Karnak, Monarch of Death

As soon as Karnak’s group arrived at Port Terrister, they secured a ship bound for the Seven Kingdoms Alliance. When they had entered the empire, their destination had been the northern Tower of Dawn, so they had traveled by land. But now, that was no longer necessary. Fifteen days later, they docked at Denab, a southern port city in the Atringen Kingdom.

Standing at the harbor, Diogres looked around. ”The Seven Kingdoms Alliance. I’ve heard much about it, but this is my first time seeing it in person.”

Milia asked curiously, ”Really? Even as an archmage?”

She had assumed that someone at the tenth circle would travel freely across the continent using magic.

Diogres gave a rueful smile. ”It’s not like I couldn’t.”

He certainly had the ability, time, status, and power to do so. He simply hadn’t had a reason.

”I spent my whole life buried in the tower, obsessed with magic,” he admitted.

Even his journey across the empire with Desteran had been the first time in decades that he had traveled.

Stroking his chin, Diogres muttered regretfully, ”I really did neglect the world too much. I ought to reflect on that.”

Meanwhile, Karnak was already busy preparing for the next leg of their journey. First, he secured funding through the Altas merchant guild, which had a branch in Denab. Then, he sent advance messages to noble houses along their route to request lodging, and delegated the minor details of travel to the local Twilight Cult branch.

Everything was handled with astonishing speed. With just a few letters, all the arrangements for the trip to their next destination were finalized.

Watching from the side, Diogres asked, ”That’s impressively fast. Surely you didn’t anticipate returning here from the start?”

After all, Karnak’s group had descended to the empire’s southern end along Desteran and Diogres’s escape route. He couldn’t have expected to be using the southern sea routes in the Seven Kingdoms Alliance.

”Or did you predict this too?” Diogres asked skeptically.

”Hardly,” Karnak replied with a shake of his head. ”I just made preparations in advance.”

Over time, Karnak had extended his influence across numerous powers, including the Altas merchant guild, royal families and noble houses of various countries, the Twilight Cult, and even the Seven Goddesses Church.

He had built safe havens across the Seven Kingdoms, creating a network that allowed him to travel anywhere in the western continent with ease, and even access local culinary hot spots. Denab was no exception.

”This town’s specialty is organ stew. Let’s grab a bowl later,” said Karnak.

”It’s a port city, and the specialty’s meat? That’s unusual,” Varos responded.

”For long sea voyages, they needed preserved meat in bulk. The leftover parts were turned into dishes like this. Or so I’ve heard,” explained Karnak.

Varos nodded. ”Well, as long as it tastes good, I don’t care what the reason is.”

Diogres clicked his tongue inwardly, watching Karnak and Varos chat like food-obsessed fools. They might seem like carefree gourmands, but in truth, what they said before was deeply unsettling. It implied that Karnak had a support network spread across the entire Seven Kingdoms. And considering his hidden identity, this wasn’t something to take lightly.

Desteran muttered to himself, ”Truly the resourcefulness of the high priest. I did the same thing when expanding Search Black’s influence.”

Only Serati made a strange face. I don’t think it’s for the reasons you two are imagining.

Karnak had likely set all this up purely to travel comfortably and hunt for good food. Why? Because he didn’t need local collaborators.

—Why bother with local help? Kill the locals, and they become your allies.

And so, the group departed from Denab and headed toward their next destination. However, Leven Strauss did not accompany them.

”Now that we’re back in the Seven Kingdoms, I should at least show my face to my family,” he said.

As the head of the Strauss family, he needed to return and oversee its affairs. Diogres and Desteran were shocked.

”You’re the new head of the Strauss family?”

”So the news about Lord Gellard’s death was true!”

Everyone else was baffled that they were only finding this out now, but thinking about it, it wasn’t surprising. Karnak and Varos clicked their tongues.

”Come to think of it, we never said anything, did we?” admitted Karnak.

Varos nodded. ”It felt so obvious we just forgot to mention it.”

As he packed, Leven grumbled, ”Becoming head is a real hassle.”

After all the inner turmoil he had suffered seeking recognition, now that he had it, it was honestly a bit annoying.

Karnak commented from beside him, ”What can you do? If you’re the head now, then you’ve got responsibilities to carry.”

Leven cast a sidelong glance. ”Aren’t you also the lord of the Zestrad Barony? Why are you talking like it’s someone else’s problem?”

Karnak shrugged. ”I’m not like you.”

”How so?” Leven asked him.

”I’ve got nothing to lose even if the Zestrad territory collapses. As long as the copper mine stays intact, that’s all I care about,” said Karnak.

His words were heartless, as if the lives of countless peasants did not matter to him.

Serati tapped him on the shoulder. ”Hey, Lord Karnak.”

He replied. ”Hm? What is it?”

”That kind of phrasing is not allowed,” she said.

”Did I say something wrong again?” he asked her.

She responded, ”In times like this, you should say, ’I have a competent steward and loyal vassals, so I’ve got nothing to worry about.’”

Karnak responded after a moment of thought. ”Old man Tafel isn’t all that competent, though.”

”Still, say it that way. It makes people think better of you,” Serati corrected him.

”I see.” Karnak added another line to the mental list he had titled ”Statements to Avoid When Trying to Live Like a Human Being.”

Watching him, Serati gave a satisfied nod. Yeah, this is the way.

After the whole Beltia incident, she’d realized something all over again. It was way too early to hope for this man’s moral redemption. Understanding could come later. For now, rote conditioning was the way to go.

”At the very least, try to speak nicely. That way you can pretend to live ethically,” said Serati.

”Pretend to live ethically, huh...?” Karnak echoed. ”Then what about that restaurant we dined and dashed from? You said you’d go back later and deal with it.”

”Ah!” She had completely forgotten.

They’d planned to stop by on the way back, but with the detour down the southern sea route, it had slipped her mind.

Karnak mulled. ”I see. So, breaking minor moral codes is fine, is it?”

”That’s not it. It was an unavoidable accident,” Serati argued.

”Ah, so if it’s an unavoidable accident, it’s fine to break the rules?” Karnak asked.

”No, that’s not what I meant...” Serati grimaced.

He always twisted things in bizarre ways like this. Sometimes she really wanted to sock him. But I don’t even have the strength to hit him. That’s even more frustrating.

Watching them bicker, Leven chuckled and said, ”You two keep chatting. In the meantime, I’ll pay a visit to the main house.”

***

Five days later, the Strauss family’s key vassals had gathered in one of the family’s vast training grounds. They were here to greet their young lord, who had returned after a long time. Leven steadied himself while looking over the assembled knights. He took a breath.

I have to make a good impression.

The vassals had allowed Leven to follow Karnak around because they had trusted it would help him master the Delphiad swordsmanship. Now it was time to prove that his wandering hadn’t been a waste.

A man stepped forward and drew his sword. ”Are you ready, my lord?”

He was Kairon, now the strongest knight in the Strauss family following Gellard’s death, and one of the greatest knights in the Ethriel Kingdom.

Leven calmly drew his sword in reply. ”I’m always ready. On the battlefield, no one spares you because you say you weren’t prepared.”

Kairon gave an approving nod. ”Well said.”

It was the kind of response only someone experienced in real combat would give.

”But you’re not quite seasoned yet,” commented Kairon.

”And why do you say that?” Leven asked him.

”A truly seasoned man wouldn’t give such a proud answer like ’I’m always ready,’” said Kairon.

”Point taken.” Leven acknowledged his misstep without resistance. Slowly, he summoned his aura. ”Then I’m curious how a truly seasoned warrior would respond.”

His body shimmered in purple aura as he asked with a serious tone. ”Are you ready, Sir Kairon?”

Kairon answered with a hint of playfulness. ”I’m always ready. On the battlefield, no one spares you because you weren’t ready, after all.”

Leven frowned. ”Isn’t that the same answer I gave?”

”I’m a silver knight, my lord. You’re still a purple knight,” responded Kairon.

Leven gave a wry smile. ”I see. Fair enough.”

A strong man could say such things to someone weaker, but not the other way around.

”Know your place, is that it?” Leven said.

”I’ve grown old, you see. The nagging just slips out these days,” Kairon chuckled in response.

”You’re in your mid-forties, aren’t you?” Leven asked him.

”Indeed. I’ve aged without accomplishing much,” said Kairon.

For a brief moment, the two men paused in confusion. It felt like they were talking past each other.

Leven soon realized the misunderstanding. Wait a second. Does mid-forties even count as old?

He had spent so much time around souls over a hundred years old, or walking skeletons pushing 150, that his sense of age had become a little warped. In any case, there was no more time for conversation.

Kairon drew his silver aura sword. ”Will you show us what you’ve gained, my lord?”

”I’ll do my utmost.” Leven responded as he launched forward, his blade trailing with purple aura.

***

Kairon’s sword danced, causing silver aura to surge in dazzling arcs and thunder to flash from its path. A glimmering celestial dragon circled the training grounds, carving a domain of destruction.

Delphiad Swordsmanship: Roar of the Thunder King!

Leven responded without delay. He wove eight thrusts into a single breath, manipulating his purple aura with deft precision. Each thrust landed along the lightning dragon’s midsection, subtly disrupting Kairon’s momentum.

Delphiad Swordsmanship: Flurry of the Wind King!

Despite the vast gap in aura, it was Kairon’s offensive that was gradually being chipped away. Leven had acknowledged his own limits and used refined technique to narrow the difference.

After several more exchanges, Kairon gave a low exclamation of admiration. ”Impressive.”

That wasn’t to say Kairon’s skill was beneath Leven’s. He was a silver knight, after all. His experience and polish placed him solidly above. But the gap wasn’t as wide as one might expect. Every technique Leven displayed bore a level of mastery rare for someone his age.

If our aura levels were equal, I might have lost. Feeling the tension rise, Kairon pushed himself harder.

Leven matched him, fully focused. They slashed, thrust, dodged, and grazed one another, tracing countless lines of light through the air. Radiant swordlight bloomed across the arena like a field of flowers.

Both had reached the pinnacle of the Delphiad swordsmanship. The brilliance of their aura-filled swords lit the entire training ground.

Of course. When both know the same techniques, it’s hard to determine a winner. Just as Kairon had that thought, Leven made an odd move. Huh?

He suddenly swapped his swords between hands as he drew it upward on a diagonal slash. At the same time, a sharp pulse of aura streaked toward Kairon’s chin. Kairon dodged with ease. It was a sharp move, but nothing the silver knight couldn’t handle.

But then, Leven shifted again. He switched to a one-handed grip, twisted his shoulder to increase distance, and poured rotational momentum into a sweeping blow!

Delphiad Swordsmanship: Overkill!

Two crescent arcs of aura flashed toward him. Alarmed, Kairon met the blow with everything he had. Twin streams of aura collided and shattered. Though completely caught off guard, Kairon had barely deflected the strike.

Damn, that was incredible... He didn’t even have time to finish the thought.

Leven’s movements flowed into the next strike without pause. His sword reversed midair. He stepped forward, closed the gap, adjusted his grip again, and shifted his center of gravity to amplify the strike. The blade shimmered with residual aura, like a heat haze as it plunged toward Kairon’s chest.

Delphiad Swordsmanship, Downhill!

Kairon’s eyes widened. I can’t dodge this!

Technically, he had lost. Panicked, he shouted from instinct, and a pillar of silver light exploded from his body. An immense wave of aura shot upward, blowing off the training ground’s roof and blasting destructive force in all directions. Fragments scattered across the field.

Kairon had been left with no elegant technique to counter, and no way to dodge. He had used pure and simple brute force, detonating his aura to overwhelm the strike through sheer power. He barely managed to deflect the blow, and now he stood, panting heavily.

Through the lingering smoke and haze, a voice rang out. ”Hey.”

Leven emerged from the smoke with a frown. ”It was just a spar. What’re you thinking, blowing up the entire training yard? You planning to cover the repair bill?”

His expression showed not a hint of strain from the explosion. He had clearly anticipated the blast and dodged in advance.

Shock flickered in Kairon’s eyes. What kind of monster is he?

There was no doubt Leven’s aura was weaker than his own. Yet somehow, a wall stood between them. So this is the true strength carried in the Strauss bloodline...?

Leven spoke with a bored tone. ”We continuing, or what?”

Kairon tightened his grip on his sword, eyes narrowing with a renewed gleam. ”I would like to assess the lord’s skills a little further.”

Leven jerked his chin toward the side. ”And you’re just gonna ignore them?”

Confused, Kairon turned to follow his gaze, and nearly choked on his breath. ”Gah!”

They weren’t alone. The entire upper echelon of the Strauss vassals had gathered to observe the young heir’s return. But there had just been a massive explosion. The vassals had been caught in the aftermath of that massive explosion.

Moans and groans echoed from every direction.

”Oww...”

”My back! My back...!”

Kairon scrambled forward in a panic. ”M-my deepest apologies! I’ll get you treated at once!”

Watching the flustered knight dash off, Leven muttered dryly as he followed behind at a stroll. ”So... we’re done sparring, right?”