelwalls sent their troops to the ud Estate. Fighting took ce at several key points, but it was possible for them to stop the Steelwall troops. A significant number of troops also surrendered as soon as they saw the Steelwalls.

    A ud soldier asked theirmander, ¡°S-sir, is this all right?¡±

    Themander replied, ¡°Then do you have another method in mind?¡±

    ¡°Aren¡¯t we the glorious knights of the ud Estate?! We have to protect it with our lives!¡±

    ¡°Where¡¯s the honor when the Count coborated with the Bellids! I would have also risked my life without hesitation in the past, but that damn Count joined hands with the Bellids! It won¡¯t end with just dying! Our souls will dive straight into hell!¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Even though the uds were objectively weaker than the Steelwalls, the uds had bravely faced the Steelwalls, also known as the Cronon Kingdom¡¯s Steel Fortress, for generations. The Steelwalls pushed them back, but the uds also had plenty of strong soldiers left. However, the uds¡¯ courage dissipated into smoke by the fear that the god they believed in might abandon them. Count ud hoped this phenomenon would emerge among the Steelwall troops, but ironically, his npletely backfired and crushed ud¡¯sst remaining power to resist.

    Estates with close ties to the ud Estate remained quiet. Even though a foreign army, the Steelwalls, had crossed their kingdom, none of them offered to help or made a move. The ud Estate was perfectly isted. Shortly afterward, the Steelwalls were able to reach the main castle. The castle gate was firmly shut. It was hard to expect that the Count would surrender, but no one was nervous. Now that they had a dragon yer on their side, the gate looked frail, and they were certain that Zich could destroy the gate with just one sh of his sword.

    Count Steelwall said, ¡°You said Count ud returned to his castle, right?¡±

    ¡°Yes, sir. Count ud is locked up in that castle with his defeated soldiers.¡±

    Unlike Viscount Pinne, Count ud returned to his residence. Compared to Viscount Pinne who strongly identified as a Bellid and had the Bellids to back him up, Count ud had nowhere to escape. Count Steelwall stared at the castle with fresh emotions. Even though the Steelwalls had always been ahead of the uds in terms of sheer military power, they had never been overwhelmingly stronger than the uds.

    Therefore, there were times when they experienced devastating blows from the invasions from the uds on many asions. Just like Count ud did, Count Steelwall also fervently desired to put his estate¡¯s g up in their enemies¡¯ castle. Count Steelwall was deeply moved as this dream finally came true in his generation. However, this feelingsted only for a moment, and the Count¡¯s eyes moved towards the front of the army. He saw a person. Zich Steelwall, who was now just Zich, was also his son who hadpletely broken off his father and son ties. Count Steelwall knew very well that Zich had made this whole situation entirely possible. If Zich hadn¡¯t been here, they wouldn¡¯t have even been able to think about destroying the uds¨Cno, this whole situation would have been happening to the Steelwalls instead, and he would be destroyed.

    Zich had revealed the conspiracy against the Steelwalls, gathered reinforcements, and even defeated a dragon that suddenly appeared on the battlefield. He was the greatest hero of this war without question. There were many things that the Count wanted to say to him, but he needed to say them after this war was over. Count Steelwall was about to send an order to attack when¡ª

    The tightly shut gates opened, and a person holding a white g came out on a horse. The person slowly approached the Steelwall troops and requested to meet Count Steelwall.

    The person kneeled in front of the Count and said, ¡°Our ud Army will surrender to the Steelwalls.¡±

    ¡°Is this Count ud¡¯s will?¡±

    ¡°The Count has taken his life.¡± These mncholy words marked the end of a long era.

 Chapter 546

    <h4>Chapter 546</h4>

    In some ways, Count ud¡¯s suicide was predictable. Whatever the result was, he wasn¡¯t like the other nobles who could attempt to slide out of the whole fiasco by proiming his ignorance; after all, there was clear evidence that he had joined hands with the Bellids. He already would have been under suspicion since he was the one most heavily involved in framing the Steelwalls as Bellid coborators, but the concrete evidence that hade up from this war had sealed his fate. Not just as a noble, but in this world where the Karuwimans had a deep influence, the fact that he was a Bellid coborator wasn¡¯t eptable anywhere. People wouldn¡¯t allow his very existence.

    Resistance would have also been difficult. Arge portion of his army was killed, and those who survived questioned their loyalty to the Count when his connection to the Bellids was revealed. Furthermore, the royals and other nobles were turning a blind eye to him. As his family¡¯s arch-nemesis, the Steelwalls, and their army marched to capture him, any fool would have been able to predict that his only future was death. The only thing he could decide now was how he was going to meet his end.

    Count Steelwall stared at the old man lying on top of a desk. Blood seeped out of the old man¡¯s lips, trailed across the desk, and dripped to the floor. <i>Drip, drip</i>. There was an opened luxurious wine bottle on the desk and a crushed wine ss on the floor. It seemed that the old man had died by drinking wine mixed with poison. This old man was the master of the ud family and Count Steelwall¡¯s father-inw, Livil ud. Count Steelwall felt a slight tinge in his chest seeing the death of a person who he considered his forever mortal enemy. Although Count ud was the one who had plotted this terrible scheme in this war, he was the one who stood victorious in the end. Considering that Count ud was his father-inw, Count Steelwall expressed a bit of sympathy and made a slight salute toward the man.

    However, that was the end of his sentiments. Count Steelwall turned to order one of his men to take away the corpse when he noticed Zich standing next to him.

    ¡°Do you have anything you want to say?¡±

    ¡°Like what?¡±

    ¡°I mean, isn¡¯t he also your grandfather?¡±

    Zich smirked. ¡°Like how you don¡¯t consider this guy to be your father-inw, I also don¡¯t think of him as my grandparent. I¡¯m sure that guy didn¡¯t really think of me as his grandson either.¡±

    There was no way a person who used his daughter as bait would have affection for his daughter¡¯s son.

    ¡°Even if I had something to say, there¡¯s no point in saying it now. I have no interest in talking to a lump of meat that can¡¯t talk or listen,¡± Zich said. Then, he turned around and left the room.

    Count Steelwall stared at Zich¡¯s fading back for a long time. Then, hemanded, ¡°Take care of the corpse.¡±

    * * *

    The Steelwall army returned to their estate. As they marched back in the order of their ranks with their spears raised high, the estate¡¯s residents sprinkled flower petals over them and cheered. The news of their victory filled the estate¡¯s residents with joy and celebration, especially after they suffered from so much terrible news recently. They had been terrified when they heard that those cockroach-like Bellid guys infiltrated their estate, and there were even rumors that their master was their follower; on top of that, the ud army had dered war on them. Naturally, all the residents lived every day in worry and fear.

    Now, the situation was the opposite. The master of their estate was free from his suspicions of being a Bellid coborator, and it was actually the master of their attacker, Count ud, who had been one. These factors alone would have made them cheer, but there was one thing that overwhelmed their hearts. It was the dragon yers. A dragon yer was a title that only existed in legends and was spoken only among children ying with sticks. Yet, such unbelievable beings had appeared on their side.

    Of course, most of the peoplebeled as dragon yers had no connections with the Steelwalls and had participated in the war solely because of Zich. Furthermore, as the one who held equal footing with the dragon, Zich had already abandoned all connections with his family and didn¡¯t have a good rtionship with the rest of the Steelwalls by any means. People weren¡¯t aware of this fact. They only cared that among those who fought alongside their soldiers were legendary figures.

    After the ceremonial marching ended, the clean-up after the war began. This was a matter for the higher-ups to deal with, and ordinary soldiers returned to their cozy homes to relieve their fatigue. Some even went to bars to meet up with their friends, and when they did, they found themselves surrounded by the eager, pleading eyes of people who wanted to hear every detail of the sights they had witnessed.

    ¡°Then, it appeared!¡± The soldier looked around at the dozens of heads near him. His friends,plete strangers, the bar owner, and the staff were listening intently. The soldier lowered his voice and spat out the name.

    ¡°The <i>dragon</i>.¡± Small gasps and exmations erupted from here and there. The being they had all wanted to hear about finally appeared.

    ¡°What did it look like?¡±

    ¡°Was it really asrge as a mountain?¡±

    ¡°I heard that it spewed a road of fire, is that true?¡±

    ¡°I also heard they used magic!¡±

    All sorts of questions popped out from every direction. The soldier raised his hand, and like obedient dogs, everyone simultaneously closed their mouths.

    ¡°Its size was as big as a mountain, and its appearance was the same as described in the legends. It had arge body like a lizard, but bat-like wings. Sharp teeth with hard horns. It spewed fire from its mouth and used five different types of magic at once.¡±

    People eximed and gasped again.

    ¡°To bepletely honest, I thought I was going to die! No matter how great these people were, I thought they wouldn¡¯t be able to deal with a being like that. Even in storybooks, only the main character manages to capture the dragon, and everyone else can¡¯t even attempt to fight it. You know what I mean?¡± The soldier¡¯s mouth was dry because he had talked so much. He gulped down the drink that was put in front of him.

    ¡°Kuh!¡± he eximed and ced the empty ss back on the table. One person asked the bar owner to immediately get the soldier another ss, and another bottle filled to the brim with alcohol was instantly ced on top of the table. The soldier received free alcohol in return for his stories. This made the soldier very d and made him feel responsible to give his audience a good story.

    ¡°Then, people just like the legends really appeared. Yes, they are the dragon yers that you all have been hearing so much about.¡±

    As soon as the soldier mentioned the title, people began to p. Some cheered or whistled. The soldier continued, ¡°Everyone fighting the dragon was outstanding even among the Steelwalls. A strong knight, an outstanding mage, a mystical elf, a contractor of the mythical beast of the earth, and so on.¡±

    Even the positions and titles of these people seemed like members of a book club. People¡¯s attention only increased.

    ¡°Of course, <i>he</i> shone the most brilliantly of them all.¡±

    ¡°Who?¡±

    ¡°It must be Young Master Zich! Sir Count¡¯s son.¡± People cheered once again, and the cheers were louder this time.

    ¡°The dragon was insanely strong. If you guys have the opportunity, try going to the battlefield. There are still traces that the dragon left. Naturally, other people also had a difficult time dealing with the dragon¡¯s attacks, but before anyone knew it, Young Master Zich appeared!¡±

    The soldier thumped his fist on the table. ¡°I couldn¡¯t see the battle well because I was far away, but I could clearly see the trajectory of the swords he swung. It was onlyter I heard that he had been using a holy and demonic sword at the same time.¡±

    A holy and demonic sword¡ªnames that would only appear in storybooks popped out again.

    ¡°White and ck light deflected all the dragon¡¯s attacks and cut them off! Wow, you all really need to see a sight like that in person! Like that, Sir Zich shed head-to-head with the dragon and the others began to attack in support of him. After that¡­.!¡±

    The soldier¡¯s voice continued to ring throughout the bar. Scenes like this were being replicated all over the city; like the soldier, some recounted the tale in bars, some gently told the story with children on theirps, and others excitedly told their parents what happened over a meal. Thus, the great feats of the dragon yer quickly spread.

    * * *

    While the dragon yers¡¯ fame, especially Zich''s, was fiercely spreading across thends like wildfire, the central figure of the news, Zich, was inside the Clowon ruins. He stared at L inside the ss container. She had her eyes closed and appeared to be in a sweet dream without a worry for the world. However, that wasn¡¯t what was happening. Unlike normal sleep, L couldn¡¯t wake up on her own will.

    Zich nced down at his index finger where the Key That Distorts Destiny was. Thanks to the World Tree¡¯s mana that L sent him, Zich was able to continuously use all of his power. However, the World Tree¡¯s mana wasn¡¯t the only thing she sent him. She gave Zich various pieces of information as the Brushel System¡¯s core to help him, and one thing that especially pleased him.

    ¡®He sure is escaping hard.¡¯ Zich stared intently at the information the core was providing him. The way information was inputted into the device was through Windur, Estede, and Tornium. Zich had returned Estede to Hans, Windur was with L, and for thest sword, Tornium, it had fallen when one of Zich¡¯s arms was severed from the dragon¡¯s fierce attack. Tornium had dropped near Glen of all people. Glen hurriedly retrieved the sword and managed to survive the battle in the end and escape. Yet, Zich didn¡¯t feel too regretful about this, and he let Glen escape even while knowing what he was doing.

    At that time, Zich wasn¡¯t sure what state L was in, but he recalled a warning she gave him before and let Glen escape. Now, he was reaping the benefits of that decision.

    ¡®Although there¡¯s little meaning to his existence now¡­¡¯ As Zich nned, Glen hadpletely fallen. He simply had to deal with him like a farmer taking his yearly harvest, but there was one way Glen could still benefit him.

    ¡®Please make contact with the mastermind,¡¯ Zich thought.

    If Glen and the mastermind moved together, he would be able to see through the mastermind¡¯s n.

    ¡®This is the one useful thing that an utterly useless guy can do for me. If everything goes ording to n, I will at least spare him apliment.¡¯

    Of course, this still didn¡¯t mean that Glen would be able to escape his fateful future of death.

 Chapter 547

    <h4>Chapter 547</h4>

    As soon as Zich came out of the ruins, Hans and Lara were there waiting for him.

    ¡°We heard that you would be here.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I just went to check up on L for a bit.¡±

    Hans looked at the hole that led to the ruins. ¡°We heard that Lady L won¡¯t be able to wake up for the time being, sir.¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡±

    Hans sounded worried. Although he hadn¡¯t known L for that long, the experiences they shared weren¡¯t just regr experiences. Thus, he did feel a sense of camaraderie with her too.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry too much. I¡¯m going to wake her for sure by using any means possible.¡±

    Hans felt that Zich had never sounded more determined than right now.

    ¡°Then, there¡¯s really nothing for me to worry about, sir,¡± Hans said.

    ¡°Of course.¡±

    Was it firm trust or blind faith? Although it hadn¡¯t been long since she joined Zich¡¯s party, Lara knew that the party¡¯s members had almost an abnormal level of trust in Zich. She sometimes thought it was strange, but considering herst party that hadn¡¯t the smallest ounce of trust, she simply felt envious of herpanions.

    ¡°Did you guys go patrolling or something?¡±

    ¡°Yes, sir.¡±

    Even if the Steelwalls had achieved a historical victory, they still suffered significant losses and damages. Before the situation with the Pinnes and uds could be diplomatically resolved, Count Steelwall needed to station armies to keep their hold there. However, he ran into a shortage of troops. Thus, Hans was helping to maintain Violsa¡¯s security and public order in case any unexpected situations arose, as requested by the Count.

    ¡°We heard that Count Steelwall also made a request to see you, sir.¡±

    ¡°I ignored his request,¡± Zich said.

    Both Hans and Lara smiled awkwardly.

    ¡°I already did enough to help him with his war. What more does he want from me? I had no reason to intervene in this war in the first ce.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s true.¡±

    Currently, Zich was the most skilled and powerful fighter in the estate. With his title as a dragon yer, he could repress criminals and other organizations from acting against them. Yet, Zich was leisurely ying around right now without doing anything. However, no one said anything to him.

    ¡°Sir Count called for you.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t want to see that guy¡¯s face.¡± Zich had followed the Count¡¯s orders because it was necessary to do so until now, but there was no need for him to do that anymore. Zich¡¯s behavior was just as Hans and the Count expected. Thus, Hans immediately ryed the next piece of information the Count told him to tell Zich.

    ¡°He said Count Dracul and Lady Rouge areing here, and he wants to speak about the matter.¡±

    The Dracul and Rouge families were very important families for Count Steelwall. Their families had given the Count their support while even the royal family hesitated to provide any aid. Count Dracul was a noble from another country, but this was of little importance; instead, the Count was especially grateful for Count Dracul¡¯s support in a warpletely unrted to him. Thus, upon hearing that these two wereing, the Count epted their visit even when the chaos hadn¡¯t settled down yet after the war. Of course, he also made a political decision knowing that it would be advantageous to continue to build a rtionship with these families.

    ¡°Those two areing?¡± Zich said. The mention of their names changed his mind. ¡°Okay, I will go then.¡±

    Unlike others who received the Count¡¯s order, Zich didn¡¯t move fast. He moved slowly like an old man on a walk.

    ¡°By the way, how are your formerpanions doing? I heard that you go to see them sometimes,¡± Zich asked Lara.

    Chelsea Windne and Pina Acous were both still in Violsa. Although the story of this war was starting to wrap up with all the me ced on Count ud, people were still worried about those who had been former enemies. But those two were different. Although they had fought alongside their enemies, they helped Zich fight the dragon in the end. In some ways, they were part of the group of dragon yers. Thus, they were permitted to stay in Violsa with some light surveince.

    ¡°Yes, both of them want to see you, Mr. Zich.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sure they do.¡±

    Those two moved ording to what would give them fame and glory. Zich even admired their strong desire for these things as they had managed to assess the situation so quickly and decided to join Zich¡¯s party.

    ¡®They¡¯re surprisingly useful. No wonder Glen Zenard kept them around.¡±

    As soon as those two realized that Glen Zenard was a sinking ship, they changed sides and managed to grab titles as dragon yers. They prevented their reputations from going to the gutter and created possibilities for them to rise again. Of course, these facts didn¡¯t erase the fact that they previously sided with the enemy, especially one that was revealed to have ties with the Bellids. This was especially detrimental for Chelsea. It was apletely different matter for a normal person to get tricked by a Bellid than a Karuwiman follower. Even though she had left her role in the Karuwimans for this battle, Zich easily found out that Chelsea still had deep longings for the religious organization.

    ¡®I could use them when dealing with the mastermind,¡¯ Zich thought. Then, those two could gain the fame they so desired while Zich had more cards up his sleeves. It didn¡¯t matter if Chelsea was full of selfish desires to return to the Karuwimans and rece Lube for the Saintess position.

    ¡®As if I have to even worry about Lube getting pushed out,¡¯ Zich thought. There would be no more meaningless worries than that.

    ¡°I will see themter,¡± Zich finally said to Lara. ¡°Since they helped us defeat the dragon, I am open to epting their requests if they are within reason.¡±

    Lara appeared slightly relieved. It seemed like she wanted to still take care of her pastpanions. The three walked up to the Steelwall mansion when they saw a splendid path of fire shoot out from a distance.

    <i>Pop! </i>The mes caught everyone¡¯s attention.

    ¡°It¡¯s from the military exercise hall. Doesn¡¯t that mean it''s Elena?¡±

    ¡°It seems like Sir Dwayne is overseeing her magic.¡±

    Zich changed the direction of his feet toward the exercise hall.

    ¡°Sir Zich? The Count is still waiting for you to see him.¡±

    ¡°Tell him to wait. If he doesn¡¯t want to, that guy cane to me himself,¡± Zich said and strolled to the exercise hall. Hans let out a slight sigh, and Lara was just as taken aback as him. However, they followed Zich. When they arrived at the exercise hall, they saw the scene that they had expected. Elena was reciting spells under Walwiss¡¯ guidance. There was also Snoc. He was acting as Elena¡¯s sparring partner.

    ¡°Ah, it¡¯s Zich.¡± When Walwiss noticed Zich, he called for a break. However, he narrowed his eyes when he saw Snoc approach Elena immediately after the announcement.

    Disgruntled, Walwiss asked Snoc, ¡°Were you hurt anywhere?¡±

    Although the content of his words seemed to be asking in case Snoc had gotten hurt during this training, his tone revealed his true sentiments. ¡®<i>It would be great if any of your body parts were destroyed!¡¯</i>

    ¡°I am fine, sir. Elena adjusted her magic well,¡± Snoc replied.

    ¡°¡­Thank goodness then.¡±

    Watching the two, Hans thought there was no soul behind Walwiss¡¯ words.

    ¡°Stop it, Grandpa!¡± Elena shouted from behind.

    ¡°What did I do?¡± Walwiss feigned ignorance to his granddaughter¡¯s warning, but he evaded her eyes and said while pointing at Snoc, ¡°I only spoke in concern for this guy¡­Ah!¡±

    Walwiss let out a sudden scream. Seeing Walwiss¡¯ finger hovering over him, Nowem had bitten his finger. Of course, it resulted in no big injuries since Nowem had bitten him half-jokingly and half out of revenge. Yet, seeing Walwiss¡¯ response, it seemed like the pain that it caused was considerable.

    ¡°Hey, you damn rat!¡± As Walwiss waved his staff in the air, Nowem jumped down from Snoc¡¯s shoulder, climbed Elena¡¯s body, and sat on top of her shoulder. Then, he stuck his tongue out at Walwiss. Unable to swing his staff at his granddaughter, Walwiss could only tremble in rage and re at Nowem.

    ¡°A-Are you all right?¡± Snoc quickly tried to check on Walwiss¡¯ finger in surprise, but Walwiss shooed him off with his hands. Walwiss acted a bit mean to Snoc since he was a young man who had be very close to his granddaughter in his absence, but he didn¡¯t really dislike Snoc either. Thus, Walwiss didn¡¯t n to get any angrier over this matter where Snoc held no me; but of course, if someone mentioned his attitude toward Snoc, Walwiss would feign ignorance again.

    ¡°Were you looking over Elena¡¯s magic?¡± Zich asked Walwiss.

    ¡°Yes. It hasn¡¯t been long since she began using magic, but she has progressed so much. I¡¯m sure her skills will grow even more if I teach her well now.¡± Pride oozed out of Walwiss¡¯ words when he talked about Elena.

    Soon, Walwiss changed the topic and asked, ¡°Besides that, is Ms. L all right?¡±

    Walwiss was naturally worried about his granddaughter¡¯s splendid master, who had developed Elena¡¯s skills and was also an outstanding mage like him. Elena also came closer when L''s name was mentioned.

    ¡°She¡¯s fine. She will wake up in a bit.¡±

    ¡°If that¡¯s the case, I¡¯m relieved but¡­¡±

    Since he didn¡¯t want to exin everything about the Clowon Empire, Zich told everyone that L wasn¡¯ting out of the ruin because she had to take care of some personal business. Yet, to Walwiss and some other quick-witted people who sensed that something wrong must have happened to L, Zich told them that L was unconscious at the moment and couldn¡¯t get out of the ruins.

    ¡°Is there any way that I can help?¡± Elena asked.

    ¡°Not right now. I will tell you right away if there¡¯s something for you to do in the future. So, until then, focus on improving your magic skills,¡± Zich answered.

    ¡°Yes, sir!¡± There was strong determination in her voice.

    ¡°Come to think of it, Sir Dwayne, I heard that you are spending a lot of time researching magic these days,¡± Zich then mentioned.

    ¡°Ah, yes. I¡¯m d you mentioned that.¡± After requesting to Count Steelwall to borrow a small building in a secluded ce, Walwiss was spending all his time there except for when he trained Elena.

    ¡°I mean, there was a huge incident that we have to investigate this time,¡± Walwiss added.

    ¡°Are you talking about the dragon¡¯s magic?¡±

    ¡°Yes. I always prided myself on being well-versed in magic. I thought that no one in the world could use magic better than me. To be honest, I thought I didn¡¯t eveng behind elves in that regard.¡±

    If others had said the same thing as Walwiss, people would have reprimanded them for being so conceited. Yet, it was differenting from Walwiss. He really was the best in magic to the point that he could be called the Demon Lord of Magic in other timelines. Perhaps, he wouldn¡¯t be able to beat L if she gained all her memories back, but everyone else wouldn¡¯t be able to surpass Walwiss in the field of magic.

    Thus, Zich said, ¡°You¡¯re not wrong.¡±

    ¡°No, that¡¯s not true. Didn¡¯t you also experience the dragon¡¯s magic? Its power, speed, and the number it simultaneously shot. In the field of magic, it was superior to me in every regard in terms of power, speed, and magic attacks. This experience made me realize I was also trapped in my own world.¡±

    ¡°Well, this is a dragon we are talking about.¡±

    ¡°Even if our species are different, as long as I have proimed myself as the master of magic, I want to take on a challenge in this new world.¡±

 Chapter 548

    <h4>Chapter 548</h4>

    Despite his wrinkled face, his eyes sparkled like a young child¡¯s. His passion clearly showed that age was meaningless in front of learning.

    ¡°It¡¯s perfect timing too. When I was the master of the magical tower, I had too many things to focus on so I couldn¡¯t give my full attention to magic. I think going through an experience like this right after stepping down from my position is some kind of a sign.¡±

    ¡°I suppose that means you won¡¯t leave your room for a while now.¡±

    ¡°No, I probably won¡¯t do that. Of course, I might need to organize some theories, but I have to experience outside things too. There are experiences and knowledge that I can gain inside my room, but there¡¯s a limit to that too.¡± Walwiss also didn¡¯t forget to add a characteristically old person line such as, I know young uns these days never like to leave their rooms.¡±

    ¡°On another note, what were you doing?¡± Walwiss then asked Zich.

    ¡°I was on my way to meet my father because he called me,¡± Zich answered.

    ¡°¡­Weren¡¯t youing from the mansion?¡±

    ¡°I was, but when I saw Elena¡¯s magic, I became curious, so I turned back. I <i>am</i> going to go though.¡±

    Even Walwiss wouldn¡¯t be able to push back a high-status noble¡¯s call because of mere curiosity. Yet, since Walwiss also knew the general situation between Zich and Count Steelwall¡¯s rtionship, he didn¡¯t say anything.

    ¡®Furthermore, Zich is a more important figure than the Count right now,¡¯ Walwiss thought. Zich¡¯s skill, which had suddenly risen during their battle with the dragon, was simply astonishing. When Walwiss was young, as he lectured about, he traveled around the world and umted various experiences. At that time, he had the opportunity to meet many skilled people. Yet, there was no one who couldpare to Zich. That was how unrivaled Zich¡¯s skills were, and now his name was spreading acrossnds as the dragon yer.

    ¡®Even if he officially opposes Count Steelwall, many countries will want him,¡¯ Walwiss thought. Even the Cronon Kingdom that Count Steelwall was part of would risk angering Count Steelwall to reach out to Zich. And above all¡­

    ¡®If Zich ever fights against the whole Steelwall army, I can¡¯t imagine Zich losing.¡¯ It was truly unbelievable. How could a single individual possess more military might than a noble family¡¯s army? It would at least be understandable if they were talking about a lower-status noble with a smaller estate, but they were talking about the Steelwalls. They weren¡¯t small by any means as the Count¡¯s status wasn¡¯t low at all. Furthermore, the Steelwalls were considered to be the strongest defense among the border provinces, and their military forces surpassed most marquess forces. Thus, it was truly astonishing that such a force could be inferior to a single person.

    ¡®Even though he has his perks, it¡¯s fortunate that Zich isn¡¯t a bad guy. If he was evil with those abilities¡­¡¯

    The word, ¡®Demon Lord¡¯ lingered in Walwiss¡¯ mind. It was a title that usually only came out of children¡¯s storybooks, but who could guarantee that a Demon Lord wouldn¡¯t appear when even a legendary dragon did? Nevertheless, it was truly fortunate for many¡ªperhaps, for the world that Zich¡¯s personality wasn¡¯t so bad.

    ¡®Well, there¡¯s that, but I am curious how his skills suddenly surged like that.¡¯ A mage without a sense of curiosity was basically a corpse. Naturally, Walwiss was curious about how Zich gained such a sudden power boost. Zich had told him that it was thanks to an artifact that freed up his hardened mana, but it didn¡¯t fulfill Walwiss¡¯ curiosity.

    ¡®I wish I could do more research about that,¡¯ Walwiss thought again, but he had to give up on the matter since Zich refused it.

    ¡°Zich!¡± Then, they heard a familiar voice. There was an elf running toward them while shaking her hands widely.

    ¡°Tsk, tsk! Look at how silly she looks.¡± Walwiss clicked. Leona arrived instantly, and when she saw Walwiss¡¯ face, she pouted her lips.

    ¡°There¡¯s also the mage with a nasty personality,¡± she said.

    ¡°I have learned from my age that the best way to respond to a nasty person is to act the same way they do. I hope you keep this in mind too.¡±

    ¡°You know I am older than you, right?¡±

    ¡°Unfortunately, mental age doesn¡¯t always increase with the passing of time. In human terms, we say that you are someone who doesn¡¯t act their age. You should also keep that in mind.¡±

    The two were acting like usual. It was a wonder how they didn¡¯t genuinely have ill feelings against each other while acting like this.

    ¡°Have you been well?¡± Zich intervened, and Leona turned to him. She made a smile which she would never do when dealing with Walwiss.

    ¡°Yup! It¡¯s reallyfortable cause the Count took special care of us.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s good. What are you nning to do from now on?¡±

    ¡°I have to go back home. Of course, not right away since I was asked to help out a bit more.¡± Both Walwiss and Leona were helping the Steelwalls as theycked the necessary troops.

    ¡°Also, I n to continue to look around this human city until I return!¡± Leona added.

    ¡°Are you really saying that you are going to y while people are working hard? There should be a limit to how senseless you can be.¡±

    ¡°I am nning to y only after finishing my work.¡±

    The two began to argue again. Hans watched them in amusement but then asked Zich carefully, ¡°Sir Zich, aren¡¯t you making the Count wait a bit too long?¡±

    ¡°Ah, that¡¯s right.¡± Zich had forgotten that they were on their way to see Count Steelwall. He wasn¡¯t in a rush, but he also had no reason to continue lingering here.

    Thus, Zich said to the two, ¡°Then, I will be on my way.¡±

    ¡°Oh yes, you said you were on your way to see the Count. Please go on.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, let¡¯s look around the city together next time!¡±

    Walwiss and Leona said goodbye to Zich, and soon afterward, the two went back to what they had been doing. After also receiving Snoc and Elena¡¯s farewells, Zich turned around and headed to the Count¡¯s mansion again. After entering the mansion and walking toward the Count¡¯s room, Zich saw Til on the opposite side of the hallway.

    ¡°Hello, Mr. Til.¡±

    ¡°Greetings, Sir Zich.¡±

    ¡°How have you been these days?¡± Zich immediately began chit-chatting with Til. Hans sighed beside him, but Zich didn¡¯t show the slightest care.

    ¡°I have more free time these days, so I have time to y with Walter and Ellie now.¡± Til smiled. His son Walter and the daughter of his dead friend were basically the meaning of his life; thus, the fact that he had enough free time to y with them gave him tremendous joy.

    ¡°How was the reorganization of the mercenary group? I heard that there have been significant damages.¡±

    Compared to the mercenaries, the mages and the elves who primarily fought from the rear were protected and suffered little damage and few casualties. Unlike them, the mercenaries had shed head-on with the allied forces, and as expected, they suffered a lot.

    ¡°We make money by putting our swords and lives on the line, so this is something that always happens. You don¡¯t have to worry about that,¡± Til said, but there seemed to be some sadness in his voice. Zich couldn¡¯t say more though after what Til said and changed the topic.

    ¡°It seems like you areing from my father¡¯s office. Is there something going on? If he is trying to lower his payments for your service, please tell me. I will give that Count an earful.¡± It sounded like an exaggerated joke, but having experienced Zich¡¯s temper and military might first-hand, Til thought it was possible.

    ¡°No, he clearly gave us our payments and offered to give us bonuses. What I talked to him about this time was apletely different matter.¡±

    ¡°Is it all right for me to hear it?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s nothing secretive. He wanted to employ our whole mercenary group for the long term.¡±

    ¡°As soldiers?¡±

    ¡°Yes. He even said that including me and some others, he will offer us knight titles.¡±

    ¡°Those are some bold decisions.¡± But they weren¡¯t a bad idea. Many Steelwall knights and soldiers died in the war. If the Count took in the Wolf¡¯s Canine mercenary group as part of his troops, he could immediately fill up the vacant power gap. If they had been normal mercenary groups, the Count wouldn¡¯t have been able to easily make the decision no matter how desperate he was due to issues with their credibility and reliability. However, there was nothing to worry about for Wolf¡¯s Canine in this regard.

    ¡°What are your thoughts, Mr. Til?¡±

    ¡°I told him that I¡¯ll think about it.¡±

    ¡°It seems to me that you are leaning toward epting his offer.¡±

    ¡°There are many who felt disillusioned about being a mercenary from thest incident,¡± Til answered.

    ¡°Did they find out about what happened with Nick?¡±

    ¡°No, but it¡¯s true that Nick¡¯s death had an effect since he was an influential figure in our group. But the real issue is the guys who joined our Wolf¡¯s Canine in our attempt to expand the group. Although we got rid of all of them after the incident, because of them, many felt that they were the same as the other mercenaries even after going through all that work to gain credibility.¡± Theirst incident had been shameful for Wolf¡¯s Canine as they held great self-respect even if they were mercenaries.

    Til continued, ¡°Furthermore, I have to think about raising Walter and Ellie. Rather than going to ces and constantly traveling, it would be better for the children¡¯s growth to stay in one ce. Thus, the Count¡¯s offer was very appealing to me.¡±

    ¡°Then, can¡¯t you just ept the offer?¡±

    ¡°This decision is something that couldpletely change my life. I need to think about it a bit more.¡± It seemed like Til felt really conflicted about this matter since he talked for so long, even though he was usually a quiet man.

    ¡°I can¡¯t intervene since this is a matter involving you and the rest of the mercenaries, but I can offer you my two cents. If it¡¯s the Steelwalls, they will not treat you badly.¡±

    Til looked a bit surprised. ¡°I thought your rtionship with Count Steelwall wasn¡¯t good, Mr. Zich,¡± he said, aware of what had happened between the two.

    ¡°My rtionship with that man and the way he will treat you all are separate matters. Objectively, he isn¡¯t a bad man, especially to his subordinates and estate residents. He¡¯s a good lord. The problem with him and I simply arose from a plethora of issues such as my mother, her family, the heir position, and so on.¡± Then, Zich snorted, ¡°Even with all that considered, there¡¯s no way I will beughing shoulder-to-shoulder with that guy any time soon.¡±

    ¡°I see. Thank you for your advice.¡± Til took Zich¡¯s advice to heart, and the two separated after exchanging a couple of more words.

    Then, Zich finally arrived in front of the Count¡¯s office.

    <i>Bam! Bam!</i>

    ¡°Who¡¯s there?!¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s me!¡± Zich shouted back upon hearing the Count¡¯s voice. It was a cheeky line that neither revealed his name nor anything else but clearly stated that it was Zich who was standing in front of the office door. Knowing this, the Count said, ¡°Come in.¡±

 Chapter 549

    <h4>Chapter 549</h4>

    The Count was sitting in front of arge desk. There was a mountain of documents on one corner of his desk. The giant signature on top of the load indicated thepleted pile while a load of documents on the opposite corner seemed to be the unfinished pile. As he sat in front of the messy desk, the Count looked far different from the time he led an army to war as a brave knight not so long ago. This was the appearance of a lord of an estate now, and what naturally came after a bloody, dangerous war was nothing to do with swords but wrestling with documents and papers.

    The Count ced the pen in his hands next to a document had been reviewing for a long time. It seemed like the paperwork was grueling as the Count¡¯s face was streaked with deep fatigue.

    ¡°You are a bitte,¡± the Count said.

    ¡°Some things happened along the way.¡± That was all Zich exined. His attitude was beyond rude for someone addressing a high-status noble, but the Count looked unconcerned. Then, Hans bowed to the Count once and went out, leaving only the two of them in the room.

    ¡°Count Dracul from the neighboring country and Lady Rouge informed me that they are on their way here.¡±

    ¡°I heard from Hans.¡±

    ¡°It seems like they areing to see you.¡±

    ¡°I have quite a deep rtionship with those two.¡±

    ¡°I see.¡± The Count didn¡¯t know much about how Zich was acquainted with Count Dracul, but he had personally witnessed how Zich became involved with the Rouge family¡¯s business. The Count assumed something simr must have happened with Count Dracul, and even if it wasn¡¯t the case, the Count had no intention or reason to investigate the matter.

    ¡°Are you going to do the greeting and weing?¡±

    ¡°Why would I do that? They came as Steelwall¡¯s guests. Just arrange a meeting ce for me to see them.¡±

    ¡°I will do that,¡± the Count replied and nodded.

    ¡°Do you perhaps know what those people like or dislike?¡±

    ¡°Who knows?¡± After spending many years fighting the world together, Zich was knowledgeable of the two¡¯s hobbies and preferences, but this was strictly before the regression<i>.</i>

    ¡®They will probably be shocked beyond belief if I wee them with a bathtub full of blood or a dressing table decorated with the heads of handsome men now.¡¯ At this thought, Zich felt satisfied to know how well he had guided the two from straying off the wrong path.

    ¡°Although I think we have a deep rtionship, the time we spent together was short. I don¡¯t know what they like or dislike.¡±

    ¡°I guess that means we will have to just wee them normally. You said the two were engaged to one another, right?¡±

    ¡°Yes. I think they must have set up a marriage date by now.¡±

    ¡°Then, I should prepare their bedrooms to be close to one another.¡±

    After that, the Count continued to ask Zich many questions to prepare for his weing of Joachim and Evelyn, including their arrangement with meeting up with Zich.

    ¡°There¡¯s one more thing I must tell you. His Highness, the Crown Prince, is alsoing here this time.¡±

    ¡°Is he alsoing to see me?¡±

    ¡°Probably. Unlike how you speak to me, you must address His Highness with proper etiquette.¡±

    ¡°I adjust my attitude and manners ording to the situation and person anyways,¡± Zich replied and recalled the time he met the Crown Prince in the capital.

    ¡®He seemed like apetent man,¡¯ Zich thought. Since he was nning to stay in the Steelwall¡¯s residence for a while, he wouldn¡¯t be able to avoid seeing the Crown Prince. However, Zich didn¡¯t consider the meeting with the Crown Prince as anything special. After they finished their conversation, the Count stared intently at Zich.

    ¡°What are you looking at?¡± Zich asked and met the Count¡¯s eyes snidely.

    ¡°Do you know that?¡±

    ¡°How the heck am I supposed to respond if you ask me a question like that out of the blue without any context? Do you think I can read your mind or something?¡±

    ¡°You look like Sara.¡±

    ¡°I know that.¡± Sara Steelwall¡¯s original name was Sara ud. She was Count ud¡¯s daughter and Count Steelwall¡¯s ex-wife and Zich¡¯s mother.

    ¡°Anybody can see that I don¡¯t look like you.¡± The Count¡¯s rugged appearance could be described as wild and manly at best and rough at worst. On the other hand, Zich had the neat and prim appearance of a young nobleman. With his quite fine appearance, if Zich had officially grown up as the Steelwall¡¯s heir and debuted in higher society, he could have received the attention of many nobledies.

    ¡°You heard how vicious your mother was, right?¡±

    ¡°Yes, I heard.¡±

    ¡°That was why I disliked you.¡±

    ¡°I know that too, and how ridiculous it was for me to be mistreated for that reason.¡± The content of his words was full of thorns, but Zich¡¯s tone was t and his face looked unbothered. What happened in his younger days didn¡¯t influence him in the slightest, and he was simply stating the truth.

    ¡°I know.¡± The Count agreed this time.

    ¡°Why are you bringing that up now? Do you suddenly want to rebuild our rtionship?¡±

    ¡°Rebuild our rtionship? I¡¯d be d if we could, but I already know it¡¯s impossible.¡±

    ¡°I suppose you haven¡¯t lost your mind yet.¡±

    The Count remained calm in front of Zich¡¯s jeering.

    ¡°Do you perhaps have any thoughts about seeding my position?¡±

    ¡°On second thought, it seems like you¡¯re starting to lose your mind a bit and you¡¯re just pretending to be sane.¡±

    ¡°What I did before was only natural since you couldn¡¯t use any mana before. You weren¡¯t suitable to be the Steelwall heir, and with the issue with your grandfather, I judged that the family wouldn¡¯t be able tost if you seeded my position.¡±

    Zich had already admitted this.

    The Count continued, ¡°It would have only been wrong for us to go beyond matters rting to the heir position and persecute you because of our negative feelings about your mother.¡±

    ¡°Yet, you guys did just that.¡±

    ¡°We did.¡± That was what created this psychological bridge between the two.

    ¡°Will you nevere back if you leave this time?¡±

    ¡°Who knows what will happen? Like this time, however, I will nevere to you as Zich Steelwall since I have absolutely no connections to the Steelwall family.¡±

    ¡°I see.¡±

    ¡°Why have you suddenly be so emotional? Are you scared that I would return for revenge?¡±

    ¡°Revenge from a dragon yer certainly does sound frightening.¡± The Count¡¯s slightly regretful tone made it easy to tell that he wasn¡¯t expressing his genuine feelings.

    Seeing Zich¡¯s expression, the Count then added, ¡°You look like you don¡¯t understand what¡¯s going on.¡±

    ¡°Your change is shocking me more than even the dragon¡¯s appearance.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s simple. The son whom I didn¡¯t favor and chased away grew up splendidly. He returned to only save his whole family from falling to hell. I wouldn¡¯t be a proper noble if I didn¡¯t consider my losses and I¡¯d be inhumane if I didn¡¯t feel anything about this.¡±

    ¡°Due to the amount of pain my mother caused to this family, I thought I should help you all out just once. That thought somehow ballooned into this whole incident.¡±

    ¡°Then, does that mean this is all thanks to Sara?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t you think that¡¯s too much of a stretch?¡±

    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s certainly true.¡±

    The father and son were finally seeing eye to eye.

    ¡°Greig would be enough for the heir position. Since Ipletely healed his trauma, he won¡¯t act so pathetically as he did before.¡±

    The Count nodded. Greig had shown considerable skills in this war and showed no signs of his past self.

    ¡°A guy like Greig is a perfect fit for a ce like Steelwall. The Steelwall Estate is far too small for an existence like me.¡±

    ¡°Not too long ago, I would have argued with you passionately over that, but¡­¡± The Count could no longer do that with the current Zich. Count Steelwall had grown up his entire life with extreme pride about his family. He even thought that his family didn¡¯tck behind the royal family, but even this family that he was so prideful about seemed to becking for Zich. Thus, the Count felt even more regretful. The moment that a figure like Zich joined his family, he would expand the family¡¯s power and standing so that it would be suitable to hold him. Then, the Steelwalls could be an even greater family. Yet, that was nothing more than a dream now.

    ¡°Yes. The Steelwall family is probably too small to contain you.¡± The Count rose from his chair. The office seemed to fill up with his size. Even if he didn¡¯t try, his effortless, small movements let out an atmosphere akin to a giant mountain rising. That was the sort of person Count Steelwall was. He was someone who appeared as if he would always hold his head up high like a mountain peak, but such a man was bowing to Zich.

    ¡°I am truly sorry.¡±

    Who would be able to receive such a sincere apology from a man like Count Steelwall? Considering the Count¡¯s age and social standing, those who received his apologies would feel ufortable pressure instead. Of course, Zich wasn¡¯t the type to feel pressured by such social bearings and was able to see the Count¡¯s apology purely for its own merits. However, this didn¡¯t necessarily trante into epting the apology.

    ¡°What joke are you ying now?¡± Zich asked. ¡°You must know how useless this is.¡±

    ¡°Of course, I know that. But that doesn¡¯t prevent me from doing what I should do.¡± The Count straightened his back and bowed again. ¡°I also want to thank you for protecting our family.¡±

    Zich stared intently at the Count. ¡°It¡¯s none of my concern whether you are apologizing out of duty or self-satisfaction, but I will ept your thanks.¡±

    ¡°Thank you,¡± the Count replied as he stood upright once more.

    ¡°Is that all?¡±

    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s all.¡±

    ¡°Then, I will be leaving.¡±

    ¡°All right.¡±

    Zich opened the door and left the office, and the Count lifted his pen and began working on his documents again. As if their interaction just now had been a dream, the two went about their business as if nothing ever happened. Perhaps, like father and son, in this regard¡ªonly in this matter were the two extremely alike. Unable to mend the rtionship, Zich and the Count¡¯s rtionship ended like that and hardened.

    * * *

    ¡°Have you finished your conversation with Sir Count?¡±

    When Zich got out of the Count¡¯s office, Trell stood next to the door looking like he had been waiting for him.

    ¡°Yes. If you also have some business with the Count, you can go in now.¡±

    ¡°No, I was just waiting for you after hearing that you came to see Sir Count on my way here.¡±

    ¡°Do you have something to speak to me about?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not anything important, but if it¡¯s fine with you, could we talk for a bit?¡±

    ¡°Yes, sure.¡±

    Like that, the two began to slowly walk across the hallway. Zich nced at the old butler walking next to him. He was one of the very few who hadn¡¯t held negative feelings for Zich in the Steelwall family. Yet, he hadn¡¯t taken Zich¡¯s side either. He simply didn¡¯t discriminate, but that was enough for Zich to have favorable opinions of the butler. Thus, the way Zich interacted with Trell was much softer than the way he treated the Count.

    ¡°I¡¯m sure Sir Count already asked you about seeding his position,¡± Trell said.

    ¡°You are quite direct, but it is as you say.¡±

    ¡°Could I ask you what your answer was?¡±

    ¡°It is just as you predicted.¡±

    ¡°I see, as expected. That¡¯s certainly a shame.¡±

    ¡°You are backing down more easily than I expected. I thought you would want me to seed the Count¡¯s position the most out of everyone else.¡±

    ¡°I did.¡± Trell looked toward the garden past the window. ¡°When you came back here, young master, you said that the Steelwall Estate was too small of a ce for you.¡±

    Zich recalled saying that while arguing with the Count.

    ¡°At that time, I couldn¡¯t agree with what you said. I thought the Steelwall Estate could contain anyone.¡±

    ¡°Did your mind change?¡±

    ¡°Yes, it changed significantly.¡± Trell looked away from the window and stared at Zich. His eyes under his white eyebrows arched softly.

    ¡°Young Master, you have surely be too great for even the Steelwall Estate.¡±

 Chapter 550

    <h4>Chapter 550</h4>

    Zich asked Trell, ¡°You appear to be in a good mood. Shouldn¡¯t you be a bit sadder since the possibility that I will seed as the Count has disappeared?¡±

    ¡°Even if you cut all ties with the Steelwalls, I have watched you grow since you were young. Now, you have be someone that everyone looks up to. It¡¯s like how people feel proud simply from the fact that a famous person was born in the same hometown as them, and I¡¯m sure there aren¡¯t many who can tell their grandkids what the dragon yer was like in his youth.¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t think you were the type to dwell in such matters.¡±

    ¡°Certainly not. I am also a normal person,¡± Trellughed. As an old veteran who protected the Steelwall family from all sorts of evil schemes and plots, he was skilled at concealing his feelings on the outside. At least right now, there was sincerity in his words. But Zich knew Trell didn¡¯t say this simply in celebration of his sess.

    ¡°I see that you are trying to raise Steelwall¡¯s entire impression of me by getting on my good side.¡± Zich would have scoffed if another person from Steelwall celebrated Zich¡¯s achievements as if they were his own, but it was different for Trell. He had been aware of this when trying to leverage this point.

    ¡°Oh my, was I caught?¡± Trell responded exaggeratedly as if he was caught plotting a great, evil scheme. Yet, he was still smiling.

    ¡°What can I do? I¡¯m still a vassal of the Steelwall family. It seems like you have severed all ties with Sir Count and won¡¯t return again, but who knows what will happen? I hope you understand that these are just worries from a foolish old man. It¡¯s also true that I¡¯m genuinely happy for you.¡±

    ¡°Was that part also within your calctions? Since your words aren¡¯tpletely untruthful, your opponent wouldn¡¯t get as offended even if your intentions are revealed. You shouldn¡¯t use a method like that on someone more short-sighted.¡±

    ¡°I will of course speak differently ording to who I am speaking to. The only things I gained with age are white hair, worries, and the ability to read people. Yet, to think you read me that far makes me feel even sadder that you are leaving. The Steelwall family would have surely risen to greater heights if you seeded the Count¡¯s position.¡±

    ¡°That conversation is already over. It is time for you to give up, Mr. Trell. Since I made Greig get his senses back, he won¡¯t be as bad as the next Count.¡±

    ¡°That''s true, sir.¡± From then on, Trell didn¡¯t bring up the topic of session again, and they engaged in light chatter.

    ¡°Hm?¡± Two people came into view across the corridors. They also turned their heads after hearing Zich¡¯s and Trell¡¯s footsteps.

    ¡°It¡¯s Madam and Young Master Greig.¡±

    ¡°I am having many interesting meetings today,¡± Zich noted.

    Zich and Trell slowly approached the two. They didn¡¯t have any reason to talk to each other, but they needed to pass by Zich and Trell to get out of the mansion. Even if they met by pure coincidence, they couldn¡¯t simply ignore one another¡ªwell, at least only for Trell.

    ¡°Greetings, Madam and Young Master.¡±

    ¡°Same to you Trell.¡± The Countess gracefully epted Trell¡¯s greeting.

    ¡°Greetings, Mr. Trell.¡± Greig also bowed his head politely to Trell. As expected of thedy of the estate and her son, the two acted elegantly. However, there was one person who didn¡¯t fit the others.

    <i>Whoosh!</i> As soon as Zich saw Greig, he hurled his fist at him. Greig was about to hesitantly give his greeting to Zich when he quickly evaded the swing.

    <i>Whoosh! Whoosh!</i> Zich swung his fist a couple of times, but Greig managed to¡ªthough barely¡ªevade all the attacks.

    ¡°Hm, pretty good,¡± Zich said calmly, unfitting of a person who just swung his fist out of nowhere. It would¡¯ve been understandable if Greig threw a fit, but someone else protested against this behavior before he could.

    ¡°W-What is the meaning of this?!¡± the Countess screamed. In front of her shocked and enraged tone, Zich responded in a carefree manner.

    ¡°I was just checking if Greig¡¯s treatment went well. I mean, didn¡¯t you all leave the matter of his treatment to me? I understand how you might be surprised, <i>Mother</i>, but I am simply acting out in love and concern for my younger brother.¡±

    The Countess¡¯ eyebrows wiggled as Zich called her mother, and Greig also recovered from his shock and protested. ¡°How the hell is this a check-up?!¡±

    ¡°Huh? Do you not trust your older brother? Man, do you think you would have been able to dodge my attacks just now if you were still in your loser-ish, gloomy days?¡±

    Greig couldn¡¯t answer, and Zich continued, ¡°I also saw you thinking about counterattacking unconsciously while evading. That would have been unthinkable for you before.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡± Greig wanted to retort, but he also thought there was nothing wrong with what Zich said. Getting pped by irrefutable truths hurt much more than getting pounded by lies or nder; this was the fact that Greig thoroughly experienced while staying around Zich.

    ¡°See. Aren¡¯t you satisfied with the results, <i>Mother</i>? I thought your worries over your son, Greig, were too great and I wanted to show you there was nothing to worry about now, <i>Mother</i>. I¡¯m d that I can finally show you my good side, <i>Mother.</i>¡±

    Anybody could see that Zich was mocking the Countess by continuously calling her ¡®Mother.¡¯ Trell tried to stop Zich. Considering what Zich had to endure under the Countess, this was nothing more than a joke, but as the family¡¯s butler, Trell couldn¡¯t stand by as the Countess was being insulted like this.

    ¡°Young Master, I plead you to stop¡­¡±

    ¡°¡­Yes, I see.¡±

    Trell, Greig, and even Zich¡¯s eyes turned wide.

    ¡°Since you cured my son, I have to express my thanks to you. I am very grateful.¡± There was no sarcasm in her voice, and she didn¡¯t seem to have spat out words she didn¡¯t mean either. She was genuine.

    ¡°Thank you for also protecting the Steelwall Estate. I express my gratitude to you as thedy of the house.¡± The Countess bowed toward Zich, and Zich blinked hard.

    ¡°Then, please excuse me.¡± The Countess turned and left, and the remaining three stood in silence for a while.

    ¡°¡­Oh my, she one-upped me.¡± Zich scratched his head. He hadn¡¯t expected the Countess to act like that at all. ¡®I suppose she is thedy of the house after all.¡¯

    As a noble and the wife of a lord who managed an estate called the kingdom¡¯s Iron Fortress, the Countess knew how to behave in certain situations. Knowing how indebted the family was to Zich, she knew it was only natural for her to express her gratitude to Zich no matter how she felt. Yet, Zich hadn¡¯t expected her to do this knowing how much she hated him.

    ¡°It¡¯s my first time seeing you make an expression like that since you changed, Young Master,¡± Trell said.

    ¡°It was an unexpected blow.¡± Zich looked behind to watch the Countess leaving. ¡°It seems she still hates me.¡±

    ¡°The Countess¡¯ situation isn¡¯t like the others¡­¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s no need to defend her. I know that too.¡± For Count Steelwall and Greig, Zich was tied to them by blood, and for the rest of the staff and the subordinates in the estate, Zich was their master¡¯s son. Yet, for the Countess, their rtionship was tied by a very thin connection. They were neither rted nor was Zich the child of someone the Countess served. On the contrary, Zich was the son of the Count¡¯s ex-wife and her son¡¯spetition. Considering how severely and viciously Sara Steelwall tormented her, it would have been stranger for her to settle all her ill feelings toward Zich.

    ¡°This is actually good. I felt a bit ufortable seeing how the Count¡¯s view of me changed so dramatically, but the Countess¡¯ reaction makes me feel a bit relieved. You are only living if there are some people who hate you too. This makes me remember the old times. It¡¯s nice.¡± Greig looked slightly awkward when Zich mentioned ¡®the old times¡¯ and Trell let out a small sigh. Now that Zich had be a representative among the dragon yers, those times were their dark history now.

    Zich then stared at Greig. ¡°Anyway, as I said earlier since your treatment is over, live hard from now on. Don¡¯t live like a loser like before.¡±

    ¡°Are you still referring to what you did to me as ¡®treatment?¡¯¡± Greig asked.

    ¡°What else should I call it? You tell me if we treated your condition or not.¡±

    Again, Greig couldn¡¯t refute it, but he didn¡¯t want to admit that what Zich did was treatment until the very end.

    ¡°I know many people here want me to seed the Count. But Greig, your great brother has no intentions of inheriting this <i>puny</i> estate.¡±

    Trell coughed. It seemed like he was taken aback by Zich¡¯s description of the estate, but Zich continued, ¡°Thus, you will naturally be the next Count, and you will always bepared to your great brother. You should give it your best. You won¡¯t do as good of a job as me, but if it¡¯s you, you will be able to lead the family well.¡±

    ¡°Damn it. Are you mocking me or encouraging me?¡±

    ¡°As if I would encourage you,¡± Zich said while tapping Greig¡¯s shoulder and walking past him. ¡°Since you finished speaking to me, Mr. Trell, please continue on with your own business. It¡¯s a busy time after all.¡±

    ¡°Yes, sir.¡±

    Thus, Zich disappeared to the other side of the residence¡¯s hallway.

    ¡°How in the world did that quiet Zich Steelwall be like that?¡± Greig sighed, and Trell gave a bittersweet smile. Then, Greig turned to Trell and asked, ¡°Will you be all right with this?¡±

    ¡°What do you mean, sir?¡±

    ¡°I know that you strongly wish for my brother to seed,¡± Greig said. His words sounded normal at first nce, but considering that Greig was the heir now, it also sounded like a chilling threat. Most would have quickly given their excuses while sweating profusely, but Trell didn¡¯t appear frightened at all.

    ¡°What can we do when the person in question doesn¡¯t want to do it? As Young Master Zich said, the Steelwall Estate is too small of a ce for him.¡±

    ¡°Yet, I feel a great burden inheriting this small estate.¡± After participating in this war, Greig learned a bit of what it meant to lead an estate. In many ways, this incident left multiple positive influences on him.

    ¡°I¡¯m sure you will also do well, Young Master¡ªthough you might bepared to Young Master Zich a lot.¡±

    It would¡¯ve been understandable those words hurt Greig¡¯s pride, but Greig simply snorted. ¡°It would be difficult to find anyone who would evenpare to a person like that.¡±

    As Zich nned, Greig dropped his inferiorityplex toward him after seeing how unreachable Zich was. After all, not many humans would get riled up over losing to someone who would only exist in legends.

    ¡°Furthermore, my mother and I weren¡¯t the only ones who discriminated against him. Most people in this estate are guilty of this. They shouldn''t have treated him so poorly if they wanted him to be the sessor.¡±

    ¡®Has he already thought of a way to exin the situation to the rest of the estate residents?¡¯ Trell thought and was satisfied with Greig¡¯s n.

    ¡°That¡¯s true, but I don¡¯t think that logic applies to me.¡±

    ¡°Well to you, Mr. Trell, I will continue to struggle to raise my head high in front of you.¡± Greig sighed deeply, and Trell burst intoughter.

 Chapter 551

    <h4>Chapter 551</h4>

    For several days after his meeting with the Count, Zich spent his days quietly doing his own things. He sometimes oversaw Hans, Snoc, or Lara¡¯s training, apanied Leona in her sightseeing, and even wandered around the residence¡¯s garden with nothing to do. It was the perfect way to rest and y. Zich¡¯s peaceful and leisurely lifestyle was especially eye-catching inside the hectic estate since everyone else was busy cleaning up after the war. However, as expected, no one reprimanded Zich, and even those with theirints kept them to themselves. After all, their opponent was a human who had fought head-on with a legendary dragon; that alone garnered the admiration of all, and the moment they voiced theirints aloud, Zich¡¯s followers would probably kill them before Zich even lifted his finger.

    Contrary to what everyone thought, Zich wasn¡¯t only ying around. Zich sat on top of his bed and closed his eyes. All sorts of memories wandered and floated inside his head. These were unfamiliar memories he had never seen or experienced before. They weren¡¯t organized and were sometimes vague, abstract, and intangible. These memories could be more urately described as strange sensations. These were memories that L sent him.

    Zich organized the information that entered his head. He could divide the information that L sent him into two categories. One was information about the mastermind behind everything, and the other was information about Glen.

    ¡®He really is running away like a little rat.¡¯

    Glen was frantically heading somewhere. He looked just like a beggar, but even in the chaos, he was clutching tightly onto Tornium which he had managed to snag by luck. Perhaps treasured this sword even more since it was the only thing he had left after losing everything. He probably thought that Tornium was hisst hope.

    ¡®As I thought, he must be heading to the mastermind¡¯s location.¡¯ There was no other secret hideout that Glen could go to right now. Zich hoped that Glen would quickly reach that ce. It wasn¡¯t because he was curious about where the mastermind¡¯s base was¡ªthat was already contained within the information L sent him, including the mastermind¡¯s identity. Zich¡¯s main concern was that the mastermind led a very formidable force, and above all, the original World Tree was in their possession.

    Until now, the mastermind couldn¡¯t use the World Tree¡¯s mana profusely for personal matters since they needed to maintain the Brushel System. Now that the Brushel System had crumbled, that wouldn¡¯t be the case anymore, and Zich would have to fight someone who could use the World Tree¡¯s mana as their key weapon.

    ¡®Just the thought of it gives me chills,¡¯ Zich thought. The mana that the World Tree¡¯s clones possessed was already beyond massive. It was unimaginable how much mana the World Tree would have. There was no need to exin further when one considered how the Brushel System, which could aplish an unbelievable miracle like turning back time, was sourced solely by the World Tree¡¯s mana.

    ¡®The dragon¡¯s mana was at least simr to the amount of mana I had.¡¯

    Even Zich, with his world record-breaking amount of mana, was smaller than a firefly in front of the mana that the World Tree had. At the same time, Zich doubted that even the mastermind could use up all the World Tree¡¯s mana, or else he wouldn¡¯t have bothered to go through all that trouble and humiliation to use Glen Zenard. Even so, it would be extremely dangerous and threatening to deal with the mastermind. Thus, Zich really looked forward to seeing Glen meet the mastermind and unknowingly inform Zich of everything that the mastermind was going to do. The only problem was that it seemed like Glen still hadn¡¯t managed to make contact with the mastermind yet.

    ¡®That slowpoke bastard,¡¯ Zich cursed at Glen and opened his eyes again. It didn¡¯t seem like Glen was going to meet the mastermind for the time being. He would probably have to wait a couple more days. There was no need for Zich to look at the exact moment they met anyway. L would pass on that information to him well, and it wasn¡¯t toote to attend to other matters for now.

    * * *

    ¡°It¡¯s been a while, Sir Zich!¡±

    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s been so long!¡±

    A couple greeted Zich with wide smiles on their faces. They were his subordinates from before the regression¡ªthe vampire, Joachim Dracul, and the subus, Evelyn Rouge.

    ¡°Greetings, you two.¡± Zich also greeted them with a smile. There wasn¡¯t a hint of ridicule or vicious sarcasm in his tone. He was simply making a heartwarming smile.

    Joachim said, ¡°We want to congratte you first for aplishing such a great feat. Sir Zich, I knew how amazing you were, but to that think you would be able to defeat a legendary dragon.¡±

    Evelyn agreed. ¡°How truly amazing.¡±

    As expected, the two praised Zich¡¯s victory over the dragon first upon their reunion.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t do it on my own.¡± Zich wasn¡¯t the type to shy away from boasting about his aplishments, but he wasn¡¯t also the type to exaggerate or twist the truth either. Thus, he spoke in a way that would¡¯ve made most listeners think he was simply speaking humbly.

    ¡°ording to what we heard, you were the one who fought head-on against the dragon and yed the greatest role in leading the dragon yers to the path of victory.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s true.¡± Zich wasn¡¯t the type to deny facts either.

    ¡°If that¡¯s the case, it¡¯spletely justifiable to boast about your achievements,¡± Joachim chuckled. Joachim had gained a considerable amount of weight since thest time Zich saw him, and he looked drastically different from his previous stick-skinny, gaunt self. Now that he had as much fat as an ordinary person on top of his tall height, Joachim¡¯s size could give the weak-hearted a bit of a scare. Sticking right by his side, Evelyn gave off an elegant atmosphere as expected of an aristocraticdy. She looked happy to be next to the person she loved, and every single one of Joachim¡¯s actions showed how much he cared for her. The two lovebirds appeared extremely happy with each other¡¯spany. There wasn¡¯t a hint of the bloodthirsty vampire or a subus with twisted lust in those two.

    ¡°I¡¯m d to see that both of you seem to be doing well.¡±

    Their conversation officially began once Zich and the two sat on the sofa facing each other.

    Zich asked, ¡°Is it all right for you two toe all this way?¡± Based on what the previous Count Dracul did, the Dracul family¡¯s standing was in a very precarious position. It was to the point that Joachim had to go all the way to Janmalpi to solve a case there to gain the favor of a noble there. Thus, it was surprising that he had traveled so far simply to meet an old friend. Yet, Joachim looked at ease.

    ¡°The reason why I came here is most of all to see you, Sir Zich, but I also came with political purposes in mind. It might be hard to believe, but the Dracul Estate is currently the most stable it¡¯s ever been since I stepped into my current position. It¡¯s all thanks to you.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s the importance of personal connection, I suppose.¡± Zich nodded. As social creatures, humans often helped each other out, and depending on the person¡¯s skill, one could receive a wider scope and depth of help. Thus, people sought to build connections with people from whom they could receive the most help and acknowledged a person¡¯s ability to build rtionships with skilled people.

    Because of what the previous Count did, Joachim struggled to build such connections and lost all his previous ones. It would¡¯ve been hard for an ordinary person, but for him, his family went back and forth between the edge of copse. Yet, all this changed when Zich¡¯s existence came to light and his fame and glory spread further. Dragon yers appeared into the world, and news that the representative of this group, Zich, was considerably well-acquainted with Joachim spread at the same time. Beyond just being acquainted, word spread that Zich had personally stood on Joachim Dracul¡¯s side to reveal the past Count Dracul¡¯s schemes and seated Joachim in his current position. Naturally, the royal and noble families who had looked warily at the Dracul family began to seek to make connections with Joachim.

    It was never bad to be in good rtions with a family who had connections with a dragon yer. Furthermore, if they were lucky, they could even make a direct connection with the dragon yer himself.

    ¡°Thus, no one even dares to resist me within the estate. They are all trembling in fear that a dragon yer woulde in person with his sword to crush everything upon my request.¡±

    ¡°Well, they aren¡¯t wrong,¡± Zich said. If Joachim requested it, he could crack those sly guys¡¯ heads into many art pieces.

    ¡°Haha, but thankfully, it doesn¡¯t seem like I would ever have to make a request like that. Although it''s true that your name holds great influence, it¡¯s not like my standing is as downright terrible as before.¡± Joachim¡¯s skills and hard work brought in stability and trust from his estate¡¯s residents, and his engagement with a family of greater social standing than him¡ªthe Rouge family¡ªstabilized his position even further.

    ¡°That¡¯s fortunate then.¡±

    ¡°Yes, it really is fortunate.¡±

    Joachim replied to Zich with an agreeing smile. If Hans, Snoc, and Lara had been there with them, they would have all wondered the same thing. Joachim was saying that it was fortunate that nothing much happened to him, but was Zich really talking about Joachim when he said, ¡®That¡¯s fortunate?¡¯ While Zich and Joachim conversed, Evelyn was searching around the room as if she was looking for something.

    ¡°Excuse me, Mr. Zich.¡±

    Zich turned to Evelyn at her call.

    ¡°Where is Ms. L?¡± Evelyn was really fond of Zich, but she was a bit closer to L.

    ¡°She¡¯s sleeping.¡±

    ¡°Sleeping? Has she tired herself out from doing something so exhausting?¡± It seemed like Evelyn thought L wasn¡¯ting out because she was tired. Thus, her tone was light and she thought she could see L while she stayed in the residence for a couple of more days. Thus, Zich corrected her misunderstanding.

    ¡°Yes, she finished a very exhausting job recently, so she won¡¯t be able to wake up for a while.¡±

    Realizing the severity of the situation through his words, Evelyn asked, ¡°¡­Did something happen?¡±

    ¡°Yes. I can¡¯t tell you the details, but L is still in deep sleep. You won¡¯t be able to see her this time.¡±

    ¡°Are you perhaps informing me of her death in a roundabout way¡­?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not the case at all.¡± Zich firmly denied her worries. Evelyn ced her hands on her chest and sighed. To her, L was her closest friend.

    ¡°Then when will she wake up?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know exactly. No, to be exact, it is up to me. She has be such a sleepy head that she can¡¯t wake up on her own, but I am nning to wake her up as soon as possible.¡±

    ¡°¡­I don¡¯t know what exactly happened, but if you say so, Mr. Zich. You must have your reasons. However, please give it your all. I also want to talk to Ms. L too.¡±

    ¡°Of course. I also have to give my reply to her too.¡±

    ¡°¡­A reply?¡±

    ¡°Yes, a reply.¡±

    It was the reply that L wanted in the past. Zich could give it now.

 Chapter 552

    <h4>Chapter 552</h4>

    Zich enjoyed talking to Joachim and Evelyn after not meeting them for a long time, and thus he went to converse with the two whenever he was free. The more he talked to them, the more Zich was able to confirm one crucial fact.

    ¡®Those guys will live well even without me.¡¯ Of course, if those two ever encountered danger again, Zich would crush those who dared to threaten his former subordinates with the might of a dragon yer. But it seemed like there was a low possibility that he would need to do that. Not long after, the two left the Steelwall Estate. Both Joachim and Evelyn were high-ranking nobles, and Joachim in particr was the lord of the Dracul Estate. They couldn¡¯t leave their posts for too long.

    ¡°We really hope that you will attend our wedding,¡± Joachim said to Zich.

    ¡°Pleasee with Ms. L,¡± Evelyn added.

    Although reluctant to leave, the two departed with the promise of a reunion.

    ¡®I must go to their wedding,¡¯ Zich thought. So, he needed to finish everything before that.

    Zich also met the Crown Prince when thetter came to visit the Steelwall Estate. Since they had met once before, the Crown Prince approached Zich in a familiar fashion, but unlike before, he addressed Zich formally. This was because of the change in Zich¡¯s social standing and status. As expected, he tried to entice Zich to join his side with the promise of new titles, starting from the Count title and even as far as the title of Duke. Zich was uninterested. Even though the Crown Prince insisted, when he realized that Zich was genuinely uninterested, he had no choice but to give up on the matter.

    ¡°Fortunately, you truly seem uninterested in bing a noble. If you go to another kingdom and be a noble there, that will ce us in a very difficult position.¡±

    If a dragon yer born from the Cronon Kingdom became a noble of another kingdom, it would damage the prestige of their kingdom severely, especially if the other kingdom didn¡¯t have good rtions with them. Furthermore, it seemed obvious that the Steelwalls, who made up arge part of their military might, would get negatively affected by the news. After all, it would be scandalous that a dragon yer had gone to another kingdom because of the discrimination he faced from the Steelwalls. On the other hand, if Zich simply didn¡¯t go to another kingdom, the Crown Prince could ease the political pressure on him by exining that the dragon yer just wasn¡¯t interested in noble statuses.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Your Highness. I have no interest in aristocratic matters.¡±

    ¡°I hope you will keep your word on that, sir. The other kingdoms have been giving a tremendous amount of attention to you. We have been especially eyeing the Sestil Kingdom¡¯s movements.¡±

    The Sestil Kingdom was the kingdom that Count ud had been part of, and they naturally had an extremely bad rtionship with the Cronon Kingdom.

    ¡°Did you just say the Sestil Kingdom, sir?¡±

    ¡°Besides the Pinne family, most of the opposing troops in this war belonged to the Sestil Kingdom. Of course, they are losing their minds since their rtionship with a dragon yer reached the worst possible oue.¡± The Crown Princeughed, clearly happy about his enemy kingdom¡¯s misfortune. His conduct as a royal was really exemry.

    Zich retorted, ¡°I don¡¯t have many ill feelings for the Sestil Kingdom.¡±

    ¡°Yes, unfortunately, that seems to be the case. However, they probably won¡¯t think you do.¡± A person¡¯s impression of the other party could turn sour from a simple fistfight. Evidently, it would be more so for opposing parties who had fought a bloody war not so long ago. In addition, the Steelwalls fully redeemed themselves after the war and their behavior was justified. It was enough to cause such a misunderstanding.

    ¡°This is information that just came in, but it seems like those guys are nning to ask you to seed Count ud¡¯s position.¡±

    ¡°They sure tried using their heads,¡± Zich said.

    With Count ud¡¯s suicide, the end of the ud family seemed near. Count ud¡¯s only child was Zich''s dead mother, and he had no close rtives. There could be distant rtives if they looked hard enough, and they would¡¯ve normallye running to take the Count¡¯s seat by now if the ud family¡¯s image hadn¡¯t reached the absolute gutters from this incident. Although the Count¡¯s title andnd were enticing, the idea of inheriting a Bellid supporter¡¯s asset deterred them.

    Yet, if Zich inherited Count ud¡¯s position, the story would be different. Zich was the one who crushed Count ud¡¯s schemes, and ?he was the Karuwiman Honorary Knight with deep connections with the Karuwimans. If such a person became the next Count ud, the negative image they had as Bellid followers would be all washed away. It was needless to exin the benefits of having the representative of the dragon yers as one of their nobles. Zich was also the previous count¡¯s grandson. There were a plethora of reasons to offer Zich the position.

    ¡°If you ept the offer, they are willing tobine nearby estates to raise your title to Duke. Since the majority of the estates surrounding Count ud¡¯s estate were also part of this war, they wouldn¡¯t be able to refuse. Instead, many would offer to give up parts of their territories to clear their names.¡±

    ¡°Oh my, how is everyone handing out the title of Duke so easily?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s how appealing the skills and fame of a dragon yer are.¡±

    ¡°Well, I¡¯m not interested.¡± If he wanted to, Zich could take away the Steelwall Estate. It wasughable that he would try to get the ud Estate now.

    ¡°Seeing your face, it really seems like you aren¡¯t interested. That¡¯s a huge relief.¡± Although the Cronon Kingdom wanted to avoid losing Zich to any other kingdom, losing him to the Sestil Kingdom was the worst-case scenario. That would mean that Zich¡¯s unbelievable force would oppose them. His inside sources already judged that there was a low possibility that Zich would ept such an offer, but even this tiny chance of the worst possible future ced the kingdom on high alert.

    ¡®I should¡¯ve sided with the Steelwalls from the beginning and built a connection that way,¡¯ the Crown Prince thought to himself and sighed. Who knew that this war would progress in such a way, and who could have expected a dragon¡¯s appearance? Not to mention, somebody defeated that dragon and be a dragon yer¡ªif somebody had foreseen this situation, the Crown Prince would look all over the kingdom to find that very person.

    The Crown Prince said, ¡°Anyway if you happen to be interested in a noble position in the future, I would like to ask you toe to our kingdom first. We¡¯ll give you the best treatment. Since it may be awkward with Count Steelwall from your perspective, we will assign your estate as far away from him as possible. Of course, we would never give you uselessnd either.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t think that¡¯s going to happen, but if I be interested, I¡¯ll consider your offer in a favorable light.¡±

    ¡°Thank you.¡± The Crown Prince wasn¡¯t able to get the answer he wanted, but heforted himself with the fact that he avoided the worst-case scenario of Zich going to another kingdom. Then, he brought up another topic. ¡°I have one more request. What do you n to do with the dragon¡¯s body?¡±

    It was the body of a legendary dragon. Many people wanted to collect its body, whether it was a mage who was eager to study it, a noble who wanted to use it as a family¡¯s symbol, or a merchant who was obsessed with collecting valuable items. Even in legends, a dragon¡¯s flesh, bones, teeth, scales, and all other parts were considered precious ingredients. Currently, the dragon¡¯s body had been taken by Count Steelwall¡¯s army and was being kept in the Count¡¯s mansion.

    The Crown Prince continued, ¡°Count Steelwall told me that he has no intention of iming ownership of the dragon¡¯s body. He imed that the people who defeated the dragon have full rights over it.¡±

    Since several of the Count¡¯s knights had also participated in the dragon¡¯s conquest, the Count could im partial ownership of the dragon¡¯s body. However, he gave up all rights over it and considered the dragon¡¯s defeat as the knights¡¯ individual merits. Naturally, those who wanted the dragon¡¯s body attempted to contact the dragon yers, and of course, the one they wanted to meet the most was Zich.

    Although the ownership over the dragon¡¯s body had not yet been clearly determined, no one could deny that Zich¡¯s share over the dragon¡¯s body was thergest by far, and that was the reason why the Crown Prince had brought up this matter to Zich. However, Zich had no intention to do what the Crown Prince wanted again.

    Zich simply said, ¡°I have no intention to sell it.¡±

    Zich was not greedy for money, and he already had enough money to spend as much as he wanted. Moreover, Zich received a hefty sum from Count Steelwall for his contribution to this war. On the other hand, Zich wasn¡¯t particrly interested in iming rights over the dragon¡¯s body. Even though he didn¡¯t have any special interest in keeping the dragon¡¯s body, there was no reason for him to sell it either.

    The Crown Prince said, ¡°Based on your merits, you¡¯ll be granted arge share of the dragon¡¯s body, but wouldn¡¯t it be difficult for you to carry all of it? Excuse me for saying this, but you don¡¯t even have a set residence, and I don¡¯t think a magic box can contain such an enormous amount.¡±

    ¡°Well, I do have a ce to store it.¡± If Zich stored the dragon¡¯s body in the Clowon ruins, who would be able to steal it? It was a ce that was impossible to approach without Windur.

    The Crown Prince tried to persuade Zich a little bit more, but Zich¡¯s response was continuously negative. There wasn¡¯t much benefit for him to sell the dragon¡¯s body.

    ¡°I guess it can¡¯t be helped.¡± The Crown Prince sighed and eventually gave up. To an ordinary person, the Crown Prince would have mentioned the kingdom¡¯s force and half-threatened them, but he couldn¡¯t do that with Zich, the representative of the dragon yers. In the worst-case scenario, if Zich got angry and stormed into the pce, no one would be able to stop him.

    ¡°Then, if you change your mind or need to dispose of the dragon¡¯s bodyter, please ask us first.¡± This was the only thing he could say in the end. Then, he thought, ¡®I guess I have no choice but to ask the others if they have any intentions to sell their shares.¡¯

    However, the others wouldn¡¯t be easy either. Those who had arge stake to the dragon¡¯s body were the elf princess, the former master of the magical tower, the Saintess, and the Saintess¡¯ bodyguard¡ªthey were all people who the Crown Prince couldn¡¯t treat with disrespect. Moreover, Hans, Snoc, Elena, and the others had already given up their shares to Zich. One fortunate aspect was that everyone who wished to purchase the dragon¡¯s body was in the same position as him. Even though the Crown Prince didn¡¯t have any advantages, he wasn¡¯t at a disadvantagepared to the others either; the Crown Prince had no choice but to console himself like this. Thus, the Crown Prince ended his meeting with Zich without much profit.

    * * *

    Zich looked up at the dragon¡¯s body. Even though it had been several days since the dragon died, the dragon¡¯s body showed no signs of decay. Although it was widely known that the dragon¡¯s body was being kept in the Count¡¯s mansion, it was left fully exposed in the corner of the mansion¡¯s yard. Only the presence of several soldiers guarding its surroundings indicated the importance of the dragon¡¯s body. The reason why the dragon¡¯s body was left fully exposed in the yard was simple¡ªthere was no room to store it. In the first ce, it had taken considerable effort to just bring the body to the mansion¡¯s yard.

    Zich tapped the dragon¡¯s scales with his fist. He was met with strong resistance and he thought, ¡®In legends, they made armor out of dragon scales.¡¯

    He could tell how unbelievably tough the dragon¡¯s scales were when he fought against it. If a cksmith made armor with the dragon¡¯s scales, amazing armor would definitely be created.

    ¡®No wonder the Crown Prince wanted to buy it himself.¡¯ Zich had no intention of making anything out of the dragon¡¯s body, but he had no intention to give it away either. ¡®I¡¯m sure I¡¯ll find a use for itter in life.¡¯

    However, it didn¡¯t matter to him if he couldn¡¯t find a use for itter on; he could just live with it in his possession till the end of his life. While Zich quietly observed the dragon¡¯s body, he sensed two people approaching him from behind. Judging by how the soldiers were not restraining them, they didn¡¯t seem to be anyone suspicious.

    ¡®Well, it would also be hard to steal this secretly as well.¡¯ Zich stared at the people approaching him.

    ¡°Oh my, Sir Zich, you were already here.¡±

    ¡°¡­Hello.¡±

    One smiled at him and the other hesitated to say hello to him. They were Chelsea Windne and Pina Acous¡ªGlen¡¯s exrades.

 Chapter 553

    <h4>Chapter 553</h4>

    Chelsea and Pina were the exrades of Zich¡¯s arch-nemesis, Glen. They seemed to be well aware of their positions as they suddenly looked tense although they had been smiling earlier. They were able to snag titles as dragon yers due to their quick thinking, but it still didn¡¯t change the fact that they used to be Glen¡¯spanions and Steelwall¡¯s enemy. While the two felt little difort in their daily lives, they knew that people didn¡¯t look at them with such kind eyes. Although they wanted to flee from this ufortable space as soon as possible, they still endured and lingered at the Steelwall Estate to aplish their goals.

    Although they had already made up their minds, they still felt nervous when dealing with Zich. The two knew that Zich disliked Glen, and they used to follow him. When one hated a person, they tended to hate the people around them too. Thus, it seemed unlikely that Zich would have positive feelings toward the two. Even if they took Glen out of the picture, they didn¡¯t have a good rtionship with the other people acquainted with Zich. Chelsea¡¯s rtionship with Lube was terrible while Pina belonged to the school of magic that opposed Walwiss. Although they hadn¡¯t really directly interacted with Zich, these reasons were enough to make them wary of each other.

    ¡°It¡¯s you guys,¡± Zich said ndly. ¡°What are you all here for?¡±

    Unfitting of his personality, Zich usually addressed most people politely. However, since they had been enemies not too long ago, Zich addressed them informally. The two also didn¡¯t protest against his manners, and even if they had theirints, they knew they had to keep them to themselves.

    Seeing that Zich didn¡¯t show any negative reactions to them, Chelsea looked relieved and talked more amiably. ¡°We came to see the dragon¡¯s corpse.¡±

    ¡°Are you trying to assess your share of the dragon¡¯s body?¡±

    ¡°Honestly, that¡¯s what we came here for.¡± Chelsea nced at Zich while saying this. Pina also looked nervous. Although they had supported Zich and hispanions in defeating the dragon, they thought Zich could be ufortable with the idea of sharing the winnings with them due to their past rtionship. Yet, the two were desperate. The dragon¡¯s body was beyond rare; this was the only dragon in existence. Even if they kept a very tiny amount, it would clearly be of great help to them in one way or another. Although they had indeed gained the opportunity to turn things around after bing dragon yers, their future was still shrouded in a thick fog.

    Contrary to their worries, Zich simply said, ¡°Is that so?¡± and turned his eyes back to the dragon¡¯s corpse.

    ¡°¡­Are you fine with it?¡±

    ¡°Why wouldn¡¯t I be?¡±

    Zich''s carefree tone shocked Chelsea. ¡°Um¡­you know, because we used to be enemies?¡±

    ¡°Does that have anything to do with the help you gave us when fighting this dragon?¡±

    Although the two had rushed into the battle for personal gain, it was true that they had also helped tremendously. Pina worked with Walwiss and Elena to guard against the dragon¡¯s magic. The dragon¡¯s attacks had incorporated five different magical properties at once, pretty much cmity itself. Pina made significant contributions to reducing the damage, and she showed a noteworthy performance. Chelsea¡¯s aplishments were even more impressive. While the team defended against the dragon¡¯s final breath, Chelsea only focused on healing Zich while Lube focused on healing the rest of the party. Since Zich received special care from one of the previous Saintess candidates, he was able to inflict a critical attack on the dragon after its breath ended. Considering all this, Zich had nothing to dispute about the two taking parts of the dragon¡¯s body.

    ¡°We have already decided to split up the dragon¡¯s parts among those who participated in the battle. You guys clearly did your part, so what can I say?¡± Zich said.

    Chelsea was very d to hear this. ¡°Then, does that mean we can take some parts?¡±

    Chelsea had felt anxious because some people were heavily scrutinizing her and Pina as they snooped around the dragon¡¯s corpse. Now that the representative of the dragon yers took their side, all her worries disappeared. After all, who could refute his words?

    ¡°It¡¯s as long as you guys don¡¯t covet more than the contributions you made,¡± Zich said.

    ¡°We will never be so greedy!¡± Chelsea said. Truthfully, she wanted her share and a little more than that if possible. However, Chelsea and Pina knew that if they acted too greedily, they might lose even their original share, and they didn¡¯t want to throw away this chance that Zich had given them.

    ¡°Well, I suppose you guys will only be able to do that after we decide on the distributions,¡± Zich murmured while hitting the dragon¡¯s scales with his fist.

    Hearing Zich¡¯s and Chelsea¡¯s conversation from a distance, Pina said in surprise, ¡°¡­How unexpected.¡±

    ¡°What is?¡± Zich asked.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t think you would ept us taking our share so easily when we had been enemies not so long ago.¡±

    ¡°W-Wait, Ms. Acous! What are you saying?¡± Chelsea tugged the edge of Pina¡¯s clothes. There was no need for them to say frivolous things after Zich already admitted that they would get their contributions. If Zich became offended, he could take back what he said. Even if the two contributed to ying the dragon, with just a single word from Zich, their contributions could all be washed away. Was Pina speaking out of curiosity like mages usually did?

    ¡®This is why mages are¡­!¡¯ Chelsea repressed a great urge to shout a flurry of curses into the air.

    Seeing thedies¡¯ reactions, Zich asked, ¡°Did you guys do anything personally wrong to me?¡±

    ¡°No, of course not! I mean, in the first ce, we barely met face-to-face,¡± Chelsea immediately responded.

    ¡°Then, do you still like that guy, Glen Zenard?¡±

    ¡°No.¡± Pina looked disgusted. She almost fell into a deeper pit than the one she had been in because of that bastard.

    Unlike Pina, Chelsea maintained her bright expression. ¡°I wish that guy would quickly go and die in a ditch somewhere.¡± She had no idea that Glen had joined hands with the Bellids; as someone who dreamed of bing the Karuwiman Saintess, it was an event more terrifying than most disasters. It was to the extent that Chelsea would wake up in the middle of the night and grit her teeth at the thought of how much she was suffering because of Glen.

    ¡°Then that¡¯s enough. I already epted Lara Browning as a member of my party, so why would it be different for you two? I don¡¯t have any personal grudges against you two, so there¡¯s no need for you two to worry so much about it.¡±

    Of course, if they made Zich angry without knowing their ce, he would only give them the liberation of death after destroying their minds with all kinds of ridicule, contempt, and torture just like all of the enemies he faced so far. Regardless of what Zich thought, Chelsea and Pina sighed in relief; it was now at least clear that Zich didn¡¯t consider them his enemies.

    ¡°The only thing I¡¯ll admit is that you two have a stake in the dragon¡¯s dead body. Don¡¯t you two have other problems to deal with other than taking your share of the dragon¡¯s body?¡±

    Chelsea and Pina¡¯s faces, which had been bright with joy when Zich acknowledged their stake in the dragon¡¯s body, instantly hardened. As Zich said, their futures were exactly like the treacherous and rough sea; getting the dragon yer title and earning a part of the dragon¡¯s body was equivalent to getting a ship to sail across the dangerous sea. Despite earning the dragon yer title and a part of the dragon¡¯s body, their precarious situation hadn¡¯t changed.

    ¡°<i>Cough!</i> ...Sir Zich?¡± Chelsea asked again with a smile on her face.

    ¡°Excuse me, but you know that I left the Karuwimans, right? It¡¯s all because that abominable Glen Zen¡­¡± She gritted her teeth, indicating how much she detested Glen, and continued, ¡°¡­ard tricked me. I really wish to return to Karuwimans, so would you be able to lend me a bit of your strength? Aren¡¯t werades who fought a fierce battle together?¡±

    Pina¡¯s gaze intently pierced Chelsea¡¯s head. As soon as Zich told them that he didn¡¯t have any ill feelings toward them, Chelsea immediately changed her attitude. Pina thought, ¡®Didn¡¯t she hate him before?¡¯

    Pina had heard Chelsea grumble about Zich several times, saying that he was the person who helped Lube. However, she was now cajoling him for a favor. Shameless¡ªthere was probably no better word to currently describe her behavior.

    ¡°You¡¯re shameless.¡± Zich seemed to have thought the same thing, but there was no sign of displeasure or annoyance on his face. Rather, he was smiling as if he thought she was funny and said, ¡°Well, I don¡¯t hate people like you. It¡¯s fun to watch.¡±

    ¡°Then?¡± Chelsea asked with a hopeful voice.

    ¡°I¡¯ll say a few words for you.¡±

    Chelsea raised both hands. Even though Zich said he¡¯d say a few words for her, considering Zich¡¯s current influence and power, his every word was worth a thousand gold coins. The Karuwimans would never turn a blind eye to Zich¡¯s words. Chelsea thought she might be able to strengthen her rtionship with Zich using this incident and go up a little higher in the Karuwiman socialdder. A rose-colored future filled Chelsea¡¯s mind, but Zich¡¯s next words crushed Chelsea¡¯s spirits.

    ¡°Give up on being the Saintess.¡±

    ¡°¡­Is that an order?¡±

    ¡°No, it''s a piece of advice. Think about it. Do you think you can beat Lube?¡±

    ¡°¡­But she used to be a kid who couldn¡¯t say anything to me!¡± Chelsea was annoyed as soon as Lube was mentioned, and her voice became slightly confrontational.

    However, Zich just snorted at her attitude and said, ¡°It¡¯s not like that anymore. On the contrary, I think she became a bit too violent for me to wonder if it¡¯s okay for a Saintess to act like that.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Chelsea recalled the time Lube beat her up. From that point on, Lube had definitely changed.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know what she used to be like, but as soon as you return to Karuwimans and try to crawl up a bit, she¡¯ll immediately stomp you down. You can bet with me on this,¡± Zich said.

    ¡°¡­Damn it.¡± Chelsea couldn¡¯t refute his im and swore instead.

    ¡°Go for it if you want to. I¡¯m not your family, and we¡¯re not close enough for me to tell you what to do. I¡¯ll just have to ask Lube to tell meter how she crushed you like a bug. I think it¡¯ll be a very interesting story.¡±

    ¡°Perhaps¡­would you be able to say a few words for another person to the Karuwimans?¡±

    ¡°Who is it?¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s a knight named Winstin Dyner.¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s the person who acted as your bodyguard when you were a Saintess candidate.¡±

    Winstin seemed to have left the Karuwimans with Chelsea and managed to not die in this war. Since Chelsea¡¯s support base was probably all gone, it was obvious that she wanted to reinstate someone in a simr situation as her and rebuild her power.

    ¡°We at least have a connection since we fought a dragon together, but how is he rted to me in any way?¡± Zich and Winston had worked together when they were searching for Bellid hideouts in the Steelwall Estate, but considering that coboration was a far reach. ¡°No.¡±

    Chelsea hung her head low at Zich¡¯s firm words.

 Chapter 554

    <h4>Chapter 554</h4>

    Yet, Chelsea didn¡¯tment for long. ¡°It can¡¯t be helped. You can¡¯t save everybody.¡±

    For someone who asked for assistance in allowing her pastpanion to return, Chelsea¡¯s expression and behavior made her seem too unconcerned. Even Pina¡¯s mouth gaped slightly in astonishment as she watched from behind. Unfortunately for Chelsea¡¯spanion, the only one who thought that Chelsea¡¯s response was reprehensible was Pina.

    ¡°Yup, you can¡¯t save everybody.¡±

    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m d you agree.¡± Chelsea smiled brightly at Zich¡¯s response. ¡°That bastard Glen¡­um, can I call him a bastard?¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s no need for you to ask permission to curse him. No, does calling a bastard ¡®bastard¡¯ really count as cursing?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s certainly true.¡± Now that she had Zich¡¯s permission and was overflowing with the desire to curse Glen, Chelsea changed Glen¡¯s identity and background as she saw fit. ¡°Sir Zich, I think I can connect with you much better than that disgusting, lower-than-maggot bastard born from heaps of trash.¡±

    Zich listened to Chelsea¡¯s descriptions of Glen like he was appreciating a masterful music piece and agreed. Surprisingly, the two hit it off pretty well; it seemed as if their nasty personalities allowed them to connect.

    ¡°Sir Zich, rather than that boring Lube, wouldn¡¯t it be better for me to be the Saintess?¡± Chelsea tried to push her luck. Although Zich could clearly see through her intentions, he surprisingly nodded.

    ¡°Well, there¡¯s truth in your words, but¡­¡±

    ¡°Then¡­!¡±

    ¡°However, your skills arecking. As I said before, no matter what you do, your abilities can¡¯tpare to hers at all.¡±

    ¡°But Sir Zich, if you help me in that aspect a bit...¡±

    ¡°Too bothersome.¡±

    Chelsea was disappointed to hear this, and Zich added, ¡°Even if your personality is more simr to mine than Lube¡¯s, do you really think I will take your side?¡±

    Zich had built quite the camaraderie with Lube now. It would¡¯ve been unimaginable before his regression, but now that Zich considered Lube as apanion of sorts, he could no longer take Chelsea¡¯s side.

    ¡°It can¡¯t be helped.¡± Chelsea backed off, but Zich was sure that she hadn¡¯t given up her hopes of bing a Saintess yet.

    ¡®What a funny girl. She¡¯s so damn persistent.¡¯ Zich clicked his tongue inside his head. However, he didn¡¯t say anything else to Chelsea. The two weren¡¯t that familiar with each other, so it was already more than enough that Zich gave her his advice to give up on the Saintess position. Zich could clearly foresee a thorny future for Chelsea as she persisted in her goal, but that was her own problem to deal with. Thus, Zich shifted his attention to Pina.

    ¡°Was your goal to revive your school of magic¡¯s glory?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡± Unlike the Pulru mages who suffered almost no damage, the Conrad mages who fought alongside the allied forces suffered significant casualties. Although the allied forces did their best to protect the mages, battles swayed in favor of the Steelwalls throughout the entire war. Therefore, they couldn¡¯t shield the mages from all damage. On top of the rebellion they raised in the magical tower, they were now marked as having worked under Bellid supporters. The future for them didn¡¯t look bright. At the very least, the only hope they had was for Pina to be able to gain the title of a dragon yer and im her share of part of the dragon¡¯s body. However, like before, it seemed impossible for the Conrad School of Magic to rise and rival the Pulru School of Magic.

    ¡°Okay, good work then.¡± Zich turned around.

    ¡°Please wait,¡± Pina stopped him. ¡°If, perhaps, there is anything that could help regain our honor, could you let our school join?¡±

    Zich stared at Pina. Her eyes were slightly lowered. She wasn¡¯t as brazen-faced as Chelsea, but she had managed to say her part and waited patiently for Zich¡¯s response.

    ¡°You mean employing you guys like mercenaries?¡±

    ¡°¡­!¡± Pina¡¯s body shuddered slightly, and she gripped her fists. A mage received preferential treatment wherever they went. They were like nobles in this regard and each one of them held considerable pride knowing this. Thus, it was a huge blow to Pina¡¯s ego for mages to be treated like mercenaries. However, she didn¡¯t refute and instead acknowledged Zich¡¯s words.

    ¡°¡­Yes. You can think of us as mercenaries, so if there¡¯s anything that can help gain honor and glory, remember us Conrad mages.¡±

    ¡°Ah, please include me in the list!¡± Chelsea added.

    ¡®If I act alongside him, I¡¯m sure I¡¯ll be able to make a name for myself,¡¯ Chelsea thought. After all, Lube had shot up in the ranks after meeting Zich. As someone who used to be one of the Saintess candidates, Chelsea had ess to plenty of information within the church and knew what kind of great feats Lube aplished while working with Zich.

    ¡®I can¡¯t lose to Lube in terms of aplishments any more than this,¡¯ Chelsea thought. There was a huge difference between them in this area, and the gap couldn¡¯t be any wider than now. Other people thought that thepetition was already over, but she had no intentions of giving up. Chelsea thought that since most of Lube¡¯s aplishments came from Zich, she would be able to do the same if she stuck next to him too. Zich stared at the two.

    ¡®First of all, their skills aren¡¯t bad.¡¯ These were the people Glen brought with him after Zich stole all the party members he wanted. Their skills were still not fully developed from theirck of experience and youth, but their skills were still formidable.

    ¡®They aren¡¯t bad.¡¯ It wouldn¡¯t be difficult to make good use of them, and thus, Zich said, ¡°I will call you if I need you guys.¡±

    * * *

    Zich was drinking tea with Weig and Lube. It had been a while since he¡¯d seen them. Although Zich had seen the others a few times after the war, it was his first time meeting Weig and Lube after the war ended. Lube and Weig drank their tea in silence. Theirplexions brightened every time warm tea passed down their throats.

    ¡°It seems like you¡¯re very busy these days,¡± said Zich.

    Lube paused at Zich¡¯s question. She sighed loudly and put a half-empty cup on the cup holder. ¡°Do I look tired?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    Apart from her behavior, one could easily guess her condition by the deep circles under her eyes. Weig was sitting next to her. He looked fine on the outside, but his eyes were also drenched in fatigue. Although he rarely felt tired due to his difficult training and enormous holy energy, considering the fact that even Weig seemed tired indicated that the workload of the high-ranking Karuwimans was intense.

    ¡°It is as you say, Sir Zich. I¡¯m awfully busy these days.¡± Lube leaned back on her chair and tilted her head back. As a Saintess, Lube rarely showed a disorderly appearance, so her current behavior indicated how tired she was these days. Weig would have normally said a few words of rebuke, but he remained silent; it seemed as if he thought that Lube¡¯s behavior waspletely understandable considering the situation.

    Zich easily guessed the cause of their fatigue. ¡°It¡¯s because of the traitors, right?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡± After finding out that the Karuwiman¡¯s Honorary Knight, Glen Zenard, and a former priest, Uruwon Luce, had ties to the Bellids, the Karuwimans fell into emergency mode. The Karuwiman Honorary Knight position was so important that as long as they had the faith of a Karuwiman, they could immediately be appointed as an official Karuwiman Holy Knight. However, it turned out that Glen Zenard, who was awarded such a high position, was a Bellid coborator. Just this fact alone was an extremely serious and dire matter, butpared to Uruwon Luce, his case was better. Even if he was an Honorary Knight, Glen wasn¡¯t an official member of the Karuwimans, and his faith would need to be verified to be formally appointed as a Holy Knight.

    If an Honorary Knight tried to enter the Karuwiman ranks with ulterior motives, they could be filtered out during the verification process. As a result, they could at least make some excuses about making a mistake in appointing Glen as an Honorary Knight. However, the case with Uruwon Luce waspletely different. He had been an official Karuwiman member, and he wasn¡¯t just an ordinary member¡ªhe was a key figure in line to be the next high priest and had a high chance of bing the next pope.

    However, it was revealed that he was a Bellid follower. This was probably the worst event to have ever happened in Karuwiman¡¯s history. Naturally, they began thoroughly investigating every person inside the Karuwiman¡¯s internal branch. Since they found out that the Bellids¡¯ roots had spread to their main body, they needed to pull them out by using any means. Thus, the Karuwimans was currently conducting a massive internal verification, and this was the cause of Lube and Weig¡¯s fatigue.

    ¡°It must be very tiring since it¡¯s very difficult to get rid of the parasites.¡±

    ¡°Yes, but it is a necessary task.¡± Unlike her haggard appearance, Lube¡¯s eyes burned with zeal. ¡°It still makes me shudder to think that the dirty Bellids dared to breach the internal and sacred ranks of the Karuwimans.¡±

    This was equivalent to a horrifying insect wriggling under one¡¯s skin.

    ¡°No matter how tired you are, you can¡¯t leave a parasite that eats your body alone.¡± Weig nodded and enthusiastically agreed with Lube.

    Lube said, ¡°We can restter. The first thing we have to do is wipe them all out.¡±

    ¡°As expected, that¡¯s what you think, Lady Lube. Then I think I can happily hand this over to you.¡± Zich ced the envelope next to him in front of Lube.

    ¡°What is this?¡±

    ¡°This is one of the reasons why I came to see you today.¡±

    Lube opened the envelope right away and found several papers inside. She looked at Zich, took out the documents, and began reading. Weig also slightly moved his upper body to check the contents of the document, and their eyes widened at the same time.

    ¡°This, this is¡­¡±

    ¡°I thought the Karuwimans would need this right now.¡± Zich picked up his teacup and leisurely smelled it. However, Lube and Weig couldn¡¯t be as rxed as Zich.

    Lube asked, ¡°I-is this real?¡±

    ¡°Of course.¡±

    The document that they were holding was a list of Bellid spies within the Karuwimans. As Zich said, this was what the Karuwimans needed more than anything now.

    ¡°Of course, you will have to confirm it yourselves, but I am confident that the report is 100% urate.¡± Since his source was L¡¯s knowledge, Zich confirmed its uracy withplete confidence.

    ¡°I¡¯ll immediately go and check right now!¡± Lube sprang to her feet, but Zich wasn¡¯t done speaking yet.

    ¡°There¡¯s one more thing I want to tell you. Why don¡¯t you leave after hearing it?¡±

    Lube immediately sat back down. The fatigue in her eyes waspletely gone. Instead, her eyes glittered with anticipation to the point that it was overwhelming. She looked extremely eager to find out Zich¡¯s next present, and Zich did not disappoint Lube¡¯s expectations.

    He said, ¡°Perhaps, are you interested in attacking the Bellids¡¯ main base?¡±

    ¡°¡­Can I kiss you right now, Sir Zich?¡± Even though Lube had dedicated herself to Karuna, she really wanted to give Zich a deep kiss right now.

    However, Zich gently refused. ¡°It¡¯s enough for me that you show interest. But most of all, my lips have already been imed by someone else.¡±

 Chapter 555

    <h4>Chapter 555</h4>

    ¡°Oh my, really?¡± Lube¡¯s eyes sparkled with curiosity.

    Weig also expressed his interest. ¡°Can I assume that person to be Lady L?¡±

    ¡°Yes, you can.¡±

    ¡°Congrattions!¡± Lube celebrated the news as if she was personally invested in the story.

    ¡°Thank you, but it¡¯s too early for you to congratte me. I have to give her my reply after she wakes up.¡± For him to do this, Zich needed to secure the original Brushel System and wake her up. ¡°At any rate, can I take it that you feel positive about attacking the Bellids¡¯ main base?¡±

    ¡°Do you really need to ask that?! Not just me, but everyone in the Karuwimans¡ªno, I¡¯m certain this is something the entire world desires.¡±

    ¡°Of course, that also includes me,¡± Weig said. ¡°If Lady Lube hadn¡¯t asked first, I would¡¯ve also asked to kiss you too.¡±

    ¡°I will just ept your words of gratitude,¡± Zich said. Even if he weren¡¯t taken, Zich would¡¯ve refused anyway.

    ¡°Well, that¡¯s a pity.¡± Weigughed off Zich¡¯s refusal, and continued more seriously, ¡°So where is it, sir? Where is the fishhead cockroaches¡¯ main base?¡±

    A chilling bloodlust came out of Weig¡ªit was so chilling that it would have made anyone spit out all information they had and even some that they didn''t have.

    ¡°It¡¯s at Mirotel Lake.¡±

    ¡°Did you just say Mirotel Lake, sir?¡± It was ake located in the northeastern part of the continent. It boasted such a massive size that it would take a couple of days in good weather to cross from one side of theke to the other. If people were not informed beforehand that the area was ake, most people would mistake it for an ocean. Since water was one of the necessary requirements for the Bellids to build a temple, it made sense for a Bellid structure to be built there; considering the massive size of theke, it seemed natural that the Bellids would¡¯ve tried to build their main base there. Yet, it wasn¡¯t as if the Karuwimans hadn¡¯t also thought of that.

    ¡°We thoroughly searched Mirotel Lake since anyone could see that it was the perfect ce for those fish heads to build their temples. However, we couldn¡¯t find any trace of the Bellids there. Of course, considering theke¡¯s size, we can¡¯t guarantee that we didn¡¯t miss a single spot, but I don¡¯t think we would¡¯ve missed an entire base if it was there.¡± This was the main base they were talking about; there should be a grand-looking temple. There was no way a building asrge as that would¡¯ve gone under the Karuwiman knights¡¯ radar as they searched throughout theke.

    ¡°Even if we missed things on our end, we never received information from the residents there that any peculiarities have been sighted.¡±

    ¡°Of course, since it¡¯s hidden.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s hidden?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡± The Karuwimans had traveled throughout the whole world viciously in search of the Bellids¡¯ main base. Thanks to their efforts and external sources like the information Zich gave them, they had erased some branch bases, but they could never even get a clue as to where the main base was, much less attack it.

    ¡°There¡¯s arge ind in the middle of Mirotel Lake. The main Bellid base is there, but you can¡¯t just barge in. It¡¯s hidden by a special kind of magic so not even the residents there know about its existence.¡±

    ¡°Those cockroach bastards, to think that they would hide in such a way,¡± Weig murmured. The fact that they were hiding on an ind at the center of theke and pretending they didn''t exist¡ªthey truly were cockroach-like bastards. However, it was over for them now. Since the Karuwimans knew where they were, the only thing left to do was to burn up the main base and wipe that area away.

    ¡°Where¡¯s the exact location?¡± Lube asked. Considering the Mirotel Lake¡¯s location, it wouldn¡¯t be easy to spot the temple if they didn¡¯t know the exact whereabouts, especially if the structure was hidden by magic. However, Zich shook his head.

    ¡°Let¡¯s make the preparations first. The Karuwimans have enough on their te dealing with these people already,¡± Zich said, pointing at the list of betrayers that Lube was clutching. ¡°I¡¯d also like to keep an eye on the Bellids¡¯ movements. Since the Bellids also put a great amount of effort and time into the recent incident, I¡¯m sure they are also nning something.¡±

    To be exact, Zich was nning to see what the Bellids were going to do through Tornium after Glen joined them. ¡°I¡¯m the only person who can break the ind¡¯s magic anyway. I will be the first one to guide you allter, so I hope you all will tackle the most urgent issues first.¡±

    Although Zich suggested to them that they should attack the Bellids¡¯ main base, his goal wasn¡¯t the annihtion of the Bellids. His goal was to crush the mastermind, liberate the World Tree, and above all, wake L up. To n for all that, he still needed some time, at least enough time for Glen to make contact with the mastermind and exchange a good amount of information.

    ¡°Hm, it¡¯s not ideal, but if you say so, Sir Zich¡­¡± Weig licked his lips reluctantly¡ªhe actually wanted to barge into the Bellids¡¯ base and slice off all their heads. Lube did the same thing, but the two agreed to what Zich said. Not only were Zich¡¯s pointsprehensible, but they also held great trust in Zich.

    ¡°I understand. We will finish our preparations before you give us your approval,¡± Lube said while gripping the list of names tightly.

    Thus, after finishing everything he wanted to say, Zich was about to get up when he remembered something. ¡°Ah, that reminds me, what are you nning to do about Chelsea Windne?¡±

    ¡°Windne?¡±

    Lube blinked at Zich¡¯s sudden question and replied, ¡°I don¡¯t know. I haven¡¯t really thought about her¡­¡±

    ¡®As expected,¡¯ Zich thought. Unlike Chelsea who furiously gritted her teeth towards Lube every other day, Lube had already lost interest in Chelsea, and her voice waspletely indifferent when talking about her. ¡®For Lube, who already stabilized her position as the Saintess, Chelsea is merely someone who bothered her in the past.¡¯

    Chelsea¡¯s skills, achievements, and integrity were all too inferior for her to even be consideredpetition. Was there anything more futile than having such a passionate, one-sidedpetitive spirit?

    ¡°Since she also received the title of dragon yer, won¡¯t she be fine? Her skills aren¡¯t bad either,¡± Lube said.

    ¡°She requested me to ask for her return to Karuwiman.¡±

    ¡°What a bold move from her again,¡± Lube replied.

    ¡°She¡¯s really shameless.¡± Compared to Lube, who had barely any feelings for Chelsea, Weig seemed to still have a lot of negative emotions towards Chelsea. He asked, ¡°Sir Zich, do you want us to help her return to the Karuwimans?¡±

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter to me either way. I don¡¯t have a bad rtionship with her directly, and I just thought I could say a word for her since we fought against the dragon together.¡±

    ¡°Well¡­¡± Lube pondered about the matter.

    ¡°There¡¯s no reason to think so deeply about it. She doesn¡¯t even have the basic integrity necessary for a Karuwiman priestess. It¡¯s good that she left since I¡¯m sure she would have made a dent on the Karuwimans¡¯ reputation someday.¡± Weig was firmly against Chelsea¡¯s return. If Zich had sincerely asked for Chelsea¡¯s return, Weig would have put aside his feelings and approved of it, but Zich told him that it didn¡¯t matter to him either way. Considering Zich¡¯s personality, he really didn¡¯t care what happened to Chelsea.

    However, Lube¡¯s position was slightly different. ¡°All right, I¡¯ll try asking for her return.¡±

    ¡°Saintess!¡± Weig eximed in shock. Even though Lube said she¡¯d try asking, a request from a Saintess was no small matter; if Lube said a few words for her, Chelsea¡¯s return would surely be approved.

    Lube continued, ¡°Windne¡¯s personality is definitely the worst, but her ability is noteworthy. Moreover, she even received the title of dragon yer this time. I¡¯m sure the Karuwimans would definitely benefit from letting her return.¡±

    ¡°But you know what her personality is like.¡±

    ¡°Yes, but don¡¯t worry. If she is able to return due to my request, she won¡¯t be able to dare mistreat me so openly.¡± Since Lube was a Saintess and also the person who helped her return to Karuwiman, even the ill-tempered Chelsea would not be able to go against Lube for the time being. Then, Lube continued, ¡°Of course, I also don¡¯t think she¡¯ll be like that forever. Her personality is definitely a problem, so while my influence is secure, I¡¯m going to ce her in a very difficult position. If she is ced in such a position, her personality might actually work as an advantage.¡±

    Weig briefly closed his mouth at her unexpected remark. ¡°¡­However, she might refuse without being grateful for your grace.¡±

    Chelsea was fully capable of this and more.

    Lube made a mischievous smile and replied, ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter because I just have to make her want to go herself. There are many ways to make her suffer until she volunteers to go.¡±

    Weig looked at Lube with a slightly shocked expression and then looked at Zich. There was slight resentment in his eyes.

    ¡®Why is he looking at me?¡¯ Was Weig ming Lube¡¯s change in character on him? Zich wanted to immediately say he had no responsibility for her change, but guilt crept up from his chest, so he sneakily avoided Weig¡¯s eyes. ¡®It¡¯s good that she has guts now, but did I change her too much? She used to be someone who cried for even a person like me before my regression.¡¯

    It felt like his guilty conscience, which didn¡¯t even exist, was poking his heart.

    ¡°Now, let¡¯s stop talking about Windne. Do you have anything else to say, Sir Zich?¡± Lube asked.

    ¡°What¡¯s going to happen to the others who left Karuwiman like Windne?¡± While asking about Chelsea, Zich became curious about the others who also left the group.

    ¡°Basically, we won¡¯t be approaching them in any way. They sided with the Bellids, but they were also fooled. However, since they¡¯ve been branded as Bellid cooperators, I¡¯ll say it would be very difficult for them to return to our side. Even if they manage to return, they won¡¯t be looked upon so favorably.¡±

    It was as Zich expected, and Chelsea was also well-aware of this, so she had made a request to Zich for Winstin.

    ¡°However, those who directly cooperated with the Bellids are different.¡± There was a chill in Lube¡¯s voice.

    ¡°On second thought, what happened to Uruwon Luce?¡± As the Bellids¡¯ crony, Uruwon Luce seduced Karuwiman followers, including Chelsea, to leave Karuwiman and side with the allied forces during the war. ¡°I heard that he ran away after our fight with the dragon ended.¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry about him.¡± Weig said in a frosty voice, ¡° I personally sent him to receive Karuna¡¯s judgment.¡±

    ¡°Is that so?¡± It seemed as if Uruwon Luce had been captured and killed by Weig¡¯s hands.

    ¡°Those who are written on this list will soon follow them,¡± Lube said as she swiped the list of traitors with her fingers. Zich could easily predict that there would soon be a bloodbath among the Karuwimans.

 Chapter 556

    <h4>Chapter 556</h4>

    How long had he run? He didn¡¯t know the exact date, since he had been running to his destination without any sense of time. He was sure that he had foregone sleep on some nights, but it confused him whether that was four or five times. Perhaps he had gone through more sleepless nights than that. However, these were all menial details for Glen. The only thing he was concerned about was finding a ce that could guarantee his safety. That was all.

    Although he couldn¡¯tpare to Zich who had regained all his power back, Glen was someone epted by all to be the strongest fighter among the allied forces. It didn¡¯t make sense for him to feel fatigued from just a couple of days of running away; that logic, however, only applied to his physical capacity, and his mental fortitude was crawling around rock bottom.

    <i>Growl!</i> After starving for a couple of days, his stomach grumbled. No matter how high of a position they reached, a human was still a human. Even if he could endure hunger longer than an ordinary person, he still needed to eat. Glen usually carried around a magic box filled with food and water, but he had dropped it while running away from the dragon¡¯s attack. Thus, Glen didn¡¯t possess anything that was necessary for living right now such as money, clothes, food, and so on. All he had was Tornium in his hands.

    If one considered Glen¡¯s abilities, it was unimaginable that he could go hungry. In this instance, he could go to a city and earn arge amount of money with his skills. If that wasn¡¯t possible, he could steal food. If there were no houses and shops to steal from, he could go hunt and cook his own food. Yet, this was all impossible for him right now because of one reason: fear.

    If he went to a popted settlement and someone recognized him and exposed his location to Zich¡­<i>brrrr!</i> Glen¡¯s body shuddered. Right now, to Glen, Zich was the embodiment of terror. Even in Zich¡¯s glory days as the Demon Lord, when he used to turn the world into an ocean of blood, Zich had never scared Glen. After all, how scary could a puppet be? Now that Zich had thrown out the strings binding him and became a free existence, he stimted Glen¡¯s primal sense of fear. Zich was an existence who knew all his secrets and destroyed them. After enjoying a sense of omnipotence for the longest time, there wasn¡¯t anyone more frightening than Zich for Glen.

    Although there was aughably low chance that Glen¡¯s identity would be revealed if he disguised himself, entered a small, unprosperous vige, and quickly stole food under people¡¯s gazes, Glen couldn¡¯t dare to even do that. Yet, that didn¡¯t mean Glen was taking paths far from viges and roads either. He knew that the farther he went from human civilization, the more the number and strength of the monsters he encountered would increase. Though Glen¡¯s skills were currently strong enough to easily beat the highest-level monsters, such as basilisks, Glen was afraid of losing his life in a single mishap. Thus, the path he took was an ambiguous one, not too close to human influence nor too far away from it.

    No matter how much he valued his life, Glen could still catch a wild animal up to a rabbit, but he was afraid of making a fire to cook it. As mentioned before, the ce he was at wasn¡¯t too far away from human civilization. This, smoke from his fire could catch some people¡¯s eyes. It was such a pathetic worry, but that prevented Glen from doing what he needed to do.

    Completely indifferent to his worries, his stomach kept growling. There was only one viable method.

    <i>Crunch!</i> With the rabbit he just caught, Glen sloppily pulled off its fur and bit into it just like that. The rabbit¡¯s tough meat was disgusting, and hot blood seeped into his mouth.

    ¡°Umph!¡± He immediately spat out the meat and blood and even vomited the contents from his stomach. Nothing but acidic gastric juice came out of hispletely empty stomach.

    ¡°Damn it!¡± Glen wiped his mouth with his sleeves and cursed. How long had it been since he ate such disgusting, dirty food? Even when his skills and achievements returned to nothing every time he regressed, he always had plenty of money because of the preparations he made beforehand. Naturally, the food he ate was always high-quality, and the only time he had ever eaten such trashy food was before he gained the regression ability. It was a time period that Glen almost forgot and didn¡¯t even want to think about.

    Yet, the pungent smell of the rabbit¡¯s raw flesh and blood forced the memories that had fallen into oblivion in his head back out into the open. These memories made him think that he had reverted back to his very first life where he used to be nothing.

    ¡°That¡¯s impossible!¡± After all his efforts, there was no way he could return back to that rubbish life. He had almost achieved the perfect life he dreamed of. He couldn¡¯t let it turn to waste. Glen was about to aggressively throw away the dead rabbit as it pulled annoying memories out of him.

    <i>Grol!</i> Yet, his stomach begged for food again. Its plea was longer thanst time, and Glen stopped himself from throwing away the rabbit. His eyes wavered in conflict and lingered on the rabbit. He wanted to eat, but the fear constricting his heart prevented him from making a fire. That left him with only one option. He needed to either eat the food or starve.

    <i>Crunch!</i> In the end, Glen sumbed to his hunger. He bit the rabbit raw and chewed it thoroughly. Once again, he wanted to curse as memories of his terrible first life rose back up. Glen also felt that his situation was miserable. There wasn¡¯t a trace of the glorious hero known all over the world whom he had dreamed of.

    ¡°Sob!¡± Tears mixed with the bright, red blood on his hands and mouth. However, even then, Glen steadfastly ripped the rabbit meat. Soon after, only the rabbit¡¯s bones, tangled with blood and skin, were thrown to the ground. Glen regained some energy, and his stomach no longer grumbled to eat some food. He felt a good amount of fullness.

    However, if he rxed for even a little bit, Glen felt as if he would vomit all the contents of his stomach again. He couldn¡¯t ever let that happen; it was a meal that he had eaten while recalling his miserable life. He had to digest it at all costs and make it a part of his body. Glen tried to move again. He wanted to escape his misery by hiding in a safe ce as soon as possible.

    ¡°Ahhh!¡± Suddenly, he heard a scream.

    Glen¡¯s eyes moved toward the direction of the sound. A person was looking at him with startled eyes; he was carrying a leather quiver on his back and holding a bow in his hand. He looked like a local hunter. The man looked at Glen with frightened eyes. It was natural for humans to be freaked out by the sight of a person covered by blood in a deste forest.

    ¡®I¡¯ve let down my guard.¡¯ Glen rebuked himself for neglecting to perceive his surroundings due to his hunger, mental shock, and past trauma. If he had detected the hunter first, he would have moved while avoiding thetter. However, it couldn¡¯t be helped now; the hunter had already caught him. Since Glen couldn¡¯t even approach a vige in fear that Zich might catch him, Glen couldn¡¯t let this hunter get away.

    <i>Swish! </i>Glen pulled out the sinister-looking Tornium.

    The hunter¡¯s face turned pale. Soon after, blood poured out once more in the same spot that the rabbit blood was on¡ªhuman blood, this time.

    Like this, Glen arrived at his safe ce without allowing a single witness.

    * * *

    ¡°Glen Zenard is here?¡± the man frowned and said to his subordinates.

    The subordinate, d in a robe, replied, ¡°Yes, I received a report that he came here looking like a beggar.¡±

    ¡°A beggar? He came looking like a beggar with his ability?¡± The man hated, despised, and looked down on Glen, but he didn¡¯t deny that Glen had astounding abilities. Glen¡¯s abilities were undeniable. Even though they were abilities given to him by ancient artifacts and had little to do with talent or effort, they were still his abilities. How could hee here looking like aplete beggar?

    ¡°ording to the report, he¡¯s not acting like his usual self but like aplete cowardly buffoon.¡±

    ¡°Tell me in detail.¡±

    The subordinate exined in detail of Glen¡¯s reported condition.

    ¡®He really isn¡¯t acting like how he used to be.¡¯ Glen Zenard was an arrogant, uncouth, and vain person with the personality of a third-rate viin in a novel. Glen Zenard¡¯s current attitude was far from his original personality. However, the man wasn¡¯t surprised. He knew that Glen would change like this one day.

    ¡®Is it about time?¡¯ A person who went through repeated regressions was bound to feel enormous and intense fear as a side effect sooner orter. The man judged that this was most likely Glen¡¯s current condition. The man thought, ¡®Glen Zenard is useless now.¡¯

    Glen Zenard couldn¡¯t regress anymore, but it didn¡¯t matter. He could just retrieve the regression ability from him. ¡°I¡¯m going to go to the ind for a bit,¡± the man said.

    ¡°Yes, sir!¡± The subordinate bowed his head.

    The man slowly began moving toward his destination. After a while, the man arrived at the ruin with the original World Tree. He stood in front of the ruin¡¯s device, and his eyes skimmed over the broken ss container for a moment. It was the ss container that L used to be sleeping in.

    ¡®It¡¯s a shame that the Core is missing.¡¯ This timeline was really full of unpredictable variables and events. It was the worst timeline for Glen, but the man who wanted to collect the most amount of information possible felt quite satisfied. However, these efforts were only worthwhile if he could carry them over to the next regression. Every time Glen regressed, the man¡¯s memory naturally disappeared. By using the Brushel System¡¯s Core, he would always know what had happened in previous timelines. However, he didn¡¯t have the Brushel System¡¯s Core this time.

    Of course, if he took back Glen¡¯s regression ability and regressed himself, his memory could be preserved. However, this method was less precise than storing information directly in the Core through Estede and Tornium. Moreover, memory was vtile and likely to change easily over time.

    ¡®I guess it can¡¯t be helped.¡¯ He didn¡¯t have the Core, and there was no certainty that the events that happened in this timeline would not ur in the next timeline. He could record it in the next timeline.

    ¡®The Core will return here if I turn back time anyway.¡¯ Even when the Core had jumped out of the ss container and devastated the world enough to be called a Demon Lord, once he turned back time, the Core returned peacefully inside the ss container and slept quietly. The man thought it would be the same this time as well.

    ¡®I have no idea how she escaped, but I definitely need to strengthen our monitoring on the Core.¡¯ The man thought about ns for the future and was about to control the device to retrieve Glen¡¯s regression ability, but¡ª

    ¡°¡­What?¡±

    His eyes widened. He kept trying to operate the device by putting more and more mana into it, but the results were the same every time.

    ¡°This¡­ Why isn¡¯t this working?¡± Cold sweat broke out on the man¡¯s forehead.

 Chapter 557

    Chapter 557

    The man, Ultel, kept pouring his mana into the device. However, the device kept consuming his mana in vain, and there was no sign of the regression ability returning to the device.

    ¡®Why? Why isn¡¯t it activating?¡¯ One could say that the Brushel System was everything to Ultel. The huge organization he had was nothingpared to this system. Yet, this system was failing to activate, and he waspletely perplexed as to why. Ultel felt like he was losing his mind.

    ¡°Damn it!¡±

    <em>Bam!</em>Ultel mmed the wall aggressively. If he could, he wanted to m his fist on the device, but the feeble sense of judgment that he managed to preserve prevented him from doing so. What if the device really broke then?

    ¡®After all this time, there¡¯s no way it¡¯s broken now,¡¯ Ultel thought while looking at the unmoving device. ¡®Did the device¡¯s abnormalities worsen in the end?¡¯

    The system had been acting strangely recently. He felt anxious because of that and he had even gone to see Glen about it, but had been furiously beaten down.

    <em>Flick!</em>Ultel turned around and stomped to where Windur was. Windur was the name of the gigantic tree thatid its roots on an ind in the middle of avake. This tree, which clearly had a big influence on the Brushel System, was a symbol of hope to Ultel; yet, right now, the system failed to work, and Windur seemed to beughing at him.

    ¡°What¡¯s the cause? Is it because of the vibrations from Windur? If that caused the system to halt, then, what should I¡­¡¯ Ultel tried to rack through his head, but he couldn¡¯t think of a solution. He felt as if he was walking on a dark night without a moon and star in sight. He thought he should try to fix the system, but with what knowledge? Ultel didn¡¯t understand the fundamental principles of the system¡ªhe only knew the basic principles of how to operate the device.

    ¡®The bastard Glen Zenard needs to regress!¡¯ Whatever happened, even if the device was broken, if Glen regressed again, Ultel was sure that everything would return to normal. Of course, Glen would try not to regress. Those who fell into fear about the regression began to refuse regression itself. Since Glen also didn¡¯t have the power to erase his regression ability, if he died, time would regress back to a specific time point. Thus, he could wait for Glen to die naturally or kill him personally.

    ¡®His usefulness has dropped anyway. It doesn¡¯t matter if he sees my true persona.¡¯ At the same time, if he killed Glen without any preparations, Ultel might endanger himself. After all, without the core, he wouldn¡¯t be able to take the memories with him in this timeline. Yet, after giving another person a dangerous ability like regression, Ultel had also prepared precautions for emergencies like this one. First of all, Ultel nted spies who monitored Glen since the beginning of the regression. Since this was before he umted the proper abilities, Glen failed to notice those monitoring him even after regressing so many times. If those spies noticed something off about Glen¡¯s movements, they would report to Ultel right away.

    Ultel also prepared a couple more precautions so there was no way Ultel would fall prey to Glen¡¯s ambush. Of course, he didn¡¯t know what kind of change could arise after regressing in all these abnormalities, but this was an emergency right now. He needed to undertake some risks. Moreover, Glen was swept with fear right now; there was a high possibility that he could plead Ultel to erase his regression ability. Like discovering a streak of light in the darkness, Ultel¡¯s face brightened with hope.

    Yet, that didn¡¯tst for long, and another worry seeped into his mind and sshed cold water onto his flicker of hope.

    ¡®Is there any guarantee that the regression will activate normally now?¡¯ The device that controlled the Brushel System didn¡¯t activate and Windur also showed abnormalities. Perhaps, this meant that something must have happened to Glen¡¯s regression ability too.

    ¡®I can¡¯t be certain that the regression ability will work fine in this condition. I can¡¯t rule out the possibility that it would work fine either, but since there are no guarantees, I have to leave Glen¡¯s regression ability as the final possible option.¡¯ Thus, Ultel pushed off his n to activate Glen¡¯s regression ability to the back corner of his mind for now.

    ¡®If possible, fixing the Brushel System is the best option¡­¡¯ He had been thinking of various options because he didn¡¯t know how, but it wasn¡¯t like there was no clue to where information about it could be.

    ¡°The information could be inside the Core.¡¯ He couldn¡¯t find something like that inside L¡¯s memories, but there was a possibility that he could¡¯ve missed it. Even if there¡¯s a very low possibility of finding it, he needed to still give it try.

    ¡®Zich Moore, who was with the Core, was argely changed variable this time too.¡¯ Perhaps, he could be connected to the abnormality within the system.

    ¡®If I need to take back the Core, I need to sh with that guy anyways.¡¯ Ultel felt unwilling because he was reluctant to sh head-to-head with such a monster. He also failed to retrieve the Core because it was hard to track the whereabouts of Zich and hispanions as they didn¡¯t follow a set path. Not to mention, Glen was obsessed with Zich Moore too. Above all, he didn¡¯t want to battle against Zich¡¯s tremendous power, but right now, he couldn¡¯t afford to pick and choose what to do.

    ¡®I am going to take back Zich Moore and the Core even if I have to mobilize my entire army.¡¯ To do so, they needed to assess Zich¡¯s current strength. This wouldn¡¯t be difficult to find out since they had someone who had recently fought with Zich not so long ago.

    ¡®Glen Zenard. Thest thing you¡¯ll do has been finalized.¡¯

    Glen was now useless.

    * * *

    Glen was lying on top of the bed. All the windows of his room were covered with thick curtains, so his bedroom was very dark. However, even if there were no curtains, the room wouldn¡¯t have been bright either, because it was around the time for the moon to work hard to run across the sky. After arriving at his destination, Glen fell dead asleep. Since he¡¯d filled his belly by eating raw, wild animals, he wasn¡¯t very hungry. His only desire was to satiate his need for sleep since he had run without any rest to get to a safe destination as fast as possible.

    After sleeping for an entire day, Glen fully recovered his energy. If he were an ordinary person, he would have some fatigue and aching left, but with his skills, his physical condition recovered after a full day of sleep. However, even though he fully recovered his energy, Glen didn¡¯t leave his room or depart from his bed. He just pulled his nket over him and spent his time lying in a daze.

    ¡®What do I do now?¡¯ Glen thought as he looked up at the ceiling with blurry eyes. So far, he had run straight on toward his glorious goal without stopping. However, his goal had now beenpletely shattered. Getting branded as a viin throughout the whole world was only a matter of time, and the side effects of boosting his power too fast would soon ovee his body. Just recently, none of those things would have concerned him since he could just turn back time and return everything to its original state. However, now that he had lost his biggest asset, his regression ability¡ªno, he had<em>heard</em>that he lost it.

    ¡®Did I really lose my regression ability?¡¯ His only source was Zich¡¯s words. However, considering Zich¡¯s confidence, it didn¡¯t seem like a lie. Of course, since Zich Moore was extremely proficient at lying, there was a possibility that he could be lying this time as well. However, Glen couldn¡¯t dare to check if he was lying or not. In order to confirm that he still had his regression ability, he needed to die first. It would be fortunate if he still had his regression ability and he lived, but if not, he would meet his final end. The long-forgotten fear of death possessed Glen¡¯s whole body and grew to an exponential size, as if it was venting out its frustration at being kept locked up for so long.

    ¡®What do I do now?¡¯ The same question rose in Glen¡¯s mind, but as expected, he couldn¡¯t think of an answer again. Glen turned his head and heard the sound of activity outside his room. He sensed quite a few peopleing into his room.

    ¡®I told them to note!¡¯ Glen had told them toe and visit him only when bringing meals, but they hade in groups in the dead of night. Glen raised his upper body in a fit of annoyance but then began to get a bit scared because there was no reason for a group of people toe to visit him sote at night. The members of the organization had followed Glen¡¯s order with absolute obedience so far; originally, they would nevere in groups like this after Glen strongly ordered everyone to not approach his room. Not long ago, he would have just been annoyed and thought there must be an unknown reason.

    However, it was different now. Glen hid Tornium, which was standing next to his bed, under his nket.

    ¡°What¡¯s the matter?!¡± Glen shouted as the crowd arrived in front of his door. His loud voice was quite imposing, but considering how his eyes were frantically shaking, it was clear that Glen was no different than a weak dog barking loudly to hide his fear. Glen waited for an answer, but no one answered.

    <em>ck!</em>A person tried to open the door, but the locked door did not open. However, they didn¡¯t give up.<em>ck! ck!</em>The door rattled violently. Glen was already frightened, and he felt as if his heart would explode.

    ¡°W-who is it!?¡± He shouted a little louder than before, but there was still no answer.

    <em>ck!</em>After onest big shake, the door stopped rattling. But it was only for a moment.<em>Crack!</em>The whole door was ripped open. The twisted lock around the door handle shook pathetically and fell to the floor.

    <em>Bam!</em>The door was thrown into the room and rolled next to the bed.

    ¡°¡­Ultel?¡± The figure responsible for destroying the door was no other than his loyal servant, Ultel. However, Glen doubted whether the man in front of him was really Ultel or not. Ultel had always shown extreme reverence for him and moved as Glen¡¯s hands and feet. However, the Ultel in front of him waspletely different. His eyes, which had always been lowered politely, looked directly at Glen, and his knees, which had always been on the floor when he stood in front of Glen, were as straight as could be. Above all, his actions made him seem very arrogant.

    ¡°Wh-what the hell are you doing?!¡± Glen couldn¡¯t hide his shock. The reason why he thought this ce would be safe was because Ultel and his force were here; this was how much Glen trusted Ultel. Yet for some unknown reason, Ultel¡¯s attitude hadpletely changed. However, the first thing that came to Glen¡¯s mind was not a question as to why Ultel had suddenly changed¡ªit was where he should run away to if even Ultel was now hostile to him.

    ¡®If I get kicked out of here, no ce will be safe for me anymore!¡¯ Glen was now on the verge of losing even his trusted support. He first had to make Ultel obey him again, and he could think about the reason behind Ultel¡¯s changeter on.

    Glen jumped out of the bed and shouted, ¡°How dare you act so rudely to me, the incarnation of Bellu?!¡±

    Glen shouted the justification he had always used to fully control Ultel and his forces as he wished. Originally, as soon as Glen said this, all the men, including Ultel, would have fallen t on the floor. However, no one fell to the floor.

    ¡°<em>Ahahhahahhahaah</em>!<em>¡±</em>

    ¡°Kehehehhehhehe!¡±

    Only twistedughter, filled with mockery, filled the room.

 Chapter 558

    Chapter 558

    Glen was stunned. It was only natural, considering the fact that the organization that had faithfully followed whatever he told them to do in every timeline wasughing at him now. Rage prated through his fear and shot up.

    ¡®Another thing I have never experienced!¡¯ How many unexpected events did he have to experience in this timeline before someone was satisfied?

    ¡®It¡¯s all because of Zich Moore!¡¯ This situation where he was pathetically moping on his bed and why his loyal subordinates were betraying him was<em>all</em>because of Zich.

    ¡°Glen Zenard,¡± Ultel said. After always politely addressing Glen as ¡®master,¡¯ Glen¡¯s name easily came out of his mouth. ¡°I have something I must ask you.¡±

    It was a one-sided notice without giving any option to rebuke. It was an arrogant way of rying news without any consideration for the other party¡¯s feelings and made the listener reluctant toply. Expectedly, Glen was offended.

    ¡°How insolent! Aren¡¯t you afraid of Bellu¡¯s punishment?!¡± Glen yelled once more, but the response he got back this time was the same as before.

    ¡°Stop saying that utter nonsense. I knew you weren¡¯t Bellu¡¯s incarnation from the beginning.¡±

    ¡°What¡­!¡±

    ¡°Furthermore, I don¡¯t care about things like Bellu. Only some mindless idiots believe in that cultish god.¡±

    ¡°B-But you are the Pope of the Bellids!¡±

    This was Ultel¡¯s other identity: the Bellid Pope whom the whole world, especially the Karuwimans, were searching ardently all over for.

    ¡°Is there aw that states the Pope must believe in the god he serves?¡± It was such an explosive deration. If the head of the church, the Pope, didn''t believe in their religion¡¯s god, who in the world believed in that god? Yet, Ultel and the subordinates around him remained calm. The robed figures simply served the Bellid Pope, Ultel, and were aware that they were an organizationpletely separate from the actual Bellids. However, Glen found it baffling that they didn¡¯t even flinch at Ultel¡¯s bold deration ofck of faith. It felt like he became the only fool in the room.

    ¡°I¡¯m repeating myself, but just answer the question. This isn¡¯t a bad option for you either since I¡¯m nning to give you what you want the most anyway.¡±

    ¡°¡­What do you mean by what I want the most?¡±

    ¡°The end of your regression ability.¡±

    Glen¡¯s eyes turned wide, clearly showing his surprise. His regression ability was supposed to be solely his. How was it possible that people who knew about his regression ability just kept suddenly popping out of everywhere?

    ¡°H-How do you know about the regression¡­?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m the one who gave you the ability.¡±

    ¡°¡­!¡±

    Glen fell into another state of shock. He couldn¡¯te to his senses, and he felt as if his head had be a bell getting repeatedly hit from both sides.

    ¡°So, I can also take back the regression ability I gave you. I¡¯m guessing that you are in a lot of pain right now. You probably can¡¯t sleep because you know that you¡¯ll regress again if you die.¡±

    Glen¡¯s mind was filled with nothing but shock and fear. However, there rose a doubt. It was true that he had trouble sleeping, yes, but it wasn¡¯t because he didn¡¯t want to regress again; it was for thepletely opposite reason, which was that he could no longer regress. In that case...

    ¡°If you just answer the questions I ask you, I will take away your regression ability,¡± Ultel repeated.

    ¡°¡­Does that mean that you can give and retrieve the regression ability at your own will?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    Glen¡¯s eyes shone, and Ultel also noticed the change. He immediately backed away and yelled, ¡°Block him!¡±

    <em>p!</em>The nket on top of the bed flew into the air and blocked the robed figures¡¯ vision. However, those apanying Ultel were the elites of their team. They possessed great abilities, unlike those who moved to support Glen¡¯s acts of heroism around the world. A single nket couldn¡¯t deter them for a moment.

    <em>Swing!</em>The nket split into two at one of the robed figure¡¯s swings, opening up their vision again and they saw Glen between the pieces of cloth. He was clutching onto a dark, ck sword, and the robed figures released their mana in unison.

    <em>Baaam!</em>There was a huge explosion. A whirlwind made of an enormous amount of mana swept the area; rather than a sh between weapons, the explosion looked like a natural disaster. And the explosion didn¡¯t end at once. A continuous series of shocks and wind swirled around, causing a hugemotion.

    One of the robed figures approached Ultel and asked, ¡°Are you all right, sir?¡± Ultel dusted off the debris and dust on his clothes and replied, ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡±

    His skills weren¡¯t socking that he would die from such an attack. Although he had given most of it away to Glen, Ultel had also improved his own skills using the Clowon empire¡¯s artifacts.

    Ultel looked back to the space that used to be a room. Glen was in the midst of fighting the robed figures on top of the crumpled room and debris.

    ¡°It wasn¡¯t that he reached his limit in regressing,¡± Ultel said.

    ¡°Is that so, sir?¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s no way he would bare his fangs when I told him that I can halt his regression then. It doesn¡¯t make sense if he¡¯s scared of it.¡±

    ¡°Could it be that he¡¯s expressing rage that you¡¯ve used him until now?¡±

    ¡°The fear one gets toward regression when they reach their limit isn¡¯t something that can be affected by a reason like that. Once the blessing of regression begins to feel like a curse, one would kneel to anyone who offers to free them from the curse even if the person is their worst enemy.¡±

    ¡°Yet, that idiot hero is attacking the very person who offered to undo his curse,¡± his subordinate noted.

    ¡°Yes, that means that his curse hasn¡¯t been activated yet.¡± Either way, it wasn¡¯t pleasant news. No, Ultel actually preferred that Glen didn¡¯t think of his blessing as a curse yet since it meant that Glen could still continue to regress.

    ¡°Then why was that guy moping around like an abandoned dog?¡±

    ¡°I also can¡¯t figure that one out, sir. If something happened, it must have happened during the war.¡±

    ¡°Hm, they say a dragon appeared, right?¡±

    ¡°Yes, sir.¡±

    ¡°Damn it, we couldn¡¯t even get information about the battlefield because of him.¡± The Bellids in the Pinne Estate and the robed figures entrusted to Glen had beenpletely wiped out in the war, so they were unable to receive detailed information about what urred. Glen had locked himself in a room as soon as he arrived, and he was no help either. Currently, information about the war wasing inslowly, little by little.

    ¡°Did he get scared by the dragon? I guess, since it¡¯s the first time a dragon has appeared in all the timelines, it does make some sense that he¡¯d react like this,¡± Ultel said.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know, sir, but won¡¯t we be able to find out after capturing him? It seems like he¡¯ll get caught soon.¡±

    ¡°Hmm.¡± The battle was still fiercely going on, but overall, it looked as if Glen was slowly getting pushed back by the robed figures.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with him?¡± Ultel cast a questionable gaze toward Glen; the Glen he knew had much higher skills than what he was showing right now.

    ¡®Apart from Zich Moore in his prime, no one should be able to stop that hero-wannabe right now.¡¯ Ultel despised Glen for all the humiliations and insults he had to put up with so far, and recently, he obtained one more reason to beat Glen down. However, the reason why he had proposed to stop Glen¡¯s regression ability as a favor and tried to persuade Glen was all because of Glen¡¯s skills. If they tried to use force to extract information from him, their organization would also suffer tremendous damage.

    Of course, Ultel had a countermeasure to stop Glen, but even if he used that measure, a certain level of damage was expected. Since Ultel needed to attack not only Glen, but also Zich and L, he wanted to minimize the damage to his organization as much as possible. The situation had turned awry and he had to use force, but unexpectedly, his subordinates were the ones driving Glen back.

    ¡°He shouldn¡¯t be pushed back like this¡­¡±

    ¡°His movements are way too timid and passive. He looks like a man fighting for his life for the very first time¡ªand an especially cowardly one at that.¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s no way this is his first time fighting a life-threatening battle.¡± Rather, Glen had more experience fighting than anyone else in the world. Of course, Ultel had noints that Glen wasn¡¯t able to fight properly; rather, it was a very fortunate matter. On the other hand, he couldn¡¯t erase his suspicions.

    Ultel had no way of knowing that Glen had recklessly aimed his sword at Ultel, hoping to regain his regression ability after hearing that Ultel had the ability to give and retrieve the power of regression. However, Glen remembered a secondter that he had only one life and had be too scared to fight.

    ¡°Sir, why don¡¯t you ask that too? I think it¡¯s about time as well.¡±

    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s true too.¡± The moment they said this, Glen began to vomit blood. Soon after, his movements became noticeably dull.

    ¡°Sir, it started.¡±

    ¡°Hmm.¡± There was a reason why Ultel was able to easily point his sword against Glen, who could be called the world¡¯s second strongest, the first being Zich. Glen had used a relic from Clowon¡¯s ruins to the fullest extent to boost his strength, and he suppressed the resulting side effects with a special drug. However, Ultel had switched the drug with a fake one. Glen would be fine for about half a year if he didn¡¯t use his power, but if he used his power, the side effects would appear immediately.

    ¡°He¡¯s still holding out well.¡±

    As his subordinate said, Glen was persistently resisting while throwing up blood.

    ¡°In the first ce, we expected significant damage from him even in that state. That¡¯s how impressive Glen Zenard¡¯s skills are, but now that he¡¯s suddenly shrinking back like a cowardly dog, it¡¯s be much easier to deal with him.¡±

    Glen¡¯s resistance gradually weakened. The robed figures were already leading the battle. Glen tried to escape, but the robed figures used their superior numbers to firmly block all of Glen¡¯s possible paths to escape. Soon after¡­

    ¡°Ugh!¡± Glen¡¯s movement stopped after he was stabbed in the stomach. The robed figures did not miss this opportunity and raised their swords against him. They showed no mercy; they could tear his limbs and crush his bones and intestines into powder¡ªit was fine as long as they saved his ears to listen to questions and his mouth to answer them.

    ¡°Ahhhhhh!¡± Swords pierced his body all over, and strong punches and kicksnded above his wounds. It did not take long before Glen becamepletely incapacitated after being stabbed in the stomach, and he soon fell to the floor. His body was covered in blood, cuts, and holes. At first nce, he looked no different than a corpse. However, he was still breathing.

    <em>Sssh!</em>One of the robed figures took out a potion and poured it on Glen. They had ripped him into shreds until he was on the verge of death, but to prevent him from really dying, they poured a potion on him. Some of Glen¡¯s deep wounds disappeared, but the potion wasn¡¯t enough to heal all of Glen¡¯s injuries. However, no more potions were offered to him.

    ¡°We got him.¡± Ultel began walking towards Glen. He thought about how to make Glen obediently spit out information inside his head. However, one thing was clear¡ªno matter what choice he made, it would not end well for Glen.

    Ultel stood in front of Glen, who was groaning in pain and couldn¡¯t stay focused. Ultel tapped Glen¡¯s body with his foot as if he was touching a bug, and his gaze moved toward Tornium.

    ¡®That object is far too great for this guy.¡¯ Ultel picked up Tornium and smiled in satisfaction as he felt the destructive mana unique to Tornium.

    * * *

    Zich opened his eyes. His head was filled with piping-hot information straight from the main base¨Call sent by L. ¡°These guys sure are having fun.¡±

 Chapter 559

    <h4>Chapter 559</h4>

    After capturing Glen, Ultel dragged him to an unknown ce. The ce smelled stale, and the nauseating smell of blood oozed all over the room; the torture tools ced all over the room reflected the eerie disy of candlelights. Ultel ordered for Glen¡¯s torture immediately, and his subordinates skillfully began to inflict optimal pain onto his body. Without patience nor faith to endure the torture, Glen screamed and cried for his life. Yet, those in the room watched Glen cry his heart out without a shred of mercy, and especially Ultel. He smiled as he watched.

    Glen was someone who dared to treat him like a lowly ve. Thus, Glen¡¯s desperate pleas for help sounded sweeter than any poet¡¯s music. Ultel was sure that in the past timelines that they didn¡¯t remember, they all endured any sort of humiliation just for this moment. Considering this, there was no way he would get sick of this joyful tune of Glen¡¯s cries.

    Yet, even this joyful time couldn¡¯tst forever and Ultel knew that he needed to focus on the task at hand. His ambition wasn¡¯t so small that it could be fulfilled by a bug like Glen Zenard. To fulfill his true goal, he needed to extort information out of Glen, and Glen provided the information very easily.

    The situation was more severe than he had thought.

    ¡°¡­Did you say Zich Moore regressed?¡±

    ¡°Y-Yes, sir!¡± Unlike his previous self that overflowed with confidence, Glen answered tearfully like he couldn¡¯t dare to raise his head. There was no part¡ªbesides his ears for hearing and mouth for answering¡ªthat was fine. Not many could stand against such intense torture, and Glen was far from descriptions like ¡®firm¡¯ or ¡®resolute.¡¯ Yet, Ultel didn¡¯t even have the luxury tough at Glen¡¯s pathetic disy right now. Ultel felt his legs give out after hearing that the monster named Zich had regressed.

    ¡°For how long? How many times did he say he regressed?!¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know, sir.¡±

    <em>Slump!</em>

    ¡°Ah!¡± Ultel pped Glen¡¯s cheek. He was unreasonablyshing out his anger at Glen, but Glen couldn¡¯t dare to protest the injustice of it all. Ultel looked like he was about to kill Glen this instant before his subordinates stopped him.

    ¡°Hold back, sir! We won¡¯t be able to gain more information if we kill him right now!¡± At his subordinates¡¯ dissuasion, Ultel lowered his hand back down. Yet, Ultel¡¯s anger was still not quelled, and he tortured Glen even more harshly. Thus, Glen frantically spewed out more information he knew, and everything he said astonished Ultel even further.

    ¡®He can¡¯t regress anymore?¡¯ Glen wasn¡¯t certain whether this was true or not, but knowing the abnormality within the World Tree¡¯s system, Ultel thought that there was a very high possibility for it to be true.

    ¡®Was everything beyond that done by Zich Moore?!¡¯ Although Ultel finally found out the cause of all the changes, he wasn¡¯t happy at all. He only got a headache at the news of such a difficult opponent, and what Zich said hung on his mind.

    ¡®The fact that he talked about the empire and system makes me think that there¡¯s a high possibility that he knows everything!¡¯

    Glen didn¡¯t know about the Clowon Empire or Brushel System¡¯s official names and only remembered Zich mentioning them. Hearing this, Ultel realized that Zich¡¯s understanding and knowledge of the regression ability were frighteningly deep.

    ¡®Damn it!¡¯ Zich Moore was definitely not an idiot like Glen. If he regressed and knew information about regressions, there was a high possibility that he would be a great obstacle to his ambition. Ultel turned around. He needed to prepare some sort of countermeasure.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± Ultel said.

    ¡°What should we do with him, sir?¡± Ultel turned to Glen. Although Glen made the most pitiful expression he could, Ultel felt nothing but disgust toward him.

    ¡°Just heal him somewhat and shove him in a prison. Monitor him there since we might have use for him againter.¡±

    ¡°Yes, sir!¡±

    Then, Ultel got out of the space that reeked of blood with Tornium gently hanging from his waist.

    * * *

    Zich organized the information that L transferred to him from Tornium. Thanks to her, Zich knew what was happening to Glen and his surroundings.

    ¡®Ultel stole Tornium from him,¡¯ Zich thought. After Ultel left the torture room, all information about Glen disappeared and was reced by information regarding Ultel and his surroundings.

    ¡®This is good. Information about Glen Zenard now won¡¯t be that useful. Information about Ultel is much more valuable.¡¯ Of course, the previous scene of Glen getting tortured was a very fun one to see, but that was that. As expected of the mastermind behind everything, Ultel racked his head to try to find a way out of this gigantic chaos. He was iparably more capable than someone like Glen, but even he didn¡¯t imagine that his information was getting transferred to Zich through the Tornium he was now carrying around.

    ¡®It¡¯s probably cause that guy also doesn¡¯t have exact knowledge about the Brushel System.¡¯ Even Zich hadn¡¯t imagined that L would be the Core again. Overall, it was very fortunate for Zich that Ultel didn¡¯t notice what was happening. Thus, Zich began making ns with the information he was receiving.

    * * *

    Zich met up with Hans, who was working for the Steelwalls today too. Although the clean-up after the war was gradually reaching an end, the aftermath caused by such a big incident couldn¡¯t be resolved in a short amount of time. They still hadbor shortages and Hans was continuing to help the Steelwalls upon the Count¡¯s request. And Lara apanied him most of the time, and she also helped with the work.

    ¡°Hello, Sir Zich!¡±

    ¡°Hello, Mr. Zich.¡±

    Hans and Lara greeted Zich.

    ¡°Yeah. Is everything all right?¡±

    ¡°Yes. Nothing much happened except we received information that some bandits appeared in the estate¡¯s boundaries, aiming for gaps in the estate¡¯s defense.¡±

    ¡°Really, they¡¯re throwing their lives in the gutter.¡±

    The Steelwalls might seem a little ipetent because Zich constantly belittled them and was on the verge of copse after falling for Glen¡¯s n, but it was only because Zich and Glen were a very special case. The Steelwalls were not a family to be easily trifled with; they were fully capable of sweeping away an entire bandit organization. However, the fact that several bandit groups appeared around the Steelwall border was proof that their powers had considerably fallen.

    ¡°It won¡¯t be long before they get crushed. Regardless of their size, it won¡¯t be easy for a bandit group to face the Steelwalls no matter how weak they¡¯ve gotten.¡±

    ¡°The Count has asked me to be part of the army sent out to crush the bandits.¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s really a frugal guy, employing all the people he can possibly use.¡± Of course, as the Count, it was natural for him to use all the avable cards he had for the safety of his estate.

    Zich stared at Hans, and Hans flinched. ¡°You want to go?¡±

    ¡°¡­Yes, sir.¡± Hans felt ufortable with Zich¡¯s gaze but still nodded.

    ¡°Even if I¡¯m nning to move out soon?¡±

    ¡°¡­Then I¡¯ll follow you, sir.¡± There was slight hesitation in Hans'' voice; he felt a strong desire to help people more, especially the Steelwalls whom he¡¯d received a lot of generous support from. However, his hesitationsted only for a brief moment, and Hans immediately shook off this feeling. Zich looked quietly at Hans as he sorted his feelings.

    ¡°¡­? Sir, why are you looking at me like that?¡± Hans asked.

    ¡°Sir Zich! Hello!¡±

    <em>Koo!</em>Hans was about to carefully ask Zich¡¯s thoughts, but Snoc and Nowem¡¯s voices cut him off. Snoc approached the party; he was with Elena. She bowed her head while looking at Zich. Snoc had approached them with a cheerful demeanor, but his expression slightly hardened after seeing the strange atmosphere between Zich and Hans.

    ¡°Did Ie at a bad time?¡± Snoc asked.

    <em>Koo?</em>

    ¡°No, it¡¯s not such a serious reason. It¡¯s actually better this way. I had something in mind, anyway.¡±

    No matter how much he admired Zich, Snoc still had a difficult time around Zich and wanted to quickly escape as the atmosphere felt strangely tense. However, he couldn¡¯t dare to escape without Zich¡¯s permission. Zich looked at Lara, Snoc, and Elena after starting with Hans. Everyone gulped with nervousness in response to Zich¡¯s gaze.

    ¡°Hans.¡±

    ¡°Yes, sir!¡±

    ¡°You want to keep helping the Steelwalls, right?¡±

    ¡°But Sir Zich, if you want to¡­¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t mind me, punk. I¡¯m not a child who needs to be taken care of.¡± Zich waved his hand as if the very thought disgusted him. Then he announced to the four people in front of him, ¡°I¡¯ll disband this party. You guys decide your future from now on.¡±

    They were all baffled by Zich¡¯s sudden announcement. Hans and Snoc had been in the party for a long time, and they were especially shell-shocked to the extent that their minds nked out.

    ¡°W-what do you mean, Sir Zich?! Perhaps, is it because I still have lingering feelings about the Steelwall Estate? Then I¡¯ll immediately cut off my ties to the estate¡­!¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t even bother. It¡¯s not like that, so don¡¯t worry about it. In the first ce, I don¡¯t care if you cut ties with the Steelwalls or continue it or be a new Steelwall.¡±

    ¡°Then what is the reason, sir?¡± Snoc asked too.

    <em>Koo!</em>Nowem cried out in agreement.

    ¡°How long did you guys n to follow me? Forever?¡±

    Both of them were unable to reply. They had been shocked by Zich¡¯s sudden announcement, but they had no intentions of following Zich forever.

    ¡°Whether they¡¯re people or animals, a child has to be independent from their parents someday. It¡¯s no different for disciples. I already taught you guys everything you need to know, so there¡¯s no reason for me to keep bringing all of you around.¡±

    Hans, Snoc, Elena, and Lara all focused on Zich¡¯s words.

    ¡°All of you greatly respect me and follow my words with absolute obedience. It can¡¯t be helped since I¡¯m great.¡± Zich¡¯s narcissism was still ongoing as he continued, ¡°However, that won¡¯t help you in the future. I was going to leave you guys to be independent at a suitable time, and I think the current environment is appropriate for us to separate.¡±

    ¡°Did you say environment, sir?¡±

    ¡°It would be foolish to push you guys into society to be independent without any safety measures. Well, if there wasn¡¯t an alternative, I would still do it but¡­¡±

    Knowing that Zich meant every word, they all smiled bitterly.

    Zich continued, ¡°Just in time, there is a good base here at Steelwall. Even though I really despise the people here, I have to admit that they¡¯re definitely nobles with a sense of integrity and morals. Moreover, they need a lot of help right now.¡±

    ¡°¡­Sir, are you telling us to get to know and experience the world by helping Steelwall?¡±

    ¡°What do you think? I just showed you one way, and I¡¯m merely saying that this is one possibility. As I said, I¡¯m literally pushing you guys into the world. All of you guys need to make decisions for yourselves and take responsibility for them from now on.¡±

    Decision and responsibility. These simple words seemed to steal their breaths away and made it hard to breathe. The four of them looked slightly terrified, which did not suit the physical strength and power they possessed.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know what kind of path all of you will take, but I¡¯ll cheer for you as a former master. Ah, I¡¯m also not going to object if any of you decide to go down a bad path. I can¡¯t rmend it though. You might meet me again in the future¡ªas an enemy.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll never go down a bad path,¡± Hans said, and the other three firmly nodded.

    Zich smirked. Then he pped his hands and said to the four in front of him, ¡°Congrattions on graduating, you fledglings. From now on, fly on and live as you please.¡±

    Favorite

 Chapter 560

    <h4>Chapter 560</h4>

    Zich watched his disciples leave. They still looked stunned by the sudden news, but Zich thought their stomps carried enough weight and power to pioneer a new future going forward.

    ¡®I¡¯m sure they will do well.¡¯ Zich thought. After all, they were the disciples of himself and L. Hans and Snoc were the guys he had raised and built from the very foundation by bringing them around to ces for a long time. Combined with their natural talent and his merciless training, the two had grown so well that they wouldn¡¯t lose to most strong fighters. Elena and Lara hadn¡¯t traveled with him for as long, but there was no need to worry about them either.

    Lara was already half-established when she joined the party. Despite Glen¡¯s coercion and thanks to Hans¡¯ advice, she hadn¡¯t let go of the sword that brought her talents out to the fullest. Furthermore, she had built her skills through systematic training since she was young and possessed outstanding talent, as shown by how fast she had grown with only a little guidance here and there from Zich. It was the same for Elena. Although she couldn¡¯t use any magic when they first met, her fundamentals were also solid. The magic she studied under Walwiss¡¯ disapproving gazes acted as a sturdy foundation for her growth and brought about tremendous progressbined with her natural talent and L¡¯s mentorship.

    ¡®From now on, individual research and contemtion are more important than education.¡¯ It was what L had told him when the topic of Elena came up in their conversation some time ago. From the way she spoke, it seemed like L was contemting Elena¡¯s independence.

    ¡®If that¡¯s not the case, then we can just get Elena toe back,¡¯ Zich thought. Although L might criticize him, and his disciples might look at him with astonishment, Zich wasn¡¯t the type of person to be affected by such things. Furthermore, Zich could also im to be Elena¡¯s master since he had been in charge of her practical education.

    After organizing his thoughts, Zich turned around and walked toward his room. The information L sent him kept floating around in his head, and he needed to organize it.

    ¡®This guy is starting to make his move too.¡¯ Zich chuckled as he recalled Ultel¡¯s scrunched-up face.

    * * *

    Ultel was making ns with his closest aides. After racking their brains as much as possible and pushing everything else off the table, Ultel was able to make his decision.

    ¡°We will use all our forces tounch arge-scale invasion.¡± All his subordinates stared at Ultel.

    ¡°Are you nning to target Zich Moore, sir?¡±

    ¡°To be exact, I am<em>also</em>targeting Zich Moore.¡±

    ¡°Please give us a detailed exnation, sir.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s certain that Zich Moore regressed. It¡¯s also clear that he¡¯s connected to the regression ability being rendered inoperable. To fix the system, we first have to capture that guy. But can we guarantee that we would be able to fix the system by simply capturing him?¡±

    His subordinates couldn¡¯t answer. This was a system soplex that even Ultel couldn¡¯t fullyprehend; naturally, his subordinates knew even less.

    ¡°If we can¡¯t fix the system and recover the regression ability, then we have toplete our goal in this timeline.¡±

    ¡°But we aren¡¯t ready yet, sir. We don¡¯t have much information either.¡±

    Ultel yed with his thoughts when his subordinates brought up the topic of how much information they had. It pained him tremendously that the Core had escaped. He had let the situation worsen up to this point, thinking that the Core would return to her original position if time regressed again. It was the same for the other preparations he had made for his goal. If he had gathered enough information to his satisfaction, Ultel would¡¯ve personally regressed and drawn up his forces so that it would be easier to meet his goal. Yet, all of his forces were currently organized in disruptive ways for the purpose of supporting that idiot Glen Zenard¡¯s ¡®perfect life.¡¯

    ¡°It can¡¯t be helped. Even if we have to adjust our goal, we have to move now.¡± Ultel looked at the table in front of him. There was a map with detailed drawings of their headquarters and the neighboring countries.

    ¡°We will gather all our forces and attack the Cronon Kingdom.¡± Ultel pointed at the Cronon Kingdom that was a short distance away from theke on the map.

    ¡°What will you do if Zich Moore is not there, sir? ording to that buffoon, Zich Moore only returned to the Steelwall Estate recently and he usually wanders around the world. He could move again.¡±

    ¡°We have to chase after him as much as possible. However, I¡¯m not going to ce my troops on him meaninglessly whenever he¡¯s spotted.¡± Ultel raised a pen and drew a line around the small countries between the Cronon Kingdom and the other kingdoms around their headquarters.

    ¡°If we miss Zich Moore, we will first collect information about him and secure this area.¡± Ultel drew another line that epassed an evenrger territory than before. ¡°After we stabilize the upied territory, our army will march to this area. Considering our current forces, we can upy this muchnd.¡±

    Although the organization had a giant hole in its informationwork after L¡¯s escape, it wasn¡¯t like they had lost all information from past regressions. Before Glen regressed, Ultel still possessed the information he gained while regressing in his head and he still had a lot of information he took from L at the beginning of his research about regressions. There was also information Glen gave him while thinking that he was the only one who knew information about regressions.

    Ultel¡¯s subordinates gulped while looking at the territories Ultel circled. ¡°As you say master, it really is a sizable territory that can only be invaded by mobilizing all our troops.¡±

    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s as I said.¡±

    ¡°If we use so many of our troops, the defenses around this ind will decrease significantly. Would that be all right, sir?¡±

    Ultel knew there was no way that would be fine. Although he didn¡¯t say it aloud, that was what worried him the most.

    ¡®There¡¯s no way Zich Moore also knows about this ind,¡¯ Ultel thought. After the issues about losing the system¡¯s core and losing the regression ability, Ultel¡¯s most pressing questions were how many times Zich regressed and how much information he knew. Although Ultel had thoroughly hidden all information about the ind, he couldn¡¯t deny the possibility that Zich was also aware of the ind¡¯s location. What had allowed them to control the world at their will was acting as their greatest weakness now.

    However, there was not much Ultel could do regarding this matter. Ultel continued, ¡°There are defensive mechanisms for the ind and the main base, so I¡¯ll have to trust that they will do a sufficient job. Even if those defenses didn¡¯t exist, it¡¯s better to try and at least do something than waste our time shivering in fear inside the main base. Rather than hiding and rotting away, I¡¯d rather get pierced by an arrow and die.¡±

    ¡°I understand, sir.¡± His master was determined and full of resolve; any further mention of concerns would be meddling and overstepping his boundaries.

    ¡°Zich Moore said he was living a kind life with his own mouth, right? If that¡¯s true, there¡¯s a good chance that he¡¯lle directly to the battlefield in the event of a massive invasion like this.¡±

    After their future direction was set, Ultel and his aides began to talk about the details of their invasion. They talked about how to sessfully invade in a short amount of time with the least amount of damage to them as possible. Like this, the conspiracy between Ultel and his subordinates deepened.

    * * *

    ¡®These guys are nning an extremely bold move.¡¯ As soon as Ultel found out that the regression system had been cut off and their information was leaked, they nned tounch a massive invasion with all of their forces. As expected, the real mastermind was on apletely different level than that fake mastermind or hero idiot.

    ¡®Let me see. What troops can they mobilize?¡¯ Zich began to list them off one by one. ¡®First of all, since Ultel is the Bellid pope, they can mobilize the Bellids.¡¯ Just this alone was a considerable force, but from the information that L sent him, Zich knew that the Bellids were only a fraction of the forces that Ultel was capable of mobilizing.

    ¡®And the robed figures.¡¯ Even though they turned into an organization that only worked to aplish conspiracies and manipted the situation to satisfy Glen Zenard¡¯s wishes, they were not a force to be taken lightly.

    ¡®Will they be able to mobilize the demon people?¡¯ It was much too early for the world to enter the era of the demon people, in which various demon people wreaked havoc all over the world. Thus, in other words, whether they sessfully created a demon person or not, the existence of a demon person was most likely extremely rare. Moreover, since demon people existed only as sacrifices to increase Glen¡¯s reputation, the robed figures had neither the intentions to control demon people, nor the ability to do so. Therefore, it was extremely unlikely that demon people would be part of their invasion n. However, this didn¡¯tpletely erase their threat.

    ¡®They could create demon people faster than nned and send them out.¡¯ Ultel and his subordinates could use those demon people to cause internal chaos in the countries they were nning to invade. Moreover, all the special items that created demon people were part of Clowon¡¯s ruins; Ultel could give his subordinates the items instead and make them demon people instead as well.

    ¡®No, he¡¯ll definitely do that.¡¯ True to his thoughts, Ultel and his subordinates were talking about this exact topic in their current meeting.

    Zich continued thinking. ¡®They can mobilize monsters as well.¡¯

    The Pyramid of Vengeful Souls and the power that allowed Serpina and the experiment to control monsters all belonged to the Clowon Empire. From now on, Ultel and his subordinates would begin gathering a huge army of monsters.

    ¡®Above all, they have the World Tree¡¯s mana.¡¯ Compared to the World Tree¡¯s mana, the previous forces that Zich just listed were of little concern. Of course, Ultel did not immediately pull out the World Tree¡¯s mana and use it for himself. It was all because he hadn¡¯t given up hope that he could restore the regression ability. However, if he was pushed into a corner, he would definitely use the World Tree¡¯s mana.

    ¡®Looking at it like this, it¡¯s really an enormous force.¡¯ It was a force that could easily trample one or two countries. ¡®However, this is only the case if they sessfully gather all their forces without any idents.¡¯

    Zich nned to do his absolute best to hinder all of Ultel¡¯s ns.

    ¡®I can¡¯t attack their main base right now, so I should first cut off their arms and legs that are spread outside.¡¯ Zich finished deciding what action he should take; it was now time for him to begin moving.

    Soon after, Zich passed Violsa¡¯s main gate. The sky was clear, and it felt as if it was blessing Zich¡¯s future. He had already said his goodbyes to the others, and every single one of them was sad to separate, especially his disciples who were beginning to pioneer their own paths. As he was walking on the road, Zich suddenly looked to his side. The only thing he could see was a wide field; there were no longer any of the faces that he had grown so used to seeing.

    ¡®How long has it been since I traveled alone?¡¯ After his regression, there had been times when hepleted missions or tasks alone, but it was his first time traveling alone.

    ¡®I definitely feel like something is missing. I must have grown really used to them.¡¯ However, this wasn¡¯t a bad feeling. ¡®If I saw myself before I regressed, I would have spit on myself or swung a sword toe back to my senses.¡¯

    Zich chuckled. However, there wasn¡¯t time for him to walk leisurely like this since there were a great number of fools waiting to be killed by his sword.

    ¡®I got all the information I need. Now, depending on how much of their forces I knock out, I¡¯ll have less trouble defeating them in the future.¡¯ He needed to move diligently with that in mind. Zich gathered mana in his legs. Thanks to the Key That Distorts Destiny, mana gathered inside his legs at a rapid speed.

    <em>Bam!</em>A loud noise followed, and dust blew everywhere. When the dust finally settled, Zich¡¯s figure was no longer visible on the road.

    Favorite

 Chapter 561

    <h4>Chapter 561</h4>

    Deep inside the forest thicketed by trees that appeared as if no humans would ever tread among them, amotion arose.

    <em>Bam!</em>

    A huge explosion sounded, and the forest was shrouded by light. The light was so intense and bright that it momentarily erased the presence of the moon and stars.

    <em>Crackle!</em>

    The trees in the surroundings caught on fire. The dense forest was usually humid and moist. It was a difficult environment for a wildfire to spread, and fire sparks tended to fail to spread across trees and died after failing to find anything to prolong their existence. Yet, this time, the moist trees inside this forest failed to withstand the recent explosion¡¯s fire. The ce was now a hot sea bed of fire. High temperatures, acrid smoke, and the ominous glow of the area sang the song of the disaster that had dawned upon the ce.

    As wild animals interrupted from their peaceful sleep ran wild in search of safety, the chaos inside the forest heightened further.

    <em>Bam!</em>Another explosion sounded. At the shock of the explosion, a side of the forest became a vacant lot. mes knocked down trees, set the grass on fire, and expanded outward. More explosions followed.

    <em>Flick!</em>

    Through the wall of fire, a person jumped out. A disorderly, red-eyed man covered in blood from head to toe was senselessly running across the forest away from the intense light of the fire.

    ¡°Huff! Huff!¡± Was he simply tired or overwhelmed by fear? The man found it extremely difficult to breathe, but it didn¡¯t seem like he was bothered by the heavy smoke or heat from the fire. The man looked behind him. There was a look of clear fear in his eyes; as if he were checking something that he didn¡¯t want to see but had to, his pupils moved this way and that. All that was reflected in his eyes was the mad, burning mes and the animals making their desperate escape. He didn¡¯t see the one who had driven him into his current state of fear.

    ¡®D-Did he die?¡¯ the man thought.

    A voice immediately sounded from his side. ¡°Hey!¡±

    All the hairs on the man¡¯s body rose. He quickly arched his body and rolled to the ground.

    <em>Whoosh!</em>A glowing red sword reflecting the firelight cut through the air where he used to be. The man felt chills on his back.

    ¡°What? Are you going to keep running like that? What happened to your overflowing confidence at the beginning of our fight? You said you were happy to see a human you could burn after a long time!¡±

    <em>Pop!</em>The sword¡¯s mana chased after the man. The man couldn¡¯t escape. Thus, he shot out mes while clenching his teeth.

    <em>Booom!</em>There was another explosion. The man had shot out the greatest firepower he could muster and burned the forest once more. Yet, the mes only had power over the unmoving, unspeaking vegetation in the area.<em></em>

    <em>Boom!</em>

    A faint explosion sounded near the man¡¯s ear. The man turned, feeling that something bad was going to happen.

    <em>Slice!</em>

    With a clean, sharp sound, the man¡¯s vision tilted strangely.

    <em>T</em><em>hud!</em>

    The man¡¯s chest was deeply cut, and his body fell over without resistance.

    <em>Hwaaa!</em>Nearby, fire burned the grass on the ground and slowly approached the man. Soon, the man¡¯s clothes caught fire, and mes began to spread across. The fire looked voracious enough to eat its own master...

    After killing the man, Zich stood by and watched with interest. Then, as if something suddenly came to his mind, Zich began to cut up the nearby trees. It didn¡¯t matter if the trees caught fire or not. Zich cut up fine pieces of firewood and began to pile them neatly on top of the man. Sparks from the burning wood spread to the other pieces of wood. After covering the man with firewood, Zich picked up fresh tree branches with plenty of wide leaves. He crouched next to the firewood and waved the branches like a fan. He stoked the me by even pouring a bit of his mana into it, and the firepletely swept up the firewood.

    Zich nodded like he was satisfied with his work. Then, he looked around after his clean-up. Although the man had died, the forest was still burning fiercely.

    ¡®I should take care of this too,¡¯ Zich thought and raised his sword.<em></em>

    <em>Baaam!</em>

    Mana swept the forest with a loud roar. mes that were passionately marking their presence into the world by burning everything twisted in the shape of the great wave of mana.

    <em>Fwoosh!</em>

    The mes, which had spread like they would burn the entire forest, disappeared in an instant. Only the rising smoke and burnt ashes of the forest remained. There wasn¡¯t a spark anywhere except the fire burning the man who had caused the wildfire. It was a confusing sight that would make one wonder whether they should admire Zich¡¯s skills for leaving only the fire burning the man against a great fire that had swept the nearby forest, or sigh about Zich¡¯s sadistic tendencies.

    Zich sheathed his sword.

    ¡®One more off the list,¡¯ Zich thought and pulled out a piece of paper from his magic box. There were many names written on it and some names were crossed out. Zich pulled out a pen and ced its tip on the name right below a crossed name. Demon Person: Cinder.

    The man had gained this name because cinders only remained in the areas he passed by. His skills allowed him to use the power of fire, and because he enjoyed burning humans, people from the future cowered in fear of his name. Yet, Zich had now taken his life in this nameless forest where his body burned away from the fire he caused himself and turned to cinders like the nickname he gained in the future.

    <em>Scratch!</em>Zich drew a few lines with his pen to cross off Cinder on his list.

    ¡®There are only a few left.¡¯ The note in his hand contained the names of the fewpleted demon people in this era. Since the era of demon people hadn¡¯t arrived¡ªno, hadn¡¯t been created yet¡ªmost demon people didn¡¯t openly appear in society. However, their danger was not negligible by any means.

    Before Ultelunched a massive invasion, he nned to cause confusion by releasing demon people into the world, so it was only natural that Zich, who nned to hinder all of his ns, would step forward to get rid of all the demon people in this world. Of course, since Zich couldn¡¯t search everywhere in the world for demon people by himself, he left those who weren¡¯t dangerous yet or fully developed to the others.

    ¡®Should I start moving?¡¯ Zich needed to move diligently to end the next demon person. His figure disappeared in an instant across the forest.

    After Zich disappeared, Cinder¡¯s body, which had been burning for a long time, began to break apart. The firewood on top of his body also copsed. However, the me continued to burn for a while, and his body turned into a handful of ashes, perfectly befitting of his nickname.

    * * *

    Zich¡¯s n didn¡¯t end with just finishing off the demon people. Demon people wreaked havoc and caused chaos by themselves, but Ultel also had forces that could move systematically under hismand¡ªand one such group was the Bellids who¡¯d taken root all over the world. However, now that L sent him information about all of their hideouts, they no longer posed a significant threat.

    Even though the Bellids spread like cockroaches, if all of their hideouts were raided and demolished at once, it would be possible to get rid of them no matter how many cockroaches there were. The first thing that Zich did was spread the locations of small Bellid temples throughout different countries, and he borrowed Karuwimans¡¯ name while doing this. Even though his fame was spreading all over the world as a dragon yer, there was no group that was more trusted than the Karuwimans in dealing with the Bellids.

    Since Zich had provided all kinds of information about the Bellids and had always been correct, the Karuwimans¡¯ trust in Zich was at its highest. Of course, the Karuwimans easily allowed Zich to borrow their name. The name value of a dragon yer and guarantee from the Karuwimans was enough to immediately make each country mobilize their troops against the Bellids. The Bellid temples, which had been hidden in all sorts of extraordinary methods, began to be cleared and swept away by the forces of each country.

    Naturally, the Karuwimans also tried to provide support in attacking the Bellid temples. However, with another piece of information from Zich, they gave up on attacking the small temples for the sake of aplishing a significantly more noteworthy and important goal.

    Zich was climbing a mountain. It was a deste mountain, only covered in small patches of grass and stones, without a single tree or small shrub in sight. Even if one looked around, all one could see were other mountains. It didn¡¯t look like a ce where people could live nearby. Zich lifted his leg again and pressed forward. He didn¡¯t know how far he moved until¡ª

    ¨CRaaaaaaaah!

    Zich heard a faint roar from afar and picked up his pace. When he crossed a ridge, the roar grew louder.

    ¡°Raaaaaaah!¡±

    ¡°Kill all those dirty Bellids!¡±

    ¡°Just breathing in this world is a sin for them! Kill them! Karuna will punish them ordingly!¡±

    A considerable number of holy knights unleashed their holy energy in strings and charged toward the Bellids. The priests standing behind them supported them with all kinds of holy techniques. The ce they were headed to was a building carved out of a huge cliff, and this ce was the reason why the Karuwimans had canceled their ns to destroy the small temples. They were at the Bellids¡¯ southern branch. The vast valley next to the cliff contained arge body of water and indicated a definite sign that a Bellid temple was situated here.

    The Southern Branch, which had long served as the spiritual pir of the surrounding Bellid believers, looked insecure and unstable, as if it would immediately fall under its enemies¡¯ attacks. The southern branch had only been able to stay hidden because it was inside a rugged mountain range. Now that the Karuwimans had brought their elite forces and ambushed them, the fall of the southern branch was only a matter of time. However, the Bellids were also extremely persistent.

    They furiously resisted with everything they had, and the damage against the Karuwimans also slowly umted. There were no signs of Lube or Belri Weig, as they had gone to another branch that Zich had informed them about. Zich headed straight toward Karuwimans¡¯manding post.

    ¡°Why, if it isn¡¯t Sir Zich?!¡± A holy knight screamingmands toward his soldiers until his neck turned bright red rejoiced at seeing Zich. Although it was Zich¡¯s first time meeting him, it seemed as if the holy knight knew Zich very well.

    ¡°Sir, I participated in the raid of the Bellids¡¯ northern branch. That¡¯s where I first saw you, Sir Zich. My name is Hadel Dnir.¡±

    ¡°Nice to meet you, Sir Dnir. How is the situation?¡± Considering the current situation, their greeting was brief.

    ¡°Those Bellid bastards are furiously resisting, but it won¡¯t be long until they¡¯re dragged in front of God Karuna to receive their great judgment.¡±

    ¡°Your forces seem to have taken a considerable amount of damage.¡±

    ¡°It can¡¯t be helped, since we¡¯re here to prove Karuna¡¯s power.¡± Even while saying that, Hadel didn¡¯t seem very pleased by the situation either.

    Zich pulled out his sword. ¡°There¡¯s no need to receive any more damage. I¡¯ll join you.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re wee to participate anytime, dragon yer, Sir Zich!¡± Hadel said with delight.

    Zich ran into the area where a battle was taking ce, and his enormous mana fell in the middle of the enemy camp.

    <em>Baaaaam!</em>The Bellids were blown away like leaves caught in a storm. No matter how important or well-equipped the southern branch was, they weren¡¯t difficult opponents for Zich, who had regained the strength of his prime.

    All the Bellids¡¯ efforts to furiously hold out against the Karuwimans became futile as the Bellids had no choice but to make way for Zich. On that day, the Bellids¡¯ southern branch disappeared into history.

 Chapter 562

    <h4>Chapter 562</h4>

    Ultel was amassing all his forces to prepare for a massive invasion. Therger the scale of the invasion, the more difficult it was to prepare for it. After some time passed since Ultel gave his decree for all the robed figures and Bellid followers scattered around the world to join him, the forces directly or indirectly under his order began to gather at the headquarters. However, the size of the gathered forces was smaller than he expected.

    Many arrived with their lives hanging by a thread, and they had lost contact with a significant number of people. In particr, the Demon People they had been raising had beenpletely wiped out. Those who managed toe back alive told Ultel that they were attacked by the Karuwimans and nearby countries.

    ¡°Those guys are trying to destroy our forces one by one,¡± his subordinate reported.

    Ultel gulped. Although Ultel¡¯s force would be enormous if they gathered in one ce, the fact that they were scattered all around the world was bing a great weakness right now. Of course, they weren¡¯t scattered meaninglessly. All members of Ultel¡¯s forces were deeply hidden, and if their identities were discovered by sheer bad luck, his subordinates were thoroughly trained so that they wouldn¡¯t spill information. They even had information about other groups to spill. Yet, Ultel¡¯s forces were now getting attacked on all sides, and that meant only one thing.

    ¡°They know where our forces are.¡±

    ¡°I think I¡¯m going crazy.¡± Ultel clutched his head. ¡°I¡¯d be foolish to think that those guys don¡¯t know of this ce too.¡±

    ¡°Our enemy¡¯s information-gathering skills are frightening, but there¡¯s still a good possibility that they don¡¯t know of this ce, sir. Information about this ind has always been tightly controlled that it''s hard to imagine that we would¡¯ve leaked such information in other timelines. Anything regarding this ce is different from information from the outside that can be found out just with the regression ability.¡±

    Ultel thought there was merit to his subordinate¡¯s words and nodded. ¡°Our n doesn¡¯t change whether anyone knows of this ce anyway. Since some guys are still arriving, let¡¯s wait a bit more.¡±

    It was then that the conference room¡¯s door suddenly opened.

    ¡°This is urgent news, sirs! We have spotted troops heading to this area!¡±

    ¡°As I thought, they also know of this ce,¡± Ultel sighed. The subordinate who said that there was still a possibility that this location was unknown hung his head.

    ¡°To whom does this troop belong? Is Zich Moore or the Karuwimans apanying them? And what¡¯s the formation of the troops? To fight against us, I would expect a couple of countries to have made an alliance,¡± Ultel said.

    However, he soon shook his head. ¡°No, there wasn¡¯t enough time for that to be the case.¡±

    Since all his eyes and ears on the outside were being cut off, it had been some time since Ultel gained any proper information. Yet, even before his sources of information were destroyed, Ultel hadn¡¯t heard any news of several countries mobilizing their troops. Since there were Bellid temples stationed all over the world, he would¡¯ve at least heard some news if a kingdom was preparing for war. Yet, neither Ultel nor any of his close subordinates heard an inkling of such news.

    Ultel stared at the person who brought him the recent news. His eyes egged on the news bringer to quickly answer his questions.

    ¡°I came to report as soon as I sighted the army, so I don¡¯t know the exact details yet, sir. I didn¡¯t spot any gs belonging to the Karuwimans or another kingdom¡¯s forces. I also might have just missed him, but I haven¡¯t heard any reports of Zich Moore being sighted either.¡±

    ¡°Then, the army on its way is¡­¡±

    ¡°Ah, only the presence of the Brodstock Imperial Army has been confirmed.¡±

    A heavy silence settled down in the conference room. Mirotel Lake was located inside the Brodstock Empire, where the Bellid headquarters was located. Befitting its empire title, the Brodstock Empire had a huge influence over its neighboring kingdoms, and there was no country nearby with military might strong enough to pose a threat to it.

    ¡°Is Brodstocking to attack us alone?¡± one of the subordinates murmured in disbelief. Even if the Brodstock Empire was the strongest among their neighbors, there was no way they could beat Ultel¡¯s forces alone.

    ¡°It¡¯s possible. I¡¯m sure those guys would think they can deal with us by themselves.¡± Perhaps, it was their special trait, or it was what came with the title of ¡®empire,¡¯ but the Brodstocks had immense pride in themselves.

    ¡°If it¡¯s those guys, they might even think it¡¯s beneath them to ally with other countries. Furthermore, they wouldn¡¯t like the Karuwimans and other countries'' troops entering theirnds if they allied with them.¡± One of the subordinates supported Ultel¡¯s statements. As more of them became convinced that the Brodstocks were acting alone, the mood inside the conference room improved. They allughed at the Brodstocks¡¯ foolishness.

    ¡°Ignorance sure is a scary thing. Even if they are an empire, how could they dare think of fighting us alone?¡±

    ¡°They might not even be acting ignorantly. Zich Moore probably provided them the information, and considering everything that¡¯s happened until now, there¡¯s no way he doesn¡¯t know the size and might of our forces.¡±

    ¡°Doesn¡¯t that make them even stupider? They act on their pride not knowing that it¡¯s going to strangle their necks.¡±

    ¡°Before our sources were cut off, we heard no news of the Brodstock Empire making their move. Even an empire can¡¯t move this fast. No, because they are sorge, it¡¯s harder for them to act fast. The guysing at us right now are probably their standing army.¡±

    ¡°This is an opportunity, master. If we wipe out the Brodstocks¡¯ standing army this time, our uing invasion will be much easier.¡±

    Ultel nodded at his subordinates¡¯ suggestions.

    ¡°It could be a trap. We could¡¯ve simply missed it, and the army might include troops from other forces. If those Brodstocks really came by themselves because they were unable to ovee their arrogance¡­!¡±

    <em>Bam!</em>Ultel mmed his fist on the table, and the table shattered in half. ¡°Not a single one of them will leave this ce alive!¡±

    * * *

    After defeating his targets as he nned, Zich headed back to the Karuwiman main temple to assess the current situation.

    ¡°Oh my, if it isn¡¯t Sir Zich!¡±

    Zich heard a voice weing him as soon as he entered the main base¡ªit was a female voice. Zich wondered for a brief moment if it was Lube¡¯s, but it wasn¡¯t her.

    ¡°It¡¯s you, Windne,¡± Zich said.

    ¡°It¡¯s been a while!¡± Chelsea approached him with a big smile. Thanks to Zich¡¯s request, Chelsea was able to make a sessful return to the Karuwimans. However, even though she had no idea about the true identities of the allied forces, it didn¡¯t change the fact that she had a history of coborating with the Bellids. Thus, she had been demoted to a fairly distant branch.

    ¡°Why are you here at the main base?¡±

    ¡°I have some business here today, but even if I didn¡¯t, I need to continuously show my face around to the higher-ups to be in their good graces,¡± Chelsea replied confidently.

    ¡°You¡¯re still eying the Saintess position?¡±

    ¡°Isn¡¯t that obvious? ...Honestly, I would like to say that, but even I¡¯m starting to think that might be incredibly difficult.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s been difficult since a very long time ago. As soon as Lube became yourpetition, you had no chance of winning.¡±

    ¡°Ugh¡­¡± Chelsea shot a resentful nce at him, but Zich ignored it with ease. She continued, ¡°Well, I¡¯m now nning to go up as high as I can even if I can¡¯t be the Saintess. As a past candidate for the Saintess position, I can¡¯t stay at the bottom.¡±

    ¡°I really like your shamelessness and power-hungry attitude,¡± Zich said, and changed the subject. ¡°You know that the Karuwimans are currently nning an all-out war against the Bellids, right?¡±

    ¡°Of course, there¡¯s no one in Karuwiman who doesn¡¯t know that right now.¡±

    ¡°Is there anything that you know that I might not know?¡± Zich nned to ask other high-ranking priests if Lube or Weig weren¡¯t there, but since he met Chelsea, Zich decided to ask her instead.

    ¡°Hmm, I don¡¯t know anything in detail since the information shared by the higher-ups doesn¡¯t reach me, but I have one piece of information I can tell you.¡±

    ¡°What is it?¡±

    ¡°The Brodstock Empire has decided to attack the Bellids alone.¡±

    ¡°Ah, as expected.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re not surprised?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, because I thought they would act like that.¡± Zich had been trying to unite forces from neighboring countries to form a coalition against Ultel. However, he didn¡¯t think that this process would go smoothly, even if he gained the title of dragon yer and received support from the Karuwimans.

    ¡®Even before I regressed, countries only began to unite after the Demon People beat the hell out of them and had no choice but to cooperate.¡¯ The pride of the Brodstock Empire was infamous throughout the world. Since Mirotel contained the Bellids¡¯ main base and was inside the Brodstock Empire, Zich had provided them with information about the main base¡¯s location. If the Bellids began their invasion, the Brodstock Empire would be the first one to receive significant damage. Thus, Zich had informed them with the intention that they should prepare to defend in advance. However, Zich hadn¡¯t expected the Brodstock Empire to heed his advice, and the empire reacted as expected.

    ¡®Well, it¡¯s better this way.¡¯ Even though Zich had ended the lives of the mastermind¡¯s subordinates all around the world, Ultel¡¯s forces were not to be trifled with. The Brodstock Empire would probably suffer a tremendous amount of damage, and if the other countries got terrified and quickly united after hearing what happened to the Brodstock Empire, the fall of the Brodstock Empire would have been meaningful and useful. Of course, an exorbitant number of people would die in the process, but as a non-traditional hero, Zich didn¡¯t think it was worth caring about a sacrifice of that level. To be blunt, it wasn¡¯t Zich¡¯s fault anyway.

    ¡°How do you know that? As you said, it doesn¡¯t seem like someone who''s fallen to the bottom would be notified.¡±

    ¡°The empire directly contacted me. They refused support from holy knights who can directly attack the Bellids, but they wanted priests who can cure people. They asked the Karuwimans to send priests if they could, but of course, the higher-ups must have refused. That¡¯s why they directly contacted people like me. Since I¡¯ve been pushed to the sidelines, they must have thought it would be easy to persuade me since if I contributed to a sessful offense against the Bellids¡¯ main base, I canpletely flip my situation.¡±

    ¡°Seeing as you¡¯re here, you must have refused, right?¡±

    ¡°Of course!¡± Chelsea nodded. ¡°I was able to barely return thanks to Sir Zich. How can I leave again and help the empire for a personal reason? That¡¯s no different from ignoring your generous grace. I can never do that.¡±

    ¡°And your true thoughts?¡±

    ¡°Sir Zich, you think the empire¡¯s offensive will fail, right? Otherwise, there¡¯s no way you wouldn¡¯t have gotten involved in attacking the Bellids¡¯ main base.¡±

    Zich nodded in agreement.

    ¡°Then why would I participate in a losing battle? If I join hands with the empire for no good reason, I¡¯ll likely fall even further away from the higher-up¡¯s eyes. Holding onto a rotten rope and almost falling into a ditch is an experience I really don¡¯t want to repeat.¡± Then Chelsea smiled with her eyes, and Zichughed out loud.

    ¡°You thought well. Even if you join hands with those Brodstock guys and attack the Bellids¡¯ main base, you¡¯ll be treated as a stupid idiot who didn¡¯t learn anything from thest incident¡ªif you¡¯re lucky. If you¡¯re not, you¡¯ll lose your life.¡±

    ¡°As I thought.¡±

    Like this, the two chuckled and walked inside the main Karuwiman temple.

 Chapter 563

    <h4>Chapter 563</h4>

    The Brodstock army marched forward proudly. As expected of an army belonging to one of the most powerful empires in the world, the soldiers¡¯ morale was high, and their movements were swift and orderly. Likewise, the knights on their horses wore armor that glistened under the sunlight; their armor looked as if they would deflect any attack and their weapons looked as if they would ughter any enemy.

    Standing in front of this army was Marquess ssy, the appointedmander-in-chief of this army. While Marquess ssy fiddled with the marshal baton he received from the Emperor, his deputy, Baron Latane, talked to him.

    ¡°We are going to arrive at Mirotel Lake soon, Commander. If we just pass over that hill there, we will begin to see theke.¡±

    ¡°Hm!¡± Marquess ssy twirled the baton around and smashed it against his palm. ¡°We¡¯ll soon be able to exterminate the bug infestation that has been growing under our noses.¡±

    ¡°Since the notoriety of those bugs has spread far and wide across the world, the glory of our Brodstock Empire will rise even further if we deal with them. I¡¯m sure the Emperor would note that you were the one to have spread the Empire¡¯s might, Commander. This will definitely happen if there¡¯s no one in our empire who canpare to you.¡± It was such tant ttery that most upright people would¡¯ve rebuked the Baron, but Marquess ssy wasn¡¯t such a man. Instead, he nodded with a slight smile on his face as if he was pleased by the praises.

    ¡°This is all possible thanks to the Emperor¡¯s great army and having people with such brilliant skills and character like you,¡± Marquess ssy replied.

    ¡°Thank you for ttering me, sir. Of course, I n to use all my humble abilities to support you, but without your outstanding and marvelous skills, how could folks like me really disy our talents? Please sir, I beg you to masterfullymand me and the others as you always do and wipe away those wretched Bellids.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about that. Since the Emperor requested it, I will send all those guys to Karuna¡¯s side,¡± Marquess ssy said firmly.

    ¡°As expected of you, Marquess. I¡¯m sure that no enemy can withstand your magnificent abilitiesbined with our empire¡¯s strong forces.¡±

    ¡°Of course. To think they would propose to us to simply defend despite that!¡± Marquess ssy suddenly frowned after listening joyfully to the Baron¡¯s ttery. He recalled the insulting request he recently heard, and Baron Latane immediately caught onto what was irking the Marquess. Thus, he quickly opened his mouth to boost the Marquess¡¯ mood back up. This wasn¡¯t difficult as he had also been offended about the same thing.

    ¡°It¡¯s as you say, sir. Those Karuwimans must really think they are so strong now after only dealing with heretics.¡±

    When the Karuwimans informed the Brodstock Empire of the presence of the Bellid headquarters at Mirotel Lake, they were stunned. To them, Bellids were also harmful pests that had to be exterminated on sight. Thus, it was more astonishing that the biggest nest these pests lived in was on theirnd, and the Emperor ordered his men to clear the bugs¡¯ nest without any hesitation. Yet, although the Karuwimans expressed their thanks for the Emperor¡¯s passion, their next words angered the Brodstock Empire¡¯s citizens. They told the Emperor that since they were going to go on an offensive against the Bellids soon, the Empire should prepare military defenses. They also said that the Brodstock Empire would need help from other kingdoms. The Karuwimans would also, of course, contribute.

    The Karuwimans¡¯ attitude wasn¡¯t disrespectful at all. They were simply giving their whole-hearted advice after assessing that the Empire wouldn¡¯t be able to handle the current Bellid forces by themselves. However, those who belonged to the Brodstock Empire were famous for their military might, and they took offense to this suggestion. Thus, after shooing away the Karuwiman priests with clear annoyance, the Empire mobilized all the elite fighting forces they could amass and sent them to Mirotel Lake.

    ¡°Since those guys have to struggle so much to destroy just one base, they must have thought that our empire would need to do the same. As if those who spend praying inside temples know a thing about battle and war.¡± Marquess ssy criticized the Karuwimans out loud and dered, ¡°If the Bellid forces are going to gather at Mirotel Lake, we must strike first! It¡¯s the basics of the basics to strike before the enemy finishes gathering their forces. Why would they tell us to wait for our enemy to do just that?¡±

    ¡°It seems like those guys don¡¯t know anything besides praying.¡± The Baron agreed.

    In reality, the Karuwimans had suggested the Empire be mainly on the defensive because the Bellids had enough power to destroy the whole Brodstock Empire without even amassing all their forces. However, the Brodstock Empire didn¡¯t even consider this as a possibility.

    ¡°They said the person who brought them the news was Zich Steelwall, right?¡±

    ¡°Yes, sir. Sources say that he is the son of Count Steelwall from the Cronon Kingdom.¡±

    ¡°I heard that the Steelwalls are called the kingdom¡¯s Iron Wall.¡±

    ¡°That is correct, sir.¡±

    ¡°What an intimidating title for a Count¡¯s estate to have in that puny plot ofnd.¡±

    ¡°Who knows? In a ce like the Cronon Kingdom, their iron walls might be less sturdy than the rusty plows used by the farmers in our empire.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s a very convincing guess,¡± the Marquess chuckled. ¡°It seems like the Karuwimans are bing quite pathetic to be just listening to a man from some no-name kingdom¡ªfurthermore, someone who has been disowned by his family.¡±

    ¡°They say that he¡¯s a Karuwiman Honorary Knight.¡±

    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s probably why they are heeding his every word. Furthermore, I heard that he also became a dragon yer.¡± Marquess ssy clicked his tongue. ¡°What¡¯s all that fuss because he caught some big-sized lizard? Only legends say that dragons are monsters strong enough to easily destroy a country. There¡¯s nothing that can be more easily distorted than stories passed down from word of mouth.¡±

    ¡°I fully agree, sir.¡±

    ¡°From what I see, that dragon is no different than arge lizard. Of course, it can shoot out fire and fly, and it might be powerful enough to be called a strong monster. However, there¡¯s no way he defeated a dragon as told by legends. If it really was a dragon from the legends, at least an entire army from one country needs to be mobilized. Did you say that about ten people defeated that amazing dragon?¡±

    ¡°Yes, from the information I received.¡±

    ¡°See what I mean? Does that even make sense? How can they defeat a monster that can destroy a country with so few people? Is there a person among those ten people who can fight the entire world alone? Or even people who will turn the world upside down in the future? Did the world¡¯s leading talents and strongest fighters happen to exist in that specific ce by coincidence? Why don¡¯t they t out say that these unbelievable conditions had all been fulfilled instead?¡±

    ¡°Sir, after listening to you, I realize how oundish the ims of a dragon yer really are.¡±

    ¡°If I was there, I could have probably killed that fake dragon or whatever by myself without help from others.¡±

    ¡°I think so as well. Sir, aren¡¯t you the strongest knight even in this glorious empire?¡± This wasn¡¯t just ttery; the Baron sincerely thought this. Numerous talents were raised in the Brodstock Empire¡¯s vast territories. Moreover, the Brodstock Empire put significant importance on its military power, so it had an extremely high number of excellent knights. And the man next to the Baron was indeed considered to be the strongest of the numerous imperial knights in the Brodstock Empire.

    ¡°Sir, if you were there, there wouldn¡¯t have been a ridiculous title like ''dragon<em>yers</em>''. Instead, a single dragon yer would have been born.¡±

    ¡°In my personal opinion, I think that guy named Zich Steelwall is awfully suspicious. He might be a con artist. Maybe he¡¯s trying to raise his reputation through false rumors and attempting to gain an advantage or something. Come to think of it, didn¡¯t you also say that a couple of Karuwimans were among the dragon yers? Don¡¯t tell me that the Karuwimans have joined hands with a con artist?¡±

    ¡°Sir, I don¡¯t think that¡¯s possible.¡± Baron Latane had only expressed unconditional support and agreement to Marquess ssy¡¯s words so far, but he gently expressed his disagreement this time. No matter how strong and great the Brodstock Empire was, it could not openly antagonize the Karuwimans. They could moderately insult the Karuwimans like they had done just before, but it was apletely different story to directly treat the Karuwimans as criminals.

    ¡°Yeah, as God Karuna¡¯s devout followers, there¡¯s no way that could be true.¡± The Marquess seemed to also understand the Baron¡¯s reaction as he backed down and continued, ¡°Even so, it¡¯s true that I don¡¯t like how the Karuwimans have been acting recently.¡±

    ¡°Yes, I think so as well.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll clearly show them how the Bellids are no match for our empire.¡± The two crossed the hill and saw ake at a distance. It was a hugeke big enough to be mistaken for the sea. What stood out the most for them was a group of troops in the front.

    Using scouts to gather information about enemy territory was the basics of the basics. Marquess ssy thoroughly followed the basics of warfare, and he was able to receive information early on about the Bellids¡¯ territory. Thus, he knew that there was a group of forces near theke and their location.

    ¡°Is that the Bellid army?¡± Marquess ssy asked.

    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s it.¡±

    There were gs embroidered with the fish head image of Bellu flying everywhere around the army as proof. The Marquess slowly examined the Bellid army. He saw the Bellid knights and priests first, but most of the Bellid army was made up of monsters.

    ¡°As per our information, they seem to be able to control monsters.¡± If the Bellids were able to utilize monsters as part of their forces, they would receive significantly more damage.

    However, the Marquess replied indifferently, ¡°But they don¡¯t seem to be very dangerous ones.¡±

    ¡°It seems like the information regarding how it hasn¡¯t been long since they began to gather monsters is true. I think they ran out of time to gather the more dangerous monsters.¡±

    ¡°See what I mean! You have to move boldly and crush the opponent¡¯s head before they can fully gather all of their power. If I had waited, we would have had to face even more dangerous monsters!¡± The Marquess praised himself for his decision and continued, ¡°Well, then let¡¯s get ready for battle as well. We need to wipe them all out in the name of His Majesty.¡±

    ¡°Yes, sir!¡± the Baron shouted lightly and began to line up the troops.

    The Marquess looked down arrogantly at the Bellid troops in the distance. ¡°Fucking insects. I¡¯ll exterminate all of you today!¡±

    His eyes glistened with vigor.

    * * *

    Even though the Brodstock Imperial Army decided to attack the main Bellids¡¯ camp alone without heeding the Karuwimans¡¯ warning, they hadn¡¯t refused all of the information that the Karuwimans had provided them. Even they wouldn¡¯t have marched into Lake Mirotel without sufficient information. There were several pieces of information that the Karuwimans had provided them with, and one of them was about the existence of Demon People. The Brodstock Empire considered Demon People as merely people with special abilities. They weren¡¯t technically wrong, but they terribly misjudged how special those abilities were.

    ¡®W-what the hell is that?!¡¯ Marquess ssy was too shocked to fully process the scene in front of him.

 Chapter 564

    <h4>Chapter 564</h4>

    ¡®W-What is happening?!¡¯ Marquess ssy couldn¡¯t believe what was happening before his eyes. Beforeing to this ce, the Brodstock Army was riled up with fever and passion to destroy all of the Emperor¡¯s enemies. Although their numbers were a bit small since they had gotten only the standing army that they could immediately mobilize, their skills and prestige were iparably higher than that of any other army. Yet, this mighty Brodstock Army was falling. It was such an unbelievable sight that Marquess ssy could only manage to stare nkly at the battlefield.

    When the Brodstock Army and the Bellid forces first shed, Marquess ssy was sure that the Empire had made the right decision to attack first. Their knights and mages magnificently blocked the Bellid knights and priests¡¯ attacks, and monsters failed to pass over their elite soldiers¡¯ spears and shields. There was no doubt that the Bellids were a formidable enemy; after all, no matter how low the monsters¡¯ level was, their physical attributes were superior to humans, and the Bellid knights and priests were all quite skilled. Yet, a war couldn¡¯t be won by individual skills alone.

    Marquess ssy issuedmands with his superb expertise in battle and his capable officers and soldiers carried them out perfectly. They moved like they were one body and creature. Their orderly, single-minded movements weren¡¯t something an organization like the Bellids that was more of a religious organization at its core than a military one could mimic. Thus, it was the empire that had the upper hand in the beginning.

    Though it was hard to believe that a snob who had delighted in his subordinate¡¯s ttery not long ago would be so capable, Marquess ssy moved the empire¡¯s army like they were his own arms and legs to push back the Bellids. Just as his tterers said, the Marquess was the bestmander in the Empire. Like that, it seemed like the war would end with the Empire¡¯s victory.

    Yet, this thought was shattered by the appearance of the Demon People.

    It wasn¡¯t like their presence was out of the Empire''s expectations. They also had resources detailing various Demon People abilities that the Karuwimans had handed to them. Yet, the Empire thought that these resources simply greatly exaggerated the Demon People¡¯s powers. Now, they were facing the price of underestimating their enemy.

    ¡°Kuh! W-Why are you¡­!¡±

    ¡°No! My body is moving on its own¡­!¡±

    ¡°Let go of me! Let go¡­.ahhhh!¡±

    There was the Puppeteer who controlled people using threads so thin that they could only be seen under the bright sunlight.

    ¡°Damn it! Swords don¡¯t work¡­ kuahh!¡±

    ¡°Block it with your shield! Shield¡­!¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s no use! Swords or shields don¡¯t work on it!¡±

    There was the Ghost, who could pass through shields like a spirit and attack their enemy.

    ¡°Take it off! Take¡­ahhh!¡±

    ¡°Kkrugh! Kkruugh!¡±

    There were nts that nourished themselves with humans to make fancy flowers bloom the same color as blood.

    ¡°One big bite!¡±

    ¡°Red blood forest. Can¡¯t take many! Can¡¯t take too many¡­! No, I can''t! Too big! Won¡¯t budge with even a spear! Stompp...! Gur!¡±

    Then, there was the giant wandering around the battlefield with itsrge and tough body as its sole weapon. Although its appearance and skills were incredibly strange and simple, its powers were formidable and only the knights and mages could deal with it. Yet, even they didn¡¯t dare to fight the Demon People individually and were tied down by the Bellid knights and mages. The moment they turned their backs to deal with the Demon People, their enemy''s swords and magic would strike their backs.

    As the Demon People wreaked havoc on the battlefield, monsters flooded in between the gaps. The sturdy frontlines were crushed while the orderliness of their army was nowhere to be found. The only thing remaining for the Empire was the individual skills of each of its fighters. Even the well-honed, elite soldiers of the Empire¡¯s armycked behind the monsters in terms of physical attributes.

    ¡°Damn it!¡± Marquess ssy continued to give outmands even while cursing. He deployed reserve forces and blocked the gaps that had formed and did all he could to take some mages and knights out of the mix to stop the Demon People. It really was a splendid disy ofmanding skills and exined why the Emperor had appointed Marquess ssy as themander-in-chief of this hastily built extermination army. Yet, even Marquess ssy¡¯smanding skills failed to change the course of battle. The powers of their armies were too vastly different.

    ¡°Baron Latane.¡±

    ¡°Yes, sir!¡±

    Marquess ssy called the deputy next to him.

    ¡°I will leave the cleaning up to you.¡±

    ¡°Sorry, sir?¡±

    ¡°Lead the soldiers and retreat. Tell the Emperor that I will take responsibility for everything and that I apologize for failing to meet his expectations.¡±

    The Baron opened his mouth to say something, but his lips simply moved silently. Eventually, he closed his mouth again. Baron Latane also thought they had lost this battle and the only thing they could do was to retreat. For them to do that, however, their enemy was too strong. If they retreated haphazardly, they would only suffer greater casualties. They needed a sacrifice to clutch their enemy by their heels for some time, and the Marquess nned to offer himself up as the sacrifice.

    ¡°¡­It was an honor to serve you, sir.¡±

    ¡°Hm.¡± Marquess ssy nodded once and began to give out orders with a loud voice. He fumbled around with the marshal baton the Emperor gave him, and at that moment, Marquess ssy felt that the baton was especially heavy. He carefully ced the baton with his other belongings and pulled out a sword instead. His sword glinted with brilliance, symbolizing his status and authority.

    Yet, Marquess ssy looked at his sword¡¯s fancy decorations wistfully. They seemed to symbolize the Empire¡¯s pride right now, and it was this pride that had resulted in their loss this time.

    ¡®Should we have listened to the Karuwimans?¡¯ Marquess ssy fully realized why things had reached this state. Like the Karuwimans had told him, their enemy wasn¡¯t someone they should have underestimated. Even if they didn¡¯t use their military defenses, they should¡¯ve at least amassed all their troops to push away the Bellids. However, regret always came when it was toote. The only thing he could do was at least warn the Emperor of the Bellids¡¯ dangerousness through Baron Latane.

    ¡®Now I have to pick a death squad.¡¯ He needed to pick out a squad to meet the same fate as him. Since his opponent¡¯s forces were strong, he couldn¡¯t pick out any random soldiers with subpar skills.

    The Marquess soon made his decision. He mounted his horse and charged forward, leading his men.

    On that day, the Brodstock Imperial Army was destroyed.

    * * *

    Despite Marquess ssy¡¯s sacrifice, most of the Brodstock Imperial Army did not survive. The army copsed, and the survivors only managed to escape by running recklessly to a nearby vige, rather than making an orderly retreat. When the defeated soldiers began to appear alone or one by one, the Empire realized that the dispatched troops had met a crushing defeat.

    Naturally, the Empire was turned upside down. The forces that were destroyed in this battle were no ordinary troops; they were the strongest army in the Empire. Now that the entire army was destroyed, there was a huge gap in the Empire¡¯s power.

    The reason why the imperial army was renowned for its strength was that the army had participated in numerous wars. So naturally, the Empire had many enemies. However, the Empire had no time to care about any foreign or external enemies because monsters hadpletely devoured the elite imperial soldiers, disrupting and causing chaos inside the very heart of the Empire.

    The Brodstock Empire quickly tried to build a new force. They left a minimum number of troops at the border and even made sweeping recruit campaigns. The Emperor realized how serious the situation was and began to consider the support measures proposed by the Karuwimans. However, it was all toote. The Bellids continuously cast their attacks against the Empire as if they were determined to not give the Empire time to regain its power.

    Screams came from all sides. The Bellids upied viges, cities, and fortresses. After the imperial army was crushed, the Bellids swept through the Empire and upied the areas like a tidal wave. The Empire was surrounded without having enough time to respond. By this time, the Emperor really only had a handful of troops left. Their miserable situation made it hard to believe that just recently, they used to be a leading country feared by neighboring countries as a military superpower.

    However, the Emperor still tried to hold out somehow. Not all of the Empire¡¯s forces had disappeared yet. If they just held on for a bit longer, the troops from local provinces and borders would arrive at the capital. However, the Emperor¡¯s hopes and expectations werepletely crushed by another wave of soldiers from the Bellids, and eventually, the capital fell. The startling news that the capital of one of the continent¡¯s leading military empires was upied by fanatics immediately began to spread throughout the world.

    * * *

    ¡°In the end, it fell,¡± Zich said in a rxed voice. However, none of the people around him reacted as coldly as him.

    ¡°Those bloody pests finally¡­!¡± Weig gritted his teeth. If he gritted them a bit more, his teeth would probably all break.

    Lube sighed. ¡°Sir Zich, it turned out exactly like you said.¡±

    ¡°What a stupid emperor! What a bunch of ipetent aristocrats!¡± Weig continued to spew insults at the Brodstock Empire. As the representation of the Karuwimans¡¯ military strength, Weig would have normally kept his insults to himself as it would have been problematic for him to insult the emperor and nobles of an empire. However, such concerns were meaningless now that all the people who would haveined about it had foolishly died.

    ¡°Sir Weig, calm down. Since we can¡¯t help what happened, let¡¯s focus on thinking about future measures.¡±

    At Zich¡¯s dissuasion, Weig stopped cursing but still huffed in anger while letting out steam from his nose.

    ¡°What is His Holiness preparing to do?¡± Zich decided to first ask about the Pope¡¯s intentions.

    ¡°His Holiness is calling for all priests from all the branches, and the holy knights are all preparing for battle. Now that the Bellids¡¯ main base has been revealed, he is determined to uproot and eradicate their roots.¡± This was an obvious decision from the leader of the Karuwimans; Lube and Weig¡¯s thoughts were not much different from the Pope as well.

    ¡°So, how is he going to manage that troop? Is he nning to advance directly to the Bellids¡¯ main base?¡± Zich asked.

    ¡°We¡¯d love to, but¡­¡± Lube¡¯s voice faded because it seemed as if the Bellids¡¯ power was far beyond their imagination. In such a short time, they had destroyed the famous Brodstock Empire, renowned for its military power. It was not wise to push the Karuwiman troops into the Bellids¡¯ main base without significant preparation.

    ¡°I had no idea that the Bellids would be so strong,¡± Lubemented.

    Weig groaned at Lube¡¯s words. He looked extremely reluctant to acknowledge the Bellids¡¯ strength. However, considering that Weig did not open his mouth to deny the Bellids¡¯ strength, it was obvious that the Karuwimans clearly realized how dangerous the Bellids were.

    ¡°Sir Zich, how do you think the Bellids will move?¡± Weig asked a question. His eyes were sparkling with hope as if he was looking at a Bellid information expert. He wasn¡¯t wrong, either, since Zich was directly receiving information about the Bellids through Ultel.

    ¡°They¡¯lle to the Cronon Kingdom,¡± Zich answered.

    ¡°May I ask why you think so?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s because that¡¯s where I¡¯m most likely to appear.¡±

    ¡°Hmm. Well, from their point of view, you¡¯re someone who should be ripped into shreds,¡± Weig said and nodded.

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 Chapter 565

    <h4>Chapter 565</h4>

    Of course, Ultel was trying to catch Zich mainly for the reason of recovering the Brushel System, but there was no need for Zich to exin this fact to the two. Thus, he simply tried to sway the topic of conversation away from that reason.

    ¡°I feel so wronged. What did I do that was so wrong to them? You really can¡¯t expect any decency from these Bellid guys.¡±

    ¡°¡­I agree that the Bellids don¡¯t have any sense of decency, but if you consider how much they have been affected by you, isn''t it rather normal that they have a lot of negative feelings toward you, Sir Zich?¡± Although Lube had absolutely no intention of siding with the Bellids, she couldn¡¯t ept Zich ying as a pitiful, innocent victim right now either. It seemed like Weig agreed with her by the expression on his face. However, he changed the topic of the conversation as he asked, ¡°Then, are you going back to the Cronon Kingdom, Sir Zich?¡±

    While pretending to look heartbroken, Zich nodded. ¡°Yes, I have to.¡±

    ¡°Then, I suppose we should also decide what to do from now on.¡±

    ¡°Aren¡¯t we just going to help the Cronon Kingdom along with Sir Zich?¡± Lube asked in surprise after hearing Weig¡¯s response.

    ¡°If those guys are focusing on the Cronon Kingdom, there¡¯s a high possibility that their headquarters will be empty. Thus, we can use that opportunity to aim for their main base.¡± Of course, if the Karuwimans chose to do that, the Cronon Kingdom would face much greater losses from theck of help. Yet, there were times when sacrifices need to be made for a better future. Thus, Lube realized what Weig meant and fell into deep thought.

    Zich stated, ¡°I have a n.¡±

    Both Weig and Lube turned to Zich.

    ¡°Would you like to hear it?¡±

    The two nodded their heads senselessly. Zich had never failed their trust before, and the two were prepared to ept Zich¡¯s n even before listening to what it was.

    * * *

    The Cronon Kingdom fell into an uproar once they heard that Bellid forces were heading toward them. They had already heard of the Brodstock Empire¡¯s fall while fighting against the Bellids; although they didn¡¯t directly border the Brodstock Empire¡¯snds or witnessed its might first-hand, tales of the empire¡¯s strength were well-known across the world. Thus, it was rming to hear that the Bellid forces that had swallowed up an empire like that were heading toward them. This was an extremely high state of emergency.

    ¡°We have to draft soldiers immediately and tell the nobles to give up their troops! We must call forth all the troops on the borders too!¡±

    ¡°We need to request help from neighboring countries! Seeing their movements, it doesn¡¯t appear that the Bellids will stop after just defeating us. I¡¯m sure they won¡¯t hold back on sending out all their forces.¡±

    ¡°We should also request Karuwimans for help. Since we are fighting against the Bellids, they have no reason to refuse.¡±

    ¡°Is there a need for the war to take ce on ournds? There are other countries between the Brodstock Empire and our country. It would be much better for us to send out support to theirnds. After all, those countries are also within the Bellids¡¯ invasion route. If they don¡¯t want their countries to fall too, they wouldn¡¯t be able to refuse our rmendations.¡±

    People gave out all sorts of opinions. If there was anything that could be put into action to ease the situation, it was carried out no matter how menial it appeared. Fortunately, several ns were carried out ording to the kingdom¡¯s intentions.

    ¡°The neighboring kingdoms we requested help from decided to send us their troops. They were also well aware that the Bellids wouldn¡¯t stop with just trampling our country.¡±

    ¡°The process of gathering fighters for our army and conscription is going smoothly. Nobles are also cooperating with our request for troops without anyints.¡±

    ¡°The Karuwimans promised extensive support. They already sent us all the holy knights and priests they could muster and told us that they are gathering the priests scattered across the continent.¡±

    All these things would¡¯ve been impossible at normal times, but that was how much shock the event of the Brodstock Empire¡¯s fall had instilled to the world. This was certainly fortunate for the Cronon Kingdom right now. Yet, not everything went ording to the kingdom¡¯s way.

    ¡°We were just informed that the Bellids invaded the n Kingdom!¡±

    ¡°Already?¡±

    n Kingdom was the country bordering the Cronon Kingdom. Although they had been waiting for reinforcements, the Bellids had advanced too fast for them to receive any support. Due to how fast the Bellid army advanced, countries fell one after another without being able to make the proper preparations, and that was how the Bellids already wiped away four countries from the map. However, it was going to be different now. Unlike the kingdoms that had fallen before it, the Cronon Kingdom had finished its defense preparations. Reinforcements from other kingdoms and the Karuwimans were gathered at the border between the Cronon Kingdom and the n Kingdom.

    Among these forces, there was Zich.

    ***

    The Cronon Kingdom centered its defensive strategy around Tusti Fortress. Although the n Kingdom wasn¡¯t a strong kingdom, the Tusti Fortress had been built with great effort as strategists once thought that the Brodstock Empire could swallow up the n Kingdom and try to extend its reach to even the Cronon Kingdom. Thus, the fortress could amodate arge number of troops and there were wells everywhere so that there was no worry of running into a water shortage. Yet, because there were too many reinforcements that were dispatched to the Cronon Kingdom, the fortress couldn¡¯t fit the size of the allied forces. Thus, two more defensive walls were built on the hills on both sides of the fortress. After bringing boulders from a nearby mountain and securing them with trees, a considerably sturdy wall waspleted.

    Since the walls were built on steep hills, the enemy would have to go through considerable pain and difficulty to overtake the walls. Building a wall of this level in such a short time was only made possible by the superhuman knights and holy knights in the forces. Even the nobles had personally fetched trees and rocks toplete the wall. It was thanks to these efforts that the walls werepleted in basically an instant, and this aplishment highlighted how seriously the allied forces thought of the Bellids¡¯ invasion.

    Zich and hispanions arrived when the walls were almost finished. The kingdom¡¯s army greatly weed Zich¡¯s participation. A famous dragon yer had joined their ranks, and those who fought with Zich all praised his strength. It was only natural that the Cronon Kingdom, which was desperate for more power, would wee Zich with open arms.

    Zich exchanged a short greeting with the armymander and went outside. Many people were moving out and about between the fortress and the walls. People weren¡¯t very tense, because the Bellids hadn¡¯t appeared yet, and Zich moved toward the wall left of the fortress because he heard that there were familiar faces there.

    ¡°Sir Zich!¡± A familiar voice he hadn¡¯t heard recently called out to him.

    Zich looked at the two people rushing toward him. ¡°Long time no see.¡±

    It was Hans and Snoc. After Zich granted their independence, they had remained at the Steelwall Estate, so it wasn''t unexpected that they appeared on this battlefield.

    ¡°As expected, the Steelwall forces are here as well.¡±

    ¡°Yes, sir, since the kingdom is in a crisis.¡±

    ¡°They¡¯re really shameless when they all turned a blind eye to the Steelwall Estate when they were in crisis.¡±

    Hans nodded as he thought that Zich¡¯s criticism was justified. ¡°But it was the Count¡¯s will to participate in this battle as long as Steelwall is part of the Cronon Kingdom.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s true.¡± Zich began to climb up the defensive wall with Hans and Snoc. He asked, ¡°How have you two been?¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ve been doing well, sir,¡± Hans answered.

    ¡°They¡¯ve been extremely amodating.¡±

    <em>Koo!</em>Hans and Snoc as well as Nowem seemed to have noints.

    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s good to hear. How are Lara and Elena doing?¡±

    ¡°They¡¯re inside the walls.¡± As expected, they didn¡¯t seem to have left the Steelwall Estate. Considering their rtionship with Hans and Snoc, it was unlikely for them to leave Steelwall.

    ¡°It¡¯s not just Lara and Elena. Most of the people who participated in thest war are also inside the walls,¡± Hans added.

    ¡°Really? I should say hello to them too.¡± It wasn¡¯t that big of a surprise. Walwiss Dwayne probably stayed behind because his granddaughter, Elena, remained in the Steewall Estate. The other mages probably returned to the magical tower, but they were probably mobilized for a national crisis since they were all citizens of the Cronon Kingdom. The Wolf¡¯s Canine had also been absorbed by the Steelwall forces.

    ¡°What about the elves?¡± The elves had fought in thest war to pay off the debt they owed Zich, but there was no reason for them to participate in this war. No matter how evil their opponents were, it was just a war between humans for the elves.

    ¡°They haven¡¯t returned to their homes, but they remained in the estate, saying they didn¡¯t want to join this war,¡± Hans replied.

    ¡°Then we have to get them involved too.¡±

    ¡°Do you have a n, sir?¡± Hans was also well aware of the elves¡¯ strength. If they could sessfully bring them in as their allies, they would be of great help to the Cronon Kingdom.

    ¡°Of course.¡± If the elves found out that the Bellids were the ones who supplied information and supported the Iron Tribe and thus caused great confusion in the elf society, the elves would want to jump straight into battle. Zich, Hans, and Snoc continued to catch up while they walked. At one point, however, Zich suddenly closed his mouth and looked at Hans and Snoc.

    ¡°Sir, what¡¯s the matter?¡±

    ¡°Is there something wrong, Sir Zich?¡±

    <em>Koo?</em>

    Three pairs of eyes looked inquisitively at Zich.

    ¡°It¡¯s good to see that you¡¯re both doing well after gaining independence.¡±

    The two humans and one animal slightly blushed. Zich patted them on the shoulders, then climbed on top of the wall. Even the harsh winds seemed to slightly ease their momentum at the sight of their warmradeship right before a bloody war.

    Soon after, the Bellids made their appearance.

    * * *

    Zich looked toward the fortress from the defensive wall. There were many enemy soldiers. For the past few days, the Cronon Kingdom¡¯s army had been receiving a lot of reinforcements and was now more suited to be called the allied forces rather than the kingdom¡¯s army. From mere foot soldiers, who existed simply to fill the headcount, to elite soldiers like knights, mages, Karuwiman priests, and holy knights¡ªan army that boasted formidable strength all gathered in the same ce. The allied forces, with impable quality and quantity, seemed as if they would be able to defeat any opponent easily. With their current forces, they would have been able to easily crush the Brodstock Empire, which used to be the strongest on the continent, at their peak.

    However, as soon as one turned their eyes away from the allied forces and looked at the enemy camp, their insurmountable confidence would quickly die down with feelings of humility. The Bellids¡¯ formation was disorderly, but no oneughed, because the creatures that formed their disorderly formation were monsters. The sight of numerous high-ranking monsters, which hadn¡¯t even appeared in front of the Brodstock Imperial Army, was a threatening and terrifying sight to behold. Bellid priests and knights were standing behind the monsters, and Zich saw that the Karuwimans¡¯ eyes immediately grew fiercer as they came into view.

    However, what Zich was most interested in was the group next to the Bellids.

    ¡®They¡¯re Demon People.¡¯ Zich intently observed the people wearing robes and letting out ominous auras.

 Chapter 566

    <h4>Chapter 566</h4>

    Created by Ultel¡¯s force, these were existences who brought chaos and terror everywhere they went. Not only were they strong, but they also did well in the numbers department. This was important, since no matter how strong each of them was individually, they would be swept by a nation¡¯s sheer numbers and supplies if there weren¡¯t enough of them. Even Zich wasn¡¯t confident in winning if all the Demon People that once existed appeared together.

    Yet, the situation wasn¡¯t the worst it could be. Currently, there were significantly fewer Demon People fighting alongside the Bellidspared to the number that had appeared during the Demon People Era. The Demon People the Bellids had now were created through Clowon artifacts that Ultel handed to his subordinates to quickly increase their forces. However, among the Demon People who existed during the Demon People Era, there were also many who were created through other means.

    They were those who the robed figures specifically targetedand corruptedknowing that they would be strong in the future. Zich was the representative case of this. Obviously, this group of Demon People wasn¡¯t under Ultel right now. Furthermore, top-level Demon People such as the Vampire, Werewolf, Witch, and so on were missing, and there were many others whom Zich had personally taken care of. And above all, the top worst Demon People¡ªthe three demon lords¡ªwere missing from the battle.

    ¡®Those who have just be Demon People can¡¯t use their powers fully yet. They didn¡¯t have enough time to get used to their new abilities,¡¯ Zich thought. In other words, the Demon People currently under the Bellids were also iparably weaker than the ones in the Demon People Era.

    Yet, they couldn¡¯t let their guard down and underestimate their enemy. Even if the Demon People were much weaker than they were in previous timelines, they were the biggest factor that caused the Brodstock Empire¡¯s ruin.

    ¡®Then, are those thest concerns?¡¯ Zich¡¯s eyes turned from the Bellid army¡¯s rear end to the very front lines. There was the undead, such as the skeletons, zombies, ghouls, and so on that would sh against the allied forces foremost before even the monsters. They boasted huge numbers and were stationed on the very frontlines of the Bellids¡¯ army. ording to the information L transferred to him, Ultel had sucked away all the life force of the residents in thends that his forces had upied and turned their corpses into the undead. Thus, the more countries Ultel invaded, the more Bellids¡¯ army expanded in size.

    ¡®Thankfully, they just only fill up the numbers,¡¯ Zich thought. The undead were weaker than monsters, and only their sheer number caused a threat to their enemy as they could bite through people¡¯s flesh. However, when the allied forces¡¯ soldiers saw the undead, their faces fell. The clothes that the undead was wearing showed that they had been humans just like them not too long ago. In other words, the soldiers realized that they could be resurrected exactly like these figures if they died in this war. No, this didn''t count as resurrection; they would merely be cursed and turned into the undead. Fortunately, the presence of many kingdoms¡¯ reinforcements, skilled talents, and above all, the world-renown dragon yer in their army stopped the soldiers¡¯ morale from hitting rock bottom. However, it was clear that the moment the allied forces were pushed back, the soldier¡¯s morale would drop to no end. And in this precarious state, the sh between the allied forces and the Bellids began.

    As expected, the Bellids made the first attack. The undead flocked toward the allied forces with their bizarre body movements. Instead of hearty roars, the only sounds they made were the cking of their jawbones and their feet stomping on the ground. They advanced very slowly, but just the picture of a huge army of the undead slowly approaching them inflicted great pressure on the allied forces. Furthermore, even though the undead wereparatively slower and weaker, they also had their advantages.

    ¡°Shoot them!¡± Following the orders, the allied forces¡¯ archers pulled the strings of their bows. Masses of arrows nketed the sky ck and shot down against the undead.

    <em>Fling! Puck! Sling!</em>The arrows shot straight into the undead bodies that had no proper defensive equipment. Yet, the arrows didn¡¯t seem to have much effect on them. Besides the ones whose heads had been pierced, the majority of the undead continued to advance with arrows stuck all over their bodies. After realizing this fact, the allied forces stopped shooting their arrows after a couple of shots. After all, they didn¡¯t have an infinite supply of arrows either.

    Thus, the Karuwimans¡¯ priests stepped forward and activated holy magic against the undead.

    <em>Pop! Pop! Pop!</em>Lights sparkled all over the battlefield. Unlike the arrows that barely hindered them, the priests¡¯ holy magic was like a water cannon hitting a pile of mud, disintegrating the undead into dust as soon as they made contact. Yet, the procession of the undead seemed endless. When a group of undead were turned to ashes by the light, another group of undead stepped over the ashes and filled in the gap. It was clear what Bellids¡¯ strategy was.

    ¡®They are trying to tire out the priests by using the undead,¡¯ Zich noted. The undead were easily replenishable as long as there were humans anyway, so using them as consumables to weaken the priests¡¯ strength was a good idea. It was also a huge burden for the allied forces to let their priests continue to consume their holy power. Although holy attacks were the most effective against the undead, the priests¡¯ greatest assets were their abilities to heal. Thus, the allied forces needed their priests to leave some strength remaining until the end of the battle.

    Yet, it seemed they still thought they could afford to use up more holy power, and the priests continued to pour out attacks.

    ¡®It can¡¯t be helped. I mean, there¡¯s nothing better than holy power against the undead.¡¯ Zich took out his sword and thought, ¡®Then, should I start making my move?¡¯

    It seemed like others were nning to save as much strength as they could before the Bellids¡¯ main forces moved. However, there was no need for Zich to do that. He was someone whose amount of mana was in the same league as a dragon¡¯s. There was simply no way that he would run out of powerjust because he joined a battlefield a bit earlier. Zich had already told themanding officers his intentions, and themander-in-chief gave him free rein to do as he saw fit.

    <em>Thud!</em>Zich dropped down to the ground, and the attention of everyone in his surroundings shot toward him. Zich staggered toward the Bellids. Even though his footsteps looked leisurely, they were surprisingly fast. The distance between the undead and Zich shortened. Most of the people on the battlefield were now focused on Zich, allies and enemies alike. Zich brandished his sword; his mana scattered into the air, following his sword¡¯s trajectory.

    ¡®First, start with a bang.¡¯

    If he had been fighting alone, he wouldn''t have needed to put on a show like this, but he was in front of an enormous audience. A huge wave of mana was directed toward the undead.

    <em>Bammm!</em>

    The huge wave of mana spread widely and hit everything around him head-on. The wind scattered in all directions and formedrge dirt and dust clouds. Rocks and soil poured down like rain in the air.

    There was a big hole in front of Zich. The undead in it were shattered into pieces and scattered on the ground. This single sword swing had fired out unbelievably overwhelming power.

    ¡°Ooahhhhhhhhhh!¡± the allied soldiers roared loudly in exhration. Even though knights and mages were superhumans who far surpassed ordinary soldiers, the soldiers could easily realize that the power they just witnessed was at apletely different level. The soldiers who were terrified by the huge march of the undead immediately began to regain their morale. The great dragon yers were fighting with them. Even though their enemies were fanatics who managed to overthrow an empire and three kingdoms in a row, their allies had defeated a dragon. The allied soldiers seized their weapons and burned up in fighting spirit.

    After Zichunched a few more attacks and blew up the undead, a few morerge pits were formed.

    ¡®I think this is enough?¡¯ Zich achieved his goal of boosting morale, and the movement of his mana changed; there was no need for him tounch any more unnecessarily big attacks.

    <em>Bam, bam, bam, bam!</em>

    Dull noises rang out continuously. The intervals between the noises were so short that it sounded like one loud sound for a brief moment.

    <em>Plop! Plop! Plop!</em>

    The undead close to Zich all kneeled down. All of their faces were blown away as Zich¡¯s mana hit their heads urately. Even though it was true that Zich was full of mana, there was no need for him to waste it. Zich cut down the number of undead by rapidly moving across the battlefield. The undead, which had been created merely by making an ordinary corpse move, was as threatening to him as a crawling ant. Zich¡¯s eyes continued to focus on the Bellids¡¯ main camp behind the undead.

    ¡®What are you guys doing? Get moving.¡¯ The reason why Zich had decided to put all the attention on himself was to raise morale and draw out the main Bellid army so that the enemies could stop using the undead to sap the priests¡¯ energy. It was better for the allied forces if the priests had enough energy and strength to heal the soldiers in the long run.

    Ultel¡¯s top goal was to capture Zich. Since he came out voluntarily, the Bellids should naturally respond. There was no way they wouldn¡¯t be able to recognize him. ¡®They should know that sapping my strength by dragging out the fight won¡¯t work on me.¡¯

    If Zich was fighting by himself, they could drain his strength by attacking him all at once, but Zich was surrounded by numerous allies. ¡®If you want to catch me, do it with your skills!¡¯

    Did they hear Zich¡¯s innermost thoughts? There was movement from behind the Bellids. The high-ranking monsters began to move, and the Bellid knights and priests stepped forward. As for the Demon People, Zich clearly felt that their eyes were on him.

    * * *

    The Bellids¡¯ main offensive began at full force. Their wave of offensive, which mobilized all their avable forces, was astounding. The high-ranking monsters took the lead, and the undead and other monsters pushed back the allied forces with their numbers. The Bellid knights and priests also strongly pressured the allied forces. The Bellids¡¯ attacks seemed ready to destroy the allied forces at any moment. However, the annihtion of the allied forces was only the second priority to the Bellids. The reason why theyunched a wave of attack against the allied forces was to prevent them from supporting Zich.

    <em>Baaaaam!</em>Zich was still swinging his sword in the middle of the battlefield, and Demon People clung onto him.

    <em>Crasssh!</em>

    ¡ªKuaaack!

    Zich¡¯s sword shed at a giant, opening up a deep gash in spite of his tough skin. The giant staggered back and unwittingly stomped the undead and monsters under his feet as he fell. Just as he had finished off the giant, a thin string that was hardly visible wrapped itself around Zich¡¯s arm. The string imbued with mana was as sharp and strong as a de.

    <em>Slice!</em>However, the string couldn¡¯t even cut through Zich¡¯s skin, and he cut it off directly. The Puppeteer frowned after seeing this and was about to try pulling out another string when¡ª

    ¡°Ugh!¡± A sharp swing passed by the side of the Puppeteer¡¯s neck. The Puppeteer felt sweat run down their back and quickly withdrew.

    Besides the Puppeteer, other Demon People attacked Zich furiously. The Demon People¡¯s attacks were so brutal that even people famous for their strengths hopelessly lost their lives without being able to properly retaliate. However, Zich sessfully repelled all their attacks.

 Chapter 567

    <h4>Chapter 567</h4>

    It was a truly fierce battle. Although Zich was drawing much of the Bellids¡¯ attention in the front, the allied forces were definitely not at an advantage. The Bellid knights, priests, high-level monsters, and powerful Demon People kept the allied forces¡¯ elite forces in check while the rest of their monsters and undead tried to stomp down the rest of the allied forces with theirrge numbers. Of course, the allied forces put up an impressive resistance. Knights, mages, holy knights, and priestsnded tremendous attacks and pushed against the Bellids¡¯ army.

    The soldiers also used the defensive walls to stop the monsters and the undead from advancing further. Both forces tried their best to squash the other force down. The situation was at a perfect standstill, so it wasn''t strange for the situation to suddenly turn over for either side.

    <em>Baaam!</em>

    ¡°Kuaaaah!¡± Another Demon Person scrambled back after receiving a deep injury from Zich, and he immediately gave chase. Demon People beside him tried to grab Zich back by his ankles and high-level monsters on standby stood in front of the Demon Person to act as obstacles.

    <em>Cruunch!</em>Even high-level monsters posed little threat to him, and Zich cleanly ughtered the monsters that dared to interfere with his goal. Yet, by the time he finished taking care of them, the Demon Person Zich had been targeting had disappeared.

    <em>Bam!</em>Another Demon Person attacked Zich from behind. He easily blocked the attack and extended his free hand backward.

    ¡°Kuh!¡± Zich¡¯s palm clutched the Demon Person¡¯s neck. The Demon Person tried to attack Zich frantically to free himself from Zich¡¯s grasp, but Zich was faster. With a chilling crunch, the Demon Person¡¯s neck broke, and although his body was agile just a second before, it drooped loosely.

    Another Demon Person had just lost his life under Zich¡¯s hands. Yet, many enemies still remained.

    ¡ªKuaaah!

    There was a loud cry from above. A gigantic flying monster was diving straight down toward Zich.

    <em>Whoosh! Whoosh!</em>A Demon Person and monster attacked Zich from both sides. Rather than trying to inflict a critical injury on Zich, it seemed like the Demon Person¡¯s intention was to expose Zich to the monster¡¯s attacks.

    <em>Wiiing!</em>

    Zich¡¯s sword rang loudly. With him at the center,rge air des shot out in all directions. The Demon Person near him quickly moved to hide behind the monsters.

    <em>Kuaaah!</em>

    <em>Kueeeh!</em>

    The monsters howled loudly as their bodies were mutted under Zich¡¯s sharp air des. Most of the monsters died instantly on the spot, and even the ones left alive were panting on the ground¡ªthey had difficulty breathing. It didn¡¯t appear that they would live for long.

    <em>Booom!</em>The monster attacking from above smashed onto the ground andy there with its long tongue hanging out of its mouth, dead. Yet, all the Demon People survived thest attack. Thus, they began attacking again and new monsters reced the dead ones. The Demon People¡¯s strategy was simple: they only attacked and left the task of defending against Zich¡¯s attacks to all the high-level monsters nearby. Not having to think of defense, the Demon People¡¯s attacks were certainly threatening; likewise for the high-level monsters attacking from above.

    Zich, however, defended against their attacks calmly and adeptly. Although corpses of high-level monsters piled up around him like mountains, there wasn¡¯t a single noticeable wound on Zich¡¯s body.

    <em>Barooooo!</em>

    Some timeter, a loud signal rang across the area from the Bellids¡¯ side. After rushing at the allied forces madly until now, the Bellid forces halted. They began to retreat one after another. It was the same for the Demon People fighting Zich. They also stopped fighting and moved backward, but of course, Zich had no intention of letting them go peacefully. The allied forces thought the same and rushed forward to inflict more damage on the retreating Bellid army.

    Yet, the Bellids turned the monsters against the allied forces and high-level monsters attached themselves around Zich. None of them seemed to treasure their lives in the slightest as they threw themselves at Zich to hold him by the ankles as their bodies were sliced apart and their hearts smashed.

    <em>Boom!</em>Thest monster fell to the ground, but the Demon People who had attacked Zich were already gone. The allied forces were in the same situation. When they shot down and killed all the monsters, the Bellid forces had already retreated back to their camp lines. In the end, the allied forces had no choice but to retreat and regroup. They had to set up proper guards, evacuate the injured to the rear, and repair the copsed areas of the fortress. It was only then that the first battle between the allied forces and the Bellids came to an end.

    ***

    The two forces shed multiple times. The Bellids were always attacking, and the allied forces pushed the Bellids back between the defensive walls and the fortress. Since so many fighters and skilled talents participated in these battles, casualties reached an all-time high. The allied forces used their priests to the maximum to limit the losses in their troops, but because of how fierce each battle was, there were still many deaths every time.

    The Bellids also suffered significant casualties, but they were able to maintain their numbers of knights, priests, and Demon People. This was thanks to their active, abundant use of the undead and monsters. However, they suffered startling losses because of this. As if they weren¡¯t too concerned about this, the Bellids continued to take out more and more monsters and undead soldiers.

    ¡®They areing again.¡¯ While watching the battlefield over the defense barriers, Hans sighed quietly. New undead soldiers and monsters were flowing out of the Bellids¡¯ camp base.

    ¡°Those guys are upying an entire empire and three kingdoms. I¡¯m sure they are overflowing with the undead.¡± The Bellids were filling up their decreasing supply of the undead by killing people from the back. The Bellids would be able to supply their undead force until not a single human remained. It was a very cruel method, and Hans scowled.

    ¡°Since countless monsters also exist deep inside the mountains, they would be able to keep using them too.¡±

    The Bellid¡¯s current strategy was to save their knights, priests, and Demon People by continuously sending out the undead and monsters to deplete the allied forces¡¯ troops. Even if the allied forces tried to limit their casualties by using priests, they couldn¡¯t, especiallypared to the Bellids who continued to use their forces like consumables.

    ¡°Is it difficult for you to also wipe them away, Sir Zich?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, since those Demon People are thoroughly holding me back. Well, given enough time, I¡¯m confident that I can chip away at their forces, but before that happens, the allied forces would be destroyed first,¡± Zich answered. Without allies, their enemy would be able to catch Zich with sheer numbers. This was the Bellids¡¯ n. It was a pretty good one, and the allied forces were also aware that the Bellids would continue to use sacrifices to wear them down. Yet, the allied forces failed toe up with a clear countern.

    ¡°Then, is there nothing else that can be done?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not what I said.¡±

    Hans¡¯ eyes sparkled and he looked at Zich as if he thought, ¡®<em>As expected</em>!¡¯

    His master had always skillfully solved every crisis with strength and wisdom no matter the situation. It didn¡¯t seem any different now. Hans¡¯ trust and admiration for Zich rose to another level.

    ¡°What is the method, sir? Ah, is it perhaps a secret?¡±

    ¡°No, there¡¯s no need for me to go that far. It¡¯s something that anyone can think of.¡± Zich thought of Ultel¡ªthe mastermind behind everything and a cruel smile hung on his lips.

    ¡°Let¡¯s see if they¡¯ll keep fighting even if their pope dies.¡±

    ***

    The Bellid headquarters was now located in the fallen Brodstock Empire¡¯s centralnds. Since most of their forces were at the Cronon Kingdom, there were likely few remaining at the headquarters. iming this point, Zich suggested that they ambush the Bellid headquarters. The allied forces¡¯manding officers didn¡¯t ept Zich¡¯s suggestion so positively at first. They were barely managing to stay at a standstill with the Bellids, and if they took out some forces for the ambush, they would be immediately pushed back. Furthermore, even if the Bellids¡¯ main troops were mostly gathered in the Cronon Kingdom, they didn¡¯t know exactly how many forces were remaining in their headquarters. There was a good possibility that their ambush could fail.

    Yet, in response to Zich¡¯s strong ims and warning that the allied forces would only keep getting pushed back the longer the battle went on, the allied forces had to ept Zich¡¯s proposal in the end. Thus, several dayster¡ªso early in the morning that the sun didn¡¯t even rise yet¡ªZich stood at a vacant lot behind the allied forces.

    Zich stroked the sword he had on his waist. When Zich¡¯s mana grazed it, a faint light flowed across the sword. It was Estede.

    [It seems like you need this sword right now more than I do, Sir Zich.] Hans had said this while handing Estede to him, and Zich didn¡¯t refuse.

    Zich smirked. To think he would be walking around with the sword he loathed so much until recently. This was a scenario he had never expected or imagined, and while Zichughed at his current predicament, he heard footsteps.

    <em>Thud!</em>Zich turned his head slowly and knew that thepanions who would ambush the headquarters with him hade.

    ¡°Wee Mr. Til.¡±

    Til looked around his surroundings with a serious face. ¡°Where are the others?¡±

    ¡°They are still not here yet. You came here first, Mr. Til.¡±

    Til nodded and stood next to Zich. His lips were tightly pressed with no sign of opening. It was natural considering his quiet personality, but it would be awkward for them to stand together inplete silence. Thus, Zich spoke to Til first and Til gave sinct, blunt replies. While they were conversing, they heard bickering from a distance: it was an old man¡¯s voice shing with a young woman¡¯s voice. Without knowing the proper situation, an outsider would¡¯ve thought the young woman was being considerably rude to her elder, but the situation couldn¡¯t have been more different. Their voices loomed closer and Zich turned to the two. There was the mage wearing a robe and holding a staff and an elf wearing light armor with a bow and arrow hanging from her back: it was Walwiss and Leona.

    ¡°Wee,¡± Zich greeted them and Walwiss responded first.

    ¡°Ah, Mr. Zich. Good to see you. I know it¡¯s a sudden request, but can you talk some sense to this rude person? She has no respect for an old person like me!¡±

    ¡°<em>I told you</em>that I am much older than you! Ah, hello Zich!¡± Leona shook hands with Zich, and she looked happy to see him. However, that didn¡¯tst for long, and the two fell into a quarrel again.

    ¡°This little one is acting out too much!¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s your height that¡¯s so little!¡±

    Zich and Til looked at one another, nodded simultaneously, and took a step away from Walwiss and Leona. They clearly didn¡¯t want to intervene between the two. Walwiss and Leona¡¯s argument continued for a while, and when they were finally finished, the two quickly turned away and took a couple of steps away from each other. Zich and Til were both relieved that the yelling that had prickled their ears was gone now.

    Seeing Zich and Til¡¯s response, Walwiss looked slightly embarrassed.

    ¡°Ahem ahem. I¡¯ve shown you a bad side of me.¡± Yet, Walwiss red at Leona while even saying this, so it didn¡¯t appear that he was really reflecting on his actions. It was the same for Leona.

    ¡°I can¡¯t believe I have to travel with that old man. I can¡¯t help but sigh.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s what I should be saying¡­¡±

    It seemed like the two were going to start their second round of fighting when another voice intervened.

    ¡°Oh my, am I thest one to havee?¡± While joining them with a slight smile on her face, theirst party member¡ªLube¡ªarrived.

 Chapter 568

    <h4>Chapter 568</h4>

    Zich looked at the people he gathered. Til could block their enemies at the very front with Zich. Leona could hold their enemies back with arrows and magic. Of course, Walwiss could also strike their enemies with big blows from the rear. Finally, Lube could support her allies with different sorts of holy magic and healing abilities. It was an idealposition for a party. In terms of stability, it was a level above the party Zich had been leading since his regression.

    Zich stroked Estede at his waist and thought, ¡®Zich Brave¡¯s party¡­¡¯

    Zich didn¡¯t think Zich Brave was the same person as him by any means. After weighing his options, however, Zich was certain that the people standing in front of him were the ones most suitable for his n. Not only did they individually possess high-level skills, but they also filled each other¡¯s weaknesses to make up the perfect team. Furthermore, L also transferred memories of Zich Brave fighting against these members, and Zich had the capability to bring out the best of this party with just this information.

    Four pairs of eyes turned to Zich. Although each of them possessed outstanding skills in their area of expertise, it was clear that they thought of Zich to be their leader with this gesture.

    ¡°Are you all ready?¡± Zich asked.

    ¡°Of course.¡± The first one to speak was the shy giant, Til. Although he didn¡¯t open his mouth unless it was for public affairs, his lips moved speedily now.

    ¡°I ampletely ready to kill those bastards.¡± His eyes burned with rage and loathing.

    The four were joining Zich¡¯s party not only because of their kinship with Zich, but because they were going to fight the world¡¯s worst enemy: the Bellids. Yet, their biggest reason and ambition for joining was much more personal: Zich revealed to them that the one behind their recent heartbreak was the Bellid pope.

    Til had lost his friend, Nick. Of course, he knew that Nick had acted foolishly, but he also couldn¡¯t forgive the organization that had stood by his friend¡¯s side and egged him on to make the wrong decision.

    ¡°It¡¯s the same for me.¡± Unlike her usually cheerful voice, Leona sounded solemn. ¡°My anger won¡¯t subside until I shoot an arrow through that guy¡¯s forehead.¡±

    The Iron Tribe had been the cause of the elves¡¯ war that swept the Great Adrowon Forest. Of course, Ultel had little influence over that war since the Iron Tribe hadter betrayed the robed figures and begun to act on their own. However, this still didn¡¯t change the fact the robed figures hadpelled the Iron Tribe to act, and their goal had been to get the tribe to rule over all the other elves. When Zich disclosed this information, the elves lingering in Violsa left to join the allied forces and Leona epted Zich¡¯s request to join his party. Of course, the elves had protested when they heard that their princess would be fighting separately, but in the end, Leona had managed to get their permission.

    ¡°Hoho! By the sounds of it, it seems like you both suffered quite a bit from those guys. They have reallymitted a lot of sins.¡± Walwiss smiled slightly, but it wasn¡¯t because his resentment toward Ultel and his subordinates had disappeared, as indicated by his following words. ¡°I suppose that makes it more worth it to burn them alive. I will inflict as much pain on them as possible in between.¡±

    Walwiss was not pouring out his rage, but that rage was quietly growing deep inside him. He had lost his son because of those guys. Walwiss thought that his son, Ond, had been terribly foolish and had brought about his own misfortune due to his foolishness. But that was a different thing, and Walwiss could never forgive those who had encouraged and corrupted his son.

    There was only one person left to speak now, and everyone¡¯s eyes turned to Lube.

    ¡°Hm, I do have the experience of being called a witch because of them.¡± Lube gave them a bright smile. ¡°But does the Karuwiman Saintess really need a reason to go kill the Bellid pope?¡±

    No truer words had ever been spoken. Even if she wasn¡¯t personally affected by the Bellids, the Karuwiman Saintess was supposed to rush at the opportunity of killing the Bellid pope. After venting their anger, the three nodded at Lube¡¯s reasonable words.

    ¡°It seems like everyone is ready. Let¡¯s go and make those damn guys pay for their sins.¡±

    Zich turned around and walked away. Til, Leona, Walwiss, and Lube followed him. This was the party that would ambush the Bellids¡¯ headquarters and cut off their heads.

    ***

    Zich and his party crossed the border. They moved mostly through the deep mountains and forests to avoid being spotted. Although Zich, Til, and the elf, Leona, were fine with their honed physique and stamina, Walwiss and Lube were the problems. Although Lube had been training her physique, the terrain they were walking through was absolutely brutal. It was especially tiring for Walwiss, who was an old mage. Whenever they appeared tired, Zich and Til carried them on their backs and continued moving.

    There was no sign of their path bing easier, and there was still a long distance to cover. Since there was no mountain or forest leading straight from the battlefield to the headquarters in theke, they needed to run around quite a bit. Yet, no one in the partyined. For the sake of their revenge and the world¡¯s future, they silently endured the difficulties.

    As they headed to the headquarters, the sky gradually turned red while the darkness chased away the sun. Zich and hispanions overlooked the scenery before them from the top of a mountain and saw a blueke that stretched widely. Although they were standing on high ground, they couldn¡¯t see the ends of theke. It really would¡¯ve been mistaken as an ocean if they didn''t know what it was.

    ¡°That¡¯s the ce.¡± Lube¡¯s eyes narrowed as she stared at theke. It was the location of the headquarters of the Bellids¡ªthe Karuwimans'' arch-nemeses and parasites that infested the world. The Bellids were trash that only produced harm, and with those thoughts, Lube believed that the peaceful blueke looked like filthy sewage emitting a terrible stench.

    ¡°Wow! Is that really ake?¡± Since Leona¡¯s hatred toward the Bellids wasn¡¯t as deeply rooted like Lube¡¯s, she showed interest in theke itself.

    ¡°I thought ourke was big, but this is beyond my wildest imaginations!¡± As an elf belonging to the Lake Tribe, Leona had always been familiar withkes, but the size of the Mirotel Lake shocked her.

    ¡°Tch, tch! This is why thosecking experience¡­¡±

    ¡°What did you say?¡± Leona hissed at Walwiss¡¯ snide mutterings.

    ¡°That¡¯s really riching from a weak, frail mage who had to be carried by Zich and Til the whole way here!¡±

    ¡°Everyone has different capabilities. I can¡¯t believe you don¡¯t think of that and judge people however you want with your prejudices. It¡¯s so easy to see your character by listening to your words.¡±

    ¡°Is that something someone who just sneered at me forcking experience should say?¡±

    ¡°Reality and prejudice are different things.¡±

    Walwiss and Leone bickered again. The rest of the party members were already used to their fighting and let the two be. They knew they would soon tire themselves out naturally if they waited a bit.

    il still hadn¡¯t said a word, but the gaze in his eyes seemed to indicate that theke¡¯s appearance awed him. Perhaps, he was already making travel ns to take the children to this ce.

    Zich pped once and gathered the people¡¯s attention.

    ¡°As you all can see, our destination is right before us. We can probably reach theke tomorrow. Before the sunpletely sets, let¡¯s go down to the bottom of this mountain and camp there. Then, we can leave early in the morning.¡± Zich nced at theke once and turned his attention to the ins between the mountain and theke. Monsters and the undead were wandering and surveilling the ce in groups of twos and threes.

    ¡°Moving under the cover of the mountains and forests ends here. We will have to engage in battle starting tomorrow,¡± Zich said.

    Of course, it wasn¡¯t as if Zich¡¯s party had been able to avoid all fights. They had sometimes encountered wild monsters in the mountains, and the Bellids had also spotted them at times when they needed to cross paths cut off from the forests and mountains. Yet, starting tomorrow, their fighting would officially begin. There was no way the Bellids wouldn¡¯t notice if their scouts died right before their eyes.

    ¡°Let¡¯s get a good rest today and really have a crazy go at it tomorrow¡ªuntil we take that damn Bellid boss¡¯ head.¡±

    Everyone nodded vigorously.

    ***

    ¡°Kkuaaaaaah!¡±

    A monster charged at them with a loud roar. Without any special techniques or skills, the monsters only attacked with body ms, but thanks to the monsters¡¯ high physical skills, it was an impressive means of fighting. Unfortunately for the monsters, they barely posed any danger to Zich and hispanions.

    <em>Crack!</em>The monster¡¯s body collided with Til¡¯s sword, and its body split into two instantly. It wasn¡¯t even the sharpness of the sword; the monster¡¯s body had been split in twain by the aftershock of Til¡¯s enormous power.

    <em>Thud!</em>Til ripped apart any undead and monstersing his way and advanced forward.

    ¡°I suppose I won¡¯t need to use magic for a while,¡± Walwiss murmured as he nced at the monster corpses lying next to them in shambles with their blood and guts spilling everywhere.

    Zich agreed. ¡°There¡¯s no way an undead or monster of that level can defeat Til.¡±

    ¡°Isn¡¯t it better for us to help him?¡± Leona asked while cing her arrow above her bowstring.

    ¡°It¡¯s fine. There¡¯s no way Mr. Til¡¯s stamina will drop from just that. Isn¡¯t that right, Mr. Til?¡±

    ¡°Yes!¡± Til answered heartily and swung his sword once again. All the undead approaching them crumbled into pieces.

    ¡°It¡¯s not like we are getting dyed. Let¡¯s leave this matter up to Mr. Til.¡± If they slowed down their walking speed even a little, Zich would¡¯ve also joined Til in defeating their enemies. Yet, they were all walking like they were on a t in with not a single enemy in sight. As the leader, Zich decided on this, and everyone agreed without anyints. Not too long after Til had destroyed the monsters and the undead in their paths, they were able to see the ripples on thekeshore right in front of them.

    <em>Ssh! Ssh!</em>

    Zich entered theke with no hesitation. After walking until the water reached his waist, he took out a magic box from his belongings. A boat appeared in the air.

    <em>Shaaaaa!</em>

    Foam that rose when the boat fell into theke was gently pushed onto thekeshore and Zich pointed at the boat while looking at hispanions. ¡°Let¡¯s ride it.¡±

    Not long afterward, the boat holding Zich and hispanions began to move across theke.

 Chapter 569

    <h4>Chapter 569</h4>

    The boat carrying Zich and hispanions speedily crossed theke. No one was rowing or setting up the sail, but the boat continued to move effortlessly.

    <em>Pop!</em>

    Whenever Zich waved his hand at the back of the boat, there were a series of explosions. The shockwave created by the reaction propelled the boat forward and moved it at a speed that far surpassed the speed of being pushed by a strong wind. Thus, the beginning of the ride went on very smoothly. A few clumps of cloudsnguidly floated across the sky, revealing most of its bright blue face. Slightly rough breezes caressed their faces, and everything felt peaceful, as if they were going on a pic rather than a battle. Yet, this period of peace didn¡¯tst for long.

    <em>Kaaaah!</em>

    A creature appeared with bright yellow eyes, a scaly body, gills sticking out on both sides of its neck, and webbed feet and hands. It was a creature that clearly belonged to the waters and was definitely not human. These creatures clustered into groups and attacked the boat. Some of them sshed around to get on the boat and the rest watched at a distance with their faces half-submerged, looking for an opportunity.

    They were mermaids. Although many people thought of beautiful women in the waters when thinking of mermaids, the real merfolk were nothing more than terrible monsters. Furthermore, fighting these creatures in the water was a very difficult task. This was the case for not only mermaids, but most aquatic monsters, since humans were at an environmental disadvantage both on the boat and in the waters.

    Yet, even in an environment where they held all the advantages, the mermaids were getting destroyed left and right.

    <em>Psh!</em>Another arrow shot through a mermaid¡¯s forehead. Unable to even let out a scream, it sank inside the waters where it had been born.

    ¡°I can¡¯t believe those things are mermaids.¡±

    ¡°Didn¡¯t you say your tribe lives near ake? I guess yourke doesn''t have these ugly things in it?¡±

    ¡°Ourke is clean! As if we would let such things enter it!¡±

    Leona shot a series of arrows. She pulled five arrows at once, and even with this incorrect use of the bow, none of her arrows missed their mark. Furthermore, the velocity of her arrows was unbelievable. From afar, viewers would¡¯ve had the mistaken impression that many archers were shooting at once.

    ¡°That¡¯s good.¡± While others were fighting¡ªno, ughtering the mermaids, Walwiss fumbled around with his staff until he suddenly lifted it up.

    <em>Crackle!</em>

    A gigantic fireball appeared above the end of his staff.

    <em>Whoosh!</em>

    In a spot a bit of a distance away from the boat, the water¡¯s surface shot up, and another monster appeared from below. It was a kraken like the one Zich and his previouspanions had fought before. The kraken¡¯s tentacles stretched out toward the boat, but before it could make contact, Walwiss¡¯ fireball struck the monster.

    <em>Baaam!</em>

    A huge explosion nketed the surroundings with fog and heat. The vigorously pulsing tentacles lost their strength and sank, and after the heat waves dissipated, the kraken appeared into view with its face half blown away. Its remaining parts were also charred ck, and it was clear that even a monster with as much life force as a kraken couldn¡¯t survive thest attack. A burnt stench and heat rippled out, and unlike the time it first appeared, the kraken sank into theke looking battered and dead. Many monsters rushed in after that, but none of them managed to climb over the boat.

    * * *

    ¡°Were there always so many monsters in thiske?¡± Lube asked while looking at the monsters floating around the boat. This was already their third battle, and the monsters that appeared in each battle were different.

    ¡°Usually there are some monsters considering the size of theke, but there are usually not that many. Monsters like the kraken usually live deep in the ocean.¡±

    ¡°The Bellids must¡¯ve done their usual tricks.¡±

    ¡°I suppose it¡¯s to protect their headquarters.¡±

    Then, Lube stared down the side of the boat and asked, ¡°Getting rid of monsters at this level isn¡¯t difficult, but will this boat be all right?¡±

    Although not a single monster had managed to get on top of the boat, they hadn¡¯t been able to block all attacks aimed at the boat. After continuously receiving the monsters¡¯ attacks, parts of the boat crumpled. The side of the boat Lube was looking at was so badly broken that unless they brought in an expert, they wouldn¡¯t even be able toe up with emergency measures. Since the boat they were on wasn¡¯t even that big, the damage appeared even more serious.

    ¡°A lot of it is really broken.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t think we will be able to advance much further like this¡­¡±

    Leona and Walwiss pondered deeply while inspecting the boat¡¯s condition, and Til also stared at the damaged areas of the boat silently.

    Yet, Zich dismissed their worries. ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡±

    His party members looked at him with hope. ¡°As expected of Mr. Zich. If it¡¯s you, I¡¯m sure you prepared a method to repair it.¡±

    ¡°Are you going to fix it?¡±

    Zich tilted his head at them like he was wondering what they were talking about. ¡°Repair? Even if I¡¯m a genius, I don¡¯t also possess the skills to repair a boat.¡±

    Zich was confident in crushing and destroying things, but he had no talent for creating and fixing things.

    ¡°Then, what are you going to do? Are you really nning to continue advancing forward with this boat?¡±

    ¡°Of course not. Why would I keep using a boat that will sink in the middle?¡± Zich responded.

    Considering their individual skills, they wouldn¡¯t be food for fish if the boat sank, but they wouldn¡¯t be able to continue their Bellid extermination without a boat either. Zich fumbled through his belongings and took out his magic box.

    As if she had a guess as to what Zich was going to do, Lube murmured, ¡°¡­Are you perhaps¡­?¡±

    Zich walked to the farthest edge of the boat while carrying the magic box. A momentter, something humongous popped out of the magic box.

    <em>Ssh!</em>

    It sprayed a huge amount of water when it fell into theke. However, it did not sink. The object that Zich took out was another boat that looked simr to the one that they¡¯d been riding. Zich turned around and looked at hispanions. ¡°Let¡¯s move.¡±

    Zich then jumped into the new boat.

    ¡°¡­I see. If the boat looks like it will break, you just have to get another one. I learned another thing from you.¡± Walwiss murmured to himself as he saw Zich¡¯s extremely easy solution.

    * * *

    The voyage continued on. There were several more monster attacks, but Zich¡¯s group easily exterminated them. Several more boats were also damaged, but Zich pulled out a new boat each time.

    ¡°There must be a limit to a magic box. How do you keep all those boats?¡±

    At Walwiss¡¯ question, Zich showed the inside of the bag he was wearing around his waist; it was full of magic boxes.

    ¡°At least we won¡¯t run out of boats.¡± Walwiss wondered why Zich had brought a bag when magic boxes existed. He hadn¡¯t imagined that Zich was using it to hold all of his magic boxes. Walwiss shook his head and sat down.

    When the sun set and rose about three times, the condition of theke changed. While the sky was still blue and the wind was cool, the surface of theke was different. There were whirlpools everywhere, and strong currents overflowed in ces where whirlpools didn''t exist. The boat that Zich¡¯s party was riding on shook unsteadily. Lube and Walwiss tightly held onto the ship¡¯s railing. In contrast, Zich, Til, and Leona easily maintained their bnce.

    ¡°I expected this, but it¡¯s really a strong current,¡± Walwiss said.

    ¡°Mirotel Lake has been famous for its rough currents for a very long time,¡± Lube replied and stared at the vortex with a fierce look. ¡°I had no idea that it was something the Bellid bastards made to protect their headquarters.¡±

    <em>Creak!</em>An ominous sound rang out from the middle of the ship. It sounded like the boat couldn''t fight back the strong currents and was screaming in pain. There was no need to be concerned about being pulled into the vortex. Zich¡¯s powerful mana bursts thrust the boat forward, and they could easily escape from the vortex. However, the boat¡¯s hull could not withstand the harsh surroundings as the direction and intensity of the currents changed constantly. The boat they were currently on was also on the verge of shattering into pieces and getting swept into the whirlpool.

    ¡°Don¡¯t those Bellids alsoe and go from here as well? Then, there must be a way.¡± Leona tried to find a gap in the fierce currents with her sharp gaze. However, Zich¡¯s next words immediately shot down her expectations.

    ¡°They don¡¯t cross theke. They use a different and more convenient way.¡±

    ¡°Those sly bastards. I think I now understand why you call them cockroaches.¡±

    ¡°You think so too, right? Why don''t we discuss their filthy habitster on?¡± Lube asked with the face of a girl who found someone with the same hobby as her.

    Leona made a slightly disturbed expression and moved away from Lube. ¡°Ah, I don¡¯t know that much about them¡­¡±

    ¡°Please don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll tell you everything about them in detail.¡±

    ¡°Why don¡¯t you stop, Saintess? Don¡¯t you see how flustered she is?¡± Lube was so terrifying that even Walwiss took Leona¡¯s side even though he always bickered with her.

    Then Zich asked, ¡°Mr. Til, you saw how I¡¯ve been moving the boat, right?¡±

    ¡°Well.¡± There was nothing special about what Zich did. Anyone with great mana control and a lot of mana could do what Zich did, so Til nodded easily.

    ¡°I¡¯m going to make a path, but it won¡¯tst for long. So while I¡¯m making a path, please move the boat right away. It doesn¡¯t matter if the boat breaks, so try to move it as fast as you can.¡±

    ¡°Did you say¡­a path?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ll know right away when you see it.¡±

    ¡°Got it.¡±

    ¡°Do you have some kind of n?¡± Walwiss asked with curiosity, reflecting the curious nature of mages once again.

    Zich shrugged. ¡°I¡¯m just going to push through with my strength.¡±

    Zich jumped from the stern of the boat into theke. Jumping into ake where the currents were so intense that they could easily crush a boat seemed like suicide, but Zich¡¯s body didn¡¯t sink. He stood firm, stepping lightly on the surface of theke as if he was standing on solid ground. Zich pulled out Estede.

    <em>Ziiiiing!</em>

    As he injected mana into Estede, it let out a strong resonance. The mana changed into light, and it brightly illuminated its surroundings as if another sun was floating on top of the surface of theke.

    Zich slowly raised the sword. He steadied his breathing and circted the mana all over his body. His eyes turned to the surface of the ragingke and the horizon beyond it.

    ¡°Hmph!¡± With a short cry, Zich moved all the muscles in his body and made the mana in his body explode. Estede dropped in a neat and straight line, and the light divided the world in half.

    <em>Baaaaaam!</em>Theke that threatened the party with its rough currents split in half as if it was running away left and right. The white foam covering the sky was an image straight out of an old legend.

    The empty space was torn apart, and an ind appeared in view.

 Chapter 570

    <h4>Chapter 570</h4>

    Lube stared at Zich. He stood above theke as he drew his sword and exhaled deeply.

    She moved her gaze from Zich to the front of the boat. The space before them was split¡ªthere was no other way to describe it. It was as if a curtain covering a scenery was split right in the middle and revealed what was behind it. A part of an ind appeared into view behind the split space, but the ind wasn¡¯t visible in any other area. Lube was able to easily assess what had caused this phenomenon.

    Space was warped in this area. While theke¡¯s rough currents blocked people from approaching the area, space itself was warped to conceal this ind. The ind that came into view behind the split space was probably the Bellid headquarters that Zich talked about. Although the Bellid headquarters that the Karuwimans had been desperately looking for came into view, Lube¡¯s eyes lingered longer on Zich than on the ind. What was the strike of light she had seen just now? Concealing an ind by warping space couldn¡¯t be done by any normal means. Furthermore, looking at the parts of the ind visible through the gap, she was able to assess that the ind was of considerable size. Naturally, the bigger the ind was, the more mana was needed to conceal it.

    Lube recalled the first time she had met Zich. Although Zich had considerable skills, he still had his limits then. He was stronger than his peers, but overall, he was not much more than a young, skilled fighter. Yet, the current Zich was on a whole different levelpared to the previous Zich. Even her bodyguard, Weig, wouldn¡¯t be able to be a worthwhile opponent to Zich now. No, one could say that Zich was the world¡¯s strongest fighter at the moment. Seeing that Zich had be so strong in a couple of years, Lube sighed in relief that although he was a bit(?) violent, Zich hadn¡¯t gone astray and continued to walk the path of justice.

    Furthermore, Lube wasn¡¯t the only one stunned by Zich¡¯s unbelievable power and might. Though they had witnessed his skills while fighting a dragon, they still couldn¡¯t get used to seeing the scale of it all.

    ¡°What an utter monster,¡± Walwiss murmured. Leona usually refuted whatever he said right away, but she kept her mouth closed this time.

    That said, with the experiences and skills they had gained until now, the party members soon regained their senses. At the back of the boat, Til stretched out his hand behind him.

    <em>Pop!</em>The boat shot forward from the repelling force. Since hecked mana controlpared to Zich, the boat wavered quite a bit. However, the speed of the boat wasn¡¯t any slowerpared to the time that Zich had managed the boat.

    <em>Whoosh!</em>

    Since the surface of theke that Zich split hadn¡¯t recovered yet, the boat dropped down. Then, it breezed across a valley of water at a quick speed toward the gap in space that Zich created. With Til¡¯s keen eye, he was able to see that the gap was slightly narrowing, and it wouldn¡¯t be open forever. Still, the gap was stillrge enough for the boat to pass through.

    <em>Shaaaa!</em>

    No matter how impressive Zich¡¯s skills were, he couldn¡¯t keep theke split forever. Soon, water poured down from the sides and began to fill in the gap. It appeared as if the water would swallow up the boat and sink it. Til changed the direction of his mana to propel the boat upward.

    <em>Pop!</em>

    From the shock of the mana, the tail end of the boat tipped down while the front end tilted up. Cutting through the water rushing in, the boat began to rise over the valley of water.

    <em>Pop! Pop! Pop!</em>

    Til shot out another series of mana bursts and multiplied the boat¡¯s momentum. Defying the rough water currents pouring down, the boat moved up. Zich and hispanions clutched the boat¡¯s rails.

    <em>Bong!</em>

    The front of the boat shot above theke¡¯s surface and the boat floated a little into the air.<em></em>

    <em>Saaash!</em>

    The splitkepletely sealed up again after the boat escaped. White foam filled the top of theke¡¯s surface and the boat scattered the foam away as it fell.

    ¡°Is¡­it over?¡± After withstanding the boat¡¯s rough ride while clutching onto the rails with all her might, Lube surveyed her surroundings.

    ¡°It seems so.¡± Walwiss had basically been hanging over the railing, and he finally rose. ¡°Ah, my back! My body isn¡¯t like before¡­¡± he said, clutching onto his back. His bones cracked.

    ¡°That¡¯s why you shouldn¡¯t hole yourself in your room all the time. Go out and do some exercises,¡± Leona remarked.

    ¡°Don¡¯tpare me to elves who are youthful and lively even after living many years. When humans be old as me, unless they train professionally like knights, they will hit their limits no matter how much they hone their physique,¡± Walwiss replied.

    Then, he turned to Til at the back of the boat and said, ¡°Good work. I bet it was difficult to control the boat between the split sides of theke.¡±

    ¡°Thank you.¡±

    ¡°The boat is pretty broken. I suppose we will have to change our boat again,¡± Walwiss said and looked around like he was searching for something. ¡°But where is our boat supplier now?¡±

    <em>Tong!</em>

    As soon as Walwiss finished speaking, Zich dropped down from the air. ¡°Good work everybody.¡±

    ¡°Mr. Til did most of the work. I hope we don¡¯t have to experience something like this again. It¡¯s too much of a burden on an old body.¡±

    ¡°Yes, Zich. It¡¯s too much for an old, creaking mage to bear.¡±

    ¡°How do elves age exactly? I hope this one quickly bes old and experiences how I feel.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sure I won¡¯t age like you at least.¡±

    ¡°Come on, let¡¯s not fight. Look in front of you. That¡¯s the goal we are chasing,¡± Zich said.

    Lube, Leona, Walwiss, and Til looked forward. There was an ind. Shielded by a space warped with mana, the ind was considerably big. The party members looked back to see how the outside appeared from inside the barrier. They found that although the ind waspletely hidden from the outside, those inside the barrier could see the outside with no issues. Then, the party studied the ind again.

    The ind was t. It didn¡¯t have any curves like a mountain or hills and didn¡¯t have areas that were difficult tond on such as cliffs. Thekeshore they saw and the one across it were both nketed by sand. However, the ind had a special feature that easily stood out from far away. There was a tower that rose high in the middle. It was so tall that with a bit of exaggeration, it could be described as ''soaring into the sky.'' Zich and hispanions scanned the tower from the bottom to the top.

    ¡°Geez, these Bellid bastards. They have a nest that¡¯s way too good for them.¡± Walwiss seemed to be in a bad mood; his pride was hurt because the tower in front of them was much taller than his own magical tower.

    Compared to him, Lube wasn¡¯t even the least interested in the tower¡¯s height. ¡°Let¡¯s go. Let¡¯s quickly exterminate and crush those insects into dust.¡±

    ¡°Yes, let¡¯s go.¡± Zich took out a new boat. After all hispanions moved to the new boat, Zich drove the boat to the ind. The fierce currents strong enough to crush all the boats becamepletely calm once they entered through theke¡¯s barrier. It did not take long before the boat arrived at the foot of the ind. However, arriving at the ind was only the beginning.

    ¡°Are you ready?¡± Zich asked. His gaze was glued to the inside of the ind. A huge number of monsters were packed on the shore of theke as if they were weing the uninvited guests.

    ¡°It seems like they¡¯ve prepared some defensive measures to protect their main base.¡±

    ¡°There aren¡¯t many high-ranking monsters though. Most of them are there to fill the headcount.¡±

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. Since we¡¯re here, we just have to think about getting to the top of the tower.¡±

    Walwiss, Lube, and Leona spoke in order while taking out their weapons. Til didn¡¯t open his mouth, but he headed to the front of the boat with his sword drawn out before anyone else. Everyone¡¯s eyes were on Zich.

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t seem like I need to exin. Let¡¯s clean up these troublesome things and advance to the top,¡± Zich said as he set foot on the ind first. The rest of the party followed suit.

    Soon, the sound of fierce battle enveloped the ind.

    * * *

    Zich¡¯s party showed off their skills by easily trampling over a bunch of monsters and advancing toward the tower. The monsters that filled theke were no better than scarecrows standing on a field.

    ¡°Are we going to the tower right away? Or shall we first wipe out all the monsters here?¡± Walwiss asked.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go to the tower!¡± Zich shouted.

    ¡°Got it!¡±

    Walwiss followed Zich¡¯s words without question.

    <em>Baaaaam!</em>After Walwiss¡¯ magic wiped out all the monsters in front of him, there were no more monsters left between them and the tower.

    ¡°Where¡¯s the entrance?¡± Walwiss asked.

    ¡°This way!¡± Everyone moved in the direction that Zich pointed toward. Soon, the entrance to the tower was revealed. There was arge door big enough to allow four or five people to go through it together. Zich grabbed the doorknob and pulled it.

    <em>nk!</em>The door was locked, but no one was concerned. Zich made eye contact with each of hispanions. ¡°The inside will be much more dangerous. Are all of you ready?¡±

    Everyone nodded in unison.

    ¡°Then let¡¯s go!¡±

    <em>Crush!</em>

    Zich put some strength into his grip. Zich had split theke and barrier with a swing of his sword; there was no way that a mere door lock could withstand his strength. The lock broke with a rough click, and the door of the tower opened.

    ¡°I¡¯ll go first.¡± Til went through the entrance. He tightly held his huge sword and warily nced around in all directions. ¡°¡­There¡¯s nothing here.¡±

    ¡°Do they not want to start attacking from the first floor? It seems like even these guys have basic courtesy when treating their guests.¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s no way that¡¯s true, Sir Dwayne. How can those filthy Bellids possess such a thing? Courtesy is a word that goes along with the Bellids about as much as cockroaches and cleanliness.¡±

    Walwiss and Lube followed behind Til. Zich and Leona stood guard for any outside threats, and they enteredst.

    <em>Bang!</em>Zich shut the tower¡¯s door. However, even if he tried to lock the door, he couldn¡¯t because the lock was broken. On the other hand, even if the lock were intact, it wouldn¡¯t have been strong enough to stop the monsters from entering.

    ¡°Move out of my way for a moment.¡± Walwiss leaned his staff against the door. ¡°This isn¡¯t my specialty, but¡­¡±

    Mana revolved around his staff.<em>Hissss!</em>The tower¡¯s door froze instantly.

    <em>Bam! Bam! Bam!</em>

    <em>Uahhhhhhh!</em>

    <em>Kuahhhhh!</em>

    They could hear monsters mming on the door outside, but the frozen door didn¡¯t budge an inch.

    ¡°Monsters of that level won¡¯t be able toe in for quite a time.¡± Walwiss spoke casually, but he was a mage from a school of magic that specialized in fire magic. Considering that he was able to use such strong ice magic with ease while specializing in fire magic, it was possible to get a glimpse of his astounding magic ability.

    After the tower¡¯s entrance was sealed, the party¡¯s gazes headed toward the inside. They had no idea what was going to happen there, and they felt the tension rising.

    Favorite

 Chapter 571

    <h4>Chapter 571</h4>

    The inside of the tower was quite spacious. The first floor only had one room, with no dividers, and they could see the outer wall on the other side.

    ¡°There are no pirs,¡± Walwiss murmured.

    ¡°Is there a problem with that? It¡¯s nice that it¡¯s so easy to see.¡±

    ¡°You are so ignorant even after living so long. If you make the ceiling of such a spacious area without a single pir, don¡¯t you think there¡¯s a high possibility that it will break down?¡± Walwiss said and looked up to the ceiling. ¡°It doesn¡¯t seem like the ceiling is made of light materials either. It¡¯s clearly made of rock. I mean, even if they made it of thinyered wood, it would copse right away at this width.¡±

    Walwiss ced his hand on the outer wall of the tower. ¡°As expected, mana is flowing in it.¡±

    Like Walwiss, other people also ced their hands on . Then, their faces stiffened.

    ¡°Uh, hey! This is¡­¡± Leona stammered. It wasn¡¯t so surprising that mana was flowing from the tower¡¯s walls. In the first ce, theke¡¯s currents were artificially made, and the giant ind had been hidden by warped space. Yet, what was shocking was the unbelievable amount of mana flowing across the tower¡¯s walls; it was beyond their imagination.

    ¡°It seems pretty much impossible to break,¡± Til said, thumping his fist against the wall. Faint mana circled around his fist, but the tower¡¯s wall didn¡¯t even budge.

    ¡°How did you manage to force this door open then, Sir Zich?¡± Lube asked.

    ¡°That wasn¡¯t so difficult. The door didn¡¯t have mana flowing inside it.¡±

    ¡°Only the door didn¡¯t? Then, what is the meaning of such an enormous amount of mana flowing from this tower?¡±

    ¡°It means that mana flow has another purpose than defending the tower.¡±

    ¡°Then, Sir Dwayne, what do you think is the reason for the great amount of mana?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know exactly either, but it¡¯s true that it¡¯s strengthening the tower. It also seems practically impossible to destroy this tower,¡± Walwiss said and stared at Zich. ¡°No wonder you just entered the tower. I mean, aren¡¯t you the type to destroy an entire tower and wipe away the enemies inside it?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s true,¡± Lube agreed without hesitation.

    ¡°I¡¯m sure the mana is not there only to strengthen the tower. The mana flow is very regr. I¡¯m sure there¡¯s another purpose for it.¡±

    ¡°Are the rapid currents and the space warping supported by the tower¡¯s mana?¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s a high possibility, but I¡¯m sure that¡¯s not the only thing.¡± Walwiss shook his head. ¡°I can¡¯t tell the exact details from here. There could be clues at the top of the tower. Or¡­¡±

    He narrowed his eyes as he stared at Zich. ¡°That wily guy could know something.¡±

    ¡°Is this true? Do you know something, Sir Zich?¡±

    Everyone¡¯s eyes shot toward Zich, and Zich shrugged his shoulders.

    ¡°You will know once you go up,¡± he said.

    ¡°You hear him? What a sneaky guy he is! If I didn¡¯t know the things he had done until now, I would¡¯ve thought he was a Demon Lord who came to destroy the world!¡± Walwiss shouted.

    Although the other party members didn¡¯t acknowledge Walwiss¡¯ words, they didn¡¯t disagree with him either. In fact, if one looked at only their facial expressions, it appeared that they agreed with Walwiss¡¯ second point. Zich chuckled and pointed upward.

    ¡°Then, shall we make our way up? You, fiends of evil, follow the Demon Lord to destroy the world!¡±

    ¡°Damn it!¡± Walwiss grumbled at Zich¡¯s brazen answer.

    ***

    The stairs were connected to one side of the first floor, and Zich and hispanions went up the stairs. The stairs stopped on the second floor. It seemed like the stairs weren¡¯t all connected, and the stairs used for going up and down were separated. As proof of this, they saw a new set of stairs on the opposite side.

    ¡°They designed it so awkwardly,¡± Leona grumbled. Zich and hispanions took the stairs and walked up to the second floor. The second floor was also onerge room without any divisions.

    ¡°What a waste of space.¡± As someone who had managed the magical tower, he wasn¡¯t satisfied with theposition of the tower. When Zich and hispanions passed through the second floor and arrived at the third floor¡ª<em>Bam!</em>

    Til stepped forward and swung his sword. He felt a dull shock on his hands, and something bounced off his sword.

    ¡®What is that?¡¯ Til looked at the being that had attacked him. Its most noticeable features were its bright red eyes, sleek and metallic skin, and height one head taller than Til¡¯s. It also carried a great sword that was asrge as itself.

    ¡°A golem,¡± Walwiss said after reaching the third floor. ¡°Ho! This is a really advanced golem.¡±

    His eyes sparkled with curiosity.

    ¡°You can tell just by looking at it?¡± Leona looked at him suspiciously.

    ¡°Of course. It¡¯s not like I used to be the master of Sunewick magical tower for show. It¡¯s not difficult for me to tell how well-made a golem is by its appearance. Besides, to think that the Bellids had golems¡ªI didn¡¯t know they also had talents in this field.¡±

    ¡°This tower and the golems aren¡¯t theirs. They all belong to some ancient civilization¡¯s heritage.¡±

    ¡°Ancient civilization¡¯s heritage!¡± Walwiss pped his hands at Zich¡¯s answer. ¡°How interesting! If possible, could we take down those guys without damaging¡ª¡±

    ¡°No.¡±

    Walwiss red at Leona, who had refused instantly, and said, ¡°You didn¡¯t even think about it.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t want to think about it. I¡¯m going to destroy it and crush its core.¡±

    ¡°I will only be able to research it if the golem has a core¡­!¡± Walwiss protested, but Leona didn¡¯t even appear to be listening. Zich looked at her with curiosity.

    ¡®Is it because of what happened before?¡¯ When they were dealing with Wips Midas before, Zich and hispanions had gone into a ruin and encountered a simr golem like this one. Leona hadn¡¯t been able to participate in the battle that time for the same reason that Walwiss was now invoking¡ªto capture the golem fully intact without damaging the golem¡¯s core.

    Leona¡¯s strategy when fighting the golems, which had a strong magic defense and no sense of self-protection, was obviously to aim for the golem¡¯s core. An arrow was much less effective than other attacks if she decided to aim for other areas, and the same thing applied to magic attacks. However, the difference between the past situation and now was that L had been the one to request Leona to keep the golems fully intactst time, while Walwiss was the one requesting it now. Zich recalled that Leona had looked extremely crest-fallen for being pushed back from the battle in the past.

    ¡°Anyway, I¡¯m going to shoot the core no matter what!¡± Leona nocked the arrow onto the bow. Strong mana concentrated on the arrow, and the arrow quickly left her bow.

    <em>Crush!</em>The golem¡¯s body, which was made out of hard metals at least of the same quality as mithril, was pierced through much too easily.

    ¡°Aaaaack!¡± Walwiss clutched his head and screamed, but Leona paid no attention to him.

    <em>Bam! Bam! Bam! Bam!</em>In an instant, holes appeared in the golem¡¯s body from the arrows that poured down like heavy rain. One of the arrows prated the center of the golem¡¯s body.

    <em>Thud!</em>The golem fell like a doll with its string cut. ¡°The golem¡¯s core is in the middle of its body!¡±

    Walwiss couldn¡¯t say anything in response to Leona¡¯s bright tone, and furiously shook his fist.

    * * *

    They defeated a row of golems, but there wasn¡¯t just one row of golems. Several more appeared and blocked Zich¡¯s party. However, they were no match for Zich¡¯s party since they had already found the location of the golems'' weakness, their core.

    <em>Crunnch!</em>Til¡¯s heavy sword cut a golem¡¯s upper body in half. With this, all the golems that appeared on the third floor disappeared.

    ¡°Ahhhhhh!¡± Walwiss groaned at the sight of the golems with broken cores. Unfortunately for Walwiss, no one empathized with his anguish.

    ¡°Come on, let¡¯s go up!¡± Unlike Walwiss, Leonaughed and smiled brightly. Her smile was pure, devoid of any negative emotions, as if she had relieved all her past frustrations.

    ¡°Sir Zich, are these the results of the mana flowing inside the tower as you mentioned before?¡± Lube asked.

    ¡°Yes, Saintess. However, this is just the beginning. As we go up, more powerful enemies will appear, and many traps will be lurking there.¡±

    ¡°They must have all been made by the tower¡¯s mana, right?¡±

    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right.¡±

    Lube looked at the stairs. ¡°Such dangers are as expected. Let¡¯s quickly get up there and trample the leader of the insects. The Bellid pope must be on the top floor, right?¡±

    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s probably the case.¡±

    ¡°I really don¡¯t like how people who should be trampled and crushed like bugs look down at the world from such a tall tower. Let¡¯s quickly drop that bastard down to a level befitting of his ce.¡±

    Leona nced at Walwiss and crept up to his side. She then whispered, ¡°Don¡¯t you think Lube seems more aggressive than Zich?¡±

    ¡°Arghhhhh!¡± Walwiss answered with another groan.

    * * *

    Zich¡¯s party continued to climb the tower. The level of enemies that stood in their way rose higher and higher. First, the golems were much tougher. Golems with multiple cores and ones with no cores appeared. Overall, the golems were much stronger too.

    ¡°Damn it! If I just had a little bit more time!¡± Walwiss gritted his teeth as he looked at the debris of the fragmented golems. However, no matter how great the curiosity of a mage was, Walwiss couldn¡¯t prioritize fulfilling his curiosity when several countries or possibly the entire world was at risk. Walwiss shed heavy tears of blood inside his mind and climbed up to the next floor. Then Zich¡¯s party encountered enemies other than golems for the first time.

    ¡°Zich, those guys!¡±

    ¡°Yeah, they¡¯re the shadows we met before.¡± The shadows they had seen before at Violuwin¡¯s ruinspletely filled the floor.

    ¡°Have you seen them before?¡±

    ¡°Yes, in the past. They transform their arms into various weapons and use them to fight.¡±

    ¡°How can we defeat them?¡±

    ¡°We just need to beat them down.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s easy to understand.¡± Walwiss swung his staff.

    <em>Baaaam!</em>No matter how big the tower was, it was still indoors, and Walwiss¡¯ magic was extremely strong. In an instant, half of the floor was swept away by the mes. The shadows evaporated instantly. Surprisingly, there was not even a little soot on the tower''s outer wall.

    ¡°It¡¯s really hard.¡± Walwiss grumbled; he was fully aware of the immense mana protecting the tower, but his ego was still hurt that his magic could not even scratch it.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± Zich took the lead and urged the party.

    ¡°Do we have to move so urgently? I wiped away at least half of them¡­¡± Walwiss¡¯ words were cut off as he saw the shadows rising again from the empty floor.

    ¡°¡­Don¡¯t you think it¡¯s a good idea to follow Sir Zich¡¯s words?¡± Lube suggested.

    ¡°As expected of the Karuwiman Saintess. What excellent judgment. I was about to say the same thing.¡±

    ¡°Stop wasting time and run!¡± Leona shouted while shooting out arrows.

    Til swung his giant sword and cut down the approaching shadows, and Leona knocked down the shadows from far away with an arrow. Walwiss and Lube rushed to follow those two, and Zich prevented the shadows from chasing them at the rear. The shadows continued to flood into the room, but thanks to Walwiss¡¯ attack reducing their numbers significantly, Zich¡¯s party was able to go up to the next floor easily.

    Favorite

 Chapter 572

    <h4>Chapter 572</h4>

    The shadows attacked fiercely. They were many to begin with, and as if they were nning to smother their enemies with sheer numbers, they poured in continuously without any signs of stopping. The shadows on the upper floor attacked them before they could take the next set of stairs, and the shadows they left behind didn¡¯t stop chasing even after they climbed those stairs. They were perfectly trapped in between enemies.

    These shadows were not strong individually. Zich and hispanions were iparably stronger than them, and they weren¡¯t running away because the shadows posed a real threat but simply because they didn¡¯t want to waste strength on creatures that were chasing after them for who knew how long. Yet, it was true that they were bothersome.

    Leona shot her arrows at the shadows running at them from the front. After checking that the shadows had been extinguished, Leona pulled apart the arrow container she had been holding and threw it away. The container was empty, so she took out another container from her magic box and nocked another arrow. Then, she shot again. There was no hesitation in her aim, and she had plenty of arrows in the magic box.

    <em>Baaaam!</em>The fire sparks shooting out of Walwiss¡¯ staff wiped away a whole cluster of shadows, and an empty space formed inside a room that had been ckened with shadows. Shadows filled the space instantly, but that was still enough time for Zich and hispanions to go to the next floor¡ªwhere not only shadows waited for them, but also a number of the same golems they had already defeated dozens of.

    Of course, just because those two gathered forces did not mean that they could block Zich and hispanions. The party simply crushed the golems and sted apart the shadows. And many floors higher, the party finally reached an empty room.

    ¡°There are no more enemies,¡± Til stated inly.

    ¡°I¡¯m d to hear that. Does that mean we¡¯re done climbing?¡± Walwiss asked. Yet, Leona crushed his hopes the next moment.

    ¡°<em>As if.</em>If you think about the height of the tower that we saw from outside, we¡¯re not even halfway up yet.¡±

    ¡°Damn it. Don¡¯t crush an old man¡¯s hope so mercilessly.¡±

    ¡°Futile hope will just result in pain.¡±

    ¡°Wow, we have some elf sage here.¡±

    ¡°Isn¡¯t it time for you to grow up instead?¡±

    Yet, the party didn¡¯t move rashly in front of the next set of stairs. Why had their enemies vigorously chasing after them like an army of ants at the sight of food suddenly disappeared just because they had arrived on this floor? It was truly strange, and they knew that any abnormalities that appeared in enemy territories weren¡¯t a good omen.

    <em>Pop!</em>There was an explosioning from the stairs before them. The shadows that chased after them were wiped away by the light emitted by Estede. Although no new enemies appeared, the enemies chasing after them were still following them.

    ¡°I will take the lead from here on out,¡± Zich said and stepped up from the back of the party to the front. Til naturally reced Zich at the back and dealt with the shadows and golems climbing up to their current floor.

    ¡°What is here?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a trap.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t think amon trap would exist in a ce like this¡­is this ck magic?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    Curiosity filled Walwiss¡¯ eyes again, but his face was soon overcast with a deep sense of anguish. ¡°Yup, I¡¯m sure of it now. I am the saddest mage in the entire world.¡±

    ¡°Then, let¡¯s go!¡± Zich shouted.

    ¡°You guys don¡¯t even respond to an old man¡¯s grumbling anymore. Is that why a person should die when they get too old?¡± Walwissmented while Zich dashed forward. In that instant, a great amount of mana began to whirl around them, and the tension of the party soared. In particr, Walwiss¡ªwhose sensitivity to mana was almost as high as Zich''s due to being a mage¡ªgave up on the carefree tone he had usedjust a second before and gripped his staff tightly with a solemn expression on his face.

    Still, that didn¡¯t mean his great desire for research had disappeared. ¡°Damn it! There are only things that I want to research¡­¡±

    <em>Wiiiing!</em>The mana flowing from the tower''s outer walls strayed away from its original path and began to pour inside. On the floors, there were shining magic circles, letting their existence known.

    ¡°It¡¯s probably me magic! Be careful!¡± Walwiss said while raising his voice and shaking his staff.

    <em>Shaaaaa!</em>In an instant, the floor they were on was swept by a wave of fire. Sparks popped up from the ground in tide-like waves, and fog covered the ceiling like dark clouds. Between the sparks on the floor and the fog at the ceiling, a tornado of fire whirled wildly. Yet, the fire failed to swallow up Zich¡¯s party.

    <em>Crunch!</em>Mana flowing out of Walwiss¡¯ staff formed a giant ice wall.

    <em>Baaam!</em>mes shed roughly against the ice wall. Its surface melted and gradually cracked more and more. Walwiss moved to use another spell when a light sparkled.

    <em>Baaam!</em>A strong shockwave swept the surroundings and pushed the fire sparks, heat, and Walwiss¡¯ ice wall far away. Zich nced at the mes that had escaped far away and rested Estede on his shoulder.

    ¡°Let¡¯s run.¡± Zich¡¯s party quickly moved to the next set of stairs. The me continued to chase after them as if it was intent on not losing them, but it was toote. In the end, it aggressively burned the shadows and golems chasing after them and then settled down.

    While looking at the remains of shadows that burst in the air and the melted golem body parts, Lube shook her head.

    ¡°I now understand why they didn¡¯t set up any defense at the tower door. Most humans wouldn¡¯t be able to survive against these shadows, golems, or traps. They would die immediately.¡±

    ***

    Zich¡¯s party went up the tower. Traps continued to be activated on every floor, but Zich¡¯s party broke through all of them. Some of the enemies reappeared on the floors, but Zich¡¯s party also went right through them. The more they climbed, the level of the traps became higher, but there was nothing beyond what Zich¡¯s party could handle.

    ¡°Oh wow, we finally reached a ce that looks livable.¡± Like Walwiss said, the ce they had arrived at wasn¡¯t just one big space without any pirs or walls. They saw a straight corridor in front of the stairs, which led to several passages and doors on both sides.

    ¡°Is this the living space of those Bellid bastards?¡± Lube looked at the doors with a disgusted gaze as if she was looking at a house full of cockroaches. Anyone could see that her eyes were filled with the intense desire to throw a fireball at each door and set the whole ce on fire.

    ¡°That¡¯s probably the case, but it¡¯s probably empty right now.¡± Zich kicked one of the doors near him. The door was smashed, and the inside of the room came into view. A space with some traces of human living was revealed, but there was no one inside.

    ¡°They might still be able to ambush us here and there. Let¡¯s tread carefully,¡± Zich said.

    ¡°All right,¡± Lube answered.

    Even though it was a new type of structure, this floor was the same as all the other floors since enemies continued attacking them and traps were installed in hidden ces. Moreover, just as Zich had predicted, some people suddenly jumped out of a room and ambushed them. The newly emerged walls and columns also hindered Zich¡¯s party. Unlike the lower floors, where they merely had to go straight to the stairs on the opposite side, the pirs and walls often blocked the path to the next set of stairs. However, the party soon found a solution to the pirs and columns blocking their path.

    <em>Bamm!</em>Zich¡¯s fist shattered the wall. They could see the stairs leading up through the open wall.

    ¡°It seems like these walls and columns can be destroyed, and the location of the stairs is the same as before. There¡¯s no need to go around it since we can break through it and move forward in a straight line,¡± Zich said in a very refreshing tone and took the lead. The others were also all used to Zich¡¯s behavior, so they calmly stepped over the remains of the wall and pressed forward.

    Leona recalled her past traveling days with Zich and sentimentally said, ¡°Come to think of it, we never followed the normal path when I traveled with Zich.¡±

    * * *

    <em>Boom! Boooom! Boom!</em>

    ¡°Ugh¡­!¡±

    In a dark ce without a sliver of light, a groan full of pain filled the area.

    Someone was tied to a chair. Dried blood was stuck everywhere on his body, and his hair was messy and disheveled. His face was so swollen that he couldn¡¯t even open his eyes properly. However, there was no need for him to open his eyes¡ªbecause his eyes were no longer attached to his body. The blood dripping from his ears also indicated that he had lost his sense of hearing. His nails and toenails were no longer in their original ces, and all of his tendons had been cut off. He was the perfect image of a helpless captive¡ªand he was Glen Zenard. Even though Glen Zenard used to once plot all kinds of conspiracies and aim for the position of the world¡¯s greatest hero, he was so broken that he couldn¡¯t even control his own body anymore.

    ¡°Uahhhhhh¡­!¡± Glen moved his mouth. He tried to say something, but he couldn¡¯t pronounce the words properly; unless his severed tongue was reattached, he would never be able to talk again.

    While all other sensory organs had beenpromised, his sense of touch was still functioning normally. A gentle vibration stimted thisst remaining sense.

    <em>Boom! Boom!</em>The sounds gradually grew louder and louder. The sound of something crashing and colliding came closer.

    ¡°Uahhhh¡­!¡± However, Glen showed no signs of movement. He couldn¡¯t hear any sounds anymore, and the gentle vibrations he felt were meaningless to him. While being swallowed up by the darkness, the only thing Glen could do was keep groaning like an animal.

    * * *

    <em>Baaaaam!</em>Estede scattered the lightning darting towards them, and Zich kicked the golem swinging an ax.

    <em>Crunch!</em>Zick¡¯s kick, infused with mana, turned the golem into a heap of scrap and sttered it on the floor. The front was now open, and they saw the stairs to the next floor.

    Zich ran up the stairs in an instant. He wondered what would be the first thing to greet him on the next floor. Shadows? Golems? Or another trap?

    However, none of those were the answers. A huge door greeted Zich when he reached the top. The borate and intricately decorated door made it obvious from a nce that this ce was of extreme importance in the tower.

    ¡®We¡¯ve arrived.¡¯ There was no need to hesitate. Zich kicked the door as he had done so far.

    ¡°Tch, tch! Such a violent guy. I didn¡¯t lock it, so you could have just quietly opened it.¡±

    Zich heard a voice full of disapproval, and heughed with his teeth showing. ¡°Then why didn¡¯t you leave the tower¡¯s door unlocked in the first ce?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s true too. That¡¯s definitely my fault.¡±

    ¡°Well, even if the tower¡¯s door was open, I would have still kicked this door in the same way.¡±

    ¡°As expected. Then I guess it¡¯s not my fault.¡±

    ¡°No, it is your fault.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t understand. You said you¡¯d break the door regardless of whether I lock it or not. So then, what is my fault?¡±

    ¡°Everything is. From beginning to end, all of it!¡± Zich shouted at the man he was looking for. ¡°All of it is your fault, Ultel!¡±

 Chapter 573

    <h4>Chapter 573</h4>

    Ultel¡¯s mouth slightly hung open.

    ¡°¡­Even a child¡¯s tantrum would be more logical than yours,¡± Ultel said.

    ¡°As expected of someone serving a fishhead god, youck basicprehension. I can¡¯t believe you fail to understand my perfect logic,¡± Zich said confidently.

    Ultel¡¯s mouth opened wider. It seemed clear to Zich that Ultel was shocked by his perfect logic, and Zich raised his chin triumphantly. Yet, no one in the room thought the same as him.

    ¡°¡­Can¡¯t everybody see that Zich is the one being unreasonable?¡±

    ¡°Just leave him be. I don¡¯t think right and wrong is that important for Mr. Zich right now.¡±

    Even hispanions who arrived at the scer than Zich didn¡¯t talk favorably about his behavior except for one person.

    ¡°As if. There¡¯s no way vulgar wordsing from the low-lives who serve a fishhead god would be more logical than Sir Zich''s. As Sir Zich says, I¡¯m sure those fishhead worshippersck anyprehension skills.¡±

    ¡°Well, that¡¯s what she says.¡±

    ¡°¡­I see.¡±

    ¡°¡­Hm.¡±

    The otherpanions vaguely supported Lube¡¯s words. Even if they rebutted her here, there was no way a proper discussion would take ce. Then, Walwiss walked up next to Zich¡¯s side.

    ¡°I suppose that guy is the Bellid pope.¡±

    ¡°Yes, his name is Ultel.¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s younger than I expected him to be.¡± Walwiss had been imagining a crafty, wicked old man with a long ragged beard with wrinkles all over his body. Instead, the man appeared to be middle-aged, but he didn¡¯t have many deep wrinkles and his beard was cleanly shaven. His face was quite clean-cut and handsome, rather unlike what one would have expected from an evil cult leader. Leona, Til, and Walwiss all thought this, but like before, Lube thought differently from them this time too.

    ¡°Look at how sly he looks, perfectly fitting of someone who would fall for a fishhead. He¡¯s just as I had imagined¡ªit¡¯s the perfect face to shred apart with a mace.¡±

    ¡°Ah, yes... yes.¡± Leona affirmed Lube¡¯s opinion this time too, although her eyes were moving as far away from Lube as possible. Of course, this wasn¡¯t because Leona disliked Lube.

    ¡°¡­Karuwiman Saintess Aine Primel Lube. Your character is far different from the one I am familiar with.¡± Ultel stared at Zich. ¡°I assume that¡¯s probably because of a certain somebody standing right in front of me. Don¡¯t you think this is a bit<em>too</em>much of a difference, though?¡±

    ¡°¡­What about it? There are only positives to it.¡±

    ¡°Why don¡¯t you meet a person¡¯s eyes when speaking to them? Don¡¯t give me the nonsense that you are being shy with that personality of yours.¡±

    ¡°Ahem! Ahem!¡± Even Zich seemed unable to give excuses about Lube¡¯s change in personality and let out a fake cough.

    ¡°Anyway, I¡¯m d to see you. Although we activated all the tower¡¯s defense systems, you and yourpanions broke through them in the end and came here.¡±

    ¡°Did you really think you could stop us with just that?¡±

    ¡°No, of course not. You know there are some things that seem impossible, but you don¡¯t suffer many losses by doing them and achieve huge gains if things work out well in the end. That¡¯s why I gave it a try. Yes, so you said your name is just Zich now, right?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    Ultel stared at Zich speechlessly, as if he was trying to assess what kind of person Zich was.

    ¡°I know I¡¯m good-looking enough to make even most men fall in love with me, but it puts me in a difficult position if you gaze at me so intensely.¡±

    ¡°You are so brazen and thick-faced. As I thought, you really are that guy.¡± By ¡®that guy,¡¯ Zich could easily tell that Ultel was talking about the Demon Lord of Strength, Zich Moore.

    ¡°That guy would never go around with a group of people like this, though.¡± Ultel¡¯s eyes darted to Zich¡¯spanions.

    ¡°Huh? Did you just insult mypanions?¡±

    ¡°You must know that¡¯s not what I mean.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know about that. Yourmentpletely soured my mood. Should I start things off by cracking your skull then?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s a really good idea, Sir Zich,¡± Lube said while dashing to Zich¡¯s side eagerly. She red at the enemies before her. Ultel wasn¡¯t the only one in the room. A group of about twenty or so figures wrapped in robes stood next to him.

    ¡°It¡¯s those robed bastards.¡± Unlike the carefree appearance he had shown until now, there was bloodlust in Walwiss¡¯ eyes. It was the same for Til. The people who had pushed their families to embrace evil were here.

    ¡°Ah, Walwiss Dwayne. I suppose your resentment toward us runs deep, on ount of your son?¡± Ultel asked.

    ¡°Of course. So much that I want to burn the organization you lead to the ground with the veryst member.¡±

    ¡°Your rage is certainly justified. I will admit that. Although, even if we didn¡¯t convince your son, I doubt you would¡¯ve had a good future with him.¡±

    ¡°¡­What do you mean?¡±

    ¡°In the first ce, all the conflict and dispute that existed in your family was because of you. I promise you that if we didn¡¯t tempt your son, he would¡¯ve disappeared from your side without saying anything and left everything behind. No matter how much you regretted after that, there would''ve been no way that he returned to your side.¡±

    ¡°It almost sounds as if you have seen the future.¡±

    ¡°Something like that.¡± At Ultel¡¯s tone of conviction, Walwiss¡¯ mood worsened.

    ¡°Why? Do you think I¡¯m lying? What do I have to do to make you believe me? Should I swear it on the great Bellu¡¯s name?¡±

    ¡°Hmph! As if the evil god¡¯s name has any value. And even if what you say is true, it¡¯s not a future that will ur in this timeline now. The only fact that remains is that you guys supported and tempted Ond to rebel against the entire magical tower.¡±

    ¡°As expected of Walwiss Dwayne. You sure are cold.¡±

    ¡°Did you really think you could shake me up with just that?¡±

    ¡°That wasn¡¯t really my intention. I simply spoke the truth. I mean, I¡¯m not saying anything to Til right now since it¡¯s clear that he lost hispanion because of our intervention.¡±

    ¡°You sure are shameless. I suppose that¡¯s how you can act as the Bellid pope.¡±

    ¡°Yes. You must also know how things are, since you spent a long time as the master of the magical tower. You must know what it means to stand on the very top.¡±

    ¡°However, that will end soon.¡± Walwiss fixed his grip on his staff. He looked like he was going to throw a fireball at Ultel¡¯s face at any moment.

    However, Ultel raised his hand and stopped him. ¡°I fully understand that you want to immediately burn me to a crisp, but why don¡¯t you wait for a bit? I want to have a brief chat with Zich.¡±

    Ultel¡¯s gaze moved towards Zich. ¡°How about it, Zich? It¡¯s also fate for us to meet like this, so why don¡¯t we have a little chat for a while? I have a lot of questions for you. I even set up a feast for you.¡±

    Ultel pointed behind him toward another staircase. It seemed as if they weren¡¯t still at the top yet. He continued, ¡°Ah, by the way, the only one I have business with is Zich. I¡¯d like the others to wait here for a while.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re going to take Zich alone? You¡¯re trying to keep us apart, aren¡¯t you?¡± Leona asked.

    ¡°Leona Pearl in Droud, the princess of the Lake Tribe. Your question ispletely valid, but I have no intentions of doing such a thing, because I seriously believe that I can beat all of you easily. What do you mean by ''hostage''? Why would I do such a useless thing? For your information, the reason why the shadows and golems are no longer chasing all of you is because I¡¯m stopping them. Isn¡¯t that enough for you to trust me? If you want, I can guarantee Zich¡¯s safety in Bellu¡¯s name.¡±

    ¡°How can you swear upon the name of your god so easily? As expected, insects can¡¯t help themselves.¡±

    ¡°Karuwiman Saintess, what can I do if I don¡¯t go as far as to swear on Bellu¡¯s name? You guys won¡¯t believe me? Isn¡¯t your opinion just from a Karuwiman¡¯s point of view? Why don¡¯t we respect each other¡¯s doctrines?¡±

    ¡°How dare you speak such filthy¡­!¡±

    How could a pope of the Bellids, known for their heinous acts, talk about respecting each other¡¯s doctrines? However, Ultel seemed disinterested in Lube¡¯s anger. His gaze remained fixated on Zich.

    ¡°What are you going to do, Zich?¡± Walwiss wanted to know Zich¡¯s decision. Everyone¡¯s gaze moved toward Zich.

    Zich nodded and said, ¡°Why don¡¯t I hear him out, since he¡¯s going so far as to say that?¡±

    ¡°Sir, it could be dangerous,¡± Til attempted to dissuade Zich.

    ¡°Since he even swore with his god¡¯s name on the line, he¡¯ll at least pretend to keep it. Besides, I¡¯m not the type to get defeated so easily just because I¡¯m by myself.¡±

    This was the strongest argument possible. No one who witnessed Zich¡¯s power up close could imagine him ever getting beaten.

    ¡°Then you should do it.¡±

    Everyone¡¯s gaze gathered toward the person who had just spoken. The person most inclined to oppose Zich talking to Ultel had just been the first to vote in favor of it.

    Lube looked back at them and said, ¡°Huh? Why is everyone looking at me like that?¡±

    ¡°Um, is that really okay?¡± Leona looked at her incredulously, but Lube nodded without much hesitation.

    ¡°Of course. Hasn¡¯t Sir Zich made his decision? I wouldn¡¯t ever disagree with him.¡±

    Did these wordse from a firm belief in Zich? Or was she criticizing his decision by showing an overly positive response? Considering her calm expression, thetter did not seem to be the case. At any rare, now that Lube agreed, the others all nodded.

    ¡°Then why don¡¯t you follow me? There¡¯s no need to disarm yourself,¡± Ultel said.

    ¡°Of course.¡± Zich walked toward Ultel.

    Lube waved her hand at Zich. ¡°See youter! I¡¯ll just be finishing some small tasks while you¡¯re gone!¡±

    Zich had almost reached Ultel when turned his head toward Lube when she said that she was going to be finishing some small tasks. Ultel¡¯s gaze also moved toward Lube. They saw her take out arge bag out of a magic box. It was full of white powder.

    ¡°¡­Is that salt?¡± Ultel murmured.

    Lube grabbed a lot of salt and sprayed it everywhere. She also gave a short prayer while spraying it each time. She said radical words like, ¡®Please bring salvation to the den of insects¡­¡¯ or ¡®Sink this whole ind underwater¡­¡¯

    Now that Zich was next to him, Ultel leaned over and asked, ¡°Is there really nothing on your conscience?¡±

    ¡°¡­Not at all.¡±

    ¡°Your moment of silence atst has be a little longer. That¡¯s a relief. It seems like you have at least a tiny prick of conscience.¡±

    Zich didn¡¯t reply. He turned his head as if he were trying to avoid Lube. ¡°Just quickly guide me.¡±

    ¡°All right. I also don¡¯t want to keep watching her at work either.¡±

    Like this, Ultel guided Zich upstairs. The robed figures did not show much movement as they went up. Even when Zich reached the top of the stairs, he could still hear Lube cursing the Bellids.

    * * *

    Zich went up to the upper floor, and as Ultel said, a magnificent feast was prepared for him.

    ¡°Sit. Since I prepared it for you, you can eat as much as you want. Ah, do you like wine?¡± Ultel grabbed a bottle of wine on the table.

    Zich did not answer the question. Instead, he said somethingpletely different. ¡°Come to think of it, didn¡¯t you guarantee my safety in the name of Bellu?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I did. If you want, I can swear on Bellu¡¯s name again.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s funny.¡± Zich smirked. ¡°I mean, you hold exactly zero value in Bellu¡¯s name.¡±

    Ultel paused as he opened the wine bottle. A momentter, a creepy smile appeared on his face.

 Chapter 574

    <h4>Chapter 574</h4>

    ¡°As expected, you know.¡±

    ¡°I know.¡±

    ¡°Okay, let me ask to make sure. You went through it too, right?¡± Ultel didn¡¯t specify what he was talking about, but Zich was able to easily make a guess.

    ¡°You are being extremely careful. Are you talking about regressing?¡±

    ¡°As expected.¡± Ultel ced two sses in front of him and poured wine into them. ¡°Please understand. You must also know that it¡¯s not good for even the concept of regression to be leaked. There would be swarms of people willing to sacrifice everything to get their hands on the power once they know about its existence.¡±

    ¡°You are talking as if you aren¡¯t such a person. You are part of the swarms of people.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s true.¡± The two sses were filled to the brim with wine. Ultel lifted one ss and threw it at Zich. Surprisingly, the liquid inside the ss didn¡¯t spurt out and the ss smoothly flew toward Zich with all its contents intact. Zich snatched the ss from the air, and the surface of the wine shook slightly but regained its calm a momentter.

    Zich took a gulp of the wine.

    ¡°Though you are a cult leader, you sure drink some good stuff.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t forget that we are<em>the</em>biggest secret organization in the world. That¡¯s why we can afford this luxury.¡±

    Zich and Ultel each took a seat. They took up knives and forks and began to eat the food in front of them. Though it would¡¯ve been reasonable for Zich to be suspicious of the food his enemy offered to him, there was no hesitation in his movements. Steam rose from the steak, and Zich took a big bite of it and chewed it slowly.

    ¡°This is also tasty.¡±

    ¡°The chef¡¯s skills are good.¡±

    ¡°Lube will be seething in anger if she sees how the Bellids are eating.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t tell her. Even I¡¯m a bit scared of the current Saintess. Let¡¯s keep this a secret between us.¡± Ultel winked, and of course, Zich¡¯s response wasn¡¯t positive. Then, the room was filled with the sounds of the two eating.

    ¡°Yeah.¡± Ultel wiped his lips with a napkin and said, ¡°There¡¯s no need for me to talk in a roundabout way. I will get to the point. How did you gain the power of regression?¡±

    Zich didn¡¯t answer. He was busy shoving deliciously cooked chicken legs into his mouth.

    Ultel waited. He was the one who had prepared this meal, after all. No matter how rude his guest was, he needed to wait for his guest to finish eating. Yet, Zich showed no signs of stopping even when all the food in front of him disappeared. Zich got up and moved the food that he couldn¡¯t reach from his seat to his te, then proceeded to shove it into his mouth as well.

    Ultel¡¯s calm eyes soon filled up with annoyance. The corners of his eyes trembled, and he pressed his lips tightly together. However, Zich didn¡¯t even nce at Ultel and continued eating like a starved castaway. When Zich¡¯s fork reached for the well-cooked ribs¡ª

    <em>Bam!</em>A knife flew from Ultel¡¯s area and stopped the trajectory of Zich¡¯s fork. Zich raised his head and stared at Ultel.

    ¡°Why don¡¯t you stop eating so we can talk?¡±

    ¡°Tch, you invited me to a meal but don¡¯t even let me eat. This is why cult leaders are so¡­¡± Zich grumbled and flicked away the knife blocking his fork, moving the ribs onto his te. Then, he jerked his chin for Ultel to continue.

    ¡°I asked you how you gained the power of regression.¡±

    ¡°Somehow.¡±

    Ultel scowled, but Zich continued to leisurely rip apart his ribs. Ultel let out a deep sigh. ¡°Okay, then let me skip over that issue. How many times have you regressed?¡±

    ¡°One time.¡±

    ¡°Just once?¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡±

    ¡°Amazing. Just once was all you needed to reach the truth about me. That idiot hero didn¡¯t grow suspicious of his power no matter how many times he regressed.¡±

    ¡°Are you reallyparing me to that guy?¡± Zich said, sounding offended. As if he had lost his appetite, he threw down his half-eaten rib back onto his te.

    ¡°Please excuse me. I have said something really offensive. I apologize.¡± Perhaps, even Ultel thought he had gone too far topare Zich with Glen and immediately apologized.

    ¡°I hope that you will think hard before you speak. I almost lost all my appetite.¡±

    ¡°Isn¡¯t it about time for you to stop eating anyway?¡±

    Yet, Zich ignored Ultel¡¯s words and once more began to munch on the ribs he had just ced down. Anger shot up inside Ultel¡¯s heart again, but Ultel repressed it.

    ¡°If you just answer my questions well, it won¡¯t matter if you keep eating.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I will answer all your questions sincerely.¡± This was riching from somebody who answered Ultel¡¯s first question about how he gained the regression ability with ¡®Somehow.¡¯

    ¡°Then, let me move on to the next question. How much do you know?¡±

    ¡°Everything.¡± It was a simple answer, but what it implied wasn¡¯t simple at all.

    ¡°Everything¡­that¡¯s an abstract answer. An arrogant one too. Could you exin how I should ept this answer?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s as I said. Specifically, all information regarding regressions and some things beyond that too.¡±

    ¡°I still don¡¯t get what you mean.¡±

    ¡°For example, I know that you Bellids started from a cult belonging to an ancient empire.¡±

    ¡°¡­I didn¡¯t think you would also know that,¡± Ultel said in surprise. ¡°Could you first tell me the information you know and I will try to match them with the history of the Bellids that I know of?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not too difficult.¡± Zich discarded the rib leftovers to the side, and a few more bones were added to the existing mountain of bones.

    ¡°Near the end of the ancient empire, many factions formed in the time of chaos. There were cults among this group, and one of the groups was the Bellids.¡±

    With his hands, Ultel gestured for Zich to continue.

    ¡°At that time, there was a rebel army that worked against the empire. This army didn¡¯t hold back from using any means or methods to defeat the empire, or more specifically, the emperor. Thus, they also didn¡¯t refrain from joining forces with whatever organization as long as it helped defeat the empire. This obviously included cults. Naturally, they stretched their hands out to you guys, the Bellids.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°In the end, the empire fell. However, the rebel army didn¡¯t fare well either. They were destroyed as well. After the fall of both the empire and the rebels, only greedy people were left, and they ran wild to devour the empire¡¯snd.¡±

    ¡°And you¡¯re saying that one of those groups of people was us?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right. However, the Bellids weren¡¯t that big during that time, so they couldn¡¯t do too much. However, you guys were able to get your hands on one of the various powers of the empire¡ªthe holy power that you guys im as Bellu¡¯s energy.¡±

    ¡°This is difficult information to ept as a faithful believer of Bellu.¡±

    ¡°I told you before. I already know that you don¡¯t have even the slightest faith in Bellu. No, not just you, but all of your predecessors who were Bellid popes. Your perception of Bellu has never gone beyond the figurehead god of a cult that benefits by misleading and tricking people.¡±

    ¡°It seems like you really know us well.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s what I¡¯ve been telling you. Do you want me to say more? Back in those days when all kinds of forces were in conflict, your predecessors and the first Bellid pope chose to hide underwater again instead of participating in the power struggle between forces after obtaining the so-called holy energy. You then continued to expand your power as a cult. You were weak, but you kept building up your strength through the power of the empire. Since it was such a chaotic world, it was a very good environment for a cult to flourish. Inparison, those who tried to devour the empire¡¯s corpses and fight each other were slowly losing their powers one by one. Eventually, most of the empire¡¯s brilliant civilization and powerful forces disappeared, and even the remaining traces werepletely covered by time.¡±

    Zich cut a piece of cake and put it on his te. Then he stabbed the strawberry on his cake with a fork. With the strawberry on it, he pointed at Ultel with the fork and said, ¡°Except for you guys. I¡¯m not calling you guys cockroaches for no reason. You guys really have one hell of a life force.¡±

    ¡°I had no idea there was such a deep meaning behind you calling us cockroaches,¡± Ultel said sarcastically.

    Zich continued, ¡°Like you said, the Bellids became the most powerful cult in the world and lived a plentiful and bountiful life sucking out people¡¯s blood and tears. Yet, that wasn¡¯t enough for you guys, because you had information about a world that had already disappeared.¡±

    ¡°About the absolute power to live countless times¡ªthe ability to regress,¡± Ultel intercepted Zich¡¯s words and continued, ¡°You¡¯re right. We continued to search for the regression ability. No matter how great a force we¡¯ve built, we aren¡¯t a real kingdom or empire. Even if we wanted to stop hiding and go out into the sun, people will never want to be ruled by the likes of us¡ªmere cult members, as you said. Of course, they¡¯ll resist and rebel. On top of that, it¡¯ll be even more difficult if we consider the interference of various countries and the Karuwimans.¡±

    ¡°I guess you know your ce somewhat.¡±

    ¡°urately assessing your position is one of the most important factors in nning. With our forces, we will be able to upy a country, and we might be able to capture a stronghold powerful enough to be called an empire. However, the only fate we would have left is to be destroyed by abined attack from the other countries, led by the Karuwimans.¡±

    ¡°However, if you guys acquire the ability to regress, it¡¯ll be apletely different story. Isn¡¯t that right?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Ultel gulped down thest wine he had in his ss, then filled it once more. ¡°However, we couldn¡¯t find it even after looking for it for a very long time. The power of regression was the power of the empire, it was the imperial family¡¯s secret weapon. Of course, the security was extremely tight. Therefore, from some point on, we stopped desperately looking for signs of it.¡±

    ¡°You were different, though.¡±

    ¡°You really know everything. That¡¯s correct. It¡¯s because I¡¯m different. Isn¡¯t that obvious? An ancient empire that ruled the world, and the absolute power that sustained such a glorious empire. Besides, I thought that the existence of that power was highly credible. I searched for any remaining traces, looking through all kinds of records. That¡¯s when that thing appeared!¡±

    ¡°Serpina.¡±

    ¡°Yeah! The Brushel System¡¯s Core!¡± Ultel¡¯s voice had been calm so far, but he shouted excitedly, ¡°Do you know how I felt at that time? Its existence proved that the overwhelming power that is nothing short of a miracle exists! I was excited! I was beyond ted! With this, it would be more than enough to fulfill our¡ªmy desire!¡±

    Ultel mmed the table with his fist, but thatsted only for a moment. He soon suppressed his excitement. ¡°However, that power wasn¡¯t immediately mine. I needed to steal it. Fortunately, that thing, now called a Demon Lord for the mass destruction it caused, waspletely enamored with another matter¡ªthe resurrection of the empire. In addition, another threat emerged to fight against it.¡±

    Ultel¡¯s eyesnded on Zich. ¡°The hero, Zich Brave.¡±

    Favorite

 Chapter 575

    <h4>Chapter 575</h4>

    Brave¡ªZich¡¯s eyebrows twitched at the mention of his name. Perhaps he was used to it, however, since he didn¡¯t show any negative reaction beyond that.

    ¡°To tell you the truth, when Zich Brave first appeared, I thought the heavens were working in my favor. I even thought that maybe Bellu really existed, and faith that I never once had began to sprout inside me.¡± Ultel¡¯s eyes looked teary as he recalled the memory, and Zich felt a strong urge to pierce those eyes with his fork, but he repressed it.

    ¡°Serpina¡¯s abilities were truly fearsome. That was true for the army of monsters she led around, but above all, it was her personal abilities that were truly frightening. Although I was d at first that my thoughts hadn¡¯t been wrong, I soon fell into despair at the thought that I must kill or restrain her to get what I wanted. Thus, when you and yourpanions appeared, it really felt like a blessing from the heavens.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not me but Brave. Don¡¯t mix that up.¡±

    ¡°It appears that you dislike your past self.¡±

    ¡°Past or not, that¡¯s not me.¡±

    ¡°Well, if that is what you wish, I will abide by it.¡± It wasn¡¯t even a difficult request to fulfill. ¡°Anyways, Brave splendidly led hispanions to push back the Core, and the battle between the two forces became fiercer and fiercer!¡±

    Zich already had knowledge about everything Ultel said. Yet, Ultel didn¡¯t stop there. His voice grew louder and faster. It seemed like he was bing excited thinking of the time which he considered to be the turning point of his life.

    ¡°I immediately deployed all the forces I could muster to ambush them both at the right opportunity. Of course, my subordinates couldn¡¯t do anything against the two normally, but it was possible to do something if there was a momentary gap, since what I wanted wasn¡¯t their lives anyway!¡±

    ¡°You wanted the Brushel System.¡±

    ¡°Yes! The system that allowed regressions! If I had that, it didn¡¯t matter how strong Brave and Serpina were! I could just turn time back to the point before Brave grew to his potential and Serpina was still sleeping!¡± In front of the mighty power of regressions, individual strength was aspletely meaningless as the life of a worm crawling underground.

    ¡°After taking them by surprise and encountering them, I was able to stand in front of the Brushel System. Of course, not anyone could control the Brushel System since Serpina was the only qualified one.¡±

    ¡°However, I had an item that could turn the situation around.¡± Ultel smiled cheerfully. He stroked the ring on his right index finger.

    ¡°Now that I think about it, I suppose this is the reason why Serpina suddenly popped out. I mean, there must have been a push for her to suddenly wake up while she was quietly part of the Brushel System as the core. It¡¯s not as if the system was broken or anything.¡±

    The World Tree¡¯s great mana perfectly protected the Brushel System for a very long time. Naturally, if there hadn¡¯t been intervention from the outside, Serpina wouldn¡¯t have been able to wake up as the Core. If she woke up by herself, it would¡¯ve been unnecessary for Zich toe all the way here to save L.

    ¡°The Emperor¡¯s Ring,¡± Zich noted.

    ¡°It¡¯s the item I discovered among all the resources the Bellids had umted through generations and with great effort. When I first found it, I wasn¡¯t certain what it was. I knew it was quite a rare item, but there was no way for me to be certain if it was an artifact belonging to the ancient empire, much less belonging to the emperor. After Serpina popped out, however, I became sure that the ring was the real thing. With it, I gained the power to meddle with the Brushel System.¡±

    Ultel stretched out his fingers into the air and stared at the ring on his finger. ¡°When I first used the power of regression, I thought I was dreaming. My wrinkled skin turned smooth and supple, and I regained all the vigor and stamina I had once lost. You must have also felt the awe and dreamlike feeling of regressing.¡±

    Zich recalled the first day of his regression. ¡°Nope.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t lie. There¡¯s no way you didn¡¯t feel¡­¡±

    ¡°I was first stunned and confused, but some guys immediately crawled into the picture. Then, I immediately had to battle my arrogant younger brother and another guy after that. On second thought, it seems like I never took a moment to dwell on my emotions about my recovered youth. That is pretty regretful.¡±

    Ultel was momentarily left speechless by this answer that went beyond his imagination.

    ¡°¡­As expected of the regressed Zich Moore.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s enough praise for me.¡±

    ¡°All right.¡± Ultel had no intention to even deal with Zich¡¯s nonsense anymore. It was much more difficult to deal with Zich who regressed once than Glen who regressed countless times.

    ¡°Okay, so that¡¯s how you regressed,¡± Zich said.

    ¡°Yes. It was obvious what I needed to do next. I didn¡¯t have the ring or the Brushel System in my grasp because of the regression, but I could easily retrieve them since I had turned back time. Furthermore, I was able to get my hands on several artifacts belonging to the ancient empire, such as items that could create Demon People, fragmentary information about the empire, and so on. Thus, I began to make some moves toward my aspirations.¡±

    ¡°Like Glen Zenard, right?¡±

    ¡°How offensive. Don¡¯t you also dislike beingpared to him?¡±

    ¡°Ah, that¡¯s right. I went too far just now. Let me sincerely apologize to you.¡±

    To think that Zich would apologize so easily¡ªit seemed like Glen was truly unredeemable trash in Zich¡¯s view.

    ¡®It¡¯s understandable.¡¯ Ultel thought it wasn¡¯t strange, since he thought the same way.

    ¡°In the end, you passed on the regression ability to that guy.¡±

    ¡°Yes, it was too bothersome. Even if I could regress, it wasn¡¯t an easy task to amass power and authority in every timeline.¡± Although Ultel came closer to his aspirations every time he regressed, it was troublesome to prepare for it each time. ¡°Furthermore, whenever I thought I took care of the guy between me and my goal, a new annoyance popped out to hinder me. Like Brave, there were guys who tried to hold me down in every timeline.¡±

    Ultel red at Zich with a look of annoyance mixed in. However, Zich didn¡¯t feel anything since he didn¡¯t identify as Brave. Instead, he red back at Ultel just as menacingly.

    Ultel continued, ¡°I needed information. Of course, I was able to get more precise and detailed information as I regressed, but I told you, didn¡¯t I? It was a hassle to get there. Moreover, regression was not infinite.¡± Ultel was referring to the fear experienced by previous Clowon emperors after regressing too much. ¡°At that time, I came up with a brilliant idea. If regressing to get information was annoying and a hassle, I should leave it up to someone else.¡±

    ¡°So that¡¯s why you chose Glen Zenard.¡±

    ¡°Correct,¡± Ultel chuckled. ¡°Our dear, pitiful and poor Sun Hero, Glen Zenard. All he had was a handsome face and delusions of grandeur.¡±

    Ultel spoke with a very pitiful tone, but his words were terribly derogatory. ¡°I was very lucky to meet him too because I had to choose the right person. First, they had to be ambitious. If I gave the regression ability to someone who wanted to live by making a lot of money or those with simr goals, I wouldn¡¯t be able to get the information I want. In addition, they couldn¡¯t be too smart, since I was giving them such a powerful ability.¡±

    ¡°And Glen Zenard was the one who fulfilled all the conditions?¡±

    ¡°A guy with the goal of bing a righteous hero, yet he is someone with such an ugly heart that he can¡¯t be satisfied with solving existing problems. Instead, he creates more confusion and chaos to solve it. Isn¡¯t he perfect for the job?¡±

    ¡°Well, his goal wasn¡¯t to be a hero. Rather, he was obsessed with the by-products attached to the name of a hero.¡±

    ¡°Yeah. I also needed an idiot like him whose abilities were socking that even if I gave them the regression ability, they wouldn¡¯t even question it.¡±

    ¡°Agreed.¡± Zich deeply agreed with Ultel¡¯s assessment of Glen. ¡°He really has the talent of a perfect puppet. That hero idiot.¡±

    ¡°Right?¡± Ultel raised his ss toward Zich, and likewise, Zich raised his ss. As if they were toasting, the two tilted their sses toward each other.

    ¡°For Glen Zenard!¡±

    ¡°Blessings for the hero idiot!¡±

    Had Glen witnessed this scene, he would have vomited blood and screamed his heart out. However, Glen Zenard wasn¡¯t present, and if he had been, he wouldn¡¯t have known what they were talking about because most of his organs that collected external information had been destroyed.

    ¡°Also, doesn¡¯t that idiot have some ridiculouspetitive spirit against you?¡±

    ¡°Didn¡¯t we agree to stopparing ourselves with him? We both did it to each other and agreed with how disgusting it felt.¡±

    ¡°This is just the truth. If you want to me someone, me the idiot who insisted on standing on the same level as you.¡±

    ¡°It wasn¡¯t me, but Brave.¡±

    ¡°To him, it¡¯s the same person. That guy who is incapable of knowing his ce really helped me a lot. To fulfill his desire¡ªto be the greatest hero in history by beating Zich Brave and winning all the wealth and glory¡ªhe began to regress.¡±

    ¡°And you pretended to be under hismand to help him.¡±

    ¡°Yeah. That way, I could collect information more quickly.¡± Ultel softlyughed once again. ¡°Isn¡¯t this really hrious? There¡¯s not much I did. All I did was secretly spread a rumor before he regressed that the Bellid pope, Ultel, thought that the incarnation of Bellu would appear at a specific time and ce. If someone arrived at that exact time and ce, Ultel would believe them to be Bellu¡¯s incarnation and swear his loyalty.¡±

    ¡°So Glen really believed that piece of information and ran to the ce at that time and you¡­¡±

    ¡°And I pretended to serve and extol Glen Zenard as the incarnation of Bellu.¡±

    Zich and Ultel both burst outughing. Theyughed so hard that they stamped their feet and punched the table.

    ¡°Hahahahhahaha! Just think about it! That idiot calmly saying, ¡®I¡¯m the one you¡¯ve been waiting for,¡¯ with a solemn expression on his face! I¡¯ve lived quite a long time thanks to the power of regression, but I swear it was the hardest time in my life to suppress myughter!¡±

    ¡°Ahahhahaha! Ah, damn it! I should¡¯ve seen it myself!¡± They continuedughing for a long time.

    ¡°Haha! Anyway, he kept trying to regress to obtain his perfect life, and I was able to steadily gain more and more information. I don¡¯t have memories of when he regressed, but ording to the information I saw through the Brushel System, my n was going well. Moreover, his ns, which used to be full of variables and disorder, gradually turned more systematic. I thought his n would bepleted soon, and his existence would disappear at the same time, but¡­¡±

    ¡°All of a sudden, a lot of variables appeared in this timeline, right?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, and the reason is your own regression.¡±

 Chapter 576

    <h4>Chapter 576</h4>

    Ultel¡¯s eyes opened wide. Although he had chatted andughed about Glen with Zich until now, the smile on his face suddenly disappeared. All that was left was a man full of ambition to control the world while using Glen as a puppet.

    ¡°That¡¯s a pity. I simply wandered around doing kind deeds. If you had to suffer the damages for that, you should just bear it quietly.¡±

    ¡°Did I hear wrong? Kind deeds? Is this reallying from Zich Moore? Am I hearing hallucinations or am I drunk from the wine? Or are you not Zich Moore but Brave?¡±

    ¡°Nonsense.¡±

    ¡°That makes it harder to understand. I know that the words ¡®Moore¡¯ and ¡®kind deeds¡¯ do not go together. Are you joking? If you are, quit it because it¡¯s really not funny.¡±

    ¡°No, I¡¯m being serious. Did you perhaps check the timeline right before this one?¡±

    ¡°I did.¡±

    ¡°Do you know what Glen said to me at that time?¡±

    ¡°No. I don¡¯t look at each timeline in such detail. I just nce at it quickly to see if the n is progressing well.¡±

    ¡°In many ways, the previous timeline could¡¯ve been the perfect timeline that the hero idiot dreamed of. He was boasting his name across the world as the perfect hero, and I eventually lost as the Demon Lord.¡±

    Ultel leaned closer toward Zich as if this story interested him very much.

    ¡°Before throwing the final blow, he told me to live a kind life if I am reborn again.¡±

    ¡°¡­So, because of that, you lived a kind life after regressing?¡±

    ¡°Despite how I seem, I respect those who defeated me. Thus, I tried living a kind life.¡±

    ¡°And that eventually led to you blocking Glen Zenard.¡±

    ¡°Yes. Isn¡¯t it ironic?¡±

    ¡°To think that he was the one who hindered his own ns. How many more stupid things does he have to do before he is satisfied?¡± Ultel clicked his tongue.

    ¡°It was a good deal for me. I could approach the truth while going around killing Demon People who were the bad guys. Above all, I met L.¡±

    ¡°Yes, the Brushel System¡¯s core,¡± Ultel sighed. ¡°In a way, she is the biggest reason why you and I are meeting here right now. Honestly, I was always afraid she would meet Glen. Though most of her memories are erased when she is awakened forcefully, and her self-identity gets wiped out, not<em>all</em>memories disappear. If Glen Zenard met her and began to wonder about the origin of his regression ability, things could turn really messy. So it was more shocking that you regressed and met that thing.¡±

    ¡°That was a great fortune for me in many ways.¡±

    ¡°It was a great misfortune for me in many ways.¡± Ultel sighed one more time.

    ¡°Let me ask you one thing.¡±

    ¡°Aren¡¯t you continuously asking me questions? What¡¯s the point of making a big deal about one more question?¡± Zich asked lightly, but Ultel remained serious.

    ¡°Did you read the Core¡¯s memories?¡±

    ¡°Hm? I thought L¡¯s memories could only be read through the Brushel System¡¯s restriction device.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s what I thought until now, but the information you have is too detailed.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s thanks to our great efforts.¡±

    ¡°Especially your knowledge about Bellid¡¯s history is too detailed. Those kinds of things aren''t even left in records. They were passed down by word of mouth and only I should know of them.¡±

    Ultel¡¯s eyes glinted sharply. ¡°The only thing I can think of is one thing. During the time I was regressing, I exined to my subordinates about the history of the Bellids a couple of times.¡±

    ¡°There must have been some loose lips among your subordinates.¡±

    ¡°Even if that¡¯s true, everything turns back to like it had never happened if one goes through a regression. In other words, the only one who should know about the information I spoke about bes only me again. Of course, besides all the information that was inputted into the Core.¡±

    ¡°If that¡¯s the case, what are you going to do from now on?¡±

    ¡°Nothing is going to change.¡± As if the burst of passion he recently showed had all been a lie, Ultel¡¯s voice became calm again. ¡°Whether it¡¯s me or you, we are both trying to put an end to this right now. I am just asking you since we are conversing already, but I am bing more and more determined as we talk.¡±

    Ultel lifted his ss and slightly swirled the remaining amount of wine.

    ¡°Many unique events have happened to you in this timeline. I am well aware of how much of a genius you are, but I couldn¡¯t understand the sudden burst of power that you disyed from time to time in this timeline. That level of power and talent was only expected of Zich Brave or Zich Moore at their peaks when they had perfectly honed their talents. No matter how much of a genius you are, I didn¡¯t think you would¡¯ve freed up all your mana at that age¡ªespecially since the amount you have is so absurd that a normal person can¡¯t logically wrap their heads around it. Thus, I guessed that you must have some special method to free up all the mana you have.¡±

    After drinking all the wine he had, Ultel said in a self-assured voice, ¡°And I have something simr to that.¡±

    Ultel touched the ring on his finger. It was the Emperor¡¯s Ring that gave him authority over the Brushel System.

    ¡°It was then that a thought came to me. Perhaps, you possess something simr to this ring I have. Or perhaps, you have the authority to control the Brushel System like this ring.¡±

    ¡°You sure thought of a lot.¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s more. From my sources, it appears that you don¡¯t always use all your power. Of course, it could be that it was unnecessary. Maybe it¡¯s a power that you can only use under special conditions. Or, like my ring, you need the power of the World Tree to use it.¡±

    A deep smile hung on Ultel¡¯s lips. ¡°That means in the ces where you released all your mana, there¡¯s something rted to the World Tree.¡±

    Although it was a bit off, Ultel was definitely approaching the truth. ¡°In some ways, your understanding of the Brushel System may be greater than mine. Thinking back, you said Glen Zenard can no longer regress, right? The device that controls the regression ability broke and that seems to be your doing.¡±

    ¡°Hey, don¡¯t put all the me on me.¡± Zich shrugged, and Ultel got up.

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. I will hold you here, snatch information from you, and thoroughly search every suspicious ce. Then, I will put the Core back in her ce. I¡¯m sure the information she had while traveling with you is also in the Core¡¯s head. I guess I have you to thank for that. Thanks to you, I will be able to get to the root of the Brushel System that I haven¡¯t been able to find out no matter how many times I regressed.¡±

    ¡°Will that be as easy as you make it sound?¡± Zich also got up. The joking and carefree attitude they had before waspletely gone now, and the space became filled with a deep sense of fluctuating bloodlust.

    ¡°It seems like the end of the most important battle would be between you and me, though I had hoped Glen Zenard would aplish his goal if he could.¡±

    ¡°Did you be attached to your puppet?¡±

    ¡°I was nning to make him pay the price of trying to crawl beyond his means and limits in the end, but he was someone who worked so hard for me. I was nning to let him have the dream he wanted. The way that guy obsessed about you was nothing to joke about. That¡¯s why I let him try to be a great hero after giving him the power of regression.¡±

    ¡°Hmph, didn¡¯t you just want to dig up information about me by imprinting into him that I was his worst enemy?¡±

    ¡°Ha, was I found out?¡± Ultelughed exaggeratedly. ¡°My judgment wasn¡¯t wrong. No, it was a very impressive one. Glen Zenard¡¯s obsession eventually led you to this ce, along with information about the Brushel System that I didn¡¯t know of.¡±

    ¡°Aren¡¯t you being overly confident? Everything will be over if I just kill you here.¡±

    ¡°That would certainly be scary.¡± Ultel cowered back as if he were afraid, but his smiling face and exaggerated movements clearly showed that he wasn¡¯t afraid at all.

    ¡°Of course you are strong¡ªno, that would be an understatement. As someone who has gone through many regressions directly and indirectly, I can guarantee that you are the world¡¯s best. There is probably no one like you in the past or future; and even if there are some, they are very few.¡±

    ¡°Hm, hmph!¡± Zich nodded in agreement.

    ¡°Furthermore, there¡¯s the deal with yourpanions too. The Karuwiman Saintess, Aine Primel Lube; the men who would be called the three Demon Lords along with you, Walwiss Dwayne and Til; even the Lake Tribe¡¯s princess, Leona Pearl in Droud. It really is the best party one can have. If someone had told me to battle you all with no preparations, I would¡¯ve chopped off that person¡¯s head and surrendered quietly or escaped.¡±

    ¡°Does that mean you think it¡¯s worth a try if you make the necessary preparations?¡±

    ¡°No matter how amazing you guys are, you guys still are few in number. If I mobilized a huge number of forces, your team would be pushed back. Even when the Demon Lord of Strength, Zich Moore, and his subordinates fought against the world, the world wasn¡¯t normal then. Besides Zich Moore, there were two more Demon Lords, many Demon People, and all sorts of chaos added on top of that. As countries and empires weakened and crumbled under the fists of the Demon Lords and Demon People, you guys were able to rule by terror. If you guys really fought against the world by yourselves, even you all wouldn¡¯t have been able to survive.¡±

    Zich didn¡¯t deny Ultel¡¯s words. ¡°That means you secured enough forces to push back mypanions and me right now.¡±

    ¡°Of course.¡±<em>Click!</em>Ultel snapped his fingers, and Zich felt the mana flowing through the tower change.

    ¡°This is my second fight with you on this ind after the first timeline.¡±

    ¡°Talk properly. It¡¯s not with me, but with Brave. Also, you didn¡¯t fight him. You just backstabbed him.¡±

    ¡°I won¡¯t refute that.¡±

    ¡°You should also change your wording about the event. You didn¡¯t backstab anyone while Brave and Serpina were fighting. At that point, Brave had won.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s true, everyone could tell that Serpina was almost dead during that time. That¡¯s why I backstabbed her. Since both were exhausted, it was the best time to make a sudden ambush.¡± Recalling the time, Ultel shook his head. ¡°Thinking back to that time, that was the most dangerous moment for me. Though I used the opportunity when both lost all their energy from fighting, they resisted so fiercely, even Serpina who was half-dead. I threw my subordinates at them and tried to distance myself as far away from the battle as possible, I even went to the top of the tower, and I almost lost my life in the process.¡±

    Ultel shuddered, but that didn¡¯tst for long. ¡°However, it was I who won in the end. It will be the same this time.¡±

    Zich pulled out his sword. Ultel raised his staff from the top of the table.

    ¡°Ah, I forgot to ask you one more thing.¡±

    ¡°What is it?¡±

    ¡°What is your rtionship with the Core?¡±

    ¡°We are soon-to-be lovers,¡± Zich said confidently.

    ¡°Really? It¡¯s not just your one-sided delusion?¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s the one who confessed to me first. I¡¯m actually the one who only fell for her recently.¡±

    Ultel scowled.

    ¡°Why? Are you jealous?¡±

    ¡°Of course, I am. I am crazy jealous. I¡¯m also a man and can¡¯t help but think things when seeing a beauty like that. I only watched her without doing anything because I couldn¡¯t dare to do something against the Brushel System¡¯s Core. If I woke her up as per the correct procedure, she would wake up as Serpina and create a hugemotion. If I tried to wake her up with a new self-consciousness, I would have to destroy the container holding her, and I didn¡¯t know if that would cause the regression ability to disappear.¡±

    ¡°L¡¯s abilities have nothing to do with the regression, though.¡±

    ¡°I couldn¡¯t be sure that was the case, and I couldn¡¯t take the risk. It seems like there¡¯s no need for me to hold back from now on.¡± A sly smile formed on Ultel¡¯s lips. ¡°If I gain a deep understanding of the Brushel System, I will be able to pull her out at any time and y around with her. I¡¯m sure it will be excruciatingly painful for you, her soon-to-be lover, but don¡¯t worry. You won¡¯t be able to remember anything anyway.¡±

    All expressions disappeared from Zich¡¯s face.

    That merelysted for a moment, however, and a very deep, cruel smile formed on his face. Only his lips were smiling, and there was a frigid coldness in his eyes.

    ¡°Are you trying to provoke me on purpose? Well, that¡¯s the sort of tactic I would expect from you.¡± Zich¡¯s voice was very calm, but there was something indescribably frightening deep within; it was to the point that a bit of sweat could be seen on Ultel¡¯s forehead.

    ¡°Let me give you my congrattions first,¡± Zich said. ¡°You have definitely fulfilled your goal, and right now, I am angry to the point that it even surprises me. So, let me ask you.¡±

    While holding Estede, crunching sounds could be hearding from Zich¡¯s hands. ¡°Do you think you can handle the aftermath?¡±

 Chapter 577

    <h4>Chapter 577</h4>

    ¡°¡­What fearsome bloodlust. It¡¯s really not good for my heart to sh with you personally.¡± Still, Ultel didn¡¯t doubt his victory at all.

    ¡°This encounter made me be certain of one more thing. You are too dangerous. Every time I regress from now on, I¡¯m going to start by killing you first.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s pointless to n a future like that. There¡¯s no chance of you regressing again, so don¡¯t think of suchplications!¡±

    Light shone from Estede.

    <em>Baam!</em>The light dulled and a semi-transparent white wall faded, but that was only the start. Soon, a myriad of lights filled up the space.

    <em>Bam! Bam! Bam! Babam!</em>The numerous tes of food on top of the table shattered into pieces as Estede¡¯s light and Ultel¡¯s holy light shed. Delicious-looking food turned to dirty trash and littered the ground, together with the table¡¯s remains.

    <em>Bam!</em>Estede¡¯s light exploded again, and Ultel raised his staff and counterattacked. Ultel disyed splendid skills that didn¡¯t embarrass the title of the Bellid pope. Most skilled fighters would have been one-sidedly and mercilessly pounded into dust by his immense holy magic. Yet, his opponent was Zich. No matter how sturdy Ultel¡¯s walls were or how dangerous his attacks were, Zich¡¯s attacks destroyed everything.

    It was an overwhelming disy of power. At this rate, it seemed like all of Ultel¡¯s defenses would fall and Estede¡¯s de would chop his head off. Yet, there was no sense of urgency on Ultel¡¯s face.

    <em>Whoosh!</em>Zich swung his sword again. Estede responded to its owner and a burst of light exploded outward.

    <em>Baaam!</em>shes of light were followed by loud roars as they shook the surroundings. Zich clearly felt the sensation of Estede slicing through something.

    <em>Boom!</em>Something fell in front of Zich. Red blood flowed out and soaked the floor, but the blood didn¡¯t belong to Ultel. It was an unfamiliar figure wearing a robe. Other figures wearing robes suddenly surrounded Ultel and more enemies continued toe down from the upper floors.

    ¡°Are you hiding behind your subordinates because you are getting pushed back?¡±

    ¡°This is the perk of being the head of an organization. As someone who leads the holy Bellids, how could I continue to engage in barbaric squabbles with you?¡±

    ¡°If bullshitting is one of the skills required to be an organization leader, I will acknowledge you as one of the greatest leaders in the world,¡± Zich said sarcastically while raising his thumb.

    ¡°Of course! I will be the world¡¯s best leader after I get rid of you.¡±

    ¡°Your dream is too big. Do you really think you can do anything to me with those guys? Judging your past stories, it seems like you have been continuously fighting me. How could you know so little about me then? Do you know nothing about me?¡±

    Ultel let out a low chuckle. ¡°Of course not. However, these are not the only guys you have to deal with.¡± As soon as Ultel said this, another group of figures scrambled upward.

    Ultel spoke leisurely as if he was checking a prey caught in a trap. ¡°If you think you trapped me in this tower, you¡¯re dead wrong.<em>I¡¯m</em>the one who was waiting for you here.¡±

    Then, he continued, ¡°I know you have been spying on me through Tornium.¡±

    ¡°You noticed at least that much?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s the first thing I thought of when I guessed that you could read the Core¡¯s memories. That¡¯s why Iid a trap for you.¡±

    ¡°It sounds like you left false information through Tornium to me and carried out your real n when Tornium was not with you,¡± Zich said.

    ¡°You sure are quick, and you really are amazing. You purposefully gave Tornium to Glen Zenard and let him escape, didn¡¯t you? To extract more information through him, huh? I really thought it was strange that he managed to run away that easily in his half-crazed state when the dragon appeared.¡±

    ¡°Isn¡¯t your assessment of him too low? Who knows, he could have still been capable of at least escaping.¡±

    ¡°Escape, yes. But from<em>your</em>hands? That idiot?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s certainly true.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s funny how you don¡¯t deny any statements that speak highly of you.¡±

    ¡°Well, I can¡¯t deny the truth.¡±

    ¡°Kuhaha! Yes, you can¡¯t deny the truth. It¡¯s also true that you fell into the trap that I prepared for you.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t be so hopeful because you managed to hide just one part of your n. I¡¯m someone who¡¯s especially talented at crushing other people¡¯s ns. You know that too, don¡¯t you?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sure that this n won¡¯t fail.¡± Before Ultel even finished speaking, another group of people came down.

    ¡°You used the teleportation ability of the tower,¡± Zich stated.

    ¡°Yes, I did!¡±

    This ind was one of the historical locations that belonged to the Clowon Empire. It was protected by rough currents so that it was impossible for boats to approach the ind unless they forcefully prated the barrier with enormous power, the way Zich had. Thus, what they used to enter and leave the ind was teleportation. The immense mana flowing in the tower from the World Tree connected the first floor of the tower to thekeshore. Since the ind had the World Tree¡¯s main body and the Brushel System, teleportation was allowed to the very top of the tower. In other words, the tower was basically a huge teleportation center. If there were troops anywhere on the ind or thekeshore, Ultel could call them to the tower any time. Of course, as a prerequisite, he needed the necessary forces to be there the first ce, but Ultel was confident.

    ¡°I have enough forces. I have stationed an enormous number of troops on the ind andkeshore for this current situation. As soon as I found out that you couldn¡¯t be seen on the battlefield, I took away a considerable number of troops from the conquest army at the Cronon Kingdom.¡±

    ¡°You won¡¯t be able to maintain the front lines of the war then.¡±

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. I left enough to buy me time. If I manage to recover the Brushel System, everything will be fixed.¡± They would be able to overturn everything once they regressed. This was why Zich had tried so desperately to stop the Brushel System.

    ¡°Let¡¯s see how much you can endure.¡±

    The robed figures readied their weapons, and Zich also raised Estede.

    <em>Bam!</em>With a loud sound, the door leading downstairs opened.

    ¡°Zich! Are you all right?¡± Leona¡¯s worried voice rang across the room. Zich¡¯spanions hade up to where he was, and they saw the robed figures confronting Zich.

    ¡°As expected, there¡¯s no way the leader of insects would keep his promise. It¡¯s really not surprising,¡± Lube said coldly as she looked at Ultel hiding behind the robed figures.

    ¡°Saintess, isn¡¯t your trust in me too weak? Yourrade could have attacked me first.¡±

    ¡°Hmph!¡± With a snort, she dismissed Ultel¡¯s ims.

    ¡°You came at the perfect time,¡± Zich said.

    ¡°It¡¯s because they suddenly attacked us downstairs.¡± As soon as Walwiss finished speaking, there was amotion downstairs. Anyone could tell that there was a huge number of people and other beings jumping up from below.

    ¡°I told you, didn¡¯t I? We¡¯ve got more troops on theke. Besides, you guys left behind a lot of monsters. There¡¯s also the magic tower¡¯s self-defense system.¡±

    Shadows and golems continuously climbed up from below. Bellid forces and monsters were also mixed in. Zich¡¯s party was surrounded in an instant, and Ultel watched the scene with satisfaction.

    ¡°Finish them.¡±

    Ultel¡¯s forces rushed toward Zich¡¯s party.

    * * *

    Every single member of Zich¡¯s party showed amazing skills and abilities. Zich and Til furiously swung their swords. Their enemies¡¯ attacks were torn apart by their swords, unable to reach Zich¡¯s party. Moreover, their swords were not just limited to defending against their enemy¡¯s attacks. Whenever there was even the slightest opening, strong sword attacks mercilessly sliced up the enemies rushing toward them.

    Leona¡¯s fast and hidden arrows also shot down enemies from the back. The arrows were fired at highly-skilled enemies and instantly neutralized them by hitting their vital areas. Moreover, Walwiss¡¯ magic burst at the densest clusters of enemies, simply erasing them from existence. Even if their enemies managed to break through the party¡¯s powerful defenses and attacks and injured the party members, Lube healed them with her holy energy. Zich¡¯s party was so astounding that anyone fighting them would automatically let out a stream of curses.

    However, Ultel¡¯s forces were also formidable. They attacked Zich¡¯s party by throwing away their lives like expendable objects. They were willing to sacrifice their life without any hesitation if they couldnd just one cut on anyone in Zich¡¯s party. Moreover, there was no end to their numbers, no matter how many Zich¡¯s party killed. At some point, the undead began to join Ultel¡¯s forces. There were ordinary undead and also many high-ranking ones that looked like they were made with considerable care. Ultel had really gathered all of his forces to fight them.

    Zich¡¯s party was still holding on. Considering the skills and abilities of Zich¡¯s party, it was possible for them to fight for several days. However, even their physical strength and mana were not infinite. Although Zich had as much mana as a dragon, even he had his limits. Zich¡¯s party tried to break through the siege, but every time they tried to advance, their enemies obstructed them. In particr, Ultel, as expected of the Bellid pope, pressured Zich¡¯s party by using an enormous amount of holy energy.

    ¡°Umph!¡± Zich infused mana into Estede, and Estede shone brilliantly.

    <em>Rumbbbble!</em>Undead and monsters gathered around Zich. They stacked on top of each other and created a huge wall, and high-ranking soldiers strengthened this wall. Then the shadows stacked on top of the monsters again and created an even stronger wall.

    <em>Baaam!</em>Zich¡¯s attack let out a terrifying explosion. Not only was the wall swept away by the light, but the people behind it were also gone. A huge number of Ultel¡¯s forces were killed by Zich¡¯s attack. However, new enemies continued to emerge, and even while Zich continued to attack, the enemies continued to jump into the light and weaken Zich¡¯s offense. This event repeated itself multiple times.

    Zich¡¯s party continued to advance despite the wave of attacks, and their skills really were awe-inspiring. Ultel was watching the battle from a short distance, and even he looked slightly pale. However, Ultel¡¯s n was steadily progressing. The sun went down, the moon rose, the sun rose again, and the moon rose again, and the sun rose another time.

    Zich¡¯s party finally managed to break through the siege and climbed up two flights of stairs after a few days. They climbed up because Ultel had run away upstairs. However, enemies were still pouring in.

    Zich¡¯s party¡¯s offensive power had not declined in the slightest so far. However, it was also true that some people felt tired. Zich, Til, and Leona were still moving briskly, but Walwiss and Lube clearly showed signs of fatigue. Moreover, although Til and Leona still looked lively, they had consumed a significant amount of their mana.

    ¡°Why don¡¯t you give up?¡± Ultel¡¯s voice broke through the loud noise of battle and reached Zich¡¯s party.

    Zich shed seven enemies rushing toward him at once and snorted. ¡°Why, are you running out of troops?¡±

    ¡°No, I still have a lot left. The shadows also rise infinitely. It¡¯s just that I want to go to bed now. Aren¡¯t you guys the same as well?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯m nning to take a good rest after finishing you off.¡±

    ¡°Well, I didn¡¯t think you were the type to easily give up. Then, keep going. Let¡¯s see if you can continue to fight even after all your physical strength and mana are gone.¡±

    There was no ce for Zich¡¯s party to escape inside the tower anyway. Although there were windows, the tower strictly controlled ess using mana, except for the entrance. Thus, Zich¡¯s party had no choice but to use up all their strength and die here. Ultel folded his arms leisurely and joyfully thought about thest moments of Zich¡¯s party, even if it took a few more days.

    However, his leisurely expression suddenly changed to shock.

    Seeing his face, Zich did not forget to mock him even in the middle of battle. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Is something wrong?¡±

    Favorite

 Chapter 578

    <h4>Chapter 578</h4>

    It was a vast open sea. Wherever one turned their head, the only thing visible was the dark blue ocean water.

    A boat sailed toward the horizon. Itsrge sail blew fervently in the wind and pushed the boat toward its destination. White foam sshed and scattered from the head of the boat, and the long, white trails of foam behind it marked its passage. The captain of the boat looked at thepass and then in front of him. Just then, another person approached the captain.

    ¡°Do you see anything, sir?¡±

    ¡°Ah, Mr. Hans!¡± The captain took his eyes off thepass and smiled as he turned his head. Most seamen were rough and often got angry at the most menial matters if they thought they were getting bothered while working. Yet, the captain¡¯s attitude was unbelievably calm for someone with full authority over the ship.

    It was only expected. No matter how tough of a seaman the captain was or how passionately he fought the rough winds and fierce waves every day at sea with his life on the line, the person he was addressing was too impressive to act rudely toward. He was a dragon yer¡ªsomeone who had managed to bring the fantastical idea of defeating a dragon into reality! Furthermore, Hans was currently working hard to block the Bellids¡¯ great invasion.

    Since Bellids served the god of water, Bellu, one might believe that seamen also worshipped the same god. Yet, because of how notorious the Bellids were, no one worshipped Bellu besides a very limited number of people. Instead, Bellu was loathed and thought to be a wicked god who tempted sea people to the ocean and ultimately to their deaths. Considering this, it was only natural that the captain acted so amiably toward Hans. Furthermore, it wasn¡¯t as if Hans had a bad attitude. Hans always maintained the utmost politeness to the captain and everyone around him.

    ¡°It¡¯s about time for us to see our destination, so I am surveying the area. I can¡¯t see anything yet though.¡±

    ¡°You and the crew are going through so much trouble,¡± Hans apologized.

    ¡°It¡¯s nothing, sir. We are doing something for the whole world. It¡¯s our honor to contribute to such a big cause,¡± the captainughed heartily. ¡°Furthermore, you all helped us tremendously too. We wouldn¡¯t have been able to arrive here so quickly if it wasn¡¯t for you and yourpanions.¡±

    Hans and hispanions used all sorts of methods to help with the voyage. Thanks to it, they had been able to travel at a speed that shocked even the captain who had spent many years at sea.

    Hans looked at the horizon from afar and gathered mana in his eyes. Although the captain¡¯s eyes were also good, they couldn¡¯tpare to Hans¡¯ eyes.

    ¡°Could it be that, sir?¡±

    ¡°Do you see something?¡±

    ¡°I seend. I can¡¯t decide if it is an ind or maind yet though¡­¡±

    ¡°Then, it must be an ind. There are only inds near here.¡±

    ¡°I see.¡± The captain moved away from his spot to tell his crew members that they would be arriving at their destination soon. Hans stared intently at the ind.

    ***

    Not long afterward, the ship got close enough that even ordinary people could see it. With some distance between it and the shore, the ship let down its sail and a small boat was lowered from the ship.

    ¡°Thank you for giving us a ride, Sir Captain.¡±

    ¡°Is it really okay for us to drop you all off here?¡±

    Hans smiled at the captain¡¯s slightly worried tone and replied, ¡°We can definitely cover this distance. Furthermore, you all could be in danger if we get too close to the ind. As we discussed before, you need to turn your ship around as soon as we depart. If you¡¯re unlucky, those Bellid bastards might find you.¡±

    ¡°How are you and the other heroes going toe back, sir?¡±

    Hans felt a bit taken aback after they addressed them as heroes. When he had provoked Zich without knowing his ce and got dragged off the Steelwall Estate after being beaten like a dog, he didn¡¯t imagine that he would be called by such a title at all. Yet, Hans managed to turn a childish dream into reality, and it was undeniably thanks to one person. Thus, Hans had to give this mission his all, especially because this was a request from Zich not as a master, but as an equalpanion.

    ¡°I heard great lengths about how outstanding your skills are, Sir Hero, but the ocean is very dangerous. Furthermore, this ce is very hard to find. Since it¡¯s far fromnd, not too many sailors know about it either. Furthermore, the currents around here are very strong and the weather is capricious. No matter how outstanding your skills are, you could be swept by the waters and die.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I can¡¯t tell you the details, but we also have our own methods.¡±

    Eventually, the captain nodded as his face still looked full of worries. Hans climbed into the small boat while the ship they had been riding on made a wide turn and returned to where they came from. Hans looked at the rest of his team members on the small boat. There was Snoc, Elena, and Lara¡ªhis very closepanions. They were all looking at Hans and waiting for hismand. Indeed, the leader of this party was Hans and not Zich.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Hans stretched out his palms and pushed mana out. With a loud explosion, the boat slid forward smoothly, and they neared the ind in an instant.

    The ind looked devastated, with no signs of life. There were only ck rocks and ashes exposed on the shore and the smoke from the volcano at the center of the ind exined how the ind had reached this state. It was to the point that they could smell the strong, acrid smell of sulfur before they arrived at the ind. Others would¡¯ve tried to look for other beaches more suitable fornding, but this party felt no need to do so. Snoc took out mithril clumps from his magic box.

    ¡°Nowem.¡±

    <em>Koo!</em>Nowem flipped the mithril pieces in the air and moved them toward the bottom of the boat.

    <em>Blurp!</em>The boat was pushed up by the pieces of mithril and kept ascending until itnded on top of a cliff. The whole party stepped onto the ind¡¯s soil, and Hans collected the boat into his magic box and took out a map. It was a very sloppily drawn map, but specialndmarks had been clearly marked so that it wasn¡¯t hard to tell which one was what. Hanspared the map with the ind¡¯s topography.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go there,¡± Hans said and walked away while cing his map into his pockets.

    ¡°I heard it was deste, but this is beyond my expectations. There are only a few grass shrubs and sea birds.¡±

    <em>Koo.</em>

    Snoc looked around and muttered, ¡°They said that the volcano erupts frequently.¡±

    Lara¡¯s gazended on the top of the volcano, which was emitting smoke. Compared to the two who were rxed, Elena was continuously muttering something under her breath.

    ¡°Are you okay?¡± Snoc asked.

    ¡°I have to practice, so don¡¯t talk to me.¡± Elena''s reply was t, to the point that Snoc felt somewhat hurt. However, Snoc understood her feelings. She yed a critical role for this mission, so he understood why she was so tense and focused. Moreover, Elena had been continuously practicing while they had been traveling on the ship and even while they were on the boat. Snoc stayed a short distance from Elena, so as not to distract her. However, he didn¡¯t go too far away so that he could protect her immediately in case anything happened.

    Hans had been walking in the front when he stopped walking and said, ¡°There it is.¡±

    Lara stood next to him. ¡°It¡¯s a cave.¡±

    There was a cave in front of the party that could barely fit one person inside.

    ¡°They¡¯re probably in there.¡±

    ¡°Will there be many enemies?¡±

    ¡°If the n worked, there shouldn¡¯t be many. It could even bepletely empty.¡± Since they had used such high-quality bait, there was a high possibility that all of their enemies were gathered around the bait.

    Hans and the others went inside the cave. The cave that stretched down made it extremely ufortable to walk forward. They moved cautiously toward the inside of the cave.

    The cave was very deep. After going down for a while, they saw movement in front of them.

    ¡°Monsters.¡± Hans pulled out his sword.

    ¡°Unfortunately, it seems that not all of the enemies are gone.¡±

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. We can easily defeat monsters of that level.¡±

    The monster wandering around the cave was on the extremely strong side, but it was still not strong enough to pose a problem to Hans¡¯ party.

    Hans looked back at hispanions and said, ¡°We¡¯re going to quickly break through from now on. Even though we should be able to reach it in the time that Sir Zich told us to, we don¡¯t have time to dawdle.¡±

    ¡°Will we really get there in time?¡± Lara asked anxiously.

    This operation had to be timed precisely by the two groups since two operations needed to be carried out in a row within a few days at a considerable distance. It was an extremely high-risk operation that was very likely to fail from Lara¡¯s point of view.

    However, Hans simply replied, ¡°We just need to get the timing right since there¡¯s no way Sir Zich will fail. So far, it¡¯s been working out well for us.¡±

    Hans'' trust in Zich was astounding as always; it was to the point that it made Lara slightly jealous.

    Lara nodded while slightly pouting.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± Hans ran while holding his sword. The others followed him and hit the ground. The monster turned its head at the sudden sound ofmotion. However, even before the monster could identify its enemy, Hans¡¯ sword had slit its throat. Hans didn¡¯t even watch the monster fall over; he looked around to find another enemy.

    There was a considerable number of monsters in the cave. However, they failed to resist properly, and Hans¡¯ group annihted them. Like this, they finally arrived at arge door.

    ¡°Is it here?¡± Hans stood in front of the door. From a nce, it didn¡¯t look like a door that belonged on a remote ind, and this was proof that they hade to the right ce. Hans slightly ced his hand on the door and put more strength into his hand. However, the door didn¡¯t budge.

    ¡®As expected, it¡¯s locked.¡¯ It was as Zich said.

    * * *

    ¡°¡­Did he send a separate party to the ind?¡± The ruin where the World Tree was and the tower were connected together by mana. As a result, Ultel could sense someone trying to open the door inside the ruin since he controlled the Brushel System. There was definitely an intruder inside the ruin. Most of his subordinates were currently gathered inside the tower, and no one among his subordinates would try to open the door to the ruin.

    Then, there was only one possibility left¡ªZich had sent out a separate party to the ruin since those who knew the importance of the ind were only him, a handful of his subordinates, and Zich. At the same time, he couldn¡¯t understand what was happening.

    ¡®How?¡¯ In fact, Ultel wasn¡¯t sure if Zich woulde to the tower on the ind. To be precise, Ultel had expected Zich to barge onto the ind with the tower or the ind with the World Tree. His subordinates were on standby on the inds, and they were there to pressure Zich and his party and stop them. In the end, Zich hade to attack the tower, and Ultel had concentrated all his forces on the tower. Thus, naturally, the ind where the World Tree resided was now empty. However, Ultel didn¡¯t feel a sense of crisis. He just couldn¡¯t understand Zich¡¯s intentions.

    ¡®What the hell are you thinking?¡¯ In order to open the door to the ruin, the Emperor¡¯s Ring that Ultel had was essential. Otherwise, the door would never open or break since it was, protected by the World Tree¡¯s mana, would never open or break. Indeed, Ultel believed that Zich was in possession of something simr to the Emperor¡¯s Ring. However, Zich was currently here, and as long as Zich was in the tower, no one could open the ruin¡¯s door. Perhaps...did Zich not know this? No, there was no way Zich would not know about it, since he received information from the Brushel System¡¯s Core.

    ¡®So why?¡¯

    The next moment, however, Ultel''s eyes opened with astonishment.

    * * *

    <em>Bam, bam, bam!</em>Hans looked down at the object in his hand as he heard the door open with a loud creak. It was the item that Zich had handed to Hans saying that he would need it to open the door.

    ¡®Did Sir Zich say it was called the Key That Distorts Destiny?¡¯ Hans thought it was a grand name and carefully retrieved the small shard.

    Favorite

 Chapter 579

    <h4>Chapter 579</h4>

    ¡°I-I can¡¯t believe it!¡± Ultel shouted. All the subordinates around Ultel simultaneously turned toward him. Zich¡¯spanions and the Bellid forces passionately fighting against them did the same thing. Yet, Ultel didn¡¯t have the luxury to pay attention to anyone else. Their most important location had been left exposed to their enemies without any defense mechanisms set up.

    ¡°H-How! How did you open the door?!¡± Was there another item like the Emperor¡¯s Ring? Ultel thought that the possibility was simply too low.

    ¡®There¡¯s no way they would make so many precious items!¡¯ The empire could¡¯ve made another one as a precaution, but making more than that would¡¯ve only increased the danger and risk of losing very valuable items in other ces. However, that only left one remaining exnation.

    ¡®¡­Did he give it to someone else? An item simr to the Emperor¡¯s Ring?¡¯

    It was unthinkable for Ultel. This was an item that could control the Brushel System. How could anyone give it to someone else? Ultel¡¯s close subordinates were loyal and had outstanding skills, as expected of people that he had specially picked out using the information gained through countless regressions. Yet, no matter how much he trusted a subordinate, Ultel would never think of giving the Emperor¡¯s Ring to any one of them. They were still another person after all.

    Right now, however, it seemed that Zich had done just that.

    ¡°There¡¯s no way. Absolutely no way! How could you lend something so important to another person with the right state of mind¡­!¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s up to me to decide.¡±

    Although Ultel¡¯s murmurings weren¡¯t loud, Zich was able to catch his voice easily. As he was gasping in shock from the unexpected turn of events, Ultel looked like really delicious prey to Zich.

    ¡°Seeing your response, it seems like mypanions have arrived at the ind. Why? Are you stunned that I entrusted something so important to those guys?¡±

    ¡°You bastard, did you really¡­!¡± Ultel couldn¡¯t believe it at all, but based on what Zich said, it seemed like Zich had really done the unbelievable.

    ¡°Y-You crazy bastard! Did you really do something like that with a sane mind?!¡±

    ¡°Isn¡¯t that the difference between you and me, though? It¡¯s probably impossible for you to believe me with that very small brain of yours,¡± Zich snickered.

    Ultel didn¡¯t feel provoked by Zich¡¯s statements; he was just certain that Zich that lost his mind. Though his curiosity was fulfilled, Ultel¡¯s heart didn¡¯t feel at ease and another question popped up in his head. When Zich used the strength and power he had once wielded in his prime days at the tower, Ultel didn¡¯t think twice about it. The Emperor¡¯s Ring allowed its wearer to use all the mana they possessed in areas where the World Tree¡¯s mana held influence. Thus, since the World Tree¡¯s mana flowed in this tower and Zich possessed an item simr to the Emperor¡¯s Ring, it wasn¡¯t strange that Zich could use all his mana. Yet, Zich just revealed that he no longer had the item with him.

    ¡®If that guy really gave that item away, how is he using his powers¡­!¡¯ Anyone could see that Zich¡¯s powers were the same as his heyday, and in his current state, he had awakened all his mana. How was it possible that he was able to do this without that item?

    ¡°Are you curious about how I¡¯m using all my powers?¡± Zich shouted as if he had peeked into Ultel¡¯s mind. Although Ultel¡¯s subordinates kept rushing toward him, their attack power wasn¡¯t strong enough to seal Zich¡¯s mouth.

    ¡°It¡¯s really simple. I just freed up all the mana inside my body by myself.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t make meugh! How could you free all that mana inside you at that age!¡± Ultel had been actually d to see Zich wielding all his power inside the tower. Even if Zich had regressed, it was impossible for him to free up all his mana at that age¡ªthat was the sheer enormity of Zich¡¯s mana pool. Thus, Ultel judged that Zich had brought the item simr to the Emperor¡¯s Ring with him. If this was true, then he didn¡¯t need to worry about the safety of the ind any longer, and so Ultel had called forth all his forces onto the ind without any more hesitation. Now, Zich was iming that he didn¡¯t have this item with him.

    Zich¡¯s responded, ¡°It¡¯s simple! I¡¯m so great of a genius that I can surpass your expectations!¡±

    Ultel was at a loss for words. Was Zich simply mocking him? Or was he bluffing to cloud his judgment? However, Zich¡¯s self-assured voice and confident expression indicated otherwise.

    ¡®No, this isn¡¯t the time for me to be worrying about that!¡¯ Ultel wanted to immediately run to the ind where the World Tree was, but then he stopped. He saw Zich slicing apart his subordinates like rotten pieces of wood and worried that Zich had more tricks up his sleeves.

    ¡°Pin!¡±

    ¡°Yes, master!¡± A robed person waiting by Ultel¡¯s side jumped out. Ultel spoke while handing Tornium to him.

    ¡°We have a trespasser on the ind! Go take care of them immediately!¡±

    ¡°Yes!¡±

    ¡°You should take¡­¡± After choosing the most skilled subordinate to take the lead for this task, he needed to choose which forces to send to the ind along with him. Thus, the ideas inside Ultel¡¯s head became moreplicated.

    ¡®How many¡­should I send?¡¯ He only knew that enemies had invaded the ind and didn¡¯t know their exact strength and number. Considering how important the ind was, Ultel was sure that Zich wouldn¡¯t have sent some small fry. If he sent only a small number of forces, there was a high possibility that he would meaninglessly lose his subordinates without getting anything done. But he couldn¡¯t send too much of his current forces either as he was still fighting Zich and hispanions. It appeared that those with low stamina such as Lube and Walwiss felt fatigued, but the others were still going strong.

    Ultel¡¯s original strategy was to deplete Zich and hispanions¡¯ strength by sending out an overwhelming number of monsters, the undead, and shadows. However, Zich¡¯s party wasn¡¯t one that Ultel could easily beat with just numbers; there was always a possibility that they could push past Ultel¡¯s forces no matter how many they were and reach the top of the tower. Thus, it was essential for Ultel to deploy some elite forces to keep Zich¡¯s party upied at the tower. By using the monsters, the undead, and shadows as sacrifices, they could block Zich¡¯s party¡¯s attacks and the elite forces could use the openings created through those sacrifices to harm Zich¡¯s party.

    Yet, considering that the forces that Zich sent to the ind had to be elite fighters, Ultel thought that he would also need to dispatch forces to match them. No, considering how important the ind was, he needed to dispatch the whole lot of them. But what would he do against Zich¡¯s party then?

    ¡®I¡¯m still barely holding them down now¡­¡¯ Although Ultel was mobilizing all the forces that he could muster, these monster-like guys had managed to break through two barriers. If Ultel sent arge number of forces to the ind right now, Zich¡¯s party would climb to the very top of the tower and teleport to the ind.

    ¡°Master?¡± Pin called out to Ultel, waiting for amand. However, there was no sign of Ultel¡¯s mouth opening again. He was in a great dilemma: should he focus on the ind where the Brushel System was or focus on the tower where his worst enemy was?

    ¡°Huh? What are you thinking so hard about? You sure are having it easy, taking your sweet time and all that. A Bellid pope sure is different from the average man!¡±

    ¡°Shut up!¡±

    Ultel¡¯s head felt like it was already going to burst, and he could almost feel steaming out of his head, but Zich¡¯s wily tongue didn¡¯t seem to stop flickering.

    ¡°While you are thinking, mypanions are steadily approaching the system. There¡¯s really no time for you to space out. I am kindly giving you advice, but¡ª¡±

    ¡°I told you to shut up!¡± Ultel thought Zich¡¯s intention was clear. By mocking his opponent, Zich was trying to fog his judgment skills.

    ¡°Don¡¯t want to. Don¡¯t want to,¡± Zich retorted.

    ¡­Or was it that Zich simply enjoyed tormenting his opponents?

    At the same time, there was truth behind what Zich said. If he continued to drag on like this, he could be handing the ind and the Brushel System to his enemies. Thus, Ultel acted urgently and with the exception of some troops necessary to block Zich for the time being, he sent as many elite forces to the ind as possible. In the end, he judged that the Brushel System was more important than anything else. He also tried to send monsters and the undead along with them, but Zich didn¡¯t stand quietly and watch this happen.

    ¡°Where are you going?!¡±

    <em>Bam!</em>Estede¡¯s de shone brilliantly.

    ¡°I thought you wanted to continue dancing with us! You can¡¯t just choose to leave the stage on your own like that!¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right! They sure don¡¯t know a thing about manners!¡± Lube shouted from behind. It sounded like she was enjoying the situation very much.

    Zich turned back to hispanions. ¡°We will act a bit more rough from now on.¡±

    ¡°I understand.¡±

    ¡°Oh my, you are pushing this old man too much.¡±

    ¡°No problem! I still have plenty of arrows left!¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about injuries, everyone! Unless you are instantly killed, you can just forget about the injuries.¡±

    Their attacks grew fiercer.

    Until now, Zich¡¯s party had been enduring the enemy¡¯s attacks by being on the defensive and withholding as much strength and mana as possible. Yet, with Zich¡¯smand, the way they foughtpletely changed. The speed at which they advanced clearly increased and their momentum was greater than before. The enemies blocking their path scattered away as Zich¡¯s party pushed forward more and more. Since they began to focus on attacking, they quickly took on more injuries, some of which were even critical. Yet, however deep the injuries were, they recovered without a trace as Lube¡¯s holy magic surrounded them.

    ¡°Block! Block with all your might!¡± Ultel shouted so hard that there were veins bulging out on his neck. He also personally attacked, brandishing his staff. Yet, after a whole bunch of their forces was dispatched elsewhere and Zich¡¯s party took an offensive stance, the Bellids failed to hold Zich¡¯s party back. Rather, some of the reinforcements that Ultel meant to send to the ind were destroyed by Zich¡¯s party. Monsters and the undead that were meant to fill up numbers there were all getting annihted by Zich¡¯s party as they tried to move.

    ¡°Idiot! This is why you shouldn¡¯t have pulled us to this tower! It did nothing but make you split your forces! You are in no position to insult Glen Zenard!¡± Zich continued to shoot insults at him.

    ¡°Y-You bastard!¡± Although Ultel had experience fighting Zich Brave, he had never fought Zich Moore before, since Zich Moore was Glen¡¯s sole creation. Through the Brushel System, Ultel used to think that he knew Zich Moore very well. Yet, he couldn¡¯t have been more mistaken. The Zich Moore from his information and the Zich Moore he was facing now in reality were fundamentally different.

    ¡®That idiot hero was dealing with a guy like this?¡¯

    Besides Zich¡¯s strength, Zich had a tongue that could drive a person mad. Ultel felt like his brain would explode from Zich¡¯s insults. They were on apletely different level from the humiliation that Glen Zenard had often forced upon him.

    Yet, Zich¡¯s presents didn¡¯t end there.

 Chapter 580

    <h4>Chapter 580</h4>

    After entering, Hans and hispanions started searching for the Brushel System. Although this was their first time, there was no hesitation in their steps, as Zich had thoroughly prepared them for the ruin¡¯s structure beforehand. Though it was a bit of an exaggeration, this ce almost felt like their second hometown at this point. After walking speedily across the area, they stopped in front of a gigantic, sophisticated-looking device that invoked a sense of wonder at first nce.

    ¡°Is this the¡­Brushel device?¡± Hans said in awe. Although Hans had wandered around all sorts of ruins while following Zich, the device in front of him had a mystical quality iparable to anything he had seen until now.

    ¡°Look, Nowem. This must be the device Sir Zich talked about. It¡¯s amazing.¡±

    <em>Koo.</em>

    Both Snoc and Nowem looked up at the device like Hans.

    ¡°Hans, look over there.¡± Lara pulled on Hans¡¯ sleeves and pointed. Hans turned around and saw arge hole in the wall. Zich had also informed them about this hole. Thus, Hans and hispanions approached the hole and stared inside it.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    All of them simultaneously closed their mouths. Beyond the hole, there was arge pit. The bright redva flowing down from the walls was falling into the pit into a giant pool ofva, and there was a humongous tree with its roots at the center of this pool ofva.

    ¡°¡­The World Tree.¡± This was what Zich told them. While traveling around, they had seen several unique trees with great and mysterious powers. Yet, Zich told them that all the trees they had seen until now were nothing more than clones of the World Tree. Giving a tree the title of ¡®World-something¡¯ sounded pretty dramatic, but once Hans and hispanions saw the World Tree, all they thought was that the name was perfectly suitable. That was the sort of aura and presence it exuded.

    After being mesmerized by the World Tree for a few moments, Hans quickly regained his senses.

    ¡°Everyone, get it together!¡± Hans reeled in everyone else¡¯s attention. ¡°We don¡¯t have much time. We must quickly fulfill the tasks that have been given to us.¡±

    Hans skillfully led hispanions. There was no need for him to give specific orders¡ªeveryone got to their roles without being told anything. Hans handed the Key That Distorts Destiny to Elena.

    ¡°Please, I leave it to you.¡±

    ¡°Yes, sir!¡± In some ways, Elena was given the most important role in this mission. Knowing this, Elena gripped the key tightly with a serious look on her face. While Elena walked up to the device, Hans took Snoc and Lara and headed to another point. Everyone left, except for one being.

    ¡°Nowem.¡±

    <em>Koo!</em>Nowem jumped down from his usual seat, Snoc¡¯s shoulder, and sat next to Elena. He was staying behind to protect her in case of sudden dangers.

    Eventually, the others arrived at arge room. The room¡¯s floor hadplicated magic circles all over the ground and gave off an eerie atmosphere.

    ¡°As expected, it seems like there was a considerable number of people here.¡± Lara swiped the floor with her feet. The floor was full of people¡¯s footprints.

    ¡°Probably not everyone who was here will return, but I¡¯m sure a good number of them will. Let¡¯s prepare ourselves.¡±

    ¡°Yes!¡±

    ¡°I will be on my guard!¡±

    Snoc took out all sorts of metals from his magic box and scattered them around him while Lara took out her sword. Hans also unsheathed his sword from his waist. The sword¡¯s guard wasn¡¯t Estede¡¯s, which he was used to, nor did its de sparkle like the legendary sword. However, even though he was now carrying an ordinary sword, Hans had umted his skills through Zich¡¯s tough training until now and was still as strong as ever.

    <em>Wiiiing!</em>The magic circles began to emit light, and as the mana in the surroundings fluctuated, a great tremor arose.

    ¡°They areing!¡± As soon as Hans said these words, a group of figures appeared from the magic circles. One group met eyes with the other group. It wasn¡¯t clear who made the first strike, but an instantter, the two groups shed.

    While Hans and the others tried to block those trying to return to the ruin, Elena ced one hand on the Brushel System¡¯s control device and clutched onto the Key That Distorts Destiny with the other hand.

    <em>Wiing!</em>The sound of the device activating rang across the area. Elena gulped and poured her mana more deeply into the device.

    ¡®What¡­!¡¯ Her face filled with shock. Elena was well-versed in magical devices. During the period of time when she couldn¡¯t use magic, she acquired all sorts of misceneous knowledge about magic and made mana artifacts. Thus, she usually had no difficulties when dealing with most magical devices. Yet, the device currently in front of her was on a whole other level. The flow of its mana was powerful, and itsplexity was frightening. It didn¡¯t seem like she could influence it with the slight amount of mana in her tiny mana pool, and she had no inkling as to how she would be able to move this device. Yet, the memories that flowed from the key she was holding calmed her down.

    ¡®Teacher¡­¡¯ With this item, her strong and beautiful teacher was guiding her. This was her master who always appeared as if she could do anything in this world when she was together with Zich. With her help, it was possible.

    ¡®I can do it!¡¯ She had also practiced a lot for this.

    Elena focused her attention and began to manipte the device again.

    ***

    <em>Bam! Bam!</em>

    A fierce battle wasmencing in the tower once again. Although the Bellid forces, including Ultel, were fiercely fighting Zich¡¯s party, they were slowly getting pushed back. This was the effect of dividing up some of their forces to send to the World Tree ind. Moreover, this didn¡¯t mean that they had sent a satisfactory number of forces to the ind either.

    ¡®Damn it!¡¯ Ultel gritted his teeth. Although he had managed to send some monsters and the undead over to the top of the tower, Zich¡¯s party blocked most of them. Furthermore, Zich¡¯s party wasn¡¯t the only pressing issue he had to consider. The forces Ultel sent out to Zich¡¯s party automatically became corpses, and although the tower was quite wide, there came a limit as the corpses kept piling up. If the piled-up corpses blocked their paths, Ultel couldn¡¯t attack them as he wanted. He had ced some monsters, undead, and shadow forces in charge of cleaning up the corpses since he didn¡¯t want to give Zich¡¯s party time to recover and heal. Yet, after sending some forces to the ind and fighting Zich¡¯spanions, Ultel didn¡¯t even have enough numbers to clean up the mess. Thus, corpses and remains soon piled up high as the walls and blocked the troops from climbing up.

    ¡°Damn it! Clean that pile up right away!¡± Monsters, the undead, and shadows simultaneously began to clean under Ultel¡¯s orders. Since there were many of them, the area was cleaned instantly. Yet, this very action gave Zich¡¯s party an opportunity tond a critical hit.

    <em>Baaam!</em>Ultel hurriedly backed away. A light struck the spot he used to be in. His sleeves were swept into the light and were cleanly cut off.

    ¡°Why do you keep backing away? If you keep doing that, it forces me to go up to the top of the tower. Shouldn¡¯t you block me with all your might?¡±

    ¡°Shut up!¡± Ultel swung his staff and a water pir shot out, but the attack missed and stole away some innocent monster lives instead.

    ¡°Why do you keep killing those on your side? Were they an eyesore to you? From what I can tell, those guys are superior to you in appearance and character and cause less harm to the world than you do. Shouldn¡¯t you kill yourself instead of killing them?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°Why aren¡¯t you answering? Is it because you know I¡¯m right? What was the point of killing those pitiful guys in the first ce then? I suppose you are suffering from a deep sense of guilt now. Is the tiny bit of conscience that you have left eating at you? If that¡¯s the case, I suggest you just follow after those subordinates you killed!¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°Oh man, I missed again. This is my advice, but why don¡¯t you stay back and have your subordinates protect you? Or did you juste out to the front in a hurry because your n is going awry? No way! I believe in you, Ultel! There¡¯s no way the cool guy who boasted about his ambitions and all that would do such a shameless thing!¡±

    ¡°I told you to shut up!¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t want to. I don¡¯t want to~¡± It was amazing how well Zich could bber while swinging his sword. His pronunciation was infuriatingly clear, and even Zich¡¯spanions shook their heads against his provocations.

    ¡°I never want to fight that man in my life.¡±

    ¡°Didn¡¯t I say it before? If it wasn¡¯t for the kind deeds he¡¯s done, I would¡¯ve thought he was a Demon Lord.¡±

    ¡°¡­Hm.¡±

    Yet, like before, Lube supported Zich this time too. ¡°As I thought, you can¡¯t expect to have a proper conversation with fishhead worshippers! See how they can¡¯t make sense with Sir Zich¡¯s perfect logic?!¡±

    ¡°Perfect?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t even bother. The Saintess is not much different from Zich when ites to the Bellids.¡±

    ¡°¡­Hm.¡±

    Ultel thought he was going mad. The issue with the ind immensely stressed him out and he wanted to drop everything to run there. Yet, Zich was continually mocking him on top of that. He wanted to shred apart Zich¡¯s throat, and it angered him that he couldn¡¯t.

    <em>Booom!</em>

    The tower shook. Itsted for a single moment, but no one missed it. Everyone¡¯s eyes naturally turned to the floor.

    ¡°What was that?¡± Ultel asked in surprise. He had never experienced the tower shaking before. Was there an earthquake? However, from what he knew, there had never been an earthquake in this vicinity before. That meant the tremor was the result of an external action, but since the tower was protected by the World Tree¡¯s mana, the structure nullified almost all external interventions. Even Zich at his strongest couldn¡¯t so much as scratch the wall of this tower. Thus, damningly, and unfortunately, Ultel had an inkling of what might¡¯ve happened.

    ¡°Did the guys who trespassed perhaps¡­.!¡±

    ¡°Isn¡¯t it exciting?¡± Zichughed. His snide smile had a very effective ability to gnaw at his opponent¡¯s very core.

    ¡°I was annoyed from the moment I heard you guysid your nest at this ce. How dare you Bellids live on such a high tower when you should be crawling on the floor? Isn¡¯t it as nonsensical as fire burning on water and rocks hanging in the air?¡±

    Lube nodded at Zich¡¯s words.

    ¡°Of course, I didn¡¯t do all this just for the purpose of destroying this tower. That''s just a side thing. The main point is that I will be able to fulfill my goal of screwing you over!¡±

    ¡°Y-You¡­!¡± Ultel couldn¡¯t even speak properly. All sorts of curses and criticisms swirled inside his mind, but they were mashed so heavily that he didn¡¯t know which one to spit out first. If he could, he wanted to pour them all out at once, but unfortunately, he only had one mouth.

    <em>Booom!</em>The tower shook again. The strength and length of the vibrations were clearly greater thanst time.

    ¡°Whether it¡¯s in a novel or in reality, it¡¯s always the best part when the evil guys¡¯ base crumbles!¡± Zich¡¯s cheery voice broke through the chaos as he added, ¡°That¡¯s why I asked you if you can deal with the aftermath.¡±

    Favorite

 Chapter 581

    <h4>Chapter 581</h4>

    ¡°Y-Y-You¡­!¡± Ultel¡¯s eyes were bloodshot. Iprehensible words and groans flowed out of his mouth. If someone saw him on a dark night, they would¡¯ve immediately turned back and run, thinking he was a monster. No, even on a bright day, most would¡¯ve kept their distance from him and turned away. Yet, Zich did not feel such emotions. Ultel¡¯s current appearance was one Zich was very familiar with, and people he beat to the punch usually ended up looking just like Ultel in the end.

    Of course, Zich didn¡¯t go easy on Ultel just because he had reached this sorry state.

    ¡°What¡¯s that face you¡¯re making? A mastermind who used the whole world as his yground should act imperturbable, even in urgent situations like this one. How can you crumble just because you got beat up once? Even Glen Zenard endured situations like this well.¡±

    Before the regression, Glen had suffered immensely because of Zich while trying to gather all sorts of information. Since his opponent was Moore and not Brave, he had to endure all sorts of humiliation and insults. Yet, Glen endured all that for his goal of creating the ¡®perfect life¡¯ he dreamed of. By contrast, Ultel was heaving and red-faced like a child just because he had gotten hit a couple of times.

    Of course, the situation between Glen and Ultel was different. Glen used to possess the ability of regression that could turn everything that happened into nothing and he knew that he would have to endure many trials with Zich. To Ultel however, everything happening right now was a cmity that he had never expected.

    Either way, Zich had no intention of acknowledging these differences.

    ¡°You and Iughed at Glen Zenard so hard before, but seeing you know, you don¡¯t seem much better than that guy. Instead, you seem way worse than him. Perhaps, you are the rare specimen of this world that is even worse than Glen Zenard. Oh my, to think that I would be able to find such a rare creature! This must be a gift that the heavens are blessing to me for having done so many kind deeds!¡±

    ¡°You bastaaaard!¡±

    ¡°Ahahahah! As expected of Sir Zich! I knew I could trust him!¡± The louder Ultel shouted, the louder Lubeughed. ¡°I¡¯m really d I agreed when that bug said he wanted to talk to Sir Zich alone!¡±

    ¡°Ah, Lube. Did you have a separate reason for agreeing at that time?¡± Leona asked. Walwiss and Tim tried to stop her with their gazes, but they failed to repress her curiosity.

    ¡°Considering Sir Zich¡¯s personality, I thought he would be able to find things that he could mock his enemy about in their conversation and use themter! He didn¡¯t betray my trust!¡±

    ¡°¡­Can you call that trust? Did the word ¡®trust¡¯ always sound so cheap?¡± Walwiss asked. However, his words didn¡¯t reach Lube¡ªshe was too busy cheering Zich on tosh Ultel with his tongue. Even while she did this, she didn¡¯t forget to immediately heal herpanions¡¯ injuries so that no one could reprimand her.

    <em>Ruumble!</em>As they conversed, the tower shook more and more. The shaking grew to the point that low-level monsters like the undead could no longer maintain their bnce, and because Lube and Walwiss couldn¡¯t stand properly, Leona and Tile supported them. Even as they did that, the party members kept killing their enemies.

    ¡°Hey, Zich. Do we really have to destroy this tower?¡± Walwiss asked. It broke his heart that a tower filled with potential research materials would be destroyed. Thus, he pleaded desperately, ¡°Since we already weakened our enemies, can¡¯t we just advance forward and beat them?¡±

    Yet, Walwiss¡¯ hopes were crushed.

    ¡°As I said before, my goal isn¡¯t to destroy the tower, but in the process of fulfilling my goal, the tower must crumble.¡±

    The World Tree was currently maintaining the tower, and if the World Tree¡¯s mana was cut off, the tower would evidently crumble. Right now, Hans¡¯ crew, specifically Elena, was cutting off the World Tree¡¯s mana from the tower.

    ¡°You really can¡¯t prevent it?¡±

    ¡°Yes, it can¡¯t be helped.¡±

    Walwiss looked like a disappointed dog who had its food stolen. His shoulders drooped.

    ¡°It can¡¯t be helped then.¡± Walwiss sighed deeply and raised his staff high. ¡°I will have to take out my anger on those guys.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s a very good idea!¡± Lube responded.

    ¡°You think so too? I see now that the Saintess has her good points.¡±

    ¡°Don''t lose your mind from your disappointment!¡± Leona shouted from behind. Even though they usually bickered, Leona shouted in worry after seeing one of the few remaining sane-minded people turn to the dark side.

    Although it was a humorous sight, there was nothing objectively funny about Walwiss taking out his anger on the enemies. The mes he shot out burned everyone around him instantly, and seeing this, Ultel clenched his teeth tightly. The situation was continuing to worsen. He wondered what he should do now. Should he continue to block Zich¡¯s party here or leave them and go to the ind to remove the trespassers? Yet, a report that removed all his hesitation soon came.

    ¡°Master!¡± A figure frantically ran toward him from above. It was the subordinate he had sent to the ind with monsters and the undead to deal with the trespassers. Yet, he had abandoned his mission and returned with a frantic look on his face.

    ¡°What is it?! What happened to the mission that you are down here?!¡±

    ¡°T-The teleportation circle is no longer activating!¡±

    ¡°¡­.!¡± Ultel¡¯s eyes immediately turned back to Zich. His eyes reflected Zich¡¯s sly, mocking smile again. Unable to endure it any longer, Ultel was about to shriek curses at Zich when¡ª

    <em>Boooooom!</em>A tremor iparable to previous ones shook the entire tower.

    ***

    Elena inhaled deeply. She sweated so much that her robes were soaked, but Elena didn¡¯t care about such matters at all. She was too focused on pouring all her attention and efforts into controlling this device.

    ¡®I stopped the mana flowing into the tower now.¡¯ If she could, Elena wanted to immediately run up the steps to wake up her master. However, L¡¯s intentions were different¡ªshe prioritized defeating their enemy over her own awakening. Elena heard the sound of battle from a distance. Herpanions were fighting their enemies, and the sound alone gave her a clear idea of how intense the battle was. However, the battle wouldn¡¯tst long either, because no more reinforcements woulde from the tower.

    ¡®That man named Ultel didn¡¯te.¡¯ Ultel was the true mastermind that secretly controlled the whole world. Elena had heard that even though the man who corrupted her father was Glen Zenard, the one who supported Glen Zenard and allowed him to run wild was Ultel. Naturally, Elena felt enormous resentment against Ultel, but she wasn¡¯t acting solely on resentment. This was also a fight to save the world. And most of all¡­

    ¡®Sir Zich will make him pay tenfold for any resentment that I have against him.¡¯ Zich was reliable in many ways, but in terms of mocking and torturing people, no one could outperform him. ¡®No, in the first ce, I shouldn¡¯t evenpare him to other people. It would be terrifying to think that another person like him could exist in this world, right?¡¯

    Even though Zich was someone she respected as much as L, she was still a mage and her evaluation was very objective. Moreover, she wasn¡¯t disrespecting him. Even if he said this in front of him, Zich wouldn¡¯t be phased in the least. Instead, he would eitherugh out loud and agree with her or grumble a little bit and deny it.

    ¡®The first part is a sess.¡¯ They divided the elite soldiers from the enemy¡¯s side, and the rest of the enemies would be annihted when the tower copsed. The tower¡¯s teleportation system also stopped working, so enemy reinforcements would no longer be able to arrive at the tower.

    Ultel hadn¡¯t locked Zich¡¯s party in the tower. Instead, Zich was the one who locked Ultel and his subordinates in the tower while making the tower copse in the process. Of course, the tower would not fall immediately. Even though the World Tree¡¯s mana was maintaining the tower, it was also a physical structure that was supported by the ground. Regardless, it would not take long for the tower to crumble.

    ¡®Then I¡¯ll wake up Teacher now.¡¯ The long-awaited time had finally arrived. The others could deal with Utel and his forces. Elena received information through the Key That Distorts Destiny and once again infused mana into the device.

    ¡®Uh?¡¯ However, Elena was flustered. The mana flowing into the device did not work as she intended. She tried to control the device by injecting a little more mana. However, the same thing happened. Unlike before, the World Tree¡¯s mana flowed in an unruly and uncontroble manner.

    ¡®W-what¡¯s wrong with this?¡¯ Elena couldn¡¯tplete thest step to wake up her beloved teacher no matter how hard she tried. New sweat began to trickle down her forehead, which was already soaked with sweat. The control device¡¯s mana began to flow uncontrobly. On second thought, this wasn¡¯t an error in the control device. Elena¡¯s eyes moved towards the hole where the World Tree was.

    ¡®The World Tree is¡­!¡¯

    <em>Ziiiing!</em>

    A strong vibration came from the hole.

    * * *

    Glen was still tied up in the tower. As the battle between Zich¡¯s party and Ultel and his forces intensified, the vibrations in the tower also intensified. After the World Tree¡¯s mana was cut off, the tower continued to shake as he gradually fell, but Glen showed minimal movement. No¡ªhe wasn¡¯t the one moving, his body was merely shaking along with the tower¡¯s movements. Since his body was inplete tatters, it was not strange that he had no control over himself, and it seemed most likely that he would get caught up in the copsing tower and meet his end.

    All of Glen¡¯s thoughts had ceased to exist due to his terrible pain and unbelievable reality. However, his thoughts began to graduallye alive again, and his thinking process was different from that of ordinary people. Most people in his situation would have likely cursed their opponent in extreme anger and hatred, or fallen into intense despair that their body would never return to normal and hoped that this hopeless life would end soon. A few would have somehow still been able to pull themselves out of this situation and fulfill their ns. However, Glen¡¯s current state didn¡¯t fit into any of these categories.

    ¡®¡­Have to do it.¡¯ Glen¡¯s thoughts began to slowly get clearer. ¡®¡­I have to make it.¡¯

    He didn¡¯t think about his hatred for Ultel who manipted his life or his resentment for Zich who destroyed his plot. Instead, he focused on a single goal and the reason for his countless regressions.

    ¡®I need to make a perfect life.¡¯ He had lived and done everything he could for this one goal: a life of a hero who¡¯d be remembered for generations¡ªan adventurous hero with beautiful and capablerades and enacted justice against the greatest viin of all time.

    All of his countless regressions were for this singr purpose. There had been many times when it was extremely difficult and painful. In particr, he didn¡¯t know exactly why, but there had been a time when he felt extreme fear for a while. He had be afraid of regressing, and after continuing his life in that timeline, he had wanted to stop regressing and face death with the others.

    However, he had ovee this intense fear, as his obsession to obtain the ¡®perfect life¡¯ triumphed over all fears and thoughts. After oveing that hurdle, he no longer had any misgivings or idle thoughts. Before he felt this intense fear, he thought about different matters on an intermittent basis, but after oveing it, he no longer thought about anything else. He becamepletely focused on his goal and thought that perhaps, fear was thest hurdle to test his will in achieving his goal. Even now, Glen couldn¡¯t give up on his goal after reaching this state.

    ¡®My perfect¡­life¡­¡¯

    Maybe it was an illusion, but it felt like he had regained some of his strength.

    Favorite

 Chapter 582

    <h4>Chapter 582</h4>

    The tower¡¯s shaking grew worse and worse. No matter how ignorant someone was about building structures, they would¡¯ve known that the tower was just a step away from crumbling down.

    ¡°Zich.¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°I get it that we can¡¯t do anything about the tower being destroyed, but I suppose you must¡¯ve thought of a method for us to survive this destruction?¡± Walwiss asked. This was a very tall tower made up of heavy building blocks, mostly rocks. As soon as the tower broke apart, they would also face the danger of being instantly crushed.

    ¡°Of course.¡±

    ¡°Ohh, as expected of Zich! I believed in you. So, what kind of method do you have?¡±

    ¡°The reason why this tower is breaking apart is because the mana that had been maintaining it was cut off. Naturally, the barrier blocking the tower¡¯s windows would disappear along with its destruction.¡±

    ¡°Just don¡¯t tell us to survive on our own. You can¡¯t call that a solution!¡±

    ¡°I trust mypanions very much.¡±

    ¡°Why does this word, ¡®trust¡¯ sound so cheap whenever it''s used in rtion to you?!¡± Walwiss grumbled, but he didn¡¯t say that he couldn¡¯t do it. The destruction of a tower didn¡¯t pose much of a danger to one of the greatest mages in the world.

    ¡°Well, we could escape if we want to, so it doesn¡¯t matter, but it seems like the other party is feeling anxious.¡± Walwiss looked toward Ultel. When the tower began to shake hard, the shadows disappeared since the mana maintaining them was cut off, and other monsters and the undead were rolling on the ground, unable to maintain their bnce. Many were injured by their own or theirpanions¡¯ weapons, ws, or poison. Thus, the battle screeched to a halt. Although Ultel¡¯s direct subordinates were able to maintain their bnce like Zich¡¯s party, they were also standing by and waiting for Ultel¡¯smands. Ultel struggled to decide anything with the sudden turn of events.

    ¡°First of all, the weak ones will die from the tower¡¯s destruction,¡± Zich said.

    ¡°Certainly.¡±

    Their enemies inside and even outside the tower wouldn¡¯t be able to escape harm from the tower¡¯s destruction, because once this gigantic tower crumbled, it would devastate this ind with great speed and force.

    ¡°And those guys will survive,¡± Zich continued.

    ¡°That¡¯s true, since those guys are quite skilled.¡±

    ¡°To think that they will survive. Isn¡¯t that truly frustrating?¡± Zich asked.

    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s infuriating!¡± Lube agreed loudly.

    ¡°Just because those guys stopped attacking, that doesn¡¯t mean we should do the same.¡±

    ¡°Yes!¡±

    Like a child following their parent¡¯s words, Lube answered passionately. The others didn¡¯t state any other opinions either.

    ¡°Then, let¡¯s kill them.¡± Zich¡¯spanions hade all the way here to kill those guys. There was no need to hesitate when the chance arose. Zich¡¯s party rushed toward Ultel and his subordinates, and battle rmenced inside the crumbling tower. The floor shook madly while the tower was tilting, and rock dust began to fall bit by bit. Although it wasn¡¯t a field suitable for battle, the battle continued without much trouble because all the fighters were skilled. Yet, the situation was different from before. Ultel and his subordinates no longer had things they could use as shields. The shadows disappeared while the monsters and the undeady on the floor. Naturally, the battle tiltedpletely in favor of Zich¡¯s party.

    <em>Crunch!</em>

    ¡°Kugh!¡± Til¡¯s giant sword sliced a robed figure diagonally from shoulder to waist. The robed figure split into two without being able to scream.

    ¡°¡­Hah!¡± Unlike his usual stiff self, a shortugh escaped his lips.

    ¡°You seem happy.¡±

    ¡°Can¡¯t help it. Didn¡¯t you see how annoyingly those bugs fought until now?¡± While leaving all the defenses to the monsters, undead, and shadows, the robed figures had tried to stab them, cut them, and hit them sneakily. Besides the rage they already felt toward the robed figures, the way they fought caused Til''s annoyance to shoot even further up. Thus, Til was happy to finally chop these annoying guys cleanly into two.

    <em>Baam!</em>

    ¡°Kuaaaah!¡±

    ¡°Ahhhh!¡±

    A giant fireball swallowed up a group of robed figures. Although a couple of them tried to block the attack with water, they couldn¡¯t stop Walwiss¡¯ powerful me magic just with a few streams of water. Then, Leona¡¯s arrows and Lube¡¯s holy magic continued to corner them. Finally, the one who fought and jumped around most was Zich. Besides his clear talent and skills, Estede¡¯s shing lights made him even more conspicuous.

    One of Ultel¡¯s subordinates urgently called Ultel, as Zich¡¯s party was already getting very close to them. Ultel clenched his teeth.

    ¡®It¡¯s pointless to fight here any longer!¡¯ Ultel thought. Although his subordinates were resisting by sacrificing their lives, it didn¡¯t appear like it wouldst long. Thus, Ultel made his decision.

    ¡°Half of you remain here and hold them back! The rest of you follow me!¡±

    ¡°Yes, sir!¡±

    Although Ultel hadmanded them to basically die, none of his subordinates refused. It was natural considering that these guys were specially chosen for their malleable personalities through numerous regressions and were given brainwashing education. They were puppets who would readily ept death for Ultel.

    ¡°Are you trying to escape? No way. Don¡¯t tell me that the great Ultel is running away just like Glen Zenard! Oh, but wait! You are the super rare specimen that¡¯s even worse than Glen Zenard. That exins it, but isn¡¯t running away to save your life a bit pathetic for a guy with the ambition to rule the whole world? It seems like you are some loser who just luckily got your hands on a great power!¡±

    Ultel heard Zich¡¯s dirty taunting again. Although Zich¡¯s provocations made him grit his teeth again, he couldn¡¯t let Zich pull him back.

    ¡®I have to go to the top of the tower before it crumbles! I might be able to fix the teleportation circle with my ring.¡¯ This was the only hope Ultel had right now. It hadn¡¯t been long since he was certain that he could catch Zich. However, most of his hope for the future was now gone, and he had no choice but to run away like a rat. However, there was no time for him to evenment his circumstances.

    <em>Baaaaam!</em>

    ¡°Where are you going, Ultel?! Weren¡¯t you nning to catch me and force me to tell you my secrets? Come on, try catching me! Here, I¡¯ll give you a good deal! If you catch me now, I¡¯ll tell you everything I know without having to torture or ckmail me! I swear! This is a once in a lifetime opportunity! If you miss this opportunity, you¡¯ll be the top idiot in the history of idiots!¡±

    Ultel turned his back and ran toward the upper floor as if he was running away from Zich¡¯s taunts. Half of the robed figures followed him in a stampede.

    ¡°Tck, he¡¯s gone.¡±

    <em>Slice!</em>Zich cut off a robed figure¡¯s neck in front of him and looked at where Ultel disappeared. However, he didn¡¯t linger on this for long.

    ¡°Now everyone, let¡¯s deal with these guys first! It¡¯ll be easier to deal with them now that Ultel is one.¡± Zich and his party pushed back the robed figures more thoroughly and harshly. To prove their undying loyalty to Ultel, the robed figures really tried to hold back Zich¡¯s party with their lives on the line. However, there were things that couldn¡¯t be aplished with sheer will; the number of robed figures who lost their lives steadily increased. The rate of their dwindling numbers elerated; soon, all of them would be wiped out. Then, they just would have to follow Ultel and cut off his neck as he fell into despair.

    However, Zich¡¯s thought was soon overturned by a sudden burst of powerful mana.

    <em>Wiiiiiiiing!</em>They all felt a strong burst of mana, and everyone immediately looked at the ce where it came from. The sound came from the upper part of the tower, a ce higher than their current location.

    ¡°¡­Is it from Ultel?¡± Lube murmured. Lube always attached insects or other sub-life forms as a modifier to his name, but she said his name by itself for the first time. This was how serious she considered the present threat, and how powerful the mana was.

    Leona and Walwiss¡¯ thoughts weren¡¯t that different from hers either.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think so. If he had hidden such a power, he would have already used it by now. There¡¯s no need for you to be so flustered, but I don¡¯t think this is a good sign for us either.¡± Zich narrowed his eyes and looked up. Unfortunately, one annoying prediction came to mind.

    ¡®That¡¯s definitely where Ultel locked up Glen Zenard.¡¯

    ¡°Huff! Huff!¡± Ultel quickly climbed up the stairs. Due to the battle just before and strenuous exercise, he waspletely out of breath. He also hadn¡¯t exercised much in his daily life.

    ¡°Sir, get on my back!¡± The subordinate next to him offered his back. Ultel preferred to move on his own, but in a desperate situation like this, he knew he couldn¡¯t be stubborn.

    ¡°Huff! Huff! Okay.¡± Ultel was about to get on his subordinate¡¯s when¡ª

    <em>Wiiiing!</em>He felt the same mana that Zich¡¯s party felt. However, he was much closer to the mana¡¯s resonance than Zich¡¯s party.

    ¡°This is¡­!¡±

    ¡°W-what is that?¡±

    The robed figures usually kept their mouths closed unless Ultel ordered them to like dolls, but they were so shocked that they also gasped out loud. However, no matter how shocked they were, it was iparable to what Ultel was feeling.

    ¡°¡­Glen Zenard?¡± The ce where an enormous amount of mana was bursting out like a storm was where Glen was locked up. However, Ultel couldn¡¯t believe it.

    ¡®How could he have such arge amount of mana?¡¯ Ultel was well aware of Glen¡¯s abilities. No matter how much he increased his skills with the Clowon Empire¡¯s artifact, Glen¡¯s mana could never match Zich¡¯s. There was no way he could unleash such an incredible amount of mana.

    ¡®Yeah, that¡¯s impossible. Something else must¡¯ve caused this!¡¯

    ¡°Master.¡± A subordinate next to him called out to Ultel, shaking him from his thoughts.

    ¡°¡­We¡¯re going to keep moving up for now.¡± It wasn¡¯tpletely certain that whatid up ahead would be a danger to him, but Zich¡¯s party behind them was certainly a danger to him. At Ultel¡¯smand, the robed figures began climbing the tower again. Meanwhile, the mana continued to fluctuate, and as they went up, Ultel became more certain that the source of the mana was where they had locked up Glen.

    Eventually, they reached the floor where Glen was locked up, and at the same time, the whirlpool of mana instantly disappeared like magic. However, nobody let down their guard, and unlike on the other floors, Ultel¡¯s subordinates moved cautiously. Their eyes were all focused on the ce where Glen was locked up.

    <em>Sssssh...</em>Without any signs, the door to Glen¡¯s prison quietly opened. The tension between Ultel and his subordinates rose to its peak.

    <em>Stomp! Stomp!</em>Someone walked out. Everyone knew who he was.

    ¡°¡­Glen Zenard.¡± Ultel quietly said his name.

    Did Glen hear his name? Glen looked at him¡ªno, Glen<em>seemed</em>to be looking at him. Glen¡¯s face moved towards Ultel and his subordinates, but his eyes didn¡¯t capture their figures. Rather than hosting eyeballs that reflected light, his eye sockets were empty holes.

    ¡°Ouu¡­eh¡­.¡±

    Was he trying to call Ultel¡¯s name? However, Glen¡¯s severed tongue made it impossible for him to talk; the only thing that came out of his mouth were iprehensible mumblings. However, his intention was clear.

    <em>Wiiiiiiiing!</em>A great deal of mana gathered in Glen¡¯s hands.

    ¡°S-stop himmmmm!¡± Ultel¡¯s shout sounded like a scream. In the next moment, a loud explosion filled the tower.

    Favorite

 Chapter 583

    <h4>Chapter 583</h4>

    <em>Booom!</em>There was a huge explosion, and the tower shook wildly. After shoving all the remaining robed figures to the corners of hell, Zich¡¯s party was climbing up when they felt it.

    ¡°Something huge is happening.¡±

    ¡°What? Are you scared? You get scared pretty easily for someone who ims to be the master of a magical tower.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m cautious, not scared. You should differentiate between recklessness and bravery, but I suppose an immature elf who aged for nothing wouldn¡¯t know this.¡±

    Fortunately, the party members¡¯ will to fight hadn¡¯t dwindled yet. In the first ce, Zich wouldn¡¯t have brought people who were scared just by things like this all the way to this ce. But what was happening was certainly worrisome.

    ¡°What could it be?¡± While being carried on Leona''s back, Lube looked up. However, all she saw were cracks in the ceiling and rocks¡ªshe couldn¡¯t exactly see what was happening.

    ¡°It¡¯s meaningless to guess right now. We need to go up and assess the situation there. There¡¯s a part of me that thinks that it could be Glen Zenard,¡± Zich said.

    ¡°That man?¡± He was the bastard who had yed around with the betrayers inside the Karuwiman headquarters and used the title of Honorary Knight to cover up his dirty deeds. Evidently, Lube didn¡¯t have a good impression of the man. No, considering how she used to have faith in Glen as a previous Karuwiman Honorary Knight, she now felt more hostile toward him than toward most Bellid followers.

    ¡°Why is that man here?¡± she asked.

    ¡°Ultel captured him. He was tortured and locked in the upper floors of this tower.¡±

    ¡°Good for him.¡±

    ¡°Yes, it sure is nice, but if this power really belongs to him, we need to prepare ourselves.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ve been prepared since I epted my title as the Saintess.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m d to hear that. Then let¡¯s continue our way up.¡±

    Zich¡¯s party passed over the corpses of robed figures lying on the ground and climbed the staircase. Many stepster, Walwiss and Leona talked while looking up at the ceiling.

    ¡°The mana has disappeared.¡±

    ¡°Then, has everything been solved?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯d be that easy. I don¡¯t have a good feeling about this,¡± Til replied.

    ¡°A mercenary¡¯s intuition is a scary thing, especially from a skilled mercenary.¡± Walwiss also appeared to not think positively of the situation, and after hearing Til¡¯s thoughts, he felt as if his thoughts had been confirmed.

    ¡°Let¡¯s continue to climb up,¡± Zich said.

    The party members were about to climb the stairs again when the tower shook violently.<em>Booom!</em>They heard a loud explosion.

    ¡°As I thought, it doesn¡¯t seem like the situation will progress that easily.¡± Walwiss clicked his tongue. Explosions continued, and the tower continued to shake ordingly. Every time this happened, they sensed an enormous amount of mana.

    ¡°Let¡¯s move quickly.¡±

    ¡°Quickly? Aren¡¯t we already going¡­¡± Leona trailed off after Zich took action.

    <em>Bam!</em>Estede¡¯s light struck the ceiling. A giant pir of light shot up and prated the ceiling, leaving a huge hole. A blue sky peeked through the hole.

    Leona¡¯s lips were still parted when Zich stated, ¡°It¡¯s a shortcut.¡±

    ¡°¡­Yes, it really is a shortcut.¡± It was one that could lead them right through the ceiling of the tower.

    ¡°There was no need for us to take the stairs,¡± Walwiss joked, but there was no power in his voice. Even though he had given up now, the sight of a wide hole in the center of a magical tower that could be the hotspot for research filled him with greatment. Still, the team continued to go up through the shortcut that Zich made. Zich, Til, and Leona swiftly jumped up. Lube was still on Leona¡¯s back.

    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you make this shortcut before?¡± Lube asked while ncing at the hole they passed through. It had been a while since the manaing to this tower broke off, and they were able to destroy this tower. If Zich had made such a shortcut before, they could¡¯ve caught Ultel earlier.

    ¡°I wanted Ultel to suffer.¡±

    ¡°Specifically, how, sir?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s obvious why that guy went up the tower. It¡¯s to fix the teleportation circle somehow, but that won¡¯t get fixed no matter what.¡± Since the World Tree¡¯s mana had been cut off to this side of the ind, there was no way Ultel could fix it now.

    ¡°That guy wouldn¡¯t give up hope. He would try all sorts of methods to try to fix the circle.¡±

    ¡°So, in short, he¡¯s going to do all he can out of hope and despair in the end?¡±

    ¡°Yes, doesn¡¯t that please you?¡±

    ¡°Very much so!¡±

    As expected, the two met eye-to-eye in the matter of tormenting Ultel. After going up several more stairs, Zich¡¯s party reached an outer wall that was mostly crushed and had a giant hole through it. Through it, they saw the bright blue sky and theke¡¯s clear waters. When they looked down, they saw the monsters and the undead crushed under the tower¡¯s remains. The tower¡¯s remains had flown quite far away, and there were even monsters that had dropped into the waters. From a nce, one could tell that a great power had struck the tower¡¯s outer walls with a single blow.

    ¡°That must be the result of the explosion we heard earlier.¡± Walwiss carefully observed the traces of destruction. ¡°It doesn¡¯t seem like magic or a weapon was used to carve it out. The attacker just expelled mana out to break apart this section of the wall.¡±

    ¡°How strong do you think this person is?¡±

    ¡°No matter how wise of a mage I am, I can¡¯t assess my opponent¡¯s level with just this. Can<em>you</em>tell?¡±

    ¡°There are no elf skills that allow that either.¡±

    ¡°Well, that only means we have to face this opponent in person.¡±

    They still had some floors to cover. The fewer staircases they had left, the closer they were to this mysterious opponent. Yet, what they discovered first wasn¡¯t the owner behind the massive mana.

    ¡°Kurh, kkkugrrrrrrgh¡­.!¡± With a repressed groan, the man was crawling on the ground. No, it wasn¡¯t even repressed. He could not even raise his voice because the pain was too intense.

    ¡°¡­You really turned into a bug,¡± Lube said, coldly watching the groaning man. Ultel copsed onto the floor, and as he crawled desperately across the ground, he appeared exactly like a bug.

    His lower body was gone. The intestines protruding from his abdomen had been dragged along and painted the floor red. Anyone could see that he wasn¡¯t going tost long. Rather, the fact that he was still breathing even in this condition showed how strong his vitality was. However, even this would soon end. No matter how strong and great he was, a human couldn¡¯t recover from an injury like that. Lube would be able to treat him, but there was no way she would give him such a blessing. Thus, the only thing left for Ultel was death.

    Zich approached him. When he saw a foot in front of him, Ultel looked up. Ultel¡¯s eyes became cloudy as blood flowed out of his mouth. However, when he realized that the person in front of him was Zich, some light came back to his eyes.

    ¡°Zi¡­ch¡­¡±

    ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s your friend, Zich.¡± Zich squatted next to Ultel. His gaze moved towards Ultel¡¯s missing lower body. ¡°Oh my, it looks painful. Are you okay?¡±

    ¡°Aghhhhhhh!¡± Ultel screamed as Zich pressed down on his wound with a concerned expression. His screams were iparable to the strained groans he had made before.

    ¡°But you¡¯re still healthy. You still have the energy to scream like this.¡± Then Zich hit Ultel¡¯s wound as if he was rebuking a child for pretending to be injured, and he put enormous strength into his hand.

    ¡°Aughhhhhhhahhhhhhhhhh!¡± Naturally, Ultel screamed again to the point that his throat could rip.

    ¡°Huh? You weren¡¯t faking it? This is really worrisome. Where does it hurt? Is it here? Or over here? Or here?¡±

    ¡°S-stop¡­ Arghhhhhhhh!¡±

    Zich¡¯s hands were instantly covered with blood. Ultel struggled to stop Zich, but it was useless. Zich toyed with Ultel for a while and then called out to Lube. ¡°Saintess, would you be able to cure this guy?¡±

    ¡°What? Why? Even God Karuna, who embraces all living beings in the world, ordered us to kill Bellu and the Bellids by trampling over them on sight, not to show our grace and kindness to them.¡±

    ¡°Of course, I¡¯m not asking you to fully heal him. I also don¡¯t want to keep seeing his face, but since he¡¯s literally seconds away from death, would you be able to let him live for a little longer?¡±

    ¡°Well, if that¡¯s the case¡­¡± Lube stretched out her staff towards Ultel. A soft and warm holy energy flowed around the staff. However, her expression was exactly like a person forced to stretch out her hand to catch a bug that had infiltrated her home. When Lube¡¯s holy energy reached Ultel, his expression became calmer and morefortable. However, the difference was minimal. Even if he was treated, Lube¡¯s treatment was equivalent to pouring only a bucket of water on a zing fire. However, this was enough to extend Ultel¡¯s life for a little longer as Zich intended.

    ¡°Huff! Huff! Huff!¡± Ultel gasped for breath as it became slightly easier to breathe.

    ¡°Who attacked you?¡± Zich asked bluntly. ¡°Was it Glen Zenard?¡±

    ¡°¡­!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m right, aren¡¯t I?¡± Zich confirmed his suspicion as he saw fury and hatred sh across Ultel¡¯s face. ¡°Geez, you really are pathetic. How can you be defeated by Glen Zenard of all people?¡±

    ¡°You punk¡­you think¡­you¡¯re any different?!¡±

    ¡°Yes, we¡¯re different. Very much.¡± Zich¡¯s expression did not change in the slightest, even with Ultel¡¯s vicious voice. ¡°At least I don¡¯t crawl around like a bug, spilling my guts like you. Ah, should I not say like a bug since you really became a bug?¡±

    ¡°You also got¡­ Aghhhhh!¡±

    Zich pressed down on his wound as Ultel tried to mention what happened to Zich in his previous timeline. He trusted his current party members, but there was no need for them to know about regression as well. ¡°Like you said, he¡¯s beaten me before. However, I¡¯m well and alive right now like this. Thest person standing wins in the end, and you¡¯re on the ground like this. There will be no next time.¡±

    ¡°You bastard¡­you¡¯ll meet the same end as me.¡±

    ¡°How many times do I have to tell you that I¡¯m not like you?¡±

    ¡°He-hehe! You don''t know¡­what state¡­Glen Zenard is currently in.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I was curious about that. Why don¡¯t you spill the tea? How did he gain such an enormous amount of mana when he was basically on the brink of death?¡±

    ¡°You think¡­I¡¯d tell you?!¡±

    ¡°Hey, don¡¯t be so stingy like that when we are such good friends.¡±

    ¡°Aghhhhhhhh!¡± Ultel spazzed as Zich pressed on his wound again.

    ¡°Damn, I didn¡¯t think you had any faith in the slightest, but as the Bellid pope, you¡¯re good at mimicking a fish. What do you think, Saintess? Doesn¡¯t this remind you of the past?¡±

    ¡°Are you talking about when we first met? Come to think of it, that guy was also good at mimicking a fish.¡±

    Zich and Lube reminisced about a fond memory in the past while a human covered in blood was struggling with intense pain.

    ¡°Hey, let¡¯s talk about Glen Zenard again. Ah, you don¡¯t have to worry about the time. We still have time left, at least until Glen Zenard makes his move.¡± Zich looked up. He felt a presence above him, but it wasn¡¯t moving at all.

    ¡°Heh, hee¡­! As soon as he locks you in as his target¡­your life¡­will be over.¡±

    ¡°I told you, didn¡¯t I? I¡¯m not like you. When will you finally understand?¡±

    ¡°No matter how great you are¡­you can¡¯t fight¡­against the power of thest emperor of Clowon¡­¡±

    Thest emperor of the Clowon Empire¡ªunexpected and concerning words came out of Ultel¡¯s mouth.

    Favorite

 Chapter 584

    <h4>Chapter 584</h4>

    He was the foolish emperor who had ignored the limits of regressions and eventually became mad and brought the empire to its ruin. Seeing how he hadn¡¯t paid much attention even after hearing about the rebels, it seemed like the emperor also possessed something special he kept hidden.

    ¡°Thest emperor¡¯s power¡­it sure sounds foreboding. Why don¡¯t you exin it in detail?¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s¡­no need¡­you will¡­soon¡­see it yourself.¡± As expected, it seemed Ultel had no intention to cooperate.

    ¡°Thest emperor¡­ The only thing I know about that guy is that he overused the Brushel System¡­¡± Zich said as he narrowed his eyes. ¡°Did Glen Zenard perhaps surpass his limits too?¡±

    ¡°Kuhaha!¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯tugh, man!¡±

    ¡°Kuaaaaagh!¡± Ultel screamed in pain as Zich pressed down on his intestines.

    ¡°You idiot. What¡¯ve you been doing, not even noticing that happened?¡±

    ¡°There were no signs of that¡­ And even I¡­haven¡¯t seen all of him,¡± Ultel gasped out.

    ¡°You should¡¯ve still noticed. Considering that guy¡¯s personality, he must have shuddered in fear. Didn¡¯t you say you briefly nced over the past timelines before?¡± Since Glen had regressed so many times, looking over the past timelines was a massive task. Thus, it was understandable that Ultel could¡¯ve missed some things, but he still should¡¯ve noticed if Glen made his fear obvious.

    ¡°Was his fear not that noticeable?¡±

    ¡°It was¡­my miscalction¡­ I thought he would¡­make it so obvious¡­right away. Huff! Huff!¡± As his symptoms grew worse, Ultel¡¯s breathing became harsher. Zich nced at Lube, and Lube treated Ultel again with a disgusted look on her face.

    ¡°I still don¡¯t get it. Was that guy¡¯s mental fortitude always that high? High enough to ovee his fears?¡±

    Glen couldn¡¯t do anything without his regression ability. Thus, it was more unbelievable that he managed to do something that not a single emperor in all of the Clowon Empire¡¯s history had failed to do.

    ¡°It¡¯s not¡­his mentality.¡±

    ¡°Then?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s his obsession¡­ He has an unimaginable level of obsession¡­about having the perfect life. That¡¯s the only way¡­ to think about it.¡±

    ¡°¡­Yes, that does make more sense then.¡± Usually, a person crazy about one thing could aplish the unimaginable. If they considered this, it made more sense that Glen managed to repress and conquer his fear of regression.

    ¡®He really is impressive in many ways,¡¯ Zich thought. Glen had finally aplished the difficult task of receiving Zich¡¯s acknowledgment¡ªthough, of course, whether Glen would feel happy to hear it was a different matter.

    ¡°Okay. I get that the hero idiot¡¯s obsession is amazing. Then, tell me about thest emperor¡¯s power and the attack you personally endured against him.¡±

    ¡°I told you before¡­ I won¡¯t tell you¡­ Ahhhhhh!¡±

    ¡°Hey, don¡¯t be like that. I will even give you a nice massage, so please change your mind. Where does it ache? Your intestines? Here? Or here?¡±

    ¡°Ahhhhh! Kuah! Kuaaaaaaaaah!¡±

    ¡°Are my massaging skills that great? If that¡¯s the case, I will give you a bit more. I know I¡¯m good. Rx and enjoy my service with ease. No need to tense up. Rx.¡±

    ¡°Kuaaaaah! W-Whatever you do¡­I won¡¯t do anything in your favor!¡± Ultel shouted with a sudden surge of energy. Yet, Zich pressed on his internal organs again, and Ultel continued to shriek in pain. However, it appeared Ultel wasn¡¯t lying and he didn¡¯t give any more information.

    ¡®Should I call it quits now?¡¯ If he had sufficient time, Zich could torture Ultel as long as time allowed, but Glen Zenard lingered on his mind.

    ¡®I am curious about thest emperor¡¯s power, and I also have a way to learn about it.¡¯ Zich had L after all. ¡®It would be best if I could learn about it immediately though.¡¯

    His fight with Glen was just waiting ahead, and the more information Zich had, the better it was for him. Yet, it couldn¡¯t be helped. Zich gave up on trying to extract more information from Ultel. Zich¡¯s original n had been to wait until Ultel realized that there really was no way to fix the teleportation circle and fall into greater despair before meeting his end, but his n was thwarted now. Still, Zich had no intention of giving Ultel a peaceful death. At the very least, Zich wanted Ultel to flounder and drown in a flood of rage, loathing, and despair before he died.

    ¡°Okay, Ultel. I will respect your will and stop asking you about that idiot hero or any other matters.¡± Zich took his hands off Ultel¡¯s organs, and Ultely limp on the ground while heaving.

    ¡°On second thought, it was stupid of me to ask you about this. Why would I ask advice from a stupid guy who lost control of his puppet and got attacked instead? You¡¯re obviously going to be no help.¡±

    With his face still on the floor, Ultel rolled his eyes up slightly and looked up at Zich.

    ¡°That guy¡­is different from before¡­You will soon reach the same state as me¡­ha¡­¡± As if Ultel was imagining what would exactly happen to Zich, a twisted smile formed on his pained face. Ultel was trying to also taunt Zich, but he couldn¡¯t beat Zich in that area.

    ¡°You thought you could easily control that guy and picked him. Do you remember how youughed at Glen for being an idiot hero earlier? Now, he¡¯s the reason why your body is now sliced into two and reduced to the same level as bugs.¡±

    The smile on Ultel¡¯s face disappeared.

    ¡°Then, what should I call you from now on? The idiot mastermind who got one-upped by a hero idiot? Ah, since you were defeated by an idiot, you are the ultimate idiot. I will call you the ultimate idiot mastermind from now. It¡¯s the perfect name for you. I''m even impressed by my own naming sense.¡±

    ¡°As I said¡­you are going to be¡­just like me soon!¡±

    ¡°Never! If you are suspicious, you can see for yourself.¡± Then, Zich pped his forehead as he came to a great realization. ¡°Ah, wait. You wouldn¡¯t be able to see because you would be dead.¡±

    Zich arched his torso and pped Ultel¡¯s cheeks a couple of times.

    ¡°Don¡¯t be too angry about that. You lived a long life. Your ambition was too greatpared to yourck of abilities. A person should know their limits. Everything about you is all right except for that.¡±

    ¡°Shut¡­up¡­!¡±

    ¡°Great job working so hard for naught. You pretend to be smart, but your own dog ended up biting you instead. It¡¯s the picture-perfect portrait of a miserable life. How do you feel? Tell me. You can tell me at least this, right? I think it¡¯ll be a very dirty feeling. I¡¯m so curious because it¡¯s a pathetic end that I¡¯ll never be able to reach no matter how hard I try.¡±

    ¡°I told you to¡­shut up¡­! Cough! Cough!¡± Ultel vomited blood. Zich frowned in disgust and evaded the blood that Ultel spurted out.

    ¡°Ugh! It¡¯s the blood of a mastermind idiot meeting his pathetic end! I might get infected by his idiocy if his blood touches me!¡±

    ¡°You! You bastaaard..! Cough! Cough!¡± Ultel reached out to Zich, but his hand couldn¡¯t touch him.

    ¡°You were pretending to be a bug before, but are you pretending to be a fish again? Man, just focus on one thing. I know you¡¯re inferior to insects and fish and most animals, let alone humans, but there¡¯s no need for you to showcase so openly that you¡¯re a pathetic loser who can¡¯t even bepared to humans!¡±

    ¡°You son of a¡­!¡±

    ¡°Ah, stop trying to touch me! What if you infect me with your idiocy?!¡± Zich took a big step back from Ultel, and Ultel dragged his upper body as if he was trying to grab Zich. However, there was no way that he could catch Zich in such a state.

    ¡°Would any of you also like to y around with him a bit?¡± Zich asked hispanions since the others also had a grudge against Ultel as well.

    ¡°No, I¡¯m fine.¡±

    ¡°Will that really be all right? Shouldn¡¯t you take revenge for your son?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s enough for me to see him suffer like that. To be honest, I don¡¯t know how to make him suffer more than what you¡¯re doing right now.¡± Walwiss felt cathartic as he watched Ultel squirm and vomit blood. All the others seemed to have simr thoughts as Walwiss, so no one stepped forward to directly take revenge on Ultel.

    ¡°Then I will now kill him.¡± Zich pulled out Estede, but after a thoughtful moment, he put it away.

    ¡®Estede is too great for this guy.¡¯

    Zich took out a sword from his magic box. Even though it was an ordinary sword, it was enough to kill a person. Ultel¡¯s eyes trembled as he saw a sharp de in front of him. Now he was now really at death¡¯s doorstep. After gaining the power of regression, Ultel had never thought about death since it wasn¡¯t the end but merely a way to restart.

    ¡°Why? Are you scared now that death¡¯s sickle is right against your neck?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t¡­make¡­meugh¡­¡±

    ¡°Is that so?¡± Zich instantly thrust the sword right in front of Ultel¡¯s face, and Ultel¡¯s body flinched. ¡°Stop pretending. Even ten thousand pups would be braver than you right now. Ah, was I too insulting to dogs? Then what should Ipare you to?¡±

    Zich put his hand on his chin and tilted his head a few times as if he was deep in thought.

    ¡°Ah,e to think of it, there was that hero idiot.¡± Zich looked down at Ultel. ¡°Yeah, yep. There¡¯s a perfectparison like that hero idiot, but I don¡¯t know why I brought up innocent dogs even though it¡¯s already been revealed that you¡¯re inferior to that hero idiot.¡±

    ¡°Shut¡­up¡­!¡±

    ¡°Are you denying it? Then don¡¯t end up in this state after getting attacked by him. You¡¯ve already proven beautifully that you¡¯re inferior to Glen Zenard.¡±

    ¡°You¡­!¡± Ultel gritted his teeth. However, a person lying on the ground couldn¡¯t pose much of a threat, especially since he failed to threaten Zich even in his original condition.

    Zich raised his sword. Zich¡¯s eyes had been full of mockery so far, but they became instantly chilling. Ultel was about to swear, but he also closed his mouth in shock. Zich was going to put an end to this, and true death wasing for him.

    ¡°¡­W-wait¡­¡± Ultel murmured. However, Zich¡¯s eyes didn¡¯t change. Whether it was pride as a mastermind that controlled the world as he wanted, his pride as a pope who led the most powerful cult in the world, or defiance against Zich who caused his downfall, Ultel never intended to beg Zich for his life. However, the moment he felt death¡¯s hand on his cheek, Ultel opened his mouth without realizing it.

    ¡°S-save me¡ª¡±

    Ultel¡¯s words were cut off as his neck was too.

    Ultel¡¯s head rolled on the floor, felled by a cheap sword. His face, stained with fear, stared nkly at the sky. It was a sad end for a man who had yed the world like his toy after gaining control of the Brushel System and using Glen to regress countless times.

    Lube looked down at Ultel¡¯s head and said coldly, ¡°Begging for his life. A fitting end for a pathetic guy.¡±

    ¡°I said he was worse than Glen Zenard to mock him, but it might really be the truth, he¡¯s not better than Glen in any way.¡± Zich put the sword back into his magic box.

    ¡°Didn¡¯t he break down in the end? Then, wouldn¡¯t it have been easier to make him spit out information?¡± Leona asked.

    ¡°He¡¯ll never stop scheming if I let him live, and he¡¯ll only spit out information after guaranteeing his life. Of course, since he¡¯s been broken to that extent, I could eschew information out of him by torture, but¡­¡± Zich looked up. All the others also followed Zich¡¯s gaze and looked up.

    ¡°I need to finish off that guy, so I don¡¯t have time for that.¡±

    Glen¡¯s presence began moving little by little.

    Favorite

 Chapter 585

    <h4>Chapter 585</h4>

    Yet, Zich didn¡¯t move urgently like someone about to face a battle¡ªhe looked as if he was finally getting ready to move. Thus, hispanions didn¡¯t move hastily either, and there was enough time for Walwiss to ask, ¡°What is a Brushel System? There were other keywords that stirred my curiosity too.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s better if you don¡¯t know what they are. If it¡¯s you, I¡¯m sure the moment you learn what they are, you wouldn¡¯t be able to sleep again as they would upy your every waking moment.¡±

    ¡°That makes me even more curious!¡± Walwiss shouted, but Zich coldly shook his head.

    ¡°I can¡¯t tell you anything. Whatever they are, I will soon destroy them. So, there¡¯s no need for you to concern yourself about them anymore.¡±

    Zich gave Walwiss no room to ask any more questions, and knowing Zich¡¯s personality, Walwiss knew there was no way that Zich would go back on his words after speaking so firmly about the matter. Although curiosity was one of the most important things that a mage could have, there were things one shouldn¡¯t dare to venture further into. Walwiss knew this very well as an experienced mage, and he dropped the topic.

    ¡°What is that ring? Is that also rted to the things I must not know about?¡± Walwiss pointed at the ring Ultel was wearing.

    ¡°Hm¡­¡± Zich took off the ring from Ultel¡¯s finger. He took it off so roughly that Ultel¡¯s finger curved in a direction it shouldn¡¯t have, but nobody in the team cared about that.

    ¡®It probably is a reserve for Windur or a smaller version of it¡­¡¯ It was clear that Windur was the emperor¡¯s symbol, and there was no way its authority was lower than the ring¡¯s.

    ¡®If that ring had the same amount of authority and power as Windur, Ultel would¡¯ve found the other ruins by now,¡¯ Zich thought. Ultel had misunderstood¡ªhe thought that the item Zich possessed was on the same level as the Emperor¡¯s Ring, but the ring could not remotelypare to Windur.

    ¡°I have to confirm it, but I don¡¯t think this ring is that important. I can give it to youter.¡± After the tower broke and the Brushel System crumbled, there wouldn¡¯t be much the ring could do. Then, there wouldn¡¯t be much danger in giving it to Walwiss as a research item. As for extra precautionary measures, he would give the ring to L to check it over.

    ¡°Yes, please, I beg you!¡± Walwiss was overjoyed to hear that there was at least one item he could take with him from this mystical ruin.

    ¡°Ah, but before that, I have to check with the others. Is anyone else interested in the ring?¡± Zich asked. Since they had all contributed to defeating Ultel, Walwiss couldn¡¯t im Ultel¡¯s possessions all on his own. Of course, this rule also applied to Zich, but because of the strong trust everyone had in him, no one disputed Zich checking the ring first before giving it away. However, maybe because of Walwiss¡¯ pleading eyes, no one asked for ownership of the ring¡ªnot even Leona, who usually bickered with Walwiss.

    ¡°That¡¯s what everyone else says, Zich.¡±

    ¡°I understand.¡±

    Walwiss was very d. ¡°Good, good. Then, let¡¯s quickly get rid of that guy from above and finish this.¡±

    Everyone raised his or her head. Their slightly rxed bodies tensed up again.

    ¡°It seems like that guy is officially on the move,¡± Til warned. Everyone felt Glen¡¯s movements growing bigger and bigger with their keen senses.

    Zich added, ¡°Our opponent is strong enough to defeat Ultel and his subordinates one-sidedly, and the mana I felt from him just now was considerable. We can¡¯t think that Glen Zenard would be like the man we once used to know.¡±

    Everyone nodded at Zich¡¯s statements.

    ¡°The tower¡¯s vibrations are getting stronger.¡±

    ¡°It won¡¯t be long before it falls.¡±

    ¡°It seems like it will crumble once our battle starts.¡±

    ¡°¡­It will definitely get in the way of the battle.¡±

    As the party members said, it looked like the tower would break apart at any time. Yet, Zich asked them calmly, ¡°So, does anyone here feel endangered by that?¡±

    No one answered.

    ¡°That answers it. Then, let¡¯s go up now. We have to check out how much our friend Glen has changed.¡±

    ***

    The party moved through the hole Zich made again, and as they went up, they saw many corpses that belonged to Ultel¡¯s subordinates. Besides a few that looked rtively unharmed, most of the corpses were shredded to pieces. Glen Zenard had killed them all. After going up for a while like that, the party eventually saw Glen Zenard.

    ¡°This is serious.¡± Leona frowned upon seeing Glen. He looked grotesque after all the torture he had endured.

    Perhaps he heard Leona¡¯s voice, but Glen turned his head. His eyeball-less, empty eye sockets shifted to where Zich¡¯s party was.

    ¡°His eyes have been plucked out.¡±

    ¡°His eardrums also seem to be damaged.¡±

    ¡°Huh? But didn¡¯t that guy clearly respond to my voice earlier?¡±

    ¡°He might not be able to hear us, but maybe he can sense our presence using other methods.¡±

    ¡°Seeing his injuries, it seems like the tendons in his wrists and ankles were cut off too. A couple of retired mercenaries in my mercenary group had injuries like that.¡±

    ¡°Aren¡¯t those people unable to move properly? Yet, that guy is moving so freely.¡±

    ¡°In other words, his body ispletely destroyed, but something else is making up for his inabilities and injuries.¡± Zich cleanly summarized the situation.

    ¡°It must be mana. Given the sheer amount of mana I sensed before, there''s more than enough to make up for the loss in physical functions. It¡¯s a body I want to try researching once.¡±

    ¡°You mean like a human experiment?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. No matter how much curiosity I have, it isn¡¯t to the point that I will throw away my morals, even if the subject is one of the most heinous men that could exist.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s good to hear.¡±

    As Walwiss and Leona talked behind him, Zich took one step toward Glen.

    <em>Ssssssh.</em>A hollow Glen turned toward Zich.

    ¡®I doubt he can see. He must be sensing the mana in his surroundings and he must be turning his head out of habit.¡¯ Zich thought and asked, ¡°Hey, Glen Zenard. Do you remember me?¡±

    ¡°¡­Uh¡­Ah¡­¡±

    ¡°His tongue was also cut off.¡±

    It appeared that Glen had been thoroughly tortured. Some parts of his body were still smooth and clean; his torturers had probably poured potions on Glen when it looked like he was about to die. The torture was chillingly thorough. Yet, this thought didn¡¯t garner sympathy for Glen from anyone in the room.

    <Zi¡­chi¡­>

    ¡°Oh, you¡¯ve awakened an interesting talent,¡± Zich noted. Since Glen¡¯s pronunciation was too smushed now, everything that came out of his mouth was iprehensible. However, Zich and the others could now hear words ringing in their ears.

    ¡°He¡¯s making sounds with mana,¡± Walwiss muttered with interest.

    In contrast, Leona frowned. ¡°I feel a great amount of mana every time he talks, and he¡¯s using that much mana just to talk?¡±

    ¡°The amount of mana is rtive. Since he can use so much mana just to talk, it means that he has that much mana to spare. It also means that he can¡¯t properly handle his enormous mana. If he could control his mana precisely, he wouldn¡¯t need to use that much mana to imitate his voice.¡±

    ¡°But you¡¯re saying that his astounding amount of mana is real, right?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡± Zich assessed Glen¡¯s mana, which he felt intermittently.

    ¡®He definitely has more mana than me right now.¡¯ Considering that the amount of mana that Zich had wasparable to a dragon¡¯s, the amount of mana that Glen had was a truly astonishing amount.

    ¡°Yeah, it seems like you beat the hell out of Ultel. How do you feel?¡±

    <Ul¡­tel¡­?>

    ¡°Are you not in your right mind?¡± Zich was a little disappointed. Glen needed to be in his right mind to react properly to his words. However, it was too early to be disappointed.

    <Ultel¡­Ultel¡­the bastard¡­who used and tortured me!>

    It seemed as if his memory was clear and his emotions were intact; this was enough for Zich¡¯s mockery to work.

    <Zich¡­Moore¡­viin¡­>

    ¡°What do you mean, viin? That is such a harsh word. I¡¯m a hero that the whole world recognizes now. Rather, you¡¯re the viin¡ªthe dirty Bellid coborator, Glen Zenard.¡±

    <I-I¡¯m¡­hero¡­>

    ¡°What do you mean, hero? It¡¯s all over, man. Hans took the nickname, Sun Hero, that you loved so much, and you¡¯re just a hated viin.¡±

    <T-that¡¯s not¡­possible¡­>

    ¡°You said you wanted a perfect life, didn¡¯t you? That¡¯s too bad. The perfect life you want is already over. If you¡¯re really Glen Zenard, you should know it better than anyone else.¡±

    <No¡­No¡­.No¡­Noo¡­.>

    ¡°What do you mean no? It¡¯s true that you¡¯re done for¡­!¡±

    <No¡­Nooooooo!>

    <em>Ziiing!</em>Glen¡¯s body began to emit a tremendous amount of mana; it was the same mana that they had all been feeling for a while. Zich¡¯s expression slightly hardened. Til moved to Zich¡¯s side, Walwiss and Leona raised their staff and bow, and Lube also raised her staff.

    <Zichhhhhh! Ack, agh, agh, aghhhhhhh! I need to k-k-killl, killlll himmmmm!>

    ¡°Even in that state, he¡¯s still obsessed with you. Did you wrong that guy really badly?¡± Walwiss asked.

    ¡°Sir, that¡¯s an unfair usation. I¡¯m actually the victim. That guy¡¯s dream is to be a hero who saves the world, and it seems like he left thest Demon Lord role to me.¡±

    ¡°He really selected the right person for the job, but he doesn¡¯t seem to have the ability or personality to be a hero.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s why Ultel and I keep calling him the hero idiot.¡±

    <Ah, ah, ah, ahhhhh¡­.! D-d-demon Lord of Mag!>

    ¡°He¡¯s saying that while looking at me. Does he also think of me as an enemy he has to take down?¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s saying that you¡¯re the Demon Lord of Magic. The name is pretty good, right? He nned to corrupt you by using your son to turn you into a Demon Lord.¡±

    ¡°Ha! That sted n was all just a ploy for him to y hero?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not just you, Sir Dwayne. Mr. Til was also one of his Demon Lord candidates. He would be called the Demon Lord of Disaster. Glen Zenard nned to manipte the situation and gain fame as a hero by defeating the three Demon Lords, including me as the Demon Lord of Strength. The conspiracies that you two fell under were the beginning of the plot he constructed, but don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ve smashed them into pieces.¡±

    <D-d-disaster Demon Loooord¡­!>

    ¡°See what I mean?¡±

    ¡°¡­It¡¯s very unpleasant.¡± Til didn¡¯t usually reveal his emotions, but he clearly showed his disgust this time.

    ¡°The three Demon Lords. If it worked out as you said, it would have been terrifying.¡± Leona was well aware of the strength of their party. No words needed to be said for Zich, and Til¡¯s formidable strength and mana were enough to send a chill down her back sometimes. Moreover, Walwiss was also extremely talented as a mage, even though she always bickered with him. That was also the main reason why despite being able to use a considerable level of magic, Leona mainly used bow and arrows to fight efficiently. If those three became Demon Lords and wreaked havoc across the world...

    ¡®...the damage would be unimaginable.¡¯ It was an idea that made her automatically shake her head.

    ¡°Perhaps, are we also involved in his plot somehow?¡± At Lube¡¯s question, Leona also wondered if Glen Zenard nned to make them Demon Lords or something simr. However, Zich¡¯s reply waspletely unexpected.

    ¡°From what I heard, he tried to make you two hisrades.¡±

    ¡°¡­Sir Zich, would you be able to repeat that?¡±

    ¡°Come again? What did that trash try to do?¡±

    The two asked their questions in unison. Their words were different, but their expressions were the same. They looked exactly like someone who had just found out that they¡¯d been chewing a bug.

    ¡°He tried to make you two hisrades.¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s a crazy bastard.¡±

    ¡°What a crazy bastard.¡±

    This time, even their words were the same.

    Favorite

 Chapter 586

    <h4>Chapter 586</h4>

    Both Leona and Lube wanted to yell right into Glen¡¯s ears that they also had the right to choose and smack sense into that unbelievable head of his. For their mental health, Zich didn¡¯t mention that they really would¡¯ve ended up as Glen¡¯spanions if he hadn¡¯t intervened. There was no need to bring up something that wouldn¡¯t be a reality anymore and sour everyone¡¯s mood, so Zich quietly agreed with them.

    ¡°It¡¯s not even that surprising considering how crazy that bastard is.¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t think he would be this insane! Ah, it gives me the chills!¡±

    As if bugs were crawling all over her body, Leona scratched her arms, and Lube also shivered as if she was feeling great chills. It soon appeared that Glen noticed those two.

    <Aine¡­Leona¡­>

    ¡°That guy is calling my name.¡±

    ¡°Mine too.¡±

    <Why¡­are¡­mypanions¡­standing next¡­to viins¡­?>

    ¡°It seems it is just as Sir Zich said.¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t think Zich would¡¯ve been wrong, but I really hoped that he was wrong this time.¡±

    The two looked at Glen with disgust. Perhaps, Glen felt their gazes, and the mana that burst out of him became stronger.

    <Must¡­kill the¡­viins¡­>

    ¡°As I said, you are the viin, Glen.¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s no point in talking to him, Leona. No words can get through to him.¡±

    <Must¡­save¡­mypanions¡­!>

    ¡°At least he has the will to save hispanions, though.¡±

    ¡°We aren¡¯t hispanions!¡±

    <They must¡­be¡­mypanions¡­so that¡­I can¡­shine brighter¡­and be¡­greater¡­.>

    ¡°¡­I suppose that wasn¡¯t really it either.¡±

    ¡°¡­I thought Ultel was bad, but that guy is outright disgusting.¡±

    ¡°¡­Even among the Bellid bugs I¡¯ve seen, he is among the top.¡±

    ¡°¡­I have seen all sorts of lunatics among the mercenaries, but none of them are like this man.¡±

    <em>Whooosh!</em>Glen¡¯s immense mana swirled in all directions and began to destroy the tower that had already weakened and be less durable.

    <I must create the perfect life!>

    Mana gathered inside Glen¡¯s hands.

    ¡°He¡¯sing!¡± Zich stepped forward while holding Estede. All hispanions held their individual weapons and supported Zich.

    <em>Baaaam!</em>A massive shockwave struck with a deafening boom, finally blowing apart the tower that was barely managing to stay in one piece.

    <em>Crumble!</em>A cloud of dust along with a loud explosion signaled the end of the tower as it disintegrated into pieces and fell.

    For every being on the ind, the fall of the tower was cmity itself.

    <em>Bam! Bam! Bam!</em>The tower¡¯s fragments createdrge holes in the ground and giant clouds of dust as they crashed. Though the ind was quite big, the tower¡¯s immense height brought everything on the ind within range. The majority of the monsters remaining on the ind were crushed by its mass, and naturally, those inside the tower were also affected. It appeared as if no one would survive the catastrophe.

    Of course, just as Zich''srades had confirmed to him earlier, none of their lives was at the slightest risk.

    <em>Whoosh!</em>Between the falling tower remains, there stood Til. He didn¡¯t have any method to block the fall of debris over him since he had only honed his physical abilities, but he had no intention of staying still either. When the debris fell near him, Til moved and stretched out his leg.

    <em>Boom!</em>His leg collided with the debris, but it was the debris that crumbled into small pieces, and Til straightened up again without any injuries. Above him, more debris fell, and Til raised his sword straight.

    <em>Whoosh!</em>It was a giant swing enveloped with mana. Falling fragments disintegrated and bounced off elsewhere. The shockwave created by his swing swept his surroundings in a fierce dust storm, and soon, the bright, clear blue sky shone only over Til¡¯s head.

    Hanging his giant sword over his shoulder, Til looked around in search for hispanions.<em></em>

    <em>Flick! Flick! Flick!</em>

    He heard light footsteps in a space where only heavy collisions should¡¯ve sounded. He looked up and saw Leonaing down swiftly while stepping over the falling debris. Til looked at her in admiration as he knew he couldn¡¯t ever be as agile as her. Even herstnding step was light, and Leonanded softly next to Til.

    ¡°What about the others?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m also looking for them.¡±

    ¡°Yeah. I¡¯m sure nothing happened to them, but let¡¯s look for them quickly. Zich and Lube must not be too far away from here.¡±

    ¡°You really are an annoying elf. Didn¡¯t you forget one person?¡± Walwiss reprimanded Leona as he descended from the sky, supported by flying magic. Yet, Leona paid no heed to his words and simply ignored him.

    ¡°Besides Zich, we have to find Lube first¡­¡± Rather than Zich, who seemed like he would crawl outpletely fine even if he was cast into a pool ofva, they needed to first find Lube since she hadparatively fewer battle abilities as the healer.

    Til and Leona simultaneously looked above them and saw a white sphere prate through the cloud of dust and fall down.

    <em>Boom!</em>With a loudmotion, the sphere crashed onto the floor and the tower¡¯s fragments poured down over it. Yet, nothing pierced through the sphere of light.

    <em>Sparkle!</em>

    Light shot out of the sphere and shone off into the sky. All the fragments that touched the light bounced off, and after securing the safety of its contents, the sphere gradually disappeared and revealed Lube inside. She dusted off her clothes, not appearing injured in the slightest.

    ¡°We found you, Saintess.¡±

    ¡°Yes, thank you.¡±

    At the same time, the debris that seemed like it would fall forever stopped. The tower that had stood in the middle of the ind was no longer visible. The dust covering the ground and the debris lying under it were the only signs left of a once grand tower. However, no one was interested in the tower¡¯s copse.

    ¡°¡­As expected, we didn¡¯t have to worry about her either.¡±

    ¡°Of course, she¡¯s the Karuwiman Saintess. Only monsters have taken up the Karuwiman Saintess position for generations. The Saintess for this generation seems to be particrly special.¡±

    ¡°What do you mean, monster? Sir, aren¡¯t your words too harsh?¡± Lube grumbled as she walked to Walwiss¡¯ side. Then she nced at herpanions. ¡°What about Sir Zich?¡±

    ¡°We don¡¯t know. We¡¯re looking for him right now,¡± Leona replied.

    ¡°Well, is there a need to look for him? He¡¯s Zich after all. It wouldn¡¯t be strange at all if he suddenly appeared while fighting that hero idiot¡­¡±

    <em>Baaam!</em>

    ¡°¡­You said you left your position as the master of the magical tower, right? Why don¡¯t you set up a fortune-telling shop instead?¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t believe I found a new talent at this age. I¡¯m so happy that I¡¯m rather flustered.¡±

    A st came from the sky. The fierce collision of mana reached the ground and signified the intensity of the battle. Two figures were colliding in the sky; one person was emitting light as if they were a bright sun fighting against the darkness, and the other person was using an enormous amount of mana to push back their opponent by sheer force.

    <em>Baaaam!</em>There was another explosion¡ªthe shockwaves touched theke and caused a strong wave.

    ¡°Is Zich able to fly?¡± Walwiss asked.

    ¡°Rather than flying, it seems more like he is kicking the air with powerful mana and moving in the sky,¡± Til replied.

    ¡°Can you do that as well?¡±

    ¡°I can if I want to, but I can¡¯t move as precisely as him.¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s a young man who surprises me in many ways. I¡¯m happy to have met him in my old age.¡±

    ¡°Is it okay for us to stay so rxed? No matter how you look at it, Zich is getting pushed back,¡± Leona said.

    Zich was fighting Glen with all kinds of fancy and sophisticated techniques, but his opponent¡¯s mana was simply too overpowering. It was clear that Zich was getting overwhelmed by each and every one of Glen¡¯s attacks.

    ¡°Of course, we¡¯re not just going to stay still and watch.¡± Walwiss infused mana into his staff. The manabined and changed ording to his will to create arge fireball. ¡°Now, we¡¯re quite far from Zich, but I¡¯m sure we have our own way to help Zich. Let¡¯s quickly give him a hand.¡±

    ¡°Will that spell be okay? Even from a nce, its firepower looks huge. Zich could get caught up in it.¡±

    ¡°Caught up? Who are you talking about?¡±

    ¡°¡­My bad. I misspoke.¡± There was no way Zich of all people would get caught up in an ally¡¯s attack. It was unimaginable.

    ¡°As he said, as long as we support him with proper judgment, he¡¯ll take care of the rest. This is why it¡¯s convenient to work with someone talented.¡± Walwiss pointed his staff toward the sky. The fireball moved, and at the same time, Zich was in the midst of a fierce battle with Glen.

    <em>Baaaaam!</em>A huge torrent of mana stretched out of Glen¡¯s hands. The scope of the attack was too wide to avoid. Zich kicked the air with his feet full of mana. At the same time, he infused mana into Estede, and Estede let out a brilliant light.

    <em>sh!</em>Zich¡¯s sword prated the waves of mana. It concentrated on one point and made a hole in the wave. Zich avoided the attack by slipping through this gap. However, even after that, an overwhelming amount of mana poured behind him.

    ¡®He¡¯s strong.¡¯ It was an extremely simple assessment. However, Glen¡¯s ability could be summed up with just this word. Glen¡¯s movement hadn¡¯t be significantly better. In terms of technical ability, he was the same as before. If anything, his movement had be more simple and obvious. The problem was the sheer amount of mana he could let out.

    ¡®I¡¯m getting overwhelmed by his mana. It¡¯s an experience that I¡¯ve never had since I unleashed all my mana.¡¯ However, there was no other reason why he was getting pushed back by Glen. ¡®I¡¯m still holding out because that idiot can¡¯t use his mana properly, but if he could, this battle would have already been over.¡¯

    This was very fortunate for Zich, but it was also clear that if this continued, it would inevitably lead to his defeat.

    ¡®I¡¯ve roughly guessed the origin of his mana.¡¯ Glen¡¯s chilling mana, which Zich felt above his skin, gave off a very simr feeling to the World Tree¡¯s clones. ¡®I have a rough idea of what happened.¡¯

    Ultel said that Glen had crossed the threshold of regression, and Glen¡¯s power was something that thest emperor of Clowon also had.

    ¡®So, if you continue to regress even after crossing the threshold, you reach that state.¡¯ It seemed like a form of going berserk; it was obvious from a nce that Glen¡¯s mind was focused only on fulfilling his goal. However, unlike after he had just crossed the threshold of regression, when he could still think rationally and create ns, he was now blindly muttering his wishes and using his strength like a wild beast.

    ¡®Perhaps, the fear that a person feels before reaching the threshold may be a kind of warning from their sixth sense before they reach that state.¡¯

    However, what was important was not whether Glen waspletely out of his mind or had some of his mind intact¡ªit was the enormous power that he was wielding.

    ¡®Is he able to naturally draw and use the World Tree¡¯s mana from the continuous exposure of the World Tree¡¯s mana through repeated regressions?¡¯ Maybe that was the reason why he had gone berserk. However, this was only a guess, not a definite answer. More importantly, this was the least of his concerns.

 Chapter 587

    <h4>Chapter 587</h4>

    <em>Baaam!</em>Waves of mana came in quick session. Estede¡¯s light kept slicing and piercing through the waves, but mana continued to press forward at Zich without pause.

    <Estell¡­ade¡­is¡­mine¡­!>

    ¡°Its ownership has already been given away! It¡¯s been Hans¡¯ sword since the beginning of this timeline!¡±

    <em>Baaam!</em>

    ¡°Kuh!¡± A groan escaped Zich¡¯s lips. He put more strength into his stinging hands and clutched Estede harder. Then, he tried to attack Glen once more when he noticed a small fireball rising from below him.

    <em>Whoosh!</em>

    <em>Boom!</em>

    An explosion arose with a loud boom. Walwiss was venting his anger for not having been able to use his powers to their full extent inside the limited space of the tower. His fire magic spread all around him in a brilliant disy of red sparks. Beside him, Leona nocked an arrow and aimed toward the sky. She looked up at the fire, fixated on it like she was a stone statue, and saw a ck figure inside the mes.

    <em>Ting!</em>She let loose her bowstring. Imbued with her mana, the arrow was extremely fast and powerful.

    Til also spotted the figure inside the mes and put his arms around arge chunk of debris next to him. He lifted the rock that was several times bigger than a human as if it were made out of cotton. Then, he pulled his arms backward, ced one foot forward, and used all his momentum to fling the rock into the air.

    <em>Whoosh!</em>The rock shot across the sky like it was skipping through time. Its target was also the dark shadowy figure beyond the mes: Glen. Leona¡¯s arrow and Til¡¯s stone flew toward Glen simultaneously. If just one of these attacks hit him, ?it wouldnd a significant blow on Glen.

    <em>Baam!</em>Yet, with one swing of his hand, Glen crushed their attacks. In the next moment, Glen swung his hands at the mes surrounding him.

    <em>Whoosh!</em>Rough mana winds swept across the area, instantly extinguishing the mes that had heated everything up and inexhaustibly hungered for more things to burn in an instant. With just a flick of his hands, the arrows and rocks continuously flying his way were nullified.

    <em>Boom!</em>

    Walwiss activated his magic once more, yet this attack also failed to harm Glen. Glen simply scowled as if he found all these attacks merely bothersome. Yet, when Zich pierced through the mes and aimed at him with Estede, Glen felt a bit more threatened. As expected, Zich¡¯s skills were a couple of levels above the others.

    <em>Boom!</em>The light fluctuating within the mes dwindled and disappeared inside Glen¡¯s mana. The shockwave it caused extinguished the mes, and Glen smiled. It was a mocking and demeaning sneer.

    <I¡­I am¡­stronger¡­>

    It seemed like Glen wanted to boast the might of his newfound power, but his demeaning remark had no effect on Zich. Instead, Zich said demeaning lines that were at least two times more unpleasant than what Glen said.

    ¡°Yes, you are stronger, but don¡¯t you think you¡¯ve seen this kind of picture before? It¡¯s the scene of a group of heroes working together to fight the final Demon Lord. Withpanions the hero gathered by traveling the world, they face an enemy much stronger than them. Ha~! It really is a picture-perfect adventure story!¡±

    Glen¡¯s smile disappeared from his face.

    <The hero¡­is m-me¡­!>

    ¡°Really? Who in the world would think that? Lara and Elena arepleting the special mission I gave them with Hans and Snoc. And Lube and Leona are fighting below us on<em>my</em>side¡ªagainst<em>you</em>.¡±

    Zich arched his head as if he was looking down at Glen. ¡°So, where are<em>your</empanions now?¡±

    <Give¡­Give me¡­ahhhhh! Mypanions¡­ahhhh!>

    ¡°I don¡¯t want to?¡±

    <em>Boom!</em>Mana from the surroundings shot toward Zich. He swung his sword at it, but he didn¡¯t have enough power to withstand all of it.

    ¡®Fighting in mid-air is definitely tough,¡¯ Zich thought. It was more advantageous for a swordsman to fight on the ground which supported him properly. Yet, the sheer fact that Zich could maintain perfect swordsmanship in the air by just expelling mana from the bottom of his feet disyed his insane skills as a fighter.

    <em>Boom!</em>

    ¡°Kurgh!¡± However, Zich was still having a difficult time with Glen¡¯s continuous and explosive attacks right now. Another attack barely missed Zich.

    <em>Pop!</em>Fire pirs shot up from below; arrows and rocks were aimed at Glen again. Glen¡¯s attention turned toward these attacks, and Zich aimed for that opportunity.<em></em>

    <em>Pop!</em>

    Zich kicked off the air hard and approached Glen. At the same time, Glen threw tworge mana chunks at Zich.

    <em>Crunch!</em>Zich narrowed his eyes. He precisely sliced through the boundary line between the two mana chunks as he poured mana into Estede.

    <em>Cliiiiiiink!</em>A chilling sound rang across the surroundings. Although Zich was aiming for the boundary, he felt great resistance from the mana chunks and Estede cried out, shining brightly.

    <em>Crack!</em>The mana chunks cracked into pieces and disintegrated into the air. Like that, Zich swung his sword at Glen.

    <em>Bam!</em>

    ¡®Is it a barrier?¡¯ The tip of Estede stopped a fingernail''s length from Glen¡¯s body. Zich felt some hard material, as if Glen was wearing a thick coat of armor. Glen was clearly using some kind of special defense to protect himself.

    <Uh¡­ahhhhh!>

    <em>Boom!</em>

    ¡°Ugh!¡± Fierce mana storms began to whirl in from the surroundings as if they were responding to Glen¡¯s scream. Every stroke of the wind was sharp and critical. Zich hurriedly began to strike back against them, but there were too many. Furthermore, each one was so strong that Zich couldn¡¯t move his sword with ease; meanwhile, another form of mana targeted him from above.

    <em>Crunch!</em>An ominous sound came out of Zich¡¯s body, and Zich flew toward the ground.

    <em>Boom!</em>Fortunately, it didn¡¯t appear that he had lost his senses and he was able tond¡ªalthough roughly¡ªon the ground. However, he didn¡¯t escape unscathed. He put one knee on the ground, breathing heavily. He was severely injured by Glen¡¯s attack, but he wasn¡¯t too worried.

    ¡°Sir Zich!¡±

    While falling, Zich had pushed himself so that he could fall where his party was gathered. There was an excellent zombie maker in his party.

    <em>Wiiing!</em>

    Thanks to Lube¡¯s holy energy, Zich¡¯s wounds disappeared instantly. Zich got up and tried moving his limbs lightly. His whole body was full of energy as if he had never been injured in the first ce.

    ¡°Thank you, Saintess Lube,¡± Zich said.

    ¡°Don¡¯t mention it.¡± After Lube, other party members also came to Zich¡¯s side.

    ¡°It¡¯s my first time seeing you in such a pinch,¡± Walwiss said.

    ¡°I recall that I had quite a difficult time when I was hit by your inferno.¡±

    ¡°You mean when we were at Sunewick? Don¡¯t lie. You destroyed my magic so easily. Besides, aren¡¯t your skillspletely iparable to those times?¡±

    As soon as Walwiss finished talking, a huge clump of mana hit the party, and they all joined forces to intercept it.

    <em>Baaamm!</em>The clump of mana exploded and disappeared.

    ¡°That just shows how strong that guy is now,¡± Leona said as she looked at Glen reaching out to them with his hand.

    ¡°Yeah, Zich. Regardless of how pathetic and mentally ill he was until recently, he¡¯s now a monster. We need to take him down. Do you have a n?¡±

    ¡°No, I don¡¯t have one right now. To be frank, I didn¡¯t think I would have to deal with him again.¡±

    ¡°Well, since even Ultel was stabbed in the back even though he acted as the mastermind behind all of Glen¡¯s plots, I guess it can¡¯t be helped.¡± It was impossible for Zich to have expected this situation to ur and n ordingly.

    Walwiss continued, ¡°Then, I guess we have no choice but to fight back with brute strength.¡±

    However, it was unclear whether this would work. Even Zich couldn¡¯t properly counteract Glen¡¯s enormous mana and was pushed back one-sidedly. Of course, they had superior numbers and a goodbination of abilities and skills, so they might be able to win somehow. However, Walwiss had a great amount of experience and vast knowledge, and he thought that this seemed very unlikely. This was a testimony to how different the level of Glen¡¯s mana feltpared to theirs.

    ¡°We¡¯ll have to endure it with our brute strength first, but that doesn¡¯t mean we¡¯ll have to push back with just our strengths.¡±

    ¡°Didn¡¯t you say there was no other way?¡±

    ¡°Yes,<em>right now</em>. I don¡¯t have a n, but I do have a backup n in mind.¡±

    ¡°Oh, as expected! I expected no less from you! So, what is that backup n?¡±

    Zich smiled mysteriously and said, ¡°Should I describe it as¡­fate?¡±

    ¡°¡­I am merely advising you with the utmost sincerity, but that word seriously doesn¡¯t suit you. Rather, it suits you much better to trample on humans who say such words andugh at them while saying, ¡®Come on now, bring out your so-called fate.¡¯¡±

    ¡°Personally, Ipletely agree with you, Sir Dwayne, but I¡¯m telling the truth. What¡¯s so bad about it? Even if I have a terrible personality, there is no one more suitable than me for the title of hero when ites to merit.¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t say anything because that¡¯s true.¡±

    This was the end of their conversation, as Glen began attacking again. The power was overwhelming, but Zich¡¯s party did not give in. They silently defended Glen¡¯s attack and waited for Zich¡¯s ¡®fate¡¯ to arrive.

    * * *

    Elena was fidgeting in front of the controls in the Brushel System. The World Tree¡¯s mana, which suddenly began to flow in all directions, waspletely out of her control.

    ¡°W-why is it like this?¡± Elena tried to twist the World Tree¡¯s mana by putting her mana into the control device. However, her mana was unable to even put a dent to the powerful flow of the World Tree¡¯s mana.

    <em>Koo!</em>Nowem had been quietly protecting Elena¡¯s side so as to not disturb her, and quickly ran out with a loud cry. When Elena turned back, she saw herpanions returning to her side.

    ¡°Good job, Elena. As nned, no more enemies areing out of the magic circle,¡± Snoc said as he rubbed Nowem after it ran up to his shoulder instantly. However, after seeing that her expression wasn¡¯t good, he quickly rushed to her side. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Did something happen?¡±

    ¡°Snoc¡­¡± Elena quickly exined what had happened so far, and everyone¡¯s faces slowly hardened.

    ¡°So what exactly is the problem?¡± Hans asked. His heart felt impatient, but he maintained the same tone as usual to not trigger Elena and make her more agitated than she already was.

    ¡°Awakening Teacher has now be impossible!¡±

    This was a serious concern; L was precious not only to Elena, but also to Hans and Snoc. However, it was even more important to keep theirposure.

    ¡°Is that all? Is there anything else?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s also a problem that the World Tree¡¯s mana is flowing differently from what I expected! I don¡¯t know where and how that mana is being used! If something goes wrong, it could cause a huge disaster in the world!¡± The World Tree¡¯s mana was unimaginably enormous, to the extent that it could really cause a disaster of world-level magnitude.

    Hans stared at the Brushel System¡¯s control device and then stared at the Key That Distorts Destiny in Elena¡¯s hands. He asked, ¡°Did Lady L not send you any information?¡±

    ¡°Nothing yet¡­ah!¡± Elena¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°It¡¯s here! She sent it right now!¡±

    ¡°What did she say?¡±

    ¡°That¡­I should wake her up first and¡­¡±

    ¡°She must have told you a different method, right?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°Good, then why don¡¯t you quickly start? Tell me if you need any help.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°¡­What¡¯s wrong?¡±

    Elena¡¯s eyes trembled slightly. Lara was standing behind Hans, but she approached Elena and sped her hand tightly. Then she said, ¡°It¡¯s all right. Please tell me, what¡¯s wrong?¡±

    ¡°¡­This method is too dangerous.¡± Since it was a quick response to an unexpected situation, it was only natural that there would be high risk. However, considering Elena¡¯s reaction, it was clear that the risk was extremely high.

    ¡°What is so dangerous about it?¡±

    ¡°¡­Teacher¡¯s self-identity may disappear.¡±

    Favorite

 Chapter 588

    <h4>Chapter 588</h4>

    Everyone was at a loss for words after hearing Elena¡¯s words.

    ¡°Hm¡­¡±

    ¡°Uh¡­¡±

    ¡°Then¡­¡±

    <em>Koo¡­</em>

    Sounds that were hard to decipher whether they were words or groans came out of everyone¡¯s mouths. While in this state of shock, Hans spoke first.

    ¡°Could you exin in more detail? How could such a thing happen? We were told that Ms. L would wake up safely if we use that device and go through the proper steps.¡±

    ¡°As I said before, the problem is that the World Tree¡¯s mana had been strangely distorted. Although this is a device that controls the World Tree¡¯s mana, the device ironically needs the World Tree¡¯s mana to be activated too. Therefore, if something happens to the source of World Tree¡¯s mana, a problem arises with the device too.¡±

    ¡°But Ms. L sent you a new method just now.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a method that forcefully activates the device even while it''s out of control. Obviously, that could produce unreliable results.¡±

    ¡°Since it¡¯s unstable, are you saying that Ms. L¡¯s self-identity will disappear?¡±

    ¡°If we fail, it will be the same as us forcing her awake. You also know, Mr. Hans, that if we awaken Ms. L by force right now, her self-identity will be erased.¡±

    Since Elena was ced in charge of overseeing the Brushel System, Zich had exined to Hans and the others the current situation as much as necessary. Thus, everyone knew what would happen to L if they forced her awake.

    ¡°If Ms. L sent you that method, then that must really be the only possible method¡­.¡± Hans muttered.

    ¡°Can we wait until Sir Ziches?¡± Snoc suggested. The others agreed with him. They thought Zich would be able toe up with a better solution, which showed the depth of their trust in Zich. Furthermore, Elena¡¯s grandfather, Walwiss Dwayne, was also in Zich¡¯s party. Even if Elena possessed great knowledge in magic and showed progress unthinkable of a mage who had just begun to practically use magic, her experience and knowledge couldn¡¯tpare to Walwiss¡¯ expertise. Yet, Elena¡¯s next words shot this idea down.

    ¡°ording to the information Teacher sent me, Sir Zich is also facing great difficultly right now.¡±

    ¡°Great difficulty? But we pulled away quite a lot of enemies ording to the n. Since the teleportation circle stopped activating too, the mana heading to the tower was cut off. Was the man named Ultel such a strong enemy?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not Ultel, but Glen Zenard.¡±

    ¡°Glen Zenard? What does that loser have to do with this?¡±

    Though Glen Zenard was a skilled fighter, Hans had witnessed Zich utterly crushing Glen before and couldn¡¯t imagine Glen causing great difficulties for Zich.

    ¡°For some reason, the World Tree¡¯s mana is traveling into him, and the amount of mana Glen Zenard can currently wield is unimaginable. It¡¯s so vast that even Sir Zich¡¯s immense mana can¡¯tpare to it.¡±

    ¡°Is that so?¡± Hans knew that this information probably came from L too, and for her to send such clear information probably meant that Zich was seriously struggling at the moment.

    ¡°Teacher told me to wake her up immediately so that she can go help Sir Zich.¡±

    ¡°Didn¡¯t you say it would be dangerous?¡±

    ¡°¡­Yes,¡± Elena said weakly. Hans fell into deep contemtion. He was the leader of this party, and one of the most important roles of a leader was to make a decision in times like these. In the end, Hans didn¡¯t think for too long since he thought the answer was already decided for him.

    ¡°Elena.¡±

    ¡°Yes?¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s try it.¡±

    Elena¡¯s hands shook slightly.

    ¡°B-But¡­¡± This could possibly destroy the character and identity of the master she respected and loved. Hans understood her sentiments. He probably would¡¯ve thought longer and harder if he were in the same situation as her.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Elena. No matter how urgent the situation is, there¡¯s no way that Ms. L would¡¯ve ordered you to do something impossible. I¡¯m sure you can do it.¡±

    ¡°But still¡­¡±

    ¡°This is the only choice we have right now. If time passes, do you think the system will stabilize and we can safely remove Ms. L from it?¡±

    ¡°¡­I don¡¯t know.¡± There was nothing about that in the information L transferred to her, and this wasn¡¯t something even L could be certain about. When thest emperor of the Clowon Empire had gone mad and caused a greatmotion, the only problem had been the emperor at that time, while the Brushel System her been intact. By contrast, Zich had messed up the very foundation of the Brushel System in order to stop Glen and Ultel. There was no guarantee that the system could regain stability. Instead, the system could change even more strangely and be beyond fixable.

    Lara ced her hand on Elena¡¯s shoulder and said, ¡°Although I haven¡¯t traveled with you all for long, I can say with certainty that Ms. L had great trust in you. She always said that you had outstanding talent too. Just believe in the experience and learning you gained from your teacher.¡±

    Elena¡¯s eyes looked more and more determined, and she naturally turned to Snoc.

    ¡°If something happens, I¡¯ll surely protect you,¡± Snoc said.

    <em>Koo!</em>

    When Elena saw Nowen lift his front leg off Snoc¡¯s shoulder and shout in encouragement, she smiled slightly.

    ¡°I understand. I¡¯ll do it.¡±

    ¡°Yes. You¡¯ve made the right decision.¡± Hans nodded.

    ¡°But I need something first.¡±

    ¡°What is it? If it¡¯s something I can get right now, I will go get it immediately.¡±

    ¡°First of all, I need Tornium.¡±

    ¡°This sword?¡± Lara asked. Ultel had handed Tornium to his subordinate to check the ind, and that was now in her hands. Although most would¡¯ve coveted such a precious sword that no other sword except Windur and Estede could rival, Lara very easily handed the sword over to Elena.

    ¡°And I need both of your mana.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll give you as much as you need.¡±

    ¡°Agreed.¡±

    Elena nodded at Hans and Lara¡¯s reliable words and looked at Snoc and Nowem. Then she said, ¡°Nowem, you take their mana and put your own color into it and supply mana to me.¡±

    <em>Koo!</em>

    ¡°Snoc, you need to help me with the control device.¡±

    ¡°Ah, will that be okay? I don¡¯t know anything about the control device.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll show you how to do it. You¡¯re at least a genius at sensing and controlling earth mana.¡±

    Snoc nodded and agreed, then Elena turned around to look at the device. The gigantic size of the mechanical device, which had looked daunting so far, seemed a little smaller than before.

    ¡°Then let¡¯s get started.¡± It was now time to wake up her beloved teacher.

    ***

    Nowem hadpletely discarded his usual cute self and turned into a huge beast. Hans and Lara held Tornium¡¯s handle together, and the tip of Tornium¡¯s sword was pointed to the ground, touching Nowem¡¯s heel.

    ¡°Ms. Lara and Mr. Hans, supply Nowem with your mana. You have to adjust the amount of mana you supply ording to what I say. Nowem can make detailed adjustments, so you don¡¯t have to control it precisely, but since mana amplified by Tornium is extremely rough and wild, it will be easier for Nowem if you two stay focused and pay extra attention.¡±

    ¡°Got it.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll do my best,¡± Hans replied.

    Lara patted Nowem¡¯s stiff fur and reassured Elena.

    <em>Kuruk!</em>Nowem replied with his deeper and rougher voice.

    ¡°Nowem, you convert their mana into earth mana and supply it back to Snoc.¡±

    <em>Kuruk!</em>Nowem answered sinctly and put his head on Snoc¡¯s head.

    ¡°And Snoc.¡± Elena looked at Snoc this time.

    ¡°Yeah.¡±

    ¡°Follow my mana for now, and harmonize with mine when I tell you to. Got it?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯ll try my best.¡± Snoc sounded unsure since he had no experience with magic orplicated devices. However, the determination on his face was evident.

    ¡°That¡¯s all you need to do.¡± Even though his control of other elements was piss poor, Snoc¡¯s control over earth mana was unrivaled¡ªas expected of a contractor of Nowem, the magical beast of the earth. It was to the extent that it rivaled Walwiss or even Zich.

    ¡®Then it would be possible for him to precisely control the mana of two people amplified by Tornium.¡¯

    ¡°Let¡¯s get started.¡± Elena sped Snoc¡¯s hand and then touched the device. At Elena¡¯s signal, Snoc also touched the device.

    ¡®This is the control device of the Brushel System!¡¯ He heard that it was an extremely important device, but since he didn¡¯t think he would ever have to handle it or get directly involved, he had never been very interested in it. A little bit of curiosity now arose in his mind, but it was only for a few moments.

    ¡®What is this¡­!¡¯ Snoc was baffled by the world hidden inside the device. Using his mana, he could feel how terrifyinglyplex it was. It was as if another forked road appeared less than ten steps after passing a forked road, and after passing this road, countless paths led to another forked road. In addition, they were not divided into two or three branches, but hundreds.

    ¡®She¡¯s trying to control the device by sending mana in passages like this?¡¯ Snoc had always thought that mages were smart as he loooked at L and Elena, and he was once more impressed by the intelligence of mages as he touched the device. ¡®I¡¯d never be able to do it.¡¯

    Snoc shook his head, but fortunately, he had a reliable and trustworthy guide to help him. Without Elena, he would definitely have lost his way and operated strange functions or broken the device shortly after injecting his mana. Elena¡¯s mana led the way, and Snoc¡¯s mana followed. Soon after, Snoc noticed a strange fact after a while.

    ¡®Huh? How can there be absolutely no mana in all these passages?¡¯ It was the same as building huge roads for people to use with not a single person walking on them.

    ¡®Is this why the device wasn¡¯t working?¡¯ However, his thoughts soon changed. ¡®This is¡­!¡¯

    ¡°You can feel it too, right?¡±

    Snoc gulped at the overwhelming presence felt beyond their mana. He now understood why Elena was so frustrated and devastated. It was a mountain, or it could be described as a hurricane, a tornado, a tsunami, or an earthquake. In any case, anything that possessed the overwhelming power and grandeur of nature would give a simr sense to what he felt in front of him. The World Tree¡¯s mana was an astounding force of nature. However, the problem was that it was running wild through the device like a natural cmity that was about to strike.

    ¡°We need to stabilize that.¡±

    ¡°¡­That?¡±

    Snoc had a deep respect for Zich and L, and he was even willing to risk his life for them. However, being brave and having the capability to take action werepletely different matters. Stabilizing the World Tree¡¯s mana seemed no different than calming down a typhoon or blocking an exploding volcano.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯m not telling you to destroy the mana flow or movement. That¡¯s not even possible.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, definitely.¡± Snoc was really relieved to hear this.

    ¡°We need to control that movement to some extent.¡±

    That also sounded incredibly difficult, but this was not the time toin. Instead, he said, ¡°I¡¯m ready. Just tell me anytime.¡±

    Elena nodded at Snoc¡¯s words and said to Hans and Lara, ¡°Please give us your mana now.¡±

    It was now time to begin.

 Chapter 589

    <h4>Chapter 589</h4>

    Hans and Lara poured their mana into Tornium.

    <em>Ziing!</em>

    Tornium let out its characteristically wild cry, and like a person on the verge of copsing from dehydration gulping down water, it sucked in their mana. It then massively amplified the mana and, guided by their will, transferred it to Nowem¡¯s body.

    <em>Kuruk!</em>Nowem¡¯s body wiggled. With his powers as a mythical beast, he slowly converted the rushing current of mana. Normally, a person couldn¡¯t ept and store another person¡¯s mana nor use it ording to their own will. If that was possible, people wouldn¡¯t ce much importance on the amount of mana a person was naturally endowed with, and this same rule applied to a mythical beast like Nowem. Yet, at the very least, Nowem could change the mana that entered his body into earth mana and expel it from his body.

    Like that, Nowem sent the mana with earth properties into Snoc, whom he was leaning his face against. Though the property of the mana had changed to one he was familiar with, Snoc also couldn¡¯t control another person¡¯s mana. Snoc could control Nowem¡¯s mana as the person in a contract with the mythical beast, but the mana that was currently entering him wasn¡¯t Nowem¡¯s in the first ce. The moment he expelled this mana, it wouldn¡¯t be able to do anything but disappear into the air¡ªunless he pushed the mana into something like the Brushel System¡¯s restriction device. This device reacted to any mana, whatever it was. And once Snoc poured the mana into the device, he was able to control it due to his affinity with the mana¡¯s earth properties.

    ¡°Follow me slowly.¡±

    ¡°Okay.¡±

    Elena¡¯s mana nudged some parts of the World Tree¡¯s mana. Yet, the World Tree¡¯s mana continued to cause havoc without any change. It was like she was trying to mold a piece of orichalcum or mithril with a rotting tree branch.

    ¡°Do you feel it?¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡±

    ¡°First of all, I need to calm the mana on this side and make the flow more stable.¡±

    ¡°That won¡¯t be easy.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s why I¡¯m going through all this trouble.¡±

    ¡°Okay, let¡¯s try it.¡±

    <em>Boom!</em>Snoc¡¯s mana tried to restrict the wildly fluctuating World Tree¡¯s mana. Since his mana was mixed with Hans and Lara¡¯s mana, it was much stronger than Elena¡¯s. When it made contact, the World Tree¡¯s mana showed a slight response.

    ¡°Mr. Hans and Ms. Lara, please give us a bit more mana!¡±

    ¡°All right!¡±

    ¡°Will do!¡±

    More mana flowed in, and Snoc continued to press down the World Tree¡¯s mana with that. Yet, he only made the movements of the World Tree¡¯s mana duller and they didn¡¯t reach a result that Elena was stirving for. Thus, Snoc expelled more mana and Tornium¡¯s ringing became bigger. It was then, the World Tree¡¯s mana stopped moving.

    ¡°Now! Move the mana this way!¡±

    Elena¡¯s mana moved the system¡¯s passageway. Snoc moved the World Tree¡¯s mana to follow Elena¡¯s mana.

    ¡°Good, this ce is now stabilized! Continue to restrict mana from there.¡±

    ¡°I understand.¡± So that the mana he had stabilized didn¡¯t run wild again, Snoc left a part of his mana to repress it and used the rest to chase after Elena¡¯s mana again. Although it was a very taxing task, Snoc skillfullypleted it. This was the reason Elena had handed this task to Snoc.

    ¡°Snoc!¡±

    ¡°Yes!¡± Snoc began to lead in another wave of the World Tree¡¯s mana.

    ¡°We need more mana!¡±

    ¡°Leave it to us!¡± The amount of mana that was poured into Nowem increased, and like a trainer trying to tame wild beasts, Snoc ced all his concentration into mana control. Like that, Elena and Snoc continued to stabilize the wildly fluctuating World Tree¡¯s mana. Simultaneously, Elena adjusted the varying levels of mana and worked to restrict the device. Both their foreheads were covered inrge beads of sweat. Nowem took the towel that Hans handed him with his sharp ws and carefully wiped the sweat off the two.

    <em>Wiiiing!</em>They felt the device running. Although the majority of the World Tree¡¯s mana was still madly fluctuating, Elena managed to form the least amount of stable mana flow she needed to activate the system¡¯s specific function.

    Their preparation to activate the device wasplete, but Elena didn¡¯t let down her guard. Snoc was barely managing to repress the World Tree¡¯s mana with his own; if he let go, the World Tree¡¯s mana would return to its previous state. Furthermore, they didn¡¯t have much time, as the harshness of Snoc¡¯s breathing indicated. Hans, Lara, and Nowem also began to feel the drain of using more mana than usual. In the first ce, receiving and transferring other people¡¯s mana was very unusual behavior and ced a huge burden on Snoc. Before they exhausted all their concentration and energy, they needed to wake L up.

    Elena¡¯s mana targeted parts of the restriction device. She was basically working on a sandcastle that was about to crumble. Once the work began, L¡¯s memories could be wiped away from a single mishap. Elena had never concentrated so hard in her entire life. She only focused on carrying out the method transferred to her through the Key That Distorts Destiny and blocked everything else in her surroundings. Finally, shepleted thest process, and the restriction device vibrated loudly.

    <em>Wiiing!</em>

    ¡°Haaaa!¡± Elena let out a deep breath and copsed to the floor. ¡°You all can stop now. Good work, everyone.¡±

    Everyone stopped pouring their mana in, and after a slight vibration, the restriction device fell into silence again.

    ¡°How is it? Did we seed?¡± Snoc asked after copsing next to her. Nowem returned back to his small size and climbed on top of Snoc¡¯s shoulder again.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know, but I did everything I could. I have to wait for the results.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s the possibility of sess?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s half-half.¡±

    ¡°Half-half¡­.¡± Hans repeated quietly. Then, he asked, ¡°When will we know the results?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know that either. I only activated the system like Teacher told me to, but she said it wouldn¡¯t take long if I seeded¡­.¡±

    Suddenly, they felt a new flow of mana inside the ruin.

    ¡°Elena, what¡¯s this mana?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know either.¡±

    The mana was organizing itself, and the party tensed up after sensing that it was a considerable amount of mana.

    ¡°Maybe Ms. L is here.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯d be truly fortunate.¡±

    Since they had no way of knowing who it was, they all clutched their weapons and warily eyed their surroundings. The flow of mana began to concentrate in one direction.

    ¡°Do you feel it, Hans? It¡¯s the room with the teleportation circles.¡±

    ¡°No way. Our enemies didn¡¯t restore the teleportation magic, right?¡±

    ¡°That can¡¯t be the case. Since we¡¯ve cut off the magic that keeps the teleportation magic, enemies can¡¯te over from the tower. Teacher confirmed it, so there¡¯s no way that can happen.

    ¡°I see.¡± If L had confirmed it, then enemies couldn¡¯t havee from the tower.

    ¡°I think it¡¯s true that someone came over here through teleportation.¡±

    <em>Koo!</em>

    Since it was impossible for enemies toe from the tower, someonepletely different was using the teleportation magic again. Elena tried to think of someone who could do that¡ªa skilled person who could remotely inject mana into a teleportation circle instantly and use it.

    ¡°Teacher?¡± As expected, the first person she thought of was L. Elena was about to quickly run out to confirm if her teacher was really here, but Snoc grabbed her robe and stopped her.

    ¡°Calm down, Elena! We don¡¯t know if it¡¯s Lady L for sure!¡±

    ¡°But Teacher is the only person who can carry out an unbelievable feat like this!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not denying that either! But we have to be safe in case!¡±

    ¡°Snoc is right. There¡¯s no harm in being careful.¡± As Hans backed Snoc¡¯s opinion, Elena stopped moving.

    Hans continued, ¡°That doesn¡¯t mean we must stay still here. We can go out to check, but we¡¯ll have to tread carefully.¡±

    Thepanions headed towards the room where the teleportation system was installed. The moment they arrived in the room, the mana¡¯s movement was also reaching its peak. The magic circle, which had lost its light after the loss of mana supply, was now emitting a bright light once again. They all stared at the magic circle nervously and wondered whether L would arrive as expected, or if enemies might have crossed over in an unexpected way¡ªor if apletely new presence would appear. The light disappeared. The magic circle becamepletely still like when its mana supply was cut off.

    They saw a figure above the magic circle. It was a person that they were all very familiar with; the most powerful mage in the world, their travelpanion whom they hadn''t seen in a while.

    L appeared in front of them.

    ¡°¡­Teacher?¡± Elena carefully called out to her. Her eyes trembled slightly. She wanted to immediately greet her, hug her, and enjoy a long-awaited reunion. However, concerns that she might have failed and L lost her memories as a result held her back. Elena shuddered as she imagined L¡¯s eyes looking at her like a stranger.

    L looked at her, and Elena saw a faint smile on L¡¯s mouth.

    ¡°It¡¯s been a while, Elena.¡± L¡¯s words instantly dispelled all of Elena¡¯s concerns as well as the other party members watching them with nervous eyes.

    Elena¡¯s eyes were filled with tears, but there was a bright smile on her face. ¡°Teacher!¡± She shot out and ran into L¡¯s arms.

    ¡°There, there. You¡¯ve worked hard.¡± L patted Elena¡¯s back, and the others quietly watched them. They were also d to see L, but they didn¡¯t want to interrupt a tearful reunion between a disciple and teacher.

    L grabbed Elena by the shoulders and propped her up. ¡°Now, Elena. Let¡¯s make up for itter. We still have work to do.¡±

    L dragged Elena to where the others were.

    ¡°It¡¯s been a while, Lady L. I¡¯m d to see you in good health.¡± Hans greeted L first and Snoc and Lara also greeted her after. Nowem also weed L by lifting his short front legs.

    ¡°It¡¯s been a while, everyone. Let¡¯s catch upter, Zich¡¯s side is in trouble right now.¡±

    ¡°I heard that Glen Zenard has been revived,¡± Hans said as he nced at Lara, but Lara seemed to havepletely cut off her lingering affection for Glen as her face looked calm.

    ¡°Both Zich and Ipletely miscalcted. I didn¡¯t expect him to use the World Tree¡¯s mana. I underestimated his obsession¡ªno, it¡¯s unfair to say that I underestimated him. How could anyone have expected him to ovee that intense fear, no matter how obsessive he was?¡± L¡¯sst words were more to herself than to the others.

    ¡°Anyway, no matter how great Zich and his party are, they can¡¯t hold on like this. That¡¯s how great the World Tree¡¯s mana is. Rather, the fact that Zich and his party held on for so long shows how great they are.¡±

    ¡°Teacher, are you going to stop Glen Zenard from using the World Tree¡¯s mana?¡± Elena asked.

    ¡°Unfortunately, that¡¯s not possible. He¡¯s too closely connected with the World Tree right now, to the extent that it¡¯s impossible to control the World Tree mana with just the control device.¡±

    ¡°Then how will we¡­¡±

    L stood in front of the control device. After fully regaining her memory, the device was all too familiar to her. ¡°If we can¡¯t cut off their connection, we can supply our side with an equal amount of strength.¡±

    ¡°Are you nning to supply Sir Zich with the World Tree¡¯s power?¡± Hans asked.

    ¡°Yeah.¡±

    ¡°Is that possible?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s impossible in principle, but we¡¯ll have to trust it.¡± L looked down at Windur, which came back out into the world with her and continued, ¡°We¡¯ll see how strong the World Tree¡¯s will is to be free.¡±

 Chapter 590

    <h4>Chapter 590</h4>

    L swiped her hands down the restriction device once.

    Elena waddled behind L¡¯s back and asked, ¡°Do you need any help?¡±

    ¡°No, it¡¯s fine. You must be tired too. You should go rest,¡± L said and lifted Windur. Among the many des that stretched out of the sword¡¯s body like twigs off a tree branch, one had a crack on the edge. L took the Key That Distorts Destiny from Elena¡¯s hands and ced it on the crack.

    <em>Sssssssh!</em>As if it had never been apart in the first ce, the Key That Distorts Destiny joined with Windur.

    ¡°Ah¡­¡±

    ¡°That was part of Windur.¡±

    Everyone looked at what L was doing with interest. Then, L clutched Windur tightly with one hand and poured mana into the restriction device with the other hand.

    ¡®As I thought, the mana is moving wildly on its own, so the device isn¡¯t working properly,¡¯ L thought. It was a truly impressive feat that Elena and the others had managed to wake her up. There was no use for this device now, and L took her hand off the device without hesitation. She turned around and headed toward the World Tree. As it always did, the World Tree stood formidably at the center of the pool ofva with its roots spread out over the ind.

    Although the sight of its mass and magnificence evoked a sense of awe in most viewers, L looked at the World Tree coldly. She rose into the air and flew down toward the ind at the center of theva pool.

    ¡°What are we going to do now? Are we going to follow Ms. L?¡± Snoc asked. Elena pondered about this for a moment, but she knew what the right answer was.

    ¡°No, we can¡¯t interfere with her work. Let¡¯s just watch from here.¡±

    ¡°All right.¡±

    All the party members gathered and watched from above. L soonnded on the ind. The heat of theva pool rushed toward her. If she were an ordinary person, the heat would¡¯ve burned her skin, flesh, and inner organs and eventually killed her. L cloaked her body with a thin barrier of magic, and after getting close to the World Tree, she used Windur to draw a magic circle with the World Tree at the center. She ced great care and effort into drawing each and every line inside the circle. When engraving the magic symbols, she controlled even the tilt of her strokes. Sweat dripped down from her forehead. Since she hadn¡¯t used her physical body for a while now, her body was in a weakened state. Yet, L pressed on and continued to move.

    ¡°Should we help her?¡± Hans murmured.

    ¡°This is a magic circle where the tilt of every stroke matters. Nobody other than Ms. L can draw it.¡±

    ¡°Do you recognize that magic circle?¡±

    ¡°Not at all. I can¡¯t see well because she¡¯s far away, but I can normally deduce the type of a magic circle even by its outline. And I¡¯ve never seen a shape like this one. She¡¯s probably drawing it based on quick improvisations andbinations of thoughts.¡±

    ¡°¡­That¡¯s what she¡¯s doing?¡± Unlike Elena, Hans could clearly see the magic circle L was doing by focusing mana into his eyes. It was bothplex and sophisticated. Hans was sure that even if he studied the magic circle for many days and nights, he wouldn¡¯t be able to write one symbol in the circle properly. Thus, it seemed more astonishing that L could draw something like this by improvising.

    ¡®There¡¯s a reason why Sir Zich always said Ms. L was a genius on par with him,¡¯ Hans thought.

    L engraved thest symbol onto the ground, and the magic circle wasplete. She thoroughly checked the circle again for mistakes, and after wiping the sweat trickling down her chin, she headed to the World Tree. The World Tree¡¯s massive body blocked her vision. L ced her hand on the World Tree and felt a great wave of mana pulsing through it. The mana she felt was suffocatingly overwhelming and powerful.

    <em>Wing!</em>Windur responded to it. Perhaps it was happy to be reunited with its main body, and it made a clear ring. The World Tree also vibrated back weakly. L poured out Windur¡¯s mana, and the World Tree poured out its mana simultaneously. Although Windur smoothly epted L¡¯s mana, the World Tree harshly rejected it. L tried putting her mana in again, but the World Tree resisted once more. Thus, L spoke.

    ¡°You want freedom, right?¡± She raised Windur and brought it closer to the World Tree. Her eyes stared intently at Windur.

    ¡°I know you can¡¯t move on your own yet because of the Brushel System. Although the device is inplete shambles, it still isn¡¯t letting go of you.¡± This was because the Brushel System was built in a way that prioritized containing the World Tree.

    ¡°Your mana is also one-sidedly getting taken away by Glen because of the side effects of regressing.¡±

    <em>Ting!</em>The mana she poured inside the World Tree bounced off again, and blood flowed down her hands. Yet, she ced her hands on the World Tree again.

    ¡°However, if you really wish for freedom and want to escape from this long cycle of imprisonment, lend me your power. We don¡¯t wish for much. Glen can¡¯t hold all your mana anyways. He can only hold onto a very minuscule amount of mana you have and is expelling most of it wastefully.¡± Was it her imagination? Although her mana was rejected again, it felt as if they held on for a moment longer.

    ¡°I¡¯ll help you.¡± L turned Windur upside down and stuck it to the ground. There was an empty circle in that area that was part of the magic circle. It appeared to be a space made to ce Windur.

    <em>Wiiing!</em>L¡¯s mana traveled through Windur and poured into the magic circle.

    ¡°You just need to hand over a part of that already-released mana to Zich. Then, he will handle the rest.¡±

    The mana she poured in after that wasn¡¯t hindered this time.

    <em>Wing!</em>The World Tree vibrated slightly as if it was asking,<em>¡®Do you really think that?</em>¡¯

    L smiled brightly and nodded. ¡°Of course. You¡¯ve also seen him. He might grimace if he hears this, but that guy is our hero.¡±

    <em>Thud!</em>As if it was clutching her hand, the World Tree¡¯s mana connected with hers. Simultaneously, Windur and the magic circle created a great resonance.

    <em>Boom!</em>

    ¡°Urgh!¡±

    ¡°Ugh!¡±

    ***

    Glen attacked the fighters on the front lines, Zich and Til, first. The two acted as walls to block Glen¡¯s attacks through their skills and experience. However, it didn¡¯t appear that their defenses wouldst for long.

    <em>Wiing!</em>Lube emitted holy energy from the back. The wounds on Zich and Til¡¯s bodies rapidly healed.

    <em>Baaaam!</em>Walwiss cast his Inferno that even Zich acknowledged as powerful, and Glen got into a defensive stance to prepare for the attack. However, Leona¡¯s arrows kept hindering Glen.

    <em>Whoosh!</em>Glen turned his mana into a sharp spear; his target was clearly Leona. However, Leona wasn¡¯t fazed and continued to quietly shoot her arrows.

    <em>Baaam!</em>Zich blocked and destroyed the spear of mana with his sword. ¡°He talked aboutrades and whatever, but he just calmly let out an attack strong enough to kill you.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not hisrade!¡± Leona yelled. In the meantime, Walwiss¡¯ Inferno hit Glen.

    <em>Baaaam!</em>

    ¡°Got him!¡± Walwiss clenched his fist. ¡°Zich, you were able to escape by using the gap between my magic, but it¡¯ll be different this time!¡±

    Walwiss winked at Zich, and his voice was full of confidence. It seemed as if the shock of losing to Zich with his magic inspired Walwiss toplete his Inferno to a level almost the same as the one before Zich¡¯s regression.

    ¡®I still crushed it with my strength even before my regression.¡¯ It was doubtful that the Inferno would work on Glen, whose mana was now even superior to Zich¡¯s, and Zich¡¯s concern was right on the mark.

    <em>Baaaam!</em>

    ¡°¡­What?!¡± Walwiss was astounded; he made the same expression as when Zich had shattered Inferno before his regression. Even though his face was very different from when he was the Demon Lord of Magic, Zich realized again that they really were the same person.

    Leona was behind Walwiss, and she calmly said, ¡°It got destroyed.¡±

    ¡°¡­Hah, what an amazing guy. I thought it would at least injure him a bit.¡± Even whilementing, Walwiss began preparing for his next spell. He recovered extremely fast. Even before Zich¡¯s regression, Walwiss had been shocked to see Zich destroy his Inferno, but he had prepared quickly for his next attack as well.

    ¡®You can¡¯t look down on experience.¡¯ In matters of quick judgment and fighting experience, Zich thought that Walwiss was probably the best in the group, excluding himself. Glen¡¯s attacks continued, and Zich¡¯s party was slowly pushed to their limits.

    <Die¡­! Di¡­e¡­!> They could hear Glen¡¯s shouts as he floated in the sky.

    <Z-z-zi¡­ch¡­if I just¡­kill¡­you¡­I can¡­be¡­a hero¡­again¡­!>

    Walwiss made a huge ice wall to stop Glen¡¯s mana and said, ¡°That¡¯s what he says. Why don¡¯t we just throw Zich at him?¡±

    ¡°What nonsense are you spouting? If we¡¯re going to throw someone, it¡¯s got to be you,¡± Leona replied.

    ¡°Has your long, keen ears gone deaf? Didn¡¯t you hear him specifically point out Zich?¡±

    <D-Demon Lord¡­of Magic too¡­Demon Lord¡­of Di¡­saster too ¡­>

    ¡°Did you just hear that? You¡¯re included among his targets.¡±

    ¡°Of course, we have to protect Zich. How can we throw away our preciousrades to the enemy? If anyone tries to do that, I¡¯ll instantly burn them to a crisp.¡±

    ¡°Is there no limit to your shamelessness?¡±

    ¡°Tsk, tsk. You¡¯re way too calm because that brat thinks of you as hisrade.¡±

    ¡°I told you, I¡¯m not hisrade!¡±

    Walwiss and Leona were rxed enough to converse like this, but it was clear that they wouldn¡¯t be able tost long.

    ¡°Zich, I¡¯m saying this seriously, but we won¡¯tst long if we go on like this. We¡¯re going to meet our end when the Saintess depletes her holy energy.¡±

    The party members had already fought nonstop against Ultel and his subordinates for days. Their mana and holy energy had significantly decreased since they arrived at the ind.

    ¡°When will that ¡®backup¡¯ you mentioned arrive?¡± Walwiss asked.

    ¡°Unfortunately, I don¡¯t know either.¡± Zich had already passed on the Key That Distorts Destiny, which allowed him tomunicate with L, to Hans.

    ¡°You¡¯re sure that it¡¯sing?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sure of it,¡± Zich replied without a moment of hesitation. Thanks to his confident reply, Walwiss as well as the other party members began to regain their strength and fought back. However, the difference in power between them and Glen was too great.

    <em>Bam!</em>Glen¡¯s mana pierced through Lube¡¯s worn-down barrier. Til tried to stop the mana in a hurry, but it was toote.

    ¡°Ack!¡± A huge hole appeared in Leona¡¯s arm, and blood flowed out of it. Her wound quickly recovered thanks to Lube¡¯s holy energy, and Leona raised her bow again as if nothing had happened. However, events like this happened more frequently as time passed.

    <em>Crasssh!</em>Another lump of mana pierced through their defense, and it headed toward Lube this time. Protecting the healer was top priority, so Zich intercepted the mana with Estede.

    <em>Crunch!</em>Fortunately, Zich blocked it just in time, and the mana dispersed in the air. However, thispromised Zich¡¯s defense.

    <em>Bam!</em>

    ¡°Ugh!¡± Glen¡¯s mana squeezed through the gap and made a hole in Zich¡¯s side. Yet, he was fine; he could easily endure this amount of injury, and Lube would soon heal him. As Zich thought, Lube treated him, and his wounds rapidly healed. He destroyed another mana attack right after he healed. His sword was starting to feel heavier. Anyone who was mentally weak would have given up by now and cried in despair. However, Zich did not lose his trust.

    ¡®There¡¯s a possibility that a problem might have urred on the ind, but I¡¯m sure they¡¯ll get the job done.¡¯ Zich hadplete faith that Hans¡¯ party would sessfully resurrect L and that L would surely find a way to help him out¡ªeven though he had no idea what the method would be.

    ¡®I just need to hold out until then.¡¯ Zich swung Estede again with a burning will when¡ª

    <em>Kiiing!</em>A sharp sound shook his mind. It didn¡¯te from his ears; instead, it was a type of mana vibration.

    Suddenly, a huge presence appeared in the air; it tore up Glen¡¯s magic and hit the ground. All eyes, including Zich¡¯s, moved towards it. The object that suddenly appeared in front of him was an all-too-familiar sword.

    ¡°Windur.¡±

    <em>Wiing!</em>Windur vibrated as if it was answering Zich¡¯s call.

 Chapter 591

    <h4>Chapter 591</h4>

    What was a sword that should be with L doing in the middle of a battlefield? Was this proof that L was awake? If that was the case, how did she manage to send that sword here? Did that mean that L was near here? All sorts of thoughts passed through Zich¡¯s head, but unlike his mind, his body was already quickly moving.

    ¡°Please buy me some time!¡±

    ¡°Umph!¡± Til responded with a short but trustworthy answer to Zich¡¯s sudden request, and Zich ran forward. It appeared that Glen¡¯s attention was also on Windur and his face was turned in its direction¡ªof course, while he was still unleashing his attacks.

    <¡­That¡­sword¡­>

    Glen scowled. He couldn¡¯t forget the sword¡¯s peculiar and unique form; it was the sword that Zich used to push him into a corner multiple times in this timeline. Yet, even while Zich was running toward this sword, Glen didn¡¯t feel threatened. Although he knew that Windur was a good sword that possibly surpassed even Estede and Tonium, the current power difference between him and Zich wasn¡¯t something that could change because of one sword. However, even while thinking this, Glen didn¡¯t want to let Zich do as he wished, and he concentrated his attacks on Zich.

    <em>Bam! Bam! Bam!</em>Estede¡¯s light shed against Glen¡¯s mana. Theter had the upper hand for the most part, and Zich''s injuries only increased. However, Zich only struck away attacks aimed at his critical body parts or parts necessary for walking as he headed toward Windur. It was a great disy of will and mental fortitude, especially when even Zich couldn¡¯t free himself from the limits of his physical body and gradually slowed down. He didn¡¯t give up and took one step forward at a time.

    <em>Bam!</em>He was about to strike away the attack flying toward his head with Estede when the attack suddenly disappeared.

    ¡°Go!¡± Til approached Zich and supported his back. He was full of wounds, just like Zich, but Zich didn¡¯t even turn around to look back. Zich could easily guess how severely injured Til was. After the two walls shielding them disappeared, it was easy to picture the state of his party members as they dealt with Glen¡¯s attacks. Yet, Zich didn¡¯t even have the time to express his thanks to Til. Instead of opening his mouth to say his thanks and nodding, he should spare those short moments to push forward a couple of more steps.

    <em>Thud!</em>There were three steps left, and Glen¡¯s mana bombing continued to strike against them. Zich blocked the attack flying toward his knee, and Til blocked the attack flying toward his back.

    <em>Thud!</em>There were two more steps left. Til¡¯s pained groans tickled Zich¡¯s ears. Zich thought he also heard Leona¡¯s screams from a distance and knew that Walwiss and Lube¡¯s conditions would certainly be as bad.

    <em>Thud!</em>One more step. All his surroundings were in a mess due to Glen¡¯s mana bombings. The cloud of dust was so heavy that it hindered his vision, but Zich clearly felt Windur¡¯s presence amidst the mess.

    <em>ng!</em>Eventually, Estede bounced off his hands. Even if Zich was a strong fighter without a sword, it would be truly difficult for him to block attacks from a monster like Glen without Estede or any weapon. Zich¡¯s mana dropped, and it seemed only evident that his entire body would soon be a rag filled with holes. Even Zich wouldn¡¯t be able to survive in that condition.

    But then, Zich grabbed Windur.

    <em>Wiiing!</em>Windur rang like mad as if it was d to see its master after a long time. Zich was about to pour mana into Windur to block Glen¡¯s attack when a great gush of mana entered Windur even before he could do that.

    <em>Baaaaaaam!</em>

    For the first time since this battle started, all of Glen¡¯s attacks were deflected. The clumps of mana disappeared far away to the ind¡¯s shore,ke, and into the sky. Glen¡¯s attacks stopped. He was stunned by the abrupt urrence, and was shocked to see his toy suddenly resisting with newfound, unexpected strength. Yet, Zich scoffed at Glen for stopping his attacks just because he was surprised.

    ¡®As I thought, that guy is hopeless,¡¯ Zich thought after gulping down a potion. He took out a couple of more potions and poured them over his entire body. Then, he passed over the ground that had be all messy from Glen¡¯s attacks and approached Til, who was in a truly dire state. Til had holes all over and his left arm was missing. Fortunately, he was still breathing. Zich poured potions over him, rapidly healing his injuries, and Til''s breathing returned to normal.

    ¡°¡­Sir¡­Zich¡­?¡±

    ¡°Good work. You can rest now.¡± Zich lifted Til over his shoulders and approached the rest of hispanions. There, Lube was healing herself, Leona, and Walwiss. Although Lube had already healed a majority of their injuries using her great holy mana, the blood stains all over their bodies and their ripped clothing showcased the turmoil they had all gone through.

    <What¡­hey¡­what¡­what happened?!>

    Glen roared furiously. How<em>dare</em>Zich block his attack! After being drunk with a mighty, special power that he felt a hero in danger would suddenly awaken, Glen was enraged. A viin who should copse under his attacks had dared to resist his heroically transformed self. Furthermore, he didn¡¯t like Zich¡¯s current attitude. It was as if Zich had spectacrly awakened his powers at the end of a battle like heroes from storybooks¡ªjust like him. No, with this sequence of events, the hero was Zich, and that meant Glen was like the viins who eventually sumbed to the hero¡¯s hands. Glen couldn¡¯t bear it. He couldn¡¯t allow that to happen by any means.

    <em>Wiiing!</em>A giant mass of mana, of a size iparable to those he had used before, formed around him. It was big enough to blow apart half the ind as it was, but Glenpressed even more mana into it and added a rotational force. It was going to be an attack unlike what anyone had seen until now.

    <Die¡­!>

    <em>Whoosh!</em>The clump of mana flew toward Zich with a chilling sound. He gazed at the clump of mana as he moved toward it and raised Windur. An immense amount of mana wrapped around Zich, and he swung Windur. Although it looked like a simple arm motion, it showcased all sorts of refined techniques.

    <em>Slice!</em>A clean sound rang in the air, and Glen¡¯s attack was neatly cut into two.

    <em>Bam! Bam!</em>Half of the mana struck the shore of the ind, and the other half fell into the middle of theke.

    <em>Shaaaaa!</em>As the shore copsed, theke quickly flooded the ind, whose surface was actually lower than the level of theke. Zich ced Til next to Lube, and Lube rushed toward Til to finish treating him. Zich shifted his gaze toward the shore, where water was pouring in.

    ¡°It seems like the water will flood this ce too. Let¡¯s first move to higher ground,¡± Zich said.

    ¡°Ugh! Yeah, it seems like it.¡± Walwiss pulled himself up with his now worn-out staff. ¡°As expected, the Saintess¡¯ holy energy is really great. My back pain haspletely disappeared.¡±

    ¡°Sir, the holy energy I just used on you wasn''t meant to alleviate back pain,¡± Lube replied.

    Leona reced her broken bow with a new one and said with an incredulous tone, ¡°What¡¯s up with the sudden back pain? You¡¯ve always talked so big about how healthy you are at your age.¡±

    ¡°Did I? My memory is getting worse as I age. It¡¯s seriously concerning. I¡¯m worried that I might be suffering from dementia.¡±

    ¡°Is one of the symptoms of dementia feeling pain when you¡¯repletely fine?¡±

    ¡°It might be.¡±

    Til had recovered while Walwiss and Leona talked, and he got up.

    ¡°Are you all right?¡± Zich asked Til.

    ¡°Thanks to Lady Lube, I was able topletely recover. Thank you for saving me.¡±

    ¡°Mr. Til, you were the one who helped me in the first ce. It¡¯s also natural to save the lives of myrades.¡± Zich felt that he could talk as smoothly as usual. What he said about saving the lives of hisrades was something that would have made Zich Moore break out in hives. Now, he was just amazed that such words came out of his mouth.

    ¡°Yeah, I agree. It¡¯s natural forrades to help each other,¡± Walwiss said.

    ¡°It sounds like you¡¯re merely saying that to get me to do a very big favor for you.¡±

    ¡°Geez, Zich, I¡¯m sad to hear that you¡¯re so distrustful of me. It feels like I¡¯ve lived my life in vain.¡±

    ¡°Stop acting so dramatic when you don¡¯t even feel like that in the slightest.¡±

    ¡°This is why you can¡¯t joke around with a person with no sense of humor.¡±

    ¡°I would have actuallyughed if the joke was funny,¡± Leona sarcastically replied, and Walwiss shifted his gaze to Zich¡¯s Windur.

    ¡°Is that the backup you were relying on?¡±

    ¡°I couldn¡¯t say what it was specifically, but yes, you¡¯re right.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s the sword that you used before, right?¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± Zich replied and swung his sword behind him.

    <em>Slice! Slice! Slice!</em>The lumps of mana aimed at them split in half and also fell into theke.

    Walwiss saw this and nodded. ¡°I don¡¯t know what that was, but it sure is effective.¡±

    Zich nodded and said, ¡°Everyone, please wait for me a short distance away. From now on, I¡¯m going to be educating that hero idiot who doesn¡¯t know his ce.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s great. I¡¯ve been feeling fatigued these days because I¡¯ve been overdoing it with my old body. I should eat something good and rest well.¡± After saying this, Walwiss looked at Leona and said, ¡°You¡¯re not going to say anything to me this time?¡±

    ¡°Do you think I¡¯m a child who always has to pick a fight with you after every single sentence?¡±

    ¡°What? You weren¡¯t?¡±

    ¡°Stop saying nonsense and get going. The water is slowlying in here.¡± Before they knew it, the water from theke was already flowing beneath their feet. All the party members except for Zich slowly moved to a higher ground that had not yet copsed to the bottom of theke. Even though they had been in a crisis not long ago, everyone acted leisurely. Since they were all skilled and had a keen sense of judgment, they knew all too well that Zich would not be pushed back by Glen Zenard anymore.

    ¡°Zich, we will be watching from a ce with a great view, so give him a good beating,¡± Walwiss said.

    ¡°Do your best, Zich!¡± Leona cheered him on.

    ¡°Sir Zich, I hope you fully bring out your special character and mercilessly crush that worthless insect!¡±

    ¡°¡­Good luck.¡±

    Zich gave his party a wave and turned around.

    <em>Slice!</em>Zich easily cut the lump of mana that flew toward him again. He looked up at Glen and saw that Glen was huffing with a bright, red face.

    <Why¡­! Why aren¡¯t you¡­.dyiiiiiiiing!>

    ¡°It¡¯s because you¡¯re too weak.¡±

    <em>Swoosh!</em>Zich thrust his sword into the air. The movement looked light, but its effect was far from light.

    <em>Baaaaaaaam!</em>

    <Aghhhhhh!>

    Zich¡¯s sharp mana pierced through Glen¡¯s defense and hit him. Glen¡¯s mana armor seemed to have protected him as there was no direct injury, but for the first time, Glen screamed. Glen¡¯s scream seemed to relieve all the stress he had umted so far.

    Zich smiled brightly¡ªif L had seen it, she would have said it was the expression he made when he was about topletely destroy someone¡¯s mind.

    <A¡­ackk!>

    Glen hurled a lump of mana at Zich again. Zich¡¯s party had been forced to crouch and defend themselves whenever Glen let out his mana, but the situation was nowpletely different. Zich moved Windur; he moved much faster and stronger than usual. A number of mana shes rose into the sky and collided with therge mass of mana. Without a single exception, every one of Zich¡¯s attacks cut through the lump of mana.

    Glen watched this sight in a daze and quickly tried to defend himself. However, the shes broke through and tore Glen¡¯s mana wall. Glen managed to stop Zich¡¯s attack once again, but the difference in their power was crystal clear.

    Zich grinned and spoke softly, knowing that Glen could hear him perfectly.

    ¡°How was your sweet moment of hope?¡±

    Favorite

 Chapter 592

    <h4>Chapter 592</h4>

    <Wha¡­a¡­aaaaaa¡­at¡­?>

    As Zich expected, Glen clearly heard his words and naturally grew enraged. The mana in Glen¡¯s surroundings turned into rough currents as if reflecting his emotions. Yet, Zich¡¯s face remained very peaceful as if he was merely enjoying the spring breeze. This made Glen even more furious. He hated that Zich was at ease instead of cowering before his mighty power. Thus, he gathered up his mana again. Although his previous attack had been blocked and Zich recently made an attack that stunned him, he thought all of this was still mere coincidence.

    <There¡¯s¡­no¡­ way¡­.m-my¡­attacks¡­would¡­be¡­blocked¡­!>

    <em>Whoosh!</em>An enormous amount of mana shot up to the sky again. It was another attack that could shove the sinking ind deeper into theke. Yet, Zich¡¯s sword cleanly sliced the attack into two again.

    <Uh¡­ah¡­ahhhhhh¡­!>

    Glen made strange cries and relentlessly threw lumps of mana, and Zich easily sliced through all of them.

    <em>Thud!</em>Zich¡¯s feetnded on the ground and he stood up. Zich scattered away a brutal torrent of mana and shot up toward Glen.

    <em>Baam!</em>He sliced through an especiallyrge mana lump. Since it was one that Glen made with great effort, Zich felt a significant resistance against his palms. Yet, it didn¡¯t manage to injure Zich in the slightest. Instead, Glen had to create tens and hundreds of tightlypressed barriers to protect himself against Zich¡¯s counterattack. As Zich got closer to him, Glen was able to assess the mana that Zich used; even though it enraged him, he had to admit that the power that Zich was currently using was the same as his.

    The fact that Zich was using this same mystical and great power that only a true hero like him should awaken stirred up cursed fury inside Glen¡¯s mind. Yet, what infuriated him further was another reason.

    <My¡­My mana¡­is¡­more, but¡­why¡­whyyyyyyy!>

    Glen cried out loud. He sounded like a child throwing a tantrum that a toy wasn¡¯t acting ording to his wishes, but of course, Glen didn¡¯t have the characteristic cuteness of a child. Even with his nearly iprehensible whining, Zich was able to deduce what he was saying easily. As Glen said, although Zich was receiving a great amount of mana through Windur, it was still significantly less than the amount Glen had around him. Yet, as the situation showed, Zich was one-sidedly overwhelming Glen even with this disadvantage.

    ¡°What¡¯s the point of having so much mana when you can¡¯t even use it properly?!¡± Zich shouted while swinging Windur in front of the many mana walls. The majority of the mana walls crumpled just like that.

    ¡°How are you so incapable that you can¡¯t even utilize this great amount of mana properly? I can¡¯t help but admire your sheerck of talent!¡± Unlike Zich who was skillfully refining the mana flowing into him and making it his own, Glen was carelessly wielding it, spilling his mana everywhere. At this point, it seemed like the World Tree¡¯s mana was wielding Glen instead. Glen had been able to overwhelm Zich¡¯s party until now because the amount of mana being poured into him was so unimaginable that it didn¡¯t even matter if he could properly manage it or not. But now that Zich also got his hands on a great supply of mana, the situation turned in favor of Zich again.

    <No¡­I¡­.I¡­a hero¡­.!>

    ¡°Whether you are a hero or not, you are not even using your new powers properly!¡±

    <em>Baaam!</em>Glen¡¯s face looked more and more anxious as Zich easily sliced through his mana clusters and mana walls. He looked at his surroundings, searching for an opportunity to overturn the situation again.

    <Ah¡­!> Glen threw an enormous lump of mana at Zich again. Although it was a fearsome attack, it was only a bait to block Zich¡¯s vision.

    <em>Whoosh!</em>Glen¡¯s body fell.

    ¡®What is he doing?¡¯ Zich wondered if Glen was nning to take hispanions as hostages. Zich thought that was the best thing that Glen was capable of doing right now. Yet, that wasn¡¯t it. Zich saw Glen heading toward a shining sword.

    ¡®Estede.¡¯ Zich had lost grasp of it before he grabbed Windur. Did Glen really think the current difference in power was because of their swords? Zich clicked his tongue at Glen¡¯s simpleness.

    ¡®Well, I suppose he can¡¯t think of any clear methods besides that,¡¯ Zich thought. Besides, Estede was unquestionably an excellent sword. It would aid Glen in boosting his offense, yet Zich didn¡¯t care whether Glen picked up the sword or not. All he was concerned about was:<em>¡®I should return it to Hans in good shape since I borrowed it from him.¡¯</em>

    <em>Tap!</em>Glen gripped Estede and the de emitted its light.

    <Ah¡­.aha¡­ahahaha¡­ahahahahaha¡­! I hear¡­I hear it all¡­!>

    After losing his regression ability because of Zich, Glen was unable to hold Estede. He never had the qualifications to wield it in the first ce and was only able to use it because he was a user of the Brushel System. Thanks to receiving the World Tree¡¯s mana, Glen was able to wield Estede again.

    <As expected¡­I¡­I¡­am¡­the hero¡­!>

    Glen shouted in exhration while scattering Estede¡¯s lights into the air. The confidence that had been considerably dented just before shot up again. Once again, he felt that he could easily crush any opponent and felt a sense of omnipotence that he felt when the World Tree¡¯s mana was first transferred to him.

    <Kill¡­Zich¡­Moore¡­!>

    Lights from Estede¡¯s de gathered again. Estede had shone brilliantly under Zich¡¯s hands not long ago, but now it bared its fangs toward its previous user. Glen swung Estede and white light shot toward the sky.

    Glen stared blissfully at the brilliant scenery. The amount of mana he had far surpassed Zich¡¯s, and he now possessed the hero¡¯s sword, Estede. There was no reason for him to lose now. Although he didn¡¯t think he would be able to kill Zich with this one attack, Glen figured he would be able to inflict significant damage on Zich. Glen envisioned Zich floundering in the air, flustered by the sudden attacking his way¡­

    ...well, at least that was what was supposed to happen.

    <Why?> Glen said stupidly and soonshed out a bloodthirsty cry.

    <Why¡­why¡­why are you f-f-fine¡­! Zich Moore!>

    Glen¡¯s mana senses felt that his attack had been nullified.

    ¡°It was because your attack was too weak.¡±

    <Y¡­You¡­Youuuuu....Youuuu!>

    ¡°Stop squealing so much when you can¡¯t even talk properly anymore.¡± Zich lightly swung Windur and a great surge of mana poured out. Glen clenched his teeth and swung Estede. Yet, Estede¡¯s light was sloppy and messy this time.

    <em>Bam! Bam! Bam!</em>

    <Urgh!>

    Windur¡¯s air des relentlessly pierced through Estede¡¯s light, and Glen hastily blocked and evaded the attacks. Glen was acting out himself the pathetic image he had visualized for Zich.

    ¡°Ahahaha! The way you roll around the floor is just like a bug!¡±

    ¡°Ahhhhhh¡­!¡± Glen cried out with his voice instead of using mana.

    <I¡­a hero¡­.Have to¡­.be¡­hero¡­ahhh!>

    ¡°A hero¡­¡± Zich asked sincerely as Glen continued murmuring, ¡°Hey, Glen Zenard. Your goal is to be a hero, right?¡±

    <I¡­already¡­a hero¡­ahh¡­>

    ¡°Yes, yes. Let¡¯s say that you already became a hero. But what will you do after that?¡±

    While swinging Estede, Glen halted his movements.

    <I will¡­be hero¡­>

    ¡°Yeah, you said you were already a hero. I am asking what you will do after that. You must have thought of something. Are you going to set up a gigantic empire and rule over it or live a secr lifestyle surrounded by beauties for the rest of your life? Or are you going to spend the rest of your days peacefully in your hometown? It¡¯s all right even if it¡¯s really small orughable. Just tell me what you were nning to do after you be a hero.¡±

    <¡­> Glen didn¡¯t answer. No, he couldn¡¯t. A world after he became a hero didn¡¯t exist in his head. His final goal was to make the strongest person he knew, Zich, into a Demon Lord and spectacrly defeat him. Then, he would be the indisputable, the greatest-of-all-times hero that no hero in the future could surpass. That was his goal and the perfect life. Even though he hade up with all sorts of clear schemes and methods up until the point of defeating Zich, he couldn¡¯t think of the future after that as if it was covered by a pitch-ck curtain.

    <¡­I will¡­be¡­hero¡­.>

    Glen murmured. He turned toward Zich with his empty eye sockets.

    <Will¡­be hero¡­>

    ¡°¡­I suppose it was a pointless question at this point. I apologize. I was the stupid one this time,¡± Zich apologized coolly. It was meaningless to ask a logical question to someone who had already lost his mind. It really was a stupid thing to do as Zich said.

    <em>Bam!</em>The battle rmenced. Glen shot out light while shouting furiously. Zich swung Windur in response, and Estede''s light that had been imbued with plenty of mana but poor techinque crumbled without much resistance.

    <Must kill¡­.Demon Lord¡­.uhhhh¡­>

    ¡°You are the Demon Lord this time, and I¡¯m the hero.¡±

    <No¡­ah¡­.>

    Perhaps, Glen also felt that there was no turning back now, and his offense grew more impressive. Yet, the difference in talent between the two was merciless. With at most one tenth of the mana that Glen used, Zich easily nullified Glen¡¯s attacks.

    <em>Bam!</em>The mana walls that Glen ced in front of him broke consecutively. He persistently created mana walls, but the speed at which Zich destroyed them increased. Eventually, Glen¡¯s mana walls reached their limits.

    <em>Bam!</em>

    <Uh¡­Uhhhh¡­.!>

    Zich¡¯s attack broke thest barrier surrounding Glen¡¯s body, and Glen bounced off. Thanks to the barrier closest to him, which was harder than any other barrier, there was no injury on his body. However, that state didn¡¯tst long.

    <em>Bam! Bam! Boom!</em>

    ¡°Ahhh!¡± Blood sshed from his shoulder.

    <Uh¡­Uhahhhh¡­!>

    Cornered, Glen recklessly swung Estede around, but there was no way his careless attacks could inflict any damage on Zich.

    <em>Slice!</em>

    <Kurgh!>

    Glen¡¯s right arm was severed. Simultaneously, Estede in his right hand rolled to the ground.

    ¡°Oh yeah! I shouldn''t forget to take this with me.¡± Zich picked up Estede. Like it was d to return to Zich¡¯s hands again, Estede¡¯s de sparkled.

    <Give¡­give it¡­to me! Give¡­me¡­!>

    ¡°As if. This is Hans¡¯.¡± Zich snorted and crushed Glen¡¯s leg. Glen crashed to the ground while screaming.

    <Uh¡­Ahhhh¡­!>

    Glen shot out a colossal lump of mana like he was making hisst desperate attempt to survive. Yet, Zich crushed it all and sliced the sides of Glen¡¯s torso.

    ¡°Kuahhh¡­!¡± After copsing on the ground, Glen rolled like a bug. Zich approached him and stomped on his chest. Glen gasped for air as he was suffocating. Anyone could tell the winner had already been decided, and the only thing left was to end Glen¡¯s life.

    ¡°Come to think of it, there¡¯s something I need to say to you.¡± Zich pointed Windur at Glen. Unlike his usual self, he said in a serious and solemn voice, ¡°If you are born again, I hope that you will live a kind life!¡±

 Chapter 593

    <h4>Chapter 593</h4>

    <You¡­you¡­those words¡­>

    ¡°Yes, you said them to me before. It¡¯s what you said before the regression and right before you killed me. I thought there was no other phrase more fitting for a hero to say to a viin on hisst breath. How is it? Does it feel good? I said them like you did in the exact situation you wished to say those words. Isn¡¯t this the scenario you dreamed of?¡±

    <Y-You¡­!>

    ¡°Ah, but I suppose it doesn¡¯t really fit the current situation this time,¡± Zich said with a bright smile on his face. ¡°Since there¡¯s no<em>¡®next time¡¯</em>for you.¡±

    Glen¡¯s face stiffened.

    <N-Next¡­time¡­?>

    ¡°Yes, after this time.¡±

    <It will¡­start¡­again¡­if I¡­die¡­>

    ¡°It¡¯s impossible now. I told you before. You can¡¯t regress anymore.¡±

    <No¡­.no¡­.>

    ¡°Do you n to keep denying it? I suppose you have the freedom to do so. It would only hurt my mouth to keep exining, and I don¡¯t n on trying. You¡¯d know once you experience it¡ªthough, of course, you wouldn¡¯t even be able to tell if I was right or wrong after it happens. That¡¯s what death is, right?¡±

    <D¡­Death¡­?>

    The word ¡®death¡¯ popped up into Glen¡¯s mind, and his cheeks twitched. Although Glen fought Zich like the days he still had his regression ability after receiving a huge amount of mana, it wasn¡¯t as if he had ovee the reality that he had no more opportunities yet. His heart was still stuck in the time when he shuddered in fear in front of Zich even as his powers exceeded Zich''s. Slowly, the fear from that time began to creep up back to him.

    ¡°Yes, die. It will be the end of your life.¡±

    <¡­I¡­don¡¯t want to¡­>

    ¡°There¡¯s no point in saying that now. Furthermore, you are the one who always forced your thoughts onto others no matter their situation until now. Even if you say you don¡¯t want to, your words hold no persuasive power.¡±

    <Don¡¯t¡­make¡­meugh¡­! I-I¡­.!>

    ¡°What do you mean? As you wish, this is a situation where the hero wins, and the worst viin loses. Isn¡¯t that what you wanted?¡±

    <I¡­I am the¡­ hero¡­>

    ¡°As I said many times now, the hero is me. It¡¯s all because of you. Just ept it now, viin. You will miserably meet your end here while failing to achieve your dreams. ept that everything you¡¯ve done for so long has now be meaningless.¡±

    <No¡­no way¡­>

    ¡°Come to think of it, you gave cool nicknames to me, Walwiss Dwayne, and Til. Since you controlled all of us as you wished, I will acknowledge you as a Demon Lord. Then, what kind of Demon Lord should I call you? The Demon Lord of Losers? Or Demon Lord of Bugs or Stupidity? Ah, I think ¡®The Demon Lord Who Can¡¯t Regress Anymore¡¯ is also a good title.¡±

    <No¡­no¡­ahh¡­ahhhh¡­!> Glen floundered. Yet, Zich was still pressing down on his chest with his foot, and Glen only managed to slightly lift his hips from the ground. Mana fluctuated around Glen again, but Zich nullified it all before it took solid form. It was an excellent disy of fantastical mana detection skills and great precision.

    <Let¡­goo¡­goooooo¡­!>

    ¡°I don¡¯t want to,¡± Zich replied firmly to Glen, who was pping his arms and legs around.

    ¡°Are you still not done yet?¡± Walwiss approached Zich from behind and asked. When Zich turned around, he realized that the rest of his party was gathered near him.

    ¡°You came, sir?¡±

    ¡°Yes. I thought the battle was almost over and came to check it out. Am I perhaps, a hindrance?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s fine. This guy doesn¡¯t have any more strength to do anything.¡±

    ¡°For that to be the case, the mana in his surroundings is still rather fearsome¡­¡±

    As if he hadn¡¯t given up yet, Glen was still moving the mana in his surroundings wildly, to the point that Zich and Glen¡¯s conversation couldn¡¯t be heard at a slight distance. Yet, this mana also crumpled under Windur before it could fully materialize.

    Zich shrugged.

    ¡°This guy can¡¯t cause any more harm. He¡¯s basically powerless.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s true,¡± Walwiss said, but in his heart, he felt a sense of awe. Besides Zich, Walwiss¡¯ mana detection skills were most outstanding within the party. He felt chills from the mana fluctuating around them, but the streams of mana that Zich shot out from time to timepletely nullified the flow of this mana. It was a skill that even a great mage like Walwiss didn''t know where to start learning.

    <...Aine¡­Le¡­ona¡­>

    ¡°Ugh, that guy. He¡¯s calling my name again.¡±

    ¡°¡­Honestly, it makes me feel disgusted.¡±

    Leona and Lube looked down on Glen in a disgruntled manner.

    ¡°I¡¯m grateful that guy doesn¡¯t think of us as potentialpanions.¡±

    ¡°¡­Certainly, sir.¡±

    On the other hand, Walwiss and Til were relieved to see that Glen perfectly saw them as enemies. Nevertheless, it was true that they also had bad feelings about Glen, and Walwiss asked, ¡°Why don¡¯t you put an end to this soon?¡±

    ¡°I will.¡± Zich had already yed around with Glen enough. Furthermore, he also had to go meet someone. Windur once more pointed at Glen. Everyone was waiting for the viin¡¯s end.

    Glen looked up at Zich and hispanions. This was the scenery he had dreamed of. After gathering the perfect party, he would defeat thest Demon Lord, Zich. The only difference was that the person who should be lying on the ground was Zich and the person standing should be him. Furthermore, the ends of Zich¡¯s strange sword were aimed at him, along with Zich''s words that he had no more opportunities.

    <I¡­don¡¯t¡­want to¡­!>

    Glen kept resisting. Yet, Zich¡¯s foot that was pressing down against his heart didn¡¯t budge. Zich¡¯spanions continued to look at him coldly. No one had sympathy for him even at this point.

    <¡­I¡­I¡­am¡­a hero¡­!>

    <em>Crack!</em>

    ¡°Kuh!¡± Windur¡¯s des dug deep into Glen¡¯s neck. He let out a short groan, and blood poured out of his throat.

    <em>Zing</em><em>!</em>Zich pulled Windur back, leaving a clean, crisp wound.

    ¡°Kugh! Kugh!¡± After getting his tongue sliced and being unable to breathe properly, incoherent groans seeped out Glen¡¯s mouth.

    <No¡­nooo¡­!>

    Glen¡¯s vitality slowly disappeared. No matter how great the amount of mana he had, it couldn¡¯t hold onto his disappearing life.

    <Ai¡­ne¡­let¡­me¡­live¡­!>

    Glen extended his hands toward Lube. With Lube¡¯s holy magic, she would be able to heal this kind of injury easily. However, Lube didn¡¯t budge at all. Her cool gaze perfectly reflected how she felt about Glen.

    <No¡­this¡­can¡¯t be¡­!>

    <em>Ziiing!</em>Glen gathered his mana once again. However, Zich¡¯s mana destroyed it once again. Glen tried to block the wound in his throat with mana as hisst desperate attempt, but Zich also blocked that. Death was drawing near, and he was reaching the end of his incredibly long life.

    <I¡­I¡­>

    His body began to slowly lose its vitality.

    <Wanted¡­a¡­perfect¡­life¡­>

    Glen¡¯s words became mumbled to the point that they became iprehensible. It had already be impossible for him to control enough mana for him to speak. Even the cluster of mana that Glen had created with hisst remaining strength could not be converted into physical force, and it repeatedly spun around a center point and scattered. It was evident that he was losing his ability to control mana.

    ¡°¡­Grrk! Grrrk¡­!¡± The groansing out of his mouth also slowly died away, and soon, all of Glen¡¯s movements stopped.

    <em>Ssssssh!</em>The enormous mana that surrounded Glen also began to fade away and eventually disappeared.

    This was the end of a selfish man who had turned back time and sacrificed countless people to walk his path of glory.

    Lube walked over to Zich¡¯s side. ¡°Is it over?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    Zich turned around and left Glen¡¯s body behind.

    ¡°What are we going to do with the body?¡± Walwiss asked.

    ¡°I don¡¯t really care what happens to it. If we leave it here, won¡¯t it disappear on its own? Whether it¡¯s eaten by animals or his corps rots away¡ªtime will solve it.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s true. Considering what he did, he doesn¡¯t deserve a proper funeral.¡±

    ¡°Can¡¯t we just throw it in theke?¡± Leona offered a suggestion, but Lube immediately objected to it.

    ¡°That¡¯s the Bellid¡¯s funeral method. There¡¯s absolutely no need to dispose of his body in ordance with the customs of insects.¡±

    ¡°This guy was just trying to use the Bellids and wasn¡¯t an actual Bellid himself, but if that¡¯s your opinion, let¡¯s not use that method.¡± There was no need to offend Lube with the matter of disposing of Glen''s body.

    ¡°Well, I don¡¯t care either, and I just said it as a suggestion, but shouldn¡¯t we at least remove his body from here? Considering the condition of the ind, I think this ce will be flooded soon.¡±

    Since Zich and Glen had fought in the same area until the very end, the ce where Glen¡¯s body was already far lower than the surface of theke. The only reason why it hadn¡¯t already flooded the area was that theke water was filling the pits closer to theke first, but it was only a matter of time before theke water overflowed, as the rim surrounding the pits was also lower than the surface of theke.

    ¡°¡­Should I move it to higher ground?¡± Til stepped forward as if he was going to carry Glen¡¯s body like luggage right away.

    ¡°There¡¯s no reason to work that hard. Isn¡¯t it fine as long as it doesn¡¯t sink underwater?¡± Walwiss answered.

    Walwiss made arge fire ball and threw it at Glen¡¯s body. The high temperature burned Glen¡¯s body rapidly. It didn¡¯t take long for it to turn into a handful of ash. Compared to how long he had existed, it was astoundingly brief.

    <em>Swish!</em>When the fire went out, Walwiss brought out some wind. A small gust of wind raised Glen¡¯s ashes high in the sky. ¡°This is good enough, right?¡¯

    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s been handled neatly.¡± Lube expressed great satisfaction with Walwiss¡¯ method, which waspletely different from a Bellid¡¯s funeral. Like this, Glenpletely disappeared from the world without even leaving his corpse behind.

    ¡°Then it¡¯s all over now.¡± Walwiss looked around. The ind¡¯s appearance was truly disastrous, and their battle with Glen had submerged about two-thirds of the ind. The enormous tower, which used to be in the center of the ind, was nowpletely shattered, and only pieces of it remained on the ind and on theke¡¯s surface. Moreover, monster bodies littered the whole ind. The monsters waiting on the ind had left behind their corpses, but any traces of Ultel and his subordinates couldn¡¯t even be found anymore.

    ¡°Yes, you¡¯re right! The leader of the Bellids, his coborators and subordinates, and the monsters are all gone. We won!¡± Lube raised her arms and shouted.

    ¡°¡­Yeah, we won.¡± Leona¡¯s face also brightened up as the reality of victory finally sunk in.

    However, Til still looked a bit disgruntled. ¡°¡­I don''t think we did much at the end¡­¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t pay attention to those small details. It¡¯s not like we just yed around. We¡¯ve done enough.¡±

    ¡°Of course. All of you have done your share.¡±

    ¡°See, that¡¯s what Zich says.¡±

    It was only after Leona and Zich encouraged him that Til loosened up a little.

    ¡°Then let¡¯s go back! There¡¯s no need for us to stay in this dirty ex-Bellid base anymore. Let¡¯s go and sweep the rest of their forces and tell the world good news about theplete destruction of the Bellids!¡± Lube shouted.

    ¡°We should do as the Saintess says. I want to sleep in a warm bed too. As I age, my joints hurt whenever I camp outside.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s because you¡¯re not staying fit,¡± Leona said.

    ¡°This sted elf¡­!¡±

    The two started arguing as soon as the situation was over and Zich said, ¡°I¡¯ll be moving separately from here on.¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°Why?¡¯

    Not only Walwiss and Leona, but Lube and Til also looked at him questioningly. Zich quietly replied, ¡°There¡¯s someone I have to meet.¡±

 Chapter 594

    <h4>Chapter 594</h4>

    Zich handed his magic box to Walwiss. Then, he pointed his finger in a specific direction.

    ¡°The boat is inside. If you go straight that way, you will be able to arrive at the ce we started at.¡±

    ¡°This is so sudden that I¡¯m shocked. Is it a really important matter?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s nothing dangerous, but it¡¯s a very personal matter and something very important to me right now.¡±

    ¡°Hm. Then, I suppose it can¡¯t be helped. I understand. We will return by ourselves. Are you going to join us somewhereter?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll probably return right to the battlefield. I don¡¯t think it¡¯ll take me that long, so I can probably join you all to clean up the battlefield of Bellids.¡±

    <em>Wiing!</em>The mana around Zich began to fluctuate. Everyone who had been at ease immediately got into a battle stance, but Zich stopped them.

    ¡°She¡¯s probably trying to call me. There¡¯s no need to panic.¡±

    ¡°Ha! Is this perhaps teleportation? She is using such a tremendous amount of mana to teleport you to her. It must be a very important matter, indeed.¡± Walwiss clicked his tongue and clutched Zich¡¯s hand. ¡°All right, let¡¯s see each other on the battlefield. I don¡¯t know what you are going to do, but have a safe trip.¡±

    Starting from Walwiss, all the otherpanions said their farewells.

    ¡°It¡¯s a pity, but we should have our victory celebrationster. Good luck.¡±

    ¡°See you, Zich!¡±

    ¡°¡­I hope that you will return safely.¡±

    When everyone said their farewells, the mana around Zich reached its peak, and Zich felt his body float. When he closed his eyes once and opened them again, his surroundings hadpletely changed. The blue sky, the ind below it, and the rushingke waters had all disappeared and were reced by the walls with giant cavities. He was inside a magic circle that enveloped him in a faint light. It was probably the teleportation circle that transferred him, and Zich saw the person who brought him to this ce in front of him.

    ¡°It¡¯s been a while, Zich,¡± L said. Zich walked toward her. Although Hans, Snoc, Elena, and Lara were standing behind her, he didn¡¯t notice them this time. They all also felt something from Zich¡¯s appearance, and they maintained their silence. Although Snoc tactlessly tried to raise his hand, Elena quickly stopped him and no one showed any more movements.

    Zich stood in front of L and witnessed her inhumane beauty from close-up. She was smiling slightly. There was a sense of amusement and triumphant yfulness in her expression.

    ¡°I saw what you did through Estede.¡± She smiled harder. ¡°Didn¡¯t you tell me before that I should make you fall in love with me? From what I saw, it seems like I¡¯ve seeded. What do you think?¡±

    L was very happy about the fact that Zich had fallen for her, and she looked up at Zich with her chin slightly angled.

    Then, she pressed, ¡°Don¡¯t you have something to tell me?¡±

    Perhaps, she was requesting Zich to tell her he loved her, and this was a small act of revenge for the days when she one-sidedly expressed her affection for him. Yet, instead of responding, Zich simply stared intently at her speechlessly. L was a bit taken aback by Zich¡¯s response which was different from her expectations.

    ¡°Huh, what? What is it? Did I do something wrong? Or is it a mis¡­understanding?¡± There was no way. She had clearly seen everything while she was inside the system and she heard Zich say he loved her. Yet, Zich¡¯s response was different from what she expected. Was it really all some kind of big misunderstanding? Doubt and embarrassment began to rise inside her when¡ª

    <em>squeeze!</em>Zich hugged her tightly. Stunned, L opened her eyes widely, and at that moment, Zich¡¯s lips met hers.

    ¡°Umph!¡± She gasped at the sudden sensation, but soon afterward, L also closed her eyes. Her arms hugged Zich tightly.

    ¡°Uh, uh, uh?¡± Snoc gasped repeatedly in surprise and Nowem bit his ear hard while Elena quickly blocked Snoc¡¯s mouth. Hans and Lara shared a knowing look and turned around. They took Snoc and Elena with them and quietly left the area. Like that, Zich and L¡¯s lips were locked together for a while.

    ¡°Haa!¡± L heaved as soon as she pulled away. Then, she looked up at Zich.

    ¡°Did that answer your question?¡±

    ¡°¡­Not yet. I didn¡¯t hear it directly from you.¡±

    ¡°I love you.¡±

    ¡°¡­!¡±

    L had said it half-jokingly, without really expecting him to say those words. Considering his personality, she couldn¡¯t imagine Zich whispering ''love'' with a serious look on his face. Yet, contrary to her expectations, Zich had directly conveyed his feelings.

    Although these were the words she had longed for, now that she was finally hearing them, L began to feel embarrassed and she blushed. Yet, she couldn¡¯t hide the way the edges of her lips turned upwards.

    ¡°¡­You smell.¡±

    ¡°I came here after battling for several days straight. Of course I smell.¡±

    ¡°Still, you smell,¡± L said but didn¡¯t pull her face away from Zich¡¯s chest. The two only pulled away from each other quite a long time after they had shared their kiss.

    ¡°Hmph! Hmph!¡± L fake-coughed awkwardly. Her face was still all red. It seemed she hadn¡¯t been able to shake off the excitement of her first kiss yet. Her eyes wandered all over the ce as if she had difficulty looking at Zich¡¯s face, and she only nced at him before turning elsewhere again.

    ¡°Ahem!¡± After she cleared her throat for the final time, she finally looked properly at Zich even though her pupils still shook slightly.

    ¡°W-We should finish up what we¡¯ve been doing first,¡± she stuttered.

    ¡°I agree.¡± Zich ced his arms around L¡¯s shoulder and left the space where the magic circle was.

    ¡°Do you need me to describe what happened inside the tower?¡±

    ¡°No, it¡¯s fine since I saw everything. Even after I got out of the system, I was able to continue watching through the World Tree¡¯s mana.¡± L waved her hand slightly, and the World Tree¡¯s mana shook inside the ruin. Since the World Tree possessed so much mana that it could even turn back time, an outstanding mage like her could easily see the information of the person wielding Estede or Windur like she had done when acting as the Core.

    ¡°So, as I thought, you¡¯re the one who sent me power through Windur.¡±

    ¡°To be exact, it was a coborative effort between the World Tree and me.¡± The conversation calmed her down, and L¡¯s voice soon became much more tranquil.

    ¡°It was surprising when Glen Zenard unexpectedly awakened and sucked in the World Tree¡¯s mana.¡±

    ¡°Honestly, I had no idea that he would ovee the fear of regression.¡±

    ¡°Same. It¡¯s understandable, though. Even Ultel didn¡¯t expect it, and he knew Glen Zenard the best. I thought that the best way to help you in that situation was to also send you the World Tree¡¯s mana.¡±

    ¡°You werepletely correct.¡± In fact, Zich had overwhelmingly crushed Glen Zenard with the World Tree¡¯s mana.

    ¡°It¡¯s not as easy as it sounds. The Clowon Empire also had to implement all kinds of methods to use the World Tree.¡± In order to use the World Tree¡¯s mana, the empire had to divide the tree into five and capture a dragon. Moreover, they also developed a precise and detailed system by using each of the trees together.

    L continued, ¡°I could make a magic circle to send you mana from the World Tree, but I also needed the World Tree¡¯s mana for that to work. However, I can¡¯t force the World Tree to help me. Additionally, Glen Zenard was sucking mana from the World Tree during that time.¡±

    ¡°Yet, you still managed to send it.¡±

    ¡°I did it by persuading the World Tree.¡±

    ¡°Persuade?¡±

    ¡°I asked the World Tree to lend me its strength if it really wanted freedom.¡±

    ¡°No wonder. Is that why the World Tree lent me its power?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. It must have been quite a strain for the World Tree to respond to my call since it was still under the remaining constraints of the Brushel System, and Glen Zenard was taking its mana. However, the World Tree still managed to lend us its strength.¡±

    Zich lightly touched the handle of Windur on his back. ¡°I should offer my gratitude.¡±

    No matter what anyone said, Zich and his team would have lost without the help of the World Tree.

    ¡°That would be nice too, but you don¡¯t have to feel that grateful because the reason why the World Tree regained its freedom in the first ce is thanks to you.¡±

    ¡°I guess that¡¯s true too.¡± In all honesty, liberating the World Tree was quite low on his list of priorities. The reason why Zich had gone around destroying the Brushel System was to fuck Glen Zenard over, rather than to free the World Tree. However, it was also true that the World Tree greatly benefited from Zich¡¯s actions¡ªjust like how the World Tree¡¯s desire to be free greatly benefited him too.

    ¡°Anyway, I¡¯m satisfied because I¡¯ve achieved all of my goals at the moment, and I¡¯m satisfied with the way I killed Glen Zenard.¡±

    ¡°Like a hero, right?¡±

    ¡°Ah, damn it!¡± Zich rubbed his arms as if he got goosebumps all over.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong? When you mocked Glen Zenard, you proudly told him you were a hero, right? I thought you felt better about it.¡±

    ¡°No, there¡¯s no way I can feel better about it. I¡¯ll never get used to it for the rest of my life.¡±

    ¡°You say that, but you didn¡¯t look awkward at all. At this rate, you might really be the hero that people see you as.¡±

    ¡°How terrible.¡± Zich frowned and shook his head. L¡¯s brightughter rang in the room. While they talked like this, they reached the Brushel¡¯s control device. Hans, Snoc, Elena, and Lara had already all gathered there.

    ¡°How have you all been?¡±

    ¡°Sir Zich!¡±

    The party approached Zich. Hans asked, ¡°Sir, did everything go well?¡±

    ¡°Perfectly. All that¡¯s left is to return and wipe out the remaining forces. I¡¯ve used this well.¡± Zich handed Estede back to Hans, and Hans politely received it.

    ¡°Has it been decided that you¡¯ll keep Tornium?¡± Zich¡¯s eyes turned to Tornium in Lara¡¯s hand.

    ¡°No, I¡¯m just holding it for now.¡±

    ¡°Just keep it. Among the sword users, you¡¯re the only one here who doesn¡¯t have a sword anyway.¡±

    ¡°¡­Is it okay for it to be decided like that?¡± Lara was befuddled as she knew Tornium¡¯s performance capabilities very well. If they put Tornium out on the market, Zich would be able to get a huge price for it, and most families would designate it as a family treasure and cherish it. How could Zich give it to her as if he was passing over a stone he picked up on the street?

    ¡°Is anyone against it?¡± Zich asked. No one came forward, so he said, ¡°Then it¡¯s been decided.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡± Even though it was extremely beneficial to Lara, she couldn¡¯t help but feel that something was very wrong.

    After easily determining Tornium¡¯s ownership like this, Zich turned his head and looked at a hole where an enormous amount of mana was leaking out. ¡°Wait a little bit. There¡¯s onest thing I have to do. When I finish taking care of it, let¡¯s leave this ind.¡±

    After leaving the others behind, Zich headed with L to the location of the World Tree.

    ¡°That¡¯s the World Tree.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s your first time seeing it, right?¡± Its very presence was overwhelming and majestic, and the surroundingvake evoked a sense of mystery.

    ¡°Will it be over if I free that?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, everything will be over.¡± It would finally be the end of everything that happened since the Golden Emperor of the Clowon Empire had created the Brushel System.

    ¡°Will you be okay?¡± Zich asked.

    ¡°What do you mean?¡±

    ¡°If we free the World tree, the Brushel System willpletely disappear. Don¡¯t you have any regrets as the Clowon princess? Regression is not just an ordinary ability either.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll be fine,¡± L said confidently. ¡°First of all, I¡¯m not Serpina, the princess of Clowon. Just like how you¡¯re not Zich Brave, I¡¯m also just L. I don¡¯t want to use an abnormal power like the Brushel System. Most of all...¡±

    L looked at Zich and added, ¡°If I go back in time by using the Brushel System, only I will keep my memories, and all of your memories of me will disappear¡ªyour memories of us together, your feelings, and everything else. I don¡¯t want that.¡±

 Chapter 595

    Chapter 595

    ¡°Is that so?¡±

    The Golden Emperor of the Clowon Empire had created the Brushel System using the World Tree, but if one asked who was the rightful owner of the system, it would naturally be the emperor¡¯s daughter and the princess of the empire, L. Although Lpletely separated herself from the Clowon princess, there was no need for Zich to hesitate if she also wished for the Brushel System¡¯s destruction. Yet, there was one more question Zich wanted to ask.

    ¡°If I free this guy, what will happen?¡±

    With just a bit of its mana, Glen had been able to overwhelm Zich at the peak of his power while holding Estede and being supported by his formidablepanions. Furthermore, even while Glen sucked away its mana, the tree could still send an enormous amount of mana to Zich. What would happen if such an existence acted against the world? Truthfully, even Zich wasn¡¯t confident in going against it.

    ¡°It¡¯s fine. The World Tree doesn¡¯t have intense emotions like a human. Thus, it doesn¡¯t feel hate or resentment. Once it attains freedom, it will leave this world, since it didn¡¯t belong to this world in the first ce.¡± When L was trying to send mana to Zich with the World Tree¡¯s coboration, she was able to understand a bit more about its existence. ¡°Above all, you must also know in your heart that the World Tree won¡¯t do anything bad.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s true.¡± Zich swiped his hands down Windur¡¯s handle again. It was his coy sword and the World Tree¡¯s other self.

    ¡°Is our just hero perhaps worried that the world could fall into danger again?¡± L asked.

    ¡°Fine. Let¡¯s release it immediately.¡±

    L chuckled, but Zich ignored her and stared at the World Tree.

    Even though Zich never outrightly advocated for ideas such as, ¡®Everything in this world has the right to freedom,¡¯ he at least had the decency to pay back an existence that had helped him on many asions. Furthermore, Zich had no lingering feelings about an ability like regressing.

    ¡°What do I need to do?¡±

    ¡°First, I will free up the World Tree¡¯s mana as much as possible from the restriction device. However, the World Tree won¡¯t be free from just that.¡± The Clowon Empire had ced heavy binds to prevent the World Tree from bing free at any cost, and thus, even the restriction device couldn¡¯t unwind itself. Thus, the only remaining method was to forcefully break its bindings.

    ¡°It will be very difficult. It¡¯s a bond that was made to repress the World Tree. It¡¯s impossible to break with just any normal strength, but it¡¯s possible with our current group. The World Tree will continue to lend us its powers.¡± The enormous mana that was transferred from Windur to Zich was still waiting inside his body to be used.

    ¡°Leave it to me. It¡¯s my expertise to destroy things.¡±

    ¡°How trustworthy.¡±

    L gave Zich severalmands and headed to the restriction device. Zich jumped down to the bottom of the World Tree. The intense heat of the pool ofva beside him failed to inflict any sort of harm on him. Zich then touched the World Tree and felt enormous mana moving inside. Yet, this mana was twisted and tangled up somewhere.

    Zich looked up at the World Tree. This was the base of the Brushel System that had messed up his life, but Zich didn¡¯t resent it much because he was satisfied with his current self. Moreover, Zich knew that the World Tree was simply a tool whose will had been stripped away from it.

    Ziing!

    ¡®Did it start?¡¯

    Mana fluctuated around the World Tree. Simultaneously, the World Tree¡¯s mana started to move irregrly as L began to officially unbind the shackles on the World Tree.

    Rumble! The ruin began to shake. With this level of vibration, the whole ind could be shaking.

    Pop! Pop! Pop! Mana exploded around the World Tree, and the mana that poured out of it intensified. The Brushel System started resisting.

    Boom! The mana that extended wildly out into the air stopped just like that. Like an animal trying to escape a trap after falling prey to it, the World Tree¡¯s mana resisted, but the existence blocking it didn¡¯t even budge.

    The mana wall.

    It was a barrier that utilized the mana flowing out of the World Tree in reverse, and the more power the World Tree used, the stronger the wall.

    Zich raised Windur. Perhaps happy that its freedom was right around the corner, the tree trembled.

    Ziing! Mana brimmed up inside Windur. The World Tree¡¯s mana coupled with Zich¡¯s mana flowed inside it, and Zich sensed the World Tree¡¯s mana and the system¡¯s mana that repressed it. Though both sources of mana far surpassed Zich¡¯s, there were still disparities in strength between the two. The stronger one was the World Tree¡¯s mana, while the system¡¯s mana was weaker. Yet, the system¡¯s mana was intricately designed through the Brushel System to effectively restrict the wildly fluctuating mana belonging to the World Tree.

    Zich focused his attention and searched the system¡¯s mana. The sophisticated and powerful mana was fighting the World Tree¡¯s mana. Furthermore, although it couldn¡¯tpare to the two¡¯s mana, the mana that Zich wielded was also powerful and Zich could use it very skillfully.

    ¡®There¡¯s no need for me to destroy itpletely. I just need to make a slight hole.¡¯ The system¡¯s mana was a dam, while the World Tree¡¯s mana was ake. If he made even a tiny hole inside the dam, theke¡¯s water would crush through the hole and destroy the entire dam.

    Whoosh! Zich raised Windur. Mana focused on the tips of Windur¡¯s des.

    Twang! Mana poured out from the tips of the sword, and it appeared to be a very light attack. Yet, the mana imbued into it was beyond imagination. The attack made a hole inside the system¡¯s mana. It was a very small hole but the World Tree¡¯s mana rushed fervently toward it.

    The system¡¯s mana shook and continuously tried to block the World Tree¡¯s mana, but the hole that Zich made continued to grow bigger. However, it was still possible for the system to block this hole. Zich wasn¡¯t going to let this happen, and he didn¡¯t stop after just piercing one hole.

    Bam! Bam! Bam! Bam! Windur¡¯s continuous attacks made numerous holes in the system¡¯s mana. Then the World Tree¡¯s mana dug in and widened the holes. Soon, the system¡¯s mana was literally in tatters, and there was only one end to a damaged dam like this.

    The system¡¯s mana exploded, and the World Tree¡¯s mana extended outward as if it were rejoicing its freedom. However, the tension on Zich¡¯s face didn¡¯t disappear.

    Baaaam! Theva that surrounded the World Tree suddenly soared, and at the same time, the surrounding temperature shot up. Tremendous fire mana also swept through their surroundings, and the World Tree¡¯s mana faltered once again.

    ¡®Is this a secondary control system? Those Clowon people really must not have wanted to lose the World Tree.¡¯ The secondary control system utilized the massive amount ofva that boiled under thend as an energy source to suppress the World Tree. It was also a force too great for the World Tree to handle, since not all of its power had been released yet. However, even this was already expected.

    Zich ran sideways. After passing through the solid ind where the World Tree was rooted, he stepped on theva.

    ¡®It¡¯s hot.¡¯ Since the secondary control system was activated and theva and fire mana greatly increased the temperature, even Zich felt extremely hot. Soon, even he wouldn¡¯t be able to withstand the temperature either. Thus, he didn¡¯t have much time. Zich stopped on top of a section ofva that was a short distance away from the World Tree. He stretched out Windur and injected mana into it; then, the mana spread in all directions.

    Sweat poured out all over his body, and his clothes burned. However, Zich continued to pour out his mana, and his mana vibrated regrly. He synchronized the World Tree¡¯s mana flowing from Windur with the fire mana running wild around him. It was almost impossible to find a rhythm in the fire mana that wildly flowed in all directions with the World Tree¡¯s mana, but Zich managed to aplish this astounding feat.

    The next part was L¡¯s turn. With the power of the World Tree¡¯s mana, the tremendous amount of fire mana, Windur¡¯s location, and the power of the Brushel System, L summoned a huge tree.

    Rummmble! A tree suddenly appeared from the sky and fell into theva, and theva sshed in all directions due to its huge mass. It seemed as if the tree would disappear and melt as it fell into theva. However, that wasn¡¯t the case; instead, its vitality seemed to increase as if it had found its perfect match.

    L had summoned one of the World Tree¡¯s clones: the Tree of Fire.

    ¡®Alright!¡¯ Zich clenched his fist. The fire mana ran wild in theva and suppressed the World Tree, but the Tree of Fire grew stronger as if it was right on home ground. As the spirit of the Tree of Fire increased, the World Tree¡¯s mana next to it also increased.

    Zich stepped on theva on the other side of the Tree of Fire. Then, he synchronized the World Tree¡¯s mana and the Tree of Fire¡¯s mana this time.

    Swisssh! A slight wind seemed to flow around Windur¡¯s surroundings. It grew enough to create huge storms around it and began blowing the excess heat out. The zing temperature dropped significantly.

    ¡®Second one!¡¯ It didn¡¯t matter if the Tree of Fire rooted itself in theva, but the other trees would likely lose their power if they took root in the burning, hotva. Thus, they chose the Tree of Wind floating in the air as the second one to summon. Honestly, Zich was a little worried. The Tree of Fire had been rtively easy to summon due to the enormous amount of fire mana in their surroundings, but it was different for the other trees.

    ¡®As long as the main body and two trees are here, the other trees would probably be able to endure it here.¡¯

    Then it was clear what tree they should summon next.

    Swoooosh! A third tree appeared. At the same time, enormous steam soared everywhere. The third tree to appear was the Tree of Water. It began to pour huge amounts of water from its branches all at once. The hot steam escaped outside through the storms created by the Tree of Wind. Theva began to harden slowly. At the same time, the power of the secondary control system also gradually decreased.

    Baaaaaam! Thest tree, the Tree of Earth, fell over the hardenedva. It made theva that had turned into stone even harder and blocked the heat. The secondary control system was greatly weakened, and the World Tree¡¯s power significantly increased. At the same time, the power flowing into Zich¡¯s body grew stronger. With this amount of power, there was no need for Zich to wait any longer. He swung Windur toward the secondary control system, which was still desperately trying to hold down the World Tree.

    Crassssh! A huge shockwave spread outside the ind.

 Chapter 596

    Chapter 596

    The distant and deserted ind with an active volcano was usually remote from people¡¯s thoughts. Yet, this ind was now letting its presence known to all. It poured out smoke andva from its crater on a whole different level from before. The earth trembled while the wind blew, and ordingly, the ocean around the ind wildly rocked back and forth.

    Baaam!

    An entire side of the ind blew off, and parts of the ind flew far into the ocean and created a giant ssh. Bright redva poured out at the area where the ind broke. When it made contact with the cold ocean water, it generated huge steam and covered the ind¡¯s surroundings.

    Soon, an enormous amount of mana shot up and scattered the fog instantly. Then, a figure came into view. Each of the green leaves hanging from its branches oozed out great vitality and mighty mana flowed across its brown body, showcasing its magnificence. As its thick roots gripped the earth, it appeared as if it could endure any storm no matter how strong it was. In the cross-section where the ind had split apart, Zich and hispanions looked up at the tree.

    The mana it exuded evoked awe and fear in its viewers. Even if it imed to be a god or a godlike being, no one would be able to refute it.

    ¡°¡­That must be the real World Tree,¡± Zich murmured. After the second inhibition system that had been binding itpletely disappeared, the World Treebined with its clones to form a single entity. In more exact terms, its clones had been pulled into it, making up this one giant tree that was floating in front of their eyes.

    ¡°To think they¡¯ve been detaining something like this. It makes me realize the might of the Clowon Empire.¡±

    ¡°From what I know, it didn¡¯t fiercely resist when getting bound. Although it has its own will, it¡¯s not very strong. Of course, the empire¡¯s strength was formidable too.¡±

    Zich and L exchanged opinions, but unlike them, the otherpanions¡ªsuch as Hans¡ªdidn''t even dare open their mouths. They were overwhelmed by the World Tree¡¯s presence and simply looked at the great existence nkly.

    Zing! The World Tree exerted its mana slightly. It was a great amount, but no one felt threatened because it was the warm and calm sort of mana.

    ¡°Is it thanking us?¡±

    ¡°Probably.¡±

    The World Tree pushed out its mana again. It was much rougher and more destructive than the mana from before.

    Crunch!

    They weren¡¯t sure, but Zich and hispany thought they heard a loud cracking sound, and when they looked up, they saw that the sky was cracking. The greater the mana from the World Tree, therger the cracks grew. Soon, a hole big enough for the World Tree to easily fit through formed in the sky, and a multitude of colorful lights wavered beyond it. The World Tree floated up and slowly went entered the hole.

    ¡°It¡¯s leaving.¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    Zich and hispany watched until the World Tree entirely disappeared into the hole. Then, the hole gradually got smaller until itpletely disappeared. All that was left was the blue sky, but even that was covered by the steam that formed from the sh between theva and the ocean water. Everything they had aimed to do here waspleted now¡ªat least for the matters of destroying the Brushel System and freeing the World Tree¡ªand they still needed to sweep away the rest of Ultel¡¯s army. Zich was about to order the rest of hispanions to return when he stopped.

    ¡°Huh?¡± Zich stopped moving when he felt a familiar sensation on his back. He stretched out his hand and pulled out the thing hanging there. It was Windur.

    ¡°¡­Why didn¡¯t it take this?¡± Windur was a sword made from a branch of the World Tree and was a part of it too. Zich thought it would return as part of the World Tree once the tree departed. L looked at the sword with wide eyes.

    ¡°Did it just forget about it?¡±

    ¡°Something like this¡­? Zich was about to refute what L said, but then he pursed his lips. Windur was certainly a rare sword with immeasurable value to a human, but leaving just one of its branches could not mean much for the World Tree.

    ¡°¡­Did it really just forget and leave it here?¡±

    Ziing! Zich had finally decided on the matter when Windur cried out in denial. Simultaneously, the World Tree¡¯s mana bloomed out of its des and disappeared.

    ¡°¡­The mana that the World Tree is sending through Windur hasn''t been cut off yet.¡±

    ¡°Then, did it really purposefully leave it here? Maybe to pay me back?¡±

    Ziiing! Windur rang again. Its ringing was longer thanst time as if it was agreeing with L. Zich nced down at Windur and hung it on his back again.

    ¡°Well, this is good for me. There¡¯s no need for me to think so hard about it.¡± There was no sword better than Windur, and furthermore, the World Tree¡¯s mana hadn¡¯t been cut off from it yet. There was not a single bad consequence about Windur remaining with him.

    ¡°Let¡¯s return now. We have to stomp those remaining Bellid insects.¡±

    If the allied forces were still at war, they needed to eradicate the rest of Ultel¡¯s subordinates.

    ***

    When Zich returned to the allied forces¡¯ territory, the two forces were still shing without a resolution in sight. However, the battle was on hold, and since the Bellids¡¯ main forces had disappeared, the Bellids were reluctant to attack first. Of course, the situation waspletely different now. The Bellids¡¯ main forces had beenpletely eradicated, while Zich¡¯spany returned without a single loss. No, considering that they had Windur, the World Tree¡¯s mana, L, and Tornium, their forces had actually increasedpared to before; in particr, the World Tree¡¯s mana transferred to Zich through Windur was overwhelming.

    Baaaam!

    ¡°Kuaaah!¡±

    ¡°Aghhhh!¡±

    With just one swing, Zich left a huge scar in the ground. All of his enemies¡ªwhether they were humans, monsters, or the undead¡ªwere destroyed.

    ¡°Block it!¡±

    ¡°The high-ranking monsters. Send out the high-level monsters!¡± Enormous monsters blocked Zich¡¯s path. He didn¡¯t know if it was because high-level monsters couldn¡¯t fit inside the tower or because they had been ced here to support the Bellid armies that lost their main force, but all of the high-levelrge monsters still remained on the battlefield. They were not opponents that even the most talented people could easily deal with. However, Zich had already freed all his mana and he even had mana supply from the World Tree. The high-level monsters were nothing but slightly bigger bugs to crush.

    Bam! Bam! The monsters'' hard skin, tough muscles, and strong bones could not stop Zich¡¯s sword for even a moment. As soon as they entered Zich''s path, all of the monsters were shattered into pieces. The Bellid army became paralyzed.

    Zich wasn¡¯t even moving fast; he was walking at the pace of an ordinary person briskly marching. However, all those who rushed to stop him were obliterated without even being able to properly resist. Nothing could slow down his steps at all, let alone block him.

    A person who seemed to be themander shouted, ¡°Stop him! We must stop him until the main force returns no matter what!¡±

    They were waiting for people who would never be able toe back. The Bellids seemed to be unable to understand why Zich and hispanions came back but their main forces weren''t able to return.

    ¡®Well, there was no need for Ultel to tell them.¡¯ From Ultel¡¯s point of view, if he caught Zich and found out the way to fix the Brushel System, he could immediately regress, so there was no point telling the Bellids on the battlefield about their situation. To be honest, as long as Ultel could catch Zich, he probably wouldn¡¯t have even blinked if all of his subordinates were wiped out on the battlefield. It was a pitiful situation for them, but Zich just continued to swing Windur.

    ¡®I probably wouldn''t feel sorry for anyone else either, and they¡¯re the Bellids of all people.¡¯ Why would anyone feel sorry for bugs? Rather than wasting sympathy for the Bellids, it was much better to give a penny to a beggar one met on the street. The allies continued to push the Bellids back, and the Bellids continued to fall.

    In every way, it was clear that the Bellids had no chance of victory. No matter how powerful their faith was, not all of the Bellids could hold onto their fanaticism in the face of death. Some of them were slowly showing signs of defying orders and trying to back out. If even one person sessfully ran away, a hopeless atmosphere would spread through the Bellid army in an instant, and their enemies would copse. The Bellidmander fell into despair. He was angry that he failed to fulfill the orders given by their heavenly and glorious pope. However, it was still too early for them to give up hope.

    ¡°I-it¡¯s an ally!¡± A subordinate next to him looked back and shouted, and themander also quickly turned his head. A group of people was running from beyond the horizon. They were all dressed in robes, and themander¡¯s expression brightened.

    ¡°The Pope has sent reinforcements! Hang in there a little longer!¡± themander¡¯s voice roared. His face, which had almost been drained of color, was slowly bing energized again. The other Bellids also saw the robed people running toward them from the distance. They thought that the robed figures were Demon People, and there were a huge number of them. With such numbers, it seemed as if they could even suppress Zich, who was ughtering the Bellids from the forefront. Hadn¡¯t the Demon People sessfully stopped Zich in the previous battle?

    Some Bellids had tried to escape as their morale hit rock bottom, but they were all fundamentally fanatics¡ªas soon as they thought that strong allies were going to support them, their fighting spirit burned up again.

    ¡°The great Bellu is protecting us! Even if we die here, we will find eternal glory in Bellu¡¯s arms! Give your life to our god, Bellu!¡±

    [Ooooowaaaa!]

    With a loud cry, the Bellids ran towards the allied forces again, and as expected, they were killed as soon as they went near Zich. However, they didn¡¯t give up. When those robed figures arrived, they could bnce out the fighting power once again.

    The robed figures arrived behind the Bellids in an instant. The Bellids were about to move out of their way when¡ª

    ¡°Aghhhh!¡±

    ¡°W-what! Why are you¡­aghhhhhhh!¡± The robed figures began cutting down the Bellids. The Bellids were unable to retaliate properly and quickly died.

    ¡°T-they¡¯re enemies!¡±

    ¡°Those guys aren¡¯t our allies!¡±

    Only then did some Bellids notice the shing armor hidden beneath the robes. The others also realized that the robed figures they had thought were their allies were actually enemies. Naturally, the Bellids¡¯ morale waspletely shattered. The Bellids fell into a panic, spewed out blood one by one, and copsed. Some Bellids tried to escape, but it was impossible.

    There were allied forces in the front and fake robes in the back. They werepletely surrounded. It was clear why the allied forces had disguised a fraction of their troops and sent them behind the Bellids despite already being at an advantage¡ªit was to not even let a single person escape.

    ¡°N-no way...¡± The Bellidmander felt devastated as he saw his allies dying everywhere. However, these feelings did notst long.

    ¡°Are you the leader?¡±

 Chapter 597

    <h4>Chapter 597</h4>

    Zich had approached the Bellidmander without anyone noticing. Some brave souls rushed to save their leader, but their heads rolled off with a few sloppy swings of Windur.

    ¡°You sure look stupid. How did Ultel leave a guy like you in charge? Ah, I suppose he thought you were just a throwaway anyways,¡± Zich said.

    Themander bit his lips and withdrew his weapon. Then, he yelled with firm determination, ¡°Our faith will not disappear even if you destroy all of us here! Our pope will surely avenge us!¡±

    Zichughed in response. ¡°Pwhahahaha! You idiot. Your pope is already dead. He got betrayed by a guy he was using and died. I can¡¯t believe you still trust such an ipetent man.¡±

    ¡°Lies!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not lying. The announcement should being soon¡­¡± As soon as Zich finished speaking, a loud voice rang across the battlefield.

    ¡°You evil Bellids, hear me out!¡± One knight got on top of his horse and raised his voice. ¡°Your monstrous leader, the Pope, has died!¡±

    Although they were surprised, none of the Bellid followers took the knight¡¯s words to heart. They believed that their pope would never be killed thanks to Bellu¡¯s blessings. Yet, what the knight raised up high shattered their beliefs.

    ¡°And this is evidence!¡± The knight held up Ultel¡¯s staff which Lube and herpanions found buried underneath the tower¡¯s rubble. The lower-level followers didn¡¯t know what the staff meant, but any priest or knight in a higher position could identify the item. This included themander.

    ¡°I-I can¡¯t believe it!¡± Themander was stunned and thought, ¡®Is it perhaps, a fake?¡¯

    Yet, when themander focused his senses, he felt Bellu¡¯s energy seeping out of the staff ominously. It was unmistakably the real deal.

    ¡®Then, does that mean, he really¡­!¡¯

    ¡°You saw it too, right?¡± Zich snickered. ¡°The guy you adore so much was shredded into such tiny pieces that we don¡¯t even have his corpse. The reason why I didn¡¯t appear on this battlefield for a while was because I was taking care of him. Well, your pope also withdrew some of his forces to catch me too, but there was no way he could do anything to me with just those guys.¡±

    ¡°W-Why would you tell us that now¡­?¡±

    ¡°If I told you all the news at the beginning of this battle, you guys would¡¯ve lost all morale, and we would¡¯ve easily beat you. However, that would¡¯ve increased the chances of you guys escaping.¡± Zich¡¯s eyes filled with bloodlust. ¡°This isn¡¯t just a battle between nations. It¡¯s a holy war, and we can¡¯t let any of you who believe in a being like Bellu leave this ce alive.¡±

    This was why the allied forces had hidden the fact about Ultel¡¯s death until they seeded in surrounding the Bellids.

    Of course, with Zich¡¯s current skills, he probably could catch all the Bellids without missing one. Yet, themanders of the allied forces, especially the Karuwimans, wanted a fool-proof method, and Zich had no reason to insist on wiping out everyone by himself. Thus, now that the Bellid forces werepletely surrounded, it appeared that the chance of a single Bellid follower surviving was very slim. Seeing themander in despair, Zich smirked.

    ¡°You must¡¯ve felt hope burst inside you when you saw the fake robed guys. So... how was your sweet moment of hope?¡±

    ¡°Y-You bastaaaaaard!¡±

    Hispanions¡¯ deaths, the fact that they were surrounded, and above all, the mental shock of hearing about the death of his master, Ultel, made themander lose any sort of rational judgment in front of Zich¡¯s ridicule. He rushed toward Zich with pure blind rage. The current situation and the difference in skill levels between him and Zich were temporarily wiped from his mind, and themander let his body be consumed by the burning instinct to kill Zich. Yet, as expected, themander couldn¡¯t make up the gap between their power levels by his emotions alone.

    <em>Crack!</em>

    ¡°Kuh!¡±

    Windur¡¯s de pierced through themander¡¯s chest. Naturally, themander¡¯s attack didn¡¯t even reach Zich.

    ¡°You¡­Youuuu¡­!¡± Themander looked at Zich with vehement hatred even as he died. The way blood poured out of his lips and chest as he spoke would¡¯ve haunted people in their dreams, and a normal person would¡¯ve spent restless nights for a couple of months after seeing an image like that. Yet, Zich remained unconcerned. He had simply yed around with this man because he appeared to be a Bellidmander, but in the end, he was someone whose name Zich wouldn¡¯t even remember the next day.

    <em>Baaam!</em>

    Zich started crushing the Bellid army again. Themander red at Zich until his dying breath, but Zich didn¡¯t spare him another nce. Like that, Zich continued to decimate the Bellid forces, while the other members of the allied forces also fought with the intent of not letting a single Bellid leave the battlefield alive.

    On that day, the Bellids were, in the most literal sense of the word, annihted.

    ***

    The news of the allied forces¡¯ victory spread across neighboring nations. People celebrated the news and praised the allied forces. If another country invaded theirnds, their livelihood could be destroyed, or they could be killed. Byparison, if they were taken over by a force like the Bellids, they knew they would receive a far worse fate, as proven by the Brodstock Empire and other countries that had fallen under the Bellids. Thus, every single soul was happy to hear that the allied forces had won. With this, the reputation of the dragon yer who had contributed the most to this victory soared throughout the world.

    A giant festival was ongoing at the Karuwiman base, the Great Temple at Yuras.

    As expected of an organization revered by people from all walks of life, the Karuwimans usually turned away from luxury and overindulgence. However, there wasn¡¯t a rule that stated that they always had to be humble. Moreover, the reason for this festival was none other than the destruction of their biggest enemy: the Bellids. Of course, even the Karuwimans didn¡¯t believe that all the Bellids were eradicated, since the Bellids usually survived like cockroaches. However, it was clear that their power had been greatly weakened, since their pope, the main base, and arge number of their followers had been eliminated. A feat like this called for an borate festival that wouldst for several days.

    At the festival, the Karuwimans and ordinary people finally celebrated the downfall of the Bellids. However, no matter how joyous and celebratory the fall of the Bellids was, a festival could notst forever, and it was slowly reaching its end.

    Zich stayed in Yuras and participated in the Karuwiman festival at the earnest request of Lube and Weig, and he began to slowly pack his belongings. It was a simple task of putting the objects he had taken out back into his magic box.

    ¡°Come in.¡±

    A moment after Zich gave his permission, the door opened.

    ¡°Your sensing ability is still very impressive.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry to say L, but it¡¯s not a very impressive achievement to sense your presence outside the door.¡±

    ¡°Really?¡± L closed the door and approached Zich. Then, she stood in front of him, wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him. After a short kiss, L moved away from him.

    ¡°You won¡¯t even properly hold hands with me outside, but now that we¡¯re alone, you¡¯re acting really assertive.¡±

    ¡°H-how can I act like this where there are people watching outside?!¡± L protested with a red face.

    Was L¡¯s shyness for public disys of affection just part of her natural personality, or had shepletely lost her tolerance as a side effect of losing her memory?

    ¡®Ah, wait, she recovered all her memories.¡¯ Then, it seemed more likely that L¡¯s personality was inherently weak in this subject. ¡®Come to think of it, it¡¯s hard to tell that she regained her memory.¡¯

    A person¡¯s personality was based on a person¡¯s nature and their past, and a person¡¯s past was created from their memories. Thus, since L had regained all of Serpina¡¯s memories, she should have been influenced by those memories as well. However, the L right now was the same L that Zich always knew.

    ¡°Why are you looking at me like that?¡± L asked.

    ¡°I was just thinking that you haven¡¯t really changed even after regaining all your past memories.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s a given. Serpina¡¯s memories consist only of when she was raised to support the empire. She doesn¡¯t have any meaningful memories, and the pieces of information from Windur, Estede, and Tornium are all information about others. Most of all...¡± L nced up at Zich and continued as if she was slightly embarrassed, ¡°There¡¯s no way my memories with you would lose to those trivial memories.¡±

    ¡°I see. It was a stupid thought.¡± Zich smirked and held L in his arms. L enjoyed the feel of his touch and realized that the luggage in his room had been considerably reduced.

    ¡°Are you nning to leave?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s about time to leave. It¡¯s not like I can stay here forever.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s true. Then we¡¯ll have to say goodbye to the others as well.¡± L spoke as if she was going to obviously follow Zich, and Zich didn¡¯t correct her either. They had traveled together since the beginning, and after bing lovers, they had even fewer reasons to separate.

    ¡°I was nning to do that after packing all my luggage.¡±

    ¡°Then let¡¯s go together. I want to say my goodbyes too. Wait a little bit. I¡¯ll be back after packing too.¡±

    ¡°Got it.¡±

    L left the room, and Zich put all the remaining luggage inside the magic box. The room returned to what it looked like when it had been first assigned to Zich. It did not take long for L toe back. Since she also put all her belongings into a magic box, it barely took any time for her to pack as well.

    ¡°Shall we go?¡± Zich asked.

    ¡°Yeah.¡±

    L stood next to Zich. Then she carefully grabbed his sleeve; this was the best she could do, considering her shyness. However, L¡¯s bright smile indicated that she felt satisfied with just this, and she would soon get used to showing stronger expressions of affection.

    Like this, Zich and L left the room to say their goodbyes.

    * * *

    They visited Lube first. Since Lube held a high position within the Karuwimans, who invited them to this festival, they thought it would be most appropriate to visit her first. Lube was faithfully returning from her prayer session even at a time like this, and she invited them to her room. Weig had also been praying with her, so he was also present.

    ¡°Are you two going to leave?¡± Lube asked. However, she didn¡¯t look surprised. She had also been expecting Zich and L to leave soon.

    ¡°Yes. We can¡¯t stay here forever.¡±

    ¡°You two can continue to stay here. Why don¡¯t you officially be a Karuwiman holy knight?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s a great idea, Saintess!¡±

    Lube and Weig¡¯s eyes sparkled with hope. Of course, they also knew very well that Zich was probably going to refuse. Lube had extended the offer partly as a joke as well, but it was clear that she did want him to join them.

    However, as expected, Zich shook his head. ¡°I apologize, but I don¡¯t intend to follow any particr god.¡±

    ¡°I see. That¡¯s too bad.¡±

    They looked disappointed but easily epted his answer.

    ¡°May I ask about your ns for the future?¡±

    ¡°Well, I¡¯vepleted all my most important goals, so I haven¡¯t given it much thought.¡± He had destroyed Glen Zenard, Ultel, and the Brushel System, and freed the World Tree. ¡°I¡¯m nning to wander around the world leisurely for a while¨Cof course, while doing kind acts like now.¡±

    ¡°Ah, kind acts.¡± Lube and Weig¡¯s expressions became slightly strained.

    Favorite

 Chapter 598

    <h4>Chapter 598</h4>

    ¡°That reminds me, I discovered my own way of doing kind acts by meeting you, Ms. Lube.¡±

    ¡°¡­It¡¯s as you say.¡± Lube respected Zich¡¯s thoughts, and she admitted that his very, very slightly twisted sense of justice had helped them countless times before. From her life to the salvation of this world, Lube knew that she was greatly indebted to Zich and felt grateful to him for it.

    ¡®But the fact that I inspired his way of living¡­¡¯ Lube had a strong urge to deny such ims.

    ¡°I should thank you again. Without you, Lady Lube, I wouldn¡¯t have been able to realize my way of living kindly and I would meaninglessly do anything I thought was a kind act without knowing the joy of it.¡±

    ¡®Perhaps, that would¡¯ve been better,¡¯ Lube thought and tried her best to force a smile on her face. ¡°T-That¡¯s great. I¡¯m d to hear that I was of help to you, Sir Zich.¡±

    ¡°Hahaha! I knew I could count on the Karuwiman Saintess!¡± Zichughed heartily while Lube smiled awkwardly. It was then they heard someone knock on the door.

    ¡°Come in.¡±

    The door opened, and a priestess entered. She was carrying a tray with refreshments on one hand, which was the snacks Lube had requested before she came into the room. Yet, the people in the room paid more attention to the person holding those snacks rather than the snacks themselves.

    ¡°Hello, Saintess. I brought the refreshments you requested.¡±

    ¡°¡­Thank you, but I don¡¯t recall requesting anything from you, Windne.¡±

    Chelsea smiled brightly even at Lube¡¯s prickly words.

    ¡°I thought everyone looked busy, so I brought them myself. Bringing refreshments isn¡¯t even a hard task, so I didn¡¯t want to bother busy people with more things to do.¡±

    ¡°You must be quite free, Windne.¡±

    ¡°<em>I wish.</em>I¡¯m just a little quick on my feet, so I already attended to most of the matters I needed to. Thus, I¡¯m helping out in my spare time.¡±

    ¡°I heard that you recovered a lot of the prestige and name you lost through your involvement in this war. It seems too much to ask someone in your position to do such menial tasks.¡±

    ¡°How could bringing refreshments for the Saintess, said to be the face of the Karuwimans and Sir Weig¡ªthe embodiment of the Karuwiman military¨Cbe called ¡®menial tasks¡¯?¡± Chelsea smoothly passed over Lube¡¯s rebuking remark and bowed her head slightly toward Zich.

    ¡°It¡¯s been a while, Sir Zich.¡±

    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s been a while.¡±

    ¡°Greetings to you too, Lady L.¡±

    ¡°Hello.¡±

    ¡°Haha. I¡¯m d to see that both of you seem to be doing well. You both contributed tremendously to this war. It¡¯s so impressive,¡± Chelsea praised the two, and Lube coughed slightly.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry Windne, but I was already talking to Sir Zich and Lady L. Could you leave the refreshments and go? I don¡¯t think you have that much free time to waste either.¡±

    ¡°Yes, Saintess.¡± Chelsea carefully ced the refreshments she brought in front of them and bowed.

    ¡°See you again next time, Sir Zich and Lady L.¡± After she said her goodbyes to them, she left the room.

    Lube sighed, and Weig lifted the tea cup that Chelsea had brought with a bitter smile.

    ¡°She¡¯s so brassy and brazen, you¡¯d think her face is made of mithril and orichalcum. Anyone would¡¯ve thought she was very close to the Saintess just now.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not the case at all, though.¡± Lube raised her teacup with another sigh. Then, she halted and stared intently at her tea. ¡°Do you think she might have spat in the tea or something?¡±

    In the end, she shook her head. ¡°No, seeing how she is acting now, I doubt it.¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s carefully avoiding anything that could call for me,¡± Weig agreed. Thus, Lube brought the teacup to her mouth.

    ¡°It¡¯s more annoying that the tea tastes good,¡± Lube grumbled.

    ¡°From what I hear, it sounds like Windne¡¯s status rose again.¡±

    ¡°As you already know, Sir Zich, she participated in the war against the Bellids, and she contributed significantly to the war efforts.¡±

    ¡°Well, she used to be a saintess candidate at one point.¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s no doubt about her in terms of skills. Of course, I still can¡¯t understand how that girl used to be a saintess candidate along with Lady Lube, but that was a matter of personality rather than skill,¡± Weig said, but his tone clearly sounded like he didn¡¯t want to praise Chelsea¡¯s skills either.

    He added, ¡°She probably brought the refreshments to see the Saintess and Sir Zich.¡±

    ¡°Yes, it does seem like she has been hanging around me these days.¡±

    ¡°Since Sir Zich¡¯s fame is shooting through the roof and piercing the sky, she must be trying totch onto it somehow and maintain good rtions with him.¡±

    ¡°If you think about it, she really is incredible in that aspect. If she had be the Saintess instead of me, I wouldn¡¯t have been able to act like that ever.¡±

    ¡°She really is impressive.¡±

    Although the two didn¡¯t look kindly upon Chelsea, they acknowledged Chelsea¡¯s brazenness and unrelenting persistence.

    Zich replied, ¡°People like that usually seed. That¡¯s also a form of skill. No matter how great her skills and worldly wisdom are, she wouldn¡¯t be able to take a step back into the Karuwiman world if the Saintess really desired it. Or if you don¡¯t wish to go as far as chasing her away, you could tie her up with loads of busy work. She¡¯s probably trying to get on my good side because of her fear of this. Of course, I¡¯ve no intention of taking her side even if something like that happens.¡±

    Lube nodded. ¡°I don¡¯t n on doing anything as long as she stays quiet.¡±

    ¡°What do you n to do if she stirs up trouble again?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll crush her,¡± Lube replied firmly, and Weig nodded in satisfaction. ¡°These days, she seems to know her ce, so I think there¡¯s a low possibility of that happening.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, it does look like that.¡±

    Looking at Chelsea¡¯s behavior, she seemed to have changed her goal in being the Saintess and was now aiming to obtain a high position for herself among the Karuwimans. If she didn¡¯t get greedy and reach beyond her means again, she could probably manage to enjoy an affluent life.

    The four of them continued to chat for a while.

    ¡°We should get going now,¡± Zich said.

    ¡°Are you leaving already?¡± Lube asked.

    ¡°I have to say my goodbye to the others as well.¡±

    Zich and L got up. Lube and Weig saw them off at the door.

    ¡°It was really fortunate that I met you, Sir Zich. I received a lot of help from you in many ways. If you need any help, please feel free to rely on us or reach out to us. We Karuwimans will never turn a blind eye to the request of our respectful and good friends. If the church is in a difficult position to extend its support, I¡¯ll personally offer my help as well,¡± Lube said.

    ¡°I¡¯ll also lend my hand too. Please feel free to call me when you need me,¡± Weig added.

    ¡°An offer of help from the Saintess and the best Karuwiman holy knight¡ªI¡¯m beyond honored, and I¡¯ll definitely keep that in mind.¡± Zich strongly shook hands with Lube and Weig.

    ¡°Lady L, there¡¯s no need for us to tell you separately, right? Since you will be sticking close to Sir Zich from now on, if you need any help as well, you can also request our help with Sir Zich.¡±

    ¡°Of course!¡± L tightly clutched Zich¡¯s sleeve, and Weig chuckled at the sight.

    ¡°You two are a perfect match.¡±

    Weigughed louder as L¡¯s face reddened, and Lube also looked at L and Zich with a happy smile. Of course, Lube and Weig were celebrating Zich and L¡¯s rtionship, but they also had different thoughts inside their minds.

    ¡®Since Lady L still has hermon sense, she¡¯ll probably stop Sir Zich from going too far, right?¡¯

    ¡®If Sir Zich has a family, his personality might ease up a little bit.¡¯

    The two cheered for L passionately inside their hearts. After saying goodbye to Lube, Zich and L went out to meet other people; the next person they went to visit was Til. He quietly weed their visit, and when they looked around, they saw that barely any of his belongings were sprawled in his room. He had packed his belongings and was about to leave like Zich.

    ¡°We¡¯re about to leave,¡± Zich said.

    ¡°I see.¡±

    Then the conversation ended, and silence fell between them. Til was very quiet and sinct, so he could not lead a conversation well. He waited quietly for Zich¡¯s next words.

    ¡°Have you decided on your future path?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve decided to join Count Steelwall¡¯s Estate.¡± Til seemed determined.

    ¡°You¡¯ve made a good decision. As I saidst time, they¡¯ll never treat you poorly. In the chance that you feel like you¡¯re being discriminated against, please feel free to tell me.¡± Then, Zich would thoroughly raze Steelwall from the ground.

    ¡°Yes, I will.¡±

    ¡°But you must have pondered about it for a while and also gotten a lot of offers.¡± Unlike most of Zich¡¯srades, Til wasn¡¯t part of a clear faction, so he had received a tremendous number of invitations for himself and his mercenary group.

    ¡°My men have already established themselves as soldiers of the Steelwall Estate, and Walter and Ellie have both gotten used to being at the Steelwall mansion.¡±

    ¡°If you go somewhere else, you and your subordinates might have gotten hired on better conditions though.¡±

    ¡°If I care about conditions the most, I would have continued my mercenary activities, since at least the pay would be better.¡± With Til¡¯s reputation spreading around the world, his mercenary group could have made a real fortune.

    Til continued, ¡°However, my subordinates and I want a stable status and afortable life now. Since Steelwall¡¯s terms aren¡¯t bad either, and we¡¯ve already settled down there to some extent, I have no desire to leave now.¡±

    ¡°Then, that¡¯s good enough. No matter what others say, you should do what you want. It¡¯s entirely up to an individual to decide which priorities and values they want to focus on.¡±

    With Til¡¯s current skills, it wouldn¡¯t be strange for him to immediately be a high-ranking noble in any country right now. After all, he used to be one of the three Demon Lords with Zich and Walwiss. Although Count Steelwall was a man with a high status, it was certainly a loss for Til to be just a subordinate of a noble family. However, if that is what Til wanted to do, offers with better conditions made no difference at all since doing what he wanted was the answer.

    ¡°How are Walter and Ellie doing?¡±

    ¡°They are doing well. It seems like the Steelwalls are taking good care of them, and they are receiving a thorough education.¡± No matter how taciturn Til was, he was still a father; when Zich started talking about Walter and Ellie, Til lit up. Zich appropriately responded and continued their conversation.

    Favorite

 Chapter 599

    Chapter 599

    After finishing their conversation with Til, Zich and L walked away to look for the others when a voice called out to them.

    ¡°Huh? Zich and L?¡± From the other side of the hallway, Leona waved her hands eagerly at the two and approached them.

    ¡°Did you go outside again?¡±

    ¡°Yup! If I return to the forest, I won¡¯t be able to enjoy the humans¡¯ festival. Furthermore, I heard that this festival is an especially big one because of the Bellids¡¯ defeat. I have to enjoy it until the end.¡± Leona then took out a couple of items from her magic box and showed them off. They were all souvenirs sold at the festival, and it seemed like she was rigorously trying to collect all of them.

    ¡°You sure bought a lot.¡±

    ¡°I got a lot of money as payment. All this human money is going to be useless if I return to the forest anyway. It¡¯s much better for me to buy these interesting items when I have the chance.¡± Leona looked back and forth between Zich and L.

    ¡°Are you two also going out to y? Then, can I¡­!¡± Then, Leona seemed to be struck by a sudden realization and said, ¡°Ah, won¡¯t I be intruding then?¡±

    L stopped Leona from backing away. ¡°No, it¡¯s fine. We aren¡¯t going around to y right now. We are making our preparations to leave.¡±

    ¡°Huh, already? Why don¡¯t you go after ying a bit more?¡± Leona wanted to enjoy the humans¡¯ festival for longer, especially with her friends.

    ¡°We¡¯ve rested more than enough. It¡¯s about time for us to move now.¡±

    ¡°Did you be bored because you couldn¡¯t torment viins?¡±

    Zich smiled at Leona¡¯sment, but inparison, L¡¯s shoulders slouched a bit lower.

    ¡°Kuh! It¡¯s as you say! I became a bit bored.¡±

    ¡°Well, it doesn¡¯t matter to me, everyone you torment is trash anyway. I¡¯m telling you just in case, but you can¡¯t do the same thing to ordinary people.¡±

    ¡°I won¡¯t. I will only torture bad people.¡±

    ¡°Then, that¡¯s fine. Promise me one thing. Promise that you¡¯lle to the Droud Forestter.¡±

    ¡°Yes. I was nning to go there again anyway.¡± Zich was nning to find out what kind of changes happened after the World Tree¡¯s clones disappeared from his travels across all the ruins in the world.

    ¡°That¡¯s all I need,¡± Leona said, and the three continued to converse for a bit longer.

    ¡°Are you going to greet the others, too? Walwiss, Snoc, and Elena are all in the garden outside. I saw them on my way here, Walwiss was bullying Snoc again. That guy is unbelievable. I know he thinks quite well of Snoc in his heart.¡±

    ¡°I suppose that is a grandfather¡¯splicated heart,¡± Zich said. For Walwiss, Elena was his only remaining family member. It was only natural that he was strict with a guy likely to be his granddaughter¡¯s lover.

    ¡°The fact that Walwiss¡¯ teasing ends there shows that he is fond of Snoc actually. If you think about it, the Dwayne family is very prestigious, and it is only expected that Walwiss wouldn¡¯t go easy on a potential addition to their family. Yet, Snoc doesn¡¯te from an established background, nor does he have a family to speak of.¡±

    Even if Walwiss felt guilty toward Elena for his past actions, he couldn¡¯t easily ept a lover with just any skills or status. Snoc was someone who basically came from nothing; he was a parentless mineborer¡ªprerequisites that would¡¯ve normally prevented him from being acknowledged as the lover of a high-ssdy forever. Thus, if Walwiss hadn¡¯t truly acknowledged Snoc, he would¡¯ve gone beyond just teasing and thoroughly blocked Snoc from ever meeting his granddaughter again.

    ¡°Yet, it¡¯s fine either way since social ss isn¡¯t a barrier for Snoc any longer,¡± Zich added. Snoc was a contractor with the mythical beast of the earth and a world-renowned fighter thanks to Zich¡¯s tremendous training and the experience he had umted. Besides, one couldn¡¯t forget that he was also one of the dragon yers, an established hero from all his wins over the Bellids, and a disciple of Zich, who could be said to be the world¡¯s greatest hero. The fact that he had received the title of Karuwiman Honorary Knight after annihting the Bellids was just a plus now. And considering all these factors, those people simply born into good backgrounds couldn¡¯t even hold a candle to Snoc.

    ¡°Above all, he is the guy Elena likes, so Walwiss won¡¯t be able to provoke him too harshly. Well, he doesn¡¯t mistreat Snoc all the time, so I think we can leave him be.¡±

    Walwiss didn¡¯t only torment Snoc. He also took care of Snoc in different ways and taught him useful skills from time to time. Although Walwiss¡¯ and Snoc¡¯s expertise was different, Walwiss was a mage with great knowledge. Although his main expertise was in fire magic, he was also adept at earth magic and had all the skills to help Snoc.

    ¡°Still, it doesn¡¯t change the fact that he¡¯s petty,¡± Leona said, and Zich didn¡¯t disagree. It was true that Walwiss¡¯ behavior looked a bit small-minded to an outsider.

    ¡°Furthermore, he¡¯s totally overstepping boundaries. Those two aren¡¯t even dating yet in the first ce.¡± Snoc and Elena simply thought of each other as friends and didn¡¯t even realize their emotions yet.

    Leona added, ¡°Though it¡¯s really a matter of time.¡±

    ¡°Honestly, I bet it¡¯s only those two who don¡¯t know,¡± L chuckled.

    ¡°Anyway, I hope you will stop that guy when you see him,¡± Leona said.

    ¡°As I said before, I think it¡¯s fine to let him be. I¡¯m sure he will stop when it¡¯s time to say goodbye,¡± Zich replied.

    After Zich and L separated from Leona, they walked to the ce that Leona pointed out to them.

    ¡°There they are.¡± Inside the Karuwiman garden which was meticulously cared for every day, Zich and L saw three people. The closer Zich and L approached, the more realized that the mana around the three was moving abnormally. L stretched out her hand and waved it like she was trying to touch the mana.

    ¡°Are they practicing mana control?¡±

    ¡°Probably. That will probably help Snoc a lot, especially since it¡¯s Walwiss¡¯ specialty.¡±

    The three people¡¯s mana moved precisely and urately. However, one person¡¯s mana soon began to shake and freed itself from control to scatter everywhere. It was then that the three opened their eyes.

    ¡°Tch, tch, tch! You can¡¯t even do that,¡± Walwiss said in a disapproving voice that pierced Snoc¡¯s heart. Snoc was the one who had lost control over his mana, and he slouched his head like a turtle going back inside its shell.

    ¡°What are you saying, Grandpa?! Snoc¡¯s specialization is in earth mana, so it¡¯s only natural that he has a hard time controlling normal mana!¡± Elena defended Snoc, but her words didn¡¯t appear to be too effective. Rather, Walwiss¡¯ mood seemed to worsen as Elena sided with Snoc.

    ¡°I am well aware that he specializes in earth mana. No matter how proficient he is with earth mana, it doesn¡¯t change the fact that it¡¯s fundamentally mana. If he can control pure mana as well as you, his proficiency with earth mana will jump several levels.¡±

    ¡°I know that, but Grandpa, the problem is that you¡¯re asking him to perform at a level that is way too high for him right now!¡±

    ¡°What do you mean too high?! You¡¯re easily able to do this much!¡±

    ¡°How can a mage like me and a magical beast contractor like Snoc be the same? Seriously, Grandpa! Why are you so mean to Snoc?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not being mean to him. I¡¯m just worried about him so¡­! Ah, what the hell is this sted mole biting?!¡±

    Kooo!

    ¡°Ah, no, Nowem!¡±

    Nowem had attacked Walwiss since he was being mean to Snoc, and Snoc tried to hurriedly stop Nowem. By contrast, Elena looked at this scene with slight satisfaction, and it seemed as if she had no intention to stop Nowem. The ce where Snoc was quietly training his mana became chaotic instantly.

    ¡°What a mess.¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡±

    Zich and L watched them from a short distance.

    * * *

    ¡°Teacher!¡± Elena, Snoc, and Walwiss noticed Zich and L when they approached the group after the chaos had somewhat died down. The first person to react was Elena. She ran to L in a hurry.

    ¡°You were practicing mana control,¡± L said to Elena.

    ¡°Yes!¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re even practicing during a festival. I¡¯m amazed, but remember that resting is also part of training. In times like this, you should also rx.¡±

    Elena¡¯s expression changed, and Zich immediately understood the reason for it. Zich said, ¡°Snoc must have been forced to train by Sir Dwayne, so you also participated to monitor the training.¡±

    ¡°¡­Yes.¡±

    Everyone¡¯s gaze moved towards Walwiss, and he let out an awkward cough. ¡°Snoc still has a lot of potential for development. Moreover, since it¡¯s really rare for someone to have made a contract with a magical beast, I might have gotten a little, a tad bit excited¡­¡±

    Koo!

    ¡°You still haven¡¯t let go yet! Why is a magical beast so narrow-minded?!¡±

    This was the former master of the magical tower and still the world¡¯s strongest mage. It did not take long for the disturbance to be over. The five of them satfortably on the grass, and Nowem climbed on Snoc¡¯s shoulder, which was his designated seat. Zich and L informed them that they were leaving soon.

    ¡°Y-you¡¯re leaving?¡± Snoc asked in surprise.

    Inparison, Zich¡¯s response was very calm. ¡°I¡¯m not even an official Karuwiman Holy Knight, so there¡¯s no reason for me to stay here in Yuras.¡±

    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s true.¡± However, Snoc looked clearly nervous, and it was the same for Elena as well.

    ¡°What¡¯s up? You¡¯re nervous that we¡¯re leaving? You¡¯ve both been doing well since you became independent.¡±

    Even after their status had risen from disciple torade, Zich had continued to stay next to them. Although there were times when they separated, like the mission on the indst time, it had only been for brief periods of time. However, it was different now. This was a real farewell, and they wouldn¡¯t be seeing each other for probably a long time.

    ¡°I-I¡­! I still have a lot to learn from you, Teacher!¡± Elena slightly raised her voice. ¡°Moreover, I only heard from Sir Zich that I was graduating! I still haven¡¯t heard from¡­!¡±

    ¡°Elena.¡± L interrupted Elena with a calm voice. ¡°You¡¯ve grown enough. I taught you everything I can teach you. From now on, it¡¯ll be more helpful for your growth if you figure out your path on your own.¡±

    She quietly held Elena¡¯s hand. ¡°You¡¯re an extremely talented person. I assure you, if an existence like a Demon Lord ever appeared in this world, you would surely be one of the few people who would knock them down.¡±

    Zich smirked as he listened to L.

    L continued, ¡°So there¡¯s no need for me to teach you anymore. And don¡¯t worry. It¡¯s not like we¡¯ll never see each other again. I¡¯ll visit you sometimes.¡± L softly said to Elena, who was starting to cry, ¡°Elena, congrattions on graduating.¡±

    * * *

    Elena cried for a while, and L and Snocforted her. Nowem also climbed on her shoulder and licked her cheek. Zich and Walwiss watched them from a short distance.

    ¡°Sir Dwayne, is it all right for you not to join them?¡± Zich asked.

    ¡°I¡¯m not stupid enough to interrupt a tearful goodbye between a student and a teacher. Only a half-witted guy like Snoc would stick so closely to them.¡±

    ¡°That seems like an unfair assessment when Elena seems to feel significantly more secure with Snoc.¡±

    Walwiss let out a groan; he made it very obvious that he was dissatisfied.

    Zichughed and said, ¡°Sir, it¡¯s not like you dislike Snoc. Rather, you like him very much, but you still act so mean-spirited with him. I guess the position of a grandfather is veryplicated.¡±

    ¡°What do you mean, mean-spirited?! What I¡¯m doing is just and proper¡­!¡± Walwiss was in a fit of denial, but he shut his mouth after seeing Zich¡¯s sly expression. ¡°¡­Hmph! You¡¯ll know how I feel when you have children.¡±

    ¡°Yes, I might.¡±

 Chapter 600

    Chapter 600

    ¡°Now that I think about it, I¡¯m curious what kind of child you and L will have.¡±

    ¡°If the kid resembles either of us, won¡¯t they be the best? I¡¯m sure they will be amazing.¡±

    ¡°Are you already going to be a doting father? Well, I suppose there are many people with terrible personalities who treasure their children.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t I have a good personality, though?¡±

    ¡°I see you are also good at telling unbelievable jokes.¡± Walwissughed out loud, but he carefully added, ¡°I also think a child belonging to you and L will be incredible. If I can give you my two cents as a once old fool, I hope you will care for your children even if they are a bitcking.¡±

    Walwiss¡¯ voice was filled with remorse as he said, ¡°I¡¯m sure you know what I mean by that.¡±

    ¡°You must be talking about your son.¡±

    ¡°Yes. My son fell on a path he shouldn¡¯t have because of his foolish father, and because of that, he caused harm to his daughter and wife in the end. I don¡¯t care if you think this is pathetic nonsenseing from someone who couldn¡¯t even raise his kid right, but when you have a child one day, I hope you will think of my words at least once.¡±

    ¡°I will engrave them onto my heart,¡± Zich said earnestly.

    ¡°Thank you for listening to this old person¡¯s mutterings sincerely.¡±

    A short silence fell between Zich and Walwiss. Soon afterward, Walwiss spoke again in a lighter voice.

    ¡°Well, that¡¯s maybe why I keep being mean to Snoc. After my son left like that, Elena became my only family member. I know these are all just excuses. I should behave a bit more carefully now.¡± Walwiss smirked. ¡°Like the elf said, I can¡¯t seem to mature no matter how much I age.¡±

    ¡°What are you going on about from just that? I never n to mature no matter how old I get.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sure Ms. L would be absolutely thrilled to hear that.¡±

    The two chuckled.

    ¡°Now that we are on the topic, I will use the chance to defend myself for tormenting Snoc. I¡¯m not sure if I¡¯m overstepping the line since those two aren¡¯t even officially dating yet, but I think it would be better for Snoc to be more skilled in mana control if he¡¯s really going to follow the same path as Elena.¡±

    ¡°I suppose that¡¯s because it will affect how the other mages will look at them?¡±

    ¡°Yes. If that guy marries Elena, he will have the title ¡®Dwayne¡¯ attached to his name.¡± In other words, Snoc would be a son-inw married into his wife¡¯s family. Zich agreed with Walwiss.

    ¡°Snoc Dwayne. It makes me slightly enraged just hearing that. Anyway, if Elena returns to the magical tower, I¡¯m sure that guy will also stay in Sunewick with her. I¡¯m assuming that since Snoc doesn¡¯t seem to be the kind of guy who makes ns here and there.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s as you say.¡±

    ¡°Honestly, he¡¯s an all-right fellow. There¡¯s nothing to criticize about him in terms of skills, and his character is good. It¡¯s also impressive that he doesn¡¯t have wild ambitions considering his skills. If he did, that would only trouble Elena.¡±

    ¡°His dream was to be a hero, but he already achieved that.¡±

    ¡°Besides, I don¡¯t think he will have difficulties even if he lives in Sunewick. He will be weed instead. With his fame and his status as the contractor of the mythical beast of the earth, it would attract many mage¡¯s curiosities.¡± Walwiss could attest to this as a mage, and Zich recalled how every mage they met showed great interest in Nowem¡ªto the point that Nowem hid in Snoc¡¯s arms in fear of being dragged away as a test subject.

    ¡°As much as curiosityes naturally to mages, they also have enormous pride. Some won¡¯t acknowledge Snoc, and as Elena rises to higher positions, more eyes will be watching Snoc. I¡¯m not saying this because I¡¯m her grandfather, Elena¡¯s skills as a mage really are outstanding. I¡¯m sure you agree with me too.¡±

    ¡°Of course I do.¡± Zich was well aware of this as she was one of thepanions apanying Glen Zenard in theirst battle before the regression.

    ¡°I¡¯m certain she will reach a high position in the magical tower. Personally, I think she is more than capable of being the master of the magical tower too.¡±

    ¡°At that time, you are saying that a non-mage like Snoc could be her weakness.¡±

    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t really call it a weakness. If you consider the glory and fame he amassed, there would be many perks to having him by her side. Like you said, however, I¡¯m sure some will argue otherwise.¡±

    ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you just ignore those people? I¡¯m sure such guys would hate everything Elena does. Besides his mana control, they would pick apart everything about Snoc.¡±

    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s true. Maybe I¡¯m getting too old. I want to erase as many things that those kinds of people fuss about as I can.¡± Walwiss sighed. ¡°There¡¯s no need for you to be so worried. I don¡¯t n on rebuilding himpletely to mold him into the shape desired by the Dwayne family. I¡¯m sure everything I teach him will only be useful to him in the future.¡±

    ¡°I agree.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s really just an old grandpa¡¯s worries that those two might get hurt in the future.¡±

    ¡°I understand, but there¡¯s no need for you to be so worried, especially about Snoc.¡±

    Walwiss looked at Zich with surprise, and Zich exined, ¡°I taught those guys. Snoc especially stayed the longest time with me after Hans, and I¡¯m sure he was greatly influenced by my behavior. Ah, you don¡¯t have to worry, though, I didn¡¯t teach him my hobbies. If you are worried that people like you appearter on, that guy won¡¯t be fazed. He will be able to rile up his opponents even more instead.¡±

    ¡°Kuh, I¡¯m d to hear that.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯s wrong of you to try to erase all their weaknesses. It will probably be fine if you keep teaching him the way you are doing right now.¡±

    ¡°Yes, I knew you would agree with me.¡± Walwiss¡¯ eyes shone. ¡°There are still many things for me to teach them. The Dwayne family is the elite of the elites. I also think I have to teach him manners.¡±

    ¡°As long as you don¡¯t take things too far.¡± Zich agreed, as Snoc¡¯s ex-master.

    Walwiss¡¯ eyes glistened as he looked toward Snoc, and ns soon formed inside his head.

    It was then that Snoc¡¯s future turned slightly darker.

    ***

    After conversing with Snoc, Elena, and Walwiss for a long time, Zich and L left. They still had one more person to say their goodbyes to. Zich was about to go visit Hans¡¯ room when a passing priest told him that Hans and Lara were at the training grounds, and they changed directions. Perhaps it was because they were in the middle of the festival or because the Karuwimans left in consideration of the two heroes, but Hans and Lara were the only ones in the practice hall.

    Bam! Bam! Bam! Powerful sounds reverberated across the room. Estede¡¯s light mana and Tornium¡¯s dark mana collided against each other.

    Baaam! A huge roar ripped through the air, and the two people swinging their swords separated from each other. Hans was holding Estede, and Lara was holding Tornium. They were fiercely battling each other with swords and mana as if they were fighting an enemy, but there was not a drop of sweat on their faces. Even though such an enormous amount of mana was exchanged between them, there wasn¡¯t a single scratch in the practice hall.

    As far as they were concerned, they had merely done a light practice session and suppressed their strength so as not to cause any damage to their surroundings. Of course, even this scene would have utterly terrified an ordinary person.

    Zich looked at the two and muttered, ¡°I think this every time, but they¡¯re really diligent.¡±

    Lara and Hans scrambled to pick up their swords and approached Zich and L.

    Hans first greeted them. ¡°Hello, Sir Zich and Lady L.¡±

    ¡°Hello,¡± Lara greeted them too.

    ¡°Yeah, hi. Are you guys seriously fighting in the middle of a festival?¡±

    The two were embarrassed by Zich¡¯s half-hearted criticism.

    ¡°Sir, my body felt a bit stiff after just ying around for a few days,¡± Hans said.

    ¡°I wanted to adapt to using Tornium as soon as possible,¡± Lara added.

    Listening to their feeble excuses, L poked Zich in the ribs. ¡°Why are you scolding people who are working hard?¡±

    ¡°What do you mean, scolding? I just asked a question.¡± Then Zich walked to the center of the practice hall, and all three of their gazes moved toward him.

    Zich pulled out Windur from his back and beckoned Hans and Lara. ¡°Both of you graduated, but I can¡¯t stay still after seeing my disciples work so hard. Bring it on. I¡¯ll fight you a little.¡±

    Hans and Lara looked at each other once and nodded eagerly toward Zich.

    ¡°Yes, sir!¡±

    ¡°All right!¡±

    The two hurried out to the center of the practice hall and faced Zich. They each took out their respective weapons and pointed them at Zich. L distanced herself a little from them, and after taking out her staff from the magic box, she muttered a spell.

    Ziing! Instantly, a thin but solidyer of mana spread out on the floor of the practice hall.

    ¡°This will prevent damage to the practice hall to some degree,¡± L shouted. No matter how good their rtionship was with the Karuwimans, there was no reason to destroy their training ground unnecessarily.

    ¡°Thanks!¡± Zich expressed his gratitude and then looked at Hans and Lara. ¡°Come at me when you¡¯re ready.¡±

    As soon as Zich¡¯s voice faded, Hans and Lara rushed at him.

    It was a magical and beautiful sight. Two types of mana that seemedpletely ipatible, Estede¡¯s light and Tornium¡¯s darkness, fiercely moved toward Zich. Rather than interfering with each other, they covered each other¡¯s weaknesses and strengthened their strengths further¡ªit was a dream-like synergy. Hans¡¯ skills were slightly above Lara¡¯s, so he showed a tendency to match his mana to hers. Even then, his attack was razor-sharp.

    The number of people in the world capable of defending against this attack even once could be counted on one hand. However, as expected, Zich easily countered their attack.

    Bam!

    ¡°Ugh!¡±

    ¡°Ack!¡±

    Zich hadn¡¯t used a special technique; he had merely swung Windur sideways. However, with just this one attack, the light mana was shattered and the dark mana crumbled. Hans and Lara had to take a big step back while their wrists throbbed in pain. However, there was no look of disappointment on their faces. It would have been more shocking if Zich had been pushed back with just this attack.

    Lara and Hans looked at each other once again and nodded. They hit the ground at the same time and darted toward Zich¡¯s sides while jumping in opposite directions. They were nning to attack from the front and back at the same time.

    Swoosh! Swoosh!

    To Zich¡¯s left, Estede, emitted light as it fell downward. To his right, darkness swirled around Tornium and soared upward. The timing of their attacks was perfectly matched; if Zich struck one side, the other attack would hit Zich¡¯s vital area.

    Bamm! However, Zich defended against both swords. All Zich had done was swing his sword once more; the only difference was that he had swung it very fast. This was also the reason why there was only one collision sound even though he had hit two swords. Hans and Lara continued to attack Zich afterward, but they could not push back Zich even once.

    Before they knew it, they were going almost all out, and even then Zich was taking it easy. He even had the leisure to extinguish and nullify all of their attacks so that their futile attacks wouldn¡¯t damage the training ground. Even though L was protecting it, being certain was better. Like this, the training ended with Zich¡¯s perfect victory.

 Chapter 601

    Chapter 601

    Hans and Lara withdrew their swords. Although they had given it their all, they didn¡¯t appear worn out. After all, the two could fight for several days straight and a short battle like this one couldn¡¯t make them exhausted. However, they did feel slight mental fatigue from evading Zich¡¯s precise and sharp attacks.

    ¡°You really became unbelievable, sir,¡± Hans said in awe. He knew that Zich¡¯s strength had risen along with Windur¡¯s, but after fighting Zich directly, Hans realized the change was beyond his imagination. If he didn¡¯t dare to duel Zich before, now, it was as if he was looking up at a limitless sky with no end in sight.

    ¡°You don¡¯t have to be that impressed; it¡¯s not my skills that have improved.¡± Zich had already recovered all the power from his peak days after his battle with the dragon; the increase in strength after that was all thanks to the World Tree¡¯s mana that was transferred to him through Windur.

    Yet, Hans shook his head.

    ¡°As someone who uses Estede, that hurts my conscience.¡±

    ¡°Me too,¡± Lara added while standing next to Hans.

    Zich smiled at them and hung Windur on his back again.

    ¡°Good work.¡± L removed the barrier on the ground and handed each of them a cold ss of water. The three gulped the water down immediately.

    ¡°What are you here for, Sir Zich? I don¡¯t think you came here to train like us.¡±

    ¡°I came to see you guys.¡±

    ¡°Is there something else you would like to order us to do?¡± Hans said as if he would immediately carry out anymand from Zich. It seemed like Hans also couldn¡¯t ept that he had graduated from being Zich¡¯s underling like Snoc and Elena.

    ¡°No, we n to leave soon, so we came to say our goodbyes.¡±

    ¡°Ah¡­¡± Hans stared at Zich with his mouth slightly open. Soon, however, his eyes regained focus and he said, ¡°I see. You are leaving.¡±

    Perhaps it was because Hans had traveled with Zich the longest, but unlike Snoc, who had been greatly taken aback when he heard the news, Hans quickly regained his calm.

    ¡°Yeah, I have to go. I can¡¯t keep staying here,¡± Zich said.

    ¡°I suppose you won¡¯t be taking us with you?¡±

    ¡°As I said before, you all graduated. It won¡¯t be a proper graduation if you guys keep following me around.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s true. Furthermore, we would be intruding between you two,¡± Hans said while looking back and forth between Zich and L. Unlike L, who blushed slightly, Zich put his hand on Hans¡¯ head and ruffled his hair.

    ¡°You should keep things like that to yourself even if you notice it, you rascal,¡± Zich warned.

    ¡°I will do that from now on.¡±

    Then Zich took his hand off Hans and stared at him. Hans also didn¡¯t pull his eyes away from Zich.

    ¡°At first, I nned to show an arrogant servant the bitter taste of the world.¡±

    Hans looked apologetic when Zich brought up the past. ¡°I¡¯m really sorry about that time, sir.¡±

    ¡°Of course, you should be,¡± Zich replied. Hans¡¯ behavior had been so terrible and out of line that he wouldn¡¯t have been able toin even if Zich had chopped his head off with a sword.

    ¡°I have to admit that it was convenient for me in many ways to have you around. I¡¯m sure it wasn¡¯t only a bad experience for you too.¡±

    ¡°Of course, sir,¡± Hans confidently said. At the beginning of their journey, Hans had thought the sky was falling down on him, and he felt great despair as if his life had already ended. Now, Hans could say confidently that it had been the luckiest moment of his life. Without it, he would¡¯ve spent the rest of his life as amon servant of a noble, albeit treated well thanks to Count Steelwall¡¯s wife¡¯s favor. Yet instead, he had been able to gain incredible skills and make a great name for himself. Above all, he had been able to aplish his foolish, almost childlike dream of bing a hero.

    It was true that the path to this goal had been long and difficult, but the fact that he had achieved it made all of that negligible, and he was only grateful to Zich who had made it possible. Even though Zich couldn¡¯t even understand the dream Hans had, he had still done his best for Hans to achieve it. Zich was the one who had sincerely epted his dream and helped him reach it when everyone else hadughed at him.

    ¡°What are you looking at me so intensely for?¡± Zich asked curiously.

    ¡°I suddenly feel so grateful to you, Sir Zich.¡±

    ¡°What? Does that mean you had no feelings of gratitude for me before?¡±

    ¡°Certainly not, sir.¡± In the past, Hans would¡¯ve been greatly taken aback by Zich¡¯s teasing, but now he responded calmly.

    ¡°You are no fun anymore.¡±

    ¡°That is also thanks to you, sir.¡±

    ¡°Ah, it¡¯s fine. It¡¯s fine.¡± Zich waved his hands. Then, he asked, ¡°What are you nning to do from now on?¡±

    ¡°I want to travel.¡±

    ¡°You aren¡¯t going to return to Steelwall?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s true that the Count and Countess have done a lot for me, and I may want to return to them in the future. But right now, I want to travel a bit more even without you, Sir Zich.¡±

    ¡°For what?¡±

    ¡°While traveling with you, I became the hero I wished to be. However, that was only thanks to the path you prepared for me beforehand.¡±

    ¡°So, you are saying that you want to be a hero all by yourself?¡±

    ¡°If you say it like that, it sounds like I¡¯m being too arrogant. I would like to describe it as me chasing my dreams without any external help.¡±

    ¡°I see.¡± It appeared that Hans had a specific goal, unlike Snoc.

    ¡°Good. There¡¯s no need for me to say anything more when you¡¯ve already made your decision. I am rooting for you.¡±

    ¡°Yes, sir!¡± Hans responded heartily.

    ¡°Lara, what are you going to do?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m going to travel alongside Mr. Hans.¡± This wasn¡¯t surprising news. Lara was someone who always burned with passion for justice, and that was what had made her leave her family in the first ce. Hans¡¯ goal of walking the path of a hero while going on an adventure fit her interests perfectly. Of course, her affection for Hans probably influenced the decision too.

    ¡®The owners of Estede and Tornium are traveling together. That would¡¯ve been unthinkable before the regression,¡¯ Zich thought. Estede used to be the symbol of the Sun Hero, Glen Zenard, while Tornium was the symbol of the Demon Lord of Strength, Zich Moore. The two existences had fought viciously to take each other¡¯s lives, and it would¡¯ve been unimaginable for them to joyously travel together. Unlike the past owners of the swords before the regression, Hans and Lara were trying to walk the same path together.

    ¡°Are you going to do heroic acts of justice beside Hans?¡±

    ¡°Yes. Since Mr. Hans has the same thoughts as me, I decided that it will be good for us to travel together. And¡­¡± She trailed off.

    ¡°Huh? You can tell me. I¡¯m sure you know that I don¡¯t take things to heart or hold grudges. I¡¯m generous too,¡± Zich said while ignoring L¡¯s tongue-clicking.

    ¡°Well, it¡¯s also because I can see that Mr. Hans has been considerably influenced by you too, Sir Zich. He might try to do kind acts like you, and I would like to stop him then.¡±

    Lughed loudly next to Zich. ¡°Good thinking! If you see even an inkling of that behavior, fix him immediately from the side, just like this. Don¡¯t let him be like that.¡±

    ¡°¡­It hurth. Let go,¡± Zich mumbled. However, L kept pinching Zich¡¯s cheek, and even though Zich grumbled, he didn¡¯t try to move her hand either.

    Lara smiled at this sight. ¡°I guess we can leave Sir Zich up to you, Lady L.¡±

    ¡°This guy will never change so easily, but I¡¯ll try so that he¡¯ll ease up a little.¡±

    ¡°I sahd it hahts¡­¡± Zich¡¯s cheek was now stretched to the extent that his pronunciation was slurred. It was only then that L removed her hand. Zich rubbed his slightly red cheek, reached out to his side, and also pinched L¡¯s cheek.

    ¡°Hey, what the¡­!¡±

    ¡°Revenge.¡±

    ¡°You!¡± L reached out again and grabbed Zich¡¯s cheek. It looked ridiculous to see two lovers pulling each other¡¯s cheeks. Their childish battle continued for a while.

    Then, with slightly redder cheeks than before, Zich asked, ¡°Have you tried talking to Snoc?¡±

    ¡°Yes. It doesn¡¯t seem like he has any clear goal, but he said he was going to move with Elena. Since Elena is going to return to the magical towerter on, he¡¯ll probably follow her.¡± As expected of a fellow disciple, it seemed as if Hans had already talked to Snoc about his future ns.

    Hans continued, ¡°It seemed like he thought he¡¯d continue traveling with you, Sir Zich, for the time being.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, when I said to go our separate ways, he looked clearly surprised.¡±

    ¡°Yes, that was probably the case. Sir, when will you be leaving?¡±

    ¡°In a few days. I¡¯m done packing my belongings, and you two were thest people to say goodbye to.¡±

    ¡°I see.¡± Hans reached out his hand to Zich. ¡°I will always act so that I don¡¯t tarnish your name.¡±

    Zich also reached out and grabbed Hans¡¯ hand. ¡°If that happens, I¡¯lle and catch you.¡±

    ¡°Hahaha! Yes, sir. I¡¯ll keep that in mind!¡±

    Like this, Zich and Hans, who had been together since the first day after Zich¡¯s regression, took their own separate paths.

    A few dayster, Zich and L left Yuras. Many people came out to see them off. Not only those who had close ties to Zich, but even people like the Karuwiman Pope also came out. Since Zich had already said his goodbyes to each and every one of them, they didn¡¯t share a long greeting. He just looked everyone in the eye and waved widely.

    Even when L and Zich disappeared from their view, those who came to see them off continued to stay in the same ce.

    ¡°It feels strange,¡± Zich said.

    ¡°What feels strange?¡±

    ¡°This is the first time so many people send me off like this when starting a new trip.¡±

    Both before and after his regression, Zich¡¯s journey had begun at the Steelwall Estate. Of course, there had been no one there to see him off on his journey. Before his regression, he had been half-kicked out of the estate, and after his regression, he had left on his own after causing a hugemotion. He had been sent off a lot of times during a journey, but that had been only in the middle of it. However, he had now been sent off by numerous people when he just finished one journey and was embarking on a new one. It was a farewell from people who were sad and disappointed to see him go and sincerely hoped that his future would be bright.

    L gently held Zich¡¯s hand. ¡°There will be a lot of people like that from now on.¡±

    ¡°I suppose so.¡± Zich shrugged. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m not such an emotional guy to be shaken by such a thing.¡±

    ¡°I know. I¡¯m doing this because I want to.¡±

    ¡°Well, then.¡± Zich also tightened his grip on her hand, and they continued to walk along while holding hands. L grabbed Zich¡¯s hand and dragged him forward.

    ¡°Where are you going?¡±

    ¡°I should be asking you that. Where are you trying to go?¡±

    Zich looked forward¡ªit was a path away from the main road, which was a mountain full of bushes. Then he looked back at L and said, ¡°Forward.¡±

    ¡°Ordinary people use the word going forward to mean following the road, not walking literally in a straight line¨Cwhether there¡¯s a mountain, forest, or river to their final destination.¡± L pulled Zich back onto the road, and Zich let her drag him.

    ¡°What¡¯s with you all of a sudden? We¡¯ve been traveling like this all this time,¡± Zich said.

    ¡°Just because we¡¯ve always been traveling like this doesn¡¯t mean we have to keep moving like this in the future.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s true.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not like we have a clear destination like before.¡±

    ¡°If we¡¯re looking for a destination, why don¡¯t we go to the next city¡­¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s use the road, okay?¡±

    ¡°¡­All right.¡± Zich nodded as he lost to L. She was smiling brightly, but a vein was slightly bulging from her forehead.

    The two slowly walked along the road¡ªof course, while still tightly holding hands.

    ¡°Do you have a goal in mind?¡±

    ¡°To do kind acts.¡±

    ¡°Anything else?¡±

    ¡°Not really. At best, maybe to clean up the residue left by Glen Zenard or Ultel.¡±

    ¡°Then can I suggest one?¡±

    ¡°Of course.¡±

    ¡°Why don¡¯t you think about our surname?¡±

    ¡°Surname?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. You¡¯re not Steelwall, Brave, or Moore now. And I¡¯m not Clowon either. So let¡¯se up with a new name for us to use. Well, you know, we might need one when our child is born,¡± L stuttered slightly as she said thest words in embarrassment.

    ¡°You suggested Bravest time. Did you change your mind?¡±

    ¡°Now that I¡¯ve got my memories back, I don¡¯t really like Brave anymore. Brave is too upright. He''s a bit boring for my taste.¡±

    ¡°Haha, that¡¯s true.¡±

    ¡°Also, the current you are different from any other Zich.¡±

    Zich looked at the bright blue sky. ¡°A surname. Well, there¡¯s no harm in having one. Good, let¡¯s think about it from now on.¡±

    ¡°Yeah!¡±

    Even after this, their conversation never stopped. Their figures disappeared from view as they slowly walked along the road. Zich¡¯s path had been full of numerous events, hardships, trials, and bloodshed. Since the Brushel System was destroyed and the path that Glen and Ultel had maliciouslyid out for him was now gone, no one knew what the future held in store for him. However, one thing was certain. He would walk a different path than the ones he¡¯d been walking so far.

    <the end=""></the>

    RedBird''s Thoughts

    And now for side stories! Any suggestions for their surname though? And also, Hungry Panda has personally penned a message to all our Wuxiaworld readers! Remember to stick with us till the end! It will be on thest chapter of the side stories!

 Side Stories: Chapter 1

    Side Stories: Chapter 1

    It was nighttime¡ªthe time when the moon and even the stars were smoldered by thick clouds and a pitch-ckness enveloped the sky. As if it was supplementing theck of lights from above, a bright light burned from the ground below. It was an intense firelight that looked high enough to pierce the sky, apanied by wildly wavering mes that danced as if it was going to turn everything in its surroundings to ashes. A loud shout rang along with it.

    ¡°Kill them all! We can¡¯t leave a single Bellid bastard alive!¡±

    ¡°This is our chance to eradicate them all! These guys only cause harm to this world! Search every ce that looks suspicious!¡± In sparkling armor, the Karuwimanmanders shouted. Following theirmands, the other holy knights busily sought the Bellid survivors and ughtered them on sight.

    A secretly built temple made to sacrifice to Bellu was broken down to rubble. However, the Karuwiman holy knights didn¡¯t feel satisfied with just that. They continued to bombard the temple with attacks, intending to not leave even a single stone intact. Like that, the Bellid temple was utterly destroyed.

    On a mountain, a bit of a distance away where the temple could be seen in clear view, a group of people stared at the temple from above. Each of them showed different responses. Some cried, some chewed their lips so hard that there were bloodstains around their mouths, and some maintained emotionless expressions on their faces as if they were already dead. Yet, even as they expressed themselves in different ways, they all felt the same emotion: fierce hatred. The stronghold of their faith was burning¡ªunder the hands of the Karuwimans who they loathed the most.

    Naturally, they wanted to scream in wrath and express their rage somehow, but they couldn¡¯t. They had only barely managed to escape the Karuwimans¡¯ siege. If they acted on their emotions right now, they might be able to relieve themselves of the emotional burden, but they would also lose their lives. Thus, they all repressed their rage, and the more they did so, their hate deepened.

    ¡°Cardinal.¡± The figure standing in front of the group approached a priest. ¡°We have got to leave now. The Karuwiman dogs might find us if we stay here any longer.¡±

    ¡°¡­Yes, we should leave.¡± The Bellid cardinal and the one in charge of the western Bellid base, Piros Bulington, answered. Although he was a man of high status, that didn¡¯t mean much now. The western Bellid base had been already destroyed by Karuwimans and several nations a year ago, and only a few including Bulington survived the incident with heavy injuries. Thus, they hid themselves for now and Bulington decided to return to the main base after keeping out of their enemies¡¯ sight for some time. It was when Bulington decided to head to the main base when he heard the shocking news: the Bellids¡¯ main base was destroyed, and the Pope was dead.

    After some investigation, Bulington learned this to be true and went into hiding again. Since the Pope and the main base were both gone, his priority was protecting his life. Yet, this wasn¡¯t an easy task. The Karuwimans were able to find Bellid temples one after the other for some reason though they were all supposed to be deeply hidden¡ªjust like the temple that was burning right now.

    ¡®At this point, I should assume that they know all the locations of our temples.¡¯ It appeared they had to avoid hiding in temples from now on, and Bulington turned around. He looked at the other survivors. They were very few in number and were incredibly dirty-looking. Bulington sighed. How did the Bellids fall to such a state when they shook the whole world in fear and despair and fought against the great Karuwimans on equal footing?

    ¡®No, the reason is obvious.¡¯ It was because the Bellid pope lost the war with the Karuwimans, and from then on, the Bellids were extinguished like bugs¡ªlike the nickname Karuwimans called them. It was over for the Bellids. The world, Karuwimans, and even the Bellid members believed this. Yet, Bulington couldn¡¯t give up. He wanted to restore the Bellids¡¯ greatness again.

    ¡®If I can¡¯t do that, I at least want to get revenge!¡¯ Bulington looked behind him. The temple was still fiercely burning, and Bulington stared intently at it as if he was trying to engrave the scene into his eyes.

    Flick! In the end, he turned his head. A forest nketed with darkness, perhaps representative of their future, came into view, but Bulington¡¯s eyes still reflected the burning temple clearly.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Bulington led the survivors and hid in the forest while swearing to enact revenge.

    Ruuuumble!

    As the Bellid temple crumbled, it almost sounded as if lightning had struck the ground.

    ***

    ¡°Thank you so much! H-How can I ever repay your kindness?!¡± An old man who looked like any typical farmer bowed. He was the chief of this vige. His white beard flew in the air as he bent over, and the way his back arched so low showcased the gratitude he was feeling. A young couple was standing in front of the old man, and the blindingly beautiful woman raised the old man back up.

    ¡°There¡¯s no need for you to be so grateful. We only did what should be expected of us.¡±

    ¡°But how can I not be! You two saved us! If those guys continued to stay here, all of our vige people would¡¯ve be their ves!¡±

    Not long ago, bandits established themselves near their vige. They acted violently, stole the vige¡¯s provisions, and harassed the vige women. It was then that these two appeared in this state of emergency. They beat the bandits all too easily. The bandits could not even resist properly and were decimated in a matter of seconds by those two. Naturally, the vigers were deeply grateful to them, and the chief expressed his gratitude as the vige¡¯s representative.

    ¡°This is a gift from our vige. It¡¯s not much, but please ept it.¡± The old man held out an old, worn-out package. There were sounds of coin clinking from the package; the vigers had probably scraped what little money they had to make this package.

    The woman, L, pushed the package back into the old man¡¯s hand. ¡°It¡¯s all right. We¡¯ll be more troubled if we ept this.¡±

    ¡°But¡­¡±

    ¡°The bandits must have caused damage to the vige, right? Please use this to repair the damage.¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s right, chief. I¡¯m sorry to say this, but that amount of money doesn¡¯t mean much to us. You should use it for the vige instead.¡± The man, Zich, also supported L¡¯s statement.

    The old man fumbled as the two firmly refused the package and finally took it back. ¡°Then, how shall I ever repay this favor¡­¡±

    ¡°Then, would you be able to give us a simple meal? We¡¯re very hungry. Please, nothing too fancy. You just have to give us what you all usually eat.¡±

    ¡°What? How can we provide such a shabby meal¡­¡±

    ¡°That would be enough, right?¡± Zich asked L.

    ¡°Yeah.¡±

    The chief didn¡¯t look convinced but followed their words. Like this, the two ate their meals in the vige and left with the vigers¡¯ celebration. Honestly, the food hadn¡¯t been delicious; there was little chance that a farmer¡¯s diet in a small vige would taste good. On the contrary, L and Zich had a lot of money, so their diet was usually luxurious. Thus, there was no way that a typical meal served in a small vige could satisfy their tastes. However, they had noints because they only ate it to ept the vigers¡¯ gratitude and didn¡¯t expect it to be delicious.

    It was apletely different matter that Zich hadints about. ¡°There aren¡¯t many bad guys these days.¡±

    ¡°What are you talking about? We just got rid of a bunch right now.¡± In fact, bandits that harmed and stole from people appeared endlessly in the world. Of course, there were many people among bandits with sad, pitiful stories or poor people who had no choice but to be bandits. Regardless of their sad stories, some still bullied innocent people. Thus, Zich and L showed no mercy to them.

    ¡°Not weaklings like them, but those who are worth crushing like Ultel and the Demon People.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s only in the Era of Demon People that so many Demon People appeared. The world isn¡¯t hellish like that now¡ªand it¡¯ll never be like that either.¡±

    ¡°Tsk! I guess peace isn¡¯t always so good.¡±

    ¡°Just endure it. Your boredom is proof that the world is peaceful. So stop saying nonsense, and let¡¯s quickly go to the next city. I want to sleep in afortable ce for a while.¡±

    ¡°All right.¡± The two walked along the road toward the city. Their arms were tightly intertwined as if to show how close their rtionship was.

    * * *

    L and Zich stopped at arge nearby city and booked a high-end lodging to rx after a hard day of work. They only focused on resting without thinking about anything. Since they were in a city, there were many things to enjoy. The food was delicious, and the bed was alsofortable. Above all, they had noints because a loved one was next to them. While the two were having a nice andfortable time, someone came to visit them.

    ¡°Hello! I¡¯m so honored to meet the world-renowned Sir Zich and Lady L!¡± A Karuwiman priest looked at Zich and L with sparkling eyes; respect dripped from them.

    ¡°There¡¯s no need to praise us so much,¡± L said, but the priest firmly denied her words.

    ¡°How can I not?! The conqueror of the evil Bellids! Dragon yer! Haven¡¯t the two of you saved the world with achievements that only exist in legends?! Sir Zich, you¡¯re also an honorary holy knight! It¡¯s only right for me to treat you with the utmost respect!¡± These words sincerely came out of the priest¡¯s heart, so L awkwardlyughed.

    ¡°So, why did youe to see us?¡± Zich asked directly.

    ¡°Sir Zich and Lady L, it¡¯s been a year since amazing people like you cooperated together to defeat the Bellids.¡±

    ¡°Wow, it¡¯s already been a year.¡±

    ¡°So, we, the Karuwimans, n to hold a big festival to celebrate the first anniversary of the Bellids¡¯ defeat.¡±

    ¡°Are you asking us to join the festival?¡±

    ¡°Yes, the festival will shine even more if the stars of the Bellid conquest grace it. I¡¯ve already sent a messenger to other people as well.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m impressed that you managed to find us when we¡¯re wandering around without a destination.¡±

    ¡°As far as I know, the main branch has sent paintings of you two to all the temples and is collecting information about you two. Above all, Sir Zich, your sword is extremely conspicuous.¡±

    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s true.¡± Windur had a very distinct appearance, so it probably wasn¡¯t difficult to find Zich if they mobilized many people. Moreover, Zich had stopped moving through deserted areas, so it was probably even easier to track him down now.

 Side Stories: Chapter 2

    <h4>Side Stories: Chapter 2</h4>

    ¡°What should we do?¡± Zich asked L.

    She replied without pondering much about the matter, ¡°There¡¯s no reason not to go. I think it¡¯s a good chance to see people we haven¡¯t seen in a while too.¡±

    It seemed like L wanted to go. As L said, Zich also didn¡¯t have any reason to refuse and agreed. Thus, there was no need to think more about this topic.

    ¡°I understand. We will be going there.¡±

    ¡°Thank you!¡± The priest rejoiced. Then, his lips wavered slightly like he was going to request something more.

    ¡°Do you perhaps still have the dragon¡¯s corpse?¡±

    ¡°I do.¡±

    After defeating the dragon, the dragon yers divided the dragon¡¯s corpse amongst themselves. Since it was distributed ording to contributions, Zich naturally received thergest amount.

    ¡°Could I ask how much you have left?¡±

    ¡°I haven¡¯t used it yet. I¡¯ve as much as the amount originally distributed to me.¡± Zich nevercked money, and he had the greatest weapon a person could have, which was Windur. Thus, he had no use for the dragon¡¯s corpse.

    ¡°Then, could we rent it for a bit during this festival, sir?¡± the priest asked very cautiously, knowing the extreme rarity of the good he was asking for.

    ¡°It¡¯s the Karuwimans we are talking about. Of course, I can lend you the corpse parts, but what are you all going to use them for?¡±

    ¡°There has been a suggestion to exhibit the dragon¡¯s corpse during the festival this year.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s an interesting suggestion.¡±

    The priest looked relieved to see Zich respond positively and continued, ¡°The ones who did the most in ourst war against the Bellids were the dragon yers. Thus, we thought we should highlight the dragon yers in our festival, and the best way to showcase their greatness was to disy the dragon¡¯s corpse as an exhibit. Some suggested building a model, but considering its massive size, it would¡¯ve been difficult to carry the project out, and we might not be able to properly capture its intimidating and fearsome figure.¡±

    ¡°So, you are saying that the Karuwimans wish to recreate the dragon by collecting its corpse.¡±

    ¡°We are also going to ask the other dragon yers¡¯ opinions. But we can only officially start on our n once you give us your permission, Sir Zich since you have thergest portion of the dragon¡¯s corpse and above all, carry the most important piece, the head.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s true.¡±

    ¡°We will keep guard of it with our best security team. We are nning to use our best holy knights including Sir Weig.¡±

    ¡°Sir Weig is going to do it?¡± Zich was surprised to hear this. How could the Karuwiman¡¯s greatest holy knight be standing for mere guard duty? Furthermore, it seemed Karuwiman¡¯s other skilled knights were joining the act too.

    ¡°I¡¯m sure you wouldn¡¯t lend such a valuable item as the dragon¡¯s corpse otherwise. Sir Weig and the others easily agreed to do the task. And although this is a bit more materialistic of us, we believe that if we exhibit the dragon¡¯s corpse, more people would pay attention to this festival.¡±

    ¡°And I suppose that will increase the prestige of the Karuwimans even further.¡±

    ¡°It''s as you say.¡±

    ¡°How honest of you all.¡±

    ¡°When I was ordered to look for you both Sir Weig and the saintess personally told me to not hide anything from you whether it was bad or good.¡± L nodded while listening from the side. Unlike what one would expect from a personality like Zich¡¯s, Zich didn¡¯t hold negative feelings for a person if they honestly revealed their intentions to use him. On the contrary, if a person tried to secretly conspire against him, he would most likely retaliate.

    ¡°I understand. I will give you the goods.¡±

    ¡°Thank you so much sir!¡± The priest''s face was all smiley, perhaps, because he was happy to hear that Zich would grant all their requests.

    ¡°But if you are nning to exhibit the entire dragon¡¯s corpse, I suppose you would need other people to also coborate.¡±

    ¡°Certainly, sir. We know who has which part, but we don''t know whether people already used or disposed of these parts. But we are nning to gather as many parts of the dragon¡¯s corpse as we can. As long as we have enough, we can fill in the missing parts with imitations too.¡± The priest returned with a satisfied look on his face. Zich and L were left alone in their rooms again and they both faced each other.

    ¡°Yuras¡­it¡¯s been a year,¡± L said, recalling what happened a year ago.

    ¡°I still can¡¯t get over the fact that I am going to Yuras again, especially with an invitation from the Karuwimans. It doesn¡¯t feel real yet.¡±

    ¡°Do you say that because of what happened before the regression?¡±

    ¡°Yes, I had no other reason than war for going to Yuras then,¡± Zich said, and L ced her hand on top of Zich¡¯s hand whichy over the table.

    ¡°But it¡¯s different now,¡± L said.

    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s different so you don¡¯t have to worry about me. I just wanted to say it out loud.¡±

    ¡°Of course. You aren¡¯t a Demon Lord anymore but a world-renowned hero.¡±

    ¡°Urgh,¡± Zich groaned. L smiled brightly at him.

    ¡°When are we going to leave?¡±

    ¡°We still have some time, so there¡¯s no need to hurry. We don¡¯t have much to do anyway.¡± They had to go to Yuras much earlier than the time of the festival since the organizers needed enough time to assemble the dragon¡¯s corpse. Yet, there was still some time before that.

    ¡°Let¡¯s rest well today for now.¡±

    ¡°Yes, what should we eat for dinner?¡±

    ¡°Hm, I¡¯m not sure. What did we eat yesterday?¡±

    Although it was a conversation between a person who possessed the greatest strength in the world and a princess of an ancient empire who was also the greatest mage, their conversation was just like that between lovers.

    ***

    It was raining. It looked as if somebody had pierced a hole in the sky and was pouring water through it. Or perhaps, as Bulington thought, the rain was Bellu¡¯s tears. He was sure that his god was crying for the countless deaths of his followers andmenting the great loss. Bulington stretched out his palms and watched as thick raindrops collided against his palms and split off. The shocks he felt in these collisions were like Bellu¡¯s cries and sighs. To escape the rain and disguise himself, Burlington hid his hand inside his robes again. The warmth of the robe, heated by his body temperature, enveloped his hands. However, it wasn¡¯t sufficient enough to suppress the cold airing from his hand. Bulington walked around the city. Thanks to the pouring rain andte hour, there were no people around, and his feet stopped in front of a shop.

    <em>Crunch!</em>He broke the lock of the store all too easily and went inside. The grocery store was full of flour, fruit, and vegetables that had not yet been sold on the shelves. He walked in and began sweeping all the fresh produce and goods on the shelves into his magic box. Then his hand suddenly stopped; he couldn¡¯t believe that a cardinal of the great Bellids was stooping so low to steal food from a grocery store. However, it couldn¡¯t be helped.

    His faction, which had always offered him luxurious food, had basically been annihted. The few Bellid survivors under his wing were also probably plundering necessary supplies elsewhere as well. Bulington took everything inside the store safe as well and went out. It was now time to rob another store. Suddenly, a poster caught his eye.

    <em>Flinch!</em>He stopped his footsteps and stood in front of the poster. Even in a dim environment, Bulington was able to urately read the contents of the poster using holy Bellid mana on his eyes.

    ¡°¡­Ha, haha, hahahahhaha!¡± He burst outughing; it was an eerieugh filled with anger and burning hatred. The heavy rainfall covered hisughter, so he purposelyughed even harder. Then he suddenly stoppedughing, and all expressions disappeared on his face. However, anger was still burning inside his heart.

    The poster was a publicity stunt for the Karuwimans.

    [A festival to celebrate the 1st anniversary of the Bellids¡¯ defeat]

    It was a title that automatically made him grit his teeth, and the content written below the title was also equally gut-wrenching. In particr, the anger soared to the top of his head when he read that people who yed the biggest role in defeating the Bellids would be invited. However, one phrase caught his eye.

    ¡®They¡¯re going to disy the dragon?¡¯

    <em>Rip!</em>He ripped the poster from the wall and looked at it more closely. It said that the body of the dead dragon was going to be restored and disyed to show the dignity and power of the dragon yers, who yed a significant part in the Bellids¡¯ defeat. As soon as Bulington saw this, a n hatched inside his mind.

    ¡®Even though it might be unlikely, if I use that method¡­!¡¯ If his n was sessful, he could raise the power of the Bellids and ruin the festival in one shot and drag the Karuwimans¡¯ prestige into the mud. Moreover, he might kill those who were deeply involved in the conquest of the Bellids.

    ¡®Especially that bastard! The guy named Zich!¡¯ The so-called Strength Hero and the leader of the dragon yers. Even though all the humans who participated in killing the dragon were called dragon yers, Zich was so famous as a representative of dragon yers that anyone who used the dragon yer in singr form was referring to him. Moreover, he had also actively fought against the Bellids and yed a crucial part in their downfall. In fact, ording to reports, Zich and his subordinates had destroyed the main Bellid branch and killed their pope.

    ¡®I must kill him if I have the chance!¡¯ To announce the Bellid restoration and for revenge, he needed to kill Zich. Bulington slipped the poster into his arms and turned around. He needed to start making a solid n from now on. Although he had lost almost all of his power, he was still in charge of the Bellid Western Branch. He still had useful knowledge at his disposal, and precious belongings from the Western Branch that he escaped with. He needed to think of a n that best utilized these cards. Bulington disappeared into the darkness of the city.

    * * *

    Excitement was brimming in the city as people eagerly waited for the Karuwiman-sponsored festival to open again after a year. Those who still had memories of thest festival, which was held inmemoration of the Bellids¡¯ defeat, were looking forward to the festival. Moreover, they expected the festival to be much bigger and more expensive than thest festival due to the rumors and sights listed on the posters.

    Moreover, thest festival was held in a hurry since it was held right after supplies were considerably depleted from the war against the Bellids. However, this festival had been prepared with sufficient time and preparation, so it was bound to be much better than the first one. A huge crowd was gathering around the gate¡ªfrom travelers who arrived early in anticipation of the festival, porters carrying items for the festival, and merchants who gathered in the hopes of making more money. The city was burning up in excitement and anticipation.

    Zich and L passed through the gate in disguises. Due to thest festival and the Karuwimans¡¯ massive propaganda, many people in Yuras could recognize Zich and L. It would be extremely troublesome to be noticed in arge crowd like this. Windur seemed to also agree with them¡ªalthough it never changed shape unless it was in the mood, it now changed into an ordinary sword.

    Although it was a little hard to disguise L since she was supernaturally beautiful, she put down her bangs and covered her face. Both of their efforts were well-rewarded, as Zich and L quietly passed through the gate without trouble. Soon after, the Karuwiman main temple, Yuras, appeared in front of them in its splendid grandeur.

    Favorite

 Side Stories: Chapter 3

    <h4>Side Stories: Chapter 3</h4>

    The Great Temple at Yuras looked the same as before: holy and monumental. With just its presence, it disyed the great influence the Karuwimans had over the whole world. All the Karuwiman members entered the temple with great pride on their faces. Whether they were holy knights or priests, they all confidently walked with their chests out. After defeating the Bellids, the mightiness of the Karuwimans rose to greater heights and its members were enjoying their greatest golden age. Yet, even those proud Karuwiman devotees all bowed their heads the moment Zich and L revealed their identities.

    ¡°It¡¯s an honor to meet you both!¡± A holy knight wearing armor with the Karuwiman insignia engraved bowed deeply. The knight had a sword on his waist and held a spear with one hand to guard Yuras.

    ¡°It¡¯s an honor!¡± The other holy knight bowed his head. Each of their actions showed deep respect for Zich and L. After all, they were speaking to a dragon yer who destroyed the Bellids¡¯ main base and killed their enemy¡¯s pope. Furthermore, Zich was a Karuwiman honorary knight, and the Pope had already ordered them to treat Zich and L with the utmost respect if the guards saw them. Thus, they couldn¡¯t even imagine treating Zich and L with the slightest disrespect.

    With the knights¡¯ help, Zich and L were guided to the Pope. Although the people at the temple knew the two wereing, they didn¡¯t know the exact date; and it wasn¡¯t as if they made an appointment with the Pope beforehand. Normally, they would have to wait before meeting the Pope since he was a busy man. Yet, the Pope pushed everything back on his schedule to meet the two immediately. This was something the Pope would only do for a leader of a formidable country or an emperor. Thus, the fact he did so showcased how important the Karuwimans thought of Zich and L. The Pope greeted them with the same warm smile he had shown before.

    ¡°It¡¯s been a while, Sir Zich and Lady L.¡±

    ¡°Yes, it has been a long time, your Holiness.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m happy to see you again.¡±

    Zich and L exchanged greetings and sat in front of the Pope. The Pope had already prepared the table for them, and steam was rising from hot tea.

    ¡°How have you both been doing these days?¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ve been doing well.¡±

    ¡°I heard that you have been wandering around doing kind acts.¡±

    ¡°Yes, I am doing that as a side hobby.¡±

    ¡°You two have characteristics as outstanding as your skills¡ªit¡¯s truly a blessing from God Karuna.¡±

    ¡°Haha, I do have quite a character!¡±

    ¡°Hoho, I¡¯ve heard much about it!¡±

    L listened to the conversation between Zich and the Pope with disbelief. It was baffling that the Pope wasplimenting Zich¡¯s character even while knowing what his personality was like, and it was equally unbelievable that Zich would simply admit to this. If she had to choose who was more impressive between the two, it was Zich. It was at least understandable that the Pope wouldpliment Zich for everything he had done, but only someone as brazen as Zich could ept apliment like that.

    ¡°I hope that you will continue to use those outstanding skills for the world.¡± It was then that they heard someone knock on the door.

    ¡°Come in.¡± With the Pope¡¯s permission, the door opened and two people entered. It was Lube and Weig. The two looked overjoyed to see Zich and L.

    ¡°It has been so long, Sir Zich and Lady L!¡±

    ¡°Good to see you again. How have you two been?¡±

    Zich and L got up from their seats.

    ¡°Thank you for asking. We¡¯ve both been doing well.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s nice to see your faces again.¡±

    All of them greeted each other and Lube asked the Pope, ¡°What have you all been talking about?¡±

    ¡°I was listening to what I have been doing until now. Sir Zich told me that he has been doing kind acts as usual, and I wasplimenting his splendid character.¡±

    ¡°Ah, character¡­you say?¡± Lube instinctively looked at Zich. Weig did the same, and Zich shrugged his shoulders.

    ¡°It appears that the Pope has a perfect grasp on my character and personality. I can see why the Karuwimans always boast of their might and greatness. I mean, how could an organization with such an impressive leader be weak?¡±

    ¡°Hohoho! I am d to hear that you think so well of this old man!¡±

    Unable to disagree with the Pope¡¯s stance nor agree with him out of her conscience, Lube managed to mutter, ¡°I-I see.¡±

    The Pope looked at it a bit mischievously. ¡°Our Saintess is perfect in every way, but she can¡¯t seem to take a joke. It would be nice if she could be a bit more carefree.¡±

    ¡°But isn¡¯t that Lady Lube¡¯s charm? Although she is too stiff sometimes.¡±

    Lube¡¯s face reddened slightly at the Pope¡¯s and Zich¡¯s teasing.

    ¡°Hohoho! We should stop teasing our Saintess now. If we go on for too long, Sir Weig may grab me by my cor.¡±

    ¡°How could I dare to do that to Your Holiness? I will just request you to be less bothersome to the Saintess.¡±

    ¡°Did you hear that, Sir Zich and Lady L? He says that he won¡¯t get physical with me, but doesn¡¯t it sound like he would try punching me first if I speak a little more? My position as the pope is so weak.¡±

    ¡°Your Holiness,¡± Weig said a bit more forcefully and the Pope chuckled.

    ¡°Okay, I will really stop now.¡± Then, he got up and said, ¡°Why don¡¯t the young people talk amongst each other now? Ah, should Sir Weig be exempt from this group since he isn¡¯t young?¡±

    ¡°I am young enough.¡±

    ¡°If you are talking about one¡¯s mental age, I am still in my twenties then. I can swear this in front of God Karuna.¡± It was a wonder how the Pope could bring up the god he served so easily like this, but seeing the look on Lube and Weig¡¯s faces, they seemed to have given up on the topic.

    After bursting into a fit ofughter again, the Pope asked a question that popped up in his head. ¡°Ah, I just remembered that I have one more thing I want to ask. When are you two going to marry?¡±

    ¡°Marry?¡± L asked.

    ¡°Yes. I¡¯m sure you two are going to ask the Karuwimans to hold it, right? If it¡¯s your marriage, I can personally officiate it.¡±

    Having the Karuwiman¡¯s Pope as a marriage officiator was a huge privilege that even the leaders of a country could not dare ask for. Thus, even though Zich and L knew that the Karuwimans would probably do their best to fulfill most of their requests, they were slightly surprised. However, no matter how great the people were, only one person seemed to be against the Pope officiating the wedding.

    ¡°Wait, Your Holiness! I object to this!¡± Lube shouted.

    ¡°What? I had no idea that our dear Saintess would express her opposition. Even if I¡¯m the Pope, if we consider their merits, don¡¯t you think I can officiate their wedding...¡±

    ¡°Your Holiness, I¡¯m going to be the one to officiate their wedding!¡± Lube clearly expressed her will without being rude. The sight of Lube strongly pushing her argument to the leader of her organization showed her indomitably strong will, and it was enough for people to be amazed. However, no matter how hard one looked, it was doubtful whether the subject of her words was so significant as to challenge the Pope himself.

    ¡°Hoho, I see. That makes you mypetitor then.¡± Unlike the others who were dumbfounded, the Pope replied to Lube with a mischievous smile.

    ¡°Your Holiness, considering the rtionship I have with those two, don¡¯t you think it¡¯s only right for me to act as their officiator?¡±

    ¡°Saintess, a person with experience usually officiates arge-scale wedding. I fully acknowledge your ability and character, but I don¡¯t think you¡¯ve caught up to my experience yet.¡±

    Both of them wereughing, but neither of them seemed like they would back down. L was startled and she looked at Weig¡ªthe only one who could stop the situation¡ªbut he was sighing quietly while clutching his head. Although he was a Bellid subjugator and a knight strong and brave enough to be called Tasnia¡¯s Killing Machine in an alternate future, it seemed as if this situation was beyond his powers.

    ¡°Then why don¡¯t we ask the two people involved?¡± Lube suggested.

    ¡°That¡¯s a good idea. They won¡¯t refuse this old man¡¯s request.¡±

    Lube and the Pope shifted their eyes toward L and Zich. Lube asked, ¡°What do you two think?¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t have to think hard about it. Please feel free to choose either of us.¡± The Pope said this, but neither was an easy option.

    Even L could note up with the right answer in this situation. ¡®Uh, what should I do?¡¯

    Her face naturally turned to Zich. Then she clearly saw his face; unlike her own troubled face, his face waspletely shameless and brazen as if he had an iron te on it.

    ¡®Ah, he¡¯s thinking of something crazy again.¡¯ L was not making a guess; she was certain of it¡ªone could call it even fortune telling, and her prediction was right on the mark.

    Zich crossed his arms and legs. He lifted his chin as if he was looking down at the Pope and Lube. The Pope had a mischievous glint in his eyes while Lube was somewhat fervent, and Weig had been waiting for the right timing to intervene. However, they were all taken aback by Zich¡¯s reaction.

    Zich raised one corner of his mouth as if he was enjoying their appearance and said, ¡°I don¡¯t think I need the Karuwimans to host my wedding, but if you two want to so much, I guess I¡¯ll let you do it. We do have quite the history after all.¡± Although others would offer mountains of gold for this chance, Zich spoke as if he had no choice but to ept the Karuwiman Pope or Saintess to officiate and host their wedding.

    L¡¯s mouth was wide open. Not only the sly Pope, but Lube and Weig also became speechless. However, Zich wasn¡¯t done yet. ¡°So, both of you want to officiate my wedding, right? Since it¡¯s my once-in-a-lifetime wedding ceremony, I can¡¯t help but deeply contemte this matter. So I¡¯d like to ask what you can specifically do for me if I let you officiate my wedding? Why don¡¯t you say your offer first, Saintess?¡±

    The Karuwimans also opened their mouths in shock like L. No one had expected Zich¡¯s reaction at all. However, that onlysted for a moment, and the Pope burst intoughter.

    ¡°Hohohohoho! As expected of you, Sir Zich! I falsely thought that you would be like most people who¡¯d dly ept our offer to help you two with everything at your wedding, in addition to the Saintess or I officiating the wedding. Even though I already knew you¡¯re not the type to be easily put in a box like that.¡±

    ¡°Yes, bias is very scary like that.¡±

    ¡°Of course. As a person serving God Karuna, I try to see the world as objectively as possible, but as expected, it is very difficult to see the world as it is. I should at least be grateful that I¡¯ve realized one of my misconceptions.¡± The leader of the world¡¯s most powerful religion with a considerable amount of experience was genuinely happy to have realized this trivial fact. This was a scene that clearly showed how great the Pope was. L, Lube, and Weig were all impressed by the Pope; as expected, only an extraordinary individual could rise to the highest position in Karuwiman.

    Zich also congratted him. ¡°Congrattions, Your Holiness. I¡¯m also very happy that I could at least be a small help in removing some of your biases.¡±

    ¡°Thank you. As expected, it must be the Karuwimans¡¯ great fortune to have such a close rtionship with Sir Zich.¡±

    As they gave each other words of blessing and exchanged pleasantries, a warm expression naturally breezed across everyone¡¯s faces.

    ¡°So, Your Holiness, I haven¡¯t heard your offer to officiate my wedding yet.¡±

    ¡°Oh no! I forgot that I had an emergency. It¡¯s such a serious problem that I keep forgetting things now that I¡¯m old. Why don¡¯t you young folks have a nice conversation together while I deal with this matter?¡± With thesest words, the Pope scrambled out of the room.

    The remaining people were Zich, who was chuckling by himself, and everyone astounded by the events that had quickly unfolded just now.

 Side Stories: Chapter 4

    Side Stories: Chapter 4

    Zich, L, Lube, and Weig all looked at one another. It seemed that the Pope had asked the staff to attend to their guests again, and a priest came in and brought fresh tea. Lube took one sip of her tea and sighed slightly.

    ¡°After all the experiences I¡¯ve umted, I thought I had caught up to His Holiness and Sir Zich, but it is still too early for me to go against them.¡±

    ¡°You are already doing so well, Saintess. His Holiness and Sir Zich are just a bit out of the ordinary. Even I am constantly swayed by the two. They are worthy models to follow, but it will only harm you if you try to catch up to them too fast. It¡¯s a wonder if anyone would be able to catch up to those two even if they tried for their whole life. Above all, you should never ever try to emte their personalities.¡± Thest line was probably what Weig wanted to say the most.

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter to me, but is it all right to talk about the Pope in such a way?¡± Zich wasn¡¯t mocking Weig¡ªhe was asking out of pure curiosity.

    ¡°I am talking like this especially because it is about the Pope.¡±

    ¡°Ha! It seems like the Pope is quite an interesting person.¡±

    The four chatted about simr small matters that interested them. At first, they talked about what they all had been up to no matter how menial they were. Then, eventually, the conversation topic moved to the festival that was going to happen soon.

    ¡°While we are talking about that, I suppose I can give this to you now.¡± Zich fumbled through his belongings, pulled out his magic box, and ced it on top of the table. ¡°These are the parts of the dragon¡¯s corpse that I own.¡±

    Although Zich was disying a whole load of valuable dragon parts that most nations and families were furiously searching to get their hands on a single scale, Zich behaved nonchntly as if he was handing over a useless stone.

    ¡°I already knew this, but Sir Zich, yourpassion awes me to no end.¡±

    ¡°This is just how much I trust the Karuwimans, Sir Weig. Moreover, people can try to steal these, but they would have to deal with the aftermath.¡±

    ¡°¡­You mean, they have to deal with you, Sir Zich?¡±

    Zich smiled. Of course, no one in the room felt a sense of relief seeing his smile.

    ¡°I understand. I will surely pay you back for the great trust you¡¯ve ced in the Karuwimans!¡± Weig struck his chest.

    ¡°Yes. I¡¯m sure it would be fine if it¡¯s the Karuwimans we are talking about.¡±

    ¡°¡­I sense a hidden meaning in your words, sir.¡±

    ¡°I heard that there are other groups coborating to host this festival.¡±

    ¡°Ah, you are talking about that.¡±

    This year¡¯s festival was led and organized by the Karuwimans, but there were still other outside organizations involved in the event nning. Instead, outside forces were getting too involved and were trying to exercise great influence over the event.

    ¡°Politics is a very annoying thing. Don¡¯t you think so too?¡± Zich said.

    ¡°¡­As expected of you, Sir Zich. You already know the situation. Honestly, it¡¯s quite¡ªno, a very troublesome situation for us,¡± Lube said. Though she had been excitedly conversing with Zich and L until now, her face suddenly became overshadowed by a look of weariness. It was the same for Weig though to a less degree, and he appeared more annoyed than tired.

    ¡°Outside force? A troubling situation?¡± L tilted her head.

    Zich exined, ¡°It¡¯s a simple matter if you think about it. We¡¯ve surely gotten rid of trash like Ultel and Glen Zenard and decimated countless Bellids to shreds. We basically removed arge shadow casting over the entire world. However, life doesn¡¯t end with just one line that says the ¡®main characters lived happily ever after¡¯ as novels do.¡±

    Unlike a storybook that ended with thest page, the real world continued past all stories. If a story that happened beforehand made a huge impact on the world, there was a high chance that the world would be destabilized somehow¡ªsimr to the current situation.

    It all began with the disappearance of the Bellids, specifically Ultel. To catch Zich, Ultel had dispatched almost all his forces and advanced his troops toward the Cronon Kingdom; on his way to his destination, Ultel stomped down several nations including the great Brodstock Empire. Ultel didn¡¯t just trample thesends but killed the people there to increase the size of his forces and transformed them into the undead. Naturally, these nations werepletely devastated and fell into ruins. It was a perfect defeat where hardly anyone survived.

    Yet, people¡¯s interests gathered on thends that were left behind. Thesends were rich and abundant with resources that made many mouths water greedily. The Brodstock Empire had held a territory iparablyrger than other nations, and to maintain its giant size and consumption, it used to have the means and productivity to match them. In other words, there was a great number of richnds in the Brodstock Empire¡¯s territory.

    As expected, the neighboring countries coveted thend. As soon as the war ended, surrounding forces began to rush in to devour the fallen nation¡¯s territories, and their first priorities were the fertile ins, hignds tumbling with ores, and regions where the cities were located. Neighboring countries shed for thesends. Onnd without an owner, the first person who ced their g down on the ground could im ownership. Thus, with all this happening, the world became even more chaotic than when the Bellids used to run wild. Nations that bordered the fallen countries fought to gain even a little bit morend, and countries from even farther away expressed their concerns.

    The neighboring countries weren¡¯t the only ones who participated in the war against the Bellids. Other countries also provided significant support during the Bellids¡¯ conquest, so they had enough justification to im their share. It wasn¡¯t greed alone that they were iming rights over thend either; if the neighboring countries expanded their territory by taking over the fallen countries, the other countries felt threatened that the neighboring countries that grew into arge territory would also devour them in the future.

    Thus, considering this factor, even if they had no justification to im their share, they had every incentive to hold back the neighboring countries from absorbing thend of the fallen countries. Suspicion and wariness only grew stronger as time passed, and there were already small-scale, armed shes happening between countries.

    The only reason why it did not lead to arge-scale war was because most countries¡¯ capacities were drastically reduced due to their recent war with the Bellids. If the situation continued as is, arge-scale armed conflict would inevitably ur. Therefore, the Karuwimans put a tremendous effort into defusing the conflict.

    ¡°Then, this festival will also act as a venue for diplomatic talks to mediate between those countries, right?¡± L asked.

    ¡°Yeah. Well, that¡¯s none of our business. We just have to enjoy the festival.¡±

    Weig and Lube made a bitter smile as Zich readily described this problem as ¡®none of his business.¡¯ In a way, this might be better because if Zich intervened in thisplex situation, the situation might be even more chaotic.

    ¡®No, that will actually be better, since someone who angers Sir Zich for some reason might appear.¡¯ Lube thought of the forces the Karuwimans were currently coborating with, and her head began to throb once again.

    L asked, ¡°Who are the coborators for the festival? ording to what you¡¯ve said so far, there seem to be multiple countries involved, but it seems like they don¡¯t have enough avable resources or power to do so.¡±

    When L brought up this subject, Lube felt her head throb even more.

    Instead of Lube, Zich was the one to answer L¡¯s question. ¡°The Karuwimans are coborating with different countries, but they are not the countries mentioned just now. They¡¯re a bit farther away.¡±

    ¡°¡­Ah!¡± L immediately realized the meaning of Zich¡¯s words. ¡°You¡¯re talking about the countries that have be bystanders to this enormous incident, right?¡±

    It would have been fine if the Bellid conquest was simply a social subjugation or a war between countries. Rather, other countries may have enjoyed watching other countries¡¯ power be cut from afar. However, this war was different from an ordinary war. First, it was a war to exterminate the Bellids, and this was what every country had been doing. Rather than out of sincere faith and respect towards the Karuwimans, it was an effort to curb the Bellids¡¯ outrageous misdeeds. Thus, if this the Bellid conquest had been a slightly bigger form of subjugation, it wouldn¡¯t have mattered. Yet, in this war, the entire Bellid faction was almost uprooted from its core. A literal holy war had been waged.

    Naturally, the prestige of defeating the Bellids was iparable to defeating a few small Bellid branches. The reputation of countries that participated in the holy war rose endlessly. Moreover, the fact that a legendary dragon appeared in the confrontation between the Steelwall Estate and the allied forces¡ªa war that took ce due to the Bellids¡¯ conspiracy¡ªraised their reputation to the peak. The fact that there was a dragon¡¯s corpse made it hard to even dismiss it as a lie.

    Thus, the countries that participated in this war literally achieved legendary feats, but other countries had nothing. Of course, the countries left out didn¡¯t receive any direct damage, but the issue of prestige among nations, royalty, and nobles was not something that could be easily overlooked.

    ¡°That¡¯s why they¡¯re going to participate in this festival as a coborator so that they can somehow also take part in this magnificent event,¡± L said.

    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s something that anyone who is part of politics, whether they¡¯re a king, noble, or a religious official would naturally think of. Constantly racking their brains with these cumbersome issues is also the fate of politicians.¡±

    Zich and L looked at Lube and Weig with pitiful expressions.

    ¡°Cheer up, you two,¡± Zich said.

    ¡°If there¡¯s anything I can do, I can help¡ªah, but only to the extent that I don¡¯t get swept into any troublesome affairs.¡±

    Weig replied, ¡°¡­I¡¯m just a holy knight. I¡¯m sure His Holiness and the Saintess will do a good job with the politics.¡±

    ¡°Excuse me, Sir Weig?¡± Lube looked at Weig with an expression of betrayal.

    Weig avoided her gaze this time, even though he was a holy knight who protected the Saintess with his life during battle and assisted her like a loving grandfather taking care of his granddaughter on a daily basis.

    ¡°I guess even Sir Weig has problems that he finds too troublesome.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s a misunderstanding, Sir Zich. A lion is supposed to drop its baby on a cliff¡­¡±

    ¡°I heard that a lion doesn¡¯t do that in real life.¡±

    ¡°¡­The lion in the area I know does that. It¡¯s a type of lion with a very unique teaching method. The cubs who mature under this method soonmand the whole in and even kill the basilisk¡­¡±

    ¡°Sir Weig, stop saying such ridiculous things!¡±

    Weig shut his mouth at Lube¡¯s cry.

    ¡°Well, it¡¯s at least certain that the Saintess will suffer. Saintess, I think it¡¯ll be a good idea for you to refresh yourself as much as possible until you have to leave again.¡±

    ¡°¡­I think it¡¯s best to do as you say.¡± Lube leaned back on her chair and rxed her body.

 Side Stories: Chapter 5

    Side Stories: Chapter 5

    ¡°Honestly, if it wasn¡¯t for you Sir Zich, we would¡¯ve still been talking to the people from those countries.¡±

    ¡°It sounds like you aren¡¯t very pleased to meet these people.¡±

    ¡°Yes, very, very much,¡± Lube said and then furtively nced at him. ¡°You aren¡¯t going to spread what I just said, right?¡±

    ¡°I n to forget everything I heard here as soon as we leave this room. What about you, L?¡±

    ¡°That won¡¯t be an easy task with my brilliant head. I would need to make a separate space in my head and store the memory there. If I keep it locked with 200 locks on the door, it¡¯ll certainly be secure.¡±

    ¡°What will the locks and walls be made out of?¡±

    ¡°Materials about ten thousand times tougher than orichalcum.¡±

    ¡°Then, I suppose I won¡¯t have to worry about you too, Lady L,¡± Lube said and turned back to Zich.

    ¡°That¡¯s what she says, Saintess.¡±

    ¡°Yes, I can put my heart at ease now.¡± Although L made a promise to Lube like how children would, Lube was satisfied. In the first ce, she didn¡¯t think those two would be the type to gossip.

    Lube then asked, ¡°Do you know a kingdom named Miftil?¡±

    L answered, ¡°Yes. Isn¡¯t it a kingdom located in the west?¡± Even though it wasn¡¯t as big as an empire, the nation still boastedrge territories and a powerful military. ¡°If they had been closer to us, we could¡¯ve received considerable aid from them.¡±

    ¡°L, it¡¯s best to avoid getting any sort of help from them,¡± Zich remarked.

    ¡°What do¡­ah!¡± L shuffled through her head and studied the memories about Miftil a bit more carefully. She couldn¡¯t help but agree with him.

    ¡°Just because they have a formidable army, they pick fights with neighboring nations at the drop of a hat. They have an even worse reputation than the Brodstock Empire. If they supported us in any way during our fight with the Bellids, they would¡¯ve used it to make all sorts of oundish ims.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure if it¡¯s right for me to say this as a knight who serves God Karuna, but I agree with Sir Zich. Those Miftil people are really troublesome fellows.¡±

    ¡°The Miftils are one of the groups helping us organize this festival.¡± Lube and Weig sighed simultaneously, and Lube added, ¡°They are being pretty quiet now since there are others coborating with them, and they have much to lose if they miss this opportunity.¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s no way those people would sit still and do nothing.¡±

    ¡°I think so too.¡±

    ¡°The eastern nations are heavily eyeing each other¡¯s movements over the fallen countries¡¯ territories. As for the western nations who didn¡¯t participate in the war against the Bellids like the Miftil Kingdom, they are trying to gain something from this somehow. It¡¯s easy to imagine how much stress this situation is putting on you both, although it doesn¡¯t have anything to do with us.¡±

    ¡°Can I just hit you once, Sir Zich?¡± Lube asked.

    ¡°How could I refuse a request from our esteemed Saintess? Please tell me the area you would like to hit, and I will prepare myself.¡±

    Lube¡¯s sighs and Zich¡¯s annoying chuckles sounded at the same time.

    ¡°Anyway, does that mean you both were going to meet people from the Miftil Kingdom if we hadn¡¯te?¡±

    ¡°To be exact, we were going to meet the son of the Miftil Kingdom¡¯s duke.¡±

    ¡°Duke Grashane¡¯s son? If he came all this way, he must be the heir. Wasn¡¯t his name Wesker or something?¡± Zich asked.

    ¡°You know him, sir?¡±

    ¡°A bit. Don¡¯t you also know of him, L?¡±

    ¡°He is thatplete trash¡­!¡± L blurted before she shut her mouth. She exchanged nces with Lube.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I n topletely seal everything we talk about in this room,¡± Lube said while winking. L also loosened up again.

    ¡°Hehe, that¡¯s right. Everything that was said here must not leave this room.¡±

    ¡°Yes, and why would you stop in the middle of speaking? What¡¯s the problem of calling a piece of trash, trash?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Zich nonchntly said the words that L stopped saying halfway and Lube promised not to repeat. Zich shamelessly stared back at the three pairs of eyes staring at him.

    ¡°¡­It¡¯s as you say,¡± L responded. ¡°Since everything said here won¡¯t escape outside, there will be no problem with calling trash by their rightful name.¡±

    ¡°¡­Now that you word it like that, it¡¯s true. I will call that man ¡®trash¡¯ at least in this room. I¡¯m sure God Karuna would excuse this behavior.¡±

    ¡°I also had a difficult time dealing with that man, so I don¡¯t think it matters if all of us agree on this title for him.¡± Weig agreed with them. They hesitated to insult Wesker because of his high status, but it seemed like everyone had the same impression of the man. With Zich as the initiator, the others followed suit to call Wesker with one name: trash.

    ¡°I know I¡¯m the one who said there¡¯s no problem with calling him that, but you both must have suffered tremendously to admit it so easily.¡±

    ¡°Well, you said you knew how that ma¡­that trash was.¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s the perfect stereotype of a viinous noble.¡±

    ¡°Out of all people, the Miftil Kingdom sent him.¡±

    ¡°He is a top-tier noble after all.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s true.¡±

    This world followed strict hierarchical rules where one¡¯s status mattered more than one¡¯s skills, and Wesker¡¯s status as the duke¡¯s son and heir made him a very important person.

    ¡°Regardless, I think it would¡¯ve been better for the Miftil Kingdom to have sent someone else for such an important matter like this. It¡¯s not as if that man is the only top-tier noble in that kingdom.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s what I¡¯ve been saying!¡± Lubemented to Zich and L, and Weig supported her by also insulting Wesker. The man made absurd and exhausting requests to try to boast about himself and his nation¡¯s existence as much as possible, and everything he did from his speech to his little actions reeked of arrogance. It was as if the host and guest of the party had exchanged positions. Of course, Wesker was still a noble in the end, and he was able to slide between the narrow limits of overstepping the line and avoid igniting true rage from the Karuwimans and the other coborating nations. However, that infuriated Lube and Weig even more.

    ¡°If he really did something out of line, I would¡¯ve been able to just chase him away.¡± With the right justification, Weig was ready to immediately kick him out.

    ¡°Don¡¯t the Karuwimans have enough power to put that into action?¡± Zich asked.

    The Bellid conquest pushed the Karuwimans¡¯ status to unprecedented heights. No matter how strong and powerful the Miftil Kingdom was, they were not stupid enough to confront the Karuwimans right now. If the Karuwimans protested, they would have at least changed the ambassador.

    ¡°As I said earlier, Sir Grashane¡¯s rudeness does not cross a certain line. Moreover, since the Pope is trying to appease the current global tension in the world, we can¡¯t also expel him just because his attitude is unpleasant. Regardless of Sir Grashane¡¯s personality, Duke Grashane is backing him up, and Duke Grashane boasts considerable influence in the Miftil Kingdom.¡±

    ¡°Then I guess it can¡¯t be helped. You two, I mean, the Karuwimans, have to suffer a bit.¡±

    ¡°Yes, there¡¯s no other choice.¡±

    ¡°Saintess, don¡¯t be so disappointed. I¡¯ll at least listen to your rant now,¡± Zich said to Lube.

    ¡°No, I¡¯m going to stop now. I¡¯ve done enough so far, and if I trash talk about him anymore, I might go up andin right in front of his face.¡±

    ¡°That won¡¯t be a good idea. It¡¯s important not to show your weakness to people like him.¡± Moreover, there was something that Zich wanted to ask Lube anyway; Zich immediately changed the topic. ¡°On second thought, I¡¯m aware that the Karuwimans are continuing to quell the Bellids, but how has that been going? We¡¯ve also been going around destroying their branches, but there¡¯s a limit to our reach since it¡¯s just the two of us.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s been going well. Most of their main forces died in the recent war, and the information about the Bellid bases that you¡¯ve given us was all urate. You can rest assured that most of the branches under our influence have been crushed into pieces.¡±

    ¡°What encouraging progress. As expected, it was worth entrusting this matter to the Karuwimans.¡±

    ¡°Thank you for your kind words, but it¡¯s still not perfect.¡±

    ¡°There must be something bothering you.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ve missed Pyros Bulington.¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s the person in charge of the Western Bellid Branch. It¡¯s understandable that the Karuwimans failed to catch him. He¡¯s not only as strong as a cardinal, but he¡¯s very persistent and crafty.¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s not the type to stay hidden for long. I¡¯m sure he¡¯ll try to make his move some way.¡±

    ¡°Saintess, do you think that it will be during this festival?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know. How can I understand the minds of crazy people who believe in an evil god like Bellu? There¡¯s a good chance that he¡¯ll make his move during the festival.¡±

    ¡°Honestly, it¡¯s a very stupid idea for him to make a move during this festival. Since it¡¯s a ce where the eyes of the whole world are focused, the Bellids can increase their notoriety and showcase their strength if they cause amotion here. However, if they consider the people gathering at the festival, it¡¯ll only be a tremendous loss for them.¡± Unlike Lube, Weig seemed skeptical that the Bellids would target the festival.

    However, Weig hadn¡¯t lowered his guard in case any unexpected situations arose. On the other hand, it was a festival that invited all those who made a special contribution in thest war. Every single person who was invited was extremely powerful and strong, and in that regard, Zich was aplete monster. Would the Bellids really conspire during a festival like that when they were not even in top shape but on the verge of copse? Unless they were volunteering tomit suicide, the Bellids shouldn¡¯t even approach the festival. Although the Bellids easily sacrificed their lives for the sake of a greater purpose, they wouldn¡¯t sacrifice their lives so pointlessly.

    ¡°If those guys target the festival, there are only two possible exnations¡ªthey¡¯re confident of neutralizing the strong powers gathered at the festival, or they¡¯ve seriously misjudged the situation.¡±

    ¡°It might be both,¡± Zich said.

    ¡°If the Bellids storm into the festival, that might be better, since we can wipe out all the remaining Bellids in one go,¡± Weig said.

    ¡°No, Sir Weig. A lot of ordinary people are also participating in this festival. If the Bellids storm in, a lot of powerless ordinary people might die,¡± Lube protested.

    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s true. I was thoughtless for saying that, but even if those guys use all kinds of strange methods, will they cause such huge damage? Besides, all the dragon yers will be gathering at the festival.¡±

    ¡°Even then, we have to make sure that the civilians remain safe.¡± Lube¡¯s will was firm, and Weig did not refute her words either. He was also a faithful believer before he was a holy knight. He wanted to save as many lives as possible¡ªof course, except the dirty lives of the Bellids.

    ¡°Then, Saintess, we need to increase our vignce so that no matter what happens, we can reduce as much damage as possible,¡± Weig said and got up from his seat. ¡°I should start heading out. I¡¯m very happy to see you two after a long time, but I have a business to attend to. I think the Saintess should also return to her duties.¡±

    ¡°I understand.¡± Lube also followed Weig and got up from her seat.

    ¡°It was really nice to see you two after such a long time. Let¡¯s meet againter when we are free.¡± Then Lube pointed at the door. ¡°Let¡¯s go. I¡¯ll show you two where you¡¯ll stay.¡±

    All four people left the room. While they were following Lube in the hallway, Zich and L heard an unfamiliar voice.

    ¡°Why, if it isn¡¯t the Saintess.¡±

    A slight frown appeared on Weig and Lube¡¯s faces. However, it was only for a moment, and they quickly fixed their expressions.

    Lube gave a slight bow, ¡°Hello, Sir Grashane.¡±

 Side Stories: Chapter 6

    <h4>Side Stories: Chapter 6</h4>

    As if the frown on her face had been an illusion, Lube greeted Wesker like nothing happened. She greeted him with perfect etiquette and politeness that it was unbelievable that she had beenining about the man in front of her not long ago.

    ¡°I sure am lucky. I thought I would¡¯ve had to return without seeing the Saintess today.¡±

    ¡°I apologize that I couldn¡¯t keep my promise. It was for a very important matter, so I hope that you will quell your anger.¡±

    ¡°Are you insinuating that I¡¯m angry? How could I be? Hasn¡¯t it already been agreed between us that if the dragon yerse, you would prioritize them above the promise we made between us? Of course. It¡¯s only natural that you would ce the dragon yers above a mere duke¡¯s son.¡± Although Wesker smiled and said that hepletely understood, anyone could tell by his mocking tone that he didn¡¯t truly mean his words. Weig¡¯s fingers itched to move. At that instant, he wanted to pull out his sword and crack this arrogant guy¡¯s head.

    ¡°Thank you for understanding.¡± Inparison, Lube calmly bowed her head and asked, ¡°But sir, I thought you returned some time ago. Did you have something else to attend to?¡±

    ¡°There was nothing like that. I finished my conversation with His Holiness already. I was just looking around the temple because it has been a long time since I¡¯ve been here. The sightseeing was truly worth it since I happened to meet you,¡± Wesker said amiably. However, everyone also knew Wesker had been waiting for Lube the whole time and that sightseeing was simply an excuse; no, perhaps, Lube wasn¡¯t the only reason why he waited.

    ¡°So, is this person the legendary dragon yer?¡± Wesker asked, ncing at Zich and L. His eyes looked up and down at them.

    ¡®He really is an easy guy to read,¡¯ Zich thought. Although he was trying to hide it and apparently concealing it pretty well that people without keen eyes wouldn¡¯t be able to catch it, Zich knew the emotions in Wesker¡¯s eyes: envy and jealousy. These emotions deepened the moment his eyes darted to L and returned to him. Not only did Zich have the title of dragon yer and was close enough to the Karuwimans that they would push off their promise with him, but Zich had a woman with iparable beauty standing by his side. Even Zich thought he was in the perfect position to attract envy from shallow men.

    ¡°Nice to meet you, sir. If I¡¯m not wrong, I think you are probably the one called the best and strongest among the dragon yers, Sir Zich? Am I right?¡±

    ¡°Yes, I am.¡±

    ¡°I heard that you are also called the Hero of Strength?¡±

    ¡°¡­That is also true.¡±

    It seemed like the damn nickname that started in Violuwin was still following him here. However, it was a natural urrence. After all the great aplishments he had made, numerous people were curious about Zich¡¯s past and many actively worked to find out about it. As Violuwin continued to promote Zich and his party¡¯s heroic deeds to promote their tourism industry, it didn¡¯t take long for the fact that this same group was also the dragon yers and ones who annihted the Bellids. All these aplishments were attributed to one person, and Zich¡¯s fame exploded even more.

    Violuwin obviously didn¡¯t miss this opportunity. These legendary heroes had left huge marks in Violuwin, so the city began to promote Zich and his party even more. The titles they attached to these heroes became firmly established. Of course, Zich wasn¡¯t pleased by his hero title even though he didn¡¯t get chills every time he heard it.

    ¡°Then, thedy next to you must be the mage hero, Ms. L.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s as you say.¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s as beautiful as the rumors say.¡±

    ¡°Thank you for yourpliment.¡± L felt disgusted by his lecherous gaze, but she passed over the matter. She was already used to these gazes, and a look from a stranger didn¡¯t faze her in the slightest. Seeing L¡¯s indifferent response irked Wesker, and Zich felt Wesker¡¯s jealousy deepen even more.

    ¡°I¡¯ve tremendously enjoyed hearing all the stories about you both. It felt as if I was listening to fairytales I read in my youth a long time ago. If you both aren¡¯t busy, perhaps, I could hear those stories in person¡­¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m busy, sir,¡± Zich said instantly and cut off Wesker¡¯s proposal. There was a slight falter in Wesker¡¯s smiling face. His wiggling eyebrows hinted at his emotions. It almost seemed like Wesker¡¯s fake mask was breaking too easily, but it was understandable considering his status. At Miftil, no one could refuse him like this as the duke¡¯s son. Even if they went as far as refusing his request, they, of course, refused him with utmost politeness. Thus, Zich¡¯s response was a level of rudeness he had never encountered before and it was only natural that his fa?ade broke slightly.

    However, Wesker didn¡¯t react any more strongly than this. He was a noble to the core and the education and social etiquette that he received since his youth allowed him to restrain himself.

    ¡°¡­I see. That¡¯s disappointing to hear, but I suppose it can¡¯t be helped.¡±

    Wesker took one step backward. If he could, he wanted to drag Zich this instant and slice his head off, but it was impossible. Instead, Wesker etched this incident deep into his heart.

    ¡°Since I managed to see the Saintess and the great heroes, I will make my leave now.¡± Wesker bowed once and left thepany.

    ¡°He surprisingly backed away calmly,¡± L remarked.

    ¡°It¡¯s his loss if he fights here. Not many guys can act without a second thought like me,¡± Zich responded.

    ¡°Sir Zich, I guess you are also well aware that you act without thinking.¡±

    At Lube¡¯s words, Zich puffed his chest with pride. ¡°Of course.¡±

    ¡°The Saintess isn¡¯tplimenting you,¡± L said.

    ¡°Of course I know that too.¡± Nothing got through him, and his shamelessness was really admirable. It was to the extent that the three people who were already used to Zich¡¯s personality clicked their tongues.

    ¡°Honestly, I¡¯m sure that the Saintess felt d inside her mind, regardless of what happens afterward.¡±

    ¡°¡­I¡¯m not going to answer that.¡±

    ¡°Just saying that is a confirmation already.¡±

    ¡°Is this really all right? He¡¯s the Duke¡¯s heir of the Miftil Kingdom. If you make him your enemy, you might have to make not only the dukedom but the whole Miftil Kingdom as your enemy,¡± Lube asked with concern.

    ¡°So, is that a problem for me?¡±

    ¡°There is¡­¡± Come to think of it, this wasn¡¯t a problem for him. No matter how strong the Miftil Kingdom was, it was quite far from Zich¡¯s range of activities.

    ¡°They might send assassins¡­¡± Lube murmured herst words. She also knew very well that assassins couldn¡¯t beat Zich.

    ¡°See what I mean? No matter how angry he gets, he doesn¡¯t have the power to do anything to me.¡±

    ¡°Even then, Sir Zich, you should still be careful. There¡¯s nothing good about turning a whole kingdom into your enemy.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll keep that in mind.¡± Although he said this, Zich had no intentions of changing his attitude even if the situation really turned for the worst and the Miftil Kingdom turned against him.

    ¡®I can easily crush one kingdom.¡¯ Zich calmly thought things that others wouldn¡¯t even dare to think.

    Even Lube and Weig had grown quite ustomed to Zich¡¯s mindset, but they would gape in shock if they could read Zich¡¯s thoughts. Then they showed Zich and L to their rooms and left. The room assigned to them was extremely luxurious. L jumped into bed, and the soft nket enveloped her.

    ¡°So that¡¯s Wesker Grashane.¡± She moved her neck and looked at Zich.

    Zich pulled out a chair nearby and answered ¡°Yeah, you never met him in person.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I just have him in my memories.¡±

    ¡°His arrogance knows no limits.¡±

    ¡°But his skills aren¡¯t bad.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s way better than ¡®not bad.¡¯. Rather, he¡¯s one of the best when ites to talent and ability. In the Era of Demon People, he even defeated some of them. But that¡¯s the extent of his talent. He¡¯s way too drunk on his own strength and doesn¡¯t know his ce.¡±

    ¡°To the point where he tried to fight head-on with the Demon Lord of Strength, Zich Moore, right?¡±

    When L said this yfully, Zich chuckled and said, ¡°Back then, I wasn¡¯t called the Demon Lord yet, so it¡¯s understandable that he tried to fight me with his overconfidence. I don¡¯t have that good of a memory, but I clearly remember what happened during our fight. His skills were pretty good, but most of all, the expressions he made after being crushed mercilessly by me were hrious.¡±

    Wesker had been an extremely fun toy, perfectly suitable for Zich¡¯s sadistic hobby. However, Zich wasn¡¯t able to kill Wesker then, and it hadn¡¯t been on purpose.

    ¡°If Glen Zenard hadn¡¯t intervened, I would have yed with him a little more.¡± Zich had hoped for a rematch with Wesker because he hoped Wesker could entertain him again. However, Zich wasn¡¯t able to fulfill his expectations.

    ¡°I had no idea that Glen Zenard would beat me to it after rescuing Wesker.¡± When he heard this news, Zich clicked his tongue in disappointment. It was the same feeling of loss that a child felt after their toy broke. ¡°Come to think of it, was that also part of Glen Zenard¡¯s n?¡±

    ¡°Yeah,¡± L answered.

    ¡°Geez, that guy is involved with everything. Then, was Grashane¡¯s personality created by Glen Zenard too?¡±

    ¡°No, that¡¯s not it. Grashane has always been like that, and Glen Zenard just used his personality to his advantage.¡±

    Zich sarcastically replied, ¡°So Wesker always had such a cool personality? Wow, he¡¯s really an amazing guy too.¡±

    ¡°Will it be all right?¡± L asked.

    ¡°What do you mean?¡±

    ¡°About Grashane.¡±

    ¡°Are you concerned that he¡¯ll cause problems at the festival? Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll personally finish what I started before Glen Zenard beat me to it.¡±

    ¡°Considering his personality, it¡¯s highly possible that he¡¯ll cause problems at the festival, but that¡¯s not what I¡¯m talking about.¡±

    ¡°Then what is it?¡±

    ¡°They said the other kids would be arrivingter too.¡± The kids L was referring to were Hans, Snoc, Elena, and Lara¡ªin short, all the disciples. Since they were all dragon yers and received parts of the dragon, it was only natural that they would be invited to the festival.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with that?¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s Lara¡¯s fianc¨¦.¡±

    After hearing L¡¯s words, Zich recalled that Lara¡¯s surname was Browning, and her family was the Marquess family of the Miftil Kingdom. Zich said, ¡°On second thought, I think I¡¯ve also heard something about that.¡±

    ¡°Of course, the engagement was broken when Lara ran away from the family and got expelled, but Wesker won¡¯t easily let her go if he meets her. He¡¯s the type that obsesses over things that he considers as<em>his</em>.¡±

    ¡°His¡­what an interesting mindset. Well, I won¡¯t say I¡¯m surprised that he thinks like that.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s the reason why he shed with Zenard in the first ce. He started conspiring after he saw that Lara had a crush on Zenard, and Zenard used that situation to increase Lara¡¯s affinity for him.¡±

    ¡°I guess it was a battle between the two pieces of trash.¡±

    L felt extremely sorry for Lara who was stuck between them.

 Side Stories: Chapter 7

    <h4>Side Stories: Chapter 7</h4>

    ¡°You are so calm. Are you not worried?¡±

    ¡°Worried about what? What can a guy like that do to her? Although I didn¡¯t travel with Lara for that long, I gave her all the training she needed. I doubt she would suffer physically or mentally just because of one ex-fianc¨¦.¡±

    ¡°Yes, I mean Lara is different from before.¡±

    ¡°Yes, Lara prepared herself with the training she had with her family, and now she is mentally prepared from the heartache she endured with Glen Zenard.¡±

    ¡°I guess there¡¯s a time when Zenard can be helpful.¡±

    ¡°No matter how stupid that guy is and how evil all his intentions were, you can¡¯t deny the contributions he made.¡± There was no need to attach great significance to them either. ¡°Furthermore, even in the unlikely scenario that she gets hurt, Hans is with her and I¡¯m sure he will do a good job offorting her.¡±

    ¡°It won¡¯t cause them to break apart or anything, right?¡± L said but she recalled how the two had looked before they separated and immediately took her words back. ¡°No, there¡¯s no way.¡±

    ¡°Well, if bad things happen one after the other and lead to the worst situation, I can just intervene.¡± Zich nudged Windur and said, ¡°Whether it¡¯s the duke or a kingdom, I can just turn them upside down.¡±

    ¡°I hope Grashane doesn¡¯t do anything stupid. No, I¡¯m sure that¡¯s expecting the impossible. I will just have to hope that Hans and Lara share a stronger bond and rtionship than we expected.¡±

    ¡°Whatever the case is, we¡¯ll only know once Hans and Lara get here. Let¡¯s not think about the matter and rest until then. Didn¡¯t we ept the festival invitation to have a good time?¡±

    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right!¡±

    Although it might not look like it, both Zich and L had been looking forward to this festival. In the end, Zich got up from his chair andy next to L. He wrapped his arms around her waist and L also snuggled closer to Zich. She asked, ¡°What should we do first during the festival?¡±

    ¡°We don¡¯t know what they will have yet. We should know once the festival opens.¡±

    ¡°I bet there will be a lot of tasty food.¡±

    ¡°Of course. Considering the scale of this festival, I¡¯m sure vendors and merchants from other regions are alling here to get their coins.¡±

    ¡°Then, we should try out all the foods first since it¡¯s not every day you get to try so many different dishes in one ce. I am going to stock up on all the delicious ones.¡± The magic box could store food and keep it fresh for a long time.

    L added, ¡°Then, we can eat them during our travels when there¡¯s a good view.¡±

    ¡°That sounds good. It¡¯ll be even better if you add fine alcohol with it.¡±

    ¡°I should also look around for souvenirs. I¡¯m sure it will be fun to look for essories.¡±

    ¡°Was this not enough?¡± Zich grazed L¡¯s left hand and felt the ring¡¯s hard surface on her ring finger.

    ¡°That¡¯s different, you idiot.¡±

    ¡°I thought so.¡±

    The twoughed with their foreheads touching.

    ¡°Ah, we should also listen to the performances. There might be a new version to the Tales of the Great Dragon yer, the Strength Hero.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Zich¡¯s smile disappeared from his face, and with a scowl, he asked, ¡°Then, should we also check out songs dedicated to the Magic Hero?¡±

    ¡°Do as you wish, but I promise you that their numbers would be nothing inparison to the songs dedicated to Zich, the Great Hero. So, before you seek a poet who sings of the Magic Hero, I hope that you will be able to hear one less song about the hero named Zich.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Since L was at aplete advantage on this topic, even Zich couldn¡¯t find words to make a counterargument. Seeing this, Lughed out loud. Like that, the two conversed for a while clutching each other¡¯s hands tightly.

    ***

    Wesker left the Yuras temple and returned to his lodging. Though he was one of the people coborating to help this year¡¯s festival, the Karuwimans didn¡¯t lend a room at the temple to any of the coborators. Perhaps the others didn¡¯t mind, but Wesker was very peeved by the state of his amodations. He thought the Karuwimans should at least offer people from such noble and esteemed births like him with a room inside Yuras. On top of this, the Pope and the Saintess had broken the promises they made to him¡ªall because of a visit from a man named Zich.

    Zich. He was the infamous dragon yer who made a great name for himself by annihting the Bellids. His name had spread so far that he was well-known even in the Miftil Kingdom which was located considerably far away from where the central event had taken ce. Wesker clenched his fist tightly. Suddenly, someone knocked on his door.

    ¡°Come in!¡± Wesker spat out aggressively. A man opened the door and came inside. He looked to be about Wesker¡¯s age and bowed his head.

    ¡°Ah, it was you. Please excuse my behavior just now.¡± Wesker apologized after seeing that his visitor was not of low status, but his tone and attitude were still far from a proper apology. Instead, his insincere words made him appear even more rude and arrogant. Yet, the man didn¡¯t rebuke Wesker for it.

    ¡°No, it¡¯s fine, sir.¡±

    ¡°Why don¡¯t you take a seat first?¡± Wesker pointed at the chair in front of him and the man followed the order.

    ¡°I heard that you came back from your visit to the temple, sir,¡± the man said.

    ¡°Yes, I did.¡±

    ¡°How did your conversation go?¡±

    ¡°What is there to say? I simply went to confirm matters that have already been decided.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s good to hear. If you confirmed it with the Pope and the Saintess, I¡¯m sure they¡¯ll keep their word.¡±

    ¡°I did get confirmation from the Pope, but I couldn¡¯t talk to the Saintess about work matters.¡±

    The man scowled. ¡°What do you mean, sir? Didn¡¯t you make an arrangement to meet with them both?¡±

    ¡°We did make an arrangement, but the Saintess didn¡¯te.¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t believe they just broke the arrangement on their end. How dare they ignore the great Miftil Kingdom just because they defeated the Bellids!¡± The man¡¯s voice became a bit rougher and his face turned red. Although he didn¡¯t show it openly, the man seemed to be ming Wesker slightly for not doing more against the situation and returning even after being ignored.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think that was the case. No matter how high the Karuwimans¡¯ reputation has gone up, they wouldn¡¯t do such a stupid thing. This cancetion was just done under the agreed conditions.¡±

    ¡°By agreed conditions, do you mean¡­¡±

    ¡°Zich.¡±

    The man¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Sir, are you talking about Dragon yer Zich?¡±

    ¡°Yes. He visited Yuras at the same time I visited, so the Pope and Saintess prioritized meeting him as promised beforehand. Even so, the Pope only dyed my appointment for a short while, and we still met and conversed together. Considering these points, I can¡¯t say that the Karuwimans looked down on us.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m d to hear that, sir.¡± The man¡¯s anger subsided after he realized that they weren¡¯t being looked down on. Then, it was reced with curiosity. ¡°Then have you met that man named Zich?¡±

    ¡°We met. After I finished my conversation with the Pope, I waited without an appointment. I was lucky to meet him after he finished conversing with the Saintess.¡±

    ¡°How was he?¡±

    Wesker said coldly, ¡°Well, I can¡¯t say for sure since we only shared a brief conversation, but from that short interaction, I¡¯m certain that he¡¯s an extremely imprudent man.¡±

    ¡°Did he act rudely toward you, sir?¡±

    ¡°I asked him to tell me about his achievements, but he curtly told me no and said that he was busy.¡±

    ¡°What an insolent brute¡­!¡± The man got angry as if he had been the one insulted instead. ¡°Judging by his ill-bred behavior, it seems as if the rumors about his achievements and character have beenpletely distorted. How can a scoundrel like him be so highly praised?!¡±

    ¡°I also feel the same way as you do. Haven¡¯t I told you before? There¡¯s a high chance that their reputations have been grossly exaggerated.¡±

    Wesker raised his voice as if he was the only one who knew the truth in a world full of lies. ¡°There¡¯s no doubt that he¡¯s extremely skilled. Since it¡¯s a fact that a legendary dragon was caught during the Bellid¡¯s conquest, I¡¯ll admit that he¡¯s talented.¡±

    To maintain the upper hand, Wesker acknowledged Zich¡¯s achievement as if he wasplimenting a child. He continued, ¡°But I don¡¯t think he¡¯s as strong as what the rumors say about him, which praise him to the heavens like he¡¯s some legendary hero. Is the reason why no one has ever been able to subjugate the Bellids or the dragon because onecked skills? I¡¯ve never heard of anyone or any forcefully fighting a dragon and losing because of their skills. Of course not, since there were no dragons to fight. It¡¯s the same for the Bellids. Although they say he uprooted the Bellids, was he the only one who gained a victory against the Bellids? Not at all. As soon as a Bellid branch is discovered, whether it¡¯s the Karuwimans, our kingdom, or any other country, we all rush toward their nest and obliterate them. The only reason why we couldn¡¯t pull out their roots is that they were extremely good at hiding!¡±

    Wesker raised his hand and clenched his fist. ¡°If the dragon existed like a regr monster, our kingdom could have also caught the dragon. If we had known where the Bellids¡¯ main base was, we would have erased them in a heartbeat. Thus, those people who¡¯ve earned the honor of being Dragon yers or Bellid Subjugators received those titles not because of their skills but by luck. They were lucky to encounter enemies and increase their reputation to the skies!¡±

    ¡°Yes, I certainly agree!¡±

    ¡°Of course, it¡¯s true that the Bellids destroyed the Brodstock Empire and some of the surrounding countries. It¡¯s also true that their power was great enough to aplish such a feat, but from what I heard, the Brodstock Empire was way too overconfident and only mobilized their elite army to defeat the Bellids. Although the Bellids are easily defeated once they¡¯re caught, they still have a sizable force. Moreover, since that ce was their main base, it was only natural that the Brodstock Empire would face a terrible defeat after sending a troop full of themselves.¡±

    ¡°Sir, your exnation has made me clearly realize the foolishness of the Brodstock Empire.¡±

    ¡°Since their elite troop was annihted like that, the empire wasn¡¯t able to block the Bellid attack against their main forces. Since the Bellids control monsters and the undead, they grow more powerful as they expand their area of control, and that¡¯s how they were able to destroy the surrounding countries. However, their limitations were also clearly revealed in the recent war. As time went by, the advantage of their ambush disappeared, and they were eventually stopped when multiple countries united and fought against them.¡±

    ¡°Sir, you¡¯repletely right.¡±

    ¡°In short, I think the Dragon yers and Bellid Subjugators, including Zich, are all overrated.¡±

    ¡°Sir, I have no doubts that you¡¯re correct.¡±

    ¡°Anyway, since it¡¯s true that they defeated the legendary dragon and conquered the world¡¯s evil, the Bellids, I don¡¯t want to discredit their merit. Yet, I would be lying if I say their reputations haven¡¯t been greatly exaggerated when they were just lucky to be near the dragon and Bellids¡¯ main base.¡± Weskerughed darkly and said, ¡°That¡¯s why we have to earn a simr achievement as them.¡±

    ¡°Sir, if it¡¯s you, I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll be able to do it.¡±

    ¡°Thank you, but you are well aware that your help is essential for that, right?¡±

    ¡°Of course, sir. That¡¯s the reason why I¡¯m here.¡±

    ¡°As you know, I was once engaged to Lara Browning, but not anymore. So I¡¯m not in the position to ask anything of her. Blood is thicker than water, and even though she was expelled from your family, wouldn¡¯t it be much more likely that she would listen to your request instead of me? So I leave it up to you,¡± Wesker said, looking at the man in the eye. ¡°Feijadiru Browning.¡±

 Side Stories: Chapter 8

    <h4>Side Stories: Chapter 8</h4>

    ¡°Certainly, sir. I will be giving an opportunity to my foolish sister to make amends. When she ran away from home, she threw away the grace our family showed her by raising her. If she has the smallest ounce ofmon sense and integrity, she has to ept this offer.¡±

    ¡°Hmph, that¡¯s very good!¡± Wesker pped his hands like he was overjoyed to hear this news.

    ¡°If everything works out well, the world will know my name, Wesker Grashane.¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t wait for that day toe, sir.¡±

    ¡°Yes, I truly can¡¯t wait.¡±

    Their vileughter rang inside the room.

    ***

    Zich and L wandered the city. Although there was still time before the official festival started, there were already a lot more people in the city. Temporary shops were set up in certain areas and were already greeting customers. Zich and L pushed away all thoughts about doing kind acts and other troublesome matters off their minds and enjoyed the festivities¡ªof course, while in disguise to escape people¡¯s stares.

    They bought and ate various foods, inspected goods on disy, and enjoyed light entertainment. They looked just like any other couple enjoying their time. Though L knew about festivals more than anyone else with the knowledge in her head, the number of festivals she enjoyed in person was very little. Thus, like a dog ying in the snow, she dragged Zich around and wandered all over the ce.

    Zich also enjoyed the festival. Though he had been to more festivals than L, he also didn¡¯t have much experience in this regard. Before the regression, he didn¡¯t have the time to enjoy things like festivals when he was battling the entire world; furthermore, there weren¡¯t many instances that called for a festival in an era where Demon Lords and Demon People ran wild. Thus, the two busily wandered around as if their goal was to visit every open shop in the city. Though it was a bit worrisome that they wouldn¡¯t be able to enjoy the festival properly if they already saw everything, it seemed like there was no need to worry about seeing the number of shops increase day by day. The two were still speeding through the city when amotion erupted near the city wall.

    ¡°What happened? Did monsters rush in or something?¡± L pushed a cookie she just bought into her mouth and looked toward the direction of the noise.

    ¡°It¡¯s not that kind ofmotion. Rather than screams of terror, it sounds more like cheering and celebrating for someone.¡±

    The two looked at each other.

    ¡°If we came here without our disguises, there would¡¯ve been amotion like that.¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s a high possibility it¡¯s someone we know.¡±

    The two headed to the city gates. The closer they got to the gates, the number of people increased, and as Zich and L moved through the crowd, they heardments from people in their surroundings.

    ¡°What? Why are all these people here? Did something happen?¡±

    ¡°They say it¡¯s an elf! An elf came!¡±

    ¡°An elf?¡±

    An elf was a very mystical creature for an ordinary human, but the appearance of an elf or their mere existence wouldn¡¯t garner such a big crowd. There was only one asion when such things happened.

    ¡°Is it the dragon yer?¡±

    ¡°Probably. There¡¯s no other reason for so many people to gather.¡±

    ¡°Then, I want to also go and look!¡±

    The people conversing also headed to the city gates. Zich and L met eyes and nodded. They were sure it was Leona. The two snuck through the thick crowd somehow and approached the city gates. There, they were able to see a group of elves surrounded by a mass of people.

    ¡°It really is Leona.¡±

    ¡°It sure is.¡±

    ¡°What should we do?¡± L asked. Zich pondered about the matter, but he didn¡¯t think for long. If he approached Leona right now and his identity was revealed, it was certain that this huge crowd would begin to follow them. No matter how pitiful Leona¡¯s situation was, they needed to say their farewells and depart.

    ¡°She was a good friend,¡± Zich said, and L knew what he meant and immediately agreed.

    ¡°She certainly was.¡± The two looked regretfully at Leona and herpanions and turned around.

    ¡°Ah!¡± Leona then shouted. She had met eyes with Zich and L. Then, seeing that Leona had recognized them, Zich and L hurriedly passed through the crowd and began to escape.

    ¡°Huh? What? Hey, wait¡­!¡±

    They heard Leona shout something from behind, but they ignored her. They already decided that Leona and they were strangers until they escaped from the crowd.

    ¡°Where are you guys going! Help us¡­! Huh? What? Are you seriously leaving? Hey! Hey, Zich! L!¡± Leona shouted her heart out, but Zich and L had already disappeared into the crowd. Even if there were many people, she was an elf with superior eyesight, and moreover, exceptional skills. There was no way she would easily lose sight of two people unless they purposefully tried to hide themselves. With Zich and L¡¯s skills, they could surely do that, and at that point, Leona realized that the two had abandoned her and herpanions.

    ¡°Those guys!¡± Leona shouted. Yet the two who should¡¯ve heard her were already gone, and she and her other elfpanions were still trapped. Leona¡¯s mention of Zich and L¡¯s names made the crowd even more excited. In the end, Leona and the elves had to stand there and wait in front of the city gates until the holy knights from Yuras saved them.

    ***

    ¡°You betrayers!¡±

    <em>Bam!</em>Leona struck the table hard. Liquid from the teacup spilled, but Leona was too flustered to notice things like that.

    ¡°How could you leave us like that?!¡±

    ¡°Hey, hey. Why don¡¯t we calm down a bit?¡± Zich smiled brightly and tried to appease Leona, but it seemed to have the opposite effect instead.

    ¡°Caaaalm down! Did you just tell me to calm down?¡±<em>Bam!</em>Leona thumped her fist on the table again.

    ¡°You dared to run away when we were in trouble, and you are telling us to calm down?¡±

    ¡°It couldn¡¯t be helped. If we tried to help you there, more people would¡¯ve gathered and gotten more excited. I didn¡¯t want to say this with my own mouth, but I am more renowned than you, so the crowd would¡¯ve been a couple of times thicker.¡±

    Leona seemed to think that Zich¡¯s words held merit and closed her mouth, but her eyes were as fierce as ever.

    Zich continued to exin, ¡°It¡¯s not as if I could¡¯ve used physical force to move the crowd. Though they cornered you, everyone in the crowd gathered because they like you. You know that, right?¡±

    ¡°¡­I know.¡± The wall of humans stunned her, and Leona knew everyone in the crowd had pure, affectionate feelings for her. Thus, Leona and the other elves hadn¡¯t been able to force their way through and stood in ce without doing anything.

    ¡°When there¡¯s such a big crowd like that, it¡¯s best to employ a lot of people to slowly separate the crowd. That might have a reverse effect if people were protesting for something, but since everyone was there to just see your face, it worked.¡±

    ¡°¡­I get that you had your reasons.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m d you get what I mean.¡± Zich smiled inside his mind, but on the outside, he remainedposed and calmly drank his tea. He couldn¡¯t show his happiness right now¡ªbut then, Zich didn¡¯t realize that everything he had done until now would eventuallye back to him.

    ¡°¡­I also get that you¡¯re an expert in making the other person aplete fool with your sly tongue,¡± Leona said.

    ¡°Pft!¡± L had been drinking tea after leaving Zich to take care of the entire aftermath, but she hurriedly blocked her mouth. Her shoulders shook madly. She knew that she was an aplice with Zich, and her current actions would be of no help to neither her nor Zich, but she couldn¡¯t repress herughter.

    ¡°I¡¯m sure it¡¯s the same for this case too,¡± Leona said.

    ¡°How could you say that? I¡¯m only telling the truth.¡± There was no sense of wavering in Zich¡¯s face. Other people might have been fooled by that face, but Leona knew him too well.

    ¡°Yes, you are telling the truth but denying another truth simultaneously.¡±

    ¡®¡­Is this really the gullible, pushover Leona I once knew?¡¯ Zich couldn¡¯t believe this was the same naive Leona when she first came to the human world. Yet, Leona didn¡¯t stop there.

    ¡°If it¡¯s you, I¡¯m sure you would¡¯ve been able to disperse the crowd. With your talking skills, you could¡¯ve calmed the crowd with some intimidation. Not to mention, these are things I just came up with off the top of my head. Don¡¯t tell me you couldn¡¯t think of them either.¡±

    ¡°As I said before, I did my best¡­¡±

    ¡°You ran away because you thought it was bothersome.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡± Zich was really shocked¡ªto think Leona had seen right through him. L also appeared stunned while sitting next to him. Zich smiled and ced his hands on top of Leona¡¯s shoulders with warm eyes and said, ¡°To think that our gullible Leona grew up so much. It must¡¯ve been all the experiences that I helped you umte in our travels¡­¡±

    ¡°So, you really did escape!¡± Leona shouted while getting up. After that, the three continued to make a fuss for a while.

    ***

    ¡°Hm! Hmmm!¡± Leona¡¯s footsteps were light as she whistled. From behind, Zich and L followed her.

    ¡°Can you be any slower?¡± Leona red back at the two. Zich and L quickened their pace and approached Leona. She looked at them with a satisfied look on her face and pointed in one direction.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go look at that next time!¡±

    ¡°Sure.¡±

    ¡°Okay.¡±

    Neither Zich nor L refused¡ªno, they couldn¡¯t. For the price of abandoning her, Leona demanded the right to drag the two around the city for a while. It sounded like a grand request, but in the end, it just meant that she wanted to enjoy the festival with them. Naturally, the two had no right to refuse nor did they feelpelled to.

    ¡°As I thought, human festivals are fun!¡± Leona smiled while holding food she bought at a nearby stall.

    ¡°Isn¡¯t it ufortable?¡± L asked.

    ¡°Huh? You mean this? It¡¯s fine.¡± Leona had a bandana wrapped around her head to hide her long ears. ¡°It¡¯s not that ufortable, and the difort is totally worth it to enjoy the festival freely.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s good then.¡±

    ¡°Yup. I¡¯m going to eat and y as much as I want before I return,¡± Leona said with great determination as if she was preparing to do something very formidable, yet the contents of her words were far from anything serious.

    ¡°Will it be all right for you to just y around like that? I thought you came as the elf representative, and this is sort of a diplomatic business trip for you,¡± Zich asked.

    Leona answered, ¡°The others I came with will do most of the work anyway. They are better experts than me in this matter. Furthermore, I already have important schedules in my head, so I just need to do those as the representative.¡±

    Then, she stretched out both arms and said, ¡°So, I will y in the rest of my free time! I don¡¯t know when I can leave the forest again, so I have to make full use of it. You both can help me make the best use of my time. So, don¡¯t escape likest time.¡±

    Leona pouted and Zich and L smirked.

    ¡°Okay. We won¡¯t be able to y with you for the entire festival, but we will try our best at least for now.¡±

    ¡°Really? It¡¯s a promise!¡± Leona smiled brightly. Like that, the three wandered through the city for a while, looking for entertainment.

 Side Stories: Chapter 9

    <h4>Side Stories: Chapter 9</h4>

    Snoc, Elena, Walwiss, and Pina arrived after Leona. They came with several other Sunewick mages and weren¡¯t stunned by therge crowd that gathered around them. Though they were celebrated as much as Leona¡¯s team, they yed along with the crowd and skillfully got away. After greeting the Pope and the Saintess at Yuras, they went to visit Zich and L.

    ¡°Master!¡±

    ¡°Master!¡±

    Snoc and Elena shouted at the same time. Like dogs seeing their owners after a long time, each of them went off to their respective teachers. Elena and Snoc responded the same way, but Zich and L responded differently when they saw their ex-disciples.

    ¡°It¡¯s been a while, Elena!¡± L greeted Elena with a bright smile.

    ¡°What are you running toward me for?¡± Zich chided and ruffled Snoc¡¯s hair. Yet, it appeared that Zich was also in a good mood, and there was a slight smile hanging on his lips.

    <em>Koo!</em>

    ¡°Oh, Nowem. How have you been doing? I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s because I haven¡¯t seen you for long, but you seem to have gained some weight?¡±

    <em>Koo?</em>Nowem studied his body in surprise, and L looked up from patting Elena¡¯s head.

    ¡°Really? A mythical beast can also gain weight? This is my first time hearing such information.¡± L¡¯s eyes reflected a mage¡¯s characteristically curious gaze. Nowem shuddered because it was a gaze he was very familiar with; all the mages who said they wanted to experiment on him looked at him with such eyes.

    ¡°Huh? Really? I didn¡¯t notice ''cause he¡¯s always with me.¡±

    When Elena also looked at him with the same gaze, Nowem cried out, ¡°Koo!¡± and dug deeper into Snoc¡¯s chest inside his clothes. Soon, Snoc¡¯s chest area wiggled and calm down. It seemed like Nowem had taken a perfect seat inside Snoc¡¯s clothes and had no intention of leaving for a while.

    ¡°Please stop joking. Look at how scared Nowem gets.¡±

    ¡°Hahaha. This guy has a lot of fear for a mythical beast. To think he would get so scared of a little joke like this. Don¡¯t you think so?¡± Zichughed and asked L and Elena.

    ¡°A joke?¡±

    ¡°Joking about what, sir?¡±

    ¡°¡­Hm. As I thought, mages are apletely different species that defies expectations. Protect Nowem well, Snoc.¡±

    ¡°¡­I am staying in the magical tower right now. Can I really protect him well?¡±

    ¡°If you don¡¯t, your friend will get sliced into small pieces.¡±

    <em>Koo!</em>Snoc¡¯s chest area wiggled again. It sounded like Nowem was thumping on Snoc¡¯s chest with his front legs. He was signaling to Snoc to protect him.

    ¡°Haha, I was joking, Nowem. There¡¯s no way I would do that.¡±

    ¡°Yes, I was just joking with my master. That¡¯s all.¡±

    <em>Koo?</em>

    Nowem peeked out with his face after hearing L and Elena¡¯s words. Fortunately, the dangerous look in their eyes had disappeared. Nowem let out a sigh of relief and while maintaining his wariness against the two, he climbed up Snoc¡¯s shoulders again. It seemed like he was prepared to jump into Snoc¡¯s chest as soon as something happened.

    ¡°Did I tease him too much?¡± Elena made a bitter smile. Since she was excited to meet L, she had gone a bit further on the joke than usual.

    ¡°Tch, tch. That¡¯s why you shouldn¡¯t push things too far. Nowem must be shocked after all the teasing he got.¡± Walwiss walked inte behind Snoc and Elena and clicked his tongue. ¡°You are still hung up on one mythical beast at your age.¡±

    Walwiss looked at Nowem, and Nowem¡¯s eyes brightened as if he was seeing his savior. Yet, when Walwiss made an ominous smile, all the hair on Nowem¡¯s body rose.

    ¡°I dissected many mythical beasts when I was your age¡­¡±

    <em>Kooo!</em>

    Nowem dug into Snoc¡¯s chest again, and Snoc¡¯s clothes kept shuddering. After that, it took quite a long time for Nowem toe outside again.

    ***

    ¡°Sir Dwayne, you are also quite mischievous.¡±

    ¡°Haha, I didn¡¯t think he would be so shocked by a light joke like that. I¡¯m more surprised than him. Is he really a mythical beast? You didn¡¯t just get a random mole from the fields?¡±

    <em>Kooo!</em>Nowem stopped nibbling the cookies on the table and protested. He had calmed down considerably at this point.

    ¡°Huh? What? You want to go at it with the great mage, Walwiss Dwayne? Even if you are the mythical beast of the earth¡­ah! You bastard!¡± Nowem rushed toward his teacup and sshed his cookie-crumb-smeared front paws into the tea. Nowem stuck out his tongue at Walwiss and dug into Snoc¡¯s clothes again.

    ¡°¡­It¡¯s wet.¡± Snoc sighed after seeing the chest portion of his clothes be damp from Nowem¡¯s tea-soaked legs.

    ¡°Snoc! Give me that damn mole to me! Whether he¡¯s a mythical beast or not, I will¡­!¡±

    ¡°Stop it, Grandpa!¡± Though she had also teased Nowem, she thought Walwiss¡¯ behavior was embarrassing and clutched Walwiss¡¯ arms. Walwiss stared at Snoc¡¯s chest area disapprovingly, but no matter how hard he red, there was no way Snoc would rip the front part of his shirt open and Nowem would peep out.

    ¡°Urgh.¡±

    Walwiss gave up in the end. He grumbled a few times as he saw that his teacup was missing about a third of its contents and had cookie crumbs floating on top. However, that was the extent of his reaction since he wasn¡¯t really angry. He quickly reverted to his usual expression as he looked at Zich and L and asked, ¡°So, how have you two been?¡±

    Both of them nodded. Zich answered, ¡°We¡¯ve been well.¡±

    ¡°Are you still doing those kind acts?¡±

    ¡°Of course.¡±

    ¡°You must have made many evil bastards cry.¡±

    ¡°I would appreciate it if you say that I relieved the anger and pain of innocent victims.¡±

    ¡°Yes, I¡¯ll leave it at that.¡± Walwiss didn¡¯t object to crushing bad guys, so it didn¡¯t matter what Zich did to them.

    ¡°How have you been doing, Sir Dwayne?¡± Zich asked.

    ¡°I¡¯ve been holed up inside myboratory after returning to Sunewick. Thest battle I fought with you left a deep impression on me.¡± Although Walwiss had umted a great amount of experience in his life, it was the first time he ever fought a battle like that. No matter how old he was, he was still an inquisitive mage. Moreover, since he was hailed as the best mage, he was always thirsty for more knowledge and ways to improve his magic. After separating from Zich, Walwiss immediately holed himself in ab in Sunewick.

    ¡°Have you had any sess?¡±

    ¡°Not yet, but it was extremely fun. I found something fun to experiment with in myter years.¡± Walwissughed as he talked, and he looked extremely happy. ¡°Other than that, I spent my time teaching Elena and Snoc.¡±

    ¡°You must have taught Elena magic, but what else did you teach Snoc besides mana control?¡±

    ¡°There was nothing much to teach besides controlling his power since he¡¯s a different type from me, and you¡¯ve taught him the basics very well. What I taught him is the history of the magical tower and the cultural mannerism he should respect.¡± Walwiss stared at Snoc and Elena. ¡°If he wants to join the Dwayne family, he should know at least that much.¡±

    ¡°Ah, as expected, that¡¯s what happened.¡±

    Snoc and Elena blushed slightly, but neither Zich nor L were surprised. Before they separated, they thought that it was only a matter of time until Snoc and Elena became a couple.

    ¡°I seriously dislike him, but I guess it can¡¯t be helped since Elena likes him.¡± Walwiss red at Snoc, but he wasn¡¯t ignoring Snoc. Walwiss would have treated any man the same no matter how skilled or what high status they held if they approached Elena.

    ¡°Look at that. She¡¯s ring at her dear grandpa just because I insulted her boyfriend a little. You should be prepared once you get a child too. When they meet someone they like, they¡¯ll treat their parents, grandpa, and grandma harshly like that.¡±

    ¡°Oh, Grandpa!¡± Elena cried out.

    ¡°My ears haven¡¯t gone deaf, child.¡±

    Zichughed while watching Walwiss and Elena fight and turned his head toward Snoc. ¡°So, how¡¯s your life in the tower?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s good, but I can¡¯t get used to it because it¡¯s too luxurious for me. To be honest, I¡¯m not sure if I deserve such treatment.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t think too hard about it.¡±

    Considering Snoc¡¯s background, it was a matter that troubled him, but it was a pointless concern. ¡°You might think that you¡¯re able to live a life like that thanks to Elena, but you¡¯re fully capable of earning a life like that by yourself too.¡±

    As a Dragon yer and Bellid Subjugator, Snoc¡¯s reputation was renowned throughout the world. Moreover, as a magical beast¡¯s contractor, Snoc¡¯s ability was among the world¡¯s best. There was a clear reason why he was called the Earth¡¯s Tyrant and ruined a whole country before Zich¡¯s regression. If he decided to join a country right now, he could be promised a high status. In particr, if he joined a country that was familiar with him and Zich, he could be guaranteed an even higher status.

    ¡°So don¡¯t sweat it. Most of all, even though you¡¯ve be independent, you¡¯re still my disciple. You¡¯re not going to lose to anyone, even in the magical tower.¡±

    Snocughed. It had been a long time since he faced Zich¡¯s self-confidence, which verged on arrogance. Yet, this made him feel at ease. As expected, his master was an amazing person.

    ¡°I understand, sir.¡±

    ¡°Then, that¡¯s good enough.¡±

    ¡°Geez, how can one person try to be on equal footing as our prestigious Dwayne family of Sunewick¡¯s magical tower? Still, it¡¯s amazing that I can¡¯t deny it either.¡± Although Walwiss had great pride in his family name, even he could not dismiss Zich¡¯s words as mere bluff. The power and force that Zich showed at the Bellids¡¯ main base was nothing short of astounding.

    ¡°Come to think of it, I heard that you came with Pina Acous.¡±

    ¡°The Karuwimans asked us to bring the dragon¡¯s body this time, so since she owns a part of the body, I also had to bring her as well.¡±

    ¡°Your rtionship with her seems to have gotten better.¡±

    ¡°As you know, the reason why such a big rift formed between our school and her school is because of the coup. Since neither of us was in the right, it¡¯s ridiculous for us to keep hating each other. Our personal feelings subsided somewhat over time, and it wasn¡¯t that difficult to convince her since she prioritizes restoring her school¡¯s reputation over anything else. Also, it¡¯s not like I have the right to say anything since I did such a bad job raising my kid.¡±

    ¡°But it seems like you¡¯re still not on close terms.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s the way it originally was. Anyway, I heard that the elf was here first.¡±

    ¡°She came to enjoy the festival. She¡¯s been out and about every day since she arrived in the city.¡±

    ¡°Didn¡¯t the festival not start yet?¡±

    ¡°Yes, but there are still quite a lot of things to enjoy since there are many stores that opened early.¡±

    ¡°Well, no wonder. She¡¯s the type who¡¯s really into those things,¡± Walwiss replied and rose from his seat. ¡°Then this old man will start heading out soon. The young folks need time for themselves. I¡¯ll be browsing the streets, so why don¡¯t you guys catch up?¡±

    Walwiss left the room.

    The remaining four started by giving updates about their life and began conversing about various topics. Since they had been separated for a while, there were endless topics to discuss, and asionalughter burst out between their conversations. Like this, the two pairs of master and disciple talked for a long time.

 Side Stories: Chapter 10

    Side Stories: Chapter 10

    Two people entered the city. In a city with a high poption and numbers increasing as the festival day approached closer, no one paid attention to them. The two passed through the bustling streets and stopped in front of a restaurant. They sat on the tables outside, facing each other, and ordered a light meal. People were chattering loudly around them. The two craned their ears toward the conversations and heard people fuss about the elves, mages, and other dragon yers that had begun to gather in this city one by one.

    ¡°Quite a lot of people came here earlier than us.¡±

    ¡°I wonder if they changed a lot?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s only been a year since we separated. I don¡¯t think they would¡¯ve changed that much.¡± Hans received the food and drinks the store owner handed to him and added, ¡°We didn¡¯t change too much either.¡±

    ¡°Who knows? Maybe we just don¡¯t realize it, but other people would think that we changed a bit.¡± Lara took a sip of her drink and continued, ¡°I want to meet them quickly. I wonder how they spent the past year.¡±

    ¡°I thought this before, but you ce great meaning on this idea of panions.¡¯¡±

    ¡°Well, that¡¯s what I always looked forward to the most when I left my family. I dreamed of going on mystical adventures while enacting justice with mypanions. Sadly, the first panions¡¯ I made were Glen and hispanions.¡±

    ¡°And it was the worst kind.¡±

    ¡°That was definitely the case for Glen.¡±

    Since a lot of time had passed then and Lara came to terms with the incident, her face looked peaceful even when Glen was mentioned.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know about Windne and Acous either. Honestly, Windne seemed a bit worldly, but Acous didn¡¯t seem like a bad person. It seemed like her mind was slightly upied by something else, and even Windne is nicepared to Zenard.¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s no one who isn¡¯t nicepared to that man.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s true, but that¡¯s why I was especially happy when I got out of that party and joined Sir Zich¡¯s party. Though it had its peculiarities, the camaraderie betweenpanions was certainly there.¡±

    ¡°I see.¡±

    ¡°Ah, of course, my travels with you were very enjoyable,¡± Lara said with a big smile on her face. Hans also smiled. Although his travels were certainly different from the adventures he had with Zich and the others this year, he enjoyed them equally.

    ¡°If I meet them this time, I think it would be a good idea to talk to Windne and Acous again. I couldn¡¯t talk to them properly in the past because we had been too focused on our individual goals,¡± Lara said.

    ¡°I hope everything works out.¡±

    ¡°I have a good feeling about it. Right before I left the party, I had an enjoyable conversation with the two¡ªthough it was cut off by Glen¡¯s appearance. Now that I think back to it, I think everything will work out well.¡±

    ¡°If you need any help, tell me. I will do all I can to help.¡±

    ¡°Thank you.¡±

    The two looked into each other¡¯s eyes warmly. It was a sight that would¡¯ve warmed most viewers¡¯ hearts, and no one would¡¯ve wanted to bother them at this moment. Yet, there were always exceptions to every case.

    ¡°Hey, bro! Are you on a date with this pretty girlie? It seems like you are having a mighty great time! Can I join you?¡± Even a third-rate viin from the rattiest back street wouldn¡¯t have talked like this man. Yet, this man shouted in an arrogant tone¡ªjust like a disposable extra who existed to provoke the main character with his lover and get immediately defeated. To Hans and Lara, this wasn¡¯t an umon happening. Trash was always everywhere, and Lara was undeniably a beauty. So, there were some men who thought they could steal her away from Hans.

    Of course, they posed no threat to Hans and Lara since the world recognized them for their skills, and these provokers always received their rightful punishments in the end. Yet, it was true that these interactions always soured their moods. Usually, Hans would¡¯ve gotten angry and given a man like this a Zich-like education, but he acted differently this time. Hans smirked and said, ¡°It¡¯s true that Lara is beautiful, but don¡¯t you also have someone beside you who is renowned for her beauty? Please don¡¯t stir up trouble by two-timing and give up on Lara already.¡±

    ¡°What are you talking about? A man with many skills like me should have a couple of lovers at least, kurgh¡­!¡±

    ¡°You bber so well with that mouth of yours. Should I fill your mouth with dirt and freeze your lips with ice?¡±

    The arrogant man¡¯s voice was reced by pained screams and a greatly disgruntled groan. Hans turned around and saw two people standing behind him. One man was struggling with both his arms tied back, and a woman was ring intently at him while holding the man¡¯s arms back. The two looked slightly different from Hans¡¯ image of them, but after everything they had gone through together, their disguises weren¡¯t enough to trick him.

    ¡°I¡¯m d to see that you both look healthy, Sir Zich and Lady L.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s been a while, you two.¡±

    The two greeted Hans and Lara after meeting each other after a year.

    ***

    ¡°Ow, ow, ow! My bones still ache.¡± Zich rotated his arm in exaggerated body movements. Yet, L didn¡¯t feel an ounce of guilt seeing this and felt more peeved instead.

    ¡°Stop pretending it hurts. You don¡¯t even groan when you are covered in blood from head to toe.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s when I¡¯m in battle. I am saying it hurts because it hurts. Especially the attack you did to me just now hurt more than any attack that I¡¯ve endured before.¡±

    ¡°As if.¡±

    They didn¡¯t change at all. As Zich and L bickered, Hans felt as if he had been transported to one year ago and felt his heart calm down.

    ¡°I¡¯m surprised you both came earlier than us, sir. I heard that Leona, Snoc, and Elena came already, but I didn¡¯t hear any news about you, so I thought you might not have arrived yet,¡± Hans said.

    ¡°Those people walked into the city in full view. Therefore, Leona and the elves were surrounded by people and couldn¡¯t move away from the front of the castle gates for a while. Unlike them, we disguised ourselves and quietly came in¡ªjust like you guys.¡±

    Zich studied the belts around Hans and Lara¡¯s waists. Their two swords, Estede and Tornium, represented one of their most recognizable traits and were disguised as ordinary swords. They hid their swords by covering them up with a camouge shell on top of their sword sheath. Of course, they also slightly changed their appearance too.

    ¡°You two haven¡¯t changed at all,¡± Lara said.

    ¡°I think it¡¯s the same for you two as well. Ah, but it seems like your rtionship status has definitely changed.¡± L¡¯s mischievous expression and subtle tone urged them to tell the truth.

    Since he had no intentions of hiding it anyway, Hans immediately answered, ¡°Yes, you¡¯re correct. We became lovers.¡±

    ¡°I see! Congrattions!¡± L eximed with a bright face, and her mischievous expressionpletely disappeared.

    Then she poked Zich with her elbow. ¡°What are you doing? Your dear disciple finally has a girlfriend. Why don¡¯t you quickly congratte him?¡±

    ¡°What do you mean, dear disciple? Stop using such frightening expressions.¡± Zich showed the goosebumps on his arms, but he also didn¡¯t forget to congratte Lara and Hans. ¡°Yeah, congrats. Honestly, I thought it was just a matter of time, and if you hadn¡¯t made any progress so far, I would have given you special guidance myself. I guess you don¡¯t need it now.¡±

    ¡°¡­I¡¯ve never been so d that I confessed to Lara as of right now.¡± Hans had no idea what Zich¡¯s ¡®special guidance¡¯ involved, but he was certain that it would be anything but gentle. He could even bet Estede on it.

    ¡°Now all of the disciples are a couple,¡± L said.

    ¡°All? Did Snoc and Elena also be a couple?¡± Hans asked.

    ¡°Yeah. It seems like they¡¯re learning all kinds of subjects while staying at the Dwayne residence.¡±

    Hans looked slightly surprised by L¡¯s answer, but heter nodded. ¡°It¡¯s understandable that their rtionship progressed like that. Rather, it would have been strange if they didn¡¯t end up together.¡±

    ¡°From our point of view, you two were the same.¡±

    ¡°Haha, as expected of you, Lady L. You¡¯ve seen through all of us from the start.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m pretty sharp like that,¡± L said triumphantly, and Zichughed at her.

    ¡°Why don¡¯t you say that in front of Evelyn?¡±

    ¡°Ugh!¡± Evelyn was the one who gave all kinds of romantic advice to L, who was awkward with the feeling of love. L was speechless at Zich¡¯s unexpected attack.

    ¡°Come to think of it, it¡¯s been a while since we¡¯vest seen her. Will she also being here?¡± Hans asked.

    ¡°I told them to invite them here. With Joachim,¡± Zich answered. The Karuwimans hadn¡¯t denied his request either. It was from Zich after all, and Count Dracul and Marquess Rouge had supported Count Steelwall against the allied forces even before the Bellids began their invasion in earnest. In other words, the Karuwimans were very grateful for their help in the early efforts against the Bellids before the full-out invasion began. Even if they were not on the list of dragon yers or Bellid subjugators, the Karuwimans had no qualms about sending them invitations to the festival.

    ¡°It¡¯s been a long time since west saw them.¡±

    ¡°They¡¯ll probably arrive right at the start of the festival since they need to manage the estate and would want to reduce the amount of time they leave their estates as much as possible. That¡¯s probably the same case for the Steelwalls as well.¡±

    The word Steelwall could have been a sensitive topic, but neither Zich nor the others listening to him reacted much. The rtionship between Zich and the Steelwalls had already been settled.

    ¡°The Count will probably note, right?¡± Hans asked.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know. I think he¡¯ll probably send out Greig as the representative, but there¡¯s nothing preventing him froming himself.¡±

    ¡°Then it¡¯ll be nice for me to go and visit himter.¡± Hans¡¯ feelings for the Steelwalls werepletely different from Zich¡¯s, but Zich had no intentions to criticize or put him down for it.

    ¡°If we¡¯re done eating, let¡¯s start heading out. You two need to greet the Pope first. Then let¡¯s see how much your skills have improved since then.¡± Their evaluation of Snoc and Elena had already beenpleted. It was a master¡¯s duty to also check the progress of their disciple, and neither Hans nor Lara were shielded from this as well.

    ¡°Yes, sir. I look forward to sparring with you shortly.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ll be in your care.¡±

    Hans and Lara stood up with nervousness and anticipation.

    * * *

    After Hans and Lara also joined them, Zich¡¯s party became quite boisterous. They hung out normally as the one-year gap hadn¡¯t made any difference between them. At first, they all moved around together, but after a few days, they moved in groups. The members of each group were different from time to time. Today, Lara finally carried out her n into action.

    ¡°Why did you bring us out?¡± Pina nced suspiciously at Lara who was walking ahead.

    Inparison, Chelsea weed Lara by stretching her arms out. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter to me whatever it is. I¡¯m just d to be finally free from the hectic situation.¡±

    ¡°It must be very hard for you,¡± Lara said.

    ¡°Well, we¡¯re in the middle of preparing for a festival. Whether it¡¯s a priest or holy knight, every Karuwiman is extremely busy. Still, I¡¯m curious why you called us.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s nothing big. We traveled together before, but we¡¯ve never talked to each other properly. So I thought we should use this opportunity to finally converse together.¡±

    Chelsea was delighted. ¡°Ah, you want to have a meeting for the victims of Glen Zenard. If that¡¯s the case, I¡¯m all for it! No matter how much Iin about that basta¡ªperson, it¡¯ll never be enough.¡±

    Chelsea hurriedly refrained from saying a swear word and quickly changed her words. However, Lara and Pina were already familiar with Chelsea¡¯s personality, so they didn¡¯t pay much attention.

    ¡°A meeting for victims. It¡¯s a pretty good name¡ªI don¡¯t really mind. What about you, Ms. Acous?¡±

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter to me either.¡±

    ¡°Then it¡¯s decided. Let¡¯s go into a store and talk about anything we want.¡±

 Side Stories: Chapter 11

    Side Stories: Chapter 11

    As the beer ss tilted, its contents disappeared inside Chelsea¡¯s mouth instantly. Though the size of the ss wasrge and the amount of beer in it was likewise a lot, it didn¡¯t take long for the ss to be emptied.

    ¡°Kuh!¡± Chelsea mmed the beer ss roughly on the table, licked off the drops of beer around her mouth, and smiled.

    Unlike her, Pina was sipping her drink little by little, and she said, ¡°You don¡¯t look like a priest serving Karuna at all.¡±

    ¡°Even if I¡¯m a priest, I¡¯m on break right now. I even left my priest clothes toe here.¡± Although it was a bit more luxurious than normal fashion, Chelsea was wearing civilian clothes.

    ¡°Furthermore, God Karuna doesn¡¯t forbid us from drinking, nor is there a religious doctrine that advises followers against overdrinking. That reason alone makes God Karuna a truly great entity.¡±

    ¡°You say Karuna is a great god because they let you drink? Do you really serve this Karuna?¡±

    ¡°Why are you doubting me? Don¡¯t you know that I was even one of the final candidates to be the Karuwiman Saintess even though Lube knocked me out?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m d to hear that the Karuwimans still have their sense of judgment. No, should I doubt that since you were able to go far as being one of their final candidates?¡±

    ¡°What? What about you, Acous? You¡¯re in a precarious state because your entire school of magic was pushed out from the magical tower.¡±

    ¡°What did you say?¡±

    A cold chill flowed between the two in an instant.

    ¡°H-Hey! Calm down you two.¡± Lara tried to stop them. While dripping in cold sweat, she thought, ¡®As I thought, did I hope for too much?¡¯

    It was a meeting Lara organized while knowing that the two didn¡¯t have the most amiable personalities. However, when she saw the two attack each other with their most sensitive topics after just a couple of minutes of sitting down, Lara began to think that she might have been too optimistic about the whole thing. However, unlike her worries, the two quickly settled their fury and no longer looked like they were going to start a fight.

    ¡°Another ss, please!¡± Chelsea yelled to a passing server.

    ¡°Same for me,¡± Pina also ordered. She had also finished her ss somehow at her slow speed.

    ¡°Ah, me too.¡± Lara also joined them. Her ss had been emptied beforehand.

    Soon, three new sses were ced in front of the three. Chelsea gulped down the beer first, and like before, mmed an empty ss down with a rough exmation.

    ¡°If you think about it, we¡¯ve nothing to gain by attacking each other. It¡¯s true that I was pushed out of the Saintess position anyways.¡±

    ¡°¡­It¡¯s also true that my school of magic was removed from power.¡±

    ¡®Huh?¡¯ Lara blinked hard. After almost erupting into a fight, the two murmured words that sounded like self-depreciation. Yet, they didn¡¯t seem to be in low spirits either and seemed light-hearted as if they were freed from a great burden.

    ¡°Why? Are you surprised that we aren¡¯t at each other¡¯s throats?¡±

    ¡°Ah, I wouldn¡¯t go that far¡­¡± Lara¡¯s voice trailed off at Pina¡¯s question. Although Lara wanted to nod a hundred times, she couldn¡¯t tantly agree.

    ¡°There¡¯s no point in fighting here. It¡¯s true my school was pushed out, and when I was unwilling to ept this fact, I desperately tried to regain its honor but almost ended its future instead by being marked as a Bellid coborator. If you think about that, I really needed to ept reality.¡±

    ¡°During that time, Acous couldn¡¯t see anything else but what was right in front of her,¡± Chelsea said.

    Pina was talking objectively about her situation, but she felt irked hearing Chelsea¡¯sment and quipped, ¡°That¡¯s the same for you. You made all that fuss about dragging down the Saintess. You know that being marked as a Bellid coborator is more dangerous for you than me, right?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s just as you say.¡± Chelsea shrugged her shoulders. ¡°I wanted to use all means possible to take the Saintess position. That¡¯s why I bit off more than I could chew and risked everything like Ms. Acous said.¡±

    Chelsea sighed and continued, ¡°If I think about it now, it¡¯s almost unbelievable that I¡¯m drinking here and chatting with you both. At that time, I was in a perfect situation to have my head beheaded and have my head on disy right in front of the city gates. No, perhaps, beheading would¡¯ve been too much of a light punishment for me, and I would¡¯ve been burned instead.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s the same for me. Rather than recovering my school¡¯s honor, I might have been permanently barred from the magical tower. Thinking about it again gives me the chills.¡±

    Like that, the two talked and empathized with one another. Considering theirmon past and experiences, they were able to talk with ease, and there was no hint of the previous chilly atmosphere.

    ¡®It appears that the two have lost their fangs,¡¯ Lara thought.

    It was clear that thedies¡¯ strong personalities hadn¡¯t changed much, but they no longer seemed determined to rush forward and destroy everything hindering their path. It wasn¡¯t bad drinking and talking about all sorts of things with them like this now. This was the scene Lara had pictured when setting up this meeting, and a smile formed on her lips. But soon, Chelsea and Pina shot their gazes at her simultaneously, and Lara flinched.

    ¡°I envy you, Lara. Even though you were with us, you are now part of a group that achieved perfect sess,¡± Chelsea said.

    ¡°Now that you mention it, Lara had been with Glen first,¡± Acous said.

    ¡°Sorry?¡± Lara was surprised that the topic of the conversation turned to her, but the two didn¡¯t seem resentful of her¡ªthey were very envious instead.

    ¡°Wasn¡¯t the biggest reason why Lara left was because Glen chased her out?¡±

    ¡°He always scorned her for not focusing on shields and chased her out in the end.¡±

    ¡°Why didn¡¯t that guy chase me away instead?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I wish he would¡¯ve done that to me too.¡±

    Laraughed awkwardly at theirints.

    ¡°You should stay put in that group since you joined anyways. You even got a cool boyfriend, and moreover, Sir Zich is in that group. You have many things to gain by staying close to that man.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know how I feel about getting close to a person for benefits¡­¡± Lara said. It had been a pleasurable experience to receive Zich¡¯s training, but she was unwilling to befriend him for just that. However, it appeared that Lara was the only one with these thoughts.

    ¡°How ironic. I¡¯m desperately trying to strengthen my rtionship with him to raise my status, and then there¡¯s you who is not interested in those things at all when you are close to him,¡± Chelsea said.

    ¡°Well, people don¡¯t tend to value the things they already possess, no matter how valuable it is. Or is she just kind? If you don¡¯t think you need high status or prestige, then that¡¯ll be kind of annoying.¡± Pina then added, ¡°Or maybe she was able to join that group because she¡¯s a person like that.¡±

    ¡°¡­I suddenly want to see Lara drunk.¡±

    ¡°So do I.¡±

    Chelsea and Pina lifted their sses while looking at Lara as if she was their prey. Lara was flustered by their attacks, but she said, ¡°I don¡¯t mind that you two are trying to get me drunk, but as someone who physically trains my body, you two know that I have a much higher tolerance than both of you, right?¡±

    Chelsea and Pina made eye contact.

    ¡°God Karuna states that one must refrain from futile hatred.¡±

    ¡°Mages are rational thinkers. Taking out my anger on someone else is pointless.¡±

    Lara burst intoughter at their shameless excuses. ¡°Those are some great words. Why don¡¯t you two stop talking about trying to make someone drunk and enjoy your drinks at your own pace?¡±

    When Lara raised her ss, Chelsea and Pina also raised their sses. Three sses lightly clinked against each other.

    As they drank, their conversation became more natural, and they talked about trivial topics and even sensitive issues. However, they talked without hurting anyone¡¯s feelings or provoking each other more than necessary¡ªalthough mild sarcasm was quite frequent, the conversation smoothly flowed without trouble.

    Laraughed with Pina at Chelsea¡¯s light-hearted jokes, and a scene very close to what she was hoping was unfolding in front of her. If they separated after chatting like this, her day would have been perfect. She could probably go to bed in a good mood. However, bad things usually came out of nowhere. Lara felt someone stand next to her and looked up.

    ¡°Of all ces, I didn¡¯t expect to meet you at a ce like this.¡± It was an unpleasant voice. Lara instantly frowned. Although she hadn¡¯t heard this voice for quite a while, Lara immediately recognized the owner of this voice.

    ¡°¡­I thought you might be here¡­You look healthy,¡± Lara said.

    ¡°You too.¡±

    Pina looked at the man who suddenly interrupted their conversation and carefully asked Chelsea, ¡°Who¡¯s that? Do you know who he is?¡±

    ¡°Well, I don¡¯t know. He seems like a noble¡­¡± Considering his luxurious clothes and the guards standing on either side, the man seemed to be of high status. However, the most telling sign was the unmistakable arrogance in his voice.

    While Pina and Chelsea tried to guess the identity of the uninvited guest, Lara asked, ¡°So, what¡¯s your business with me?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re giving me quite the cold shoulder. It¡¯s not like we¡¯re strangers.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re worse than strangers. If you don¡¯t have any business with me, why don¡¯t you move away? I¡¯m in the middle of talking to my friends right now.¡±

    The man¡¯s eyes nced at Chelsea and Pina. However, they quickly fixated on Lara again. ¡°I do have business with you. This is great actually. Since you¡¯re here, I¡¯ll tell you while we¡¯re at it. Just like you, I don¡¯t want to see you any more than I have to.¡±

    ¡°My apologies. Even if you have business with me, can you tell meter? I¡¯m saying this again, but I¡¯m talking to my friends right now.¡±

    ¡°My business with you is much more important than such a trivial matter.¡±

    Pina and Chelsea frowned. A man who seemed to know Lara suddenly appeared. However, they greatly disliked him because of his arrogant tone and clear disrespect towards them. They had strong personalities as well, so they weren¡¯t the type to easily overlook his rude behavior.

    ¡°Excuse me, sir. I don¡¯t know what your rtionship is with Ms. Browning, but it seems pretty clear that she doesn¡¯t want to talk to you right now. Why don¡¯t you withdraw for today?¡± Chelsea wanted to spit out expletives to the man and end the conversation with a ¡®fuck off,¡¯ but she decided to gently usher him away first. However, even while she said this, she didn¡¯t think the uninvited guest would step down easily. If he had been such an amiable person, he would have already withdrawn by now.

    ¡°It¡¯s no business for a third party to step in.¡±

    ¡°Didn¡¯t you see us talking to Browning first? You interrupted us. To Windne and I, you are the perfect third party.¡± Pina protested this time.

    The uninvited guest clicked his tongue and made it clear that he was offended, but it seemed as if he thought she was right. Chelsea and Pina both nced at Lara, asking who the man was.

    Then Lara had no choice but to reveal the identity of the uninvited guest. ¡°He¡¯s Feijadiru Browning, the sessor of the Marquess Browning family. Technically, he¡¯s my older brother by blood.¡±

 Side Stories: Chapter 12

    <h4>Side Stories: Chapter 12</h4>

    The two were quite stunned that they were talking to the great Miftil Kingdom¡¯s marquess¡¯ heir, and furthermore, Lara¡¯s older brother.

    ¡°Were you the daughter of a marquess, Lara?¡± Chelsea asked.

    ¡°Not anymore,¡± Lara immediately retorted.

    ¡°Good on you to deny it. If you were still going around iming to be ady of our house, I would¡¯ve given you a piece of my mind,¡± Feijadiru said.

    ¡°Why would I ever have to borrow my family¡¯s name? That ce only gave me bad memories.¡±

    ¡°You say that, but you are still using your family¡¯s name, Browning.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s because I¡¯m used to it. I have no intention of using it for personal gains, so don¡¯t worry.¡±

    They spoke coldly to each other though they were siblings, but Chelsea and Pina weren¡¯t that surprised by this. It wasmon for blood ties to drench each other in blood within noble families in the struggle for power. This sort of argument was still on the more eptable side.

    ¡°That¡¯s good, then. Anyway, I have a request.¡± It was impressive how Feijadiru only stubbornly pushed forward with his agenda without a care for the other person¡¯s opinions. In the end, Lara backed down.

    ¡°¡­Summarize it for me. I will ignore you if you take too long,¡± Lara said.

    ¡°This isn¡¯t the ce to tell you. Let¡¯s change locations first,¡± Feijadiru said.

    ¡°I already told you to summarize it for me.¡±

    ¡°¡­You¡¯ve be shockingly arrogant. It¡¯spletely different from the time when you left your family.¡±

    ¡°I ran away from home because I didn¡¯t like acting like that. If you want to reminisce about the old times, why don¡¯t you do that by yourself?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡± Feijadiru red at Lara. Yet, no matter how he fiercely red at her, there was no way Lara would cower back. Feijadiru had an intense urge to pull out his sword but repressed it. They were already attracting other people¡¯s attention from their arguing, and a greatermotion would arise if they swung swords here. It would be a great embarrassment if rumors spread that the people who came to help the Karuwimans for the festival were going around stirring trouble instead. It would taint his kingdom¡¯s image and Wesker would also not be happy about it.

    Yes. Those were the only reasons¡ªit was definitely not because he was afraid to sh swords with Lara that he didn¡¯t draw his weapon. It had been ages ago, in his youth, when he lost to her in duels. Feijadiru was sure that it would be different now. Thus, Feijadiru was about to speak again after consoling himself in this manner when another voice spoke up.

    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± a man asked.

    Feijadiru was displeased to see a stranger suddenly intervene and nned to order one of his guards to chase the man away.

    ¡°Hans!¡± Lara greeted the new figure.

    ¡®Hans?¡¯ Feijadiru thought. It had a familiar ring to it. He racked his head to find out where he had heard the name, and it didn¡¯t take long for him to remember. It was a name that had be very famous recently.

    ¡®Isn¡¯t he the one I heard so much about?!¡¯ Feijadiru stared at Hans. A strong emotion flickered past Feijadiru¡¯s eyes: pure jealousy.

    ***

    Hans was outside with Snoc. Snoc had epted Hans¡¯ suggestion to talk amongst just the guys, and the two walked around to find a suitable bar. Since they didn¡¯t have anything urgent to take care of, they moved slowly.

    ¡°Look at this, Nowem. Wouldn¡¯t Sam like it if I get this for him?¡± Snoc said.

    <em>Koo!</em>

    Snoc smirked while raising a strange-looking essory on a stand.

    ¡°Is Sam the person who was like a brother to you?¡± Hans asked.

    ¡°Yes,¡± Snoc answered.

    Sam was the miner who took care of Snoc after he lost his parents. Though they had met a long time ago, Hans remembered Sam because he was someone who was like family to Snoc.

    ¡°Now that you mention it, did you go back to your hometown?¡±

    ¡°I went once before I went to the magical tower and once beforeing here.¡±

    ¡°How was it?¡±

    ¡°It was nice. In the past, I wanted to leave that ce no matter what, but when I went there after a long time, I missed it a lot.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s how hometowns are.¡± Hans recalled the Steelwall Estate. Just thinking of that ce eased his heart.

    ¡®I should also visit that ce againter,¡¯ Hans thought. Snoc bought the souvenir and ced it inside his magic box. Then, the two began walking again.

    ¡°How were the responses back home? I¡¯m sure stories of us also spread there.¡±

    ¡°Oh, they loved it. Sam bragged about it as if he had done the deeds himself.¡±

    ¡°Did you introduce Elena to them yet?¡±

    ¡°Yes. Sam was jealous that I had a girlfriend when he was still single.¡±

    Hans was relieved to hear that Snoc was still maintaining a good rtionship with his past rtionships. Sess sometimes divided people, and Snoc had clearly achieved great sess. That was enough for painful things to happen in his hometown, but it appeared that everything was still fine.

    ¡®Well, the man named Sam appeared like quite a good person.¡¯ Hans met Sam when Zich had just recently dragged him out of the Steelwall Estate, but Hans easily saw that Sam was an upright person. Perhaps, Sam would be able to continue to maintain a good rtionship with Snoc.

    ¡®I should discuss it with Sir Zich just in case,¡¯ Hans thought, and the two entered the bar. Although it was a pricey ce, it wasn¡¯t too luxurious; when the two went further inside, they realized that the atmosphere inside the bar was strange. It wasmon for bars to be noisy, and as people¡¯s self-control lessened with alcohol, people¡¯s excitement and agitation increased. Thus, it was strange for a bar to be quiet just like this one.

    ¡°It sounds like there¡¯s a fight.¡± Snoc followed people¡¯s heads and found two people arguing. Then, his eyes widened when he saw familiar faces among the group.

    ¡°Senior! Isn¡¯t that¡­!¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±

    Without another word, Hans immediately headed to the spot where a quarrel was taking ce.

    * * *

    Feijadiru assessed the situation. His detestable sister exined the situation thus far to Hans.

    ¡®Nothing¡¯s going properly.¡¯ Although Lara was his hateful younger sister, he had intended to gently talk to her on his own terms. If she had just listened well to him, there wouldn¡¯t have even been a major disturbance like this. The cause of thismotion waspletely on Lara¡¯s shoulders.

    ¡®There¡¯s no way those two would take my side.¡¯

    Hans and Snoc were Lara¡¯srades and world-renowned heroes. If they took his side, he would have been suspicious instead and wondered what they were up to. ¡®I need to also pay attention to the people around me.¡¯

    So far, the gazes around them had only been gazes of people just watching a normal disturbance in a bar. Lara¡¯s identity had yet to be uncovered.

    However, considering that Hans and Snoc were also involved, there was now a high possibility that bystanders would recognize them. If that happened, the onlookers would surely side with the famous dragon yers. Feijadiru didn¡¯t care in the least whether foolish humans antagonized him, but he couldn¡¯t harm the good name of the Miftil Kingdom. The guards¡¯ expressions didn¡¯t look good either. They also knew that the situation was not looking good for them, and it would be a good idea for them to withdraw for now. However, Feijadiru couldn¡¯t bear to move his feet; there was only one thing holding him back: pride.

    ¡®Out of all the people in the world, I don¡¯t want to show her my back!¡¯ His pride was already enormous, andbined with his negative feelings for Lara, his frantic emotions mercilessly trampled on his sense of reasoning.

    After hearing the situation, Hans asked Feijadiru, ¡°Sir, I heard that you have business with Lara. If I may ask, what is it about?¡±

    Hans was being polite for now, but his expression was stiff.

    ¡°I can¡¯t say it in a crowded ce like this.¡±

    ¡°Then please withdraw. Lara doesn¡¯t want to meet you separately and talk.¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t do that.¡±

    ¡°Then what are you going to do? Are you nning to drag her out with force?¡± Hans¡¯ hand naturally moved toward Estede¡¯s hilt.

    Feijadiru¡¯s guards also ced their hands on their swords after seeing this. The tension rose in an instant.

    ¡°¡­Sigh, all right.¡± With a small sigh, Lara stood up. Now that Hans and Snoc were involved, themotion grew even bigger. Since the situation had escted so far, Lara thought it might be better to listen to her damn older brother and get this over with.

    ¡°We just have to go where there are no people, right?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, exactly.¡±

    Feijadiru¡¯s smug face after finally getting what he wanted was annoying. Lara thought about sitting back down, but in a good and bad way, Lara was much more mature than Feijadiru.

    ¡°Follow m¡ª¡±

    ¡°Wait.¡± Hans blocked Feijadiru who was about to arrogantlymand Lara to follow him.

    He continued, ¡°If you just need a quiet ce, is there a need for you to go so far? Since this bar also serves as an inn, you can rent a room and talk here.¡±

    ¡°Here?¡± Feijadiru¡¯s expression turned into a scowl. It wasn¡¯t because his n went awry. Although the quality of the bar and amodation was quite high, it was not up to Feijadiru¡¯s standards.

    However, Hans was firm. ¡°One more thing. I¡¯ll also be apanying you two.¡±

    ¡°This is none of your business.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m Lara¡¯s boyfriend. I¡¯m in apletely different position than you, who is no longer part of Lara¡¯s family.¡±

    ¡®Boyfriend?¡¯ Feijadiru thought they were just ordinaryrades and hadn¡¯t expected them to have such a deep rtionship. He racked his head. He had already gotten what he wanted, so he thought he could make that much of apromise.

    ¡°¡­Fine, but I¡¯ll take one of the guards as well.¡±

    ¡°Do as you please.¡± One guard posed no threat to Hans or Lara anyway. Like this, the disturbance in the store ended. However, the conflict was far from settled.

    * * *

    Hans, Lara, Feijadiru, and one guard rented a room. Considering that a festival was going on and the lodging was fairly high-quality, the price of the room was quite expensive, but no one cared about that at all.

    ¡°So what¡¯s the matter? I keep saying this, but say it quickly. I want to return to my friends.¡± Due to the prolonged disturbance, Lara had already lost all the buzz from drinking. She wanted to quickly get rid of her annoying older brother and start drinking again.

    Feijadiru shared her sentiments, so unlike his previous actions, he easily epted her request and said, ¡°I¡¯ll say it bluntly. Hand over the body of the dragon.¡±

    Lara tightly shut her mouth. If one asked what the rarest treasure in the world was right now, most people would immediately point at the dragon¡¯s body. However, Feijadiru was asking for it as if he was asking for a stone on the side of the road.

    However, Lara was not surprised. She didn¡¯t know his exact intentions, but she had been expecting an unreasonably pricey request from the moment her brother persistently badgered her. Thus, she calmly asked, ¡°What¡¯s your price?¡±

    Lara asked to indicate that she would try listening to him first. However, she also predicted that his reply would be just as unreasonable, and her prediction was right on the mark.

    ¡°Do you know how much damage you¡¯ve caused us by running away from home?! If you think about that, you shouldn¡¯t even mention the word price to me!¡±

    Hans listened to their conversation and thought, ¡®He¡¯s a real nutcase.¡¯

 Side Stories: Chapter 13

    <h4>Side Stories: Chapter 13</h4>

    However, Hans didn¡¯t say his thoughts out loud. He simply stared at the scene before him with calm and reflective eyes.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I am not asking for the parts to bepletely free,¡± Feijadiru said.

    ¡°That¡¯s good to hear.¡± Lara had no intention of selling the dragon parts, but she wondered what this brother of hers who seemed to be more empty-headed than an orc would say.

    ¡°What would you give me as payment?¡±

    ¡°Money.¡±

    A dragon¡¯s body was something that people couldn¡¯t even buy with money, and ordingly, Lara had never heard of a dragon¡¯s body being exchanged for a price. Since the dragon¡¯s body was a treasure that held the world¡¯s attention, rumors would¡¯ve at least spread if such an exchange took ce. The dragon¡¯s body was just that valuable. If one tried to buy it with money, they would truly need to pile up gold coins as high as a mountain. Yet, looking at Feijadiru¡¯s attitude, it didn¡¯t seem like he would offer such an amount. As expected, the price that Feijadiru offered to pay made Lara¡¯s mouth gape open in disbelief and astonishment.

    ¡°¡­You are offering only that much?¡± Lara asked.

    ¡°Only that much! You arepletely full of yourself. This amount of money is enough to buy a castle!¡± Feijadiru said in shock.

    Yet, a dragon¡¯s body couldn¡¯t be bought even with several castles.

    ¡°It sounds like you managed to save up quite a bit. Even if you are the Brownings¡¯ heir, it would¡¯ve been difficult for you toe up with that much for a single payment,¡± Lara said.

    ¡°I can¡¯t give the total amount at once. I will pay some of it in cash and pay the rest in a span of ten years.¡± It appeared that most of this payment would be made through credits.

    ¡°¡­Do you even intend to do a proper deal?¡±

    ¡°Your greed is so overflowing that it can fill up ake. What else do you want?¡±

    ¡°You are the one who wants this deal, not me. You should offer something that actually interests me.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s why I said I will give you an amount of money beyond your wildest imaginations.¡±

    Lara snorted. If she thought of Zich¡¯s party whom she traveled with, she couldn¡¯t ept Feijadiru¡¯s description of the proposed sum as going beyond her ¡®wildest imaginations.¡¯ Not only did Zich¡¯s party have considerable wealth already, but they also possessed extremely rare metals like mithril and orichalcum. Many would find it impossible to get their hands on those metals, and Zich¡¯s party members pulled such metals out like picking up stones off a rock. Thus, to Lara¡¯s eyes, Feijadiru looked silly acting so high and mighty from the amount of money he offered; furthermore, he wasn¡¯t even going to pay it all at once.

    ¡°It¡¯s not something you can buy with that much. Plus, the amount you offered isn¡¯t beyond my imagination or anything,¡± Lara said. Hans nodded from behind her.

    However, it seemed that Feijadiru thought differently. ¡°¡­Don¡¯t you know how much trouble you caused to the family?¡±

    ¡°What sort of great trouble would befall a family just because one girl ran away? Above all, wasn¡¯t that an oue you wanted?¡±

    ¡°Personally, it only made me d that my arrogant sister disappeared. But don¡¯t you remember that you used to have a fianc¨¦?¡±

    ¡°I did once.¡±

    ¡°He was the son of Duke Grashane. He was someone too great for you, and he belongs to the Grashane family¡ªthey hold tremendous influence over the Miftil Kingdom. When you one-sidedly broke off the engagement with a family like that, our family had to endure all sorts of difficulties. I trust that you would realize how hard it would¡¯ve been for us even with thatcking head of yours.¡±

    ¡°So are you telling me to offer the dragon¡¯s body as the price?¡±

    ¡°Like I said, I am nning to purchase it for a rightful price. However, considering your past actions, it seems only fair that you would offer it for free.¡±

    If Zich had been with them, his mouth would¡¯ve been quickly running off already to ¡®kindly¡¯ fix his opponent¡¯s thwarted logic. Of course, as far as Hans knew, this kindness never resulted in benefitting the affected person. Even though Hans respected and admired Zich, he never understood Zich¡¯s terrible hobby. It was a hobby that even L gave up on fixing, and Hans would never dare to suggest for Zich to act differently. Therefore, using Zich as a reference point, Hans thought he should mind his behavior to not follow Zich¡¯s footsteps in this specific path and genuinely thought he had been doing a good job following this conviction so far.

    Hans was still thinking about this when he saw that there was still no change in the situation in front of him. Lara seemed at a loss for words in her astonishment, but Feijadiru took her silence to mean that she was overthrown by his high-level speech and continued to bber about other things.

    ¡®I should intervene,¡¯ Hans thought. He thought he should keep his mouth shut as long as he could, but he couldn¡¯t continue to just watch. After all, Lara was his lover and above all, she was hispanion. She was a member of Zich¡¯s party and part of the infamous crew of dragon yers and Bellid subjugators. Thus, while carefully minding his words because of his recent critical thoughts about Zich¡¯s behavior, Hans spoke to Feijadiru who was still babbling nonsense.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry to intervene, but are you perhaps talking after knowing the exact value of a piece of a dragon?¡±

    Feijadiru frowned to see that Hans was suddenly intervening. Anyone could see he was offended, but he answered. It seemed like he had gained confidence after cornering Lara with his words. ¡°Of course I do. However, no matter how high the value of these goods are, it still can¡¯t be higher than the grace our parents showed her by giving birth to her and raising her in a bountiful environment. My foolish sister crushed all of this, and I am willing to forgive her with just a single item. If you think about it, we are the ones who have to deal with the losses.¡±

    ¡°I see that¡¯s how you think.¡± Though Hans wanted to immediately tell Feijadiru to stop his bullshit, he just thought that he shouldn¡¯t act like Zich.

    Hans repressed a great urge to make a snidement and carefully asked, ¡°Then, when Lara hands you the dragon¡¯s body, would you be willing to donate it to the Karuwimans?¡±

    ¡°¡­What are you talking about?¡± Feijadiru was taken aback by Hans¡¯pletely unexpected question, and Lara also looked back at Hans with confusion.

    However, Hans remained calm and continued, ¡°Sir, you just said that Lara must sell you the dragon¡¯s body to repay the grace and benevolence of her parents who gave birth to her and raised her in an affluent family.¡±

    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right.¡±

    ¡°But how can her parents and familypare to God Karuna¡¯s grace and benevolence? If Lara must sell you the dragon¡¯s body for those reasons, then shouldn¡¯t she donate the dragon¡¯s body to the Karuwimans serving God Karuna?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡± Feijadiru shut his mouth. His eyes frantically moved around as he tried to think of a reply. ¡°¡­I don¡¯t think that¡¯s something an outsider like you can say¡­¡±

    ¡°For your information, I am a Karuwiman Honorary Holy Knight.¡± Hans showed his Honorary Holy Knight badge, and Feijadiru shut his mouth again.

    ¡°Although I¡¯m not an official knight, I deeply revere God Karuna, and if you, Sir Browning, have any intentions to offer the dragon¡¯s body in God Karuna¡¯s name, I¡¯ll be extremely delighted. Ah, perhaps, are your thoughts shared by the whole Miftil Kingdom? I heard that the Miftil Kingdom is coborating with the Karuwimans for this festival. Perhaps, was that also to repay God Karuna¡¯s abundant grace and benevolence?¡±

    Hans¡¯ interpretation of Feijadiru¡¯s words gradually became broader and more expansive, and Feijadiru¡¯s agitation increased ordingly.

    ¡°If that¡¯s the case, I¡¯ll directly ry your thoughts to the Pope or the Saintess. I¡¯m sure that those two will also be extremely delight¡ª¡±

    ¡°W-wait!¡± Feijadiru quickly cut off Hans¡¯ words. If Hans really followed through with his words, he would be passing over a priceless treasure to the Karuwimans.

    ¡°How can those mean the same thing?!¡±

    ¡°Hmm? That¡¯s strange. Haven¡¯t you been talking about repaying the grace and favor this whole time?¡±

    ¡°We have to consider family matters and faith separately!¡±

    ¡°Perhaps, Sir Browning, do you deny the grace you¡¯ve received from God Karuna?¡±

    ¡°That¡­!¡± Feijadiru couldn¡¯t agree with what Hans said. He couldn¡¯t deny Karuna¡¯s grace in the city where the Karuwiman main temple, Yuras, was, especially while the Miftil Kingdom was coborating with the Karuwimans. Moreover, at a time when the Karuwimans¡¯ power and prestige were at their peak, he might be emunicated even if he was the next heir of Marquess Browning¡¯s family.

    ¡°Hmmm, it seems that you don¡¯t agree with me, sir. Well, I admit that I might have gone a little too far.¡±

    ¡°W-welll, yes! That¡¯s what I¡¯ve been wanting to say!¡± When it seemed like Hans took a step back, Feijadiru¡¯s face brightened up. However, Hans¡¯ subsequent words immediately made him scowl.

    ¡°Then you must have realized that what you said to Lara also was too big of a leap.¡±

    ¡°How can that be¡­!¡±

    ¡°Hmm? Shall I speak to His Holiness and the Saintess?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡± Feijadiru gritted his teeth. However, he couldn¡¯t make a hasty rebuttal when Hans intertwined religion into the conversation.

    ¡°Sir, it seems like you understand me now.¡± Hans knew all about Lara¡¯s family situation. It was probably true that her family received significant damage from Lara running away. However, considering the way Lara was treated by the family, Feijadiru¡¯s request was ridiculous.

    ¡®I can rte to Sir Zich¡¯s feelings.¡¯ After hearing the treatment his girlfriend received, Hans was finally able to not only understand but empathize with the treatment Zich received from his own family.

    ¡°Then, why don¡¯t we get to the main offer?¡±

    ¡°¡­Main offer?¡± Feijadiru looked at Hans withplete confusion.

    ¡°I mean, I¡¯m sure you wouldn¡¯t have truly thought of buying the dragon¡¯s body by using your family¡¯s debt and grace.¡± Hans thought this was probably, no¨Cdefinitely, Feijadiru¡¯s way to earn an advantage in their final negotiations. Was there anything as meaningless as a family¡¯s grace and debt to a person who ran away because she hated her family? Hans was certain that Feijadiru had a different offer in mind.

    Of course, judging by Lara¡¯s attitude, it seemed like she wasn¡¯t nning to sell the dragon, but since they were already conversing like this, Hans thought he might as well hear what Feijadiru had to offer. Lara also seemed to think the same as she folded her arms and watched their conversation. However, Hans¡¯ prediction waspletely off.

    ¡°What nonsense are you spouting?! Of course, she has to repay her family and parents¡¯ grace!¡±

    ¡°Yes, you¡¯ve done enough of that sir, so why don¡¯t you start offering your real price¡­¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s no such thing! Besides, I¡¯m already offering such an exorbitant amount of money!¡±

    ¡°¡­Is that really all you prepared? It wasn¡¯t a strategy to prepare for a full-scale negotiation?¡±

    ¡°What more should I prepare?!¡±

    Hans stared at Feijadiru and said, ¡°Sir, I¡¯m asking this because I really don¡¯t know, so I hope you don¡¯t misunderstand.¡±

    Hans paused briefly and slowly asked, ¡°Are you two really siblings? Is there perhaps a family secret that I¡¯m unaware of?¡±

    ¡°¡­What are you talking about?¡±

    ¡°No, your intelligence¡­is, I mean, way too lowpared to Lara.¡±

    ¡°¡­What?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sure Lara must have beaten the shi¡­ah, I apologize. My expression was a little too rough. It''s just that I heard that you were beaten by Lara without ever being able tond a hit on her in every practice duel.¡± Although Hans fixed his wording, the content of his words remained the same. Rather, the fact that he tried to revise his remarks was even more irritating.

    ¡°If your skills are thatcking, I thought at least your brain might make up for it, but judging by your actions right now, your brain is also no match for Lara¡­no, not to Lara, but even up to an ordinary person¡¯s level. So what I mean is, I¡¯m a little suspicious whether you two are really blood-rted siblings.¡± Shockingly, Hans had no ill will as he said all this.

 Side Stories: Chapter 14

    Side Stories: Chapter 14

    Feijadiru didn¡¯t say anything for a while, but it wasn¡¯t because he agreed with what Hans said. He temporarily lost his sense of judgment because he had never been insulted like this right to his face. Soon, Feijadiru recollected his senses, and his face became bright red.

    ¡°Y-Y-You bastard!¡± Feijadiru got up abruptly and his chair dropped to the ground with a loud bang.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong, sir?¡±

    ¡°What? Are you seriously asking me like you don¡¯t know?¡±

    Hans tilted his head and turned to Lara. ¡°Why is he so angry? I don¡¯t think I really said anything that could upset him.¡±

    ¡°Ah, well¡­¡± Lara hesitated. The two contrasted each other perfectly¡ªFeijadiru was steaming red in anger while Hans looked at the people around him with pure, innocent eyes.

    ¡°I suppose you said something that could¡¯ve irked him a little bit.¡±

    ¡°A bit? Did you just say a bit!¡± Feijadiru couldn¡¯t believe that after all the offensive insults Hans uttered to him, Lara could describe Hans¡¯ words to be ¡®a bit irksome.¡¯ Those descriptions alone were greatly offensive to Feijadiru. Of course, it was still nothingpared to what came out of Hans¡¯ mouth.

    ¡°That¡¯s strange. I only spoke the truth though,¡± Hans said.

    ¡°What?!¡±

    Lara already knew that Hans had been considerably tainted by Zich, and she saw this side of Hans from time to time while they traveled together. Unlike Zich, it appeared that Hans didn¡¯t infuriate his opponents on purpose.

    ¡®It¡¯s good that he seems to instinctively differentiate who to mock and not,¡¯ Lara thought.

    Nevertheless, this incident clearly showed that Hans was Zich¡¯s disciple. Feijadiru continued to spew out words in anger and Hans remained oblivious as to why Feijadiru was acting this way. Yet, every response that Hans gave artfully struck Feijadiru¡¯s nerves. Lara thought she should intervene now. If the fight progressed and eventually blew up into a physical fight, it would be difficult to deal with the aftermath.

    Yet, an emotion wiggling in a corner of her heart stopped her from acting. The edge of her mouth shook, and she had to bite down her lower lips to stop herself from bursting out inughter. Yet, in the end, she couldn¡¯t stop herself. Like a fragile bank broken down by a rough water current, the emotions stirred up inside of her ended up pouring out.

    ¡°Hahahahah! Haha! Hahahahaha!¡±

    The one-sided fight between Hans and Feijadiru stopped. Lara felt the two looking at her in surprise, but Lara still couldn¡¯t stop herself. She wiped away the tears rolling down her cheeks and continued tough out loud.

    ¡°What! Did you lose your mind or something?!¡±

    ¡°What happened?¡±

    The two young men¡¯s questions and tone contrasted with each other. Lara naturally ignored the first voice and said, ¡°I-It¡¯s because you are too funny, Hans¡­!¡±

    ¡°Huh? Was there something strange about what I said? I just asked about things that I was genuinely curious about,¡± Hans replied.

    ¡°You bastard!¡±

    ¡°Ahahahaha!¡±

    ¡°What are youughing your head off about?¡± Feijadiru shouted, but his rage only added more humor to the situation, and Laraughed even harder.

    Her brother had tormented her just because she was more outstanding than him. Since her family valued the eldest son the most, they had only taken her brother¡¯s side. Feijadiru didn¡¯t dare to confront Lara head-on as she instantly surpassed him in duels not long after taking up the sword, but as the family¡¯s heir, there were many methods he could utilize to torment Lara without personally getting involved. Thus, naturally, Lara didn¡¯t have good feelings toward Feijadiru. Seeing Feijadiru get torn apart by Hans¡¯ insults brought Lara an incredible sense of relief and payback.

    When would the heir of a marquess hear such insulting words¡ªthough again, the person saying the insults didn¡¯t have such intentions at all? Furthermore, it was clear that Feijadiru also knew that Hans also had no bad intentions, but that inmed his anger even more.

    ¡®Ah, I really love him!¡¯ Lara felt her already overflowing affection for Hans leap up.

    ¡°Shut that damn mouth of yours!¡± Feijadiru yelled.

    However, her brother¡¯s curses were as meaningless as the mountain winds were to the great ins now.

    ¡°Don¡¯t you think it is too much, sir? I mean, she is your sister. Even though Lara beat the crap out of you in every duel and shoved your reputation down to the dogs, isn¡¯t it time to let go of what happened ages ago? Only the pettiest and most small-minded person would do such a thing,¡± Hans continued.

    ¡°Shut up!¡±

    ¡°Ahahahaha!¡± Lara was sure that telling Hans about her past was one of the best decisions she had ever made.

    ¡®No, perhaps, it is the best choice I made,¡¯ she thought. The seemingly endlessughter gradually died down. She already felt the resentment inside her heart dissipate, and she thought Feijadiru was almost at his limit.

    ¡°It¡¯s fine now, Hans. Please stop¡­pft, stop.¡± Lara tried to repress theughter seeping out of her mouth and pulled on Hans¡¯ clothes. Thus, Hans backed away without questioning much. He still had an innocent look on his face even though it greatly irritated Feijadiru. Despite Hans¡¯ insults and Lara¡¯sughter ending like that, Feijadiru¡¯s reddened face didn¡¯t return to its original color, and he seemed very intent on killing the two?. Of course, Lara didn¡¯t pay any attention to him.

    ¡°Okay, so does that mean you didn¡¯t bring any more offers besides the ones you mentioned?¡± Lara asked.

    ¡°¡­Do not test my patience any more than this,¡± Feijadiru responded.

    ¡°I was simply confirming it. I wasn¡¯t nning to test your patience, nor is it even necessary,¡± Lara said and nodded.

    ¡°All right. I will sell it.¡±

    ¡°What?¡± Feijadiru¡¯s eyes widened. He hadn¡¯t expected Lara to ept his offer in this atmosphere. Hans also seemed quite surprised, but he showed no signs of interfering with Lara¡¯s decision.

    ¡°I said I¡¯ll sell it. Do you not need it?¡±

    ¡°¡­If you are trying to quell my anger with just that, that¡¯s not nearly enough¡ª¡±

    ¡°If you¡¯re not going to buy it, then forget it.¡± Lara stood up without hesitation.

    ¡°W-Wait a moment!¡± Although he was mad, Feijadiru didn¡¯t forget his mission and quickly stopped Lara.

    Lara looked back at him coldly. ¡°You should know your ce. I have no reason to sell the dragon¡¯s body to you, and you¡¯re the one who has to buy it. Do you really think I want to quell your rage? I don¡¯t have the slightest interest in such a thing. What does your anger have anything to do with me?¡±

    ¡°You¡­!¡±

    ¡°So, are you going to buy it or not?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡± Feijadiru gritted his teeth, but he knew he couldn¡¯t act on his pride right now. For his kingdom, family, and his own future, he needed to bring back the dragon¡¯s body.

    ¡°¡­I will buy it.¡±

    ¡°Fine.¡± Lara took out her magic box and pulled out the dragon¡¯s body. The guard standing beside Feijadiru immediately focused on the item.

    ¡°¡­This is the dragon¡¯s corpse.¡± Stretched out on the floor, the dragon¡¯s body emitted a strange luster. What Lara took out was part of the dragon¡¯s skin that had scales stuck all over its surface. The scales looked extremely hard from a nce, and since it was excellent at absorbing and amplifying mana, a knight or mage could probably use it magnificently if they crafted it into a weapon or armor. Moreover, the scaly skin was tough and hard, and there was a certain flexibility to the scales, so it could be used for other purposes as well. There was no ingredient more enticing to make weapons and artifacts than a dragon¡¯s body. In addition, the fact that these body parts of the only dragon were the only ones left in the world added to its rarity and desirability.

    Without realizing what he was doing, Feijadiru stroked the dragon¡¯s scales. He felt a thrill shoot across his body.

    ¡°Good, very good!¡± Feijadiru¡¯s look of intense fury changed to a joyous face in a second. ¡°I will take this immediately!¡±

    ¡°Why don¡¯t you give the money you promised first?¡± Lara asked.

    ¡°Of course. I have no ns to break our promise.¡± Feijadiru handed over the money, which was nothingpared to the actual price of the dragon¡¯s body, like he was doing some grand favor. The way he acted so pretentiously was utterlyughable, but Lara took the hefty sack full of money that Feijadiru handed her. She didn¡¯t check its contents and dropped it inside her magic box.

    ¡°You¡¯re not even bothering to check it. Well, there¡¯s no way I would lie about the amount. You¡¯re acting quitemendably at the end.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a puny amountpared to the real price of the item anyway. It doesn¡¯t matter if you gave some less or not.¡±

    ¡°¡­You are impudent until the very end.¡±

    Lara pointed to the door and said, ¡°It¡¯ll be more ridiculous for us to mind our manners with each other. If you¡¯ve got everything you wanted, could you take the belongings and leave already?¡±

    There was nothing more for Feijadiru to ask Lara, and he ced the dragon¡¯s corpse into the magic box. But then he stopped and said, ¡°Wait.¡±

    Lara turned back to him.

    ¡°Is that all of the dragon¡¯s corpse?¡±

    ¡°No.¡±

    All the dragon yers took their share of the dragon¡¯s body ording to the size of their contribution. Lara¡¯s contribution to defeating the dragon wasn¡¯t small, but it wasn¡¯t great either. Thus, the proportion of the dragon¡¯s body that was allocated to her wasn¡¯t thatrge. However, if one considered the entire size of the dragon, it was still a plentiful amount if the dragon¡¯s skin with scales that were the size of arge carpet was only a fraction of what Lara owned.

    On the other hand, it was still true that the amount Lara gave Feijadiru was still far more valuable than the price he offered. Feijadiru should¡¯ve simply been grateful that Lara sold him something that wasn¡¯t even avable in the market. However, if Feijadiru suddenly had sound logic after all this time, it would¡¯ve been stranger.

    ¡°Then, you should give me the rest! What are you doing?!¡± Feijadiru yelled.

    ¡°Perhaps, was the amount that you offered for the entire dragon¡¯s body part that I owned?¡±

    ¡°Of course!¡±

    The more Lara talked with Feijadiru, his warped logic seemed to fly to no limits. Though she had no more feelings of attachment for her family, Lara wondered if the Browning family would really be fine with an heir like this.

    ¡°The amount I gave you is more than enough for you already. Be satisfied with just that.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t make meugh! Do you think your nonsense will work on me?!¡±

    ¡°Then, should we cancel the deal? It doesn¡¯t matter to me.¡±

    ¡°If you just give me everything you have¡­!¡±

    ¡°You are the one who should stop your nonsense.¡± After calmly responding to Feijadiru¡¯s remarks until now, Lara¡¯s face hardened for the first time. ¡°Since I know it¡¯s impossible for us to see eye to eye, I won¡¯t talk about what¡¯s right or wrong. You simply have two choices right now. First, you can take this item right now and quietly leave. Second, you can cancel this exchange. I won¡¯t ept anything besides these two choices, so make the decision for yourself.¡±

    ¡°You think I would abide by such nonsensical terms?!¡±

    ¡°Then, what else are you nning to do? Are you going to take the rest of the dragon¡¯s body from me by force? Or are you going to proim my unfairness to the whole world? Do as you please.¡±

    Feijadiru couldn¡¯t retort. Taking the item by force wasn¡¯t an option from the get-go. He couldn¡¯t cause a bigmotion at the center of the Karuwimans¡¯ base. Appealing to others outside wasn¡¯t a viable option either. Though he had whined and insisted on the unfairness of the situation, he knew that public opinion wouldn¡¯t sway in his favor. Thus, in the end, Feijadiru heaved hard and turned around.

    ¡°You selfish wench. You are blinded by greed. My payment ends with the money I gave you just now. Since you only gave me part of what you have, I will also give you a part of what I owe.¡±

    ¡°Do as you wish.¡± Lara didn¡¯t even expect a fair exchange anyway. ¡°But keep this in mind. With this, my rtionship with the Browning family ispletely over.¡±

    ¡°You took the words right out of my mouth!¡± Feijadiru mmed the door shut as he left.

 Side Stories: Chapter 15

    <h4>Side Stories: Chapter 15</h4>

    As if nothing happened, the room became quiet instantly. The first person to break the silence was Hans.

    ¡°Why did you sell the dragon¡¯s body? I thought you didn¡¯t have any intention of selling it in the beginning.¡± Hans wasn¡¯t admonishing Lara for basically giving away such a valuable item. He was simply curious.

    ¡°Yes, but before that, do you think it was all right for me to sell a dragon¡¯s body part for so little?¡± Lara asked.

    ¡°It¡¯s your item. As the owner, you can do whatever you want with it. It¡¯s not like you were tricked into giving it away or didn¡¯t know the value of the dragon¡¯s body. An item¡¯s value can change depending on the time and person. I suppose the dragon¡¯s body was worth that much for you at that moment. I¡¯m just curious why the price of a dragon¡¯s body dropped so dramatically. You don¡¯t have to tell me if you won¡¯t want to though,¡± Hans said.

    ¡°It¡¯s not for some amazing reason. I mean, I thought that man had a point. Although my life in the Browning family was painful for me, I nevercked anything materially. Even when my brother bullied me, no violence was directly done to me, and I was even able to learn swordsmanship. I was able to live the kind of life where I could get any good I wanted right away. Not many people in the world could have lived a life like that.¡±

    ¡°No matter howfortable your body is, if your mind isn¡¯tfortable, it¡¯ll only wear you down.¡±

    ¡°I know. That¡¯s why I couldn¡¯t endure living there and ran away. While I traveled around the world, I saw many people whose bodies and minds were both ufortable. Compared to them, I lived a veryvish life when I was young and that was thanks to my family. It¡¯s true that the family was ced in a difficult predicament because I ran away too.¡±

    ¡°So, was it to repay your debt?¡± Hans asked.

    ¡°It¡¯s not something so grand like that. I think the exact reason was to put an end to things¡ªtopletely cut my ties off from the Browning family,¡± Lara answered.

    ¡°So, I suppose it was for your own self-satisfaction.¡±

    ¡°Are you disappointed?¡±

    ¡°Not at all. Don¡¯t people do everything for their own self-satisfaction? You haven¡¯t done anything to inflict harm on others. How can anyone rebuke you for doing something to just ease your heart?¡±

    ¡°You spoke like how Sir Zich would talk,¡± Lara pointed out.

    ¡°I¡¯m his disciple after all,¡± Hans responded.

    ¡°Fufu. That¡¯s true. Honestly, I think I might have been influenced by him too. You know, he alsopletely severed ties with the Steelwall family.¡± As someone who shared a simr past with him, Lara had been shocked when Zich cleanly finished his rtionships with his family.

    ¡°So, are you fully satisfied now?¡± Hans asked.

    ¡°Yes. Before, if I had a conflict with the Brownings, I would¡¯ve been swept by sadness and rage. However, that¡¯s not the case for me anymore.¡±

    Her eyes shone coldly. ¡°If they are my enemies, I can kill them without any emotions now.¡±

    It was a merciless deration. Even if they had worse rtionships than strangers, she was saying that she could kill her blood-rted family members without hesitation. Yet, Hans didn¡¯t fault her for it.

    Instead, he cheered her on. ¡°Congrattions. I¡¯m d you are satisfied though. There are many people who never feel satisfied with even all the riches of the world.¡±

    There was a reason why people became mentally ill. Whether their sickness was caused by a light or deep reason, it was incredibly difficult to cure. Thus, Hans concluded, ¡°No matter how rare an item is, it¡¯s a good exchange if you gained a peace of mind with it.¡±

    ¡°I agree.¡± Lara stretched out her arms. She felt light as if she had freed herself from a burden weighing her down.

    Then, she said, ¡°Let¡¯s go up now. I don¡¯t know whether or not Windne and Acous will still be at the bar.¡±

    ¡°I also have to check on Snoc.¡±

    The two got up.

    ¡°I should also stop using myst name, Browning. I used it until now because I was used to it, but I don¡¯t want to keep using the name of a family I cut all ties with.¡±

    ¡°That doesn¡¯t make much difference to me,¡± Hans said. It had been a while since he only called Lara by her name. It actually made him awkward to call her Browning now.

    ¡°I should also look for a newst name. Now that we are on that topic, don¡¯t you also have to find one too?¡±

    ¡°Having ast name isn¡¯t something I¡¯m used to,¡± Hans replied. Though he got his hands on strength and fame, Hans¡¯ original status was of a count¡¯s servant. Furthermore, since he umted his strength and experience next to a great entity like Zich, there were still many parts of Hans that still thought like a humble servant even if he knew in his head that his position was different now.

    ¡°Then, should we find one together?¡±

    ¡°That sounds good.¡± Although the two didn¡¯t say it out loud, they would also use the newst name together.

    ¡°By the way, what should we do for the lodging fee for this room? If he had a conscience, that man should¡¯ve paid for it on his way out¡ªespecially since you gave away the dragon¡¯s body for such a low price,¡± Hans asked.

    ¡°Didn¡¯t you see what kind of man he is? Do you think he has a conscience?¡±

    ¡°Hm, he didn¡¯t look like he had one.¡±

    The couple¡¯s expectations were exactly right on the mark, and the two had to pay the lodging fee. It wasn¡¯t a great amount of money, but it clearly showcased Feijadiru¡¯s character.

    ***

    Wesker was impressed when he saw the item in front of him.

    ¡°Isn¡¯t this¡­?¡± He tentatively reached his hand for the dragon¡¯s body and felt its hard outer coating.

    ¡°How is it, Your Grace?¡±

    ¡°Good job! Very good job!¡±

    Weskerplimented Feijadiru tremendously. It was only deserving of someone who had aplished the impressive task of retrieving a dragon¡¯s corpse. Feijadiru¡¯s lips stretched wide in a smile, but he spoke in humility, unlike his usual self.

    ¡°It¡¯s all thanks to you, Your Grace! You are the one who gave me the idea.¡±

    ¡°Even if that¡¯s the case, your deeds won¡¯t disappear.¡±

    ¡°Thank you very much, sir.¡±

    Wesker lifted the dragon¡¯s body and felt a very heavy feeling. ¡°But is this all? From what I know, I thought she got much more than this amount.¡±

    ¡°W-well, it¡¯s¡­¡± Feijadiru lost his bright smile. He nced at Wesker with nervous and frantic eyes, and Wesker realized what happened by just this alone.

    ¡°She must have only sold a part of her share,¡± Wesker said.

    ¡°She¡¯s a really greedy person. Even though we¡¯vepletely cut off our ties, I¡¯m very ashamed to say that she shares the same blood as me. Still, I was able to reduce the price as much as I could and was able to manage with the money I brought along.¡±

    ¡°Is that so?¡± The money that Feijadiru used to purchase the dragon¡¯s body was far from sufficient; in the first ce, it was an object that couldn¡¯t even be bought with money. Thus, Feijadiru basically bought it for a steal.

    Wesker added, ¡°Then that¡¯s even better.¡±

    ¡®I did it!¡¯ Feijadiru cheered inside. Judging by how happy Wesker seemed, his future was going to be set.

    ¡®I can¡¯t believe there woulde a time when my foolish sister would help me.¡¯ It really was impossible to predict the future. However, this still didn¡¯t mean that Feijadiru felt grateful to Lara.

    ¡°Good work. Why don¡¯t you return to your amodation and get some rest? Don¡¯t worry about the future. You¡¯ll have my full support.¡±

    ¡°Thank you, sir!¡± Feijadiru left with a huge smile on his face.

    Wesker ced the dragon¡¯s skin down. ¡®I can¡¯t believe I really got my hands on it.¡¯

    Wesker knew how valuable the item in his hand was. He was well aware of how ridiculous this deal had been as well. Feijadiru looked down on his sister so much that he thought this deal was feasible, but Wesker hadn¡¯t been able to believe that Feijadiru would be sessful till now.

    ¡®But he seeded.¡¯

    In a way, it would have been understandable if Feijadiru, who might have had a good grasp of his sister¡¯s behavior and personality as her brother, thought of this n. Since there were all kinds of people in the world with unique and bizarre ideas, Lara could be one of those people. However, surprisingly, Wesker was the one who proposed this n to Feijadiru.

    Did he have a keen grasp of Lara¡¯s personality as her ex-fianc¨¦? No, that wasn¡¯t the case at all. Like Feijadiru, someone else hade up with this n.

    ¡®How did those guys know Lara¡¯s behavior process and personality and conjure a n that even her own brother couldn¡¯t think of?¡¯

    No matter how hard he racked his brain, he couldn¡¯t reach a clear conclusion. ¡®Anyway, I got what I¡¯m aiming for. That¡¯s good enough.¡¯

    Whether they found out about Lara¡¯s personality by stalking her or got information from the future didn¡¯t matter to him either way. He just needed to keep walking his path.

    ¡®It¡¯s time to meet them.¡¯

    * * *

    It waste at night. Covered by the darkness, Wesker quietly moved out. As a result of the festival, people were still walking around the streets, so Wesker walked past a drunken crowd and entered a back alley. Since it was a city where Yuras, the Karuwiman headquarters, was located, it was cleaner and saferpared to other cities. However, the shady atmosphere was the same in all back alleys. There were shabby buildings around the muddy road, and Wesker entered one of the buildings.

    <em>Creak!</em>The rusty hinges screamed in protest. The unpleasant smell made Wesker grimace inadvertently.

    ¡°Wee.¡±

    Wesker turned his head. There was a person sitting at a dirty table with spiderwebs attached to it.

    ¡°Long time no see. Want a cup of tea?¡±

    ¡°No, thanks.¡± Seeing the dirty and chipped teacup, Wesker replied without hesitation.

    The person who offered the tea examined his cup. ¡°Ah, my bad. I shouldn¡¯t have offered a cup like this to a noble. My apologies.¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯te here to chit-chat.¡± Wesker took out the dragon¡¯s skin from the magic box and threw it on the table. The dust piled on the table flew everywhere. It went inside the teacup as well, but the man didn¡¯t seem to care.

    His eyes scanned the dragon¡¯s skin and scales. ¡°It really is the body of a dragon.¡±

    The man assessed the item. He tried tapping the scales and pulling the skin. ¡°Good! Very good!¡±

    He picked up the skin. ¡°I¡¯ll take this as promised.¡±

    The man put it inside a magic box, and Wesker didn¡¯t stop him.

    However, Wesker didn¡¯t look pleased either as his eyes slightly twitched. ¡°I¡¯m saying this just in case, but if you try to pull a dirty trick¡­¡±

    ¡°Why, do you think I¡¯m going to run away with this?¡±

    ¡°You never know.¡±

    ¡°If you¡¯re so suspicious, you can withdraw the deal.¡± As he said this, the man took out the dragon¡¯s skin again and held it out to Wesker.

    ¡°¡­I just need confirmation that you won¡¯t take this and run away.¡±

    ¡°Ah, yes, yes. You¡¯re right. I won¡¯t run away with this.¡±

    ¡°¡­Are you ying with me?¡± Wesker expressed his anger at the man¡¯s careless and frivolous attitude.

    However, the man¡¯s attitude remained the same. ¡°ying? I¡¯m just doing what you wanted. Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re upset because I don¡¯t sound sincere enough to you. Will showing my sincerity create trust between us? What¡¯s the point of such childish behavior? Besides, there¡¯s nothing more unreliable than the word<em>trust</em>between us, isn¡¯t there?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡± Wesker could not reply.

    The man chuckled at the sight. ¡°Don¡¯t worry too much. We have the same goal. I won¡¯t at least betray you until we fulfill our goal. Isn¡¯t that much better than half-assed trust?¡±

    ¡°¡­Yes.¡±

    ¡°Then, I¡¯ll be taking my leave. Since there¡¯s not much time left until the festival day, I have to get busy.¡±

 Side Stories: Chapter 16

    <h4>Side Stories: Chapter 16</h4>

    The man turned to leave.

    ¡°Wait,¡± Wesker said.

    ¡°What? Do you have anything left to say? You want to really check my sincerity or something?¡±

    Wesker ignored the man¡¯s sarcastic remarks and said, ¡°I am curious about something.¡±

    ¡°I see. I suppose that¡¯s better than having blind trust. What is it that you are curious about?¡±

    ¡°You are the one who told us to pressure Lara Browning by telling her the damages she caused to her family.¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s no need to thank us for that. We suggested the n to you because we also had something to gain.¡±

    ¡°But how did you know to do that?¡± Wesker asked, and the man gazed intently back.

    Wesker continued, ¡°A person who knows Lara Browning deeply coulde up with that n. Honestly, I thought the n would fail.¡±

    That was why Wesker had ordered Feijadiru to carry out the n. Of course, there was the reason that Feijadiru was the most fitting to bring up the topic of Lara¡¯s family, but a big reason why Wesker ordered Feijadiru to do the task was that he thought that the n would fail.

    ¡°Yet, the n seeded,¡± Wesker said.

    ¡°Was it not supposed to?¡±

    ¡°How were you able to guess how she would act based on her personality when even her own family member couldn¡¯t?¡±

    The man replied with a smile, ¡°I¡¯m not your teacher. I don¡¯t have to tell you that.¡±

    Then, the man finally left, leaving only Wesker in the building. Wesker red at the old, worn-out door.

    ¡°¡­Fine.¡± His eyes had a chilly glow in them as he murmured, ¡°I¡¯m the one who will win. I don¡¯t know what happened, but whatever you guys do, in the end, you all will crumble before me.¡±

    <em>It is their destiny.</em>He repressed a mysterious sense of anxiety creeping up inside of him.

    ***

    <em>Bam!</em>

    A dragon¡¯s body dropped onto the dirty floor. The shock of the impact couldn¡¯t make a dent in the dragon¡¯s hard scales, but the dragon¡¯s body was being treated too roughly considering its value.

    The man, Piros Bulington, didn¡¯t care about that. After bringing the dragon¡¯s body from Wesker, hemanded his subordinates, ¡°Let¡¯s begin.¡±

    He didn¡¯t have too many subordinates left after the Karuwimans chased them down, but those who survived that terrible hunt were the true warriors. He looked upon them with deep trust. Piros¡¯ subordinate immediately rushed to the dragon¡¯s body at hismand. Although they were touching a rare, valuable item, there was no greed or even admiration in their eyes. Only had a silent rage burned inside them.

    ¡°The scales are harder than I expected them to be.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s the same for its leather skin.¡±

    ¡°It will probably take considerable power to engrave a magic circle onto this.¡±

    ¡°But holy energy seeps into it very easily. This must be the reason why weapons and artifacts from legends are made from a dragon¡¯s body.¡±

    ¡°So, can you do it?¡± Piros asked. His subordinates looked at each other and nodded.

    ¡°We will try.¡± They remembered theirpanions who had died pitiful deaths. This was their chance for revenge, and they needed to unleash theirpanions¡¯ fury on their enemies.

    ¡°Very good! Then, let¡¯s start now.¡± Piros sat down next to the dragon¡¯s corpse.

    ¡®It will start soon.¡¯ The dragon¡¯s body was what showcased their enemies¡¯ greatness. Unlike that foolish Wesker trying to minimize the dragon yers¡¯ feats, Piros acknowledged their achievements and assessed them highly. Yet, this dragon¡¯s body, which was proof of their valiant efforts, would be key to destroying this festival and causing great harm to Yuras and this city. How would their faces look then? Piros couldn¡¯t hide hisughter at this thought.

    He needed to sessfully carry out this n at all costs. His subordinates and he began to process the dragon¡¯s body.

    ***

    When Lara and Hans returned to where they separated from theirpanions, they saw that their party had increased with one more member.

    ¡°Hey, you are back.¡±

    ¡°Sir Zich? What are you here for?¡±

    ¡°Since L, Elena, and Leona left, I was wandering around all alone when I found these guys. I had nothing to do, so I quickly joined them.¡± The way Zich smiled while chewing on snacks at the table made him look like a happy-go-lucky fellow.

    ¡°Why are you ufortable? I can leave if you are.¡±

    ¡°Of course not, sir.¡± Hans and Lara sat in their seats again.

    ¡°So, I heard that you guys met Lara¡¯s brother?¡± Zich had heard from the others what happened, and thus Lara exined to him and the rest of her curiouspanions what happened inside the room. It was nothing to hide, and when her story reached the point where she handed over the dragon¡¯s body, Chelsea and Pina showed the same responses.

    ¡°Are you a pushover or an idiot? Which one?¡± Although they wanted to say harsher words, they softened their word choice because of the others in the room. Lara didn¡¯t disagree with them. It was a deal that gave her self-satisfaction and peace of mind, but she knew that from an outsider¡¯s point-of-view, her behavior couldn¡¯t have looked anything more than in stupid. Yet, Zich responded differently from the others.

    ¡°I see.¡± That was all he said. Then, he continued to drink and eat the snacks.

    His response was so nd that even Chelsea, who had sworn to only get on Zich¡¯s good side, asked in astonishment, ¡°¡­Is that all you have to say?¡±

    ¡°If the owner says she¡¯s fine with it, then isn¡¯t it fine? It¡¯s not like she harmed anybody through her actions,¡± Zich replied.

    ¡°But it¡¯s not like she gave away an item that was like one or two coins! It was an item you couldn¡¯t even put a price tag on.¡±

    ¡°Therefore, it makes more sense that she exchanged the item on her own terms.¡±

    ¡°No, but¡­¡± Chelsea wanted to disagree, but there was nothing wrong with what Zich said. After all, it was Lara¡¯s item they were talking about, and it was her decision on what she should do with it.

    ¡°Stop it. You know he¡¯s someone that our way of thinking doesn¡¯t work on.¡±

    ¡°But Ms. Acous!¡± Chelsea began to earnestly plead her case, and Pina half-heartedly listened to her. It was ironic that the two now seemed very close when they were always indifferent to each other when they were with Glen.

    ¡°So, your brother bought it?¡± Rather than Lara selling the dragon¡¯s skin, Zich seemed more interested in Feijadiru.

    ¡°Yes, sir,¡± Lara answered.

    ¡°What kind of person is he?¡±

    ¡°Hmm, shall I say that he is the epitome of a pathetic aristocrat?¡±

    ¡°I guess you won¡¯t describe him as ipetent then.¡±

    ¡°Well, I have to admit that he¡¯s quite skilled at sword fighting.¡±

    Chelsea interrupted, ¡°Didn¡¯t you say that you beat the crap out of him in every duel when you two were young?¡±

    Zich answered, ¡°It doesn¡¯t seem like it, but Lara¡¯s talent is one of the best in the world. It¡¯s natural that most people wouldn¡¯t even be able tond a hit on her.¡±

    Chelsea easily agreed. ¡°On second thought, she really was great when I saw her fighting.¡±

    ¡°Windne, what is your opinion of him?¡±

    ¡°What? You¡¯re asking me? Rather than me, wouldn¡¯t Lara know her brother better as part of the Browni¡­ah, you told me you weren¡¯t going to use yourst name anymore.¡±

    ¡°Well, Lara has a pretty na?ve side. As a shady and devious person, I thought you might be able to bring a new perspective.¡±

    ¡°¡­Is that apliment?¡±

    ¡°Of course not. Well, if you want to think of it as apliment, it doesn¡¯t matter to me.¡±

    ¡°Damn it!¡± Chelsea openly disyed her anger. Of course, Chelsea didn¡¯t deny Zich¡¯s words, but the truth hurt more than random insults.

    ¡°¡­I also don¡¯t know exactly. How would I urately judge a person I just met for the first time? I thought he was a really annoying person to the extent that Browning should add ¡®ill-mannered¡¯ as a modifier to ¡®pathetic aristocrat.¡¯¡±

    ¡°Hmm.¡±

    ¡°Is there something strange about him?¡± Pina cautiously asked.

    ¡°No, it¡¯s not like that. I was just slightly curious why he asked for the dragon¡¯s body out of the blue. Did he covet it just because it¡¯s a precious item, or is he trying to use it for something else?¡±

    ¡°Sir, should I try to find out?¡±

    Zich shook his head to Hans, who seemed ready to move immediately. ¡°There¡¯s no need. It¡¯s not like there¡¯s anything clearly suspicious about him.¡±

    Zich gulped his beer. As if he really had just asked Lara out of curiosity, Zich didn¡¯t mention this topic afterward and focused on drinking and eating. It was quitete when their meeting was over. After separating from Chelsea and Pina, the rest headed to Yuras. Then Zich said he wanted to y a little more and went off by himself.

    Soon after, while Hans, Lara, and Snoc began walking down the street, Snoc said, ¡°Senior, what are your thoughts?¡±

    ¡°What do you mean?¡±

    ¡°About Feijadiru Browning.¡±

    Lara listened in earnest.

    ¡°I also don¡¯t really know because it¡¯s my first time seeing him, but I agree with the assessment that he is a rude and pathetic aristocrat. Why?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m just asking because it¡¯s a bit iffy that Sir Zich showed his interest. As you know, Sir Zich¡¯s sixth sense is quite good at catching things like that, right?¡±

    ¡°So you think that he might be nning something insidious?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t you think there¡¯s a high possibility?¡±

    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s true but¡­¡± Hans nced at Lara.

    ¡°I¡¯m fine. I told you that I cut off all my ties with the Browning family after passing over the dragon¡¯s skin. It¡¯s better this way, since I ended things early.¡± If the Brownings really were involved in a conspiracy, Lara sounded determined to punish their misdeeds. It was ridiculous for Hans to keep ncing at her whenever he talked about the Brownings when Lara herself said that shepletely ended things with them.

    Thus, Hans replied, ¡°That¡¯s a possibility, but we can¡¯t be sure that he¡¯s really nning something. It¡¯s not like Sir Zich¡¯s sixth sense is always right. If he really had an ability no different from prophesying like that, he wouldn¡¯t have worked so hard to find clues about bad guys we¡¯ve encountered so far.¡±

    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s true. He would have just beaten them up right away.¡±

    ¡°No, rather, I think he¡¯ll use that time toe up with a n to torture that person even more.¡±

    ¡°¡­That makes more sense.¡±

    The image of Zich grinning and nning ways to torture people vividly appeared in all their minds.

    ¡°He might have really acted like that because he wanted the dragon¡¯s body. I mean, to be honest, it¡¯s no ordinary item.¡±

    ¡°So many people asked me to sell it to them at the magical tower as well. Many were willing to even give me all their wealth.¡± Furthermore, the people who made those offers were incredibly wealthy. It was at that moment did Snoc perfectly understand the value of the dragon¡¯s body.

    ¡°Yeah, you must have had a hard time. It¡¯s an ingredient that mages will go crazy for.¡±

    ¡°I got all those offers even while under the Dwayne family¡¯s protection. If I weren¡¯t under their protection, I would have probably gotten dozens of more offers. I¡¯m sure some people would have even tried to take it by force.¡±

    <em>Koo!</em>Nowem cried out to support Snoc¡¯s words.

    ¡°Anyway, nothing is certain yet, but since he caught Sir Zich¡¯s interest, if he really tries to do something, Sir Zich will notice. And then¡­you know, right?¡±

    Snoc and Lara¡¯s expressions became awkward for a moment. Nowem buried his face into Snoc¡¯s shoulder and covered his head with his front paws.

    Hans continued, ¡°For his own good, I hope he¡¯s satisfied with just taking the dragon¡¯s body since he is Lara¡¯s brother after all.¡±

    ¡°I really hope that is the case.¡±

    ¡°Yes, I hope he doesn¡¯t get too greedy.¡±

    The three sincerely hoped that there wouldn¡¯t be another one of Zich¡¯s poor(?) victims.

    Favorite

 Side Stories: Chapter 17

    <h4>Side Stories: Chapter 17</h4>

    Wesker waited nervously for the promised time. To aplish their n, it had been necessary to hand over the dragon¡¯s body to Piros. However, as theirst meeting showed, there was not an ounce of trust between the two. Fear that Piros might just take the dragon¡¯s body and escape tormented Wesker. If it had been any other item, Wesker wouldn¡¯t have worried so much about it and simply expressed anger and hate toward the robber. However, considering the value and rarity of the dragon¡¯s body, he was extremely worried about the item.

    ¡®He¡¯s really going to return it ording to n, right?¡¯ Wesker spent more restless nights wondering about it As a warrior with strong mana, he didn¡¯t feel much fatigue just because he didn¡¯t sleep a couple of nights, but the worry that kept him awake gave him tremendous stress.

    The stress and wariness made him look visibly haggard that the Karuwiman priest working with him for the festival even asked, ¡°Is there anything going on, sir?¡±

    Of course, Wesker replied that nothing was going on. He couldn¡¯t honestly tell the priest about the deal he made, and his arrogant personality didn¡¯t want to admit that he was fretting over a matter like this. A part of him was ashamed that he felt anxious when he should always exude elegance and ease as a noble. No matter what Wesker felt, time continued to go at its own pace.

    Finally, the promised day came. Wesker felt uneasy the whole time, and he headed to the promised location long before the appointed time. All sorts of thoughts swirled in Wesker¡¯s head as he walked. What would happen if those guys didn¡¯t keep their promise? Was it really right to trust a Bellid? How would he be able to track them down if they escaped with the dragon¡¯s body? Would he even be able to catch them? Yet, when he opened the door of the worn-out house where thest meeting took ce, all the worries he had disappeared instantly.

    ¡°You sure came early.¡± Piros was just like how he was a couple of days ago, and he was sitting in front of an old table.

    ¡®Thank you Karuna.¡¯ Wesker thanked God Karuna without a second thought. If Karuna had really heard him, then they would¡¯ve scolded Wesker about coborating with the Bellids in the first ce if he really felt grateful.

    ¡°You look very nervous. Did you think I was going to run away with the goods or something?¡±

    ¡°¡­Who are you saying is nervous?¡± Wesker bluffed like he had been confident the whole time, yet the dark circles under his eyes easily proved otherwise. Piros snickered at Wesker inside his mind.

    ¡®Acting all tough when he¡¯s so weak,¡¯ Piros thought, but he didn¡¯t show his thoughts on his face.

    Instead, he said, ¡°Is that so? I must¡¯ve been mistaken. Sorry about that.¡±

    ¡°Just give me the item back,¡± Wesker demanded and Piros had to hold back hisughter; it was because Wesker looked like an agitated dog wanting to go to the toilet even though he just imed that he had never been nervous. Thus, Piros thought that it wouldn¡¯t be too bad to tease Wesker a bit.

    ¡°Why are you in such a hurry? There is still so much time left. Why don¡¯t we have some tea that we couldn¡¯t enjoyst time? I brought a clean and nice teacup. Though it may notpare to the ones that nobles use, I think you would find it suitable for a single¡­¡±

    ¡°Just give me the damn item!¡± Wesker said in annoyance. Piros thought about agitating Wesker even further, but seeing Wesker¡¯s seriousness, he handed the dragon¡¯s body back to him.

    ¡°Here it is.¡± Piros took out the dragon¡¯s corpse, and Wesker stared at the dragon¡¯s body. The weight he felt was the same as before. Wesker also tried knocking and pulling on the skin. It felt the same as several days ago. The number of scales and the size of the skin were exactly like before. Wesker finally felt relieved.

    ¡°Are you satisfied now?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s good to see you didn¡¯t break your promise.¡±

    ¡°Why would we do such a thing? The dragon¡¯s body is nothingpared to the n we are seeking to aplish.¡±

    Perhaps, he no longer felt anxious after having the dragon¡¯s body in his hands, but Wesker took a seat in front of Piros. The arrogance and overconfidence that temporarily disappeared began to show up in his movements again.

    ¡°Will you drink the tea this time?¡± Piros pushed the unbroken teacup toward Piros. Wesker took the teacup and sipped the tea Piros had poured for him.

    ¡°It tastes cheap,¡± Wesker said.

    ¡°We can¡¯t get expensive ones while running away.¡±

    Wesker shrugged and raised his teacup. Piros¡¯ cup was as dirty and chipped as before.

    ¡°You drink so well with a cup like that.¡±

    ¡°You will understand my position if you lose everything and be a fugitive.¡±

    ¡°That sounds very unfortunate,¡± Wesker said. He almost snorted at Piros¡¯ment. Why would he ever be in the position of a fugitive? He waspletely different from these losers. Weskerughed at Piros¡¯ desperate situation inside his mind. It seemed like he was now back to his original self.

    ¡°Okay, so have youpleted the necessary preparations?¡± Wesker asked. He didn¡¯t touch the tea ever since he realized it was cheap.

    ¡°Of course. All my subordinates who survived with mebined all our skills together and made preparations. Not only did we use all the useful treasures we brought...¡± Piros¡¯ light-hearted tone turned serious and solemn.

    ¡°Some must have sacrificed their lives.¡±

    It wasn¡¯t simple rhetoric when they said that they poured their all into this n. Wesker didn¡¯tugh at Piros inside his mind this time. He was sure that his coborator waspletely sincere about this matter.

    ¡°Listen well from here on out since I will begin my exnation of the n,¡± Piros said and Wesker listened earnestly. ¡°Give that to the Karuwimans and stick it next to the rest of the dragon¡¯s body parts. Then, our first step would be a sess. But that won¡¯t be enough. You have to do a few more things with the dragon. Would that be possible?¡±

    ¡°Yes, it won¡¯t matter. I can just do that when we guard the dragon.¡±

    To reveal the dragon¡¯s body just before the end of the festival, it was going to be covered by arge wooden wall. Thus, it was easy to tinker with it without getting caught.

    ¡°That measure you¡¯re talking about belongs to the Bellids. Are you sure we won¡¯t get caught? The holy knights and priests will be carefully checking the dragon from time to time just in case.¡±

    Since the dragon¡¯s body parts were such precious items, the Karuwimans were constantly guarding it to make sure no one stole even a part of it. Wesker continued, ¡°If they feel Bellid energy, our n will not only fail, but they¡¯ll employ all possible means to catch the culprit.¡±

    If he gets caught as the culprit, he and his family would be ruined.

    ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry about that. We¡¯ve meticulously hidden God Bellu¡¯s energy and taken certain measures. Although they¡¯re all gone now, please remember that we sessfully implemented our people right under their noses before.¡±

    ¡°Then that¡¯s a relief.¡±

    ¡°Of course, we don¡¯t know what will happen if the Pope or the Saintess directly investigates it, but that will never happen.¡±

    Wesker also agreed. From what he knew, all the dragon yers agreed to rent out their shares to the Karuwimans. This meant that most of the body parts were still intact. However, this didn¡¯t mean that the dragon¡¯s body parts maintained their original state right after the dragon died. Quite a few people had already experimented with the body of the legendary dragon, especially the mages. Thus, what if the mana they infused for their experiment got ruined by the Karuwimans¡¯ holy energy? This was a risk that the Karuwimans would absolutely not take. Therefore, there was almost zero chance that the Pope and Saintess would directly check the dragon¡¯s body for a detailed investigation.

    ¡°So, if I do a good job, all our preparations will be finished.¡±

    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s exactly it. If that happens, our n will seed!¡± Piros¡¯ voice was full of excitement. ¡°Those damn Karuwiman bastards. How dare they act so arrogant, thinking that theypletely crushed us?! A festival to celebrate the first anniversary of the Bellid conquest? Let¡¯s see if they can keep their heads up after seeing the festival in chaos!¡±

    His voice grew louder. ¡°Their arrogance will be their ruin! We will show all the foolish people in the world the fear of the great Bellids¡ª!¡±

    ¡°Be quiet!¡± Although they were in a hidden back alleyway, someone might be able to hear them. Wesker didn¡¯t think that this shabby building was soundproof. At Wesker¡¯s rebuke, Piros immediately stopped talking.

    ¡°¡­I got too excited for a moment. I apologize.¡±

    ¡°Be careful. It would be ridiculous if our n got leaked because of this.¡± Fortunately, when Wesker increased his detection range, he couldn¡¯t sense any signs of activity nearby.

    ¡°Anyway, if you finish everything properly, all that¡¯s left is to wait for the uprising.¡±

    ¡°The festival will truly be a sight to see.¡±

    ¡°Yes, I agree. Since so many foolish people areing to see the dragon, we should fulfill their wishes. I¡¯ll make sure they enjoy seeing the dragon to their heart¡¯s content so that they¡¯ll never want to see the dragon again!¡± Pirosughed maliciously.

    Wesker replied, ¡°I¡¯m really looking forward to it. Since that¡¯s when your revenge wille true.¡±

    ¡°Why are you talking like it¡¯s only my business? You must also feel the same way.¡±

    ¡°¡­Yes.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll trust that you¡¯re not having cold feet aftering this far.¡±

    ¡°Of course not.¡± Wesker wasn¡¯t afraid; he just couldn¡¯t empathize with the word revenge. ¡®What a fool.¡¯ Wesker mocked Piros inside his mind. Revenge against the Karuwimans¡ªwhy would he want to do such a thing? He didn¡¯t like the Karuwiman denomination, which challenged the authority of the nobles, but he was also a believer in Karuna. Besides, he¡¯d never been harmed by the Karuwimans.

    ¡®I don¡¯t know exactly why, but this guy has a strange misunderstanding about me wanting revenge and asked for my cooperation.¡¯ At first, Wesker thought about killing or capturing these guys and making the Karuwimans indebted to him. However, he soon changed his mind after hearing that the Bellids¡¯ n was to make the dragon into an undead.

    The world-renowned dragon yers¡ªWesker thought he would never lose to them. However, he couldn¡¯t prove it. Foolish and ignorant humans were only interested in the fact that the dragon yer defeated a dragon and not if they had excellent skills.

    Thus, he needed to also defeat a dragon to prove to everyone that he was just as good, if not better than them. ¡®But there¡¯s no dragon.¡¯

    He gritted his teeth; Wesker thought that if he had been part of the battle against the dragon, he could have defeated the dragon more easily than them. However, now he had the opportunity to prove himself through the undead dragon that was going to be made using the dragon¡¯s corpse. Nobody knew how powerful the undead dragon was going to be; Piros argued that it would be about the same as the original dragon¡¯s power, but Wesker was not stupid enough to believe this.

    ¡®It doesn¡¯t matter.¡¯ Since foolish people enthusiastically cheered for mediocre fighters for defeating a dragon, they¡¯d also praise him for defeating an undead dragon.

    ¡®Moreover, this is a plot by the Bellids.¡¯ In other words, he would also gain a reputation for supnting the Bellids¡¯ conspiracy. It was a situation that was extremely favorable for him in many ways, and it was way better than being stuck in a mansion and insulting those lucky dragon yers with amazing achievements. After thinking this far, Wesker enthusiastically agreed with Piros¡¯ n. It was a little ufortable that he was following the Bellids, but the Bellids would also eventually fall under his hands.

 Side Stories: Chapter 18

    Side Stories: Chapter 18

    ¡°The event will take ce on the day that the Pope is scheduled to give his speech. If you can, try to avoid guarding and escorting duties since you all might also be affected.¡±

    ¡°I will bear that in mind. Even if things go wrong and we are put in charge of guarding the dragon itself, proceed with the n. We will take care of things on our own end.¡±

    ¡°I understand.¡±

    ¡°Then, why don¡¯t we separate if we¡¯re done talking?¡±

    Piros watched Wesker get up and said firmly, ¡°Keep in mind that the sess of this n depends on whether or not you do a good job from now on.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about that.¡± Wesker turned around to leave the house.

    ¡°Wait!¡± Piros called out to him again.

    ¡°What is it this time?¡±

    ¡°Is the dragon yer Zich, perhaps, already here?¡±

    Wesker recalled his recent meeting with Zich and replied, ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°Be extra careful with him. ording to my sources, he¡¯s incredibly sharp-witted and scheming. He could catch onto our n.¡±

    ¡°¡­You think very highly of that man.¡±

    ¡°He is the biggest figure behind the dragon and the Bellids¡¯ annihtion. I can¡¯t help but evaluate him highly.¡±

    ¡°I will remember that,¡± Wesker said and finally left the house.

    ¡®Things are going well.¡¯ Wesker felt the magic box containing the dragon¡¯s corpse inside his belongings. Though the magic box maintained the same weight no matter how heavy its contents were, it felt heavier than usual right now.

    ¡®Did he really say that I should avoid guarding or escorting duties if I can? How utterly absurd.¡¯ Wesker had already volunteered to guard the dragon on that day, and he would get the role if nothing big happened. Then, when the dragon was resurrected, the ones closest to it would be Wesker and the Miftil Kingdom¡¯s troops centered around the Grashane knights.

    ¡®We will defeat the dragon!¡¯ Wesker thought. Then, a new dragon yer would be born into the world. Of course, the battle won¡¯t be easy and since many important figures from different countries and many tourists were attending the festival, there would be many sacrifices. However, Wesker didn¡¯t care about that.

    ¡®There must always be sacrifices for great things to happen,¡¯ Wesker reasoned, and he thought such a situation would dramatize his fight over the dragon. Thinking about the cheers and praise he¡¯d receive after his great victory, Wesker couldn¡¯t stop smiling.

    ***

    ¡®That¡¯s probably what he¡¯s thinking.¡¯ Piros smirked. He could almost see what was probably going through Wesker¡¯s head right now.

    ¡®What a fool. He thinks he and some guys from the Miftil Kingdom would be enough to deal with the resurrected undead dragon,¡¯ Piros thought. Wesker clearly didn¡¯t know his ce. It was to the point that Piros wondered if Bellu had directly sent Wesker to him for the Bellids¡¯ ns.

    ¡®Seriously, that might really be the case,¡¯ Piros thought.

    Wesker was the perfect figure to use considering his personality and status. What were the chances that such a guy like him would pop up at a time like this to help him with his revenge? Piros previously had plenty of information about Wesker. The one who had been in charge of setting up Glen¡¯s n to get Larapletely on his side was the Bellids¡¯ western branch. Thus, as the leader of that branch, Piros had detailed information about Wesker, Feijadiru¡¯s personality, the Miftil Kingdom, the Grashane and Browning families, and finally, Lara. Thanks to that, Piros was able toe up with this current n pretty easily.

    ¡®Those guys wouldn¡¯t miss a chance to join hands with us,¡¯ Piros thought. Only a year had passed since the ud family coborated with the Bellids andpletely fell into ruins. A normal noble wouldn¡¯t have ever thought of cooperating with the Bellids no matter how much they yearned for something. Instead of just refusing, they would¡¯ve gone straight to the Karuwimans to rat them out. Yet, those two had joined hands with Piros.

    ¡®Everything is going well,¡¯ Piros thought.

    Wesker and his men were ced in charge of guarding the dragon and they even brought the dragon¡¯s corpse from Lara. Now, all he had to do was wait.

    ¡®An undead dragon won¡¯t be weaker than the original,¡¯ Piros thought to himself. There were various methods to making an undead, and the method they used allowed them to resurrect the dead with the original powers they had while alive. Therefore, they had to follow manyplicated andplex processes and pour in tremendous resources to achieve this; some of these resources included people¡¯s lives. When Piros asked his subordinates to sacrifice themselves, he was talking in more ways than one. Yet, his few remaining preciouspanions gave themselves up willingly with smiles on their faces, and the Karuwimans would soon pay for the sacrifices they had made.

    ¡®It won¡¯t be long.¡¯ Soon, the world and the Karuwimans would get a taste of the Bellids¡¯ rage and realize that the Bellids had not yet fallen. Even while everything was unraveling well, it wasn¡¯t as if Piros had no worries. He worried if Wesker would continue to do well or if he would get caught by his enemies. Above all¡­

    ¡®Zich¡­¡¯ Wesker was worried about that man the most. He had made the greatest contribution to the Bellids¡¯ fall. Piros had researched thoroughly about Zich. Since Zich was extremely famous, it wasn¡¯t difficult to find detailed information about his life circting in public.

    ¡®There¡¯s the deal with his strength, but what scares me the most is his keen senses and head.¡¯ Zich was somebody who uncovered a scheme through small clues and crushed it entirely. Very few could carry such deeds beyond words and in action. Furthermore, he had ster strength and fighting capabilities on top of that. Yet, there was nothing that Piros could do about Zich. It wasn¡¯t as if he could kill Zich for being a hindrance.

    ¡®If possible, I would¡¯ve killed the Pope and the Saintess already,¡¯ Piros thought and got up. The sess of the n depended on Wesker and the Miftil guys now, but there were still some things for Piros to do. There was no more time to waste and to inflict more damage on his enemies ¡ª he needed to perfect his preparations. After Piros left, a sinister silence fell in the empty house.

    * * *

    The festival was just around the corner. High-ranking officials and nobles from each country or group began to arrive gradually. They greeted each other and busily moved to make new connections. No matter how big and fun a festival was, people of their status couldn¡¯t enjoy it carefreely. Making connections with Zich and the other dragon yers and Bellid subjugators was their most important goal for this festival. Considering the dragon yers¡¯ skills and reputation, they wouldn¡¯t be losing anything by getting closer to them. Moreover, if things went well, they might be able to form a friendship and get help from them. It sounded very opportunistic and calctive, but they wouldn¡¯t be able to maintain their high positions without these characteristics.

    However, Zich had no intentions of meeting them or epting their extension of friendship. Thus, there were very few high-ranking officials or nobles who sessfully met Zich¡ªJoachim and Evelyn were one of those very few exceptions. After greeting Joachim and Evelyn, Zich and L sat in front of them.

    Zich said, ¡°It¡¯s our first time seeing each other after the wedding.¡±

    Joachim smiled at Zich¡¯s words. ¡°Thank you again foring to our wedding.¡±

    Not long ago, Joachim and Evelyn got married. As promised, Zich and L attended the wedding. A wedding between a count and a daughter of a marquess was a huge event, so it attracted all the attention of their surrounding territories. Furthermore, since the world-renowned Zich also appeared at their wedding, the responses they got were simply explosive. Just that alone significantly raised Count Dracul¡¯s reputation and status, and he was able to reap great benefits in many areas thanks to Zich.

    ¡°One way or another, I¡¯ve received so much help from you once again, Sir Zich.¡± True to Joachim¡¯s words, Zich had stopped a malicious plot against the Dracul Estate, made Joachim the Count, and raised the reputation of the Dracul Estate which had fallen to rock bottom. Joachim was even able to meet his wife, Evelyn, through his connection with Zich. Joachim had received countless help from Zich, and he naturally felt extremely indebted to Zich.

    ¡°How are you faring, Countess Dracul? Have you been adjusting as the new Countess?¡±

    No longer called Lady Rogue, Countess Dracul was Evelyn¡¯s new title. Evelyn smiled and replied, ¡°Yes, everyone in the Dracul family is very nice to me, but above all, the Count is paying his utmost attention to help me adjust.¡±

    Joachim and Evelyn looked at each other. They looked at each other with love-sick eyes. Joachim now gave off the aura of a fully-fledged high-ranking aristocrat, and Evelyn showed the attitude and mannerisms befitting of the Countess. However, as expected, their old selves still showed up sometimes in front of Zich and L since they were close to them.

    Joachim and Evelyn were extremely happy to meet them. It was because they considered Zich and L to be very good friends, but most of all, it was because they didn¡¯t have to maintain their dignity and manners as aristocrats. In front of them, they didn¡¯t have to act as Count Dracul or Countess Dracul; instead, they could return to their former selves as Joachim and Evelyn and purely enjoy themselves.

    ¡°By the way, when are you two nning to get married?¡± Evelyn¡¯s eyes twinkled as she asked.

    Then she looked at L and said, ¡°You even received my bouquet at our wedding.¡±

    When Evelyn threw the bouquet at her wedding, itnded right in L¡¯s arms.

    ¡°Haha. I just caught it by chance¡­¡±

    ¡°What are you saying? If you couldn¡¯t get it with your physical ability, you were nning to even use magi¡­ugh!¡±

    L stepped on Zich¡¯s foot as he was about to add meaningless information and continued, ¡°Nothing¡¯s been decided yet. We also just want to travel around for now.¡±

    ¡°You won¡¯t put it off for too long, will you?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°Did you hear that, Sir Zich? You should propose as soon as possible.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. It might not seem like that, but I¡¯ve been rigorously nning my proposal.¡± In a way, it was a very romantic thing to say. However, Joachim, who deeply trusted Zich, Evelyn, who was obsessed with love stories, and even L, who would receive the proposal, looked at him with lukewarm eyes.

    ¡°If it¡¯s alright with you, may I ask what your n is?¡± Although proposals were usually done without the receiver¡¯s knowledge, Evelyn had a strong premonition that she should listen to it now. Since Joachim and even L, the one receiving the proposal, felt the same way, they didn¡¯t stop her.

    ¡°Although it¡¯s supposed to be kept a secret, I¡¯ll tell you briefly. Proposals are done to move people¡¯s hearts, right? That¡¯s why people give unexpected gifts or perform surprising actions. I decided to focus on human psychology instead.¡±

    With just these words, their ominous premonition seemed to already be correct.

    ¡°I¡¯ve heard that it¡¯s easy to fall in love in crisis situations because it¡¯s easy to confuse thrill with love. In short, extreme thrill can also feel the same as extreme affection.¡±

    ¡°¡­Please go on.¡±

    Evelyn didn¡¯t want to hear it, but for her friend L, Evelyn was determined to sacrifice her heart and ears.

    ¡°Rather than a proposal in an ordinary situation, I¡¯m sure that a proposal given in a special situation would be more touching and memorable. That¡¯s why I¡¯m trying to look for bad guys suitable for my proposal¡ªones with a lot of people and power. If I wipe them out with L and propose after that, there won¡¯t be a better event than¡ª.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t even think about it!¡± L couldn¡¯t hold it in the end. She grabbed Zich by the cor and furiously shook him. Joachimughed bitterly, and Evelyn clutched her head.

 Side Stories: Chapter 19

    Side Stories: Chapter 19

    Zich wandered around Yuras aimlessly. He yawned so widely that tears welled up in his tears and he looked like the perfect, carefree person on a stroller. Zich was scratching his belly and seriously wondering how he should kill time for another day when somebody called out to him.

    ¡°Sir Zich!¡±

    Chelsea and Pina approached him together. The way Chelsea smiled and waved her hands widely made it seem as if they were close friends of at least ten years. Though he already knew this, Chelsea was a truly brazen-faced person. Even if she was kicked out by the Karuwimans, Zich was sure that it wouldn¡¯t make much of a difference in her standard of living. He believed this even more when he saw Pina looking embarrassed next to her.

    ¡°What is it?¡±

    ¡°Do you have some time right now?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not busy at the moment.¡±

    ¡°Then, please lend us some of your time,¡± Chelsea said and dragged Zich to a nearby empty room.

    ¡°So, what¡¯s going on?¡± Zich asked.

    ¡°This!¡± Chelsea then took out wads of pping papers. They had writings in ck ink and appeared to be reports. Zich didn¡¯t take the papers and simply stared at them with his arms crossed.

    ¡°What are those?¡± he asked.

    ¡°These are reports that detail the recent activities of Feijadiru Browning, Wesker Grashane, and other people from the Miftil Kingdom.¡±

    Zich¡¯s eyes left the wads of papers and turned toward Chelsea¡¯s face. Her eyes were sparkling eagerly like a dog wagging its tail and waiting forpliments.

    ¡°Why did you bring these to me?¡±

    ¡°Well, you showed interest in Feijadirust time.¡±

    Zich tilted his head and blinked. ¡°I did?¡±

    ¡°¡­Yes. Thest time we met at the bar, we had a conversation after Brown¡­no, Ms. Lara handed the dragon¡¯s body over at an unbelievably low price.¡±

    ¡°Ah!¡± Fortunately, Zich remembered, but Chelsea couldn¡¯t lower her guard. Zich¡¯s response was different from what she expected. Pina thought the same while standing next to her.

    ¡°Yes, I remember, but didn¡¯t I say that there¡¯s no need to dive too deep into that man?¡±

    ¡°Yes, you did, but if it¡¯s you, Sir Zich, wouldn¡¯t you have conducted an independent investigation? Although my investigative abilities aren¡¯t as good as yours, I thought it would be more efficient for other people to work together to uncover a scheme. Thus, Ms. Acous and I have been tracking these people¡¯s movements in detail.¡±

    Yet, Zich had no intention to look at the reports. ¡°You did a lot of work, but honestly, it¡¯s not necessary.¡±

    ¡°Sorry?¡± Taken aback by Zich¡¯s disinterested face, there was a change in Chelsea¡¯s smiling face.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t do any independent investigation on my own, and I¡¯m not really curious about the people you mentioned.¡±

    ¡°B-But you showed interest in Feijadiru Browning!¡± Pina eximed instead of Chelsea who smiled and froze in ce.

    ¡°That¡¯s true, but there was no need to do a whole investigation on him.¡± Zich tapped on the two¡¯s shoulders as they both looked astonished.

    ¡°Either way, good work, you two. You guys should take care of those reports before anyone else sees them. It will stir up unnecessary conflict. Why don¡¯t you enjoy the festival for now?¡± Zich said and passed Chelsea and Pina. The two couldn¡¯t do anything but stare nkly at Zich¡¯s back as he went farther away.

    ***

    ¡°Did Sir Zich really say that?¡±

    ¡°Yes!¡± Chelsea yelled in anger. She gulped down a ss of cold water in an instant to cool her anger.

    ¡°Damn it! I got those papers wanting to help him. Why couldn¡¯t he bother to even take a look?¡± Chelse grumbled while pouting her cheeks. There was a sense of irrationality about her rage since she had acted without even asking for Zich¡¯s opinion. But she still felt angry because she had done her best in the investigation to gain Zich¡¯s favor.

    ¡°It can¡¯t be helped. We are the ones who overthought and guessed that he would want information about the Miftil Kingdom¡¯s people.¡± Even as Pina said this, shemented. These reports took a lot of her efforts and time too. Since organizing reports and the like suited a mage like Pina best, she had been in charge of writing them.

    Chelsea continued to sigh. When she saw Hans, she asked, ¡°Does Sir Zich really not have any interest in the Miftil Kingdom¡¯s people?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure about that either.¡± Hans scratched his head. He also thought that Zich had been eying Feijadiru with suspicion. Thus, he thought Zich would conduct his own investigation too since that was the way Zich had solved cases until now. However, the three had no way of knowing that Zich had simply acted on information from before his regression in the cases until now. Naturally, everyone else including Hans thought Zich began his investigations based on very faint clues and his spectacr senses alone, and this was the story that spread across the whole world and moved many. It was understandable why people like Hans and Chelsea thought Zich had marked Feijadiru as a subject for investigation¡ªthough they got apletely different result than expected.

    ¡°Did you notice Sir Zich doing anything simr to investigating?¡± Chelsea asked, unwilling to let go of herst remaining hope. However, Hans shook his head.

    ¡°There¡¯s nothing that I know of. What about all of you?¡± He asked Snoc, Elena, and Lara who were also with them. Yet, not a single person responded with a positive answer.

    ¡°I haven¡¯t noticed anything either.¡± Lara said.

    ¡°He¡¯s spending most of his time on dates with Teacher. Does he even have time to investigate?¡± Elena added.

    ¡°Even when he¡¯s not on dates, he usually just hangs around the festival. No matter how great he is, I don¡¯t think it¡¯s possible for him to also investigate while spending his time like that.¡±

    Although they never knew exactly what he was doing in all the various cases they solved together so far, Zich had always seemed like he was investigating something. However, Zich didn¡¯t show any signs of this either.

    ¡°Then he might really not be investigating this matter.¡±

    ¡°Do you really think so?¡± Chelsea sighed loudly.

    ¡°Then this is really useless.¡± Chelsea looked down at the report with regret. Although Chelsea and Pina had put a lot of effort into this, it was just a piece of useless paper if there was no need for it. On the contrary, it was only a disadvantage as there was information that the Miftil Kingdom¡¯s people would find clearly upsetting.

    Elena asked, ¡°Do you want me to burn it?¡±

    ¡°Yes, please.¡±

    Elena cast a spell on the report.

    sh! The paper burst into red mes, disappearing instantly and leaving nothing but ashes. Thanks to Elena¡¯s excellent magic, there was not even a little soot left on the table. Chelsea and Pina looked gloomy as they watched the report they worked so hard on turn into ashes.

    ¡°So, are you sure that Sir Zich is not interested in the Miftil Kingdom¡¯s people?¡± Chelsea asked again to confirm.

    ¡°I think that might be the case.¡±

    Chelsea nodded at Hans¡¯ reply. ¡°Then I guess I¡¯ll have to just work hard on my work from now on. If Sir Zich is not interested, they must not be doing anything stupid that would catch his attention.¡±

    However, Pina said, ¡°¡­Do you really think so?¡±

    ¡°Ms. Acous, do you have a different opinion?¡±

    Everyone¡¯s gaze shifted toward Pina.

    ¡°I think it¡¯s unlikely, but what if his behavior has changed?¡±

    Chelsea asked, ¡°What do you mean by that?¡±

    ¡°Well, how do I say it¡ªpeace makes people soft? Maybe it¡¯s not to that extent, but his behavior may have gotten milder after the Bellids¡¯ fall and traveling for a year. He might not chase after his enemies as persistently as before.¡±

    ¡°Sir Zich? There¡¯s no way.¡± Hans denied it outrightly. The others didn¡¯t seem to agree with Pina¡¯s opinion either.

    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s why I said it¡¯s unlikely.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯s unlikely. There¡¯s just no chance of that happening.¡±

    ¡°Then do you have any reason as to why he is acting so calmly like this?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡± Hans couldn¡¯t reply.

    ¡°Of course, since I can¡¯t say I have aplete grasp of his thoughts or thinking process, I can¡¯t make definite conclusions. Considering his actions right now, there¡¯s a possibility that his behavior might have changed.¡±

    ¡°I still don¡¯t think he would have changed that much¡­¡±

    ¡°Honestly, I think so too.¡± Pina sighed. ¡°There¡¯s no way his intense personality would change that easily. I think I was just too disappointed that my hard work turned into ashes. Please don¡¯t take my words to heart.¡±

    ¡°No, I think your words have merit. After hearing what you said, I¡¯m starting to think that you may be right. As you said, his mindset might have changed a little, but I don¡¯t think it¡¯s to the extent that he¡¯d ignore things that he finds suspicious.¡± No matter how much he thought about it, Hans didn¡¯t think Zich changed that much.

    Chelsea got up from her seat. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I shouldn¡¯t havee here. I just wasted your time.¡±

    ¡°No, it was also a question that was on our minds.¡±

    Chelsea and Pina separated from Hans and the others and left the room. A long corridor appeared in front of them.

    ¡°In the end, it really was all in vain.¡± Chelsea pouted as her disappointment had notpletely subsided yet.

    Inparison, Pina seemed to have already fullye to terms with her emotions and said calmly, ¡°Forget about it. You¡¯ll only feel worse if you keep thinking about it.¡±

    ¡°I know that. I know but, ugh¡­.¡± Chelsea groaned and then opened her eyes wide. ¡°Ms. Acous.¡±

    ¡°Why?¡±

    ¡°What would you do if you could change sides?¡±

    ¡°What are you talking about?¡± This didn¡¯t seem like a casual topic, so Pina lowered her voice without realizing it.

    ¡°The reason why we gathered information about the Miftil Kingdom and tried to hand it over was to get Sir Zich¡¯s favor, right?¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡± Although it sounded really opportunistic, Pina didn¡¯t deny it because it was true.

    ¡°Actually, I received a request from Wesker Grashane.¡±

    ¡°¡­What request?¡±

    ¡°To keep an eye on Sir Zich and let him know about his movements. He must have thought that he could use me because of my past actions.¡±

    ¡°Why would he do that?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know the details, but it¡¯s clear that he¡¯s nning something fishy.¡±

    ¡°Then you should have said it to everyone!¡±

    ¡°Yes, I thought about that, too. Wouldn¡¯t it be better to have as many cards as possible? Honestly, unlike Hans and his group who blindly give their loyalty and faith to Sir Zich, we move ording to our advantage, right? Then, we should at least think again and determine which side is more advantageous for us.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°Honestly, if I tell this to my Karuwiman superiors or Sir Zich, nothing will happen. There¡¯s no evidence, and Grashane can just feign ignorance. Moreover, even if he¡¯s acting suspiciously, I¡¯m not sure if he¡¯s just jealous or he¡¯s actually nning a big conspiracy. So, it¡¯s a gamble.¡±

    Pina asked, ¡°¡­Even then, isn¡¯t it better to be on Zich¡¯s side?¡±

 Side Stories: Chapter 20

    Side Stories: Chapter 20

    ¡°I thought so too. That¡¯s why I wrote these reports and brought them to him. You know how I added one more report at the end? That includes what I just told you. Now it¡¯s nothing more than a pretty piece of paper with no one wanting to read it.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°Furthermore, didn¡¯t you admit it too? You don¡¯t know what kind of change he underwent.¡±

    ¡°¡­But you can¡¯t undermine his skills. You know that.¡±

    ¡°I know. If he disappears though, I might have to aim for my original goal again.¡±

    ¡°You mean, to be the Saintess?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°I thought you gave up on that.¡±

    ¡°Even if I can¡¯t be the Saintess, once the Miftil Kingdom bes my support, I will be able to climb to a much higher position than now. Additionally, if I take control of the Karuwiman forces in the Miftil Kingdom, I might be able to be higher than a bishop or perhaps, a cardinal,¡± Chelsea replied.

    ¡°Calm down and think about this more carefully. If things go wrong, it will really be the end for us this time,¡± Pina said.

    ¡°Who knows? If Duke Grashane¡¯s schemes are something menial, my head might not fly off for helping him,¡± Chelsea said. She knew that even if she went behind Zich¡¯s back and sided with the duke, Zich wasn¡¯t the type to react intensely to every minor action against him¡ªthough he wasn¡¯t a merciful person by any means.

    ¡°Furthermore, he might never find out that I handed over information to the duke.¡±

    ¡°What if the scheme that Duke Grashane is conspiring is something huge? If everything fails, Sir Zich could kill you for coborating with the duke.¡±

    ¡°Are you fine with everything then, Pina? Although you were able to stabilize your faction¡¯s position at the magical tower, your school of magic¡¯s position is significantly lower than what it was at its prime. What if you help the Miftil Kingdom and then they offer to support your school of magic?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Chelsea¡¯s words were truly enticing. If things went ording to what she said, Pina¡¯s school of magic would recover its glory instantly. The kingdom they serve would change, but they could easily endure that.

    ¡°¡­It¡¯s a real gamble that puts our future on the line.¡±

    ¡°You and I terribly failed ourst gamble. We were able to escape the worst fate by managing toe up with a small victory at the end, but that was nothingpared to what we had envisioned. How about it, Pina? Should we think about this matter a bit more?¡± Chelsea asked.

    Seeing Chelsea address her familiarly while asking this question, Pina gulped hard.

    ***

    Four days before the festival, people from the Steelwall Estate arrived at Yuras. The Karuwimans greeted the Steelwalls with more warmth and care than to other nobles. The Steelwalls had been their allies during the mass Bellid annihtion war against the ud family and their allies. Furthermore, there were many dragon yers among the Steelwalls who possessed parts of the dragon¡¯s corpse, and the Karuwimans needed their coboration to put together the dragon as urately as possible. Thus, in many ways, the Steelwalls had many reasons for the Karuwimans to pay special attention to them.

    After killing time outside, Zich went inside and saw a familiar face in the Yuras temple¡¯s corridors.

    ¡°Ah!¡± The person also recognized Zich, and Zich raised his hand with a smile.

    ¡°Hey, it¡¯s my foolish, idiot brother who is somehow rted to a wise person like me.¡±

    ¡°¡­It¡¯s been so long and that¡¯s how you greet me?¡± Greig grumbled.

    ¡°No matter how annoying it is to hear them, you should ept statements gracefully if they are the truth. Or else you will be pig-headed like your father. Isn¡¯t that right?¡± Zich asked Danny Chris Nunn who came as Greig¡¯s bodyguard andmander of the Steel Sword Knights. Unable to respond, he could only smile awkwardly.

    ¡°Isn¡¯t he your father? You talk so crudely,¡± Greig said. ¡°Besides everything I faced from the Steelwalls in my youth, if I just think about how you used to act toward me, I doubt my words could be considered that crude,¡± Zich replied.

    Greig shut his mouth since he had nothing to retort. In the end, he said, ¡°¡­I¡¯m sorry.¡±

    ¡°No need. I didn¡¯t say that to get your apology anyways.¡± The apology that Grieg gave was meaningless to Zich now. It didn¡¯t matter how Greig responded from now on.

    ¡°So, have you been doing well?¡±

    ¡°¡­Um, I haven¡¯t been having a bad time, but sessor sses are a bit difficult.¡±

    ¡°Tch, tch. Why would that be so difficult? You can just leave theplicated work to the capable guys and kill anyone who provokes you.¡±

    ¡°¡­After listening to you, I think I feel less guilty.¡± Rather than a guy like Zich sitting in the count position, Greig thought even he would be better.

    ¡°Howme.¡±

    ¡°Call me sound-minded.¡±

    Zich snorted and asked, ¡°Did the old fart note?¡±

    ¡°Father is busy.¡±

    While the conflict and discourse about what to do with the countries that fell under Bellids¡¯s attacks were going on, the Count couldn¡¯t leave his seat as a knight who represented his kingdom.

    ¡°Good. I didn¡¯t want to see that mean face.¡±

    If anyone else had spoken about the Count like this, Greig and any of the Steelwalls wouldn¡¯t have shrugged it off lightly. However, since Zich had said these words, they quietly listened.

    ¡°Where is Mr. Til?¡± Zich then asked. Til was one of the main dragon yers and owned a considerable amount of the dragon¡¯s corpse.

    ¡°He¡¯s probably in his room.¡±

    ¡°Is he doing well?¡±

    ¡°Of course. Our family is treating him with great care.¡±

    Til was the representative of the mercenaries who joined the Steelwall forces and his individual skills were outstanding. No, beyond just outstanding¡ªhe was the strongest and most skilled fighter among the Steelwalls. Even the master of the Steelwall Estate, Count Steelwall, and the previous best knight, Mihen Tyner, couldn''t bepared to Til. Thus, in an estate like the Steelwalls that already prioritized military prowess more than other families, they treated Til especially well.

    ¡°There are already talks going around that he should be the Steel Sword Knight¡¯s captain after Sir Tyner,¡± Greig said.

    It was astonishing that people were already talking about Til managing Steelwall¡¯s greatest military group after just one year of staying with them. Danny Chris Nunn seemed to be unbothered by this news since he used to hear that he was Mihen Tyner¡¯s sessor, so it appeared that Til waspletely acknowledged and epted by the Steelwalls.

    ¡®It¡¯s only expected since Til used to hear that he was the Demon Lord along with me and Walwiss Dwayne,¡¯ Zich thought. Moreover, the fact that Zich rmended him was probably one of the main reasons for Steelwalls¡¯ good treatment of Til.

    ¡°Treat him well. He¡¯s too good for the Steelwalls.¡±

    ¡°I want to disagree, but Sir Maeve deserves the best.¡±

    ¡°Sir Maeve?¡±

    ¡°Now that he¡¯s an official knight, he needed a surname, so Father gave him one.¡±

    ¡°Then is he now Til Maeve?¡± Zich didn¡¯t think it was a bad name. ¡°Good. Then, I¡¯ll go and find Sir Maeve.¡±

    Frankly, rather than talking to Greig, it would be hundreds of times more fun to talk to Til.

    ¡°Wait.¡±

    ¡°What is it?¡±

    ¡°Can we duelter?¡±

    ¡°What?¡± Zich was quite surprised. He hadn¡¯t expected Greig to ask for a duel after going through his extremely rough treatment(?). Looking at his eyes, it didn¡¯t seem like he forgot his fear either, and looking at his eyebrow that was slightly trembling, it looked like he wanted to immediately cancel his words. However, his mouth stayed tightly shut.

    ¡°Don¡¯t you have a lot of people you can duel with in the Steelwall family?¡±

    ¡°But there¡¯s no one who fights me without even the slightest consideration like you. In terms of skills, there¡¯s no one better than you.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s all true, but is there any reason why I should ept your request?¡±

    ¡°Are you scared?¡± Greig gave Zich a challenging look, and Zich burst outughing.

    Then he tapped Greig on the shoulder and said, ¡°Good! My rash, foolish, but slightly braver brother, I¡¯ll mercifully fall for your poor attempt at provocation.¡±

    They set a date after the festival for their duel, and then Zich parted ways with Greig. He headed to the room where Til was staying.

    Til was in his room, and he weed Zich¡¯s sudden visit.

    ¡°It¡¯s been a while.¡± Zich greeted him first.

    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s been a while.¡± After greeting each other at the table, Til kept his mouth shut.

    ¡®He¡¯s the same as always.¡¯ Zich opened his mouth first to Til, who was as silent as ever. ¡°I heard that you¡¯re doing well at the Steelwall Estate.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s thanks to the Count and Steelwalls¡¯ generosity.¡±

    ¡°No, it must all be thanks to your ability, Sir Maeve.¡±

    Til looked slightly surprised.

    ¡°I met Greig first and heard from him. You earned that name while getting knighted, right?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°Til Maeve. Haha, it¡¯s not bad.¡±

    Til¡¯s face looked slightly strained. Other people would have thought Til might be angry and get scared or flustered, but Zich knew that was not the case. He knew that Til¡¯s current expression showed his embarrassment.

    ¡°It¡¯s not easy to get used to having ast name.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ll get used to it. Above all, isn¡¯t it nice to be able to pass on such a nice surname to your children?¡±

    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s true.¡± As expected, the mostfortable topic when talking to this silent giant was about his children.

    ¡°Walter and Ellie must have grown up a lot. Children at their age sure grow up quickly.¡±

    ¡°Yes, I sometimes get shocked too.¡±

    ¡°I want to see them at least once. It was pretty fun ying with them in the past, and I¡¯ll make sure to visit the Steelwall Estateter¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll always wee you. The kids will love it as well, but will you be okay, Sir Zich?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve done so much for that family. I¡¯m sure they won¡¯t try to kick me out again.¡±

    ¡°If you don¡¯t mind, it shouldn¡¯t matter at all.¡±

    Unlike his conversations with others, Zich¡¯s conversation with Til was very nd, but Zich and Til, who was usually very reticent, enjoyed talking to each other. Like this, Zich and Til talked for a long time. After a while, the day of the festival finally arrived.

    * * *

    As the day of the festival approached, the number of people increased in the city, and the city¡¯s vitality and energy gradually overflowed and reached its peak. People filled the streets while celebrating the Bellid¡¯s fall and praising the Karuwimans. At least for today, they all forgot about their hard daily lives and enjoyed the festival¡¯s sights and food. Large crowds formed throughout the city. However, thergest crowd by far gathered around in the exhibition stand made by the Karuwimans.

    ¡°Wooooah!¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s the¡­!¡±

    ¡°Just how big is it?¡±

    Although the crowd was full of people of different ages, gender, and appearance, everyone made the same expressions¡ªawe, admiration, and a little bit of fear. They all saw the dragon¡¯s image that the Karuwimans revived with all their might. The dragon¡¯s sharp teeth and ws looked like they would rip everything in the dragon¡¯s path, and its heavy and huge legs looked like they would crush everything in its way. The dragon¡¯s body wasrger than a house, and its wings wererge enough to lift it up. Its hard scales looked unbreakable. People forgot how to close their mouths at the appearance of a dragon that used to only exist in legends and novels. The Karuwimans¡¯ strategy to elevate the festival by disying the dragon¡¯s body was unspeakably sessful.

 Side Stories: Chapter 21

    <h4>Side Stories: Chapter 21</h4>

    People wanted to get up close to the dragon. Due to the dragon¡¯s enormous size, it was better to look at it from far away, but when people saw something interesting, they tended to want to get as close as possible and even touch it. However, people had to stop once they approached a specific distance as there were lines around the dragon.

    Yet, these lines only signaled to people that they must not pass over a specific area and didn¡¯t have any sort of power to stop the people. The fully-armored, intimidating Miftil Kingdom knights were the ones who truly stopped people from getting closer. Though the knights looked fearsome and severe, people thought their presence was natural for guarding something like the dragon. Yet, even these knights weren¡¯t the only ones guarding the dragon. There were forces dispatched to surrounding buildings and knights disguised in casual clothing surveying the situation. The one in charge ofmanding all these guards was Wesker. He stood in front of the dragon while armored from head to toe.

    ¡®This is the dragon,¡¯ Wesker thought. He didn¡¯t show it outwardly, but his admiration and astonishment for the dragon were the same as the general public. Even though he experienced first-hand how great the dragon was buying a piece of its body for a steal from Lara, that was child¡¯s ypared to thepleted replication of the dragon from the Karuwimans.

    Still, it was the corpse of a dead dragon. People instinctively felt fear from the dragon¡¯s gigantic and immense appearance, but they didn¡¯t run away in fear. After all, how could a corpse pose any danger to humans? Knowing that this giant corpse would soon regain its explosive, lively days, Wesker wondered, ¡®Will I be able to beat it?¡¯

    The sight of the dragon¡¯s body overwhelmed him slightly, but Wesker quickly shook his head. He told himself, ¡®Don¡¯t be silly, Wesker Grashane. Of course, you can beat it.¡¯

    It was even a danger that humans had never encountered. There was no way he wouldn¡¯t be able to aplish what others had already done.

    ¡®Furthermore, even if we can¡¯t deal with it on our own, it¡¯s okay.¡¯ All the dragon yers were gathered here. If Wesker and his subordinates fell into danger, the dragon yers could help them out. Furthermore, they were at the Karuwimans¡¯ main base, and there was an overflowing number of skilled priests here including the Pope, the Saintness, cardinals, and so on. As long as he didn¡¯t die an instant death, he wouldn¡¯t have to worry about losing his life.

    ¡®No matter how strong a dragon is, I can hold out until reinforcementse,¡¯ Wesker thought. Nheless, he would be able to gain the title of a dragon yer. Even if this was an undead dragon, it was still a dragon after all.

    ¡®There¡¯s a low risk of danger while I have many things to gain.¡¯ The fear that tickled his heart gradually disappeared¡ªno, he forcefully repressed it and filled it up with imaginations of people showering him with cheers and praises. He could vision the scene of his glory again right before his eyes.

    Simultaneously, Wesker knew that he needed to be on high alert especially at a time like this. So, he went through his n all over in his head again.

    ¡®There¡¯s nothing missing.¡¯ He did everything he could. Did any of the Karuwimans or the others notice his n then?

    ¡®No, there¡¯s no sign of that.¡¯ Wesker thought of his coborator¡¯s warning of Zich. Wesker also thought he should be on his guard on Zich and carefully observed him. Yet, Zich showed no special movements; all he did was thoroughly enjoy the festival with hispanions. His coborator noticed the same thing.

    ¡®Did I hide my tracks perfectly? Or did that guy be soft from peace?¡¯ Wesker thought it didn¡¯t matter either way as long as there was no one hindering his n.

    ¡°Marquess Browning,¡± Wesker said to Fejiadiru standing next to him.

    ¡°Yes, Duke Grashane,¡± Fejiadiru said and lowered his head.

    ¡°Prepare the knights again. We can¡¯t fail until the end.¡±

    ¡°I understand.¡± Fejiadiru approached the other knights again and made sure they were alert. Wesker watched this and looked back at the dragon again.

    ***

    The dragon was presented right in front of Yuras. As time passed, the crowd in front of the dragon grew bigger and bigger. Not only was the dragon disyed there, but there were important events scheduled to happen around the area so it was natural for people to gather there. High-ranking officials from many countries had already taken their seats in the VIP section near the Yuras temple.

    Many people were talking amongst themselves, but a majority of the crowd stood fixated in front of the dragon and gaped at its greatness. People had heard a lot about the dragon¡¯s appearance, but it was different seeing it in person. As the participants of the festival had gathered already, the central figures of the festival¡ªthe dragon yers¡ªfinally began to show themselves. Special seats were also arranged for them and people cheered them on.

    Some people stared nkly, some waved their hands, and some smiled. Though they all showed different responses, there was a sense of pride on all of their faces. The cheers reached their peak when Zich led hispanions to the center stage. Zich was the representative of the dragon yers, the contributors to the massive task of annihting the Bellids and defeating the dragons. His name and fame were above everyone else¡¯s.

    Zich leisurely got to his assigned seat. He sat closest to the Pope¡¯s seat and he could see the people and the dragon all at once. Next to him, L, Hans, and the otherpanions sat down.

    ¡°They restored it pretty well.¡± It seemed like L was also quite impressed with the dragon''s restoration.

    ¡°Come to think of it, isn¡¯t it your first time seeing a dragon in its perfect form?¡± Zich said.

    ¡°It¡¯s my first time as L.¡± Serpina had seen one, but that wasn¡¯t her. So, it was her first time seeing one.

    ¡°Well, you were<em>very</em>deeply asleep at that time.¡±

    ¡°Even while I was sleeping, I gave you all the help I could. Don¡¯t talk as if I was azy bum.¡±

    ¡°But I never said it like that?¡±

    ¡°So you want to go that route?¡±

    Zich and L chatted calmly while huge crowds looked at them with piercing eyes.

    <em>Whoooooo!</em>They heard the sound of a bugle. Whether the people were chatting or admiring the dragon, everyone stopped what they were doing.

    ¡°It¡¯s starting,¡± L said softly.

    <em>Ding! Ding! Ding! Ding!</em>The bells in the city began to ring in unison, and the people cheered loudly. The bugles rumbled loudly, and the drums heightened people¡¯s emotions. The knights of the Miftil Kingdom guarding the dragon slowly pushed the crowd away. After they pushed the crowd a sufficient distance away, a new line was formed to create a boundary. Then an empty space appeared in front of the dragon. The bugle made a louder sound, and the interval between the drum beats got shorter and shorter.

    Then the music stopped, and the ringing bells also stopped. When only the roar of the crowd could be heard, a priest climbed up a high tform and shouted loudly, ¡°We will now start the first anniversary celebration of the Bellid conquest!¡±

    The crowd cheered louder than ever before. Inside the space they created, holy knights with their spears raised high entered from one side, and priests with their staffs raised high entered from the other side. They stopped in formation in front of the dragon, and with the sound of a bugle, the head of the Karuwimans, the Pope, appeared with the Saintess. People madly cheered for the Pope and the Saintess, and they waved their hands toward the people with a kind smile. When the Pope and Saintess sat down, the event officially began.

    Lube put on her work smile and looked at the square. Her eyes shifted toward the troops of the Miftil Kingdom standing guard. She looked at Wesker especially carefully. ¡®There¡¯s a possibility that he might be up to something.¡¯

    She heard from the others about Wesker as well.

    Since he might interfere with the event that the Karuwimans were hosting with so much effort and care, Lube naturally felt anxious. She wondered what he was nning, and if he really was nning something, she thought about investigating his movements. However, she couldn¡¯t hastily order an investigation because of his high status. Moreover, there was another reason.

    ¡®It¡¯ll be okay since Sir Zich is also staying quiet as well.¡¯ Lube thought if Wesker¡¯s n was a dangerous one, Zich would already be making his move to solve it.

    ¡®There are talks about how his senses might have dulled because peace made him soft, but there¡¯s no way that¡¯s true.¡¯ Lube couldn¡¯t imagine that ever happening to Zich. Anyway, Lube thought that since Zich was staying still, Wesker wasn¡¯t going to interfere with the festival. Even if he was, it was going to be a very trivial event. Lube slowly erased the worries in her mind and decided to focus on the festival.

    The festival was slowly heading for the climax. People enjoyed the huge event by pping,ughing, and cheering. It was the same for those in the VIP seats.

    Hans was also enjoying the event while talking to Lara who was sitting next to him.

    ¡®What?¡¯

    Then his eyes moved towards the dragon for a moment. Was he mistaken? It felt like the dragon¡¯s w had moved slightly. ¡®Wait, there¡¯s no way.¡¯

    Since Zich had already killed it, there was no way that a reconstructed corpse could move. ¡®Is an external force at work?¡¯

    Although the dragon wielded tremendous power, it was now just a corpse. It could have been influenced and moved by external forces such as strong winds or shaking of the ground.

    ¡®But I didn¡¯t feel anything like that¡­¡¯

    Then, at that moment¡ª

    <em>Zing!</em>Hans clearly saw the dragon¡¯s finger move.

    <em>Tap!</em>Hans sprang to his feet. This might be a very trivial phenomenon caused by some coincidental reason that he couldn¡¯t think of, but Hans¡¯ instincts were telling him that there was something very unusual about this movement.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Lara didn¡¯t seem to have noticed; it was the same for the others. They all looked up at Hans with questioning looks when they saw him stand up. Hans tried to exin what he saw, but he was already one step toote.

    <em>Ziiing</em>!

    ¡°Oh, ohhhhhh!¡±

    ¡°Woooow! The dragon is moving!¡±

    ¡°Woahhhhhhhh!¡±

    The dragon¡¯s legs, which had been standing upright without moving, began to slowly move up. The people seemed to think this was part of the festival and happily enjoyed the sight. However, the Karuwimans hosting the event were flustered.

    ¡°Was that part of the event?¡±

    ¡°I-I don¡¯t know. I¡¯ve never heard of it.¡±

    ¡°I mean, do we even have the technology to move the body like that? Doesn¡¯t that seem more like the Bellids¡¯ undead inst¡­.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    The speaker, the listener, and the people around them all immediately closed their mouths. An ominous feeling began to possess their hearts.

    ¡°No way!¡±

    <em>Kieeeeckkkkkkkk!</em>The dragon roared in a strange and grotesque voice. At the same time, Bellu¡¯s energy spread all around its surroundings, and people¡¯s faces turned as white as sheets.

 Side Stories: Chapter 22

    Side Stories: Chapter 22

    ¡°What in the world is happening?!¡± The cardinals next to the Pope eximed, but no one could answer that question. Lube was also stunned, but thanks to the experiences she gained with Zich, she quickly regained her calm and assessed the situation. Bellu¡¯s evil stench reeked everywhere, and this smell originated from the dragon that began moving which clearly showed what happened.

    ¡°It¡¯s those damn Bellids! They turned the dragon into an undead!¡±

    ¡°An undead?¡±

    Usually, an undead wasn¡¯t a very fearsome existence for the Karuwimans since these creatures were extremely weak against the Karuwimans¡¯ holy power. Yet, the Karuwiman people were still tense because they had never met an undead made from a dragon¡¯s corpse. Furthermore, there were types of undead that had a strong resistance to the Karuwimans¡¯ powers depending on the creation methods. If a dragon¡¯s corpse was used as an ingredient for an undead, ?it was probably not made with any normal means.

    ¡°How in the world¡­no, we have to block that immediately!¡±

    As long as it was controlled by the Bellids, ?the undead dragon wouldn¡¯t act as how they wished. The Pope tried to order his people, but the rest of the Karuwimans thought another matter was even more important.

    ¡°L-Let¡¯s move His Holiness to safety first!¡±

    ¡°The holy knights should guard His Holiness to safety!¡±

    The Pope didn¡¯t like how his cardinals were acting. ¡°What are you all thinking?! We have to protect the people first! Why are you prioritizing my safety?!¡±

    Yet, the cardinals didn¡¯t back down.

    ¡°We apologize, but your Holiness¡¯ safety is our first priority! We will take care of that creature here, so please evacuate to a safe ce!¡± Nobody could allow the person in the highest position among the Karuwimans to stay in a dangerous ce like this. The holy knights moved and they seemed determined on moving the Pope to a safe ce by force if needed. The Pope let out a sigh in the end. He resisted at first thinking about the damages that would be done to the city and its citizens if the undead dragon wreaked havoc, but he wasn¡¯t foolish enough to not know the value of his life. Before he retreated, he did what needed to be done.

    ¡°Dispatch all the forces we can and protect the people! Don¡¯t consider things like property damage at all¡­!¡±

    Then, a cardinal looking at the undead dragon shouted, ¡°The Miftil Kingdom¡¯s knights are moving!¡±

    People¡¯s eyes focused on the knights¡¯ movements and hope rose in their eyes.

    ¡°Ohhh, if it¡¯s those guys¡­!¡± ¡°The Miftil Kingdom is a great military nation!¡±

    Yet, not everyone was hopeful about the situation. People¡¯s responses were split in two: those who had witnessed the dragon¡¯s strength before and those who didn¡¯t.

    ¡°You can¡¯t rush forward from the front!¡± Lube shouted, but it was toote. Whoosh!

    The dragon swung its front legs. The legs looked small and weakpared to its massive body, but to the Miftil knight who jumped up high to aim for its head, it was basically like the god of death leading them to the underworld.

    Bam!

    The knight fell to the ground at a much higher speed than he had jumped. The hard stone floor cracked from the shock and the knight¡¯s body also broke. Between the crumpled and contorted armor that the knight wore, crimson blood flowed out. The people staring at them hopefully looked disheartened. An elite knight of the Miftil Kingdom had died instantly like a fly being whacked onto the ground.

    ¡°¡­That¡¯s why I said you can¡¯t,¡± Lube said regretfully.

    However, the Miftil Kingdom¡¯s knights didn¡¯t give up. They courageously rushed forward at the dragon, but they couldn¡¯t do much against the dragon¡¯s gigantic movements.

    ¡°We need to help them!¡± One cardinal shouted. Everyone could see that the Miftil Kingdom¡¯s knights were embodying the definition of heroism and sacrificing their lives for the safety of the city and its citizens. It seemed only natural to help them, yet someone argued,

    ¡°Let them be.¡±

    ¡°¡­Sir Zich?¡± Lube looked at him in surprise. People suddenly realized that Zich was with them.

    ¡°Oh, ohhh! Now that you mention it, we have Sir Zich with us!¡±

    ¡°There are also other dragon yers! If it¡¯s them¡­!¡±

    As if they heard these people, Hans and the other dragon yers jumped down from their VIP seats. However, instead of trying to defeat the dragon, they focused on protecting themon people first. Seeing this, the people became even more hopeful. Yet, Zich¡¯s words bothered one person: Lube.

    ¡°What do you mean by just letting them be?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s as I said. The people coborating with the Bellids to make the undead dragon are probably the Miftil Kingdom¡¯s people, specifically Wesker Grashane and Fejiadiru Browning. Seeing how they are acting now, it seems like their original n was to try to catch the dragon once. So, what is the point of going out of our way to intervene? There is no need to hinder guys working hard to achieve their dreams by risking their lives.¡±

    The surrounding atmosphere froze instantly. The shocking usation that the Miftil Kingdom was coborating with the Bellids stunned all of them. Since the news came from nobody else but Zich, it seemed reliable and trustworthy. Lube felt hopeful from Zich¡¯s statement. It sounded like he had already assessed the general situation, and she thought if it was him, he would¡¯ve surely thought of a solution.

    ¡°Sir Zich, what¡¯s your countermeasure?¡±

    ¡°What countermeasure are you talking about?¡±

    ¡°Haven¡¯t youe up with a countermeasure after learning that Wesker Grashane was nning something and investigating him?¡± Lube hadn¡¯t noticed even the slightest sign of Wesker¡¯s suspicious activity. As expected of Zich¡ªLube was sure that Zich had a n in mind.

    ¡°I don¡¯t have such a thing?¡±

    ¡°¡­You don¡¯t have a countermeasure?¡±

    ¡°Not only do I have no countermeasure, but I didn¡¯t investigate him at all. All I did was just enjoy the festival.¡±

    Lube became speechless as she saw Zich shrug his shoulders. He lost his touch because peace made him soft¡ªLube couldn¡¯t help but recall the bad evaluation that was spreading about Zich once again.

    * * *

    When the dragon first moved its legs and made its presence known, Wesker¡¯s reaction had been swift. Since he practiced this scenario hundreds of times in his mind, there was nothing to be flustered about, and he was confident in his ability.

    He first shouted at the soldiers in the crowd. ¡°Get the people to safety!¡±

    Although Wesker did not hesitate to make necessary sacrifices, he also did not n to make any unnecessary sacrifices. It was not because he valued the lives of citizens, but because he thought his reputation would soar even further if there were less damage. The crowd thought that the dragon¡¯s movement was also part of the event at first, but they began to notice that things were getting strange little by little. Wesker¡¯s speedy evacuation order confirmed their thoughts.

    ¡°What! What the hell is going on?!¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s run away first!¡±

    If a closely knit crowd ran away all at once, it would likely lead to a terrible disaster. As people stepped on one another, casualties urred repeatedly. Fortunately, the knights and holy knights stationed among the crowd were extremely skilled. With their voices infused with mana and superhuman strength, they lessened the crowd¡¯s confusion and prevented people from falling down.

    ¡®I sessfully showed everyone how I¡¯m protecting people!¡¯ After finishing his first task, it was now time to defeat the dragon.

    ¡°Knights of the Miftil Kingdom! Stop the dragon for the safety of the citizens!¡±

    Rooahhhhhhhh! With a loud roar, the knights moved toward the dragon. A knight jumped high and aimed for the dragon¡¯s head. As he watched this knight jump, Wesker grinned underneath his helmet.

    ¡®Good! Finally, I can now join the ranks of the dragon yers¡­!¡¯

    However, his brilliant fantasy came to a screeching stop as the attacking knight fell to the floor. The knight had been one of the higher-ranking knights of the Grashane Estate, but he died instantly from one shabby movement from the dragon¡¯s front leg. Of course, the knights didn¡¯t stop moving since they were all elite soldiers, but the atmosphere definitely got tenser.

    ¡°Haaat!¡±

    ¡°Happ!¡±

    The knights raised their swords with a strong shout. Strong mana flowed through their swords, and their faltering confidence red up again. They charged toward the dragon once again.

    Thud!

    ¡°Aghhh!¡± However, two knights were hit by the dragon¡¯s simple kick. Their hard armor was easily torn by the dragon¡¯s sharp ws. Although they didn¡¯t die, it was no longer possible for them to continue fighting with their shattered and torn bodies. In an instant, three elite knights were immobilized. Moreover, anyone could see that dragon was not moving properly at the moment. A sense of crisis prevailed. However, the knights¡¯ sacrifices were not in vain as some knights were able to get right under the dragon¡¯s feet.

    ¡°Haaaat!¡±

    ¡°Haaaap!¡±

    The knights swung their swords at the dragon with all their might. It was a powerful attack that could even cut through hard steel. However, their efforts were in vain.

    Bang! Bang! With a loud metallic sound, the knights felt a huge rebound in their hands.

    ¡°It¡¯s not working?¡± With only a slight scratch, their attacks failed to prate the dragon¡¯s scales. Then the dragon¡¯s retaliation followed immediately after.

    Swoosh! The dragon made a simple kick again, but this simple movement turned into a brutal attack with only the dragon¡¯s strength, speed, and durability.

    ¡°Ugh!¡±

    ¡°Ack!¡±

    The knights saw how theirrades had ended up with just a simple kick, and they desperately twisted their bodies away. Thus, they were able to receive only a fraction of the force of the dragon¡¯s kick by raising their swords and defending themselves.

    ¡°Ughhh!¡±

    ¡°Aggggh!¡±

    Their swords broke, and the knights fell back. However, thanks to their quick defense, they were able to fare better than the previous knights¡ªalthough their injuries were still fatal.

    ¡°Knights! Don¡¯t be afraid! Attack with your life as a knight of the great Miftil Kingdom!¡± Wesker cried irritatingly.

    ¡°Sir! The dragon yers!¡±

    At Feijadiru¡¯s words, Wesker looked at the VIP seats. The dragon yers were beginning to move. Were they nning to attack the dragon? However, judging by their movements, it seemed like they were moving to protect the safety of the citizens first. For a moment, Wesker became conflicted. Should he hold out like this and get cooperation from the dragon yers, or should he attack a little more forcefully while they were focused on the safety of the citizens? The first was a stable and secure n, but the second one allowed him to gain more merits.

    Wesker nced at the undead dragon and thought, ¡®It doesn¡¯t seem like it¡¯s back to normal yet.¡¯

    The dragon pulverized a couple of knights, but its movement was still simple. It wasn¡¯t at the level that he had heard in stories yet.

    ¡®Since it hasn¡¯t been long since it¡¯s been revived, it might not be able to use all of its strength.¡¯ Wesker made his decision. All of this was for his glorious merit anyway.

    ¡°Everyone attack¡­!¡±

    At that moment¡ª

    Whoosh! The dragon showed apletely different move than before.

    Baaam! Its enormous tail swung toward Wesker.

 Side Stories: Chapter 23

    Side Stories: Chapter 23

    Suddenly, the dragon turned. Considering that it had to turn around its gigantic body while flicking its tail, it was an attack that should¡¯ve created many openings. Yet, the dragon¡¯s explosive speedpletely erased all openings and added enormous power on top of it. As a result, Wekser couldn¡¯t even think about blocking the attack¡ªinstead, he stared nkly at the dragon¡¯s tail looming in front of him.

    ¡®I¡¯m going to die.¡¯ His head became nk. It rang with the thought of needing to escape, but his body didn¡¯t move. All of a sudden, Wesker felt a shadow jump in front of him.

    Baaam! An explosive sound pierced his ears. The ground shook as if there was an earthquake. Dust clouds bloomed, shrouding his vision, and specks of debris tackled his body. Wesker didn¡¯t know what was happening, but one thing was certain.

    ¡®I-I¡¯m alive!¡¯ He felt all his strength leave his body. He had dropped his sword without noticing, and his hands felt empty. However, the relief that he felt from surviving made him unconcerned that he had done something that should¡¯ve been shameful for a knight.

    After a wave of relief washed over him, Wesker became curious. How was he alive? Whoosh! The wind rose and blew dust clouds¡ªit wasn¡¯t a natural wind. As his view became clearer, Wesker could see one person standing in front of him. He recalled the shadow he saw before the dragon attacked him and knew that the wind had probably been created by that person.

    ¡®Hans.¡¯ There was no way Wesker wouldn¡¯t recognize him. Though not as much as Zich, he was one of the most famous people among the dragon yers. He was someone with a grand title as the ¡®Sun Hero,¡¯ which Wesker yearned for very much. Hans looked back at Wesker and said, ¡°Withdraw your troops immediately!¡±

    ¡°W-What¡­?¡±

    ¡°I said, withdraw your troops!¡±

    Wesker looked around him. The first thing he saw was the dragon¡¯s giant tail that struck the area right beside him. It seemed like Hans had bounced off the tail just now, and the floor where the dragon¡¯s tail struck cracked into pieces. Wesker thought about what would¡¯ve happened if that had struck him, and he immediately felt chills. Yet, considering his personality, Wesker also felt another emotion: jealousy.

    He thought his skills wouldn¡¯tck behind any dragon yer, but look at the state he was in now. He almost died from a dragon flicking its tail without even putting up a proper fight. The person who saved him was a dragon yer with a heroic title which he desired the most. Yet, Wesker¡¯s haughtiness didn¡¯t lower any bit even after facing near death.

    ¡°How dare you tell me to back my forces! Just because you have some fame, you think you canmand¡­!¡±

    ¡°If you have eyes, talk after taking a look at your subordinates!¡± Hans retorted.

    It was aplete tragedy; there was no better way to describe it. The Miftil Kingdom¡¯s knights bravely took a step forward to fight the dragon, but they were squashed like flies. Their passionate swings and attacks inflicted barely any damage onto the dragon, but each of the dragon¡¯s movements inflicted the knights with critical injuries.

    Whoosh! The dragon¡¯s tail rose and quickly swung toward another knight again, but the knight wasn¡¯t as lucky as Wesker and disappeared into the ground. It was clear that the knight wouldn¡¯t be in one piece.

    ¡°D-Duke!¡± Fejiadiru ran next to Wesker and heaved hard. ¡°There are great casualties among the knights! W-we need to retreat first and reorganize¡­!¡±

    Suddenly, people¡¯s screams alerted them of the presence of a new enemy.

    ¡°Ahhhh! U-Undead!¡±

    ¡°Kyaaaaah!¡±

    Hans, Wesker, and Fejiadiru turned in the direction of the screams. They saw the undead heading toward the masses. Furthermore, they weren¡¯t ordinary undead creatures. They were monsters with huge bodies and sharp teeth. Without any flesh and skin on them, they were basically moving skeletons. Naturally, the undead monsters were naturally superior to undead humans.

    ¡°More undead! Where did theye from?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s obvious! Those Bellid guys must have stored them in magic boxes!¡±

    It was a method the Bellids often used. As an undead dragon stood from the back and undead monsters rushed to the front, the masses evacuating became stricken with fear.

    ¡°Everyone calm down! We have the dragon yers with us! The undead aren¡¯t even worthy opponents for them!¡±

    ¡°If we act calm, we can evacuate to safety! The dragon yers will take care of those monsters!¡±

    Thankfully, the masses didn¡¯t enter a blown-up frenzy thanks to the people managing the situation. The dragon yers¡¯ fame also tremendously helped the situation, and these yers proved themselves through action. A considerable number of forces, including the dragon yers, headed toward the undead monsters. A couple of holy knights guiding the masses also joined the battle, and when the support forces joined on top of that, they gained the upper hand against the undead monsters. Seeing this, the masses felt relieved and the chaos settled down dramatically.

    ¡®Thank goodness.¡¯ Hans also felt relieved seeing this, but it was still early for him to let down his guard.

    ¡°Hmph!¡±

    Baam! The dragon¡¯s tail bounced off again from his swing. His palm ached.

    ¡®Damn it! It really feels like they recreated almost all the dragon''s strength when it was alive¡­¡¯ Hans thought. Dealing with one dragon wasn¡¯t that dangerous. Everyone who defeated the dragonst time had gathered here, and they had Zich. Yet, the problem was that they were in a city right now with crowds of people participating in the festival. It seemed like the Karuwimans had the same worries as him as they moved cautiously.

    ¡®We still might be able to manage¡­¡¯ Hans thought, but their opponent wasn¡¯t finished yet. Soon, Hans heard someone casting a dark spell over the dragon¡¯s head.

    ¡®Isn¡¯t that¡­?¡¯ He saw a figure on top of the dragon¡¯s head. Hans¡¯ hand moved faster than his mind and Estede shone. Baam! Yet, Estede¡¯s light was blocked by the dragon¡¯s raised arm.

    ¡®Damn it!¡¯ Theypleted the spell. Whooosh!

    The terrible Bellid energy swept through their surroundings. The holy Karuwiman knights were sensitive to Bellu¡¯s energy, and they all frowned in disgust.

    Kiiiiiiiik! The undead dragon¡¯s shrill roar rang out once again. It was not like the furious roar that made one¡¯s hair stand, but a shady and unpleasant roar. The dragon¡¯s roar seemed to reflect its degraded state.

    Hans asked, ¡°What is that spell?¡±

    A holy knight helping to suppress the dragon replied, ¡°It¡¯s probably a spell to strengthen the undead.¡±

    ¡®Did they just strengthen the undead dragon?¡¯ No, it wasn¡¯t just the undead dragon. It felt as if the fight against the undead monsters also became fiercer; judging by this, it was clear that the spell probably reinforced all the undead in this area.

    ¡®That bracelet is suspicious.¡¯ Bellu¡¯s energy was being vigorously emitted through the bracelet of the person who appeared above the dragon. Hans was sure that it was an artifact that amplified the power of the spell. However, even then, the thought of losing didn¡¯t even cross his mind.

    ¡®If I just keep the citizens safe¡­!¡¯

    ¡°Move the troops out!¡± Hans shouted at Wesker once again. Until now, the knights of the Miftil Kingdom were getting one-sidedly ughtered while refusing to cooperate with the others. Their valor alone was praiseworthy, but their spirits were clearly dead. Anyone could see that they had no chance of winning. The situation might change if others supported them, but most of the troops, including the dragon yers, were focused on moving the citizens away from the dragon.

    Wesker¡¯s face turned bright red. Even he could tell how bad the situation was in front of him.

    ¡°Sir¡­¡± Even Feijadiru looked at him with an anxious expression.

    Wesker clenched his teeth. ¡°¡­Withdraw the troops.¡±

    ¡°Yes, sir!¡± Feijadiru nodded adamantly and issued orders to the knights. The Miftil knights were also well aware that their actions right now were no different from suicide, so they immediately stepped back as soon as Feijadiru issued the order.

    ¡°Keuhahahhaha!¡± Pirosughed after hended on the dragon¡¯s head. He looked down at Wesker, and it seemed like he was looking down at a small bug.

    ¡°You don¡¯t look so good, Wesker Grashane. My dearrade.¡±

    Everyone¡¯s eyes instantly focused on Wesker.

    ¡°Why, are things not working out as you nned? That¡¯s why I told you to remove yourself from security on the big day of our n.¡±

    ¡°What nonsense are you spouting?!¡± Wesker immediately denied Piros¡¯ words. He had no choice but to deny it because his future would be doomed if he was branded as a Bellid coborator.

    ¡®Damn it! Damn it! Damn it!¡¯ If everything went as nned, this situation should not have happened. He should have knocked down the dragon and been treated like a hero before Piros even appeared. Even if Piros showed up, Wesker thought he could kill him immediately. There would be no way he would be charged with cooperating with the Bellids after sessfully stopping the Bellids¡¯ n. However, the current situation was far from his ideal vision.

    ¡®There¡¯s no credibility in what the Bellids¡¯ say anyway! If I just deny it, it¡¯ll be over!¡¯ However, he couldn¡¯t help but break out in cold sweat, and his condition worsened as Piros continued to speak.

    ¡°Your thoughts were so obvious. I really can¡¯t exin your superficial aspiration to defeat the resurrected dragon and gain the title of dragon yer as anything other than you grasping at straws. You really should know your rightful ce.¡±

    ¡°I told you to stop saying nonsense!¡±

    ¡°Ughh! It was really fun to see you act so high and mighty without knowing that you were the one being used instead.¡±

    ¡°You, you¡­!¡± Due to the people¡¯s gazes around him, Wesker couldn¡¯t express his anger. However, Wesker¡¯s pride was too enormous for him to act calmly. In the end, he had no choice but to grit his teeth. Hans and the others watched the conversation between Piros and Wesker in silence because apart from anything else, it was better for them if Wesker dragged out the time as much as possible for them to get the masses to safety. However, Wesker didn¡¯t buy them much time.

    ¡°Thanks to you, we were able to make the undead dragon so easily. In return for your hard work, I¡¯ll let you watch as Yuras and this city falls into ruin since you also wanted revenge against the Karuwimans.¡± Piros mocked Wesker with the false justification that he used to deceive the Bellids.

    Thud! The dragon turned. Its back was exposed to Hans and the others protecting the citizens.

    ¡®Should I attack?¡¯ However, Hans wanted to buy a little more time for the citizens to evacuate. He nced at the undead monsters; it seemed like the holy knights needed more time to deal with them.

    ¡°Where do you think you are going, Karuwiman Pope?!¡± Piros shouted with his arms wide open toward the Pope who hadn¡¯t evacuated yet due to the rapidly changing situation. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re trying to run away from this detestable enemy! How can you call yourself the supreme leader of the Karuwimans?!¡±

    ¡°Piros Bulington. As expected of a cockroach, you pull out a scheme like this. It would have been great if the Western General Branch had put up such a fight when it was being burned down to the ground.¡±

    Piros¡¯ face stiffened slightly.

    ¡°Or when your heads will fall. Please don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re idiotic enough to believe that you and your cockroaches can erase your pathetic downfall by interfering with the festival. I beg of you to deny it. I don¡¯t think I can keep my head up in front of God Karunater on if I believe I got ambushed by such an idiot.¡±

    Zich nodded as the Pope let out biting insults. ¡®I don¡¯t need to worry about whether I corrupted Lube too much.¡¯

    Even if it wasn¡¯t for him, her character would have definitely gone through significant changes under the Pope¡¯s influence.

    ¡®How did Zenard maintain Lube¡¯s personality like that in an environment like this?¡¯ In many ways, Glen Zenard was an amazing guy.

 Side Stories: Chapter 24

    Side Stories: Chapter 24

    Even Zich acknowledged the Pope¡¯s venomous words, and they inmed Piros¡¯ rage.

    ¡°Do you not see the current situation in front of you? Your tongue ps so well even in such a dire state! Sounds like Karuna is the god of tongues above everything else!¡±

    ¡°I can see the situation well. I¡¯m sure it¡¯s your god that can¡¯t even p its tongue anymore. I mean, can a fish head even speak in the first ce? I suppose it would just puff up its gills and get its mouth pierced by a fish hook. It will be tricked by a small bait and foolishly swallow up its own organs.¡± The Pope¡¯s vicious tongue beat down Piros. ¡°Honestly, I was surprised by your scheme in turning a dragon¡¯s corpse into an undead, but do you think that secures your victory? Everyone who defeated the dragonst time is gathered here, including Sir Zich!¡±

    The Pope pointed at Zich who was sitting on his chair rxedly like he was in apletely different space from the chaos.

    The moment Piros saw Zich, his eyes cooled. ¡°Yes, Zich.¡±

    ¡°Hm? You have something to say?¡± Zich jerked his jaw like he would be gracious enough to hear Piros out. Piros instantly felt his pride hurt by Zich¡¯s arrogant attitude, but that didn¡¯tst long, and he made a sly smile.

    ¡°Yes, the representative of the dragon yers and the bastard with the damn title called the ¡®Bellid Annihtor¡¯ too.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a strange feeling, getting insulted by someone on the level of a fish head¡¯s poop,¡± Zich said. As reported, Zich had a potty mouth. Regardless, Piros¡¯ confidence in his victory didn¡¯t shrink back down.

    ¡°I have moved warily after hearing about your outstanding senses and mind, but it seems like I had no reason to worry. You didn¡¯t notice our movements at all,¡± Piros said.

    ¡°Is that so? Congrattions. You have aplished a feat you can boast about even after dying multiple times. Continue to brag about it until your dying breath. I will allow it.¡± Zich pped lightly. Piros felt irked by Zich¡¯s continuous carefree attitude.

    As if he waspeting with Zich to see who could sound more at ease, Piros said in an even more carefree tone, ¡°Your bluffing is pitiful. I know you enjoy bringing out your hidden card when your opponent thinks they have an advantage, but I know you haven¡¯t prepared anything of that sort,¡± Piros said.

    ¡°It¡¯s as you say. This time, I don¡¯t have anything prepared,¡± Zich said and shook his hands to show that they were empty.

    ¡°Hahaha! It must be true that you lost your keen senses from living in peace for too long. To think that the representative of the dragon yers, Zich, would be so ruined in just a year! This is how scary peace is!¡± Piros said in a loud voice like he wanted others to hear him. It didn¡¯t matter to Piros whether he was telling the truth or not. He couldn¡¯t let his chance of ruining the reputation of a top Bellid Annihtor goes to waste. If possible, he wanted to thoroughly ruin it. People¡¯s attention gathered on Zich. They seemed to look at him with slight distrust, and it seemed like Piros¡¯ intention shined through.

    Yet, Zich showed no change in attitude. Some were filled with faint hope again seeing Zich¡¯s response. It appeared like Zich still had something to believe in.

    ¡°Are you pretending to be at ease even in this situation? How amazing. But all that¡¯s useless. The way guys like you think is so simple. You act like you have something else up your sleeves and hope that your opponent will show an opening in the meantime. Of course, that doesn¡¯t mean I intend to dismiss your fighting abilities,¡± Piros said. Tap! He flicked his finger and the undead monsters rushing toward the masses stopped attacking. ordingly, the soldiers battling the monsters also recovered from the front lines. Thanks to their outstanding skills and many priests, there were no casualties or injuries. Anyone could see that the Karuwimans had the advantage, but Piros¡¯ confidence didn¡¯t disappear.

    ¡°There is only one reason why you guys can¡¯t attack us. It¡¯s that dense crowd,¡± Piros said, pointing at the masses of people in front. People flinched. Then, Piros continued, ¡°Don¡¯t you think it¡¯s strange? Even if I am the manager of the Bellids¡¯ western branch, do you all really think I came to invade Yuras by myself?¡±

    ¡°¡­No way!¡± Lube gasped and looked toward the crowd. Tap! Piros flicked his hand again and there were movements inside the crowd.

    Ziiing! There were chilling sounds of swords being drawn from here and there. The sunlight shining from the sky reflected off the swords¡¯ sharp, chilling des.

    ¡°Kyaaah!

    ¡°W-What¡¯s going on?!¡±

    ¡°Ah!¡±

    People screamed as the swords aimed for their necks, and people in their surroundings tried to distance themselves from the scene.

    ¡°Shut up, you fools!¡± Piros shouted and the Bellids who had revealed themselves just now extended out their hands above. Baam! Fierce and impure energy shot up into the sky and burst. Anyone could see that a terrible thing would happen if one was struck by the energy. This scene stopped the people from trying to run away and nted them in ce.

    ¡°I will crush all your bodies into pieces if you move even a tiny bit!¡±

    Everyone froze into ce at Piros¡¯ deration, and everything became quiet. There were little sounds here and there, but people couldn¡¯t even breathe in peace. Piros watched this scene with satisfaction and turned his attention back to the Pope. The Pope¡¯s face hardened iparably from before.

    ¡°As you can see now, I mixed some of my knights with the public. Though they are too precious and noble to shred powerless weaklings like them, there was no other choice. There was nothing more we could use, so we had to seek the coboration of our precious brothers.¡±

    ¡°What do you want?¡±

    ¡°You finally have the expression I was seeking, Karuwiman Pope.¡± Piros smiled brightly. The one he detested and loathed the most as a Bellid follower was waiting patiently for him to continue while the man was helpless. Piros was sure that today would be the most joyful day of his life.

    ¡°It¡¯s nothing much. I just need the Karuwimans, including you, to kill themselves.¡±

    ¡°Do you think we¡¯ll allow that?!¡± Lube shouted, but Piros clicked his tongue while shaking one finger.

    ¡°Of course, you can¡¯t ept it. You all want to protect the Pope¡¯s life even if you have to sacrifice yours. I don¡¯t doubt your courage or determination, but it¡¯s not only your life that you have to put on the line.¡± Piros looked directly at the crowd behind him. It was a sight to see so many pale-stricken people shivering in fear. All the dragon yers, including Hans, the knights following the nobles, and the Karuwiman holy knights and priests were all unable to move properly.

    ¡°You just and righteous Karuna¡¯s dogs, you guys might have superior power than us right now, but you can¡¯t make a move as long as we have these worms in our hands.¡± Piros thought the Karuwimans were incredibly foolish. The masses were just ves that the great Bellu created for the Bellids to use. However, those stupid Karuna dogs viewed them as something to protect. Of course, the Karuwimans would also have to make a choice when worst came to worst. No matter how important it was to protect the powerless, it was not more important than protecting the Pope and Yuras.

    ¡®It doesn¡¯t matter.¡¯ If that happened, then just ughtering these worms was enough. He would then be able to take off the Karuwimans¡¯ hypocritical mask, and their reputation will plummet to the ground. If they stuck to their hypocritical attitude to the very end, then that would be even better since he could just destroy the Karuwimans, including the Pope.

    ¡°If anyone resists, think of them as good as dead.¡±

    Thud! The dragon took a step forward, but no one moved hastily.

    Thud! The dragon took another step forward. Due to the dragon¡¯srge stride, it reached the Pope with a few steps. The cardinals exchanged nces. They couldn¡¯t give up the Pope and Yuras by surrendering to Piros¡¯ threats like this; someone had to make a decision. When the cardinals were about to firmly resolve their hearts¡ª

    Someone stepped forward.

    ¡°¡­Sir Zich?¡± Lube looked at Zich¡¯s back as he slowly walked toward the dragon. He lookedpletely at ease like before. Until now, he had stayed in his seat and hadn¡¯t moved an inch so far. Did he really have no ns? Although Lube continued to believe in Zich, even she had be slightly doubtful. However, Zich had moved just now; this alone was enough to give Lube hope.

    Since Zich moved in a situation where only the dragon was moving, he naturally attracted everyone¡¯s attention. It was even more eye-catching since Zich was the only person moving.

    ¡°¡­I¡¯m sure he has some kind of n in mind, right?¡±

    ¡°Of course, since it¡¯s Sir Zich.¡±

    Snoc and Hans already felt rxed. The people around them looked at them with dumbfounded expressions, but they didn¡¯t feel the need to exin. They had to experience and see Zich in action to understand.

    Of course, Piros also noticed Zich. ¡°Did you not hear what I said?¡±

    ¡°Is there any reason why I should follow your words?¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t care what happens to the hostages?¡±

    ¡°Try it if you can.¡±

    People let out shrill screams, and some people even cursed at him. However, Zich¡¯s gaze was only focused on Piros.

    Piros said, ¡°Did you already give up on the lives of the hostages? Those who praise you will cry their hearts out.¡±

    ¡°You should stop distorting other people¡¯s intentions. When did I ever say I would give up the lives of the hostages?¡±

    ¡°Are you bluffing again? I told you already, but I know that you didn¡¯t prepare any special countermeasures. Wesker Grashane has an informant in Yuras.¡±

    Piros stared at Chelsea, a Karuwiman, and she flinched. Then Piros¡¯ eyes shifted to Pina, the mage. Pina received his gaze with an indifferent expression.

    ¡°Aren¡¯t you somewhat close to Chelsea Windne? Pina Acous as well. I¡¯ll give you a word of advice¡ªdon¡¯t easily trust opportunists like them. Think of it as advice from someone who lived longer in this world than you.¡±

    Many fierce and angry eyes all focused on Chelsea and Pina, but no one moved against them because they didn¡¯t know how Piros would react if they made a hasty move. However, the people around Chelsea and Pina tried to distance themselves.

    ¡°I told you not to move.¡± Piros coldly said. People instantly stopped trying to distance themselves from Chelsea and Pina.

    ¡°Hahaha, what a great sight to see annoying fools move ording to my every word.¡± Pirosughed creepily, but his face was soon reced with displeasure. ¡°Why are you still moving?¡±

    Zich replied, ¡°I told you before. Is there a reason why I should follow your words?¡±

    ¡°¡­In the end, you need to taste pain to stop your bluff.¡± Piros looked at one of his subordinates and said, ¡°Kill ten of them.¡±

    People around the subordinate screamed. Tension rose instantly, and many people looked at Zich with scorn. Soon, horrifying screams would break out, and innocent humans would be sacrificed. However, the sharp de of the subordinate¡¯s knife did not reach its target.

    Halt! The subordinate was about to swing his sword with cold eyes, but he stopped. His vision became blurry, and he fell on the floor like a broken doll. The fallen sword nged loudly. As expected, screams broke out. However, the screams didn¡¯te from innocent citizens as they met their end, but screams of bewilderment from an unexpected situation. Piros had been eagerly waiting to watch pathetic worms die, but he widened his eyes.

    He clearly heard Zich slowly say, ¡°Any Bellid who moves forward from now on will die.¡±

 Side Stories: Chapter 25

    Side Stories: Chapter 25

    It was the same threat Piros made but in reverse positions. Yet, Zich¡¯s ckmail sounded ridiculous considering the current situation. The Bellids were drawing out their swords right on the masses¡¯ necks, but Zich was standing quite far away from these Bellids. It looked as if the Bellids would kill the masses much quicker than Zich could kill them. Yet, none of the Bellids dared to move after what they had just seen. They nced toward the area where one of theirrades had just fallen. Theirrade was still unmoving, and those with high physical abilities realized that therade was not even breathing. He was dead.

    Yet, theirrade¡¯s death wasn¡¯t the shocking part. They had always trodden a thin line between life and death, and the death of arade was a familiar happening. Yet, what happened before the death stunned them. There was no warning beforehand, and theirrade suddenly copsed and died after moving ording to Piros¡¯ order. Only a handful of people with a certain level of skills sensed that an enormous amount of mana had moved instantly. The mana originated from Zich¡¯s location. Windur was hanging over Zich¡¯s shoulder. Unbefitting the situation, he looked disinterestedly at the situation in front of him.

    ¡°Hans.¡±

    ¡°Yes!¡±

    ¡°Evacuate the masses¡­¡± Zich nced at the Bellids, the undead monsters, the undead dragon, and Piros. Then he scratched the back of his head.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯s necessary, but let the people who want to go home leave.¡±

    ¡°I understand!¡± There was no need to question or ponder more. Hans immediately carried out Zich¡¯smand and began to request support from his allies. However, very few figures including Snoc moved instantly. Others warily nced at the situation. They were still worried about the Bellids standing among the masses, and above all, they failed to grasp the current situation. It was the same for Piros. He didn¡¯t know what was going on, but it seemed like things weren¡¯t progressing in his favor. He thought he needed to quickly take control of the situation again and find out what happened just now.

    ¡°I told you not to move!¡± Piros then gave an order to three of his subordinates. Even after seeing one of theirrades suddenly die, these subordinates moved without any hesitation to kill the surrounding citizens. Thud! Yet, the same thing happened again. Without any warning, those three rolled on the ground. They were dead without any exterior or visible injuries.

    ¡°What¡­?¡± Piros gasped. His head became nk in front of a situation that he couldn¡¯t understand at all. Soon, he heard Zich¡¯s voice.

    ¡°I already said that I will kill any Bellid bastards who moves,¡± Zich said in a tone as if that was the only order governing this ce. Among the wary citizens, some brave souls began to move slowly. Naturally, the Bellids tried to block them.

    ¡°I told you not to move¡­!¡±

    Thump! The Bellid swinging his sword threateningly instantly stopped moving like those before him. His head mmed into the ground and his body became still. The same instance urred three more times. The rest of the masses were slowly edging away, yet the Bellids couldn¡¯t dare to move. Even the citizens with swords right up against their necks began to back away. The Bellids¡¯ swords looked sharp and menacing like they could deeply pierce their necks instantly, but right now, they were unable to do anything and hovered in the air. Some Bellids didn¡¯t give up. They tried to take control of the masses again, but before they could attempt to make a threat or swing their swords, they met the same fates as those who copsed before them. Meanwhile, no citizen was hurt or dead.

    ¡°A-Are you¡­doing this¡­?¡± Even Piros was disgusted by his own voice, but he couldn¡¯t help blurting out a question.

    ¡°What else could it be?¡±

    ¡®Damn it, did this bastard really have a special trick up his sleeves!¡¯ That was the only exnation Piros coulde up with seeing the current situation. Piros red at Chelsea and Pina with ring eyes.

    ¡°You idiots! Didn¡¯t you say that he hadn¡¯t prepared anything special?!¡± Piros didn¡¯t know what this trick was, but he was sure it was something prepared with great effort. How could these women not find this out after iming to have extracted information while lingering for a long time beside Zich? Yet, Zich answered the question.

    ¡°The idiot is you. Why in the world would you think those guys were on your side?¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    Zich spoke as if Pina and Chelsea weren¡¯t betrayers. Unlike before, thedies¡¯ eyes were filled with ridicule and jeering, and their chests stretched out more confidently than before. Finally, Piros understood.

    ¡°They were acting as double agents.¡± Piros quickly turned his head and stared at Wesker and Fejiadiru. Their astonished and dumbfounded faces proved that they had been tricked. Piros¡¯ rage boiled.

    ¡°You were so slow to realize it. No wonder the Bellids fell when the one in charge of the western branch is like this. No, is it too much to put all the me on you when the Bellid Pope was aplete fool in the first ce? If you consider that, worshiping a fish head already shows ack of intelligence. So, I suppose it was a problem with all the Bellids.¡± Zich¡¯s statement turned into self-murmurings in the end. His voice rang loudly and shook up the whole area. His intent to ridicule Piros was clear, and his n worked perfectly.

    ¡°T-Those opportunists¡­!¡±

    ¡°Why are you getting so angry? You¡¯re the one who said I shouldn¡¯t believe in opportunists easily. How could you get angry after saying that? If you were tricked even after knowing that those two trick others easily, you are the fool. You would¡¯ve said the same thing as me a moment ago, but now that you are the one who was tricked, are you trying to change your words? I knew the Bellid bastards had small hearts, but this is too much.¡±

    Zich continued, ¡°As you said, they are opportunists. However, it is also what you make out of it. After Glen Zenard severely scathed them, they¡¯ve improved their standards. They now have a good eye to judge which side will win and which side they should support. Of course, they chose me. If you have an overwhelming difference in skills, there¡¯s no one more reliable than an opportunist with a good eye. In other words, no matter how you think about it, you¡¯re just an idiot who trusted them blindly.¡±

    ¡°You, you¡­!¡±

    ¡°This might sound absurd to you, but they¡¯ve never tricked you.¡±

    ¡°How far are you going to mock me¡­!¡±

    ¡°No, this is the truth. This is what I ordered them to do¡ªto tell Grashane and Browning exactly what they see without filtering any information.¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°The information you received was aplete truth.¡± Zich spread his arms wide as if to show that he had nothing to hide. ¡°I didn¡¯t n a countermeasure, plot, or scheme. No wonder you didn¡¯t doubt those two since the information they gave you was urate, and the circumstances supported their information.¡±

    ¡°Stop saying nonsense when I just saw my subordinates die¡­!¡±

    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s what I¡¯m telling you. I didn¡¯t use any particr trick to kill them.¡± Zich lifted Windur for him to see. ¡°The only thing I did was just swing my sword and slice them with mana.¡±

    Then, Zich carelessly swung Windur as if to reproduce the way he attacked the Bellids.

    However, Piros couldn¡¯t ept his words; no, it wasn¡¯t just Piros. Most of the people, regardless if they were an enemy or ally, shared Piros¡¯ thoughts.

    ¡°That¡¯s ridiculous!¡± Piros cried out as a representative. ¡°I didn¡¯t see you swing your sword!¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s because I swung it too fast for you to see.¡±

    ¡°I could hardly feel any mana either!¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s because I did an unbelievably good job of controlling my mana.¡±

    ¡°How could you have sliced them when they don¡¯t even have any injuries!¡±

    ¡°I was being considerate in case ordinary people around me get shocked if they see blood.¡±

    ¡°How could I have not noticed something like that?!¡±

    ¡°Well, your skills are utterly insignificantpared to mine, to the point that it''s squirming on the floor.¡± Zich replied extremely cheekily and continued, ¡°What did you say? You have no intentions to belittle my strength? The fact that you could crawl out in front of me just because you revived a dragon, dragged out some undead monsters, and got some hostages is already looking down on me beyond what I can put into words. I can¡¯t believe you thought you had a little edge over me with just those things. There¡¯s a limit to how pathetic you can be.¡±

    It even hurt his pride a little. ¡°You know why I didn¡¯t make any countermeasures? It¡¯s because I don¡¯t need to.¡±

    Mana exploded from Zich. ¡°No matter what you do, it won¡¯t work as long as I¡¯m here. The whole city is within my range of detection, and nowhere in this city is beyond my reach.¡± Zich slightly waved his hand.

    Baaaaam! The undead monsters blocking the masses¡¯ escape routes were obliterated. Considering their shocking appearance and performance so far, it was an extremely pitiful end.

    ¡°I can crush your insignificant power at any time and make sure that not a single innocent victim dies. Then, the only thing left for me to do is wait for all your cockroaches toe up to the surface.¡± The stage was all set. ¡°Piros Bulington, desperately try to resist with all your might. You should at least do everything you want before you go. Try to use the pet you revived as much as you please.¡±

    ¡°Y-you, you bastaaaaaaaard!¡± Piros felt intense wrath from being yed by Zich from start to finish, adding to the clear sense of crisis forming in his heart. Piros gave an order to the undead dragon.

    Rawr! The dragon opened its enormous mouth at Zich. ck mes zed inside its mouth.

    ¡°Diiiiiiie!¡± Piros shouted.

    Whooosh! The undead dragon¡¯s breath shot out. It was a tremendous force that seemed strong enough to be able to blow away not only Zich, but also the Pope and Yuras all at once. Zich fixed his grip on Windur and faced it head on.

    ¡°Die, what bullshit.¡± Then he swung Windur. His movement looked extremely insignificantpared to the dragon¡¯s mighty breath, but it was perfect.

    Crk! The sight of a huge irregr mass of mana getting crushed was a sight that even the most experienced knights or mages had never seen.

    shh! In an instant, the dragon¡¯s breath, which seemed as if it would sweep everything away, disappeared without a trace. All that remained was a slightly strong wind that was created in the aftermath and swept across their surroundings.

    Piros gaped in shock. He couldn¡¯t even make a sound. Only his violently trembling eyes reflected his true feelings.

    ¡°¡­That¡¯s astounding,¡± Walwiss said incredulously. When he saw Zich fight against Glen Zenard in the past, he realized the monstrosity of Zich¡¯s power¡ªno, he thought he knew. However, the sight in front of him made him realize that his assessment of Zich¡¯s powers had been way too low.

    ¡°You must have already known,¡± Walwiss said to L. Unlike the others, L was strangely calm from the very beginning. Come to think of it, she must have already known how the situation would unfold.

    She smiled at Walwiss and said, ¡°You don¡¯t have to think so hard. Just think about Zich¡¯s nickname.¡±

    ¡°I see. Who would dare toin about his title after seeing this now?¡±

    Zich¡¯s current title was the Strength Hero.

    ¡®That¡¯s exactly what Zich Moore was like before he regressed.¡¯ And Zich¡¯s title before his regression was the Demon Lord of Strength.

 Side Stories: Chapter 26

    Side Stories: Chapter 26

    Zich gained the title by leaving all the strategic thinking to his subordinate Marilyn and squashing every problem that appeared in front of him with brute strength. It was a simple method that would¡¯ve led to instant death for most, but with Marilyn¡¯s capabilities on top of his enormous power, the brash method turned into an all-around perfect solution. It was easier to execute than now because he didn¡¯t need to consider all the damage done to the people in his surroundings. On the bright side, Zich had Windur and the World Tree¡¯s mana now, and he was able to gain perfect control of this power in the past year. At this point, even the Demon Lord from his pre-regression days wouldn¡¯t be able to put up a proper fight against him.

    ¡®Thus, for someone to ambush Zich?¡¯ L wanted to suggest better ways for a person to kill themselves¨Cpreferably one that didn¡¯t cause much harm to others. L crossed her arms. Since Zich stepped forward, she thought it wouldn¡¯t take long for the situation to regain order. Her mind quickly strayed off to other matters in a situation that caused no threat.

    ¡®Can I expect something in an ambush of this scale?¡¯ She recalled what Zich had told her not long ago. She thought it was nonsense then, but if he had said those words foreseeing this incident¡­her heart beat faster. As she dwelled in her thoughts,pletely distant from the current battle, another figure moved. Chelsea was gripping her fist tightly.

    ¡®Good!¡¯ When she saw Zich slice through the dragon¡¯s breath, she almost raised both arms and cheered.

    ¡®No, I should¡¯ve just let it out!¡¯ she thought.

    Exuberant cheers were already popping out of the crowd, and some shook their hands like mad. This atmosphere quickly spread across the surroundings. Most people, except a very small minority, had already stopped evacuating. Even the masses realized that the scary Bellids and the undead monsters no longer posed a threat. Thinking that they were safe, people¡¯s attention naturally focused on the battle in front of them. It was a battle between the legendary dragon yer and the dragon resurrected as an undead; a scene that only poets would sing in songs was unraveling before them.

    Perhaps, the people¡¯s response was abnormal, considering that the undead dragon still stood before them and Bellids were still in their midst, holding them hostage. Yet, the might that Zich showcased easily turned an abnormal reaction into a normal one.

    ¡®I really got in the rightne this time!¡¯ Chelsea wanted to thank her past self who chose Zich after a serious conversation with Pina.

    ¡®I should never get out of that side from now on!¡¯ she thought. The man who was already like a monster to begin with, had returned after bing an even greater monster. If anyone thought otherwise after witnessing a scene like this, they would seriously be one of a kind.

    Chelsea met eyes with Pina. She raised her thumb and Pina also raised hers in response. Though Chelsea usually thought of Pina as an arrogant know-it-all, she had never felt more camaraderie with her than right now.

    Kieeeeh! The undead dragon screeched and rushed toward Zich. It looked like it was nning to press its gigantic body against Zich after seeing that its breath didn¡¯t work. Bam!

    Arge footprint formed on the ground. Yet, Zich had already escaped to the side. The dragon continued to extend its feet toward Zich. Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!

    ¡°Die! Die! Die! Dieeee!¡± Every time the dragon ced its feet down, Piros cursed. Yet, neither the dragon¡¯s wild movements nor Piros¡¯ rage could injure Zich.

    ¡°Stay still for a bit!¡±

    Bang! Zich swung his mana-filled fist into the dragon¡¯s stomach. The dragon staggered backward, but its scales took no damage.

    ¡°Ha, hahaha!¡± Piros¡¯ voice was filled with hope. ¡®That guy¡¯s attack doesn¡¯t work on the undead¡­!¡¯

    However, he stopped thinking this when he saw Zich¡¯s fist heading for the dragon with a strange movement. Zich moved as if he was dismembering parts of the dragon. Piros felt a great foreboding feeling envelop him, especially after everything Zich had shown him until now.

    ¡°Good.¡± Zich nodded and let his hand down.

    What in the world was he thinking?

    ¡®I should just push forward!¡¯ Piros thought. Trusting in the undead dragon¡¯s hard scales that had previously defended against Zich¡¯s attack, Piros pushed forward. In response, Zich swung Windur against the dragon.

    Slice! It was an ominous sound, and it was more chilling because Piros felt no shock. He hurriedly turned to where he heard the noise.

    Boom! The dragon¡¯s right arm fell to the ground with a loud crash. The area where its arms used to be was empty. The shoulder joints were just dangling there meaninglessly. Piros¡¯ head becamepletely nk. Yet, Zich¡¯s attacks didn¡¯t care for his situation at all and struck the dragon. Piros thought the dragon¡¯s scales would at least be able to put up a good resistance, yet Zich¡¯s attacks easily pierced through the dragon. The dragon swaggered with its one remaining arm, but even that soon became tattered in an instant.

    ¡°Uh, ahhhh!¡±

    ¡°Kieeeeeh!¡±

    Piros and the undead dragon screamed simultaneously, and the dragon moved wildly.

    ¡°Hey! Don¡¯t move!¡± Zich shouted. ¡°Other people¡¯s parts are also going to be damaged!¡±

    ¡°Other people¡¯s¡­what¡­?¡± What was Zich talking about? Piros wondered, but he knew Zich was dissatisfied about something. Was it connected to his weakness? Piros shuffled through his head, yet Zich¡¯s way of thinking surpassed the realm that Piros could reach.

    ¡°Sir Zich! You do not have to consider that!¡±Hans knew what was going through Zich¡¯s head and shouted. Yet, Hans still couldn¡¯t change Zich¡¯s will.

    ¡°No! As the master, I can¡¯t damage something that belongs to my disciple!¡± Zich replied.

    Then, Zich pointed at the dragon¡¯s right leg with Windur. ¡°Wasn¡¯t the portion distributed to you on the right leg? Don¡¯t worry. I will return yours and everyone else¡¯s parts like how they were before!¡±

    Piros then realized what Zich was saying. He scanned the undead dragon in shock. Only the dragon¡¯s torso was filled with injuries, and there wasn¡¯t a single scratch in other ces. The dragon¡¯s torso had been distributed to Zich. When Piros realized this, he despaired. This meant that Zich specifically only attacked the parts that were already in his possession and left the other areas untouched.

    ¡®He can do that while facing the undead dragon?¡¯ Piros sensed that Zich moved with absolute ease.

    ¡®No!¡¯ Finally, Piros truly felt that no matter what scheme he nned out or what existence he brought back, he couldn¡¯t win against Zich. He felt this truth in his core.

    ¡®It was all wrong from the beginning!¡¯ Pirosmented. He had miscalcted his opponent¡¯s strength. Now, he was in a situation where he couldn¡¯t guarantee his life, much less a victory.

    ¡®I-I need to escape!¡¯ Following his will, the undead dragon stretched out its wings. It pped its wings hard, and the dragon floated into the air.

    ¡°Huh, huh?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s escaping! That guy is escaping!¡± Weaklings who wouldn¡¯t have even dared to meet his eye without Zich bbered on, but it wasn¡¯t time for him to punish them right now. Piros then turned to the sky. He saw the warm sunlight, the blue sky, and pure white clouds. It was a sight that immediately brought peace and calm to people, but as a Bellid follower, Piros had pretty much never properly stared at the sky. This was because his temple of worship was always near the water flowing on the earth. Now, Piros stared intently and desperately at the sky, wishing that he would get closer to it and get farther from the hands of the monster that existed below the earth¡¯s surface.

    Slice! Yet, the ominous sound he heard ringing in his ears once again cut through his small hope.

    ¡®No!¡¯ The undead dragon stopped ascending. Its body teetered, and while clutching onto the dragon¡¯s shaking body, Piros checked the cause of this change. He didn¡¯t see one of the dragon¡¯s wings. He looked down and saw the wing in question flying fast below. The wing was also a part that belonged to Zich. Piros didn¡¯t know what to think. No matter how strong the dragon was, it couldn¡¯t fly without wings. Soon, the dragon¡¯s body started falling like the wing that had fallen before it. At the end of his destination, Piros saw the indescribable monster waiting for him on the surface.

    Piros gave up on the dragon. He tried to escape the city alone by flying. Boom!

    ¡°Kuh!¡± A strong pressure gripped his body. He felt like a bug being yed by a giant, and this formless pressure pushed him onto the dragon¡¯s head again and pressed him down against the dragon¡¯s hard scales. He grew closer and closer to the ground. Pop! Pop! The dragon¡¯s body shook like a frail leaf at the mana shockwaves fluctuating from below. There was no damage at all, but Piros despaired once more when he realized the reasoning behind Zich¡¯s actions. He was controlling the situation so that the dragon didn¡¯t fall on top of the masses.

    Piros took his eyes away from the approaching ground and looked above. The bright blue sky felt so far. Baam!

    ¡°Kuh!¡± When the dragon shed with the surface, the shockwave was transferred to Piros. Unlike the holy knights with trained physiques, a priest like him had a body like amon person. He felt pain all over his body¡ªhis skin, muscles, organs, bones¡ªeverywhere. He couldn¡¯t even describe which part of him was hurting and how. It just hurt. Soon, the pressure pressing down on him disappeared, and his body rolled off the dragon¡¯s face.

    ¡°Kuh!¡± Since his already injured body experienced another shock, Piros felt a pain so strong that it felt as if his soul was popping out of him. Yet, he couldn¡¯t even let out a scream, and his whole body cracked after leaking out a short cry.

    Thud, thud! He soon heard the sound of footsteps. There was no way Piros didn¡¯t know who those footsteps belonged to. His whole body shook. He didn¡¯t know whether it was because of the pain or fear, but Piros was too scared to confirm the owner of the footsteps in person. Soon, the sound of footsteps stopped, and a shadow was cast over him. He could no longer pretend to be ignorant and slowly raised his head. He saw the blue sky and Zich¡ªthe representative of the dragon yers and the Bellid annihtors and the one who stomped him as if he was a small bug.

    ¡°Kurgh!¡± Piros threw up blood. Seeing this, Zich clicked his tongue.

    ¡°Guys who act beyond their limits tend to meet an end like you. Fools who think they can change the world ording to their wishes with just one sneaky scheme.¡± Zich¡¯s words pierced his heart. Piros had no more mental and physical energy left to respond, and Zich didn¡¯t really want a response from him either.

    ¡°Didn¡¯t you enjoy your time recently? You tried controlling a dragon, though it was undead. You must have had a good time thinking what would happen after tarnishing the Karuwimans¡¯ name and dragging down the Pope, the Saintess, and the cardinals in Yuras.¡±

    Piros recalled how he thought today would be the greatest day of his life. It had been a great misconception¡ªtoday was the worst day of his life. Zich raised Windur, and Piros had to stare weakly at the strange-looking sword that looked like a tree branch aimed at him.

    ¡°How was your sweet moment of hope?¡±

    These mocking words were thest sound that Piros heard.

 Side Stories: Chapter 27

    Side Stories: Chapter 27

    The one-year anniversary celebrating the annihtion of the Bellids was aplete failure. The dragon¡¯s corpse, which they had ced great attention on guarding, was resurrected as the undead and threatened the high-ss Karuwimans, the great temple, Yuras, and the entire city. The remaining members of the Bellid group and the undead monsters they controlled attacked the masses. It was a chaotic day where a festival meant to celebrate the Bellids¡¯ erasure could¡¯ve been left as the worst day in history for the Karuwimans.

    Yet,pared to the severity of the situation, there wasn¡¯t as much damage. Property damages made up most of it and the only casualties were the Miftil Kingdom¡¯s knights. It also came to light that the nobles attending the festival as representatives of the Miftil Kingdom, Wesker Grashane and Fejiadiru Browning, were Bellid coborators. It was like a miracle, as if God Karuna had personally acted to protect the Karuwimans.

    However, this event wasn¡¯t some miracle from a god. It was thanks to one person even though this person was someone who couldn¡¯tpare to any other human. Everyone, including the Karuwiman Pope from above to the citizens attending the festival, saw what this man did. They watched as Piros was subdued and the remaining Bellids were all tied up helplessly. Still, the festival couldn¡¯t go on after an event like that, and the Karuwimans soon dispersed the crowd.

    People obediently scattered and returned to their respective homes. Though they could¡¯ve lost their lives in a single mishap, what lingered in their heads wasn¡¯t an emotion such as fear. Instead, it was a sense of admiration and respect. Everyone knew that they had witnessed a legendary battle that would be carved into history for many years toe.

    After some time passed, people soon calmed their unsettled hearts and went outside, unable to beat the overflowing passion in their hearts. The festival was still going on and merchants were still continuing their businesses even after the recent incident. People went into restaurants and bars and talked about what they experienced that day.

    ¡°Ha! Did you see that? You know, right at the end when the dragon fell!¡±

    ¡°Of course, I saw it! I even saw the hero swing his sword. He swung his sword slowly enough that I could see it and then the dragon¡¯s entire wing ripped right off!¡±

    ¡°What? Damn it, I was watching the Bellid bastards running with all their might, so I couldn¡¯t see that.¡±

    Two burly men talked passionately while holding two alcohol sses. It was the same for the people at the table beside them.

    ¡°I heard that¡¯s called a breath. I can¡¯t believe I saw something that only appears in legends and such. Isn¡¯t the dragon supposed to blow off mountains and even erase entire cities?¡±

    ¡°Of course! You saw it too! Those terrible lights and sounds. If our hero hadn¡¯t blocked it, the entire Yuras would¡¯ve been demolished.¡±

    ¡°To think that he could block a great strength like that. Isn¡¯t he truly amazing?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s why he was able to end those Bellid cockroaches¡¯ leader!¡±

    Wherever anyone looked, people were praising Zich. It couldn¡¯t be helped. When would they ever see an amazing battle like that? Furthermore, the person they were talking about was Zich, whose fame was high enough to pierce the sky.

    ¡°I¡¯m really d that I went to the anniversary today! When I ce my grandkids on myp in the future, I will have stories to tell them!¡±

    ¡°Why don¡¯t you say that after getting married first?¡±

    Even after more time passed, people didn¡¯t stop praising Zich. Seeing the fever and passion of the people in the room, it seemed like people would continue to talk about Zich for a while. Although the whole city was buzzing because of the day¡¯s incident, the main scene was quiet and calm. The area was blocked from ordinary people entering so that it could be cleaned, and holy priests and knights were taking control of it.

    ¡°Look at this.¡± One holy knight flipped a dead Bellid¡¯s body over with his feet and said to hispanion, ¡°There¡¯s no external injury.¡±

    They studied the corpses and flipped them around. There was absolutely no respect for the dead, but no one said anything. After all, what need was there for courtesy when dealing with the Bellids?

    ¡°Hepletely ground their organs without damaging their skin.¡±

    ¡°No wonder they died instantly though they looked fine on the outside.¡±

    ¡°Did he really do something like this from so far away without any warning beforehand?¡±

    The holy knights met each other¡¯s eyes. They seemed to ask each other if it would be possible for any of them to do this and nobody seemed to agree.

    ¡°¡­Let¡¯s just clean up the corpses.¡±

    ¡°¡­Yeah.¡±

    Zich was someone who had already surpassed their understanding. If he suddenly imed to be the avatar of Karuna right now, they would¡¯ve probably believed him. Yet, unlike this ce where everything was progressing smoothly, there were other areas with moremotion taking ce.

    ¡°This is a misunderstanding! Are you really going to believe a Bellid bastard¡¯s words?!¡± Fejiadiru shouted while both his arms were tightly bound by two holy knights. Yet, no one took heed to what he said. However, considering the status of the people they were arresting, the cardinal said coldly, ¡°We will know once we conduct our investigation. Before that, we will treat you like the noble that you are.¡± In other words, once Wesker and Fejiadiru were found to have any connection with the Bellids, their heads would be sliced off whether they were nobles or not.

    ¡°That can¡¯t happen! I am the heir of the Miftil Kingdom¡¯s Marquess Browning family! How could you treat someone like me so roughly?!¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s the case for now. If you really are connected to the Bellids, you should wish things would stop at your end. If we find out that the Browning family and even further, the Miftil Kingdom, are connected to the Bellids too, we won¡¯t hesitate to go all out.¡±

    Of course, things would not end with just that. This event could¡¯ve put the Pope, all the upper-ss Karuwimans, and Yuras in danger. Although Zich had coolly overturned the event, it was true that the Karuwimans had failed to block the Bellids¡¯ ambush. To make up for that loss of reputation, the Karuwimans needed to pursue this case as fiercely as possible. Fejiadiru¡¯s face turned pale.

    ¡°My family and of course, I have nothing to do with those bastards! This is going too far¡­¡±

    ¡°Why don¡¯t you say that to the interrogator? Drag him out!¡±

    ¡°No, it¡¯s a misunderstanding! We will never coborate with the Bellid bastards¡­!¡± Fejiadiru was pleading desperately when Lara spotted him.

    ¡°L-Lara!¡± he shouted. She turned around.

    ¡°Please help them clear up this misunderstanding! Aren¡¯t you Sir Zich¡¯spanion? I¡¯m sure people would listen to what you say! For your brother, help¡­!¡±

    Lara indifferently turned her head. Though she heard her brother call her name, she never turned in his direction again.

    ¡°His shamelessness is unbelievable,¡± Hans scoffed.

    ¡°He¡¯s always been like that, but there¡¯s nothing to be surprised about. Even Wesker Grashane was dragged away obediently. If only that guy was a bit more like the person he served¡­¡± Of course, they thought Wesker wouldn¡¯t easily admit his sins either, but it was clear that both Wesker and Fejiadiru wouldn¡¯t be free men again. Regardless, none of this mattered to Lara who cut off all contact with her family.

    ¡°It¡¯s unexpected that he protested only with words while getting taken away. I thought he would at least try to use force.¡±

    ¡°Try to use force? After seeing what happened earlier?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s true too.¡±

    The two wondered why the people of the Miftil Kingdom had no choice but to obediently listen to the Karuwimans. Zich was mingling with his acquaintances. If the Karuwimans hadn¡¯t told everyone to return to their ces except the people involved in remediating this situation, Zich would have been surrounded by people all day long. Since Zich¡¯s performance today was unrivaled, everyone was eager to meet him. After some time, even his acquaintances began to leave one by one, and the only person left was his partner, L.

    ¡°What is it?¡± Zich asked.

    Something seemed to be bothering L since a while ago. She even red at the acquaintances talking to Zich, and she was the reason why their acquaintances had dispersed a bit more quickly.

    ¡°No, it¡¯s¡­¡± She couldn¡¯t get her words out.

    ¡°Do you want to go to the restroom? Then you should hurry up and go¡­¡± Judging by how L kicked his shin, that didn¡¯t seem to be the answer.

    ¡°Well, do you have anything to say to me?¡±

    ¡°I do. There¡¯s quite a lot too, but I think I¡¯ll get a kick in the shin again if I say any one of those things. You want me to say them?¡±

    ¡°You better not!¡±

    Zich faithfully followed her words in response to her sharp gaze.

    ¡®He really doesn¡¯t seem like he has anything to say¡­¡¯

    After staying with Zich for a while, L could grasp his thoughts to a certain extent by just examining his behavior. In the end, L had to bring up the topic herself. ¡°You know, before you said¡­that you were making ns to propose to me.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I said that. When I was with Joachim and Evelyn¡­¡± The quick-witted Zich immediately identified the cause of L¡¯s disgruntled behavior. ¡°Were you looking forward to it because of what I said to them before?¡±

    ¡°¡­You really didn¡¯t have ns to propose.¡±

    ¡°I mean, I was half-joking that time, and like I said, I was going to propose when our sense of danger and excitement is at its peak. But where¡¯s the excitement and crisis today?¡±

    ¡°¡­You know what? ording to that logic, I¡¯ll never be able to receive a proposal. When will you ever be in danger?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s true too.¡±

    L naturally made a fist at Zich¡¯s easygoing responses. How should she beat the hell out of him to cool down this burn?

    ¡°Then, shall we get married?¡±

    ¡°What?¡± L¡¯s fist naturally rxed.

    ¡°Weren¡¯t you looking forward to it? As you said, I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll ever be able to propose to you on my terms. Then we should just do it while we¡¯re at it.¡±

    ¡°Where the hell is the romance¡­¡±

    ¡°Do you think that¡¯s possible for me?¡±

    ¡°No way.¡± It was such a ridiculous proposal. Nevertheless, L felt her heart beating fast. She thought she might be acting too easy, yet she couldn¡¯t help but feel delighted. She felt like she would be losing if she made her happiness too obvious.

    ¡°Fine, I guess this is my fate. I¡¯ll just ept your proposal. So, when are we going to get married?¡±

    ¡°Within a week.¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Although my proposal was like this, I¡¯ll give you a wedding of the century.¡± L blinked, as Zich¡¯s yful statement made a deep impression on her.

    * * *

    Exactly a week after Zich made his promise, a huge stage was set up in front of Yuras. The pure white stage, adorned with colorful flowers and decorations, could not have been more suitable to celebrate the couple continuing to walk together in the future. Countless people gathered around, and everyone sincerely congratted the bride and groom withughter and apuse.

    On the stage, L wore a beautiful dress with a bouquet in her hand. She muttered half in shock, ¡°¡­It¡¯s really happening.¡±

    L had been half-doubting and half-expecting Zich to keep his promise to give her a wedding of the century. L had to admit that Zich¡¯s head worked extremely quickly. Immediately after Zich proposed to L¡ªwhich L technically did ept as a proposal¡ªhe requested the Pope to prepare for their wedding¡­within a week.

    No matter how favorable the Karuwimans thought of Zich and L, the Pope thought a request like this was too sudden and ill-mannered, but after considering it, he epted the request with open arms. The Karuwimans¡¯ reputation had suffered from the festival, so to recover their reputation, the Karuwimans were going to continue the festival. If they added Zich and L¡¯s wedding, the people¡¯s attention would peak since Zich¡¯s reputation was already reaching the heavens. Then, it would lead to the sess of the festival. On top of that, they could show the stability and strength of the Karuwimans and boast their friendship with Zich. Their wedding was beneficial to the Karuwimans in every way.

    Since then, the Karuwimans poured all their avable energy and resources into Zich¡¯s wedding. Living up to their name as a religion with global power, the Karuwimans were able to perfectly create an enormous wedding venue in a week.

    ¡°Are you satisfied?¡± Zich asked as he stood next to L. He was wearing a handsome tuxedo. After formally dressing up, his already noble good looks were amplified tenfold.

    ¡°Yeah.¡± How could anyone show their dissatisfaction with such a grand wedding?

    ¡°That¡¯s a relief. I¡¯m d we¡¯re doing the wedding now. Since all our acquaintances are gathered here, they can attend right away as well.¡± Their acquaintances, including Hans, watched the ceremony in a specially arranged ce for VIPs.

    The wedding officially began. The music ensemble yed, and the officiating Pope called out to L and Zich. Lube sat in the VIP seat and earnestly celebrated their union while asionally ring at the Pope.

    ¡®Did the Pope use his authority to settle their fight on the wedding officiant?¡¯

    The scene of the Popeughing while saying that the Saintess still had a long way to go was still fresh in everyone¡¯s memories.

    ¡°Then, shall we go, L Serville?¡±

    Zich reached out his hand toward L. She looked at his hand for a while and ced her hand over Zich¡¯s. ¡°Yes, Zich Serville.¡±

    With a new surname that meant ¡®a new life¡¯ in the Clowonnguage¡ªa name that perfectly reflected their identity¡ªZich and L slowly walked up to the stage.

    Author¡¯s End Note:

    Hello Wuxiaworld readers, this is Hungry Panda. Did you enjoy the time you spent with Zich? I hope that Zich¡¯s journey brought a little bit of joy to your lives. When ¡®The Regressed Demon Lord is Kind¡¯ was first published on Wuxiaworld, I didn¡¯t expect it to receive as much love as it did. Thus, I want to express my deepest gratitude to everyone who gave so much love to this work even when it wascking in many ways. I hope to see you again in my next work, and I wish hope in all your lives not just for tomorrow, but forevermore.

    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and

    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!