Chapter 253: Sefira Has Poisoned The Royal Palace (3)

When Keter, who had been gently flattering him, suddenly snapped in anger, Lerkin jumped in surprise.

“Have I done something wrong? Why are you angry?” Lerkin asked.

“Do you not know what’s going on at the palace right now?”

“How could I know when I’m stuck on this island? Even if I did, what could I do?”

“There’s been no sign that Her Majesty will return, and now the first and second princes are both stepping forward to claim the throne. Nobody told you this?”

“Th-that’s definitely the first I’ve heard of it today.”

Lerkin was tipsy but not completely drunk. When the subject turned to succession, his expression grew serious. A butler who had been watching stepped forward.

“Lord Keter, bringing up politics here seems inappropriate. There are plenty of pleasant topics to discuss.”

There were also knights nearby, so the remark was a thinly veiled threat, but Keter ignored it.

“Look at him. This butler dares to butt in while you, the duke, are speaking. Why should you be treated like this? I can’t understand it!”

“Yes, please leave. Like Sir Keter said, why do you keep interrupting us? So irritating.”

When Lerkin sided with Keter, the butler grew flustered. “Your Majesty. Do you truly believe what this Keter says? He has surely come to use you!”

Clang! Crack!

Lerkin threw his cup and shouted, “I know how to tell right from wrong! Who do you take me for?”

The butler left the dining hall with a resentful look after glaring once at Keter.

“Anyway, Sir Keter, why did you bring me this information?” Lerkin asked.

“Isn’t it obvious? With Her Majesty absent, the princes cannot calm this chaos,” Keter said in a quiet but firm voice, gesturing toward Lerkin. “It makes sense for you, the king consort, to step up.”

“Hmm... you mean you want me to become the king of this nation...?” Lerkin asked cautiously.

“Words can be phrased many ways. I don’t mean you should take the throne permanently, but what I mean is that only you, as the king consort, are qualified to hold the position until Her Majesty returns.”

“Hmm...!!”

Lerkin didn’t reply, but he nodded slightly, showing his approval and satisfaction.

“But as you know, Rukan[1] and Rakan have more influence, and they are more capable. Even if I don’t step forward, wouldn’t my two sons lead the country well?”

“If the two princes could cooperate and yield to one another, it might work. But haven’t I told you? They are fighting over the throne. The rightful heir is the elder, Crown Prince Rukan, but Second Prince Rakan will not accept that. And he has his own justification as well. For that reason, the kingdom is already split into factions between the princes at a time when unity is more needed than ever.”

Keter pretended to wipe tears from his eye with his right hand. “I do not want to see my beloved nation, the Lillian Kingdom, split apart. I do not want to see it trampled by enemies. Duke Lerkin, do you feel the same?”

“Of course!”

“Then you must step forward. Announce that you will hold the throne for the time being to end the pointless factional fighting between the two princes so the nation can consolidate its strength.”

“Hmm...”

Lerkin stroked his chin, sober now, and the more he thought about Keter’s words, the more they made sense. Above all, there was no hint of self-interest in Keter’s speech. Even if Lerkin became the king, what benefit would Keter or Sefira gain? Lerkin might feel gratitude, but that was a separate matter.

Lillian wouldn’t want our sons to fight either.

Lerkin’s heart pushed him toward becoming king, but practical problems came to mind.

“Sir Keter, you’re not wrong, but Lillian ordered me to remain here. I was told not to leave. Even if she is absent, that order still stands.”

He glanced around at the servants and knights scattered through the dining hall.

“I still hear things, even if I’m isolated here. If I were to leave this island, Lillian said she would wipe out nine generations of everyone on this island, regardless of status.”

“That was when Her Majesty was present. When she’s gone, weren’t you given any instructions as to what to do?”

“Certainly...” Lerkin trailed off.

“I wouldn’t have mentioned this if we knew Her Majesty whereabouts, but she’s not. Something must have happened. The princes are seizing the moment to become king, and if you, the king consort, simply sit here and do nothing? Her Majesty would be disappointed. She would fault you for following her orders even in a crisis like this.”

“Hmm... knowing Lillian’s character, that might be true...”

Keter felt Lerkin was nearly convinced. At that moment, the dining room door burst open and a knight strode in, radiating overwhelming authority.

“I’ve heard enough. Aren’t you the very cause of this nation’s chaos, Lord Keter?”

His white armor bore the purple insignia of the Lillian Kingdom.

The royal guard. From his presence, I can tell he’s a Grandmaster.

Behind him came the butler who had been expelled. It was clear that he had run to the guard and reported everything.

“Lord Keter, you must come with me to the Royal Inspection Corps. We will ask who assisted you in coming here and your motives for tempting Duke Lerkin, who is living here in peace.”

“That sounds like you mean to drag me away by force if I refuse.”

“You understand correctly.”

Screech.

Keter rose from his seat and faced the guard. The guard looked barely over thirty, though he was likely much older.

“Who you are and where you’re from are irrelevant. Have you eaten lunch?”

“I was thinking of eating after handing you over to the Inspection Corps,” the guard answered.

“How unlucky. You won’t be eating decent food for a while.”

Keter walked past the guard.

“Well? Aren’t you coming? Aren’t you going to take me to the Inspection Corps?”

Keter’s taunt made the guard frown.

“If you insist on being punished before going to the Inspection Corps, so be it. I will teach you a lesson.”

* * *

Keter and the royal guard stood facing each other on the beach, barely ten meters apart.

From a distance, Lerkin watched them both uneasily.

What the hell is Keter thinking, picking a fight with Sir Talon?

Just as Keter had guessed, Sir Talon was a six-star Grandmaster and the commander of the royal guards on this island. In other words, if Keter wanted to leave this island, defeating Talon was inevitable.

Keter’s strong, yes, but not as strong as Sir Talon.

Lerkin had seen Talon’s prowess before. The man could, without exaggeration, split the sea with his sword. And right now, Talon was fully armed with his level-five magic armor and weapons, while Keter was unarmed.

“Lord Keter, I know you’re a Sefira, the family who is known for their archery. Yet you intend to fight me from this close of a distance?”

Talon showed his composure first. Keter only shrugged.

“What, too far for you? Fine. I’ll come closer.”

The gap of ten meters narrowed to five. Talon was incredulous. It was his first time seeing Keter in person, though he had heard of his recent fame across the kingdom.

“I’ve heard of your victory at the Sword of the South Tournament, but that only makes you a Master-level archer. You might have been troublesome on a battlefield, but now...”

Clack, thud!

Talon dropped his armor and sword to the ground. He raised his fists, cracking his neck side to side. “You may use whatever weapon you like. I’ll only use these two fists.

“I won’t hold back, then,” Keter replied.

Keter immediately summoned Amaranth in his hand. Befitting a royal guard and Grandmaster, Talon reacted instantly—the moment Keter drew his bow, Talon charged.

But Keter hadn’t just drawn a bow. In his right hand, he held the bow; in his left, an arrow. Most archers would nock and fire, but Keter hurled the arrow straight at Talon.

Talon, though unaccustomed to fighting archers, had no shortage of combat experience. He twisted his body and narrowly dodged the unpredictable strike. But Keter’s attacks never stopped at one. He threw the bow next. Talon dodged the arrow, but not the bow.

Thunk!

Talon punched the flying weapon aside, creating a 0.4-second opening. That was all Keter needed to manifest Arrow Wings. With his arms spread wide, countless Aura Arrows bloomed from behind him like feathers. Before the tournament, Keter could summon at most forty. Now, after his growth and his victory over Hyperion, he could summon fifty per side, a total of one hundred.

And they weren’t ordinary Aura Arrows; they contained Ein, a mix of aura and mana. Though imperfect, their power rivaled an Aura Laser.

“Bang,” Keter shouted playfully.

Then, a hundred Aura Arrows rained down on Talon. There was no room to dodge. Calmly, Talon cloaked his body in thick Aura Armor and compressed his strength into his fists.

Tat tat tat tat tat!

A hundred arrows struck simultaneously, not sequentially, and Talon shattered them all. His speed and precision were monstrous. However, he frowned. Even though he hadn’t been hurt in the slightest, his face flushed red with anger.

“Why aren’t you continuing your attack?”

Keter had stopped mid-advantage. Instead, he picked up Talon’s discarded sword from the ground and tossed it back to him.

“I’ve decided I want to fight you properly. Draw your sword,” Keter said.

“Ha! You give up an advantage and even hand me my weapon?”

“I was born a fighter.”

“...Hmph. My name is Talon. I underestimated you, Lord Keter. I apologize. You are strong, so I’ll fight you seriously.”

The moment Talon drew his sword...

Boom!

The magic Keter had hidden within the sheath erupted. Its power wasn’t great, as he had to conceal it, but the suddenness of the blast threw Talon’s vision and stance into disarray. Obviously, Keter had been waiting for that very moment.

“You actually fell for that?”

In the blink of an eye, Keter closed the distance and drove his fist into Talon’s chest, the same technique that had seriously injured Hyperion, heir to the Fist Emperor

Sefira Style Limitless Archery, First Form: Big Bang.

Crash!!!!

Keter never held back on his ultimate.

1. Previously Lucan ☜