Chapter 167: Do You Feel The Difference in Power? (6)

“Boo! Find Keter! Bring him out!”

“We want to see Keter fight Rajis!”

The crowd stood up and shouted, prompting the referee to step in urgently.

“According to the team tournament rules, even if a team member is absent for personal reasons, the match will proceed. Therefore, the match will go on as scheduled.”

But the crowd grew even more upset.

“How can anyone beat Rajis without Keter? This match is totally one-sided!”

“Something’s not right. Why would the top contender suddenly not show up? Did the nobles pull some kind of trick?”

If they were speaking face-to-face, no citizen would ever dare insult a noble. But with tens of thousands gathered and emotions running high, the crowd turned on them. Many were already suspicious of the nobles after the battle royale, where it was clear they had tried to corner Keter with dirty tactics.

Then...

Boom!

A heavy sound echoed through the arena. Rajis had struck the ground with his sword.

All eyes turned to him as he said calmly, “Sir Keter would never skip the final without a reason.”

“...!”

“How can you be so sure, Sir Rajis?”

Despite the murmuring, Rajis’ gaze remained steady as he continued.

“In today’s first match, Sir Keter was ambushed by assassins. We don’t know who sent them, but he didn’t even question the officials; he just continued the match.”

“Assassins?!”

“How could assassins appear at a sacred tournament?!”

No one believed Rajis was lying. Though he wasn’t handsome, he was a flawless noble in every other respect. It was more than enough to earn their trust.

“Even after being ambushed, he still showed up to fight. There is no way someone like him would skip the finals without a very serious reason.”

“...!”

“That’s why, for the sake of fairness, I too will forfeit this final match.”

“S-Sir Rajis!”

The crowd erupted in admiration for Rajis’ resolve. Though, of course, his teammates looked like they had just eaten something rotten.

* * *

“Keter. Should you really be here right now?”

It was a shabby tavern on the outskirts of the city. Ultima downed a beer and shook the screen above his head.

“People are cursing you out because you skipped the finals,” he added.

Keter was sitting across from him.

“So what?”

Keter downed back a glass of strong whiskey and chewed on some jerky. Despite making it all the way to the finals of the team tournament, he had shown up at the tavern where Ultima was staying.

“Wasn’t your goal to become the Sword of the South? Sure, you still get second place even if you forfeit.”

“If I win first in the individual tournament, I take the overall first anyway.”

“Is that so?”

Ultima checked the scoreboard. First place in the battle royale was given seven points. First place in the team tournament earned eight points, while second place earned seven points. In the individual tournament, first place was awarded ten points, and second place came with nine points.

Keter, who had earned seven points from the battle royale, had secured second place by making it to the finals in the team tournament. This earned him another seven points , making his total fourteen points. If he won the individual tournament, his total would be twenty-four points.

Even if someone from another group won both the battle royale and team tournament and gained fifteen points in total, there was only one group in the individual tournament; as such, there could only be one winner in the individual tournament.

“Huh? Keter, even if you win the individual tournament and get twenty-four points, someone from the other group who got back-to-back firsts would have fifteen. If that person gets second in the individual, they would get nine more, also reaching twenty-four points. You would be tied,” Ultima said.

“Tournament Rule Nine, Section Twenty-Four: In the event of a tie after the final match, the winner will be the participant who scored the highest in the individual tournament,” Keter replied.

“You memorized all the rules?”

“Roughly.”

“Doesn’t really matter to me as long as you win first. Still, wouldn’t it look better for Sefira if you won every match?”

“That’s Sefira’s business, not mine.”

“Weirdo. I thought you were getting a taste for the public’s praise.”

Keter had drawn massive cheers during both the battle royale and the team tournament. He had the crowd’s full attention. It was only natural to think he was enjoying it. But Keter waved dismissively.

“Ultima, your instincts have dulled. You think I’m doing this for fame? Fame or no fame—doesn’t matter to me.”

Keter had only entered the tournament to become the Sword of the South. All the acclaim was just a side effect.

What mattered more than fame was whether it was fun. But his opponent was Rajis, who was drained after fighting Henya. Even if Keter lost against Rajis and came in second place, he would still win overall if he came first in the individual tournament. In other words, to Keter, the team tournament finals weren’t interesting or moving—it was just a waste of time.

“Well, putting that aside, Keter... just asking, but... have you heard the rumors? Nobles have been disappearing, and there are reports of Undead appearing in the city.”

Ultima, always sensitive to information, wondered if Keter might somehow be connected to the string of strange events in the city.

Keter tilted his head.

“Why are you suspecting me? Where would you find a noble more virtuous than me?”

“...You would still storm the high nobles and kill them all if you were pissed off.”

“Obviously. But now’s not the time.”

“Well, just be careful. Disappearances are one thing, but Undead sightings—that’s not something to take lightly.”

“Sounds like Ailos’ doing.”

“Ailos? That crazy singer?”

Just like how Ultima knew Keter and Ailos knew Keter, Ultima knew Ailos as well.

“Didn’t you kill him?”

“I thought he came out with you from Liqueur, but I guess not.”

“Hmm, well, it’s not like the Godfather tells me everything...”

Ultima drank his beer. Keter drained his whiskey.

Crunch, chew.

The conversation paused while they focused on their snacks, but neither minded.

“Keter. The match is over. Your team lost. You’re in second.”

Ultima announced the result after watching the match on the screen. Keter didn’t respond. It was the kind of silence that comes only when all interest is gone. Keter was indifferent to anything he didn’t care about; he wouldn’t bat an eye even if someone died right next to him. It sent a chill down Ultima’s spine. He had always found Keter’s eyes terrifying, back then, and now.

Undead or whatever... you’re still the scariest one of all, Keter.

Although the city’s atmosphere was grim, Ultima knew the real danger was Keter. And he chose not to poke the hornet’s nest.

If Keter becomes the Sword of the South, the Aleron Trading Company is mine. If I can absorb it completely, I can finally free myself from Galahind’s leash. Hehehe.

Ultima cared more about wealth and prestige than suspicious disappearances or the Undead.

“But seriously, did you really come all this way just for a free drink?”

Despite all the beers he had downed, Ultima wasn’t even slightly drunk. He never drank to the point of losing control in front of others.

Keter narrowed his eyes and replied, “You really think I would have come to you just for one drink?”

Whip!

Keter tossed the empty whiskey bottle at Ultima, who caught it and swallowed hard.

“I came for three.”

* * *

That night, Myle was enjoying the cool night breeze on the balcony on the highest floor of the Tremond Hotel, where he and the rest of the Sefira group were staying. He tried to sleep but couldn’t, as too much was on his mind.

“

Sigh

... There are so many things to think about for just one tournament. I don’t know how Father and Hissop took care of everything.”

The team tournament for Group A had concluded. Keter’s team placed second, and Anis’ team placed somewhere in the middle, which was better than expected. What weighed on Myle’s mind, however, was the external issues, such as the envy and threats from hostile nobles, and the pressuring attention of the public. In addition, the nobles were gathering their own armies because of the disappearances and emergence of Undeads.

“They wouldn’t attack us all of a sudden, right? This is His Grace’s city after all...”

However, that made him worry if the other nobles would ambush Sefira once they were out of the city. Myle couldn’t decide if his concern was valid or unjustified.

“Damn it, I feel like my head’s going to explode.”

Myle’s shoulders were heavy from the pressure that this could put not only his family but all of Sefira in danger.

“Keter, this oddball. Why are you not back yet? Where have you gone?”

“I was meeting up with a friend.”

Myle was talking to himself, but he heard a reply from behind him. His heart skipped a beat.

“Keter!” he shouted.

“What are you doing awake, Big Brother?” Keter replied.

“I just can’t get used to you calling me Big Brother, Keter. Besides, that’s what I want to ask you. Why did you just give up on the tournamen...” Myle trailed off, about to bombard Keter with his nagging, but stopped himself. “Never mind. Forget it, you probably won’t tell me anyway.”

“Why are you getting all worked up and then calming yourself down?”

“You smell like alcohol. I just thought that you went through something as well.”

“Nothing like that. There are just some days I want to get piss-drunk.”

“...Did you leave the tournament to drink?”

“I’m an incredibly good drinker, but don’t make me out to be an alcoholic. It was just that drinking was more fun than being at the finals.”

The night was tranquil, and the wind was cold. Keter’s relaxed attitude brought out Myle’s inner thoughts.

“Keter, how... How can you be that calm?”

The anxiety Myle had tried so hard to suppress came rushing out all at once.

His voice grew louder as he continued, “The attention from the public, and the interest from prominent nobles—it’s suffocating. And then there are all the nobles who don’t even bother to hide their hostility toward us. Not only that, many nobles are going missing, and Undeads are appearing... Have you seen the private armies on the streets? What if they suddenly try to attack us? Sure, you would be fine—you can protect yourself. But we... we Sefira...!”

The veins in his eyes bulged, and blood dripped from his fists from clenching too hard. No matter how hard he tried to act like an adult, Myle was still young. Even though he read many books, he lacked real-life experience. Knowing something and actually doing it were two completely different things.

Of course, things were also tough for Anis and Taragon. However, they were less affected by it, as they received mental resilience training from Keter before the tournament, and because the tournament was all they had to focus on at the moment.

An awkward silence filled the balcony. That was when Myle realized he had made a mistake. He had let his emotions get the better of him and said something he shouldn’t have.

I messed up. The person who is struggling the most right now is probably Keter.

The person who was receiving the most attention in this tournament was Keter, and he was also the main target of the hostile nobles. Myle could viscerally feel that the reason they were this safe in this city was all due to Keter. He and his brothers just didn’t mention it because Keter didn’t.

“Forgive me, Keter. I think I lost it for a moment.”

When Myle was about to bow in apology, Keter stopped him.

“Big Brother, life has taught me that things that are meant to happen end up happening anyway. Well, there are a lot of issues tied to this tournament, so it’s complicated, right? We got humiliated as soon as we entered the city, ended up going to the palace because we struggled to find a hotel room, and now, we’re having a conversation on this cold, windy balcony in the middle of the night.”

“...”

The events from the last few days flashed through Myle’s mind—the humiliation and frustration when they entered the city, the fear they felt when they met Eslow at the palace Keter brought them to... There were also many incidents during the battle royale. Even during the breaks between the tournament matches, the day flew by in the blink of an eye, and one distracting incident after another kept happening.

However, there was nothing Myle could have done about anything. They all happened on their own, and he just had to bear it.

“Big Brother, focus on what you can do and what you have to do. Stop caring so much about the things you can’t control. It doesn’t help,” Keter said.

“Ha... Haha...”

Myle felt like the burden had lifted a little after hearing Keter.

“I really can’t get used to being called your big brother. I think I should be calling you that.”

“I am one-of-a-kind.”

“Now, I can’t tell which of us is drunk.”

“Nothing better than drinking to clear your mind.”

Now clear-headed, Myle sensed this was the right moment. There was something he needed to hear from Keter. It was into the dead of the night—no one was listening, and Keter seemed to be in a good mood. Myle also felt relieved after letting out what was on his mind. He was certain this would be his only chance to ask.

“Keter... I want to ask you something, and I would like you to answer me.”

“If so, this is the best time. I’m a little tipsy. I’ll take this one question before I go to sleep.”

“We’ve known each other for less than six months. We’ve never had a deep conversation, and I don’t even know your favorite food or your habits. But just from living in this city with you, I could tell...” Myle took a deep breath and continued, “You are not someone to be tied down to something or someone—you’re a free spirit. But for some reason, you are anchored to Sefira right now.”

A little nervous, Myle glanced at Keter.

He continued, “Keter, what is the reason for staying in Sefira and helping us?”

“That’s a good question.”

Despite the serious tone Myle took, Keter winked playfully.

“But... Big Brother, are you prepared?”

“Prepared...?”

“There are some truths in this world that are better off as secrets.”

This was when Myle realized that, even without cursing or frowning, one could feel fear in what seemed like normal, everyday conversation.

Tap tap.

Keter stepped out from the dark, approached Myle, who was standing in the moonlight.

“Do you think you can handle my secret, Myle?”