Chapter 154: Origin (1)

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“Me?”

Carl’s eyes narrowed.

At present, Lahan’s name was spreading far more actively than Nox’s.

Ever since Lahan had seized control of the Western Third Commercial District, messengers from all over had been sent to meet Dirsen, the newly appointed leader.

Of course, those who knew the truth were aware that Nox had played the greater role, but the public’s perception was simply that of a sharp sword—nothing more, nothing less.

Naturally, Lahan’s executives and key members knew Nox’s true identity and terrifying strength, but to preserve their own lives and maintain Lahan’s prestige, they pretended ignorance.

After all, dying without a trace was the most basic law of the underworld.

‘And yet they’re looking for me now.’

Carl tapped the armrest of his chair with his finger, lost in thought.

“What have you learned about their power?”

“Nothing, other than the fact that they came from outside. The problem is…”

Queen hesitated mid-sentence.

Finding that strange, Carl lifted his head and looked at her.

‘She’s been acting oddly since earlier.’

Judging by what he had heard so far, this wasn’t a matter that required a direct report to him.

Even so, Carl was taking it seriously because he trusted Queen’s judgment.

Even if nothing was visible on the surface, if Queen harbored suspicion, then there must have been a valid reason.

But the way she was behaving today felt off in many ways.

“Queen.”

Carl rose from his seat and stepped closer to her.

Queen instinctively backed away until her back pressed against the wall.

Swish.

Carl extended his hand and brushed the back of her neck.

With just a little pressure, he could have easily taken her life.

A crimson gleam began to glow faintly in his eyes.

“To Nox’s officers, especially you, Queen, I’ve always been grateful. You’ve filled in my absence and worked diligently.”

“……”

“Queen, what is it that I hate the most?”

“……Betraying loyalty.”

“Right.”

Queen exhaled a shallow breath, her face mere inches from Carl’s.

Normally, having her master this close would have made her heart race, but now her whole body trembled from the oppressive aura binding her in place.

“Speak. What is it that makes you hesitate so much?”

“……From those people.”

Queen clenched her eyes shut and finally spoke.

“We discovered traces of Origin.”

“Origin?”

Carl’s eyes narrowed further.

Origin was the monstrous organization that had destroyed Queen’s family—and the very force to which the man Carl had sworn to kill belonged.

But those bastards should have been operating in the southern regions of the Empire—why had they appeared in the capital?

“Second already went to respond and was injured. I apologize for concealing the report.”

With that, Queen lowered her head and offered a sincere apology.

“……”

Carl stared at her quietly with sunken eyes.

It wasn’t that her mind control or conditioning had been broken.

Queen had always possessed a blind faith in him.

The reason she hesitated was…

‘It was for my sake.’

Carl’s rise to power through Nox had not been without hardship.

While none within the Leipzig Family could rival him, his expansion into other territories and cities had sparked frequent wars.

Among his foes had been powerful individuals he could not easily dismiss, and he had suffered many defeats and setbacks.

The greatest damage came from the war against Origin.

Upon learning that they were the very group who had annihilated Queen’s family, Carl attacked them—partly to avenge her, and partly to establish a foothold in the South.

However, Origin’s influence ran far deeper than his estimates, and even Carl had sustained grave injuries.

In the end, an irreparable enmity had been forged.

‘And hiding Second’s injury… was out of loyalty to her comrade. That’s something I’ll need to consider carefully.’

The chances of betrayal were slim, but if a close comrade did turn traitor, what then?

Of course, in the end, they would still stand on Carl’s side.

But the hesitation and risks that lay between could become serious liabilities.

Carl had deliberately allowed Nox’s executives to act more freely and creatively, unlike the lower members who were bound by strict restrictions.

A tightly sealed organization was doomed to rot from within.

“How is Second’s condition?”

“They say she’ll recover with about a week of rest.”

“Hm.”

Second was among the strongest in Nox.

If even she had been wounded, it meant the enemy was anything but ordinary.

“……Master, forgive me for saying so, but now that Nox’s growth has finally reached its stride, a clash with Origin would not be wise.”

“Indeed.”

Just as Nox in the North had risen rapidly over the past few years, Origin in the South must have grown in power as well.

It was only natural they would now aim to expand into the Imperial Capital, Polfoardel.

“Even holding Lahan’s reins and securing the Third Commercial District keeps us plenty busy.”

The conquest itself hadn’t been difficult.

The problem was managing external attention.

Objectively, Lahan’s current power appeared much smaller than before.

It wouldn’t have been strange for opportunists to pounce on them.

However, most held back, wary of being struck down by another force waiting for its chance.

Keeping track of the situations in the other districts left him little room to breathe.

“……But if they start the war first, that’s another story.”

Carl raised his head.

A faint presence—several of them—was lingering nearby.

Perhaps realizing they’d been detected, the figures immediately began to retreat.

“Queen, we’ve been tailed.”

“……Damn it!”

“I’ll handle this. You summon all of Nox and prepare for war.”

Swish.

The moment he gave the order, Carl launched himself forward, vanishing in an instant.

‘It doesn’t matter much that Nox’s base was exposed.’

The problem was its connection to ‘Carlos Leipzig.’

Normally, he would have acted more cautiously, but since the distance of travel was short, Carl had simplified the process of concealing his identity.

If someone deliberately investigated the route, they might faintly uncover that Nox was, in truth, the Bayern cadet known as Carlos Leipzig.

‘It’s still too soon for that connection to be revealed.’

Swish.

In an instant, Carl leapt onto a rooftop and raced through the city skies at an astonishing speed.

After reaching the third star of the Primordial Unity Divine Art, a realm comparable to a Sword Master, his physical body had advanced dramatically.

Normally, catching up would have taken more time, but now, in the blink of an eye, he had already reached the enemy’s rear.

“……!!”

Grabbing the back of the enemy’s head, Carl immediately cast the Soul-Seizing Technique of the Heavenly Demon Divine Art.

Killing them outright risked someone reading their memories later.

So instead, he destroyed their mind, erasing the memory completely, and then—

Slash─.

He mercilessly severed the neck.

He had sensed three presences earlier.

If even Queen, who had mastered the Silent Shadow Kill Technique, had been unable to detect them, it meant these opponents possessed something unusual.

Rustle.

As expected, one of them was attempting to dissolve into water to escape.

Carl instantly extended his hand, invoking the blazing Sammae Fire that vaporized all the surrounding water.

“……Guh!!”

With no time to perform the Soul-Seizing Technique, he simply pierced through the man’s skull, shattering his brain.

Without a brain, there would be no memory to read.

‘One left.’

The last one, seemingly their leader, was retreating—moving at a speed beyond the other two.

Carl exhaled briefly, dismissed the Heavenly Demon Divine Art, and circulated the Primordial Unity Divine Art.

Boom─!

Kicking off the air, Carl’s body shot forward at tremendous speed.

Even compared to the Heavenly Demon Divine Art—renowned for being the fastest in the Central Plains—the difference in speed was undeniable.

Within five seconds, Carl had closed the distance.

He reached out as he had with the others, but—

Clang!

For the first time, metal clashed, and a strong rebound forced him a few steps back.

Whirr.

The fleeing man flipped midair and came to a stop.

Then, removing the mask that had covered his face, he stuck out his tongue playfully.

“Damn, you’re fast. I was just going to run away.”

“……”

He looked quite young.

Judging by his body alone, he seemed to be in his early twenties, about Carl’s age—yet his aura was formidable.

“I’m surprised, really surprised this time. Who would’ve thought that the mysterious Nox everyone’s been curious about was actually that weak and delicate third young master of the Leipzig family?”

“……”

Carl didn’t respond.

The other side probably didn’t have much information either.

He was most likely testing the waters with random guesses.

“Your name was Carlos, right? Nickname Carl? Hey, Young Master Carl, how does it feel to have your little game of make-believe exposed? Are your fingers trembling? What do you think would happen if a noble’s son got caught playing gangster in the back alleys?”

Carl calmly observed the man.

Brilliant golden hair fluttered in the night wind, and crimson eyes—so similar to his own—glimmered beneath them.

He bore a striking resemblance to that man Carl had fought before.

Though the temperament they exuded was entirely opposite.

“Haven’t you heard about me from Ascalion?”

“I have. Leon said so himself. He let you go last time because he had no choice, but if he meets you again, he’ll beat your ass black and blue. He’s quite curious about your identity, too—wanna tell me? He’d love to know.”

Clang.

Without answering, Carl drew a sword from his subspace pouch.

The Divine Sword Cheonroe.

He had resolved to kill.

Despite his flippant tone and youthful face, something unfathomable lurked beneath the man’s demeanor.

Ascalion had been the same.

He hadn’t lived a Second Life like Carl—so how had he attained such overwhelming power at a young age?

“Still, your little game’s gotten pretty big. I didn’t expect you’d reach the capital. I’ve heard the name Nox a few times, but I didn’t think it was that Nox. Oh, and that terror attack during the Bayern entrance exam earlier this year—was that your doing? The Emperor ordered all suspects executed, you know. Imagine the rumors if they find out one of the culprits is of Leipzig bloodline…”

Slash.

An invisible trajectory carved through the air.

The man extended his hand and swung lightly, effortlessly nullifying a strike sharp enough to slice steel.

“Sorry, but…”

He grinned at Carl.

“I’m not like those pathetic fools you used to rough up in your childish games.”

“We’ll see.”

The Primordial Unity Divine Art roared to life.

The difference between the second and third stars could be summed up in one key aspect—

The speed of energy release.

Even before Cheonroe was swung, another invisible slash exploded forth.

Slash─!

A long, deep wound tore across the man’s chest, and crimson blood spurted into the air.

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