novelraw Chapter 93 : Chapter 93
Chapter 93 : Chapter 93
Chapter 93 Same Bed, Different Dreams (6)
“One-eyed Pursuing Old Man.”
The Alliance Leader, who had gotten off the chair installed on the platform with a grunt, called out to the man standing next to her.
“Yes, Alliance Leader.”
A diminutive old man wearing a black eyepatch over one eye approached and bowed his head.
“How did it look to you?”
“It was quite good. Even that child Yu Ha-rin is not at an ordinary level, but she was no match at all.”
“Yes. He is at a level where he can give guidance to Ha-rin, who is the best of the best among the talents of the Sado Alliance. Moreover... even that does not seem to be his true skill.”
The Alliance Leader scratched her head scritch-scratch and looked at the old man as if annoyed.
“Tsk. I really do not like putting a guy like that in the Murim Alliance.”
“I will immediately proceed with the work to have him move over to our side.”
“Will it work as easily as you think? He does not seem to have any greed for money or fame.”
“Then... Hmm. How about giving him Ha-rin?”
The Alliance Leader gave the old man's head a SMACK.
“……Does Ha-rin belong to you? Is she your object?”
“I am sorry, Alliance Leader. I thought that since they are of similar age and exchanged blows, some affection might have developed....”
Looking at the old man who was struggling while keeping his head bowed low, the Alliance Leader let out a sigh.
“Tsk tsk. To think that is all you could come up with....”
The Alliance Leader, who shook her head and smacked her lips, frowned.
And after contemplating for a long time with her chin in her hand, the Alliance Leader turned her head toward the One-eyed Pursuing Old Man.
“First, let us throw him a divine weapon. He seems to like using a sword, so something in that direction.”
“What should I give him?”
“Hmm. Would not the Mangru Blood Sword be enough?”
“Alliance Leader. Is that not the sword you intended to give to one of the successors of the Sado Alliance?”
The Alliance Leader turned her body to look at the One-eyed Pursuing Old Man.
“We have to give at least that much for him to come over. If he joins our side because of that, it will ultimately become the power of the Sado Alliance, so it is not a waste to give ten such swords. It is not like it is leaking outside.”
“……I will do so.”
“Squeeze your brain. Use any means necessary to seduce him. I will give you a month. Try your best within that time, and if it does not work....”
“……If it does not work?”
The Alliance Leader slowly turned from her seat and looked at the One-eyed Pursuing Old Man.
Looking into the Alliance Leader's deep eyes that were like an abyss, the One-eyed Pursuing Old Man shivered.
Eye light flashed from the Alliance Leader's eyes.
“Get rid of him. A guy like that only becomes a future trouble if left alive.”
The Alliance Leader turned her body with a swish and walked forward.
The One-eyed Pursuing Old Man, who was looking at the back of the Alliance Leader walking away with long strides, slowly spoke.
“Alliance Leader.”
Hearing the old man's voice, the Alliance Leader turned and looked at the One-eyed Pursuing Old Man.
“What. Are you scared? If it really does not work, you can just go yourself, can you not?”
“That may be so... but I heard he is a child that Jegal fellow of the Murim Alliance cherishes quite a bit.”
“That is all the more reason to get rid of him. If he stays with that bastard Jegal, even if it is fine now, something might happen later that will make me regret it while pounding the ground.”
“But to deal with him openly, the Murim Alliance's gaze is a concern....”
“Hmm.”
The Alliance Leader fell into thought.
After frowning and thinking about something for a long time, the Alliance Leader smacked her lips with a tsk.
“The Murim Alliance's momentum has not been broken yet.... Is being too direct a bit much? For now, you try to seduce him somehow for a month. If it really does not work... I will find another way.”
“I shall follow your orders.”
As the One-eyed Pursuing Old Man knelt on one knee and made a fist-and-palm salute, the Alliance Leader waved her hand.
“Go now. I need to think a bit more too.”
When the figure of the One-eyed Pursuing Old Man slipped away and vanished, the Alliance Leader turned around and glanced at the grand stage once.
“……His level is higher than I thought. The claim that he was raised in the Demon Study Hall is complete nonsense.... Just where did he learn demonic arts? If it is not the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult, no matter how much I think about it, there is no organization that could raise someone to that level. But as it happens, that fellow strangely belongs to the Murim Alliance.”
Scratching her head once more, the Alliance Leader turned away from the grand stage.
“Ah, whatever. I should look into his background properly first.”
Stretching her arms wide and yawning, the Alliance Leader trudged back to the Alliance Leader's Palace.
****
“Seeing the last move, it became certain. It is clearly the martial art of the Sword Demon....”
“I do not know for sure, but the form seems similar to the Sword Demon's martial art I heard about when I first entered the cult.”
“I have seen it once with my own eyes. Although the power is far lacking... it is quite similar.”
Two men crouching in front of a street stall quietly exchanged glances.
“If that is indeed the Sword Demon's martial art, where on earth did that guy learn it? As soon as the previous Heavenly Demon stepped down, the Sword Demon entered secluded meditation.”
“……I clearly heard that the Sky Severing Thunder Sword contains lightning energy. Seeing that it does not contain lightning energy, even if it is the Sky Severing Thunder Sword, it seems he did not learn it formally....”
“That is exactly the problem. To perform the Sky Severing Thunder Sword, which he has not even learned properly, with that much power....”
“Shall we report it to the cult first?”
The middle-aged man who spoke first looked at the youth and tapped his own head tap tap.
“It is ambiguous. There is suspicion, but no clear evidence. Besides, since he is a guy who has not received the protection of the Blood God anyway, it does not seem like he will be a big threat....”
“I think so too. Is a demonic art that has not received the protection of the Blood God not ultimately just a half-measure?”
“Well, for now that is true.... But until ten years ago, the Sword Demon's martial art was one of the top arts in the cult. Hmm. Should I report this or not.”
“Even if you report it, they might not be very interested.”
The middle-aged man nodded at the youth's words.
“Yes. You are right. They are busy right now. Then let us find out more on our own. We should not make those who are focusing on receiving blood energy consume their mental effort for nothing. Let us dig deeper, and if anything more is revealed, then we should tell them.”
“Understood. Then I will stick by that child named Jaun and monitor his movements.”
“Find out quietly so he does not notice. He is a guy with considerable skill, so you might be caught if you act rashly.”
“I understand.”
The two exchanged glances again.
The youth, who was scanning the surroundings, stood up first and slowly moved away from the street stall.
The middle-aged man, who connected a string to the small street stall placed on the ground, soon hung the stall around his neck.
“Sweets, buy some sweets! I have sweets so good you would not notice if both of you died while eating together!”
The middle-aged man shouted and disappeared into the market.
****
Ban Cheol-hwi, who slightly opened the inn window to look outside, shook his head.
“Hoo.... This is really, it is not even a prison.”
Ban Cheol-hwi let out a deep sigh as if feeling stifled.
“Are they still there?”
When Ice Rakshasa asked with a frown, Ban Cheol-hwi pointed to the window as if it were bothersome.
Ice Rakshasa slowly stood up and slightly opened the gap in the window.
A vast crowd filled the front of the inn and stood murmuring.
The gathered crowd was so large its end could not be seen.
The highlight was the muscular hulks standing right in front of the inn's door, twisting their bodies as if embarrassed.
“Ah, seriously! It is so disgusting I cannot live.”
Ice Rakshasa spat outside with a ptui and slammed the window shut with a BANG.
Ban Cheol-hwi raised his head with an exhausted expression.
“So, do you agree too, young lady?”
“With what.”
“What else. That this lawless city is no place for humans to live.”
“Phew....”
Ice Rakshasa shook her head and flopped down next to me.
“What are you going to do? This is happening because you made the matter too big. What about the next match?”
“When you say the next match... you mean the duel with the martial artist of the Alliance Leader's pavilion?”
As Ice Rakshasa nodded, I shrugged my shoulders.
“I have no intention of doing any more. I will stop here. The Alliance Leader called it a Life-and-Death Tournament, and effectively, the tournament is as good as over.”
“Hmm? Hmm.... Strictly speaking, that is true.”
Ice Rakshasa tilted her head, and Ban Cheol-hwi, adjusting his scholar's cap, approached us quickly.
“Are you serious right now? Is it true that we can leave this city now?”
“First, I must hear the answer from the Sado Alliance Leader. Actually, I pushed myself more than expected while dueling with that child Yu Ha-rin. Since the burden is too great to show anything more, I have no choice but to wrap it up at this point.”
“I suppose. At this level, it must have been much more interesting than the Sado Alliance Leader expected.”
“Yes. If she says it is not enough even after doing this much, then she effectively has no intention of helping. For now, let us go and settle this.”
At my words, Ice Rakshasa thought it over and then nodded.
“Alright. Then let us meet the Alliance Leader tonight. I will let her know.”
“I understand. Young hero Ban. Since the situation outside is like that, it would be fine if just the two of us go secretly, right?”
“Do as you wish. Nothing good comes from going there anyway. As long as I can leave this city quickly, I am satisfied with that.”
At Ban Cheol-hwi's words, I made eye contact with Ice Rakshasa.
****
Late evening.
Ice Rakshasa and I slipped out of the inn while reducing our presence as much as possible.
Since it had been discussed in advance, the two of us, who quickly passed through the Crystal Path, headed for the top floor of the Alliance Leader's Palace.
“Alliance Leader.”
“Come in.”
─ CREEEAK
I stopped Ice Rakshasa, who was about to open the door and enter.
“Inside....”
Ice Rakshasa nodded as if she knew.
“It must be the Council of Elders. To move the entire Sado Alliance, their consent is needed.”
I hesitated and then nodded, and the two of us slowly walked into the Alliance Leader's residence.
Inside the Alliance Leader's Palace, ten martial artists besides the Alliance Leader were scattered and taking their seats.
“Hoho. Is it that child? He is much younger than I thought?”
An old woman, who barely supported her body with a staff while all her teeth were gone, looked at the Alliance Leader.
However, the Alliance Leader did not give any answer and was rummaging through a bookshelf placed next to her.
“Hmm.”
When the old woman made a humming sound, the martial artists beside her turned their heads toward her.
“Grand Elder. Did you tell us to all gather because of a brat like that whose blood has not even dried on his head?”
“Why are you taking it out on me? Did I call you? The Alliance Leader called you. If you feel it is unfair, try telling her yourself.”
The old woman also glared at the Alliance Leader as if she did not like it.
The rest of the martial artists also looked at the Alliance Leader with dissatisfied expressions, but they did not dare make a loud noise and were just huffing and puffing in their seats.
The Alliance Leader, who continued rummaging through the bookshelf while completely ignoring the martial artists glaring at her, pulled out a book as if she had made a decision.
“This one, and this one. Here, take this one too.”
The Alliance Leader tossed the books she had pulled out one by one to me.
─ Thud, thud thud.
I looked down at the books piled up at my feet.
“……What are these?”
The Alliance Leader turned her head to look at me.
“Cannot you tell by looking? They are martial arts manuals. They are martial arts that rank within the top ten in the Sado Alliance.”
I looked down at the manuals once more and then at the Alliance Leader.
“What I requested was not this.”
At my words, the martial artists in the surroundings all turned their heads toward me at once.
In an instant, an immense momentum that made one's skin crawl began to shoot toward me.
“……As they say, a day-old puppy does not know to fear a tiger. How dare you use such a tone toward the Alliance Leader.”
“There is no need to even listen. That arrogant fellow should just have his limbs torn and hung in front of the Alliance Leader's Palace.”
The Alliance Leader, who calmed the growling martial artists by raising her hand, let out a cough.
“Be quiet. I did not call you to get your approval.”
The martial artists turned their heads and looked back at the Alliance Leader.
“Then what is the reason for calling us to this place today, Alliance Leader?”
The Alliance Leader, who walked over with a thud from the bookshelf, raised her head and looked around once.
“I am going to move the entire Sado Alliance. You bastards will have to move together as well.”
The martial artists turned to each other as if bewildered.