Chapter 90 : Chapter 90

Chapter 90

“Open it.”

At the command, the soldier guarding the entrance hurriedly opened the door.

[Grrr~]

Killian and Hazard entered, receiving a sword salute from the soldier.

The stuffy, musty smell of poor ventilation tickled his nose.

Eurasia had built several new buildings even before declaring itself a kingdom.

This was to reorganize the knight orders to befit a kingdom and to prepare for war.

The interrogation room, located 30 minutes from the main castle, was also built in this way.

‘It’s a shameful level compared to Cornelia.’

Walking down the stairs leading to the third basement level of the interrogation room, Killian recalled Cornelia’s magnificent architecture.

The main castle and the Magic Tower, as well as all the surrounding areas, were connected by warp stones, and the mana of the Magic Tower flowed through the buildings in the territory due to the influence of the engraved magic.

In comparison, Eurasia’s architecture seemed to be 100 years behind.

‘There’s a long way to go.’

Personally, he didn’t dislike this bleakness, but the eastern frontier was, in many ways, far from being a place where a kingdom could prosper.

‘I should proceed with moving the capital as soon as I conquer Brussels.’

After walking a little further, he saw Gala interrogating Count Revric.

“You’re here.”

Gala lowered the hand she was holding and quietly performed a sword salute.

In her hand was a scabbard with Aether still sheathed.

“Did he open his mouth?”

“He confessed about the corruption of the nobles and the king… but there’s no immediately useful information.”

“I see.”

Killian clicked his tongue as he looked at the unconscious Revric.

“He’s a complete wreck.”

The robe he was wearing was in tatters, and his limbs were twisted at unnatural angles.

In addition, he had suffered numerous major and minor fractures, making him look 20 years older than before.

“Get up.”

Thump.

The moment Gala touched Revric’s chest with the scabbard.

“Geu… ahh….”

Revric’s eyes shot open with a scream.

A stream of blood flowed from the corner of his mouth due to the reflux that had begun.

“It’s been a while, Count.”

“Ki-Killian… Eurasia…….”

“You’ve been through a lot since I last saw you.”

“Geu… euh….”

It was as he was trying to swallow his pain.

[Grrr~]

Hazard peeked his head out from behind Killian.

“……!!”

Revric’s face, which seemed like it couldn't get any worse, turned even paler.

“D-dragon…….”

“There he goes again.”

Gala shook her head once and looked at Killian.

“He’s been saying the same thing since I took him over from Yulian.

He’s normal when talking about other things… but he starts rambling whenever Hazard is mentioned.”

They had experimented using the Reflux Recovery Potion as bait, but his answer that Hazard was a dragon remained unchanged.

Gala also offered her opinion that something in Revric’s mind seemed to be broken.

“Hmm. So he insists it’s a dragon until the end.”

“Yes. At this rate, the reliability of any information we get from further interrogation is questionable.”

“You’ve worked hard. Let me talk to him alone.”

“Understood.”

“Ah, take Hazard with you. Go for a walk or something.”

“Understood.”

Gala pulled down her twitching lips and took Aether.

“Let’s go, Hazard.”

[Grrr!]

Hazard let out a happy cry and ran ahead of Gala.

He looked just like a neighborhood mutt.

Killian, who remained in the interrogation room, took out a potion from his bosom.

It was a Reflux Recovery Potion that Haman had made for him to try once.

Pop.

He uncorked the recovery potion and poured it directly into Revric’s mouth.

His pale complexion quickly returned to its original color.

‘That Haman fellow, his skills have improved a lot.’

At this rate, he seemed to be at an intermediate level.

“Count, you’re still spouting nonsense?”

“……”

“Is it because you’re afraid of losing your status as a superhuman?”

“……”

Revric remained silent.

Even though his skills had deteriorated compared to his prime, Revric Roach was a man who had mastered 7-star.

Reaching 7-star meant that he had succeeded in embodying his mental image as a single world.

Such a person could have their status damaged just by denying their own thoughts.

“Do you think you can hold out even if your limbs are cut off?”

“……”

Revric’s body was still trembling, but unlike before, his eyes were calm.

“It… won’t be possible… to hide it… forever…….”

“I suppose so.”

“If the Empire finds out… Eurasia is finished…….”

“I can’t deny that for now.”

“Until… when that time comes… the Empire will not stand by…….”

“Yes. A day will come when the truth will be revealed.”

“……”

“But not now.”

Sreureuk.

Killian’s mana dominated the interrogation room.

“Keoheok…….”

Revric, whose reflux had just subsided, vomited blood as it started again.

“Hazard is a crossbreed of a black dragon and a green dragon. He’s still a hatchling, but he’s quite resistant to mana, enough to tear apart an Arch Mage’s magic.”

“……”

“Now, I’ve admitted that Hazard is a dragon, so it’s the Count’s turn to answer. Or I can release a little more mana.”

“Tell… me.”

“The letter I sent to Count Konrad has been returned. It seems he wants my head.”

“He is a man of great ambition……. Unlike me… he did not neglect his training. You… are no match for him…….”

Revric spat out his words with difficulty, as if chewing them.

“Hmm. I see.”

Killian nodded his head.

Revric’s words now meant that Konrad’s abilities, unlike his, had not deteriorated.

But he had not fully grasped Killian’s skills.

‘Crimson Wolf said a one-on-one fight would be difficult. But if the stage is set properly, he said the possibility of assassination is not zero.’

According to Emma Eurasia, he had been injured in the battle with Escardo.

‘A slight margin of one or two steps below Sir Escardo.’

He would have to think of him as someone who was not lacking as a master, unlike Revric.

“That was a good answer, Count.”

“What… are you going to do with me…….”

“That depends on you, Count. You are the first Brussels noble to defect to Eurasia.”

“Nonsense…….”

“You should decide quickly. Brussels will fall soon.”

“What…….”

Killian’s expression turned icy.

“I’m saying that if you can’t prove your worth, I can’t guarantee your life.”

“……”

Silence fell. Killian quietly waited for him to open his mouth.

About three minutes passed like that.

“The nobles… there are documents that record the corruption of the royal family…….”

“Now we’re talking.”

“Guarantee… my life…….”

“We’ll talk about that slowly as we get to know each other.”

Seueuk.

Killian held out his pinky finger.

“……”

“If we’ve decided to be secret friends, we have to be sure.”

“……”

Without waiting for Revric’s answer, Killian linked his pinky finger with his.

Ssssss.

“……!!”

As mana flowed in, Revric screamed and writhed.

Killian smiled a harmless smile and did not let go of his pinky.

“Tell Gala the location of the documents.”

“Keok… keoheok…….”

After Killian left, Revric, who was left alone, vomited black blood.

A symptom that showed his Mana Heart was damaged.

Even if he fully recovered, his level would not be the same as before.

“Keu… heu… heuheu…….”

A laugh that sounded like a cry escaped from his mouth.

In his mind, an existence that he had not uttered a word about since being captured came to mind.

Grotesquery .

‘Killian Eurasia. Even if you get Brussels, you… Eurasia will not survive in the end…….’

The Empire will not leave you guys alone in the end.

Gadeuk.

A faint smile lingered on the corner of Revric’s mouth as he ground his teeth.

***

Eurasia’s commander’s barracks.

Escardo looked at the two knights sitting in front of him.

Demian Eurasia and Paian Eurasia.

They were the princes who had now become the pillars supporting the kingdom.

They opened their mouths at what could be called the same time.

“I will go.”

“We must refuse.”

Demian, who met Paian’s eyes, opened his mouth once more.

“Please accept Count Konrad’s terms.”

At Demian’s words, Escardo shook his head.

“I didn’t say that to hear an answer.”

He just wanted to explain the situation, he said, and that a negotiation team personally assembled by the Sepia Merchant Guild was on its way here now.

“So you two focus on making sure the knights’ morale doesn't drop.”

“It’s an obvious trick. Anyone can see that it’s a ploy to hunt down the princes of Eurasia and sever the succession.”

Paian’s gaze turned to Demian.

“I didn’t know you were that worried about Julian.”

“I’m not speaking emotionally either.”

“What is it if not emotional to go to a negotiation knowing you’ll die?”

“The Yellow Knight Order is made up of those who were separated from the Blue Knight Order.”

Demian continued with an indifferent expression.

“If a rumor spreads that Eurasia has abandoned the hostages of the Blue Knight Order, morale will hit rock bottom from the beginning of the war.”

“So we should offer the lives of us, the commanders of two knight orders, as collateral? That’s no different from saying we’ll lose the war!”

It was Paian who asked, but Demian answered Escardo.

“We can include Cornelia’s mages in the escorting negotiation team.”

“……”

“Are you in your right mind……?”

“Of course.”

“Foolish words! If Cornelia finds out that the healing mages they dispatched were used in our hostage exchange, they won’t stand by…….”

“If Cornelia finds out about this, they will dispatch additional mages to protect them.”

“Don’t you know that Eurasia and Cornelia’s relationship will worsen if that happens?”

Demian turned his head to Paian.

“Cornelia has not yet gone to war with the Romero Kingdom.”

The western frontier was not lacking in farmland, and the monster waves were also being defended to some extent by the Magic Tower.

“They are not in a desperate situation like us. It wouldn't be a big deal even if they dispatched the entire magic order. Isn’t that right?”

At Demian’s question, Escardo, who had been listening all along, opened his mouth.

“Our relationship with Cornelia will be strained.”

“They owe us a debt anyway.”

The debt was the past incident where the Annihilation Squad had suffered near-annihilation due to Cornelia’s mistake.

Afterward, the new Annihilation Squad led by Killian succeeded in hunting Mainz Kimbel, but that didn’t mean the damage he had done was erased.

“That was a matter that was concluded with us receiving the right to use the Magic Tower and the support of the mages in the future.”

“We can change the terms. Eurasia and Cornelia are in a situation where it’s difficult for them to survive on their own anyway. They will have to cooperate as well.”

Escardo’s eyes sank as he looked at Demian.

‘His way of seeing the situation is surprisingly similar to his brother’s.’

It was a perfectly rational judgment with emotion removed.

If they moved as Demian said, Cornelia was highly likely to dispatch superhuman-level forces.

Demian added his words as if driving a wedge.

“If Cornelia’s additional military support is confirmed, I will lead the negotiation team and meet with Count Konrad.”

“Paian, what do you think?”

Escardo’s gaze turned to the Second Prince with a stiff face.

Paian swallowed his dry saliva.

‘This is beyond guts, it’s almost to the point of being considered Haki.’

It seems that the gap that had opened between him and his brothers over the past few years was not just in terms of martial arts.

Demian and Killian were clearly showing a larger vessel than him.

‘How pathetic.’

Paian nodded his head, feeling the gap anew.

“If Cornelia’s superhumans are added to the negotiation team, the chances of dying a dog’s death will be reduced.”

“Yes, I understand.”

Escardo nodded his head.

‘I should call Killian just in case.’

What Escardo wanted was to buy time until he arrived, even if the negotiations went wrong.

It seemed that it would be enough if Killian and the Annihilation Squad were also deployed.

Just then, the vice-commander of the Red Knight Order, Fred Perry, entered.

“Commander of the Knights, the representative of the negotiation team sent by the Sepia Merchant Guild has arrived.”

“They arrived quickly.”

“But, the representative of the negotiation team is…….”

“Did the head of the guild come himself?”

“No, that’s not it…….”

“Who is it that you’re acting like this.”

Before Fred could open his mouth.

A man in a merchant’s attire entered the barracks.

“It seems everyone is gathered.”

The man raised the sword he was wearing and performed a sword salute.

“I am the head negotiator of the Sepia Merchant Guild, Killian Eurasia.”

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