Chapter 59
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 59
Chapter Title: Black Lion Knights' Defeat
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The Black Lion Knights carried out a variety of missions.
Among them, the most critical was suppressing rebellions and uprisings by local lords.
Once a rebellion had already broken out, it was too late.
By then, far too many sacrifices would be required.
The simplest method was to crush the seeds of rebellion before they could even take root in the soil.
'It's also the most annoying job.'
That was why the King of Shadows, Rodolph, had personally set out for the southern region.
Rodolph assassinated the knight commander of one territory without leaving a single trace.
The knight commander, who had fallen asleep just like any other night, never opened his eyes the next morning.
'Tch. When the hell will I be done with this nonsense?'
Having completed his mission and returned to the imperial capital, Rodolph slumped back in his chair and closed his eyes for a brief rest.
But even that short respite was denied to him.
"Commander, there's something urgent you need to review."
One of the squad leaders approached, carefully gauging his mood.
"Where's Vice Commander Cage? Why are you the one reporting..."
Rodolph responded casually at first, but a sudden ominous feeling made him sit up straight.
"Don't tell me he still hasn't returned?"
Before departing for the imperial south, he had assigned a mission to Vice Commander Cage.
A considerable amount of time had passed since then, so Rodolph had assumed he was back.
But the squad leader's answer shattered that assumption.
"It appears the mission failed."
"What?"
Stunned, Rodolph hurriedly checked the report.
"What the hell is this?! I already assigned two squads, and now they're mobilizing elite squads on top of that?!"
"Yes. You appointed Hugo as acting squad leader and requested two additional elite squads."
It was an excessive force for a single operation.
A full forty Black Lions had been deployed, including three Sword Masters.
And yet...
"No one came back?"
It was utterly unbelievable.
Contact with every single one of them had been lost.
"This makes no sense!"
His face twisted in fury, Rodolph slammed his fist down on the table.
Boom!
Even without any mana infused, the table split cleanly in half and collapsed.
'What?! Am I dreaming or something?'
The situation was crystal clear.
When the Black Lion Knights lost contact, it meant only one thing.
Total annihilation!
Rodolph knew this full well, yet he couldn't bring himself to accept it.
Forty agents had been sent in.
Vice Commander Cage had been among them.
Even if Cage handled things a bit emotionally at times, Rodolph had tolerated it because his skills were beyond reproach.
If Cage had fallen, then something gravely serious had occurred.
'Ruyan! It was the mission to pursue that bastard.'
Rodolph recalled it immediately. Cage's last mission zone had been Hatchling Village.
"Bring me every piece of intel Vice Commander Cage has sent so far."
No sooner had Rodolph issued the order than the information was neatly compiled and laid out before him.
- Agent Gawain, killed in Hatchling Village, determined to be the work of 'Great Sword'. No confirmed connection to Ruyan.
- Confirmed possibility that 'Great Sword' commands forces.
- Confirmed possibility that 'Great Sword' is a descendant of the Ephesus Kingdom.
Stripping away the minor details, that was the overview.
'Damn it! Wasn't it Ruyan? What a messy entanglement.'
Hatchling Village was undoubtedly a sensitive area for the imperial family. And for remnants of a fallen kingdom to surface there of all places.
Was it really just coincidence?
'Even if so, it's still suspicious. Ephesus remnants taking down Cage?'
Rodolph suddenly thought of one man. A Sword Master he had personally eliminated over twenty years ago.
Ephesus the 12th.
He had been a formidable knight.
Back then, Rodolph himself had only been a novice Sword Master, and it had been a grueling battle.
'He definitely died...'
He had confirmed it two or three times. There was no way Ephesus the 12th could still be alive.
'If not him, then who the hell pulled this off?!'
Just like Cage before him, Rodolph couldn't hide his frustration.
'Looks like I have no choice but to check it out myself.'
Rodolph resolved to investigate personally.
But at that moment, the door to the barracks opened, and a visitor arrived.
"Commander, Leonard Duke summons you."
A summons from the Prime Minister in this situation.
It was clearly a reprimand.
Rodolph had only just learned the details himself—how had word reached Leonard Duke first?
'Damn it.'
Cursing inwardly, Rodolph stood abruptly.
Ruyan's group departed Tvente Village and pressed southward without end.
Illut Village was still a long way off. At a normal pace, it would take a week.
It was no easy march.
"Still, just 10 more kilometers today, and we'll hit a village."
"Ooh, finally a real bed?"
"I'd settle for a mountain of chewy meat."
Alize threw out a comment, and Eric and Eddie immediately jumped in, lightening the mood.
"If we want to reach the village before dark, we need to pick up the pace a bit."
The sun was already dipping behind the mountains—it would be nightfall soon.
Alize, leading the way, increased her speed and glanced back.
"Haa... haa..."
Theo, drenched in sweat, was struggling to keep up behind her.
'Is he really going to be okay?'
It was tough even for a seasoned mercenary.
For a child like Theo, it was downright brutal.
"Theo, want your big sis to carry you?"
Cloyang, sensing Alize's concern, approached Theo and ruffled his hair.
But after looking up at her for a moment, Theo firmly shook his head.
"I'm still fine."
It was a plucky response.
But that only made it more heartbreaking.
Cloyang shot Ruyan a reproachful glare, as if to say it was his fault.
-Theo, walk on your own. It's your path.
At the start of the march, Ruyan had pulled Theo away from Alize and ordered him to walk by himself.
Harsh words, but the other mercenaries understood the intent.
Theo was no longer anyone's lab rat.
Young as he was, he needed to forge his own life.
He required self-reliance and basic stamina.
So no one said a word. They figured Ruyan might pick him up if he got too exhausted.
But that wasn't the case.
Ruyan never once carried him.
On the contrary, whenever Theo lagged behind, Ruyan scolded him sharply.
-Slow. You're holding the group back.
At those times, Theo would grit his teeth and hurry his steps again.
Even if he stumbled and collapsed, he would spring back up and keep going.
"I can walk more!"
He knew it himself.
Ruyan wasn't a nanny. He was a benefactor.
Truth be told, even if Ruyan had abandoned him along the way, Theo had no right to complain.
Which was why this moment of walking together was still a grace to him.
'Compared to being locked up, this is nothing.'
Bit by bit, Theo was breaking out of his shell.
'What a fine kid.'
Ruyan watched Theo's back and nodded to himself.
He didn't show it outwardly, but Ruyan was quietly impressed by the boy's grit.
'His body's already a wreck.'
He had long since passed his physical limits.
Theo was holding on through sheer willpower alone.
"Keep moving."
Despite what he felt inside, Ruyan spoke curtly, and Theo pushed even harder.
But even that tenacious will had its breaking point.
About two hours later, as they reached a modest village ringed by a wooden fence, Theo flashed a bright smile...
...and fainted.
"Ah! The village..."
"Theo!"
Alize started in alarm and rushed toward him.
But Ruyan was faster.
Before Theo could even hit the ground, Ruyan had appeared behind him and scooped him up effortlessly.
"Theo, you did well."
Ruyan stroked his cheek with a gentleness he had never shown before.
'He's really... impossible to read.'
Alize, who had been about to chew him out, fell silent at the sight.
"Well, we made it anyway."
Cloyang shrugged, and everyone's eyes turned to the village.
It was a rural hamlet with nothing more than a wooden fence for defense—no walls in sight.
Still, being on the route connecting the central and northern continent, they quickly spotted an inn.
"Three rooms. Heat up bathwater right away, and meals for dinner through tomorrow breakfast."
Alize rattled off their needs with practiced ease and paid up.
Ruyan watched quietly, then snatched a key and hurried to a room with Theo in his arms.
'Must have hurt like hell, but he endured.'
He laid Theo on the bed and removed his shoes, only for a sharp, bloody stench to waft up.
As expected, Theo's feet were a mess.
His toenails were broken, heels torn open with blood and pus oozing out.
His soles were so swollen they looked ready to burst at any moment.
Ruyan made a bitter face as he carefully cleaned the boy's feet.
Knock, knock.
A knock came from behind him.
"Come in."
"Feels like you were waiting."
Cloyang entered with an awkward smile. Ruyan stepped aside to make way.
"Please."
"If you're this worried, why push him so hard?"
Cloyang chided him lightly but knelt by Theo and took hold of his feet.
She had fully expected them to be in bad shape.
A pure white light poured from Cloyang's hands, and Theo's feet began rapidly returning to normal.
The bleeding stopped, the swelling subsided.
His broken toenails didn't fully regrow, but it was more than enough. Theo's expression grew peaceful.
"Thanks."
His voice was flat, but Ruyan's eyes held genuine sincerity.
Cloyang was gradually getting used to his manner of speaking and could sense it.
"You planning to keep this up?"
"Tomorrow too, if you would."
Cloyang shook her head with a sigh and left the room.
"Hoo, I won't be late."
Even so, she didn't refuse his request.
'He's not the type to torment a child without reason...'
Cloyang had come to trust Ruyan without realizing it.
And her trust was well-placed.
There was good reason for Ruyan pushing Theo this hard.
He had decided to teach Theo the complete Return Heart Technique.
'Exceptional talent. Pure mind, body naturally attuned to energy. But...'
He had never once tried to control that energy.
As a result, Theo's body wasn't prepared to handle it yet.
'No point teaching him the acupoints one by one right now.'
Acupoints couldn't be felt or seen by ordinary people. He could memorize them, but that wouldn't suffice.
'He has to feel them himself. For now, start with Yongchun and Baihui acupoints.'
The foundation of every internal art was the same.
Energy flowed in through the crown of the head (Baihui acupoint) and out through the sole of the foot (Yongchun acupoint).
Inlet and outlet. Beginning and end.
That was why he had made him walk relentlessly.
The more his soles were stimulated, the more the Yongchun acupoint would stand out.
To awaken the inlet at the Baihui acupoint, though, he'd need a little assistance.
'A shortcut, but unavoidable.'
Ruyan sat cross-legged and carefully placed his hand on Theo's head.