novelraw Chapter 203 : Chapter 203
Chapter 203 : Chapter 203
Chapter 203: Subjugation Battle (3)
“Demons? Count Verhagen, are you saying we should join forces with Demons to subjugate the Red Magician?”
“…….”
At Duke Muel’s words, Rough Schroeder’s eyes narrowed.
His expression was equally dumbfounded.
Some of those following Vice-Commander Verhagen were unmistakably Demons, exuding Magi.
‘Truly horrifying….’
Scanning them again, Duke Muel grimaced.
Large men wearing iron masks marked with numbers 1, 2, and 3, their torsos bare. They were the stuff of nightmares.
But there was an even more terrifying presence: a woman in a pure white dress, her entire body wrapped in bandages.
Blood constantly dripped from her nails and eye sockets, as if she had been tortured, and she radiated such intense Magi that one could believe she had just crawled out of the Demon Realm.
He couldn’t bear it.
He couldn’t even stand being in the same space as them, and that thought quickly turned into action. Forgetting that the vice-commander of the White Knight Order was present, Duke Muel swiftly drew his sword and swung it at the Demons.
But his fierce attack was thwarted.
Clang-!
“What?”
Duke Muel, whose attack was blocked, stepped back in surprise.
Known for his ruthless nature, earning him the title Iron-Blooded Duke, he hadn’t held back, swinging his Blue Sword with full force, not underestimating the Demon before him.
Yet, it was blocked head-on.
‘Who the hell is this?’
As he focused forward, the man who had blocked his attack stepped forward slowly.
Unkempt white hair.
Impressively tall, but what stood out even more were his eyes.
“Ugh…!”
Duke Muel let out a belated groan.
The moment he saw the man’s eyes, shining blue as if colder than winter night air, and the sharp Blue Sword rising from his blade, a name flashed through his mind.
“The strongest of Acanthus, Heitz… how is a criminal like you here…!”
“Heitz? Indeed, that makes sense!”
Hearing Duke Muel’s words, Rough Schroeder nodded as if it finally clicked.
He had been wondering where they found a master-level powerhouse, but now it made sense. Acanthus, driven by hatred for the Red Magician, explained it perfectly. Their very reason for existing was revenge, so there could be no better ally.
‘But even so, I never imagined Demons would be part of Acanthus….’
Rough Schroeder frowned.
It made sense. If their hatred for the Red Magician was deep enough, they might resort to any means, even borrowing the power of Demons, to bring him to justice. The bandaged woman in the white dress and the iron-masked men likely shared the same sentiment.
But whether they could be trusted was another matter entirely.
And the idea of the Holy Kingdom’s paladins joining forces with them was equally hard to accept.
Rough Schroeder looked at Count Durand Verhagen, the vice-commander of the White Knight Order.
His eyes clearly demanded an explanation.
Finally breaking his silence, Verhagen spoke.
“They have all sworn before the highest priests of the Holy Kingdom. They will dedicate all their strength to subjugating the Red Magician and absolutely obey my commands as the supreme authority in this process.”
“Hmm.”
“That’s not all. If the subjugation succeeds, the Demons will undergo a purification ritual… and the other Acanthus members will serve at the lowest ranks of the Holy Kingdom to atone for their past sins. That’s been decided.”
“Ugh…!”
“So that’s how it is.”
Duke Muel and Rough Schroeder showed bewildered reactions.
Duke Muel’s reaction was especially intense. He looked at the vice-commander and the Acanthus members with an expression of deep displeasure.
‘Honestly….’
It stung.
He didn’t know much about Acanthus. Only that they were a group formed out of hatred for the Red Magician and had caused a few incidents to bring him to justice.
But that wasn’t important.
Powerhouses so formidable they were hard to find across the entire continent!
The fact that the Holy Kingdom had swallowed such incredible forces was what irked Duke Muel.
‘The Demons will be burned away in the purification ritual, but… the others are tremendous assets. Even just Sword Master Heitz alone… and that Spirit Master, the leader of Acanthus? He doesn’t seem trivial either.’
It wasn’t just Heitz and the Spirit Master.
He almost overlooked him, standing quietly in the back, but a young man in his early twenties with immense potential caught his eye. Had they met elsewhere, Duke Muel would have wanted to take him as a disciple, so promising did he seem, making his envy of the Holy Kingdom even stronger.
“Haha, hahaha. This is getting interesting even before the subjugation begins.”
Rough Schroeder felt similarly.
As someone unaffiliated with any group, he didn’t care much whether the Holy Kingdom’s forces grew stronger or weaker.
But the young man who seemed like a valuable talent piqued his interest too. Having wandered the southern continent and struggled to find a disciple worthy of his legacy, he felt even more so.
‘What a pity.’
‘Such a shame… I thought it was odd that they’d join the fight against a villain like the Red Magician without any gain, despite their dedication to the continent’s peace. Turns out they had something to gain. Damn it, I was too naive just sitting here.’
The two masters inwardly smacked their lips.
Of course, they couldn’t challenge the decision of a superpower like the Holy Kingdom. With both power and justification on their side, they had no choice but to nod quietly.
Thus, the meeting hall became far livelier than when it had just the two masters.
Vice-Commander Durand Verhagen of the White Knight Order.
Duke Muel.
Wandering Knight Rough Schroeder.
Heitz, the strongest of Acanthus.
And other beings powerful enough to tear apart even top-tier Graduates with ease, all gathered in one place.
Yet, Duke Muel and Rough Schroeder still felt it was slightly lacking.
‘It would be better if we had one or two more master-level forces….’
Of course, this wasn’t the entirety of their forces.
Due to limited space in the hall, they hadn’t brought everyone, but they’d been informed that several first-class Demon Inquisitors would also join. While not on the level of a saintess, a high priest was likely to be dispatched as well.
But ultimately, the ones leading the charge against the Red Magician would be swordsmen.
And considering the Red Magician’s proficiency in all sorts of curses and black magic, a single reliable powerhouse was undoubtedly more valuable than a large number of mediocre forces.
In the end…
‘A master.’
‘Definitely a master. To reliably subjugate the Red Magician, we need more high-quality forces.’
Thinking this, Duke Muel and Rough Schroeder exchanged glances and nodded. It seemed they had agreed, with just a look, that someone needed to address this issue.
Thus, instead of Duke Muel, who had spoken first, Rough Schroeder opened his mouth.
Or rather, he was about to.
But at that moment, the meeting hall’s door opened again, and three men appeared.
“……The atmosphere’s quite tense. May we take a seat?”
“Mercenary King Austin!”
“Hmm, the Mercenary King….”
Duke Muel and Rough Schroeder reacted. They weren’t the only ones. Even some Acanthus members let out gasps.
It was only natural.
He wasn’t a noble.
He wasn’t part of a swordsmanship family.
He hadn’t even trained at a renowned swordsmanship hall.
He had honed his swordsmanship solely through self-study, wandering between battlefields and perilous realms, and with that alone, he had reached the peak of Graduate level, or perhaps even higher.
If someone asked who the strongest person on the continent was, excluding Sword Masters, Mercenary King Austin would undoubtedly be among the top names.
But…
‘Even so, the fact remains that he’s weaker than a master.’
‘Still hasn’t broken through the wall, has he, Austin….’
Duke Muel and Rough Schroeder wore regretful expressions.
He had certainly grown stronger since they last saw him.
But he hadn’t yet reached the master level. As masters themselves, they could tell. Judging by the subtle presence emanating from the Mercenary King, he hadn’t yet broken through the thick wall between Graduate and Master.
Of course, that wasn’t a bad thing. In fact, it was good.
Even if he wasn’t a master, his battle-hardened skills were undeniably real.
Nodding, the two smiled and prepared to properly greet the Mercenary King.
But a moment later.
The moment their eyes turned to the young men beside him, whom they hadn’t paid much attention to due to the Mercenary King’s fame.
“…….”
“…….”
They couldn’t help but freeze their expressions, as if they had seen something unbelievable.
‘What….’
‘Is this possible?’
The young man standing to the left of the Mercenary King was impressive too. His robust physique, as if carved from stone, seemed overflowing with talent, almost as much as the young Acanthus member they had seen earlier. Considering his age, his strength was unbelievable, making the old men’s eyes widen to the point of tearing.
But the one who truly made Duke Muel and Rough Schroeder’s eyes nearly pop out was the young man standing to the right of Mercenary King Austin.
Blond hair, blue eyes. Flawless skin.
A being who looked as if he had never known hardship, as delicate as a flower in a garden.
Yet, the subtle presence emanating from him forced the two to harden their expressions.
A Sword Master.
A being exuding a presence clearly stronger than the Mercenary King, who lingered at the peak of Graduate… and he was only in his early twenties?
“Who… who are you?”
“Is your appearance disguised with magic? Is that it?”
“……No, it’s not that. And as for my identity, there’s not much to it. I’m Gael, working at Love’s Orphanage in Marzen.”
“What? Love’s Orphanage?”
“What does that mean….”
What was he talking about!
Rough Schroeder was about to shout.
It was only natural. A master working at an orphanage? Who would believe such a bad joke?
But he couldn’t finish his words.
Rumble-!
Before he could, a figure stepped forward.
Heitz, the strongest of Acanthus, looked straight at Gael and said.
“So you’re Gael. I heard about you from Zeb.”
“……And what’s your point?”
Gael asked coldly, and Heitz responded in an equally cold voice.
“I want to test your skills. How about a spar?”