Chapter 150: Welcome, Double Dragon (1)
Chapter 150: Welcome, Double Dragon (1)
Early dawn.
The sun had not yet fully risen.
At the Academy’s main gate, Patrick was ushering the group along.
“Hurry it up. Why are you all so sluggish?”
“Why are we leaving so early?”
“Don’t you know the early bird catches the worm?”
“I hate worms.”
Isabella answered, looking dazed from a lack of sleep.
Matthew, looking equally haggard from sleep deprivation, spoke up toward Patrick.
“Can’t we at least eat breakfast before we go?”
“Sure. Go ahead and eat. Who’s stopping you?”
Patrick then pulled out a sandwich and began munching away.
Seeing this, Matthew asked, “Is there one for me?”
“Nope.”
“…….”
Friend or not, Matthew really wished the guy would just drop dead.
Matthew let out a deep sigh as the group finally passed through the Academy’s main gate.
“What’s all this fuss so early in the morning?”
The moment Matthew grumbled and stepped outside the gate, he jumped in surprise.
“He’s out!”
“Ooh, he’s here!”
“It’s Young Master Schneider!”
“Young Master!”
A massive crowd of White Town citizens had gathered in front of the Academy’s main gate.
As soon as they spotted Patrick, they swarmed toward him with thunderous cheers.
They scattered flowers, tossed letters, and cried out with earnest expressions.
“Young Master Schneider! Please return safely!”
“You must stay healthy!”
“Next time you come, please make sure to stop by our shop!”
“Young Master, please take this!”
It wasn't uncommon for family or friends to come and see off someone departing for their knight training.
However, this was unprecedented by any standard.
Without anyone organizing it, the citizens had packed the area in front of the Academy gate. Moreover, these were ordinary citizens who seemed to have no personal connection to Patrick.
Seeing them, Patrick frowned.
“Damn it, this is why I wanted to leave early.”
An old man struggled through the crowd toward Patrick and spoke.
“Oh, Young Master. If you were leaving, you should have at least said a word before you went.”
“Whether I go or stay is my business!”
“It’s not much, but please take this as travel expenses. It’s small, but it’s this old man’s sincere heart.”
The old man tried to hand Patrick a coin pouch that was polished smooth from years of use.
Patrick immediately barked at him.
“Shut up! Why is an old man with two grandkids to support giving away money? Put it away!”
“The grandkids pooled their allowance to send this, telling me to give it to the Young Master. Please, accept it.”
“Ugh, I said I don’t need it!”
Just then, a man approached with a limp and held out a wooden carving.
“Young Master Schneider. This is a protective charm my wife and I obtained while praying for your safe return. Please, at least take this.”
“What kind of nonsense is this from a man with a bad leg? Just focus on your treatment!”
Patrick shouted and shoved the citizens away, but they continued to approach him desperately, constantly offering things.
“Young Master, this is…”
“Young Master, please take this…”
“Young Master Patrick…”
“Agh, get lost! All of you, get lost!”
Patrick roared at the citizens crowding him.
However, the citizens of White Town weren't frightened in the least by Patrick’s anger. Instead, they simply looked at him with lingering, sorrowful eyes, as if they were watching a family member depart for a long journey.
Matthew and Isabella stood there with their mouths agape, watching the scene unfold.
Finally, unable to push the people back, Patrick shouted.
“This isn't working. Let’s move. Senior, Matthew, follow me!”
“Uh… okay…”
“Got it.”
The group quickly spurred their horses and escaped down the main road, while the voices of the citizens continued to echo behind Patrick.
“Stay healthy, Young Master!”
“Young Master, you must come back!”
“Young Master Patrick, we’ll see you next time!”
“Young Master Schneider!”
Since most of them were commoners who didn't know formal etiquette, the titles they used for Patrick varied.
However, their deep affection for him was palpable.
They hung makeshift banners and scattered flowers, blessing his future.
Using every means at their disposal, they prayed for Patrick’s future to shine brilliantly.
It was only after they passed through the main gates of White Town that they finally escaped the citizens' send-off.
“Tsk, why are people so clingy? It’s not cool at all.”
Once they had some breathing room, Patrick spoke while drinking water from a canteen, his face flushed red.
Matthew and Isabella just stared at him, dumbfounded.
‘What did I just see?’
‘Brainwashing? Mass hypnosis? A hallucination?’
They couldn't understand it.
The citizens' reaction was closer to how one would treat a saint or a savior.
Even if the King himself had appeared, it was unlikely he would receive such fervent support from the people of White Town.
‘Does this even make sense?’
‘Am I dreaming?’
The person receiving that passionate welcome and respect was none other than Patrick Schneider?
No matter how much they thought about it, it didn't add up.
Finally, unable to contain his curiosity, Matthew spoke.
“What did you do to those citizens?”
“What do you mean, what did I do? I just got to know them in passing.”
“I’m telling you now, mass brainwashing using dark magic is a capital offense.”
“It’s not that!”
As Patrick barked back, another voice spoke up from behind Isabella and Matthew.
“I can explain it to you.”
When they turned around, they saw…
“Ace…?”
“Wait, you’re coming too?”
A handsome man in a neat butler’s uniform was standing there.
The man who had been voted the most handsome man by the women of the Academy for three consecutive years.
The man who received dozens of love letters a day and had even received a passionate confession from a high-ranking noble lady.
Yet, he was an eccentric who didn't bat an eye and focused solely on serving Patrick.
It was Ace, Patrick’s personal servant.
“Is a servant allowed to come along on knight training?”
“Yes. It is allowed.”
“No, usually…”
“It is allowed.”
Matthew couldn't find a rebuttal to Ace’s firm assertion.
He had felt this for a long time, but this butler was difficult to deal with—in a different way than Patrick.
With a cold, expressionless face that made it impossible to tell what he was thinking, this beautiful butler remained unfazed no matter what Patrick did, silently assisting him in his daily life.
That wasn't something possible with ordinary mental strength.
Maintaining one’s composure by Patrick’s side was a feat of mental fortitude comparable to taking a nap inside the crater of an exploding volcano.
Furthermore, it was something Matthew had only realized after reaching a certain level of mastery…
‘He’s strong. Much stronger than me.’
He was far too powerful to be a mere butler.
Even Matthew, who had reached the 4-Star Realm, couldn't even begin to gauge his depth.
Ace was a man shrouded in mystery in many ways.
Ace spoke.
“For the past three years, the Young Master has maintained public order around the Academy and helped those who were wronged.”
“…Him?”
“Yes.”
Matthew and Isabella looked at Patrick, who was fanning himself with his hand and repeating, “Ah, it’s hot, so hot.”
Then they looked back at Ace and said…
“Him?”
“Him?”
“Yes. That is correct.”
Ace began to explain.
“The old man who tried to give the Young Master money was someone who had lost his son and daughter-in-law and was on the verge of losing his house to loan sharks. The Young Master helped him, nullified the debt, and got his money back. He also introduced him to a job so he could raise his grandchildren.”
“……”
“And the man with the limp was originally a retired soldier. When his wife fell ill and was bedridden, the Young Master treated her and used his personal funds to…”
Ace’s explanation continued, and in proportion, Patrick’s face grew redder and redder.
* * *
For the past three years.
Patrick had scoured the night streets of White Town.
In doing so, he easily encountered people with tragic stories.
A young lady who came out to the night streets to earn money for her parents' medicine.
Kids driven by violence to live as pickpockets.
Retired soldiers who had lost all hope because they couldn't even get a chance to work due to their injuries, and so on.
Seeing those pitiful souls, Patrick’s reaction had been indifferent.
“It’s none of my business.”
Yes. He really intended for it to be that way.
He did, but…
[Cheon-ah. Don’t those people look so pitiful?]
“Yeah, yeah. They’re pitiful. But what am I supposed to do?”
[Cheon-ah, if you don’t help those people, how can you call yourself the Great Disciple of the Twin Dragon Sect? Is that how I taught you?]
“…….”
[Cheon-ah. Cheon-ah. Cheon—]
“Aaaagh! Seriously, you’re driving me crazy! Crazy!”
Every time he saw such people, he heard his Master’s voice as an auditory hallucination, so he couldn't ignore them.
In the end, he decided to help as much as he could.
Not for the sake of others, but strictly for his own mental health.
“What? Debt!? Deeeeeebt? Have these bastards shoved their consciences into the Demon World? You’ve extorted more than ten times the principal, and there’s still debt? Let’s start by taking one hit for every copper of debt.”
Mostly in his own way.
Currently, Red had a firm grip on the night streets of White Town.
However, that wasn't the result of Red actively seeking to expand his influence.
It was the result of a single mad dog picking fights everywhere and biting people of his own accord.
Red had simply focused on cleaning up after that mad dog.
And he hadn't solved everything with violence alone.
He arranged jobs for those who needed them, established an orphanage, and took in the children wandering the streets.
When winter came, he repaired houses and provided firewood for those who seemed likely to freeze to death in their dilapidated shacks.
And if that wasn't enough, when he found someone with a physical disability, he would visit them individually and treat them with his Aura…
“Ah, shut up! Shut up!”
Patrick, his face beet-red, covered Ace’s mouth.
Then he spoke to Matthew and Isabella.
“I didn't do anything that great. Just leave it at that.”
“Patrick, you…”
“Wh-what, punk? What?”
Why are you looking at me with such a sly grin?
I’ll twist your jaw 680 degrees.
“Huuuum…”
“And what’s with you, Senior? ‘Huuuum’? Don’t look at me like you’re proud of your fiancé!”
Patrick shouted with a flushed face.
However, Isabella and Matthew only smiled more warmly as they looked at him.
‘Say what he will…’
‘He’s that kind of guy.’
The students of the Academy treated Patrick like an incarnation of a Demon King crawled up from the Demon World.
That was a very reasonable and fair treatment.
However, those who had watched Patrick closely, like Matthew and Isabella, knew.
Patrick’s essence could never be that of a truly evil person.
If Patrick were a villain who truly abused his power and authority, they would have lost interest in him long ago.
And people like Professor Late or Professor Baroque wouldn't have gone to such lengths to protect him.
Even if his words and actions were coarse and rude, there was always goodness at Patrick’s core.
As if a sturdy pillar were standing there.
That was Patrick Schneider.
Patrick looked away from his companions’ gazes, climbed onto his horse, and spoke.
“We have a long way to go. Let’s just get moving.”
“Got it.”
“Right. Let’s go.”
Four horses set off, bathed in the morning sunlight.
Patrick Schneider, 19 years old.
He headed out into the world.
* * *
The Yuzef Kingdom.
One of the four kingdoms bordering the Great Forest and serving as the Eastern Region’s breakwater.
A startling change was currently taking place in that country.
“St… Stop him! Stop that man!”
The man sitting on the ornate throne shouted until his voice cracked.
The current King of the Yuzef Kingdom, Taerion Sian Yuzef.
He looked at the person walking steadily toward him with eyes full of fear.
Sierion Vaisus Yuzef.
A prince of the Yuzef Kingdom and his own son.
But at this moment, he was merely a usurper approaching to seize the throne.
With every step he took, the King shuddered in terror.
“What are you doing? Stop him! I said stop him from coming any closer! You have permission to kill him!”
The Royal Guards, who should have acted upon the King’s command, stood frozen in place, not moving an inch. Rather…
“Kneel.”
Thump!
As soon as Sierion’s single word fell, the Royal Guards simultaneously dropped to one knee and bowed their heads.
The knight’s salute, a vow of obedience to the object of their loyalty.
Normally, no one other than the King could receive such a gesture from the Royal Guards.
But at this moment, every single Royal Guard knelt and bowed their heads toward Prince Sierion.
No one was ignorant of what this symbolized.
“You… you… you lot… you traitors!”
It was useless no matter how much the King screamed.
Sierion, having reached the throne, looked down at his father.
The being that had seemed massive and absolute during his childhood now appeared so small and pathetic.
Most decisively…
“How unsightly.”
“Ugh…”
The King let out a groan of pain, as if a sword had been driven into his heart.
Sierion spoke to his father.
“Father. You are far too incompetent and hideous.”
“How dare you…”
“A piece of trash who has no interest in the hardships the kingdom’s people face and merely wastes his life pursuing his own luxury and pleasure should not lead a nation.”
“How dare you! How dare you!”
“So, you must vacate the seat. From now on, I, Sierion Vaisus Yuzef, shall lead this country.”
At Sierion’s gesture, knights approached, stripped the King of his crown, grabbed him from both sides, and dragged him away.
“You bastards! Let go! Let go of me this instant!”
The King struggled wildly, but the knights silently continued to drag him out.
“I am Taerion Sian Yuzef! The legitimate and sole King of this country! Let go of me right now!”
His frantic struggling reached its peak the moment his son sat upon the throne.
The moment everything that was his was taken away, his eyes rolled back.
“You bastard! How dare you betray me! A mere son of a lowly harlot, forgetting the grace of the one who sired you and daring to betray your own father!”
“…….”
“I will surely have your head! I will tear you limb from limb and feed your corpse to the dogs! I will make sure you meet a death more wretched than your lowly mother’s! Do you hear me? Sierion, you bastard!”
“…….”
A father being dragged away while cursing his own son, and a son looking coldly at that father.
Perhaps this was the true essence of royal power.
Once the King was dragged away, a man with black hair and a pale complexion approached Prince Sierion’s side and spoke.
“Shall I dispose of him?”
“No, keep him alive for now. He still has his uses.”
“Understood.”
“How many of the capital’s nobles have we won over?”
“Over 70% of the nobles involved in administration have come over to our side. We are smoothly bringing in the remaining 30% as well.”
“Good work, Noah.”
“Thank you.”
This man’s name was Noah Gregory.
He was Sierion’s closest confidant.
Starting from helping Sierion build his influence using the fame he gained after Arcana, to the thorough advance preparations that allowed Sierion to smoothly take over the royal palace today—it was all thanks to this man’s resourcefulness.
Thanks to his efforts, Sierion was able to sit on the throne much more smoothly than originally planned.
Sierion spoke to his capable aide.
“Listen, Noah.”
“Please, speak.”
“From now on, there is no turning back and no stopping.”
“I am aware.”
“Will you still follow me to the end?”
“Of course.”
Sierion smirked at the answer, which came without a moment’s hesitation.
Then that was enough.
He had a goal.
He had subordinates who had resolved to follow him.
From this moment on, there would be no hesitation or regret in his life.
“Let us go to hell together.”
“I will follow you gladly.”
A few weeks later.
The news that the King of the Yuzef Kingdom had stepped down due to illness and that Prince Sierion Vaisus Yuzef had taken his place spread across the continent.
Sierion Vaisus Yuzef.
It was the ascension of a young king, only 26 years old.