Chapter 95
Chapter 95
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 95
Chapter Title: A Matter of Decision
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The Death Knight, wielding both Sachsen's 'Black Sword' and the Hero's 'Peacemaker', charged forward. It projected two ideologies into a single blade, aiming for one of the Seven Swords of the Continent.
Though Master Baro was likely not facing Dale with his full strength. His intention was merely to gauge Dale's caliber and capabilities. The fact that he hadn't revealed his 'Avatar' was proof of that.
But that was no reason to let one's guard down.
The Killing Sword.
Just as his name and the crimson aura blade enveloping his sword suggested... it was the blade of an assassin, one who cared little for the code of a knight, designed with despicable thoroughness for the sole purpose of killing.
*Clang!*
The crimson aura blade and Sachsen's Black Sword clashed.
*Whoosh!*
The moment they clashed, he had already fanned out a dozen hidden weapons from his hand.
Each hidden weapon was a decisive blow, infused with a precise crimson aura. To counter the attack, Dale hastily formed a shield with his 'Shadow Cloak'. Not to deflect them.
"Well, I'll be damned..."
Dale's Shadow Cloak literally swallowed all the scattered hidden weapons.
"Ha, born with a silver spoon, so the artifacts he's packing are just ridiculous."
At the same time, the Death Knight, holding the Hero's Sword, charged at Master Baro.
"And to control a Death Knight's sword to this degree."
Clashing swords with the Death Knight, Master Baro couldn't hide his surprise. He watched the 'Hero's Agent' perform a sword dance that was nearly his equal, not yielding an inch against one of the Seven Swords of the Continent.
"Heh, this is no ordinary brat."
"..."
His every action was that of a third-rate thug, but his sword was on another level. That was why Dale didn't answer. He flapped his Shadow Cloak, which mimicked a black robe, and committed to supporting the Death Knight from the rear.
As the Shadow Cloak flapped wildly, Shadow Bullets shot out from its umbra.
A spray of shadow bullets. In front of them, Master Baro's figure vanished once more.
"…!"
God-like speed? No, it wasn't that. It wasn't a matter of being too fast to follow.
At the same time, a chill ran down Dale's spine and wrapped around his neck.
Instantly, the Shadow Lurkers dwelling within the Shadow Cloak shot out their thorny tentacles in unison. They were aimed at the assassin who had appeared behind Dale, just moments before swinging his sword.
*Shhhhwak!*
The thorny tentacles of the now-mature Shadow Lurkers were incomparable to what they once were. As the tentacles whipped around, Dale quickly turned.
Master Baro was there.
Unconcerned by the hell of thorns erupting from beneath his feet, he stood without a single twitch. And the thorny tentacles rushing toward him were twisted and shredded as if thrown into a blender.
'The Shadow Lurkers' thorny tentacles...'
For a warrior of Master Baro's caliber, cutting shadows was not a difficult feat. But what he had just shown wasn't a sword technique. The surrounding area had distorted, grinding the thorny tentacles apart as if by some unknown magic.
Dale, in his past life, had never crossed swords with the Killing Sword, Master Baro.
After all, no one who had crossed swords with the Hero of his past life had survived.
Nevertheless, he had a rough idea of his name and the abilities he possessed.
The ideology projected by a knight who had reached the pinnacle of swordsmanship could possess a power indistinguishable from magic itself.
This wasn't just about Avatars.
"Phase manipulation..."
In this world, there was no magic like teleportation that could traverse great distances.
But even on a smaller scale, one could temporarily manipulate the phase of the coordinate system to close distances or even use it as a weapon to twist an opponent's body itself.
The power of distortion.
The secret art that allowed him, one of the Seven Swords of the Continent, to become the continent's greatest assassin. At the same time, it was but a fraction of the Killing Sword's abilities.
"Oh?"
Master Baro tilted his head in surprise.
"Did you know about my ability?"
"I sensed it from your movements."
Dale replied.
"You're one creepy little brat."
"I'll take that as a compliment."
"If we fight with any more power, there won't be much left of this grand court."
Master Baro said.
"Revelations or whatever, frankly, I don't give a damn about your stories over there."
"..."
"But at least I can see that the tales about the eldest son of House Sachsen aren't false."
With those words, the crimson aura enveloping Master Baro's sword vanished.
Dale had been considering activating the 'Peacemaker's power' if the fight escalated further, but fortunately, the worst-case scenario had been avoided.
"If the name of House Sachsen and the 'Black Prince' is not an empty one..."
Master Baro sheathed his sword and turned his head toward the bird-beaked assassins following him.
"To have reached this level at such a young age, and your talent hasn't even fully blossomed yet."
Toward the assassins of the Shadow Court.
"Well then, is there any need to think deeply about this?"
He calmly assessed Dale's level and continued speaking nonchalantly.
"What are you doing? Bow your heads before your new boss."
"…!"
At Master Baro's words, the bird-beaked assassins all gasped.
"The one who will extinguish the last flame of this world and bring forth the empire of shadows."
The Shadow Saint, wrapped in black bandages, spoke up.
"Apostle of Black, our Shadow Lord."
Before Dale, everyone from the Shadow Court knelt in unison.
"Please, tear down the empire of fire and light, and lead us to your empire."
Before them, Dale silently nodded.
"Your faith will be rewarded."
Just as they said, tearing down the empire of fire and light. He would use what he could use, and that was all.
Not as a puppet of a god, but by Dale's own will.
Whether Dale believed in a god or not was unimportant. If necessary, he was prepared to become their god. Even if it was a false, fleeting one.
To meet their expectations and earn their loyalty in return.
The Shadow Court.
The successor to the 'Shadow Church', which had once hidden in the shadows to escape the White Magic Tower. As long as they moved according to Dale's will, there was only one thing to do.
"Soon, the Black Market will open, and the vote to decide the next City Master will begin."
The judicial enforcers of Guild City, and furthermore, the continent's greatest organization of assassins.
"I will need the power of the Shadow Court to decide the next City Master with my own hands."
The Apostle of Black and Shadow Lord spoke to his new limbs.
***
The city of the Kalimala Guild. In front of the Guild Master's hall.
When 'Dale of Sachsen' appeared there, it was not difficult to predict their reaction.
The prime suspect in the attempted assassination of the Guild Master.
"Kneel at once!"
The city guards aimed their spears at Dale, and seeing this, Dale replied.
"Do you really think you can stop me with a few paltry spears?"
"…!"
Faced with such a blatant threat, the guards' expressions faltered.
Dale was right. The Death Knight behind him holding the Black Sword of House Sachsen. The darkness of the 'Shadow Cloak' fluttering where there was not even a breeze. In the face of that, there was little mere city guards could do.
"But you need not worry."
Dale continued, as if telling them not to be concerned.
"Fortunately, the 'Shadow Court' has ruled on my innocence..."
He took a document from his coat.
"This is their guarantee."
The document bore the verdict and signature of the 'Shadow Court', recognizable to the people of Guild City.
'Innocence'.
It was their unmistakable signature. At least within Guild City, no one was foolish enough to dare impersonate the 'Shadow Court'.
"Along with my innocence, I have some very important information to share with the Master of the Kalimala Guild regarding the current situation."
Dale continued.
"Please, step aside."
For a moment, bewildered hesitation spread among the city guards, but the hesitation did not last long.
***
When the Master of the Kalimala Guild heard that the infamous 'Black Prince' had come to see him, he felt as if the sky was falling.
But he was still one of the seven great guild masters. In this lawless place where gold justified all, he had experienced countless attempts on his life.
Besides, the 'Shadow Court' itself had guaranteed his innocence. And so, accompanied by a few trusted guards, the Master of the Kalimala Guild met with Dale.
"The situation is not developing well."
And right there, Dale began to speak.
"The agents of the Empire and the Red Magic Tower have already made their move."
"The Empire and the Red Magic Tower...!"
The moment he heard those names, the Master of the Kalimala Guild gasped. He never imagined the Empire and the Red Magic Tower would participate in this conflict. They were in a different league.
"It seems they have already made contact with one of the seven great guilds."
"...I never thought things would escalate this far."
The Kalimala Guild Master silently bit his lip. Even in that moment, his mind was rapidly weighing the scales of profit and loss. It wasn't that he didn't covet the position of City Master. Human desire is a bottomless pit, and that was no exception even for a master of one of the seven great guilds.
Nevertheless, the fact that the Empire and the Red Magic Tower were moving directly...
"It is truly regrettable..."
The Guild Master continued.
"It seems we must reconsider our alliance."
Even a mountain of gold could not be more precious than one's own life.
And with the agents of the Empire and the Red Magic Tower making their move... for a master of one of the seven great guilds, any further greed would be a fatal overreach.
In that regard, Ray Yuriseu's warning had been truly effective. More than taking a life, he understood the power of fear.
"Are you afraid?"
So Dale spoke.
"Of confronting a guild master backed by the agents of the Empire and the Red Magic Tower."
"Is there any other way?"
Because he could not be played by Ray Yuriseu.
"The Master of the Kalimala Guild will become the next City Master."
Dale said.
"And this is not a request or a plea."
Just as Ray Yuriseu had done.
"It is a decision."
An irresistible force.
As long as the Red Magic Tower was using the Black Magic Tower's 'fear' as a card to play, Dale had no reason to shy away from using the Red Magic Tower's methods himself.
The clash of Red and Black.
Before this battle of whales, the Kalimala Guild Master's lengthy deliberations and scales of profit no longer held any meaning.