noon the next day.

Various steam wagons left from Grenok, Sirocco’s premier resort.

After a successful summit meeting, delegations from each country departed for their home countries.

two days after that.

The border area between the Karonia Kingdom and the Schmatt Empire.

Cal couldn’t take his eyes off his window at the sight of his homeland slowly closing in.

After some time, after leaving Sirocco, he opened his mouth for the first time, who had been silent.

“Drake.”

“Please command me. Ladan.”

Karl’s gaze returned to the title of Crown Prince in another country, or lower rank.

There was a man in his early 30s sitting there.

“How do you see the future of this country?”

“The glory of Schmatt will continue in the future.”

“You really think so?”

“It is.”

Upon hearing the answer, Carl’s face was expressionless.

Drek was raised and raised for himself since his childhood.

He believed that Carl was close to his friend.

But that was it.

Even so, he could not share his worries with himself.

Drek, an organization called ‘Night Shadow’ to which he belongs, thoroughly killed individual thoughts and trained to obey orders.

Like a shadow in the dark, a being who strictly guards the owner’s side and does only what he tells him to do.

Because of that, I could believe it, but I couldn’t even share the owner’s worries.

This was common knowledge, not only for Karl, but also for any member of the Schmatt family.

Until Drek opens his mouth.

“Ladan.”

“Huh?”

“There is something I want to ask you.”

“········································································?!”

A look of surprise crept across Carl’s face.

Drek became his escort for over 20 years.

For the first time in all those years, he asked a question.

Carl was very surprised and delighted by it, so he nodded his head willingly.

“Ask.”

“Is there anything that makes you feel good? Since you served Radan, you are doing the best you can now.”

Carl laughed at Drek’s question.

And he kindly answered the first question I was asked after meeting Drek.

“Because it gave me courage.”

“Are you talking about courage?”

“For the past few years, I have been struggling with anxiety. And a few days ago… meeting someone gave me a little courage to put an end to my worries.”

“You’re talking about the boy you met at the river.”

“okay.”

Carl nodded.

He clearly remembered what Merlin had said.

“I’m going to stop doing something useful now. Before my life feels more fleeting…”

“Ladan . . .”

“I will kill you. my mother.”

“·················ogue.”

“Even if everyone points their finger at you as a scoundrel… I will. That would be the most useful and valuable thing I could do as a Ladan of this Schmatt Empire.”

A sword’s face with a firm determination.

Seeing this, Drek’s eyes filled with sadness.

On the other hand, the determination that remained in Carl’s eyes did not fade.

Time passes without conversation.

rattle-

The steam wagon stood tall.

“Huh?”

Originally, the steam wagon wouldn’t stop here, so Carl raised his doubts a bit.

Then a voice came in front of him.

“Ladan . . .”

“···········?”

“Ladan’s life is not fleeting. Is Radan’s existence the most valuable and useful to this Schmatt Empire? Furthermore···.”

Drek never said anything other than the usual questions.

Carl listened to him as he revealed himself for the first time.

And.

Push-

“···Hook?!”

A red stain spread across the sword’s white garment with a slight plosive sound.

Carl lowered his gaze.(Read more @ wuxiax.com)

“Uh… how?”

Carl was shocked to see the dagger in his heart.

As he lifted his head and thrust a dagger into his heart, he looked into the face of the one he trusted most.

A group of trained assassins, the unfeeling eyes characteristic of the shadow of the night seeped into the pupil of the sword.

Drek’s voice flowed into the sword’s ear as his vision was gradually blurring.

“. . . the death of Lathan will be the most useful and worthwhile work. Not only in the Schmatt Empire, but also in the history of the continent.”

“……”

“That’s why you were made.”

wow-

great!

Drek’s soft voice was mixed with screams and metal sounds from all directions.

darkness approaching.

Carl knew instinctively that it was his own death.

And the moment before his death, what Carl thought of was very absurd.

‘I’m sorry, boy I don’t know. I can’t pay the price of alcohol…’

After that thought, Carl’s vision completely darkened.

The Continent to Shake (1)

The Continent to Shake (1)

The Schmatt Empire, where deserts and grasslands occupy 70% of the total area.

Among them, Hwangseong, the heart of the empire, was built along an oasis in the middle of the desert.

An oasis city, Garudan, an island in the Schmatt Empire.

And the most beautiful imperial palace on the continent known as the symbol of Garuda.

Built for one dictator, the imperial palace was guarded by thousands of desert warriors.

And so was that day.

“Huh?”

At noon when the heat of the sun was shining, the eyes of the desert warrior who was in charge of the outskirts of the island narrowed.

The area he was in charge of was just an area far from the main gate, just in contact with the desert.

“···What?”

A dark form was revealed in the haze of the rising heat in the desert with a wide horizon.

The black form slowly approaching the island raised the alertness of the desert warrior.

Moments later, as the black figure drew closer to the outer wall, the desert warrior’s face grimaced.

The appearance of the person who appeared near the outer wall was tragic.

One arm was amputated, and there were cut marks all over the body.

Also, the blood has hardened and the clothes are all black.

The most surprising thing was that the man who was nothing like a moving corpse was lying on his back.

Sensing something unusual, the desert warrior summoned his comrades around him.

Warriors lined up on the wall.

“What?”

“What are you doing?”

So it was time to infer the identity of the person who appeared.

dump-

The person who approached the fortress wall staggeredly collapsed.

At the same time, the teeth on his back also fell to the floor.

“Did he die?”

“It would be even more strange if he was still alive.”

The warriors of the desert thought that another wanderer was in the arms of the sand god.

That was then.

“uh···?”

Among the assembled warriors, the faces of those with exceptionally good eyesight hardened.

He rubbed his eyes and hurriedly leaned against the wall.

An astonishment erupted from his mouth immediately.

“Uh-huh?!”

“what? why are you like this?”

“Me, me, that dress!”

The place where the eyes of the good-looking warrior turned was the clothes of the person on the back of the half-corpse.

“dress? Why are you wearing clothes?”

“Wow, it’s an imperial robe!”

“what?!”

Only then did the desert warriors realize the seriousness of the situation and move forward.

Those who could not afford to go around the wall went down the wall with ropes.

They rushed over and overturned the two who had fallen.

And.

“Wow!”

“Ugh!”

They stumbled in vain.

The one who is all dying has fallen.

It must have been a long time since he died, and it was a body that had undergone decomposition.

Fortunately, the dryness of the desert did not damage it so much that the body’s face was fully recognizable.

That’s why I was surprised

The warriors of the desert could not know whose corpse this body belonged to.

“La, la, ladan!”

“No, my God!”

Disappointment erupted everywhere.

They hurriedly retrieved Carl’s body.

And that was the moment.

“Ummm…”

A feeble moan erupted from the being who was carrying the body of the sword, thought to be dead.

Hearing this, the movements of the warriors became busy.

“What are you doing, move now! I have to live somehow!”

Radan, who was already dead, could not be brought back to life.

If so, we need to figure out the circumstances of the incident by somehow saving the person who brought Radan’s body.

Some of the desert warriors pulled the dying man away, while others retrieved Karl’s body.

so that day

Due to the sword’s corpse that arrived across the desert, a violent storm began to strike in the Schmatt Empire.

***

A fortnight after the Continental Summit.

Merlin returned to Redford safely after completing the deal with the Emperor.

He was watching his work in his office.

Real work, not idle.

“Well···.”

Merlin’s brow furrowed slightly.

He laid down the thick, meticulously scrutinized report.

“What the hell are these?”

Merlin’s expression wrinkled.

A problem that disturbs his mind.

It was none other than a church.

It’s been almost a year since the dwarf business and the Generium Intelligence Department were used to search the church.

However, the whereabouts of the church were still unknown.

Did it go down to the ground, or did it rise up to the sky?

Obviously, any organization that exerts enough influence will leave traces somehow, but no matter how much time has passed, no information about the denomination has come out.

Then there were two cases.

‘They really hide a single hair, so I can’t find it.’