Chapter 200 |
Karen and Seol maintained their calm expressions as they stared down the barrels of cannons and guns.
Seeing them, Yeo-myeong took a step back and sheathed his sword.
“H-Haunted Swordsman… Do you know that female knight?”
“Yes, Sir Bren,” said Yeo-myeong while looking back at him. “I do know them.”
“O-Oh… She’s here to help us, right?”
“Well… yes.”
Yeo-myeong understood that Seol's decision to help wasn't specifically for Bren's sake, but because he believed it would ultimately benefit Bren, he saw nothing wrong with stating it as such.
“Then… will we be able to defeat Kaio if she assists us?”
“...We?”
Yeo-myeong quickly understood the intent behind his words.
‘He’s planning on deserting them in the worst-case scenario.’
Though Yeo-myeong was a bit disappointed in him, he also recognized that it was natural for a leader to want to retreat if victory seemed impossible.
“You’ll see soon enough,” said Yeo-myeong.
“What do you mean?!”
“Just take a step back and keep quiet.”
“......”
Kaio’s cartel and Seol’s party faced off against each other.
Karen stood confidently at the center with Seol behind her, while the rest had backed off to the edges of the roof.
“A transferee?” asked Kaio. “I haven’t seen you around here… Does anyone here know who he is?”
“I don’t.”
“He seems to be confident, though.”
“Pfft… Everyone’s confident until they have a hole in them.”
“That’s true as well.”
“Well then…”
Baaaam!
Kaio fired his gun, his expression remaining unchanged.
He had no qualms about taking anyone’s life.
Furthermore, the gunpowder he had specially made was different from the arrows that had been used so far. It was more than powerful enough to pierce through a knight’s gloves.
Expecting his bullet to pierce through the red knight’s armor, Kaio smiled.
However…
Unsheathe…
The moment she pulled out her sword, everyone’s expression changed.
It felt as if time had slowed, but only around them. Their eyes tracked the sword from its hilt to its tip.
‘What energy…’
And then, her energy rampaged once more.
The knight they had perceived as weaker than them exuded an entirely different aura the moment she unsheathed her sword.
Furthermore…
Slice…
An ominous, spine-chilling sound.
What they couldn’t believe was her attack that caused the sound.
She had perfectly split the bullet in half.
‘That’s insane!’
While someone of Yeo-myeong’s caliber could deflect a bullet, Karen's expertise was something they couldn't even fathom attaining.
Unsheathe!Unsheathe!
The other members of the cartel quickly drew their weapons. They had concluded that their muskets would be useless against her and instead armed themselves with weapons they could use skills with.
Fsssssss…
Well, they had one more trick up their sleeve before they completely swapped over, though.
Fwip…
The cartel members quickly leaped off of the roof.
And at the same time, three cannons, which had been hidden by their bodies, all exploded.
BOOOOOOM!
It was too close range to aim for Seol’s party directly.
However, it was just the right distance to destroy the building itself.
‘They’re trying to take down the building… Then I should…’
Reaching a conclusion before the cannonballs landed, Seol moved like lightning.
He rushed straight toward the flying cannonballs.
“J-Jump down!” shouted Bren.
“We’ll die, though!”
Though they were at a considerable distance from the ground, leaping from the building would probably only result in a broken bone or two, not death.
Despite this knowledge, Bren could only shout. He hesitated to actually take the plunge, fearing for his life.
But in the end… his hesitation was what kept him safe.
Baaaam!
Baaaaam!
Baaam!
The chain of explosions reverberated from a distance, not from the building itself.
The last thing Bren saw was the unidentified young man dashing toward the cannons.
He believed they had survived thanks to the young man's sacrifice.
“Krgh…”
Though he despised transferees, they had undoubtedly been helpful. Bren was moved by the young man’s sacrifice.
Bren then imagined the young man being torn to shreds by the explosion, his limbs scattering everywhere.
Turning red with shame, Bren then turned to Lalsa.
“Remember his name, Lalsa…”
“Huh? I don’t know his name either.”
“I am not in the mood to joke.”
“Sir Bren, look over there. I don’t think he’s dead.”
“...What?”
* * *
Seol emerged from the fires, clad in sturdy, black armor.
His Earth Armor had activated at the final second, absorbing the damage intended for him.
“Karen!” shouted Seol.
“Got it! I’ll take care of the cannons,” shouted Karen back.
Now entering the Night Crow form, Seol took a deep breath before gathering energy in his legs.
“Fuuuu…”
Creaaak…
And like a short-distance runner, he sprinted forward.
Fwooooosh!
He lept past multiple buildings with just one step.
Fwooosh!
By his second step, he had already returned to the fortress’s ceiling.
“Wh-what the…”
“How is he…”
Bren and Lalsa held onto each other, their jaws agape.
They had only heard of people moving like that in legends, they had never expected to see such a sight in real life.
Crush!
With just his third step, Seol had already closed the distance between himself and Kaio, as well as the other cartel members who were attempting to flee from him.
“He’s coming!” shouted Kaio, turning to Seol.
Kaio and the four other cartel members were in fear as the monstrous transferee hunted them down in a second.
However, it wasn’t difficult to tell that escape was impossible. They quickly changed their stances to the offensive.
“He’s fast!”
Fwoooooosh!
Before they could even react, Seol had punched one of the cartel members.
BAAAAM!
The cartel member exploded like a cracker being crushed by a hammer.
As his blood, bones, and flesh splattered everywhere, Kaio and the other cartel members felt death breathing down their necks.
“And strong!” said Kaio, in awe.
“Shoot him!”
Baaaam!
Baaaam!
The remaining cannons all shot at Seol.
Baaaam!
Baaaam!
Two of the cartel members were struck by the cannons as well.
Fssssssssssssss…
Seol emerged from the fire, encased in sturdy armor.
“And tough too! Hahahahha!”
“Kaio! He’s a monster… We need to run…”
Baaaaaam!
The last cartel member popped like a water balloon.
Kaio began murmuring to himself, ecstatic.
“This is insane… Totally insane…”
“......”
“Are you going to kill me?” asked Kaio. “Hey… listen to…”
BAAAAAAAM!
Kaio met the same fate as the others.
A simple swat from Seol was enough to send Kaio hurtling against the wall, transforming him into little more than a slab of meat.
“I’m busy. We can talk later.”
Kaio didn't even have time to question Seol's choice to attack him before having a conversation.
Seol was on a different path from the transferees around him.
Just being strong wasn’t enough to take a single one of Seol’s blows.
“Sh-she’s… cutting cannons in half.”
“Sir Bren,” said Lalsa.
“Did you see that? I asked you Lalsa, did you see that?”
“I saw it, Sir Bren. You’re referring to how she cut down the building, are you not?”
“Y-Yeah… I am…”
“Sir Bren, please calm down. The others are coming toward us.”
Bren quickly stood up and fixed the shocked look on his face.
"A-Ahem... Good work, everyone. Though we still don’t know where they got all of this gunpowder from, please keep in mind that it is also our role to find its source."
“Yes, Sir Bren!”
“Thank you for fighting so valiantly. Each and every one of your efforts has been engraved into my heart.”
“Thank you!”
Bren nodded at them, trying to maintain his regal appearance.
“Though I would like to return to the royal palace immediately, there was considerable damage done to the city. We should stay here for a day to help out the citizens first before we return.”
“Yes, sir!”
“The injured come first. After we take care of the remaining remnants, we should…”
“......”
“Find a good place to unpack our belongings and get some drinks!”
“Yeahhhhhhhh!”
“I’ll pay for it myself, so drink when you’re done.”
“Thank you, sir!”
Everyone considered it an honor to work alongside Bren.
As only Bren and a few transferees knew the details, the others all assumed that Bren was the one who had killed Kaio.
“Fuuu… Lalsa, are they gone now?”
“Yes, sir…”
Yeo-myeong and a few transferees then approached Bren.
As well as…
Step…
Step…
Seol, who killed the rest of Kaio’s gang alone.
Gulp…
Bren put his hand forth, asking for a handshake.
"It’s a pleasure to meet you. I am Bren, leader of Adeline’s glorious 5th order of knights, the Veregion Knights."
“......”
Seol looked at Bren before spotting a few options.
[[Bren, the leader of the Veregion Knights, is requesting a handshake. How do you respond?]
1. Your pathetic actions have only made the situation more difficult.
2. Is it a recent trend for worthless knights to become captains?
3. This is all thanks to you, Sir Bren.
4. I got some mud on my boots. Would you mind if I used your tongue to wipe it off?
……]
There were a number of insulting replies.
As Seol deliberated on which response to choose, Bren thought for a second, wiped the sweat off his hand, and put forth his hand back again.
It was because Seol seemed to be hesitating on the handshake.
“It is an honor, Sir Bren. I have heard about you often.”
It was a bold lie.
Seol didn't know much about the Adeline Kingdom, so how in hell would he know the name of the leader of the country’s 5th order of knights?
However, his words were like a dagger straight for Bren’s heart.
“A-Ah… Is that so?”
“Yes, but the injured…”
“Don’t worry about that!” smiled Bren. “My knights are already taking care of that. Every last person will receive care!”
Bren was quite prejudiced and lacked a bit here and there, but at his core, he was a good person.
Seol nodded to express his thanks.
“Thank you.”
“Haha, of course! They are all citizens of Adeline, are they not?”
“Of course.”
“However… I am not the fastest on rumors, so I haven’t heard much about you in this area. Though I was informed that you were close with the Haunted Swordsman… Do you perhaps have anything to prove your identity?”
Seol then pulled out something from his inventory.
Seeing that, Bren was shocked.
“I-Isn’t this… an honorary Libra emblem?”
“It is.”
“I see! So you were someone from the magic towers. I knew it, there was no way someone like you would be a transferee.”
Lalsa quickly whispered into Bren’s ear.
“He’s a transferee.”
“......”
Bren wiped his sweat.
“O-Of course, you could be a transferee, haha… However, I’ve never heard of a transferee having an honorary Libra emblem… it’s quite rare. Could you perhaps tell me who you are close with?”
“Close with…” murmured Seol, pretending to think. “I guess Frannan?”
“Oh, the newly appointed Libra! How do you know him?”
“He’s my master.”
Though Seol hadn’t learned anything from Frannan, he was still considered his master.
There was nothing to worry about, as Frannan often referred to him as his student as well.
In fact, Frannan would probably laugh and enjoy it if he had heard it.
However, Bren’s face was turning paler by the second.
“......”
Currently, Seol was essentially talking to Bren as the representative of the transferees.
And for that same reason, his next words had already been decided.
“Sir Bren, I have something to speak with you about,” said Seol.
“What is it?”
“Thanks to the Veregion Knights, we were able to corner Las Cabras into Parte extremely quickly.”
“Hm… You aren’t wrong.”
“Furthermore, thanks to your crucial role as a sturdy pillar, if something like this happens again, we transferees will do our best to assist you and Adeline.”
At first glance, it might seem like Seol was attempting to claim Bren's accomplishments, but his true intention was to reassure Bren that he would assist him again in the future. Seol was encouraging Bren to stay proactive and get to work quickly.
“Of course, of course! It was thanks to transferees like you, no, every transferee here, that we were able to defeat such an evil organization quickly! The heavens and the earth know this truth! I promise to properly report this in my letter to the royal palace!”
“I thank you for your generous understanding.”
“Haha! It is always pleasant to talk with kind transferees such as yourself. Well then… We are busy ourselves, so…”
“Yes, Sir Bren. I have learned a lot thanks to you.”
- Learned what?
- What???
- The way he was going to run away?
- His biases?
- The way he treats his underlings?
“Lalsa,” said Bren while turning toward her.
“Yes, would you like me to remember his name?”
“It’s fine, I will remember it myself. Ah, what is your name?”
“Snowman.”
“Snowman… I’ll remember it.”
And like that, Bren and Lalsa went off, toward the other knights.
“Lalsa?” asked Bren as they were walking. “What’s that in your hand…?”
Lalsa was holding the goggles from earlier, which told how strong someone was.
"Ah, I thought I should at least take this to report to the magic towers that there was an error."
“Hm… What number came up?”
“You don’t need to worry about that. Essentially, there was an additional zero…”
“Then it must be completely broke… Wait…”
Bren thought for a second before shaking his head.
“It’s fine, we can check it once we return.”
“Yes, sir.”
“But…”
Bren then rummaged through his pockets.
“Lalsa… did you see my wallet anywhere?”
* * *
Seol expressionlessly held a leather pouch tied with golden silk in his hands.
Marie, Filia, and Yeo-myeong, who returned after taking care of the remaining cartel members, paused at the pouch in his hands.
“So… Um…” began Seol.
“Hyung…”
“...Yeah, my bad.”
* * *
In the end, Seol failed to return Bren’s wallet to him.
However, he did use it to help the transferees who were injured because of the battle.
And after roughly a week, the city was in a festive atmosphere.
Despite that, Seol, Yeo-myeong, and Filia were not able to enjoy it.
“Can’t I go with you as well, Yeo-myeong?” begged Marie.
Yeo-myeong turned his eyes away and scratched his head.
“Hyung said that people without Peerless-quality items can’t join this Adventure…”
“This is discrimination!”
“Yeah, it is.”
“...You’ll be back soon, right? I’m going to stay here, alright?”
“I will, Marie.”
Like that, Yeo-myeong joined Seol’s party for the next Adventure.
“Me too,” said Filia.
“What?”
“I’m saying… me too.”
“Huh…?”
“Take me with you on your next Adventure too.”
“......”
Filia was suddenly trying to force herself into Seol’s next Adventure.
In truth, it didn’t matter to Seol how many people joined his next Adventure.
However, the Adventure did require someone with an ability related to ghosts, and to receive rewards, a member had to have at least one Peerless-quality item.
Seol explained this to Filia.
“That’s good then,” said Filia, lifting her bow. “I have one as well.”
“...Then okay.”
And like that, Filia joined as well.
As the rest period was nearing its end…
“So it’s around here?”
“Yes, I am certain it’s somewhere near here.”
Hum…
“Huh? My bow…”
“My sword as well…”
Filia’s bow and Yeo-myeong’s sword began to vibrate.
Hummmmm…
Seol’s entire body, as well as his shadow, began to vibrate.
“We’re definitely here,” said Seol, turning around to them.
[Peerless: Breath leads you to a mysterious location.]
[Peerless: Flare leads you to a mysterious location.]
[Peerless: Fire Monkey leads you to a mysterious location.]
[Peerless: Atonement leads you to a mysterious location.]
Their Peerless-quality items began to vibrate more intensely the farther they advanced.
[You have received additional information on Hidden Adventure 'Glory to be Gained'.]
[Once the conditions have been met, a Sudden Adventure will activate.]