Chapter 272 - Darkmtl
Switch Mode
You can get fewer ads when you log in and remove all ads by subscribing.

Chapter 272

Chapter 273. Victory is Just a Side Dish (10)

Immense wealth.

A young and robust body.

Power rivaling that of an Upper Noble.

A sense of responsibility inversely proportional to that power.

A man who could be said to possess all of this was none other than Ultima.

“Damn it, the work never ends. There’s no sign of it ever ending!”

He was also a man who couldn’t rest for even a moment due to the sudden outbreak of the ‘Family War’ in the Lilian Kingdom.

While war is both a crisis and an opportunity for merchants, for Ultima, it was even more so. His patron was Keter, and Keter belonged to the House of Sephira!

“Uwaaaaaah! Keter, you bastard!”

While cursing with his mouth, Ultima’s eyes and hands never stopped processing documents. With every document he handled, a stream of curses flew out.

“I thought I could finally rest after the Southern Sword Tournament ended, but then they started nagging me to host a party! And just when I thought the party was over, not even half a year later, what?! A Family War breaks out?! And you tell me just a week before?! What the hell is this?!”

The target of the Family War was clearly Sephira. It was as if the entire kingdom had turned against them. Though, it was all done in a gentlemanly manner.

“It’s fine, I’ll win. But there’s something you need to do. You know, right? If I die, you die too.”

Ultima trembled as he recalled Keter’s words.

“This is insane!”

Even important matters didn’t take more than a minute to handle, yet the mountain of documents piled up in front of Ultima showed no signs of shrinking. That’s how significant the Family War was.

Moreover, even if Sephira won the Family War, it wouldn’t be the end. The Crown Prince had already declared that he would immediately start a war after the civil war. The Lilian Kingdom—no, this world—would be engulfed in flames. They had to prepare for that.

“Becoming a great merchant was my dream, but this feeling of working myself to death… what is this?”

It wasn’t that he didn’t have trustworthy subordinates. It wasn’t that he didn’t have capable subordinates. He had already delegated his tasks to all his reliable subordinates. Even after delegating, he was still overwhelmed by the insane workload.

“Buy up all the firewood, even if it costs extra. Whiskey sells especially well in winter. It doesn’t freeze easily, and people believe it warms the body. Adeus Kingdom whiskey is cheap and strong, so if we dilute it with water and sell it……”

*Knock knock knock!*

Thinking a subordinate had come to report, Ultima threw the ink bottle on his desk in anger.

“I told you not to come even if the sky splits, you bastard!”

“It has split, Ultima.”

*Creak.*

The door opened, and a man entered. He wasn’t Ultima’s subordinate, nor was he a stranger to Ultima.

“Uh, uh…?!”

As soon as he saw the man who entered, Ultima stood up from his seat and drew the sword leaning beside him, pointing it at the intruder.

“W-Walt?”

Sword Demon Walt. Walt, who should have been in Ruquer, had appeared before Ultima.

“Seems like hanging out with Keter has made your tongue shorter too.”

Ultima, gripping his sword tightly, was confident in himself. Since becoming a merchant, he had bought and consumed every elixir available, and even paid extra for private lessons from a 6-Star Grandmaster in attribute training. It was all thanks to the power of money.

As a result, Ultima had reached the level of a 5-Star Master, and his swordsmanship had improved in detail. Moreover, the clothes he wore and the sword he carried were all magical tools of at least level 3.

But the thought, ‘This should be enough to handle anyone, right?’ melted away like snow under the spring sun the moment he saw Walt.

‘Damn, he’s ridiculously strong. That bastard.’

‘You never know until you try’ was Ultima’s motto, but now he knew without even having to fight.

If he fought Walt now, his head would be severed within seven moves. And that was even though Walt was unarmed, not even holding a sword.

Moreover, Ultima didn’t slack on security. The room he stayed in could only be reached after passing through three layers of doors. Each layer was guarded by countless traps and Master-level strongmen.

Yet, Walt stood before him…

“If you had told me in advance, I would have come to greet you, Walt… Brother.”

Ultima, releasing his grip on the sword, bowed respectfully, but Walt wasn’t satisfied.

“Your head is too high.”

“…!”

Ultima quickly knelt on one knee. In that instant, a slash passed just above his head, faster than he could react.

His hair scattered. If he had been even a fraction slower, it wouldn’t have been his hair but his face that was cut. Sweat beaded on Ultima’s forehead.

‘He didn’t even draw his sword or extend his hand, yet the slash…’

It wasn’t just speed.

It was as if speed didn’t exist. The moment he felt the cut, he was already cut.

“In the past, you would have prostrated yourself flat, but now it’s just one knee… Well, I’ll allow that much.”

“……”

Ultima held his tongue. He had belatedly realized that Walt was beyond the realm of what could be described as simply ‘strong.’

“Since we’re meeting after so long, I’d like to reminisce, but I’m here on official business, so I’ll get straight to the point. A message from the Grand Duke.”

At the mention of the Grand Duke, Ultima immediately knelt on both knees and bowed his head.

Even after experiencing a series of absurd events while staying with Keter, his body remembered. The terror and helplessness that the word ‘Grand Duke’ brought.

“You’ve done well so far. I will grant you true freedom.”

“…?!”

At the mention of true freedom, Ultima raised his head.

The reason he could leave Ruquer was thanks to a contract with the Grand Duke. The condition was that he would do anything the Grand Duke commanded.

Until now, the Grand Duke’s command had been singular: to grow the merchant group. What started as an order had now become Ultima’s own dream.

“But before that, there’s one last thing you need to do.”

“……”

Even though the Grand Duke hadn’t yet said what it was, Ultima could feel it. Like instinctively knowing rain was coming on a summer day when the air suddenly cools and dark clouds gather, he sensed danger.

He had felt the same way when he made the contract with the Grand Duke to leave Ruquer.

“I made a contract with a devil, and the price will have to be paid someday.”

Back then, he had desperately wanted freedom, even if it meant selling his soul. But now that the time to pay the price had come…

‘Ah, this sucks.’

And then, the message from the Grand Duke that he didn’t want to hear came from Walt’s mouth.

“Kill Hisop of Sephira. You have one year. If you don’t kill Hisop, I will confiscate everything from you. That is the Grand Duke’s message.”

* * *

The capital of the Lilian Kingdom, Grissa.

The café closest to the royal palace was always bustling with people. Among them, a man sat on the terrace, which operated on a reservation-only basis.

*Sip.*

The young man, taking a sip of honey-infused green tea, leisurely observed the surroundings.

Before he knew it, he had finished the honey green tea, and naturally, he pulled out a note stuck to the bottom of the teacup and unfolded it.

– The whereabouts of the Sword Wing Tribe deserters, Deo and Drant, have been found. Their last destination was Hakoz Village in the Lilian Kingdom. Investigate the subsequent situation and report.

It took less than a second to read and memorize the note. The young man swallowed the note as if eating a snack and checked his watch.

It wasn’t to check the time. It was a habit of Kai’s when lost in thought.

Kai, a special operations agent of the Empire, assigned to the Lilian Kingdom. As soon as he heard the name ‘Hakoz’ Village, he knew.

‘That place is Sephira’s territory.’

It was truly a coincidence. Because Sephira was where Keter was.

Kai also knew about the Sword Wing Tribe brothers, Deo and Drant. The two had been searching for the Seven Evil Tribes to obtain an exemption from military service.

But if finding the Seven Evil Tribes was that easy, the Emperor wouldn’t have put up a bounty of millions of gold.

The Deo and Drant brothers seemed to have failed, but one day, they suddenly disappeared. Without any reports, the Empire suspected desertion.

However, persistent investigations revealed that Deo and Drant hadn’t deserted.

They had gone missing. Hakoz Village, within the Lilian Kingdom’s territory, was the last location the Empire’s intelligence had found.

And now, for a detailed investigation, orders had been issued to Kai. As soon as he saw the case, Kai was almost certain that Keter was involved in the disappearance of Deo and Drant.

‘Because Keter, you’re the kind of guy who gets involved in incidents and accidents that others avoid.’

No matter how highly Kai thought of Keter, this case was something he couldn’t just overlook.

‘Those two Sword Wing Tribe members were, if not officially, investigators of the Empire. If you killed and hid them, Keter, even I can’t cover for you.’

*Swoosh.*

Kai raised his hand and called a waiter.

“Honey green tea with two sugar cubes dissolved.”

“Yes.”

After placing the additional order, Kai rested his chin on his hand. A sudden question arose.

‘Keter, you’re the most cunning person I know. Did you not know the repercussions of killing the Sword Wing Tribe? That’s impossible.’

The waiter brought the honey green tea. Kai took it and immediately downed it in one go.

“One more cup. Make it strong.”

Keter had killed the Sword Wing Tribe brothers knowing full well the consequences. There was only one reason for that.

‘The Sword Wing Tribe brothers were searching for the Seven Evil Tribes. Those two wouldn’t have gone to Hakoz Village for no reason. In other words, the Seven Evil Tribes were in Hakoz Village, and to keep it hidden, Keter killed the Sword Wing Tribe brothers and covered it up.’

The Sword Wing Tribe, a beastman tribe specialized in flight, had incredible mobility. If they decided to flee, even a 6-Star Grandmaster couldn’t catch them.

But if the opponent was an archer, the story was different. Especially if it was Keter, who wielded archery skills unseen in this world?

‘No one in Sephira could stop the Sword Wing Tribe brothers from escaping. But Keter could. Keter, it’s you again, isn’t it?’

Kai rubbed his temples. A severe headache was coming on.

He went over his speculations again, but as he had expected from the start, the disappearance of the Sword Wing Tribe brothers was clearly Keter’s doing. And moreover, the purpose was to hide the Seven Evil Tribes.

The Seven Evil Tribes were hiding in Sephira.

One, they wouldn’t be there now.

‘That guy with the elixir wouldn’t leave the Seven Evil Tribes in Sephira. He must have moved them somewhere else.’

It was too late to go now. The Seven Evil Tribes would be gone, and there would be no trace of the Sword Wing Tribe brothers.

But he couldn’t report to the special operations unit that issued the orders, ‘There’s circumstantial evidence, but no physical evidence.’ The special operations unit wasn’t that lax. Even without evidence, he had to fabricate a report.

‘Normally, we’d use interrogation or confession tools… but the problem is that the opponent is Keter.’

Kai had to bring back results. But the target was none other than Keter.

Investigating someone else in Sephira would be meaningless.

‘It’s a case of killing and hiding Empire-affiliated Sword Wing Tribe members. Probably no one but Keter knows.’

Even though the answer was obvious, Kai hesitated. He felt ridiculous for doing so.

‘Why am I concerned about Keter’s safety?’

No matter how much he liked him, no matter if they had a contract, the Empire had to come first in all matters. That was an unchangeable truth.

“Keter, you can’t escape karma.”

Anyone who kills an Empire investigator must not go unpunished. In other words, the fact that Keter was in a dire situation preparing for the Family War was not Kai’s concern.

Kai stood up and headed straight for Sephira. Yet, his heart was pounding.

No matter the reason, it was an unforgivable act.

Harboring the Seven Evil Tribes. Killing and hiding Empire investigators…

But for some reason, Kai felt excited.

‘Keter, you’re not the type to fall here. You must have thought this far ahead.’

You can’t deceive the Empire’s eyes and ears forever. Eventually, the truth about the Sword Wing Tribe brothers’ deaths would come to light. How would Keter handle it? Did he have a plan?

Kai, clutching his pounding chest, headed for Sephira.

* * *

“This is the place.”

A hill overlooking Sephira’s territory.

A woman leaning against the shade of a tree muttered. Even though she was hidden in the shadows, her beauty and pale skin stood out starkly.

The hill she was on was hundreds of meters away from the main building, but her eyes accurately scanned the main building.

“There lies the glory of the past. The blessings of the future.”

Her lips, filled with joy, were as red as blood, and her slightly exposed fangs gleamed like blades.

The tips of her slightly extended fingers touched the sunlight. Immediately, smoke rose as if they had been scorched by fire.

She paid no attention to the pain of her burning skin. As soon as she pulled her hand back into the shadows, the burned skin healed in the blink of an eye.

A vampire, she was a survivor of an ancient race believed to be extinct. And now, for some reason, she had come to Sephira.

When Keter obtained the Blood Sword Dracula in Ruquer, the Grand Duke had warned him. Taking Dracula would inevitably attract the attention of the vampire race.

That was certainly not wrong.

In exchange for handing over the Blood Sword to the Grand Duke, Keter was destined to escape the attention of the vampires. That is, if it weren’t for Elije.

Elije, the first vampire. The moment she emerged from Ruquer and revealed her existence to the world, the vampires instinctively sensed it.

Elije’s presence. The aura of the Blood King she carried. The vampires scoured the entire continent like searching for a needle in a haystack to find Elije. But due to her faint presence, they couldn’t pinpoint her exact location.

However, the moment Elije briefly used her power to capture an intruder at the party, the vampires obtained a crucial clue. Elije was in the Lilian Kingdom.

From then on, the vampires frantically searched every corner of the Lilian Kingdom and finally found her. Elije, residing in Sephira.

For her, a vampire, the reputation of an archery family meant nothing. Only the sun was to be feared.

“But that’s only for a little while longer.”

Once the sun set and darkness fell, she planned to find Elije immediately.

She didn’t even consider secrecy. If anyone stood in her way, she would simply kill them. She was a race capable of doing so alone.

After the Southern Sword Tournament.

Sephira had no time to recover before preparing for the party, and as soon as the party ended, they were faced with the Family War.

But strictly speaking, that wasn’t Keter’s problem. It was Sephira’s.

And now, the price of the ‘freedom’ Keter had enjoyed was slowly coming due.


You can get fewer ads when logging in and remove all ads by subscribing for just $2 per month.
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!

Comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Options

not work with dark mode
Reset