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Side Story Chapter 60

Despite his subordinate’s question, Reisen Uraha, the Poison King, silently wiped a glass with his cloth.

Joshua Sanders, the emperor of the Avalon Empire, wanted only one thing—the intel about the officially strongest country in the continent. If Reisen really handed Joshua that information, he would inevitably end up on the bad side of the big shots in Hubalt. Maybe—no, he was certainly going to become a public enemy like Lilith Aphrodite.

“If we terminate the contract we worked so hard to get, they’ll become suspicious of us,” Reisen’s assassin continued.

“I know.”

“Then why…?”

“But it wasn’t like we could fight back. We were going up against Joshua Sanders, of all people.” Reisen frowned slightly. His subordinate held his tongue.

Reisen would have instantly turned down the deal even if Cain de Harry, the Combat Emperor, one of the famous Nine Stars, had made the offer. However, the Martial God, Cain’s master, was a different story.

“I can’t believe it, but I guess our reputation for being rogue assassins that freely take reverse-hit requests is helpful in times like this,” Reisen murmured.

“You mean…?”

“Once Hubalt finds out that the emperor of the Avalon Empire is really back, they’ll agree that it’s impossible to continue with the contract.”

“Th-That is true,” the assassin said, his face finally brightening up.

Everyone in the continent knew that Joshua Sanders was the monster that surpassed the level of a Celestial.

“Compile the information we already have and give that to him. On the other hand, secretly spread the news that Joshua Sanders, the Martial God, has returned,” Reisen instructed.

“Yes, sir.”

* * *

Kireua had recently received a series of surprising news. The first news was the return of the Emperor of Avalon, but the report that had been delivered just now was also shocking.

“The First Prince and his one hundred Black Knights attacked Marquess Drenius’s castle,” the messenger reported.

Kireua\'s eyes widened.

Ranger was equally surprised. “W-What happened?” he stammered.

“In their first battle, Sir Downbeck, the third strongest Black Knight, chopped off the enemy knight-commander’s head.”

“The enemy knight-commander… are you talking about Marquess Drenius’s Blue Dragon Knights?”

“That is correct.” The messenger nodded.

“A-And?”

“Two hundred enemy knights were dispatched as reinforcements, but they were annihilated by His Highness Selim and his Black Knights. Then His Highness Selim and the others casually rode their horses off of the battlefield.”

“Oh my goodness…” Ranger’s jaw dropped to the ground.

The Black Knight Order was composed of one hundred knights under the First Prince’s direct command. It was an independent—meaning that they weren’t part of any department in the Palace—organization that followed Selim Sanders and him only. The knights prioritized Selim’s orders even before the emperor’s, and they were popular for their deep loyalty. On top of that, each of the knights was chosen and trained by Selim himself, so they were more skilled than most of the Imperial Knights.

“Even so, how could they think of attacking the enemy castle with only a hundred of them…?” Ranger trailed off.

“He’s acting like the true son of the Martial God.”

Ranger turned to Kireua and found a fire burning in the younger prince’s eyes.

“Although you called it reckless, Sir Ranger, these kinds of things are how we prove ourselves.”

“Prove yourselves?”

“It started so long ago that I don’t even remember exactly when. ‘Your Highness, you’re His Majesty’s son, so your talent will also be legendary.’ ‘When you go to a battlefield in the future, you’ll bring a series of victories to Avalon without any defeats, just like your father did’. I heard those kinds of remarks over and over.” Kireua shrugged.

“Mmm…”

“I know that I haven’t lived for very long, but to sum it up in one phrase, it’s a series of comparisons. Likely no one would be able to understand the pressure I was under aside from Selim, who is in a similar position as me,” Kireua calmly said.

Ranger couldn’t say anything because he hadn’t experienced anything similar enough to offer anything more than empty words. However, he had a rough idea of what the princes had been through.

What would happen to a child that happened to be fathered from the Martial God? Some people would love it, but they would quickly come to feel the pressure, just like Kireua. Even Ranger had thought that Kireua would be good at anything since he was the Emperor of Avalon’s son.

“There is no need to fulfill everyone’s expectations. His Majesty is His Majesty, and you’re your own man, Your Highness,” Ranger carefully offered.

“Just as you said, I’m my own man, so I need to prove myself as ‘Kireua Sanders’ lest we repeat the history of civil war in this land.”

Ranger eyes slowly widened.

It was said that the disappearance of the Emperor of Avalon was the reason why another civil war had broken out in Avalon, but that was just an excuse. The real reason was that the Imperial Family was looked down on by its enemies.

Human society was at heart an animal pack. In order to become the leader of a pack, males fought bloody battles and risked their lives to take females. The weak got eaten and the strong took everything. For a long time, the guiding principle of this world was survival of the fittest.

“Sir Ranger, I’m sorry, but I’ll think I have to visit Marquess Turtler’s castle once more,” Kireua said.

“No, you can’t.” Ranger shook his head without giving it a second thought. “I don’t know why in the world Cazes or Viper let Prince Selim go on such a dangerous battlefield, but I’m in charge here in the west. It’s out of the question.”

“…Then I’ll have to prove myself again.”

“Excuse me?”

“This is for the better.” Kireua took a look around them and smiled faintly.

The large study was almost entirely empty—there was only a table in the center of the study. Aside from the messenger that brought Selim’s news, there were only two people. This was the perfect opportunity to put Kireua’s plan into action.

“If you want to do as you wish, you have to defeat the opposition with your skills,” Kireua recited.

Ranger tensed.

“That is the foundation of the training for new Imperial Knights, am I correct?”

Kireua was holding his sword.

The messenger, startled, rapidly retreated.

“…Are you sure about this? I’m confident that I’m His Majesty’s fifth-best knight.” Ranger narrowed his eyes.

“I’ll keep your secret.”

“What?”

“You’re getting old, Sir Ranger, so I should let you save face,” Kireua said, blatantly provoking the knight.

“…Fine.” Ranger smiled from ear to ear. “If that’s how it is, I won’t go easy on you if.”

“That’s what I want.”

Ranger kicked the table into the corner and drew his sword. “Beat me, and I’ll let you go without saying anything else.”

* * *

A chorus of booms, cracks, and slams echoed through the wide training area located in front of the Palace.

“Ugh!”

“D-Don’t kill—!”

“S-S-Sir Cain, please calm down!”

Aside from the ones on the battlefield, about three hundred Imperial Knights and mages were gathered in that one place.

“Urgh…!”

One of the Nine Absolutes, the strongest people on the continent, was releasing his energy, so everyone in the area held their breath. Some of them were already rolling on the ground after Cain’s first sampler of hell.

“Is everything I heard true?” Cain asked.

“What in the world are you talking about?”

“I heard, His Majesty returned.”

The five hundred people flinched simultaneously.

Cain frowned. “Why is no one answering me?”

“W-Well…”

“Is there anyone who at least knows His Majesty’s whereabouts? You call yourselves Imperial Knights, so what were you doing when His Majesty went missing again?” Cain growled.

One of the knights quickly raised his head; he was a young knight that had recently become an Imperial Knight.

“Th-This is unfair!” the knight shouted.

“Unfair?”

“His Majesty isn’t someone who would listen just because we tried to dissuade him. You might be standing here in front of us, but you couldn’t do anything either, Sir Cain!”

“…Oh?” Cain smiled faintly. “Young ones are definitely better. They have fighting spirit.”

The other knights anxiously watching the conversation brightened up instantly; their death glares transformed into war smiles. But the happier they seemed, the more Cain’s smile deepened.

“Of course, you’re raising your voice because you’re sure about your skill, aren’t you?” Cain asked.

“…Eh?”

“Such is the old tradition of the Imperial Knights of Avalon. Change what you don’t like using your skills, or else shut up and listen if you don’t have the ability.”

The young knight gasped as he became the sole target of Cain’s murderous intent.. It didn’t take long for the young knight to lose consciousness, foaming at the mouth. The other knights looked at their comatose junior and nervously swallowed.

“Now this is my style. Dignity, my ass.” Cain narrowed his eyes. “You guys are dead meat.”

He was going to turn the Palace upside down. Although some might say he was just taking out his anger on them, he didn’t care. He had to do this much to make His Majesty feel at least a little bit apologetic when he heard about it.

“Damn! Draw your swords, everyone!” one of the senior knights yelled, startling the other knights from their stupor. “Sir Cain is already over sixty! Besides, our junior knight raised his voice at the risk of his life, so as his seniors, we should be better!”

Hundreds of swords were drawn at once. The mages didn’t stand idle either— variety of magic circles were created in the air.

“…Ha. Hahahaha. I must have been away for a long time. This is hilarious,” Cain muttered.

The sight stirred up something in Cain. His original plan was to let the knights and mages walk away with only some bruises, but now he felt like he should break some bones to release all his pent-up anger.

Having decided, Cain began to step forward.

“Why are you taking out your anger on my people? I’m the one that is going to get bad mouthed again.”

The atmosphere changed, the Imperial Knights\' eyes widening. Cain was familiar with this voice more than anyone else’s. Most of the Imperial Knights had only heard rumors about the Emperor of Avalon, so a storm of shock slowly rolled over the training area.

Cain slowly turned his head.

“Yo-Your Majesty…”

The person that Cain had desperately been waiting for appeared alongside three people wearing robes.

“Long time no see, Cain.”

Cain and Joshua were finally reunited.