Episode 25. Who would have thought they’d be so stubborn.
“Sirius has left. Understood.”
Upon hearing her father’s words, Yustia set aside the documents she had been examining.
“Yustia, do you know what urgent matter Sirius mentioned?”
“I believe it’s related to maintaining security in the south.”
“Hmm, is that so…”
Upon his daughter’s explanation, Lutvein nodded.
“Understood. We’ve entrusted external matters to you, so I trust you’ll handle them well.”
“I’ll inform you as soon as I receive any updates.”
Of course, Yustia knows why Sirius is moving.
She knows what Sirius discussed with her directly about what is needed to subdue both the Valkain Guild and the Oblia Mercenaries.
‘Sirius…’
Sirius intends to confront both the Valkain Guild and the Oblia Mercenaries at the same time.
If so, the fight will be much more challenging than when dealing with the Uterus Family or the Kalstein Swordsmen.
But even in such a fight, if Sirius can emerge victorious…
“…”
Yustia gazed at the map she used to discuss strategies with Sirius.
The day was approaching when the Rigell Family, who had been driven to the northeastern edge, would venture into a broader world.
***
On a moonlit night.
Advancing towards the mountainside with around 50 elite troops was a man with a sharp demeanor.
The head of the Valkain Guild… the Guildmaster of the 7 Circles, Valkain.
“Guildmaster.”
Julian, who was following behind Valkain, cautiously spoke up.
“Is it alright for us to go all the way to their headquarters like this?”
“I’ve already said it, Julian.”
Valkain replied in a cold voice.
“Whether this is a trap set by the Heavenly Sword Sect’s leader or not, we have no choice but to go.”
“Guild Master…”
“If there’s even a 1% chance that his words are true… we must go.”
Last night, Julian rushed to Valkain and relayed Sirius’s story.
They were to secure a position that would determine the dominance of this region, leading the elite forces to come immediately.
There was controversy within the guild, but ultimately, they had to gather the members in the middle of the night and depart.
“Yes, we can’t ignore even a 1% possibility.”
“… “
“Handing over the dominance of this region to the Oblea Mercenary Corps should never happen.”
Valkain Guild had been in constant conflict with the Oblea Mercenary Corps.
Both factions were similar in size and their areas of operation overlapped.
And both factions harbored ambitions to dominate the entire northeast region.
“Kalstein is dead, and Naiel of the Yuterus family is also dead. This is a crucial opportunity to completely control this region.”
“… “
“If the Alliance truly intends to entrust the local forces, it should be us, not the Oblea Mercenary Corps, who take that position.”
Valkain said, touching the scars on his face.
At first glance, they seemed like wounds from a blade, but in reality, they were scars from magic.
A few years ago, he clashed with the leader of the Oblea Mercenary Corps, resulting in these scars.
“In my opinion, the leader of the Heavenly Sword Sect is insane.”
“… “
“If someone not dispatched by the Alliance spreads such rumors, they are a crazy person who doesn’t value their life. If someone dispatched by the Alliance handles things in this way, they are ignorant fools.”
Valkain spoke in a harsh tone.
“There are two ways to deal with crazy people. The first is to avoid them altogether, and the second is to swiftly confront their madness head-on.”
“Ah… “
“The first method is currently impossible. So we must resort to the second.”
As long as there is a possibility of losing everything to the Oblea Mercenary Corps, the Valkain Guild must quickly head to the scene.
“There’s no need to hesitate. If the leader of the Heavenly Sword Sect is from the Alliance, we must do whatever it takes to gain control of this region.”
“… “
“If he lied, we’ll just bring him down right there.”
There’s no need to ponder why he plotted this.
Just bring him down and sweep away the Regel family as well.
“Julian, did you say that only six high-ranking members of the Kalstein Sword Sect are left?”
“Yes, not just Kalstein, but even his direct disciples are gone.”
So, it seems all except the leader of the Heavenly Sword Sect are mere remnants. In that case, they can easily suppress them with their full force.
There’s no need for one-on-one combat.
No matter how strong the leader of the Heavenly Sword Sect may be, if they all attack together, he won’t stand a chance.
“Oh, Guild Master, up ahead…!”
“…!”
The mountain where the headquarters of Kalstein Swordsmanship was located.
About fifty people were gathered near the entrance.
Valkain checked the man standing at the center and sharpened his gaze.
“Oblea…!”
“It’s Valkain.”
The leader of the Oblea Mercenaries, Oblea.
He was a burly man, just like Valkain, and also a 7th Circle mage.
However, he was evaluated to be a step above Valkain in terms of skill.
“You arrived later than us… Seems like you were delayed contemplating, Valkain.”
“Oblea, you…”
“It would’ve been better if you arrived even later. Then we could have been chosen by the Alliance.”
Watching Oblea speak leisurely, Valkain bit his lip.
“Looks like both have arrived.”
At that moment, a man poked his head out from the tightly closed entrance gate.
“Are you… the 6th seat of the Kalstein Swordsmanship?”
“I am currently Allean of the Celestial Swordsmanship. I will open the gate, so please wait a moment.”
The door slowly opened.
After opening the way, Allean led the way up the mountain path.
“The leader is waiting above. Follow me.”
“….”
Valkain and Oblea looked at each other.
In this situation, they had no choice but to lead their subordinates up together.
“Oblea, have you ever considered this might be a trap?”
As they climbed the mountain path, Valkain subtly asked, and Oblea snorted.
“A trap? What kind of trap?”
“That….”
“Do you think they hid bandits to kill us? If so, they would have called only one of us.”
“….”
“If we join forces, it would be difficult for them to handle us. So, the likelihood of a trap is low.”
Oblea’s words were convincing as well.
But as they ascended the mountain, an uneasy feeling grew stronger.
Finally, as they reached the middle of the mountain, a fairly large training ground unfolded before them.
There, dozens of swordsmen were waiting, and a man with long hair stood at the center.
“Welcome.”
The man spoke calmly.
“I am the leader of the Celestial Swordsmanship.”
“….”
As Valkain observed his face closely.
A desperate voice could be heard from behind.
“I, that man is indeed Sirius Canisroot!”
A man who had fled from the Yuterus family was raising his voice.
“Absolutely! Sirius, the youngest of the Rigel family, it must be him!”
“Grr…!”
Valkain bit his lip.
“So, he was trying to deceive us.”
“Tsk tsk, foolish man.”
But then, a clicking sound was heard.
Oblea was sneering at him.
“What’s the problem if that man is Sirius?”
“Oblea, what are you saying? He pretended to be a member of the Alliance…”
“Valkain, think carefully.”
Oblea said, raising an eyebrow.
“Sirius was a member of the Alliance from the beginning.”
“What?”
“The Alliance sent Sirius to infiltrate the Rigel family. Sirius driving out the Yuterus family and killing Calstein, all of it was part of the Alliance’s plan.”
“…!”
Valkain’s eyes widened.
“The fact that the supposedly frail scholar Sirius was able to defeat both Nei and Calstein can be explained if Sirius was a skilled agent sent by the Alliance from the beginning.”
“Ah…!”
“Perhaps he really killed Sirius and switched places with someone else. If it’s the Alliance, they are more than capable of such an act.”
“…!”
Leaving Valkain gasping for air, Oblea looked at Sirius.
“Sirius, shall we guess why you gathered us here?”
“…”
“You asked us to bring elite troops. That means… you want us to fight here.”
Not just the representatives, but to bring all elite troops.
This means they are planning for a battle.
“Oblea’s mercenaries and Valkain’s guild… The idea was probably to entrust the control of this area to the winning side.”
“…”
“Truly a method befitting the Alliance. Quite intriguing.”
Saying so, Oblea raised a finger.
“But Sirius, there is one issue.”
“…”
“Regardless of which side wins, both will be exhausted after the battle. It would be troublesome if you then turn around and try to kill us all.”
Wiping out two exhausted organizations at once.
One must consider the possibility of Sirius aiming for that.
“So, it would be good if some assurance was provided. We need a guarantee that after the battle, you won’t betray us.”
“Y-yes, that’s right!”
Valkain also hastily agreed.
“Any method is fine! If you can guarantee it from your end, I’ll settle the score right here…”
“Confusion, it’s all a mess.”
And at that moment.
Sirius, who had been silent all along, spoke up.
“It’s hard to even describe how much of a mess this is.”
“What…?”
“Everything is wrong, you bunch of imbeciles.”
Scorn dripped from Sirius’s voice.
“Nothing is right. You spread false information to undermine your judgment, but I never thought you lot would be this dense.”
“…!”
“Well, with such limited abilities, you must have only been good for small-time tricks.”
Small-time tricks.
Sirius mocked the Balcan Guild, which was a fairly substantial organization, and the Oblera Mercenary Band in that way.
“I am Sirius Canisruth. I have no affiliation with the Alliance, and driving out the Yuterus family and killing Kalstein were all my decisions.”
“…!”
No affiliation with the Alliance!?
Even Oblera, who confidently presented their deductions, and Balcan, who believed their words, were left speechless.
“And I had no intention of making you fight each other.”
“W-What are you talking about!”
Oblera raised their voice in desperation.
“Then why did you gather us here? What’s the reason!?”
“There is a simple yet profound reason.”
Sirius replied nonchalantly.
A few days ago, I checked the map to determine where your headquarters were.”
“What…?”
“Your headquarters were right in the heart of the city. In a bustling commercial district where many people come and go.”
The Balcan Guild controlled the flow of logistics and extorted money from merchants.
The Oblera Mercenary Band roamed around stores, collecting protection fees.
That’s why they had set up their headquarters right in the city center.
“If it were deep in the mountains like the Kalstein stronghold, I could go in alone and take care of business. Even if blood flows, screams echo, and buildings crumble, it wouldn’t be a problem. But causing such a ruckus in the heart of the market would pose some issues.”
What would the public think if a member of the Regal family caused a scene in the market square?
Other families might take issue, and from the Regal family’s perspective, it wouldn’t be ideal.
“Moreover, if you were to flee among civilians, it would be difficult for me to catch you alone. So, I consulted with my wife and…”
Sirius coughed awkwardly mid-sentence.
“I pondered with the Regal family folks.”
Why was he correcting himself?
Sirius’s awkward statement left Balcan and Oblera even more perplexed.
“After considering various scenarios, the conclusion was to gather all of you here for a decisive blow.”
“…!”
“This place is deep in the mountains. Even if I were to kill all of you, no one would bat an eye. Plus, the Kalstein stronghold made the mountain paths narrow, making it hard to escape.”
From Noble mtl dot com
Decisive Strike.
Realizing that this was Sirius’s true intention, Valkain felt a chill run down his spine.
“You crazy bastard…!”
Valkain raised his voice.
“Do you want to die!? The elite forces of two factions are gathered here!”
Sirius’s allies were nothing but remnants of the Kalstein Sword Sect.
In the face of the elite forces of Valkain Guild and the Oblea Mercenary Corps, the opposition stood no chance.
Even if Sirius was skilled enough to defeat Kalstein, it was unlikely to be a Level 9 Circle.
Therefore, if Valkain and Oblea collaborated, they could certainly bring him down.
“Daring to act without understanding the situation…!”
At that moment,
Valkain realized that there was not the slightest change in Sirius’s expression.
Without any flicker of emotion, Sirius gazed at Valkain with cold eyes.
“You… you…”
And then Valkain finally understood.
The reason why they had misunderstood Sirius’s true intentions all along.
Sirius was confident that he could defeat both Valkain Guild and Oblea Mercenary Corps simultaneously.
Because they failed to grasp this, both Valkain and Oblea had been under misconceptions, leading to provoking Sirius.
“Alaion, bring it down.”
“Yes!”
Thud!
With a loud noise, rocks tumbled down from behind.
The path they had ascended was blocked, cutting off their retreat.
As everyone looked on in horror, Sirius walked out slowly.
“Let’s begin.”
“Kill them…!”
Valkain Guild and Oblea Mercenary Corps shouted as they rushed forward.
It was the beginning of a bloody battle.