Episode 216
Mine Invasion D-1. The study of the Duke of Lenoa.
Compared to the last Galak family, my position has changed 180 degrees.
From the moment I entered the mansion, the family’s butlers and maids treated me as an honored guest, and I was told that the duke’s study, where I was currently sitting, was also a space that was never allowed to other mercenaries.
Even prominent figures of the empire considered it an honor to come into this study and have a private meeting with the Duke of Lenoa, so I could guess how generous the treatment I was receiving was.
Just a few days ago, I was considered an E-class mercenary with little or no strength.
“Captain Hoyoung Lee, do you like tea?”
“The taste is delicious, but the subtle scent is very luxurious. “Duke.”
“Thank you for saying that. “I am a person who likes to be praised for my car more than my sword.”
Meanwhile, the Duke of Lenoa chuckles to himself.
The Empire’s greatest sword, Kahel Renoa.
Just encountering it like this feels like an extraordinary prayer.
He is definitely superior to Ramel, the leader of the Black Knights, and I think I will only be able to find out if he is superior to me when I compete with him in person.
After all, the world is wide.
“I really want to learn the secret to brewing this delicate scent. “Of course, you won’t teach me.”
“haha! “It seems like our mercenary leader sees me as an old man.”
“Of course not, but can I interpret what you just said to mean that I can learn from it?”
“That’s right, it depends on what kind of person Captain Lee Ho-young is.”
From the moment I entered the study, Kahel Lenoa was looking at me with an interesting expression.
It still is.
Such a blatant look in his eyes just makes me feel like he has something to say right now.
“Now that you say that, I am becoming more conscious of the Duke’s gaze.”
“this! “I guess I showed off too much.”
“Everyone would have felt it.”
“I feel even more sorry when Captain Lee Ho-young says that. “This dull old man’s gaze must not have been very pleasant.”
“I feel honored. Who wouldn’t want to sit alone with the duke, even though he eats cutlery?”
The corners of the duke’s mouth turn up slightly, as if he doesn’t like this kind of candy spread.
“Then let me ask you just one question. “Why do you think I brought mercenaries into this mansion?”
Actually, I was curious about this too.
After receiving this mission, I did some research on Kahel Lenoa.
He picked up a sword for the first time at the age of seven, was called the best sword of the empire by the time he was forty, and became obsessed with the tea ceremony in his later years.
It is said that he has an eccentric personality and a severe case of mycelia, which may be why he rarely lets outsiders into his mansion.
‘But why?’
The size of the mercenaries currently in the mansion is no different from the time of Galak.
However, this does not mean that the Kahel Lenoa family is weak.
No, rather, the public’s assessment was that it was full and overflowing.
In addition to the head of the family, Kahel, all seven sons are said to be world-class experts.
“Are you sure you’ve never questioned it?”
“no. I was curious too. Why does the Duke bother to enlist the help of mercenaries? And actually, I came to my own conclusion on that question.”
Of course, this is just an idea I came up with spontaneously.
“Didn’t the Duke just want to see me?”
As he stared at me with such a blatant gaze, I couldn’t help but think this.
Well, no.
“I brought these many mercenaries into my house to see Captain Lee Ho-young?”
“Did I guess wrong?”
“Ha ha ha ha ha! As expected, Captain Hoyoung Lee never disappoints me.”
Kahel Lenoa smiled heartily for the first time.
“I guess I was right.”
“exactly. Among the mercenaries who participated in the mission at Galak Mansion, there was one of mine. I was expecting to receive a letter from the Demon King sooner or later. But the story I heard was a very interesting one.”
“I guess it was about me.”
“These were all unbelievable stories, but after seeing Captain Lee Ho-young in person, I realized that they were not wrong, so I was just amazed.”
“I’m just honored that the Empire’s First Sword looks favorably on me.”
“I have a suggestion I would like to make to Captain Lee Ho-young.”
“Please speak.”
“Would you like to fight with me?”
It comes on without even turning on the blinker.
This is absolutely no joke.
The Duke of Lenoa truly wants to fight with me.
“great. However, there is a condition.”
“Tell me anything.”
“Regardless of the outcome of the game, please allow me to command the mercenaries as I wish.”
“Even without my permission, I think it is an authority a mercenary leader should have.”
“I don’t know what unexpected thing I will do tomorrow, D-Day. “No matter what it is, I ask that the Lenoa family not interfere in any way, and that is my requirement.”
Of course, I will carry out my plan even without the duke’s permission.
Tomorrow will be the most important day of all journeys on the 31st floor.
“Okay. “I accept those requirements.”
Thanks to the Duke, things will become much easier.
‘If there is one thing that is disappointing, the special quest is not created at this timing.’
——————
faqwiki.us
Join our Discord for new chapter updates!
https://discord.com/invite/xr7SxG5T6V
——————
It is true that I had some expectations.
Because a match against the Empire’s First Sword would never be an ordinary task.
I guess I have no choice but to head to the Demon King Castle, which I had planned for tomorrow.
* * *
Winning or losing is not important at all.
Because I added the clause ‘regardless of the outcome of the game’ to my requirements.
I thought so, but once the sparring started, my desire to win started boiling over.
There is no game in the world that you can afford to lose.
Hehehe!
The duke threatened me by telling the story of the Lenoa family’s battle against the devil 600 years ago.
Since it is not a deadly weapon, Pallas’s shield will not activate automatically in most cases, but I have set my own standards.
If the shield is activated even once, it is my defeat.
“Captain Lee Ho-young is not giving his best.”
“I think that’s the same for the Duke.”
Actually, the standard of giving one’s best is a bit ambiguous to me.
For example, if I use a buff named One Strike Special, the game will be over in an instant.
Because our match is currently taking place at the same level.
“amazing. In fact, I can’t even remember the last time I had a match like this.”
Actually, I was the one who was more surprised.
I didn’t think there would be someone this strong on the 31st floor.
Even if I had only been on the 29th floor when I fought Kahel Lenoa, it would have been a clear defeat for me.
If I continue to climb the tower like this, my heart fills with excitement as I think that I will meet more strong people.
‘There may be a master at the ultimate end.’
That is, if Master can succeed in completing the summit as Shin Joo-ah prophesied.
In any case, the one crossing swords in front of me right now is Kahel Lenoa.
We only cut into the air without delivering any effective blows to each other, and sometimes we clashed our swords with each other, constantly exploring the other person’s remaining strength.
I stepped on the cotton cloth and unfolded the martial spirit sword, and sometimes I cleverly mixed in the Surama blood sword as well.
Of course, mixing the two sword techniques is unlikely to have a great effect.
In a match between experts, being caught off guard like this doesn’t work.
However, I wanted to try as many things as possible on the 31st floor, where I received the wisdom buff.
“It is truly a versatile swordsmanship. “Did you say there was a gun here too?”
“I don’t plan on using it in the current confrontation.”
“You really think you can beat me without using all your cards?”
“Not really. “I am gradually giving my all.”
A gun is just a gun and not a sword.
It is not right for guns to intervene in this confrontation.
Theia’s wings are also not used for that reason.
Hehehe!
The duke’s sword shoots towards me again.
I can feel the pure and neat energy of mana fluttering from the tip of the sword.
‘It’s a winning move.’
I could feel it instantly.
Win or loss is decided in this sum.
I also reached out to Elysion.
Two huge energies intersect each other and spread out.
The game ends here. The difference was half and half.
Percussion-
A button that was fastening the duke’s solar plexus falls to the floor.
The mercenary badge on my waist fluttered once in the wind, then returned to its original position.
“This is the moment when the Empire’s First Sword changes.”
“It’s not like that. “I learned a lot from today’s victory.”
This was true.
It’s been a long time since I’ve fought an opponent with all my might, and experiences like this always fill me with deep emotion.
It was a good match.
* * *
All mercenaries participating in this mission, including the White Lion Mercenaries, gathered near Lenoa’s mansion.
Now that we are all gathered, it is time for me to stand in front of the group as the general manager of this mercenary alliance.
But one thing that bothered me happened.
White Lion Mercenaries.
I don’t like that I was late, but even after I arrived, no one came to report to me, the mercenary leader.
“You are being ignored.”
Shin Joo-ah’s words stuck with me deeply.
Actually, it was expected.
For me, who is only my second time in combat, to be the leader of the mercenary alliance is something that is far beyond common sense.
“I know even if you don’t say so.”
“If you don’t want to get your hands dirty, I can also step in and educate you.”
“No, that’s not good. “I don’t want to smell the blood before D-Day.”
“How on earth do you look at me?”
“Anyway, it’s a problem I have to solve. “It just so happened that the White Lion gave us an excuse, so we ended up with a good case.”
After lining up all the mercenaries through Barnes, I stood on the podium.
The only thing that focuses on me is the Black Knights, and I can hear murmurs coming from all over the place.
Although I expected it, his authority as a captain is truly absurd.
“everyone. “Jumoook!!!”
I screamed with all my mana.
Since this type of lion’s tail is not my specialty, I was not able to produce enough force to make me pee, but I was able to achieve some desired results.
Now all the mercenaries are looking into my eyes.
The problem is that the eyes are slightly poor.
“This is Lee Ho-young, who has taken overall responsibility for this operation.”
After just saying hello, the atmosphere in the hall starts to become noisy again.
Most of these comments take issue with my age and experience.
Taking advantage of this atmosphere, one person from the White Lion Mercenaries came up to the podium.
Seeing the cheers coming from the white lion, it was easy to guess who this person was.
Juligen is the commander of this mercenary alliance.
“You are Hoyoung Lee.”
“Is this how the White Lion reports its arrival?”
“Oh! I forgot to report. Can I do it here right now? “Kkkkkk.”
Juligen looked at the people and spoke loudly.
“I am Juligen, the commander of the White Lion. “I think I will have to help out a lot since the commander-in-chief is young and inexperienced. What do you all think?”
At Juligen’s words, applause begins to pour in, starting with the White Lions.
Juligen looked at me with a cruel smile, as if he was satisfied with this situation.
“It seems like everyone thinks the same as me, but what does the commander-in-chief think?”
The guy continues to make a winning expression.
I wasn’t planning on doing it this way, but I can’t help it.
As Kahel Renoa once again confirmed that I have full authority to run the mercenary corps, there are no restrictions on my actions.
I said while looking at the mercenaries under the podium.
“As the general commanding authority here, I make this declaration! “As of this time, Yuli Gen of the White Lion is stripped of his position as commander of the unit!”
The atmosphere in the hall is buzzing again.
As expected, Juligen immediately got angry.
“what? What did I just hear? “I think you need to explain why you’re bringing me down?”
“I am a person who values appointment time more than anything else. “I can’t give the position of commander to someone who broke my trust, so please step down.”
Of course, there is no way I will obediently respond.
“Everyone, look here! One of the commanders is addicted to power and is trying to ruin important work! “Am I wrong?”
He is quite good at inciting people.
So we need to step right here.
There are many types of leadership, but when time is short, the politics of fear are the best.
I took Elysion out of my inventory right away.
“what? Wahaha! Are you really trying to wield that here?”
Taaaaagh!!!
I struck down Elysion and pinned it to the ground.
The solid podium splits like soft tofu, and one-third of Elysion is immediately submerged beneath the stone.
This sight brings all kinds of admiration from all over the place.
And I walked slowly towards Juligen.
“Just count to three. “Go down.”
I quietly muttered to him.
Of course, there is no way you can go down smoothly.
Because it was Juligen himself who set the scene in front of people.
“one.”
“two.”
As a test case, it only takes one person to defeat it.
-Continued in Episode 217-
fantasy,
