Chapter 115 : Chapter 115

Chapter 115

“The masters of the mountain range are the monsters. Their breeding speed is incomparable to that of humans.”

Therefore, the best that families adjacent to the mountain range could do was to subjugate them appropriately so that a wave would not occur, and in that process, there was always a significant sacrifice.

But Killian, using Orchid Owl's information, had not only dealt with five 7-star monsters but had also killed four of the Empire's Superhumans.

That was not all.

“A fusion of a goblin and a human. That was the identity of the Piece of the Grotesquery in the western frontier.”

Killian said, drinking his tea.

It was a report on the end of a long one-month journey.

“You’ve worked hard.”

Sharle, who had been listening quietly to the report, put down her teacup.

“A Piece of the Grotesquery… The world has truly become chaotic.”

A being that had annihilated the Kingdom Alliance over 200 years ago.

The fact that a part of that being had been in the western frontier seemed to be quite a shock to her as well.

[Sniff. Sniff.]

She stroked the head of Hazard, who was quietly lapping up soup next to her.

“Then again, even the Dragon clan, which was thought to be extinct, is walking around so brazenly. It would be arrogant to think that I understand the whole world.”

A genius reminiscent of Diana Cornelia, who had led the golden age of the Cornelia Kingdom.

She had heard such words to the point of being sick of them since before she was of age.

‘What’s so genius about me.’

Sharle organized her thoughts and quietly swallowed her tea.

If it weren't for the man in front of her, Killian Eurasia, Cornelia would have had the Piece of the Grotesquery snatched away without being able to do a thing.

Was that all? The Flask Mountain Range would have been conquered, the Benjamin family would have been harmed, and they would have only realized the situation belatedly after a Monster Wave had occurred.

However.

“I don’t know the exact reason why Isaac is after the Piece of the Grotesquery, but nothing good would come of it if he had his way.”

Killian had blocked all those situations in advance.

“We owe a debt to Eurasia.”

“You owe it to the Black Dragon Mercenary Corps, not Eurasia.”

If she was going to repay the debt, it should be to him, not Eurasia.

Killian quietly drew the line.

“I’m starting to get a little scared of what you might demand.”

“Suddenly. That’s not like you.”

“Are you planning to hand over the pendant to Orchid Owl?”

“Did you send her to me knowing that?”

“She’s the leader of Absinthe, no less. It’s not something that can be hidden just by trying to hide it.”

She meant that it was better to reveal it beforehand and use it rather than hiding it in vain and being held accountable.

“Besides, I didn’t know you would be swayed by her. I certainly didn’t know you would become as close as you are now.”

“Close? She’d put a knife to my throat at any moment if things went south.”

Killian’s expression, having emptied his teacup, became serious.

“The pendant is my business. What’s important is Cornelia’s war.”

If their ally, Cornelia, could not shake off the pressure, the damage would eventually spread to Eurasia.

“You seem to be in worse shape since I last saw you. Are you losing the war?”

“There have been large and small battles… but the overall situation hasn't changed much. Except that one of the direct line has been captured.”

“A direct line?”

A direct royal of the family was said to have been taken captive by the enemy.

Considering its symbolic significance alone, it was no ordinary matter.

“Yes. He’s a child named Aldric, the fourth son of Uncle Kiel.”

Aldric Cornelia.

He had mastered the 4-star level at twenty-three, and was a brilliant mage on the verge of 5-stars despite never having entered the Secret Repository.

Sharle briefly informed him of his personal details.

‘He must have been at the forefront of the battlefield for experience. A 4-star master at twenty-three… This place really never runs out of geniuses.’

In any case, he had now become a pretext for negotiations, just like Julian during the Brussels war.

“The demands?”

“There’s no response from Romero’s side yet.”

It must mean they intended to gain an advantage in the negotiations by slowly drying them out like this.

‘It will be difficult for Cornelia to act rashly either.’

The Prince’s side might even harm him, using the events in the Flask Mountain Range as a pretext.

‘No…’

Killian’s brow narrowed.

“This situation, it could be used.”

“…?”

“The reason they’re silent is because they haven’t received a tempting enough offer yet, right?”

Even if they offered captured Romero knights, mages, or nobles as bargaining chips, they would be no match for a direct line of Cornelia.

“But what if we add a condition they can’t refuse? If we throw a bait so enticing that even their commander, who can’t be swayed, is tempted, they’ll have no choice but to agree to the negotiations, right?”

“…”

Sharle’s face hardened as she understood the meaning.

“Yes. Let’s use the Piece of the Grotesquery as bait.”

***

Inside the barracks where the Romero Kingdom's troops were stationed.

Isaac Heinrich, who did not control his gloomy aura, opened his mouth.

“Say that again.”

“…”

Mainz Kimbel, who had been watching his expression, opened his mouth again.

“The four Superhumans who were deployed to the Flask Mountain Range. Their presences have all disappeared.”

Kwaaa.

“…!!”

A few seconds were enough for the gloomy aura to turn poisonous.

‘Keuk… Can he already handle evil energy to this extent…’

Evil energy. An aura permitted only to those who had reached a significant level among monsters.

It was a power that did not suit a knight who had formed a Mana Heart.

‘Unlike me, His Highness is reaching completion.’

A being thoroughly created by the Black Duke, not an incomplete being like himself.

The man before him would leave his name in history as an unprecedented case.

“The only one among the Superhumans we brought with us who is still connected is Sir Garva.”

Mainz Kimbel mentioned the Superhuman who was helping the Romero Kingdom and was directly on the battlefield.

He was achieving such distinguished service as to capture a direct line of Cornelia.

“Things have gotten complicated.”

Isaac said, expressing his displeasure.

He had pulled the Superhumans from the battlefield and deployed them to the Flask Mountain Range.

It was because, with the Magic Tower holding out, it was not a situation for Superhumans to step forward anyway.

Just the pressure of having Superhumans guarding the rear would prevent the outnumbered Cornelia from abandoning the Magic Tower and going on the offensive.

Of course, it was not easy for Romero to break through the defense either, due to the Magic Tower and the Arch Mages’ linked magic, but the range of that magic was limited.

“The troops I brought have that much of a intimidating presence. That's why I did it.”

Publicly, Isaac had come here under the pretext of punishing Cornelia for rebelling against the Empire.

But his real purpose was to take the Piece of the Grotesquery that had been confirmed to be in the Flask Mountain Range.

But those plans had gone awry.

“Did Cornelia’s side notice?”

“That’s highly likely.”

“There were no signs of Cornelia’s Superhumans moving.”

Cornelia’s three Arch Mages were taking turns using magic.

“No matter how vast the mountain range is and how many monsters there are, they are Superhumans. They wouldn’t have been hunted by mere 7-star monsters.”

The two Superhumans of the Benjamin family had also been deployed to the battlefield for a long time.

It was hard to imagine that they would now lead their aged bodies themselves and roam the mountain range.

Then why did this happen?

The thought was not long.

“Orchid Owl.”

“Yes… It seems she has taken Cornelia’s side.”

“That insolent woman…”

Orchid Owl was the leader of Absinthe, whom he had brought in to grasp the situation in the western frontier.

Her mental state seemed a little strange, but he had valued her skills and made a contract with her for a large sum of money.

Grit.

Isaac’s aura became even more ominous.

It was as if her frivolous laughter was echoing in his head.

“How dare she do something like that against me.”

Gulp.

Mainz swallowed dryly.

He had also come to handle evil energy after being revived by the Black Duke’s magic, but the aura Isaac emitted was so ominous that it could even constrict the body of a Superhuman.

‘His Highness will soon reach the 8-star level.’

And he would win the competition for the throne and become the ruler of the Empire.

“The possibility of them having obtained the Piece of the Grotesquery is slim. How about calling in additional Superhumans from the mainland?”

“Foolish talk. That would break the balance that we've painstakingly set. Above all, brother Crusty would also be convinced that the Piece is here.”

Hennessy and Absinthe.

The Walker guilds adjacent to the eastern and western frontiers had also taken the hands of Eurasia and Cornelia respectively.

“The Temple has sent a reply that they can no longer take anyone's side.”

“Tsk… Pierre de Pantera. That arrogant man is acting on his own again.”

He thought they had a common goal regarding the Grotesquery after leaking information about it, but his attitude had suddenly changed.

He could intuitively tell that the war with Brussels had had an effect.

He hadn't been considering it, but it had now become difficult to deploy Superhumans using the Pantera Temple.

The Roto Temple would be no different.

“I don’t like the stage.”

Then he would have to change it to his liking.

Coincidentally, he had also obtained a card to do so.

“I’ll have to use the direct line of Cornelia.”

Although he was a 4-star level mage, he knew the symbolic significance of the direct line better than anyone.

“Let’s keep applying pressure and watch the progress.”

And that time came before long.

A message had arrived from Sharle Cornelia.

I have the ‘Piece of the Grotesquery’ that you have been searching for so desperately.

If you are well, I would like to meet you and talk.

A letter with a short text was enclosed with a proposal for a prisoner exchange as its main point.

“Insolent woman.”

Negotiations through those who were not even Superhumans meant nothing to him.

Isaac chuckled.

Cornelia acted as if she was looking into the opponent’s mind, but he was not the type to be played by others.

“Add a condition.”

The number of people accompanying him would be one, as before.

And.

“The 8-star mages of each camp must act as witnesses.”

“Then…”

“Yes.”

Isaac set fire to the letter he was holding.

“I will decide the war with my own hands.”

***

“It’s stricter than before.”

Sharle muttered as she took a seat at the huge round table.

Isaac, who was already sitting opposite her, clicked his tongue.

“You’ve become gaunt.”

“Thanks to you.”

Sharle smiled faintly with a haggard face.

Behind them, a knight who was not wearing a sword stood at a distance.

“You’ve seen Mainz before, right? The one on your side is a new face. I thought you’d bring one of your uncles?”

“He’s Captain Agnil of the Black Dragon Mercenary Corps.”

“A mercenary…?”

“Yes.”

Isaac let out a hollow laugh at the calm response.

To bring a mere mercenary to a life-or-death negotiation.

‘Well, this one seems to have reached the 7-star level… but is he gutsy, or is he looking down on me.’

He savored the strange feeling and led the conversation.

“This reminds me of that time.”

The day he had heard the answer of refusal.

The difference from that day was that the great mages were present as witnesses to the negotiations from the beginning.

The Black Duke, Morus Obitus, and the Flame Emperor, Hegel Cornelia.

The top mages of each camp had made a pact and set up a barrier.

Isaac Heinrich and Sharle Cornelia would be the parties to the negotiations, and they would each be accompanied by one knight as an escort.

The condition that Isaac had additionally proposed was that no one else could enter the barrier.

The Prince of the Empire and the Princess of the Kingdom.

While the prisoner exchange proceeded outside the barrier, they would conduct new negotiations.

“Is there any need to waste time? Let’s get to the point. You brought the item, right?”

“Of course. Agnil, show him the item.”

At her command, the burly mercenary stepped forward in front of the Prince.

“Contact with the Piece of the Grotesquery leaves a unique aura. Of course, Your Highness knows how to confirm it, right?”

“Confirm it.”

At Isaac's words, Mainz took out a pure white Magic Stone from his bosom.

Sssss.

After confirming the Magic Stone that was turning black, he nodded.

“…”

A moment of silence.

Soon, Isaac’s face began to contort.

“It was you.”

Tip: Tap/click the left or right side of the screen to go to previous/next chapter.