Chapter 48: Chapter 48

Chapter 48: The Elf and the Flower (1)

After returning to the tavern.

I explained everything that had happened to my companions. Since it was related to the request, I went over every detail carefully from beginning to end.

As a result, most of them were shocked. That Rahan was of royal blood. That there was an elf spy hidden within Flower.

Each revelation was as bewildering as the next — hard to believe, to say the least.

But they were veterans. After taking a brief moment to process it all, they immediately began to pack their things.

A look of deep emotion spread across Rahan’s face as he watched them.

The Black Dragon had no real reason to help Rahan. Even if he sought Aurel’s reward, it would be the same.

Anything related to Flower was always dangerous.

There was no reason to take on such risk.

The others deliberately acted as though they didn’t notice Rahan. He might be young, but he was still a boy — no man wants to show weakness.

Soon, Rahan rubbed his face roughly, as if trying to regain his composure.

Rahan called out to me, his expression a feigned calm.

“Follow me for a moment.”

I quietly obeyed. The air felt strangely heavy — had something happened?

Rahan led me to the tavern’s second floor, a place said to be mainly used by him and Lenel.

Why had he called me here?

I asked, “So, what did you want to say?”

“I wanted to apologize for Elbin’s actions. Elbin isn’t a bad elf. Even when I was in Aurel, he was known as my father’s loyal vassal. I’m sure he didn’t mean any harm when he hurt you.”

I let out a dry laugh.

‘So that’s what’s been bothering him.’

He’d been worrying about something unnecessary.

He really was still young. Even when he tried to act composed, that delicate side unique to children showed through.

At times , he could’ve just stayed quiet and pretended nothing happened.

Perhaps because I had memories of my past life, Rahan’s behavior stood out to me even more.

“I don’t care,” I said flatly.

“It’s true that it bothered me that he used Lord Jeozudin’s power. But aside from that, I hold no grudge.”

“To be honest, I do want to punch him once. He spied on me without permission — I’d like to make sure he can’t get out of bed for at least a week.”

Rahan’s eyes widened in shock. My words must’ve sounded more serious than he expected.

Of course, I meant it.

The world wasn’t a kind place. Stay still, and you’d just be taken advantage of. To get the bare minimum of respect, sometimes you had to shake things up first.

‘In the end, strength is what matters.’

That was a thought I could’ve never imagined having before. Elves were said to be loved by mana itself — provoking one was practically suicide.

But things were different now. Not only had I awakened my Sword Ki, but I could also partially use the Warrior’s Mana.

It was only natural that I felt confident.

“Don’t worry,” I said. “As long as he accepts my duel request, there won’t be any problem.”

“…And if he doesn’t?”

“Then there will be.”

Rahan’s eyes trembled violently, as if an earthquake had struck them. But faced with my grim aura, he couldn’t say anything more.

As promised, I visited Elbin’s bakery again. Just like before, a “Closed” sign hung on the door.

“So this is our employer’s shop, huh?” Ryan said, his tone laced with cold hostility. His mood had soured since the injuries he’d sustained earlier.

“I’d really like to hear what kind of face he makes when explaining this request.”

His reaction wasn’t excessive. Even if Garan had taken circumstances into account, the fact remained that Elbin had attacked us. Ryan’s response was perfectly reasonable.

The others also wore expressions of displeasure. Even Rahan and Lenel looked apologetic.

Ryan swung the door open with authority.

A strange sense of déjà vu hit me. A bad feeling.

My instincts only reacted when I was in danger. Which could only mean one thing — danger was coming.

I grabbed Ryan by the nape and threw him backward. I didn’t think — I just moved the way my instincts demanded.

It was the right call.

An ear-splitting explosion tore the bakery apart. The blast was so powerful that not even debris was left behind.

This wasn’t the kind of thing that could happen by accident.

I was unharmed — I’d leapt back the moment that uneasy feeling struck. The others were safe too, likely thanks to Retina, who had quickly raised a barrier.

Ryan opened his mouth, but no real words came out — only a dumbfounded murmur.

Then came a scream from within the explosion. A voice so filled with agony it made my brow furrow just hearing it.

The soldiers arrived moments later. A blast like that, in the middle of the street — of course they would.

Ryan finally came to his senses, spitting out a single proper line.

It was little more than a curse, but for once, I agreed with him.

‘That explosion reeked of malice. I could feel the mana in it. Someone definitely did this on purpose.’

Had Elbin deceived us?

No… I had seen the look in his eyes — desperate, pitiful.

That kind of gaze couldn’t be faked. There had to be another hand behind this.

‘In the worst case… Elbin’s identity may have been discovered by Flower.’

It was the worst possibility imaginable.

“What a shame. I thought I’d at least get rid of one of you to start.”

Through the thick smoke, a man appeared. In one hand, he held a long steel chain, spinning it idly.

Each time the chain whistled through the air, the gust it created swept the smoke away.

Just one glance told me enough.

‘Equal to Kazan… or maybe just a step below.’

Although he was familiar enough that I might’ve almost forgotten, Kazan had been an unmistakable powerhouse. Being compared to him at all was remarkable.

Three of the ten knights remained in the capital. This wasn’t the kind of place for someone who hadn’t even approached the realm of Force to start trouble. Was there something more behind this?

I sharpened every sense in my body to detect the nearby mana.

A steel chain hurtled toward my face along with a gust-blast.

I struck the chain aside with my blade. The speed was terrifying. Had I not been on full alert, I would not have stopped it.

More than that, the weight behind the attack was extraordinary.

My wrist tingled. It had been a force my body alone could not fully withstand.

Even I, a warrior, found it difficult to repel. If Ryan or Rhuin had taken that blow, they’d have been fatally wounded.

Perhaps for that reason, the man stroked his chin with interest.

“To take my strike… Your level didn’t look that high. Is it because you’re a warrior? Even so, impressive. Kid, what’s your name?”

“Cooper. It’s been a while since I’d met a promising young one. To think you could withstand my blow. You’re not a nobody. Even if you’re young, are you a member of the Black Dragon?”

Cooper grinned, flashing a set of white teeth.

“I have a proposal for your Black Dragon.”

“What nonsense are you spouting? Because of your stunt, one of our companions was nearly hurt. If I hadn’t reacted, he’d be dead. And you still offer a proposal?”

“Oh dear, the kid’s so emotional. How about we talk business-like?”

Cooper pointed at Rahan with a finger.

“Hand over those two elves. If you do that, I’ll pretend I didn’t see the rest of you. You haven’t even formally received a proper request from Elbin, have you?”

“You just said ‘Elbin’?” Rahan said. His face had drained white, as if he’d heard something he shouldn’t have.

Cooper clicked his tongue at that reaction.

“Tsk, predictable. You lot are soft for your own kind. Just as I thought.”

“How did you do anything to Elbin!?” Rahan shouted.

Mana surged from Rahan’s whole body — a wild, unrefined fury of mana.

It was not the kind of mana an elf beloved by mana would usually show.

“Hoh, as expected from a High Elf, incredible mana. If I’d met you ten years later, you’d have died in an instant.”

Rahan’s tone had changed before I knew it. The childish manner he usually showed was gone.

“How dare you touch — my — Aurel’s loyal retainer!”

“Aurel’s retainer? Ah, I see. So Elbin was a spy sent by the elves. I didn’t know that… Well, I was going to kill him anyway, so it doesn’t matter.”

Rahan’s face went blank. Veins stood out; bewilderment showed in his eyes.

“Isn’t that obvious? Elbin’s a traitor. We can’t leave him alive.”

At those words, Rahan’s face stiffened. He trembled. Anger radiated from his clenched fist.

Rahan ground his teeth and yelled.

“You’re not the kind of people who should treat him lightly!”

At that moment, a terrifying torrent of mana rose.

Leaves began to gather around Rahan’s body — the very magic he’d shown me once in the Prison Forest Ground.

Numerous attributes swirled into him, slowly and delicately.

Even a master of Force would not be safe from that spell.

If it struck directly, no one could easily guess whether they’d live or die.

With an unfamiliar voice, the rampaging magic vanished as if cut off. People guessed — someone had intervened.

“Who would wait for that attack on a battlefield?”

A woman stepped out of the crowd and spoke.

“If you wanted to reveal my identity, then you succeeded. I was planning to ambush while hiding among the people.”

Even without being told, I could feel it — that woman was a mage on par with Retina.

My face hardened. Strong opponents kept appearing in succession. And we hadn’t even fully gauged their forces.

This was not a situation to welcome.

“You little elf,” the woman said with a hint of a smile in her voice.

“Come with us and we’ll spare Elbin. Either way, you’re going to be captured by us. Why wear yourself out resisting? Quietly come along instead.” Thɪs chapter is updated by Nove1Fire.net

Hesitation appeared on Rahan’s face. He hesitated, weighing whether their words were true.

I understood how he felt. Anyone lost their reason if someone dear was held as collateral. Rahan was no different.

So I slapped the back of his head.

Rahan opened his mouth wide and clutched the back of his head. It had been a hefty blow — enough to make him unable to cry out.

I said, as calmly as usual.

“Listening to them won’t guarantee Elbin’s survival. From what we’ve heard, those men belong to Flower’s organization. Do you really think such heinous criminals will keep their word?”

It was a cruel truth. Rahan’s face twisted — stained with anger and guilt.

I looked at Garan. His gaze seemed to ask whether it was about time to speak up.

“Feels like they already stole all the cool parts. Do I have anything more to say?”

“I’m not the captain of the Black Dragon, after all.”

“I appreciate you keeping that part quiet.”

At that moment, a powerful aura began to flow from Garan’s whole body. The ground trembled and the air quivered.

“Rahan, we’ve already accepted the request. We’re going to take you to Aurel. Then you should trust us as well. Believe that we can help you.”

Rahan’s eyes flickered — a mix of trust and doubt.

“Can your strength save Elbin?”

“If we couldn’t, we wouldn’t even mention it. The bond we formed with you isn’t a light thing.”

Garan said with a fierce laugh.

“This much we can do.”