NOTICE: Many of the novels have been removed because they might cause violations, which we were not aware of earlier.
Episode 182 Elf (1)
The entertainment that the prince is talking about is actually something to see.
The ostensible reason was to clear up the chaotic atmosphere, but the real reason was to take control of the situation and show off his authority in front of Wintert.
Of course, Robert was well aware of that fact.
“Isn’t a secret meeting place a place to gather disorganized forces? If that’s the case, I think inducing friction would be counterproductive.”
“It’s counterproductive. This is just a game. Cland brought a new friend, and Gaul brought a mercenary that we haven’t seen before, so we’re going to do some light exercise after dinner and show off our skills. It won’t take long, and we won’t be asking each other to kill each other, but isn’t it enough to express this level of opinion? Don’t you think so, Dronan?”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
The escort knight behind him nodded in agreement.
The prince lifted his chin slightly and said, “Look at that.”
A faint annoyance appeared on Robert's face as he watched the scene up close.
'That's stupid.'
The year before last, there were a total of eight leaders who participated in the social gathering.
However, two people went missing due to the undead incident. They must have died during the evacuation.
Just a moment ago, the two of you were having a meal together and I made you fully aware of the situation, but you put your unequal pride first.
Should I have chosen another prince?
I suddenly regretted it, but… … the only alternatives were the 2nd or 3rd princes. Objectively speaking, out of the three princes, the 1st prince, Valgna, was the better one.
So, I have no choice but to try to please them to some extent.
So as not to waste any more time.
Robert clicked his tongue inwardly and turned his head.
“Gaeul, do you agree with His Majesty’s opinion?”
“What can’t I do? I’ll gladly do it for the amusement of the higher-ups. Youngest, you can do it, right?”
“Yes! Of course!”
The youngest mercenary of Gaul shouted loudly.
“Cland, what about you?”
"I am……."
Before Cland could answer, Verden stepped forward, pulling the gray knuckles out of his bosom and holding them in both hands.
───Is it okay?
Cland asked with his gaze.
It was a natural worry since he was in a disadvantageous situation where he couldn't use his main elemental magic, but Verden was no ordinary magician.
It wasn't unfounded confidence either.
Senses enhanced by high-level runes, physical abilities enhanced by 3rd-tier magic, and experience from countless battles.
Although some of them are dangerous, the youngest member of the mercenary group that will be your entertainment partner is a match for you. Even if there are limitations.
That was Verden's decision.
'Of course it's best not to step forward… … but it wouldn't be good to back out here.'
The fact that the only confidant that the dark lord Cland had brought along was showing weakness was enough to arouse suspicion.
Well, I had expected that there would be similar friction, so it wasn't a big enough variable to be a surprise. Of course, I had no idea that the stage would be set like this.
Verden finished his thoughts, stretching his body slightly.
“Haha. Look here, Robert. Doesn’t everyone come forward as if they’ve been waiting for this? That means I understand their feelings.”
“…….”
“Okay, what are you guys doing? Let’s set up a stage.”
Escorts in full body armor came down and cleared the tables and chairs.
On the stage that was created in this way, Verden and the youngest stood facing each other at a distance. The first prince smiled as if he was happy and took it upon himself to be the judge.
“Entertainment is just entertainment. Killing each other or causing fatal injuries that are close to instant death is prohibited. Don’t worry about any other injuries, I will treat them. Do you understand?”
“Yes! I will keep that in mind, Your Majesty!”
“…….”
The youngest answered loudly, and Verden nodded.
1The prince frowned.
“Why isn’t the author answering?”
“They say he was born unable to speak.”
“You are a mute. For someone who can’t speak to come here. That must mean that you have a lot of ability. Am I right, dark merchant?”
“……I will not disappoint you, Your Majesty.”
Of course, Cland has never seen his skills with his own eyes.
The best solution was to leave the variables that had already occurred to Verden.
1 The prince expressed his anticipation.
I sat on a chair and held a small handbell in my hand.
“Oh, before that. It’d be less fun to just watch, so how about we make a bet? I… Okay, I’ll bet ten million elk on that mercenary.”
“Thank you, Your Majesty!”
Starting with Prince 1, they placed bets one by one.
And more than half of them chose the youngest mercenary.
Armor that covers only vital areas.
The muscles that were visible outside were obviously strong. In contrast, Verden, who was covered in clothes all over his body, looked weak.
Robert, who had been watching the situation, also ended up joining the bet.
“Huh? Are you talking to that dumb guy?”
“Because it’s more profitable that way.”
“That kind of thing… um, yeah. They call it a reverse bet in gambling, right? There’s a reason why the trend is the trend… well, it’s none of my business.”
1The prince declared.
——————
faqwiki.xyz
Join our Discord for new chapter updates!
https://discord.com/invite/xr7SxG5T6V
——————
“Then let’s begin.”
Daughter.
As soon as the handbell rang, two people rushed toward each other.
The sword and fist crossed several times.
yet.
Tsk───!
Blood spurted out onto the stage with a terrible noise.
* * *
<Full body strengthening>
Verden, who had finished casting the spell, felt his senses sharp.
A mercenary with activated energy.
The man who charged from the front swung his sword from top to bottom.
The target is the right shoulder.
Verden, who had seen through the movement, easily dodged. Then, the sword that had stopped immediately pursued him.
The sound of cutting through the air brushed past my ears.
“It’s one-sided.”
“Oh, I was worried because you’re the youngest, but is it a little better?”
Daria and Nellita, who had bet money on the mercenaries, shared their impressions. Prince Valgna also had similar thoughts.
But the expressions on some people's faces were quite different.
“Kick. I think this is going to end one-sidedly, okay?”
“Be quiet, Tolab.”
The youngest mercenary swung his sword without stopping.
The opponent, Verden, was only focused on evasion. To anyone who saw it, the mercenary seemed to be overwhelming the opponent. At least on the surface.
“……It’s over.”
Gail declared.
Immediately after that, Verden moved.
Unwavering focus.
One of the weapons he had ended his opponent's observation.
Pulled arm.
The point where you step out.
A twisted waist for strength.
The next number is clearly visible.
That meant the gap between Verden and the youngest mercenary was huge.
'And I showed you a decent amount of things to see.'
There is no reason to continue the fun any longer.
Phew.
A sword strike passed over the head.
Verden, who had now become close to the mercenary's body, swung his left arm.
“Huh?!”
The knuckle struck the right side of his abdomen.
The mercenary who had been hit in the vital spot stumbled. He gritted his teeth and pulled his sword, but it had already been read.
Verden took advantage of the gap and struck the mercenary in the jaw.
I felt the sensation of my bones cracking at my fingertips. Then I turned my body and lifted my leg. The kick that maximized my body's flexibility hit me directly in the face without fail.
Tsk───!
Blood spurted out onto the stage with a terrible noise.
The mercenary floating in the air fell to the ground.
Broken teeth and a sunken nose. A bloody face was revealed to the audience.
The fun ended in an instant.
Those who had foreseen the mercenary's victory were speechless. The first prince wavered at the absurd defeat.
"this……!"
“Well done, Malted.”
Clap clap clap.
Robert applauded.
The dark merchants and the Winterts followed him, and the hall was soon filled with applause. Some people looked displeased, but she didn't care at all.
Robert said to the first prince.
“Thanks to you, I was able to relieve my boredom before starting my upcoming schedule. It was a pleasant pastime, Your Highness Valgna.”
The gray eyes glowed darkly.
The look in his eyes told him to stop wasting time and get it over with. The first prince, who had lost the initiative in an instant, had no choice but to accept it.
“……After the break, let’s have the leaders gather again separately.”
Time!
The first prince threw down the handbell and kicked the seat.
Robert followed his party out of the hall.
“Tsk, I lost my money.”
“I guess people are different from what they look like on the outside.”
And Dario and Nellita too.
The madman Tolab passed by Geul.
“Kick, you idiot.”
Gaeul's eyes became bloodshot as he clenched his molars.
“How dare I disappoint Your Majesty……!”
If you do it wrong, the amount of money you receive from the First Prince may be reduced. No, that's for sure.
As his entourage tried to control the situation, Gaeul immediately ran over and struck the youngest mercenary on the head. The sound of the neck breaking echoed throughout the area.
Gaeul glared at the dark merchant and Verden who had caused this situation.
“Thanks to you, you’ve suffered great losses, dark merchant.”
“I think you took your anger out on the wrong person.”
A brief standoff ensued.
Soon, Gaeul turned his back and left the hall with the mercenaries and the corpse of the youngest mercenary. Then, a servant who would assign a room came to visit.
A variable caused by the 1st prince.
That's how the situation came to an end.
* * *
Cland and Verden entered the VIP room.
Verden, who confirmed that there were only two of them, created a magic circle in the middle of the room to block any sound from leaking outside.
Cland, who had locked the door tightly, took off his coat.
“Whew, I never would have thought that the southern part of the kingdom would be in chaos and start a fight to have some fun. And the first prince at that. I never expected that.”
however.
“How do you fight so well? You’re just playing around with mercenaries. A physical magician… something like that?”
“It is a prejudice to think that wizards are weak in close combat.”
“That’s true, but…….”
I think it's gone too far.
Cland shook his head, shaking the thought out of his mind.
“Ahem, thanks to that, I was able to overcome the variable. So now it’s time to focus on the next one.”
Infiltrating the Ariente Castle was successful.
Now it was time to find out what the First Prince was hiding.
“I have about three days, including today, to pull out a possible agenda and earn it. I have to search this vast palace thoroughly within that time. As I told you before, I don’t have much time.”
"All right."
The search area priorities have already been determined accordingly. Countermeasures for predictable variables have also been prepared.
Verden didn't think about failure.
“Then I’ll leave the rest to you. I hope you find out the secret from the beginning.”
"yes."
And as time passed, a guide came.
Cland, neatly dressed, went outside. He gave orders to the guard.
“Don’t wake up the friend inside until I get back. He’s very sensitive and can be very violent right after waking up. It’s very dangerous, so handle him with care.”
“Ah…… yes. I understand.”
The guard agreed.
He also knew who the guests were gathered here, so he did not take the warning lightly. Soon, the footsteps of Cland and the guide began to fade away.
'Should we go now?'
The door was locked tightly with a magic circle.
If Cland's warning is followed properly, the guards will be well-guarded. This way, there is no need to worry about being caught in an emergency.
Unless it's to the extent of smashing a wall.
Of course, no one would do something like that in the castle of the First Prince.
Verden, with his original equipment, opened the window.
A cool breeze caressed my skin.
Below, a steep cliff stretched out far below.
“Phew.”
Verden took a deep breath.
Soon, I surrendered to gravity and fell downwards.
* * *
There are two places in the castle of Ariente that are the most difficult to access.
One is the center of the castle, where the first prince resides.
And the other was the abandoned dungeon of the old royal castle. Verden chose the latter. It was a simple intuition.
Hwaaaaaaaah!
The falling speed is getting faster and faster.
Berden, who had come close to a large artificial lake, used his magic. He increased air resistance to slow down and gathered air around his mouth.
Verden fell into the lake without a sound.
I waited for a while, but I didn't hear any noise.
That means it wasn't discovered.
After completing his check, Verden dived down while manipulating the water flow.
The lake surrounding Ariente is not stagnant.
There are water pipes and sewers that artificially bring water in and out. The sewers run right under the dungeon.
Verden was thinking of using it.
‘… … I see it over there.’
The lower part of Ariente, submerged in the lake.
Following the current, we arrived at an entrance blocked by rusty iron bars. There was barely enough space between the bars for one person to pass.
Verden, who had infiltrated the sewers like that, carefully measured the distance as he moved.
The speed of movement and the corresponding position.
As confirmed by the blueprint, we should aim for the place where the sewers and the underground prison are closest. Soon, Verden's eyes flashed.
'think.'
<Terrain Manipulation>
Kookookookook… … .
The ceiling began to open according to the caster's will.
Verden, who had emerged from the water, continued his magic. After moving forward smoothly, the empty space that was his target finally appeared.
'Thank goodness you got it exactly right.'
As we went outside, the musty smell of the prison came into view. As we manipulated the terrain again and erased the passage we had come from, we heard footsteps from afar.