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Chapter 26
Chapter 026: The Night of Resistance (4)
"The weak have no place in the mighty Canchester—!"
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É n̆ ũm̌ӓ
"What the hell…! What are you blabbering about?"
"Insane, he’s gone insane…!"
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"From the start, Roxley, were you planning to kill us all?"
He was confessing with his own mouth, under the guise of a speech.
From the beginning, it was a plan to manipulate all of Canchester’s blacksmiths to his whim.
It was, quite literally, a purge.
Ŵe b̃n ǒ v̀ е̃ l̃ Ӗ n ù m̄ а̄
"Then this uprising, from the very start…"
The 'War Preparation Tax' was nothing but bait to lure the thorns in his side and gather them in one place.
Using the pretext of a commoners’ uprising, he aimed to crush them in one fell swoop.
"Everyone, snap out of it! Didn’t we prepare ourselves for this outcome!"
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"…"
Some gnashed their teeth in rage, others grew pale with fear, and some could only stare blankly upward in despair… Amid this diverse crowd, the expressions of two boys also diverged.
Еn̈ u m̀ а̂ . і̆ ḋ
"What’s going on, Janson? That guy next to Roxley. It’s him, isn’t it? Your Imperial friend."
"…"
"Answer me, you bastard!"
Had Janson held greater hope that the uprising would find some compromise before spiraling to extremes?
Henry’s disappointment and frustration, now turned to anger, lashed out at the innocent Janson.
Grabbed by the collar, Janson was already half in a panic for a different reason.
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'No, why… why is Bihen acting like that…?'
It was then that the furious roars of a few hot-tempered blacksmiths erupted.
"Let’s charge! Drag down that monster!"
"Sir Roxley—!"
Their momentum seemed enough to swallow the entire crowd.
Amid the chaos of the blacksmiths, some frenzied and others stumbling in confusion, another movement stirred.
W eb̄n̂ о̄ v̄е l Ѐ n̆u m а.
"You guys…?"
The roars seemed to be the signal.
Dilarang mengopy novel dari Enuma.id.
Some began to turn their backs and walk away.
It was no small number.
They moved with deliberate resolve, as if they had planned it from the start, cutting ties without a glance.
"What are you doing! No, don’t tell me—betrayal?!"
Е.ńũ ṁа̂. і̄ d
"Edric! Gordon! Where are you going!"
Before anyone realized, an armed force appeared, surrounding the betraying blacksmiths as if escorting them.
Emerging from the shadows of the torches, it was the Roxley Family’s men, who had been lying in ambush.
"It’s over now. The rebel scum will be executed on the spot."
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A voice laced with laughter rang out.
They even added the false charge of defying the domain’s tribute.
E n ŭ m ӑ . i d
Thud.
Henry dropped the torch he was holding and drew his sword.
He had never even learned swordsmanship.
His hand gripping the hilt, his shoulders, even his lips trembled uncontrollably.
He squeezed his eyes shut.
This trembling, this fear—it would only last a moment.
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"Roxley! Come down here! Watch us die fighting!"
Janson turned to look at Henry.
The torch in his hand illuminated Henry’s tear-soaked eyes.
For Janson, too, this was a moment of resolve.
"Uwaaaa—!!"
A scream echoed from above.
Еnu m̀а̃
Then, something plummeted downward like a bolt of lightning.
It happened in the blink of an eye.
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Boom—!
While those holding torches were distracted by Roxley, who had crashed right in front of them…
Janson and Henry were looking up.
"Bi, Bihen…!"
E ṅũm̆ a..і́ d̀
Bihen, standing on the railing with his sword drawn, leaped into the air.
To the two boys, he looked like a hawk soaring.
The white-hot sword in his hand resembled pure white wings.
* * *
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If you live with great ambition, you may be brought down by those who lack it.
‘Bihen Benkou’s Code of Chivalry, Second Tenet.’
Ẇ e b̊n o v̆ е l Е ǹũ m̄ а̌
Still, you must hold fast to great ambition.
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‘The airtime is generous.’
It almost felt like I was floating slowly.
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I could even sense my hair fluttering in the breeze.
‘No need to kill them all. Nor should I.’
First, I devised a plan.
The more I sketched the blueprint in my mind, the hotter my Ghost Eye burned.
Swish.
I drew back the frost-laden sword behind my shoulder with force.
Ёn̄ ům̂ а̃ .ї d
The moment the mental diagram materialized as a sharp silhouette on the ground.
Clang!
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I slashed through the air, as if shaking off all the frost gathered on the blade.
A barrage of razor-sharp ice shards flew like daggers, embedding themselves in the ground.
Thud! Thud! Thud! Thud! Thud!
I confirmed that the ice daggers had formed a barricade, protecting the ‘handful of embers’ from the betrayers and Roxley’s minions.
Е n û m а̀. і̆ ď
After grasping the essence of the Snowflower Sword, I felt a kind of sacrilegious thrill.
Seeing the scene I had imagined come to life felt almost like casting magic.
But now wasn’t the time to indulge in such sentiments.
Thump—!
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I landed beside Roxley, who had fallen in front of the handful of embers.
Roxley gasped like a fish out of water.
Е ńum̀а̄.і d
"Y-you, why, how, d-did…"
"Tenacious bastard. Still alive?"
The plate armor he was wrapped in must have cushioned the fall somewhat.
Still, the impact would have twisted his insides.
Thwack—!
I struck his temple with the base of my sword.
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The sensation of crushing something solid traveled up my arm.
"Roxley is dead!"
I shouted, proclaiming it to the world.
The humans surrounding the ice daggers flinched, their bodies instinctively leaning back in shock.
Then I issued a warning.
"Don’t cross the stakes at your feet. The moment you do, I’ll send you to the afterlife without mercy."
Ёn u.ḿ а̌. id̃
"…"
"If you’ve got the guts, step over. If not, drop your weapons now."
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I scanned the encircled crowd.
The betraying blacksmiths beyond the ice daggers had chosen survival over loyalty.
Their only crime was a lack of courage and conviction.
I had no right to judge them.
Ên̂ûṁ а
"Bihen…!"
A sudden call made me turn. It was Janson.
More bewildering than welcoming.
"Why the hell are you here?"
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"Ha, haha…! Hah! As expected…!"
Was he crying or laughing? His legs were trembling as he spoke.
Еnūm̆ а. і̊d̆
Then, another familiar face approached beside Janson—Henry.
"So your name’s Bihen. I don’t know what’s going on, but…"
Hearing his voice again, I realized.
This was the guy who had boldly shouted for Roxley to come down earlier.
Regardless, the situation was still tense.
I turned my gaze again and said,
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"We’ll talk later."
Honestly, a strange emotion welled up, hard to put into words, and its aftertaste lingered.
It was because of Janson.
Perhaps, like me, he was facing a turning point in his life.
Feeling a bond in that shared moment, right now, Janson and I were comrades.
"What are you doing, you bastards! Kill that guy! Kill him!"
Ӗ nu m а
A frantic voice came from behind.
Roxley’s son, leading his men, was hurriedly descending.
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"Don’t move! Unless you all want to die."
I issued another threat, and Roxley’s minions beyond the ice daggers flinched.
I deduced that these were low-ranking grunts, while the ones coming down from the building were likely the core members of the organization.
"…Tch, damn it."
Е̊n̆u̇ mа̂ .ïd̈
Roxley’s son, stepping out, saw his father’s corpse and grimaced, showing no trace of mourning.
Now that I looked, he was the type who’d have committed patricide if left unchecked.
"Hey, you crazy bastard. You drop people to their deaths? Are you even human?"
"Coming from the likes of you, that’s laughable."
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"Hah! You Imperial scum, think you’re hot stuff because we bowed and scraped? Did you think I wouldn’t know you’re some lowly noble? I’m a noble too, you bastard! Argh! This damned son of a—! I should’ve just gutted you earlier!"
Now he was showing his true colors.
E nu m̄а . id̆.
This was better, actually.
"Come out. Let’s settle this honorably, noble to noble."
"Hooonooor? Talking about honor, huh?"
With a jerk of his chin, his elite minions—over a dozen—poured down the stairs like a flood.
Whatever else they lacked, their smug expressions rivaled those of peak swordsmen.
"Bihen! W-what do we do!"
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"Stay back."
I stepped forward a few paces, putting distance between myself and the handful of embers.
By Imperial standards, these guys were third-rate at best.
Second-rate if I was generous.
In a head-on fight, how much of a gap is there between ranks?
A second-rate swordsman can take on five third-rate swordsmen alone.
E ňũ m̈ а
A first-rate swordsman matches five second-rate swordsmen.
‘Then what about a peak swordsman?’
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As Bihen Benkou, in the early stages of peak mastery, I could easily handle ten first-rate swordsmen.
"Uwaaaa!"
Why, then, did these fools charge so fearlessly despite the objective reality?
Because they were ignorant, unaware of even this basic concept. A pity, really.
Е̇ n u m а̂ .іḋ
Tap, tap, tap, tap—
I lowered my sword to the lower-right stance and advanced.
Short steps, high speed.
To my ‘allies’ watching from behind, it might look like I was willingly walking into the jaws of a demonic beast.
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Crunch!
The first strike slashed diagonally toward the upper-left.
Е̇ ñ u m̃а̊. ì d̊
They couldn’t even comprehend, let alone see, my sword’s path.
That single blow severed both arms of the boldest, most foolish leader.
He’d only realize this after I reversed my grip, stabbed the side of the guy next to him—
Thrust!
—pulled out, raised my elbow slightly, and pierced the throat of the one behind him—
Thrust!
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—then slid into the center of their formation, swinging my sword in a wide arc—
Shiiing—!
Seven fell at once.
Thud.
"Haaah…"
"R-run…!"
W̃ е̃ b̆n оv̊е̄l̄ Еn ũ m ӓ
Taking their lives before they could regain their senses was the only mercy I could offer.
When it was over, only two remained standing in the area: me and the armless fool from the start.
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Even he collapsed onto his rear, leaving me alone to point my sword at Roxley’s son.
I tilted my head slightly.
"Come closer. Right here."
"…"
Ẇ ê b́ n ǒ v ӗ.l Ё.n ŭ m̌ å
His face was deathly pale.
When he drew near his father’s body…
"P-please, spare m—"
Crunch!
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His head soared into the air, spinning, and landed beside Roxley’s.
I sent the father and son off together.
Ė n̂ u m̊ а̃_
May they uphold filial piety in the afterlife.
Clank.
After sheathing my sword, I warned the men beyond the ice daggers again.
"Roxley’s minions, drop your weapons now. The rest…"
I trailed off.
After all, I had only become their ‘sword’ by chance alignment of purpose.
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I had no further role to play.
‘Should I just ensure their disarmament and withdraw?’
As I wiped the blood splattered on my cheek, I heard the sound of many footsteps from the outer edge of the surrounding forces.
Not just me—everyone’s attention turned that way.
The nearby men parted left and right, revealing the newcomers: Zephyros.
"…What’s this?"
Ẃ ӗ bn̂о v̌ е́ ľ Ê numǎ
Ness Servai, at the forefront, muttered from atop his saddle.
The surroundings had grown quiet, so I could hear him clearly.
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"…"
With his mouth half-open, he assessed the situation before fixing his gaze on me.
We locked eyes directly.
"Young Master Bihen!"
W е̂ḃ n о̂ v̂ ӗ ĺ Е̌n̂ uḿ а
Why was she here?
Jewel emerged from behind Ness, followed by Jayden.
‘Using Jayden as some kind of errand boy, huh.’
I crossed my arms, exasperated, and stared at Ness approaching from the front.
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That wasn’t the only thing that irked me.
The number of Zephyros members following Ness was absurdly small. And their gear? Shoddy. Worse than a village patrol.
Е ṅū.mа
"Ness, out for a stroll?"
"What’s going on here? Why are you there, Bihen Benkou?"
I could practically gag.
What a hypocrite.
He wore that calm facade so well.
I’d already pieced it together.
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Just like with the Crimson Flame Cult, Zephyros had committed shameless inaction this time too.
‘I’d love to wipe them all out…’
…But that would just be mindless slaughter.
Coldly speaking, I had neither the right nor the justification to kill him.
‘…Not yet.’
I barely soothed my burning insides when a voice suddenly called out from behind.
E ǹũṁ а
"Bihen Benkou has vanquished the corrupt Roxley!"
I turned around.
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The crowd parted left and right, clearing my view.
At the center, surrounded by blacksmiths, stood Janson.
"Bihen Benkou!"
"…"
Wе̊b n̂ о̂v́ ê l̇ Еnū m̆ǎ
"Has vanquished the corrupt Roxley—!"
He shouted with such force his body trembled.
His cry brought a momentary silence to the area…
"Bihen Benkou!"
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Henry, beside him, raised his hand and shouted.
"Has vanquished the corrupt Roxley—!"
Ѐ n̊u m̌a .і̄d̄
The surrounding blacksmiths opened their mouths in unison.
"Bihen Benkou!"
"Has vanquished the corrupt Roxley!"
Their united voices echoed.
‘…’
Was this a thrill? A strange sensation I’d never experienced in my past life enveloped me.
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I turned my gaze again.
Ness’s contorted expression was quite a sight.
"Hah."
Well, this isn’t so bad.
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