REAPER SCANS
The Reincarnated Martial God Brings Down the Heavens
[Translator – San]
[Proofreader – Abstract]
Chapter 165 - Drunkard (2)
Breed, the Knight of Flames and McGree, the Knight of Embers.
Both of them were figures powerful enough to command entire regions wherever they went.
“I greet my lord.”
Yet, these two were now kneeling, lowering themselves with utmost respect.
“Is it true that the successor of the Great Hero has appeared?”
At the man’s question, the two responded as if they had been waiting for it.
“We saw it with our own eyes.”
“The ground split open, and magma buried deep beneath the earth erupted.”
At their answer, the man muttered under his breath, almost sounding like a groan.
“The Lava Sword…”
Just by their description alone, he could picture the technique in his mind.
How could he ever forget?
The Lava Sword was the very thing that had earned him the title of the ‘Knight of Blazes.’
‘It’s too early to jump to conclusions. He could simply have an exceptional affinity with fire…’
Lost in thought, Theorg shook his head. No matter what, he needed to confirm this himself. Moreover, an entire day had been wasted waiting for their arrival.
“We leave immediately.”
“...!”
Breed and McGree widened their eyes in shock, lifting their heads.
“You’re going in person?”
Theorg nodded.
If Ancelot failed to meet expectations as the rumours suggested, he would kill him on the spot.
His time was too precious to be wasted.
Perhaps sensing his bloodlust, one of them cautiously spoke.
“My lord. Forgive my arrogance, but if you kill the prince, it could create diplomatic issues.”
Theorg smirked.
“Are you saying I should concern myself with the whims of some minor principality?”
“That’s not it… But wouldn’t that be beneficial to the Undefeated Knight and the Knight of the Full Moon?”
At their words, Theorg’s expression hardened.
“...The very premise of that diplomatic issue is flawed.”
“Pardon?”
“If I kill the seventh prince, wouldn’t the Principality of Meeke be grateful to me instead?”
“Ah!”
Only then did the two relax, bowing their heads again.
It was true, after all.
“Besides, I’m not saying I’ll kill him outright. If he proves useful, I’ll keep him alive and exploit him as much as I can.”
“I apologize for bringing up such unnecessary concerns, my lord.”
“It’s fine. I’m hot-tempered, so having cautious subordinates like you is necessary.”
With that, Theorg rose from his seat.
“Well then, let’s go see for ourselves if that bastard has the face of a king.”
As he stepped forward from the shadows, Theorg’s face was revealed.
Fittingly, his features bore a striking resemblance to that of a ‘wolf.’
***
I stepped into the tavern without hesitation.
‘Someone of higher standing than the Knights of Flames and Ember… It can only be him.’
Theorg.
The one known across the continent as the Knight of Blazes.
There was no doubt about it.
‘…If it were up to me, I’d wait and kill him the moment he arrived.’
Theorg coming in person was unexpected, even for me. However, I didn’t find it entirely unpleasant. If anything, it meant he was still wary of my ghost.
‘Still, I can’t confront him here.’
It was too soon. Besides, I had already chosen the stage for his grave.
‘The Master’s Tournament. Your death will be witnessed by the entire continent.’
With that in mind, I moved swiftly.
However, no matter where I searched inside the tavern, the man I sought was nowhere to be found.
“Where’s that drunkard?”
I asked the tavern owner directly.
“Pardon?”
“The Swordsman of Mana.”
“Ah…”
The barkeep made an awkward expression.
“W-Well… He was here just a moment ago, but now…”
My eyes narrowed.
‘Zion hasn’t left this place.’
I was certain. I had stationed Leo outside to monitor everyone coming and going.
Which meant…
‘He’s either in a room upstairs or has escaped through a secret exit.’
I didn’t have the time to search the entire place.
More importantly—
‘The second option is more likely.’
My instincts told me so.
The tavern owner’s uneasy expression only confirmed it.
“…I know you’ve been looking after the Swordsman of Mana, barkeeper. Why?”
“Well, I…”
“Don’t tell me it’s out of respect for a veteran. No matter who he was in the past, he’s just a hopeless drunk and a criminal now.”
I wasn’t lying.
He was, after all, a criminal. Had he not conspired to embezzle Imperial property?
“C-Criminal?”
The tavern owner feigned ignorance, his eyes widening.
“The case is still under investigation. Just know that he’s guilty.”
“...”
I watched the tavern owner’s reaction carefully. Depending on what he said next, my approach would change.
Then—
“…I don’t know what kind of investigation you’re talking about, but I have no connection to him. More importantly, even if you’re a foreign prince, is it right for you to oppress a subject of the Empire like this?”
By now, my identity as a prince of the Principality of Meeke had spread throughout the city.
Of course, I had already prepared an excuse to counter such arguments.
“I am a knight of this Empire.”
“…And you expect me to believe that lie?”
At that moment—
“In that case, let me ask you the question myself.”
“...!”
A new voice interrupted us.
I turned around to see Count Kaiman.
-It seems Your Highness has no intention of fleeing. In that case, allow me to assist you.
-Now, of all times?
-Honestly, I’m curious too. I’ve only thought about fighting, but I still don’t understand why the Swordsman of Mana committed fraud.
After exchanging a brief telepathic conversation, I redirected my focus towards the barkeeper.
“I have three reasons to suspect you as an accomplice.”
“That many…?”
Count Kaiman muttered in admiration.
“…First. Barkeep, you’ve been providing free alcohol to a mere drunkard all this time, haven’t you?”
“Well, he’s a national hero, so…”
I shook my head before he could even finish his sentence.
“A merchant’s top priority is business.”
“…”
“A penniless drunkard like him is nothing but a hindrance to business. I’m not just talking about him causing trouble. If word spreads that you’re handing out free drinks, beggars will start swarming in by tomorrow.”
This wasn’t just mere speculation—it was already happening. Even now, there were vagrants camping outside the tavern, hoping for charity.
“If beggars gather, other customers will stop coming. No businessman would let that happen just out of sympathy.”
“…”
“Compassion and generosity come from surplus. If your own profits are shrinking, you wouldn’t have the luxury to help others.”
Before he could answer, I moved on to the next point.
“The second reason is what happened yesterday.”
“…What do you mean?”
“When that door had opened, nobody could have guessed what havoc those violent knights might have unleashed.”
The barkeeper flinched.
“Even if the other customers were oblivious, you should have been prepared for such a situation. Whether you handled it yourself or ordered a staff member to intervene, you should never have let a drunkard open the door like that.”
The responsibility of maintaining the establishment fell solely on the tavern keeper.
If something went wrong because of a mere drunk, the consequences could have easily affected him as well.
However, he let the situation unfold.
“Which means the Swordsman of Mana isn’t just some broke customer to you. That’s the only conclusion that makes sense.”
“…”
The barkeeper let out a long sigh.
“I should have introduced myself sooner. My name is Kit.”
“Pleasure to meet you, Kit.”
“Regardless… This is quite troublesome.”
Kit turned his gaze toward Count Kaiman, lowering his voice.
“I heard that you were also an accomplice. Am I mistaken?”
He was clearly silently protesting. Why make a fuss now?
“I’m known as the Empire’s most capricious man.”
“…”
“So, tell me what I need to know. Besides, I have a debt to collect from your guest, so don’t worry too much. Would a creditor ever harm someone who owes him money?”
Kit stared at us for a long moment before shaking his head.
“I don’t know anymore. And honestly, I don’t want to get involved.”
“A wise decision.”
“You’ll find a house on the northern hill. It’s isolated from the city. Try looking there.”
“Much appreciated.”
With that, we left the tavern.
“By the way, Your Highness, what was that third reason?”
Curious, Count Kaiman turned to me as we walked.
“You mentioned three reasons earlier. I only heard two.”
“That…”
I hesitated.
‘The largest tavern in the city has always been Zion’s preferred means of communication.’
Whenever he needed to pass a message discreetly, he would say something like, ‘Leave a message at the largest tavern in the central district.’
I held out my hand.
“…?”
Count Kaiman tilted his head.
“What’s this?”
“You want the third reason, don’t you?”
“And?”
“Nothing in this world is free. Pay up if you want to know.”
“…”
Count Kaiman looked at me in disbelief.
“Seriously? After all the help I’ve given you?”
“Fine, I’ll tell you only if you promise to see this through to the end.”
“Hahaha!”
Count Kaiman burst into laughter.
“Alright. So, what’s this great reason that you’re charging me for?”
I shrugged.
“The barkeeper had the face of a liar.”
* * *
Reaper Scans
[Translator – San]
[Proofreader – Abstract]
Join our discord for updates on releases! https://dsc.gg/reapercomics
* * *
The house on the northern hill was easy to find, but there were two bigger problems.
First, the path was steeper than expected.
“…Your Highness, do you sense it?”
And second, this was no ordinary house. A regular person wouldn’t have noticed, but we did.
Along the path up the hill, figures hiding behind rocks and trees were watching us. Their stealth skills were quite impressive.
“This is pissing me off… Should we just cut them all down and be done with it?”
“Hold back.”
“Hahaha, as expected of the Swordsman of Mana… My instincts were right, after all.”
Count Kaiman smirked in satisfaction.
Indeed.
If he had been just another drunkard, this madman wouldn’t have given him a second thought.
Fortunately—or unfortunately—the people lurking here didn’t seem eager on initiating a fight.
“This is the place.”
Soon, we reached the entrance.
Bang!
I pushed the door open without hesitation.
Gulp, gulp, gulp.
The inside was desolate.
In the middle of the empty room sat a lone table and at the table, Zion was drinking himself into oblivion.
“Hic… Hrrrgh…”
The stench of alcohol hit me immediately. Ignoring it, I dragged a chair across the floor and sat down across from him.
“Urrpp!”
He gagged dramatically, as if trying to regurgitate whatever was left in his stomach from yesterday.
“…Hey, Swordsman of Mana.”
No response.
He just kept dry heaving. Then, as if it were some kind of medicine, he poured more liquor down his throat.
His state was exactly the same as yesterday.
But…
“I don’t have much time, so I’ll be direct.”
Slowly, I reached under the table and rested my hand on my sword hilt.
“Why are you pretending?”
Zion, mid-drink, lowered his gaze to meet mine. I studied the emotion in his eyes.
“Can you even stomach the alcohol after you betrayed your friend?”
“…”
His gaze, which met mine, was more indifferent than any I had ever seen before.
* * *
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