REAPER SCANS
The Reincarnated Martial God Brings Down the Heavens
[Translator – San]
[Proofreader – Abstract]
Chapter 168 - Escape (2)
Upon Marquis Foltaine’s departure,
“Hahaha.”
King Terry slowly opened his mouth, letting out a slow chuckle.
“This is truly a blessing for our nation, isn’t it?”
At the same time, Duke Kairos flinched.
“Your Majesty, you don’t mean…?”
“I intend on allowing Marquis Foltaine and his knights to head to the border. Furthermore, we will send 10,000 of our soldiers with them as a precaution.”
“Your Majesty!”
Duke Kairos’ eyes widened in shock.
“That is practically declaring war! And our opponent will be the empire!”
“...”
Despite hearing that, King Terry’s face remained emotionless. At the same time, the urgency in Duke Kairos’ expression intensified.
“It is certainly a momentous occasion that our nation has gained another Master. However! The Empire has more than twenty officially recognized Masters.”
“...”
“This is like striking a rock with an egg. It is absolutely impossible!”
King Terry continued his silence. Seeing this, Duke Kairos let out a sigh and spoke in a more subdued voice.
“It’s not too late to summon Marquis Foltaine and firmly restrain him. In fact, this could be an opportunity for Your Majesty to assert authority over this new Master…”
At that moment, King Terry’s lips curled into a smirk.
“Do you think restraining him would establish my authority? It’s more likely for him to foster resentment against me.”
“Y-Your Majesty…”
“Moreover, the Empire aside, do you think the other nations will simply celebrate if they learn our kingdom has produced a fourth Master?”
“...!”
For the first time, Duke Kairos was at a loss for words.
“As you know, Duke, the current state of the continent is one where a single superpower stands above the rest, while the remaining nations keep each other in check.”
Having said this, King Terry rose from his throne.
“But now, one of those lesser nations has birthed another Master, disrupting the balance. Do you think the others will just stand by and watch?”
“Your Majesty! We needn’t worry about the other nations. Of course, they will celebrate with us. The entire continent is united against the colossal threat that is the Empire!”
King Terry scoffed.
“And who exactly believes that?”
“Pardon?”
“No matter their true feelings, the Emperor has proclaimed himself the protector of the continent and has avoided any major conflicts for twenty years. Thanks to that, our kingdom and all the others have been preoccupied with internal power struggles and factional disputes.”
“That’s…”
“I find that far more frightening. I fear that this may have been the Emperor’s true intention all along.”
Once again, Duke Kairos was left speechless.
“When the difference in power is overwhelming, resistance doesn’t even cross one’s mind. But if a peer, someone who once stood on equal footing, suddenly rises above, people instinctively feel jealous and seek to hinder them.”
“What exactly… are you suggesting, Your Majesty?”
“You said it yourself, Duke. The continent is united against the immense power of the Empire. But it seems that ‘unity’ has been momentarily forgotten…”
A sly grin spread across King Terry’s face.
“Shouldn’t we remind them who the real enemy is?”
At the same time, Duke Kairos’ eyes twitched.
“Are you… saying you intend to declare war on the Empire?”
“The Empire declared war first. They dared to set fire to the palace where my father resides.”
“...!”
Unlike Melio II, King Terry would not yield even a single step.
“There is profit to be gained from this.”
“…Profit, Your Majesty?”
“Yes. If a conflict arises between the Hart Kingdom and the Empire, the other nations will not dare to interfere or hinder us. Instead, they will stand back and watch from the sidelines, as one does when observing a burning house.”
Duke Kairos shook his head.
“Fighting the Empire is far riskier than facing the combined pressure of all other nations.”
“Perhaps. But who knows? If we hold our ground better than expected, some nations may rally around us to resist the Empire.”
In the end, Duke Kairos had no choice but to accept the truth. There was no convincing this bullheaded king.
‘Perhaps the indecisive Melio II would have been better…’
A belated sense of regret washed over him. At the same time, he felt a pair of piercing eyes on him.
“Duke.”
“…Yes, Your Majesty.”
“Do not mistake me for my father.”
“...!”
Duke Kairos was taken aback. It was as if his very thoughts had been read.
“I will not be dragged around by foreign powers like he was. Never.”
Clench.
Duke Kairos’ fist tightened. He gripped it so tightly that his nails dug into his palm, drawing blood.
“…I will obey your command.”
And yet, that was the only response he could give.
***
A long road was blocked by a group of figures.
Thud, thud, thud!
From the end of the path, a four-horse carriage charged forward.
“They’re coming, my lord.”
McGree, the Knight of Embers, murmured.
Fwoosh!
Beside him, Breed, the Knight of Flames, unsheathed his sword, his aura surging.
He was prepared to cut down any resistance.
“Stop them.”
At his superior’s command—
“Halt!”
McGree’s voice, imbued with mana, thundered through the air.
Thud, thud, thud!
Yet, the carriage showed no signs of stopping. As Breed instinctively tightened his grip on his sword—
“Whoa, whoa!”
Neighhh!
The carriage came to a sudden halt, mere inches away from their faces. Only then did Breed relax his grip.
“Who dares block the road!?”
The young coachman shouted boldly.
“Have them step out. If they refuse, drag them out.”
“Yes, sir!”
At the order, knights surrounded the carriage.
“You fools! Do you even know who I am!?”
Even then, the coachman did not flinch.
“I am Leo of the 7th Brigade of Imperial Knights! Who dares obstruct an Imperial Knight carrying out His Majesty’s orders!?”
Breed and McGree instinctively tensed.
The name of the Emperor had been invoked—meaning any reckless action could be deemed treason.
“Step aside.”
At last, their superior stepped forward. A man reminiscent of a crimson wolf.
“I am Theorg.”
He was one of the Three Heavens of the continent renowned across the land. Yet, his introduction was as simple as could be.
“I-I greet Your Grace.”
Leo’s eyes widened as he hastily leapt from the coach, bowing deeply.
“Sir Leo, is it? A pleasure.”
“Th-The honor is mine, Your Grace.”
“But tell me, where are you headed?”
“I was returning to the Imperial Palace on a mission, but…”
Theorg nodded, as if thanking him for answering so obediently.
“I apologize, but I must ask for your cooperation.”
“…Cooperation?”
“To my shame, a criminal from my household has escaped.”
“I-I haven’t seen anyone suspicious.”
“I see. But just to be certain, may we check the carriage? I’d like to be thorough.”
Leo quickly shook his head.
“S-Still, I am associated with the Imperial family…”
“I said it was a ‘request.’”
“...”
A burning gaze locked onto Leo. Hesitating, he forced an awkward smile.
“I take no responsibility for what happens after this.”
Theorg chuckled softly.
“I will take responsibility.”
Then, he gestured toward the carriage.
“Search it.”
The knights rushed forward. However—
Bang!
“Th-There’s no one inside!”
“...”
It was an unexpected outcome, but Theorg remained unfazed. He had already sensed that the carriage was empty.
“Sir Leo, one last question.”
“…Yes?”
“I suggest you answer carefully. If you do not give me the response I want… You will spend the entire day facing duel challenges from my knights. They aspire to become Imperial Knights themselves.”
Leo forced another uneasy smile.
“I will answer with utmost sincerity, Your Grace.”
* * *
Reaper Scans
[Translator – San]
[Proofreader – Abstract]
Join our discord for updates on releases! https://dsc.gg/reapercomics
* * *
Meanwhile, we had successfully made it to the border by using ‘Leo’ as bait.
However,
“...Something’s off.”
From that point on, Count Kaiman kept a hardened expression. Noticing his concern—
“What exactly seems off?”
Nella asked immediately.
“...Hmm, as I thought, something is strange.”
“So what is it?”
“The pursuers should have been thoroughly lured away by Leo…”
Hummm!
Count Kaiman opened his mana hole, expanding his sensory perception. And before long, he let out a deep sigh.
“...Your Highness.”
At the same time, he approached me, unable to hold back any longer.
“What is it?”
“I believe there’s an ambush up ahead.”
My gaze sharpened immediately.
I had sensed something as well. Of course, I had assumed it was just Count Kaiman’s subordinates.
“Weren’t you and your men the only ones who knew about this route?”
Count Kaiman nodded.
“That is correct. This shortcut to the border—this mountain path—is known only to us. In fact, we only recently discovered it by chance.”
“And yet, there’s an ambush?”
“So… to confirm things further, allow me a moment.”
Without waiting for my response, Count Kaiman reached out. His hand landed on the back of Raven, who I was carrying.
Hummm! Hummmmmm!
The process didn’t take long.
“...As expected.”
After a moment, Count Kaiman opened his eyes and let out a heavy sigh.
“What did you just do to my Master?”
Nella stepped forward with a sharp glare.
“I merely examined the body of the Poison Master. It seems my suspicion was correct.”
“What suspicion?”
“The restriction placed on his heart—it also contains a tracking spell.”
“...!”
Nella’s eyes widened in shock.
“...”
A suffocating silence fell over us. Breaking that silence—
“...Your Highness, perhaps it would be best to abandon the Poison Master.”
Count Kaiman spoke his honest thoughts.
“No matter where we go, we won’t be able to escape their pursuit. Even if we avoid this ambush, they’ll block our path again before long.”
“W-We can’t!”
Nella raised her voice sharply.
‘He’s asking me to abandon a comrade?’
No.
That was something I could never accept.
“Then we should just take down the ambushers before moving on.”
“...I am not joking.”
For the first time, Count Kaiman’s tone carried a forceful weight.
“The ones lying in ambush are most likely from the Imperial Palace. The restriction spells are handled exclusively by the ‘Administration Palace’ under the imperial court.”
“If they’re just royal guards, then it’s even more worth fighting—”
“No. That would be impossible.”
Count Kaiman stated firmly.
“The Knight of Flames and the Knight of Embers—those two gave us serious trouble by themselves. The current palace is crawling with warriors of their caliber.”
“...Is that true?”
Count Kaiman nodded grimly.
“After the Great Hero passed away, His Majesty focused on strengthening the royal family’s power rather than supporting the existing commanders. This is the result.”
“...”
“The Undefeated, the Blaze, and the Full Moon—yes, they are among the strongest in the empire. But aside from them, most of the Master-level warriors now serve the imperial family.”
“...”
“As unfortunate as it is… just three of them would be enough to ensure our defeat.”
I looked at Nella.
She shook her head desperately.
“Hah...”
A sigh escaped my lips.
At that very moment—
“...Put me down.”
A voice, softer than a whisper, rang out.
“...!”
Not just me, but everyone’s eyes widened in shock.
“M-Master!?”
Nella’s cry of disbelief echoed around us.
“Th-This is impossible. He should still be unconscious from the sleeping pill…!”
“Nella, you’re always too careless. If you really wanted to be sure, you should have fed it to me yourself instead of letting Nen do it.”
“...!”
In truth, Nella had ordered Nen to administer the sleeping pill.
Had she tried to put it in his mouth herself, he might have grown suspicious and refused to swallow it.
“A-Aah...”
At that moment, Nella collapsed onto the ground.
Not because she had just witnessed the miracle of her Master standing on his own two feet.
“W-Why… why would you make that choice…?”
She covered her mouth, sobbing uncontrollably. Raven looked at her warmly.
“I’ve always been grateful to you, Nella.”
Then, he turned to me with a faint smile.
“I’d like to have a word with you.”
Count Kaiman, having regained his composure, interjected.
“There is no time for…”
“It won’t take long. I just have something important to discuss. After that, you can leave me behind if you wish.”
“...”
After studying Raven for a moment, Count Kaiman finally nodded.
“Ten minutes. Any longer is too dangerous.”
“That will be plenty.”
Raven nodded and looked back at me.
“Shall we move to a different spot?”
***
Raven led me deep into the forest.
“...”
Honestly, even seeing it with my own eyes, I could hardly believe it.
His nervous system had been completely destroyed, and yet, he was walking ahead of me.
Still, as Count Kaiman had said, this was no time to be awed.
“...Hey, Poison Master.”
“...”
“I never introduced myself properly. I am the successor of the Great Hero.”
Raven abruptly stopped walking and turned to face me. Naturally, I met his gaze head-on.
“So tell me everything you know. That way, I can avenge my senior’s death.”
“...”
Then, after a long silence, Raven slowly opened his mouth.
“Why are you lying?”
A chill ran down my spine.
“You claim to be his successor? Pfft. I’m at a loss for words.”
“...Look, I’m not—”
“No matter how much your shell has changed, did you really think I wouldn’t recognize you?”
“...!”
My eyes widened in shock.
This guy. Could it be…?
“H-How…?”
I couldn’t even finish my question.
“That’s what I want to ask you. How can such a miracle exist…?”
Raven furrowed his brows slightly. Then, as if acting on instinct, he clutched at his chest.
“Hah, hah. I’d love to talk more, but there’s not much time left.”
“...What?”
Suddenly, Raven stepped forward and pulled me into a tight embrace.
“My friend.”
“...!”
Every hair on my body stood on end.
“I’m about to die.”
“R-Raven. You…?”
“So listen carefully.”
His voice, whispering into my ear, carried a weight of countless emotions.
“What I’m about to tell you is very important.”
* * *
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