Chapter 131: For True Love (5)

A band made of shadows appeared. It was a simple one that consisted of just a piano and a violin. The shadow band began to play, and it was all for one person: Ailos.

-♬♩♪♩ - ♪♬-

The song was upbeat and fast-paced. Ailos didn't remain still either; he kept time with sharp, deliberate footwork.

Until death do us part.

Gone was the greasy tone from earlier. Ailos now sang in a husky voice, and his eyes gleamed like the night sky.

“I never thought we would part like that♪But hey, this is a new beginning—a completely new start♪I figured when I died, I would go straight to hell♪ But when I opened my eyes, I was here♪ Seems like this world is hell itself♪ A great being called out to me—said they'd give me a second chance♪

“Even death is just entertainment for a being like that♪So what? I’m gonna live however the hell I want♪The piano grew quieter, and the violin took center stage♪This world is a stage, and only entertainment belongs on stage♪I don’t care if I’m not the lead role♪I’ll live how I damn well please♪That’s what gives my life meaning♪”

The spotlight shut off, and the world’s color returned.

Ailos wiped his forehead and winked.

“How was it, darling?”

Clap, clap, clap...

Keter clapped slowly and tossed a platinum coin.

“You’ve grown, Ailos.”

“You’re the only one who truly appreciates my music.”

“Good things are good things. Now, should we get back to what we were doing?”

Demon Bow Amaranth appeared in Keter’s left hand again. He had thirty Demon Arrows, which were plenty.

Ailos, being from Liqueur, never avoided a challenge, especially not one from Keter. But he shook his head with a regretful expression.

“Ah, what a shame, Keter. I would love nothing more than to dance with you right now, but...”

Ailos pointed to the palace.

“I have a prior engagement. Gotta kill Eslow first—then I’ll come straight back to you.”

Ailos revealed his plans without hesitation, which piqued Keter’s interest. It was only natural, as Keter had fought one of the Four Lords before and knew their strength. Even though they were at an incomplete eight-star level, their power was beyond human comprehension.

Keter scanned Ailos from head to toe. When Keter killed him seven years ago, Ailos, the Shadowmancer, was about the level of a four-star knight. Now, he was clearly Master level, or just shy of Grandmaster. Keter would know for sure in a fight, but that wasn’t what mattered.

Even if he’s at Grandmaster level, so what?

Even with Ragnon’s bombs, defeating Eslow was unrealistic. Keter acknowledged the power of his Rose, but even that couldn't take down a Prime.

“If you think you can kill one of the Four Lords with some bombs, go hang yourself now.”

Of course, the bombs had already been tampered with to be duds, but Keter saw no reason to mention that.

“Ahaha! I know, I know. The bombs aren’t the main act. I’ve got something else prepared.”

“Oh, what? You gonna have the Godfather come down and deal with him himself? Come on, let me in on it.”

“Beg me sweetly, and I might show you...”

“Fuck you.”

“Why don’t you?”

“Get your hands out of your pants.”

Then, Ailos turned his head and sighed dramatically.

“

Sigh...

I wish I could stay for this date, but Eslow’s crows are sniffing around. I really should go.”

“You must have gone soft after dying. I’ve got a saying for people who barge in, say what they want, and then try to leave. You’re free to come find me, but you don’t decide when you get to leave.”

“Oh, I know, Keter. But I’ve gotten stronger, you know? You can’t beat me anymore. So let’s not waste your energy, alright? Oh! Almost forgot—don’t mess with the bombs underground, okay? Please? It’s something even the Godfather is interested in. I’ve got to see it through.”

“Screw you.”

Amaranth began illuminating. Thick, powerful, and long arcs of aura lightning coiled and roared. It was Milky Way, Keter’s signature move that subdued Burgundy, an Orichalcum-class mercenary, in a single shot.

Seeing it, Ailos rubbed his cheeks with delight.

“You did have a bow, but I didn’t really know you were going to use archery. And the quality of that technique... So electrifying! You’re amazing, Keter. So unpredictable. Only you can get me this excited!”

Kaboom!!

The shockwave from the Milky Way alone flipped the cafe upside down. Ailos put on a crazy grin.

Then...

Crunch!

His tiny shadow grew enormous and swallowed the Milky Way in a single gulp. Keter’s devastating technique, powerful enough to level a fortress wall, was casually devoured by a shadow.

“Told you, Keter. I’ve gotten stronger. Next time, give me something even spicier, okay?”

Snap!

Ailos snapped his fingers and disappeared without a trace. He didn’t hide but truly left through the shadows.

Keter, who had dismissed Amaranth, remained calm, even after watching Milky Way get nullified so easily.

“He’s still as full of crap as ever.”

Leaving behind that cryptic remark, Keter stepped out of the cafe.

* * *

At the city wall, several hundred meters away from the dessert cafe, Ailos emerged from the shadows cast by the wall. Holding his stomach with his right hand, and the corner of his lips twitched. Then, he burst into maniacal laughter.

“Ahaha, ahahahahah! Ahahahahaha!”

Rustle.

Gray powder fell from his abdomen. It was a hole too large to be fully covered by his right hand had been torn through him.

“Keter... you really, truly... you're the best!”

He had blocked Keter’s arrow, Milky Way, but that had been a deception. A Demon Arrow—a deadly arrow—had been embedded within the technique.

Ailos could handle the Milky Way, but he couldn’t stop the Demon Arrow. A simple trick had caught him off guard.

“He probably let me go because he couldn’t be bothered to deal with Eslow’s crows.”

Keter’s shot had been powerful, but it wasn’t an all-out attack. He definitely had enough strength left for three or four more shots.

“Ah, it’s thrilling. I could die from the pleasure.

Mhmmm...

I’ll kill Eslow quickly, and then you too, Keter. But don’t worry—I'll make you just like me. I'll free you from death. Be with me forever...”

“Who is it!”

Even on the outskirts, this was still a major city, and guards were always nearby. Ailos had laughed too loudly for too long. Hearing the sound, the city’s peacekeeping guards arrived. There were three of them—each trained to knight level, wearing amantir armor that resisted both aura and magic.

“Identify yourself! What are you doing here?”

They were already halfway treating Ailos, who was overcome with madness, as a criminal. They were already on edge, especially after the explosion at the Feathers Hotel moments ago.

Thinking he might be the terrorist, one of the guards raised his spear and shouted even louder, “Get down on the ground! If you don’t...”

Ailos formed a circle with his fingers, trapping the soldiers inside it.

“Snacking is bad for your health.”

“Don’t mess around...!”

Ailos clenched his fist.

Crack!

It happened in an instant. A massive maw emerged from the guards’ shadows and devoured them whole.

Crunch! Crack!

The shadows emitted a chilling sound. At the same time, Ailos's abdominal wound completely healed.

“This was my favorite outfit...”

Taking off his torn uniform, Ailos pulled out a new one from the shadows and slipped it on.

Then he looked toward the palace. But what was on his mind wasn’t Eslow: it was Keter, the Solver.

“Keter. I agree with you. I don’t think I can kill Eslow.”

Ailos didn’t trust the hundreds of bombs installed in the city with backing from the Godfather or homunculi, the pinnacle of Samael Empire’s arcane engineering. He had never truly intended to kill Eslow. He had deceived and used the empire’s special task force while hiding his real goal.

“A stage with no twist is just boring.”

Ailos slowly melted into the shadows, vanishing without a trace.

* * *

Eslow’s fief was overflowing with people. From the outskirts to the central ones, the streets were packed.

“Oh my, the Feathers Hotel really did collapse!”

Crowds of people gathered outside the barricades to gawk at the wreckage. The long lines that had formed five days earlier showed no sign of ending.

“The official statement says it was due to aged foundations, but I’ve heard rumors it was actually an explosion.”

“How scary. But it’s safe now, right?”

“Lord Eslow doubled the number of guards, so there is nothing to worry about. In fact, there hasn’t been a single incident since.”

“That’s reassuring.”

Usually, high nobles only arrived in the city on the day of the tournament or the day before just to flaunt their status. But now the streets were flooded with nobles. Even though the tournament was still a week away, almost every noble had arrived early. It wasn’t just to gawk at the ruins of the Feathers Hotel; the real reason was the auction held four days prior, run by Golden Fragrance.

Known for only handling rare treasures, the auction house had presented an unbelievable item this time: a map to the ruins containing Sword Saint Magenta’s legacy. Every noble with wealth to spare had rushed to Eslow to attend the auction. Naturally, their behavior attracted the attention of others.

Why are the high nobles suddenly swarming to Eslow’s fief? The tournament hasn’t even started yet.

One anthropologist once said there was no one more sensitive to trends than nobles. Even those not invited to the Golden Fragrance auction began to make their way to the city. No one spread the word, and no one encouraged them, but they gathered in the city as if they were ants communicating by pheromones.

The map of Magenta’s ruins sold for a staggering 2.85 million gold. Everyone believed it to be authentic, without question. Even though the seller's name, Keter, was boldly listed, no one batted an eye because it was Golden Fragrance; they never deal in fakes.

Those who knew who Keter was came up with their own stories.

The missing Sword Saint Magenta had actually stayed with the Sefira. To repay them, he left the map behind. But the fools at Sefira just kept it locked away, and Keter somehow found it and sold it.

That was what most nobles believed had happened. The auction was conducted anonymously, so no one knew who had bought the map. But that wouldn’t remain a mystery for long. With only a few nobles wealthy enough to afford 2.8 million gold and the Sword of the South Tournament was starting soon. If there was someone who didn’t show up, it would be obvious.

The nobles who attended the auction began a silent war of wits.

Should I make my move after the tournament... or try to sneak off in the middle when all eyes are elsewhere?

The nobles who had failed to acquire the map were desperate to follow the winner. For a moment, Sefira was forgotten among them. Some inquired about Keter, but without knowing his face, they had no way to find him.

Meanwhile, Myle's party, staying at Eslow’s palace, continued preparing for the tournament despite the chaos outside. There was no hesitation or unease in their hearts thanks to Katherine, who had gone into town on Myle’s orders and returned with news.

“Lord Keter is doing very well.”

“Well, that’s good to hear, but... Did he show any concern about us?”

𝓯𝓻𝒆𝙚𝒘𝓮𝙗𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝒍.𝙘𝓸𝙢

“He doesn't seem like the type who worries about others.”

“But we’re not just other people...”

Elsewhere, Fabian, the eldest son of Eslow who had been summoned to the palace for his plagiarism and demon-worshipping scandal, had suddenly vanished. Many had seen him hurriedly ride into the palace. But strangely, no one had seen him leave.

Those curious about his fate assumed he had been placed under house arrest. It was a reasonable assumption as demon worship was a crime feared the world over. It was best if his face disappeared from public memory, at least for a while.

The next day, a hammer was mounted on the west gate of the palace. It was an unnecessarily ornate hammer.

During lunch, Tarragon casually muttered, “By the way, what is Keter doing right now?”

As always, Katherine, Keter’s ever-faithful devotee, responded with unwavering optimism.

“He’s probably preparing something incredible! Aren’t you excited to see what he’ll show us next?”

Myle, who had already formed a strong prejudice against Keter, replied confidently, “I’ll bet my life that the explosion five days ago—the rose-shaped cloud and the Feathers Hotel collapse—was definitely Keter’s doing.”

Surprisingly, Anis came to his defense.

“Keter may pull crazy stunts, but he’s not the type to kill innocent people.”

“Didn’t Katherine tell you? The only casualty from the explosion was one hotel receptionist.”

“...I stand corrected. It was definitely Keter.”

Keter’s name was on everyone’s lips.

“Keter, you really are the embodiment of destruction.”

Ultima clicked his tongue as he surveyed the ruins of the hotel.

Drawn to Eslow’s fief by the scent of money, Ultima was certain that all of the city’s current chaos was because of Keter.

“Only a madman like you would do something like this.”

Even in Liqueur, whenever disasters happened without warning, they were usually Keter’s doing.

“And now he’s staying in Eslow’s palace? What kind of spell did he cast to pull that off?”

Other nobles thought Sefira had been imprisoned, as they hadn’t left in five days. They couldn’t imagine them living comfortably inside.

But Ultima knew that Keter made the impossible possible. And the possible? He made that impossible, too.

“I did smell money, but... I don’t even know where to start?”

Guided more by instinct than planning, Ultima wandered the city.

The city was lively and extravagant. In the central district, even the cheapest goods started at one gold.

“

Tsk

, what a joke. How could I squeeze into a place with such a well-established commercial scene?”

The central district didn’t allow street vendors. But there was no profit in chasing nobles and pitching goods.

I didn’t come all the way to where Keter is for pocket change.

He needed something big. But a jackpot idea didn’t just appear out of nowhere.

Growl...

“I’m hungry.”

Without hesitation, Ultima shifted his priorities.

“Alright, let’s find a restaurant.”

In Liqueur, countless orphans starved to death. Ultima nearly became one of them. That’s why he especially loathed hunger. He always ate until full, even in the middle of a fight.

“These fancy central restaurants aren’t to my taste.”

It wasn’t about the price. Ultima just didn’t like the tiny, fancy noble-style portions. As such, he walked toward the outer district. Like a bee drawn to honey, he quickly found a street filled with restaurants.

“Ooh, even fried food? As expected of a big city.”

Even if the outer district was for commoners, this was still a major city. There weren’t just low-grade stews and mystery meat—there were also eateries serving cuisine from different countries.

One shop made Ultima stop in his tracks.

“Is that... pizza? The specialty of the Kingdom of Baen?”

Ultima recalled eating authentic pizza back in Baen— the crispy dough, sweet and tangy tomato, the spicy jalapeño sauce like silk, and the salty salami topping tied it all together.

Sluurp.

He swallowed his drool and nodded.

“Alright, let’s go in.”

Ultima stepped into the restaurant and looked around. It was quiet, as pizza wasn’t popular in the Lillian Kingdom yet, and it was expensive.

“No customers I get, but no staff?”

He looked around, confused. Just then, someone emerged from the kitchen.

“Perfect timing, Ultima. Try my new pizza.”

Ultima blinked rapidly. It was Keter, in a pizza place, wearing an apron.

“...?”

He rubbed his eyes and looked again, and there was no doubt about it. The person in front of him was wearing an apron, but it was definitely Keter.

“What the hell are you doing here?!”