<The Demon Lord of the Swordsmanship Family Chapter 161>
“Hmnn~.”
Inside the room, where classical music played in the background, a woman sang a little tune to the masterpieces.
Leaning back into a red sheepskin sofa, with her legs crossed, the woman exuded sensuality as the bare skin peeking through her equally red cheongsam caught the eye.
Ziiing— the phone on the table suddenly buzzed.
The woman glanced at it nonchalantly.
– How is the progress, Miss Fan?
Just from reading the contents, the woman had a good guess of who the sender was. She scoffed faintly with a disinterested look.
“The prince seems to be pushing himself too hard.”
Does he really think assassination is that easy?
Twisting someone’s neck might make it m*rder, but assassination requires thoroughness and secrecy. It’s a task demanding plenty of preparation and time.
“People these days are too naïve. Though, I suppose this is why he’s the prince.”
For a fleeting moment, hatred flashed in her eyes.
‘Does he even know what hunger feels like? Have you ever worried about survival?’
From her perspective as someone who had earned everything herself, the prince was nothing but an ignorant fool.
“Still, what can be done? You’re our valuable prince, so we must take care of you.”
Just as she picked up her phone to look into the situation for the prince,
The door clicked open.
A man entered.
A white man donning an affordable suit you’d see on any random passerby on the street. He had an unusually faint presence.
The woman turned off the classical music with her remote and greeted the man with warmth.
“Tigers come when you speak of them, so they say. I’ve been waiting for some news, and you’ve arrived right on time.”
“…”
“How’s the silent treatment? Please, have a seat. What would you like to drink? Coffee? Pu-erh tea? I would recommend the Pu-erh we’ve recently acquired; it has an especially good aroma this time.”
“…money?”
“Money right off the bat? Here, your tea.”
The man looked at the steaming cup of tea and brushed it aside slightly.
“I do not frivolously consume what others give.”
“Oh, how cold! We’re practically strangers now? I considered us close acquaintances. We’ve worked on many missions together, too. Hmmn~.”
“….”
Her seductive gaze had no effect on him as his face remained as rigid as stone.
The woman chuckled.
“You’re so uptight… all right, got it. So, here.”
The teacup was taken away and in its place, a check was presented. The man ignored her coquettish grin as he focused on inspecting the check.
“Your calculations are… off.”
More? No, it was the opposite.
The sum in the check was much higher than what was agreed upon in the contract.
The woman chuckled pleasantly, her eyebrows flicking.
“Isn’t it a bit much for three people? I added a little extra because your job is always so neat. Cheer up. There’s no hidden meaning. It’s simply a clean bonus approved by the ‘Main Organization.’ Bo, ne, su.”
“…”
“While we’re on the topic, let’s skip the first two cases, but how exactly did you handle ‘Steve Bork’?”
“As always.”
“Tsk, a secret technique, huh.”
Speaking of Steve Bork, the man had once been the team leader of a famous group of heroes, a true powerhouse, yet the man before her had eliminated him without a ripple.
What’s more, right there in the middle of the royal palace.
“Because of you, the royal family is in an uproar. Who would have guessed that people would start dying in the palace? The second prince is scrambling to find a new ‘agent,’ but he won’t easily succeed. It’s already difficult to find someone with the skill of Steve Bork, and even if he does, no fool would come to such an unsafe place. Isn’t that right? Huh, huh.”
“Interest. None.”
“Ah, you’re leaving already? At least have a meal before you go. I wanted to discuss something with you about the ‘Main Organization’ recruiting you…”
“Mission is done.”
“I see. Goodbye then, ‘Three.’ Or should I call you ‘Three’ at all?”
“…!”
At the mention of the word ‘Three,’ the man who had tucked the check into his pocket stopped momentarily, then proceeded to turn the doorknob and leave.
The closing door and receding footsteps disappeared instantly. Likely, no one in the vicinity had even noticed the man.
Oil.
Once upon a time, among experts, there was talk of oil replacing magic gems as an energy source, which momentarily skyrocketed the value of oil.
Looking back now, it sounds absurd, but at the time, it was seriously considered. The global stock and futures markets were shaken, and history recorded this event as the ‘Oil Shock.’
Later, it was revealed that it was all nonsense.
A collaborative plan crafted by experts and strategic groups.
With the conclusion that oil couldn’t match the efficiency of magic gems in terms of accessibility, scarcity, or any aspect, the inflated value of oil deflated like a bubble.
Many people eventually forgot about oil, celebrating with soju at the Han River.
However, oil still had its uses, even if it wasn’t as an energy source.
Whether in the chemical or heavy industries, or even the everyday clothes we wear—oil remains an essential component.
In short, oil consumption remained steady, and its value persisted.
Which implies…
Oil-producing countries with oil fields still possessed tremendous wealth.
And Saudi Arabia was the prime example among these nations.
…
…
The capital of Saudi Arabia, Riyadh.
The palace of the Shade Dynasty.
The palace where the Second Queen, Fatima, resides was bustling with visitors.
Owing to the unfortunate assassination of the First Queen, the Second Queen Fatima effectively became the de-facto matriarch of the Shade Dynasty.
Unlike the king, who was neither incompetent nor especially competent, Queen Fatima had ambitions—and the sharp mind to match her grand dreams.
With her, power naturally followed, and Queen Fatima wished to ride this wave and entrust the throne to her eldest son, ‘Muhammad.’
However…
BANG!!
“He’s been assassinated! Right here in my palace! Do you really think this is acceptable? Can someone please say something?”
The first thing that caught the eyes of the gathered crowd was the agitated figure of Queen Fatima. This was highly unusual for the normally calm and composed woman.
However, many present thought her reaction was justified.
‘This is bad. There’s only about two weeks left until the ‘Royal Succession Battle.’ If we don’t find an ‘Agent’ within this time… Muhammad is finished.’
‘It’s not hard to find just any agent, but… this is the Royal Succession Battle. We need someone at least as skilled as Steve Bork… and that’s not easy.’
‘The moment the fourth queen made her move by honing her blade, I knew. What am I going to do? I’m losing my mind.’
The Royal Succession Battle.
The throne of the Saudi Dynasty isn’t necessarily passed down to the firstborn son.
Upholding the sacred number ‘5,’ the succession order goes up to fifth place. Each heir appoints an ‘Agent,’ and these agents battle in duels. The ultimate victor is deemed worthy to inherit the throne.
The quick-witted among you have probably already guessed.
That’s right.
The recently assassinated ‘Steve Bork’ was none other than Fatima’s eldest son Muhammad’s agent.
With this, Muhammad’s three agents are now all dead.
DING.
Excitedly throwing the water glass, Queen Fatima stood up.
“When that Frenchman disappeared, I didn’t say anything. When the African Union representative was injured and returned to her tribe, I stayed silent. But now, even Steve Bork has been assassinated. How much longer do you expect me to endure?”
“….”
“Speak up. Have you all suddenly become mute? Or do you all wish for me to forfeit the Royal Succession Battle?”
“We would never!!”
“Hold composure, Your Highness.”
“Absolutely, you must not forfeit.”
All the ministers who had gathered began shaking their heads profusely.
Everyone here was a supporter of the second queen. If she were to forfeit the throne battle, they’d either be banished if they were lucky, or more likely, purged and sent to the afterlife.
Essentially, they shared the same fate as the second queen.
“If that’s the case, offer some opinions. What should we do now?”
“Find a new agent—”
“Don’t give me such obvious advice. Am I some fool? We’re already doing that. I’m looking for something extraordinary that will help us overcome this hardship—not mere commonplace ideas.”
“Hmm… ah…”
Everyone fell silent, frozen like mute bees swallowing honey.
The silence stretched on.
“Ah…”
Fatima’s sigh hung distinctly in the air.
Are they really this helpless? Depending on these bunch to seize the throne filled her with a tremendous sense of self-disgust.
Just then, saviors appeared to break this uncomfortable silence.
“Mother, please calm down. It’s not good for your health.”
“Your highness, Your Majesty…”
The firstborn Muhammad and the youngest son Ismail arrived, hand in hand.
Muhammad, who was 28 this year, and Ismail who is just 7.
To be honest, Muhammad is the ideal ruler, even disregarding the line of succession. He inherited the sharp intellect of Fatima and the rare virtue of tolerance from the king.
If one must point out a flaw, the only one could be that he’s not a superhuman—though in truth, how many times in the history of the Shade royal family has a superhuman ascended the throne anyway? So this might not even qualify as a flaw.
A flawless, ideal ruler.
The second queen Fatima knew of Muhammad’s capabilities and therefore decided to officially participate in the Royal Succession Battle.
The arrival of her precious sons softened Fatima’s earlier harsh demeanor, and she waved her hand.
“Let’s take a short break. Go out, get some fresh air. When you return, I expect everyone to have at least one sensible suggestion.”
The ministers, fleeing like runaway soldiers, disappeared.
As everyone left, Fatima’s stiff expression melted away like cotton candy and morphed instantly into a radiant smile as she scooped up Ismail.
“Our princes, what brings you here?”
“Ismail says he misses you, mother.”
“Is that so? My prince, do you miss your mother?”
Ismail shyly whispered, “Yes…”
The sight of the adorable Ismail brought warmth to the faces of Fatima and Muhammad.
However, this wasn’t the time to indulge in joy. Without a word, both quickly wiped the smiles from their faces.
“Are you speaking about Mr. Bork’s assassination?”
“Yes, we are. I apologize, my prince. Your mother’s mistake has caused you trouble.”
“It’s not your mistake, mother. How could I have anticipated the other side would go this extreme?”
“Exactly. That dirty woman, the fourth queen, has poisoned the sacred institution of the Royal Succession Battle.”
Currently, the leading candidates for the throne are three factions.
First, the faction centered around the Second Queen Fatima, the Muhammad faction.
Second, the Faisal Duke faction, the current king’s younger brother.
Finally, the third faction, led by the Fourth Queen Asha and the Salman faction.
Thinking of Salman, Muhammad’s half-brother, made Muhammad frown. Known for his kindness, it was rare for him to look this way; nonetheless, Salman had established quite a reputation for his cruelty.
“Salman hasn’t been sitting idle either. The brutality of this child is known throughout the palace.”
“Huh, they already have two casualties in the Duke faction, it seems. As our ancestors said, rottenness cannot be hidden. How is it possible that both mother and child are so depraved?”
“With the sacred throne at stake, using assassins and resorting to assassinations is utterly unacceptable…”
For the sake of the House of Shade, the throne must not fall into the hands of Salman’s faction.
Both exchanged a glance and nodded.
“Anyway, wasn’t today the day our second child was supposed to arrive?”
“Prince, don’t even bring it up. We resolved this, didn’t we?”
“Ha, look at what ‘Gasna’ has been up to now. Is there any way for someone like me to not get angry?”
The second child is the long-awaited superhuman of the royal family. Naturally, they’ve received a great deal of affection from both the king and queen, enjoying every luxury life can offer.
“Prince, you should know what happened when she said she wanted to study abroad in Korea.”
“Indeed. Mother, personally intervened against the objections of the royal elders and sent her there, didn’t she?”
“Yes! But… But!!!”
A few weeks ago, that troublemaker sent a letter with an update.
It included an ultrasound photo—a picture of a baby.
“…What can be done? If she’s already pregnant, that’s that. And, apparently, the man isn’t bad either, right?”
“He comes from noble bl**d. That’s the only reason I’m tolerating it. Adding noble bl**d to the Shade Royal Family would be a grand fortune.”
“That’s correct. Truly, a blessing.”
“Still, this time, I won’t let it slide. She needs a stern lecture. Don’t interfere, Prince.”
“Understood.”
Muhammad understood.
Despite saying that, her deep love for her second child is undeniable.
When the news of the pregnancy arrived, she was antsy for days. When she heard that the child was coming for a courtesy visit to the royal family, she even arranged a private royal aircraft to welcome her.
At that moment, Ismail tugged at her playfully, looking up at her.
“Mom, is sister coming?”
“Prince, do you miss your sister?”
“Yes, I want to see her.”
“You’ll see her soon.”
Thinking about her sister’s arrival made Ismail’s bright eyes sparkle like stars within Fatima’s embrace.
And, a few hours later.
In front of Ismail, Park Ki-hyuk and Spring stood.
“Dad! I can sense something strange about this kid!”
“Huh? Really? He bears within him a ‘Nebula’?”
Nebula.
It was the seed of the Sword King.
