Chapter 37

Episode 37. Sephira’s Solver (1)

“Are you sleepy?”

Luke spoke to Keter, who was sleeping soundly.

The dark circles under his eyes showed that he hadn’t slept a wink last night.

Still, he felt relieved that Keter had appeared, but he couldn’t help but wonder.

‘How did he come back without making a sound?’

Luke had been waiting in the next room, focusing all his senses on when Keter would return.

A knight can hear even the sound of ants crawling if he focuses his hearing. But last night, Luke didn’t hear Keter enter the room.

‘Did I doze off? Or maybe…’

He entered the room without making a sound.

Is that even possible? Even if you could muffle the sound of footsteps, how did he eliminate the sound of the door opening?

What the hell is this guy?

‘Absinthe. Is that place really that amazing? Or is it just that this guy is special?’

He was chosen by the Demon Bow Amaranth, so he must be extraordinary, but for some reason, Luke felt that wasn’t all there was to it.

“Kyaaaah!”

At that moment, Keter let out a groan and twisted his body.

“Yikes! What, what’s that?”

Startled, Luke thought he might be having a seizure.

“Phew, slept well.”

“…You sure stretch noisily.”

“Hey, Luke, come here.”

“Come here? Where did you go yesterday? Why did you run away without saying anything!”

“Charming men have many secrets.”

“Secrets, my foot. Lately, there’s been talk of ghosts appearing at night, and security has tightened. It might be some kind of curse, so going alone is dangerous.”

Of course, the ghost was Keter.

The security personnel had doubled, but they couldn’t even figure out who it was, let alone catch Keter.

Keter rotated his shoulders and said,

“Are you ready?”

“Thanks to you, I did it all alone. Everything, including your share!”

“Very nice. Let’s go.”

“Sigh, I guess you’re in the mood to do the mission. Wait. I’ll get your equipment.”

Luke was the type to not dwell on the past. It was infuriating that Keter ran away yesterday, but he did come back safely.

‘Next time, I won’t let you run away. That’s all.’

A moment later, Luke handed Keter the equipment he brought from the next room.

A bow, a quiver full of arrows, leather armor with Sephira’s emblem, a thick cloth jacket, and gloves that covered up to the wrists.

These were the basic equipment given to apprentice knights.

“Wash up and change. I’ll finish preparing and come back. Hang the bow on your shoulder. The quiver goes here, on the belt at your side. Wear the gloves on the hand that holds the bowstring.”

“Got it.”

Luke left Keter without suspicion and returned to the next room.

A moment later.

Fully armed, Luke stepped out into the hallway.

Unexpectedly, Keter was already waiting. He was only wearing his belt and bracelet.

“Why are you so late? Let’s go.”

“Go where? What happened to the equipment I gave you? You only brought your belt and bracelet!”

“It’s cumbersome.”

“…At least bring the bow and quiver. Aren’t you going to learn archery?”

“I have this, didn’t you hear?”

Keter showed the tattoo on his left arm, Amaranth, and Luke shook his head.

“I heard. But that’s the Demon Bow. You need to learn how to shoot a bow with your strength and skill.”

“Nope. I shoot it.”

“Stop being stubborn. Hurry up and get it. We don’t have time for this.”

“Does this look like a joke to you?”

“Ugh…”

Luke was at a loss.

Keter was being this disobedient? And with such unwavering stubbornness.

‘I can’t even hit him… Father, what kind of life did you live?’

He couldn’t yell or overpower him. All Luke could do was deceive himself.

‘Let’s just go. Everyone around here is listening.’

It was early morning, but the hallways were guarded 24/7. Not only that? The maids and servants were already up preparing breakfast.

“Wait a second.”

But he had no intention of indulging all of Keter’s stubbornness.

Luke went into Keter’s room and brought out the bow and quiver he had left behind.

“Let’s go. The horses are ready at the 4th stable.”

“Wait. I’ll help.”

“Huh?”

Has this guy come to his senses?

Right. I’m carrying all the bows and quivers, so anyone with a conscience would feel guilty.

“Here, now it’s done.”

“……”

Keter didn’t take a quiver for himself but instead moved it to Luke’s back.

Luke pressed his forehead and said,

“Keter. Carrying a quiver on your back is uncomfortable. Your hands have to go back and forth. Plus, if you bend over, the arrows can spill over your head. The side is the fastest and most stable position for reloading.”

“I know.”

“Then why did you move it to my back?”

“Because it’s more convenient for me.”

“What?”

Keter started walking ahead on his own.

He seemed to be walking slowly, but in an instant, he was far away. Luke stumbled after him, shouting,

“Do you even know where the 4th stable is?”

“Roughly.”

“I’m going crazy.”

Luke had to admit.

Keter being called a troublemaker overnight was no exaggeration.

* * *

Dark underground training ground

Anis was surrounded by scarecrows.

But these were no ordinary scarecrows. Their bodies were clad in steel armor, and their outstretched arms were sharp blades.

In the middle of these scarecrows, Anis stood with only a bow and one arrow.

Shoopak!

Anis, who had been hanging his arms, shot an arrow in the blink of an eye, piercing the face of the scarecrow in front.

The scarecrow was wearing a helmet, but the arrow slipped through the tiny eyehole.

“Ha!”

Anis swung his bow like a staff, hitting two scarecrows behind him simultaneously.

Immediately after, he kicked the scarecrow in front using centrifugal force.

Crack!

The scarecrow, deeply embedded in the ground, couldn’t withstand the impact and broke.

Just before the scarecrow fell, Anis pulled out the arrow stuck in its face and shot it again.

Thud!

It was an immediate shot from an unstable position, but it hit the scarecrow’s solar plexus accurately.

Piercing through the thick armor.

“Hap!”

Not satisfied, Anis slapped the arrow’s tail with his palm. The arrow pierced through the scarecrow and came out the back.

Two scarecrows remained.

Anis moved in a low stance and twisted the scarecrow’s neck with the bowstring from behind.

The scarecrow’s neck was thick and tough, twisted into several strands, but it couldn’t withstand Anis’s strength and soon tore roughly.

One scarecrow remained.

The arrow was still not retrieved.

Anis did something unexpected. He drew the bowstring without an arrow.

Whoosh!

That’s when it happened.

An arrow appeared from Anis’s bow, made of aura—an Aura Arrow.

The arrow, made of aura, which is extremely difficult to maintain and shape, looked unstable at first glance.

But Anis succeeded in stabilizing it. Maintaining the arrow’s form, he released the bowstring.

Crash!

The scarecrow hit by the Aura Arrow was literally shattered.

“Phew, huff.”

Anis was drenched in sweat, breathing heavily.

Smirk.

Though soaked in sweat, Anis’s eyes were infinitely bright, brimming with life force.

It couldn’t be helped.

Anis had surpassed his limits. The Aura Arrow was proof.

“Keter, thanks to you.”

Thanks to the more precise aura control, Anis could now draw an Aura Arrow in an instant, and his overall physical abilities had improved.

He didn’t want to admit it, but Keter had helped a lot. After losing to him, a fire had been lit in his chest.

He had a goal to break that arrogant nose and make him apologize.

Just imagining Keter’s defeated face made Anis smile. Unbeknownst to him, it was his first smile in a year.

“I’ll definitely break you as a reward.”

Anis, filled with the most confidence in his life, checked the time.

“It’s morning. Keter must be awake.”

Keter had told him to come when his body was in top condition.

And that was now.

Anis quickly showered, dressed neatly, and went to Keter’s quarters.

Knock knock.

As Anis knocked, the door opened immediately, and Jacques greeted him.

“Master Anis, what brings you here?”

“Is Keter inside?”

“He left a while ago for a mission.”

“A mission…? Keter took on a mission?”

Anis, who had been underground, hadn’t heard about Keter’s news.

“Yes. That’s how it is. Is it urgent?”

“It’s important. There’s something we need to settle.”

“Then you should head to the south gate. You might catch him there.”

“Thank you, Jacques.”

As Anis turned to leave quickly, Jacques added,

“I know Master Keter has been rude, but please be lenient with him, Master Anis. It’s my small request.”

Anis couldn’t immediately refuse, as Jacques had told him Keter’s whereabouts.

“I’ll try.”

Arriving at the south gate, he saw Luke and Keter on horses in the distance.

Seeing them about to depart, Anis threw aside his dignity and shouted at the top of his lungs.

“Keter! Wait! I’m here!”

At Anis’s shout, both Keter and Luke turned around.

No one would leave after seeing Anis charging with such ferocity.

Except Keter.

Keter clearly made eye contact with Anis but pulled the reins.

“Hey, wait. Master Anis is calling you!”

Luke tried to stop him, but Keter turned a deaf ear.

“Am I a dog? Do I have to respond every time someone calls?”

“But he’s your brother. It looks like he’s coming to say goodbye. Isn’t that too harsh?”

“Goodbye? He looks like he’s found the enemy who killed his parents.”

“…Now that I look closely, it does seem like that. Is the rumor true that you fought with him?”

“Fight? I beat him one-sidedly. Hey- Anis. Are you fully recovered?”

At Keter’s shout, Anis shouted back while running.

“Yes! More than ever! So get off the horse. Let’s finish our match before you go!”

As they spoke, the distance between the two quickly closed.

Keter smirked, showing a cruel smile.

“Looks like you’re still not fully ripe?”

It happened in an instant.

Keter took two arrows from Luke’s quiver, holding one in each hand, and threw them with all his might at Anis.

Luke could have stopped Keter, but he didn’t.

‘Throwing arrows with just arm strength? It’s theoretically possible. If the target is about 5 meters away.’

The distance between Anis and Keter was roughly 30 meters.

Close enough for a bow, but with just arm strength, it was impossible. Even if it reached, it wouldn’t do much damage.

That’s how it should have been.

Whoosh!

The arrows Keter threw flew with a whistling sound.

At a speed that could rival a bowshot, both Luke and Anis widened their eyes, but soon Anis sneered.

‘It’s obvious.’

One arrow was completely off target.

The other was flying straight for his chest.

‘He must have gotten lucky.’

Keter must have shot two arrows, hoping one would hit.

Snap!

Anis caught the flying arrow in front of his eyes without stopping. He could have dodged, but he wanted to show Keter the results of his training.

‘What do you think, Keter? I’m not the same as before.’

But what was it?

Keter was still smiling. Then he mouthed something.

‘…Below?’

Reading his lips, Anis reflexively looked down-

Thud!

The other arrow Keter had thrown. The one that seemed to have completely missed hit a rock.

The rock bounced off the ground and struck Anis’s shin.

“Ugh…!”

Anis let out a short scream and fell, rolling on the ground.

It looked deadly dangerous, but in reality, he had protected his body with aura just before falling, so he wasn’t seriously hurt.

However, the aura couldn’t protect his pride. With many soldiers watching, Anis couldn’t even lift his face.

Then, Keter delivered the final blow.

“Still weak in the lower body. What are you going to do with that?”

“Kyaaaah!”

Forgetting his embarrassment, Anis pounded the ground with both fists in anger.

Keter said to Luke,

“Anis is mad. Let’s run.”

Heeheehee!

Luke said he should go check on Anis, but Keter sped away, leaving him far behind.