"What? The Blue Wolf has left the imperial capital in large numbers?"
Herman's eyes snapped open at the news his daughter, Isabelle, had suddenly brought him.
With just a few days left until his duel with Paul, this news hit him like a heavy blow to the back of his head while he had been focused on recovery.
"I'm telling you exactly as I heard it, Uncle—no, from the informant we planted near Paul Weyl. It must be true."
"Who told you this?"
"Second Uncle."
"Ah!"
If it was coming from the Blue Hawks who had been monitoring Paul Weyl, then there was no doubt it was accurate.
Herman slightly lowered his head.
"My younger brother... the younger brother I once knew... is no longer in this world."
He had known from a young age that Paul was always full of ambition.
But Herman hadn't given it much thought at the time.
Their family was a large merchant house, and Herman had chosen the path of the sword, leaving the family business to Paul, thinking he would inherit it without issue.
In fact, Herman had even hinted at giving Paul the title of family head or noble rank if necessary.
But it wasn't until much later that he realized how gravely mistaken he was.
What Paul had coveted from the start wasn't just the family business, but everything Herman had.
Herman's honor, fame, skills, connections, and even the support he received—Paul wanted it all.
The envious younger brother had always resented Herman, who was the focus of their father's and the public's attention.
Herman's offer of the merchant house? To Paul, it had only seemed like hypocrisy.
If Herman pursued the sword, then Paul would also chase the sword and take that position from him.
As a result, the once prestigious merchant house, the Weyl family, produced two outstanding swordsmen in a single generation, which allowed it to transform into a martial family.
But the conflict between the brothers deepened over time.
When Herman was recognized for his skill and became the Blue Lion, Paul's goal became to succeed him as the next Blue Lion.
What on earth drove him to such greed?
At one point, Herman had considered having a heart-to-heart with his brother over drinks.
But now, that possibility seemed out of reach.
"So, what will you do?"
Herman steadied himself, suppressing the feelings that threatened to shake him.
A complex mix of emotions—anger or perhaps regret.
Isabelle sensed her father's conflicted emotions but showed no sign of it.
'Father is still too soft-hearted when it comes to the people close to him. Somehow, I have to harden him.'
Isabelle already understood Paul's intentions in pulling such a reckless stunt.
But she wouldn't let things play out according to his plan.
She had set up several traps over the years to ensnare Paul.
Ever since she had been chased down by him and nearly faced death, the grudge in Isabelle's heart had become solid and sharp.
"I've already informed my uncles to trail them without direct intervention."
Herman nodded heavily.
"Good. Hilton and Tanant, who lead the Blue Wolf, aren't ones to be underestimated. Even if my brothers manage to block their path, they could get severely hurt. Since Hilton never leaves Paul's side, it must be Tanant leading this."
Tanant could be considered Paul's left hand and sword.
Although he had shown considerable talent and had once been favored within the family, Herman distanced himself from him upon discovering his malicious nature, which eventually led Tanant to join Paul's side.
"In the meantime, I've ordered Chen to lead the Blue Horse and Blue Ram squads to pursue them."
"Good. You've done well."
The Blue Horse and Blue Ram, both knight orders loyal to Herman.
While the Blue Wolf had a formidable force, the two knight orders combined would be able to stop them.
Herman couldn't help but look at his daughter with a mix of curiosity and admiration.
Who would have thought that a rough man like him, who had lived his life obsessed with the sword, would have such a beautiful and brilliant daughter?
Even though Isabelle lacked talent with the sword and couldn't inherit the title of Blue Lion, she possessed a resilience and tenacity that allowed her to navigate this harsh world better than anyone.
In fact, while Herman had been preoccupied with the sword, Isabelle had stepped in to manage the family affairs.
'Perhaps it wouldn't be a bad idea to put everything in order now.'
Herman had already been gradually handing over the family's major and minor affairs to Isabelle, planning to make her the head of the family and the merchant house.
It seemed the time for that transition might come sooner than he had initially thought.
After dealing with Paul, he would make it official.
Then he would focus solely on his duties as the Blue Lion, and on handing a "martial technique" over to Elric.
That was his decision.
***
Elric raised his head.
Mephisto's gaze also whipped toward the dungeon corridor.
『So, this is what you were talking about?』
The mystery of whether to release Sophia, who knew the location of the dungeon, was now solved.
Who would have thought an armed force was approaching the dungeon?
What a devious bastard.
Mephisto thought as he glanced at Elric.
The scent of blood seemed to already be vibrating through the air.
"Yeah, someone's been tailing me, you know? I figured it would come to this."
『When did you realize?』
"Since I entered the forest?"
『So, from the beginning then?』
"Of course. I wouldn't just expose my back without preparing for something like this."
Elric responded nonchalantly.
"Taking out the small fry wouldn't do much anyway, so I let the main force come out."
Mephisto thought he needed to revise his judgment. This wasn't just devious—it was downright cunning.
『Impressive.』
"Huh? What is?"
『Your aptitude as a Demon King. No doubt, you belong to our kind.』
"Sorry, but I'm a Melvinger," Elric said, dismissing the comment with a wave of his hand.
『I seem to recall Otto Han giving me some insight into your family's secrets.』
Unlike Elric's casual demeanor, Mephisto's eyes gleamed with a dangerous light.
It was then that Elric noticed the shift in Mephisto's mood, and his expression hardened as he turned toward him.
『Am I wrong?』
"So, you knew all along, Mephi? About the family's secret."
『I might know even more than you do.』
After all, it would be strange for a lifelong enemy not to know.
Elric sensed the weight behind the words and considered probing deeper, but decided to hold back.
Wait. The truth would come eventually.
Otto Han's advice passed through his mind.
Perhaps this was what he meant when he said not to rush things.
"Stop trying to poke around like that, will you?"
『Oh dear, was I found out?』
"I swear, I can never let my guard down with you."
Elric clicked his tongue lightly and turned his gaze back toward the entrance.
Though he spent much time with Mephisto, teasing him and testing boundaries, Elric never forgot that he couldn't let his guard down around him.
If he showed even a hint of weakness, he would be easily manipulated—just like now.
With that in mind, Elric opened his palm wide.
Whiing!
A detailed map of the dungeon floated above his hand.
From the path he had traveled to hidden corners he hadn't yet explored, and even the locations and movements of the dungeon guardians—everything was visible in the map's bird's-eye view.
After absorbing Otto Han's spiritual form and fully inheriting the legacy of "Winter," Elric had gained complete ownership of the dungeon.
Not only could he see the dungeon's layout, but he also held control over its guardians.
And now.
From the dungeon entrance, he saw a mass of red dots flooding inside.
The Blue Wolf had been identified as enemies.
『So, what's your plan?』
Mephisto crossed his arms, watching quietly as Elric worked.
"When you learn something, you might as well use it, right?"
Elric smirked coldly and tapped on three blue dots, representing guardians near the entrance.
There was no need for him to deal with this personally.
At the same time, he thought he'd try out some of the powers Otto Han had taught him.
***
"Wait. Halt."
Tanant, leading the Blue Wolf into the dungeon, suddenly stopped in his tracks.
A chilly wind blew down the corridor.
Following orders, the Blue Wolves halted, ready to move at a moment's notice.
'Where is it?'
Tanant quickly scanned his surroundings.
There was no doubt that the nature of the mana flow in the dungeon had changed, but he couldn't tell how it would react.
Was Elric preparing an ambush, or had the dungeon's guardians detected their presence and activated its defenses? He needed to figure it out quickly.
His response would depend on that.
A dungeon's structure could cut off the enemy's escape route, but it's guardians could also be troublesome obstacles.
At that moment.
Craaack—
The sound of ice breaking echoed from somewhere.
Normally, it would've just seemed like an icicle had fallen inside the cave.
But Tanant wasn't one to take things lightly.
He already knew that Elric Melvinger was highly skilled in ice-based magic.
'It's the former! He's noticed us!'
If Elric was launching an attack, then where would it come from…?
"Watch the ground!"
Tanant barely finished shouting the warning when a white frost spread rapidly across the floor, turning it into a sheet of ice.
The Blue Wolves scattered, trying to get off the ground.
At that moment.
Clink, clink!
Chains made of ice shot out, targeting the lower bodies of the Blue Wolves.
"Damn it!"
"You're wasting your time!"
Clang, clang!
Ping, ping!
These soldiers had eyesight fast enough to dodge arrows, so chains like these were nothing to them.
They snorted in disdain as they broke the ice chains and tried to press forward.
But—
"What the…?"
"Damn it!"
The ice chains were much sturdier than they had expected.
Far from breaking, they didn't even show a scratch, forcing the soldiers to pull back their swords and gather their aura.
Boom!
Only then did the ice chains shatter like fireworks, scattering shards of ice into a fine powder.
As the powder spread through the air—
Whooosh!
A sudden gust of wind blew, sending the ice powder flying in all directions. The Blue Wolves' vision was instantly obscured by a blanket of white, and the temperature plummeted to absolute zero.
A power that could transform an entire area into a tundra in an instant.
Winter Blizzard.
This was its first manifestation.
Crack, crack—
When the ice storm finally passed, what Tanant saw with wide eyes was a horrifying sight.
Nearly half of his subordinates were frozen solid, standing there like statues.
[T/L: You can read ahead chapters and support me here: https://ko-fi.com/revengerscans ]