Chapter 23: Chapter 23

Chapter 23: This Bastard, Seriously?

The next day, Retina headed to the cathedral with the man in tow.

Leon had said he would go with her.

The man was a skilled swordsman, after all.

Even if his mana was sealed, a mage who was weak in close combat could easily get overpowered.

“You think I wouldn’t have thought of that much?”

Retina grabbed Leon’s arm and threw him over her shoulder.

As he flew through the air, Leon looked up at the clear sky and thought,

‘Ah, she might not be strong, but her technique is amazing.’

Retina wasn’t an ordinary mage. Under the condition of not using mana, she was strong enough to defeat Leon or even Ryan.

Leon dusted off the dirt on his clothes. Indeed, at this level, there didn’t seem to be any need for concern.

Still, just in case, Leon tied the man tightly with a rope. The man’s face went pale.

He had tied him so tightly that the pain must have been unbearable.

“...Could you loosen it a little? I swear I won’t try to escape.”

“I see. But I don’t believe you, so you’ll stay like that.”

With that, Retina left.

Leon then headed to the library with Ryan. As Retina had mentioned yesterday, it was to make up for his lack of common knowledge.

Just as they were about to go, a clear voice stopped Leon.

The one who called him was none other than Lenel. Rahan’s younger sister. She handed Leon a lunch box.

“This is… to thank you.”

“I’ll eat it gratefully.”

Leon gave a brief word of thanks. He looked quietly at Lenel.

Her beauty was far beyond what could be called that of a young girl.

He had thought Rahan was quite handsome himself, but Lenel surpassed imagination.

Especially since she must have heard something from her brother, Lenel was overly polite to Leon.

Even if he was her benefactor, it felt excessive.

Even after handing him the lunch box, Lenel still kept her head bowed.

It seemed difficult for her to even look him in the eye.

After some thought, Leon gently patted her on the head.

Lenel’s body trembled slightly. She hadn’t expected him to do that.

Just as she was about to lift her head—

Naturally, Lenel lowered her head again, and Leon departed toward the library.

The capital had fewer people than the last time he saw it. Naturally so—up until recently, the capital had been crowded with visitors celebrating the Emperor’s birthday.

Now that the festivities were over, the streets were quieter. Googlᴇ search NoveI~Fire.net

Of course, compared to other cities, it was still fairly crowded.

Walking through the flow of people, Leon soon arrived at the library.

The library was a simple wooden building. Other than being built large enough to accommodate many people, there was nothing particularly remarkable about it.

Even so, Leon looked at it with fascination.

There were no such buildings as libraries in the Central Plains. Naturally so—paper was always a precious resource regardless of the era.

Moreover, writing itself was a privilege and property of the elite.

For those power-hungry nobles to create a library—it was a refreshing shock to Leon.

“What are you talking about? This isn’t for commoners.”

When Leon shared his thought, Ryan replied bluntly.

“Commoners can’t read books in a library. They can’t even read. Only nobles learn to write. How could someone who can’t read a word use a library?”

Leon was speechless in shock. To think one had to learn letters first just to read a book. Was such a thing even reasonable?

It was absurd. Why build a library in the first place then?

He realized the answer as soon as he stepped inside.

Just as Ryan said, the interior was filled with nobles. The few “commoners” around exuded refinement—it was clear they were children of wealthy merchants.

Leon was too stunned to speak. He hadn’t thought no real commoners would be here.

The rumor that this place was built for nobles didn’t seem exaggerated at all.

Feeling deeply disappointed, Leon picked a book. The library was fairly quiet—almost eerily so, compared to the bustling crowd outside.

The knowledge within the book was fascinating. It might have been considered common sense in this world, but for Leon, who retained memories of his past life, it was all new.

Every bit of information captivated him.

Leon read without noticing the passage of time, eating the lunch Lenel had given him as he turned the pages.

As the sun began to set, Retina came to find him.

“What happened to the man who was brainwashed?”

“The brainwashing was lifted. But now things have gotten troublesome.”

At Retina’s response, Leon looked puzzled.

“The brainwashed man’s name is Ruin. He’s someone that Gehenna—one of Flower’s upper executives—really values. That alone wouldn’t be a problem, but the issue is that Gehenna is insane beyond imagination.”

“Do you know this Gehenna person well?”

“I met her once, right before Garan retired. She’s terrifyingly possessive. She never forgives anyone who touches what’s hers.”

“What are you saying?”

“The Emperor himself told me—we’re to leave the capital. He even gave us plenty of travel funds. For now, we’re to lay low.”

Retina shook a hefty pouch of coins. The clinking sound was heavy—it was unmistakably gold.

“A storm of blood is coming. I don’t know what Flower’s planning, but they provoked the Emperor. They won’t get away with it easily.”

It was a sudden decision, but Leon accepted it easily. He’d experienced similar circumstances in his past life—back then, he’d nearly died.

This time, being able to escape safely was a blessing.

Retina quickly finished packing. All Leon had to do was move himself.

“Where are we heading now?”

“To the County of Enox. The Count who governs there is famous for his mastery of the sword. Don’t cause a scene. One of our members took a request from the Count—I’d rather not make a bad impression.”

Leon answered with a nod.

Leon arrived in Enox. They had traveled swiftly, living on horseback except for meal times.

Beside him, Ryan looked as if he were on the verge of death.

Leon ignored him and looked around.

Once, he had dreamed of wandering the martial world—of helping others and sharing drinks with friends who spoke of honor and righteousness. Of meeting a lover by fate and whispering sweet words together.

This journey felt like that dream come true. It wasn’t quite as he imagined, but when did the world ever go exactly as one wished?

Leon simply felt deeply content that he was traveling the road, sharpening himself along the way.

Of course, Ryan grimaced and looked utterly disgusted at his sentiment, as if unable to understand it.

Leon felt sorry for him. To not know the romance of travel—well, he was still just a kid, not even twenty yet.

Too young to grasp the romance of an adult’s journey.

The mercenaries brushed past, one by one, bumping Leon’s shoulder as they went. It was an unpleasant act. Leon had a sword hanging at his waist — to show such disrespect to an armed man was absurd.

Their behavior, especially toward someone who was clearly a swordsman, was unacceptable.

Ryan snapped at their rudeness.

“Are those eyes just decoration? Can’t you see someone standing here? Try using that thing you’re carrying on your neck to think for once.”

The man in the middle of the group spoke up. There was nothing remarkable about him — an ordinary face, ordinary gear.

“Ryan. Why’re you asking?”

“Ryan, huh? Never heard of it. Where are you from?”

The men exchanged glances — and then burst out laughing.

“Puhaha! Kellyburn? You mean that territory ruled by that weak Duke?”

Leon tilted his head. What did the Duke’s weakness have to do with them?

But Ryan seemed to take it differently. His body trembled as if he had been gravely insulted.

The killing intent in his eyes showed just how deep his anger ran.

“You bastards dare—!”

Leon sighed. Retina and Eric had gone to meet their comrades. The only ones here were himself and Ryan.

‘I’d rather let this slide, but Ryan’s not in the mood to hold back.’

It seemed best to watch for now.

“Those filthy half-barbarians helped you out, didn’t they? And you call Kellyburn loyal to the Empire?”

Leon’s brow twitched. Yet the man’s mouth didn’t stop.

“I heard the Duke of Kellyburn borrowed strength from the barbarians in the last territorial war. Disgraceful. If I lived in Kellyburn, I’d be too ashamed to show my face.”

Leon stepped into the conversation.

“What does getting help from warriors—no, from barbarians—have to do with the Duke of Kellyburn?”

“What? You’re from the Empire and you’re saying that?”

Leon’s clothing no longer resembled that of Elphrel. To live in the Empire, he had to blend in. Since people of the Empire and Elphrel looked quite similar, the man had clearly mistaken him for one of them.

“Getting help from barbarian scum is a sin worth dying for. You even know what kind of filth they are? They kidnap women from other nations, breed them, and when those women become useless, they grind their flesh to feed to pigs.”

Every word out of the man’s mouth was a lie. What kind of person in this world would commit such monstrous acts against their own mother?

Murderous intent flickered across Leon’s face. He already knew the Empire despised warriors — even Ryan, standing right beside him, had once fought him over it.

Leon stared blankly at the men before him, who kept laughing among themselves while mocking the warriors.

Their exaggerated insults almost seemed designed to provoke Ryan.

“Calm down,” Ryan said, nervous tension in his tone. The men’s slurs toward the warriors were getting excessive, even to him.

Leon answered curtly. He truly meant it. For a moment, rage had welled up inside him, but looking at their disgusting faces calmed him.

Those with pure hearts showed it on their faces — and theirs were anything but.

There was no reason to let himself be dragged down by such filth.

“Let’s go. They’re not worth dealing with.”

“Come to think of it, didn’t the barbarian king have three children?”

Leon froze mid-step. His body turned back slowly, eyes now glacially cold.

“I heard normally the first one’s ground up for pig feed right after birth. Guess she must’ve been pretty, huh? Seeing as the barbarian king kept her around for so long.”

It happened in an instant.

Leon seized the man by the hair and smashed his head into the wall. His movement used Dawn-Drifting Falcon Step. The result wasn’t just pain — it was devastation.

Leon’s punishment didn’t end there.

He slammed the man’s head against the wall again and again. The wall started to cave in, human face-shaped holes appearing in several spots.

The man Leon had grabbed was soon unrecognizable — his face had become a mangled mess.

Everyone nearby, including the other mercenaries, just stared in shock. It was the middle of the street — of course all eyes were drawn to them.

But Leon didn’t stop.

After half a dozen more strikes, Leon looked the man in the eyes, still clutching his hair.

“Why don’t you repeat what you just said?”

Murderous fury surged in Leon’s gaze. The “barbarian king” referred to the King of Elphrel — his father, Zeke.

They had insulted his parents. No man with even a shred of pride could let that pass.

“Help! This lunatic’s trying to kill someone!”

But to everyone else, that was exactly how it looked. Naturally — they didn’t know Leon was a warrior.

They didn’t even realize they’d said anything wrong.

So Leon slammed the man’s head against the wall again.

Another man, unable to watch anymore, grabbed his weapon and approached Leon cautiously.

He swung from behind — but Leon dodged, grabbed his hair, and slammed his head into the wall too.

Now both of Leon’s hands held two men by the hair. Their bodies hung limp, their faces buried into the wall like broken dolls.

“Hey! You’re gonna kill them!”

Ryan shouted in panic. He’d been the first to lose his temper earlier, but Leon had gone way too far. Someone had to stop him.

Even when Ryan grabbed and pulled at him, Leon didn’t budge. He just kept smashing their heads over and over.

So much time had passed that it wouldn’t have been strange if they were already dead.

‘You muscle-headed brute!’

No matter how hard he tried, Leon wouldn’t stop. His eyes were wild — he’d lost all reason.

‘How am I supposed to stop this guy!’

A clear, cool voice pierced Ryan’s ear.