STM 137

Haas crossed the portal and pondered. Am I a mage, or just a courier? But it’s good news this time, so maybe it’s fortunate. It had to be good news, right?

He started doubting, but Haas quickly shook his head. He wasn’t certain Adeye Lu was Salvation, but he believed his feelings toward the Grand Duke were genuine.

So even if the claim about a way to capture Bayan was a lie, it would be for the Grand Duke’s sake. Haas didn’t want the Grand Duke to get hurt fighting Sarne Bayan either.

Moreover, the timing of their arrival was astonishing. The four knights, including Tairok, were as sharp and focused as the swords in their hands. As if they were about to engage in battle.

“Haas.”

Enya greeted him first, frowning as she recognized him.

“You went this morning. Why are you back?”

But instead of answering Enya, Haas bowed his head to the figure walking toward him.

“Your Grace, Lord Lu has a message to convey.”

Tairok gestured to those around him, and the other knights stepped back. Seeing this, Haas quickly spoke.

“Your Highness, Lord Lu says you must return at once. He claims there is a way to deal with Sarne Bayan. He heard it from a divine beast.”

A divine beast, how shocked Haas had been when he first heard that. Yet Tairok showed little reaction. Instead, he asked something else.

“How is Lu?”

“Yes? He’s fine.”

Tairok nodded and commanded.

“You return and guard Lu well.”

“Just me? You’re not coming?”

“Tell Lu. I’ll be back by tomorrow morning.”

Wait, that meant… Haas quickly stopped him as he turned to leave.

“Your Grace, you may not trust Lord Lu, but I know his heart is truly devoted to you. So just this once, please trust him…”

“I trust him.”

Tairok replied indifferently. Then he looked at Haas with mild curiosity.

“But… you know Lu’s true intentions?”

As Haas tried to explain what that meant, a knight approached and urgently reported to Tairok.

“Your Grace, they’ve begun moving.”

Tairok left Haas behind and departed quickly.

“Your Grace! You don’t have to capture Sarne Bayan…”

“Haas.”

Enya grabbed Haas, who was trying to chase after Tairok.

“Don’t stop the Grand Duke.”

“But there must be another way to deal with Bayan…”

“Bayan has entered Kun territory. Had he not known this, he might have retreated, but now he absolutely will not back down.”

Ah… Haas let out a regretful sigh.

“It seems Lord Lu has an alternative.”

“Alternative? Ha, even if it’s true, who knows if it’ll work? Besides, it’s Adeye Lu. What if he’s trying to lure His Grace into a trap?”

“No, Lord Lu’s feelings toward His Grace are genuine.”

“Hey, how would you know that?”

But once again, he couldn’t fully articulate the reason for his belief. Enya waved her hand, saying there was nothing more to hear, and simply vanished. Haas sighed again and muttered.

“Well, I heard it at Crystal Lake. He clutched the fallen Grand Duke and screamed, ‘My hope!'”

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“Master, someone is tailing us.”

Despite her disciple’s warning, Bayan tossed another dry branch into the campfire burning in the forest clearing.

Since entering Kun’s territory, there had been hints, but she’d thought it might be coincidence. They’d been careful not to leave traces while chasing Black Bear.

But how on earth did they know?

“Could it be those released by Black Bear? Weren’t there quite a few mercenaries with past ties to Black Bear?”

One voice offered a counterargument to another’s conjecture.

“All who had ties to Black Bear are dead by our hands. Even if any remain, none would be bold enough to risk their lives helping Black Bear.”

“Then who could have…”

“This is Kun’s territory.”

When Bayan spoke, the disciples’ expressions stiffened.

“We’ve been on Kun’s land for less than a day. How could Kun’s soldiers already know and be chasing us?”

Seeing the other disciples seemed to share this thought, Bayan raised her eyes in displeasure.

“You fools, how could you not know? It’s not ‘already’, if they’ve been tracking us for a long time, it’s possible. Once we entered their territory, they’d have come out of their holes like rats with their tails on fire.”

Bayan looked around at them coldly.

“If it were that child, he would have noticed immediately. This is precisely why you cannot ascend to sword master.”

Though Bayan didn’t name him, everyone simultaneously recalled the sword master dead disciple. Their expressions froze instantly, and a flicker of resentment appeared in some eyes.

But Bayan didn’t care. If all of them died and that child survived, she would gladly trade places.

How immensely talented he was. Bayan had no doubt he would fulfill her dream.

Her brother, Grand Duke Sarne, believed only the power of the divine beast was supreme, but Bayan believed humans could reach a realm rivaling divine beasts’s power through their own strength alone. Yet, despite long training, she had not found the way.

The deceased disciple had, in his lifetime, once…just once formed his aura into a shape that wasn’t a curve. It had resembled Tairok’s famed aura.

Like lightning erupting from a human hand. Yet, before he could truly blossom, he died while pursuing Black Bear alone.

His death was a bitter loss for the entire Sarne family, who had invested heavily in raising him to be Tairok’s rival. Yet, the remaining disciples were foolishly preoccupied with such worries.

“Surely he isn’t coming after us himself?”

One disciple voiced his concern.

Rustle.

Footsteps were heard. The disciples, except Bayan, rose simultaneously, swords drawn. Under their gaze, a figure stepped out onto the clearing. He glanced briefly at Bayan’s group and smirked.

“I don’t recall inviting cockroaches onto my land.”

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“So that’s how it is.”

Rick finished his brief explanation, looking at me apologetically. The message was simple: Tairok wasn’t coming. He was determined to face Bayan.

“Lord Lu, I know you must be disappointed, but please understand the Grand Duke’s resolve to protect Kun.”

Disappointed? Hardly. It was stranger that he believed my demand for him to return without any proof.

But why? Even though I understood it logically, I couldn’t bring myself to say the words “it’s fine”.

I just felt down. Maybe it was the realization that I was someone who couldn’t influence his decisions. But what could I say? I turned my gaze out the window for a moment and asked.

“Rick, do you think it’s right for the Grand Duke to deal with Bayan now? He could get seriously hurt out there.”

When I didn’t hear an answer and looked at him, he was just sighing with his lips tightly pursed. From Rick’s perspective, it seemed hard to say whether he was worried or not.

“How could I possibly stand in the Grand Duke’s way?”

His voice carried that familiar resignation. Only then did I realize why no one had tried to dissuade Tairok.

“Has this happened often?”

“No. Situations where the Grand Duke’s life is in danger can’t occur that frequently.”

“Not often, but it seems to have happened a few times.”

Rick flinched, then explained defensively.

“But he always came back alive.”

So he must have that unfounded faith again this time.

But I didn’t. Just coming back alive wasn’t enough.

“That’s not enough. He must return unharmed.”

Rick wore a moved expression as he looked at me, but I couldn’t clear up his misunderstanding. If the Grand Duke lay bedridden for a long time and couldn’t close the Eye of Hell, I’d be in serious trouble.

“With Lord Lu here, even if His Grace is injured, we feel truly reassured.”

Why would my presence be reassuring… fuck.

“Who sleeps around when someone’s injured? Are you saying I should climb on top of a blood-soaked man and shake my hips?”

Rick looked bewildered at my outburst.

“Of course not. I meant that even if the Grand Duke is injured and cannot lead the Kun family, we are reassured because Lord Lu is here.”

“…Ah.”

I’d made a more obscene assumption than a Tubain. My pride was hurt.

“Anyway, isn’t intercourse just to replenish energy and aid physical recovery? It can treat minor injuries, but that takes several days of sleeping together.”

I averted my gaze, quickly erasing the fact my ankle had healed after days of effort.

“But knowing Lord Lu has already resolved to treat His Grace’s injury through intercourse… nothing could be more reassuring.”

“I’m not crazy enough to do something like that…”

“Pardon?”

“…If His Grace were injured, the pain might drive me mad.”

Pride filled Rick’s eyes once more. He seemed overwhelmed with pride for the Grand Duke who was loved so deeply.