Chapter 24 - Darkmtl
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Chapter 24

Episode 24. Let’s Do One Thing Together (3)

Ultima ran toward Keter while carefully examining the corpses of the Jacoz Family.

‘Holes?’

Their foreheads were full of holes.

What kind of weapon could leave such scars?

Keter had something like a bow slung over his shoulder, but that couldn’t be it. Ultima remembered that Keter didn’t use bows as weapons.

Even if he did, it didn’t make sense.

‘The holes are too small for arrows. Even if that were the case, where did the arrows go?’

Ultima never dreamed that Keter had reached a level where he could shoot arrows without arrows.

Soon, Ultima stood before Keter.

Keter rested his arm on his thigh and spoke.

“Stop rolling your eyes. It’s annoying.”

“…You don’t have a single wound?”

“Not a wound, but a fatal blow. To my pride. You sent these nobodies after me?”

*Slap!*

Keter’s hand struck Ultima’s right cheek.

“That’s for waking me up from my morning nap.”

*Slap!*

This time, it was the left cheek, and Ultima collapsed.

“That’s for underestimating me. Hey, aren’t you going to reset the skull? Should I kick it?”

Deciding that a hand was better than a foot, Ultima quickly got up.

*Slap!*

Finally, Keter struck Ultima’s forehead and dusted off his hands.

“That felt good.”

“Tch, is there more?”

Ultima, spitting blood from his split lip, asked calmly, suppressing his humiliation.

Keter pointed at Jacoz’s corpse.

“Is this the end? The moment that bastard opened his mouth, my nose rotted. How do you plan to compensate for destroying my sense of smell?”

“…I’ll pay with money.”

Ultima took out a 1,000-gold note and handed it over.

This is my penance for misjudging that the Jacoz Family alone could kill Keter.

Keter snatched the note and sniffed it.

“Hmm—genuine. This should suffice as consolation.”

“Six, no, seven years ago. The last time I saw you, you didn’t use a bow as a weapon. How did you kill Jacoz?”

“As a service, I’ll tell you. I killed him with this.”

Keter tapped the black bow, Amaranth, and showed it.

“The arrow?”

“I don’t carry such cumbersome things.”

“…Let’s move on. I won’t ask how you left Ruquer. But I need to know why you’re in Sephira.”

“Can’t you tell? Even when I lived in Ruquer, I had an air of nobility. There was always a reason for that.”

“Hahaha, are you saying you’re of Sephira’s bloodline or something?”

“I don’t have a business card yet, but I’m the young master of Sephira.”

“That’s not even a funny joke. Did you get recognized as a bloodline just because your eye color matches? The Sephira Family is really sloppy.”

“Enjoy it while it lasts. The current sloppiness.”

Ultima’s expression twisted.

In truth, Ultima was ‘working’ Sephira. ‘Working’ was underworld slang, meaning he was scamming them.

As Ultima remained silent, Keter continued.

“Even a glance was ridiculous? They didn’t even check the quantity of goods and just stuffed them into the warehouse. Must’ve been easy to manipulate. I’d want a piece of that too.”

“Same goes for you. Weren’t you pretending to be the young master of Sephira and embezzling assets?”

“Hey. Don’t kill me. I’m on Sephira’s side. You know what I mean?”

“We don’t need to do this, Keter. Sephira is too big for one person. No need to oppose each other; we can share.”

Ultima didn’t want to confront Keter. There was no benefit in opposing him.

Keter stood up and approached Ultima.

“Your tongue is so long. Don’t you get it? Scamming Sephira means scamming me.”

Ultima stepped back and replied.

“So, you’re telling me to give up?”

“No, keep doing what you’re doing.”

“What…?”

“Instead, let’s do one thing together. I’m going to make Sephira the strongest family on the continent.”

Ultima bit his lower lip, standing at the boundary between the clearing and the forest.

What nonsense is this?

He had always known Keter was crazy. But to make the Sephira Family the strongest on the continent?

It made him wonder if Keter had any idea what state the Sephira Family was in.

“Keter. It seems you haven’t been out of Ruquer long and don’t understand the world. The Sephira Family is cornered. It’s no exaggeration to say the entire kingdom is their enemy.”

“I know. So, what’s your answer?”

“…….”

“You’ll refuse, right? I would too.”

Ultima didn’t bother to deny it. No matter how much Keter threatened, he couldn’t accept an alliance proposal.

Sephira is collapsing. Completely. In this situation, boarding the same ship meant dying together.

But lying to avoid the immediate crisis wasn’t an option. Unfortunately, Keter had an uncanny ability to detect lies.

So, in the end…

‘The conclusion is that one of us has to die.’

Ultima wasn’t naive enough to die willingly, so he pulled out a scroll from his pocket.

“Stop, Keter! You know what this is.”

“A magic scroll. Gold-coated, so at least 5th circle or higher.”

“Hehe, this is a 6th circle ‘Fire Storm’ inscribed magic scroll.”

“Oh—6th circle? You managed to get something hard to buy even with money.”

“You still don’t get it, do you? Let me make it simple. This scroll is worth 50,000 gold. You can imagine its power!”

“50,000 gold? Seems like you got scammed. You could’ve bought it for 30,000 gold, but you paid nearly double.”

“That’s not the point now!”

“What’s more important than money in this world?”

Keter, who had stopped, began approaching Ultima again.

“Stop! Come closer, and I’ll tear it!”

*Rip.*

As if to show it wasn’t an empty threat, the edge of the scroll slightly tore.

So what?

Keter didn’t stop.

* * *

Sweat poured from the hand holding the scroll. It was so much that he worried it might slip and drop the scroll.

Keter, this madman. Why won’t he stop?

What I’m holding is a genuine ‘Fire Storm’ scroll. The moment I tear it, everything within 100 meters will be turned to ashes.

Even a Swordmaster wouldn’t survive a direct hit from a 6th circle spell.

Does this damn lunatic not know that? Is he so ignorant that he’s fearless?

That can’t be. From what I know, he’s well-versed in magic!

Then what confidence does he have to keep approaching even if I tear the scroll?

At least try to persuade or threaten me. That way, I wouldn’t tear the scroll.

Five steps. A bow is a ranged weapon, but he keeps closing in.

He’s been within Fire Storm’s range for a while now. If I tear it here, I’ll be caught in it too.

But that’s not why I’m afraid to tear the scroll.

I looked into the madman’s eyes. Purple pupils with golden irises. They were dazzling. I thought they were unnecessarily flashy when we first met.

That’s why I thought he’d die quickly. In Ruquer, flashy guys get hunted fast. They stand out.

But this guy survived. He might even be the first from Ruquer to do so.

Damn it, I thought I’d never see Keter again after leaving Ruquer. But he had to show up at the most crucial moment of my life and block my path.

Keter still held the bow.

A black bow. It looked extraordinary. He killed the Jacoz Family in one shot with it. By the way, bows are ranged weapons, so why is he getting closer?

Suddenly, it hit me.

‘…Are you confident? Confident that you can attack faster than I can tear it.’

In extreme situations, time seems to slow down for humans. That world came to Ultima too.

In that split second, Ultima thought of many things.

‘Keter. If you wanted to kill me, you wouldn’t have missed the first strike. You spared me. Why?’

Getting slapped by Keter was painful and humiliating, but Ultima took it. He didn’t sense any killing intent.

If it means not dying, I can take as many slaps as needed. A potion will heal it quickly.

I can pay as much money as needed for compensation. Money can be earned again.

But life doesn’t come back. It’s funny that someone from Ruquer values life, but there’s no choice. I’ve come to know happiness after leaving Ruquer.

Maybe because I only felt misery in Ruquer, I didn’t know happiness could be this sweet.

I have a solid trading company and can grow it further. Though born as a prostitute’s son in Ruquer, I now dream of becoming a noble.

I can’t die here.

Especially not a meaningless death.

So, I have to tear this scroll. Tearing it will kill Keter, and I’ll survive.

‘But why?’

Why am I so sure that tearing this scroll will kill me and spare Keter?

My instinct, which has saved me from countless crises, tells me to stay still.

But does that make sense? How can I stay still looking at that calm expression, not knowing what he’s thinking?

Even in this slowed-down world, time passes. Keter is now within three steps. Close enough to reach out and touch.

This is the last chance. If I don’t tear the scroll now, we’ll both be caught in Fire Storm and die.

My ears ring, and my vision blurs.

*Thud.*

Keter took the final step.

Ultima, in the end, couldn’t tear the scroll.

* * *

Zero distance.

Keter and Ultima were close enough to touch with half an arm’s reach.

The Fire Storm scroll was slightly torn but not enough to activate.

“Keter. Do you… think this scroll is fake?”

Ultima, drenched in sweat in seconds, asked with a calm expression.

Keter glanced at the scroll and replied.

“There’s a signature at the bottom. The signature of the Great Sorcerer Maknose. His signature is said to be impossible to replicate.”

“Ha, haha. You know it damn well. Yet you stand before me. Is it because I’m easy? Because I lost to you in Ruquer?”

“Ultima. I told you before. You underestimate yourself too much.”

“I’ve never heard that.”

“Let’s say you did. You’re not an easy opponent. But here’s the thing.”

*Whoosh.*

Keter pointed at himself with his thumb.

“I’m even more amazing.”

“…Indeed. A madman recognized by madmen.”

In Ruquer, ordinary madness doesn’t earn you the title of a madman. Surviving in Ruquer itself is madness.

In Ruquer, there are five recognized madmen.

The Sword Ghost, Walt.

The Bomb Demon, Ragnon.

Jenny of the Chain Scythe.

The Eyeball Collector, Marhan.

Anyone living in Ruquer must know these four. If you don’t, you’ll die. Even the reckless people of Ruquer don’t pick fights with these four.

And finally.

Above these four madmen stands ‘The Solver, Keter.’

Ultima folded the scroll and put it back in his pocket.

The outcome was already decided.

Those clear eyes with unknown intentions.

A madman who treats his own life like someone else’s.

Ultima realized once again that no one could dare to challenge Keter with their life on the line.

But that didn’t mean Keter was an unreasonable beast.

“Keter. I have no intention of risking my life to fight you. Whether I can win or not, I just don’t want to. What do you want from me?”

“Now you’re talking like a human. Keep going.”

“As I said before, I don’t intend to monopolize Sephira. What do you want? Even if it’s Sephira’s heirloom, I’ll give it to you. Aren’t we comrades who shared the secret of leaving Ruquer?”

“Tsk tsk. You’re completely missing the point.”

Seeing that persuasion wasn’t working, Ultima couldn’t hide his frustration.

“What do you want? We’re just wasting each other’s time like this.”

“You’re the one who doesn’t understand. The Sephira Family is mine.”

“……?”

Ultima, despite his appearance, is a quick thinker. But what Keter was saying now was hard to grasp.

“Let me say it again.”

*Whoosh!*

Keter threw Amaranth behind his back and put his hands in his pockets.

“Keter El Sephira, the illegitimate son of the Sephira Family. That’s me.”

A thick bead of sweat rolled down Ultima’s forehead.

‘He’s a madman, but he doesn’t lie.’

Though Keter spouts nonsense like breathing, he doesn’t lie. This meant Keter was truly of Sephira’s bloodline.

He didn’t even feel like asking if it was true.

From a distance, a green figure could be an Orc or an Ogre. But up close, an Ogre is five times larger and has horns. The difference is clear once you get close.

For Ultima, it was like seeing the Ogre’s horns now. Getting closer to confirm would mean getting eaten by the Ogre. Ultima wasn’t so foolish as to not know that.

‘This is insane. I thought I was better than you in the outside world. But you’re above me even out here.’

Following the outside world’s etiquette, Ultima knelt and bowed his head to Keter.

“Merchant Lord Ultima, greeting Prince Keter El Sephira.”


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I’m the Madman of This Family

I’m the Madman of This Family

Status: Completed
Keter, the Fixer and Madman of the Lawless City, finds himself transported back to his younger days as an illegitimate child of a once-great archery family doomed to annihilation. “If I’ve been given a second chance and can’t even save my family, I might as well drown myself in a bowl of water.” For my family? No, for my freedom!

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