Radiant Dragon’s Otherworldly Reincarnation

Chapter 298. Ah, Why Again? (3)

A seat with the Sword Saint.

Although it was not a private meeting.

The Glory Knightly Order was surrounding them, emitting a murderous aura, and beyond them, knights and mages in full armor had formed a double and triple encirclement.

In a state no different from a rat in a trap, Patrick was….

“Wow, how could you? How could a person do this?”

He was extremely disappointed and angry.

At Patrick’s attitude, someone from the Glory Knightly Order said with an angry expression.

“How rude. Did you really think someone like you could have a private audience with the Duke?”

To him who roared, Patrick said.

“No, I can understand the small fry around here.”

Small fry?

“It’s understandable that when a person gets old and weak-hearted, they can become anxious.”

Weak-hearted?

Patrick truly had an outstanding talent for pissing people off with every single word.

And the finishing touch was….

“No, but still, what is this? What is this…. I clearly said alcohol instead of tea, but what in the world is this black tea?”

Ah, so that was the complaint. I see.

“Kill that bastard!”

“Move, I’ll kill him!”

“How dare he call us small fry!”

Most of the Glory Knightly Order drew their swords, their faces turning red and blue.

It didn’t seem like a joke, as the Aura Blades blooming here and there looked quite threatening.

“Oh? You wanna go? Come on. Come on.”

But it wasn’t as if Patrick would bat an eye at that.

The one who sorted out this mess was….

“Everyone, be quiet.”

The Sword Saint.

At his single word, the Glory Knightly Order, who had been excited as if they would charge at any moment, calmed down.

And the Sword Saint first picked up the black tea and said.

“It’s a tea I’ve been into recently. They call it coffee.”

“It’s still not alcohol, though?”

“We’re about to have an important conversation, are you planning to do it while drunk?”

“Huh…? Was I not supposed to do that?”

“You ask the obvious.”

At the Sword Saint’s words, a memory from the past suddenly flashed through Patrick’s mind.

[Radiant Dragon Great Master! How dare you bring alcohol to a council meeting where an important matter is being discussed, what is this disgraceful behavior?]

“…So I wasn’t supposed to do that.”

So that’s why the Alliance Leader was angry.

I’m sorry. And I, without knowing, called him a fuddy-duddy behind his back… no, I cursed him to his face.

Patrick nodded his head with a look of having learned a new fact.

At Patrick’s appearance, everyone around had the same thought.

‘What in the world is that bastard?’

‘What in the world is that bastard?’

Amidst them, who were dumbfounded, the Sword Saint smirked and said.

“Try drinking it. You’ll be able to feel its deep aroma and complex, subtle taste. Above all, it has the effect of awakening the mind when you drink it, so I use it often.”

At the Sword Saint’s suggestion, Patrick first took it and chugged it down.

And then he said….

“It’s just bitter.”

“……”

What did you expect from this bastard? Sword Saint.

The Sword Saint put his hand to his forehead and said with a tired expression.

“Why did you come?”

The Sword Saint, who had decided to get to the main point quickly, asked bluntly.

“To tell you to withdraw your army and go back.”

And at Patrick’s even more blunt words, a murderous aura instantly rose from the surroundings.

“How dare you…”

“Do you want to die? Brat.”

“Don’t think you’ll get out of here alive.”

Most knights were like this, but the knights of the Empire especially had outstanding respect for the Sword Saint.

They had the pride of having the strongest swordsman in their country, and more than half of the knights who had set foot in the 7-star realm had reached that level with the help of the Sword Saint’s teachings in the past.

There were also a considerable number who, although they hadn’t received permission, arbitrarily considered the Sword Saint their master.

From their perspective, Patrick’s rude attitude had crossed the line by a long shot.

Murderous auras, as if from clergymen who had witnessed blasphemy, poured out, as if they would mince Patrick into small pieces.

“Won’t you lower your eyes? You brat!”

But it wasn’t as if Patrick would be intimidated by that.

In any case, the atmosphere was getting more and more ominous.

And the Sword Saint stepped in and said.

“An absurd demand.”

“It is a bit, isn’t it?”

“In the first place, for what reason do you, who are not even affiliated with the Holy Theocracy, step into this war?”

“Even you think it’s a bit much, don’t you, old man?”

Taak!

The Sword Saint slammed the table hard and said.

“If you know that much, then stay out of it.”

“I’d like to, but.”

If Patrick backs out here?

Then, a war will break out.

Since the Sword Saint has seriously taken the lead and raised a large army, the Empire will probably win the war.

But there’s no way the Holy Theocracy will just take it lying down, and how many people will die in the process?

War.

He had experienced it several times in his past life, but the scale of damage between a war between sects and a war between nations was different.

Moreover, if two huge countries like these were to fight, what would be the extent of the damage?

How many people would die?

How many women and children would shed tears?

To turn a blind eye to that grief and lamentation as if it had nothing to do with him was….

“Impossible.”

His master in his past life and his father in his current life.

Neither of them taught their disciple and son that way.

So Patrick smirked at the Sword Saint and said.

“It is just a wish to stop the war.”

“……”

Patrick cast aside his playful demeanor.

Then he stood up from his seat and bowed his waist respectfully, saying.

“I beg you. Please, go back.”

At the polite and sincere request, so unlike Patrick, the Sword Saint was rather flustered.

Although they hadn’t met many times, the essence of Patrick Schneider he had seen was strength and freedom.

Especially regarding that freedom, there were no limits, to the point of being close to self-indulgence.

His rude attitude from the first time they met.

All the bizarre acts and achievements he had performed since then were things that only an extremely free person could do.

Originally, a normal member of society who is aware of their country, honor, and their own position would find it difficult to act as recklessly as Patrick.

That was why the Sword Saint had concluded that Patrick was an infinitely free spirit.

Therefore, he was a walking human irregular who would not be surprising no matter what he did, wherever and whenever.

But now.

The Patrick Schneider he had thought of was bowing his head to him and making a polite request.

The reason was just one.

To stop the war.

That was the only thing.

‘No, perhaps this is also a stubbornness made possible by his purity and freedom?’

Who doesn’t know that war is bad?

Right-minded philosophers say.

That if there is the most foolish thing a human can do, it is war.

But even knowing that, the reason war breaks out is ultimately due to the position of the country, which cannot back down.

Once a war has begun, like a snowball that has started rolling, it is difficult to stop.

Those who try to stop it are either foolish people mad with idealism or good people who sacrifice themselves for others without thinking about this and that.

“I heard you received the title of Saint in the Holy Theocracy, are you trying to live up to your name?”

At the Sword Saint’s words, Patrick answered.

“The position of the Holy Theocracy does not matter. But…”

“But what?”

“In the first place, this war began with the conspiracy of black mages.”

“……”

“Now that the grasp of the black mages has disappeared, wouldn’t it be extremely foolish to continue the war?”

Patrick’s words were extremely reasonable.

So much so that even some of the knights of the Glory Knightly Order, who had been filled with anger at his side, were swayed.

But although Patrick himself might not have known….

“How can I believe that?”

“What do you mean?”

“How can I believe that the black mages have completely withdrawn from the Holy Theocracy?”

Patrick had now touched the Sword Saint’s reverse scale.

The Sword Saint said, revealing his blatant anger.

“Those who claim to serve a god were played by black mages, invaded the territory of the Empire without any justification, and made the people shed blood.”

“……”

“And now you’re saying let’s just pretend it didn’t happen because it was all a misunderstanding?”

“The Pontiff of the Holy Theocracy would have promised both an apology and compensation.”

“The blood of the Empire cannot be repaid with money.”

“Then what is it?”

“Will you repay blood with blood? Is that it?”

“……”

“Is that it?”

“……”

At Patrick’s questioning, the Sword Saint swept his hair back and said.

“That’s not what I mean. But for my part, I cannot know if the touch of the black mages has completely withdrawn from the Holy Theocracy.”

“Isn’t it a fact that everyone knows that it’s difficult to uproot the black mages?”

“Still, if even a person like the Pontiff was brainwashed, the danger of the Holy Theocracy cannot be ruled out.”

“So?”

“I must occupy the Holy Theocracy and conduct a large-scale search. And any who are even slightly related must be uprooted.”

“……”

“Compensation and apology are matters for after that. First, it is most important to eliminate the risk factor of the black mages.”

“Do you know how what you are saying right now sounds, Sword Saint?”

“……”

“To me, it sounds like a declaration that you will build a mountain of corpses and create a sea of blood in the Holy Theocracy.”

To kill anyone even slightly related to the black mages?

That meant killing even those who had been inadvertently exposed to demonic energy, like Perios.

No, since it meant killing even those who were suspected, the blood that would flow would probably be much more.

“Do you wish to leave your name in history as a mass murderer?”

At Patrick’s words, the Glory Knightly Order, whose momentum had briefly subsided, rose again.

“Double Dragon!”

“Do you really want to die?”

“Come outside. You brat!”

Patrick didn’t even give them a glance and only spoke to the Sword Saint.

“Please speak. Is that your intention?”

At Patrick’s question, the Sword Saint thought for a moment and then said.

“If necessary, I suppose I must.”

“Huuuu…”

Patrick let out a sigh.

He could tell intuitively.

It was absolutely impossible to persuade the current Sword Saint.

‘Then there’s only one means left.’

He didn’t really like it, but he had no choice.

“Usually, when one decides on a war, they start with two preconditions.”

“What do you mean?”

“First, is there justification for this war? Or not? In other words, one considers the cause.”

Patrick ignored the Sword Saint’s words and continued with his own.

“And the second. This is probably the most important thing.”

“……”

“A war is waged on the calculation that one can win. Is that not so?”

The Sword Saint did not answer Patrick’s words.

But the surrounding knights nodded as if there was indeed a point to it.

Wasn’t it obvious?

No one would fight a war they were sure to lose.

Even if there was a cause, as long as there was no visible chance of victory in the war, war was a choice to be avoided.

“Of course, the Empire has a chance of winning right now. If you, old man Sword Saint, personally lead the army and advance, you will probably be able to occupy Promis and capture the Pontiff quickly.”

“……”

“But.”

“……”

“What would you do if I were to take the side of the Holy Theocracy and participate in the war?”

The Sword Saint’s eyes opened wide.

And the surrounding knights also began to emit a murderous aura that was incomparable to before.

Regardless, Patrick calmly said what he had to say.

“Could you still guarantee victory?”

As soon as Patrick finished speaking, two streaks of Aura Blades shot out fiercely.

There were finally those who could not hold back.

“You bastard!”

“How dare you!”

Two knights from the Glory Knightly Order, whose respect for the Sword Saint was outstanding, could not hold back and sent their swords flying towards Patrick.

Count Romain Javelin.

Marquis Grove Cleaver.

They were individuals who had gained fame, being called by the nicknames of the Knight of the Storm and the Knight of Punishment, respectively.

Their level was beyond the mid-7th star.

The surprise attack launched by the two of them at the same time was truly fatal, but….

Pepeong!

The opponent was Patrick Schneider.

A loud noise as if a large drum had burst rang out, and the two men who had launched the surprise attack were sent flying backwards much faster than they had flown in.

Kwaaaang! Kwang!

“Cough…”

“Keoheok…”

The two who had fallen and were coughing up blood couldn’t even get up.

And Patrick said coldly.

“Sorry but…”

Patrick’s eyes swept over the surrounding knights.

And he continued….

“If you come at me now, I can’t hold back.”