Chapter 71
Chapter 71
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 71
Chapter Title: Delusion (6)
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98.2 : 1.8
The odds predicting Prince Raunel's victory.
As the Colosseum opened, gamblers began secretly setting up their betting pools.
From time immemorial, the Colosseum and gambling had been inseparably linked.
However, Raunel's overwhelming superiority made it nearly impossible for any real betting to take shape. The 1.8 odds were only there because Crown Prince Reinhardt had become the owner of a 'spirit.'
"Prince Raunel is a powerhouse who can make even seasoned Sword Masters yield a step."
"Even so, isn't he ranked 94th on the 'Power Rankings Ledger'?"
The book known as the Power Rankings Ledger ranked the strongest individuals from various nations based on somewhat objective criteria.
Making it into the top 100 was a sign of tremendous strength.
Even average Sword Masters or Archmages could only enter if backed by substantial real combat ability.
And Raunel held the 94th spot.
He was the youngest in the top 100. Though not yet a Sword Master, his combat prowess using the Phoenix Heart Method was said to have already surpassed that level.
Hadn't he proven it by hunting the 'Orc Lord' when the capital was attacked?
"On the other hand, Crown Prince Reinhardt..."
"He became the spirit's owner, so maybe he can put up a fight?"
Those betting against the odds began spinning hopeful scenarios.
In terms of proven skill, Reinhardt had shown nothing so far.
If he were truly exceptional, it would have been loudly proclaimed long ago.
The fact that he wasn't known meant his swordsmanship was mediocre at best.
Their only hope was that he had become the spirit's master.
But the hopes of those betting against the favorite plummeted into despair in an instant.
"O-oh! Aura! It's aura!"
"Prince Raunel has become a Sword Master!"
A vivid aura blazing like fire!
It was proof that the wall binding Raunel had crumbled.
Even before manifesting aura, Raunel had been widely regarded as beyond Sword Master level. Now that he had awakened his aura and shattered that barrier, the match was as good as decided.
"Aura that clear and bright... What a blessing for the empire."
"It's over."
Confidence overflowed on Raunel's face.
For Reinhardt, this was disastrous news.
"What happens if Crown Prince Reinhardt loses here?"
"It'd look like we've publicly propped up Prince Raunel alone..."
"Could the crown prince be replaced?"
"If questions about his qualifications arise, it's possible. Especially if he becomes Investigation Captain and seizes power—what couldn't he do then?"
There were precedents of crown princes being replaced after being named as such.
Most involved 'rebellions,' though.
In non-rebellious cases, emperors had occasionally dethroned the current crown prince under noble pressure and appointed a new one.
If Raunel won, things would likely follow that latter path.
With the Investigation Captain role in hand, the push to name him crown prince would intensify.
"As they say, no treasure is as dangerous as one unfit for its owner..."
"If the clothes don't fit, you have to take them off, right?"
"Crown Prince Reinhardt is pitiful. Having a genius brother like that would drive anyone mad."
With a devilishly talented brother like Raunel, constant anxiety about being overtaken would be maddening. It was understandable.
But reality was harsh.
Especially in the imperial family, infamous for doing anything for power.
All eyes on Reinhardt, facing Raunel, brimmed with pity.
*
Those shocked by Raunel's vivid aura weren't just the spectators.
"Congratulations."
"Prince Raunel, a Sword Master!"
"A great boon for the imperial family."
At the Colosseum's dead center, where the arena and stands were visible at a glance, the imperial family gathered.
Behind them, those in key imperial positions offered congratulations to Emperor Deus and the 1st Empress.
As army commanders and nobles showered praise, the 1st Empress's lips curled upward.
"It must all be thanks to His Majesty's boundless grace."
But she humbly attributed it to the emperor's virtue. With the outcome all but sealed, her mind was at ease.
In contrast, shadows darkened the eyes of 3rd Empress Josephine as she watched.
Her composure vanished.
'We're done for.'
She seemed to have backed the wrong horse.
She never imagined the Investigation Captain appointment would lead to such a public showdown.
Her mistake was assuming the mild emperor wouldn't let his sons draw blades on each other.
And now Raunel had become a Sword Master.
With public acclaim and power behind her, how would the 1st Empress treat Josephine? The thought alone filled her with dread.
Even the emperor wouldn't stop her from being ousted.
Dizziness hit her just imagining it.
Empress Josephine squeezed her eyes shut.
"Raunel... has crossed the wall."
Emperor Deus nodded, gazing at Raunel's aura.
In imperial history, few had reached Sword Master at Raunel's age. Even with genius talent and effort, it was a razor-thin possibility.
An unparalleled genius.
That talent was the empire's fortune.
Yet Raunel had been stuck at the wall until now.
After returning from the north, he'd seemed stagnant.
Captured by the lich and rescued by the Holy King—it must have wounded his pride.
But now, it seemed he'd overcome it.
'I'm proud of him.'
He'd risen alone from his own wounds.
How admirable.
His aura burned like fire itself. Similar to Croft's, but even redder.
Croft's had a crimson tint, but Raunel's blazed redder than flames.
A color that dominated the world.
An ecstatic light that drew all eyes.
Good news for everyone—except one, for whom it was a bolt from the blue.
Reinhardt.
At the Colosseum's center, Reinhardt showed no reaction.
Perhaps overwhelmed by Raunel's aura.
'I gave him a chance, but the timing was poor.'
Deus sighed inwardly.
Reinhardt had changed. He was painting his own canvas.
Curious about the result, Deus had decided to view him equally with the other princes.
But it was too late.
It coincided perfectly with Raunel's awakening.
Croft had said Reinhardt was hiding his strength.
He had proven some skill by slaying the monster that invaded the Eternal Palace.
Opinions varied on whether it was true prowess, but most knights and mages there hadn't stood a chance.
Reinhardt's skill surpassed elite knights.
But not a Sword Master's.
Especially not Raunel's, who was said to exceed it even before awakening.
How strong was he now? Unimaginable.
Emperor Deus rose from his seat.
He surveyed the audience.
The Colosseum, capacity fifteen thousand, was packed.
Lines stretched endlessly outside.
All the capital's citizens had gathered to witness this duel.
"Not long ago, the empire was attacked."
His voice amplified, echoing through the Colosseum.
The noisy crowd fell silent, focusing on Deus.
"Since I ascended the throne, no one has dared invade imperial territory. This is a direct challenge to the Millennium Empire—and to me."
Since Deus's reign began, the empire had known peace.
An assault on the capital was unprecedented.
"Four hundred thirty-seven citizens dead, over five hundred gravely wounded. The damage will be repaid a hundredfold, a thousandfold."
Nearly a thousand casualties in total.
Suppressed in hours, but the dead couldn't return.
And in the capital, deemed the world's safest place.
The attack had crushed public morale.
Knowing this, Deus played his trump card.
"I will reopen the forbidden Colosseum. To remind those who have forgotten the empire's might and greatness."
The crowd's eyes widened.
The Colosseum had been banned since Deus's ascension.
Yet it was the perfect outlet for public discontent and morale booster.
"This duel will decide the empire's blade. The blade punishes our attackers and enforces imperial discipline. Naturally, the sharper, stronger one—regardless of status—shall wield it."
The stronger becomes the empire's blade.
The blade will make the empire greater.
A swift way to restore flagging imperial prestige.
Deus looked at Reinhardt and Raunel, then spoke his final words.
"Begin."
"Waaaaah!!!!"
"Long live His Majesty the Emperor!!!"
"Waaaaaaaah!!!"
With cheers filling the Colosseum, the duel began.
*
Among the spectators sat non-human figures.
Masked, they silently watched the match.
"Is it really the Northern Dragon?"
"Hard to say yet."
"It'smells like dragon, but for a Northern Dragon, it's too faint."
They were dragons.
Beings that never gathered, fighting on sight—yet three sat amicably together.
"Possessing a human body?"
"Or disguising as the imperial crown prince. 'Mind Control' could make it possible. His face was never public before."
Dragons ignored human affairs but knew of the empire.
Especially that the crown prince had never shown his face.
Not impossible for a Northern Dragon to masquerade as such.
Recently, Balmunk had scattered its final thoughts:
【Northern Dragon, Empire, Danger】
Three vague notions, open to interpretation.
Northern Dragon in the empire posing danger? Or the empire dangerous to it?
Or something else?
Intrigued, several dragons headed to the empire.
They'd sensed monsters stirring via Balmunk, followed its scent to the capital and palace.
And detected Balmunk and another dragon's scent on the crown prince.
Observing from afar, they couldn't identify which.
Not Balmunk.
Next likeliest: Northern Dragon.
"Balmunk? Who cares. But Northern Dragon piques interest."
"If it broke its seal, it's top priority for recruitment."
"But we must confirm if it's worthy of our 'Dragon Blood Society.'"
Dragon Blood Society.
A gathering of the ungatherable dragons.
Elusive even to ordinary dragons, a prestigious group birthing 'gods' since ancient times.
Unqualified dragons didn't even know it existed.
Only the worthy were secretly approached.
A Northern Dragon with ten feats qualified.
But sealed by humans, its status revoked.
If it had broken free, worth watching.
Balmunk? Decent, but too weak for the society.
Feats build strength, but not the sole measure.
Balmunk was just a hatchling, not even adult.
The Northern Dragon? An Ancient-level adult.
A millennium ago, it slew an Ancient dragon as its tenth feat.
Ironic it'd fall to humans, but if resurfaced, must verify.
'For a Northern Dragon, the scent's too weak. Hiding it? Or...'
Yet doubtful.
If the crown prince was it, the scent was faint.
Mana aroma lacked density for an adult dragon.
Possibly deliberate.
'At play? Epic-fied human body would dilute the scent.'
Dragons wore twelve god faces but hid most.
Some took human forms for amusement, called 'frolic.'
Not common, but happened.
Little known of Northern Dragon, so plausible.
That moment.
Rumble!
The ground shook.
The sky trembled.
But the dragons were more stunned.
"This is?"
"...The Demon King's stride. So it is the Northern Dragon."
The dragons groaned.
Preconceptions shattered instantly.
The moment Reinhardt stomped, all mana lost power momentarily.
Discharged.
Raunel's aura flickered away like windblown flame.
...That stride was the Demon King's signature, said to have sealed the Northern Dragon.
Called Demon King's Stride, it instantly discharged all mana in range.
Even that, stolen by the Northern Dragon.
"Nearly reverted to true form."
"Ah... Let's watch a bit longer."
"Amusing one. Stealing human techniques too."
Instinct nearly unveiled their true selves.
Demon King's Stride stripped mana control from mana-dominant dragons.
If Northern Dragon claimed even that, it qualified for Dragon Blood Society.
The dragons watched the duel with heightened intrigue.
[Delusion (6)] End