Chapter 269: What Kind of Fresh Bullshit Is This? (1)
Chapter 269: What Kind of Fresh Bullshit Is This? (1)
The training room.
This was perhaps the only place where the Overlord, who was always surrounded by people, could be truly alone.
There, the Overlord held his sword upright, closed his eyes, and focused his mind.
Lord of the Sword.
It was a realization he had gained only after risking his life in a challenge against Double Dragon.
Thanks to this, the Overlord had been able to face and overwhelm existing 7-Star swordsmen. And above all…
‘Just a little more, and I’ll be there.’
The 8-Star realm.
That domain, called the Transcendent State—beyond even the Supreme Realm—was now almost within his grasp.
If he could reach the 8-Star realm, he would be able to hold his own to some extent against the Empire’s Sword Saint or Double Dragon.
To find that clue, the Overlord had recently increased his training hours. The problem was…
“Come out.”
There were flies that insisted on interrupting this precious training time.
A black shadow flickered where the Overlord’s gaze landed, and a Dark Mage dressed in black robes slithered into view.
“I greet His Highness, the Overlord.”
“I believe I told you not to come during my training hours?”
“But there is no better place than this to meet in secret.”
“…….”
“Recently, even in the bedroom, the Salamander Princess’s gaze has been quite frightening, so I was forced to choose this place and time.”
“If you have something to say, say it quickly and leave.”
At the Overlord’s words, the Dark Mage spoke.
“Yes. Jonsa has asked you to decide where we should work on next.”
“…….”
“Following the natural order, the Magellan Kingdom would be ideal, but since the Empire is currently suffering heavy losses in its war with the Holy Kingdom, I believe it wouldn't be a bad idea to target the Empire directly.”
The Overlord’s next target.
If Sierion were to speak the word here, the Dark Mages would immediately infiltrate the shadows of that nation and begin preparations.
And that would provide the Overlord with both a pretext for war and a guaranteed victory. However…
“It is not necessary right now.”
“What does that mean…? Are you saying you intend to abandon the goal of continental unification?”
The Dark Mage glared at the Overlord with a sharp gaze. The Overlord replied.
“Due to the rapidly expanded territory, we haven't been able to solidify our internal affairs at all. Above all, with the food situation being so dire because of the Great Famine, starting another war now would be madness.”
“…….”
“There will be no war for the time being. We will stabilize the nation and focus our efforts on strengthening the defense line of the Great Forest to the east.”
“Is that your will, Your Highness?”
“And if it isn't?”
“I simply had concerns that it might be the influence of a certain someone…. Hmm….”
The Dark Mage’s mouth snapped shut.
A murderous aura radiating from the Overlord’s body pressured him.
The Overlord continued.
“If you cannot watch your own mouth, I can make sure it stays shut forever.”
“My apologies, Overlord.”
“…….”
“But please keep this in mind. We are your strongest and oldest allies, wishing more than anyone for the Overlord to unify and rule the entire continent….”
“…I know.”
“Then, I shall take my leave….”
The Dark Mage vanished, melting into the shadows just as he had arrived. Left alone, the Overlord let out a sigh.
[Even if your intentions are good and your purpose is for the sake of all….]
[If the path is wrong, then everything is wrong.]
A certain someone’s voice would not leave his head.
He knew. He knew, but…
It couldn't be helped.
What was done could not be undone….
‘I have no choice but to do the best I can with what I have now….’
* * *
“I greet Jonsa.”
The Dark Mage, having returned from his meeting with the Overlord, prostrated himself before Jonsa.
This reverence was on a completely different level from the lip service he gave the Overlord.
It was the posture of someone who truly feared and held the person before him in awe.
Jonsa spoke to the Dark Mage.
“What did the Overlord say?”
“He says he will focus on internal stability rather than war for the time being.”
“Hmph…. So the tiger cub has grown up a bit, has he? He even knows how to show a bit of rebellion.”
At Jonsa’s words, the Dark Mage bowed low and said, “If you wish, shall we remove the Overlord and set up another pawn?”
“It would be difficult to find another piece as good as him.”
“What about Double Dragon in the south?”
“Double Dragon, you say….”
“It is said that his talent is clearly superior to the Overlord’s. Above all, the caliber of the forces he has gathered is no less than the Overlord’s.”
The Schneider Duchy was a small country, but its influence was massive.
It had embraced powerful different races like the Elves and Orcs and maintained a cooperative relationship with the Tower of Truth.
The continent already regarded the Schneider Duchy, led by Patrick, as one of the four major powers, following the Empire, the Holy Kingdom, and the Yuzef Kingdom.
“I hear Double Dragon has an extremely fierce and violent personality.”
Well, that was true.
“We must spill as much blood as possible before Salvation’s Sunset proceeds. In that case, wouldn't it be better to tame a new beast rather than a toothless Overlord?”
Jonsa stroked his beard and asked, “Are you confident?”
“Of course. According to the information I’ve gathered, Double Dragon is greedy for wealth and possesses a personality where violence comes before words.”
An incredibly accurate assessment.
“Wouldn't a human so faithful to his desires be the most suitable for us to handle?”
Well, who knows about that…?
“Hmm….”
Jonsa pondered.
Until the moment of the Sunset arrived, they had to tilt the scales of the world as much in their favor as possible.
The death of the World Tree was a great achievement, but there were still many bothersome existences.
The Dragons, who had hidden themselves, were the most annoying.
And the servants of Helkanes, hiding in the Great Forest waiting for their time, were unpredictable wild cards.
They needed to gather as much power as possible before then, and it was problematic for the Overlord to be dragging his feet like this.
“Greed.”
“Speak, Jonsa.”
“I will leave the matter of Double Dragon to you. You may bring him in, or if not, kill him.”
“Yes. I understand.”
If a figure as significant as Double Dragon were to die, that alone would bring sufficient chaos.
‘Until Salvation’s Sunset arrives, we must be more prepared than anyone else.’
* * *
The Schneider Duchy was peaceful today as well.
While most nations on the continent were swept up in war and the Great Famine, the Schneider Duchy enjoyed a peaceful daily life as if it were a different world….
“Gwaaaaah!”
“Noooooo!”
“Get out of the way!”
“No, face him head-on! If you dodge, you’ll just get hit more!”
“Aaaaaargh!”
…Except for a few people.
“Hooo, nice look in your eyes?”
Patrick stood with twin swords resting on his shoulders, grinning as he faced the Double Dragon Knights surrounding him.
With an expression that suggested he was having the time of his life, Patrick beckoned with his hand.
“Come on. Come at me.”
The knights ground their teeth at that infuriating sight.
They felt like they could sell their souls to a demon if they could just land one punch on that annoying mouth.
But would that even work?
It was hard to find a demon in hell with a higher hierarchy than the man standing before them.
“Sanson-hyung, go ahead and face him. I’ll flank him from behind.”
“Why am I the front?”
“Aren't you a 7-Star now, hyung?”
“What does that even mean against that monster?!”
Sanson, who had recently reached the 7-Star realm, attacked Patrick along with the other knights, but the result of the sparring didn't change in the slightest.
Patrick always did the thrashing, and the knights always got thrashed.
Do you know what was most frustrating?
Because Patrick thrashed them so diligently and helped them break through their limits, several knights, including Oliver, had recently set foot into the 6-Star realm.
In other words, this hellish training was actually working.
“Kaaaah, as expected, most problems in the world can be solved by thrashing them.”
They wanted to prove that monster’s theory wrong, but the results were just too good.
That was what the knights found most unfair.
After the training ended.
“Ah, today was fun too.”
Patrick spoke with a satisfied face atop the pile of miserably sprawled knight "corpses."
“Ah, time to go home and play lovey-dovey with my wives. See you tomorrow, boys.”
I hope you just go home and drop dead.
That was the collective thought of every single knight lying on the ground.
“Uuuugh….”
“Dammit, I’m gonna die.”
“I really wish I could hit him just once. Just once….”
The corpses—no, the knights—stood up again.
They began organizing their equipment as if they were used to this and prepared to head home.
“Hey, anyone up for a drink today?”
“Sounds good. Shall we meet at the Water Dew?”
“Sure. An Elven lady started serving there recently, and she’s gorgeous.”
“What’s the point of her being pretty? She’s just a pie in the sky.”
Amidst the knights grumbling while wrapping up their day, one knight hesitated as he packed his gear and left the training ground.
“Jason, you’re not joining?”
“Ah, I’m good.”
“Why don't you join us once in a while? That’s how you build camaraderie and bond.”
“You guys go ahead and bond all you want. I’m not interested.”
“Hey, why do you have to say it like that?”
“What did I say?”
Since it was a knight order full of rough men, small and large frictions were bound to happen.
Just as the atmosphere was about to turn sour…
“What are you all doing?”
“Captain.”
“…….”
Sanson, the Knight Captain, intervened.
Having heard the conversation from the beginning, Sanson spoke with a solemn expression.
“Grown men shouldn't be snarling at each other over nothing.”
“No, hyung, it’s not that….”
“If you have energy to spare, shall I ask the Young Master to play with you a bit more?”
“No, sir. My apologies.”
“Good. Then that’s that. And Jason.”
“Yes, Captain.”
“Can we talk for a moment?”
“…Yes.”
After all the other knights had left for the day, Sanson had a private meeting with the knight named Jason.
Sanson’s office.
He was the Captain of the Double Dragon Knights and had recently received a Viscountcy upon reaching the 7-Star realm.
However, his office wasn't much different from when he was a guard captain.
Without calling for a servant, he brewed the tea himself and sat across from Jason.
“Jason.”
“Yes, Captain.”
“Just call me hyung for now.”
“…….”
When Jason didn't respond, Sanson continued.
“You’ve been very sharp lately.”
“I’m sorry.”
“I’m not scolding you.”
“…….”
“I understand. It must be very frustrating.”
Jason Teorg.
He was a knight who had achieved the mid-4-Star realm.
Considering he was in his early thirties, it wasn't a bad level at all.
However, within the Double Dragon Knights, his skills were clearly in the lower tier.
It hadn't always been this way.
With Patrick personally overseeing his training and guidance, he was once a skilled fighter who ranked within the top ten of the entire knight order.
But at some point, his peers began to overtake him one by one, while he remained stagnant.
He knew the cause.
It was an injury he had sustained from a Werewolf back when he was a regular soldier.
He hadn't been able to treat it properly at first, and as a result, there was always a sense of discomfort in his left knee.
Although he was balancing the energy in his body with the effects of the Supreme Purity Mental Method, the imbalance caused by the twisted joint wasn't something that could be fixed with energy alone.
Unless he underwent Bone Forging and Marrow Washing, his knee would be a handicap that followed him for the rest of his life.
‘If only my knee were fine, I might even be able to beat someone like Oliver….’
That thought never left his mind.
A mindset of self-reproach and constant regret over an unavoidable problem.
A chain of negative thoughts that were of no help to human growth was dominating his consciousness.
As a result, seeing himself fall further behind his peers, his impatience and resentment only grew.
It was a continuous vicious cycle.
Sanson spoke to Jason.
“Jason, with your skills, you wouldn't be looked down upon anywhere else.”
“I know. But….”
“Swordsmanship is something you improve through steady, repeated practice. You know that, don't you?”
“…….”
“So let go of your impatience. And stop putting up thorns toward those around you.”
“…….”
Jason said nothing.
He simply bit his lower lip and remained silent with a dissatisfied expression.
In his mind, he wanted to snap back.
[It’s easy for you to say that, hyung. You’re a 7-Star knight who has carved out a path to the Supreme Realm!]
But…
‘No. What kind of nonsense was I about to say?’
Impatience had significantly worn down his character, but he hadn't broken down that far yet.
Jason lowered his head and said, “I will do as you say, Captain.”
Sanson looked at Jason and spoke somewhat sadly.
“Right. Thank you for understanding.”
In truth, looking at his expression, it didn't seem like he had truly accepted it. But if he changed his attitude on the outside, perhaps his heart would follow?
Jason was a subordinate and a comrade, but personally, he was also a younger brother Sanson had known since they were kids running around with toy wooden swords.
Sanson hoped that Jason would one day be able to break out of his current slump.