Chapter 84
Chapter 84
“Linus? He was never my opponent. Didn’t I say so before?”
I’m drinking at the hotel bar with a flabbergasted Wallace next to me.
He has been sick in bed recently, but he jolted awake when he heard about the assassination attempt.
“Unbelievable. To think you won against Elder Brother Linus.”
The world now views Linus as a dunce who failed to assassinate Cleo.
After all, society is mercilessly cold towards the vanquished.
Wallace, on the other hand, seems to have had a good opinion of Linus.
“Elder Brother Linus was someone who built up his own faction and climbed to the second place in terms of succession rights. I never thought he’d meet his end in this manner.”
Looking sideways, I tilt my glass at Wallace who is overwhelmed.
“That’s why I told you that you didn’t have to worry about me.”
“You did say that, but nobody would’ve believed you under those circumstances!”
“I knew early on that my chances of winning were high. You think I’d gamble on something knowing that I would lose?”
“Still, he was second in line to the throne!”
I played this game knowing that I’ll emerge victorious.
It’s true that Linus had more subordinates and cards which he could’ve employed.
However, Linus was also busy fighting against Calvin, his main rival.
I simply took advantage of that; that’s why I was confident about this battle.
Linus didn’t have the chance to throw everything at us.
Fair-and-square battles are not suited for Evil Lords.
Experienced Evil Lords would move in a way such that their enemies cannot display their full powers.
Cleo’s reputation is shooting up with the defeat of Linus.
Plundering anything that is useful – that is also the way of an Evil Lord.
Unfortunately, this marks the end of the bonus stage.
I think about our next opponent.
“Next up is Calvin. This is rather troublesome.”
Wallace concurs.
“He’s the Crown Prince. Numerous aristocrats support him and the majority of those that are in the palace are on his side. Elder Brother Linus’s defeat was unexpected, but what’s your plan from now?”
“—Plan? What’s that?”
“You don’t have one!?”
Calvin is sitting on the title of Crown Prince and his position is as stable as a rock.
He’s not the type of person who would pick fights recklessly like Linus either.
Phrased another way, there isn’t any gap in his defense.
Not only is he surrounded by many aristocrats, the quality of his subordinates aren’t bad.
Wallace holds his head in frustration.
“What are you going to do!? Elder Brother Calvin is even harder to deal with!”
“Fret not. It’ll be a prolonged battle. The person smiling in the end will be me, since Lady Luck is always by my side.”
My victory is predetermined.
Besides, I have the Guide behind me – it’s impossible for me to lose.
I should try to enjoy this battle more.
After sitting Cleo on the throne, I’ll act however I want.
Oops, I almost forgot about an important matter.
“Wallace, how’s the plan for the mixer proceeding?”
Wallace stares at me and downs his drink at once without replying.
“Hey, do you know how important this is for me!?”
Damn it!
As a college student, I must spend more time partying.
I haven’t been able to do so because of all the time spent on fighting for the throne.
Since I’m a noble, I should be extravagant when I fool around!
◇
The planet of the Imperial Capital was in a big fuss.
“Have you heard? Apparently, His Highness Linus passed away from an illness. The second in line for the throne is now vacant.”
“Is the Third Prince going to move up?”
“Nah. The spot’s vacant alright, but the Third Prince?”
The death of Second Prince Linus.
Everybody expected hell to break loose in the palace over who would replace Linus as the second in line from the throne.
In fact, princes who were fourth in line and below were plotting with their respective aristocrats in an attempt to surpass Cleo and become second in line.
Everyone predicted that many princes and princesses would disappear over time.
It was because similar things had happened many times before.
Soon, another piece of news shook the Imperial Capital – as well as the entire Empire.
◇
-A planet far away from the planet of the Capital-
Yasushi was trembling while holding an electronic newspaper.
The figure of Liam holding a press conference could be seen on the screen, and a video was being played on the newspaper.
Yasushi trembled.
“THAT BASTARD! HE WENT AND DID IT! HE FINALLY WENT AND DID IT!”
Yasushi cried, not from happiness, but from fear and anger.
Inside the video, Liam was proudly proclaiming something to the reporters in front of him.
“Sword Saint? I defeated him. As a license holder of the school of One-Flash, I defeated him.”
The reporters were in disbelief.
“You defeated one of the four Heavenly Kings? Truly?”
“Don’t make me repeat myself over and over. Yes, I slew him. Even so, I wasn’t able to acquire the title of Sword Saint after defeating one. Because of this illogical system, I’ve gone and applied to the palace. Currently, I’m waiting for them to recognize me as a Sword Saint.”
“Y-you’re declaring yourself a Sword Saint? Don’t you normally have to be nominated and screened several times before His Majesty approves it?”
“Are you dumb? The Sword Saint that they chose lost against me. Clearly, their eyes are clouded. I am the strongest. I am a Sword Saint. If anyone disapproves, bring the other three over here! I’ll slash them all down.”
There was a buzz in the air.
Liam continued as if he remembered something crucial.
“Oh, I retract my previous claim. I’m not the strongest. My master is.”
“Your master as in the head of the One-Flash? Why have we never heard of his name? If he’s so powerful, his name should be widely–”
“Are you looking down on Master Yasushi!?”
Liam projected an image of Yasushi.
It was a nice and clear image of his face.
The picture had been taken when Yasushi was teaching Liam swordsmanship.
The scene was showcased to the reporters on a big screen.
“That idiot!!”
Yasushi desired nothing else but to suspend the conference.
Unlucky for him, it was too late by the time he was watching this video.
There was nothing he could do.
Liam’s eyes shined as he praised Yasushi.
“Master Yasushi is the strongest man in the universe. I have been desperately chasing after his shadows. Unfortunately, I still don’t have any confidence in overtaking my master. I’d rather fight the Sword Saints than to face him.”
The reporters were astonished.
“Is it to that extent!?”
“An existence that stands above a man who defeated a Sword Saint––”
“The world’s strongest swordsman – Yasushi! No, he’s a Sword God beyond the realm of Sword Saints!”
“Sword God Yasushi!”
“The strongest Sword God in the galaxy!”
“Who exactly is Yasushi!?”
The headline of the article he was reading was “The Strongest Man in the Universe! Sword God Yasushi!”.
Yasushi was nervous about how this news had reached such a distant planet.
He shook like a leaf.
(Not good, not good, not good, not good, not good. I-I’ll be killed if I stay here. I must flee – I must flee from this empire!)
Liam’s good intentions were coming back to bite him.
Inside a dimly lit house which had the appearance of a barbershop, Yasushi was thinking about what to do in his future.
Suddenly, the entrance to the house became noisy.
“Hand over Yasushi! Bring out the strongest man in the universe!”
The voice belonged to a man.
Yasushi was certain that the man had read the news about him and was intending to defeat him in order to lay claims to the title of the strongest.
The man’s confidence was apparent in his voice.
“Hiii! Hiiiiii!”
Yasushi was planning on escaping from the windows.
Just as he was trying to do so, he heard his disciples fighting off the man.
“Angh? A trash like ya wishes to confront our master?”
“You must be dreaming.”
His two disciples who were by the front door faced off against the man.
“—You young’uns dare make a fool of me, the founder of the school of Infinite Flow? Let me tell you this: I’ve killed five renowned knights in my life!”
That alone indicated how dangerous the man was.
Yasushi didn’t think that his disciples could fend off such a brute, so he stepped onto the edge of the window frame in preparation for his escape.
Then—
BOGOO!
It was the sound of a wooden sword hitting someone’s body.
However, it was abnormally loud.
A few moments later, the man began to scream.
“Gyaaaa! My arm! My arm!”
His disciples mocked him.
“Stop screaming. You’re being a nuisance to the neighborhood. The aunty next door is annoying, you know?”
“Next, we’ll crush your right leg.”
The sound of muscles being crushed preceded the man’s scream.
Shivering, the man’s henchmen cried out.
“S-stop!”
“Let us go! We’ll never disturb you again!”
“F-forgive us!”
Sadly, Yasushi’s disciples weren’t finished with them.
“Hey, did ya really kill five famous knights? Yer weak. Weak to the point where I’m yawning.”
The more aggressive of the two disciples expected the man to be a tougher opponent.
He was pissed and disappointed.
“Huh? You believed his lies? Are you dumb?”
The other disciple giggled and teased the aggressive disciple.
As this disciple was giggling, the sound of bones being crushed was heard yet again.
Yasushi had cold sweat running down his body.
The aggressive disciple spoke to the sadistic disciple who was nonchalantly torturing the intruders.
“I’ll kill ya if ya don’t shut up.”
“—Don’t you remember that we need permission from Master if we want to kill someone in the same school? I guess I’ll tattle on Master.”
“Y-Ya dare!?”
Killing disciples of the same school is prohibited – this was a lie that Yasushi weaved as insurance when Liam requested for a practice match.
He made sure to tell his new disciples the same thing. After all, they were both already stronger than him.
Yasushi jumped down from the winder fame and walked towards the front door after confirming that the intruders had left.
The entrance of the house was in a terrible condition, but Yasushi did not bat an eye to maintain his dignity in front of his two disciples.
(They’re vicious children, but they should be able to win against Liam. They can also beat the hell out of any idiots that challenge me. Still, it’s better if I leave the empire.)
Yasushi sighed upon seeing the bloody figures of his disciples.
“You two have caused trouble again?”
His disciples hurriedly corrected their postures in front of their master.
“B-but Master!”
“I tried to hold him back.”
Yasushi shouted in his heart.
(Hold him back, my ass! That attitude of yours scares me more than anything!)
He had managed to appear dignified all these years while taking care of them.
Thanks to that, they willingly called Yasushi their master.
“Both of you, clean up and take a shower. Afterwards, come to the inner room.”
They did as he ordered and came to the inner room.
Yasushi presented them with the tools to kill Liam.
For the aggressive child, he had prepared two katanas.
For the sadistic child, he had prepared a katana that was longer than average.
Each of them was of the highest grade that Yasushi could buy.
Of course, the funds were from Liam’s pocket.
His two disciples received their katanas with sparkling eyes.
“Wow! Master, I can have these?”
“My very own sword!”
Yasushi also had custom clothes tailored for them.
In addition, he had bought tools for their travels.
Their only goal was to assassinate Liam.
(There are two of them, so hopefully one of them succeeds in this endeavor. Meanwhile, I’ll be running away from this empire.)
Yasushi put on his serious face.
“—You two are henceforth official successors.”
The two looked at each other.
“Eh? Master? Aren’t we still in training?”
“T-that’s right, Master!”
Yasushi smiled, but he was sweating inside his heart.
(I don’t have anything left to teach! These two are dangerous, just like Liam.)
In the first place, he had little to teach.
If they stayed with him any longer, there was a chance that they would figure out the truth eventually.
Yasushi wanted to get rid of them quickly.
“Hone your sword by traveling in the outside world. Each of you must discover the One-Flash that suits you.”
The two were about to cry.
Nonetheless, they did not let go of their new swords.
Yasushi failed to understand their thought processes.
(Why are you hugging your swords that much? It’s kind of scary.)
He did not tell them the true purpose of their travels.
“Hone your skills during your travels. I’m sure that there will be many life-threatening encounters. You two might even split up someday. Just remember – your senior brother will help you complete your sword.”
The aggressive child wiped his tears.
“Senior Brother? You mean Liam? He’s also a license holder of One-Flash?”
“Yes. You aren’t his match now, so hone your swordsmanship outside before challenging your senior brother.”
The child with bad personality snorted.
“Is he that strong? We’re pretty strong ourselves.”
Yasushi nodded in his heart.
(Honestly, how would you expect me to know? From my standpoint, all of you are monsters. Go ahead and kill each other as monsters.)
Yasushi replied.
“He’s strong. You two must challenge him with the intention to kill – no, kill him. If you don’t have that degree of determination, you’ll die instead. Challenge him together. There’s that big of a gap between him and you two.”
(Well, you guys should be able to win if you challenge him as a pair.)
The two nodded as they cried.
Yasushi consoled them by saying that they were ready for the trip and presented their clothes.
They were good quality clothes.
Yasushi had prepared them as he felt a certain amount of responsibility.
On top of everything, he also bestowed them with electronic currency amounting to a couple million.
With that much money, he was sure that they would be fine for a while.
If they lacked funds, they could make a living as bounty hunters as well.
“I’ll also depart from here after you two leave.”
“Master!?”
“Why!?”
“To ensure that your determination does not waver. I will go on a journey and continue to polish my One-Flash technique. We may never meet again. Even so, I pray for your safeties.”
(After they kill Liam, I’ll call them back to serve as my bodyguards …. Never mind, I don’t want to stay with these monsters. I won’t be able to rest in peace. Also, if they kill Liam, they’ll become fugitives.)
Yasushi treated them gently to alleviate their sadness.
Thereafter, the duo changed into their new clothing and appeared in front of Yasushi with their swords on their waists.
“—Both of you have grown up.”
They blushed when he said so.
Then, they proceeded to thank Yasushi.
“Master, thank you for raising me. I’ll come back to see Master again when I defeat senior brother and become full-fledged!”
“I will prove to the world that I am master’s number one disciple. Until then – farewell Master.”
Yasushi grinned when they departed.
(Haaa~. They have left at last. It took me decades to raise them. I’m finally free.)
Yasushi gazed at the house where his disciples had departed from.
(– I-I feel a little sad.)
Having raised them for such a long period of time, Yasushi had slightly grown attached to them.
He knew that he would no longer return here.
(I didn’t think a guy like me would spend time raising children. They’re rather pitiful to be raised by me.)
Yasushi packed his belongings to escape from the empire’s territories.
The lady from next door walked in.
“Yasushi-san! Were your children causing a ruckus again?”
“N-neighbor! P-please forgive their offense.”
“I don’t know about your circumstances, but what’s the point of training your sword in this god forsaken place? You don’t even look strong.”
Yasushi laughed bitterly when he was told off by the aunty.
“Ahahaha – You’re right.”
(Damn it! She’s spouting whatever she wants without holding back! You don’t have to remind me. I’ll never train swordsmanship ever again! Today is the last day I’ll be scared of Liam. It’s nerve-wracking to leave the empire, but I should have done this from the very beginning.)
He would travel to a place where nobody would recognize him.
When Yasushi arrived at this thought, he felt refreshed…. No, truth be told, he felt lonely.
For some reason, Yasushi was concerned about the two children who had left their nest.
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