Chapter 143
Chapter 143
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 143
Chapter Title: Unsettled Atmosphere
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The atmosphere was unsettled.
Upon stepping off the train, Seong Yura and Kim Taejin sensed the commotion around them.
“What’s going on?”
They looked around, but it was hard to pinpoint the reason.
It seemed like something was happening somewhere other than the train station.
“It’s none of our business.”
Seong Yura snorted dismissively and kept walking.
“True enough. Right now, the important thing is finding that guy.”
Kim Taejin nodded and followed behind her.
“Where should we start looking?”
The city was quite large.
Searching for Seo Woojin in a place like this was like looking for a needle in a haystack.
“I’ve got an idea.”
Seong Yura replied confidently.
“An idea? What is it?”
“I’m going to meet the lord here and ask for his help.”
As heroes, any noble in the Empire would surely grant their request.
“Ask him to lend us some soldiers?”
“That’s right. It’d be even better if he mobilized some knights too.”
Kim Taejin let out a hollow laugh.
She was talking about commandeering unrelated people for her own goals as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
She’d always been like that, but lately it seemed to be getting worse.
‘Still, if we want to save time, that’s probably the best way.’
Kim Taejin had no intention of stopping her.
He knew full well that borrowing soldiers with a noble’s help was the fastest method, just as she said.
“Then we should head to the lord’s castle first.”
The two approached a nearby man.
“Excuse me, could we ask you something?”
When Kim Taejin spoke, the man looked at them as if wondering what was up.
“Do you know where the lord of this place might be?”
“…At the lord’s castle, I suppose.”
He replied as if it were obvious, and Kim Taejin scratched his head.
“We don’t really know where the lord’s castle is.”
“Just follow that main road straight ahead, and you’ll see it. But why are you looking for the lord?”
He tilted his head curiously.
“Oh, we have some business with him.”
There was no need to give a detailed answer, so they brushed it off vaguely.
At that, the man’s expression turned peculiar.
“I don’t know what it’s about, but you’d better be careful. The mood around the lord’s castle doesn’t seem right.”
The uneasy feeling they’d had right after getting off the train wasn’t a mistake.
Something was definitely going down in this city.
“Got it.”
Kim Taejin smiled, thanked him, and headed down the road the man had indicated with Seong Yura.
“Something’s definitely up, huh?”
“No need to worry about that stuff. You just focus on catching that guy.”
Unlike the curious Kim Taejin, Seong Yura’s attention was solely on Seo Woojin.
Her mind was filled with thoughts of capturing him, interrogating him, and pinning the blame on him.
Kim Taejin shrugged.
If Seong Yura wasn’t interested, he could look into it on his own.
As they walked down the main road, a castle came into view ahead.
“For a provincial city, it’s pretty big, huh?”
He’d imagined a tiny palm-sized fortress, but his eyes lit up at the larger-than-expected lord’s castle.
But it didn’t impress Seong Yura.
“It’s nothing compared to the capital or Aier’s castle.”
“Hey, do we really need to compare?”
Kim Taejin shook his head with a sigh when he sensed something approaching from ahead.
“…Knights?”
Beings infused with mana were heading their way quickly.
There were ten in total.
And beyond them, it felt like even more people were moving.
“The lord?”
Had they heard about their arrival and come to greet them? But he quickly shook his head.
There was no way they’d know, and even if they did, there was no reason to rush out like that.
“Let’s step aside for a bit…”
Kim Taejin tried to lead Seong Yura to the side of the road, but he frowned.
Her stubborn pride was making her dig in her heels.
“Hey, let’s not get dragged into something pointless. We should just watch the situation first.”
“Forget it. The timing’s perfect. Let’s ask those knights first.”
Grab the obviously urgent knights and question them?
Kim Taejin sighed as he looked at Seong Yura.
‘Jeez, this walking disaster.’
Trouble was inevitable.
Even so, he wasn’t worried.
Just like Seong Yura thought, they were heroes, after all.
They waited a moment, and soon figures kicking up clouds of dust came racing toward them.
‘Knights, as expected.’
Ten knights.
Followed by dozens of soldiers.
Their expressions were beyond urgent—they were downright frantic.
‘Something’s off.’
They looked like they were heading out to fight a war.
Kim Taejin thought he might need to scrap his plan to stop them and ask questions.
Blocking them could turn trouble into an outright fight.
But Seong Yura was faster.
She stepped forward and unleashed her mana without restraint toward the knights.
“Urk!”
“Wh-what?”
“An enemy?”
Startled by the overwhelming mana, the knights halted and hurriedly drew their swords.
Clang—clang-!
“Who are you!”
They’d blocked the road and now were blasting mana out of nowhere.
In their time-sensitive situation, it was only natural they’d see them as foes.
“Put your swords away. We’re not enemies.”
Seong Yura, however, didn’t care about the knights’ reactions at all.
They looked busy, sure, but that wasn’t her problem.
She just wanted to find Seo Woojin as soon as possible.
“I was hoping to ask something…”
“State your identity, or we’ll attack.”
The knights of Jinhan didn’t act rashly.
Even in a situation where they could’ve attacked outright, they first tried to identify the opponents.
It was a perfect display of their usual discipline and fairness.
But Seong Yura didn’t see it that way.
“Hah, now even this is getting on my nerves.”
She didn’t like their attitude.
How dare some knights talk to her like that?
Her arrogance bordering on hubris writhed within her.
“Hey, hey, hold on a second.”
That was when Kim Taejin stepped in.
Worried that the tense atmosphere might lead to a fight, he intervened.
He wasn’t afraid of the knights, but an unnecessary brawl could cause problems.
“Hello? I’m Kim Taejin from the capital’s academy.”
Academy.
With that single word, he subtly revealed who they were.
“…The academy?”
As expected, the knights stirred.
There was only one place in the Empire called the academy, and it was exclusively for heroes.
“Does that mean…?”
It was a question asking if they were heroes.
Kim Taejin answered with a smile.
“You seem to be in a hurry, so sorry for blocking the road.”
Unlike the brazen Seong Yura, Kim Taejin was a reasonable person, so he apologized first.
Seong Yura frowned in displeasure at his attitude, but the knights were the opposite.
Their expressions immediately softened with goodwill.
It was only natural.
Jinhan was a city that Seo Woojin had once saved.
Of course they held great favor toward heroes.
The knights sheathed their swords.
Having confirmed they weren’t enemies, there was no reason to clash.
But that was that, and they had urgent business.
“We apologize for the rudeness amid our haste.”
“No, we’re the ones who should be sorry.”
Kim Taejin waved it off and pulled Seong Yura aside.
It was a signal not to block their path anymore.
With the road clear, the knights bowed their heads in thanks.
Then they asked,
“By any chance, are you here for support?”
‘Support?’
Kim Taejin felt a question rise in his mind.
What on earth was happening that they’d mention support?
But instead of asking, he affirmed it.
“Yes, that’s right.”
“As expected…”
Their expressions showed visible relief.
Seeing that only deepened his doubts.
“It seems Seo Woojin has already begun the battle. The White Silver Knights, Sir Roanin, and Sir Airin have also headed to the scene, so you should go there right away.”
An unexpected name popped up.
“…Seo Woojin?”
“Yes. Time is of the essence, so please head out immediately.”
The speaking knight looked extremely urgent.
“Understood.”
Kim Taejin turned to look at Seong Yura.
Her eyes gleamed at the mention of Seo Woojin.
“Just follow us.”
The knights and soldiers took off running ahead.
“Let’s go.”
Kim Taejin and Seong Yura followed behind them.
Though he felt like yawning from the pace, the destination wasn’t far, and they arrived sooner than expected.
“This is the place.”
It was in front of an ordinary-looking mansion.
‘He started a battle?’
There wasn’t a hint of energy emanating from it.
No sign of a fight, not even a presence.
“Is this the right spot?”
“Yes, but…”
Even the knight wore an expression suggesting something was wrong.
Had the information been relayed incorrectly?
It was possible.
The one who first passed this info to Mohiadin was a soldier who’d committed a major crime alongside Rashid.
They might’ve tampered with it midway.
“Still, just in case, we should go inside and check.”
Kim Taejin nodded at the knight’s words.
If Seo Woojin was really in there, they had to go in regardless.
“Then we’ll go in first.”
Kim Taejin stepped forward.
“Please do.”
The knights didn’t act recklessly.
According to the intel, the enemy was a monster they couldn’t handle.
Having heroes take point? No reason to refuse.
Kim Taejin tensed slightly and began walking into the mansion.
And then…
Kwaaaaa—!!
“Wh-what is this!”
The world changed.
The ordinary mansion vanished, replaced by a horrific maelstrom of demonic energy and mana.
His whole body trembled.
He hadn’t been attacked.
The sheer magnitude of the aura from within was just so overwhelming that his body froze solid.
He’d felt this sensation before.
When he first saw Gerald.
Back then, none of them—including himself—could resist the demonic energy.
They could only stand rigid and powerless, awaiting death.
“Urk, urgh!”
Kim Taejin bit his lip.
Blood flowed, and his paralyzed body began to move again.
Seong Yura was the same.
Having grown much stronger since then, the two barely escaped the demonic energy’s influence.
But the shock didn’t end there.
No, it was only the beginning.
“Twelve Heavenly Swords!”
Twelve streaks of brilliant light burst forth.
“Bloody Roar!”
A wave of blood-red energy surged in.
Kwa-gwang-gwang-gwang—!
A wondrous explosion warped the surrounding landscape.
“That’s…?”
Seo Woojin was fighting.
A power erupted that they couldn’t even dream of wielding.
‘Could I block that?’
Absolutely impossible.
He wouldn’t just fail to block it—he couldn’t even dodge, and he’d end up as a puddle of blood.
The scale of power Seo Woojin displayed was that immense.
But what was even more astonishing was something else.
“He’s being pushed back?”
Seo Woojin spat blood as he flew through the air.
Chasing after him was the silver-haired vampire, Reina, right before their eyes.