Chapter 145 : Chapter 145

Chapter 145: Imperial Etiquette (2)

"Tch."

Bolero clicked his tongue softly.

‘…Is he even human?’

That was the thought that crossed his mind as he watched Bihen’s back.

He then raised his head to take in the scene unfolding before him.

A white Sword Aura erupted from Bihen’s blade, spreading explosively.

It tore through the air, engulfing the entire area.

The charging company members vanished in the blink of an eye, and the towering buildings collapsed in a chain reaction.

Maserin, standing beside Bolero, instinctively stepped back.

‘He’s gotten stronger. No, is stronger even the right word?’

It’s hard to gauge someone far above your level.

That’s why lesser fighters can only flounder.

Maserin recalled how she had treated Bihen in the past.

…

Her face flushed with embarrassment.

Only now did she realize how much leniency and mercy he had shown her.

"Wow…"

"Insane."

Krnock and Deli both gasped.

The sheer magnitude of his strength was on another level.

To the two young martial priests, the scene they just witnessed was simply astonishing.

The deafening roar echoed all around, drowning out the sighs of the four onlookers.

Clank.

Bihen sheathed his sword and turned around.

The four instinctively straightened their postures.

"The letter?"

"H-Here…!"

Deli quickly handed the crumpled letter to Bihen with a respectful bow.

Bihen unfolded the letter to check its contents.

One corner of his mouth slowly curled upward.

"Good."

"B-But, brother, is this really enough?"

"What do you mean?"

"I mean… is the Administrator’s rudeness alone enough to justify a declaration of war?"

In both the Empire and the Kingdom, conflicts between factions are never taken lightly.

While it’s not uncommon for powerful figures to target each other’s lives, without a legitimate cause, the consequences come back manifold.

In the end, legitimacy matters.

But for Imperial swordsmen, something weighs heavier than legitimacy: grudges and insults.

The moment a grudge forms or an insult is exchanged, all complex procedures and formalities are bypassed, and a life-or-death duel is implicitly justified.

"That’s Imperial etiquette."

Max drew his sword first and Bihen accepted the challenge.

This fight had become a pure life-or-death duel, with no room for other interests to intervene.

To avoid hastening the war between the Empire and Kingdom from his past life, Bihen had framed this conflict as a dispute between a sect and a trading company.

"Ah…"

Deli’s jaw dropped.

She recalled Max saying something similar earlier, using the insult he received as a pretext to punish the Lord of Aldenfort.

"Bolero."

Bihen’s glance made Bolero instinctively snap to attention.

"I’m going straight for Max. You stay here and handle anyone trying to slip away."

"Y-You’re going alone? There could be more of them inside. Are you sure?"

"Of course. I’m counting on you."

Without hesitation, Bihen kicked off the ground.

As his figure vanished into the ruined building, screams and wails soon echoed from within.

* * *

At that moment, in Conwell.

Sylphiroa.

The clearing in front of the Spirit Tree was thick with tension.

The villagers and Sylphinus mages stood in a circle, holding their breath, watching one person intently.

"Hoo— Hoo—"

It was Ayan.

Standing with his back to the Spirit Tree, he closed his eyes, breathing heavily.

His trembling lips and eyelids quivered, and sweat dripped from his chin.

"You can do it, Ayan! I believe in you! Keep going!"

"Hey, doesn’t that kind of talk make him more nervous? That’ll make it harder."

"I-Is that so?"

Janson and Bill, standing at a distance, bickered quietly.

Beside them, Jayden and Roland silently observed Ayan.

Kevin, Sylphinus’s proud chief mage, offered a gentle smile and spoke to them.

"You two, don’t worry. Ayan will definitely pull it off."

"Worry? My student’s not someone to worry about."

Roland adjusted his bangs with a prim expression, but his anxiety was plain to see.

At that moment, Jayden, who had been silent, finally spoke, letting out a worried sigh.

"This isn’t going to work. Even if it takes longer, wouldn’t it be better to travel by normal means?"

Roland, eyes still fixed on Ayan, replied.

"Do you know how long it takes to get to Aldenfort from here?"

"Still, Governor. No matter how I look at it, this is an absurd attempt. A Spatial Transfer Gate—something no one but you has ever succeeded in creating. And a beginner who just formed their circle is attempting it, when even advanced manipulation mages wouldn’t dare?"

Roland smirked.

"Listen, Jayden."

"Yes, Governor."

"The time of geniuses flows differently from ordinary people."

"What…?"

Jayden’s eyes widened.

Roland finally turned to face him.

"Ayan is a genius. His talent alone has no equal. Except for one."

"Who’s that?"

"Himself."

"…"

"Since meeting me, that kid has been fighting himself. Before that, what was he like?"

Jayden blinked.

It suddenly hit him that the middle-aged man before him was Conwell’s Sage.

"He didn’t even know how to fight or who to fight. After meeting me, his time finally started moving."

The world always draws boundaries based on what’s visible.

Those who’ve never seen the sea think a lake is the largest body of water, and crossing a river feels like reaching the end.

Ayan stood beyond such boundaries.

The fences others built meant nothing to him.

"Ayan’s just started to swim in the sea. We just need to believe and follow. Even if we end up on a deserted island, it’s not that the sea doesn’t exist—it’s just a path we don’t yet know."

"…I was hasty. I understand."

"Good. But brace yourself. A path forged by a genius isn’t always comfortable."

Roland muttered softly.

For instance, stepping into a Spatial Transfer Gate and ending up not in Aldenfort but wandering some dimensional void…

Jayden’s ears perked up at that moment.

"Woooaah!"

"It’s open!"

The crowd’s murmurs made both men’s heads whip around.

An elliptical beam of light, like a crack, shimmered in the air. Its position was perfect, as if cradled by the Spirit Tree’s glow.

"Ah…"

Roland dropped to his knees, a shiver running through him.

"Teacher!"

Ayan grinned broadly at Roland.

Roland, for the first time in a while, let a genuine smile spread across his face.

Because the world had just grown wider once again.

That was why he refused the title of Sage.

* * *

"Max!"

Bihen’s shout echoed through the ruins.

The Gunbel Trading Company’s headquarters was now a wasteland, barely recognizable.

Collapsed building debris had carved new paths, and the wind carried the smell of blood and dust.

"You monstrous bastard!"

"Get him! He’s alone—!"

The surviving company members, unscathed by the Sword Aura, emerged from various spots to attack.

Of course, it was futile.

Bihen had already spread his senses wide.

Even if they weren’t in his line of sight, he could clearly feel their hidden presence.

He knew exactly where and how many were crouching behind the rubble, as if they were laid out on his palm.

Slash! Thud!

He marveled at the Heavenly Demon’s cutting power.

It even brought a thrill of slaughter.

Bihen shook his head vigorously.

"Come out already! Aren’t you ashamed?"

But since the presences didn’t come with name tags, he had to search them out one by one.

His steps quickened.

He ignored the terrified members and passed them by.

"Ah."

His steps halted.

A short sigh escaped.

Where the debris cleared, a wide, open space appeared, as if deliberately made.

It likely served as a courtyard before the building collapsed.

"There you are."

"…"

"You’re Max Gunbel, right?"

Bihen said, resting the flat of his blade on his shoulder, a smirk tugging at his lips.

"…What the hell are you?"

Max growled low.

Bihen was impressed.

Max stood alone, without a gaggle of subordinates, exuding a certain defiance.

"Eldest son of the Benkou family, Bihen Benkou."

One of Max’s eyebrows twitched upward.

"Benkou? You’re… an Imperial?"

"I guess I’ve been here long enough that you didn’t recognize me right away."

Bihen spat out the gritty dust in his mouth with force.

Max let out a stunned gasp.

"A guy from some sect called the Solari Order caused all this chaos, and he’s an Imperial? My god. Why? What’s the reason? There has to be one!"

"Plenty of reasons."

"…What?"

Max’s lips trembled.

He was bewildered.

All he’d done was work diligently for the company and the Imperial Family, and now a master swordsman’s aura was crashing down on him.

It was like being struck by lightning out of a clear sky.

Shing.

Bihen loosely gripped the Heavenly Demon, lowering it from his shoulder.

"You don’t get to ask questions. I do."

As Max blinked, the culprit of this chaos was already right in front of him.

Thud—!

"Ugh…!"

Bihen grabbed Max by the collar, dragged him, and flung him aside.

He yanked him up again, slamming him into every wall in sight.

Thwack!

Max’s body rocked side to side with each kick.

Thwack! Thwack! Thwack!

That wasn’t all.

Relentless strikes from the flat of the blade battered his body, and a sudden blow from the hilt shattered his front teeth.

"S-Stop…!"

Max crawled on the ground, trembling.

The cold indifference in his opponent’s face filled him with fear.

"T-Tell me what you want! Why are you doing this…!"

Bihen grabbed his collar again, pulling their faces close.

Their breaths were near enough to touch.

Max sobbed, his gums trembling. Bihen’s gaze was cold and empty.

"Do I look merciful enough to explain before killing you?"

"Y-You, you madman…! Do you even know who you’re messing with?!"

Only then did Bihen’s lips curl into a smirk.

"Who? Tell me. Want me to guess?"

"…!"

"The Imperial Family?"

"You… you know that and still…!"

"But it wasn’t the Imperial Family that told you to poison Jewel, was it? No way. Not for a nobody like you. Right?"

Bihen’s voice dropped lower.

"Tell me who poisoned Jewel. Your other backer."

Max’s eyes bulged.

Shock surged within him.

This man knew everything, down to details no one should know.

He wasn’t even sure if the man before him was human.

"Ugh—!"

Blood gushed from Max’s mouth.

His vision blurred, and his jaw trembled uncontrollably.

Before he knew it, his lips moved against his will.

"The Krause family! It was planned with them!"

"…What?"

"The Imperial Family, sure, but behind me is the Krause family…! The assassins who poisoned Jewel were theirs!"

Bihen’s brow furrowed.

A completely unexpected name had surfaced.

‘Valen Krause Aldenfort.’

The Lord of Aldenfort from his past life.

The noble who stood against Corps Commander Griem Igraine.

"Krause…"

As he caught his breath, Max, his bloodied face contorted, began to chuckle.

Seeing the man’s surprise gave him a twisted satisfaction.

"Ha, hahaha…! What, have you heard of them? Then you must know how terrifying they are, huh? It’s too late for regrets now."

At that moment—

…!

Bihen’s head whipped around.

He sensed multiple presences at once.

A sharp killing intent pricked the back of his neck.

"To think such an absurd thing would happen."

From that voice, the shadows cast among the rubble began to stir.

Dark silhouettes emerged one by one, as if crawling out.

In an instant, the area behind him was packed.

Bihen scanned them with just his eyes.

They weren’t unfamiliar.

They all wore the distinctive attire of Imperial assassins.

Whoosh—!

Suddenly, the air between them rippled.

A crack-like beam of light formed, slowly widening.

Even Bihen couldn’t maintain his composure this time.

"Ugh!"

Familiar faces popped out one after another.

Janson, Ayan, Bill and Jayden.

Out of nowhere, the Easton Guard.

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