Chapter 154
Chapter 154
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Translator: crow
Chapter Title: EP.38 – The Knight Does Not Forgive the Golden Sun (2)
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Unlike Lee Han's assessment, most people cast envious gazes toward them.
Not just their appearances, but the fact that they had seized power, fame, and strength at such a young age was inevitably alluring.
Quite a few noblewomen were blushing, and a fair number of men made no secret of their displeasure at the sight.
Just as an awkward atmosphere began to settle in...
"—Young talents of Pendragon! My name is Salah! I am one of the leaders responsible for a corner of the seventeen sultans of the west, but today, standing here, you may regard me simply as an ordinary man who wished to meet Pendragon's young talents!"
The sultan's sudden greeting continued, and since it was unplanned, the others were quick to panic.
"This is a gift to welcome today's gathering. However, I have brought only items for the cadets, so I hope the others do not feel slighted. After all, the stars of the day are the cadets attending this academy."
He pressed on relentlessly with a barrage of 'gifts.'
Snap.
With a light flick of his fingers, dozens of servants in foreign attire moved in perfect unison, laying out the items.
"Wow..."
The sight drew involuntary gasps of admiration—rows of brilliantly gleaming golden bells, each the size of a palm.
The golden bells themselves were impressive, but their exquisitely intricate craftsmanship exuded a splendor that was both ornate and dignified.
They were clearly dwarven-made, and the cadets realized this was no trivial gift.
"Cadets of Pendragon. I hope you like the gift from this sultan, ahaha!"
A hearty laugh rang out.
As if the awkward atmosphere was none of his concern.
"What an unusual fellow."
"In a way, he's quite the character."
"He has some real presence..."
The nobles expressed admiration in various senses.
They were impressed that he had unexpectedly brought gifts for the cadets, and that it didn't come off as mere flaunting of wealth but carried a dignified air.
Moreover, the extraordinary presence he naturally exuded—without even practicing any Fighting Technique—was comparable to that of a knight.
The qualities of an emperor.
They caught a glimpse of such imperial qualities in him.
The people realized that Sultan Salah was no pushover.
...However,
"...?"
"What's wrong, Master?"
"...No, it's just... everyone else seems to rate this sultan highly, but to my eyes, he looks pretty amateurish."
"Huh?"
"How should I put it? Like a fox pretending to be a tiger?"
"...?"
"It's compared to the 'superiors' I've seen."
"???"
The knight shrugged lightly.
The superiors he knew.
The princess sister with her hawk-like eyes, the duke and grand duke who overwhelmed people with mere presence, and so on.
All the people he had met left intensely striking impressions.
To the point where one might doubt they were even human.
Yet with this sultan...
'Hmm, are my standards too high?'
Why did he seem so small?
Like a pup barking at the moon.
Salah smirked inwardly.
"They're so simple-minded. This is ridiculous. I've won their favor so easily it's almost boring."
"Compared to the west, the nobles here are a bit sloppy. The south's long peace must have made them soft."
"Or maybe they just lack talent. They say the God of War's discerning eye was divine, but now that god is gone."
Salah conversed with his cherished chief guard with smiling faces.
Since they mostly used the language of the western minorities during talks, no one would catch on to the content.
"Pendragon without the God of War is hardly a threat."
"......"
"Haksan, do you have something to say?"
"...As you say, Sultan, Pendragon has lost its past glory. However, they still possess [Mysteries] and [Superhumans]. Please do not focus on a single tree but see the entire forest."
"Hmph, daring to lecture me."
"My apologies."
"...Tch."
Salah was not the petty sort to ignore a loyal subordinate's words.
And so, he subtly revealed the envy he had been hiding.
'A blessed land truly is enviable.'
'Land blessed by Mysteries.'
This one aspect made Salah envious of Pendragon.
Of course, Mysteries existed in the west too.
His proud chief guard was proof, possessing one himself.
However, Mysteries had ranks.
The west's strongest were mid-to-high tier, 2nd or 3rd grade at best, while Pendragon teemed with top-tier 1st grade Mysteries.
Especially the immeasurable ones like [Galahad's Demon Sword] and [Lionel's Black King].
In the west, they were legends passed down like fairy tales, with children growing up hearing stories of them.
Yet Pendragon had [Superhumans] even excluding those 'transcendent Mysteries.'
Monsters one must never touch—beings who could gladly smash an entire sultanate army head-on single-handedly.
Thus, Salah envied their transcendent Mysteries.
"I really want them. Their Mysteries..."
He revealed his unbridled greed.
A sinister avarice.
His bold and spirited demeanor seemed like a lie, somehow appearing insidious.
Suppressing his emerging desires, the sultan asked,
"—Haksan, what about 'that guy'?"
"No worries, we're keeping close watch."
"Good. Still, don't let your guard down. Mages are a breed you can't afford to relax around, so if he tries anything..."
"I'll eliminate him immediately."
"Yes, I leave it to you."
"It shall be done as you wish, Sultan."
Satisfied with his loyal subordinate's words, Salah lightly wet his throat with champagne, turned his gaze back with a benevolent smile.
'This should be interesting.'
Salah was thrilled.
The stage was set.
Now, this was a flow impossible to stop even if one tried.
The only potential obstacle, the variable...
'...The Magic Tower.'
The existence of the Magic Tower.
Brilliant mages always introduced variables.
He had deliberately traveled south with him, probing endlessly, but the mage revealed nothing of his thoughts.
Mages truly were arrogant, haughty, and inscrutable.
Thus,
"Which makes this all the more intriguing. Who would've thought our targets would overlap."
He couldn't read the Magic Tower's intentions, but their prey was the same.
This oddly stirred his competitive spirit, thickening the smile on Salah's lips.
"Irene Windler, was it? I can't wait to see her."
The jewel-like Mystery whose owner Salah himself wished to confirm.
When even magical talent was deemed a Mystery, hers was truly tantalizing.
Even if half the rumors were true, she was worth pursuing.
As Salah harbored such expectations,
"Oh, it's Lady Irene."
"Lady?"
"My goodness..."
Suddenly, with the murmur rising and the name Irene catching his ear, Salah turned his gaze.
"Finally, that precious face..."
Clack.
"......"
Swish.
—There stood the 'goddess' emerging as if strolling through a garden of flowers.
No, perhaps 'fairy' was more fitting given her ethereal, dreamlike mystique?
But one thing was certain: she took one's breath away.
"......"
He was speechless.
Like past sultans, he had his own harem filled with peerless beauties, available whenever he desired.
To him, women were mere jewels in a display case.
Collectibles, nothing more.
Yet,
Whoosh—!
The moment he saw her, an immense shock hit him, as if his chest burned hot.
Beauty seemed invented for her.
A dizzying allure and aura.
Her golden-thread hair fluttering in the wind, blue eyes like lakes of diamonds—not hyperbole, but jewel cases.
As she passed, flowers seemed to bow in hallucination.
"Irene... Irene Windler..."
Murmuring her name softly, the sultan quickly grasped the nature of the intense shock and emotion he felt.
Yes, this is!
"Today, I have met my destiny..."
What trick of fate was this?
So cruelly...
[Irene, that guy's staring at you super intensely, you know?]
"Ugh, gives me the creeps. Look at him. Total parasite vibe."
[Not a parasite brother?]
"That's just a parasite. What man's makeup is that thick? Gross."
[Irene, that's sexism.]
"...Hmm, fine, then his makeup is gross. I hate it!"
[I'll give you that!]
Irene Windler shuddered at the sleazy man staring at her intensely.
...So embarrassing, why's he staring like that, seriously.
Irene found the gazes following her passage particularly uncomfortable.
Her looks always drew attention, but today they gathered even more intensely, making her sweat inwardly.
Outwardly a glamorous and haughty young lady, inwardly she was an eternally childish woman and extreme introvert—Irene Windler herself.
But it was unavoidable.
[You went all out with your look today.]
Irene usually skipped makeup entirely, just washing her face lightly.
Lately, with someone she wanted to impress, she washed her hair and checked mirrors, but before it was peak laziness—maintaining hygiene with magic alone.
Yet today, she had dressed up deliberately for the first time.
Already dubbed the academy's top beauty, her full effort was...
[You're pretty, Irene. You should dress up like this every day.]
Like a fine gem transformed into a radiant crown.
She could probably seduce men like a succubus if she wanted.
...Though she had zero interest.
"I didn't want this; the maids forced it on me. So annoying..."
The dress, makeup, and jewelry were for the duke's prestige, and Irene found it all uncomfortable.
Grumbling nonstop, she quickened her pace.
Fortunately, no one approached first.
A mage's inherent mana acted as a shield repelling others, especially Irene's potent mana constantly emanating a water-like aura that deterred casual approaches.
Even Fighting Technique practitioners below knight level struggled against her dense mana.
People parted like river waters before Moses, and she advanced unhindered toward those familiar to her.
Magic department?
Of course not.
What was familiar to her was...
"Ah, there they are!"
The swordsmanship department.
Irene wanted to dash toward the massively imposing man visible from afar, but her unfamiliar heels forced a slow approach.
Beaming innocently, she was about to speak to him when...
"Excuse me, Mage Irene. Might I request a dance?"
"?"
...A blond man blocked her path.
Exuding sleaze rivaling the copper-skinned one earlier, with potent golden mana flowing subtly.
Visually, mana rivaling Irene's.
Normally, a mage would feel drawn to a peer, especially one with brilliant eyes—but
"Ah, I'm busy."
"......"
Unfortunately, Irene had no interest, whether mage or genius.
Dodging him like a street preacher, she reached her familiar group at last.
"Hehe, Instructor~!"
The girl who had just brushed off the blond with icy chill was unrecognizable—tail-waggingly bubbly now.
Seeing her, the knight...
"...Chick, I'm seriously worried as your instructor. You really need to watch out for guys."
"?"
"You attract the bad ones."
"Huh?"
"N-never mind if you don't get it, just... don't get it."
Having witnessed her charm a bad boy in real time, the knight clicked his tongue.
'This is why she got the villainess label.'
Too many bad boys swarmed her.
A moment realizing appearances truly lent plausibility.