Chapter 97
The Iron-Blooded Emperor Marcus divided each battalion of the Imperial Knights Order according to their skills. As such, there was naturally a difference between the training grounds of each battalion. In addition, the difference was distinct to the point that it was unfair.
To begin with, the lodgings and training facilities of the 1st through 3rd Battalions were arranged into a neat triangle in a sunny location around the Imperial Palace’s main building.
The 4th through 6th Battalions were arranged into an inverted triangle that formed the secon shield.
The remaining 7th, 8th, 9th, and 10th Battalions formed a triple shield that surrounded the outermost area of the Imperial Palace. It was certainly a unique formation, and they were the most optimal location when it came to protecting the Imperial Palace. After all, each battalion had its inner workings to protect the Imperial Palace, so this threefold system worked well.
Setting that aside, Joshua was on his way to the farthest part of the massive imperial walls, which was directly opposite the Imperial Palace.
Tak. Tak. Tak.
As Joshua approached the specific location, he started hearing the cheers of many people.
The sun shone directly on Joshua as he grinned and muttered to himself, 'It has been a long time.'?
In some ways, his current plan was similar to what he had previously done.
‘Back when I still wasn’t particularly strong, I came here as well to improve my skills. I could proudly say that it was a job that perfectly suited me.'
Joshua stared into the horizon as he thought of his previous mercenary buddies.
He soon saw two massive training halls, and they were the training grounds of the 11th and 12th Battalions. The members of the two battalions had always been ostracized and had even been branded as ‘trash knights’ thanks to their obscure backgrounds, but instead of running away, they had been staying here for decades now.
“ARGHHH!”
Clank!
“Hahaha,?are you feeling good, Ranger? But is that all? Does it feel good to have a bastard pinning you down?”
“Can you even hear yourself? You’re in the 12th Battalion, you’re lower than me.”
“What? Aren’t the battalions just us and those top battalions? Why are you trying to differentiate yourself from us, you prideful bastard!”
“That’s exactly why His Majesty said every fool should just become a mercenary! You don’t even know how battalions are divided!”
“What? Did you just call me a fool? You scumbag!”
Joshua chuckled at the loud voice and metallic noises he could hear even from afar.
"There’s one thing that never changes here…"
Joshua finally arrived at his destination. One of the two enormous training halls, fit to house dozens of people, was empty as if it was closed for the day. Meanwhile, the other hall was packed to the brim, and hundreds of people watched as two men exchanged blows.
“It appears like today is the day,” Joshua muttered as he looked around. The audience was divided into two, and each side cheered for its own knight.
“Hey, Ranger! I bet all of this month’s pocket money on you, so you better win! Slam that guy into the ground! Show them how things are done in the 11th Battalion!”
“Cazes! If you lose, I’m going to get kicked out of my house. I bet everything my wife and I have on you! You have to save me!”
The hoarse voices made Joshua smile. The lowest battalions, the 11th and 12th Battalions, used to have regular fights like these. The emperor had established such a system to foster camaraderie through competition, but it eventually backfired.
“Ah… it has been so long, so I’m missing it badly.”
Joshua wore a warm smile, and he nodded.
At that, there was a change on the battlefield.
Clank!
A longsword flew and crashed into the corner of the training hall. The victor pointed his sword at the loser and laughed while the latter looked desperate.
“ARGH!”
“My word—”
“I knew it! I knew Ranger wouldn’t let anyone from a lower battalion sully the 11th Battalion’s honor! But, uh… this is very shameful,” someone remarked.
It was all because the loser abandoned his pride and knelt down. He clutched the pants of the winner, who was laughing and overflowing with pride from the victory.
“Brother Ranger! Save me just this once… I mean, you know my wife, right? Everything I do annoys her, and I always feel my dick shrinking in shame whenever I’m around her. Since I lost, she’s going to take everything from me. I have no idea what to do!”
“What? Look at this dumbass. He’s willing to fight again?” someone commented.
Ranger, a member of the 11th Battalion, looked down at Cazes with a mocking look and said, “Oh, sorry, I didn’t notice you because I thought you were a bug. What did you say again, you want me to spare you?”
“That…” Cazes hesitated.
Ranger simply stared at Cazes with his arms in front of his chest.
“Ha!?Ranger… You know that he’s definitely going to attack you again even if you were to spare him this time, right?” said another knight as he patted Ranger’s shoulder and looked at the defeated man below them.
“Ah…” Cazes begged. “I know how to repay favors, so please… Help me, Brother Ranger, please.”
“Cazes is a disgrace to the 12th Battalion.”
“Ugh, someone like him doesn’t deserve to be called a knight. He’s worse than a bug.”
While the people on the left laughed hysterically, the people on the right shook their heads in dismay.
Meanwhile, Joshua slowly made his way into the middle of the mob.
“Oh? Who is that kid?”
“Kid, where did you come from?”
“Did this noble brat get lost on the way to the playground?”
“Kid…” Ranger eyed the boy. “This is not a playground for the likes of you. Did you get lost?”
“No, I’m in the right place,” replied Joshua.
Ranger scowled. However, it was clear that he was confused.
Joshua smiled as he looked around and gathered everyone's attention.
“I've come here for a reason…”
People's faces lit up with curiosity. It seemed they were interested in what a kid like him had to say.
At that, Joshua continued unhesitantly. “Berche’s Bloody Battle… I’m here for it.”
The surroundings were instantly silenced as if a bucket of cold water had been poured all over the audience.
***
Two men were hiking through the dense woodlands near the eastern gates of Arcadia. They eventually arrived at a small, remote vacant lot.
“This is it,” muttered a large-framed middle-aged man after picking up a handful of dust from the ground. The man had a pleasant-sounding, low-pitched voice that nicely suited his stature, which was akin to a boulder. He had a plain demeanor and an overall pleasant bearing, but his true identity was definitely not pleasant.
He was the Earth Mage, Marcus Lindbloom, and one of the Magic Tower’s Seven Mages.
“Hmm… the dirt is different here,” said another man with a smile as he glanced at Marcus’ palm. The man looked like he hadn’t even reached his 30s yet. He had cool features, green hair, and a face that promised mischief.
.
"It's not dirt, Theta," said Marcus. He had revealed the young man’s identity. Theta Reios, like Marcus Lindbloom, was one of the Seven Mages, and he held the Storm seat, earning him the epithet ‘Wind Mage’.
“I suppose. Would it make you feel better if I called it ash?”
“...”
All of a sudden, a powerful breeze blew from?between the trees, and Marcus watched as the wind blew away the soil in his fingers.
“May Demichelis' blessings be upon you—”
Theta clapped his hands together to interrupt Marcus’ prayers as he said, “Earth, you’re being too much! Not everyone believes in the same god as you, but you prayed to your own god to bless the deceased. That’s disrespecting the dead!”
Despite saying that, Theta prayed for the deceased as well. “Incubus, give your blessing. Eos, queen of all succubus. May you guide this man’s soul in the afterlife.”
“Theta,” Marcus softly called him out.
Theta shrugged. “Let’s just go and investigate, shall we? I haven’t been out in a long time.”
Marcus frowned. “Are you planning on ditching this so soon? We still don’t know the identity of the murderer.”
“What are you talking about? There’s enough evidence here.”
“What?” Marcus asked.
Theta adjusted his posture and said, “Close your eyes and imagine the wind rushing past you. Can’t you feel it?”
“Feel what?” Marcus revealed a bewildered look. However, he closed his eyes slowly after seeing Theta’s solemn look. After all, he knew that even though Theta had always been mischievous, he could sometimes be meticulous and serious.
He closed his eyes and felt his surrounding.
It took him only a moment to notice it, and his eyes widened as he blurted out. “There’s no mana?”
Mana could naturally be found in nature, so it would only be natural for there to be a higher-than-average concentration of mana in a dense forest like this. However, Marcus noticed that not an ounce of mana was present in a 3-meter radius around them.
Marcus was familiar with this phenomenon.
“No way… A mana vacuum.” Marcus revealed an incredulous look.
“A mana vacuum can manifest in two ways. One, it could manifest as a natural phenomenon. However, there’s no way a mana vacuum could escape our Magic Tower’s detection. After all, it manifested near the capital, so we would have known about it before anyone else.”
“Are you saying—”
Theta nodded and continued. “The second way is Circle’s Rush.”
“...!” Marcus’ eyes widened.
“If the heart of a Class 6 Mage or higher is severely wounded… ”Theta drew his palms together and separated them as he continued. “Total obliteration in a 1-kilometer radius around the ground zero. It happened recently and only once, but this place is too clean.”
All of a sudden, Marcus recalled something, and he groaned. “Primordial Stone…”
“Yes, the perpetrator must have something to do with one of the Primordial Stones.” Theta's eyes brightened as he said, “Mr. Thunder died here in this forest, but if he were pursued, he would have left traces for us to find. As such, we can deduce that he didn’t come here under duress.”
Suddenly, Theta gestured with his finger. “Do you understand what I’m saying?”
“...” Marcus kept his mouth shut.
“The perpetrator was an individual rather than a group. Jack was definitely following Bronto, and the mana vacuum means that he found Bronto. As such, Jack’s murderer was the one who snatched Bronto…” Theta trailed off. He looked around for a moment before cautiously muttering, “By finding Bronto, we will find Jack’s murderer as well.”
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