Chapter 86: Arc Blade (1)
‘Arc Blade…….’
At the goblin’s words, a certain mory surfaced in my mind.
A scene of gripping that sword and stabbing it into the heart of so absolute being.
‘Ugh…….’
Thump, thump.
The eyes of the absolute being fixed on .
No, they swept over my older brother, Lee Hamin.
-So upright.
Thump, thump.
Along with that, my heart began to pound roughly.
-But not suitable.
Thump, thump.
My older brother pushed the sword in even deeper.
With that single strike, the thing died.
No.
‘No…….’
Thump, thump.
That could not be called death.
‘Just how in the world do you even…….’
Thump, thump.
I saw my older brother’s reflection in that thing’s eyes.
His body utterly wrecked, staggering.
[Ugh…….]
That pain was conveyed to in full.
I clutched at my chest.
[Diesel……! What’s wrong all of a sudden?]
[Huff……. Huff…….]
[Are you okay?]
At Siss’s voice, I barely returned to reality.
Along with it, a murmur rose from the auction hall seats.
[That’s the sword Lee Hamin used?]
[Is that really the weapon that killed the Ghost of Destruction?]
[Hmm……. But it doesn’t look like it’s in very good condition.]
[Are you kidding? That’s the Arc Blade! Condition doesn’t matter!]
[……How much do we have left in our balance right now?]
Watching those reactions, the auctioneer put on a satisfied smile and continued.
“Then we will begin the auction shortly. The starting price is 5 billion…….”
At that mont.
An incident no one had expected occurred.
“Keck……?”
The goblin’s head, grinning as if its mouth would split, was cleanly severed.
A sudden, utterly unreal spectacle.
For a while, no one could properly grasp what had just happened.
Blood gushed like a fountain from the headless torso.
That crimson liquid dyed the woman sitting in the very front row red.
[Kyaaahhh……!]
[W-what, what is this……?]
[What on earth is this…….]
Along with that, a voice was heard from behind the stage.
[Vulgar trash.]
The owner of the voice threw off his mask.
Then he walked straight toward the front of the stage.
“To dare put a price on this item.”
Dark blond hair, tall stature, a sculpted appearance.
A man holding the long golden greatsword he had just swung.
[Ripple Knight Garcia…….]
Siss muttered his na quietly.
[He’s a mber of Despotis.]
A level 7 powerhouse said to have transcended the human realm.
He looked over the audience with a bored expression and spoke.
“No one move.”
At that warning, the hall fell deathly silent.
“You’re a lucky lot. Normally, you’d all have ended up like that goblin.”
A remark spat out as if at insects.
An air of confidence that could not be held without extraordinary arrogance.
But those he was threatening were no ordinary people.
[Protect the elder no matter what.]
[Hold your positions properly.]
Soone moved close to the VIP they were guarding.
[We go in one shot.]
[The opponent is a Ripple Knight of Despotis. Don’t let your guard down.]
Others loaded their weapons with eyes gleaming.
Thus, several groups in the audience began to move.
Soon, various kinds of weapons started aiming at the lone knight.
[Fire!]
Along with a command shouted from sowhere.
Firepower concentrated all at once.
Fwoosh……!
Tududududu……!
Kwa-gwa-gwang……!
Mana surged, shell casings scattered, and bombs flew in.
Each and every destructive ans of attack covered the stage.
But.
“Yeah.”
Rather than fear, the man curled his lips into a grin.
“This is how it gets fun.”
Then he drew a streak of light with his golden sword.
[Kugh……!]
[Kek……!]
The heads of the gunner and the spellcaster hiding behind the railing were severed.
Puh-beobung……!
At the sa ti, the bombs and magic flying in were futilely detonated in midair.
[……!]
Destructive power impossible to believe was achieved with a single strike.
[Don’t chicken out—charge!]
Next, a Physical Guard Net and two lee Mages leapt onto the stage.
But half of them couldn’t even land properly.
The remaining three who managed to extend their weapons toward Garcia couldn’t endure even a single exchange before their heads were cut off.
“What’s this. Is that all?”
At the pitifully ended resistance, the man frowned and looked at the audience.
“Co on, bring more. Looks like there are a few decent ones among you.”
As the Ripple Knight’s eyes swept the seats, everyone flinched and broke out in cold sweat.
“Or should I make a little trigger for you?”
As he said that, he put strength into his wrist, about to swing his sword again.
But then.
[Sir Garcia.]
Another man appeared behind him and stopped his action.
“…….”
[That’s enough.]
“Let go. Unless you want to die.”
‘That man is…….’
The partner who had stayed by lissa’s side throughout the banquet before the auction.
Siss recognized him at once and spoke.
[He’s lissa’s butler.]
He wouldn’t be an ordinary butler.
He had stopped a level 7 knight’s attack with his bare hands.
‘This situation…….’
I took a mont to sort out what was happening.
‘That Ripple Knight called Garcia wants to kill everyone here.’
But he was unable to step forward proactively.
As if soone were deliberately restraining his actions.
‘Could it be that the Black Empress is deliberately controlling things in order to find her younger sister?’
[From here on, I will take over.]
“Hah, fine. Do as you like.”
At the butler’s words, Garcia slid his sword back into its scabbard as if uninterested.
Then he approached the tal case where the Arc Blade lay.
‘That bastard’s objective seems to be the Arc Blade…….’
An item that should have been managed more thoroughly than anything else.
It was clear that the hacker nad lissa already knew information that even Little Sister hadn’t anticipated.
‘But that sword…….’
Just as I was about to recall sothing.
The butler on the stage removed his mask.
An elderly face with white-streaked hair and beard was revealed.
[That man…… isn’t he the old butler who serves the Black Empress?]
[If that’s the case, doesn’t that an there are two Despotis mbers here…….]
A despair-tinged sigh erupted from the audience.
As if to reassure them, the butler spoke.
“Please rest assured. We have no intention of harming the honored guests any further. The auction items you have won will be treated the sa.”
The butler, fastening the mask at his waist, continued in a gentle voice.
“That is, if you comply with just one thing.”
He took out a monocle from his suit’s inner pocket and put it on as he spoke.
“Please remove your masks.”
“…….”
“If you simply show your faces, I promise that no harm will co to you.”
At the butler’s words, the room stirred.
A promise made by Despotis, a criminal organization.
Doubts circulated over whether such a thing could be trusted.
But it didn’t take long for the first person to remove their mask.
“I took it off! Let out!”
A woman who looked like a goblin shouted from the audience, trembling violently.
“You may leave.”
When the butler smiled kindly, the goblin hastily put her mask back on and fled outside.
Those watching her began to shout from all around.
“I—I took mine off too!”
“H-Here! This is enough, right?”
“I, I removed it!”
The butler examined each of them carefully and nodded.
Soon, a small procession ford, heading out of the auction hall.
‘So this is how you’re playing it.’
Using mbers with overwhelming force to search for one’s younger sister.
I racked my brain, thinking about how to get out of here.
And the first thod that ca to mind.
‘Don’t take off the mask and slip out mixed in with the crowd.’
This option carried far too much risk.
Not only was the butler watching like a hawk, but the Black Empress would surely be monitoring the situation from sowhere.
As I was thinking that.
Suddenly, soone in the line heading outside went into a seizure.
“Keo-guhk……!”
After letting out pained groans for a while, he soon fell silent, as if he had stopped breathing.
Then the butler spoke without changing his expression.
“I kindly ask those who have not received my permission to remain in your seats. Otherwise, unfortunate incidents like that may occur.”
An acute overheating seizure, sothing that often happened when hackers were attacked.
‘So she really is watching.’
If that was the case, leaving without removing the mask was practically impossible.
While I was agonizing, the number of people remaining in the audience steadily dwindled.
‘If I use ntal-type magic…….’
The ntal-type hypnosis magic I had learned about while observing Madam Isabel’s pills.
I could use a type of magic that altered mories so they couldn’t properly rember faces.
However.
‘That monocle the butler is wearing really bothers .’
ntal-type magic was certainly a very powerful school of magic, but it wasn’t invincible.
With thorough preparation in advance, it could be surprisingly easy to prevent.
What if that opaque monocle the butler was wearing was designed for that purpose?
The stage was quite far away, so I couldn’t tell in detail, but I could feel so kind of magical processing on it.
‘There are people here disguising themselves with ntal-type magic anyway. It’s almost certainly that.’
That old man was clearly experienced and ticulous.
Which ant this thod was also impossible.
‘Then what’s left is…….’
Having finished my thoughts, I turned to the side.
Siss was glancing around in panic, not knowing what to do.
So much so that I could read her expression even through the mask.
[…….]
[Siss.]
When I called her na, she suddenly began rambling.
[Uh, uh. Diesel. This is kind of a tricky situation, but……. I can’t hack the butler……. I thought about hacking the lighting instead, but obviously lissa would be watching that network too……. Then maybe if we ask Ar……. No, that would just make things worse…….]
After muttering like that, she lowered her head and whispered.
[B-but there is one way.]
[What is it?]
Avoiding eye contact with , Siss spoke.
[……Diesel. You should leave, even if it’s just you.]
[…….]
So that was what she was getting at.
[If you take off your mask and leave first, there won’t be any problem.]
At her words, I let out a scoff.
[Hey.]
[Anyway, the one lissa is looking for is . She won’t bother caring about a companion who ca with …….]
When she still wouldn’t listen, I grabbed her shoulder.
[There’s no ti. Listen carefully.]
Then I explained my plan step by step.
[…….]
[Do you understand?]
[You…… what is that supposed to…….]
[I asked if you understand.]
[N-no, I understand, but…….]
[That’s enough, then.]
I stood up from my seat.
Then Siss looked at and asked.
[Why…… are you going this far……?]
Her voice sounded as if she were on the verge of tears.
[If you just…… just leave, it’ll be resolved easily……. This happened because of my mistake in the first place…….]
Just leave?
At those ridiculous words, I answered without even turning back.
[How could I just leave.]
When a legendary weapon my older brother once used was sitting right there in front of my eyes.
I looked at Siss and said.
[I have absolutely no intention of doing that, so don’t worry and just do as I say.]
[…….]
[Got it?]
[Y-yeah…….]
She really did understand, right?
Still, when it ca to getting things done, she was sharp, so she wouldn’t disappoint .
I turned my head and looked toward the stage.
The only way to break this deadlock.
‘The Arc Blade, huh…….’
That weapon Garcia, the Ripple Knight, was fiddling with had a secret.
“Damn it…… how the hell do you even use this?”
It was sothing that could only be used by soone who possessed a specific ‘qualification.’
The Arc Blade could only be wielded by a special owner it acknowledged.
And that qualification was—
‘I have it too.’
Filled with certainty, I secretly extended my hand forward and murmured.
A certain special ‘command’ that only the weapon’s owner could issue.
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