READ NOVEL ONLINE chapter 2
2. The Empire’s Tenth Seat
Yuma, who had fully descended the mountain.
Yuma could easily know the name of the huge town in front of him.
Because it was clearly written there.
The capital of the Astes Empire, Varanak.
Knowing the name of the capital and along with it, he confirmed that there was no problem in reading the language of this world.
‘It’s unusual.’
But the atmosphere of the capital was not typical. Soldiers rushing around as if they were looking for someone and a small number of knights.
It already seemed like they were looking for someone inside the capital. Thankfully, there were only two people guarding the exterior.
Yuma headed towards the gate without hesitation.
“Halt.”
Yuma stopped his walk as the guard instructed.
The guard scrutinized Yuma’s appearance. Worn-out, ragged leather clothes.
‘What such a noble face….’
A handsome face.
But the imposing aura radiated from his whole body somehow gave a sense of pressure.
“Are you a noble?”
“No.”
Yuma reached into his belongings and pulled something out.
It was a merchant badge.
“A class three merchant of the Locheine Trade…?”
A badge signifying a class three merchant.
Yuma held out one of the items that had been in Aaron’s possession, a merchants badge. It seemed to be taken from a slain merchant. It was likely from a rogue who was thick in thievery on the mountainous outskirts of the capital. Seeing as the badge was tied to the capital, he decided to use it to his advantage.
Yuma maintained a state of high alert.
At any moment he could draw the dagger tucked at his waist, the “Tooth of Black Dragon Vernac”.
‘I should order a custom tool to quickly draw the dagger, hidden in something like a wristband.’
Yuma began to come up with ways to survive in this world using his abilities.
The guard cast another glance at Yuma’s handsome face. His disgustingly handsome face.
“There a problem?”
Yuma stared back at the guard.
Despite being spoken down to by a mere guard when he was of no noble standing – it wasn’t unpleasant. Perhaps because even these words seemed to carry a certain dignity.
‘Seems he’s a son of a trade dealer.’
A son raised very well indeed.
“There’s none, go on in.”
“Thank you.”
Yuma calmly accepted his merchants badge back. Then he entered the city.
Into the Empire’s capital, Varanak.
***
A girl with black hair was sitting in the busiest restaurant in the capital.
The girl was wearing a gray robe and sat still. It seemed she couldn’t shake off some tension as she continually tapped the table with her index finger.
Tap, tap, tap…
At that moment, the restaurant door swung open.
The girl’s gaze was drawn to the man with silvery-grey hair, a man named Yuma.
Yuma had just purchased a set of clothes worth 300 cents from a boutique before he made his way directly to this restaurant.
A white shirt over a navy-blue coat, paired with black trousers that complemented the coat.
That was the present appearance of Yuma. His choice of attire was a perfect match for his grey hair.
The girl felt a noble aura emitting from Yuma and her eyes widened. It was a kind of energy only those who had reached a certain level of mastery could emit. His demeanour was compelling, to say the least.
“Could it be?”
She was skeptical about something, but shook her head soon.
“No.”
He lacked the desperation and anger seen in those who were on a pursuit. His eyes held a look of aimless contemplation of the world.
The girl and Yuma’s eyes met.
However, Yuma seemed unbothered by her gaze. He glanced at her briefly before turning and taking a seat.
The girl poked at the spaghetti in front of her and took a few more bites. She needed to fill her stomach after all.
And she had to leave soon.
Before the ones pursuing her arrived.
She set down her fork and began to tidy up her clothes, preparing to stand up when-
Thud-!!
The door exploded open with a considerably louder noise than before.
And what followed was a wave of murderous intent.
All 50 odd people in the restaurant could feel it.
Everyone’s arms and legs began to tremble.
Clink!
A staff member dropped the dish he was carrying. One of the shattered fragments managed to cut slightly into his left leg. He was so consumed with fear he did not even notice the injury.
The man who exuded this murderous intent had red hair.
“I’m here to see if the beast I’ve been hunting is here.”
The burly man sauntered into the restaurant. As he took his tenth step, his lips curled into a grin aiming at a direction.
“There it is, the beast.”
He was looking straight at a black-haired girl wearing a grey robe.
“You, seed of a witch. What are you doing among humans?”
He raised his right hand. Red aura began to gather around it, radiating an utterly destructive energy.
“My name is Cain Gal. I’m one of the Ten Seats of the Empire.”
Cain Gal made no attempt to hide his rank as a master capable of leading.
The Ten Seats of the Empire.
They are the powerhouse among the many who serve under the Artes Empire.
The people’s fear spiked at the realization that this man who was capable of exuding such an intense murderous air might start an attack against them.
“I am currently hunting for a witch’s daughter. As you all know, this is the daughter of the Hell’s Witch, Venus, who burned two of this empire’s cities to the ground before dying by the hands of the imperial holy knights.”
Hell’s Witch Venus.
The people began to murmur fearfully at the mention of the dreaded name.
“Hell’s Witch Venus!”
“Venus’s daughter is here?”
Keingal’s mouth twisted into a large smile, revealing his yellow teeth.
“Come out now, or all these innocent people will die.”
Above Keingal’s right hand was a concentrated red orb of powerful energy, shimmering with intensity.
The girl watched as her grip tightened on her fists.
She seemed to make some sort of decision, attempting to lift her bowed head.
But then Keingal’s voice rang out again.
“…Why do you keep eating?”
Keingal’s gaze was fixed on Yuma.
He stared at Yuma who, despite Keingal’s words and murderous aura, was nonchalantly continuing to slurp on his soup.
He had been irritated by Yuma from the moment he entered. Despite making his presence known and deliberately exuding murderous intent, Yuma continued to eat.
“What’s your deal?”
He had grey hair, blue eyes, and an inexplicable noble bearing. However, there was no visible sign of any considerable strength.
After dabbing his mouth with a napkin, Yuma responded.
“Do your thing. I’m busy doing mine.”
At Yuma’s cheeky reply, Keingal’s expression contorted further.
“What I need to do… it was just one thing, but with your words, one more is added.”
Keingal’s right arm, which had previously been aiming forward, was now directed solely towards Yuma.
“I’ll kill you first, you lowly creature who doesn’t know your place.”
A red flash erupted from Keingal’s right hand. The spherical red orb dubbed ‘Red star’ intensely drove towards Yuma.
With a fierce shout that ripped through the air, the powerful energy manifested with agility.
Yuma, however, didn’t move from his chair.
He simply placed his fork back on the table.
‘…What? That man.’
Did he have nothing?
Was it just a noble atmosphere?
Surprised by Yuma’s seemingly calm acceptance of death, the girl hurriedly began casting a shield magic spell.
‘It’s too late!’
However, the red mass of energy was already inches away from Yuma’s face. That’s when Yuma’s right hand moved.
The sound of metal resonated throughout the room.
Skill paring.
A maneuver to fend off the opponent’s long-range techniques such as magic.
That was also one of his own particular strategies.
The skill “Absolute counterattack” assisted in sending the Red star straight back to Keingal.
This time, its power was amplified tenfold.
aaargh!!
A deafening explosion drowned the restaurant.
“Cough, cough…You bastard.”
Blood trickled from Caine Gaul’s mouth.
“What in the world…!”
Bang.
Caine Gaul’s torso was, quite literally, hollowed out. No spine could be seen. All that could be seen was the scenery beyond the restaurant.
Caine Gaul’s body slowly collapsed backwards.
Boom.
He died instantly.
The 8th Seat of the Empire, Caine Gaul, was dead.
After a silence that was too long to be momentary.
“aaargh!!”
“aaagh!”
Men, women, young and old, everyone screamed and ran out of the restaurant.
Only two people remained in the restaurant.
Excluding the trembling staff and the restaurant owner, there were only Yuma and the girl.
“Did you save me?”
The girl looked at Yuma.
Yuma stared at the girl in front of him with blue eyes, then finally laid down his fork as if he had finished his meal.
“I noticed that the person you were running from was you, but I didn’t intend to.”
In response to his nonchalant dismissal of the event, the girl swallowed her saliva.
The corpse at the entrance.
He had killed the 8th Seat of the Empire, Caine Gaul, with a single blow.
A swordsman who had reached the summit of sword mastery.
‘I clearly countered with a dagger.’
He not only countered ‘Red Star’, the unique skill of the 8th Seat of the Empire, Caine Gaul, who could instantly kill a master class opponent in this chaotic battlefield-like situation, but also reflected ‘Red Star’ instantly killing him.
“The guy I killed.”
The girl listened to Yuma who had just spoken.
“Do you know how strong he is in this world?”
The girl widened her round golden eyes.
His tone did not seem to brag about what he had done.
It seemed to be a genuine question about the Ten Seats of the Empire.
‘Has he been training in the mountains?’
But his appearance was too aristocratic to be.
“The Ten Seats of the Artes Empire…They are the swords of the Empire, listening to the Emperor’s orders. And so, they’re naturally strong. Excluding those hiding their power, it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say they’re the ten strongest in the Empire.”
Right after the girl finished speaking.
At the open entrance of the restaurant.
Grrr!
About 30 armored knights recoiled.
“Ke, Kerin Gull!”
And then they were aghast. Their reaction was due to the sight of one of the Empire’s powerful Eight Seats, a sword master lying dead—someone they couldn’t even scratch when they all rushed him. A large hole in his chest made the sight extremely gruesome.