/
Flash!
It was deep into the night.
Kwak Jung appeared in the Paramount territory with a unit of the Mir mechanized infantry.
“Hmm… what is this?”
Kwak Jung frowned.
The Lord’s hall.
In any territory, it was the most grandiose and brilliant infrastructure. However, the Lord’s hall in the land of Paramount was miserable beyond words.
All it had was an old throne, few dim lanterns and a ceiling covered with dust and spider web. It almost resembled an abandoned castle.
Moreover, the hall was empty even when Kwak Jung, a diplomat(?) of some sort, had arrived for a visit.
“Welcome.”
Only Kwak Jun was present to greet him.
“I assume you are tactician Kwak? I am Kwak Jun, tactician of His Majesty Vito Clemenza.”
Kwak Jun bowed to Kwak Jung.
“Great pleasure to meet you, tactician K-...”
At that moment.
Bam!
Kwak Jung’s punch landed straight on Kwak Jun’s face.
“Kuhuk…!”
Kwak Jun stumbled and collapsed, while he held his bleeding nose.
“T-Tactician Kwak!”
“Good timing.”
“…Sorry?”
“If there was an audience, I would have dragged you to that~ corner of there. But thankfully, this hall is empty.”
Kwak Jung snickered.
In other words, he had intended to beat up Kwak Jun from the start.
“Oi, Kwak something.”
“Yes...”
“Do you know what you did wrong?”
“...”
“You don’t?”
“W-What are you trying to say...”
“Hu… acting dumb, are we?”
“Sorry?”
“I guess there’s no choice.”
“...?”
“Come, let me beat you up some more.”
Kwak Jung rolled his sleeves up and began to walk towards Kwak Jun, who had collapsed onto the floor.
“C-Commander-in-chief!”
The platoon commander of the mechanized infantry unit held Kwak Jung back.
“It’s going to be troublesome if you continue...”
“How is this troublesome?”
“B-But! This place is...”
“Are you trying to tell me that using violence against a foreign territory’s tactician in the Lord’s hall is plain diplomatic disrespect?”
“That’s right!”
“You don’t have to care about that.”
“I beg your pardon?”
The platoon commander couldn’t believe what he had just heard.
Don’t care?
Even after this diplomatic offense?
“Not even the slightest bit.”
However, Kwak Jung thought otherwise.
“That’s because whatever that’s happening now is all pre-planned.”
“...!”
“A miserable hall could be due to genuine financial difficulty. But to not have a single subject, guard or servant even upon the arrival of a representative of the Supreme King of the West is suspicious.”
It was an accurate observation.
Kwak Jung knew precisely why Kwak Jun had greeted him alone.
“Oi.”
“Yes...”
“Am I right?”
“...”
“You had expected to get beaten up by me, right? That was why you deliberately emptied the Lord’s hall. Not bad, bastard.”
“...”
“You were probably going to spout some excuses like ‘I could only obtain Vilhelm’s trust this way’, ‘I’ve worked hard’, ‘it’s a misunderstanding, everything’s all for the better good’”.
“That…!”
“Ah, of course you will continue to claim that this isn’t true. That’s the only way for you to live.”
Kwak Jung snickered.
“But how now?”
“...”
“I’m not angry about that. I don’t care whether you were trying hard, or whether you wanted to take control of this deal.”
Kwak Jung said coldly as he grabbed onto Kwak Jun’s hair.
“I hope...”
“Urgh!”
“I hope you know your place, bastard.”
“...”
“Who gave you permission to draft a plan for Vilhelm?”
That was the real reason.
“How dare you screw up my plan with such trickery?”
“...!”
“You are a chess piece that went out of control. What should I do?”
“T-That! T-Tactician Kwak! That’s my mistake… I-I apologize!”
Kwak Jun finally realized his mistake.
He had manipulated the Gullveig Alliance without any coordination with the Valhalla Kingdom. All his excuses (for example, he had to propose a plan to gain Vilhelm’s trust) did not work.
“Mistake my ass.”
Kwak Jung did not accept Kwak Jun’s apology.
“One should know his place. How dare you think so highly of yourself, just because His Majesty gave you some affection?”
“T-That was never my intention!”
“Like hell it wasn’t.”
“It’s a misunderstanding!”
“Misunderstanding? You bastard…!”
With that,
Crack!
Kwak Jun’s face was smashed against the floor of the Lord’s hall.
“Have you ever heard of ‘mental training?’”
“K-Keuk… w-what are you talking about...”
“Oh.”
Kwak Jung’s eyes gleamed.
“You will find out soon.”
“...!”
“By the way, you should really bite onto something. If not… your throat will be a goner. I’m speaking from my own experience. Isn’t getting beaten up already sad enough?”
Kwak Jung was kind.
He had told Kwak Jun a valuable tip, which he had learnt from his experiences with Kang Chul-In.
***
Thump!
Rothschild’s body fell limply onto the ground.
Thump,
Roll.
So did his head with two widely open eyes, which rolled on the floor.
“Keuh...”
Kang Chul-In exclaimed.
The end.
He had taken his revenge.
After returning to the past using the Soul Backup ability, he had finally addressed his humiliating defeat in his previous life.
The loss in RagnarĂśk.
The fall of the Valhalla territory.
Last but not least, his own death!
“Urgh… Kang Chul-In...”
Dorian slowly approached Kang Chul-In after Rothschild’s death.
“You...”
“Got anything to say?”
Kang Chul-In smirked.
“This is just too violent… urgh...”
“Well, it’s Rothschild we are talking about.”
“But still… hmm… this is like… more grotesque than ISIS’ beheading...”
“Those bastards are psychopaths who murder innocent people.”
“T-That is true but...”
“And Rothschild wasn’t even human.”
“Oh, you are right.”
Kang Chul-In was spot on.
Rothschild’s corpse resembled a monster. One could no longer call him a human.
Moreover, [Skill Absorption] did not activate after Rothschild’s transformation. It seemed that even the system did not recognize Rothschild as a Lord.
“Hehe… anyways, good job!”
“The small fries?”
“You mean the explorers? There.”
Dorian pointed at a corner of the battlefield.
“We subjugated them all~”
“You didn’t kill any of them.”
“I didn’t have to. They were only being used by Rothschild.”
Dorian was right.
Most of the explorers had only participated in the raid due to Rothschild’s empty promises to share the massive reward.
“Hmm...”
Kang Chul-In narrowed his eyes and observed the captured explorers, who were all tied up.
“W-Wait!”
“What?”
“Are you thinking of killing them?”
“N-No.”
Kang Chul-In stuttered.
“Seems like it though?”
Dorian glared at Kang Chul-In suspiciously.
“I’m not.”
“Really?”
“How many times do you want me to say?”
“Hmm… your eyes were gleaming with murderous intent.”
“Who are you to judge how my eyes look?”
“Hehe~”
“Stop laughing like an idiot and send them back after some reprimand. Ah, just give them some dragon scales or pieces of bone.”
“Oh~ Kang Chul-In~ being benevolent, I see?”
“But never give them the dragon’s heart, horn or eyes.”
Kang Chul-In (The Supreme King of the West / Professional Robber) had absolutely no intention to share the juicy rewards with others. He was only fine with giving up the useless bits.
“Someone’s being greedy.”
“You gotta do what you got to do.”
“Right, but you appear petty.”
“What did you say?”
Kang Chul-In glared at Dorian.
“Say that one more...”
“Ah~ time to go for work~”
Dorian changed the subject and quickly left the venue.
“Hmm...”
Kang Chul-In, who was left alone, stared at Rothschild’s corpse.
It was somewhat bittersweet.
Rothschild was his former rival after all. His pitiful death left a special feeling in Kang Chul-In’s heart…
“Agnaga… seems like I have to deal with this bastard Andrei Ivanovic soon.”
… Or not. The cold-hearted Supreme King of the West didn’t entertain such frail emotions.
He only cared about the vampire Overlord Andrei Ivanovic, who was being suspicious.
***
The next day.
Kang Chul-In ended Cyamodus’ life (it was impossible to tame) and cleaned up the battlefield.
And afternoon came.
“One, two, three!”
Dorian shouted.
Keeeeeeeek!
Hundred wyverns soared up into the sky, their ankles chained to transport the Gold Dragon’s corpse.
Clank, clank!
With the clanking of the chains, the Gold Dragon’s corpse began to be lifted up in the air.
“I will be leaving first!”
“Remember to butcher it well!”
“Don’t worry!”
“Also, don’t forget to send me the dragon’s heart, eyeballs and blood! And its skull! I need them to make my throne!”
Kang Chul-In pleaded Dorian, who was riding a black wyvern.
“Ok, got it! Stop it already!”
“...”
“You bastard! Are you doubting your friend!”
“I-I’m not!”
“It’s damn obvious?!?!”
“...”
“Well anyways, farewell!”
With that, Dorian and his wyvern riders left the scene with the Gold Dragon’s corpse.
Valhalla was too far, hence they had agreed to disassemble the corpse in Dorian’s territory.
“Hu hu…!”
Kang Chul-In grinned.
“A new throne… fantastic… a throne made from a dragon’s skull is really the best.”
Kang Chul-In was in high spirits.
After all, he was a sovereign to the core. He couldn’t camouflage his desire to show-off to others.
Now, a third party revolving around Rothschild will no longer appear. Even if someone else forms a new party, it will not have much power.
Kang Chul-In was satisfied.
Chaos did give birth to heroes, but the Baldur Alliance was never a part of Kang Chul-In’s big picture.
Dorado’s army in the west and Kwak Jun’s army in the east were shaking up the Baldur region.
Moreover, the sovereigns whom he had destroyed (those who interacted with Rothschild) were still captured alive in Dorian’s territory, while retaining their status as sovereigns.
In other words, as they were all still alive, their authorities as sovereigns were forfeited and their lands had become unclaimed (though nobody could claim them).
“Time to return.”
Kang Chul-In began to make his way with a satisfied grin.
***
That afternoon.
It began to rain in the NĂźrburg mountains after Kang Chul-In had left.
Drizzles soon turned into squalls, engulfing the whole region.
“What is this…!”
Lee Gong-Myung, who had rushed to the NĂźrburg mountains in excitement to meet his master, was flabbergasted to see what had happened.
And soon afterwards, Lee Gong-Myung faced the biggest tragedy in his life...
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