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[Translator - Prøks]
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Chapter 120: And That's Why It's Madness
It was a sleepless night.
I sat quietly in the guest room Loren had provided, meditating. Occasionally, I could hear the footsteps of maids passing by.
Overall, it was a tranquil night.
But my mind was anything but.
Suppressing the rage that constantly surged within me was no easy task.
I briefly opened my eyes, only to see the world tinged with red, and quickly closed them again.
Madness always strikes at unexpected moments.
That's what makes it madness.
Every time I sensed the presence of Urgon's men surrounding the building, images of Balkan, Libre, Samael, that frustrating Taylor, Kazen, and that damned Pelleer flashed through my mind, stirring up a sudden surge of anger.
I forcibly cleared my mind of those distracting thoughts. There was no need to kill every single one of those Urgon underlings.
After wrestling with the maddening rage for a while, I felt a sense of calm descend upon me and opened my eyes.
'Peace of mind.'
I washed up, changed into clean clothes, and stepped outside.
The female swordsmen guarding the entrance greeted me with a nod. Their gazes were quite different from yesterday.
I returned their greeting with a melancholic look, reminiscing about the back alleys of Donkey's.
"You're working hard."
As if waiting for my cue, unpleasant stares from Urgon's men across the way converged on me. There were at least a hundred of them. I spotted a familiar face among them and greeted him.
"Not cold?"
It was quite chilly.
Looking up at the sky, the sun repeatedly disappeared and reappeared behind the clouds.
The female swordsmen straightened their posture and saluted sharply.
"Oh my, you're up early."
Loren and Celestine emerged from the building and stood beside me, gazing towards the front.
In a languid voice, Loren asked,
"Are you ready?"
"Of course."
"Let's go."
"Right now?"
"Is there any reason to hesitate?"
"How straightforward."
As I walked alongside Loren, I checked her waist.
Today, her scabbard was worn on the outside of her clothes, in plain sight. About half of the female swordsmen who served as her guard followed behind us.
We strolled leisurely as if on a walk, but the atmosphere was heavy.
Perhaps it was because I had set the manor ablaze yesterday. The hostility emanating from Urgon's subordinates was palpable.
But strangely, the leader of the enemy forces, the External Affairs Manager, who stood at the forefront to greet us, didn't seem particularly tense.
I asked the External Affairs Manager,
"Where's Balkan?"
Instantly, a wave of curses and murderous intent from his subordinates surged towards me.
As I felt my vision turning red, I quickly said,
"Let's do this the easy way. Hey, External Affairs Manager. Even if your underlings are clueless, you should understand the situation. I didn't come alone. If you don't want to fight our swordsmen, lead me to Balkan."
I looked around, but Balkan was nowhere to be seen, nor was the Special Task Force.
Their core fighting force was completely absent.
The External Affairs Manager tilted his head and mumbled,
"This is strange. He still has a sharp tongue."
"Still?"
Completely ignoring me, the External Affairs Manager turned to Loren and said respectfully,
"As you wish, Madame Loren."
With those few words, I grasped the situation.
It seemed Balkan had already given instructions to the External Affairs Manager.
"Balkan must be quite confident."
Finally, the External Affairs Manager looked at me and smiled.
"Feel free to speak your mind. It won't change anything."
"Hey, External Affairs Manager. What did Balkan tell you?"
"That your insolence won't last long."
"I asked what Balkan told you."
Suddenly, the smile vanished from the External Affairs Manager's face, and he barked,
"You insolent fool!"
"Don't call me 'fool.' Hey, why are you so damn calm? You're not even fazed by our swordsmen mobilizing. Did Balkan tell you? That the Death Sword Guild would show up around this time? That you should appease Madame Loren and treat her with respect?"
"..."
"But you didn't expect me to be running around like this, did you? You're a perceptive man, External Affairs Manager. Think carefully. What kind of situation is this?"
Indeed, the External Affairs Manager's eyes were twitching.
Even if others didn't notice, I could tell he was slightly flustered.
Having Loren by my side as if guarding me, and me being the only one running my mouth, was not something he had anticipated.
"Crazy Mage Squad Commander, you seem to be misunderstanding the situation. I don't know what you discussed with Madame Loren, but you're currently accused of attempting to poison the head of Urgon."
Slap— I struck the External Affairs Manager across the face.
"This isn't the time for that. Our External Affairs Manager is a bit slow today."
"What are you..."
"This isn't the time for an exchange of words."
I slapped him again.
As Urgon's subordinates started radiating killing intent, I glared at the External Affairs Manager.
The moment he straightened his posture and glared back, I launched the forehead slingshot I had prepared.
Thwack— The External Affairs Manager fell backward, unconscious. While he was out cold, Urgon's subordinates prepared to attack me.
That was when the female swordsmen of Ardehain unleashed their auras.
"...!"
"...!"
The difference was overwhelming.
A wave of confusion spread among the hundred-plus Urgon subordinates. Some even collapsed to the ground. The External Affairs Manager, having regained consciousness, seemed to grasp the situation. With a slightly strained voice, he asked Loren,
"Why are you protecting him?"
His question was loaded with implications.
I slapped the External Affairs Manager again.
"I told you not to call me 'him.'"
Looking at the External Affairs Manager, whose face was now swollen and bruised, I ordered,
"Escort us."
"..."
As I raised my hand, the perceptive External Affairs Manager's expression shifted, and he reluctantly lowered his head.
"Yes."
The External Affairs Manager began to lead the way.
* * *
Realizing that verbal sparring with me was futile, the External Affairs Manager led us to Balkan without another word.
Surprisingly, Balkan was in the annex where the monkeys gathered.
It seemed he intended to deceive the monkeys with lies and quickly resolve the situation.
This was a move that would only be possible if he was completely convinced that he could frame us. I knew the source of Balkan's confidence.
As we arrived at the annex, the Special Task Force Commander spotted Loren and bowed respectfully.
"Welcome."
His composure indicated that this was also within his expectations.
The Special Task Force Commander entered the annex to report, and soon the main gate opened.
Creak—
All the monkeys were gathered, their eyes fixed on the platform at the front.
I quickly scanned their faces, but Blair and Arin were nowhere to be seen.
It seemed Taylor had taken them and escaped while everyone's attention was on me last night.
At least he wasn't stubborn to the very end, I thought.
From his position on the platform, Balkan looked at us.
"Welcome, Madame Loren. I was deeply worried. Have you seen any improvement?"
'Oh?'
I almost fell for it.
He looked years older, with wrinkles etched around his eyes as if he had aged overnight. His tone was filled with concern.
When Loren shook her head, murmurs erupted from the audience.
Balkan sighed and said,
"...So it has come to this. I offer my sincerest apologies. This is all my fault."
As if reciting a prepared script, Balkan, with a reddened face, delivered the final blow.
"I, Balkan, will never forgive Samael for daring to deceive Urgon and the Death Sword Guild."
I stepped towards Balkan and addressed him.
"Patriarch Balkan."
Only then did Balkan seem to notice me. He tilted his head as if he had seen something unbelievable.
"It seems Madame Loren has brought the culprit herself."
As I approached, the Special Task Force blocked my path.
Balkan waved his hand, and they stepped aside in unison.
I stood right in front of Balkan, meeting his gaze.
"Do you have something to say?"
"Samael is the culprit?"
"Mind your tongue. Are you still denying it?"
Balkan glared at me with a stern and solemn expression, as if he intended to declare my guilt before all the monkeys.
"No matter how much you deny it, you can't undo what you've done. I will hold you accountable for the crime of insulting Urgon."
"What evidence do you have?"
"It's crystal clear. External Affairs Manager!"
The External Affairs Manager, who had been standing in a corner with his head bowed, approached Balkan.
"Declare Samael's crimes once again."
When the External Affairs Manager hesitated, Balkan looked at him with a puzzled expression.
"What are you doing?"
The External Affairs Manager raised his head...
Balkan's eyes widened as he saw the External Affairs Manager's face, red and swollen.
"What happened to your face?"
Surprisingly, the External Affairs Manager launched into another verbal assault.
"I apologize, Patriarch. Samael has now resorted to openly attacking Urgon. Not only did he insult you, Patriarch, but he also laid hands on me, the External Affairs Manager of Urgon."
The External Affairs Manager was a master of verbal combat, but he had terrible judgement when it came to people.
Sometimes, those who rise by their words fall by them as well.
I gauged the distance between us, then lunged at him with lightning speed, slapping him across the face. My hand was enveloped in flames.
"Shut up!"
Whoosh—Slap—
Caught completely off guard, the External Affairs Manager was sent crashing to the ground by the fiery slap.
Instead of being angered, Balkan smirked faintly.
"Trying to humiliate us openly?"
"I'm the one who was humiliated."
"There's no need to declare your crimes. You dared to try and poison the head of Urgon, and as a result, a soldier of the Four Swords Assembly was harmed in his place. I will hold you accountable for this heinous crime."
"You're too certain of yourself."
"Seize the criminal!"
The moment Balkan gave the signal, I responded with my own.
As the Special Task Force stepped forward, a powerful aura erupted explosively from behind me.
"Patriarch Balkan."
It was at that very moment that every single member of the Special Task Force froze in their tracks. Overwhelmed by the immense pressure, they looked at Loren with shock.
Smiling, Loren approached Balkan.
"I appreciate your concern, but..."
"Of course, it's only natural."
"...it's also quite presumptuous."
"...What do you mean?"
Balkan, who had been looking at Loren with a puzzled expression, flinched involuntarily.
"Our soldier is safe and sound."
"What?"
I had never seen Balkan make such an expression before.
It was as if he was dumbfounded by a completely unexpected turn of events.
"Is there a problem?"
"Are you saying he's unharmed?"
"Indeed."
"That's impossible."
"My, what an interesting reaction."
"...I was merely speaking out of concern."
Suddenly, I felt a chill and looked up at the second floor.
It was a fleeting moment, but I wasn't mistaken. Loren also subtly shifted her gaze towards the same spot.
Balkan asked cautiously,
"Are you certain?"
"Our Patriarch Balkan seems quite worried."
I addressed Balkan again.
"See, Patriarch Balkan? Poisoning, you say? No one was harmed, so I don't know what delusions you're having. Are you delusional? Who's insulting whom?"
Balkan, his face contorted, glared at me.
"Nothing has been revealed yet. Why did the others run away?"
"Cornered, you resort to such nonsense."
Just as I was about to offer a kind explanation, the annex door opened, and Taylor, Blair, and Arin entered all at once.
Taylor was still glaring at me as he walked in.
He looked around and declared,
"We didn't run away. We were merely lying low to avoid false accusations."
I thought to myself,
'Oh, that idiot.'
I had told them to escape to Samael with Blair and Arin, but they apparently just hid nearby.
Judging by his eyes, it seemed like it was because of me. I hadn't seen anyone this frustrating, even in the expedition.
However, I was a bit surprised when I looked around...
All the monkeys were looking at Taylor, Blair, and Arin with sighs of relief.
They were glancing at Balkan and remaining silent, but their faces showed concern for their friends.
This was a situation I hadn't anticipated.
'Did they form some kind of bond in that short time?'
Balkan was now speechless.
I approached him and continued my deception.
"So, what's your next excuse? I'm on the edge of my seat."
"..."
"What? Nothing? Is that it?"
Balkan, forcing himself to maintain his composure, looked around.
"Honored guests, please wait a moment. I will explain everything once the situation is resolved."
Loren cut him off with a smile.
"Before that..."
"Yes?"
"Now that there's no problem, we should finish what we started. I'd like to see that."
"If you're referring to what we started..."
"The banquet isn't over yet, is it?"
"...What do you mean?"
After a moment of contemplation, Patriarch Balkan seemed to realize something and muttered,
"Are you suggesting a duel?"
Observing Loren's reaction, Patriarch Balkan nodded with an expression that suggested this was even better than he had hoped.
"...Ah, of course. The banquet isn't over yet."
Suddenly, the monkeys were filled with excitement, as if the heavy atmosphere had never existed. They truly were an impressive bunch.
As I looked at the monkeys, I felt an unpleasant gaze and turned around.
Libre, who had appeared out of nowhere, was smiling at me.
I smiled back at him.
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HELHEIM SCANS
[Translator - Prøks]
[Proofreader - Prøks]
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