Blanser's Cunning Escape
“Kiiyoohwaaat-!!”
Blanser, leading the charge, let out his signature bizarre howl as he charged straight at Count Blans.
“What is this?”
Kwaaang!
Count Blans easily dodged Blanser as he fell from the air. Haru and Junior, anticipating his move, circled behind him to strike from the side.
Whoosh! Chzzerang!
Blans parried Haru’s attack by slightly lifting his body and sliding his sword downward, using the blade face to deflect Junior’s strike.
“These brats… dare to…”
“Feiteenjin-gwang.”
Kwaaaaraaa!!
The backlash from deflecting the shockwave lifted Blans into the air, and at that very moment, the meteorites Teraden had summoned slammed toward him.
But Blans batted them all away in an instant, maintaining a stable distance from the group.
‘These kids… they really are the little brats I saw in Dongye back then? It’s only been a little over six months since then, and they’ve already achieved this much… I should have killed them while I had the chance, right?’
“Lord Teraden… Lady Maru? Brother Haru as well? How did you reach here? This place is dangerous—please withdraw for now!”
“Hahaha… Oh, that’s how it turned out.”
“…”
“I won’t leave today. Next time, I’ll definitely see this through to the end.”
Count Blans completely neutralized the coordinated assault from Blanser, Junior, Haru, and Teraden without taking a single hit.
Deciding that engaging Jubern any further would be unwise, he turned his back and began fleeing.
“Huh? Eh, hey! That bastard’s running!”
Blanser and Junior immediately gave chase, but Haru stopped them.
“Enough. No need to pursue.”
“What? Brother, you don’t want to chase him?”
“He’s a strong enough opponent to match Lord Jubern. Chasing him would only put you in greater danger.”
“…Lord Haru is right. It would be best to stop now.”
‘I’m sorry I couldn’t capture him… but protecting these people comes first. Still… now that he knows about the relationship between me and these individuals, it’s going to be troublesome.’
Jubern, his dark face showing clear signs of worry he couldn’t hide, moved closer to Haru and apologized.
“I have no right to have intervened in the battle and besmirched your honorable name, Lord Jubern. If you wish to reprimand me, I will accept any punishment. I apologize.”
“Punishment? What nonsense are you spouting? More importantly, are you injured anywhere?”
“No, as you can see, I’m perfectly fine.”
Jubern shook his head lightly, smoothed out his tense expression, and took a deep breath.
* * *
“If I’d asked Lan about following, he would have—hic, hmm—responded with that soft voice of his. Of course, it would have been a good lesson for all of you. He would have permitted it with such a gentle tone.”
Scratching his head.
“Hahaha, how did you know? You read him like a book.”
Lan let out a hearty laugh at Teraden’s impression.
Lan had been tailing the group from behind, using his stealth to remain unseen, and was currently observing the situation from the vast heights far above.
“Oh my, not bad.”
He merely let out a soft sigh of admiration without directly intervening.
Of course, if he had stepped in, the matter would have been resolved quickly, but he could not ignore Jubern’s resolve either.
Moreover, the battle had seemed likely to yield many valuable gains.
Beyond Jubern, the fight against Count Blans would also serve as excellent experience for the group Haru was with.
Well, if things grew truly dangerous, he could intervene then without issue.
“Huh? Eh, hey! That bastard’s running!”
“Hmm.”
When the tide turned against him, Count Blans chose to flee, and Teraden’s urgent voice echoed across the field.
“We can’t just let him leave so easily after he’s been rampaging…”
Just as Blans prepared to act and the distance from Haru’s group widened, someone suddenly appeared in front of Lan, blocking his path.
The figure wore a pitch-black outfit and covered his face with a mask, immediately evoking the image of an assassin or a hired killer.
Yet his casual movement made Lan question whether the man was truly an assassin.
Why would an assassin expose himself so openly? An assassin was supposed to remain hidden and stealthy until the target was eliminated.
But here he stood openly, blocking the path of the Seven Pillars? It didn’t make sense.
Moreover, calling someone an assassin in the presence of the Seven Pillars was a flawed premise from the start.
If Lan wished, he could neutralize the man in the blink of an eye.
There were other suspicious details as well. The way the figure approached slowly with his back to them suggested the relaxed bearing of a veteran who had survived countless battles.
His energy was also oddly difficult to gauge, which halted Lan’s steps.
‘Did I… miss his approach? If he’s one of us from the Eastern Kingdom, there shouldn’t be someone of this caliber there…’
The Seven Pillars possessed senses beyond imagination.
Yet Lan judged the stranger dangerously capable because he hadn’t detected his approach until the man was right in front of him.
He therefore maintained full tension, refusing to let his guard slip.
“Does he intend to buy time until he escapes this place? I won’t let him have his way.”
Swoosh!
Before he could finish speaking, Lan struck the air with a whoosh of wind, extending his palm toward the stranger.
Chzeok!
The man crossed his arms to block the strike.
Despite it being the attack of a Seven Pillar, the stranger showed no sign of being shaken.
It felt as if the blow had been nothing at all.
‘Could it be…?’
Lan narrowed his eyes, and a conversation between Feltics and Modeus from the Princess Conference flashed through his mind.
‘…Speaking of which, do you know anything about his whereabouts?’
‘Why that fool?’
‘Even if he’s not in that role now, he was once a Seven Pillar. We should keep track of information like that.’
‘He’s greedy, so he probably has some small fortune stashed away somewhere. He was handling the duties of a Danju, I believe. The rest is up to you.’
Seeing that his attack had been blocked, Lan became certain of the man’s identity.
“You… are Ampon?”
The stranger jolted slightly at the question, then slowly pulled his mask down.
A sturdy build with a bit less height than average, strong muscles, dark hair reaching his shoulders, and an overall fierce appearance.
“Well, well. I thought I’d covered myself pretty well, but I see your eyes can’t be fooled.”
The man was Ampon, the former Seven Pillar stripped of his seat by Jaksan. The one once known as the gentle wave or the White Whale among the Seven Pillars.
“I was just getting ready to act as a killer when this temper of mine started flaring up.”
“Why are you here?”
Once he knew the stranger’s identity, Lan immediately raised his alert level to the highest.
“What’s with the sudden interest? Is there any reason I shouldn’t be here?”
“Or are you here to take the seat of a Seven Pillar?”
“No way. Once a former Seven Pillar steps down, he can never return. You already know that.”
While Lan asked pointless questions and tried to locate Count Blans, Ampon stopped him.
“Oh, you’re trying to capture that fellow? That’s impossible. I asked his master to ensure he doesn’t lose his beloved dog, and since he’s a loyal enough companion, I’d hate to lose him here.”
“Your arrogant personality remains unchanged. I heard you became a bit more gentle after losing to the Sixth Seat.”
“Compared to arrogance, Modeus is the only one who could match you. Anyway, as long as that guy escapes unscathed, that’s all that matters. Until then, stay quiet.”
Ampon subtly raised his energy as a threat to Haru’s group and Jubern below.
“None of the Seven Pillars can match your speed. Not even the One.”
A clash between Pillar-level forces hung in the balance. When Count Blans fully concealed himself beyond their range during their standoff, Ampon withdrew his energy as if there were nothing left to do.
“Hmph, fine. There’s no reason for us to fight to the death here. I can leave now.”
‘I’d like to end this right here, but I shouldn’t let the people below get involved. I’ll have to withdraw.’
“As you wish.”
Lan answered with cold, narrowed eyes and tilted his head slightly.
“If I keep you here much longer, that girl will come chasing after you. I should go too. Even I can’t handle two Seven Pillars.”
Ampon swept Lan with a disinterested gaze, then turned his back and left the Imperial Capital with a leisurely, unhurried stride.
Although he had failed to achieve his primary goal of killing Jubern due to Blanser’s interference, the information he had gained made it seem like he had actually accomplished more than expected.
After all the intruders had left and the situation was settled, Lan returned to the Imperial Capital and secretly summoned Jubern.
“Lord, I was told you wished to see me.”
“Yes. Has the matter I wanted resolved?”
“I failed… I let him escape due to my shortcomings. I am sorry for not meeting your expectations.”
Jubern blamed his own inadequacy for the question, but Lan, who had watched every moment of Jubern’s battle from above, already knew the full truth.
It was not that Jubern’s skill was lacking, but that the group’s interference had inevitably left things muddled.
‘Blame it on yourself again. Well… your honesty is admirable, but I worry about you.’
“The relationship with those people will become known to him eventually, and by then it will be too late. Since we are already aware, we can turn this into an opportunity.”
“Indeed, that’s right.”
Lan nodded slowly while listening to Jubern’s report.
“As you know, the remaining schedule at the National Academy will conclude soon.”
“Yes, that is correct.”
“Once this semester ends, Lord Haru will visit Arirang’s teachings first. From the Danju Selection scheduled for next year onward, he will likely travel outside the Imperial Capital frequently. Do not leave their side for even a moment—personally escort them.”
“Understood.”
“You’ve faced formidable opponents and must be quite exhausted. You may withdraw and rest. Good work.”
“Yes, Lord.”
After Jubern left, Lan sat alone in the office, lightly tapping the desk as if deep in thought.
Finally, he slowly stood from his seat.
“It’s time I meet the Sixth Seat.”