Chapter 231
Chapter 231
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 231
Chapter Title: 67. No One in This World Does Not Dream (1)
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Arwen pulled away from my arms and roughly tore at the hem of her dress.
Tududuk.
She then stepped in front of me, gripping a short sword that had appeared from who-knows-where. Kals and my knights rushed over, surrounding me.
I turned my head to look at them.
The king and Maximilian, now encircled by a curtain of retainers.
The aged duke and Siorin, fully occupied with calming the panicked envoys and nobles.
The Royal Knight Order, drawing their swords to guard those attending the banquet.
And that Ilai bastard, with his hair disheveled and his clothes in utter disarray.
"Damn it. If only my body were intact. At least if I hadn't drunk so much."
Even in that wretched state, the Ilai bastard was babbling incoherently.
A beat later, the stench of alcohol hit my nose like a drunkard's breath.
"Ilai!"
I called out to the Ilai bastard.
"How the hell did those monster-like guys..."
"Ilai!"
Only after I infused my voice with power did the rambling Ilai bastard finally turn to me.
"Explain the situation first."
"I was in the banquet hall, but my chest felt tight, so I went for a walk in the garden. Then I sensed something suspicious and gave chase, only to get ambushed."
This was the heart of the kingdom—the royal palace where the monarch resided, and with dignitaries from various nations visiting, security was several times stricter than usual.
Yet enemies had appeared out of nowhere. I hadn't sensed a thing.
"I confirmed three with my own eyes. Only one of them attacked me directly."
Even in that state, he was a master-level knight.
For just three to push an Ilai bastard like him to that extent would be impressive enough, but one alone had done it.
My expression twisted involuntarily.
"What kind of bastard..."
Then, soft footsteps echoed.
Krurrrr.
A sharp sound like metal scraping the floor pierced my ears.
I turned my head.
From beyond the completely shattered doorframe, someone emerged.
Wearing pitch-black armor as if coated in darkness, dragging a bloodied greatsword behind.
Thud.
The intruder halted right at the banquet hall's doorway.
Then, he slowly scanned the interior.
"Halt!"
The Royal Knights roared fiercely in warning.
The black knight didn't so much as twitch amid the sharp auras emanating from over a hundred knights.
Seeing that, I activated my power.
And froze solid.
Nothing was visible. No traits, no name, no age. Nothing at all.
I checked several times, but the result didn't change.
A being whose identity even my Appraisal power couldn't discern.
The implication was clear.
The black knight's realm was no lower than mine.
Swipe.
The black knight stepped forward again. Despite the heavy plate armor, his footsteps made no sound.
Karrurrrr.
The only noise was the greatsword scraping the floor.
"Stop."
I warned him.
"That's far enough."
No uninvited guest would set even one foot inside.
"That's the one who attacked me. Be careful, Your Highness."
The Ilai bastard warned me in a voice tenser than I'd ever heard.
Ignoring him, I glared at the black knight. He stopped and stared back silently.
His gaze felt utterly alien, as if an empty suit of armor was glaring at me.
No trace of aura leaked from him, perfectly restrained.
He'd turned Ilai into a bloody mess without betraying a hint of hostility.
His ghostly presence faintly resembled the dead, but he was no undead.
There was no deathly yin energy unique to them.
He was definitely human.
A knight so superior that even a swordmaster who'd reached heroic stature couldn't detect his aura.
I tried my power once more.
Still, his identity remained invisible.
I strained my eyes, searching for any clue to his origins.
I scanned the black armor.
Then my gaze fell on his greatsword.
I frowned.
The blade was too blunt for a sword, the pitch-black edge murky, the crude hilt oddly familiar.
After much thought, I finally realized.
"No way...?"
I widened my eyes and stared at his sword.
It wasn't impossible.
The greatsword was one I knew well.
An artifact with considerable history, not quite as ancient as mine.
The cursed demon sword called the Red Eclipse or Gloomy Darkness depending on the era.
Its original name was,
"Verfinsterung!"
The darkness that eclipses the moon.
Karrurrr.
The cursed Verfinsterung wailed.
As if delighted that I'd called its name.
"You damned bastard!"
I gnashed my teeth and grabbed Ilai by the scruff of his neck.
"Gack!"
Ilai yelped at my sudden action.
Ignoring him, I checked his body.
His clothes were rumpled and dirty, but fortunately, no cuts or stabs from a blade.
"Y-Your Highness? What's this all of a sudden?"
Ilai belatedly asked.
"Any sword wounds?"
I asked instead, just in case.
"None. Before I could even cross blades, I got beaten... no, ambushed out of nowhere. That coward struck from behind..."
Normally I'd chide him for his long-winded excuses, but now I just felt relief.
Of course—if he'd been wounded by Verfinsterung, he wouldn't be yapping so casually.
"Why are you doing this?"
"It's a cursed sword that severs flesh and soul alike. Even a graze leaves nasty aftereffects."
At my words, Ilai paled and patted himself down.
"So, the master of Verfinsterung has deigned to grace us with his presence."
I snarled viciously at the black knight.
"Did you perhaps wish to attend the banquet? Too bad. The unqualified can't participate."
The black knight's shoulders shook.
I couldn't see his face, but I knew.
He was mocking me.
[Only one person is qualified to speak of qualifications before me.]
The black knight spoke for the first time.
[And it is not you, Idrian Leonberger.]
A dull, clanking voice like cheap scrap metal.
The hated tongue of the Burgundy Empire, one I'd never expected to hear again in the kingdom's heart.
"An imperial knight, here?!"
"Are they ignoring the armistice?!"
The nobles, barely regaining composure, buzzed at the black knight's identity. Envoys whispered urgently among themselves, visibly shaken.
"The emperor's knight, eh?"
I spread my aura to calm them, glaring at him.
[Gloriously so.]
The black knight showed no agitation at the provocation.
He merely slammed his demon sword into the floor with a thunk.
[The one I serve is Orthea de Bourgogne, His Imperial Majesty, sole master of the continent, the holy emperor.]
In that instant, an ominous wave spread everywhere.
Brurrr.
The chandeliers rattled.
Boom!
The banquet hall's windows shattered instantly. Wine glasses and plates on tables exploded noisily, spilling drinks and food messily everywhere.
"Argh!"
Envoys and nobles screamed.
[Sword of the Imperial Household.]
Amid the chaos, the black knight murmured lowly.
[Captain of the Nightmare Knight Order.]
His once-faint presence surged like a tsunami, crushing the banquet attendees.
[Penta Knight, Mort de Mort.]
Muffled screams erupted from all sides.
[Is this qualification enough for the banquet?]
The Royal Knight Order captain and knights roared fiercely, raising their auras. The momentum surging behind me toward the ceiling,
Crush.
collided with the black knight's overwhelming power and vanished futilely.
Step.
In the hellish clamor, I took one step forward.
"Quite the long, grandiose introduction."
I glared at him with my eyes.
『High places, solemn thrones—none are not mine.』
『None that I cannot sit upon.』
And softly recited the [Tyrant's Gaze] with my mouth.
Hoooo.
The warlord's usurped kingly stature took form and rose.
The wildly shaking chandeliers creaked back into place. The screaming nobles and envoys quickly regained calm.
"Emperor's dog—that suits you better than any title you just spouted."
I said, facing the malice pushed to the banquet hall's threshold.
"No dog of the emperor is permitted to attend this banquet."
The black knight stood motionless, staring at me.
Then quietly said,
[I should have killed you then.]
"Then?"
[That you survived your foolhardy mercenary play intact was because His Majesty showed mercy.]
This time, even I was surprised.
I hadn't expected the emperor to know of my disguised participation in the Dotrin war.
But surprise was just surprise—nothing more.
Whether he could have killed me then, I don't know.
But one thing I did know:
"Try it now, then."
I wouldn't fall easily to him anymore.
This first encounter with a Penta Chain knight—his power exceeded my expectations.
But I didn't think I'd lose easily either.
No reason to dodge a fight he'd started.
No, I wanted to start one myself.
Fresh vigor coursed through my body, dulled by tedious routine. Fierce fighting spirit blazed in my chest.
I wanted to know so badly.
How mighty the power of five rings truly was, something I'd never faced.
What strength this leisurely-talking bastard hid while clashing auras.
If he was worthy to wield Verfinsterung.
My skin tingled. My heart pounded wildly. My feet twitched, eager to kick off the floor.
"Hoo."
But I forcibly suppressed my boiling battle lust.
This was the palace's heart—people I had to protect stood behind me. Fighting all-out here would be madness.
At least for now.
As I barely quelled my urge, the black knight spoke.
[Your will is strong, but alas, I cannot. His Imperial Majesty has no intention of breaking the promise made by his blood kin.]
"A rat sneaking in like a thief, turning the kingdom's silver lion into bloody pulp, has some nerve talking."
I let Ilai's indignant outburst—that he'd never been bloody pulp—flow past my ears.
[Rest assured, had I meant him harm, he wouldn't be bloody pulp—he'd be less than mincemeat.]
Ilai cursed again, demanding when he'd been pulp and accusing the coward of ambush while bragging.
The black knight, of course, didn't respond.
Instead of taking Ilai's side, I asked the black knight,
"Let's hear it, then. What brings your noble emperor—who values his blood kin's promise so dearly—to send you here?"
[My business is with others, not you.]
The self-proclaimed herald clanked his helmet, scanning the hall.
[You who dare not pay homage to the world's master.]
His gaze fixed precisely on the envoys.
[The vain dreams of your lords will end as nightmares.]
The envoys flinched in fear.
[And the nightmare has already begun.]
Not one envoy here lacked the imperial tongue. None were dull enough to miss his meaning.
"With your civil war unfinished, you declare war on the world?!"
One envoy bellowed.
[No reason I cannot.]
The black knight replied nonchalantly.
His eyes swept over certain envoys.
[You should desperately hope your homes still stand.]
Those who met his gaze paled white.
[But to me, it seems you won't even get the chance.]
The black knight's shoulders shook again.
[Hand them over. Then, at least while the armistice holds, Leonberger Kingdom can greet tomorrow like yesterday.]
I scoffed at his words.
"Before that, you'd best worry about saving your own neck."
I sneered, mimicking his tone.
Despite my crude taunt and warning, he remained confident.
[If you block me, at least half of those gathered here will die.]
In a clash where victory wasn't assured, his words rang true—many would perish.
An undeniable fact.
And one that wouldn't happen.
"You're overconfident. That's your mistake."
But he needed to know.
The kingdom was no longer the weak state the empire could invade at will. Nor was the royal family so lenient as to allow its heart ravaged twice.
Crash!
Rough noises echoed.
Dented, broken black metal chunks rolled across the floor.
Behind them appeared corpses clad in slightly less ornate but identically formed plate armor.
Following was a middle-aged knight in black plate.
"Madness. Utter madness. Otherwise, why would this happen every time there's a banquet? Soon, just hearing 'banquet' will give me nightmares."
"Count Willoden!"
The nobles cheered at the sight of the Iron Lion Knights' leader.
The black knight stared silently at me.
As if asking what one more Quad Chain knight changed.
I opened my mouth to tell him.
Many esteemed guests hadn't arrived yet. The banquet for him was just beginning.
Even now, mighty auras raced here at full speed.
Unlike the sinister intruder, boldly revealing themselves.
The majestic auras unique to perfected knights.
The banquet's first guests were, needless to say, the kingdom's silver knights.