“Ugh!”
Eurius pulled out his sword from the hand of the woman and pressed it against her neck.
It was a sign that he would slit her throat if she made any foolish moves.
“…”
He didn’t even glance at the woman who had a desperate expression on her face.
Eurius turned his head to Leonhart.
“Leon! I’m glad to see you again, but I have one question for you…”
“Yes?”
Leonhart stiffened his face.
“You were just branded as a traitor by the order of His Majesty, the Emperor of this place.”
Boom!
His chest sank at Eurius’s words.
“Is that true?”
“Yeah! And you also called in some forces to try to kill me.”
Bang!
This time, it was more than just sinking.
A pile of rocks fell into his chest.
‘Why is he asking me that…?’
“Haha! That’s amazing.”
“Isn’t it?”
Eurius smiled slightly and looked at Leonhart who was trying to dodge the topic.
“But why are you trying to run away with Yeosang now? Do you have something to say?”
“Brother! That’s not true!”
Leonhart, who was startled, raised his hands and waved them as he started to explain.
“It’s true that Yeosang locked me up and told me such outrageous plans. But!”
He said that he had no intention of harming Eurius and that he rejected all of Yeosang’s proposals.
“Oh! So you rejected all of his offers?”
“Yes! How could I ever think of harming you, brother!”
“Then have you ever heard of the forces called the Magyo or the Order?”
“I’ve never heard of them.”
“Really?”
Eurius was smiling on the outside, but he was slightly flustered on the inside.
‘It seems like he’s telling the truth?’
[Leonhart von Scharnos]
Current status: Wronged
Eurius expected that his brother had something to do with the Magyo. But looking at the situation now, Leonhart said that he refused to harm him, whether he intended it or not.
‘That’s not because he’s nice, but probably because he didn’t trust Yeosang.’
Anyway, it seemed that he didn’t come into this palace to plot against him.
“I’m sorry for doubting you.”
Eurius stopped interrogating him for now.
According to his suspicions so far, there seemed to be some connection, but at least Leonhart himself didn’t seem to know anything about the Magyo or the Order.
“Ugh…”
He turned his gaze back to the man who was groaning and spitting out blood.
“As far as I know, you didn’t learn Magyo, so what’s your relationship with Magyo?”
“…”
The man clenched his mouth shut.
His life was hanging by a thread, but she didn’t seem to have any intention of talking. But Eurius knew why.
“You’re afraid that the Magyo will get rid of you, aren’t you?”
[Yeosang]
Current status: Fear, despair
Gasp!
The Yeosang shivered.
He was right.
Even if she answered honestly here, the Magyo would come to silence her.
Eurius opened his mouth calmly.
“Then how about this offer? I’ll protect you. Will you open your mouth then?”
“…!?”
The Yeosang looked at Eurius with surprised eyes.
“You saw me fighting with the Magyo just before, right? I can protect you enough! And when I go back to the Western Continent later, I can also promise you a comfortable life there.”
He didn’t like negotiating with someone like her, but his curiosity about Leonhart outweighed his reluctance.
He turned his gaze and looked at his brother.
“There’s only one thing I want you to answer! Why did you try to take my brother away? He’s a talented person, but he doesn’t seem like a lowly helper for the Magyo.”
“Ugh…”
The Yeosang seemed to be hesitating.
He was weighing between the Magyo and Eurius.
Of course, the power of the Magyo was scary, but Eurius’s divinity that she witnessed firsthand was also terrifying.
‘If it’s that the case, he might be able to block the pursuit of the main school. And isn’t he a person from the faraway Western Continent?’
Eurius noticed that her eyes were wavering and persuaded her gently.
“If you want, I can swear on the name of the Imperial family! How about it?”
“Cough…”
The words tilted the balance in Yeosang’s mind towards Eurius.
He was the one who brought the emperor here, after all.The promise made in the name of the imperial family was more reliable than anything.
“I trust that you will keep your promise.”
Yeosang bowed his head to Eurius with a servile smile.
Eurius did not like his expression, but he nodded.
‘Ugh… What an unpleasant character.’
But he was willing to compromise for a bit of information.
Hadn’t he finally found a clue?
After licking his lips with his tongue for a while, Yeosang opened his mouth. His eyes glanced at Leonhardt, who looked bewildered.
“The reason I tried to take the second prince to the main temple was because I received an order from the leader.”
“The leader?”
“Yes.”
“What was the reason?”
Yeosang was about to reveal the crucial information.
“It was because… Cough!”
“…!?”
The moment he opened his mouth, his face suddenly turned pale and he clutched his throat and rolled on the floor.
Eurius quickly checked his pulse.
“It’s poison!”
But Yeosang was a master of the superhuman level.
Such an absolute master could expel any ordinary poison through his inner energy. But how could the poison spread so fast?
“Kuh… Leader!”
Yeosang seemed to know the reason and gave up with a resigned face.
When he realized that he was poisoned, his internal organs were already half melted and no one could save him.
“The reason is… Cough!”
He kept coughing and spitting blood.
“Bowl!”
Finally, he uttered his last word and died.
“Bowl?”
“…!?”
Eurius looked at Leonhardt sharply after hearing that word.
“…”
He still couldn’t find any suspicious signs. And so, the last clue vanished in vain.
But he didn’t get nothing at all.
Eurius carefully pondered over Yeosang’s last word.
‘Bowl? What does that mean?’
***
The next day.
Buzzing.
The officials gathered in the court hall were all restless.
The announcement made by the emperor was too shocking.
[Yeosang, the leader of Eastern Depot (Dongchang), brought in a group of heretics and tried to assassinate the emperor and the crown prince sent from the western continent, thereby igniting a war between the two continents.
This heinous plot was discovered and thwarted in advance, and it was also revealed that Yeosang had been a spy sent by the heretical sect since long ago.]
“Those are the details of this conspiracy. Do you have any questions?”
“…”
The officials were all speechless.
They had seen and heard things too.
The palace collapsed and Yeosang and his subordinates were killed or imprisoned.
Who would dare to argue with the emperor in this situation?
They just murmured quietly.
“Tsk… They say power doesn’t last ten years, but even that woman who seemed to scare away birds ended up like this.”
“But who exactly subdued him?”
“Shh! Don’t you know?”
One of the officials pointed to a man standing quietly in a corner of the hall.
“Who is he?”
“Isn’t he the crown prince of the western continent?”
“I heard from a golden army general that he was the one who caught that woman when the palace collapsed yesterday.”
“Really?”
“Then!”
The officials finally nodded their heads.
They were convinced that Ju Yu-gyeom, the current emperor, had brought in Eurius’s forces to suppress Yeosang.
“It’s not easy for him either, but he made a bold choice! He brought in a foreigner to check the power of his officials!”
“He wasn’t as gentle as he seemed!”
The officials looked at Eurius and the emperor alternately with fearful eyes.
The meeting proceeded smoothly after that.
The generals and officials who had been exiled ten years ago due to Yeosang’s slander were reinstated and their families were also given appropriate compensation.
Eastern Depot (Dongchang), the organization of Yeosang’s subordinates, was decided to be closed down.
In fact, their role was enough as errand boys in the palace.
The reason for closing them down was that they had taught them excellent martial arts because they were no different from the emperor’s arms and legs, which led to this situation.
“Instead of closing the Intelligence, I will revive the Imperial Star Intelligence that was abolished ten years ago. The leader will be chosen from among those who are reinstated because of this incident.”
With this order, the former members of the Imperial Guard, including Gu Zhongying, regained their positions in the palace.
However, the most urgent matter was not this kind of issue.
Now that the Yeosang was dead, they could gradually correct the wrongs that had been done.“Finally, let’s bring up the biggest agenda for today!”
Ju Yug-yeom announced the topic with an unprecedented solemn tone.
“It’s about the group called Dark Sect in the martial world!”
“…!?”
The officials all held their breath and looked at the Emperor’s face.
According to the truth that was revealed today, the Dark Sect had been manipulating the palace for over ten years through the Empress.
It was tantamount to committing treason.
What decision would Ju Yug-yeom, the Emperor of the Eastern Continent, make?
***
A few days later
Another unexpected guest arrived at the headquarters of Righteous Alliance.
“Vice-leader! It’s a big deal.”
“What is it?”
A master suddenly ran into the conference room and delivered the news.
“What, His Majesty personally sent an envoy?”
Namgung Il-cheon, who was still acting as the leader’s proxy, hurriedly got up and went to greet the envoy.
“Huh?”
The procession sent by the palace was incomparably splendid compared to the envoy who had asked them to stop the Western Continent’s troops before.
It looked like they had sent a diplomatic delegation to another country.
The carriage with gold plating was pulled by more than ten horses, and behind it were officials in gorgeous clothes lined up.
“We welcome the guest from the palace.”
Namgung Il-cheon bowed his head.
The official who seemed to be the representative of the envoy opened his mouth with a stern expression.
“Are you the representative of Righteous Alliance?”
“Yes.”
Shh.
“His Majesty personally ordered you!”
The official took out a letter from his bosom and began to read it.
The summary of its contents was!
[The palace will provide you with enough support, so destroy the Dark Sect!]
“Huh… The final battle with the Dark Sect is also what we want. However…”
Namgung Il-cheon began to ask something he was curious about.
“I don’t quite understand what you mean by support from the palace.”
The official’s answer was simple.
“Everything!”
“Huh?”
“Literally everything. Normally, the palace does not interfere with matters of the martial world, but this time they decided to make an exception.”
He put down the letter and took out something else from his bosom.
“This is [Imperial Decree] that His Majesty gives you!”
“Imperial Decree!”
The people of Righteous Alliance were all shocked.
Imperial Decree was not a simple letter, but a command that the Emperor personally gave when he bestowed official positions or fiefs.
That meant!
Flap.
The official unfolded the Imperial Decree and began to read it.
[Righteous Alliance is temporarily organized as a regular army for destroying the Dark Sect, and this group is called ‘Demon Extermination Corps’! And the representative of Righteous Alliance is appointed as a temporary official position of ‘Demon Extermination Corps Leader’, and appropriate rewards will be given according to his merits in the future.]
‘Demon Extermination’ meant eradicating demons.
Boom!
The people of Righteous Alliance were all stunned.
The Emperor personally bestowed an official position on a person from the martial world! What on earth was going on?
“Hehe…”
Having nothing to say, Namgung Il-cheon let out a bitter laugh and opened his mouth again.
“If you say ‘Demon Extermination Corps Leader’, does that mean you will send someone from the palace to be in charge?”
“That’s right. A person selected by the palace will arrive soon to command Righteous Alliance’s people.”
“Huh…”
Namgung Il-cheon showed a regretful expression.
It was a good thing to be organized as an official army and receive support from the palace, but…
“One thing… The people of the martial world are…”
The official quickly said.
“I know [Non-interference between Official and Martial]!”
Non-interference between Official and Martial meant that officials and martial artists did not meddle with each other. This was not a law, but a rather old rule. Therefore, if an official tried to give orders to Righteous Alliance, there would surely be some noise.
But the official who delivered the Emperor’s letter told him not to worry about it?
“What do you mean by that?”
Squeak!
As soon as Namgung Il-cheon asked that, the door of the splendid carriage behind him opened.
The official shrugged his shoulders.
“Perfect timing. The Demon Extermination Corps Leader is coming out.”
‘Demon Extermination Corps Leader?’
That meant the person sent by the palace to command Righteous Alliance was getting off.
The eyes of Righteous Alliance were all directed at the person who came out of the carriage.
Shh.
“It’s been a long time, everyone. Since it’s His Majesty’s order, do I need to introduce myself again?”
“…!?”
“Grandmaster?”
The one who got off the carriage was Eurius, who smiled faintly and opened his mouth.
“I’m Eurius, who came down from the palace as the Demon Extermination Corps Leader. I look forward to working with you.”