Chapter 327 – Even Beasts Recognize Their Owners (3)

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Translated by Heavenly Cat
Read it only at Novelbyu.com & Utoon.net
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Granfel Claudi Arpheus Romeo.

He had heard that name often through his grandfather.

And through his father.

-“Granfel—he is the existence with the thickest blood of the Claudi. To the extent that he might be considered Claudi itself…… You must never get involved with him. If you happen to encounter him in the future, never raise your head.”

Ignite had sneered every time.

-“The old men are completely senile.”

The greatest talent in the history of the Claudi family.

A chuckle had burst out.

Did the Claudi family amount to anything in the first place?

-“It’s absurd to be frightened beforehand by a ghost of the past.”

Thanks to his cool head, Ignite was able to objectively view the position of the Maxima family on the Arcana Continent. Because of that, the ancestors’ warnings did not sound like warnings to him.

-“If the Claudi had such talent, they wouldn’t have volunteered to remain behind the scenes from the start. That a single family could shake the Arcana Continent? The old men’s delusions are going too far.”

Not only that, there were even the rumors he had heard.

-“The Claudi?”

The Shadow Mercenary Corps.

The wild dogs of the underworld had bitten onto a request related to the Claudi, and rumors had reached his ears that the Claudi had been annihilated in the process. Ignite had spat out ridicule then, too.

-“The Claudi—to think that noble name would circulate at the bottom of the underworld! Regardless of the truth, the very fact that such stories are being heard speaks to the family’s reputation. Are you watching, Father? You were completely wrong.”

And now.

“Ah……”

Ignite stared blankly at the helmet he was holding up with both hands. The heirloom that should have decorated the exact center, “Midas’s Jewel”, had disappeared without leaving a trace.

The soldiers who had hurriedly dismounted from their horses were searching the surroundings……

“Open your eyes wide and look for it!”

Actually, everyone knew.

Midas’s Jewel was neither fragments nor dust, but had become finer particles and scattered in the wind, evaporating without leaving a trace.

Ignite’s massive body trembled violently.

“M-My…… Maxima’s symbol……”

Since the days when he was the next head of the family who would inherit the Maxima family, Ignite had heard about Midas’s Jewel until his ears grew calloused.

All of Maxima’s wealth originated from Midas’s Jewel.

Every time he heard that story, Ignite had a question.

How did Maxima come to grasp such a precious heirloom?

However, every time he asked, his father had said:

-“Do not try to know, my son.”

Ignite finally felt like he knew the reason his father had desperately avoided answering.
For the reason was written on the parchment.

──────

From this time forward, all status and blessings of the Maxima family are revoked.

──────

Head of the Family, Granfel Claudi Arpheus Romeo.

──────

Midas’s Jewel was exactly the blessing that Claudi had bestowed.

Losing such an heirloom was a painful loss.

However, Ignite composed himself.

‘It is enough even without it.’

The treasures accumulated in Maxima’s treasury alone were immeasurable, and wasn’t he already accompanied by loyal soldiers called the Golden Legion? Also.

“I do not believe it.”

Clack─

Ignite put the helmet back on.

His eyes were blazing before he knew it.

That was thanks to grounded confidence.

“Didn’t we confirm it? That resurrection does not exist in this world.”

The adventurers who once shook the Arcana Continent—in reality, it wasn’t just one or two people on the continent who had witnessed their resurrection. There was even someone among the Golden Soldiers who had witnessed a resurrected adventurer.

However, just a moment ago……

Swish.

Ignite’s finger swept over the bloodstain splattered on his cheek.

“I checked that with my own skin, too. So.”

Ignite reached a conclusion.

Granfel Claudi Arpheus Romeo.

I will not believe in your resurrection.

“Until you reveal your high-and-mighty face before me.”

Ignite shouted to the soldiers.

“We have no time to delay over a mere heirloom! March forward!”

*

Retel Akamond.

The head of the Akamond family folded the parchment neatly.

Then, hiding her expression behind her beauty, she said to the adventurer who had come looking for her.

“A Blockader of Ericton. Indeed, you are an uncommon talent.”

Blockaders.

Existences who trained themselves by repeating discipline and asceticism.

Retel did not forget the maxim passed down from her ancestors.

She chewed over those words internally.

-Under the name of Akamond, all humans are no different from tools.

Retel looked at the man, Yong Seong-rak.

If he were just a simple Blockader, she would have accepted him immediately. Since the skills of an adventurer who had survived until now on the desolate Arcana Continent would have already been proven.

But.

‘Because he is an adventurer, he is unpredictable.’

Retel did not know much about adventurers. The Akamond family was located in the far east of the Arcana Continent. Due to geographic characteristics, they were more proficient in news wandering across the sea than in news from Arcana.

‘I guess it is asking for trouble.’

Furthermore, Retel was not serious about this expedition to the Empire.

She believed there was no hope for the Arcana Continent, which had been devastated by demons. Rather than rebuilding the Empire, it was more realistic to pioneer the route opened by crustal movements across the sea.

‘I just participated appropriately because we were tied as the Four Families.’

Retel chewed over the words on the parchment.

‘By the way, revoking the name and blessing of Akamond.’

The blessing of Akamond was not something revealed like Maxima’s jewel.

Should she call that fortunate amidst misfortune?

Thanks to that, Retel viewed the situation relatively rationally.

She asked Yong Seong-rak.

“Adventurer, do you know about the Claudi?”

“When you say Claudi……”

Yong Seong-rak rummaged through his memories, which were blurry due to Liu Oujunchun’s brainwashing.

There was a memory he had briefly encountered.

Because news was blocked in his home country, he couldn’t access it, but in the Zero Mountain Range, definitely……

-“What? Lee Ho-yeol was a Claudi? The one the demons screamed about?”

Yong Seong-rak replied.

“I know. Claudi. It was definitely an adventurer’s alias.”

At that answer, the calm Retel flinched.

“What did you say? Claudi is an adventurer’s alias……?”

“That is correct. Lee Ho-yeol—his other name was Claudi. Such rumors are widespread in my hometown, a completely different world from the Arcana Continent.”

“Is that so?”

Retel racked her brain, still hiding her expression.

‘There’s a contradiction in his words.’

The only one on the Arcana Continent.

It was the Claudi, called a great family. That someone claiming to use such a name as an alias is alive and is even an adventurer…… isn’t it an incredibly absurd story?

Retel reached a conclusion.

‘What a trivial ulterior motive. A fake Claudi.’

She didn’t know how a mere foreigner, an adventurer, had come to know about the relationship between the Claudi and them, the Four Families.

But the fake’s purpose was clearly visible.

Retel murmured softly.

“He seems to want to protect the Empire even by being unreasonable?”

For the sake of the great Claudi.

And even out of curiosity about the face of the one impersonating Granfel.

She felt the need to head to the Empire’s capital, Antonium.

‘But, before that.’

Retel said generously to Yong Seong-rak.

“Good. I will bestow upon you the qualification to serve Akamond.”

“Thank you, Lady Retel Akamond.”

“May Akamond’s achievement be with you.”

“It is an honor.”

Gently.

Retel held out the back of her hand.

Yong Seong-rak knelt down, kissed the back of Retel’s hand, and swore loyalty. That was all. Because neither Retel nor Yong Seong-rak knew about each other, they didn’t even notice the change.

Just like Midas’s Jewel.

The influence of Akamond had disappeared without a trace.

Of course, by the time they realized that fact, it would be too late to regret.

“Indeed, as rumored, they are insignificant.”

With Akamond of the Shudder as the last, the Four Families had completely surrounded the Empire’s capital, Antonium.

*

[Quest: Empire vs Maxima, Yugrick, Cansel, Akamond]

The capital of the Empire, Antonium.

A war to determine the true owner of the imperial throne is imminent.

What is the hidden truth concealed in this war?

Everything depends on your judgment.

You will grasp the rewards of victory according to your merits.

─Choose a faction. (Select)

●Swear loyalty to Maxima. (Failed)

●Swear loyalty to Yugrick. (Failed)

●Swear loyalty to Cansel. (Failed)

●Swear loyalty to Akamond. (Success)

─Cause Antonium to fall. (In Progress)

●Current Merits: 0p

Yong Seong-rak gripped his reins tightly.

‘For now, I can breathe a sigh of relief.’

A newly updated quest goal after success.

As expected, choosing Akamond was not wrong.

Suddenly, Jang An-rim came to mind, but Yong Seong-rak didn’t care.

‘Our connection ended a long time ago.’

Yong Seong-rak knew that the one he had to be most wary of was none other than fellow players.

Especially those belonging to World Unification.

Just as he had distinguished himself by stepping on other guild members in World Unification, it was obvious that they, like Jang An-rim, would also be such characters.

‘I don’t entrust my back to a guy like me.’

Yong Seong-rak felt his heart become much lighter.

Now, if they just brought down the capital of the Empire, Antonium, the quest would end successfully.

A laugh flowed out on its own.

‘Is there any way we can lose?’

The power of Akamond was truly phenomenal.

In Arcana terms, the ratio of dealers, healers, and tankers was fantastic to an ideal degree. Not to mention the numbers, the level of individuals was also amazing. Because Yong Seong-rak belonged to the super-massive guild, World Unification, he was even more surprised.

As the force grew, riff-raff was bound to gather.

‘Where did they gather such troops?’

The influence of Akamond transformed an unskilled apprentice knight into a skilled knight, and an apprentice mage into a skilled mage. However, Yong Seong-rak didn’t know about it, so all he could do was admire it.

Soon, Yong Seong-rak shook his head.

‘Let’s collect my mind, too.’

He couldn’t know the level of power of the other three families, but as long as they didn’t hold Akamond back, the fall of Antonium was a sure thing.

‘Coldly speaking, the Empire won’t last a single day.’

For the prospects were so bright, he was greedy for merit points, but he knew one couldn’t be full from the first spoonful. Yong Seong-rak tried hard to suppress his ambition.

‘Besides, I don’t know anything yet.’

How Akamond had built such a force, what would happen between the Four Families after Antonium’s gates opened and the Emperor’s head fell—he knew nothing.

‘I must observe from a distance.’

Even though Yong Seong-rak had resolved not to act out, there was one thing that bothered him even if he tried to ignore it.

It was none other than Retel’s reaction toward the Claudi, Lee Ho-yeol.

Yong Seong-rak secretly turned his gaze and glared at Retel.

‘She didn’t show it outwardly, but she was definitely surprised.’

Claudi……

He had thought it was just one of Lee Ho-yeol’s many aliases, like Infinitely Deep Darkness, A Ray of Light, or Dark Dragon. Looking at the reaction, it meant something more complex was entangled.

But that didn’t matter, either.

‘Nevertheless, marching forward means this side is also confident.’

The Emperor’s right arm, the Lion Heart Knights.

Lee Ho-yeol had a close relationship with the Lion Heart Knights. Naturally, Lee Ho-yeol would have no choice but to side with the Empire. However, even the great Lee Ho-yeol wouldn’t be able to handle the power of the Four Families.

‘And shouldn’t I get used to it, too?’

He was someone who couldn’t return to reality on his own. It meant he was placed in a situation where he might clash with Lee Ho-yeol on the Arcana Continent any number of times in the future.

Yong Seong-rak felt an appropriate tension.

‘This is a golden opportunity to grasp his level.’

Lee Ho-yeol.

He barely showed appearances of fighting against players.

There was a time he had won in a duel with the Sword Saint, Shegwin, but Shegwin was not a player. Facing Lee Ho-yeol as an enemy as a player meant he was perhaps the first.

‘I can catch up to you.’

Even if it was impossible in reality, it would be possible here.

If it were the Arcana Continent, where such buffs existed, he could do it.

The moment Yong Seong-rak made his resolution, Antonium was visible from afar.

The remaining three families, possessing forces not inferior to Akamond, were seen.

And……

“……?”

The very center of the plain around Antonium, surrounded by the Four Families.

The center of the battlefield and the eye of the typhoon.

He saw a man standing alone on the earth.

The jacket on his shoulders fluttering in the bleak wind.

Silver hair shining brilliantly in the sunlight.

A straight posture, almost like a straight line.

There was no doubt.

It was Lee Ho-yeol.

Instantly.

As if proving that fact, a message popped up for Yong Seong-rak, the only player on the battlefield excluding Lee Ho-yeol.

“?!”

Only then did Yong Seong-rak realize the reason why World Unification could expand its power without difficulty until now.

Was it because Liu Oujunchun, that bastard, had no blood or tears?

Was it because he had outstanding guild management abilities instead of having no blood or tears?

No, he was completely wrong.

‘H-How?’

Everything had been purely thanks to Lee Ho-yeol showing mercy.

The weight of Lee Ho-yeol, faced as an ‘enemy’, hit Yong Seong-rak.

‘I have the Four Families backing me. How could he, to me, l-like this……!!’

[Granfel Claudi Arpheus Romeo appears.]

It had become an appearance message announcing the end.