Chapter 128

It had truly been a long time since Senel unleashed her full power and continued the battle.

However, as time passed, more questions began to weigh heavily in her mind.

‘What on earth is this guy? It’s almost as if he’s reading all my moves…’

During her clash with the man before her, Senel realized something. Even though they were both Grade 12, she was operating at a level above him in terms of the magnitude of magical power and fine-tuned mastery.

It was, in fact, only to be expected.

No matter how comparable their levels were, while Senel had spent a long time living as a Grade 12 Grand Witch, the Pirate King had only recently reached the rank of Grade 12 Grand Warrior a few years ago.

There was simply no escaping the difference in capabilities.

Yet…

Despite all of this, the battle at hand was clearly turning against Senel.

No matter how strong or destructive the power, it was utterly useless if the attacks didn’t land.

At least, the wide area attack known as ‘Acid’ was her unique attribute. If it weren’t for that, she would have landed almost no effective strikes up until now.

The Pirate King was dodging her attacks with an all too familiar ease.

From close combat to breath attacks and magic—it was as if he knew exactly what she would throw at him next, evading entirely or slipping through the gaps to deliver a counterattack no matter the blow he received.

This realization…

Made Chancellor Senel even more deeply curious about this Grade 12 man she had already taken an interest in.

‘What is his true identity?… I’ve heard that name before a few times…’

A being who had conquered the Five Seas.

The King of the Sea.

The greatest pirate in history.

Since the Kingdom of Roycen was far from matters relating to the sea, she had never directly investigated him, knowing only that such a figure existed.

Yet, now that he stood right in her way,

Senel found herself feeling a twinge of regret for not having looked into this man sooner.

-Kwagggh!!!

“Ugh…”

Her body swayed violently from yet another punch.

Although the nature of this magic did not directly injure her, each hit took a significant toll on her magical power.

This was the strike of a Grade 12 Grand Warrior.

There were no particularly extraordinary techniques involved.

It was simply a straightforward punch imbued with magical power.

The problem was that this simple punching wasn’t a joke at all.

‘No… It may be because it’s so simple that it possesses this much power…’

Senel had grown by developing a variety of techniques.

Even her current state,

The Black Knights who had lent their strength to the Holy Empire Army.

And… the very essence of her being.

Everything she was made of was the result of her ‘growth.’

But this man was different.

He utilized one exceedingly simple thing.

While it was something even a child could do—a punch—he had honed it to near perfection.

The very nature of his condensed power being a simple ‘wave’ was undoubtedly the reason for this.

Each punch contained the full strength of a Grade 12.

Thus, that strike was powerful.

A being who had, in a literal sense, grasped the sea with a single fist.

Seeing the Pirate King, despite being the same Grade 12, exhibit such a contrasting nature to her…

Senel couldn’t help but feel a sense of admiration deep inside.

‘I know that there are various ways of living…’

But who would have thought that such differences could manifest in this way…

She never imagined she would feel it from someone of the same Grade 12 strength.

Standing in the same rank yet possessing entirely different characteristics.

There was an unfamiliar sensation, and at the same time, a certain fondness.

And this reality began to blossom in her heart as a profound feeling of ‘excitement.’

‘It’s truly been… a long time. For a man to appear who brings me this much joy…’

Despite the not-so-great situation of the battle, she felt the exhilaration of the moment growing stronger.

Senel summoned a magical barrier once more to block the punch flying toward her face.

However.

-Crack!!!

The barrier shattered with a thunderous noise.

Though it had reduced some of the strike’s power, she couldn’t evade the punch that was now headed for her face.

-Smack!!!!

A burning pain—there was no mercy in this man’s genuine punch, and a large crack appeared in her skull.

Yet.

“…Tch.”

The Pirate King clicked his tongue.

As she was engulfed in the red magical power, the pain vanished in an instant, and her skull healed.

Feeling the drain of her magical power once again, Senel muttered with a bit of annoyance.

– “That hurts quite a bit. Even so, to strike a lady like this… You really know nothing of decorum, do you?”

“Sorry, but despite how this looks, I’m indeed a pirate. In the sea, there’s no difference between man and woman. There are only the strong and the weak.”

– “So it’s survival of the fittest, is it? Such a barbaric world. Though, I suppose our side isn’t much different either.”

With that, Senel got ready to launch her attack once more.

She had already expended tremendous magical power just to get this far.

She was also feeling considerable physical fatigue, having not felt tired in a long time.

Yet still, Senel had no intention of stopping.

It was a refreshingly exhilarating sensation she hadn’t felt in ages.

This oh-so-welcome feeling ignited her desire to enjoy this moment even more.

But then…

“Phew…”

– “? What’s going on? Why are you withdrawing your magic?”

The Pirate King began to retract the magical power enveloping his body in front of her.

Senel, puzzled by this incomprehensible act, questioned him.

“Seems like we’ve played enough, so let’s call it a day.”

– “You… Are you running away after coming this far? It’s not over yet. Come at me!”

Despite his proposal to end the battle, Senel still showed her fighting spirit.

However, the Pirate King simply shook his head slowly and replied.

“You know you’re running low on magical power, don’t you? I’m pretty worn out from pounding your acidic body too. Sadly, I’m not a fan of messy mud fights when resources are limited.”

“…”

The Pirate King’s words, which precisely gauged their current states, silenced Senel for a moment.

“Besides, if we keep going, one of us will end up dead. And I don’t want to take such risks for a fight that isn’t even for my own home.”

– “…Tch.”

Senel clicked her tongue at his words.

While she could definitely keep fighting if she forced herself,

She didn’t want to push herself against someone who had already lost interest in the fight.

-Huff…

With that, she began to retract the magical power that had enveloped her.

Transforming from the form of a dragon back into an ordinary human, she looked at the man before her and spoke with a hint of regret.

“It’s a shame; I wanted to enjoy this a little longer.”

“Maybe we’ll have another chance someday. But for now, I suppose I should receive some compensation for the entertainment.”

“…Compensation?”

His words carried a strangely understandable nuance.

Senel felt puzzled as he smiled and added.

“I’ve entertained you, haven’t I? Even street harlots have the right to be compensated for their pleasures. Surely, a Grade 12 like myself should be entitled to some form of reward?”

“…Tch. I thought you were a noble warrior, but now it seems you’re more like a trickster… no, a bandit.”

“I’m a pirate, after all.”

“…By the way you talk, I can’t shake the feeling you might have a bit of a con artist in you… heh.”

With that, Senel lightly smiled.

Though they had met as enemies, the more she listened, the more she found him to be a likable person.

With a satisfied expression, she opened her mouth as if feeling relieved.

“So, what do you want?”

*

Although the battle had been intensely fought, it was starting to come to an end.

Looking at the way things were flowing, I thought I could win if I continued.

However, I decided to halt the battle with Senel.

I didn’t intend to finish her off completely right here and now.

While the original story aspects were slightly bothersome, more importantly, I had other pressing matters to attend to.

‘If I stay like this… my children would be in danger…’

The Black Knights of Senel that had retreated alongside the Holy Empire Army.

I knew how dangerous they were.

Right now, I had the upper hand in terms of basic combat ability, and knowing their weaknesses, they were like snails easily squished.

But for Franklin and his group, 200 Grade 10 Grand Warriors were nothing short of a disaster that would be nearly impossible to resist, even with Napoleona’s group alongside.

To prevent the worst-case scenario, I asked Senel to temporarily halt the movements of those men.

To my surprise, she readily agreed.

Only.

“If there’s a possibility of after-service…”

She added a condition that felt quite peculiar.