Chapter 145

Chapter 146. The Tip of the Iceberg (1)

The first match ended at 6 PM, the time when the sun sets.

Visiting someone after sunset is considered rude, but Henya, with a serious expression, didn’t care and headed to the guest room where Keter was.

Didos, guarding the door, blocked Henya’s path.

“Princess Henya. I am Didos, the 5th Division Leader of the Lunar Knight Order.”

Henya bluntly spoke to Didos, who naturally greeted her while blocking the way.

“Is Keter inside? Bring him… no, I need to meet him directly.”

“Are you here privately or officially?”

“Why should I tell you that?”

“Master Keter specifically instructed me to ask this question if an outsider comes looking for him. Please understand.”

“What’s the difference between the two?”

“I cannot disclose that.”

It was clear that depending on the answer, he might not let her meet Keter. Henya answered without hesitation.

“Both. I came to discuss something that is both private and official.”

Didos smiled faintly and opened the door.

“Master Keter is already waiting in the reception room.”

* * *

Henya, guided to the reception room inside the guest room, felt a strange sensation.

The reception room was empty. On the table were two teacups, steam rising from them. They were still hot, as if freshly brewed.

Click. Click.

The sound of Henya’s boots echoed quietly. She approached the sofa and pressed the cushion with her finger.

“……”

There was no warmth. Both sofas were cold.

“He said he was waiting, but is he mocking me now?”

Henya, who had studied the art of kingship, knew what Keter was up to.

“The one who should be waiting is me, not him, right?”

Henya had been caught secretly associating with commoners and even incurred debts. This treatment now seemed like a way to manipulate her using that as leverage.

Henya, who had come to Keter emotionally, was rapidly turning rational.

Click.

The bathroom door opened, and Keter came out. He wiped his wet hands on a towel and spoke.

“Oh, you’re here? I thought you’d be late, so I took care of some business. Sit down.”

“…Alright.”

Realizing her mistake, Henya sat down on the sofa without showing it.

“As you know, I came here because of the Southern Sword Tournament. I didn’t expect you to participate as an independent.”

“Do you also want to know where Jairo is?”

“Jairo? I don’t know who that is. More importantly, I owe you a debt. Even without a contract, I intended to keep my word. But in this tournament, I can’t afford to give in. So—”

“You can’t help or go easy on me in this tournament?”

“Right. Sorry about that.”

“Sorry or not, why do you think I need your help?”

“Well… I thought your goal was to become the Southern Sword.”

“That’s correct. But what does that have to do with you going easy on me?”

“My goal is also to become the Southern Sword. No matter what, I will achieve it.”

Henya spoke seriously, but Keter still looked puzzled as he crossed his legs.

Slurp.

Keter took a sip of black tea and started adding sugar cubes to it.

“I don’t quite understand. Did you come to ask me for help? To help you become the Southern Sword?”

Henya also looked confused by Keter’s words.

“No. I will become the Southern Sword through my own strength. Not by relying on my father’s reputation, but solely through my own power.”

“Why are you making something obvious sound so grand? It’s confusing.”

The sugar piled up like a mountain in the tea. Keter stirred it with a silver spoon and continued.

“I don’t need to ask you for any favors. On the contrary, I hope you give it your all, even surpass your limits.”

“Such confidence. Of course, I know you’re strong. But Keter, I’m different from you. I didn’t join out of curiosity or fame. I have a reason why I must become the Southern Sword.”

Henya wanted to be independent from Eslow. Only then could she protect Wid.

“Hmm, how are you different from me? Why do you want to become the Southern Sword?”

Henya didn’t need to answer Keter’s question, but she felt Keter was the only one she could show her heart to. So she didn’t want to hide it from him.

“…For the person I love.”

Henya’s face turned red as she spoke, but she didn’t avoid Keter’s gaze.

Keter gulped down the tea with twenty sugar cubes dissolved in it.

“Ugh— sweet, so sweet.”

“Do you think it’s funny?”

“Not at all. I’m relieved. I know you’re not participating in the tournament lightly. You won’t give up until the end.”

“You’re not participating lightly either. To put it simply, I’m sorry.”

“I am participating lightly, though?”

Clink.

Keter put down the empty cup and smiled brightly.

“But winning is no problem.”

It was a playful smile, but Henya could feel it wasn’t just bravado. Henya stood up and said.

“Prepare for tomorrow’s match. I’ll make sure you don’t get a single badge.”

It wasn’t a threat. It was a declaration from Henya, acknowledging Keter’s strength.

Keter also stood up and extended his left fist.

“I won’t go easy on you just because you’re a customer.”

“I’ve heard of not going easy on women, but this is the first time I’ve heard of not going easy on customers. What does this fist mean?”

Henya stared blankly at Keter’s extended fist.

“It’s a greeting from the Adeus Kingdom. It means we’ll fight without regrets.”

Hearing Keter’s explanation, Henya smiled faintly and extended her fist.

* * *

The next day.

The spectator seats in the arena were packed to the brim.

On the first day, people could still move around, but now it was impossible.

Commoners who couldn’t afford to watch Group A’s matches due to financial burdens were willing to spend their entire fortune just to see Group B’s matches.

And for good reason. Group B’s participants were on a different level. Henya, the renowned daughter of Eslow, a 5-Star Master, known as the Witch of the Sword.

Pasian, the Red Wolf, a renowned mercenary now serving as a knight for Marquis Galahind.

Keter, who had joined the Southern Sword Tournament as an independent, something no one had ever done before.

At this time, it was also revealed to the audience that Keter was a member of the Sephira, a prestigious archery family.

“Wait, so Keter is an illegitimate child of Sephira?”

“Why did he participate as an independent instead of under Sephira’s name?”

“I can’t figure out the reason.”

“Maybe because he’s an illegitimate child?”

“What does that have to do with participating as an independent?”

“More importantly, I’m more excited to see how Henya will fight. She’s the lord’s daughter, after all.”

The commoners’ interest was more focused on Henya. Her martial arts would reflect those of the lord.

The nobles weren’t much different. They were more interested in Henya than Keter.

However, there were nobles who shouted Keter’s name more than anyone else.

“Keter! You dirty, stinking commoner brat! I won’t let you get away with this!”

Thud! Thud!

Marquis Galahind, assigned a new guest room, mercilessly beat a young man tied to a pillar.

Thwack!

Though not a martial artist, Galahind had consumed so many elixirs that his fists were incredibly sharp.

The young man, hit squarely in the chest, let out a deflating sound and slumped his head.

“Huff, huff… Damn commoner brats!”

Galahind washed the blood off his fists with a potion and shouted at his aide.

“Did you deliver the twenty Rage Potions?”

“Yes. Sixteen 2-Star Knights and four 3-Star Knights have received them.”

“What? Only four 3-Star Knights received the Rage Potion? And why are there no 4-Star Knights?”

“Many knights refused after hearing about the side effects of the Rage Potion, so there was nothing we could do…”

Slap!

Galahind slapped his aide.

“You idiot! Are you a commoner too? Why did you tell them about the side effects? Why do something I didn’t ask for? Argh!”

Thud! Thud! Thud! Thud!

Though the aide was a quasi-noble, he didn’t resist, knowing he could be killed like a commoner if he opposed Galahind.

“Haah, haah… Are all the people around me incompetent?”

Exhausted, Marquis Galahind slumped onto the sofa.

“Bring me water!”

“Y-yes, here it is.”

There were twenty knights by his side. One of them brought him a glass of ice water.

Galahind was about to drink it but put it down.

“You drink it first.”

“Huh?”

“Drink it, I said.”

“Ah, understood.”

The knight knew the water was safe, but he was still a bit nervous, fearing a repeat of yesterday’s disaster.

Gulp. Gulp.

The knight took a sip and tensed up. Galahind glared at him.

“Is it fine?”

“Yes, it seems so.”

“How can you tell from just one sip!”

Clang! Shatter!

An expensive glass shattered on the floor.

The atmosphere here was like walking on thin ice. The cause, of course, was Keter.

Galahind had learned that it was Keter who brought him the 200-Year-Old Sangreal and planted a bomb in the bathroom. His knights had belatedly testified that it was Keter who brought the wine.

“Why didn’t you tell me, you traitorous brats!”

“S-sorry. We thought he just looked similar.”

The knights weren’t entirely sure that the Keter who visited yesterday was indeed Keter.

A soldier had described Keter’s appearance, and an artist had drawn a portrait based on it.

Through this, both the knights and Galahind knew roughly what Keter looked like.

But who could have expected that Keter, an illegitimate child of an upper noble, would suddenly show up alone with wine to visit Galahind?

Moreover, Galahind’s knights didn’t have a typical lord-knight relationship.

His knights were extremely reluctant to be associated with Galahind. Rewards were rare, and punishments were as common as meals, so this was natural.

In any case, Keter had visited Galahind, given him poisoned wine, and even planted a bomb in the bathroom.

Possessing and using bombs required royal permission, even for upper nobles, and should be punished by law. But Galahind couldn’t bring Keter to court.

Not because there was no evidence. In this kingdom, judgments were based on influence rather than evidence.

The problem was that Sephira was a prestigious family. Galahind, though an upper noble, couldn’t dare to punish a prestigious family by law.

It wasn’t about Sephira’s strength. Other prestigious families wouldn’t allow it.

Attacking Sephira might be overlooked, but attacking the name of a prestigious family was something the noble families would never let Galahind get away with.

“Cunning and weak brat. Even if it costs me, I’ll make sure you end up a cripple.”

No matter how weak and isolated Sephira was, a prestigious family was still a prestigious family.

Touching a noble family’s bloodline, even if it’s the royal family, shouldn’t be done recklessly. You need to build a justification. Only then can you avoid repercussions.

But Galahind had run out of patience for such things. Not just because of what Keter had done, but also because of the outstanding performance shown by Anis and Taragon yesterday.

It didn’t matter if the kingdom’s people praised Sephira. The problem was that even the nobles were starting to see Sephira in a different light, which greatly irritated Galahind.

“Marquis. Group B’s match has started.”

The aide, having composed himself, handed over a glass screen. Galahind snatched it away.

On his screen, Pasian, the Red Wolf, was already sprinting at the start.

Galahind had arranged for his fourth daughter to marry Pasian to secure him. The Galahind family was pleased to have a 5-Star Master, and Pasian benefited by becoming the son-in-law of an upper noble, elevating his status.

“Hehehe. Keter. No matter how much you struggle, you can’t beat Pasian.”

Not just Pasian, but with twenty knights carrying Rage Potions, Marquis Galahind had no doubt. Making Keter a cripple was only a matter of time.