Chapter 34

Bastoni Family's Lord's Castle.

Alessandro, who had entered the reception room, exchanged greetings with Escardo, who had already arrived.

“Sir Escardo, it’s been a while.”

“It’s good to see you, Lord. This is the first time since the memorial service.”

About ten years ago, Alessandro had lost his eldest and second sons overnight in a subjugation he had led.

After that, he had almost lost his third son and only heir, Lorenzo, so one could say the family's fate was truly tragic.

“I never thought you would come yourself using a Warp stone, Sir.”

Eurasia's subjugation was a large-scale practical training exercise assuming a state of war.

A Warp stone was not something to be used in a wartime situation because of the risk of its location being detected.

‘Sir Escardo has changed, too.’

He, who valued principles more than anyone, had personally used a Warp stone to come to the Kurt Mountain Range.

Moreover.

“I heard you killed the Knight Slayer yourself?”

“I merely ended the life of a creature that was already caught.”

Escardo replied calmly and gazed out the window.

The corpses of the two Slayers were being publicly handled by the apothecaries.

“It is my fault that the information was inaccurate. I never imagined there would be more than one Slayer……”

“It is not something for you to apologize for, Lord. I, too, overlooked the Slayer's movements.”

“……Too much blood has been shed.”

Alessandro’s face darkened.

“It is natural for sacrifices to follow in a subjugation.”

“How are the young masters? I heard a Priest from the Pantera Temple visited.”

“All three young masters have severe reflux symptoms. It seems it will be difficult for them to hold a sword for at least half a year.”

Escardo relayed the words of the Priest who had been in charge of the treatment.

The second young master, in particular, lost an arm, causing his level as a knight to regress significantly. It was now as clear as day that Paian would be pushed out of the succession race.

“I see I asked something unnecessary… I will prepare accommodations so they can rest.”

“Rest is sufficient. More importantly, the Family Head will be arriving soon.”

“Already…… you say?”

“The risk level of the subjugation has been raised, so the schedule was moved up. Before the Family Head arrives and hunts the ruler of the mountain range, I intend to deal with the remnants in advance.”

“What can I do to help?”

“Please dispatch supplies and the rangers belonging to your family. I will lead the remaining knights myself.”

Rangers referred to trained soldiers who were well-versed in the geography of the mountain range.

Although they could not handle mana, they were specialized in tracking the traces of monsters on mountain paths to find the location of their lairs.

“Understood. I will arrange it so.”

Alessandro politely offered a sword salute.

In the future, when Eurasia declared itself a kingdom, Escardo would become the Commander of the Royal Knights.

Since Bastoni also had to perform its role as a key family of Eurasia, it would not be a bad idea to coordinate in advance.

After the lord left, Escardo, now alone, looked out the window again.

The apothecaries were still moving busily, dissecting the monsters' corpses.

The subjugation the young masters had failed to finish.

It was now time to put an end to it.

***

“Commander Julian, what is the objective of this subjugation?”

“It is to sweep up the monsters and hunt the ruler of the mountain range.”

“That is correct.

From now on, the Blue Knight Order will be in charge of the left, central, and right sections of the mountain range. Do not be negligent in your guard, as it is a territory our knights protected with their lives.”

“Understood!!”

Julian replied with a booming voice and offered a sword salute.

‘Has a chance finally come for me as well?’

The left, central, and right sections of the mountain range.

Originally, these were areas that the three knight orders had divided among themselves.

Although it was unavoidable because Demian and Paian were injured, the meaning was not light.

Especially since the person who gave the order was Escardo, the Commander of the Knights of the family.

Escardo looked at the blond man standing next to Julian.

“Vice-commander Las.”

“Yes!”

Las Veltvik, a 5-star knight leading the White Knight Order in Demian’s stead, stepped forward.

“You and the White Knight Order will subjugate the area beyond the central part with me.”

“……!!”

Moving with Escardo was the greatest honor for a knight, so Las's reaction was no different from Julian's.

“Understood!”

The dismissed Julian and Las relayed the orders to their knight orders.

Things proceeded swiftly after that.

The Blue Knight Order split into groups of sixty to defend the three areas, and the White Knight Order advanced rapidly through the central part.

High-level monsters that appeared after the central part blocked the knight order, but they were all killed by the sword energy Escardo nonchalantly unleashed.

While the three young masters had not regained consciousness, Escardo and the two knight orders continued the subjugation.

And a week later.

Simon Eurasia, leading the Red Knight Order, arrived at the Kurt Mountain Range.

***

The two pillars of Eurasia. Simon Eurasia and Escardo Schtenberg strolled through the mountain range.

Around them, the Red Knights followed, maintaining a perimeter guard.

“To use a Warp stone. That was a choice unlike you.”

“I simply thought it was not yet an opponent for the young masters.”

Escardo replied calmly to the Family Head's words.

According to the Annihilation Squad's report, the ruler of the mountain range should have been at the 7-star master level and unable to escape the barrier.

The fact that the Slayer, not the ruler, had reached the 7-star level and had come down to the middle of the mountain range was an unexpected situation from the start.

“I heard the young masters caught one on their own.”

“Two was too much for them. If the young masters hadn't moved quickly, a monster wave would have occurred.”

“That, we cannot know.”

Escardo sighed inwardly at Simon’s indifferent response.

Surely, Simon knew as well.

That the young masters managing to catch one Knight Slayer was a result of a stroke of luck.

And also, that if they had chosen to retreat instead of subjugating it, there would have been even more sacrifices.

Nevertheless, the reason he was showing such a reaction was due to the aftereffects of reaching the 8-star.

‘His symptoms are getting worse.’

The symptoms of Heart Break were similar to a slump, but differed in that one ‘lost’ their humanity.

Currently, Simon's condition was so severe that it was dangerous for him to use mana without the Head Apothecary's recovery potion.

‘The end of loss is rampage.

If the Family Head becomes unable to fully control his power… the family is finished that very day.’

Escardo recalled the advice of the Head Apothecary, who had spoken with a grave expression.

“He must take a recovery potion made from the Magic Stone of a monster at least at the 7-star master level. As of now, that is the only way to manage the Family Head’s Heart Break symptoms.”

Just in time, the Bastoni family had requested a subjugation.

It was not a bad pretext for the Family Head to make a move.

What he had overlooked was that, besides the ruler, there were several Superhuman-level monsters, and that their range of movement was wider than expected.

“We’ll have to reorganize the formations after this subjugation is over.”

“The losses of the Red Knight Order are greater than expected.

It seems we will have to replenish the numbers from the White and Blue Orders.”

The knights who had experienced the boundary between life and death would have gained a great awakening.

Especially since their opponent was at the Superhuman-level, the surviving knights would be more than qualified as members of the Red Knight Order.

Meanwhile, Simon showed no particular emotion even though over a hundred of the family's knights had died and the three young masters were hovering between life and death.

He merely asked, as if surprised.

“Were there such talents seen in the Blue Order as well?”

Unlike the White or Black Orders, the Blue Knight Order was mostly composed of mercenaries or those with lesser skills.

Due to the lack of ability of their commander, Julian, the general assessment was that it was embarrassing to call it a knight order, as it only had numbers.

Escardo had thought so too.

That was, until he saw the knights who had survived this subjugation.

He nodded his head.

“The vice-commander's skills didn't seem bad.

I also saw some quite decent kids among the Centurions and Decurions.”

“If you say so, it must be true.

What about Julian?”

“He overcame his slump and has grown admirably.

With his current awakening, he should be able to reach the 4-star level within a few years.”

4-star.

It was lacking compared to the other young masters, but considering Julian's talent, it was a great achievement.

“Interesting.

Was the change because of that child, Killian?”

“It seems so.”

Killian had reached the 6-star level in less than two years after forming his Mana Heart.

He had played a decisive role in hunting the first Knight Slayer, and had almost managed to catch the second one as well.

The reason why he had gained Julian’s trust and the Head Apothecary’s interest was belatedly understood.

“I thought the competition was already over.”

The succession race had long since become a two-way battle between Demian and Paian.

He had thought this subjugation would be the mission to put a final stop to it, but Paian had lost his power base and a new variable named Killian had appeared.

“Have you decided to whom you will bestow Pisaro?”

“Let's talk about that when we get back.”

“You haven’t changed.

I'm already starting to fear the meddling of the matriarchs.”

“It seems we’ve about arrived.”

Simon avoided Escardo’s gaze and looked ahead.

Three hours after entering the depths of the mountain range.

He could see the flags that the Red Knight Order had come and planted in advance.

“Is this the place?”

Seureung.

Escardo, who drew his sword instead of answering, cut the air, and the space wavered as red mana spread out like a thin film.

Soon, the barrier erected by the ruler of the mountain range was shattered, revealing a wide open space.

The end of the open space was connected to the entrance of a cave.

“Everyone, fall back and form a line.”

At Escardo’s command, the Red Knights who were guarding his side quickly scattered.

It was right after the Carpe deployed by twenty 6-star knights had newly dominated the space.

[Uninvited guests have arrived.]

With a gloomy voice, a being wearing a black robe walked out of the cave.

“A Lich.”

Simon looked over the robed being without drawing his sword yet.

Lich.

It was the form a mage with a Mana Heart took when they denied death and walked the path of a monster.

Their minds gradually broke down, and they eventually walked a path of corruption no different from a monster.

Seeing the madness in the glint of its eyes, it seemed the Lich before them was no different.

The turbid crimson eyes of the Lich, which had been scanning Simon, Escardo, and the Red Knight Order behind them, lit up.

[Hoh… some quite well-trained fellows have come. Come to think of it, a few of my specimens haven't returned.]

The specimens were the chimeras known to the world as Knight Slayers.

They were the creatures he had released to collect living beings to use as materials.

The Lich revealed its white teeth and let out a laugh.

[Klkklkl… since usable materials have walked in on their own two feet, I shall forgive your rudeness.]

Soon, a monster emerged from the cave connected behind the Lich.

A Knight Slayer, created by mixing 6-star Grand-level monsters.

The Red Knights swallowed their dry saliva at the chimera that was exuding an extraordinary presence.

“A Lich that creates Superhuman-level beings. This one should meet the conditions the Head Apothecary mentioned.”

“He seems rather excessive, though.”

Escardo sighed as he looked at the chimera.

It was from the thought that if he had been just a little late, the young masters' knight orders might have been annihilated.

“Family Head, I will take care of the chimera. Please focus on cutting down the Lich……”

“No, I will face it myself. It seems suitable for a warm-up.”

The Lich's crimson eyes narrowed into slits at Simon's reaction.

‘Such composure even in front of my masterpiece…….’

He was lost in thought for a moment.

In his mind, a Superhuman from the frontier, whose fame was well-known even on the continent, came to mind.

[Oh my!! Could it be Simon Eurasia and Escardo Schtenberg!!]

“A being who must have been revered as an Arch Mage in his lifetime has come to such a pathetic state.”

Escardo received his words, quietly releasing his fighting spirit.

The Lich let out a gloomy laugh, unconcerned.

[No need to look at me like that. In exchange, I was able to overcome the wall.]

Shiiiii.

Evil energy scattered into the surroundings.

Escardo frowned at the unpleasant energy.

As the amplifying evil energy instantly dominated the space, the Red Knights coughed up blood due to a sudden reflux phenomenon.

The Lich revealed its white teeth and spread its arms.

[An 8-star I reached at the end of a long research. You will become the specimens for that power.]

It was the moment Escardo, who had drawn his Gwigoksageom, was about to deploy a new Carpe.

“Interesting.”

Hwaaaaa.

Uncontrolled mana flowed from Simon’s body.

A grayish color, a mixture of white and black.

It was a mana color that only Simon possessed throughout the continent and the frontier.

[ὠμςός!!]

The chimera screamed at the fighting spirit of the 8-star knight.

The Lich, who had been emitting evil energy with all its might, was just as surprised.

[Simon Eurasia… you bastard…….]

“If it’s an Arch Lich that has overcome the wall, I suppose I can test a new sword.”

Seureung.

The moment Simon drew his sword.

Eurasia Style.

“Thorn.”

The Chimera's severed head rolled on the ground.

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