Ch.139The Declining Imperial Family (10)

The reason Shearer was called a genius was because he could see the ‘gap.’

In this space, Shearer had never been defeated.

He could catch the opponent’s breathing, even the movement of the finest hair.

It was almost like reading a bit of the future.

Shearer gripped his sword with trembling hands.

Normally, he should have seen it. The opponent’s opening.

But—this boy had no openings.

‘Why?’

At first glance, he seemed like just a boy with sleepy eyes full of openings.

But looking deeper, all those openings felt like traps.

Was it just an illusion?

What was certain was that he was completely different from when they had faced each other in the past.

‘He definitely wasn’t this good before.’

He was strong then too, but that was only as a mage.

In a 1:1 fight, Shearer had been confident he could win. No matter how powerful a mage was, they could be easily dealt with if you didn’t give them time to cast.

Moreover, Ruide was a Pure, orthodox mage, wasn’t he?

That was a fatal disadvantage against a swordsman like himself who wielded a swift blade.

But, but…

“You seem distracted.”

Why did he feel this overwhelming sense of dread?

Shearer had always been confident he wouldn’t easily lose to any strong opponent.

At the very least, he believed he could take one of his opponent’s arms.

That belief was now crumbling.

By a single young boy.

“With that attitude, you’ll never beat me.”

Shearer gritted his teeth.

“This isn’t over yet.”

Shearer raised his sword with resolute determination.

Somehow, he had to inflict damage.

That was the only thought in Shearer’s mind now.

“Ultimate technique.”

Shearer’s body lowered.

Ruide lifted his head with an annoyed look.

“Just one chance.”

Hiss—

Shearer’s muscles activated from his toes to his head.

His senses heightened to the point where he could feel even a single fiber.

Only then could Shearer shake off the unprecedented fear that had been binding him.

‘This sword was honed to kill you.’

He focused on Ruide with a red-hot gaze. Ruide showed no reaction. Despite being a mage, he made no attempt to cast magic.

‘Die with this.’

He had been sharpening his blade to avenge Karon, who had been mercilessly killed by this villain.

This was the technique he had perfected for this day.

To kill Ruide, he had to break through the barrier.

The only solution Shearer could think of was to ‘concentrate on a single point.’

Pour everything into a gap as small as a millet seed. Even the strongest barrier would shatter.

Shearer took a deep breath as if he would suck in all the mana in the world.

His lungs felt like they were inflating to their limit, and the moment Ruide blinked—

Shearer rushed toward him.

‘Only one chance.’

In a world where time seemed to slow down only for him.

Despite being almost within arm’s reach, Ruide kept his eyes closed.

‘Before he opens his eyes, I’ll cut him.’

“That’s enough.”

In the slowed time, Ruide looked directly at Shearer.

When their eyes met, Shearer felt every cell in his body freeze.

“I’m tired of this.”

“…!”

Ruide drove his fist into Shearer’s abdomen.

“Kuk!”

The fist, enhanced with weight increase magic and muscle enhancement magic, dealt damage beyond imagination.

Shearer’s body curled up. He fell back pathetically and rolled across the floor several times.

“How…?”

Like a shattered window, Shearer’s ‘spatial dominance’ broke.

“You seem to be mistaken about something.”

Ruide approached the fallen Shearer.

Shearer tried to grab his sword and stand up with trembling arms, but Ruide kicked the sword away.

“The reason you were able to put up a fight against me last time.”

Ruide grabbed Shearer by the collar and lifted him up.

“It’s because I had no intention of killing you then.”

Kuluk, Shearer coughed up blood.

“I was thinking that if I did anything more, I might kill innocent people. But thank you.”

Ruide said coldly.

“For showing me that people don’t die so easily.”

Ruide punched Shearer in the face.

There was a sound of facial bones breaking as his head turned.

But Shearer, fixed in place by telekinesis, remained there.

Ruide threw his staff to the floor. Was it because he had seen blood? The emotions he had barely suppressed until now surged like an active volcano.

As he extended his hand, Shearer’s body, caught in telekinesis, rose into the air. He swung his hand forcefully to the side.

Bang!

Shearer’s body slammed hard against the wall. Stone fragments fell from the shattered wall.

This time he swung his hand in the opposite direction. Shearer hit the wall at an even greater speed.

“Keouk…!”

“Die.”

With his fist clenched, he drove it into the floor. Shearer’s body bounced up like a ball. He repeated this several times.

Shearer was swollen like a lump of blood. Ruide released the telekinesis. Shearer’s body fell from about three stories high.

Slowly approaching, Ruide rolled up his sleeve. He climbed on top and took a mounting position.

“Why?!”

Ruide deactivated his magic.

In this moment, he wanted to hit with his pure strength.

“I was trying to mind my own business!”

Shearer’s pupils were already lifeless. Ruide thought he might already be dead.

“Why do you keep provoking me?!”

After venting his momentary outburst, Ruide calmed down a bit.

Shearer’s bloodied face overlapped with Collon’s image.

It seemed he had made them look somewhat similar.

“…No. The most important part remains.”

Ruide reached out to the unconscious Shearer’s face.

As mana gathered, a sharp ice shard emerged from his palm.

“Because Collon is dead.”

He would kill Shearer.

It was a sentence already determined in the past.

Ruide suddenly realized.

This would be the first time he ‘directly’ killed someone.

He had thought it would be frightening and difficult—

But now that the moment had come, it didn’t feel difficult at all.

Rather, his killing intent only grew stronger.

“You die too.”

Just as Ruide was about to release the tightly drawn string of mana—

“Rui!”

A familiar voice came from behind.

Without turning around, he knew.

That was Amelia’s voice.

“Stop right now!”

In that moment, Ruide sensed it.

If he turned around now, he wouldn’t be able to kill Shearer.

‘Just kill him.’

Just as Ruide steeled his resolve again.

An enormous wave of mana was felt from behind.

It was Amelia’s slash. Ruide gritted his teeth and reached out toward the slash.

But—Ruide had momentarily forgotten.

Amelia was also a Windsor.

The destructive power of her sword, swung with sincerity, far exceeded the limits of ordinary people.

“Kuk.”

The barrier Ruide hastily created shattered.

The automatic barrier protected his body, but it couldn’t prevent him from being blown away by the shockwave.

Ruide flew diagonally and crashed into the wall.

Thanks to the barrier, he didn’t suffer even minor injuries, but the fact that it was Amelia, of all people, who had attacked him was shocking.

Thud!

Ruide, who had fallen to the floor, slowly raised his head.

He checked for Shearer first.

But he was nowhere to be found.

Suddenly, it occurred to him that Shearer couldn’t have withstood Amelia’s slash in his defenseless state.

He was dead. So anticlimactically.

“……”

“Ruide Christopher.”

Amelia approached with angry steps.

She firmly slapped Ruide as he tried to raise his head.

Ruide’s head turned. He touched his cheek and stared blankly at Amelia.

Amelia spoke with a serious face.

“This is not something you should be doing.”

“……”

“You’re still too young. If something happens, you should first inform the knights…”

“Why are you with them?”

Ruide looked past Amelia at Galahad, Nolan, and Judith.

“…They told me. That you were in danger.”

“Sister. I knew it, but you really are stupid. Do I look like I’m in danger right now?”

Amelia solemnly nodded.

“Yes. Very much so.”

“Why?”

“Rui. You’re not that kind of person.”

“He killed Collon. He killed people from the North. And you’re saying I shouldn’t kill him?”

“There are many people who will kill him in your place. You don’t need to dirty your hands…”

Ruide couldn’t hold back.

“I wanted to do it myself.”

“…!”

“I wanted to kill him myself.”

“Do you realize what you’re…”

Amelia’s pupils trembled.

Ruide got up, audibly knocking away Amelia’s arm.

“I’m seriously upset.”

“…!”

“I hate this more than anything in the world.”

After spitting out these words, Ruide turned his back and disappeared.

**

“What a pity.”

On the rooftop where Ruide had jumped down.

There, Irene stood with her hands behind her back, her black coat fluttering.

“If Ria had been a little later, it would have been a perfect ending.”

“You’re quite vicious, Irene Windsor.”

Irene looked at List with a strangely raised corner of her mouth.

“Thank you for your cooperation.”

“…I’m not good at acting, so it might have been awkward.”

“Our Rui is innocent, so I don’t think he noticed.”

“Keep your promise.”

Irene nodded with a smile.

“Of course. I will cooperate with the pledge to avoid killing imperial citizens as much as possible during the war.”

“…Good. That’s enough. I’ll be going now. Before your savage brother catches me.”

“I’m curious about one thing. Why did you come to me offering cooperation? Just for that one reason? I was quite pleased, though.”

List dropped his cigarette and stepped on it.

Despite having suffered fatal injuries, he showed no signs of any wounds.

“Since we can’t change the flow of the river, all we can do is minimize the damage along its path.”

“How wise.”

“I’m just asking in case, but could you possibly delay the war itself? For example, until after I die…”

“I refuse.”

“That was quick. By the way, I haven’t asked. Why attack the Empire? Do you dislike the current Emperor that much?”

Irene shook her head.

“Of course not. Lucius is a kind Emperor who even plays well with our Rui.”

“Then why go this far?”

Irene looked at List and tilted her head. Her face showed complete incomprehension.

“Well, it would be a waste to be trapped in this pure white cage when we have enough power to conquer the world, wouldn’t it?”

“…You have a point. World conquest, huh? I won’t cheer for that.”

Irene said amusingly.

“I could give you a corner in the cargo hold, if you’d like.”

“I’ll pass. It seems I’ve thoroughly gotten on your brother’s bad side.”

“Then it would be impossible.”

List sighed.

‘The Empire is like a candle in a typhoon. My end is not far off either.’

The mood of the Imperial Knights Commander facing his final days was surprisingly calm.

After a moment of silence, List asked one last question.

“Are you satisfied with this?”

“Yes. I’m sorry for Ria, but with this, Ruide will listen to me more than to her.”

Irene’s smile deepened.

“I’m very satisfied.”