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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Ruby
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Only after Bell’s overwhelming aura that had been pressing down on their bodies and minds dissipated did they notice the lion medallion thrown on the ground.
The warriors’ bodies trembled as they saw the lion medallion on the floor.
The warrior who seemed to be the captain of the guards bowed his head deeply.
“We have committed a grave offense, Lord Yuma!”
The lion-patterned bronze medallion that proved the status of a Pineon Great Warrior – there was only one person in Pineon who carried this without being a Great Warrior.
The God of War, Yuma.
Yuma shook his head.
“Just let us in.”
The warriors bowed their heads.
The path opened.
Yuma’s group strode into the temporary palace.
The brown-haired Great Warrior, Martes, deeply bowed his waist as soon as he saw Yuma’s face.
“I am honored to see you, Lord Yuma.”
Still, perhaps because he had become the king of a country, he didn’t kneel or prostrate himself.
Yuma thought this was natural.
The previous displays of respect had been excessive.
“Sit down.”
“Yes, Lord Yuma.”
Martes slowly sat down in front of Yuma.
Three women sat in a row beside Yuma.
“Have you heard of the White Night Clan?”
Martes’ eyes widened at those words.
“Yes, I remember Lord Kament mentioning them a few years ago.”
As expected, the deceased Conqueror King had mentioned the White Night Clan.
Yuma gestured with his chin towards his right.
Bell was sitting there.
“She’s from the White Night Clan.”
Bell unconsciously raised her right hand.
“I’m Bell from the White Night Clan.”
“Oh, pleased to meet you.”
After expressing his pleasure, Martes immediately tilted his head.
“Uh… wait, Lord Kament clearly said that the White Night Clan was bound by the thoughtless mistakes of their ancestors. Unable to leave their territory unless they killed a giant close to a demigod…”
Yuma immediately resolved that question.
“I cleared their karma.”
“So the current White Night Clan is now free?”
“Yes, so don’t touch the land of White Night. All members of the White Night Clan have become my subordinates.”
Yuma paused for a moment, then completely punctuated his words.
“The land of White Night has become my land. So don’t even think about intruding.”
Now it’s my land, so don’t touch it.
Martes gulped at that assertion.
Strictly speaking, Yuma was claiming as his own the land of the White Night Clan, which was clearly within Pineon’s territory.
But he didn’t feel angry at Yuma for this.
Perhaps it was possible because he had already given up on understanding this person within the bounds of common sense.
If he had said it was the land of the Astes Empire, a faint feeling of anger might have risen, but because he said it was Yuma’s personal land, it somehow became acceptable.
“I understand. Our kingdom will not interfere in any way with the land of the White Night Clan.”
This promise was obtained from Martes, who had now become the king of Pineon, so no one else in Pineon would dare to think of breaking it.
Yuma decided to ask about something he was curious about.
“Did the Conqueror King not have any children?”
The Conqueror King’s child.
Uncharacteristically, Martes’ expression hardened.
“Queen Helen, his wife, had a child late. The prince is only 9 years old this year.”
Martes continued with a self-deprecating smile.
“When the prince learned of the Conqueror King’s death, he expressed intense anger. It was mixed with bitter resentment. Quite severe.”
Martes continued.
“But he won’t be able to realize that anger. Queen Helen gave up her son’s claim to the throne to keep him out of the succession struggle and moved to the south. With the prince.”
Martes took a sip of tea from the table.
“In exchange for supporting me, I promised eternal safety until the day the prince comes of age.”
The Conqueror King who died by Yuma’s hand had a son.
And that son couldn’t help but feel anger towards Yuma, who had killed his father.
Yuma didn’t find that anger unpleasant.
He thought all citizens of the barbarian nation of Pineon had the right to be angry at him.
And among them, his son undoubtedly had the greatest right.
Yuma had no intention of avoiding that anger.
These were people he had killed to survive.
People he had killed for a purpose.
He didn’t feel grand guilt.
He wasn’t sorry.
He just didn’t intend to deny it.
That he had killed many people.
That there was much pain derived from those deaths.
“You may go.”
His business with Martes was finished.
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The next day.
They crossed the border of the barbarian nation of Pineon and returned to the Astes Empire.
From then on, they moved without wasting time.
As soon as Yuma entered the transit city of Arkan, he informed First Princess Brigitte with the help of Gelmore, the mayor of Arkan city.
He informed her that he had found the “Blue-Haired Sword Saint.”
Then, without even settling briefly in Arkan, they went straight to the capital.
Still, it would end up taking a day’s time.
First Princess Brigitte rested her chin on the back of her right hand and tapped the desk with her left index finger.
Tap… Tap… Tap…
The stage was already set.
Even nobles of count rank and above had begun to take her side.
It was a very simple principle.
Because Yuma, whom she had made her right-hand man, had already saved this empire several times.
Because the nobles had all realized that he possessed tremendous military power that no one else in the current empire could stop.
She had originally started fulfilling the oracle to turn the hearts of the nobles of the “Schwarze faction,” who had been far more dominant than herself.
However, even before the oracle was completed, the situation had tilted due to Yuma’s existence.
The oracle.
Apart from the oracle, the tide had already completely turned.
Brigitte wasn’t entirely happy with this situation.
Her father, who still hadn’t regained consciousness.
The current Emperor of the Astes Empire, Agares von Astes.
His words echoed in her mind.
-A great bloodline must have its own principles.-
-Rather than listening to someone else’s words, think for yourself and judge for yourself.-
-That’s what an emperor should do.-
That was the Emperor’s habitual saying.
And it was also words that Brigitte liked.
To carry out one’s will based on one’s own judgment without considering anyone else’s orders.
That was something only an emperor, the ruler of a nation, could do.
Of course, even her father might have followed it if it was an ‘oracle.’
But she couldn’t help feeling a sense of discomfort.
However, one thing was clear: she had put together all the pieces shown by the oracle.
“…I must reach a conclusion.”
A head-on breakthrough.
Brigitte sent a message to Schwarze, the only brother who still maintained formal respect towards her.
She said that since Yuma had gathered the pieces of the oracle, they should see the results together.
She also contacted Marquis Kairos, who could be considered the representative of the Astes Empire’s noble faction.
And the Duke who had heard the oracle together at the New Year’s oracle.
She also summoned Duke Balzac, the Guardian of the Empire.
All the notaries who had been present at the New Year’s oracle would gather as well.
Conclusion.
She intended to end this struggle for the throne like this.
Since it was a promise that started with an oracle.
It would end with the completion of the oracle.
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Yuma looked over his three companions in the magic train.
Their hair colors were all different, their appearances were different, and one of them was even of a different race.
But now they had one thing in common.
They were all sprawled out on the train seats, fast asleep.
‘Somehow, I’ve gathered them.’
‘The Witch’s Daughter Who Fell into the Hell of the Black Flame Cave’.
‘The Blue-Haired Sword Saint’.
He had gathered them as the oracle had prophesied.
Although he couldn’t even lie and say that journey had been smooth.
Yuma wasn’t entirely without anxiety.
The gods in the game Loop Blood were very capricious.
They would give huge blessings to the protagonist, i.e., the player, but then stab them in the back with a massive sword.
Although he didn’t yet know the nature of the gods in this world, if something were to go wrong.
‘I’ll have to stop it somehow.’
Yuma thought this as he looked at his three subordinates who were sleeping, letting out low breathing sounds.
“We’ve arrived.”
Yuma woke everyone up by tapping their shoulders.
“Hm…!”
Hestia hurriedly wiped her drool with a handkerchief.
The capital of the Astes Empire, Barnok.
They had arrived again at the place where he had first fallen into this world.
“We’re going straight to the Imperial Palace.”
The three nodded without a word at Yuma’s statement.
As they approached the First Princess’s Palace, Brigitte, the First Princess, came into view.
Yuma unhesitatingly presented Bell to Brigitte.
“This is the Blue-Haired Sword Saint. Probably.”
Bell vaguely bowed her head while looking at Brigitte.
“I’m… Bell, Your Highness.”
Bell, who had spoken casually to everyone except her father and the elders of the White Night Clan, uttered the correct honorifics to the princess…!
“Welcome.”
Brigitte carefully embraced the shoulders of Bell, the Blue-Haired Sword Saint.
She couldn’t help but feel affection for this being who had come for her sake.
“Hello, Your Highness!”
Unlike that tactless cat swordswoman who immediately spoke casually after meeting just once before, Yuma was inwardly relieved to see Bell showing at least a minimum level of tact.
The three masters from the oracle had gathered in one place.
But for now, nothing unusual happened.
“Yuma.”
Brigitte was quite regretful that she couldn’t have a long conversation with Yuma, whom she hadn’t seen in a while.
But now there was no leisure for a relaxed conversation.
“We need to go to the Astes Temple. People are waiting.”
“People?”
“I’ve called all the members of the New Year’s oracle, the left side of the oracle.”
“Are you trying to nail it down so that nothing comes after this?”
Brigitte nodded at Yuma’s words.
“Yes, that’s right. I don’t want to waste any more time on the struggle for the throne. No matter how powerful the empire is, we don’t know what might happen if we leave the emperor’s seat empty for so long.”
That was correct.
Brigitte, the First Princess, and Yuma’s group stepped onto the teleport heading to the Astes Temple.
Flash!
A flash of light blinked before their eyes.
Yuma stared at the massive white temple that appeared before his eyes.
Leaving aside its sanctity, the temple that entered his view was certainly large enough to be considered imposing.
Brigitte and Yuma’s group walked in.
Everyone except the two of them looked around every corner of the temple.
Distractedly.
They had brought Hestia too, who wasn’t a subject of the oracle.
It would have been awkward to leave her alone in the Princess’s Palace.
Yuma’s eyes fell on a familiar blonde man.
“It’s been a while.”
Yuma spoke as he looked at First Prince Schwarze, who was staring intently at him with a very stiff face.
Clearly, the protagonists of this gathering should be First Princess Brigitte, Cloney, and Bell.
But it was Yuma who was the focus of attention from First Prince Schwarze, Marquis Kairos, and Duke Balzac.
“Oh, so you’re that God of War… I’ve heard a lot about you.”
The Guardian of the Empire, Grand Swordmaster.
Along with the 1st Seat of the Empire’s Ten Seats, he was known as the strongest being in this empire.
“Is that so.”
Balzac’s gaze lingered on Yuma for a while, then turned to Cloney and Bell who were sticking close to Brigitte.
“So these two are the protagonists of the oracle… Oh, I see.”
Just after the Duke’s words ended.
Bell’s brow furrowed.
“What are you doing, mister?”
Blade-like auras were flowing from both of their bodies.
Bell countered Balzac’s tangible aura, which was shot at her, with her own aura.
Balzac slowly nodded his head.
Then he slowly evaporated his aura.
“Blue-Haired Sword Saint… Indeed, that title bestowed by the oracle suits you well. You look so young, yet you’ve fully reached Master level. I’m sorry for playing around.”
Balzac’s eyes were filled with interest.
Right after the small commotion.
Step.
Footsteps were heard from behind.
A saint wearing a white formal dress was walking out.
The saint showed a bright smile and eye-smile simultaneously.
“Has everyone arrived?”
It was the appearance of Saint Ermel, the one who conveyed the oracle.
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During the train scene… it really doesn’t make sense for MC to be awake and all his companions to be asleep. Feels like the author forgot that MC is actually the weakest member of the party.