Chapter 2253 – 2253. The Plum Blossom Swordsman Reincarnated Into The Baek Family
As soon as I was transported to the Eastern Continent, I understood why Priscilla had said it wasn’t a place suited for dragons. As an Aura Master, I immediately grasped the difference between the Western and Eastern Continents.
‘The mana is thinner than in the Western Continent.’
It felt like about 5% to 10% less.
Most ordinary people and knights wouldn’t notice, but those sensitive to mana and mages would know it was lacking.
Dragons? No need to even mention them. They’re the most sensitive creatures to mana, so they’d feel it even more than I do. They might even find it hard to breathe properly due to the stuffiness.
‘The people of the Eastern Continent probably don’t know that mana is thinner here than in the West. They were born and raised here, after all.’
I looked around. I was at the summit of an unnamed mountain. It was quite high, so I could see everything around me. I spotted a road. At the end of the road, there was a city.
I focused mana into my eyes to enhance my vision and looked at the city, then whistled.
‘It’s definitely the Eastern Continent. The city’s structure and the houses are a bit different.’
The Western Continent was based on a medieval fantasy, so its culture and atmosphere had a strong medieval feel. On the other hand, the city in the Eastern Continent looked like a mix of Western and Eastern cultures.
‘I need to go there and gather information.’
I knew too little about the Eastern Continent. Fortunately, most of the Eastern Continent used a common language, so there was no language barrier.
Thunder Sky Style (雷天流) Flying Thunder God (飛雷神).
I leaped into the air and dashed towards the city. Even as I stepped on the air, I frowned. My body felt less light than when I used it in the [Ascension to Light] world. Moreover, the amount of mana consumed was considerable.
‘I can’t use it for long.’
At the city wall entrance, armed soldiers were controlling access. If I went in head-on, I’d get into a scuffle with them. I went over the wall. It wasn’t even 10 meters high, so it was easy.
I landed in a dark alleyway. The beggars and vagrants sprawled in the alley looked at me. They were disabled, missing arms or legs.
“What are you looking at? Get your eyes off me.”
I spoke with killing intent, and the beggars and vagrants quickly averted their gazes. Even if I lacked information, I didn’t want to mix words with those beggar bastards.
The main street was rather quiet. Most of the people walking around were women. Men? They were either children or old men.
‘The Eastern Continent was at war. Most of the young men must have been dragged to the battlefield.’
I saw some men. They were large, with swords and axes strapped to their backs and waists. They had a lot of hair on their faces and bodies.
‘Barbarian warriors? Is that part of the Eastern Continent’s culture? Interesting.’
The man walked confidently down the street. People avoided him. If they were close, they bowed their heads in greeting, and if they were far away, they disappeared as if fleeing. They didn’t want to be associated with the barbarian warrior.
‘Now that I’m closer, I can tell. He’s an Aura Expert. In the Western Continent, he’d be a knight.’
The barbarian warrior looked at me, who was blocking his path, and his already fierce face contorted.
“What are you? Judging by your appearance, you don’t seem to be from around here. Speak if you have something to say.”
He said. He seemed to be threatening me, but his fingertips were trembling slightly. He had sensed my aura. I hadn’t bothered to hide it. By the way, I was wearing a black fur coat. It was a bit hot, but not unbearable.
“I have some questions. You’ll have to answer them.”
“…Questions? It’s clear you’re not from here. I thought you were an assassin. Tell me what you want to know. I’ll answer anything I know.”
His attitude changed.
I tilted my head.
“You were just full of killing intent a moment ago?”
“As I said, I initially thought you were an assassin coming to kill me. The power I felt was extraordinary… I thought I was going to die here, but since you’re not, there’s no need to antagonize a great warrior like you. So, what do you want to know?”
His voice was confident, but his gaze was directed below my eyes, not at them. I liked that he knew to lower his eyes.
“Where is this?”
“…Hotit. You must know that… Are you testing me?”
“Cut the crap and just answer my question. Where exactly is Hotit?”
“Where is Hotit? It’s Hotit of Kairak. It’s located near the center of Kairak. It’s famous for the warriors’ dueling tournament, but since all the warriors are at the front, the tournament isn’t being held now.”
The Eastern Continent was currently divided between two warring nations, each occupying half of the land. One was Thorn, which had sent an envoy to the Rapelli Kingdom, and the other was Kairak.
The reason there were no sturdy men was because of the war.
“I heard Kairak has the upper hand in the war.”
“That’s true for now.”
“…For now?”
“There’s a rumor that Kairak’s War King, Wekung, was poisoned by an assassin on the battlefield and is in critical condition. If this rumor is true, Wekung will die soon. Then Kairak will fall apart. Kairak was originally a coalition formed around Wekung. There’s no strong bond between them.”
“I’m not interested in history… but I guess it’s better to know at least the basics for now. Explain the history of the Eastern Continent in the next 10 minutes.”
The man explained the history he knew. I almost fell asleep in the middle, but I managed to listen.
‘The war between Thorn and Kairak started three years ago. Originally, Thorn was the strongest nation in the Eastern Continent, but after Kairak conquered and unified other nations, it declared war on Thorn. Kairak has gained an advantage in the war, but it’s not a decisive one.’
I didn’t listen to the history before that. I wasn’t interested.
“You’re a warrior, right? Why are you here?”
“I killed my superior and was kicked out of the army. I couldn’t stand taking orders from someone weaker than me.”
“The army just let you go?”
“They let me go when I said I’d kill anyone who tried to stop me. I came to Hotit, a nearby city, to work as a mercenary.”
“Is that so? Go on your way.”
He hesitated without moving.
“…Are you here to take over Hotit? If so… I’ll help you.”
“Didn’t you say you killed your superior in the army? Are you waiting for a chance to kill me?”
“I killed him because he was weaker than me and gave me orders. You’re different. You’re stronger than a great warrior.”
“Why do you want to follow me?”
“Following the strong is a warrior’s instinct. …And the problem is, there’s nothing to do here.”
I stroked my chin and pondered.
I still didn’t know much about the Eastern Continent, so I needed a guide.
‘Originally, I planned to meet the King of Thorn, make him realize the difference in power, and turn him into a puppet… but conquering Kairak first isn’t a bad idea either.’
Kairak was a place where the strong were respected. Whether it was politics or money, power was everything.
“I’ll allow it. What’s your name?”
“Hartro. What’s your name, Chief?”
“Eugene Prukerus.”
“That’s a strange name. I can tell you’re not from Kairak.”
“Is there a problem?”
“You’re strong, Chief. There’s no problem.”
As we headed towards the building in the center of the city, I learned about Kairak’s warrior ranks.
Apprentice Warrior, Common Warrior, Advanced Warrior, Great Warrior.
Usually, Advanced Warrior was the highest, and Great Warrior was equivalent to an Aura Master. Hartro was an Advanced Warrior. He considered me a Great Warrior.
The Warlord was the ruler of the city. He was more like a mayor than a noble.
War King was a title only the King of Kairak could use.
“We’ve arrived.”
The Warlord’s house was made of wood and was large. It was decorated with the bones of monsters and beasts. It had a slight Eastern feel, but it looked more barbaric.
“Halt.”
“Those who are not permitted cannot enter.”
Armed soldiers blocked my path. I was fiddling with the hilt of my Hwaryeon Bido, but Hartro stepped forward.
“Chief, I’ll handle this. This is what subordinates are for.”
“Deal with it in one minute.”
It didn’t even take 30 seconds. They fell like leaves in the wind before Hartro’s fists. We went inside. There were no warriors. Instead, a rather strong-looking man was sitting on the floor, drinking.
“We have uninvited guests.”
“I’ll kill you and take over this city.”
Swish.
I drew the Hwaryeon Bido from its sheath at my waist. A blue, smoky aura formed on the red blade. The aura was compressed and shone faintly like starlight.
The Aura Blade, proof of an Aura Master.
“You’re a Great Warrior. I concede. I’ll quietly step down from this position, but I have a condition.”
“A condition?”
“You wouldn’t be satisfied with being the ruler of this small city. I’ll follow you. Accept me. I have about 500 warriors I can use right now. These 500 will follow you.”
“There’s no reason to refuse. Are you a warrior who doesn’t even fight?”
“It’s not a warrior’s virtue to engage in a battle with no chance of winning. A warrior must distinguish between courage and recklessness. Above all, I’ve been waiting for a moment of change. You’ve seen Hotit. Hotit is dying because there are no men. I heard recently that the warriors sent to the battlefield were annihilated. Hotit has no future. Rather than quietly accepting death… I’ll bet everything on the change that is you.”
“What I’m going to do is treason.”
“If you succeed, a new War King will be born.”
He got up from his seat and offered me a drink.
“My name is Sopong. What’s your name?”
“Eugene Prukerus.”
I tossed the drink into my mouth. It was quite strong. I swallowed it in one go and threw the cup behind me. The cup shattered.
“Gather the soldiers immediately. We’re moving to the capital where the War King is.”
“…Isn’t that too hasty? Even with this many soldiers, it’ll be difficult to succeed in treason.”
Sopong shook his head. I asked him.
“Do you have any other good ideas?”
“As we head to the capital, we conquer the surrounding cities and villages, recruit warriors, and gather supplies. A long war will be difficult, but a short war will be manageable.”
“Do we have to go through the hassle of conquering?”
“No matter how powerful you are, you can’t do everything with just strength. You need to build a reputation. You need to make people aware of your existence so that it will be easier after you take the throne.”
“What I want is not to rule, but to reign.”
“That’s why you need to make your presence known even more, isn’t it?”
I had no counterargument.
