Chapter 273: Winter (3)
f4aAfter Karon, who was in charge of reports, departed, Arthur, the captain of the knights of the Outer Church, took over his role.ZP7wBE
l9OQArthur was an exemplary knight, which explained why he insisted on wearing heavy armor even indoors.44xH5u
WKOQYj1After spending several days with him, Kang Geom-Ma had come to understand part of his personality—a tenacious man, or in other words, not very flexible.VCYV9
UmiYJEven so, thanks to that inflexibility, his reports were fast and accurate. He skipped unnecessary pleasantries.boRbRv
n9E“So, Director Media and Lady Meain are also present. I will first report to the Heavenly President, then address you both.”JVFR
FPr2uThat kind of attitude shone in situations like this. Kang Geom-Ma appreciated this quality in Arthur, which made up for his lack of tact.CdP0
lgmoF“If I may read the exact contents of the urgent message—”JQp
FH5Arthur bowed his head toward Kang Geom-Ma, avoiding eye contact as if standing before an emperor.B6Z
UEhmk“‘The hero Leon van Reinhardt has been sighted in the heart of the demon world.’ That was the last message received from the Auditore.”TvC
kRTjmOSuppressing his confusion, Arthur completed the report.OFc8vMC
NiS“We’ve tried to reestablish contact, but have had no success. It could be due to environmental differences between Gehenna and this world, but given the severity of the situation, it’s very likely that something happened.”XtaQGM
ic06dJKang Geom-Ma barely reacted outwardly, but his mind was boiling with thoughts.125Qu
0VRTa3y‘The day of the Joaquin incident… Leon was chatting with that demon.’M8vUSo
6cLHe rubbed his forehead and recalled.LlGm
DwgAThe demon who spoke with Leon resembled Kuarne, the Second Corps Commander. Perhaps it was an avatar.vTjs
2PB4gwBut the more he thought about it, the more he felt it wasn’t the real Kuarne.ouy
lKOVYHJ‘As similar as he looked, he didn’t have Kuarne’s overwhelming aura.’XVpX
zSGaBesides, if it had been him, he wouldn’t have fallen so easily.3JA
ZvdtXK‘What matters isn’t whether it was Kuarne or not.’bun1x
Zv8VleHe shook his head. His thoughts were going in pointless directions.1shbT
6vLbThe crucial question was why Leon had met someone like that—not who that someone was.fBhx
fnYDuring his hospitalization, Leon had refused all visitors.9wqvx1
A09q4A6When Kang Geom-Ma went to see him on his discharge date, the nurse told him Leon had already left two days prior. He had fled the academy.bzw5LC
cpkDFqOThey couldn’t even trace his whereabouts.BM3W
FuusThe phone number listed in his documents didn’t respond, and his supposed family in Germany turned out to be nonexistent.j5bU
RAREverything about Leon was a lie.ALDI8
PGrVWAnd that gave Kang Geom-Ma a strong sense of déjà vu. He only knew one other person whose entire background was a complete fabrication.MCYOXA
JkzHimself, Kang Geom-Ma.NKVOja
ESTEqpxBecause he—q1JgUl
Lqof2C‘The body you possessed upon arriving in this world was Lycan’s, the true Demon Sword.’LJ610
iFTfAnd Lycan had been the First Corps Commander of the demon army.caU
akIeThat’s why everything about his past had been completely erased.azGP
MujIThe same could be true for Leon.Jolm
Xqx4YWUIf every connection he had to this world was false, only one possibility remained.Wocn9SH
VN5‘Leon is also deeply linked to the demons.’hNQXjn
xfjGJgHe didn’t believe Leon had a demon’s body like himself. It was just a hunch, but he trusted it.1U5VkYr
5pcpAt the very least, Leon wasn’t a demon like he was.mHsj
d4QLDF“Heavenly Sword, please issue an order.”hHr
VcmrArthur slightly raised his head while still kneeling.taM
Y60rtuThere would be time to think later.JOu
W8Il0Kang Geom-Ma began organizing the situation.HHeATG2
1W7G“This must be kept secret. Make sure nothing leaks.”2nOAX
nPYU7“Yes, sir.”4NsR0
ZEV9zBV“And once you leave here, contact the unit stationed in Hawaii. Tell them not to approach the gate under any circumstances, and absolutely do not attempt to enter.”LT7
RLeArthur’s eyes widened.Wjs6t
OSVm9m‘Isn’t he going to rescue the Auditore in the demon world?’dW8aJ
HiSThat’s what his eyes said.JoTD
77NySUvHe understood. It could seem cold and heartless. But his warning had a solid basis.pgWe3km
r0dun“Gehenna is extremely harmful to humans.pBE
ZexAnyone not specially trained could contract incurable diseases. You know this better than I do.”zjtKV1
zoK9p“Ah… yes.”Yklso
sImnNar“That’s why the Auditore spent months training for adaptation to the demon world. If we send heroes directly to rescue them, it would be a suicide mission.”XBTX4
wiHBat“I’m sorry for not understanding your deeper intention. Please forgive the interruption. Please continue.”aVtv
1RXVpoA“No need for apologies.”6OFQ
mnQWArthur’s speech was as elaborate as his armor. Over-the-top chivalrous.AZWLw
bZYz“In any case, the Auditore are extremely agile, even among heroes. Sending a rescue team now would be premature.”Vi33vA
pemAt the word “but,” Arthur swallowed hard.emxctR
Zpns“…That doesn’t mean we’ll abandon them. They went under my orders. Their fate is my responsibility.”0UYc8M
UOUyeJ“That can’t be!”GSWK
Xkme5Arthur shot up, his armor clanking.DKT
NCX7ACX“We cannot allow you to go personally! Instead, we’ll send knights from our order. While few, some are trained in demon world adaptation. We can send them to scout the area before you—”er1zf
ZPU9“I never said I was going.”dM8
WMPe1“…Pardon?”s9zvb3
0ybDfArthur looked dumbfounded.gsg
epiN“Who knows the geography of the demon world best?”YnPAQBM
UVPv“Well I suppose the demons do.”TZ1
vsGLNxC“Correct. Then we can get one of them to tell us how the Auditore are doing.”6pz7yO
c33FArthur was stunned. If the pope had seen him, he would have said he looked like an idiot.QVvkb
gASD“Ah!”WsEwqRd
qZkgSuddenly, Arthur shouted with a eureka expression.CFH1
16Dnbi“You captured those dark elves and imprisoned them in the Association’s prison! Then what you mean is… use them as a reconnaissance team!”JMzD
7bAq9PAccording to recent reports, the dark elves in the underground prison were living well. They enjoyed plant-based meat and had gained weight.1SzqPn
kt8zGriTheir once-ashen skin was now so fair they looked more like normal elves.ludW
3o4f9Q“They’re no good.”Lo4VIuE
eZFKang Geom-Ma shook his head.naIcRXx
9vfzR“Dark elves are sly by nature. If we release them into the demon world, they’ll escape. If we send escorts, they’ll attack them before fleeing.”TGq
2qcUtuTheir appearance hadn’t changed their nature.9tLXyHD
8Pl0KHe had killed half of them himself.2kJhm5
xinThey surely held a grudge. Waiting in their cave, like in the Dangun bear myth.2dR
Iakeb‘Besides, I have other plans for the dark elves.’skPP
Ev8BZMuAfter all, they needed to earn the food they were consuming.4LPpOoM
g2WqSkO“What if I go?”gpgp
8gLThen Meain, who had been silently sipping tea, spoke up.tmmm
WLT1Xv“I’ve lived for decades in the demon world, so I have magical resistance. Even if communication devices don’t work, I can send simple messages.”Q8kJDB
NT4IShe snapped her fingers.DxFcVjS
UwXgThat meant she could use magic.io7
QEUpv3“Using mana as a medium, I can transmit messages to the human world. And since Gehenna is rich in mana, I believe I can do it.”KGJKjx1
zbxVKang Geom-Ma looked at her closely and replied.MIEPRf
e9Uo“I appreciate it, but you can’t go either. I’d feel uncomfortable sending someone who just returned back to the demon world. Also, even if you rushed to Hawaii, it would take 8 hours. We don’t know what’s happening right now. We can’t waste time.”F6w
SVOoC“Th-then, what do we do?”vqxBMnX
pSsWjSBArthur began pacing in place, flustered.D7ftDbW
MqKWh“If it’s not a sacred knight, and not a dark elf, there’s no one you can send.”PH7uNlP
f90pJdfAfter Arthur, who didn’t know what to do, fell silent, I turned to Meain and asked.TnS7
yqqLB3“If you can make magical contact using mana as a medium, then the reverse should also be possible, right?”wAYCV7L
5nUTX“Yes. Maybe not just anywhere, but at Joaquin Academy it’s definitely possible. The Academy not only has the special building, but is famous for its abundant magical currents.”YAsTwc
WCWI nodded and immediately put on my coat. Arthur shouted behind me.hCX7QxO
zudF1a“Where are you going?!”X8jpI
j2DHSWithout even looking back, I ran out of the director’s office.cDIhED
fyEkHM6I was headed to Choi Seol-Ah’s house.E6Lp
uNxY***LnA
OkLjmnTwisted old trees grotesquely shaped, an ashen wasteland, a blood-red sky.Grll
tjZThe black sun that lit this world reflected its sinister nature clearly. Even breathing was difficult.mKStE5
7U8scIt was because the air, dense with magical power, clung to the lungs like sticky sludge.mfp0
mzm4p2That discomfort wasn’t an exception even for Altair, who had faced all kinds of battlefields.v4iS4jt
BuziP9However, at that moment, the patriarch had forgotten all about it.HZsdRY
ziu9J42Something even darker disturbed him.LdlK
kNBfrl“You’re going to have to explain why you’re here.”hDSY
rL4cCshHe held his S-grade sword out in front of him. Though his voice was calm, his gaze was fierce.cm12Jn
TehV9At the tip of his sword stood a young man.yAqxJL
NXYdLxHair shining like gold, brilliant blue eyes.XhHg
e0DNBaThe boy stood completely composed, unaffected by the hostility.IECj4
fBIeSu“Leon van Reinhardt.”qNYXdd7
RDGLeon didn’t answer. He merely looked silently at all the members of the Auditore family.t7OU
YPqJust that alone dried the patriarch’s lips. Leon’s expressionless face was enough to tense even someone who had devoted his life to the battlefield.t88
trmDWithout breaking eye contact, Altair sent a mental message to Knox.dZnAs
WxsI8J“Did you send the report to the Heavenly Sword?”Zcu48
jBad5br“Yes, Patriarch. But there’s no response. It seems the communication system has been blocked.”IX7
IygpAltair nodded slightly.yrwEJm
kei“No matter, we anticipated this. Still, the message had to be sent. I doubt the hero will just let us go. Besides, this is the Demon Territory. Enemies could appear at any time. Everyone except me, return immediately.”65I
ykadim3“Patriarch!”o69g
2BJ8The Auditore members protested in unison, but the patriarch raised his voice sternly.AsT8K7
opZUKv“That’s an order from the patriarch. Disobey, and you’ll be punished under the regulations.”cgnu
ZRH9c5zEven so, the assassins didn’t move. All drew their weapons with determined faces.qMM7o8
sPNhM“The Heavenly Sword gave us an order.”k56A4c
b4oHKnox stepped up beside the patriarch.oe7s3s
Wyi8zCm“We all have to return alive.”rdzrPvm
oJ0xOsPHe said it loudly.ben
shtSjn“That includes you too, Grandpa.”QnJhK
tSzcEfAt that moment, everyone instinctively looked up.d2B
38G5fjM“……!”2OqVcK
tuMAcA white figure was seated in the air, back to the black sun.dZ82
Nbv3The contrast of white against black made the hearts of those watching tremble. Elite-trained assassins broke into cold sweat.qHvIf66
CJC“Looks like some rats have slipped in.”NFJ
5Ot8MThe figure slowly opened their eyes.Nx8m
M9PIxYFTheir pupils were so pale only the outline could be seen. Their gaze fell on Leon.06R
TwZiZ“A cleanup is in order, nephew.”jl2
x4ZLUA death sentence had been pronounced.mZN
jg0ALeon’s face twisted. He hesitated for a brief second, but had no choice.Y1T
J2uChing!ToBh6
TviUmThe blade of Balmung, wrapped in purple and white hues, was drawn.8QH3tS
HWHq2It looked like mold clinging to a sword.x4BECWT
RyZKuarne closed his eyes again, a mocking smile on his face.fqpE
Bt4eE4h“I’ll eliminate all of you here.”6tWnNH
L7vQLeon spoke the words with a face full of pain. The patriarch replied as if he couldn’t believe what he was hearing.WMhuHfm
Rbn“…Hero, do you realize what you’re doing right now?”Fwzbs8u
tZFjsnx“You’ll die here either way, with or without me. If you face Kuarne, the outcome won’t change. It’s like trying to reason with a natural disaster.”sud8p
UTu0jPLeon gripped the Balmung tightly.mdyt
ThNfIZ“Patriarch, dying by my hand will be better than being captured and tortured by that monster.”0p68
F3Nw5g5“Absurd.”aa9
wlPvuThe patriarch scoffed.jvaI
wuXz“How much are you underestimating us to say something so foolish to the Auditore clan?”NoMR
9kLA line of blood dripped from his left eye. The Auditore members readied themselves for battle.RgzChXW
JEBL3“Prepare yourselves…!”qXfWS5
jFYcLeon looked up. Kuarne, who had been closing his eyes until then, also looked up. He slightly opened them.yp6el7
68jEqNAt that moment, a flock began to circle the black sun, spiraling downward and casting a round shadow over Kuarne’s head.Al0rz
QX6t9Whoooosh.V8yn
8265t6kA whirlwind swept through the sticky air. That gust brought an unexpected freshness to the humans frozen in fear.9Cl
2fvOTap.EHfFWfu
wr12O8KA figure descended. Just before touching the ground, it had the form of a massive beast, but in the blink of an eye, it turned into a man.KE7y
qxGThe patriarch stepped forward.0ZLHn
LmJ“…Who are you?”vE7Em
jlngA“Valerion.”06qlV5s
AGebMNThe man who responded looked at Kuarne.taoCgb
i6fl“What are you doing here… Fallen Dragon?”vvBeVNr
uI6UYKuarne spoke with a cold voice.oMHRFl
hsg“My granddaughter asked me to.”b5FW0h
pjB8oThe Dragon Lord replied indifferently.zhAMzaU
3Fdoh“They must be saved.”mOv
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BlackLotus
Qi RefinementDragons!!?