Chapter 197

Chapter 198. The Lazy Genius (2)

The Aura Blade is a technique that manipulates a sword imbued with aura. Just hearing the description makes it seem trivial, but its true value can only be understood by experiencing it firsthand.

And Keter was someone who had experienced it thoroughly in his past life.

Ting! Tada-dang!

Gathering aura in his fingers and firing it, he accurately struck and shot down three flying daggers.

Normally, throwing techniques end when they’re intercepted mid-air. But the Aura Blade is different.

The daggers, clearly shot down in mid-air, spun around and shot back at Keter again. The sudden acceleration was so fast that those experiencing it for the first time would likely die without even understanding what happened.

Of course, Keter, who understood the principles of the Aura Blade, twisted his body to dodge the incoming Aura Blade once more.

The daggers aimed only at fatal points: the forehead, the throat, the solar plexus. Even a slight hit would be fatal.

“The trajectories are too simple. They’re all focused on the center of the body. Do you really think you can kill me like this?”

Keter, while dodging, couldn’t help but give some advice.

Even if deflected, the Aura Blade’s attack doesn’t end. The Aura Blade that passed Keter circled back.

As if they had listened to Keter’s advice, this time the daggers’ trajectories weren’t simple. One went over his head, one snaked like a serpent, and one flew straight at him.

“Let’s stop the jokes here…”

Swish!

Keter reached out his hand. His speed was so fast that his hand seemed to disappear for a moment.

When his hand reappeared, it held three trembling daggers.

Buzzzz!

Keter had caught the daggers flying at different angles and speeds with a single gesture.

The captured daggers struggled as if they had a will of their own.

Normally, daggers imbued with aura can’t be caught like this. Attempting to do so would result in losing fingers. Moreover, these daggers weren’t ordinary.

But even if Keter’s hand bled, the daggers couldn’t escape.

“It’s been a while, my daggers.”

The daggers Keter caught were familiar.

Two looked exactly the same but had different weights.

The other was a dagger he had bought at the Magic Tool Shop during his last visit to Ruquer.

All of them were daggers he had gifted to Maknun.

Just then, a familiar voice came from inside the tavern.

“Brother!”

It was Maknun.

Maknun, who had come out of the kitchen, stretched out his hand. The aura from the daggers in Keter’s hand disappeared. It wasn’t Joyray who had used the Aura Blade, but Maknun.

Keter had already guessed the identity of the daggers, but he couldn’t help being surprised.

‘To reach the level of imbuing daggers with “will” in just three months.’

The Aura Blade is divided into three realms.

Control, Will, Spirit.

Even Keter took a year to imbue the Aura Blade with “will.”

But Maknun had reached the stage of imbuing will in just three months. Though not perfect, the fact that he had even started was a clear sign of his immense talent.

“Maknun. I’m here.”

“I thought it was you when the Aura Blade was caught. Come on in.”

Keter, who entered the tavern, first checked on Maknun’s condition. He was unharmed, without a single injury.

“Have you been well?”

“Me? You know how it is. I hate pain. And you… what’s with the kid?”

“Kid? You’re not much taller than him.”

“Huh!? There’s at least a fist’s difference! What are you talking about!”

Maknun, sensitive about his height, glared. Keter handed the daggers back and said.

“This is Decameron, also known as Six Hundred. He’s a homunculus, sort of like a chimera.”

“Did you pick him up again?”

“It just happened.”

“Hmm.”

Maknun examined Six Hundred closely. Six Hundred, who moved like a puppet, reacted indifferently, which didn’t sit well with Keter.

“Six Hundred. Say hello. This is Maknun. My most cherished…”

Keter hesitated for a moment, then changed his words.

“He’s my brother.”

At Keter’s words, Six Hundred reacted. His third rule changed.

“Nice to meet you, Maknun. I am Decameron.”

“How old are you?”

“Nice to meet you, Maknun. I am Decameron.”

“I said, how old are you!”

“Nice to meet you, Maknun. I am Decameron.”

“Brother, what’s wrong with this guy?”

“Pfft. This is hilarious.”

Keter laughed genuinely at Six Hundred, who kept repeating the same words.

‘He’s really repeating the command to greet infinitely.’

Maknun looked at Six Hundred as if he were some kind of lunatic, then turned his gaze back to Keter.

“He’s more like a machine than a person. He just keeps repeating what you told him to say.”

“That’s Maknun for you. Quick on the uptake. He’s a chimera closer to a machine. He only responds to my commands and repeats them.”

“Then tell him to shut up. He’s driving me crazy.”

“Six Hundred, shut up.”

“……”

“Ah, I haven’t laughed like that in a while. Whew.”

Keter, who had laughed so hard tears came to his eyes, rubbed his eyes. Maknun chuckled too.

“You’re still the same, brother. Everything’s so sudden.”

“You’ll be like that soon too. Remember? I said I’d take you next time.”

“Of course I remember. But as you saw on your way here, Ruquer’s in a mess. Is that okay?”

“It’s my hometown. I can’t ignore it. Where’s the captain?”

“The master…”

Maknun’s expression darkened. It was the kind of expression one makes when mentioning someone who has passed away.

Keter also asked with a serious face.

“Don’t tell me…”

“Yes…”

Maknun pointed to the ground with his finger.

“He’s in the underground fortress, having lunch and taking a nap. Ever since I got here, he’s been making me cook, clean, and do everything! As if teaching me the Aura Blade was such a big deal!”

* * *

The underground fortress of Joyray Tavern was beyond Keter’s expectations.

“It’s clean.”

Managing underground areas is difficult due to high humidity. And knowing Joyray as Keter did, he couldn’t have managed the underground so well.

“You managed it, didn’t you?”

Maknun, walking ahead of Keter, nodded.

“I couldn’t stand it. Just thinking about it makes my skin crawl. Spiderwebs sticking to my face, leftover food scraps rolling on the ground… The first week wasn’t about learning the Aura Blade, it was about cleaning this place.”

Maknun, seemingly holding a grudge against Joyray’s messiness, kept complaining.

As they laughed while listening, they arrived at an open cavern. Of course, it wasn’t dark. Like Sephira’s underground, sunstones were embedded everywhere, making it as bright as the surface.

“Please sit here. I’ll bring the master.”

“Alright.”

The underground was like an ant’s nest, with many paths and rooms.

“No wonder it’s hard to manage. I couldn’t do it either.”

Just as the visual tour ended, the sound of Joyray walking over, having just woken up, was heard.

“Yaaawn, you rotten guy. You came back at the worst possible time.”

“Maybe it’s your skills that are rotten, captain. How can you sleep with all this chaos outside?”

“So what, should I just sweep it all away? As a mercenary council member?”

“Why not?”

“Stop talking nonsense.”

Joyray, sitting across from Keter, cracked his neck. A series of satisfying pops followed.

“Ah, that feels good. So, why did you come?”

“Why did I come? To pick up Maknun.”

“Ah… That’s a bit tricky.”

Joyray, scratching the back of his head, glanced at Maknun, who was bringing tea and snacks, and spoke seriously.

“I’ve become someone who can’t live without that kid now.”

“Stop talking nonsense.”

“Nonsense? Did you just call me nonsense?”

“You said it seriously, so I responded seriously.”

“Ugh, even so, calling it nonsense is too much. That kid is now my direct disciple. The rightful successor of the Aura Blade.”

“You didn’t seem to care before.”

“When did I? Do you have proof?”

Thud!

Maknun, placing tea and snacks on the table, gave both of them a look.

“Lower your voices. It echoes underground.”

“Ahem. You brat. Are you siding with the guest over your master now?”

“Maknun. Are you siding with this one-eyed captain over me?”

Keter and Joyray looked at Maknun with expressions that said, “Dad or Mom?”

Maknun sat next to Keter. That was his answer.

“Ugh. How could you do this to me.”

Joyray, defeated, pretended to cry, which didn’t suit his size.

“Captain. Give up already and lead the mercenaries.”

“What nonsense is this now?”

As if he hadn’t been pretending to cry, Joyray raised his head, his temper flaring.

Keter, chewing on the snacks Maknun brought, spoke.

“Why are you like this? You know everything. The current state of Ruquer is a complete mess.”

“It’s none of my business.”

“Don’t lie. Honestly, you could leave Ruquer too, right?”

“…If I could, why would I be stuck down here?”

“I wouldn’t know. It’s not my place to say. But at least you don’t want Ruquer to fall apart, do you?”

“Not particularly.”

Joyray also spoke with a serious face, all playfulness gone. Keter smoothly changed the target.

“What about the thousands of mercenaries in Ruquer?”

“Are you threatening me? If you think about it, you’re the branch chief responsible for them.”

“That’s why I came to ask for your help, captain.”

“…!”

Keter pinned the branch chief badge to his chest.

“As the Ruquer Mercenary Branch Chief, I ask you, Joyray, Mercenary Council Member. Please help us.”

“…What are you thinking, asking me for help?”

“Ruquer is my hometown, and I don’t want it to fall apart. With the Grand Duke gone, someone needs to take his role.”

“And you want me to do it?”

“You’re not unfamiliar with the Grand Duke, are you? And in the territorial disputes, do you think the mercenaries can survive? Sure, there are many mercenaries, but there’s no central figure. Here’s the thing!”

Keter flicked his finger.

“If you become the central figure for the mercenaries, Ruquer could become one of the top three powers.”

“I have no desire to rule Ruquer.”

“It’s not about ruling, but about maintaining order.”

On his way here, Keter had seen that all the merchants were gone. That meant they no longer accepted “money” for “goods.”

It had always been strange that “money” circulated in Ruquer. In this isolated world, what use was money?

But even so, the Infinite Bank existed in Ruquer, and they used the same currency as the outside world.

That was all due to the Grand Duke’s influence. He made it that way. Not through violence or threats, but by creating a market where goods could be bought and sold legitimately with money.

But now, Ruquer had returned to its early days. Goods weren’t bought with money. Money had no value as currency now. It was taken by force or stolen.

“Of course, the mercenaries alone can’t do it. Even with your help, captain.”

“What?”

Joyray’s face twisted. It was the face of someone being underestimated.

“Relax. It’s not about ability, but management. Honestly, even if you stepped up, could you revive Ruquer’s shattered economy?”

“…That would be tough. But isn’t that something you and Maknun should do?”

“Come on, why are you like this? Maknun and I are busy. We’re leaving Ruquer.”

“You’re a funny guy. You dump the most troublesome stuff on me and just waltz off to the outside world?”

“I’ll give you a reliable ally, so stop complaining.”

“What complaints! And an ally? Where in Ruquer is there an ally? Everyone’s an enemy!”

Joyray’s words weren’t just angry outbursts. In Ruquer, trust was worth less than dirt.

“There’s one. A reliable ally. And one who will actively help the mercenaries.”

“You’re not about to spout nonsense again, are you?”

“Have I ever lied to you, captain? There really is one.”

“Who?”

“Not who, but a very reliable and trustworthy force.”

As Keter hesitated to speak, Joyray’s face turned red.

Then, Maknun clapped his hands.

“Ah! Brother, you’re a genius. That place would definitely help the mercenaries. Just as you said, it’s reliable and solid.”

Realizing it too, Joyray pressed Maknun this time.

“You brat, so where is this place!?”

Even after decades in Ruquer, Joyray couldn’t even guess what “reliable and solid” force Keter and Maknun were talking about.