Chapter 106
Just as the assault that had threatened to destroy everything had finally come to an end.
It had all happened in a mere two hours—short, brutal, and packed with chaos from start to finish.
The only saving grace was that no one had lost their life. Thanks to Jubern and the fierce clash against Ampon, every single one of us had made it through alive.
Yet no one had come out unscathed either.
Blanser, who had always been built like a tank, had taken a few scratches. Junior had taken a spear straight through his side and was barely hanging on. Haru and Teraden had been at the front line the longest, their bodies battered to the point of being nothing more than rags.
Maru and the others, who had pushed themselves too hard with abilities they weren’t even familiar with, had paid the price too.
Meanwhile, the Imperial Capital sent out an investigation team to pinpoint the source of the massive power clash.
The higher-ups had already received whispers about it, and the Danjus who answered Unhak’s orders moved with terrifying speed. By the time the team arrived, every trace had been wiped clean. They returned empty-handed after only a quick once-over.
The common people of the city would never know what had happened here, but the upper echelons had already heard the rumors.
“Hm? The White Whale, that bastard, got taken down by the Seven Pillars? No matter how weak the fellow was, getting stepped on by that bloodied pup wasn’t enough—now he’s gone? Tsk, fine. After all, the seat of the Seven Pillars was always too good for that worthless worm.”
The third seat of the Seven Pillars, Modeus, let out a mocking laugh at the news of Ampon’s death.
“Is that true?”
“Yes, Your Majesty. I received the urgent message from my dear friend Beorti just now.”
“…Then what about Yongtae?”
“Thanks to the seventh seat personally escorting the prince back to the Imperial Capital, he is said to be safe at this very moment, Your Majesty.”
“Since he made the decision himself, I will respect it without question. That said, this is from the perspective of mere mortals. As his father, I cannot simply stand by and watch.”
“He wants to start a war?”
“Behave yourself, you fool. Calm down. Look at this idiot—here he comes again. That old temper of his is showing. The bastard will handle it on his own. He’ll be fine.”
“…Heh.”
“Are you really saying I should be happy about this?”
“Happy about what? My own son died and came back to life!”
“If it had been that boy from back then, he never would have. He would have never done such a thing. Not in a million years. He would have been furious. He would have wanted to protect them. So this time, you’ll let it go with a smile, won’t you? In the end, it’s as if nothing happened. Nothing at all.”
The Machine Duke’s face twisted in fury, but wise Cheongtong’s stern words finally cooled his rage.
“What did you just say?”
“Uh, um… That is…”
“Ah, so you’re telling me Ren Lan was ambushed?”
“Y-yes, Your Majesty. Thank the gods nothing happened to the prince….”
“You pathetic little whelp! Did you see those stupid fools who burst out at me?! How dare you attack our Ren Lan?! I’ll—!”
“Enough.”
“What?”
“To grow beyond your skin, you must sometimes walk through the fire of crisis. Be silent and watch your disciple endure the hardship. And he is safe, is he not?”
“Hey, you moron. You seem to know only one thing and are completely ignorant of another. You think being ambushed by Ren Lan means nothing to you? Do you know what? Look at me like that again and I’ll—”
“Take me there right now. I’ll end this with a single strike.”
“You’re insane. The last time I heard you say that, it was about reporting to the Grand Duke.”
“Quiet. Take the lead. I’ll cut it down myself.”
“Whoa—! Pillar Masters! Hold the line! Everyone, stop the Emperor’s men! What are you doing?! Block them! Now!”
“What? Not backing down, huh?”
“Grab his pants and hold on!”
Since neither Crow’s Duck nor Jaksan had anyone else at their level to intervene, the two of them had to pull the pair apart, leaving them drenched in sweat.
“You mean Maru-nim’s ability…?”
“Yes, Your Majesty. We received the urgent report from the second-rank Danju of the Military Affairs Office. It was sent from Hwabaek, so I believe it is reliable.”
“Then are both of them safe?”
“Yes. They sustained some injuries, but nothing life-threatening.”
“Why did the White Whale… And the seventh seat personally took him down?”
“Honestly, if we look purely at talent, he should have ranked among the Seven Pillars. But living off his own arrogance, he never trained at all. It’s refreshing, Your Majesty. Though it does feel odd that the seventh seat ended his life himself….”
“Silence. You were brooding over this, weren’t you, Your Majesty?”
“Ah, hem. My apologies, Your Majesty.”
“First, send high priests to the Imperial Capital to treat them. And instruct all branches to keep a close ear on the surrounding situation.”
“Understood, Your Majesty.”
Mirpia, who had personally sensed something was off, worried this would send ripples across the entire continent.
“What? He’s dead? That bastard?!”
“…”
“And not a single one of his clan survived? You want me to believe this now?”
Finally, the king who had triggered the entire incident let out repeated shouts of disbelief upon hearing Ampon was dead.
“Jubern… How did you survive against that monster?”
Creak.
* * *
Days later.
“Your body isn’t in the best shape—lie down.”
“Ah, yes, Lord.”
“Good. How are you feeling?”
Ren Lan examined Jubern’s condition with a careful gaze from his seat.
“Thanks to the priests’ devoted care, I have nearly recovered, Lord.”
“Hm. Good. I’m glad you’re safe. The reason I came to see you today was partly to check on your progress, but there was something more important I needed to tell you. Something truly crucial.”
Ren Lan turned his head slightly toward the spot where Wolhyang stood.
“Understood.”
Wolhyang, who was quick to read the room, immediately understood and quietly stepped back, leaving them alone.
“Lord, what did you want to tell me…?”
“Right as I arrived at the scene, I found traces of Jeonroe in your body. You possess that ability as well.”
“You… so even you…”
“Yes. Just like you, I have the Jeonroe ability. I used it to take down Ampon with the least possible damage and the fastest speed.”
“Ah, so you were the one who…”
Jubern was once again stunned by the sheer strength of Ren Lan.
He had only managed to stall for time against Ampon using his own advantages, but Ren Lan had ended it in an instant.
“It was wise of you to hide that ability so far. The reason Jeonroe was excluded from the elements was the instability and rarity it caused for the user’s body. But in your case, it’s different.”
Ren Lan’s lips, which had been faintly curved just moments ago, straightened again.
“The reason you could hold up against Ampon was because of the unique nature of Jeonroe. But you carry both Jeonroe and water abilities together. Thanks to the opponent’s natural weakness, we barely made it through this time. But never use that ability again until you reach the level of a Duke.”
“Y-yes, I will remember. My deepest apologies for troubling you, Lord.”
Looking at Jubern’s face full of genuine remorse, Ren Lan let out a small chuckle.
“You really were scolding your patient too much.”
“Scolding?! That’s ridiculous, Lord.”
“Thank you for thinking that way. Well, that’s enough scolding. You owe me another big favor now. It’s a relief that you were with them. Since the threat is gone, there’s no need for you to guard them anymore.”
“I am truly grateful, Lord.”
Jubern’s face softened into a gentle smile at the trust placed in him by his Lord, Ren Lan.
“There is something gained from this incident. If you can claim it as your own, you will take another step forward.”
After finishing his business, Ren Lan rose from the round wooden chair without a backrest.
“I have a place to be. Rest well.”
* * *
At the same time.
“Miss Hee. Are you feeling better now?”
“Yes, I’m fine. Mama.”
“It’s truly a relief.”
With the help of the Pope and the Academy Chancellor, Jin and Hee were recovering at the National Academy while tending to their wounds.
“Mama, are you okay?”
“I’m the one who should be worrying about you all. I didn’t do anything at all, really. No injuries….”
Although Jin looked strangely gloomy, Hee comforted her.
Of course, she wasn’t just saying empty words.
“Mama, please don’t say that. You did your share. If you hadn’t helped them, the situation would have been far worse.”
“Is that so? Then I’m glad it helped.”
“…Mama, I apologize, but would you reconsider traveling with them again?”
“Because of this incident?”
Jin smiled bitterly.
“Yes. The moment we went with them, we ended up in this messy situation.”
“But didn’t we get closer to their prophecy by being with them? And we became stronger as a bonus.”
“That is exactly what you said is correct, but….”
Pat pat. Stop.
“Perhaps it’s time to reveal yourselves.”
Hee, who had stopped walking, suddenly turned to look behind her as if nothing was there.
“Hm? Miss Hee? What are you looking at…?”
At Hee’s question, the figures of Ren Lan and Wolhyang suddenly appeared in the empty space behind them.
Seeing the two Seven Pillars, Hee instinctively pulled Jin behind her.
“What business do the Seven Pillars of the continent have with us?”
Although Hee’s tone was still sharp, Ren Lan quickly waved his hands.
“Ah, I wasn’t trying to threaten you. If I gave that impression, I sincerely apologize.”
There was good reason for Hee’s caution.
“Windslayer, Ren Lan… I can’t shake the image of him still pouring out lightning while crushing the White Whale.”
“Hm? You don’t seem human. You must be from the floating continent. If you can travel between continents, you’re at least a high-ranking noble, perhaps even close to royalty….”
“Enough. I ask that you refrain from speculating further about our identities.”
“Hahaha, planning to silence us permanently?”
“…Who would dare do something so ridiculous to the Seven Pillars of the continent?”
Ren Lan tried a light joke to lighten the heavy atmosphere, but it only made it worse.
Hee’s body stiffened even more.
Since things had come to this, it was better to get to the main point quickly.
“Hem. Actually, the reason I came to see you is to ask for one favor.”
“What kind of favor…?”
“Please pretend you saw nothing when you witnessed everything that happened with Jubern and me that day. It would cause trouble if it got out.”
Coming this low to beg instead of simply giving an order.
Hee finally relaxed, reassured after realizing Ren Lan’s true nature.
“You don’t have to worry. I wasn’t going to speak about it even if the Pillars hadn’t ordered me to stay silent.”
“Is that so? I was unnecessarily worried. I must express my gratitude once more for helping them. I overheard the two of you by accident, and I hope you can continue to lend your strength to them in the future. Well, then.”
After bowing gently, Ren Lan and Wolhyang disappeared into the distance.
* * *
Meanwhile, at the entrance to the Imperial Capital.
“You all need to keep your mouths shut. Got it?”
The sixth-rank Danju Cheoyong looked at the other six Danjus accompanying him and emphasized something with a serious expression.