Kingdom's Bloodline, page 47
'However, the current situation isn't that bad. If it had gone as planned, it could have taken more than a year and a half before excavation can even begin. But this time, excavation already started a few days after Red Street Market was captured.
'Naturally, excavating without a reason makes it harder to keep things a secret.
'That means I have to dig faster.' Lance could not help but feel depressed.
It was at this moment when a rough and triumphant voice shouted from a distance, "I found it!"
Lance could not help but move. He waved away one of the Sleepless and walked briskly ahead.
"I found it, Kobryant!" A tall and thin figure held a long object wrapped in a piece of cloth as he came over.
This man had a long and narrow face. He had dark blond, curly hair which draped over his shoulders. He wore black leather straps below his right and left ribs as well as at his waist, which held his three daggers. Thick bandages were wrapped around both of his arms. The man was tall, only slightly shorter than the two-meter tall Cenza. It was a pity that his thin body affected his external look.
The 'Ripper' Anton Lewandowski, one of the Six Powerhouses of the Brotherhood, was the leader responsible for smuggling strategic resources such as the Eternal Oil and Crystal Drop Ore. He held the long object covered in soil excitedly in his arms as he approached Lance.
There was another fat figure behind him, also one of the Six Powerhouses. Morris, who was in charge of the human trafficking business walked up towards them, feeling cross.
"This should be it! I opened it a little to take a look… Wow. It looks just like the picture…" Anton's voice sounded particularly piercing with his boorish accent.
"You'd never expect that after digging for ten days and almost reaching the sewer, you'd find it not buried under the ground but hidden in a partition between the basement floor and the ground. If I had not stepped on it when I was taking a leak… Hahaha. I've already said before that we should not complicate things too much for ourselves. You and Morris were like retards digging the ground for ten days... Hahaha..."
Behind him, Moris crossed his arms and gritted his teeth, looking unhappy.
"Look! I only came for five minutes and thought of peeing before I left…"
Lance, who had endured this for more than ten seconds could not take it anymore. For the last ten years, this Eastern Peninsular Nedanese man could never finish rambling.
"Shut up, thin person!" Lance grabbed the long object from Anton forcefully, regardless of the dirt on it. His hand trembled as he opened it up.
Anton wanted to say more, but Morris maliciously knocked into him from behind and caused him to stumble.
"Fatty… Perhaps you are jealous that I am—"
"Shut up, Anton!" Morris shouted fiercely.
Lance gently covered it again with the cloth.
"Right," Lance said softly. However, he could not hide the excitement in his voice. "This is it!"
Lance held the object as though he was gently caressing his lover. "After so much hard work, to grab Red Street Market without alarming the Mystic or Secret Intelligence—it has finally paid off!"
"Hey." Anton looked unhappy as he opened up his hands. "Who said we didn't disturb the Mystic? Who do you think caused this place to be in ruin?"
Morris calmly said, "The appearance of the Air Mystic was just a coincidence. Even the Black Sword could not draw him out. However, the Mystic does not know about this object. However, I was thinking that Asda might realize what this is, which is why he gave up the opportunity to kill the Black Sword and rushed back to the capital. He usually pokes his head into battles for the small territories—He may have knowledge that we are looking for a weapon that can deal with him."
"However, we have already found it right under the nose of the Air Mystic," Lance said as he looked at the outlines of the object.
As they spoke of the Air Mystic, the three became silent for a moment.
"When I got the news, I thought that you and Cenza were going to die in Red Street Market." Lance broke the silence and sighed.
Morris hung his head. His eyes were shrouded in darkness. "We were lucky. You should have seen Moria and the Talon siblings. He still likes to crush people into human balls."
"What happened to him?" Anton's eyes showed an astonished expression.
Lance held the package and closed his eyes. "He probably met his nemesis, but he is surely not dead."
Anton gritted his teeth hard, having mixed feelings of fear and hatred. "Having said that, it has been 12 years… Even now, I still do not dare to believe… I've personally seen the Black Sword kill him three times… three times…"
Morris somberly gritted his teeth. "Then he came back to life. He resurrected three times within two hours."
"Four times." Lance added silently. "Charleton killed that creature once after that royalty was poisoned outside the doors of the Imperial Palace."
The atmosphere around the three immediately became depressing.
Anton looked at the long object. With doubt and lingering fear, he asked, "We've been looking for this for over a decade, but is this thing really useful? After all, this continent is full of anti-mystic weapons."
Lance did not hesitate to speak, "Those things can only weaken the influence of the Mystic's power a little. Only the Sovereign State's legendary anti-mystic equipment can deal with a Mystic. Morat told me this when he was still a part the Secret Intelligence."
"I am not too keen on believing in your former boss." Anton's expression changed as though he had remembered something and he shuddered. "That old man… even his saliva is poisonous."
Morris asked, looking worried. "That's right. The Kingdom's Secret Intelligence has not interfered with our current operation? After all, according to your argument, this is a legendary anti-mystic weapon that is not found in the records. This is even more serious compared to privately owning a Mystic Gun."
'Privately owning a Mystic Gun, hmm?' Lance gently expressed disdain in his heart.
'Privately owning a Mystic Gun would only mean the death penalty. As for concealing a legendary anti-mystic weapon that's not in the records? Hmph.'
However, Lance simply shook his head. "The king is almost 48 years old. The selection of nobles is enough of a problem for them already. Besides, I've had dealings with Eckstedt's Secret Room. With Ramon attracting all of the Secret Intelligent Department's attention, Morat will not discover our objective. I understand my teacher too well."
"It is fortunate that both the Blood Bottle Gang's Mystic and the Secret Intelligence Department do not know the importance of this thing…" Lance pondered as he caressed the object wrapped in cloth.
"That's right. Do we not tell Cenza, Fischer and Roda about the truth of this matter?" As he spoke of the other three Powerhouses, Anton mimicked the two men and frowned. "In any case, the Air Mystic has vanished."
Lance solemnly shook his head and handed the package to Morris. "Nikolay and Catherine have gone out to look for the Blood Mystic. Believe me, I have seen the records of the Secret Intelligence. Along with the Blood Mystic, Asda is much more honest and kind compared to His Highness, Midier."
"Just us, the three Powerhouses and the Black Sword are enough to deal with the Mystics. It would be safer for the others if they know less." Morris nodded his head and tied up the object properly. He then said with a solemn voice, "For the former Nine Powerhouses."
Anton and Lance were also somber as they softly said, "For the former Nine Powerhouses."
Chapter 44: Morat Hansen (One) |
There was a long silence, but the old man seemed very patient as he waited for Yodel's answer.
Finally, the voice of the secret protector came from behind the mask.
"You should not be here," Yodel said coldly.
Anyone present would have noticed that Yodel's voice was very similar to the old man in front of him.
The black-clad old man did not speak. Instead, he looked at Yodel with a peculiar smile.
His eyes did not move.
In spite of that, even though he was at the peak of the supreme class, Yodel could feel the old man's presence gradually pressing on him.
"That night, all three and a half of the legendary anti-mystic weapons that could seal Mystics were at their respective locations." The old man in black leaned on his walking stick. He grinned and spoke slowly.
"The Constellation Staff is a symbol of monarchy and it is always held by His Majesty. The Ruler's Spear was wielded by the Legendary Wing, who was guarding the western front... The Kingdom's Wrath was at a countryside manor, cleaning the Motionless Bow... That leaves the half piece, the Supreme Shield, which along with the Fortress Flower were at the Broken Dragon Fortress in the north."
Yodel inhaled gently.
"The remaining half is the Supreme Sword, which has just been thawed not too long ago, and followed you to the Lower City District, Yodel Cato.
"It was also that night the Air Mystic disappeared from Red Street Market, which was at the border of the Lower City District and Western District."
The old man grinned again. His grin was unsightly. "I had originally wanted to praise you. The last time someone was able to perform the magnificent feat of sealing a Mystic by himself can be traced back to the Ancient Empire."
Yodel's hand slowly clasped the dark-colored, cross-shaped short sword under his sleeve.
"But…" Morat's pupils contracted as the topic of discussion suddenly changed.
"You should have laid low when you were tasked to receive the Kingdom's blood. Why did you risk your life and seal the Air Mystic? Don't tell me that you wanted to be an angel of justice."
Yodel did not speak for a long time.
The old man became impatient. The wrinkles on his face trembled as he said, "Or should I report to His Majesty and have him personally ask you?"
After a long time, Yodel took a deep breath. Confronted by one of the five most frightening people in the Constellation, he lightly replied in a hoarse voice.
"That night, I saw Asda Sakern at Red Street Market. He was on Thales' escape path."
The old man in black continued to stare at him, as though this was nothing new.
However, no one knew that at this moment, Yodel was carefully considering his choice of words.
"For Thales, I had no choice but to take action."
"Although the Supreme Sword is only half of the entire piece of the legendary anti-mystic equipment, it was enough to seal the Air Mystic."
The old man in black gently coughed twice. The eyes on his ordinary looking face suddenly lit up.
"I believe you won't mind telling me about all the details before he was sealed? From things like his words to his emotions, his attitude to his actions. I am very curious. Why did Asda return to the capital? This is a very dangerous place to him."
Yodel lightly clenched his fists under his robes.
He had to be careful as he was facing the Black Prophet. He could not lie.
"Asda Sakern is a madman," Yodel murmured.
The Black Prophet laughed softly. His wrinkles twitched for a while. "Of course, all of them are madmen. So what? Even madmen have their own thoughts and actions. Am I right?"
"He was very excited before he was sealed," Yodel slowly answered after taking his words into consideration.
The old man stroked his cane. His dry lips parted. "You'll never be able to understand their emotions… They aren't human anymore, so how could it even be possible for them to have emotions?"
'This nonsense will not be able to distract his attention,' Yodel thought in his heart.
Yodel hesitated for a second before deciding that he had to say it.
He had to.
"He said…" Yodel's hoarse voice could be heard behind the mask.
"He said that he found a new Mystic."
...
[As recorded in history, the first time a Mystic appeared was during the era of the Ancient Empire, about a thousand years ago. It was somewhere between the year 825 to 835 in the Imperial Calendar.]
'The Empire from a thousand years ago? The Imperial Calendar ran for another fifteen hundred years since the Ancient Empire reached the end of its era and became the current Empire. We then switched to the Calendar of Eradication. It is currently the year 672 based on the Calendar of Eradication.'
Thales recalled the basic knowledge he learned during the past few days.
'In other words, the Mystics had appeared more than one thousand three hundred years ago?'
However, it was not a good time for him to be thinking absentmindedly.
Under the sandy land's setting sun, Thales gritted his teeth despite the pain in his left shoulder. The seven-year-old held his heavy, wooden shield and charged towards Jines.
[According to the incomplete records of the Ascetic Tower, a caravan heading towards the Alchemy Tower witnessed an unusually huge bolt of lightning. On the same day, thousands of members from one of the tribes a hundred miles outside the God of War Desert turned into corpses.]
'Lightning? Why is the Air Mystic able to control air? Are they the Fantastic Four? Maybe they're actually elementalists.'
Jines stepped forward without batting an eyelid. She cleverly positioned her wooden shield and struck Thales' shield.
*Clank*
Thales was knocked back and he lost his balance. He fell awkwardly towards the side of the shield.
Thales gasped with his sword resting on the ground while his heart beat in anxiety.
Jines saw the state Thales was in and started screaming at the boy, "What the hell were you thinking of? Being absent-minded on the field is the same as committing suicide!"
Thales shook his head. He made a great effort to drive away the contents of 'The Battle of Eradication Chronicles: The World's Destruction' from his head. However, his efforts were fruitless. Thoughts concerning the contents about Mystics constantly emerged in his mind.
[The Alchemist Tower was as mysterious as usual. There were no explanations about it, and it could not even be found in historical records. Existing history books of the Ancient Empire also did not contain information about it. However, it managed to foreshadow the subsequent, tragic war that is the Battle of Eradication.]
'What are the Ascetic Tower and the Alchemy Tower? Are these organizations or places?'
Thales held the center of the wooden shield and struggled to swing his wooden sword, which was not much lighter than the shield. He twisted his face as he swung his body and sword around.
[The war began in the year 1509 of the Imperial Calendar. However, no historical data could identify why the Battle of Eradication started. It was as though all the hostile parties suddenly stood at the opposite ends of a chessboard and started fighting.]
'Why? Why are there no proper records of the beginning of a war that changed everything?'
Jines moved effortlessly to dodge the edge of his sword. She then used the hilt of her sword to gently push Thales, who had already lost his balance.
Gilbert shook his head as he watched from the sidelines.
*Bump*
Thales once again fell to the ground. He fell face first like a dog eating sand.
*Ptui.*
Thales spat out the sand in his mouth. Once again, he grabbed the shield and stood up.
"Enough!" Jines shouted unhappily.
"Seven sets of attack patterns and you are only putting on a show. Your efficiency is completely different from the time you learned defensive tactics. If you are not a fool, it means you do not have the heart to practice today!"
Thales gasped. He nodded, full of shame and regret.
"Sorry, Madam Jines."
[The number of Mystics were less than the legendary dragons. At the very least, there were forty dragons whose names were recorded. However, the number of Mystics who appeared in the Battle of Eradication were only ten.]
'Ten people? Ten against the world?'
"Boy!"
Seeing that Thales was still in an absent-minded state, Jines angrily threw her shield and wooden sword down. "Get out of class! Tomorrow morning, get up at six and make up for today's progress!"
Gilbert was also frowning. He did not know what was wrong with Thales.
He then noticed Jines turning her head and shouting to him, "He is yours before dinner. Fix him up."
Gilbert smiled, lifted his hat and bowed.
Thales threw the wooden sword away, feeling dispirited. He began to deal with his left arm. It had been bruised by the shield again.
[Despite the fact that there were not many of them, the majority of casualties from the United Army were caused by the Mystics. The most famous record was on May 1514 of the Imperial Calendar. The battle in the eastern front of the Sighing Mountains was slowly progressing to victory. However, when the Power Mystic appeared, eight thousand of the Mountain Elves Patrol and fifty thousand black-armored elites of the Dynasty Dawn Army were destroyed.]
'Power Mystic? Power? A one-man show. Fifty-eight thousand. What kind of power could cause such a massacre? It is almost comparable to an atomic bomb. Can Asda do this too?
Wearing an unhappy expression, Jines rubbed her palms together and was about to leave. However, she saw a guard walking in solemnly and whispering a few words to Gilbert.
The very next moment, Thales was surprised to see Gilbert's look of shock, worry and fear.
'The diplomatically experienced and poker-faced Count Cato is actually capable of showing such expressions of worry and fear?'
While Thales was still being puzzled, Gilbert had stopped Jines. Gilbert then said, "His Highness sends a message. Lord Morat Hansen will be coming to the Mindis Hall tonight. He wants to see Mister Thales."
'Morat Hansen? Who is that?'
Thales was surprised to see the change in facial expression of the first-grade female official, Kessel the Fifth's lover.
'It is shocking, worrying and... upsetting?'
Jines' eyes grew cold as she spoke, "He would have come sooner or later to meet the Royal Bloodline and successor of the throne.
"He is Chief of the Kingdom's Secret Intelligence Department, Black Prophet Morat. It would be impossible for him not to get involved..."
