Chapter 122

Chapter 122. Powerless Beliefs Are Meaningless (1)

The place was an office made entirely of swords.

It wasn’t an abstract expression. The floor, ceiling, walls, and even the windows were all made of “swords.”

These weren’t decorative swords. Each one was sharp enough to be called a famous sword outside.

Five people entered Eslow’s office, crafted from tens of thousands of famous swords. Mail, Anis, the Taragon Triad, Keter, and Catherine.

At the table made of swords. Eslow, seated on a sword-shaped chair, exuded a presence sharper and more intense than the tens of thousands of swords around him.

The four who met his gaze trembled.

It wasn’t the weight of authority.

It was fear.

The chilling sensation of a sharp blade hovering at their throats amplified ten thousand times, tickling their hearts.

Whoosh, Eslow threw something. It was a business card, flying straight toward Mail.

Snap!

Keter caught the flying card. At that moment, a glint appeared in Eslow’s eyes.

The card had been imbued with sword aura. A careless catch would have cost even a master their fingers. But Keter caught it by the flat side, not the edge. Truly exceptional aura detection and boldness.

“So, you’re the one called Keter.”

“Keter El Sephira greets you, Lord Eslow.”

“You greet me without bowing, looking straight into my eyes. It seems you have multiple lives to spare.”

“I simply cannot move under your overwhelming presence, my lord.”

“Hmph, bold indeed.”

Without any warning, Eslow’s oppressive aura vanished. The party, who had been holding their breath, finally gasped for air.

Mail quickly knelt on one knee and bowed his head.

“Mail El Sephira. I humbly greet the great lord of the south, Duke Eslow.”

Anis, Taragon, and Catherine followed with their introductions. Eslow, who had been half-listening, turned his gaze to Keter.

His expression asked, “Why aren’t you introducing yourself?”

“You already heard my name earlier, didn’t you? You even saw my business card.”

At Keter’s words, Mail whispered urgently through ventriloquism.

“Keter, quickly kneel and bow your head, then introduce yourself again…”

Keter placed a hand on Mail’s shoulder.

“Brother Mail. What are you talking about? Lord Eslow isn’t deaf. He doesn’t need to hear things twice to understand.”

“Ah, no, I didn’t mean to imply that! My lord, I didn’t mean it that way.”

“Hmph, enough. Mail, was it? How is Endymion doing?”

Mail was taken aback by Eslow’s question. Endymion? It was a name he had never heard before.

“You don’t know, do you? Then that’s enough.”

Eslow stood up and approached Keter.

“Gasp…!”

“Huff!”

Just the act of closing the distance made it hard for the party to breathe again. The sheer presence of Eslow was unbearable.

But Keter remained calm. He waited for Eslow with a relaxed posture and expression.

“You all, leave.”

Eslow issued a dismissal to Mail. Mail forced his stiff body to move and managed to speak.

“Thank you… for your consideration.”

Catherine and Taragon left first, followed by Anis, and finally Mail exited the office.

“Why did I only learn today that Sephira had someone like you?”

Keter shrugged at Eslow’s words.

“I’ve only been in Sephira for about three months. That’s probably why.”

“Explain in detail.”

“I’m a bastard. From the Lawless City.”

“From Ruquer?”

While others would immediately think of “Absinthe” when mentioning the Lawless City, Eslow first mentioned Ruquer.

“Yes.”

“You’re not hiding it? If it gets out that you escaped from an inescapable forbidden zone, wouldn’t that be troublesome?”

“The moment I mentioned my master, it was as good as revealing it.”

“Franken must have told you a lot about me.”

“Not really. But I figured someone like you would know about my master’s whereabouts. You must know he went to Ruquer.”

“Hoho, correct. I know Franken went to Ruquer. And that he hasn’t returned since. But you called him your master.”

“You might not consider me his disciple, but since my medical skills are his, I call him my master.”

“Where is Franken now? What is he doing?”

“He went underground in Ruquer. After that, I don’t know.”

“Why did you come to me? I’m curious why you brought up Franken’s name.”

Eslow wanted to hear Keter say, “Franken told me to come and heal Eslow’s child.”

But Keter had no intention of saying that. Because if he did, it would mean Keter came to Eslow at Franken’s request.

Then, even if he healed the child, he couldn’t demand anything. The debt would be Franken’s, not Keter’s.

“I came to stay here during the tournament.”

“My palace is not a hotel, Keter.”

Eslow spoke in a deliberately angry tone, but Keter smiled.

“You may not take guests, but you do take honored guests.”

“Why should I treat you as an honored guest? Because you’re Franken’s disciple? Don’t be ridiculous.”

“You’ve seen my business card, so you know I’m a Solver. If I solve your request, I think I’ve earned the right to be treated as an honored guest.”

“Do you think I, the ruler of the south, have anything to ask of you?”

Sssss…!

The office trembled. The sound of swords. Tens of thousands of blades cried out, releasing their sword aura. They begged to tear Keter apart immediately.

Keter remained silent, still smiling as he looked at Eslow.

A battle of presence is ultimately about intimidating the opponent into submission. But Keter would never cower. Eslow was just wasting his time.

Eslow’s brow furrowed.

‘This guy is like a human who doesn’t know death.’

It’s different from not fearing death. Even humans who can die and come back should fear death.

But Keter didn’t even flinch under the threat of death.

It wasn’t about enduring.

It was about ignoring death.

Keter genuinely “ignored” death. That’s why threats didn’t work on him.

‘Are all humans from Ruquer like this? If not, is he a subordinate of Grand Duke Alkione? No, that’s impossible. Franken wouldn’t teach his medical skills to Alkione’s subordinate.’

Eslow’s eyes narrowed. Keter’s existence was truly a mystery.

‘His power is nothing special.’

The aura and mana within Keter’s body didn’t even reach 5 stars. At best, barely 4 stars. An impressive achievement for his age, but not enough to move the world.

‘No matter how bold and clever, this world is all about power.’

Curious, but not someone to be wary of. Having finished his evaluation of Keter, Eslow took a step back.

“You came to me mentioning Franken, so you must know about my son’s illness, yet you pretend not to.”

“Your son is ill? That’s unfortunate. But the best doctor in this kingdom would rush to operate at your word. Is there a problem?”

“Enough with the act. My son suffers from Extreme Mana Stagnation. You must know how to treat it, right? That’s why you came, confident you could heal him.”

“Extreme Mana Stagnation, huh? Just the name sounds like a serious illness. I’ve learned medicine from my master, but I’ll have to see if treatment is possible.”

Snap!

Eslow flicked his finger, and immediately, the 47th Butler entered.

“Take Keter to Lyze.”

“Yes. Prince Keter, this way…”

As Keter turned to follow the 47th Butler, Eslow spoke to him.

“I’ll treat you and the Sephira bloodline as honored guests, as you wish. Stay in my castle. But if you fail to heal him, Sephira will become a sea of fire.”

Even at the thorny words, Keter responded with a leisurely attitude.

“Thanks for the encouragement. I feel so motivated.”

“Go.”

* * *

The party waiting outside the office for Keter tensed at the sound of the door opening.

They hadn’t heard any of the conversation inside. For all they knew, Keter’s corpse might be lying beyond the door.

“Keter!”

“You’re alive!”

Keter, who came out with the 47th Butler, winked.

“I told you to trust me.”

At his words, the 47th Butler spoke solemnly.

“It’s not over yet. If you fail to heal Young Master Lyze, the lord’s wrath will fall upon Sephira.”

When Mail looked puzzled, the 47th Butler spoke to the other butlers standing in the hallway.

“The lord has ordered that the Sephira bloodline here be treated as honored guests. The first honored guests of House Eslow… Please pay special attention.”

Butlers numbered 52 to 58 nodded with tense expressions.

Among them, the 52nd Butler spoke to Mail.

“Prince Mail and your party, please follow me to the guest room. We’ll also take care of the carriage and knights waiting outside, so please follow us without worry.”

Mail excused himself briefly to the 52nd Butler and grabbed Keter’s arm.

“Keter. It’s going to be okay, right? Whatever it is, I can trust you and wait, right?”

“Of course. Just relax and rest.”

“…I hope you’ll explain everything when you get back.”

“Bragging never gets old, so don’t worry.”

“Heh, thanks.”

Mail also broke into a comfortable smile at Keter’s nonchalance.

And so, their paths diverged.

Mail and the party went to a comfortable guest room, while Keter, under the watchful escort of knights, headed to Lyze’s bedroom.

After passing through an annoyingly long and wide staircase and hallway several times, Keter stood before a silver hallway.

The entire hallway was made of silver. It wasn’t just for aesthetic purposes; there were no decorations or windows.

The 47th Butler guided Keter to a room beside the hallway and said.

“Prince Keter. Young Master Lyze’s body is extremely fragile due to his illness. Even the slightest germ could be fatal to him, so you must undergo purification and wear medical attire before entering.”

“What a hassle. But if it’s necessary, fine.”

What might be a minor hygiene issue for some could threaten someone else’s life. That was Lyze’s condition.

If Keter hadn’t studied medicine, he might have scoffed. But knowing better, he complied without complaint.

From head to toe, he was thoroughly washed. Of course, Keter didn’t have to do it himself; beautiful maids took care of everything, even drying him.

It took less than five minutes to wash and dry. Only after changing into a pure white medical robe could Keter enter the silver hallway.

The 47th Butler, also dressed in white, guided Keter, and soon they stopped before a silver door at the end of the hallway.

Creak.

The door opened on its own without being knocked.

As expected, the room was entirely silver. With no windows, the sight gnawed at one’s sanity.

On a bed in the center of the room lay a boy. Emaciated and pale, his age was hard to guess. Beside him stood an old man, presumably the attending physician.

The physician’s expression was sour.

It couldn’t be helped.

Just moments ago, he had received an absurd notification.

“A member of the Sephira bloodline, Keter, will come to diagnose Lyze. Cooperate fully.”

The physician had never heard of the Sephira family or the name Keter.

But the Keter he faced was incredibly young. Fresh-faced, excessively young. And his attitude was far from proper.

“Look at this room. It’s a miracle he’s still sane. Staying in a place like this all day would drive anyone mad.”

Keter’s casual demeanor lacked any noble grace or respect for the patient that a physician should have.

The physician blocked Keter’s path as he approached Lyze.

“Greetings. I am Quret Rages of the Cross Association.”

“Keter of Sephira.”

“Excuse me, but I’ve never heard of a medical group called Sephira. Is it a new faction? Which medical school does Sephira belong to?”

At Quret’s question, the 47th Butler answered instead.

“Doctor Rages. Sephira is not a medical group but one of the seven great noble families of this kingdom, known for their archery. Prince Keter is the sixth son of Sephira.”

“Ah, I see. Then, Prince Keter, which medical academy did you graduate from? Since you don’t know me, you’re not from the Cross Association. Hippocrates? Ah, I see. Caduceus! Someone like you must be from Caduceus.”

“What’s this old toad babbling about? Move aside. Let me check his pulse.”

Keter pushed aside the rambling Quret and examined Lyze’s condition.

Quret, undeterred, continued to chatter incessantly.

“There’s no need to examine him. I’ve already diagnosed him without a single error. Excessive mana in his body has affected the neural nuclei, causing simultaneous functional decline in the cerebral cortex and subcortical areas. Additionally, prolonged unconsciousness has led to gradual deterioration of major organs, making the situation extremely serious. I’ve administered various stabilizers and supplements to alleviate this, and to calm the unstable mana, I’ve used an elixir made from blue peonies…”

“You’re noisy, so shut up. I’ll praise you for keeping him alive.”

Lyze’s appearance seemed very stable. But as Quret said, it was only because of the incredibly expensive stabilizers and sedatives that made him “look” good.

Keter stroked Lyze’s face with his fingers. The powder that came off made him shake his head.

“No wonder his complexion looks good. You’ve put makeup on him. Great job.”

“It’s made from natural ingredients that won’t burden his body—”

Ignoring Quret, Keter pressed his palm firmly against Lyze’s solar plexus.

“Oh my.”

A gasp escaped Keter’s lips.

“They say the human body can normally handle up to 100 years’ worth of mana. But look at this. His body is packed with almost 300 years’ worth.”

“…How did you figure that out so quickly…? Prince, if you’re not from a medical school, who taught you medicine?”

“This is going to be a more dangerous procedure than I thought.”

“Procedure? What dangerous nonsense! If even the slightest scratch appears on his skin, it’ll be a disaster! It’s like poking a hole in a water balloon about to burst!”

The 47th Butler also ignored Quret and spoke to Keter.

“The lord has ordered that anything you need, we will provide.”

“I need quite a bit. Write this down.”

The 47th Butler took out a pen and paper, listening intently to Keter.

“Four Cheongryeonghwan, four White Flower Pills, six Volume Dissolution Pills, plenty of Ten Thousand Year Snow Jade, a generous amount of powdered horn from a Grey-Eyed Drake, a handful of Sea Troll’s Essence, and lastly, this is the most important. Half-elf blood. Remember. Half-elf. Not pure elf, not quarter-elf. It must be half-elf. And just in case, elf blood turns into poison if forcibly extracted. Their consent is absolutely necessary.”

“…Is all this really necessary?”

The 47th Butler wrote it down but couldn’t believe it.

Each item was a rare elixir or alchemical ingredient, hard to obtain even with money. Of course, with the lord’s influence, it might be possible, but the half-elf blood, and not forcibly extracted, was the most troublesome.

“Oh, and get me some thousand-year-old fine wine. Something with a clean, sweet taste.”

“Is that also necessary for the procedure?”

“No? That’s for me to drink. I perform better when I’m a bit tipsy.”

“…Understood. I’ll do my best to procure everything.”

“How long exactly? I need it before the tournament starts.”

“Within two weeks.”

“Who do you think has time to spare? One week. If you can’t do it, get someone else.”

“…I’ll handle it.”

“Okay. Consultation over.”

As Keter turned to leave, Quret protested.

“Wait, how exactly are you planning to perform the procedure? At least tell me the method. I’ll judge if it’s possible. I’m Young Master Lyze’s attending physician!”

“Don’t worry. I’ll need someone to wipe my sweat during the procedure anyway.”

“I don’t trust your medical skills! Prove that the treatment is possible!”

“I already did.”

Quret was about to shout that it was a lie but stopped. He felt something.

It was definitely a presence coming from Lyze’s bed.

Quret’s eyes widened, and his mouth opened as he looked at Lyze.

The pale skin, hidden under makeup, now had a flush of color. Even Lyze’s fingertips were trembling slightly.

Keter left the room, speaking as if it were nothing.

“I temporarily removed the mana clogging his brain. In about an hour, he’ll regain consciousness for about ten minutes. Don’t feed him or let him move.”

Thud.

Quret collapsed.

He was the top graduate of the Cross Association Academy and a professor of “Mana Pathology.”

Despite his pride in his medical skills, Quret had failed to heal Lyze. Over decades, he had spent tens of millions of gold, only slowing the disease’s progression.

But Keter had improved Lyze’s condition in just ten minutes. With just a brief touch, he had restored Lyze’s health and even promised a brief return of consciousness.

Despair had filled Quret’s eyes, but now vitality returned. A smile even appeared.

He remembered Keter’s words about needing assistance during the procedure.

Meanwhile, the nobles watching Sephira also learned.

Sephira’s carriage had entered the city earlier than expected. And they had entered Eslow’s palace.

The nobles laughed heartily.

“Sephira has finally gone mad!”

No matter how desperate they were for a place to stay, going to the lord’