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Chapter 142: 127th Day of the Expedition

"Records of the predecessors, you say?"

The clan head muttered a single word.

"Expedition."

"Pardon?"

I never expected to hear this word from the clan head first.

I couldn\'t manage my expression and stared at him.

Expedition.

It was all too clear what kind of expedition he meant.

"My son, I remember the words you spoke when you fought Hector."

Suddenly, the words I had uttered in excitement during the fight with Hector flashed through my mind.

Only then did I understand why the clan head had asked me if I was hiding anything.

He must have been curious about how I knew about the expedition.

But the clan head didn\'t ask for the reason anymore. He just continued speaking as if to himself.

“At first, I didn\'t think much of it. But as time passed, I grew more and more suspicious. So I decided to visit the White Mage Tower.”

I quietly waited for the clan head\'s next words.

“As you know, Ruin, the library of the White Mage Tower is where the most books on the continent are kept. Unfortunately, however, I couldn\'t find any direct records about our clan. Perhaps they might be on the upper floors, but only up to the third floor was open to the public, so it couldn\'t be helped.”

“…….”

“If it weren\'t for what you said, that would probably have been the end of it. But I then focused on finding books about the expedition. Of course, most of them were popular tales. In the midst of it all, I was able to find one peculiar record. Aren\'t you curious?”

“…….”

The clan head looked straight at me.

“\'127th day of the expedition, the first of those creatures we encountered spoke human language. They were clearly different from monsters. The 1st company was annihilated. If we hadn\'t arrived in time, the damage wouldn\'t have ended there.\'"

“What did you just say?”

“It seemed like a record written as a journal entry.”

At this moment, I couldn\'t even think of calming my wildly pounding heart.

That\'s how much what Kazen was saying was completely beyond my expectations.

I knew. That content wasn\'t false.

The superior species of monsters. The situation at the time when demons were first discovered on the expedition.

“……What was the next part?”

The clan head shook his head.

“That was it. It was a short record, just one page tucked between the pages of a book.”

“Ha.”

I asked the clan head again,

“Which book was it tucked into?”

“I knew you would ask that. It was a general book related to the history of the Divine clans. Just in case, I looked through all the books of a similar kind, but there was nothing more.”

I suddenly realized that there was a missing link in the clan head\'s words.

“Do you… believe that record is true?”

“There was a picture.”

“A picture?”

“There was a drawing of various clans\' flags beneath the record. I couldn\'t believe my eyes.”

After a brief pause, the clan head said,

“Because among them was the Black Ring.”

I felt dizzy. I couldn\'t concentrate.

I shook my head vigorously for a moment.

Memories of the past kept coming back to me.

I lowered my head and tried to continue thinking, but I couldn\'t deduce anything.

"My son."

At the sudden voice, I raised my head and looked at the clan head.

He was observing me with a subtle look.

The clan head said,

"I know you have a lot on your mind. You must have a reason for wanting to go to the demon realm. But don\'t get caught up in too many thoughts."

The clan head\'s voice didn\'t reach my ears.

It was then.

I suddenly felt a sensation of my hand being grasped.

Holding my hand, the clan head looked at me and said,

"We are the Samael Clan. Don\'t be swayed, move forward."

—Move forward.

Suddenly, as if the fog was clearing, I came to my senses.

It was a chaotic situation where I couldn\'t understand the cause, effect, or reason for the appearance of that record, but that\'s precisely why it was clear.

The first clue was discovered.

There was no need to think about too many things now.

It was a matter of facing it and moving forward.

I nodded.

"Don\'t worry."

Only then did the clan head let go of my hand and nod.

"That\'s right."

As if changing the subject, the clan head said,

"Gifts have come from many clans in Quebek. What do you think?"

"With the Urgons gone, they\'ll need a new place to pledge their allegiance."

"Do you think we should accept them?"

"It\'s not a bad thing. They\'re giving them to us for a reason. But don\'t be too kind to them. They are people who could stab us in the back at any time."

The clan head gave an enigmatic smile.

"Just because they are weak doesn\'t always mean they are like that. Don\'t view them too negatively."

"Well, I don\'t see them negatively. It\'s all a way to survive."

The clan head said,

"You\'ve gotten a title."

"A title?"

"Ruin the Heaven-Defying Freak, Ruin the Crazy Mage. Personally, I don\'t like it very much."

"Ah, you just learned about that now?"

The clan head suddenly said,

"Do you know how a father feels when he hears that his son has gone mad?"

"I\'m satisfied with it, though."

"You seem to be. The Crazy Mage..."

The clan head\'s lips curled up.

"It has a double meaning."

My lips curled up as well.

It was at that moment that both the clan head and I simultaneously looked up at the ceiling.

The moment I felt something strange, the sunlight shining through the window was blocked, and the shadow of something huge fell upon us.

What is that?

Crash—

Bursting through the door of the clan head\'s quarters without knocking, Wright announced,

"Clan Head!"

"What is it, Wright?"

"An envoy has arrived from the Ardehain clan."

* * *

The Three Musketeers and the Crazy Mage Squad members, who were already nearby, had come down to the manor, and the elders, sensing something strange, were also coming down one by one.

Everyone\'s eyes were fixed on the same spot.

"Wow."

The clan head and I also looked at the same spot.

Just a moment ago, it had been a clear day without a single cloud.

The sun was bright and the sky was blue.

But right above the main gate...

As if a circle had been cut out of the sky, a hole was gaping open—and the space within swirled in darkness.

I said with a smile,

"I see."

It was a phenomenon I had seen in Urgon as well.

The meaning was clear.

The Ardehain clan.

They had arrived.

The Ardehain flag fluttered, and the bow of a ship suddenly emerged from the darkness.

Following that, the deck and the rear came into view. It was an airship, thin and elongated like a black blade. It slowly descended towards the ground, its size shrinking.

"The Flower Sword Ship."

The symbolic means of transportation of the Ardehain clan.

The clan head and I walked straight towards the main gate.

A sturdy woman with thick iron armor on her hands and feet stood at the forefront, holding the Ardehain flag high.

The Ardehain servants who disembarked from the airship began to move various magic tools.

Following them, fifteen female swordsmen and a lotus flower swordsman commanding them appeared, exuding a tremendous aura.

Finally, a familiar man slowly walked out.

Arriving at the main gate, Fichte cleared his throat and shouted,

"We come from Ardehain!"

"Wait!"

The captain of the guard interrupted with an imposing look.

"Get in line!"

"..."

"Get in line!"

"...Excuse me?"

For a moment, the aura of the female swordsmen exploded, but the captain of the guard only took a step back and didn\'t seem to want to back down.

Suddenly looking around, Fichte smiled and nodded.

"I\'ve made a mistake. You\'re absolutely right."

While Fichte moved to join the line, the captain of the guard looked back.

His face was covered in sweat.

When our eyes met, he mouthed the words,

"I took the first shot."

"Well done."

To think he took my words to heart.

It\'s important to stick to principles no matter who you\'re dealing with.

Meanwhile, Fichte reached the main gate again.

The captain of the guard, now brimming with confidence, raised his voice.

"Ahem. I said get in line. Why have you come back? Do you think the Samael Clan is a joke?"

"Of course not."

The captain of the guard looked around; the other clans had already spotted the Ardehain flag and moved far away.

"As you can see, the line is empty now. May we enter?"

"Hmm."

The captain of the guard nodded.

"I suppose it can\'t be helped. Although there are quite a few of you. Please wait a moment!"

The captain of the guard turned his head and looked towards us.

When the clan head nodded, the captain turned back to Fichte and shouted loudly,

"Permission granted. Enter!"

As soon as Fichte entered, he looked around at the scenery of the manor and then his eyes met mine.

Walking towards us, Fichte first approached the clan head and bowed his head. Seeing how he had figured out who the clan head was in that short time, he was indeed no ordinary commander.

"Greetings, Clan Head Kazen. I am Fichte, the Third Military Commander, visiting on behalf of the Ardehain clan. It is an honor to meet you."

The clan head replied,

"We received your correspondence. It is an honor to have you, a commander busy with the duties of a noble clan, come in person. I am Kazen Samael, Clan Head of the Samael Clan."

He didn\'t overdo the politeness just because they were a noble clan, nor was he rude.

Hearing the impeccable greeting, Fichte\'s eyes lit up slightly.

The clan head extended his hand to Fichte.

"I believe we\'ve already spoken, haven\'t we?"

A small gasp escaped Fichte\'s lips.

"I wondered how the mages of Samael were so insightful, and now I see why. You\'re right. I am the one who wrote the letter you received."

"You flatter me. They are still lacking. I heard that Ruin, especially, gave you a hard time."

Fichte clasped the clan head\'s hand and replied,

"Not at all. If it weren\'t for Ruin, it would have taken a long time to set things right. He is also a personal lifesaver."

Fichte looked at me, smiled, and bowed his head.

"You look well."

"You look much better too, commander."

I looked beyond the main gate and couldn\'t help but laugh.

"By the way, it seems you\'ve brought quite a lot with you?"

The servants were carrying boxes filled with gold bars and magic weapons inside. Outside, there was also the Blue Spirit carriage that the Urgons used.

When things were somewhat organized, Fichte looked at the clan head and said,

"We hope to maintain a good friendship with the Samael Clan in the future."

"Thank you for your kind words. However, excessive gifts are unnecessary for a friendship. I already felt a lot through your letter, commander. The Samael Clan already holds your clan in high regard. We will accept your gifts in spirit only."

Fichte exclaimed once again,

"These are not gifts, Clan Head."

"Then what are they?"

"Most of these are from the Urgon clan\'s treasury. They were distributed according to merit, so you should consider them the Samael Clan\'s share. Of course, there are also things sent from our Ardehain clan, but it is reasonable to consider this as your rightful share as well. As you know from the letter, if it weren\'t for your sons, the damage would have been quite significant."

At that moment, the lotus flower swordsman who was commanding the swordsmen approached Fichte and handed him something, which Fichte received with both hands and offered to the clan head.

The clan head\'s eyes widened.

"Surely not?"

A blade gleaming like jet black, with mana concentrated within.

The tip of the blade was rounded like the bow of a ship.

It was an exact match for the airship that had appeared in the sky just moments ago.

The elder clansmen all gasped at once.

"Could it be the Flower Sword Ship?"

The clan head\'s eyes narrowed again.

"What is the meaning of this?"

Suddenly, Fichte knelt on one knee and cleared his throat.

"On behalf of the Black Lotus, I convey this. It is a sentiment from the head of the Ardehain clan to your esteemed clan."

This time, I was quite surprised as well. I never expected the Ardehain clan to send even the Flower Sword Ship.

Considering the value of flying vehicles on the continent, it was an extraordinary gift, to say the least.

It seemed likely that Loren had a significant influence on this decision.

The clan head firmly shook his head.

"I am well aware that the Flower Sword Ship is like a symbol of the Ardehain clan. I don\'t know about other weapons, but I cannot accept the Flower Sword Ship."

Fichte rose from his position and clasped his hands together.

"Please accept it, Clan Head. It is a direct message from our clan head. I would be grateful if you would consider it as repayment for the debt I owe you for my life."

"Exaggeration is a form of lying, so why do you do this?"

"It signifies how seriously our Ardehain clan takes this matter."

Fichte looked at the clan head.

"The lotus flower emblem has already been removed from the Flower Sword Ship. If you do not accept it, I will have no face to return to my clan and meet our head."

"Well, this is..."

I looked at the clan head and said,

"Accept it, Clan Head. If we don\'t take it, they\'ll just dispose of it."

The clan head shook his head for a long time and then said,

"It seems you, commander, have already calculated how I would respond."

"That\'s not the case at all. I only wished to convey our sincerity."

When the clan head accepted the Flower Sword Ship, Fichte bowed his head.

"Thank you, Clan Head. Please forgive my rudeness."

"How about a cup of tea?"

"It would be an honor."

As soon as the clan head and the elders left for the clan head\'s quarters with Fichte, the Crazy Mage Squad members, as if they had been waiting, crept towards the weapons like hyenas stalking prey.

Zion asked the lotus flower swordsman lined up at the front,

"Would it be alright if we take a look?"

"They already belong to the Samael Clan."

"Yahoo!"

No sooner had he finished speaking than the Crazy Mage Squad members began rummaging through the weapons.

I was amazed at where they learned such barbaric behavior.

The servants and soldiers watching coughed awkwardly, embarrassed, but I, on the other hand, clapped.

Clap clap clap—

There\'s no need for such formalities when it comes to getting stronger.

I suddenly turned my head and saw that Blair and Arin were also looking at the weapons, and Taylor started to glance over as well.

"Well then..."

Just as I was about to approach with the intention of taking a look myself...

Thud—

Before I could, the lotus flower swordsman approached me and said,

"Crazy Mage Squad Commander. I have something to give you personally."

"To me?"

The lotus flower swordsman carefully took something out from within her clothes.

"This is a gift from the Swordmaster herself."