Chapter 150
Chapter 150
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 150
Chapter Title: A Sister's Visit
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To be honest, I knew.
That they weren't meeting in secret to have a romantic tryst.
‘I was just lamenting the fact that I had to eliminate a beautiful woman with my own hands.’
That's probably why that nonsense just slipped out.
The identity of the person who had met with Boris Wilton.
She was none other than Lilian Taves of the Third Prince's army.
With her quiet personality, she hadn't stood out much at Venderford, but her skills were undeniable.
That's why Ellington had actively scouted her, and yet...
“Tsk.”
I clicked my tongue without realizing it.
From encountering Kroll Karim in the Corint Kingdom to the infiltration of the food warehouse.
It was a series of events that should never have been possible.
‘She must have leaked the information from the meetings.’
The firefly teacup and Boris Wilton.
And Lilian.
This was the route through which the Third Prince's army's secrets had been leaked to the enemy.
“I really can't forgive this.”
“It seems mercy has already flown far, far away. Is there any need to say that?”
“Hey, why did you have to butt in and ruin the solemn mood?”
As I grumbled, Hol Sivas waved his hand dismissively.
His expression said he wanted no more of this.
The Vice-Chancellor looked down at the spies sprawled on the ground.
My fists showed no discrimination.
Regardless of gender, they had all lost consciousness from a barrage of soul-filled punches.
But I had no intention of stopping here.
“Get up.”
*Thud.*
I nudged Boris Wilton, who was lying face down on the ground, with the tip of my boot.
He grimaced and squirmed.
“Ugh...”
It must have hurt like hell.
I had, after all, given it my all when I beat him.
“Hold this.”
“What?”
“Hold it if you don't want to die.”
I placed a rather large boulder in Boris's arms.
It looked so heavy that he would struggle to even take a step without using aura.
Naturally, I handed a boulder to Lilian as well, who was just darting her eyes about beside him.
“M-me too?”
“If you don't want to, shall we go back to the original plan? I was going to use a club this time.”
“I'll hold it.”
She pressed her lips into a firm line and took the boulder.
Now then, shall I start imitating Mr. Dusk?
The Eastern Branch Manager's nickname was the Master of Ordeals.
He was so serious about tormenting people that he could have published a book titled ‘108 Ways to Harass Trainees.’
Naturally, having endured ten years of his ordeals, I too...
“...am practically a master.”
As they say, the student surpasses the master.
With a wicked smile, I began to train the two of them.
“One.”
“Cowardly acts!”
“Two.”
“Let's not do them!”
In war, what does cowardly or not even mean?
Using spies was a fundamental tactic.
Ellington had probably dispatched a considerable number of agents into enemy territory as well.
But there was no common sense in this kind of punishment.
Its sole purpose was to inflict pain, so what good would logic do?
Pulling my robe's hood down low, I immediately channeled Dusk.
“This instructor is not a bad man.”
“What in the...”
Hol Sivas's incredulous voice trailed off.
But I paid him no mind and continued.
“If your performance is satisfactory, we will proceed swiftly to the next training station. If you fail to obey this instructor's commands!”
“...”
“This place will become your hell. Now, let's begin again. One!”
The two of them repeatedly squatted and stood up, their eyes filled with incomprehension.
Their faces showed they were wondering what the next training station could possibly be, and why they were suddenly being forced to do this.
But soon enough, they couldn't think at all, only sweat profusely.
‘It must have been easy at first since they could use their aura. But what happens after they've used it all up?’
Their exceptional aura arts and swordsmanship were completely useless in this situation.
Because this punishment would not stop, no matter what.
“One. Oh? Is your form breaking?”
*Poke, poke.*
I jabbed the staggering Boris Wilton with my scabbard.
Unable to even scream, he could only tremble uncontrollably.
An immense pain was spreading relentlessly through every part of his body.
Just then, Lilian put down her boulder and shot her hand into the air.
“What is it?”
“I’ll confess everything! I’ll bare my very soul!”
“Oh? Clever girl.”
She had realized relatively quickly that this was a substitute for torture.
At that, Boris's face lit up.
Hope of escaping this living hell had flashed through his mind.
“But what to do? I have no intention of stopping. One.”
“Uuuuugh!”
Don't try to be clever with me.
I pushed them and pushed them until they were so exhausted they couldn't think straight.
No, I was *about* to.
So why did I suddenly stop?
Because a group of people burst in, making it impossible to continue the punishment.
*Rumble! Thud!*
“What on earth are you doing here?”
The baffled voice belonged to Ellington.
Soon, Adel and Sophia emerged, pushing through the building's debris.
They all wore dazed expressions.
‘This situation... is a bit ridiculous.’
One of the top fighters from each side.
Plus a contact and a spy.
On top of this unique group, they were doing calisthenics in the middle of the night.
No matter who saw it, it was clearly an insane scene.
“Ah, long time no see.”
I gave an awkward laugh and a small wave.
Those three and Mac Ties were probably the ones who created this whole situation.
Adel was the most likely one to have made the choice to abandon the painstakingly built fortress.
She had pulled a brilliant move out of a difficult situation.
Of course, she probably didn't expect me to be buried underneath it.
“Anyway, it's good to see you again. But this is...”
I hurriedly tried to explain the bizarre situation.
Being here with Hol Sivas was a bit strange, after all.
But I couldn't continue.
Because something soft had covered my lips.
*Mmph!*
When I squeezed my eyes shut then opened them, I saw hot tears streaming down Adel's cheeks.
‘She has a tough side too. I like that even more.’
I curled my lips into a smile and hugged her tightly.
* * *
The next day, the Third Prince's army began to move in earnest.
The spies had been successfully eliminated, and the enemy forces had suffered a devastating blow.
Moreover, their most troublesome opponent, Hol Sivas, had refused to participate any further in the war.
The situation had now reached a point where a direct confrontation was entirely feasible.
I stepped outside the encampment for a moment to see off the departing Vice-Chancellor.
“Are you really just leaving?”
“I feel like getting too deeply involved will only lead to greater misunderstandings.”
Hol Sivas's departure was likely due to Frantz's reckless execution of the operation.
On the surface, it looked as if he had been sent to his death.
In reality, it only turned out that way because all the pieces fell perfectly into place.
Of course, I had experienced something similar.
When Ellington sent me to the Corint Kingdom, that too was a trap.
‘But our positions are different.’
Hol Sivas is a knight sworn to protect the imperial family.
Eventually, he will have to serve one of the two princes as his lord.
With trust now fractured, it seemed he intended to withdraw before the situation worsened.
Furthermore, the civil war was heading toward a state where no one could predict the victor.
He had likely calculated for the possibility of Ellington winning.
‘He’s surprisingly cunning.’
That’s why I keep calling him a big oaf.
In any case, Hol Sivas's withdrawal was an incredibly fortunate turn of events.
“Travel safely.”
The leaders of the Third Prince's army, who had come out of the encampment, bid him farewell.
Hol Sivas was once the Vice-Chancellor of Venderford.
The students who had studied there were showing their respect in their own way.
To be honest, the scene was a bit strange.
Treating an enemy with goodwill and seeing him off.
“Mm. Until next time.”
As if well aware of this, Hol Sivas also waved with an awkward expression.
Then he immediately left the battlefield.
“To your positions. Prepare to march out immediately.”
“Yes, sir!”
Ellington led the commanders back into the encampment.
It seemed he was preparing for the final battle.
I didn't have much to do anyway, so I wandered around looking for a suitable spot.
‘There must be a good place to hang a hammock around here somewhere...’
It goes without saying, but I was looking for a quiet place to laze around by myself.
Then, I happened to make eye contact with Adel, who had come out of the encampment.
She was surveying the terrain of the cliffside road, making final checks on their strategy.
When I gave her a warm smile, Adel's face turned red.
“She gets shy at times like this. Such a variety of expressions.”
After that intense kiss, I hadn't even had a proper conversation with her.
Things had been moving too quickly.
I gave a gentle wave, as if to say I understood.
It meant she should hurry back to work since she was busy.
Adel Richter nodded and quickly walked away.
“Alright, then. Time for me to get some rest.”
A massive force was preparing for an all-out war.
It would likely take a considerable amount of time before they marched out.
I could just rest comfortably and join them later.
‘After all the trouble I went through underground, I deserve this much of a break. Right?’
Honestly, there was no one in the Third Prince's army who could mess with me.
The military achievements I'd racked up so far far surpassed those of all the commanders combined.
Ah, if they don't like it, they can try doing what I did.
With a light shrug, I lay down in my hammock.
“These things are comfortable at first, but they become a mess later on.”
Hammocks were easy to set up, but they weren't great for lying in for long periods.
If you tossed and turned in your sleep, you could end up rolled up like a sausage.
Since I wasn't planning on lying here for that long anyway, it didn't really matter.
I gazed at the encampment with a faint smile.
I might complain about them being uncomfortable and all, but that initial comfort when you first lie down is undeniable.
Just as I was about to close my eyes, savoring the languor...
*Swoosh.*
‘Huh?’
Killing intent, buried in the silence.
A stealthy movement that one could never detect without transcendent senses.
My eyes flew open, and I shot up in an instant.
*Whoosh!*
Using the rebound from the spinning hammock.
A terrifying sound of something slicing through the air brushed past my ear.
*Swish—!*
A muffled sound, like hearing it underwater.
Only assassination arts could produce such an insane sword strike.
As I scanned my surroundings with a cold gaze, I could feel a subtle difference in the air's flow.
A truly exceptional assassin would have controlled even the wind.
This meant their skill was somewhat inferior to mine.
However, that didn't mean I could perfectly track their movements.
The opponent was using Soul Shadow Evasion, not the Form-Shifting Invisibility Technique.
‘They must be somewhere around there.’
I stared intently at the suspicious spot.
Then, a figure appeared in the empty space.
Brown hair and red eyes.
“Hmph! How did you know? You’re as infuriating as ever.”
The assassin who had suddenly revealed herself was my half-sister, Isabel.