<The Demon Lord of the Swordsmanship Family Chapter 79>
It’s like a fucking joke.
How could such an idiot come out of a prestigious family like Chandler?
This was the thought William had while looking at Chandler Murray, who was locked up in the detention center.
“d*mn!! You’re here, William. Get me out right now. Those d*mn monkeys have locked me up.”
“…What’s the situation?”
“Getting out is going to be hard. There’s more than enough evidence and witnesses…”
Bang! Bang!!
“Hey! William! Are you listening to me?! Hurry up and get me out!!”
“Don’t worry about it. What evidence? What witnesses?”
“It’s all clearly captured on CCTV. The people in the club also saw Senior Murray’s ‘Ice’.”
“…d*mn it.”
“But there’s a more serious problem than this.”
“More serious than this? Are you joking? You activated area magic in a civilian area, and that’s more serious?”
“Yes, just listen for a moment.”
The following words from the junior were shocking.
“What? You touched ‘Park Ki-hyuk’?”
“Moreover, you even spoke harshly to the matriarch of the Jin-ryong family.”
Hearing this, William glared intensely at Murray inside the cell.
Should I k*ll him?
Yes, let’s do it.
That pig is better off gone from this world.
If possible, William wanted to k*ll him and erase all traces.
He certainly seemed somewhat useful when he first met him, but how did he fall apart like this?
Now, the American exchange group had built a bad relationship with two prominent families representing Korea.
William had something to gain, but things were tangled from the very start.
“At this rate, we could be in court tomorrow.”
“Absolutely not! If this fact gets out, our entire exchange group will be treated like fools.”
“Other seniors might not care, but there’s no way to deal with Senior Murray for now.”
“Stop it. Do whatever it takes to prevent it.”
William was someone who knew the power of reputation and used it better than anyone.
But now his reputation was at risk. He couldn’t allow that to happen.
The ‘Gold Rush’ from America had officially begun.
He discreetly slipped large sums of money into the hands of witnesses under the pretense of a settlement. The witnesses, having received such large sums, shut their mouths.
He also handed money to judges and prosecutors, even to the janitors working that day. He gave money to all public officials involved, fearing someone might leak information.
It was illegal, but the world always prioritized the illicit over the lawful, and the trial was ultimately postponed.
Now, only two places remained.
The Sword Master and Jin-ryong.
Two families representing Korea.
Where power, wealth, and even brute strength meant nothing.
As expected, he tested for a settlement but received the typical lawyers’ polite refusal. This meant it was handled locally without escalating further.
There was no willingness to negotiate.
William, who was sharp enough to catch on, realized he had to visit both families in person.
Thus, at the Optimum headquarters, he met Kim Yeon-hee, and on Jin-ryong Mountain, he met Yoo Hae-ryun.
But the responses he received were:
“Get a settlement with my son. I have nothing to say. But I’m curious, where did you learn those tricks? Bribing, as they call it. It was so Korean. It was interesting. But do it in moderation. Once is cute, but twice is intentional.”
“Why are you asking me that? The party involved is separate. You can figure it out. I don’t know. Be careful coming down. I expected more from a disciple of Roxan, but this is disappointing.”
One treated him like a corrupt merchant.
The other mentioned his mentor.
At this moment, William’s murderous intent surged once more.
‘You dare treat me like this? That pig, I’ll k*ll you no matter what! I will definitely k*ll you.’
In the end, he had to solve things with Park Ki-hyuk, be it through killing or negotiating.
A week after dealing with the incident, William finally sought out Park Ki-hyuk.
“William? Oh, you’re that Spirit Master. So, what? Settlement? Hmph, I can’t give you any.”
“Defeat me. If you do, I’ll agree to a settlement. But you have to win.”
“Come back at this time tomorrow for your next challenge. Got it?”
If he wins, they settle. If he loses, he becomes a sparring partner.
It was a business where he had nothing to lose. Instead, given that his stress was amplified by the accident caused by Murray, it felt like a reward.
“Don’t regret it.”
On this day, William would come to deeply regret his decision.
William coughed up bl**d and fell.
“Cough!”
The spirits bound by the Skeleton’s chains trembled and scattered into the air as their master became incapacitated.
“Tsk.”
I had been hoping for something given his ‘love’ for the guy, expecting a disciple of the Elemental Master, only to be disappointed. What kind of stamina is that when he can’t even last an hour?
Did he read my eyes? William shouted with bloodshot eyes.
“d*mn it! This doesn’t count! I haven’t slept for two hours this past week!”
“…Oh, I see. You haven’t been sleeping.”
I could somewhat guess that he wasn’t in peak condition.
It was evident just by looking at the spirits that they lacked vigor, how could he not have noticed?
Personally, I was genuinely relieved by his reaction.
“Then you’ll do better tomorrow, right?”
“…!!”
“I’ll be looking forward to it. Heal up well, and I’ll see you tomorrow.”
As the best sparring partner, one must resist fiercely.
You’ll be my combat slave from now on.
Work, slave!
“Ehehehe.”
A laugh rose from deep within me.
And so, I passed by the dumbfounded William, patting his shoulder lightly.
……
…
And shortly after.
When William disappeared from my sight, my feet stopped.
“Coming out soon?”
An empty space. The only thing visible in the wide-open view was the green grass.
It was the usual sparring gate.
But.
“Don’t test my patience.”
I can feel it.
Since earlier, to be precise, since William crashed into our club room, a presence has been hiding.
At first, I was unsure. It was a very unfamiliar type of magic.
Then, while I was messing with William’s spirits, it came to me.
The magical system used to create Jin Yu-ri’s War Armor ‘Draconian’ was quite similar.
The magic that goes into War Armor.
Not pure magic but rather a hybrid of high technology and magic. ‘Magic Engineering.’
Recognizing this, another question arose.
Currently, is there anyone capable of using this level of magic engineering who has not only an interest in me but is also chasing me?
I asked myself, and the answer came easily.
“Caught you. Why did I get caught? How did it happen?”
Rosaria Bailand Washington.
It was only her.
But there was one puzzling point.
“…That b*stard Henry.”
Is it true that William and Rosaria are at similar levels?
That’s wrong.
Even though I hit William, he was an exceptionally talented individual. He showed quite a bit of skill.
If compared, he was similar to Jun-woo or maybe slightly above?
There’s no comparison to Jin Yu-ri.
No matter how much he knows how to handle all four great spirits, he can’t compete with Jin Yu-ri’s ‘Eye of the Dragon’. It’s not even a game.
But Rosaria in front of me is on par with Jin Yu-ri. Perhaps she’s at least half a step ahead.
Moreover, since the magic she uses is not pure but ‘magic engineering’, Jin Yu-ri’s ‘Eye of the Dragon’ is completely useless against her.
If they were to fight, I’d wager Rosaria would win 80 out of 100 times.
“…I can’t wrap my head around this. Do you know anything about ‘Victor’? Is that why you’re after it? Tell me. I’m curious.”
“Ah…”
“Why are you laughing?”
“Because it’s absurd.”
Even thinking back to the Empire era, was there someone this strong at this age?
They say the world is wide, and it surprises me with gifts like these when I almost forget.
“This world is interesting.”
Sitting at the cafe with Rosaria.
“If you have something to discuss, hurry up. It’s almost time for kindergarten to end.”
“Kindergarten? Why?”
“It’s time for our little one’s class to finish. But…”
I closely observe Rosaria’s ears.
“You don’t have a translator, do you?”
“My Korean is excellent. It’s not much. I learned it a week ago. Is it awkward? Do you not understand?”
“No, I was just curious.”
“If it’s uncomfortable to hear, just tell me anytime. I’ll help.”
I pass on the trivial matters and get to the point.
“What’s the purpose of following me?”
“The artificial spirit stone.”
“Straight to the point, huh?”
“Because time is precious.”
I like it. I’d rather not dance around for the sake of politeness.
“Why are you looking for the artificial spirit stone from me? Go talk to the Optimum headquarters. The license owner is my mother.”
“I know. Someone from our side has already gone there. What I’m curious about isn’t the license.”
In that instant, something emerged from Rosaria’s back.
A mechanical arm. It was a silver steel arm that resembled a spider’s leg.
And in the mechanical arm, there was the artificial spirit stone.
But… what is this?
The color is murky. I can’t feel any mana at all.
“…You were trying to unseal it.”
“I won’t deny it.”
“You failed.”
“Correct. It’s that. Failure. I’m curious. Why did I fail? I can’t sleep because I’m so curious. I want to ask. Why did I fail?”
“Why are you asking me that?”
“I want you to teach me that answer. That’s why I’m chasing you.”
“…This.”
One thing is certain. She isn’t normal.
There’s something fundamentally lacking in her as a human. Compared to her, Jin Yu-ri is like an angel.
“Jin Yu-ri is at least cute…”
I never thought I’d say something like that.
It was pitiful how entangled I got with people like this every time.
I shook my head and looked at the artificial spirit stone, which had now just turned into a rock.
A moment later.
“Ho…”
A gasp escaped my lips without knowing.
What’s this? I’m almost close?
Even though the mana has vanished, traces remain. I could roughly see how Rosaria approached it.
What intrigued me was this part.
This child, Rosaria, had ‘disassembled’ and ‘assembled’ the mana.
She did this with a completed spell, someone else’s magic, and a soulless weapon.
Do you remember when I dismantled the curse of the magic sword before? A soulless weapon has no defense mechanism, making it hard to dismantle magic.
Yet, Rosaria nearly approached what I had made in all these adverse conditions.
How?
My mind raced, and I arrived at my conclusion in a short time.
“This, dismantling and assembling magic. Is it your bloodline inheritance?”
“Amazing! Just as expected from the one who made the artificial spirit stone! That’s right. That’s our ‘Washington’ family’s bloodline.”
“…Impressive.”
I’m surprised in many ways today.
If I’m correct with my guess, that ability, comparing it to the ‘Eye of the Dragon’ that glimpses truth, isn’t lacking at all.
“Not impressive at all. In the end, I couldn’t break through.”
“Of course not. That magic contains ‘me’.”
“Me? You? What do you mean? Is that a Korean metaphor? Explain it simply so I can understand.”
“That’s as far as I go. I’m not obligated to say more than that.”
“That’s too much.”
You’re saying that too much.
Given how well we’ve known each other for the first time, it’s already a stroke of luck to have gotten this far.
“If that’s all you have to say, then can I leave now?”
“Sit. Got it. You’re suggesting a deal. I understand. What do you want? Do you want money? How much?”
“I don’t know what you understood, but you’re wrong. This isn’t about a trade.”
“It’s a negotiation, huh? Alright, here’s a blank check. You can write whatever amount you want.”
“Listen properly. The Apocalypse isn’t magic that can be released by others, but only by me.”
“Phew, greedy, aren’t you? Alright. I didn’t want to bring this out, but…”
He reached into his clothes… wait, she’s wearing a dress, right?
Did she have a hidden pocket in that dress?
I don’t know. How can I, a man, know about a dress? Anyway, as she rummaged through her clothes, she twisted her body and suddenly produced something small and black.
“What is this?”
“An external memory.”
“I know that much. Why are you pulling that out?”
In response to my question, Rosaria replied succinctly without an elaborate explanation.
“It’s the blueprint for ‘Victor.’”
“…”
“How about it? Are you starting to think about a deal now?”
“…”
Rosaria said confidently, refusing to think I’d turn her down. That means this Victor must be quite something.
“…”
I don’t know.
I’ve never heard of Victor before.
But given the current mood, it seems I’d be treated like an idiot if I said I didn’t know it.
Would it look bad to pull out my phone and search it now?
After pondering for a long time, I was just about to stand up and refuse when suddenly.
“Park Ki-hyuk!!”
“Appa!!”
A voice called from behind me.
I turned my head. Jin Yu-ri was striding toward me, holding Spring’s hand.
Oh my goodness, I never expected to be so happy to see Jin Yu-ri. But why is Spring out at this hour? Isn’t it still class time?
Anyway, I’m happy. I waved my hand vigorously to greet her.
“Oh! Yu-ri, cough!!”
A punch landed squarely on my solar plexus.
A light thud.
Stifling a breath.
Bending at the waist.
I collapsed from the unexpected attack.
As I looked up in disbelief, Jin Yu-ri was looking at me with tears streaming from her eyes.
Like a tragic heroine.
“Are you having an affair?”
