Chapter 53

Chapter 53. Call Me the Archery Genius (3)

The second Mana Arrow was slow.

To the eyes of Garan and Marhan brothers.

It was the power of the Sword Wing Tribe’s bloodline ability, ‘Second Chance.’ In a life-or-death moment, they could temporarily perceive time in 0.1-second intervals.

The Mana Arrow was aimed at Marhan, and the two brothers took different actions.

Garan flew with his Imperfect Wings, while Marhan infused his sword with Aura, preparing to deflect the Mana Arrow.

Then, the Mana Arrow suddenly split into two.

The intention was obvious.

One shot straight, the other diagonally upward. Both clearly had reduced power.

The trajectory of the Mana Arrow was clearly visible in the slowed time of the Sword Wing Tribe, and Garan prepared to strike the arrow rising from below his feet with his sword.

‘Easy.’

Garan swung his sword at the Mana Arrow targeting his ankle. His sword was also slow, but the trajectory was sufficient to block the arrow.

Then.

A desperate voice from Marhan on the ground reached him.

“Watch out…!”

In the slowed world, understanding speech was difficult, so the words didn’t reach Garan.

Garan focused on the Mana Arrow flying towards him. Now, the sword and the arrow would collide… no, they didn’t collide.

The already split Mana Arrow split again.

“…!”

The arrow split left and right, grazing past the sword.

Garan thought of folding his wings to defend. His wings folded. Very slowly. The Mana Arrow also flew slowly enough to be seen.

Garan did everything he could.

Now, all he could do was watch.

Just before his wings folded, the Mana Arrow narrowly passed through and pierced his neck and chest.

“…!”

Sharp pain slowly stimulated Garan’s nerves. He could clearly feel each cell, each tissue being destroyed.

The ability that had saved countless lives of the Sword Wing Tribe, Second Chance, now granted him a leisurely death.

Of course, Garan still had a chance.

The wounds on his body were serious, but he still had Aura to spare. Like Marhan, he could use a large amount of Aura to destroy the Mana Arrow in his wounds.

But Keter didn’t give him that chance.

Because the Mana Arrow was too precious.

Sssssss.

Another Mana Arrow pierced Garan’s jaw.

The Mana Arrow that had been heading straight for Marhan. It suddenly rose sharply in front of Marhan and attacked Garan.

The blessing of the Sword Wing Tribe was over.

The slowed time returned to normal.

Feathers fell like autumn leaves.

The goddess of victory shows no favoritism. Marhan also had a path to victory. The moment the Mana Arrow aimed at him changed course, he should have charged at Keter. Then, Keter wouldn’t have been able to focus on controlling the Mana Arrow.

But Keter knew best that such a thing wouldn’t happen. Because Marhan, the younger brother, dearly loved his older brother Garan.

If Keter had focused on attacking Marhan from the start, Garan would have flown away.

Keter’s perfect victory was achieved by accurately understanding their relationship and characteristics.

Moreover, a third Mana Arrow wasn’t needed.

“Groar!”

Karn, having recovered his stamina, leaped.

He bit the back of Marhan’s neck, who was trying to catch the falling Garan. His sharp teeth easily pierced the thin neck.

Karn, suppressing Marhan’s resisting arm with force, shook his head violently. Marhan’s body, with his neck bitten, flailed like a dead chicken.

Then, Karn approached Garan, who had fallen to the ground, and stomped on his neck with all his might. Then, he completely crushed it.

A wolf had hunted a bird.

The wolf, having finished the hunt, raised its head to the sky. For a victorious howl.

“Awoo…!”

Thud!

A stone flew. Into Karn’s snout, which was raised high for howling.

Karn, highly inspired by victory, glared at Keter with fierce eyes.

“Sit.”

“I am not your dog!”

Though the Sword Wing Tribe was finished, Karn, with his blood boiling, was half out of his mind.

Conscious of the arrow, Karn zigzagged and charged at Keter.

“Anyway, all mutts are like this.”

Karn only meant to intimidate. To show how strong he was, he tried to stop his claws in front of Keter’s eyes.

But Keter used Karn’s strength and speed against him, grabbing his wrist and spinning him around.

The massive body flipped. Karn, headfirst into the ground, couldn’t regain his senses.

“I don’t dislike the type that needs a beating to come to their senses.”

A merciless beating began on the fallen Karn.

Werewolves are known for their toughness among Beastmen. Karn had suffered numerous injuries fighting the Sword Wing Tribe, but his spirit wasn’t broken by the pain.

But Keter’s punches and kicks felt like they were chipping away at his soul.

“Yelp, yelp!”

A pitiful cry came from his long snout. The pain felt like his soul was being beaten, regardless of the attack’s lethality.

It was an overwhelming impact, as if his bones and organs were being directly struck.

“Undo your transformation. No, transform.”

At Keter’s words, Karn quickly took on a human form. Without being told, he knelt respectfully.

“Good.”

Keter gently scratched the chin of the adult man, a head taller than himself.

It was over.

The fight with the Sword Wing Tribe, the hierarchy sorting.

But for Keter, it was just the beginning.

The beginning of a delightful settlement.

* * *

Fighting different races is always thrilling and fun.

Humans have no special abilities, but different races are special from birth.

The taste of crushing that specialness is exquisite.

Moreover, these guys are still alive. Even with half their necks torn off and half their bodies eroded by Mana Arrows.

Left alone, they would die on their own, but there was someone who couldn’t bear it.

‘Amaranth. If you want to eat, don’t just drool, beg a little.’

Even if he didn’t really drool, his desperation was felt through my arm. Probably too proud to beg.

[Ahem. You want to clean up the corpses neatly, right? I’ll handle it without a trace.]

‘Eight Mana Arrows. Please charge them.’

[You’re quite the bandit. You caught two and ask for eight? Four! No more than that.]

‘Finally negotiating like a human. Six. Or I’ll just bury them and be done with it.’

[Fine. I’ll give you six Mana Arrows. Hand them over to me quickly.]

‘Thank you, customer.’

I threw Amaranth at the Sword Wing Tribe brothers.

Eyes and teeth sprouted from the bow. No need to watch the meal scene. I’m also suppressing my hunger now.

Now, it’s my turn, right?

The training method I mastered, ‘Survival of the Fittest,’ makes you stronger if you survive. And I survived. The conditions for this technique are so strict that it doesn’t activate unless you’re on the verge of death.

That’s why no one learns it, even if taught for free at Ruquer.

“It’s here.”

The tightness felt in the heart.

Soon, it spreads throughout the body, sweeping through me.

And it quickly turns into pain. Muscles feel like they’re being gnawed by insects, the brain is scorched by hot fire, and bones ache with a chilling pain.

It’s not torture. It’s becoming stronger. The body becomes tough and resilient, nerves sharp and precise.

The depleted Aura also recovers to some extent, and the total amount even increases.

I closed my eyes for a moment, enjoying the growth from the fierce battle.

“Whoo.”

I exhaled deeply, expelling impurities from my body.

Opening my eyes, all the wounds on my body had healed. Though fatigue remained.

“Three years and one year.”

The Aura increased by three years’ worth, Mana by one year.

Ordinary knights would faint in shock hearing this.

A normal knight gains one year’s worth of Aura through normal training in a year.

But I gained three years’ worth of Aura from one fight.

Does that sound great?

Actually, it’s the opposite. Many in Ruquer have ruined their lives, deceived by the illusion of gaining a large amount of Aura from one battle. No matter how much I explain, they don’t understand the strictness of the condition: you must survive to grow stronger.

“Dog.”

“…Yes.”

“Pick up the feathers. Not a single one missing.”

Time for evidence destruction and spoils collection.

Sword Wing Tribe feathers are expensive. Even in poor condition, each fetches at least 2 gold. There are at least 100 feathers scattered here.

Entrusting the collection to the dog, I went to the fallen Jordic.

“Comfortably lying down? Need a pillow?”

“…There was an absurd monster in Sephira.”

I had ignored archery. I had underestimated Sephira. I had thought Keter was a fraud.

But all that was Jordic’s delusion. Archery wasn’t weak, Sephira was strong, and Keter was a snake with wings.

“Calling a person a monster, have you ever seen such a handsome monster?”

“Kuk, ugh.”

Jordic spat out blood and stood up shakily.

“I’ll concede, the Birang Tribe. Today, we’ll retreat.”

Jordic’s expression was resolute. He seemed determined to take all the responsibility and face the reprimand from his superiors.

He’s lost it, completely lost it.

This guy doesn’t understand his current situation.

“The concession I think of and the one you think of seem quite different.”

“No need to be modest. But there won’t be a next time. Anyway, externally, we are enemies. It’s better to maintain this relationship.”

“Say more if you have anything to say.”

“In three months, there’s the ‘Southern Sword’ tournament. I heard Sephira is participating. You’ll surely participate too. I’ll also participate as Baydant’s representative. Let’s have a fair match there.”

“Ah, right. The Southern Sword Tournament.”

“It’ll be a good fight.”

Jordic offered a handshake.

Pretending to shake hands, I tripped him.

“Eek!?”

“Talking about a good fight, you intruder.”

“Intruder? What are you talking about, Keter.”

“Can’t you grasp the situation? You’re a prisoner now.”

I struck Jordic’s nape with a chop.

Jordic, completely drained of strength, couldn’t withstand the chop and fainted.

If he hadn’t fainted, I would have kept hitting him until he did. Too bad.

“Lord Keter. I’ve gathered everything.”

The dog held out a bag.

“Why give it to me? You keep it. We have to leave anyway.”

“What do you mean?”

“Can’t you hear that? The sound of hooves.”

“I hear it.”

“It’s the sound of Sephira’s soldiers from the castle coming. They’re not under Elder Leganon’s command.”

“Ah…”

Taking in the Birang Tribe was Elder Leganon’s decision. Even in human form, staying here would mean unavoidable interrogation.

“Even if not, this place is already exposed. Surely you’re not thinking of meeting Elder Leganon again?”

“But where should we go?”

“I told you. I’ve prepared everything.”

I took out a business card from my pocket.

Bit my finger to draw blood and left my signature on the back of the card.

“Go to Ruquer. Find Maknun there. Show him this card. That’s it.”

“Only our kin are going?”

“What, you want an escort from the knights? Why not ask for a red carpet too?”

“No…”

“Go. Trust me and Elder Leganon. I don’t want to show off, but remember, if it weren’t for us, you’d be the emperor’s playthings now.”

“We will definitely repay this favor.”

“Go.”

I waved coolly.

Repaying favors.

I don’t believe in such lukewarm words.

I’ll make you repay the favor naturally, so just survive well in Ruquer.

Karn took a detour back to the village, and soon after, soldiers led by Luke arrived.

“Keter!”

Luke, jumping off his horse, examined my body.

“I believed in you.”

“You should. If you don’t believe in me, Sephira is finished.”

“Uh, uh. Ah, this is Sir Haribo.”

A knight, seemingly brought from the castle, bowed his head.

“Prince Keter. I am Haribo, a member of the Constellation Knight Order and deputy commander of Hakoz Castle.”

“Nice to meet you. A bit of a mess, huh?”

“I only heard from Sir Luke that there were intruders and came in a hurry. Are these the intruders…?”

All traces of the Sword Wing Tribe were erased, and Karn had left.

So, what’s here is me.

And…

“Baydant?!”

Haribo, recognizing the cross spear symbolizing the Baydant family, was shocked. The arriving soldiers also understood the situation and were furious.

“There’s no way these guys came to Hakoz Village with permission. Moreover, they entered armed and hid Baydant’s insignia. This is a clear invasion!”

“This is absolutely not something we can let slide, Deputy Commander!”

“But, did Prince Keter handle all this alone?”

“There are more than seven of them, Deputy Commander!”

“To achieve such results just two days after joining the family…!”

The soldiers looked at me with sparkling eyes.

I straightened my back and commanded Haribo.

“First, tie up these rotten guys tightly. Put sacks over their heads too. We’ll take them all to the main house and throw them in the dungeon.”

“At your command!”

Haribo saluted respectfully and commanded the soldiers.

While binding the Baydant knights, the soldiers sent me endless admiration through their eyes.

I could feel Luke’s sharp gaze from the side, but I couldn’t help it.

“I am Sephira’s…”

Trying to say it, no good phrase came to mind.

What could it be? A nickname that would make the soldiers go wild.

Again, I felt Luke’s piercing gaze.

Thanks to that, it came to me. My new title.

“Call me the Archery Genius.”

It’s not wrong, is it?