Academy’s Genius Swordmaster - Chapter 210

210. King of the North (4)

#210

“Don’t you get an answer from the soldiers stationed in Heiran? Did I contact you properly?”

“That’s right…”

The Warfox staff bowed their heads. Jager, who was lying half-reclined on the bed, frowned. what the hell is this

“There must be hundreds of people, but where did all those people go? Did you get dragged by the ghosts from the Sea of Ice?”

“Sorry. As of right now… I immediately formed and sent a reconnaissance party, so an answer will come sooner or later.”

The staff member was breaking out in a cold sweat and groaning. I couldn’t quite raise my head. A heightened sense of dignity exuded from Jager, who had returned from a serious injury two days earlier.

Should I say quality? Is it because it is beyond the danger of death? It was much more serious and weighty, and it seemed like a different person than before. Jager, who was silent for a moment, opened his mouth.

“Hmm…I knew it once. go away.”

“yes.”

The staff went away. Inside the spacious room, Jager and the six guards guarding him remained. They were the most elite subordinates who had been placed in fear of a surprise attack.

‘There are all sorts of strange things.’

Jayr brushed his beard. It was an embarrassing situation. The day after tomorrow, Ronan’s party will arrive in Heiran. At this rate, it was unknown whether the promise to withdraw troops had been kept. Thinking about something, he opened his mouth.

“…Form a byeoldongdae. I must go there myself.”

“Shouldn’t you still rest?”

“That’s true…but it just doesn’t feel right.”

Jay got up from the bed. The intuition that had saved him so far was sending a warning. It seemed that something unpleasant was about to happen.

It was necessary to accurately ascertain the current situation. He was just in the middle of fixing his clothes. The door to the office opened slowly.

-Kiik…

“Hmm?”

Seeing it strange that no one asked if he could go in, Jage turned his head away. His eyes widened as if they would pop out. A figure I hoped I would never see again was standing in the doorway.

“Barca…!”

“Nice to meet you. Jayger.”

As always, Barca was wearing a black robe. There was no sound from his hurried steps.

Jayger hesitated and stepped back. The guards, noticing the presence belatedly, drew their weapons.

“Stop there for a minute!”

“Are you seriously injured? I’m glad you seem to be all right.”

But Barca didn’t even pretend to hear the guards’ warning. I had told all the soldiers in the castle to deal with Barca immediately, but I didn’t know how it came.

‘Could it be that many people were harmed? no. It’s impossible. He must have sneaked in.’

The hair all over his body stood on end. He couldn’t see his face because he was wearing a robe, but Jager could tell he was smiling. Barca, who was staring at Jayger, tilted her head.

“Why are you so nervous? Did I do anything?”

“…What kind of stranger did you come here for? The subject who ran away alone then.”

“I’m sorry about that. Because I underestimated my opponent, I needed time to make the game. It’s much stronger than I expected.”

A blatant reply came back. In no time, the guards completely surrounded Barca.

Surrounded by six blades, he finally stopped. It was to talk about Jayger sending an assassin. Barca continued.

“So I have something prepared as a reward. It’s probably an offer you won’t be able to refuse.”

“An offer you can’t refuse…?”

“okay. Really…an offer you can’t refuse.”

Jager shrugged his eyebrows at the meaningful tone. Suddenly Barca snapped her fingers. right! His robes wriggled and a black shadow came out.

“uh?”

Shaped shadows brushed past the bodies of the guards. The speed was so fast that the seven people, including Jager, were not even aware of the shadow’s existence.

It was the moment the shadow entered the inside of the robe again. Chow ah! The limbs of the six guards were severed and blood fountains gushed out.

“Aaaaaagh! Par pal!”

“uh? Whoops?!”

A desperate scream rang out. Severed limbs and crippled bodies collapsed. Jager, whose legs were weak, managed to prevent himself from falling by placing himself on the bedside table next to him.

“What the…!”

I couldn’t understand what had happened. All I could see was Rob wriggling. Even in the flurry of blood, Barca stood still as if she had hardened. Finally he opened his mouth.

“I will give you the right to survive, so cooperate, Jager. This is my proposal.”

“Keugh!”

“I will never forget that I betrayed you once. Because you were such a piece of trash. If you listen to me carefully, you will be able to reign as the king of the North within a few years.”

Barca said in an overbearing tone. It seemed that he was caught blowing information. Red eyes flashed from the inside of his robes.

“Damn it…”

His attitude was completely different from before. Still, since I had expected it two days ago, it wasn’t that shocking. After all, I was a scarecrow to achieve this monster’s ambition.

‘If I refuse here… I’ll lose everything.’

Jayger clenched his fists. For a moment, the image of the werewolf deformed son flashed through my mind. Memories of blowing up information easily, drunk with a sense of justice and guilt.

I must have been crazy for a while. After closing his eyes for a moment, Jayger opened his mouth.

“Yes… I will cooperate.”

“Good idea. I have something for you to do in Heiran, so follow me.”

When he expressed his willingness to cooperate, Barca’s tone softened again as if it had never happened. Jage, who wiped his chest, removed his hand from the nightstand.

“It is. Can I pack something before I leave? It’s in the desk drawer.”

“Do it yourself. We’ll be leaving in three minutes.”

Having said that, Barca turned around. The escorts who had not yet died were moaning in pain. Upon closer inspection, not only the limbs were cut, but terrible cuts were left all over the body.

“My Mr. Jager…!”

“Heh heh heh…”

Jaeger didn’t react. Staggering to the desk, he opened the second drawer. In the deepest part lay a brilliant dagger like a coiled viper.

‘This bastard…’

It was something I prepared thinking that a day like this might come someday. The venom that flowed down the blade was shedding a glossy shine. It was extremely poisonous to send even an ogre in one shot.

It wasn’t this. Whether he became the king of the north or the emperor, this was not really the case. I don’t know exactly what Barca’s purpose was, but if he continued like this, he would continue to do terrible things.

Reason and intuition were screaming for him to surrender, but his body was moving as his heart told him to. It was the first time in thirty years.

‘One room. It only takes one room.’

Jager took a deep breath and repeated it in his mind. Carefully holding the hilt, Jaeger opened his mouth.

“Hey Barca.”

****

The sky was clear. A cold wind was blowing as if the bones would freeze, but it was bearable because there was no snow. Adeshan said, putting a piece of beef jerky in Sheeta’s mouth.

“ruler. You eat too.”

“Pun!”

The journey to Heiran was already on its third day. Ronan, Adeshan and Sheeta were sitting on the floor and taking a break. A huge hill without a single blade of grass blocked the north wind, so they could melt their travels more comfortably.

Adeshan and Sheeta were eating a simple meal, while Ronan was writing something with paper and pencil on a flat rock. Adeshan, who was messing around with beef jerky, asked him.

“Ronan. Who are you writing this letter to?”

“Um…what should I write…”

However, no answer came back. It was strange to see him moaning uncharacteristically. Adeshan asked again.

“Ronan?”

“Ah, sorry. To His Majesty the Emperor.”

“aha. Yes… what?”

Adeshan’s eyes widened. Just in time, Ronan, who had finished writing the letter, stood up. He said as he tied the letter to Sheeta’s ankle.

“I have a personal request for you. It’s a bit of a tough request… but I thought you’d accept it since I’ve made a contribution in my own way.”

“…that’s great. In many ways.”

Adeshan shook her head in disgust. I didn’t bother to ask because he seemed to want to keep the contents a secret. Ronan, who tied the letter tightly, patted Sheeta on the head.

“Sita. please.”

“Kip!”

Sheeta spread her four wings and flew up. The sight of it disappearing across the sky in the blink of an eye reminded me of a black comet. A reply would come in two days at the latest. Adeshan said.

“I hope it goes well. I don’t know what.”

“Iknow, right. Shall we start soon?”

“huh.”

The two stood up and brushed the snow off their clothes. It took almost thirty minutes to climb the northern hill.

Ronan and Adeshan, who finally reached the top, stopped at the same time. The scenery of Heiran, the polar region, unfolded before my eyes. Adeshan opened his mouth slightly in admiration at the vast land covered with ice and rocks.

“Wow…”

“I finally arrived. damn it.”

Ronan brushed his bangs roughly. It was a short but arduous journey. The two could not sleep properly due to the threats of beastmen and monsters hostile to humans.

Blue ice sprang up in places on the gloomy ground. The horizon, proving that this is the end of the continent, hung over the far north.

Over there hung the sea of ghosts, the final destination of this journey. It was said that the cries of the ephemeral dead sailors could be heard from the frozen sea all year round.

Why did my father or Elcia call me to a place like that? Pulling out a pipe, Moon Ronan asked Adeshan.

“How about blood needles?”

“It is still fixed. Maybe he was injured and was lying down?”

“That would be nice, but…well, you’ll know once you go.”

The blood gauge needle I got from Jager was fixed with the direction turned last night. Something was suspicious, but as Jager said, there seemed to be something in Heiran.

What I had to solve right now was to beat Barca. The blacksmith shop and my father were next.

The two went down the steep slope. You had to be careful because you could slip. Ronan, who confirmed that there was no presence around him, blew a whistle.

“Ohhh…Jager kept his promise. To be honest, I was a little anxious.”

“I don’t feel it either. I think they definitely withdrew.”

Adeshan nodded. It seemed that the promise to inherit the soldier stationed there was faithfully fulfilled. There didn’t seem to be any monsters or beasts, so the two of them were able to walk smoothly along the needle of the blood needle.

“But just in case you don’t know, take care of the crossbow so it doesn’t freeze. You never know when to shoot.”

“huh. I will.”

Hearing Ronan’s advice, Adeshan tinkered with the crossbow on his back. Unlike when he infiltrated the nature of the New Beasts Union, he was fully prepared.

Every time he stepped, ice fragments and volcanic stones made an addictive sound. After walking for a long time, the two eventually reached the shore.

Except for weathered strange rocks and chunks of ice growing here and there, nothing special was visible. The sound of the waves was getting louder. Adeshan, who was holding the blood needle, tilted her head.

“It is strange. What should come out now?”

“I see… Wait a minute, what is that?”

“huh?”

Suddenly, Ronan extended his index finger and pointed forward. A block of ice so huge that it was believed to be a hill stood between the sea and the land.

In the middle of the bluish ice wall, he could see a disparate air current of mana swirling around. Adeshan’s eyes widened.

“That one!”

“Definitely award-winning.”

It also matched the direction the needle was pointing. Ronan and Adeshan moved as if possessed by something. Having reached the ice wall, Ronan swung his sword into the air.

Sugak! With the feeling of cutting paper, the hallucinations surrounding the ice wall crumbled. A hidden door has been revealed. The 4m high wooden door was not designed for humans.

Sigh… When I opened the door, a long passageway of unfathomable depth was revealed. In the relatively turbid air, the fishy smell of blood was finely smeared.

The needle was pointing exactly inside the aisle. The two looked at each other at the same time, then turned their gaze back to the front. Ronan, who opened his collar once, opened his mouth.

“I think I found it.”

.

.

.

The passage was much deeper than I thought. In the winding cave, even the sound of breathing could be heard loudly.

The torch in Ronan’s hand was the only light source. Each time the oiled flames swayed, the long shadows of the two swayed as if they were dancing.

They were on the utmost alert. Ronan’s other hand rested on the hilt, and Adeshan had even hung a crossbow from his crossbow. Whatever came out, an immediate response was possible.

“Ha, making something like this in ice.”

Ronan, who looked around, admired a little. The walls and ceiling of the huge aisle nearly 4m high were all made of translucent ice.

It must be harder than most stones or metals, but it was only useful to carve it out. The only thing on the floor was a layer of straw, which seemed to prevent Barca from slipping.

There were dark red bloodstains on the straw. Bloodstains that looked like spilled stew ran at irregular intervals deep into the passage.

“I saw that the wound was big. Where did you get hurt again?”

“…I think so.”

Adeshan nodded calmly. The tone was noticeably subdued.

Ronan thought it was a good enough situation. Because the culprit who took everything from him was in front of me. Ronan, who was pondering something, opened his mouth.

“I will yield.”

“…huh?”

“You know Barca, I’ll give it to you so that you can kill him.”

Silence came over the sudden sound. Adeshan, who was dumbfounded for a moment, smiled.

“thank you. But actually, killing Barca is not my purpose.”

“What is your purpose?”

“I just want to ask. Why did you do that and are you still doing it? Why are you trying to dominate the North by squeezing the blood and tears of so many people? Of course, I have to pay for the crime separately from that, but… for now, that’s my only purpose.”

His voice was calm, without any hint of trembling. Ronan paid his respects to her mature demeanor by not answering. They had been walking for about ten more minutes. Adeshan, who had been walking slightly in front, stopped in place.

“Ronan. There’s something over the corner.”

“yes?”

In front of their eyes was a corner bent to the right. Ronan, who closed his eyes and focused his mind, nodded. Sparkling mana was seeping out.

“I guess… it’s like Barca.”

Adeshan raised the crossbow. The blood gauge needle held in her left hand was also pointing in that direction. Ronan tugged at the hilt.

“I’ll go.”

After answering that, Ronan took the lead and turned the corner. The blade, pulled out silently, was ready to sever the enemy limb from limb at any moment. It was the moment the torch lit up around the corner. Ronan’s face froze coldly.

“This…!”

Beyond the corner was blocked by an ice wall about three meters in front. A stone altar that could only be used for ceremonies was placed there.

Above it were seven beasts’ heads in a row. Unidentified leather bags were swaying on hooks above the seven heads. Adeshan, who saw it a step later, dropped the blood needle.

“Three worlds…!”

A rattling sound echoed through the cave. The faces lined up in a row were all violently distorted. As if he had seen something unbearably terrifying. Suddenly, Ronan’s eyes landed on the head in the middle, and he sighed.

“…jager.”

His breathing started to get rough. The white tiger’s head was unmistakably that of a jager. He was the only one of the seven heads that didn’t have a frightened expression on his face.

It looked as if its head had been severed as it roared in fury, with its ears pulled back and its fangs bared. Adeshan covered her mouth with both hands.

“Oh, how did this…! Then this blood needle…?”

“…a fucking bastard.”

Ronan gritted it. Looking around, he was able to quickly find out the secret of the blood needle and the sparkling mana.

Drops of blood were dripping from the leather bags hanging from the top of the altar. It probably contained Barca’s own blood. It seemed that any additional measures were taken to disrupt it.

“Ha ha…”

The corners of his mouth went up in shock. I could feel my heart beating fast. Suddenly, the sound of a mechanism creaking came from beneath my feet.

“what?”

Ronan and Adeshan, who were nervous, lowered their heads at the same time. The eyes of the two overlapped over the blood needle. The red needle was pointing towards the entrance of the cave. A low, vibrating voice echoed from behind.

“Nice to meet you, you worms who ruined everything for me.”