## Chapter 1023 – 1023. The Plum Blossom Swordsman Reincarnated Into The Baek Family
Kyle cast his gaze into the distance. Beyond the flowing river, the enemies were visible.
The army of the Cobalt Kingdom.
Their numbers were around 50,000. It was a very small number to represent the entire Cobalt Kingdom’s army. But Kyle couldn’t dismiss them with a sneer, because he hadn’t been able to repel this army. Each soldier of the Cobalt Kingdom’s army was elite.
From the lowest soldier to the highest knight, they were all strong, no matter what methods they used.
Kyle focused his eyes. As an Aura Master, he could see the leader of the Cobalt Kingdom. King Dulibad, with his red hair flying in the wind. He was a powerful figure who could rival Kyle.
Kyle had faced him several times, but he could never figure out what he was thinking. Soon, Dulibad gave some orders to his army. One of the knights blew a horn. The soldiers of the Cobalt Kingdom turned around.
Before leaving, Dulibad stared at Kyle with burning eyes, or rather, he glared past Kyle before retreating.
“Congratulations, Kyle! The war is finally over!”
A rather frivolous voice, out of place on the battlefield, rang out. Kyle turned his gaze away from the retreating Cobalt Kingdom army.
There stood a flamboyant man with soft blonde hair and blue eyes. A deep smile played on his lips. He was Baron Olrond Glbert, who had begun serving Kyle a few months ago. As soon as Kyle saw him, he felt a sense of calm wash over him.
“This battle is over, but the continental war is still ongoing.”
“I know. But isn’t it true that one war has ended? Kyle. Enjoy this victory. You are the clear victor.”
“Victory… It’s a victory, but it feels unsettling.”
Kyle sighed. Despite winning, all he had gained was fame. The Cobalt Kingdom’s army had merely retreated before them.
“Where’s Terius?”
“He’s resting at his quarters. He kept wanting to go to the battlefield… Oh dear. The battlefield is gone. I should offer him some words of consolation later.”
Baron Glbert said playfully. Kyle didn’t pay much attention. Glbert’s way of speaking was usually like that.
Terius.
Terius, one of Kyle’s soldiers, had gained fame on the battlefield.
The Berserker Terius.
It wasn’t a good title. It was a reputation he had earned by going berserk on the battlefield.
“I should meet him later.”
Kyle had many capable subordinates. Compared to them, Terius was somewhat lacking. His martial prowess was outstanding, but he was hard to control, going wild at the sight of blood. He was the most troublesome of his subordinates.
Yet, for some reason, Kyle kept thinking about Terius. Perhaps it was because they shared the same enemies.
“Kyle, I’ve been wondering, but you’ve looked unwell since earlier. Is something bothering you?”
“…It’s a family matter.”
“Haha. Why are you like this? I’ve been assisting you with all my might. Are you trying to push me away now? I’m truly disappointed.”
Kyle was flustered. It was like a clash of personalities. For some reason, he found it much harder to deal with Glbert than with others.
“No… It’s not that. I just thought that if I go back like this… Father would choose Eugene as his successor.”
Kyle had been on a winning streak. He had won victory after victory in battle. People had begun to call him a hero. However, Kyle wasn’t the only one who had become a hero. Eugene had been victorious in the north, and a few days ago, he had reportedly crushed the army of the Bitrase Kingdom in the west and saved an elf village. Kyle’s achievements were overshadowed by Eugene’s.
Moreover, Eugene was secretly pulling strings behind the scenes. Although the princess was opposing Eugene, Eugene’s influence, backed by his seemingly endless wealth, was growing day by day.
“Kyle, you’re talking like a weakling.”
“…It’s not weak talk. That’s the reality. Eugene is more capable than I am.”
Olrond’s smile disappeared from his face. Kyle flinched involuntarily. When Olrond was serious, he had a bizarre aura that could overwhelm him in an instant.
“Are you going to give up the title of Count of Prucus for such a reason?”
“…It’s not about giving up, that’s just the reality.”
“Kyle, Baron Eugene Prucus is outstanding. Yes, he’s an unparalleled hero. But think about it. Does his personality suit a hero? Will people be happy if he inherits the title of Count?”
“…That’s…”
Kyle recalled the rumors he had heard about Eugene recently. Eugene had reportedly executed thousands of slaves. The publicly known reason was a slave rebellion. There were many suspicious points.
“Kyle, think of Yuria Grace. She is closest to Eugene Prucus. She might be being abused.”
“Th-that can’t be… Eugene and Yuria’s relationship is close to that of lovers.”
Kyle trembled. Just thinking about Yuria made his heart beat fast and his face turn red. His mind was filled with Yuria. How long had it been since he last saw her? He wanted to see her.
“Remember the slave massacre that happened recently. Eugene Prucus’s true nature is violent. He’s probably treating Yuria like a slave. In the worst case, he might be raping her every day.”
It was possible.
Kyle imagined Yuria being forcibly violated by Eugene and clenched his teeth. Anger and hatred surged within him.
“…I have to save Yuria. But if I don’t become the successor, there’s no way…”
“Kyle, the easiest way to become the successor is to eliminate your rival. It’s also the last resort.”
“……”
Kill Eugene. That’s what he was saying. Kyle found himself drawn to that method. But he couldn’t just charge in and kill him.
“Kyle, I have good news for you. Eugene Prucus is currently in the Hebersite Mountains.”
The Hebersite Mountains were a mountain range in the northern part of the Rapelli Kingdom. It was relatively small and so barren that neither monsters nor people lived there.
“…Eugene? Why is he there?”
“I don’t know. One thing is certain: Yuria Grace is with him. They might be plotting something.”
Kyle held his breath.
Several words floated in his mind.
Opportunity, Yuria, Eugene, Hebersite Mountains, Count of Prucus. And so on.
It was dizzying. Amidst the confusion, Glbert’s voice reached his ears. He spoke in a pleasant voice, saying things he wanted to hear. Among them, there was a word that shook Kyle’s heart.
“Yuria. You have to save Yuria, Kyle.”
“…That’s right. I have to save Yuria.”
“Don’t you love Yuria more than anyone else? You have to save Yuria from being abused by Eugene.”
“I love Yuria. Yuria…”
“The war has just ended. Even if it’s just a short break, you have some free time. I will accompany you, Kyle. I will guide you to the Hebersite Mountains. Oh, and take Terius with you. He will surely be of help. Are you still hesitating?”
“…No. I’ve decided not to hesitate. I’ll kill Eugene and save Yuria. And I… I’ll make Yuria happy.”
“That’s the spirit, Kyle! Yuria is surely waiting for you too.”
Kyle narrowed his eyes and stared blankly into the air. Yuria flickered in his vision.
***
I took Yuria and Elena to the Hebersite Mountains. In this barren mountain range in the northern part of the Rapelli Kingdom, there was a power that could lead Yuria to the Grand Master level.
Of course, it wasn’t guaranteed that Yuria would become a Grand Master. There was a good chance of failure. But I believed in Yuria. I believed that Yuria would reach the Grand Master level.
However, what I hadn’t anticipated was the state of the Hebersite Mountains. From the outside, they looked normal, but the sight that greeted me after climbing the mountains was speechless.
A Magic Stone Gate.
A large, diamond-shaped black stone was scattering magical energy from the center of the mountain range. And the Magic Stone Gate was also called a Demon Gate.
In other words, the Demon Society had already occupied the Hebersite Mountains.
‘This didn’t happen in the original story… What caused it to change like this?’
There were too many possibilities to guess.
‘A Magic Stone Gate… I saw one once at the Goldway Academy. Back then, Priscilla, the dragon, took care of it… but Priscilla isn’t here now.’
There was no way to call Priscilla. I had to deal with it myself. And as far as I knew, ordinary power wouldn’t be enough to destroy it.
‘Maybe it’s possible with Yuria and Elena?’
I used my Heavenly Eye to stare intently at the Magic Stone Gate. Demons and demonic beasts could emerge from the Demon Realm through the Magic Stone Gate. But I couldn’t see any demons or demonic beasts.
‘It’s highly likely that they’re hiding somewhere. But since I can’t see them, they must be hiding quite deep.’
I pondered what to do.
First of all, it was better to destroy the Magic Stone Gate. The purpose of the Magic Stone Gate was twofold: to summon demonic beasts and demons from the Demon Realm and to change the environment of this world to that of the Demon Realm.
And the ultimate goal of the Demon Society, which had installed this Magic Stone Gate, was to summon the Demon King to this world.
“Elena, can you erase that without a trace using illusion magic?”
Elena quietly observed the Magic Stone Gate. Then, she shook her head.
“It’s impossible without using Limit Break. I can feel a level of power from that stone similar to the Plague Demon we saw before.”
“Yuria, what about you?”
“If you command me, I will destroy it right now. However, if we destroy it by force, the magical energy of the Magic Stone Gate might explode and engulf the surroundings.”
“……Let’s destroy it later.”
There was one thing I was worried about if we destroyed the Magic Stone Gate right now. It was the heart of the Dragon Lord, which was somewhere in this mountain range. Yuria had to obtain the heart. That was the only way she could reach the Grand Master level.
‘It would be the worst if the Magic Stone Gate exploded and affected the Dragon Lord’s heart. The Magic Stone Gate isn’t immediately dangerous anyway, so we can deal with it later.’
Having made a decision, I ignored the Magic Stone Gate. It wasn’t urgent. Even if the Magic Stone Gate existed for a little longer, nothing much would change.
‘I hope the Dragon Lord’s heart hasn’t been affected.’
I looked around the barren mountain range. The trees in the mountain range were withered, and the ground was covered with black rocks. It was no wonder that the mountain range was famous for its barrenness. I had to find the remains of the Dragon Lord, which were somewhere in this mountain range.
“You don’t know the exact location?”
Elena grumbled discontentedly. I scratched my head and nodded.
“That’s how it is.”
“Haa. This is a pain. Then at least tell me a clue. I’ll use magic to find it.”
“That’s… there are no clues.”
This was something I couldn’t help.
Even Kyle, the protagonist of the original story, had discovered the remains of the Dragon Lord by chance. Moreover, the information about its location was vaguely described, making it impossible to pinpoint any specific place. All I knew was that it was somewhere in the Hebersite Mountains.
“…Hoo. Let’s move for now.”
As Elena said, we had to move. We wouldn’t gain anything by just standing still.
We wandered around the mountain range. There was nothing special except for the Magic Stone Gate.
Kugugugugugung.
Our footsteps, which had been trudging along the mountain range, came to a halt. The ground was shaking. It wasn’t just shaking. There was something underground.
I lowered my gaze to the ground. Activating my Heavenly Eye, I peered into the ground. A huge, worm-like demonic beast was rising towards us.
“Yuria, Elena! It’s coming from underground!!”
