REAPER SCANS
The Reincarnated Martial God Brings Down the Heavens
[Translator – San]
[Proofreader – Abstract]
Chapter 174 - Rising Star Tournament (1)
The tension at the Imperial Palace was like a sheet of thin ice.
“You’re saying that the encirclement was breached and the escape route appears to be the tunnel we dug?”
“…Yes, Your Majesty.”
Kamaras answered, cold sweat trickling down his back. He wasn’t the only one that was tense.
“...”
The inner circle, composed only of the Emperor’s closest aides, was already suffocating in silence.
“Hahahahaha!”
The Emperor, who had been receiving the report, suddenly burst into laughter. His laughter grew louder and louder.
Then—
Crack!
Even the ornate decorations of the throne were shattered in his grasp.
Gulp.
His closest aides swallowed dryly.
This wasn’t good.
If the Emperor were to issue the decree to cross the border, a continental war would break out immediately.
“…Interesting.”
His laughter abruptly stopped.
Everyone was focused on the Emperor’s next words.
“Kamaras.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
“You will personally see to it that the exposed tunnel is collapsed. Explosive magic circles have already been placed inside, so it shouldn’t be too difficult.”
Kamaras immediately bowed his head.
“It shall be done.”
It was a shame, but this was the right course of action. The cost of constructing the tunnel had been unimaginably high.
But now that it had been discovered, its strategic value was nearly zero.
No, it was worse than zero.
During wartime, the enemy could even turn the tunnel against them.
“Hahaha, just where did the information leak from? Only those of us present here, including me, knew of the tunnel’s existence.”
“...!”
At that moment, the very situation they had feared had come to pass.
The Emperor’s closest aides responded as if they had been waiting for this moment.
“Could it have leaked from either the Knight of Blazes, the Undefeated Knight, or the Knight of the Full Moon?”
“Y-Yes, Your Majesty. The Knight of Blazes is particularly suspicious. That tunnel was within Duke Theorg’s domain.”
The Emperor’s gaze darkened.
“So the leak did not come from within?”
“...”
As if of one mind, the Emperor’s closest aides all fell silent.
The Emperor’s sharp eyes, filled with killing intent, scanned the room before it dissipated.
“Heh. Right. We cannot let a mere incident like this benefit others.”
“...”
“The more divided we are, the better it is for them, no?”
Only then did his closest aides bow deeply.
“Thank you, Your Majesty!”
“Kamaras, erase all traces of our involvement. Ensure that the Kingdom of Hart doesn’t even think of lodging a complaint. Just like the fire incident before.”
“Yes, Your Majesty!”
Their reactions to the order varied. Some sighed in relief. Others let out quiet sighs of disappointment.
With this decision, the likelihood of the Empire embarking on a continental conquest immediately had disappeared.
‘I was secretly looking forward to it. What a shame.’
Kamaras, who had received the order, felt the same way.
Setting aside personal feelings, the Empire was like a volcano on the verge of eruption—its power had accumulated to the breaking point.
If that power wasn’t vented elsewhere, the Empire itself could explode.
“Hear me.”
“Yes, Your Majesty!”
“The grand plan is near. We cannot let a single loach ruin it.”
Sensing the mood, the Emperor made a declaration.
“The timing of the continental conquest is set. The next Master Tournament. On that day, when the eyes of the continent and the elite forces of each nation are concentrated in one place—our Empire shall devour the continent.”
“We shall prepare thoroughly for the great day!”
“In addition…”
Trailing off momentarily, the emperor twisted his lips into a smirk.
“If we let that escaping loach go unchecked, the empire’s dignity would be at stake, wouldn’t it?”
“...!”
A cruel smile had appeared on the emperor’s lips.
“Andrew von Meeke—we shall extend him another invitation to the empire.”
“Your Majesty, with all due respect, do you believe the prince will accept our invitation…?”
“Do not worry. I have a plan.”
Under the weight of the gazes upon him, the emperor’s smile deepened.
“Speaking of the Master Tournament, wasn’t there a similar event scheduled to take place in our empire this year?”
“...!”
Only then did the emperor’s closest aides brighten.
“We shall carry out Your Majesty’s decree!”
* * *
Reaper Scans
[Translator – San]
[Proofreader – Abstract]
Join our discord for updates on releases! https://dsc.gg/reapercomics
* * *
At the Kingdom ofHart.
“Baron Ancelot discovered a tunnel dug by the Empire?”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
Marquis Foltaine concisely summarized the events that had transpired.
“Hah…”
King Terry, listening to the report, repeatedly let out exclamations of surprise.
At the same time, he couldn’t help but glance sideways. As expected, Duke Kairos was biting his lip in frustration.
“Ahahahaha!”
Seeing that expression was so amusing that King Terry couldn’t help but burst into laughter.
Especially considering that, just this morning, the nobles had been giving him a hard time, going so far as to submit formal petitions in droves.
They had vehemently argued that deploying ten thousand troops to the border with the Empire was a mistake.
But now—
“A tunnel… A tunnel leading directly from the Empire to our country… Hahaha, those unruly bastards were secretly preparing for war, weren’t they?”
This discovery had completely silenced them.
‘This one’s worth his weight in gold.’
To King Terry, Ancelot—who now stood blankly as if nothing had happened—looked like a golden goose.
“What do you think, Sir Kairos?”
“…If what has been reported is all true, then it is indeed a great achievement.”
Even now, Duke Kairos deliberately emphasized the word ‘if.’
“Hahaha, I see. Then we must reward Baron Ancelot for his great accomplishment.”
“...”
Duke Kairos, who had been about to say something, let out a sigh and closed his mouth.
Seeing that, King Terry silently relished his triumph before speaking again.
“Baron Ancelot, is there anything you desire?”
However, the other nobles were not as composed.
“Your Majesty! Baron Ancelot has already been overcompensated!”
“Indeed! Despite being a prince of another nation, he was granted a noble title in this kingdom—an unprecedented event in history! On top of that, he was awarded vast lands! You have already bestowed upon him boundless grace.”
King Terry smirked.
“Yes, that’s true. And at that time, you all opposed it, just as you are doing now.”
“…”
The nobles instantly fell silent, and King Terry shrugged.
“Wouldn’t this mean that my judgment was correct?”
“What do you mean…?”
“The moment I rewarded Baron Ancelot, he turned around and delivered this great achievement. If I reward him properly again, won’t he bring back an even greater accomplishment?”
In the end, results were all that mattered. The war that the nobles had feared had not broken out.
Instead, Ancelot had returned with an invaluable achievement. In such a situation, what argument could the nobles possibly make?
“Since no one is objecting, it seems I’m not wrong.”
Eventually, Duke Kairos, unable to take it any longer, bowed his head.
“Decisions regarding individual rewards are solely within Your Majesty’s jurisdiction. Please proceed as you see fit.”
“My jurisdiction, huh… That’s a wonderful phrase.”
With a grin, King Terry rose from his throne.
“Baron Ancelot has been struggling to develop his barren land. In recognition of his recent achievements, I grant him a lump sum of five hundred thousand gold!”
“F-Five hundred thousand gold?!”
The royal hall erupted in shock.
Even Marquis Foltaine, though he remained silent, couldn’t hide his astonishment.
For reference, the capital’s annual tax revenue was around 2.5 million gold.
King Terry was offering one-fifth of that amount without hesitation.
“Y-Your Majesty! Even so, handing out such a sum all at once will deplete the treasury!”
King Terry dismissed the protest in just a few words.
“Isn’t Black Swan now our territory?”
“…!”
“This is both a reward and an investment in our underdeveloped lands. So ministers, enough complaining!”
With that, King Terry left the hall without waiting for a response.
And—
‘As expected, he’s one bold man.’
Watching his retreating figure, Ancelot sincerely lowered his head in gratitude.
“Thank you, Your Majesty!”
For a brief moment, King Terry paused. Then, without looking back, he resumed walking.
At the same time, a satisfied smile spread across his lips.
***
We headed straight to the palace’s reception room.
Word had already spread, and people were waiting there to see us.
“Hah… I heard the story, but you look like a mess.”
Duke Herman chuckled as he looked at the bandaged-up Marquis Foltaine.
“Laughing at an injured man? Are you really my drinking buddy?”
“Hahaha! I’m just glad to see you, that’s all. Those are wounds of glory, aren’t they?”
“Wounds of glory, my foot...”
Duke Herman then turned to glance back and forth between me and Marquis Foltaine.
And then—
“It’s a good sight. Truly.”
“Enough talk. Let’s have a drink to celebrate our safe return. There’s much to discuss.”
“Sounds good.”
The two of them left first.
Of course, Duke Herman didn’t forget to say, ‘I’ll see you later.’
I appreciated their consideration, even if they didn’t say it outright.
After all—
“You’re back.”
There were others who had been eagerly waiting for me.
Milon greeted me with a rare smile, and the rest of the group quickly gathered around.
“Master! I missed you!”
“You’ve worked hard, honored guest! I heard you blocked a Master’s attack and saved Marquis Foltaine, is that true? It’s the talk of the whole capital!”
“…To pull off something so incredible and still stand unscathed. You’re a monster.”
“Could you slow down a little? It’s getting impossible to catch up.”
The group burst into excited chatter. Each word carried genuine warmth and concern for me. However, I couldn’t fully enjoy this reunion.
“…”
Because Nella, who had been silently staring at a stone casket in the corner, weighed on my mind.
“…I have a question.”
I turned my gaze to Milon.
“Is there a mountain in Kingdom of Hart that overlooks the Empire at a glance?”
I was planning to take Nella there to send off Raven.
“Hmm…”
Milon thought for a moment before nodding.
“There is one place that comes to mind.”
Hearing that, my expression brightened. As expected, it was great to have a knowledgeable friend.
“Where is it?”
“It’s one of the highest mountains in the Kingdom… It’s close to the border, so you should be able to see the Empire clearly from there.”
“Do you know the exact location? And if there is one, a direct route would be even better.”
“Give me a day. I’ll prepare a map for you.”
I looked at Milon and sincerely thanked him.
“Thanks, as always.”
“I don’t want to hear that from you. That’s my line.”
Just as things were settling down—
Bang!
Without warning, the reception room doors burst open.
“L-Lord Ancelot!”
I turned to see the palace’s head butler rushing in, out of breath.
“What is it?”
“Y-You must come to the royal hall immediately.”
Everyone, including me, wore puzzled expressions.
“What happened?”
“Well… A telegram just arrived at the palace. The recipient is, of course, you, Lord Ancelot. But the sender is…”
The head butler hesitated before swallowing hard and answering.
“T-The Empire.”
“…!”
My gaze darkened.
“An invitation from the Empire?”
“A letter of cooperation was also sent to the palace. It seems they intend to have you participate in this year’s Rising Star Tournament.”
“Rising Star Tournament?”
Hearing my question, Winley quickly explained.
“It’s a continental tournament similar to the Masters Tournament. However, unlike the Masters Tournament, there’s an age restriction—only those under 23 can participate.”
At that, a smirk twisted across my lips.
“…Those bastards.”
Looks like one beating wasn’t enough for them.
* * *
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