Chapter 131
Chapter 131
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 131
Chapter Title: Surrender and Escape
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Ptui!
He spat out the blood flowing from his mouth, mangled by the curved sword's edge.
'I got lucky. That was really... dangerous.'
Gulping down a potion, he felt his nearly severed tongue—caught by the curved sword—bubbling as it healed.
It stung fiercely, but one wrong judgment, and he wouldn't have even felt this pain.
Without Saladin's timely ambush, Pankration or Steel would've meant nothing—he'd have lost to Marquis Crank. Clashing head-on with one of the Four Marquises was still beyond him.
In other words, with just a little help like Saladin's ambush...
'I can take on even one of the Four Marquises.'
Gossips often said there was a single insurmountable wall between the Three Dukes and the Four Marquises.
So simply put, there were two such walls between him and the Three Dukes.
'I've closed a lot of ground...'
Of course, walls so vast and thick that no one could guarantee crossing them in a lifetime.
Stagger...
"Hey, you idiot! You okay?!"
Saladin, who had been watching(?), rushed over in a panic and supported him.
"Whew, you brute monster. I hoped it wasn't true, but you actually took down a Four Marquis. You're a monster, alright."
"Wh-what about... the others?"
Brushing off Saladin's tongue-clicking admiration, he asked after the group, and Saladin tsked.
"See for yourself. Damn, you sneaky bastard. Birds of a feather really do flock together. Master and knight alike, why do you all hide so much?"
Following Saladin's words to Beskin, he saw Beskin's fight with Dingo entering its final stages.
"Raaargh!"
From the Treasure Palace, Dingo let out a barbaric roar like a barbarian, unleashing a flurry of knuckle strikes.
"Ice Shield."
Beskin smoothly swung his sword in a circle, forming a thick ice shield before him.
At a glance, it might resemble a mage's defensive spell. But the energy and defense were qualitatively different.
It was forged from Beskin's aura.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Collisions too massive for mere ice shield and knuckles erupted.
"Damn it! Just fall already!"
Dingo, having confirmed Marquis Crank's defeat in his own fight, grew hasty—his movements became larger.
Beskin's eyes flashed, seizing the opening.
"...Ice Flower."
Beskin's longsword arced gracefully, ice flowers blooming along its path to softly slice Dingo's gap.
A motion as beautiful as a dance painting.
"......!!"
But the result was devastating.
Splatter!!
Dingo's right arm flew off, blood bursting forth.
But the blood froze solid before hitting the ground.
"Gah!"
Dingo desperately retreated to regain his stance, but the tide had turned.
For a martial artist, losing an arm shattered bodily balance.
Slash!
Beskin didn't miss the momentum, severing Dingo's neck.
"...Hoo."
Confirming the head fall, Beskin exhaled deeply, sheathed his sword, and re-fastened the bracelet on his wrist.
Then.
Shooo...
The vicious, chilling aura pouring from his body was mostly contained.
'...Sir Beskin unlocked the first stage too, huh.'
The Shield Family's Six Shields, Hexagon.
They had restrictions, releasable in specific situations. With his unlocked, Beskin was more than enough for Dingo.
And that judgment proved spot on.
But in one spot, it diverged slightly from his prediction.
"Oh dear! They're all dead. What now?"
Grinning sweetly.
Unlike her troubled words, she showed no distress, sitting on a rock, chin propped, smiling.
The culprit who left Aria and Set standing dumbfounded like fools: from the Maiden Palace, Luna.
"What are you thinking?"
Beskin, sword sheathed, asked Luna coldly.
Luna was deemed the weakest of the Twelve Archbishops—equal to, or perhaps surpassing, masters strategically—but a master of support magic that more than compensated.
If she'd actively buffed Marquis Crank or Dingo...
The opposite outcome wouldn't have been surprising.
Yet for some reason, she'd done nothing.
"Don't try any tricks. Depending on the situation..."
Shing!
As Beskin drew his sword again to threaten, Luna raised both hands high.
"I surrender!"
"......?"
Beskin faltered at her unexpected action and words, and Luna continued.
"Whew, put away that scary thing? A delicate lady surrenders willingly—surely you won't act like pirate barbarians?"
As if no intent to fight, Luna approached and flicked Beskin's sword aside with a finger.
In the stunned group, he panicked for a different reason.
'Didn't expect her to decide this fast.'
Maiden Palace, Luna.
One of the Twelve Archbishops, master of support magic. But in his past life, she had another moniker.
Priestess of Betrayal.
For some reason, she'd betrayed the Empire during a past war, defecting to the Alliance.
Of course, it ended tragically—captured by Ibarella, tortured hideously, then burned.
He'd vaguely thought she'd come over again someday, but not betray right in this fight.
Had Crank and Dingo won, they'd have beheaded Luna for idly watching.
But that was his perspective, knowing the past. The others were baffled by the unforeseen turn.
So he had to step up.
Step!
Supported by Saladin, he advanced and asked.
"...Archbishop Luna, what's your angle?"
"Oh? Did I say my name? Thrilled you know me."
"Only one female archbishop in the First Prince's faction: Archbishop Luna."
"Heehee! Felt it when you pegged Marquis Crank, but Young Master, your knowledge is vast."
Lowering her arms, Luna said.
"Don't glare so. No big reason. Charging in now? Just die."
Half a lie.
'Reason's a lie, surrender's real.'
Only he knew. So the others, especially Beskin, stayed wary.
"Young Master, she's dangerous. Key Empire figure—better execute for the Alliance..."
Sorry, can't. Priests wielding holy power are precious to the Alliance.
Especially an Empire archbishop.
'Work her till she regrets defecting.'
Hiding his thoughts, he offered another rationale.
"...An archbishop makes fine ransom."
He eyed Luna.
"If we accept surrender, you know what to do."
"'Trapped in Third Princess Ibarella's plot, I barely survived. Empire's valuable forces died in vain.' Right?"
Snicker.
Sharp woman.
"Correct."
"Grateful for the mercy. Oh! Not much payment, but Empire sent a ship en route. Ride it home comfortably."
"Perfect, needed a ship."
"Heehee! My pleasure."
"......?"
The group's eyes ping-ponged like kids' balls.
"...Young Master, from ransom on—mind explaining once?"
Too abbreviated for Beskin and others.
"Four Marquises or Twelve Archbishops—names carry weight in Empire. Among them, Maiden Palace Luna's top recognition. Her biting Ibarella shakes the princess's position more."
Win-win for them and Luna.
'Cripple Empire forces, undermine Ibarella. Best outcome.'
His battered organs eased.
"No rough treatment since surrendering, but we'll restrict holy power. Understood."
Luna waved her empty hands.
"Go ahead."
Clink!
Beskin approached warily, fastening the mana-sealing artifact on her arms. Her aura vanished like a lie. Now, no different from a commoner.
"Phew! All done?"
Looking skyward, sunset dipped west.
Thud.
Finishing Genos's White quicker than thought—rest here, still make Hatan rendezvous on time.
Thud thud.
No strength left to twitch a finger...
Thud thud thud!
"...Saladin, why."
Suppressing irritation, he asked Saladin jabbing his shoulder.
"Tired. Leave me alone."
Using his most hated speech pattern to vent discomfort, but Saladin stared blankly, unresponsive.
"...Hey. Where's the White corpse?"
"...What?"
Following Saladin's finger, the spot was empty.
As if nothing had been there.
Marquis Crank's curved sword had clearly decapitated the White's body there.
Unlucky premonition hit; their gazes turned to Aria in unison.
She too anticipated the worst.
Unprompted, she headed to the corpse spot.
"...Mana Search."
Humm!
Her hand touched ground.
Lifting it, her face hardened like stone.
"...Signs of revival."
Ah.
"...Damn it."
A curse slipped out.
Too easy, he'd thought.
"Grooo...'
Even after repairing his shattered body, pain lingered.
"Damn brat... Won't let you off."
The brat's reagent. It stripped immortality instantly.
Thus, his back throbbed from the brute punch, neck itched from the beast's blade.
Decapitated, he'd thought it over.
Just smash the head, done. But no.
The lunatics suddenly fought each other bloody.
Grateful, truly.
Slowly, very slowly.
He reattached head to body.
Till they immersed fully in their brawl.
Head fully rejoined, fight peaked, attention off him.
Genos's White softly incanted.
"...Teleport."
Whoosh!
A typical mage couldn't control mana for teleport, but who was he?
Continent's top mage, Genos.
Slipping away stealthily, Genos's White kept healing, heading straight to the Abyss Cliff.
"Heh heh... Think I'll hand my masterpiece to trash like you?"
Ideally, both die—but unlikely. Survivors would chase his work.
"Hun, I guess what you prepared."
White gnashed teeth, recalling his other half.
Probably gave the Life Vessel to that kid with the immortality-null reagent.
Unlike instant-null reagent, Life Vessel fully revived flesh.
"But decades of secret prep? Not just you."
White touched his inner pocket, heading to Wyvern Cliff.
"...Hurry. Chase him."
"Ah, wait."
As he rose to pursue the escaped Genos's White, Luna blocked them.
"Hee hee! Before leaving, grab the spoils."
Without pause, she rifled Marquis Crank and Dingo's corpses.
"Lemme see... Ah, here. Score!"
Bodies crushed and frozen, yet Luna was nonchalant.
She pulled out the marquis's dagger and Dingo's knuckles.
"This dagger, marquis's weapon—crafted by Holy Empire master smith from adamantium. Dingo's knuckles, Golden Lion Church's special baptism and forging. Useful later."
Luna placed the spoils in his hand.
"Oh right, mine too. I lost."
Grinning, Luna dug in her bosom, handing each a round pill.
"My special healing pills. Instant effect—try now."
"......"
But none took it at her words; her eyes crinkled.
"Hmm, not trying to poison..."
Then her eyes widened.
He knew why.
He'd swallowed his first.