Chapter 245: Liqueur’s Way of Identifying Friend or Foe (3)

Lenin, struck suddenly in the shin, was hit with such searing pain that his mind went blank for a moment. However, he was a five-star Master. He regained his senses in the blink of an eye and tried to counterattack Keter, but Keter moved far faster than a blink.

Lenin felt Keter jab his neck and waist. He was dumbfounded by this because it didn’t even hurt. He wondered what the point was... until he realized he couldn’t move a muscle.

“W-what?!”

All he could move was his mouth. He collapsed forward, as did the rest of his knights.

Daat’s Flying Thunder Sword slashed their wrists and ankles, then stole the swords at their waist. Katherine, who had reacted just a little later, joined in the fight with her bare hands to finish off the Blitz knights.

In just three seconds, eleven knights, including Lenin, their commander, were completely subdued by only three people.

Left standing alone, Bruce, the patriarch of the Blitz family, said, “W-what is the meaning of this, Lord Hissop?!”

It was the same question Hissop wanted to ask Keter. The suppression had happened so suddenly, without any signal or plan. But Hissop matched Keter’s tempo as if it had all been pre-arranged. As the deputy patriarch, he needed to take responsibility. And in hindsight, it was easy to see why Keter acted as he did.

“Met by chance, you said... That’s quite a hard claim to believe,” Hissop said, his cold gaze boring down on Bruce. “With time so short, we cannot afford to travel with those whose allegiance we cannot confirm. Therefore...”

He trailed off deliberately, and Keter finished the sentence for him. “Sefira must show that it spares no mercy for its enemies. Six, dig a hole for all these people.”

At once, Six began clawing at the ground with both hands. His aura was so concentrated that each scoop sent clods of dirt and stone flying.

“W-wait! What must we do to prove our innocence? I swear we met by chance!” Lenin pleaded desperately, forgetting his pride in the face of death.

Keter kicked one of the knights.

“The Blitz family is just as far from the capital as Sefira. So how did you travel the same distance in the same amount of time as us by foot when we were flying in the sky? And without even breaking a sweat?”

“We said we would tell you that secret if you agreed to us joining you!”

“Still haven’t figured it out, have you? You think Sefira needs to ask for your cooperation? We don’t,” Keter said.

Thud! Thud!

The second and third knights were kicked into the pit as well.

Lenin gritted his teeth but held his silence, convinced Keter was only trying to scare them. To reveal their secret now would be a blow to his pride.

“We came here by using a mining train.”

“Lord Bruce?!”

However, Bruce, the patriarch of the Blitz family, suddenly confessed, making Lenin stare at him in disbelief. Bruce shook his head.

“Sir Lenin. Keter isn’t threatening to kill us. He’s simply demanding proper proof if we want his trust.”

“But...!” Lenin protested.

“Get a grip! Sefira isn’t what it used to be. Their power, their resolve—can’t you see it in his eyes?”

Lenin forced himself to look into Keter’s eyes and froze. Up until now, he had been speaking only to Hissop, while Keter looked off into the distance as if disinterested. He hadn’t seen the utter lack of emotion in Keter’s gaze. It wasn’t a furious glare meant to intimidate; it was calm and detached—the look of someone simply doing what had to be done. If he had truly refused to speak...

Gulp.

He really would have buried us alive.

And Sefira could have gotten away with it because they were a master family. Even though the Blitz family was a high noble, they were nothing next to Sefira’s prestige, and that was the truth. The only reason Blitz had ever stood tall before Sefira was because Sefira had never chosen to assert their full majesty.

But now things were different, and Lenin realized that too late. He bowed until his forehead hit the ground.

“As the lord said... we came here using the mining railway beneath the mountains. We chose this route because the tunnels connect near this region.”

It was the truth, not a word of it false, but Lenin swallowed nervously. Even the truth meant nothing if Keter or Hissop refused to believe it, as they could just as easily bury them all anyway.

Yet Keter nodded slightly, as if the pieces had fallen into place.

“So that’s why I smelled coal on you.”

At that moment, Daat, who had been checking the knights’ belongings, spoke up.

“No suspicious items found, Big Brother.”

“Hmm...”

Despite that report, Keter examined each knight carefully and even met Bruce’s eyes before finally clapping his hands.

The suffocating tension in the air instantly lifted.

“Six, stop digging and pull them out. Treat their wounds.”

With that single line, Keter had acknowledged the Blitz knights as allies. Lenin and Bruce finally exhaled a sigh of relief.

* * *

Keter personally released Lenin, who was subdued through acupuncture, while Six used the Recovery spell to instantly heal the severed tendons in his wrists and ankles. The knights of the Blitz family were displeased that Sefira had both harmed and healed them, but they soon had no choice but to accept it.

“As I said before, Sefira has many enemies and little time. We had no choice but to test you in this way. Please accept my apologies.”

“Haha, think nothing of it, Lord Hissop. It was we who should have bowed first, yet we arrogantly held our noses high and treated you as equals. That was our mistake.”

Having learned his place, Bruce spoke with extreme humility. Hissop didn’t bother denying it, but Keter had a different reaction.

“Are you mocking me, Grandpa?”

“N-no, Lord Keter. I only meant to express my gratitude. If I was out of line, I apologize.”

“Watch yourself.”

Keter glared at Bruce, who could only laugh awkwardly and move on.

Even Lenin, the commander of the Blitz knights, couldn’t bring himself to say a word as he watched.

I heard rumors that Keter was strong... but this?

It had been a surprise attack, but they hadn’t even managed to resist a single bit. If Keter had meant to kill them, none of them would still be standing.

“Anyway, eat up. You’ll need your strength.”

Keter personally handed out bowls of wild boar stew he had made himself. The Blitz knights hesitated, awkward and unsure, but after the first bite, their eyes went wide. Lenin glanced at his subordinates devouring the food like starving beasts with pity, then took a bite himself.

“The meat... it melts in your mouth!”

The sweet and spicy flavor was irresistible. Lenin felt like he could eat this stew forever. Even as a five-star Master and commander, he completely forgot his duty to guard his lord and shoveled the stew into his mouth like a madman.

Daat sat down beside him.

“Try it with roasted sweet potatoes.”

“Thank you!”

“But tell me... earlier, you said you came here using a mining train, right? Isn’t that technically a vehicle? Wouldn’t that violate the rules of the Path of Glory?”

“

Slurp!

Ah, don’t worry about that. The mining train’s been used since the previous patriarch. The crown has never made an issue of it. In other words... so long as no one finds out, it’s fine!”

Swept up by the good food, Lenin forgot that he had been subdued before and started spilling his family’s secrets without a care.

“The mining train isn’t connected all the way to the capital, is it?” Daat asked.

“Hahaha! Of course not, my boy! Our mine tunnels only link through the mountains, but that’s enough to get close to the capital without issue. As long as we don’t dawdle, it’s perfectly sufficient. Nothing to worry about!”

“Ah, I see. Enjoy your meal.”

Having extracted the information he wanted, Daat stood up and went to sit beside Keter.

“How is it? Any use?”

At Keter’s question, Daat shook his head.

“No, I don’t think so. If we were to use the mining train, the crown would definitely make a fuss about it.”

“What if we just run like before until they tell us to stop?”

“That’s different. There’s no rule against traveling through the air, but the mining train is clearly classified as a vehicle, so it would be hard to justify. Besides, considering how a royal mage teleported here earlier, they’re probably monitoring us with magic right now.”

“So not only are they watching from afar, they’ve actually sent a dedicated observer, huh.”

Charcoal still hadn’t left. He was eating stew happily, praising it nonstop. Even if he was suspected of being a spy, Keter didn’t throw him out because Charcoal was sharing valuable bits of information in return.

“Well, I wasn’t expecting much anyway. Forget the mining train, then. As for the long-distance surveillance, Six can handle that. Hey, Six?”

Keter gestured for Six to come over and gave his order, “There are people watching us with magic. Release a continuous wave of mana to block their sight.”

“Yes.”

A constant mana pulse could indeed disrupt enhanced vision spells. However, the energy cost was so immense that no sane mage would do it deliberately.

Then again, Six wasn’t human; he was an artificial lifeform with infinite mana reserves. Of course, maintaining a twenty-four-hour mana pulse was incredibly inefficient. Using a regular magic barrier would’ve been far easier, but Keter had his reasons.

After all, you can’t use magic without royal authorization.

So instead, he skirted the law, exploiting every loophole just to get under their skin. Keter smiled at the thought of the royal mages fuming as their enhanced vision spells failed.

“Keter,” Hissop said, sitting down beside him.

“Is the stew to your liking, Big Brother?”

“It’s a bit salty for me.”

“Add some water, then.”

“I already did. Anyway, what’s the plan now? We probably can’t use that mining train the Blitz family mentioned.”

Hissop checked their position on the map. They had saved a lot of time from running through the air, but the journey ahead was still long. He was asking Keter in advance because he didn’t want to just leave everything to Keter. Plus, he also wanted to mentally prepare for what was next.

“We’ll run,” Keter answered casually.

“...Run?”

Hissop, who was expecting some ingenious plan, blinked in surprise. No matter how long he’d known Keter, he could never quite get used to him.

* * *

“Keter has finally come down to the ground?!”

Upon hearing the news that Keter had descended from the sky, Volus, who was about to go crazy, leaped to his feet in excitement.

“Yes. The crown prince added a new rule, so Sefira had no choice but to come down as well.”

“Keheheh! I knew His Royal Highness wouldn’t just let Sefira do as they please! Where is he? No, never mind that. Send the assassins. No, send

everything

we have!”

“Please, calm yourself. Sefira has landed on a mountain ridge. I’ve stationed men nearby, but the terrain makes it difficult to approach. We’ll need some time.” Nether dissuaded Volus.

“Time, time, always time! And if we lose Hissop and Keter again, will you take responsibility, Nether?”

Volus was so furious that he looked ready to resort to violence. A vein bulged in Nether’s forehead, but he forced himself to remain calm.

“Now that the rule forbidding flight has been added, Sefira’s only options are to walk or run. According to our scouts, smoke has been seen rising, which most likely means they are cooking. In other words, Sefira is resting. Even if it’s a diversion, running through mountain terrain will slow them considerably and leave clear tracks. There’s no need to worry.”

Nether was trying to persuade Volus that there was no reason to rush, and all they needed to be was patient. Despite Nether’s calm reasoning, Volus could not compose himself.

“Do you have any idea how much your advice has cost me already? Two hundred thousand gold! Gone in an instant!”

How is that my fault? How could anyone have predicted Keter would literally fly?

That was what Nether wanted to ask, but he held his tongue once again.

“Our Tiger Unit has surrounded the entire mountain. This time, no matter where they go, we’ll be able to track them. You can rest assured.”

“This is your final chance, Nether. If we lose Sefira again, I’ll make sure you pay for it personally.”

Nether nodded silently and stepped back.

Almost an hour had passed. While Sefira’s group leisurely ate and napped, the mercenaries Volus had hired and Nether’s Tiger Unit encircled the mountain, tightening the net from every direction.

It was a dense formation, designed to ensure that wherever Sefira moved, they would be captured. Word soon arrived that the Blitz family had joined forces with Sefira, but Volus didn’t care in the slightest.

“They’ve allied with the doomed Sefira? Hah! Looks like the patriarch of Blitz has lost his edge, too. Use this opportunity to kill them both.”

“Deputy Patriarch, we’ve reached the range where we can strike Sefira.”

“Nether, how many times have I told you not to call me that? I am the patriarch of the Bydent family!”

“My apologies, Patriarch Volus.”

In truth, Volus had yet to be officially recognized as the head of the family. The only reason he was the acting patriarch was that Patrah, the official patriarch, had disappeared. However, Volus carried himself as if he already were the rightful patriarch and were certain that Patrah would never return.

What a bastard.

Nether sighed. He knew the whole story, but he didn’t care enough about Bydent’s internal affairs to say anything.

Beep.

Just then, a transmission came through from one of his subordinates, telling him that Sefira’s group had begun to move. Nether was about to relay the news to Volus when...

Beep! Beep! Beep-beep!

More signals started flooding in, one after another. Nether skimmed the incoming reports, and his eyes widened slightly. The cacophony of beeping filled the tent until Volus, impatient, began yelling at Nether.

“Nether! If you’ve got news, out with it already!”

“...”

But Nether couldn’t answer. How could he?

How do I even tell him that Sefira’s entire group just vanished before our eyes?

He already knew that once Volus heard that, he would foam at the mouth and lose his mind.