Academy’s Genius Swordmaster

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[Translator – Peptobismol]

Chapter 239: The Dragon King (4)

‘…War?’

Hearing the Dragon King’s words, Ronan frowned. Judging by the solemn tone in his voice, it didn’t seem like he was simply swept up in the moment.

Suddenly, a bishop’s words flashed through his mind. He had said that once a new head emerged, Navardose would no longer be his match. Ronan’s mind raced.

The behavior differing from rumors, the suspicious claim that he was no longer wary of Navardose, and the contact with Nebula Clazier. Soon, he processed the given information and cursed under his breath.

“Shit. That crazy lizard.”

“R-Ronan? What’s wrong all of a sudden?”

Aselle asked in a flustered voice. Instead of answering, Ronan clenched his fist. That two-headed bastard was preparing for war against Navardose, feeding off the power of the bald bastards.

‘So that’s why he wasn’t wary anymore.’

So, despite calling them insignificant beings, he had ultimately allied with them for his own strength. What Ronan was witnessing now was an event that hadn’t happened in his previous life.

The contact with Adren was a special measure taken by Abel because the current situation of the cult wasn’t good. Come to think of it, this was all happening because of Ronan himself.

‘This is dangerous.’

He genuinely began to think Navardose might be in danger. Even if the Dragon King was inferior to her, the story changed if he received the bizarre power of the stars. It was an extraterrestrial force beyond reason.

Moreover, the Dragon King was, as his title implied, the king of dragons and the lord of Adren. If he cooperated with the cult, it meant his subordinates and followers might also join the bald bastards’ worshipers.

This was a highly unpleasant situation. He had no idea where to start. To think that even the top might have been co-opted.

Ronan groaned as a headache crept up. Sssh… Suddenly, the light from the magic circle the Dragon King was stepping on faded. The bishop conversing with the Dragon King spoke up.

“That’s all for today. We’ll continue the rest tomorrow.”

It seemed today’s ritual was concluded. The Dragon King, who had been gazing at the sky, folded his wings and bowed his head. The third head, covered in white scales, had already grown halfway.

【I can still do more-】

【What a pity.】

The two heads clicked their tongues. The fanatics bowed their heads in reverence. The shimmering mana that filled the night air gradually faded away.

The fanatics began packing up the tools used in the ritual. Ronan, contemplating what to do next, finally made up his mind. He pointed his finger at the fanatics.

“Aselle. Let’s wait and follow those bastards.”

“Wh-What?”

“Ah, you can’t see my finger. I meant those fanatic bastards.”

“I understood from the context but…”

Aselle’s eyes widened. Shullifen silently alternated his gaze between the fanatics. Ronan continued speaking.

“They must sleep somewhere, right? They’re likely to have quarters in this tower. If we search there, we might find something.”

If no clues were found, he was even thinking of resorting to torture. At the very least, they could obtain information about either Alivrihe or the Leader.

The problem was the number of people and their considerable skill, making assassination or attacking in detail necessary. With no particular plan, Aselle and Shullifen had no choice but to accept Ronan’s idea.

Aselle took a deep breath and began moving the group. Suddenly, a bishop reached out towards the three of them. An incantation leaked from his parted lips.

“Wind Spear.”

“What…!”

Ronan’s eyes widened. In an instant, small magic circles formed in front of the bishop’s hand, and dozens of wind spears shot toward the three of them. Aselle gasped.

“Hick…!”

“Damn it.”

Ronan bit his lower lip. There were too many to dodge. He had to cut or deflect them, even if it meant revealing themselves. Just as he was about to draw his sword, Shullifen moved a step faster and swung his blade. It was a swift and skilled movement, as if he had been waiting for this moment. The gale along the sword’s path subtly altered the trajectory of the spears.

“You…!”

“I had a feeling something like this would happen. He kept glancing over here.”

Shullifen said. Whirl! The wind spears, which should have hit their targets, narrowly missed the three by a hair’s breadth. Unlike blocking or cutting them, it didn’t draw attention. To others, it appeared as if the wind spears had simply sliced through empty space.

“…Was it just my imagination?”

The bishop who cast the spell shrugged. The Dragon King also looked at him with a puzzled expression. He spoke in a displeased tone.

【Now-】

【What are you doing?】

“Forgive my rudeness. I thought I sensed something nearby…”

The bishop knelt on one knee, admitting his mistake. Even so, his gaze lingered on the spot where he had cast the spears. He was sure he had sensed something.

【Hah, that’s impossible. Who would dare defy my command-】

【And linger near the tower.】

The Dragon King laughed. His confident voice sounded almost arrogant. Aselle, who had been on the verge of tears, spoke up.

“R-Ronan. We should leave.”

“…Right.”

Ronan clicked his tongue. He couldn’t deny they had been in a close call. The invisibility hadn’t worn off, and they had hidden their presence, yet they had almost been caught by pure instinct.

‘Fuck. He’s still a bishop.’

To prevent a recurrence, they needed to change locations. As he pondered where to go, Ronan pointed to a window two floors below.

“Let’s go in there. We can wait and follow them from there.”

“Uh, okay.”

There was only one staircase connecting the rooftop to the lower floors. Aselle slowly moved the group. Fortunately, the bishop’s gaze didn’t follow them.

They re-entered the tower through the window. The interior was empty.

“…Hah!”

Thud. Aselle, who had landed everyone safely, collapsed to the floor. His small body was trembling. He wiped his eyes and muttered.

“I thought we were going to die…”

“You did great. You’re the best.”

Ronan gave him a thumbs-up. Essentially, Aselle had done most of the work. Despite the wind spears grazing his cheek, he had maintained his telekinesis. Ronan, patting Aselle’s back, looked at Shullifen.

[Translator – Peptobismol]

“You’re the second best. Thanks to you, we didn’t get caught.”

“The best refers to only one, the foremost.”

Shullifen responded dryly. Normally, Ronan would have made a crude joke, but not today. If Shullifen hadn’t intervened, they would have surely been discovered. They would have been beaten by the Dragon King and the fanatics and fallen to their deaths.

“Alright. Let’s rest a bit and then move…”

“Found you, you rats.” 𝓯𝘳𝘦𝑒𝓌𝘦𝘣𝓃ℴ𝘷𝘦𝘭.𝓬𝘰𝑚

Ronan was about to say something when a familiar voice suddenly came from behind. A chilling shiver ran up his spine like cold water had been poured down his back.

They slowly turned their heads. A middle-aged man in a white robe stood in front of the stairs, about twenty steps away. It was the bishop who had fired the wind spear at them earlier.

“I know you’re there. Reveal yourselves quietly.”

In front of him, dozens of magic circles had already formed. Wind spears and swords, similar to those he had used before, were poised to strike.

Though the invisibility spell was still active, it was clear they had been discovered. Ronan suddenly noticed glowing magic circles stuck to the ceiling, also bristling with wind weapons.

‘Fuck.’

Ronan bit his lower lip. The bishop, who had a suspicious-looking face, had indeed followed them. The bishop was now surrounded by a strange glow from the Protection of the Stars.

“…Release it.”

“R-Ronan…!”

“Do it quickly.”

With a sigh, he tapped Aselle’s leg. The invisibility spell was lifted, and the three of them became visible. The bishop’s lips curled into a sinister smile.

“You have good instincts. If even one of you hadn’t appeared, I would have fired immediately.”

Ronan said nothing. He only looked around quickly, taking in the situation. There were no other people nearby, suggesting the bishop had come alone.

“Earlier, what I felt wasn’t just a hunch. You don’t look like servants of the Dragon King, so what are you doing here?”

The bishop continued, ready to fire his weapons at the slightest provocation.

Having made a decision, Ronan switched his core. The pattern of his mana changed, and sparkling mana began to rise from his shoulders. He spoke.

“We are allies, Bishop. We are here under the orders of Alivrihe. We had no choice but to follow secretly.”

The bishop’s eyebrows shot up at the mention of Alivrihe’s name.

“What? From Alivrihe?”

“Yes. He ordered us to secretly ensure that there were no issues with the meeting with the Dragon King Azidahaka. Knowing the nature of another dragon, he must have been concerned.”

The bishop’s eyes widened. This was too much information for a simple spy to have. The identities of the bishop, the meeting with the Dragon King, and even the fact that Alivrihe was a dragon.

Moreover, now that he looked closer, the young man with the black hair exuded the unique aura of Nebula Clazier. The bishop tilted his head.

“…Is that true?”

“Yes. He instructed us not to be detected, but we have failed him.”

“It’s hard to believe. I heard him myself say that he wouldn’t be interfered with by anyone except the Leader while on vacation.”

“I am only telling you the truth. Since he is here in Adren, he must have been extra cautious.”

Ronan spoke. Aselle and Shullifen looked at his impassive face in awe. Was it really possible to lie so convincingly?

“Hmm, well…”

The bishop murmured. The light of the magic circles dimmed a bit.

Ronan silently cheered. Since the bishop did not dispute the location, it seemed certain that Alivrihe was indeed here in Adren. He hadn’t known he was on vacation, but still.

“I still can’t believe it. I don’t feel the power of the Stars from those two behind you. Tell me your branch and names.”

After a moment of hesitation, the bishop spoke again. Ronan quickly exchanged glances with his companions and smiled amiably.

“That will be difficult. We just made it all up.”

“What?”

The bishop frowned. At the same time, Ronan pulled out his sword. The bishop tried to cast a spell, but Lamacha’s blade was already gleaming with a sunset glow. In an instant, a flash of light appeared, pulling the bishop’s body towards Ronan.

“What the…!”

The bishop’s eyes widened. The scarlet blade cut through the Protection of the Stars like tofu. Splat! A red line appeared on his throat. Without any chance to resist, his head separated and flew into the air.

“I-Invisible Hand!”

Aselle reached out and chanted a spell. The falling body and the flying head, along with the fountain of blood, all froze in the air. Seeing that the blood had not spilled, Ronan sighed in relief.

“Phew… well done.”

“Ugh!”

Ronan patted Aselle’s back. At this point, they could still cover their tracks. Though they planned to escape, leaving evidence could hasten their pursuit. Aselle asked.

“What should we do with the body?”

“Crush it beyond recognition and throw it out the window. Hold it in place.”

“Huh?”

Aselle tilted his head in confusion. Ronan swung his sword without waiting for him to respond. Splat! The body suspended in the air was cut into hundreds of pieces. As it was held by telekinesis, nothing fell. Ronan nodded quickly after finishing the job.

“Alright. Now, ball it up and throw it out. As far as possible.”

“Eeek!”

He spoke as casually as if he were asking for a glass of water. Aselle’s face turned pale.

Just imagining it made him feel nauseous, but there was no other option. As he began the most repulsive task in the world, forming a ball of flesh, the moonlight streaming through the window suddenly vanished.

“Huh?”

The three of them simultaneously turned their heads. They froze in place. One of the Dragon King’s heads was upside down, staring at them. The silence was like time had stopped.

【Why are you…】

【Here?】

The Dragon King spoke. The female voice seemed to come from above, suggesting only the left head had descended.

【I clearly said not to come out. Have you…】

【Seen everything?】

Ronan muttered a curse under his breath. It felt like he could hear his plans shattering. After a moment of hesitation, he spoke.

“Well, we couldn’t sleep, so we were wandering around…”

【How sad. To think I must send off the warriors who defeated the evil dragon, those I personally commended…】

【Like this.】

The Dragon King cut off Ronan’s words with a sigh. Suddenly, his jaws opened wide. Deep in his throat, particles of light began to gather and condense.

“…Run.”

Ronan spoke. He grabbed the crouching Aselle and threw him over his shoulder. As he and Shullifen dashed down the stairs. Whoosh—A torrent of light swept through the corridor.

“Aaaah!!”

Aselle screamed as if his soul were being torn apart. The golden beam smashed through the opposite wall, extending into the western sky. The Dragon King’s voice echoed loudly.

【Hear me! All comrades and servants residing in the Sky Tower and Adren, heed my command!】

【Capture the intruders!】

[Translator – Peptobismol]