Chapter 65
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 65
Chapter Title: Seventeen (2)
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3.
In an office overflowing with documents, Peil greeted his son warmly.
Youve been through a lot, Karron.
Its been a year, Father. Have you been well? Though it doesnt look like you have been.
Karron smiled faintly as he glanced around at the staggering piles of reports filling the office.
Peil chuckled at Karrons joke and nodded.
Do I look that unwell to you?
Yes Well, I despise paperwork.
Its not like I enjoy it either.
And yet, I hear rumors that youre the real power in our family these days.
It had been four years since the Leston Ducal Family had declared its intervention in external affairs.
It was true that Peils capabilities had been instrumental in the rapid expansion of the familys power.
He was the one who had ceaselessly expanded the familys businesses and spearheaded the development of Cheonghae Fortress.
The tall buildings that now shot up one after another in Cheonghae Fortress were also a testament to Peils efforts.
In the past, the fortresss only real advantage over other developed cities was the presence of the Sea Wolf Knights, but that was no longer the case.
It was now the core hub of the northwestern empire.
Logistics, manpowereverything in the northwest now flowed through Cheonghae Fortress.
Money naturally followed, and that money became the strength of the Leston family.
Thanks to this, even the elders who had once opposed Peils return to Cheonghae Fortress had fallen silent.
They couldnt very well object to the family growing stronger.
I heard your probation has been lifted.
Has the news spread already?
You should have seen the looks on your uncles faces when they heard. Every single one of them looked like theyd bitten into something foul.
Peil knew that no one could easily touch Karron anymore.
Because along with the news of his release, rumors had spread that Karron had reached the 6th Star.
The 6th Star.
The only other person to have reached the 6th Star at the age of seventeen was the familys founder.
The moment they heard, his brothers expressions had hardened like stone.
Karrons achievement had once again surpassed their expectations.
Moreover, a great deal of real power now rested with Peil.
Even if his brothers harbored ill will toward Karron, they wouldnt be able to act rashly.
Not politically, and not with force.
Peil smiled with satisfaction and asked Karron.
So, what do you plan to do now?
It was the same question Halo had asked Karron.
Was it last year?
His son had inherited Sabinas nickname.
The Mad Dog of Cheonghae Fortress.
That moniker was now Karrons. The mad dog had been released from probation; he wasnt about to lie low.
Just as he had at thirteen, he was likely to leave Cheonghae Fortress to stir up all sorts of trouble.
The mere thought is dizzying.
He had caused so much trouble when he was only thirteen What kind of chaos would he unleash now, at seventeen and far more powerful?
Im thinking of picking a few decent missions and heading out. The family has shown me great kindness over the past four years, so shouldnt I start repaying it?
Hm, a parent gives their child unconditional love. The familys love is the same. Theres no need to repay anything.
Come on, Father! A man who does nothing is called a freeloader. Dont you know I hate freeloaders more than anything in the world?
Who would dare call you a freeloader?
Unless someone had a death wish to be mauled by a mad dog, not a single person would commit such a folly.
But Karron just waved his hand with a smile.
I need to see the world a little, Father.
Do as you please. Its not as if you would have listened to me even if I tried to stop you, is it?
Thats my father. How do you know me so well?
Karron sank into the plush sofa, a grin spreading across his face.
I should also start spending the money Ive saved up for four years. I seriously havent spent a single coin in all that time. The injustice of it is killing me.
The dividends from his shares in the joint venture, transferred from the Bellus Barony four years ago.
Those dividends had steadily accumulated while Karron was on probation, and Karron had asked Peil to reinvest them into a mana stone processing company.
Leo had succeeded in bringing mana stone artisans from the kingdom.
Thanks to that, Karron had become rich while doing absolutely nothing.
Extremely rich.
The amount paid out to Karron each year was a staggering 150,000 gold.
It was an amount comparable to the annual budget of a provincial barony.
In other words, Karron had become a walking barony.
Having money is so reassuring Father, should I give you an allowance?
Im fine.
Oh, come on. Its really no trouble.
As if.
Peil knew his son would foam at the mouth and come charging if he so much as spent a little of it.
He understood his son perfectly.
As Peil and Karron were talking.
Knock, knock, knock.
Someone knocked on the door and entered shortly after.
Blond hair and blue eyes.
A middle-aged man with a diagonal scar etched across his cheek.
Upon seeing him, both Peil and Karron rose from their seats and showed their respects.
So you were here. Peil, Karron.
The very air seemed to grow heavy as the middle-aged man spoke a few words.
Peil bowed his head toward him and offered a greeting.
Welcome, Third Elder.
Indeed.
The man was the Third Elder of the Council of Elders, Yulrich Leston.
Yulrich was Halos younger brother and a master who had reached the 8th Star. It was thanks to this that he maintained a middle-aged appearance despite being over seventy.
He was also once the staunchest of the hardliners in the Council, having vehemently opposed Peils return to Cheonghae Fortress.
But that was all in the past.
The Yulrich of today was
Karron! So the rumors of you reaching the 6th Star were true! This is a joyous occasion for the family. The continents greatest knight will be born from our family once more! Here, come here. Let me give my dear grandnephew a hug!
A doting fool who had eyes only for Karron.
The reason was simple.
Yulrich, the Third Elder, valued strength above all else.
Though he had once detested Peil, that was no longer the case.
He was now the elder who cooperated most fervently with Peil within the family.
Dont be shy, come and get a hug. Let me feel those muscles! You might have lost some muscle mass while cultivating your mana, you know?
Dad! Please, stop the Elder!
Hmph! I told you to call me Granduncle in private, didnt I?
Father, perhaps you should restrain yourself a little.
Whats wrong with family strengthening their bonds of affection?
Yulrich proudly held the number one spot on the list of people Karron found most annoying in Cheonghae Fortress.
Karron pushed back against the relentlessly advancing Yulrich with both hands and said.
What brings you here so suddenly, Third Elder?
Hmm, the council meeting just ended, so I came to deliver the results. I should have sent a servant, but I couldnt bear to wait to see your face.
A grin spread across Yulrichs face as he pulled a piece of paper from his coat.
Karron shrugged as he looked at the paper.
Was the meeting about my probation?
No. Your probation is under the authority of the Head. Not even the Council of Elders can interfere with the Heads authority.
Then what meeting results are you here to inform me of?
Read the paper.
Karron narrowed his eyes slightly. He slowly read through the document.
It was a report written by a knight.
Request for Monster Subjugation Support
He checked the authors name: Leo Leston.
So that was why Leo was nowhere to be seen in Cheonghae Fortress. He must have been on a mission.
The report could be summarized as follows:
Monster activity has been detected in the border region between the Keas Kingdom and the Holy Kingdom. A solo reconnaissance is proving difficult; therefore, I request troop support. It would be preferable to dispatch troops with extensive knowledge of the Keas Kingdoms geography. If troop support is not possible, cooperation with the Holy Kingdom may be necessary. Awaiting your reply.
Other than the appearance of monsters, it was an unremarkable report.
Monster sightings had become more frequent recently, and the Sea Wolf Knights often dealt with their subjugation.
Those who lived in Cheonghae Fortress did not simply ignore monsters.
After all, monsters were the ancient enemy of the Leston family.
Even back when black mana was not shunned, the Leston family had taken a hard line against monsters.
Besides, the scale of this subjugation doesnt seem large enough to warrant the councils involvement.
He couldnt quite grasp why a mission like this would require the elders permission.
That is the mission assigned to you.
As I understand it, monster subjugation missions dont require the elders approval.
That would be true for a typical monster subjugation mission. But the location where the monsters were found is the problem.
Yulrich stroked his chin and nodded.
A moment later, the words that left Yulrichs lips caused Karrons expression to freeze like ice.
Have you ever heard of Kerua Akte?
A completely unexpected name had come from Yulrichs mouth.
4.
Kerua Akte. A member of the Imperial Guards suicide squad that defended the Imperial Palace to the very end, 50 years ago. History books say he died a heroic death alongside Lord Kain, but reality was quite different. He survived that day and had been living in the south of the continent ever since. That is, until six months ago.
Yulrichs explanation continued.
Karron lightly clenched his fists.
The answer to a question he had long intended to ask Halo was now flowing from Yulrich.
How did he survive?
The Head of the family showed him mercy. That is why the current Imperial Guard was able to inherit their mana cultivation method and sword style. I argued to the end that we should eliminate them, but the Head ultimately let them live.
A long time had passed, but humans who possessed mana had incredibly long lifespans.
Unless they were killed or fell to a great illness, the probability of them being alive was very high.
The hope that his old comrades might still be alive.
That hope quickly thawed Karrons frozen expression.
Not all of the suicide squad members from that time are alive, but some survived and were under our surveillance.
Meaning they are no longer under surveillance
To be precise, we lost them. All the surviving squad members vanished without a trace six months ago. Coincidentally, the area where the monsters were discovered is the same place where the last trace of Kerua Akte was found.
Having finished his explanation, Yulrich looked at Karron and spoke in a low voice.
Subjugate the monsters and, at the same time, search for any trace of Kerua Akte. The monster subjugation is the official mission; the search for Kerua Akte is unofficial. You may refuse if you wish.
Ill do it.
Karron said in a resolute voice. There was no need to hesitate.
There was no reason to refuse this mission.
No, to be precise, he couldnt refuse.
If he could just confirm whether his idiotic subordinates were dead or alive, he would have gone even if it wasnt a mission.
The information that Kerua Akte and the Evil Emperors suicide squad are alive is classified, even within Cheonghae Fortress. Therefore, this mission is restricted to direct blood relatives.
In that case, who will be participating in this mission, Third Elder?
Leo and Rion will assist you. The two of them are already on-site searching for traces of the monsters, so you just need to join them. You may depart whenever you wish.
In other words, he had to travel to the destination alone.
The border region between the Keas Kingdom and the Holy Kingdom was at least a fifteen-day journey. And that was assuming he traveled without rest.
It would undoubtedly be an arduous journey.
The atmosphere within the Empire has been tense lately, so make sure you are fully prepared before you depart.
Is there anything else I should be aware of?
Just that the Holy Kingdom might intervene in this matter. Be wary of those fanatics. The moment they hear Kerua Aktes name, theyll come at you with blood in their eyes.
The Holy Kingdom.
A kingdom founded by fanatics who worshipped the God of Light, Kirian, as their one true god.
They called themselves a Holy Nation, led by a Pope.
It had existed 50 years ago as well.
Back when the Empire held a positive view of black mana, their relations had been hostile, but they had improved somewhat since then.
To them, Kerua Akte is a minion of the Evil Emperor. If they confirm hes alive, they will surely try to kill him. I would prefer if you avoided conflict with those fanatics as much as possible.
Are you worried about me?
Of course not.
Yulrichs lips curled into a smirk.
Im worried the fanatics will get themselves killed by the Mad Dog. If, by some chance, you tear out their throats, it will only create more work for your father. Is not family diplomacy your fathers responsibility?
Yulrich said, looking at Peil with satisfaction.
At his words, Peil sighed and shook his head. He then turned to Karron.
Just try not to kill them.
Ill do my best.
Youre not promising you wont.
Father, you know how insane those guys are, dont you?
Not as insane as No, son. Forget I said that.
Karrons new mission was set.
The Mad Dog of Cheonghae Fortress began preparing to be unleashed from its cage.