Chapter 96

# Chapter 96: <If We're Moving, Then>

"Right. I'm amazing."

Raon said.

"Crazy."

The blue whale Archi still spat out curses as if they were exclamations of admiration. And of course, the ship was broken.

Though not completely.

"That swordsman is amazing."

Raon's assessment was accurate. The swordsman was indeed amazing. In that brief moment, she fired another golden aura in a boomerang shape, and thanks to that, a considerable number of mana arrows were destroyed.

It was enough to break the ship.

"Ugh, ugh!"

Redika was trembling. Chae Han looked at him, who had lost both arms, calmly.

"He's about to die."

Kael confirmed Redika's state, with his mana surge reaching its peak. He thought Chae Han wouldn't do anything more. After all, he was about to die.

"Aaaah!"

But it was a mistake.

Swish!

Blood splattered.

Chae Han swung his sword again at Redika's right eye. Kael turned away. He didn't want to see such a scene. Then he saw the ship collapsing.

Boom.

The ship began to break slowly from the bow. But Kael clicked his tongue at the sight.

"Of course, one was left."

At the same time, Kael was impressed.

"A lancer."

"Didn't know, human?"

"Yeah, didn't know."

"I see."

A lancer, someone who can use both magic and spear skills. The spear user wasn't at the level of a Spear Master, but she knew how to use magic. She had used a flying spell to save one person, a spell she hadn't used before.

The blonde swordsman was the only one who flew up from the collapsing ship.

Aaaah.

"Save us, too!"

The blonde woman's eyes, which had been calm, now filled with anger.

Crackle, crackle—

But soon the magic scroll activated, and they disappeared.

The noise from the scroll stopped.

"Ah."

Rosalin sighed, and Witara's whip swept past the spot where they had disappeared. Chae Han, with his lips pressed together, looked at where Redika had been, now only a pile of flesh remained.

At that moment, a voice came from behind Kael, who had only poked his head out from behind the blue whale Archi.

"I did it."

Raon said calmly.

"The mana traces will remain on that lancer's body. Only a dragon can detect them. If they come near again, they'll die by my hand."

Everyone had underestimated Raon.

Archi's back trembled. Kael clapped.

"Raon is really amazing!"

If they could detect them when they came near, they would have a way to prepare if the secret organization approached. Of course, since they didn't know their identity, it was unlikely they would get involved again.

The more ways to know in advance, the better.

"Right. I'm amazing."

Raon puffed up. There was a reason why Raon had left the mana traces. Just from these two, it was clear that the organization they belonged to had many strong members. Dragons preferred overwhelming battles.

"...I'll wait until I grow a bit more."

"Hmm? What did you say?"

"No, human."

Kael didn't hear it clearly, but Archi, who didn't know the context, did. Archi felt an inexplicable sense of unease. The black dragon in front of him was still young, but he remembered the stories of adult dragons who could use breath attacks.

There was a famous story that when a dragon was so angry that its eyes turned red, the continent's history could change.

Kael slowly walked to the shore.

Splash, splash. When the water reached his ankles, Witara approached him. Of course, her two subordinates followed behind.

"I'm sorry, Young Master. I couldn't pay attention to them because I was focused on killing the merfolk."

"It's fine. We couldn't stop them either."

"We'll take care of the rest."

"Alright."

Kael nodded but took another step toward the shore. Witara felt a wave of guilt toward Kael, who looked slightly displeased. She felt she had dragged him into something unnecessary.

So she quickly had her subordinates bring what he had asked for.

"Young Master, we've brought it."

"Ah, um. Alright."

It was a merfolk corpse, and it looked very fresh.

Kael had asked Witara to bring a strong merfolk from among those who had been killed by the mana.

"Who is it?"

"Royalty."

He hadn't expected a royal merfolk, and especially not a corpse.

"Alright. I can start the antidote now."

Any merfolk blood could help with the antidote, but the blood of a merfolk with strong characteristics would be more effective for both the antidote and future treatment.

Ron's poison hadn't progressed, but it had been with him for quite a while. Kael wanted to remove it as cleanly and thoroughly as possible. That's why he asked Witara instead of fighting while hiding their identities.

'At least the arm is gone.'

Even if the arm was cut off, it could still be treated if it was found. But it would be too late by then, and it would likely be rotten.

'...There is one way, though.'

Not a real arm, but a similar one was possible.

Necromancers, those who handle dead bodies. They are skilled anatomists and technicians. It would be strange if they weren't technicians, given that they assemble bodies.

The necromancer, who was said to have disappeared, was definitely somewhere in the western continent.

'The problem is, I don't know where.'

Kael couldn't know where the necromancer was at this moment. So he put that part aside for now.

"I'll take Archi and the whales to Hais Island 1."

"Alright. You still have more to do, right?"

The merfolk, who had lost their helpers, were a target the whales didn't want to miss. That's why King Sikel didn't come here and was chasing the merfolk.

"Yes, they fled to the east. We have to chase them. To the end."

To the end. That phrase was truly chilling. Kael asked without much thought.

"Are you going to eliminate all the merfolk?"

"No. Ironically, if they all disappeared, the ecosystem would collapse. We need to keep them under control."

"...The whale clan is a truly terrifying race."

Witara only smiled without another word. That smile made Kael feel uneasy. Although he had helped the whale clan destroy the island, they clearly saw themselves as a superior race.

The merfolk must have disliked the whales, who claimed to maintain peace while dominating the sea.

As always, perspective changes everything.

'It's none of my business.'

Kael was a person who moved according to his own benefit. This wasn't something he needed to worry about.

"Then, I'll go now. It's urgent."

With the materials found, he needed to start Ron's treatment immediately.

Kael arrived at Hais Island 1 and immediately entered the tent by lifting the entrance flap.

"Ron."

"Master."

Vicros stood up instead of Ron and looked at Kael. He saw the merfolk corpse that Chae Han and Hils were carrying and closed his mouth.

Ron was asleep. The assassin couldn't sense anyone's presence.

Sigh. A deep sigh escaped Kael's lips. Beside Ron's bed, the highest-grade potions were piled like a mountain.

"Vicros, remove the blanket."

"Yes."

"I need a pair of gloves."

Vicros hesitated as he removed the blanket and exposed the poisoned area. He didn't look at Kael as he spoke.

"...Are you going to do it yourself?"

Vicros stared at his father Ron's face. The stories his father had told him about how strong the 'Cancer' organization was echoed in his ears. His father had always told him about it when he was awake.

Then Kael's calm answer reached his ears.

"Yes. I have to."

Vicros took a white glove from his pocket and handed it to Kael. Kael put on the glove and examined the poisoned area on Ron's body. Thanks to the highest-grade potions, the poison had progressed only slightly.

Kael gestured to Chae Han, who brought the corpse closer to Ron. The shadow of the corpse fell on Ron's body. Kael took out a dagger and made a scratch on the royal merfolk's corpse.

Drip, drip.

A few drops of merfolk blood came out, then gushed. Kael carefully adjusted the position of the corpse, which Chae Han was holding, to let the blood touch Ron's side and thigh. He made more cuts to spread the merfolk blood around the poisoned areas.

"Vicros, pour the highest-grade potion."

"Yes."

Sizzle.

The potion, merfolk blood, and merfolk poison mixed and sizzled. But what was visible was the merfolk blood, mixed with the sparkling highest-grade potion, evaporating the merfolk poison.

"Ugh, ugh!"

Ron groaned. His eyelids trembled.

The sticky merfolk poison was disappearing.

Ron's eyelids slowly opened, revealing his eyes.

"...Young Master."

"Don't talk. I'm busy."

Ron, undeterred by Kael's response, asked.

"Are you making the antidote?"

"Yes."

Kael confirmed that the sticky merfolk poison on Ron's body had disappeared and looked at him.

"The antidote is done. Now we can start the treatment."

"I see."

Kael took off the white glove stained with merfolk blood and threw it into the fire.

"Ron."

"Yes, Young Master."

Ron looked at Kael. Not only Ron, but his son Vicros also stared at Kael.

"No one there knows your face now. Do you understand?"

Kael turned from the fire to look at Ron.

"We're going home now."

The antidote was done.

There was no one in this world who had done this to his arm.

So it meant they were going back to the Hennitus family.

Home. At that word, Ron slowly closed his eyes.

"Yes, Young Master."

With that answer, Kael nodded and patted Vicros on the shoulder. Vicros had been holding his father Ron's hand all along.

"We'll start Ron's treatment as soon as we arrive."

Kael left the tent with those words. The vast sky over the sea was visible. After a day of turmoil, it was now night. The night sky over the sea had a power to clear the mind.

"Finally, I can rest a bit."

A smile formed on Kael's lips.

He would need to focus on Ron's treatment and rehabilitation, but for now, he could enjoy a leisurely life in the territory.

***

"Young Master, you're back!"

"It's been a while, Hans."

Kael, who had returned to the territory, was greeted by Hans with a very happy face.

"Um, Young Master, what about Mr. Ron?"

"I made the antidote."

"Oh, my goodness. Thank you!"

"Why thank me? Did nothing happen in the territory?"

"No, nothing happened in the territory."

Seeing Hans' worry-free expression, Kael believed that his leisurely life, which would last at least a year, had finally begun.

Yeah, that's what I thought.