Chapter 41
Chapter 41
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 41
Chapter Title: EP.41 True Intentions (1)
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Loriell, one of the Five Swords of Kalan, held her breath as she awaited Kim Hyunwoo's response, a hint of regret flickering across her face as she thought to herself.
'If only I could ask more directly.'
In truth, she wasn't much for words and certainly wasn't the eloquent type, so beating around the bush like this didn't come naturally to her.
Yet Loriell went out of her way to speak indirectly about the Absolute Ruler of Darkness for one simple reason: her master.
She could never presume to convey her master's emotions on her behalf, especially when her master had said she was grieving and in pain.
Loriell didn't know the full details, but she was aware that her master was gathering gifts to apologize to the lord standing before her.
That's why Loriell couldn't possibly ruin whatever her master had been preparing for years.
"Yeah, well... you're right."
But watching her beloved master holed up in the great dungeon, skipping even meals, was its own agony. So Loriell had come to the territory under the pretext of 'diplomacy.'
To gauge the lord's feelings.
If his impression of her master was poor, she needed to improve it, even just a little.
That's why.
"I knew it. The Absolute Ruler of Darkness was also called the Weapon Master, so from a martial artist's perspective, it's only natural to feel some admiration."
"Ah."
"If it's not too much trouble, could you tell me what she was like?"
She posed the question to test the waters.
And Kim Hyunwoo, receiving it, thought briefly.
'Weapon Master... Was that her epithet?'
But he answered soon enough.
"Well, she was a pretty reliable hero."
"As I thought?"
"Yeah. She handled all sorts of weapons well, so she shone on any battlefield. A truly impressive hero."
At Kim Hyunwoo's response, Loriell murmured "As expected" and nodded in satisfaction.
"Then, could I ask one more thing?"
"Sure, go ahead."
She glanced at him slyly before asking.
"What did you think of the Absolute Ruler of Darkness?"
"...Me?"
"Yes."
It felt like a slightly off-target question.
Loriell, never one for silver words, had slipped in her haste to uncover what she wanted. Kim Hyunwoo felt a twinge of puzzlement but pondered and replied.
"From my perspective... like I said earlier, she was a good hero. Fought well and followed orders."
He did think that the endless weapon gifts had nearly broken his back later on, making him a bit wary, but he kept that to himself.
Loriell clearly revered the Absolute Ruler of Darkness, and from Kim Hyunwoo's standpoint, there was no need to leave a bad impression on an envoy from Kalan Kingdom.
'Building some rapport now could help when the labyrinth city opens.'
That's why.
"Honestly, it's a bit regrettable that she's not here."
Kim Hyunwoo offered that lip service to Loriell, who seemed to admire the Absolute Ruler.
Whether it landed or not, Loriell's face visibly brightened as they talked.
"Then, I've conveyed my thanks, so I'll take my leave."
With that, she departed the territory.
As Kim Hyunwoo pondered how to process his ingredients once more.
Up on the territory's hill.
"...That bitch says it's regrettable I'm not there...?"
Merrillda muttered with a face full of murderous intent and tears.
"..."
And Kirral silently watched her, who had been in a strangely low mood since yesterday.
Crunch!
Kirral eyed Merrillda's intensely agitated yet deeply melancholic expression, wondering if the air around them had dropped below freezing, then quietly erased his presence and slipped away behind her.
He wanted to say goodbye, but approaching her in this low-pressure state since yesterday seemed like a recipe for trouble.
"Haa."
Once safely out of Merrillda's range, Kirral sighed and moved.
'...Looks like the boss has no intention of stirring from here, so I need to fetch the beastkin.'
The beastkin were surely in chaos without their leader.
Bordering the eastern edge of Norba Kingdom was its third-largest territory, belonging to Duke Tesnoka, who also held a ducal title.
Roman, the Shadowed One under his command.
"...Is that true?"
"Yes."
Was reporting to the woman before him.
"Hmm~"
She hummed with interest, fiddling with her hair that reached past her waist, her tone laced with doubt.
"A lord whose territory was only rebuilt a few months ago handled a cataclysm with just 200 soldiers and one hero?"
"That's correct."
"...No offense, but even from you, that sounds pretty unbelievable, you know?"
She toyed with her silken purple hair cascading to her waist as she replied.
Yet.
"But it's the truth."
Roman answered the rightful heir of this territory he served, who had now inherited her father's ducal title.
Duke Tesnoka crossed her arms.
Her intensely serious expression sank into thoughtful silence.
"Tell me the details."
At her prompt, Roman began recounting what he had witnessed, step by step.
From the soldiers hurling blue flames crafted by the power engines to draw the cataclysm's gaze.
To luring them into prepared traps, the hero shattering its jawbone, and finally detonating a massive power engine like a bomb inside the cataclysm's body.
She listened with arms crossed for a while, then.
"Hah."
Let out a disbelieving chuckle.
"...You really took down the cataclysm like that?"
"Yes."
The duke fell silent at Roman's words, pondering.
If Roman's account was true, then Lartania's lord hadn't fought with just 200 soldiers and one hero.
'If it's true, the soldiers and hero aren't the key. What matters is—'
Unlike other heirs, she hadn't received full knowledge from her father due to his untimely death in an accident, inheriting the territory sooner. But she was brilliant.
The rapid growth of Tesnoka territory right after she officially took over proved it.
And that sharp Duke Tesnoka, having heard the full report, reached one conclusion.
'—Lartania's lord.'
That was it.
"...Impressive lord."
"Yes. The hero without that epithet is undoubtedly a monster, but..."
"The lord's even more so?"
"Exactly."
Roman replied as if he'd been waiting.
It defied logic: overcoming a beast that required thousands of sacrifices and countless heroes with minimal forces through stratagem.
Thus.
"...How far do you think this story has spread?"
"From what I checked, it started with just two witnesses, but grew to four later."
"...Kalan Kingdom's lot must've seen it?"
"Yes. Reports will reach them soon."
The duke, conversing with Roman.
"I don't want to let this slip away."
Muttered greedily, like spotting jewels on the roadside.
"Send someone to Lartania. Say I'd like to meet whenever he has time... Or should I go myself?"
She smiled at Roman.
The plains north of Lartania.
In that vast expanse empty save for the fields, it appeared out of nowhere.
Whoosh!
Shrouded in a black robe concealing its identity, it silently gazed at Lartania territory.
As if assessing something, it stared motionless for a long time.
"As expected of the 'outsider' he anticipated. I didn't think they'd handle a cataclysm with that little... Still—"
A voice neither distinctly male nor female spilled words tinged with admiration, eyes lingering on the territory.
"—whether this outsider can grow in time remains to be seen."
It murmured softly.
After watching the territory at length.
"Arde—pa, narmar."
It whispered.
"May you meet his expectations—"
With those words, it began dissolving into black mist from the feet up.
"—final star."
And with that, the plains held nothing once more.
As if it had never been there at all.