Chapter 126
Chapter 126
Chapter 126
Seven Arks (1)
Suddenly, someone's voice pierced into their ears.
Without any warning or forewarning, Luciella and Elvin were greatly startled, but at the same time instinctively moved their hands to their sword hilts.
As if to calm the two, shadows on the ground moved smoothly and someone appeared.
"Oh my, you don't need to be so tense."
The ones who appeared before them were the same combination as the two—one man and one woman.
A witch with a decadent impression wearing a black dress that revealed her figure completely, and a bald warrior whose entire body was covered with sword scars without exception.
What was surprising was that even with Luciella's abilities, she couldn't measure the strength of these two beings.
'They're strong!'
This was the common thought that flashed through Luciella and Elvin's minds.
CLICK!
As the two lowered their stances and entered combat readiness, the witch puffed on her pipe and chuckled.
"You're going to attack even though you know you have no chance of winning?"
"......"
DRIP!
Cold sweat slightly trickled down Luciella's forehead.
'I didn't notice their presence until they spoke....'
Although she was exhausted, her senses were at almost peak condition due to endless battles.
Yet she hadn't noticed them...
'Either they used a special artifact, or the difference in skill is tremendous.'
Whichever it was, it wasn't a good situation.
Luciella glanced around slightly.
The other different races who had come hunting together were nowhere to be seen for some reason.
There had definitely been quite a few nearby, but the fact that the surroundings were quiet meant they had likely already taken some measures before appearing.
'A death trap....'
"Don't be nervous. We didn't come to fight. At least for now, Princess Luciella von Delphione."
GASP!
"And Young Lord Elvin Kepler as well."
FLINCH!
"It would have been nice if Gray Bellatrix was here too, but that's a bit unfortunate."
"...Who are you?"
At Luciella's question, the witch smiled broadly as if she had been waiting for this.
"If you're curious about our identity."
"It would be courtesy to answer."
The warrior who had seemed taciturn unexpectedly showed pleasant chemistry with the witch.
"The name of the organization we belong to is Seven Arks."
"To prevent humanity's destruction, and to protect humanity's peace...."
"You could say we're a righteous secret society that goes around revealing the truth and darkness of this world."
If Rudian had seen this, he would have tackled them asking where they left the talking cat.
But Rudian who could point out that wasn't here...
'...Seven Arks!'
Luciella and Elvin, who had heard that name from Rudian before, became even more vigilant and raised their fighting spirit.
"What business do you have with us?"
"We came to make a proposal."
The witch glanced around as if looking for something.
"Hmm, fortunately that guy doesn't seem to be around."
"That guy?"
"The guy called Rudian. We can't make the proposal if he's here."
At the sudden words, Luciella's beautiful eyebrows slightly furrowed.
Elvin asked the witch on her behalf.
"What proposal are you trying to make that you came looking for us while avoiding Rudian?"
"Obviously a proposal that guy shouldn't hear."
The witch took a deep drag from her pipe, then continued while exhaling smoke.
"Abandon that guy and join hands with us. More precisely, we're proposing an alliance between our Seven Arks and the Morian Empire."
"......!"
"It's not a bad proposal. This is rather a great opportunity for your Morian Empire...."
"I refuse."
Before the witch could finish her words, Luciella cut her off sharply and expressed her refusal.
"It's a proposal not worth a moment's consideration."
"Hoho, how cold."
The witch smiled broadly as if she had expected this.
"You're saying that because you don't know how much power we have, right?"
WHOOOOSH!
'... Ugh!'
In an instant, Luciella gritted her teeth and held her breath at the tremendous killing intent emanating from the witch.
Without any sound, just an aura of death that demanded only the opponent's eternal silence.
It felt as if all the mountains, rivers, plants, and trees around had submitted to her and become as quiet as mice.
'What is this...!'
An overwhelming pressure that made even her, who had reached Sword Master, lose the will to resist.
"Calm down."
The one who restrained the witch's killing intent was the bald warrior right beside her.
"Layla, we came to persuade them, so what are you doing threatening them?"
"Ah, sorry."
The witch called Layla clicked her tongue slightly and withdrew her killing intent.
"Kheuk!"
Elvin, whose level was relatively lower, staggered greatly on the spot but still didn't fall disgracefully.
Luciella was maintaining her center through sheer stubbornness.
The bald warrior seemed quite pleased with their appearance and whistled slightly.
"Pretty good? According to information, both of you are only in your mid-twenties, is that true?"
Before Layla could answer, Luciella's sharp voice was heard.
"Early twenties. Please don't misstate our age."
"Ah, really?"
"Early and mid are very, really, extremely different."
She was at an age when she was sensitive about her age.
"Ah, well, setting that aside...."
The bald warrior scratched the back of his head awkwardly, then created a smile again and continued after Layla.
"I guarantee that we'll be a much more proper alliance than those half-hearted guys from Golden Dawn. As Layla said, we're thinking of actively lending our strength for the prosperity and glory of the Morian Empire, 'humanity's strongest empire.'"
"I said the proposal was refused."
"We can make the Morian Empire the continent's only nation."
"......!"
As if they hadn't expected those words, Luciella and Elvin's pupils dilated greatly.
"Kingdom of Rohans, Ergon Kingdom, Luuren, Kapuras, Seta... All 17 large and small nations existing on the continent will be unified under the name of the Morian Empire."
The bald warrior stretched out his hand and made a gesture of grasping something.
"A human nation superior to the Magic Empire of 800 years ago, the Continental Alliance of 1,700 years ago, and comparable to the Founding Empire that existed 10,000 years ago will emerge."
"......"
"With our power, we can make that happen. Other guys with considerable power are only focused on 'that day' that's approaching soon, and aren't particularly interested in surface power."
Luciella thought those words had considerable credibility.
The mysterious organization Celestial, where numerous 9th Class absolute beings gathered.
Even they, as those words suggested, only focused on the period called the Day of Great Liberation, and didn't seem to interfere with national power with their tremendous strength.
But....
"Hah."
"...Why are you laughing?"
Luciella suddenly held a sneer on her lips.
Instead of answering that question, she repeated what she had said before.
"I still refuse."
"The reason...?"
"I'm holding a Royal Straight Flush in my hand, so I'm not stupid enough to throw that away and take a mere Full House."
"......"
Poker's absolute winning hand, Royal Straight Flush.
And the fourth winning hand positioned below Straight Flush and Four of a Kind, Full House.
Of course, Full House was also a hand that almost guaranteed victory if you held it, but it couldn't compare to the sure-win card.
CRACK!
Layla, who heard Luciella's words, gripped her pipe so hard it was about to break.
"You mean... We're a Full House?"
"Good comprehension."
"Then that Rudian guy is the 'Royal Straight Flush'?"
"No need to explain that."
"Hah, hahaha...."
Layla's hollow laugh was tinged with deep anger.
"Should I be grateful for being treated as a Full House, or should I be angry that our value is several levels below that Rudian guy?"
"The latter."
This time the bald warrior also didn't hide his anger and raised his fighting spirit.
'Kugh...!'
Fighting spirit much more refined but powerful than the witch's killing intent.
"Are negotiations broken down?"
That man was definitely not inferior in skill to his partner beside him.
"We tried to persuade you nicely, valuing your power that's completely free from demonic influence, but words won't work."
TSSSSSS!
Before long, a double-edged axe made of aura was held in the bald warrior's grasp.
'The axe itself is... Aura?'
She had wondered why he wasn't carrying a weapon, but he was strong enough that he didn't need to in the first place!
"What kind of brute force is that...!"
Elvin also gritted his teeth as if disgusted.
Aura was supposed to be used by coating it on metal or body parts, not used so crudely to replace the material itself.
As the two monsters shed their cautious appearance, the image of murderers radiating thick killing intent was revealed.
"It should be fine to cut off an arm or leg appropriately and then try persuasion."
"Well, considering your personality, you've held back a lot until now."
Layla chuckled and stepped back slightly.
Her attitude clearly showed that the warrior alone was sufficient to handle the two.
Just as the bald warrior was about to launch himself at the two.
"That's enough, butcher Dugrid?"
"......!"
THUD!
The bald warrior stopped his movement by forcefully planting the foot he had just extended forward into the ground.
The ground's trembling looked as if he had stepped on solid ground.
"What are you doing to our precious comrades?"
Layla and Dugrid's heads slowly turned toward the direction the voice came from.
"Rudian!"
"Rudian!"
Luciella and Elvin were greatly delighted at Rudian's sudden appearance.
Moreover, Rudian wasn't the only one who appeared.
Gray and Eugene, who they thought had returned to Elven Forest with the elves, and even Yev were following behind him.
"I'm completely invisible, aren't I?"
Gray, who was behind Rudian, grumbled dissatisfiedly.
"I was supposed to have tea with Miss Silpea...."
Gray, who had been dragged along midway, was slightly displeased.
But an even more displeased and rotten voice was heard from beside him.
"Ha, haha... I thought I smelled some dirty mutts, and it was you guys?"
"Eugene Celestial? How did you get here!"
Layla recognized Eugene's appearance and cried out in shock.
Toward them, Eugene sneered with the most unpleasant expression he could make.
"Of course I was accompanying these people as evidence of the alliance between the Morian Empire and Celestial. To extend your hand without even knowing that—it just makes me laugh."
But Eugene's mouth wasn't laughing at all.
That alone showed how terrible the relationship between Seven Arks and Celestial was.
"So it was you who was hiding your identity with a robe and quietly observing."
Layla had been aware of those who weren't participating during the monster subjugation battle and were staying quiet.
"But even if it's you, my nightmare barrier shouldn't be easy to break, so how did you break it?"
Even if Eugene was a 9th Class Great Magician, Layla was also a great witch of the century who had pioneered a corresponding level.
'I thought he'd struggle for at least a few hours...!'
The answer came not from Eugene but from Rudian.
"Ah, I did that, fallen kingdom's princess Layla Starseis."
"What? No, wait! How do you know my name...?"
Layla lost her usual composure and stuttered, overwhelmed by both Rudian's statement that he had immediately broken through her barrier and the shock that he knew her full name.
"Come to think of it, you knew my name too. Did that magician beside you teach you?"
In contrast, the bald warrior Dugrid, who was still maintaining his composure, concentrated his killing intent on Rudian and asked quietly.
But Dugrid's killing intent that had suppressed Elvin and Luciella had no effect on Rudian at all.
"No, I knew from the beginning. From before entering this great forest. And from before making an alliance with Celestial."
Dugrid frowned and turned his head slightly toward Luciella.
"So Royal Straight Flush meant those things. Despite appearances, she was a cunning woman."
"......"
It hadn't specifically meant Celestial, but since there was no need to answer, she remained silent.
Dugrid shouldered his aura-formed double-handed axe and ground his teeth.
"Fine. If you've already joined hands with Celestial instead of us, then we just need to kill everyone here."
"I'm here too, do you think just you two can manage it?"
Eugene chuckled and provoked Dugrid.
But Dugrid was calm.
"Why do you think only we two are here?"
"What?"
"There are two more comrades in this vicinity. Four out of Seven Arks' seven comrades are gathered in the great forest. When the fight starts, the comrades will come running, do you think you six here can handle us?"
"......!"
Eugene's expression hardened slightly.
If those words were true, far from guaranteeing victory, they might have to prepare for great damage.
Seven Arks was smaller in number than Celestial but more elite, and each member was a skilled fighter comparable to Celestial's executive level.
Then Rudian stepped forward, blocking Eugene's path.
"I'd like to return those words to you."
"...Hmm?"
"Why do you think only we six are here?"
"......?"
Instead of Dugrid, who was frowning wondering what he meant, Layla burst out.
"Nonsense! There are no skilled fighters we missed in this great forest!"
"No. You didn't miss them, but there are other skilled fighters you're well aware of, aren't there?"
"...What?"
CLAP! CLAP! CLAP!
Rudian clapped his hands slightly and shouted toward the surroundings.
"Now, come out, our reliable 'allies.'"
SWISH!
Following Rudian's call, pitch-black somethings began appearing in droves, surrounding the area.
SWISH! SWISH!
"How, how is this...!"
Layla and Dugrid lost their words as they recognized the identity of those surrounding them one by one.
They were all....
Demons.