Chapter 298
After everyone had stopped moving.
Ray quietly raised his tension.
All of his finely honed senses stood on end, sending warnings.
Everyone remained in their positions but were tense, ready to grasp their weapons, and Luna also began to gently resonate her Circle in silence.
A figure approaching from afar grew clearer.
Eventually, a man who looked to be middle-aged appeared, cutting through the sandstorm.
Though he wasn’t carrying any weapons, he stared at Ray’s group, whose aura was rough and aggressive.
The man spoke calmly.
“I’ve lost face.”
After glancing around, the man sighed briefly.
“I tried to dress plainly as a sign of humility, but… it seems I easily provoked sin.”
As he said, the man’s attire was indeed simple.
To others, he probably looked like an ignorant merchant who wandered here by chance.
He wasn’t part of any regular trading caravan they usually dealt with, there was no emblem related to the Empire on him, and his attitude seemed clumsy. To the people here, he was just an easy target.
They would strip him of his belongings and toss his body carelessly onto the sand where it would eventually disappear.
They must have thought they could prey on him without any trouble.
“I offered mercy and a chance for reform, but since the bandits insisted on drawing their weapons recklessly, I had no choice but to enforce the law of the Empire.”
The man scratched his head awkwardly after speaking.
With his hand on his waist, Ray asked the Royal Guard:
“Besides the two renowned figures, are there other Swordmasters the Empire boasts of?”
“…”
“Oh dear… you’re making things difficult for me.”
Ray muttered this while fingering the hilt of his sword.
If this man truly was the Marquis of the Southern Border, then it was a situation where Ray couldn’t possibly laugh.
Of course, if this man wasn’t the Marquis of the Southern Border, that would be an even more troublesome situation.
After stopping Luna from activating her Circle, Ray stepped forward with the power of revelation manifested.
The middle-aged man bowed first as Ray approached.
“It’s unfortunate that I couldn’t contact you beforehand and came suddenly. However, I’m honored to meet you here, Guardian of the Empire.”
“…Nice to meet you, Lord Alexander.”
“Likewise, it is good to see you.”
The man did not deny being Alexander.
Alexander.
The second existing Swordmaster of the Empire.
The shield that protects the Empire from the Demonic Realm.
There were also several grandiose epithets attached to him, but none of them could be considered exaggerated or diminished.
Alexander and Ray were outwardly calm as they faced each other.
However, those observing the two couldn’t suppress their wildly beating hearts and their eyes became bloodshot.
Of course, there was an exception amidst all this.
“Human.”
“…”
Upon hearing Raphaela’s voice, Ray regretted not having stomped her into oblivion long ago.
While Ray pondered what kind of mindset allowed her to speak up in such a situation, Raphaela twitched her ears irritated by the sand stuck to them and frowned.
“Since we’ve arrived at your major city, let’s not waste time and depart immediately.”
“…Why don’t you shake the sand out of your ears and wait a bit.”
Though Ray indirectly told her to shut up, Raphaela, feeling confident due to sensing the presence of the World Tree nearby, refused to listen.
“Your dawdling has already delayed us enough. Instead of wasting time talking…”
ZZZANG!!!
Huge pressure poured down upon Raphaela’s head.
The ground caved in circularly around Raphaela, and cracks spread out in all directions.
This wasn’t magic. It was simply a concentration of force within the domain of Absolute Authority.
Even that was enough to make Raphaela kneel and unable to breathe properly.
“Ugh…”
“Elf. Arrogant long-lived ones. Though your racial pride is strong, your arrogance goes too far.”
“Keh… How dare you… emissary of the Mother… Have some shame, human…!”
“Shame?”
“If it weren’t for the Mother’s grace… You insignificant creations would’ve been annihilated long ago… And now you dare confront the emissary of the Mother…!”
ZZZANG!!!
The pressure intensified, and Alexander’s voice deepened.
“While you elves secluded yourselves in the forest, it was humans who blocked the Demonic Realm with countless sacrifices. And yet, do elves dare talk about favors to humans?”
“Let’s not take it too far.”
As Ray interjected, the pressure over Raphaela disappeared instantly.
Alexander smiled as if nothing happened and apologized to Ray.
“Sorry. I was too rude to your guest.”
“Huh? Oh, what I mean is, since you started, why not give her a proper lesson?”
“Ah… Is that so?”
ZZZANG!!!
The pressure poured down again on Raphaela who was staggering.
Under the increased pressure, Raphaela screamed and collapsed.
*
“Is it alright to leave the South unattended?”
After finding a suitable building and sitting down, Ray asked Alexander who sat opposite him.
Alexander kindly answered Ray’s question.
“You need not worry. I’ve already eradicated the scattered provocateurs in the South before coming here. Also, I’m not the only capable person in the South.”
“…But, what exactly happened here?”
“There isn’t much to add beyond what I explained earlier. A village attempted to commit sins akin to bandits, so I had no choice but to punish them.”
“…I see.”
This area is not much different from wild land.
Many of the people living here have something to hide.
There must be quite a number of people who settled here after committing crimes and fleeing, though the exact number is unknown.
Of course, there are many who love the place they were born and live their lives here, but given the harsh environment, it’s natural for tempers to flare.
However, just because tempers are short doesn’t mean they lack perception.
In fact, to survive well in such a place, one needs to be perceptive.
If Alexander had worn old armor and pretended to be a knight when visiting, the locals wouldn’t have dared to move recklessly.
Could Alexander really have been unaware of this fact?
That was unlikely.
In Ray’s opinion, there was a high probability that this massacre occurred due to implied intent.
Part of it might have been to seize the initiative against Ray’s group, and it could also be interpreted as a show of military force protesting Ray’s actions against the church.
‘But, considering Anthonyus was just sent back, openly threatening lacks justification…’
A unilateral show of force without justification leads to political isolation.
So, this was likely a way to create an incident intentionally to achieve the effect of an indirect show of military strength.
And the effect was quite good.
Unlike others, the Royal Guard would have raised objections loudly to Alexander’s sudden appearance.
Yet, they can’t act rashly now, can they?
“…”
After remaining silent for a moment, Ray noticed sounds of movement nearby.
Most of these sounds were small, presumably belonging to children.
“…Didn’t you spare the children?”
“I didn’t hold the children accountable for abetting crimes.”
“Their parents committed grave offenses, did they not?”
“Ah, although it somewhat conflicts with the laws of the Empire, the doctrine of the Church forbids holding children accountable for the sins of their fathers.”
“Do you prioritize the doctrine?”
“Even though it’s honorary, I hold the position of Cardinal, so it’s not easy to disregard the doctrine lightly, isn’t it?”
“Still… Can children survive in such a desolate environment?”
“I was just about to instruct my subordinates to ask the younger children if they wish to go, and escort those who want to the nearest church.”
“You are indeed thoughtful and compassionate. I have much to learn.”
Yes, it was a very compassionate and warm measure indeed.
Had it not been triggered by Alexander himself, it would have felt much more genuine.
Despite the atmosphere remaining calm, Ray felt deeply uncomfortable inside.
At this point, Swordmasters were not merely skilled fighters in Ray’s eyes.
Swordmasters typically emerged from the most educated elite class, and while their personalities varied, they all shared a common intuition for understanding the world.
And this characteristic certainly applied to Alexander as well.
Compared to when Ray first met Ernst, Ray had gained more experience and could pretend to be more relaxed.
Nevertheless, engaging in such psychological warfare with a Swordmaster was still exhausting.
“…But, why did you come here without prior notice?”
By now, the royal family must have realized that Alexander left his post and headed here.
By now, both the central and southern parts of the Empire must be in chaos.
Although Alexander had the right to move to another region, such secretive travel would inevitably cause significant repercussions.
Ray seriously considered the possibility that Alexander moved to cut off his head.
Yet, Alexander changed the subject again.
“It’s been over twenty years since I last saw Master.”
“…”
A figure worthy of being called “Master” by Alexander.
The only name that came to mind was Ernst Prislan, and Ray’s guess was correct.
“The more fame, authority, and followers one gains, the more one hesitates to move a finger due to others’ opinions, even when one does not desire it.”
“…”
“Therefore, I wanted to visit the Protector of the Empire in person, no matter how inconvenient, before you gained even more restrictions.”
“…”
Ray had many things he wanted to say.
However, given the situation, he grinned and nodded.
“It is truly an honor.”
*
A single giant tree blocks the sky.
No matter how much one turns their head on the ground, one cannot find the sky.
Yet, the sparkling sunlight falls and erases shadows on the ground, illuminating the scenery.
The land where the Elves live always flows with a warm green current, as it always has.
Compared to the bustling cities of humans, the land of the Elves is tranquil, yet full of vitality.
However, the moment everyone realized that the High Elf stood atop the roots of the massive tree, all movements ceased.
She was a special entity among the High Elves chosen by fate.
“As the servant of El-Lam approaches…”
One shining ring floated upward, then nine rings surrounded her heart and resonated simultaneously.
“Prepare to open the gate connected to the starlight.”
The realm beyond the starlight is forbidden to mortals.
Yet, the High Elf ordered preparations to open a passage for humans to glimpse this realm momentarily.
Contact (4)
