Chapter 437: The Ones that Gathered

Sword Emperor Ellie was sporting a cold expression on her face as she watched the kingdom’s envoys lying prostrate in front of her. Each of these envoys were influential people that had titles at least at marquis-rank and were sent by the kings of their own kingdoms.

“Your Majesty Ellie! Please do not forget your alliance with our kingdom!”

“Let’s Eat Sect is growing in power by each passing day and will definitely pose a threat to you someday, Your Majesty!”

“Six kingdoms have already made a consensus. They all refused to participate in this war.”

“Your Majesty Ellie, please consider your alliance with our kingdoms! Although Let’s Eat Sect’s Lord Minhyuk is friends with you, Your Majesty, he is still an existence that we are bound to be afraid of!”

Ellie continued to sit on her throne with her legs crossed, with a cold and dangerous glint in her eyes as she watched them grumble and cry. The envoys sent by each of the kingdoms allied with them were asking for Eivelis Empire to not participate in the war between Barras Kingdom and the Let’s Eat Sect. And no matter how much of a frank and straight-forward person Ellie was, she had to take this matter seriously and carefully.

After all, these kingdoms also traded with her empire. Of course, Eivelis Empire was above them but if she decided to abandon them, then her empire would suffer a huge blow.

If she decided to cut off their alliance with the kingdom that supplied and traded iron ore with them, then their weapons and agricultural tools would stop production and they would be left with nothing to farm and fend for themselves. If their transactions with the kingdoms that traded grains and fruits with them got cut off then her people would go hungry. Although her empire stood on top of all the kingdoms and empires, being in the same continent meant that she had to take into consideration the system and chains that linked them together.

As a response to their pleas, Ellie said, “I will grant your request.”

“We’re very grateful and honored, Your Majesty!”

Vile and vicious smiles adorned the faces of the kingdoms’ envoys as they bowed in front of Ellie. If Barras Kingdom devoured the Let’s Eat Sect then they would grow immensely. However, King Grain had given them a promise that he would give them as much as what he would give to each of the kingdoms’ royal families. Besides, even if Eivelis Empire seized more power, they would not be able to go against the empire anyway. However, Barras Kingdom was different.

‘Foolish King Grain. We will definitely take over your kingdom once you devour the Let’s Eat Sect.’

With this request that Ellie had granted to them, they would be able to happily divide the torn and broken Barras Kingdom some day. The envoys’ hips twitched happily as they walked out of the audience hall after Ellie had dismissed them.

“Ellie will not send troops in the war right?”

“She will not send them. Her people will be indignant if the emperor of a great empire like her would go out for just a single person.”

That was right. Even if Ellie and Minhyuk were close, the fact that Minhyuk was just a single individual would not change. Why would an empress like her risk the lives of her troops just for a single person alone? On top of that, Barras Kingdom was allied with Eivelis Empire. If Eivelis Empire chose to abandon Barras Kingdom, then the empire would also lose their ties with their kingdoms. Just as they were chuckling about their deeds while they made their way back to their own kingdoms…

Grin—

…Ellie grinned widely.

‘Do you think you can devour Barras Kingdom by yourselves?’

King Grain had grown stupid. His kingdom could not even make a name for themselves anymore as their own power grew weaker by the day. Perhaps it was his own foolishness that brought the Barras Kingdom and made it into a weak kingdom like it was now. Ellie was a very clever emperor. She knew that they would tear Barras Kingdom apart by the end of it all.

‘Even if you did not come here, I did not intend to move my army at all.’

The smile curled at the corner of Ellie’s lips widened even further. She knew that none of these kingdoms would recognize Minhyuk and Let’s Eat Sect if she helped them defeat Barras Kingdom. In fact, Minhyuk and Ellie met and had tea together not too long ago.

‘Noona, you have to cheer for me as hard as you can once the wind blows over our way!’?

Minhyuk said as he flashed her a bright and wide smile.

Minhyuk also knew that his Let’s Eat Kingdom would be criticized and shamed forever if they became a kingdom with the help of the continent’s most powerful empire. They would even have a hard time having diplomatic discussions with other kingdoms if that happened.

Back then, Ellie smiled and said,

‘Alright. I will make sure to do my best and cheer for you.’

‘I’m going to thank you in advance for your energetic cheers!’

After recalling their conversation, Ellie stood up from her throne and walked to where Aide Ruth was waiting. Then, Ruth handed over what seemed to be a black slime to her. Not long after, the slime that could fit on the palm of Ruth’s hand suddenly grew as big as him before clinging on Ellie’s body. A few moments later, the black slime separated from her body and formed another figure. The figure that was created right next to Ellie was none other than Ellie herself. The ‘black slime’ that she just used was none other than the Cloning Doppelganger.

This Cloning Doppelganger was something that she had secretly trained in Eivelis Empire. Now, this Cloning Doppelganger would take Ellie’s place and protect her throne for her.

Meanwhile, Ellie wore shabby leather armor and a black mask that went below her eyes, together with a pretty good sword on her waist. After covering most of her features, she climbed on top of a horse.

‘I’m going to cheer for you, Minhyuk.’

“Hiyaa!”

A soldier whose proportions were significantly smaller than the robust and sturdy Eivelis Empire soldiers dashed through the capital of the empire and headed straight towards the place where the war was about to unfold. Although the soldier looked shabby and ragged, the power that this one person has could rival that of a huge army by herself.

***

Ruik felt his entire body shrink from both fear and tension as the unknown man stood in front of him and spoke to him.

‘Should I search through your pockets and get one gold each from you?’?

His words sounded strangely similar to that. Also, Ruik was acting completely like someone weak that was being bullied and extorted for money. After suffering from the pressure that the man put him on, Ruik finally came to his senses.

‘How dare you…’

Ruik was a Sword of the Gods and was someone blessed by the God of Swordsmanship. He was someone that could be considered as their object of fear if he had stayed in the Human Realm from the very beginning. But a lowly livestock farmer dared to extort something from him? He could never stand such a huge disgrace.

The bodies of his allies that were killed by the livestock farmer in front of him were piled up like a mountain. However, this was something that Ruik could also do! Everything was so ridiculous. How could he feel intimidated by the sword of the man in front of him? So, he fiercely stabbed his sword towards the man in front of him.

Claaaaaaang—

Brod looked at Ruik in slight admiration after feeling the strength that he had packed in his sword attack.

‘So, you’re strong.’

It was hard to find a single flaw to dig into from his attack. Then, Ruik stepped forward and swung his sword again and again.

Clang, clang, clang!

Brod looked at his sword strikes in interest as he deflected the attacks without taking a step back. That was right. Interest. He was interested. However, that was it. It was just interest, nothing more, nothing less. But the look in Brod’s eyes suddenly changed after seeing Ruik’s next attack.

Shwaaaaaa—

Dozens of black sword light seeped out of Ruik’s sword and flew towards Brod.

Thump, thump, thump, thump—

Brod raised his sword and blocked all of the sword lights which made him finally take a step back from his position. Seeing this, Ruik could not help but be terrified.

‘He’s not an ordinary livestock farmer. This man’s swordsmanship… is not any weaker than mine…’

No. The truth was Ruik was denying it. He was denying the fact that the swordsmanship and level of the man in front of him was leagues beyond him. The ‘Deviant Sword Light’, the skill that he had just cast, was the skill created by the God of Swordsmanship that no one could master. Although no one could master it, Ruik was able to learn it and that was also the reason why he was chosen by the Gods. But even after he used that skill, the only thing that he made the man do was take one step back.

‘Who the hell is that lord named Minhyuk for him to have this man as a subordinate?!’

It was completely unbelievable. He also could not understand why a person like him would work under a lord and become a livestock farmer. However, there was one thing that Ruik was certain about. He had to live and go back.

Puhaaaaaaa—

A huge explosion swept the area the moment Ruik’s sword hit the ground.

“Ha!”

Only then did Brod pull back and fly forward after regaining his balance once again. And Ruik’s sword that flew fiercely towards him was very flashy and flamboyant. After all, he was someone that the God of Swordsmanship had chosen. Afterimages appeared as his swords flew swiftly and fiercely the moment he swung his arm!

Clang, clang, clang, clang, clang—

The dozens of afterimages that collided with Brod’s sword exploded as if there were bombs attached to them!

“Ho?”

“Did you just ‘

Ho’

at me?! Let’s see how long you can keep that up!!!”

With each powerful explosion, Brod’s balance would tilt and make him stumble. Ruik would then use that opportunity to press harder.

Bang, bang, bang, bang, bang, bang!

Explosions engulfed Brod’s body one after the other.

‘I can kill you!’

Ruik was the only one that could drive this man to his death.

‘It’s a bit tricky since this man uses his left hand to wield his sword, but I am not an idiot who can’t do something to compensate for that small bit of trickery.’

The trajectory of the sword and the way the swordsmanship was executed would change depending on which hand the sword user was using. It was rare for someone left-handed to use their left hand when using the sword, but it was not so difficult to handle for someone like Ruik. And finally…

Bang—

…Ruik, who landed on the ground, immediately moved back as a powerful force wrapped around his sword. Then, he fired a crescent sword light towards the dust that flew up from the explosion earlier.

Slaaaaaash—

This crescent sword light was different from ordinary sword lights. The further it went, the wider it became. It could even reach as much as fifteen meters in length. The ground shook from the force loaded in the crescent sword light. However, when Brod appeared from the cloud of dust that finally settled down his expression looked exactly like his expression when he said ‘Ho—‘ earlier.

‘This Ho bastard…!’

He would prove the bastard wrong. His ‘Sword of God’ was a one-shot kill skill that could increase his attack by an additional 1,800%. And so far, only two people have blocked this skill. But then, at that moment, the man grabbed his sword with his right hand.

“…?”

Ruik could not understand what was happening for a moment. Why would a left-handed person using his left hand earlier grab his sword with his right hand when defending against an attack? The sword’s efficiency would vary depending on what hand the sword user was using to grab his sword. Then, the man swung his sword towards the crescent sword light rushing towards him.

Baaaaaaaaaang—

A powerful wave of force stretched out from where the man was standing and dug up the surroundings. Even the ground cracked and the trees were pulled. And finally…

Riiiiiiip—

…it made contact with Ruik’s Sword of God. However, despite its fierce momentum, the Sword of God fell down gently as if it was paper ripped into two.

“Hoo.”

Ruik lost his mind after hearing Brod breathe out.

“You, you’re right-handed?”

Brod remained silent.

‘So Ruik, the one the God of Swordsmanship chose to be his successor, is just around this much?’

Brod was someone that had visited the Land of the Gods and had gone through a lot of things there. That was right. Brod had never attacked Ruik. And this fact brought great shock to Ruik , along with the fact that Brod was right-handed to begin with. And then…

“If it’s about this much, then it’s worth a try.”

Ruik trembled after seeing the cold and frosty expression on Brod’s face. Then, he watched as Brod pulled out several large spears from his back. The first spear pierced through Ruik’s heart.

Stab—

The speed of the spear was so fast that Ruik could not even dodge or stop it. Then, the next one pierced through his neck.

Stab—

Then, another spear pierced through the pit of his stomach.

Staaaaab—

There were a total of eight spears that pierced through Ruik’s vital points. The truth was, Ruik had heard of these spears before.

“Urk, urk… Don’t tell me… you’re… the… Absolute Supreme God’s…”

Ruik had collapsed as he tried to finish his words. But then, Brod looked coldly at him and said, “Tell these to those Gods.”

Ruik was already on the verge of death, he could not even make a single sound but Brod’s gaze made his body twitch.

“I will cut them down soon.”