Chapter 154: Why Are You There? (1)

The western annex of the Mineta Royal Capital was where the priests and holy knights stayed.

Standing on the balcony of a second-floor room, the High Priestess Marianne prayed toward the night sky.

“God Blanias of the Moon and Silence, I pray for the peace and safety of the continent. Please protect all so that no one may suffer misfortune…”

Her gentle voice resonated softly through the cold night air.

There came a knock from the back door, and Larsen stepped inside.

“I’ve disturbed your prayer, haven’t I?”

“No, it’s fine. But… where have you been?”

“I checked the surroundings of the annex. The knights of the Mineta Royal Castle are guarding it thoroughly. It seems they have no intention of letting us out.”

“I can’t understand what His Majesty of Mineta is thinking. Nothing good will come of this.”

They had, after all, imprisoned the priests and holy knights of the Holy Kingdom.

If the believers across the continent, along with the Bachenan Holy Kingdom, were to learn of this, chaos would ensue.

Rustle. Rustle.

A sound came from the direction of the garden below.

Sensing the presence beforehand, Larsen immediately leapt down from the second-floor balcony.

At the same time, he picked up a pebble from the ground and hurled it toward the bushes.

Shwaaaak! Pak!

Instead of the impact of stone hitting something, there was a sound as if it had been caught.

“Who’s there!”

Larsen almost instinctively reached for his sword—then stopped.

His weapon had been confiscated by the knights of Mineta.

“Damn it…!”

Having no other choice, Larsen’s body moved swiftly toward the bushes.

His clenched fist shot forward.

Psshh! Pak—!

It was a blow loaded with considerable strength.

Yet his punch stopped short, blocked by something within the thicket.

“Whoa… damn! That was close.”

It was a man dressed entirely in black.

His mask was pulled up to the bridge of his nose, concealing his face.

The man, who had caught Larsen’s punch with both hands, exhaled in relief.

Larsen, however, looked shocked that his fist had been caught.

Though he hadn’t imbued it with aura, even subordinates close to a Sword Master couldn’t easily stop such a punch.

But this man had caught it effortlessly.

“Who are you? A knight of King Mineta?”

“What? Mineta? What nonsense are you spouting?”

“So, you’re not one of Mineta’s knights? Then that outfit…”

His eyes turned to the man’s attire—all black.

No knight would roam the royal castle dressed like that.

“Don’t tell me… a thief?”

“How rude of you to say such a thing…”

This was no ordinary place—it was the royal capital itself.

And the annex was tightly guarded by knights.

Yet this man had slipped in effortlessly.

“If you’re not a thief, then what are you?”

Larsen couldn’t believe a mere thief had blocked his punch.

As he studied the man curiously, something caught his eye—a distinctive sword hilt hanging at the stranger’s waist.

“That’s… that red-haired man’s…”

The grip was wrapped with red leather twisted in a spiral pattern to prevent slipping.

Above it, the flat guard—called a Kiyong—was unmistakably unique.

Larsen recalled the handle of the sword Raion used when fighting monsters and demons.

Though he hadn’t yet learned the man’s name, he recognized the weapon.

The man in black also seemed startled at Larsen’s muttering.

“You… you know my Master?”

“Master? Don’t tell me you’re talking about that man?”

“Ah, crap…”

Realizing his slip, the man quickly released Larsen’s fist and leapt back.

But Larsen didn’t stand idle.

He immediately followed, swinging his fist.

Tak—! Papak!

In that instant, the man stepped back, then grabbed Larsen’s arm and twisted it outward.

Crunch!

“Guh! What the—!”

Startled, Larsen spun in the direction his arm was twisted, flipping his body to free himself.

Though he succeeded, the man’s kick shot upward toward his chin from below.

Larsen hurriedly tilted his head back, narrowly avoiding the blow.

It brushed the tip of his chin—a split second slower and he would’ve been knocked senseless.

‘What kind of technique is that?’

The man’s build was that of a swordsman.

Yet the move he’d just used wasn’t from any swordsmanship or martial art Larsen had ever seen in any kingdom.

Even the way he moved felt bizarre.

“Phew! Nearly died there.”

“Who in the world are you? And what was that technique just now?”

“That’s none of your business!”

The masked man leapt backward, landing lightly on a thick branch.

Larsen massaged his nearly twisted arm as he glared upward.

“Could he be an assassin sent by King Harlan Mineta?”

If word got out that Harlan Mineta had imprisoned people of the Holy Kingdom, it would be dangerous.

The kingdom might have resorted to using outsiders to silence them.

Flames of aura flared around Larsen as he leapt upward.

Pak—! Shwaaa!

“Eek!”

The man was startled by Larsen’s swiftly extended punch and dodged.

But Larsen was far more agile than before, instantly closing the gap.

The two exchanged rapid blows upon the branches.

Papak! Papapak! Papak!

Larsen wasn’t the only one using aura.

A faint blue light shimmered around the man’s entire body.

‘A Sword Master?’

Judging by the aura’s hue, he was at the beginner level.

But the fact that he could envelop his whole body in aura instead of merely his blade meant he was, at minimum, of intermediate level.

The silent yet fierce exchange continued endlessly.

Then Larsen’s high kick came flying in from the side.

“Damn it!”

Startled once again, the man hastily raised his arm to block.

Thud—!

His body was pushed back and slammed into a thick tree.

Both of his sides were blocked at that moment.

At the same time, Larsen spun his body, extending a kick imbued with aura in a straight line.

‘Got him!’

The only direction the man could escape was backward.

But having just hit the tree, his center of gravity was tilted forward.

There was no way for him to retreat from that stance.

Larsen was certain his attack would land.

Shwaaa—!

But there was no sensation of contact beneath his foot.

Somehow, the man had already stepped onto a branch and leapt away, landing at a distance.

“How did you… from there…?”

“Seriously, that almost killed me.”

That had been a blow charged with true aura.

If he hadn’t dodged and had blocked it with his arm, it might have broken.

The man exhaled in relief and glared at Larsen.

“For an assassin, your skills are impressive!”

“What? Assassin? You keep calling me that! What do I look like to you…? I was just passing through!”

“Passing through?”

At the question, the man muttered quietly.

“Why did Master tell me to cut through this way…”

His voice was low, but in his tense state, Larsen heard it clearly.

“The ‘Master’ you keep mentioning—don’t tell me… are you talking about that red-haired man?”

He was guessing based on the unique sword hilt he’d seen earlier.

The man turned his gaze aside, his expression hinting that he’d recalled someone.

“Hmm…”

“Who exactly are you? If you’re not an assassin, then where did you come from?”

The red-haired man, Raion, had faced countless monsters—and even demons spoken of only in legends.

As a high-ranking Sword Master and captain of the Holy Knights, Larsen could only watch from afar as Raion fought.

“And who might you be?”

“…I am Larsen Heights, Captain of the Knights of the Bachenan Holy Kingdom. Now, can you tell me who you are?”

Larsen spoke as he descended from the tree.

The man hesitated briefly, then followed suit and replied.

“I’m Jade. Jade Raizen.”

“Raizen? Are you by any chance related to Lewis Raizen?”

At the mention of the surname, Larsen’s expression brightened with recollection.

Jade’s eyes widened in surprise.

“You know my father?”

“Your father? Lewis Raizen is your father? Now that you mention it… yes, I recall him saying he had a son.”

“Then… sir?”

The atmosphere made Jade feel he shouldn’t speak too casually.

He waited nervously for Larsen’s response.

“Well, well… to think I’d meet Raizen’s son here. Then, are you perhaps from the Canel Kingdom?”

“That’s right… sir.”

“I heard there was a rebellion by the royal in-laws there recently—one that was suppressed.”

It had been an event that shook the kingdom, so word naturally spread far.

Jade scratched his head and nodded.

“Well, yes… sir.”

“So, you’re a knight of the Canel Kingdom, then?”

“Yes… I am.”

Before he knew it, his identity had completely slipped out.

Larsen was surprised by the unexpected revelation.

Then, as he recalled Raion’s red hair and eyes, the pieces began to fit together.

“The ‘Master’ you mentioned earlier… could he be the prince of the Canel Kingdom?”

Hair and eyes that burned like flames.

Though red hair wasn’t unique to the royal family, the golden ring glimmering within crimson eyes was.

Larsen blamed himself for not realizing it sooner.

“So, he’s indeed traveling incognito, then…”

“Is he?”

A sigh escaped Jade’s lips.

That alone was enough of an answer for Larsen.

“So it’s true. But why are you here?”

It was clearly an intrusion by a foreign kingdom.

If Harlan Mineta were to learn of this, he would certainly take issue.

Moreover, in his current attire, Jade looked no different from a spy infiltrating the nation.

“I came here under orders. But are you planning to keep holding me up? I’m kind of in a hurry.”

“Where are you going?”

“By any chance… which direction is the underground prison from here?”

“Don’t tell me you’re heading there to find that prince you call your Master? That place is under heavy—no, who am I kidding? Someone like him is probably staying there quietly by choice.”

He had fought thousands of monsters and even demons.

There was no way an ordinary kingdom’s army could contain such a man.

Larsen thought King Harlan Mineta was making a grave mistake.

“So, where is it exactly? The prison.”

“It’s on the northeastern outskirts of the capital. By the way, what was that technique earlier?”

That twisting of the arm, the strange stance, and those swift kicks—an unusual form of combat even without a sword.

“I learned it from my Master.”

“The prince, you mean? So such techniques are taught in the Canel Kingdom now…”

“Anyway, I’ll be going now.”

“Wait! What exactly brings you here?”

“I can’t tell you that, sir. Now, if you’ll excuse me.”

Jade turned his back and began to walk away.

Just then, Larsen called out hurriedly from behind.

“If you keep going that way, that’s south!”

“…Ah, then it must be this way.”

“That’s the direction you came from.”

“….”

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