Playing the Perfect Fox-Eyed Villain Chapter 199

Episode 199. Center of gravity (1)

'The Black Knight Haydn Reich has returned.'

The 'Baragi' were secretly disappointed in Geomseong-han for leaving for the sacred country without saying anything, but they still couldn't hide their joy at seeing Geomseong-han's face again.

Because all of the people belonging to Baragi were gathered under the name of ‘Geomseong’.

“Your Majesty, I knew you would come back!”

“Lead us back, Sword Master!”

“Long live Haydn Reich!”

“Long live Haydn Reich!”

When everyone was talking about the name of the sword and praising it without stopping.

Linnaeus stood in the corner, blankly examining Haydn Reich's face.

'It's no different.'

The way they looked when they first saw the sword.

A voluptuous body with engraved wrinkles. And a noble spirit that can be felt at the same time.

He clearly demonstrated that he was the noble 'Black Swordsman' widely known to the world.

“I’m sorry to everyone. I had personal reasons for leaving for the Holy Land without telling anyone.”

“Did you handle your business well?”

“Ah, I think I finished it well.”

Haydn Reich nodded to the questions of the baraboo.

Linne sipped her drink and watched the blacksmith chatting with the baragi from behind.

‘… … What on earth is going on?’

In the Holy Land, what Haydn was interested in and studied was 'Godok (蠱毒),' a place where demons were gathered and bred.

If finishing well means 'loneliness'… … .

'What on earth was Haydn thinking──.'

“Linne!”

Just as I was gathering my thoughts, a loud voice interrupted me.

When I heard the voice, I felt like I could picture the face without even seeing it.

“Sir Theo.”

The leader of the Dauntless Knights, with a large body and a loud voice, was Theo Lennox.

He approached Linne with his usual friendly smile.

“Since Lord Haydn is here, why don’t you go and see him?”

“Because you have a lot to talk about with other people.”

“Aren’t you happy?”

“Of course I’m happy.”

“For something like that, it doesn’t really feel that great.”

Even though her master, Haydn Reich, was in the system, her expression did not look happy at all.

Theo was right.

That's actually what happened.

Since I have seen that ‘appearance’ in the Holy Land, how can I welcome it?

“Ugh.”

That's why Linne let out a small sigh.

Theo, who was surprisingly quick-witted for his size, almost spilled his drink.

Okay.

No, I ended up spilling it. Linne looked embarrassed as she looked at the purple-tinted floor.

Theo called his servant over, wiped it clean, and opened his mouth quietly.

“What happened in the Holy Land?”

He was usually the leader of the 'Unbreakable Knights' and was known for being 'light-hearted'.

It would not be an exaggeration to say that it was the first time I had seen Theo ask such a serious question with such a sharp look.

Linne pondered, 'Should I talk to him?'

I'm afraid that my situation will become awkward.

After thinking about it for a moment, she decided to tell him.

"yes."

“What happened?”

“Your Majesty, would you believe that the Sword Master had a demon implanted into his body?”

A shocking statement.

Theo looked at Linne with an expression of astonishment he had never seen before.

“Besides, would you believe me if I pointed a sword at you?”

After hearing Linné's words, Theo brought the drink to his lips as if his mouth was dry.

“I believe you, because it doesn’t seem like you’re lying right now.”

“At that time, if Sir Yurian hadn’t been there, I would have definitely died.”

“Yurien?”

"yes."

Theo tilted his head in disbelief.

It was a natural reaction.

Isn't Yurian, who wants to kill 'Geumseong', the person who wants to erase all traces he left behind?

How could such a person stop ‘Black Star’?

“Now I know why you had that unpleasant expression on your face!”

“Well,” said Theo, nodding his head once.

'Did you understand?'

Linnaeus thought so and tried to discuss with Theo what the future course of action for 'Haydn Reich' would be.

“Are you having an interesting conversation without me?”

The black knight Hayden has arrived before we knew it.

Because of that, I decided to put off talking to Theo for a while.

“So, what do you think?”

Haydn looked at Theo and asked him something.

“Have you figured out why Linne’s expression is not bright?”

“Lord Haydn, it seems that Linnaeus is still thinking about what happened in the Holy Land!”

Thinking like that for a moment, Theo poured out the contents of the conversation they had just had to Geomsung.

At that moment, Linne realized that she had made a mistake.

Even though he was a swordsman who fled to the sacred country, his popularity has not yet disappeared.

The organization called 'Baragi' is also an organization that gathered together for the star called 'Geomseong'.

'I spoke nonsense.'

Linne mulled over her mistake inwardly.

“Well, since it’s in the Holy Land… Well, that makes sense.”

Haydn stroked his chin with emotionless eyes, as if to say, 'I don't even remember' the incident.

“I’m sorry, Linne. There was a reason why it had to be that way back then.”

'What is the reason?'

Linne was about to ask that, but looked around and collected her thoughts.

Even if you make a fuss here, there is no one among the 'Baragi' who will take your side.

Even Theo, who I thought was the most neutral, ended up like this.

“There is no need to apologize, Master.”

Linne smiled, pretending to be embarrassed.

Is it because I've often seen 'someone' acting like that?

'Laughter' was good for avoiding awkward situations.

Haydn's eyes, which smiled brightly at Linné's smile, looked empty as if they had lost focus.

None of the 'Baragi' gathered here were captured in his gaze. Even his disciple Linne, who was conversing right in front of him, was not reflected in his eyes.

“So, how is Yurian doing?”

However, when he mentioned 'Urian', Haydn's eyes seemed to come into focus.

“Yurien? Are you talking about that guy?”

“Recently, he came to our gathering place and caused a commotion!”

“How cheeky of a brat! Ever since the Sword Master left the system, his arrogance has been sky-high!”

As soon as Yurian's name was mentioned, the 'Baragi's' voices burst out in resentment.

Haydn paid no attention to it, stroked his chin again and opened his mouth.

“The reason I came back to the system is none other than to finish up some work that had piled up before.”

Disposition of the Dawn Society.

Everyone gathered here knew that this was Haydn's sole purpose.

“And, I have something to discuss with Emperor Adratan about that.”

“Wow, are you talking to His Majesty the Emperor!?”

"okay."

Emperor Adratan, he is the pinnacle of power within the current empire.

When his name was mentioned, the gathered 'Baragi' looked embarrassed, and so did Linne.

'Now that I think about it, I guess the Master is here now because the Emperor gave permission.'

Given the prestige of the empire, this would not normally be permitted.

This refers to allowing a blacksmith who had fled to another country to return to the country, even if only for a short time.

'Was there a deal?'

Could it be that the Emperor of a country would be so greedy as to lower the prestige of his country that he obtained it through 'research' in the Holy Kingdom?

Linne's curiosity arose, but she did not dare to express it out loud.

“Would you like to go with me, Linne?”

It seems like he's trying to control himself so that he doesn't talk nonsense to other 'baragi' people.

Linne opened her mouth while thinking that way.

“Yes, of course, Master.”

I still have doubts about Haydn Reich.

So, Linne thought she had to keep an eye on his every move.

***

Linnaeus, who was heading to Gyeongcheon Palace (敬天宮), where the imperial family resided, with Haydn Reich, passed through the first gate, Gyeongui Gate, and looked around.

People were gossiping while looking at the black Haydn Reich. It was natural.

Although he returned after leaving the empire under the pretext of 'cooperating with the investigation', there were countless people within the empire who pointed fingers at him and called him a 'traitor' or a 'traitor'.

“They seem like people with nothing to do.”

Looking at those nobles, 'Baragi' Sebion, who was performing the duties of the swordsman, clicked his tongue inwardly.

“Don’t worry, Sebion. This is normal.”

“But, Your Majesty, you have accomplished so much in the Empire. How dare those ignorant nobles act so rudely!”

“No matter how much those things bark, what I have done will not disappear.”

Sebion bowed his head politely and accepted Haydn's words.

“Ah, before going to Gyeongcheon Palace, there is a place we must stop by.”

“Where are you?”

“I’m just saying this to show my face to Chief Secretary Se-den.”

After saying that, Haydn walked briskly in the direction of the secretary's office.

A secretary's office bustling with people.

This institution, which followed the royal family and distributed their orders to other administrative offices, was a place that was inseparable from Haydn.

'That's all an old story, though.'

Linne glanced at Haydn's back, leaving behind the bitter taste lingering on the tip of his tongue.

His back, which I had seen hundreds of times, was no different than before.

Is it your own thoughts that have changed? Or is it the truth?

“Oh, who is this?”

Linne, who had been lost in thought, raised her head at the welcoming voice that pretended to know her.

“I felt a familiar aura, was it you?”

The blind warrior Zahat, he stood before them.

It's my first time seeing you, but with a familiar boy.

“That person is…….”

“Lazrot, the author is the swordsman who ‘represented’ the Empire, the swordsman Haydn Reich.”

Although he had only heard of the swordsman's reputation, Zahat kindly introduced Hayden to Lazrot, who he had actually met in person.

Lazrot glanced at Zahat with an expression that said, 'Who doesn't know that?'

“Zahart! I never expected to see you here!”

Haydn's face brightened as he met someone he had known for a long time.

It was the brightest expression I've seen in a while.

“Is this the first time we’ve met like this since Master’s funeral?”

“Haha, I guess that’s what happens. I guess I was the one being chased!”

Zahat walked slowly towards Haydn.

“Have you sorted out that ‘thing’?”

Haydn, who had been showing a cheerful expression just a moment ago, asked cautiously with a stern expression.

“Oh, I got it sorted out. It would have been difficult if your disciple hadn’t helped, but I was able to send him off safely.”

Linne, who was listening to Zahat's words, realized that the topic of their current conversation was something that had happened on the 'Northern Front'.

“Disciple?”

Haydn reacted to the word disciple, and Linnaeus looked at him.

Then she shook her head from side to side and answered Haydn's question.

“You’re talking about Sir Yurian, not me.”

“Are you saying that Yurian helped Zahat?”

"yes."

“Hmm…….”

Haydn trailed off.

His sighs were filled with a feeling of utter incomprehension.

I agree with that statement.

When I first met Zahat and Yurian on the Northern Front, I had no idea why Yurian was helping him.

Nip out the demons that threaten the empire in the bud.

You could think so, but perhaps Yurian was drawn to the human side of Zahat.

With the current Yurian, this is definitely possible.

“It seems Yurian has changed a lot while I wasn’t looking.”

“How much has that human face changed?”

When Sebion added useless words to his monologue, Haydn showed a look of obvious displeasure.

“It seems like it’s not just Yurian who has changed.”

For a moment, Zahat intervened in their conversation.

“What do you mean, Zahat?”

“Hayden, you say.”

Zahat slowly put strength into the staff sword he was holding.