Episode 24. Not a Defeat, but a Decisive Blow
“Ugh…!”
Spitting blood from his mouth, Ragnas rolled on the ground, distancing himself.
Impressed by his swift movements, Sirius inwardly admired.
“Not bad.”
Though he struck gently, a single slap from Sirius could disorient most people.
Having infiltrated here alone from the south, he seemed out of the ordinary.
“Darn it…!”
Whoosh!
A gust of wind swept around Ragnas’s hand.
In a strange sensation, as Sirius was thrown to the side, his clothes tore as if cut by a blade.
“A blade of wind?”
Recalling how Kalstein moved swiftly with the power of wind, it seemed Ragnas was utilizing it for attack.
Sending invisible blades of wind, it was quite threatening.
Of course, Sirius could respond adequately even if it was invisible.
“Urgh…!”
Ragnas groaned as he continuously sent out blades of wind.
However, Sirius dodged all the attacks while closing in.
In an instant, the approaching Sirius extended his fist.
Unbeknownst to Ragnas, a formidable energy had unfolded within that fist.
“Cough…!”
Thud!
Ragnus was thrown back and collided with the wall.
Ragnus’s body was partially buried in the wall, blood spurting from his mouth.
“Just one more thing to point out, Ragnus.”
Sirius, with a smug look, approached Ragnus.
“You guys must not have had any intention of fighting the Celestial Sword Sect Leader for the Regel Family.”
“…!”
“Your leader is a coward who feared even fighting Kalstein, a member of the 7 Circles. Do you really think someone like that could take on Kalstein, who took down his opponent in one strike?”
Sirius chuckled.
“Moreover, there are rumors that the Celestial Sword Sect Leader was dispatched by the Alliance. If you fight him, you’ll be making enemies with the Alliance. Do you think a small local gang like yours has the courage to oppose the Alliance?”
“Guh…”
“Of course, that was a false rumor I spread, but… anyway, you guys never had any intention of fighting the Celestial Sword Sect Leader from the start. That’s why I made this proposal.”
These guys were just black-hearted individuals pursuing their own gain.
Fighting against a skilled warrior dispatched by the Alliance for the Regel Family was nothing but a losing business deal.
“Your goal was simply to extort money from the Regel Family, and perhaps… to hand over some of that money to the Celestial Sword Sect.”
“…!”
“By making the Celestial Sword Sect a threat to the Regel Family, the Regel Family would extort even more money under the pretext of countering that threat.”
By repeating this, the Oblea Mercenary Band could exploit the Regel Family without shedding a drop of blood.
“I’ve seen many dirty dealers like you. I’ve taken them out one by one as soon as they caught my eye.”
Sirius could see through their tricks because there were many in the martial world who devoured others in the same way.
Schemes commonly used by lowly bandits.
Whether in that world or this one, the ideas of trash were inevitably similar.
“So, there’s no need to keep you alive.”
“…”
No response came from Ragnus.
He was now in a state where he could no longer breathe.
“…”
Sirius turned around without hesitation.
If he had spared them and tortured them, he could have obtained more information, but this was not the right place for that.
“Sirius.”
As Sirius turned to go back to where he was, he saw Rutvein waiting outside the restaurant.
“What happened? You said you were from the Oblea Mercenary Band?”
“Yes, they offered to protect the Regel Family on behalf of the Yuterus Family.”
Sirius replied calmly.
“We made it clear that we have no intention of seeking help from external forces.”
“Ah… Well done. The Oblea Mercenary Band is quite forceful, yet you managed to persuade them.”
Rutvein nodded upon hearing Sirius’s response.
“We were still in the middle of our meal. Come on in quickly.”
“My apologies, but I think I should take my leave now.”
“What?”
Rutvein’s eyes widened.
“No, why all of a sudden…?”
“I have to go somewhere urgently.”
The Oblea Mercenary Corps had already sprung into action.
If that was the case, there was a high possibility that the Valkain Guild was also on the move.
The time had come to wipe them out all at once.
—
Speeding south while using a Teleportation Scroll.
Their destination was the Calstein Sword Sect… No, it was the headquarters of the Cheonrang Sword Sect.
To carry out the operation they had planned in consultation with Eustia, it was necessary to mobilize the Cheonrang Sword Sect.
“…?”
But near the entrance located at the foot of the mountain, there was a commotion.
It seemed like a battle was taking place.
“…”
Sirius increased his speed.
The closer they got, the stronger the smell of blood became.
“Damn, bring it on…!”
Alleon’s battle cry was heard.
Soon, Sirius saw Alleon, now covered in blood, swinging his sword.
The moment he confirmed that sight, Sirius grabbed the sword at his waist and threw it.
Swish!
The sword cut through the air and flew past Alleon.
Due to that, Alleon flinched and stumbled, but the villain who was trying to kill him also had no choice but to hastily step back.
“Who the hell are you?”
He was a man in a blue coat.
He held a longsword in his hand, with nearly ten subordinates trailing behind him.
But Sirius, without even responding, first assessed the situation around him.
More than ten members of the Sword Sect were lying on the ground.
Among them were the officers introduced by Alleon.
Fortunately, the good thing was that there were no fatalities yet.
“Sir, Sir Sirius…!”
Alleon called out to Sirius, tears welling up.
“They suddenly barged in and caused a ruckus…!”
“Alleon.”
Sirius spoke in a cold voice.
“Tend to the wounded and step back.”
“Sir!”
“You also need to treat your injuries.”
With that, Sirius patted Alleon on the shoulder.
“Good job.”
“…!”
Ignoring the tearful Alayon behind, Sirius took a step forward.
“You’re from the Valkain Guild?”
“Sharp as ever. Are you the leader of the Heavenly Sword Sect?”
A man in a blue coat smiled.
“I’ve come to greet you before starting the real fight.”
“You’re audacious.”
“Audacious?”
The man burst into laughter.
“Did you really think we would believe those rumors? That you’re a skilled fighter sent by the Alliance?”
“….”
“It’s been confirmed. You’re not from the Alliance… you’re the youngest of the Rigel family.”
Unlike the Oblea Mercenary Corps, it seemed the Valkain Guild had already completed their verification process.
“Spreading such fake rumors, a fearless one, aren’t you? What were you thinking…?”
“Ignorant fool.”
“What did you say?”
Sirius retorted in a cold voice.
“I’m the youngest of the Rigel family? So, we believed in the fake rumors you spread.”
“…?”
“Think about it carefully.”
In front of the bewildered man, Sirius spoke slowly.
“Sirius was a frail scholar. Could such a person kill Kalstain, a 7th Circle Magic Swordsmaster?”
“What…?”
“If he was an ordinary mage, stabbing him might have been possible. But Kalstain is a skilled swordsmaster. Even your leader would find it difficult to land a blow.”
The man’s eyes flickered.
“Wait, then….”
“If you can’t understand this, it seems the folks from the northeast village are truly dim-witted.”
“…!”
“What’s your name?”
In response to Sirius’ question, the man hesitated before answering.
“I’m Julian from the 3rd Division of the Valkain Guild. I’d like to verify… are you really someone from the Alliance?”
“You still don’t get it?”
“No, then why the rumor about being the youngest of the Rigel family…?”
“There’s no need for us to explain the Alliance’s true intentions to you.”
“…!”
Julian was clearly puzzled.
If Sirius, the leader of the Heavenly Sword Sect, was truly a skilled fighter directly from the Alliance, then challenging Julian would mean challenging the Alliance itself.
“Julian, come over here for a moment.”
“…?”
Sirius flicked his finger.
As Julian hesitated and approached, Sirius immediately slapped him.
“Ouch…!”
Thud.
Julian, his face splattered with blood, glared at Sirius as he blinked his eyes. However, after sensing Sirius’s spirited gaze, he quickly cowered.
“Why? You can stab my innocent subordinates, but you can’t even take a slap?”
“Grrr…”
“Hey, Julian.”
Sirius tapped Julian’s shoulder and spoke.
“Don’t forget that Kalstein died by my hand.”
“…!”
Julian flinched.
“Julian, currently, the Alliance is trying to clean up this area. Killing Kalstein was part of that plan.”
“W-what…?”
“Still, the Alliance doesn’t plan to directly rule this area. They intend to appoint a suitable dark guild to manage it…”
Sirius lowered his voice as he spoke.
“Of course, the Valkain Guild is one of the candidates.”
“I-Is that true?”
“And the Oblea Mercenaries are also candidates.”
“…!”
Julian’s momentarily relaxed expression stiffened again.
“But since Julian of the Valkain Guild attacked my subordinates… your points will be deducted.”
“W-wait, that’s…”
“Just kidding.”
“What?”
“After all, there were factors that would deduct points from the Oblea Mercenaries as well. So, for now, we can call it even.”
Julian was perplexed.
With the continuous unfamiliar sounds, that was to be expected.
In fact, this was also Sirius’s intention.
“Now that it’s come to this, it seems we need to make a quick decision and conclude.”
“W-what…?”
“Tell your guild’s leader.”
Sirius looked straight at Julian as he spoke.
“Tomorrow night, I will appoint an official ruler to govern this area. I, as the Alliance’s representative, will do so.”
“…!”
“So… bring all your elite forces from the guild here. I will leave the path open, and no one will hinder you.”
Originally, due to the remaining organization of the Kalstein Sword Sect, it was not easy to advance recklessly in this direction.
However, Sirius, who wouldn’t intervene in the middle, asked them to bring their forces.
“Deliver the same message to the Oblea Mercenaries as well. That’s only fair.”
“…!”
“Take responsibility and deliver the message. If the message isn’t delivered correctly, it will be hard to handle the aftermath.”
Tomorrow night, ensure that the Valkain Guild and the Oblea Mercenary Corps can gather here. Then, I will appoint an official ruler among them to govern this region.
That’s what Sirius was saying.
“My words are done. I’m leaving now.”
“Wait, just a moment, a bit more explanation… Argh!”
Crack!
Sirius slapped Julian’s face again.
“I said I was done talking.”
“…”
Julian bit his lip, blood trickling down.
Faced with Sirius’s overpowering attitude, there was no choice but to step back.
“Lord Julian.”
As Julian and his subordinates left, Alayon, who had finished the first aid, approached.
“How can you lie without even wiping the spit from your mouth…?”
“Lie? What lie?”
“What?”
“I clearly said it.”
“…!”
Alayon quickly bowed his head.
“My apologies. Lord, you are from the Alliance, aren’t you?”
“Yes, that’s correct.”
The leader of the Heaven’s Blade Sect is not Sirius but an unidentified expert ‘Heaven’s Blade’ from the Alliance.
From Noble mtl dot com
That was the official stance of the Heaven’s Blade Sect.
“By designating tomorrow night, you’re not giving them the chance to confirm with others.”
“Yes, clever.”
Alayon’s expression brightened.
It was like a praised puppy’s face.
‘Just like the Twelve Guardsman’s technique…’
Indeed, the more you look, the more he resembles the Guardsman.
If he hones his swordsmanship a bit more, he might be able to play a role similar to the Guardsman.
“If given time, they will try to confirm whether my words are true. Whether with the Alliance or the Yuterus Family… But if tomorrow night is the deadline, there is no room for that.”
“They will come rushing. They truly believe that you are from the Alliance, Lord.”
“Well, I’m not so sure about that.”
“What?”
Alayon blinked and looked at Sirius.
“That guy Julian, if he reflects on it, he’ll quickly realize that what I said was nonsense.”
“Nonsense…?”
“Just now, I didn’t provide any evidence. He just got swept up in the atmosphere I created.”
“…!”
Even if Julian doesn’t realize it, there’s a good chance that other executives of the Valkas Guild will catch on.
And the same goes for the Oblia Mercenaries.
“But even if they doubt my words, it doesn’t matter.”
“Pardon?”
“Given the circumstances, they have no choice but to rush here with their elite forces.”
If indeed deciding the ruler of this region tomorrow night was true, one must absolutely not be absent.
Handing over the dominion to the other faction just isn’t an option.
Even if it’s a fake.
If we can kill Sirius with the elite forces we’ve brought, that will be enough.
“I also promised to open the way to this place… In the end, they will gather here tomorrow night.”
“Lord Danju, then…”
“Yes.”
Sirius spoke in a calm voice.
“Tomorrow night, we will capture both the Valkain Guild and the Oblia Mercenaries simultaneously.”
Not just defeating them individually, but a decisive blow.
That was the plan for this operation.