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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Ruby
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Silence continued for a long time even after the eldest son Kaisen’s words ended.
“Move forward.”
A single word flowed from Yuma’s mouth.
Kaisen took one more step forward.
Kwak! Ku-woong!
It was clearly felt that the soldiers were flustered.
They were pushed back.
Their steps retreated without them realizing it.
Because they felt a deep determination in the eyes of the eldest son who had not yet shed his boyish appearance.
The vanguard had now become the eldest son Kaisen’s role.
The knights also began to step back while staring at their captain, Knight Captain Heiman.
In the end, all but five of the 50 troops parted to both sides.
“Knight Captain Heiman.”
Kaisen stood in front of Knight Captain Heiman.
In front of the knight captain who was emitting a blue aura from the sword gripped in his right hand.
“Young master.”
Heiman’s burning gaze stared at Kaisen as if to pierce through him.
“My knight Agel is dead.”
Kaisen had learned swordsmanship from Heiman.
So he often used honorific speech with him when they were alone.
When Agel’s name came out, Heiman’s brow furrowed deeply.
“You know, don’t you? That Agel wasn’t the type of person who would steal a senior knight’s wife.”
Heiman couldn’t deny those words.
Agel, who had been included in the count’s First Knight Order, wasn’t the type of person to do such a thing, even in his eyes.
He couldn’t easily understand the reason given for his execution.
“First, I just want to meet my father, talk, and resolve my doubts.”
Heiman had to admit it.
For a very brief moment, he had been overwhelmed by his disciple.
And persuaded.
Heiman twisted his foot to the right.
The eldest son Kaisen advanced towards the castle gate, his blonde hair fluttering.
It was a bloodless entry.
In front of the castle gate.
The knights blocking the castle gate stared at Knight Captain Heiman with bewildered faces.
“Si-Sir Heiman?”
Heiman opened his mouth with a hardened face.
“Open the gate.”
And he looked behind him.
Kaisen was standing there.
The knights at the gate, who realized that the missing eldest son of the family had returned, politely made way.
And the huge gate opened.
Yuma spoke to Hestia and Cloney next to him.
“If the atmosphere turns unusual, be ready to escape on your own.”
Hestia and Cloney nodded their heads vigorously.
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“The Count says to come in.”
The knight bowed his head to Kaisen.
Kaisen looked at Yuma behind him.
“We go in together, Kaisen.”
Yuma said, looking at Heiman.
“Something suspicious has occurred within the count’s estate. From this moment on, I will consider this as official business as the princess’s proxy.”
“…The only one His Excellency the Count has allowed to meet is Young Master Kaisen.”
Heiman’s hand moved towards his waist.
More precisely, towards the sword at his waist.
Once again, a chilling atmosphere pervaded the space.
Clank-
When the sword blade briefly saw the world, a thick voice was heard from inside.
-“It doesn’t matter. Let anyone in.”
Given Count Rubelt’s current situation, it was an oddly generous statement.
Heiman’s sword, which he had slightly unsheathed, went back into its scabbard.
Multiple footsteps moved.
Hestia looked at Cloney with her green eyes.
“Official business…! How cool! Is Yuma like the Empire’s problem solver who moves on orders from Her Highness the First Princess? Something like that?”
At Hestia’s words, Cloney slowly shook her head.
“I’m not sure either. Just, we should trust what Yuma does.”
Yuma was eavesdropping on their conversation with an expressionless face.
Official business.
In fact, there was no such thing.
He was just leaning on the authority of First Princess Bridgette, saying whatever lines came to mind.
Grrrrrng…
The door opened.
Count Rubelt was sitting in a chair that looked like a throne, just as when they had seen him before.
Rubelt opened his mouth again.
“Welcome, my son.”
It was a solemn voice.
Despite hearing words of welcome from his father, Kaisen’s face was completely stiff.
He had to feel again that sense of alienation, that disconnect he had felt when he faced his father just before being imprisoned in the Yuto Forest prison.
‘No matter how I look at it.’
This was not the father he had known for 19 years.
The eldest son Kaisen suppressed the headache blooming in his head and slowly opened his mouth.
“Who are you?”
Kaisen’s words continued.
“My father is not someone who would stand by and watch a man-eating being exist in this land.”
At his son’s words denying his existence, Count Rubelt merely twisted the corners of his mouth.
“And he is even less likely to be someone who would frame an innocent knight who informed him of this with false charges and lead him to execution.”
Swoosh-!
Kaisen drew the sword at his waist.
Tremble…
It was a body that had been imprisoned for a full 3 months.
His weakened arms trembled at the weight of the heavy blade.
“He is even less likely to be a father who would imprison his innocent son.”
Rubelt suddenly started laughing.
“…Kuk kuk kuk.”
Very loudly.
“Kuhahahahaha!!”
It was literally roaring laughter.
“A young pup who’s scared stiff. Even while trembling, you say everything you need to say, huh?”
A clear red glow bloomed in Rubelt’s eyes within his wrinkled eye sockets.
From the middle-aged voice.
Count Rubelt’s words continued, suddenly twisted into a gruff, bizarre voice.
“I thought it wouldn’t be bad to be the king of this place, using this body of Count Rubelt. Since the location isn’t too conspicuous, I thought it would be fun to live while wielding power moderately. It would be quite an interesting life of amusement.”
The one who felt most bewildered by this change in the count was neither Kaisen nor Yuma.
“…Count?”
It was Knight Captain Heiman, who had stood by with his sword drawn, believing in him to the end even when the count acted a little strangely.
Rubelt stomped his right foot hard on the ground.
Then a red light covered the entire space.
A magic circle.
That magic circle was emitting light.
Red light that encompassed the entire space itself.
“I won’t be able to play anymore. That’s regrettable, but I’m satisfied. I’ve achieved my purpose now.”
A bright red energy suddenly burst out from Count Rubelt’s body.
“Let’s see you struggle.”
Rubelt’s body slumped in the chair.
Kugugugugugugu!!
Suddenly, as if an earthquake had occurred, countless footsteps echoed along with the trembling of the ground.
“Wh-what’s going on?”
Hestia scanned her surroundings with wide-open eyes.
They were gathering.
The troops within the count’s castle.
And in a very disorderly manner, like zombies.
A fierce red light flickered in their eyes.
Yuma easily interpreted this situation.
‘Are these guys caught in a mental suppression spell?’
It was a major characteristic of Black Dragons.
The use of mental magic.
If exposed to a Black Dragon’s magi (demonic energy) for a very long time, one becomes a subordinate of that Black Dragon.
They move according to the Black Dragon’s will.
And once they perform a movement according to that will, their brain gradually burns up and they die.
Those exposed to the domination magic circle for a long time couldn’t withstand it unless they had considerable power and mental strength.
Thump thump thump thump!!
Heiman stared at his subordinates who had gathered like zombies in front of the door.
“…I can’t believe it.”
Among the troops who spent most of their time in this count’s castle.
Only Knight Captain Heiman and Vice-Captain Rowelk maintained their sanity.
Clank
Click
The knights and soldiers of the count’s territory raised their weapons.
The metallic sounds of cold weapons endlessly disturbed the ears.
The order engraved in their minds was very simple and clear.
Kill those in this room now.
That was all.
Yuma placed his hand on the right shoulder of Kaisen, who was trembling in fear in front of him.
“Are you ready to inherit the title? Future count.”
“…What? What do you mean by that, Sir Yuma?”
“Don’t worry. Even if the count’s territory becomes a mess for a while, I’ll personally plead to Her Highness the Princess for help.”
Yuma could see it.
How much of a mess this Rubelt county would become, this was setting up the future count.
Saying, I’m on your side.
That right now, we’re in a situation where we have no choice but to turn the county into chaos.
Yuma gripped [Black Dragon Bernak’s Fang] in reverse.
“Don’t be afraid. Future Count Rubelt.”
Kigigigigik…
The sound of the count’s archers nocking arrows to their bows could be heard from all directions.
The archers with fiercely glowing red eyes silently drew their bowstrings.
Chwararuk-
Among those zombie archers.
There were dozens of knight-level strong ones who could imbue their arrowheads with blue aura.
About 40 arrows rained down like a downpour from the main gate.
“Hiiiek!”
Hestia raised her sword in terror.
Because if they stayed still like this, they’d become beehives!
Step
At that moment, Yuma took a step forward.
Kiii—–gi……gi-gik-…
Time began to flow slowly.
Limited only to the perspective of Yuma.
40 arrows slowly descending in mid-air.
He grasped at a glance the arrival speed of each incoming arrow.
He calculated in an instant the priority of which ones to strike down first.
Kang!
He struck down 30 arrows within the 30 seconds of Bullet Time.
And at the moment Bullet Time ended, he parried all the remaining arrows that seemed to fly simultaneously at a glance.
– All arrows reverse course.
Shwaeaeaeaeaek!! Swooshswooshswooshswoosh!!
The arrows pierced the throats of the archers.
Pububuk!!
They penetrated the center of their heads.
Puhwak!
They stabbed into their hearts.
The bodies of the 40 knights holding arrows surrounding Yuma’s group all fell backward at once.
Kuwoong–!
“This battle is your succession ceremony. Kaisen fel Rubelt.”
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Bad ass