Chapter 26 : Asher

Chapter 26: Asher

“The first three days. When everyone was just watching and gauging the mood, Asher moved boldly. He recruited the territory soldiers, formed alliances with other families of equally rotten character, and pulled in the neutral forces.”

Listening to Seah,

I realized Asher was a schemer beyond imagination.

I had already thought he was quick-witted, but I never expected it to this degree....

It almost seemed like he had deliberately hidden his true colors all this time, afraid of Kxias.

That bastard played on the warriors’ unease and expectations with sweet talk.

Now, Ransen would try to dominate Kushan City.

If they didn’t gather their forces quickly, even Ransen wouldn’t be restrained.

That was how he fanned their fears,

while flaunting his money and various entertainment businesses.

He promised them an even more luxurious life and greater pleasure than they already had.

For the territory warriors and neutral groups, who had no talent beyond fighting, it worked perfectly.

Being called ‘Asher of the Harem,’ the effect was even more powerful.

“In that way.... even the Red Warriors crossed over?”

“Yeah. Because of that, the balance completely tilted to his side.”

The Red Warriors were the very elite among Kxias’ territory soldiers.

A total of 40 men. A notorious corps composed solely of Mid-grade and High-grade Experts, serving directly under Uksala, the Great Warrior, himself a seasoned Peak Expert.

They were so skilled in combined tactics that people openly said Uksala and the Red Warriors could kill even a Swordmaster.

‘...Not that it was entirely false.’

Back when I had reached the rank of Swordmaster, the reason I couldn’t go against Count Kxias was precisely because of the Red Warriors.

Count Kxias alone was stronger than an ordinary Swordmaster, and with the Red Warriors on top of that, the pressure was immense.

“By the fourth day... that bastard, who until then had only been growing his power beneath the surface, finally began an outright show of force. Since you hadn’t been seen for four days, he started getting greedy.”

“He must’ve thought I was dead or injured.”

“Exactly. From then on, he went wild. He forced other factions into submission, spread fear among the citizens, gave rewards if they followed him, and carried out bloody purges if they didn’t.”

“Divide and rule...”

“Right. Even within the vigilantes, division broke out. More and more trash started following him.”

“Impressive.”

“More than that. In just seven days, he took control of half the armed groups in Kushan City.”

“Heh.”

As Seah said, that was truly an astounding feat.

Because Roberland was a region infested with Demonic Beasts, most of the population was concentrated in its cities.

That was why each city was so large that it could be called a small nation on its own.

Kushan City alone had a population of about 750,000.

Considering that before its fall, the capital of the Banroa Kingdom, Bandar, had 1.5 million people, this was an enormous size for a single city.

Inside this city existed an uncountable number of armed groups.

From vigilantes organized by the citizens themselves to protect their own safety and order, to mercenary bands and expeditions drawn by Demonic Beast hunts, to families founded by thugs and fugitives from all over, and even to the territory army and various warrior corps directly under Kxias, the ruler of the city.

Leaving out the rabble, the number of people who lived solely by the sword exceeded ten thousand.

And yet, to think that he managed to seize half of them in just seven days...

“He’s greedy too. Looks like he really wants to swallow this city. Maybe to keep even the Red Warriors in check, he even hired the Kalserik Brotherhood. On top of that... there’s a rumor that Asher himself has reached Peak Expert.”

The Kalserik Brotherhood.

One of the most renowned mercenary bands in Roberland.

Their leader Kalserik was a seasoned Peak Expert, evaluated as a man of remarkable talent who might reach Swordmaster within ten years.

‘I heard they were a mercenary band that knew a bit of romance....’

They were also one of the rare mercenary groups in this lawless continent of fraud and betrayal who were known to hold onto trust.

Hearing this much, even I felt a chill run down my spine.

“...If I’d been even a little later, things would’ve gone terribly wrong.”

How many Peak Experts were in this single city now? At this level, it was almost the military strength of a small sub-kingdom.

“Yeah. In fact, the blatant pressure has already started. Right now, our forces are only about half of Asher’s.”

“What kind of pressure?”

“...”

Seah, who had been speaking with a calm and expressionless face, hesitated for the first time.

Why was she acting like that?

The one who answered was Daisy, who had been quietly listening from the corner of the round table.

With both hands covering her forehead, she said:

“...He asked me to marry him.”

What?

Was there something wrong with my ears?

“The truth is... that bastard had already sent me letters about a year ago.... But this time, he made an official marriage proposal.”

That lunatic?

It felt like sparks were flying from my eyes.

The man most notorious in Kushan City for the filthiest sex scandals... dared to covet her?

With his perverted fetish of strangling his partners to death, and with the sheer number of concubines he kept...

Fwoosh!

If anyone looked into my eyes right now, they would see dark blue flames blazing inside my pupils.

Because when emotions ran high, flames would blaze in the pupils—that was a trait of the royal family of Banroa and its noble houses.

“For a whole year? Why didn’t you say anything?”

“...What good would it have done if I had? Even when Sir Ibsen ended up like that.... Well.”

Ha....

Right. That was true.

We were nothing but punching bags.

That was why she once said she’d rather become a Vampire.

I hated myself for scolding her without knowing any of that.

As I grew more agitated, Seah quietly glanced at me and quickly changed the subject.

“Anyway. Tomorrow’s General Council was practically set to become his coronation. But now that you’re back, that’s off the table. Our military strength and reputation are stronger now.”

That was right.

There was no way I’d let a bastard like that seize Kushan City and swing it around.

“But the problem is, now we can’t get rid of him.”

Seah’s face looked a little tired.

I thought I knew what she was worried about.

“Because of the Demonic Beast subjugations?”

In Roberland, the very first condition for a city’s survival was the periodic subjugation of Demonic Beasts. And for that, a certain scale of warriors was absolutely necessary.

Rivera Pietro, who had been quietly listening, exploded in anger.

“Damn it…. Asher, that bastard, is the one I want to cut down more than anyone else….”

I silently gave Rivera a look, then asked Seah.

“There are a lot of trash among them, right?”

“A lot? That’s putting it mildly.”

Seah slid a book toward me.

On the cover, it said *Kill List.*

I slowly flipped through it.

At the front was a list written in blue letters, in the middle a list in red, and at the end a list in black.

“The blue are factions that at least know some sense of decency. The black are irredeemable trash, and the red are in-between.”

I skimmed through it.

Having lived in Kushan City for 14 years, most of the names were familiar to me.

‘They call them in-between, but the red ones are still garbage.’

The red ones dealt in narcotics or loan sharking, were notorious for charging heavy taxes in their territory, and were infamous for their cruelty toward people.

And the black ones went without saying. They made their living off murdering innocents and kidnapping.

“We’ll have to endure it. We need to accept and acknowledge at least the red ones. Otherwise the city won’t survive. But here’s the problem…. we can’t even wipe out all the black ones now. See those red dots among the black names? We have to accept those too. They’re part of Asher’s faction.”

“....”

More than half the black list had red dots marked on them.

I didn’t answer. I just stared holes into the Kill List.

Seah continued in a resigned tone.

“Still, we’ve already built ties with the forces on the blue list. They’re firmly on our side. In terms of power, that’s about a quarter of the total. If we also win over parts of the red list, we’ll manage to secure a foundation for ruling.”

Seah explained the tangled political situation surrounding Kushan City.

But I didn’t really listen.

I just kept staring at the Kill List and asked her:

“So. Everyone written here will be gathered tomorrow, right?”

“Yeah.”

“Good. Then leave the rest to me.”

I rose from my seat.

“You’ve done well, Seah. And you too, Sir Rivera. Let’s call it a night.”

“Sir Rivera? That sounds too cold. You’re my lord—just call me Rivera.”

“Alright. Rivera.”

Rivera grinned broadly.

But Seah still seemed a little worried.

“Don’t you need to set a strategy for tomorrow?”

“Don’t worry. I’ll handle it.”

Seah looked at me with doubtful eyes, but I only raised my hand once and left it at that.

That was when Katrina cut in.

“Yeah! Seah! Don’t worry! Ransen Oppa says it’s fine! So! Since the family is all together today, let’s have a drink! The kids should head to bed first!”

Katrina giggled as if nothing was on her mind.

In truth, she was the type to be cautious and thoughtful when needed… but tonight, it seemed she was reminiscing about the old days.

Back when everyone believed in my decisions and followed me without hesitation… the golden days of our family.

Because she brought it up like that, Seah couldn’t push any further.

Instead, I had something to say to Rivera.

“Rivera. I have a favor to ask tomorrow.”

When I whispered to him, his eyes gleamed.

“Lord Ransen, that’s…!”

“Please.”

“Understood. I’ll do it.”

Truly, he was a man of decisiveness.

Then tomorrow, I would show them my decisiveness as well.

*         *         *

The General Council was held at the ruined Lord’s Keep.

It was the center of Kushan City and also a neutral ground that belonged to no armed group yet.

Since the attendance was limited to three people, I brought Katrina and Varen with me.

“Wow… there are so many.”

Even with the limit, nearly 300 people crowded into the ruined keep.

“It’s Ransen…!”

“It really is Ransen….”

“He’s alive….”

When I appeared, commotion erupted everywhere.

People stepped aside, whispering as they went.

“Oh! Lord Ransen!”

As I slowly walked toward the center, Asher greeted me.

‘Still smirking, huh.’

With his slit eyes hiding his pupils and that ever-smiling, obnoxious face—he was exactly the same as before.

“You’ve truly come. I’m glad you’re safe.”

While grinning, he glanced at the people behind me, then asked in a voice dripping with amusement:

“But Lady Daisy didn’t come with you?”

…He was crossing the line right from the start.

“Why Daisy?”

“I like proud young women.”

“….”

I wondered how far he’d go, but he kept flapping his mouth.

“Did you hear I proposed to her? I’d be grateful if you looked kindly on it. If we’re connected by blood, it wouldn’t be a bad thing for you either, my new Count.”

He called me “the new Count.”

On the surface, it looked like he was acknowledging my superiority.

But judging from the way he kept smirking, he must have been confident in the power he had secured.

“Mm. It’s been a while, Great Warrior Ransen.”

Great Warrior. That was a title I hadn’t heard in a long time.

The man who addressed me with my old title was covered in scars across his face.

It was Uksala the Great Warrior, the man currently regarded as the strongest in Kushan City, aside from myself.

I didn’t bother to return the greeting—just cast a glance his way.

Behind Uksala stood Susjan, the Commander of the Territory Army.

He was the highest-ranking warrior in the territory forces and also a Peak Expert.

‘Then that one must be Kalserik.’

Next to Commander Susjan was another middle-aged man with a thick beard.

Judging by the immense Aura no less than Uksala’s, that had to be Kalserik, the leader of the Kalserik Brotherhood.

Good. Confirmed.

I turned my back sharply and shouted toward the gathered leaders of the armed groups.

“I hear some of you caused trouble while I was gone? They say you stole innocent citizens’ lives and property?”

A few of them flinched and murmured nervously.

No need to see their faces.

I pulled out Seah’s Kill List from my coat and recited some names written in black.

“The Karu Family. Four days ago, you slaughtered an entire household and stole their property, didn’t you? Then you kidnapped the neighbors who had lost their will to resist and sold them as slaves? And what did you do with the money? Bought weapons and hired mercenaries?”

“L-Lord Ransen, that’s—!”

Karu, the one called out, tried to make excuses, but I replied with a flat voice.

“Katrina.”

“Yep!”

Srrrng—

As expected, we didn’t need to rehearse. Even without prior words, Katrina knew exactly what to do.

Without hesitation, she drew her sword and charged at Karu and his attendants.

“W-Wait!”

“A-Asher! Lord Asher!”

They frantically screamed for Asher’s help as they tried to flee, but they couldn’t escape Katrina’s blade.

In moments, drenched in blood, Katrina returned to my side.

“A Peak Expert…!”

“When did she reach that realm…!”

“Told you, all of Ransen’s siblings are monsters….”

While the others reeled at Katrina’s display of power—

“Whoa—our new Count is terrifying indeed. Starting off by setting discipline so firmly. Well, a Count should have that kind of dignity.”

Asher spoke to me with a familiar air, his grin never fading.

Even though Karu technically belonged to his faction, he didn’t seem to mind. Overflowing with confidence, he acted as if letting me vent my anger on a few small fry was nothing.

In the end, he only had that composure because he was certain I wouldn’t dare touch the core of his faction.

I ignored him and kept reading from the Kill List.

“Next, the Lororlan Family.”

“Yep!”

“Yeeees….”

Every time I called a name, Katrina would dash forward, looking as though she was reliving old memories, while Varen drawled his words with a lazy tone. Still, he finished his tasks cleanly.

“Heron Family.”

“Dasbicker Family.”

“Lucas Family.”

I read through the Kill List without hesitation.

By the time five factions had been purged, the place reeked of blood and urine.

When the other leaders began trembling and casting nervous glances around, Asher, unlike at the start, stepped in with an awkwardly stiffened face.

“Haha—New Count, I think they’ve gotten the message by now. If you push too hard with fear, it could backfire, so perhaps we should—”

Fine.

I agreed it was about time the atmosphere had ripened.

“Next.”

I ignored Asher entirely and read again from the Kill List.

This time, I looked him straight in the eye.

“Three Bandit Groups—Tapun, Dust, Kukurak. Two Slave-trading Groups—X, Shadow Walker.”

Asher couldn’t keep smiling anymore.

Because the groups I had just named were either directly under him or in tight alliance with him.

“And three drug production rings, plus twelve forced prostitution houses that made the citizens weep tears of blood—under Asher.”

I glared down at the slit-eyed bastard coldly and finished my words.

“Execution.”

The moment my sentence fell—

Srrrng—

Katrina smiled darkly as she unleashed her Aura Threads, ready to charge straight at Asher.

“Hey, Sis. Look at the size before you rush in.”

Varen grabbed her from behind, holding her back.

Right. On their side, there were already three Peak Experts… no, counting Asher, that made four. At that scale, this was something I had to handle myself.

Step.

I laid my hand on my sword hilt and walked forward, heavy-footed. That was when I heard the grinding of teeth.

“What… is the meaning of this?! New Count?!”

Asher spat the words like venom.

The eyes that had always been squinting with a grin were now opened sharp and wide.

Between the narrow lids, his yellow pupils gleamed with reptilian cruelty.

The moment those slit eyes revealed the golden glare hidden beneath… it must have looked terrifying to everyone else.

But he had chosen the wrong opponent.

“What, you slit-eyed bastard. What are you going to do now that your eyes are open?”

So arrogant.

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