NOVEL NEXT Chapter 344
(344)
Tarti and the warriors from the East had cleared the way, and Lady Trentia and I sprinted into the cave.
“Lady! Stay close behind!”
“Yes, Your Excellency.”
A sea giant whose head nearly touched the ceiling, a lobster warrior with a massive seaweed bundle on its back, an octopus guardian of the Undersea People, and other high-ranking merfolk blocked our path. Yet, Lady Trentia and I managed to shake off all these monsters and succeeded in reaching this point.
The Merfolk Shrine exuded an appropriate sense of mystique.
A giant cavity filled with seawater had formed a ring-shaped lake, with a white coral sand island in the middle.
Inside the Gorii Lake were high-ranking merfolk and merfolk themselves, while on the coral sand island stood Governor Carlon and his soldiers.
From a large hole in the vaulted ceiling descended a pillar of light, and at the center where the light illuminated sat Schub Ardelra.
I smirked as I looked at Governor Carlon’s face.
“…That’s how it turned out, Governor.”
He twitched his mustache.
His expression suggested confusion over what was happening.
“…If the noble departed from the End-of-the-Line Port, there should have been a notification to me.”
I chuckled as if I were the antagonist explaining the master plan.
“He didn’t depart from there. After running across the water to the open sea, they hitched a ride on a passing ship.”
With every step across the saltwater lake, ripples spread over the surface.
Carlon and his soldiers murmured nervously as they watched the sight.
“This island isn’t a place one can reach merely by catching a passing ship, though.”
“By mere coincidence, the pirates famous in the East were on that ship. They were excellent sailors, after all.”
“Pirates?”
Carlon glanced at Schub Ardelra.
The Mermaid Princess let out a sigh.
Given that it was her duty to guard the Southern Seas, if a fleet of seven large ships had appeared, the Celestial Fleet should have conducted an inspection.
However, on the brink of breaking the chain that had bound her for a thousand years, the Mermaid Princess had likely abandoned her duties as an Inspector-Admiral. Thanks to that, Tarti was able to reach the depths of the Southern Seas unnoticed by anyone.
Carlon shouted at Schub Ardelra.
“Princess! This is a breach of contract!”
Schub Ardelra gritted her teeth.
In the next moment, the power of incantations surged from her body, choking her neck and piercing between her scales.
“Ughh…”
Her teal eyes contracted, and blood began to flow from between the scales.
The water in the clamshell where she had been sitting was already tinged red.
Having seen firsthand how much Cariosa could hurt someone, I knew that to see water dyed to that extent meant significant bleeding.
I summoned the power of incantations.
Whoosh…
“Let’s stop here. You’ve done enough.”
A small golden swirl rose above my palm and flew toward her. It intertwined with and halted the incantation forces that had been invading her.
Squeak, squeak…
A sound akin to pressing against a window echoed.
Though I couldn’t undo the contract immediately, I could at least halt the current punishment.
Schub Ardelra looked up at me with clear eyes reminiscent of the Southern Seas.
Just as I intended to flash her a sly smile and win her favor, a figure stepped between us.
“Valenciaunos? When did you grow so tall?”
He had blue hair, golden eyes, and a mature appearance.
He seemed significantly older than both me and Jeilliris.
He was tall and well-built, and radiated an inhuman aura characteristic of the Royal Family with Dragon’s Blood.
If he hadn’t been born into an era where even those of the royal family were treated as potential infiltrators by the emperor, he would surely have been a mighty knight officer whose name would have gone down in history.
But that was the era we lived in now.
I smirked sarcastically as I shrugged.
“We haven’t met before, but you seem to know my name?”
“I am Ricentien. I was once among the top twelve in the line of succession.”
Ricentien looked as though he wanted to command me to show respect.
I responded with an insult that was practically a curse.
“That’s old news, isn’t it? You probably know that.”
He frowned.
“You? At least call me ‘elder brother.’ I could have had a son your age if I were married.”
I leisurely shook my head as I stepped onto the coral sand island.
Clang, clang.
Carlon’s soldiers aimed their swords at me with wary glances.
I arrogantly tilted my chin without giving them so much as a glance.
“Ricentien, know your place.”
“What!?”
His face stiffened.
Even as a fugitive royal, such an offensive remark must have been new to him.
Especially since he had been demonstrating decent social skills till now.
Which is exactly why I decided to provoke him even further.
“You’re a sinner deprived of your inheritance rights. And I am the second in command of the Empire. Do you understand the difference now?”
His pale face turned bright red.
“Impossible!”
From behind, Lady Trentia charged across the saltwater lake.
“Lord Valencia!”
Carlon and Ricentien’s faces were set with resolve.
“Attack!”
The next moment, soldiers and five members of the royal family charged towards me.
I contemptuously laughed to myself as I gripped the handle of my magical sword ‘Typhoon.’
“Foolish men.”
* * *
Ricentien had come to this island with four other members of the royal family, and they were all powerful warriors who had honed their skills with incantations, magic, and swordsmanship over a long period of time.
Led by Ricentien were a seemingly young boy, a bearded middle-aged man, a short-haired girl, and a long-haired woman, all of whom drew their swords and began casting spells.
“Whip of suffering!”
“Chain to bind him!”
Whoosh!
From her left hand, a red-hot chain shot toward Valenciaunos’ limbs.
Simultaneously, the young boy wrapped his sharp sword in shimmering blue mana and lunged.
“You bandit!”
Tatatata!
The boy’s swift footwork was so rapid, it was invisible to the eye, his sword tip unwavering, aiming directly for Valenciaunos’ neck.
“You are the one who killed my sister and brother! And my mother… She fell to the hands of your twin! Now it’s your turn!”
Valenciaunos erupted into a wild laugh.
“You were the evidence of my idleness. If His Majesty were to learn of this, this head of mine would be in a perilous position, so I shall send you back to them before you can utter a word.”
Tash!
Although the young boy charged, Valenciaunos dealt with the chains first.
Screeeech! Screeeech!
Ztztztzt!
His scales underneath his uniform had been heightened to the limit, resisting both heat and physical force.
Chaaar!
The chains wrapped around Valenciaunos’ right arm and left foot, tightening like mad.
Chiiii!
Fiery orange sparks flew in all directions.
An attack that would have melted any armor and set the person inside on fire, but the scales of the Bandit Duke were holding steady.
The short-haired royal and the long-haired royal frowned deeply, and Valenciaunos spun his limbs like they were paper dolls.
“Kyaaah!”
“What kind of strength—!”
Swish!
Simultaneously, he poured mana into the magical sword Typhoon, drew forth blades of wind, and formed his flaming sword into a flame tornado.
At that moment, the boy was already leaping at him.
“Dieeerrr!”
Tskaaaa!
The boy’s all-out slash drew a blue line through the air.
Now the only thing he could do was block, but doing so would still make him retreat.
The boy was in front, and the water was behind him.
There seemed to be no other option but futile defense for Valenciaunos.
Thud!
At the same time he stepped back firmly onto the water with his right foot, he swung the flaming sword Typhoon upward.
Whoosh!
“Too late!”
The boy instantly felt the victory but saw that Valenciaunos’ crimson lips still curled into a sadistic smile.
Clang!
When the flaming sword Typhoon collided with the boy’s sword, a violent repulsion occurred.
Chiiing!
Sparks of fire and fragments of the mana blade flew in all directions.
The boy’s expression twisted momentarily.
‘I’m a swordsman who can cut cliffs…?!’
The attack he had delivered with his full weight, even combining his leap, was being stopped with just one hand by the Bandit Duke.
Clang!
Another repulsion occurred, and the boy rebounded as if kicking off in mid-air, retreating.
“Revenge!”
The moment his feet touched the ground, he pushed off again to charge forward.
Slick, shick, shaaaack, shaaakk!
The boy’s sword swirled as though multiplied eightfold, attempting to tear Valenciaunos apart.
“Talk to your elder sister in the afterlife, crying and whining!”
However, the Bandit Duke wielded his flaming sword in a whirlwind motion to fend off the boy’s attack.
Clang, clangclang! Clangclangclang!
At the same time, he subtly twisted his body to use the boy as a shield, preventing attacks from Ricentien and the bearded middle-aged royal from a distance.
Whoosh!
‘Why is a technique this straightforward so effective?’
Realizing he was already on the defensive, the boy panicked. He also noticed that Valenciaunos’ sword had been extended by more than two feet right from the start.
“You… you coward!'”
Valenciaunos cackled.
“Did you finally realize? Your siblings had such poor judgment that they all fell to my hands!”
“Don’t you dare—!”
“To speak to me like that, there are only three people in the Empire, including His Majesty!”
Mighty flames erupted from his sword.
“Pull!”
“Damn!”
The short-haired royal and the long-haired royal screamed.
BOOM!
The magical sword Typhoon unleashed a long blade of wind, creating a vortex. Inside that vortex were the mana blade and the flames that twirled around.
It was a technique that had once incinerated hundreds of starfish-like creatures on a rainy day as waves crashed against a breakwater.
The Eye of the Flame Typhoon.
“No!”
In an instant, the short-haired royal let go of the chains she had created and clung to her sister’s chains to pull them.
Squeak!
Valenciaunos’ right hand twisted slightly, and the powerful vortex barely missed the young prince.
“Ugh!”
The young prince let out a groan as he leaped into the air.
Valenciaunos’ vertically slitted eyes flickered as he observed the prince.
There was a snide smirk in his gaze.
His crimson lips parted, revealing teeth that were unnervingly neat and white.
‘Burn… to ashes.’
Whoosh!
In the air, a fireball the size of a man appeared and transformed into the shape of a devil with massive horns.
The Fire Spirit flung its arms wide and rushed forward.
Boom!
The young body was enveloped in flames in mid-air.
“Kaaaaaaah!”
He tried to buy time using magical resistance, attempting to extinguish the fire with the power of his incantation.
‘No, no?’
But Valenciaunos’ flames effortlessly pierced through the resistance of his fellow royal with Dragon’s Blood heritage, burning him to the bone.
Whoosh!
“Aaaaaaaahhhhh—!”
The young prince’s corpse hit the ground.
Crunch!
Simultaneously, it turned into ashes and scattered.
Ricentien and the bearded middle-aged royal breathed heavily, while the two women bit their lips.
“Hm.”
Valenciaunos absorbed the gauntlets on his left hand into his palm, encasing his left hand with scales after a small shout of effort.
Thud!
And he immediately broke the chain binding his right hand.
He lifted his chin and looked up at Ricentien.
Standing much lower, he still appeared to be looking down.
“I said I want to hear the word ‘elder brother.’ Would you like to humor me?”
“!”
“Elder brother. Do not resist uselessly. Let’s hurry up. I’ll send you to your death with a beheading, and build your tomb in the Great Cathedral.”
* * *
While Valenciaunos confronted the royals, Trentia faced Carlon and his soldiers.
“Stop him! Stop him!”
“There’s no way!”
“The Platinum Knight from the Capital. We can’t handle him with just our men!”
“Aaaaaaah!”
The situation was so one-sided as to make the word ‘opponent’ embarrassing.
Clang!
The swords plunged into Trentia’s armor by the soldiers were easily deflected, and each swing of her sword cut a soldier in half.
She called out to Carlon with a commanding voice.
“Governor Carlon!”
“Damn it! Damn it! These rotten fish! They’re all alike!”
The knight had reached the sand island, while Carlon retreated in a panic.
“Surrender peacefully and pay for your sins! His Majesty is not a fan of vicarious punishment. Right now, your life alone can save your entire family!”
For a moment, Carlon looked around and saw that his soldiers, who had numbered nearly a hundred, were now reduced to just a few.
“Hahahaha.”
He let out a defeated laugh, acknowledging the arrival of an insurmountable variable.
‘Already… the ship has set sail. Either return empty-handed or die at sea.’
Withdrawing a pale blue conch from his robes, he blew it.
Puwhhh!
Schub Ardelra’s eyes widened, and the dead soldiers began to move.
The Merfolk’s treasure, the ‘Conch of Subjugation,’ enslaved the souls of dead sailors.
“Grrr…”
“Krak!”
The dead bodies’ teeth grew sharper, their skin turned pale, and coral grew along their spines.
The surviving soldiers trembled.
“Lord?”
“Mi… milord!”
“What sacrilege…”
Trentia nodded.
“I got it.”
She wrapped Hwanhan with a mana blade.
Shhhhh!
A blood-red wave-like mist rose ominously.
“To the death, I shall send you to perish.”