Chapter 130
Chapter 130
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 130
Chapter Title: Aftermath and Ambition
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Ashport felt like he was in a dream.
A terrible nightmare.
Half of his thousand soldiers had fallen, and half of the remainder had thrown down their weapons and fled.
But screams were also coming from outside the mansion.
Hell.
That’s what Ashport thought.
And now, the monster from that hell was about to open the mansion doors.
Then, the unthinkable happened.
“Leonard! Stop!”
Leonard, sword in hand, couldn't hold back any longer and charged at Wang-sik.
The future of the family.
His son rushed forward with a roar, and before anyone could stop him, he was caught in the monster’s grasp.
*Crack!*
The strength drained from Leonard’s body as he collapsed to the ground. And then the monster stepped inside.
That was when the screaming began.
One step, then another.
The screams grew closer.
His mind was numb.
There was no grief for his dead son, no fear of the approaching monster.
It was all just as unreal as a dream.
“Aaargh!”
In that time, the screams came nearer.
*Thud. Thud.*
And then, he could hear footsteps.
“Father.”
That voice jolted him back to his senses.
Right. There was one more hope.
The eldest son of the family.
He wasn't as brilliant as his younger brother, who had become an admiral at a young age, but he would be more than capable of leading the family.
In that case?
‘I have to stop it.’
He had to prevent the worst from happening.
“Hide.”
“Father…”
“Go!”
His study had a secret passage, one that had been there since the mansion was built.
His eldest son, Meyer, finally pushed open the secret bookshelf, tears streaming down his face.
“I’m going too!”
He then remembered there were others in the study.
The two family heads who had sought refuge with them.
They scrambled toward the secret passage.
I have to stop them.
*Swish!*
Ashport drew his sword. He cut down the two heads of house who were trying to follow his eldest son.
“Live. You must live.”
If his son escaped alive, there would still be a sliver of hope.
Watching Meyer’s tears, Ashport closed the secret bookshelf himself. At that same moment, the study door opened.
It was Lennox Vega, drenched in blood.
What would his first words be?
Condemnation?
Or perhaps a haughty declaration of victory?
He might even boast like a hero who had toppled a giant.
But he said nothing at all.
As if it wasn't even worth the effort.
He simply swung his warhammer, just as he had when dealing with the nameless soldiers in the courtyard.
*CRASH!*
And with that, Ashport, the master of the East, met his end.
* * *
One hour later.
“Found him.”
Mold returned, carrying the collapsed form of Meyer from a nearby residential area.
“He was passed out on the street.”
It was, of course, Sa Seon-gi’s work. He had already figured out the layout and was waiting.
*Splash.*
Wang-sik threw water on his face.
As morning broke after the war, many people were watching the open space in front of the mansion. Their faces were pressed against the windows of the surrounding buildings, like dolls in a horror movie.
Everyone knew a battle had taken place from the noise that had echoed through the night, but no one had expected the Magnen family to be defeated.
And now, they watched as the last survivor of the Magnen family staggered like a slave.
Meyer, who already recognized Vega’s face, bit his lower lip as he grasped the situation.
“What do you want?”
Wang-sik held out a document to him.
A declaration of surrender.
And there was only one condition.
—The Magnen family shall cede everything to the Lennox family.
No detailed clauses, just… everything.
“How dare you…”
But he had to live. That was the only way he could ever get revenge.
Meyer picked up the pen that had fallen to the ground with the document and dipped it in his own blood.
Then, gritting his teeth, he signed his name on the paper.
“Is this enough for you?”
Wang-sik took the document and looked down at Meyer.
“The war is over, but you’ll have to struggle a bit more.”
“What do you mean?”
Wang-sik turned away without answering.
His private soldiers followed, leaving Meyer alone in the ruined square. Meyer could feel countless eyes on him.
Among them was a chilling gaze that seemed to pierce his very heart.
Only then did he understand Wang-sik’s words.
—You’ll have to struggle a bit more.
One man had been left behind.
The man who had been waiting at the end of the secret passage.
He had not returned with Wang-sik.
Meyer trembled as if he had seen a ghost, then got to his feet and ran.
His only thought was to escape that gaze.
But his struggle did not last long.
Just one hour later.
He was found in a deserted back alley, hanging by the neck.
To any observer, it looked like he had taken his own life.
It was the moment the Magnen family vanished into history.
* * *
It was only natural that the Honor War of the East became a major topic of discussion.
The result was shocking.
It was surprising enough that the Lennox family had won an overwhelming victory, but the news that their opponent had been completely annihilated was hard to believe.
“Is this how a new ruler of the East is born?”
Even Rohan Leit, who had been cheering for Wang-sik, was astonished.
He was having tea with his father, Duke Rohan, and naturally, the topic of conversation was the result of the Honor War.
“Has there ever been a war so overwhelming and complete?”
“Do you think this was perfect, Father?”
“What are your thoughts?”
“Wasn’t annihilating them a bit harsh? Of course, I’m still rooting for my friend.”
“This was war. That is why I believe the result was perfect. There have been many wars until now, but never has one been concluded so cleanly, leaving no room for future trouble. Do you think the many victors of the past showed mercy and left behind future troubles out of magnanimity?”
“Was it not?”
“It was because they lacked the ability to do otherwise. The accusation of being a butcher, the discontent of exhausted soldiers, the potential for future rebellions, and the public support for the old regime. All of it is a burden, so they retreat at a suitable point.”
“In that case, wasn’t my friend’s action too foolish?”
“No, I see it as confidence and audacity. Does it not seem as if he is saying he can handle all other factors?”
Rohan Leit nodded at the assessment from the veteran knight who had personally experienced the Imperial War.
“In any case, your friend has now acquired the largest power in the East. No one has ever claimed such spoils from an Honor War before. It will be recorded in history.”
“I should offer my congratulations.”
“I would like to see him again as well. I shall have to treat him with more respect than last time.”
“He won’t like that.”
“He won’t?”
“Last time we met, he told me that meeting a friend’s father is a nerve-wracking experience.”
“He said that?”
“Yes. It’s true.”
“Hahaha! The way you put it, he sounds like my ten-year-old son’s friend. Very well. Then I, too, shall greet him simply as a friend’s father. Tell him he’s welcome to visit anytime.”
“I will do so.”
It had been a long time since Rohan Leit had seen his father laugh so heartily.
And within that laughter was a trust in his son.
“Then, may I help a little with the cleanup in the name of our family?”
“Do as you see fit. I will not interfere.”
“Yes, Father.”
Rohan Leit decided to become a sturdy shield once more.
‘This time, I’ll be your shield, my friend.’
He still hadn't forgotten the sight of Wang-sik’s shield holding back the Death Knight.
* * *
While he was sending shockwaves through the Azelan Continent, Wang-sik was having a ramen party at the headquarters on Earth.
His colleagues watched with pity as he devoured the ramen he had cooked himself in a large pot in an instant.
“Hey friend, have this too.”
Wang-sik gave a thumbs-up to Min Ha-na, who offered him a bowl of cold rice, and continued his meal.
“You just devoured the eastern continent, and ramen is still more delicious?”
Wang-sik nodded as he mashed the rice into his broth. His mouth was still busy chewing noodles, leaving him no room to answer.
“The food on the Azelan Continent is terrible.”
“You hate everything related to Azelan.”
“No. I hate things related to the humans of Azelan. Min-jae would be sad to hear you say that.”
“Alright. Let’s talk after you finish eating.”
In the end, his colleagues waited until Wang-sik had scraped the bowl clean, down to the last drop.
Once the meal was over, Oh Min-jae spoke first.
“Our trading company will take the lead in sorting out the family’s business rights.”
“Go ahead.”
“At this rate, we won’t need to invest any more. You’ve cut down the timeline by years.”
“So, are we moving on to the next plan now?”
“We have to. But we need to wrap this up properly first.”
“I know. I’ll start tomorrow. I should let them stew in suspense for a day.”
Wang-sik and Oh Min-jae didn't need detailed explanations, but their colleagues did.
The first to show interest was Kang Il-seop.
“What’s the next plan?”
“We’re going to build a power base.”
Oh Min-jae didn’t hide it.
“We’ll expand our official influence using our trading company and the Lennox family, starting with an underground network. We’re going to use it to start a rebellion.”
“A rebellion? That sounds interesting.”
Min Ha-na watched Oh Min-jae with keen interest.
“The ultimate goal is to create a civil war. As long as we can damage the Empire, it doesn’t matter if we fail. Whether we win or lose, the Azelan Continent will take a hit.”
A fight where their side had nothing to lose.
“Brilliant.”
Kang Il-seop was genuinely impressed.
He had a rough idea, but he hadn't realized the plan was progressing in such detail.
“We’re still a long way off. I’ll prepare for that as much as I can, so for now, please prepare for the immediate threat.”
Everyone knew what threat Oh Min-jae was referring to.
“Any new information?”
“Not much, since they’re keeping it so secret. I did find out one thing, but it’s a bit ambiguous.”
“What is it?”
“The Magic Tower secretly built a monster containment facility. I heard something about its structure. But it’s a bit strange. They say it holds about two hundred monsters. That’s too small for a large-scale invasion.”
“What kind of monsters?”
“By Earth standards, B-rank and A-rank boss monsters. They’re capturing them.”
“Only boss monsters?”
“Yeah. I’m sure of it. I heard it directly from a mage who was injured during a hunt.”
Oh Min-jae was investing heavily in hunting and healing. His connection with the Hemian Temple allowed him to acquire such information.
“That is strange. What are they trying to do? Surely they’re not planning to send them all at once?”
“That would be too inefficient. If they were going to send that many monsters, it would be more effective to send a Death King like last time.”
“True. It wouldn’t be easy to create the right gate environment for such a hodgepodge group.”
Although they had gathered information, they still couldn't be certain.
“It seems their preparations are almost complete…”
“Don’t push too hard trying to find out. If we arouse suspicion now, everything we’ve built will collapse. You still have a lot to do as the head of the company.”
“I know. I’ll find out as much as I can within safe limits.”
For now, the discussion on that topic was over. But there was more to discuss.
“It seems the Royal Club’s negotiation team will be arriving in Korea soon.”
“Negotiation team?”
“They want to collect a tax in exchange for protecting Earth. Officially, it’s being called a peace support fund.”
“What a grandiose name.”
“Many countries have already joined. But it looks like they’ll make unreasonable demands on Korea.”
“Because of us?”
Kang Il-seop nodded.
It was a clear move to pressure Mad Castle.
“They’re acting so childish. We’re already busy enough with the Azelan Continent.”
“In reality, once all the support fund negotiations are complete, they’ll effectively become a world government.”
The Royal Club was subtly trying to create a new system.
“Does that mean they’ll exclude us from the defense zone if we refuse?”
“Not officially, but they’ll subtly delay things.”
“So what’s the plan?”
“We have to make sure we don’t cause any losses. I plan to stop it at that point.”
After all, Mad Castle was a transnational organization.
Completely acting on behalf of the Korean government would surely become a hindrance to their future actions.
“Tch. To think that bastard is coming back to Korea so brazenly.”
As the conversation wrapped up, Min Ha-na spat out a harsh remark.
“Who’s coming?”
“The group selected for this negotiation team is the Inverter Guild. The largest multinational guild in Asia.”
“They joined the Royal Club?”
“Yep. That’s right. And they put the filthiest guy in charge of the Korean branch. He’s the head of this negotiation team.”
Min Ha-na said the name with a deep frown.
“Maeng Do-sik.”
It took Wang-sik a long moment to recall who that was.
“Don’t tell me you forgot?”
“Huh? I’m thinking.”
“The Black River Guild! The leader of that guild! The one I left!”
“Oh? That guy?”
“Wow. I’m hurt. Is that all the reaction I get?”
“Why are you so worked up? It’s not like you.”
Wang-sik soothed Min Ha-na in his own way.
“He’s just a scrub anyway.”
For some reason, those words made Min Ha-na feel much better.