Chapter 54
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 54
Chapter Title: No Exceptions
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His internal energy hadn't fully recovered yet.
But Ruyan didn't show even a hint of strain as he calmly spoke.
"Wasn't two warnings enough?"
Ruyan lowered his bow indifferently while gazing at the enemy.
As he said, the Black Lion Knights had been given their chance.
Ruyan had clearly warned them.
Five years ago, when they first came looking for him, he had presented them with a broken arrow.
-Don't follow me anymore.
It was an unmistakable warning anyone could understand.
And that wasn't all. Even when the Black Lions closed in their encirclement, he had warned them again.
Eight Black Lion Knights.
Despite being able to eliminate them without a trace, he forcibly activated the magic communication orb to alert them.
-Those who pursue will die.
That had been Ruyan's final act of mercy, his last chance.
"Shut your mouth! What did you do to the vice-commander?!"
The squad leader ground his teeth and glared at Ruyan.
"He's dead."
Ruyan replied nonchalantly, raising his hand.
Those who ignored the warning and crossed the line received no exceptions.
"You crazy bastard! What nonsense are you spouting?!"
The squad leader finally exploded, surging mana as he snapped the arrow in his hand.
Whoosh.
Intense aura blazed fiercely from his enraged hand.
But his resistance ended there.
Whoosh.
Over ten arrows that had pierced the Black Lions floated lightly, swarming around the squad leader.
Blaze.
Could there be a more profound contradiction?
The arrows, cloaked in sword aura and burning hot, felt utterly devoid of warmth.
A cold death sentence.
The moment he saw it, the squad leader realized his mistake.
'I should have... reported it.'
Ruyan's fist clenched tightly in the air.
"Explode."
That was the last sight and sound the squad leader witnessed.
"Just as you did your duty, I did mine. Don't hold it against me."
Ruyan stomped lightly, and the ground cracked open, swallowing the shadows' corpses whole.
He stared quietly at the now-still earth, then turned away briskly.
That day, not a single Black Lion Knight who entered Trevante Village returned alive.
In the makeshift lab, after tending her wounds, Jule burned with blind malice.
"I absolutely won't let you escape. You'll become my slave in the end!"
Ruyan's power exceeded every variable she could imagine.
She had encountered countless powerhouses, but Ruyan was a first for her.
Such a fresh body brimming with talent!
Just thinking about extracting his bones and tearing his muscles made it hard to contain her excitement.
"Ahh! I just need that one!"
Her body trembled as she savored the dizzying thrill, then her eyes sharpened with murderous intent.
"But first! I need to punish you for ruining me. I'll break every limb and rip out your guts."
Jule spoke such horrific words without batting an eye.
Even more terrifying was that in her mind, it was already playing out like a vivid scene.
After venting her killing intent for a while, she slipped back into a dazed expression, shuddering repeatedly.
It was hard to call her remotely normal.
"He's definitely strong. To capture him, I need Number 34."
Number 34.
One day, a ten-year-old kid showed up at the Reverse School, begging to learn magic.
What had happened to the child didn't matter; the reason was irrelevant.
A blessed being innately drawn to mana!
Jule had only eyed the child's brilliant talent. Naturally, she accepted him into the Reverse School.
But she didn't teach him magic.
There was a faster, more efficient way to make him strong than piecemeal spell-learning.
'Once that child is complete, everything will change.'
The orc lich was valuable experimental material, but Number 34 was on another level entirely.
The product of experiments! In truth, it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say all her experiments were for completing Number 34.
Thinking of what lay ahead, Number 34 was her most crucial puzzle piece.
'He can't take Number 34 from me too! I absolutely won't let him!'
She had to recover him no matter what.
And it wasn't impossible.
Number 34 had grown gorging on the 'fusion mana' Jule created.
Injecting fusion mana again would awaken the chimera's true form.
"The problem is that he's guarding it... But if I can separate him for just a moment, that'll be enough."
About ten seconds was all she needed.
If she could buy that brief window, she could reclaim Number 34.
'I'll need some preparation.'
Jule sprang up, wiping off the blood soaking her and donning fresh clothes.
A seductive figure that belied her age.
But the scene at her feet was indescribably gruesome.
Limbs torn apart, corpses shriveled like mummies littered the floor haphazardly.
Just hours ago, they had been Reverse School mages following her.
Crack.
A pointed heel crushed unidentified bone fragments into dust.
But she didn't even glance down, striding forward with crisp clicks.
"Blink."
When she lifted her foot, it was the makeshift lab; when it landed, the backdrop had changed entirely.
Viscount Piron's bedroom in Trevante Manor.
In the dim room, curtains blocking all sunlight, Viscount Piron sat anxiously in the center.
Click.
As Jule's pointed shoe touched down lightly, Viscount Piron shot to his feet.
"Why are you only coming now?!"
Rage filled Viscount Piron's eyes.
It was only natural. Everything had gone to hell for him.
Jule, the mastermind, had botched things twice, putting him in a bind.
He thought the Imperial 3rd Knight Order's arrival would resolve it smoothly, but no.
A massive battle collapsed the clock tower, inflicting huge damage on the territory.
And neither Jule nor Cage had reported back on the situation.
"The Alize Mercenaries are still alive and kicking, and what have you been doing?!"
Viscount Piron snapped sharply at Jule, venting his fury.
But Jule didn't bow her head.
She lifted her chin arrogantly, looking down on the lord.
"That's no longer your concern."
"W-what?!"
Incredibly, Jule's attitude had flipped 180 degrees. No more fawning over the lord, no honorifics.
"How dare you!"
Enraged, Viscount Piron drew his sword in a flash.
Shing.
In the pitch-black room, his blade gleamed coldly.
"You lowly commoner, insulting a noble?!"
Viscount Piron looked ready to behead her on the spot.
But such authority meant nothing to Jule anymore.
"And who do you think I am?"
As Jule raised her hand lightly, a sudden storm raged through the still room.
Whoosh.
The gale snatched the sword from Viscount Piron's hand and hurled it away.
"Lord, I need your help."
"How dare—!"
It was a sharp threat, but Viscount Piron didn't yield, bellowing on.
"Do you intend to kill a great northern noble like me?!"
"I could, if I wanted."
Jule twirled her finger, and the wind shuriken sharpened blue, rearing up.
"Think the Imperial Family will let you off? Do you know how terrifying it is to become an enemy of the Empire?"
"Naive. Still think the Empire's on your side?"
"What?"
"Would the Empire protect you if they knew what's under Trevante?"
A sneer curled Jule's lips.
Viscount Piron flinched and stepped back.
"A-are you threatening me?"
He even slipped into half-respectful speech unconsciously.
"I can do worse if needed."
Jule spun her finger, and the wind shuriken grazed Viscount Piron's cheek.
Slice.
A thin line split his skin, blood trickling down.
"Never forget who covered that up for you."
"Hoo, what do you want?"
Viscount Piron slumped, cautiously eyeing Jule.
Jule's lips twisted up, eyes blazing.
"I need materials for my child."
"W-what do you...?"
"Give me your knights."
Sky-blue eyes trailed Ruyan all day.
'This is troublesome.'
Even during meditation, he felt that blank stare, making it quite burdensome.
Ruyan finally swallowed a sigh and hastily finished his energy circulation.
'What to do with this child.'
He'd decided to take the kid in, but Ruyan had no clue how to care for one.
'Does he need toys or something?'
Having never even taken a wife or disciple, a ten-year-old was a challenge for Ruyan.
As Ruyan cautiously stood, the child jumped up and grabbed his sleeve.
'Huh. He is cute.'
The child's innocent upward gaze brought a smile even to stoic Ruyan.
Then, a rumble echoed from the child's stomach.
Gurgle.
"Hungry?"
The child, who had been staring up quietly, nodded slightly.
Unlike his clingy attachment to Ruyan, he was extremely quiet.
"Alright. Let's go down."
Ruyan smiled softly, taking the child's hand.
Descending to the first floor, it was lunchtime; Alize was simmering stew.
"Ruyan, hungry? It's almost done, just wait a bit."
Alize glanced back, her face smeared with ingredients as she cooked.
Beside her, Cloryang fidgeted worriedly, shoulders heaving with sighs.
'Ahem, Alize's turn, huh?'
Ruyan instantly understood Cloryang's plight.
From experience, Alize's cooking was truly abysmal.
Even Gerard's big, rough hands were better.
"Alize, can I really not help even a little?"
"Nonsense! Just stand there and wait. Don't touch anything!"
Cloryang tried to intervene, but Alize gave no openings.
No one had asked her to cook; she'd volunteered, as expected.
'Lunch won't be peaceful today either.'
Ruyan shook his head and sat at the table.
Still, skipping food prepared with care was rude.
As Ruyan sat, the child hopped over and took the seat beside him.
Ruyan gazed at the child, then glanced out the window.
"Gah! Where'd you shove your toe in my mouth?! Wanna die?!"
"Don't bite! Ack! I said don't bite!"
In the yard, Eric and Eddie's petty bickering rang out noisily as usual.
"Always so loud."
Ruyan chuckled dryly, covering his ears.
Suddenly, the child stood abruptly and stepped forward.
"Shall I kill them?"
Clang!
Alize, carrying stew, startled and dropped the bowl.
"W-what?!"
Shocked, Alize and Cloryang exchanged glances, flustered.
'Heavens, what kind of environment did this child grow up in...'
Even Ruyan was taken aback.
He didn't know where to begin explaining.
"No need. Sit down."
Ruyan sat the child back and gently stroked his head.
"Killing is a grave decision. Reserve it for when there's no other choice, as a last resort. Remember that."
The child nodded vigorously at Ruyan's calm admonition.
"Yes."
Did it work?
No malice or killing intent showed on the child's innocent face.
Relieved, Alize refilled the bowls with stew.
"I put extra effort into today's. Eat up, it's delicious."
Extra effort?!
Was there a more ominous phrase in the world?
As Ruyan hesitated to touch the stew, the child lifted the bowl and gulped it down.
But...
It didn't last.
"Urk."
Less than a second later, the child vomited it all back up.
Then glared at Alize with utter resentment.
"Shall I kill her?"
100% serious.
Ruyan silently set down his spoon.