Chapter 116
Chapter 116
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 116
Chapter Title: Kneel
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After the storm of emotions had passed.
We spent the time sharing stories of our lives.
So much time had passed that we had a great deal to talk about.
We could have stayed up for days just reminiscing.
But then, the White Elder suddenly tossed out a question.
“If you were resurrected with Deinox's seal, you must belong somewhere. How have you been living?”
“Oh? Well, about that...”
Caught off guard, I stammered.
How could I easily admit I was born as the son of our enemy?
Of course, since they were allies who would be with me forever, I couldn't hide my identity from the Black and White Twin Elders.
If they found out later, they would feel an immense sense of betrayal.
I decided to just be honest and tell them everything as it was.
Just like when I explained the Deinox summoning circle.
“I don't know if it's a twist of fate, but I've become a direct descendant of the Rantzverger family.”
“...Excuse me?”
“Ahem!”
Naturally, the two elders immediately showed their discomfort.
After all, the one who played the biggest role in the assassination of the Riverune Head was Claude, the Black Sand.
It was the starting point of Riverune's fall, so the Black and White Twin Elders' grudge against Rantzverger was immense.
But the Black Elder's expression soon relaxed, and he unexpectedly showed a positive reaction.
“In a way, this might be a good thing.”
“What do you mean by that, Brother Black?”
“Think about it, Brother White. If the Young Lord holds a key position in the assassination guild, wouldn't it be possible to bring down Rantzverger from the inside?”
“Oh...!”
The White Elder let out a small gasp of admiration and looked back at me.
His eyes seemed to be asking for a response, so I gave him a smile.
“Of course, that's the plan. But I can't afford to waste the opportunity the Founding Head has given me.”
“So you plan to move at the decisive moment.”
“Yes. It's a card I can only play once, so I must choose the timing carefully.”
“Then you'll have to keep your distance from Liberta for the time being.”
“There's no need for that. Besides, no one knows I'm connected to Riverune, right?”
“That is true.”
“Then it would be best to report it as an organization I've taken under my control and continue to communicate with them.”
Seemingly agreeing with my decision, the Black and White Twin Elders nodded silently.
That was enough about my situation.
It was time to ask how the two of them had been living.
I had many questions of my own.
“By the way, how have you two been?”
“We...”
The story that began with the White Elder was a long one.
Immediately after Riverune was annihilated, the two had to flee to the frontiers.
The extermination squads of the three great fiendish families had scoured the entire continent for them.
The place they ended up was here, an uncharted land teeming with monsters.
“Back then, there was truly nothing here. Ilek started with just a few tents set up in an empty field.”
“It seems massive now, though.”
“Merchants from Foben who learned of our existence started coming and going, and it gradually grew.”
“Wait a minute. If merchants were coming, it couldn't have been just the three of you, including Vice-Chief Zimmerman.”
“Ah! I forgot to mention this. The bandit group we met while crossing the border region was the beginning of Liberta. That's also when we met Derick.”
“Ah, so that kid just now...”
The Black and White Twin Elders recounted the story of how they first met Derick.
It was a story about how he had foolishly tried to rob the two old men on the road, only to be stripped of everything he had.
Given the White Elder's fiery temper, the bandits were likely beaten to within an inch of their lives.
“We've now taken him as a formal disciple and are teaching him our swordsmanship. He's a talented lad.”
“Oh? Is that so?”
The Black and White Twin Elders' confident reply piqued my curiosity.
It was fascinating that the lineage of Riverune had continued without being broken.
“I should introduce him to you. I'll go get him right now.”
The White Elder opened the door and went out, calling over Derick, who was standing blankly in front of the secret chamber.
The boy looked a little bewildered.
It was only natural.
His two masters fight an intruder, then move to another room and have a friendly chat?
If I were in Derick's shoes, I would have had the same reaction.
“Pay your respects. This is the Young Lord of Riverune, and he will be your master from now on.”
“...”
On top of that, the Black Elder's incomprehensible introduction made Derick's face flush red and then pale.
As the disciple kept his mouth firmly shut, the atmosphere instantly froze.
“Why aren't you paying your respects? He is a great elder of the main family.”
“I... cannot accept this.”
The White Elder pressed him, but a negative response finally came from Derick's mouth.
“What?”
“Masters, you are being deceived by him. Didn't you say all the direct descendants of Riverune were dead? Besides, you want me to serve a kid like him as my lord?”
“Hah! How insolent. You brat!”
His expression hardening, the White Elder abruptly tried to stand up.
It looked like he was about to kick Derick's legs and force him to his knees.
But when I casually raised my arm and spoke, the White Elder froze.
“It's fine.”
“But...”
“This is my specialty, after all.”
I walked past Derick and said.
“Follow me, kid. I'll make you realize you have no choice but to submit.”
* * *
The vacant lot of the secret chamber, where clear traces of battle remained.
I stood waiting quietly in the middle of that space.
After a moment, Derick glanced back at his masters, cracked his neck, and approached.
'For some reason, this feels like looking at my past self.'
Wait, surely they didn't pick him as a disciple just because his bluffing resembled mine?
Just so they could feel like they were teaching me a lesson.
“I don't know how you tricked my masters, but it won't work on me. You fraud.”
Derick lowered his voice and growled fiercely.
Judging by his flashing eyes and menacing aura, it seemed the thought of losing hadn't even crossed his mind.
Of course, it was understandable.
He didn't have the capacity to recognize the high-level techniques the Black and White Twin Elders and I had exchanged.
I smirked at Derick and gestured with the Black Dragon Sword.
“Well now, let's see how well you've been taught. Go on, show me what you've got. I'll play along.”
“You'll... regret saying that.”
*Clang!*
Derick roughly drew two swords.
'Dual swords?'
At the same time, I glanced back at the Black and White Twin Elders.
The sight of the two swords immediately brought their secret techniques to mind.
As if they knew what I was thinking, the two nodded with pleased smiles.
'This should be interesting.'
Having drawn his swords with bravado, Derick began to circle, stepping to the side.
Constantly changing direction was bound to create an opening.
But Derick showed no signs of attacking.
It was as if he possessed both the White Elder's passion and the Black Elder's composure.
'In that case, how about this?'
I deliberately exposed several openings at once.
I made it look like I was stumbling slightly as I turned.
At that, Derick's dual sword style finally unfolded.
*Swoosh—! Cra-crack!*
“Oho?”
It was a brief clash, but his sword strikes were impressive enough to elicit admiration.
The Black and White Twin Elders had settled here roughly ten years ago.
Despite starting the sword at a rather late age, Derick's skill was considerable.
'Moreover, his execution of the Sun and Moon Thrust Sword is very natural.'
The Sun and Moon Thrust Sword was one of Riverune's secret arts, a swordsmanship style that was extremely difficult to learn.
It required one to be ambidextrous and possess an innate sense for it.
It was originally a style for the direct line, so the fact that it was opened to the branch families said it all.
Hadn't the Black and White Twin Elders themselves learned it by splitting it in half?
*Swish—! Claaang!*
As the dual swords, which had flown in simultaneously, closed the distance, a powerful shockwave washed over me.
In reality, dual swords weren't a very effective weapon in actual combat.
It was too difficult to put one's weight behind the strikes.
And it wasn't as if they had any other particular advantages.
'But the Sun and Moon Thrust Sword is different.'
A technique where aura is infused into each sword and they are made to collide right in front of the opponent.
This was one of the secrets of the Sun and Moon Thrust Sword.
It was meant to startle the opponent with the unpredictability of dual swords and a sudden explosion.
Furthermore, the power of each individual strike was formidable, making it difficult to counter.
“Of course, that's only when facing an opponent of equal skill.”
I uttered the calm remark as I unfolded the Silent Flowing Sword.
*Ssk.*
The sword form, combined with assassination arts and imbued with stealth, entangled with the Sun and Moon Thrust Sword.
“If they never touch, there can't be an explosion, can there?”
*Cl-clang!*
As I moved swiftly between the dual swords, repeatedly clashing with them, my opponent's arms were thrown wide apart.
For a moment, Derick's jaw dropped.
It seemed he had never imagined the Sun and Moon Thrust Sword could be so perfectly dismantled.
“Gah!”
Gritting his teeth, Derick regained his balance and launched another strike.
His refusal to be discouraged and continuation of his swordsmanship, despite being pushed into a corner in a single move, was commendable.
But that was all.
Unpredictability alone couldn't bridge the gap between us.
*Ssk. Claaang!*
The Silent Flowing Sword approached without a sound, obstructing the path of the Sun and Moon Thrust Sword.
His rhythm broken once again, Derick's footwork faltered.
Not missing the opening he showed, I took a step forward and kicked his ankle.
In that instant, Derick's body was lifted into the air.
I raised my left hand and lightly pressed down, and with a loud thud, the duel was over.
*Thump!*
“Hnngh...”
The impact on his entire body must have been considerable, as Derick could only groan, unable to move.
Even if he could overcome the pain, he wouldn't be able to move right away.
I had drawn on the power of the Demonic Soul and was projecting a powerful wave of energy at him.
It would probably feel as if gravity had intensified several times over.
I looked down at him and spoke in a solemn voice.
“Kneel. This is the difference in our levels.”