Chapter 329 – Disaster Level Claudi (2)

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Translated by Heavenly Cat
Read it only at Novelbyu.com & Utoon.net
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On top of the walls of Antonium, the soldiers who had been looking out at the plain swallowed their sighs. In the end, the enemies had flocked in. In the end, the Dark Dragon had stepped forward alone once again to protect the Empire.

Standing there blankly.

The enemy forces charged toward Ho-yeol, who stood alone on the plain.

No matter if he was the Dark Dragon……

“Is there really a chance of winning, General?”

“……”

Those watching could not hide their concerns.

Before long, a faint vibration climbed from the tips of their toes to the top of their heads. At the same time, a massive dust cloud bloomed around Ho-yeol.

“Wh-What happened?”

“Damn it, I can’t see anything!”

“Sir Nash, can’t you even see with the telescope?”

“Please don’t rush me. I am trying, too!”

Even as they gripped the innocent magic tool tightly, their vision did not change. All they could do was clench their fists a little tighter and grit their teeth.

Because everyone had witnessed the final moment.

‘In the end, the leaders moved.’

‘What kind of conversation went back and forth that the enemy commanders immediately stepped forward?’

‘If they poured out a combined attack……’

Looking at the dust cloud, ominous thoughts sprouted. If Ho-yeol fell, next would be Antonium’s turn. How were they supposed to stop an enemy that even the Dark Dragon couldn’t stop?

They would have preferred it if the dust cloud didn’t clear like this.

Swish─

Contrary to the growing anxiety, the dust was washed away by the wind.

It spat out the scenery of the battlefield it had swallowed.

Soon, on the battlefield that came into view, everyone in Antonium—even the Emperor—beheld a sight they hadn’t expected.

“……K-Kneeling?”

Even Antonium couldn’t believe it and fell into confusion.

“Why……?”

With that sight unfolding right before their eyes, the atmosphere of the battlefield was beyond words. It was natural that no one could easily continue speaking, because no one could immediately grasp the situation.

“……Why are the family heads kneeling?”

Brilliant silver hair and skin as white as ice.

Below it, before a man wearing clothes so flamboyant it wouldn’t be strange to call them banquet clothes rather than armor, they were kneeling and bowing their heads. The more loyal they were, trusting their family heads without a doubt, the greater the shock was.

Eventually, those racking their brains came up with a conclusion.

“……This is impossible!”

The first to move was the Maxima family—the Golden Elites.

Sling!

They raised their sharply forged golden swords.

Ignite Maxima—he was the head of the Maxima who held all the wealth of the continent. It was impossible for him to submit to another and kneel of his own will.

“Save the family head from this ridiculous trick!”

Yugrick, Cansel, Akamond.

The loyalty of the remaining three families was not much different from Maxima’s. Even if they had been stripped of their names and blessings, they believed it was thanks to their own efforts that they were able to build such a force.

It looked as if the Four Families were yelling out in protest.

However.

Rumble-crack─

Regardless of their owners, the incarnations of the Four Families had no intention of forgiving the descendants’ mistakes. The incarnations that had revealed themselves through the cracked earth raised their heads, which had been bowed before Claudi.

Then, there were those who flinched.

“……Wait.”

The exterior of the statues was not unfamiliar. No, beyond that, it was familiar.

The first to recognize their identities were the twins of the Sun and Moon serving the Yugrick family.

“Yugrick……?”

──────

Yugrick’s generous mercy was enough to comfort the wounded. Even if they were the twins of the Sun and Moon, heartbroken and abandoned by heaven……

──────

The statue was undoubtedly Yugrick.

Yugrick, who had breathed his last long ago and been buried under the territory. As the statue modeled after his appearance blocked their path, the twins couldn’t help but fall into confusion.

“It’s definitely the face I saw in the portrait.”

“What?”

“It’s certain; it’s the statue of the ancestor—the founder……!”

It didn’t take a long time for everyone in the Four Families to realize the identities of the statues. The loyalty that was burning to save the family heads caught in a scheme began to waver.

Then, what they had heard through one ear and let out the other began to come to mind.

-“If you have forgotten your place, I will remind you.”

-“Welcome.”

-“I am your owner.”

Assuming that bluff was the truth……

“……!”

The sight unfolding before their eyes began to make sense. The family heads of the Four Families kneeling before him, and the statues modeled after the founders of the Four Families bowing their heads to him……

Shake, shake.

‘No, it’s ridiculous nonsense!’

Even though they shook their heads to brush it off, their minds were extremely confused. However, time, which was fair to everyone, was flowing even while they were agonizing.

“……”

Only a subtle silence hovered on the battlefield.

Before long, everyone’s gaze ended up heading to one place—to the only existence who could break this silence: Ho-yeol.

*

Now that they were stripped of everything according to procedure, the heads of the Four Families could not escape from the monarch-subject relationship with Claudi.

So with just one word from me……

They had no choice but to kneel like this.

See? I didn’t step forward alone for nothing.

‘However, the soldiers are not my servants.’

Someone might ask: couldn’t you just order the heads of the Four Families to stop the troops? If it were me, Lee Ho-yeol, I would have done exactly that without hesitation.

‘Isn’t that how social life is?’

But would our noble Lord Granfel tolerate subcontracting upon subcontracting? Furthermore, there must have been a choice containing their own pride when the soldiers decided to serve the Four Families. Our Lord Granfel was someone who didn’t overlook others’ pride as much as his own.

‘As expected, it’s reassuring to have allies.’

Because I was afraid of this, I had readily accepted the help of the statues—the incarnations. On top of that, I thought being scolded by the family elders would be more effective than me doing it.

‘I only need to care about the family heads.’

Actually, just caring about this side was overwhelming.

Although I had made them kneel with the status effect [Submission] according to the monarch-subject relationship.

Even at a glance, their expressions were seriously terrifying.

But am I the kind of personality to avoid an opponent grinding their teeth? Rather, I’m the owner of a personality where it wouldn’t be strange to hit them head-on and break all those teeth.

Step─

So I moved my steps without delay.

I passed by the soldiers with bewildered expressions and approached one of the kneeling family heads. A burly build, armor adorned with gold, and crucially, the empty center of the helmet.

Just looking at the exterior, I could guess his identity.

‘It’s Maxima.’

Drafting the settings specifically comes in handy like this, huh?

I spat out the name I had seen in the system message a moment ago.

“Ignite, I will omit the last name stripped from you.”

Look even now.

Ignite Maxima.

What was so hard about calling him by his full name?

‘……You really scratch their nerves right from the first word.’

Of course, that didn’t mean I intended to stop speaking.
For it was detestable.

I had no intention of blaming him for his ambition, but declaring war on the Empire to seize the Emperor’s seat at this timing was an action where no pride could be found.

I expressed my feelings without adding or subtracting.

“The splendor of the past has disappeared, and only ugliness remains.”

“……!”

“Do not think of blaming the times. Your change of heart is entirely your mistake. And I am your owner, who judges and punishes your wrongdoings.”

Mage Tower Topaz Hall.

The preliminary verification that took place prior to the regular academic society.

Every time, as if catching a rat.

My tongue, which used to torment the skilled mages, spewed venom.

“……!”

His shoulders heaving meant he was cursing inwardly.

Because I hadn’t allowed it, Ignite, in the submitted state, couldn’t open his mouth.

It seemed he wouldn’t even answer properly, let alone reflect, but……

‘Anyway, they’re not demons.’

Believing that humans could turn over a new leaf anytime.

With a head still full of flowers.

For the sake of the pure Granfel, I opened my mouth.

“I will give you a final chance to defend yourself.”

“……Ugh.”

Then, Ignite took a deep breath.

Soon, he raised his head upright and met my gaze.

*

-“……You must never get involved with him. If you happen to encounter him in the future, never raise your head.”

Only then did his father’s words make sense.

Every single cell in his body was not listening.

They must have been trembling in fear.

Silver hair swaying in the bleak wind.

Actions exuding dignity.

Even the gaze looking down and examining all creation.

Granfel Claudi Arpheus Romeo.

Claudi.

In front of the man considered the family itself.

He was giving a final chance to defend himself?

The moment he heard those words.

Ignite flared up.

Not satisfied with the ghost of the past taking away “Midas’s Jewel” with a trivial trick.

He thought the man was now really trying to act like the owner.

However, upon meeting his gaze, his thoughts changed.

‘……Damn it.’

It seemed he had made an irreversible mistake.

Ignite burst into anger.

‘You guys, what are the Golden Elites doing?!’

Damn it.

If trusting his subordinates who couldn’t even grasp the situation was a mistake, it was a mistake.

However, Ignite did not avoid his gaze.

‘Even so, I cannot admit it.’

He ignored the warning his cells were sending.

Without avoiding the gaze of Granfel, the owner.

He eventually opened his mouth.

“Are you saying you’ll act like the owner now? It’s not even funny! Great family? Claudi—the status of you bastards has long rolled around like a rag, not only on the Arcana Continent but also in the dirty underworld!”

It was a provocation.

At the same time, it was a yell directed at himself.

I have absolutely not submitted to Claudi.

Ignite squeezed out his strength and continued.

“Look! Except for us who were the heads of the Four Families, no one on the battlefield remembers the name Claudi. An immeasurably great family? Do you think it makes sense for such a reputation to be forgotten so completely? When even the Empire, even the Emperor, doesn’t properly know about your family?”

The one who noticed that change faster than anyone was.

The only player on the battlefield, Yong Seong-rak.

……What’s this?

Lee Ho-yeol.

‘Something’ was flowing out from behind him.

……Wh-What is that?

Did I see wrong?

‘Something black,’ to the point where he rubbed his innocent eyes.

The answer to the question was provided by a system message.

[The capital of the Empire, Antonium, is engulfed in infinitely deep darkness.]

“……!”

Darkness covered Antonium.

[The Empire is engulfed in infinitely deep darkness.]

No, it covered the Empire.

Even so, the spreading darkness showed no sign of stopping.

In the pitch-black darkness.

Finally, Yong Seong-rak’s vision flashed.

[The Arcana Continent is engulfed in infinitely deep darkness.]

“……!!!”

*

Suitable Magic Power that was suffocatingly thick.

A voice rang in the darkness.

Not mine.

“Ignite Maxima.”

“……?”

“From now on, be careful with every word, every phrase, every syllable.”

“……!”

“Or else, I will deny your existence.”

The voice of Granfel Claudi Arpheus Romeo said:

“Are you prepared to insult my sister with that base mouth?”

[The status effect ‘Blackening’ occurs.]